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Abstract: Graphene oxide-filled poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) microfiltration tubes have been fabricated using a decompress filtration process for graphene oxide (GO) through microporous PVDF tubes. The GO, embedded within the pore channels of the PVDF microfiltration tube-walls, exhibits sphere-shape with a mean diameter of about 300nm. The composite microfiltrations show an important application in a separation of citral from citral ethanol solution or a removal of Cu2+ from diluted Cu2+ aqueous solution. A series of separation measurement results for different citral concentrations demonstrate that the microfiltration tubes exhibit an excellent purification performance in separating citral from ethanol solution; and also, the Cu2+ removal experiments for different diluted Cu2+ concentrations show that the tubes possess significant removal capability of Cu2+ ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new one-pot and divergent synthesis of multisubstituted furo[3,2-c]quinolines and quinazolin-4(3 H)-ones via sequential isocyanide-based three-component/Staudinger/aza-Wittig reactions was developed. The three-component reactions of dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, 2-azidobenzaldehydes (or 2-azidobenzoic acids) and isocyanides gave the azide intermediates, which were subsequently treated with triphenylphosphine to produce polysubstituted furo[3,2-c]quinolines 6 or quinazolin-4(3 H)-ones 10 in good overall yields by tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig reactions. Image 1 • One-pot three-component reactions. • Mild reaction conditions. • Good overall yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their profound roles in atmospheric chemistry and health concerns, the gas-particle partitioning of carbonyl compounds and its influencing factors in the ambient atmosphere are poorly elucidated. In this work, a reliable method using a denuder/filter-pack system coated with the derivative reagent, O -(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) was developed for the simultaneous collection of gaseous and particulate carbonyls. Sampling campaigns were performed at an urban site in Zhengzhou, China. The average field-derived partitioning coefficients (K p f ) of the six most abundant carbonyls (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal) were in the range of 10−5–10−4 m3·μg−1, and their effective Henry's law coefficients (eff. K H) ranged from 107 to 109 M·atm−1. Comparisons revealed that their K p f and eff. K H were 104–106 times and 102–107 times higher than theoretically predicted, respectively. Given that the aerosol liquid water is a concentrated salt solution, these six carbonyls very clearly salted in to three atmospherically relevant aqueous salts, following the order of sulfate > ammonium > nitrate. However, even taking salting-in effects into account, the Pankow's absorptive partitioning theory and effective Henry's law both failed to explain the unexpected highly particulate carbonyls. In regard to the influencing factors, the negative correlations between K p f and temperature indicate that lower temperature is conducive to carbonyls partitioning. As for the strong relative humidity (RH) dependence of K P f , high partitioning coefficients were observed under low and high RH conditions. Partitioning is considered to be dominated by the carbonyl-oligomer formation when RH increases from <10% to 50%, and driven by the abundant aerosol liquid water content when RH exceeds 50%. The presence of particulate inorganic components and the transition of particle phase state may also impact the partitioning process, especially in the urban atmosphere. Unlabelled Image • Gaseous and particulate carbonyls were simultaneously observed in the urban atmosphere. • The K p f values for carbonyls were 104–106 times higher than their theoretical values. • Lower temperature is conducive to carbonyls partitioning into particle phase. • The K p f values for carbonyls showed a strong dependence on relative humidity (RH). • High partitioning coefficients were observed under both high and low RH conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous Fenton dominated by ·OH is limited in its application, as pre-acidification is required to maximize the generation amount and redox potential of ·OH. It is thus featured to consume resources and generate pollutants. In this study, both CuS/H 2 O 2 and Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 are found to show better performances under close-to-neutral condition (pH 5.0 to 9.0) than acidic condition (pH 3.0) when degrading a model contaminant, sulfamethazine (SMZ), because ·OH does not play a major role in both systems. The Cu valence-dependent catalytic mechanisms are responsible for the varied kinetics between CuS/H 2 O 2 and Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2. In CuS/H 2 O 2 , Cu(III) and 1O 2 contribute to the SMZ degradation, and their contributions are pH-dependent. In Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 , Cu(III) is responsible for the degradation regardless of the pH. Both systems with optimal performances under neutral condition are advantageous as pre-acidification can be avoided. In addition, air sparging induces additional 16% SMZ degradation in Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 under acidic condition, because the sparged O 2 reacts with dissolved Cu(I). The more O 2 reacts with the dissolved Cu(I), the less generated Cu(III) is ineffectively depleted. Air sparging is readily applicable to different operations, thus its combination with Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 potentially benefits the development of environmentally-friendly treatment process for industrial wastewater. • CuS/H 2 O 2 and Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 are more effective under neutral than acidic condition. • Cu(III) is critical in Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 , independent of solution pH. • Cu(III) and 1O 2 are critical in CuS/H 2 O 2 , but pH dependent. • Air sparging is an cleaner alternative to improve the Cu 2 S/H 2 O 2 performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bacterial infection has a significant impact on the human health. With the widespread use of antibiotics, the bacterial resistance has increased significantly, which necessitates the urgent identification of novel antibacterial materials. In this study, a hydrogel with an inherent antibacterial ability, self-assembled from a heterochiral peptide C16-DL4LR4, has been reported. The hydrogel demonstrated optimal rheological and injectable properties. It revealed a time-dependent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis as well as Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Shigella sonnei. After 5 h treatment with the hydrogel, the survival rate of S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and Sh. sonnei bacteria was decreased to 5.9%, 0%, 5.3% and 11.09%, respectively. The chiral nanofibers with a diameter of 15–20 nm in the hydrogel were observed to be conducive to the aggregation of bacteria and destruction of the cell membrane to achieve the antibacterial effect. In addition, the in vitro analysis on the mouse embryonic fibroblasts confirmed the superior biocompatibility of the hydrogel. The results obtained in this study provide the basis for the development of the functional antibacterial hydrogels by the self-assembly of the heterochiral peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sun, M.; Zhang, J., and Guo, Y.Y., 2020. Anonymous identity authentication scheme for VANETs. In: Guido Aldana, P.A. and Kantamaneni, K. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Coastal Management, and Marine Science Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 104, pp. 203–209. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The application of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) is of great significance to traffic optimization and traffic safety. The network security of VANETs becomes the key to restrict the development of VANETs. In this paper, we propose an anonymous authentication scheme for VANETs, in which we avoid using certificates in the authentication process between the RSU and the vehicle. This identity-based authentication scheme solves the problem of certificate storage and management in the authentication protocols based on the public key infrastructure(PKI). In our scheme, the system key isn't stored in the roadside unit (RSU) or the tamper-proof device (TPD) of the vehicle like some other schemes. When the RSU communicates with the vehicles, the local key generated by the RSU is used to sign the transmitted message, so that even if the local key of the RSU has been leaked, the security of the entire system will not be affected. And the RSU can update the local key to improve the security of the communication. The scheme uses timestamps in authentication, key agreement and message signing, which effectively avoids replaying attacks. The analysis shows that the proposed scheme can satisfy the security and privacy requirements of VANETs. The message authentication computation costs and communication overhead are improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropogenic release of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) into the environmental media is not limited to photochemical oxidation of CFC alternatives and industrial emissions. Biological degradation of some fluorochemicals is expected to be a potential TFA source. For the first time, we assess if the potential precursors [6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH), 4:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (4:2 FTOH), acrinathrin, trifluralin, and 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid (TFMAA)] can be biologically degraded to TFA. Results show that 6:2 FTOH was terminally transformed to 5:3 polyfluorinated acid (5:3 FTCA; 12.5 mol%), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA; 2.0 mol%), perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA; 1.6 mol%), perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA; 1.7 mol%), and TFA (2.3 mol%) by day 32 in the landfill soil microbial culture system. 