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[Display omitted] Transition metal layered double hydroxides have extremely high specific capacitances but suffer from poor rate performance and cycling stability due to their low conductivity and structural stability. In this study, cobalt-coordinated carbon quantum dots (CoCQDs) were designed and synthesized to enhance the energy storage performance of nickel–cobalt layered double hydroxides (NiCo-LDH). Nickel and cobalt ions were co-electrodeposited with the CoCQDs to form a NiCo-LDH based composite electrode (denoted as CoC@LDH). Since the CoCQDs participated in the formation of the NiCo-LDH, the carbon quantum dots could be strongly bonded to the NiCo-LDH nanosheets through coordination interactions. Thus, the conductivity as well as the structure stability of the NiCo-LDH was effectively improved, which greatly boosted the cycle stability and rate performance of the NiCo-LDH. Several CoCQDs with different Co contents (n CoCQDs, n = 0.5, 1.0, 2.0) were fabricated and their effects on the performance of the resultant electrodes n CoC@LDH were investigated. The 1.0CoC@LDH electrode exhibited an impressive specific capacitance of 1867 F g–1 at 1 A-g–1, along with a significantly enhanced capacitance retention of 84.6 % after 6000 cycles at 5 A g–1 (benchmark 49.5 %). This ingenious design provides a new avenue for fabricating pseudo-capacitive materials with unprecedented high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cold air leakage is mainly concentrated in lower areas on both sides of the ORDC opening. • Using long narrow baffles can greatly reduce the heat load of the ORDC. • Baffle improvement factor is defined to measure the energy-saving efficiency of the baffle. • The baffle with small length and moderate width has high baffle improvement factor. • Using baffles can greatly reduce electricity consumption and water-pouring frequency for users. The opening of the open refrigerated display cabinet (ORDC) directly faces the environment and is vulnerable to the invasion of humid and warm ambient air, which causes high power consumption and excessive defrosting water. CFD simulation results show that the cold air leakage of the ORDC is mainly distributed in the lower areas on both edges of the ORDC opening. Limited coverage on the air curtain opening (LCO) is proposed by adding long narrow baffles at critical leakage positions to achieve an effective reduction in the heat load of the cabinet. According to simulation results, the ORDC equipped with a pair of 40 cm × 10 cm baffles can reduce the heat load by up to 33.8 % compared with the baseline prototype. The baffle improvement factor is defined to evaluate the baffles' effect on refrigeration performance. The baffle with a small length (less than 20 cm) and a moderate width (4 cm–8 cm) is preferred to achieve a high baffle improvement factor. Moreover, the experiment on an ORDC is conducted to further investigate the effect of LCO on the refrigeration performance of the ORDC. The experimental results demonstrate that a pair of 40 cm × 10 cm baffles can reduce the 12 h power consumption and 12 h defrosting water weight of the cabinet by 30.1 % and 51.0 %, respectively, compared with the baseline prototype. Therefore, the LCO method has good application potential in saving electricity and reducing the defrost water in ORDCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel precast concrete composite wall connected by tooth groove and grouted sleeve was introduced, which is produced in factories by means of structure-insulation integrated prefabrication, and the prefabrication and assembly process were presented minutely. To verify the feasibility and reliability of this novel tooth groove and grouted sleeve connection method and explore the joint connection performance and the seismic performance of the precast concrete composite wall connected by tooth groove and grouted sleeve, low-cyclic reversed loading tests with an axial compressive ratio of 0.1 were performed on two full-scale precast concrete composite walls. Moreover, the failure mode, hysteretic curve, skeleton curve, stiffness degradation, displacement ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and reinforcement strain were comprehensively discussed. The research results showed that under the vertical axial load and low-cyclic reversed load, the distributed reinforcements in the wall panel only played a structural role, while the connecting reinforcements at horizontal joints can always effectively transfer stress without bond failure, and the tooth groove and grouted sleeve connection performance was reliable. In addition, the hysteretic curves of the precast concrete composite wall connected by tooth groove and grouted sleeve were full, showing good ductile deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity. In general, the precast concrete composite wall connected by tooth groove and grouted sleeve not only possessed favorable seismic performance but also showed obvious advantages such as green energy saving, high assembly rate, and less on-site wet operation, which can be applied to practical engineering under reasonable design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to investigate the impact of plastic film mulching on the soil physicochemical properties and spring maize yield in the wind and sand erosion area of northern Shaanxi. The experiment utilized the locally recommended maize variety ZHONGYU968 and included three treatments: Surface mulching, inter-row mulching, and no mulching. The study analyzed the influence of mulching on the soil moisture content, pH value, organic matter, maize agronomic traits, yield, and grain nutritional quality. The results showed that in the 0-20 cm and 21-40 cm soil layers, the soil moisture content of the inter-row mulching treatment was higher than that of the no mulching treatment (P<0.05). In the 41-60 cm soil layer, both surface and inter-row mulching increased soil moisture content compared to no mulching (P<0.05). With the increase of soil depth, the pH value of all treatments exhibited a decreasing trend, with the pH values ranking as no mulching > inter-row mulching > surface mulching in different soil layers. Specifically, in the 0-20 cm soil layer, the pH value of surface mulching was lower than that of no mulching (P<0.05). In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the organic matter content of both inter-row and surface mulching was higher than that of no mulching (P<0.05), while in the 41-60 cm soil layer, the organic matter content of inter-row mulching was higher than that of surface mulching and no mulching (P<0.05). Maize under the inter-row mulching exhibited greater plant height, fresh ear weight, ear grain number, and yield than other treatments (P<0.05), with stem diameter and hundred-grain weight higher than no mulching (P<0.05). The crude protein and crude fat content of maize grains under inter-row mulching were 8.22% and 4.58%, The study indicates that the inter-row mulching is more suitable for spring maize cultivation in the wind and sand erosion area of northern Shaanxi and can be further promoted in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a composite energy selective surface (CESS) using diode to induce VO2 is proposed. The CESS is composed of periodic metal meshes connected with PIN diodes and VO2 in rows and the CESS is embedded in a metal window. VO2 can be induced by using the properties of uneven distribution of induced electric field on the CESS and the conduction field of diode is smaller than that of VO2, so as to reduce the metal‐insulator transition field of it. When the shielding efficiency (SE) reaches 10 dB, the incident field of CESS would be reduced by 72.95% compared with the ESS using VO2 (V‐ESS). Meanwhile, compared with the ESS using diode (D‐ESS), the number of diode in CESS is reduced by 92%, greatly reducing the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the design of CESS with different incident field when SE reaches 10 dB can be realized more flexibly according to different structures, while the maximum SE can reach 20.94 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary lycopene (LYC) supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of breast muscle in aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)‐challenged broilers. A total of 192 1‐day‐old healthy Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to 3 treatments, each with 8 replicates (8 broilers per replicate). The broilers of the three treatments were fed a basal diet (control), a basal diet supplemented with 100 µg/kg AFB1 (CA), and a basal diet supplemented with 100 µg/kg AFB1 and 200 mg/kg LYC (CAL). The results demonstrated that the AFB1 diet increased the feed‐to‐gain (F/G) ratio (p < 0.05), yellowness and shear force of breast muscle (p < 0.05), and protein carbonyl (PC) content (p < 0.05) while decreasing the average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05), redness of breast muscle (p < 0.05), glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.05), and ability to clear OH· from breast muscle (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control group. Dietary LYC supplementation significantly decreased the F/G ratio (p < 0.05), yellowness and shear force (p < 0.05), and the content of PC and hydrogen peroxide (p < 0.05) while significantly increasing the ADG (p < 0.05), redness of breast muscle (p < 0.05), and ability of breast muscle to clear ABTS·+ (p < 0.05) compared to the CA diet. In conclusion, LYC can alleviate the negative impacts of AFB1 on the growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of breast muscle in broilers. Practical Application: LYC, as a popular antioxidant, is beneficial to the growth and health of animals. The detailed application effects are still being investigated. In this study, by adding LYC to an AFB1‐contaminated diet, it was found that LYC could alleviate the adverse effects of AFB1 on the growth performance, meat quality, and muscle antioxidant capacity of broilers. These findings can provide a reference for the application of LYC and similar plant‐derived materials in animal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photoinduced reductive Reformatsky reaction by cooperative dual-metal catalysis is described. This methodology enables the implementation of this venerable reaction in environmentally friendly conditions, obviating the need for a stoichiometric amount of metals. A broad range of synthetically useful β-hydroxy esters can be efficiently prepared in moderate to high yields using this protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a facile delignification and natural drying process for synthesizing cellulose films using the unique surface roughness, porosity, and lightness of the hollow stellate cellulose (HSC) united aerenchyma of the wetland weed Juncus effusus L. By controlling the grafted amino/fluorine‐bearing group content of various silane coupling agents, this work successfully manipulates the triboelectric polarities of HSC films after silanization. Subsequently, a layer of Ag nanowire electrodes is coated on one side of the silanized HSC friction layers, resulting in flexible, lightweight, semi‐transparent HSC‐based triboelectric nanogenerators (HSC‐TENGs) featuring both macro‐scale surface roughness and micro‐nano inner pores. These all‐in‐one HSC‐TENGs achieve the highest output voltage of 4.86 V, which is 28 times that of TENGs employing two pristine HSC films as triboelectric layers (PHSC‐TENG). Finally, the HSC‐TENG with the optimum output power is applied as a wearable self‐powered sensor for gait analysis, demonstrating stable and sustainable performances in distinguishing different body motions such as walking, running, jumping, and calf raising. This study not only proposes a new cellulose‐based TENG for future in‐depth body locomotion analysis but also paves the way for converting differently structured aerenchyma from abundant problematic aquatic or wetland weeds into promising structural templates in multifunctional cellulose‐based applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compliant constant-force mechanisms (CCFMs) are compliant mechanisms that provide nearly constant forces over prescribed deflection ranges. This study proposes a topology optimization method for designing hinge-free compliant constant-output-force mechanisms. Bifurcation cause the objective function to oscillate, leading to convergence failure. Therefore, a constraint for preventing bifurcation in constant-output-force mechanisms is proposed. Moreover, a minimum scale constraint method that extends the design domain is utilized in the proposed optimization algorithm. The relationship between the minimum length scale and the force variation in the optimized CCFM is obtained and discussed, and an optimized CCFM is fabricated and tested. The optimized CCFM exhibits a force variation of 0.7% over a constant-force stroke of 26% of the CCFM length and is thus competitive among recently proposed CCFMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to investigate the modulatory effect of Sophora subprosrate polysaccharide (SSP) on inflammatory reaction and immunosuppression in PCV2-infected RAW264.7 cells. The PCV2-infected RAW264.7 cells were treated with SSP (100, 200 and 400 mg/L) for 16 h, the mRNA expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1, 2 ( STAT1, STAT2), janus kinase 1 (JAK1), tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (Ccl3), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (CXCL2), tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-α), REL proto-oncogene, NF-κB subunit (Rel), nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor alpha and delta (Nfκbia, Nfκbid), and nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor zeta (Nfκbiz) were measured. The protein expression levels of phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 2 (p-Stat1, p-Stat2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 2 (Stat1, Stat2), inhibitor of nuclear factor κB kinase subunit beta (IκB), phospho-inhibitor of nuclear factor κB kinase subunit beta (p-Iκ B), nuclear factor NF-κB p65 subunit (p65), phospho-nuclear factor NF-κB p65 subunit (p-p65), CXCL2, JAK1, phospho-Janus kinase 1 (p-JAK1) and TYK2 in the cells were detected. The levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interferon-α (IFN-α), interferon-β (IFN-β), and TNF-α in cell supernatants were detected. The results showed that after the RAW264.7 cells were infected with PCV2 for 16 h, the mRNA expression levels of STAT1, STAT2, JAK1, TYK2 and Nfκbia were significantly upregulated (P<0.05), mRNA expression levels of Ccl3, CXCL2, TNF-α, Rel, Nfκbid and Nfκbiz were significantly downregulated ( P<0.05), the protein expression levels of Stat1, p-Stat1, Stat2, p-Stat2, JAK1, p-JAK1 and TYK2 were significantly upregulated ( P<0.05), protein expression levels of IκB, p-IκB, p65 and CXCL2 were significantly downregulated in RAW264.7 cells ( P<0.05), and SSP at 200 mg/L significantly regulated the imbalance in the expression levels of these factors (P<0.05). The study indicates that SSP modulates inflammatory response and immunosuppression induced by PCV2 infection through JAK-STAT/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hamiltonian approach in quantum mechanics provides a new thinking for barrier option pricing. For proportional floating barrier step options, the option price changing process is similar to the one dimensional trapezoid potential barrier scattering problem in quantum mechanics; for floating double-barrier step options, the option price changing process is analogous to a particle moving in a finite symmetric square potential well. Using Hamiltonian methodology, the analytical expressions of pricing kernel and option price could be derived. Numerical results of option price as a function of underlying price, floating rate, interest rate and exercise price are shown, which are consistent with the results given by mathematical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myocardial ischemia (MI) can cause angina, myocardial infarction, and even death. Angiogenesis is beneficial for ensuring oxygen and blood supply to ischemic tissue, promoting tissue repair, and reducing cell damage. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) against myocardial ischemia and explored its underlying mechanism on autophagy. Methods: The anti-apoptosis effect of Sal B was conducted by staining Annexin V-FITC/PI and Hoechst as well as evaluating apoptosis bio-markers at protein level in H9c2 cells at glucose deprivation condition. HUVECs were co-cultured with H9c2, and the tube formation assay was used to monitor Sal B's impact on angiogenesis. The MI model of mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of isoproterenol (ISO). The effect of Sal B on MI mice was evaluated by HE, Masson, immunohistochemistry, WB and kits. In addition, Atg5 siRNA was applied to verify whether the protective effect of Sal B was regulated to autophagy. Results: In H9c2, Sal B reduced the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), improved the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated the expressions of Bax and cleaved-Caspase3, upregulated the expression of Bcl-2. Therefore, Sal B could significantly inhibit the damage of H9c2 caused by glucose deprivation. In the co-culture system of H9c2 and HUVECs, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in the supernatant was dramatically raised by Sal B. Sal B upregulated the expressions of VEGF, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and endothelial marker CD31. It implied that Sal B exerted a significant pro-angiogenic effect. Moreover, Sal B increased the expression of LC3, Atg5, and Beclin1, while reducing the level of P62. When the expression of Atg5 was inhibited, the protective effects of Sal B on apoptosis and angiogenesis was reversed. Conclusions: Sal B inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis and promoted angiogenesis by regulating autophagy, thereby improving MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

