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This abstract presents a formaldehyde catalytic mechanism diagram, illustrating the catalyst's subtle changes during the reaction process and providing a deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms. [Display omitted] The elimination of formaldehyde at room temperature holds immense potential for various applications, and the incorporation of a catalyst rich in surface hydroxyl groups and oxygen significantly enhances its catalytic activity towards formaldehyde oxidation. By employing a coprecipitation method, we successfully achieved a palladium domain confined within the manganese carbonate lattice and doped with iron. This synergistic effect between highly dispersed palladium and iron greatly amplifies the concentration of surface hydroxyl groups and oxygen on the catalyst, thereby enabling complete oxidation of formaldehyde at ambient conditions. The proposed method facilitates the formation of domain-limited palladium within the MnCO 3 lattice, thereby enhancing the dispersion of palladium and facilitating its partial incorporation into the MnCO 3 lattice. Consequently, this approach promotes increased exposure of active sites and enhances the catalyst's capacity for oxygen activation. The co-doping of iron effectively splits the doping sites of palladium to further enhance its dispersion, while simultaneously modifying the electronic modification of the catalyst to alter formaldehyde's adsorption strength on it. Manganese carbonate exhibits superior adsorption capability for activated surface hydroxyl groups due to the presence of carbonate. In situ infrared testing revealed that dioxymethylene and formate are primary products resulting from catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde, with catalyst surface oxygen and hydroxyl groups playing a crucial role in intermediate product decomposition and oxidation. This study provides novel insights for designing palladium-based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgPd/AgAu-hetero-junctioned nanostructures composed of AgPd-nanoparticle and AgAu nanotroughs were constructed successfully by interface-confined dual galvanic etching strategy. Composition-optimized AgPd/AgAu-hetero-junctioned Ag 13 Pd 67 Au 20 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance for ethanol electrooxidation. [Display omitted] The functions of nanomaterials are closely linked with their fine structures and compositions. Precisely processing nanoparticles into morphology- and composition-varied nanostructures can a cutting-edge technology for producing complex nanostructures. Herein, we develop an interface-confined precise processing strategy towards toluene/water-interfacial Ag nanowires. Interfacial Ag nanowires are transformed into AgPd-nanoparticle-sealed AgAu nanotroughs with abundant AgPd/AgAu hetero-junctions (i.e., AgPdAu hetero-junction nanostructures). By adjusting the reaction conditions, composition-varied AgPdAu hetero-junction nanostructures can be obtained. The formation of AgPdAu hetero-junction nanostructures can be attributed to interface-confined precise etching towards Ag nanowires separately from the two subphases of the water and the toluene. Composition-optimized Ag 13 Pd 67 Au 20 hetero-junction nanostructure shows satisfactory catalytic performance towards ethanol electrooxidation: ∼4 and 2 times in electrochemical-activity-surface-area-normalized activities; ∼6 and 5 times in mass-normalized activities higher than commercial Pd/C and Pt/C, respectively. The outstanding catalytic capability of Ag 13 Pd 67 Au 20 may be attributed to optimized composition, porous nanostructures as well as abundant AgPd/AgAu hetero-junctions. This work demonstrates the feasibility of precisely processing interfacial nanoparticles, opening the way for creating morphology-well-defined composition-varied complex nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The rapid development of process technology has led to rapid daily industrial production, which also produced a large amount of waste liquid. At the same time, the existing treatment technology cannot keep up with the demand, resulting in the malicious destruction of the environment by wastewater, especially mercury-containing wastewater was very harmful. Effective means of removing mercury ions need to be found. With magnetic ferric oxide as the core and titanium-based metal–organic frameworks as the shell, a new type of magnetic adsorbent (BTA-MIL-125(Ti)@Fe 3 O 4) was synthesized. Materials were tested by multiple characterization methods and multiple sets of experiments. At optimal pH 6, the removal rate in 100 ppm Hg(Ⅱ) was as high as 95.8%. The theoretical adsorption capacity was 615 mg/L. Isothermal experiments, kinetic experiments and thermodynamic experiments have respectively verified that the material was a kind of adsorption material with self-emission heat based on chemical action and synergistic adsorption with Hill model. By simulating the immunity of a variety of ions (Cu, Zn, Mg, Ni, Cd), the material itself also exhibited a very high affinity for Hg(Ⅱ). The results of five high-cycle stable adsorption proved the repeatable stability of the material itself. Various characterization methods have also shown that nitrogen and sulfur-containing groups chelated with Hg(Ⅱ). All of the above was enough to show that the BTA-MIL-125(Ti)@Fe 3 O 4 was a magnetic adsorption material with excellent performance and great prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In the context of industrialization and severe wastewater pollution, mercury ions pose a major threat due to their high toxicity. However, traditional adsorbents and common metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have limited effectiveness. This study focuses on combining magnetic materials with functionalized titanium-based MOF composite (SNN-MIL-125(Ti)@Fe 3 O 4) to improve mercury ion adsorption. Through comprehensive characterization and analysis, the adsorption performance and mechanism of the material were studied. The optimal adsorption of the material was achieved at pH 5, exhibiting a pseudo-second-order adsorption model and the Hill theoretical capacity of 668.98 mg/g. Hill and Tempkin models confirmed the presence of chemical and physical adsorption sites on the material surface. Thermodynamic experiments showed a spontaneous endothermic process. Despite the presence of interfering ions, the material exhibited high selectivity for mercury ions. After four cycles, adsorption performance decreased by only 8%, indicating excellent reusability. Nitrogen- and sulfur-containing functional groups played a key role in mercury ion adsorption. In conclusion, SNN-MIL-125(Ti)@Fe 3 O 4 , as a magnetic MOF adsorption material, showed potential for effective remediation of mercury-contaminated wastewater. This study contributes to the development of efficient adsorption materials and enhances the understanding of their mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The bilayer aerogel was obtained by cellulose skeleton with PVAP hydrogel and CNT. • An evaporation rate of 4.02 kg m−2 h−1 was achieved by CPC under 1 sun irradiation. • Water evaporation increased to 11.37 kg m−2 h−1 with convective flow of 2.0 m s−1. • The 10.70 kg m−2 h−1 was obtained in salt water by utilization multiple energy. • Cost-effectiveness and significant desalination highlight wide application of CPC. Interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) provides a sustainable approach of clean water production through desalination and water purification. It is still needed to pursue a fast evaporation rate, high-quality freshwater production, and low-cost evaporators. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) bilayer aerogel was fabricated using cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as a skeleton filled with polyvinyl alcohol phosphate ester (PVAP), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) as a light absorbing material in the top layer. The CNF/PVAP/CNT aerogel (CPC) had broadband light absorption ability and exhibited an ultrafast water transfer rate. The lower thermal conductivity of CPC effectively confined the convert heat in the top surface and minimized heat loss. Additionally, a large amount of intermediate water caused by water activation decreased the evaporation enthalpy. Under 1 sun irradiation, the CPC-3 (3.0 cm height of CPC) achieved a high evaporation rate of 4.02 kg m−2 h−1 with an energy conversion efficiency of 125.1%. The additional convective flow and environmental energy made CPC achieve an ultrahigh evaporation rate of 11.37 kg m−2 h−1, surpassing 673% of the solar input energy. More importantly, the continuous solar desalination and higher evaporation rate (10.70 kg m−2 h−1) in seawater revealed that CPC was a promising candidate for practical desalination. Outdoor cumulative evaporation was up to 73.2 kg m−2 d−1 in weak sunlight and lower temperature, which would meet the daily drinking water demands of 20 people. The excellent cost-effectiveness of 1.085 L h−1 $−1 presented its potential for a wide range of practical applications, such as solar desalination, wastewater treatment, and metal extractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composition-varied Au/PtTe hetero-junction-abundant nanostructures are fabricated by combining interfacial self-assembly and interface-confined transformation strategy, and can be directly used as electrocatalysts of boosting ethanol electrooxidation. [Display omitted] Pt-based multi-metallic electrocatalysts containing hetero-junctions are found to have superior catalytic performance to composition-equivalent counterparts. However, in bulk solution, controllable preparation of Pt-based hetero-junction electrocatalyst is an extremely random work owing to the complexity of solution reactions. Herein, we develop an interface-confined transformation strategy, subtly achieving Au/PtTe hetero-junction-abundant nanostructures by employing interfacial Te nanowires as sacrificing templates. By controlling the reaction conditions, composition-varied Au/PtTe can be easily obtained, such as Au 75 /Pt 20 Te 5 , Au 55 /Pt 34 Te 11 , and Au 5 /Pt 69 Te 26. Moreover, each Au/PtTe hetero-junction nanostructure appears to be an array consisting of side-by-side Au/PtTe nanotrough units and can be directly used as a catalyst layer without further post-treatment. All Au/PtTe hetero-junction nanostructures show better catalytic activity towards ethanol electrooxidation than