4:2 FTOH could remove multiple –CF 2 groups by microorganisms and produce PFPeA (2.6 mol%), PFBA (17.4 mol%), TFA (7.8 mol%). We also quantified the degradation products of TFMAA as PFBA (1.3 mol%) and TFA (6.3 mol%). Furthermore, we basically analyzed the biodegradation contribution of short-chain FTOH as raw material residuals in commercial products to the TFA burden in the environmental media. We estimate global emission of 3.9–47.3 tonnes of TFA in the period from 1961 to 2019, and project 3.8–46.4 tonnes to be emitted from 2020 to 2040 via the pathway of 4:2 and 6:2 FTOH biodegradation (0.6–7.1 and 0.6–7.0 tonnes in China, respectively). Direct evidence of the experiments indicates that biodegradation of fluorochemicals is an overlooked source of TFA and there are still some unspecified mechanisms of TFA production pathways. Image 1 • We firstly assessed if the selected five fluorochemicals can be biodegraded to TFA. • TFA yields of 6:2 FTOH, 4:2 FTOH, and TFMAA biodegradation were determined. • Residual 4:2 and 6:2 FTOH contributed 3.9–47.3 tonnes of global TFA burden by far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript delves into the exploration of a third-order dispersive Schrödinger equation incorporating Kerr nonlinear effects, a common model employed for the transmission of optical fiber pulses. Utilizing an effective analytical approach, the study unveils previously undiscovered exact solutions for the Schrödinger equation, with a primary focus on analyzing optical solitons within nonlinear Schrödinger equations. The proposed method leverages a Riccati equation, yielding solutions expressed in trigonometric and hyperbolic functions. Noteworthy are the captivating dynamics exhibited by the optical solitons across diverse spatial variables, denoted as x. All numerical results are executed using Mathematica software and are visually presented in both 2D and 3D space. Additionally, the manuscript elucidates the significance of these findings in advancing our understanding of optical soliton behavior within the realm of nonlinear Schrödinger equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil extracellular enzymes play an important role in regulating nitrogen (N) mineralization processes in paddy fields. Therefore, in this work, we determine the influence of a long-term fertilizer regime on rhizosphere soil N fertilization rates, soil enzymes, soil microbial community (bacterial ureolytic community (ureC), bacterial chitinolytic community (chiA)) under the double-cropping rice field in southern of China. The field experiment included the following fertilizer regimes: inorganic fertilizer alone (IF), rice straw and inorganic fertilizer (RF), 30% organic manure and 70% inorganic fertilizer (OM), without any fertilizer input as a control (CK). The results showed that rhizosphere soil N transformation rates in the paddy fields with OM and RF treatments were increased, compared with IF and CK treatments. Soil urease, β-glucosaminidase and arginase activities were significantly increased under OM and RF treatments. This result indicated that functional gene abundances of sub, npr and chiA were significantly greater under RF and OM treatments compared to IF and CK treatments. Soil bacterial ureolytic and chitinolytic communities were significantly changed by the different fertilization strategies. The practice of applying rice straw and organic manure seems beneficial for increasing rhizosphere soil N mineralization rates and microbial community diversity in the double-cropping rice fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fouling of separation membranes has consistently been a primary factor contributing to the decline in membrane performance. Enhancing the surface hydrophilicity of the membrane proves to be an effective strategy in mitigating membrane fouling in water treatment processes. Zwitterionic polymers (containing an equimolar number of homogeneously distributed anionic and cationic groups on the polymer chains) have been used extensively as one of the best antifouling materials for surface modification. The conventional application of zwitterionic compounds as surface modifiers is intricate and inefficient, adding complexity and length to the membrane preparation process, particularly on an industrial scale. To overcome these limitations, zwitterionic polymer, directly used as a main material, is an effective method. In this work, a novel zwitterionic polymer (TB)—zwitterionic Tröger's base (ZTB)—was synthesized by quaternizing Tröger's base (TB) with 1,3-propane sultone. The obtained ZTB is blended with TB to fabricate microfiltration (MF) membranes via the vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) process, offering a strategic solution for separating emulsified oily wastewater. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle, and zeta potential measurements were employed to characterize the surface of ZTB/TB blended membranes, assessing surface morphology, charge, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. The impact of varying ZTB levels on membrane surface morphology, hydrophilicity, water flux, and rejection were investigated. The results showed that an increase in ZTB content improved hydrophilicity and surface roughness, consequently enhancing water permeability. Due to the attraction of water vapor, the enrichment of zwitterionic segments was enriched, and a stable hydration layer was formed on the membrane surface. The hydration layer formed by zwitterions endowed the membrane with good antifouling properties. The proposed mechanism elucidates the membrane's proficiency in demulsification and the reduction in irreversible fouling through the synergistic regulation of surface charge and hydrophilicity, facilitated by electrostatic repulsion and the formation of a hydration layer. The ZTB/TB blended membranes demonstrated superior efficiency in oil–water separation, achieving a maximum flux of 1897.63 LMH bar−1 and an oil rejection rate as high as 99% in the oil–water emulsion separation process. This study reveals the migration behavior of the zwitterionic polymer in the membrane during the VIPS process. It enhances our comprehension of the antifouling mechanism of zwitterionic membranes and provides guidance for designing novel materials for antifouling membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep-related outcomes in people with diabetes are poor, which is closely linked to reducing the development of diabetes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based intervention presents innovative solutions that can help improve sleep-related outcomes. Aim: This synthesis aims to assess the effectiveness of CBT-based intervention compared to controls in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) for sleep-related outcomes among people with diabetes. Methods: Eight electronic databases were systematically searched: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang database. We examined CBT-based intervention's effectiveness on sleep-related outcomes in people with diabetes in RCTs identified in these databases from their inception to 1st November 2023, and updated on 15 January 2024. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool by two reviewers. The meta-analysis of included studies was conducted by RevMan 5.3 software. Results: Seven studies in total (n = 2633 participants) were included in this systematic review based on our inclusion criteria. The systematic review found CBT-based intervention significantly improved sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI scores) at immediate post-intervention [95% CI=(− 1.31 to -0.32), p = 0.001], six months [95% CI=(− 0.75 to − 0.22), p = 0.0003], and 12 months [95% CI=(− 0.72 to − 0.24), < 0.0001], compared to control groups. