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Our previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of Bufei Yishen granules combined with acupoint sticking therapy (the integrated therapy) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Dysfunction of pulmonary surfactant proteins (SPs, including SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D) may be included in pathophysiology of COPD. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the integrated therapy on SPs. COPD rat models were established. The treatment groups received Bufei Yishen granules or acupoint sticking or their combination. Using aminophylline as a positive control drug. The levels of SPs in serum, BALF, and lung were measured. The results showed that the integrated therapy markedly reduced the levels of SPs in serum and increased these indicators in the lung. The integrated therapy was better than aminophylline in reducing the levels of SPs and was better than Bufei Yishen granules in reducing SP-A, SP-C, and SP-D in serum. The integrated therapy was better than aminophylline and Bufei Yishen granules in increasing SP-A, SP-B, and SP-D mRNA in the lung. SP-A and SP-D in BALF were positively correlated with PEF and EF50. The levels of SPs are associated with airway limitation. The beneficial effects of the integrated therapy may be involved in regulating pulmonary surfactant proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation after stroke consists of activation of microglia/astrocytes in situ and infiltration of blood-borne leukocytes, resulting in brain damage and neurological deficits. Mounting data demonstrated that most natural components from medicinal plants had anti-inflammatory effects after ischemic stroke through inhibiting activation of resident microglia/astrocytes within ischemic area. However, it is speculated that this classical activity cannot account for the anti-inflammatory function of these natural components in the cerebral parenchyma, where they are detected at very low concentrations due to their poor membrane permeability and slight leakage of BBB. Could these drugs exert anti-inflammatory effects peripherally without being delivered across the BBB? Factually, ameliorating blood-borne neutrophil recruitment in peripheral circulatory system has been proved to reduce ischemic damage and improve outcomes. Thus, it is concluded that if drugs could achieve effective concentrations in the cerebral parenchyma, they can function via crippling resident microglia/astrocytes activation and inhibiting neutrophil infiltration, whereas the latter will be dominating when these drugs localize in the brain at a low concentration. In this review, the availability of some natural components crossing the BBB in stroke will be discussed, and how these drugs lead to improvements in stroke through inhibition of neutrophil rolling, adhesion, and transmigration will be illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents evidence for early Paleozoic magmatism in the Baoshan block and Mesozoic magmatism in the Tengchong block and along the Gaoligong fault system in the Tethyan belt, western Yunnan Province, southwestern China, on the basis of SHRIMP dating of zircons from 12 granitoid samples. Deformed granitoids with gneissic textures contain zircons with magmatic oscillatory zoning that define weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages ranging from 481 ± 3 to 493 ± 3 Ma and are interpreted as the crystallization time of the host rocks. The granitoids are characterized by enriched light rare earth elements, high Th and U contents, and negative Nb anomalies on a primitive mantle–normalized spider diagram, which is indicative of crustal melting. The peraluminous, silica-rich compositions, high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios, as well as negative εNd(t) and εHf(t) values also suggest that the granitoid rocks originated through crustal reworking. Zircons of 216–226 Ma, Late Triassic S-type granites of the Tengchong block also have negative εHf(t) values, suggesting that they are derived from Proterozoic crust and that they may have been generated in a postcollisional tectonic setting. A late Early Cretaceous 118 Ma S-type granite has a similar age to the Gaoligong granites and likewise likely formed through anatexis of Precambrian crust. Zircons of Late Cretaceous granites (84–70 Ma) of the Baoshan block have εHf(t) values of −3.7 to −2.1, indicating derivation from a Precambrian crustal source. Their emplacement may be related to closure of the Neotethys ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We genetically characterized seven nearly complete genomes in the protoparvovirus genus from the feces of children with diarrhea. The viruses, provisionally named cutaviruses (CutaV), varied by 1–6% nucleotides and shared ~76% and ~82% amino acid identity with the NS1 and VP1 of human bufaviruses, their closest relatives. Using PCR, cutavirus DNA was found in 1.6% (4/245) and 1% (1/100) of diarrhea samples from Brazil and Botswana respectively. In silico analysis of pre-existing metagenomics datasets then revealed closely related parvovirus genomes in skin biopsies from patients with epidermotropic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL or mycosis fungoides). PCR of skin biopsies yielded cutavirus DNA in 4/17 CTCL, 0/10 skin carcinoma, and 0/21 normal or noncancerous skin biopsies. In situ hybridization of CTCL skin biopsies detected viral genome within rare individual cells in regions of neoplastic infiltrations. The influence of cutavirus infection on human enteric functions and possible oncolytic role in CTCL progression remain to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction To clarify the association of the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype and type 2 diabetes mellitus among adults in China. Materials and Methods In the present case-control study, we included 1,685 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 7,141 normal glucose-tolerant controls from the Henan Province of China in 2011. Elevated waist circumference ( GW) was defined as ≥90 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women. Hypertriglyceridemia ( HT) was defined as >1.7 m mol/L triglycerides ( TG) level. The association of hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype and type 2 diabetes mellitus was investigated by sex, body mass index, physical activity, and family history of diabetes. Results Cases and controls differed in age, waist circumference ( WC), weight, TG level, fasting glucose, body mass index, smoking status, diabetic family history, physical activity and hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype ( P < 0.05), but not alcohol drinking ( P = 0.63). In the overall sample, as compared with the phenotype of normal TG level and normal WC ( NTNW), normal TG level/enlarged WC ( NTGW), elevated TG level/normal WC ( HTNW) and elevated TG level/enlarged WC ( HTGW) were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 4.14, 2.42 and 6.23, respectively). Only HTGW was consistently associated with risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, with or without adjustment. The strongest relationship between HTGW and type 2 diabetes mellitus was for subjects with body mass index <24.0 kg/m2 (odds ratio 6.54, 95% confidence interval 4.22-10.14) after adjustment for cofounding variables. Conclusion HTGW was stably and significantly associated with risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adult Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The properties of a green waste molecular sieve-based powder suppressor in inhibiting the flame propagation of coal dust were studied. Waste molecular sieve (S) was pretreated and selected as the carrier, potassium oxalate (K) and ferric citrate (T) as the active components. The reverse dissolution crystallization method was adopted and S@K/T, S@T/K, S@ T -K suppressors with different core–shell structure were prepared by different loading sequences. Their particle size, morphology and thermal pyrolysis behavior were compared. The results showed that the particle distribution of three powders is uniform and the dispersity of them is good. The active components of explosion suppression are evenly loaded on the waste molecular sieve carrier and they have different coating structure. The thermal desorption heat of them is 44.64 J/ g, 66.95 J/g and 92.9 J/g, respectively. Furthermore, the flame propagation characteristics of coal dust were tested by the Hartmann flame propagation device. The results showed that all powders had the effect of inhibiting the flame