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Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) plays a very important role in various diseases. However, the precise involvement of DHA in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), relation to the equilibrium between M1 and M2 cells, remains uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of DHA in SLE and its effect on the M1/M2 cells balance. SLE mice model was established by pristane induction. Flow cytometry was employed to measure the abundance of M1 and M2 cells within the peripheral blood of individuals diagnosed with SLE. The concentrations of various cytokines, namely TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10, within the serum of SLE patients or SLE mice were assessed via ELISA. Immunofluorescence staining was utilized to detect the deposition of IgG and complement C3 in renal tissues of the mice. We conducted immunohistochemistry analysis to assess the expression levels of Collagen-I, a collagen protein, and α-SMA, a fibrosis marker protein, in the renal tissues of mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, and Periodic acid Schiff staining were used to examine histological alterations. In this study, we employed qPCR and western blot techniques to assess the expression levels of key molecular markers, namely CD80 and CD86 for M1 cells, as well as CD206 and Arg-1 for M2 cells, within kidney tissue. Additionally, we investigated the involvement of the MAPK signaling pathway. The Venny 2.1 online software tool was employed to identify shared drug-disease targets, and subsequently, the Cytoscape 3.9.2 software was utilized to construct the "disease-target-ingredient" network diagram. Protein-protein interactions of the target proteins were analyzed using the String database, and the network proteins underwent enrichment analysis for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. The results showed that an increase in M1 cells and a decrease in M2 cells within the peripheral blood of individuals diagnosed with SLE. Further analysis revealed that prednisone (PDN) combined with DHA can alleviate kidney damage and regulate the balance of M1 and M2 cells in both glomerular mesangial cells (GMC) and kidney. The MAPK signaling pathway was found to be involved in SLE kidney damage and M1/M2 balance in the kidney. Furthermore, PDN and/or DHA were found to inhibit the MAPK signaling pathway in GMC and kidney. We demonstrated that PDN combined with DHA attenuates SLE by regulating M1/M2 balance through MAPK signaling pathway. These findings propose that the combination of PDN and DHA could serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for SLE, as it has the potential to mitigate kidney damage and reinstate the equilibrium of M1 and M2 cells. • PDN combined with DHA reduced SLE. • PDN combined with DHA regulating M1/M2 balance. • PDN together with DHA inhibits the MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 (CN) photocatalyst with both recyclability and efficient photocatalytic performance was synthesized by the hydrothermal method and achieved practice value enhancement. The optimal composite was identified as Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 combined with 5 wt% NiFe 2 O 4 (CN-5), exhibiting the capability to decompose 98.2% of RhB within 90 min. Remarkably, the photocatalytic activity remained above 90% even after 4 recycling cycles, and the magnetization saturation reached 2.6 emu/g, showcasing exceptional magnetic properties and photocatalytic stability. Meanwhile, characterization analysis proved successful compounding of NiFe 2 O 4 , and the specific surface area of CN-5 was slightly enhanced. The heterojunction structure generated by direct binding in CN-5 significantly reduced the photogenerated carrier complexation rate. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism indicated that the degradation of RhB followed the Z-type heterojunction mechanism, and photo-induced ·O 2 − played a pivotal role, followed by h+ and ·OH. In summary, the composite magnetic photocatalyst Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 could offer a promising alternative for wastewater purification. • Novel magnetic composite Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 displayed remarkable photocatalytic properties. • Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 offers economic viability and environmental sustainability. • A Z-type heterojunction was generated directly between Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 and NiFe 2 O 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transparent [Li 0.04 (K 0.5 Na 0.5) 0.96 ]NbO 3 +0.5mol% Er 2 O 3 (KNNLN-Er) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by stereolithography technique. The influence of different sintering holding time (4h∼8h) on the micromorphology, relative density, shrinkage, electric properties, and photoluminescence properties were systematically investigated. The KNNLN-Er ceramics show the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal structures. The grain size increases obviously and then decreases slightly with the holding time increasing. The KNNLN-Er ceramics exhibit good piezoelectric performance (piezoelectric constant d 33 ∼97 pC/N, electromechanical couple coefficient k t ∼0.36) and the moderate transparency of 34% when the holding time is 6h during sintering at 1120°C. Besides, the intensity of the photoluminescence emission spectra increases with the holding time increasing. Furthermore, in order to estimate the properties of the KNNLN-Er transparent ceramics, an ultrasonic transducer with a center frequency of 10.5 MHz was fabricated, which can be used for photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging. The results indicate that the KNNLN-Er ceramics have potential for multimode imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the first-principles, the hydrogen storage, mechanical, electronic, optical, thermodynamic and kinetic properties of XPtH 3 (X = Li, Na, K, Rb) perovskites are investigated for the first time in this work. The lattice constants of the optimized LiPtH 3 , NaPtH 3 , KPtH 3 , and RbPtH 3 are 3.54, 3.63, 3.80, and 3.90 Å, respectively. The Cauchy's pressure and the ratio of the bulk modulus to shear modulus (B/G) consistently prove that the XPtH 3 hydrides all exhibit ductility. The investigation of electronic properties reveals that XPtH 3 compounds exhibit metallic nature. According to Poisson's ratio and charge density distribution, the bonding type of XPtH 3 hydrides is mainly ionic. The Bader partial net charges are also calculated to analyze the charge transfer in XPtH 3 perovskites. The results of the optical properties of XPtH 3 compounds reveal that they are high dielectric constant and high refractive index materials. It is found that the XPtH 3 perovskites exhibit thermodynamic, mechanical, and dynamic stability. The gravimetric hydrogen storage capacities are 1.45, 1.35, 1.26, and 1.06 wt% for LiPtH 3 , NaPtH 3 , KPtH 3 , and RbPtH 3 , respectively. The hydrogen desorption temperatures of LiPtH 3 , NaPtH 3 , KPtH 3 and RbPtH 3 are 237.77, 225.39, 162.43, and 80.11 K, respectively. Our results suggest that LiPtH 3 hydride is the most suitable material for hydrogen storage applications among the four compounds. Systematic calculation of the physical and hydrogen storage properties of XPtH 3 (X = Li, Na, K, Rb) for the first time. Moreover, XPtH 3 (X = Li, Na, K, Rb) hydrides are thermodynamically, mechanically, and dynamically stable. Our results provide new candidates for hydrogen storage materials. [Display omitted] • XPtH 3 (X = Li, Na, K, Rb) perovskites have been investigated using first-principles. • XPtH 3 compounds exhibit thermodynamic, mechanical, and dynamical stability. • The gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity is found to be 1.45 wt% for LiPtH 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) holds paramount significance as a pivotal stage within electrochemical water-splitting processes, particularly in hydrogen production. Highly efficient OER electrocatalysts with inherent capability to effectively lower the energy barrier and promote fast kinetics are in high demand. In this research, we have introduced a novel strategy of modifying the non-precious metal benchmark catalyst, NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH), through multiple oxyanions. Our approach involved incorporating MoS 4 2− as a source of modified anions to enhance the performance of LDH in OER. Under specific conditions of the hydrothermal reaction, a majority of the sulfur (S) within the MoS 4 2− anions underwent oxidization, resulting in the formation of SO 4 2− and MoO x S 4-x 2- groups. As a result, NiFe LDH composites that were modified with multiple oxyanionic moieties, were successfully fabricated. Thanks to the synergistic effects of these oxyanions, which accelerate the generation of active NiOOH species, the optimized NiFe LDH-MoS 4 -0.1/NF sample exhibited a significantly low overpotential of 228 and 270 mV at current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively, along with a low Tafel slope of 35.5 mVdec−1 in 1 M KOH electrolyte solution. Our study underscored the importance of embracing diverse oxyanions modification strategy to amplify the performance of OER, opening up numerous opportunities for energy conversion and storage applications. A multiple oxyanions modification strategy was proposed for enhancing the OER performance of NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials via introducing MoS 4 2− as modified anion sources. Thanks to the synergistic effects of multiple oxyanions (SO 4 2− and MoO x S 4-x 2-), the optimized sample exhibited a remarkable OER activity. [Display omitted] • NiFe LDH materials modified with multiple oxyanions via hydrothermal synthesis. • Multiple oxyanions (SO 4 2− and MoO x S 4-x 2-) originated from MoS 4 2− degradation. • The optimized NiFe LDH-MoS 4 -0.1/NF sample showed outstanding OER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3) is considered one of the most promising materials for PEC water splitting under solar light. However, the drawbacks of lower charge transfer efficiency and slow oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics seriously limited the practical application of α-Fe 2 O 3 photoanodes. In this work, a multilayer structure modified α-Fe 2 O 3 photoanode is proposed. Firstly, the In 2 O 3 nanolayers were loaded onto the surface of α-Fe 2 O 3 nanorods, significantly increasing the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation activity. The heterojunction form by the In 2 O 3 passivation layer with α-Fe 2 O 3 effectively promotes