Search

• The phase transition temperature of Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 is increased by Ca doping • Ca doping deepens the rotation of oxygen octahedron along the c axis. • The space group of Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 above 407.9 k is I4/mmm. • Phonon mode A 1 (2) and A 2 (2) are related to the phase transition. The ceramics of Sr 3-x Ca x Sn 2 O 7 (x = 0,0.1,0.2,0.3,0.6,0.8,1) were synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The lattice constants of Sr 3-x Ca x Sn 2 O 7 decrease, and the rotation of oxygen octahedron around c axis increases with the increasing of Ca doping. The phase transition temperature of Sr 3-x Ca x Sn 2 O 7 increases 183.3 K with the increase of Ca doping concentration from × = 0 to × = 0.3. The space group of Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 changed from A2 1 am to I4/mmm at 407.9 K. Near the phase transition temperature, the Raman shift of phonon mode A 1 (2) of Sr 3-x Ca x Sn 2 O 7 changes abruptly, and the phonon mode A 2 (2) disappears gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates a simple method for preparation of size-tunable oil-based nanotherapeutics by high-pressure homogenization, and also sheds light on the application in future clinical cancer therapy. • Size-tunable GLSO@NEs has been simply prepared by high-pressure homogenization to achieve enhanced therapeutic effect. • GLSO@NEs could perform superior anti-metastasis and anti-cancer activity. • Nanotechnology increases traditional Chinese medicine preparations with better efficacy. Ganoderma lucidum spore oil (GLSO) has been long practiced and widely recognized as a healthy food composite performing potential anticancer and antioxidant activity. However, its further application might be limited by the native poorly soluble and instable properties. Herein, size-tunable GLSO nanosystems have been designed and tailored to three sizes of particles at 20 nm, 40 nm and 80 nm by high-pressure homogenization, for achieving robust therapeutic effect against cancer cells. As expected, toxicity of biocompatible different-sized GLSO@NEs on MGC803 cancer cells significantly enhanced, thanks to the improved cellular uptake and retention efficacy of GLSO@NEs. In addition, middle-sized 40 nm-GLSO@NEs performed superior permeability across Caco-2 intestinal absorption barrier to improve internalized quantity of GLSO. More importantly, GLSO@NEs could effectively prevent cell migration and invasion, simultaneously activating caspase activity to trigger cell death. Interestingly, middle size of 40 nm-GLSO@NEs performed superior accumulation efficacy in cells. Ultimately, 40 nm-GLSO@NEs showed potent suppression effect on tumors in vivo , effectively reversing liver and kidney damage induced by cancer, which was accompanied with no obvious toxicity and side effects during treatment. Therefore, this study not only provides a simple method for preparation of GLSO-like traditionally functional composite by high-pressure homogenization, but also sheds light on the application in future clinical cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hubel–Wiesel (HW) model is a classical neurobiological model for explaining the orientation selectivity of cortical cells. However, the HW model still has not been fully proved physiologically, and there are few concise but efficient systems to quantify and simulate the HW model and can be used for object orientation detection applications. To realize a straightforward and efficient quantitive method and validate the HW model's reasonability and practicality, we use McCulloch-Pitts (MP) neuron model to simulate simple cells and complex cells and implement an artificial visual system (AVS) for two-dimensional object orientation detection. First, we realize four types of simple cells that are only responsible for detecting a specific orientation angle locally. Complex cells are realized with the sum function. Every local orientation information of an object is collected by simple cells and subsequently converged to the corresponding same type complex cells for computing global activation degree. Finally, the global orientation is obtained according to the activation degree of each type of complex cell. Based on this scheme, an AVS for global orientation detection is constructed. We conducted computer simulations to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of our scheme and the AVS. Computer simulations show that the mechanism-based AVS can make accurate orientation discrimination and shows striking biological similarities with the natural visual system, which indirectly proves the rationality of the Hubel–Wiesel model. Furthermore, compared with traditional CNN, we find that our AVS beats CNN on orientation detection tasks in identification accuracy, noise resistance, computation and learning cost, hardware implementation, and reasonability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) is challenging because the GEI analysis generally has low power. Large-scale consortium-based studies are ultimately needed to achieve adequate power for identifying GEI. We introduce Multi-Trait Analysis of Gene–Environment Interactions (MTAGEI), a powerful, robust, and computationally efficient framework to test gene–environment interactions on multiple traits in large data sets, such as the UK Biobank (UKB). To facilitate the meta-analysis of GEI studies in a consortium, MTAGEI efficiently generates summary statistics of genetic associations for multiple traits under different environmental conditions and integrates the summary statistics for GEI analysis. MTAGEI enhances the power of GEI analysis by aggregating GEI signals across multiple traits and variants that would otherwise be difficult to detect individually. MTAGEI achieves robustness by combining complementary tests under a wide spectrum of genetic architectures. We demonstrate the advantages of MTAGEI over existing single-trait-based GEI tests through extensive simulation studies and the analysis of the whole exome sequencing data from the UKB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs), the self‐organization of organic semiconductors plays a crucial role. This study focuses on the precisely manipulation of molecular assemble via tuning alkyl side‐chain topology in a series of low‐cost nonfused‐ring electron acceptors (NFREAs). Among the three NFREAs investigated, DPA‐4, which possesses an asymmetric alkyl side‐chain length, exhibits a tight packing in the crystal and high crystallinity in the film, contributing to improved electron mobility and favorable film morphology for DPA‐4. As a result, the OSC device based on DPA‐4 achieves an excellent power conversion efficiency of 16.67 %, ranking among the highest efficiencies for NFREA‐based OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs), the self‐organization of organic semiconductors plays a crucial role. This study focuses on the precisely manipulation of molecular assemble via tuning alkyl side‐chain topology in a series of low‐cost nonfused‐ring electron acceptors (NFREAs). Among the three NFREAs investigated, DPA‐4, which possesses an asymmetric alkyl side‐chain length, exhibits a tight packing in the crystal and high crystallinity in the film, contributing to improved electron mobility and favorable film morphology for DPA‐4. As a result, the OSC device based on DPA‐4 achieves an excellent power conversion efficiency of 16.67 %, ranking among the highest efficiencies for NFREA‐based OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at a multiple-value logic (MVL) network. Feature of such a network; Ability of the MVL network to be trained by the traditional backpropagation algorithm directly; Description of the algebra; Details on simulation results.

