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Melittin, a naturally occurring polypeptide found in bee venom, has been recognized for its potential anti-tumor effects, particularly in the context of lung cancer. Our previous study focused on its impact on human lung adenocarcinoma cells A549, revealing that melittin induces intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and oxidative damage, resulting in cell death. Considering the significant role of mitochondria in maintaining intracellular redox levels and ROS, we further examined the involvement of mitochondrial damage in melittin-induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Our findings demonstrated that melittin caused changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), triggered mitochondrial ROS burst (Figure 1), and activated the mitochondria-related apoptosis pathway Bax/Bcl-2 by directly targeting mitochondria in A549 cells (Figure 2). Further, we infected A549 cells using a lentivirus that can express melittin-Myc and confirmed that melittin can directly target binding to mitochondria, causing the biological effects described above (Figure 2). Notably, melittin induced mitochondrial damage while inhibiting autophagy, resulting in abnormal degradation of damaged mitochondria (Figure 5). To summarize, our study unveils that melittin targets mitochondria, causing mitochondrial damage, and inhibits the autophagy-lysosomal degradation pathway. This process triggers mitoROS burst and ultimately activates the mitochondria-associated Bax/Bcl-2 apoptotic signaling pathways in A549 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress which severely hinders crop production. However, the regulatory network controlling tomato resistance to salt remains unclear. Here, we found that the tomato WRKY transcription factor WRKY57 acted as a negative regulator in salt stress response by directly attenuating the transcription of salt‐responsive genes (SlRD29B and SlDREB2) and an ion homeostasis gene (SlSOS1). We further identified two VQ‐motif containing proteins SlVQ16 and SlVQ21 as SlWRKY57‐interacting proteins. SlVQ16 positively, while SlVQ21 negatively modulated tomato resistance to salt stress. SlVQ16 and SlVQ21 competitively interacted with SlWRKY57 and antagonistically regulated the transcriptional repression activity of SlWRKY57. Additionally, the SlWRKY57‐SlVQ21/SlVQ16 module was involved in the pathway of phytohormone jasmonates (JAs) by interacting with JA repressors JA‐ZIM domain (JAZ) proteins. These results provide new insights into how the SlWRKY57‐SlVQ21/SlVQ16 module finely tunes tomato salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose • To study the risk factors affecting amputation and survival in patients with diabetic foot (DF) and to construct a predictive model using the machine learning technique for DF foot amputation and survival and evaluate its effectiveness. Materials and Methods • A total of 200 patients with DF hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College in China were selected via cluster analysis screening, Kaplan-Meier survival calculation, amputation rate and Cox proportional hazards model investigation of risk factors associated with amputation and death. In addition, we constructed various models, including Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, the deep learning method convolution neural network (CNN) model, backpropagation (BP) neural network model, and backpropagation neural network prediction model after optimizing the genetic algorithm. The accuracy of the 4 prediction models for survival and amputation was assessed, and we evaluated the reliability of these computational models based on the size of the area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity. Results• We found that the 1-year survival rate in patients with DF was 88.5%, and the 1-year amputation rate was 12.5%. Wagner’s Classification of Diabetic Foot Ulcers grade, ankle-brachial index (ABI), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and percutaneous oxygen partial pressure (TcPO2 ) were independent risk factors for amputation in patients with DF, while cerebrovascular disease, Sudoscan sweat gland function score, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and peripheral artery disease (PAD) were independent risk factors for death in patients with DF. In addition, our results showed that in the case of amputation, the COX regression predictive model revealed an AUC of 0.788, sensitivity of 74.1% and specificity of 83.6%. The BP neural network predictive model identified an AUC of 0.874, sensitivity of 87.0% and specificity of 87.7%. An AUC of 0.909, sensitivity of 90.7% and specificity of 91.1% were found after optimizing the BP neural network prediction model via genetic algorithm. In the deep learning CNN model, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity were 0.939, 92.6%, and 95.2%, respectively. In the analysis of risk factors for death, the COX regression predictive model identified the AUC, sensitivity and specificity as 0.800, 74.1% and 85.9%, respectively. The BP neural network predictive model revealed an AUC, sensitivity and specificity of 0.937, 93.1% and 94.4%, respectively. Genetic algorithm-based optimization of the BP neural network predictive model identified an AUC, sensitivity and specificity of 0.932, 91.4% and 95.1%, respectively. The deep learning CNN model found the AUC, sensitivity and specificity to be 0.861, 82.8% and 89.4%, respectively. Conclusion • To identify risk factors for death, the BP neural network predictive model and genetic algorithmbased optimizing BP neural network predictive model have higher sensitivity and specificity than the deep learning method CNN predictive model and COX regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel MoS2/Ag2CO3 Z-scheme system was synthesized by a simple chemical depositing method. The morphology and material components of MoS2/Ag2CO3 Z-scheme system were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) tests demonstrated that the photocurrent density of MoS2/Ag2CO3 Z-scheme system can reach up to 13 µA/cm2 in 0.5 M Na2SO4 solution at a bias voltage of 0.5 V, which is 44 times more than pure MoS2, as well as 13 times higher than pure Ag2CO3. Lastly, the stability measurement of MoS2/Ag2CO3 Z-scheme system in 0.5 M Na2SO4 solution was carried out showing no obvious difference after processing 50 cycles. This work demonstrates that the MoS2/Ag2CO3 Z-scheme system may have a great potential application in photocatalytic water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The ultimate objective of rural health reform and development is to establish a mature healthcare service system that adapts to the socialist market economy and the developmental level of the Chinese economy and meets the health demands of the people. Reform of the payment system is one of the key elements. This article explores the effect of the system and the causes of benefit inequity, provides an objective evaluation of policy implementation and offers data support for policy adjustment. Methods A two-stage stratified random sampling data collection method comprising a survey in 2009 (the sample size was 3832 families) and a follow-up survey in 2015 (the sample size was 3992 families) was used. Qualitative data are presented as rates or ratios and the χ2 test was used for descriptive statistics. Quantitative data were analysed using a t test. A generalized linear model (GLM) with gamma distribution of the log connection function was adopted to analyse the factors of the compensation benefit inequity. The degree of the compensation benefit inequity contribution was analysed using the concentration index (CI) decomposition method and the Oaxaca decomposition method. Results Reimbursement refers to the reimbursement expense received by inpatients from the New Cooperative Medical System (NCMS). In the GLM, there were some positive factors for reimbursement in the NCMS, including economic level, level of health facility and deductibles. The CI decomposition analysis results show that the main factors that increased the compensation benefit inequity were economic levels and deductibles over the past 2 y. However, inpatient days (2009) and the actual reimbursement ratio (2015) decreased the inequity. The Oaxaca decomposition analysis results suggest that changes in compensation benefit inequity between 2009 and 2015 were more attributable to changes in economic status and variables related to policy compensation than to demographic variables. Conclusions: This study showed that inequity decreased from 2009 to 2015, which could be the result of adjustment of the compensation policy. However, we should remain vigilant lest the gap between the rich and the poor leads to an increase in inequity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: The coordination of the alignment between the lower extremities and cervical spine helps to achieve balance and horizontal gaze during standing and walking. Malalignment in any segment can disturb the global balance, causing compensation in another segment. Knee flexion contracture (KFC) can cause spine inclination with increased C7 tilt or C7 SVA (sagittal vertical axis). Cervical alignment and the posterior muscles are essential for maintaining the horizontal gaze which is closely related to neck tension (NT).Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether KFC can affect cervical alignment and its potential effects on the posterior muscles and NT.Design: A prospective pilot study was carried out in preoperative (pre-op) and postoperative (post-op) phases.Patient Sample: This study included 22 consecutive patients with KFC and 12 control subjects in our department who agreed to participate from between August 1, 2018 and February 28, 2019 in our department.Outcome Measures: Visual analog scale (VAS) and neck disability index (NDI) were used. The sagittal alignment parameters and cervical range of motion (ROM) were measured on radiographic images, and included the C0-C2 lordosis (C0-2L), C2-C7 lordosis (C2-7L), C2 SVA, C7 SVA, T1 slope, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic tilt, sacral slope, and knee flexion angle (KA). Surface electromyography-based flexion-relaxation ratio (FRR) and ultrasound-based shear wave elastography (SWE) were performed.Methods: The control group was matched for age, sex, and body mass index with the KFC group. Patients in the KFC group underwent arthroscopic surgery to correct knee alignment. Comparisons between pre-op and post-op phases were performed using paired sample t tests, comparisons between KFC and control groups were performed using independent samples t tests. The correlation analysis between the parameters was performed using Spearman analysis. Funding for this study was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (60,000 USD), Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Incubating Program (50,000 USD), and Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Clinical Medicine Development of Special Funding Support (20,000 USD). There were no conflicts of interest associated with this study.Results: The average follow-up time for this pilot study was 11.4±1.5 days. Pre-op, the KFC group had higher KA, T1S, C7 SVA, C2 SVA, C0-2L, SWE, VAS, and NDI compared with the control group, but all of these parameters were decreased significantly post-op. The LL, FRR of splenius capitis (FRRsc), and ROM of the KFC group pre-op were lower than the control group, and all of these were increased significantly post-op. There were no differences in pelvic tilt, sacral slope, C2-7 L, or TK between the KFC and control groups, or in FRR of splenius capitis (FRRutr) between pre-op and post-op phases. KA had strong correlations with LL (r=-0.83), which correlated well with C7 SVA (r=-0.75). C7 SVA correlated strongly with C2 SVA (r=0.79), which also correlated strongly with C0-2 L (r=0.76). C0-2 L correlated well with FRRsc (r=-0.65) and SWEsc (r=0.72), and both of them correlated well with VAS (r=-0.54, r=0.71) and NDI (r=-0.57, r=0.76). ROM correlated well with FRRsc (r=0.71), SWEsc (r=-0.74), VAS (r=-0.66), and NDI (r=-0.66).Conclusions: KFC may cause spine inclination and craniocervical malalignment, leading to NT and ROM reduction. The results of this pilot study may be helpful in guiding further studies concerning KFC and NT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classification‐based control approach is proposed for wireless networked control systems with lossy multipacket transmission. This approach takes advantage of a state reconstruction process to deal with the distinct feature of partial failure of data transmission caused by multipacket transmission, and then classifies the difference of the latest received system states and reconstructed ones to design a classification‐based controller. The closed‐loop stability of the system is proven using the switched systems theory. By considering more communication characteristics of multipacket transmission, the proposed approach is shown to give rise to a better system performance by a numerical example. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scheme opens a path for the application of scattered twisted photons during light detection. B The Rotational Doppler Effect of Twisted Photons in Scattered Fields b In article number 2201022, Jiamin Wu, Qionghai Dai, and colleagues study the Doppler frequency shift characteristics of scattered twisted photons induced by various rotating rough surfaces and exploit the SPSF method to extract RDE in scattered light with a generalized non-vortex simple source. [Extracted from the article]

Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdc2) is involved in the metabolic pathways of the cell cycle and plays essential roles in the regulation of cell proliferation in eukaryotic cells. Previous research predicted that Cdc2 is involved in regulating sexual reproduction in male oriental river prawns (Machrobrachium nipponense). In the present study, we investigated the potential functions of Cdc2 in male sexual reproduction in this species. The full-length cDNA sequence of Mn-Cdc2 is 1541 base pairs long, and it encodes 299 amino acids. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the amino acid sequence of Mn-Cdc2 has the closest evolutionary distance with the Cdc2s of freshwater prawns. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that Mn-Cdc2 mRNA expression was highest in the testis and ovary of male and female prawns, respectively, which suggests that Cdc2 promotes gonad reproduction in M. nipponense. In situ hybridization revealed that Cdc2 plays essential role in sperm proliferation. RNA interference analysis showed that synthesized dsRNA of Mn-Cdc2 efficiently knocked down the expression of Mn-Cdc2 in male prawns. Additionally, the expression of Mn-insulin-like androgenic gland hormone decreased as Mn-Cdc2 expression decreased, indicating that Cdc2 positively regulates the expression of this hormone in M. nipponense. Histological observations showed significant morphological differences between testis samples taken from dsCdc2-injected and dsGFP-injected prawns. Sperm were rarely observed at day 14 after dsCdc2 injection, indicating that Cdc2 is involved in regulating testis reproduction in M. nipponense. This study highlighted the functions of Cdc2 in M. nipponense, and the results provide a basis for further studies of the regulation of male sexual reproduction in other crustacean species and for the development of an artificial technique to regulate the process of testis reproduction in M. nipponense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the potential to use double-stranded RNA insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (dsIAG) to induce sex reversal in Macrobrachium nipponense and identified the molecular mechanisms underlying crustacean reproduction and sex differentiation. The study aimed to determine whether dsIAG could induce sex reversal in PL30-male M. nipponense during a critical period. The sex-related genes were selected by performing the gonadal transcriptome analysis of normal male (dsM), normal female (dsFM), neo-female sex-reversed individuals (dsRM), and unreversed males (dsNRM). After six injections, the experiment finally resulted in a 20% production of dsRM. Histologically, dsRM ovaries developed slower than dsFM, but dsNRM spermathecae developed normally. A total of 1718, 1069, and 255 differentially expressed genes were identified through transcriptome sequencing of the gonads in three comparison groups, revealing crucial genes related to reproduction and sex differentiation, such as GnRHR, VGR, SG, and LWS. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) also distinguished dsM and dsRM very well. In addition, this study predicted that the eyestalks and the "phototransduction-fly" photoperiodic pathways of M. nipponense could play an important role in sex reversal. The enrichment of related pathways and growth traits in dsNRM were combined to establish that IAG played a significant role in reproduction, growth regulation, and metabolism. Finally, complete sex reversal may depend on specific stimuli at critical periods. Overall, this study provides valuable findings for the IAG regulation of sex differentiation, reproduction, and growth of M. nipponense in establishing a monoculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Partial neuromuscular blockade (NMB) has been applied for some surgeries to reduce bleeding and prevent patient movement for spinal surgery. Sugammadex selectively binds to rocuronium in the plasma and consequently lowers the rocuronium concentration at the neuromuscular junction. In this study, we aimed to observe whether the success rate of transcranial motor-evoked potential (TceMEP) can be increased by sugammadex compared with partial NMB during spinal surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent elective spinal surgery with TceMEP monitoring were randomly assigned to the sugammadex group and control group. Rocuronium was continuously infused to maintain the train of four counts (TOFc) = 2. The sugammadex group discontinued rocuronium infusion at the time of TceMEP monitoring and was infused with 2 mg/kg sugammadex; the control group was infused with the same dose of saline. Results: A total of 171 patients were included. The success rate of TceMEP monitoring in the sugammadex group was significantly higher than that in the control group. TceMEP amplitudes were greater in the sugammadex group than in the control group at 5 min, 10 min, and 20 min after the start of motor-evoked potential monitoring. The latencies of upper extremity TceMEPs monitoring showed no difference between groups. TOF ratios were greater in the sugammadex group at 5 min, 10 min, and 20 min after the start of motor-evoked potential monitoring. There were no adverse effects caused by sugammadex. Conclusions: Sugammadex can improve the success rate of motor-evoked potential monitoring compared with moderate neuromuscular blockade induced by continuous infusion of rocuronium in spinal surgery. Trial registration: The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov.cn on 29/10/2020 (trial registration number: NCT04608682). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy is a potential motivation for prosocial behaviors that is related to many psychiatric diseases, such as major depressive disorder; however, its neural mechanisms remain unclear. To elucidate the relationship between empathy and stress, we established a chronic stress contagion (SC) procedure combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to investigate (1) whether depressive rats show impaired empathy-like behavior toward fearful conspecifics, (2) whether frequent social contact with normal familiar conspecifics (social support) alleviates the negative effects of CUMS, and (3) the effect of long-term exposure to a depressed partner on emotional and empathic responses in normal rats. We found that the CUMS group showed less empathy-like behavior in the social transfer of fear model (STFM), as indicated by less social interaction with the demonstrator and reduced freezing behavior in the fear-expression test. Social contact partially alleviated depression-like behaviors and the negative effect of CUMS in the fear-transfer test. The normal rats who experienced stress contagion from daily exposure to a depressed partner for 3 weeks showed lower anxiety and increased social response in the fear-transfer test than the control group. We concluded that chronic stress impairs empathy-like behaviors, while social contact partially buffers the effect of CUMS. Thus, social contact or contagion of stress is mutually beneficial to both stressed individuals and nonstressed partners. Higher dopamine and lower norepinephrine levels in the basolateral amygdala probably contributed to these beneficial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The flammability of poly-acrylate (PA) resin is a major disadvantage in applications that require flame resistance. It has been reported that a flame-retardant PA resin could be prepared by covalent incorporate phosphorous containing monomer with vinyl group via free radical polymerization, and the prepared modified PA resin is expected to exhibit better flame resistance than those by an additive approach. However, the phosphorus-containing monomers reported previously are made from expensive or toxic materials, and the production procedure is tedious and under harsh reaction conditions, which are not feasible for industrial application. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is the preparation of flame-retardant PA resin modified by epoxy resin phosphorous acid (EPPA) and the study of its flame retardancy. Design/methodology/approach: EPPA is first prepared by epoxy resin E-51 and phosphorous acid and then used to prepare phosphorous containing PA resin by free radical polymerization. The flame retardancy of the prepared EPPA-modified PA (EPPA-PA) resin is studied. Findings: The results show that EPPA can graft onto the PA polymer chain by free radical polymerization, the flame retardancy of the EPPA-PA resin increases as the EPPA content increasing. The flame retardancy of EPPA-PA resin prepared reaches 27.8% and can pass the V-0 rating in the UL-94 test when EPPA content is 30.0%. SEM and EDS results indicate that phosphorous element in the EPPA-PA resin shows a condensed-phase flame retardant effect. Research limitations/implications: The grafting degree of EPPA cannot be accurately tested. Practical implications: It is expected that the large-scale production of this epoxy resin phosphoric acid modified PA resin will enable practical industrial applications. Originality/value: This method for synthesis of epoxy resin phosphoric acid modified PA resin is newfrangled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-50 nm nanoparticles feature long circulation and deep tumor penetration. However, at high volume fractions needed for intravenous injection, safe, highly biocompatible phospholipids cannot form such nanoparticles due to the fluidity of phospholipid shells. Here we overcome this challenge using a nano-surfactant, a sterilized 18-amino-acid biomimetic of the amphipathic helical motif abundant in HDL-apolipoproteins. As it induces a nanoscale phase (glass) transition in the phospholipid monolayer, the peptide stabilizes 5–7 nm phospholipid micelles that do not fuse at high concentrations but aggregate into stable micellesomes exhibiting size-dependent penetration into tumors. In mice bearing human Her-2-positive breast cancer xenografts, high-payload paclitaxel encapsulated in 25 nm (diameter) micellesomes kills more cancer cells than paclitaxel in standard clinical formulation, as evidenced by the enhanced apparent diffusion coefficient of water determined by in vivo MR imaging. Importantly, the bio-inertness of this biomimetic nano-surfactant spares the nanoparticles from being absorbed by liver hepatocytes, making them more generally available for drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This method tolerates a variety of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents in the 2-aryl substituent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "De novo Synthesis of Imidazoles by Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Aerobic Oxidation/[3 + 2] Cycloaddition/Aromatization Cascade" by Quiao-Hui Deng, You-Quan Zhou, Liang-Qui Lu, Zi-Long Tang, Jia-Rong Chen and Wen-Jing Xiao is presented.

The relationship between molting and reproduction has received more attention in economically important crustacean decapods. Molting and reproduction are synergistic events in Macrobrachium nipponense, but the molecular regulatory mechanisms behind them are unclear. In the current study, we performed Illumina sequencing for the ovaries of M. nipponense during the molt cycle (pre-molting, Prm; mid-molting, Mm; and post-molting, Pom). A total of 66.57 Gb of transcriptome data were generated through sequencing, resulting in the identification of 105,149 unigenes whose alignment ratio with the reference genome exceeded 87.57%. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated through the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases for gene classification and pathway analysis. A total of twenty-six molt-related DEGs were found, and their expression patterns were examined across various molting stages. The KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the key pathways involved in regulating the molting process of M. nipponense primarily include the mTOR, insect hormone biosynthesis, TGF-beta, and Wnt signaling pathways. Our transcriptomic data suggest that these pathways crosstalk with each other to regulate the synthesis and degradation of ecdysone throughout the molt cycle. The current study has deepened our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of crustacean molting and will serve as a basis for future studies of crustaceans and other molting animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The rapid gonad reproduction of hatchlings restricts the sustainable development of Macrobrachium nipponense. Thus, it is urgently required to establish an artificial technique to regulate the process of gonad reproduction in M. nipponense. A previous study predicted that Cyclin B3 (CycB3) may perform crucial functions in the regulation of male reproduction in M. nipponense. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential roles of CycB3 in the male reproduction of this species. qPCR analysis results suggested that CycB3 was involved in the process of spermiogenesis, oogenesis, and embryogenesis in M. nipponense. RNA interference analysis showed that CycB3 affected the expression of insulin-like androgenic gland hormone and inhibited testis reproduction in M. nipponense. Taken together, these findings suggest that CycB3 plays essential roles in the regulation of male reproduction in M. nipponense, promoting the studies of the regulation of testis reproduction. Cyclin B3 (CycB3) is involved in the metabolic pathway of the cell cycle, playing essential roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and mitosis. CycB3 is also predicted to be involved in the reproduction of male oriental river prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense). In this study, the potential functions of CycB3 in M. nipponense were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR, RNA interference, and histological observations. The full-length DNA sequence of CycB3 in M. nipponense was 2147 base pairs (bp) long. An open reading frame of 1500 bp was found, encoding 499 amino acids. A highly conserved destruction box and two conserved cyclin motifs were found in the protein sequence of Mn-CycB3. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that this protein sequence was evolutionarily close to that of CycB3s of crustacean species. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis results suggested that CycB3 was involved in the process of spermiogenesis, oogenesis, and embryogenesis in M. nipponense. RNA interference analysis showed that CycB3 had a positive regulatory relationship with insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) in M. nipponense. In addition, sperm were rarely observed in the testis of double-stranded CycB3-injected prawns after 14 days of treatment, and sperm abundance was dramatically lower than that in the double-stranded GFP-injected prawns on the same day. This result indicated that CycB3 can regulate the testis reproduction in M. nipponense through inhibiting the IAG expressions. Overall, these results indicated that CycB3 plays essential roles in the regulation of male reproduction in M. nipponense, which may promote the studies of male reproduction in other crustacean species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex reversal induced by 17β-estradiol (E2) has shown the potential possibility for monoculture technology development. The present study aimed to determine whether dietary supplementation with different concentrations of E2 could induce sex reversal in M. nipponense, and select the sex-related genes by performing the gonadal transcriptome analysis of normal male (M), normal female (FM), sex-reversed male prawns (RM), and unreversed male prawns (NRM). Histology, transcriptome analysis, and qPCR were performed to compare differences in gonad development, key metabolic pathways, and genes. Compared with the control, after 40 days, feeding E2 with 200 mg/kg at PL25 (PL: post-larvae developmental stage) resulted in the highest sex ratio (female: male) of 2.22:1. Histological observations demonstrated the co-existence of testis and ovaries in the same prawn. Male prawns from the NRM group exhibited slower testis development without mature sperm. RNA sequencing revealed 3702 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between M vs. FM, 3111 between M vs. RM, and 4978 between FM vs. NRM. Retinol metabolism and nucleotide excision repair pathways were identified as the key pathways for sex reversal and sperm maturation, respectively. Sperm gelatinase (SG) was not screened in M vs. NRM, corroborating the results of the slice D. In M vs. RM, reproduction-related genes such as cathepsin C (CatC), heat shock protein cognate (HSP), double-sex (Dsx), and gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRH) were expressed differently from the other two groups, indicating that these are involved in the process of sex reversal. Exogenous E2 can induce sex reversal, providing valuable evidence for the establishment of monoculture in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diagram is presented which shows chemical structures of photocatalytic oxytrifluoromethylation of N-allylamides for the synthesis of CF 3-containing benzoxazines and oxazoline.

The exploration of high efficient photocatalysts for water-splitting is a challenge as well as an opportunity for future applications in renewable sustainable energy. In this paper, a two dimensional photocatalytic Tin disulfide/graphene hybrid nanosheets (SnS 2 /rGO HNs) with identically 2D structural configurations have been prepared via a facile hydrothermal route. The as-prepared SnS 2 /rGO HNs photoanode demonstrates improved photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance when compared to bare SnS 2 electrodes. X-ray diffraction pattern and Raman spectra are carried out and confirm that the as-prepared SnS 2 /rGO HNs are pure and well crystalized. Additional morphological and microstructural tests verify a high yield of SnS 2 /rGO HNs with good quality, indicating t he relatively stability of graphene platform with high specific surface area. Further PEC measurements demonstrate the photocurrent density of SnS 2 /rGO HNs attain maximum under 100 mW/cm 2 when the applied potential is 0 V and varies from 321 nA/cm 2 to 244 nA/cm 2 while the applied potential increase from 0 V to 1.0 V. Besides that, the duration test exhibits no detectable distinction after processing 25 cycles. The PEC improvement is proposed to derive from the positive synergetic effect between SnS 2 and co-catalytic graphene framework. We hope this work can provide fundamental illustration about the PEC performance of two-dimensional SnS 2 /rGO HNs, offering extendable availabilities for its potential application into high-performance PEC and photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In search of simple approaches to rationally modulate the single-molecule magnet behaviour in polynuclear lanthanide compound, a new system containing two structurally closely related dinuclear dysprosium complexes, namely [Dy 2 (hfac) 4 L 2 ] ( 1 ) and [Dy 2 (hfac) 4 L′ 2 ] ( 2 ) (hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate, HL = 2-[4-methylaniline-imino]methyl]−8-hydroxyquinoline and HL’ = 2-[(3,4-dimethylaniline)-imino]methyl]−8-hydroxyquinoline), are successfully synthesized and the structure-dependent magnetic properties are investigated. The two Dy 2 compounds display only slight variations in the coordination geometries of the center Dy(III) ion but display remarkably different single-molecule magnet behaviors with the anisotropic barriers (Δ E / k B ) of 9.91 K for 1 and 20.57 K for 2 . The different magnetic relaxation behaviors of the two Dy 2 complexes mainly originate from the different chemical environments of the central Dy III ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The steroid 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) inhibits ovarian function and is often used to induce sex reversal artificially in vertebrates. In oriental river prawn, sex reversal through vertebrate sex hormones can be observed. Neo-males (sex-reversed female prawns) were maintained by exogenous androgen, and over-reliance led to slow testis growth, small body size, and low growth rate, but sperm was still produced. In female prawns, MT inhibited ovary development and promoted growth. The steroid 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) inhibits ovarian function and is often used to induce sex reversal artificially in vertebrates. In the present study, different concentrations of MT were added as dietary supplementation, and the effects on sex ratio, growth, and gonadal development were examined. After 40 days, the sex ratio (male:female) in each group increased at different degrees with 50 (1.36:1), 100 (1.57:1), and 200 (2.61:1) mg/kg MT, and neo-males with testis–ovary coexistence were observed in the 200 mg/kg MT group. Furthermore, 50 and 100 mg/kg MT could induce female reversion in neo-males. Histologically, the development of the testes in experimental groups was slower, but the ovaries of the experimental and control groups had similar developmental rates. The expression levels of DMRT11E, Foxl2, and SoxE1 in males at 200 mg/kg MT were 8.65-, 3.75-, and 3.45-fold greater than those of the control group. In crustaceans, sex reversal through vertebrate sex hormones can be observed. Neo-males (sex-reversed female prawns) were maintained by exogenous androgen, and over-reliance led to slow testis growth, small body size, and low growth rate, but sperm was still produced. In female prawns, MT inhibited ovary development and promoted growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cholesterol 7-desaturase gene plays an important role in insect ecdysone synthesis, but its role in ovarian development has not been reported. In this study, characteristics and the phylogenetic relationship of Cholesterol 7-desaturase were identified by bioinformatics. qPCR showed that the Mn-CH7D gene was highly expressed in the ovary, which was much higher than that in other tissues, and the expression level of Mn-CH7D reached the highest level at the third stage of the ovarian development stage (O-III). During embryonic development, the Mn-CH7D gene expression was highest in the zoea stage. The function of the Mn-CH7D gene was explored by RNA interference. The experimental group was injected with Mn-CH7D dsRNA through the pericardial cavity of M. nipponense, while the control group was injected with the same volume of dsGFP. Statistical analysis of gonadal development and GSI calculation showed that the silencing of Mn-CH7D resulted in the suppression of gonadal development. In addition, the molting frequency of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group during the second molting cycle after silencing Mn-CH7D. On the seventh day after silencing, ecdysone content in the experimental group was significantly reduced. These results demonstrated that the Mn-CH7D gene played a dual role in ovarian maturation and molting of M. nipponense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental challenge in fluorescence microscopy is the photon shot noise arising from the inevitable stochasticity of photon detection. Noise increases measurement uncertainty and limits imaging resolution, speed and sensitivity. To achieve high-sensitivity fluorescence imaging beyond the shot-noise limit, we present DeepCAD-RT, a self-supervised deep learning method for real-time noise suppression. Based on our previous framework DeepCAD, we reduced the number of network parameters by 94%, memory consumption by 27-fold and processing time by a factor of 20, allowing real-time processing on a two-photon microscope. A high imaging signal-to-noise ratio can be acquired with tenfold fewer photons than in standard imaging approaches. We demonstrate the utility of DeepCAD-RT in a series of photon-limited experiments, including in vivo calcium imaging of mice, zebrafish larva and fruit flies, recording of three-dimensional (3D) migration of neutrophils after acute brain injury and imaging of 3D dynamics of cortical ATP release. DeepCAD-RT will facilitate the morphological and functional interrogation of biological dynamics with a minimal photon budget. DeepCAD-RT denoises fluorescence time-lapse images in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This approach paves the way of designing and enhancing electrochromic devices with hybrid anions electrolyte. • The hybrid dual-anion