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Abstract Background Osteoporosis, a systemic skeletal disease, seriously affects the quality of life in postmenopausal women. As one type of cathepsin K (CatK) inhibitor, odanacatib (ODN) is a fresh medication for osteoporosis. Considering the potential of ODN, we further examined the effect and safety of ODN for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) with a meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for eligible studies from inception to December 29th, 2023. After that, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was meticulously investigated with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. Efficacy was assessed with bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites (lumbar spine, trochanter, radius, femoral neck) and biomarkers of bone turnover (P1NP, uNTx/Cr, s-CTx, BSAP). Safety was evaluated by analyzing total, serious, other, and skin adverse events (AEs). Results Four random clinical trials (RCTs) were involved in our research. All trials were rated as having high quality and met the eligibility criteria. In the current research, ODN was found to elevate BMD at lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, trochanter and forearm, while it decreased the levels of serum C-telopeptides of type I collagen (s-CTx) as well as urinary N-telopeptide/creatinine ratio (uNTx/Cr). No significant differences were observed in AEs between the ODN group and the control group. Conclusions ODN is a promising alternative for the treatment of PMOP on account of its excellent efficacy and credible safety. Unclear links between ODN and cardiovascular AEs require further research to clarify.

Purpose: Zoledronic acid can inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, and thus, may slow or inhibit bone loss. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid in the treatment of osteoporosis. Methods: Four databases, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were systematically searched up to December 26, 2022. The primary outcomes included bone mineral density (BMD), carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP), procollagen type 1 N-terminal prope-ptide (P1NP), adverse events, and fracture. Secondary outcomes included serum sclerostin level, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Results: A total of 22 randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that zoledronic acid was effective in increasing BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, trochanter and serum sclerostin level; and reduced CTX, BSAP, P1NP, VAS score, and ODI in patients with osteoporosis. Regarding safety, zoledronic acid could reduce the incidence of fractures but had relatively more adverse events. Conclusion: Zoledronic acid can significantly improve BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck and trochanter, and effectively reduce incidence of fracture in patients with osteoporosis, thereby significantly improving patients' quality of life. However, the incidence of adverse events was higher than that of patients treated with placebo.

A length of polarization-correlation (LPC) based on speckle pattern of the non-uniform spatial polarization distribution is proposed and measured by using the classical measurement method of the Stokes polarization parameters for optical coherent detection. The LPC, which depends on the material of the scattering medium, is emphasized on the speckle scale. A gradually expanding window centered at the brightest spot of the speckle pattern, is designed to calculate the degree of polarization (DOP) of different speckle sizes. Moreover, the magnitude of LPC is equal to the speckle size that reaches a particular threshold on the DOP curve. It is experimentally demonstrated that the LPC is exploited to not only investigate the nature of the polarization changes between different speckle sizes, but also be combined with coherent efficiency. This study can provide new insights of speckle depolarization in optical coherent detection and open new opportunities for improving coherent efficiency.

The inherent manufacturing defects in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)-processed samples leads to deviations from results of finite element analysis (FEA) using the designed model. To systematically evaluate process-induced defects and elucidate their effect, a novel methodology, combining statistical analysis, precision computed tomography (CT) characterisation techniques, mechanical properties assessments and FEA, has been developed. Compared to designed models, CT reconstructed models consider defects, which may affect mechanical properties evaluation, especially along the building direction. FEA based on the CT reconstructed model can more accurately display the stress distribution and the anisotropy of samples. Results indicate that mechanical properties correlate with geometric structure and building direction. Anisotropy becomes more pronounced at a strut diameter of 1.0 mm, the universal anisotropic index AU can reach to 6.31. Overall, this method improves predictive ability by elucidating structure–property relationships in LPBF-processed lattice structures, offering insights into the efficient design for LPBF-processed lattice structures with desirable mechanical properties.

The membrane-cryogenic hybrid process is a promising CO2 capture process, which combines the advantages of membrane and cryogenic, such as high efficiency (up to 98 % CO2 captured) and low energy consumption (specific energy consumption around 1.7 MJ/kg CO2 avoided). Through pretreatment by membranes, CO2 concentration can be increased, which makes it possible to separate CO2 via phase change in the cryogenic unit. This work reviews the current status of the development of membrane-cryogenic hybrid processes. The synergy between membrane and cryogenic separation is summarized to identify the bottleneck of such processes and provide insights for process improvement. It was found that cold temperatures would be beneficial to reduce CO2 activation energy and then improve CO2 selectivity of membranes. To further improve the CO2 separation performance, the potential intensification methods of the membrane-cryogenic hybrid process including cold-membrane synthesis, process optimization via heat integration are discussed and envisioned.