This paper presents an adaptive fuzzy controller using unidirectional response (ULR) elements. The basic functions for a fuzzy controller including membership, minimum and defuzzification functions are realized by the ULR elements. Because the ULR element has diode-like characteristics, it can be implemented by a diode-connected mean-opinion score (MOS) transistor in current-mode implementations. The hardware implementation of the fuzzy controller using ULR elements should also be very simple and straightforward. The ULR fuzzy controller is applied to an inverted pendulum problem, and the effectiveness of the proposed ULR controller architecture and its learning capability based on reinforcement learning are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One‐unit‐cell, single‐crystal, hexagonal CuInP2S6 atomically thin sheets of≈0.81 nm in thickness was successfully synthesized for photocatalytic reduction of CO2. Exciting ethene (C2H4) as the main product was dominantly generated with the yield‐based selectivity reaching ≈56.4 %, and the electron‐based selectivity as high as ≈74.6 %. The tandem synergistic effect of charge‐enriched Cu−In dual sites confined on the lateral edge of the CuInP2S6 monolayer (ML) is mainly responsible for efficient conversion and high selectivity of the C2H4 product as the basal surface site of the ML, exposing S atoms, can not derive the CO2 photoreduction due to the high energy barrier for the proton‐coupled electron transfer of CO2 into *COOH. The marginal In site of the ML preeminently targets CO2 conversion to *CO under light illumination, and the *CO then migrates to the neighbor Cu sites for the subsequent C−C coupling reaction into C2H4 with thermodynamic and kinetic feasibility. Moreover, ultrathin structure of the ML also allows to shorten the transfer distance of charge carriers from the interior onto the surface, thus inhibiting electron‐hole recombination and enabling more electrons to survive and accumulate on the exposed active sites for CO2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One‐unit‐cell, single‐crystal, hexagonal CuInP2S6 atomically thin sheets of≈0.81 nm in thickness was successfully synthesized for photocatalytic reduction of CO2. Exciting ethene (C2H4) as the main product was dominantly generated with the yield‐based selectivity reaching ≈56.4 %, and the electron‐based selectivity as high as ≈74.6 %. The tandem synergistic effect of charge‐enriched Cu−In dual sites confined on the lateral edge of the CuInP2S6 monolayer (ML) is mainly responsible for efficient conversion and high selectivity of the C2H4 product as the basal surface site of the ML, exposing S atoms, can not derive the CO2 photoreduction due to the high energy barrier for the proton‐coupled electron transfer of CO2 into *COOH. The marginal In site of the ML preeminently targets CO2 conversion to *CO under light illumination, and the *CO then migrates to the neighbor Cu sites for the subsequent C−C coupling reaction into C2H4 with thermodynamic and kinetic feasibility. Moreover, ultrathin structure of the ML also allows to shorten the transfer distance of charge carriers from the interior onto the surface, thus inhibiting electron‐hole recombination and enabling more electrons to survive and accumulate on the exposed active sites for CO2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the quest to elevate the sodium‐ion intercalation kinetics of transition metal oxide electrodes, the intrinsic low conductivity of these materials often acts as a bottleneck, restricting Na+ storage. Herein, the mechanism behind sodium‐ion diffusion kinetics in MnO2 is explored, specifically focusing on the manipulation of π* antibonding orbital occupancy. This is accomplished through strategic doping with strongly electron‐withdrawing Rh3+ (t2g6eg0), enhancing the hybridization of Mn 3d‐O 2p orbitals and significantly increasing the electrical conductivity of MnO2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results demonstrate that the smaller orbital energy difference between Rh3+ eg and Mn4+ t2g, compared to that between Rh3+ eg and Mn4+ eg, fosters direct electron transfer from the Mn4+ t2g to the vacant Rh3+ eg. This electron movement induces an upshift in the Mn‐t2g orbital energy levels while concurrently diminishing the occupancy of π* antibonding orbitals formed via Mn t2g‐O 2p hybridization. The resultant Rh‐MnO2 electrode exhibits an impressive specific capacity of 335 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a substantial rate capacity of 224.8 F g−1 at 20 A g−1. This investigation elucidates the intricate mechanism underlying the sluggish kinetics of sodium ion intercalation within transition metal oxide frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a major cell entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The induction of ACE2 expression may serve as a strategy by SARS-CoV-2 to facilitate its propagation. However, the regulatory mechanisms of ACE2 expression after viral infection remain largely unknown. Using 45 different luciferase reporters, the transcription factors SP1 and HNF4a were found to positively and negatively regulate ACE2 expression, respectively, at the transcriptional level in human lung epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs). SARS-CoV-2 infection increased the transcriptional activity of SP1 while inhibiting that of HNF4a. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, activated by SARS-CoV-2 infection, served as a crucial regulatory node, inducing ACE2 expression by enhancing SP1 phosphorylation--a marker of its activity--and reducing the nuclear localization of HNF4a. However, colchicine treatment inhibited the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby suppressing ACE2 expression. In Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected with SARS-CoV-2, inhibition of SP1 by either mithramycin A or colchicine resulted in reduced viral replication and tissue injury. In summary, our study uncovers a novel function of SP1 in the regulation of ACE2 expression and identifies SP1 as a potential target to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cycle stability of manganese‐based oxides cathode for sodium‐ion supercapacitor is impeded by severe structural collapse due to the Jahn–Teller (J–T) distortion of [MnO6] octahedra as Mn4+ is reduced to Mn3+. Herein, MnO2 cathode is stabilized by Mg2+ ions confinement between transition metal slabs. The Mg2+ confinement induces the transformation from original cubic [MnO6] octahedra to compressed configuration (com‐MnO2), resulting in the elimination of Mn 3d orbital degeneracy, thereby alleviating the structural deformation of [Mn3+O6] octahedra by suppressing J–T distortion during the reduction of Mn4+. As a result, the prepared com‐MnO2 exhibits greatly improved cycling stability with 99.1% retention of its initial capacity after 20 000 cycles due to inhibited J–T distortion. Additionally, an enhanced capacity of 434 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, a rate capacity of 275 F g−1 at 20 A g−1 can be achieved by com‐MnO2. The in situ XRD, Raman spectra reveal the reversible structural transformation during a cycle. It is concluded that the elimination of Mn 3d orbital degeneracy plays a crucial role in suppressing J–T distortion, which is conducive to in‐depth understanding of electron structure of transition metal oxides toward cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moutan Cortex (MC) is a traditional Chinese medicine that contains abundant medicinal components, such as paeonol, paeoniflorin, etc. Paeonol is the main active component of MC. In this study, paeonol was extracted from MC through an ultrasound-assisted extraction process, which is based on single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). Subsequently, eight macroporous resins of different properties were used to purify paeonol from MC. The main components of the purified extract were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole–time of flight–mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). The results indicate the optimal parameters are as follows: liquid-to-material ratio 21:1 mL/g, ethanol concentration 62%, ultrasonic time 31 min, ultrasonic temperature 36 °C, ultrasonic power 420 W. Under these extraction conditions, the actual yield of paeonol was 14.01 mg/g. Among the eight tested macroporous resins, HPD-300 macroporous resin was verified to possess the highest adsorption and desorption qualities. The content of paeonol increased from 6.93% (crude extract) to 41.40% (purified extract) after the HPD-300 macroporous resin treatment. A total of five major phenolic compounds and two principal monoterpene glycosides were characterized by comparison with reference compounds. These findings will make a contribution to the isolation and utilization of the active components from MC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a millennium of domestication, numerous silkworm mutants have emerged that exhibit transparent epidermis, which is caused by abnormally low levels of uric acid. We identified the Bombyx mori gene Bmcap (BMSK0003832) as the homolog of cappuccino, a subunit of the biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelles complex‐1 (BLOC‐1) that has