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All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLB) utilizing solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are attractive due to the enhanced safety and processability. However, operation of the cells usually requires elevated temperatures to overcome the low ionic conductivity or high interfacial resistance issue. Through this study, we identify that grain boundaries within SPE exist and play a crucial role on Li-ion transport and cell performance. Accordingly, a direct hot-press activation approach was proposed and demonstrated significant reduction of boundary resistance within the SPE, leading to a fourfold increase in room temperature (r.t.) ionic conductivity. The detailed morphological and structural study suggest a pressure-induced amorphization mechanism for the activation of room-temperature SPE. Through this facile activation procedure, all solid-state LiFeO4 (LFP)|SPE|Li cells demonstrate improved performance for both high specific capacity and stable cycling at r.t.

Abstract Material composition and structural design are important factors influencing the electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance of materials. To alleviate the impedance mismatch attributed to the high dielectric constant of Ti3C2Tx MXene, we have successfully synthesized core‐shell structured SiO2@MXene@MoS2 nanospheres. This architecture, comprising SiO2 as the core, MXene as the intermediate layer, and MoS2 as the outer shell, is achieved through an electrostatic self‐assembly method combined with a hydrothermal process. This complex core‐shell structure not only provides a variety of loss mechanisms that effectively dissipate electromagnetic energy but also prevents self‐aggregation of MXene and MoS2 nanosheets. Notably, the synergistic combination of SiO2 and MoS2 with highly conductive MXene enables the suitable dielectric constant of the composites, ensuring optimal impedance matching. Therefore, the core‐shell structured SiO2@MXene@MoS2 nanospheres exhibit excellent EMW absorption performance, featuring a remarkable minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −52.11 dB (2.4 mm). It is noteworthy that these nanospheres achieve an ultra‐wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.72 GHz. This work provides a novel approach for designing and synthesizing high‐performance EMW absorbers characterized by “wide bandwidth and strong reflection loss.”

In this paper, we propose a dielectric laser acceleration scheme based on the inverse Cherenkov effect, which uses the principle of alternating phase focusing to accelerate, confine, and bunch the subrelativistic electron beam over an extended distance. In this scheme, the reference electron is always synchronized with the acceleration wave and is thus continuously accelerated. Electrons around it are alternately subjected to focusing and defocusing forces by alternately jumping its phase. Optimizing the focusing period can achieve stable beam confinement. Simulations show that a 100 keV electron bunch can be coherently accelerated with the average acceleration gradient of 220.8 MV/m, and it can travel nearly 200 μm without loss in a channel only 500 nm wide. This approach is scalable, potentially enabling the development of millimeter-scale MeV particle accelerators for ground-breaking use in medical, scientific, and materials research.

This paper focuses on improving the tracking accuracy for servo systems and increasing the contouring performance of precision machining. The dynamic friction during precision machining is analyzed using the LuGre model. The dynamic and static parameters in the friction model are efficiently and accurately identified using the improved Drosophila swarm algorithm based on cross-mutation. The friction tracking error can be deduced from the friction state space and an expression is derived. To compensate for the tracking error caused by friction, a feedforward compensation control is designed to avoid signal lag in traditional friction controllers. Furthermore, the factors of multi-axis parameter mismatching that impact the machining profile accuracy are analyzed for multi-axis control. An adaptive cross-coupled control-based pre-compensation strategy of contour error is designed to reduce both the tracking error and the contour error. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through several experiments, which demonstrate a remarkable improvement in tracking performance and contour accuracy.

