Search

In this study, ginger slices were dehydrated through a combination of far-infrared radiation and hot-air drying (FIR-HAD). The changes in volatile composition were subsequently identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and metal oxide semiconductor electronic nose (MOS e-nose). The GC-MS analysis revealed that terpenes comprised over 75% of volatile compounds in all examined samples, with zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, and (E, E)-α-farnesene being the dominant constituents. Fresh ginger contained a higher relative proportion compared to dried samples. After FIR-HAD treatment, the terpene levels decreased by 11.9%, 8.9%, 13.7%, and 18.2% at 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C, respectively. Among the various drying conditions, ginger subjected to FIR-HAD at 60 °C displayed the highest concentrations of volatile compounds and exhibited flavor characteristics closest to those of fresh samples. The flavor profiles were further evaluated using MOS e-nose analysis. The terpene compounds demonstrated a strong correlation with the response values of W1W and W2W sensors according to partial least squares regression models. In addition, the concentrations of 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 10-gingerol in ginger exposed to FIR-HAD at 60 °C were also higher compared to other drying conditions. This indicated that the FIR-HAD at 60 °C is more suitable for producing dried ginger with remaining flavor attributes. These findings offer theoretical insights into the changes in volatile compounds of ginger slices during the FIR-HAD procedure. They also highlight the potential for improving drying efficiency through aroma online control techniques in future research.

The major impediment to the additional industrialization of water splitting is the high cost of the co-catalyst made of noble metals and the sacrificial reagent. A binary photocatalytic system, consisting of B-doped g-C3N4nanosheets (Cu20@BCN-X) and atomically accurate copper clusters, is designed in this study. The copper clusters serve as co-catalysts for H2evolution and exhibit Pt-like activity, whereas the nanosheets serve as carriers and semiconductor components for O2evolution. Such binary system, created using simple techniques, demonstrates hydrogen bonding interactions that promote synergistic effects and efficient binding and charge transfer across the interface between the two components. Band position manipulation of carbon nitride nanosheets demonstrates a Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism between the nanosheets and copper clusters. This photocatalytic system can accomplish the photocatalytic overall water splitting process (259.9 µmol g−1h−1of H2and 129.4 µmol g−1h−1of O2) without using sacrificial agents or noble metal co-catalysts. This work lays the foundation for the design of overall water splitting catalysts by precisely manipulating the energy levels, and it also paves the way for commercialized photocatalytic catalysts that do not require noble metals or sacrificial chemicals.

As a novel detecting technique, the research on superconducting magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is still a virgin land to break. Here, comparative research between copper and MgB2-based MPI is conducted to explore the performance of superconducting MPI in generating and controlling the gradient magnetic field. According to the theoretical calculation and simulation analysis at the mouse-scale, the superconducting MPI can serve as a potential replacement for the conventions with significantly reduced volume and weight, which provides an improved magnetic gradient with finer scanning region and effectively controls the unintended noises with the same frequency as the target signals.

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) involved in the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) process results in benzophenone derivatives (BPDs) with an excellent ability to passivate defects. However, the BPDs are in a continuing dynamic transition process between the ground state and the excited state under light radiation conditions. The ground-state BPDs may lose their ability to passivate defects, resulting in an increased defect density of the perovskite. Therefore, enhancing the passivation ability of the ground-state BPDs can help to achieve the full passivation ability of their ground state to excited state. Herein, we have researched the various BPDs by density functional theory and found that intramolecular H-bonding can weaken the passivation ability of ground-state BPDs, but intramolecular H-bonding is indispensable in the ESPT process. To address the issue, we investigated the influence of electron-donor properties and dipole moments of hydroxyl (−OH), methoxy (−OCH3), and n-octyloxy (−OC8H17) groups in BPD molecules on their coordination capacity through molecular design engineering. Ultimately, 2-hydroxy-4-n-octyloxy-benzophenone (UV5) with strong electron-donor n-octyloxy (−OC8H17) and elongated carbon-chain structure was selected as an additive, which enhances the passivate defect capability in both the ground and excited states. As a result, the UV5-based champion device achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.46% and remained at 75% of the initial PCE with exposure to UV light. This work focuses on the defect passivation capability of ground-state BPDs for the first time and opens a new concept for applying BPDs in PSCs.

The shrouded stator is widely used in aero-engines and the leakage flow from the cavity has a strong effect on the performance of the stator. Due to the high degree of geometric freedom of the tooth shape, it is difficult to find the optimal geometry directly through a large number of sample calculations. In this research, a multi-objective optimization design method was used for the structure of labyrinth seal teeth and the optimal shape was found. The effect of the optimal seal teeth on the stator was analyzed in a low-speed research compressor. It is found that two different optimized shapes of seal teeth meet the optimization requirements. There is a significant difference in the cavity depth, but they have similar intervals and angles of inclination of seal teeth. The total pressure loss coefficient below 20% span decreases by 9.18% and the outlet static pressure coefficient below 20% span increases by 1.76%. For both optimal results, the leakage flow becomes closer to the pressure side of the stator. The leakage flow climbs in the radial direction in the rear of the passage. The vortex near the suction side disappears. Instead, two vortexes with opposite rotating directions exist in the passage. The range of the vortex in the radial direction expands.

