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Fabrication of stable, efficient, and inexpensive bifunctional electro-catalysts for water splitting has become increasingly attractive. Herein, for the first time, the direct growth of Mo-doped Ni3S2 on Ni foams using sodium molybdate as the Mo source at different temperatures is demonstrated. Effects of temperature on the morphology and water splitting performance of Mo-doped Ni3S2 were discussed in detail. It is found that the atomic stoichiometric ratios of Mo and Ni can be controlled by the adjusting of reaction temperature, while the obtained electro-catalysts demonstrate various morphologies, capacitances and chemisorption free energies of hydrogen, which lead to different current densities and hydrogen evolution efficiencies. The electro-catalyst synthesized at 200 °C (200-SMN/NF) demonstrates the best regular morphology and electrochemical properties. When employed in oxygen evolution reactions, 200-SMN/NF demonstrates a low over-potential of 180 mV at 100 mA cm−2. Adapting it as a bifunctional electro-catalyst, a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a very low cell voltage of 1.53 V and cycling lifespan of more than 15 h was delivered. Further results indicated elevated hydrogen evolution reaction activity, consisting of a moderate 278 mV over-potential at a 100 mA cm−2 hydrogen production current density, a small 72.9 mV dec−1 Tafel slope, and a superior current density compared to that of precious catalyst Pt/C (40%) after −0.53 V. These results underscore the fact that 200-SMN/NF is a high-performance, precious-metal-free electro-catalyst, and provide the foundation for exciting opportunities in water splitting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space shift keying (SSK) modulation is an emerging transmission technique for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels, which exploits the spatial domain to convey information. In this paper, we present a layered space shift keying (LSSK) modulation scheme to fully exploit the spatial domain to transmit information bits, where a layered architecture is developed to achieve spatial multiplexing transmission in an SSK system. Specifically, LSSK leverages the rotated signals predetermined at the transceiver to identify different layers and improve the bit-error-rate (BER) performance. The layered signals are directly generated by the proposed LSSK modulation method with a low computational overhead. Furthermore, we propose a layered-and-joint (LJ) near-optimal detection algorithm based on the layered architecture of LSSK to reduce the detection complexity. In LJ detection, layered detection is performed to find a set of detection candidates for each layer, and then, joint detection is performed with these candidates. We show that the performance of LJ detection is quite close to that of optimal maximum-likelihood detection with significantly reduced detection complexity for high-spectrum-efficiency scenarios. Results demonstrate that the proposed LSSK scheme substantially improves the spectrum efficiency of an SSK system and outperforms other existing MIMO schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

CuCo2S4 nanoparticles demonstrating outstanding electrochemical performances were firstly synthesized through a simple solvothermal approach without using any templates. CuCo2S4 synthesized in glycerol (CuCo2S4–glycerol) fulfills an ultrahigh capacitance of 5030 F g−1 at 20 A g−1 in a polysulfide electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanocomposite of cobalt disulfide (CoS 2 ) nanoparticles and chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets was prepared through a facile solvothermal method without any template. The structural and morphological properties of CoS 2 –RGO nanocomposite were characterized through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectra and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The electrochemical behavior of CoS 2 –RGO nanocomposite has been investigated using cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 6 M KOH electrolyte. A maximum specific capacitance of 331 F g −1 was obtained at a current rate of 0.5 A g −1 with a wide working potential window from −0.3 to 0.65 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exact semi-analytical solution in the undrained cavity expansion can be obtained on the basis of the MCC model to research the cone penetration test and the pile driving. The field around the cavity can be divided into three zones; critical zone, plastic deformation zone and elastic deformation zone. In the elastic zone, an analytical solution for the distributions of stress and excess pore pressure is deduced according to the elastic theory. In the critical and plastic zone, a set of first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations concerning stress can be obtained according to the associated flow rule and the lagrangian analysis method. The stressss and pore pore pressure can be solved as an initial value problem starting at the elastic-plastic boundary. The results show that the isotropic over consolidation ratio has a significant influence on the stresses and the excess pore pressure. The shear modulus vary