charge separation. Next, an electrodeposition method deposited a nanosheet combining ultrathin non-crystalline Co(OH) x and Mn 3 O 4 nanocrystals (Co–Mn) on the α-Fe 2 O 3 thin film. As an efficient co-catalyst, the Co–Mn nanosheets assisted the performance of α-Fe 2 O 3 PEC water oxidation. The optimized α-Fe 2 O 3 –In 2 O 3 –Co(OH) x -Mn 3 O 4 photoanode produces a high photocurrent density of 6.5 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V (vs. RHE), a maximum IPCE of 57.9% at 400 nm can reach. [Display omitted] • In 2 O 3 /α-Fe 2 O 3 heterojunction was constructed to achieve effective separation of photo-generated carriers. • Co(OH) x -Mn 3 O 4 (Co–Mn) nanosheet layer work as an efficient oxygen evolution co-catalyst. • Co(OH) x -Mn 3 O 4 (Co–Mn) is a selective capture site of photo-generated carriers that inhibits their recombination. • The interactions between α-Fe 2 O 3 , In 2 O 3 , and Co–Mn lead to an efficient photoelectrochemical water-splitting performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perovskite-type hydride compounds are potential candidate materials in the field of hydrogen storage. This paper presents a systematical study of XTiH 3 (X = K, Rb, Cs) using density functional theory. The analysis of formation energy, elastic properties and phonon dispersion curves indicate that all the studied materials are thermodynamically, mechanically and dynamically stable. By analyzing the B/G ratio, it is determined that these compounds are brittle materials. The electronic properties reveal that the XTiH 3 compounds exhibit semi-metallic characteristics. The charge transfer characteristics of these compounds were analyzed using Bader partial charges. Moreover, the thermodynamic characteristics of these compounds were investigated and the dependence of their free energy, entropy and heat capacity on the temperature were analyzed. Finally, the gravimetric hydrogen storage capacities of KTiH 3 , RbTiH 3 and CsTiH 3 were calculated to be 3.36, 2.22 and 1.65 wt%, respectively. The hydrogen desorption temperatures of KTiH 3 , RbTiH 3 and CsTiH 3 were found to be 209 K, 161 K and 107 K, respectively. To our knowledge, this study represents the very first investigation of XTiH 3 compounds and offers valuable references to this hydrogen storage material. [Display omitted] • XTiH 3 (X = K, Rb, Cs) perovskite have been investigated using first-principles. • XTiH 3 perovskite exhibit thermodynamic, mechanical and dynamical stability. • The gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity is found to be 3.36 wt% for KTiH 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is an opportunistic infection antigen in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. However, this phenomenon has received limited attention from epidemiologists. Our study aims to determine the HSV infection risk in SOT recipients. This was a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study based on the National Health Insurance Research Database from 2002 to 2015. We used propensity score matching to avoid selection bias and analyzed the association between HSV infection and SOT recipients with multiple logistic regression analysis. At a 3-year follow-up, SOT recipients had a higher risk of developing HSV, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 3.28 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.51–4.29). Moreover, at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups, SOT recipients also had an increased risk of HSV than general patients with aORs of 3.85 (95% CI, 2.29–6.49), 4.27 (95% CI, 2.86–6.36), and 3.73 (95% CI, 2.74–5.08), respectively. In the subgroup analysis, lung transplant recipients (aOR = 8.01; 95% CI, 2.39–26.88) exhibited a significantly higher chance of HSV among SOT recipients, followed by kidney transplant recipients (aOR = 3.33; 95% CI, 2.11–5.25) and liver transplant recipients (aOR = 3.15; 95% CI, 2.28–4.34). HSV can develop at any time after organ transplantation. SOT recipients had a higher risk of HSV infection than the general population at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years after transplantation, with the highest chance at 1 year after. In addition, the patients who underwent lung transplantion were at higher risk for HSV infection than liver or kidney transplant recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rate constants for reaction of 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane with Cl atoms were obtained. • Gas-phase products, particle-phase products, and SOA yield of 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane with Cl atoms were analyzed. • The reaction mechanism and atmosphere lifetime of several mono-methyl branched alkanes were deduced. Branched alkanes are ubiquitous in the troposphere and play an important role in the chemical processes. In this work, the rate constants and products for the reaction of Cl atoms with 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane were measured at room temperature (298 ± 0.2 K) and atmospheric pressure using a conventional relative rate method. The rate constants of 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane in units of cm3/(mol·sec) are (3.09 ± 0.31) × 10−10 and (3.67 ± 0.40) × 10−10, respectively. Furthermore, the corresponding atmospheric lifetime of the studied branched alkanes with Cl was 6.92-89.90 hours and 5.82-75.69 hours, respectively. The estimated atmospheric lifetimes indicated that the reaction with Cl atoms could be the most important atmospheric degradation pathway for 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane. Primary gas-phase products of the reactions were identified and quantified, and particle-phase products were also obtained. The atmosphere oxidation mechanism of Cl atoms with 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane is proposed. The SOA yields of 3-methylhexane and 2-methylheptane from the reaction of Cl atoms were determined to be 7.96% ± 0.89% and 13.35% ± 1.50% respectively. Overall, the results reveal that the primary loss process of branched alkanes is the reaction with Cl atoms, which impacts its degradation on a regional scale. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten trioxide (WO 3) is a classical electrochromic (EC) material with advantages of abundant reserves, high coloration efficiency and cyclic stability. However, WO 3 films are often accompanied by a narrow spectrum of modulation due to a single-color change from transparent to blue. In this work, we report a wide-spectrum tunable WO 3 ·H 2 O nanosheets EC film solvothermally grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass. Interestingly, the crystalline WO 3 ·H 2 O nanosheets film is transformed into amorphous WO 3 after annealing at 250 °C for 1 h. The amorphous film can be transformed into crystalline WO 3 film by increasing the annealing temperature to 450 °C. After annealing at 250 °C, the WO 3 film exhibits an optical modulation of 75.8% in a broad solar spectrum range of 380–1400 nm and blocks 88.9% of solar irradiance. Fast switching responses of 4.9 s for coloration and 6.0 s for bleaching, and a coloration efficiency of 86.4 cm2 C−1 are also achieved. Additionally, the WO 3 film annealed at 250 °C also demonstrates an excellent cyclic stability, where 99.6% of the initial optical modulation can be retained after 1500 cycles. This simple and mild solvothermal method used in this work provides a new idea for the preparation of wide-spectrum tunable WO 3 EC films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is no effective treatment for chronic skin radiation injury, which burdens patients significantly. Previous studies have shown that cold atmospheric plasma has an apparent therapeutic effect on acute and chronic skin injuries in clinical. However, whether CAP is effective for radiation-induced skin injury has not been reported. We created 35Gy X-ray radiation exposure within 3 * 3 cm2 region of the left leg of rats and applied CAP to the wound bed. Wound healing, cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined in vivo or vitro. CAP alleviated radiation-induced skin injury by enhancing proliferation and migration and cellular antioxidant stress and promoting DNA damage repair through regulated nuclear translocation of NRF2. In addition, CAP inhibited the proinflammatory factors' expression of IL-1β, TNF-α and temporarily increased the pro repair factor's expression of IL-6 in irradiated tissues. At the same time, CAP also changed the polarity of macrophages to a repair-promoting phenotype. Our finding suggested that CAP ameliorated radiation-induced skin injury by activating NRF2 and ameliorating the inflammatory response. Our work provided a preliminary theoretical foundation for the clinical administration of CAP in high-dose irradiated skin injury. [Display omitted] • CAP alleviates radiation-induced skin injury. • CAP increased antioxidants through nuclear translocation of NRF2. • CAP ameliorates the inflammatory in irradiated skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a limited understanding of odor-taste interactions at the molecular levels about how these interactions influence flavor perception. Microfluidic technology used small volumes of fluids in the microscale channels and chambers. It has the potential to provide high throughput assays as well as manipulate organ-on-chips models to simulate the complex interaction of organs in the body. This review discusses the progress and limitation of psychophysics, electroencephalography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate odor-induced taste perception. The application of organ-on-chip models of the nasal mucosa, oral cavity, and brain-gut axis with microfluidics is also discussed. Sensory results showed congruency between taste and odor affected the extent to which odor enhances taste perception. EEG and fMRI demonstrated the cross-modal interactions occur within primary sensory cortices in the brain, but the previous learning and experience are equally important. The multi-channel on the microfluidics not only provides an advantage to separate macromolecules in the sample matrix but can also offer higher throughput than conventional item-by-item detection and decreases reagents and sample consumption. It is feasible to establish in vitro sensory models to investigate interactions among flavor components with olfactory/taste receptors, brain, gut, etc. • Odor-taste interactions influence flavor perception at molecular-levels is unknown. • Synergistic effects of olfactory and taste perception can reduce salt/sugar intake. • Cross-modal interactions in the brain were proved by EEG and fMRI. • Microfluidics offer high throughput/ in vitro sensory