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[Display omitted] • The MOF-derived Fe significantly improve the polarization of PVDF-based composites. • A high breakdown strength is obtained by adjusting crystalline structure of PVDF. • The enhanced energy density of 28.9 J/cm3 is achieved at ultralow filler fractions. Polymer-based capacitors are essential energy storage components in the electronic and electrical industries, which is benefit for their high power density and fast charge–discharge capabilities. However, the low energy density of polymer-based capacitors limits their miniaturization and intelligent applications. In this study, we present the novel poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based composites with exceptional energy storage performance at the submicron metal filler loadings. Guided by synergistically improving the dielectric constant and breakdown strength of polymer-based composites, metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived Fe fillers and Press & Heat (P&H) cycles are mainly implemented. The polymer-based composites exhibit a superior dielectric constant of 15.3, while simultaneously maintain a high breakdown strength of 617.1 MV/m. The excellent energy density of 28.9 J/cm3 is obtained at the ultralow filler loading of 0.2 wt%. Synergistic tuning the loading content of MOF-derived Fe and optimizing the P&H cycles not only leads to a novel composite dielectrics with outstanding energy storage properties, but also presents a new strategy for exploring high-performance capacitive polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have shown that the high incidence of type 2 diabetes in China is associated with low birth weight and excessive nutrition in adulthood, which occurred during the famine years of the 1950s and 1960s, though the specific molecular mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we proposed a severe maternal caloric restriction during late pregnancy, followed by a post weaning high-fat diet in mice. After weaning, normal and high-fat diets were provided to mice to simulate the dietary pattern of modern society. Methods: The pregnant mice were divided into two groups: normal birth weight (NBW) group and low birth weight (LBW) group. After 3 weeks for weaning, the male offspring mice in the NBW and LBW groups were then randomly divided into four subgroups: NC, NH, LC and LC groups. The offspring mice in the NC, NH, LC and LC groups were respectively fed with normal diet, normal diet, high-fat diet and high-fat diet for 18 weeks. After 18 weeks of dietary intervention, detailed analyses of mRNA and protein expression patterns, signaling pathway activities, and promoter methylation states were conducted for all relevant genes. Results: After dietary intervention for 18 weeks, the expressions of CD36, Fabp4, PPARγ, FAS, and ACC1 in the skeletal muscle tissue of the LH group were significantly increased compared with the LC and NH groups (P < 0.05). The level of p-AMPK/AMPK in the skeletal muscle tissue of the LH group was significantly decreased compared with the LC and NH groups (P < 0.05). CPT1 and PGC-1α protein expressions were up-regulated in the LH group (P < 0.05) compared to the LC group. Additionally, the DNA methylation levels of the PGC-1α and GLUT4 gene promoters in the skeletal muscle of the LH groups were higher than those of the LC and NH groups (P < 0.05). However, PPARγ DNA methylation level in the LH group was lower than those of the LC and NH groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: LBW combined with high-fat diets may increase insulin resistance and diabetes through regulating the CD36-related Fabp4-PPARγ and AMPK/ACC signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biocompatible Bi@mSiO 2 @MnO 2 nanocomposite is fabricated using a facile stepwise reaction method, which exhibits powerful theranostic performance for CT/MR imaging-guided enhanced PTT/CDT/chemotherapy of tumours. [Display omitted] Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and seriously threatens the health of humans. The current clinical treatments for cancer are not efficient and always lead to significant side effects. Herein, a biocompatible and powerful theranostic agent (Bi@mSiO 2 @MnO 2 /DOX) is fabricated using a facile stepwise reaction method. The Bi nanoparticles (NPs) are coated by mesoporous silica to protect the Bi NPs from oxidation, which guarantees the stable photothermal effect of the Bi NPs. When the Bi@mSiO 2 @MnO 2 /DOX nanocomposites (NCs) accumulate in the tumour site, hyperthermia is generated by Bi NPs under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation for photothermal therapy (PTT), and the generated heat triggers the release of DOX for chemotherapy in the tumour. In addition, the MnO 2 of the NCs responsively catalyses endogenous H 2 O 2 to generate O 2 , raising the oxygen level to enhance the effect of chemotherapy in the tumour microenvironment (TME), and consumes glutathione (GSH) to produce Mn2+ for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Under acidic TME conditions, H 2 O 2 and Mn2+ also produce toxic hydroxyl radical (· OH) for chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Furthermore, the Bi NPs can also be used as excellent contrast agents for X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging of tumours with a high CT value (6.865 HU mM−1). The Bi@mSiO 2 @MnO 2 /DOX NCs exhibit a powerful theranostic performance for CT/MR imaging-guided enhanced PTT/CDT/chemotherapy, which opens a new prospect to rationally design theranostic agents for tumour imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of complex path planning in the processing of curved surface workpieces of body-in-white, a hybrid path planning method based on a memetic algorithm is proposed. The method is divided into two parts: welding sequence planning and welding path planning between weld points. By establishing the kinematic model of a spot welding robot based on the pipper criterion and z-y-z Euler angle solution method, the motion constraints of path optimization are analyzed. Under the framework of the memetic algorithm, the improved A-star algorithm with redundant node deletion and a post-smoothing process is used to obtain the smooth collision-free optimal path set between weld points and to construct the objective function of travelling all weld points with the shortest path length and highest smoothness. The multiobjective elitist-simulated annealing genetic algorithm (MESAGA) is used to achieve the welding sequence planning of all weld points. The variable neighborhood search method improves the mutation operator; the elitist strategy is introduced to improve the probability of elitist individual crossover and mutation operation, and a simulated annealing algorithm is used to jump out of local search to obtain the global optimal solution. According to the motion constraints, the joint space path is obtained by the optimal path in Cartesian space. Simulation analysis results demonstrate that the hybrid path planning method based on the memetic algorithm can effectively optimize the path of spot welding robots and lay the foundation for control and trajectory planning during welding processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a high-fidelity analytical solution and a fast integrated optimization method for vernier machines. First, a harmonic modeling method (HMM) is adopted to obtain the magnetic field distribution of vernier machines. Particularly, the stator teeth of vernier machines are divided into several blocks to take account of the local magnetic saturation of soft-magnetic material. Then, the electromagnetic parameters, such as the average torque, torque ripple, and efficiency, can be calculated via the analytical model. Next, the proposed harmonic model is combined with the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) to determine a multiobjective optimal design for the studied vernier machine. This integrated optimization method can save computation time, because the data interaction process between the finite-element analysis (FEA) software and the optimization software is eliminated. Finally, the performances of the optimal case are verified by both FEA and experiments with the prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of reversible organelle‐like microcompartments formed by liquid–liquid phase separation in cell‐mimicking entities has significantly advanced the bottom‐up construction of artificial eukaryotic cells. However, organizing the formation of artificial organelle architectures in a spatiotemporal manner within complex primitive compartments remains scarcely explored. In this work, thermoresponsive hybrid polypeptide‐polymer conjugates are rationally engineered and synthesized, resulting from the conjugation of an intrinsically