been extensively characterized in human, mouse, and insect species, by analyzing the amino acid sequences of putative purine metabolism genes. Using the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) / CRISPR‐associated protein 9 system, we disrupted Bmcap, resulting in decreased uric acid levels in the silkworm epidermis and a translucent skin phenotype. In the Bmcap mutant, the purine metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and membrane system were altered compared to the wild type. Biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelle complex genes play a role in the pigmentation and biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelles (LROs) in platelets, melanocytes, and megakaryocytes. LROs exhibit unique morphologies and functions in various tissues and cells. Investigation of the Bmcap mutant will enhance our understanding of the uric acid metabolic pathway in silkworms, and this mutant offers a valuable silkworm model for LRO studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of electronic devices with high integration levels, a light weight, and a multifunctional performance has fostered the design of novel polymer materials with low dielectric constants, which is crucial for the electronic packaging and encapsulation of these electronic components. Theoretical studies are more efficient and cost-effective for screening potential polymer materials with low dielectric constants than experimental investigations. In this study, we used a molecular density functional theory (DFT) approach combined with the B3LYP functional at the 6-31+G(d, p) basis set to validate the feasibility of predicting static dielectric constants of the polymer materials. First, we assessed the influence of the basis sets on the polarizability. Furthermore, the changes of polarizability, polarizability per monomer unit, and differences in polarizability between the consecutive polymer chains as a function of the number of monomers were summarized and discussed. We outlined a similar behavior for the volume of the polymers as well. Finally, we simulated dielectric constants of three typical polymer materials, polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and polystyrene (PS), by combining with the Clausius–Mossotti equation. The simulated results showed excellent agreement with experimental data from the literature, suggesting that this theoretical DFT method has great potential for the molecular design and development of novel polymer materials with low dielectric constants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The group velocity can be tuned freely by the external DC electric field. • The slow-wave factors on the forward and backward directions are asymmetric. • The proposed PPSs have an electro-optic tunable wavelength selection function. An Electro-optic tunable microwave slow-light delay-line using the piezoelectric (PZT) and piezomagnetic (CoFe 2 O 4) superlattices (PPSs) with the external DC electric field is presented. Asymmetric coupled polaritonic band structures with respect to the forward and backward directions are induced by time-space inversion symmetry breaking due to the coexistence of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic domains. The group velocity and time-delays of electromagnetic waves in the proposed PPSs can be tuned freely by the external DC electric field via the electro-optic effect. The tunability is continuous and reversible. Thus, the proposed PPSs has a switch function that can realize the free switching between fast and slow waves by the external DC electric field. The slow-wave factors with regard to the forward and backward directions are also asymmetric. In addition, transmission spectra show that the proposed PPSs have an electro-optic tunable wavelength selection function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Submicrometer-sized MoO 2 @MoS 2 /rGO composite with a hierarchical core-shell structure is prepared. • The unique structural design provides the anode material with fast transfer of Li+/e−. • MoO 2 @MoS 2 /rGO anode exhibits excellent reversibility, rate capability, and good cycling stability. Although nanometer-sized MoO 2 materials demonstrate enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), they are suffering from new issues, like low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and volumetric energy density. Herein, submicrometer-sized hierarchical MoO 2 @MoS 2 /rGO composites are fabricated through facile sulfuration treatment and subsequent hydrothermal reaction. When tested as anode for LIB, the optimum sample delivers an initial reversible capacity of 833 mAh g−1 with ICE of 80.6% and improved cycling stability (733 mAh g−1) after 80 cycles at 200 mA g−1 compared to bare sample (409 mAh g−1). Excellent rate performance with a capacity of 645 mAh g−1 at 4 A g−1 is also demonstrated. The high ICE should be attributed to the optimized interface, on which the large interlayer spacing of MoS 2 and the high conductivity of MoO 2 and rGO significantly facilitate the transfer of Li+/e−, improving the reversibility of lithiation/delithiation process. Moreover, the low specific surface area of 1.53 m2 g−1 for MoO 2 @MoS 2 /rGO efficiently suppress the decomposition of electrolyte. The tentatively assembled full cell (MoO 2 @MoS 2 /rGO//LiCoO 2) maintains a reversible capacity of 694 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 40 cycles. This work is expected to inspire the design of low cost and high-performance MoO 2 -based electrode materials for energy storage application. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study establishes a game model of government value compensation for different types of industrial waste recycling in industrial parks and examines the standards for recycling firm waste based on maximizing government benefits. The impact factors of waste recycling, the government decision-making process regarding value compensation, and the firm waste-recycling decisions are evaluated, and a case study is conducted for model verification. The results show the following: the value compensation standard of the government increases with increasing waste-recycling cost and environmental benefits and decreases with decreasing waste disposal and raw material costs; a comparison of the equilibrium results of the government decision-making process on internal recycling indicates that the government value compensation strategy involving interfirm collaborative processing is better than centralized processing in industrial parks; government value compensation improves the reuse of firm waste and ensures more economic and environmental benefits. • Established a government compensation game model for industrial parks. • The compensation policy was analyzed under different waste recycling models. • Introducing Hunan NingXiang industrial park of China and giving a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Activation of GlyRs and GABA A Rs cross-inhibited symmetrically in brainstem neurons. • GlyRs-GABA A Rs cross-talk pattern was region-specifically expressed in the CNS. • GlyRs-GABA A Rs cross-talk pattern was altered by overexpression of GlyRs. • Activation of GlyRs constrained the strength of GABAergic synapses. GABA A receptors (GABA A Rs) and glycine receptors (GlyRs) are two principal inhibitory chloride ion channels in the central nervous system. The two receptors do not function independently but cross-talk to each other, i.e., the activation of one receptor would inhibit the other. This cross-talk is present in different patterns across various regions in the central nervous system; however, the factor that determines these patterns is not understood. Here, we show that the pattern of cross-talk between the two receptors is shaped by their relative expression level in a neuron: a higher expression level correlates with louder talk. In line with a tendency of decrease in expression level of GlyRs and increase in expression level of GABA A Rs from the spinal cord, the brainstem to the neocortex, GlyRs talked much louder (i.e. produced greater inhibition) than GABA A Rs (one-way pattern) in spinal cord neurons, about equally loud as GABA A Rs (symmetric pattern) in inferior colliculus neurons and less loud (i.e. less inhibition) than GABA A Rs (asymmetric pattern) in auditory cortex neurons. Overexpression of GlyRs in inferior colliculus neurons produced an asymmetric pattern that should otherwise have been observed in spinal cord neurons. These expression level-dependent