tRNA function is based on unique structures that enable mRNA decoding using anticodon trinucleotides. These structures interact with specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and ribosomes using 3D shape and sequence signatures. Beyond translation, tRNAs serve as versatile signaling molecules interacting with other RNAs and proteins. Through evolutionary processes, tRNA fragmentation emerges as not merely random degradation but an act of recreation, generating specific shorter molecules called tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). These tsRNAs exploit their linear sequences and newly arranged 3D structures for unexpected biological functions, epitomizing the tRNA "renovatio" (from Latin, meaning renewal, renovation, and rebirth). Emerging methods to uncover full tRNA/tsRNA sequences and modifications, combined with techniques to study RNA structures and to integrate AI-powered predictions, will enable comprehensive investigations of tRNA fragmentation products and new interaction potentials in relation to their biological functions. We anticipate that these directions will herald a new era for understanding biological complexity and advancing pharmaceutical engineering. Kuhle et al. explore tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) as critical cellular regulators. Originating from tRNA "renovatio" (Latin for "renewal and rebirth"), tsRNA functions are tied to 3D structures and dynamically regulated by RNA modifications and binding partners, highlighting the promise of experimental and AI-based approaches to tackle their biological complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic glass, with its unique disordered atomic structure and high density of low‐coordination sites, is regarded as the most competitive new catalyst for environmental catalysis. However, the efficiency and stability of metallic glass catalysts are often affected by their atomic configuration. Thus, the design and regulation of the nanoscale structure of metallic glasses to improve their catalytic efficiency and stability remains a challenge. Herein, a non‐noble component, Fe75P15C10 amorphous ribbon, is used as a precursor to fabricate a hierarchical gradient catalyst with nanoscale heterogeneous and oxygenous amorphous structure by simple annealing and acid‐immersing. The resulting catalyst offers an ultrahigh catalytic ability of kSA•C0 = 3101 mg m−2 min−1 and excellent reusability of 39 times without efficiency decay in dye wastewater degradation. Theoretical calculations indicate that the excellent catalytic performance of the catalyst can be attributed to its unique heterogeneous nanoglass structure, which induces oxygen atoms. Compared to the FePC structure, the FeP/FePCO structure exhibits strong charge transferability, and the energy barrier of the rate‐determining steps of the conversion of S2O82− to SO4−• is reduced from 2.52 to 0.97 eV. This study reveals that a heterogeneous nanoglass structure is a new strategy for obtaining high catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social public welfare practice is an important way to realize the goal of practical education in colleges and universities. Through a survey of 439 university students in Beijing, the results in this study showed that university students' intention to participate in social public welfare practice was influenced by perceived value, behavioral attitude, and perceived behavioral control, and was not affected by subjective norms. Behavioral attitude and perceived behavioral control played a mediating role between perceived value and intention to participate. These findings extend the research perspective to the field of social welfare and have the potential to promote the development of social welfare practice activities for university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a unique mediator of interorgan communications, playing important roles in the pathophysiologic process of various diseases, including diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Here, we reported that the EVs released by steatotic hepatocytes exerted a detrimental effect on pancreatic β cells, leading to β‐cell apoptosis and dysfunction. The effect was profoundly attributable to an up‐regulation of miR‐126a‐3p in the steatotic hepatocyte‐derived EVs. Accordingly, overexpression of miR‐126a‐3p promoted, whereas inhibition of miR‐126a‐3p prevented β‐cell apoptosis, through a mechanism related to its target gene, insulin receptor substrate‐2. Moreover, inhibition of miR‐126a‐3p by its specific antagomir was able to partially reverse the loss of β‐cell mass and ameliorate hyperglycaemia in diabetic mice. Thus, the findings reveal a novel pathogenic role of steatotic hepatocyte‐derived EVs, which mechanistically links nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to the development of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Cyclic electron transport (CET) around photosystem I (PSI) is crucial for photosynthesis to perform photoprotection and sustain the balance of ATP and NADPH. However, the critical component of CET, cyt b6f complex (cyt b6f), functions in CET has yet to be understood entirely. In this study, we found that NdhS, a subunit of NADPH dehydrogenase‐like (NDH) complex, interacted with cyt b6f to form a complex in Arabidopsis. This interaction depended on the N‐terminal extension of NdhS, which was conserved in eukaryotic plants but defective in prokaryotic algae. The migration of NdhS was much more in cyt b6f than in PSI‐NDH super‐complex. Based on these results, we suggested that NdhS and NADP+ oxidoreductase provide a docking domain for the mobile electron carrier ferredoxin to transfer electrons to the plastoquinone pool via cyt b6f in eukaryotic photosynthesis. Significance Statement: NdhS, a subunit of NADPH dehydrogenase like (NDH) complex, interacted with cyt b6f to form a complex in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insomnia is an important comorbidity of chronic pain. In this issue of Neuron , Li et al. report that chronic-pain-induced insomnia is mediated by the pyramidal neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex and their dopaminergic projections to the dorsal medial striatum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe peripheral nerve injury (PNI) often leads to significant movement disorders and intractable pain. Therefore, promoting nerve regeneration while avoiding neuropathic pain is crucial for the clinical treatment of PNI patients. However, established animal models for peripheral neuropathy fail to accurately recapitulate the clinical features of PNI. Additionally, researchers usually investigate neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration separately, leaving the intrinsic relationship between the development of neuropathic pain and nerve regeneration after PNI unclear. To explore the underlying connections between pain and regeneration after PNI and provide potential molecular targets, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and functional verification in an established rat model, allowing simultaneous study of the neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration after PNI. Results: First, a novel rat model named spared nerve crush (SNC) was created. In this model, two branches of the sciatic nerve were crushed, but the epineurium remained unsevered. This model successfully recapitulated both neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration after PNI, allowing for the study of the intrinsic link between these two crucial biological processes. Dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) from SNC and naïve rats at various time points after SNC were collected for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). After matching all scRNA-seq data to the 7 known DRG types, we discovered that the PEP1 and PEP3 DRG neuron subtypes increased in crushed and uncrushed DRG separately after SNC. Using experimental design scRNA-seq processing (EDSSP), we identified Adcyap1 as a potential gene contributing to both pain and nerve regeneration. Indeed, repeated intrathecal administration of PACAP38 mitigated pain and facilitated axonal regeneration, while Adcyap1 siRNA or PACAP6-38, an antagonist of PAC1R (a receptor of PACAP38) led to both mechanical hyperalgesia and delayed DRG axon regeneration in SNC rats. Moreover, these effects can be reversed by repeated intrathecal administration of PACAP38 in the acute phase but not the late phase after PNI, resulting in alleviated pain and promoted axonal regeneration. Conclusions: Our study reveals that Adcyap1 is an intrinsic protective factor linking neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration following PNI. This finding provides new potential targets and strategies for early therapeutic intervention of PNI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staphylococcus aureus expresses numerous toxins, many of which are strongly believed to be responsible for specific symptoms and even diseases, making it significant in the pathogenesis of human health. Enterotoxins, which are vital toxins, are associated with foodborne illnesses that manifest through symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. In the present