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Understanding the relationship between morphology and charge transport capability in organic thin films is vital for advancements in organic electronics. However, accurately predicting charge mobility in these films is challenging due to the extensive evaluations of transfer integral required. To address this challenge, transfer learning techniques are employed to develop machine learning models capable of efficiently and accurately calculating transfer integrals in organic thin films with grain boundaries and polymorphs. Through machine learning‐assisted multiscale simulations of charge transport, the impact of solution shearing conditions is investigated on the morphology and mobility of organic thin films. The findings reveal that shearing‐induced molecular orientation and pre‐aggregation have a significant influence on film morphology, and a moderate shearing speed combined with a suitable solvent promotes the formation of extended transport networks, leading to higher mobility. The utilization of transfer learning‐accelerated simulation techniques opens up new possibilities for exploring the relationship between solution‐processing conditions, morphology, and charge transport properties of organic thin films. This research provides valuable insights that can be applied to optimize solution‐processing techniques in organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Insufficient withdrawal duration of antithrombotics leads to excessive bleeding after major surgery. We hypothesize that intraoperative hemoadsorption (HA) can reduce postoperative allogeneic transfusion requirements and excessive bleeding events (EBE), without an increase in ischemic/thromboembolic events (ITE) in patients who have taken antithrombotics and undergone nonelective cardiac surgery. Methods: A total of 460 patients admitted to our hospital from 2018 to 2022 were included in this study and divided into two groups: HA and non-HA. Because of the risk of bias due to differences in antithrombotic type, withdrawal duration, or basic coagulation function, propensity score matching was used for analyses. Results: Out of 154 cases in the HA group, 144 pairs were successfully matched. No HA safety events such as hemolysis, hypotension, or device failure occurred. After matching, the two groups were found to be comparable in preoperative antithrombotic type, withdrawal duration, platelets and coagulation function, and demographic and perioperative characteristics. Although the HA group did not have a reduced incidence of EBE, this group exhibited significant decreases in the transfusion rate and volume, the incidence of ITE, acute kidney injury, and central nervous system injury. Conclusions: For patients who have undergone nonelective cardiac surgery and taken antithrombotics, HA can simply and safely rebalance the postoperative coagulation system and have associations with reduced transfusion and postoperative ITE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, our direct numerical simulations [Duan et al., Phys. Fluids 36, 033112 (2024)] showed that fluid elasticity affects the extension length and pinch-off time of the droplet formation process, thus changing the flow pattern. However, the effect of fluid elasticity on the morphology and properties of polymeric droplets is not yet fully understood. In this work, by analyzing the stretched state of the polymer macromolecule and the velocity distribution of the flow process, we find that the increase in fluid elasticity (characterized by the relaxation time) inhibits the contraction of the dispersed phase during droplet pinching and resists the effect of surface tension after droplet generation, which significantly affects the droplet geometry, volume, and generation frequency. The results demonstrate that the length and volume of polymeric droplets increase with the relaxation time of the polymer fluid, while the generation frequency decreases. Meanwhile, the effects of polymer viscosity and the superficial velocity ratio of the continuous to the dispersed phase on the droplets' morphology are investigated. The semi-empirical models for the length, volume, and generation frequency of polymeric droplets are developed for the first time by considering the elastic interaction. The purpose of our work is to provide a better understanding and experimental guidance for controlling the parameters of polymeric droplets with viscoelasticity of different shapes and sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term high-fat diet (HFD) can cause myocardial lipotoxicity, which is characterized pathologically by myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, and remodeling and clinically by cardiac dysfunction and heart failure in patients with obesity and diabetes. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNA characterized by a ring formation through covalent bonds, play a critical role in various cardiovascular diseases. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the role and mechanism of circRNA in myocardial lipotoxicity. Here, we found that circ_005077, formed by exon 2–4 of Crmp1, was significantly upregulated in the myocardium of an HFD-fed rat. Furthermore, we identified circ_005077 as a novel ferroptosis-related regulator that plays a role in palmitic acid (PA) and HFD-induced myocardial lipotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, circ_005077 interacted with Cyclophilin A (CyPA) and inhibited its degradation via the ubiquitination proteasome system (UBS), thus promoting the interaction between CyPA and p47phox to enhance the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase responsible for ROS generation, subsequently inducing ferroptosis. Therefore, our results provide new insights into the mechanisms of myocardial lipotoxicity, potentially leading to the identification of a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of myocardial lipotoxicity in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric droplets are widely employed in fields such as chemical, biomedical, and materials engineering. However, the study of polymeric droplet formation is still insufficient due to the complex elasticity. In this work, the effect of fluid elasticity on the flow patterns for polymeric droplet formation in cross-junction microchannels is investigated by means of finite-volume direct numerical simulations. The volume of fluid method with cell-based adaptive mesh refinement technique is used to capture the interface. Additionally, the rheological behavior of polymeric fluids is described using the exponential Phan-Thien–Tanner constitutive model. The simulated flow behaviors are highly consistent with the experimental observations. The results indicate that three typical flow patterns of dripping, jetting, and threading flows are obtained at different fluid elasticities (denoted by the Weissenberg number Wi) and viscosities (denoted by the Capillary number Ca). Meanwhile, the elastic effect is found to be greater in the dripping flow, significantly reducing the axial tensile stress. It is demonstrated that changes in the stretched state of polymer macromolecules with the same Wi at different Ca lead to variations in the strength of elastic action, which, in turn, affects the extension length and the pinch-off time of droplets. Finally, a relationship equation between the extension length and time of the polymer fluid is established. This present study aims to provide important insight into the preparation of polymeric droplets in microchannels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical Mordell–Weil theorem implies that an abelian variety A over a number field K has only finitely many K -rational torsion points. This finitude of torsion still holds even over the cyclotomic extension $K^{\mathrm {cyc}}=K{\mathbb Q}^{\mathrm {ab}}$ by a result of Ribet. In this article, we consider the finiteness of torsion points of an abelian variety A over the infinite algebraic extension $K_B$ obtained by adjoining the coordinates of all torsion points of an abelian variety B. Assuming the Mumford–Tate conjecture, and up to a finite extension of the base field K , we give a necessary and sufficient condition for the finiteness of $A(K_B)_{\mathrm tors}$ in terms of Mumford–Tate groups. We give a complete answer when both abelian varieties have dimension at most 3, or when both have complex multiplication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron particles in solid-fuel ramjet combustion chambers typically exist in agglomerated form, and the gas composition within the chamber includes not only air but also propellant combustion products such as water vapor and CO2. This study investigates the thermal behavior, laser heating characteristics, and condensed-phase heating products of boron agglomerates in six distinct atmospheres: N2, O2, air, water vapor, CO2, and Ar. Thermal oxidation tests revealed that the reaction between boron and O2 dominates in an air atmosphere, while boron can still react with N2 in air to form granular boron nitride. Laser-induced heating resulted in ejection phenomena occurring in boron agglomerates when subjected to N2, air, water vapor, Ar, or O2 atmospheres, with the O2 atmosphere being the most conducive, exhibiting an average of 47 occurrences for individual agglomerates. The ejection process and frequency were found to be comparable in the air, Ar, and water vapor atmospheres, with an average ejection frequency ranging from 7 to 11 times. Although the ejection phenomenon occurred in the N2 atmosphere, its frequency was low, with an average of only two occurrences. Agglomerates underwent significant expansion before ejection, while single-particle boron did not exhibit ejection or expansion in any of these atmospheres. The highest surface temperatures of boron agglomerates upon laser heating in air, water vapor, N2, and Ar atmospheres were 2697.7 K, 2416.2 K, 2408.9 K, and 2392.1 K, respectively. Analysis of condensed-phase heating products revealed that boron agglomerates reacted with N2 or CO2 to form boron nitride or boron carbide, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Somatotroph pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) are characterized by complex and variable biological behaviours with unpredictable patterns of growth and invasiveness. The molecular mechanisms and reliable predictors of biological markers of invasiveness remain unknown. Methods: Seventy-two acromegaly patients were consecutively enrolled. Data-independent acquisition-based proteomics and ingenuity pathway analysis were conducted between invasive and noninvasive somatotroph PitNETs. The expression of selected biomarkers was verified in PitNET tissue, and its correlation with various clinical indicators and outcomes of these tumours was assessed. The invasive phenotypes of GH3 cells were validated in vitro. Results: Patients with invasive somatotroph PitNETs were significantly younger at onset and diagnosis, with significantly higher secretion and faster growth and a lower long-term biochemical response rate than patients with noninvasive somatotroph PitNETs. Proteomic data were evaluated in a consecutively collected sample of 19 (10 invasive and 9 noninvasive somatotroph PitNETs) tumours and indicated a distinct proteomic pattern. The enriched and important pathways included IL-4, PDGF, PTEN, VEGF, PI3K/AKT, FAK, and other pathways that were significantly associated with tumour proliferation, migration, and invasion. High cathepsin Z (CTSZ) expression was found in invasive somatotroph PitNETs and significantly positively correlated with parameters of tumour invasion and growth. In Ctsz-overexpressing GH3 cells, cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were consequently increased. Conclusion: It is more difficult for patients with invasive somatotroph PitNETs to achieve remission than those with noninvasive somatotroph PitNETs, and proteomic data analysis has revealed the high expression of CTSZ as a contributing factor to invasive transformation and poor prognosis in somatotroph PitNETs for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal surgical strategy for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) with coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular protective effects of the myocardial priority (MP) strategy or traditional selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) in ATAAD with CAD. A total of 214 adults were analyzed retrospectively, of which 80 underwent the MP strategy intraoperatively. Seventy-nine pairs were propensity-score-matched and divided into SCP and MP groups. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 36 months. The MP group had a significantly shorter myocardial ischemic time, higher perfusion flow, higher radial artery pressure, and lower incidence of NIRS decrease >20% of the base value, but a longer lower limb circulatory arrest and bypass time than the SCP group. Although similar adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were observed in both groups, a shorter posthospital stay, less blood loss and transfusion, higher postoperative hemoglobin, lower creatinine, and higher PaO2/FiO2 were observed in the MP group. Subgroup analysis showed that when the TIMI Risk Score was <4, the MP group had a lower incidence of low cardiac output and lower postoperative cTnI level. The follow-up patients had similar morbidities between the two groups. The novel MP strategy is associated with a shortened myocardial ischemic time, better maintained perfusion of vital organs, and postoperative recovery after surgery for ATAAD combined with non-severe CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal La 2 O 3 and monoclinic Eu 2 O 3 ceramics were prepared, and their microwave dielectric properties were investigated. La 2 O 3 sintered at 1400 °C exhibited promising microwave dielectric properties of ε r = 18.6, Q × f = 71,400 GHz, and a negative τ f of − 35.1 ppm/°C, while Eu 2 O 3 sintered at 1500 °C possessed relative lower ε r and Q × f values of 17.9 and 35,000 GHz, respectively, with an abnormally positive τ f of + 19.6 ppm/°C. The difference in their microwave dielectric properties is mainly due to lattice-induced strain, which can be characterized by bond valence. To investigate the degradation of RE 2 O 3 (RE = La, Eu) ceramics in air, a series of La 2− x Eu x O 3 (x = 0.5, 1, and 1.5) ceramics were prepared. The results of the present study suggest that the introduction of Eu3+ effectively prevents the decomposition of La 2 O 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrowband emitters based on the multiple resonance (MR) effect have shown great promises for applications in high‐definition displays. Though most reported MR emitters adopt the boron‐ and nitrogen‐doped triangulene‐like skeleton following the design of the DABNA series, MR materials with the nitrogen‐only indolocarbazole structures have recently emerged and demonstrated good color tunability from violet to deep red and impressive electroluminescence performances in terms of both efficiency and stability. Herein, we will summarize indolocarbazole‐based MR materials in recent reports, with emphasis on their molecular design, synthesis, photophysical and electroluminescence properties as well as some future research directions to unlock the full potential of this fascinating class of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) and its derivatives are commonly used as essential matrices in wound dressings, but their weak wet adhesion restricts the clinical application. To address this issue, a PAA‐based coacervate hydrogel with strong wet adhesion capability is fabricated through a facile mixture