propagation of coal dust and the inhibition effect is S@ T -K, S@T/K and S@K/T from strong to weak. Combined with characterization results, the influence mechanism of the difference in the flame propagation inhibition effect of three suppressants was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 nanotube arrays with highly exposed active sites are rationally synthesized on carbon fibers for high energy density supercapacitor. [Display omitted] • P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 nanotubes with vertical array structure are rationally synthesized. • The aligned P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 nanotube arrays deliver a highest capacitance of 996.7 F g−1. • The electrode maintains 81.7% original capacitance retention when the current density is increased by 30 times. • An asymmetric supercapacitor P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 //activated realizes a high energy density of 42.7 Wh kg−1. Doping or substitution of non-metallic ions is considered to be an effective way to improve the rate capability and cyclic stability of metal oxide electrodes. Nevertheless, current research lacks in-depth studies on the effect of doping on the rate capability. Herein, P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 nanotubes with vertical array structure are rationally synthesized on carbon fibers via mild solution method and chemical heat treatment strategy. The density functional theory calculation and impedance test indicate that the introduced P atoms in MnCo 2 O 4 are conducive to boost the conductivity and surface reactivity, as well as reaction kinetics. The electrochemical measurement show that the novel P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 nanotube electrodes deliver a highest specific capacitance of 996.7 F g−1. It also exhibits excellent rate performance of 81.7% original capacitance retention when the current density is increased by 30 times. An asymmetric supercapacitor P-doped MnCo 2 O 4 //activated carbon can realize a high energy density of 42.7 Wh kg−1 at 750 W kg−1. Moreover, the device also exhibits a comparable cyclic retention of 81.9% at the end of the 8000th cycle. This work not only offers a potential electrode for energy storage but also provides a strategy for the preparation of hollow nanotubes structure with high electrochemical activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Uterus-Inspired Niche Drives Blastocyst Development to the Early Organogenesis (Adv. Sci. 28/2022) The uterus-inspired niche microenvironment controls the migration and assembly of extraembryonic tissues, simulates embryo implantation, and ultimately promotes embryo development to early organogenesis. As the natural platform for embryo development, the uterus inspires the building of in vitro culture conditions. [Extracted from the article]

The potato grouper, Epinephelus tukula , is one of the largest coral reef teleost, and it is an important germplasm resource for selection and cross breeding. Here we report a potato grouper genome assembly generated using PacBio long-read sequencing, Illumina sequencing and high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) technology. The genome size was 1.13 Gb, with a total of 508 contigs anchored into 24 chromosomes. The scaffold N50 was 42.65 Mb. For the genome models, our assembled genome contained 98.11% complete BUSCO with the vertebrata_odb9 database. One more copies of Gh and Hsp90b1 were identified in the E. tukula genome, which might contribute to its fast growth and high resistance to stress. In addition, 435 putative antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes were identified in the potato grouper. This study provides a good reference for whole genome selective breeding of the potato grouper and for future development of novel marine drugs. • Epinephelus tukula is an important germplasm resource for selection and cross breeding. • This is the first report of the genetic data of its genome. • The expanded gene families related to stress resistance and fast growth are shown. • The putative antimicrobial peptides in the potato grouper were identified. • This study provided valuable data for genetic analysis and future molecular breeding. • This study bring a new perspective for the in-depth development of novel marine drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable management of aquatic resources requires spatially explicit information on the water and vegetation presence of aquatic ecosystems. Previous Global Aquatic Land Cover (GALC) mapping has been focused on water bodies while lacking information on vegetation, and aquatic types have always been characterized by low accuracies in global land cover products, calling for specific attention to improve GALC mapping. The availability of a wealth of open Earth Observation (EO) data on cloud-computing platforms provides opportunities to map aquatic land cover globally. This study aims to evaluate the potential of multi-source freely available EO data, including optical, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and various ancillary datasets, for improving the characterization of aquatic land cover comprising both water and vegetation types on a global scale. Using different combinations of features derived from these data, the classification performance of five land cover classes (i.e., trees, shrubs, herbaceous cover, bare/sparsely vegetated lands, and water bodies) in aquatic areas was cross-validated. Results showed that Sentinel-2 data alone achieved similarly good overall accuracy as those combining multi-source data. However, the single-sensor Sentinel-2 data cannot discriminate highly mixed and spectrally similar types, such as shrubs, trees, and herbaceous vegetation. Integrating SAR features from the ALOS/PALSAR mosaic and Sentinel-1 data with optical features provided by Sentinel-2 data could help address this limitation to some extent. Although with a lower spatial and temporal resolution, the ALOS/PALSAR mosaic had a stronger impact on GALC classification than Sentinel-1 data when they were synergistically used. Features provided by ancillary datasets did not lead to significant improvement in the overall GALC classification. At class-level, topographic and soil features helped to reduce the commission error of shrubs, and climate variables were useful to improve the characterization of bare aquatic lands. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) forest canopy height dataset helped to characterize trees but also resulted in a decrease in accuracies of shrubs. By assessing multi-source earth observation data, this research represents an important step forward in the global mapping of comprehensive aquatic land cover types at high spatial resolution (i.e., 10 m). • Global Aquatic Land Cover (GALC) mapping at 10 m-resolution was tested. • The potential of multi-source earth observation data for GALC mapping was assessed. • Sentinel-2 data alone already achieved good performance in GALC characterization. • SAR data reduced the confusion of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous cover to some extent. • ALOS/PALSAR mosaic had higher importance than Sentinel-1 data when used together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt mainly distributed in Hetian region of Xinjiang at an altitude of 3000 m, which is used as Uyghur traditional medicine because of its clearing heat, promoting circulation and removing toxicity and antihypertension, ect. effect. Aim of the study This research was to study the four ingredients in the extracts of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. that are absorbed in different intestinal segments in rats to lay the foundation for further study on the effective constituents, tissue distribution, metabolism, and spectrum-effect relationships of these extracts. Materials and methods High, medium, and low concentrations were prepared according to their pharmacological effects. Quantitative analysis multi-components by single marker was used to test the cumulative absorption volume Q, absorption rate constant Ka, and apparent permeability coefficient P app of the four main ingredients in C. tinctoria Nutt. extract in different intestinal segments in rats using a Ussing chamber model and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results The P app of chlorogenic acid and flavanomarein in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon were 1.0×10 −6 to 10×10 −6 cm s −1 . P app of marein in the duodenum and jejunum was <1.0×10 −6 , and was 1.0×10 −6 to 10×10 −6 cm s −1 in the ileum and colon. P app of 3,5- O -dicaffeoylquinic