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Macrophage is a kind of immune cell which is closely related to atherosclerosis (As). With the change of internal environment, macrophage can polarize into different phenotype. Under the physiological environment, the polarization of macrophages is in dynamic balance. In the As state, the polarization balance is destroyed and the corresponding phenotypic macrophages are differentiated, which play different roles in each stage of As. The debate between Zheng and Xie exists in the whole process of As formation and development, while macrophage polarization runs through the whole stage of As syndrome differentiation and change. On account of this, this paper discusses the relationship between macrophage polarization and As based on the theory of Zheng and Xie, and propose that attention should be paid to the combination of macro and micro in the clinical prevention and treatment of As, and it can control the inflammatory response and stabilize plaque by regulating the macrophage polarization, thus providing an emerging target for the treatment of As with traditional Chinese medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean residue has caused pollution to the environment due to high output. Herein, in order to reutilization soybean residue, a novel soybean hulls residue based hierarchically porous carbon was prepared by one‐step carbonization‐activation, and its structure and micromorphology were characterized by SEM, FT‐IR, Raman, TEM, BET and XPS. Based on results of characterization, which illustrated typical hierarchically pore structure with pore sizes are 1000 nm, 300 nm and 1.4 nm. The specific surface area and total pore volume were corresponded to 1455.41 m2/g and 0.731 cm3/g, respectively. And the pore‐forming mechanism was discussed in raw materials is a pyrolysis process. Furthermore, it was found that adsorption capacity of dye could got to 625 mg/g in 30 min when the adsorbent was 0.05 g. In summary, the soybean hulls residue based hierarchically pore material with large surface area and rich in pore structure, which will exhibit excellent performance towards wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking maize seedlings as the object, the implementation of crops 3D reconstruction based on RGB-D binocular vision and the selection of some key parameters are investigated in this research. First, multiple images are taken from different angles around the target. By mapping the maize seedling region coordinate values after the Otsu algorithm and global threshold segmentation to the corresponding depth image, the depth data of the maize seedling region can be obtained accurately. An improved mean filter is proposed to adaptively fill the holes in the depth image. Then, the different point clouds with the fixed step angle of the maize seedling are registered and fuzed. Finally, after the fusion point cloud is simplified, the 3D model of crops can be reconstructed. Experimental results show that the simplification effect of the octree algorithm is better than that of the voxel grid filter. Among all the step angles, the reconstruction error of the step angle with 60° is the smallest. Under this condition, the height error between the model and the maize seedling is 2.22%, and the error in stem diameter is 11.67%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low humidity detection has been a great challenge in the field of humidity sensing. In recent years, polyelectrolytes have been proven to be promising materials for highly sensitive humidity sensors. In this work, cross-linked poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) were prepared for low humidity detection. The strong hydrophilicity of PILs contributes to humidity sensing while the cross-linked structure guarantees the stability of the sensing film. The optimized sensor shows high response (48.0) in 5–35% RH, with short response/recovery time (1 s/10 s) and a small humidity hysteresis (0.2% RH). The possible sensing mechanism of the sensors was discussed. • Cross-linked poly(ionic liquid)s were used as low humidity sensitive materials. • The optimized sensor shows high response in 5–35% RH. • The optimized sensor has short recovery time and small humidity hysteresis. • The introduction of glycerol could reduce the impedance of the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Au-loaded mesoporous silica/gelatin hydrogel was used the excellent humidity sensing film. • The prepared sensor could detect NH 3 by utilizing the outstanding ability to adsorb water molecules. • An egg storage scenario was simulated, and the water loss in eggs was monitored by the humidity sensor. • The sensing mechanism and contribution of each component in the sensing process were analyzed. In this paper, a composite hydrogel film (Au/Me-SiO 2 /G) based on Au nanoparticles, mesoporous silica and gelatin was prepared, which can be used for low relative humidity (RH) detection. Au-1%/Me-SiO 2 /G exhibits a response of 423% in the range of 0.4–30% RH, a short response time of 28 s, a linearity of R2 = 0.997, and good long-term stability. With the outstanding ability to adsorb water molecules, the sensor can detect NH 3 at room temperature and low humidity environment. The response of the sensor to NH 3 significantly increases with the humidity. At 30% RH, the initial impedance value of the sensor is as low as ∼6.6 MΩ, and the response to 50 ppm NH 3 is 78%. In addition, an egg storage scenario was simulated, and the water loss in eggs was monitored simultaneously by the prepared humidity sensor and a commercial sensor. The results demonstrate the practical application detection ability of the prepared humidity sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humidity is a physical quantity that evaluates the concentration of water vapor in the air. The detection of humidity has received extensive attention in various fields such as industry, agriculture, meteorology, and national defense. Among the many reported humidity detection methods, humidity sensors stand out due to their advantages of portability, easy fabrication, low cost, high sensitivity, and fast response. It is