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The peptide EDYGA was docked to the active pocket of Keap1 Kelch domain, three hydrogen bonds were found, the pocket of Keap1 Kelch domain are H bond donor, and EDYGA was hydrogen bond acceptor. • Peptide EDYGA was the most potent ARE-luciferase inducer. • EDYGA enhanced Nrf2 level by stabilizing Nrf2 by down regulating Keap1. • EDYGA was docked to the active pocket with three hydrogen bonds. The antioxidant response element (ARE) is a cis-acting enhancer sequence located in the region containing genes related to antioxidant and detoxification. Under oxidative stress, the induction of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ARE is considered as a fundamental process involved in defending reactive oxygen species (ROS) and providing protection against toxic xenobiotics. In this study, we obtained seven antioxidant peptides from soft-shelled turtle and concluded that Glu-Asp-Tyr-Gly-Ala (EDYGA) is the most potent ARE-luciferase inducer. To gain fundamental insights into the role of EDYGA in oxidative stress, we evaluated the effects of EDYGA on the Nrf2/Keap1 system in HepG 2 cells. The results revealed that EDYGA modulated the Nrf2/ARE pathway by enhancing Nrf2 level through the stabilization of Nrf2, which was accomplished by a decrease in the level of Keap1. These actions eventually led to an increase in nuclear Nrf2 accumulation and ARE-binding activity. Moreover, silencing Nrf2 markedly reduced ARE-driven activity induced by EDYGA. Docking results proved that glutamate residues of peptide EDYGA directly bind to Arg 415 of Kelch domain receptor pocke. The results were helpful in understanding the antioxidant activity of peptides from soft-shelled turtle which have potential to be used in foods and drugs as functional ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A synthetic microbial community comprising eight strains was constructed. • The synthetic microbial community achieved 42.08% degradation of corn straw. • A hybrid enzyme system efficiently degrades lignocellulose. • Sugars and proteins are the main products of corn straw fermentation. • Degradation of agricultural straw by the synthetic microbial community is feasible. The efficient degradation of lignocellulose is a bottleneck for its integrated utilization. This research performed species analysis and made functional predictions in various ecosystems using multiomics coupling to construct a core synthetic microbial community with efficient lignocellulose degradation function. The synthetic microbial community was employed to degrade corn straw via solid-state fermentation. The degradation mechanisms were resolved using proteomics. The optimum culture conditions included 10% inoculum level (w/v), 4% nitrogen source ratio and a fermentation time of 23 d. Under these conditions, the degradation rates of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were 34.91%, 45.94%, and 23.34%, respectively. Proteomic analysis revealed that lignin 1,4-β-xylanase, β-xylosidase and endo -1,4-β-xylanase were closely related to lignocellulose degradation. The metabolic pathways involved in lignocellulose degradation and the functional roles of eight strains were obtained. The synthesis of a microbial community via multiomics linkage technology can effectively decompose lignocellulose, which is useful for their further utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The short cycle life of Ni-based cathode materials, especially at the high cut-off voltage, is recognized as one of the major hurdles to widespread commercialization. The commonly dopant elements, like Al, Mg, Ti, Zr, Cd, Zn etc., have been in-depth studied to improve electrochemical performances for Ni-rich cathode. However, the Sb as dopant element for Ni-rich cathode materials has rarely been reported. In this work, the Ni-rich cathode material LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) with Sb doping to bulk and Sb 2 O 3 coating to surface is successfully prepared by adjusting the amount of introduced Sb 2 O 3 in high temperature solid-state reaction process. As a result, Sb-modified NCM811 with Sb doping and Sb 2 O 3 coating exhibits capacity of 176 mAh·g−1 with retention reaching 89.3% at 1 C over 3.0–4.4 V at 55 °C after 100 cycles, whereas the bare NCM811 only delivers 151 mAh·g−1 with the retention of 77.0%. The improvement of cyclability is attributed to synergetic effects of Sb modification. This study reflects Sb modification is an effective method for enhancing cycle life of Ni-rich layered cathode materials. • Sb-modified LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) cathode is synthesized by high temperature solid-state reaction method. • Bulk Sb doping increases the occupied percentage of Ni in Li layer and enlarges the lithium slab spacing I(LiO 2). • Surface Sb 2 O 3 coating protects the active material from electrolyte eroding. • The synergetic effects of Sb modification contributes to the superior cycle performances of NCM811. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Involving more nickel proportion in Ni-rich cathodes, edging to LiNiO 2 , is an inevitable trend to satisfy the demand of high energy density in lithium-ion batteries, but an inducement for the severer formation of undesirable lithium residues. To overcome the consequent degradation behaviors, a LiCoO 2 @Co 3 O 4 complex coating layer is successfully realized on the surface of LiNiO 2 via a facile wet-chemical method taking advantage of the Li-reactive ability of Co 3 O 4. As a result, the 0.4 wt.% Co modified material exhibits competitively enhanced cyclic performance with 178.1 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 1 C, 11% higher than the pristine one in retention rate. Even at higher rates and temperature, it shows better electrochemical stability as well. The superior electrochemical properties of LiCoO 2 @Co 3 O 4 coated LiNiO 2 is ascribed to the dual-function of the coating method, where Co 3 O 4 is formed during heat treatment and simultaneously reacted with surface lithium residues to generate LiCoO 2. In combination of bulk and surface characterization, the significant effects of the coating layer on stabilizing material interface and strengthening the kinetic characteristics for LiNiO 2 cathode materials are investigated and elucidated in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are attracting great interest due to their unique properties and potential applications in the food industry. In this study, a novel form of SeNPs was synthesized by using Bacillus licheniformis CGMCC 2876 extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) fermented from waste cane molasses. The morphology of EPS-SeNPs was spherical with an average size of 141.8 nm and a zeta potential of −51.77 mV, and the concentration of Se reached 107.43 mg/g. Additionally, the EPS-SeNPs exhibited good stability in aqueous solution for 7 days and were resistant to the digestion of simulated gastric fluid. The zero-valent Se composition and C–O⋯Se asymmetric stretch were characterized in the EPS-SeNPs. A synthesis mechanism of EPS-SeNPs was hypothesized. Moreover, the biological activities of the EPS-SeNPs synthesized from EPS were evaluated. The EPS-SeNPs exhibit antioxidant activity in scavenging ·OH, DPPH and ·O2− free radicals with abilities <90% in the range of 0.25–4 g/L and inhibit 50% of formed radicals (IC 50) values of 1.18, 13.71 and 1.93 g/L, respectively. EPS-SeNPs also exhibit excellent antibacterial activity, which could inhibit the growth of intestinal pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (>80%) in vitro with the EPS-SeNPs concentrations higher than 1000 μg/mL. • SeNPs were synthesized by using EPS produced by B. licheniformis from cane molasse. • Concentration of Se in the synthesized EPS-SeNPs could reach 107.43 mg/g. • EPS-SeNPs are resistant to the digestion of simulated gastric fluid. • The synthesis mechanism of EPS-SeNPs was hypothesized. • EPS-SeNPs possess antioxidant (<90%) and antibacterial (>80%) activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interactions among land use functions from an efficiency perspective is crucial for making options that optimize benefits among multiple, often contradictory land-use objectives closely related to food, economy and ecology towards sustainable landscape management. Here, we propose a theoretical framework for evaluating multiple land use functional efficiencies—food functional efficiency (FdFE), economic functional efficiency (EcFE), and ecological functional efficiency (ElFE)—in terms of ideal reference and key indicators across different landscapes. The framework was empirically applied to Jiangsu Province, a typical economically developed region in eastern China, to reveal the spatial-temporal characteristics of FdFE, EcFE, and ElFE at different scales, as well as their trade-offs and synergies. Results showed that FdFE decreased significantly from 2000 to 2020 with an average value of 69.3%, while both EcFE and ElFE increased slightly with an average value of 69.4% and 64.9%, respectively, indicating a great potential for functional improvement in land use in Jiangsu Province. Few regions (4.95%) can simultaneously improve on FdFE, EcFE, and ElFE. Complex trade-offs or synergies with significant temporal dynamics and spatial patterns were common in the interactions among FdFE, EcFE, and ElFE at different scales. Especially, 78.57% of synergies and 76.47% of trade-offs were both related to ElFE, highlighting the critical role of ecological protection in land use. Meanwhile, trade-offs between pair-wise efficiencies at the landscape level during 2000–2020 mostly occurred in FdFE—EcFE and ElFE—EcFE, while stable and enhanced synergies occurred in FdFE—ElFE, and the magnitude of these interactions varied greatly at different spatio-temporal scales. This study provides new ideas for better understanding the multifunctional benefits of land use and their interactions, thereby providing useful information for optimizing land multifunctional use and landscape management from local to regional scales. [Display omitted] • Proposing a framework for land use functional efficiency (LUFE) based on ideal reference and key indicators. • Revealing the remarkable spatio-temporal changes of LUFEs in food, economy and ecology at multiple scales. • Identifying improvement and degradation clusters of LUFEs at multiple scales. • Assessing the spatio-temporal evolution and scale effects of trade-offs and synergies among multiple LUFEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on the traditional revenue model of seller, a robust revenue optimization method is proposed to solve the uncertainty of deal prices. • This research establishes four robust maximum revenue models under different uncertainty sets (Box, Ellipsoid, Polyhedron and Box-polyhedron). • Through employing the RO method, the optimal revenue can be found, and the optimal solution that satisfies all situations in the worst case can be obtained. • Comparing different revenues among models, the value strategies are not optimal for auctioneer in despite of whether to consider uncertainty. Different sequence of selling the diverse goods (used cars) in sequential auction, which is different sequential strategy, collides risk of price uncertainty that leads uncertain revenue. To find the optimal solutions for seller facing revenue uncertainty, a robust optimization method is proposed to overcome the inherent uncertainty of price. In this way, the traditional maximum revenue model is extended into four corresponding robust models according to the different forms of uncertainty sets, the robustness and conservativeness of the solutions are compared. Moreover, these results can be shown by corollaries and numerical examples: (1) the greater uncertain level parameter is, the less revenue is; (2) revenue in model without considering uncertainty is too high, and revenues in robust models are less than it; (3) the revenue does not always increase with total auction sequence increases; (4) value strategies are not optimal for auctioneer in despite of whether to consider uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) is regarded as one of the promising Li-ion battery cathode materials due to the high capacity and low cost, but the poor cyclic and rate performances hinder its widespread application. In our research, La and Al co-modified NCM811 is successfully prepared by a simple method. XRD and XPS confirm that La and Al can not only dope into the NCM811 bulk, but also form the La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4 coating layer on the surface. The La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4 coated and La-and-Al-doped NCM811 exhibits an excellent capacity retention of 97.2% at 1C in the voltage range of 3.0–4.4 V after 100 cycles, 18.5% higher than that of the pristine. As for rate performance, it exhibits a retention of 95.1% in capacity at 5C after 80 cycles from 3.0 V to 4.4 V, 6.4% higher than that of the pristine. The enhanced high-voltage electrochemical performances are mainly ascribed to the facts that the La and Al strengthen the bulk structure by co-doping and the formed La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4 coating layer, as the high-Tc superconducting oxides, not only promotes the diffusion of Li+ but also protect the cathodes from eroding by with the electrolyte. Meanwhile, the residual lithium is reduced by the formation of La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4. The enhanced electrochemical performance shows that the modification of La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4 coating and La–Al co-doping is a competitive method for industrial production of NCM811 material. • The La–Al co-doping and La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4 coating NCM811 cathode material was prepared by a simple method. • The La and Al were doped in the host material uniformly. • La 2 Li 0.5 Al 0.5 O 4 coating protects the active material from electrolyte eroding. • The co-modification method contributes to the superior electrochemical performances of NCM811. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, many approaches have been presented to detect shilling attacks in collaborative recommender systems. However, these approaches focus mainly on detecting individual attackers and rarely consider the collusive shilling behaviors among attackers, i.e., a group of attackers working together to bias the output of collaborative recommender systems by injecting fake profiles. Such shilling behaviors are generally termed group shilling attacks, which are more harmful to collaborative recommender systems than traditional shilling attacks. In this paper, we propose a graph embedding-based method to detect group shilling attacks in collaborative recommender systems. First, we construct a user relationship graph by analyzing the user rating behaviors and use a graph embedding method to obtain the low-dimensional vector representation of each node in the user relationship graph. Second, we employ the k-means++ clustering algorithm to obtain candidate groups based on the generated user feature vectors. Finally, we calculate the suspicious degree of each candidate group according to the attack group detection indicators and use the Ward's hierarchical clustering method to cluster the candidate groups according to their suspicious degrees and obtain the attack groups. The experimental results on the Amazon and Netflix datasets show that the proposed method outperforms the baseline methods in detection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the inventory routing problem of perishable products with time window constraints, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is constructed to minimize the total cost. Due to the uncertainty of market demand, the MILP model is further transformed into mixed integer robust programming (MIRP) model by introducing uncertain sets (box, ellipsoid and polyhedron). Experiments with actual data show that as demand uncertainty increases, although MIRP models will pay corresponding robust costs, they can achieve better robustness. In addition, the comparison shows that the ellipsoid set MIRP model can achieve a higher level of logistics and distribution services. • Considering the time window cost and opportunity constraints, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is constructed to solve the perishable products inventory routing problem. • Robust optimization theory is applied to two-echelon inventory routing problem of perishable products. By setting the level of uncertain parameters to measure uncertainty, MILP is transformed into MIRP model. • According to robust optimization methods, this paper establishes two-echelon MIRP model corresponding to three uncertain sets, and compares the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spinel LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) has received much attention as a cathode material in high energy density lithium-ion battery thanks to its high working voltage. It is recognized that its interface instability issues, especially for the Fd-3m phase with superior conductivity, Co 3 O 4 is employed as an interface coating to stabilize the surface structure of LNMO. A series of test results demonstrated that the side-reaction between LNMO and electrolyte interface is greatly reduced, and as a result, the formation of cathode electrolyte interfacial (CEI) film is inhibited, and the structural change and manganese dissolution are also alleviated. The modified LNMO shows super rate performance and excellent cycle retention. Specifically, the LNMO material coated with 0.8 wt% Co presents a discharge capacity of 120 mA h g−1 at a rate of 10 C with a capacity retention rate of 95.8% after 300 cycles. • The modified LNMO shows super rate performance and excellent cycle retention. • As an ideal coating, Co 3 O 4 not only protect the LNMO surface against undesirable side-reaction but also promote sufficient electronic conduction. • Improvement on the crystal structure stability for Co 3 O 4 coated LNMO in whole long cycle. • Excellent interfacial conductivity for coated LNMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological pretreatment is a viable method for enhancing biogas production from straw crops, with the improvement in lignocellulose degradation efficiency being a crucial factor in this process. Herein, a metagenomic approach was used to screen core microorganisms ( Bacillus subtilis , Acinetobacter johnsonii , Trichoderma viride , and Aspergillus niger ) possessing lignocellulose-degrading abilities among samples from three environments: pile retting wheat straw (WS), WS returned to soil, and forest soil. Subsequently, synthetic microbial communities were constructed for fermentation-enzyme production. The crude enzyme solution obtained was used to pretreat WS and was compared with two commercial enzymes. The synthetic microbial community enzyme-producing pretreatment (SMCEP) yielded the highest enzymatic digestion efficacy for WS, yielding cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin degradation rates of 39.85, 36.99, and 19.21%, respectively. Furthermore, pretreatment of WS with an enzyme solution, followed by anaerobic digestion achieved satisfactory results. SMCEP displayed the highest cumulative biogas production at 801.16 mL/g TS, which was 38.79% higher than that observed for WS, 22.15% higher than that of solid-state commercial enzyme pretreatment and 25.41% higher than that of liquid commercial enzyme pretreatment. These results indicate that enzyme-pretreated WS can significantly enhance biogas production. This study represents a solution to the environmental burden and energy use of crop residues.

