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The effect of polyvinyl alcohol, a green water-soluble polymer, usually is not satisfied as a secondary-fiber reinforcing agent in pulp and paper-making industry due to the same negative charges of PVA and pulp fiber. In this study, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride was used as an etherifying agent to prepare cationic modification of polyvinyl alcohol (CPVA) with degree of etherification of 0.059 under a reaction time of 4 hours and n(PVA : etherifying agent) = 1 : 0.5. Compared with PVA, CPVA exhibits positive charge and smaller particle size, enabling it to effectively combine with negatively charged fibers and get in between the fibers. As a result, CPVA demonstrates a remarkable ability to improve the paper’s physical properties. With a dosage of only 0.2% CPVA (based on the absolute dry pulp), which is merely 1/10 of the dosage of PVA, CPVA increases the paper’s tensile index by 54.09%, burst index by 25.96%, and tear index by 21.09%. CPVA as a reinforcing agent for secondary fiber pulps, which can be attributed to the alteration in charge, to enhance CPVA’s affinity for the electrostatic interaction of the fibers. Consequently, CPVA emerges as a viable and eco-friendly enhancement solution, demonstrating significant potential in secondary fiber reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study high‐valent Cu(III) trifluoromethyl compounds in combination with DMSO is shown to be an efficient and mild oxidizing system for the conversion of alcohols to ketones (aldehydes as well). Trifluoromethoxylated sulfonium species is proposed to be initially formed that engages in crucial steps of alkoxy replacement at sulfonium center and deprotonative collapse of the resulting alkoxysulfonium intermediate in the presence of a base. This reaction is highly selective without over‐oxidation, and can tolerate a broad range of functional groups owing to mild oxidizing ability of the Cu(III)‐CF3/DMSO system and the inert N2 conditions. This method can be applied to the synthesis and functionalization of commercial drug compounds. This study illustrates an unusual reactivity property of high‐valent Cu(III) trifluoromethyl compounds beyond the conventional CF3 group transfer reactivity, and opens up new opportunities for developing novel reactions of Cu(III)‐CF3 compounds. The combined use of high‐valent Cu(III)‐CF3 compound and DMSO is anticipated to find more applications to develop other novel and useful oxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gait design for walking biped robots, that can preserve stability against a known range of disturbances, is very important in real applications. Designing an exponentially stable walking gait with desired features for biped robots has been recently done by an online reinforcement learning method. However, the designed gait might not be robust enough against disturbances. In this paper, we extend a robust version of the method against modeling errors/disturbances. It is done by minimizing the costs of worst rollouts which are generated in the presence of different modeling errors/disturbances. The proposed method's ability to adapt the controller is studied for some robust applications. The simulation shows that the resulted gaits are exponentially stable and robust against modeling errors/disturbances in a feasible range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel with a combination of strength and plasticity is prevalently demanded for lightweight design and emission reductions in manufacturing. In this study, a high-strength Cr-Ni-Mo martensitic steel treated by quenching and partitioning (Q&P) and ultrasonic surface rolling (USR) processes was studied for both strength and plasticity enhancement. Specimens were austenitized at 850 °C and then quenched to 240 °C via cooling by water, oil, and normalization in quenching. This was followed by partitioning, in which two groups of specimens were heated to 370 °C and 350 °C for 45 min, respectively. At last, all the specimens were quenched to room temperature with the same methods of quenching. The highest tensile strength increased from 681.73 MPa to 1389.76 MPa when compared to as-received (AR) steel after the Q&P process. The USR process with a static force of 800 N further improved the tensile strength of specimens with high tensile strength after the Q&P process, which improved from 1389.76 MPa to 1586.62 MPa and the product's strength and elongation (PSE) increased from 15.76 GPa% to 15.9 GPa%, while the total elongation showed a mitigatory decrease from 11.34% to 10.02%. Tensile fractures were also studied and verified using a combination of strength and plasticity after a combined process of Q&P and USR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals in the kidneys leads to renal epithelial damage and the progression of crystalline nephropathy. This study investigated the role of STIP1 homology and U-box protein 1 (STUB1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a chloride channel, in CaOx-related renal damage and autophagy regulation. HK-2 cells were treated with various doses of CaOx monohydrate (COM) to simulate kidney injury in vitro. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and apoptosis were assessed. The regulation of CFTR ubiquitination by STUB1 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation. An in vivo model was established by injecting mice with glyoxylate. COM treatment dose-dependently decreased cell viability, increased TNF-α and ROS production, and induced apoptotic cell death in HK-2 cells. COM-treated cells also showed decreased CFTR protein expression. CFTR overexpression improved cell viability and reduced ROS production in COM-stimulated HK-2 cells. Bioinformatics analysis predicted CFTR's ubiquitination binding site for STUB1. Further analysis confirmed the role of STUB1 as a ubiquitin ligase in CFTR degradation. Knockdown of STUB1 upregulated CFTR expression, while STUB1 overexpression had the opposite effect. Knockdown of CFTR reversed the impact of STUB1 deficiency on autophagy. The in vivo experiments showed that CFTR overexpression attenuated kidney tissue damage and CaOx deposition in mice. STUB1-mediated CFTR ubiquitination plays a crucial role in mitigating calcium oxalate-related renal damage by regulating autophagy. Targeting the STUB1/CFTR axis may hold therapeutic potential for treating kidney injury associated with calcium oxalate deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of the major complications in chronic kidney disease patients, especially those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Limited biomarkers have been found that can significantly predict ESRD-associated cognitive decline. Objective: This cohort study aimed to investigate de novo biomarkers for diagnosis of the ESRD-associated CI. Methods: In this cohort study, qualified samples were divided into control (with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of≥60 mL/min and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of > 27), ESRD without CI (eGFR < 15 and MMSE > 27), and ESRD with CI (eGFR < 15 and MMSE < 27) groups. Levels of plasma amyloid-β (Aβ)1 - 42, serum indoxyl sulfate, and hematologic and biochemical parameters were measured. Results: Compared to the control group, levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and indoxyl sulfate were elevated in ESRD patients both without and with CI. Interestingly, ESRD patients with CI had the lowest levels of serum albumin. In contrast, levels of plasma Aβ1 - 42 were significantly higher in the ESRD with CI group than in the control and ESRD without CI groups. In addition, the ratio of plasma Aβ1 - 42 over serum albumin was significantly higher in the ESRD with CI group than in the control or ESRD without CI groups. Importantly, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for CI in the total population by the ratio of Aβ1 - 42 over albumin was 0.785 and significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This cohort study has shown that the ratio of plasma Aβ1 - 42 over serum albumin can be a de novo biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of ESRD-associated cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plastics