disordered synthetic protein (IDP), namely elastin‐like polypeptide, and synthetic polymers (poly(ethylene glycol) and dextran) that are widely used as macromolecular crowding agents. Cell‐like constructs are built using droplet‐based microfluidics that are filled with such bioconjugates and an artificial cytoplasm system that is composed of specific polymers conjugated to the IDP. The distinct spatial organizations of two polypeptide‐polymer conjugates and the dynamic assembly and disassembly of polypeptide‐polymer coacervate droplets in response to temperature are studied in the cytomimetic protocells. Furthermore, a monoblock IDP with longer length is concurrently included with bioconjugates individually inside cytomimetic compartments. Both bioconjugates exhibit an identical surfactant‐like property, compartmentalizing the monoblock IDP coacervates via temperature control. These findings lay the foundation for developing hierarchically structured synthetic cells with interior organelle‐like structures which could be designed to localize in desired phase‐separated subcompartments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between vitamin D status and islet function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: The participants were recruited from Hebei General Hospital. Basic characteristics and blood indicators were collected after fasting overnight. The data were analyzed statistically using SPSS 22.0. Analysis of variance, a nonparametric test, or a trend Chi-square test was used for the comparisons. The association between 25-hydroxy vitamin D and modified homeostasis model assessment-β was assessed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression. Results: One hundred seventy-four patients aged 26 to 79 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in this study. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had a lower modified homeostasis model assessment-β level compared with those without vitamin D deficiency. There were differences in body mass index, diabetes course, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood C-peptide, triglyceride, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D among different modified homeostasis model assessment-β groups based upon the tertiles. 25-hydroxy vitamin D, as continuous or categorical variables, was positively related to modified homeostasis model assessment-β whether or not cofounding factors were adjusted. Conclusion: There is an association between increased 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and improvement in modified homeostasis model assessment-β function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Trial registration: Cross-sectional trails ChiCTR2000029391, Registration Date: 29/01/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between vitamin D status and islet function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: The participants were recruited from Hebei General Hospital. Basic characteristics and blood indicators were collected after fasting overnight. The data were analyzed statistically using SPSS 22.0. Analysis of variance, a nonparametric test, or a trend Chi-square test was used for the comparisons. The association between 25-hydroxy vitamin D and modified homeostasis model assessment-β was assessed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression. Results: One hundred seventy-four patients aged 26 to 79 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in this study. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had a lower modified homeostasis model assessment-β level compared with those without vitamin D deficiency. There were differences in body mass index, diabetes course, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood C-peptide, triglyceride, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D among different modified homeostasis model assessment-β groups based upon the tertiles. 25-hydroxy vitamin D, as continuous or categorical variables, was positively related to modified homeostasis model assessment-β whether or not cofounding factors were adjusted. Conclusion: There is an association between increased 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and improvement in modified homeostasis model assessment-β function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Trial registration: Cross-sectional trails ChiCTR2000029391, Registration Date: 29/01/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the development and application of ultra-thin heat dissipation devices, Cu/grapheme (GR) composite foils with hierarchical microscale structure were prepared by ultrasonic-assisted composite electrodeposition, and chemical etching and plasma oxidation treatment were applied to obtain superhydrophilic. The study found that the hierarchical multi-scale structure on the mold electrode surface can be replicated on the foil surface. Ultrasonic refines the grains and reduces the internal defects, while an increase in the GR content not only further refines the grains but also makes the microstructure multi-directional. The combined effect of ultrasonic and GR significantly improves the microhardness of the foils up to 125 HV0.01. Without any surface treatment, the contact angle (CA) of foil gradually increased with the introduction of ultrasonic and GR, the wettability developed towards hydrophobic, and the highest CA reached 98.43°. Chemical etching can change the submicron-scale structure of the foil surface, and then make the wettability towards to hydrophilic, but not enough to reach the superhydrophilic state. After plasma oxidation treatment, a large number of nanoscale CuO and Cu2O particles are generated on the surface of the chemical etching foils, which not only further enriches the multi-scale structure, but also improves the surface energy. As a result, the wettability of foil surface is further improved, showing a superhydrophilic state, and the CA is less than 5°. Moreover, with the introduction of ultrasonic and the increase of GR content, the hydrophily of the foil surface also tends to improve, and the minimum CA can reach 1.89°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the effect of smoking on circulating vitamin D in adults, we performed a meta‐analysis. Literature before 9 May 2021 was retrieved from electronic literature databases such as EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane. The quality of the included studies was assessed by two researchers against the Newcastle–Ottawa scale and JBI Evidence‐based Health Care Centre criteria. All eligible studies and statistical analyses were performed using STATA 14. Twenty‐four studies with 11,340 participants meeting the criteria were included in the meta‐analysis. The results of meta‐analysis showed that the level of circulating 25(OH)D in smokers was lower than that in nonsmokers. A subgroup analysis based on vitamin D supplement use showed that both smokers who used vitamin D supplements and smokers who did not use vitamin D supplements had lower blood 25(OH)D levels compared with the control group. In addition, subjects were divided into different subgroups according to age for meta‐analysis, and the results showed that the serum 25(OH)D level in each subgroup of smokers was lower than that in the control group. This meta‐analysis revealed differences in circulating vitamin D levels between smokers and nonsmokers, with smokers likely to have lower circulating vitamin D levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fault detection scheme for aircraft Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors is developed in this paper. This scheme adopts a deep neural network with a CNN-LSTM-fusion architecture (CNN: convolution neural network; LSTM: long short-term memory). The fault detection network (FDN) developed in this paper is irrelative to aircraft model or flight condition. Flight data is reformed into a 2D format for FDN input and is mapped via the net to fault cases directly. We simulate different aircrafts with various flight conditions and separate them into training and testing sets. Part of the aircrafts and flight conditions appears only in the testing set to validate robustness and scalability of the FDN. Different architectures of FDN are studied, and an optimized architecture is obtained via ablation studies. An average detecting accuracy of 94.5% on 20 different cases is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its high theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g−1), appropriate charging potential (∼0.5 V vs Li+/Li), and abundant raw material sources, silicon anode material is considered to be an ideal anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, its low intrinsic conductivity and huge volume expansion (∼300%) during the lithiation process seriously reduce the cycle life of the battery, causing the battery's