Search

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been used in Asia as a treatment for UC and Puerariae radix(PR) is a reliable anti-diarrheal therapy. The aims of this study were to investigate the protective effect of PR using the dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced UC model in mice and identify molecular mechanisms of PR action. The chemical constituents of PR via ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and identified potential PR and UC targets using a network pharmacology (NP) approach were obtained to guide mouse experiments. A total of 180 peaks were identified from PR including 48 flavonoids, 46 organic acids, 14 amino acids, 8 phenols, 8 carbohydrates, 7 alkaloids, 6 coumarins and 43 other constituents. NP results showed that caspase-1was the most dysregulated of the core genes associated with UC. A PR dose of 0.136 mg/g administered to DSS treated mice reversed weight loss and decreased colon lengths found in UC mice. PR also alleviated intestinal mucosal shedding, inflammatory cell infiltration and mucin loss. PR treatment suppressed upregulation of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases-1 (caspase-1), apoptosis-associated speck-like (ASC) and gasdermin D (GSDMD) at both the protein and mRNA expression levels. The addition of a small molecule dual-specificity phosphatase inhibitor NSC 95397 inhibited the positive effects of PR. These results indicated that PR exerts a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice.

High entropy alloy (HEA) coatings of Fe0.5CoCrNi1.5Nb0.68Mo0.3was prepared on 304 stainless steel using laser cladding and subsequently remelted multiple times. The effects of multiple thermal cycles on the phase composition, grain size, microstructure evolution, and corrosion resistance of the coatings are thoroughly investigated. The original coating consisted of face-centered cubic (FCC), Laves, and NbC phases, and the phase composition does not change obviously, but the distribution and microstructure of the phase change significantly after multiple remelting. As the number of remelting times increased, the bar-like eutectic structure decreased while the lamellar eutectic structure became more prominent. Laser remelting induced dynamic recrystallization in the coating, resulting in a transformation from columnar grains to equiaxed grains, and then back to columnar grains. The grain size also changes significantly with different remelting times. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impact spectroscopy measurements were conducted in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the coating. The results revealed both the original coating and the once-remelted coating exhibited lower corrosion current density and higher corrosion potential, but the latter had a higher Faraday impedance. Additionally, immersion tests were performed in 10 wt% FeCl3solution, which demonstrated that the once-remelted coating displayed fine and uniform corrosion pits with shallow depth. This study provides theoretical support for the regulation of microstructure and the optimization of coating performance. Furthermore, the microstructure evolution law discovered in this research is also applicable to additive manufacturing.

Doping metals and constructing heterostructures are pivotal strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Nevertheless, effectively designing MOF-based catalysts that incorporate both doping and multiphase interfaces poses a significant challenge. In this study, a one-step Co-doped and Co3O4-modified Ni-MOF catalyst (named Ni NDC-Co/CP) with a thickness of approximately 5.0 nm was synthesized by a solvothermal-assisted etching growth strategy. Studies indicate that the formation of the Co–O–Ni–O-Co bond in Ni NDC-Co/CP was found to facilitate charge density redistribution more effectively than the Co–O–Ni bimetallic synergistic effect in NiCo NDC/CP. The designating Ni NDC-Co/CP achieved superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity (245 mV @ 10 mA cm–2) and robust long stability (100 h @ 100 mA cm–2) in 1.0 M KOH. Furthermore, the Ni NDC-Co/CP(+)||Pt/C/CP(−)displays pregnant overall water splitting performance, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm–2at an ultralow voltage of 1.52 V, which is significantly lower than that of commercial electrolyzer using Pt/C and IrO2electrode materials. In situ Raman spectroscopy elucidated the transformation of Ni NDC-Co to Ni(Co)OOH under an electric field. This study introduces a novel approach for the rational design of MOF-based OER electrocatalysts.

Nanoneedle-shaped superhydrophilic Dy@Ni-MOF on carbon cloth is fabricated via Dy-induced valence electronic perturbation approach. Studies demonstrate that the strong electronic interaction of Dy/Ni species promotes the adsorption of oxygen-containing intermediates and accelerates reaction kinetics, thereby boosting OER performance.

Asthma, the most prevalent respiratory disease, affects more than 300 million people and causes more than 250,000 deaths annually. Type 2-high asthma is characterized by interleukin (IL)-5-driven eosinophilia, along with airway inflammation and remodeling caused by IL-4 and IL-13. Here we utilize IL-5 as the targeting domain and deplete BCOR and ZC3H12A to engineer long-lived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that can eradicate eosinophils. We call these cells immortal-like and functional IL-5 CAR T cells (5TIF) cells. 5TIFcells were further modified to secrete an IL-4 mutein that blocks IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, designated as 5TIF4 cells. In asthma models, a single infusion of 5TIF4 cells in fully immunocompetent mice, without any conditioning regimen, led to sustained repression of lung inflammation and alleviation of asthmatic symptoms. These data show that asthma, a common chronic disease, can be pushed into long-term remission with a single dose of long-lived CAR T cells.

