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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seriously affects patient's life. A systematic summary of the latest epidemic trend and pathogenesis of IBD is lacking. In addition, some health benefits of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were reported, whereas a comprehensive review of its mechanisms for alleviating IBD is limited. This review systematically revealed the epidemic trend and pathogenesis of IBD, and showed the potential regulatory mode of LAB on gut health, then critically exhibited the possible mechanisms of LAB in alleviating IBD based on animal and clinical studies. Moreover, it pointed out the challenges and opportunities of LAB for IBD. Higher incidences and death rates of IBD were found in developed countries. Environmental and genetic factors are important factors for the occurrence of IBD. LAB provided numerous advantages and had great potential for improving IBD as its ability to produce bioactive metabolites, regulate gut immunity, protect the intestinal mechanical barriers, inhibit oxidative damage, and restore unbalanced gut microbiota. Then, the manuscript advice to screen effective LAB by cell models and metabolites, to control the optimal intake of LAB through dose-effect studies, to encapsulate LAB through nanoencapsulation and microencapsulation to improve utilization, to promote the understanding of LAB by investigating the mechanism, and to improve the design of the clinical study to improve the lives of patients. This will contribute to understanding the epidemic trend, pathogenesis, and treatment of IBD, and promote the development of targeted therapeutic products such as LAB. • Higher incidences and death rates of IBD were found in developed countries. • The intestinal mucosal barrier is an important target for regulating IBD. • LAB have potential benefits to human health. • LAB alleviate IBD by improving the intestinal mucosal barrier. • LAB are helpful for adjuvant therapy of IBD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technologies enabling passive daytime radiative cooling and daylight harvesting are highly relevant for energy-efficient buildings. Despite recent progress demonstrated with passively cooling polymer coatings, however, it remains challenging to combine also a passive heat gain mechanism into a single substrate for all-round thermal management. Herein, we developed an optical wood (OW) with switchable transmittance of solar irradiation enabled by the hierarchically porous structure, ultralow absorption in solar spectrum and high infrared absorption of cellulose nanofibers. After delignification, the OW shows a high solar reflectance (94.9%) in the visible and high broadband emissivity (0.93) in the infrared region (2.5–25 μm). Owing to the exceptional mass transport of its aligned cellulose nanofibers, OW can quickly switch to a new highly transparent state following phenylethanol impregnation. The solar transmittance of optical wood (OW-II state) can reach 68.4% from 250 to 2500 nm. The switchable OW exhibits efficient radiative cooling to 4.5 °C below ambient temperature in summer (cooling power 81.4 W m−2), and daylight heating to 5.6 °C above the temperature of natural wood in winter (heating power 229.5 W m−2), suggesting its promising role as a low-cost and sustainable solution to all-season thermal management applications. • Combining phenylethanol and delignified wood was first achieved with switching between radiative cooling and solar heating. • The OW exhibits efficient radiative cooling to 4.5°C below ambient temperature in summer (cooling power = 81.4 W m−2).• • The OW exhibits daylight heating to 5.6 °C above the temperature of natural wood in winter (heating power = 229.5 W m−2). • Delignification and solvent impregnation are used to achieve cyclic thermal management properties. • The material we used — wood is obviously green, renewable and degradable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation aimed to examine the development mechanism of Cu–Ni–Sn compounds and analyze the mechanical properties of mixed solder (MS) joints. Results show that an intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was formed in an SAC305 solder joint prepared herein comprising (Ni, Cu) 3 Sn 4 and (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 phases following the reflow process. The morphology of the (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 grains was identified to be dodecahedral. Meanwhile, the IMC layer of the prepared MS joints contained only the (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 phase, which exhibited a hexagonal prism morphology. The lattice characteristics of Cu 6 Sn 5 changed after Ni dissolution, forming (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 crystals with an X-shaped morphology in the MS joints that exhibited a high Cu content during the aging process. After reflow, the MS joints exhibited slightly higher shear strength than the SAC305 solder joint. After aging at 165 °C for 1000 h, the shear strength of the SAC305 solder joint reduced by 21.72% compared to its value after reflow owing to the annexation of Sn grains. However, the number of Sn grains in the MS joints did not considerably decrease after aging. Further, the grain boundaries of β-Sn and (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 particles contributed to the strengthening of the MS joints. The shear strength of the MS joints decreased by 11.06%–18.35% after aging. • The growth mechanism of Cu–Ni–Sn compounds at Sn–Ag–Cu/Ni solder joints was studied. • The (Cu,Ni) 6 Sn 5 grain morphology of the IMC layer of SAC305 is dodecahedral. • The lattice parameters of Cu 6 Sn 5 changed after Ni dissolution. • X-shaped (Cu,Ni) 6 Sn 5 was formed inside mixed solder joints during aging. • (Cu,Ni) 6 Sn 5 and grain boundaries were strengthened the mixed solder joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal stability of Sn-0.7Cu-10B- x Ni/Co interface during reflows was studied. • Ni atoms are enriched in the SCB-0.15Ni/Co interface IMCs layer. • Ni occupy the sublattice sites of Co atoms in CoSn 3 to form stable (Ni,Co)Sn 3 phase. • The increase of Ni content can enhance the thermal stability of IMCs layer. In this paper, thermal stability of Sn-0.7Cu-10B- x Ni/Co (SCB- x Ni/Co, x = 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15, in wt.%) interface during multiple reflows was investigated. Both (Ni,Co)Sn 3 and (Cu,Ni) 6 Sn 5 phases were formed at the SCB- x Ni/Co interface after the initial reflow. With the increase of reflow number, the thermal stability of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) layer at high temperature was significantly different. The content of Ni atoms determined the thermal stability of IMCs layer in the interface reaction process. At the IMCs layer at the SCB-0.15Ni/Co interface, Ni atoms were enriched excessively, but they were present in a dispersive distribution at SCB-0.05Ni/Co and SCB-0.10Ni/Co interfaces. Ni atoms occupied sublattice sites of Co atoms in CoSn 3 phase, which could improve the high-temperature stability of IMCs layer, so the IMCs layer had the strongest thermal stability at the SCB-0.15Ni/Co interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The interface reaction on the Sn-0.7Cu-10Bi-0.15Co/Co couple was studied. • The Co diffusion was inhibited and Co concentration reduced on the interface. • The dynamic equilibrium of IMCs growth and dissolution is broken. • Driven by adsorption force, the IMCs particles reassemble and grow. The interface reaction between the Sn-0.7Cu-10Bi-0.15Co and Co substrate during multiple reflow cycles and the growth and evolution rhythm of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were investigated. The results showed that as the reflow cycles increased in number, different growth morphologies and evolution rules of the IMCs layer including its primary growth, dissolution and secondary growth appeared. In the primary stage of multiple reflows, Co could be continuously diffused from the Co substrate to the IMCs/solder interface to provide enough Co for the growth of IMCs layer. As the IMCs layer became thick, the diffusion of Co to the interface was inhibited, and the dynamic equilibrium of IMCs growth was broken. When the growth rate was higher than the dissolution rate, the IMCs layer grew as a whole and whereas the IMCs were dissolved. And under the action of adsorption force, the dissolved IMCs particles re-aggregated and grew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ultraviolet irradiation in vacuum technique enhancing flashover voltage of SIR. • Illustrate the influence of UVIV on the chain structure of SIR. • Establish a relation between crosslinking of SIR and surface trap parameters. • Explain the effects of surface traps on surface charging and flashover. • Clarify the UVIV improved flashover mechanisms from microscopic to macroscopic. In surface science, surface flashover, which poses a severe danger to the safe operation of modern silicone rubber (SIR)-based