commercial Pt/C because of the combining contributions of Au/Pt hetero-junctions and the collective effects of multi-metallic elements, where Au 75 /Pt 20 Te 5 exhibits the best electrocatalytic performance among three Au/PtTe nanostructures owing to its optimal composition. This study may provide technically feasible guidance for further maximizing the catalytic activity of Pt-based hybrid catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-phase protection layers induce a reinforcement effect on the Zn anode. Specifically, Sb nanoparticles can act as nucleation sites to promote the uniform Zn deposition and homogenize the electric field around the Zn surface. While ZHS micrometer-size sheets possess sufficient electrolyte wettability, fasting ion transfer kinetics and anti-corrosion, and thus guaranteeing uniform ion flux and suppressing dendrite growth and side reactions. [Display omitted] Rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries with abundant resources and high safety have gained extensive attention in energy storage technology. However, the cycle stability is largely limited by notorious Zn dendrite growth and water-induced interfacial side reactions. Here, a uniform and robust protection layer consisting of metal antimony (Sb) nanoparticles and micrometer-size sheets Zn 4 (OH) 6 SO 4 ·5H 2 O (ZHS) is purposely designed to stabilize Zn anode via an in situ chemical reaction strategy. The two-phase protection layers (Sb/ZHS) induce a reinforcement effect on the Zn anode (Zn@Sb/ZHS). Specifically, Sb nanoparticles play the part of nucleation sites to facilitate uniform Zn plating and homogenize the electric field around the Zn surface. ZHS micrometer-size sheets possess sufficient electrolyte wettability, fast ion transfer kinetics, and anti-corrosion, thus guaranteeing uniform ion flux and inhibiting H 2 O decomposition. As expected, the symmetric Zn@Sb/ZHS//Zn@Sb/ZHS cells achieve a minimal voltage hysteresis and a reversible cycle of over 2000 h at 1 mA cm−2. By pairing with the MnO 2 cathode, the full cell exhibits a significantly improved stability (∼94.17 % initial capacity after 1500 cycles). This study provides a new strategy to design artificial protection layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Size-tunable Co/CoO nanoparticles are fabricated using cubic ZIF-67 as precursors. • Co/CoO with a particle size of 30 nm exhibits strong absorption at low frequency. • At a thin thickness of 2.3 mm, the minimum RL value reaches −90.3 dB at 4.4 GHz. • Almost the entire S, C, and X bands absorption can be achieved at 1.0–4.0 mm. • Attenuation mechanism of strong low-frequency absorber is clarified. Nowadays, constructing strong absorption materials addressing the low-frequency electromagnetic radiation (S and C bands) from electronic devices remains a significant challenge. In this work, size-tunable Co/CoO nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated by decomposing zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) precursors and subsequent hydrogen reduction. All samples show obvious low-frequency attenuation in the S and C bands. At a thin thickness of 2.3 mm, the minimum reflection loss (RL) value for the Co/CoO NPs of 30 nm reaches up to −90.3 dB at 4.4 GHz, and the corresponding effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of RL ≤ −10 dB ranges from 3.8 to 5.4 GHz. Notably, 90 % of the electromagnetic waves can be absorbed in the frequency range of 2.3–13.2 GHz, covering almost the entire S, C, and X bands at a thickness of 1.0–4.0 mm. The strong low-frequency absorption performance is attributed to the nano-porous structure, high conduction loss, tunable dielectric/magnetic loss, as well as optimized impedance matching. These Co/CoO NPs are promising candidates for high-efficient microwave absorbers in the low-frequency application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation i u t − u x x + V (x) u + | u | 2 u = 0 , x ∈ T = R / 2 π Z subject to periodic boundary conditions, where the potential V (x) is real analytic in | I m x | < r and i = − 1. It is proved that there exist many quasi-periodic solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with given potential V (x) by a infinite dimensional KAM theorem dealing with multiple eigenvalues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we develop an adaptive algorithm for the efficient numerical solution of the minimum compliance problem in topology optimization. The algorithm employs the phase field approximation and continuous density field. The adaptive procedure is driven by two residual type a posteriori error estimators, one for the state variable and the other for the first-order optimality condition of the objective functional. The adaptive algorithm is provably convergent in the sense that the sequence of numerical approximations generated by the adaptive algorithm contains a subsequence convergent to a solution of the continuous first-order optimality system. We provide several numerical simulations to show the distinct features of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorite impact and solar wind irradiation are two major processes of space weathering on the Moon, but their effects on lunar soils remain poorly understood. We report the first discovery of native copper and FeCo alloy from a Chang'e-5 lunar basaltic clast. The native copper grains (∼0.1–2 μm) coexist exclusively with thin Cu-sulfide (digenite) layers (∼50–100 nm) that cover troilite, the associated iron whiskers and adjacent pyroxene and ilmenite. The FeCo alloy (∼100–200 nm) was associated with the iron metal on troilite. Both Cu and Co are probably exogenous since they are not detected in the troilite. These observations suggest that the digenite layer, native copper and FeCo alloy condensed from an impact-induced vapor with a high Cu/S ratio and Co-bearing composition. Our discoveries shed light on complicated space weathering processes on the Moon. • Native copper and FeCo alloy were first observed in Chang'e-5 lunar soil. • The thin digenite layer on troilite suggests an impact-induced vapor deposit origin. • The coexisting of Cu, FeCo and digenite indicate they were formed in an impact event. • Both Cu and Co may be introduced into the Chang'e-5 lunar soil by meteorite impactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cell apoptosis is a significant indication of accelerated intervertebral disc degeneration; however, the precise mechanism is unelucidated as of yet. Ephrin B2 (EFNB2), the only gene down-regulated in the three degraded intervertebral disc tissue microarray groups (GSE70362, GSE147383 and GSE56081), was screened for examination in this study. Subsequently, EFNB2 was verified to be down-regulated in degraded NP tissue samples. Interleukin-1 (IL-1β) treatment of NP cells to simulate the IDD environment indicated that IL-1β treatment decreased EFNB2 expression. In degenerative NP cells stimulated by IL-1β, EFNB2 knockdown significantly increased the rate of apoptosis as well as the apoptosis-related molecules cleaved-caspase-3 and the Bax to Bcl-2 ratio. EFNB2 was found to promote AKT, PI3K, and mTOR phosphorylation; the PI3K/AKT signaling role was investigated using the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. EFNB2 overexpression significantly increased PI3K/AKT pathway activity in IL-1β-stimulated NP cells than the normal control. Moreover, EFNB2 partially alleviated NP cell apoptosis induced by IL-1β, reduced the cleaved-cas3 level, and decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio after the addition of the inhibitor LY294002. Additionally, EFNB2 overexpression inhibited the ERK1/2 phosphorylation; the effects of EFNB2 overexpression on ERK1/2 phosphorylation, degenerative NP cell viability, and cell apoptosis were partially reversed by ERK signaling activator Ceramide C6. EFNB2 comprehensively inhibited the apoptosis of NP cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling and inhibiting the ERK signaling, obviating the exacerbation of IDD. EFNB2 could be a potential target to protect against degenerative disc changes. [Display omitted] • EFNB2 expression was downregulated in degenerative NP tissues and NP cells. • Overexpression of EFNB2 relieved IL-1β-induced NP cell viability inhibition and apoptosis. • PI3K and ERK signaling were involved in the protective role of EFNB2 in degenerative NP cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camel milk is becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to its nutritional and medicinal benefits. However, challenges such as the harsh living conditions required for camels and the relatively low production when compared to cow milk affect the sales of camel milk. Nevertheless, fermented camel milk is an excellent carrier of probiotics, which not only maintain its positive characteristics but also provide additional benefits. In this study, we compared the pH, viable counts, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) activity, and microrheological properties of untreated fermented camel milk (control group) and fermented camel milk treated with probiotics (Zhang group [ Lacticaseibacillus casei Zhang], V9 group [ Bifidobacterium lactis V9], and Mix group [Zhang + V9]). After the addition of probiotics, the fermentation time reduced, potentially decreasing the costs associated with large-scale camel milk fermentation. Finally, eight key metabolites were identified in camel milk and fermented camel milk, we observed that the post-fermentation levels of guanine were significantly higher in the probiotic groups, with the highest levels observed in the Mix group. The research provides a theoretical basis for preparation of probiotic fermented camel milk, and produces a product which can be used to for diabetes patients in the future. • Untargeted metabolomics revealed the fermented camel milk's diversity and dynamics. • Probiotic addition could reduce the loss of IGF-1. • L. casei Zhang and B. lactis V9 could mutually promote the content of guanine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent concerns of controlling water body eutrophication and the alleviating phosphorus shortage have led to an urgent need for action. The removal of phosphate from polluted waters and its reuse are essential for the prevention of eutrophication and for the sustainable utilization of phosphate resources. In this study, modified attapulgite with different Ca:Mg molar ratios was synthesized to facilitate the recovery of phosphate, with subsequent use of soil fertilizer. Ca–Mg