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Objective: Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) has been recommended as first‐line therapy for early‐stage mycosis fungoides (MF) in international guidelines. NB‐UVB can be used as monotherapy or part of a multimodality treatment regimen. There is limited evidence on the effectiveness and optimal patients of NB‐UVB in combination with systemic therapies in MF. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the combination versus NB‐UVB monotherapy in early‐stage MF and if plaque lesion status was related to these effects. Methods: This observational cohort study included 247 early‐stage MF patients who had received NB‐UVB combined with systemic therapies vs. NB‐UVB monotherapy from 2009 to 2021. The primary outcome was partial or complete response. Overall response rate and median time to response were calculated. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using the Cox model. Results: In 139 plaque‐stage patients, the response rate for combination therapy group was higher than that of monotherapy group (79.0% vs. 54.3%, p = 0.006). The adjusted HR for combination therapy compared with NB‐UVB monotherapy was 3.11 (95% CI 1.72–5.63). The combination therapy group also showed shorter time to response (4 vs. 6 months, p = 0.002). In 108 patch‐stage patients, the response rate and time to response in two treatment groups showed no significant difference. There was therefore an observed interaction with patients' plaque lesion status for the effect size of NB‐UVB combination therapy. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Adding systemic treatments to NB‐UVB did not improve the treatment outcome of patch‐stage patients, but it surpassed NB‐UVB monotherapy for early‐stage patients with plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐entropy alloys (HEAs) materials, as promising nanomaterials, have garnered significant attention from researchers due to their excellent performance in the field of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The four core effects of HEAs, including the high‐entropy effect, severe lattice distortion effect, sluggish diffusion effect, and cocktail effect, are pivotal in underpinning their remarkable mechanical and thermodynamic properties. Nevertheless, the intricate geometric and electronic structures of HEAs make their catalytic mechanisms exceptionally complex and challenging to decipher. In particular, a thorough analysis of the underlying factors responsible for the outstanding catalytic activity, selectivity, and the ability to maintain stable hydrogen production, even at high current densities, in HEAs is lacking. To provide a systematic exploration of the design and application of HEAs in HER systems, this review commences with an examination of the physicochemical properties of HEAs. It covers a wide range of topics, including the synthesis methods of HEAs, and the major reaction mechanisms of HERs, and presents innovative methods and approaches for designing HEAs specifically in the context of HERs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new power system is characterized by high penetration of renewable energy sources and a high proportion of power electronics (namely, double‐high). The grid‐forming control is an effective method to improve the grid‐connected stability of wind turbine generators (WTGs) in the "double‐high" grid. The control method based on the DC‐link voltage can effectively realize the grid‐forming control for WTGs. However, there is a disadvantage that the DC‐link voltage cannot be maintained at the given value. To address this, the grid synchronization mechanism of DC‐link voltage is explored and the specific implementation of a novel DC‐link voltage synchronous control applicable to full‐scale power conversion WTGs is proposed. Then, the boundary of the inertial coefficient is probed through the state‐space method. And a compensation control is proposed to enlarge the inertial response capability based on the mechanism of damping characteristics. Finally, the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation and RTLAB hardware‐in‐loop experiment show that the synchronization frequency can accurately map the grid frequency changes in real‐time under the premise that the DC‐link voltage remains constant. In addition, the inertial coefficient can be increased by more than five times with the compensation strategy, which can enhance the support capability of the WTGs to the power grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The push–pull strategy is considered as a promising eco‐friendly method for pest management. Plant volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) act as semiochemicals constitute the key factor in implementing this strategy. Benzyl alcohol and geraniol, as functional PVOCs, were reported to regulate insect behavior, showing the potential application in pest control. Using geraniol as lead, a geraniol derivative 5i with fine repellent activity was discovered in our previous work. In order to explore novel, eco‐friendly aphid control agents, a series of benzyl geranate derivatives was designed and synthesized using 5i as the lead and benzyl alcohol as the active fragment. RESULTS: Benzyl alcohol was firstly evaluated to have repellent activity to Acyrthosiphon pisum. Based on this repellent fragment, a series of novel benzyl geranate derivatives was rationally designed and synthesized using a scaffold‐hopping strategy. Among them, compound T9, with a binding affinity (Kd = 0.43 μm) and a substantial repellency of 64.7% against A. pisum, is the most promising compound. Molecule docking showed that hydrophobic and hydrogen‐bonding interactions substantially influenced the binding affinity of compounds with ApisOBP9. Additionally, T9 exhibited low‐toxicity to honeybees and ladybugs. CONCLUSION: Using a simple scaffold‐hopping strategy combined with active fragment benzyl alcohol, a new derivative T9, with high aphid‐repellency and low‐toxicity to nontarget organisms, can be considered as a novel potential eco‐friendly aphid control agent for sustainable agriculture. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc batteries have emerged as promising energy storage devices due to their safety and low cost. However, they face challenges such as anodic dendrite formation and cathodic compound dissolution. Here, we present the development of a polymer‐matrixed zeolite separator (SZ) by synthesizing zeolite materials on a flexible polymeric membrane. This separator acts as an effective ionic barrier, preventing the leaching and shuttling of vanadium from the cathode, while significantly inhibiting the formation of by‐products and zinc dendrites. The SZ cells demonstrate stable operation for more than 400 cycles at 0.5 A g−1, with an initial capacity of 375.4 mAh g−1, and over 10,000 cycles at 15 A g−1. Notably, when pre‐anchored with vanadium ions, the SZ‐V cells exhibited excellent capacity retention of up to 94.6 % over 1000 cycles. The SZ separator featuring an ion barrier represents a crucial advancement towards the commercialization of zinc storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endothelial cell migration is the initial stage of angiogenesis. In previous studies, miR‐9 has been found to regulate angiogenesis and cell migration in human medicine. Objectives: This study aimed to reveal the regulatory effect of miR‐9 on canine endothelial cell migration. Methods: Embryonic canine ventricle myocardium tissues were collected and induced to differentiate into endothelial‐like cells (ELCs). A transwell and invasion assay were used to evaluate the impact of miR‐9 on the migration capacity of ELCs, after which a luciferase reporter assay, western blotting, RNA sequencing and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction were conducted to explore the regulatory mechanism. Results: Our results showed that we successfully induced the primary cells derived from canine cardiac embryo tissues into ELCs. MiR‐9 also promoted the migration and invasion of canine ELCs, and inhibited the expression of collagen XV, an angiogenic inhibitor, at the translational level by targeting the 3′ untranslated region of COL15A1 gene. Furthermore, RNA sequencing showed that overexpression of miR‐9 impacted several signalling pathways and eight genes involved in angiogenesis and cell migration in canine ELCs. Conclusions: These findings suggest that miR‐9 enhances the migration of canine ELCs and may serve as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for canine diseases involved in endothelial cells migration and angiogenesis, but more further studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Bimetallic nanoclusters with synergistic effect exhibit better stability and activity than monometallic nanoclusters in catalytic applications. However, the large number of ligands on the surface of nanoclusters obscure the active sites, thus reducing the catalytic activity. Here, AuCu24/AC−X (X=0, 200, 300, 500, 800) catalysts were fabricated by removing the partial ligands on the surface of AuCu24H22((p‐FPh)3P)12 nanoclusters (short for AuCu24 NCs), and investigated the influence of calcination temperature on catalytic performance of AuCu24/AC in homocoupling and heterocoupling of terminal alkynes. The results showed that the catalytic activity of AuCu24/AC−X exhibited a volcanic trend with the increase of X (heat treatment temperature) and the content of Cu2+ also changed with the increase of X. Compared with Au25/AC‐200 and Cu25/AC‐200 catalysts, the AuCu24/AC‐200 bimetallic catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity in homocoupling and heterocoupling of terminal alkynes under mild conditions with TOF values reaching 478.7 h−1 and 114.1 h−1 respectively, which are higher than most reported catalysts. This work provides a research idea for the design of bimetallic nanoclusters with superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Heparanase is the only confirmed endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulfate (HS), a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan with various essential roles in multiple pathological processes. Thus, the development of heparanase inhibitors has become an attractive strategy for drug discovery, especially in tumour therapy, in which HS mimetics are the most promising compounds. The various biological effects of heparanase also suggest a role for HS mimetics in many non‐cancer indications, such as type 1 diabetes. However, the potential benefits of HS mimetics in obesity‐related type 2 diabetes have not been elucidated. Experimental Approach: In this study, we investigated muparfostat (PI‐88), a developed HS mimetic currently enrolled in Phase III clinical trials, in obese mouse models and in vitro cultured murine hepatocytes. Key Results: Daily administration of muparfostat for 4 weeks caused hyperlipidaemia and aggravated hepatic steatosis in obese mice models, but not in lean animals. In cultured hepatocytes, muparfostat did not alter lipid accumulation. Acute tests suggested that muparfostat binds to lipoprotein lipase in competition with HS on vascular endothelial cell surfaces, thereby reducing the degradation of circulating triglycerides by lipoprotein lipase and subsequent uptake of fatty acids into vascular endothelial cells and causing hyperlipidaemia. This hyperlipidaemia aggravates hepatic steatosis and causes liver injury in muparfostat‐treated obese mice. Conclusions and Implications: The binding activity of HS mimetics to lipoprotein lipase should be investigated as an additional pharmacological effect during heparanase inhibitor drug discovery. This study also provides novel evidence for an increased risk of drug‐induced liver injury in obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compete on the world market, companies from emerging economies often adapt their innovations to satisfy unique cultural needs. They do so, in part, by copying the products of their western counterparts with a degree of modification. This approach is referred to as Shanzhai, which is a Chinese neologism meaning "copycat." In this article, we discuss the Shanzhai phenomenon and explain Shanzhai's development stages and threats to original brands across the globe. Then, we examine how cultural factors (i.e., power distance belief, face consciousness, and analytic vs. holistic‐thinking style) influence consumers' perception towards Shanzhai products. We further suggest that original manufacturers should adopt selected strategies to combat Shanzhai threats vis‐à‐vis three cultural drivers. One driver entails launching full product lines and developing new distribution channels in high power distance belief cultures but promoting brand originality in low power distance belief cultures. A second alternative involves embracing a sustainable and green brand image in low face‐sensitive cultures but strengthening brand logo impacts and enhancing intangible brand benefits—such as social value (e.g., brand user profile, prestige)—in high face‐sensitive cultures. The third entails communicating integrated product values in holistic‐thinking cultures but highlighting an offering's most competitive and unique features in analytic‐thinking cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases (FPPS/GGPPS) as the short‐chain prenyltransferases catalyse the formation of the acyclic precursors (E)‐FPP and (E)‐GGPP for isoprenoid biosynthesis. Here, we first cloned the cDNAs encoding FPPS and GGPPS in the vetch aphid Megoura viciae (designated as MvFPPS and MvGGPPS). They had an open reading frame of 1185 and 930 bp in length, encoding 395 and 309 amino acids, with a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.52 and 6.21, respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that MvFPPS and MvGGPPS shared the conserved aspartate‐rich motifs characterized by all prenyltransferases identified to date and were clustered with their homologues in two large clades. RNA interference (RNAi) combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis showed that both MvFPPS and MvGGPPS were involved in the biosynthesis of alarm pheromone. Spatiotemporal expression profiling showed that the expression of MvFPPS and MvGGPPS was significantly higher in embryos than in other tissues. RNAi and GC–MS performed specifically in embryos corroborated the function of MvFPPS and MvGGPPS. In vitro, enzymatic activity assay and product analysis demonstrated that MvFPPS could catalysed the formation of (E)‐FPP using DMAPP or (E)‐GPP as the allylic cosubstrates in the presence of IPP, while MvGGPPS could only use (E)‐GPP or (E)‐FPP as cosubstrates. Functional interaction analysis using RNAi revealed that MvGGPPS exerts unidirectional functional compensation for MvFPPS. Moreover, it can regulate the biosynthesis of alarm pheromone by imposing a negative feedback regulation on MvFPPS. Our study helps to understand the molecular regulatory mechanism of terpenoid biosynthesis in the aphid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The natural trajectory of reversion from MCI to normal cognition (NC) and the cognitive pattern post‐reversion have been poorly explored in the existing literature. The main goals of this study were as follows: (1) to quantitatively predict bidirectional transitions of MCI (reversion to NC and progression to dementia); (2) to explore patterns of future cognitive changes post‐reversion; and (3) to estimate the effects of selected covariates on transition probabilities in the course of cognitive loss. Method: The National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database was funded by a National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health grant (U24 AG072122). Data for this study comprised 24,220 observations from 6,651 participants with an MCI diagnosis at study entry during at least two visits between June 2005 and February 2021. Defining NC and MCI as transient states and dementia as an absorbing state, we explored the fate of MCI and future cognitive changes post‐reversion using the continuous‐time, multi‐state Markov model, which provides information on the transition probability between multiple states, hazard ratio, mean sojourn time, and total length of stay over 15 years. Result: Transition intensity of re‐progression to MCI for post‐reversion was 0.3168, 2.48 times greater than the progression from MCI to dementia or reversion from MCI to NC. For the post‐reversion participants, the chance of progressing to dementia increased by 2% per year. participants who re‐progressed to MCI had an approximately 40% probability of reversing to NC again over the 15‐year period. participants stayed in the post‐reversion NC state for 3.2667 years (range 2.9349–3.6360) and in the MCI state for 1.7605 years (range 1.5134–2.0480) before progressing to dementia. Age, cognitive function, daily activity ability, and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of progression to dementia. Conclusion: There were distinct transition dynamics between amnesic MCI (aMCI) and nonamnesic (naMCI). The post‐reversion participants remained at increased risk of re‐progression to MCI or progression to dementia in the long term. Findings in this study can serve as valuable references for relevant research and healthcare professionals to help understand the natural history of cognitive loss and create proactive plans and targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbohydrate partitioning is essential for plant growth and development, and its hindrance will result in excess accumulation of carbohydrates in source tissues. Most of the related mutants in maize (Zea mays L.) display impaired whole‐plant sucrose transport, but other mechanisms affecting carbohydrate partitioning have seldom been reported. Here, we characterized chlorotic leaf3 (chl3), a recessive mutation causing leaf chlorosis with starch accumulation excessively in bundle sheath chloroplasts, suggesting that chl3 is defective in carbohydrate partitioning. Positional cloning revealed that the chl3 phenotype results from a frameshift mutation in ZmPHOH, which encodes starch phosphorylase 2. Two mutants in ZmPHOH exhibited the same phenotype as chl3, and both alleles failed to complement the chl3 mutant phenotype in an allelism test. Inactivation of ZmPHOH in chl3 leaves reduced the efficiency of transitory starch conversion, resulting in increased leaf starch contents and altered carbohydrate metabolism patterns. RNA‐seq revealed the transcriptional downregulation of genes related to photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in chl3 leaves compared to the wild type. Our results demonstrate that transitory starch remobilization is very important for cellular carbohydrate partitioning in maize, in which ZmPHOH plays an indispensable role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the solid surface‐induced microstructure and friction coefficient of glycerol aqueous solutions with different water contents confined in graphene and FeO nanoslits. Results show that the friction coefficient of glycerol aqueous solutions confined in both nanoslits presents similar nonlinear variation tendencies with increasing water content, but their lowest value and the corresponding water contents differ. Distinctive microstructures of the near‐surface liquid layer induced by surfaces with different hydrophilicity are responsible for their difference in lubrication. The sliding primarily occurs at the solid–liquid interface for the hydrophobic graphene nanoslit owing to almost the same velocity difference in fluid molecules. By contrast, the sliding mainly occurs at the liquid–liquid interface for the hydrophilic FeO nanoslit because of the large velocity difference in fluid molecules. The weaker the interaction force at the sliding position, the lower the friction coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The transmission process of disaster backup with long distance and massive data causes huge energy consumption. Reducing the number of occupied intermediate forwarding devices and shortening the transmission completion time are two key factors for energy saving. Not jointly considering them, previous work can hardly realize optimal energy‐aware transmission only by single objective optimization. For the first time, we leverage multiobjective reinforcement learning to simultaneously minimize the number of occupied intermediate forwarding devices and the transmission completion time in software defined network. We propose two‐level reinforcement learning, consisting of search and selection operation. In the internal reinforcement learning, we aim to reduce hop number, improve node sharing degree, and give priority to the links with larger residual capacity. Then in the external level, we aim to reduce the total number of occupied devices and increase the total backup flow. We leverage Chebyshev scalarization function based on pseudo‐random proportional rule to simplify weight selection, and enforce exploration to avoid falling into local optimum. We design the vector of rewards for different objectives, and update Pareto approximate set by multiple state steps to approach the optimal solution. Our strategy solves the weight selection problem successfully and achieves lower energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Triflumezopyrim, a novel commercialized mesoionic chemical insecticide, has been confirmed as a promising insecticide for efficiently controlling the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). Here, a laboratory triflumezopyrim‐resistant (TR) strain and an isogenic susceptible (TS) strain were established to characterize the inheritance and fitness costs of triflumezopyrim resistance in N. lugens. RESULTS: After 29 generations of successive selection with triflumezopyrim, the TR strain developed a 155.23‐fold higher resistance level than the TS strain. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values from progenies (F1RS and F1SR) of reciprocal crosses between TR and TS strains suggested that triflumezopyrim resistance in N. lugens was autosomal and codominant. Chi‐square analyses of self‐bred and backcrossed progenies suggested that the resistance results from a polygenic effect. Compared to the TS strain, the TR strain showed a lower relative fitness (0.62) with a significantly decreased female adult period, longevity, total fecundity, egg hatchability, intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproductive rate (R0), and prolonged pre‐adult period and total preoviposition period (TPOP). CONCLUSION: The inheritance mode of triflumezopyrim resistance in N. lugens was characterized as autosomal, codominant and polygenic. The resistance had a fitness cost, which may be an important factor limiting the evolution of resistance. These findings provide valuable information for optimizing resistance management strategies to delay triflumezopyrim resistance development and maintain sustainable control of N. lugens. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a time‐saving and green method for fabricating superhydrophobic fabrics with excellent hydrophobic and fireproof performances using an alkali‐catalyzed reaction to produce hydrophobic silicone nanofilaments (SNFs) is proposed. Experimental results show that poly‐methylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) can be transformed into SNFs in situ by thermal curing at 120 °C for 30 min under alkaline condition. Adopting this reaction method, the prepared superhydrophobic flexible fabric shows excellent superhydrophobic property with a contact angle of 168°. The oxygen index of the treated fabric is found to increase from 18.77% to 29.40%. Thermogravimetric result shows that the prepared fabric possesses a flame‐retardant property with fire resistance of thermal decomposition temperature of 130 °C. The fabricated fabric has good durability, which maintains superhydrophobicity after being soaked in acid solution (pH = 1) and salt solution (pH = 7) for 36 h. This fabrication process has great potential application for textiles and its composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate current situation of facial wrinkles of male construction workers in Beijing area and to discuss the correlative factors. Materials and Methods: A total of 149 male construction works and 63 male non‐construction workers in Beijing were required to complete a questionnaire on their exposure to sunlight, dust, noise, and heat in their workplace environment. Their facial wrinkle scores were measured by VISIA Complexion Analysis System. The two‐sample t test, chi‐square test, and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis Results: The exposure to sunlight, dust, noise, and heat of construction workers was significantly higher than that of non‐construction workers (P <.01). The wrinkle score of construction workers between 20 and 29 years old was significantly higher than that of non‐construction workers (t = 4.077, P <.01). The facial wrinkle score of construction workers(r = 0.657, P <.01) and non‐construction workers (r = 0.681, P <.01) was both positively correlated with age. The wrinkle score of construction workers was related to age, sunlight, and noise(P <.01). Conclusion: The wrinkle score of male construction workers between 20 and 29 years old is significantly higher than that of non‐construction workers in Beijing. Age, sunlight, and noise were the main influencing factors of wrinkle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We prospectively examined the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) among middle‐aged and elderly Chinese, and conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of all cohort studies on this topic. Materials and Methods: Our research data were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Participants (n=5752, age ≥45 years) without CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73m2) at baseline were followed up for 4 years. We applied logistic regressions to examine the association of MetS with incident CKD. In addition, we pooled our effect estimates and those from previous cohort studies in the meta‐analysis. Results: In a 4‐years follow‐up, 61 (4.27%) developed CKD in participants with MetS versus 102 (2.36%) in participants without MetS. After adjustment for potential confounders, odds ratio for incident CKD was 1.82 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.19–2.78] comparing participants with MetS with those without MetS. There was a linear positive association between the number of MetS components and incident CKD (p for trend <0.001). In the updated meta‐analysis of 25 studies among 350,655 participants with 29,368 incident cases of CKD, the pooled relative risk of developing CKD in participants with MetS was 1.34 (95% CI: 1.28–1.39), compared with those without MetS. Conclusions: Individuals with MetS had higher risk of incident CKD in middle‐aged and elderly Chinese adults, which was supported by a comprehensive review of cohort studies from multiple populations. It may be advisable to routinely monitor renal functions among individuals with MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is no clear time point for the onset of depression and anxiety in Parkinson's disease (PD), and their atypical physical symptoms often overlap with other nonmotor symptoms. Autonomic dysfunction usually appears earlier than motor symptoms, seriously impairing activities of daily living (ADL), even quality of life. Whether autonomic dysfunction can affect depression and anxiety in PD patients through ADL is still unclear. Methods: We conducted three progressive autoregressive mediation models to evaluate whether ADL may mediate the association between autonomic symptom burden, where the mediation chain with autonomic function as an independent variable, ADL as a mediating variable, and anxiety and depression as dependent variables. The ADL of PD patients were measured by the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease‐Autonomic (SCOPA‐AUT) and Modified Schwab and England ADL scale, respectively, and the status of