Volatile oil, mainly extracted from aromatic plants, is widely used in medical, cosmetics, and other industries for its disinfection, sterilization, antioxidant, and other effects. The yield of volatile oil was influenced by plant density and harvest time. Here, two common aromatic plants, Perilla frutescens and Ysphania ambrosioide, were taken as examples to investigate the effects of plant density and harvest time on plant yield-related traits, content, and yield of volatile oil, and the oil yield was determined by steam distillation. Results showed that plant density and harvest time significantly affected the yield and quality of the two plants (p < 0.05). Increasing plant density significantly increased the dry yield and leaf dry yield of P. frutescens, while the dry yield and volatile oil content and yield of Y. ambrosioides significantly decreased, and the maximum value exhibited was at the plant density of 80 cm × 80 cm. In P. frutescens, the maximum volatile oil content was obtained at the plant density of 60 cm × 60 cm, and the maximum volatile oil yield was obtained at the plant density of 30 cm × 30 cm. The yield and volatile oil yield of these two plants increased first and then decreased with the extension of harvest time. The maximum of P. frutescens was in mid-September, and that of Y. ambrosioides was in late October to early November. Our study provides new data for improving plant volatile oil yield and commercial value by optimizing planting density and harvest time and highlights the importance of optimizing planting management mode.

Frozen mandarin fish (MF) is utilized for preparation fermented MF. However, how raw material (RM) affects the quality and flavor of fermented MF is unclear. This study investigated the impact and mechanism of RM frozen storage on the microstructure, texture, water distribution, and flavor of fermented MF by light microscopy, texture profile analysis, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, and multivariate analysis. With increasing RM frozen storage time, both frozen MF and frozen-based fermented MF decreased in muscle fiber density while increased in muscle fiber diameter. Additionally, RM frozen storage exhibited a significant impact on the water distribution of frozen MF, while no obvious effect on that of frozen-based fermented MF. Seven odorant (2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 2,3-butanedione, hexanal-D, ethyl acetate-D, 3-pentanone, and acetone) were shown as potential markers to distinguish fermented MF. This study could provide a theoretical basis for the production of high-quality frozen-based fermented MF.

Vacuum induction melting is a more energy-efficient process for the preparation of a titanium alloy with good homogeneity and low cost. But the crucial problem for this technology is in developing a crucible refractory with high stability. In the present work, a novel (Ca,Sr,Ba)ZrO3 crucible was prepared by slip casting and its performance in melting NiTi alloy was studied. The results showed that a single solid solution was formed with a homogeneous distribution of metal elements after sintering at 1500 °C. It was found that the total content of oxygen and nitrogen remaining in the TiNi alloy after melting in the (Ca,Sr,Ba)ZrO3 crucible was 0.0173 wt.%, which fulfills the ASTM standard on biomedical TiNi alloys. The good resistance of the (Ca,Sr,Ba)ZrO3 crucible to molten NiTi has a relationship with the sluggish diffusion effect of high-entropy ceramics. This study provides insights into the process of designing highly suitable crucible material for melting a NiTi alloy.

In this work, a novel process, oscillatory pressure-assisted sinter forging (OPSF), for the preparation of high-performance ceramic composites was reported. Compared with the samples made by conventional sinter forging (SF) and hot oscillatory pressing (HOP), the SiC whisker reinforced Al2O3 composites (SiCw–Al2O3) prepared by OPSF at the same temperature exhibited a higher density and significantly improved the mechanical properties. The improvements in densification and performance are attributed to simultaneous enhanced shear deformation at both macro- and micro-scales, resulting from the combination of die-free configuration and oscillatory pressure of OPSF. And the strength of grain boundary is greatly increased when the temperature reaches 1600 ℃ of OPSF, due to that the grain-boundary sliding became pronounced at higher temperatures. The current results shed light on a powerful technique for preparing ceramic composites, which is likely applicable to other systems.

