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Abstract: Electro-optic (E-O) materials containing methacrylate-co-(methacrylate)propyl(triethoxy)silicane and chromophore FVB were prepared via sol-gel approach. The chromophore FVB was synthesized using microwave-assisted method. The cross-linkable E-O material exhibited excellent film quality, thermal stability and good E-O activity. The highest E-O coefficient value (r 33 ) 39.8pm/V and improved E-O stability was obtained in the copolymer with higher crosslink degree. The E-O stability was much better than other guest-host polymers at room temperature. The results of the E-O coefficients and thermal properties indicated that this kind of copolymer could not only effectively improve the stability but also increase the r 33 values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although the relationship between workplace fun and employee performance is well-documented, research on the link between workplace fun and voice behavior is still in a nascent stage. Integrating workplace fun, leader–member exchange (LMX), and voice behavior theories, in the current research we examined LMX as a mediator of the link between workplace fun and voice behavior. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 307 subordinates and 82 supervisors employed by eight Chinese companies, and used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results show that workplace fun was related both directly and indirectly (via LMX) to employees' voice behavior. Our findings offer insight into the mechanistic processes through which workplace fun affects employees' voice behavior, and suggest that to promote employees' voice behavior, a fun work environment and high-quality LMX relationship should be established in organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering, a traditional machine learning method, plays a significant role in data analysis. Most clustering algorithms depend on a predetermined exact number of clusters, whereas, in practice, clusters are usually unpredictable. Although the Elbow method is one of the most commonly used methods to discriminate the optimal cluster number, the discriminant of the number of clusters depends on the manual identification of the elbow points on the visualization curve. Thus, experienced analysts cannot clearly identify the elbow point from the plotted curve when the plotted curve is fairly smooth. To solve this problem, a new elbow point discriminant method is proposed to yield a statistical metric that estimates an optimal cluster number when clustering on a dataset. First, the average degree of distortion obtained by the Elbow method is normalized to the range of 0 to 10. Second, the normalized results are used to calculate the cosine of intersection angles between elbow points. Third, this calculated cosine of intersection angles and the arccosine theorem are used to compute the intersection angles between elbow points. Finally, the index of the above-computed minimal intersection angles between elbow points is used as the estimated potential optimal cluster number. The experimental results based on simulated datasets and a well-known public dataset (Iris Dataset) demonstrated that the estimated optimal cluster number obtained by our newly proposed method is better than the widely used Silhouette method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-memory big data computing, widely used in hot areas such as deep learning and artificial intelligence, can meet the demands of ultra-low latency service and real-time data analysis. However, existing in-memory computing frameworks usually use memory in an aggressive way. Memory space is quickly exhausted and leads to great performance degradation or even task failure. On the other hand, the increasing volumes of raw data and intermediate data introduce huge memory demands, which further deteriorate the short of memory. To release the pressure on memory, those in-memory frameworks provide various storage schemes options for caching data, which determines where and how data is cached. But their storage scheme selection mechanisms are simple and insufficient, always manually set by users. Besides, those coarse-grained data storage mechanisms cannot satisfy memory access patterns of each computing unit which works on only part of the data. In this paper, we proposed a novel task-aware fine-grained storage scheme auto-selection mechanism. It automatically determines the storage scheme for caching each data block, which is the smallest unit during computing. The caching decision is made by considering the future tasks, real-time resource utilization, and storage costs, including block creation costs, I/O costs, and serialization costs under each storage scenario. The experiments show that our proposed mechanism, compared with the default storage setting, can offer great performance improvement, especially in memory-constrained circumstances it can be as much as 78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophore using benzo[b]furan moiety and trifluoromethyl-substituted tricyanofuran as the electron donor and acceptor respectively was designed and prepared. The structure of the novel chromophore was determined by NMR spectra, and the photophysical properties were studied via UV-vis spectra. The thermal decomposition temperature (T d)value of the obtained NLO chromophore reached to 212 °C, which endow the chromophore with good thermal stability during the materials processing. The nonlinearity of