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Dual fluorescence image, transport pathway, and blood–brain barrier penetration of B-Met-W/O/W SE. [Display omitted] • Rhodamine B and coumarin-6 were selected as water-soluble and oil-soluble fluorescent probes to intuitively track the loaded or released drugs in B-Met-W/O/W SE. • B-Met-W/O/W SE were well taken up by BMECs through clathrin-mediated endocytosis and fossa protein-mediated endocytosis. Meanwhile, B-Met-W/O/W SE effectively inhibited the cellular efflux, downregulated the expression of Occludin, ZO-1, and P-gp, and regulated cellular uptake and promoted BBB permeability through cGMP/PKG and TGF-β signaling pathways. Borneol is an aromatic traditional Chinese medicine that can improve the permeability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), enter the brain, and promote the brain tissue distribution of many other drugs. In our previous study, borneol-metformin hydrochloride water/oil/water composite submicron emulsion (B-Met-W/O/W SE) was prepared using borneol and SE to promote BBB penetration, which significantly increased the brain distribution of Met. However, the dynamic images, transport pathway (uptake and efflux), promotion of BBB permeability, and mechanisms of B-Met-W/O/W SE before and after entering cells have not been clarified. In this study, rhodamine B and coumarin-6 were selected as water-soluble and oil-soluble fluorescent probes to prepare B-Met-W/O/W dual-fluorescent SE (B-Met-W/O/W DFSE) with concentric circle imaging. B-Met-W/O/W SE can be well taken up by brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). The addition of three inhibitors (chlorpromazine hydrochloride, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, and amiloride hydrochloride) indicated that its main pathway may be clathrin-mediated and fossa protein-mediated endocytosis. Meanwhile, B-Met-W/O/W SE was obviously shown to inhibit the efflux of BMECs. Next, BMECs were cultured in the Transwell chamber to establish a BBB model, and Western blot was employed to detect the protein expressions of Occludin, Zona Occludens 1 (ZO-1), and p-glycoprotein (P-gp) after B-Met-W/O/W SE treatment. The results showed that B-Met-W/O/W SE significantly down-regulated the expression of Occludin, ZO-1, and P-gp, which increased the permeability of BBB, promoted drug entry into the brain through BBB, and inhibited BBB efflux. Furthermore, 11 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7 related signaling pathways in BMECs treated with B-W/O/W SE were detected by transcriptome sequencing and verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). These results provide a scientific experimental basis for the dynamic monitoring, transmembrane transport mode, and permeation-promoting mechanism of B-Met-W/O/W SE as a new brain-targeting drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of green tea powder (GTP) on laying performance, egg quality, and blood biochemical parameters of laying hens. A total of 240 Jingfen No. 6 laying hens (age, 24 wk) were randomly allocated into 4 groups: control group (CON , basal diet), GTP0.5, GTP0.75, and GTP1.0 (basal diet included 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0% GTP, respectively). Each group has 5 replicates with 12 birds each. The feeding trial lasted 8 wk. The results showed that the hen-day egg production rate in GTP0.5 and GTP 0.75 group was higher than that of GTP1.0 group (P < 0.05), hen-day egg production rate in the GTP1.0 group was lower compared to the CON group (P > 0.05), the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the GTP0.75 group was lower than that in CON and GTP 1.0 group (P < 0.05) during the entire experimental period. Albumen height and Haugh unit were higher in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group compared to the CON group at d 56 (P < 0.05). At the end of experiment, plasma TG content in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group was lower than that in the CON group (P < 0.05), the T-CH concentration in the GTP0.5 and GTP0.75 group was lower compared to the CON group (P < 0.05), plasma LDL-C and CORT concentrations were decreased by dietary GTP supplementation (P < 0.05), the HDL-C and BUN concentrations in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group were higher than that in the CON group (P < 0.05). The antibody titers of H5N1 in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group, and H7N9 in the GTP1.0 group were lower than that in the CON group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary GTP inclusion could affect laying performance, regulate lipid metabolism, and have no favorable influence on antibody titers of H5N1 and H7N9, herein, dietary 0.5% GTP inclusion is suggested for Jingfen No. 6 laying hens during the peak laying period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the coordinated development of agglomeration economy and environmental performance, this paper combines artificial intelligence technology to conduct research on the coordinated development of agglomeration economy and environmental performance, and presents an easy-to-implement controller design. For discrete linear multi-agent systems under asynchronous packet loss, all communication edges are independent and random. In this paper, from the perspective of the overall change of communication topology, a switching model based on Markov packet loss channel is constructed and the sufficient conditions for the system to achieve almost certain consistency are given. In addition, this paper constructs an analysis model for the coordinated development of agglomeration economy and environmental performance based on artificial intelligence. The simulation study verifies that the model proposed in this paper has certain effects. • This paper combines artificial intelligence technology to conduct research. • For discrete linear multi-agent systems under asynchronous packet loss. • Markov packet loss channel is constructed and the sufficient conditions for the system. • The simulation study verifies that the model proposed in this paper has certain effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, learning equivariant representations has attracted considerable research attention. Dieleman et al. introduce four operations which can be inserted into convolutional neural network to learn deep representations equivariant to rotation. However, feature maps should be copied and rotated four times in each layer in their approach, which causes much running time and memory overhead. In order to address this problem, we propose Deep Rotation Equivariant Network consisting of cycle layers, isotonic layers and decycle layers. Our proposed layers apply rotation transformation on filters rather than feature maps, achieving a speed up of more than 2 times with even less memory overhead. We evaluate DRENs on Rotated MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets and demonstrate that it can improve the performance of state-of-the-art architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effect of tube sizes and filling process on dielectric properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), CNTs with various diameters and lengths were applied to synthesize Fe-filled CNTs through wet-chemical method. The permittivities of the composites of CNTs and paraffin rely on the dispersion state (agglomeration) of CNTs in polymer matrices. During the filling process, CNTs with diverse tube parameters and dispersibility experienced different structural transformations, and different iron oxides (either Fe 3 O 4 or Fe 2 O 3 ) particles (depending on the dispersibility of CNTs) were observed adhering to walls of CNTs after filling. The discrepancies along with the dispersibility of CNTs per se alter the order of the permittivity (from high to low) within samples. The smallest agglomerates and the largest permittivity were obtained for CNTs with diameters of 10–20 nm and lengths of 10–30 μm, both before and after the filling of CNTs. The role that the shape parameters played in the dielectric properties during the whole filling process was analyzed. The frequency-dependent permittivity spectrum was also examined and it obeyed Jonscher’s universal dielectric relaxation law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile and lyophilization-free method to fabricate anisotropic cellulose aerogels. • Directional stabilization of cellulose nanofibrils induced by electrostatic complexation. • Ambient-dried cellulose aerogels have porous structure and aligned channels. • NCA@PPy achieves excellent photothermal property and efficient solar evaporation. Anisotropic aerogels, mimicking natural porous materials such as wood and bone, always exhibit distinctive properties due to their aligned channels, which, however, generally require complicated ice templating configuration and costly freeze-drying. In this work, we develop a novel, facile, low-cost, and scalable method combining directional stabilization and ambient drying to prepare anisotropic aerogels. The frozen aqueous TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNFs) monolith embedded in a mold is directly immersed in ethanol/Fe3+ bath. The ice crystals directionally dissolve in ethanol, and simultaneously the TOCNFs are directionally stabilized due to the electrostatic complexation between their carboxyl groups and Fe3+ ions. The obtained anisotropic nanocellulose aerogel (NCA) after ambient drying exhibits an ordered porous structure, which is tunable by adjusting the contents of carboxyl groups on TOCNFs. The NCAs reveal distinct anisotropy, excellent mechanical compressibility in the radial direction, and high water-stability. To demonstrate their promising potentials for application in various advanced fields such as solar steam generation, the NCA is coated with polypyrrole (PPy) by in-situ polymerization to achieve excellent photothermal property but well maintain the original aligned channels of NCA, which endow the NCA@PPy with an efficient solar evaporation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ultrathin MOF hybrid nanosheets with 2.5 nm thickness were synthesized. • They demonstrate excellent OER activity and durability in alkaline media. • Their OER performance is associated to their unique structural and compositional properties. Metal-organic framework (MOF) with unique structural ordering and compositional flexibility has inspired tremendous interest for electrocatalysis. However, it remains elusive as how to adjust its structure and composition for enhanced electrocatalytic performance. In this paper we report the synthesis of 2.5 nm thick MOF hybrid nanosheets and their excellent electrocatalytic performance toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER). These nanosheets were composed of sulfide cluster-doped ultrathin Ni/Fe bimetallic MIL-53 MOF, and show excellent alkaline OER activity and durability; it delivers OER current of 50 and 100 mA cm−2 at 234 and 256 mV overpotential, respectively. Its activity does not fade after 70 h operation at 50 mA cm−2. The ultrathin nanosheet structure enables exposing of abundant coordinately unsaturated surface active sites, and the doped sulfide clusters optimize the electronic structure and enhance the electrical conductivity of the nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-Si based alloys have been widely studied because of the excellent high frequency, soft magnetic properties, which are determined by the hyperfine structure of alloys. The evolution of the hyperfine structure and magnetic characteristics in an Fe-Si-Cr alloy with increasing heat treatment temperature have been studied. Fe-21.5 at.