of PAA copolymers with isoprenyl oxy poly(ethylene glycol) ether and tannic acid (TA). The poly(ethylene glycol) segments on PAA prevent the electrostatic repulsion among the ionized carboxyl groups and absorbed TA to form coacervates. The absorbed TA provides solid adhesion to dry and wet substrates via multifarious interactions, which endows the coacervate with an adhesive strength to skin of 23.4 kPa and 70% adhesion underwater. This coacervate achieves desirable self‐healing and extensible properties suitable for frequently moving joints. These investigations prove that the coacervate has strong antibacterial activity, facilitates fibroblast migration, and modulates M1/M2 polarization of macrophages. In vivo hemorrhage experiments further confirm that the coacervate dramatically shortens the hemostatic time from hundreds to tens of seconds. In addition, full‐thickness skin defect experiments demonstrate that the coacervate achieves the best therapeutic effect by significantly promoting collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and epithelialization. These results demonstrate that a PAA‐based coacervate hydrogel is a promising wound dressing for medical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aspheric intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation has been widely applied in cataract surgery. However, there is no consensus on the optimal guidance for the operations in IOLs implantation.Objective: This study evaluated the visual function of Chinese cataract patients six months after cataract surgery with two different guiding ideologies.Methods: We evaluated 50 patients (61 eyes) with implantation of different aspheric IOLs (SN60WF IOLs, ZCB00 IOLs, PY-60AD IOLs, AO IOLs) 6 months after cataract surgery. Twenty-four patients (30 eyes) under individual implantation were ascribed to group 1 and 26 patients (31 eyes) with randomized implantation were ascribed to the control group (group 2). Postoperatively parameters included monocular best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity (CS), total spherical aberration Z (4, 0) at 5 mm pupil size, and patient satisfaction. The quality of life after operation was assessed through the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25).Results: Six months after cataract operation, the contrast sensitivity with glare of group 1 at 2.5∘ was 0.697 ± 0.027, and 0.532 ± 0.049 in group 2. Besides, there was no significant difference at any other special frequency. The mean spherical aberration Z (4, 0) at 5 mm pupil size in group 1 was 0.015 ± 0.028 um, and in group 2 was 0.043 ± 0.109 um, with a significant difference (p< 0.01). The mean scores obtained from NEI VFQ-25 were not significantly different.Conclusion: It is effective to implant aspheric IOLs individually according to preoperative corneal spherical aberration. Patients obtained better contrast sensitivity with glare at 2.5∘, but there was no significant difference in BCVA, contrast sensitivity at other special frequency, and subjective visual function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common heart diseases, characterized by the hardening and narrowing of arteries, resisting blood supply to cardiac muscle. Despite extensive research, the pathogenesis and therapeutic options for CAD remain limited. Epigenetic regulation plays a critical role in CAD progression. Here, we report a unique DNA methylation-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network for CAD, delineated through DNA methylation assays, miRNA and mRNA sequencing, bioinformatics analyses. We also identified key signaling pathways in this network, including the miR194 promoter-miR194-MAPK signaling pathway by pyrosequencing, methylation PCR, qRT-PCR. This pathway could play a role in CAD by apoptosis. Our findings suggested that this signaling pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for CAD. We believe that our study significantly contributes to an improved understanding of the role of specific miRNAs methylation, miRNA, and mRNAs in CAD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) have attracted great interest due to their high surface area, porosity and conjugacy, which could be potentially applied in pollutant adsorption, heterogeneous photocatalysis and super capacitor. Iodine 129 (129I) and iodine 131 (131I), as the common volatile radioactive products in nuke waste, have a long radioactive half-life, which is an important issue all the time. Here, two novel conjugated microporous polymers (TPAsTr-CMP and TPAPyD-CMP), which are rich in N element, were synthesized via Suzuki reaction and characterized through FTIR, 13C NMR, SEM, TGA and etc. The surface areas calculated by BET are 449.1 m2/g for TPAsTr-CMP and 15.6 m2/g for TPAPyD-CMP, respectively. The iodine adsorption experiments at 350 K exhibited that the iodine uptake of TPAsTr-CMP was up to 3.52 g/g; while TPAPyD-CMP had the iodine uptake of 2.84 g/g. For dissolved iodine in cyclohexane, the TPAPyD-CMP performed a better adsorption capacity than TPAsTr-CMP. The adsorption capacity of TPAPyD-CMP was 333.8 mg/g, when initial iodine concentration was 500 mg/L, while that of TPAsTr-CMP was only 104.3 mg/g. The adsorption capacity to iodine should be attributed to their high surface area, effective adsorptive sites and expanded π-conjugated network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the finite-time anti-synchronisation problem of delayed Hopfield neural networks with discontinuous activations. By introducing a novel analytical method, new synchronisation criteria are established without the help of nonsmooth finite-time convergence theorem. The designed controllers herein are independent of time delay, and the established criteria depending on the time delay and system parameters are very simple to implement in practice and avoid complex computation, the upper-bound of the settling time is explicitly estimated as well. The new findings in this paper provide a new viewpoint for understanding the finite-time synchronization process of discontinuous neural networks. Finally, a numerical example is presented to support the effectiveness of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Pituicytomas are rare gliomas located in the neurohypophysis or infundibulum. A misdiagnosis of pituicytoma as pituitary adenoma is common because of similar location and occasional endocrine disturbances. (2) Case presentation: We present two cases with the comorbidity of pituicytoma and Cushing's disease (CD). Case 1 is that of a 51-year-old woman, the first reported case of the comorbidity of pituicytoma, CD, and central diabetes insipidus. She received a diagnosis of CD and central diabetes insipidus. After transsphenoidal surgery, histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of pituicytoma and adrenocorticotropin-secreting microadenoma; case 2 is that of a 29-year-old man who received a biochemical diagnosis of CD, but he received a histopathological confirmation of only pituicytoma. Both patients achieved a remission of hypercortisolism without relapse during the follow-up, but they developed hypopituitarism after surgery. We also reviewed all published 18 cases with the comorbidity of pituicytoma and any pituitary adenoma. (3) Conclusions: Pituicytoma might present pituitary hyperfunction disorders such as CD or acromegaly, with or without pathologically confirmed pituitary adenoma. CD is the most common hyperpituitarism occurring concurrently with pituicytomas. The remission rate and hypopituitarism after surgery seem similar or slightly lower in CD than in common pituitary adenomas, but the long-term prognosis is unexplored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron is widely used in solid ramjets and powder engines due to its high gravimetric and volumetric calorific values. It mostly exists in the form of agglomerates