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3D-printed monolithic catalysts have attracted extensive attention in the petrochemical industry due to significant advantages of excellent circulation, mass and heat transfer efficiency and convenience. However, according to the characteristics of each chemical reaction, there are diversity and difficulty in the design of monolithic catalysts, especially the regulation of catalyst ink, the introduction of active centers and the construction of reaction pores. In this work, we report a preparation of ceramic-based catalysts with direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing technology for ultra-deep oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of diesel. Through a series of rheological analyses of catalyst inks, the effects of ink composition and content on fluidity and viscoelasticity are explored for the forming mechanism of high-quality 3D printed inks. Besides, ionic liquids (ILs) [C 12 Vim] 3 PMo 12 O 40 and mordenite are cleverly introduced into the 3D printed ink for assisted construction of active center and reaction channel in functionalization of the ODS catalyst. The DBT removal of 3D-MoO 3 /BT-MOR can reach 100 % and this monolithic catalyst is easy to be separated from oil. This work is deeply focused on the preparation and molding of catalyst inks to achieve efficient monolithic catalysts that provide an excellent path for many industrial oxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adaptation of students to academic challenges in high school is crucial for academic performance. This study proposes the concept of "learning crafting," a previously under‐researched area, and investigates its associated variables. Methods: Using a diary method, we studied 187 Chinese high school students (64% female; Mage = 15.57) over a 9‐day period. We examined the effect of daily life events on learning crafting, and considered academic emotions as mediators and regulatory focus as moderators. Results: Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that daily positive events were positively correlated with learning crafting at both within‐person and between‐person levels. Positive academic emotions served as mediators of this relationship. Furthermore, promotion focus had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between daily positive events and positive academic emotions. Conversely, daily negative events were only negatively correlated with learning crafting at the between‐person level, and no additional significant relationships were identified. Conclusion: This study elucidated the effect of daily life events on learning crafting, its mediating mechanisms, and conditional factors. These results not only contribute to crafting theory, but also provide theoretical underpinnings for future interventions targeting high school students' learning crafting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using whole barley flour as raw material (without adding wheat flour), barley whole-grain nutritive noodles (QN) was prepared, and the nutrient components and physicochemical properties of QN were compared with those of commercial wheat noodles (WN) and commercial barley noodles (QN-1, QN-2 and QN-3). The results showed that compared with commercial noodles, QN had significantly higher protein and dietary fiber content, and nutritional quality was significantly improved. Compared with WN,the cooking loss of QN-2, QN-3 and QN increased by 74. 97%, 48. 04% and 65. 77%, and the water absorption increased by 2. 19%,23. 61% and 7. 34%; The peak viscosity,attenuation value and recovery value of QN increased, and the hot paste stability decreased, therefore, QN was not suitable for long time processing; ΔH of QN decreased significantly, and starch was more gelatinized,which was related to the decrease in the ordered structure of QN starch; QN had loose internal structure and poor taste. Compared with QN-2 and QN-3, the gluten network density of QN was larger, the structure was more uniform and dense. QN could maintain the hardness and elasticity of noodles in the cooking process. Starch digestibility in vitro of 5 kinds of noodles was WN(77. 50%) >QN-1(72. 81%) >QN-2(72. 66%)>QN-3 (63. 88%)>QN(54. 57%). QN had lower starch digestibility and was more suitable for people with high blood sugar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The associations between hip/knee osteoarthritis (OA) and various psychiatry disorders, as well as the underlying genetic determinants, remain unclear. Methods. Based on the community-based prospective data of UK Biobank, we constructed two matched cohorts to assess the bidirectional associations between OA and five common psychiatry disorders. Then, we further examined the existence of overall genetic association for those disease pairs with demonstrated phenotypic association through polygenic risk score (PRS) prediction using individual-level genotyping data of UK Biobank and LD score regression (LDSC) analysis utilizing publicly available GWAS summary statistics. Last, also based on GWAS summary statistics, we performed enrichment analyses to pinpoint specific genetic determinants that might contribute to the observed overall genetic shares. Results. The phenotypic analyses revealed an elevated risk of hip/knee OA among individuals with any psychiatric disorders, compared to their matched unexposed individuals (hazard ratio HR = 1.62 , 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57-1.68), and vice versa (HR =1.93, 95% CI: 1.83-2.04). We further observed positive associations of knee OA with depression and stress-related disorder in the PRS analyses, which corroborated with the results of LDSC analyses (r for genetic = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.15-0.25) and r for genetic = 0.29 (95% CI: 0.19-0.40), respectively). Using GWAS summary statistics, we identified several shared genes and pathways, particularly the biological process related to HDAC histones, between knee OA and depression/stress-related disorder. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated a bidirectional association between OA and multiple psychiatric disorders, and the findings of shared genetic architectures between knee OA and depression/stress-related disorder provided possible targets for further mechanistic exploration and intervention development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meanwhile, another study showed that AD is more common in patients with severe versus mild AA.[9] Dupilumab is the first biological medicine approved for moderate to severe AD treatment. Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic immune-mediated non-scarring alopecia. In addition, a transcriptomic analysis of AA skin biopsy showed increased gene expression associated with the Th2 immune response, while increased serum interleukin-13 levels were identified.[8] It was found that filaggrin mutations are an important risk factor for AD and related to AA severity. [Extracted from the article]

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 has great potential for use in remediating azo dye pollution. Here, a new high-efficiency biodegradation method was developed utilizing S. oneidensis MR-1 immobilized by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA). After determining the optimal immobilization conditions, the effects of various environmental factors on methyl orange (MO) degradation were analyzed. The biodegradation activity of the immobilized pellets was evaluated by analyzing the MO removal efficiency, and characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy. The MO adsorption kinetics can be described using pseudo-second-order kinetics. Compared with free bacteria, the MO degradation rate of the immobilized S. oneidensis MR-1 increased from 41% to 92.6% after 21 days, suggesting that the immobilized bacteria performed substantially better and had more stable removal rates. These factors indicate the superiority of bacteria entrapment in addition to its easy application. This study demonstrates that the application of immobilized S. oneidensis MR-1 entrapped by PVA–SA can be used to establish a reactor with stable and high MO removal rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of smart wearable microdevices has stimulated the urgent demand for micro‐supercapacitors (MSCs) with multiple form factors, however, several factors like conventional bulky stacked geometries, rigid substrates, and complex manufacturing processes have blocked their path toward practical application. Herein, a microfluidics‐assisted fabrication strategy is demonstrated which utilizes capillary action for precisely customising planar MSCs, showing substrate‐free configuration attributed to the use of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel in both electrolytes and transfer template. Remarkably, the resulting MSCs with highly conductive polymer (PEDOT:PSS)‐based active materials as microelectrodes, exhibit excellent areal capacitance of 21.4 mF cm−2 and noticeable capacitance retention of 88% after 10000 cycles. Furthermore, the substrate‐free MSCs display extraordinary flexibility and remarkable stretchability of 640% strain. Significant serial and parallel integration is demonstrated for boosting voltage and capacitance output, demonstrative of impressive performance uniformity and applicability for different scenarios. Therefore, the exploration of microfluidics‐assisted fabrication is shown to be a reliable strategy for high performance standalone microelectronics with in‐plane configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinin hormones are indispensable for plant growth and development. Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) helps regulate the dynamic balance of endogenous cytokinin levels. However, little is known about the CKX genes of Nicotiana tabacum (NtCKXs). In silico analyses were used to isolate, characterize, and elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of 15 NtCKX genes. Multi-species phylogenetic tree construction placed NtCKX1–15 on five of the eight branches of the CKX phylogenetic tree. Protein structure and network analyses revealed that NtCKX genes located on the same phylogenetic branch generally contained several conserved motifs and have highly similar structures, with structural domains related to flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and cytokinin-binding found on all of the predicted NtCKX-encoded proteins. The upstream promotor region of NtCKX genes contained many abiotic stress-responsive cis-acting elements, including DRE, ERE, MBS, MYB, and MYC. Gene expression analysis revealed that each NtCKX gene responded differently to salt stress and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Four NtCKX genes exhibited ABA-induced expression trends with varying peak times. Under salt stress, NtCKX expression was significantly suppressed in two genes and upregulated in five others. In summary, we provided basic information regarding the CKX gene family of N. tabacum and elucidated their gene expression patterns under abiotic stresses, including ABA treatment and salt stress. The findings of this work can serve as a foundation for future study of the functions of NtCKX genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objective. This study was designed to explore the active compounds and significant pathways of Huaiqihuang Granule (HQHG) for treating immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) using LC-MS/MS analysis, molecular docking, and network pharmacology. Materials and Methods. Compounds of HQHG were scanned by LC-MS/MS, and the target profiles of compounds were identified based on SwissTarget Prediction. ITP target proteins were collected from various databases. Then, KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analyses were performed to explore the signaling pathways related to HQHG for ITP. The PPI and drug-herbs-compounds-targets-pathways network were constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2. Finally, Discovery studio software was used to confirm the key targets and active compounds from HQHG. Results. A total of 187 interacting targets of 19 potentially active compounds in HQHG and 3837 ITP-related targets were collected. Then, 187 intersection targets were obtained. A total of 20 key targets including EGFR, CASP3, TNF, STAT3, and ERBB2 were identified through PPI network analysis. These targets were mainly focused on the biological processes of positive regulation of protein phosphorylation, cellular response to organonitrogen compound, and cellular response to nitrogen compound. 20 possible pathways of HQHG in the treatment of ITP were identified through KEGG enrichment. EGFR, CASP3, TNF, and STAT3 are the four most important target proteins, while adenosine, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin-3β-D-glucoside, rutin, scopoletin, and tianshic acid are the most important active compounds, which were validated by molecular docking simulation. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that HQHG produced relief effects against ITP by regulating multitargets and multipathways with multicompounds. And the combined data provide novel insight of drug developing for ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More information about the impacts of comprehensive pharmaceutical care program (CPCP) on the identification and resolution of drug-related problems (DRPs) is needed. This study aimed at researching the characteristics of DRPs in osteoporosis patients and evaluating the effect of CPCP in identifying and addressing DRPs.Methods: We performed a prospective interventional study in a teaching hospital. CPCP was established and conducted to identify and resolve DRPs by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) based on the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) classification V9.0. Six pharmacists and one doctor worked directly in the study. All data was obtained from electronic medical records, direct observation and visits. The statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS Statistics software version 26.0.Results: Two hundred nineteen patients with osteoporosis were included in the final analysis. A total of 343 DRPs were identified, with an average of 1.57 DRPs per patient. The most common DRPs identified were "treatment safety P2" (66.8%; 229/343), followed by "other P3" (21.0%; 72/343) and "treatment effectiveness, P1" (12.2%; 42/343). The primary causes of DRPs were "dose selection C3" (35.9%; 211/588), followed by "drug use process C6" (28.9%; 170/588) and "drug selection C1" (12.6%; 74/588). Seven hundred eleven interventions were proposed to address the 343 DRPs, with an average of 2.1 interventions per DRP. The acceptance rate reached 95.9, and 91.0% of these accepted interventions were fully implemented. As a result, only 30 DRPs were unsolved before discharge. Additionally, the number of drugs was found to be associated with the number of DRPs significantly (p = 0.023).Conclusion: DRPs frequently occurred in hospitalized osteoporosis patients. CPCP could be an effect option to solve and reduce DRPs for osteoporosis patients and should be implemented widely to increase patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hemodynamics may play an important role in border zone infarct (BZI), but macroscopic and microscopic hemodynamics of BZI still remain unclear. This study aims to investigate arterial flow and tissue perfusion differences between BZI and non-BZI in patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarcts. Methods: Subacute ischemic stroke patients with unilateral infarcts at MCA territory were included. Imaging protocols included 4D flow, ASL (arterial spin labeling), and routine clinical brain MRI scan. A total of 56 patients (56.1 ± 11.9 years, 39 male) were included and divided as BZI (n = 26) and non-BZI (n = 30). BZI was further subdivided as cortical BZI (CBZI, n = 9), internal BZI (IBZI, n = 11), and mixed BZI (n = 6). Average blood flow (Flowavg), regional average cerebral blood flow (CBFavg) were compared between infarct and contralateral sides to test hemodynamic lateralization. Flow-index and CBF-index (infarct sides/contralateral sides) were compared between groups and subgroups. Results: Flowavg and CBFavg showed significant lateralization in both BZI and non-BZI as well as CBZI and IBZI. Flow-index (0.51 ± 0.37 vs. 0.87 ± 0.36, p < 0.01) and CBF-index (0.70 ± 0.21 vs. 0.90 ± 0.19, p < 0.01) were significantly different between BZI and non-BZI but were not significantly different between CBZI and IBZI. Conclusion: In summary, hemodynamic lateralization can occur in subacute stroke patients with BZI and non-BZI and the one that occurs in BZI tends to be more severe in view of arterial flow and tissue perfusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three‐dimensional (3D) Z‐scheme WO3@HCNS hollow nanohybrids with intimate interfacial contacts are constructed by assembling porous WO3 shells on the outer surface of hollow carbon nitride spheres (HCNS). The structure, morphology, optical/electric and electrocatalytic properties of the WO3@HCNS heterostructures are systematically studied, and their photocatalytic performance is evaluated by water oxidation to generate oxygen under visible light (λ>420 nm). The optimal WO3@HCNS composite exhibits a high oxygen evolution rate (OER) of 23 μmol h−1, which is about 20‐fold that of pristine HCNS (OER=1.2 μmol h−1). The superior performance of WO3@HCNS is mainly attributed to the unique Z‐scheme hollow heterostructures with strongly coupled interfaces, which powerfully promotes the separation and migration of charge carriers, and the shuttling of mass transportation. The work may inspire future works on fabrication of nanoscale hollow carbon nitride‐based Z‐schematic heterostructures with tailored shells and tight junctions as high‐efficiency platforms for photocatalytic H2O splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic fracturing is the main technical means for the reservoir stimulation of coalbed methane (CBM) vertical wells. The design of fracturing fluid volume (FFV) is mainly through numerical simulation, and the numerical simulation method does not fully consider the water block damage caused by the leakage of fracturing fluid into the reservoir. In this work, the variance analysis method was used to analyze the production data of 1238 CBM vertical wells in the Fanzhuang block and Zhengzhuang block of the Qinshui Basin, to clarify the relationship between the FFV and the peak gas production (PGP) under the different ratios of critical desorption pressure to reservoir pressure (Rc/r), and to reveal the controlling mechanism of fracturing