Developing low-cost, efficient, and stable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is crucial for the commercialization of energy conversion devices such as metal–air batteries. In this study, we report a Mn-doped Zn metal–organic framework-derived porous N-doped carbon composite (30-ZnMn-NC) as a high-performance ORR catalyst. 30-ZnMn-NC exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity, demonstrating a kinetic current density of 9.58 mA cm–2(0.8 V) and a half-wave potential of 0.83 V, surpassing the benchmark Pt/C and most of the recently reported non-noble metal-based catalysts. Moreover, the assembled zinc–air battery with 30-ZnMn-NC demonstrates high peak power densities of 207 and 66.3 mW cm–2in liquid and flexible batteries, respectively, highlighting its potential for practical applications. The excellent electrocatalytic activity of 30-ZnMn-NC is attributed to its unique porous structure, the strong electronic interaction between metal Zn/Mn and adjacent N-doped carbon, as well as the bimetallic Mn/Zn–N active sites, which synergistically promote faster reaction kinetics. This work offers a controllable design strategy for efficient electrocatalysts with porous structures and bimetallic active sites, which can significantly enhance the performance of energy conversion devices.

This paper explores the dynamic path of business model innovation (BMI) driven by big data and builds a big data-driven BMI model based on ambidexterity perspective. Using the case study approach, this paper examines the ambidexterity theory and employs the structured-pragmatic-situational (SPS) research method to explore the BMI driven by big data. The findings are: 1) Companies could promote business innovation using big data from both exploratory and exploitative activities. 2) It is a dynamic process when the company promotes its BMI based on big data while balancing the ambidexterity activities. The paper illustrates the mechanism of ambidexterity for BMI driven by big data and sums up a theoretical model with general principles.

Because of their simplicity, rapidity, and cost-effectiveness, immunochromatographic strips (ICTs) have been widely used as an effective tool in various fields. However, typical strips for the preliminary screening suffer from limited detection sensitivity, particularly in biomarker detection with trace concentration. Herein, to tackle this challenge, we integrated homemade gold-decorated Fe3O4nanoparticles (Au/Fe3O4NPs) with flexible strips, exploring the excellent peroxidase-like activity of this labeled material, and then enhancing the detection sensitivity viasignal amplification. The limit of detection (LOD) of the strips is as low as 0.05 mIU mL−1when human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is as a biomarker model, which is 500 times lower than that of the traditional color-based strip. Overall, our results demonstrated the potential for Au/Fe3O4NP based-ICTs for the rapid detection of the biomarker in an instrument-free and point-of-care testing format.

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is considered as a substitutable oxidation process to supplant the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for pure and clean hydrogen generation because of its much lower theoretic thermodynamic onset potential. Preparing heteroatomically doped and self-supported three-dimensional (3D) catalysts has become an efficient pathway to promote the electrochemical performance of catalysts. Recently, Cu-based complexes have been investigated as OER catalysts and exhibited improved catalytic activities. However, Cu-doped composites as UOR catalysts have been rarely reported, and the effect of Cu remains unclear in the UOR process. The present work exhibits a self-supported electrocatalyst of Cu-doped Ni3S2nanosheets supported on Ni foam (NF) synthesized via a direct one-step hydrothermal sulfuration method and unlocks the effect of Cu on the relationship between the catalyst structure and UOR performance. The doping of the Cu element transformed the morphology of Ni3S2from nanoparticles to nanosheets, increasing the active surface area. Meanwhile, the Cu dopant regulated the electronic structure of Cu-doped Ni3S2by promoting electron transport from the Ni atom to the Cu dopant, stimulating the formation of active Ni sites with a high valency during UOR. Moreover, the doping of the Cu element optimized the Gibbs adsorption energies of the pivotal intermediates during urea oxidation. Remarkably, as-prepared Cu-doped Ni3S2/NF required only 1.30 V vs RHE toward UOR and an overpotential of 188 mV toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to deliver 10 mA cm–2with outstanding electrochemical durability. Besides, the overall urea electrolyzer constructed using Cu-doped Ni3S2/NF as the UOR and HER catalyst needed only 1.57 V to deliver 10 mA cm–2with stable durability during a long-term test. The present research offers novel insights into the research for designing and preparing efficient and durable electrodes in urea oxidation applications.

Intestinal epithelial homeostasis plays an important role in intestinal morphology and function. However, the developmental changes in intestinal epithelial cell turnover in piglets during early weaning are unknown so far. Thus, the aim of this work was to detect changes in piglet gut development from weaning to post-weaning d 14. Accordingly, 40 piglets were used in the present study, and 8 piglets were randomly selected for sampling at d 0, 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-weaning, respectively. The results showed that weaning stress significantly affected small intestinal morphological architecture, and this impact was the worst on d 3, and then returned to normal on d 14. Furthermore, the number of the marker of proliferation Ki-67 (Ki67) positive cells was decreased on d 1 and 3, and then recovered on d 14 (P < 0.001). Also, weaning strikingly increased jejunal epithelial cell shedding on d 1 to 7 compared on d 0 (P < 0.05). Moreover, weaning remarkably affected the number of small intestinal enterocytes, goblets and endocrine cells (P < 0.05), and there were also significant differences in genes expression related to proliferation and differentiation (P < 0.05). Additionally, the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation level was higher on d 3 (P < 0.05). However, the Wingless/Int1 (WNT)/β-catenin pathway was not influenced by post-weaning days. Taken together, weaning induced noteworthy changes in intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation and shedding, and the mTOR signaling pathway was involved in this process. Our findings provide a cellular mechanism for intestinal developmental changes during weaning periods. This may provide nutritionists with better insight into designing efficient in-feed alternatives for preventing the unfavorable gut development in weaning piglets.