Abstract Objective To identify the prognostic indicators of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) for future EAC diagnosis and treatment. Methods The EAC dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas was screened for differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs associated with EAC. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed to cluster miRNAs or mRNA with similar expression patterns to identify the miRNAs or mRNA that are highly associated with EAC. Prognostic miRNAs for overall survival (OS) were identified using Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator based on survival duration and status. Two types of miRNAs were selected to develop a prognostic signature model for EAC using multiple Cox regression analysis. Furthermore, the signature was validated using internal validation sets 1 and 2. The receiver operating characteristic curve and concordance index were used to evaluate the accuracy of the signature and validation sets. The expression of miR-421, miR-550a-3p, and miR-550a-5p was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The proliferation, invasion, and migration of EAC cells were assessed using CCK8 and transwell assays. The OS of target mRNAs was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Functional enrichment analysis of the target mRNAs was performed using Metascape. Results The prognostic signature and validation sets comprising mir-421 and mir-550a-1 had favorable predictive power in OS. Compared with the patients with EAC in the high-expression group, those assigned to the low-expression group displayed increased OS according to survival analysis. Differential and qPCR analysis showed that miR-421, miR-550a-3p, and miR-550a-5p were highly expressed in the EAC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the downregulation of miR-421 and miR-550a-3p with inhibitor markedly suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration in OE33 cells compared with the negative control. A total of 20 target mRNAs of three miRNAs were predicted, among which seven target mRNAs—ASAP3, BCL2L2, LMF1, PPM1L, PTPN21, SLC18A2, and NR3C2—had prognostic value; PRKACB, PDCD4, RPS6KA5, and BCL2L2 were enriched in the miRNA cancer pathway. Conclusion Prognostic indicators of EAC may be useful in future EAC diagnosis and treatment.

IntroductionWilson's disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by ATP7B pathogenic mutations. The hallmark of this disorder mainly consists of liver involvement, neurologic dysfunction and psychiatric features. In addition, the kidneys can also be affected by excessive copper deposition.MethodsA total of 34 patients clinically diagnosed with WD were recruited. They underwent ATP7B gene sequencing and clinical data of symptoms, examination, and treatment were collected. Moreover, renal pathology information was also investigated.ResultsWe identified 25 potentially pathogenic ATP7B variants (16 missense, 5 frameshift, 3 splicing variants and 1 large deletion mutation) in these 34 WD patients, 5 of which were novel. In our cases, the most frequent variant was c.2333G>T (R778L, 39.06%, exon 8), followed by c.2621C>T (A874V, 10.94%, exon 11) and c.3316G>A (V1106I, 7.81%, exon 11). Furthermore, we described the thinning of the glomerular basement membrane as a rare pathologically damaging feature of Wilson's disease for the first time. Additionally, two patients who received liver transplant were observed with good prognosis in present study.DiscussionOur work expanded the spectrum of ATP7B variants and presented rare renal pathological feature in WD patients, which may facilitate the development of early diagnosis, counseling, treatment regimens of WD.

We investigate the effect of pure darkness and UV illumination on the corrosion process of 3Ni weathering steels involved in both marine atmospheric environments. The corrosion behavior of 3Ni steel in both environments was assessed by cyclic acceleration experiments, electrochemical measurements, morphological analysis and physical phase analysis. The results show that UV illumination affects the corrosion process through the photovoltaic effect of the corrosion products, with photoelectrons and photo-vacancies participating in the redox reaction between the substrate and the atmospheric environment, thereby affecting the corrosion rate of 3Ni steel, the physical composition of the corrosion products and the denseness of the rust layer.

Abstract Pressure measurement with excellent stability and long time durability is highly desired, especially at high temperature and harsh environments. A polymer-derived silicoboron carbonitride (SiBCN) ceramic pressure sensor with excellent stability, accuracy, and repeatability is designed based on the giant piezoresistivity of SiBCN ceramics. The SiBCN ceramic sensor was packaged in a stainless steel case and tested using half Wheatstone bridge with the uniaxial pressure up to 10 MPa. The SiBCN ceramic showed a remarkable piezoresistive effect with the gauge factor (K) as high as 5500. The output voltage of packed SiBCN ceramic sensor changes monotonically and smoothly versus external pressure. The as received SiBCN pressure sensor possesses features of short response time, excellent repeatability, stability, sensitivity, and accuracy. Taking the excellent high temperature thermo-mechanical properties of polymer-derived SiBCN ceramics (e.g., high temperature stability, oxidation/corrosion resistance) into account, SiBCN ceramic sensor has significant potential for pressure measurement at high temperature and harsh environments.