depression and anxiety were measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: There were 338 PD patients, including 220 males and 118 females. Demographic information, including age, gender, and education level, were not correlated with the depression and anxiety. Model III had the smallest AIC (AIC = 12,669.89), and the cross‐lagged relations were not statistically significant, so we selected Model II as the optimal model. In Model II, longitudinal autoregressive mediated effect and longitudinal mediated effect of autonomic dysfunction affecting anxiety and depression through ADL were not statistically significant, suggesting longitudinal changes of autonomic dysfunction were independent of anxiety and depression through ADL. Contemporaneous mediated effects of autonomic dysfunction affecting anxiety and depression through ADL were statistically significant, suggesting contemporaneous autonomic dysfunction may contribute to anxiety and depression through ADL. Conclusions: Targeted prevention and intervention measures for autonomic dysfunction and ADL should be taken to preserve and improve self‐perceived life satisfaction in the clinical practice and preventive health care of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The aphid alarm pheromone, (E)‐β‐farnesene (EβF), is a natural product secreted from the aphid cornicle as a signal to warn companions of danger. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are the vital targets in insect signal transduction pathways. To improve bioactivity of EβF as more economic and stable aphid control agents, EβF derivatives containing an active substructure, salicylic acid moiety, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their bioactivities in a structure–function study under laboratory conditions. RESULTS: EβF derivatives, (E)‐3,7‐dimethylocta‐2,6‐dien‐1‐yl‐2‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbenzoate and (E)‐3,7‐dimethylocta‐2,6‐dien‐1‐yl‐2‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzoate showed outstanding aphid‐repellent activity at a dose of 5 μg against Acyrthosiphon pisum (repellency proportions of 67.3% and 71.2%, respectively) and Myzus persicae (repellency proportions of 80.0% and 74.4%, respectively) in laboratory. EβF and most of its derivatives bound strongly to ApisOBP9 with a higher affinity than those of the reported potential targets AphisOBP3 and ApisOBP7. The binding affinities to these three ApisOBPs were generally consistent with the in vivo aphid‐repellent activity. A molecular docking study suggested that the hydrophobic effect was crucial for the interactions between the derivatives and the OBPs. CONCLUSION: New EβF derivatives containing salicylic acid moiety and their repellent activity, binding mechanism with three potential OBPs are presented. A new OBP, ApisOBP9, was characterized as a potential EβF and EβF derivatives binding protein for the first time. The hydrophobic nature of these analogues is responsible for their activity. Two analogues 3b and 3e with outstanding aphid‐repellent activity could be new leads for aphid control agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), a group of oxygen derived radicals and derivatives, can induce cancer cell death via elevated oxidative stress. A spatiotemporal approach with safe and deep‐tissue penetration capabilities to elevate the intracellular ROS level is highly desirable for precise cancer treatment. Here, a mechanical‐thermal induction therapy (MTIT) strategy is developed for a programmable increase of ROS levels in cancer cells via assembly of magnetic nanocubes integrated with alternating magnetic fields. The magneto‐based mechanical and thermal stimuli can disrupt the lysosomes, which sequentially induce the dysfunction of mitochondria. Importantly, intracellular ROS concentrations are responsive to the magneto‐triggers and play a key role for synergistic cancer treatment. In vivo experiments reveal the effectiveness of MTIT for efficient eradication of glioma and breast cancer. By remote control of the force and heat using magnetic nanocubes, MTIT is a promising physical approach to trigger the biochemical responses for precise cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS2 has attracted tremendous attention as a promising electrode material for rechargeable alkali metal ion (Li+, Na+, K+) batteries due to its high capacity and low cost. However, the practical application of MoS2 for energy storage has not been achieved yet, which is restricted by its intrinsic charge‐storage behavior. Debates still exist in this field although great efforts have been made to reveal alkali metal ion (Li+, Na+, K+) storage mechanism of MoS2. This Minireview aims to provide an analysis and summary of the related phase conversion, structure collapse, and loss of active material in a MoS2 electrode during the intercalation/extraction process of alkali metal ions. Hence, the fundamental understanding about the charge storage in MoS2 is of importance for the rational design of MoS2 electrodes with excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A robust porous structure is often needed for practical applications in electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells, batteries, and electrolyzers. While templating approach is useful for the preparation of porous materials in general, it is not effective for the synthesis of oxide‐based electrocatalysts owing to the chemical instability of disordered porous materials thus created. Now the synthesis of phase‐pure porous yttrium ruthenate pyrochlore oxide using an unconventional porogen of perchloric acid is presented. The lattice oxygen defects are formed by the mixed‐valence state of Ru4+/5+ through the partial substitution of Ru4+ with Y3+ cations, leading to the formation of mixed B‐site Y2[Ru1.6Y0.4]O7−δ. This porous Y2[Ru1.6Y0.4]O7−δ electrocatalyst exhibits a turnover frequency (TOF) of 560 s−1 (at 1.5 V versus RHE) for the oxygen evolution reaction, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the RuO2 reference catalyst (5.41 s−1). Porous Y2[Ru1.6Y0.4]O7−δ pyrochlore oxide was synthesized using perchloric acid as the unconventional porogen. This pyrochlore exhibited excellent activity towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acid media, with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 560 s−1 (at 1.5 V versus RHE) on the Ru site. A high porous surface area and lattice oxygen defects (due to the partial substitution of B‐site Ru4+ with Y3+) are important for the enhanced OER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Host specificity of parasitoids may be measured by various specialization indices to assess the variation of interaction strength among species and the structure of the wider interaction network. However, the conclusions from analyses at the species and network levels may differ, which remains poorly explored. In addition, the recovery of cryptic species of hosts and parasitoids with molecular data may affect the structure of inferred interaction links. We