models to study interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early auxin responsive small auxin up-regulated RNA (SAUR) family is an important gene family in the auxin signal transduction pathway. This study focused on the regulatory mechanism of DlSAUR genes during early somatic embryogenesis (SE) and its response to hormone treatment and abiotic stress. Mining of the available Dimocarpus longan Lour. (D. longan) genome sequence yielded 68 putative SAUR genes. Transcript profiles based on RNA-seq data showed that most of the 24 detected DlSAUR genes were highly expressed in the globular embryos (GE) (10) and most of them responded to heat stress and 2,4-D treatment. The results of qRT-PCR showed that most of DlSAUR genes were up-regulated under auxin inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) treatments. Moreover, NPA could promote longan SE. The assay for ATAC-seq data analysis showed that chromatin accessibility of 19 of the 24 DlSAUR genes were open during early SE, and most DlSAUR genes differentially expressed during early SE were not associated with H3K4me1 signal enrichment. The DlSAUR32 was selected for subcellular localization and RNA-seq analysis, which encode a cell nuclear-localized protein. Dual-luciferase assays and transient transformation showed that the transcription factors (TFs) DlWRKY75-1 and DlWRKY75-2 might bind to the DlSAUR32 promoters to inhibition gene transcription. Transient overexpression of DlWRKY75-1 and DlWRKY75-2 decreased IAA content in N. benthamiana leaves. Thus, the regulatory network composed of DlSAUR32 and its related TFs may regulate the early longan SE and be involved in the auxin response regulatory pathway of longan. • DlSAUR genes were sensitive to IAA and NPA treatments. • The regulatory network of transcription factors and DlSAUR genes was predicted. • DlWRKY75-1 and DlWRKY75-2 can significantly reduce the expression of DlSAUR32. • Overexpression of DlWRKY75-1 and DlWRKY75-2 decreased IAA content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and liver fibrosis are associated with a high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. We assessed whether entecavir (ETV) plus Biejia-Ruangan compound (BRC), an anti-fibrotic traditional Chinese medicine, can further reduce the risk of HCC in treatment-naïve Chinese patients with CHB and an Ishak fibrosis score of ≥3 points derived from our parent double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. After a 72-week comparison between ETV+BRC and ETV+placebo treatment, participants were eligible to enter an open-label treatment phase and were followed up every 6 months. The primary [secondary] endpoints were the incidence of HCC [liver-related deaths, non-HCC events, and non-liver-related deaths]. Modified intention-to-treat (mITT), intention-to-treat (ITT), and per-protocol (PP) populations were defined for the time-to-event analysis. A total of 1,000 patients were recruited; the median age was 42.0 years; 69.9% were male and 58.3% were HBeAg positive. In the mITT population, the 7-year cumulative incidence of HCC [liver-related deaths] was 4.7% [0.2%] for ETV+BRC, which was significantly lower than 9.3% [2.2%] for ETV monotherapy (p = 0.008 [ p = 0.030]). Notably, ETV+BRC treatment yielded a lower incidence of HCC in those who did not achieve regression of fibrosis at week 72 than ETV monotherapy (p = 0.018). There were no differences in the other 2 secondary endpoints or safety profiles between the groups. Multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis, including the treatment allocation as a parameter, also demonstrated that ETV+BRC treatment was associated with a reduced incidence of HCC. The ITT and PP analyses showed consistent results. ETV plus BRC combination treatment could further reduce the risk of HCC and liver-related deaths in patients with CHB and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, which may have important clinical implications for HCC prevention. Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection are at an increased risk of developing liver cancer (specifically hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]). While there are effective antiviral treatments that can suppress the virus in chronically infected patients, the risk of HCC remains. Herein, we show that adding a traditional Chinese medicine called Biejia-Ruangan compound to an antiviral reduced the risk of HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis B. [Display omitted] • This RCT-based prospective cohort study included 1,000 patients and lasted for 7 years. • Compared with ETV treatment, the combination of ETV + Biejia-Ruangan compound could further reduce the incidence of HCC. • Biejia-Ruangan compound in addition to ETV should be considered for patients with CHB and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, high-performance 0.11 Pb(In 1/2 Nb 1/2)O 3 -0.89 Pb(Hf 0.47 Ti 0.53)O 3 -0.8Ta 2 O 5 (PIN-PHT-0.8Ta) ceramics are successfully synthesized. In addition, performance improvement is comprehensively analyzed from viewpoints of microstructure, phase structure and electrical properties. Experimental results reveal that the addition of Ta 2 O 5 changes phase structure of PIN-PHT ceramics from ferroelectric tetragonal phase to rhombohedral phase. This leads to the appearance of morphotropic phase boundaries (MPBs). At the same time, the addition of Ta 2 O 5 reduces grain size and enhances grain uniformity. Also, Ta 2 O 5 doping improves internal and external contribution of piezoelectric response, which greatly improves dielectric, piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of PIN-PHT. Key performance parameters include d 33 , k p , T C , ε r and tan δ , which are found to be 630 pC/N, 0.73, 322.6 °C, 1917 and 1.55%, respectively. In particular, thermal stability of PIN-PHT-0.8Ta ceramics is found to be higher than PZT-based ceramics, as well as d 33 value and performance retention rate of PIN-PHT-0.8Ta are found to be 560 pC/N and 89% at 300 °C, respectively, which are far superior to commercial PZT-5 and PZT-8 ceramics. These properties indicate potential of PIN-PHT-0.8Ta ceramics in high-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Metapelites of the Fenzishan Group were formed in a back-arc basin of an active continental margin. • Three age groups of detrital zircon: ∼ 3019–2816 Ma, 2761–2610 Ma and ∼ 2261–2128 Ma. • The minimum depositional age of metapelite precursor is ∼ 2261 – 2128 Ma. • Apatite U-Pb age ∼ 1923 – 1893 Ma reflects to the post peak collisional metamorphism. • Metapelites record the UHT metamorphism, showing an anticlockwise P-T path. Metapelites from the Fenzishan Group of the Zhengjiapo banded iron formation (BIF) iron mine studied have undergone high-pressure and ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism. The rocks occur in the Changyi metallogenic belt that belongs to the Jiaobei terrane, Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt, North China Craton. P-T estimates using pseudosection modeling, mineral compositio isopleths and two-feldspar geothermometry of observed mesoperthite and antiperthite intergrowth textures of Bt-Grt-Mag-Amp gneisses, three different metamorphic stages were obtained: A prograde stage M1 at ∼ 600–610 °C/5.5–6.1 kbar, a peak metamorphic stage M2 at ∼ 899–1062 °C/8.6–9.15 kbar, an early retrograde stage M2́at 780–792 °C/8.6–9.15 kbar and a retrograde decompression stage M3 at 466–493 °C/4.5–5.8 kbar. Thus an anticlockwise trajectory can be defined indicating that granulite facies UHT-metamorphic peak conditions have been reached, followed by fast cooling during rapid exhumation. Geochemical characteristics of the metapelites indicate that the Fenzishan Group of the Zhengjiapo BIF iron mine was formed in a back-arc basin system of an active continental margin in a convergent/collisional geological setting.. Magmatic U-Pb ages (LA-ICP-MS) of detrital zircon from metapelites are ∼ 3096 – 2816 Ma and 2761 – 2610 Ma, indicating a source of the Archean basement which delivered clastic material for pelitic protolith. A zircon age of ∼ 2261 – 2128 Ma constrains the minimum depositional age of the metapelitic precursor, while an apatite U-Pb age of ∼ 1923 – 1893 Ma dating demonstrates a metamorphic age of ∼ 1923 – 1893 Ma, is indicated to represent a late Paleoproterozoic post peak metamorphic event that corresponds to the collision of the Jiao-Liao-Ji orogenic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-stage pressurized vertical electro-osmotic dewatering (MS-PVEOD) were designed to break through the dewaterability limit of pressurized vertical electro-osmotic dewatering (PVEOD) process and reduce energy consumption (EC). The effects of mechanical pressure and voltage on sludge moisture content (MC) are studied. The sludge MC can be reduced to 44.6 % and 54.7 % respectively after MS-PVEOD (0–2–3.5 MPa) and PVEOD (2–2–2 MPa) process dewatering under 40 V, and the total EC of the former is 33 % lower than that of the latter. The sludge morphology, electric current, protein (PN) and polysaccharide (PS) content and fluorescence spectrum of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were analyzed. The PN/PS of the sludge treated by the MS-PVEOD process is 16.3 % higher than that of the PVEOD process, and 20.0 % higher than that of the raw sludge (RS). The three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum (3D-EEM) showed that the fluorescence of hydrophilic fulvic acid and humus decreased more than that of hydrophobic tryptophan protein and tyrosine protein. The present work may be helpful to understand the dewatering mechanism of MS-PVEOD and provides some useful technical guidance for the industrial application of efficient deep dewatering of sludge. • The MS-PVEOD process achieves sludge MC of 44.6 %. • The energy consumption of MS-PVEOD process is 33 % lower than that of the PVEOD process when DS is 45 %. • The ratio of VSS/TSS decreased by 33.59 % after MS-PVEOD process by destroying the organic matter and EPS structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shenlingbaizhu (SLBZ) formula, a classical traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) formula, has been widely used for treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). However, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms have not yet been investigated thoroughly. To explore the remission mechanism of SLBZ in the treatment of AAD, we conducted network pharmacological analysis and experimental validation in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the main compounds of SLBZ were identified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-MS) and online databases. The targets of the active components and AAD-related targets were predicted by network pharmacology, and the potential targets of SLBZ against AAD were obtained. Then the core targets were recognized after Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis. Based on these, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway analyses were conducted, and the key pathway was screened. Subsequently, molecular docking was performed using Auto Dock Vina to find the key components that played a crucial role in that pathway. Molecular dynamics simulation was performed by Gromacs software to detect the binding mode. Finally, the results were confirmed by in vitro and in vivo experiments. A total of 66 active ingredients of SLBZ were detected by UHPLC-MS, and 128 active ingredients were screened out by network pharmacological analysis. Additionally, 935 drug targets and 1686 AAD-related targets were obtained. Seventy-eight intersected genes were selected as potential therapeutic targets and 19 genes were excavated as core targets. Enrichment analysis revealed PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the key pathway in SLBZ against AAD. Topological analysis further revealed that JAK2, MTOR, TLR4, and SYK were the key targets affected by SLBZ on the PI3K-AKT pathway, and 52 components of SLBZ were associated with them. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation revealed strong binding affinities between MTOR and diosgenin. Subsequently, after SLBZ treatment, the expression levels of JAK2, MTOR, TLR4, and SYK were found significantly upregulated in the AAD model rats (p < 0.05). The cell experiment further validated the good binding ability between MTOR and diosgenin. We demonstrate that the therapeutic effect of SLBZ on AAD was achieved in part by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT pathway. [Display omitted] • Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy was used to identify the main compounds of Shenlingbaizhu (SLBZ) formula. • Network pharmacology and in vivo experiments showed that the therapeutic effect of SLBZ on antibiotic-associated diarrhea was achieved in part by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway. • This study revealed for the first time that diosgenin in SLBZ was the main ingredient that inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of grain size on the underlying dynamics of void evolution in a nanocrystalline (NC) Ni was dissected. Multiscale characterizations reveal that, unlike the suppression of void nucleation by the compressive stress in coarse-grained Ni, dispersive nano- and micro-voids formed readily in NC Ni during compression. Acoustic emission measurements and molecular dynamic simulations demonstrate that the unique structural features and deformation mechanics implicitly occurring in NC metals play multifaceted roles during void evolution. Although the presence of excessive nucleation sites, such as grain boundaries and triple junctions, together with the activation of intergranular plasticity facilitate void nucleation, high interface population retards dislocation-driven void expansion, resulting in sluggish void growth and a corresponding delay of coalescence avalanches. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of epoxy resin can outstandingly affect the performance of hot-mixed epoxy asphalt binders. A standard measuring procedure of tensile performance for plastics is applied to investigate epoxy asphalt binders influenced by different dosages of epoxy. The rheological performances and microscope structure evolution process influenced by hot mixed epoxy dosage are investigated by dynamic shear rheometer and laser scanning confocal microscopy respectively. The consequences manifest that the flexibility and anti-rutting ability of epoxy asphalt binders is raised accompanied by raising the dosage of epoxy resin are founded by long time of creep, creep and recovery. Dynamic shear rheometer temperature scans showed that epoxy asphalt binders exhibited excellent thermal stability within the scope of −20 °C and 120 °C, when the amount of epoxy resin is no less than 40%. It was observed by laser scanning confocal microscopy that the three-dimensional crosslinked network structure was gradually shaped when the epoxy resin concentration was no less than 40%. These experimental results demonstrated that the excellent performances of epoxy asphalt binders are obtained when the concentration of epoxy resin is no less than 40%. From the viewpoint of epoxy asphalt mixtures, the optimal mixture performances are acquired, when the concentration of epoxy resin is no less than 40%. Finally, when the concentration of epoxy resin is 40%, the excellent cost-performance of epoxy asphalt is obtained, which can be used in steel bridge deck pavement. • The critical point of epoxy resin content was studied to form three-dimensional network structure in asphalt. • The influence of epoxy content on glass transition temperatures and rheological properties were discussed. • Based on the study of mechanical and mixture properties, the optimal cost-effective dosage was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current limitations in mechanical performance and foreign body reactions (FBR) often lead to implant failure, restricting the application of bioceramic scaffolds. This study presents a novel 3D-printed scaffold that combines the release of anti-inflammatory drugs with osteogenic stimulation. Initially, the inorganic and organic phases were integrated to ensure the scaffold's mechanical integrity through catechol chemistry and the electrostatic interactions between tannic acid and quaternary ammonium chitosan. Subsequently, layers of polydopamine-encapsulated puerarin-loaded zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) were self-assembled onto the stent's surface, creating the drug-loaded scaffold that improved drug release without altering the scaffold's structure. Compared with unloaded scaffolds, the puerarin-loaded scaffold demonstrated excellent osteogenic differentiation properties along with superior anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects in a range of in vitro and in vivo studies. RNA sequencing clarified the role of the TNF and NF/κB signaling pathways in these effects, further supporting the scaffold's osteogenic potential. This study introduces a novel approach for creating drug-loaded scaffolds, providing a unique method for treating cancellous bone defects. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MIL-101(Cr) nodes were tethered by ionic liquids bearing hydrogen-bond donor. • MIL-101(Cr) derivative as catalyst boosted the epoxide cycloaddition with CO 2. • The heterogeneous catalyst containing carboxyl displayed superior activity. • The catalyst exhibited the great durability and recyclability. It is critical to design an effective catalyst for CO 2 conversion into cyclocarbonate to achieve the carbon neutrality. Herein, MIL-101(Cr) tethered by hydrogen bond donors (HBD)-containing ionic liquids (denoted as MIL-101-ILs(R), R = OH, NH 2 , and COOH) were synthesized through the implantation of 4,4′-bipyridine into MOF nodes via the post-synthetic modification, followed by the decoration with bromoalkanes including bromoethanol, bromoethylamine, and bromoacetic acid. Their catalytic performance were evaluated by the epoxide cycloaddition reaction under 1.0 MPa CO 2 and 80 ℃ for 6 h in the absence of solvent and cocatalyst. Compared to MIL-101-ILs without HBD, MIL-101-ILs(OH) and MIL-101-ILs(NH 2) demonstrated the more chloropropene carbonate (CPC) yield of 88 % and 83 %, respectively. Notably, MIL-101-ILs(COOH) exhibited an uppermost activity with a CPC yield of 96 %, attributed to the cooperativity of Lewis acidity originating from Cr 3 O clusters, hydrogen-bond interaction afforded by carboxyl groups, and the strong nucleophilicity offered by Br- ions of ILs. Moreover, MIL-101-ILs(COOH) presented excellent recyclability. A potential catalytic mechanism for epoxide cycloaddition with CO 2 into cyclic carbonate has been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are prevalent contaminants in drinking water and are primarily linked to issues regarding water quality. These contaminants have been associated with various adverse health effects. Among different treatment processes, nanofiltration (NF) has demonstrated superior performance in effectively reducing the levels of DBPs compared to conventional processes and ozone-biological activated carbon (O 3 -BAC) processes. In this experiment, we systematically investigated the performance of three advanced membrane filtration treatment schemes, namely "sand filter + nanofiltration" (SF + NF), "sand filter + ozone-biological activated carbon + nanofiltration" (SF + O 3 -BAC + NF), and "ultrafiltration + nanofiltration" (UF + NF), in terms of their ability to control disinfection by-product (DBP) formation in treated water, analyzed the source and fate of DBP precursors during chlorination, and elucidated the role of precursor molecular weight distribution during membrane filtration in relation to DBP formation potential (DBPFP). The results indicated that each treatment process reduced DBPFP, as measured by trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) and haloacetic acid formation potential (HAAFP), with the SF + O 3 -BAC + NF process being the most effective (14.27 μg/L and 14.88 μg/L), followed by the SF + NF process (21.04 μg/L and 16.29 μg/L) and the UF + NF process (26.26 μg/L and 21.75 μg/L). Tyrosine, tryptophan, and soluble microbial products were identified as the major DBP precursors during chlorination, with their fluorescence intensity decreasing gradually as water treatment progressed. Additionally, while large molecular weight organics (60–100,000 KDa) played a minor role in DBPFP, small molecular weight organics (0.2–5 KDa) were highlighted as key contributors to DBPFP, and medium molecular weight organics (5–60 KDa) could adhere to the membrane surface and reduce DBPFP. Based on these findings, the combined NF process can be reasonably selected for controlling DBP formation, with potential long-term benefits for human health. [Display omitted] • The SF + NF, SF + O 3 -BAC + NF, and UF + NF processes help eliminate TCM and DCAA precursors. • Proteins and soluble microbial products are the main precursors for DBP formation. • Small molecular weight organics (0.2–5 KDa) are particularly likely to form DBPs. • The process chosen should consider energy consumption and economic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driver distraction recognition has been studied by many researchers. However, most studies have failed to balance the efficiency and accuracy of models. In this