capacity to rapidly decay. In this work, 3D pomegranate-like structured Si@void@Ni@C microspheres are designed and synthesized through hydrothermal and carbonization methods. In this unique structure, the supporting layers, including carbon and nickel layers, can not only improve conductivity but also offer sufficient space to alleviate the volume expansion of silicon particles during the lithium insertion/extraction process. Combined with the above advantages, the 3D pomegranate-like structured Si@void@Ni@C microspheres anode shows excellent electrochemical performance, such as high first discharge capacity (1697 mAh g−1), fine cycle stability (0.23% capacity attenuation rate for each cycle), and excellent rate performance (97.7% capacity recovery rate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During tumorigenesis, tumor cells interact intimately with their surrounding cells (microenvironment) for their growth and progression. However, the roles of tumor microenvironment in tumor development and progression are not fully understood. Here, using an established benign tumor model in adult Drosophila intestines, we find that n on-cell a utonomous a utophagy (NAA) is induced in tumor surrounding neighbor cells. Tumor growth can be significantly suppressed by genetic ablation of autophagy induction in tumor neighboring cells, indicating that tumor neighboring cells act as tumor microenvironment to promote tumor growth. Autophagy in tumor neighboring cells is induced downstream of elevated ROS and activated JNK signaling in tumor cells. Interestingly, we find that active transport of nutrients, such as amino acids, from tumor neighboring cells sustains tumor growth, and increasing nutrient availability could significantly restore tumor growth. Together, these data demonstrate that tumor cells take advantage of their surrounding normal neighbor cells as nutrient sources through NAA to meet their high metabolic demand for growth and progression. Thus we provide insights into our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interaction between tumor cells and their microenvironment in tumor development. [Display omitted] • Non-cell autonomous autophagy is induced in tumor surrounding cells in intestines. • Autophagy activation in tumor neighboring cells promotes tumor growth. • Neoplastic Raf gof tumor cells are stressed and produce ROS to ultimately activate autophagy in tumor surrounding cells. • Tumor neighboring cells provide nutrients to sustain tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the development of a rapid approach for directly converting indoles into 2‐oxindoles promoted by HOCl formed in situ from the combination of (bis(trifluoroacetoxy) iodo)benzene (PIFA) and n‐Bu4NCl ⋅ H2O. The procedure is widely functional group tolerant and provides 2‐oxindoles in up to 95% yield within 5 min. The potential applications of the developed methodology are demonstrated by the gram‐scale preparation of 3‐methyl‐2‐oxindole (11 a), the one‐pot two‐step syntheses of spiro‐oxindoles 26 a and 26 b, and the formal synthesis of (‐)‐folicanthine (2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paraquat (PQ) can cause multiorgan failure including acute kidney injury (AKI). Our prior study showed that Toll-interacting protein (TOLLIP) protected against PQ-induced acute lung injury. However, the role of TOLLIP in PQ-induced AKI remains undefined. This study was aimed at understanding the role and mechanism of TOLLIP in AKI. Six-eight-week-old male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with 25 mg/kg PQ to induce AKI for 24 h in vivo. HK-2 cells were treated with 300 μM PQ for 24 h to induce cellular injury in vitro or 300 μM PQ and 5 μM nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor BAY11-7082 for 24 h. Rats were infected with adenovirus carrying TOLLIP shRNA via tail vein injection and HK-2 cells with adenovirus carrying TOLLIP shRNA or TOLLIP 48 h before PQ exposure. Results showed that TOLLIP and Toll-like receptor 2/4 (TLR2/4) expressions were boosted in the kidney after PQ intoxication. The toxic effect of PQ on the kidney and HK-2 cells was exacerbated by TOLLIP knockdown, as evidenced by aggravated glomerulus and tubule injury, inflammatory infiltration, and cell apoptosis in the kidney and increased loss of cell viability and apoptotic cells in HK-2 cells. TOLLIP knockdown also enhanced PQ-induced NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in vivo and in vitro and TLR2/4-NF-κB signaling in vitro, reflected by increased contents of proinflammatory cytokines and expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins in the kidney and HK-2 cells and expressions of TLR2, TLR4, and nuclear NF-κB p65 in HK-2 cells. However, TOLLIP overexpression inhibited PQ-induced loss of cell viability, cell apoptosis, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and TLR2/4-NF-κB signaling in vitro. Additionally, BAY11-7082 abolished TOLLIP knockdown-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in vitro, indicating that TOLLIP protected against NLRP3 inflammasome activation in PQ-induced AKI through inhibiting TLR2/4-NF-κB signaling. This study highlights the importance of TOLLIP in AKI after PQ intoxication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic design to afford smart functional biomaterials with exquisite properties represents synthetic challenges and provides unique perspectives. In this context, elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs) recently became highly attractive building blocks in the development of lipoprotein‐based membranes. In addition to the bioengineered post‐translational modifications of genetically encoded recombinant ELPs developed so far, we report here a simple and versatile method to design biohybrid brush‐like lipid‐grafted‐ELPs using chemical post‐modification reactions. We have explored a combination of methionine alkylation and click chemistry to create a new class of hybrid lipoprotein mimics. Our design allowed the formation of biomimetic vesicles with controlled permeability, correlated to the temperature‐responsiveness of ELPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic design to afford smart functional biomaterials with exquisite properties represents synthetic challenges and provides unique perspectives. In this context, elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs) recently became highly attractive building blocks in the development of lipoprotein‐based membranes. In addition to the bioengineered post‐translational modifications of genetically encoded recombinant ELPs developed so far, we report here a simple and versatile method to design biohybrid brush‐like lipid‐grafted‐ELPs using chemical post‐modification reactions. We have explored a combination of methionine alkylation and click chemistry to create a new class of hybrid lipoprotein mimics. Our design allowed the formation of biomimetic vesicles with controlled permeability, correlated to the temperature‐responsiveness of ELPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial contamination in drinking water has become an important threat to human health. There is thus an urgent need to develop antibacterial materials to treat drinking water. Here, porous silver-loaded biochar (C–Ag) was prepared using corn straw as the substrate and silver as the antibacterial agent. C–Ag was then uniformly distributed in polyvinyl alcohol gel beads of eluted calcium carbonate to prepare p-PVA/C–Ag antibacterial composite. The polymer composites were tested by FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TG-DSC. The results showed that C–Ag was more evenly distributed in the PVA gel spheres. Antibacterial experiments showed that p-PVA/C–Ag greatly inhibited Escherichia coli. Practical application tests revealed that p-PVA/C–Ag showed high and sustained bactericidal inhibition and reusability. Generally, p-PVA/C–Ag composite shows high potential to be applied to drinking water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the rapid development of sensing technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors play increasingly important roles in traffic control, medical monitoring, industrial production and etc. They generated high volume of data in a streaming way that often need to be processed in real time. Therefore, streaming data computing technology plays an indispensable role in the real-time processing of sensor data in high throughput but low latency. However, there are two problems in deploying streaming data process ability in cloud computing data centre. Firstly, massive sensor nodes simultaneously upload data to the remote cloud computing data centre, which requires a large number of bandwidth resources supports. The existing network infrastructure cannot provide enough bandwidth at a reasonable price. Secondly, due to the