Optimising the cell type and configuration is a key approach for overcoming stress concentration and irreversible deformation in lightweight lattice structures with high strength. In this work, the topology optimisation method was utilised to design force-direction-sensitive structures, including face-centre loaded (FCL), central-edge loaded (CEL), and hybrid-loaded (HL) structures, which were manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) using Nitinol (NiTi) shape memory alloy. Results indicated that the HL lattice exhibited the highest initial peak force of 7.6 kN with higher specific compressive strength (41.74 MPa·cm3/g) and specific energy absorption (6.82 J/g), which was benefit from the layer-by-layer deformation mechanism. Furthermore, the HL lattice also exhibited the best damping properties and energy absorption capacity, while achieving a high shape recovery ratio of 85%. This work offers insights into a design strategy for functional structures with high strength and large deformation recovery capacity.

ABSTRACTThe cuttlebone is known for its ability to possess high specific stiffness, progressive failure and lightweight from the porous chambered structure. Inspired by the microstructural characteristics of cuttlebone and incorporating the wall gradient design, a series of double-asymmetric honeycombs were designed and processed by LPBF. Results indicated that bionic structural units with the junction design can maintain the integrity of the residual parts after local buckling and failure, improving the load-bearing capacity. The double-asymmetric honeycomb with gradation parameter α = 2/3 achieved a maximum specific compressive strength of 70.64 MPa cm3/g. As α decreases, there is an increase in specific energy absorption and a narrowing of the hysteresis loop. The as-build honeycomb had undergone stress-induced martensite transformation during compression. The dissipated mechanical energy (ME) decreased with the increasing cycle number and the decreasing α. The results provide design guidelines and process strategies for developing high-performance honeycombs.

Fusarium dry rot (FDR), which is caused by several Fusarium species, is a major disease affecting potatoes during storage. The study aimed to identify the gleyic stage and monitor rot progression in stored potatoes using a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system. We evaluated the susceptibility parameters and quality attributes during the infection process and monitored starch, soluble protein, malondialdehyde, and aerobic bacterial contents in all samples. To further characterize the infection process, we collected spectral data on different storage days and then mapped these data using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. The results revealed 20 peaks related to these component contents. Then, the quantitative analysis models of these indicators were established based on the 2D correlation synchronization spectrum. The optimal correlation coefficients of the validation set were 0.9273, 0.9634, 0.9470, and 0.9487 for these indicators. Visual analysis was implemented to these indicators, and the content distribution can be effectively observed on hyperspectral images.

Purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP) and yellow-fleshed sweet potato (YFSP) are crops highly valued for their nutritional benefits and rich bioactive compounds. These compounds include carotenoids, flavonoids (including anthocyanins), and phenolic acids etc. which are present in both the leaves and roots of these sweet potatoes. PFSP and YFSP offer numerous health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties. The antioxidant activity of these sweet potatoes holds significant potential for various industries, including food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. However, a challenge in utilizing PFSP and YFSP is their susceptibility to rapid oxidation and color fading during processing and storage. To address this issue and enhance the nutritional value and shelf life of food products, researchers have explored preservation methods such as co-pigmentation and encapsulation. While YFSP has not been extensively studied, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, health benefits, stabilization techniques for phytochemical, and industrial applications of both PFSP and YFSP in the food industry. Additionally, the comparison between PFSP and YFSP highlights their similarities and differences, shedding light on their potential uses and benefits in various food products.

Identifying the geographic origin of a wine is of great importance, as origin fakery is commonplace in the wine industry. This study analyzed the mineral elements, volatile components, and metabolites in wine using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry. The most critical variables (5 mineral elements, 13 volatile components, and 51 metabolites) for wine origin classification were selected via principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Subsequently, three algorithms—K-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, and random forest —were used to model single and fused datasets for origin identification. These results indicated that fused datasets, based on feature variables (mineral elements, volatile components, and metabolites), achieved the best performance, with predictive rates of 100% for all three algorithms. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a multi-source data fusion strategy for authenticity identification of Chinese wine.

Neuralgic muscular atrophy is not uncommon in clinical practice. Due to the different branches of brachial plexus involved in the lesion, the clinical symptoms are different, and there is a lack of clear imaging diagnostic criteria, so the diagnosis of this disease brings great challenges to clinicians. We have certain experience in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, and hereby select a representative case of neuralgic muscular atrophy to share its diagnosis and treatment process, focusing on analyzing the characteristic symptoms of this disease, valuable imaging data and targeted treatment, so as to enable clinicians to better understand this disease.

