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The application of ceramic for a circularly polarized (CP) filtering antenna is studied in this paper. The dielectric resonator (DR) of sintered aluminum oxide (Al2O3) ceramic has a dielectric constant of 9.5 and low dielectric loss of 0.003, and excellent mechanical properties. The dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) consists of two parts, the upper part is a DR, and the lower part uses a feeding network containing two hairpin bandpass filters. The measured |S11| of the DRA is 48.0 % and the axial ratio (AR) bandwidth is 33.5 %. Meanwhile, the peak gain of the DRA is 6.13 dBi, and the suppression level across the stopband exceeds 15.2 dB. The DRA uses the hairpin bandpass filters to improve the filtering characteristics of the antenna and uses the corner-cutting processing of the DR to improve the AR, which can be implemented to reduce the cost of fifth-generation (5 G) communication.

In this paper, a kind of superconductor ceramics metastructure-photonic crystals (SCMPC) is proposed to investigate the absorption and transmission properties of electromagnetic waves (EW) by combining a metastructure with multiple degrees of freedom regulation and strong energy localization characteristics of photonic crystals. Firstly, for the periodically aligned SCMPC, EW mainly realizes absorption in forward propagation and transmission in backward case. The relative bandwidth (RB) for both forward absorptivity and backward transmittance greater than 0.9 is 2.7 %, and the operating bandwidth (OB) is 696 ∼ 715 terahertz (THz), which is an asymmetric absorption-transmission (AAT) characteristics. Importantly, the periodically aligned SCMPC can realize the double-band rasorber phenomenon, and the forward EW exhibits an absorption-transmission-absorption phenomenon with OBs of 644.2 ∼ 671.1 THz, 700.9 ∼ 742.1 THz, and 766.8 ∼ 784.2 THz. RBs with absorption and transmissivity greater than 0.8 are 4.1 %, 5.7 %, and 2.2 %, respectively, and the backward EW one is mainly transmitted. To optimize AAT, a quasi-periodic Octonacci sequence-aligned SCMPC is introduced. The results show that the maximum OB of forward absorption and backward transmission is 428.3 ∼ 670.5 THz and RB is 44.1 %, achieving favorable broadband AAT. In addition, the effects of temperatures, dielectric thicknesses, and stacking numbers on AAT are also investigated in detail. In conclusion, AAT has promising applications in unidirectional optical transmission, photodiodes, optical isolators, etc.

We present a method to fabricate a super-hydrophobic surface with a self-healing ability on an aluminium alloy substrate. The coatings are obtained by combining a two-step process (first, the substrate is immersed in a solution of HCl, HF and H2O, and then in boiling water) and succeeding surface fluorination with a solution of poly(vinylidene-fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and a fluoroalkyl silane. The morphological features and chemical composition were studied by scanning electron micrometry and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The prepared super-hydrophobic aluminium surfaces showed hierarchical structures forming pores, petals and particles with a contact angle of 161° and a sliding angle of 3°.

In this work, we present a method of fabricating super-hydrophobic surface on aluminum alloy substrate. The etching of aluminum surfaces has been performed using Beck's dislocation etchant for different time to create micrometer-sized irregular steps. An optimised etching time of 50 s is found to be essential before polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, to obtain a highest water contact angle of 165±2° with a lowest contact angle hysteresis as low as 5±2°. The presence of patterned microstructure as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) together with the low surface energy ultrathin RF-sputtered PTFE films renders the aluminum alloy surfaces highly super-hydrophobic.