electrolyte can show the advantages of multiple anions in the aluminum-ion ECD to improve performance. • The device exhibits the high optical contrast and long-lived cycle stability. • There is few research that the anions could indirectly affect the performance of the ECD. In this work, the effect of hybrid dual-anion electrolyte on electrochromic devices was investigated. We fabricated aluminum-ion electrochromic devices with Cl−/NO 3 − dual-anion electrolytes, and the performance of electrochromic devices was significantly improved. There are high optical contrast (73.4 % at 650 nm) and long-lived cycle stability (after 100 cycles, the color rendering range is not lower than 99 % of the initial state) in electrochromic devices with the electrolyte proportion at 9:1 (Cl−/NO 3 −). The investigation indicates that the environment and coordination of the cations are changed derived from the local nitrate ions replacement of the solvated shell of cations, when an appropriate amount of nitrate ions are migrating in the electrolyte, which makes the process of the embedding and shedding of ions in the electrochromic layer are more stable, and improving the performances of electrochromic devices. This approach paves the way for designing and enhancing electrochromic devices with hybrid dual-anion electrolyte. And we believe that electrochromic research would benefit from the new approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure has a type-II band structure and a large built-in electric field pointing to CdO. • CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure has suitable band gap and band edge position for photocatalytic water splitting. • CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure with large carrier mobility can withstand large biaxial strains. • More electrons can participate in the water splitting reaction under tensile strain. The structural stability, electronic properties, band edge alignment and photocatalytic water splitting characteristics of the CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure have been systematically investigated by first-principles calculations. The results show that the CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure is a stable indirect bandgap (1.35 eV) semiconductor with a type-II band alignment and a large built-in electric field pointing from MoS 2 to CdO, which greatly hinders the recombination of photogenerated carriers. Meanwhile, the CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure with large carrier mobility can withstand the large biaxial strains. The band edge positions of the CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure can be modulated by biaxial strain engineering. These results provide a theoretical basis for the application of the CdO/MoS 2 heterostructure in photovoltaic and other electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous exploration of low-dimensional nanomaterials, two dimensional metal oxides (2DMOs) has been received great interest. However, their further development is limited by the high cost in the preparation process and the unstable states caused by the polarization of surface chemical bonds. Recently, obtaining mental oxides via liquid metals have been considered a surprising method for obtaining 2DMOs. Therefore, how to scientifically choose different preparation methods to obtain 2DMOs applying in different application scenarios is an ongoing process worth discussing. This review will provide some new opportunities for the rational design of 2DMOs based on liquid metals. Firstly, the surface oxidation process and in situ electrical replacement reaction process of liquid metals are introduced in detail, which provides theoretical basis for realizing functional 2DMOs. Secondly, by simple sticking method, gas injection method and ultrasonic method, 2DMOs can be obtained from liquid metal, the characteristics of each method are introduced in detail. Then, this review provides some prospective new ideas for 2DMOs in other energy-related applications such as photodegradation, CO2 reduction and battery applications. Finally, the present challenges and future development prospects of 2DMOs applied in liquid metals are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study of D-loop sequences to characterize the genetic diversity of wild Macrobrachium nipponense populations in Yixing natural waters including two reservoirs (Hengshan reservoir, HS; Youche reservoir, YC), 3 brooks (Linjin Dang, LJD; Magong Dushan Dang, MDD; Yangshan Dang, YSD) and 3 shallow lakes (Dongjiu lake, DJ; Xijiu lake, XJ; Tuanjiu lake, XJ), and compared the genetic differentiation and population structure with wild populations of Taihu Lake (TH), Yangtze River (YZ), and the main local artificially bred varieties "Taihu No. 2" (TH-2). A 747 bp D-loop sequence fragment was amplified in 321 individuals and the results exhibited a higher content of A+T (80.03%) than C+G (19.97%). A total of 110 haplotypes were identified. The h and π value proved the diversity of these populations was at the same level with high genetic diversity. TH-2 and YZ showed remarkable diversity, and XJ is even better. Fst estimates suggested that YZ and TH-2 were significant differentiation with other Yixing populations (P < 0.05). Three populations from shallow lake (DJ, XJ and TJ) displayed significant differentiated with the left Yixing ones (P < 0.05). The pairwise genetic distance, as well as haplotype network results, also suggested that all these 11 populations did not diverge at the species level (<15%). The P values of Tajima's D and Fu Fs were relatively greater than 0.1 (P > 0.1) and the nucleotide mismatch distribution analysis showed multiple peaks, giving a conclusion that the populations did not exhibited expansion. All these results suggested that TH-2 and YZ have remarkable diversity, and the germplasm resources and genetic diversity of M. nipponense in Yixing are very good and are suitable for original materials of breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the correlation analysis between gonadosomatic index and growth traits of M. nipponense was carried out for the first time. The results proved that short sexual maturity M. nipponense had a significant negatively effect on the female prawn size (p < 0.01) but had almost no effect on the male (p > 0.05). The full‐length Vitellogenin gene of M. nipponense (Mn‐Vg) were applied to detect polymorphism and the correlation between SNP and ovarian development. The total length of Mn‐Vg was 10,038 bp, including 14 exons and 13 introns. 31 candidate SNP loci of Mn‐Vg were identified and the genetic diversity of these loci in the M. nipponense population was moderate polymorphism. The correlation between Mn‐Vg SNPs and ovarian development was further investigated. 6 SNPs were significantly correlated with female GSI. The genotype CC in C+948A, GG in G+1209A, AG in A+1879G, TT and AT in T+4458A, AT in A+7080A and AA in A+9435G are significantly associated with rapid ovary maturation. Further statistical analysis results between SNPs and female growth index showed five SNP loci were significantly associated with female growth traits. Three of them significantly associated with ovarian maturation (C+948A, T+4458A and A+9435G). By comparison, genotype TT in T+4458A was significantly positively correlated with both ovary development and growth traits. The results will provide a basis for marker‐assisted breeding of M. nipponense, as well as sustainable development of aquaculture and large‐scale breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molting is a basic physiological behavior of the Oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense), however, the gene expression patterns and immune mechanisms during the molting process of Oriental river prawn are unclear. In the current study, the gene expression levels of the hepatopancreas of the Oriental river prawn at different molting stages (pre-molting, Prm; mid-molting, Mm; and post-molting, Pom) were detected by mRNA sequencing. A total of 1721, 551, and 1054 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the Prm hepatopancreas (PrmHe) and Mm hepatopancreas (MmHe), MmHe and Pom hepatopancreas (PomHe) and PrmHe and PomHe, respectively. The results showed that a total of 1151 DEGs were annotated into 316 signaling pathways, and the significantly enriched immune-related pathways were "Lysosome", "Hippo signaling pathway", "Apoptosis", "Autophagy-animal", and "Endocytosis". The qRT-PCR verification results of 30 randomly selected DEGs were consistent with RNA-seq. The expression patterns of eight immune related genes in different molting stages of the Oriental river prawn were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The function of Caspase-1 (CASP1) was further investigated by bioinformatics, qRT-PCR, and RNAi analysis. CASP1 has two identical conserved domains: histidine active site and pentapeptide motif, and the expression of CASP1 is the highest in ovary. The expression levels of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), Cathepsin B (CTSB) and Hexokinase (HXK) were evaluated after knockdown of CASP1. This research provides a valuable basis to improve our understanding the immune mechanisms of Oriental river prawns at different molting stages. The identification of immune-related genes is of great significance for enhancing the immunity of the Oriental river prawn, or other crustaceans, by transgenic methods in the future. • The hepatopancreas tissue transcriptome of Macrobrachium