modified attapulgite with the optimal ratio (ACM-5:3) exhibited an exceptional adsorption quality, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 63.2 mg/g. The pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model could well describe the adsorption kinetics and isotherms, respectively. The adsorption mechanism analyses suggested that the interaction between ACM-5:3 and phosphate depended mainly on ion exchange and electrostatic attraction. Moreover, phosphate-laden-ACM-5:3 demonstrated a significant potential as a phosphorus-releasing fertilizer. It could promote corn growth by ensuring a continuous supply of phosphorus and minimizing phosphorus runoff losses. The above results suggested that ACM-5:3 was a potential adsorbent for efficient phosphate removal and recovery. [Display omitted] • Ca–Mg modified attapulgite was prepared using the co-precipitation method. • The maximum adsorption capacity of ACM-5:3 was 63.2 mg/g. • Phosphate-laden-ACM-5:3 was directly used as a slow-release phosphorus fertilizer. • Efficient recovery and reuse of phosphates was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound (US) is an innovative food processing technique that has gained significant interest for its role in modifying proteins. Our study focused on how different US time exposure influence the stability, interfacial structure, and rheological characteristics of whey protein infused with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). Results indicated that a 9-min ultrasound treatment (US-9) of protein, yielding an emulsion with particle size of 338.3 nm and ζ-potential of −48 mV, was optimal for enhancing functional properties of the emulsion. The US-9 emulsion exhibited different surface rheological properties compared to other emulsions, revealing a heterogeneous MFGM stabilization interface predominantly made of MFGM fragments, free phospholipids, and proteins. The US-9 emulsion surface covered more phospholipids, indicating improved emulsion persistence, based on interfacial protein and phospholipid content calculations and microstructure observation. While the US-9 emulsion did not affect fat digestion, the US-6 min treatment resulted in an optimal fatty acid release rate. Further experimentation may be necessary to elucidate the intricate relationship between ultrasound duration and fat digestion. These findings have leaded to a better understanding of the emulsification capabilities of MFGM materials, as well as a foundation to improve infant formula quality. • Ultrasound modifies proteins could alter their structures. • Ultrasound can influence the composition of the droplet interface. • The physicochemical properties of the emulsion after ultrasound have improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the current surge in the production of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) by crystal engineering, more structurally diverse MOFs must be developed and prepared for the study of their application properties and structural stability. Herein, one novel two-dimensional MOF, [Sr(μ 5 -p -FPhHIDC)(H 2 O)] n (1) was solvothermally constructed and structurally characterized by adopting an organic linker, 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (p -FPhH 3 IDC), in which the [SrO 9 ] tetrakaidecahedrons were joined by the organic linkers to constitute a beautiful grid structure. The remarkable fluorescence characteristics and proton transfer are due to the strong coordination between the organic ligands and the central metal ions in the framework of 1 , as well as the carboxylic acid and coordination water molecules carried on the framework. Extensive tests demonstrated that, at relative humidity of 75–98 %, this MOF displayed a specific proton conductivity (10−7-10−5 S/cm) and significant room-temperature solid-state fluorescence (λ em = 406 nm). Proton conduction and luminescence mechanisms were also conjectured. This study is a helpful resource for creating MOF materials with a range of application-specific properties. Two-in-one: Proton-conductive and luminescence properties of one strontium(II)-organic framework bearing imidazole dicarboxylate One thermal-stable substituted imidazole dicarboxylate-based Sr(II) MOF was prepared and structurally characterized. Its proton-conducting and luminescence properties were examined as well. [Display omitted] • One 2D Sr(II) MOF was synthesized. • 2-Position substituted imidazole dicarboxylate. • The MOF was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. • Its proton-conductive and luminescence properties were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidences have confirmed the relationship between mitophagy and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The exact mechanism of upstream circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulating PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) mediated mitophagy and its contribution to NASH-related liver fibrosis was explored in our study. Primary hepatic stellate cells (PHSCs) from C57BL/6 mice transfected with small interfering RNAs against PINK1 (si-PINK1) and negative control (si-NC) were prepared to perform circRNA sequence. Differentially expressed circRNAs, bioinformatic analysis and predicting software were performed to select axis of circ608/miR-222/PINK1. The expressions of circ608/miR-222/PINK1 were verified by RT-qPCR. The mitochondrial function was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining of COX4 and LC3B. PINK1-mediated mitophagy was inhibited in NASH-related liver fibrosis mice. CircRNA sequence revealed there were 37 DE-circRNAs between si-PINK1 PHSCs and si-NC PHSCs. Bioinformatic analysis showed these DE-circRNAs were related to enriched signaling pathways (such as Wnt, Rap1, mTOR, Hippo) regulating liver fibrosis and mitophagy. Circ608 was significantly down-regulated in lipotoxic HSCs and in livers of NASH-related liver fibrosis mice. MiR222 was identified to be the target miRNA of circ608 and was negatively regulated by circ608 in lipotoxic HSCs. MiR222 also had a binding site with PINK1 and could negatively regulate PINK1. So, the axis of circ608-miR222-PINK1 was proved to participate in NASH-related liver fibrosis by regulating mitophagy. These results illustrated that circ608 might promote PINK1-mediated mitophagy though inhibiting miR222 in lipotoxic HSCs. Circ608 could promote PINK1-mediated mitophagy of HSCs though inhibiting miR222 in NASH-related liver fibrosis. • Enhancing mitophagy could alleviate liver fibrosis in CCl 4 mice and suppressing mitophagy has the opposite effect. • PINK1-mediated mitophagy was suppressed in NASH-related liver fibrosis mice. • Circ608 could promote PINK1-mediated mitophagy of HSCs though inhibiting miR222 in NASH-related liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Raman-scattering-assisted noise-like pulse has advantage of ultra-broad spectrum. • Core-pumping by using a 978 nm fiber laser to provide high pump efficiency. • First and second order Raman pulses are effectively generated. • The relationship between gain fiber length and output spectrum is studied. • Analyzing spectral evolution through dispersive Fourier transform. Stable Raman-scattering-assisted noise-like pulse is experimentally demonstrated in an all polarization-maintaining ytterbium-doped 'nine-shaped' mode-locked fiber laser based on nonlinear optical loop mirror. The pump source is a self-made single mode 978 nm fiber laser with a maximum output power of 8.45 W. Different pulse states are investigated through dispersive Fourier transform technology. First and second order Raman pulses are generated effectively with only 7.2 m length large-mode-area fiber. Numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the effect of gain fiber length on output laser wavelength. The output spectrum ranges from 980 nm to 1175 nm, the short-wavelength edge almost extends to the 978 nm pump wavelength, which is benefitted from the core-pumping scheme providing extremely high population inversion for gain fiber, as well as the short length YDF of 0.2 m suppressing reabsorption of radiation laser. The polarization extinction ratio is experimentally measured by a spectral subtraction method to be larger than 28 dB at each wavelength between 1010 nm and 1120 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthen sites are the important cultural heritage that carriers of human civilization and contains abundant history information. Microorganisms are one of important factors causing the deterioration of cultural heritage. However, little attention has been paid to the role of biological factors on the deterioration of earthen sites at present. In this study, microbial communities of Jinsha earthen site soils with different deterioration types and degrees as well as related to environmental factors were analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of Mg2+ and SO 4 2− were higher in the severe deterioration degree soils than in the minor deterioration degree soils. The Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity indices of bacteria in different type deterioration were higher in the summer than in the winter; the Chao1 and Shannon indices of fungi were lower in the summer. The differences in bacterial and fungal communities were associated with differences in Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ contents. Based on both the relative abundances in amplicon sequencing and isolated strains, the bacterial phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, and the Ascomycota genera Aspergillus , Cladosporium and Penicillium were common in all soils. The OTUs enriched in the severe deterioration degree soils were mostly assigned to Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, whereas the Firmicutes OTUs differentially abundant in the severe deterioration degree were all depleted. All bacterial isolates produced alkali, implying that the deterioration on Jinsha earthen site may be accelerated through alkali production. The fungal isolates included both alkali and acid producing strains. The fungi with strong ability to produce acid were mainly from the severe deterioration degree samples and were likely to contribute to the deterioration. Taken together, the interaction between soil microbial communities and environment may affect the soil deterioration, accelerate the deterioration process and threaten the long-term preservation of Jinsha earthen site. • The microbial communities differed among deterioration types, degrees and seasons. • Mg2+ and SO 4 2− contents were highest in the severe deterioration degree soils. • The differences in bacterial and fungal communities were associated with differences in Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ contents. • Isolated bacteria and fungi produced acid or alkali that may accelerate deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can cause irreversible injury in visual function. Clarifying the mechanism of RGC degeneration is critical for the development of therapeutic strategies. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important regulators in many biological and pathological processes. Herein, we performed circRNA microarrays to identify dysregulated circRNAs following optic nerve crush (ONC). The results showed that 221 circRNAs were differentially expressed between ONC retinas and normal retinas. Notably, the levels of circular RNA-Dcaf6 (cDcaf6) expression in aqueous humor of glaucoma patients were higher than that in cataract patients. cDcaf6 silencing could reduce oxidative stress-induced RGC apoptosis in vitro and alleviate retinal neurodegeneration in vivo as shown by increased neuronal nuclei antigen (NeuN, neuronal bodies) and beta-III-tubulin (TUBB3, neuronal filaments) staining and reduced glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, activated glial cells) and vimentin (activated glial cells) staining. Collectively, this study identifies a promising target for treating retinal neurodegeneration. • 221 circRNAs were dysregulated in ONC retinas. • cDcaf6 expression is up-regulated in aqueous humor of glaucoma patients. • cDcaf6 silencing alleviates RGC degeneration and retinal reactive gliosis. • cDcaf6 silencing alleviates retinal dysfunction following ONC injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Narrow-bandwidth picosecond DSR pulses are numerically demonstrated in an all-anomalous dispersion fiber laser with narrow-band spectral filter. • The DSR pulse is characterized by a peak-centered temporal profile and a two-peak spectrum. • For the first time the periodic evolution of DSR pulses is observed by adjusting the filter bandwidth or net-cavity dispersion. • Multi-pulse DS and NLP are also obtained. First, it is numerically demonstrated that narrow-bandwidth picosecond dissipative soliton resonance (DSR) pulses can be obtained in the all-anomalous-dispersion Er/Yb co-doped fiber (EYDF) laser, which is based on the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) mode-locking and narrow-band spectral filtering. The generated DSR pulses are characterized by a central peak on top of a rectangular pedestal temporally and two high-intensity spectral sidebands with less than 0.6-nm bandwidth. Second, the impacts of several key cavity parameters on characteristics of DSR pulses are investigated. Particularly, a new phenomenon of periodic evolution of the DSR pulse, featuring alternated high and low peak powers with the round-trips, is discovered by tuning filter bandwidth or net-cavity dispersion. Multi-pulse dissipative soliton (DS) and noise-like pulse (NLP) are also observed in the fiber laser. Finally, a 22.3-ps DSR pulse with 287.5-W peak power can be further compressed to 4.3 ps with 1126.5-W peak power by the dispersion compensation. This work further enriches the DSR pulse dynamics in the anomalous-dispersion region and paves a way to realize narrow-bandwidth picosecond DSR pulse fiber lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromatin remodeling proteins modulate nucleosome dynamic to affect global gene expression and other cellular processes. Their roles in the regulation of plant growth and development have been widely reported, but their roles in plant stress resistance, especially disease resistance, have not been extensively investigated. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis Immunity Switch (ISWI) chromatin-remodeling factors CHR11 and CHR17, are negative regulators of plant disease resistance. The loss of both CHR11 and CHR17 function led to upregulation of a large set of defense response genes in the absence of pathogen infection. The chr11 single mutant showed enhanced resistance against a virulent pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). Further analysis revealed that mutation of Phytoalexin Deficient4 (PAD4) reduced the upregulation of defense gene expression as well as resistance against Pst DC3000 in the chr11 chr17 double mutant. However, mutation of PAD4 does not rescue the growth defects of chr11 chr17. Together, our study revealed a function of ISWI in repressing defense response under non-pathogenic conditions and indicates distinct target genes of ISWI in regulating plant growth and plant immunity. • ISWI represses defense response gene expression under normal growth condition. • ISWI negatively regulate resistance to bacterial pathogen in Arabidopsis. • The ISWI-regulated plant immunity is partially dependent on PAD4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the "self-trapping" mechanism inducing spatio-temporal pattern formations observed in the experiment of [21] for bacterial motion, the following density-suppressed motility model { u t = Δ (γ (v) u) + u (a − b u) , v t = Δ v + u − v , was proposed in [6,21] , where u (x , t) and v (x , t) represent the densities of bacteria and the chemical emitted by the bacteria, respectively; γ (v) is called the motility function satisfying γ ′ (v) < 0 and a , b > 0 are positive constants accounting for the growth and death rates of bacterial cells. The analysis of the above system is highly non-trivial due to the cross-diffusion and possible degeneracy resulting from the nonlinear motility function γ (v) and mathematical progresses on the global well-posedness and asymptotics of solutions were just made recently. Among other things, the purpose of this paper is to consider the above system with motility function γ (v) = 1 (1 + v) m (m > 0) and investigate the traveling wave solutions which are genuine patterns observed in the experiment of [21]. By introducing an auxiliary parabolic problem to which the comparison principle applies and constructing relaxed super- and sub-solutions with spatially inhomogeneous decay rates, we show that there exist two constants b ⁎ (m , a) and K (m , a) , for b > b ⁎ (m , a) and K (m , a) < 1 , the above density-suppressed motility model admits traveling wave solutions (u , v) (x , t) = : (U , V) (x ⋅ ξ − c t) in R N along the direction ξ ∈ S N − 1 for all wave speed c ≥ 2 a connecting the equilibrium (a / b , a / b) to (0 , 0) , while positive traveling wave solutions will not exist if c < 2 a. As m → 0 , we have b ⁎ (m , a) → 0 and K (m , a) → 0 , our results are well consistent with the relevant results for the well-known Fisher-KPP equation (i.e. the first equation of the above system with γ (v) = 1). The main novel idea in the analysis of this paper is the construction of super- and sub-solutions with spatially inhomogeneous (i.e. non-constant) decay rates, in contrast to the constant decay rates used in the literature for reaction-diffusion equations, which was developed to cope with the difficulty caused by the density-dependent nonlinear diffusion in the system. We further discuss the selection of wave patterns and wave speeds for given initial value and use numerical simulations to illustrate that both monotone and non-monotone traveling wavefronts exist depending on whether the motility function γ (v) changes its convexity at v = a / b. Two-dimensional simulations demonstrate that the system can generate outward expanding ring (strip) pattern as observed in the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Photocatalysis utilizing solar energy is a promising strategy for mitigating energy crisis and environmental pollution. Exploring a cost-effective, stable, eco-friendly, and efficient photocatalytic system is extremely urgent. Herein, copper encapsulated within nitrogen-doped carbon nanosphere (Cu@N C) possessing a unique core-shell structure with high catalytic activity was prepared by ion-exchange and pyrolysis using resin as support. The protective carbon shell can prevent the leaching of metal ions and deactivation of the catalyst. Benefiting from the special structure, Cu@N C exhibited excellent activity and durability toward the degradation of tetracycline by the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The radical trapping experiments and electron spin resonance analyses were applied to elucidate the main reactive species. This work highlights the great potential of Cu@N C core-shell nanosphere as photocatalyst, which provides a new opportunity for the remediation of environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we prove a reducibility result for a relativistic Schrödinger equation on torus with time quasi-periodic unbounded perturbations of order 1/2. As far as we known, this is the first reducibility result for the relativistic Schrödinger equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First study to investigate comprehensive genetic variations on ionotropic glutamate receptor pathways for interferon-α-induced depression. • Several genetic variations, including single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes, in MAPK3 , PRKCA , PICK1 , RASGRF1 , and RASGRF2 , were found associated with interferon-α-induced depression. • Glutamate dysregulations may be associated with interferon-α-induced depression. • The pathogenic mechanisms of interferon-α-induced depression may involve glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2 (GluR2) transportation and the RAS/RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The most supportive evidence of the inflammation theory of depression is that up to one-third of patients with Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) develop clinical depressive episodes during interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy. As glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity has been found to be a consequence of excessive inflammation and a pathogenic mechanism of depression, it is plausible to investigate genes on ionotropic glutamate receptor pathways. To identify the at-risk genetic variations on ionotropic glutamate receptor pathways for interferon-α-induced depression. We assessed 291 patients with chronic HCV undergoing IFN-α therapy and analyzed the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to ionotropic glutamate receptors in this prospective case-control study. Patients who developed IFN-α-induced depression anytime during the treatment were