ABSTRACTBackground: Cuproptosis is a recently identified form of programmed cell death and could be a new direction for tumour therapy, and it has important clinical implications. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can intervene in diverse biological processes and have a decisive role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, how cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (CRLs) participate in regulating HCC has yet to be recognised. This study aimed to establish and validate a prognostic signature of CRLs and to analyse their clinical value in HCC patients. Methods: To analyse the function of CRLs in the prognosis of HCC, RNA sequencing data, mutation data, and clinically relevant data were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas Database (TCGA). Then, TCGA cohort was randomly divided into training and test sets. The training set was utilized to define prognostic signature of CRLs using bioinformatics methods. Subsequently, we verified the accuracy of this prognostic signature in the test set. Finally, we performed immune-related analysis, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) prediction, gene set enrichment analysis, and tumour mutational burden (TMB) analysis. Results: We established a prognostic signature for the CRLs (SNHG4, AC026412.3, AL590705.3, and CDKN2A-DT). This signature-based risk group displayed an accurate predictive ability for the survival time of patients with HCC. We observed discrepancies in immune cells, immune function, the expression level of genes related to immune checkpoints, and TMB in high- and low-risk groups. Conclusion: This CRLs prognostic signature could predict clinical outcomes in patients with HCC as well as the efficacy of targeted and therapy immunotherapy.

Atherosclerosis (AS), a leading cause of cardio-cerebrovascular disease worldwide, is driven by the accumulation of lipid contents and chronic inflammation. Traditional strategies primarily focus on lipid reduction to control AS progression, leaving residual inflammatory risks for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). While anti-inflammatory therapies targeting innate immunity have reduced MACEs, many patients continue to face significant risks. Another key component in AS progression is adaptive immunity, but its potential role in preventing AS remains unclear. To investigate this, we conducted a retrospective cohort study on tumor patients with AS plaques. We found that anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly reduces AS plaque size. With multi-omics single-cell analyses, we comprehensively characterized AS plaque-specific PD-1+T cells, which are activated and pro-inflammatory. We demonstrated that anti-PD-1 mAb, when captured by myeloid-expressed Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs), interacts with PD-1 expressed on T cells. This interaction turns the anti-PD-1 mAb into a substitute PD-1 ligand, suppressing T-cell functions in the PD-1 ligands-deficient context of AS plaques. Further, we conducted a prospective cohort study on tumor patients treated with anti-PD-1 mAb with or without FcγR-binding capability. Our analysis shows that anti-PD-1 mAb with FcγR-binding capability effectively reduces AS plaque size, while anti-PD-1 mAb without FcγR-binding capability does not. Our work suggests that T cell-targeting immunotherapy can be an effective strategy to resolve AS in humans.

Effective defect passivation and efficient charge transfer within polycrystalline perovskite grains and corresponding boundaries are necessary to achieve highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, focusing on the boundary location of g-C3N4during the crystallization modulation on perovskite, molecular engineering of 4-carboxyl-3-fluorophenylboronic acid (BF) on g-C3N4was designed to obtain a novel additive named BFCN. With the help of the strong bonding ability of BF with both g-C3N4and perovskite and favorable intramolecular charge transfer within BFCN, not only has the crystal quality of perovskite films been improved due to the effective defects passivation, but the charge transfer has also been greatly accelerated due to the formation of additional charge transfer channels on the grain boundaries. As a result, the champion BFCN-based PSCs achieve the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.71% with good stability.

In order to meet the development needs of deep-sea oil and gas resources, deep-sea corrosion coupon tests were carried out in the South China Sea, the Western Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean, which can provide a strong guarantee for the rationality of material selection of oil and gas pipelines, platforms and other facilities. In-depth studies were conducted on the environmental adaptability of typical carbon steel and low alloy steel materials after exposure for one year in the deep-sea environment of different sea areas. The main environmental factors affecting deep-sea corrosion behavior were also collected and analyzed. The results showed that the corrosion morphology of carbon steel and low alloy steel in deep sea environment was more uniform than that in the shallow seawater. With the increase of seawater depth, the evolution law of their corrosion rates in different sea areas was similar, with an obvious decline of corrosion rate in the beginning. The gray correlation results indicated that it was mainly controlled by temperature and dissolved oxygen. The high hydrostatic pressure had limited effect on accelerating the deep sea corrosion rate of carbon steel and low alloy steel, but it promoted the formation of more uniform corrosion morphology.

Early corrosion behavior of 35CrMo low-alloy steel for high-strength bolt in the simulated shallow seawater and deep-sea environment was studied using mass loss measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Raman spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and 3D microscope. The results show that the corrosion of 35CrMo steel initiates mainly at the steel matrix around the inclusions of CaO–MgO–Al2O3, (Ca, Mn)S and their mixed composite. The corrosion rate in the simulated deep-sea environment is lower than that in the shallow seawater, which is declined with immersion time. The corrosion products formed in the two environments are composed of γ-FeOOH, α-FeOOH, Fe3O4and little Cr(III) oxide or/and hydroxide, but the rust layer produced in the deep-sea environment is thin and uniform. The steel has pits in a shallow dish shape and tends to develop uniform corrosion in the deep-sea environment.

The tubes of 7075 aluminum alloy were fabricated by power stagger spinning at 400 °C (HS) and room temperature (RTS), and then the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties were investigated. Results show that the grains after spinning are refined prominently, and the tubes after 60% and 70% thickness reduction (HS-60% and HS-70%) are dominated by the deformed structure, while the recrystallized structure is dominant in the tube after 85% thickness reduction at 400 °C (HS-85%). Furthermore, a bimodal grain structure with a weak Cube texture is obtained in the HS-85% sample due to the emergence of the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and abnormal grain growth. As the thickness reduction increases from 0% to 85% during spinning at 400 °C, the yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) increase first and then decrease, while the elongation decreases first and then increases. Compared with that of the HS-85% sample, the UTS and YS of RTS-85% sample are 613.5 and 567.9 MPa, respectively, which are improved by 33.7% and 57.4%, while the elongation is only 7.3%.