nipponense at different molting stages was constructed. • A total of 3326 DEGs were identified, including 1932 up-regulated genes and 1394 down-regulated genes. • Expression patterns of the 30 DEGs validated by qRT-PCR were consistent with the result of RNAseq. • Many DEGs were enriched in immune-related pathways. • The regulatory relationship between Caspase-1 and other immune-related genes was studied by RNAi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclin B (CycB) plays essential roles in cell proliferation and promotes gonad development in many crustaceans. The goal of this study was to investigate the regulatory roles of this gene in the reproductive development of male oriental river prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense). A phylo-genetic tree analysis revealed that the protein sequence of Mn-CycB was most closely related to those of freshwater prawns, whereas the evolutionary distance from crabs was much longer. A quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of Mn-CycB was highest in the gonad of both male and female prawns compared to that in other tissues (p < 0.05), indicating that this gene may play essential roles in the regulation of both testis and ovary development in M. nipponense. In males, Mn-CycB expression in the testis and androgenic gland was higher during the reproductive season than during the non-reproductive season (p < 0.05), implying that CycB plays essential roles in the reproductive development of male M. nipponense. An RNA interference analysis revealed that the Mn-insulin-like androgenic gland hormone expression decreased as the Mn-CycB expression decreased, and that few sperm were detected 14 days after the dsCycB treatment, indicating that CycB positively affects testis development in M. nipponense. The results of this study highlight the functions of CycB in M. nipponense, and they can be applied to studies of male reproductive development in other crustacean species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, porous CoFe2O4/carbon composite nanofibers with metal–organic framework (MOF) structures were prepared by electrospinning and in situ growth followed by annealing. CoFe2O4 particles derived from Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) were firmly anchored onto highly conductive carbon nanofibers by tuning the growth time, generating the sturdy construction and prominent conductivity of CFO@C-24 with a large specific surface area, stable fibrous morphology and MOF structure integrity. Owing to these structural merits, more active sites are provided with accelerated electron/Li-ion transport when the nanofiber is applied as an anode in lithium-ion batteries. A high initial discharge/charge capacity of 1400/1328 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, a considerable reversible discharge/charge capacity of 623/598 mA h g−1after 400 cycles at 1 A g−1 and an excellent rate performance of 585 mA h g−1 at 1.5 A g−1 are presented. Specific capacities of 1166, 1059, 861, 742 and 585 mA h g−1 of CFO@C-24 are achieved at multiple current densities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 A g−1, respectively, and the discharge specific capacity is able to resume to 1035 mA h g−1 when returned to 0.1 A g−1. Upon assembling into full cells, considerable capacitance and rate performance are delivered and a series of LED bulbs can be lit to demonstrate its potential in real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macrobrachium nipponense is an economically and ecologically important freshwater prawn that is widely farmed in China. In contrast to other species of marine shrimp, M. nipponense has a short sexual maturity period, resulting in not only high stocking densities, but also a reduced survival rate and increased risk of hypoxia. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the molecular mechanisms underlying fast ovary maturation in this species. Results: Comparative transcriptome analysis was performed using hepatopancreatic tissue from female M. nipponense across five ovarian maturation stages to explore differentially expressed genes and pathways involved in ovarian maturation. In total, 118.01 Gb of data were generated from 15 transcriptomes. Approximately 90.46% of clean reads were mapped from the M. nipponense reference genome. A comprehensive comparative analysis between successive ovarian maturation stages generated 230–5814 differentially expressed genes. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment was highly concentrated in the "biological process" category in all four comparison groups, and mainly focused on energy synthesis and accumulation, energy decomposition and transport. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment results showed that, among 20 significantly enriched KEGG pathways, nine were involved in the synthesis, degradation, and metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and other nutrient intermediates, suggesting that the hepatopancreas has an important role in energy supply during ovarian maturation. Furthermore, the "Insect hormone biosynthesis" pathway was found to have a dominant role in the development of the ovary from immaturity to maturity, supporting the hypothesis that ecdysteroid- and juvenile hormone-signaling pathways have an important role in hepatopancreas regulation of ovarian maturation. Conclusion: Taken together, this study sheds light on the role of the hepatopancreas in the molecular regulation of ovary maturation in M. nipponense. The present study provided new insights for understanding the mechanisms of reproductive regulation in crustaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid gonad development is an important concern in the Macrobrachium nipponense aquaculture industry. The process of sexual differentiation and development is influenced by environmental factors, including water temperature and illumination time. In this study, we aimed to identify the key metabolites and genes from the androgenic gland, in response to different water temperatures and illumination times based on the integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of the androgenic gland during the reproductive vs. non-reproductive seasons. Histological observations revealed that the division of the androgenic gland in the reproductive season is more active than that in the non-reproductive season. The metabolic profiling analysis revealed that glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism represented the most enriched metabolic pathways of differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs). Transcriptome profiling analysis revealed that phagosome, spliceosome, RNA degradation, ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, and oxidative phosphorylation represented the main enriched metabolic pathways of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of 14 DEGs from these metabolic pathways were considered as strong candidate genes involved in the male sexual development in M. nipponense, based on the expression difference between the reproductive vs. non-reproductive seasons. qPCR verifications of these 14 DEGs indicate the accuracy of the RNA-Seq. In addition, eight genes out of 14 DEGs showed high expression levels in the testis or/and androgenic gland. Predicting these eight genes may play an essential role in male sexual development of M. nipponense. The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of sexual development in male M. nipponense, as well as other crustacean species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense is an economically important aquacultural species. However, its aquaculture is negatively impacted by the rapid sexual maturation of female M. nipponense. The fast sexual maturation produces a large number of offspring which leads to a reduction in resilience, a low survival rate, and an increased risk of hypoxia, this in turn, seriously affects the economic benefits of prawn farming. Cathepsin D is a lysosomal protease involved in the ovarian maturation of M. nipponense. In the current study, the cDNA of the gene encoding cathepsin D (Mn-CTSD) was cloned from M. nipponense. The total length was 2391 bp and consisted of an open reading frame (ORF) of 1158 bp encoding 385 amino acids. Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of conserved N-glycosylation sites and characteristic sequences of nondigestive cathepsin D. The qPCR analysis indicated that Mn-CTSD was highly expressed in all tissues tested, most significantly in the ovaries, whereas in situ hybridization showed that expression occurred mainly in oocyte nuclei. Analysis of its expression during development showed that Mn-CTSD peaked during the O-IV stage of ovarian maturation. For the RNAi interference experiment, female M. nipponense specimens in the ovary stage I were selected. Injection of Mn-CTSD double-stranded (ds)RNA into female M. nipponense decreased the expression of Mn-CTSD in the ovaries, such that the Gonad Somatic Index (GSI) of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (1.79% versus 4.57%; p < 0.05). Ovary development reached the O-III stage in 80% of the control group, compared with 0% in the experimental group. These results suggest that Mn-CTSD dsRNA inhibits ovarian maturation in M. nipponense, highlighting its important role in ovarian maturation in this species and suggesting an approach to controlling ovarian maturation during M. nipponense aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXene has shown remarkable performance in constructing stable interfacial interactions with high metal-like conductivity and abundant surface functional groups for Li+/Na+ storage. However, traditional MXene nanosheets face challenges in commercial applications for lithium/sodium-ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs) due to aggregation and self-stacking problems. In this study, we introduced a novel porous Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene-based heterostructure aerogel with a unique metal-organic frameworks (MOF)-derived bead-like structure. This structure is composed of MIL-88 A along the radial alignment of N-doping carbon nanofibers and layer Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets through a process involving electrospinning, in-situ growth, calcination and freeze-drying methods. The resulting MOF-derived bead-like structure of the heterostructure aerogel composite enables fast ion/electron diffusion and provides structural durability, thereby alleviating the accumulation of MXene nanosheets. This innovative design addresses volume expansion concerns and offers additional channels for Li+/Na+ transport. As a consequence, the obtained MOF-Fe 2 O 3 @carbon@Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene composite nanofibers show high-rate performance, achieving 202 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 for LIBs and 98 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 for SIBs. The excellent cycling performance is observed with a capacity of 401 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 2000 cycles for LIBs and 197 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 1000 cycles for SIBs. [Display omitted] • Ti 3 C 2 T x @MOF-derived bead-like carbon nanofibers anode is prepared for LIBs/SIBs. • The remarkable rate performance for LIBs/SIBs was revealed. • The ultra-long cycling stability for LIBs/SIBs was demonstrated. • Fast Li+/Na+ diffusion kinetics and capacitance-dominated behavior was elucidated. • Benefiting from bead-like heterostructure and space confinement effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing an economical, superior activity, excellent stability, and earth-rich catalysts is of crucial significance in the progress of electrochemical water splitting and still remains huge challenge to overcome. In this work, amorphous MoO2 with a porous nanostructure as a novel bifunctional electrocatalyst has been prepared by the hydrothermal method. This nanostructure has excellent HER/OER properties, in which the amorphous and porous states have a large number of vacancies and active sites exposed to the electrolyte. The as-prepared sample has been researched in detail via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical experiments show that when the current density reaches − 10 mA cm−2, the as-prepared samples need an overpotential of only about − 0.930 V (vs. RHE) in 1 M H2SO4 and − 0.777 V (vs. RHE) in 1 M KOH for HER, respectively. Furthermore, MoO2 exhibits an extremely overpotential of 2.414 V (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH for OER. It is believed that the amorphous and porous nanostructure remains a promising and efficient hydrolytic electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The venous network of the brainstem is complex and significant. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is a practical technique which is sensitive to veins, especially tiny veins. Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the visualization of the venous network of brainstem by using SWI at 3.0 T. Methods: The occurrence rate of each superficial veins of brainstem was evaluated by using SWI on a 3 T MR imaging system in 60 volunteers. The diameter of the lateral mesencephalic vein and peduncular vein were measured by SWI using the reconstructed mIP images in the sagittal view. And the outflow of the veins of brainstem were studied and described according to the reconstructed images. Results: The median anterior pontomesencephalic vein, median anterior medullary vein, peduncular vein, right vein of the pontomesencephalic sulcus, and right lateral anterior pontomesencephalic vein were detected in all the subjects (100 %). The outer diameter of peduncular vein was 1.38 ± 0.26 mm (range 0.8-1.8 mm). The lateral mesencephalic vein was found in 75 % of the subjects and the mean outer diameter was 0.81 ± 0.2 mm (range 0.5-1.2 mm). The inner veins of mesencephalon were found by using SWI. Conclusion: The venous networks around the brain stem can be visualized by SWI clearly. This result can not only provide data for anatomical study, but also may be available for the surgical planning in the infratentorial region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. is used in Chinese Pharmacopoeia as health food and folk medicine for removing blood stasis, alleviating pain and tumor therapy. This research was aimed to explore and compare three main bioactivities including anti-oxidant, antitumor and anti-inflammatory activities between the ethanol extract of C. Phaeocaulis and its fractions using different in vitro models. Firstly, 70 % ethanol was used to extract C. Phaeocaulis, and then the crude extract was re-extracted, resulting in petroleum ether (EZ-PE), ethyl acetate (EZ-EA), and water fractions (EZ-W), respectively, and then a series of index was detected. Results showed that all the extracts had medium DPPH radical scavenging activity when the concentration was 200 µg/ml and their DPPH radical scavenging activity was in a concentration-dependent manner. The extracts except ethanol extract of C. Phaeocaulis had almost no cytotoxicity to the survival of RAW264.7 cell when the concentration reached 80 µg/ml, and all of them had medium inhibitory effect on nitrite release. Extracts of C. Phaeocaulis had medium intensity antitumor activity, EZ-PE and EZ-EA fractions significantly inhibited the proliferation of four tumor cells (SMMC-7721 cell lines, HepG-2 cell lines, A549 cell lines and Hela cell lines). C. Phaeocaulis had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which did not carry out centralized phenomenon when re-extracted. EZ-PE and EZ-EA were active antitumor sites of C. Phaeocaulis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, copper ferrite (CuFe 2 O 4 ) nanofibers were successfully fabricated by a combination of electrospinning and calcination process. The crystal structure was investigated by X-ray diffractomentry, and the results show only peaks of CuFe 2 O 4 could be observed from the product obtained at 800 °C, indicating the formation of pure compound. SEM and TEM images showed the as-spun CuFe 2 O 4 nanofibers possessed good continuous fiber morphology with an average diameter of about 66 nm. The electrochemical properties of electrospun CuFe 2 O 4 nanofibers as anode material for lithium-ion batteries were discussed for the first time. The results demonstrated that the electrospun CuFe 2 O 4 nanofibers anode exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 1226.0 mAh g −1 , and maintained a stable capacity of 572.4 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles. Meanwhile, the electrodes showed high capacity at higher discharge and charge rate. The excellent electrochemical properties of electrospun CuFe 2 O 4 nanofibers anode were attributed to the high crystallinity, as well as the unique mesoporous and fibrous structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, the government of China has implemented healthcare reforms to provide universal access to healthcare by 2020. We aimed to systematically analyse the dynamic changes in health services and equity during the past 10 years to understand the correlation between health services and social-economic status. We performed a longitudinal study in which we extracted aggregated data mainly from a project (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019). A multi-stage stratified cluster randomized design was used to obtain a representative sample in each county. Concentration indexes were used to analyse the equity of the changes in utilization. We built multivariate random-effects generalized least squares regression models with the panel data to test whether the rate of receiving a medical consultation in the last 2 weeks or the rate of hospital admission or the prevalence of chronic illness was associated with social-economic status including education level and rural disposable income per capita. We found declines in both the rate of not receiving a medical consultation during the last 2 weeks (P < 0.05 intervention group) and the rate of hospital avoidance (P < 0.05) from 2009 to 2019. The equity in residents' health service utilization has improved constantly. We additionally found that rural disposable income per capita is a protective factor for the rate of a receiving a medical consultation during the last 2 weeks and the rate of hospital admission. China's 2009 healthcare reform have positively influenced utilization rates and equity in health service utilization in the past decade, a range of health service-targeted strategies are needed including strengthen the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, focus attention on the health status of elderly residents and improve social-economic status, especially the level of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms driving species co‐occurrence are varied and include biotic interactions, abiotic factors, and scale‐dependent processes. Based on a comprehensive dataset of lepidopteran herbivores recorded from a large‐scale forest