In this paper, a novel three-dimensional space-scroll chaotic attractor is constructed by introducing piece-wise linear memristors into a three-neurons-based Hopfield neural network to simulate the electromagnetic influence on neural dynamics. The dynamical behaviors of the novel memristive Hopfield neural network are discussed by means of numerical methods including the Lyapunov exponent spectrum, bifurcation diagrams, phase plots and dynamic maps. Furthermore, we also investigated different neurons subject to the memristive electromagnetic influence, where the two-dimensional grid-scroll chaotic attractors can be generated by one neuron subjects to the electromagnetic influence and three-dimensional space-scroll chaotic attractors can be generated by all of the neurons subject to the memristive electromagnetic influence. Moreover, we present a three-dimensional space-scroll scroll attractor-based chaotic mobile robot system. Superiority of the proposed space-scroll-based chaotic mobile robot system compared to existing methods has been demonstrated through numerical simulations.

A study on elderly patients with diabetes mellitus and the patterns of their executive and visuospatial dysfunctions is presented. Such cognitive deficits are likely to impair activities of daily living in these patients. The study is based on data from three homecare agencies in Massachusetts.

Purpose: It is becoming increasingly important to develop imaging biomarkers to study Parkinson’s disease (PD) and movement disorders. A number of key new biomarkers in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) include measuring proton spin density (PSD), T1, iron content and volumes of the deep gray matter and neuromelanin. A new rapid, multi-contrast, multi-parametric quantitative MRI method referred to as strategically acquired gradient echo (STAGE) imaging offers the potential to extract all these biomarkers and provide a reproducible standardization for neuroimaging. Materials and methods: In this work, we validate a comprehensive 3T MRI protocol dedicated to imaging PD and demonstrate that STAGE can be used across sites and across platforms to obtain the same quantitative data. More specifically, STAGE collects two different multi-echo 3D gradient-echo full brain data sets using two different flip angles. To test the robustness and reproducibility of the method the following scans were performed using the STAGE protocol: first, a single individual served as a traveling human brain and was imaged on 10 scanners at 9 sites; and second, 11 individuals were scanned 5 times each at the 9 different sites on 10 scanners to evaluate intrasite test–retest repeatability. The tissue properties PSD, T1, R2*, susceptibility and neuromelanin volume were quantified for each site. Results: For the subject scanned at 9 different sites the errors were on the order of 4–6% for PSD, 2–6% for T1, 3–8% for R2* and 1–12 ppb for susceptibility depending on the size of the objects being measured. For the average across all individuals scanned five times, the error of the means were on the order of 2–3% for PSD, 2–3% for T1, 3–5% for R2* and 1–10 ppb for susceptibility values depending on the size of the objects being measured. For those scanned five times at the same sitting, the errors were often only half the maximum values stated above. The mean/standard deviation of all subjects’ neuromelanin volume was 273/17 mm3and 263/35 mm3for the left and right sides, while the contrast was 26/7% and 26/6% for the left and right sides, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the ability to collect data across manufacturers at different hospitals using STAGE provides an impetus for broader movement disorder studies using MRI. This standardized approach offers the potential to increase the number of patients studied for a given disease dramatically and to better test imaging biomarker hypotheses.

Exploiting new heterogeneous catalysts composed of earth-abundant elements for various organic transformations under moderate reaction conditions is of vital importance in modern synthetic chemistry. Herein, we report an effective strategy for the tuning of electronic structure in SnO2, which leads to a huge boost in the styrene epoxidation reaction (SER) performance. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses highlight the validity of Co doping strategy in the manipulation of the electronic structure of SnO2to achieve the decrease of oxygen vacancy (OV) formation energy, modulation of Sn valence state and adjustment of Sn–O interactions. The Sn2+–OV–Co–O species are proposed as the active sites, contributing to the activation of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and coordination of styrene. This work serves as a guideline for the performance enhancement of selective oxidation of aromatics viaintroducing hetero-atom doping strategy in the metal oxide catalyst system.

Mung bean (Vigna radiataL. Wilczek) is an economically important grain legume crop in Asia, with high nutritional quality and potential in other parts of the world particularly arid and semiarid regions. Considering the potential adverse effects of drought, high salt, and other abiotic stresses on crop yield, significant efforts have been made to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of tolerance to these abiotic stresses in legumes. In this study, a total of 186 putative AP2/ERFgenes were identified, which were named VrERF1-186. These VrERFgenes were classified into four main subfamilies according to the number of AP2 domains and sequence similarity, including 24 AP2gene members, 81 ERFgene members, 79 DREBgene members, and 2 RAVmembers. VrERFgenes are scattered across all 11 chromosomes and form small gene clusters on chromosomes due to segmental or tandem duplication. Promoter analysis revealed various cis-acting elements related to light, hormones, and stress responsiveness processes. The expression profiles of the VrERFgenes in tissues during development and in response to abiotic stresses were assessed by transcriptome sequencing, and the selected reference genes were validated by qRT-PCR. A total of 174 VrERFgenes were expressed in at least one of five tissues, while others showed distinct expression patterns in different tissues or under specific abiotic stress treatments, which indicates that VrERFgenes are involved in developmental and environmental stress responses in V. radiata. In conclusion, the genome localization, genome-wide characterization, gene duplication, phylogenetic relationships, and expression pattern of VrERFgenes in V. radiatawere analyzed, and these results will lay the foundation for further functional analysis of these genes and improve stress tolerance to adverse conditions in plants.