Exercise is a potential treatment to improve sleep quality in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Understanding exercise-induced changes in functional plasticity of brain circuits that underlie improvements in sleep among middle-aged and older adults can inform treatment of sleep problems. The aim of the study is to identify the effects of a 12-week exercise program on sleep quality and brain functional connectivity in middle-aged and older adults with insomnia. The trial was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR2000033652). We recruited 84 healthy sleepers and 85 individuals with insomnia. Participants with insomnia were assigned to receive either a 12-week exercise intervention or were placed in a 12-week waitlist control condition. Thirty-seven middle-aged and older adults in the exercise group and 30 in the waitlist group completed both baseline and week 12 assessments. We found that middle-aged and older adults with insomnia showed significantly worse sleep quality than healthy sleepers. At the brain circuit level, insomnia patients showed decreased connectivity in the widespread motor network. After exercise intervention, self-reported sleep was increased in the exercise group (P < 0.001) compared to that in the waitlist group. We also found increased functional connectivity of the motor network with the cerebellum in the exercise group (P < 0.001). Moreover, we observed significant correlations between improvement in subjective sleep indices and connectivity changes within the motor network. We highlight exercise-induced improvement in sleep quality and functional plasticity of the aging brain., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Methylated natural products are widely spread in nature. S -Adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) is the secondary abundant cofactor and the primary methyl donor, which confer natural products with structural and functional diversification. The increasing demand for SAM-dependent natural products (SdNPs) has motivated the development of microbial cell factories (MCFs) for sustainable and efficient SdNP production. Insufficient and unsustainable SAM availability hinders the improvement of SdNP MCF performance. From the perspective of developing MCF, this review summarized recent understanding of de novo SAM biosynthesis and its regulatory mechanism. SAM is just the methyl mediator but not the original methyl source. Effective and sustainable methyl source supply is critical for efficient SdNP production. We compared and discussed the innate and relatively less explored alternative methyl sources and identified the one involving cheap one-carbon compound as more promising. The SAM biosynthesis is synergistically regulated on multilevels and is tightly connected with ATP and NAD(P)H pools. We also covered the recent advancement of metabolic engineering in improving intracellular SAM availability and SdNP production. Dynamic regulation is a promising strategy to achieve accurate and dynamic fine-tuning of intracellular SAM pool size. Finally, we discussed the design and engineering constraints underlying construction of SAM-responsive genetic circuits and envisioned their future applications in developing SdNP MCFs.

Introduction: The advent of metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has garnered attention as a novel method for detecting pathogenic infections, including Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) and tuberculosis (TB).However, the robustness and specificity of mNGS in NTM diagnostics have not been fully explored., Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 27 patients with NTM genomic sequences via mNGS and conducted a comprehensive clinical evaluation., Results: Pulmonary NTM disease was the most commonly observed presentation, with a subset of patients also presenting with extrapulmonary NTM infections.mNGS analysis identified six distinct NTM species, primarily Mycobacteriumavium complex (MAC), followed by Mycobacterium intracellulare andMycobacterium abscessus. Conventional routine culture methods encountered challenges, resulting in negative results for all available 22 samples. Among the 10 patients who underwent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing, five tested positive for NTM., Discussion: It is important to note that further species typing is necessary to determine the specific NTM type, as traditional pathogen detection methods serve as an initial step. In contrast, when supplemented with pathogen data, enables the identification of specific species, facilitating precise treatment decisions. In conclusion, mNGS demonstrates significant potential in aidingthe diagnosis of NTMdisease by rapidly detecting NTM pathogens and guiding treatment strategies. Its enhanced performance, faster turnaround time (TAT), and species identification capabilities make mNGS a promising tool for managing NTM infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang and Xing.)

Medical image segmentation based on deep learning has made enormous progress in recent years. However, the performance of existing methods generally heavily relies on a large amount of labeled data, which are commonly expensive and time-consuming to obtain. To settle above issue, in this paper, a novel semi-supervised medical image segmentation method is proposed, in which the adversarial training mechanism and the collaborative consistency learning strategy are introduced into the mean teacher model. With the adversarial training mechanism, the discriminator can generate confidence maps for unlabeled data, such that more reliable supervised information for the student network is exploited. In the process of adversarial training, we further propose a collaborative consistency learning strategy by which the auxiliary discriminator can assist the primary discriminator in achieving supervised information with higher quality. We extensively evaluate our method on three representative yet challenging medical image segmentation tasks: (1) skin lesion segmentation from dermoscopy images in the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) 2017 dataset; (2) optic cup and optic disk (OC/OD) segmentation from fundus images in the Retinal Fundus Glaucoma Challenge (REFUGE) dataset; and (3) tumor segmentation from lower-grade glioma (LGG) tumors images. The experimental results validate the superiority and effectiveness of our proposal when compared with the state-of-the-art semi-supervised medical image segmentation methods., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None Declared, (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Vehicle-mounted ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used to non-destructively inspect and evaluate railway subgrade conditions. However, existing GPR data processing and interpretation methods mostly rely on time-consuming manual interpretation, and limited studies have applied machine learning methods. GPR data are complex, high-dimensional, and redundant, in particular with non-negligible noises, for which traditional machine learning methods are not effective when applied to GPR data processing and interpretation. To solve this problem, deep learning is more suitable to process large amounts of training data, as well as to perform better data interpretation. In this study, we proposed a novel deep learning method to process GPR data, the CRNN network, which combines convolutional neural networks (CNN) and recurrent neural networks (RNN). The CNN processes raw GPR waveform data from signal channels, and the RNN processes features from multiple channels. The results show that the CRNN network achieves a higher precision at 83.4%, with a recall of 77.3%. Compared to the traditional machine learning method, the CRNN is 5.2 times faster and has a smaller size of 2.6 MB (traditional machine learning method: 104.0 MB). Our research output has demonstrated that the developed deep learning method improves the efficiency and accuracy of railway subgrade condition evaluation.