geographical distribution characteristics of the cloud computing data centre, there will inevitably be large transmission delay during the process of data transmission. Such end-to-end delay is intolerable to mobile applications especially for those latency sensitive tasks. In view of the above problems, this paper proposes an autonomous driving oriented edge streaming data processing framework, which migrates the computing and storage capability from the remote cloud data centre to the edge data centre. It focuses on the change of vehicle flow in a specific geographical area, and uses the computing power sunk to edge node to process the massive streaming data generated by autonomous vehicles nearby. The proposed framework is implemented on top of Spark Streaming, which builds up a gray model based traffic flow monitor, a traffic prediction orientated prediction layer and a fuzzy control based Batch Interval dynamic adjustment layer for Spark Streaming. It could forecast the variation of sensors data arrive rate, make streaming Batch Interval adjustment in advance and implement real-time streaming process by edge. Therefore, it can realise the monitor and prediction of the data flow changes of the autonomous driving vehicle sensor data in geographical coverage of edge computing node area, meanwhile minimise the end-to-end latency but satisfy the application throughput requirements. The experiments show that it can predict short-term traffic with no more than 4% relative error in a whole day. By making batch consuming rate close to data generating rate, it can maintain system stability well even when arrival data rate changes rapidly. The Batch Interval can be converged to a suitable value in two minutes when data arrival rate is doubled. Compared with vanilla version Spark Streaming, where there has serious task accumulation and introduces large delay, it can reduce 35% latency by squeezing Batch Interval when data arrival rate is low; it also can significantly improve system throughput by only at most 25% Batch Interval increase when data arrival rate is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance is accelerated by irrational administration and use of empiric antibiotics. A key point to the crisis is a lack of rapid diagnostic protocols for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), which is crucial for a timely and rational antibiotic prescription. Here, a recombinant bacteriophage tail fiber protein (TFP) was functionalized on magnetic particles to specifically capture Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled-magainin II was utilized as the indicator. For solving the magnetic particles' blocking effects, a reverse assaying protocol based on TFP recognition was developed to investigate the feasibility of detection and AST of P. aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa can be rapidly, sensitively and specifically detected within 1.5 h with a linear range of 1.0 × 102 to 1.0 × 106 colony forming units (CFU)⋅mL−1 and a detection limit of 3.3 × 10 CFU⋅mL−1. Subsequently, AST results, which were consistent with broth dilution results, can be obtained within 3.5 h. Due to the high specificity of the TFP, AST can actually be conducted without the need for bacterial isolation and identification. Based on the proof-of-principle work, the detection and AST of other pathogens can be extended by expressing the TFPs of their bacteriophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Considering the controversial relationship between blood lipid levels and osteopenia and osteoporosis (OP), we performed this meta-analysis. Materials and methods: Using specific keywords and related words, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale form was used to evaluate the quality of the literature. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we systematically screened the literature to extract relevant information and data. ReVman 5.3 and Stata 13.0 software were used for statistical analysis. Results were expressed as the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The heterogeneity test was conducted according to I2 and Q tests. Egger's test was used to quantitatively evaluate publication bias. Results: This analysis involved 12 studies (12,395 subjects). The quality of the literature was acceptable. Among subjects who were not taking lipid-lowering drugs, total cholesterol (TC) (MD = 0.11 mmol/L, 95%CI: − 0.03, 0.25; I2 = 21%; P = 0.36), triglycerides (TG) (MD = − 0.01 mmol/L, 95%CI: − 0.09, 0.07; I2 = 6%; P = 0.34), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (MD = 0.10 mmol/L, 95%CI: 0.00, 0.19; I2 = 0%; P = 0.74) in the osteopenia were not significantly increased/decreased. There were no significant differences in LDL-C (MD = 0.02 mmol/L, 95%CI: − 0.09, 0.13; I2 = 0%; P = 0.74) in postmenopausal women in osteopenia. TG (MD = − 0.04 mmol/L, 95%CI: − 0.14,0.07; I2 = 49%; P = 0.07) was unchanged in the osteoporosis (OP) group in subjects without taking lipid-lowering drugs. HDL-C was elevated in OP group (MD = 0.05 mmol/L, 95%CI: 0.03, 0.07; I2 = 31%; P = 0.15) but not in osteopenia group (MD = 0.01 mmol/L, 95%CI: − 0.01, 0.02; I2 = 38%; P = 0.14) in all subjects. Conclusion: HDL-C was elevated in patients with OP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoguanosine (isoG) is a natural structural isomer of guanosine (G) with significant potential for applications in ionophores, genetics, gel formation, and cancer therapy. However, the cost of commercially available isoG on a gram scale is relatively high. To date, a detailed method for the large‐scale preparation of high‐purity isoG has not been reported. This study presented a simple and convenient approach for the large‐scale synthesis of isoG through the diazotization of 2,6‐diaminopurine riboside with sodium nitrite and acetic acid at room temperature. Further, this method could synthesize isoG derivatives (2’‐fluoro‐isoguanosine (1) and 2’‐deoxy‐isoguanosine (2)) from 2,6‐diaminopurine nucleoside derivatives using diazotization. The structural information of natural and modified nucleosides is crucial for the modification and substitution of DNA/RNA. This study obtained the single‐crystal structure of isoG for the first time and analyzed it in detail using microcrystal electron diffraction. The three‐dimensional supramolecular structure of isoG adopted similarly base‐pair motifs from π‐π stacking interaction of diverse layers, intramolecular hydrogen bonding, and distinct hydrogen bonding interactions from sugar residues. This study has contributed to further isoG modification and its applications in medicinal chemistry and materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the translated Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale (C-CCS) in a Chinese sample of preschool-aged children with minimal verbal skills. A total of 120 children with autism spectrum disorders or children with developmental delays aged 2 to 5 years with minimal verbal skills (i.e., produced less than 20 functional words) were recruited to complete the C-CCS. First, we tested the protocol with 20 children and shortened it based on their results. Second, the interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity for 100 participants were examined. C-CCS scores were compared with scores from the Chinese Communicative Development Inventories (CCDI) for concurrent validity. Ten C-CCS interactive scripts were administered to 100 participants. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between independent observers were high. The ICCs for overall optimal scores, optimal BR scores and optimal JA scores were 0.978, 0.971 and 0.977 respectively. Agreement for scores within scripted opportunities and communication level were high-Kappa coefficients 0.869 and 1.000 respectively. The test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.911). A moderate correlation was found between the C-CCS and the CCDI (r = 0.401). The results indicate that C-CCS could be used as a measurement tool in research and clinical practice to describe communication levels in children with minimal verbal skills in China. The Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale was developed through a rigorous cultural adaptation process. The evidence shows that the Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale is a reliable and valid tool for children with minimal verbal skills in China. The Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale can be used in research and clinical practice to assess the general level of social communication skills of Chinese children who mainly communicate using preverbal communication and develop intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees are vitally important in natural and agricultural ecosystems, providing key pollination services to wild plants and crops. Increasing reports of