Existing studies mainly discuss the effects of command-and-control as well as market-oriented environmental regulations on green economies, yet few have focused on the functions of public participation in environmental governance, especially from a dynamic angle. To further enrich the discussion, this study constructs a dynamic relationship analytical framework between public participation and green growth to test existence of the Porter hypothesis (PH). Under this framework, a green GDP index is first constructed to represent the level of green growth. In addition, technological innovation is introduced as an intervening variable to observe the influencing mechanism of public participation on green growth. The research findings based on an empirical test of Beijing data confirm that a long-term stable coordination relationship exists among the three variables. Public participation promotes the improvement of innovation capability and green growth, but not vice versa. Therefore, the significant role of public participatory environmental regulation is supported which indicates that the PH is valid. Moreover, a virtuous circle relationship is also found between innovation and green growth. Accordingly, policy implications are proposed to advocate public participation in environmental regulations to promote regional green growth.

Long-term antitumor efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells depends on their functional persistence in vivo. T cells with stem-like properties show better persistence, but factors conferring bona fide stemness to T cells remain to be determined. Here, we demonstrate the induction of CAR T cells into an immortal-like and functional state, termed TIF. The induction of CARTIF cells depends on the repression of two factors, BCOR and ZC3H12A, and requires antigen or CAR tonic signaling. Reprogrammed CARTIF cells possess almost infinite stemness, similar to induced pluripotent stem cells while retaining the functionality of mature T cells, resulting in superior antitumor effects. Following the elimination of target cells, CARTIF cells enter a metabolically dormant state, persisting in vivo with a saturable niche and providing memory protection. TIF represents a novel state of T cells with unprecedented stemness, which confers long-term functional persistence of CAR T cells in vivo and holds broad potential in T cell therapies.

Background: Primary tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare, slow-growing pulmonary malignancy. Due to the low incidence, clinicians are unable to diagnose and treat such disease, which is prone to cause misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis, consequently leading to delayed treatment. Case Presentation: Here, we reported a case of a 72-year-old woman who was diagnosed as primary bronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma after three years. At the time of the final diagnosis, lesion involvement was seen in the entire bronchus, and radical treatment was not available. Conclusions: Endoscopic bronchoscopy and palliative radiotherapy can relieve the symptoms of the patient and make the patient survive with the tumor for a long time.

To investigate the predictive ability of serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease (KD) with coronary artery lesions (CALs). Patients with KD hospitalized in Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Northwest China, from November 2015 to January 2018 were retrospectively reviewed, and clinical trial indicators and peripheral blood specimens were collected before intravenous immunoglobulin therapy treatment. The independent risk factors were determined using multivariate regression analysis. The net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to quantitatively evaluate the ability of MMP-9 to improve the efficiency of predicting KD with CALs. The white cell, neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were higher in patients with higher MMP-9, and the monocyte percentage was higher in patients with lower MMP-9. Logistic regression analysis revealed that long-term fever; elevated CRP, ESR, platelets (PLT), and MMP-9; and low albumin (ALB) levels were independent predictors of KD with CALs. A predictive model of KD with CALs using fever duration, CRP, ESR, PLT, and ALB showed significantly improved predictive ability when MMP-9 was added to the model (the area under the curve increased by 0.02; no change in sensitivity; specificity increased from 81.48% to 87.04%; NRI value: 13.46%; IDI value: 5.00%, p<0.05). Adding MMP-9 to traditional risk factors may improve prediction of CALs, the overall predictive ability of model 2 was increased by 5%.

DREBs are transcription factors that regulate abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Previously, we reported that wheat transgenic lines overexpressing GmDREB1showed increased tolerance to drought and salt stress. However, the molecular basis of increased tolerance is still poorly understood, and whether the overexpression of DREBwill cause unexpected effects is also of concern. We performed seed metabolic profiling of the genetically modified (GM) wheat T349 and three non-GM cultivars with LC-MS to identify the metabolic basis of stress tolerance and to assess the unexpected effects of exogenous gene insertion. Although we did not note the appearance of novel metabolites or the disappearance of existing metabolites, overexpression of the transcription factor GmDREB1in T349 wheat influenced metabolite levels in seeds. Increased levels of stress tolerance-associated metabolites were found in the stress-sensitive non-transgenic acceptor counterpart J19, while metabolites associated with cell membrane structure and stability accumulated in T349. Among these metabolites in T349, most showed levels similar to those in the non-GM wheats. Overexpression of GmDREB1in T349 may cause a shift in its metabolic profile leading to down-regulation of several energy-consuming processes to favor increased yield under stress conditions, which is a reasonable expectation of breeders while creating the GM wheat and GmDREB1overexpression did not cause unexpected effects in T349 seeds. These results may be helpful for GM crop research and risk assessment.

Objective: This paper aims to review the public health measures and actions taken during the fight against COVID‐19 in China, to generate a model for prevention and control public health emergency by summarising the lessons and experiences gained. Methods: This paper adopts a widely accepted qualitative research and coding method to form an analysis on word materials. Results: Although Chinese CDC didn't work effectively in the early stages on risk identification and warning, China was able to respond quickly and successfully to this medical emergency after the initial shock of the awareness of a novel epidemic with a swift implementation of national‐scale health emergency management. Conclusions: The success in fighting against COVID‐19 in China can be attributed to: 1) adaptable governance to changing situations; 2) culture of moral compliance with rules; 3) trusted collaboration between government and people; 4) an advanced technical framework ABCD+5G (A‐Artificial intelligence; B‐Block chain; C‐Cloud computing; D‐Big data). Implications for public health: This paper constructs a conceptual model for pandemic management based on the lessons and experiences of fighting COVID‐19 in China. It provides insights for pandemic control and public emergency management in similar context.