This paper presents a subthreshold-leakage-current-based fully CMOS temperature-to-digital converter with high accuracy and supply rejection. The subthreshold current ratio is constructed by different channel lengths of the same MOSFET type, providing high accuracy and less corner dependence. In addition, the supply sensitivity is enhanced by the proposed subthreshold-leakage-current-based sensing element (SE) and the frequency ratio of two identical currents to frequency converters (CFCs). The prototype was implemented in a 180nm CMOS process. It achieves an inaccuracy of ±0.8°C ( $3\sigma$ ) from 0°C to 100°C after two-point calibration with a resolution of 120mK. Over a wide supply range from 0.8V to 1.6V, the temperature sensor shows a supply sensitivity of 0.9°/V at 30°C. Over the temperature range of 0–100°C, the power supply sensitivity is smaller than 3.4°C/V. Operating at 1V, the sensor has a power consumption of 20nW at 30°C, leading to an FoM of 14.4 pJ $\cdot \text{K}^{2}$ .

The effect of cathodic polarization on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of 35CrMo steel for high strength fasteners in seawater was investigated by electrochemical measurement, slow strain rate tensile tests and fracture analyses. The results demonstrated that the 35CrMo steel with a typical tempered martensite microstructure has some SCC susceptibility at the open circuit potential (OCP), and the susceptibility decreases as the potential is shifted negatively until −850 mV vs. SCE, at which the steel presents the lowest SCC susceptibility due to the inhibition of anodic dissolution (AD) and little hydrogen evolution. The SCC sensitivity increases significantly as the applied potential further shifts negatively because of intensive hydrogen evolution. The fractures are transgranular at all potentials. AD is considered to be the main cracking mechanism at OCP, while hydrogen embrittlement becomes dominant at the potential below −850 mV vs. SCE.

Bismuth vanadate hydrothermally synthesized at 180 °C and then calcined (BiVO4-180) is a versatile and stable heterogeneous photocatalyst for the functionalization of diverse C(sp2)–H bonds under ambient visible-light conditions, with a series of functionalized compounds, including tetrahydroquinoline-succinimide-fused heterocycles, tetrahydroquinolines, 3-(p-(N,N-dimethyl)ben- zyl)indoles, α-aryl α-amino acid esters, and thiocyanated/vulcanized/selenated (hetero)aromatics, synthesized in good yields (79 examples, including modified drugs and dipeptide esters). BiVO4photocatalysts are advantageous because they are recyclable, inexpensive, air-tolerant, and highly efficient, which are typical characteristics required to overcome the shortcomings of homogeneous photocatalysts.

Platinum (Pt) catalysts are the most practical electrocatalysts; however, their low abundance and high cost severely limit their large-scale applications. Efficient recovery is a key issue to be resolved before the use of Pt-based electrocatalysts can be broadly extended. Herein, the newly designed polyoxometalate [PtII(NH3)4]2[Mo8O26] (Mo8Pt) acts as an ideal recycling medium for renewable and highly effective Pt electrocatalysts. Starting from Mo8Pt, by a facile reduction reaction, the formed Pt/Mo2C/Mo2N@C-N electrocatalyst shows superior electrocatalytic activity as compared to commercial Pt/C (20%) under both acidic and alkaline conditions. Notably, the reaction of Pt/Mo2C/Mo2N@C-N in H2O2solution can regenerate Mo8Pt for Pt renew-ability. It is also demonstrated that the Pt electrocatalyst can be used for at least five rounds of recycling and regeneration, showing its efficiency and stability as well as its effectiveness. This work highlights a recycling medium strategy to the new generation of renewable Pt-based catalysts.

A visible-light-induced persulfate-promoted cascade phosphorylation/cyclization reaction to access various phosphorylated pyrrolo[1,2-a]indolediones under mild conditions was developed. Notably, the transformation was carried out with diethyl carbonate/H2O as a green medium at room temperature. More impressively, traditional metal catalysts and photocatalysts could be effectively avoided. The reactions are simple to operate, easy to scale up, and have good functional group tolerance.

3-(2-(Ethynyl)phenyl)quinazolinones were designed and synthesized as a class of novel and efficient skeletons for phosphorylation/cyclization reactions. Under visible light irradiation, a series of phosphorylated quinolino[2,1-b]quinazolinones (35 examples, up to 87% yield) were first synthesized from 3-(2-(ethynyl)phenyl)quinazolinones and diarylphosphine oxides by using 4CzIPN as a photocatalyst under mild conditions. This reaction was also applicable under sunlight irradiation. Moreover, the reaction efficiency could be significantly improved under continuous-flow conditions.

Large language models (LLMs) exhibit outstanding reasoning abilities when robots perform tasks, but are limited to the passively receiving information and lack multi-feature perception of realistic objects. Humans obtain complementary and coupled information from interactions with objects through the skin. Here, a multimodal tactile sensory system is reported to assist the LLM-equipped robots in actively perceiving and understanding multiple features of objects including material, compliance and thermal insulation. A multi-parametric tactile sensing array, where each sensor in the array comprises of a triboelectric unit, a decoupling pressure-temperature dual-mode sensing unit and a heating unit, is constructed to acquire the multiparametric tactile signals. The pressure-temperature sensing unit is fabricated from the developed aerogel/sponge nested composite structures, which exhibit stable compression resilience under the compression strain of over 90 %, impressive fatigue resistance with stable responses after 10,000 compression cycles, and linear thermoelectric responses over wide temperature gradients. The multi-parametric tactile signals are analyzed using Mamba time series network model, resulting in the high-precision clustering of multiple features (up to 98.3 %). Supported by a multimodal interactive perception framework, the LLM realizes multi-feature understanding of objects. With large-scale sample datasets and multi-task training, the LLM-equipped robots powered by the multimodal tactile sensory system are expected to realize embodied intelligence.

Perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention because of their excellent photoelectric properties. However, non-radiative recombination losses due to interface defects limit the open circuit voltage (Voc) of PSCs, which prevents further improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE). To solve this problem, we introduced Li2SO4into the SnO2/perovskite interface to obtain a higher Vocthrough interfacial passivation and enhancement of the interface electric field. Herein, Li+presents bottom-up diffusion into perovskite surface, and forms dipoles with FA to enhance the interface electric field. Furthermore, SO in SO42-passivates Sn4+on the surface of SnO2and Pb2+at the buried interface of perovskite. This method combines interfacial passivation with synchronous electric field enhancement, which promotes interfacial carrier migration and reduces non-radiative recombination and voltage loss (Vloss) at the interface. As a result, the SLS-device exhibits an enhanced Vocof 1.25 V, with a very low Vlossof 0.33 V, achieving an outstanding PCEof 24.31 %. Moreover, the device maintained 90 % of the initial PCEafter exposure to ambient air for 1000 h. This work demonstrates the necessity to co-design the interface microstructure and electric field distribution for reducing the energy loss of perovskite photovoltaic devices and promoting the efficiency of interfacial charge transport.

The effects of temperature and dissolved oxygen on the passivation behavior of Ti–6Al–3Nb–2Zr–1Mo alloy in artificial seawater are investigated. The increase of temperature increases the anodic and cathodic current density, and also increases the field strength and zero field activation energy for oxygen vacancy motion. The decrease of dissolved oxygen concentration inhibits the transformation of titanium oxide and results in the disappearance of the anodic peak. Meanwhile, the passive current density increases in the deaerated environment because of the increase in the point defect density and diffusion rate. The passive film exhibits n-type semiconductivity, and oxygen vacancy is the main point defect.

The immunohistochemical method serves as one of the most practical tools in clinical cancer detection and thus has great application value to overcome the existing limits of the conventional method and further improve the detecting efficiency and sensitivity. This study employed 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB), a conventional color indicator for immunohistochemistry, as a novel high-sensitive scattering reagent to provide a multidimensional image signal varying with the overexpression rate of tumor markers. Based on the scattering properties of DAB aggregates, an efficient and robust artificial intelligence-aided immunohistochemical method based on dark-field imaging has been established, with improvement in both the imaging quality and interpretation efficiency in comparison with the conventional manual-operated immunohistochemical method. Referencing the diagnosis from three independent pathologists, this method succeeded in detecting HER2 overexpressed breast tumors with a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 100.0%; meanwhile, it was found to be applicable for non-small-cell lung tumors and malignant lymphoma as well. As demonstrated, this study provided an effective and reliable means for making diagnostic suggestions, which exhibited great potential in multiple tumor pathological detection at low cost.

Background: In the PAOLA-1 trial, olaparib plus bevacizumab demonstrated significant clinical benefit following partial or complete response to platinum-based chemotherapy in homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive ovarian cancer. Our study evaluated the cost effectiveness of olaparib plus bevacizumab compared with bevacizumab alone as a maintenance treatment for women in this population. Methods: Our model was a cohort-level partitioned survival model with a lifetime horizon from a US healthcare system perspective. Its four health states were progression-free, post first progression, post second progression, and death, modeled using time to first progression (PFS1), second progression (PFS2), and overall survival (OS) from PAOLA-1. We modeled PFS1 through mixture survival modeling, and PFS2 and OS by fitting standard parametric models. Time-on-treatment was sourced directly from PAOLA-1, with treatment capped at 24 months for olaparib and 15 months for bevacizumab. Costs included drug acquisition and administration, adverse events, disease management, biomarker testing, and subsequent treatments. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses tested the results. Results: Compared with bevacizumab alone, olaparib plus bevacizumab increased quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; +2.89) and life-years (LYs; +3.43) at an incremental cost of $164,209, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $56,863 per QALY. Olaparib plus bevacizumab had a 97.0% probability of being cost effective compared with bevacizumab alone at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY. Conclusion: The addition of olaparib to bevacizumab led to clinically significant increases in progression-free survival, resulting in substantial predicted LYs and QALYs gained, while being cost effective in the maintenance treatment of advanced ovarian cancer with HRD in the US.

Mutations in non-coding regulatory DNA sequences can alter gene expression, organismal phenotype and fitness1–3. Constructing complete fitness landscapes, in which DNA sequences are mapped to fitness, is a long-standing goal in biology, but has remained elusive because it is challenging to generalize reliably to vast sequence spaces4–6. Here we build sequence-to-expression models that capture fitness landscapes and use them to decipher principles of regulatory evolution. Using millions of randomly sampled promoter DNA sequences and their measured expression levels in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we learn deep neural network models that generalize with excellent prediction performance, and enable sequence design for expression engineering. Using our models, we study expression divergence under genetic drift and strong-selection weak-mutation regimes to find that regulatory evolution is rapid and subject to diminishing returns epistasis; that conflicting expression objectives in different environments constrain expression adaptation; and that stabilizing selection on gene expression leads to the moderation of regulatory complexity. We present an approach for using such models to detect signatures of selection on expression from natural variation in regulatory sequences and use it to discover an instance of convergent regulatory evolution. We assess mutational robustness, finding that regulatory mutation effect sizes follow a power law, characterize regulatory evolvability, visualize promoter fitness landscapes, discover evolvability archetypes and illustrate the mutational robustness of natural regulatory sequence populations. Our work provides a general framework for designing regulatory sequences and addressing fundamental questions in regulatory evolution.