study, a lightweight network called CaTNet is proposed. The CaTNet is a simplified framework based on the existing model ConvNeXt, which prunes redundant feature layers. And a whole new module CaT containing self-attention is introduced in tandem, both of which are combined to enhance the feature characterization. It captures long-range dependencies and retains the local inductive bias provided by the convolutional neural network (CNN). The proposed method is verified on the dataset of American University in Cairo (AUC) and the State Farm Distracted Driver Detection (SFD3) Dataset. The CaTNet achieves 94.82% and 99.91% Top-1 accuracy while the number of model parameters is only 2.832M, with 12.44 frames per second (FPS) running on Jetson Nano. These results are superior to other existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Development trend of collaborative security in middle reaches is considerable. • Collaborative security levels of Sichuan, Hunan and Jiangxi are lowest in 2020. • Bellman optimal equation is used to calculate expected benefits of measures. • Quantitative assessment is conducive to the collaborative security of the nexus. • Optimal implementation sequences of indictors with poor performance are proposed. Water, energy, and food are essential for human survival, and the production and consumption of these three resources are closely related. In the backdrop of limited resources and constantly expanding demand, the collaborative security of the water-energy-food nexus (WEF-nexus) is under serious threat. It is of great practical significance to study the adaptive management countermeasures of the collaborative security of the WEF-nexus in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) and to quantitatively evaluate the implementation sequence of relevant management countermeasures to improve the collaborative security and promote the sustainable development of the WEF-nexus. This study first establishes an evaluation indicator system for the collaborative security of the WEF-nexus in the YREB by utilizing the pressure-state-response (PSR) model. Then, the CRITIC and TOPSIS methods are used to determine the weight of indicators and the collaborative security level of the WEF-nexus in each province and city. The state transition matrix is determined based on the transition at the collaborative security level. Finally, based on the barrel theory to make up for shortcomings, the adaptive management countermeasures of provinces and cities with low collaborative safety levels are studied by combining the Bellman optimal equation. By comparing the expected returns of the same countermeasure in different implementation sequences and conducting quantitative research on the implementation sequence of adaptive management countermeasures, targeted policy suggestions are proposed based on regional characteristics, providing a reference for strategic decision-making of relevant resources in the YREB and improving regional WEF-nexus collaborative security. The results show that: (1) For Jiangxi, improving the water conservancy engineering regulation and storage capacity and other ways in a particular order can effectively improve the collaborative security level of nexus. (2) For Hunan, increasing the investment proportion of agriculture, forestry and water conservancy and resource exploration intensity and other means in a particular order can effectively improve the collaborative security level of the nexus. (3)For Sichuan, increasing the water-saving irrigation rate according to a particular order and other ways can effectively improve the collaborative security level of nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine particulates in city air significantly impact human health, but the hazardous compositional mechanisms are still unclear. Besides the toxicity of environmental PM 2.5 to in vitro human lung epithelial cells (A549), the independent cytotoxicity of PM 2.5 -bound water-soluble (WS-PM 2.5) and water-insoluble (WIS-PM 2.5) fractions were also compared by cell viability, oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species, ROS), and inflammatory injury (IL-6 and TNF-α). The cytotoxicity of PM 2.5 varied significantly by sampling season and place, with degrees greater in winter and spring than in summer and autumn, related to corresponding trend of air PM 2.5 level, and also higher in industrial than urban site, although their PM 2.5 pollution levels were comparable. The PM 2.5 bound metals (Ni, Cr, Fe, and Mn) may contribute to cellular injury. Both WS-PM 2.5 and WIS-PM 2.5 posed significant cytotoxicity, that WS-PM 2.5 was more harmful than WIS-PM 2.5 in terms of decreasing cell viability and increasing inflammatory cytokines production. In particular, industrial samples were usually more toxic than urban samples, and those from summer were generally less toxic than other seasons. Hence, in order to mitigate the health risks of PM 2.5 pollution, the crucial targets might be components of heavy metals and soluble fractions, and sources in industrial areas, especially during the cold seasons. [Display omitted] • Both soluble and insoluble-PM 2.5 induced cytotoxicity with source differences. • PM 2.5 toxicity was higher for industrial than urban area and cold than warm season. • Soluble than insoluble-PM 2.5 induced stronger cytotoxicity and inflammation. • Transition metals Ni, Cr, Fe, Mn might contribute to the different PM 2.5 toxicity. • Spatial-temporal sources and solubility are important for PM 2.5 health risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multiple color space prior network is proposed to handle non-homogeneous hazy images and perform color correction, ensuring visually pleasing dehazed results. • The two parallel sub-networks, the color correction network and the Prior-based dehazing network, designed based on image priors effectively extract feature information from YCrCb and HSV color spaces. • A comprehensive fusion module (CFM) is designed to consider the multi-scale information in feature maps and the intrinsic relationships between channels for comprehensive feature fusion. When capturing images in non-homogeneous haze conditions, the degree of haze impact varies across the scene, and the information in certain parts of the scene are lost, making the scene nearly invisible. However, most existing dehazing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are designed for homogeneous haze and do not consider the challenge of feature extraction arising from non-homogeneous haze distribution. Moreover, these networks primarily rely on the RGB color space for feature extraction, often fail to extract color and detail feature effectively, resulting in color distortion and loss of details in the output. To tackle this problem, we introduce image priors in the YCbCr and HSV color spaces, proposing a novel Multiple Color Space Prior Network (MCPNet) to enhance the dehazing performance specifically for non-homogeneous hazy images, while simultaneously correcting the color, preserving the visual quality of the output. Leveraging image priors, we designed two parallel sub-networks to extract color and detail features from the YCbCr and HSV color spaces. Moreover, to capitalize on these features and incorporate them effectively into the dehazed image, we introduce a Comprehensive Fusion Module (CFM). This module judiciously takes into account both the fusion of multiscale features and the interrelation among channels to optimize feature fusion. By employing a dual network architecture coupled with the CFM, our model proficiently amalgamates and exploits the mined features, accurately restoring the color and detail information of the image, especially for images containing non-homogeneous haze. Extensive experimental highlight the effectiveness of our model in addressing homogeneous and non-homogeneous hazy images, concurrently preserving the visual appeal of the dehazed outcomes. When compared with other SOTA models, our MCPNet demonstrates superior results in dehazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel immobilization strategy based on AuNPs/PB-ZIF-8@SWCNT was first developed. • The combination of ZIF-8@SWCNT and AuNPs/PB enhanced the sensor performance. • A low detection limit of 10−16 M was achieved at the olfactory biosensor. • The sensor exhibited a long storage stability of 15 days. Hexanal is considered as an important volatile compound indicator for the assessment of freshness and maturity of foods. Therefore, sensitive and stable monitoring of hexanal is highly desired. Herein, an efficient receptor immobilization strategy based on ZIF-8@ Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and nanosomes-AuNPs/Prussian blue (PB) was proposed for the development of olfactory biosensors. ZIF-8@SWCNT as dual support materials provided a high density of active sites for nanosomes loading. Moreover, the co-electrodeposition of nanosomes-AuNPs and PB on the sensor interface effectively amplified the electrochemical signal and maintained the activity of the receptor. The combination of ZIF-8@SWCNT with AuNPs/PB imparts excellent sensing performance of the biosensor with a wide detection range of 10−16–10−9 M, a low detection limit of 10−16 M for hexanal, and a long storage stability of 15 days. These results indicate that our biosensor can be a powerful tool for versatile applications in food and other related industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conventional systems, fluorescent probes with planar structures usually experience the phenomenon of aggregation-induced quenching (ACQ) that limits their practical applications in bio-medical sensing. To confront such problem, an attractive way is to develop a disaggregation-induced emission (DIE) sensing strategy, where the quenched fluorescence is recovered via a disaggregation process. Currently most of the fluorescent probes designed based on DIE mechanism are signal off-on type with the fluorescent intensity changed at a single wavelength. On the other hand, ratiometric fluorescent probes have the advantage of having two distinct emission wavelengths, effectively avoiding environmental interference. The DIE probes with a ratiometric fluorescence response still poorly established. Herein, we report a BODIPY-based probe BODPA , where a 2,2′-dipicolylamine group was introduced to the meso- position of BODIPY core, for the selective ratiometric detection of G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. This probe in buffer solution formed aggregates with weak fluorescence at 508 nm. In the presence of G4 DNA, bright fluorescence was emitted at 518 nm through DIE mechanism. Taking advantage of the ratiometric manner, probe BODPA