Three phenylboronic acid derivatives containing phosphorous and nitrogen with chlorine (BNP1), methyl (BNP2), and nitro (BNP3) were successfully prepared and applied to evaluate the tribological behaviors as additives in liquid paraffin. Three derivatives exhibited high thermal stability. The tribological tests indicated that three derivatives lead to a substantial improvement in anti-friction and anti-wear properties of liquid paraffin. In comparison to BNP1 and BNP3, BNP2 performs best on friction-reducing and wear resistance performances. This is caused by the strong electron-donating ability of the methyl group in BNP2. The analysis of worn surfaces demonstrated that three derivatives could form a protective tribofilm containing boron, nitrogen, and phosphorus elements on the rubbing surfaces. Thus, three phenylboronic acid derivatives could be potential lubricant additives in industrial applications.

ABSTRACTObjectives: China has already entered the aging society, and its aging population is the largest worldwide. Accordingly, several aging-related conditions including hyperuricemia are becoming a public health concern owing to their increasing prevalence in rural areas. However, the sex-specific differences in the risk factors for hyperuricemia among the middle-aged and elderly in rural North China are unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate sex-specific differences in the prevalence of and risk factors for hyperuricemia in low-income adults in rural North China.Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study recruited participants aged ≥50 years from the Tianjin Brain Study between April and August 2019. After excluding those who had cancer, severe psychiatric disturbances, hepatic failure, and serious renal disease (i.e., an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <30 mL/min/1.73 m2), 3119 (1392 men and 1727 women) eligible participants were included. Basic information and blood samples were collected, and data were analyzed using logistic regression models.Results: Hyperuricemia was prevalent in 14.4% (men, 14.2%; women, 14.5%)of the participants, and the prevalence significantly increased with increasing age in both sexes (male, P= 0.034; female, P< 0.001). In multivariate analysis, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and high levels of total cholesterol, 2 h plasma glucose, and blood urea nitrogen were risk factors for hyperuricemia in both men and women. Physical activity was a risk factor in men, while a high white blood cell count was a risk factor in women. A high eGFR was a protective factor in both sexes.Conclusions: Hyperuricemia was highly prevalent in low-income adults in Tianjin, with men and women showing differences in risk profiles and comorbidities. Early management of hyperuricemia according to sex-specific risk factors should be considered in primary care to reduce the prevalence and burden of hyperuricemia in rural China.

The scarcity and weak durability of metal, especially precious metal catalysts are big obstacles for their large-scale application in many reactions. The state-of-the-art of the catalytic science prefers such type of catalysts, which can replace metal-based catalysts to alleviate energy and environmental crises and exhibit catalytic performance comparable to or even exceeding these metal catalysts. Herein, we report that N-doped porous carbon (NKC) derived from cheap and abundant radish can be employed as versatile and efficient bifunctional catalysts in both the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (NRR) and oxidation of styrene (SOR). The series of NKC catalysts were prepared with a simple and facile one-pot strategy by coupling the N-doping, carbonization and KOH activation processes. These catalysts show hierarchical porosity, with the specific surface area, total pore volume and N-doping content ranging from 918.9–3062.7 m2g−1, 1.01–2.04 cm3g−1and 1.29–15.3 at%, respectively. Interestingly, our finding suggests that the catalytic performance is not directly related to these parameters but correlates positively with the content of graphitic N dopants, which is the dominant contributor for impelling both the NRR and SOR. Another intriguing finding is that for both reactions, the optimal catalyst was found to be the NKC-3-800 which possesses the highest graphitic N content of 3.13 at%. In addition, to gain insight into the catalytic behavior, analyses of kinetics and thermodynamics were performed, and the catalytic mechanisms were postulated. This work paves the way for the construction of biomass-derived N-doped carbon catalysts for bi- or even multi-functional applications in various organic reactions.

Quantitative microstructural evolution and the corresponding microhardness of electrodeposited nanostructured nickel sheet during cold rolling deformation are investigated by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Vicker’s microhardness testing. Particularly, to investigate the effect of stress states on deformation behavior, two series of gradient nanostructured nickel with symmetric structures and the homogeneous counterparts with three levels of grain size are compared based on macro-statistical data. In such hierarchical sandwich-like gradient samples, the layers with larger grain size, as the soft phase, indeed sustain more deformation. Deformation-induced grain rotation changes are observed in the center layers with a relatively larger grain size, accompanied by an obvious decrease in microhardness. According to the quantitative microstructural parameters including the grain size, dislocation density and stacking fault probability before and after deformation, evaluation based on Hall-Petch and Bailey-Hirsch relationships indicates the transition from strain hardening to softening can be attributed to grain orientation change.

The microstructure and texture in pure nickel were investigated during multi-step cross cold rolling (CCR) and subsequent annealing. It was found that the deformation texture in the CCR nickel was dominated by Brass and rotated Brass about normal direction (ND) (BsND) texture components, along with marginal cube textures. The resulted deformation textures had a significant effect on the recrystallization behavior. Annealing of the CCR nickel at 550°C for 1 h led to the formation of dominant <012> // ND fiber accompanied by minor rotated cube textures, rather than strong cube texture. Increasing the annealing temperature up to 800°C resulted in further enhancement of <012> // ND fiber textures. The possible reasons for recrystallization behavior in annealed CCR sample were discussed based on in-situ annealing experiments from two aspects of oriented nucleation and oriented growth theories.