patterns of cross-talk between the two receptors may suggest how the central nervous system uses an alternative mechanism to maintain a delicate level of inhibition through adjusting the proportion of the two receptors in a neuron along its pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognition and classification tasks in images or videos are ubiquitous, but they can lead to privacy issues. People increasingly hope that camera systems can record and recognize important events and objects, such as real-time recording of traffic conditions and accident scenes, elderly fall detection, and in-home monitoring. However, people also want to ensure these activities do not violate the privacy of users or others. The sparse representation classification and recognition algorithms based on compressed sensing (CS) are robust at recognizing human faces from frontal views with varying expressions and illuminations, as well as occlusions and disguises. This is a potential way to perform recognition tasks while preserving visual privacy. In this paper, an improved Gaussian random measurement matrix is adopted in the proposed multilayer CS (MCS) model to realize multiple image CS and achieve a balance between visual privacy-preserving and recognition tasks. The visual privacy-preserving level evaluation for MCS images has important guiding significance for image processing and recognition. Therefore, we propose an image visual privacy-preserving level evaluation method for the MCS model (MCS-VPLE) based on contrast and salient structural features. The basic concept is to use the contrast measurement model based on the statistical mean of the asymmetric alpha-trimmed filter and the salient generalized center-symmetric local binary pattern operator to extract contrast and salient structural features, respectively. The features are fed into a support vector regression to obtain the image quality score, and the fuzzy c-means algorithm is used for clustering to obtain the final evaluated image visual privacy-preserving score. Experiments on three constructed databases show that the proposed method has better prediction effectiveness and performance than conventional methods. • We propose a MCS model to balance visual privacy-preserving and recognition. • An improved Gaussian random measurement matrix are adopted in MCS model. • Our MCS visual evaluation is based on contrast and saliency structural features. • The proposed method acquires desirable performances on threeconstructed datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microarray gene expression data provide a prospective way to diagnose disease and classify cancer. However, in bioinformatics, the gene selection problem, i.e., how to select the most informative genes from thousands of genes, remains challenging. This problem is a specific feature selection problem with high-dimensional features and small sample sizes. In this paper, a two-stage method combining a filter feature selection method and a wrapper feature selection method is proposed to solve the gene selection problem. In contrast to common methods, the proposed method models the gene selection problem as a multiobjective optimization problem. Both stages employ the same multiobjective differential evolution (MODE) as the search strategy but incorporate different objective functions. The three objective functions of the filter method are mainly based on mutual information. The two objective functions of the wrapper method are the number of selected features and the classification error of a naive Bayes (NB) classifier. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is tested and analyzed on six benchmark gene expression datasets. The experimental results verified that this paper provides a novel and effective way to solve the gene selection problem by applying a multiobjective optimization algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering graphene with efficient ion and electron transport properties is vital for development of high performance, next generation energy storage devices. The protocols generally involve pore generation and doping of graphene with the heteroatoms. Herein we report the realization of pore generation, control, and N-doping of graphene in one single process using reduced metal salt as etching agent and environment friendly N 2 gas as doping agent. Furthermore, we found the porous structure (pore size and density), the dopant bonding configuration and doping amount can be controlled by change the metal salt and nitrogen source, which allows us to investigate the influence of pore and N-doping structure of porous graphene (PG) in their supercapacitor performance. Specifically, the N-doping, PG prepared by Ni salt (PG-Ni) shows the smaller pore size (average pore size of ~20–30 nm) and larger pore density. PG-Ni exhibits high specific capacitance of 575 F/g along with the energy density of 51.2 Wh/kg at 0.5 A/g current density and also shows good rate, cycling performances. Considering the excellent performance, ease of the process, and pore structure controllability, we believe the method provides a new route for developing graphene based high performance supercapacitors. Unlabelled Image • Pore generation, control, and N-doping of graphene in one single process • N atom doped by using N 2 as doping agent • N-doping configuration and porous structure can be controlled • Remarkable enhancement of supercapacitor permeance of N-doping porous graphene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: MASS is a command-line program to perform meta-analysis of sequencing studies by combining the score statistics from multiple studies. It implements three types of multivariate tests that encompass all commonly used association tests for rare variants. The input files can be generated from the accompanying software SCORE-Seq. This bundle of programs allows analysis of large sequencing studies in a time and memory efficient manner.Availability and implementation: MASS and SCORE-Seq, including documentations and executables, are available at http://dlin.web.unc.edu/software/.Contact: lin@bios.unc.edu [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are greatly potential candidates for large-scale renewable energy storage. However, developing highly efficient anode materials for the relatively larger radius of Na+ and K+ ions is still a hot issue. Herein, we report spherical nanoflowers of vanadium disulfide (VS 2) with thin petals of 15 nm and high purity of crystallinity, synthesized by one-pot solvothermal method using propylene glycol as solvent without any growth-directing surfactants. Results demonstrate that this spherical nanoflower structure provides a stable framework for Na+/K+ insertion/extraction, wherein, SNF-VS 2 not only shows a reversible charge capacity of 329 mAh/g at 0.2 A/g with an initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 88.52% for sodium ion storage, but also delivers a reversible charge capacity of 383 mAh/g at 25 mA/g, owning an ICE of 74.09% for potassium ion storage. The high capacity and outstanding ICE make the spherical VS 2 nanoflowers ranking among the most effective transition metal dichalcogenide based anode materials and strongly indicate their promising usability for practical SIB and KIB applications. And the outperforming Na+/K+ storage performance is largely due to the abundant interface area with electrolyte and the short ion diffusion paths formed by their ordered flower-like structure. Unlabelled Image • Spherical nanoflower like VS 2 was synthesized using a non-template strategy. • The VS 2 exhibited high capacities, reversibility and excellent cyclability for Na+/K+ storage. • The unique nanoflower structure provides a more efficient Na+/K+ diffusion path than that of stacked structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An absolute metal-free g-C 3 N 4 @hm-C(CN) 3 in-plane heterosystem is developed. • Hm -C(CN) 3 cocatalyst steers fast charge transfer for efficient separation. • The CO 2 adsorption capacity of hm-C(CN) 3 is 1804 times of g-C 3 N 4 under normalized specific surface area. • Enhanced chemical activation toward CO 2 lowers the reaction barrier. • Efficient and selective photoreduction of CO 2 to CO are achieved. An absolute metal-free in-plane heterosystem consisting of g-C 3 N 4 as scaffold and embedded half-metallic C(CN) 3 as cocatalysts was conceptually designed for photoconversion of CO 2. The no-slot joint between half-metallic C(CN) 3 and g-C 3 N 4 through covalent bonding generates a unique