Abstract Backscatter communication relies on passive reflections of the existing radio frequency (RF) signals, making it suitable for low-power and low-complexity communication in IoT applications. However, the performance of existing systems severely degrades in real-life environments, due to irregular “on” and “off” states of ambient signals like WiFi, which are not controllable. In this paper, we propose a joint coding and framing scheme for the backscattering physical layer to fight against the off-state in the excitation signal. We first design transmission schemes including both the Reed-Solomon (RS) codes and the frame structure, to correct the burst error caused by the off states. In order to implement the codes at the resource-constrained tag, we design a look-up table for the encoding process. We prototype our system NuWa that could efficiently backscatter with uncontrolled traffics generated randomly. We demonstrate that NuWa could achieve a 1 Mbps transmission throughput when the tag is over 1 m away from the receiver in high traffic load and 150 kbps in low traffic load. Finally, we evaluate the throughput with respect to the distance change between the tag and the receiver, and 950 kbps is achieved at a distance of $$6\,m$$ 6 m .

The control of moisture content (MC) is essential in the drying of shrimp, directly impacting its quality and shelf life. This study aimed to develop an accurate method for determining shrimp MC by integrating hyperspectral imaging (HSI) with electronic nose (E-nose) technology. We employed three different data fusion approaches: pixel-, feature-, and decision-fusion, to combine HSI and E nose data for the prediction of shrimp MC. We developed partial least squares regression (PLSR) models for each method and compared their performance in terms of prediction accuracy. The decision fusion approach outperformed the other methods, producing the highest determination coefficients for both calibration (0.9595) and validation sets (0.9448). Corresponding root-mean square errors were the lowest for the calibration set (0.0370) and validation set (0.0443), indicating high prediction precision. Additionally, this approach achieved a relative percent deviation of 3.94, the highest among the methods tested. The findings suggest that the decision fusion of HSI and E nose data through a PLSR model is an effective, accurate, and efficient method for evaluating shrimp MC. The demonstrated capability of this approach makes it a valuable tool for quality control and market monitoring of dried shrimp products.

Abstract The approximating sequence Riccati equation method is an efficient approach for solving the nonlinear optimal control problems, but its neglect of nonlinear dynamics and necessary optimality condition makes the control law difficult to satisfy the optimality. In this paper, an approximating pseudospectral method with state‐dependent coefficient optimization algorithm is proposed to solve this defect. By introducing the approximating pseudospectral method, the original nonlinear problem is transformed into a sequence of linear subproblems, which preserves the nonlinearity of solution. Then a state‐dependent coefficient optimization algorithm based on the gradient projection technique is proposed, which ensures the optimality of the control law. A double‐layer optimization structure is designed to facilitate the coordination between the approximating method and the optimization algorithm. Theoretical analysis proves the convergence of the proposed method. Comparative case studies illustrate the effectiveness in reducing the performance index and ensuring the optimality of the control law.

Abstract The product functions (PFs) extracted by local mean decomposition (LMD) of the noisy signal contain obvious energy‐concentrated pulses. As a result, the conventional amplitude threshold filtering used in wavelet transform (WT)‐based and empirical mode decomposition (EMD)‐based de‐noising methods is no longer applicable. To address this issue, an improved signal de‐noising method is proposed by using the multi‐level local mean decomposition (ML‐LMD), the superposition and recombination (SR) of high‐order PFs, the outlier detection, and waveform smoothing (OD‐WS) to remove noise by eliminating the pulse components. The proposed method's superior noise reduction performance is demonstrated through theoretical analysis and experimental verification. Compared to well‐known methods like WT‐based and EMD‐based de‐noising, the results show that the proposed method has significant comparative advantages in reducing noise in rolling bearing signals.

Protein oxidation leads to changes in shrimp texture, which affects sensory profile and consumer acceptability. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on protein oxidation and textural properties of Litopenaeus vannamei during refrigerated storage. Results revealed that EBI treatment and storage increased the protein oxidation level of shrimps. Shrimps irradiated with ≥ 7 kGy exhibited remarkably higher (P

We propose a dual-pattern broadband polarization converter in the terahertz band using a vanadium dioxide (VO2) and graphene metasurface. The converter can be switched between transmission and reflection patterns by controlling the phase of VO2. In the insulating state of VO2 and with the Fermi energy of graphene (Ef) set to 1 eV, the converter works in transmission mode and can convert linearly polarized waves. In the metallic state of VO2 and with Ef set to = 0 eV, the converter works in reflection mode and can function as a quarter-wave plate. The proposed converter is expected to have applications in integrated devices that control the polarization state of terahertz waves.