Treatment of cardiovascular diseases suffers from the lack of transplantable small-diameter blood vessel (SDBV) grafts that can prohibit/eliminate thrombosis. Although expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (ePTFE) has the potential to be used for SDBV grafts, recurrence of thrombus remains the biggest challenge. In this study, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive antithrombogenic drug synthesis and a bulk coating process were employed to fabricate functional ePTFE grafts capable of prohibiting/eliminating blood clots. The synthesized drug that would release antiplatelet ethyl salicylate (ESA), in responding to ROS, was dissolved in a polycaprolactone (PCL) solution, followed by a bulk coating of the as-fabricated ePTFE grafts with the PCL/drug solution. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to investigate and confirm the synthesis and presence of the ROS-responsive drug in the ePTFE grafts. The ESA release functions were demonstrated via the drug-release profile and dynamic anticoagulation tests. The biocompatibility of the ROS-responsive ePTFE grafts was demonstrated via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assays, live and dead cell assays, cell morphology, and cell–graft interactions. The ROS-responsive, antithrombogenic ePTFE grafts provide a feasible way for maintaining long-term patency, potentially solving a critical challenge in SDBV applications.

Sox2 is known to play an important role in maintaining the totipotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. The purpose of this study was to prepare an anti-chicken Sox2 polyclonal antibody using prokaryotic expression techniques, to evaluate its specificity and to use it to investigate the expression and distribution of Sox2 in the chicken brain and lungs. The chicken Sox2gene was amplified and subcloned to a pET-30a vector to construct a prokaryotic expression vector, pET-Sox2. A His-Sox2 fusion protein was expressed, purified, and used to prepare an antichicken Sox2 polyclonal antibody. Western blotting revealed that the antichicken Sox2 antibody could specifically bind not only to the purified His-Sox2 fusion protein but also to the endogenous Sox2 protein in the testes of chicken, showing a distinct dose-dependent relationship between antigen and Sox2 antibody. Indirect immunofluorescent staining of Sox2-overexpressing cells showed strong nuclear and diffuse cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for Sox2 in the antichicken Sox2 antibody-staining cells. A CRISPR/Cas9 effector system-mediated Sox2knockdown assay indicated that Sox2 expression in HEK 293T cells was downregulated in the presence of doxycycline but upregulated in the absence of doxycycline. In addition, cryosectioning and immunohistochemical staining illustrated that most spermatogonia in the seminiferous tubules, and a small number of Sertoli and Leydig cells, were positive for Sox2. The antichicken Sox2 antibody was also successfully used to investigate the expression and distribution of Sox2 in the chicken cerebellar cortex, optic tectum, cerebral cortex, and lungs. The results of this study confirmed the specificity of the antichicken Sox2 polyclonal antibody, which will be available for the study of biological functions of the chicken Sox2gene and the self-renewal mechanisms of chicken pluripotent stem cells.

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are blue-light receptors in plants that harbor FAD as a cofactor and regulate various physiological responses. Photoactivated CRYs undergo oligomerization, which increases the binding affinity to downstream signaling partners. Despite decades of research on the activation of CRYs, little is known about how they are inactivated. Binding of blue-light inhibitors of cryptochromes (BICs) to CRY2 suppresses its photoactivation, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we report crystal structures of CRY2N (CRY2 PHR domain) and the BIC2–CRY2N complex with resolutions of 2.7 and 2.5 Å, respectively. In the BIC2–CRY2N complex, BIC2 exhibits an extremely extended structure that sinuously winds around CRY2N. In this way, BIC2 not only restrains the transfer of electrons and protons from CRY2 to FAD during photoreduction but also interacts with the CRY2 oligomer to return it to the monomer form. Uncovering the mechanism of CRY2 inactivation lays a solid foundation for the investigation of cryptochrome protein function.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to improve piglet intestinal morphology and epithelial recovery. In an attempt to further understand the mechanisms behind these improvements, this study tested the hypothesis that dietary EGF may affect intestinal morphology by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of enterocytes in weaning piglets. In piglets receiving 200 µg kg−1EGF, crypt depth and villus height increased (P<0.05). Adding 400 µg kg−1EGF increased villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (P<0.05), but reduced crypt depth (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation with 200 µg kg−1EGF significantly increased the number of Ki67-positive cells (P<0.01) and tended to increase the mRNA level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (P<0.10). However, this supplementation decreased the expression level of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (P<0.05). Piglets fed with 400 µg kg−1EGF had an increased mRNA level of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (P<0.05). The phosphorylation of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) was observed in the 200 µg kg−1EGF group. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with a low level of EGF improved piglet intestinal morphology through stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of enterocytes, and the mTOR signaling pathway may partly be involved in this process.

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by a variety of clinical features, including increased sensitivity to sunlight, progressive neurological abnormalities, and the appearance of premature aging. However, the pathogenesis of CS remains unclear due to the limitations of current disease models. Here, we generate integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts from a CS patient bearing mutations in CSB/ERCC6gene and further derive isogenic gene-corrected CS-iPSCs (GC-iPSCs) using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. CS-associated phenotypic defects are recapitulated in CS-iPSC-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs), both of which display increased susceptibility to DNA damage stress. Premature aging defects in CS-MSCs are rescued by the targeted correction of mutant ERCC6. We next map the transcriptomic landscapes in CS-iPSCs and GC-iPSCs and their somatic stem cell derivatives (MSCs and NSCs) in the absence or presence of ultraviolet (UV) and replicative stresses, revealing that defects in DNA repair account for CS pathologies. Moreover, we generate autologous GC-MSCs free of pathogenic mutation under a cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice)-compliant condition, which hold potential for use as improved biomaterials for future stem cell replacement therapy for CS. Collectively, our models demonstrate novel disease features and molecular mechanisms and lay a foundation for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat CS.