two-dimensional, π-conjugated hybrid structure, allowing obstacle-free transferring of the photogenerated electrons in g-C 3 N 4 into C(CN) 3 via an intrinsic driving force. Our theoretical calculations together with the in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectra indicate that the most negative charge distribution and binding energy with CO 2 for C(CN) 3 allow outstanding capture and chemical activation capacity toward CO 2 , and subsequently enable the optimized heterosystem to exhibit highly efficient and selective photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into CO, 7.8 and 1.9 times those produced with pristine and Pt-modified g-C 3 N 4 , respectively. The no-slot joint of organic half-metal cocatalysts with g-C 3 N 4 may open up new opportunities for metal-free, polymer-based photocatalytic systems for CO 2 conversion and solar fuel generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Worm-like S-doped RhNi alloys (S-RhNi) was prepared for first time. • The S-RhNi has a remarkable Pt-like catalytic activitytowards HER. • Worm-like RhNi alloy and doped S atoms improve HER activity. • 3D metal network structures are used to reduce the unfavorable stacking effects. Precious metals are considered as the most efficient electrocatalysts for boosting the dynamic process of cathode in water electrolysis devices. Due to the large surface areas and the low coordination numbers of surface atoms, their one-dimensional ultrafine nanowires and two-dimensional ultrathin nanosheets are continually being investigated, while stacking problems inevitably affect their activities and stabilities. We describe herein a three-dimensional metal network electrocatalyst consisting of a worm-like S-doped RhNi alloy (S-RhNi), which improves the performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Experimental results reveal that S-RhNi exhibits Pt-like HER activity with an onset potential close to 0 mV and a Tafel slope of 24.61 mV dec−1 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 aqueous solution, having also good stability. The polarization curve shifts only 3.9 mV at a current density of −60 mA cm−2 after 1,000 cycles and the potential displays a slight change after holding the current density at −20 mA cm−2 for 10 h. This improved performance is supposed to be originated from the combination between the worm-like RhNi alloy, doped S atoms, and the three-dimensional structure. Overall, the results obtained and the facile synthesis methods offer a promising electrocatalyst for scaling-up hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pyrene‐fused dimerized electron acceptor has been successfully synthesized and subsequently incorporated as the third component in ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). Diverging from the traditional dimerized acceptors with a linear configuration, this novel electron acceptor displays a distinctive "butterfly‐like" structure, comprising two Y‐acceptors as wings fused with a pyrene‐based backbone. The extended π‐conjugated backbone and the electron‐donating nature of pyrene enable the new acceptor to show low solubility, elevated glass transition temperature (Tg), and low‐lying frontier energy levels. Consequently, the new dimerized acceptor seamlessly integrates as the third component into ternary OSCs, enhancing electron transporting properties, reducing non‐radiative voltage loss, and elevating open‐circuit voltage. These merits have enabled the ternary OSCs to show an exceptional efficiency of 19.07%, a marked improvement compared to the 17.6% attained in binary OSCs. More importantly, the high Tg exhibited by the pyrene‐fused electron acceptor helps to stabilize the morphology of the photoactive layer thermal‐treated at 70 °C, retaining 88.7% efficiency over 600 hours. For comparison, binary OSCs experience a decline to 73.7% efficiency after the same duration. These results indicate that the "butterfly‐like" design and the incorporation of a pyrene unit is a promising strategy in the development of dimerized electron acceptors for OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pyrene‐fused dimerized electron acceptor has been successfully synthesized and subsequently incorporated as the third component in ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). Diverging from the traditional dimerized acceptors with a linear configuration, this novel electron acceptor displays a distinctive "butterfly‐like" structure, comprising two Y‐acceptors as wings fused with a pyrene‐based backbone. The extended π‐conjugated backbone and the electron‐donating nature of pyrene enable the new acceptor to show low solubility, elevated glass transition temperature (Tg), and low‐lying frontier energy levels. Consequently, the new dimerized acceptor seamlessly integrates as the third component into ternary OSCs, enhancing electron transporting properties, reducing non‐radiative voltage loss, and elevating open‐circuit voltage. These merits have enabled the ternary OSCs to show an exceptional efficiency of 19.07%, a marked improvement compared to the 17.6% attained in binary OSCs. More importantly, the high Tg exhibited by the pyrene‐fused electron acceptor helps to stabilize the morphology of the photoactive layer thermal‐treated at 70 °C, retaining 88.7% efficiency over 600 hours. For comparison, binary OSCs experience a decline to 73.7% efficiency after the same duration. These results indicate that the "butterfly‐like" design and the incorporation of a pyrene unit is a promising strategy in the development of dimerized electron acceptors for OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical N2 oxidation reaction (NOR) has emerged as a promising approach for achieving high selectivity in nitric acid (HNO3) production. However, the sluggish N2 activation process in NOR due to the high cleavage energy barrier of the N≡N bond remains a challenge. Herein, a novel orbital hybridization strategy for tuning the NOR performance through the construction of cerium (Ce) 4f–O 2p–Co 3d network in Ce‐doped Co3O4 (Ce–Co3O4) is proposed. The Ce–Co3O4 catalyst exhibits an enhanced HNO3 yield of 24.76 µg h−1 mgcat−1 and a promoted Faradaic efficiency of 31.93% in 0.1 m Na2SO4 electrolyte under ambient conditions compared to those of the pure Co3O4 (13.75 µg h−1 mgcat−1 and 23.43%). Density functional theory caculations demonstrate the strong 4f–2p–3d orbital hybridization and electron transfer in Ce–Co3O4. Moreover, a series of in situ techniques provide direct evidence of stronger adsorption peaks for Co─N bond and the key intermediate *NO formed after N2 activation on the surface of Ce–Co3O4. This work provides a promising route for the preparation of efficient NOR catalysts and sheds light on the mechanism of N2 activation through orbital hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cerium-based one-dimensional MOF has introduced as a CeO 2 precursor and further transformed into an advanced active site Cu O Ce-rich electrocatalyst for the CO 2 RR and the Li-CO 2 batteries catalytic cathode. And the carrier loading interface expose a more electronically structured CO 2 (1 1 0) crystal plane preferentially, resulting in electrocatalytic performance improvement for the active species Cu. [Display omitted] Leveraging designed electronic oxide-metal interactions (EOMI), cerium-supported copper demonstrates remarkable competitiveness in the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). Nevertheless, the limited utilization efficiency of conventional cerium oxide (CeO 2) support hampers the EOMI effect. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of the influence of distinct crystalline surfaces of CeO 2 on the loaded active copper (Cu) species remains elusive. Herein, oxide carriers with diverse crystal facets are acquire for loading to load Cu species through the incorporation of cerium-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) precursors. Simultaneously, owing to the elevated specific surface area conferred by MOF precursors, Cu/CeO 2 hosts ample catalytically active sites for carbon dioxide (CO 2) electrocatalytic reactions and as catalytic cathodes for lithium-CO 2 (Li-CO 2) batteries. Furthermore, the carbon converted from organic ligands in MOFs precursors not only proficiently immobilizes and disperses the active sites, but also enhances the inherent conductive stability of the oxide while augmenting energy utilization efficiency. Leveraging these advantages, the electrocatalyst derived from MOFs achieves a peak CO 2 -to-methane Faradaic efficiency of 57.9 %, whereas the assembled Li-CO 2 batteries exhibit notable activity and durability, boasting a substantial full-discharge capacity of 8907 mAh/g, a discharge voltage of 2.65 V, and an extended cycle life exceeding 1000 h. Mechanistic investigations were conducted using density functional theory (DFT) calculations to thoroughly explore the impact of CeO 2 carrier crystal facets, specifically (1 1 1), (1 0 0), and (1 1 0), on the loaded copper species. Notably, (1 1 0) was identified as the optimal facet due to its favorable contributions to electronic structure optimization and stability enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucosinolates (GSLs), crucial secondary metabolites in cruciferous vegetables, hydrolyze upon consumption or mechanical damage, forming bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties, such as glucoraphanin (GRA). Among cruciferous vegetables, broccoli stands out for its high GSL content, which varies significantly among different genotypes. This study aimed to characterize and quantify glucosinolate compounds in broccoli using LC-HRMS2 and UPLC. We identified thirteen GSLs in 191 broccoli genotypes, including seven aliphatic, five indole, and one aromatic glucosinolate. The GSL content in these genotypes ranged from 0.1705 to 5.8174 mg/g (DW). We also explored GSL diversity and content in seven developmental organs, finding high diversity and content in seedling roots and florets. Notably, genotype No. 300 had the highest GSL content (5.8174 mg/g, DW) and GRA (3.1545 mg/g, DW), along with a larger flower bulb diameter (13.4 cm) and a shorter growth stage (11 days), demonstrating its potential for breeding GRA-rich broccoli. To our knowledge, this study encompasses the largest number of broccoli genotypes to date, broadening our understanding of GSLs' diversity and content in broccoli. These findings may provide valuable resources for future breeding or the commercial cultivation of GRA-rich broccoli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary liver cancer (PLC) poses a leading threat to human health, and its treatment options are limited. Meanwhile, the investigation of homogeneity and heterogeneity among PLCs remains challenging. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomic and bulk multi-omics, we elaborated a molecular architecture of 3 PLC types, namely hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC). Taking a high-resolution perspective, our observations revealed that CHC cells exhibit internally discordant phenotypes, whereas ICC and HCC exhibit distinct tumor-specific features. Specifically, ICC was found to be the primary source of cancer-associated fibroblasts, while HCC exhibited disrupted metabolism and greater individual heterogeneity of T cells. We further revealed a diversity of intermediate-state cells residing in the tumor-peritumor junctional zone, including a congregation of CPE+ intermediate-state endothelial cells (ECs), which harbored the molecular characteristics of tumor-associated ECs and normal ECs. This architecture offers insights into molecular characteristics of PLC microenvironment, and hints that the tumor-peritumor junctional zone could serve as a targeted region for precise therapeutical strategies. A comprehensive multi-omic, single-cell, and spatial analysis provides further insight into the major cell types present in three types of primary liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly[n]catenanes have exceptional mechanical bonding properties that give them tremendous potential for use in the development of molecular machines and soft materials. Synthesizing these compounds has, however, proven to be a formidable challenge. Herein, we describe a concise method for the construction of twisted polycatenanes. Our approach involves using preorganized double helicates as templates, linked crosswise in a linear fashion by either silver ions or triple bonds. By using this approach, we successfully synthesized twisted polycatenanes with both coordination and covalent bonding employing Ag(I) ions and ethynylene units, respectively, as the linkages and leveraging the same Ag(I)‐templated double helicate in both cases. Synthesis with Ag(I) ions formed a single‐crystalline one‐dimensional (1D) coordination poly[n]catenane, and synthesis using ethynylene units generated 1D fibers which self‐assembled with solvents to form a gel. Our results confirm the potential of multi‐stranded metallohelicates for creating sophisticated mechanically interlocked molecules and polymers, which could pave the way for exploration in the realms of molecular nanotopology and materials design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly[n]catenanes have exceptional mechanical bonding properties that give them tremendous potential for use in the development of molecular machines and soft materials. Synthesizing these compounds has, however, proven to be a formidable challenge. Herein, we describe a concise method for the construction of twisted polycatenanes. Our approach involves using preorganized double helicates as templates, linked crosswise in a linear fashion by either silver ions or triple bonds. By using this approach, we successfully synthesized twisted polycatenanes with both coordination and covalent bonding employing Ag(I) ions and ethynylene units, respectively, as the linkages and leveraging the same Ag(I)‐templated double helicate in both cases. Synthesis with Ag(I) ions formed a single‐crystalline one‐dimensional (1D) coordination poly[n]catenane, and synthesis using ethynylene units generated 1D fibers which self‐assembled with solvents to form a gel. Our results confirm the potential of multi‐stranded metallohelicates for creating sophisticated mechanically interlocked molecules and polymers, which could pave the way for exploration in the realms of molecular nanotopology and materials design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prenatal synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) exposure increases the susceptibility to cognitive and affective disorders in postnatal life. We previously demonstrated that prenatal sGC exposure results in an increase in corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor type 1 (CRHR1) expression in the hippocampus of rats, and CRHR1 is involved in synapse formation via regulation of C-X-C chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) in hippocampus. We sought to investigate that the roles of CRHR1 and CXCL5 in learning and memory impairment caused by prenatal sGC exposure.Methods: Pregnant rats were administered with saline or dexamethasone (DEX) from gestational day (GD) 14 to GD21. DEX offspring at 2-day old were treated with saline and CRHR1 antagonists (antalarmin and CP154526) for 7 days. Some DEX offspring received intra-hippocampal injection of AAV9 carrying CXCL5 gene. Spatial learning and memory was assessed by Morris water maze test. Immunofluorescence analysis was applied to show synapsin I and PSD95 signals in hippocampus. Synapsin I and PSD95 protein level and CXCL5 concentration were determined by western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures were used to investigate the effect of DEX on CXCL5 production in vitro.Results: Both male and female DEX offspring displayed impairment of spatial learning and memory in adulthood. Synapsin I and PSD95 signals and CXCL5 levels were decreased in DEX offspring. DEX offspring with antalarmin and CP154526 treatment showed improved spatial learning and memory. Antalarmin and CP154526 treatment increased synapsin I and PSD95 signals and CXCL5 concentration in hippocampus. Bilaterally hippocampal injection of AAV9 carrying CXCL5 gene improved the spatial learning and memory and increased CXCL5 concentration and synapsin I and PSD95 levels in hippocampus. DEX dose-dependently suppressed CXCL5 production in cultured hippocammpal slices, which was prevented by antalarmin treatment.Conclusion: CRHR1 and CXCL5 signaling in the hippocampus are involved in spatial learning and memory deficits caused by prenatal DEX exposure. CRHR1 activation contributes to decreased CXCL5 production in hippocampus induced by prenatal DEX treatment. Our study provides a molecular basis of prenatal GC exposure programming spatial learning and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic near‐infrared (NIR) detectors have potential applications in biomedicine, agriculture, and manufacturing industries to identify and quantify materials contactless, in real time and