Two polysaccharides, named APS2-I and APS3-I, were purified from the water extract of Radix Astragali. The average molecular weight of APS2-I was 1.96 × 10 6 Da and composed of Man, Rha, GlcA, GalA, Glc, Gal, Xyl, and Ara in a molar ratio of 2.3:4.8:1.7:14.0:5.8:11.7:2.8:12.6, while the average molecular weight of APS3-I was 3.91 × 10 6 Da and composed of Rha, GalA, Glc, Gal, and Ara in a molar ratio of 0.8:2.3:0.8:2.3:4.1. Biological evaluation showed APS2-I and APS3-I had significant antioxidant activity and myocardial protection activity. Furthermore, total polysaccharide treatment could significantly enhance hemodynamic parameters and improve cardiac function in rat ischemia and reperfusion isolated heart models. These results provided important information for the clinical application of APS in the field of cardiovascular disease and implied that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) could be considered as a reference for the quality control of Radix Astragali.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are extremely attractive for the construction of highly sensitive photodetectors due to their unique electronic and optical properties. However, developing 2D photodetectors with ultrahigh sensitivity for extremely low-light-level detection is still a challenge owing to the limitation of high dark current and low detectivity. Herein, a gate-controlled phototransistor based on 2D SiP 2 /hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) was rationally designed and demonstrated ultrahigh sensitivity for the first time. With a back-gate device geometry, the SiP 2 /h-BN phototransistor exhibits an ultrahigh detectivity of 3.4 × 10 13 Jones, which is one of the highest values among 2D material-based photodetectors. In addition, the phototransistor also shows a gate tunable responsivity of ≤43.5 A/W at a gate voltage of 30 V due to the photogating effect. The ultrahigh sensitivity of the SiP 2 -based phototransistor is attributed to the extremely low dark current suppressed by the phototransistor configuration and the improved photocurrent by using h-BN as a substrate to reduce charge scattering. This work provides a facile strategy for improving the detectivity of photodetectors and validates the great potential of 2D SiP 2 phototransistors for ultrasensitive optoelectronic applications.

Background: The potential for acute exercise to enhance attention has been discussed in the literature. However, the neural mechanisms by which acute exercise affects attention remain elusive., Method: In this study, we first identified an optimized acute Tai Chi Chuan (ATCC) exercise protocol that enhances sustained attention performance and then aimed to determine the neural substrates of exercise-enhanced attention. Reaction time (RT) from the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) was used to evaluate sustained attention. In Experiment 1, improvements in RTs were compared among six different exercise protocols. In Experiment 2, the participants completed the PVT in an MRI scanner on both rest and exercise days., Results: Experiment 1 showed that practicing TCC 3 times for a total of 20 minutes, followed by 10-minute rest periods, resulted in the largest improvements in RTs. Experiment 2 showed that ATCC enhanced sustained attention, as evidenced by shorter RTs, and resulted in greater cuneus/precuneus activation after exercise than in the rest condition. Exercise-induced changes in brain activities across a distributed network exhibited significant correlations with attention., Conclusion: Therefore, this study indicates that ATCC effectively enhances sustained attention and underscores the key role of the cuneus/precuneus and frontoparietal-cerebellar regions in facilitating vigilance among young adults., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Injective thermosensitive hydrogels are considered promising scaffolds to trigger dental pulp regeneration in devitalized human teeth. In this study, we developed a hydroxypropyl chitin (HPCH)/chitin whisker (CW) thermosensitive hydrogel with enhanced mechanical properties and biological activities. Exosomes can serve as biomimetic tools for tissue engineering, but the rapid clearance of unconjugated exosomes in vivo limits their therapeutic effects. To address this challenge, exosomes were isolated from human pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and directly embedded into the HPCH/CW pre-gel to form an exosome-loaded hydrogel (HPCH/CW/Exo). The exosome-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel can be easily injected into an irregular endodontic space and gelated in situ . In vitro cell experiments proved that the delivery of exosomes significantly improved the ability of hydrogels to promote odontogenesis and angiogenesis. Meanwhile, in vivo animal experiments revealed the formation of new dental pulp-like tissues in an implanted tooth root model. Therefore, the proposed hydrogel provides a great potential alternative to traditional root canal therapy in dental clinics.