% Si-2 at.% Cr alloy powder was prepared and observed. The Fe-Si based alloys have three-step phase transitions under heat treatment. Hyperfine magnetic fields are increased after A2 ordered as the localized degree of 3d electrons decreased. Quadrupole splitting in alloys mostly originate from the paramagnetic phase, and the asymmetry of charge could increase the polarization response under high frequency microwaves. This could increase the microwave permittivity and paramagnetic phase ratio, which can contribute to better soft magnetic properties. The Mössbauer effective thickness of a Fe-Si-Cr alloy particles sample is calculated as 7.3345. Theoretical magnetic moments from first principle calculations and the Mössbauer result can be obtained and are consistent with experiment results. The formation of the DO3 phase could deteriorate soft magnetic properties of samples. High permeability of Fe-Si-Cr alloys can be obtained under heat treatment of the critical temperature when the DO3 phase starts to form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "electro-chemo-mechanical (ECM) effect" describes mechanical deformation driven by an electrochemical reaction. Recently, an all-solid-state ECM device operating at room temperature was demonstrated. The device comprised a 20 mol% Gd-doped ceria (20GDC) self-supported electrolyte membrane placed between two mixed ionic/electronic conducting (MIEC) working bodies (WBs) constructed with TiO x /20GDC nanocomposites. Actuation derived from volume change occurring upon oxidation/reduction of the WB. This raised the question of whether or not metal oxides other than TiO x could be valuable components in MIEC nanocomposites functioning as WBs in ECM actuation. Here we examine the microstructure, crystal phase, oxidation state, chemical composition and ECM functionality of V-, Nb-, Mo-, Cu- and Ag-oxide/20GDC composite WBs prepared by co-sputtering. Of these, only the V-based composite was shown to be suitable for ECM actuation. According to X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the composition of the nanocomposite corresponds to VO x /20GDC. Electrical characterization suggests that the formation of several coexisting VO x nano-oxide phases is responsible for the longer response times as compared to TiO x /20GDC WBs. ECM actuation demonstrated in the V-based system does indicate that composite WB based ECM is not unique to Ti and that this type of actuation constitutes a significant contribution to development of microelectromechanical systems. • nanocrystalline composites of V-, Nb-, Mo-, Cu- and Ag-oxide/20GDC were prepared. • structure, crystal phase, oxidation state, composition and ECM functionality examined. • V-based composite was shown to be suitable for ECM actuation. • composition of the nanocomposite corresponds to VO x /20GDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report hybrid Ni/Fe metal-organic framework nanosheets tethered on nickel foam (Fe-Ni 3 S 2 -MOF/NF) synthesized via a two-step self-sacrificial templating strategy for efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysis. As-synthesized Fe-Ni 3 S 2 -MOF/NF exhibits superb OER catalytic performance in alkaline solution. It requires only 250 mV overpotential to achieve 100 mA cm−2 current density with excellent stability of over 48 h and considerably surpasses its analogs and the benchmark RuO 2 catalyst. The residual metal sulphide clusters incorporated in the hybrid nanosheets are found to be critical for the excellent OER performance of Fe-Ni 3 S 2 -MOF/NF. They confer large specific surface areas and facilitate the electron transportation for efficient OER electrocatalysis. Moreover, they modulate the electronic state of surface metal sites on nanosheets to enhance the intrinsic OER activity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An imputation model imputes specific missing values in multivariate time series. • Our method outperforms the comparison method when specific values are missing. • Our experiments provide selection principles of hyperparameters. • Our experiment determines the best training method with introduction of noise. Data missing is a ubiquitous phenomenon in multivariate time series analysis because of failure measurements, improper installation or other unfavorable factors. Most imputation methods, such as statistical methods and machine learning methods, are mainly for dealing with random or continuous missing, but do not take into consideration the non-random specific missing situation. This paper proposes an imputation model based on the variational auto-encoders (VAE) and shift correction for specific missing values, which is also extended to the β -VAE model. The shift correction is used to correct the original probability distribution deviation caused by specific values concentrated missing. Then taking the meteorological and air quality data sets in Beijing as the example, this paper mainly explores two common specific missing situations, including large values missing and small values missing. The experimental results show that the proposed model can effectively impute specific missing values, which has high imputation accuracy and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Copper-substituted aluminophosphate molecular sieves (CuAPO-11, AEL topology) containing various copper fractions, which have been synthesized by hydrothermal crystallization, were characterized using several physicochemical techniques, such as XRD, SEM, FTIR, 27Al and 31P MAS NMR, etc. In combination of early reported characterization results, the isomorphous substitution of copper in the framework of the parent AlPO4-11 was further confirmed. For example, FTIR spectroscopy provides clear evidence of copper incorporation into the framework of the AEL structure due to the occurrence of a new absorption band around 1050cm−1 as compared with the pure AlPO4-11, which may be tentatively attributed to some stretching vibration related to the lattice oxygen-coordinated copper species. The selective oxidation activity of CuAPO-11 was evaluated using liquid phase-H2O2 hydroxylation of benzene as a probe reaction and compared with another redox analog CuAPO-5 (AFI topology). The catalytic test results suggest that comparable benzene conversion over these copper-containing materials was associated with the framework-incorporated copper atoms whereas different product distributions were governed by the structure type, viz. AEL or AFI topology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A compact suspended carrier biofilm reactor (SCBR) was developed for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) in a single reactor and the performance of nutrient removal was investigated. Microbial community structure response to different ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) was determined by denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of 16S rDNA V3 region and amoA gene amplifications. In addition, the population dynamics of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were estimated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 16S rDNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. Results showed that the compact SCBR was efficient in nutrient removal with CODCr removal efficiency over 90% and SND efficiency (E SND) about 83.3%. The diversity of microbial community structure was positively correlated with C/N ratio, while the three communities of amoA gene were relativity homogenous. The population of nitrifiers was in inverse proportions to C/N ratio with the average fraction of AOB and NOB to all bacteria 5.4, 4.8, 3.1% and 4.6, 3.5, 2.7% respectively as C/N ratio changing from 3:1, 5:1 to 10:1. Therefore we could reach a conclusion that the compact SCBR was practical to treat municipal wastewater and the shift of microbial community monitored by molecular technologies could offer guidance to the process optimization in engineering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Kai-Xin-San (KXS) is a classic famous prescription that has been utilized for centuries to address dementia. New investigations have shown that the anti-dementia effect of KXS is connected with improved neuroinflammation. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism is not well elucidated. We propose to discover the ameliorative impact of KXS on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its regulatory role on the mitochondrial autophagy-nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway. The Y maze, Morris water maze, and new objection recognition tests were applied to ascertain the spatial learning and memory capacities of amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) mice after KXS-treatment. Meanwhile, the biochemical indexes of the hippocampus were detected by reagent kits. The pathological alterations and mitochondrial autophagy in the mice' hippocampus were detected utilizing hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining, and transmission electron microscopy. Besides, the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways protein expressions were determined employing the immunoblot analysis. The results of behavioral tests showed that KXS significantly enhanced the AD mice' spatial learning and memory capacities. Furthermore, KXS reversed the biochemical index levels and reduced amyloid-β protein deposition in AD mice brains. Besides, H&E staining showed that KXS remarkably ameliorated the neuronal damage in AD mice. Concurrently, the results of transmission electron microscopy suggest that KXS ameliorated the mitochondrial damage in microglia and promoted mitochondrial autophagy. Moreover, the immunofluorescence outcomes exhibited that KXS promoted the expression of protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B) associated with microtubule and the generation of autophagic flux. Notably, the immunofluorescence co-localization results confirmed the presence of mitochondrial autophagy in microglia. Finally, KXS promoted the protein expressions of the PINK1/Parkin pathway and reduced the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Most importantly, these beneficial effects of KXS were attenuated by the mitochondrial autophagy inhibitor chloroquine. KXS ameliorates AD-related neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice by enhancing the mitochondrial autophagy and suppressing the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. [Display omitted] • Kai-Xin-San (KXS) enhances the mitochondrial autophagy of Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice. • KXS alleviates neuroinflammation during AD by reducing the activation of nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. • KXS ameliorates AD through the mitochondrial autophagy-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sperm competition and cryptic female choice (CFC) are 2 significant mechanisms of postcopulatory sexual selection that greatly impact fertilization success in various species. Despite extensive research has conducted on sperm competition and the evolution of sperm traits in internal fertilization, our understanding of the female preferences in selecting sperm is still limited. Here, we aimed to investigate the characteristics of CFC in chickens by utilizing artificial insemination with mixed semen to control for variations in male fertilization success caused by female perception of male quality and mating order. Our results revealed that the offspring from multiple-mated females exhibited mixed paternity. Although the males had an equal number of viable sperm, 1 male consistently exhibited a 15% higher success rate on average, regardless of whether the insemination was performed with fresh or diluted semen. This result suggested that this male demonstrates superior performance in sperm competition, and exhibited a potential advantage in fertilization success. While the dominant male generally made a greater genetic contribution to most offspring, the degree of this advantage varied greatly, ranging from 11.11 to 75%. Furthermore, our study provided evidence of female preferences influenced the precedence of sperm from certain males over others. Interestingly, this bias is not consistently observed among all individuals, as offspring derived from some females were predominantly sired by an overall disadvantaged male while others were predominantly by a different disadvantaged male. Overall, these results underscored the complex processes involved in sperm selection and emphasized the importance of females in sexual selection theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel with semi-interpenetrating structure and temperature-sensitivity was prepared by in-situ polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solution at room temperature. The mass ratio of CMC to NIPAM was a key factor influencing the network structure and property of CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel. The low critical phase transition temperature (LCST) of CMC-PNIPAM hydrogels increased from 34.4 °C to 35.8 °C with the mass ratio of CMC to NIPAM rising from 0 to 1.2. The maximum compressive stress of CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel reached to 26.7 kPa and the relaxation elasticity was 52 % at strain of 60 %. The viscoelasticity of CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel was consistent with the generalized Maxwell model. The maximum swelling ratio in deionized water was 170.25 g·g−1 (dried hydrogel) with swelling rate of 2.57 g·g−1·min−1 at 25 °C. CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel hardly absorbed water above LCST, but the swollen hydrogel could release water at the rate of 0.36 g·g−1·min−1 once exceeding LCST. The test of water retention showed that soil mixed with 2 wt% dried CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel could retain 13.08 wt% water after 30 days at 25 °C that was 4.4 times than that of controlled soil without CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel. The semi-interpenetrating CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel showed a potential to conserve water responding to temperature. • Moderate method was applied to prepare semi-interpenetrating network hydrogel. • CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel absorbed water 170 times weight than itself and still remained integrity under 26.7 kPa pressure. • CMC-PNIPAM hydrogels transformed from solid-like to liquid-like at high strain and its viscoelasticity fitted to generalized Maxwell model. • CMC-PNIPAM hydrogel absorbed water below LCST and released water above LCST, assisting soil to conserve water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains challenging to design alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst able to stably operate at ampere-level current density. In this work, we successfully synthesized heterostructured Ni 3 S 2 /Cr 2 S 3 nanosheets on nickel foam (Ni 3 S 2 /Cr 2 S 3 /NF) for high current HER electrocatalysis in alkaline media. As-prepared Ni 3 S 2 /Cr 2 S 3 /NF reaches 0.5 and 1.0 A cm−2 currents at 230 and 333 mV overpotential, respectively. After 50 h test at 0.5 A cm−2, the potential of Ni 3 S 2 /Cr 2 S 3 /NF remained almost unchanged. This impressive HER performance stems from its unique hybridization nature enabled hydrogen spillover, in which Cr 2 S 3 efficiently catalyzes the Volmer step, i.e., water dissociation to generate hydrogen, and the latter further transports to neighboring Ni 3 S 2 via spillover to facilitate the molecular hydrogen formation. This work provides a feasible strategy to synthesize efficient and durable HER catalysts for ampere-level water splitting. • Heterostructured bimetallic sulfide Ni 3 S 2 /Cr 2 S 3 was prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. • The catalyst exhibits remarkable HER activity under alkaline conditions. • The hydrogen spillover provides an effective way to accelerate multi-step HER through relay catalysis. • The catalyst requires low overpotentials of 333 mV to reach 1000 mA cm−2 with long-term durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a novel and efficient fabrication strategy for three-dimensional (3D) AgNPs-monolayer graphene-AgNPs (AGA) hybrid sandwiched nanoplasmonic structure. The structure is constructed by one layer of 2D AgNPs and one layer of 3D AgNPs using monolayer graphene as a spacer, which combines the advantages of graphene-veiled AgNP substrate, 3D crumpled graphene-AgNPs hybrid structure and traditional AGA sandwiched structure with sub-nanometer gaps to obtain the excellent performance in both light-graphene interaction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing capability. The fabricated 3D AGA structure exhibits a 424-fold enhancement of the Raman response of graphene. When being used as SERS substrate, 3D AGA has demonstrated remarkable SERS detection sensitivity among all existing AGA structures. 3D AGA exhibits the high Raman enhancement factors of up to 2.7 × 109 and a detection limit of as low as 1.0 × 10−14 M for Rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules. Finite element numerical simulations reveal that the 3D AGA structure supplies an electric field enhancement up to 191 times. Image 1090 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the effect of bacterial infection on cirrhosis has been well-described, the effect of non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) infection is unknown. This study evaluated the genome fragments of circulating microorganisms using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in individuals with acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis, focusing on NHVs, and related the findings to clinical outcomes. Plasma mNGS was performed in 129 individuals with AD of cirrhosis in the study cohort. Ten healthy volunteers and 20, 39, and 81 individuals with stable cirrhosis, severe sepsis and hematological malignancies, respectively, were enrolled as controls. Validation assays for human cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation were performed in a validation cohort (n = 58) and exploratory treatment was instituted. In the study cohort, 188 microorganisms were detected in 74.4% (96/129) of patients, including viruses (58.0%), bacteria (34.1%), fungi (7.4%) and chlamydia (0.5%). A NHV signature was identified in individuals with AD, and CMV was the most frequent NHV, which correlated with the clinical effect of empirical antibiotic treatment, progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure, and 90-day mortality. The NHV signature in individuals with acute-on-chronic liver failure was similar to that in those with sepsis and hematological malignancies. CMV was detected in 24.1% (14/58) of patients in the validation cohort. Of the 14 cases with detectable CMV by mNGS, nine were further validated by real-time PCR or pp65 antigenemia testing. Three patients with CMV reactivation received ganciclovir therapy in an exploratory manner and experienced clinical resolutions. The results of this study suggest that NHVs may play a pathogenic role in complicating the course of AD. Further validation is needed to define whether this should be incorporated into the routine management of individuals with AD of cirrhosis. A non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) signature, which was similar to that in individuals with sepsis and hematological malignancies, was identified in individuals with acute decompensation of cirrhosis. The detected viral signature had clinical correlates, including clinical efficacy of empirical antibiotic treatment, progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure and short-term mortality. Cytomegalovirus reactivation, which is treatable, may adversely affect clinical outcomes in some individuals with decompensated cirrhosis. Routine screening for NHVs, especially cytomegalovirus, may be useful for the management of individuals with acute decompensation of cirrhosis. [Display omitted] • A non-hepatotropic viral signature was identified in individuals with AD of cirrhosis. • This viral signature correlated with clinical outcomes. • CMV reactivation might play a pathogenic role in AD and progression toward ACLF. • Further refinement and validation are needed to define the clinical relevance of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized and functionalized with furan group on their surface, followed by the reverse Diels-Alder (DA) reaction with bismaleimide to vary the particle size, so as to give different antibacterial activities. These nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–vis), Nanoparticle Size Analyzer and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the cross-linking reaction with bismaleimide had a great effect on the size of AgNPs. The size of the AgNPs could be controlled by the temperature of DA/r-DA equilibrium. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the inhibition zone diameter by introducing the particles into a media containing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. It was found that these particles were effective bactericides. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles decreased orderly as the particle size enlarged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure water security, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in water and to reduce their inputs. We conducted a 2-year trial (2021–2022) in tobacco fields across three sites in the Erhai Lake basin, China, to comprehensively measure and summarize N and P loss through runoff and leaching for four fertilizer treatments: no fertilizer (CK); farmers' traditional organic fertilizer (FP); chemical fertilizer (CF); and a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer (OIC). The highest N concentrations were detected in leachate in the early tobacco growth stage, whereas the highest P concentrations occurred in runoff in the middle growth stage. Compared to FP, the OIC treatment improved nutrient uptake in flue-cured tobacco, while also reducing N loss through runoff and leaching by 45.37% and 19.34%, and reducing P loss by 7.22% and 8.26%, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed positive relationships of nutrient loss with soil organic matter content and nutrient inputs; elevation and soil water content exhibited varying correlations with different nutrients. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the effective management of agricultural non-point source pollution in the Erhai Lake basin and shed light on water pollution pressures worldwide. [Display omitted] • The characteristics of nutrient loss under different fertilization treatments and geographical conditions were explored. • The combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer increased the yield of tobacco field and reduced the nutrient loss. • Nitrogen and Phosphorus were mainly lost in the form of nitrate N and dissolved P. • Soil organic matter content and nutrient input had a positive effect on nutrient loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alveolar bone defects can be highly variable in their morphology and, as the defect size increases, they become more challenging to treat with currently available therapeutics and biomaterials. This investigation sought to devise a protocol for fabricating customized clinical scale and patient-specific, bioceramic scaffolds for reconstruction of large alveolar bone defects. Two types of calcium phosphate (CaP)-based bioceramic scaffolds (alginate/β-TCP and hydroxyapatite/α-TCP, hereafter referred to as hybrid CaP and Osteoink™, respectively) were designed, 3D printed, and their biocompatibility with alveolar bone marrow stem cells and mechanical properties were determined. Following scaffold optimization, a workflow was developed to use cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging to design and 3D print, defect-specific bioceramic scaffolds for clinical-scale bone defects. Osteoink™ scaffolds had the highest compressive strength when compared to hybrid CaP with different infill orientation. In cell culture medium, hybrid CaP degradation resulted in decreased pH (6.3) and toxicity to stem cells; however, OsteoInk™ scaffolds maintained a stable pH (7.2) in culture and passed the ISO standard for cytotoxicity. Finally, a clinically feasible laboratory workflow was developed and evaluated using CBCT imaging to engineer customized and defect-specific CaP scaffolds using OsteoInk™. It was determined that printed scaffolds had a high degree of accuracy to fit the respective clinical defects for which they were designed (0.27 mm morphological deviation of printed scaffolds from digital design). From patient to patient, large alveolar bone defects are difficult to treat due to high variability in their complex morphologies and architecture. Our findings shows that Osteoink™ is a biocompatible material for 3D printing of clinically acceptable, patient-specific scaffolds with precision-fit for use in alveolar bone reconstructive procedures. Collectively, emerging digital technologies including CBCT imaging, 3D surgical planning, and (bio)printing can be integrated to address this unmet clinical challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic amendment may be an effective management practice for alleviating soil degradation in continuous cropping systems. However, few studies focus on the effects of long-term organic amendments on soil microbial community and microbial nutrient status in continuous tobacco fields. Here, an 11-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of organic amendments on plant and soil physiochemical properties, microbial communities, ecoenzymatic stoichiometry, and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) accumulation in a continuous tobacco field. Five treatments were applied: CK (no fertilizer); CF (chemical fertilizer only); CFS (chemical fertilizer plus corn straw); CFO (chemical fertilizer plus oilseed residues); CFM (chemical fertilizer plus composted pig manure). Organic amendments increased soil microbial abundances. Application of organic fertilizers significantly reduced gram-positive to gram-negative bacterial ratios, but significantly increased fungi/bacteria ratios, probably because gram-negative bacteria and fungi are the dominant decomposers of increased available nutrients and recalcitrant materials, respectively. Organic amendments significantly enhanced soil enzyme activities, except for the difference in β-1,4- N -acetylglucosaminidase, Leucine aminopeptidase, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities between the CF and CFO. The lowest soil organic carbon (SOC) content in CFS among organic amendments treatments was probably because the positive priming effects of straw and the highest peroxidase and PPO activities increased stable SOC mineralization rates due to the high C:N:P ratio of nutrients input. Microbial activities were limited by carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in CFS, while carbon and phosphorus were the limiting factors in CK, CF, CFO, and CFM. Relative to CF, CFO significantly enhanced microbial carbon and phosphorus limitation, whereas CFM significantly decreased microbial carbon limitation. CFM had the highest GRSP content among treatments. Our results demonstrated that combined application of composted pig manure and chemical fertilizers is a consistently effective measure for alleviating soil degradation in continuous tobacco fields. • Organic amendments increased fungi:bacteria and G−:G+ ratios in tobacco field. • Pig manure application is an effective way to alleviate tobacco soil degradation. • Microbial activities were limited by C, N, and P in straw addition treatment. • Oilseed residues addition aggravated microbial C and P limitation. • Pig manure decreased microbial C limitation and exhibited the highest GRSP content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of a significant number of melanocytes in the ovary and follicular membrane of Silky Fowl suggests their potential involvement in follicle development. Currently, there is a lack of available data regarding to the isolation of primary melanocytes from adult chickens. To date, primary melanocytes and their in vitro culture system have been successfully conducted in the peritoneum of chicken embryos. Herein, melanocytes from silky fowl ovaries were isolated and identified. Silky Fowl ovaries were obtained by mixed digestion of 0.1% collagenase II and 0.25% trypsin-EDTA. Melanocytes could be further purified and cultured up to 5 generations in vitro. RNA-seq analysis was used to investigate whether there were differences in the functional status of melanocytes in different tissues and developmental stages. Consequently, differential gene expressions between peritoneal and ovarian melanocytes were compared. These findings demonstrated that the Silky Fowl ovary had higher expression levels of genes involved in the production of sexual hormones and melanogenesis, while those of melanocytes derived from the peritoneum were involved in amino acid metabolism, lipid synthesis, and overall metabolic rates. This suggests that the role of melanocytes is dependent on the origin tissue and developmental stage, and is tightly connected to the function of the specific source tissue from which the cells were derived. This study provides a method for isolating adult melanocytes and serve as a basis for further investigate the effect of SFOM on germ cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides possess excellent moisturizing effects due to their abundance of hydrophilic groups and film-forming properties. Additionally, they can produce a refreshing aroma during the pyrolysis process. However, there is scarce research on their application in the tobacco field. Herein, we investigated the effects of low molecular weight fenugreek polysaccharide (FP) obtained through ethanol fractionation and DEAE-52 cellulose column chromatography on moisture retention and aroma enhancement in tobacco. The moisture retention test revealed that the addition of FP increased the moisture retention index (MRI) of tobacco by 11.72 %–16.69 %, indicating that the hydrophilic nature of polysaccharides facilitated the migration of free water in tobacco to bound water, resulting in reduced water activity. Moreover, the contact angle between