regional declines of bee populations have attracted intense attention worldwide. Challenges to bee health are multifactorial and include poor nutrition, heat stress, agrochemicals, and pathogens. The impact of heat stress is a relatively minor factor in current bee declines compared with agrochemicals and pathogens. However, heat stress has adverse impacts on foraging activity, pollination services, task-related physiology, immunocompetence, reproductive capacity, growth, and development of bees, and these adverse impacts are variable in different bee species. Heat stress–related damage to bees receives extra attention when it is accompanied by climate change. Heat-tolerance mechanisms are key enablers for bee survival under high-temperature stress conditions, and we now understand that both behavior and molecular regulation strongly impact the ability of bees to reduce damage from heat stress. In this review, we summarize and synthesize previous findings about the detrimental effects of heat stress to bees and discuss the strategies bees use to cope with heat stress. Bee species mentioned here are mainly honeybees, bumblebees, and stingless bees, with a focus on the honeybee Apis mellifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) have a great potential in applications as smart materials such as artificial muscles and flexible robotics, due to their advantages of large deformation, good flexibility and fast actuation response. However, the excellent electro-actuation performance of DE materials is always achieved under high electric fields, which limits their widespread application. Herein, the synthesized acrylate-based copolymer E 8 G 2 (the molar ratio between 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and glycidyl methacrylate is 8:2) was incorporated into the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix by solution mixing and compression molding to prepared a series of bi-network DE composites. The design of the all-organic bi-network structure not only regulates the dielectric-flexibility of E 8 G 2 /PDMS composites synchronously but also relieves the problem of plasticizer exudation. The E 8 G 2 /PDMS composites achieved a remarkable electro-actuated strain of 43.86 % at 50 V/μm, which is improved by 431.08 % compared with pure PDMS (6.95 %). Consequently, this study provides a promising approach for the preparation of advanced DE composites with outstanding electro-actuated performance in low-field driving applications. [Display omitted] • The dielectric elastomer with all-organic bi-network structures were prepared. • The electro-actuated strain of DE composite reaches 43.86 % at low-field of 50 V/μm. • The synergistic regulation on ε r and Y leads to the improved electro-actuation. • The long-standing issue of plasticizer-exudation from DE composites is relieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, perovskite solar cells have achieved significant progress in photovoltaic conversion efficiency, mainly using organic/inorganic hybrid materials as the perovskite absorption layer. However, this type of material has defects in thermal stability. In contrast, all-inorganic perovskite materials can effectively solve this problem, and the prepared solar cells have higher stability and longer lifespan than hybrid perovskite solar cells. Therefore, the emergence of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells has attracted widespread attention, and achieved an efficiency of 21.15% in a short period of time. However, due to the short development time of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells but with many reported articles, many researchers cannot clearly understand its current development status. Therefore, this article provides a systematic discussion on the photovoltaic conversion efficiency, working principle and structure, characterization methods, preparation process, and simulation software of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells, in order to provide readers with a clearer understanding. Finally, this article summarizes the current achievements of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells, clarifies the challenges faced in this field, and looks forward to its future development prospects. This article provides a comprehensive summary of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells and introduces their development history, structure, and working principles. In addition, the preparation process and characterization methods are also emphasized. At the end of the article, the existing problems and achievements of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells are also discussed in detail. [Display omitted] • Development of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. • Preparation and characterization methods. • All inorganic perovskite solar cells involve simulation software. • Achievements and challenges of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the diminishing availability of cultivable lands and environmental degration, it has become imperative to develop cotton varieties that possess resistance against diverse abiotic and biotic stresses, and improved yields. However, conventional breeding techniques such as crossbreeding has proven to be inefficient and time-consuming for generating novel varieties. Transgenic breeding technology offers advantages such as shortened breeding cycle, overcoming reproductive isolation, and precise integration of single or multiple genes into host plants. In this study, we incorporated six genes including the apoptosis inhibitors p35 and IAP , high yield related gene Bn-cs RRM2 , drought resistance gene HDG11 , glyphosate resistance gene EPSPS , and insect resistance gene Cry1AC into the pBI121 vector, which was then transformed into cotton plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The overexpression of these genes significantly enhanced plant tolerance to Verticillium wilt , drought, glyphosate, and cotton bollworm, along with high yields in field conditions. Our results suggested that the integration of multiple genes in cotton is a potential strategy for breeding cotton varieties with broad resistance traits. • Multi-gene aggregation technology is an innovative breeding strategy for genetically engineered breeding. • Six genes including p35 , Op-IAP , HDG11 , EPSPS and Cry1AC were introduced in cotton through multi-gene aggregation technology. • OE-6genes transgenic lines increased the capacity of resisting V. wilt , drought, glyphosate and cotton bollworm accompanied by high yields in the field. • Multi-gene co-transformation is conducive to the polymerization of multi-resistance and yield traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a harmonic modeling method (HMM) for coaxial magnetic gears (CMGs) by considering the nonlinear B–H curve for soft-magnetic material. CMGs are divided into several annular layers, where Maxwell equation is solved. A convolution matrix of permeability is introduced to obtain the relationship between the magnetic flux density and magnetic field strength, and the continuous boundary conditions can be further satisfied. Subsequently, the magnetic field distribution and electromagnetic performance of CMGs can be calculated by solving the system equations. The computation time and accuracy of HMM are compared with those of finite element analysis (FEA) and subdomain method. The results show that the HMM is relatively fast and precise, and its computation time is about 80% of that of FEA. Then, the parameters of CMGs are optimized based on the HMM and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) combined optimization method. Particularly, the modulator is divided into multilayers, so its saturation can be modeled more precisely, and its shape can be further optimized. Finally, two optimal cases are evaluated and compared, and the result proves the effectiveness of the integrated optimization method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal-sprayed aluminum (Al) coatings are widely used for corrosion protection in marine environments. The corrosive nature of seawater and the synergy with marine microbes make for aggressive service environments for Al coatings. In this study, Al coatings were deposited on 316L stainless steel (316L SS) substrates by using wire arc spraying. Chlorella vulgaris, a typical marine fouling algae, was used to investigate the effects of biofilm adhesion on the electrochemical behavior of wire arc-sprayed Al coatings in artificial seawater environment. Electrochemical measurements via dynamic potential polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to monitor the corrosion behavior after attachment of microbes on Al coatings and bare, uncoated 316L SS. Analysis of the corrosion products was conducted using scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive spectrum. The results showed that the Chlorella vulgaris biofilm slowed the corrosion of the Al coatings. This suggested that Chlorella vulgaris biofilm was a critical contributing factor to the corrosion behavior of the Al coatings. Moreover, a mechanism was suggested to illustrate the corrosion behavior of Al coatings in the presence of Chlorella vulgaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-fat diet (HFD)-feeding induces changes in the microbiome and increases intestinal permeability by impairing tight junction (TJ) protein function, which may explain the insulin resistance (IR) and associated pathologies. We aimed to determine the effects of resveratrol (RES) on the gut microbiome and intestinal TJ proteins. Results showed that RES administration improved the lipid profile, and ameliorated the endotoxemia, inflammation, intestinal barrier defect and glucose intolerance in the HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, it modified the gut microbial composition, reducing the proportion of Firmicutes and the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio. Moreover, Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia were much more abundant in the HFD + RES group. RES also significantly reduced the abundance of Bilophila and Ruminococcus. These findings suggest that RES may be useful for the treatment of IR and associated metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many countries have implemented drastic measures to fight the COVID‐19 pandemic. Restrictions and diversion of resources may have negatively affected patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Our aim was to examine whether COVID‐19 had an impact on access to PD medication by region and income. Methods: This study was conducted as part of a survey sent to members of the Movement Disorders Society focusing on access to PD medication globally. Results: Of 346 responses, 157 (45.4%) agreed that COVID‐19 had affected access to PD medication, while 189 (54.6%) disagreed. 22.8% of high‐income and 88.9% of low‐income countries' respondents agreed that access to PD medication was affected by COVID‐19. 59% of all 'yes' respondents reported increased disability of patients as an impact. Conclusions: Access to PD medication is likely to have been affected by COVID‐19 and result in deterioration of patients' symptomatic control. Resource‐poor countries appear to be disproportionately affected compared to more affluent countries. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As predominant pollinators, honeybees are important for crop production and terrestrial ecosystems. Recently, various environmental stresses have led to large declines in honeybee populations in many regions. The ability of honeybees to respond to these stresses is critical for their survival. However, the details of the stress defense mechanisms of honeybees have remained elusive. Here, we found that the Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) family (containing NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC) is a novel stress mediator family that regulates honeybee environmental stress resistance. NF-YA localized in the nucleus, NF-YB accumulated in the cytoplasm, and NF-YC presented in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. NF-YC interacted with NF-YA and NF-YB in vitro and in vivo, and the nuclear import of NF-YB relied on its interaction with NF-YC. We further found that the expression of NF-Y was induced under multiple stress conditions. In addition, NF-Y regulated many stress responses and antioxidant genes at the transcriptome-wide level, and knockdown of NF-Y repressed the expression of stress-inducible genes, particularly LOC108003540 and LOC107994062, under adverse circumstances. Silencing NF-Y lowered honeybee stress resistance by reducing total antioxidant capacity and enhancing oxidative impairment. Collectively, these results indicate that NF-Y plays important roles in stress responses. Our study sheds light on the underlying defense mechanisms of honeybees under environmental stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the vibration characteristics of gearbox considering the eccentricity error and the friction excitation of helical gear pair were evaluated theoretically and experimentally. A geometric model of a single-stage helical gear pair with eccentricity error was established to obtain the calculation formula of the length of the dynamic contact line and the friction excitation. The multi-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of the transmission system was established considering the influences of tooth friction, support stiffness and damping, meshing stiffness and damping, static error, and dynamic tooth backlash. Then, the dynamic meshing forces of the system were obtained and applied to the gearbox for vibration response analysis using mode superposition method. A correlation test rig was developed to measure vibration under different operating conditions for verifying the correctness of the simulation models. Comparison between simulation and test was performed to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed model in predicting vibrations. Results showed that eccentricity greatly influenced the overall vibration characteristics. The relative error between measurement and prediction can be significantly reduced by considering the eccentricity error in the dynamic model of transmission system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This study was conducted to investigate whether high body mass index (BMI) and triglycerides (TGs) were protective factors for reducing osteoporosis (OP) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Participants and Methods. Seventy-nine patients (aged 20 to 81) with T2DM were included in the study. Basic information and blood indicators were collected. Bone mineral density was used to diagnose OP. Participants were grouped according to BMI (normal weight vs. overweight/obese participants), TG (normal TG vs. hypertriglyceridemia), and OP (non-OP vs. OP), and differences were compared between groups. Regression analysis was used to explore whether BMI or TG were independent factors affecting OP. Results. The proportions of OP in the overweight/obese and hypertriglyceridemic groups were significantly lower than those in the normal weight (30.0% vs. 69.0%; P = 0.001) and normal TG (27.3% vs. 56.5%; P = 0.010) groups. In the OP group, the BMI (24.8 ± 3.4 vs. 26.6 ± 2.5 kg / m 2 ; P = 0.009) was significantly lower than that in the non-OP group, and TG showed the same trend (1.30 (0.81) vs. 1.71 (1.1) mmol/L; P = 0.020). Logistic regression in the crude model showed that the odds ratios (ORs) of OP in the overweight/obese and hypertriglyceridemic groups were 0.193 (95% CI: 0.071, 0.520) and 0.315 (95% CI: 0.119, 0.830) compared with those of the normal weight and normal TG groups. After adjusting for sex and smoking, the ORs were 0.204 (95% CI: 0.074, 0.567) and 0.242 (95% CI: 0.082, 0.709) for the overweight/obese and hypertriglyceridemic groups, respectively. After adjusting for all confounding factors, the ORs for these groups were 0.248 (95% CI: 0.083, 0.746) and 0.299 (95% CI: 0.091, 0.989), respectively. Conclusion. BMI and TG are independent protective factors against OP in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel mycovirus, named "Corynespora cassiicola bipartite mycovirus 1" (CcBV1), was isolated from a phytopathogenic fungus, Corynespora cassiicola, the causal agent of rubber leaf fall disease. The nucleotide sequence of the complete genome of CcBV1, which consists of two double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments, was determined. The first dsRNA is 2,002 bp in length and contains a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (69 kDa), while the second is 1,738 bp in length and contains a single ORF encoding a hypothetical protein of unknown function, with an approximately molecular weight of 36 kDa. The amino acid sequences of the both deduced proteins are most similar (58.9% and 45.1% identity, respectively) to those of Cryphonectria parasitica bipartite mycovirus 1 (CpBV1). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CcBV1 clusters together with CpBV1 and other unassigned dsRNA mycoviruses. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of a mycovirus infecting C. cassiicola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis on the effect of plant protein or animal protein on body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI) and blood lipid profiles in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Materials and methods: We used subject and free words to search PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases. The risk-of-bias evaluation tool was used to assess literature quality. Data merging and statistical analyses were carried out using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 13.0. All indicators were expressed as the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The heterogeneity test was conducted according to I2 and Q tests. We used Egger's test to evaluate publication bias quantitatively. Results: This was a meta-analysis of intervention trials. Thirty-two studies (1562 patients) were included. The quality of the included studies was acceptable. Compared with consumption of animal protein, plant protein reduced total cholesterol (TC) (MD = − 0.19 mmol/L, 95% CI − 0.26, − 0.12), triglyceride (MD = − 0.07 mmol/L, 95% CI − 0.13, − 0.02), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (MD = − 0.19 mmol/L, 95% CI − 0.26, − 0.13), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = − 0.05 mmol/L, 95% CI − 0.09, − 0.01), TC/LDL-C ratio (MD = − 0.17, 95% CI − 0.32, − 0.02) and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (MD = − 0.20, 95% CI − 0.33, − 0.06) significantly and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (MD = 0.03 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.01, 0.06) levels, but had no effect on BW (MD = − 0.41 kg, 95% CI − 2.14, 1.33) or BMI (MD = 0.11 kg/m2, 95% CI − 0.51, 0.73). Conclusion: Compared with animal protein, consumption of plant protein could improve lipid profile in patients with hypercholesterolemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors/DPP-4I) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) on cognition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remain controversial. We aimed to explore this clinical issue through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched, and data were expressed as mean difference (MD) or hazard ratio (HR)/odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed using the Chi-squared test and the I2 statistic. The study was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42019138777). Results: Eleven studies (n = 304,258 T2DM patients) were included in our review. In the DPP-4I group, six studies were enrolled to estimate ΔMini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores from baseline to the final evaluations after DPP-4I treatment, which showed no statistical difference (MD 0.20; 95% CI − 0.75 to 1.15, p = 0.68). ΔMMSE scores in the DPP-4I group and the other antidiabetic groups were compared, revealing no statistical difference (MD 0.57; 95% CI − 0.05 to 1.19, p = 0.07). Two cohort studies were pooled to determine the HRs for dementia, showing a lower risk of dementia after DPP-4I treatment (HR 0.52; 95% CI 0.29–0.93, p = 0.03). In the GLP-1 analogs group, two studies were included, one of which revealed a downward trend in the risk of dementia after GLP-1 analog treatment, while the other revealed no significant difference after incretins treatment. Conclusions: Currently there is not enough irrefutable evidence to support the hypothesis of positive effects of incretins on cognition. Further clinical studies need to be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the signaling pathways and the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in ethanol-induced intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) dysfunction. Therefore, an in vitro experimental model of IEB was established using an ethanol-treated Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cell monolayer. The results confirmed that Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs), namely ROCK1 and ROCK2, were involved in the underlying pathway of ethanol-induced IEB dysfunction. Ethanol exposure significantly increased the expression of both ROCK isoforms and the activity of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Furthermore, ROCK1- and ROCK2-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and the NF-κB inhibitor ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate partially inhibited transepithelial electrical resistance in Caco-2 cells in an in vitro IEB model. In addition, ROCK1- and ROCK2-specific siRNAs inhibited the activity of NF-κB, thereby downregulating the expression of aquaporin 8 (AQP8). Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that ROCK1/ROCK2-mediated activation of NF-κB and upregulation of AQP8 expression levels may represent a novel mechanism of ethanol-induced impairment of IEB function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetative (juvenile-to-adult) and flowering (vegetative-to-reproductive) phase changes are crucial in the life cycle of higher plants. MicroRNA156 (miR156) and its target SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes are master regulators that determine vegetative phase changes. The miR156 level gradually declines as a plant ages and its expression is rapidly repressed by sugar. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism of transcriptional regulation of the MIR156 gene remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Arabidopsis NUCLEAR FACTOR Y A8 (NF-YA8) binds directly to CCAAT cis -elements in the promoters of multiple MIR156 genes, thus activating their transcription and inhibiting the juvenile-to-adult transition. NF-YA8 was highly expressed in juvenile-stage leaves, and significantly repressed with developmental age and by sugar signals. Our results suggest that NF-YA8 acts as a signaling hub, integrating internal developmental age and sugar signals to regulate the transcription of MIR156s , thus affecting the juvenile-to-adult and flowering transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new dual-modulator magnetic-geared machine (DM-MGM) is proposed for tidal-power generation with the virtue of high-torque output at low speed. First, the requirement of the DM-MGM for tidal-power generation is derived. Then, the flux-modulation principle and flux-enhancing effect of the extra modulator of the proposed DM-MGM are elaborated. After that, a finite-element analysis and multi-objective genetic algorithm (FEA-GA) combined method is used to solve a multi-objective optimization problem for the DM-MGM design. The electromagnetic performances of the optimized DM-MGM with different pole-pair combinations are quantitatively compared by FEA. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed machine, which is suitable to be applied in the tidal-power-generation scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs) have been proposed as a simple model of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) which can form membraneless organelles by liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in cells. Herein, the behavior of fluorescently labeled ELP is studied in cytomimetic aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS) encapsulated protocells that are formed using microfluidics, which enabled confinement, changes in temperature, and statistical analysis. The spatial organization of ELP could be observed in the ATPS. Furthermore, changes in temperature triggered the dynamic formation and distribution of ELP‐rich droplets within the ATPS, resulting from changes in conformation. Proteins were encapsulated along with ELP in the synthetic protocells and distinct partitioning properties of these proteins and ELP in the ATPS were observed. Therefore, the ability of ELP to coacervate with temperature can be maintained inside a cell‐mimicking system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs) have been proposed as a simple model of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) which can form membraneless organelles by liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in cells. Herein, the behavior of fluorescently labeled ELP is studied in cytomimetic aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS) encapsulated protocells that are formed using microfluidics, which enabled confinement, changes in temperature, and statistical analysis. The spatial organization of ELP could be observed in the ATPS. Furthermore, changes in temperature triggered the dynamic formation and distribution of ELP‐rich droplets within the ATPS, resulting from changes in conformation. Proteins were encapsulated along with ELP in the synthetic protocells and distinct partitioning properties of these proteins and ELP in the ATPS were observed. Therefore, the ability of ELP to coacervate with temperature can be maintained inside a cell‐mimicking system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional topography of machined surface induced by machine tool vibration has a great impact on the optical performance of ultra-precision optical components. This paper aims to explain the formation mechanism of the wavy topography of the machined surface of ultra-precision flycutting. Firstly, a dynamic model of the machine tool was built based on finite element method (FEM) considering the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) effect. Then, a mathematic model for simulating the