electrical equipment, is a continuous discharge event that happens when an intense electric field is produced along the gas-solid interface. To improve the flashover performance, the ultraviolet irradiation in vacuum (UVIV) technique is proposed to modify the SIR surface and the DC flashover threshold increases approximately 14.8 % after 6 h UVIV treatment. Then, the influence mechanisms of UVIV are investigated from microscopic molecule modification to macroscopic flashover performance: The UVIV generates high-energy photons to break C H and Si C bonds in SIR chains, and atoms, group, side chains, and free radicals in chains recombine through the thermally dynamic, causing SIR chains to crosslink. The crosslink chain structure enhances the deep trap energy around the Si O Si bond and introduces large amounts of deep traps. The increment in surface deep trap energy and density captures electrons. It establishes a high electrostatic near the cathode barrier that impedes subsequent electron injection, causing surface charge density decreases far away from the cathode. The reduced surface charges restrict the collision ionization in gas, finally increasing the DC surface flashover voltage through UVIV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Lactobacillus plantarum- fermentation on the anti-diabetic functionality of Momordica charantia was examined using a high-fat-diet and low-dose streptozocin-induced type 2 diabetic rat model. Fermented Momordica charantia juice (FMCJ) administration mitigated the hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and oxidative stress in diabetic rats more favorably than the non-fermented counterpart. Treatments with FMCJ improved ergosterols and lysomonomethyl-phosphatidylethanolamines metabolisms more effectively. Supplement of FMCJ regulated the composition of the gut microbiota, such as increased the abundance of Bacteroides caecigallinarum , Oscillibacter ruminantium, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Prevotella loescheii , Prevotella oralis , and Prevotella melaninogenica , in diabetic rats compared with untreated diabetic rats. Moreover, FMCJ-treated diabetic rats exhibited higher concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, total short-chain fatty acids and lower pH values in colonic contents than that in non-fermented juice-treated rats. These results demonstrated that Lactobacillus plantarum -fermentation enhanced the anti-diabetic property of MC juice by favoring the regulation of gut microbiota and the production of SCFAs. Unlabelled Image • Fermentation improved serum glucose, insulin, and lipids in MCJ-treated diabetes. • Fermentation enhanced the regulatory effect of MCJ on lipid metabolism in diabetes. • Fermentation regulated the composition of gut microbiota in MCJ-treated diabetes. • Fermentation elevated colonic SCFAs contents in MCJ-treated diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Fermentation affected the monosaccharide composition, Mw, and viscosity of MCP. • Fermentation improved serum glucose, insulin, and lipids in MCP-treated diabetes. • Fermentation enhanced the regulatory effect of MCP on oxidative stress in diabetes. • Fermentation improved the composition of gut microbiota in MCP-treated diabetes. • Fermentation increased colonic SCFAs in MCP-treated diabetic rats. Abstract The influence of Lactobacillus plantarum -fermentation on the structure and anti-diabetic effects of Momordica charantia polysaccharides were evaluated. High-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats were administrated with polysaccharides from fermented and non-fermented Momordica charantia (FP and NFP) for 4 weeks. Fermentation affected the physicochemical characterization, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and viscosity of Momordica charantia polysaccharides. Treatment with FP significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and oxidative stress in diabetic rats compared with NFP. Moreover, the diversity and abundance of gut microbiota (Lactococcus laudensis and Prevotella loescheii) in diabetic rats were notably increased by treatment with FP in comparison to NFP. Meanwhile, FP-treated diabetic rats exhibited more colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and lower pH values than that in NFP-treated rats. Overall, Lactobacillus plantarum- fermentation could enhance the anti-diabetes effects of Momordica charantia polysaccharides in rats by modifying the structure of polysaccharides to optimize gut microbiota and heighten the production of SCFAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the renormalized t - J model and self-consistent mean field theory, the doping and energy dependence of optical conductivity and effective electron number in cuprate superconductors are discussed. As the result of the presence of the pseudogap in normal state, the optical conductivity exhibits two main components from underdoping to overdoping, a narrow band peaked around zero energy and a broadband centered in the mid-infrared region which deviates the Drude formula. With increasing the doping concentration, the spectral weight of the optical conductivity suppressed strongly in underdoped region increases quickly, and the peak position of the mid-infrared band moves towards to the lower energy region, then incorporates into the narrow band centered in zero energy in the heavily overdoped region. By virtue of the integral, the effective electron number is obtained, and it increases monotonically from zero energy to mid-infrared characteristic energy with increasing energy, then shows a plateau feature when the energy is larger. In particular, the mid-infrared characteristic energy scales with the pseudogap, reflecting the presence of the mid-infrared band is the result of the pseudogap effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to exert various potential physiological properties including anti-carcinogenic, anti-obesity, anti-cardiovascular and anti-diabetic activities, and consequently has been considered as a promising food supplement. Bacterial biosynthesis of CLA is an attractive approach for commercial production due to its high isomer-selectivity and convenient purification process. Many bacterial species have been reported to convert free linoleic acid (LA) to CLA, hitherto only the precise CLA-producing mechanisms in Propionibacterium acnes and Lactobacillus plantarum have been illustrated completely, prompting the development of recombinant technology used in CLA production. The purpose of the article is to review the bacterial CLA producers as well as the recent progress on describing the mechanism of microbial CLA-production. Furthermore, the advances and potential in the heterologous expression of CLA genetic determinants will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy nanocomposites with excellent mechanical, thermal and dielectric properties have potential applications in electrical and power electronic devices. However, due to the complex structure of the interfacial region in nanocomposites, molecular dynamic characteristics and how they relate to macro-dielectric performances still needs to be investigated. In this study, several kinds of epoxy nanocomposites were prepared. Segmental dynamics and charge migration parameters are characterised by a dielectric spectroscopy using the Havriliak–Negami equation. The DC breakdown strength of EP/TiO 2 nanocomposites was tested for temperature values between 403 and 433 K, and the influence of segmental dynamic characteristics on DC breakdown was discussed. The results indicate that EP/TiO 2 nanocomposites with optimised filler content (0.5 wt%) have lower values of dielectric relaxation strength, characteristic relaxation time and thermal expansion coefficients than other samples and that segment dynamics and charge transport processes are suppressed by nanoparticle incorporation. The DC breakdown strength of EP/TiO 2 nanocomposites with filler content initially increases and then decreases at a certain temperature, while it significantly decreases with temperature. Correlation analysis indicates that DC breakdown above the glass transition temperature is dominated by segmental dynamics rather than carrier transport. Owing to the tight bond between the nanoparticle and the epoxy matrix, segmental dynamics are impeded when the proper contents of nanoparticles is incorporated, resulting in a decrease in the free-volume fraction and an increase in DC breakdown strength. However, when the temperature rises, the free volume in the intersection of segments expands due to thermal stimulation and free electrons gain sufficient energy in the free length to trigger DC breakdown, hence DC breakdown strength decreases with temperature. [Display omitted] • Characterize the segmental dynamics of EP/TiO 2 nanocomposites. • Improve DC breakdown strength by incorporating 0.5 wt% TiO 2 nanoparticles. • Establish a relationship among breakdown strength, free volume, and chain dynamics. • Discover DC breakdown strength of EP/TiO 2 above T g is governed by segmental dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the effects of minerals inside char particles and bed materials, the process and mechanism of char combustion in a fluidized bed were studied using a Micro Fluidized Bed Reactor Analyzer. A demineralization procedure using HCl and HF was employed to remove the minerals from pyrolyzed char samples. Raman spectroscopy was used to study the carbon structure of the remaining solid char after demineralization at 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C. From the regular changes in band area ratio and full width at half maximum, it can be concluded that as pyrolysis temperature increases, the carbon structure becomes highly ordered, the plane lattice size gradually increases, and the reaction activity decreases from 0.245 s−1 to 0.138 s−1.Furthermore, minerals both within the char particle and in the external bed had marked catalytic activity on char combustion, and their combined catalysis was most notable. CaO and Fe 2 O 3 were the dominant active minerals components contributing to catalytic combustion of char in this study. The catalytic action of CaO was stronger than that of Fe 2 O 3. The activation energy of char combustion ranged from 57.70 kJ/mol to 91.53 kJ/mol, and it significantly decreased in the presence of the bed materials. • The contribution of the minerals in the char and the external material bed to the combustion of the char was studied. • The catalysis of oil shale ash in the external material bed is sometimes greater than the pyrolysis temperature. • CaO and Fe 2 O 3 have obvious catalytic activity. • CaO shows catalytic activity at both low and high temperature, whereas Fe 2 O 3 had strong activity only at low temperature. • The change of ordered carbon structure has a negative effect on the reaction rate of char combustion. • The catalytic mechanism of combustion is concluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is widespread in the environment and has been frequently isolated from food processing environments. This human pathogen can form a biofilm on food processing equipment or surface, which is difficult to eliminate by general cleaning and sanitizing procedures. In addition, improper sanitation control may allow bacteria to development resistance to disinfectants. This study investigated the possibility of L. monocytogenes to develop resistance to chlorine-containing disinfectants. Nine strains of L. monocytogenes with a variety of serotypes were used to study the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chloramine-T and sodium hypochlorite. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for all 9 strains of L. monocytogenes was determined to be 256 ppm for chloramine-T and 512 ppm for sodium hypochlorite. All the strains were exposed to sublethal concentrations of chloramine-T and sodium hypochlorite by growing each strain in tryptic soy broth (TSB) containing chloramine-T or sodium hypochlorite at 37 °C for 20 h. The process included 10 cycles of growth in TSB containing chloramine-T or sodium hypochlorite at the concentration of 1/2 MIC followed by 10 cycles at 2/3 MIC and then 20 cycles at 3/4 MIC. Four of the 9 strains exhibited resistance to both disinfectants after repeated exposure to each disinfect at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy examinations of the 4 chlorine-adapted strains revealed morphological changes of cells from short rod to coccoid and loss roughness on cells surface. In addition, higher activities (p < 0.05) of catalase and superoxide dismutase were observed in the chlorine-adapted strains than in their parent strains. This study found that certain strains of L. monocytogenes can become chlorine-adapted after repeated exposure to chlorine-containing disinfectants at sublethal levels. Effective sanitation control is critical to avoid the opportunity for L. monocytogenes to develop resistance to disinfectants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gamma-ray bursts are most luminous explosions in the universe. Their ejecta are believed to move towards Earth with a relativistic speed. The interaction between this “relativistic jet” and a circumburst medium drives a pair of (forward and reverse) shocks. The electrons accelerated in these shocks radiate synchrotron emission to power the broad-band afterglow of GRBs. The external shock theory is an elegant theory, since it invokes a limit number of model parameters, and has well predicted spectral and temporal properties. On the other hand, depending on many factors (e.g. the energy content, ambient density profile, collimation of the ejecta, forward vs. reverse shock dynamics, and synchrotron spectral regimes), there is a wide variety of the models. These models have distinct predictions on the afterglow decaying indices, the spectral indices, and the relations between them (the so-called “closure relations”), which have been widely used to interpret the rich multi-wavelength afterglow observations. This review article provides a complete reference of all the analytical synchrotron external shock afterglow models by deriving the temporal and spectral indices of all the models in all spectral regimes, including some regimes that have not been published before. The review article is designated to serve as a useful tool for afterglow observers to quickly identify relevant models to interpret their data. The limitations of the analytical models are reviewed, with a list of situations summarized when numerical treatments are needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Fano and Kondo cooperated resonant tunneling through a quantum dot interferometer under the perturbation of a rotating magnetic field is investigated theoretically. The spin-polarized current components have been derived generally by employing the Keldysh nonequilibrium Greenʼs function method, through which the charge and spin currents are determined directly. The numerical calculations on spin and charge currents are performed to show the compound features of mesoscopic transport associated with the Kondo, Fano, and Zeeman effects intimately. The induced spin current in the Kondo regime is much different from the one in the non-interacting regime. The spin current is tuned from resonant peak to valley by varying external parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The commensurate photon-irradiated mesoscopic transport in a strongly correlated quantum dot (QD) embedded Aharonov–Bohm (AB) interferometer has been investigated. We focus our investigation on the dynamic Kondo and Fano cooperated effect affected by the double commensurate MWFs with being an arbitrary integer, where and are the two frequencies of the fields. The general tunneling current formula is derived by employing the nonequilibrium Green''s function technique, and the different photon absorption and emission processes induced nonlinear properties have been studied to compare with the single-field system where . Our numerical calculations are performed for the special cases with two commensurate fields possessing . The Kondo peak can be suppressed to be a Kondo valley for the case where the commensurate number , and the Fano asymmetric structure exhibits in the differential conductance quite evidently. Different commensurate number q contributes different photon absorption and emission effects. However, the conductance for the case of possesses more peaks and heavier asymmetric structure than the situations of . The enhancement of satellite peaks behaves quite differently for the two cases with , and . The asymmetric peak–valley structure is adjusted by the gate voltage, commensurate MWFs, AB flux, source-drain bias, and non-resonant tunneling strength to form novel Fano and Kondo resonant tunneling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To improve the security, robustness and imperceptibility of watermark scheme, a novel watermark scheme is devised by fusing multiple techniques, including DWT-SVD, Speed-Up Robust Feature (SURF), Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm and improved Artificial Bee Colony algorithm named as IABC. To solve the false positive problem in various SVD-based watermark schemes, DWT is employed on the host image and then block wise singular components (maximum) are used for watermark's principal component insertion. On the one hand, IABC algorithm is applied to optimize the scaling factors to balance invisibility and robustness and on the other hand to improve the convergence speed. Moreover, SURF and RANSAC algorithm are used to correct probable geometrical distortion to maintain watermark synchronization. Experimental outcomes demonstrated that compared with the related existing schemes, this scheme exhibits an overall superior performance in the aspects of security, imperceptibility and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have investigated the mesoscopic transport properties of a quantum dot embedded Aharonov–Bohm (AB) interferometer applied with a rotating magnetic field. The spin-flip effect is induced by the rotating magnetic field, and the tunneling current is sensitive to the spin-flip effect. The spin-flipped electrons tunneling from the direct channel and the resonant channel interfere with each other to form spin-polarized tunneling current components. The non-resonant tunneling (direct transmission) strength and the AB phase φ play important roles. When the non-resonant tunneling (background transmission) exists, the spin and charge currents form asymmetric peaks and valleys, which exhibit Fano-type line shapes by varying the source-drain bias voltage, or gate voltage. The AB oscillations of the spin and charge currents exhibit distinct dependence on the magnetic flux and direct tunneling strength. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP): carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) allows bacteria to use various carbohydrates as energy resources including mannitol. The mannitol-specific PTS transporter in Vibrio cholerae is encoded by the mtlADR operon. Expression of the mtl operon has been shown to be strictly regulated by CRP, MtlS, and MtlR. In the present study, we investigated the regulation of mtlADR by the ferric uptake regulator (Fur). The results showed that Fur binds to the promoter-proximal DNA region of mtlADR to repress its transcription independent of iron, in mannitol-containing growth medium. The capacity for mannitol fermentation was significantly increased in Δ fur relative to that of WT for normal and iron-replete growth media. The level of organic acids produced by Δ fur was significantly enhanced relative to that produced by the WT strain in the normal and iron-replete media but not in an iron-starved medium. The results provided for a deeper understanding of the regulation of mtlADR in V. cholerae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most lethal malignancies and is known for its high resistance and low response to treatment. Cancer treatments can reshape the microbiota and in turn, the microbiota influences the therapeutic efficacy by regulating immune response and metabolism. This crosstalk is bidirectional, heterogeneous, and dynamic. In this review, we elaborated on the interactions between the microbiota and therapeutic resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Regulating the microbiota in pancreatic tumor microenvironment may not only generate direct anti-cancer but also synergistic effects with other treatments, providing new directions in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical hydrogen compressors (EHC) are favored for their quiet operation, efficiency, and low energy consumption in hydrogen purification and compression. A key challenge in EHC development is developing high-performance proton exchange membranes (PEMs) that manages water effectively. Herein, we've crafted a series of comb-shaped N-alkylation sulfonated poly(oxindole biphenylene) (SPOBP-C n -x) (n = 0, 6, 10, 16) PEMs with varying side chain lengths. These PEMs feature distinct designs with sulfonic acid groups and hydrophobic chains attached to different locations of the indigo groups, which not only enhance ion conductivity by inducing the formation of microphase separated morphology but also retain their water absorption behaviors. The SPOBP-C 10 -10 membrane displayed the highest proton conductivity of 209.7 mS/cm (60 °C) and retain water uptake of 148.8 wt%. All the membranes exhibited low hydrogen back-diffusion permeability. Moreover, SPOBP-C n -10 membranes outperformed Nafion 112 in EHC cells, with SPOBP-C 10 -10 exhibiting a notably low 0.1 V operating voltage at 1 A/cm2 (RH = 100%). EHC device durability tests for SPOBP-C 10 -10 at 200 mA/cm2 and 60 °C demonstrated a stability for over 440 h with very slight variations in voltage. These results indicate that the comb-shaped structure with alkyl side chains and sulfonic acid groups adjacent to the backbone is an effective strategy for achieving satisfactory high conductivity, water uptake and energy efficiency of PEMs for use in EHC. [Display omitted] • A series of ether-free backbone comb-shaped SPOBP-C n -x were designed and synthesized. • Comb-shaped SPOBP-C 10 -10 membrane exhibited an optimized proton conductivity of 209.7 mS/cm at 60 °C. • EHC initial performance of SPOBP-C 10 -10 achieved an operating voltage of 0.1 V at 1 A/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal protection materials with excellent thermal insulation properties and high reliability are crucial for aerospace vehicle. Mullite fiber insulation tiles coated with MoSi 2 -borosilicate glass (MFIT@MoSi 2) were prepared by a simple slurry method. Results shown that the surface temperature rapidly reached 1043.1 °C under the heat flux of 450 kW/m2, while the cold-surface remained at room temperature. The adjusting effects of MoSi 2 -based coating on the thermal response and transfer properties of MFIT were investigated systematically. Compared with MFIT, the surface and internal temperatures of MFIT@MoSi 2 were obviously suppressed, due to the existence of MoSi 2 -based coating with high emissivity, which effectively enhanced the thermal radiation of the surfaces. Finally, the structural reliability under coupled environment of heating (q 0 = 450 kW/m2) and random vibration with high magnitude (20–2000 Hz, Grms = 20 g) was also investigated. Destructive cracking and peeling of the coating were not observed, due to the excellent bonding strength between the coating and the substrate. The results provided an important basis for the potential application of insulation tiles with mullite fibers in aerospace vehicles and the design of lightweight thermal protection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multilayer graphene (MLG) and hollow MLG nanoparticles form during gaseous. • Amorphous carbon nanoparticles are the precursor of carbon nanomaterials prepared by detonation process. • The detonation wave increases the graphitization of detonation carbon materials. • Hollow MLG nanoparticles has the potential to convert to MLG. A detonation method is designed to synthesize multilayer graphene (MLG) and hollow MLG nanoparticles quickly is proposed. Experimentally, the detonation is formed by spark-ignition of acetylene with air in a closed cylindrical container. We observe the microstructural morphology of detonation products by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and these sphere nanoparticles and laminated structures were hollow MLG nanoparticles and MLG, respectively. Within the microstructure of products, these images showed typical graphene layers of MLG and hollow MLG nanoparticles are about eight. Raman spectroscopy analysis demonstrates that our experimental method enables to synthesize the graphene layers with the characterization of high graphitization and low disorder. It is helpful for the mechanism investigation of hollow MLG nanoparticles synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a complex relation.Objectives: We examined the associations between alcohol consumption, fasting plasma proteins, and CVD risk.Methods: We performed cross-sectional association analyses of alcohol consumption with 71 CVD-related plasma proteins, and also performed prospective association analyses of alcohol consumption and protein concentrations with 3 CVD risk factors (obesity, hypertension, and diabetes) in 6745 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants (mean age 49 y; 53% women).Results: A unit increase in log10 transformed alcohol consumption (g/d) was associated with an increased risk of hypertension (HR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.26; P = 0.007), and decreased risks of obesity (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.91; P = 4.6 × 10-4) and diabetes (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.80; P = 5.1 × 10-6) in a median of 13-y (interquartile = 7, 14) of follow-up. We identified 43 alcohol-associated proteins in a discovery sample (n = 4348, false discovery rate <0.05) and 20 of them were significant (P <0.05/43) in an independent validation sample (n = 2397). Eighteen of the 20 proteins were inversely associated with alcohol consumption. Four of the 20 proteins demonstrated 3-way associations, as expected, with alcohol consumption and CVD risk factors. For example, a greater concentration of APOA1 was associated with higher alcohol consumption (P = 1.2 × 10-65), and it was also associated with a lower risk of diabetes (P = 8.5 × 10-6). However, several others showed unexpected 3-way associations.Conclusions: We identified 20 alcohol-associated proteins in 6745 FHS samples. These alcohol-associated proteins demonstrated complex relations with the 3 CVD risk factors. Future studies with integration of more proteomic markers and larger sample size are warranted to unravel the complex relation between alcohol consumption and CVD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sn-0.7Cu-10Bi- x Co/Co (SCB- x Co/Co) interface reaction during soldering process, and the growth and evolution of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) after multiple reflow were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the IMCs layer was successively delaminated, dissolved and aggregated during multiple reflow, and the IMCs layer was thickened with increasing reflow cycles. The results further showed that the IMCs layers of SCB/Co and SCB-0.20Co/Co interfaces were 11.19 μm and 26.27 μm thick respectively after one reflow. The scallop-shape and flat-shape IMCs layers were generated on the SCB/Co and SCB-0.20Co/Co interfaces during initial reflow. The scallop-shape IMCs layer was transformed into the flat-shape one with increasing reflow cycles on the SCB/Co interface. Co in the solder played a role of purification, and it could decrease the concentration gradient of Co atom on the IMCs/solder interface to inhibit the Co-containing compounds growth. The IMCs were stratified due to reduction of Co concentration on the SCB/Co and SCB-0.20Co/Co interfaces after reflows, respectively. With the increase of reflow cycles, the decrease of Co concentration on the interface caused IMCs obviously to be dissolved into the liquid solder, and the free-state compounds particles were reassembled and grew up under the effect of the adsorption force. Unlabelled Image • The interface reaction of Sn-0.7Cu-10Bi- x Co/Co(x = 0 and 0.20, in wt.