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that six sessions [95% CI= (− 0.38 to − 0.13), p < 0.0001] or more than six sessions [95% CI=(− 1.76 to − 0.02), p = 0.05] of CBT-based intervention could improve sleep quality compared to controls (I2=0%). Interestingly, CBT-based intervention improves total sleep time at post-intervention in people with diabetes compared to the control group [95% CI= (− 0.57 to − 0.12), p = 0.003]. However, there was no significant that CBT-based intervention is beneficial to time to fall asleep [95% CI (− 1.89 to 0.43), p = 0.22] and sleep efficiency [95% CI (− 1.27 to 0.27), p = 0.20] after intervention, compared to control group. Conclusion: CBT-based intervention appears to have a beneficial effect on improving sleep quality and total sleep time among people with diabetes. CBT-based intervention could be considered a strategy among healthcare providers to enhance sleep quality and total sleep time for people with diabetes. More RCTs with rigorous designs and long-term follow-up are warranted to provide conclusive evidence of the CBT-based intervention on sleep-related outcomes and to explore the mechanisms by which the CBT-based interventions improve sleep-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an energy-intensive industry, the steel industry incentivizes carbon neutrality technology innovation through carbon neutrality policies, thereby promoting the industry's low-carbon transformation. However, how policy promotes technological innovation in the steel industry to achieve net zero emissions is an urgent practical and theoretical problem that needs to be solved. This study constructs a comprehensive model that combines steel demand forecasting, technology evaluation, and bottom-up technology selection models. Described the cost-effectiveness of emission reduction technologies from a technical and economic perspective, quantitatively analyzed the emission reduction potential and evolution path of carbon neutrality technology under policy incentives in the steel industry, and provided policy support and specific deployment time for different technologies. The results indicate that under the scenario of strong subsidies and carbon prices, by 2060, the share of traditional long-process steelmaking was only 25 %, and the CO 2 emissions per unit of crude steel were 0.88t CO 2 /t. At the same time, the implementation of policies has increased the cumulative emission reduction of the steel industry by 1.56 times from 2022 to 2060. • Comprehensively evaluate the development level of technology from multiple dimensions. • Quantify the emission reduction contributions of different policies and the emission reduction potential of each steelmaking path under policy incentives. • Analyzed the optimization path and policy incentive effect of carbon neutrality technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To provide basis for human rabies vaccination in China, the safety and immunogenicity of two freeze-dried Vero cell rabies vaccines for human use were assessed. A total of 250 volunteers were enrolled and divided into two groups: volunteers in Group A (n =200) were vaccinated five doses of Speeda Vero cell rabies vaccine manufactured by Liaoning Chengda Biotechnology Co. Ltd. on day 0, 3, 7, 14, 28 after exposure. Volunteers in Group B (n =50) were treated with Verorab Vero cell rabies vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur on the same schedule. The local and systematic adverse reactions were observed. Serum neutralizing antibody levels of 80 individuals in Group A and 50 individuals in Group B were tested with RFFIT on day 7, 14, 45, 180, 360 after the first dose. The seroconversion rates in Groups A and B were 40.3% and 37.0% on day 7 after the first dose, 95.5% and 97.7% on day 14, 100% and 100% on day 45, 100% and 100% on day 180, 89.1% and 89.5% on day 360 respectively, indicating no significant differences between the two groups. And no significant differences were found between the neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) of the two groups on day 7, 14, 45, 180 and 360 after the first dose, with the GMTs of day 14, 45, 180 and 360 all higher than 0.5IU/ml. Antibody levels of the two groups peaked around 2 weeks after the full vaccination program, followed by a 55% decrease up to day 180 and another 76% decrease up to day 360. Both groups experienced occasions of transient fever, rash, edema, and scleroma after vaccination. Neither group had any severe adverse reactions. It was concluded that both vaccines showed satisfactory safety and immunogenicity. Booster vaccination is recommended following another exposure after six months since the full vaccination program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising biopolymer, but its three-dimensional structure needs to be controllable to be used in multiple fields. BC has some advantages over other types of cellulose, not only in terms of purity and properties but also in terms of modification (in situ modification) during the synthesis process. Here, starches from different sources or with amylose/amylopectin content were added to the growth medium to regulate the structural properties of BC in-situ. The obtained BC membranes were further modified by superhydrophobic treatment for oil-water separation. Starches alter the viscosity of the medium, thus affecting bacterial motility and cellulose synthesis, and adhere to the microfibers, limiting their further polymerization and ultimately altering the membrane porosity, pore size, and mechanical properties perpendicular to the BC fibril layer direction. The average pore diameter of the BC/PS membrane increased by 1.94 times compared to the initial BC membrane. The chemically modified BC/PS membrane exhibited super-hydrophobicity (water contact angle 167°), high oil-water separation flux (dichloromethane, 23,205 Lm−2 h−1 MPa−1), high separation efficiency (>97%). The study provides a foundation for developing methods to regulate the network structure of BC and broaden its application. • The network structure of bacterial cellulose was regulated in situ by starch. • Amylose/amylopectin content affects membrane pore size. • The longitudinal mechanical properties of the membrane were enhanced. • The obtained super-hydrophobic membrane can realize oil-water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new one-pot synthesis of 3-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-1-yl)-isoquinolin-1(2 H)-ones by DEAD-promoted oxidative Ugi–-Wittig reaction was developed. The sequential reactions of (2-carboxybenzyl)triphenylphosphonium salts, isocyanides, and N -aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines produced 3-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-1-yl)-isoquinolin-1(2 H)-ones in moderate to good overall yields in the presence of DEAD and Et3 N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the role of the FcepsilonRI (FcεRI) signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of benign lymphoepithelial lesion of lacrimal gland (LGBLEL). Transcriptomic analysis was performed on LGBLEL and orbital cavernous hemangioma (CH) patients diagnosed via histopathology in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, between July 2010 and October 2013. Four LGBLEL and three orbital CH patients, diagnosed between October 2018 and August 2019, were randomly selected as experimental and control groups, respectively. RT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining, and western blotting were used to verify genes and proteins related to the FcεRI signaling pathway. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the FcεRI signaling pathway was upregulated in the LGBLEL compared with the CH group. The mRNA expression levels of important genes including SYK, p38, JNK, PI3K, and ERK were significantly increased in the LGBLEL group (P = 0.0066, P = 0.0002, P = 0.0003, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively). Immunohistochemical staining results showed that SYK, p38, and ERK were positively expressed in LGBLEL, while JNK and PI3K were not. The protein contents of P-SYK, P-p38, P-JNK, P-PI3K, and P-ERK were significantly higher in the LGBLEL than in the CH group (P = 0.0169, P = 0.0074, P = 0.0046, P = 0.0157, P = 0.0156, respectively). The FcεRI signaling pathway participates in the pathogenesis of LGBLEL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The urchin‐like NiCo2O4 material was prepared by a one‐step hydrothermal method. The optimal synthetic conditions were systematically investigated by an orthogonal test method and single factor of hydrothermal time to evaluate the influence of sample morphology and electrochemical performance. The synthesis conditions for preparing NiCo2O4 with different morphologies were systematically studied. In the single factor experiment, when the hydrothermal time is 6, 12, 16, and 24 hours, the corresponding morphologies are urchin‐like (NCO‐U), flower‐like (NCO‐F), sheet‐like (NCO‐S), and block‐like (NCO‐B), respectively. The element content of the prepared materials under different synthesis conditions was tested by an inductive‐coupled plasma emission spectrometer, and an interesting phenomenon was found. As the reaction time increases, the content of Ni+ gradually decreases and the content of Co+ gradually increases, which may be one of the factors that affect the morphology and electrochemical performance of the material. The specific capacitances of NCO‐U, NCO‐F, NCO‐S, and NCO‐B are calculated to be 914.3, 392.2, 