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Using a transfer printing technique, we imprint a layer of a designated near-infrared fluorescent dye BTP-eC9 onto a thin layer of Pt(II) complex, both of which are capable of self-assembly. Before integration, the Pt(II) complex layer gives intense deep-red phosphorescence maximized at ~740 nm, while the BTP-eC9 layer shows fluorescence at > 900 nm. Organic light emitting diodes fabricated under the imprinted bilayer architecture harvest most of Pt(II) complex phosphorescence, which undergoes triplet-to-singlet energy transfer to the BTP-eC9 dye, resulting in high-intensity hyperfluorescence at > 900 nm. As a result, devices achieve 925 nm emission with external quantum efficiencies of 2.24% (1.94 ± 0.18%) and maximum radiance of 39.97 W sr−1 m−2. Comprehensive morphology, spectroscopy and device analyses support the mechanism of interfacial energy transfer, which also is proved successful for BTPV-eC9 dye (1022 nm), making bright and far-reaching the prospective of hyperfluorescent OLEDs in the near-infrared region. The low photoluminescence quantum yield of near-infrared (NIR) emitters has limited their application in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Here, authors realize NIR OLEDs through interfacial energy transfer from platinum(II) complexes to a non-fullerene acceptor based on a sandwiched structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immobilization of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on a solid support is crucial to prevent GQDs from aggregation in the form of solid powder and facilitate the separation and recycling of GQDs after use. Herein, spatially dispersed GQDs are post-synthetically coordinated within a two-dimensional (2D) and water-stable zirconium-based metal–organic framework (MOF). Unlike pristine GQDs, the obtained GQDs immobilized on 2D MOF sheets show photoluminescence in both suspension and dry powder. Chemical and photoluminescent stabilities of MOF-immobilized GQDs in water are investigated, and the use of immobilized GQDs in the photoluminescent detection of copper ions is demonstrated. Findings here shed the light on the use of 2D MOFs as a platform to further immobilize GQDs with various sizes and distinct chemical functionalities for a range of applications. Graphene quantum dots have versatile properties, but their luminescence can be quenched when the dots aggregate. Here, the authors immobilize graphene quantum dots on 2D MOF sheets and demonstrate their photoluminescence in suspension and as a dry powder, and show their application in copper ion sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, two novel Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, SG10T and SG198T of genus Geothrix, were isolated from the rice field of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. Strains SG10T and SG198T were strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped and Gram-stain-negative. The two novel strains exhibited iron reduction ability, utilizing various single organic acid as the elector donor and Fe(III) as a terminal electron acceptor. Strains SG10T and SG198T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequences similarities to the type strains of Geothrix oryzisoli SG189T (99.0–99.5%) and Geothrix paludis SG195T (99.0–99.7%), respectively. The phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene and genome 120 conserved core genes showed that strains SG10T and SG198T belong to the genus Geothrix. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the phylogenetic neighbors and the two isolated strains were 86.1–94.3% and 30.7–59.5%, respectively. The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, C16:0 and iso-C13:0 3OH, and MK-8 was the main respiratory quinone. According to above results, the two strains were assigned to the genus Geothrix with the names Geothrix campi sp. nov. and Geothrix mesophila sp. nov. Type strains are SG10T (= GDMCC 1.3406 T = JCM 39331 T) and SG198T (= GDMCC 62910 T = KCTC 25635 T), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fabricate the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites with excellent mechanical, thermal and shape memory properties, shape memory composites containing (TPU)/ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/EVA grafting maleic anhydride (EVA-g-MAH)/functional graphene oxide nanosheets (fGONs) were designed, prepared and reported. The effects of VA contents (VA15 and VA40) in EVA on the compatibility of TPU/EVA blends were first evaluated and based on this, TPU/EVA/EVA-g-MAH/fGONs composites were investigated. The contact angle analysis revealed better interface compatibility of TPU/EVA40 compared to others, and fGONs tended to be distributed more in the TPU phase TPU phase. The enhanced compatibility of EVA and TPU can be attributed to the chemical interactions between EVA-g-MAH and TPU, as confirmed by FTIR and FESEM analysis. Increasing the proportion of EVA content in the TPU/EVA blend resulted in increasing elastic modulus. The mechanical characteristics of TPU composites containing GO and fGONs were enhanced compared with TPU/EVA and TPU/EVA/EVA-g-MAH. The shape memory performance examination indicated that EVA improved the shape fixation rate (Rf) of TPU, and the Rf was 147.3% higher than that of TPU. By incorporating 5% EVA-g-MAH, the blend demonstrated an increased Rf value of 79.60%, alongside a reduced shape recovery rate (Rr) of 75.5%. After adding fGONs, both the Rf and Rr were increased. The Rf and Rr of TPU/EVA/EVA-g-MAH/GO-IPDI composite reached 92.29% and 82.23%. DSC and DMA analysis revealed the glass transition temperature, storage modulus, and loss modulus of the composites were increased after adding fGONs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing an organic polymer photocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution with visible and near-infrared (NIR) light activity is still a major challenge. Unlike the common behavior of gradually increasing the charge recombination while shrinking the bandgap, we present here a series of polymer nanoparticles (Pdots) based on ITIC and BTIC units with different π-linkers between the acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) repeated moieties of the polymer. These polymers act as an efficient single polymer photocatalyst for H2 evolution under both visible and NIR light, without combining or hybridizing with other materials. Importantly, the difluorothiophene (ThF) π-linker facilitates the charge transfer between acceptors of different repeated moieties (A-D-A-(π-Linker)-A-D-A), leading to the enhancement of charge separation between D and A. As a result, the PITIC-ThF Pdots exhibit superior hydrogen evolution rates of 279 µmol/h and 20.5 µmol/h with visible (>420 nm) and NIR (>780 nm) light irradiation, respectively. Furthermore, PITIC-ThF Pdots exhibit a promising apparent quantum yield (AQY) at 700 nm (4.76%). Designing an organic polymer photocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution in the near-infrared (NIR) light region is still a major challenge. The authors present here a series of polymer nanoparticles for a efficient hydrogen evolution under visible and NIR light irradiation, without combining or hybridizing with other materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many older adults residing in long-term care often face issues like poor sleep, reduced vitality, and depression. Non-pharmacological approaches, specifically Binaural Beat Music (BBM) and Rhythmic Photic Stimulation (RPS), may alleviate these symptoms, yet their efficacy in this demographic has not been extensively explored. Aims: This study investigated the effects of combined BBM and RPS interventions on sleep quality, vitality, and depression among older residents with depressive symptoms in long-term care facilities. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, a total of 88 older adults with depressive symptoms from Taiwanese daytime care centers were divided into the BBM with RPS, and Sham groups (44 each). They underwent 20-minute daily sessions of their assigned treatment for two weeks. The BBM with RPS group listened to 10 Hz binaural beat music with 10 Hz photic stimulation glasses, and the Sham group received non-stimulating music and glasses. Results: After the intervention, participants in the BBM with RPS groups showed significant improvements in vitality and depressive mood, with a notable increase in sympathetic nervous system activity. Conversely, the Sham group exhibited significant deterioration in vitality and mental health, with a significant increase in parasympathetic activity. Additionally, compared with the Sham group, the BBM and RPS groups showed significant improvements in vitality, mental health, and depression, with a significant increase in sympathetic nervous activity. Conclusion: The two-week intervention suggests that the combination of BBM and RPS, as a non-invasive intervention, can potentially improve vitality, mental health, and depressive mood among older adults in long-term care institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics such as monofilament fishing lines (MFLs) are major pollutants in the marine environment and affect marine life and water quality. To solve this global menace, many researchers have been working on several ways to recycle these wastes and convert them into value-added products such as nanofibers. In this study, we produced novel nanofibers through the electrospinning of a polymeric solution consisting of MFL, hydroxyapatite (HAP), and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These fabricated nanofibers were further characterized to study their wettability, surface morphology, surface chemistry, thermal degradation, and antibacterial capability. Results from the incorporation of HAP and AgNPs showed increased fiber diameter and scattered fiber orientation. The addition of 0.4 and 1.5 wt% AgNPs to the nanofibers improved their thermal stabilities for temperatures above 350 °C. The MFL + HAP + 1.5 wt% AgNPs nanofibers showed the best antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive), with bactericidal efficiencies of 70.5% and 68.6%, respectively. Also, increasing the size of the nanofiber aids cell proliferation. These fabricated nanofibers could be used for biomedical and water purification applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stylotermitidae appear peculiar among all termites, feeding in trunks of living trees in South Asia only. The difficulty to collect them limits the ability to study them, and they thus still belong to critically unknown groups in respect to their biology. We used a combination of microscopic observations, chemical analysis and behavioural tests, to determine the source and chemical nature of the trail-following pheromone of Stylotermes faveolus from India and S. halumicus from Taiwan. The sternal gland located at the 5th abdominal segment was the exclusive source of the trail-following pheromone in both S. faveolus and S. halumicus, and it is made up of class I, II and III secretory cells. Using gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol (DOE) was identified as the trail-following pheromone which elicits strong behavioural responses in workers at a threshold around 10− 4 ng/cm and 0.1 ng/gland. Our results confirm the switch from complex aldehyde trail-following pheromones occurring in the basal groups to simpler linear alcohols in the ancestor of Kalotermitidae and Neoisoptera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For stability control of gob-side entry (GSE) in a deep mine, surrounding rock reinforcement and roof cutting are commonly used technical methods. However, there is still a lack of scientific quantitative design guidelines for the above two methods. In this paper, taking the bearing capacity of the surrounding rock as the starting point, a mechanical model of a GSE surrounding rock structure in a deep mine is established, and a mathematical expression for the load-bearing capacity of the yield pillar and the longwall panel rib are obtained. Taking the ultimate bearing capacity of the yield pillar and longwall panel rib as metrics, the state of GSE surrounding rock is divided into four categories according to the relationship between the actual bearing load and the ultimate bearing capacity of the yield pillar and longwall panel rib. For each condition, corresponding manual control and quantitative design methods are proposed, and the control method is preliminarily applied through field engineering examples. This study can provide theoretical and technical support for the stability control of a GSE in a deep mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz (THz) tomographic imaging has recently attracted significant attention thanks to its non-invasive, non-destructive, non-ionizing, material-classification, and ultra-fast nature for object exploration and inspection. However, its strong water absorption nature and low noise tolerance lead to undesired blurs and distortions of reconstructed THz images. The diffraction-limited THz signals highly constrain the performances of existing restoration methods. To address the problem, we propose a novel multi-view Subspace-Attention-guided Restoration Network (SARNet) that fuses multi-view and multi-spectral features of THz images for effective image restoration and 3D tomographic reconstruction. To this end, SARNet uses multi-scale branches to extract intra-view spatio-spectral amplitude and phase features and fuse them via shared subspace projection and self-attention guidance. We then perform inter-view fusion to further improve the restoration of individual views by leveraging the redundancies between neighboring views. Here, we experimentally construct a THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system covering a broad frequency range from 0.1 to 4 THz for building up a temporal/spectral/spatial/material THz database of hidden 3D objects. Complementary to a quantitative evaluation, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our SARNet model on 3D THz tomographic reconstruction applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-Chiral phosphines and sec-phosphine oxides (SPO) are found in a diverse range of compounds that play crucial roles in various fields, including asymmetric catalysis, materials, agrochemistry, and pharmaceutical chemistry. Herein, we describe an enantioselective Ni-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic sec-phosphine oxides to obtain the corresponding optically pure P-chiral phosphine oxides and sec-phosphine oxides, respectively. These products are versatile chiral phosphine building blocks that can be used to construct an extensive range of P-chiral phosphines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rotation of a C = C bond in an alkene can be efficiently accelerated by creating the high-strain ground state and stabilizing the transition state of the process. Herein, the synthesis, structures, and properties of several highly twisted alkenes are comprehensively explored. A facile and practical synthetic approach to target molecules is developed. The twist angles and lengths of the central C = C bonds in these molecules are 36–58° and 1.40–1.43 Å, respectively, and confirmed by X-ray crystallography and DFT calculations. A quasi-planar molecular half with the π-extended substituents delivers a shallow rotational barrier (down to 2.35 kcal/mol), indicating that the rotation of the C = C bond is as facile as that of the aryl-aryl bond in 2-flourobiphenyl. Other versatile and unique properties of the studied compounds include a broad photoabsorption range (from 250 up to 1100 nm), a reduced HOMO-LUMO gap (1.26–1.68 eV), and a small singlet-triplet energy gap (3.65–5.68 kcal/mol). The rotation of a carbon double bond in an alkene can be efficiently accelerated by creating the high strain ground state and stabilizing the transition state of the process. Here, the authors report the synthesis, structures, and properties of several highly twisted alkenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a unique approach in experiments was carried out by a pulsed DC sputtering for the 60/30-min process in one-step and multi-step (two- and four-step) deposition to obtain trends of residual stress and film properties of aluminum nitride (AlN). Film characteristics comparison between one-step and multi-step deposition was used to study the correlation among film crystallite orientation, residual stress, and film features. The thickness, microstructure, residual stress, and crystallite status of AlN films were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the films have different stress characteristics in different microstructures when processed at the same amount of time in different deposition intervals. The increase in the degree of ion bombardment and induced substrate temperature raised leads to the interpretation of different microstructural changes in films. In this investigation, the film with thickness about 1300 nm for one-step deposition has a surface roughness of 2.67 nm, the grain size of 65.1 nm, and residual stress of 1575 MPa. In the four-step deposition, these values were reduced to 2.46 nm, 51.4 nm, and 841 MPa, respectively. In situ optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data were collected during plasma deposition of selected dominant wavelengths of N2 (315 and 336 nm) and Al (394 and 396 nm) for large-scale data analysis. Based on a cross-validation test executed from OES data preprocessing, the methodology with the principal component analysis (PCA) and value of microstructure characteristics (VMC) algorithm demonstrated that this unique multi-step deposition technique can provide a good stress gradient control from microstructural analysis and can effectively classify film characteristics in AlN film deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An anaerobic, Gram-staining-negative, rod shaped, nitrogen-fixing strain designed SG202T, was isolated from paddy soil collected from Fujian Province in China. Strain SG202T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with the type strain Sulfurospirillum multivorans DSM 12446T (98.5%). Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and conserved core genes from genomes indicated that strain SG202T branched with members of the genus Sulfurospirillum. Growth was observed at 25–37 °C (optimum 30 °C), pH 6.0–10.5 (optimum 7.5), and 0–0.6% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0.2%). Strain SG202T contained MK-6 as the menaquinone and C16:1ω7c (40.6%), C16:0 (33.3%), C18:1ω7c (13.6%) and C14:0 (9.0%) as the major fatty acids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 39.0%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain SG202T and its closely related species S. multivorans DSM 12446T, Sulfurospirillum halorespirans DSM 13726T, Sulfurospirillum arsenophilum DSM 10659T and Sulfurospirillum diekertiae ACSDCET were 81.3, 81.5, 84.4, 82.2% and 24.5, 24.5, 27.9, 25.2%, respectively. All these values were lower than the recommended species delineation thresholds of ANI (95–96%) and dDDH (70%). Strain SG202T possessed core genes (nifHDK) of nitrogen fixation, and nitrogenase activities (3470.45 μmol C2H4 g−1 protein h−1) was examined using the acetylene reduction assay. Based on the observed physiological properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics and genome analysis, strain SG202T is recognized as a novel species of the genus Sulfurospirillum, for which the name Sulfurospirillum oryzae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG202T (= GDMCC 1.3379T= JCM 35596T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While vocational training may offer financial and health benefits for patients with schizophrenia (PwS), further empirical research is required to investigate the effectiveness of this intervention for PwS, as well as the factors influencing their employability. This study aimed to (i) identify the factors affecting the employability of PwS who had participated in vocational training and (ii) examine the effectiveness of vocational training. This prospective cohort study was conducted in a community rehabilitation center attached to a psychiatric hospital in southern Taiwan that provides vocational training. The participants completed two questionnaires: (i) a pre-test that served as the study's baseline; (ii) a post-test during a follow-up 12 months later. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: (i) participants' basic information, (ii) the work performance scale, and (iii) the mental state measure. The participants included 35 males and 30 females, with the average age being 45.85 years. The significant factors affecting their employability were social support, work behavior, thinking disorder, and cognitive impairment. In other words, participants with better social support, work behavior, and fewer thought disorders and cognitive impairment were more employable. Their work attitude and ability were found to have significantly improved after having participated in vocational training for 12 months. In conclusion, when conducting vocational training in the future, it is necessary to pay attention to individual participants' social support and work behavior and reduce thinking disorders and cognitive impairments. This may help improve the employability of PwS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An anaerobic, Gram-staining-negative, rod-shaped, Fe(III)-reducing strain, designated SG189T, was isolated from paddy soil in Fujian Province, China. Growth occurred at 20–35 ℃ (optimum 30 ℃), pH 6.5–8.0 (optimum 7.0) and 0–0.2% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0%). The strain SG189T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequences similarities to the type strains of Geothrix fermentans DSM 14018T (98.9%), "Geothrix terrae" SG184T (99.0%) and "Geothrix alkalitolerans" SG263T (99.3%). ANI and dDDH values between strain SG189T and the most closely related Geothrix species were 86.5–87.1% and 31.5–32.9%, which lower than the cut-off values (ANI 95–96% and dDDH 70%) for prokaryotic species delineation. Further, genome-based phylogenomic trees constructed using 81 core genes (UBCG2) and 120 conserved genes (GTDB) showed that strain SG189T formed a clade with members of the genus Geothrix. The menaquinone was shown to be MK-8, and the major fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and iso-C13:0 3OH. The genomic DNA G + C content was 68.2%. Additionally, we found that strain SG189T possessed ability to reduce ferric iron, and strain SG189T could reduce 10 mM of ferric citrate in 10 days with lactate as the sole electron donor. Based on the observed physiological and biochemical properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics, ANI and dDDH values, SG189T represents a novel species of the genus Geothrix, for which the name Geothrix oryzisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG189T (= GDMCC 1.3408T = JCM 39324T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alkali, salt, and thermo-tolerant strain designated FJAT-45399T was isolated from marine sediment in Fujian Province, China. Strain FJAT-45399T was Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, and facultatively aerobic. It shared high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with the members of the genus Shouchella. Further, the phylogenetic and phylogenomic analysis also suggested strain FJAT-45399T clustered with the members of the genus Shouchella. Growth of strain FJAT-45399T was observed at 15–55 °C (optimum 45–50 °C), pH 7.0–13.0 (optimum 9.0) and 0–15% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2%). It contained MK-7 as the menaquinone. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and an unidentified glycolipid (UGL) and lipid (UL). The major fatty acids (> 10%) were C16:0 (22.8%), iso-C15:0 (21.3%), and anteiso-C15:0 (14.0%). The genomic DNA G + C content was 44.5%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain FJAT-45399T and the most closely related type strain Shouchella clausii DSM 8716T (ANI 94.1% and dDDH 55.4%) were both below the cut-off level for species delineation. Based on the above results, strain FJAT-45399T represents a novel species of the genus Shouchella, for which the name Shouchella tritolerans sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is FJAT-45399T (= GDMCC 1.3098T = JCM 35613T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, composite materials are widely used in high-strength and low-weight parts, such as airborne structures, military equipment, and sports devices. Since most of the serpentine pipe parts have the requirements of one-piece forming and high strength, the material of serpentine pipe parts is still mainly metal. However, the parts cannot be easily separated from the metal molds after autoclave curing is always a difficult problem in the manufacturing process, which results in failed products. The autoclave process is often long and expensive. Therefore, improving its manufacturing yield rate is very important. To solve this problem, this study employs a ceramic lost foam mold to replace the metal mold used in the autoclave process. By adjusting parameters of autoclave and modifying the curing processes in different experiments and experienced several failed experiments, workable manufacturing processes and parameters are finally obtained such that the composite material made serpentine pipe parts are successfully produced. This study investigates the causes of failed products and corresponding solutions. Moreover, the current study executed process reproducibility experiments to verify the reproducibility of the proposed method. Experimental results determine workable manufacturing processes and parameters. The results not only facilitate the production of composite material made serpentine pipe parts but also significantly reduce the production cost and increase the throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strictly anaerobic sulfate-reducing strain, designated SG60T, was isolated from paddy soil collected in Fujian Province, China. Growth of strain SG60T was observed at 20–37 °C, pH 5.5–10.0 and 0–0.7% (w/v) NaCl. Strain SG60T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarities to the type strains of Fundidesulfovibrio magnetotacticus FSS-1T (97.2%) and Fundidesulfovibrio putealis DSM 16056T (96.4%). Phylogenetic trees based on the16S rRNA sequence and genome-based phylogenomic tree constructed using 120 core genes showed that strain SG60T clustered with members of the genus Fundidesulfovibrio. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain SG60T and the most closely related type strain F. magnetotacticus were 78.2% and 21.6%, respectively. Strain SG60T contained MK-7 as the main respiratory quinone and anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:1ω9c, iso-C16:0 and iso-C16:1 H as the major fatty acids. Strain SG60T produced desulfoviridin and possessed genes (nifHDK) encoding functions involved in nitrogen fixation. The genomic DNA G + C content was 65.5%. Based on the observed physiological properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics and ANI and dDDH values, strain SG60T represents a novel species of the genus Fundidesulfovibrio, for which the name Fundidesulfovibrio soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG60T (= GDMCC 1.3310T = JCM 35676T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two aerobic, Gram-staining-positive, rod-shaped, endospore-forming, thermophilic bacterial strains, designated FJAT-47801T and FJAT-47835, were isolated from the sediment collected from Zhangjiang Estuary Mangrove National Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, China. Growth was observed at 25–55 °C (optimum, 50 °C) and pH 7.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), with up to 4.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, without NaCl). Strains FJAT-47801T and FJAT-47835 showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Bacillus oleivorans (98.5%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between FJAT-47801T and FJAT-47835 was 99.9% indicating they were the same species. Phylogenetic (based on 16S rRNA gene sequences) and phylogenomic (based on 120 conserved bacterial single-copy genes) trees showed that strains FJAT-47801T and FJAT-47835 should be affiliated to the genus Bacillus. The of menaquinone of strain FJAT-47801T was MK-7. The major fatty acids of strain FJAT-47801T were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, iso-C17:0, and C16:0. The major polar lipids strain FJAT-47801T were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain FJAT-47801T was 39.3%. The average nucleotide identity (84.3%) and the digital DNA–DNA hybridization value (28.1%) between strain FJAT-47801T and B. oleivorans CCTCC AB 2013353T were below the cut-off level for species delineation. Based on the above results, strain FJAT-47801T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus litorisediminis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is FJAT-47801T (=GDMCC 1.2712T = JCM 34875T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strictly anaerobic nitrogen-fixing strain, designated SG106T, was isolated from rice field. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain SG106T was closely related to the type strain of Fundidesulfovibrio magnetotacticus (97.3%). In phylogenetic (based on 16S rRNA gene sequences) and phylogenomic (constructed using a concatenated alignment of 117 conserved bacterial single-copy genes with GTDB-Tk) trees, strain SG106T clustered with members of the genus Fundidesulfovibrio. Strain SG106T grew at 20–40 °C and 0–0.4% (w/v) NaCl. Desulfoviridin was found in the strain SG106T. The genomic DNA G + C content of strain SG106T was 66.0%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain SG106T and the closely related F. magnetotacticus were 78.4% and 21.7%, respectively. Genome analysis showed that strain SG106T encodes genes for nitrogen fixation (nifHDK). Acetylene reduction experiments showed that the nitrogenase activity of strain SG106T could reach 224.7 μmol C2H4 g−1 protein h−1. Based on the above results, strain SG106T represents a novel species of the genus Fundidesulfovibrio, for which the name Fundidesulfovibrio agrisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG106T (= GDMCC 1.3136T = JCM 35588T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facultative anaerobic nitrogen-fixing bacterium, designated SG131T, was isolated from paddy soil. Strain SG131T showed high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with type strains Propionivibrio limicola DSM 6832T (96.9%), Propionivibrio pelophilus asp 66T (96.0%) and Propionivibrio dicarboxylicus DSM 5885T (95.7%). The phylogenetic trees (based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and 120 conserved genes from genomes, respectively) indicated that strain SG131T clustered with members of the genus Propionivibrio. Growth of strain SG131T was observed at 25–40 °C, pH 5.5–10.5 and 0–0.5% (w/v) NaCl. The quinone was Q-7, and the main fatty acids were C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c (25.9%), C16:0 (23.3%), C17:0-cyclo (11.7%), C12:0 (6.0%) and C17:0 (5.9%). The genomic DNA G + C content of strain SG131T was 60.3%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain SG131T and its most closely related species P. limicola DSM 6832T, P. pelophilus DSM 12018T and P. dicarboxylicus DSM 5885T were 74.4%, 74.9% and 75.6%, respectively. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain SG131T and its most closely related species P. limicola DSM 6832T, P. pelophilus DSM 12018T and P. dicarboxylicus DSM 5885T were 19.9%, 20.6% and 20.5%, respectively. All these values were lower than the recommended species delineation thresholds of ANI (95–96%) and dDDH (70%). Strain SG131T possessed core genes (nifHDK) of nitrogen fixation and was confirmed its nitrogen-fixing ability by the ARA method. According to the above-described analysis, strain SG131T represents a novel species of the genus Propionivibrio, for which the name Propionivibrio soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG131T (= GDMCC 1.3313T = JCM 35595T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Gram-staining-negative strains, designated SG184T and SG263T were isolated from paddy soils in Fujian Province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strains SG184T, SG263T, and the related type strain Geothrix fermentans DSM 14018T were 98.6% and 99.1%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) between the two strains and G. fermentans DSM 14018T were below the cut-off level (95% for ANI and 70% for dDDH) recommended as the criterion for interspecies taxon affiliation. Further, phylogenetic and phylogenomic trees indicated that strains SG184T and SG263T clustered with the member of the genus Geothrix. The menaquinone was MK-8, and the main fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and iso-C13:0 3OH. The genomic DNA G + C content of SG184T and SG263T was 68.07% and 68.05%, respectively. Additionally, two strains had iron reduction ability and could reduce ferrihydrite to ferrous iron. Based on the morphological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and genome analysis, the two isolated strains represent two novel species of the genus Geothrix, for which the names Geothrix terrae sp. nov. and Geothrix alkalitolerans sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are SG184T (= GDMCC1.3134 T = JCM39321T) and SG263T (= GDMCC 1.3316 T = JCM 39325T), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to systematically investigate the dependence of the properties of nanocomposites on the shape of nanofillers, including spherical and fibrous, and the contents and its special arrangement, polyimide (PI) as matrix, nano-silicon carbide particles (SiCp) and whisker (SiCw) as fillers were applied to prepare PI nanocomposite films by in-situ polymerization. FTIR and XRD tests verified the successful polymerization of SiC/PI nanocomposites. FESEM observations showed that both SiCp and SiCw nanofillers were uniformly dispersed in the PI matrix during in-situ polymerization and contributed to the improvements of properties. Compared with pure PI film, addition of SiC nanofillers enhanced obviously the heat resistance and the thermal stabilities of PI nanocomposites, as verified by TGA. Tensile tests indicated that the mechanical properties of PI nanocomposites enhanced with increasing SiC nanofillers. Moreover, SiCw was more prominent than SiCp in the reinforcement of PI nanocomposites. Due to the influences of dielectric properties by the changes of the spatial arrangement and the local distribution of electric field of the nanofillers in PI matrix, the dielectric constant of 3wt.