study, 264 S. aureus isolates obtained from various retail foods in Hangzhou, China were further investigated the profiles of enterotoxin genes and genetic backgrounds. Results: Approximately, 64.02% of the isolates from diverse sources contained at least one Staphylococcal Enterotoxin (SE) genes, displaying a total of 36 distinct combinations. Enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) encoded enterotoxin genes, normally designated by seg, sei, sem, sen, seo and selu, plus with sep were more frequently detected (33.73%, each). In contrast, see, ses and set were absent in any of the isolates tested. A total of 44 sequence types (STs), 20 clonal complexes (CCs) and 66 different staphylococcal protein A (spa) types (including six novel types) were identified among those 169 SE-positive isolates. Moreover, nineteen methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were identified. The majority of those isolates belonged to the CC59-Sccmec IVa cluster and carried the seb-sek-seq gene cluster. The egc cluster, either coexisting with or without other enterotoxin genes, was observed in all isolates allocated into CC5, CC9, CC20, CC25, CC72 and ST672. Irrespective of the spa types and origins of the food, it appeared that seh was a distinct genetic element present in isolates belonging to the CC1 clonal lineage. Conclusions: The results not only proposed a suspected relationship between distribution of enterotoxigenic strains and genetic backgrounds, but also attributed the presence of novel enterotoxins to potential hazards in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in elementary school-aged youth have increased in recent years. Understanding the risks associated with childhood STBs is necessary for prevention efforts. The current study examined clinical and neurocognitive characteristics of a community sample of elementary school-aged children with (STB+) and without (STB-) a history of STBs. The final sample included 93 families with children average age of 7.8 years (SD = 1.3). Children in this sample were racially diverse, evenly split by sex, and most identified as non-Hispanic. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using computerized behavioral measures. Child clinical characteristics were assessed using self-report measures and STB history was assessed using semi-structured interviews. Of the 93 families, 64 STB- children and 29 STB+ children participated. On average, STB+ children were older, reported higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and were more likely to have a parental history of suicidal behavior (PH+). Regarding neurocognitive functioning, STB+ children exhibited lower raw scores for both the NIH Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (NIH-DCCS) and NIH Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (NIH-Flanker). Multivariable regression analyses revealed raw scores for NIH-DCCS and NIH-Flanker, PH+ status, and child age were associated with childhood STBs. Prospective data is needed to confirm cross-sectional findings. Poorer neurocognitive functioning and PH+ status may serve as risk markers for STBs in elementary school-aged children. Targeting prevention programming for these risks may reduce the likelihood of STBs in at-risk elementary school-aged youth. • Neurocognitive functioning of 6–9-year-old youth with and without a history of STBs • STB+ children exhibited more neurocognitive deficits compared to STB- children. • Parental history of SB, age, and neurocognitive functioning related to child STBs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas (CRISPR-Cas9) technology in the genetic modification of Yarrowia lipolytica is challenged by low efficiency and low throughput. Here, a highly efficient CRISPR-iCas9 (with D147Y and P411T mutants) genetic manipulation tool was established for Y. lipolytica, which was further utilized to integrate carotene synthetic key genes and significantly improve the target product yield. First, CRISPR-iCas9 could shorten the time of genetic modification and enable the rapid knockout of nonsense suppressors. iCas9 can lead to more than 98% knockout efficiency for NHEJ-mediated repair after optimal target disruption of a single gene, 100% knockout efficiency for a single gene-guided version, and more than 80% knockout efficiency for multiple genes simultaneously in Y. lipolytica. Subsequently, this technology allowed for rapid one-step integration of large fragments (up to 9902-bp) of genes into chromosomes. Finally, YL-ABTG and YL-ABTG2Z were further constructed through CRISPR-iCas9 integration of key genes in a one-step process, resulting in a maximum β-carotene and zeaxanthin content of 3.12 mg/g and 2.33 mg/g dry cell weight, respectively. Therefore, CRISPR-iCas9 technology provides a feasible approach to genetic modification for efficient biosynthesis of biological compounds in Y. lipolytica. Key points: • iCas9 with D147Y and P411T mutants improved the CRISPR efficiency in Y. lipolytica. • CRISPR-iCas9 achieved efficient gene knockout and integration in Y. lipolytica. • CRISPR-iCas9 rapidly modified Y. lipolytica for carotenoid bioproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Porous organic polymers are considered as excellent candidates for the electrode materials in rechargeable battery due to their desirable properties including porosity, customizable structure, and intrinsic chemical stability. Herein a Salen-based porous aromatic framework (Zn/Salen-PAF) is synthesized through a metal directed method and further used as efficient anode material for lithium-ion battery. Attributing to the stable functional skeleton, Zn/Salen-PAF delivers a reversible capacity of 631 mAh·g−1 at 50 mA·g−1, a high-rate capability of 157 mAh·g−1 at 20.0 A·g−1 and a long-term cycling capacity of 218 mAh·g−1 at 5.0 A·g−1 even after 2000 cycles. Compared to the Salen-PAF without metal ions, Zn/Salen-PAF possesses better electrical conductivity and more active sites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigation indicates that the coordination of Zn2+ with N 2 O 2 unit not only improves the conjugation of the framework but also contributes to the in situ cross-sectional oxidation of the ligand during reaction, which results in the electron redistribution of oxygen atom and the formation of C O bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the reservoir architecture in braided river systems has significant implications for the exploitation of remaining oil and gas reserves. However, due to the complexity of the braided river deposition process, the architecture patterns are diverse and intricate. Limited by the quality of seismic data and well network density, the characterization of underground reservoir architecture often entails considerable uncertainty. This paper investigates the architecture elements, stacking patterns, and significance of oil and gas development in the braided river deposition of the Jin 58 well area in the northern part of the Ordos Basin through typical field outcrop and core observations, and by making full use of horizontal well data. The study reveals that the Jin 58 well area is mainly characterized by four types of architecture units: braided channel, channel bar, overbank, and flood plain. Based on the data from horizontal and vertical wells, four identification criteria for single sand bodies are determined, and the vertical stacking and lateral juxtaposition styles of the architecture units, as well as the architecture patterns and internal features of the channel bar, are summarized. It is confirmed that composite sand bodies have better productivity. A three-dimensional architecture model of the braided river is established based on the results of architecture analysis. The accuracy of the architecture analysis is validated through numerical simulation, providing a basis for subsequent well deployment and other related activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress (OS) has been identified as a key factor in the development of Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO). The detection of OS levels in clinical and scientific research practice is mainly based on the measurement of oxidative stress such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and lipid peroxides. These markers are typically assessed through a combination of physical and chemical methods. Smoking is known to the state of OS in TAO, and OS levels are significantly increased in smokers due to inadequate antioxidant protection, which leads to the expression of apoptotic proteins and subsequent cell injury, thrombosis and limb ischemia. There, understanding the role of OS in the pathogenesis of TAO may provide insights into the etiology of TAO and a basis for its prevention and treatment. • Oxidative stress (OS) plays an essential role in the development of Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO) • Pharmacological treatment in TAO is aimed at inhibiting platelet aggregation, inducing smooth muscle cell relaxation, enhancing blood flow and reducing fibrinogen levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The flow and atomization