Objective:To explore and investigate the awareness rate and the participation rate of first aid in science popularization among undergraduates in a University in China, and analyze the effect of factors such as year, gender, profession on the awareness rate and participation rate.Method:447 undergraduates in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University were investigated with the systematic sampling principle via a questionnaire application. The survey included the demographic information of the undergraduates, the awareness rate, and the participation rate of first aid knowledge and skills in popularization science activities. Results:There are significant differences in the awareness rate of four first aid skills among different student classes. As to three first aid skills among four, the awareness rates in senior undergraduates was significantly higher than that in junior ones, including acute poisoning (χ2=16.15, p=0.003), airway infarction (χ2=9.09, p=0.049), and sudden death (χ2=12.61, p=0.013). But as to calling 120 correctly (χ2=24.01, p<0.001), the awareness rate in First Grade is the highest, and then gradually decreases. The awareness rate in Third Grade is the lowest, but it rises again in Fourth and Fifth Grade. The participation rate and willingness to participate in first aid science popularization activities were significantly different depending on the class. The participation rate in first aid science popularization activities (χ2=28.2, p<0.001), the willingness to spend extra time learning/disseminating in future first aid science popularization activities (χ2=15.2, p=0.049), and the willingness to volunteer in future activities (χ2=17.6, p=0.001) were all significantly higher for seniors than those in juniors.Conclusion:Special consideration in designing science popularization activities should be given regarding the differences in the awareness and participation rate of first aid knowledge and skills among undergraduates of different grade levels.

The corrosion evolution of 2024-T351 and 7075-T651 aluminum alloys in the thin electrolyte layer (TEL) and wet–dry alternating cycle (WDAC) environment is studied in this work. The results show that in the TEL environment, the competitive effect between H+that accelerates corrosion reactions and deposition of aluminum sulfate that impedes corrosion attacks exists during the corrosion exposure. The difference is that with increasing HSO3−, subsurface intergranular corrosion on 2024-T351 is promoted to form exfoliation corrosion eventually and the degree of exfoliation corrosion begins to decrease because the blocking effect of aluminum sulfate exceeds the expediting effect of H+. For 7075-T651, the corrosion area and the corrosion diameter decrease gradually, which is attributed to the HSO3−-enhanced deposition of corrosion products and their blocking effect. In the WDAC environment, the corrosion processes of 2024-T351 and 7075-T651 are the acidic dissolution of the matrix during the soaking phase. When the HSO3−concentration is high enough (0.1 M), the inhibiting effect of aluminum sulfate becomes the dominant factor.

This study evaluated the effects of the dietary starch amylose/amylopectin ratio on growth performance, rumen fermentation and blood parameters, carcass characteristics and marbling score, and meat fatty acid profiles and transcriptional changes in the genes involved in the gluconeogenesis pathway in Chinese Qinchuan cattle. Forty-five cattle were randomly divided into three groups. The bulls were fed a control diet (middle amylose/amylopectin ratio=0.47) or diets with either waxy corn starch (WS) inclusion (low amylose/amylopectin ratio=0.23) or pea starch (PS) inclusion (high amylose/amylopectin ratio=0.60) for 90 days. The bulls were individually allowed to receive the diets at the daily amount of at least 2.1% of their individual BW twice daily. The bulls were weighed at 45-day intervals, and blood and rumen fluid samples were also collected at 45-day intervals. The bulls were slaughtered and longissimus thoracis(LT) samples were collected for meat quality measurements. Compared with PS, the average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency in control and WS were increased (P<0.05) during d 0 to 45. However, the feed efficiency in PS was increased (P<0.05) compared with the control and WS during d 46 to 90. During the whole feeding trial, the ADG in control and WS showed trends that were higher (0.050.05) among the three groups. Compared with PS, the serum insulin concentration in WS was increased (P<0.05) at d 45, but not at d 90. Compared with control and WS, the serum SOD and T-AOC concentrations in PS were increased (P<0.05) at d 45, but not at d 90. Compared with control, the rumen microbial crude protein contents in WS and PS were increased (P<0.05) at d 0, while those of control and WS were higher (P<0.05) than that of PS at d 45, but not at d 90. Compared with PS, the backfat thickness in control and WS were increased (P<0.05), however, the marbling score and expression of genes related to the gluconeogenesis pathway in liver of the three groups did not differ (P>0.05). Chemical and physio-chemical compositions of LT did not differ (P>0.05) among the three groups. In conclusion, diets with low or middle amylose/amylopectin ratios increased the backfat thickness, and tended to improve ADG, but had no effect on other carcass characteristics, fat content in the LT, or the expression of hepatic genes related to the gluconeogenesis pathway in Chinese Qinchuan cattle.

• Novel 2D@3D-architectured perovskites is developed by a facile technique. • Both surface passivation and cascade bandgap are realized for the devices. • High PCE (>21.6%) for 2D@3D PSCs is achieved with negligible hysteresis. • More than 90% of initial PCE for 45 days with a relative humidity of 50±5%. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become a promising alternative to sustainable energy due to their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low-cost processing. However, the practical applications of PSCs are still limited by the trade-off between high performance and poor stability under operation. Here, a 2D@3D perovskite with quasi core-shell architecture linking the superiorities of both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) perovskite is prepared through a novel upgraded antisolvent approach. The basic properties as well as the phase distribution and the charge transport behavior of the 2D@3D perovskite were systematically elucidated. A high PCE of 21.60% for 2D@3D PSCs is achieved due to the enhanced surface and grain boundaries passivation, improved energy level alignment and efficient holes transport. The 2D@3D perovskite device without encapsulation shows significantly improved stability at the room temperature (90% of initial PCE for 45 d with a relative humidity of 50%±5%) and relative thermal conditions (83% of initial PCE for 200 h under 85 °C). Compared with traditional 3D PSCs, it proved that such 2D@3D perovskite configuration is an effective architecture for enhancing efficiency and improving stability and therefore will facilitate the further industrialization of PSCs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-Arginine is the precursor of nitric oxide (NO), a host immune effector against intracellular pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M. tb). Pathogens including M. tbhave evolved various strategies targeting arginine to block the production of NO for better survival and proliferation. However, L-arginine metabolism and regulation in Mycobacteriumare poorly understood. Here, we report the identification of M. smegmatisMSMEG_1415 (homolog of M. tbRv2324) as an arginine-responsive transcriptional factor regulating the arginase pathway. In the absence of L-arginine, MSMEG_1415 acts as a repressor to inhibit the transcription of the roc(for arginine, ornithine catabolism) gene cluster, thereby switching off the arginase pathway. Treatment with L-arginine relieves the transcriptional inhibition of MSMEG_1415 on the rocgene cluster to activate the arginase pathway. Moreover, the L-arginine-MSMEG_1415 complex activates the transcription of the rocgene cluster by recognizing and binding a 15-bp palindrome motif, thereby preventing the excess accumulation of L-arginine in M. smegmatis.Physiologically, MSMEG_1415 confers mycobacteria resistance to starvation and fluoroquinolones exposure, suggestive of its important role in M. smegmatispersistence. The results uncover a unique regulatory mechanism of arginine metabolism in mycobacteria and identify M. tbRv2324 as an attractive candidate target for the design of drugs against tuberculosis.