%SiCp/PI and 3wt.%SiCw/PI nanocomposites reached 4.3 and 5.6, respectively. Compared with pure PI film, the dielectric constants of SiCp/PI and SiCw/PI nanocomposites were enhanced by 26% and 64%, respectively. In comparison, PI nanocomposites containing SiCw possessed higher effective permittivity than those containing SiCp under the same nanofillers concentration. This work is expected to show great significance to understand the microscopic mechanism of PI dielectric nanocomposites for high energy-storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a combined preventive maintenance strategy for bearings to accomplish the failure prevention of rotating equipment. The concepts of preventive maintenance and trend chart are introduced in the beginning. Next, as an illustration, this strategy installs four accelerometers at selected locations of the equipment to acquire vibration amplitude data periodically. Only if any one of amplitudes exceeds the corresponding prescribed warning value, the acquired time-domain signal then is sent to the vibration analyzer to establish the corresponding frequency spectrum by the Fast Fourier Transform method. Contrasting the frequency of the highest amplitude among the amplitudes of harmonic frequencies in the spectrum with the calculated defect frequencies of the bearings, the defective bearing can be accurately located. Consequently, the abnormality of the defective bearing is early detected such that failure of the rotating equipment is prevented by executing preventive maintenance. At the end, the defective bearing is taken out from the monitored equipment to verify this investigation. The reliability improvement of rotating equipment is illustrated as well. This study was performed in a real workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the biological mechanism of yellow rind formation on watermelon, the characteristics of soil bacterial community structure in rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria in stem of yellow rind watermelon were analyzed. Based on high-throughput sequencing technology, plant stem and rhizosphere soil samples, which collected from yellow and green rind watermelons were used in this paper, respectively. The structural characteristics of the endophytic bacteria in stems and soil bacterial communities in rhizospheres of yellow and green rind watermelons were comparative studied. Firstly, significant different proportions of some dominant bacteria and abundances could be detected between yellow and rind watermelons. Meanwhile, although different abundances of endophytic bacteria could be found, but no significant differences were observed between yellow and green rind watermelons. Moreover, Gemmatimonadota, Myxococcota, WPS-2, norank_f_Gemmatimonadaceae and Bradyrhizobium were the soil dominant bacterial genera in rhizosphere of green rind watermelon. All above results suggest that differences of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria are exactly recruited as "workers" by different watermelon phenotypes relating to rind color formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical pump-probe spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the study of non-equilibrium electronic dynamics and finds wide applications across a range of fields, from physics and chemistry to material science and biology. However, a shortcoming of conventional pump-probe spectroscopy is that photoinduced changes in transmission, reflection and scattering can simultaneously contribute to the measured differential spectra, leading to ambiguities in assigning the origin of spectral signatures and ruling out quantitative interpretation of the spectra. Ideally, these methods would measure the underlying dielectric function (or the complex refractive index) which would then directly provide quantitative information on the transient excited state dynamics free of these ambiguities. Here we present and test a model independent route to transform differential transmission or reflection spectra, measured via conventional optical pump-probe spectroscopy, to changes in the quantitative transient dielectric function. We benchmark this method against changes in the real refractive index measured using time-resolved Frequency Domain Interferometry in prototypical inorganic and organic semiconductor films. Our methodology can be applied to existing and future pump-probe data sets, allowing for an unambiguous and quantitative characterisation of the transient photoexcited spectra of materials. This in turn will accelerate the adoption of pump-probe spectroscopy as a facile and robust materials characterisation and screening tool. Photoinduced changes in transmission, reflection and scattering prevent conventional pump-probe spectroscopy to unambiguously assign the origin of spectral signatures. Ashoka et al. have developed an optical modelling technique to extract quantitative and unambiguous changes in the dielectric function from standard pump-probe measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Two strictly anaerobic nitrogen-fixing strains, designated RG17T and RG53T, were isolated from paddy soils in China. Strains RG17T and RG53T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to the type strain Geomonas paludis (97.9–98.4%). Phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that two strains clustered with members of the genus Geomonas. Growth of strain RG17T was observed at 20–42 °C, pH 5.5–8.5 and 0–0.3% (w/v) NaCl while strain RG53T growth was observed at 20–42 °C, pH 5.5–9.5 and 0–0.7% (w/v) NaCl. Strains RG17T and RG53T contained MK-8 as main menaquinone and C15:1ω6c, iso-C15:0, and Summed Feature 3 as the major fatty acids. The genomic DNA G + C content of strains RG17T and RG53T were 61.6 and 60.7%, respectively. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between the isolated strains and the closely related Geomonas species were lower than the cut-off value (dDDH 70% and ANI 95–96%) for prokaryotic species delineation. Both strains possessed nif genes nifHDK and nitrogenase activities. Based on the above results, the two strains represent two novel species of the genus Geomonas, for which the names Geomonas fuzhouensis sp. nov. and Geomonas agri sp. nov., are proposed. The type strains are RG17T (= GDMCC 1.2687T = KTCC 25332T) and RG53T (= GDMCC 1.2630T = KCTC 25331T), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute cholecystitis (AC) is a common surgical emergency. The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) provides a reliable algorithm for the treatment of AC patients to achieve optimal outcomes. However, the economic benefits have not been validated. We hypothesize that good outcomes and cost savings can both be achieved if patients are treated according to the TG18. Method: This retrospective study included 275 patients who underwent cholecystectomy in a 15-month span. Patients were divided into three groups (group 1: mild AC; group 2: moderate AC with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class ≤ 2 and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score ≤ 5; and group 3: moderate AC with ASA class ≥ 3, CCI score ≥ 6, or severe AC). Each group was further divided into two subgroups according to management (followed or deviated from the TG18). Patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and hospital costs were compared. Results: For group 1 patients, 77 (81%) were treated according to the TG18 and had a significantly higher successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) rate (100%), lower hospital cost ($1896 vs $2388), and shorter hospital stay (2.9 vs 8 days) than those whose treatment