process of swirl nozzle is simulated by VOF to DPM approach. • The liquid film thickness is used as the conversion criteria from VOF to DPM. • The optimal parameter of nozzle structure is presented for artificial snowmaking. With the worldwide popularity of skiing, artificial snow technology has been gradually developed. Atomization is the key process for snowmaking, and swirl nozzles are applied as the core atomization components in snowmakers. In this research, the effects of nozzle geometric parameters on the flow and atomization characteristics are explored to improve snowmaking performance. The flow and atomization process in swirl nozzle is simulated by VOF-DPM approach after experimental validation. The results show that appropriate increase of orifice diameter and swirl slot area can effectively reduce the atomization droplet size and increase the spray flow rate. As the diameter ratio of swirl chamber to orifice decreases from 6.67 to 2.5, Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) decreases by 54.9%, and mass flow rate increases by 168.2%. When orifice diameter is 4.0 mm, as the atomizer constant increases from 0.1688 to 0.3797, SMD decreases by 65.8% and mass flow rate increases by 114.3%. Furthermore, the reduction in SMD and the increase in spray flow rate are attributed to high discharge velocity. The swirl nozzles have the best atomization droplet size and maximum flow rate, as the inlet pressure is 0.6 -1.4 MPa, orifice diameter is 4.0 mm and swirl slot width is 2.25 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute liver failure (ALF) is characterized by rapid liver cell destruction. It is a multi-etiological and fulminant complication with a clinical mortality of over 80%. Therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or MSCs-derived exosomes can alleviate acute liver injury, which has been demonstrated in animal experiments and clinical application. However, similar to other stem cells, different cell sources, poor stability, cell senescence and other factors limit the clinical application of MSCs. To achieve mass production and quality control on stem cells and their exosomes, transfecting umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UCMSC) with lentivirus overexpressing human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, the hTERT-UCMSC was constructed as an immortalized MSC cell line. Compared with the primary UCMSC (P3) and immortalized cell line hTERT-UCMSC at early passage (P10), the hTERT-UCMSC retained the key morphological and physiological characteristics of UCMSC at the 35th passage (P35), and showed no signs of carcinogenicity and toxic effect in mice. There was no difference in either exosome production or characteristics of exosomes among cultures from P3 primary cells, P10 and P35 immortalized hTERT-UCMSCs. Inoculation of either hTERT-UCMSC (P35) or its exosomes improved the survival rate and liver function of ALF mice induced by thioacetamide (TAA). Our findings suggest that this immortalized cell line can maintain its characteristics in long-term culture. Inoculation of hTERT-UCMSC and its exosomes could potentially be used in clinics for the treatment of liver failure in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe convective weather is hugely destructive, causing significant loss of life and social and economic infrastructure. Based on the U-Net network with the attention mechanism, the recurrent convolution, and the residual module, a new model is proposed named ARRU-Net (Attention Recurrent Residual U-Net) for the recognition of severe convective clouds using the cloud image prediction sequence from FY-4A data. The characteristic parameters used to recognize severe convective clouds in this study were brightness temperature values TBB9, brightness temperature difference values TBB9−TBB12 and TBB12−TBB13, and texture features based on spectral characteristics. This method first input five satellite cloud images with a time interval of 30 min into the ARRU-Net model and predicted five satellite cloud images for the next 2.5 h. Then, severe convective clouds were segmented based on the predicted image sequence. The root mean square error (RMSE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and correlation coefficient (R2) of the predicted results were 5.48 K, 35.52 dB, and 0.92, respectively. The results of the experiments showed that the average recognition accuracy and recall of the ARRU-Net model in the next five moments on the test set were 97.62% and 83.34%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has gained special interests in the dairy industry due to their health-promoting properties and contribution to the rheology of fermentation milk products. In the present study, an EPS designated as EPS-NS1905E was partially purified and characterized secreted from L. plantarum NS1905E. The EPS-NS1905E had an average molecular weight of 2.658 × 105 Da and was composed of glucose, arabinose, rhamnose, mannose, and galactose in an approximate molar ratio of 58.83 : 17.4 : 6.31 : 5.86 : 2.74. The FTIR spectroscopy showed the prevalence of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. The EPS-NS1905E had a thermal stability and exhibited higher viscosity in the NaCl solution and low acidity conditions (pH 2–4). Furthermore, the EPS-NS1905E possessed strong scavenging abilities against DPPH radicals (96%). The addition of EPS-NS1905E in skim milk significantly shortened the fermentation time of yogurt, and the water-holding capacity (WHC) and viscosity of yogurt were improved during storage. The results indicated that the EPS-NS1905E has great potential for use as a food additive in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we prove the linear stability of the pipe Poiseuille flow for general perturbations at high Reynolds number regime. This has been a long‐standing problem since the experiments of Reynolds in 1883. Our work lays a foundation for the theoretical analysis of hydrodynamic stability of pipe flow, which is one of the oldest yet unsolved problems in fundamental fluid dynamics. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music seems promising as an adjuvant pain treatment in humans, while its mechanism remains to be illustrated. In rodent models of chronic pain, few studies reported the analgesic effect of music. Recently, Zhou et al. stated that the analgesic effects of sound depended on a low (5 dB) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) relative to ambient noise in mice. However, despite employing multiple behavioral analysis approaches, we were unable to extend these findings to a mice model of chronic pain listening to the 5 dB SNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a liquid crystal-modulated metastructure sensor (MS) is proposed that can detect the refractive index (RI) of a liquid and change the detection range under different applied voltages. The regulation of the detection range is based on the different bias states of the liquid crystal at different voltages. By changing the sample in the cavity that is to be detected, the overall electromagnetic characteristics of the device in the resonant state are modified, thus changing the position of the absorption peaks so that different RI correspond to different absorption peaks, and finally realizing the sensing detection. The refractive index unit is denoted as RIU. The range of the refractive index detection is 1.414–2.828 and 2.121–3.464, and the corresponding absorption peak variation range is 0.8485–1.028 THz and 0.7295–0.8328 THz, with a sensitivity of 123.8 GHz/RIU and 75.6 GHz/RIU, respectively. In addition, an approach to optimizing resonant absorption peaks is explored, which can suppress unwanted absorption generated during the design process by analyzing the energy distribution and directing the current flow on the substrate. Four variables that have a more obvious impact on performance are listed, and the selection and change trend of the numerical values are focused on, fully considering the errors that may be caused by manufacturing and actual use. At the same time, the incident angle and polarization angle are also included in the considered range, and the device shows good stability at these angles. Finally, the influence of the number of resonant rings on the sensing performance is also discussed, and its conclusion has guiding value for optimizing the sensing demand. This new liquid crystal-modulated MS has the advantages of a small size and high sensitivity and is expected to be used for bio-detection, sensing, and so on. All results in this work were obtained with the aid of simulations based on the finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our work focuses on utilizing the Berends-Giele currents to construct differential operators and unifying relations for 1-loop Feynman integrands. We successfully reproduce the known results for the unifying relations between Yang-Mills theory and Yang-Mills scalar theory, and extend the discussion to the (A)dS case for the scalar theory with minimal coupling to gluons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sexual attractants have emerged