TiO2/Au/BDD composites with a Z-scheme structure was prepared by orderly depositing gold (Au) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the surface of a boron-doped diamond (BDD) film using sputtering and electrophoretic deposition methods. It was found that the introduction of Au between TiO2 and the BDD, not only could reduce their contact resistance, to increase the carrier transport efficiency, but also could improve the surface Hall mobility of the BDD electrode. Meanwhile, the designed Z-scheme structure provided a fast channel for the electrons and holes combination, to promote the effective separation of the electrons and holes produced in TiO2 and the BDD under photoirradiation. The electrochemical characterization elucidated that these modifications of the structure obviously enhanced the electrocatalytic performance of the electrode, which was further verified by the simulated wastewater degradation experiments with reactive brilliant red X-3B. In addition, it was also found that the photoirradiation effectively enhanced the pollution degradation efficiency of the modified electrode, especially for the TiO2/Au/BDD-30 electrode.

The present research explored how foreign language listening anxiety (FLLA) affected Chinese university students' English listening test performance and how proficiency and gender mediated the effects of FLLA on the latter. Two different populations from two universities in China answered the 20-item Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale (FLLAS) as well as a demographic questionnaire and took an English listening test. Analyses of the collected data revealed the following major findings: (a) Five latent factors underlay the FLLAS, (b) when working alone, FLLA significantly negatively predicted students' English listening test performance, and (c) when working with proficiency and gender, English proficiency level, gender and FLLAS2 (proficiency in English listening) significantly predicted students' English listening test performance. These findings confirm the negative effects of FLLA on students' English listening test performance. They also indicate that English proficiency and gender mediate FLLA's effects on the latter, with English proficiency not only directly but also indirectly affecting the latter.

Background: Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), a dominant component from the extract of Panax ginseng root, exhibits neuroprotective functions in many neurological diseases. This study was intended to investigate whether Rb1 can attenuate cisplatin-induced memory impairments and explore the potential mechanisms. Methods: Cisplatin was injected intraperitoneally with a dose of 5 mg/kg/wk, and Rb1 was administered in drinking water at the dose of 2 mg/kg/d to rats for 5 consecutive wk. The novel objects recognition task and Morris water maze were used to detect the memory of rats. Nissl staining was used to examine the neuron numbers in the hippocampus. The activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, cholineacetyltransferase, acetylcholinesterase, and the levels of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, acetylcholine, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-10 were measured by ELISA to assay the oxidative stress, cholinergic function, and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. Results: Rb1 administration effectively ameliorates the memory impairments caused by cisplatin in both novel objects recognition task and Morris water maze task. Rb1 also attenuates the neuronal loss induced by cisplatin in the different regions (CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus) of the hippocampus. Meanwhile, Rb1 is able to rescue the cholinergic neuron function, inhibit the oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in cisplatin-induced rat brain. Conclusion: Rb1 rescues the cisplatin-induced memory impairment via restoring the neuronal loss by reducing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation and recovering the cholinergic neuron functions. Keywords: cisplatin, ginsenoside Rb1, memory impairment, neuronal loss, oxidative stress

This paper examines the applicability of four failure criteria applied to layered rocks, namely, Pariseau’s model, linear empirical equation, nonlinear empirical equation (LEE and NLEE), and Jaeger’s plane-of-weakness model (JPW). A database comprising 282 uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests and 1,273 triaxial tests conducted worldwide on layered rocks is compiled. Pariseau’s model is classified as a continuous function, and LEE and NLEE, as well as JPW, are classified as piecewise functions. Nonlinear least squares and traversing methods are used to determine the global minima of the material coefficients in the two types of functions. The goodness of fit of these criteria for the database is evaluated. Two statistical parameters, namely, regression coefficient (R2) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are used for precision assessment. The aforementioned methods and the criteria are further used for evaluating the surrounding rock stability of the eastern slope of Yanshan iron open-pit and the underground powerhouse of the Jinping I hydropower station. The results show that (1) Pariseau’s model is not suitable for layered rocks when n = 2, and the fit is worst in the condition of insufficient triaxial data when n = 1; (2) the MAPE of the empirical equation (LEE and NLEE) is within 20%, with the best predictive accuracy under medium to low confining pressures, and the MPAE of JPW is within 40%, with the best predictive accuracy under high confining pressures; and (3) calculation of the damage area of the slope and underground powerhouse and comparison with the actual damage on the site verify that the empirical equation has the best engineering prediction accuracy under medium to low confining pressure conditions.