in the combustion chamber. The present study investigates the ignition and combustion characteristics of amorphous boron agglomerates under different oxygen concentrations in comparison with those of single-particle crystalline boron. The surface morphology evolution of boron particles during the combustion process was directly examined, and the flame morphology and spectral data were analyzed. For the residual condensed-phase products after the boron particles were extinguished, the micro-morphology of the surface was observed by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), the micro-area elementary composition was analyzed with X-ray energy dispersive spectrum (EDS). Temporal variation of the agglomerate surface temperature was also obtained by applying a fitting procedure based on the Planck law. According to the experimental results, the agglomerates gradually shrank due to the discharge of voids during the ignition and combustion processes. After the outer surface of the boron agglomerate reached a molten state, residual boron oxide and voids still remained inside the agglomerates. Under high oxygen concentrations, the experimental results revealed presence of ejection and micro-explosion phenomena in the boron agglomerates combustion. These phenomena occurred when the internally vaporized boron oxide dominated the liquid film resistance and expelled the molten agglomerates. After completion of melting process, the agglomerates formed spherical geometries and burned in the form of droplets. By increase of the oxygen concentration from 20% to 100% during laser loading, the average temperature of boron agglomerates was increased from 2312 K to 2732 K, and the self-sustaining combustion time of single-particle crystalline boron was increased from 170 ms to 419 ms, while the self-sustaining combustion time of boron agglomerates was first increased from 183 ms to 242 ms and then decreased to 84 ms. The current study indicated that ejection and explosion phenomena are likely to exist in the local high-oxygen regions of the combustion chamber. • The ejection and micro-explosion phenomena occurred during boron agglomerates combustion. • After completion of melting process, the agglomerates formed spherical geometries and burned in the form of droplets. • Ejection and explosion phenomena are likely to exist in the local high-oxygen regions of the combustion chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining laser ignition tests with quenched particle cross-sectional analyses, this study explores the formation of bubbles and microexplosions in burning boron agglomerates, and discusses the plausible mechanisms behind the microexplosion (expansion–rupture) phenomenon. High-resolution images reveal that these phenomena are caused by bubble nucleation and growth within the molten droplet. Based on the timescale, it is categorized into weak expansion and strong expansion phenomena. The expansion rate of droplets during the weak expansion process mostly ranges between 0.006 m/s and 0.4 m/s, while during the strong expansion process, it predominantly falls between 0.4 m/s and 1 m/s. An increase in ambient pressure results in the delayed occurrence and reduced frequency of the expansion–rupture phenomenon. When the ambient pressure exceeds 3 atm, the expansion phenomenon no longer occurs. In addition, a decrease in the initial diameter of the agglomerates lowers the overall occurrences of expansion–rupture. Analysis of the quenched particle cross-sections reveals that the size and density distributions of the pores within the boron agglomerates reduce gradually during the combustion process. In addition, the surface oxide layers of certain pores are removed during combustion. Estimates of the vaporization rates of (BO) n and B 2 O 3 support the speculation that the expansion of molten boron droplets is attributed to the evaporation of boron oxide layer. In this process, the molten boron acts as a heating surface to evaporate the boron oxide trapped inside the droplet, thus producing B 2 O 3 , B 2 O 2 , and BO, and leading to droplet growth and tearing of the liquid film. Analysis of bubble growth indicates that the merging of adjacent bubbles to reach the critical nucleation size is probable the starting point of the expansion process. These results can be helpful in promoting the combustion efficiency of boron within the combustion chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: charge transport; machine learning; multiscale simulation; organic semiconductors; solution shearingMachine Learning‐Assisted SimulationsIn article number 2313085, Dong Wang, Tianhao Tan, and Lian Duan utilize machine learning‐assisted multiscale simulations to elucidate morphology–mobility relationships of solution processed organic thin films. The results indicate that moderate shearing speeds, together with a suitable solvent, promote the development of extended transport networks, ultimately enhancing the mobility of the films..By Tianhao Tan; Lian Duan and Dong WangReported by Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

Maternal insults during pregnancy induces an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in offspring, but the neuropathological changes in this process remains not to be established. To shed light on this, the transcriptome datasets of maternal blood samples with children later diagnosed with ASD and typical development, and tissue samples of multiple brain regions from ASD patients and human neurodevelopment were conducted to identify the non-chasm differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to generate the spatio-temporal dynamic change. Combined enrichment and interaction network analysis revealed that non-chasm DEGs with similar expression trajectories in the same brain regions, were involved in neural, immune and metabolic GO functions and KEGG pathways, respectively, suggesting that did not performed exactly the same functions. Interestingly, our results found that non-chasm DEGs in frontal cortex and temporal cortex were associated with COVID-19, suggesting that as an environmental risk factor COVID-19 affects an increased risk of ASD. • Maternal insult dysregulated the ASD-related non-chasm DEGs in brain region-specific ways. • The non-chasm DEGs with similar spatio-temporal expression trajectories did execute different functions. • Maternal insult induced by COVID-19 might affect the expression trajectories of non-chasm DEGs in frontal and temporal cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical framework to study the morphology change of microstructure and ionic diffusivity of leached cement pastes is proposed. According to a two-scale microstructure model, the leached cement paste in the course of portlandite dissolution and C─ S─ H decalcification is modeled. In contrast to recent leaching studies that used particle-based microstructure models to analyze micrometer-sized structures, the novel aspect of this study is the consideration of capillary pores with sizes ranging from tens of nanometers to several micrometers. The evolving microstructure was coupled with the random walk algorithm to calculate diffusion properties in capillary and gel pores of cement pastes during leaching and hydration. Results were in general accord with the reported data from leaching experiments and other simulations. The rarely discussed relationships the simulated 3D microstructure and the ionic diffusivity of leached cement pastes are investigated. In particular, the pore structure, which has different degradation characteristics in each leaching stage, affects the ionic diffusivity variously. The proposed framework has potential as a tool for multiscale simulation of leaching concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With advancements in periodontal medicine, the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases has garnered increasing attention. Recently, emerging evidence has indicated that periodontitis may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).Objective: To assess the impact of experimental periodontitis on cognitive function deficits in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced AD and determine the mechanisms underlying these effects.Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to the control (C), experimental periodontitis (P), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and experimental periodontitis with streptozotocin-induced AD (AD-P) groups. Experimental periodontitis was induced using ligation and coating with Porphyromonas gingivalis. In the AD-P group, AD was induced by intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin after 6 weeks of experimental periodontitis induction.Results: Compared with the group C rats, those in group P exhibited alveolar bone resorption, learning and memory function impairment, and decreased insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling-related protein expression. Glial cell activation and cognitive impairment in streptozotocin-induced groups with significantly increased phosphorylated tau levels were more pronounced relative to the C group. The number of neurons and insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling-related protein expression in group AD-P rats were lower than those in the AD alone group, while the expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein, tau phosphorylation, interleukin-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 were significantly increased.Conclusion: Periodontitis may be a risk factor exacerbating cognitive deficits in an AD-like neurodegenerative context, possibly by impairing the insulin signaling pathway and stimulating gliosis and neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mineral properties of the pore walls have a great influence on the single-phase shale oil flow at the pore scale. In this paper, a new method is proposed for pore-scale simulation of single-phase shale oil flow based on digital cores with hybrid mineral phases. This method can identify each mineral pore wall and correspondingly consider the adsorption layer and slippage boundary condition. First, three-dimensional (3D) digital cores with hybrid mineral phases are reconstructed from two-dimensional (2D) scanning electron microscope images of a shale sample, and correspondingly the pore space is divided with computational grids. Second, a mathematical model of shale fluid flow is established based on the Navier–Stokes (N–S) equation, combined with the slip length and viscosity formula. Finally, the equations are discretized on the mesh by the finite volume method and solved by the semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations for flow simulation of shale oil in the 3D digital cores. By applying the method, we analyze effects of total organic carbon in volume, slippage, and adsorption on the single-phase shale oil flow based on 3D digital cores with hybrid mineral phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have identified the influences of PM2.5. However, very little research has addressed the spatiotemporal dependence and heterogeneity in the relationships between impact factors and PM2.5. This study firstly utilizes spatial statistics and time series analysis to investigate the spatial and temporal dependence of PM2.5 at the city level in China using a three-year (2015–2017) dataset. Then, a new local regression model, multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), is introduced, based on which we measure the influence of PM2.5. A spatiotemporal lag is constructed and included in MGWR to account for spatiotemporal dependence and spatial heterogeneity simultaneously. Results of MGWR are comprehensively compared with those of ordinary least square (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR). Experimental results show that PM2.5 is autocorrelated in both space and time. Compared with existing approaches, MGWR with a spatiotemporal lag (MGWRL) achieves a higher goodness-of-fit and a more significant effect on eliminating residual spatial autocorrelation. Parameter estimates from MGWR demonstrate significant spatial heterogeneity, which traditional global models fail to detect. Results also indicate the use of MGWR for generating local spatiotemporal dependence evaluations which are conditioned on various covariates rather than being simple descriptions of a pattern. This study offers a more accurate method to model geographic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ballico proved that a smooth projective variety X of degree d and dimension m over a finite field of q elements admits a smooth hyperplane section if q ≥ d (d − 1) m. In this paper, we refine this criterion for higher codimensional linear sections on smooth hypersurfaces and for hyperplane sections on Frobenius classical hypersurfaces. We also prove a similar result for the existence of reduced hyperplane sections on reduced hypersurfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we formulate and study a vector-host epidemic model with spatial heterogeneity and general incidence rate. Our analyses show that if R0 < 1 the disease-free steady state is globally asymptotically stable and the disease dies out; if R0 > 1 then the disease persists. The obtained results are new and extend the previous results in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extremely low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are related to high cardiovascular mortality. The underlying mechanism is not well known. This research aims to study the clinical characteristics of cardiovascular patients with extremely low levels of HDL-C. Methods: All cardiovascular patients in a single Chinese cardiology center that were admitted from January to December 2019 were reviewed. The clinical characteristics of those with HDL-C<20 mg/dL were investigated. Results: A total of 20,655 individuals were enrolled. Of these, 52.17 % were males, and the average age was 58.20 ± 12.98 years old. The prevalence of HDL-C<20 mg/dL was 0.47 % for all patients (N=98) and 1.05 % for inpatients. Of those with HDL-C<20 mg/dL, 88.8 % were inpatients, and 77.6 % were males. Their average age was 60.7 ± 15.1 years. Compared with matched patients with normal HDL-C, systemic inflammation (OR= 5.556, 95% CI 2.798–11.030), hypoalbuminemia (OR=5.714, 95% CI 2.702–12.085), hyperuricemia (OR=5.156, 95% CI 2.560–10.386), low T3 syndrome (OR=4.278, 95% CI 1.627–11.245), anemia (OR=3.577, 95% CI 1.680–7.617), diabetes (OR=3.534, 95% CI 1.693–7.376) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR=2.493, 95% CI 1.264–4.918) were identified as adverse concomitant factors of extremely low HDL-C. HDL-C levels were inversely correlated with the total risk scores in patients with HDL-C<20 mg/dL (r=-0.381, P<0.001) and more significantly correlated in patients with HDL-C<15 mg/dL (r=-0.511, P=0.004). Conclusions: Extremely low levels of HDL-C tend to occur more frequently in males, older individuals and inpatients. For cardiovascular patients, extremely low levels of HDL-C are usually due to the presence of multiple adverse factors with relatively severe conditions. This could explain the high cardiovascular mortality of individuals with extremely low levels of HDL-C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problem of finite-/fixed-time synchronization (FFTS) is studied for delayed diffusive Hopfield neural networks. By employing Filippov regularization approaches, inequality techniques and a generalized finite-/fixed-time stability theorem, a novel state feedback controller is designed to realize the FFTS of the considered network model. The obtained theoretical results generalize and improve existing ones in the literature. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the effectiveness of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic abnormalities represent one of the pathological features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Glutamic pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2) is involved in glutamate metabolism and lipid synthesis pathways, whilst the exact roles of GPT2 in the occurrence and development of COPD remains uncertain. This study aims at investigating how GPT2 and the associated genes modulate smoking‐induced airway epithelial metabolism and damage by reprogramming lipid synthesis. The circulating or human airway epithelial metabolomic and lipidomic profiles of COPD patients or cell‐lines explored with smoking were assessed to elucidate the pivotal roles of GPT2 in reprogramming processes. We found that GPT2 regulate the reprogramming of lipid metabolisms caused by smoking, especially phosphatidylcholine (PC) and triacylglycerol (TAG), along with changes in the expression of lipid metabolism‐associated genes. GPT2 modulated cell sensitivities and survival in response to smoking by enhancing mitochondrial functions and maintaining lipid and energy homeostasis. Our findings provide evidence for the involvement of GPT2 in the reprogramming of airway epithelial lipids following smoking, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying GPT2‐mediated regulation, which may offer an alternative of therapeutic strategies for chronic lung diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that a 3-dimensional selfdual Galois representation constructed by van Geemen and Top is isomorphic to a quadratic twist of the symmetric square of the Tate module of an elliptic curve. This is an application of our refinement of the Faltings-Serre method to 3-dimensional l-adic selfdual representations with the ground field not equal to Q. The proof makes use of the Faltings-Serre method and Burnside groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (BRCA) is the most commonly diagnosed molecular subtype of BRCA. It is routinely treated with endocrine therapy; however, some patients relapse after therapy and develop drug resistance, resulting in treatment failure. In the present study, we identified markers of ER-positive BRCA and evaluated their putative function in immune infiltration as well as their clinicopathological significance. The ubiquitin family domain containing 1 (UBFD1) protein was associated with the prognosis of ER-positive BRCA patients. Its expression was higher in ER-positive BRCA tissues compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. Patients with higher UBFD1 expression had a poorer prognosis. UBFD1 is an independent risk factor for ER-positive BRCA patients and its function was primarily associated with hormone activity and inflammation. Taken together, UBFD1 is a potential prognostic biomarker and candidate target of ER-positive BRCA. • 30 % of ER-positive breast cancer patients experienced treatment failure. • ER-positive breast cancer patients have abnormal UBFD1 expression. • ER-positive breast cancer patients with higher expression of UBFD1 have a poorer prognosis. • The function of UBFD1 was primarily associated with hormone and inflammation. • UBFD1 was identified as a candidate target of ER-positive breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Asprosin is a novel identified adipokine secreted mainly by white adipose tissue, which is elevated in metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Acromegaly is a syndrome caused by pituitary growth hormone (GH) cell adenoma with excessive GH secretion. Serum adipocytokines levels may be involved in abnormal glycolipid metabolism in acromegaly patients. Objectives. To investigate serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients and its correlation with high GH levels and glucolipid metabolic parameters. Methods. A retrospective case-control study was conducted and 68 acromegaly patients and 121 controls were included in this study. Clinical information and laboratory examinations were collected and serum asprosin levels were measured by commercial ELISA kits. Results. Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients were significantly lower than controls (P < 0.001). Serum asprosin levels in patients with the course of acromegaly ≥5 years (compared with <5 years), high area under curve of growth hormone (GH-AUC) after 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (compared with low GH-AUC patients), and high IGF-1 SDS group (compared with low IGF-1 SDS group) were significantly reduced (all P < 0.05). Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients were negatively correlated with the course of acromegaly, IGF-1 SDS, nadir growth hormone value (GH-Nadir), and GH-AUC after OGTT. Multiple stepwise linear regression indicated that acromegaly was an independent influencing factor of serum asprosin levels. According to serum asprosin levels tertiles, the risk of acromegaly in the lowest group was 2.67 times higher than the highest group (OR ＝ 3.665, 95% CI 1.677 ∼ 8.007, P = 0.001), and the increased risk of the lowest group still existed after adjusting for gender, age, BMI, and TC (Model 2). Conclusions. Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients are lowered, which may be related to increased blood glucose and reduced body fat mass caused by long-term high GH levels exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Asprosin is a novel identified adipokine secreted mainly by white adipose tissue, which is elevated in metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Acromegaly is a syndrome caused by pituitary growth hormone (GH) cell adenoma with excessive GH secretion. Serum adipocytokines levels may be involved in abnormal glycolipid metabolism in acromegaly patients. Objectives. To investigate serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients and its correlation with high GH levels and glucolipid metabolic parameters. Methods. A retrospective case-control study was conducted and 68 acromegaly patients and 121 controls were included in this study. Clinical information and laboratory examinations were collected and serum asprosin levels were measured by commercial ELISA kits. Results. Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients were significantly lower than controls (P < 0.001). Serum asprosin levels in patients with the course of acromegaly ≥5 years (compared with <5 years), high area under curve of growth hormone (GH-AUC) after 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (compared with low GH-AUC patients), and high IGF-1 SDS group (compared with low IGF-1 SDS group) were significantly reduced (all P < 0.05). Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients were negatively correlated with the course of acromegaly, IGF-1 SDS, nadir growth hormone value (GH-Nadir), and GH-AUC after OGTT. Multiple stepwise linear regression indicated that acromegaly was an independent influencing factor of serum asprosin levels. According to serum asprosin levels tertiles, the risk of acromegaly in the lowest group was 2.67 times higher than the highest group (OR ＝ 3.665, 95% CI 1.677 ∼ 8.007, P = 0.001), and the increased risk of the lowest group still existed after adjusting for gender, age, BMI, and TC (Model 2). Conclusions. Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients are lowered, which may be related to increased blood glucose and reduced body fat mass caused by long-term high GH levels exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease accompanied by severe inflammation. The inflammation activation in the chondrocytes and the degradation of the extracellular matrix were reported to be involved in the progress of OA. Roflumilast is a selective PDE4 inhibitor used for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and exerts significant anti-inflammation effects. The present study aims to investigate the effects of Roflumilast on tumor necrosis factor-β (TNF-β)-induced inflammation activation and degradation of type 2 collagen in chondrocytes. Methods: TNF-β was used to establish the in-vitro inflammation model on ATDC5 chondrocytes. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) and western blot were used to determine the expression level of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3), matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13), type 2 collagen and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65. The release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), MMP-3, and MMP-13 were evaluated by ELISA. The production of NO was determined by DAF-FM DA staining and the function of the NF-κB promoter was evaluated by Luciferase activity assay. Results: TNFR2 and COX-2 were upregulated and the release of PGE2 was promoted by TNF-β stimulation, which were all inhibited by Roflumilast. Roflumilast suppressed the promoted iNOS expression and NO production induced by TNF-β. MMP-3 and MMP-13 were up-regulated, and type 2 collagen was down-regulated by TNF-β stimulation, which were all reversed by Roflumilast. Roflumilast inhibited the promoted releasing of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and Interleukin-12 (IL-12), expression of up-regulated NF-κB, and activation of NF-κB transcriptional activity induced by TNF-β. Conclusion: Roflumilast may prevent TNF-β-induced inflammation activation and degradation of type 2 collagen in chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed a sensitive and selective sensing system for the detection of metallothioneins (MTs). The system is based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In this method, the fluorescence emission of CQDs was quenched by AuNPs due to FRET. When MTs were added to the CQD–AuNP system, the strong combination between thiol group and Au made the CQDs release from AuNPs, and the fluorescence of CQDs was recovered. The CQD–AuNP system can detect the MTs in aqueous solution (pH 3.0, citrate–HCl buffer) selectively and sensitively with a short response time (15 min). Results show that the fluorescence recovery efficiency has a good linear relationship with the MTs concentration in the range of 12–210 nmol L−1, and the limit of detection was 5.25 × 10−9 mol L−1. Furthermore, the sensing system was utilized to determine MTs in human urine samples with satisfactory results. The proposed system exhibits the advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, easy operation and most importantly, low cost and non-cytotoxicity to detect protein MTs. A method based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was developed for the detection of metallothioneins. Image 1 • An approach based on the CQDs and the AuNPs was developed for detecting matallothioneins. • Sensing system was realized by the principle of FRET, and the CQDs acted as the donor while AuNPs acted as the acceptor. • This approach was sensitive, convenient and non-cytotoxicity for matallothioneins detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the finite-/fixed-time synchronization(FFTS) problem of delayed reaction-diffusion recurrent neural networks (RNNs) with discontinuous activations. By designing a novel unified controller, with the help of theory of Filippov regularization, and a generalized finite-/fixed-time convergence theorem, we establish a threshold FFTS dynamics, which is determined by the power parameter, and the upper-bound of the settling time is explicitly estimated as well. The theoretical results herein generalize and improve some existing ones. Moreover, numerical simulations are performed to substantiate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression level of Fibulin-2 gene in breast cancer cells was evaluated to explore the impact of Fibulin-2 gene on the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. MDA-MB-231, BT483, MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells were cultured in vitro. Then, expression of Fibulin-2 in cells was upregulated and downregulated using ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) and lentiviral transfection techniques, respectively. Thereafter, expression levels of Fibulin-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein were measured via quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was applied to detect the proliferation ability, and wound healing assay was performed to determine the effect of transfection on the metastatic capacity of cells. The influence of transfection on the invasive ability of breast cancer cells was detected through Transwell chamber assay. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells did not express Fibulin-2, while BT483 and SK-BR-3 cells expressed Fibulin-2. Expression of Fibulin-2 mRNA and protein in SK-BR-3 Fibulin-2 siRNA group was significantly lower than that in SK-BR-3 NC siRNA group 48 h after transfection (P<0.01), while the expression of Fibulin-2 mRNA and protein in MDA-MB-231 Fibulin-2 lentiviral transfection (LAP) group was significantly higher than that in MDA-MB-231 NC LAP group. Compared with the MDA-MB-231 NC LAP group, the cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability of MDA-MB-231 Fibulin-2 LAP group were weakened. The tumor volume and weight of the MDA-MB-231 Fibulin-2 LAP group were significantly lower than those of the MDA-MB-231 NC LAP group. Low expression of Fibulin-2 is able to promote proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells, and can reduce the rate of tumor growth in nude mice. Therefore, Fibulin-2 may be a potential therapeutic target and an indicator of prognosis for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a class of genetic regulatory networks with time-varying delays, new criteria for the existence and global exponential stability of almost positive periodic solutions are established by using the theory of dichotomy and contraction mapping principle, together with some novel analysis techniques. Finally, an example is given to numerically demonstrate the theoretical results. The obtained results are essentially new and complement previously known results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected cascade reaction is developed for the construction of functionalized 3-bis(indol-3-yl)methylquinoline-2(1 H)-ones. Three C–C bonds and one ring are created in one pot triggered by Pd-catalyzed C-3 alkenylation of indole with 2-acyl- N -acrylaniline derivatives. A series of complex and specific quinoline-2(1 H)-ones were produced, most of them showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the Galois action attached to the Dwork surfaces X λ : X 0 4 + X 1 4 + X 2 4 + X 3 4 − 4 λ X 0 X 1 X 2 X 3 = 0 with parameter λ in a number field F. We show that when X λ has geometric Picard number 19, its Néron-Severi group NS ( X ‾ λ) ⊗ Q is a direct sum of quadratic characters. We provide two proofs of this result in our article. In particular, the geometric proof determines the conductor of each quadratic character. Our result matches with the one in [DKS+18a]. With this decomposition, this leads to a new proof of Wan's result [Wan06]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new class of antitumor drugs, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown remarkable efficacy toward the treatment of various malignant tumors. By virtue of their targets and mechanisms of action, ICIs can cause autoimmune and inflammatory effects, termed as immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) and unlike the adverse reactions of traditional therapies, irAEs are occult and not fixed, with some serious adverse reactions forcing patients to stop treatment which might even affect their survival. Therefore, with the wide clinical application of ICIs, clinicians