exhibited selectivity for G4 DNA over duplex DNA. The binding details between probe BODPA and G4 DNA were assessed by spectroscopic and molecular modeling methods, which suggested the ability of this probe could coordinate with G4 structure via end stacking and partial groove binding mode. [Display omitted] • A BODIPY-based probe BODPA for ratiometric detection of G4 DNA is reported. • The strategy that relies on the recognition-driven disaggregation is outlined. • The detailed sensing mechanism has been discussed by experimental and molecular docking methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A broad-spectrum organic solvents tolerant strain STO was obtained by ALE. • Multi-omics integrated physiology of styrene oxide tolerant strain was analyzed. • GOX_RS04415 and GOX_RS04700 were considered as key genes for tolerance in G. oxydans. • The first report on the organic solvent tolerance mechanisms in G. oxydans. Chemical production wastewater contains large amounts of organic solvents (OSs), which pose a significant threat to the environment. In this study, a 10 g·L−1 styrene oxide tolerant strain with broad-spectrum OSs tolerance was obtained via adaptive laboratory evolution. The mechanisms underlying the high OS tolerance of tolerant strain were investigated by integrating physiological, multi-omics, and genetic engineering analyses. Physiological changes are one of the main factors responsible for the high OS tolerance in mutant strains. Moreover, the P-type ATPase GOX_RS04415 and the LysR family transcriptional regulator GOX_RS04700 were also verified as critical genes for styrene oxide tolerance. The tolerance mechanisms of OSs can be used in biocatalytic chassis cell factories to synthesize compounds and degrade environmental pollutants. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the toxicological response to OS stress and offers potential targets for enhancing the solvent tolerance of G. oxydans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A "stretch-crosslink-release" strategy was proposed to generate diverse and tunable wrinkle patterns in interlayer bonding strained bilayer graphene (IB-SBG). • Three energetically favorable patterns were identified, including herringbone, irregular hexagon and honeycomb patterns. • A phase diagram of wrinkle patterns corresponding to pre-strain and the portion of interface with interlayer bonding was established. • Strain engineering was employed to generate a series of new patterns by precisely adjusting the biaxial strain. Moiré patterns are important structures in two-dimensional (2D) materials, showcasing unique electronic correlated states, which have garnered considerable research interests in recent years. However, current researches on moiré patterns primarily focus on honeycomb patterns induced by lattice mismatches at 2D material hetero-interfaces. In this work, we have demonstrated the ability to generate diverse and tunable wrinkle patterns in interlayer bonding strained bilayer graphene (IB-SBG) through a "stretch-crosslink-release" strategy, facilitated by the interlayer bonding that provides effective in-plane load transfer and interlayer constraint. Three energetically favorable wrinkle patterns are identified, including herringbone, irregular hexagon and honeycomb patterns. In general, wrinkle patterns are determined by two parameters, i.e., pre-strain and the portion of interface with interlayer bonding, and the phase diagram of wrinkle patterns corresponding to the two parameters is provided. Furthermore, strain engineering can be employed in IB-SBG to generate a series of new patterns by precisely adjusting the biaxial strain applied to IB-SBG. The present strategy to achieve tunable wrinkle patterns holds the potential to open new avenues for novel electronic applications based on bilayer graphene systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen absorption of Zircaloy nuclear fuel cladding, used in light water reactor at nuclear power plants, poses an increased risk of delayed hydride cracking during interim dry storage. Consequently, novel surface technologies aimed at reducing hydrogen absorption have become a critical area of research. Zirconium nitride coatings, renowned for their high hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance, have seen widespread application in various industries, including medical devices, cutting tools, and decoration. This study explores the effectiveness of ZrN coating in suppressing hydride formation in Zircaloy-4, a material commonly used for nuclear fuel cladding. In this research, ZrN coatings were deposited onto recrystallized Zircaloy-4 substrates using a hollow cathode discharge ion-plating (HCD-IP) system. The coated and uncoated Zircaloy-4 samples were then subjected to electrochemical and gaseous hydriding processes. The study further investigates the differences in microstructure and hydrogen content of coated and uncoated Zircaloy-4. From these results, it is evident that the ZrN thin film deposited by HCD-IP exhibited great resistance to hydrogen permeation against both hydriding conditions. It is concluded that the ZrN thin films can serve as an excellent hydrogen barrier layer for Zircaloy-4. • Electrochemical hydriding followed by a homogenization heat treatment produced the uniform δ-hydride in Zircaloy-4. • Gaseous hydriding was effectively applied to Zircaloy-4 alloy, resulting in the uniform δ-hydride. • Nanocrystalline ZrN thin film with a strong (111) texture was successfully deposited on Zircaloy-4 by the ion-plating. • ZrN thin film demonstrated significant resistance to hydrogen permeation in Zircaloy-4 by at least 82%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes-related skin ulcers are of significant clinical concern. Although conventional dressings have been developed, their outcomes have not been adequate, indicating the need to investigate functional dressings for the treatment of diabetic ulcers. Copper selenide nanoparticles (Cu 2 Se NPs) demonstrate outstanding photoresponsiveness, which is critical to the healing process. However, their limited solubility in water restricts their application. To synthesize the ODT-PMMA@Cu 2 Se NP-doped decellularized periosteum‑sodium alginate functional dressing-ODT-PMMA@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S (OP@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S), Cu 2 Se NPs were modified by n-octadecanethiol (ODT) end-functionalized poly (methacrylic acid) (PMAA) ligands homogeneously dispersed in a decellularized periosteum/sodium alginate matrix. This process improved the water solubility and stability. Moreover, under near-infrared irradiation (NIR), ODT-PMMA@Cu 2 Se demonstrated robust photo-responsiveness along with photothermal and photodynamic effects, leading to rapid heating and stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. These two processes work in concert to exhibit excellent antibacterial ability; at 20 μg/mL concentration of Cu 2 Se NPs, the bacterial activities of S. aureus and E. coli were 5.40 % and 0.96 %, respectively. Without the NIR laser irradiation, OP@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S rapidly increased the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, triggered the phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway, affected the expression of bFGF and CD31, and promoted neovascularization, proliferation, and cell migration. In a diabetic mouse wound model, OP@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S exhibited good biocompatibility and promoted epidermal regeneration, collagen deposition, and neovascularization. In a mouse model of subcutaneous abscesses, OP@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S also showed excellent antibacterial activity, in vivo experiments confirmed a decrease in bacterial activity to 1.97 %. Thus, OP@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S is a potentially useful approach for healing diabetic wounds. • Its strong biological activity and superior antibacterial properties are crucial for the healing of diabetic wounds. • The misuse of antibiotics combined with the drawbacks of nanoparticles causes a rise in both cytotoxicity and cell resistance. • A multifunctional dressing that is photoresponsive and free of antibiotics was prepared in this research. Its superior antibacterial and healing properties in vitro and investigated the underlying mechanisms. • Cu 2 Se NPs were functionalized with ODT-PMMA ligands for the first time, distributing them uniformly in the decellularized periosteum/sodium alginate, and exhibiting full healing of diabetic wounds and hair follicle regeneration without the need for near-infrared light. • Moreover, OP@Cu 2 Se/ECM-S has powerful antibacterial properties in the presence of NIR, virtually eliminating microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nb 2 O 5 nanoparticles (5 ∼ 15 m) supported on 3DOM structure were fabricated. • 3DOM Nb 2 O 5 significantly improves the hydrogen storage performance of MgH 2. • Unique 3DOM structure and in-situ formed NbHx contributes above improvement. • The electron transfer at the MgH 2 /Nb 2 O 5 interface can weaken the Mg-H bond. A three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) Nb 2 O 5 was successfully prepared via the colloidal crystal template method, which demonstrates a significant effect in enhancing the hydrogen storage performances of MgH 2. 