Organic milk has a high risk of food fraud as it can easily be adulterated with non-organic milk. This study aimed to identify metabolite markers for assessing the authenticity of organic milk from Jersey and Yak. In the untargeted strategy, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive HF-X mass spectrometer coupled with chemometrics analysis was used to screen and identify tentative markers of organic milk from Jersey and Yak. In the targeted strategy, a quick and easy method of ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed to quantify three markers. The peptide of Thr-Ala-Val and D-biotin were determined to be metabolite markers for distinguishing organic and non-organic Jersey milk, whereas trimethylamine N-oxide was determined to be a metabolite marker for distinguishing organic and non-organic Yak milk. These findings provide critical information to facilitate assessments of organic milk authenticity.

Membrane proteins mediate a wide spectrum of biological processes, such as signal transduction and cell communication. Due to the arduous and costly nature inherent to the experimental process, membrane proteins have long been devoid of well-resolved atomic-level tertiary structures and, consequently, the understanding of their functional roles underlying a multitude of life activities has been hampered. Currently, computational tools dedicated to furthering the structure-function understanding are primarily focused on utilizing intelligent algorithms to address a variety of site-wise prediction problems (e.g., topology and interaction sites), but are scattered across different computing sources. Moreover, the recent advent of deep learning techniques has immensely expedited the development of computational tools for membrane protein-related prediction problems. Given the growing number of applications optimized particularly by manifold deep neural networks, we herein provide a review on the current status of computational strategies mainly in membrane protein type classification, topology identification, interaction site detection, and pathogenic effect prediction. Meanwhile, we provide an overview of how the entire prediction process proceeds, including database collection, data pre-processing, feature extraction, and method selection. This review is expected to be useful for developing more extendable computational tools specific to membrane proteins.

Abstract While several artificial nanodrugs have been approved for clinical treatment of breast tumor, their long-term applications are restricted by unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes, side reactions and high costs. Conversely, edible plant-derived natural nanotherapeutics (NTs) are source-widespread and cost-effective, which have been shown remarkably effective in disease treatment. Herein, we extracted and purified exosome-like NTs from tea leaves (TLNTs), which had an average diameter of 166.9 nm and a negative-charged surface of − 28.8 mV. These TLNTs contained an adequate slew of functional components such as lipids, proteins and pharmacologically active molecules. In vitro studies indicated that TLNTs were effectively internalized by breast tumor cells (4T1 cells) and caused a 2.5-fold increase in the amount of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) after incubation for 8 h. The high levels of ROS triggered mitochondrial damages and arrested cell cycles, resulting in the apoptosis of tumor cells. The mouse experiments revealed that TLNTs achieved good therapeutic effects against breast tumors regardless of intravenous injection and oral administration through direct pro-apoptosis and microbiota modulation. Strikingly, the intravenous injection of TLNTs, not oral administration, yielded obvious hepatorenal toxicity and immune activation. These findings collectively demonstrate that TLNTs can be developed as a promising oral therapeutic platform for the treatment of breast cancer. Graphic Abstract

More recently, short peptides in scorpion venom have received much attention because of their potential for drug discovery. Although various biological effects of these short peptides have been found, their studies have been hindered by the lack of structural information especially in modifications. In this study, small peptides from scorpion venom were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry followed by de novo sequencing. A total of 156 sequences consisting of 2~12 amino acids were temporarily identified from Buthus martensii scorpion venom. The identified peptides exhibited various post-translational modifications including N-terminal and C-terminal modifications, in which the N-benzoyl modification was first found in scorpion venom. Moreover, a short peptide Bz-ARF-NH2 demonstrated both N-terminal and C-terminal modifications simultaneously, which is extremely rare in natural peptides. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive insight into the diversity, modifications, and potential bioactivities of short peptides in scorpion venom.