fluid on CBM migration. The results show that both the FFV and Rc/r have a significant impact on gas production. When Rc/r < 0.5, the PGP decreases with the increase of the FFV, and the FFV that is beneficial to gas production is 200–500 m3. When Rc/r > 0.5, the PGP increases first and then decreases with the increase of FFV. Specifically, the FFV that is favorable for gas production is 500–700 m3. Excessive FFV does not significantly increase the length of fractures due to leaks in the coal reservoir. Instead, it is more likely to invade and stay in smaller pores, causing water block damage and reducing gas production. Reservoirs with high Rc/r have larger displacement pressure, which can effectively overcome the resistance of liquid migration in pores, thereby reducing the damage of the water block. Therefore, different reservoir conditions need to match the appropriate fracturing scale. This study can provide guidance for the optimal design of hydraulic fracturing parameters for CBM wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging evidence have revealed that circRNAs exert important biological effects in the development and progression of various diseases, including cancer. Our study aimed to elaborated the biological effects of hsa-circ_0003570 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development at the molecular level. Results: The results of functional experiments showed that knockdown of circ_0003570 induced HCC cell growth, migration and invasion, whereas overexpression of circ_0003570 presented the opposite effects. In vivo experiments, xenograft tumors grown from circ-overexpressed cells had smaller tumor volume and weight than the control group. Further investigations suggested that circ_0003570 may function as a competing endogenous RNA via competitively binding miR-182-5p and thereby regulating the repression of downstream target gene STARD13, which were demonstrated by dual luciferase reporter assay and functional rescued experiments. Conclusions: Taken together, circ_0003570 suppresses the development of HCC by modulating miR-182-5p/STARD13 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether a genetic predisposition to psychiatric disorders is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unknown.Methods: Our analytic sample consisted of 287,123 white British participants in UK Biobank who were alive on 31 January 2020. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis for each psychiatric disorder (substance misuse, depression, anxiety, psychotic disorder, and stress-related disorders) in a randomly selected half of the study population ("base dataset"). For the other half ("target dataset"), the polygenic risk score (PRS) was calculated as a proxy of individuals' genetic predisposition to a given psychiatric phenotype using discovered genetic variants from the base dataset. Ascertainment of COVID-19 was based on the Public Health England dataset, inpatient hospital data, or death registers in UK Biobank. COVID-19 cases from hospitalization records or death records were considered "severe cases." The association between the PRS for psychiatric disorders and COVID-19 risk was examined using logistic regression. We also repeated PRS analyses based on publicly available GWAS summary statistics.Results: A total of 143,562 participants (including 10,868 COVID-19 cases) were used for PRS analyses. A higher genetic predisposition to psychiatric disorders was associated with an increased risk of any COVID-19 and severe COVID-19. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for any COVID-19 was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.13) and 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.11) among individuals with a high genetic risk (above the upper tertile of the PRS) for substance misuse and depression, respectively, compared with individuals with a low genetic risk (below the lower tertile). Slightly higher ORs were noted for severe COVID-19, and similar result patterns were obtained in analyses based on publicly available GWAS summary statistics.Conclusions: Our findings suggest a potential role of genetic factors in the observed phenotypic association between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19. Our data underscore the need for increased medical surveillance for this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new certified reference material of CCC and 2,4-D in tomato pulp was developed. • The CRM has the same matrix composition as the real sample. • The certified values were assigned by co-laboratory value assignment program. • Homogeneity testing, stability monitoring and uncertainty evaluation were studied. A new matrix certified reference material (CRM) was developed for analysis of chlormequat chloride (CCC) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) residues in tomato pulp. A tomato pulp CRM candidate with the same matrix composition and similar residues concentration level to the real sample was prepared by means of adding drugs. Liquid chromatography tandem isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS) was established to accurately determinate CCC and 2,4-D residues in tomato pulp CRM candidates. The characterization of mass fractions of CCC and 2,4-D in tomato pulp were conducted by 8 laboratories. The certified values for CCC and 2,4-D were assigned to be 4.1 mg/kg and 1.9 mg/kg, with expanded uncertainties of 0.4 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg at a confidence level of 95 % (coverage factor k = 2), respectively. The results of homogeneity testing show that the CRM was homogeneous for CCC and 2,4-D between and within bottles. The stability monitoring results indicated that the CRM could be stable for 14 months at −20 °C storage temperature and for 9 days under 30 °C transportation condition. The developed CRM has been authorized and numbered as GBW(E)100933. It would be conductive to method validation in the residues monitoring of CCC and 2,4-D in fruits and vegetable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The signless Laplacian spectral radius of a graph G , denoted by q (G) , is the largest eigenvalue of its signless Laplacian matrix. In this paper, we investigate extremal signless Laplacian spectral radius for graphs without short cycles or long cycles. Let G (m , g) be the family of graphs on m edges with girth g and H (m , c) be the family of graphs on m edges with circumference c. More precisely, we obtain the unique extremal graph with maximal q (G) in G (m , g) and H (m , c) , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To elucidate the influence of childhood asthma on adult height after consideration of genetic heterogeneity in height.Methods: Based on the UK Biobank, we conducted a matched cohort study, including 13,602 European individuals with asthma diagnosed before 18 years old and 136,008 matched unexposed individuals without such an experience. Ascertainment of asthma was based on self-reported data (97.6%) or clinical diagnosis in healthcare registers (2.4%). We studied three height outcomes, including (1) the attained adult height (in centimeters), (2) the height deviation measured as the difference between a person's rank of genetically determined height (based on generated polygenetic risk score) and their rank of attained adult height in the study population (deviation in % of height order after standardization), and (3) the presence of height deficit comparing genetically determined and attained height (yes or no). We applied linear mixed-effect models to assess the associations of asthma diagnosed at different ages with attained adult height and height deviation, and conditional logistic regression models to estimate the associations of asthma with the risk of height deficit.Results: 40.07% (59,944/149,610) of the study participants were born before 1950, and most of them were men (57.65%). After controlling for multiple covariates, childhood asthma was associated with shorter attained adult height, irrespective of age at asthma diagnosis. However, in the analysis of height deviation (deviation in %), we observed the greatest height deviation among individuals with asthma diagnosed before 4 years of age (- 2.57 [95% CI - 4.14 to - 1.00] and - 2.80 [95% CI - 4.06 to - 1.54] for the age of ≤ 2 and 3-4 years, respectively). The magnitude of height deviation in relation to asthma declined thereafter and became null after age 6. Similarly, there was a statistically significant height deficit in relation to an asthma diagnosis at ages ≤ 2 and 3-4 (odds ratios = 1.21, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.40, and 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.29) but not thereafter. The result pattern was similar when separately analyzing asthma with or without inhaled glucocorticoid (ICS) use, despite that the estimates were consistently stronger among asthma individuals who used ICS.Conclusions: Our results suggest a notable association of childhood asthma, primarily asthma diagnosed at an early age, with adult height, after consideration of genetic heterogeneity in height and use of ICS. This finding highlights the need for surveillance on the growth problems among children with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) utilizing urea hydrolysis to generate ammonia (NH 3) is the most efficient technology to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides (NO x). NH 3 detection is crucial in the closed-loop feedback system for the precise urea injection. In this work, a high-temperature NH 3 sensor using a BaZr 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3-δ (BZY) proton conductor as the electrolyte and a BaCo 0.4 Fe 0.4 Zr 0.1 Y 0.1 O 3-δ (BCFZY) H+/e–/O2– triple conductor as the sensing electrode (SE) is reported. The effect of the micromorphology of the BCFZY SE on the sensing performance is investigated by varying the sintering temperature of SE. The sensor shows high sensitivity to NH 3 with response currents of 0.39, 1.31, 3.03, and 1.81 μA/ppm at 350, 400, 450, and 500 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the sensor shows excellent selectivity and repeatability. This work demonstrates that the BCFZY-based sensor has great potential for the high-temperature NH 3 detection. • BaCo 0.4 Fe 0.4 Zr 0.1 Y 0.1 O 3-δ triple conductor was used as the sensing electrode for ammonia detection. • A novel ammonia sensor was proposed based on the BZY proton electrolyte. • The influence of the morphology of BCFZY on the sensing performance was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance supercapacitors are significant for the practical application of the novel renewable energies. Comparisons suggest that hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) is a fairly promising type for application since it combines high power density and high energy density. In this study, hierarchically porous carbons (HPCs) supported Ni@C nanoparticles (Ni@C/HPCs) were obtained by pyrolyzing the precursors of Ni-based MOF/porous polymers (Ni-MOF/polyHIPEs) which were prepared by high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization followed with solvothermal Ni-MOF growing. The composition and morphology of the Ni@C/HPCs can be controlled by changing the growth time of Ni-MOF. The optimized sample Ni@C/HPC-15 demonstrates a high specific capacity of 215.0 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a high rate performance of 82.3% when the current density increases from 1 A g−1 to 10 A g−1. Furthermore, Ni@C/HPC//HPC HSC was assembled and achieved an energy density of 40.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 747.2 W kg−1. In particular, the assembled HSC exhibited a remarkable initial capacitance retention of 86.3% after 5000 cycles at 6 A g−1. The reported convenient method may provide inspiration in the preparation and optimization of HPC-based electrode materials with satisfactory performances for energy storage. [Display omitted] • Ni@C/HPC nanocomposites are obtained through one-step pyrolysis of the Ni-MOF/polyHIPEs. • Ni-MOF/polyHIPEs are prepared via HIPE polymerization followed with Ni-MOF growth. • The optimized Ni@C/HPC exhibited the highest specific capacity of 215.0 C g−1 at 1 A g−1. • The assembled hybrid supercapacitor possessed an appreciable energy density and an excellent cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulation of ferroelectric polarization and associated domain is at the heart of ferroelectric‐based applications. Polarization switching is typically achieved by a static or pulsed electric field, which however suffers from limitations associated with the requirement of circuitry access and the sluggish switching time. To circumvent abovementioned challenges, significant effort has been devoted to optical control of ferroelectric polarization, which can provide tremendous potential to develop ferroelectric devices with more freedom and to extend transient operation down to picosecond time scale. In this review, both the phenomena and the mechanism of optical control over polarization and associated domain evolution are explored in various kinds of ferroelectrics, including oxide perovskites, van der Waals ferroelectrics, and ferroelectric heterostructures, etc. All‐optical fabrication of 3D nonlinear photonic crystals based on femtosecond laser‐induced ferroelectric domain inversion is presented. In particular, some intriguing examples of terahertz field‐induced polarization reversal and paraelectric‐to‐ferroelectric phase transition are highlighted. The review concludes with a brief summary of the related branches, and discusses the challenges as well as the potential directions of this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let ρ ⁎ (s , t) be the largest real root of the quadratic equation: (x − s + 2) (x − t + 1) − (n − s + 1) (s − 1) = 0 and F s , t (n) : = K s − 1 ∨ (p K t + K q) , where 2 ≤ s ≤ t , n − s + 1 = p t + q and 0 ≤ q < t. Nikiforov in 2017 showed that the spectral radius ρ (G) satisfies ρ (G) ≤ ρ ⁎ (2 , t) for any K 2 , t -minor free graph G of order n large enough, with equality if and only if G ≅ F 2 , t (n). Tait in 2019 extended Nikiforov's result as follows: for 2 ≤ s ≤ t , if G is a K s , t -minor free graph G of order n large enough, then ρ (G) ≤ ρ ⁎ (s , t) , with equality if and only if G ≅ F s , t (n). Note that when t does not divide n − s + 1 , the equalities above are impossible. Tait proposed the following conjecture: If G is a K s , t -minor free graph of order n large enough, then ρ (G) ≤ ρ (F s , t (n)) , with equality if and only if G ≅ F s , t (n). The previous results due to Nikiforov showed that the conjecture holds for s + t ≤ 5. In this paper, we confirm the conjecture for s + t = 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N1‐methyladenosine (m1A), is a unique methyl group that confers post‐transcriptional modification of gene expression, and plays important roles in various human diseases. However, the abundance of this modification and its effects on long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in human colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing was performed in three pairs of human CRC and nontumorous tissues to identify m1A peaks and its correlation with differential alterations of lncRNA expression in CRC. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment pathway analyses were applied to predict the potential roles of m1A on gene expression. We found that CRC and adjacent tissues had a noticeable difference in m1A distribution. Notably, HGGAGRA and WGGANGA were recognized as the most significantly enriched motifs, respectively. Co‐analysis of methylation and RNA sequencing demonstrated downregulated lncRNAs along with m1A modification in CRC. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the unique distribution of m1A sites in lncRNAs had a significant correlation with CRC signaling pathways. In conclusion, our results delineated the distribution pattern of m1A methylation on lncRNAs, and provided potential roles of this modification in different pathways and tumor progression of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave heating is a novel and promising method to remove mortar that adheres to aggregates in recycled concrete. A systematic experiment was carried out to evaluate the heating results of mortar-aggregate composite materials after microwave heating with different power and irradiation times. It was revealed that the surface temperature and heating rates of the mortar and aggregate linearly increased with the irradiation time and powers level. After microwave treatment, macrocracks generated along the mortar–aggregate interface and penetrated the mortar matrix until the mortar broke. Moreover, based on the push-out tests, it was found that the interface bond strength of mortar-aggregate after microwave treatment was much lower than that of the untreated specimens. The influence of the temperature difference on the residual bond strength is also discussed in this study. The parametric study confirmed that the bonding strength between mortar and aggregate after microwave heating is reduced. This experimental investigation could provide a basis and reference for microwave-assisted concrete recycling for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-derived exosomes have been recognized as promising biomarkers for early-stage cancer diagnosis, tumor prognosis monitoring and individual medical treatment. However, it is a huge challenge to separate exosomes from trace biological samples in clinics for disease diagnosis. Herein, we propose a simple, quick, and label-free method for isolating circulating exosomes from serum of patients. The strategy synergistically integrates chitosan electrostatic-adsorption, micro-patterned substrates, and microfluidic shuttle flow control to enable the capture/release of circulating exosomes in a simple manner. Using this microchip, we can isolate exosomes from trace samples (10 μl) with relative purity over 90% and high RNA recovery ratio over 84% within 15 minutes, which is impossible for traditional ultracentrifugation methods. We then validate the application of the microchip using 24 serum samples from clinical breast cancer and breast fibroma patients. The isolated exosomes are subjected to miRNA sequencing and RT-PCR, followed by pathway prediction analysis. The results showed that exosomes were relevant to the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells and hsa-miR-18a-3p might have the potential to become a new biomarker for distinguishing breast cancer from breast fibroma (AUC = 0.83, P value = 0.019). This established method is simple, quick and easy to operate with integration. And it may pave a new way for clinical