Background: Abnormal sleep duration has been identified as a risk factor for cognitive decline. However, most studies have measured sleep duration and cognitive function at a single time point, while both tend to decrease with age. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the association between changes in sleep duration patterns and cognitive trajectories in older adults. Methods: Using longitudinal data (2005–2014) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a total of 4347 subjects were included in this study. Cognitive function was measured with the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Group-based trajectory models were used to identify the trajectories of sleep duration and cognitive decline within the study sample as the participants aged. Furthermore, the association between sleep duration patterns and cognitive trajectories was examined by multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: Using the medium-stable sleep duration pattern as a reference, the trajectory with a long and increased sleep duration pattern was more likely to be associated with the slight cognitive decline trajectory (OR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.31–2.44). Persistent short sleep was associated with a decreased likelihood of having a rapid cognitive decline trajectory (OR = 0.32; 95% CI 0.12–0.75). Discussion: Changes in sleep duration over time were independently associated with cognitive decline and may be a marker of cognitive decline. Conclusions: Tracking of sleep duration over time in older adults may provide a useful insight for prevention of cognitive decline, and the increased sleep duration should be noticed with greater vigilance.

To compensate for the photoelectric losses of planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the development of high-quality textured absorbers with excellent light-harvesting ability and carrier extraction/transfer efficiency is of great significance to achieve a high-efficiency stable photovoltaic output. In this paper, we propose an in situ growth passivation technique to construct high-performance textured absorbers by adding a 2-amino-4-chlorophenol (AC) modifier consisting of multiple groups during the growth of textured perovskite. Initially, according to the Ostwald ripening mechanism, the strongly polar dimethylformamide (DMF) was used as the etchant to systematically study its synergistic effect on the morphology evolution, crystallization kinetics, light-trapping capability, and photovoltaic loss of textured absorbers. An appropriate amount of DMF induces formamidinium cations (FA+) to replace methylammonium cations (MA+) in the perovskite lattice while etching the absorber to form a texture configuration, which effectively broadens the spectral absorption range, thus greatly improving the light-trapping capacity and short-circuit current density of planar PSCs. In contrast, excess DMF deteriorates the device performance due to the excessive corrosion of the perovskite. Moreover, the introduction of the AC modifier is of great significance for passivating deep-level defects and accelerating the charge extraction/transfer. Owing to the electron-donating nature of the Lewis base, the hydroxyl groups with a higher electron density in AC molecules can better coordinate with Pb2+ion defects, which effectively improves the crystallinity of the textured perovskite, thus suppressing the nonradiative recombination and ultimately improving the photovoltaic outputs of modified devices, particularly the fill factor and the open-circuit voltage. Thus, the photovoltaic performance of the AC-modified planar PSC is significantly better than that of the conventional textured device, with a reverse efficiency of 21.18% and forward efficiency of 20.77%. Owing to the synergistic effect of (1) the superior optical properties of the textured perovskite induced by DMF and (2) excellent charge dynamics driven by AC, the functionalized devices without encapsulation also exhibited good photovoltaic output stability and reproducibility. This work provides novel insights into the growth mechanism of textured absorbers and paves the way for more efficient and stable planar PSCs.

The role of working memory (WM) components, such as phonological loop, in online inferential processing has thus far not been empirically examined with a dual‐task paradigm. The current study used an online method to examine the effects of the two components of phonological loop—the articulatory rehearsal device and the phonological store device—on online causal inference generation during Chinese text reading. Eighty‐five Chinese university students read three‐sentence inference and control texts and responded to comprehension questions related to targeted inferences in different reading conditions. The results showed that in the articulatory suppression condition, response times (RTs) for comprehension questions of inference texts were considerably longer, and response errors were significantly higher than those in the normal reading condition, which indicated the effects of the articulatory rehearsal device on readers' online causal inference processes during Chinese text reading. Moreover, RTs for comprehension questions of inference texts in the irrelevant speech condition were significantly shorter than those in the normal reading condition, suggesting effects of the phonological store device on readers' causal inference processes during reading. Taken together, these findings indicate that the articulatory rehearsal device plays an important role in inference processes, but readers allocate more cognitive resources to facilitate the construction of causal relations during text‐based inferential comprehension when function of the phonological store device is impaired.