The excellent physical and chemical properties of ultra-high temperature ceramics make them suitable for many high-temperature structural components, while their poor toughness and high sintering temperature become key limitations to their application. Laminated toughening has long been considered an effective toughening method to improve the mechanical properties of ceramics. In this study, laminated ZrB2-Mo5SiB2 ceramics with an Mo-Mo5SiB2 interlayer were fabricated by tape casting and hot press sintering at 1900 °C for 2 h. Different layer thickness ratios between the matrix layer and the interlayer were designed to illustrate the toughening mechanism. Both the fracture toughness and flexural strength of the laminated ceramics showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase of the layer thickness ratio. High fracture toughness (9.89 ± 0.26 MPa·m1/2) and flexural strength (431.6 ± 15.1 MPa) were obtained when the layer thickness ratio was 13. The improvement in fracture toughness of the laminated ceramics could be attributed to the generation of the residual stress, the deflection and the bifurcation of the cracks. Residual stress that developed in the laminated ceramics was also evaluated.

In recent decades, low impact development (LID) has become an increasingly important concern as a state-of-the-art stormwater management mode to treat urban flood, preferable to conventional urban drainage systems. However, the effects of the combined use of different LID facilities on urban flooding have not been fully investigated under different rainfall characteristics. In this study, a residential, neighborhood-scale catchment in Shenzhen City, southern China was selected as a case study, where the effects of four LID techniques (bio-retention, bio-swale, rain garden and pervious pavement) with different connection patterns (cascaded, semi-cascaded and paralleled) on runoff reduction efficiency were analyzed by the storm water management model (SWMM), promoted by the U.S. EPA. Three kinds of designed storm events with different return periods, durations and time-to-peak ratios were forced to simulate the flood for holistic assessment of the LID connection patterns. The effects were measured by the runoff coefficient of the whole storm–runoff process and the peak runoff volume. The results obtained indicate that the cascaded connect LID chain can more effectively reduce the runoff than that in the paralleled connect LID chain under different storms. The performances of the LID chains in modeling flood process in SWMM indicate that the runoff coefficient and the peak runoff volume increase with the increase in the rain return periods and the decrease in rain duration. Additionally, the move backward of the peak rain intensity to the end of the storm event slightly affects the peak runoff volume obviously while gives slight influence on the total runoff volume. This study provides an insight into the performance of LID chain designs under different rainfall characteristics, which is essential for effective urban flood management.

Background: TRPML1 is reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by regulating autophagy; however, the underlying mechanism is not completely clear. Methods: We developed an APP/PS1 transgenic animal model that presents with AD. TRPML1 was also overexpressed in these mice. Protein expression levels were determined by Western blot. Morris water maze (MWM) and recognition tasks were performed to characterize cognitive ability. TUNEL assays were analysed for the detection of neuronal apoptosis. Primary neurons were isolated and treated with the vehicle, Aβ1-42 or Aβ1-42 + mTOR activator, as well as infected with the recombinant adenovirus TRPML1 overexpression vector in vitro. Cell viability was measured by the MTS assay, and lysosomal Ca2+ was also measured. Results: In the APP/PS1 transgenic mice, TRPML1 was downregulated, the PPARγ/AMPK signalling pathway was activated, the mTOR/S6K signalling pathway was suppressed, and autophagic lysosome reformation (ALR)-related proteins were upregulated. TRPML1 overexpression or treatment with PPARγ and AMPK inhibitors or an mTOR activator reduced the expression levels of ALR-related proteins, rescued the memory and recognition impairments and attenuated neuronal apoptosis in mice with the APP/PS1 transgenes. In vitro experiments showed that TRPML1 overexpression or treatment with the mTOR activator propranolol attenuated the Aβ1-42-suppressed cell viability and the Aβ1-42-decreased lysosomal [Ca2+] ion concentration in primary neurons. TRPML1 overexpression or treatment with the mTOR activator propranolol also attenuated the Aβ1-42-inhibited mTOR/S6K signalling pathway and the Aβ1-42-induced ALR-related protein expression levels. Conclusion: TRPML1 is involved in the pathogenesis of AD by regulating autophagy at least in part through the PPARγ/AMPK/mTOR signallingpathway.