acid in the duodenum was <1.0×10 −6 cm s −1 , while it was 1.0× 1 0 −6 to 10×10 −6 cm s −1 in the jejunum, ileum, and colon. Conclusions All four chemical components of the plant extract can be absorbed by the intestinal canal of rats, which conforms to zero-order absorption; the ileum presented the best absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 /PbS(CdS) quantum dots (QDs) bulk heterojunction has been fabricated by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method via alternate deposition of PbS and CdS QDs. In comparison with TiO 2 /PbS heterojunction, the incident photon to current conversion efficiency was increased almost 50% in the visible region. Meantime, the short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage were enhanced 200% and 35% respectively. The influence mechanism of CdS is related to reduction of trap state density at TiO 2 /PbS interface and PbS QDs surface by the discussion of the dark current density–voltage curves, the transient photocurrent response curves and the electrochemical impedance spectra spectroscopy (EIS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a kinetic study on dehydrogenation of perhydro-N-ethylcarbazole (12H-NECZ) over 5 wt% Pd/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. Hydrogenation of N-ethylcarbazole (NECZ) was conducted at 8 Mpa and 180 °C and three isomers of 12H-NECZ was detected in the final hydrogenation products. The dehydrogenation kinetics of three isomers were studied in detail for the first time. The dehydrogenation of 12H-NECZ was found undergo three stages: perhydro-N-ethylcarbazole → octahydro-N-ethylcarbazole, octahydro-N-ethylcarbazole → tetrahydro-N-ethylcarbazole and tetrahydro-N-ethylcarbazole → N-ethylcarbazole. It is found that all three stages follow first-order kinetic processes with the activation energies of 56.3 kJ/mol, 59.2 kJ/mol and 73.1 kJ/mol respectively. The third step, 4H-NECZ → NECZ, was proved to be the rate limiting step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrespective of the order of the addition of reagents, the reactions of [PCl2N]3 with MX3 (MX3 = AlCl3, AlBr3, GaCl3) in the presence of water or gaseous HX give the air- and light-sensitive superacid adducts [PCl2N]3·HMX4. The reactions are quantitative when HX is used. These reactions illustrate a Lewis acid/Brønsted acid dichotomy in which Lewis acid chemistry can become Brønsted acid chemistry in the presence of adventitious water or HX. The crystal structures of all three [PCl2N]3·HMX4 adducts show that protonation weakens the two P-N bonds that flank the protonated nitrogen atom. Variable-temperature NMR studies indicate that exchange in solution occurs in [PCl2N]3·HMX4, even at lower temperatures than those for [PCl2N]3·MX3. The fragility of [PCl2N]3·HMX4 at or near room temperature and in the presence of light suggests that such adducts are not involved directly as intermediates in the high-temperature ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of [PCl2N]3 to give [PCl2N]n. Attempts to catalyze or initiate the ROP of [PCl2N]3 with the addition of [PCl2N]3·HMX4 at room temperature or at 70 °C were not successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stabilizing regulator designed by any technique whatsoever can be viewed as the combination of a state estimate feedback controller and additional feedback from a dynamic compensator driven by the residual signal (difference between actual and estimated system outputs). Motivated by such an observation, this paper presents the controller design from the premise that system stability is first guaranteed. Control performance can then be enhanced by the optimal design of a residual-driven dynamic compensator subject to some quadratic performance index. The resulting compensator design methods are carried out using both offline and online iterative algorithms with guaranteed convergence. Moreover, the final iterative realization strategy can be implemented online with observed state variables and input updates in case of unknown system dynamics or parameter changes. Simulation results are presented to illustrate design procedures as well as the feasibility of our proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tissue regeneration, energy conversion & storage, and water treatment are some of the most critical challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. In order to address such challenges, one-dimensional (1D) materials are projected to play a key role in developing emerging solutions for the increasingly complex problems. Eletrospinning technology has been demonstrated to be a simple, versatile, and cost-effective method in fabricating a rich variety of materials with 1D nanostructures. These include polymers, composites, and inorganic materials with unique chemical and physical properties. In this tutorial review, we first give a brief introduction to electrospun materials with a special emphasis on the design, fabrication, and modification of 1D functional materials. Adopting the perspective of chemists and materials scientists, we then focus on the recent significant progress made in the domains of tissue regeneration (e.g., skin, nerve, heart and bone) and conversion & storage of clean energy (e.g., solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors), where nanofibres have been used as active nanomaterials. Furthermore, this review's scope also includes the advances in the use of electrospun materials for the removal of heavy metal ions, organic pollutants, gas and bacteria in water treatment applications. Finally a conclusion and perspective is provided, in which we discuss the remaining challenges for 1D electrospun nanomaterials in tissue regeneration, energy conversion & storage, and water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The relationship between carotid artery plaque burden, phenotype and serum cystatin C at normal and impaired renal function is still unclear. Methods: Demographic characteristics, carotid ultrasonography and other relevant information of 1,477 patients were collected. The association of carotid artery plaque burden, plaque phenotype with serum cystatin C was evaluated by strategy analysis based on renal function. Results: Serum cystatin C (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.83-2.29, P<.01) was a risk factor of stable plaque among patients with normal glomerular filtration rate. However, in the patients with mild impaired renal function, serum cystatin C was not only a risk factor for stable plaque (OR=1.60, 95%CI: 1.43-1.78, P<.001) but also was a risk factor for unstable plaque (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.10-1.32, P<.001). The smoothing function curve and a three-piecewise linear regression revealed that a nonlinear relationship was observed between serum cystatin C and plaque burden. When serum cystatin C was in the range of 0.75-1.30 (mg/L), the plaque burden tended to increase. Conclusion: In normal renal function, serum cystatin C may confer stability of plaques. In mildly impaired renal function, serum cystatin C is a risk predictor of plaques. In normal renal function circumstances, serum cystatin C may benefit to the stability of plaques. In mild impaired renal function circumstances, serum cystatin C are a risk predictors of plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present zircon ages and Hf-in-zircon isotopic data for plutonic rocks and review the evolution of central Inner Mongolia, China, in the early and late Paleozoic. Zircons of a granodiorite yielded a 206 Pb/ 238 U age of 472 ± 3 Ma that reflects the time of early Paleozoic magmatism. Zircon ages were also obtained for a tonalite (329 ± 3 Ma), quartz-diorite (320 ± 3 Ma), and granite vein (297 ± 2 Ma). Our results, in combination with published zircon ages and geochemical data, document distinct magmatic episodes in central Inner Mongolia. The dated samples are mostly granodiorite, tonalite and quartz-diorite in composition with intermediate to high-silica, high Na 2 O (3.08–4.26 wt.%), low K 2 O (0.89–2.86 wt.