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The γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAR) has been identified as a target site of some commonly used insecticides. Our pervious study documented an interesting phenomenon, i.e. GABA accumulation was involved in abamectin resistance in the carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon remains to be clarified. In this study, we investigated the interaction between abamectin and GABAR. Firstly, an artificial increase of GABA content was conducted in T. cinnabarinus and toxicity assays showed that GABA accumulation could indeed increase the tolerance of T. cinnabarinus to abamectin in vivo. Subsequently a GABAR of T. cinnabarinus , RDL2, was expressed in Xenopus oocytes and its sensitiveness to abamectin was detected. The results revealed that RDL2 showed significant responses to a series of GABA concentrations and GABA inhibited the effect of abamectin in vitro , providing direct evidence of the abamectin resistance mediated by GABA content. Our data confirmed that GABAR is the action target of abamectin and the GABA accumulation is one of the mechanisms of abamectin resistance in spider mites. Unlabelled Image • GABA accumulation increased the tolerance of T. cinnabarinus to abamectin in vivo. • Electrophysiological experiments confirmed that GABAR is the target of abamectin. • Activation, allosterism and antagonism of GABAR were identified in mites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) can function as an inflammatory mediator, but whether GM-CSF-producing CD4+ T cells (T H -GM-CSF) are a distinct T helper cell subset is lacking. Herein we demonstrate that interleukin (IL)-1β exclusively drives differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into T H -GM-CSF cells via inducing ubiquitination of IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and subsequent activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB (NF-κB), independent of RAR-related orphan receptor gamma (RORγt) required for T H 17 differentiation. In vivo, T H -GM-CSF cells are present in murine Citrobacter Rodentium infections and mediate colitis following adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells into Rag1 −/− mice via GM-CSF-induced macrophage activation. The T H -GM-CSF cell phenotype is stable and distinct from the T H 17 genetic program, but IL-1β can convert pre-formed T H 17 cells into T H -GM-CSF cells, thereby accounting for previously reported associations between IL-17 and GM-CSF. Together, our results newly identify IL-1β/NF-κB-dependent T H -GM-CSF cells as a unique T helper cell subset and highlight the importance of CD4+ T cell-derived GM-CSF induced macrophage activation as a previously undescribed T cell effector mechanism. • Our study newly identifies GM-‐CSF-‐single producing T helper cells (TH-‐GM-‐CSF) as a unique T helper subset. • Our study reveals that IL-‐1® directly programs TH-‐GM-‐CSF differentiation via IRAK1/NF-‐κB axis and that IL-‐1® induces conversion of TH17 into TH-‐GM-‐CSF. • Our study shows that TH-‐GM-‐CSF cells are critically involved in the development of T cell transfer induced colitis. These novel findings will lead to more exciting investigations concerning the contributions of TH-‐GM-‐CSF in various T cell-‐ mediated inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio parahaemolyticus , Vibrio alginolyticus , and Vibrio cholerae are important pathogens that pose a risk to human health. In this study, a PMA-mPCR assay was developed for detecting viable vibrios in aquatic foods. A total of 206 bacterial strains were used to evaluate the specificity. The results showed that this assay exhibited 100% specificity. The limit of detection (LOD) for the viable cells with or without PMA treatment was approximately 103 CFU/mL (1.05 × 103 CFU/mL with PMA, 1.5 × 103 CFU/mL without PMA) for V. parahaemolyticus , 103 CFU/mL (1.68 × 103 CFU/mL with PMA, 1.45 × 103 CFU/mL without PMA) for V. alginolyticus , and 103 CFU/mL (1.03 × 103 CFU/mL with PMA, 1.0 × 103 CFU/mL without PMA) for V. cholerae , reflecting that PMA treatment did not change the sensitivity. After 10 h of enrichment, the PMA-mPCR assay detected as low as 1.0 × 102 CFU/g viable V. parahaemolyticus , V. alginolyticus , and V. cholerae in spiked seafood. A total of 453 actual samples were used to assess the practical application of the assay, and the results indicated that target vibrios in seafood were accurately screened. This PMA-mPCR assay has potential as a promising tool for the rapid, reliable and simultaneous detection of viable vibrios in aquatic foods. • A PMA-mPCR assay was established for simultaneously detecting viable Vibrios. • PMA was used to eliminate PCR signal from dead cells. • a large collection of bacteria strains were subjected to evaluate the specificity. • 453 actual samples were used to assess the practical application of the assay. • The assay could detect 102 CFU/g viable cells in spiked seafood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A particle-particle hybrid approach by combining the USP-BGK and DSMC methods is developed for polyatomic gases. • The USP-BGK method employs an ES-BGK model with discrete vibrational energy and can achieve second-order accuracy in the fluid limit. • The efficiency of the USPBGK-DSMC hybrid method is excellent for the simulation of multi-scale hypersonic flows. Simulating hypersonic flow around a space vehicle is challenging because of the multiscale and nonequilibrium nature inherent in these flows. To effectively deal with such flows, a hybrid scheme combining the stochastic particle Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) method with direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) was developed recently, but only for monatomic gases (Fei et al. (2021) [29]). In this paper, the particle-particle hybrid method is extended to polyatomic gas flows. In the near continuum regime, employing the Ellipsoidal–Statistical BGK model proposed by Dauvois et al. (2021) [22] with discrete levels of vibrational energy, the stochastic particle BGK method for polyatomic gases is first established following the idea of the unified stochastic particle BGK (USP-BGK) scheme. It is proven to be of second-order accuracy in the fluid limit. After that, the USP-BGK scheme with rotational and vibrational energies is combined with DSMC to construct a hybrid scheme. The present hybrid scheme for polyatomic gases is validated with numerical tests of homogeneous relaxation, 1D shock structure and 2D hypersonic flows past a wedge and a cylinder. Compared to the other stochastic particle methods, the proposed hybrid scheme can achieve higher accuracy at a much lower computational cost. Therefore, it is a more efficient tool to study multiscale hypersonic flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop a sensitive and reliable normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–charged aerosol detector (NP-HPLC–CAD) method for direct and simultaneous quantification of diverse and complex lipid classes in marine samples. The 33-minute HPLC method so developed effectively separates 10 classes of non-polar and polar lipid. The quantitative calibration curves for all 10 lipid classes were built with satisfactory correlation coefficients (R 2 ≥ 0.9910), wide linear range (0.01–5.00 mg/mL), low limit of detection (LOD, 2–40 ng) and limit of quantification (LOQ, 4–80 ng). The precision (relative standard deviation of 2.33–7.13 %) and recovery rate (83.69–108.06 %) for the quantitative method met the acceptance criteria of FDA guidelines. Finally, the NP-HPLC–CAD method was successfully used to analyze marine lipid samples from abalone, oyster, scallop, mussel and Antarctic krill. Results show complex lipid composition of marine samples, mainly containing triacylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. [Display omitted] • A rapid NP-HPLC–CAD method for direct quantification of lipids was developed. • The established method satisfied validation parameters. • The method was sensitive, easy to apply, accurate and reliable. • The method may be used for routine monitoring of lipids in marine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early embryonic arrest is a great challenge for in vitro fertilization. Whether exposure to toxic metals is associated with an increased risk of early embryonic arrest warrants investigation. Here, we conducted a case-control study in infertile women to estimate the associations between blood barium (Ba), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) exposure levels and the risk of early embryonic arrest. Ba, As, Hg, and Pb exposure levels in fasting blood collected from 74 infertile women (123 cycles) with early embryonic arrest and 157 infertile women (180 cycles) without early embryonic arrest were measured by ICP–MS. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was used to assess the association of exposure level of toxic metals mixture with the risk of early embryonic arrest as well as to evaluate which metal playing a leading role in the association, and then generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to evaluate the relationship between the selected harmful metal and the risk of early embryonic arrest. Finally, the potential causes of early embryonic arrest originating from the harmful metal exposure were explored. Blood Ba levels were significantly higher in the case group than that in the control group (p = 0.009) rather than As, Pb and Hg. Results from BKMR showed that exposure to toxic metals mixture increased the risk of early embryonic arrest, with Ba playing a leading role (PIP = 0.9612). GEE analysis showed that high Ba exposure level was related with the increased risk of early embryonic arrest (p < 0.05) and it impacted on the oogenesis significantly. Our study found that exposure to toxic metals mixture was associated with the increased risk of early embryonic arrest, and Ba contributed most to the increased risk. Higher Ba exposure in whole blood corresponds to a higher risk of early embryonic arrest and impacted on the oogenesis significantly. •The first evaluation of the association of toxic metal mixtures with the EEA risk •Combined exposure to As, Ba, Pb and Hg was positively correlated with the EEA risk •Ba contributed the most to the association • Ba exposure could significantly impact oogenesis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We established BMT models from M. fortis and C57BL/6 mice to immunodeficient mice. [•] BMT models were established successfully. [•] The M. fortis lymphocytes did not appear to affect the S. japonicum worm burden. [•] The M. fortis lymphocytes led to worm shortening and reduction in spawning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Database screening indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in pathogenesis of endometrial cancer. Among these miRNAs, miR-449a might be involved in tumorigenesis and lower expression of miR-449a was associated with poor prognosis. However, the role of miR-449a and its underlying molecular mechanism in endometrial cancer (EC) has not been investigated. In this study, our analysis found that miR-449a expression is inversely correlated with the stage of EC. Downregulation of miR-449a was correlated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in the EC patients. Results of functional analyses revealed that overexpression of miR-449a in human EC cells alleviated cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Conversely, loss of miR-449a in EC cancer cells facilitated all these cellular activities. Moreover, we identified N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) as a direct and functional target gene of miR-449a in EC cells, and the expression of NDRG1 in 87 EC specimens were inversely correlated with that of miR-449a. Additionally, further studies show that the down-regulation of NDRG1 expression inhibited proliferation and metastasis of EC cells through the PTEN/AKT pathway. Therefore, these results suggest that miR-449a suppresses the growth and metastasis of EC by directly targeting the NDRG1 gene and that the activation of miR-449a may represent an effective therapeutic strategy in EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A core-shell structured piperazine pyrophosphate microcapsules (MT@PAPP) is constructed. • The MT@PAPP enhances the compatibility and mechanical property of TPE/MT@PAPP composites. • Compared with pure TPE, the PHRR and PSPR of TPE/MT@PAPP were reduced by 78.5% and 60.0%, respectively. In this study, core-shell structured piperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP) is designed to enhance the fire safety and mechanical property of styrenic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) composites. The PAPP is microencapsulated with carbon nanotube modified melamine-formaldehyde resin to prepare core-shell structured flame retardants (MT@PAPP). Due to the excellent compatibility between the MT@PAPP and TPE matrix, the mechanical property of TPE/MT@PAPP is improved. Compared with TPE, the peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate of TPE/MT@PAPP are decreased by 78.5% and 60.0%, respectively. Thus, the core-shell structured piperazine pyrophosphate microcapsule strategy provides an excellent approach to obtain high-performance TPE composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The follicular helper T cell (T FH) are established regulators of germinal center (GC) B cells, whether T FH have pathogenic potential independent of B cells is unknown. Based on in vitro T FH cell differentiation, in vivo T cell transfer animal colitis model, and intestinal tissues of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, T FH and its functions in colitis development were analyzed by FACS, ChIP, ChIP-sequencing, WB, ELISA and PCR. Herein we demonstrate that intestinal tissues of patients and colon tissues obtained from Rag1 −/− recipients of naïve CD4+ T cells with colitis, each over-express T FH -associated gene products. Adoptive transfer of naïve Bcl6 −/− CD4+ T cells into Rag1 −/− recipient mice abrogated development of colitis and limited T FH differentiation in vivo , demonstrating a mechanistic link. In contrast, T cell deficiency of interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) resulted in augmentation of T FH induction in vitro and in vivo. Functional studies showed that adoptive transfer of IRF8 deficient CD4+ T cells into Rag1 −/− recipients exacerbated colitis development associated with increased gut T FH -related gene expression, while Irf8 −/− /Bcl6 −/− CD4+ T cells abrogated colitis, together indicating that IRF8-regulated T FH can directly cause colon inflammation. Molecular analyses revealed that IRF8 suppresses T FH differentiation by inhibiting transcription and transactivation of the TF IRF4, which is also known to be essential for T FH induction. Our documentation showed that IRF8-regulated T FH can function as B-cell-independent, pathogenic, mediators of colitis suggests that targeting T FH could be effective for treatment of IBD. Highlights • Our study reveals that T FH cells are critically involved in the development of T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases. • The study defines IRF8 as an important intrinsic suppressor of T FH differentiation. • Our studies are really novel and will lead to more exciting investigations concerning the contributions of T FH cells in the development of various T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The AgNW-10-W cotton fabric were prepared by dip-coating technology. • The AgNW-10-W cotton fabric shows the EMI SE as high as 53.9 dB with thickness of 1.3 mm. • The AgNW-10-W cotton fabric can reach 76 °C under 2 V applied voltage in 60 s. • AgNW-10-W cotton fabric exhibits excellent bending and salt water resistance. • The pHRR of AgNW-10-W cotton fabric are reduced by 31.3%. High-performance modern integrated intelligent wearable electronic textiles show excellent joule heating performance, electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI) and fire safety. In this work, cotton fabric as a biomass material is used as the framework. Due to its strong electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding, 3‑aminopropyl trethoxy silane (KH550) layer, silver nanowire (AgNW) conductive network and water-based polyurethane (WPU) protective layer are formed on the surface of cotton fiber for fabricating composite fabric (AgNW-10-W). Due to the perfect collaborative conductive network and porous fiber network structure, AgNW-10-W shows excellent EMI shielding effectiveness (53.9 dB, 1.3 mm thickness). Furthermore, the surface temperature of the joule heating composite fabric with AgNW as the conductive raw material can reach over 100 °C at an applied voltage of 2 V. Meantime, the composite fabric also shows good cycling and long-term joule heating performance. In the wear tests, the AgNW-10-W cotton fabric has good bending resistance and salt water resistance. It produces heat evenly on the human body's wrist joint and has a certain wear function. In the combustion performance test, the pHRR of AgNW-10-W cotton fabric was 31.3 % lower than that of pure cotton fabric. The work demonstrates the appeal of high-performance multifunctional electronic textiles for joule heating, electromagnetic shielding, and fire safety applications in AI and emerging wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • FPUF composites was formed after the introduction of Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL and DH-DOPO. • Compression strength of FPUF-DH-Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL are increased by 253% and is highly fatigue-resistance. • 36.1% and 44.0% reductions in pHRR and THR of FPUF-DH-Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL are achieved. • FPUF-DH-Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL is self-extinguished and passes the vertical burning test. It is of great importance to fabricate flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) with superior mechanical properties and flame retardancy for practical applications. Herein, organosilicon and phenyl phosphorus compounds were synthesized and grafted on the surface of Ti 3 C 2 T x (Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL) via in-situ polymerization. Then, the FPUF composites were fabricated, combining intrinsic flame retardancy (9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide-diethanolamine: DH-DOPO) (addition amount: 20 wt%) and Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL (addition amount: 4 wt%). Attributed to the rigid structure of Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL, the tensile strength and compression strength of FPUF showed 24.0% and 253% increase, respectively. In addition, anti-fatigue properties of FPUF composites during the cyclical