research on exosomes and tumor relevant diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scatter‐hoarding rodents play important roles in plant regeneration and species coexistence in many forest ecosystems. Cache pilferage, the behavior of rodents seeking or relocating seeds cached by other individuals, is ubiquitous during the scatter‐hoarding process. The effects of canopy openness on cache pilferage have received considerable attention, most of which have focused on the comparison between full canopy cover and completely open areas, such as forest gaps. However, little attention has been given to whether the subtle variation in forest canopy openness affects cache pilferage, although subtle variation in light environments exists in many forests, especially tropical and subtropical forests, where the overall canopy is large and the forest window is relatively small. Here, we directly tested these questions by simulating 400 artificial caches, each containing one seed from four selected tree species, in a subtropical forest in southwestern China. The overall canopy openness of the forest was relatively small (with a mean value of 11.1%), but subtle spatial variation still existed (ranging from 5.7% to 19.5%). Overall, caches with lower canopy openness were more likely to be pilfered and removed faster, although not all species showed the same pattern. Our study highlights that subtle variation in forest canopy openness, even in a closed primary forest, has significant effects on cache pilferage by rodents, which may influence the following seed germination and forest regeneration processes. Additionally, seedling species composition may further be altered because the canopy effects on cache pilferage are species‐specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Upconverted luminescence can be modulated in an in-situ and reversible manner. • The maximal modulated rate of the as-prepared NBN:Er reaches up to 83.7%. • Lanthanide-doped ferroelectrics NBN:Er enables triple-mode temperature sensing. Developing smart luminescent materials with desirable and tunable characteristics has always been an overriding priority of fluorescence technology. However, huge challenges encompass the single functionality of the luminescent materials and the traditional chemical synthetic techniques with rigorously controlling over the miscellaneous experimental conditions and variables. Herein, the lanthanide-doped bismuth-layered ferroelectric (Na 0.5 Bi 0.5) 0.96 Er 0.04 Bi 2 Nb 2 O 9.02 has been prepared to be utilized as a platform that not only serves the in-situ and reversible tailoring of the upconverted emission via physical methods, but also enable the versatile functionalities such as photomemory and multi-modal temperature sensing. High luminescent contrast that can reach up to 83.7 % before and after the 405 nm irradiation has been realized on the basis of the photochromic phenomenon of the as-prepared (Na 0.5 Bi 0.5) 0.96 Er 0.04 Bi 2 Nb 2 O 9.02 sample, and the fundamental application in the photomemory has been exhibited. Moreover, the performances of triple-mode thermometry built on the fluorescent intensity ratio techniques (2H 11/2 /4S 3/2 and 4S 3/2 /4F 9/2) as well as the lifetime of the 4S 3/2 excited state of the Er3+ ion have been investigated in carefulness, with the maximal relative sensitivities of 1.22 % K−1 at 300 K, 0.92 % K−1 at 510 K, and 0.18 % K−1 at 450 K, respectively. Our results provide significant insights into the methodology of physically modulating the upconversion luminescence, and offer a glamorous pathway for multifunctional high-end applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium is a critical strategic metal for world economy development and is used in various fields, such as daily life, aviation, medicine, chemical industry, etc. Crown ethers can adsorb Li+ from a mixed ionic solution based on the size matching effect and synergistic effects of functional groups. The selective adsorption properties with Li+, Na+, Mg2+ and the interaction between crown ethers and metal ions were analyzed to guide the design of crown ethers with high selectivity for Li+. The geometric structural characteristics of 1,8-dihydroxyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylbenzo-14-crown-4 (CE) and complexes with Li+, Na+, and Mg2+ metal ions were investigated using density functional theory modeling (DFT) at the M062X/def2SVP, def2TZVP level. The nature and strength of the interactions were analyzed by atoms in molecules (AIM) topological analysis and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) energy decomposition analysis. The results showed that the interaction strength of CE with metal ions followed the order: CE-Mg2+ > CE-Li+ > CE-Na+. The interaction energies can be separated into four kinds: electrostatics, exchange, induction, and dispersion. The stability of these complexes was mainly driven by electrostatics and induction. According to the analysis results of reduced density gradient (RDG), the metal ions mainly interacted with the oxygen atoms on the ring and did not interact with the hydroxyl groups directly. CE was synthesized and the extraction rates of Mg2+ and Li+ were better than that of Na+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA methylation has emerged as a fundamental process in epigenetic regulation. Accumulating evidences indicate that RNA methylation is essential for many biological functions, and its dysregulation is associated with human cancer progression, particularly in gastrointestinal cancers. RNA methylation has a variety of biological properties, including N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 2-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C) and 7-methyl guanosine (m7G). Dynamic and reversible methylation on RNA is mediated by RNA modifying proteins called "writers" (methyltransferases) and "erasers" (demethylases). "Readers" (modified RNA binding proteins) recognize and bind to RNA methylation sites, which influence the splicing, stability or translation of modified RNAs. Herein, we summarize the biological functions and mechanisms of these well-known RNA methylations, especially focusing on the roles of m6A in gastrointestinal cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional simplified model only restricts the bending buckling around the minor axis and overall torsional buckling, which is not suitable for external sandwiched cold-formed steel composite walls. Moreover, a solution to stud–track connections must be achieved in establishing the overall structure model. In this article, a simplified calculation model is proposed to accurately and efficiently reveal the fire performance of cold-formed steel composite walls. A tension spring is adopted to simulate the boundary condition that limits the axial thermal expansion of the studs at elevated temperature. Meanwhile, the simplified applications of the panel constraints and stud–track connections are also given in details. Finite element analysis using the developed simplified calculation model is conducted to simulate five full-scale cold-formed steel composite walls with different configurations. Comparisons between the finite element analysis and fire test results show an overall agreement on the failure modes, cold flange temperatures and lateral deflections at mid-height of the studs. These results demonstrate that the developed simplified calculation model is able to simulate the fire performance and predict the lateral deflection of the external sandwiched cold-formed steel composite walls accurately. Finally, the key factors affecting the lateral deflection of the studs are analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions between crown ether ligands (14-crown-4, 14C4; 4,4,5,5-tetramethylbenzo-14-crown-4, BC4H12-14C4; 4,4,5,5,9,9,10,10-octamethyl-14-crown-4, C8H24-14C4; dibenzo-14-crown ether-4, DB14C4) and alkaline and alkaline earth metal ions (Li+, Na+, Mg2+) were investigated using density functional theory modeling at the M062X/def2SVP and def2TZVP level. The condensed softness analysis of crown ethers, a condensed Fukui function, a condensed dual descriptor, and frontier molecular orbital theory were used to analyze the reactivities of the complexes. The complex stability was analyzed in terms of the binding energies, standard Gibbs free energy of formation, and energy decomposition of the interaction in aqueous solution. The results show that the active sites were mainly located at the carbon atoms of the benzene ring and oxygen atoms. The reactivities of DB14C4 and BC4H12-14C4 are higher than those of 14C4 and C8H24-14C4. The electrostatic interaction is the principal factor determining the stability of the complexes. The complexes containing Li+ has the greatest stability in aqueous solution among the complexes containing Li+, Na+, and Mg2+. BC4H12-14C4 shows selective adsorption toward Li+ in a mixed solution of Li+, Na+, and Mg2+. To evaluate the stability of complexes containing Mg2+, the solvent effect must be accurately described. An energy decomposition analysis was used to evaluate the stability of complexes containing Li+, Na+, and Mg2+, and the solvent effects were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dispersal and subsequent recruitment dynamics play a crucially important role in regulating species coexistence and structuring tree diversity