Sweet cherry is one of the most popular fresh fruits in the world. Previously, we isolated a soilborne dark septate endophyte (DSE) strain, S16, which promoted the growth of Gisela 5 sweet cherry rootstock. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of the effect of S16 on the growth of sweet cherry. In this study, the physiological parameters and transcript profiles of sweet cherry roots were analyzed under S16 treatment compared with a control to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the effect of this strain on sweet cherry growth. After inoculation with S16, sweet cherry seedlings exhibited more vigorous growth. Moreover, we identified 4249 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between S16-treated plants and the control. Many of the DEGs are involved in pathways related to plant growth, such as cellular metabolic and plant hormone pathways. Additionally, some genes involved in nitrate regulation were also enriched; and these genes may be involved in the regulation of nitrate uptake in plants. Physiological index detection demonstrated that S16 could improve the nitrate assimilation of sweet cherry viaNO3−transporters. This RNA-seq dataset provides comprehensive insight into the transcriptomic landscape to reveal the molecular mechanisms whereby the DSE influences the growth of sweet cherry.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is caused by infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), which has a genome consisting of two segments of double-stranded linear RNA. IBDVs have been traditionally divided into four phenotypes based on their pathogenicity and antigenicity, including classic, variant, very virulent, and attenuated IBDV. With the emergences of divergent molecular characteristics of novel strains produced by continuous mutations and recombination, it is increasingly difficult to define new IBDV strains using the traditional descriptive classification method. The most common classification scheme for IBDV with segmented genome is based solely on segment A, while the significance of segment B has been largely neglected. In this study, an improved scheme for IBDV genotype classification based on the molecular characteristics of both VP2 (a viral capsid protein encoded by segment A) and VP1 (an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase protein encoded by segment B) was proposed for the first time. In this scheme, IBDV was classified into nine genogroups of A and five genogroups of B, respectively; the genogroup A2 was further divided into four lineages. The commonly used phenotypic classifications of classic, variant, very virulent, and attenuated IBDVs correspond to the A1B1, A2B1, A3B2, and A8B1 genotypes of the proposed classification scheme. The novel variant IBDVs including the strains identified in this study were classified as belonging to genotype A2dB1. The flexibility and versatility of this improved classification scheme will allow the unambiguous identification of existing and emerging IBDV strains, which will greatly facilitate molecular epidemiology studies of IBDV.

The reconstruction of the size, position, optical properties, and structure of the object in scattering media was realized with a chaotic fiber laser. The light from the chaotic fiber laser was split into two parts. One part was used as the detection signal to detect the object, and the other was used as the reference signal; then, the two signals were cross correlated. The attenuation of light in scattering media was attributed to scattering and absorption. The theoretical model of the peak value of cross correlation of the chaotic signals as projection data were established by the attenuation law, and the filtered back-projection algorithms were used to realize the image reconstruction. The mean squared error, the normalized mean squared error, the peak signal-to-noise ratio, and the structural similarity index of the reconstructed image were analyzed. The results show that the high resolution of the reconstructed image benefits from the high signal-to-noise ratio with the chaotic fiber laser based on a delta-like cross-correlation function.

An electron transport layer (ETL) with excellent conductivity and suitable band alignment plays a key role in accelerating charge extraction and transfer for achieving highly efficient planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a novel diluted-cadmium sulfide quantum dot (CdS QD)-assisted SnO2ETL has been developed with a low-temperature fabrication process. The slight addition of CdS QDs first enhances the crystallinity and flatness of SnO2ETLs so that it provides a promising workstation to obtain high-quality perovskite absorption layers. It also amazingly increases the conductivity of the SnO2ETL by an order of magnitude and regulates the energy level matching between the SnO2ETL and perovskite. These outstanding properties greatly accelerate the charge extraction and transfer. Thus, the MAPbI3-based PSCs with such a diluted-CdSQD-assisted SnO2ETL achieve a maximum power conversion efficiency of 20.78% and obtain a better stability of devices in air. These findings testify the importance and potential of semiconductor QD modification on ETLs, which may pave the way for developing such composite ETLs for further enhancing photovoltaic performance of planar PSCs.

Pitting corrosion of 2Cr13 stainless steel was investigated by deep-sea exposure test at various depths of 500 m, 800 m and 1200 m in the South China Sea for 4 months. With the aid of electrochemical measurements in simulated deep-sea environments and grey relational analysis, the influence of deep-sea environments on passive film and the mechanism of pitting corrosion were discussed. The results indicated that with the increase of sea depth, pitting depth of 2Cr13 stainless steel increased, which can be attributed to the change of chemical composition and the degradation of pitting resistance of passive film. Film growth was greatly retarded in the condition of low seawater temperature and low dissolved oxygen content of deep sea, resulting in an unstable and vulnerable film. Pitting depth was most influenced by hydrostatic pressure, which can increase the adsorption and penetration of Cl− ion, and promote the proliferation of point defects in passive film, leading to rapid deconstruction of protective oxides of the film. Pitting sensitivity of 2Cr13 stainless steel increased eventually with the combination of accelerated dissolution and suppressed self-healing of passive film in deep sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have increased from 3.81 to 25.2%, surpassing those of all almost all thin films solar cells. For high-performance PSCs, it is pivotal to finely regulate the charge dynamics and light management between perovskite and charge-transfer materials to balance the trade-off between optical and electrical properties. In this study, a hemispherical core–shell silver oxide (AgOx) @ silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were grown onto the surface of the mesoporous titanium dioxide (m-TiO2) electron-transport layer (ETL) to improve the photogenerated charge transfer without sacrificing the stability of the devices. The results show that the electrical properties of m-TiO2have been enhanced owing to the injection of a hot carrier in Ag NPs into the m-TiO2ETL filling the trap states of m-TiO2. However, AgOxon the Ag NP surfaces can isolate the touch between Ag NPs and perovskite, thereby prohibiting the perovskite decomposition. Compared with the control device, the PCE was increased from 17.87 to 20.33% for the device with HOAPs. In the meantime, the long-term stability of the PSCs is not sacrificed, which is pivotal for fabricating PSCs and optoelectronic devices.

A feasible arylaminomethyl radical-triggered tandem annulation reaction has been developed toward a large variety of poly fused heterocycles, tetrahydroimidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalin-4(5H)-ones, by reacting diverse quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with various N-arylglycines in green solvent (DMC) in the presence of CsPbBr3under white-light irradiation conditions.