defined as the case group, while those who did not were defined as the control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and analyzed by Affymetrix TWB array. Allelic and haplotype association tests were conducted using χ2 tests to assess the difference in allele and haplotype frequencies between cases and controls. Additionally, we performed 5000 permutations to control gene-wide family-wise error rates and create empirical p -values. Stratified analyses were then done to control for confounders and adjust odds ratios for our significant SNPs. We also did an additional stratified analysis to re-assess genes with near-significant SNPs (empirical p -value=0.05-0.10), employing Bonferroni correction with the effective number of independent tests to control gene-wide family-wise error rates. The minor and major allele frequencies of rs7542 (empirical p -value=0.0310) in MAPK3 , rs3026685 (empirical p -value=0.0378) in PICK1 , rs56005409 (empirical p -value=0.0332) in PRKCA , rs12914792 (empirical p-value=0.0096), rs17245773 (empirical p-value=0.0340) in RASGRF1 , and rs78387863 (empirical p -value=0.0086), rs74365480 (empirical p -value=0.0200) in RASGRF2 were found significantly different between cases and controls. Haplotype association tests also revealed one significant haplotype in PRKCA (empirical p -value=0.0200) and one in RASGRF1 (empirical p -value=0.0048). Stratified analyses showed no signs of confounders for most of our significant SNPs, except for rs78387863 in RASGRF2. After a re-assessment of our near-significant genes by stratified analyses, two SNPs in GRIN2B turned significant. This study provided supportive evidence of the involvement of the RAS/RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2(GluR2) transportation in the pathogenesis of IFN-α-induced depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with a haptotactic cross-diffusion system as the model for oncolytic virotherapy, which describes the influence of the extracellular matrix (ECM) taxis over the tumor-oncolytic virus interaction in the form of haptotaxis of both cancer cells and oncolytic virus toward higher ECM densities. The main results assert the global boundedness of solutions to an associated spatially two-dimensional initial-boundary value problems under suitably assumptions on the system parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inundation process of floodplain wetlands plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of river ecosystems, which are highly sensitive to hydrological alteration. Nevertheless, the specific mechanisms through which these hydrological changes affect the inundation patterns of floodplain wetlands are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact mechanism of cascade hydropower development on the inundation process of floodplain wetlands. Multitemporal remote sensing datasets and long-term hydrometeorological data series were utilized in this study. By employing the water appearance frequency (WAF) index, wetland hydrological stability assessment, and wavelet analysis, the inundation changes in floodplain wetlands and the underlying hydrological driving mechanisms were examined. The results revealed significant alterations in the inundation frequency of floodplain wetlands due to the construction of upstream dams. Specifically, the construction of the Danjiangkou and Wangfuzhou dams led to an increase in the total inundated area of Part A (16.09 km2) and Part B (76.93 km2), respectively. Conversely, the moderate frequency inundation zone in Part C decreased (26.7 km2) after the construction of the Cuijiaying Dam. The typical floodplain wetland 7 shifted from high to low (8.94 km2) stability after the construction of the Cuijiaying Dam. Furthermore, the cascade hydropower dam construction resulted in increased fluctuations in downstream water discharge. This study provides an effective approach to understanding the impact of cascade hydropower dams on the inundation process of floodplain wetlands. [Display omitted] • Downstream dams significantly reduced the inundation frequency in floodplain wetlands. • The impact of damming on pixel stability varied across different floodplain wetlands. • Downstream water discharge exhibited greater fluctuation after cascade hydropower dam construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conjugated steroid estrogens (CSEs), including estrone sulfate sodium (E1-3 S) and 17β-estradiol-3-O-sulfate sodium (E2-3 S), exhibit distinct metabolic behaviors in the aqueous and soil environments. However, their assimilation behaviors and metabolite formations in plant bodies (shoots and roots) remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study used a modified plant hydroponic system to explore the efficiency with which wheat (Triticum acstivnm L.) assimilated the two estrogen conjugates, E1-3 S and E2-3 S. Results indicated the potential of wheat to absorb E1-3 S and E2-3 S, with their assimilation in the root being significantly higher (104–105 ng/g dw) than in the shoot (103–104 ng/g dw). E1-3 S de-sulfated and transformed to estrone (E1) at a rate of 4%–45% in the root's oxidative environment, whereas E2-3 S converted to E1-3 S at 210%–570%. However, the root-to-shoot transfer was impeded by a less potent metabolic activity within the shoot system. The co-exposure treatment revealed that E1 or 17β-estradiol (E2) affects the assimilation of E1-3 S and E2-3 S by wheat, with E1 inhibiting E1-3 S assimilation and E2 promoting E2-3 S assimilation in wheat bodies. Nonetheless, free-form steroid estrogens (FSEs), which typically have a significant hormone action, can oxidative-damage the wheat tissues, producing a progressive wilting of wheat leaf and so limiting the transpiration process. Co-exposure initially increased the assimilation amounts of E1-3 S (particularly in shoots) and E2-3 S (in both roots and shoots), but these values rapidly declined as exposure duration increased. The combined effects of E1-3 S and E2-3 S exposure also increased their assimilation. These findings suggest the need for further investigation into the cumulative impact of environmental estrogen contaminants. The findings of present study can potentially guide the development of strategies to prevent and manage steroid estrogen contamination in agricultural contexts. [Display omitted] • Conjugated steroid estrogen accumulations were higher in roots than in shoots. • E2 and E2-3 S were oxidized in roots and metabolically generated E1 and E1-3 S. • E1-3 S and E2-3 S remove sulfate and generate E1 and E2 in root and shoot. • Co-exposure intensely affect the SE assimilation by wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding effective methods for simultaneous removal of eutrophic nutrients and heavy metals has attracted increasing concerns for the environmental remediation. Herein, a novel auto-aggregating aerobic denitrifying strain (Aeromonas veronii YL-41) was isolated with capacities for copper tolerance and biosorption. The denitrification efficiency and nitrogen removal pathway of the strain were investigated by nitrogen balance analysis and amplification of key denitrification functional genes. Moreover, the changes in the auto-aggregation properties of the strain caused by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production were focused on. The biosorption capacity and mechanisms of copper tolerance during denitrification were further explored by measuring changes in copper tolerance and adsorption indices, as well as by variations in extracellular functional groups. The strain showed extremely strong total nitrogen removal ability, with 67.5%, 82.08% and 78.48% of total nitrogen removal when NH 4 +-N, NO 2 −-N, and NO 3 −-N were used as the only initial nitrogen source, respectively. The successful amplification of napA , nirK , norR , and nosZ genes further demonstrated that the strain accomplished nitrate removal through a complete aerobic denitrification pathway. The production of protein-rich EPS of up to 23.31 mg/g and an auto-aggregation index of up to 76.42% may confer a strong biofilm-forming potential to the strain. Under the stress of 20 mg/L copper ions, the removal of nitrate-nitrogen was still as high as 71.4%. In addition, the strain could achieve an efficient removal of 96.9% of copper ions at an initial concentration of 80 mg/L. Scanning electron microscopy and deconvolution analysis of characteristic peaks confirmed that the strains encapsulate heavy metals by secreting EPS and, meanwhile, form strong hydrogen bonding structures to enhance intermolecular forces to resist copper ion stress. This study provides an innovative and effective biological approach for the synergistic bioaugmentation removal of eutrophic substances and heavy metals from aquatic environments. [Display omitted] • A novel aerobic denitrifier, YL-41, with auto-aggregation trait was isolated. • Strain YL-41 had high efficiency of inorganic nitrogen removal capacity. • Strain YL-41 showed tolerance and removal characteristics to high concentrations of copper ions. • Extracellularly rich functional groups confer an advantage to the strain for heavy metal removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the effect of treatment of soy protein isolate (SPI) with basic amino acids (BAA) (l -Arginine, l -Histidine, and l -Lysine) at different concentrations prior to spray drying on the beany-flavor and functional properties. The results illustrated that the BAA prominently improved the solubility and emulsifying properties of SPI, and reduced the its release of beany-flavor compounds. Additionally, l -Arginine was more effective in increasing the solubility and emulsifying properties of the SPI than l -Histidine and l -Lysine. Notably, 0.3% l -Arginine improved the solubility, emulsifying activity index, emulsifying stability index of the SPI by 43.5%, 64.2% and 45.3% respectively. Through the headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), the 0.3% BAA showed the better mitigation effect on the beany flavor of SPI among three addition concentrations. The increased ζ-potential showed that BAA enhanced the electrostatic repulsion of the SPI, facilitating its dissolution and formation of a more stable emulsion system. Surface hydrophobicity and fluorescence spectral results revealed that BAA enhance the exposure of hydrophobic groups, enhancing the stability of oil-water interface and promoting the interaction between beany-flavor compounds and SPI. These findings lay the theoretical groundwork for further research and