in diverse forests. Wildlife, which can dually shape the tree recruitment process by simultaneously functioning as natural enemies and seed dispersers, are undergoing widespread changes in population and behaviour due to the detrimental effects of expanding global road networks. However, the impact of these changes on recruitment dynamics through the alteration of seed dispersal processes remains understudied.Here, we assessed how roads affect animal‐mediated recruitment dynamics from the seed to adult stages of trees using a ubiquitous vertebrate‐seed model: rodents and acorns. To quantify the degree to which proximity to a road alters seed dispersal and regulates subsequent recruitment dynamics, we conducted seed dispersal and predation experiments, and investigated the natural recruitment of a dominant tree species (Quercus aliena) from September 2009 to July 2012 in a subtropical forest of central China.Roads caused a decreased seed dispersal distance and increasing larder hoarding, demonstrating a weakened contribution of rodents to seed dispersal services. These patterns were stronger in the masting year than in the non‐masting year. Correspondingly, seedlings, saplings and adult trees had higher densities near roads than far from roads. Near roads, recruit transition rates (i.e. seedling‐to‐sapling and sapling‐to‐juvenile) were low, and the influential strength of conspecific adult density was weakened over these recruit transitions, indicating that space limitation and lottery competition, not conspecific negative density‐dependent effects, approximately determined the near‐road recruitment process. Furthermore, most adults near roads were young, and their ages matched the road ages.Synthesis. Roads diminished animal‐mediated seed dispersal services and disrupted subsequent recruitment dynamics in Quercus aliena populations, thus weakening the key process promoting diversity in forest ecosystems. Given that these animal‐regulated roles in recruitment dynamics are widespread stabilizing forces for tree coexistence, our findings suggest that the ubiquity of roads and their continued expansion will contribute to the increase in forests dominated by a relatively low number of species. Consequently, the growing expansion of road networks will ultimately cause profound changes in community composition and structure across diverse forests worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-derived circulating exosomes have been recognized as a promising biomarker source for cancer diagnosis via a less invasive procedure. The integration of isolation and detection of exosomes in routine clinical settings is still challenging. In this study, we developed a new microfluidic device for immunomagnetic separation and detection of blood exosomes in situ. The microfluidic device may empower the integration of target exosome analysis via high surface to volume ratios of immunomagnetic beads and highly precise fluid control with the aid of microvalves. The obtained microfluidic device was capable of on-chip isolation and detection of circulating exosomes within 1.5 h. The captured exosomes could be directly visualized with an inverted fluorescence microscope in situ by tetramethylbenzidine-based colorimetric sensing. It was revealed that a statistically significant increase (p < 0.01) in EpCAM-positive exosomes was captured for cancer patients (n = 10) on the device when compared to healthy individuals (n = 10). The device also demonstrated high predicting accuracy for tumor exosomal markers with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of >95% using receiver operating characteristic curves. The microfluidic device might provide a new platform to assist cancer diagnosis and molecular classification in an automated and simple fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal bipolar plates are prone to corrosion in the acid environment of fuel cells. It is necessary to deposit protective films with excellent corrosion resistance on the surface of metal bipolar plates. In this study, LaB 6 -doped carbon films with strong corrosion resistance were deposited on 316L stainless steel by magnetron sputtering ion plating using graphite composite targets with different contents of LaB 6. The effects of bias voltage and content adjusting on the corrosion resistance of obtained films were investigated. The results show that doping LaB 6 is benefit to adjust the structure and improve the corrosion resistance of a-C matrix. The carbon film with moderate LaB 6 doping possesses compact structure with no columnar defects and exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, providing good protection for 316L stainless steel bipolar plates. • LaB 6 can emit abundant energetic particles, which give higher energy to the plasma during magnetron sputtering process and thus suppress the growth of columnar structure in a-C matrix. • Doping LaB 6 is benefit to promote the graphitization of carbon films and increase the content of sp2-C in a-C matrix. • The most compact structure with no columnar defects is observed for the La-5-100 film, which inhibit the corrosion solution invading into substrates and provide good protection. • The corrosion current density of La-5 films is less than 1 µA·cm-2, and the lowest value can reach 0.33 µA·cm-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1) plays a pivotal role in inducing metabolic inflammation in diabetes. Additionally, the NOD1 ligand disrupts the equilibrium of bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, a process that has immense significance in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). We hypothesized that NOD1 depletion impedes the advancement of DR by resolving bone marrow dysfunction. Methods: We generated NOD1−/−-Akita double-mutant mice and chimeric mice with hematopoietic-specific NOD1 depletion to study the role of NOD1 in the bone marrow–retina axis. Results: Elevated circulating NOD1 activators were observed in Akita mice after 6 months of diabetes. NOD1 depletion partially restored diabetes-induced structural changes and retinal electrical responses in NOD1−/−-Akita mice. Loss of NOD1 significantly ameliorated the progression of diabetic retinal vascular degeneration, as determined by acellular capillary quantification. The preventive effect of NOD1 depletion on DR is linked to bone marrow phenotype alterations, including a restored HSC pool and a shift in hematopoiesis toward myelopoiesis. We also generated chimeric mice with hematopoietic-specific NOD1 ablation, and the results further indicated that NOD1 had a protective effect against DR. Mechanistically, loss of hematopoietic NOD1 resulted in reduced bone marrow-derived macrophage infiltration and decreased CXCL1 and CXCL2 secretion within the retina, subsequently leading to diminished neutrophil chemoattraction and NETosis. Conclusions: The results of our study unveil, for the first time, the critical role of NOD1 as a trigger for a hematopoietic imbalance toward myelopoiesis and local retinal inflammation, culminating in DR progression. Targeting NOD1 in bone marrow may be a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although transition metal hydroxides/sulfides are considered as promising potential electrode materials for supercapacitors due to their excellent electrochemical activity, the low electrical conductivity, easy agglomeration of nanomaterials and poor rate performance seriously hinder their practical applications. Herein, we construct 3D interconnected binder-free electrode NiCo 2 S 4 /bio-carbon coated nickel foam (NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF) by growing NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheets on the surface of low-cost and highly conductive GRCNF substrate via a simple hydrothermal reaction followed with subsequent sulfidation. As suggested by systematic characterizations, the advantages of obtained NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF include that the ultrathin 3D interconnected network of NiCo 2 S 4 can furnish massive electrochemically active sites for faradic reaction, and the highly conductive GRCNF substrate promotes electron transfer and meanwhile prevents the aggregation of NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheets. With a high specific capacitance of 7.71 F cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2, NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF has a huge application advantage over the contrast samples Ni-Co LDH/NF (3.29 F cm−2) and Ni-Co LDH/GRCNF (5.97 F cm−2). In addition, NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF shows a much higher rate performance (82.1%) than Ni-Co LDH/NF (44.5%) and Ni-Co LDH/GRCNF (66.4%). Furthermore, hybrid supercapacitor NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF//GNPC which is assembled with NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF as the anode possesses an impressive energy density of 0.429 mWh cm−2 at a power density of 7.023 mW cm−2 and good cycling stability (82.3% over 5000 cycles). The outstanding electrochemical performance of NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF suggests that the reported strategy provides new inspiration for the design and preparation of new binder-free composite electrodes for electrochemical energy storage. [Display omitted] • 3D interconnected NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF composites were synthesized for binder-free electrode materials. • Glutinous rice flour contains more amylopectin which can provide higher stickiness during gelatinization. • The GRC biomass carbon layer on the surface of NF enhances the electrical conductivity of the skeleton. • NiCo 2 S 4 /GRCNF exhibits excellent specific capacitance of 7.71 F cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Okinawa Trough (OT) is characterized by high heat flow anomalies up to 10,000 mW/m2 (especially in the middle area), which is rarely seen in heat flow research all over the world. The genesis of the high heat flow anomaly is probably related to mantle upwelling. However, the deep genesis is yet to be studied. We used heat flow values collected from the Global Heat Flow Database to calibrate the locations of high heat flow anomalies. Gravity data were used to calculate the residual geoid and interlayer geoid anomalies, which can help in characterizing the morphology of mantle upwelling beneath the OT. Earthquake hypocenter distribution maps were presented to show the position of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the OT. According to P-wave tomography profile and previous research, we discussed the deep genesis of the high heat flow anomaly and proposed a preliminary model to explain the process. We suggest that the deep mantle upwelling, probably from a depth of −1200 km, enters the upper mantle through the front of the subducted Pacific plate. The deep mantle upwelling converges with the molten mantle flow caused by the fluid from the dehydration of the Pacific Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate. Two mantle upwelling branches were revealed to feed the southern OT (SOT) and Changbai Volcano, and the mantle upwelling under the middle OT (MOT) was the second branch from the mantle upwelling branch under the SOT. The MOT should be more influenced by mantle upwelling from deep sources with extremely high temperatures. • Deep mantle upwelling enters the upper mantle through the front of the subducted Pacific plate. • Two mantle upwelling branches from deep source were revealed to feed the Okinawa Trough and Changbai Volcano. • The genesis of the high heat flow anomaly in the middle Okinawa Trough is probably related to deep mantle upwelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the pathogenic microorganisms that cause serious production and economic losses for the agricultural industry are members of the genus Xanthomonas. The main bacterial pathogen causing walnut black spot is Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj). Members of the genus Xanthomonas produce a yellow pigment called xanthomonadin, which is membrane-bound and protects the bacteria against photobiological and peroxidative damage. Here, we report the characterization of a gene named XajfabG3 (a homologous gene of fabG3 in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris), demonstrating that it is responsible for xanthomonadin synthesis. Expression of XajfabG3 in Escherichia coli fabG temperature-sensitive mutant CL104 restored the growth of CL104 under nonpermissive temperature, although Xaj FabG3 had a lower activity than Xaj FabG1 or FabG from Escherichia coli. In vitro assays demonstrated that Xaj FabG3 could reduce 3-oxoacyl-acyl carrier proteins (-ACPs) of fatty acid synthesis reactions and showed that although deletion of XajfabG3 did not affect bacterial growth and fatty acid composition, xanthomonadin production was abolished in a XajfabG3 -deficient strain. Xanthomonadin production could be restored only by wild-type fabG3 and not by XajfabG1 , another 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase-encoding gene in Xaj , indicating that Xaj FabG3 specifically participates in the biosynthesis of xanthomonadin. Moreover, our study showed that the XajfabG3 knockout mutant affected virulence in the host Juglans regia L. Our elucidation of the biological function of the fabG3 gene in Xaj provides a target for the development of prevention and treatment agents for walnut blight. • Importance: The study investigates a 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase (OAR) homolog (FabG3) in Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj). FabG3 participates in the biosynthesis of xanthomonadin specifically, and the deletion of fabG3 attenuated virulence. The research will provide evidence for the pathogenesis of X. arboricola pv. juglandis. It may also provide a new target for the development of prevention and treatment agents for walnut bacterial blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variant strains of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) severely threaten the pig industry worldwide and cause up to 100% mortality in suckling piglets. It is critically important and urgent to develop tools for detection of PEDV infection. In this study, we developed six monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting N protein of PEDV and analyzed their applications on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), western blot assay, and flow cytometry assay. The results demonstrated that all these six mAbs were IgG1 isotype and κ chain. Among these six mAbs, 3F12 recognizes a linear epitope (VAAVKDALKSLGI) while the other five mAbs recognize different conformational epitopes formed by a specific peptide fragment or the full length of N protein. The functional analysis showed that all these six mAbs were applicable to ELISA, western blot, IFA, and flow cytometry assay. In conclusion, we developed six mAbs against PEDV-N protein to facilitate the early detection of PEDV infection using ELISA, western blot, IFA, and flow cytometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the impact of motherwort injection alone or combined with oxytocin for preventing postpartum hemorrhage in pregnant women with caesarean section. Methods: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized trials were performed. PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese database Sino‐Med, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database, WanFang, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared motherwort injection alone or motherwort injection combined with oxytocin in pregnant women receiving cesarean section were included. Paired reviewers independently screened abstracts and full texts for eligibility, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We performed random‐effects meta‐analyses of RCTs along with a limited number of prespecified subgroup hypotheses, and sensitivity analyses were carried out with other statistical approaches. Results: Forty‐six RCTs (n = 7359) proved eligible. Compared with oxytocin, both motherwort injection and motherwort injection combined with oxytocin had a significantly lower blood loss within 2 hours (MD = −21.81, 95% CI −37.05 to −6.58 and MD = −53.04, 95% CI −61.68 to −44.39); lower blood loss within 24 hours (MD = −25.44, 95% CI −39.38 to −11.51 and MD = −67.81, 95% CI −78.02 to −57.60); and lower the risk of adverse events (ORPeto 0.40, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.96 and ORPeto 0.50, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.71). Motherwort injection combined with oxytocin also decreased the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.35.) Conclusions: In pregnant women with cesarean section, motherwort injection suggests an obvious benefit and less adverse event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Road developments have pervasive effects on seed dispersal and plant recruitment. • Seed (nut) dispersal effectiveness was greater nearer the road. • Consequently, high densities of trees and regeneration occurred closer to roads. • Contrary to these benefits, nut dispersal distances were shorter closer to roads. • Ever-expanding effect of roads may cause profound changes in plant communities. Abstract Currently, 43% of the world's terrestrial surface is within five kilometres of a road, and therefore understanding how road networks impact species and ecosystem processes is highly relevant to applied conservation ecology. Among various effects on wildlife, roads can disrupt the interaction between plants and their animal-mediated seed dispersers, compromising plant community composition and regeneration. Here, using the Chinese beech (Fagus engleriana) nut-rodent system, we quantified the extent to which rodent functions on seed dispersal were modified in habitats adjacent to roads. Compared to transects 200 m from the road, we observed approximately nine times greater seed dispersal effectiveness at transects 10 m proximity to the road and six times greater at 100 m from the road. Associated with this, high densities of seedlings, saplings and mature trees occurred closer to the road, suggesting that the road effect zone may facilitate plant recruitment. However, road proximity resulted in shorter nut dispersal distances, which did not support a benefit to plant recruitment. These counteractive effects may be caused by modified rodent behaviour in the vicinity of the road, and also by effects on rodent distribution and activity in relation to road-side habitat structure and environmental pressure. Crucially, no tagged seeds were dispersed across the road, implying that it imposed a barrier effect on animal-mediated seed dispersal and