significantly with the cavity radius and the isotropic over consolidation in the course of cavity expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of two organic cerium salts (cerium tartrate (CeTar) and cerium cinnamate (CeCin)) and one inorganic cerium salt (cerium nitrate (Ce(NO 3) 3)) as inhibitor pigments on the protective property of epoxy coatings were comparatively studied and the inhibition on AA2024 substrate in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution were analyzed by using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technology. The influence of cerium salts on the chemical structure of epoxy resin was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface composition of the aluminum alloy substrate under the coatings was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the barrier property of the epoxy coating was significantly improved by adding CeTar or CeCin salts, and in which CeCin presents a little better effect. The cerium salts can improve the cross-linking degree of polymer matrix and decrease the porosity and defects in the coating. When the cerium salts are dissolved and released to the surface of the substrate, a protective film composed of cerium oxide and hydroxide is formed, combined with the film containing carboxyl and Al, so as to inhibit the corrosion of Al alloy substrate. Compared with cerium nitrate, cerium tartrate and cerium cinnamate possess much lower solubility in water, the very low releasing rate of cerium salts from the coating can provide long-term protection for aluminum alloy substrate. • Impedance characteristic and degradation process of epoxy coatings with CeTar, CeCin and Ce(NO 3) 3 were studied. • Barrier property of the coating is significantly improved by CeTar or CeCin salts, but Ce(NO 3) 3 presents limited effect. • Cerium salts change the structure of the polymer and form protective films on the surface of Al alloy substrate. • Very low solubility of CeTar or CeCin and continuous low releasing of Ce(III) from coating provide long-term protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A straightforward approach for the synthesis of various trifluoromethyl-substituted chromeno[2,3-c]quinolin-12-ones. • Palladium-catalyzed norbornene-mediated dehydrogenative annulation reaction. • A powerful tool for preparing chromone- and trifluoromethyl-containing fused-heterocyclic compounds. • With readily available 3-iodochromones and trifluoroacetimidoyl chlorides as starting material. A straightforward approach for the synthesis of various trifluoromethyl-substituted chromeno[2,3- c ]quinolin-12-ones has been developed, which employs a palladium-catalyzed norbornene-mediated dehydrogenative annulation of readily available 3-iodochromones with trifluoroacetimidoyl chlorides. The domino strategy involving Pd/NBE cooperative catalysis provides a powerful tool for preparing chromone- and trifluoromethyl-containing fused-heterocyclic compounds. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is establishing some new Volterra–Fredholm and Hermite–Hadamard-type fractional integral inequalities, which can be used as auxiliary tools in the study of solutions to fractional differential equations and fractional integral equations. Applications are also given to explicate the availability of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the primary site for the biotransformation of drugs, the liver is the most focused on organ type in pharmaceutical research. However, despite being widely used in pharmaceutical research, animal models have inherent species differences, while two-dimensional (2D) liver cell monocultures or co-cultures and three-dimensional (3D) liver cell monoculture in vitro liver models do not sufficiently represent the complexity of the human liver's structure and function, making the evaluation results from these tools less reliable. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop more representative in vitro liver models for pharmaceutical research. Fortunately, an exciting new development in recent years has been the emergence of 3D liver cell co-culture models. These models hold great promise as in vitro pharmaceutical research tools, because they can reproduce liver structure and function more practically. This review begins by explaining the structure and main cell composition of the liver, before introducing the potential advantages of 3D cell co-culture liver models for pharmaceutical research. We also discuss the main sources of hepatocytes and the 3D cell co-culture methods used in constructing these models. In addition, we explore the applications of 3D cell co-culture liver models with different functional states and suggest prospects for their further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We established an in vitro 3-D model of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by culturing MHCC97H cells on molecular scaffolds within a rotating wall vessel bioreactor. Morphological and biochemical analyses revealed that the 3-D HCC model mirrored many clinical pathological features of HCC in vivo, including cancer cell morphology, tissue ultrastructure, protein production and secretion, glucose metabolism, tissue-specific gene expression, and