quantified host specificity of hymenopteran parasitoids (family Encyrtidae) on armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) from a wide geographic sampling range across the Chinese Mainland based on both morphological and molecular species delimitation. Mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S markers detected high cryptic species diversity in the encyrtids and to a lesser degree in the diaspidids, which divided generalist morphospecies into complexes of specialists and generalists. One‐to‐one reciprocal host–parasite links were increased in the molecular data set, but different quantitative species‐level indices produced contrasting estimates of specificity from various one‐to‐multiple and multiple‐to‐multiple host–parasite links. Network indices calculated from DNA‐based species, compared to morphology‐based species definitions, showed lower connectance and generality, but greater specialization and compartmentalization of the interaction network. We conclude that a high degree of cryptic species in host–parasitoid systems refines the true network structure and may cause us overestimating the stability of these interaction webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is among the leading causes of death and severe disability worldwide. Flavonoids have been extensively used in the treatment of ischemic stroke by reducing lactate dehydrogenase levels and thereby enhancing blood perfusion to the ischemic region. Here, we used ultrafiltration high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry for the rapid screening and identification of flavonoids from five Chinese medicinal herbs: soybean, Radix pueraria, Flos pueraria, Rhizoma belamcandae, and Radix astragali. Using PC12 cells as a suitable in vitro model of toxicity, cell viability was quantitated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The results showed that the extracts of soybean and the six major components, namely, acetyldaidzin, malonylgenistin, daidiain, glycitin, genistin, and acetylcitin; the extract of R. pueraria and its main component daidzein; the extract of F. pueraria and its three major components, tectorigenin, tectoridin, and tectorigenin-7- O-xylosylglucosid; and the extract of R. belamcandae and its main component, tectoridin, were strong lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors. Also, the components of R. astragali showed no bioactivity. These findings indicate that the ultrafltration high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry method could be utilized in rapid screening and separation of bioactive compounds from a complex matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copycats often choose brand names that mimic perceptual, conceptual, or both elements of leading brand names. Yet little is known about how perceptual and conceptual similarities of a copycat interact to affect consumers' evaluations, especially in logographic language systems (e.g., Chinese). Three laboratory experiments demonstrate that perceptual similarity alone leads to negative evaluations of copycat brand names; this negative effect, however, can be mitigated when conceptual similarity is added. The underlying mechanism for this effect can be traced to consumers' persuasion knowledge. Perceptual (vs. conceptual) similarity activates consumers' persuasion knowledge about the insincere motives of the copycat brand, which in turn shapes their brand evaluations. However, this effect can become less prominent when conceptual similarity is added because it alleviates use of persuasion knowledge, or when a consumer is in a happy mood because it neutralizes persuasion knowledge. These findings shed light on how different types of copycat strategies interact to affect copycat brand name evaluations and offer important implications for marketing practice. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel strategy with a new growth mechanism for fast and large-scale growth of Au long nanowires on high-curvature SiO2 nanospherical surfaces has been developed. The synthesis includes three steps, i.e., amino modification of SiO2 nanospheres, Au seed loading on aminated SiO2 nanospheres and subsequently, Au seed-mediated nanowire growth on SiO2 nanospheres. The prepared Au nanowires (Au NWs) (exhibit long length, high aspect ratio, and good flexibility, and can naturally form the dense nanowire film, which is promising as a stable conductive electrode. In addition, the effect of synthetic conditions such as reactant feeding order, Au seeds and SiO2@Au seeds on the morphology of Au nanostructures (nanowires, nanoteeth, and nanoflowers) has been investigated. It is found that Au seeds and high-curvature SiO2 nanospherical surfaces are necessary conditions for the successful preparation of Au NWs and nanowire films. The different growth mechanisms for Au NWs and nanoteeth have been proposed and discussed. Moreover, the novel nonenzymatic H2O2 sensor based on Au NWs exhibits much enhanced performance such as higher sensitivity, stability, and selectivity, wider linear range and lower detection limit, compared with that of Au nanoparticles-based H2O2 sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cortex Phellodendri is a typical Chinese herb with a large number of alkaloids existing in all parts of it. The most common methods for screening and isolating alkaloids are mostly labor intensive and time consuming. In this study, a new assay based upon ultrafiltration liquid chromatography was developed for the rapid screening of ligands for α-glucosidase and xanthine oxidase. The C. Phellodendri extract was found to contain two alkaloids with both α-glucosidase- and xanthine oxidase binding activities and one lactone with α-glucosidase-binding activity. Subsequently, with the help of high-speed countercurrent chromatography, the specific binding ligands including palmatine, berberine, and obaculactone with purities of 97.38, 96.12, and 96.08%, respectively, were successfully separated. An optimized low-toxicity two-phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate/ n-butanol/ethanol/water (3.5:1.7:0.5:5, v/v/v/v) was used to isolate the three compounds mentioned above from C. Phellodendri. The targeted compounds were identified by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Therefore, ultrafiltration liquid chromatography combined with high-speed countercurrent chromatography is not only a powerful tool for screening and isolating α-glucosidase and xanthine oxidase inhibitors in complex samples but is also a useful platform for discovering bioactive compounds for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional nanoporous carbon with interconnected vesicle-like pores (1.5-4.2 nm) has been prepared through a low-cost, template-free approach from petroleum coke precursor by KOH activation. It is found that the thin pore walls are highly graphitized and consist of only three to four layers of graphene, which endows the material with an unusually high specific surface area (2933 m2 g−1) and good conductivity. With