polysaccharide and tobacco was <90°, enabling better infiltration into tobacco and slowing down tobacco shrinkage caused by water loss. Among all the components, EFP-20 and EFP-40 demonstrated superior performance. Furthermore, FP exhibited excellent thermal stability below 200 °C and can decomposed to produce aromatic substances at high temperatures. It also demonstrated the ability to adsorb ethyl heptanoate and thermally decompose to produce a substantial amount of heptanoic acid. Consequently, the incorporation of FP in tobacco demonstrated favorable effects on both moisturization and aroma enhancement. [Display omitted] • Fenugreek polysaccharide (FP) can raise the proportion of bound water in tobacco. • FP can better infiltrate the surface of tobacco and make the surface smooth and full. • FP cracking produces aromatic substances. • FP can adsorb ethyl heptanoate and crack to produce heptanoic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of dye pollutants in wastewater was a serious environmental issue. In this paper, freezing radical polymerization was used to prepare poly (polyethylene gly co l diacrylate - co - maleic anhydride) (p(PEGDA- co -MA)) cryogels with redox initiators of ammonium persulfate / tetramethylethylene diamine in aqueous solution. The mechanical property and chemical structure of cryogels were characterized compression tests, IR, and XPS. After that, adsorption performance of p(PEGDA- co -MA) cryogels for cationic dyes was measured and the maximum adsorption capacity for methylene blue and crystal violet was 447.7 mg·g−1 and 329.5 mg·g−1 (pH = 7.0), respectively. Adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics and adsorption thermodynamics were investigated to reveal adsorption mechanism of cryogel materials, which showed that monolayer chemical adsorption was dominant and the adsorption capacity decreased with the increase of temperature. This p(PEGDA- co -MA) cryogels would not only partly developed the polymerization method of vinyl monomers but also strongly expanded the field of dye adsorption materials. [Display omitted] • Macroporous cryogels are prepared by free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers. • Maleic anhydride is used as functional monomer for the adsorption of cationic dyes. • Adsorption capacity for methylene blue or crystal violet was 447.7 or 329.5 mg·g−1. • Adsorption mechanism of cryogels for various dyes was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to solve the problem of ultraprecision measurements of micro-holes with high aspect ratios, a tactile fiber probe based on the detection of the returning light energy center is proposed. With an incident fiber, a coupler, and an effluent fiber guiding the emission light, sufficient light energy can be provided for a photodetector, thus the shadowing effect of sidewall in a micro-hole can be eliminated. By converting the displacement of a probe tip to changes of the returning light energy center, measurement of the micro-holes with high aspect ratios can be realized. Experimental results indicate that the fiber probe has a spatial resolution of up to 0.04μm, a triggering repeatability better than 0.06μm, and a static state stability up to 0.41μm in 30min. A micro-hole with a nominal diameter of Φ200μm and thickness of 2mm has been measured, the measurement result of diameter at a depth of 1mm is 206.03μm, with a standard deviation of 0.067μm, and an aspect ratio of 5:1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The incorporation of ions into mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) may affect its mesostructure and properties, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study focuses on the effects of the contents and the chemical states of the incorporated vanadium on the morphology and mesostructure of MBG. Firstly, the vanadium incorporated MBG (MBG-V) particles with different vanadium contents were prepared via hydrothermal synthesis method utilizing a triblock copolymer (P123) as the structure-directing agent. The vanadium existence was characterized by IR spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra, UV Raman spectroscopy, and 51V, 29Si and 31P NMR spectra. It was revealed that most of vanadium species existed in the form of the amorphous calcium vanadate clusters and located at pore wall, while few vanadium species were incorporated in the silica network in an isolated tetrahedral V5+coordination and some polymeric V–O–V vanadium species primarily existed in the surface of the MBG at a higher vanadium loading. With the increase of vanadium contents, the specific surface area, wall thickness, mesopore size, total pore volume, total micropore volume and mesoporous ordered degree decreased, which was partly due to the deposition of three different forms of vanadium species at the inner pore walls and/or external surface areas. Nevertheless, more primary reasons were attributed to the effect of vanadate ions on the initial P123 micellization and the cooperative assembled interaction between P123 micellization and silicon species. In addition, the incorporation of vanadate led to smaller macroscopic particles size of individual particles but a larger primary particles size of P123 micelles/silicon polymer aggregates during preparation process. Overall, our results have preliminarily revealed the influence mechanism of the incorporation of vanadium elements on the morphology and mesostructure of MBG-V, which would be of great significance to regulate the vanadium dissolution behavior and biological properties of vanadium incorporated bone repair materials. Scheme 1. Mechanism for the effects of the vanadate in solution and the chemical states of the incorporated vanadium on morphology and mesostructure of V-MBG. [Display omitted] • MBG doped with bioactive elements is synthesized by hydrothermal method via introducing sodium vanadate. • The morphology and mesostructure of MBG are significantly changed due to the incorporation of vanadium. • The vanadate ions affect initial P123 micellization and the cooperative assembly of P123 micelles and silicon species. • There existed three forms of vanadium species which distributed in different locations of MBG-V, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no data validating the performance of spleen stiffness measurement in ruling out high-risk varices in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under maintained viral suppression. Thus, we aimed to prospectively validate the performance of spleen stiffness measurement (cut-off 46 kPa) combined with Baveno VI criteria in ruling out high-risk varices in these patients. Patients with cirrhosis were enrolled from April to December 2019 at the hepatology unit of the Nanfang Hospital, China. Liver and spleen transient elastography and esophagogastroduodenoscopy were performed at enrollment. Antiviral regimen(s) and virological responses, evaluated every 3-6 months, were recorded. Overall 341 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under maintained viral suppression were enrolled, and the prevalence of high-risk varices was 20.5% (70/341). Baveno VI criteria spared 37.0% (126/341) esophagogastroduodenoscopies and no high-risk varices were missed (0/70). Eight cases of high-risk varices (8/70, 11.4%) were misclassified in patients (208/341, 61.0%) within the expanded Baveno VI criteria. The spleen stiffness measurement cut-off (≤46.0 kPa) was shown to safely rule out high-risk varices in these patients (the percentage of missed high-risk varices was 4.3%). Over half (61.6%, 210/341) of patients met the combined model (Baveno VI criteria and spleen stiffness measurement cut-off ≤46 kPa) and 4.3% (3/70) of high-risk varices cases were misclassified. This combined model exhibited a sensitivity of 95.71%, specificity of 76.38%, negative predictive value of 98.57%, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.06 for ruling out high-risk varices. We validated the excellent performance of Baveno VI criteria combined with spleen stiffness measurement (cut-off 46 kPa) for safely ruling out high-risk varices in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under viral suppression; more than half of esophagogastroduodenoscopy procedures were spared using this combination. NCT04123509 Esophageal varices have important prognostic implications in patients with cirrhosis. Thus, their timely identification is important so that treatment can be initiated early. Herein, we validated the excellent performance of the combination of Baveno VI criteria with spleen stiffness measurement (cut-off 46 kPa) for ruling out high-risk esophageal varices in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under maintained viral suppression (with antiviral treatment). This combined model was able to safely rule out high-risk varices (missed/total <5%) and over half (61.6%) of esophagogastroduodenoscopy procedures were spared. • Largest prospective study validating the performance of Baveno VI criteria in patients with cirrhosis under HBV suppression. • SSM (≤46 kPa) for ruling out high-risk varices was well validated in patients with cirrhosis under viral suppression. • More unnecessary endoscopies (>50%) can be safely avoided by combining Baveno VI criteria and SSM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microorganisms play crucial roles in various processes within the soil ecosystem, such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and maintenance of soil structure. However, their responses to fertilization and different cropping systems in tobacco soils remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a 19-year-long field experiment on rice-tobacco rotation cropping (R) and continuous tobacco cropping (C), with three fertilization treatments: no fertilizer (NF), chemical NPK fertilizer (NPK), and composted pig manure (OM). The composition, co-occurrence patterns, N-cycling genes (nifH , AOA -amoA , AOB -amoA , nirS , nirK , and nosZ) of the bacterial communities as well as the soil properties were analyzed in the soils after tobacco was harvested. The pH and available potassium (AK) in the rotation cropping soil were significantly lower than those in continuous cropping soil, while the α-diversity index, and the abundance of nifH , nirS , nirK , and nosZ genes were opposite. The phyla Chloroflexi , Desulfobacterota , MBNT15 , and Nitrospinota , as well as number of low-abundance genera, were significantly enriched in rice-tobacco rotation cropping. Partial least squares path model (PLSPM) indicated that cropping systems had a greater influence on the variations in bacterial communities compared to fertilization practices. These findings enhance our understanding of the significance of land management and fertilization in shaping the soil bacteria of tobacco. The rice-tobacco rotation cropping system demonstrated greater benefits to soil microorganisms and N-cycling genes compared to continuous cropping system. • The pH and available potassium (AK) were significantly decreased in rotation cropping soil. • The α-diversity and N-cycling genes of bacteria in continuously cropped soil were significantly decreased. • The number of low-abundance genera was significantly higher in the rotation system. • Cropping system had a greater influence on the bacterial community than the fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable haematological cancer. Selinexor is the first-in-class selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) and was newly approved for the treatment of MM. Until now, very few studies have investigated selinexor resistance in MM. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNPU) is an RNA-binding protein and a component of hnRNP complexes. Here we found that hnRNPU regulates MM sensitivity to selinexor. Cell apoptosis assays were performed to compare selinexor-induced cell death in control knockdown (CTR-KD) and hnRNPU knockdown (hnR-KD) MM cells. HnRNPU knockdown-induced nuclear protein retention was examined by proteomics array. HnRNPU-conferred mRNA translation regulation was evaluated by sucrose gradient assay, RNA electrophoresis mobility shift assay, and RNA pull-down assay. We found that hnR-KD MM cells were more sensitive to selinexor-induced cell death in vitro and in mouse model. MM patients who responded to selinexor had relatively low hnRNPU expression. In brief, hnRNPU comprehensively regulated MM sensitivity to selinexor by affecting the localization of LTV1 and NMD3, and mRNA translation of MDM2 and RAN, which were involved in XPO1-mediated nuclear export of ribosome subunits and tumor suppressors. Our discoveries indicate that hnRNPU might be a possible marker to categorize MM patients for the use of Selinexor. • HnRNPUHigh MM cells were resistant to selinexor-induced cell death in vitro and in vivo. • HnRNPU distinguished nuclear protein retention including p53, NMD3 and LTV1. • HnRNPU bound to RAN and MDM2 mRNAs and regulated their translation. • HnRNPU regulated the factors involved in the XPO1-mediated nuclear export of ribosome subunits or cancer suppressors. • A possible approach to categorize MM patients for the use of Selinexor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paeoniflorin (PF) and glycyrrhizic acid (GL) have skin beautifying effects of anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, inhibition of melanin formation, and reduction of skin pigmentation. To improve the transdermal permeability of PF and GL in transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) and enhance their anti-melasma efficacy, PF-GL transethosome (PF-GL-TE) was prepared by ethanol injection method, and finally gelled with carbomer-940 to form PF-GL-TE gel. Consequently, the obtained PF-GL-TE is small and uniform, with an average particle size and a PDI value of about 167.9 nm and 0.102. PF-GL-TE gel showed sustained release behavior and high transdermal permeability in vitro release and transdermal tests. Meanwhile, PF-GL-TE gel played significant preventive effects on melasma induced by progesterone injection and ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) irradiation. According to the results of H&E staining and Masson staining of rat skin, PF-GL-TE gel can alleviate the skin inflammation of and reduce the loss of collagen fibers of back skin in the melasma model rats. Compared with the PF-GL mixture gel, PF-GL-TE gel significantly attenuated the oxidative damage of liver and skin by increasing the activity of SOD and reducing the content of MDA. The results of Western blot showed that PF-GL-TE gel might down-regulate melanin-related proteins expressions of MITF/TYR/TRP1 and TRP2 to prevent and treat melasma. These findings indicate that PF-GL-TE gel is an effective TDDS for delivering PF and GL into the skin, providing a promising preparation for effective prevention and treatment of melasma. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum exosomal miRNAs were disordered in FMT-induced liver injury (FILI). • FMT hepatotoxicity might be regulated by apoptosis-related pathways. • Protective autophagy was activated in FILI via PINK1/Parkin signaling. • Regulation of autophagy may be a therapeutic strategy for herb-induced liver injury. Herb-induced liver injury (HILI) is a growing clinical and economic problem worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism of HILI remains largely unknown, which hinders the prevention and treatment of this disease. Recently evidence supports that microRNAs (miRNAs) in circulating exosomes and cells play an important role in the pathology of liver diseases. Thus, using Fructus Meliae Toosendan (FMT) as an example of hepatoxic herbal medicine, the aim of this study was to reveal the mechanisms of FMT-induced liver injury (FILI) through integrated analysis of serum exosomal miRNAs and liver miRNAs profiles on FMT ethyl acetate extract (FMT for short)-exposed mice. Two dosages of FMT (20 and 40 g/kg) were involved in this study, while only high-dose exposure induced obvious liver injury in mice. Pathway analysis of 209 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in serum exosomes between high-dose FMT and control groups exhibited that FILI might be regulated by apoptosis-related pathways, such as p53 signaling, PI3K/Akt signaling, and PTEN signaling. Integrated analysis of the mRNA targets of serum exosomal DEMs and liver DEMs of high-dose FMT group showed that autophagy was significantly enriched as one of the top canonical pathways in FILI. Hepatocyte apoptosis was then proved by TUNEL assay in the liver tissue of high-dose FMT-treated mice. Moreover, in vivo validation studies suggested that the protein expression levels of PTEN, p-AKT, p53, and BAX were indeed regulated in the mouse liver after high-dose FMT administration, indicating hepatocyte apoptosis may be mediated by these three pathways mentioned above. Intriguingly, PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy was activated in high-dose FMT-treated mouse liver and the protective effect of autophagy in FILI was validated in vitro with an autophagic flux inhibitor. In addition, serum exosomal miR-222, the most downregulated miRNAs between low- and high-dose FMT treatments, might be an important event in the hepatocyte apoptosis by regulating PTEN and PPP2R2A. In conclusion, integrated analysis of microRNA profiles in mouse serum exosomes and liver cells provides insights into the hepatotoxicity mechanisms of FMT and discloses the protective role of autophagy in FILI, suggesting this method could contribute to deeply understand the mechanism of HILI and activation of autophagy may be a potentially therapeutic strategy for FILI even HILI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct an effective assessment of peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC)-related thrombosis based on machine learning (ML) techniques considering genotype.Design: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 348 cancer patients with PICCs who were admitted to the Department of Oncology of West China Hospital, over a 1-year period, between February 1, 2016, and February 31, 2017. We obtained the clinical attributes, onset, duration, and outcome of thrombosis from electronic health records. We assigned all patients to either the training or testing set, and used four models for comparison with the currently used criteria.Results: ML methods showed good efficiency in PICC-related thrombosis risk assessment (with areas under the curve of 0.7733, 0.7869, 0.7833, and 0.7717 respectively) and outperform the currently used criteria (Seeley), which did not identify any positive case.Conclusions: Our research confirmed that ML approaches are powerful tools to identify cancer patients with a high risk of PICC-related thrombosis, which outperform the currently used criteria (Seeley). Moreover, our research also offers some indications on the predictors and risk factors of PICC-related thrombosis. From our research, more-precise assessments can be performed in cancer patients with PICCs to help decide the prophylaxis and effectively lower the incidence of PICC-related thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huiyang beard chicken is a well-known Chinese local breed known for its elongated feathers gathered from both sides of the face (muffs) and below the beak (beard), as well as short wattles (SW). The muff and beard (Mb) mutation is caused by ectopic upregulation of the homeobox B8 ( HOXB8 ) gene in the mandibular skin; and the chi-square test showed a significant correlation between SW and Mb genotypes. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that regulate Mb and SW variations remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomes of the mandibular skin and wattles of chickens with and without the Mb genotype to elucidate the molecular basis of these traits. Our results show that HOXB8 is expressed at significantly higher levels in both the mandibular skin and wattles of Mb chickens than in those of wild-type chickens, indicating that HOXB8 regulates both the Mb and SW phenotypes. Key genes for keratin synthesis were highly expressed in the mandibular skin of Mb chickens, suggesting that HOXB8 may play a role in feather development. In wattles, changes in the expression of extracellular matrix synthesis genes may contribute to SW traits. DNA-binding motif analyses revealed that differentially expressed genes were likely to be directly regulated by HOXB8 binding, indicating that HOXB8 may directly or indirectly regulate feather follicle development and wattle growth. Our study identified both known and novel targets, including several genes not previously implicated in feather development and mesenchymal formation. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of skin appendage variation in birds and offer potential applications in breeding poultry breeds with unique phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Radiation resistance and recurrent have become the major factors resulting in poor prognosis in the clinical treatment of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). New strategies to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy have been focused on the development of radiosensitizers and searching for directly targets that modulated tumor radiosensitivity. A novel potential radiosensitizer 1,8-Dihydroxy −3-(2′-(4″-methylpiperazin-1″-yl) ethyl-9,10-anthraquinone −3-carboxylate (RP-4) was designed and synthesized based on molecular docking technology, which was expected to regulate the radiosensitivity of tumor cells through targeting Rac1. In order to assess the radiosensitization activity of RP-4 on NPC cells, the highly differentiated CNE1 and poorly differentiated CNE2 cells NPC lines were employed. According to the results, RP-4 showed higher binding affinity toward the interaction with Rac1 than lead compounds. We found that RP-4 could inhibit cell viability and proliferation in CNE1 and CNE2 cells and significantly induced apoptosis after non-toxic concentration of RP-4 combined with 2Gy irradiation. RP-4 could effectively modulated the radiosensitivity both CNE1 cells and CNE2 cells through activating Rac1/NADPH signaling pathway and its downstream JNK/AP-1 pathway. What's more, Rac1/NADPH signaling pathway were significantly activated in Rac1-overexpressed CNE1 and CNE2 cells after treated with RP-4. Taken together, Rac1 and its downstream pathway may probably be the direct targets of RP-4 in regulating radiosensitivity of NPC cells, our finding provided a novel strategy for the development of therapeutic agents in response to tumorous radiation resistance. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • RP-4, a novel radiosensitizer with good water solubility and targeting Rac1 was synthesized. • RP-4 enhanced radiosensitivity both highly differentiated and poorly differentiated NPC cells. • RP-4 modulated radiosensitivity through activating Rac1/NADPH/JNK/AP-1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • IDA-intensified conditioning regimens could significantly reduce the relapse rate of MRD-positive CR acute leukemia patients, allowing these patients to achieve more closely resembled outcomes with patients in MRD-negative remission. • IDA-intensified conditioning regimens could remarkably lower the relapse rate of MRD-positive CR acute leukemia patients, allowing these patients to achieve significantly better outcomes than patients in active disease. Abstract The optimal conditioning regimen of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for high-risk patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) remains controversial. We studied the results in 98 high-risk acute leukemia patients transplanted with idarubicin (IDA)-intensified conditioning regimens between 2012 January and 2017 January. Among these patients, 31 (31.6%) had more than 5% marrow blasts at time of transplantation and 67 patients were in morphologic remission: MRD negative status at time of conditioning was achieved in 39 patients (39.8%), whereas 28 (28.6%) remained carriers of any other positive MRD level in the bone marrow. Three-year relapse estimates of patients with MRD-positive remission was 22.0%, which was remarkably lower than patients with active disease (45.4%, P =.027) but approximate to that of patients in MRD-negative remission (15.5%, P =.522). There were no significant differences in terms of 3-year estimated overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between MRD-positive remission and MRD-negative remission groups (71.4% versus 79.1% [ P =.562] and 67.9% versus 76.9% [ P =.634], respectively). Moreover, the estimated rates of 3-year OS and DFS of patients in MRD-positive remission were significantly better than those in patients with active disease (71.4% versus 41.9% [ P =.033] and 67.9% versus 38.7% [ P =.037], respectively). These data indicate that IDA-intensified conditioning allo-HSCT could overcome the negative prognostic impact of MRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 to value-added fuels, a promising route to address the depletion of fossil fuels and concomitant global warming, can be improved by cocatalysts through promoting the electron-hole separation and offering catalytic active sites for the surface reactions. However, the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance is greatly determined by the surface and interface structures of cocatalysts. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity in the CO 2 reduction can be optimized through crystalline phase design of cocatalysts. In this work, Ru nanocrystals in face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phases are in-situ grown on C 3 N 4 nanosheets to form different C 3 N 4 -Ru hybrid structures, respectively. It was found that the hcp Ru achieved higher average CO and CH 4 production rate but lower H 2 production rate in comparison with fcc Ru. As revealed by the experimental characterizations combined with theory simulations, the phase-dependent photocatalytic performance is resulted from the different surface reaction behaviors on the fcc and hcp Ru cocatalysts. The adsorption energy of CO 2 molecules on the dominated (10 1 ¯ 1) face of hcp Ru is higher than that on the dominated (111) face of fcc Ru. As a result, the stronger interaction between CO 2 molecules and the surface of hcp Ru contributes to the enhanced photocatalytic activity and selectivity of C 3 N 4 -hcp Ru in reduction of CO 2 . This work highlights the importance in the crystalline phase engineering in cocatalyst for enhanced CO 2 photoreduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coal gangue filling reclamation led to increases in bulk density, decreases in nutrients, and accumulation of heavy metals. • Reclamation and reconstruction activities changed the relationship strength and cooperation efficiency among soil properties. • The reduction in bulk density due to soil aggregates restoration was essential for reclaimed mine soil recovery. • Under high-groundwater-level conditions, the filled coal gangue became a new source of heavy metals for reclaimed mine soils. • Water-dissolved colloids acted as carriers of the heavy metals. Coal gangue filling reclamation is an important means to restore coal mining subsided cultivated land. However, coal gangue can release heavy metals, threatening the overlying soil environment. During the reconstruction of reclaimed mine soils (RMSs), soil properties evolve in a complex manner and influence the distribution of heavy metals, forming complex network relationships that differ from those of non-subsided cultivated soils (NCSs). It is difficult to determine the mechanism of RMS reconstruction and heavy metal accumulation and distribution by studying the trends of only a few variables. Complex network theory (CNT), however, can reveal the original internal characteristics and mechanisms of the system in a comprehensive and effective way. This study aimed at revealing the characteristics and mechanisms of soil reconstruction and heavy metal distribution in RMSs from a holistic perspective. Reclaimed cultivated land with coal gangue filling in high-groundwater-level mining areas in Jining City, Shandong Province, China, was selected for the study. First, soil samples were collected from depths of 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm, and a total of 21 soil indicators were determined. Then, CNT was applied to explore the special soil property relationships and key factors in the RMS reconstruction process. Finally, the intrinsic mechanism of RMS reconstruction and heavy metal distribution was revealed by comparison with NCSs. The results showed that coal gangue filling reclamation and reconstruction activities led to increases in bulk density (BD), decreases in nutrients, and the accumulation of heavy metals. These activities also changed the relationship strength and cooperation efficiency among soil properties. BD reduction due to soil aggregate recovery increased microbial activity and accumulated organic carbon and nutrients, which became essential for RMS recovery. The filled coal gangue became a new source of heavy metals for the RMSs, with water-dissolved colloids acting as carriers of the heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace iodine (I 2) radioisotopes are commonly regarded as an indicator in nuclear security early warnings. Herein, we develop a visualized I 2 real-time monitoring system using electrochemiluminescence (ECL) imaging technology for the first time. In detail, the polymers based on poly [(9,9-dioctylfluorene-alkenyl-2,7-diyl)- alt - co -(1,4-benzo-{2,1',3}-thiadiazole)] are synthesized for iodine detection. An ultra-low limit of detection (0.01 ppt) to iodine can be achieved by adding the modification ratio of tertiary amine onto PFBT as a co-reactive group, which is the lowest detection limit in known iodine vapor sensors. This result can be attributed to the co-reactive group poisoning response mechanism. Considering to the strong ECL behavior of this polymer dots, P-3 Pdots with ultra-low detection limit for iodine is combined with ECL imaging technology to realize the visualized rapid I 2 vapor response with high selectivity. ECL imaging component based on ITO electrode can make iodine monitoring system more convenient and suitable for real-time detection in early warning of nuclear emergency. The detection result cannot be affected by vapor of organic compounds, humidity and temperature, indicating a good selectivity to iodine. This work provides a strategy for nuclear emergency early warning, showing its significance in environmental and nuclear security fields. [Display omitted] • A real-time visualized monitoring system for trace I 2 is developed by ECL technology. • An ultra-low detection limit of 0.01 ppt is obtained in iodine detection. • Co-reactant group poisoning mechanism is proposed for high detection sensitivity. • The good selectivity is obtained for iodine with different VOCs and humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oblique-incidence reflectivity difference (OIRD) is a newly established method to monitor various surface processes and shows great prospect for real-time and label-free immunoassay, yet its sensitivity needs essential improvement to meet the requirement of practical applications. In this work, a label-free OIRD immunoassay biochip was developed with improved sensitivity by using standard glass slide coated with polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayer as the substrate. The immunoassay sensitivity of this