test were dramatically enhanced. In contrast to pure FPUF, 36.1% and 44.0% reductions in peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) were achieved for the FPUF containing Ti 3 C 2 T x @BPA@PCL and DH-DOPO, the production rate of carbon dioxide (CO 2) and carbon oxide (CO) also decreased by 40.3% and 52.1%, respectively. FPUF4 showed self-extinguishing behavior, and passed the vertical burning test (VBT). This work provides a facile approach to preparing high-performance FPUF with enhanced mechanical property and flame retardancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Aiming at enhancing the toughness and fire safety of bismaleimide (BMI), BMI monomers containing phosphate and phosphonate structure (BDTP and BDTDP) were designed and prepared. With incorporation of 5 wt% BDTP and BDTDP, the peak value of heat release rate (PHRR) of BMI/BDTP-5 and BMI/BDTDP-5 decrease by 59.4% and 52.4%, respectively. The total smoke production (TSP) of BMI/BDTP-5 and BMI/BDTDP-5 are of 8.3% and 13.1% reduction, respectively. Meanwhile, BMI/BDTP-5 and BMI/BDTDP-5 possess UL-94V-0 rating, which indicates that BMI is endowed with better flame retardant performance by modification of designed BMI monomers. Besides, the impact strength of BMI/BDTP-5 and BMI/BDTDP-5 increase by 146.3% and 90.2%, respectively. The comprehensive performance of BMI/BDTP-5 is better than that of BMI/BDTDP-5. And the effect of phenyl phosphate structure in BDTP and phenyl phosphonate structure in BDTDP on BMI performance is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] It's known that the application of bismaleimide resins (BMI) is limited due to its brittleness and poor flame retardancy. A novel type of BMI monomer (MADQ) based on the typical phosphorus series flame retardant DOPO is designed to improve the fire safety of BMI. Besides, aliphatic long chain structure is introduced in MADQ, which is supposed to be conducive to reducing the rigidity of the BMI cross-linked network and thus to improve the toughness of BMI. It's seen that with the incorporation of 5.24 wt% MADQ, the peak of heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of resultant BMI/MADQ-5 is reduced by 37.7% and 33.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, with modification of 1.07 wt% MADQ, BMI/MADQ-1 possesses UL-94V-0 rating. The relevant mechanism analysis reveals that the phosphaphenanthrene group in MADQ can exert flame retardancy effect both in condensed and gas phase. Besides, the impact strength of the BMI/MADQ is maximally increased by nearly 90.1%. Furthermore, the BMI/MADQ still maintains high tensile strength and thermal stability, which indicates the modification of MADQ did not deteriorate other properties of BMI. An innovative research idea and research basis for the preparation of intrinsic flame-retardant and toughened BMI is provided in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the polarization state, the transmission direction, the amplitude and the phase of light in a very limited space is essential for the development of on-chip photonics. Over the past decades, numerous sub-wavelength metallic microstructures have been proposed and fabricated to fulfill these demands. In this article, we review our efforts in achieving negative refractive index, controlling the polarization state, and tuning the amplitude of light with two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microstructures. We designed an assembly of stacked metallic U-shaped resonators that allow achieving negative refraction for pure magnetic and electric responses respectively at the same frequency by selecting the polarization of incident light. Based on this, we tune the permittivity and permeability of the structure, and achieve negative refractive index. Further, by control the excitation and radiation of surface electric current on a number of 2D and 3D asymmetric metallic metastructures, we are able to control the polarization state of light. It is also demonstrated that with a stereostructured metal film, the whole metal surfaces can be used to construct either polarization-sensitive or polarization-insensitive prefect absorbers, with the advantage of efficient heat dissipation and electric conductivity. Our practice shows that metamaterials, including metasurface, indeed help to master light in nanoscale, and are promising in the development of new generation of photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The development of electronics proposes higher requirements for flexible, transparent, and conductive materials with high electromagnetic shielding performance in viewing windows. Flexible transparent films have been fabricated by collaborating one-dimensional silver nanowires (AgNWs) and novel two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene sheets on PET films with an external polymeric coating consisting of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS). Especially, the combination of different dimensional nanomaterials effectively establishes a conductive network that exhibits a synergistic effect on excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance, which is superior to that of pure AgNW network or Ti 3 C 2 T x network to some extent. By optimizing the AgNWs content (0.05 mg/cm2) and Ti 3 C 2 T x sheets content (0.01 mg/cm2), the PET/AgNW/Ti 3 C 2 T x /PVA-PSS film exhibits a transmittance of 81% and a desirable EMI SE value of 30.5 dB. In addition, the film shows outstanding anti-fogging and frost-resistant properties due to the remarkable water absorption capacity of PVA and PSS on the external surface. Considering its efficiency and simplicity, this transparent conductive film has promising applications in flexible transparent electronic devices and optical related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Polyolefin (PO) cables used in confined spaces need to have low smoke, low heat release, low toxic gas release and excellent physical properties. In this work, a series of rare earth stannates Re 2 Sn 2 O 7 (RES, Re = Nd, Sm, Gd) with high temperature catalytic performance were prepared by hydrothermal method for synergistic flame retardant PO/IFR. The flame retardancy, heat release, smoke density, toxic gas release and physical properties of PO composites were thoroughly studied in detail. The RES could enhance the vertical burning rating and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of PO/IFR composites. Moreover, the residual char of the thermogravimetric analysis increased from 9.7% to 11.4 wt% after the RES added in PO/IFR system. Interestingly, the PO/IFR system containing Gd 2 Sn 2 O 7 exhibits the lowest peak heat release rate of 233.7 kW/m2. Excellent flame resistance due to the formation of a complete and compact protective char layer. In addition, the toxic release of PO during combustion is also effectively reduced by introducing the RES. The tube furnace combustion test shows that the emission of carbon oxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) of PO/IFR/Gd 2 Sn 2 O 7 are the lowest. It can be attributed to the catalytic effect of rare earth elements and the blocking effect of the dense char layer. In addition, compared with the PO/IFR composites, the PO/IFR/RES system demonstrate higher mechanical properties and volume resistivity. Therefore, the addition of RES has a positive effect on improving the physical properties and fire safety properties of the PO/IFR cable composites, especially suitable for using in confined spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Owing to the lack of research on structure-activity relationship and interaction mechanism between unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) and flame retardants, it has been a big challenge to prepare high-efficiency flame retardants for UPR in industry. In this research, to explore structural rules of high-efficiency flame retardants, several polymeric flame retardants were synthesized with varied main-chain, side-chain, phosphorus valence states and contents of flame retardant elements. The thermal stabilities of flame retardants and UPR composites were firstly assessed. It has been found the interaction existed between flame retardants and UPR, through transesterification reaction and β scission pathway in polyester and polystyrene chains. With only 15 wt% of PCH 3 -S, UPR composites can reach V0 rating in UL-94. The PHRR and THR values can be maximumly decreased by 71.66 % and 77.67 %, with 20 wt% of PB-S. It has been found flame retardants with sulfone group and + 3 valence state of phosphorus in molecular backbone can release SO 2 and phosphorus containing compounds in gaseous phase, which diluted fuel fragments and catalyzed H⋅ and HO⋅ radical removal. The mechanism for improved flame retardancy of UPR composites with various polymeric flame retardants were discussed in detail. Some general rules for highly efficient flame retardant UPR can be summarized: First, gaseous phase flame retardant mechanism plays the major role in improvement of flame retardant performance of UPR composites; Second, the combination of + 3 valence state of phosphorus structures, higher phosphorus contents and sulfone groups effectively improves the flame retardant efficiency of flame retardants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In order to meet the rapidly growing demand of multi-functional fabric, a super-hydrophobic flame retardant coating for cotton fabric with