Objective: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common postoperative disease that threatens patients' quality of life, especially elderly patients. With the popularity of anesthesia/surgery, POCD has received more attention worldwide. The objective of this research is to evaluate 3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP)'s protective effect on postoperative cognitive function in rats and its related mechanisms., Methods: Tibial fracture models of senile rats of POCD were established and divided into blank control group, solvent group, NBP group, Nrf 2 agonist group, and Nrf 2 inhibitor group. The changes in the cognitive abilities of rats were systematically evaluated by the Morris water maze test. After hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of the hippocampus, the morphological and structural changes of hippocampal neurons were observed by light microscopy. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Nrf 2,HO-1,Mfn1,Mfn2,Drp1 proteins. Moreover, the changes in the morphology of mitochondria were observed by transmission electron microscopy., Results: Through the water maze test, we observed that the incidence of postoperative cognitive impairment in the NBP, agonist, and inhibitor groups was substantially lower as compared to the blank control group and solvent group (P < 0.05). The expressions of Nrf 2, HO-1, Mfn1, Mfn2, and Drp1 proteins in the NBP group were upregulated in comparison to the blank control group and the solvent group. The expressions of related proteins in the inhibitor group were substantially lower in comparison to the NBP group., Conclusions: NBP can affect the postoperative cognitive function of rats by activating the Nrf 2/ARE signaling pathway.

Nowadays, approximately 3% of the world's population suffers from psoriasis, an inflammatory dermatosis with high recurrence. Tryptanthrin (TRYP) is a natural alkaloid that possesses anti-inflammatory activities on multiple diseases. The present study aimed to unravel whether TRYP could relieve psoriasis and how it works. Imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic mouse models were administered saline (model), TRYP (25 and 100 mg/kg), or methotrexate (MTX, 1 mg/kg) and considered as the positive control. TNF-α-induced keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) with TRYP (0, 10, 20 and 50 nM) were used for in vitro verification. Psoriasis area severity index (PASI) and spleen index were evaluated. Th17 cell infiltration in both spleens and lymph nodes was detected by flow cytometry. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT), as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD), were examined by ELISA, while the NF-κB/MAPK/Nrf2 pathways-related proteins were determined by western blot. TRYP significantly attenuated psoriatic skin lesions, increased GSH, SOD, and CAT levels, reduced spleen index, accumulation of MDA, the abundance of Th17 cells in both the spleen and lymph nodes, and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in IMQ-induced psoriatic mouse models. Mechanically, TRYP suppressed IMQ-activated NF-κB (IκB and p65), MAPK (JNK, ERK1/2, and p38), and activated Nrf2 signaling pathways. Similar alterations for inflammation and oxidative stress parameters and NF-κB/MAPK/Nrf2 pathways were also observed in TNF-α-treated HaCaT cells upon TRYP treatment. Our findings suggested TRYP is effective in protecting against inflammation and oxidative stress in psoriasis-like pathogenesis by modulating the NF-κB/MAPK/Nrf2 pathways., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy.)

Since some cases of human infections with H5N8 avian influenza virus have been reported and caused great concern in recent years, it is important to develop an effective vaccine for human use to prevent a potential H5N8 pandemic. In the present study, a vaccine candidate virus based on newly human-infected A/Astrakhan/3212/2020 H5N8 virus was constructed by reverse genetics (RG) technology. The immunogenicity of H5N8 whole virion inactivated vaccine was evaluated by various doses of vaccine antigen formulated with squalene-based adjuvant (AddaVax), aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH) 3 ) or without adjuvant in mice. The results showed AddaVax-adjuvanted H5N8 inactivated vaccine could stimulate the mice to produce a stronger protective immune response with higher titers of IgG antibodies, hemagglutination inhibition (HI), neuraminidase inhibition (NI) and microneutralization (MN) antibodies than vaccine formulations with Al(OH) 3 adjuvant or without adjuvant, and achieve a dose-sparing effect. Moreover, the AddaVax-adjuvanted formulation also exhibited potent cross-reactive response in HI antibodies against different clades of H5 viruses. A significant correlation and a curve fitting among HI, NI and MN were found by the correlation analysis to predict the protective effect of the vaccine. With these findings, our study demonstrates that AddaVax adjuvant can enhance the immunogenicity of H5N8 inactivated vaccine remarkably, and proposes an effective strategy for dealing with a potential H5N8 virus pandemic.

Background: There is still no agreement on whether corticosteroids can reduce mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of low-dose corticosteroid administration in patients with ARDS., Methods: A prospective observational study of patients with ARDS in 17 hospitals in China was performed between March 2016 and February 2018. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics between different groups. The effects of corticosteroids were assessed by using the Kaplan-Meier method and a multivariate Cox regression., Results: A total of 527 ARDS patients were enrolled in the study. Sixty-five patients (12.3%) were administered low-dose (methylprednisolone ≤1 mg·kg -1 ·d -1 ) corticosteroids. The median dose was equivalent to 0.67 (0.57-0.81) mg/kg methylprednisolone for a median duration of 10 days. The control group included 224 patients (42.5%) who had never receive corticosteroids. In the matched sample, the hospital mortality rates in the low-dose (n=40) and control groups (n=80) were 27.5% and 42.5% (P=0.110), respectively. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the low-dose corticosteroid group than in the control group (24.0 vs. 17.0, P=0.002), and the multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that the low-dose group had a significantly lower risk of death than the control group (HR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.24-0.97; P=0.040)., Conclusions: The administration of low-dose corticosteroids may reduce mortality in patients with ARDS., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-21-890/coif). All authors report funding from Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, National Natural Science Foundation, and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences., (2022 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

In the past 20 years, many studies have been performed on ballast layer inspection and condition evaluation with ground penetrating radar (GPR). GPR is a non-destructive means that can reflect the ballast layer condition (fouling, moisture) by analysing the received signal variation. Even though GPR detection/inspection for ballast layers has become mature, some challenges still need to be stressed and solved, e.g., GPR indicator (for reflecting fouling level) development, quantitative evaluation for ballast fouling levels under diverse field conditions, rapid GPR inspection, and combining analysis of GPR results with other data (e.g., track stiffness, rail acceleration, etc.). Therefore, this paper summarised earlier studies on GPR application for ballast layer condition evaluation. How the GPR was used in the earlier studies was classified and discussed. In addition, how to correlate GPR results with ballast fouling level was also examined. Based on the summary, future developments can be seen, which is helpful for supplementing standards of ballast layer evaluation and maintenance.