originate from limited petroleum reserves and cannot be effectively recycled at the end of their life cycle, making them a significant threat to the environment and human health. Closed‐loop chemical recycling, by depolymerizing plastics into monomers that can be repolymerized, offers a promising solution for recycling otherwise wasted plastics. However, most current chemically recyclable polymers may only be prepared at the gram scale, and their depolymerization typically requires harsh conditions and high energy consumption. Herein, it reports less petroleum‐dependent closed‐loop recyclable silica‐based nanocomposites that can be prepared on a large scale and have a fully reversible polymerization/depolymerization capability at room temperature, based on catalysis of free aminopropyl groups with the assistance of diethylamine or ethylenediamine. The nanocomposites show glass‐like hardness yet plastic‐like light weight and toughness, exhibiting the highest specific mechanical strength superior even to common materials such as poly(methyl methacrylate), glass, and ZrO2 ceramic, as well as demonstrating multifunctionality such as anti‐fouling, low thermal conductivity, and flame retardancy. Meanwhile, these nanocomposites can be easily processed by various plastic‐like scalable manufacturing methods, such as compression molding and 3D printing. These nanocomposites are expected to provide an alternative to petroleum‐based plastics and contribute to a closed‐loop materials economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil quality is an important determinant of soil-use efficiency in the Loess Plateau. However, there is no in-depth study on the soil quality of the Loess Plateau. The present study compared the quality of the 0–20 cm soil layer (T0-20) and the 20–40 cm soil layer (T20-40) from the Guyuan region located in the Loess Plateau. The analysis revealed that T0-20 had a higher content of total N, total P, available P, and organic matter, and the activities of microbial enzymes, especially β-grape-glycosidase (β-GC) and sucrase (SC), than T20-40, indicating that soil quality in T0-20 was better than T20-40. Amplicon sequencing found that Pseudombrophila from Ascomycota was the most abundant microbial species and significantly differed between T0-20 (34.2%) and T20-40 (48.7%). This species and another 19 microbial species, such as Ceratobasidiaceae and Mortierellaceae, determined the diversity of soil microorganism. Further analysis of the phenotype and other parameters of pepper seedlings subjected to P. capsici infection isolated from test soil revealed that decreased organic matter content in deep soil layer is related to happening of pepper blight, and 3 h after infection was the critical time point for infection. The peroxidase (POD) activity increased after P. capsici infection and was positively correlated with infection time, suggesting this enzyme may be an indicator of pepper blight occurrence. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for planning pepper blight management and crop cultivation strategies in the Guyuan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic structures are inspired by elegant and complex architectures of natural creatures, drawing inspiration from biological structures to achieve specific functions or improve specific strength and modulus to reduce weight. In particular, the rapid closure of a Venus flytrap leaf is one of the fastest motions in plants, its biomechanics does not rely on muscle tissues to produce rapid shape-changing, which is significant for engineering applications. Composites are ubiquitous in nature and are used for biomimetic design due to their superior overall performance and programmability. Here, we focus on reviewing the most recent progress on biomimetic Venus flytrap structures based on smart composite technology. An overview of the biomechanics of Venus flytrap is first introduced, in order to reveal the underlying mechanisms. The smart composite technology was then discussed by covering mainly the principles and driving mechanics of various types of bistable composite structures, followed by research progress on the smart composite-based biomimetic flytrap structures, with a focus on the bionic strategies in terms of sensing, responding and actuation, as well as the rapid snap-trapping, aiming to enrich the diversities and reveal the fundamentals in order to further advance the multidisciplinary science and technological development into composite bionics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic soft robots capable of wirelessly controlled programmable deformation and locomotion are desirable for diverse applications. Such multi‐variable actuation ideally requires a polymer matrix with a well‐defined range of softness and stretchability (Young's modulus of 0.1–10 MPa, high stretchability >200%). However, this defined mechanical range excludes most polymer candidates, leaving only a limited number of available polymers (e.g., PDMS, Ecoflex) with covalently cross‐linked networks that may lead to non‐recyclable robots and further potential threats to environment. Herein, based on the synergistic effects of reduced cross‐linking density and intermolecular hydrogen bonding, a dynamic covalent polyimine is newly designed as polymer matrix and magnetic microparticles as fillers, and integrate defined softness and stretchability, full chemical recyclability, rapid room‐temperature healability and multimodal actuation into a single magnetic soft robot. The polyimine is soft and stretchable enough to process soft robots in various geometries by simple laser cutting, without the need to pre‐design the geometry to suit target scenarios. Through a cyclic depolymerization/repolymerization, this full recycling restores 100% of the robots' mechanical properties and rapid deformability/mobility to their original level within seconds and heals quickly within minutes when damaged, facilitating ideal cyclic material economy for soft robots in diverse scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracting robust feature representation is one of the key challenges for person re‐identification (ReID) task. Although convolution neural network (CNN)‐based methods have achieved great success, they still cannot handle the part occlusion and misalignment caused by limited receptive field. Recently, pure transformer models have shown its power in the person ReID task. However, current transformer models adopt patches of equal‐scale as input, and cannot solve the problem of cross‐scale interaction properly. To overcome this problem, an adaptive cross‐scale transformer from a perspective of the graph signal, named ACSFormer, is proposed. Specifically, the self‐attention module is first treated as an undirected fully connected graph. And then, "node variation" is introduced as an indicator to adaptively merge neighbourhood tokens. To the best of the authors' knowledge, their ACSFormer is the first work to attempt to combine pure transformers and graph signal processing in the field of person ReID. Extensive evaluations are conducted on three person ReID datasets to validate the performance of ACSFormer. Experiments demonstrate that this ACSFormer performs on par with state‐of‐the‐art CNN‐based methods and consistently improves transformer‐based baseline, for example, surpassing ViT‐baseline by 2.5%, 2.7% and 4.8% mAP on Market1501, DukeMTMC‐reID and MSMT17, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed an efficient and green method for isolating and purifying lignin from black liquor (BL) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs). After the short and mild process (700 W microwave-assisted, 100 °C, DES: BL 1:5 (v: v), 30 min) using optimized DES (lactic acid (LA): choline chloride (ChCl) 10:1, molar ratio), the yield and purity of lignin obtained from 100 mL BL was 1.58 g and 88.12%, respectively, which was more efficient than the results of 1.18 g and 78.54% of the conventional process. Furthermore, more than 95% of initial results were obtained after three cycles. The composition and structure of DESs and conventionally purified lignin were slightly different. The solvent costs for both processes were also evaluated, showing