need to fully understand the possible adverse reactions of these drugs and devise reasonable treatment strategies to improve the survival rate and therapeutic effects of patients receiving ICIs. In this article, we review the incidence, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of immune‐related endocrine events that may occur with the administration of ICIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since repetitive partial discharge (PD) leads to insulation breakdown, it is one of the most critical defects that affect operation life of electrical equipment. In this paper, four kinds of PD defects are identified with deep learning (DL) method according to the current waveforms. A modified IEC-60270 experiment platform with ultra-high frequency (UHF) and current probe is built to acquire PD current waveforms and their corresponding detecting pulse current and UHF pulse signal. Fourier transform, principle component analysis, and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding methods are applied to visualize the data set, which proves the feasibility of classifying the PD current waveform. Two basic parts of this DL framework are sparse autoencoder layer and softmax layer, the former extracting features of the input signal and the latter operating as the classifier. Hyper-parameters of the network such as sparsity, activation function, number of hidden nodes, and network depth were discussed. The final classifying accuracy of the proposed method is up to 99.7%, that is much better than the traditional identifying method. A comprehensive blind test is designed to prove the general validity and robustness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sublimable cationic iridium(III) complexes consisting of light‐emitting coordinated iridium(III) cations and nonluminous negative counter‐ions, show excellent photophysical properties, superior electrochemical behaviors and high thermal stabilities, therefore have emerged as a new library of phosphorescent materials for various organic optoelectronic devices. Here we summarize and highlight the recent progress in sublimable cationic iridium(III) complexes, regarding the material design strategies, synthetic routes, photoluminescent characteristics in both solutions and neat films, together with the current utilization in organic light‐emitting diodes based on the emissive material layers fabricated by vacuum evaporation deposition. Finally, we present a brief outlook thereon, indicating the great promise and brilliant application prospect of sublimable cationic iridium(III) complexes in future flat‐panel display and solid‐state lighting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-dimensional metal halides with efficient luminescence properties have received widespread attention recently. However, nontoxic and stable low-dimensional metal halides with efficient blue emission are rarely reported. We used a solvothermal synthesis method to synthesize tetravalent zirconium ion-doped all-inorganic zero-dimensional Cs2ZnCl4 for the first time. Bright blue emission in the range of 370 nm–700 nm with a emission maximum at 456 nm was observed in Zr4+:Cs2ZnCl4 accompanied by a large Stokes shift, which was due to self-trapped excitons (STEs) caused by the lattice vibrations of the twisted structure. Simultaneously, the PLQY of Zr4+:Cs2ZnCl4 achieve an impressive 89.67%, positioning it as a compelling contender for future applications in blue-light technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational health risk assessments of exposure to VOCs still need to be extensively studied to improve the safety standards in the industry. Based on the monitoring of organic pollutants at various workstations in a truck tire factory in Jiangsu Province, both semi-quantitative and quantitative health risk assessment methods were employed to assess health risk levels. The findings indicated that VOCs were categorized into five classes, which included alkanes, aromatics, halocarbons, carbon disulfide, and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs). The highest concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) was found in shaping workshop; alkanes were the most abundant class (74.2%), followed by aromatics (24.02%) and OVOCs (1.96%). Although the results of the semi-quantitative risk assessment showed that most of the organic compounds had low R values, various kinds of VOCs were detected; particularly, many harmful organic compounds (such as toluene, ethyl benzene) were detected in all the sampling sites. The quantitative risk in the calendering and vulcanizing workshop exceeded the acceptable level; both the carcinogenic risk of ethylbenzene in the tire-strip storage room, and trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene in the calendering workshop were unacceptable. Thus, the calendering and vulcanizing processes in rubber tire manufacturing should be priority-controlled processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As derivatives of metal halide perovskite materials, low-dimensional metal halide materials have become important materials that have attracted much attention in recent years. As one branch, zinc-based metal halides have the potential for practical applications due to their lead-free, low-toxicity and high-stability characteristics. However, pure zinc-based metal halide materials are still limited by their poor optical properties and cannot achieve large-scale practical applications. Therefore, in this work, we report an organic–inorganic hybrid zero-dimensional zinc bromide, (TDMP)ZnBr4, using transition metal Mn2+ ions as dopants and incorporating them into the (TDMP)ZnBr4 lattice. The original non-emissive (TDMP)ZnBr4 exhibits bright green emission under the excitation of external UV light after the introduction of Mn2+ ions with a PL peak position located at 538 nm and a PLQY of up to 91.2%. Through the characterization of relevant photophysical properties and the results of theoretical calculations, we confirm that this green emission in Mn2+:(TDMP)ZnBr4 originates from the 4T1 → 6A1 optical transition process of Mn2+ ions in the lattice structure, and the near-unity PLQY benefits from highly localized electrons generated by the unique zero-dimensional structure of the host material (TDMP)ZnBr4. This work provides theoretical guidance and reference for expanding the family of zinc-based metal halide materials and improving and controlling their optical properties through ion doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the worldwide leading cause for cardiovascular death. Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS), which is the main bioactive compound of panax notoginseng, has been generally accepted to exert a remarkable effect on CHD for a long time. However, to reveal the underlying treatment target and corresponding mechanism of PNS against CHD is still a substantial challenge. In this work, the targets and mechanism of PNS against CHD were successfully achieved by pharmacology-based prediction and experimental verification. 36 common targets were screened out through integrating the gene expression profile of CHD and the chemical-protein data of PNS. Then, two key nodes were further selected for verification by experiment after analyzing GO function, KEGG pathway, coexpression, and topology analysis. Results showed that PNS has protected the human umbilical vein endothelial cells from H2O2-induced oxidative stress by inhibiting early cell apoptosis via upregulating VEGFA mRNA expression. Therefore, our research has successfully pointed out one treatment target and apoptotic inhibition caused by PNS with method of integrating bioinformatics prediction and experimental verification, which has partially explained the pharmacological mechanism of PNS against CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]