superior washability and abrasion resistance was prepared. Flame retardant finishing agent P, P-diphenyl-N-(3-(trithoxysilyl) propyl) phospinic amide (DPTES) and hydrophobic finishing agent polydimethylsiloxane @silicon dioxide (PDMS@SiO 2) were fixed on the surface of cotton fabric by a simple sol–gel technology in combination with convenient brush-coating process. The coated cotton fabric was capable of self-extinguishing a flame, and the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) increased from 18.0% for the control cotton fabric to 26.0% for the treated one at weight gain of 30.3%. The water contact angle (WCA) of C3-PDMS-silica is around 154°, and the slip angle is 8°. In addition, the treated cotton fabric exhibits anti-washing and self-cleaning ability due to the superhydrophobic feature and superior friction resistance. The C3-PDMS-silica sample with excellent char-forming ability, as shown by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), leading to outstanding flame retardancy. A composite char layer was constituted with char residues and ceramic layer during the combustion of inorganic silicon, which plays the role of heat insulation and flame retardant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ZIF-8@Ti 3 C 2 T x was synthesised and applied to prepare flame-retardant flexible polyurethane foam composites. • Flame-retardant flexible polyurethane foam composites displayed excellent heat and toxic gases suppression performance. • Flame-retardant flexible polyurethane foam composites showed notable mechanical properties during compression and tensile tests. • The flame-retardant mechanism of ZIF-8@Ti 3 C 2 T x was systematically explored through gas and condensed products. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) is the most used polyurethane, but the highly flammable characteristic limits its widespread usage. In this work, ZIF-8@Ti 3 C 2 T x was synthesized to reduce the heat and toxic gases of FPUF. Flame-retardant FPUF was characterized by cone calorimeter (Cone), thermogravimetric analysis/fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR), tensile and compression tests. Compared with pure FPUF, these results showed that the peak of heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), CO and HCN of FPUF6 decreased by 46%, 69%, 27% and 43.5%, respectively. Moreover, the tensile and compression strength of FPUF6 demonstrated a 52% and 130% increment, respectively. The superior dual metal catalytical charring-forming effect and physical barrier effect of ZIF-8@Ti 3 C 2 T x were achieved. In summary, a simple and reliable strategy for preparing flame-retardant FPUF with reinforced mechanical and fire safety properties was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simulation of stationary multivariate wind pressures with non-Gaussianity is of great important to the structural wind-resistant design. The moment-based translation process methods such as Johnson transformation model (JTM) have attracted more attentions and been widely used in the non-Gaussian simulation due to their conceptual straightforwardness. However, they perform poorly for the wind pressures with strong non-Gaussian characteristics. Moreover, the simulation efficiency is still constrained by the iterative calculation of obtaining the cross-correlation function (CCF) of the underlying Gaussian wind pressures. This study proposes a novel hybrid approach for simulating stationary multivariate non-Gaussian wind pressures based on maximum entropy method and moment-based translation function. In the developed approach, a series of closed-form expressions to determine the CCF of the underlying Gaussian wind pressures are developed for very large areas in the Pearson diagram, and an interpolation-based scheme is proposed to estimate the Gaussian CCF for the remaining areas in the Pearson diagram. The numerical example, in which the wind pressures from the wind tunnel tests were used, demonstrates that the proposed hybrid approach has higher simulation efficiency and better simulation accuracy as compared with the conventional moment-based simulation methods such as JTM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Three copper salt decorated graphene hybrids were successfully synthesized (rGO@CuO, rGO@Cu 2 O and rGO@CSOH). • Copper salt hybrids impart hybrid FPUF with excellent tensile, compression and buffering performance. • The hybrid FPUF reveals excellent flame retardancy and smoke suppression properties. • The rGO@CSOH shows a significant decreasement in reducing the heat hazard of hybrid FPUF. • The rGO@Cu 2 O demonstrates excellent smoke and toxic gases suppression in hybrid FPUF. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) is the most commonly used polyurethane, but its highly flammable characteristics makes it ignite easily and release a lot of heat and toxic gases. Here, the effect of different forms of copper salt modified graphene (rGO@CuO, rGO@Cu 2 O and rGO@CSOH) on improving the fire protection efficiency and mechanical property of FPUF is explored. Hybrid FPUF is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), cone calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-IR), tension, compression, and falling ball rebound testing. Compared with pure FPUF, the FPUF/rGO@CSOH show a significant decreasement in reducing the heat release of FPUF, the PHRR and THR are reduced by 36.9% and 29.4%, respectively. While the FPUF/rGO@Cu 2 O demonstrate excellent smoke and toxic gases suppression in FPUF, the PSPR and TSR are reduced by 24.6% and 51.9%, and the COP and COY are also reduced by 51.9% and 55.3%, respectively. After adding the copper salt hybrid, the buffering performance of FPUF did not change. Fortunately, the tensile and compressive strength increase obviously. The flame retardant and smoke suppression mechanism of hybrid FPUF has also been studied. This article gives a effective strategy for the preparation of FPUF with outstanding mechanical property, flame retardant and smoke suppression properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] As an antioxidant, hindered phenol scavenges free radicals. Due to the oxidative degradation of black phosphorus (BP) in the presence of water and oxygen, free radical quenching of hindered phenol antioxidants can solve this issue and improve the environmental stability and flame retardant efficiency of BP. Herein, hydroxyl-modified BP (BP-OH) with active groups on the surface was obtained by hydroxylation, and then the hindered phenol antioxidant was grafted onto the surface of BP-OH through an isophorone diisocyanate bridging covalent reaction to obtain hindered phenol-modified BP (BP-HPL). The fire hazard of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) can be significantly reduced by introducing BP-HPL into TPU. Adding 2 wt% BP-HPL can reduce the heat release rate and total heat release values of TPU by 49.9% and 49.0%, respectively. In addition, the reductions in smoke volume and carbon monoxide production were also significant. Compared with BP-OH, the environmental stability of BP-HPL is significantly improved. This work provides a reference for the application of BP in the field of fire safety and simultaneously achieves the improvement of the environmental stability and flame retardant performance of BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Three kinds of flame retardant with different phosphorus content were synthesized. • MPBT exerted the best synergistic flame retardant effect. • The dual-phase flame retardant mechanism was analyzed in detail. • Tensile strength of flexible polyurethane foam was improved to a large extent. Herein, three different phosphorus-containing compounds (methyl phosphoryl dichloride, phenyl phosphoryl dichloride and phenyl dichlorophosphate) were reacted with 2-aminobenzothiazole respectively, and a series of synergistic flame retardants with phosphorus, nitrogen and sulfur elements were synthesized, named MPBT, PPBT and POBT respectively. Then, they were added to prepare flame-retardant flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF). Through the analysis of thermal stability, pyrolysis, heat release and smoke release behavior, the influence of different phosphorus-containing structures on the flame-retardant performance of FPUF was studied, and their flame-retardant mechanism was explored in detail. Among them, MPBT had the highest flame retardant efficiency with the same addition amount (10 wt%). The limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of PU/10.0% MPBT reached 22.5 %, and it successfully passed the vertical burning test. Subsequently, the addition amount of MPBT was increased and the best comprehensive performance of flame-retardant FPUF was explored. The results showed that the LOI value of PU/15.0% MPBT was increased to 23.5%. As for PU/15.0% MPBT, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) was 453 KW/m2, which was reduced by 46.64 %; and the flame retardancy index (FRI) value was also increased to 6.88. At the same time, the mechanical properties of flame-retardant FPUF were studied. The tensile strength of PU/15.0% MPBT reached 170 KPa, and the permanent deformation of FPUF/10% MPBT was only 4 %, showing its excellent resilience. The above results show that this phosphorus-containing element hybrid synergistic flame retardant (MPBT) has a very good application prospect in the field of flame-retardant