application of soy protein. [Display omitted] • Basic amino acids (BAA) increased the solubility of soy protein isolate (SPI). • BAA enhanced the emulsion activity/stability index of SPI. • BAA diminished the release intensity of beany flavor from SPI. • BAA improved the absolute value of potential and surface hydrophobicity of SPI. • BAA reduced the free sulfhydryl groups of SPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop a non-protein-based method for quantify cow milk in adulterated goat milk. The raw cow milk and raw goat milk samples were mixed separately with the same volume of cold acetone and centrifuged to remove their proteins. The supernatants were evaporated, and the residues were derivatized by silylation followed by GC-MS analysis. N-acetylglucosamine was identified as a thermostable non-protein biomarker of cow milk. Its concentration in the raw cow milk (146.7 mg/L) was 32 times higher than that in the raw goat milk. On this basis, a HPLC-MS/MS method using positive-ion electrospray ionization in parallel reaction monitoring mode was developed for quantifying cow milk in adulterated goat milk by determining peak area of the biomarker. The method showed good linearity over cow milk concentrations of 1–100% and could detect as low as 0.3% cow milk in adulterated goat milk. Besides, the method was characterized by a simple sample pretreatment process, rapid detection, high accuracy, and high precision. With this method, a sample could be analyzed in 10 min. The present study demonstrated the feasibility of quantifying cow milk in adulterated goat milk using N-acetylglucosamine as a biomarker of cow milk. • A non-protein biomarker of cow milk have been identified as N-acetylglucosamine. • Cow milk contains 32 times more N-acetylglucosamine than goat milk. • Despite heat treatment, N-acetylglucosamine levels in cow milk remain unchanged. • An HPLC-MS/MS method was established to quantify cow milk in adulterated goat milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global boundedness and the hair trigger effect of solutions for the nonlinear nonlocal reaction-diffusion equation ∂ u ∂ t = Δ u + μ u α (1 − κ J ⁎ u β) , in R N × (0 , ∞) , N ≥ 1 with α ≥ 1 , β , μ , κ > 0 and u (x , 0) = u 0 (x) are investigated. Under appropriate assumptions on J , it is proved that for any nonnegative and bounded initial condition, if α ∈ [ 1 , α ⁎) with α ⁎ = 1 + β for N = 1 , 2 and α ⁎ = 1 + 2 β N for N > 2 , then the problem has a global bounded classical solution. Under further assumptions on the initial datum, the solutions satisfying 0 ≤ u (x , t) ≤ κ − 1 β for any (x , t) ∈ R N × [ 0 , + ∞) are shown to converge to κ − 1 β uniformly on any compact subset of R N , which is known as the hair trigger effect. 1D numerical simulations of the above nonlocal reaction-diffusion equation are performed and the effect of several combinations of parameters and convolution kernels on the solution behavior is investigated. The results motivate a discussion about some conjectures arising from this model and further issues to be studied in this context. A formal deduction of the model from a mesoscopic formulation is provided as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia could cause vascular smooth muscle hypertrophy, leading to high pulmonary circulation resistance, pulmonary artery (PA) pressure, even pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Recent studies have demonstrated the ability of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) to ameliorate PAH but the mechanism was controversial. In this study, we revealed that the growth rate of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) treated with hypoxia was significantly increased than normal and showed lower expression of potassium channels. However, cells co-cultured with MSC showed decreased proliferation capability and down-regulated expression of ion channel of PAMSCs. The protein array data showed that the changes of PAMSCs was substantially associated with a high level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) secretion from MSC. We further demonstrated that TNFα rescued the cell behavior of PAMSCs through activating the expression of P53 and NF-kB and inducing cell cycle arrest by P21/CDK2/CDK4 downregulation. These findings suggested that MSCs could attenuate abnormal function of PAMSCs by TNFα secretion, which was more or less associated with the beneficial effects of MSC on improving PAH. • Hypoxia induced significant changes of PAMSCs. • MSCs co-culture alleviated the changes of PAMSCs induced by hypoxia. • TNFα secreted by MSCs rescued the cell behaviors of PAMSCs. • TNFα activated the expression of p53 and NF-kB during this process. • TNFα induced cell cycle arrest by inhibiting P21/CDK2/CDK4 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the synergetic adsorption capacity of layered double hydroxide (LDH) and photocatalytic reduction property of TiO 2 for aqueous Cr(VI), the Fe 3 O 4 -ZnAl-LDH and TiO 2 composites (FLT) were prepared via sol-gel method. The removal efficiency of FLT composites for Cr(VI) changed with the mass ratio of Fe 3 O 4 -LDH/TiO 2 , and the optimal ratio was 20% (FLT-2). The adsorption efficiencies of 100 mg FLT-2 were 74% and 64% for 20 and 50 mg/L Cr(VI) solution, and the total removal ratios of Cr(VI) were all over 97% after UV irradiation. The experimental data of adsorption kinetic, adsorption isothermal, and photocatalytic reduction were consistent with the pseudo-second-order, Langmuir, and first-order reaction equations, respectively. From the X–ray photoelectron spectra analysis, FLT composites adsorbed Cr(VI) directly via surface complexation, also reduced aqueous Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of FLT composites indicated the photo-induced electron-hole pairs were separated effectively. The regeneration results show that the FLT composites had good stability and reusability after five consecutive cycles. Therefore, FLT composites are promising materials in the disposal of wastewater containing Cr(VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upon invading the cell, the viral RNA is recognized by the RIG-I receptor located in the cytoplasm, causing the RIG-I receptor to be activated. The activated RIG-I receptor transmits downstream antiviral signals by interacting with the adaptor protein VISA located on the mitochondria, leading to the production of type Ⅰ interferons and crude inflammatory cytokine genes. Although there have been many studies on antiviral signal transduction of RIG-I receptors in recent years, the mechanism of RIG-I-VISA-mediated antiviral regulation is still not fully understood. In this study, we identified SNX5 as a negative regulator of RLR-mediated antiviral signaling. Our results show that overexpression of SNX5 inhibits viral-induced activation of the IFN-β promoter, ISRE, NF-κB, and IRF3, whereas RNAi knockdown of SNX5 expression shows opposite results. We also found that overexpression of SNX5 enhanced RIG-I's K48 ubiquitination and attenuated its K63 ubiquitination, resulting in inhibition of virus-induced RIG-I expression. Besides, further studies show that SNX5 overexpression weakens the interaction between VISA and TRAF2/5. Our findings suggest that SNX5 negatively regulates RLR-mediated antiviral signaling by targeting the RIG-I-VISA signalosome and provide new evidence for the negative regulation of RIG-I-mediated innate immune response mechanisms. • SNX5 negatively regulates the RIG-I/VISA-mediated antiviral innate immune signaling pathway.. • SNX5 inhibits virus-induced RIG-I expression by targeting its ubiquitination. • SNX5 attenuated the interaction of VISA, and TRAF2/TRAF5 under viral stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eliglustat is a first-line oral therapy for adults with Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) who have extensive (EM), intermediate (IM), or poor (PM) CYP2D6 metabolizer phenotypes. It was initially not recommended in GD1 patients with hepatic or renal impairment due to insufficient data. Two Phase 1 studies (NCT02536937/NCT02536911) evaluated the effects of hepatic and renal impairment on pharmacokinetics and tolerability following a single 84-mg dose of eliglustat. Compared to matched healthy EM subjects (n = 7 for both studies), geometric means for eliglustat maximum concentration (C max) and area under the plasma concentration versus time curve extrapolated to infinity (AUC) were not substantially different in EMs with mild hepatic impairment (n = 6), higher in EMs with moderate hepatic impairment (n = 7), and similar in EMs with severe renal impairment (n = 7). Higher exposures of eliglustat at steady-state were predicted using a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model in EMs with mild or moderate hepatic impairment compared with normal hepatic function after repeated 84-mg eliglustat doses. Higher exposures of eliglustat were also predicted in EMs with mild hepatic impairment after coadministration with a CYP2D6 or CYP3A inhibitor with repeated doses. Based on these results, the eliglustat drug label was revised for patients with hepatic or renal impairment. • Mild hepatic or severe renal impairment did not affect eliglustat exposure in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers. • Moderate hepatic impairment increased eliglustat exposure in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers. • CYP2D6/CYP3A inhibitors may increase eliglustat exposure in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers with moderate hepatic impairment. • These studies did not provide definitive conclusions regarding CYP2D6 intermediate and poor metabolizers. • The eliglustat label was updated with recommendations and contraindications for patients with hepatic or renal impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ogawa and Inaba are two main serotypes of O1 V. cholerae and alternate among cholera epidemics. The rfbT gene encodes a methyltransferase and is required for Ogawa serotype. The Inaba serotype is the consequence of genetic alterations in rfbT gene which results in loss-of-function enzyme product. However, the expression and regulation of rfbT has not been understood yet. Here we demonstrated that a global regulator, cAMP receptor protein (CRP), positively regulates rfbT transcription through a non-canonical CRP binding site (CBS) in its promoter region. This finding is supported by the analyses of rfbT mRNA abundance, rfbT – lacZ fusions and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The analyses