that the DES process has great potential to replace traditional bulky and environmentally unfriendly procedures for lignin isolation and purification and to help develop new strategies for the potential added value of lignin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatments generally employed for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) involve physical therapy and chemotherapy, etc., whose therapeutic efficacies are impaired by the side effects and suboptimal stimulus responsiveness. Although the intra-articular drug delivery system (DDS) has shown effectiveness in addressing osteoarthritis, there is currently little reported research regarding the use of stimuli-responsive DDS in managing TMJOA. Herein, we prepared a novel near-infrared (NIR) light-sensitive DDS (DS-TD/MPDA) by using mesoporous polydopamine nanospheres (MPDA) as NIR responders and drug carriers; diclofenac sodium (DS) as the anti-inflammatory medication; and 1-tetradecanol (TD) with a phase-inversion temperature of 39 °C as the drug administrator. Upon exposure to 808 nm NIR laser, DS-TD/MPDA could raise the temperature up to the melting point of TD through photothermal conversion, and intelligently trigger DS release. The resultant nanospheres exhibited an excellent photothermal effect and effectively controlled the release of DS through laser irradiation to accommodate the multifunctional therapeutic effect. More importantly, the biological evaluation of DS-TD/MPDA for TMJOA treatment was also performed for the first time. The experiments' results demonstrated that DS-TD/MPDA displayed a good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo during metabolism. After injection into the TMJ of rats afflicted with TMJOA induced by unilateral anterior crossbite for 14 days, DS-TD/MPDA could alleviate the deterioration of TMJ cartilage, thus ameliorating osteoarthritis. Therefore, DS-TD/MPDA could be a promising candidate for photothermal-chemotherapy for TMJOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduced a novel energy harvester with a tunnel and drop-shaped bluffbody for self-actuation and wind speed sensing. The harvester exhibits dual vibrating mechanisms of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and galloping. Theoretical and numerical analyses were conducted to study the energy conversion relationship and fluid field of the harvester, and the conclusions were verified by controlled variable experiments. The optimal design values of inlet angle I 40°, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) angle P 10°, and exit angle E 10° were demonstrated with the highest output of 10.42 Vp-p at the wind speed of 18 m/s. The output voltage of the PVDF energy harvester has a reliable relationship with the wind speed as a function of wind speed sensor, which could be applied for meteorological information collection and fluid flow rate monitoring with further study conducted underwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a synthesis of cyclohexanones bearing multi‐continuous stereocenters by combining copper‐catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to cyclic enones with iridium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reaction. Good to excellent yields, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity can be obtained. Unlike the stereodivergent construction of adjacent stereocenters (1,2‐position) reported in the literature, the current reaction can achieve the stereodivergent construction of nonadjacent stereocenters (1,3‐position) by a proper combination of two chiral catalysts with different enantiomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a synthesis of cyclohexanones bearing multi‐continuous stereocenters by combining copper‐catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to cyclic enones with iridium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reaction. Good to excellent yields, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity can be obtained. Unlike the stereodivergent construction of adjacent stereocenters (1,2‐position) reported in the literature, the current reaction can achieve the stereodivergent construction of nonadjacent stereocenters (1,3‐position) by a proper combination of two chiral catalysts with different enantiomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable use and disposal of agricultural and forestry wastes become an urgent focus of attention with the dangers of pollution and squandering. In this paper, palm leaves, a typical kind of cellulose-rich agricultural and forestry waste, were attempted to prepare high-valued porous aerogels with cellulose by a short and mild extraction followed by the process of cross-linking with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Bruno-Emmett-Teller (BET), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied to examine their structures, chemical composition, and performance compared with hardwood cellulose aerogels. The results showed that palm leaf cellulose could be extracted friendly under mild extraction of 5% NaOH solution for 7 h, following 10% H2O2 solution for 8 h at 80 °C, which inhibits effectively the alkaline hydrolysis of cellulose with the extraction rate of 35.25%, the cellulose purity of 87.12%, and crystallinity of 69.9%. Compared with hardwood cellulose aerogel, the prepared environmentally friendly and recyclable palm leaf cellulose aerogel is a promising application material with similar ultra-low density, high porosity, specific surface area, thermal stability, and better compression resilience, which provides a new technical direction for the high-value application of agricultural and forestry wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine whether the 14-item Mediterranean diet adherence screener (MEDAS) is suitable in Taiwan and associate the MEDAS score with the risk of prediabetes. In this cross-sectional study 346 patients were recruited between 2014 and 2019 at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital. The MEDAS score was obtained with a 14-item MEDAS used in the PREDIMED trial. The blood glucose level is measured by fasting glucose and HbA1c. The results of the screener were analyzed for internal consistency and compared with the blood glucose level using multivariate regression models. The MEDAS score was significantly (p = 0.001) and inversely associated with both measures of blood glucose level. Adjusted data (95% CI) showed that each additional point in the MEDAS score decreases the risk of prediabetes with abnormal fasting glucose (> 100 mg/dL) level by 60% and the risk of prediabetes with abnormal HbA1c (> 5.7%) by 22.4%. Consuming at least 3 servings of legumes each week was significantly (p = 0.007) related to a lower risk of prediabetes under logistic regression. A higher score on the 14-item MEDAS screener was significantly associated with a lower risk of prediabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a piezoelectric-driven resonant unit for high-viscosity-liquid injection is introduced. For high-viscosity-liquid delivery in low voltage and frequency, a vibrating block is fixed under the rectangular piezoelectric actuator, to transport the vibration to the chamber, leading the unit into resonant state. The valveless chamber is designed eccentrically to promote the tendency of positive flow and diminish the backflow. Numerical simulation and analyses are carried out to optimize the chamber design, and the experiments with liquid in different viscosity, radius of the vibrating block, and the influence of gravity are conducted. The unit achieves a fast delivery speed with a relatively high liquid viscosity compared to the similar study, as the highest flow rate of 52.4, 88.4, and 103.9 ml/min at 100 V, 60 Hz with the liquid of 54.42, 21.13 cP, and water, respectively. The flow rate drops by 40.7%, while the liquid viscosity increases 157.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal osteodystrophy is common in patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease and leads to the risks of fracture and extraosseous vascular calcification. Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is characterized by a compensatory increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in response to decreased renal phosphate excretion, resulting in potentiating bone resorption and decreased bone quantity and quality. Calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) are group C G-proteins and negatively regulate the parathyroid glands through (1) increasing CaSR insertion within the plasma membrane, (2) increasing 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 within the kidney and parathyroid glands, (3) inhibiting fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) in osteocytes, and (4) attenuating intestinal calcium absorption through Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subfamily member 6 (TRPV6). Calcimimetics (CaMs) decrease PTH concentrations without elevating the serum calcium levels or extraosseous calcification through direct interaction with cell membrane CaSRs. CaMs reduce osteoclast activity by reducing stress-induced oxidative autophagy and improving Wnt-10b release, which promotes the growth of osteoblasts and subsequent mineralization. CaMs also directly promote osteoblast proliferation and survival. Consequently, bone quality may improve due to decreased bone resorption and improved bone formation. CaMs modulate cardiovascular fibrosis, calcification, and renal fibrosis through different mechanisms. Therefore, CaMs assist in treating SHPT. This narrative review focuses on the role of CaMs in renal osteodystrophy, including their mechanisms and clinical efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negation of probability distribution is a new perspective from which to obtain information. Dempster–Shafer (D–S) evidence theory, as an extension of possibility theory, is widely used in decision-making-level fusion. However, how to reasonably construct the negation of basic probability assignment (BPA) in D–S evidence theory is an open issue. This paper proposes a new negation of BPA, logarithmic negation. It solves the shortcoming of Yin's negation that maximal entropy cannot be obtained when there are only two focal elements in the BPA. At the same time, the logarithmic negation of BPA inherits the good properties of the negation of probability, such as order reversal, involution, convergence, degeneration, and maximal entropy. Logarithmic negation degenerates into Gao's negation when the values of the elements all approach 0. In addition, the data fusion method based on logarithmic negation has a higher belief value of the correct target in target recognition application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress plays a key role in chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and progression, inducing kidney cell damage, inflammation, and fibrosis. However, effective therapeutic interventions to slow down CKD advancement are currently lacking. The multifaceted pharmacological effects of molecular hydrogen (H 2) have made it a promising therapeutic avenue. H 2 is capable of capturing harmful •OH and ONOO- while maintaining the crucial reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in cellular signaling. The NRF2-KEAP1 system, which manages cell redox balance, could be used to treat CKD. H 2 activates this pathway, fortifying antioxidant defenses and scavenging ROS to counteract oxidative stress. H 2 can improve NRF2 signaling by using the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and indirectly activate NRF2-KEAP1 in mitochondria. Additionally, H 2 modulates NF-κB activity by regulating cellular redox status, inhibiting MAPK pathways, and maintaining Trx levels. Treatment with H 2 also attenuates HIF signaling by neutralizing ROS while indirectly bolstering HIF-1α function. Furthermore, H 2 affects FOXO factors and enhances the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Despite the encouraging results of bench studies, clinical trials are still limited and require further investigation. The focus of this review is on hydrogen's role in treating renal diseases, with a specific focus on oxidative stress and redox signaling regulation, and it discusses its potential clinical applications. [Display omitted] • Oxidative stress (OS) plays a crucial role in the development and progression of CKD. • H 2 selectively captures harmful ROS like •OH and ONOO-, while preserving beneficial ROS. • H 2 impacts several cellular pathways by boosting antioxidant enzyme expression and reducing OS. • Preclinical studies show H 2 reduces OS and improves renal function, but more trials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work developed a strategy for rapid microwave-assisted refining of eucalyptus wood in 30 min using a ternary DES (lactic acid: choline chloride: polyethylene glycol 400, 10:1 + 5%) with an excellent delignification rate of 89.73%. The test of Kamlet−Taft solvatochromic parameters of DESs shows that the acidity and polarity of the solution greatly influence the delignification rate. The polyethylene glycol 400 increased the solubility of lignin in the solvent, improved the delignification rate, and protected cellulose from degradation. The gel permeation chromatography, 2D-HSQC NMR, and 31P NMR analysis show that the lignin obtained after DES treatment had low molecular weight, small polydispersity index, and relatively rich content of β-O-4 and phenolic hydroxyl groups, which has great application potential in high-value-added products from lignin. At the same time, the main products of the simulated reaction of the lignin model compound were monophenols and Hibbert ketone, and the possible reaction mechanism of changes in lignin during treatment was given. Our study lays a foundation for applying DES in biomass refining and the high-value utilization of lignin. [Display omitted] • Sustainable lignin isolation method from eucalyptus wood using non-toxic solvent, 89.73% delignification in 30 min. • This mild method required no high pressure, long reaction times or complex equipment. • The DES lignin had properties suitable for applications with low Mw, narrow PDI, and high phenolic content. • The study comprehensively examined solvent functional group and K-T parameter effects on treatment. • The reaction mechanism was proposed based on the simulated reaction of lignin model compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the structures and dynamic behaviors of molecules on lipids is crucial for understanding the mechanism behind the biophysical processes, such as the preparation and application of drug delivery vesicles. Second harmonic generation (SHG) has been developed as a powerful tool to investigate the molecules on various lipid membranes, benefiting from its natural property of interface selectivity, which comes from the principle of even order nonlinear optics. Fluorescence emission, which is in principle not interface selective but varies with the chemical environment where the chromophores locate, can reveal the dynamics of molecules on lipids. In this contribution, we review some examples, which are mainly from our recent works focusing on the application of combined spectroscopic methods, i.e., SHG and two-photon fluorescence (TPF), in studying the dynamic behaviors of several dyes or drugs on lipids and surfactants. This review demonstrates that molecules with both SHG and TPF efficiencies may be used as intrinsic dual-probes in plotting a clear physical picture of their own behaviors, as well as the dynamics of other molecules, on lipid membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the output performance of valveless piezoelectric pumps, this paper designed a heteromorphic symmetrical bluff body based on the Karman vortex street principle, to optimize the flow direction and velocity of the liquid. The bluff body dome height, trapezoidal unilateral angle, and rounded corner structure height at different dimensional parameters and their relationship with the pump performance were studied. The pump pressure in both positive and negative directions was simulated and analyzed. At last, a prototype of the pump was made and the output performance was tested. The experimental results show that the maximum flow rate reaches 220.6 ml/min at 190 V, 45 Hz when the bluff body dome is 8 mm, the trapezoidal unilateral angle is 5°, and the rounded corner structure is 6 mm. Moreover, when the driving voltage is 190 V and the driving frequency is 130 Hz, the maximum output pressure reaches 670 Pa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assess influencing factors for placenta accreta in pregnant women documented in recent literature. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on English- and Chinese-language articles published from January 2014 to June 2019. Articles were retrieved from the following Chinese databases, CNKI, Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database, CBM and English databases, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Embase. Eleven studies with 2,152,014 cases were included in the meta-analysis. The odds ratios of influencing factors were as follows: hypertension 2.51 (95% CI, 1.50–4.20), multifetal gestations 1.90 (95% CI, 1.26–2.88), male fetus 0.79 (95% CI, 0.74–0.84), and low socioeconomic status 0.51 (95% CI, 0.37–0.71). Evidence from English- and Chinese-language literature indicates that hypertension and multifetal gestations are risk factors for placenta accreta, while male fetus and low socioeconomic status are protective factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burial of organic carbon (OC) preserves paleoenvironmental archives and drives the evolution of Earth's biogeochemical cycles. While the impact of kinetic heterogeneity on OC preservation has been studied, the effects of sedimentation dynamics remain largely unknown. Here, we incorporate the expected stochastic variability in sedimentation rates into a reactive‐transport model, generate predictions for stratigraphic variability of OC burial efficiency, and compare the model outputs to field observations. We find that internal sedimentation dynamics profoundly influence OC preservation efficiencies and create autogenic signals that may obscure signals originated from external forcings. Simulations match observations in terms of power spectra when our model considers transient periods of erosion during net deposition, implying that the manifestation of sedimentation dynamics and their interactions with biogeochemistry in chemostratigraphic records are prevalent in nature. As sedimentary OC records reflect both internal variability and external forcing, they may be used as proxies for past depositional conditions. Plain Language Summary: In regions of sediment accumulation, the rates of deposition can vary in space and time even when factors like climatic conditions are kept constant. This type of "random" variability complicates the interpretation of the geologic record because many important chemical signals are affected by changes in sediment deposition rates. To explore the specific effects of random variability, we constructed a model with realistic, time‐varying sedimentation rates that tracks the burial and oxidation of organic matter. We chose organic matter because it is important to the global carbon cycle and is also commonly used to infer past environmental changes. We find that random changes in sedimentation rates can meaningfully impact organic matter burial and create patterns that look conspicuously like field observations interpreted as reflecting changes in environmental conditions. By predicting the patterns that can form randomly, our approach can help improve the interpretations of the geologic record. Key Points: Complex dynamics in sedimentation can profoundly influence organic carbon (OC) preservation efficiency, which has been largely overlookedAutogenic signals in OC burial can arise from sedimentation dynamics and may obscure signals originated from external forcingModel‐data comparison suggests the manifestation of sedimentation dynamics in chemostratigraphic records are prevalent in nature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In this work, nitrogen and phosphorus dual-doped alkali lignin-based carbon microspheres (MLCM) were prepared by pre-oxidation and carbonization of ionic liquid ([Mmim]DMP) -lignin solution and used as green-based supercapacitor electrode materials. Compared with the directly carbonized alkali lignin carbon (LC), MLCM had a spherical structure with higher specific surface area (938.1 m2/g) and pore volume (0.64 cm3/g). Moreover, MLCM materials showed superior electrochemical performance. In the 1 mol/L H 2 SO 4 electrolyte system, MLCM presented the highest specific capacitance of 338.2F/g at a current density of 0.8 A/g. Furthermore, MLCM was used as a positive and negative electrode material to assemble a symmetrical supercapacitor. The resultant device maintained excellent cycle stability after 5000 times of charging and discharging process at 2 A/g. Overall, the facile, green and sustainable synthesis strategy of heteroatom-doped porous carbon microspheres developed in this work opens a new avenue for the fabrication of high-performance carbon electrode materials, especially based on abundant and renewable lignin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing is advantageous in high printing efficiency and printing resolution for fabricating complex structures across various applications. However, the layer‐by‐layer curing manner of DLP leads to weak interlayer adhesion and the anisotropic mechanical properties of printed objects. Here, linear polymers are introduced into commercial resins to weld the interlayer by the diffusion and entanglement of linear polymers after DLP printing via heat treatment. This introduction of linear polymers not only shows a strengthening and toughening effect on the printed objects, but also has no negative impact on the DLP printability. The tensile strengths of objects containing 4.7 wt% polycaprolactone can reach up to ≈500% of that of neat samples in any printing direction. This simple strategy by adding linear polymers into printing resins provides an effective access to prepare DLP printed objects with improved mechanical properties as well as ensure printing resolution and printing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is one of the most important reactive oxygen species (ROS) and plays an important role in pathological processes and relevant diseases. However, the highly sensitive/selective detection of HOCl with fast response time is still in demand. In this study, a ratiometric fluorescent probe for the highly selective detection of hypochlorous acid was constructed based on combined intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanisms. In the designed probe, a coumarin derivative was used as the energy donor and a naphthalimide fluorophore was chosen as the energy receptor, which was modified with a dimethylthiocarbamate group as a HOCl recognition unit. When HOCl was absent, the naphthalimide receptor underwent ICT off and the FRET process from the coumarin donor to the naphthalimide receptor was prevented. Upon adding HOCl, the naphthalimide receptor underwent ICT on and the FRET process took place. The ICT-FRET-based fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid displayed high selectivity and very short response time (<2 s) and good biocompatibility. Furthermore, I550nm/I480nm of the probe for HOCl exhibited a good linear relationship in the range of 4.0 × 10−7–5.0 × 10−5 mol L−1, and the detection limit of 2.5 × 10−7 mol L−1 was achieved. Moreover, the probe demonstrated almost no cell toxicity and had been effectively applied to the ratiometric fluorescence imaging of HOCl in HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the problem of the unsupervised pre‐training of video representation learning. The authors' focus is on two common approaches: knowledge distillation and self‐supervised learning. The insight provided is that knowledge distillation and the rapidly advancing self‐supervised technique can be mutually beneficial. Combining these two approaches, a unified framework of self‐supervised learning and image‐based distillation (SSID) for unsupervised video pre‐training is proposed. The effectiveness of SSID in comparison to both image‐based distillation methods and the existing self‐supervised pre‐training baseline is demonstrated. In particular, the authors' model leverages three signals from the unlabelled data. First, the authors distil from the classifier of a 2D pre‐trained model as a soft label. To regularize the training