Previous studies have shown that reduced levels of the adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (FABP)4 (AFABP/aP2), result in metabolic improvement including potentiated insulin sensitivity and attenuated atherosclerosis. Mechanistically, pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of FABP4 in macrophages upregulates UCP2, attenuates reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, polarizes cells toward the anti-inflammatory M2 state, and reduces leukotriene (LT) secretion. At the protein level, FABP4 stabilizes LTA4 toward chemical hydrolysis, thereby potentiating inflammatory LTC4 synthesis. Herein, we extend the FABP4-LT axis and demonstrate that genetic knockout of FABP4 reduces expression of the major macrophage LT receptor, LTB4 receptor 1 (BLT1R), via a ROS-dependent mechanism. Consistent with inflammation driving BLT1R expression, M1 polarized macrophages express increased levels of BLT1R relative to M2 polarized macrophages and treatment with proinflammatory lipopolysaccharide increased BLT1R mRNA and protein expression. In FABP4 knockout macrophages, silencing of UCP2, increased ROS levels and led to increased expression of BLT1R mRNA. Similarly, addition of exogenous H2O2 upregulated BLT1R expression, whereas the addition of a ROS scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine, decreased BLT1R levels. As compared with WT macrophages, LTB4-BLT1R-dependent JAK2-phosphorylation was reduced in FABP4 knockout macrophages. In summary, these results indicate that FABP4 regulates the expression of BLT1R and its downstream signaling via control of oxidative stress in macrophages.

In this paper, a novel fingerprint-based localization technique is proposed, which is applicable for positioning user equipments (UEs) in cellular communication networks such as the long-term-evolution (LTE) system. This technique utilizes a unique mapping between the characteristics of a radio channel formulated as a fingerprint vector and a geographical location. A feature-extraction algorithm is applied to selecting channel parameters with non-redundant information that are calculated from the LTE down-link signals. A feedforward neural network with the input of fingerprint vectors and the output of UEs' known locations is trained and used by UEs to estimate their positions. The results of experiments conducted in an in-service LTE system demonstrate that by using only one LTE eNodeB, the proposed technique yields a median error distance of 6 and 75 meters in indoor and outdoor environments, respectively. This localization technique is applicable in the cases where the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is unavailable, e.g., in indoor environments or in dense-urban scenarios with closely spaced skyscrapers heavily blocking the line-of-sight paths between a UE and GNSS satellites.

Particle accelerator on chip with high acceleration gradient has been an unremitting goal of researchers. Dielectric laser accelerator (DLA) is a possible candidate to achieve this goal. However, due to the limitation of dielectric breakdown, it is difficult for the available DLAs to reach an acceleration gradient as high as 1 GV m ^−1 since a long-duration multi-cycle laser pulse with high fluence have to be used. Here we propose to use a few-cycle laser pulse to drive a DLA based on the inverse Cherekov radiation effect. It significantly reduces the required pulse duration and the laser fluence, remarkably increasing the achievable acceleration gradient. Moreover, by using a cascade acceleration scheme, we realize a high energy-gain acceleration for low-energy electrons in a microscale device by simulation, which paves the way for the development of a fully on-chip particle accelerator.

This study investigated the interaction between eupatorin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies, and molecular modeling at pH 7.4. Results of UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies illustrated that BSA fluorescence was quenched by eupatorin via a static quenching mechanism. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions played major roles in the interaction. Moreover, the efficiency of energy transfer, and the distance between BSA and acceptor eupatorin, were calculated. The effects of eupatorin on the BSA conformation were analyzed using UV-vis, CD, and synchronous fluorescence. Finally, the binding of eupatorin to BSA was modeled using the molecular docking method.