of rfbT mRNA level in wild type (WT), Δ crp , and lower or higher level of cAMP backgrounds revealed that CRP is required for rfbT expression in response to intracellular cAMP level. Subsequent rfbT – lacZ fusions and EMSA collectively displayed that cAMP-CRP complex transcriptionally activates rfbT through directly binding to CBS in rfbT promoter region. Consistently, serological microagglutination test showed that crp deletion resulted in at least 4-fold decrease in titer of Ogawa serum compared to its WT. These results expanded our knowledge of understanding the genetic determinants and probable regulatory mechanism of V. cholerae O1 serotype shift between Ogawa and Inaba. • CRP up-regulates serotype-shifting gene rfbT expression at transcriptional level in V. cholerae O1. • CRP directly binds to a non-canonical cis -acting element in rfbT promoter region. • CRP participates in the maintenance of Ogawa specific serological phenotype of V. cholerae O1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, there is no suitable treatment for vibriosis in groupers. So an eco-efficient and environmentally friendly treatment is necessary for the grouper industry. Probiotic-feeding has been a promising strategy to control the bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. A new Bacillus velezensis strain named K2 was isolated from the intestinal tract of healthy grouper, and exhibited wide antimicrobial spectrum of against fish pathogens, including Vibrio harveyi , Vibrio alginolyticus , Aeromonas hydrophila , Aeromonas veronii , Aeromonas caviae , Enterococcus casseliflavus and Lactococcus garvieae. Moreover, results of the safety of B. velezensis K2 showed that intraperitoneal injection of K2 in healthy grouper did not cause any pathological abnormality or death, indicating this bacteria could be considered as a candidate probiotic in aquaculture. Groupers were fed with the diets containing 1 × 107 cfu/g of B. velezensis K2 for 4 weeks. Various immune parameters were examined at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of post-feeding. Results showed that diets supplemented with K2 significantly increased serum acid phosphatase (ACP) activity (P < 0.05). Results of the mRNA expression of immune-related genes in the head kidney of hybrid grouper showed that the expression of lysozyme gene was significantly upregulated after 1 and 2 weeks of feeding (P < 0.05). A significant up-regulation of the expression of piscidin, IgM and MyD88 were detected at day 21, whereas the TLR3 and TLR5 showed lower expression compared to the controls during 21 days, and a significant decrease of TLR3 gene was found at day 28 (P < 0.05). After challenge with V. harveyi , the survival rate of fish administrated with the strain K2 for 28 days was signifiacantly higher than the controls without this strain (P < 0.05). These results collectively suggest that B. velezensis K2 is a potential probiotic species to improve health status and disease resistance and can be developed as a probiotic agent in grouper industry. • Bacillus velezensis strain K2 was isolated from the intestinal tract of healthy hybrid grouper. • B. velezensis K2 possesses prominent probiotic properties. • B. velezensis K2-supplemented diets enhanced immune responses of hybrid grouper. • B. velezensis K2-supplemented diets increased the resistance against V. harveyi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertically aligned two-dimensional ReSe 2 are directly grown on conductive substrates by a chemical vapor deposition method for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Two-dimensional electrocatalysts with high-density active sites together with a good charge transfer to the conductive substrates can improve their hydrogen evolution reaction performances. Typically, a good contact between catalyst and electrode to enhance charge transfer can be achieved by way of direct growth. However, a controllable growth of vertically aligned two-dimensional ReSe 2 directly on conductive substrates as working electrodes is not reported. In this work, for the first time, vertically aligned ReSe 2 nanosheets directly on conductive substrates (carbon cloth and glass carbon) are realized though a controllable chemical vapor deposition method. Compare to the way of transferring two-dimension ReSe 2 , the electrode with optimized growth of two-dimensional ReSe 2 exhibits superior hydrogen evolution reaction performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast recombination of photo-generated carriers and limited photo-response have greatly hindered the development of TiO 2 -based photocatalysts. Herein, we present a ternary three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) carbon dots (CDs)/Bi:TiO 2 photocatalyst, which affords well-designed charge transmission and allows broad-spectrum absorption, thus delivering enhanced photocatalytic performance. The carbon dots act as effective electron extractors to accelerate the separation of electron-hole pairs, and pore engineering of the 3DOM Bi:TiO 2 skeleton greatly promotes the response of light in the whole solar spectrum range. Impressively, the 3DOM CDs/Bi:TiO 2 catalyst exhibits a greatly enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance toward phenol (92.7% in 2 h), and RhB (96.4% in 40 min) under full-spectra illumination, compared to the pristine 3DOM TiO 2. This work provides a new design strategy for the optimization of carriers transmission pathway in high-quality and low-cost photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryptosystem-based data privacy preserving methods employ high computing power of cloud servers, where the main feature is to allow resource sharing and provide multi-user independent services. Therefore, to achieve the rapid allocation and release of resource sharing in cloud computing, decentralized cryptographic protocols need to be proposed for multi-user consensus systems. In this work, we first present a multi-secret sharing scheme with multi-level access structure, where the secret reconstruction algorithm satisfies the additive homomorphism. The secret sharing scheme needs no trusted third parties and any user can play the role of dealer. In the designing, multiple target secrets are independently shared, where each subset of users forms a sub-access structure and shares one target secret only with a short secret share. This scheme is efficient and unconditionally secure. Furthermore, based on the multi-level access structures, a decentralized multi-role e-voting protocol is designed using Chinese Remainder Theorem, where each role's election is associated with one sub-access structure. The voters employ a shared parameter to blind the sum of ballot values. Meanwhile, the e-voting scheme supports a public verification for the final election results. Compared with the existing e-voting protocols, our e-voting system does not require any authority center and the cloud server runs vote counting. And our e-voting scheme does not need any high-complexity computational cost operation such as module exponential operation, etc. Finally, the common feature of Blockchain and Ad Hoc networks is decentralized. Thus the main idea of this protocol without a trusted third party can be used to achieve a secure consensus among multiple nodes in Blockchain and Ad Hoc network, meanwhile, the consensus results can be verified. • A multi-secret sharing scheme with multi-level access structure was proposed. • The scheme can share multiple secrets and each party only keeps a short share. • A decentralized multi-role e-voting protocol was designed. • The e-voting system achieves fast verification for the final election results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) methods have demonstrated impressive performance in many application fields such as autopilot, facial recognition, and spam detection. Traditionally, ML models are trained and deployed in a benign setting, in which the testing and training data have identical statistical characteristics. However, this assumption usually does not hold in the sense that the ML model is designed in an adversarial setting, where some statistical properties of the data can be tampered with by a capable adversary. Specifically, it has been observed that adversarial examples (also known as adversarial input perambulations) elaborately crafted during training/test phases can seriously undermine the ML performance. The susceptibility of ML models in adversarial settings and the corresponding countermeasures have been studied by many researchers in both academic and industrial communities. In this work, we present a comprehensive overview of the investigation of the security properties of ML algorithms under adversarial settings. First, we analyze the ML security model to develop a blueprint for this interdisciplinary research area. Then, we review adversarial attack methods and discuss the defense strategies against them. Finally, relying upon the reviewed work, we provide prospective relevant future works for designing more secure ML models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the protective effect of exogenous neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) on the lipopolysaccharide-induced injury of renal tubular epithelial cells and its regulation of autophagy. Renal tubular epithelial cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at different concentrations (0–100 μg/mL) and at different times (0–24 h), the expression of NGAL was detected to determine the optimal time and concentration of LPS treatment. The NGAL gene knockdown lentivirus (NGAL-RNAi) was constructed and verified its knockdown rate and inhibition effect. Renal tubular epithelial cells were randomly divided into Control group, LPS group, LPS + NGAL group, NGAL-RNAi + LPS group, and NGAL-RNAi + LPS + NGAL group. Western blot and immunofluorescence tested the expression of autophagy-associated proteins, the changes in the number of autophagosomes were observed by electron microscopy, analyzed the role of exogenous NGAL. The study showed the expression of autophagy-associated proteins (LC3-II and Beclin-1) in NGAL-RNAi + LPS group was significantly lower than the LPS group (P < 0.0100). The expression of LC3-II and Beclin-1 in the NGAL-RNAi + LPS + NGAL group was significantly higher than the NGAL-RNAi + LPS group (P < 0.0100). After the addition of exogenous NGAL, the autophagosomes in the LPS + NGAL group and the NGAL-RNAi + LPS + NGAL group were significantly increased under the electron microscope compared with