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Background Method Results Conclusions People diagnosed with Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often have severe dietary restrictions and avoidance due to the uncertainty of intestinal symptoms. Inadequate dietary intake may increase the risk of malnutrition and result in impaired food‐related quality of life (FRQoL). Few studies investigated factors influencing FRQoL in patients with IBD. This study aimed to synthesize the existing evidence regarding FRQoL among patients with IBD, including the current situation, measurement instruments, and related influencing factors.The comprehensive literature search was conducted in databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, as well as the most commonly used Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang and CBM). Studies published between January 2015 and December 2023 on FRQoL in patients with IBD were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist was utilized to evaluate the methodological quality of the selected studies.Finally, only five studies met the inclusion criteria were reviewed, including three cross‐sectional studies and two case‐control studies. The Food‐related quality of life‐29 Scale (FR‐QoL‐29) with a total core of 145 was the most used instrument measuring FRQoL in patients with IBD. The mean scores of FRQoL ranged from 69.9 to 102.3 in adult patients with IBD and 94.3 in children. A diverse range of factors were associated with FRQoL, including socio‐demographic, clinical, psychological, diet‐related, and nutrient intake factors.The main influencing factors of FRQoL among patients with IBD included disease activity status, severe symptoms, history of IBD surgery, negative emotion reaction, and restrictive eating behaviour. Clinicians should work in concert with dietitians, keeping an eye on the disease status, nutrition intake, and restrictive eating habits, assessing FRQoL and providing personalized dietary recommendation for the patients with IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CuO/Cu2O/CuS/ZnO quaternary heterojunction photocatalyst was constructed through a facile microwave technique. The structure, morphology and optical properties were characterized and explored. The photocatalytic activity of CuO/Cu2O/CuS/ZnO quaternary composite was assessed by antibiotic sulfamethoxazole under the simulated solar light irradiation. The quaternary composite manifested more excellent photocatalytic performance than the pristine ZnS and CuO/Cu2O. Moreover, the effects of ascorbic acid concentration on removal efficiency of sulfamethoxazole were discussed, revealing the importance of Cu2O in sulfamethoxazole removal. Particularly, as the ascorbic acid was 0.50 M, the total removal efficiency of sulfamethoxazole at an initial concentration of 20 mg/L was approximately 99.17 %, and the fitted pseudo‐first‐order kinetic rate constant reached 0.0380/min, which were 1.73 and 6.91 times of that in the absence of ascorbic acid, respectively. A double Z‐scheme charge transfer mechanism was confirmed by the reactive species trapping tests, which demonstrated that superoxide radicals and holes were the major reactive species responsible for sulfamethoxazol degradation. CuO/Cu2O/CuS/ZnO nanocomposite provided an interesting perspective for a highly efficient quaternary photocatalyst that could be employed for remediation antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larvae of the beetle subfamily Rutelinae are poorly described in the literature. Notably, the morphology of the larvae of Callistethus plagiicollis Fairmaire has not previously been analyzed. Here, we report for the first time that these larvae feed on the tubers and roots of Gastrodia elata Blume, an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which causes a reduction in the yield and economic value of G. elata. We employed scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy to investigate the morphology and occurrence regularity of egg, larvae, pupae, and adult specimens of C. plagiicollis collected from the G. elata planting base in Guizhou Province, China, with a focus on the ultrastructure of mature larvae. The results revealed one generation of C. plagiicollis per year in the study area and three instar stages of larvae. Mature larvae were identified by the following characteristics: raster without palidia with a large number of hamate setae, antennal apex containing seven sensilla basiconica, larval haptomerum containing eight sensilla styloconica and four enlarged heli, and seven longitudinally arranged stridulatory teeth on the stipes of the maxilla. The combination of scanning electron and light microscopy effectively revealed the difference between membranous and sclerotized structures, ensuring accurate identification of C. plagiicollis larvae. By determining the feeding characteristics and occurrence regularity of C. plagiicollis, this study has implications for improved pest management in G. elata crops. Research Highlights: We identified C. plagiicollis as a new pest of G. elata, a traditional Chinese medicineScanning electron and light microscopy were combined to analyze the morphology of the mature larvae of C. plagiicollis for the first timeWe determined the feeding characteristics and occurrence regularity of C. plagiicollis, which can be used to develop effective pest management strategies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with commercial polyolefin membranes, electrospun polymeric membranes have the advantages of higher porosity and better electrolyte wettability, but their poor mechanical performance limits their industrial use as battery