Lightweight porous materials with high load-bearing, damage tolerance and energy absorption (EA) as well as intelligence of shape recovery after material deformation are beneficial and critical for many applications, e.g. aerospace, automobiles, electronics, etc. Cuttlebone produced in the cuttlefish has evolved vertical walls with the optimal corrugation gradient, enabling stress homogenization, significant load bearing, and damage tolerance to protect the organism from high external pressures in the deep sea. This work illustrated that the complex hybrid wave shape in cuttlebone walls, becoming more tortuous from bottom to top, creates a lightweight, load-bearing structure with progressive failure. By mimicking the cuttlebone, a novel bionic hybrid structure (BHS) was proposed, and as a comparison, a regular corrugated structure and a straight wall structure were designed. Three types of designed structures have been successfully manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) with NiTi powder. The LPBF-processed BHS exhibited a total porosity of 0.042% and a good dimensional accuracy with a peak deviation of 17.4 μ m. Microstructural analysis indicated that the LPBF-processed BHS had a strong (001) crystallographic orientation and an average size of 9.85 μ m. Mechanical analysis revealed the LPBF-processed BHS could withstand over 25 000 times its weight without significant deformation and had the highest specific EA value (5.32 J·g ^−1 ) due to the absence of stress concentration and progressive wall failure during compression. Cyclic compression testing showed that LPBF-processed BHS possessed superior viscoelastic and elasticity energy dissipation capacity. Importantly, the uniform reversible phase transition from martensite to austenite in the walls enables the structure to largely recover its pre-deformation shape when heated (over 99% recovery rate). These design strategies can serve as valuable references for the development of intelligent components that possess high mechanical efficiency and shape memory capabilities.

We propose a temperature-tunable and dual-broadband switchable coherent perfect absorber (CPA) composed of an annulus-disk-shaped InSb pattern and a complementary graphene layer. By controlling the Fermi level of graphene, the temperature of InSb, or the relative phase of incident beams, the working frequency and absorption of the CPA can be continuously adjusted. For a Fermi energy of 0 eV, the dual-band coherent perfect absorptivities exceed 99%. The designed structure achieves broadband absorptance of over 90% in the frequency range of 0.145 THz to 1.24 THz, with a relative bandwidth of about 158.12% for a Fermi energy of 0.5 eV. Moreover, the temperature-dependent permittivity of InSb enables thermal tuning of the dual-band CPA in the THz region. Furthermore, by altering the relative phase of input beams, the absorptivity can be continuously varied between less than 1.2% and more than 90% in the dual-band and broadband modes. Additionally, the designed CPA exhibits insensitivity to the polarization angle within the range of 0° to 90°. Therefore, this multifunctional CPA holds significant potential for applications in modulation, sensing, all-optical switches, and coherent photodetectors.

Soft starters are effective devices used to provide overload protection for motors from large mechanical shocks during the start-up period. However, existing soft starters require additional power supplies, sensors, and complex control elements that pose serious challenges to the integration, versatility, and operability of mechanical transmission system. Herein, we propose a newly soft starter based on the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and electrorheological fluid (ERF) to realize a self-powered mechanical transmission system. Both ERF’s rheological characteristic and the baffle structure play a role in the torque of device. Driven by TENG, the soft starter with optimized baffle achieves a 715% growth in transmission torque compared to that of the device without baffle. And a smooth start is obtained with transmission speeds ranging from 0% to 100%. In application demonstration, this triboelectric soft starter (TSS) has the capacity to gain a smooth operation of the high-speed motor. In contrast, the direct start generates an overshoot, leading to a break in the conveyor belt. The TSS designed in this work with the advantages of self-powered, highly integrated, easy to operate, and low cost, provides a prospective strategy for broadening the application of TENG in mechanical transmission systems.

Highlights A self-powered and highly sensitive tribo-label-sensor is proposed as the substitution of infrared sensor for addressing current issues in label printer. Tribo-label-sensor shows higher integrability, sensitivity, reliability and universality than traditional infrared sensor for label identification, positioning and counting.

This study presenting the cryo-EM structure of human SNAPc in complex with U6-1 PSE, significantly enforces our understanding of the mechanism of the SNAPc assembly, the PSE-specific recognition by SNAPc and the PIC assembly on U6 snRNA promoter.

Large-scale energy storage technology plays an essential role in a high proportion of renewable energy power systems. Solid gravity energy storage technology has the potential advantages of wide geographical adaptability, high cycle efficiency, good economy, and high reliability, and it is prospected to have a broad application in vast new energy-rich areas. As a novel and needs to be further studied technology, solid gravity energy storage technology has become one of the important development directions of large-scale energy storage technology. This paper firstly briefly introduces various types of SGES technologies and their characteristics. Secondly, to address the problem that there is no detailed quantitative analysis of multiple kinds of SGES, this paper presents a detailed analysis and discussion of various types of SGES technologies based on the evaluation indexes of large-scale energy storage technologies. Again, by assigning reasonable weights to each evaluation index and performing normalized analysis, the quantitative analysis of the performance levels of different SGES technologies is conducted. The results will provide valuable references for selecting specific SGES technologies in engineering practice. Finally, based on the results of this paper, we provide some suggestions for the following research on SGES technologies. Considering the lack of construction conditions for pumped hydro energy storage in many areas rich in new energy resources, solid gravity energy storage will gain huge development space with low cost and excellent performance.