apoptosis. Xenografts into livers of nude mice resulted in tumorigenesis and distant metastasis. This 3-D HCC spheroid is a promising model for HCC tumor biology, anticancer drug screening, and for the establishment of HCC animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated microplastics (MPs) pollution in 349 Larimichthys polyactis specimens from the coastal area of Jiangsu Province, China. The MP abundance in L. polyactis was 1.03 ± 1.04 items/individual and 0.95 ± 0.92 items/10 g (wet weight). The MP abundance in specimens from the Haizhou Bay fishing ground was slightly higher than that in specimens from the Lvsi fishing ground. Spearman's correlation showed that MP abundance was positively correlated with body length when expressed as items/individual, but not items/10 g. The abundance in the gastrointestinal tract was slightly higher than that in the gills, but the differences were not significant for either measurement index. The MPs predominantly ingested by L. polyactis were <1 mm, fibrous, blue and had a cellophane composition. The MP pollution in L. polyactis in the coast of Jiangsu Province is at a medium to low level, as compared with other regions of China. [Display omitted] • We studied microplastics (MPs) in 349 Larimichthys polyactis specimens in Jiangsu. • MP abundance was 1.03 ± 1.04 items/individual and 0.95 ± 0.92 items/10 g. • MPs were positively correlated with body length when expressed as items/individual. • MP pollution in Jiangsu was medium to low compared with other coastal areas in China. • The impact of MP pollution on more trophic levels deserves further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aim Study Design Results Conclusion Relevance to Clinical Practice Hyponatraemia is a prevalent electrolyte disturbance observed in critically ill patients. The rapid correction of low plasma sodium levels by continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) carries the risk of developing osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS), which can be prevented by implementing an individualized CRRT method.This study aims to introduce a CRRT protocol for the safe and gradual correction of severe hyponatraemia.This retrospective case series study was conducted in an intensive care unit (ICU). All four patients with severe hyponatraemia (<125 mmol/L) and renal failure between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023, were treated by CRRT with sterile water and regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA). Data on patient demographics, laboratory biochemical parameters, urine outputs and CRRT‐related adverse events were collected. Laboratory parameters and urine outputs were compared by paired t‐tests before and after CRRT.After CRRT, sodium levels were significantly increased (112.7 ± 6.7 vs. 141.9 ± 2.8 mmol/L, p = .005). Abnormal urine outputs, potassium, creatinine and bicarbonate were corrected (p for all <.05). Safe and gradual correction of hyponatraemia and internal environmental dysregulation was achieved in all patients without any complications related to CRRT, particularly ODS.It is a novel and simple strategy to correct severe hyponatraemia effectively while ensuring the safety of patients that can be easily implemented by experienced nurse staff.The sterile water‐based protocol for postfilter dilution is safe to correct severe hyponatraemia with RCA and can be easily performed by experienced critical care nurses according to the precalculated formula. CRRT‐trained, experienced ICU nurses are competent to initiate and adjust sterile water infusion discretely to prevent overcorrection of hyponatraemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, the elastic modulus test method of specimens is established. • The measurement precision can meet the engineering requirements when the large displacement takes place. • The flexible sensor which cannot bear large tensile stress can be tested with proposed method. • The error and sliding effect is discussed with tensile experimental data in the paper. This paper presents the design of a novel elastic modulus measurement method through bending the specimen to estimate the elastic modulus of a small irregular thin-film specimen without causing damage. First of all, based on nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, A measurement system is constructed with a laser displacement sensor and a dynamometer to obtain a relationship between deflection and force. The elastic modulus is estimated by the strain energy and the work of a constant force. Secondly, uniaxial tensile tests of specimens are conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. The experimental results show good agreement between the elastic modulus obtained using the proposed method and the elastic module obtained through tensile test method. The relative error between them is less than 2.0%, which validates the proposed method's performance on accuracy. To sum up, the proposed test method is a supplement to the harmless elastic modulus measurement method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injection welding is an excellent adhesive‐free bonding method for thermoplastic resins, demonstrating outstanding connection effectiveness. The incorporation of carbon