3DOM Nb 2 O 5 presents an overall macroporous structure with a highly ordered overall arrangement and connected layers. As limiting domains influence of 3DOM structure, Nb 2 O 5 nanoparticles ranging in size from 5 to 15 nm are encapsulated with the amorphous carbon layer. The MgH 2 -5 wt% 3DOM Nb 2 O 5 MM 30 h composite can absorb 6.35 wt% H 2 in 500 s at 175 °C and desorb 6.95 wt% H 2 in 300 s at 300 °C. The unique Nb 2 O 5 3DOM structure can provide more active sites and a larger contact area for the hydrogen ab/desorption of MgH 2. The in situ formed NbH x can promote the dissociation and complexation of molecular hydrogen on its surface and induce the hydrogen boundary/interface diffusion along the Mg/MgH 2 interface, thus facilitating the hydrogen ab/desorption reaction of MgH 2. In addition, the binding energy transfer of Nb 2 O 5 can be observed by XPS and the electron shift at the MgH 2 /Nb 2 O 5 interface is further confirmed by the theoretical calculations, which can weaken the Mg-H bond and induce MgH 2 to become unstable. This finding will provide ideas for the design and preparation of catalysts with special morphologies for Mg-based hydrogen storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A method coupled wavelet transformation for identifying non-linear periodic of eco-hydrological was established. • The characteristics of different hydrological oscillation period and its impact on river algal blooms was found. • The law of weakened interannual hydrological oscillation increased the frequency of river algal blooms was revealed. The evolution of riverine aquatic ecosystems typically exhibits notable characteristic with cumulative, enduring, and hysteresis. Exploring the non-linear response of riverine ecology to long-term hydrological fluctuations become a major challenge in contemporary interdisciplinary research. In response to the critical issue of frequent river algal blooms in the lower Han River, which is impacted by Asian largest inter-basin water diversion project. We identified the non-linear response of eco-hydrology across various time scales through the integration of Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and Inverse Wavelet Transform (IWT). Our study revealed that: 1) Over the past half century, the hydrological regime in the lower Han river showed a significant downward trend, and existed three significant hydrological oscillation periods (HOPs), including the short-scale Intra-AC (180 days), the medium-scale AC (365 days, the first major period), and the long-scale Inter-AC (2500 days), the variation of Inter-AC changed most dramatically. 2) We further found that the Inter-AC variation of hydrology is more closely related to the formation of river algal blooms in the Han River, and when the hydrological Inter-AC shows steady state or downward trend, the frequency of algal blooms in the lower Han River increases significantly. 3) The river algal blooms in the lower Han River is a cumulative consequence to the long-term hydrological influences. Weakened hydrological Inter-AC is more likely to increase the frequency of river algal blooms, and 10-years Inter-AC cumulation increased the frequency by 60%. Therefore, the weaken of long-scale HOP will significantly increase the frequency of river algal blooms in the future. This study received a critical scientific insight and aimed at provide guidance for the optimization of ecological management within the framework of national large-scale water conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite pollution by microplastics and heavy metals poses a potential threat to the soil plant system and has received increasing attention. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have good application potential for the remediation of combined microplastic and heavy metal pollution, but few related studies exist. The present study employed a pot experiment to investigate the effects of inoculation with the PGPB Bacillus sp. SL-413 and Enterobacter sp. VY-1 on sorghum growth and Cd accumulation under conditions of combined cadmium (Cd) and polyethylene (PE) pollution. Cd+PE composite contamination led to a significant reduction in sorghum length and biomass due to increased toxicity. Inoculation with Bacillus sp. SL-413 and Enterobacter sp. VY-1 alleviated the stress caused by Cd+PE complex pollution, and the dry weight of sorghum increased by 25.7% to 46.1% aboveground and by 12.3% to 45.3% belowground. Bacillus sp. SL-413 and Enterobacter sp. VY-1 inoculation increased the Cd content and accumulation in sorghum and improved the phytoremediation efficiency of Cd. The inoculation treatment effectively alleviated the nutrient stress caused by the reduction in soil mineral nutrients due to Cd+PE composite pollution. The composition of the soil bacterial communities was also affected by the Cd, Cd+PE and bacterial inoculation treatments, which affected the diversity of the soil bacterial communities. Network analyses indicated that bacterial inoculation regulated the interaction of rhizospheric microorganisms and increased the stability of soil bacterial communities. The Mantel test showed that the changes in the soil bacterial community and function due to inoculation with Bacillus sp. SL-413 and Enterobacter sp. VY-1 were important factors influencing sorghum growth and Cd remediation efficiency. The results of this study will provide new evidence for the research on joint plant microbe remediation of heavy metal and microplastic composite pollution. [Display omitted] • Increased toxicity of Cd+PE reduced the length and biomass of sorghum. • PGPB alleviate Cd+PE stress and improve the Cd phytoremediation efficiency. • PGPB increased the contents of N, P, K in the soil. • PGPB changed the composition and function of the soil bacterial community under Cd+PE. • PGPB changed the co-occurrence network and interaction of soil bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cu modification to VO x /Silicalite-1 for PDH-CO 2. • Improved dispersion of VO x and tuned acidic/basic sites. • Promoted reverse water gas shift. • Highest conversion of propane/CO 2 on 0.5Cu-10VO x /S-1. Propane dehydrogenation in CO 2 atmosphere (PDH-CO 2) is of interest with a potential to raise propane conversion. Here the catalytic performance of Cu modified 10VO x /Silicalite-1(S-1) for PDH-CO 2 is presented for the first time. The initial propane conversion of 68.8% on 0.5Cu-10VO x /S-1 was reached from 59.3% on 10VO x /S-1, along with the CO 2 conversion of 44.5% from 32.4%. The role of S-1 support and Cu modification were elucidated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection (UV–Vis), NH 3 /CO 2 temperature-programmed desorption (NH 3 /CO 2 -TPD), H 2 temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization. While dispersing VO x , non-acidic S-1 minimized the side reactions usually occurring on the strong acidic sites. Cu modification promoted the dispersion of VO x and enabled 10VO x /S-1 exposing more weak acidic sites and basic sites, boosting respectively the adsorption of propane and CO 2 , for concurrently accelerating the reverse water gas shift (RWGS). Moreover, the highly dispersed V5+ was formed on the surface whereas the percentage of inactive V3+ decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple Kernel Clustering (MKC) is an effective approach for revealing nonlinear cluster structures in candidate kernels. However, existing MKC methods still face two key challenges. Firstly, the pairwise affinity in these methods is primarily determined by kernel similarity, disregarding the correlations among highly similar neighbors and resulting in redundant weight assignments and reduced clustering discriminability. Secondly, the direct utilization of affinity matrices overlooks high-order connections and introduces noise due to independent row-wise solving. To address these issues, we propose a novel local MKC method called LKRGDF. We begin by exploring affinity using the Local Kernel Reconstruction (LKR) model, reducing redundancy and enhancing clustering discriminability. Furthermore, we exploit the affinities with the Global heat kernel Diffusion (GD) procedure to capture long-range connections smoothly. The GD process acts as a low pass filter, focusing on small eigenvalues corresponding to top clusters. Finally, we integrate these smooth affinities within an auto-weighted Multiple Graph Fusion (MGF) framework to obtain a consensus graph. By assembling LKR, GD, and MGF in a sequential pipeline, our approach achieves the exploration and exploitation of local structures, gradually improving clustering performance while ensuring computational efficiency without the need for iterative steps. Extensive experiments on ten datasets demonstrate the superiority of our algorithm in terms of effectiveness and efficiency compared to state-of-the-art methods. The code for our method is publicly available at https://github.com/YanChenSCU/LKRGDF-2023.git. [Display omitted] • A new reconstruction method is developed to explore the local kernel structure. • A heat diffusion method is developed to exploit the global kernel structure. • A new sequential MKC method is proposed to explore and exploit kernel structure. • The experimental results show both the effectiveness and efficiency of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-organisms on the eggshell surface of affect the quality of the egg. Sometimes, these microbes even pose a serious threat to the health of the egg's consumer. Bacterial 16S rDNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer region were sequenced to analyze the microbial diversity on the shell surface of the eggs collected from 4 distinct regions of China: Guyuan (GY ; 1.5 million hens), Langfang (LF ; 0.1 million hens), Beihai (BH ; 1.2 million hens), and Dongguan (DG ; 0.2 million hens). The results showed a higher bacterial and fungal abundance on the eggs collected from the northern and southern China farms, respectively. The dominant bacterial phylum detected across all egg samples was Firmicutes. In addition, the shell surfaces of the DG and LF samples harbored abundant levels of Proteobacteria. The dominant fungal phyla detected across all egg samples were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. The bacterial compositions on eggshell surfaces differed significantly across all geographic regions, and the fungal composition differed significantly between samples collected from the southern and northern farms (P < 0.05). The abundance and composition of microbial colonies on the eggshell surface varied based on their geographical location (climate and environment) and farming scale (management). Our findings provide an important reference for optimizing the cleaning and disinfection methods for fresh eggs collected from different sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D-IC) technology, which involves the vertical integration of multiple chips, has effectively reduced the size of electronic devices and mitigated chip interconnection delays. However, the high integration of 3D-IC brings serious thermal management challenges, especially the heat dissipation of middle-layer or bottom-layer chips. In this study, a 3D-IC thermal management scheme named SLHP based on loop heat pipe is proposed. An SLHP featuring micropillar arrays wick is designed and manufactured, and the feasibility of the SLHP for 3D-IC thermal management is verified through visual experiment, and the influence of changing the location of hotspots and introducing a composite wick on improving the performance of the SLHP is explored. The results indicate that the SLHP operates effectively, demonstrating the capability to adapt to abrupt changes in heat flux. Moreover, the micropillar arrays wick not only provides powerful capillary force, but also larger heat exchange area in limited space. Thoughtful placement of hotspots is profitable to supply liquid fluid and minimize heat leakage from evaporator to compensation chamber. Most significantly, the