separators. In this work, a layer‐to‐layer electrospinning is used for fabrication of PVdF@PMMA membranes, in which fibers in adjacent layers are arranged at a certain angle (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°). The as‐electrospun membranes are further hot‐pressed to boost their mechanical strength. Various techniques are employed to evaluate the membranes, such as scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, contact angle measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and linear sweep voltammetry. The results show that polymethyl methacrylate partially melts during the hot‐pressing treatment, causing adjacent fibers in the membranes to bridge. The obtained membranes show different tensile strength values with the various angles between fibers. When the angle is 30°, the tensile strength can reach 22.09 MPa and higher porosity (74.68%), greater liquid electrolyte absorption (612.36%) than that of commercial polyolefin membrane are harvested. The lithium‐ion cell assembly with the membrane separator exhibits a discharge capacity reaching 142 mAh g−1 and an excellent capacity retention of 90.7%. This present study provides an innovative and promising approach for the fabrication of high‐performance battery separator by electrospinning. Highlights: PVdF@PMMA membranes are prepared by a layer‐to‐layer electrospinning.In the membranes, fiber orientation in adjacent layers is kept at a certain angle.Hot‐pressing further boosts mechanical performance of the membranes.Membranes with different angle of fibers show various mechanical strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive polyacrylic acid/polyaniline/SiO2 (PAA/PANI/SiO2) nanocomposite hydrogels as electrolytes for a high‐performance flexible supercapacitor were prepared by combining in situ radical polymerization of anionic monomer acrylic acid, in situ sol–gel reaction of vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES), and oxidative polymerization of conductive monomer aniline (ANI). In the nanocomposite hydrogel, vinyl‐SiO2 nanoparticles served as analogous covalent crosslinkers, while the reversible noncovalent interactions (such as hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and chain entanglements) between the PAA/SiO2 and PANI networks acted as physical crosslinkers. The interconnected PANI and PAA/SiO2 networks thus constructed an interpenetrating three‐dimensional network that improved the movement of electrons and ions while also enhancing the mechanical properties of the hydrogel. At a volume ratio of ANI to VTES of 50:200, the compressive strength and conductivity of PAA/PANI/SiO2 hydrogels were as high as 1505 kPa and 4.42 S/m, respectively. Moreover, the flexible supercapacitors based on the nanocomposite hydrogel electrolyte exhibited high specific capacitance (574.7 F/g), energy density (19.6 Wh/kg), and power density (1.4 kW/kg) at a current density of 0.05 A/g. Meanwhile, these supercapacitors exhibit exceptional flexibility and mechanical stability, and can be repeatedly bent without degrading performance. This nanocomposite hydrogel has considerable potential for use in other flexible energy devices and electronics due to its excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties. Highlights: Conductive nanocomposite hydrogel have good conductivity and mechanical properties.Conductive hydrogels are used as electrolytes for flexible supercapacitors.Vinyl‐SiO2 served as analogous covalent crosslinkers for the hydrogel.Noncovalent bonds between PAA/SiO2 and PANI acted as physical crosslinkers.Interconnected PANI and PAA/SiO2 networks formed an interpenetrating network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a robust and fluorescent nanocomposite hydrogel polyvinyl alcohol/poly(N‐methylol acrylamide)/graphene quantum dots (PVA/PNMA/GQDs) with interpenetrating polymer network was made‐up by in‐situ radical polymerization and freeze–thaw method simultaneously. Because of GQDs trapped within the gel matrix as a result of the potent hydrogen bonds generated among PVA, PNMA, and GQDs, the nanocomposite hydrogel with an interpenetrating polymer network displayed strong fluorescence and enhanced mechanical properties. The obtained nanocomposite hydrogel could emit stable bright blue fluorescence at 365 nm radiation. Moreover, the obtained nanocomposite hydrogels were selective to Fe3+ ions and demonstrated a rapid and consistent response to Fe3+ ions ranging from 20 to 120 μmol/L. Meanwhile, the PVA/PNMA/GQDs hydrogel showed excellent mechanical properties. The compressive strength and strain of the nanocomposite hydrogel were 20.39 MPa and 94.53%, respectively. The tensile fracture strength was 303.06 kPa and the corresponding fracture strain was 198%. Additionally, the gel also possessed extreme fatigue resistance and could tolerate repeated compression without cracking. Therefore, these robust and fluorescent nanocomposite hydrogels have potential applications in flexible sensors for certain metal ions detection and information storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel Cu−Zn−S−O nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized via a green microwave technique using preprepared ZnS and CuO nanoparticles. The Cu−Zn−S−O nanocomposites were highly sensitive to visible light. Meanwhile, Cu−Zn−S−O nanocomposites showed excellent adsorption capacity towards dye pollutants. Under the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis, various types of dye pollutants could be removed more quickly and efficiently by Cu−Zn−S−O (M=2) nanocomposite than pure CuO and ZnS nanoparticles. Furthermore, due to morphology‐controlled CuO, Cu−Zn−S−O nanocomposites