fibers (CFs) significantly enhances the weld shear strength at the injection interface. This study aims to investigate the reinforcement effect of CF‐reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTP) during the injection welding process. And explore the influence of the amount of added CFs on the weld shear strength. Polyamide 6 (PA6)/CF composites with CF contents of 10 wt% and 30 wt% were subjected to injection welding for the first and second molding cycles, respectively. It was observed that the reinforcement effects varied considerably depending on the combinations studied. Under the optimal combination and process parameters, the weld shear strength of PA6/CF composites reached 63 MPa, equivalent to 90% of the shear strength (70 MPa) of the original PA6/CF material. Polarized light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to analyze the distribution of CFs at the interface and the reinforcing mechanism during tensile fracture. The significance of maintaining uniform CF content during the welding process of PA6/CF composites was emphasized. Highlights: Preparation of PA6 composite materials with different carbon fiber contents.Achieving high welding shear strength of composite materials through injection welding.Identified the optimal injection welding conditions to achieve the highest strength.The positive effect of specific fiber distribution on welding strength was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of electromagnetic flanging of tubes, which uses coils to generate electromagnetic forces to achieve the deformation with high speed but without contact. However, the electromagnetic force decays dramatically with the increase of distance, resulting in strict requirements of geometrical matching between the coils and the tubes. Usually, new coils should be fabricated for tubes with new sizes, which is inconvenient and uneconomical. Therefore, a more flexible and economical method is proposed in this paper, which introduces a solenoid field shaper into the existing electromagnetic flanging system. By adjusting the structure and the position of the field shaper, the distribution of electromagnetic forces can be reshaped to form tubes with various sizes, without changing the coil, whose cost is much higher than a field shaper. The principle of this method is introduced in detail. Then, an electromagnetic-structure coupled finite element simulation model is established to calculate the forming process. The results show that when forming an A6063-T83 aluminum alloy tube with an inner diameter of 110mm, the discharge voltage can be tuned down from 5.3kV, without field shaper, to 4.6kV, with field shaper. That means the energy consumption of the system can be saved by 25%, and the manufacturing process of the field shaper is simpler than that of the forming coil. What's more, when forming tubes with different sizes, the new method shows higher effectiveness, greater flexibility, and lower cost than the traditional way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pour point depressant (PPD) is a crucial addition in the petroleum industry which can significantly enhance the flow properties of crude oil by preventing wax from precipitating out of it. The flow assurance effect of PPD on crude oil is impacted by its molecular structure. As a result, we concentrate on the PPD with various molecular structures, such as carboxyl and benzene rings, to investigate its impact on the flow behavior of crude oil. Then, FTIR and contact angle test were used to describe the characteristics of PPD (SAF-n and SAFS-m). The Karamay crude oil was tested using the following items: pour point, rheology, viscosity, viscoelasticity, and POM. When the crude oil was treated with 1000 ppm SAFS-1, the pour point decreased from 12 to −14 °C and the viscosity decreased from 40.1 to 6.3 pa·s at 0 °C. Meanwhile, the results show that the more variety polar groups PPD has, the more its dispersion increases and the stronger its interactions with crude oil are when its molar ratio of non-polar groups are suitable. These effects may be caused by the PPD changing the crystallization characteristics of wax and the aggregate state of resin and asphalt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnZrOx has been used in large quantities for the preparation of light olefins from CO2, but the relationship between structure and performance remains unclear at present. In this paper, ZnZrOx were prepared by co-precipitation method, and a series of oxides with different sizes were prepared by varying the calcination temperatures. Subsequently, these oxides were combined with SAPO-34 to create a composite bifunctional catalyst for the synthesis of light olefins by CO2 hydrogenation, in which the impact of nanocrystal size effect was examined. The catalytic performance significantly increased as the nanocrystal size reduced from 18 to 12 nm. However, when the nanocrystal size was further decreased to 8 nm, the catalytic performance decline. Characterizations revealed a gradual increase in the number of oxygen vacancies with decreasing nanocrystal size. However, the oxide with the smallest nanocrystal size, prepared by varied calcination temperatures, did not yield the optimal catalytic