Background: The effectiveness and safety of using Brucea javanica oil (BJO) in combination with Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) for liver cancer treatment are subjects of debate. This study aims to assess the comparative effectiveness and safety of BJO-assisted TACE versus TACE alone and quantifies the differences between these two treatment methods.Methods: A systematic search was conducted in multiple databases including PubMed, Cochrane, CNKI, and Wanfang, until 1 July 2023. Meta-analysis was conducted, and the results were presented as mean difference (MD), risk ratio (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results: The search yielded 11 RCTs, with a combined sample size of 1054 patients. Meta-analysis revealed that BJO-assisted TACE exhibited superior outcomes compared to standalone TACE. Specific data revealed that BJO-assisted TACE improves clinical benefit rate by 22% [RR = 1.22, 95% CI (1.15, 1.30)], increases the number of people with improved quality of life by 32%, resulting in an average score improvement of 9.53 points [RR = 1.32, 95% CI (1.22, 1.43); MD = 9.53, 95% CI (6.95, 12.10)]. Furthermore, AFP improvement rate improved significantly by approximately 134% [RR = 2.34, 95% CI (1.58, 3.46)], accompanied by notable improvements in liver function indicators, with an average reduction of 27.19 U/L in AST [MD = −27.19, 95% CI (−40.36, −14.02)], 20.77 U/L in ALT [MD = −20.77, 95% CI (−39.46, −2.08)], 12.17 μmol/L in TBIL [MD = −12.17, 95% CI (−19.38, −4.97)], and a decrease of 43.72 pg/mL in VEGF [MD = −43.72, 95% CI (−63.29, −24.15)]. Most importantly, there was a 29% reduction in the occurrence of adverse reactions [RR = 0.71, 95% CI (0.60, 0.84)].Conclusion: These findings indicate that BJO-assisted TACE may be considered as a potentially beneficial treatment option for liver cancer patients when compared to standalone TACE. It appears to contribute to improved treatment outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and potentially reduced adverse reactions, suggesting it warrants further investigation as a promising approach for liver cancer treatment.Systematic Review Registration: identifier CRD42023428948

The Janus metastructure (JMS) is constructed in a special way so that the electromagnetic waves (EWs) propagate in the artificially constructed metastructure from different directions, which can show different electromagnetic characteristics and present a variety of functions at the same time. Its research is of great significance for breaking through the development bottleneck of traditional single-scale and single-function devices and can serve numerous novel application scenarios. This review discusses the design and research progress of JMS from three aspects: construction method, function realization, and application scenario. Finally, we discuss the key challenges currently facing the JMS and offer a vision for future research directions. We sincerely hope that this review will not only provide new insights into the development of JMS, which is a promising and dynamic hot research area but also promote research in this area from a more diverse and comprehensive perspective.

Background This study examines the association between traditional cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) incidence in individuals with diverse sleep patterns. Methods and Results We analyzed data from 208 621 participants initially free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the UK Biobank study. Sleep patterns were assessed using scores for chronotype, duration, insomnia, snoring, and daytime dozing. Traditional CVH scores were derived from the Life's Simple 7 metrics. Cox proportional hazards multivariate regression assessed associations between distinct combinations of CVH and sleep scores and MACE, including nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and CVD mortality. Over a mean follow‐up of 12.73 years, 9253 participants experienced incident MACE. Individuals with both a healthy sleep pattern and ideal CVH levels had the lowest MACE risk compared with those with a poor sleep pattern and poor CVH levels (hazard ratio, 0.306 [95% CI, 0.257–0.365]; P

An efficient algorithm that can properly identify the targets to immunize or quarantine for preventing an epidemic in a population without knowing the global structural information is of obvious importance. Typically, a population is characterized by its community structure and the heterogeneity in the weak ties among nodes bridging over communities. We propose and study an effective algorithm that searches for bridge hubs, which are bridge nodes with a larger number of weak ties, as immunizing targets based on the idea of referencing to an expanding friendship circle as a self-avoiding walk proceeds. Applying the algorithm to simulated networks and empirical networks constructed from social network data of five US universities, we show that the algorithm is more effective than other existing local algorithms for a given immunization coverage, with a reduced final epidemic ratio, lower peak prevalence and fewer nodes that need to be visited before identifying the target nodes. The effectiveness stems from the breaking up of community networks by successful searches on target nodes with more weak ties. The effectiveness remains robust even when errors exist in the structure of the networks.

A comprehensive design of an ultra-broadband circularly polarized (CP) dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) array operating in the C-band for fifth-generation (5G) communication systems is presented in this paper. The objective is to achieve a compact antenna size capable of receiving and transmitting CP electromagnetic waves over a wider bandwidth. The material chosen for the dielectric resonator (DR) is Alumina (Al2O3) ceramic, known for its low dielectric loss and exceptional mechanical properties, making it an ideal candidate for the DR. The proposed design utilizes a 2 × 2 array of cross-shaped DRs, fed by a compact circular phase-shift feeding network with double-point feeding. This configuration results in a 3-dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of 48.7 % and an impedance matching bandwidth (IMB) of 53.2 %. The antenna's horizontal size is reduced to 1.17 × 1.17λ02, and the gain is significantly enhanced by exciting multiple Mie resonances in the stacked DRs, yielding a measured peak gain of 12.48 dBic. These outstanding features position the CP DRA array as an excellent choice for 5G communication systems.