the chromophore was evaluated through theoretical calculation and electro-optic (EO) activity test, and the highest EO coefficient (r 33) was determined to 28 pm/V at the loading density of 25 wt% in polymethyl methacrylate. • Novel benzofuran-based nonlinear optical chromophore was designed and synthesized. • The acceptor was unexpected linked to the β -position of furan in the chromophore. • The present chromophore exhibited go0d thermal stability (T d reached to 212 °C). • The maximum EO coefficient of the reported chromophore reached to 28 p.m./V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Novel nonlinear optical chromophores JC-TCF and JC-FTCF using tetramethyljulolidine-based coumarin as the electron-donor and tricyanofuran derivatives as the electron acceptors were designed, synthesized and investigated. The obtained chromophores own good solubility in common solvents, and good compatibility with host polymers. The chromophores also have good thermal stability, and the decomposition temperature exceed 200 °C. The UV–vis spectra indicated that JC-TCF and JC-FTCF possess good intramolecular charge transfer ability. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to study the energy gap and first-order hyperpolarizability(β). After contact poling, the guest-host polymer films of polymethyl methacrylate containing 20% wt JC-TCF and 20% wt JC-FTCF exhibited the highest electro-optic coefficient (r 33) up to 40 p.m./V and 76 p.m./V respectively, and the results indicated the chromophores' microscopic β value could be effectively translated to macroscopic EO activity, and the tetramethyljulolidine-based coumarin could be an useful candidate in the development of NLO materials. Highlights • Julolidine-based coumarin was used as electron-donor in design of NLO materials. • The coumarin's good electron-donation ability obviously enhanced the NLO properties. • The obtained materials exhibited better EO activity compared to the FTC chromophores. • The maximum EO activity of reported NLO chromophores reached to 76 p.m./V. • Coumarin could be an useful candidate in the development of NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the high-pressure and high-temperature (HP-HT) synthesis of pure monoclinic phase of GdNbO 4 :Bi 3+ phosphors. X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and IR spectra were utilized to characterize the synthesized phosphors. The crystal structure distortions operated by the pressure leads to tunable emission varying from blue to yellow. A small increase of the probability of non-radiative energy transfer with increase of pressure is observed. It is shown that the efficiency of the energy transfer process is dependent on pressure. The calculations of CIE chromaticity coordinates were performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel nonlinear optical polymer based on poly(aryl ether ketone) was designed and prepared. Such kind of materials showed excellent water solubility and thermal properties, its onset decomposition temperature can reach 314 °C; glass transition temperature can reach 170 °C. Though the nonlinear optical coefficients (d 33 ) is not very large at 1310 nm, just about 13.9 pm/V; such kind of materials show us a low absorption spectral window at red and infrared light area (wavelength longer than 650 nm). Under the laser of 1310 nm, the morphology of the poled films can be detected by second harmonic generation (SHG) scanning microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel bichromophores YL1 and YL2 based on traditional aniline chromophore YL were synthesized by Cu(I) catalyzed click-reaction and systematically investigated in this paper. The UV–Vis, electrochemical property, thermal stability and EO activity of these chromophores were systematically studied and discussed. These two bichromophores showed good thermal stability. Then nonlinear optical polymer films were fabricated by doping chromophores into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The doped films containing bichromophores YL1 and YL2 showed r 33 values of 20 and 17 p.m./V at concentration of 25 wt% at 1310 nm. These values were respectively 2.85 times and 2.43 times of the EO activity of chromophore YL (7 p.m./V). High r 33 values indicated that the new structure of bichromophores YL1 and YL2 can reduce intermolecular electrostatic interactions, thus enhancing macroscopic EO activity. These properties suggested the potential use of the new bichromophores in nonlinear optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germanates have potential applications in electroluminescent fields. Herein, we report a simple strategy for the rapid synthesis of near-infrared (NIR) down-conversion Zn 1.96-x GeO 4+1/2x :Mn 0.04 Yb x phosphors using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. This method is facile, rapid, surfactant-free and environmentally friendly. In the Zn 2 GeO 4 lattice, intrinsic defect transitions and Mn 2+ ions act as broadband spectral sensitizers by absorbing UV– Vis (280–500 nm) photons and transferring the absorbed energy to Yb 3+ centers in a cooperative down-conversion process. Efficient energy transfer is reflected by a sharp decrease in the excited state lifetime and green photoluminescence (PL) from tetrahedrally coordinated Mn 2+ with increasing Yb 3+ concentration. The possible formation mechanism for Zn 1.96-x GeO 4+1/2x :Mn 0.04 Yb x nanorods has been presented. PL spectroscopic characterizations show that pure Zn 2 GeO 4 sample shows a blue emission due to defects, while Zn 2 GeO 4 :Mn 2+ phosphors exhibit a green emission corresponding to the characteristic transition of Mn 2+ ( 4 T 1 → 6 A 1 ) under the excitation of UV. The Yb 3+ acceptor is then the source of NIR emission at a wavelength of ∼1000 nm. These phosphors are promising for applications in solar spectral down-conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of high performance chromophores P1 P3, based on N -(4-dibutylaminophenyl) tetrahydroquinolinyl or julolidinyl donors, and phenyl-trifluoromethyl-tricyanofuran acceptors linked together via π-conjugation through thiophene or vinylene moieties as the bridges, have been designed and synthesized. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to calculate the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps and first-order hyperpolarizability (β) of these chromophores. Chromophores P1 and P3 had good thermal stabilities with glass transition temperature higher than 110 °C. Most importantly, the high molecular hyperpolarizability of these chromophores can be effectively translated into large electro-optic (EO) coefficients (r 33 ) in poled polymers with rational chromophore designs. In electro-optic activities, the poled films of P1/APC, P2/APC and P3/APC afforded r 33 values of 223, 283 and 278 pmV −1 , respectively, at 1310 nm at the doping concentration of 25 wt%, which showed significant enhancement over the similar EO polymer systems previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of highly efficient nonlinear optical chromophores A1-C1 and A2-C2 based on the julolidinyl donors and tricyanofuran or phenyl-trifluoromethyl-tricyanofuran acceptors (CF 3 -Ph-TCF) linked together via π-conjugation through thiophene or pyrrole or tetraene moieties as the bridges, have been synthesized and investigated. The ultraviolet absorption, solvatochromic, thermal stabilities and electro-optic activities of these chromophores were systematically studied to illustrate structure-performance relationships within the six chromophores. All the chromophores exhibited good thermal stabilities with the decomposition temperatures (T d ) higher than 200 °C. Appropriate combination of the π-conjugated bridge, electron-donor and electron-acceptor as well as the isolated group in the chromophores plays an important role in achieving larger electro-optic activities. Exemplified by the chromophore A2 with CF 3 -Ph-TCF acceptor, it gave a very large r 33 value of 223 pmV −1 at 1310 nm at the doping concentration of 25 wt%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts In this work, a series of novel second order nonlinear optical chromophores modified by heteroatom-groups in electron-donor has been synthesized and systematically investigated. The resulting nonlinear optical chromophores exhibited both good thermal stability and good solubility in common organic solvents. UV–Vis spectra and density functional theory calculations were carried out to investigate the influence of heteroatom-groups on the electro-optic activities. The results revealed that increasing the electron-donor strength will not always improve the nonlinear optical activity of chromophore. There is a best match for electron-donor and acceptor. As to electro-optic activities, the doped polymer film- d3 displayed the highest electro-optic coefficient value of 37 pm/v at the doping concentration of 25 wt%. These results indicated that the nonlinear optical activities could be enhanced by finding the best match for electron-donor and acceptor in chromophore design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel crosslinkable organic linear electro-optical (EO) material based on polyarylene ether as the main chain host polymer was designed and prepared. The host polymer with rigid aromatic has demonstrated a good compatibility with the guest chromophore. Long side chain with anthracene ensured the crosslinkable reaction and appropriate glass transition temperature of the host polymer (55 °C). The EO r 33 tensor coefficient for this novel EO material has been magnitude of 66 pm/V at 1310 nm and the excellent long term stability at 85 °C. These parameters permit to consider their application in fabrication of organic electro optical devices. The semi-empirical and DFT quantum chemical simulations were performed for 4 principal chromophores to clarify a role of cross-linker in the enhancement of the ground state dipole moments and effective hyperpolarizabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel chromophore based on N -(4-dibutylaminophenyl)tetrahydroquinolinyl donor group was synthesized to compare with traditional chromophores based on either diethylaminophenyl or triarylaminophenyl donor groups. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that the new chromophore had a much smaller energy gap than the structurally related chromophores. Density functional theory calculations suggested that the molecular quadratic hyperpolarizability (μβ) value of tetrahydroquinolinyl chromophore is 65% and 110% larger than that of either the diethylaminophenyl or triarylaminophenyl chromophores, respectively. The doped film containing the tetrahydroquinolinyl chromophore showed an r 33 value of 126 pm/V at the concentration of 25 wt% which is much higher than the electro-optic activity of the diethylaminophenyl derived chromophore (39 pm/V) and six times higher than that of the traditional triarylaminophenyl chromophore (19 pm/V). The tetrahydroquinolinyl chromophore possesses much higher thermal stability (with its onset decomposition temperature above 280 °C) than those of commonly used alkyl chromophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three novel nonlinear optical chromophores based on the same bis( N,N -diethyl)aniline donor have been synthesized and systematically characterized. These chromophores showed good thermal stability and chromophore y1 showed the best thermal stability of 249 °C. Besides, compared with the chromophore (y1) without the substituted group, chromophores y2 and y3 show better intramolecular charge-transfer absorption. Most importantly, the high molecular hyperpolarizability of these chromophores can be effectively translated into large electro-optic coefficients. The electro-optic coefficient of poled films containing 25% wt of chromophores y1–y3 doped in amorphous polycarbonate afforded values of 149, 138 and 157 pm/V at 1310 nm for chromophores y1–y3 respectively. These results indicated that the double donors of bis( N,N -diethyl)aniline unit can efficiently improve the electron-donating ability and the special structure can reduce intermolecular electrostatic interactions, thus enhancing the macroscopic electro-optic activity. These properties, together with good solubility, suggest the potential use of these chromophores as advanced materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonconventional luminophores without long conjugated structures have received increasing attention due to their outstanding biocompatibility, easy preparation, environmental friendliness, and potential applications in sensing and imaging. The phenomena of aggregation emission, such as concentration-enhanced emission, aggregation-induced emission, excitation-dependent luminescence, and prevailing phosphorescence, are caused by molecular conformation and molecular packing. Herein, we briefly review the traditional luminophores represented by fused aromatic rings, and introduce the revolutionary concept of aggregation induced emission (AIE) in non-traditional luminescence and its applications in optics, biology, and other fields. The concept of the AIE can be applied to understand this phenomena in the field of non-traditional luminescence, in which non-aromatic systems contain electron-releasing and withdrawing parts, such as amine, amide, nitrile, imine, hydroxyl, carbonyl, etc. Moreover, we also address two mechanisms of cluster triggered emission (CTE) and crosslink-enhanced emission (CEE). Based on the reviewed data, we can conclude that the electron overlap caused by aggregation and through-space conjugation (TSC) have a profound impact on unconventional luminescence. We believe that this review would serve as a useful guide to design and application of unconventional luminophores, while the current challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. • The article introduced the revolutionary concept of aggregation induced emission (AIE) in non-traditional luminescence and its applications in optics, biology, and other fields. • Two mechanisms of cluster triggered emission (CTE) and crosslink-enhanced emission (CEE) were discussed in the field of non-aromatic luminescence systems. • In general, the three theories (AIE, CTE, CEE) are attributed to intramolecular motion restriction (RIM), electron overlap caused by aggregation and through-space conjugation (TSC). • We believe that this review would serve as a useful guide to design and application of unconventional luminophores, while the current challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of second-order nonlinear optical chromophores containing an identical π-bridge and electron acceptor but different, aromatic amine electron-donating groups have been synthesized and systematically investigated. The donors studied here include traditional donors carbazole, triphenylamine and N , N -diethylaniline and novel donor phenothiazine, phenoxazine and N -(4-methoxyphenyl)phenoxazine. The ultraviolet absorption, solvatochromic, redox properties, density functional theory calculations, thermal stabilities and electro-optic activities of these chromophores were systematically studied to compare the strength of the donors and illustrate the structure–performance relationships within six chromophores. The results show that the new donors have stronger electron-donating ability than traditional donors. Moreover, they show reduced energy gap, much larger molecular quadratic hyperpolarizability (μβ) and r 33 value. Exemplified by the N -(4-methoxyphenyl)phenoxazine chromophore, it showed nearly three times higher μβ and more than four times higher r 33 value than that of the N -hexylcarbazole containing chromophore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel chromophores based on the phenoxazine (chromophore L1) or phenothiazine (chromophore L2) donor, and tricyanofuran acceptors linked together via thiophene as the bridges have been synthesized and systematically investigated. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that chromophore L1 had smaller energy gap than chromophore L2 due to the stronger electron-donating ability. Moreover, Density functional theory calculations suggested that the β value of chromophore L1 is 17% larger than that of chromophore L2. The doped film containing the chromophore L1 showed an r 33 value of 49 pm/V at the concentration of 25 wt% which is two times higher than the EO activity of the chromophore L2 (23 pm/V) and the traditional aryl chromophore (10–20 pm/V). High r 33 value, high thermal stability (onset decomposition temperatures higher than 220 °C) suggests the potential use of the new chromophore in nonlinear optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of novel second-order nonlinear optical chromophores containing additional heteroatoms in donor moieties has been synthesized and systematically characterized. The resulting nonlinear optical chromophores exhibited both good thermal stability (the decomposition temperature in the range of 249 °C–275 °C) and good solubility in common organic solvents such as chloroform, acetone and N, N-dimethyl formamide. In order to investigate the influence of additional heteroatom on the electro-optic activities, UV–Vis spectra and density functional theory calculations were carried out. The results revealed that the donor derived from m-phenylenediamine had higher electron density compared with other three donors. As to electro-optic activities, the doped polymer film-C displayed the highest electro-optic coefficient value of 31 pm/v at the doping concentration of 20 wt%. All these results indicated that the nonlinear optical activities could be enhanced by introducing suitable additional heteroatoms into donor moiety. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two series of novel electro-optic (EO) polycarbonates incorporating two kinds of tricyanopyrroline-based nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores were designed and synthesized. These new polycarbonates were prepared through the facile copolymerization of diol NLO chromophores and bisphenol A bis(chloroformate), and the successful preparations were demonstrated by 1H NMR and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. These polycarbonates possessed good thermal stabilities and also showed higher glass transition temperatures (T g) in the range of 156–165 °C. After corona poling, the EO coefficients (r 33) of two poled polycarbonates films were up to 52 pm/V (PC-DTCPC-Ph-2) and 46 pm/V (PC-DTCPC-FPh-2) at the wavelength of 1310 nm. The higher T gs endow the polycarbonates' poled films with good temporal stability of poling-induced dipole alignment, and the resulting poled films of PC-DTCPC-Ph-2 and PC-DTCPC-FPh-2 could retain 95% and 93% of the initial EO activities at 85 °C for more than 500 h respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proven that both recombination and band gap difference are the key issues responsible for V oc enhancement, and a wide band gap inorganic hole-transporting material (HTM) is more favorable for efficient perovskite solar cells. Herein, we employed the wide band gap CuGaS 2 (CGS) quantum dots (QDs) as HTM. And such quantum dots were used in novel solar cells based on perovskite materials though the method of cation substitution. Through substitution of indium element with gallium element, band gap of the QDs was changed greatly (from 1.56 eV to 2.29 eV). The processes of charge transfer and the alignment of band level were studied in details and the result indicates that the increase of conduction band level for CGS with wide band gap led to a dramatic increase in V oc. And the cell efficiency was finally improved from 10.46% to 12.78%. • Wide band gap CuGaS 2 quantum dots was used as hole-transporting material. • Novel perovskite solar cells were prepared based on such hole-transporting material • The V oc was greatly improved, and the cell efficiency was finally improved from 10.46% to 12.78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anlotinib has strong antiangiogenic effects and leads to vessel normalization. However, the "window period" characteristic in regulating vessel normalization by anlotinib cannot fully explain the long-term survival benefits achieved through combining it with other drugs. In this study, through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and label-free quantitative proteomics analysis, we discovered that anlotinib regulated the expression of components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to a significant reduction in ECM stiffness. Our bioinformatic analysis revealed a potential positive relationship between the ECM pathway and gefitinib resistance, poor treatment outcomes for programmed death 1 (PD-1) targeting, and unfavourable prognosis following chemotherapy in lung cancer patients. We administered anlotinib in combination with these antitumour drugs and visualized their distribution using fluorescent labelling in various tumour types. Notably, our results demonstrated that anlotinib prolonged the retention time and distribution of antitumour drugs at the tumour site. Moreover, the combination therapy induced notable loosening of the tumour tissue structure. This reduction was associated with decreased interstitial fluid pressure and tumour solid pressure. Additionally, we observed that anlotinib effectively suppressed the Ras homologue family member A (RhoA)/Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) signalling pathway. These findings suggest that, in addition to its antiangiogenic and vessel normalization effects, anlotinib can increase the distribution and retention of antitumour drugs in tumours by modulating ECM expression and physical properties through the RhoA/ROCK signalling pathway. These valuable insights contribute to the development of combination therapies aimed at improving tumour targeting in cancer treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Graphical Abstract, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6C are created using Figdraw (www.figdraw.com)., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