At present, the redundancy of real-time measurement in distribution network is low and the mixed measurement is incompatible, Hybrid measurement combined with multi-source asynchronous data such as SCADASCADA/ smart distribution transformer information acquisition system (SDTIAS), anew state estimation based on SCADASCADA and SDTIAS is proposed in this paper. Firstly, SDTIAS and SCADA measurements are matched and synchronized; Then, the quadratic multi-source asynchronous measurement model is constructed, the quadratic equality constraint is established, the unified modeling of multi-source asynchronous measurement is realized; Finally, the proposed model and algorithm are simulated and verified in the standard test system, The results show the error seven times lower than traditional methods, and the calculation efficiency (100 Statistics) is increased by 35%, indicating better accuracy and higher efficiency.

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

The bioreactor based on solid-state fermentation technology has been developed for vinegar production, standardization of fermentation process and stabilization of vinegar quality. The microbial community diversity, and volatile compounds of six cultivars of vinegar samples fermented in a self-designed solid-state fermentation bioreactors were investigated using Illumina MiSeq platform and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technology. The correlations between the richness and diversity of microbiota and volatile profiles, organic acids, as well as physicochemical indicators were explored by R software with the coplot package. The findings indicated that Acetobacter, norank-c-Cyanobacteria, and Weissella played key roles during fermentation process. Norank-f-Actinopolyporaceae, norank-c-Cyanobacteria, Pediococcus, and Microbacterium had significant correlations with the physicochemical characteristics. The most common bacterial species were associated with a citric acid content, whereas the least number of bacterial species correlated with malic acid content. Findings could be helpful for the bioreactor optimization, and thus reaching the level of pilot scale and industrialization.

Background. Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex male dysfunction, mostly seen in young and middle-aged men with a history of more than 3 months. As a traditional therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture has been proven an effective method to treat CP/CPPS in recent years. Though some meta-analyses on acupuncture for chronic prostatitis were published in 2018 and 2019, most of the included studies were low in quality according to the JADAD score (JADAD

In this study, we aimed to establish an innovative and efficient preparation method of potato resistant starch (PRS). To achieve this, we prepared type 3 resistant starch (RS3) from native potato starch (PS) using an ultrasonic method combined with autoclave gelatinization and optimized by the response surface method to study the structure and properties of potato RS3 (PRS3) and its effect on the quality of steamed bread. Under optimal treatment conditions, the PRS3 content increased from 7.5% to 15.9%. Compared with PS, the B-type crystal structure of PRS3 was destroyed, and the content of hydroxyl groups was increased, but no new chemical groups were introduced. PRS3 had a rougher surface and a lower crystallinity, gelatinization temperature, viscosity, setback value, and breakdown value. The low content (5%) of PRS3 had a stable viscosity and was easily degraded by bacteria, which can improve the quality of steamed bread to a certain extent. When the PRS3 content was over 10%, it competed with the gluten protein to absorb water, which reduced the contents of β-turn and α-helix in the dough, increased the contents of β-fold, and weakened the structure of the gluten network. It also decreased the specific volume and elasticity of the steamed bread and increased the spreading rate, hardness, and chewiness. Steamed bread prepared with a flour mixture containing 5% PRS3 was similar to the presidential acceptance of control flour. In this study, a new sustainable and efficient PRS3 preparation method was established, which has certain guiding significance for the processing of Functional steamed bread with high-resistant starch.

CEP128 is a centrosomal protein important for the organization of centriolar microtubules. Here, the authors show that a CEP128 variant observed in human male siblings causes reduced sperm counts and morphologically abnormal sperm when modeled in mice, suggesting a role for CEP128 in male fertility.