Abstract Background Increasing evidence indicates that the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial determinant of cancer progression. However, the clinical and pathobiological significance of stromal signatures in the TME, as a complex dynamic entity, is still unclear in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods Herein, we used single-cell transcriptome sequencing data, imaging mass cytometry (IMC) and multiplex immunofluorescence staining to characterize the stromal signatures in ESCC and evaluate their prognostic values in this aggressive disease. An automated quantitative pathology imaging system determined the locations of the lamina propria, stroma, and invasive front. Subsequently, IMC spatial analyses further uncovered spatial interaction and distribution. Additionally, bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the TME remodeling mechanism in ESCC. To define a new molecular prognostic model, we calculated the risk score of each patient based on their TME signatures and pTNM stages. Results We demonstrate that the presence of fibroblasts at the tumor invasive front was associated with the invasive depth and poor prognosis. Furthermore, the amount of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)+ fibroblasts at the tumor invasive front positively correlated with the number of macrophages (MØs), but negatively correlated with that of tumor-infiltrating granzyme B+ immune cells, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Spatial analyses uncovered a significant spatial interaction between α-SMA+ fibroblasts and CD163+ MØs in the TME, which resulted in spatially exclusive interactions to anti-tumor immune cells. We further validated the laminin and collagen signaling network contributions to TME remodeling. Moreover, compared with pTNM staging, a molecular prognostic model, based on expression of α-SMA+ fibroblasts at the invasive front, and CD163+ MØs, showed higher accuracy in predicting survival or recurrence in ESCC patients. Regression analysis confirmed this model is an independent predictor for survival, which also identifies a high-risk group of ESCC patients that can benefit from adjuvant therapy. Conclusions Our newly defined biomarker signature may serve as a complement for current clinical risk stratification approaches and provide potential therapeutic targets for reversing the fibroblast-mediated immunosuppressive microenvironment.

Abstract User alignment across online social network platforms (OSNPs) is a growing concern with the rapid development of internet technology. In reality, users tend to register different accounts on multiple OSNPs, and the network platforms are reluctant to share network structure and user’s information due to business interest and privacy protection, which brings great obstacles to cross-platform user alignment. In view of this, we propose a homomorphic encryption-based social network alignment (HE-SNA) algorithm from the perspective of privacy leakage. Specifically, we first consider the OSNPs as a system containing multiple social networks, that each participant of OSNPs owns part of the network, i.e., a separate private sub-network. Then, encryption, fusion and decryption operations of the alignment information are performed by two third-party servers using HE scheme, which can protect the privacy information of sub-networks effectively. Finally, each sub-network uses the fused alignment information sent back from the third-party server for user alignment. Experimental results show that the HE-SNA method can provide a sum of locally trained models to third-party servers without leaking the privacy of any single sub-network. Moreover, the HE-SNA achieves a promising network alignment performance than only using the structural information and alignment data of single private sub-network while protecting its topology structure information.

In this paper, a wideband and high-gain circularly polarized (CP) antenna array with polarization-reconfigurable characteristics is presented based on the solid-state plasma (SSP). The proposed antenna is composed of switchable rotating radiation structures and a switchable feed network by simulating the different SSP branches. To investigate the CP operating mechanism, a reconfigurable CP element is designed through characteristic mode analysis (CMA). A switchable sequential-phase feed network is then proposed which can provide separately two rotational excitations. A spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) is adopted for radiation patches to improve gain and axial ratio (AR) bandwidth. Finally, a high-gain and wideband 2 × 2 CP reconfigurable antenna array is designed. This array achieves left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) and right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) modes when different SSP branches are excited. The array has an overlapped impedance bandwidth of 61.9 % (3.17 to 6.01 GHz) and an overlapped AR bandwidth of 40.2 % (4.01 to 6.03 GHz) in two CP states, and the peak gain is 11.68 dBic.