as a labor-saving and environmentally friendly technology for green pest control. The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, a global agricultural pest, is often managed using sex attractants such as methyl eugenol as part of green control measures. However, the practical efficacy of these attractants in field applications is often challenged due to the high mating frequency exhibited by male B. dorsalis individuals. In this study, we aimed to investigate the reproductive capacity of B. dorsalis under continuous mating conditions and assess the variations in reproductive ability under different mating conditions. The study highlights the importance of continuous pest control measures due to the pests' strong reproductive ability under interval mating conditions. By comprehending these dynamics, researchers can develop improved strategies for green pest control, thus reducing the reliance on harmful pesticides and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices. These findings have valuable implications for society by promoting environmentally friendly pest management techniques, ultimately benefiting both crop production and the environment. At present, sexual attractants mainly control insect populations by killing males. However, the effect of sex attractants may be limited by the mating ability of the attracted insects. The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), has a strong reproductive capacity; it brings great losses to agricultural production, which can be controlled by methods using sex attractant methyl eugenol that mainly attracts males. Therefore, we studied the multiple and continuous (as well as consecutive) mating ability of B. dorsalis through behavioral experiments. The results show that male B. dorsalis can mate 11 times on average, with females mating only 1.93 times, and that 10.81% of males mate more than 20 times. The reproductive capacity of male B. dorsalis decreased significantly after four to five instances of continuous mating. In different mating patterns, the reproductive fitness of polyandry is not the highest, rather, interval mating is the best. A limiting factor of the sex attractant effect was revealed in B. dorsalis through behavioral evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fault-tolerant control after phase loss is crucial in the studies of the six-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), and the one phase loss is the most frequent phase loss fault. To improve the system instability caused by nonlinear and time-varying perturbations of inductance parameters in a double-Y phase shifted 30° six-phase PMSM, an improved deadbeat predictive current fault-tolerant control (DPC-FTC) method is proposed in this study. The transformation matrix after single-phase open-phase is first reduced and reconstructed, and the reduced-dimensional voltage equation is derived. Based on this equation, the deadbeat current predictive control is then used to predict the expected voltage using the current feedback value and the reference value, so as to shorten the response time and improve the overall control effect. The voltage equation after parameter perturbation is rewritten, and the current discrete transfer function under constant expected voltage before and after parameter perturbation is calculated. Afterwards, to further improve the low stability of fault-tolerant control after phase loss, which is caused by the inductance parameter perturbation of the control system, the weight coefficient is introduced in order to enhance the deadbeat predictive current control so that it splits and optimizes the direct-quadrature axis current. The stability of the system is then analyzed. By changing the weight coefficient, the fault-tolerant control system has a wider stable working range. Finally, the simulation model and experimental platform are completed. The results show that the improved DPC-FTC method improves the permissible inductor parameter uptake range by a factor of 1/β, reduces the current static difference by 32.05% and 46.02% when the inductor parameter is mismatched by a factor of 2, reduces the current oscillation and effectively reduces the sensitivity of system stability to inductor parameter uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Konawe region in Indonesia, known for its lateritic nickel (Ni) deposits, holds significant potential for obtaining Ni resources. However, the complex topographic conditions of this area pose challenges. Exploring the application of remote sensing technology to reveal the spectral response mechanism of Ni grade from high-precision multispectral data and inversion of Ni grade represents a novel direction in future Ni resource exploration. Traditional remote sensing inversion methods solely consider the spectral characteristics of sample data and ignore vital geospatial location information. As a result, efficiently obtaining regional details of target substance content over large areas has become challenging. The introduction of the geographically weighted regression (GWR) method offers an opportunity for fine-grained Ni grade inversion based on remote sensing. This study focused on the E and K blocks within the lateritic Ni mining area in North Konawe. Through utilizing the WordView-3 multispectral data which exhibits immense potential in quantitative remote sensing inversion studies, GWR was employed to integrate spectral features and spatial information. The goal was to reveal the correlation between multispectral remote sensing data and Ni grade. The obtained results were then compared and analyzed with multiple linear regression (MLR) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) models. The findings revealed that GWR achieved the highest coefficient of determination R2 of 0.96, surpassing MLR and BPNN values of 0.05 and 0.17, respectively. Additionally, GWR exhibited the lowest root mean square error of 0.04, which was lower than those of MLR and BPNN with the values of 0.25 and 0.23, respectively. These results confirmed the enhanced stability and accuracy of the GWR method compared to MLR and BPNN. Furthermore, GWR effectively mapped the spatial distribution trends of Ni grades in the study area, providing evidence of the method's effectiveness in Ni grade inversion. The study also delved into the inversion effect of the GWR method in areas with varying weathering crust thickness and vegetation cover. The research revealed that higher values of weathering crust thickness negatively impacted the inversion effect. However, the influence mechanism of vegetation cover on Ni grade inversion necessitated further investigation. These results served as a significant demonstration of the remote sensing inversion of mineral resource grades in similar areas. They provided valuable insights for future exploration and decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This experiment is explores the genes that play a key role, their expression changes and the biological processes in the transformation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) into lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). Meanwhile, identify the effects of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in the conversion of COPD into LAC. Methods: 1. Differential expression genes of COPD and LAC were screened and analyzed by high-throughput microarray data between the two diseases and their respective control groups. 2. The screened genes were used for routine bioinformatics analysis such as functional analysis, expression verification, protein interaction analysis and functional enrichment. 3. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to establish an in vitro COPD model. 4. MTT assay was used to detect the influence of B(a)P in effect on A549 cell proliferation. CCK-8, Transwell invasion test and scratch test were used to detect the cell proliferation, invasion and migration ability, while qPCR and Western Blot tests were used to observe the cell proliferation, apoptosis and changes in related indicators such as EMT. 5. Experimental method of separately adding agonists (tBHQ) and inhibitors (DIC) of NQO1 was used to confirm the effect of NQO1 on A549 cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. 6. To further clarify whether BaP exerted effect on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion through NQO1, we knocked down NQO1 gene and then infecting cells with BaP. Results: 1. We screened genes of COPD and LAC using datasets from GSE151052, GSE118370, and GSE140797. After screening, the genes upregulated in COPD and downregulated in LAC were RTKN2, SLC6A4, and HBB, the gene downregulated in COPD and upregulated in LAC was NQO1, the genes downregulated in both COPD and LAC were FPR1, LYVE1 and PKHD1L1. 2. The main signaling pathways in which the target genes were enriched are cell cycle, EMT, PI3K/AKT, and apoptosis. In the data included GEPIA, PKHD1L1, FPR1, LYVE1, RTKN2, HBB, and SLC6A4 were significantly downregulated and NQO1 was upregulated in LAC relative to controls. In addition, there were 46 interaction proteins in the target genes, and the functions they enriched included hydrogen peroxide catabolism, etc. 3. When A549 cell was stimulated with 100 ng/mL LPS+ 10% CSE, the COX-2 expression indicated that COPD model in vitro was successfully established. 