worth noting that the humidity detection limit is becoming more and more stringent in some special industries, and the dynamic range of humidity measurement can be extended from low relative humidity to ppm or ppb or even ppt level. However, the development of high-performance low humidity sensors still faces great challenges due to the very small amount of water molecules that the sensor can adsorb and the limitation of some harsh environments. So far, the literature on low humidity sensors is scarce, and there is no review on its research progress. In this case, a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the research progress of low humidity sensors is of great significance, and it may provide new insights to promote the development of low humidity sensors. Therefore, this paper reviewed the research progress of low humidity sensors for nearly three decades. Firstly, the necessity of low humidity detection, trace moisture generators and various low humidity measurement methods were introduced. Then, the research status of different types of low humidity sensors was highlighted, including capacitance, resistance, QCM, MCL, SAW, optical fiber, fluorescence and other types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humidity is a physical quantity that evaluates the concentration of water vapor in the air. The detection of humidity has received extensive attention in various fields such as industry, agriculture, meteorology, and national defense. Among the many reported humidity detection methods, humidity sensors stand out due to their advantages of portability, easy fabrication, low cost, high sensitivity, and fast response. It is worth noting that the humidity detection limit is becoming more and more stringent in some special industries, and the dynamic range of humidity measurement can be extended from low relative humidity to ppm or ppb or even ppt level. However, the development of high-performance low humidity sensors still faces great challenges due to the very small amount of water molecules that the sensor can adsorb and the limitation of some harsh environments. So far, the literature on low humidity sensors is scarce, and there is no review on its research progress. In this case, a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the research progress of low humidity sensors is of great significance, and it may provide new insights to promote the development of low humidity sensors. Therefore, this paper reviewed the research progress of low humidity sensors for nearly three decades. Firstly, the necessity of low humidity detection, trace moisture generators and various low humidity measurement methods were introduced. Then, the research status of different types of low humidity sensors was highlighted, including capacitance, resistance, QCM, MCL, SAW, optical fiber, fluorescence and other types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the main abiotic stresses adversely affecting maize growth and grain yield. Identifying drought tolerance‐related genes and breeding varieties with enhanced tolerance are effective strategies for minimizing the effects of drought stress. In this study, the leaf relative water content (LRWC) was used for evaluating drought tolerance. QTL‐seq analysis of 419 F2 individuals from a cross between ZhengT22 (the drought‐tolerant line with high LRWC) and ZhengA88 (the drought‐sensitive line with low LRWC) revealed four LRWC‐related QTLs (qLRWC2, qLRWC10a, qLRWC10b, and qLRWC10c) in maize seedlings under water deficit. Of these QTLs, qLRWC2 was located in a 2.03‐Mb interval on chromosome 2, whereas qLRWC10a, qLRWC10b, and qLRWC10c were located in 2.85‐, 3.99‐, and 2.05‐Mb intervals, respectively, on chromosome 10, and the 93 genes contained the variation loci locating in the four QTLs regions. To identify the candidate genes within the QTLs, an RNA‐seq analysis was performed for the parents exposed to water deficit. Seven genes with effective variation loci showed significant difference in expression either in ZhengA88 or ZhengT22 in response to water deficit. Moreover, among the genes, ZmPrx64, ZmCIPK, HSP90, and ABCG34 have all been shown to be related to water stress in the previous studies. Thus, they are primary considered as the potential candidate genes controlling LRWC under water deficit at the seeding stage of maize in this study. These findings will help clarify the molecular basis of drought tolerance in maize seedlings and may be relevant for future functional analysis and for breeding drought‐tolerant maize varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to mitigate hazard of harmful microbes, the development of innovative antibacterial agents and materials became increasingly imperative. In this work, using acrylic thiazole (AcT) as hydrophobic/antibacterial monomer, zwitterionic betaine sulfonate (SBMA) as hydrophilic/antifouling groups, benzyl methacrylate (BM) as comonomer, and N , N -methylenebisacrylamide (NMBA) as cross-linking monomer, a novel thiazole-zwitterionic copolymer nanospheres (TZPNs) containing iso-bifunctional groups was designed and successfully synthesized through one-pot emulsion copolymerization in the system of dispersing agent (polyvinyl alcohol: PVA). The obtained nanospheres (TZPNs) were characterized by FT-IR, XPS, SEM, and DLS. Its antibacterial performance against Gram-positive of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was systematically evaluated. It indicated TZPNs exhibits excellent antibacterial performance, and the inhibition rate was more than 99.9 % and the antibacterial mechanism with iso-bifunctional groups was also discussed. More importantly, its applications were extended to common materials, such as coatings, ink and dye. In summary, TZPNs was an excellent candidate for minimizing bacteria-infection in different functional materials and could be applied in different fields. [Display omitted] • A novel thiazole-zwitterionic copolymer nanosphere (TZPNs) was constructed by monomers with different functions. • TZPNs with iso-bifunctional groups could rapidly and effectively inhibit bacteria. • The inhibition rate was more than 99.9 % towards bacteria, and actual