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Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common neurologic disorder among elderly patients after non-cardiac surgery, which leads to various negative outcomes. Sleep disorder is considered an important cause of POD. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the Chinese traditional five-element music intervention could reduce POD by improving sleep quality in elderly patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Methods: A total of 132 patients aged 65 to 90 years who underwent non-cardiac surgery were randomized to two groups: the intervention (n = 60) and the control group (n = 63). Patients in the intervention group were subjected to the Chinese traditional five-element music intervention during the perioperative, while patients in the control group had no music intervention. POD was evaluated using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) in the first 5 days after surgery. The Richards‒Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) was used to assess subjective sleep quality. The levels of nocturnal melatonin and cortisol in saliva were measured on the preoperative and the first 2 postoperative days. Results: The incidence of POD within 5 days was 27.0% in the control group and 11.7% in the intervention group. Preoperative PSQI and MMSE scores were associated with POD. The RCSQ scores on the first postoperative day were significantly decreased in the two groups compared to the preoperative day. Compared to the control group, the RCSQ scores showed a significant improvement in the intervention group on the first postoperative day. Compared to the control group, the level of saliva melatonin in the intervention group showed a significant increase on the first postoperative day. However, there was no statistical difference in cortisol levels between the two groups. Conclusions: Chinese traditional five-element music intervention decreased the incidence of POD in elderly patients who underwent noncardiac surgery via improving sleep quality, which may be associated with increased levels of melatonin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke demonstrate an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction. Accumulating evidence indicates that ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD) may interact with the amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration (AT[N]) biomarkers to promote dementia. However, the precise pathological mechanisms remain to be fully characterized. Objective: To elucidate the interrelationships among ICVD, ATN biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and cognition. Methods: A total of 2524 participants were recruited from the CABLE study. ICVD referred to TIA/ischemic stroke. Cognitive performance was assessed by China Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (CM-MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment-b (MoCA-b). Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of ICVD with CSF ATN biomarkers and cognition. Causal mediation analyses were used to identify whether the association was mediated by ATN biomarkers. Results: ICVD was associated with higher total-tau (t-tau) (p = 2.828×10–2) and poorer cognition (CM-MMSE: p = 1.539×10–5, MoCA-b: p = 4.552×10–6). Additionally, no discernible correlation surfaced between ICVD and amyloid-β (Aβ) 42 (p = 6.910×10–1) or phosphorylated tau (p-tau) (p = 4.324×10–1). The influence of ICVD on cognitive function was partially mediated by CSF t-tau (CM-MMSE: proportion: 2.74%, MoCA-b: proportion: 2.51%). Subgroup analyses revealed the influences of t-tau were especially evident in male (CM-MMSE: proportion: 5.45%, MoCA-b: proportion: 5.38%) and mid-life group (CM-MMSE: proportion: 9.83%, MoCA-b: proportion: 5.31%). Conclusions: These results delineated t-tau as a potential mediator for the influence of ICVD on cognition. Targeting brain ischemia and alleviating neuronal injury induced by ischemia may be a promising approach for preventing cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation and accumulation of coal gangue (CG) and coal slime (CS) are a serious cause of environmental pollution. The co-pyrolysis of CG/CS and pine sawdust (PS) is an effective method to reduce pollution and waste generation. In this work, the co-pyrolysis characteristics of CG/CS and PS were analyzed by the thermogravimetric analyzer and fixed bed pyrolysis reactor. The kinetics analysis showed that the activation energies decreased with the PS mixing ratio increased for CG/PS blends and CS/PS blends in the second pyrolysis stage. The synergistic effect on yield is quantified by comparing the results of the co-pyrolysis of CG/CS and PS blends with weighted results from the pyrolysis of CG, CS and PS individually. The results revealed that when the mixing ratio of CG:PS was 1:1, the difference between the experimental and calculated yields (2.9 %) and the H 2 yield (320 ml/g) were maximum. Among the CS/PS blends, these values are maximum when the mixing ratio of CS:PS is 3:1 (2.5 % and 450 ml/g). Furthermore, the alkali and alkaline earth metals K and Ca in the co-pyrolysis char catalyze the decomposition of the –OH functional group. • CG/CS and PS co-pyrolysis was studied by non-isothermal and isothermal conditions. • The alkali and alkaline earth metals in the co-pyrolysis char had a catalytic effect. • CG/PS1-1 and CS/PS3-1 mixing ratio had the highest hydrogen yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary complications after thoracic surgery are common and associated with significant morbidity and high cost of care. Goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) could reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) and facilitate recovery in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. However, whether GDFT could reduce the incidence of PPCs in patients undergoing thoracic surgery was unclear. The present meta-analysis was designed to assess the impact of Goal-directed Fluid Therapy on PPCs in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing GDFT with other conventional fluid management strategies in adult patients undergoing thoracic surgery were identified. Databases searched included PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Review Manager 5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK) software was used for statistical analysis. Heterogeneity was analyzed using I2 statistics, and a standardized mean difference with 95% CI and P value was used to calculate the treatment effect for outcome variables. The primary study outcomes were the incidence of PPCs. Secondary outcomes were the total volume infused, the length of hospitalization, the incidence of cardiac complications, and the incidence of renal dysfunction. Subgroup analysis was planned to verify the definite role of GDFT. Results: A total of 6 RCTs consisting of 680 patients were included in this meta-analysis, which revealed that GDFT did not reduce the incidence of PPCs in patients undergoing thoracic surgery (RR, 0.57; 95% CI 0.29–1.14). However, GDFT decreased the total intra-operative fluid input (MD, − 244.40 ml; 95% CI − 397.06 to − 91.74). There was no statistical difference in the duration of hospitalization (MD; − 1.31, 95% CI − 3.00 to 0.38), incidence of renal dysfunction (RR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.29–1.35), and incidence of cardiac complications (RR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.27–1.40). Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis indicate that GDFT did not reduce the postoperative incidence of pulmonary complications in individuals undergoing thoracic surgery. However, considering the small number of contributing studies, these results should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein-templated molecularly imprinted polymers have limitations such as poor mass transfer, slow recognition kinetics, and difficulties in isolation and purification due to their large molecular sizes, complex structures, and flexible conformations. To address these limitations and obtain lysozyme (Lyz)-imprinted polymers, a molecularly imprinted polymer (UiO66@DES-MIPs) was prepared for the first time by using Lyz as a template molecule, a metal–organic framework (UiO66-NH2) as a matrix, and a water-compatible deep eutectic solvent (DES) as a functional monomer. The introduction of UiO66-NH2 by the solvothermal method with a large specific surface area and favorable stability and resistance to environmental disturbances into the MIPs can reduce the "embedding" phenomenon and acquire a higher binding capacity and fast mass transfer. In addition, a water-soluble binary DES (1:2 molar ratio of choline chloride to 1,3 dimethylurea) prepared by a hydrothermal method as a functional monomer generates multiple forces with Lyz, increasing the hydrophilicity of UiO66@DES-MIPs and contributing to the formation and stabilization of the imprinted sites. Consequently, UiO66@DES-MIPs exhibited good selectivity, water compatibility, and fast adsorption equilibrium (the adsorption equilibrated at 243.87 ± 4.88 mg g−1 in 90 min). Besides, reusability experiments indicated that the UiO66@DES-MIPs could be recycled six times without obvious loss of adsorption capacity. The imprinting factor of UiO66@DES-MIPs is 3.67. The isolation and purification of Lyz from egg white confirmed the practicability of UiO66@DES-MIPs. The high adsorption capacity and specific recognition make this polymer a promising candidate for the isolation and purification of biological macromolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex difference exists in the prevalence of dementia and cognitive decline. The impacts of sex-specific reproductive risk factors across the lifespan on the risk of dementia or cognitive decline are still unclear. Herein, we conducted this systemic review and meta-analysis to finely depict the longitudinal associations between sex-specific reproductive factors and dementia or cognitive decline. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched up to January 2023. Studies focused on the associations of female- and male-specific reproductive factors with dementia or cognitive decline were included. Multivariable-adjusted effects were pooled via the random effect models. Evidence credibility was scored by the GRADE system. The study protocol was pre-registered in PROSPERO and the registration number is CRD42021278732. Results: A total of 94 studies were identified for evidence synthesis, comprising 9,839,964 females and 3,436,520 males. Among the identified studies, 63 of them were included in the meta-analysis. According to the results, seven female-specific reproductive factors including late menarche (risk increase by 15%), nulliparous (11%), grand parity (32%), bilateral oophorectomy (8%), short reproductive period (14%), early menopause (22%), increased estradiol level (46%), and two male-specific reproductive factors, androgen deprivation therapy (18%), and serum sex hormone–binding globulin (22%) were associated with an elevated risk of dementia or cognitive decline. Conclusions: These findings potentially reflect sex hormone-driven discrepancy in the occurrence of dementia and could help build sex-based precise strategies for preventing dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fifth-order WENO-Z scheme proposed by Borges et al., using a linear combination of low-order smoothness indicators, is designed to provide a low numerical dissipation to solve hyperbolic conservation laws, while the power q in the framework of WENO-Z plays a key role in its performance. In this paper, a novel global smoothness indicator with fifth-order accuracy, which is based on several lower-order smoothness indicators on two-point sub-stencils, is presented, and a new lower-dissipation WENO-Z scheme (WENO-NZ) is developed. The spectral properties of the WENO-NZ scheme are studied through the ADR method and show that this new scheme can exhibit better spectral results than WENO-Z no matter what the power value is. Accuracy tests confirm that the accuracy of WENO-Z with q = 1 would degrade to the fourth order at first-order critical points, while WENO-NZ can recover the optimal fifth-order convergence. Furthermore, numerical experiments with one- and two-dimensional benchmark problems demonstrate that the proposed WENO-NZ scheme can efficiently decrease the numerical dissipation and has a higher resolution compared to the WENO-Z scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we design a fast and accurate lightweight semantic segmentation method for mobile robots. Accurate semantic segmentation usually requires obtaining high-resolution feature maps with strong semantic representation. Among the widely utilized methods, dilated convolution is computationally intensive and the feature pyramid accuracy is not as accurate. Inspired by the Flow Alignment Module (FAM) proposed by SFNet, we propose a Semantic Guided Upsampling Module (SGUM) for learning semantic offsets between neighboring level feature maps to solve the semantic misalignment problem and effectively fuse high level semantic features into low-level high-resolution feature maps. The integration of the SGUM into the semantic segmentation network with different backbones shows better performance than other methods on various datasets, showing the effectiveness of the SGUM on semantic feature fusion as well as its generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a systematic theoretical study of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity of C2N/GaN heterostructure is carried out based on first principles. An indirect bandgap of 1.99 eV and type‐II band alignment are formed in the C2N/GaN heterostructure, which can facilitate the spatially efficient separation of photogenerated carrier pairs, and the band edge position matches the reduction potential of water. The catalytic performance of the HER reaction at the C and N sites is compared and that the N site is better in performance is found, but still requires a potential barrier of 0.60 eV. In order to improve the catalytic performance of the C2N/GaN heterostructure, an N atom is replaced by a P atom to obtain P‐C2N/GaN. The band alignment of the P‐C2N/GaN heterostructure is still type‐II, and the band edges satisfy the reduction potential of water. Fortunately, the P or N sites play a crucial role in the HER process with a relatively low overpotential of 0.38 eV, which suggests that P‐C2N/GaN can improve the catalytic performance of the heterojunction. Overall, the P‐C2N/GaN heterostructure has suitable band gap values and band edges, and efficient charge separation in the heterostructure makes it a promising HER catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, generative adversarial networks have successfully synthesized images through text descriptions. However, there are still problems that the generated image cannot be deeply embedded in the text description semantics, the target object of the generated image is incomplete, and the texture structure of the target object is not rich enough. Consequently, we propose a network framework, cross-domain feature fusion generative adversarial network (CF-GAN), which includes two modules, feature fusion-enhanced response module (FFERM) and multi-branch residual module (MBRM), to fine-grain the generated images with the way of deep fusion. FFERM can integrate both the word-level vector features and image features deeply. MBRM is a relatively simple and innovative residual network structure instead of the traditional residual module to extract features fully. We conducted experiments on the CUB and COCO datasets, and the results reveal that the Inception Score has improved from 4.36 to 4.83 (increased by 10.78%) on the CUB dataset, compared with AttnGAN. Compared with DM-GAN, the Inception Score has increased from 30.49 to 31.13 (increased by 2.06%) on the COCO dataset. Extensive experiments and ablation studies demonstrate the proposed CF-GAN's superiority compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate time series prediction models perform the required operation on a specific window length of a given input. However, capturing complex and nonlinear interdependencies in each temporal window remains challenging. The typical attention mechanisms assign a weight for a variable at the same time or the features of each previous time step to capture spatio-temporal correlations. However, it fails to directly extract each time step's relevant features that affect future values to learn the spatio-temporal pattern from a global perspective. To this end, a temporal window attention-based window-dependent long short-term memory network (TWA-WDLSTM) is proposed to enhance the temporal dependencies, which exploits the encoder–decoder framework. In the encoder, we design a temporal window attention mechanism to select relevant exogenous series in a temporal window. Furthermore, we introduce a window-dependent long short-term memory network (WDLSTM) to encode the input sequences in a temporal window into a feature representation and capture very long term dependencies. In the decoder, we use WDLSTM to generate the prediction values. We applied our model to four real-world datasets in comparison to a variety of state-of-the-art models. The experimental results suggest that TWA-WDLSTM can outperform comparison models. In addition, the temporal window attention mechanism has good interpretability. We can observe which variable contributes to the future value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute mental disorder that often occurs in the elderly after surgery. It can delay functional recovery, extend hospital stay, and increase 1-year mortality and financial costs. Studies have shown that inflammation and cerebral desaturation are the potential pathogenesis of postoperative delirium. Prone-position surgery increases peak airway pressure and decreases lung compliance, exacerbating ventilator-induced inflammation response, as well as the decrease of the patient's cerebral oxygen saturation. Recent studies demonstrated that lung-protective ventilation strategy could reduce inflammatory response and improve cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) to prevent POD. In this trial, we aim to investigate the effect of the individualized PEEP on postoperative delirium in elderly patients during prone position. Methods: A prospective, randomized clinical trial will be performed in Hebei General Hospital. 