performance due to sintering occurring during the reaction process. The results show that the assumption that smaller nanocrystal sizes inherently equate to improved catalytic performance is not universally valid, and stability must be considered when the nanocrystal size is decreased. The bifunctional catalysts used in this paper for the prepared light olefins from CO2 in yield as high as 13.8%, which is higher than most previous reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation circumstances and effects of the kaolin-modified SAPO-34 molecular sieves were studied in order to support the industrial application of the cutting-edge technology for producing light olefins from syngas catalyzed by bifunctional catalyst. Additionally, their apparent morphology, crystal structure, structural features, and acid strength were tested. The results demonstrated that kaolin-based molecular sieves are thinly layered and have an acid strength and pore structure that are more conducive to reactions. The effect of the mass ratio of the oxide to the molecular sieve, the hydrogen to carbon ratio of the feed gas, and other reaction conditions on the catalytic activity of the bifunctional catalyst was investigated using modified molecular sieves. Under the reaction conditions of the oxide to molecular sieve mass ratio of 2:1, feed gas composition of n(H2)/n(CO) = 2, 400 °C, and 3 MPa, a CO conversion of 50.11% with a low CO2 selectivity of 17.01% and a light olefins yield of 24.18% could be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common digestive malignancies worldwide and ranked third causes of cancer-related death. Mounting evidence has revealed that miRNAs exert critical regulatory roles in GC development. Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot assay were performed to determine the protein expression levels of neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and mRNA levels were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in GC tissues. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of NRP1 in GC. Knockdown of NRP1 was conducted to analyse its function in vitro and vivo. Luciferase reporter assay, western blot and qRT-qPCR were employed to identify the miRNAs which directly targeted NRP1. Furthermore, Bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification were used to explore the potential molecular mechanism and signalling pathway. Results: In the current study, we revealed that NRP1 was highly expressed in GC tumor tissues and was associated with poor prognosis in GC patients. NRP1 knockdown inhibited GC cell growth, migration and invasion in vitro, while suppressed GC xenograft tumor development in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that miR-19b-3p down-regulated NRP1 expression by targeting its 3′-UTR. Functional assay demonstrated that miR-19b-3p inhibited GC cell growth, migration and invasion via negatively regulating NRP1. Overexpression NRP1 partially reversed the regulatory effect of miR-19b-3p. Moreover, we showed that miR-19b-3p/NRP1 axis regulated the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and focal adhesion in GC, which might contribute the GC development and progression. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest a regulatory network of miR-19b-3p/NRP1 in GC development. The miR-19b-3p/NRP1 axis might be further explored as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the lightweight production requirements of automobiles and achieve high strength, reinforced thermoplastic composite materials are gradually replacing metal materials. Injection molding is the preferred manufacturing method to enable the production of complex‐shaped parts, facilitate production, and reduce costs. In this study, carbon fiber (CF) was added to the commonly used resin‐reinforcing material, polyamide (nylon) PA6, to create a CF‐reinforced thermoplastic composite (polyamide 6 [PA6]/CF) that was welded using injection molding. This study not only investigates the impact of different welding conditions on shear strength but also discusses the sequence of welding. Achieving 85% of the shear strength of the PA6 base material under ideal circumstances. The CF distribution and reinforcement mechanism were analyzed by observing the connection interface and cross section using a polarizing microscope and a scanning electron microscope. When PA6/CF was used as the secondary molded body, the welding results were better. The addition of CF had a significant strengthening effect on the strength of the PA6 injection welding. Highlights: Carbon fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic composite materials were prepared, and welding with PA6 was achieved using the injection molding method.The optimal welding parameters were determined by varying the mold, injection speed, injection temperature, and order of injection. The maximum welding shear strength reached 85% of the base material shear strength.The positive effect of specific fiber distribution on welding strength was analyzed by observing the interface using a scanning electron microscope and a polarizing microscope.This study provides valuable insights into the optimization of welding processes for carbon fiber thermoplastic composite