AbstractBackground & Aims Individuals with high blood pressure (BP) have varying risks of cardiovascular events due to other coexisting factors. We aimed to identify the predictors of long-term absence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in individuals with high BP, which is an indicator of healthy arterial aging and can guide preventive strategies.Methods We analyzed data from participants with high BP (≥120/80 mm Hg) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who had baseline CAC = 0 and underwent a second CAC scanning after 10 years. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between various risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and long-term CAC = 0. We also calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) to predict the phenotype of healthy arterial aging in this population.Results We included 830 participants (37.6% male, mean ± SD age of 59.4 ± 8.7 years). During follow-up, 46.5% of participants (n = 386) had CAC = 0, and they were younger and had fewer metabolic syndrome components. Adding ASCVD risk factors to the demographic model (age, sex, and ethnicity) moderately increased the predictive value for long-term CAC = 0 (AUC: demographic model + ASCVD risk factors vs. demographic model alone, 0.653 vs. 0.597, p

Pre-emptive vaccination has been proven to be the most effective measure to control influenza outbreaks. However, when vaccination behavior is voluntary, individuals may face the vaccination dilemma owing to the two sides of vaccines. In view of this, many researchers began to use evolutionary game theory to model the vaccination decisions of individuals. Many existing models assume that individuals in networks use the Fermi function based strategy to update their vaccination decisions. As we know, human beings have strong learning capability and they may continuously search for the optimal strategy based on the surrounding environments. Hence, it is reasonable to use the reinforcement learning (RL) strategy to reflect the vaccination decisions of individuals. To this end, we here explore a mixed updating strategy for the vaccination decisions, specifically, some individuals called intelligent agents update their vaccination decisions based on the RL strategy, and the other individuals called regular agents update their decisions based on the Fermi function. We then investigate the impact of RL strategy on the vaccination behavior and the epidemic dynamics. Through extensive experiments, we find that the RL strategy plays a double-edged sword role: when the vaccination cost is not so high, more individuals are willing to choose vaccination if more individuals adopt the RL strategy, leading to the significant suppression of epidemics. On the contrary, when the vaccination cost is extremely high, the vaccination coverage is dramatically reduced, inducing the outbreak of the epidemic. We also analyze the underlying reasons for the double-edged sword role of the RL strategy.

In this paper, three categories of Janus angle absorption structures for terahertz (THz) waves are realized by operating the edge hopping property of the photonic band gaps (PBGs) and the wide-angle absorption of graphene heterostructure. The left and right edges of the angle window are determined by the PBGs generated by photonic crystals 1 (PC1) and photonic crystals 2 (PC2), respectively. The appropriate combination of the two can obtain a transmission angle window (TAW), and the edges can be independently manipulated, which makes it possible to construct arbitrary angle filtering structures, making up for the shortage of rigid angle windows in traditional research. Graphene material has absorption potential, and when it is introduced into ternary photonic crystals 3 (PC3), high absorption at large angles will occur. The combination of PC3 and TAW will produce an absorption angle window (AAW) by using the energy cascade transmission features of photonic crystals (PCs). Contributing to the strong absorption properties, the energy transfer on both sides of PC3 is isolated. Consequently, the Janus angle absorption phenomenon will be remarkable by mirroring the PCs structures with different TAWs on both sides of PC3. Through the unique parameter design, the three relationships between the forward AAW and the backward one are investigated, that is inclusion, partial coincidence, and incoherence.

Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of blast diseases, is a destructive filamentous fungus that infects many plants including most economically important food crops, rice, wheat, pearl millet and finger millet. Magnaporthe oryzae has numerous pathotypes because of its high host-specificity in the field. The Oryza pathotype (MoO) of M. oryzae is the most devastating pathogen of rice, causing 10–30% yield loss in the world. On the other hand, the Triticum pathotype (MoT) causes blast disease in wheat, which is now a serious threat to wheat production in some South American countries, Bangladesh and Zambia. Because of low fungicide efficacy against the blast diseases and lack of availability of resistant varieties, control of rice and wheat blast diseases is difficult. Therefore, an integrated management programme should be adopted to control these two diseases in the field. Here, we introduced and summarized the classification, geographical distribution, host range, disease symptoms, biology and ecology, economic impact, and integrated pest management (IPM) programme of both rice and wheat blast diseases.