%), and high Na 2 O/K 2 O and Sr/Y ratios. Their chondrite-normalized REE patterns are characterized by LREE enrichment. In mantle-normalized multi-element variation diagrams they show typical negative Nb and Ta anomalies, and all samples display positive ε Hf ( t ) and ε Nd ( t ) values, and low I Sr . The Ordovician rocks, however, show higher Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios than the Carboniferous samples, implying that the older granitoids represent adakitic granitoids, and the Carboniferous granitoids are typical subduction-related arc granitoids but also with adakite-like compositions. The results are compatible with the view that the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) in Inner Mongolia evolved through operation of several subduction systems with different polarities: an early–middle Paleozoic subduction and accretion system along the northern margin of the North China Craton and the southern margin of the Mongolian terrane, and late Paleozoic northward subduction along the northern orogen and exhumation of a high-pressure metamorphic terrane on the northern margin of the North China Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although gold nanoshells are widely considered as one of the promising photothermal nanomaterials used for biomedicine, the high cost, low yield and poor stability severely limit their potential application in clinical trials. Herein, robust gold nanoshells on silica nanorattles (GSNs) were easily prepared in a high yield by an improved seed-mediated method employing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizing and capping agent. The present method is very simple, effective and reproducible and can well control the growth process of gold nanoshells. The as-prepared GSNs have a narrow size distribution (<10 % in standard deviation). Furthermore, the utilization rate of Au in the solution used for the growth of gold nanoshells increases by 70 % than that in previous method. The resultant GSNs have a good structural stability after placing over 6 months due to the protection of PVP. More importantly, in vivo and in vitro toxic studies indicate that the GSNs have good biocompatibility. We believe that our preparation method will remarkably promote the use of gold nanoshells for biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electronic bistable device with a composite structure was fabricated using tapered ZnO nanorod arrays (ZnO NRs) coated with carbon quantum-dots (C QDs). With the addition of C QDs, the ON/OFF resistance ratio is 6 × 10 2 , over 100 times higher than that of device with pristine ZnO NRs. The effect of C QDs on the resistive switching behavior was investigated by current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characterization. The conduction mechanisms of the devices were discussed using space charge limited current (SCLC) model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fluorescence switching sensor for cascade detection of salicylaldehyde (SA) and Zinc(II) ion was developed based on bovine serum albumin protected gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs). In the detection, SA interacted with amino groups of BSA-AuNCs, inducing simultaneous formation of fluorescent Schiff base and fluorescence quenching of AuNCs. Zn(II) could further strongly coordinate with the Schiff base ligands, leading to blue-shift and increase of the fluorescence from Schiff base–metal coordination complexes and simultaneous recovery of fluorescence from AuNCs. The new fluorescence switching sensor for Zn 2+ detection has advantages of simplicity, rapidity, naked-eye detection, high sensitivity and selectivity. The linear range of the method for Zn 2+ detection is from 0.1 μM to 100 μM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 29.28 nM. In practical samples, the recoveries of the samples ranged from 99.63% to 100.58%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CoN@NC is prepared by a facile vaporization-nitridation synthesis strategy. • Hierarchical porous structure and coupling effect enhance electron/mass transport. • CoN@NC as a trifunctional catalyst can efficiently catalyze ORR/OER/HER. • CoN@NC demonstrates high performances in water splitting and Zn-air battery. Compositional and structural engineering of high-performance catalysts is vital for electrochemical catalysis, but challenges remain in their facile synthesis and efficient controls. Herein, a novel vaporization-nitridation synthesis strategy with simple operation is developed to prepare hierarchically porous cobalt nitride hybrid nanosheets grown on Ni foam by coupling cobalt nitride with N-doped carbon (CoN@NC). Benefitting from the highly open 3D hierarchical porous architecture and strong coupling effect between CoN and NC, the obtained CoN@NC electrode possesses accelerated ion and electron transfer. Moreover, the transform from CoN to CoOOH during water oxidation is confirmed by in-situ Raman characterizations, which together with NC and CoN species afford multiple active sites. The optimized CoN@NC-300 exhibits remarkable trifunctional catalytic activity towards OER, HER and ORR. Consequently, a two-electrode electrolyzer based on CoN@NC-300 needs only a voltage of 1.53 V to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the flexible Zn-air battery assembled with CoN@NC exhibits high performance and superior durability. This work offers a novel method for designing metal nitride hybrids as highly efficient multifunctional electrocatalysts towards electrocatalysis and energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform cake-like and olive-like GdBO 3 samples have been successfully synthesized for the first time via a simple solution-based hydrothermal method using Gd(OH)CO 3 colloid spheres and NaBO 2 ·4H 2 O as the precursors. It was found that small amount ethanol in the hydrothermal process was responsible for determining the shape of products. The FT-IR analysis indicates that vaterite-type GdBO 3 can be synthesized by this method. The obtained cake-like and olive-like GdBO 3 with rough surfaces have similar mircostructures which are composed of numerous nanoparticles. Time-dependent experiments were employed to study the possible formation mechanism. The formation of cake-like and olive-like GdBO 3 mircostructures self-assembled of nanoparticles can be ascribed to the Ostwald ripening process. A detailed investigation on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of GdBO 3 :Eu 3+ samples with different morphologies indicates that the PL properties of as-obtained GdBO 3 :Eu 3+ phosphors are dependent on their morphologies. The effect of Eu 3+ doping concentration on PL intensity was also investigated and the quenching concentration of GdBO 3 :Eu 3+ is 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent data puts WNT signaling pathway in a pivotal role in regulating pancreas development as well as islet function, insulin production and secretion. The key effectors in the WNT signaling pathway are low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 ( LRP5 ), transcription factor 7-like 2 ( TCF7L2 ), and downstream-regulated glucagon ( GCG ). Our previous studies suggest that the WNT signaling pathway plays a significant role in risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Chinese population. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LRP5 , TCF7L2 and glucagon ( GCG ) and quantitative traits in a healthy population. We used tag SNP to screen candidate SNPs for LRP5 and GCG ; for TCF7L2 , used the confirmed SNP rs11196218. A total of 1842 patients with T2DM and 7777 healthy controls underwent genotyping for the SNPs. We found a significant association of rs3758644 in LRP5 and fasting plasma glucose ( p = 0.006), and rs11196218 in TCF7L2 and triglycerides level ( p = 0.004). Among the SNPs in LRP5 , TCF7L2 , and GCG analyzed, only rs3758644 of LRP5 and rs11196218 of TCF7L2 were significantly associated with fasting plasma glucose and triglycerides index, respectively, in a healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG), we first investigate a facile hydrothermal process to fabricate CdMoO 4 :Tb 3+ green phosphor. The morphology and size of the products can be controlled by simply tuning the PEG amounts and the reaction time. The XRD results show that the CdMoO 4 :Tb 3+ can be indexed to CdMoO 4 phase. FE-SEM results revealed that the pure CdMoO 4 was a sphere with a diameter of about 2.6 μm. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of CdMoO 4 :Tb 3+ phosphors indicated energy transfer from MoO 4 2 - groups to Tb 3+ . PL spectra indicated the phosphors emitted green light centered at 544 nm under ultraviolet excitation. Simultaneously, this novel and efficient pathway could open new opportunities for further investigating about the properties of molybdate materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the successful application for feedback control, this study extends the study of reinforcement learning techniques to the design of two‐degree‐of‐freedom controllers in the data‐driven environment. Based on the residual generator based form of Youla parameterisation, all stabilising controllers are first interpreted in the feedback–feedforward situation with a Kalman filter‐based residual generator acting as the core part. For the reference tracking problem, further discussions are conducted from the regulatory perspective and using the Q learning, recursive least squares methods and the policy iteration algorithm. The entire design is carried out as a two‐stage process that separately achieves the optimal feedback and feedforward controllers. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated with its application in the laboratory continuous stirred tank heater process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work develops a kind of sodium alginate (SA) microcapsules as microwave susceptible agents for in vivo tumor microwave thermal therapy for the first time. Due to the excellent microwave susceptible properties and low bio-toxicity, excellent therapy efficiency can be achieved with the tumor inhibiting ratio of 97.85% after one-time microwave thermal therapy with ultralow power (1.8 W, 450 MHz). Meanwhile, the mechanism of high microwave heating efficiency was confirmed via computer-simulated model in theory, demonstrating that the spatial confinement efficiency of microcapsule walls endows the inside ions with high microwave susceptible properties. This strategy offers tremendous potential applications in clinical tumor treatment with the benefits of safety, reliability, effectiveness and minimally invasiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse pancake-like/flower-like/leaf-like GdBO 3 samples have been successfully synthesized via a designed hydrothermal conversion method using H 3 BO 3 , Na 2 B 4 O 7 ·10H 2 O, or NaBO 2 ·4H 2 O as boron sources, respectively. It was found that different boron sources have crucial influences on the formation and morphology of the products. The Gd(OH) 3 nanorods precursors were prepared through a simple hydrothermal process, which then served as sacrificial templates for the fabrication of GdBO 3 micropancakes/microflowers/microleaves via a hydrothermal conversion process. FT-IR spectra confirm that vaterite-type GdBO 3 can be synthesized by this method. The possible formation mechanisms for different microstructures were put forward on the basis of a series of time-dependent control experiments. The products have similar stacked arrangements driven by the minimization of the interfacial and surface energy of the hydrothermal system. An investigation on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of GdBO 3 :Eu 3+ samples with different morphologies indicates that the PL properties of as-obtained GdBO 3 :Eu 3+ phosphors are strongly dependent on their morphology and crystallinity. The flower-like structure exhibits the strongest red emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to study the provenance of the southern Junggar Basin during the late Triassic to early Cretaceous, based on the detrital U-Pb geochronology, petrography and depositional environments. Eight sandstone samples from the Upper Triassic to Lower Cretaceous were collected for detrital zircon U-Pb dating. A total of 794 effective U-Pb ages was obtained and divided into four groups: 488–2537 Ma (basement zircons), 328–482 Ma (subduction-related magmatic zircons), 254–322 Ma (post-collisional magmatic zircons), and 135–250 Ma (syndepositional magmatic zircons). These ages relate to three stages of basin evolution. (1) From the early to middle Jurassic, Tian Shan experienced continued exhumation, accompanied by progressive southward expansion of the Junggar Basin, and a peneplain was formed by the time Xishanyao Formation was deposited. Organic-rich sediments formed in a delta environment were well-developed in the southern Junggar Basin, with source rocks gradually switching from post-collisional volcanic rocks (295–307 Ma with a peak age of 300 Ma) of the southern North Tian Shan to post-collisional volcanic rocks of the Central Tian Shan (280–320 Ma with a peak age of 316 Ma) and then to subduction-related island arc rocks (402–423 Ma with a peak age of 415 Ma) of the Central Tian Shan. (2) During deposition of the Toutunhe and Qigu Formations, large scale volcanic activities occurred along the North Tian Shan Fault. Source rocks at this time include syndepositional volcanic rocks (151–161 Ma), and post-collisional volcanic rocks (290–320 Ma) of the North Tian Shan. By the time of deposition of the Kalazha Formation, Tian Shan experienced rapid tectonic uplift, leading to rapid lake regression. Alluvial fans were well developed in the southern Junggar Basin with source rocks being the underlying sedimentary strata of the north margin of the North Tian Shan. (3) During the early Cretaceous, exhumation of the Tian Shan and lake transgression in the Junggar Basin happened again. Shallow lake sediments were developed in the southern Junggar Basin with source rocks being subduction-related volcanic rocks (339–419 Ma with a peak age of 415 Ma) of the Central Tian Shan and post-collisional volcanic rocks (254–305 Ma with a peak age of 298 Ma) of the North Tian Shan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, regarding the observer form of the well-known Youla parameterization, the controller design and optimization are exhibited with an integrated residual access. To better reveal this philosophy, the feedback control loop is interpreted on the basis of the observer-based residual generator. The next main attention is drawn to the generation of residuals, the design of a deadbeat controller for system stabilization both in the data-driven environment, and later the optimal adaptive realization of a dynamic system that translates residuals into compensatory control inputs to meet certain performance specifications. Towards these goals, numerical algorithms are summarized, and for the issues of controller optimization, the reinforcement learning algorithm is introduced using only measured input-output and residual signals. In addition, the effectiveness of developed schemes for industrial applications is also illustrated by experimental studies on a laboratory continuous stirred tank heater (CSTH) process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper deals with the data-driven design of observer-based fault detection and control systems. We first introduce the definitions of the data-driven forms of kernel and image representations. It is followed by the study of their identification. In the context of a fault-tolerant architecture, the design of observer-based fault detection, feed-forward and feedback control systems are addressed based on the data-driven realization of the kernel and image representations. Finally, the main results are demonstrated on the laboratory continuous stirred tank heater (CSTH) system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted great attention in various biomedical applications. However, a detailed mechanism of intracellular behavior, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), induced by MSNs, has been still paid little consideration to date. In this study, we first found that MSNs with different aspect ratios (1, 2, and 4) could decrease the intracellular ROS level in serum-free media, whereas the introduction of serum proteins could upregulate and display shape-dependent behavior. The ROS regulation mechanism by particle shapes in A375 cells was then analyzed by examining the endocytosis amount of MSNs, the mitochondrial damage, and the ROS-scavenging ability. These results indicated that the particle shapes play significant roles in regulating endogenous ROS. We envisage that the complete oxidative stress study of different shaped MSNs would provide important guidelines when considering the overall toxicity of these nanocarriers in biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Sphere-like SrMoO4 micro-architectures have been synthesized by sonochemistry process. [•] The possible formation process of the SrMoO4 hierarchical structures was discussed. [•] The Ln3+-doped SrMoO4 microspheres exhibit strong light emissions with different colors. [•] The energy transfer process from host to rare earth ions were investigated systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Data Availability statement is as follows: The sequence and assembly data for each of the 40 gut microbiota samples is deposited at the CNGB Sequence Archive (https://db.cngb.org/cnsa/) under project accession number CNP0001174. Following publication of this article [[1]], concerns were raised about the availability of the underlying data. [Extracted from the article]