thermal conductivity of composite wick SLHP reaches 852.1 W/(m·K), surpassing the 810.0 W/(m·K) achieved by the single-size wick SLHP. • A 3D-IC thermal management scheme based on LHP is proposed. • The application of micropillars array wick in SLHP has been effective. • The impact of hotspots position on the fluid replenishment ability is explored. • SLHP with composite wick reaches the higher thermal conductivity of 852.1 W/(m∙K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of pressure on the mechanical, electrical structure, and optical characteristics of cubic fluoroperovskite XMgF 3 (X = Al, Ga, In, Tl) are investigated based on the first principles methods. The calculated lattice constants are in good agreement with those in the literature. According to the mechanical properties, all the compounds exhibit ductility and anisotropy, and the inter-atomic binding bonds of these materials are ionic. According to Kleinman's parameter, bond stretching is dominant in XMgF 3 (X = Al, Ga, In, Tl). Among all studied compounds, AlMgF 3 carries the highest machinable index, indicating that it is the most machinable and suitable material for industrial applications. The electronic structures show that AlMgF 3 and InMgF 3 are indirect bandgap semiconductors, while GaMgF 3 and TlMgF 3 are direct bandgap insulators at 0 GPa. The values of band gap for all the compounds decrease with the increasing pressure. X-s and F-p orbital states contribute primarily to the top of the valence band, whereas X-p orbital states dominate the bottom of the conduction band. The overall shape of electron state density under pressure does not change significantly, but its peak widens. The optical properties of XMgF 3 (X = Al, Ga, In, Tl) crystal at zero pressure and high pressures are further investigated. The results indicate that XMgF 3 compounds have outstanding ultraviolet (UV) absorption properties and could be used in UV optical devices. Moreover, the low reflectivity values of XMgF 3 crystals make the compounds potential anti-reflective coating materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, CuF 2 -doped 0.08 Pb(In 0.5 Nb 0.5)O 3 –0.92 Pb(Hf 0.47 Ti 0.53)O 3 (PIN–PHT + CuF 2) ceramics were prepared via traditional solid-state route using lower temperature than conventional environment. Resultant materials were found to have high Curie temperature, high mechanical quality factor and excellent piezoelectric performance. The phase composition as well as piezoelectric, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the samples were detailedly studied, and Rayleigh's law fitting method was used to explore the piezoelectric response mechanism. Results indicate that the addition of CuF 2 makes PIN–PHT lattice shrink, the phase composition of morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) is more symmetrical, that is, the content difference between rhombohedral and tetragonal phases decreases, and both intrinsic and extrinsic contributions of piezoelectric response are improved. For CuF 2 doping content of 0.75-at%, samples sintering at 1100 °C exhibited excellent overall performance, its dielectric and piezoelectric properties at room temperature and Curie temperature reach excellent values, i.e., d 33 = 488 pC/N, T C = 348 °C, ε r = 1630, tan(δ) = 0.14%, Q m = 387, and k p = 0.6. More importantly, after depolarization at 200 °C, d 33 still remained at 460 pC/N. The combined results show CuF 2 -doped PIN–PHT ceramics can be prepared at lower temperatures as well as have lower losses and higher values of Q m. These findings indicate that PIN–PHT + CuF 2 ceramics have greater ease of production and significantly improved application prospects, particularly as a result of their high temperature stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RNA-sequencing was performed in clinical tumor tissues of breast cancer patients. • Gene modules correlated with subtypes of breast cancer performed by WGCNA. • Triple-negative breast cancer patients showed elevated expression of FERMT1. • FERMT1 could serve as a specific biomarker for triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis due to its aggressive biological behavior and lack of therapeutic targets. Here, we aimed to identify specific biomarkers for TNBC by using RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Fresh breast tumor tissues were obtained from 34 patients who were admitted to the Breast Center, Peking University People's Hospital, from June 2020 to December 2020; the patients were pathologically diagnosed with primary breast cancer and underwent surgery for the resection of tumor tissues. Tumor-tissue RNA was extracted and the generated cDNA libraries were sequenced using the NextSeq platform, after which the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TNBC and other subtypes of breast cancer were identified and DEG functional-enrichment analysis was performed. Next, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify the most significant module and hub genes in TNBC, and then the correlations between the hub genes and the prognosis of TNBC patients were analyzed through survival analysis. Lastly, qRT-PCR analysis was used to validate the expression levels of hub genes in tumor tissues from TNBC and other subtypes of breast cancer. Comparison of TNBC tissues and tissues from other subtypes of breast cancer led to the identification of 273 DEGs in TNBC: 172 upregulated and 101 downregulated genes. In Gene Ontology analysis of the DEGs, five terms were significantly enriched, "developmental process," "anatomical structure development," "tissue development," "cell cycle," and "epithelium development," and in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, the most significantly enriched pathways for all DEGs were "cell cycle," "mitophagy-animal," and "autophagy-animal." Furthermore, we identified the core module related to TNBC and screened for hub genes by using WGCNA, and after verifying the top 100 genes based on survival analysis, we selected four genes as the hub genes: SERPINB4 , SMR3A , FERMT1 , and STARD4 ; elevated expression of these genes was associated with poor overall survival (OS) of TNBC patients. Notably, qRT-PCR results indicated that FERMT1 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in TNBC samples. The DEG profiles between tissues from TNBC and other subtypes of breast cancer were identified using RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. FERMT1 was significantly upregulated in TNBC tumor tissues, and increased expression of FERMT1 was associated with poor OS of TNBC patients. FERMT1 could serve as a specific biomarker of and therapeutic target in TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study of a male patient who presented with recurrent abdominal pain and was found to have a giant abdominal tumor caused by mesenteric fibromatosis. The patient underwent surgical excision of the tumor and a partial resection of the jejunum, resulting in a good recovery. Mesenteric fibromatosis is a rare subtype of desmoid fibromatosis that originates in the mesentery and is characterized by a clonal proliferative lesion of fibroblastic cells. Surgical resection is the primary treatment for mesenteric fibromatosis, and recurrence is typically rare after surgery. [Extracted from the article]

New particle formation (NPF) is the primary source of nanoparticles and contributes a large number of concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei. In recent years, field campaigns and laboratory experiments have been conducted to promote cognition of the mechanism for NPF and its following growth processes. The chemical composition measurement of nanoparticles could help deepen understanding of the initial step of particulate matter formation. In this work, we developed a nanoparticle chemical ionization mass spectrometer to measure nanoparticles' chemical compositions during their initial growth stage. Meanwhile, a non-radioactive ion source was designed for aerosol charging and chemical ionization. Time of flight mass spectrometer coupled with integrated aerosol size selection and collection module would guarantee the picogram level detection limit and high-resolution ability to measure the matrix of ambient samples. The performance of this equipment was overall evaluated, including the transmission efficiency and collection efficiency of custom-built nano differential mobility analyzer, chemical ionization efficiency, and mass resolution of the mass spectrometer. The high sensitivity measurement of ammonium sulfate and methylammonium sulfate aerosols with diameters ranging from 10 to 25 nm could guarantee the application of this instrument in the ambient measurement. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous molecular regulatory mechanisms are involved in the formation of mammalian oocytes, but many of their key proteins and molecules remain unknown. GPR50, the lone G protein-coupled receptor located in the X chromosome, is one of the superfamily members of the G protein-coupled receptor. GPR50 has been recently proved to play an important role in various physiological activities. However, the role of GPR50 in reproduction is currently unclear. In our previous research, we proved that the GPR50 receptor is present in yak oocytes. In the present study, the expression level and subcellular localization of GPR50 in the in vitro maturation process of yak oocytes were investigated to explore further its role in the maturation of yak oocytes. In the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, GPR50 was expressed and positioned in the cell membrane. By comparison, in the metaphase II (MII) stage, GPR50 had the highest expression level and was highly diffused in the cytoplasm. On the basis of these observations, the knockdown and overexpression of GPR50 yak oocyte models were constructed. Results showed that the expression level of GPR50 knockdown significantly reduced the excretion rate and maturity level of the yak oocyte PB1 (P < 0.01). However, the expression level of GPR50 overexpression exerted no significant influence on the excretion rate and maturity level of the yak oocytes (P > 0.05). This study verified that GPR50 plays an important role in the in vitro maturation process of yak oocytes. • The critical time points of in vitro maturation of yak oocytes were determined. • The expression and subcellular localization of GPR50 in yak oocytes are tested. • The knockdown and overexpression of GPR50 yak oocyte models are constructed. • GPR50 played an important role in the in vitro maturation process of yak oocytes. • This study provides a basis for further rich oocyte maturation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]