106 patients undergoing elective surgery in prone position will be randomly divided into controlled group (group C) and individualized PEEP group (group I). Lung-protective ventilation with tidal volume of 6ml/kg predictive body weight (PBW) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 5 cm H2O will be applied to patients in group C. Patients in group I will receive the same tidal volume as described in group C plus individualized PEEP corresponding to the maximum dynamic compliance (Cdyn) in the titration method. Our primary endpoint is the prevalence of postoperative delirium based on the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) until postoperative day 3. Secondary endpoints include the intraoperative rSO2, respiratory variables, arterial blood gases, lung ultrasound score (LUS), postoperative VAS score, and plasma concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Discussion: The results of the current protocol might provide evidence for individualized PEEP to prevent POD among older surgical patients in prone position. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200056001). Registered 2022 January 30, http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The performance of the classical car-following system is easily affected by external disturbances. To enhance the performance of the classical car-following model under sudden external disturbances, a novel car-following model is established to smooth traffic flow. Design/methodology/approach: This paper proposed a Proportion Integration Differentiation (PID) control strategy based on classical control theory and developed a novel car-following model. The linear system theory and Laplace transform are used to derive a closed-loop transfer function. Then, the stability condition is obtained by using the Routh stability criterion and the small gain theorem. Finally, the validity and feasibility of the PID control strategy is proved by numerical simulations. Findings: The analytic results and the numerical simulation results show that both the integration part and the differential part have the positive effect to suppress traffic oscillation efficiently; the collaboration of these two parts has more power to improve the stability of traffic flow. It means that the proposed model integrated with the PID control strategy has the ability of anti-interference and smooth traffic compared with the classical car-following model. Originality/value: This paper introduces the PID control strategy into the classical car-following system, which enhances the stability of the system and also provides an efficient method for optimizing the traffic flow system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Gram-staining-negative strains, designated SG184T and SG263T were isolated from paddy soils in Fujian Province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strains SG184T, SG263T, and the related type strain Geothrix fermentans DSM 14018T were 98.6% and 99.1%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) between the two strains and G. fermentans DSM 14018T were below the cut-off level (95% for ANI and 70% for dDDH) recommended as the criterion for interspecies taxon affiliation. Further, phylogenetic and phylogenomic trees indicated that strains SG184T and SG263T clustered with the member of the genus Geothrix. The menaquinone was MK-8, and the main fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and iso-C13:0 3OH. The genomic DNA G + C content of SG184T and SG263T was 68.07% and 68.05%, respectively. Additionally, two strains had iron reduction ability and could reduce ferrihydrite to ferrous iron. Based on the morphological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and genome analysis, the two isolated strains represent two novel species of the genus Geothrix, for which the names Geothrix terrae sp. nov. and Geothrix alkalitolerans sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are SG184T (= GDMCC1.3134 T = JCM39321T) and SG263T (= GDMCC 1.3316 T = JCM 39325T), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ephedra species were erect, branching shrubs found in desert or arid regions worldwide as the source of ephedrine alkaloids. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Ephedra przewalskii and E. monosperma on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Compared with the other four published Ephedra species, the chloroplast genomes of Ephedra species were highly conservative, with a quadripartite structure. The length of the chloroplast genome was 109,569 bp in E. przewalskii with 36.6% GC and 109,604 bp in E. monosperma with 36.6% GC. We detected 118 genes in both Ephedra species, including 73 PCGs, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Among them, the ndh family genes were lost, which could be used to study the phylogeny and genetic diversity of the genus Ephedra, combined with multiple highly variable intergenic spacer (IGS) regions. Codon usage preference of Ephedra species was weak. The ratio of non-synonymous substitutions and synonymous substitutions was low, showing that the PCGs of Ephedra may be under the pressure of purifying selection. ML and BI analysis showed similar phylogenetic topologies. Ephedra species clustered together in a well-supported monophyletic clade. E. przewalskii and E. monosperma were not gathered in one clade, consistent with the classification system by Flora of China. This study reveals differences in the chloroplast genomes of Ephedra, providing valuable and abundant data for the phylogenetic analysis and species identification of Ephedra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestication can be defined as the artificial selection in animals to achieve morphological, physiological, and developmental conformity to human needs, with the aim of improving various limitations in species under a human feeding environment. The future sustainability of aquaculture may rely partly on the availability of numerous domesticated fish species. However, the underlying adaptive mechanisms that result in the domestication of fish are still unclear. Because they are poikilothermic, temperature is a key environmental element that affects the entire life of fish, so studying the association between physiological and behavioral changes in low-temperature domesticated fish can provide a model for understanding the response mechanisms of fish under cold stress. Through 5 generations and 10 years of artificial selection at low temperatures, we used cold-tolerant fugu as a biological model to compare transcriptome changes in brain and liver tissues to study the effects of cold stress on fish. It was found that the expression of genes such as apoptosis, p53, oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial β-oxidation in the brain of cold-tolerant fugu was significantly lower than the wild type due to cold stress, while excessive energy metabolism would lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exacerbate the brain damage, thus causing rollover and coma. Meanwhile, under cold stress, the signaling pathways involved in glycogenolysis and lipid metabolism, such as insulin signaling, adipocytokines, and mTOR signaling pathways, were significantly up-regulated in the liver of cold-tolerant fugu. Although the mitochondrial β-oxidation pathway was increased in cold-tolerant fugu liver tissues, the transcriptome was not enriched in apoptotic. These phenomena predict that in response to low-temperature conditions, cold-tolerant fugu employs a dynamic inter-organ metabolic regulation strategy to cope with cold stress and reduce damage to brain tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NiCo MOF/reduced GO film was synthesized by in-situ electrochemical method. • rGO increased the conductivity of the film. • NiCo MOF/reduced GO shows excellent electrocatalytic activity for chloramphenicol. • The sensor demonstrates an ultra-high sensitivity for chloramphenicol. A highly and simply sensitive electrochemical sensor has been developed for the detection of trace chloramphenicol (CAP) in water based on Ni/Co bimetallic metal–organic frameworks-reduced graphene oxide composites [rGO/NiCo-BTC MOFs (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylicacid)] modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE/rGO/NiCo-BTC MOFs). The bare glassy carbon electrode was initially coated with graphene oxide (GO). Subsequently, the GO was electrochemically reduced to obtain reduced graphene oxide (rGO). NiCo-BTC MOFs was grown on the surface of rGO modified electrode by in-situ electrochemical synthesis method to construct GCE/rGO/NiCo-BTC MOFs. The as-made composites films have been characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Further, different electrochemical techniques were utilized for investigating the electrochemical reduction behaviors of CAP at GCE/rGO/NiCo-BTC MOFs. This composites film modified electrode combines the large surface area and excellent electrical properties of rGO with the good catalytic activity of NiCo-BTC MOFs, resulting in a significant enhancement of the electrochemical signal during the electroreduction of CAP. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the sensor exhibits excellent sensing performance for CAP, with a wider linear dynamic range (0.1 − 100 μM), a lower limit of detection (0.235 μM) (S/N = 3) and a ultra-high sensitivity (33.12 μA·μM−1·cm−2). The tap water spiked with different concentrations of CAP were considered. The recoveries range from 97.79 % to 100.07 %, with relative standard deviations ranging from 3.45 % to 5.40 %. The method has been successfully applied for the determination of CAP in real samples, yielding satisfactory results. With further research and development, electrochemical in-situ synthesis of MOFs composites have the potential to revolutionize the design and performance of electrochemical sensors, holding great promise in the field of electrochemical sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant proteins are becoming increasingly popular as functional ingredients in foods because of their health, sustainability, and environmental benefits. The functional performance of plant proteins can often be improved by combining them with other food ingredients. For instance, they can be combined with polyphenols and metal ions to form surface active protein-polyphenol-iron complexes with biological activity. In this study, ternary complexes of pea protein isolate (PPI), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and iron (Fe3+) was prepared using a simple molecular self-assembly method. The formation mechanism, characteristics, and functional properties of these complexes were then characterized. Our results showed that PPI, EGCG, and Fe3+ could spontaneously combine to form nano-sheet networks held together by hydrogen bonds, phenolic hydroxyl coordination bonds, and electrostatic interactions. The addition of Fe3+ increased the fraction of disordered secondary structures, reduced the thermal denaturation temperature, reduced the surface hydrophobicity, increased the particle size, and altered the surface potential of the proteins in a dose dependent manner. Optimizing the EGCG-to-Fe3+ ratio in the complexes (1:2 w/w) led to the formation of protein composites with improved surface, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. This study provided valuable insights into the interaction mechanisms of proteins, polyphenols, and metal ions in ternary complexes. These complexes may be used as multifunctional ingredients in plant-based foods because of their beneficial antioxidant, antimicrobial, nutritional, and emulsification properties. [Display omitted] • Ternary complexes were fabricated from pea protein isolate, EGCG, and Fe3+. • Pea protein isolate-EGCG-Fe3+ formed a nano-sheet network at optimal iron levels. • The complexes had good interfacial properties at 1:2 EGCG: Fe3+ (w/w). • EGCG and Fe3+ boost the antioxidant and antibacterial traits of the complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein complexes have great potential for forming and stabilizing high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) loaded with bioactive compounds. In this study, we investigated the potential of three types of complexes, namely pea protein isolate (PPI), PPI-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and PPI-EGCG-Fe3+, to form and stabilize HIPEs with a 75% oil phase volume fraction. Initially, the impact of pH and emulsifier type on emulsions performance was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and particle size analysis showed that all three complexes could form HIPEs that remained stable under acidic and neutral conditions. These emulsions contained uniform oil droplets coated by a layer of the complexes. Notably, the PPI-EGCG-Fe3+ complexes formed HIPEs with the highest thermal and storage stability, which was attributed to the denser and thicker interfacial coatings. These emulsions also protected encapsulated β-carotene from degradation when exposed to light and thermal stress conditions. Furthermore, we measured lipid digestion and β-carotene bioaccessibility in the emulsions using an in vitro digestion model. The PPI-EGCG-Fe3+ stabilized emulsions not only exhibited slow fatty acid release but also enhanced β-carotene bioaccessibility (46.5%) under simulated small intestine conditions. This study demonstrates the potential of using protein-polyphenol-Fe3+ complexes to form and stabilize HIPEs, which may then be used to enhance the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of hydrophobic nutraceuticals. [Display omitted] • Ternary complexes were assembled from pea protein isolate (PPI), EGCG and iron. • These complexes were utilized to stabilize high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). • The PPI-EGCG-Fe3+ complexes enhanced thermal and storage stability of HIPEs. • Encapsulation of β-carotene in HIPEs improved its stability and bioaccessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the ground state energy (GSE) of weak coupling polaron confined in quantum dots (QD) of III-V compound semiconductors using the linear combinatorial operator (LCO) and the Lee-Low-Pines unitary transformation (LLPUT) method. Our calculated results show that the GSE of the polaron splits into two branches due to the Rashba spin-orbit (SO) coupling effect, and spin splitting spacing is influenced by Rashba SO coupling strength and the coupling strength and the effective mass of III-V compound semiconductor material. That reveals the SO coupling properties of weak coupling polaron in the QD of III-V compound semiconductors, which provides a theoretical platform for the fabrication of nanometer devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a method for the direct and quantitative determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) and doxycycline (DOX) using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with carboxylic‐group‐functionalized single‐walled carbon nanohorns. The modified electrode exhibits high electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of CAP and the oxidation of DOX. It shows a linear response to CAP between 0.1 μM and 100 μM and to DOX between 0.5 μM and 100 μM. The detection limits for CAP and DOX are 0.1 μM and 0.5 μM, respectively. The modified GCE displays good sensitivity, making it suitable for the determination of CAP and DOX in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chlortetracycline (CTC) residue in food poses a threat to human health. Therefore, developing sensitive, convenient and selective analytical methods for CTC detection is crucial. This study innovatively uses tin disulfide/bimetallic organic framework (SnS 2 /ZnCo-MOF) nanocomposites in conjunction with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to co-modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Further, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based electrochemical sensing platform Au-MIP/SnS 2 /ZnCo-MOF/Au/GCE (AZG) was fabricated for selective CTC detection. SnS 2 /ZnCo-MOF enhanced the stability and surface area of the AZG sensor. The presence of AuNPs facilitated electron transport between the probe and the electrode across the insulating MIP layer. The fixation of AuNPs and MIP via electropolymerization enhanced the selective recognition of this sensor and amplified its output signal. The AZG sensor demonstrated a wide linear detection range (0.1–100 μM), low detection limit (0.072 nM), and high sensitivity (0.830 μA μM−1). It has been used for detecting CTC in animal-origin food with good recovery (96.08%–104.60%). [Display omitted] • Ultrasensitive sensor was successfully developed for selective determination of CTC. • SnS 2 /ZnCo-MOF provided more uptake sites for the loading of CTC template. • AuNPs act as "electron wires" to facilitate electron transfer. • The low LOD and good recovery as well as stability were achieved. • The sensor showed great potential for CTC detection in animal-origin food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariable wind turbine power curve model is crucial for the performance degradation evaluation of wind turbine. However, the existing models have low modeling accuracy without considering the wind energy capture difference caused by segment control, and the inputs cannot represent the actual wind energy resources owing to the neglect of the short-term self-dependence of environmental parameters, which makes it difficult to ensure the performance degradation evaluation accuracy of wind turbine. To address these problems, a multivariable wind turbine power curve modeling method considering segment control differences and short-time self-dependence is proposed. First, an abnormal data cleaning method based on timing matching and bidirectional quartile algorithm is proposed to clean the abnormal