313.3, and 277.4 F g−1, respectively, at a current density of 1 A g−1. Benefiting from the large specific surface area and rich oxygen vacancy, the as‐fabricated urchin‐like NiCo2O4 as electrode materials for supercapacitor demonstrates its promising application potential for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), an important species of photochemical smog, has received much concern for its impact on atmospheric chemistry and relation with other pollutants including ozone (O 3). This study conducted PAN measurements at the CS site (urban area) and the NQ site (suburban area) of Chongqing in summer in 2015. Maximum PAN concentrations were 12.17 (mean: 2.05 ± 1.94 ppbv) and 8.53 ppbv (mean: 0.84 ± 0.89 ppbv) at the CS and NQ sites, respectively. An observation-based box model coupled with RACM2 was applied to explore PAN formation mechanisms and its key precursors. Results showed that PAN formation was limited by both nitrogen dioxides (NO X) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at both sites, and NO X and nitrous acid were essential PAN precursors, especially on polluted days. For VOCs, key first-generation precursors were identified as alkenes and aromatics at the CS site (aromatics and isoprene at the NQ site). On polluted days, the relative production efficiency of PAN to O 3 enhanced more significantly at the NQ site (0.9 times) than at the CS site (0.4 times), which was related to formation/destruction reactivities of PAN and O 3. Furthermore, this study firstly explored the quantitative impacts of precursors to the relative formation of PAN to O 3 , and the results indicated that NO X predominated their relative formation at both sites. For VOCs, urban alkenes and suburban aromatics contributed to elevated PAN formation relative to O 3 , and the increase of aromatics dominated the PAN enhancement relative to O 3 during the polluted period. Image 1 • NO X and HONO were key precursors to PAN formation in urban and suburban Chongqing. • We firstly quantified impacts of precursors on the relative formation of PAN to O 3. • Relative formation of PAN to O 3 in Chongqing was most sensitive to NO X. • For VOCs, urban alkenes and suburban aromatics dominated relative PAN formation to O 3. • High RPR(PAN/O 3) on episodes at both sites were related to the increase of aromatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact monopolar microstrip patch antenna (MPA) with enhanced‐bandwidth is proposed. In order to achieve the miniaturized patch, the zeroth‐order mode of the MPA instead of its higher‐order modes is employed at first by loading the shorting pin around the center of the patch. After that, a L‐shaped microstrip line with a shorting pin is introduced at the periphery of the patch radiator to excite an additional non‐radiative mode for bandwidth enhancement. In final, the proposed MPA is fabricated and measured. The results illustrate that the antenna generates an enhanced‐bandwidth of about 4.1% ranging from 2.39 to 2.49 GHz, which is significantly larger than that of the traditional MPA around 1%. Meanwhile, the dimensions of the radiating patch are obviously decreased down due to the employment of zeroth‐order mode, which are kept as small as about 0.17 λ0 × 0.22 λ0 × 0.026 λ0 (λ0 is the free‐space wavelength). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) silencing has been demonstrated to protect against ischemic brain injury in vivo and neuron injury in vitro. However, its underlying mechanisms in the progression of ischemic stroke have not been well explored. The expression of RMST in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated HT-22 hippocampal neuron cell line was examined using quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR). CCK-8 cell viability and apoptotic cell detection using Annexin V-FITC and PI staining coupled with flow cytometry were performed to determine the pro-apoptotic role of RMST in HT-22 hippocampal neuron cell line. Furthermore, RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual-Luciferase reporter assays were performed to determine the mechanism of RMST in OGD-induced HT-22 cell apoptosis. In the results, RMST was highly expressed in OGD-treated HT-22 cells. Altered RMST expression led to marked changes in HT-22 cell proliferation and apoptosis. Mechanistically, RMST indirectly activated p53/miR-107 signaling pathway via interacting with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) and fulfilled its pro-apoptotic function in HT-22 cells. In conclusion, our data indicated that the RMST/hnRNPK/p53/miR-107/Bcl2l2 axis plays an important role in regulating neuronal apoptosis. • RMST was highly expressed in OGD-treated neurons. • Altered RMST expression regulated neuronal proliferation and apoptosis. • RMST directly bound to hnRNPK, and sequentially activated p53 signaling. • RMST indirectly activated p53/miR-107 signaling pathway via hnRNPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dynamic interaction between cancer cells and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the hypoxic tumour microenvironment (TME) is an active barrier to the effector arm of the antitumour immune response. Cancer-secreted exosomes are emerging mediators of this cancer-stromal cross-talk in the TME; however, the mechanisms underlying this interaction remain unclear. Methods: Exosomes were isolated with ExoQuick exosome precipitation solution. The polarizing effect of TAMs was evaluated by flow cytometry, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining and in vitro phagocytosis assays. Clinical cervical cancer specimens and an in vivo xenograft model were also employed. Results: Our previous study showed that hypoxia increased the expression of ZEB1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) cells, which resulted in increased infiltration of TAMs. Here, we found that hypoxia-induced ZEB1 expression is closely correlated with CD47-SIRPα axis activity in CSCC, which enables cancer cells to evade phagocytosis by macrophages and promotes tumour progression. ZEB1 was found to directly activate the transcription of the CD47 gene in hypoxic CSCC cells. We further showed that endogenous ZEB1 was characteristically enriched in hypoxic CSCC cell-derived exosomes and transferred into macrophages via these exosomes to promote SIRPα+ TAM polarization. Intriguingly, exosomal ZEB1 retained transcriptional activity and reprogrammed SIRPα+ TAMs via activation of the STAT3 signalling pathway in vitro and in vivo. STAT3 inhibition reduced the polarizing effect induced by exosomal ZEB1. Knockdown of ZEB1 increased the phagocytosis of CSCC cells by macrophages via decreasing CD47 and SIRPα expression. Conclusions: Our results suggest that hypoxia-induced ZEB1 promotes immune evasion in CSCC by strengthening the CD47-SIRPα axis. ZEB1-targeted therapy in combination with CD47-SIRPα checkpoint immunotherapy may improve the outcomes of CSCC patients in part by disinhibiting innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Au nano-cone array (Au-NCA) and a three-segment hybridization strategy, a novel SERS biosensor is proposed for the ultrasensitive detection of the microRNA miR-21. The uniform, stable, and reproducible Au-NCA was prepared by the single-layer colloidal ball template method. Subsequently, the target was hybridized with sequence 2. The resulting target-sequence 2 complex was then hybridized with sequence 1 anchored on Au-NCA. Thus, a three-segment sequence complex was formed. SERS measurements can be performed without the need for complex purification and amplification steps. Due to the ability of miR-21 to perform specific complementary hybridization with two sequences, SERS biosensors have superior specificity for miR-21 without interference from other miRNAs. Under the optimal conditions, the SERS biosensor was applied and the limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 3.02 aM. This method has been successfully used to the detection of miR-21 in the serum of lymphoma patients and healthy volunteers. The results are consistent with the traditional test methods. Therefore, this novel SERS biosensor shows excellent clinical translational potential in the detection of lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The changes in China's family planning policy in recent years have led to changes in the age structure of pregnant women, and the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) is also on the rise. Cognitive Behaviour Training (CBT) as an effective intervention is widely used for postpartum depression. However, the shortage and health disparities of mental health resources, the stigma of postpartum depression in postpartum women and the need for postpartum recovery and child care prevent postpartum women from seeking traditional face-to-face CBT. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed study is to examine the effect of mobile phone applications (App) based CBT on postpartum depression, anxiety, pressure and parenting sense of competence.Methods: A double blind, randomized controlled trial will be used in this study to examine the effectiveness of App-based CBT in reducing the prevalence of postpartum depression compared with usual postpartum care in China. A total of 120 participants will be recruited in this study. The intervention consists of a weekly theme module app for continuous six weeks, each module including learning content and assignments. The control group received usual postpartum care content through the App. Outcome measures include postpartum depression, anxiety, pressure and parenting sense of competence at 0-, 3- and 6-month after the intervention.Discussion: If our intervention is effective, it will provide a time-friendly and unrestricted intervention for the psychological care of perinatal women, which can effectively solve the shortage and unevenness of mental health resources.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900020735 . Registered 15 January 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent research article by Pace et al. (2019) , the authors claimed to have used information from phenology, morphology and molecular phylogenetics in their nomenclatural review of the Spiranthes sinensis complex. However, there are several scientific and botanical nomenclature issues with the Pace et al. (2019) paper in addition to its many errors and misinformation, which can be severely misleading and have the potential to affect our understanding of the highly complex Asian Spiranthes group. Here, we compare and critique their study in light of our study published prior to the article in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. We suggest that the authors should have resorted to improved and new molecular data and a truly integrative analysis to support: (1) re-circumscription of the S. sinensis species complex for each of the six species they recognized, and the treatment of S. hongkongensis as a hybrid; and (2) all the new synonymies they proposed for Asian Spiranthes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health emergencies have challenged the public health emergency management systems (PHEMSs) of many countries critically and frequently since this century. As the world's most populated country and the second biggest economy in the world, China used to have a fragile PHEMS; however, the government took forceful actions to build PHEMS after the 2003 SARS outbreak. After more than one decade's efforts, we tried to assess the improvements and problems of China's PHEMS between 2002 and 2012.Methods: We conducted two rounds of national surveys and collected the data of the year 2002 and 2012, including all 32 provincial, 139 municipal, and 489 county CDCs. The municipal and county CDCs were selected by systematic random sampling. Twenty-one indicators of four stages (preparation, readiness, response and recovery) from the National Assessment Criteria for CDC Performance were chosen to assess the ten-year trends.Results: At the preparation stage, organization, mechanisms, workforce, and stockpile across all levels and regions were significantly improved after one decade's efforts. At the readiness stage, the capability for formulating an emergency plan was also significantly improved during the same period. At the response stage, internet-based direct reporting was 98.8%, and coping scores were nearly full points of ten in 2012. At the recovery stage, the capabilities were generally lower than expected.Conclusions: Due to forceful leadership, sounder regulations, and intensive resources, China's PHEMS has been improved at the preparation, readiness, and response stages; however, the recovery stage was still weak and could not meet the requirements of crisis management and preventive governance. In addition, CDCs in the Western region and counties lagged behind in performance on most indicators. Future priorities should include developing the recovery stage, establishing a closed feedback loop, and strengthening the capabilities of CDCs in Western region and counties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the expression and correlation of microRNA-7 (miR-7) and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) genes and proteins in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mouse models and to elucidate the effect of miR-7 inhibition in the intestinal mucosa in IBD models. A TNBS-induced IBD mouse model was established. Changes in intestinal inflammation were observed by HE staining, and the expression levels of miR-7 and TFF3 were detected by RT-PCR. After miRNA-antagomir injection, the degree of colonic tissue damage and the expression levels of miR-7 and TFF3 in intestinal tissues were compared. TNBS-induced IBD mice showed significant weight loss, significantly decreased disease activity index (DAI), and a significantly increased pathological damage score. miR-7 was highly expressed in the colon tissue of IBD mice, and TFF3 was downregulated. Inhibition of the expression of miR-7 improved the stool characteristics and fecal occult blood (OB) of IBD mice, significantly increased the expression of TFF3 protein, and decreased the pathological damage scores. In the IBD mouse model, miR-7 posttranscriptionally regulates TFF3. The inhibition of miR-7 expression improves some clinical manifestations of IBD mice, reduces the pathological damage of the intestinal mucosa, and shows a protective effect in IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we examined the factors affecting survival of women with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and constructed and validated a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) in these patients. The cohort was selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed. A nomogram was developed based on significant prognostic indicators of OS. The discriminatory and predictive capacities of the nomogram were assessed using Harrell's concordance index (C‐index) and calibration plots. A total of 1651 eligible patients were identified, with a median survival time of 31 months (range 0‐131 months), and the 3‐ and 5‐year OS rates were 52.8% and 39.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that race (P < .001), marital status (P = .011), N stage (P = .002), M stage (P < .001), hormone receptor (P < .001), human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 (HER2) (P = .001), surgery (P < .001), chemotherapy (P < .001), and radiotherapy (P = .010) were independent prognostic indicators of IBC. These nine variables were incorporated to construct a nomogram. The C‐indexes of the nomogram were 0.738 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.717, 0.759) and 0.741 (95% CI: 0.717, 0.765) for the internal and external validations, respectively. The nomogram had a better discriminatory capacity for predicting OS than did the SEER summary stage (P < .001) or the American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor‐node metastasis staging systems (8th edition; P < .001). The calibration plot revealed satisfactory agreement between the findings and predicted outcomes in both the internal and external validations. The nomogram‐based 3‐ and 5‐year OS predictions for patients with IBC exhibited superior accuracy over the existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted single cell metabolomics studies of live cancer cells through online single cell mass spectrometry (SCMS) experiments combined with a generalized comprehensive data analysis workflow. The SCMS experiments were carried out using the Single-probe device coupled with a mass spectrometer to measure molecular profiles of cells in response to two mitotic inhibitors, taxol and vinblastine, under a series of treatment conditions. SCMS metabolomic data were analyzed using a comprehensive approach, including data pre-treatment, visualization, statistical analysis, machine learning, and pathway enrichment analysis. For comparative studies, traditional liquid chromatography-MS (LC-MS) experiments were conducted using lysates prepared from bulk cell samples. Metabolomic profiles of single cells were visualized through Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), and the phenotypic biomarkers associated with emerging phenotypes induced by drug treatment were discovered and compared through a series of rigorous statistical analysis. Species of interest were further identified at both the single cell and population levels. In addition, four biological pathways potentially involved in the drug treatment were determined through pathway enrichment analysis. Our work demonstrated the capability of comprehensive pipeline studies of single cell metabolomics. This method can be potentially applied to broader types of SCMS datasets for future pharmaceutical and chemotherapeutic research. Image 1 • Live single cell metabolomics was performed using MS and comprehensive data analysis. • Cells' metabolomic response to anticancer drugs was investigated. • Phenotypic biomarkers reflecting drug treatment were discovered and identified. • Biological pathways related to drug treatment were revealed at the single cell level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the study of the dynamical behavior of the tritrophic interaction amongst plants, herbivores and carnivores mathematical model, expressed by three nonlinear ordinary differential equations under fractal–fractional derivative in the Caputo sense. We use fixed