In-plane anisotropic two-dimensional (2D) materials, emerging as an intriguing type of 2D family, provide an ideal platform for designing and fabrication of optoelectronic devices. Exploring air-stable and strong in-plane anisotropic 2D materials is still challenging and promising for polarized photodetection. Herein, SiP 2 , a 2D IV-V semiconductor, is successfully prepared and introduced into an in-plane anisotropic 2D family. The basic characterizations combined with theoretical calculations reveal 2D SiP 2 to exhibit an intrinsically low-symmetry structure, the in-plane anisotropy of phonon vibrations, and an anisotropically dispersed band structure. Moreover, the photodetector based on 2D SiP 2 exhibits high performance with a high detectivity of 10 12 Jones, a large light on/off ratio of 10 3 , a low dark current of 10 -13 A, and a fast response speed of 3 ms. Furthermore, 2D SiP 2 demonstrates a high anisotropic photodetection with an anisotropic ratio up to 2. In addition, the polarization-sensitive photodetector presents a dichroic ratio of 1.6 due to the intrinsic linear dichroism. These good characteristics make 2D SiP 2 a promising candidate as an in-plane anisotropic semiconductor for high-sensitivity and polarized optoelectronic applications.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus and the seventh that can infect human beings and result in severe and acute respiratory syndrome and deaths. Currently, the world is undergoing a global health emergency due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As of May 18, SARS-CoV-2 has spread to over two hundred countries and infected more than 4.8 million people, resulting in over 300,000 deaths since the first case of a novel pneumonia (COVID-19) patient was discovered in Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019. Currently, there are no effective and/or approved targeting drugs for it though various supportive therapy drugs such as small molecule drugs, vaccines, antibodies and even Chinese herb medicines have been used in the treatment of the first-line patients. However, certain drugs such as remdesivir and S416 are under clinical investigation and may become therapeutic drugs. In this article, we review and discuss SARS-CoV-2, its person-to-person transmission, genomics and proteomics, and the potential for drug development., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown once again that coronavirus (CoV) in animals are potential sources for epidemics in humans. Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging enteropathogen of swine with a worldwide distribution. Here, we implemented and described an approach to analyze the epidemiology of PDCoV following its emergence in the pig population. We performed an integrated analysis of full genome sequence data from 21 newly sequenced viruses, along with comprehensive epidemiological surveillance data collected globally over the last 15 years. We found four distinct phylogenetic lineages of PDCoV, which differ in their geographic circulation patterns. Interestingly, we identified more frequent intra- and interlineage recombination and higher virus genetic diversity in the Chinese lineages compared with the USA lineage where pigs are raised in different farming systems and ecological environments. Most recombination breakpoints are located in the ORF1ab gene rather than in genes encoding structural proteins. We also identified five amino acids under positive selection in the spike protein suggesting a role for adaptive evolution. According to structural mapping, three positively selected sites are located in the N-terminal domain of the S1 subunit, which is the most likely involved in binding to a carbohydrate receptor, whereas the other two are located in or near the fusion peptide of the S2 subunit and thus might affect membrane fusion. Finally, our phylogeographic investigations highlighted notable South-North transmission as well as frequent long-distance dispersal events in China that could implicate human-mediated transmission. Our findings provide new insights into the evolution and dispersal of PDCoV that contribute to our understanding of the critical factors involved in CoVs emergence., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: A case of H7N9 influenza virus infection was first identified in China in 2013. This virus is considered to have high pandemic potential. Here we developed an H7N9 influenza vaccine containing an aluminium adjuvant and evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine., Methods: From October 2017 through August 2018 we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, single-centre phase I clinical trial in China among 360 participants aged ≥12 years. All participants received two doses of the vaccine (7.5, 15 or 30 μg haemagglutinin antigen) or placebo at an interval of 21 days. Adverse event data were collected for 30 days after vaccination. Serum samples were collected on days 0, 21 and 42 for the haemagglutinin inhibition (HI) antibody assay., Results: A total of 347 participants (347/360, 96.4%) completed the study. The proportions of vaccine-related adverse events after one injection were 56.7% (34/60) in the 7.5-μg group, 86.7% (52/60) in the 15-μg group and 86.7% (52/60) in the 30-μg group. The proportions of adverse events after two injections were less than those reported after the first dose. None of the serious adverse events were related to the vaccine. After receiving two doses of the 7.5-μg vaccine, the proportion of participants achieving an HI titre of ≥40 was 98.2% (55/56, 95%CI 72.3~100.0%), with a geometric mean titre (GMT) of 192.6 (95%CI 162.9~227.8)., Conclusions: The alum-adjuvanted H7N9 whole-virion inactivated vaccine was safe and strongly immunogenic in a population aged ≥12 years., (Copyright © 2020 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This work aims to explore the feasibility of chlorhexidine-encapsulated mesoporous silica (CHX@pMSN) as a modifier of a commercial dental adhesive via the evaluation of physicochemical properties and antibacterial capabilities of adhesive-dentin interface., Methods: Therapeutic adhesives were developed in the present study by incorporating CHX@pMSN into a commercial adhesive at four mass fractions (0, 1, 5 and 10 wt.