Abstract Background C1q/TNF-related protein 9 (CTRP9) and adiponectin (APN) have beneficial metabolic regulatory and vasoprotective effects. This study explored alteration of CTRP9 and APN multimers during onset of ischemic stroke and development, to provide novel clinical and experimental basis for recognition and prevention of ischemic stroke. Methods There were 269 patients with ischemic stroke and 182 control subjects included in this study. Serum levels of CTRP9 and APN multimers in different disease stages were measured. Results Serum CTRP9, total APN (tAPN), and high-molecular weight (HMW) APN decreased gradually in stage I (acute stage, within 72 h of onset) of ischemic stroke and increased during stage III (11th day to one month) and stage IV (1 month after), compared to control. In the non-hyperlipidemia group, serum CTRP9, tAPN, and HMW were decreased in ischemic stroke patients compared to control (P

Small molecules that target RNA Polymerase I inhibit ribosome biogenesis to activate p53 through the nucleolar surveillance response pathway. Here, the authors show that p53 induction by ribosome stress is dependent on extracellular glutamine availability.

Abstract Introduction Adiponectin is a potent vascular protective molecule. Recent findings have suggested adiponectin resistance during early diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible remain unidentified. Here, we took an unbiased approach to identify whether hyperlipidemic plasma molecules exist that bind and inhibit adiponectin function, contributing to adiponectin resistance and diabetic vascular injury. Methods Adult rats were randomly assigned to receive either a normal or a high‐fat diet for 8 weeks. Plasma was co‐immunoprecipitated with anti‐APN antibody and analyzed by mass spectrometry. The APN binding molecules and their effect upon APN biological activity were determined. Results As expected, the high‐fat‐diet increased plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein. Importantly, the circulating APN level was significantly increased at this time point. Mass spectrometry identified 18 proteins with increased APN binding in hyperlipidemic plasma, among which four proteins critical in lipid metabolism, including apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), APOA4, APOC1, and paraoxonase 1, were further investigated. Incubating recombinant APN with APOA1 markedly (P

The infiltration casting method is widely employed for the preparation of ex-situ composite materials. However, the production of composite materials using this method must necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the wettability and interface characteristics between the reinforcing phase and the bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). This work optimized the composition of Zr-based BMGs through microalloying methods, resulting in a new set of Zr-based BMGs with excellent glass-forming ability. Wetting experiments between the Zr-based BMGs melts and W substrates were conducted using the traditional sessile drop method, and the interfaces were characterized utilizing a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The work demonstrates that the microalloying method substantially enhances the wettability of the Zr-based BMGs melt. Additionally, the incorporation of Nb element impedes the formation of W-Zr phases, but the introduction of Nb element does not alter the extent of interdiffusion between the constituent elements of the amorphous matrix and W element, indicating that the influence of Nb element on the diffusion of individual elements is minute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of earth-abundant and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER) is crucial for hydrogen production through overall water splitting. Herein, we report a novel nanostructure consisting of vertically oriented CoP hierarchical nanosheet arrays with in situ-assembled carbon skeletons on a Ti foil electrode. The novel Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 (ZIF-67) template-derived hierarchical nanosheet architecture effectively improved electrical conductivity, facilitated electrolyte transport, and increased the exposure of the active sites. The obtained bifunctional hybrid exhibited a low overpotential of 72 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 65 mV dec−1 for HER, and an improved overpotential of 329 mV and a Tafel slope of 107 mV dec−1 for OER. Furthermore, the assembled C@CoP||C@CoP electrolyzer showed excellent overall water splitting performance (1.63 V) at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and superior durability. This work provides a structure engineering strategy for metal–organic framework (MOF) template-derived hybrids with outstanding electrocatalytic performance.

In this paper, the behaviors of nonreciprocal and polarization-separated tailored electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) realized by a layered photonic structure containing InSb are investigated by the transfer matrix method, which shows that the EIA peak can be up to 97.3 % and 98 % in the forward and backward propagation, and the interval between their frequency points of them can be up to 0.28 THz when the incident angle (θ) is 0° and the magnetic induction intensity (B) is 0 T. The theory of the two-oscillator model is used to further prove the reality of EIA. By adjusting θ to 36°, the frequency difference of the EIA peaks under the TE and TM waves is 4 GHz when B is 0 T, indicating a good capability of polarization separation (PS). With the alteration of the temperature, such a difference value is always larger than 3 GHz. With the escalation of θ, the frequency points of EIA of the forward and backward incidence is approximately 0.28 THz, and show good performance of PS. Besides, the adjustment of the number of periods and B can realize the function of regulating EIA. Depending on its high-quality factors and good sensitivity, this research is of great help in realizing the sensors.