Abstract Maintaining frequency stability is a crucial but challenging task for the stable operation of a power system. The distributed energy storage (DES) can charge or discharge for both upward and downward frequency regulation, exploring and effectively using the regulation capabilities will provide a strong backup for frequency regulation. Here, a dynamic DES control strategy for providing primary frequency regulation is proposed. The different behaviours of storage owners are considered when they respond to the regulation requests from the aggregator. This kind of uncertainty would lead to a mismatch between the final aggregation result and the expected target. Hence, the multi‐armed bandit approach is applied to learn users’ response behaviour and select the optimal set of users to mitigate the mismatch. Case studies on the IEEE RTS 24‐bus system demonstrate that the proposed method's mismatch between the actual aggregation result and the regulation target is less than half as much as the conventional method, and it can restore the frequency 20 events earlier than the traditional method.

Anthocyanins are attractive alternatives to colorants; however, their low color stability hinders practical application. Copigmentation can enhance both the color intensity and color stability of complexes. Herein, we report an investigation of copigmentation reactions between purple sweet potato anthocyanins (PSA1) and phenolic acids (tannic, ferulic, and caffeic acids) or fatty acids (tartaric and malic acids) at pH 3.5. The effects of the mole ratios of the copigment and the reaction temperature were examined. In addition, quantum mechanical computations were performed to investigate molecular interactions. The optimum PSA:copigment molar ratio was found to be 1:100. The strongest bathochromic and hyperchromic effects were observed for copigmentation with tannic acid (Tan), which might be attributable to the fact that its HOMO-LUMO energy gap was the smallest among the investigated copigments, and because it has a greater number of phenolic aromatic and groups to form more van der Waals and hydrogen bond interactions. However, the formation of the PSA-caffeic acid (Caf) complex was accompanied by the greatest drop in enthalpy (−33.18 kJ/mol) and entropy (−74.55 kJ/mol), and this was the most stable complex at 90 °C. Quantum mechanical calculations indicated that hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force interactions contributed to the color intensification effect of copigmentation. These findings represent an advancement in our understanding of the properties of PSA, expanding the application scope of this natural product.

Exploitation of the biodiversity of native wine yeast is a means of modifying the sensory characteristics of wine. Samples from different regions in China were analysed to screen native isolates as potential starter cultures. Through morphological and molecular biological analyses, we found six species, belonging to four genera (Hanseniaspora, Saccharomyces, Rhodotorula and Metschnikowia). These species were subjected to stress tolerance assays (ethanol, glucose, SO2 and pH), enzymatic activity tests (sulphite reductase activity, β-glucosidase activity and protease activity) and fermentation tests. Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed a high tolerance to ethanol and completed fermentation independently. Hanseniaspora demonstrated good enzymatic activity and completed sequential fermentation. The fermentation experiment showed that the PCT4 strain had the best aroma complexity. This study provides a reference for selecting new starters from the perspective of flavour enzymes and tolerance and diversifying the sensory quality of wines from the region.

This paper introduces a novel approach for detecting inter-turn short-circuit faults in rotor windings using wavelet transformation and empirical mode decomposition. A MATLAB/Simulink model is developed based on electrical parameters to simulate the inter-turn short circuit by adding a resistor parallel to phase “a” of the rotor. The resulting high current in the new phase indicates the presence of the short circuit. By measuring the rotor and stator three-phase currents, the fault can be detected as the currents exhibit asymmetric behavior. Fluctuations in the electromagnetic torque also occur during the fault. The wavelet transform is applied to the rotor current, revealing an effective analysis of sideband frequency components. Specifically, changes in amplitude and frequency, particularly in d7 and a7, indicate the presence of harmonics generated by the inter-turn short circuit. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of wavelet transformation in analyzing these frequency components. Additionally, this study explores the use of empirical mode decomposition to detect faults in their early stages, observing substantial changes in the instantaneous amplitudes of the first three intrinsic mode functions during fault onset. The proposed technique is straightforward and reliable, making it suitable for application in wind turbines with simple electrical inputs.