biodiversity experiment, we tested the contribution to herbivore species co‐occurrence of herbivore phylogenetic relatedness, plant diversity and functional traits, and spatial scale. We found that Lepidoptera co‐occurrence was negatively associated with their phylogenetic relatedness, tree diversity, and defensive traits, but positively associated with nutritional functional traits. Furthermore, species co‐occurrence was higher at larger spatial scales (tree species or plot) than at smaller scale (individual trees). Our results provide evidence supporting both environmental filtering and competition exclusion hypotheses, and highlight the significance of functionality in shaping species coexistence of herbivores in plant‐arthropod systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction accuracy of most current software defect prediction models is not very high. To solve the problem, this paper investigated a software defect prediction model with the least absolute shrinkage and select operator (LASSO) and the support vector machine (SVM). At first, it reduced the dimension of the original data sets and extracted the data which was irrelevant with software defect prediction by taking advantage of the feature selection capability of LASSO. Then it found the correlated optimal weights of the SVM by making use of the parameter preference capability of cross validation. At last,it finished software defect prediction by utilizing the non-linear computing power of SVM. The simulation experiment indicated that proposed method owe a higher prediction precision than the traditional ones and predicted faster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To assess the role of three-dimensional volume rendering (3DVR) in the preoperative assessment of the ossicular chain in chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). Materials and methods: Sixty-six patients with CSOM were included in this prospective study. Temporal bone was scanned with a 128-channel multidetector row CT and the axial data was transferred to the workstation for multiplanar reformation (MPR) and 3DVR reconstructions. Evaluation of the ossicular chain according to a three-point scoring system on two-dimensional reformation (2D) and 3DVR was performed independently by two radiologists. The evaluation results were compared with surgical findings. Results: 2D showed over 89% accuracy in the assessment of segmental absence of the ossicular chain in CSOM, no matter how small the segmental size was. 3DVR was as accurate as 2D for the assessment of segmental absence. However, 3DVR was found to be more accurate than 2D in the evaluation of partial erosion of segments. Conclusion: Both 3DVR and 2D are accurate and reliable for the assessment of the ossicular chain in CSOM. The inclusion of 3DVR images in the imaging protocol improves the accuracy of 2D in detecting ossicular erosion from CSOM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate and describe computed tomographic (CT) and endoscopic (ES) imaging findings in patients with pathologically confirmed upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract heterotopic pancreas (HP). Methods: Findings from imaging examinations in 11 patients with pathologically confirmed HP were retrospectively reviewed (CT images obtained from 11 patients and ES images from 6 patients were available for review). Two radiologists evaluated lesion location, size, shape and border as well as growth pattern, enhancement pattern, enhancement grade and number of tumors. The presence of surface dimpling, prominent enhancement of overlying mucosa, and low intralesional attenuation were also evaluated. Results: HP in the upper GI tract showed typical features in CT imaging: submucosal masses, ill-defined borders, endoluminal growth patterns, bright enhancement similar to the normal pancreas, surface dimpling and low intralesional attenuation. Endoscopic photographs manifested an endoluminal, ill-defined, submucosal mass in the upper GI tract wall, typically with central umbilication. The LD (long diameter)/SD (short diameter) ratios were found to be significantly different between HP in the stomach and HP in the duodenum (P<.05 for each finding). In addition, HP in the duodenum tended to be small and round. Conclusions: HP exhibits typical pancreatic pathologic features. Images showed characteristic features in CT imaging: submucosal masses, ill-defined lesions with an endoluminal growth pattern, bright enhancement similar to the normal pancreas, surface dimpling and low intralesional attenuation. ES imaging showed an endoluminal, ill-defined, submucosal mass, typically with central umbilication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To explore the potential mechanism of how uterine innervations would affect the uterine mast cell (MC) population and functions during the periimplantation. We herein first examined the consequence of uterine neurectomy on embryo implantation events. We observed that amputation of autonomic nerves innervating the uterus led to on-time implantation failure in rats. Exploiting MC culture and ELISA approaches, we then further analyzed the effect of neurectomy on cellular histamine levels and its release from uterine MCs, to elucidate the relation of the autonomic nerves and local cellular immunity in the uterine during early pregnancy. We observed that disconnection of autonomic nerve innervation significantly increased the population of uterine MCs. Most interestingly, these increased number of uterine MCs in neuroectomized rats contained a much reduced cellular level of histamine. Our subsequent challenge experiments revealed that uterine MCs in nerve amputated rats exhibited enhanced histamine releasing rate in response to substance P and antiIgE, suggesting loss of nerve innervation in the uterus not only increases the population of uterine MCs, but also facilitates the release of histamine from MCs, thus subsequently interfere with the normal implantation process. Collectively, our findings provide a new line of evidence supporting the concept that immune–neuro-endocrine network plays important role during pregnancy establishment and maintenance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The Curcumin-mediated photodynamic inactivation killed L. monocytogenes on salmon. • The photodynamic inactivation decreased the growth rate of survival L. monocytogenes. • The photodynamic inactivation decelerated the protein degradation of salmon. • The photodynamic inactivation reduced the lipid oxidation and loss of water in salmon. The effect of curcumin-mediated blue light-emitting diode (LED) photodynamic inactivation (PDI) for preserving the quality of salmon contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes was investigated by microbiological, physical, chemical and histological methods during sample storage at 4 ℃ and 25 ℃. The results showed that PDI decelerated the proliferation of L. monocytogenes on salmon during storage at 25 ℃, with the maximum inhibition reaching 4.0 log 10 CFU/g (99.99%), compared to the negative control. Moreover, PDI greatly retarded the increase in pH (P < 0.05) and the production of TVB-N, retarded the accumulation of free fatty acids, and decelerated the degradation of proteins, ultimately preserving the high nutritional value of the salmon. In addition, PDI effectively prevented a change in colour and retarded the loss of water from the salmon, thereby conserving its texture and sensory properties. Therefore, PDI is a promising and valid non-thermal technology to use for fish preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eyestalk of crustaceans, such as Macrobrachium nipponense, contains many neurosecretory hormones affecting the process of reproduction, molting, metabolism of glucose, and other functions. In this study, important metabolic pathways and candidate genes involved in male sexual development were selected from M. nipponense. The methodology involved performing long-read and next generation transcriptome sequencing of genes from the androgenic gland after eyestalk ablation. qPCR analysis revealed that the mRNA expression of Mn-IAG was significantly increased after ablation of both the single-side (SS) and double-side (DS) eyestalk, compared with the control group (CG). The long-read transcriptome generated 49,840 non-redundant transcripts. A total of 1319, 2092 and 4351 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between CG versus SS, SS versus DS and CG versus DS, respectively. These data indicated that ablation of the double-sided eyestalk played stronger regulatory roles than the single-side ablation on male sexual development in M. nipponense. This was consistent with the qPCR analysis. Cell Cycle, Cellular Senescence, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis and Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis were the primary enriched metabolic pathways in all three comparisons, and the important genes from these metabolic pathways were also selected. qPCR permitted secondary confirmation of ten DEGs identified through RNA-seq. RNAi-mediated silencing analyses of Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase like 1 (HSDL1) revealed that HSDL1 has a positive regulatory effect on testes development. This study provides valuable insight into male sexual development in M. nipponense, including metabolic pathways and genes, paving the way for advanced studies on male sexual development in this species and in other crustaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]