This paper considers a dynamic duopoly Cournot model based on nonlinear cost functions. The model with heterogeneous players and the spillover effect is applied to the Chinese fixed broadband telecom market. We have studied its dynamic game process. The existence and stability of the Nash equilibrium of the system have been discussed. Simulations are used to show the complex dynamical behaviors of the system. The results illustrate that altering the relevant parameters of system can affect the stability of the Nash equilibrium point and cause chaos to occur. With the use of the delay feedback control method, the chaotic behavior of the model has been stabilized at the Nash equilibrium point. The analysis and results will be of great importance for the Chinese fixed broadband telecom market.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are the key to new generation displays. New semiconductor electron-hole recombination layer is the key to high-performance LEDs. Although all-inorganic quantum dot (QD) materials have the advantages of wide color gamut and narrow emission peaks, they face issues of toxicity of heavy metal ions and stability of QDs, the synthesis method is highly polluting and difficult to achieve industrial production. Thereby, lead-free all-inorganic phosphor with narrow FWHM needs to be explored. A new synthesis method is required to be investigated. All-inorganic Mn2+ bromide (Cs3MnBr5) is easy to synthesize and has low toxicity and superior luminescent properties. However, most synthesis methods rely on liquid-phase reaction systems and cannot achieve highly efficient synthesis. High-energy ball milling is an efficient method and has enormous potential for industrial production. In this paper, this method is used to synthesize Cs3MnBr5, and then Cs/Mn ratio, ball milling time, and ligand usage are studied. Furthermore, a new phase transformation of all-inorganic Mn2+ bromide is discovered, and the mechanism of high-energy ball milling is interpreted combining with phase transformation process. This article brings a new method to synthesis of all-inorganic Mn2+ bromide, explains the mechanism of ball milling, and expands the phase transformation of all-inorganic Mn2+ bromide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA) is associated with poor prognosis and high risk of mortality. Therefore, it is critical to identify novel biomarkers for the prognostic assessment of BRCA. Methods: The expression data of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in BRCA and the corresponding clinical information were extracted from TCGA and GEO databases. PLK1 expression was validated in diverse breast cancer cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was performed to evaluate immune infiltration in the BRCA microenvironment, and the random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were used to screen for the hub infiltrating cells and calculate the immunophenoscore (IPS). The RF algorithm and COX regression model were applied to calculate survival risk scores based on the PLK1 expression and immune cell infiltration. Finally, a prognostic nomogram was constructed with the risk score and pathological stage, and its clinical potential was evaluated by plotting calibration charts and DCA curves. The application of the nomogram was further validated in an immunotherapy cohort. Results: PLK1 expression was significantly higher in the tumor samples in TCGA-BRCA cohort. Furthermore, PLK1 expression level, age and stage were identified as independent prognostic factors of BRCA. While the IPS was unaffected by PLK1 expression, the TMB and MATH scores were higher in the PLK1-high group, and the TIDE scores were higher for the PLK1-low patients. We also identified 6 immune cell types with high infiltration, along with 11 immune cell types with low infiltration in the PLK1-high tumors. A risk score was devised using PLK1 expression and hub immune cells, which predicted the prognosis of BRCA patients. In addition, a nomogram was constructed based on the risk score and pathological staging, and showed good predictive performance. Conclusions: PLK1 expression and immune cell infiltration can predict post-immunotherapy prognosis of BRCA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intercalation of H into Pd-based nanocatalysts plays a crucial role in optimizing the catalytic performance by tailoring the structural and electronic properties. We herein present a comprehensive review about the recent progress of interstitial hydrogen atom modified Pd-based nanocatalysts for various energy-related electrocatalytic reactions. Before systematically manifesting the great potential of Pdbased hydrides for electrocatalytic applications, we have briefly illustrated the synthesis strategies and corresponding mechanisms for the Pd-based hydrides. This is followed by a comprehensive discussion about the fundamentals and functions of H intercalation in tailoring their physicochemical and electrochemical properties. Subsequently, we focus on the widespread application of Pd-based hydrides for electrocatalytic reactions, with the emphasis on the role of H intercalation played in determining electrocatalytic performance. Finally, the future direction and perspectives regarding the development of more efficient Pd-based hydrides are also manifested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]