such unique structural characteristics, if used as supercapacitor electrodes in ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes, the graphitized carbon nanovesicle (GCNV) material displays superior performance, such as high energy densities up to 145.9 Wh kg−1 and a high combined energy-power delivery, and an energy density of 97.6 Wh kg−1 can be charged in 47 s at 60 °C. This demonstrates that the energy output of the GCNV-based supercapacitors is comparable to that of batteries, and the power output is one order of magnitude higher. Moreover, the synergistic effect of the GCNVs and the IL electrolyte on the extraordinary performance of the GCNV supercapacitors has been analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain chemistry: A biosensor has been developed for in vivo determination of copper ions in a rat brain by using gold truncated octahedral microcages. The significant analytical performance of the present biosensor, as well as the properties of a carbon fiber microelectrode have provided a direct and reliable approach for monitoring cerebral metal ions (W.E.=working electrode; see picture). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research study which examined the role of micro-RNA-21 (miR-21) in regulating myofibroblast differentiation induced by transforming growth factor-Β (TGF-Β1). The study demonstrated that the expression of miR-21 was upregulated by miR-21 and downregulated by miR-21 inhibitor. The results of the study suggested that miR-21 plays a role in regulating TGF-Β1-induced myofibroblast differentiation by targeting programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) in cancer stroma.

In Pichia pastoris, secretory proteins are folded and assembled in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, upon introduction of foreign proteins, heterologous proteins are often retained in the cytoplasm or in the ER as a result of suboptimal folding conditions, leading to protein aggregation. The Hsp70 and Hsp40 chaperone families in the cytoplasm or in ER importantly regulate the folding and secretion of heterologous proteins. However, it is not clear which single chaperone is most important or which combination optimally cooperates in this process. In the present study we evaluated the role of the chaperones Kar2p, Sec63, YDJ1p, Ssa1p, and PDI from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that the introduction of Kar2p, Ssa1p, or PDI improves protein secretion 4−7 times. In addition, we found that the combination chaperones of YDJ1p/PDI, YDJ1p/Sec63, and Kar2p/PDI synergistically increase secretion levels 8.7, 7.6, and 6.5 times, respectively. Therefore, additional integration of chaperone genes can improve the secretory expression of the heterologous protein. Western blot experiments revealed that the chaperones partly relieved the secretion bottleneck resulting from foreign protein introduction in P. pastoris. Therefore, the findings from the present study demonstrate the presence of a network of chaperones in vivo, which may act synergistically to increase recombinant protein yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microsporidian Nosema antheraeae is a pathogen that infects the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi. We sequenced the complete small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of N. antheraeae, and compared the SSU rRNA sequences in other microsporidia. The results indicated that Nosema species, including N. antheraeae, formed two distinct clades, consistent with previous observations. Furthermore, N. antheraeae is clustered with N. bombycis with high bootstrap support. The organization of the rRNA gene of N. antheraeae is LSU–ITS1–SSU–ITS2-5S, also following a pattern similar to the Nosema type species, N. bombycis. Thus, N. antheraeae is a Nosema species and has a close relationship to N. bombycis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into the locomotion principle of a new micro peristaltic robot simulating a medicinal leech in a pipeline, and a subsequent kinematic model, inform this article. The effects of structure on robot performance are analyzed; also presented is the basis for the robot's redesign, parameterized design, and optimal design. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a common inherited renal disorder that results from mutations in either PKD1 or PKD2, encoding polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), respectively. Downregulation or overexpression of PKD1 or PKD2 in mouse models results in renal cyst formation, suggesting that the quantity of PC1 and PC2 needs to be maintained within a tight functional window to prevent cystogenesis. Here we show that enhanced PC2 expression is a common feature of PKD1 mutant tissues, in part due to an increase in Pkd2 mRNA. However, our data also suggest that more effective protein folding contributes to the augmented levels of PC2. We demonstrate that the unfolded protein response is activated in Pkd1 knockout kidneys and in Pkd1 mutant cells and that this is coupled with increased levels of GRP94, an endoplasmic reticulum protein that is a member of the HSP90 family of chaperones. GRP94 was found to physically interact with PC2 and depletion or chemical inhibition of GRP94 led to a decrease in PC2, suggesting that GRP94 serves as its chaperone. Moreover, GRP94 is acetylated and binds to histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), a known deacetylase and activator of HSP90 proteins. Inhibition of HDAC6 decreased PC2 suggesting that HDAC6 and GRP94 work together to regulate PC2 levels. Lastly, we showed that inhibition of GRP94 prevents cAMP-induced cyst formation in vitro. Taken together our data uncovered a novel HDAC6-GRP94-related axis that likely participates in maintaining elevated PC2 levels in Pkd1 mutant cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Plant height is one of the most important traits in the breeding of snap bean, which determines the planting density and the resistance to failure, which in turn affects its yield and quality. Therefore, studying the molecular mechanism of plant height in snap bean is an important measure to realize the improvement of snap bean. We obtained a dwarf, thin‐stemmed mutant nts (normal to slim) from a dwarf variety of snap bean A18 via 60CO‐γ‐ray treatment. We conducted phenotypic observations, endogenous hormone content measurements and genetic analyses of the dwarfing thin‐stemmed mutant nts and explored gene localization and candidate gene screening for the mutant trait in snap bean. Compared with wild‐type A18, nts mutant exhibited various abnormal phenotypes such as dwarfing, reduced branching, thinner top stem, reduced plant width, reduced number of leaf area and thousand grain weight and increased content of hormones such as indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) in the top stem. Genetic analysis indicated that the mutant trait was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene, and the mutant gene was named pv‐nts. pv‐nts was