process, the authors then build a novel positive pair of contrastive learning on the representation of the 2D/3D model. Finally, a self‐supervised pretext task is introduced to enhance the authors' model to become aware of the temporal evolution. The authors' experiment results showed that the learnt features achieved the best performance when transferred to action recognition tasks on UCF101 and HMDB51, reaching increases of 2.4% and 1.9% compared to the existing unsupervised pre‐training model, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an inertial pump with rectangular piezoelectric actuators. The mass block adhered at the free end of the actuator increases the actuator deformation, and the pump chamber is separable. Theoretical and experimental analyses are conducted. The different drive modes with the mass block, different excitation electric signals, and their influence on the performance of the piezoelectric pump are investigated. The drive mode is divided into the mass block adhered with two rectangular piezoelectric actuators, one of the actuators, and actuators without mass blocks. The square wave, sine wave, and triangle wave constitute different excitation electric signals. The experimental results prove that the pump with the mass block adhered with two rectangular piezoelectric actuators and driven by the square wave has a wide working frequency range and high performance. The highest flow rate reached is 72 ml/min at 160 V, 20 Hz. The pump with the mass block adhered with one of the actuators and driven by the square wave generates the loudest noise of 97.6 dB at 160 V, 35 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric pumps are applied in cooling systems of microelectronic devices because of their small size. However, cooling efficiency is limited by the low flow rate. A straight arm wheeled check valve made of silica gel was proposed, which can improve the flow rate of piezoelectric pumps, solve the influence of glue aging on the sealing ability of a wheeled check valve, and reduce the size of piezoelectric pumps. This paper discusses the influence of the valve arm number (N = 2, 3, and 4), the valve arm width (W = 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 mm), and the valve thickness (T = 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 mm) on the flow rate characteristics of piezoelectric pumps. When valve opening rises, the flow rate increases. The simulation results show that valves with 2 valve arm number, 0.6 mm valve thickness, and 1.0 mm valve arm width have maximum valve opening. The experimental results show that piezoelectric pumps with different valve parameters have different optimal frequencies. In addition, the maximum flow rate is 431.6 ml/min at 220 V and 70 Hz. This paper provides a reference for the application of piezoelectric pumps in cooling systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gases in the atmosphere inevitably react with the melt pool during metal additive manufacturing (AM). Oxygen is particularly reactive, and excessive uncontrolled oxidation is detrimental, so most machines purge the chamber with inert gases, which can minimize but not eliminate such reactions. Alternatively, some users exploit the gas–liquid metal reactivity as an opportunity to introduce beneficial precipitates into the melt pool ("reactive AM"). However, the gas–liquid metal reaction and mechanisms in both scenarios remain unclear. Experimental works hitherto provide different explanations to the same phenomena. Therefore, this work seeks to clarify the mass transfer process of oxygen during metal AM through high-fidelity modeling by considering the competition between diffusion and chemical reaction, suboxide evaporation, and the influence of the vapor plume. The simulation results, validated with experiments, provide consolidated insights into the oxygen evolution behavior during metal AM. Counterintuitively, higher melt pool temperatures do not necessarily lead to greater oxidation rates during processing. The melt pool has regions of high and low oxygen gains due to temperature-dependent reaction regimes, with concurrent oxygen loss from evaporation of metal suboxides. Thus, the net oxygen flux varies for different materials, and the oxygen content cumulatively changes as multiple tracks are scanned. Overall, this work provides useful guidance to the AM community that seeks to ameliorate or exploit the inevitable gas–liquid interaction in metal AM. Cost-saving measures may be possible for determining the purity of shielding gas used in AM, and physics-guided measures can be taken to limit or control gas–liquid metal reactions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 16 h day/8 h dark can significantly shorten the maturity period in pepper. • Color in fruit skin is the combined result of various species from anthocyanins and carotenods. • Anthocyanin synthesis did not cease, and its degradation and accumulation of carotenoids proceeded simultaneously as the fruits matured. The need for a lengthy maturation period and delayed changes in color are the key factors that reduce the market value of hot peppers (Capsicum annuum L.). This study assessed the effects of different photoperiods on the reduction of the maturation period and changes in color of hot peppers. The use of a photoperiod of 16 h day/8 h night (the T4 group) resulted in a higher percentage of red hot peppers, earlier seed maturity and shorter days for the hot peppers to mature compared to the control. This suggests that the T4 group reduced the period of hot pepper maturity. An additional analysis found that the promotion of the process of changes in the color and the formation of red color in the fruits that is owing to the T4 group is the result of a combination of α-carotene, β-carotene, γ-carotene, and capsorubin. In addition, anthocyanins, including delphinidin, malvidin, and cyanidin, played a key role in the formation of purple in the hot peppers, and these pigments were related to some key differentially expressed genes. Interestingly, the biosynthesis of anthocyanins did not stop as the hot peppers matured, and the degradation and accumulation of the carotenoids proceeded simultaneously. The T4 treatment inhibited the degradation of anthocyanins, which indicated that the color of the hot peppers is owing to a mixture of anthocyanins and carotenoids. This study provides insight into the mechanism of pigment biosynthesis and the potential use of photoperiods in the process of speed breeding peppers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic, elastic and thermodynamic properties of Ni 3 Sr and Ni 3 Ba intermetallics are investigated based on first–principle calculation. It shows the formation energy is increased linearly and the stability decreased gradually with applied hydrostatic pressure increased. The applied strain takes an improvement effect on their stability. The stronger metal attribute of Ni 3 Ba implies there are more metal bonds in Ni 3 Ba than that in Ni 3 Sr. Their Pugh's ratio and Poisson's ratio indicate both of them are ductile materials and their ductility is improved with applied pressure increasing. The Young's modulus, Debye temperature and thermal conductivity of Ni 3 Sr and Ni 3 Ba increased linearly with applied pressure increasing meanwhile their elastic properties and thermodynamic properties are insensitive to applied strain although the strain has a tiny softening effect on Ni 3 Sr and a strengthening effect on Ni 3 Ba to some extends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polyphenol oxidase (RcPPO) was semi-rational engineered at L173, A174 and N334. • Preference, activity and thermostability of mutants were improved by several times. • Improvement mechanism on enzyme was revealed by MD simulation and docking. • Yield of theaflavin (TF1) was improved to 70.65 % by catalysis of mutant. Improvement of activity and property in polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) by protein engineering may contribute to synthesis of theaflavin (TF1) in industrial processes. Here, the potential noncatalytic residues of PPO from Rosa chinensis (RcPPO) were selected by sequence alignment, structural analysis and surface residues prediction and the mutants were gained by semi-rational site-directed mutagenesis. Mutants L173F, A174K and N334I possessed 10.48, 9.74 and 7.13 times increases respectively in preference for diphenols over monophenols. Enzymatic activity, half-life at 40 and 50 °C of the most active mutant RcPPO-FKI increased to 2.67, 2.62 and 3.37 times respectively in comparison with wild type, implying that activity and thermostability of RcPPO through mutation were improved. The improvement of activity and thermostability in the mutant should be ascribed to more hydrogen bonds formed by the conserved catalytic histidine residues with substrate, reduced fluctuation of the loop regions and increased hydrogen network of the mutational amino acids, revealed by molecular dynamics simutation and molecular docking. Moreover, the yield of TF1 was improved by catalysis of mutant RcPPO-FKI with higher synthetic efficiency of TF1 in comparison with some reported catalysts and as a promising alternative to commercial mushroom tyrosinase. PPOs with enhanced performances provide the robust candidate for industrial application. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics of molecular transportation through lipid membranes are key information for understanding many biophysical processes in real cells or protocells. Second harmonic generation (SHG) is a unique surface selective method that may be applied to monitor the adsorption and cross-membrane transport of molecules. Different from many other approaches that probe molecules both in the bulk phase and on the interface, SHG directly probes the kinetics of molecules on interfaces because it exclusively detects molecules/materials with the breaking of inversion symmetry, which normally occurs on interfaces. In this contribution, we summarize some of the literatures on using SHG to probe the dynamic behaviors of molecules on the surface of lipid bilayers including vesicles, bacteria, and cancer cells, mainly focusing on the models that have been used for understanding the SHG signals and revealing the molecular kinetics. The enhancement of the SHG scattering from the adsorption of molecules with chromophores on the membranes and the decay of the SHG signal with a cross-membrane transport are reviewed. The effect of adsorption-desorption equilibrium to the SHG decay during the cross-membrane transport are discussed. Change of the SHG signal with orientational adjustment of the concerned molecules accompanied or not accompanied by their cross-membrane transport are presented. The influence of molecular structures or chemical environment of the surrounding solutions on molecular kinetics at the interfaces are also included. By discussing the previously applied models and showing some examples on how the SHG signals can be analyzed to reveal the kinetic processes, we hope this work may provide valuable information to the researchers in this field, especially the new comers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrosis induces strong inflammation with undesirable implications in clinics compared with apoptosis. Fortunately, the switch between necrosis and apoptosis could be realized by tailoring the appropriate structural properties of gold nano rods (GNRs) that could precisely modulate cell death pathways. Herein, the intracellular interaction between GNRs and organelles is monitored and it is found that lysosomes dominates necrosis/apoptosis evoking. Then the surface molecule density of GNRs, which is first defined as ρsurf. molecule (Nsurf. molecules/(a × π × Diameter × Length)), mediates lysosome activities as the membrane permeabilization (LMP), the Cathepsin B and D release, the cross‐talk between lysosome and different organelles, which selectively evokes apoptosis or necrosis and the production of TNF‐α from macrophages. GNRs with small ρsurf. molecule mainly induce apoptosis, while with large ρsurf. molecule they greatly contribute to necrosis. Interestingly, necrosis can be suppressed by GNRs with higher ρsurf. molecule due to the overexpression of key protease caspase 8, which cleaves the RIP1‐RIP3 complex and activates caspase 3 followed by necrosis to apoptosis transition. This investigation indicates that the ρsurf. molecule greatly affects the utility of nanomaterials and different structural properties of nanomaterials have different implications in clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive effects of Fe/Mo anti-site defect (ASD) concentration and grain boundary (GB) property on the magnetoresistance (MR) behavior of Sr2FeMoO6 (SFMO) double perovskite are investigated. Two SFMO samples with different ASD concentrations (31% and 14%) were prepared by controlling the different sintering temperature, and then, they were performed several GB modifying treatments. While the ASD remain unchanged, the MR values of both samples were appreciably enhanced since more than thousand times of resistivity had been increased after GB modifying. When compared samples that under the same soaking treatments, the more disorder sample (ASD = 31%) always showed the lower MR value than the ordered (ASD = 14%), regardless of its stronger GB strength. This suggests that the negative effect of ASD always plays an important role in MR behavior and this adverse effect is hardly offset by the increased positive effects of its GB property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dempster–Shafer (D–S) evidence theory is more and more extensively applied in multi-sensor data fusion. However, it is still an open issue that how to effectively combine highly conflicting evidence in D–S evidence theory. In this article, a novel divergence measure, called pignistic probability transformation divergence, is proposed to measure the difference between evidences. The proposed pignistic probability transformation divergence can reflect the interaction between single-element and multi-element subsets by introducing the pignistic probability transformation, and satisfies the properties of boundedness, non-degeneracy, and symmetry. Moreover, the pignistic probability transformation divergence can degenerate as Jensen–Shannon divergence when mass function and the probability distribution are consistent. Based on the pignistic probability transformation divergence, a new multi-sensor data fusion method is presented. The proposed method takes advantage of pignistic probability transformation divergence to measure the discrepancy between evidences in order to obtain the credibility weights, and belief entropy to measure the uncertainty of the evidences in order to obtain the information volume weights, which can fully mine the potential information between evidences. Then, the credibility weights and the information volume weights are integrated to generate an appropriate weighted average evidence before using Dempster's combination rule. The results of two application cases illustrate that the proposed method outperforms other related methods for combining highly conflicting evidences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning stories have been adopted as a form of assessment in early childhood education worldwide to assess children's learning processes, learning dispositions, and well-being. However, a paucity of research has been done which examines the applicability of learning stories in China. This case study investigated how learning stories are used by in-service teachers who have had years of teaching experience in classrooms in a local Chinese context. Through analysing 43 learning stories in a kindergarten in Xiamen city, Fujian province, China, this study found that while Chinese teachers try to imitate the concept and form of learning stories from New Zealand, teacher-centered, negative, and non-targeted evaluations frequently appear in the teachers' writing. This is opposite from the advocated practices of learning stories. Chinese teachers tend to pay more attention to the general development of the whole class, rather than individual students, as a consequence of a high teacher-to-children ratio in a traditional Chinese classroom and the educational policy in China. In addition, most learning stories produced by teachers seem to lack accessibility to both parents and children. Recommendations are provided which