QTL mapping is an effective method for marker assisted selection (MAS) in animal breeding, and high-density linkage genetic maps are necessary for fine mapping of QTLs. In this study, high-density genetic maps of hybrid Epinephelus fuscoguttatus (♀) and Epinephelus tukula (♂) progeny (which demonstrated improved growth rates compared with the female parent) were constructed using RAD technology. Sex-average, female-specific, and male-specific linkage maps were composed of 24 linkage groups (LGs). The genetic map developed in this study had the highest number of SNPs among reported genetic maps for groupers. The sex-average linkage map contained 2759 bin makers (150,468 SNPs) and spanned 1627.28 cM, with an average marker interval of 0.59 cM. The female-specific (E. fuscoguttatus) linkage map contained 648 bin makers (38,269 SNPs) and spanned 1414.68 cM, with an average marker interval of 2.22 cM. The male-specific (E. tukula) linkage map contained 2126 bin makers (112,015 SNPs) and spanned 1839.88 cM, with an average marker interval of 0.86 cM. In total, 45 QTLs comprising 318 SNPs for growth-related traits were identified, including 10 QTLs for body weight, 6 QTLs for full length, 7 QTLs for body length, 14 QTLs for head length, 5 QTLs for body height, and 3 QTLs for body thickness. In addition, 56 candidate genes related to growth, metabolism, bone formation, muscle development, and neural regulation were identified, including eight genes associated with growth in other fish. Among these, gpr126 , fam20a , fam20c , sox9b , foxm1 , foxl1 , myf6 , zbtb38 , and sl should be a focus of further research. These results provide a foundation for fine QTL mapping in grouper, and theoretical guidance for exploring the causes of heterosis, which is of great significance for MAS in the breeding of hybrids and male and female parents. • The genetic map of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus , Epinephelus tukula and their hybrid progeny were constructed. • The genetic map in this study had the highest number of SNPs among reported genetic maps for groupers. • Forty-five QTLs comprising 318 SNPs for growth-related traits were identified. • Fifty-six candidate genes related to growth, metabolism, bone formation, and neural regulation were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grouper is an economically important fish in China. However, it exhibits a high frequency of skeletal abnormalities, particularly vertebral deformities. The molecular mechanisms underlying fish vertebral deformities are still poorly understood. In this study, a HiSeq™ 4000 platform (Illumina) was used to analyze the transcriptomic profiles of the brain, pituitary, and vertebrae from normal fish (NF) and fish with lordosis (LF) of Yunlong grouper. A total of 87,888 unigenes were assembled with lengths that varied from 201 to 28,922 bp and a N50 length of 2670 bp. A total of 36,268 unigenes were functionally annotated by BLAST alignments. A total of 2875 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the NF group and the LF group, including 706 upregulated unigenes and 2169 downregulated unigenes in LF. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses showed that DNA binding, transmembrane receptor activity, cytokine receptor interaction, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway and ECM-receptor interaction HIF-1 signaling pathway, and mineral absorption may be involved in the formation of vertebral deformities. Furthermore, weighted gene co-expression network analyses, including three modules (turquoise, yellow, and blue), significantly positively corrected with vertebral deformities. A network map that included these three modules enabled the identification of a series of hub genes, including claudin-22-like (cldn22), fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 1 isoform X2 (fndc1l2), E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase NRDP1-like (rnf41), and Catenin alpha-2 (ctnna1). We found that the levels of most genes in the blue module were closely related to the expression of parvalbumin, thymic CPV3-like isoform X2 (ocm), platelet glycoprotein Ib alpha chain (gp1ba), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mmp9), suggesting that this module is associated with skeletal development. Some uncharacterized genes associated with known bone-related genes, including Unigene0067643, Unigene0056862, and Unigene0059867, were detected by a weighted gene co-expression network analysis. A detailed functional investigation of these networks and genes will further improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the formation of lordosis in fish. • Skletal abnormality is one of the most challenging problems for grouper aquaculture industry. • Transcriptome sequencing was performed on the brain, pituitary and vertebrae to study the lordosis of Yunlong grouper. • WGCNA enabled us to uncover networks and new genes involved in vertebrae development. • Changes in the expression of some genes might disrupt the dynamic balance of vertebrae processes, resulting in lordosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparing the performance of different satellite sensors in global land cover change (LCC) monitoring is necessary to assess their potential and limitations for more accurate and operational LCC estimations. This paper aims to examine and compare the performance in LCC monitoring using three satellite sensors: PROBA-V, Landsat 8 OLI, and Sentinel-2 MSI. We utilized a unique set of global reference data containing four years of records (2015–2018) at 29,263 land cover change/no-change 100 × 100-m sites. The LCC monitoring was conducted using the BFAST(s)-Random Forest (BRF) change detection framework involving 15 global timeseries vegetation indices and three BFAST models. Due to the different spectral characteristics and data availability of the sensors, we designed 30 comparison scenarios to extensively evaluate their performance. The overall results were: 1) for global general LCC monitoring, Landsat 8 OLI slightly outperformed Sentinel-2, and PROBA-V performed the worst. The performance among the three sensors differed consistently despite different data availability and spectral observation regions. Sentinel-2 was more competitive with Landsat 8 when the red-edge 1 band was included; 2) Landsat 8 was more accurate in forest, herbaceous vegetation, and water monitoring. Sentinel-2 performed particularly well in wetland monitoring. In addition, we further observed: 3) missing data in time series decreased the accuracy in all sensors, but had little influence on the relative performance across sensors; 4) combining sensors would not necessarily improve the accuracy because the complementary effects enhanced the accuracy only when there was a large amount of data missing for all sensors; 5) the BRF framework maintained the performance gap among sensors, but obtained a higher and more balanced accuracy overall when compared with using BFAST methods alone, by involving ensemble learning with an embedded sample-balancing strategy; 6) among the random forest variables, the 'magnitude' proved to be the most important contributor, and the NDVI had the most consistently good performance across sensors when compared against other vegetation indices. All sensors using BRF still had some errors in change detection, with a tendency to underestimate the global LCC. A potential reason for this is the complexity of the diverse change/no-change characteristics at the global extent and the fact that smaller, more subtle LCCs might not be well detected. These limitations could be addressed by taking advantage of ensemble learning approaches with a combination of multiple independent region/thematic-adapted LCC monitoring models and using the original Sentinel-2 (10 m) and Landsat 8 (30 m) in the future. • Landsat 8, Sentinel-2, PROBA-V were compared in global land cover change monitoring. • About 30 000 global land cover change/no-change reference sites were utilized. • 30 comparison scenarios and the BFAST(s)-Random Forest framework were designed. • Landsat 8 performed the best in monitoring general land cover change. • Sentinel-2 was better in monitoring wetland and Landsat 8 was better for others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the increasing market demand and emerging grouper aquaculture industry, close attention has been paid to genetic breeding for growth traits in grouper. The construction of linkage maps for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses is an essential step for marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs. In this study, we report the first high-density linkage map of Yunlong grouper (Epinephelus moara ♀ × E. lanceolatus ♂) constructed