localized to a 361.1‐kb segment on chromosome 8 as revealed by bovine serum albumin (BSA) hybrid pool sequencing and simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Phvul.008G106300 (encoding LAX2 protein) was identified as a candidate gene corresponding to pv‐nts via gene function annotation. Phvul.008G106300 was significantly upregulated in nts mutant compared with wild‐type A18, which was consistent with the results of endogenous IAA levels. Sequence analysis showed that the Phvul.008G106300 gene in nts had a base mutation that altered the protein structure, thus causing the dwarfed, thin‐stemmed phenotype of cauliflower. Taken together, these results contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of dwarfing traits in snap bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: It is essential to characterize underlying molecular mechanism associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and identify promising therapeutic targets. Herein, we explored role of homeobox transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) in HNSCC to regulate stanniocalcin‐2 (STC2) by sponging microRNA‐206 (miR‐206). Methods: HNSCC‐related differentially expressed genes and regulation network amongst HOTAIR, miR‐206 and STC2 were identified. Next, effect of HOTAIR on cell biological functions of HNSCC was identified after transfection of cells with HOTAIR overexpressed plasmids or siRNA against HOTAIR. PI3K/AKT signalling pathway‐related gene expression was measured after miR‐206 and STC2 were suppressed. Cell invasion, migration and proliferation were assessed. Finally, tumour growth was assessed to determine the effects of HOTAIR/miR‐206/STC2 axis in vivo. Results: HOTAIR specifically bound to miR‐206 and miR‐206 targeted STC2. Downregulated HOTAIR or upregulated miR‐206 suppressed HNSCC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. miR‐206 inhibited PI3K/AKT signalling pathway by down‐regulating STC2. Besides, silenced HOTAIR or overexpressed miR‐206 repressed the tumour growth of nude mice with HNSCC. Conclusion: HOTAIR regulated HNSCC cell biological functions by binding to miR‐206 through STC2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Methods Results Conclusion Isoniazid (INH) has been used as a first‐line drug to treat tuberculosis (TB) for more than 50 years. However, large interindividual variability was found in its pharmacokinetics, and effects of nonadherence to INH treatment and corresponding remedy regime remain unclear. This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model of INH in Chinese patients with TB to provide model‐informed precision dosing and explore appropriate remedial dosing regimens for nonadherent patients.In total, 1012 INH observations from 736 TB patients were included. A nonlinear mixed‐effects modelling was used to analyse the PPK of INH. Using Monte Carlo simulations to determine optimal dosage regimens and design remedial dosing regimens.A 2‐compartmental model, including first‐order absorption and elimination with allometric scaling, was found to best describe the PK characteristics of INH. A mixture model was used to characterize dual rates of INH elimination. Estimates of apparent clearance in fast and slow eliminators were 28.0 and 11.2 L/h, respectively. The proportion of fast eliminators in the population was estimated to be 40.5%. Monte Carlo simulations determined optimal dosage regimens for slow and fast eliminators with different body weight. For remedial dosing regimens, the missed dose should be taken as soon as possible when the delay does not exceed 12 h, and an additional dose is not needed. delay for an INH dose exceeds 12 h, the patient only needs to take the next single dose normally.PPK modelling and simulation provide valid evidence on the precision dosing and remedial dosing regimen of INH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, [Cd(C14H10NO3)2(H2O)2], which crystallizes with Z = 4 in the space group C2 c, the Cd atom is located on a twofold rotation axis and coordinated by six O atoms from two water mol­ecules and two carboxylate groups of two planar 4-(2-hydroxy­benzyl­idene­amino)­benzoate lig­ands, with a dihedral angle of 85.6 (1)° between them. Strong O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding in the coordination sphere, together with π–π stacking inter­actions, assemble the mol­ecules into two-dimensional layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, [Cu(C14H9NO3)(H2O)2], which crystallizes with Z = 18 in the space group R , pairs of complexes are linked into dimers by three O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Strong O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the dimers into one-dimensional chains that further assemble into tubes through π–π and C—H⋯π inter­actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale Methods Results Conclusions The profiling of natural urinary peptides is a valuable indicator of kidney condition. While front‐end separation limits the speed of peptidomic profiling, MS1‐based results suffer from limited peptide coverage and specificity. Clinical studies on chronic kidney disease require an effective strategy to balance the trade‐off between identification depth and throughput.CKD273, a urinary proteome classifier associated with chronic kidney disease, in samples from diabetic nephropathy patients was profiled in parallel using capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE–MS), liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC–MS), and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization–mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS). Through cross‐comparison of results from MS1 of unfractionated peptides and elution‐time‐resolved MS1 as well as MS/MS in LC– and CE–MS approaches, we evaluated the contribution of false‐positive identification to MS1‐based identification and quantitation, and analyzed the benefit of front‐end separation in terms of accuracy and efficiency.In LC– and CE–MS, although MS1 data resulted in higher number of identifications than MS/MS, elution‐time‐dependent analysis revealed extensive interference by non‐CKD273 peptides, which would contribute up to 50% to quantitation if they are not separated from genuine CKD273 peptides. In the absence of separation, MS1 data resulted in lower numbers of identifications and abundance pattern that significantly deviated from those by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) or capillary electrophoresis with tandem mass spectrometry (CE–MS/MS). CE showed higher identification efficiency even when less sample was used or achieved faster separation.To ensure the reliability of MS1‐based urinary peptide profiling, front‐end separation should not be omitted, and elution time should be used in addition to intact mass for identification. Including MS/MS in data acquisition does not compromise the speed or identification number, while benefiting data reliability by providing real‐time sequence verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]