require a more localised, as well as contextualised, application of learning stories in Chinese context, and an improvement in the quality of learning stories noted down by kindergarten teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analysed the clinical patterns and outcomes of elderly patients with organophosphate intoxication. A total of 71 elderly patients with organophosphate poisoning were seen between 2008 and 2017. Patients were stratified into two subgroups: survivors (n = 57) or nonsurvivors (n = 14). Chlorpyrifos accounted for 33.8% of the cases, followed by methamidophos (12.7%) and mevinphos (11.3%). Mood, adjustment and psychotic disorder were noted in 39.4%, 33.8% and 2.8% of patients, respectively. All patients were treated with atropine and pralidoxime therapies. Acute cholinergic crisis developed in all cases (100.0%). The complications included respiratory failure (52.1%), aspiration pneumonia (50.7%), acute kidney injury (43.7%), severe consciousness disturbance (25.4%), shock (14.1%) and seizures (4.2%). Some patients also developed intermediate syndrome (15.5%) and delayed neuropathy (4.2%). The nonsurvivors suffered higher rates of hypotension (P < 0.001), shock (P < 0.001) and kidney injury (P = 0.001) than survivors did. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that patients with shock suffered lower cumulative survival than did patients without shock (log-rank test, P < 0.001). In a multivariate-Cox-regression model, shock was a significant predictor of mortality after intoxication (odds ratio 18.182, 95% confidence interval 2.045–166.667, P = 0.009). The mortality rate was 19.7%. Acute cholinergic crisis, intermediate syndrome, and delayed neuropathy developed in 100.0%, 15.5%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the clinical characteristics and mortality of maternal near miss admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). Methods. A total of 283 maternal near miss admitted to ICU of Southern District of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University from January 2007 to December 2018 were selected. According to whether the main cause of ICU admission was related to pregnancy, the patients were divided into pregnancy complication group (175 cases) and pregnancy comorbidity group (108 cases). Statistical methods were used to compare the differences of the clinical data between the two groups. Results. The top three diseases in the pregnancy complication group were hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy, obstetric hemorrhage and metabolic disorders caused by hyperemesis gravidarum. The top three diseases in the pregnancy comorbidity group were pregnancy with heart disease, infection and acute pancreatitis. Compared with the pregnancy comorbidity group, the average age of pregnant and postpartum women in the pregnancy complication group was older, the number of multipara and irregular birth examination were more, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) was higher, and the number of medical puncture procedure (thoracentesis, abdominocentesis, lumbar puncture and bone marrow puncture) was less (all P<0.05). Conclusion. There are many causes of ICU admission for maternal near miss. In-depth analysis of the clinical characteristics of this kind of pregnant women will help ICU physicians better understand and manage acute critical illness in obstetrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: As a notable chronic disorder, the incidence of interstitial cystitis (IC) has been documented to have increased among the female population with activity in microRNA-495 (miR-495) implicated in this disease. The current study was aimed at elucidating the effects associated with miR-495 on the inflammatory response and bladder fibrosis in rats with ulcerative IC via the JAK–STAT pathway by targeting JAK3. Methods: Ulcerative IC rat models were established. The targeting relationship between JAK3 and miR-495 was evaluated using luciferase reporter assay. After gain- or loss-of-function assays, mast-cell infiltration was assessed using toluidine blue staining, bladder fibrosis using Masson staining, and NO content using nitrate reductase method. JAK3 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, JAK3, STAT1, STAT3, TGFβ-1, Col-I, Col-III, JAK1, JAK2, p-STAT1, and p-STAT3 expression by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis, and serum IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, and TNF-α levels in rats by ELISA. Results: Following transfection of overexpressed miR-495 or siRNA-JAK3, a diminished degree of mast-cell infiltration, number of mast cells, bladder fibrosis, NO content, JAK3-positive expression, mRNA expression of JAK3, STAT1, STAT3, TGFβ-1, Col-I, Col-III, protein expression of JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, p-STAT1, p-STAT3, and expression of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, and TNF-α were identified. Conclusions: Collectively, our key findings provide evidence supporting the notion that the overexpression of miR-495 ameliorates inflammatory response and bladder fibrosis in ulcerative IC rat models via inactivation of the JAK–STAT signaling pathway by inhibiting JAK3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing is becoming a disruptive technology and shows great potential for various practical applications. Specially, digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing demonstrates advantages in high resolution and high efficiency. However, extensive production of infusible and insoluble thermosets in DLP printing causes serious resource waste and environmental problems after its disposal. Herein, a reprintable linear polymer is reported for repeatable DLP printing. Taking advantage of the dissolution of linear polymer in its monomer, printed objects can be recycled into liquid resin and reprinted via the same DLP. Polymerization kinetics and printing resolution of recycled resins and mechanical properties of reprinted polymers retain identical as the original. The thermoplastic nature of linear polymer endows 3D objects with welding and reshaping property. Recyclable composites are also successfully fabricated, and sustainable usage of high‐value fillers comes true. This strategy helps to address environmental issues arising from unprocessable thermosets and may contribute to an efficient materials recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectricity and metallicity are usually believed not to coexist because conducting electrons would screen out static internal electric fields. In 1965, Anderson and Blount proposed the concept of "ferroelectric metal", however, it is only until recently that very rare ferroelectric metals were reported. Here, by combining high-throughput ab initio calculations and data-driven machine learning method with new electronic orbital based descriptors, we systematically investigated a large family (2964) of two-dimensional (2D) bimetal phosphates, and discovered 60 stable ferroelectrics with out-of-plane polarization, including 16 ferroelectric metals and 44 ferroelectric semiconductors that contain seven multiferroics. The ferroelectricity origins from spontaneous symmetry breaking induced by the opposite displacements of bimetal atoms, and the full- d -orbital coinage metal elements cause larger displacements and polarization than other elements. For 2D ferroelectric metals, the odd electrons per unit cell without spin polarization may lead to a half-filled energy band around Fermi level and is responsible for the metallicity. It is revealed that the conducting electrons mainly move on a single-side surface of the 2D layer, while both the ionic and electric contributions to polarization come from the other side and are vertical to the above layer, thereby causing the coexistence of metallicity and ferroelectricity. Van der Waals heterostructures based on ferroelectric metals may enable the change of Schottky barrier height or the Schottky-Ohmic contact type and induce a dramatic change of their vertical transport properties. Our work greatly expands the family of 2D ferroelectric metals and will spur further exploration of 2D ferroelectric metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]