data. Then, the multivariate wind turbine power curve model based on piece-wise regression of multiple environmental parameters is constructed, and applied to the performance degradation evaluation of wind turbine. The results demonstrated that the proposed abnormal data cleaning method can effectively solve the problem that the data categories of transition region between abnormal and normal data cannot be identified. Meanwhile, the proposed multivariable wind turbine power curve model can effectively improve the modelling accuracy and ensure the performance degradation evaluation accuracy of wind turbine under different wind energy resources. • The timing matching and bidirectional quartile algorithm for abnormal data cleaning. • A multivariable power curve model by piece-wise regression of multiple parameters. • The proposed model considers wind energy capture difference of segment control. • The proposed model includes short-time self-dependence of environmental parameters. • Correct evaluation of wind turbine performance degradation under different resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariable wind turbine power curve model is crucial for the performance degradation evaluation of wind turbine. However, the existing models have low modeling accuracy without considering the wind energy capture difference caused by segment control, and the inputs cannot represent the actual wind energy resources owing to the neglect of the short-term self-dependence of environmental parameters, which makes it difficult to ensure the performance degradation evaluation accuracy of wind turbine. To address these problems, a multivariable wind turbine power curve modeling method considering segment control differences and short-time self-dependence is proposed. First, an abnormal data cleaning method based on timing matching and bidirectional quartile algorithm is proposed to clean the abnormal data. Then, the multivariate wind turbine power curve model based on piece-wise regression of multiple environmental parameters is constructed, and applied to the performance degradation evaluation of wind turbine. The results demonstrated that the proposed abnormal data cleaning method can effectively solve the problem that the data categories of transition region between abnormal and normal data cannot be identified. Meanwhile, the proposed multivariable wind turbine power curve model can effectively improve the modelling accuracy and ensure the performance degradation evaluation accuracy of wind turbine under different wind energy resources. • The timing matching and bidirectional quartile algorithm for abnormal data cleaning. • A multivariable power curve model by piece-wise regression of multiple parameters. • The proposed model considers wind energy capture difference of segment control. • The proposed model includes short-time self-dependence of environmental parameters. • Correct evaluation of wind turbine performance degradation under different resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum P1NP, one of the important biomarkers for bone turnover, is commonly used for the prediction of bone fracture and the prognosis of osteoporosis after therapy. We developed a P1NP chemiluminescence assay and evaluated changes in bone metabolism markers in lung transplant patients. The screened 2 P1NP antibodies with constructed antigens and α-1 chain antigens expressed by the Corynebacterium glutamate expression system were applied into assay development. The assay performance was evaluated to examine the reliability. A normal Q-Q plot was used to establish male reference interval. Changes of bone metabolism markers before and after lung transplantation in 19 patients were evaluated. The linear factor R of P1NP reagent was greater than 0.99. The limit of detection was 3.32 ng/ml. The precision of the three batches of P1NP reagents was lower than 8%. Method comparison with Roche P1NP reagent showed that the correlation coefficient R2 was 0.91. In the monitoring of bone mass in a short time, bone metabolism markers can better indicate the change of bone mass, while the traditional bone mineral density detection is lagging behind the bone metabolism markers. P1NP and β-CrossLap to bone mass change in patients after lung transplantation, and P1NP and β-CrossLap are very good clinical markers for bone mass monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the structural, electronic and optical performances of PC6/MoSe2 heterostructure are investigated using first principles calculations based on density functional theory. The PC6/MoSe2 heterostructure displays type-I band alignment with a direct band gap of 0.84 eV, and its CBM and VBM are contributed by PC6. The heterojunction can be transformed from type-I to type-II under biaxial strain, even from semiconductor to metal in the presence of a strong strain within the range of elastic response. Meanwhile, the transition from type-I to type-II can be also observed when an electric field greater than 0.3 V/Å is applied. So the electronic properties of the PC6/MoSe2 heterostructure can be effectively modulated by applying biaxial strain and external electric field, which provides great potential for designing multifunctional devices. In addition, the optical absorption spectrum reveals that the PC6/MoSe2 heterostructure could present a good optical utilization performance, indicating that it may play an important role in the application of optoelectronic devices. The results suggest that the PC6/MoSe2 heterostructure can be widely used in optoelectronic, photocatalytic and light-emitting applications in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a serious global public health threat. Macrophage polarization is crucial for the innate immunity against M. tuberculosis. However, how M. tuberculosis interferes with macrophage polarization is elusive. We demonstrated here that M. tuberculosis PPE36 (Rv2108) blocked macrophage M1 polarization, preventing the cytokine storm, and alleviating inflammatory damage to mouse immune organs. PPE36 inhibited the polarization of THP‐1 cell differentiation to M1 macrophages, reduced mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, inhibited the expression of CD16, and repressed the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and TNF‐α, as well as chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, CCL3, and CCL5. Intriguingly, in the mouse infection model, PPE36 significantly alleviated the inflammatory damage of immune organs caused by a cytokine storm. Furthermore, we found that PPE36 inhibited the polarization of macrophages into mature M1 macrophages by suppressing the ERK signaling. The study provided novel insights into the function and mechanism of action of M. tuberculosis effector PPE36 both at the cellular and animal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doped BiCuSeO is one of the promising thermoelectric oxide candidates. However, the research on doping effects on the electrical transport properties of BiCuSeO, especially in crystalline samples, is still limited. Here, we studied the transport properties of doped BiCuSeO crystals, including three types of doping species (Rb, Sn, and Co) with varying concentrations. In the case of Rb-doped BiCuSeO crystals, few percentage (≤1%) Rb-doping make BiCuSeO display metallic behavior, while high one (≥2%) displays bad-metallic behavior. Both Sn- and Co-doped BiCuSeO crystals have similar electrical evolution as Rb-doped ones. The charge carriers of all these doped BiCuSeO crystals are holes, and the increased dopant concentration decreases the hole concentrations regardless of the type of dopant species. There is negative magnetoresistance (MR) in Rb- and Sn-doped BiCuSeO at low temperature (<15 K), which is due to the breakdown of weak localization by magnetic field B, but the MR behaviors in Co-doped BiCuSeO crystals are strongly correlated with their magnetic properties. The analysis of the temperature-dependent mobility of these doped BiCuSeO crystals substantiates that at low temperatures (<50 K), electron-impurity scattering dominates, while electron–phonon scattering dominates at high temperatures (>50 K). The evolution of the above-mentioned electrical/magneto-transport properties of doped BiCuSeO can be understood as follows: the dopant compensates the Bi-deficiency in pristine BiCuSeO crystals and decreases the hole concentration and leads to the metal–Anderson-insulator transition. These results may be valuable to optimize the electrical properties of layered compounds similar to BiCuSeO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel kind of imprinted polymers based on metal–organic frameworks (MOF@DES-MIPs) was prepared, using bovine hemoglobin (BHb) as template molecules and deep eutectic solvents (DES) as functional monomers for selective recognition and adsorption of BHb. MOF were used as the substrates to improve the accessibility of imprinted sites and DES as the functional monomers to produce different forces for BHb to help the formation of imprinted sites. Imprinted polymer films were taken to provide