point theory to ensure that one solution exists to the proposed model. In addition, Hyers–Ulam's stability analysis is studied by using theorem of functional analysis. For the numerical solution, we apply the fractional Adams–Bashforth iterative technique. For arbitrary fractional order and fractal dimensions, we study the dynamical and chaotic behavior of the obtained results for the considered model. Using Matlab 16, the system is then solved to get the required numerical solution for the proposed system. From the numerical simulations, we observed that the decay in fractional order dynamics of the system is stabilized when the amplitude of the oscillations becomes smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alginate oligosaccharides (AOs) are the degradation products of alginate, a natural polysaccharide abundant in brown algae. AOs generated by enzymatic hydrolysis have diverse bioactivities and show broad application potentials. AOs production via enzymolysis is now generally with sodium alginate as the raw material, which is chemically extracted from brown algae. In contrast, AOs production by direct degradation of brown algae is more advantageous on account of its cost reduction and is more eco-friendly. However, there have been only a few attempts reported in AOs production from direct degradation of brown algae. Results: In this study, an efficient Laminaria japonica-decomposing strain Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans A3 was screened. Based on the secretome and mass spectrum analyses, strain A3 showed the potential as a cell factory for AOs production by secreting alginate lyases to directly degrade L. japonica. By using the L. japonica roots, which are normally discarded in the food industry, as the raw material for both fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis, AOs were produced by the fermentation broth supernatant of strain A3 after optimization of the alginate lyase production and hydrolysis parameters. The generated AOs mainly ranged from dimers to tetramers, among which trimers and tetramers were predominant. The degradation efficiency of the roots reached 54.58%, the AOs production was 33.11%, and the AOs purity was 85.03%. Conclusion: An efficient, cost-effective and green process for AOs production directly from the underutilized L. japonica roots by using strain A3 was set up, which differed from the reported processes in terms of the substrate and strain used for fermentation and the AOs composition. This study provides a promising platform for scalable production of AOs, which may have application potentials in industry and agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of inflammasomes—immune system receptor sensor complexes that selectively activate inflammatory responses—has been associated with diverse human diseases, and many nanomedicine studies have reported that structurally and chemically diverse inorganic nanomaterials cause excessive inflammasome activation. Here, in stark contrast to reports of other inorganic nanomaterials, we find that nickel-cobalt alloy magnetic nanocrystals (NiCo NCs) actually inhibit activation of NLRP3, NLRC4 and AIM2 inflammasomes. We show that NiCo NCs disrupt the canonical inflammasome ASC speck formation process by downregulating the lncRNA Neat1 , and experimentally confirm that the entry of NiCo NCs into cells is required for the observed inhibition of inflammasome activation. Furthermore, we find that NiCo NCs inhibit neutrophil recruitment in an acute peritonitis mouse model and relieve symptoms in a colitis mouse model, again by inhibiting inflammasome activation. Beyond demonstrating a highly surprising and apparently therapeutic impact for an inorganic nanomaterial on inflammatory responses, our work suggests that nickel- and cobalt-containing nanomaterials may offer an opportunity to design anti-inflammatory nanomedicines for the therapeutics of macrophage-mediated diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• LiFeO 2 /ZnFe 2 O 4 composite has been successfully prepared by a facile sol-gel process. • The microwave absorbing property was studied by means of the transmit-line theory. • The reflection curve presents several strong absorption peaks in the range of 2–18 GHz. • LiFeO 2 /ZnFe 2 O 4 composite has a potential use in EMC and stealth technique. A ferrite composite material composed of ZnFe 2 O 4 and LiFeO 2 has been successfully prepared by a facile sol-gel process. The crystal phase composition and micro-morphology of the as-prepared LiFeO 2 / ZnFe 2 O 4 composite was analyzed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electromagnetic and microwave absorbing properties of the as-prepared composite were investigated by means of the transmit-line theory. It is found that the as-prepared composite has a minimum reflection loss value of - 10.4 dB at 17.7 GHz with a matching thickness of 16.7 mm. In addition, the electromagnetic characteristics of the as-prepared composite showed that the reflection curve presents several strong absorption peaks in the range of 2–18 GHz, compared with the reflection curve of single component ZnFe 2 O 4 that reported elsewhere. It also proposed a method to prepare the multiphase materials by the facile sol-gel process, which is an effective way in adjusting electromagnetic parameters of as-prepared materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive investigations into long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various diseases and cancers, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been conducted. The current study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA solute carrier family 8 member A1 antisense RNA 1 (SLC8A1‐AS1) in myocardial damage by targeting solute carrier family 8 member A1 (SLC8A1) via cyclic guanosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate‐protein kinase G (cGMP‐PKG) signaling pathway in AMI mouse models. Differentially expressed lncRNA in AMI were initially screened and target relationship between lncRNA SLC8A1‐AS1 and SLC8A1 was then verified. Infarct size, levels of inflammatory factors, biochemical indicators, and the positive expression of the SLC8A1 protein in AMI were subsequently determined. The expression of SLC8A1‐AS1, SLC8A1, PKG1, PKG2, atrial natriuretic peptide, and brain natriuretic peptide was detected to assess the effect of SLC8A1‐AS1 on SLC8A1 and cGMP‐PKG. The respective contents of superoxide dismutase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected accordingly. Microarray data GSE66360 provided evidence indicating that SLC8A1‐AS1 was poorly expressed in AMI. SLC8A1 was verified to be a target gene of lncRNA SLC8A1‐AS1. SLC8A1‐AS1 upregulation decreased levels of left ventricular end‐systolic diameter, −dp/ dtmax, interleukin 1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, transforming growth factor α, nitric oxide, inducible nitric‐oxide synthase, endothelial nitric‐oxide synthase, infarct size, LDH activity and MDA content, and increased IL‐10, left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure and + dp/ dtmax. Furthermore, the overexpression of SLC8A1‐AS1 was noted to elicit an inhibitory effect on the cGMP‐PKG signaling pathway via SLC8A1. In conclusion, lncRNA SLC8A1‐AS1, by downregulating SLC8A1 and activating the cGMP‐PKG signaling pathway, was observed to alleviate myocardial damage, inhibit the release of proinflammatory factors and reduce infarct size, ultimately protecting against myocardial damage. In conclusion, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) solute carrier family 8 member A1 antisense RNA 1 (SLC8A1‐AS1), by downregulating solute carrier family 8 member A1 (SLC8A1) and activating cyclic guanosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate‐protein kinase G (cGMP‐PKG) signaling pathway, was observed to alleviate myocardial damage, inhibit the release of proinflammatory factors and reduce infarct size, ultimately protecting against myocardial damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that circulating microRNAs (miRNA) play a critical role in diagnosing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aims to investigate the effect of miR‐224 on atherosclerotic plaques forming and vascular remodeling in ACS and its relationship with TGF‐β/Smad pathway. Myocardial infarction (MI) rat model was established and lentivirus vector of miR‐224 inhibitor was prepared for investigating the effect of downregulated miR‐224 on the contents of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), blood lipid levels and inflammatory factor levels in serum as well as the TGF‐β/Smad pathway. The rats suffering from MI had decreased survival rates and exhibited reduced levels of NO, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lumen diameter, and Smad7 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression; while had significantly increased ratio of heart weight or body weight, levels of ET‐1, inflammatory factors, blood lipid indexes, vascular remodeling indexes, collagen volume fraction, vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque area, VCAM‐1 and MMP‐2 protein expression, TGF‐β, Smad2, Smad3, and Smad4 mRNA and protein expression. After