4. The optimal dose and action time were screened which were 1 μM and 24 h. Compared to the control group, COPD and BaP group increased cell proliferation and invasion capabilities. On the basis of COPD, adding BaP could further increase the proliferation and migration capabilities. Interestingly, the levels of NQO1 decreased in COPD models, while increased by BaP. 5. tBHQ can increase the proliferation and migration capacity of A549 cells, which is inhibited by the addition of DIC. 6. The enhanced proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 cells by BaP were attenuated after knockdown of NQO1. Conclusion: Our study reveals that PKHD1L1, FPR1, LYVE1, RTKN2, HBB, SLC6A4 and NQO1 may play an important role in the conversion of COPD to LAC. High NQO1 expression may increase the proliferation and migration ability of A549 cells, and BaP may promote the EMT state by increasing the expression of NQO1, thereby making the COPD model in vitro expose the tumor characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral DNA-alkylating drug used in colorectal cancer (CRC) chemotherapy. In this work, we proposed a safe and biomimetic platform for macrophages-targeted delivery of TMZ and O6-benzylguanine (O6-BG). TMZ was loaded in poly (D, l -lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles, followed by sequential coating with O6-BG-grafted chitosan (BG-CS) layers and yeast shell walls (YSW) via layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) process, forming TMZ@P-BG/YSW biohybrids. Due to the yeast cell membrane-camouflage, TMZ@P-BG/YSW particles exhibited significantly enhanced colloidal stability as well as low premature drug leakage in simulated gastrointestinal conditions. In vitro drug release profiles of TMZ@P-BG/YSW particles revealed noticeable higher TMZ release in simulated tumor acidic environment within 72 h. Meanwhile, O6-BG could down-regulate MGMT expression in CT26 colon carcinoma cells, ultimately facilitating TMZ-induced tumor cell death. After oral delivery of yeast cell membrane-camouflaged particles containing fluorescent tracer (Cy5), TMZ@P-BG/YSW and bare YSW displayed high retention time of 12 h in the colon and small intestine (ileum). Correspondingly, oral gavage administration of TMZ@P-BG/YSW particles afforded favorable tumor-specific retention and superior tumor growth inhibition. Overall, TMZ@P-BG/YSW is validated to be a safe, targetable and effective formulation, paving a new avenue towards highly effective and precise treatment of malignancies. PLGA-based bioinspired platform for tumor-specific retention and enhanced colorectal cancer therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field dynamic balancer is crucial to the applications of magnetically suspended turbomolecular pumps. Therefore, this paper presents a novel field dynamic balancing method based on autocentering control mode without any additional instrumentation. Firstly, the dynamics of the active magnetic bearing rotor system with unbalance are modeled. Through model analysis, it was found that making the rotor rotate around the geometric axis can improve the accuracy of dynamic balancing. Secondly, the relationship between the correcting masses and the synchronous currents based on the influence coefficient method is established. Then, an autocentering controller is designed to make the rotor rotate around the geometric axis. The synchronous currents can be detected and extracted by the current transducers to calculate the unbalance correction mass. Finally, the experimental results show that this novel field dynamic balancing method can effectively eliminate the majority of rotor unbalance. Compared with the original unbalance of a rotor, the synchronous current in the A-end has been reduced by 71.4% and the synchronous current in the B-end, by 90.8% with the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale sports events have become a good opportunity for major enterprises to promote due to their high social attention; however, they also force enterprises to confront the risks of uncertainty and extreme loss. During the 2018 Russia World Cup, Vatti Co., Ltd.'s promotion activity "If France Wins, Get a Full Refund" suffered double losses economically and reputationally due to France's victory and the company's failure to fulfill its promise. This paper uses option hedging theory, and the risk management tools to construct a risk management model. Case analysis and program improvement were carried out. The research results show that using the winning odds can effectively control the risks. Companies should determine their promotion plan based on sale returns and the maximum implicit income generated by promotional activities. The research paper opens a new field using derivative financial instruments to control corporate promotion risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IL-36 cytokines are known to play various roles in mediating the immune and inflammatory response to tissue injury in a context-dependent manner. This study investigated the role of IL-36R signaling in mediating epithelial wound healing in normal (NL) and diabetic (DM) C57BL/6 mouse corneas. The rate of epithelial wound closure was significantly accelerated in IL-36 receptor-deficient (IL-36R−/−) compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Wounding increased IL-36α and -36γ but repressed IL-36R antagonist (IL-36Ra) expression in B6 mouse corneal epithelial cells. The wound-induced proinflammatory cytokines CXCL1 and CXCL2 were dampened, while the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) S100A8 and A9 were augmented in IL-36R−/− mouse corneas. Intriguingly, the expression of AMP LCN2 was augmented at the mRNA level. LCN2 deficiency resulted in an acceleration of epithelial wound healing. IL-36R deficiency also greatly increased the healing rate of the corneal epithelial wound in DM mice. IL-36R deficiency also suppressed IL-1β, IL-1Ra, and ICAM expression in unwounded-DM mice and wounded NL corneas. Opposing IL-1β and ICAM, the expression of IL-Ra in DM corneas of IL-36R−/− mice was augmented. The presence of recombinant IL-1Ra and IL-36Ra accelerated epithelial wound closure in T1DM corneas of B6 mice. Our study revealed an unprecedented role of IL-36R signaling in controlling corneal epithelial wound healing in normal (NL) and diabetic (DM) mice. Our data suggest that IL-36Ra, similar to IL-1Ra, might be a therapeutic reagent for improving wound healing and reducing wound-associated ulceration, particularly in the cornea and potentially in the skin of DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textural and compositional zoning within plagioclase phenocrysts records the magma chamber processes, such as magma differentiation, magma recharge and mixing, and crustal contamination. The plagioclase phenocrysts in the Daqiao and Qiaojia plagioclase-phyric basalts from the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (LIP) show complex textural and compositional zoning patterns, e.g., normal, reverse, oscillatory, and patchy zoning patterns. Most plagioclase phenocrysts exhibit a core–rim normal zoning pattern (Pl-A) with euhedral high-An cores (An = 76–78%, in mole fraction) and low-An rims (An = 68–72%), indicative of the crystal regrowth processes caused by recharge of relatively evolved magmas after the formation of high-An cores. Some phenocrysts have a core–rim reverse zoning pattern (Pl-B) with irregular ovaloid cores, characterized by extremely low An (60–61 mol%) and Ba (84–88 ppm) contents and extremely high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7120–0.7130). The rims of the Pl-B have relatively high An (69–72 %), Ba (~160 ppm) contents, and low 87Sr/86Sri (~0.7056). These Pl-B plagioclase phenocrysts preserve the information about the interaction between the crustal xenocrysts and the transporting magmas. Some plagioclase phenocrysts show a core–mantle–rim oscillatory zoning pattern (Pl-C) with multiple oscillations of An (70–80 %), Ba (88–147ppm) from core to rim, revealing replenishment and mixing of multiple batches of basaltic melts with diverse compositions. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the Pl-C do not vary significantly (0.7050–0.7054). A small portion of phenocrysts has patchy patterns in the cores (Pl-D), where the low-An patches (72–75 %) in form of elliptical or irregular elongated shapes were enclosed by the high-An domains (80–87 %). These features can be attributed to crystal dissolution and regrowth processes during the reaction between early-formed low-Cumulates and recharged hot primitive melts. The cores, mantles, and rims of different types of plagioclase phenocrysts (except the core of Pl-B) commonly display nearly constant Sr isotopic compositions, implying insignificant wall-rock assimilation at shallow-level magma reservoir(s) during the growth of these plagioclase phenocrysts. In conclusion, the massive crystallization of plagioclase in the late stage was an important controlling factor for the formation of iron-rich basalts in the Emeishan LIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive brain tumors and has a high recurrence rate, and effective treatment is urgently needed. GBM stem cells (GSCs) contribute to GBM recurrence as well as therapeutic resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. Several oncolytic viruses (OVs) have been developed and validated in clinical trials with favorable safety profiles and efficacy against GBM. Recently, Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, was shown to preferentially target and kill GSCs and showed promising therapeutic effects in treating GBM in preclinical models. In this review, we summarize the known OVs for the treatment of GBM and highlight the major advantages and existing challenges for the clinical development of oncolytic ZIKV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic fibrosis is the common pathway for most chronic liver diseases, characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. It has been shown that fibrotic ECM significantly hindered passage of nanoparticles. Efforts have been made by decorating degrading enzymes on surfaces of nanosized delivery vehicles to improve drug delivery. However, these strategies are restricted by limiting shelf-life. Inspired by the application of sonoporation in assisting drug delivery through blood-brain barrier and tumor tissues, we investigated whether sonoporation can be an alternative strategy in improving drug delivery for fibrotic diseases. Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT), a potential drug in treating liver fibrosis, was selected as a model drug to evaluate the drug delivery efficiency and therapeutic effect among three delivery strategies, i.e., (1) injection solution, (2) delivery through liposomes, and (3) delivery via sonoporation. Our study showed that in addition to the improved drug delivery efficiency, the combination of HCPT and sonoporation led to synergistic effect and the mechanisms were investigated. The treatment group of HCPT delivered with sonoporation achieved the most significant attenuation in liver fibrosis among the three delivery strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal rutile (TiO2) is a widely distributed accessory mineral in hydrothermal veins or alteration assemblages of porphyry deposits and provides important information for further understanding hydrothermal fluid signatures. This study determines the geochemical composition and U-Pb dates of hydrothermal rutile from the Yulong porphyry Cu-Mo deposit in east Tibet, China. Three types of TiO2 polymorphs have been identified based on their Raman spectroscopic, textural, and chemical characteristics. (1) Brookite and anatase pseudomorphs after titanite in a fine-grained matrix, indicating low-temperature hydrothermal fluids destabilizing primary Ti-bearing minerals during argillic alteration (type-I). (2) Elongated and prismatic rutile present in hydrothermal veins or in clusters in accompanying alteration envelope characterized by weak zoning (type-II). And (3) rutile intergrown with sulfides in hydrothermal veins, characterized by well-developed patchy and sector zoning (type-III). In contrast to the type-I and type-II TiO2 polymorphs, tungsten is enriched in backscattered bright patches and sector zones in type-III rutile, which is due to the substitution of W6+ in the Ti4+ octahedral site. The mechanism of the enrichment of tungsten is efectively driven by the halogen-rich (F, Cl) aqueous fluids during hydrothermal mineralization. In situ U-Pb dating of the type-III rutile yields a lower intercept age of 41.8 ± 1.2 Ma, which brackets the timing of the Cu-Mo mineralization. The relationship between rutile textures and composition indicates that W-bearing rutile can serve as a recorder of hydrothermal processes in porphyry Cu deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A timely and accurate understanding of the state of health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries is essential for early detection and prediction of their potential safety risks. Acoustic emission (AE) can perform dynamic non-destructive testing of lithium-ion batteries under normal charge-discharge cycles, and detect the deformation of internal electrodes of the battery behavior. In this paper, firstly, the whole aging process of lithium-ion batteries and recorded AE signals are monitored. Secondly, the waveform and signal time interval from AE signals during battery aging in the time domain is extracted. Thirdly, the spectrum of AE signals is analyzed. The experimental results show that the total number of AE signals will change with the decline of battery capacity and SOH. The turning point in the time interval waveform of the battery AE signal can be used to identify the constant current or voltage charging mode. The AE signals of batteries mainly exist in two frequency bands, where the content of frequency band 1 is about 10kHz-120kHz, and the range of frequency band 2 is about 130kHz-180kHz. The maximum amplitude of frequency bands 1 and 2 shows their characteristics during the charging and discharging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbial community composition plays a key role in the decomposition of organic matter, while the quality of exogenous organic matter (EOM: rice straw, roots and pig manure) can influence soil chemical and biological properties. However, the evidences of the effect of combination of crop residues and pig manure on the changes in soil microbial community and enzymes activities are scarce. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate the potential effect of EOM by analyzing soil properties, enzyme activities and microbial communities. The experiment consisted of eight treatments: CK (control), S (1% (w/w) rice straw), R (1% (w/w) rice root), SR (1% (w/w) rice straw + 1% (w/w) rice root), and added 1% (w/w) pig manure to CK, S, R and SR, respectively. Results showed that the straw treatment significantly increased the microbial biomass (carbon and nitrogen) and total carbon and nitrogen contents, cellulase and β-1,4-glucosidase activities, bacteria (i.e., gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria) PLFAs contents relative to CK regardless of whether pig manure was added. Moreover, the interaction between crop residues (e.g., straw and roots) and pig manure significantly influenced the contents of microbial biomass nitrogen and microbial biomass phosphorus, and the ratio of gram-positive bacteria to gram-negative bacteria. Redundance analysis confirmed that pH, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen and dissolve organic carbon contents were significantly associated with soil microbial community under crop residues without pig manure addition. Furthermore, the experiment results showed that pig manure application not only provided more abundant nutrients (C, N and P) but also induced higher microbial and enzymatic activity compared with no pig manure addition. Our findings suggest that the combination of above-ground straw and pig manure is a better option for improving the functions of soil ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the linearized Navier–Stokes system around monotone shear flows in a finite channel with non-slip boundary condition. We prove that if the flow is linearly stable for the Euler equations, then it is also linearly stable for the Navier–Stokes equations at high Reynolds number. More importantly, we establish the inviscid damping and enhanced dissipation estimates for the linearized Navier–Stokes system, which may be crucial for nonlinear stability. One of the key ingredients is the resolvent estimates of the linearized operator. For this, we develop the compactness method and establish some sharper estimates for the boundary layer corrector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of the bamboo node obviously differs from that of the internode and largely affects the mechanical properties of bamboo. However, the node structure of moso bamboo, an important economic and ecologic bamboo species, was still unclear. Thus, in this study, the 3D structural changes of the vascular bundle (VB) in the moso bamboo node were visualized and quantified. The compressive properties and failure mechanisms of the bamboo node were discussed based on the structural changes. The results showed that the horizontal VB in bamboo node was classified into three types: branching, cross-linking, and thickening. The cross-sectional area of the vertical VB in bamboo node increased, and the vertical VBs shifted to the outer side after passing through the node. Due to the "wire hoop" effect of the horizontal VBs, the longitudinal compressive strength of the node was greater than that of the internode. The deflection of VBs caused slippage between VBs and resulted in the decrease of the node's transversal compressive strength. This research provided key information for a deeper understanding of the structure and mechanical properties of bamboo for potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]