by sequencing 118 F1 progenies in a full-sib family using restriction site associated DNA (RAD) technology. For the female and male maps, 12,307 and 12,340 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were anchored onto 24 linkage groups, spanning 1909.37 and 1933.61 cM, respectively, with an average marker interval of 0.16 cM. QTL mapping revealed 39 significant QTLs for three growth traits. Candidate genes participating in ubiquitin modification, cell adhesion, G-protein coupled receptors, cell proliferation, and calcium transport were identified from these QTLs, including itgb1 , col1a1 , pdgfc , bmpr1a , pcdhgc5, and cacna1b. The results of this study provide a foundation for genomic and genetic studies and further analyses of the heterosis of some growth traits, thereby facilitating MAS in Yunlong grouper. • High-density linkage maps with 12,307 and 12,340 SNP markers were constructed in F1 hybrid Yunlong grouper. • Thirty-nine QTLs were found to associated with three growth-related traits. • Forty-four candidate genes related to multiple growth-regulatory pathways were identified in significant QTL regions. • This study provides a valuable resource for heterosis study and marker-assisted selection breeding in Yunlong grouper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A colorimetric cellulose acetate (CA) membrane incorporated with Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. anthocyanins (PFA) and chamomile essential oil (CO) is developed via electrospinning technique for food freshness monitoring and shelf-life extending. The moieties of PFA and CO are well-dispersed in fiber matrix by hydrogen bonds and their incorporation increases the fiber size but with no obvious influence on the fiber morphology at incorporation levels. The presence of CO enhances membrane hydrophobicity. The target membrane of CA-PFA6-CO15 (PFA6%, CO15%) has a wide color change range of pH 2–12 which is high sensitive and reversible towards external pH-stimuli. The membrane has good antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus besides antioxidant activity. The release of bioactive moieties is predominantly controlled by Fickian diffusion. The target membrane can simultaneously monitor pork freshness in real-time and double the shelf-life at 25 °C, indicating its potential application in active and intelligent food packaging. [Display omitted] • A facile strategy is proposed to fabricate a multifunctional colorimetric membrane. • Color change of CA-PFA6-CO15 is high sensitive and reversible. • Release of bioactive moieties is predominantly controlled by Fickian diffusion. • Monitoring pork freshness effectively and doubling its shelf-life at 25 °C. • Freshness monitoring and shelf-life extending are achieved simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] OmimPF6 acts not only as a reactant but also as a morphology-directing agent was introduced to prepare uniform LuF3 nanocrystals. [•] Morphology and size-controlled synthesis of rare earth doped LuF3 for the first time, different shapes of the orthorhombic LuF3 nanocrystals were obtained in this research. [•] The effect of different sizes and morphologies on luminescence properties has also been discussed. [•] This study provides more alternatives of rare earth fluorides that exhibit strong characteristic emission, and further complements the exploration of Lu-based nanomaterials, which may have unique properties that the Y/Ln-based nanoparticles do not possess and may serve as versatile luminescent phosphors for further application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In some cases infertile men showed small deletions of specific genes in the Y chromosome. It had been confirmed, these deleted genes are greatly associated with spermatogenic failure. However, the frequency and the patterns of such microdeletions among infertile men are not clearly clarified. Objective: We sought to determine the frequency and the patterns of Y chromosome microdeletions in azoospermic and oligozoospermic infertile men in Northeast China, and try to optimize the selection of sequence tagged sites (STSs) of AZF microdeletions in multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Materials and Methods: 720 azoospermic and 330 oligozoospermic infertile men, from Northeast China were included in this retrospective study during May 2008 to November 2012. Semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Y chromosome microdeletions were detected by polymerase chain reaction assays. G-banding method was used for chromosome Karyotype analysis. Chi-square tests were used to compare patterns of Y chromosome microdeletions in azoospermic and oligozoospermic patients. Results: Of 1050 infertile men, 12.95% cases had shown Y chromosome microdeletions, and 19.43% of cases showed abnormal chromosomal karyotype. Deletions in AZFc region was the most frequent 75.00%, followed by deletions in AZFb region 13.33%, AZFbc region 09.62%, and AZFa region 2.22%. All oligozoospermic patients showed presence of sY84, sY86, sY127, and sY134. Deletion of sY127 (p=0.0101) and sY157 (p=0.0043) showed significant difference between azoospermic group and oligozoospermic group. Conclusion: Deletions of sY127 may relate to azoospermia while sY84, sY86, sY 127 can be ignored in AZF screening for oligozoospermic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Phytoremediation is an emerging strategy for the removal of heavy metal contaminants. However, one of the prerequisite is to understand adequately plant resistant mechanisms. The present study was performed to assess the role of endogenous SA in plant response to Pb or Cd using wild-type (wt) Arabidopsis and its SA-accumulating mutant snc1, SA-reducing transgenic line nahG, SA signal-blocking npr1-1, and snc1/nahG (i.e. expression of nahG in snc1 plant) with a comparable level of SA to the wt. Methods: Plants were grown hydroponically in controlled conditions. For heavy metal exposure, Pb or Cd at final concentrations of 50 μM, 100 μM, and 150 μM, respectively, was added to the culture solution. Unless otherwise indicated, samples were harvested after 7 d of exposure, and used for analyses. Results: Compared to the wt level, the high endogenous SA significantly potentiated Pb- and Cd-induced plant growth retardation, whereas SA deficiency decreased the growth inhibition, and SA signaling blockage also had some protective effect. The expression of nahG in snc1 plant mitigated effectively the growth inhibition. The SA-related mechanism was involved in redox homeostasis, photosynthetic process, and soluble matter accumulation. Conclusions: These results suggest that Pb- or Cd-induced phytotoxicity in Arabidopsis was intensified by elevated endogenous SA, whereas ameliorated by reduced SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Hierarchical hollow structure γ-Al2O3 with a very high yield at low cost was successfully synthesized via a simple method without using any surfactant. [•] The as-obtained γ-Al2O3 exhibited a large BET surface area of 320.6m2/g and a mean pore diameter of 17.8nm. [•] The as-prepared samples exhibit excellent adsorption capacity (835mg/g) for Congo red in aqueous solution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As an excellent photothermal agent candidate, gold nanoshells have attracted a great deal of attention, but the influences of PEGylation on their biological effects and light heat conversion efficiency remain unclear. Here we investigate the influences of PEGylation density on the gold nanoshells on silica nanorattles (GSNPs) to their biological effects, including their cellular uptake, “corona” of biological macromolecules they are covered with, in vivo biodistribution and toxicities, and their in vitro and in vivo light heat conversion efficiency. The results suggest PEGylation obviously impacts the uptake patterns of GSNPs. Less-density PEGylated GSNPs show enhanced cellular uptake caused by the high dose exposure on cell surface due to their rapid aggregation. High-density PEGylated GSNPs show advantages in less toxicity for suppression of aggregation of GSNPs, avoidance of RES, good enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of cancerous tumors, especially the enhanced light heat conversion efficiency in vivo. Less or insufficient PEGylation may induce in vivo toxicity. This study highlights the need to study the effect of PEGylation for near infrared (NIR) light absorbing nanoparticles to predict the effects and safety of nanotherapeutics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The protective effect of galangin against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats was investigated. [•] Galangin inhibited lipid peroxidation, HSCs proliferation and collagen gene expression. [•] For the first time, we confirmed that galangin can ameliorate liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Silicon is obtained from photovoltaic industrial waste through simple purification. • N-doped carbon ensures fast charge transfer and structural stabilization. • Si/NC electrode has a high specific capacity both in half-cell and full-cell. Silicon (Si) is considered to be one of the most promising anode materials for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the practical application of Si anode is still high cost and hindered by huge volume change. It is significant to produce high-performance Si anode of LIBs inexpensively. Herein, we report the Si/N-doped carbon (Si/NC) composite anode materials constructed by recycling Si waste from the photovoltaic industry as raw materials after simple purification and polydopamine (PDA)-derived carbon coating. The Si micro/nano-plates coated with the NC can facilitate electron transfer and inhibit the volume expansion of Si to stabilize the structure of composites. The resulting Si/NC electrode exhibits a high discharge capacity of 1139 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 over 200 cycles. Moreover, the full-cell (LiFePO 4 //Si/NC) presents excellent cycling performance (108 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 over 200 cycles). This work not only offers a reasonable solution for the acquirement of Si anode from the photovoltaic industry but also provides a new strategy for the preparation of anodes for the next generation of LIBs, which may bring great economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion mechanism of 2D FePS 3 material offers superior electrochemical performance. The introduction of the N-doped carbon layer can facilitate the buffering of volume expansion and serve as efficient Na+/electron transfer pathways to promote the charging-discharging process of inner FePS 3 nanosheets. [Display omitted] • FePS 3 /NC is designed as a potential anode material for sodium-ion batteries. • 2D structure of layered MPS 3 provides enough active sites. • N-doped carbon ensures fast charge transfer and structural stabilization. • The reaction mechanism is investigated by ex-situ XRD and DFT calculations. The development of anode materials with high-rate capability and long cyclability has become a research hotspot for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this work, we propose a simple and convenient method for the synthesis of few-layered FePS 3 nanosheets modified by N-doped carbon (FePS 3 @NC) through a controllable coating of polydopamine on the surface of exfoliated FePS 3 nanosheets followed by subsequent carbonization. The optimized FePS 3 @NC anode exhibits a superior capacity performance for 800 cycles with a high specific capacity of 281 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 due to high ionic conductivity of metal phosphorus trichalcogenides (MPS 3) and the unique two-dimensional (2D) few-layered structure of ultrathin nanosheets. Besides, the N-doped carbon layer (NC) decreases Na+ diffusion resistance and buffers the volumetric change during cycles, which are validated by the ex-situ X-ray diffraction and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Furthermore, the full cell coupled by FePS 3 @NC anode and Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 /carbon (NVP/C) cathode also displays high cycling stability. This work gives insight into the development of superior properties anodes for SIBs based on two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an optimal deployment scheme of the Seafloor Observation Network (SON) in the South China Sea (SCS), aiming at early warning of potential tsunami hazards based on the data assimilation approach. The SON is composed of offshore bottom pressure gauges (OBPGs). We design the initial location of OBPGs along the isobaths of 500, 1000, and 2000 m. The energy distribution of the tsunami wavefield based on Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis is used as a reference. Then, synthetic tsunamis generated by stochastic slip sources along the Manila Trench are adopted to evaluate the performance of the SON. The OBPGs at a depth of 1000 m can make an accurate early warning based on tsunami data assimilation at a reasonable engineering cost. Finally, based on the quantitative evaluation, the optimal deployment scheme of the SON is suggested. Our results indicate that at least three stations are required to cover the coast along southern China to forecast the tsunami in the SCS successfully. We note that our method could also be applied to other regions to design the SON against potential tsunami hazards. • A tsunami early warning system is designed for the South China Sea. • Data assimilation approach is adopted for tsunami forecasting. • Offshore stations along the 1000-m isobath are most cost-effective. • At least three stations are required for constructing tsunami warning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] This review summarizes recent progresses on glutathione (GSH)-mediated nanomedicines for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The specific feature of GSH in tumor cells and normal cells is discussed. GSH-responsive drug delivery systems, GSH mediated dynamic therapy, immunotherapy and GSH triggered cancer imaging and theranostics are elaborated. As one of the most important intracellular antioxidants and redox balance regulators, glutathione (GSH) plays a vital role in cell growth and proliferation, drug detoxification and free radical scavenging. In cancer cells, GSH concentration is several folds higher than that in normal cells. In this decade, with the rapid development of nanotechnology and nanomedicine, many studies have developed GSH as an efficient target or trigger for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Nevertheless, reviews systematically summarizing GSH related nanomedicines are still rare. In this review, the different characteristics and functions of GSH in normal and cancer cells are firstly analyzed. Then, recent progresses on GSH-mediated nanomedicines for cancer diagnosis and therapy are comprehensively summarized, including GSH-responsive drug delivery systems, GSH mediated dynamic therapy, immunotherapy and GSH-triggered cancer imaging and theranostics. Different strategies in these methods are discussed including direct utilization of GSH as a trigger and depletion of local GSH for the enhancement of therapy. Finally, the future perspectives and challenges in this field are proposed especially for clinical translation. It is expected that this review would provide some inspiration for future research and development for GSH-mediated nanomedicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer drug resistance is a formidable obstacle that enhances cancer stem-like cell properties, tumour metastasis and relapse. Luteolin (Lut) is a natural flavonoid with strong antitumor effects. However, the underlying mechanism(s) by which Lut protects against paclitaxel-resistant (PTX-resistant) cancer cell remains unknown. Herein, we found that Lut significantly attenuated the stem-like properties of PTX-resistant cancer cells by downregulating the expression of SOX2 protein. Additionally, further study showed that Lut could inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway to decrease the phosphorylation level of AKT(S473) and UBR5 expression, which is an ubiquitin E3 ligase that promotes SOX2 degradation. In addition, Lut also inhibited PTX-resistant cancer cell migration and invasion by blocking epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, Lut inhibited the tumorigenic ability of oesophageal PTX-resistant cancer cells and showed no obvious toxicity in vivo. Thus, Lut has potential as a promising agent for drug-resistant oesophageal cancer therapy. Luteolin attenuates cancer stem-like properties by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway and UBR5 expression to decrease the expression of SOX2 and reverses EMT progression in oesophageal drug-resistant cancer cells. [Display omitted] • Luteolin mediates the SOX2 stability, thus decreasing the cancer stemness property of PTX-resistant oesophageal cell. • Luteolin can abolish metastasis via reversing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in drug-resistant cancer cell. • Luteolin inhibits the tumorigenicity of PTX-resistant oesophageal cancer cells and has no obvious toxicity in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]