inhibiting the TGF‐β/Smad pathway, the rats suffering from MI showed notably opposite trend. In conclusion, downregulation of miR‐224 expression promotes the formation of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques and vascular remodeling in ACS through activation of the TGF‐β/Smad pathway. Therefore, this study provides a new therapeutic target for ACS. In conclusion, downregulation of miR‐224 expression promotes the formation of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques and vascular remodeling in ACS through activation of the TGF‐β/Smad pathway. Therefore, this study provides a new therapeutic target for ACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective analysis of the phenotypic characteristics, clinical manifestations, investigations and interleukin-10 receptor (IL-10R) status of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in infants and children under 2 years of age in Liaoning Province, China between January 2015 and October 2016 is described. Six patients without a family history of IBD were diagnosed with Crohn disease, and IL-10R mutations were detected in five of them. Compound heterozygous patients with IL-10R mutations had severe clinical manifestations, were resistant to standard medication for IBD and had a poor prognosis as haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was not undertaken. Two of these patients died of suspected septicaemia. IBD in infants and children under 2 years of age is life-threatening when patients with IL-10R mutations do not receive allogeneic HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, quantum teleportation schemes of a single qubit, two-qubit and N-qubit state are presented in a multihop communication network. All the schemes can be completed deterministicly. The shared entanglement resource between two adjacent nodes is the composition of the asymmetric W state and Bell state. It is not equivalent to the composite of GHZ state and Bell state used by Zou et al. (Phys. Lett. A 381, 76-81 2017). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Hierarchical Pd/MnO 2 /Ni foam electrode was fabricated for efficient ECH process. • Dosage of precious metal Pd was drastically reduced by the introduction of MnO 2. • MnO 2 promoted the water dissociation and provide more atomic H∗ for dechlorination. • Pd/MnO 2 /Ni foam electrode exhibited good reusability and stability. Abstract A Pd/MnO 2 /Ni foam electrode with hierarchical structure was synthesized via electrodeposition for efficient electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination. Compared with the ordinary Pd/Ni foam electrode, the introduction of MnO 2 greatly enhanced the catalytic reactivity and reduced the dose of precious metal Pd. Only a quarter of Pd was required for the Pd/MnO 2 /Ni foam compared to the Pd/Ni electrode to achieve complete dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid (2,4-DCBA) within 120 min. Various characterizations suggested that MnO 2 covered the surface of the Ni foam and increased the specific surface area of the electrode, while Pd nanoparticles were subsequently deposited on MnO 2. The atomic H∗-based indirect dechlorination was the dominant pathway while only approximately 13% of 2,4-DCBA was removed by direct electron transfer. Atomic H∗ adsorbed on Pd acted as the key active species for the dechlorination of 2,4-DCBA by the Pd/MnO 2 /Ni foam electrode in this study. The introduction of MnO 2 would promote the water dissociation and the hydrogen evolution reaction, and provide Pd with more atomic H∗. Pd/MnO 2 /Ni foam exhibited good stability and reusability according to the XPS spectra and consecutive electrocatalytic experiments, which suggested its long-term potential for efficient removal of chlorinated contaminants. This work demonstrated a new strategy to design efficient electrocatalysts with less precious metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The huge demand for high-quality coal in China has resulted in increased generation of preparation plant wastes of various properties. A series of beneficiation products collected from a preparation plant were characterized to understand their petrographic and mineralogical characteristics, as well as thermochemical and trace element behavior during combustion. The minerals in the Luling preparation plant wastes from Huaibei coalfield mainly included kaolinite and quartz, with minor calcite, ankerite, pyrite, illite, chalcopyrite, albite, K-feldspar, anatase/rutile, and iron-oxide minerals. Massive clay lumps of terrigenous origin, cleat-infilling carbonate, and pyrite of epigenetic origin were prone to be enriched in the middlings and coal gangue. Minor or trace heavy minerals also reported to the preparation plant wastes. The contents of low-density density vitrinite and liptinite were enhanced in the clean coal, while inertinite-maceral group were enriched in the middlings. The modes of occurrences of toxic elements differed between raw coal and the waste products; and their transformation behavior during heavy medium separation is largely controlled by clay minerals (V, Cr, Co, Sb, and Pb), carbonate minerals (Co and Pb), sulfide minerals (As, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn) and organic matters (V, Cr, Se, and Cu). Three groups were classified based on the volatile ratio (Vr) of toxic elements. Group 1 includes the highly volatile element Se with Vr > 85%; Group 2 contained elements As, Pb, Zn, Cd and Sb, with the Vr in the range of 20–85% and V, Cr, Co, Ni and Cu with Vr less than 20% were placed into Group 3. Thermal reactivity of coal inferred from the combustion profiles could be significantly improved after coal beneficiation, whereas the increased inorganic components probably inhibited the thermal chemical reaction of wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effects of unexpected follicular development and ovulation in artificial cycles (ACs) on pregnancy outcomes. A retrospective cohort study. A university-affiliated fertility center. A total of 1,427 patients who underwent a single, frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer with AC regimens from January 2014 to December 2020 at a university-affiliated fertility center were included. Unexpected follicular development and ovulation in ACs. Live birth rate (LBR), biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate. A total of 161 patients with unexpected follicular development and ovulation in ACs (ovulation group) and 1,266 patients without growing follicles in ACs (control group) were enrolled. The patients in the ovulation group were older and had higher levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone and lower levels of serum antimüllerian hormone. After propensity score matching, the baseline characteristics between the 2 groups were comparable and no significant difference was observed in the LBR (ovulation group, 39.0% vs. control group, 39.0%), biochemical pregnancy rate (ovulation group, 60.3% vs. control group, 58.2%), clinical pregnancy rate (ovulation group, 53.4% vs. control group, 50.7%), or ongoing pregnancy rate (ovulation group, 42.5% vs. control group, 40.4%). Moreover, the patients in the ovulation group showed a lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (1.6% vs. 15.3%). A subgroup analysis of women who delivered singleton live-born babies also demonstrated that unexpected follicular development and ovulation in ACs was associated with a decreased risk of HDP (adjusted odds ratio, 0.070; 95% confidence interval, 0.007–0.712) and an increased risk of large-for-gestational-age infants (adjusted odds ratio, 4.046; 95% confidence interval, 1.319–12.414). Women with unexpected follicular development and ovulation during single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer with AC regimens had a similar LBR and a reduced risk of HDP compared with those with routine AC regimens, and singleton neonates had an increased risk of being large for gestational age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although trade does not only boost the economy but also exacerbates environmental transfers but still the evidence for air pollution's unequal exchange embodied in trade among the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries is rarely discussed in the extant literature. From the perspective of an integrated evaluation framework comprising a multi-regional input-output model, system balance theory, and complex network theory, this research paper uncovers the spatial- and temporal changes of trade-induced air pollution inequality among countries along the BRI route for the time period from 2011 to 2016. The study findings point out that there exists an obvious spatial heterogeneity in the unequal relations among BRI economies. This implies that a large number of country pairs demonstrate weak inequalities, whereas a relatively small number of country pairs represent strong inequalities. In addition, the countries' positions indicate a unique characteristic of "duality and inverse", which is majorly manifested as pure causers represented by Moldova and Belarus, net beneficiaries symbolized by China and Russia, and pure victims exemplified by Bhutan. Meanwhile, nearly half of the dual identities are represented by Singapore. Besides this, the proposal and implementation of the BRI exert a positive influence on both system stability and inequality mitigation by supporting the balance of triangles. Finally, this paper posits that the environmental inequality system of the Belt and Road is not as complex as imagined since the 3-node motif classification is relatively simple. Our findings are helpful for mitigating air pollution inequalities so as to support the sustainable development of green BRI. • Evolution of the environmental inequality in BRI countries is studied. • The initiative exerts a positive influence on stability and inequality mitigation. • Most countries illustrate a feature of "duality and inverse". • Five identified subgraphs indicate that the system is predictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference 1 Deng T.