This study delves into the interplay between learning motivation, organizational performance, and the innovative climate within Chinese firms. It is a subject of frequent discussion in literature but there is little concrete evidence supporting this viewpoint within the context of small and medium size enterprises in China. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of existing literature and empirical data gathered, this research aims to uncover the connections between employee learning motivation and its impact on the organizational dynamics in the context of Chinese firms. A cross sectional survey is used to collect the data of 115 Chinese firms and structural equation modelling (SEM) is used for empirical analysis. The results show that success of firms in terms of innovation is significantly influenced by organizational learning motivation. Moreover, innovative environment of the firms increases the overall performance of the organizations. It is also found that factors affecting the innovations have a significant impact on organizational performance. The findings of the study suggest that firms should develop organizational learning motivation to boost their innovation capability and overall performance. This study offers insights and recommendations for organizations and policymakers seeking to harness the potential of learning motivation to drive sustainable growth, competitiveness, and innovation in Chinese firms., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Bemisia tabaci is distributed globally and incurs considerable economic and ecological costs as an agricultural pest and viral vector. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae has been known for its insecticidal activity, but its impacts on whiteflies are understudied. We investigated how infection with the semi-persistently transmitted Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) affects whitefly susceptibility to M. anisopliae exposure. We discovered that viruliferous whiteflies exhibited increased mortality when fungus infection was present compared to non-viruliferous insects. High throughput 16S rRNA sequencing also revealed significant alterations of the whitefly bacterial microbiome diversity and structure due to both CCYV and fungal presence. Specifically, the obligate symbiont Portiera decreased in relative abundance in viruliferous whiteflies exposed to M. anisopliae . Facultative Hamiltonella and Rickettsia symbionts exhibited variability across groups but dominated in fungus-treated non-viruliferous whiteflies. Our results illuminate triangular interplay between pest insects, their pathogens, and symbionts-dynamics which can inform integrated management strategies leveraging biopesticides This work underscores the promise of M. anisopliae for sustainable whitefly control while laying the groundwork for elucidating mechanisms behind microbe-mediated shifts in vector competence.

Objective: Opioid-sparing anesthesia reduces intraoperative use of opioids and postoperative adverse reactions. The current study investigated the effect of esketamine-based opioid-sparing anesthesia on total laparoscopic hysterectomy patients' recovery., Methods: Ninety patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy were randomly assigned to esketamine-based group (group K) or opioid-based group (group C). The allocation to groups was unknown to patients, surgeons, and postoperative medical staff. The inability to implement blinding for anesthesiologists was due to the distinct procedures followed by the various groups while administering drugs. The QoR-40 and VAS were used to measure recovery quality. Postoperative adverse events, perioperative opioid consumption, and intraoperative hemodynamics were secondary endpoints., Results: There was an absence of notable discrepancy in the baseline data observed between the two groups. The QoR-40 scores exhibited greater values in group K when compared to group C on the first day following the surgical procedure (160.91 ± 9.11 vs 151.47 ± 8.35, respectively; mean difference 9.44 [95 %CI: 5.78-13.11]; P < 0.01). Within 24 h of surgery, the VAS score of group K was lower at rest and during movement. (P < 0.05 for each). Group K had much lower rates of nausea and vomiting within 24 h of surgery. (P < 0.05 for each). Group K received significantly lower total doses of sufentanil and remifentanil than group C. (17.28 ± 2.59 vs 43.43 ± 3.52; 0.51 ± 0.15 vs 1.24 ± 0.24). The proportion of patients who used ephedrine in surgery was higher in group C than in group K (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Esketamine-based opioid-sparing anesthesia strategy is feasible and enhanced recuperation following surgery by decreasing adverse effects associated with opioids and pain scores compared to an opioid-based anesthetic regimen., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Typical small organic dyes exhibit excellent UV absorption capabilities and are commonly used as additives to shield plastic films from photoaging. However, their tendency to decompose easily and migrate rapidly within a polymer matrix limits their service life. Herein we prepared g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets and fabricated g-C 3 N 4 /PBAT films to investigate the effects of g-C 3 N 4 on UV shielding and plasticizing of a biodegradable PBAT film. Photophysical characterizations revealed that an improved UV light barrier performance was