were also different in the morphology and photoresponse, and even in the removal performance. The photodegradation mechanism investigation indicated that different types of dyes were mediated by different decisive reactive species. Additionally, Cu−Zn−S−O nanocomposites could be easily reused with higher activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melt mixed polypropylene/polyamide 6 (PA6) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were molded by compression, injection, and interval injection molding. PA phase exists as an isolated dispersed phase in the sea–island system with different phase orientations and dispersion degrees. CNTs prefer to be located in the minor PA phase because of their remarkable compatibility. However, when the content of CNTs is high enough, a conductive path can be formed regardless of the phase morphology. Moreover, when the CNT content is low, the dispersed PA forms an unelongated structure, which is beneficial to electrical conductivity. Although the elongated PA phase holds advantages in terms of its tensile properties, its conductivity network is defective. These results were proposed to uncover the influence of dispersed phase morphology on mechanical and electrical conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wilson disease is a rare, disabling, neurological genetic disease. Biomarkers of brain damage are less well developed. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein as a biomarker for neurological involvement in patients with Wilson disease. Methods: This prospective cross‐observational study compared plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein concentration among different subtypes of patients with Wilson disease and healthy control subjects. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein levels were measured in 94 patients and 25 healthy control subjects. Patients were divided into two subtypes: patients with neurological manifestations (n = 74) or hepatic manifestations (n = 20). Results: Median levels of plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein were significantly elevated in patients with neurological manifestations (143.87 pg/mL) compared with those with hepatic manifestations (107.50 pg/mL) and healthy control subjects (86.85 pg/mL). Receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that a plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein cutoff value of 128.8 pg/mL provides sufficient sensitivity (80.0%) and specificity (63.5%) to differentiate patients with neurological manifestations from those with hepatic manifestations. Conclusions: Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein may serve as a biomarker for distinguishing different subtypes of Wilson disease. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary intake may affect maternal health, but it remains unclear about puerperal dietary intake and its association with maternal health. This study investigated the dietary patterns and their related factors and association with postpartum weight retention (PPWR) in Chinese puerperal women. Participants were from the mother–infant cohort study, in which both mothers and infants were followed up from childbirth to the next 2 years, in seven cities around China. Maternal puerperal dietary patterns were derived by a food frequency questionnaire and principal component analysis (PCA) within 1 month postpartum. PPWR was assessed by the difference of weight at 42 days and 6 months postpartum minus the pre‐pregnancy weight. Of 503 postpartum women, four dietary patterns were identified, including 'plant food' pattern (rice and vegetables as dominant foods), 'diverse' pattern (starchy roots, fruit, livestock meat and aquatic products), 'traditional northern' pattern (poultry, eggs and soup) and 'marine‐flour' pattern (flour, coarse food grains and marine fish). The diverse pattern was associated with professional puerperal family care and counselling service (p <.05). PPWRs at 42 days and 6 months postpartum were 6.37 and 4.70 kg averagely. The plant food dietary pattern tended to be associated with higher 42‐day PPWR (β =.105, p <.05), and diverse pattern was associated with lower 6‐months PPWR (β = −.137, p <.05). Conclusively, this study presented four dominant dietary patterns in Chinese postpartum women and showed a lower PPWR in adherence to diverse dietary pattern. The results would provide evidence to furtherly guide dietary practice and improve maternal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to therapeutic drugs occurs in virtually all types of cancers, and the tolerance to one drug frequently becomes broad therapy resistance; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Combining a whole whole‐genome‐wide RNA interference screening and an evolutionary drug pressure model with MDA‐MB‐231 cells, it is found that enhanced protein damage clearance and reduced mitochondrial respiratory activity are responsible for cisplatin resistance. Screening drug‐resistant cancer cells and human patient‐derived organoids for breast and colon cancers with many anticancer drugs indicates that activation of mitochondrion protein import surveillance system enhances proteasome activity and minimizes caspase activation, leading to broad drug resistance that can be overcome by co‐treatment with a proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib. It is further demonstrated that cisplatin and bortezomib encapsulated into nanoparticle further enhance their therapeutic efficacy and alleviate side effects induced by drug combination treatment. These data demonstrate a feasibility for eliminating broad drug resistance by targeting its common mechanism