Semen quality is an important indicator that can directly affect fertility. In mammals, miRNAs in seminal plasma extracellular vesicles (SPEVs) and sperms can regulate semen quality. However, relevant regulatory mechanism in duck sperms remains largely unclear. In this study, duck SPEVs were isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), western blot (WB), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). To identify the important molecules affecting semen quality, we analysed the miRNA expression in sperms and SPEVs of male ducks in high semen quality group ((DHS, DHSE) and low semen quality group (DLS, DLSE). We identified 94 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in the comparison of DHS vs. DLS, and 21 DE miRNAs in DHSE vs. DLSE. Target genes of SPEVs DE miRNAs were enriched in ErbB signaling pathway, glycometabolism, and ECM-receptor interaction pathways (P< 0.05), while the target genes of sperm DE miRNAs were enriched in ribosome (P< 0.05). The miRNA-target-pathway interaction network analyses indicated that 5 DE miRNAs (miR-34c-5p, miR-34b-3p, miR-449a, miR-31-5p and miR-128-1-5p) targeted the largest number of target genes enriched in MAPK, Wnt and calcium signaling pathways, of which FZD9 and ANAPC11 were involved in multiple biological processes related to sperm functions, indicating their regulatory effects on sperm quality. The comparison of DE miRNAs of SPEVs and sperms found that mir-31-5p and novel-273 could potentially serve as biomarkers for semen quality detection. Our findings enhance the insight into the crucial role of SPEV and sperm miRNAs in regulating semen quality and provide a new perspective for subsequent studies.

The reductive transformation of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) mediated by formic acid with efficient, stable, and cost-effective catalysts is a promising strategy for remediating Cr(VI) contamination. Herein, we report the facile construction of uniform Co@NC nanosheet-assembled microflowers for the reduction of Cr(VI). Both experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the vital role of the intensive interfacial electronic interaction between Co nanoparticles and the N-doped carbon layer in facilitating the anchoring and dispersion of Co nanoparticles within the carbon framework. The interfacial electron transfer from Co to NC contributes to the interaction with Cr2O72–ions, promoting the subsequent H-transfer reaction. A Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model has been established for the Cr(VI) reduction catalyzed by the CNCF2 (pyrolyzed at 700 °C), which shows a superior reaction performance. This study provides a facile strategy to delicately design well-assembled heterostructures with rich interfaces and strong interfacial interactions for a series of applications in environmental/thermal catalysis.

Modulating the energy barrier of reaction intermediates to surmount sluggish kinetics is an utterly intriguing strategy for amplifying the oxygen reduction reaction. Herein, a Cu3P/CoP hybrid is incorporated on hollow porous N-doped carbon nanospheres via dopamine self-polymerization and high-temperature treatment. The resultant Cu3P/CoP@NC showcases a favorable mass activity of 4.41 mA mg–1and a kinetic current density of 2.38 mA cm–2. Strikingly, the catalyst endows the aqueous Zn-air battery (ZAB) with a large power density of 209.0 mW cm–2, superb cyclability over 317 h, and promising application prospects in flexible ZAB. Theoretical simulations reveal that Cu functions as a modulator to modify the free energy of intermediates and adsorbs the O2on the Co sites, hence rushing the reaction kinetics. The open and hydrophilic hollow spherical mesoporous structure provides unimpeded channels for reactant diffusion and electrolyte penetration, whereas the exposed inner and outer surfaces can confer a plethora of accessible actives sites. This research establishes a feasible design concept to tune catalytic activity for non-noble metal materials by construction of a rational nanoframework.

Viable tissue-engineering small-diameter vascular grafts should support rapid growth of an endothelial cell layer and exhibit long-term antithrombogenic property. In this study, multiple layers of various bioactive molecules, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and heparin, on an electrospun polycaprolactone scaffold have been developed through repeated electrostatic adsorption self-assembly (up to 20 layers), followed by genipin cross-linking. Programmed and sustained release of biomolecules embedded within the multilayered structure can be triggered by matrix metallopeptidase 2 enzyme in vitro. The result is an early and full release of VEGF to promote rapid endothelialization on the intended vascular grafts, followed by a gradual but sustained release of heparin for long-term anticoagulation and antithrombogenicity. This method of forming a biologically responsive, multimodal delivery of VEGF and heparin is highly suitable for all hydrophobic surfaces and provides a promising way to meet the critical requirements of engineered small-diameter vascular grafts.