machined surface topography was built based on the FEM model of the machine tool. The machined surface topography was simulated, and the spatial periods of waviness errors were analyzed based on power spectral density (PSD) method. The reason of waviness errors on machined surface was revealed by investigating the internal relationship between the spatial period of waviness error and the dynamic performance of the machine tool. Moreover, the method for controlling the spatial period of waviness error was discussed, which provides guidance for improving the optical performance of large size optical component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power split system is the key power transmission component in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This article presents a new interior consequent-pole permanent-magnet (PM) magnetic-geared double rotor machine (ICPMDM) with a double rotor structure, which is suitable as the power split system for HEVs. Since the common existing magnetic-geared double-rotor machine (MGDBM) adopts the surface-mounted PMs on its rotor, it suffers from the problem that the PMs might fly away during high-speed situations. The key of the proposed machine is to insert the PMs with the same polarity into the rotor core, and the flux barrier is added to increase the main flux. So its mechanical structure is more robust, while the electromagnetic performance does not deterioriate. Then, the working principle is analyzed, and the structure is optimized. Additionally, the performances of the conventional machine and proposed type are quantitatively compared. The result shows that proposed machine has more advantages for the power split system in HEVs than the conventional machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve traditional electro-spark deposition (ESD) technology and meet the requirements for special applications, a novel ultrasonic-assisted electro-spark powder deposition (UEPD) process is developed in this study. The unique electrode tool in this new method consists of a NiCrBSi alloy powder as a deposition material and a Cu electrode core as a support component, which are bonded to each other by means of a silver-containing conductive adhesive. By using this UEPD process, a metal matrix composite (MMC) coating is successfully fabricated on ASTM 1045 steel. The coating has an average thickness of approximately 52.3 μm and exhibits efficient metallurgical bonding with the substrate as well as good continuity. The microstructure in the coating mainly presents submicron-columnar dendrites that epitaxially grow perpendicular to the substrate surface, which mainly contain a Ni-rich γ-(Ni, Fe) solid solution, intermetallic FeNi 3 and Cr-rich carbide and boride precipitates. These refined grains and hard reinforcements significantly increase the hardness and tribological properties of the coating. Combining the discharge morphology, microstructure and chemical composition of the UEPD electrode and coating, the formation process of the UEPD coating is analysed and discussed in detail. The adhesive NiCrSiB powder layer was melted and transferred to the surface of the substrate during the UEPD process. The separation of the powder tends to start from the interface of the powder layer and electrode core due to weak connectivity. This behaviour is considered beneficial to the quantitative control of powder deposition. In addition, the introduction of ultrasonication can promote dispersion of the metal droplets to obtain a better quality coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a "bottom‐up" substrate preparation method using a two‐phase interface self‐assembly technology that combines silver‐coated gold core–shell nanorods with the thermally shrinkable polystyrene (TSP) support material for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), that is, TSP‐SERS substrate. The gold nanorods with long absorption wavelength were used as the core, and the silver shells were coated to obtain the core–shell nanostructures with a stronger resonance with the wavelength of the light source. The density of the nanostructures and numbers of "hot spots" within the light spot increased via the three‐dimensional folding feature formed by thermal shrinkage. The combined effect of the two factors increases the enhancement factor by an order of magnitude to 107 after thermal contraction. The detection concentration of 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid can reach 10−9 M, and the maximum relative standard deviation is only 8.9%. In fact, the detection limit of benzimidazole on the surface of apple can reach 0.5 mg/L, and the recovery deviation is controlled within the range of 11.7%. The practical detection of benzimidazole pesticide residues showed that this method has wide application prospects in the detection of pesticide residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circadian clock perceives seasonal changes in day length and temperature and then regulates numerous internal cellular processes. Arabidopsis thaliana EARLY FLOWERING4 (ELF4) is a key circadian clock component that is involved in transcriptional regulation of the central oscillator and multiple output pathways. However, the functions of ELF4 orthologues in other organisms are poorly understood. Here, we identified ELF4 orthologous genes in two non-flowering organisms, the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas (CrELF4) and the moss Physcomitrella patens (PpELF4). Constitutive expression of CrELF4 and PpELF4 in the Arabidopsis elf4 mutant not only completely rescued its early flowering phenotype, but also induced late flowering. This was associated with decreased transcript levels of CONSTANS (CO) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), two key positive regulators of flowering-time pathways. In addition, expression of CrELF4 and PpELF4 in the Arabidopsis elf4 mutant inhibited hypocotyl elongation and altered the expression of circadian clock-related genes. Taken together, these data suggest that ELF4 orthologous genes in Chlamydomonas and Physcomitrella share an evolutionary conserved role with Arabidopsis ELF4 and indicate that the plant clock component ELF4 is functionally conserved from basal plants to angiosperms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides have wide application value in many fields. Herein, MoS 2 and WS 2 nanosheets are produced by liquid phase exfoliation method assisted by epigallocatechin gallate. The effects of epigallocatechin gallate concentration and stripping time are investigated by UV–vis. The morphology and structure characterization of exfoliated nanosheets are studied by XRD, Raman, SEM, HRTEM and AFM, the results showing that the nanosheets have few layers and the exfoliated solution is homogeneous dispersion and stable. The exfoliated nanosheets produced by 2 mg ml−1 epigallocatechin gallate solution for 12 h have five monolayers approximately, presenting a phase transformation from 2H to 1T structure of MoS 2 nanosheets. Then, Graphene aerogel composites are prepared with the exfoliated MoS 2 /WS 2 nanosheets, which loaded sulfur and employed as the cathode of Li-S batteries. TEM results reveal that MoS 2 /WS 2 nanosheets are embedded in reduced graphene oxide, and sulfur is evenly distributed in the composites. The composites containing MoS 2 /WS 2 nanosheets achieve outstanding electrochemical performance, during to the polysulfide adsorption capability of MoS 2 /WS 2 nanosheets and reducing the shuttle effect in Li-S batteries. It demonstrates a good application of exfoliated MoS 2 /WS 2 nanosheets in Li-S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues have been the focus of widespread attention in the field of food safety. Here, we describe a new portable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flexible surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate decorated with silver-coated gold nanocubes (Au@Ag NCs) to rapidly measure pesticide residues on the surface of agricultural products. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method and density functional theory (DFT) were used to optimize the preparation of the substrates, and the attribution of the imazalil (IMZ) characteristic peaks is discussed in detail. The relationship between the concentration obtained by in situ SERS detection and the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of pesticides was established accurately by three mass measurements. The minimum pesticide concentration on the surface could reach 2 mg L−1, which corresponds to an apple's MRL of just 0.073 mg kg−1. The feasibility of this method was further verified by the detection of phosmet pesticide residues. The results demonstrated that the method has great potential for detection of low-concentration pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]