biochip was found to be greatly improved compared with the conventional biochip built on glass slide. Further on-chip ELISA and optical calculation suggests that the improvement is not only associated with high capture efficiency of this biochip towards its target, but is also benefited from the porous PS monolayer enhanced intrinsic OIRD sensitivity via optical interference enhancement and effective dielectric constant effect. This work may provide valuable insight into the development of high performance label-free OIRD bio-detection devices. • A label-free OIRD immunoassay biochip was developed with improved sensitivity. • PS microsphere monolayer coated glass slide was employed as the substrate. • Porous sensing layer arouses optical enhancement to improve intrinsic OIRD sensitivity. • Enhanced sensitivity also originates from high capture efficiency of this biochip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A simple and efficient surface modification method by benzophenone derivatives is developed. • A graphical mechanism for this surface modification is demonstrated. • It can directly make cellulose-based materials and surfaces hydrophobic. • It endows these materials with fast separation ability of oil/water mixture and emulsion. It is still a huge challenge for industry to manufacture convenient and efficient oil-water separation materials. In this study, benzophenone derivatives with hydrophobic perfluorooctyl groups were synthesized as a crosslinking agent, so that the triplet photosensitizer of benzophenone could be inspired by UV light. Thus, hydrophobic groups were covalently grafted onto the surface of commercial filter papers under mild conditions, which had the advantage of easy availability, low cost, good biodegradability and chemical stability. The relevant reaction mechanism was proposed and confirmed. Moreover, these cellulose-based materials exhibit excellent hydrophobicity and lipophilicity in air, which was used for oil-water separation. The results showed that the modified filter paper was able to separate various oil-water mixtures and surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions that were driven by gravity in the absence of external stimulus. The findings of this study have significant implications to develop cost-effective low surface energy materials and surfaces, which is potentially possible for large-scale industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fishy odor of duck eggs has restricted their consumption and industrial development, a problem that producers need to address. We estimated the effects of cage, floor, and pond rearing systems on duck egg flavor, egg quality, and microbial diversity by evaluating yolk trimethylamine (TMA) content, egg quality, and the differences between duck cecum (cage cecum, CC ; floor cecum, FC ; pond cecum, PC) and the environment (cage environment, CE ; floor environment, FE ; pond environment, PE). The results show that the yolk TMA content of the floor-rearing and pond-rearing systems was significantly higher than that of the cage-rearing system (P < 0.001), with no difference between the floor and pond-rearing systems. No significant differences were detected in egg quality among the rearing systems. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in the cecum, and in the rearing environment, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla. The results of α and β diversity analyses show that changes in the rearing system affected the composition and diversity of duck cecal microbes. In addition, we screened several genera that may be related to the production of TMA in duck cecum under different rearing systems using LEfSe analysis; for example, Subdoligranulum in the CC group; Romboutsia in the FC group; and Lactobacillus, Clostridium , and Streptococcus in the PC group. In conclusion, the rearing system affects the cecal microbes of ducks, which in turn affect the deposition of TMA in duck eggs but have no adverse effect on egg quality. This study provides a basis for the development of rearing strategies to reduce the fishy odor of egg yolk in the duck industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visualizing the plasma membrane of living mammalian cells both in vitro and in vivo is crucial for tracking their cellular activities. However, due to the complex and dynamic nature of the plasma membrane, most commercial dyes for membrane staining can only realize very limited imaging performance. Thus, precise and stable plasma membrane imaging remains technically challenging. Here, by taking advantage of the small, well-defined, and amine-rich dendrimers, we prepared poly(ethylene glycol)-cholesterol (PEG-Chol)-conjugated and cyanine dye (e.g., cyanine2, cyanine3, and cyanine5)-labeled dendrimer nanoprobes (termed DPC-Cy2, DPC-Cy3, and DPC-Cy5 NPs). It was revealed that these probes enabled universal, wash-free, long-term (at least 8 h), and multicolor (green, yellow, and red) plasma membrane labeling of a variety of live mammalian cells. Further, we confirmed that the nanoprobes (using DPC-Cy5 as a representative) could achieve high-quality, wash-free, and stable cell surface labeling of live zebrafish embryos. More importantly, we demonstrated that our probes could act as biosensors to visualize the toxicity of metal – organic frameworks (MOFs) toward the epidermal cells of zebrafish embryos, and thus they hold great potential for identifying the toxic effect of drugs/materials at the single-cell scale or in live animals. The present work highlights the advantages of utilizing dendrimers for constructing functional imaging materials, and it is also believed that the fluorescent dendrimer nanoprobes developed in this work may find wide applications like cell imaging, drug toxicity evaluation, and cellular state monitoring. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggshell color is the most intuitive external feature that affects consumer acceptance. Different eggshell colors are mainly determined by protoporphyrin IX and biliverdin content. The selection of eggshell color by the human eye with an eggshell color fan can be roughly classified. Although more technologically advanced, a colorimeter or spectrophotometer might be of limited use when observing a variety of shell colors, such as brown, olive, green, and blue. This study aimed to provide a convenient and accurate method for predicting the content of eggshell pigments by measuring eggshell color using the Commission International de L'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* system. The results showed the deepening of eggshell color in brown and blue eggs was correlated with increased eggshell pigment deposition, and eggshell color was significantly positively correlated with eggshell pigment content (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the adjusted R2 of the fitted function was in the range of 0.81 to 0.89, and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the predicted and true values was in the range of 0.89 to 0.93. In brief, the L*a*b* method of measuring eggshell color to predict the amount of eggshell pigment deposition is convenient, effective, and promising for layer production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The concept of cultivated land quality (CLQ) was deduced from the concept of "quality". • CLQ emphasizes the satisfaction of cultivated land conditions to human well-being. • The elements, connotations, and dimensions of CLQ were clarified from the perspective of farmland ecosystems. • An CLQ evaluation analysis framework was proposed. Historically, the cognition and management of cultivated land quality (CLQ) have been fragmented, leading to an inability to meet contemporary scenarios and requirements of China's agricultural development and cultivated land protection. This study aimed to systematically recognize the concepts, elements, connotations, and dimensions of CLQ and build a new cultivated land quality evaluation (CQE) system. Initially, we deduced the concept of CLQ through the clear concept of "quality" in line with international standards. Next, we connected CLQ with the framework of farmland ecosystem service cascades and clarified the element structure of CLQ based on the structure of farmland ecosystems. Then, based on the multi-level human well-being that farmland ecosystems can provide, the connotations and dimensions of CLQ was determined. Using Wen County within Henan Province as a case study site, we constructed a CQE system for empirical analysis and comparative verification, showing that the new system was better than the existing one. This study helped to clarify the CLQ and provided a theoretical basis and technical reference for sustainable intensification (SI) and multi-directional protection and supervision of cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of organosilicon Bola-form bi-quaternary ammonium amphiphiles, [OH 5 C 3 (C 2 H 5 ) 2 N + -(CH 2 ) 3 -Si(CH 2 ) 3 -O-(Si(CH 3 ) 2 O) n -Si(CH 2 ) 3 ⋯(CH 2 ) 3 -N + (C 2 H 5 ) 2 C 3 H 5 O]Cl 2− (Si n N 2 Cl 2 , n = 0, 4, 6, 8), with the same headgroups and different length of hydrophobic linkage has been synthesized. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each amphiphiles was determined by equilibrium surface tension. With the increased length of hydrophobic siloxane spacer, the CMC values follow the order of Si 8 N 2 Cl 2 < Si 6 N 2 Cl 2 < Si 4 N 2 Cl 2 < Si 0 N 2 Cl 2 . At the same time, thermodynamic parameters ( Δ G m 0 , Δ H m 0 , Δ S m 0 ) of micellization were calculated by Gibbs equation under the mass action model. It indicates that the micellization of the amphiphiles in aqueous solution is entropy-driven. Especially, the surface area ( A min ) of Si 4 N 2 Cl 2 is the largest attributing to the interaction of free-rotated siloxane spacer and its internal oxygen atom, which make the molecular stretch free. The antimicrobial property of Si 4 N 2 Cl 2 is more effective than others below the concentration of CMC, while the antimicrobial property of Si 8 N 2 Cl 2 is more effective above the concentration of CMC, which indicated that both the adsorbability in formation of micellar and the hydrophobicity arising from the different length of siloxane spacer are important to inhibit microbe. Moreover, their wetting ability has been characterized by contact angles on various material surfaces. It shows that the higher weight of lipophilic siloxane spacer leads to lower contact angels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]