Based on the structures of natural products streptochlorin and pimprinine derived from marine or soil microorganisms, a series of streptochlorin derivatives containing the nitrile group were designed and synthesized through acylation and oxidative annulation. Evaluation for antifungal activity showed that compound 3a could be regarded as the most promising candidate—it demonstrated over 85% growth inhibition against Botrytis cinerea, Gibberella zeae, and Colletotrichum lagenarium, as well as a broad antifungal spectrum in primary screening at the concentration of 50 μg/mL. The SAR study revealed that non-substituent or alkyl substituent at the 2-position of oxazole ring were favorable for antifungal activity, while aryl and monosubstituted aryl were detrimental to activity. Molecular docking models indicated that 3a formed hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase, offering a perspective for the possible mechanism of action for antifungal activity of the target compounds.

In this paper, we study effect algebra-induced partial ordered sets. All possible cases of effect algebras generated by bounded partial ordered set MI of height 2 are given. In addition, the structure of chain effect algebra is studied carefully and the corresponding results are obtained.

Predicting network dynamics based on data, a problem with broad applications, has been studied extensively in the past, but most existing approaches assume that the complete set of historical data from the whole network is available. This requirement presents a great challenge in applications, especially for large, distributed networks in the real world, where data collection is accomplished by many clients in a parallel fashion. Often, each client only has the time series data from a partial set of nodes, and the client has access to only partial time stamps of the whole set of time series data and the partial structure of the network. Due to privacy concerns or license-related issues, the data collected by different clients cannot be shared. Accurately predicting the network dynamics while protecting the privacy of different parties is a critical problem in modern times. Here, we propose a solution based on federated graph neural networks (FGNNs) that enables the training of a global dynamic model for all parties without data sharing. We validate the working of our FGNN framework through two types of simulations to predict a variety of network dynamics (four discrete and three continuous dynamics). As a significant real-world application, we demonstrate successful prediction of state-wise influenza spreading in the USA. Our FGNN scheme represents a general framework to predict diverse network dynamics through collaborative fusing of the data from different parties without disclosing their privacy.

Pimprinine and streptochlorin are indole alkaloids derived from marine or soil microorganisms. In our previous study, they were promising lead compounds due to their potent bioactivity in preventing many phytopathogens, but further structural modifications are required to improve their antifungal activity. In this study, pimprinine and streptochlorin were used as parent structures with the combination strategy of their structural features. Three series of target compounds were designed and synthesized. Subsequent evaluation for antifungal activity against six common phytopathogenic fungi showed that some of thee compounds possessed excellent effects, and this is highlighted by compounds 4a and 5a, displaying 99.9% growth inhibition against Gibberella zeae and Alternaria Leaf Spot under 50 μg/mL, respectively. EC50 values indicated that compounds 4a, 5a, 8c, and 8d were even more active than Azoxystrobin and Boscalid. SAR analysis revealed the relationship between 5-(3′-indolyl)oxazole scaffold and antifungal activity, which provides useful insight into the development of new target molecules. Molecular docking models indicate that compound 4a binds with leucyl-tRNA synthetase in a similar mode as AN2690, offering a perspective on the mode of action for the study of its antifungal activity. These results suggest that compounds 4a and 5a could be regarded as novel and promising antifungal agents against phytopathogens due to their valuable potency.

The effects of Nb-microalloying on glass forming ability, thermal properties and mechanical properties of (Zr _0.6032 Cu _0.2256 Fe _0.0995 Al _0.0717 ) _100-x Nb _x (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) alloys were investigated. The best glass former was obtained for (Zr _0.6032 Cu _0.2256 Fe _0.0995 Al _0.0717 ) _97 Nb _3 , which could be fabricated into full glass with diameter up to 6 mm at least. In addition, the origin of enhancing GFA of ZrAlFeCu amorphous alloy by means of the minor addition of Nb, Gd and Hf, was also discussed from the aspects of clusters and mixing entropy, which might provide a method of understanding the mechanism of enhancing glass-forming ability via microalloying, and choosing minor alloying element with an aim of enhancing glass-forming ability. It was found that the thermal stability reduced as the content of Nb increased along with the supercooled liquid region decreased. Nb-microalloying decease the fracture strength. However, moderate Nb microalloying could enhance the room temperature plastic strain.