the LPS group and the NGAL-RNAi + LPS group, and the cell proliferation rate and cell viability was significantly higher than unjoined groups (P < 0.0500). NGAL knockdown can significantly reduce the level of autophagy and decrease the proliferation rate and viability of cells.The addition of exogenous NGAL can increase the level of autophagy. This suggests that NGAL may play a protective role in the LPS-induced injury of renal tubular epithelial cells by promoting autophagy. • NGAL knockdown can significantly reduce the level of autophagy and cell activity • The addition of exogenous NGAL can increase the level of autophagy • The addition of exogenous NGAL attenuates LPS-induced renal tubular epithelial cell damage, and this effect may be through increased autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown before that exposure to nanomaterials (NMs) might promote the formation of foam cells, the key cells involved in all stages of atherosclerosis. However, to our best knowledge, previous studies, particularly in vitro studies, only investigated the transformation of macrophages into foam cells, whereas the importance of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was overlooked. The present study investigated the toxicity of pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs; Code XFM19) and carboxylated MWCNTs (Code XFM21) to human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). The results showed that exposure to both types of MWCNTs significantly reduced mitochondrial activity but might not damage lysosomes. MWCNT exposure had minimal impact on cytokine release but significantly promoted lipid accumulation, which was significantly inhibited when the cells were pre-incubated with ER stress inhibitors or antioxidants. The mRNA levels of ER stress markers DDIT3 and XBP-1 s and protein levels of chop and p-chop were induced particularly by XFM21, accompanying with increased SREBF1 and SREBF2 mRNA as well as FASN protein, the key regulators involved in de novo lipogenesis. In addition, the mRNA levels of KLF4 and KLF5 and protein levels of KLF were induced after exposure to both types of MWCNTs, associated with an increase of CD68 protein levels. We concluded that MWCNTs might promote lipid accumulation in HASMCs through the induction of ER stress leading to de novo lipogenesis, as well as the activation of KLF pathway resulting in SMC transformation. Unlabelled Image • The cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of MWCNTs to HASMCs were minimal. • MWCNTs promoted lipid accumulation in HASMCs without external lipid supply. • MWCNTs promoted ER stress leading to de novo lipogenesis. • MWCNTs also activated KLF pathway leading to SMC phenotype switch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth and development are driven by extended phases of irreversible cell expansion generating cells that increase in volume from 10- to 100-fold. Some specialized cell types define cortical sites that reinitiate polarized growth and generate branched cell morphology. This structural specialization of individual cells has a major importance for plant adaptation to diverse environments and practical importance in agricultural contexts. The patterns of cell shape are defined by highly integrated cytoskeletal and cell wall systems. Microtubules and actin filaments locally define the material properties of a tough outer cell wall to generate complex shapes. Forward genetics, powerful live cell imaging experiments, and computational modeling have provided insights into understanding of mechanisms of cell shape control. In particular, finite element modeling of the cell wall provides a new way to discover which cell wall heterogeneities generate complex cell shapes, and how cell shape and cell wall stress can feedback on the cytoskeleton to maintain growth patterns. This review focuses on cytoskeleton-dependent cell wall patterning during cell branching, and how combinations of multi-scale imaging experiments and computational modeling are being used to unravel systems-level control of morphogenesis. • Genetic pathways for branch morphogenesis are being defined. • Multivariate live cell imaging enables systems level analysis of gene activities in vivo. • Feedback control among actin filaments, microtubules, and cell wall stress patterns cell morphogenesis. • Finite element computational modeling reveals linkages between the cytoskeleton, cell wall, and cell shape change. • Future multi-scale models that include cytoplasm-cell wall interactions are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the change of clock gene rhythm under renal denervation (RDN) and its effect on renal function and oxidative stress during renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups at daytime 7 A M (zeitgeber time [ZT] 0) or at nighttime 7 P M (ZT12) in respectively: Sham (S) group, RDN group, IR group and RDN + IR (DIR) group. Renal pathological and functional changes were assessed by H&E staining, and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels. Renal oxidative stress was detected by SOD and MDA levels, and renal inflammation was measured by IL-6, IL-17 A F and TNF-ɑ levels. BMAL1, CLOCK, Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA and protein expressions were tested by qPCR and Western Blot. Compared with S groups, the rhythm of BMAL1, CLOCK and Nrf2 genes in the kidney were disordered in RDN groups, while renal pathological and functional indexes did not change significantly. Compared with IR groups, renal pathological and functional indexes were significantly higher in the DIR groups, as well as oxidative stress and inflammation in renal tissues. The nocturnal IR injury in the RDN kidney was the worst while the BMAL1, Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions were the highest. In DIR groups, renal injury was aggravated after the Brusatol treatment, but there was no significant improvement after the t -BHQ treatment at night, which might be consistent with the changes of Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expressions. RDN lead to the disruption of BMAL1-mediated Nrf2 rhythm accumulation in the kidney, which reduced the renal ability to resist oxidative stress and inflammation, due to the impaired effect of activating Nrf2/ARE pathway in renal IR injury at nighttime. [Display omitted] • RDN disordered circadian rhythm of clock genes and Nrf2 in the kidney. • The disruption of Nrf2 rhythm accumulation reduced the ability to resist oxidative stress. • RDN aggravated renal oxidative stress injury following nocturnal IR. • The nocturnal IR injury couldn't be attenuated by t -BHQ in the kidney following RDN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals and pesticides represent prominent sources of pollution in the natural habitat of Apis cerana cerana , potentially endangering their health through the induction of oxidative stress reactions. This study aimed to address this issue by isolating AccCDK2-like and AccCINP-like proteins from Apis cerana cerana and investigating their functional roles in honey bee resistance against pesticide and heavy metal stresses. Bioinformatics analysis revealed significant homology of these proteins with those found in other species. Functional studies confirmed their participation in interaction with each other, alongside demonstrating distinct patterns of expression and localization. Specifically, AccCDK2-like exhibited higher expression levels in prepupae and muscle tissues, while AccCINP-like showed maximal expression in brown pupae and abdomen. Furthermore, the expression levels of these proteins were found to be modulated in response to pesticide and heavy metal stresses. Notably, overexpression of AccCDK2-like and AccCINP-like led to a noticeable alteration in E. coli 's ability to withstand external stresses. Additionally, silencing of the AccCDK2-like and AccCINP-like genes resulted in a significant reduction in antioxidant enzyme activity and the expression levels of genes related to antioxidant function. Consequently, the mortality rate of Apis cerana cerana under pesticide and heavy metal stresses conspicuously increased. Hence, our findings suggest that AccCDK2-like and AccCINP-like proteins potentially play a crucial role in the response of Apis cerana ceran a to pesticide and heavy metal stress, likely by modulating the antioxidant pathway. [Display omitted] • CDK2-like and CINP-like are involved in Apis cerana pesticide resistance. • CDK2-like and CINP-like are involved in Apis cerana heavy metal resistance. • CDK2-like and CINP-like take part in the Apis cerana 's oxidative stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless sensor networks are widely used in sports training, medical and health care, smart home, environmental monitoring, cloud data and other fields because of their large scale, self-organization, reliability, dynamic, integration and data centralization. Based on this point, this article conducts a comprehensive analysis and research on cloud computing data systems, and designs and implements a dynamic replication strategy. Since different users have different demands for different data at different times, it is necessary to record and analyze recent users' data access, so as to actively adjust the number and location of data blocks. Subsequently, a multi-source blockchain transmission method was proposed and implemented, which can significantly reduce the time cost of data migration and improve the overall performance of cloud storage data systems. Finally, the article provides an in-depth analysis of long-distance running fatigue. This study will design a simulated specialized exercise load experiment to reproduce the load characteristics of excellent athletes during mid to long distance running, in order to induce exercise fatigue in the main muscles of different parts of their bodies. At the same time, the amplitude frequency joint analysis of the surface changes of EMG signal in this process is carried out. This article conducts research on sensor based cloud computing data systems and long-distance running fatigue assessment, promoting the development of cloud computing data systems and improving long-distance running fatigue assessment methods. • Conducts a comprehensive analysis and research on cloud computing data systems. • Designs and implements a dynamic replication strategy. • A multi-source blockchain transmission method was proposed and implemented. • Designs a simulated professional exercise load experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]