plant recruitment. We conclude that the ever-expanding effect of roads on zoochorous seed dispersal may ultimately cause profound changes in the structure of plant communities across diverse ecosystems, on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimension growth of metal halides is important for its properties and applications. However, such dimension control of the metal halides is rarely reported in the literature and the growth mechanism is not clear yet. A minute difference of solvent properties can tremendously alter the process of nucleation and growth of crystals. Herein, an intriguing phenomenon of dimension tuning for Ag‐based metal halides is reported. The 1D Cs2AgCl3 crystals can be obtained in pure DMF while the 2D CsAgCl2 crystals are obtained in pure DMSO. Both exhibit bright yellow emission, which are derived from self‐trapping excitons (STEs). The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of Cs2AgCl3 (1D) and CsAgCl2 (2D) are 28.46 % and 20.61 %, respectively. In order to understand the mechanism of the dimension change, additional solvents (N,N‐dimethylacetamide, DMAC, 1,3‐Dimethyl‐Tetrahydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐one, DMPU) are also selected to process the precursor for crystal growth. By comparing the functional group, dielectric constant, and donor number among the four solvents, we find the donor number plays the predominant role in nucleation process for Cs2AgCl3 and CsAgCl2. This research reveals the relationship between coordination ability of the solvent and the dimension of metal halides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen generation efficiency and stability of the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting relate closely to the crystallinity and the interface structure of the photoanodes. Here we demonstrated a feasible strategy for improving the cystallinity and interface quality of the ZnO/CdS nanoheterojunction arrays (NHAs) via CdCl 2 -assisting post-treatment. CdCl 2 treatment was found to promote the recrystallization and densification of the CdS shell layer, the formation of the Zn x Cd 1-x S intermediate layer between ZnO and CdS, and the creation of an intermediate band (IB) in the forbidden band of CdS due to the high-density Cl S states. Meanwhile, the annealing temperature was also lowered from 550 °C to 430 °C with the assistance of CdCl 2 treatment. These improvements facilitate the seperation and transport of the photogenerated carriers and extends the light absorption range, resulting in extremely enhanced photocatalytic current and stability. Consequently, the photocatalytic currency reaches to 22 mA cm −2 under the 100 mW cm −2 illumination with the xenon lamp (λ > 420 nm), which is nearly two times larger than that annealed solely at 550 °C but without CdCl 2 treatment. The photocatalytic current remains 92% of the initial value after 20-h photocatalytic test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strains of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BAL) are the most commonly added probiotic strains in infant formulas on the Chinese market. In this study, four genotyping methods, 16S rRNA sequencing, multilocus sequence typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and single nucleotide polymorphism-insertion deletion polymorphism were used to determine the 30 isolates from 20 commercial products at the species and strain levels. A combination of the label analysis, quantification and identification results showed that the label claims from the 20 samples had an overall accuracy of 80%. This study was the first to use molecular techniques to identify bifidobacteria strains in probiotic infant formulas on the Chinese market. The results demonstrated that the combination of genotyping methods can effectively identify commonly used commercial BAL strains with similar genetic backgrounds and highlight the importance of accurate strain identification by manufacturers to ensure product legitimacy and to avoid potential health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-capacitor (SC) activated-carbon (AC) carbon-nanotubes (CNTs) (SC-AC-CNTs) is a kind of AC-based composite material and it combines the advantages of carbon nanotubes and activated carbon, including a series of peculiar properties such as low charge transmission resistance, super large specific area and excellent power characteristic. In this study, SC-AC-CNTs are first used to modify the carbon cloth (CC) anodes of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and compared with that of SC-AC and CC. The measurements show that the specific surface area is increased from 219.519 m 2 g −1 to 283.643 m 2 g −1 after modification. The new anode is assembled in a urine-powered MFC (UMFC) to test its effectiveness. It is found that the amount of microorganisms attached on the new anode is much larger than that on the blank anode in UMFC. The maximum power densities of the UMFC assembled with SC-AC-CNTs and SC-AC modified anodes are 899.52 mW m −2 and 555.10 mW m −2 , which are 2.9 and 1.8 times of that of the blank UMFC, respectively. The tests also shows that the UMFC with SC-AC-CNTs-modified anode creates a much longer duration of 105 h at high-voltage plateau in a single cycle that is about 2–3 times of the other two groups. These findings demonstrate that these two double layer capacitor materials can effectively boost overall MFC performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel four-step tandem procedure was developed for efficient synthesis of 3,5-diaroyl-4-arylpyrazoles by simply stirring the mixture of 1,3-diarylpropane-1,3-diketones, TsN 3 , aqueous MeNH 2 and Na 2 CO 3 in DMF at 85 °C for 3 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Domain Name System (DNS) is an essential component of the functionality of the Internet. With the growing number of domain names and Internet users, the growing rate and number of visit quantity and analytic capacity of DNS are also proportional to the Internet users' size. This study (based on the analysis of access popularity and the distribution of massive DNS log data) aims to optimize the configuration of the DNS sites, which has become an important problem. The ArcGIS software is used to show the temporal and spatial distributions of visit source of DNS logs. This study also analyzes the influence of different sites and the dependence on DNS service in different regions of the world. This information is important to further decision-making on new DNS site selection. This article proposes new DNS site selection solutions, using particle swarm and multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithms for one new site and multiple sites, respectively. The results from particle swarm optimization, genetic, and simulated annealing algorithms were compared and experimental results confirmed the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed methods. The proposed methods could also be extended to solve other layout related issues, such as onsite facility layout and road network optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel tandem synthesis of β-keto enol ethers was developed via the reaction of α-diazoketones, 1,3-diketones and THF catalyzed by cheap and available CuI under extremely simple conditions. During the course of the reaction, the ring-opened THF and diazocarbonyl derived carbene simultaneously inserted into O-H of 1,3-diketones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is correlated with sleep quality. A common tool for evaluating dietary and lifestyle exposures to oxidative stress is the Oxidative Balance Score (OBS), with higher OBS suggesting more substantial antioxidant exposures. The relationship between OBS and sleep quality is unclear. Investigating the association between OBS and sleep quality was the purpose of this study. To figure out the relationship between OBS and sleep quality, we utilized weighted linear models and weighted logistic regression. Adjusted models were also examined. 6300 participants who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2014 were recruited. OBS was negatively associated with sleep disorder (OR: 0.97; 95 % CI: 0.94–0.99), and positively associated with sleep duration (MD: 0.02; 95%CI: 0.01–0.03). Within the range of OBS > 24, each unit increase in OBS will result in a 40 % reduction in sleep disorder, and a 26 % increasement in sleep duration after adjustment (all P for trend <0.05). Dietary and lifestyle components were closely related to sleep quality independently. The relationship between OBS and sleep quality was prominent in the female population under 50 years of age. After stratification by education level, this relationship persisted. This research was cross-sectional design, and it was not possible to deduce causality. Diet and lifestyle might influence sleep quality by modulating oxidative balance. Antioxidant diets and lifestyles were important in reducing sleep problems and our study also provided new ideas for improving sleep quality. • Oxidative/antioxidant factors of diet and lifestyle influence the sleep quality. • Oxidative balance score is strongly associated with sleep quality. • The higher the oxidative balance score, the fewer sleep problems. • Adopting an antioxidant diet and lifestyle contributes to better sleep in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]