to achieve effective therapy for multiple cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel quaternary nanocomposites CuO/ZnO/ZnS/CuS have been successfully synthesized via a green microwave technique using dispersed ZnS micosphere and CuO nanoleaf. More particularly, the sphere‐like ZnS and leaf‐like CuO were mainly responsive to the visible and ultraviolet light, respectively. The quaternary nanocomposites CuO/ZnO/ZnS/CuS were sensitive to both ultraviolet and visible light. When prepared at lower mass ratio of CuO to ZnS, the quaternary nanocomposites showed excellent adsorption capacity in the dark, and remarkable photocatalytic capacity towards Rhodamine B (RhB) dye under the simulated sunlight within a short irradiation time more quickly and efficiently than that of pure CuO and ZnS. The mechanism investigation indicated the photodegradation of RhB dye under the simulated sunlight was mediated by the superoxide radicals and holes. Additionally, the quaternary nanocomposite CuO/ZnO/ZnS/CuS could be easily reused with higher activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanically robust and ionically conductive hydrogels poly(acrylamide‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate‐lithium)/TiO2/SiO2 (P(AM‐co‐AMPSLi)/TiO2/SiO2) with inorganic hybrid crosslinking are fabricated through dual in situ sol‐gel reaction of vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) and tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT), and in situ radical copolymerization of acrylamide (AM), 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate‐lithium (AMPSLi), and vinyl‐SiO2. Due to the introduction of the sulfonic acid groups and Li+ by the reaction of AMPS with Li2CO3, the conductivity of the ionic hydrogel can reach 0.19 S m−1. Vinyl‐SiO2 and nano‐TiO2 are used in this hybrid hydrogel as both multifunctional hybrid crosslinkers and fillers. The hybrid hydrogels demonstrate high tensile strength (0.11–0.33 MPa) and elongation at break (98–1867%), ultrahigh compression strength (0.28–1.36 MPa), certain fatigue resistance, self‐healing, and self‐adhesive properties, which are due to covalent bonds between TiO2 and SiO2, as well as P(AM‐co‐AMPSLi) chains and SiO2, and noncovalent bonds between TiO2 and P(AM‐co‐AMPSLi) chains, as well as the organic frameworks. Furthermore, the specific capacitance, energy density, and power density of the supercapacitors based on ionic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes are 2.88 F g−1, 0.09 Wh kg−1, and 3.07 kW kg−1 at a current density of 0.05 A g−1, respectively. Consequently, the ionic hybrid hydrogels show great promise as flexible energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on a general model of a controlled stochastic differential equation with mixed delay in the state variable. Based on the Itô formula, stochastic analysis, convex analysis, and inequality technique, we obtain a semi-coupled forward-backward stochastic differential equation with mixed delay and mixed initial-terminal conditions and prove that such forward-backward system admits a unique adapted solution. The verification theorem for an optimal control of a system with mixed delay is established. The obtained results generalize and improve some recent results, and they are more easily verified and applied in practice. As an application, we conclude with finding explicitly the optimal consumption rate from the wealth process of a person given by a stochastic differential equation with mixed delay which fit into our general model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tough hybrid hydrogel has been developed by dual in situ sol–gel reaction of γ‐ethacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and tetrabutyl titanate, as well as in situ radical polymerization of acrylamide (AM) and MPTMS. In this hydrogel, covalently bonded SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles were used as inorganic filler and multifunctional crosslinker. Nano‐TiO2 was bonded onto the surface of SiO2 by forming TiOSi bonds and SiO2 bonded with polymer chains by the formation of COSi bonds, which were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy technology. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that SiO2 and TiO2 tended to construct a distinct rod‐like structure in poly(AM) matrix. This specific microstructure enhanced the mechanical properties of hydrogel. The compressive stress of the gel reached up to 9.49 MPa, and the compressive fracture energy was as high as 5307.73 J m−2. This strategy provided a probable method for the preparation of tough soft materials with potential applications in chemical machinery and actuators. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47742. Schematic representation of the structural model for the hybrid hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two types of disulfide linkages in IgG antibodies at the hinge region: intra‐ and inter‐disulfide linkages. Characterization of intra‐disulfide linked isomer will provide important information on the stability of the antibodies and better understanding of the mechanism of Fab‐arm exchange. In this report, HPLC coupled with high‐resolution mass spectrometry was applied for characterization of disulfide linkages in IgG antibodies at the hinge region. We were able to accurately identify both inter‐ and intra‐disulfide linked peptides and correctly quantify intra‐disulfide isomers. It is the first study to quantify intra‐disulfide isomers in IgG antibodies with a mass spectrometry approach. It will help to achieve efficient generation of bispecific antibodies with Fab‐arm exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]