achieved on g-C 3 N 4 /PBAT films compared to pure PBAT. Furthermore, the photoaging results show that g-C 3 N 4 can stably exist in the PBAT matrix, enabling the aged g-C 3 N 4 /PBAT films to maintain their effective UV shielding ability, whereas the aged benzophenone (UV-0)/PBAT film shows a substantial decrease in UV light absorption due to the photodecomposition of UV-0. Additionally, g-C 3 N 4 acted as a reinforcing material for PBAT, as evidenced by the approximately 1.5-fold increase in longitudinal tear strength and 1.6-fold increase in tensile strength of g-C 3 N 4 /PBAT films compared to pure PBAT. Remarkably, even after 100 hours of photoaging, the aged g-C 3 N 4 /PBAT films retained their favorable mechanical properties. This study highlights the potential of g-C 3 N 4 as a new type of UV shield additive for future practical applications in protecting biodegradable plastic from photoaging., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Nonspecific adsorption has always been a critical challenge for sensor detection; thus, an efficient and facile approach for fabricating antifouling sensors is highly desirable. Here, we developed an antifouling coating on sensor surfaces, conveniently made with a simple drip of phase-transited BSA (PTB) followed by a modification with a peanut allergen antibody, which unexpectedly provides synergistic antifouling properties in sensors. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the surface evenness. Optimizations in terms of PTB modification time and concentrations were performed using surface plasmon resonance by measuring protein resistance capabilities. Compared to bare Au surfaces, the PTB-modified surfaces exhibited low adsorption against BSA (<10 ng/cm 2 ) and good resistance against lysozyme (Lyz). After immobilizing antibodies, the antifouling performance of the sensor coatings had an obvious enhancement, with almost no BSA adsorption and low lysozyme adsorption. The target recognition was also analyzed to verify the good sensing performance of the antifouling sensor. This understanding of antibody synergy provides suggestions for the development of antifouling sensors.

In this study, the effect of chickpea dietary fiber (CDF) concentration (0%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%, 1.6%, and 2.0%) on emulsion gel properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) was investigated. It was found that the emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsifying stability index (ESI) of MP increased with the increasing content of CDF. Moreover, the water- and fat-binding capacity (WFB), gel strength, storage modulus (G'), and loss modulus (G") of MP emulsion gel also increased with increasing content of CDF. When the concentration of CDF was 2%, the most significant improvement was observed for EAI, breaking force, and WFB ( p < 0.05); the three-dimensional gel network structure of the MP emulsion gel was denser and the pore diameter was smaller. The T 21 relaxation time of emulsion gel decreased while the PT 21 increased significantly with the increasing content of CDF, suggesting that the emulsion gel with CDF had a better three-dimension network. The addition of CDF led to an increased content of β -sheet and reactive sulfhydryl and increased surface hydrophobicity of MP, thus improving the gel properties of the MP emulsion gel. In conclusion, the addition of CDF improved the functional properties and facilitated the gelation of the MP emulsion, indicating that CDF has the potential to improve the quality of emulsified meat products.

Objective: Bilirubin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, but the association between bilirubin and stroke remains contentious. A meta-analysis of extensive observational studies on the relationship was conducted., Methods: Studies published before August 2022 were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies that examined the association between circulating bilirubin and stroke were included. The primary outcome included the incidence of stroke and bilirubin quantitative expression level between stroke and control, and the secondary outcome was stroke severity. All pooled outcome measures were determined using random-effects models. The meta-analysis, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were performed using Stata 17., Results: A total of 17 studies were included. Patients with stroke had a lower total bilirubin level (mean difference = -1.33 μmol/L, 95% CI: -2.12 to -0.53, P < 0.001). Compared with the lowest bilirubin level, total odds ratio (OR) of the highest bilirubin for the occurrence of stroke was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.61-0.82) and ischemic stroke was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.57-0.91), especially in cohort studies with accepted heterogeneity ( I 2 = 0). Serum total and direct bilirubin levels were significantly and positively associated with stroke severity. A stratified analysis based on gender showed that the total bilirubin level in males correlated with ischemic stroke or stroke, which was not noted in females., Conclusion: While our findings suggest associations between bilirubin levels and stroke risk, existing evidence is insufficient to establish a definitive association. Better-designed prospective cohort studies should further clarify pertinent questions (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022374893)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Wang, Chen, Liu, Ye, Wang and Li.)