%). The antibacterial capability on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) biofilm, conversion degree, adhesive morphology, microtensile bond strength (MTBS) and nanoleakage expression were evaluated comprehensively., Results: MTT and CLSM evaluation showed that CHX@pMSN-doped adhesive inhibits S. mutans biofilm growth, while CHX is released from the modified adhesive continuously. The incorporation of CHX@pMSN did not affect immediate bond strength at the concentration of 1% and 5% (P >  0.05). Moreover, these bonds were mainly preserved in 5% CHX@pMSN group after one month of collagenase ageing. Meanwhile, CHX@pMSN-doped adhesive groups exhibited similar nanoleakage distribution compared with the control., Conclusion: This study showed that the 5% CHX@pMSN-modified adhesive achieved balance amongst unaffected immediate bonding strength, well-preserved bonds against collagenase ageing and effective inhibition of S. mutans biofilm growth., Clinical Significance: CHX@pMSN-modified dentin adhesive can potentially extend the service life of adhesive restoration in clinic., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this paper, Bi 2 S 3 nanospheres with size of 212nm were prepared by a simple hydrothermal process. The selectively enhanced antibacterial effects of Bi 2 S 3 nanospheres with three classes of ineffective antibiotics, β-lactam (cefuroxime, CXM; cefotaxime, CTX and piperacillin, PIP), quinolone (ciprofloxacin, CIP) and aminoglycoside (gentamicin, GEN) against clinical isolated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were investigated for the first time. GEN shows significantly synergistic growth inhibition against MRSA when combined with Bi 2 S 3 nanospheres, while CXM, CTX, PIP and CIP do not. Raman spectroscopy and Z potential studies reveal that Bi 2 S 3 could interact with GEN and the combination showed small electronegativity, which probably induced the increase of GEN content in cytoplasm of bacteria. Furthermore, the combination of Bi 2 S 3 nanospheres and GEN can destroy the bacterial membrane function and induce more bactericidal reactive oxygen generation than that of Bi 2 S 3 or GEN alone. The cytotoxicity test indicates that the combination of Bi 2 S 3 and GEN presented low toxicity to human normal hepatocyte L02. This work shows that Bi 2 S 3 nanospheres can be used to enhance the action of ineffective antibiotic GEN against MRSA, thus strengthening the antibiotic capacity for fighting MRSA infections., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To explore the effects of calcium-sensing receptors (CaSR) on apoptosis in rat hippocampus during hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)., Methods: After rat hippocampus was isolated, the cultures were subjected to H/R, and meanwhile gadolinium chloride (GdCl3, agonist of CaSR) and NPS 2390 (antagonists of CaSR) were added to reperfusion solution. The number of hippocampal neuron, cell viability and apoptosis rate were determined by inverted microscope, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometer (FCM), respectively. Besides, caspase-3, Bax, cytochrome C (Cyt-c), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2, pERK1/2, P38 and pP38 were analyzed by Western blotting., Results: The hippocampal neuron number and cell viability were significantly decreased during H/R, and were further significantly reduced when co-treatment with CaSR agonist GdCl3. But the effects of GdCl3 were attenuated by NPS-2390. Whereas, apoptosis rate, the expression level of caspase-3, Bax and Cyt-c were all significantly increased under H/R condition, and was further significantly increased by GdCl3, but were reversed by NPS-2390 (P < 0.05). Moreover, there were no significant differences in expression of ERK1/2, P38 and pP38 among different groups. However, the expression of pERK1/2 was significantly increased during H/R, but was significantly reduced by NPS 2390 (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The results suggest that CaSR might play significant roles in the induction of hippocampus apoptosis in rat during H/R through phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

Objectives: To explore the effects of calcium-sensing receptors (CaSR) on apoptosis in rat hippocampus during hypoxia/re-oxygenation (H/R)., Methods: After post-culturing of isolated rat hippocampus, the cultures were subjected to H/R, meanwhile gadolinium chloride (GdCl3, agonist of CaSR) and NPS 2390 (antagonists of CaSR) was added to reperfusion solution. The number of hippocampal neuron, cell proliferation assay and apoptosis rate was determined by inverted microscope, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometer (FCM). Besides, caspase-3, Bax, cytochrome C (Cyt-c), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2, pERK1/2, P38 and pP38 were analyzed by western blotting., Results: The hippocampal neuron number and cell viability were significantly decreased after H/R treatment, and were further significantly reduced when co-treatment with CaSR agonist GdCl3. But the effects of GdCl3 were attenuated by NPS-2390. Whereas, apoptosis rate, the expression level of caspase-3, Bax and Cyt-c were all significantly increased under H/R condition, and was further significantly increased by GdCl3, but were reversed by NPS-2390 (P < 0.05). Moreover, there were no significant differences in expression of ERK1/2, P38 and pP38 among different groups. However, the expression of pERK1/2 was significantly increased after H/R treatment, but was significantly reduced by NPS 2390 (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The results suggest that CaSR might play significant roles in the induction of hippocampus apoptosis in rat during H/R through phosphorylation of ERK1/2.