Osteosarcoma (OS), the most common bone cancer, causes high morbidity in children and young adults. TRIM46 is a member of the family of tripartite motif (TRIM)-containing proteins that serve as important regulators of tumorigenesis. Here we investigate the possible role of TRIM46 in OS and the underlying molecular mechanism. We report an increase in the expression of TRIM46 in OS and its association with tumor size, Ennekings stage, and patient prognosis. TRIM46 knockdown inhibits OS cell viability and cell cycle progression and induces apoptosis, while TRIM46 overexpression exerts inverse effects, which are inhibited by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR) overexpression and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). Furthermore, TRIM46 negatively regulates PPAR expression via ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation and modification. PPAR overexpression also inactivates NF-B signaling and NF-B promoter activity in OS cells overexpressing TRIM46. Moreover, TRIM46 knockdown inhibits tumor growth and induces apoptosis of OS cells in vivo. TRIM46 acts as an oncogene in OS by interacting with and ubiquitinating PPAR, resulting in the activation of NF-B signaling pathway. Thus, TRIM46 may be a potential biomarker of carcinogenesis.

In order to evaluate the seawater corrosivity of typical sea areas in China and provide guidance for the seawater corrosion protection on marine equipment and facilities, field exposure test was carried out. These typical sea areas under various climatic zones in China included Qingdao, Zhoushan, Sanya and a South China Sea reef, and Q235, copper, 5083 aluminum alloy and 304 stainless steel were chosen as test materials. The continuous monitoring of seawater environmental factors (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.,) and the statistical work of first-year corrosion rates of test materials were done. Then, based on the metal corrosion rates method and the environmental factors method, the seawater corrosivity of these typical sea areas in China were classified, respectively. Furthermore, the classification results from the two methods were compared and analyzed.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD), caused by IBD virus (IBDV), is one of the most devastating and immunosuppressive diseases of the poultry and has been a constraint on the sustainable poultry production around the globe including Pakistan. While the disease is threatening the poultry industry, the nature of predominant strains of IBDV in Pakistan remained ill-defined. In this study, an epidemiology survey was conducted in the main chicken-farming regions of Pakistan. The batch of Pakistan IBDVs genes simultaneously covering both VP1 and VP2 were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. The unique segment-reassortant IBDVs (vv-A/Uniq-B), carrying segment A from vvIBDV and segment B from one unique ancestor, were identified as one important type of circulating strains in Pakistan. The data also discovered the characteristic molecular features of Pakistan IBDVs, which will contribute to scientific vaccine selection and effective prevention of the disease.

Aim:Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitrobiofilm is associated with the virulence and persistence capability. Our aim is to delineate factors involved in biofilms development. Materials & methods:We performed transposon mutants screen and found that mutation of MSMEG_3641, a homolog of M. tuberculosisRv1836c, can change M. smegmatiscolony morphology and biofilm. Results:MSMEG_3641 contains a vWA domain that is highly conserved among Mycobacteria. The phenotypes of MSMEG_3641 mutants include disrupted biofilm, weakened migration ability and changed colony morphology. All phenotypes might be contributed to the enhanced cell wall permeability and declined cell aggregation ability. Conclusion:To our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the mycobacteria Von Willebrand factor domain function, especially in colony morphology and biofilm development.

To assess the bioequivalence of two 5‐mg olanzapine orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) products, 2 randomized, open‐label, single‐dose, 2‐way crossover studies were carried out under fasting or fed conditions. Blood samples were collected at scheduled times according to the study protocol. Statistical analysis of area under the concentration‐time curve from time 0 to 168 hours (AUC0‐t), area under the curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0‐∞), and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) was conducted. Two formulations were considered bioequivalent if the 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the geometric mean ratios for AUC0‐t,AUC0‐∞, and Cmaxwere within the range of 0.80‐1.25. Adverse events were recorded and evaluated throughout the studies. A total of 48 subjects with 24 in each study completed the 2 studies. In fasted subjects, the 90%CIs for the test product versus the reference product were 97.28%‐105.13% for AUC0‐t, 97.57%‐105.54% for AUC0‐∞, and 90.94%‐103.97% for Cmax. In fed subjects, the 90%CIs for AUC0‐t, AUC0‐∞and Cmaxwere 99.73%‐122.63%, 99.56%‐121.75%, and 99.46%‐120.46%, respectively. No serious adverse events were reported in the studies. The reference and the test product of 5‐mg olanzapine ODT show comparable pharmacokinetic profiles under both fed and fasted conditions and were considered bioequivalent.

Background: Gastric Cancer (GC) is one of the most malignant and lethal tumors worldwide. The hypoxic microenvironment is correlated with GC cell invasion, metastasis and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Resveratrol is a compound extracted from various plants, including grapes, berries, and some traditional Chinese medicines. Recently, the anticancer properties of resveratrol against many cancers have been reported in a range of studies. However, the exact mechanism through which resveratrol prevents GC invasion and metastasis under hypoxic conditions remains unclear. Objective: The objective of this study is to show to what extent resveratrol could inhibit the hypoxia-induced malignant biological behavior of GC. Methods: SGC-7901 cells were cultured in a consistent 3% O2 hypoxic condition or 21% O2 normal condition for 48 hours to establish an in vitro hypoxia model. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect EMT markers of SGC- 7901 cells, including E-cadherin, HIF-1a, Vimentin, etc. Transwell Matrigel Invasion Assays were used to test the invasive ability of SGC-7901 cells. The siRNA targeting Gli-1 showed its role in hypoxia-induced EMT and invasion of SGC-7901 cells. Results: Resveratrol was found to significantly decrease HIF-1α protein levels induced by hypoxia in SGC-7901 cells. HIF-1α accumulation was found to promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasive capacities in addition to EMT changes through the activation of the Hedgehog pathway. These effects were found to be reversed by resveratrol. Conclusion: Therefore, these data indicate that resveratrol may serve as a potential anticancer agent for the treatment of GC, even in a hypoxic tumor microenvironment.