materials, offering possibilities for connecting dissimilar materials with poor compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic influences of alantolactone on gastric carcinoma (GC) cell lines, and the mechanism(s) involved. Methods: Human gastric cancer cell line (BGC823) and gastric adenocarcinoma lymph node metastasis cell line (SGC7901) were maintained in Ham's F12 medium supplemented with 10 % heatinactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS). In each group of cancer cell line, 5 groups of cells were used: control and four alantolactone groups which were treated with increasing concentrations of alantolactone (5 - 30 μM) for varying periods. Proliferation was determined using MTT assay, while realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to assay the expressions of apoptosis- and metastasis-related genes. The expressions of p38MAPK and nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) in BGC823 and SGC7901 cells were measured with Western blotting. Results: Phosphorylated protein (p-p38 protein) expression was significantly higher in both groups of GC cells, relative to control (p < 0.05). The expressions of NF-κB in plasma protein were markedly higher in both groups of GC cells than in control group, but the corresponding expressions in nuclear protein were significantly lower in both groups of GC cells, relative to control (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Alantolactone exerts anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects on BGC823 and SGC7901 cells via mechanisms involving activation of the p38MAPK, and inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathways. Thus, alantolactone may be a new and effective anti-gastric cancer drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Direct synthesis of PMMA microspheres with clickable double bonds on the surface. • A RAFT-assisted dispersion photopolymerization process was employed. • Photo-click reaction of the obtained microspheres with thiolated biotin. • Immobilizing FITC-SAv via the specific adsorption of biotin to streptavidin. Abstract Introducing clickable groups onto polymer microspheres allows the microspheres to be facilely functionalized via a click reaction. In this report, we have synthesized monodisperse PMMA microspheres with clickable double bonds on the surface by one-step RAFT-assisted dispersion photopolymerization using a cyclohexyl-containing macro-RAFT agent as a stabilizer. This macro-RAFT agent, named P(THPAA- b -AA)-TTC, was synthesized by RAFT-mediated block copolymerization of a cyclohexyl-containing monomer (THPAA, obtained by esterification of cis-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) and acrylic acid. The obtained microspheres were analyzed by 1H NMR and Iodometric method, indicating that the content of carbon double bonds on the microspheres increased with increasing the amount of P(THPAA- b -AA)-TTC in the polymerization feed. We then used a thiolated biotin to perform the photo-click reaction with the cyclohexene double bond on the microspheres, thereby attaching the biotin unit onto the microspheres. The biotinylated PMMA microspheres were found to be able to effectively immobilize fluorescein isothiocyanate streptavidin (FITC-SAv) via the specific adsorption of biotin to streptavidin, and thus exhibited clear fluorescence under confocal microscope. This study provides a convenient and feasible way to prepare surface-functionalized microspheres, which has great potential in biological applications as well as other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, novel spinel-NiFe 2 O 4 /natural mineral (sepiolite, diatomite and kaolinite) composites were developed using microwave (MW) hydrothermal method, and applied in MW-induced catalytic degradation (NiFe 2 O 4 /natural mineral/MW) of organic pollutants such as sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), azo fuchsine (AF), methyl parathion (MP), and crystal violet (CVL) in solution. Catalytic activities of three NiFe 2 O 4 /natural mineral composites were compared. The effects of material synthesis process parameters such as molar ratios of NiFe 2 O 4 and natural mineral, and pH of precursor solutions for synthesizing catalysts, and degradation parameters such as MW irradiation time and catalyst reuse cycles were also investigated. The principle on NiFe 2 O 4 /natural mineral/MW degradation was provided. The results reveal that organic pollutants in wastewater can be removed completely using NiFe 2 O 4 /natural mineral/MW within minutes. NiFe 2 O 4 /sepiolite shows higher catalytic activity than the others. The calculated degradation rate constants are 1.865, 0.672, 0.472, and 0.329 min −1 for SDBS, AF, MP, and CVL, respectively, using NiFe 2 O 4 /sepiolite/MW system. The performance of NiFe 2 O 4 /natural mineral can be maintained for three reuse cycles. Active species OH, O 2 − , and h + play main roles in NiFe 2 O 4 /sepiolite/MW degradation. Hence, NiFe 2 O 4 /sepiolite/MW technology with rapid and cost-effective degradation, magnetic separation, and no secondary pollution, demonstrates to be promising in treating organic contaminants in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A visible light driven photocatalytic