%) couples during multiple reflow cycles is studied. • The addition of Co plays a role in purification, inhibiting the Co-containing compounds growth into the liquid solder. • The decease of Co concentration at the interface results in its dissolution into the liquid solder of IMCs. • Free-state IMCs particles are reassembled under the drive of adsorption force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic and endocrine disorder worldwide, which causes severe health and economic problems. The effects of polysaccharide from Plantago asiatica L. (PLP) on high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats were examined. Administration of PLP caused significant decreases in the concentrations of blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, non-esterified fatty acid and maleic dialdehyde, and significant increases in the levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and the activities of antioxidant enzymes compared with diabetic rats after 4 weeks’ treatment. The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were significantly higher in the feces of diabetic rats after treatment with PLP. Moreover, colon bacterial diversity and abundance of bacteria, including Bacteroides vulgatus, Lactobacillus fermentum , Prevotella loescheii and Bacteroides vulgates were significantly increased by PLP treatment. These results indicated that the anti-diabetic effect of PLP in type 2 diabetic rats may be associated with regulation of gut microbiota and increased levels of SCFA. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • PLP attenuated hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in Type 2 diabetic rats. • PLP administration suppressed oxidative stress in Type 2 diabetic rats. • SCFA was significantly increased after PLP intake in Type 2 diabetic rats. • PLP improved structure of colon microbiota in Type 2 diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During these decades, functional materials are facing the severe challenge of their weak surface structure. To solve this problem, plasma technology and spraying technology were utilized to improve the bonding effect between cotton substrates and coating structures. Herein, silica/silver nanoparticles (SiO 2 /Ag NPs) were prepared and introduced to the nano-/micro- structures on sample surface by spraying technology in the existence of polyurethane adhesive. Then the circles of spraying procedure containing adhesive and SiO 2 /Ag NPs had been discussed. After further fluorination, the samples still displayed an excellent waterproof property even after abrasion test with sand paper and various washing test by its solvent–acetone or harsh liquids with strong acidity/alkalinity, indicating their robust surfaces structures. More importantly, this product displayed the outstanding performance no matter in laboratory oil/water filtration or the extensive oil leakage and spill. At last, our modification also endowed the cotton sample with great antimicrobial property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermochromic phase change materials have been widely studied for their importance in energy-efficient buildings, thermal control clothing, and low-temperature energy storage. Herein, we successfully designed and synthesized a spiropyran compound with negative photochromic properties in a solid matrix, 3-(3′,3′-dimethyl-6,8-dinitrospiro[chromene-2,2′-indolin]−1′-yl) propyl methacrylate (SPMA), as a thermochromic dye. The synthesized spiropyran was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) using photoinitiation, and then n-octadecane was encapsulated by the copolymer to prepare reversible thermochromic phase change microcapsules (TC-microPCMs) through the solvent evaporation technique. The encapsulation efficiency of n-octadecane by copolymers prepared with different photoinitiator concentrations was also investigated. According to the results of SEM, particle size analysis (DLS), and DSC, the copolymer prepared at 3% concentration possessed the best encapsulation effect on n-octadecane, and the melting enthalpy of the microcapsules reached 168.7 J/g and the encapsulation ratio was 89.5%, which was not significantly different from that of microcapsules without the addition of thermochromic dyes. This di-functionalization process effectively avoids the "impurity effect" of dye addition. In addition, the homogeneous spherical structure and stable chemical composition of the microcapsules are the key factors to achieve a fully reversible thermochromic behavior. What's more, the functionalized film based on TC-microPCMs, TC-microPCMs@PVA, was used to explore the potential for applications in thermal storage and temperature sensing. The results demonstrated that the composite film has excellent reversible thermochromic performance, high latent heat storage performance, and good cycling durability, which make the bifunctional microcapsules highly promising candidates for thermal sensors, solar energy storage, and smart textiles. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TDH, encoded by tdh gene, is a major virulent determinant of V. parahaemolyticus that controls various biological activities, such as hemolytic activity, cytotoxicity, and enterotoxicity. The hemolytic activity on Wagatsuma agar ascribed to TDH is called Kanagawa phenomenon (KP). All KP positive strains contain tdh1 and tdh2 genes, but tdh2 is predominantly responsible for KP. CalR is a regulatory protein that was originally identified as a repressor of swarming motility and T3SS1 gene expression in V. parahaemolyticus . In the present study, the regulation of tdh2 by CalR was investigated using a set of experiments including qRT-PCR, primer extension, LacZ fusion, hemolytic phenotype, EMSA, and DNase I footprinting assays. The results showed that His-CalR protected a single region from 224 bp to 318 bp upstream of tdh2 against DNase I digestion, and a transcriptional start site located at 42 bp upstream of tdh2 was detected and its transcribed activity was inhibited by CalR. Moreover, the KP test results showed that the hemolytic activity of V. parahaemolyticus is also under negative control of CalR. The data demonstrated that CalR is a repressor of the tdh2 transcription and thereby inhibits the hemolytic activity of V. parahaemolyticus . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the flexible and deep peak shaving capacity of combined heat and power (CHP) plant under full operating conditions to facilitate renewable energy consumption is the main choice of novel power system. Accordingly, a dry/wet state automatic conversion control scheme fuses the precise mechanism structure, reinforcement learning and multi-objective model predictive control (MPC) algorithms is designed to promote the deep peak shaving ability of CHP plant in this paper. Firstly, the detailed mechanism models of once-through boiler at dry and wet state are presented by analyzing the dynamic characteristics of steam-water flow. Secondly, the large-scale unknown parameters in mechanism models are identified via the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy modeling, reinforcement learning algorithms and actual dry/wet state conversion data. Thanks to the proposed hybrid modeling strategy, the high-precision boiler-steam unit models at dry and wet state are rapid obtained. Then, to meet different peak shaving demands, the multi-objective MPC algorithm is respectively constructed under dry and wet state with the comprehensive consideration of operational constraints, load tracking error, algorithm stability, power generation cost, CO 2 and NOx emission costs. Aiming at maximizing the peak shaving efficiency and flexible operation ability of plant, a dry/wet automatic control scheme combined the designed multi-objective MPC algorithms and identified dry/wet state models is proposed. Finally, the load variation rate of 