Biodegradable mulches (BDMs) are considered promising alternative green materials to achieve the substitution of polythene (PE) films to reduce plastic pollution. However, whether the BDMs are sufficiently effective to promote cotton production as PE film is a controversial topic. In this study, laboratory determination and field experiments were conducted with one pure Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) film (BDM), two commercial PBAT-based films (BDM1 and BDM2), and one PE film to (ⅰ) compare the degradation behavior, morphology, and property changes during field application, and (ⅱ) reveal their effects on biomass accumulation and cotton yield. Degradation behavior, degradation rate, structure, thermal stability, crystallinity, and molecular weight changes of the films before and after mulching were investigated and characterized. Water vapor transmission rate and mechanical properties of the films and the effects these on soil temperature, crop growth, and cotton yield were discussed. Results show that the three PBAT-based mulch films gradually degraded during mulching. The molecular weight, thermal stability, and crystallinity of BDM1 and BDM2 decreased. Interestingly, BDM showed the opposite characteristics, but the degradation degree was greatest at harvest. PE film showed no significant changes in its microscopic appearance, thermal performance, or properties. These PBAT-based films were positively correlated with the complete coverage period of the films. In-depth studies focused on BDMs with a longer mulching period must be developed to promote the substitution of BDMs into PE to reduce the residual mulch pollution in cotton fields.

Listeria monocytogenes ( L. monocytogenes ) is one of the most lethal pathogenic bacteria. Although the traditional microbial culture method has high sensitivity and selectivity for the diagnosis of L. monocytogenes , it is time-consuming and not suitable for on-site detection. A rapid, convenient and visualized on-site detection method is particularly needed. In this work, Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 was prepared for both magnetic separation and lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the detection of L. monocytogenes by taking advantage of the easy separation of the magnetic core Fe 3 O 4 and the high surface area of the outer layer UiO-66-NH 2 . Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 with a high surface area and good water-dispersibility and optical properties was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process. It could directly adsorb on the surface of target bacteria and form Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 -bacteria conjugates, without the labeling of an antibody. After magnetic separation and concentration, the Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 -bacteria conjugates were detected by the antibody on the test line of the LFIA strip, resulting in a visible orange band. The capture efficiency and LFIA detection of Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 were optimized in this study. Under the optimal conditions, a good linear correlation between the test line intensity and the concentration of L. monocytogenes was obtained in the range of 10 5 -10 8 CFU mL -1 , and the limit of detection was 2.2 × 10 6 CFU mL -1 by the naked eye. The Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 -based LFIA strip showed strong specificity for L. monocytogenes , and the detection took 45 min without culture enrichment. Therefore, the proposed Fe 3 O 4 @UiO-66-NH 2 -based strip showed the advantages of simple synthesis, being label-free, low cost, good selectivity and convenience.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the major foodborne pathogens, which may cause serious food safety problems and illnesses in humans and animals. Consequently, sensitive, fast and reliable detection methods, as well as effective sample preparation methods are in great demand. In this study, a magnetic separation method based on a aptamer functionalized positively-charged magnetic beads (Fe 3 O 4 @aptamer) was established and a fluorescent test strip sensor was constructed for the rapid, sensitive and specific detection of Listeria monocytogenes . Benefiting from the dual recognition and signal amplification process of Fe 3 O 4 @aptamer enrichment and the polymerase chain reaction of the hly gene, the fluorescent strip sensor for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes was determined to be reliable and sensitive, with a linear curve obtained in the range of 1.0 × 10 2 to 1.9 × 10 8 CFU mL -1 , and a detection limit of 1.0 × 10 2 CFU mL -1 . The detection was achieved in 3 h without culture enrichment. Furthermore, the developed method was successfully applied for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in pork tenderloin, with the recoveries ranging from 91.1% to 97.1%, and a coefficient of variation of less than 23.4%, revealing the feasible and reliable application of this method in practical samples. The proposed fluorescent strip sensor is rapid, sensitive and specific, giving it great application prospects for use in the field of pathogenic bacterium detection.

Main-chain nonlinear optical polymers based on novel chromophores with special structures presented good solubility in most of the organic solvents. Polymers PE-1 and PE-2 attained the thermal decomposition temperatures of 305 and 223 °C and glass transition temperatures of 113 and 108 °C, and exhibited only negligible decay in the SHG signal baked at 85 °C over hundreds of hours, respectively. The SHG coefficients of poled films from polymers PE-1 and PE-2 were 26.3 and 35.8 pm/V, respectively. These results indicated that this class of polymers can be used in the preparation of organic electro-optic devices.