analyte selectivity. The MOF@DES-MIPs prepared were characterized and evaluated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. We also investigated the influences of BHb concentration and adsorption time on the performance of MOF@DES-MIPs. The maximal adsorption capacity of MOF@DES-MIPs to BHb reached 151.28 mg g−1, and the MOF@DES-MIPs showed good selectivity and fast adsorption equilibrium, which might offer a novel method for the preparation and research of molecularly imprinted polymers of biomacromolecules. In addition, MOF@DES-MIPs were successfully applied in the selective recognition of BHb from a real bovine blood sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyraclostrobin(PCT) is a highly effective and broad-spectrum strobilurin fungicide. The mode action of PCT is inhibiting mitochondrial respiration. With the widespread use of PCT in preventing and controlling crop diseases, its potential safety risks to mammals have gradually attracted attention. This paper focuses on the cytotoxicity of PCT and its molecular mechanism, RAW264.7 macrophages were selected as a research model and conducted systematic toxicology studies in vitro, including MTT assay, colony formation assay, alkaline comet assay, fluorescent staining, ATP assay and Western blotting. The results revealed that PCT decreased viability and inhibited the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells in a concentration- dependent manner. Interestingly, PCT induced DNA damage, the resulting autophagosome, the accumulation of Beclin-1, the reduction of p62, the translocation and the formation of LC3-II. Furthermore, the results showed that PCT-induced the production of excessive ROS, leading to mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, ATP depletion, and the elimination of mitochondria by autophagy. Furthermore, PCT treatment group significantly enhanced the phosphorylation level of AMPK, decreased the mTOR and p70s6k phosphorylation levels and activated the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, these results showed that PCT induced autophagy in the RAW264.7 cells might potentially have risks to mammal safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is an additional inflammatory injury caused by mechanical ventilation (MV). This study aimed to determine the effects of microRNA-214 (miR-214) on VILI and its underlying mechanism of action. Methods: To develop a VILI mouse model, mice were subjected to MV. The expression of miR-214 was detected by qRT-PCR. The macrophages, fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells were isolated from lung tissues by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The histopathological changes of lung, lung wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were used to evaluate the degree of lung injury. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the interactions between miR-214 and FGFR1. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of FGFR1, p-AKT, and p-PI3K. Results: The expression of miR-214 was increased in lung tissues and macrophages, fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells isolated from lung tissues in VILI mice. MiR-214 inhibition decreased the histopathological changes of lung, lung W/D ratio, MPO activity, and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels in BALF in VILI mice. FGFR1 was targeted by miR-214. The protein expression of FGFR1 was decreased in VILI mice. Ponatinib (FGFR1 inhibitor) reversed the suppressive effects of miR-214 inhibition on lung injury and inflammation of VILI mice. MiR-214 increased the activity of PI3K/AKT pathway by regulating FGFR1. Conclusions: Inhibition of miR-214 attenuated lung injury and inflammation in VILI mice by increasing FGFR1 expression, providing a novel therapeutic target for VILI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The xanthophyll cycle is of significant importance in protecting plants against membrane peroxidation induced by intense light exposure. According to our prior investigations, the overexpression of Chrysanthemum morifolium β-carotene hydroxylase resulted in the synthesis of zeaxanthin in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, 240 differentially expressed genes associated primarily with the respiratory chain, lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and flavonoid metabolism were identified via transcriptomic analysis. Several genes involved in the scavenging of reactive oxygen species and genes encoding antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and carotenoids, were found to be upregulated via cluster analysis. In comparison to the wild-type, increased CmBCH1 expression stimulated the expression of zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) and de-epoxidase (VDE), resulting in a substantial accumulation of xanthophyll, zeaxanthin, chlorophylls, and anthocyanins. This observation implies that the CmBCH1 gene has the potential to directly regulate the xanthophyll cycle. The study revealed that the BCH1 gene had more pronounced impacts on photosynthetic and fluorescence parameters, as well as pigments, compared to the light factor. Additionally, there was evidence of an interaction between these two factors. The findings of this study demonstrate that the overexpression of BCH1 in transgenic plants provides enhanced tolerance to intense light stress. Moreover, they offer a genetic engineering approach to improve the tolerance of plants towards high light conditions. • Overexpressing BCH1 induces changes in the chlorophyll, anthocyanidin, and lutein metabolic pathways. • Overexpression of BCH1 alleviates the excessive quenching of PSII thereby enhancing their resistance to this stressor. • CmBCH1 gene promoted tolerance to high light by enhancement of the xanthophyll cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemiluminescent immunoassay for human serum osteocalcin, or bone Gla protein, was established using a double-antibody sandwich model. Examination of the hook effect revealed that it was significantly reduced, and no hook effect was observed at an osteocalcin concentration of 4000 ng/mL. The established method showed good analytical performance and thermal stability. The limit of detection was 0.03 ng/mL. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 3.22%–5.64%, the interassay CV was 4.42%–7.25%, and the recovery rate was 93.22%–107.99%. Cross-reactivity (CR) was not observed with bovine, rat, mouse, rabbit, or porcine samples. The developed method showed a good correlation with the N-MID product from Roche. In total, 1069 clinical patient samples were measured using the reagent kit developed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemiluminescent immunoassay for human serum osteocalcin, or bone Gla protein, was established using a double-antibody sandwich model. Examination of the hook effect revealed that it was significantly reduced, and no hook effect was observed at an osteocalcin concentration of 4000 ng/mL. The established method showed good analytical performance and thermal stability. The limit of detection was 0.03 ng/mL. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 3.22%–5.64%, the interassay CV was 4.42%–7.25%, and the recovery rate was 93.22%–107.99%. Cross-reactivity (CR) was not observed with bovine, rat, mouse, rabbit, or porcine samples. The developed method showed a good correlation with the N-MID product from Roche. In total, 1069 clinical patient samples were measured using the reagent kit developed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind speed sequences at different spatial positions have a certain spatiotemporal coupling relationship. It is of great significance to analyze the clustering effect of the wind farm(s) and reduce the adverse impact of large-scale wind power integration if we can grasp this relationship at multiple scales. At present, the physical method cannot optimize the time-shifting characteristics in real time, and the research scope is concentrated on the wind farm. The statistical method cannot quantitatively describe the temporal relationship and the speed variation among wind speed sequences at different spatial positions. To solve the above problems, a quantification method of wind speed time-shifting characteristics based on wind process is proposed in this paper. Two evaluation indexes, the delay time and the decay speed, are presented to quantify the time-shifting characteristics. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified from the perspective of the correlation between wind speed sequences. The time-shifting characteristics of wind speed sequences under the wind farms scale and the wind turbines scale are studied, respectively. The results show that the proposed evaluation method can effectively achieve the quantitative analysis of time-shifting and could improve the results continuously according to the actual wind conditions. Besides, it is suitable for any spatial scale. The calculation results can be directly applied to the wind power system to help obtain the more accurate output of the wind farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of high-efficiency anode electrocatalysts remains a challenge for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, carbon dots (CDs) and Co-substituted sandwich polyoxometalate K10[Co4(H2O)2(PW9O34)2]·20H2O (Co-POM) were selected as building blocks to construct a new ternary composite electrocatalyst CDs/Co-POM/Pt for application in the methanol oxidation reaction. CDs/Co-POM/Pt was characterized by FTIR, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX), element mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results revealed that a nanoflower-like Pt nanostructure with high dispersion and uniformity was formed. The electrochemical experiments showed that CDs and Co-POM enhanced the electrocatalytic ability of Pt, and the highest peak current density of 7.98 mA cm−2 was obtained for CDs/Co-POM/Pt, corresponding to 3.6 times, 6.5 times and 10.8 times as high as that of CDs/Pt, Co-POM/Pt and pure Pt. Also CDs/Co-POM/Pt had good stability in the electrocatalytic process. This work paves a way for development of polyoxometalate-based electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate modeling of the wind turbine power curve (WTPC) is crucial for calculating the theoretical wind power for the integration of renewable energies and electric vehicles. However, existing WTPC modeling methods cannot simultaneously guarantee high modeling accuracy and efficiency for data samples with a large amount of accumulated abnormal data. To address this problem, this paper presents a WTPC modeling method based on interval extreme probability density, which does not require complicated and time-consuming abnormal data cleaning and can significantly improve the modeling efficiency while guaranteeing high modeling accuracy. To verify the applicability and validity of the proposed method, firstly, WTPC models were constructed using actual operation data from 12 wind turbines in a Chinese wind farm and were compared with the manufacturer's power curve and with WTPC modeling methods based on abnormal data cleaning algorithms. Secondly, the theoretical wind power was calculated and compared with the commonly used manufacturer's power curve. The results demonstrated that the proposed WTPC modeling method has high modeling accuracy and efficiency and can improve the calculation accuracy of the theoretical wind power effectively, providing more reliable data support for the integrated planning of renewable energies and electric vehicles in nearby regions. • Wind turbine power curve modeling based on interval extreme probability density. • A modeling method without complicated and time-consuming abnormal data cleaning. • Wind turbine power curves can be modeled with high accuracy and efficiency. • The proposed model supports the planning of renewable energies and electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the role of teriparatide in improving hip fracture healing and function to provide a clinical guide. Methods. The systematic literature review identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled studies evaluating teriparatide for elderly hip fractures. A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan version 5.3. Results. This study included two RCTs and four retrospective studies comprising 607 patients, with 269 and 338 patients in the teriparatide and control groups, respectively. The quality of these six studies was moderate. Compared to the control group, teriparatide reduced the time to union (weighted mean difference WMD = − 1.95 ; 95% confidence interval (CI): -3.23–-0.68; P = 0.003) but did not improve the rate of fracture union at 3 months (odds ratio OR = 1.46 ; 95% CI: 0.50–4.24; P = 0.49) or 6 months (OR = 0.89 ; 95% CI: 0.44–1.81; P = 0.75). In addition, teriparatide did not decrease the complications, need for reoperation, mortality, rate of deformity after fracture healing, and subsequent fracture or improve hip function. Conclusions. The current limited evidence did not support that teriparatide improves fracture healing in hip fractures, due to study heterogeneity and various sources of biases. Further high-quality, large-sample trials are needed. This trial is registered with PROSPERO with registration number CRD42020152205. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for human serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was established by a competition model. In serum, more than 99% of total circulating 25(OH)D binds to protein and less than 1% of 25(OH)D is in free form (Jassil et al., 2017). Before measuring concentration of 25(OH)D in serum, a releasing procedure should be conducted. A new reagent is used to release binding 25(OH)D to free form. Streptavidin (SA) was labeled to magnetic beads by a 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) method. Biotinylated VD was used as a competitor of 25(OH)D in samples. Anti-VD antibody (aby) was labeled to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by EDC to react with 25(OH)D and biotinylated-VD molecules. The pretreated samples or standards were added into the reaction tube with biotin-VD and anti-VD aby-HRP, free 25(OH)D in the sample competes with biotinylated VD for binding to anti-VD aby-HRP, an SA-labeled magnetic particle is added to isolate the signal-generating complex, and the signal is inversely proportional to the 25(OH)D concentration in the sample. The method established shows good thermostability and performance. The limitation of detection (LoD) is 1.43 ng/mL. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) is 3.66%–6.56%, the interassay CV is 4.19%–7.01%, and the recovery rate is 93.22%–107.99%. Cross-reactivity (CR) was remarkably low with vitamin D2, vitamin D3, 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D2. At the same time, the cross-reaction values with 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were 97% and 100%, respectively. The developed method shows good correlation with the total VD product from Roche and DiaSorin. 1096 clinical patient samples were measured with developed reagent kit in this study. 7 types of disease were involved, and the concentration of 25(OH)D is less than 30 ng/mL in 94.98% of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Wind power prediction (WPP) is one of the key techniques to eliminate the adverse impact of large proportion of wind power on power grid, while it faces the main problem of low prediction accuracy. The main contribution of this paper is a new data sample division method based on China's 24 solar terms (24STs) for wind power prediction. The 24STs is an astronomical and meteorological calendar summarized by ancient Chinese, and it more accurately reflects the law of the seasonal changes, the phenomenon of phenology, and climate characteristics compared with the calendar month. In the paper, firstly, the reasonableness of the division of 24STs is verified from the point of temperature and wind speed; secondly, four meteorological factors related to wind power output are used for similarity calculation, and the results show that the data samples in the same STs have higher similarity than those in the same semi‐month based on Gregorian; finally, the WPP models are established with the 24STs sample division method and the semi‐month sample division method, and the case proves that the 24STs method has higher prediction accuracy because it can grasp the seasonal changes law of some meteorological elements more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we found that glucose enhance electrochemiluminescence (ECL) intensity of both Au nanoclusters (Au NCs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with K2S2O8 as the co‐reactants. The enhancing effects by Au NCs and CQDs were overlapped, enabling the detection of glucose. The increased ECL intensity of glucose was linear with the logarithm of concentrations of glucose in the range of 50 μM–3.0 mM, and the limit of detection is 20 μM. Anti‐interruption ability was achieved, and ascorbic acid, urea, and uric acid had little influence to glucose detection. This method realized the direct detection of glucose by enhancing ECL of Au NCs and CQDs, which was fast and economic, possessing potential applications for glucose detection in human serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes are extracellular membranous nanovesicles that mediate local and systemic cell-to-cell communication by transporting functional molecules, such as proteins, into target cells, thereby affecting the behavior of receptor cells. Exosomes originating from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are considered a multipotent and abundant therapeutic tool for tissue injury. To investigate ADSC-secreted exosomes and their potential function in tissue repair, we isolated exosomes from the supernatants of ADSCs via ultracentrifugation, characterized them via transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and Western blot analysis. Then, we determined their protein profile via proteomic analysis. Results showed that extracellular vesicles, which have an average diameter of 116 nm, exhibit a cup-shaped morphology and express exosomal markers. A total of 1,185 protein groups were identified in the exosomes. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that exosomal proteins are mostly derived from cells mainly involved in protein binding. Protein annotation via the Cluster of Orthologous Groups system indicated that most proteins were involved in general function prediction, posttranslational modification, protein turnover, and chaperoning. Further, pathway analysis revealed that most of the proteins obtained participated in metabolic pathways, focal adhesion, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, and microbial metabolism. Some tissue repair-related signaling pathways were also discovered. The identified molecules might serve as potential therapeutic targets for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction between 2,4-dichlorophenylacrylic acid (HL) and triphenyltin (IV) hydroxide to yield the complex [(Ph3Sn)L]n (1). The complex has been characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectrum and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The structural analysis shows that complex 1 possesses 1 D chain structure in which every tin atom is five coordinated. The 1 D chains linked by C(66)-H(66)·Cl(2) hydrogen bonds to aggregate in 2 D framework. Additionally, the PXRD, TG, and luminescent property were also investigated. The quantum chemistry calculations was performed with the Gaussian09 program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been recognized that many complex dynamical systems in the real world require a description in terms of multiplex networks, where a set of common, mutually connected nodes belong to distinct network layers and play a different role in each layer. In spite of recent progress toward data based inference of single-layer networks, to reconstruct complex systems with a multiplex structure remains largely open. In this paper, we articulate a mean-field based maximum likelihood estimation framework to address this problem. In a concrete manner, we reconstruct a class of prototypical duplex network systems hosting two categories of spreading dynamics, and we show that the structures of both layers can be simultaneously reconstructed from time series data. In addition to validating the framework using empirical and synthetic duplex networks, we carry out a detailed analysis to elucidate the impacts of network and dynamics parameters on the reconstruction accuracy and the robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most fatal types of gynecological malignancy. Certain long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) have been reported to have crucial roles in cancer progression. Zinc finger nuclear transcription factor, X-box binding 1-type containing 1 antisense RNA 1 (ZFAS1) is a novel regulator lncRNA in various cancer types. The expression pattern of most lncRNAs, including ZFAS1, in OC remains to be determined. In the present study, it was demonstrated that ZFAS1 was overexpressed in OC vs. normal cell lines. However, ZFAS1 was downregulated in OC compared with normal samples in the GEPIA dataset. Furthermore, OC samples of higher stages (stage III/IV) had higher levels of ZFAS1 compared with those in early-stage OC (stage I/II) samples. Of note, higher ZFAS1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival time and disease-free survival time of OC patients. Protein-protein interaction networks of proteins co-expressed with ZFAS1 in OC were constructed. Furthermore, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of genes co-expressed with ZFAS1 indicated that ZFAS1 is associated with translation, mRNA splicing, cell-cell adhesion, DNA repair, protein sumoylation, positive regulation of GTPase activity and DNA replication. The present study may provide novel clues to validate ZFAS1 as a biomarker in OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metasurface provides a completely new path to realize a cloaking effect by using phase compensation. However, the traditional invisible cloaks by using metasurfaces are limited at the narrow bandwidth and angle response. Here, we propose a multilayer metasurface to construct a cloak device, and more geometric freedom ensures the broadband and wide-angle response of our designed cloak. The invisible effect is revealed by near-field and far-field distribution for the ground plane, bare bump, and cloak, respectively. Our designed cloaking with the metasurface composed of five-layer unit cell structure has a good invisible effect at the broadband range from 0.7 to 0.8 THz and has a wide-angle response from 35 to 50°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Integrating Ag/Ni-MOF/ N -GQDs with MIP exhibit distinct synergic effect. • Ag/Ni-MOF and N -GQDs improved sensitivity and electrical conductivity. • The MIECS has high specificity and ultra-sensitivity to OLA in animal-origin food. • Wide linear range, low LOD, and good stability were obtained. • The sensor was successfully applied to actual sample detection validated by HPLC. Olaquindox (OLA) in food from its illegal use possesses great harmful effects on humans, making it important to develop sensitive, inexpensive, and convenient methods for OLA detection. This study innovatively presented a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor based on the synergistic effects of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N -GQDs) and a nickel-based metal–organic framework functionalized with silver nanoparticles (Ag/Ni-MOF) for OLA detection. N -GQDs and Ag/Ni-MOF with unique honeycomb structures were sequentially modified on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface to accelerate the electron transfer rate and increase the available region of the electrode. Molecularly imprinted polymers were further grown on the Ag/Ni-MOF/ N -GQDs/GCE by electropolymerization to significantly enhance the selective recognition of OLA. The constructed sensor showed excellent performance for selective OLA determination, with a wide linear range (5–600 nmol·L-1) and exceedingly low detection limit (2.2 nmol·L-1). The sensor was successfully applied to detect OLA in animal-origin food with satisfactory recoveries (96.22–101.02%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TpPa-2 improved imprinting effect and fluorescence stability of CQ-MIPs. • CQ-MIPs exhibited fast recognition and specificity for PAT. • CQ-MIPs sensor showed good repeatability and sensitivity. • CQ-MIPs was applied to detection of PAT in apple products and confirmed by HPLC. • The sensor is convenient, fast and needs tiny amount of samples detected. Here, a novel molecularly imprinted photopolymer was prepared using CsPbBr 3 quantum dots as the fluorescence source, TpPa-2 as substrate for selective solid fluorescence detection of patulin (PAT). TpPa-2 can promote efficient recognition of PAT due to its unique structure and significantly improve the fluorescence stability and sensitivity. The test results showed that the photopolymer exhibited large adsorption capacity (131.75 mg/g), fast adsorption ability (12 mins), superior reusability and high selectivity. The sensor proposed had good linearity for PAT in the range of 0.2–20 ng/mL and was applied to the analysis of PAT in apple juice and apple jam with a limit of detection as low as 0.027 ng/mL. Therefore it maybe a promising method for solid fluorescence detection of trace PAT in food analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of bovine adipose tissue involves complex developmental and physiological processes that play a vital role in determining the quality of beef; however, the regulatory mechanisms are largely unknown. Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) has been reported to be involved in the development of adipose tissue; however, the mechanism of adipogenesis which is regulated by ANGPTL8 has not been revealed in cattle. In this study, RT-qPCR and Oil Red O staining were performed to detect the expression of ANGPTL8 and adipocyte differentiation in bovine. We found that ANGPTL8 had a high expression level in adipose tissue and that the expression pattern was consistent with those of PPARγ , C/EBPα and LPL which are key regulators and transcription factors involved in preadipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. The overexpression of ANGPTL8 by the adenovirus vector promoted lipid droplet formation in adipocytes. Thus, we speculated that ANGPTL8 could significantly enhance lipid deposition. Moreover, the expression of LPL and SREBP1 , key genes inhibiting adipogenesis, was significantly decreased by ANGPTL8 overexpression. These results suggested that ANGPTL8 promotes adipocyte differentiation. In conclusion, we consider that ANGPTL8 regulates adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis in bovine. • ANGPTL8 has a high expression level in adipose tissue of bovine. • Overexpression of ANGPTL8 can significantly promote lipid deposition. • ANGPTL8 can significantly promote adipocyte differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]