5 % and 2 % RCM/min is respectively achieved in the dry/wet state conversion tests on a 350 MW CHP plant based on the proposed control scheme. Thus, the rapid and thorough dry/wet state conversion performance of once-through boiler has successfully improved the operational flexibility of CHP plant under full operating conditions. • The peak shaving models of once-through boiler under full operating conditions are presented. • Large-scale unknown parameters of boiler models are innovatively optimized by RL algorithm. • Multi-objective MPC is constructed for plant to meet various peak shaving requirements. • A dry/wet state automatic conversion control scheme is proposed for CHP plant. • The flexible and deep peak shaving capacity of one-through boiler is promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ether-free aromatic polymer electrolytes have the potential to be used as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) and binders materials in fuel cells. Nevertheless, it is still a technical challenge to improve their mechanical and chemical stability. Here, we prepared a series of quantitatively sulfonated poly(oxindole biphenylene) polymers with common substituent groups (SPOBP n -RPOBP (100-n) , R=F, Cl, Br and NO 2) by simply copolymerization. Substituent groups occupy highly active sulfonation sites of polymer, so the sulfonation degree of the polymer is greatly reduced. They show limited water uptake (33–35 wt%) and swelling ratio (10–13 %) compared with fully sulfonated SPOBP 100 (water uptake of 366 wt% and swelling ratio of 78 %) at 80 °C. Thus, the voltage of single-cell assembled with SPOBP 50 -FPOBP 50 membrane remains stable for 90 h at 0.3 A/cm2, much higher than that of SPOBP 100 (20 h). Moreover, the cells exhibit similar lifetime trends using it as binder materials in catalyst layer. These results indicate that it is possible to prepare electrolyte with controllable sulfonation degree and high stability by post-sulfonation on copolymers containing substituent groups. [Display omitted] • A series of quantitatively sulfonated poly(oxindole biphenylene) polymers with common substituent groups (SPOBP n -RPOBP (100-n) , R=F, Cl, Br and NO 2) are synthesized. • The better PPD of MEAs with SPOBP 50 -FPOBP 50 reaches 0.95 mW/cm2 as PEM than that of SPOBP 100 even though it has a lower IEC. • Compared with SPOBP 100 membrane (above 20 h), SPOBP 50 -FPOBP 50 membrane displays stable voltage output in the 90 h durability test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Artificial structures provide an efficient method to generate acoustic vortices carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) essential for applications ranging from object manipulation to acoustic communication. However, their flexibility in terms of chirality control has thus far been limited by the lack of reconfigurability and degrees of freedom like spin–orbit coupling. Here we show that this restriction can be lifted by controlling the individual on–off states of two coherent monopolar sources inside a passive parity-time-symmetric ring cavity at an exceptional point where the counter-propagating waves coalesce into one chiral eigenmode. One of the sources satisfies the chirality-reversal condition, generating a travelling wave field fully decoupled from and opposite to the chiral eigenmode, while the other source is phase-shifted such that the wave generated by the first source can be canceled out, and the remaining sound field circulates in the same direction as the chiral eigenmode. Such non-Hermitian selective excitation enables our experimental realization of acoustic vortex emission with switchable OAM but free of system reconfiguration. Our work offers opportunities for chiral sound manipulation as well as integrated and tunable acoustic OAM devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

and thermal-responsive smart polymer, enabling controllable wettability according to different temperature and light conditions, was developed in this paper. The 3-(3′,3′-dimethyl-6-nitrospiro-[chromene-2,2′-indolin]-1′-yl) propyl methacrylate (SPMA) and N -isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) by 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) were grafted on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to induce free radical polymerization. The SPMA isomerizes from a colorless, hydrophobic spiropyran (SP) form to a deep purple, hydrophilic merocyanine form (MCMA) upon UV-light. The wettability of poly(N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) is sensitive to temperature, showing hydrophobicity above the low critical solution temperature (LCST) and hydrophilicity below LCST. Furthermore, the addition of SPMA has realized the significant reversible wettability synergistic with PNIPAAm. The reversible wettability can be controlled by selectively applying single or both factors of light and temperature. Thus, practical application of the above controllable wettability can be greatly expanded. When the polymer is transferred from 40 °C (>LCST)-visible light to 10 °C (

For high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs), the PA amount in membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which can be tuned by the membrane and binder materials, has a vital influence on cell performance. Herein, to control the PA uptake ability of the MEA, a series of membrane and binder materials functionalized by nitrogen heterocyclic groups with different acidophilic properties were synthesized via superacid-catalyzed copolymerization of p -terphenyl and functional aldehydes. As expected, the PA-doped TP-2-IM membrane exhibits the highest proton conductivity of 66 mS/cm due to the largest PA uptake, and the corresponding MEA using TP-2-IM membrane displays the highest PPD of 621 mW/cm2 at 160 °C. However, the MEA using TP-2-IM as binder demonstrates the poorest cell performance mainly attributed to the limited mass transport resulted from the too strong PA interplay. Notably, owing to the suitable PA uptake ability of TP-4-IM binder, a good balance between the proton conductivity and fuel diffusion in the MEA has been achieved. Thus, the corresponding MEA illustrates the largest electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of 159 cm2/mg Pt and exhibits the highest PPD of 821 mW/cm2 at 160 °C and 1004 mW/cm2 at 200 °C with H 2 and O 2 as fuel. [Display omitted] • Nitrogen heterocyclic groups functionalized polymer as membranes and binders are synthesized for HT-PEMFCs. • The MEA using TP-4-IM binder achieves the highest PPD of 821 mW/cm2 @160 °C and 1004 mW/cm2 @200 °C. • The MEA using TP-2-IM membrane achieves the highest PPD of 621 mW/cm2 @160 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Camera calibration is a fundamental and important step in many machine vision applications. For some practical situations, computing camera parameters from merely a single image is becoming increasingly feasible and significant. However, the existing single view based calibration methods have various disadvantages such as ignoring lens distortion, requiring some prior knowledge or special calibration environment, and so on. To address these issues, we propose a line-based camera calibration method with lens distortion correction from a single image using three squares with unknown length. Initially, the radial distortion coefficients are obtained through a non-linear optimization process which is isolated from the pin-hole model calibration, and the detected distorted lines of all the squares are corrected simultaneously. Subsequently, the corresponding lines used for homography estimation are normalized to avoid the specific unstable case, and the intrinsic parameters are calculated from the sufficient restrictions provided by vectors of homography matrix. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, both simulative and real experiments have been carried out and the results show that the proposed method is robust under general conditions and it achieves comparable measurement accuracy in contrast with the traditional multiple view based calibration method using 2D chessboard target. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • A photochromic sponge for light-induced removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solution was developed by Steglich esterification. • The adsorption capacity of sponge to Pb2+ is 5.78 mg g−1. • The adsorption capacity and stripping efficiency of sponge can maintain over 85% and 94% after ten cycles. • The regeneration of exhausted sponge can be realized by simple rinsing under visible light conditions. Lead (Pb2+) is notorious for its negative effects on humans and the environment. Herein, a photochromic polyvinyl alcohol sponge (PVA-g-SPC) for light-induced removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solution was developed using 1′-(4′-carboxybutyl) −3′, 3′-dimethyl-6-nitro-spiro [chromene-2, 2′-indoline] (SPC) and polyvinyl alcohol sponge (PVA) by Steglich esterification. Evidence from experiments shows that the maximum adsorption capacity of PVA-g-MCC (formed by PVA-g-SPC under UV irradiation) was calculated to be 5.78 mg g−1 and the PVA-g-MCC has excellent selectivity to Pb2+ in the simulated lead–zinc mine leachate, ascribed to the complexation of MCC and Pb2+. Importantly, Pb2+ can be repelled from the sponge effectively by simple rinsing with water under visible light conditions to achieve the regeneration of the PVA-g-SPC with significant change of the colour in whole process, providing a facile method to determining the separation endpoints of Pb2+ by naked eyes and fully avoiding the secondary contamination caused by chemical desorbent. The adsorption capacity of PVA-g-SPC can maintain over 85% after ten cycles, indicating that the novel light-responsive sponge is a valuable material for Pb2+ removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It has been proven that norepinephrine (NE) regulates antinociception through its action on alpha-adrenoceptors located in brain nuclei, spinal cord, and peripheral organs. However, the supraspinal mechanism of noradrenergic pain modulation is controversial. The present study was aimed at investigating the nociceptive effects induced by injecting different doses of NE and phentolamine into the caudate putamen (CPU) of rats. The thermal pain threshold of the rats was measured by performing a tail-flick test. The tail-flick latency (TFL) was measured at 2–60min after microinjection of the drugs. Our results revealed that the thermal pain threshold increased (long TFL) after the administration of a low dose of NE (2μg/2μl) and decreased (short TFL) after injection of a high dose of NE (8μg/2μl). In contrast, the pain threshold decreased after the administration of a low dose of phentolamine (1μg/2μl), while it increased after injection of a high dose of phentolamine (4μg/2μl). These results indicated that the injection of different doses of NE in the CPU of the rats produced opposite effects on the pain threshold, as determined by the tail-flick tests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Transparent wood was endowed with ultraviolet radiation absorption. • The photoresponsive wood composite possessed excellent photoluminescence process with short response time. • The sample possessed great optical properties, dimensional stability, and thermal stability. Transparent wood has received much attention for construction applications due to its good mechanical properties, optical properties, and ideal thermal insulation. Since ultraviolet light is one of the most significant environmental stress agents for human skin, ultraviolet absorbing transparent wood composite will be highly desirable. Herein, ultraviolet absorbing photoluminescence wood composite was obtained by immersing wood templates into photoresponsive polymer. The injected substances were well polymerized in wood cell lumen, resulting in good dimensional stability, mechanical properties, and thermal stability. In addition, the sample displayed a good photoluminescence process, during which it could intercept and absorb high-intensity ultraviolet light. The unique properties of the ultraviolet absorbing photoluminescence wood composite could potentially be applied in building, furniture, windows, sensor, and security materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safe and efficient delivery of drugs is regarded as a fundamental strategy for enhancing the low effectiveness of cancer treatments. Herein, a simple preparation approach for a multifunctional drug delivery system was reported. The novel structure of spiropyran (SP), 1-(6 ´-bromo-hexyl)−3,3-dimethyl indoline-6 ´ -methoxy benzopyran, was used to modify sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) for controlling drug release. SP has a heightened sensitivity to variations in pH, with a linear response range of.2–5.5. The elevated drug loading (31.68 %) can be attributed to the hydrophobic interaction of SP and the adsorption of NaCMC. Porous materials composed of zinc ions and dimethylimidazole (ZIF-8) as an embedded shell, which serves as a barrier that effectively reduces drug leakage from 20 % to 12 %, thus mitigating the side effects of camptothecin (CPT) in alkaline conditions. In acidic conditions, the collapse of ZIF-8 provides zinc ions that act as crosslinking agents for NaCMC, thereby improving the channel of drug release and enhancing the release amount from 51.9 % to 66.7 % compared with SP-grafted NaCMC micelles. The inherent biological adhesion of NaCMC ensures sustained drug release for a period of up to 40 h. These pH-responsive carriers hold great promise in the safe and effective treatment of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract, with CPT emerging as a highly promising candidate. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of a new structure of spiropyran with high sensitivity and a wide response range to hydrogen ions. • The resulting SP-CMC micelles exhibited a high grafting efficiency and drug-loading capacity. • The incorporation of ZIF-8 prevents the early leakage of camptothecin to reduce the associated side effects of the drug. • Zinc ions provided by ZIF-8 improve the drug release amount and maintain good drug release performance for over 40 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Accurate assessment of green infrastructures value will be helpful for future market transactions. • Ecological thermodynamics provides a theoretical basis for the ecological value monetization evaluation. • There is the spatial correlation between housing price and ecosystem services. • The improvement of each unit of ESV will increase the housing price by 806.28 yuan per m2 in Beijing. • Small and micro parks have a more positive impact on housing prices than medium and large parks. Urban greenspace provides a variety of ecosystem services. A reasonable evaluation of such services, both from an environmental and from an economic point of view, can deliver a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of urban greenspace value and might be helpful for possible future market transactions. There seems to be a spatial correlation between housing price and ecosystem services. The hedonic price model takes into account also the greenspace around the residences. This study proposed a methodological framework combining the emergy accounting method and statistical model, taking Beijing as a case study. The relationship between housing prices and ecosystem services is explored, and the different types of urban ecosystem service are evaluated, taking into account the heterogeneity of different size, distance and perception of greenspaces. Ecological thermodynamics was applied to the housing price characteristic model, accounting for the ecological value embedded in the housing price, and provided a theoretical basis for the ecological value monetization evaluation and urban ecological planning. The results show that the improvement of each unit of ecosystem services value measured by means of the emergy accounting method will increase the housing price by 806.28 yuan per square meter. Small and micro parks have a more positive impact on housing prices than medium and large parks; The positive impact of grassland on housing price is greater than that of woodland, wetland and shrubs; Carbon sequestration has the largest positive impact on housing prices of other kind of ecosystem services. The methodological framework proposed in this study is helpful to further explore the ecosystem services provided by urban greenspace. The quantitative pricing results of different ecosystem services can be used as reference for relevant ecological trading and compensation policies. Qualitative analysis of parks and different ecosystems can provide value for urban greenspace planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Vibrio cholerae , the lysogenic bacteriophage CTXΦ carries the cholera toxin genes ctxAB , which can be transferred from toxigenic strains to nontoxigenic strains through infection and lysogenic conversion of CTXΦ. This phage also has the precursor genome which does not harbor ctxAB , named pre-CTXΦ. Based on the sequences of the transcriptional regulator-encoding gene rstR alleles in CTXΦ/pre-CTXΦ, multiple types of these prophages have been classified and identified in toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae strains. In this study, by combining the short-read and long-read sequencing approaches of next generation sequencing, we obtained the complete genome sequence of the studied V. cholerae toxigenic serogroup O139 strain and identified the CTXΦ and a pre-CTXΦ genome type encoding a novel rstR allele, pre-CTXZHJΦ. This pre-CTX prophage integrates into the small chromosome of the V. cholerae host strain and coexists with a typical CTXETΦ prophage present in the large chromosome, which is commonly present in the seventh pandemic serogroup O1 and toxigenic serogroup O139 strains. RstRZHJ could bind to the ig-2 region in the RstAB promotor in the pre-CTXZHJΦ genome, and could repress the expression of its own rstAB genes but could not repress rstAB expression in