Screening novel narrow-band phosphors inspired by natural mineral structures is urgently demanded for improving the performance of phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes. In this work, a novel narrow-band deep-blue-emitting tungsten bronze-type KCaAl2F9:Eu2+ phosphor with superior thermal stability is successfully synthesized. Structural analysis shows that the representative KCaAl2F9:0.013Eu2+ phosphor crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group C2221 with a rigid network. The rigid [AlF6]3− octahedrons are linked together by sharing corners to build endless [AlF6]3−∞ chains, further stacking with each other in a highly cross–linked way to establish the rigid network of the KCaAl2F9 host. Benefiting from the rigid microenvironment, the developed phosphor not only shows a narrow-band deep-blue emission with a full width at half maximum of 45 nm and a high color purity of 92%, but it also exhibits the superior thermal stability with an emission loss of only 10% at 423 K, demonstrating its application potential in bridging the deep-blue spectral cavity toward sunlight-like full-spectrum lighting. In addition, the concentration/temperature quenching behaviors of KCaAl2F9:Eu2+ phosphor are systematically investigated. By revealing the specific structure–property relationship of tungsten bronze-type KCaAl2F9:Eu2+ phosphor, the present study provides a significant guide for identifying the novel narrow-band deep-blue-emitting component applicable to full-spectrum warm white light-emitting diode devices.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of single ultrasound (360 W, 20 min), single microwave (10 W/g, 120 s) and ultrasonic–microwave combination treatment on shrimp surimi gel properties. The structure and physicochemical properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) were also determined. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance showed that the fluidity of water molecules and the moisture content decreased, the stability and water holding capacity (WHC) increased after single ultrasound, single microwave and ultrasonic–microwave combination treatment. Compared with the traditional water bath treatment, ultrasound and microwave treatment reduced the total sulfhydryl content and promoted the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions, which improved the compactness of the network structure of shrimp surimi gel. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that these treatments not only inhibited the degradation of MP, but also decreased the α-helix content and increased the β-sheet content. The three treatments also significantly reduced the particle size and decreased the solubility of MP. Overall, the effect of ultrasonic–microwave combination treatment was superior to that of either single treatment.

The shelf life of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables is affected by microbial growth, enzymatic browning, and loss of flavor. Although ultrasound (US) treatment is often used in the preservation of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, it has limited antibacterial and preservative effects. Here, we used cactus polysaccharides (CP) to enhance the preservative effect of ultrasound treatment and extended the shelf life of fresh-cut potatoes. The results showed that combined treatment (CP + US) exerted better antimicrobial and anti-browning effects than individual treatments (either US or CP alone). In addition, CP + US has no adverse effect on texture and quality properties, as well as reduced the mobility of internal water. Combination treatment not only significantly decreased the activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase (P

γ-Glutamyl peptides are small molecular peptides that greatly influence the perception of kokumi taste. Multiple natural peptides, including γ-glutamyl di- and tripeptides and their derivatives, have been isolated and identified from various foodstuffs. Furthermore, some peptides have been effectively synthesized by γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and L-glutaminases. This review summarizes several aspects related to kokumi γ-glutamyl peptides, including their evaluation and quantification methods, biosynthetic pathways, contributions to foodstuffs, and changes during food processing. A better and more accurate understanding of these peptides is essential for further improving food processing and enhancing the desirable characteristics of food.

BackgroundDyskinesia is a common manifestation after stroke. Motor functional rehabilitation after stroke is of great significance to the maintenance of national health. Ocular Acupuncture Kinesitherapy (OAKT) can repair nerve injuries, improve motor function, reduce rehabilitation time, and promote dyskinesia recovery after stroke. The mechanism, however, remains a mystery, necessitating urgent research. The M1-thalamus-spinal cord neural signaling pathway is linked to limb motor function. Bold-fMRI can represent the cerebral functional state, and TMS-MEP is of certain practical utility for assessing motor neural function and prognosis. Combining fMRI scanning with TMS-MEP detection is predicted to advance brain-spinal cord regulation and muscle response linkage control mechanism research, as well as completely investigate the central-peripheral coupling effect of Ocular Acupuncture Kinesitherapy on dyskinesia after stroke (PSD).MethodsThis is a prospective functional neuroimaging and neurotic electrophysiological study with a case-control design between the PSD with the HC groups and a randomized controlled design within the 3 PSD groups (OAKT group, ocular acupuncture group, and kinesitherapy group). Using fMRI scans and TMS-MEP approach, we will assess the central-peripheral neural function alterations in PSD as well as the coupling effects of OAKT on PSD. We plan to enroll 90 participants at the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Aug 31, 2022, to Dec 31, 2023, including 45 PSD and 45 HC subjects. After enrollment and on the last day after 4-weeks of waiting (HC subjects) or intervention (PSD subjects), all eligible subjects will be evaluated using fMRI scanning, TMS-MEP detection, and the MMT and Fugl-Mayer scales assessment. The MMT and Fugl-Meyer scores will be recorded, and a Pearson correlation analysis will be performed to assess the correlation between clinical and imaging outcomes.DiscussionFindings of this study will help to explain the central-peripheral coupling effect of OAKT on PSD and to further provide the neural processing of acupuncture kinesitherapy covering the entire pathway from peripheral to central nervous system.Clinical trial registrationThis study is registered with an identifier (ChiCTR2200060483) at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry in June 2022. http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.