deviated from the TG18. For group 2 patients, 50 (67%) were treated according to the TG18 and had a significantly lower hospital cost ($1926 vs $2856), shorter hospital stay (3.9 vs 9.9 days), and lower complication rate (0% vs 12.5%). For group 3 patients, 62 (58%) were treated according to the TG18 and had a significantly lower intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (9.7% vs 25%), but a longer hospital stay (12.6 vs 7.8 days). However, their hospital costs were similar. Early LC in group 3 patients did not have economic benefits over gallbladder drainage and delayed LC. Conclusion: The TG18 are the state-of-the-art guidelines for the treatment of AC, achieving both satisfactory outcomes and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three Gram-staining negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped and motile strains, FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T were isolated from the sediment samples of Zhangjiang Estuary Mangrove National Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results indicated they could be novel members of the genus Shewanella. The optimum temperature for growth was 30 °C. The respiratory quinones of the strains were ubiquinone Q-7 or Q-8, and menaquinone MK-7. Polar lipids of the strains FJAT-52962T and FJAT-51800T were phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and unidentified aminophospholipids while strain FJAT-54481 consist of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified aminolipids and four unidentified lipids. The major fatty acid of the three strains was iso-C15:0. The genomic DNA G + C contents of strains FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T were 48.2, 55.3 and 48.1%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strains FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T and other closely related Shewanella members were below the cut-off level (95–96%) for species identification. Genome analysis showed that these strains encode genes for osmo-regulation. Based on the results of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genome analyses, strains FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T represent three novel species of the genus Shewanella, for which the names Shewanella avicenniae sp. nov., Shewanella sedimentimangrovi sp. nov., and Shewanella yunxiaonensis sp. nov., are proposed. The type strains are FJAT-51800T (= GDMCC 1.2204T = KCTC 82448T), FJAT-52962T (= MCCC 1K05496T = KCTC 82445T) and FJAT-54481T (= GDMCC 1.2348T = KCTC 82646T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient neuromodulation can have long-lasting effects on neural circuits and motivational states1–4. Here we examine the dopaminergic mechanisms that underlie mating drive and its persistence in male mice. Brief investigation of females primes a male’s interest to mate for tens of minutes, whereas a single successful mating triggers satiety that gradually recovers over days5. We found that both processes are controlled by specialized anteroventral and preoptic periventricular (AVPV/PVpo) dopamine neurons in the hypothalamus. During the investigation of females, dopamine is transiently released in the medial preoptic area (MPOA)—an area that is critical for mating behaviours. Optogenetic stimulation of AVPV/PVpo dopamine axons in the MPOA recapitulates the priming effect of exposure to a female. Using optical and molecular methods for tracking and manipulating intracellular signalling, we show that this priming effect emerges from the accumulation of mating-related dopamine signals in the MPOA through the accrual of cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels and protein kinase A activity. Dopamine transients in the MPOA are abolished after a successful mating, which is likely to ensure abstinence. Consistent with this idea, the inhibition of AVPV/PVpo dopamine neurons selectively demotivates mating, whereas stimulating these neurons restores the motivation to mate after sexual satiety. We therefore conclude that the accumulation or suppression of signals from specialized dopamine neurons regulates mating behaviours across minutes and days.A population of hypothalamic dopamine neurons sustains mating drive in male mice through a persistent mode of biochemical signalling in target neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2.5-D seismic wave numerical simulation method employs point sources from 2-D geological models, enabling the calculation of point source wavefields at pseudo-2-D computational cost. We present herein a generalized 2.5-D first-order time-domain governing equation to model seismic wave propagation in different (acoustic, elastic isotropic, and anisotropic) media, then derive different formulae that incorporate topographic free-surface and fluid–solid interfaces. Furthermore, by assigning different model parameters from point to point, accommodating different boundary conditions, and applying the finite difference approach, we achieve the numerical simulation of seismic wave propagation with just one computer program. Comparisons with 3-D analytic and numerical solutions obtained using different full-space homogeneous models (acoustic, elastic isotropic, and anisotropic) verify the correctness of the 2.5-D method. Comparison of the results with a 3-D pseudospectral method show that the proposed 2.5-D method can simulate seismic wave propagation in various media with different boundary conditions. In addition, unlike the problems encountered when using 2-D numerical solutions for real 3-D applications, the 2.5-D method can be employed directly as a forward modeling method in seismic reverse-time migration and an efficient wavefield conversion tool between practical point source data and artificial line source data for 2-D seismic full waveform inversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is a powerful tool to reveal excited state dynamics in various materials. Conventionally, probe pulses are generated via bulk supercontinuum generation or (noncollinear) optical parametric amplifiers whilst pump pulses are generated separately using (noncollinear) optical parametric amplifiers. These systems are limited by either their spectral density, stability, spectral range, and/or temporal compressibility. Recently, a new intense broadband light source is being developed, the multi-plate compression, which promises to overcome these limitations. In this paper, we analyze the supercontinuum generated by a single Multiple Plate Compression system to set a benchmark for its use in the field of ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. We have compressed the supercontinuum to 3.3 fs using chirp mirrors alone, making it an excellent candidate for pump-probe experiments requiring high temporal resolution. Furthermore, the single light source can be used to generate both probe and pump pulses due to its high spectral density (>14.5 nJ/nm) between 490 and 890 nm. The intensity has an average shot-to-shot relative standard deviation of 4.6 % over 490 to 890 nm, calculated over 2,000 sequential shots. By using only 1,000 shot pairs, a Δ T / T noise level of 2.6 × 10 - 4 RMS is achieved. Finally, as a proof of concept, the transient absorption spectrum of a methylammonium lead iodide perovskite film is taken, showing great signal to noise with only 1,000 shot pairs. These results show great potential for the employment of this technique in other spectroscopic techniques such as coherent multidimensional spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper development of neuronal cells is important for brain functions, and impairment of neuronal development may lead to neuronal disorders, implying that improvement in neuronal development may be a therapeutic direction for these diseases. Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by impairment of neuronal structures, ultimately leading to neuronal death and dysfunctions of the central nervous system. Based on previous studies, fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) may provide neuroprotective functions in HD, and FGFs may enhance neuronal development and neurite outgrowth. However, whether FGF9 can provide neuronal protective functions through improvement of neuronal morphology in HD is still unclear. Here, we study the effects of FGF9 on neuronal length in HD and attempt to understand the related working mechanisms. Taking advantage of striatal cell lines from HD knock-in mice, we found that FGF9 increases total neuronal length and upregulates several structural and synaptic proteins under HD conditions. In addition, activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) signaling by FGF9 was observed to be significant in HD cells, and blockage of NF-kB leads to suppression of these structural and synaptic proteins induced by FGF9, suggesting the involvement of NF-kB signaling in these effects of FGF9. Taken these results together, FGF9 may enhance total neuronal length through upregulation of NF-kB signaling, and this mechanism could serve as an important mechanism for neuroprotective functions of FGF9 in HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute with a hierarchically enhanced recovery-based error estimator by using the Zienkiewicz–Zhu (ZZ) recovery procedure and a generalized finite element formulation. The proposed stress recovery consists in an approximation procedure that is enriched hierarchically by using partition of unity (PU) and an enrichment function. In other words, the approximation matrix used for stress field recovery employs the enriched finite element (FE) shape function. Furthermore, the edge-bubble hierarchically enriched strategy in the context of a generalized finite element approach is adopted to develop the enriched C 0 element and approximation the matrix. The error estimator based on this hierarchically enhanced recovery procedure and the generalized finite element approach is employed to solve several elastic and elastoplastic hardening benchmark problems. Moreover, the effectivity index, refinement index, recovered stress field, global error and local error, both in energy norm, are evaluated in several applications. In addition, the sensitivity of the proposed recovery procedure to a severely distorted mesh is also analysed. The results obtained by the proposed procedure is compared to other well-established recovery procedures and finite element approaches. By comparing the results, the robustness in the numerical performance, the versatility in the computational implementation and the competitivity of the proposed procedure are demonstrated in the applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild hypothermia has promising effects in the treatment of acute brain insults and also affects cell cycle progression. Mitochondrial dynamics, fusion and fission, are changed along with the cell cycle and disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effects of hypothermia on aberrant mitochondrial dynamics in PD remain unknown. We hypothesized that mild hypothermia protects neurons by regulating cell cycle-dependent protein expression and mitochondrial dynamics in a 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced cell model of PD. We found that the hypothermia treatment at 32 °C prevented MPP+-induced neuron death; however, 32 °C treatment itself also reduced cell viability. This reduction was associated with cell cycle arrest and downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) in proliferating human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells but upregulation in well-differentiated primary rat cortical neurons. In both types of neurons, hypothermia upregulated p27 (an endogenous inhibitor of CDKs) and p35 (CDK5 activator) protein expression. Treatment with hypothermia, or a selective CDK4 inhibitor, or roscovitine (CDK5 inhibitor) prevented MPP+-induced mitochondrial fission, upregulation of mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), and neuron death. In addition, overexpression of dominant negative mutant Drp1K38A improved MPP+-induced mitochondrial fission while overexpression of wild-type Drp1 blunted the prevention of mitochondrial fission by hypothermia as well as CDK4 inhibitor and roscovitine. These results elucidate that hypothermia may inhibit CDK4 and CDK5 activation by upregulating p27 and p35 expression to prevent Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission and neuron loss after MPP+ treatment. CDK4 and CDK5 inhibition imitates the neuroprotective functions of hypothermia as a potential therapy for PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which can be produced by enzymatic transgalactosylation of lactose with β-galactosidases, have attracted much attention in recent years because of their prebiotic functions and wide uses in infant formula, infant foods, livestock feed, and pet food industries. In this study, a novel β-galactosidase-producing Klebsiella oxytoca ZJUH1705, identified by its 16S rRNA sequence (GenBank accession no. MH981243), was isolated. Two β-galactosidase genes, bga 1 encoding a 2058-bp fragment (GenBank accession no. MH986613) and bga 2 encoding a 3108-bp fragment (GenBank accession no. MN182756), were cloned from K. oxytoca ZJUH1705 and expressed in E. coli. The purified β-gal 1 and β-gal 2 had the specific activity of 217.56 U mg−1 and 57.9 U mg−1, respectively, at the optimal pH of 7.0. The reaction kinetic parameters Km, Vmax, and Kcat with oNPG as the substrate at 40 °C were 5.62 mM, 167.1 μmol mg−1 min−1, and 218.1 s−1, respectively, for β-gal 1 and 3.91 mM, 14.6 μmol mg−1 min−1, and 28.9 s−1, respectively, for β-gal 2. Although β-gal 1 had a higher enzyme activity for lactose hydrolysis, only β-gal 2 had a high transgalactosylation capacity. Using β-gal 2 with the addition ratio of ~ 2.5 U g−1 lactose, a high GOS yield of 45.5 ± 2.3% (w/w−1) was obtained from lactose (40% w/w−1 or 480 g L−1) in a phosphate buffer (100 mM, pH 7.0) at 40 °C in 48 h. Thus, the β-gal 2 from K. oxytoca ZJUH1705 would be a promising biocatalyst for GOS production from lactose. Key Points • A novel bacterial β-galactosidase producer was isolated and identified. • β-Galactosidases were cloned and expressed in heterologous strain and characterized. • Both enzymes have hydrolytic activity but only one have transglycosilation activity. • The developed process with β-gal 2 could provide an alternative for GOS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: High levels of oxygen are usually used in ventilatory support and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the intensive care unit of hospitals. Hyperoxia may induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause lung damage and even systemic injury. In this study, the NF-κB/luciferase transgenic mouse model with non-invasive real-time in vivo imaging was established to test the functions of lactoferrin (LF) in antioxidant and anti-inflammation.Procedures: The NF-κB/luciferase transgenic mice were used to assess the effects of oral administration of LF on attenuation of the systemic inflammatory response and organ damage after 72 h of hyperoxia (FiO2 > 95 %) exposure via monitoring using an in vivo imaging system (IVIS).Results: Using luciferase IVIS imaging, we found that the lungs and kidneys were the most evidently affected organs after hyperoxia treatment. The groups treated with low dose (150 mg/kg) or high dose (300 mg/kg) of LF had lower luciferase expression and less injury, with a dose-dependent effect on the lungs and kidneys. Moreover, ROS, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) expression levels were all significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and the protein level of IκB was statistically increased (P < 0.01) after LF treatment.Conclusions: Our results suggest that hyperoxia can induce systemic inflammation, and the oral administration of LF as a natural antioxidant decreases the production of ROS, attenuates inflammation, and lessens kidney and lung injuries from hyperoxia via the use of live image monitoring of the response in NF-kB/luciferase transgenic mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the potential effects of a healthy lifestyle education provided by occupational therapists on quality of life (QoL), activities of daily living, and healthy lifestyle behavior in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors.Methods: Sixty-eight participants were randomly assigned to either an occupational therapy (OT) intervention or a non-intervention group (in a 1:1 ratio). Participants in the OT intervention group were given an OT consultation based on a healthy lifestyle education handbook for CRC at discharge and at a 1-month and 3-month clinic follow-up; participants in the non-intervention group were given the same CRC education handbook only at discharge preparation without further consultation. The primary outcome was based on the QoL measured using the World Health Organization QoL-BREF (WHOOQOL-BREF). Outcomes were examined at discharge preparation as baseline and at a 1-month as well as 3-month clinic follow-up.Results: After controlling for demographic and income variables, we found statistically significant improvement in the scores on two items in the WHOQOL-BREF, including "overall quality of life" and "negative feelings" (p < 0.05) in the OT intervention group.Conclusions: OT consultation sessions based on healthy lifestyle at discharge and in the first 3 months after discharge may improve the QoL of CRC survivors.Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03521765?cond=Quality+of+Life+in+colorectal+cancer+survivors&rank=1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extrusion impregnation method is used to prepare carbon fiber felt/portland cement (CFF/PC) composite materials. The samples are placed into muffle furnace for ablation, but carbon fiber is oxidized at around 450 °C. To improve the oxidation resistance of carbon fiber, Al2O3 sol–gel (AS) is prepared to coat the surface of carbon fiber. The extrusion impregnation method is also used to prepare AS–CFF/PC composite materials. The samples are also ablated into muffle furnace at different temperatures. The results indicate that carbon fiber is uniformly dispersed and closely arranged in the matrix, presenting a three-dimensional network distribution. The bending and compressive strengths of CFF/PC composite materials are increased by 200% and 12% when compared with that of PC material at room temperature. The AS coating layer can effectively improve the antioxidant capacity of carbon fiber at high temperatures. The comparison reveals that AS–CFF/PC composite materials exhibit improved high-temperature resistance performance. Highlights: CFF/PC and AS–CFF/PC composites were prepared by extrusion impregnation method. Sol–gel method was used to prepare different concentrations of Al2O3 sol–gel (AS). AS coating layer can improve the antioxidant capacity of carbon fiber. AS–CFF/PC composites exhibit improved high-temperature resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 16S rRNA gene and genome sequence of strain RG17 SP T sp have been deposited in the GenBank/ENA/DDBJ under the accession numbers MZ254886 and JAINZN00000000, respectively. In the abstract, RG17 SP T sp (= GDMCC 1.2687 SP T sp = KTCC 25332 SP T sp ) should be changed to RG17 SP T sp (= GDMCC 1.2687 SP T sp = KCTC 25332 SP T sp ). The 16S rRNA gene and genome sequence of strain RG53 SP T sp have been deposited in the GenBank/ENA/DDBJ under the accession numbers MZ148508 and JAINZO00000000, respectively. [Extracted from the article]

Clostridia are Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobic bacteria that can produce solvents such as acetone, ethanol, and butanol, which can be used as biofuels or building block chemicals. Many successful attempts have been made to improve solvent yield and titer from sugars through metabolic engineering of solventogenic and acidogenic clostridia. More recently, cellulolytic and acetogenic clostridia have also attracted high interests for their ability to utilize low-cost renewable substrates such as cellulose and syngas. Process engineering such as in situ butanol recovery and consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) has been developed for improved solvent titer and productivity. This review focuses on metabolic and process engineering strategies for solvent production from sugars, lignocellulosic biomass, and syngas by various clostridia, including conventional solventogenic Clostridium acetobutylicum, engineered acidogens such as C. tyrobutyricum and C. cellulovorans, and carboxydotrophic acetogens such as C. carboxidivorans and C. ljungdahlii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium cellulovorans capable of producing large amounts of acetate and butyrate from cellulose is a promising candidate for biofuels and biochemicals production from lignocellulosic biomass. However, the restriction modification (RM) systems of C. cellulovorans hindered the application of existing shuttle plasmids for metabolic engineering of this organism. To overcome the hurdle of plasmid digestion by host, a new shuttle plasmid (pYL001) was developed to remove all restriction sites of two major RM systems of C. cellulovorans, Cce743I and Cce743II. The pYL001 plasmid remained intact after challenge by C. cellulovorans cell extract. Post-electroporation treatments and culturing conditions were also modified to improve cell growth and colony formation on agar plates. With the improvements, the pYL001 plasmid, without in vivo methylation, was readily transformed into C. cellulovorans with colonies of recombinant cells formed on agar plates within 24 h. Three pYL001-derived recombinant plasmids free of Cce743I/Cce743II restriction sites, after synonymous mutation of the heterologous genes, were constructed and transformed into C. cellulovorans. Functional expression of these genes was confirmed with butanol and ethanol production from glucose in batch fermentations by the transformants. The pYL001 plasmid and improved transformation method can facilitate further metabolic engineering of C. cellulovorans for cellulosic butanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the therapeutic effects of microRNA-21 (miR-21) knockdown (KD) for acute thoracic spinal cord contusion using a mouse model. Forty C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: mice in the sham-operated (Sham) group received surgical procedure without spinal cord contusion; the spinal cord injury (SCI) group mice underwent spinal cord contusion without treatment; mice in the miR-21 KD group underwent spinal cord contusion followed by a single dose subdural injection of miR-21 KD vectors (1 × 107 TU); and the negative control (NC) group mice were given subdural injection of comparable amount of NC vectors (1 × 107 TU) after spinal cord contusion. The Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) was employed to assess hindlimb motor functions. Hematoxylin-eosin and Luxol fast blue staining were performed to evaluate pathologic changes in spinal cord tissues. Peripheral blood serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA expression of Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blotting was performed to analyze the AKT signaling pathway. KD of miRNA-21 effectively improved the BMS scores at day 14 post-surgery compared with the SCI group (p < 0.01). The spinal cord tissue in the miR-21 KD group displayed the most overt histologic signs of recovery, with axonal regeneration and the recovery of neuronal morphology at day 14 post-surgery. Significantly alleviation of TGF-β1, TNF-α and IL-1β was also found in sera from the miR-21 inhibition group in comparison to others, whereas BDNF gene expression was upregulated following miR-21 KD (p < 0.01). Further, significantly decreased AKT phosphorylation activity was illustrated in the miR-21 KD group (p < 0.001). The data suggest that miR-21 KD significantly reduces the inflammatory response at the damaged spinal cord site and promotes motor functional recovery. The treatment also elevated expression of BDNF, a neurotrophin participating in nerve regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-harmonic generation driven by femtosecond lasers makes it possible to capture the fastest dynamics in molecules and materials. However, thus far, the shortest isolated attosecond pulses have only been produced with linear polarization, which limits the range of physics that can be explored. Here, we demonstrate robust polarization control of isolated extreme-ultraviolet pulses by exploiting non-collinear high-harmonic generation driven by two counter-rotating few-cycle laser beams. The circularly polarized supercontinuum is produced at a central photon energy of 33 eV with a transform limit of 190 as and a predicted linear chirp of 330 as. By adjusting the ellipticity of the two counter-rotating driving pulses simultaneously, we control the polarization state of isolated extreme-ultraviolet pulses—from circular through elliptical to linear polarization—without sacrificing conversion efficiency. Access to the purely circularly polarized supercontinuum, combined with full helicity and ellipticity control, paves the way towards attosecond metrology of circular dichroism. Circularly polarized isolated extreme-ultraviolet pulses are generated by exploiting non-collinear high- harmonic generation driven by two counter-rotating few-cycle laser beams. The numerical simulation predicts a linear chirp of 330 attoseconds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]