polymer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A SiO 2 based polymeric composite coating is developed via a facile strategy to get fire resistance for wooden materials. The composite coatings exhibit strong interfacial adhesion to versatile flammable substrates. The coating-treated wood features well flame resistance, a high LOI of 48.0%, a desired V-0 rating during vertical burning, low heat release rate and long ignition time. [Display omitted] Fire resistant coatings have been proven as an efficient way to improve fire safety in three aspects: reducing the Heat Release Rate (HRR), delaying the ignition time and preventing heat transfer. Herein, a SiO 2 based polymeric composite coating with a lower thermal conductivity and brilliant fire resistance was developed. Isocyanate and sodium silicate could form the final Si-O-Si network structure by polymerization. Compared to the wood without coating, the coated wood shows a significantly increase in limit oxygen index (LOI), has reached 48.0 vol% in the test. As for the cone calorimetry test, coated wood shows a 55.3% decrease in the first peak Heat Release Rate (pHRR) and the Total Heat Release (THR) obtains fire-resistant standard. After exposed to butane flame for 30 mins, the coated wood could still maintain its structural integrity with only 180℃ on the non-exposed side. The commercial standard test of the coating was also investigated. To better understand what role does the polyurea play in the system, a theoretical calculation was done during the research to discuss the interaction between the silica and polyurea. As a fast brush-formed coating, it exhibits a great potential in the field of fire-resistant materials, and may broaden the application prospects of wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] A sandwich-like melamine/phytic acid/silicon nitride hybrid (SW-Si 3 N 4) sheets were prepared by supramolecular wrapping as the hybrid flame retardants for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The introduction of Si 3 N 4 sheets as a template could not only induce the generation of two-dimensional phytic/melamine (PAMA) capping layers, but also produce the synergistic flame-retardant effect on TPU composites. Cone test showed that heat release rate (HRR), smoke production rate (SPR) and total smoke production (TSP) values of TPU were decreased obviously by adding SW-Si 3 N 4. TG-IR test indicated the dramatic inhibition of aromatic compound, hydrocarbons, CO and HCN release. Besides, the thermal conductivity of composites was obviously improved by adding SW-Si 3 N 4. This work may provide better reference for developing multi-functional TPU composites for diverse application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • FPUF with EMIshielding performance were prepared via electroless plating SNPs. • The EMI SE accomplished 62 dB when decorated for 1 h and reached 120 dB after 2 h. • The SSE/t was 2434.00 dB·cm2/g, far satisfying the commercial request. • The PU foam exhibited anti-dripping behavior and the HRR reduced 80.92%. • CO decreased by 75.01% and other typical toxic gases (HCN, etc.) were also reduced. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) has been considered as an excellent material in many fields, such as furniture and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding products due to its lightweight and flexibility. However, there is a severe fire hazard problem for FPUF that makes it unsuitable to be used in practical. Herein, a facile method was to prepare anti-dripping FPUF via electroless plating at ambient temperature. The silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were in-situ grown on the surface along with the polydopamine (PDA) as an adhesive and template (SNP@PDA@FPUF). As a result, these FPUFs show outstanding fire safety and anti-dripping capacity, and the heat release rate reduced 80.92%. Furthermore, the amounts of carbon oxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) decreased 75.01% and 22.4%, respectively. Above all, the EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) accomplished almost 120 dB as the increasing electroless time with a low density of 0.051 g/cm3. Furthermore, the specific EMI SE (SSE) and the absolute EMI SE (SSE/t) accomplished 2630.98 dB·cm3/g and 2434 dB·cm2/g, respectively, which was far beyond the commercial request. Therefore, this work may provide a facile way to prepare low density and EMI shielding products with high fire safety for next generation electronic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Although more and more attention has been paid to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding fabric materials due to increasing electromagnetic waves pollution, little attention to their fire safety behavior and durability in practical use. Herein, durable EMI shielding ramie fabric with flame retardant and self-healing performance were fabricated by depositing ammonium polyphosphate (APP)/polyethyleneimine (PEI) layer, MXene sheets and polycaprolactone (PCL) layer. The resultant multifunctional fabric could self-extinguish and the peak heat release rate (pHRR) value reduced about 74.3% for the modified ramie fabric that contains about 12 wt% of PEI/APP bilayer compared with pure ramie fabric. Furthermore, the ramie fabric coated by a increasing amount of MXene sheets changed from insulating to conductive, thus gradually improving their EMI shielding performance, which exhibit a high electrical conductivity of 900.56 S/m with an outstanding SE value of 35 dB at a 1.2 mg/cm2 content in the X-band. Besides, When the multifunctional fabric was cut off under external force, it could achieve self-healing and the EMI shielding performance can recover to 34 dB due to the low melting point and good fluidity of PCL. Thus, this multifunctional fabric holds great promise for wearable intelligent cloth, EMI shielding and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, carvacrol (Car) is first embedded in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) by the freeze-drying method to form the β-cyclodextrin-Carvacrol inclusion compound (β-CD-Car), and then β-CD-Car liposomes (β-CD-Car-Lip) and β-CD-Car liposomes coated with ε-polylysine (ε-PL/β-CD-Car-Lip) with different concentrations (0–20 mg/mL) of β-CD-Car were prepared. The liposomes were characterized, and their physicochemical properties, in vitro release characteristics, and antibacterial activities were analyzed. Results showed that the fabricated liposomes β-CD-Car-Lip and ε-PL/β-CD-Car-Lip were nanosized and spherical, and the latter had a larger particle size (152.21 ± 14.48 to 520.45 ± 30.69 nm) and greater encapsulation efficiency (69.23 ± 0.95 to 73.25 ± 0.65%). The in vitro release study results showed that the rate of release from ε-PL-coated liposomes was much lower than that from uncoated liposomes. Inhibition of bacterial growth experiments revealed that the minimum inhibitory concentration of ε-PL/β-CD-Car-Lip against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (0.025 and 0.05 mg/mL, respectively) was twice as low as that of β-CD-Car-Lip and nearly 12 times lower than that of Car at the same concentration. The ε-polylysine coating increased the diameter, encapsulation efficiency (EE), release time, and antibacterial activity of β-CD-Car-Lip, and the fabricated complex liposome could be applicable as an additive in the design of antibacterial packaging. • The two novel liposomes β-CD-Car-Lip and ε-PL/β-CD-Car-Lip were constructed. • ε-PL coating effectively improved the slow-release characteristics and antibacterial activity of β-CD-Car-Lip. • ε-PL-coated liposome can be used as a delivery system for improving the efficiency of carvacrol in food products. • ε-PL-coated liposome can be used as a delivery system for novel applications such as active packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A series of eco-friendly and renewable EMI shielding films were developed using disulfide linked WPU. • The healable films were castor oil-based and containing dynamic covalent bonds. • Over 99.999% EM waves (51.37 dB) were dissipated owing to the segregated structure. • Negligible change in shielding efficiency after bending 200 times or 80 °C aging. • The films performed remarkable shape memory behavior with full recovery and self-healing properties. Recently, the increasing demands of the portable devices and flexible electronics have caused lots of electromagnetic wave pollution. MXene, a novel two-dimensional material, was considered as a promising two-dimensional material for preparing flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding films. Herein, we firstly synthesized a series of flexible and self-healable EMI shielding waterborne polyurethane (ADWPU) films by mechanically blending with Ti 3 C 2 T x (ADWPU-T). Interestingly, the self-assembling between ADWPU and Ti 3 C 2 T x constructed a tunable analogical structure providing reflection-absorption-multiple reflection shielding mechanism. Furthermore, the ADWPU-T emulsions were prepared from castor oil which is a low-cost and eco-friendly biomass polyol. The chain extender 2-aminophenyl disulfide endow a reversible dynamic polymer network which leading to shape memory performance (45 °C heat treatment) and self-healing ability (60 °C, 5 min healed). Above all, these multifunctional flexible films also exhibited outstanding EMI shielding performance (51.37 dB) and performed less decrement after 