system, CQDs/KNbO 3 , is designed and prepared. • CQDs as up-conversion luminescent agent enhance light use ratio of KNbO 3. • CQDs as co-cotalyst enhance separation of photogenerated electrons-holes in KNbO 3. • CQDs/KNbO 3 shows high activity in degradation with simultaneous hydrogen evolution. In this work, a new visible-light driven photocatalyst, carbon quantum dots (CQDs)/KNbO 3 composite, is successfully prepared via hydrothermal and mixed-calcination methods Multiple techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, are applied to investigate the morphologies, structures and optical properties of the prepared CQDs/KNbO 3 composites. The photocatalytic activity of CQDs/KNbO 3 composites is evaluated via degradation of crystal violet dye as target organic pollutant with simultaneous hydrogen production under visible-light irradiation. The results show that the CQDs/KNbO 3 composites exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity than the KNbO 3. It is ascribed to the presence of the CQDs as co-catalyst on the surface of KNbO 3 particles, forming much more active sites for trapping electrons and promoting the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. In addition, the CQDs can absorb visible-lights and emit the ultraviolet-lights to activate the wide band-gap KNbO 3. The study of reusability shows that the CQDs/KNbO 3 can be effectively recycled for four repetitive cycles and maintain a higher level of photocatalytic activity. In conclusion, the present work designs an effectively visible-light driven photocatalyst, which can be applied in photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants with simultaneous hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis), a commercially essential fish commonly caught in China and South Korea, is now facing a severe decline in resources. The recruitment and surplus of L. polyactis depend selecting a suitable marine environment for overwintering. However, the international overwintering migration habit of L. polyactis limits the investigation of its overwintering environment preferences and suitable grounds. In this study, based on the distribution data of L. polyactis in the southern Yellow Sea in winter from 2010 to 2019 and ocean remote sensing data such as sea bottom temperature (SBT), sea bottom salinity, chlorophyll‐a concentration and water depth (Depth), we used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and the genetic algorithm for rule‐set production (GARP) models to investigate the overwintering grounds of the southern Yellow Sea stock (SYS). The jackknife test was used to assess the importance of various environmental factors. For modelling the overwintering ground distribution of SYS, the area under the curve values of both models ​were higher than 0.9. The overwintering ground was at 32°10′ N–33°48′ N, 122°30′ E–125°00′ E. The direction of its distribution was consistent with the Yellow Sea Warm Current in the southern Yellow Sea during the winter. Compared with the suitable overwintering area during 2010–2014, the highly appropriate overwintering area for SYS to overwinter decreased significantly during 2015–2019, showing a trend of moving to the east and north, related to the increase in fishing pressure and strengthening of the Yellow Sea Warm Current in recent years. Depth was the most significant factor for SYS overwintering, followed by SBT. The overwintering ground was at a depth of 40–65 m during the two periods. Additionally, the suitability of overwintering grounds in the coastal waters of south‐western South Korea has gradually increased. This study provides a scientific basis for formulating effective strategies to manage L. polyactis resources under the China–South Korea Fisheries Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical mechanism was analyzed from the micro perspective of the enterprise to explore how information accessibility moderates the effect of accounting manipulation on the sustainable development of digital enterprises. Using data from 1200 listing digital enterprises in China and the DEA-Malmquist index method, the efficiency value of digital enterprises in 2007–2021 was estimated to represent the index of sustainable development of digital enterprises. The accounting manipulation was detected using the panel PSM-DID method based on the Administrative Measures for the Recognition of High-tech Enterprise's policy. The information accessibility value was estimated based on the MDA method. Empirical studies were conducted using text analysis, the panel PSM-DID method, and the double moderating effect model. The results showed that: (1) Accounting manipulation had a negative impact on the sustainable development of "true" digital enterprises and the "fake" digital enterprises. (2) Information accessibility directly and positively enhanced the technological progress and scale efficiency of digital enterprises, and its moderating effect was heterogeneous, with a significant moderating effect on the "true" digital enterprises and a negative effect on the "fake" ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key primary method for creating a carbon cycle and carbon neutrality is the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 into