Background: Soil fauna is an important driver of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) release from decomposing litter in forest ecosystems. However, its role in C and N cycling concerning climate and litter traits remains less known. In a 4-year field experiment, we evaluated the effects of soil fauna on litter C and N release across an elevation gradient (453, 945, 3023, and 3582 m) and litter traits (coniferous vs. broadleaf) in southwestern China. Results: Our results showed that N was retained by –0.4% to 31.5%, but C was immediately released during the early stage (156–516 days) of decomposition for most litter species. Soil fauna significantly increased the peak N content and N retention across litter species, but reduced the C/N ratio for certain species (i.e., Juniperus saltuaria, Betula albosinensis, Quercus acutissima, and Pinus massonianalitter), leading to more C and N being released from decomposing litter across the elevation gradient. Contributions of soil fauna to C and N release were 3.87–9.90% and 1.10–8.71%, respectively, across litter species after 4 years of decomposition. Soil environment and initial litter quality factors caused by elevation directly affected litter C and N release. Changes in soil fauna resulting from elevation and fauna exclusion factors had a direct or indirect impact on C and N release during litter decomposition. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that soil fauna promote C and N release from decomposing litter in different magnitudes, mainly controlled by environmental conditions (i.e., temperature and moisture), litter quality (i.e., lignin and cellulose content, and lignin/cellulose), and its diversity across the elevation gradient.

In this article, we study the following Klein-Gordon-Maxwell system involving critical exponent $$(\text{KGM})\begin{cases}-\Delta{u}+V(x)u-(2\omega+\phi)\phi{u}=\lambda\mid{u}\mid^{q-2}u+\mid{u}\mid^4u,\;\;\;\;x\in\mathbb{R}^3,\\-\Delta\phi+\phi{u}^2=-\omega{u}^2,\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;x\in\mathbb{R}^3,\end{cases}$$(KGM){−Δu+V(x)u−(2ω+ϕ)ϕu=λ∣u∣q−2u+∣u∣4u,x∈R3,−Δϕ+ϕu2=−ωu2,x∈R3,where λ and ω are two positive constants. We found the existence of positive ground state solutions (that is, for solutions which minimizes the action functional among all the solutions) of (KGM) which improves some previous existence result in Carrião et al.(2012) [8].

Droplet deposition on superhydrophobic surfaces has been a great challenge owing to the shortness of the impact contact time. Despite recent research progress regarding flat superhydrophobic surfaces, improving deposition on ubiquitous wired and curved superhydrophobic leaves remains challenging as their surface structures promote asymmetric impacts, thereby shortening the contact times and increasing the likelihood of droplet splitting. Here, we propose a strategy to solve the deposition problems based on an analysis of the impact dynamics and a rational selection of additives. Combining the prominent extension property of flexible polymers with surface tension reduction of the surfactant, the well-chosen binary additives cooperatively solve retention and coverage problems by limiting the fragment and enhancing local pinning and wetting processes at a very low usage. This work advances the understanding of droplet deposition by rationally selecting additives based on the impact dynamics, which is believed to be useful in a variety of spraying, coating, and printing applications.

LIANG, J., SHIH, C., WANG, L., & REN, D., 26 March 2019. New cockroaches (Insecta, Blattaria, Fuziidae) from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in northeastern China. Alcheringa43, 441–448. ISSN 0311-5518.Fuziidae is a significant cockroach family reported only from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of northeastern China. Male Fuziidae with forceps-like cerci are unique in the 320 Ma history of cockroaches. Longifuzia pectinatagen. et sp. nov. is described from the Jiulongshan Formation based on four male specimens. It can be distinguished from other fuziids by its larger body size, extremely long telescopic abdomen, numerous forewing veins, characteristic coloration on the forewing and unique male genitalia. Three of four type specimens have asymmetric venation in the wings. The narrow and elongate body shape is suggestive of alternative, non-standard diets because a wide (fat) body is necessary for nitrogen fixation in cockroaches. Nevertheless, well-developed male tergal glands provide evidence of nuptial female feeding on nitrogen provisions. This new taxon expands the known diversity and highlights the morphological disparity of this family at the Daohugou locality in northeastern China.Junhui Liang* [liangjh0602@126.com], Tianjin Natural History Museum, 31 Youyi Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300201, PR China; Chungkun Shih† [chungkun.shih@gmail.com], College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, PR China; Lixia Wang [wlxwlx@163.com], The Geological Museum of China, Xisi, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, PR China; Dong Ren [rendong@mail.cnu.edu.cn], College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, PR China. *Also affiliated with: College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, PR China. †Also affiliated with: Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA.

A series of amorphous TiO2–SiO2composite oxides with different TiO2contents were prepared by a one-step co-precipitation process as catalysts for selective oxidation of styrene to 1, 2-epoxyethylbenzene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide in acetonitrile. The amorphous TiO2–SiO2composites are found to be much more catalytically active than the one with partially crystallized TiO2. The TiO2–SiO2composite with 40 wt% TiO2(TSCO-3) presents the best catalytic performance. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the styrene conversion can reach 61.0% with a high selectivity of 95.4% to 1, 2-epoxyethylbenzene upon 1 h reaction. Moreover, the TSCO-3 catalyst exhibits a good cycling stability. The excellent catalytic performance can be attributed to the numerous exposed active centers and the fast release of the product from the active centers.

This article reports on the fabrication of hybrid boron nitride (BN) grafted with thermoresponsive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and their self-flocculation effect caused by the thermal phase transition and entanglement behavior of PNIPAM. Compared with the initial BN, the PNIPAM graft BN (BN-PNIPAM) has larger area, pore volume and self-flocculation effect with rapid response to temperature. After grafting, the effective self-flocculation could be acquired in a wide concentration from 0.01 g/L to 10 g/L, the corresponding removal percentage with the phase transition is higher than 95% at high initial concentration. Furthermore, BN has a significant increase in the absorption of hydroquinone after grafting. Thermoresponsive adsorption and self-coagulation will make BN-PNIPAM recyclable in potential water restorations.