CTXETΦ and CTXclassΦ, suggesting that the V. cholerae strains carrying the pre-CTXZHJΦ prophage cannot prevent the infection of these epidemic CTXΦs, hence have the potentiality to become toxigenic by acquiring and lysogenic conversion of CTXΦs. Our study identified a novel pre-CTXΦ type, and presents the new evidence for the complexity and diversity of the CTXΦ/pre-CTXΦ family in V. cholerae. • A novel pre-CTXΦ phage genome is identified in Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139 strain. • The immunity to CTXΦ superinfection mediated by the rstR allele of this pre-CTXΦ is phage type specific. • New evidence for the complexity and diversity of the CTXΦ/pre-CTXΦ family in V. cholerae was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) are a group of rare tumors that are increasing in prevalence. The complex tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) plays an important role in tumor development and the response to immunotherapy but is poorly understood. In this review, the components of the TIME are described in detail, including discussion about infiltrating immune cells, the immune checkpoint system, the cytokine and chemokine milieu, and immunomodulatory factors. Moreover, a comparison between TIMEs among different types of GEP-NENs and the interplay among the TIME, tumor cells, and the stromal microenvironment is described. Novel treatment options for GEP-NENs and potential biomarkers for the immune response are also characterized. We provide a comprehensive generalized review of the TIME that can inform GEP-NEN treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides MP-A, MP-U and MP-C were extracted from Mesona chinensis Benth by hot-alkali extraction (HAE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and cellulose-enzyme assisted extraction (CAE), respectively. The yields, physicochemical properties and antioxidant of polysaccharides were investigated. Results showed that the yields of MP-A (11.14%), MP-U (10.62%) and MP-C (9.70%) were similar, and they were all heteropolysaccharides with average molecular weights of 1.9 × 10 5 Da, 1.5 × 10 5 Da, 1.4 × 10 5 Da. Glucose, galactose, and galacturonic acid were the main monosaccharides in MP-A, MP-U and MP-C with molar ratios of 1.00:1.34:0.25, 1.00:2.49:0.19 and 1.00:2.95:0.84, respectively. MP-C extracted by CAE exhibited higher antioxidant activities in FRAP, DPPH, hydroxyl radical assays and the H 2 O 2 -induced injury cell model. The three extraction methods had only slight effects on chemical composition, while MP-C extracted by CAE exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, which could potentially be used for an addition ingredient as it was previously shown to have good gelling property in food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPM) are regarded as novel photo-detectors to replace conventional Photo-Multiplier Tubes (PMTs). However, the breakdown voltage dependence on the ambient temperature results in a gain variation of ∼3%/°C. This severely limits the application of this device in experiments with wide range of operating temperature, especially in space missions. An experimental setup was established to investigate the temperature and bias voltage dependence of gain for the Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC). The gain and breakdown voltage dependence on operating temperature of an MPPC can be approximated by a linear function, which is similar to the behavior of a zener diode. The measured temperature coefficient of the breakdown voltage is (59.4±0.4 mV)/°C. According to this fact, an analog power supply based on two zener diodes and an operational amplifier was designed with a positive temperature coefficient. The measured temperature dependence for the designed power supply is between 63.65–64.61 mV/°C at different output voltages. The designed power supply can bias the MPPC at an over-voltage with a temperature variation of ∼5 mV/°C. The gain variation of the MPPC biased at over-voltage of 2 V was reduced from 2.8 % / ° C to 0.3 % / ° C when biased the MPPC with the designed power supply for gain control. Detailed design and performance of the analog power supply in the temperature range from − 42.7 ° C to 20.9 ° C will be discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme is a green, efficient and easily degradable substance. In the present investigation, the papain and 100-c enzyme instead of part of surfactants were used in degreasing process. The results indicated that when wet-blue sheepleather was treated by the enzymatic compound, protein content in the effluent was about 9 times more than that of the non-ionic degreasing agent with less damage to collagen. Moreover, the degreasing rate for enzyme degreasing was 40.1% which was much higher than that of non-ionic degreasing agent. Mechanical properties of the crust leather treated by enzymatic compound were matchable to those treated by non-ionic degreasing agent. Color difference values of the leather indicated that the wet-blue sheepleather was easy to be dyed after being treated by enzymatic compound. The K/S value of the leather treated by enzymatic compound was much higher than that treated by non-ionic degreasing agent. Histological analysis of wet-blues visually showed efficient fat removal by enzymatic compound. Enzymatic compound used in degreasing of greasy wet-blues could improve the leather’ quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal protection system (TPS) is crucial for hypersonic flight vehicles to effectively protect them against the aerothermal effect imposed on them during flying with high Mach number. A novel hybrid ablation thermal protection coatings (FHMP-ATPCs) on the surface of stainless steel substrate were prepared by doping iron trioxide (Fe 2 O 3) powder, hollow glass microspheres (HGM) and mica powder (MP) into hydroxyl-terminated silicone oligomer-bridged epoxy resins (PSG) copolymer. The thermal insulation and structural reliability of the FHMP-ATPCs were investigated by a novel aerothermal-vibration coupling test system. During the test, the heat flux of the surface of coatings ranged from 400 kW/m2 to 700 kW/m2. Meanwhile, the vibration load was a random vibration with frequency range of 20–2000 Hz and root mean square of total acceleration (Grms) of 10.8 g. The maximum surface and back-face temperature reached 714.9 °C and 141.3 °C, respectively. Compared with epoxy resin based coatings，the PSG-based coatings showed excellent structural reliability during the test. This study demonstrates the robust effect of strategy of modifying epoxy resin with organosilicon in improving thermal insulation performance yet maintaining the structural reliability of the ablation thermal protection coatings, providing a promising route to achieve high-performance coatings. [Display omitted] • An aerothermal-vibration coupling test system was constructed to simultaneously load aerothermal and vibration loads. • The thermal insulation and anti-vibration properties of the quaternary ATPCs were tested using the coupling test system. • The FHMP-ATPCs provides excellent thermal insulation with a temperature difference of 701.2 °C. • Compared with FHMD-ATPCs, the FHMP-ATPCs showed excellent anti-vibration properties during the test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High-frequency rTMS of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) could reduce cue-induced craving for methamphetamine. • High-frequency rTMS of left DLPFC could improve decision-making function of methamphetamine use disorders. • The subjects of the study were patients with methamphetamine use disorder, reducing craving and improve decision-making function might be a strategy to help prevent relapse and treat methamphetamine use disorder. Methamphetamine abuse is escalating worldwide. Its strong and irreversible neurotoxicity generally causes structural and functional changes in the brain. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a non-invasive tool can be used to modulate neuronal activity, cortical excitability, and dopaminergic neurotransmission. This study aims to explore the efficacy of high-frequency rTMS in reducing drug craving and increasing decision-making ability for methamphetamine use disorder patients. Sixty-four methamphetamine use disorder patients were randomized to sham rTMS group and 10-Hz rTMS group. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Iowa game test (IGT) were used to evaluate drug craving and cognitive decision-making ability before and after treatment. Before the treatment, the two groups had no differences in the scores of VAS and IGT. After the intervention, VAS scores of 10-Hz rTMS group were significantly lower than that of sham rTMS group. In addition, the two groups had significant differences in the net score of IGT on block 4 and block 5, which favoured the 10-Hz rTMS group. Taken together, the present results suggest that High-frequency rTMS can be used to reduce drug craving and improve decision-making function for methamphetamine use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]