high value‐added chemicals or fuels. In this work, ZnGaOx oxides were prepared by parallel co‐precipitation and physically mixed with SAPO‐34 molecular sieves prepared by hydrothermal synthesis to produce ZnGaOx/SAPO‐34 bifunctional catalysts, which were evaluated for the catalytic synthesis of lower olefins (C2=−C4=) from carbon dioxide hydrogenation. It was demonstrated that the reaction process requires oxygen defect activation, synergistic hydrogenation, and CO2 alkaline adsorption of ZnGaOx. The spinel structure of ZnGaOx has more abundant oxygen defects and alkaline adsorption sites than the ZnGaOx solid solution, which effectively enhances the catalytic performance. The CO2 conversion was 28.52%, the selectivity of C2=−C4= in hydrocarbons reached 70.01%, and the single‐pass yield of C2=−C4= was 10.95% at 370 °C, 3.0 MPa, and 4800 mL/gcat/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal number of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) for gastric signet ring cell carcinoma recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the optimal number of ELNs and investigate its prognostic significance. In this study, we included 1723 patients diagnosed with gastric signet ring cell carcinoma in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. X-tile software was used to calculate the cutoff value of ELNs, and the optimal number of ELNs was found to be 32 for adequate nodal staging. In addition, we performed propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to compare the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates; 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for total examined lymph nodes (ELNs < 32 vs. ELNs ≥ 32) were 71.7% vs. 80.1% (p = 0.008), 41.8% vs. 51.2% (p = 0.009), and 27% vs. 30.2% (p = 0.032), respectively. Furthermore, a predictive model based on 32 ELNs was developed and displayed as a nomogram. The model showed good predictive ability performance, and machine learning validated the importance of the optimal number of ELNs in predicting prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to further elucidate the mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. In this study, we observed the apoptosis of RM cells (microglia) after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) modeling before and after Rg1 administration, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, changes in the content of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory vesicles NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 (NLRP3), and the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins, inflammatory factors, and apoptosis proteins. We further examined the pathomorphological changes in brain tissue, neuronal damage, changes in mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial structure, and the autophagy-related proteins, inflammatory factors, and apoptosis proteins expression levels in CI/RI rats before and after administration of Rg1 in vivo experiments. In vitro experiments showed that Rg1 induced mitochondrial autophagy, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and reduced ROS content thereby inhibiting NLRP3 activation, decreasing secretion of inflammatory factors and RM cell apoptosis by regulating the PTEN induced putative kinase 1(Pink1) /Parkin signaling pathway. In vivo experiments showed that Rg1 induced mitochondrial autophagy, inhibited NLRP3 activation, improved inflammatory response, and reduced apoptosis by regulating the Pink1/Parkin signaling pathway, and Rg1 significantly reduced the area of cerebral infarcts, improved the pathological state of brain tissue, and attenuated the neuronal damage, thus improving cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Our results suggest that ginsenoside Rg1 can ameliorate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by modulating Pink1/ Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy in microglia and inhibiting microglial NLRP3 activation. • Ginsenoside Rg1 significantly improves cerebral hemorrhagic reperfusion injury. • Ginsenoside Rg1 attenuates microglial cell inflammatory response. • Ginsenoside Rg1 reduces mitochondrial autophagy in microglia and inhibits inflammatory vesicle activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-enhanced learning is an irresistible trend in intelligent education. However, most digital pen-based studies focus on handwriting character recognition, writing behavior research are extremely scarce. In this work, we prototype an embedded digital pen aimed at classifying students’ writing behaviors. Utilizing state recognition, feature extraction and optimized k-means modeling method, we present a WSR (Writing State Recognition) algorithm. WSR can classify writing and short-writing indexes. One hundred and eighteen juniors participated in the algorithm validation. Experiment results show that writing behaviors are strongly correlated with the test scores. Our proposed WSR algorithm can help teachers grasp students’ writing status, assess performance and acquaint learning emotions. The digital pen-based assistant application can shed light on personalized teaching and also has great prospects in the future education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]