at a low cost. Recently, tunable narrow‐band NIR sensors based on charge‐transfer state absorption of bulk‐heterojunctions embedded into Fabry‐Pérot micro‐cavities have been demonstrated. In this work, this type of sensor is further miniaturized by stacking two sub‐cavities on top of each other. The resulting three‐terminal device detects and distinguishes photons at two specific wavelengths. By varying the thickness of each sub‐cavity, the detection ranges of the two sub‐sensors are tuned independently between 790 and 1180, and 1020 and 1435 nm, respectively, with full‐width‐at‐half‐maxima ranging between 35 and 61 nm. Transfer matrix modeling is employed to select and optimize device architectures with a suppressed cross‐talk in the coupled resonator system formed by the sub‐cavities, and thus to allow for two distinct resonances. These stacked photodetectors pave the way for highly integrated, bi‐signal spectroscopy tunable over a broad NIR range. To demonstrate the application potential, the stacked dual sensor is used to determine the ethanol concentration in a water solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, fall detection, especially for the elderly living alone at home, is a challenge in the field of computer vision and pattern recognition. However, there is a concern of loss of privacy in intelligent visual surveillance. In order to solve the contradiction between security surveillance and privacy protection in vision-based fall detection methods, we propose a concept named visual shielding, which can be applied to eliminate visual information but not reduce monitoring function. In the preprocessing, the multilayer compressed sensing is used to compress video frames to achieve visual shielding effect. Then, object region is separated from shielded videos by the low-rank and sparse decomposition theory, based on which to extract motion trajectory features of the object via the dense trajectory algorithm. Finally, the fall detection issue is transformed into the sparse recognition problem of the signal. Experimental results on three public fall databases show that the specificity and sensitivity of the proposed method can be maintained at an ideal level, which has the dual advantages of high privacy protection and high recognition accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important that questionnaires are as short as possible while still capturing the scope of problems relevant in an effective and reliable manner, to minimize the response burden. The purpose of our study was to develop a shortened version of the EORTC QLQ-BR23 for using in breast cancer survivors. Our data come from 10794 breast cancer survivors who completed the EORTC QLQ-BR23. Two-thirds of the sample was randomly selected from the original sample for development, and the remaining was used for validation. Item response theory methods were applied to shorten scales. The graded response model of Samejima was used to fit the item responses. The shortened scale was evaluated with the validation set by examining the mean difference, the proportion of respondents correctly predicted, correlation and weighted kappa between the shortened form and the original observed scores. Results reveal that a three-item BRBI, a four-item BRST, a three-item BRBS and a two-item BRAS forecast the scores on the original scales with wonderful consistency and are alike in measurement precision with no loss or only little loss in detecting group differences. Prospective validation on new diagnosed breast cancer patients and with poor QOL is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) has been investigated as a seeding and energy‐level modification layer for ultrathin metal electrode in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the optical effect of this interlayer has not been addressed so far. In this article, the influence of the thin MoO3 layer for bottom emitting OLEDs is thoroughly investigated. It is noted that a thin MoO3 layer has a substantial impact on the device performance through inducing a synergistic effect of suppressing the nonradiative surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes and modulating the cavity resonance. In presence of MoO3 layer, the SPP mode is suppressed from 400 to 520 nm. Moreover, introducing a thin MoO3 layer reduces the reflectance of the Au/Ag electrode, resulting in a decreased destructive resonance in devices. These combined effects enable to build highly efficient OLEDs, with the external quantum efficiency and luminous efficacy of two‐unit stacked white OLEDs reaching 38.8% and 53.9 lm W−1 at 1000 cd m−2, when substrate and air modes are extracted. The efficiency is about 1.9 times higher compared to the one without MoO3 layer. The result provides insights into indium tin oxide free optoelectronic devices, as well as light extraction strategy and color purity manipulations for OLEDs. A synergistic effect of suppressing the nonradiative surface plasmon polariton modes and modulating the cavity resonance is induced by the presence of molybdenum trioxide under Au/Ag composite electrode. For bottom emitting white organic light‐emitting diodes, the efficiency is enhanced by a factor of 1.9 by inserting 3 nm MoO3 layer, with better electroluminescence spectrum stability and more homogeneous irradiance distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social relationships shape human health and mortality via behavioral, psychosocial, and physiological mechanisms, including inflammatory and immune responses. Though not tested in human studies, recent primate studies indicate that the gut microbiome may also be a biological mechanism linking relationships to health. Integrating microbiota data into the 60-year-old Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we found that socialness with family and friends is associated with differences in the human fecal microbiota. Analysis of spouse (N = 94) and sibling pairs (N = 83) further revealed that spouses have more similar microbiota and more bacterial taxa in common than siblings, with no observed differences between sibling and unrelated pairs. These differences held even after accounting for dietary factors. The differences between unrelated individuals and married couples was driven entirely by couples who reported close relationships; there were no differences in similarity between couples reporting somewhat close relationships and unrelated individuals. Moreover, married individuals harbor microbial communities of greater diversity and richness relative to those living alone, with the greatest diversity among couples reporting close relationships, which is notable given decades of research documenting the health benefits of marriage. These results suggest that human interactions, especially sustained, close marital relationships, influence the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn doped ZnO nano-particles were synthesized by a solution route and annealed in N2, O2, and Ar, respectively. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that the samples possess typical wurtzite structure and have no other impurity phases. Magnetization loops for ZnO samples were measured and clearly show typical ferromagnetic saturation behavior. With the combination of defect analysis based on photoluminescence spectroscopy and first-principle calculations of the possible magnetic defect centers in Mn doped ZnO, the effect of defects on the nature and origin of ferromagnetism was investigated. The results suggest oxygen vacancies, especially singly ionized oxygen vacancies, play a crucial role in mediating ferromagnetism in the Mn doped ZnO system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are mainly caused by microvascular invasion (MVI). Our study aimed to uncover the cellular atlas of MVI+ HCC and investigate the underlying immune infiltration patterns with radiomics features. Methods: Three MVI positive HCC and three MVI negative HCC samples were collected for single-cell RNA-seq analysis. 26 MVI positive HCC and 30 MVI negative HCC tissues were underwent bulk RNA-seq analysis. For radiomics analysis, radiomics features score (Radscore) were built using preoperative contrast MRI for MVI prediction and overall survival prediction. We deciphered the metabolism profiles of MVI+ HCC using scMetabolism and scFEA. The correlation of Radscore with the level of APOE+ macrophages and iCAFs was identified. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was applied to distinguish intrahepatic metastasis (IM) and multicentric occurrence (MO). Transcriptome profiles were compared between IM and MO. Results: Elevated levels of APOE+ macrophages and iCAFs were detected in MVI+ HCC. There was a strong correlation between the infiltration of APOE+ macrophages and iCAFs, as confirmed by immunofluorescent staining. MVI positive tumors exhibited increased lipid metabolism, which was attributed to the increased presence of APOE+ macrophages. APOE+ macrophages and iCAFs were also found in high levels in IM, as opposed to MO. The difference of infiltration level and Radscore between two nodules in IM was relatively small. Furthermore, we developed Radscore for predicting MVI and HCC prognostication that were also able to predict the level of infiltration of APOE+ macrophages and iCAFs. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the interactions of cell subpopulations and distinct metabolism profiles in MVI+ HCC. Besides, MVI prediction Radscore and MVI prognostic Radscore were highly correlated with the infiltration of APOE+ macrophages and iCAFs, which helped to understand the biological significance of radiomics and optimize treatment strategy for MVI+ HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delving into the influence of strain on organic reactions in small molecules at the molecular level can unveil valuable insight into developing innovative synthetic strategies and structuring molecules with superior properties. Herein, we present a molecular‐strain engineering approach to facilitate the consecutive [1,2]‐aryl shift (formal [1,3]‐aryl shift) in molecular bows (MBs) that integrate 1,4‐dimethoxy‐2,5‐cyclohexadiene moieties. By introducing ring strain into MBs through tethering the bow limb, we can harness the intrinsic mechanical forces to drive multistep aryl shifts from the para‐ to the meta‐ to the ortho‐position. Through the use of precise intramolecular strain, the seemingly impractical [1,3]‐aryl shift was realized, resulting in the formation of ortho‐disubstituted products. The solvent and temperature play a crucial role in the occurrence of the [1,3]‐aryl shift. The free energy calculations with inclusion of solvation support a feasible mechanism, which entails multistep carbocation rearrangements, for the formal [1,3]‐aryl shift. By exploring the application of molecular strain in synthetic chemistry, this research offers a promising direction for developing new tools and strategies towards precision organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delving into the influence of strain on organic reactions in small molecules at the molecular level can unveil valuable insight into developing innovative synthetic strategies and structuring molecules with superior properties. Herein, we present a molecular‐strain engineering approach to facilitate the consecutive [1,2]‐aryl shift (formal [1,3]‐aryl shift) in molecular bows (MBs) that integrate 1,4‐dimethoxy‐2,5‐cyclohexadiene moieties. By introducing ring strain into MBs through tethering the bow limb, we can harness the intrinsic mechanical forces to drive multistep aryl shifts from the para‐ to the meta‐ to the ortho‐position. Through the use of precise intramolecular strain, the seemingly impractical [1,3]‐aryl shift was realized, resulting in the formation of ortho‐disubstituted products. The solvent and temperature play a crucial role in the occurrence of the [1,3]‐aryl shift. The free energy calculations with inclusion of solvation support a feasible mechanism, which entails multistep carbocation rearrangements, for the formal [1,3]‐aryl shift. By exploring the application of molecular strain in synthetic chemistry, this research offers a promising direction for developing new tools and strategies towards precision organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, it is still a great challenge to obtain high‐performance green‐solvent‐processed organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, a ternary blend strategy (one donor and two acceptors, 1D/2A) is developed to solve the difficulty of film morphology modulation during the fabrication of high‐performance green‐solvent‐processed OSCs. A typical high‐performance halogenated‐solvent processable binary system D18:BTP‐eC9‐4F is selected as the host, its green‐solvents‐processed devices show an inferior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ≈16%. SM16 with two 3D shape persistent end groups is selected as the third component due to its high fluorescence quantum yield, reduced intermolecular interaction, good solubility, and moderate crystallinity. As a result, the ternary devices display bicontinuous interpenetrating networks, reduced energy loss, and suppressed charge carrier recombination losses. Hence, an excellent PCE of 18.20% is achieved for the D18:BTP‐eC9‐4F:SM16 ternary devices, which is much higher than D18:BTP‐eC9‐4F‐based binary ones and also one of the highest PCEs for the green‐solvents‐processed OSCs. Besides, this strategy also demonstrates a good universality for other binary systems and becomes an effective pathway for the development of green‐solvent processable high‐performance OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex autoimmune disease in which both the roles of genetic susceptibility and environmental/microbial factors have been investigated. More than 200 genetic susceptibility variants have been identified along with the dysbiosis of gut microbiota, both independently have been shown to be associated with MS. We hypothesize that MS patients harboring genetic susceptibility variants along with gut microbiome dysbiosis are at a greater risk of exhibiting the disease. We investigated the genetic risk score for MS in conjunction with gut microbiota in the same cohort of 117 relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) and 26 healthy controls. DNA samples were genotyped using Illumina's Infinium Immuno array-24 v2 chip followed by calculating genetic risk score and the microbiota was determined by sequencing the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. We identified two clusters of MS patients, Cluster A and B, both having a higher genetic risk score than the control group. However, the MS cases in cluster B not only had a higher genetic risk score but also showed a distinct gut microbiome than that of cluster A. Interestingly, cluster A which included both healthy control and MS cases had similar gut microbiome composition. This could be due to (i) the non-active state of the disease in that group of MS patients at the time of fecal sample collection and/or (ii) the restoration of the gut microbiome post disease modifying therapy to treat the MS. Our study showed that there seems to be an association between genetic risk score and gut microbiome dysbiosis in triggering the disease in a small cohort of MS patients. The MS Cluster A who have a higher genetic risk score but microbiome profile similar to that of healthy controls could be due to the remitting phase of the disease or due to the effect of disease modifying therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polybutene-1 with form I crystals exhibits excellent creep resistance and environmental stress crack resistance. The filaments of polybutene-1 and its random copolymer with 4 mol% ethylene co-units were produced via extrusion melt spinning, which are expected to be in form I states and show outstanding mechanical properties. The variances in microstructure, crystallization–melting behavior, and mechanical properties between homopolymer and copolymer filaments were analyzed using SEM, SAXS/WAXD, DSC, and tensile tests. The crystallization of form II and subsequent phase transition into form I finished after the melt-spinning process in the copolymer sample while small amounts of form II crystals remained in homopolymer filaments. Surprisingly, copolymer filaments exhibited higher tensile strength and Young's modulus than homopolymer filaments, while the homopolymer films showed better mechanical properties than copolymer films. The high degree of orientation and long fibrous crystals play a critical role in the superior properties of copolymer filaments. The results indicate that the existence of ethylene increases the chain flexibility and benefits the formation of intercrystalline links during spinning, which contributes to an enhancement of mechanical properties. The structure–property correlation of melt-spun PB-1 filaments provides a reference for the development of polymer fibers with excellent creep resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]