200 times bending and 80 °C aging test for five days. Therefore, this work would provide a novel promising method for preparing responsive electromagnetic interference shielding products and smart electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer electrolyte, attracts great attention owing to its excellent flexibility, good processability and high safety compared with liquid electrolytes. However, its low ionic conductivity and weak ability to suppress the lithium dendrite severely restrict the further progress of PEO. Herein, we prepare a high ionic conductivity solid polymer electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium batteries by mixing PEO and magnetically aligned functionalized sepiolite (KFSEP) nanowires. The ionic conductivity of PEO/LiTFSI/10%⊥KFSEP solid polymer electrolyte is 2.0 × 10−5 S cm−1 at 20 °C (The ionic conductivity of PEO/LiTFSI solid polymer electrolyte is 4.0 × 10−7 S cm−1 at 20 °C). The experiments and simulation analysis indicate that the aligned nanowires provide a fast-moving channel for lithium ions. The capacity of Li/PEO/LiTFSI/10%⊥KFSEP/LFP cell is 130 mAh g−1 at 1.0 C under 60 °C after 450cycles. Furthermore, Li/PEO/LiTFSI/10%⊥KFSEP/LFP cell shows 150 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C under 25 °C. The Li/PEO/LiTFSI/10%⊥KFSEP/Li cell can work normally more than 600 h, indicating the high stability and lithium dendrite suppressing function of PEO/LiTFSI/10%⊥KFSEP. Overall, a high performance solid polymer electrolyte with higher safety is constructed by incorporating magnetically aligned sepiolite nanowires into PEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient solar vapor generation has provided a feasible way to solve the water shortage in undeveloped and arid areas. However, some photo-thermal materials need additional large-volume support materials being harmful to carry around to obtain float capacity, while suppressing the solar steam generation. Herein, the decrease approach of surface tension was presented for solving the moist-environment degradation behavior of black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets and obtaining the self-floating capacity, thus applying BP nanosheets in solar vapor generation field. With the in situ cross-linking polymerization, trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl) silane successfully modified BP nanosheets (F-BP). Due to the significantly decreased surface tension, F-BP nanosheets are capable of self-floating easily on water surface and spreading out spontaneously. With assistance of desirable photo-thermal conversion capacity, self-floating BP nanosheets convert the incident photon into local heat, showing excellent vapor generation performance. With simulated sun illumination (1 kW/m2), 238.7 g/m2 BP nanosheets present the evaporation rate of ~0.9437 kg/(m2·h) and efficiency of ~64.63 ± 2.3%. Meanwhile, the super-hydrophobicity successfully imparts BP nanosheets with resistance to the deterioration caused by salt precipitation. The carriable F-BP nanosheets are an ideal photo-thermal convertor to produce drinking water, successfully providing a feasible way to solve water shortage in limited condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This electrode possesses comparative or even better rate capability than other CoS 2 based electrodes. • Heteroatoms doped carbon@encapsulated CoS 2 nanoparticles is rationally designed. • This material gives an exceedingly low capacity fading ratio of 0.013% per cycle. • It shows a comparative or better rate capability than other CoS 2 based materials. • The presence of pseudocapacitive behavior benefits the promotion of rate property. Considering the finite resources of nonrenewable fossil fuels and urgent demands of modern society, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) featuring low cost, considerable natural supply and environmental friendless, show huge prospects in energy storage field, especially in constructing massive energy storage networks. Here, we propose a facile polyacrylonitrile@metal organic frameworks composite-derived sulfuration method, for acquiring heteroatoms doped carbon@encapsulated CoS 2 nanoparticles (NSPCFS@CoS 2) as SIBs anode. This electrode shows long and steady cycling process at 1 A g−1. After running 2095 cycles, it maintains a capacity of 546.3 mA h g−1. An exceedingly low capacity fading ratio of 0.013% per cycle can be acquired. Also, it gives high discharge capacities of 540.7 and 493.6 mA h g−1, even at 4 and 8 A g−1, separately. In addition, NSPCFS@CoS 2 possesses a comparative or even better rate capability than other CoS 2 based materials and other types of metal sulfides. Overall, this electrode exhibits superior cycling and rate performances. Additionally, its Na+ reaction kinetics and storage mechanism are deeply investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about the special characteristics of HIV-1 envelope (env) glycoproteins in rare individuals developing >90% neutralization breadth in Chinese subtype B' slow progressors may provide insights for vaccine design against local viruses. We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 7 samples. We tested the neutralization breadth and geometric mean ID50 titers (GMTs) of these samples, and divided them into hBCN+ and hBCN- group according to whether their neutralization breadth >90%. We obtained env sequences in these samples through single genome amplification (SGA) assay. By comparing with hBCN-, subtype B chronically infected group (B-SP), and Chinese subtype B group (B-Database), we analyzed the characteristics of the env sequences of hBCN+ group. Longer V1 and V4 regions with more glycosylation sites were found in hBCN+ samples compared to hBCN- samples. Further analysis compared to B-SP and B-Database showed that hBCN+ group exhibited unique extra-long V1 region containing higher proportion of N-glycan sites and additional cysteines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephrology (DN) is attributed largely to the depletion of podocytes, which is closely associated to apoptosis. However, the complex mechanism of podocyte loss in DN pathogenesis remains unclear. Recently, necroptosis has emerged as an important cell death model in many pathological conditions, which is regulated through RIPK1/RIPK3 pathway. In addition, necroptosis was found to share several upstream signaling pathways with apoptosis. Therefore, it was speculated that both apoptosis and necroptosis may occur in podocytes during the process of podocyte injury in DN. Herein, necroptosis and apoptosis were shown to be involved in podocyte injury induced by high glucose (HG), both in vitro and in vivo, with a high level of positive signaling markers RIPK1 (298.4 ± 17.35), cleaved caspase 3 (497.1 ± 23.09), RIPK3 (108.4 ± 14.92) , and MLKL (470.4 ± 15.73) than the control groups. Scaning electron microscopy examination revealed the morphological characteristics of necroptotic and apoptotic cells, which differed remarkably. z-VAD-fmk, a pan-inhibitor of apoptosis, could block apoptosis and enhance necroptosis. Furthermore, UCHL1 was found to play a major role in promoting podocyte necroptosis by regulating the ubiquitination state of the RIPK1/RIPK3 pathway. The half-life of RIPK1 and RIPK3 proteins reduced and the expression of RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL decreased significantly after the knockdown of UCHL1. It was shown that UCHL1 exerted a more regulatory response to necroptosis. These data suggested that necroptosis may have more effect on the loss of podocytes than apoptosis in DN with the regulation of UCHL1. Thus, inhibiting UCHL1 to downregulate the RIPK1/RIPK3 pathway may be a novel strategy to protect the podocytes in DN patients. • High glucose induces apoptosis and necroptosis of podocytes in vitro and in vivo. • UCHL1 was upregulated in podocytes of DN patients. • UCHL1 may has a direct deubiquitination effect on RIPK1 and RIPK3, thus promoting the occurrence of necroptosis in podocytes. • UCHL1 may play more significant role for regulating necroptosis than apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract To overcome the shortcomings of inefficiency in the preparation of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) nanosheets by ball milling, a gram-scale method to preparing COFs nanosheets with butyl lithium as the intercalation agent has been proposed. A significant advantage of COFs nanosheets that display good interface compatibility has been discovered through experiments. Due to their special organic crystalline structure and hydrogen bonding effects, COFs nanosheets without any modification show good interface compatibility, good dispersibility and enhancement in the mechanical properties of PVA matrix even at the loading as high as 9.6 wt%. Meanwhile, thermal, hydrophobic and flame retardant performances of PVA/COFs nanosheets nanocomposite have also been strengthened. This work should provide a guidance for the preparation of multifunctional nanocomposites with high loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Constructing novel graphic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4)-based nanohybrids via a facile method for high-performance polymeric materials which exhibit enhanced fire safety properties are highly desirable. Here, the g-C 3 N 4 /carbon sphere/Cu (denoted as CSACS-C) nanohybrid was prepared by metal ions-induced gel reaction