application. • The obtained TZPNs could be used as antibacterial agent in different fields including coating, dye and ink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels are promising materials for electronic skin due to their flexibility and modifiability. Reported hydrogel electronic skins can recognize stimulations and output signals, but the single output signal and the requirement of external power source limit their further applications. In this study, inspired by the neuron system, the self‐powered neuron system‐like hydrogels based on gelatin, water/glycerin and ionic liquid modified metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are prepared. The optimized hydrogel exhibits excellent adhesion (40 kPa), stretchability (0%–100%), water retention (>92% at 0% relative humidity (RH) atmosphere), ionic conductivity (>10−3 S m−1) and stability (>30 days). Besides, the neuron system‐like hydrogels are highly sensitive to pressure (0—10 N) and humidity (0%–75% RH) with dual‐modal output, without external power source. Finally, the optimized hydrogel ionic skin is applied in human motion detection, energy harvesting, and low humidity sensing. This study provides a preliminary exploration of self‐powered ionic skin for multi‐application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterosis, known as one of the most successful strategies for increasing grain yield and abiotic/biotic stress tolerance, has been widely exploited in maize breeding. However, the underlying molecular processes are still to be elucidated. The maize hybrid "Zhengdan538" shows high tolerance to drought stress. The transcriptomes of the seedling leaves of its parents, "ZhengA88" and "ZhengT22" and their reciprocal F1 hybrid under well‐watered and water deficit conditions, were analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq). Transcriptome profiling of the reciprocal hybrid revealed 2994–4692 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under well‐watered and water‐deficit conditions, which were identified by comparing with their parents. The reciprocal hybrid was more closely related to the parental line "ZhengT22" than to the parental line "ZhengA88" in terms of gene expression patterns under water‐deficit condition. Furthermore, genes showed expression level dominance (ELD), especially the high‐parental ELD (Class 3 and 5), accounted for the largest proportion of DEGs between the reciprocal F1 hybrid and their parental lines under water deficit. These ELD genes mainly participated in photosynthesis, energy biosynthesis, and metabolism processes. The results indicated that ELD genes played important roles in hybrid tolerance to water deficit. Moreover, a set of important drought‐responsive transcription factors were found to be encoded by the identified ELD genes and are thought to function in improving drought tolerance in maize hybrid plants. Our results provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of drought tolerance in hybrid maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This complex has a specific recognition for nitrofuran antibiotics, and is a fluorescent sensor with high sensitivity, high selectivity, recovery and good anti-interference ability. This work will expand the application of MOCs in chemical sensing and inspire other researchers to explore this direction. [Display omitted] • Improvement and research of complex. • The complex as a fluorescent sensor has the ability to specifically recognize nitrofuran antibiotics. • The complex has low detection limit and high sensitivity for nitrofuran antibiotics. • The complex as a fluorescent sensor has high selectivity, fast response, anti-interference ability, cycle ability and so on. The abuse of antibiotics is harmful to human body and environment, so the detection and identification of antibiotics in water has become a hot issue. In this experiment, cadmium metal-organic complexes (MOCs) with high selectivity, stability and low detection limit is used to detect nitrofuran antibiotics in aqueous solution. The detection limits of Furazolidone (FZD), Nitrofurazone (NFZ) are 0.066 μM and 0.051 μM, respectively. The sensing mechanism of Cd2+ complex is systematically analyzed and the results showed that the complex exhibited high sensitivity, strong stability and circulation ability to nitrofuran antibiotics because of energy competitive absorption and electron transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A water-stable metal–organic framework (MOF), [Tb(L) 2 NO 3 ] n (HL=3.5-bis(triazol-1-yl)benzoic acid), has been prepared under the solvothemal condition and characterized. The application of ratio fluorescence eliminates many interference factors. Tb-MOF is an ideal fluorescence material that can detect glyphosate with high selectivity, sensitivity and excellent recyclability. And the limit of detection of glyphosate is 0.0144 μM. This work provides a valuable platform for further detection and identification of the pesticide. [Display omitted] • 3D MOF was successfully synthesized and characterized. • The fluorescence intensity of the Tb-MOF is enhanced after adding glyphosate. • The application of 2D and 3D recognition system improves the accuracy of detection. • The ratio fluorescence eliminates various interference factors. • Tb-MOF has low detection limit for glyphosate (0.0144 μM) and excellent recyclability. Developing an excellent recognition detector to pesticides is important and challenging. Herein, a water-stable 3D metal–organic framework (MOF), namely [Tb(L) 2 NO 3 ] n (HL = 3.5-bis (triazol-1-yl) benzoic acid), has been prepared under the solvothemal condition and characterized by element analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermogravimetric analysis. Under 2D decoded map with ratio fluorescence, various pesticides are distinguished. Tb-MOF is an ideal fluorescence material that can detect glyphosate with high selectivity, sensitivity and excellent recyclability. And the limit of detection of glyphosate is 0.0144 μM in the range of 0–630 μM. This work provides a valuable platform for further detection and identification of the pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]