-C., Yang J.-Y., Sun M.-L., Zhang Y.-Z., Pan Y.-T., Huang L. Distinct roles of Ena ATP family proteins in sodium accumulation, invasive growth, and full virulence in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Graph Footnotes 1 B Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: b The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). Distinct Roles of Ena ATP Family Proteins in Sodium Accumulation, Invasive Growth, and Full Virulence in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. [Extracted from the article]

The role of collagen XII in regulating injury repair and reestablishment of corneal function is unknown. This manuscript aims to investigate the role(s) of collagen XII in the repair of incisional and debridement injuries in an adult mouse model. Two different types of injury in wild type and Col12a1 −/− corneas were created to investigate the effects of collagen XII -in wound repair and scar formation-by using clinical photographs, immunohistology, second harmonic generation imaging and electron microscopy. Results showed that collagen XII is a regulator of wound closure after incisional injuries. Absence of collagen XII retarded wound closure and the wound healing process. These findings show that collagen XII regulates fibrillogenesis, CD68 cell lineage infiltration, and myofibroblast survival following injury. In vitro studies suggest that collagen XII regulates deposition of an early and provisional matrix by interacting with two proteins regulating early matrix deposition: fibronectin and LTBP1(latent transforming growth factor β binding protein 1). In conclusion, collagen XII regulates tissue repair in corneal incisional wounds. Understanding the function of collagen XII during wound healing has significant translational value. • Collagen XII is essential to attain wound closure and scar maturation. • Incisional injuries heal poorly and closure is delayed without collagen XII. • Collagen XII is deposited early during wound closure. • Collagen XII interacts with other matrix components of the provisional matrix [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Fixation-resistant photoactivatable fluorescent proteins for CLEM," by Maria G. Paez-Segala, Mei G. Sun, and Sarada Viswanathan that was published online on January 12, 2015 is presented.

Spiranthes (∼36 species, Orchidaceae) is a small genus with a global distribution. It has a center of diversity in North America with only a few species occurring in Asia. This study focuses on the Asian Spiranthes with an emphasis on understanding their biogeographic relationships and species delimitations using molecular markers. Our phylogenetic trees based on nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast ( trnL-trnLF , matK and trnS-G ) sequences from samples across their range in Asia revealed the Asian Spiranthes are monophyletic. Ancestral area optimization suggested that North America forms the ancestral region for the Asian Spiranthes rather than Europe suggesting that they originated from a single long-distance dispersal event. Our study also revealed the presence of a cryptic species S. himalayensis , which was discovered based on molecular data thus emphasizing the importance of wide geographical sampling in phylogenetic studies. Sequences of cloned ITS provided support for the hypothesis that natural hybridization between S. sinensis and the newly described S. himalayensis resulted in the allotetraploid S. hongkongensis , with S. himalayensis as the paternal parent. One of the species complexes known in Asia is the S. sinensis complex, which shows a wide occurrence and is known for local geographical variants. Some of these variants have been described as new species in Australia and New Zealand. Our studies show that all the sampled variants including the Australian and New Zealand species show monophyly despite having long branches. This suggests that there may be high rates of gene flow between the geographically distinct forms resulting in lack of species resolution within the S. sinensis complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to explore the value of fecal calprotectin (FC) for early screening of the abdominal type of Henoch-Schonlein purpura (AHSP) in children. The study cohort included 40 children with AHSP treated at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from November 2014 to November 2015, and 40 children hospitalized in the Division of Pediatric Orthopedics in the corresponding period were selected as a control group. Fresh fecal samples were collected in the acute phase of the first visit (FC1), 3 days after treatment (FC2), and 7 days after treatment (FC3) from the AHSP group and the control group. Calprotectin levels in the fecal samples were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At the same time, gastrointestinal performance and the laboratory examination indicators white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP) level were recorded. The median levels of FC1 (3053 μg/g) and FC2 (2778.3 μg/g) were higher than in the control group (102.5 μg/g), with significant differences among the three groups (p < 0.001). FC levels gradually decreased in remission, and the level of FC3 on day 7 was close to that of the control samples (p > 0.05). When the optimal cut-off was 264.5 μg/g, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of FC for diagnosis of AHSP was 0.961 with a corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 93.1 and 87.5%, respectively. The levels of FC in children with AHSP were positively correlated with WBC count (rs = 0.688) and CRP value (rs = 0.513). The area under the ROC curve of WBC count for screening AHSP was 0.785 when the optimal cut-off value was 11.1 × 109/L with a corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 81.5 and 62.5%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of CRP was 0.963 when the optimal cut-off value was 5.72 mg/dL with a corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 88.9 and 100%, respectively. Comparisons of FC, WBC count, and CRP level as diagnostic indicators of AHSP showed that the sensitivity of FC was higher than that of the WBC count and CRP level, and its diagnostic value was better than that of the WBC count. The levels of FC began to increase in the early stages of AHSP, showing a decreasing tendency in remission and tending to be within a normal range after a week or so. For the early diagnosis of AHSP, FC with a cut-off level of 264.5 μg/g has good sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity of FC is better than that of the traditional inflammation indicators CRP and WBC count, and its diagnostic performance is better than WBC count; FC can be suitable as a new marker for the early diagnosis of AHSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy supply–demand security and climate change has continued to be problematic, making it significant and necessary to investigate embodied energy flow, particularly in a large and fast-growing developing country like China. One of the effective approaches is the energy/emissions embodied in bilateral trade (EEBT) aiming to locate the destination of energy bi-directionally to evaluate how energy flow between producer and consumer sectors. However, in addition to the flow of energy and resources, the topological structure and impact of underlying components from a system science perspective are equally important for policy-making. This study therefore constructs an energy embodied in trade network (EETN) model to track multi-layer primary energy flow by integrating the EEBT approach and complex network analysis. The embodied coal, oil, natural gas, and non-fossil fuels associated with China’s 30 provinces/municipalities are quantified at the provincial level. By the joint analysis of the network-oriented metrics, the EETN model elicits the possibility of understanding the heterogeneity distribution of different types of energy flow and the potential impact of province-specific policy interventions. We explain how resource endowment, economic growth, income inequality, cross-provincial industrial transfer, and infrastructures affect China’s provincial energy embodiments as well as the clustering features. Other findings and policy recommendations are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]