using sodium alginate as a green template, and thereafter introduced into thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix to prepare nanocomposites. Microstructure analyses indicated the successful synthesis of the ternary nanohybrid, where both the g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets and Cu nanoparticles were well-dispersed in the carbon material. Moreover, the ternary nanohybrid showed good distribution in TPU matrices, and exhibited strong interfacial adhesion with the polymeric host. It is worth noting that addition of these nanohybrids led to significantly improved fire safety. Particularly, remarkably reduced pyrolysis gaseous products generation and peak of heat release rate were achieved for TPU/CSACS-C system. This enhanced fire safety was due to the interpretations that the SACS and g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets retarded the heat and mass propagation, while the incorporation of Cu nanoparticles induced earlier thermal decomposition into more char residues and less pyrolysis gaseous products. The work provides a new, simple strategy to prepare nanohybrids for polymeric materials with enhanced fire safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract β -1,3-glucanases, the plant PR-2 family of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, can be constitutively expressed and induced in wheat crop to enhance its anti-fungal pathogen defense. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of wheat β -1,3-glucanase on fungi most commonly associated with wheat kernel. A β -1,3-glucanase from wheat was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris X-33 and its biochemical and antifungal properties were characterized herein. The molecular weight of recombinant β -1,3-glucanase is approximately 33 kDa. β -1,3-glucanase displays optimal activity at pH 6.5, remaining relatively high at pH 5.5–8.0. The optimal reaction temperature of β -1,3-glucanase is 50 °C, retaining approximately 84.0% residual activity after heat-treated at 50 °C for 1 h. The steady-state kinetic parameters of β -1,3-glucanase against laminarin was determined and the K m and V max were 1.32 ± 0.20 mg/ml and 96.4 ± 4.4 U mg−1 protein, respectively. The inhibitory effect of purified β -1,3-glucanase against the seven fungi commonly associated with wheat kernel was assessed in vitro. β -1,3-glucanase exerted differential inhibitory effects on hyphal growth of Fusarium graminearum , Alternaria sp. , A. glaucus , A. flavus , A. niger , and Penicillium sp. Spore formation and mycelial morphology of Alternaria sp. , A. flavus , and A. niger were significantly affected by β -1,3-glucanase (1U). The present results would help elucidate the mechanism underlying the inhibition of wheat β -1,3-glucanases on pathogens. Highlights • A wheat β-1,3-glucanase was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris X-33. • The biochemical and antifungal properties of wheat β-1,3-glucanase were characterized. • The β -1,3-glucanase has different inhibition effect on the seven fungi commonly associated with wheat kernel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein oxidation has been proven to affect the rheological characteristics of flour, but the mechanism of protein oxidation on gluten in dough remains unclear. Effect of protein oxidation on the aggregation behavior of gluten in dough was investigated in this study. The results showed that the average diameter of gluten particles of ZM 9023 and YM 15 decreased from 12.96 μm to 3.91 μm–0.68 μm and 0.65 μm respectively after protein oxidation, further research showed that protein oxidation weakenend the aggregation behavior of gluten proteins through destroying disulfide bonds, weakening surface hydrophobicity, increasing electrostatic repulsion and changing the molecular weight distribution of gluten. In addition, atomic force microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy images of gluten showed that protein oxidation led to a change in gluten structure. The above results show that protein oxidation affects the aggregation behavior and conformation of gluten by changing its components and crosslinking degree. • Protein oxidation weakened the interaction between gluten molecules. • Protein oxidation changed the distribution of molecular weight of gluten. • Protein oxidation hindered the aggregation behavior of gluten and the formation of network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile approach was developed to simultaneously functionalize and reduce graphene oxide (GO) with 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO)-phosphonamidate. To achieve stable dispersion and effective stress transfer, graphene was functionalized by polyethyleneimine (PEI). To improve the fire resistance of bare graphene, DOPO was grafted on the surface of PEI-reduced graphene oxide (PEI-rGO) to obtain the grafting of DOPO-phosphonamidate on the graphene. A morphological study indicated that, due to the good interfacial interaction between the functionalized graphene and epoxy (EP), functionalized reduced graphene oxide (f-rGO) was well-dispersed in the host polymer. Incorporation of 3.0 wt% f-rGO led to the increased char yields of the EP. Moreover, the storage modulus and glass transition temperature were improved, respectively. The evaluation of combustion behavior demonstrated that the peak heat release rate and total heat release of f-rGO/EP were reduced by 31% and 34.3%, respectively, compared to those of neat EP. This dramatically reduced fire hazards were mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of f-RGO. On one hand, DOPO-phosphonamidate on the surface of GO promoted flame inhibition in the gas phase while protecting the rGO against fire. On the other hand, the adsorption and barrier effect of rGO inhibited the heat and gas release, respectively, promoting the formation of graphitized carbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feruloyl esterases (FAEs) are key enzymes involved in the complete biodegradation of lignocelluloses, which could hydrolyze the ester bonds between hemicellulose and lignin. The coding sequence of a feruloyl esterase A ( At FaeA) was cloned from Aspergillus terreus and the recombinant At FaeA was constitutively expressed in Pichia pastoris . The SDS–PAGE analysis of purified At FaeA showed two protein bands owing to the different extent of glycosylation, and the recombinant At FaeA had an optimum temperature of 50 °C and an optimum pH of 5.0. The substrate utilization and primary sequence identity of At FaeA demonstrated that it is a type-A feruloyl esterase. The hydrolysis of corn stalk and corncob by xylanase from Aspergillus niger could be significantly improved in concert with recombinant Af FaeA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility of form II of anticoagulant drug rivaroxaban in a series of organic solvents was firstly reported by Zhai and coworkers [J. Chem. Thermodynamics 104 (2017) 218–229]. The three activity coefficient models (Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC equations) with the correlation between model parameters and temperature were employed to model the studied solid–liquid equilibrium. According to DSC thermograms, rivaroxaban form II has a phase transition between the experimental temperature and the melting point. The authors of published paper must take into consideration that the effect of phase transformation when calculating the activity coefficient of rivaroxaban form II. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to compare the relative applicability of these models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Modal parameter identification is achieved during milling process. • Harmonic components are fitted by a revised least-squares method. • Identified structural frequency by OMA increases slightly. • Identified damping ratio shows a large promotion. The workpiece dynamics are an important factor in the planning of machining strategy. Usually, the structural dynamic parameters of workpiece are obtained by experimental modal analysis (EMA). However, the dynamics of thin-walled workpiece are varying due to material removal and tool-workpiece coupling. Operational modal analysis (OMA) provides a route to estimate the structural dynamic parameters during operation, but the input excitation of milling system is mainly periodic milling force, which violates the premise of OMA. In this paper, an output-only modal identification method for the dynamic parameters of thin-walled workpiece is proposed. The milling force is analyzed and the analysis results show the milling force contains white noise for OMA. However, strong harmonic components in milling force seriously interfere the identification of dynamic parameters. To remove the harmonic components in response signal, a revised least-squares (LS) method is proposed to fit harmonics with multiple fundamental frequencies. After the harmonic removal, OMA is conducted in frequency domain using the poly-reference least squares complex frequency (p-LSCF) method based on positive power spectral density (PSD). To verify the feasibility of the proposed method, the simulation case is conducted by exciting a 3-degree of freedom structure using measured milling force signal, and the results show a good agreement with the theoretical values both in frequencies and damping ratios. Furthermore, a series of milling tests under different cutting parameters are conducted on a thin-walled workpiece, where thin-film sensors are adopted to measure the structural response. The results show the method can be successfully applied to extract the workpiece dynamic parameters. Compared with results of EMA, the structural frequencies increase slightly, while the damping ratios show a large promotion due to the process damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal contamination poses a threat to agriculture, food production and human health, and a safe and effective method to limit fungal contamination is still needed. In this study, the inhibitory potency of heptanal, a natural volatile chemical, against Aspergillus flavus growth was evaluated, and its mechanism of action was explored. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of heptanal vapor fumigation and liquid contact culture were 0.085 and 0.8 μL/mL, respectively. A total of 79 significant differentially abundant metabolites, including 37 upregulated and 42 downregulated ones, were identified in A. flavus mycelia after exposure to 0.8 μL/mL heptanal for 6 h. Metabolomics analysis revealed that heptanal had destructive effects on plasma integrity and mitochondrial function in mycelia. Biochemical analysis confirmed that heptanal caused intracellular substance leakage and resulted in reduced intracellular ATP content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and lower mitochondrial dehydrogenase and ATPase activities. Evaluation of the control efficacy of heptanal fumigation on wheat grain under simulated storage conditions revealed that 225.0 μL/L heptanal vapor could inhibit A. flavus growth under 19% moisture. These results provide insights into the antifungal mechanism of heptanal against A. flavus growth as a promising bio-preservative. • The antifungal potency of heptanal against Aspergillus flavus was studied. • The antifungal mechanism of heptanal against A. flavus was revealed by metabolomics analysis. • Heptanal had a destructive impact on plasma membrane and mitochondrial function in A. flavus mycelia. • Heptanal showed high controlling efficacy of A. flavus growth in stored wheat grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus flavus contamination is of great concern to food safety. Our previous studies demonstrated that recombinant Puroindoline B protein (rPINB) has an inhibitory effect on A. flavus mycelium development. However, fungal contamination often begins with spore germination within food shelf life. Here, rPINB was evaluated for its antifungal properties against A. flavus spores in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that rPINB could inhibit spore formation and aflatoxin B1 of A. flavus on maize. In vitro analysis revealed its dose-dependent antifungal effect on spore germination and germ tube growth of A. flavus. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that rPINB exposure altered spore morphology, indicating it damaged the cell wall. Transmission electron microscopy and the inhibition of ergosterol synthesis further revealed that rPINB exposure significantly damaged the cell membrane. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, and DNA fragments were scattered in the cytoplasm as detected using 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. The direct antifungal activity of rPINB observed both in vivo and in vitro suggests that rPINB may be used to prevent fungal contamination of stored foods and agricultural products in the future. • rPINB can inhibit A. flavus spore formation and aflatoxin B production on maize. • The antifungal effect of rPINB on A. flavus is dose-dependent. • rPINB exposure affected the integrity of A. flavus cell wall and cell membrane. • rPINB may inhibit A. flavus development by destroying its cell wall and cell membrane structures. • rPINB may prevent fungal contamination of food and agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a polyphagous crop pest distributed worldwide and frequent exposure to many different defensive secondary metabolites in its host plants. To counteract these defensive plant secondary metabolites, B. tabaci elevate their production of detoxification enzymes, including cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Besides their tolerance to phytotoxin, B. tabaci have quickly developed resistance to various insecticides in the field. However, the relationship between host plant secondary metabolites and insecticide resistance in B. tabaci is not fully understood. In this study, the influence of plant flavonoid ingestion on B. tabaci tolerance to thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone insecticides and its possible mechanism were examined. Eight plant flavonoids were screened to evaluate their effects on B. tabaci adult sensitivity to thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone. Of which rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin and catechin significantly reduced adult sensitivity to thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone. Application of cytochrome P450 inhibitor piperonyl butoxide significantly increased the mortality of B. tabaci adults treated with thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone. Moreover, flavonoid ingestion predominantly enhanced the activity of cytochrome P450 enzyme in B. tabaci adults. Meanwhile, the expression level of three cytochrome P450 genes, CYP6CM1 , CYP6CX4 and CYP4C64 were induced by the flavonoids in B. tabaci adults. In conclusion, plant flavonoids enhanced the tolerance to thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone in B. tabaci and cytochrome P450s may contribute the flavonoid adaptation. The reduced sensitivity of thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone in flavonoid-fed B. tabaci adults suggested that previous exposure to the host plant-derived flavonoids is likely to compromise the efficacy of insecticides. Unlabelled Image • Plant flavonoids reduced B. tabaci sensitivity to thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone. • Piperonyl butoxide increased flavonoid-fed B. tabaci sensitivity to thiamethoxam and flupyradifurone. • Plant flavonoids predominantly enhanced the activity of P450 enzyme in B. tabaci. • Plant flavonoids induced the expression level of three cytochrome P450 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrombotic events act as a critical factor that interferes with Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), and antithrombotic herbal medicine is a long-standing controversial issue. Although a dispute is involved in their clinical application, all parties unanimously agree that herbal products have been widely used in folk medicine, and their interactions with conventional drugs are of high concern. This study aims to investigate how antithrombotic herbal medicines interact with Western cardiovascular drugs on the molecular level by taking an example of the most frequently used herbal pair, Danshen−Chuanxiong (DS−CX), and to discover more scientific evidence on their potential herb−drug interactions. Network pharmacology (NP), as an analytical approach of a complex system, is used to visualize and compare target profiles of DS−CX and Western cardiovascular drugs, which can be applied to predict common herb-drug targets and to construct a solid context for discussing herb−drug interactions. These interactions are further validated by in vitro assays, while in vivo zebrafish model employed for evaluating an overall pharmacological efficacy of herbal pairs in specific combination ratios. The study finds that DS could react directly to the Western cardiovascular drug targets relevant to antithrombotic pathways (i.e. , thrombin, coagulation factor Xa and cyclooxygenase-1), whereas CX could not react directly and can synergistically affect antithrombotic effects with DS in specific combination ratios. Moreover, it is indicated that DS−CX may generate wide biological functions by a complicated mechanism of "neuro−immune−metabolism/endocrine" (NIM), which can further cause multiple direct and indirect interactions with Western cardiovascular drugs. From the clinical perspective, herb−drug interactions should be given high attention, especially when multiple herbs are used simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ecofriendly flame retardant was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of h-BN@ZnFe 2 O 4 were characterized. PVA nanocomposites were prepared by adding h-BN@ZnFe 2 O 4 as filler into PVA. The effect of h-BN@ZnFe 2 O 4 on the flame retardant properties of PVA composites was studied and the flame retardant mechanism was also analyzed. The results showed that the peak heat release rate of PVA nanocomposites was slightly lower than that of pure PVA and the amount of CO, CO 2 , and hydrocarbons produced by the pyrolysis of PVA nanocomposites is less than that of pure PVA. The main reasons for this are the physical barrier effect of h-BN and catalytic carbonization effect of zinc ferrate. An ecofriendly flame retardant was synthesized by hydrothermal method, which is conducive to the formation of dense carbon layer during the process of PVA thermal degradation. The char layer acted as a physical barrier, inhibiting the exchange of heat between the fire and the matrix, isolating O 2 , preventing the permeation of volatile production to the fire zone, and thereby retarding the further degradation of PVA. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]