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The development of the proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) is still limited by the prohibitive cost and scarcity of iridium (Ir)‐based oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst. This work presents a novel catalyst synthesized by precursor‐atomization and rapid joule‐heating method, successfully doping iridium atoms into polyvalent tungsten blends (W0, W5+, W6+) based on titanium substrate. The vacancy engineering of unsaturated tungsten oxide (W5+, W6+) reconstructs the electronic structure of the catalyst surface, which resulting in the low‐valence state iridium species, avoiding excessive oxidation of iridium and accelerating the catalytic kinetics. Meanwhile, metallic tungsten (W0) improves the conductivity of catalyst and guarantees the stable existence of oxygen vacancy. The TiIrWOx possesses excellent performance in acidic OER catalysis, requiring overpotential of only 181 mV to drive 10.0 mA cm−2, and exhibiting a high mass activity of 753 A gIr−1 at an overpotential of 300 mV. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with TiIrWOx as anode electrocatalyst can reduce the Ir consumption amount by >60% compared to commercial IrO2, and it can operated over 120 h at a current density of 1.0 A cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A novel light-dependent dominant lesion mimic mutant with enhanced multiple disease resistance was physiologically, biochemically, and genetically characterized; the causal gene was fine mapped to a 909 kb interval containing 38 genes. Identification of genes that confer multiple disease resistance (MDR) is crucial for the improvement of maize disease resistance. However, very limited genes are identified as MDR genes in maize. In this study, we characterized a dominant disease lesion mimics 8 (Les8) mutant that had chlorotic lesions on the leaves and showed enhanced resistance to both curvularia leaf spot and southern leaf blight. Major agronomic traits were not obviously altered, while decreased chlorophyll content was observed in the mutant, and the genetic effect of the Les8 mutation was stable in different genetic backgrounds. By BSR-seq analysis and map-based cloning, the LES8 gene was mapped into a 909 kb region containing 38 candidate genes on chromosome 9 wherein no lesion mimic or disease-resistance genes were previously reported. Using transcriptomics analysis, we found that genes involved in defense responses and secondary metabolite biosynthesis were enriched in the significantly up-regulated genes, while genes involved in photosynthesis and carbohydrate-related pathways were enriched in the significantly down-regulated genes in Les8. In addition, there was an overaccumulation of jasmonic acid and lignin but not salicylic acid in Les8. Taken together, this study revealed candidate genes and potential mechanism underlying Les8-conferred MDR in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic soft tissue identification plays an important role in robotic‐assisted minimally invasive surgery to achieve realistic force feedback for precise and safe surgical operations. This article studies a dynamic soft tissue identification method by combination of the Hunt Crossley contact model with an iterated Kalman filter. The dynamic system equation of tool‐tissue interaction is constructed by combining mechanical tool's kinematic dynamics with the Hunt Crossley contact dynamics. Upon this, an iterative Kalman filter is developed for online soft tissue identification by integrating the maximum a posteriori principle into the Kalman filtering framework to optimize the posterior state estimate to account for the strong nonlinearity of the Hunt Crossley contact model. Results and comparison analysis demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively identify the Hunt‐Crossley model parameters, resulting in improved accuracy compared with the conventional recursive least square method and extended Kalman filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater electrolysis is an attractive technique for mass production of high‐purity hydrogen considering the abundance of seawater. Nevertheless, due to the complexity of seawater environment, efficient anode catalyst, that should be, cost effective, highly active for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but negligible for Cl2/ClO– formation, and robust toward chlorine corrosion, is urgently demanded for large‐scale application. Although catalysis typically appears at surface, while the bulk properties and morphology structure also have a significant impact on the performance, thus requiring a systematic optimization. Herein, a multiscale engineering approach toward the development of cost‐effective and robust OER electrocatalyst for operation in seawater is reported. Specifically, the engineering of hollow‐sphere structure can facilitate the removal of gas product, while atom‐level synergy between Co and Fe can promote Co sites transforming to active phase, and in situ transformation of sulfate ions layer protects catalysts from corrosion. As a result, the as‐developed hollow‐sphere structured CoFeSx electrocatalyst can stably operate at a high current density of 100 mA cm–2 in the alkaline simulated seawater (pH = 13) for 700 h and in a neutral seawater for 20 h without attenuation. It provides a new strategy for the development of electrocatalysts with a broader application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple disease resistance (MDR) in maize has attracted increasing attention. However, the interplay between cell death and metabolite changes and their contributions to MDR remains elusive in maize. In this study, we identified a mutant named as lesion mimic 30 (les30) that showed 'suicidal' lesion formation in the absence of disease and had enhanced resistance to the fungal pathogen Curvularia lunata. Using map-based cloning, we identified the causal gene encoding pheophorbide a oxidase (PAO), which is known to be involved in chlorophyll degradation and MDR, and is encoded by LETHAL LEAF SPOT1 (LLS1). LLS1 was found to be induced by both biotic and abiotic stresses. Transcriptomics analysis showed that genes involved in defense responses and secondary metabolite biosynthesis were mildly activated in leaves of the les30 mutant without lesions, whilst they were strongly activated in leaves with lesions. In addition, in les30 leaves with lesions, there was overaccumulation of defense-associated phytohormones including jasmonic acid and salicylic acid, and of phytoalexins including phenylpropanoids, lignin, and flavonoids, suggesting that their biosynthesis was activated in a lesion-dependent manner. Taken together, our study implies the existence of an interactive amplification loop of interrupted chlorophyll degradation, cell death, expression of defense-related genes, and metabolite changes that results in suicidal lesion formation and MDR, and this has the potential to be exploited by genetic manipulation to improve maize disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater electrolysis is an attractive technique for massive green hydrogen production owing to the dominant advantages of seawater resources, namely low‐cost and limitlessness. However, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts will be easily deactivated for severe seawater Cl− permeation and corrosion. Herein, a structural buffer engineering strategy is reported to endow the Co2(OH)3Cl with long‐term operation stability and a high OER selectivity of ≈99.6% in seawater splitting. The lattice Cl− of Co2(OH)3Cl can act as the structural buffer, whose continuous leaching during OER can leave vacancies for seawater Cl− invasion, so as to avoid catalyst deactivation. Accordingly, Co2(OH)3Cl can maintain 99.9% of its initial current density after 60 000 s operation, while that of Co(OH)2 decays by 52.7% in 7 000 s. Meanwhile, the lattice Cl− of Co2(OH)3Cl can optimize the binding energy of reaction intermediates on the neighboring OCoO site. Thus, Co2(OH)3Cl exhibits a current density of 330.5 mA cm–2 at the potential of 1.63 V versus RHE, 45.9 times higher than that of Co(OH)2. The structural buffer strategy may be applied to incorporate other metal oxides with suitable anions, and effectively boost their OER activity and stability in alkaline seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) can be coupled with renewable energy power generation technology and is considered to be a highly promising hydrogen production technology. However, the acidic electrolyte environment, as well as the numerous sulfonic acid groups on the proton exchange membrane surface, can seriously corrode the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst and even cause deactivation. To develop an efficient acidic OER catalyst, the IrOx/WO3 heterostructure OER catalyst was prepared by a hydrothermal-calcination method. The coordination environment of IrOx was regulated through the electronic rearrangement effect, improving the OER activity and stability of the catalyst in acidic media. The prepared IrOx/WO3 exhibits excellent OER activity in 0.5 M H2SO4, with an overpotential of only 260 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a mass activity of 176.8 A gIr−1. It can stably operate for over 12 hours at a current density of j = 10 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable luminescence and efficient energy transfer investigation of a borosilicate phosphor KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+. [Display omitted] • Novel borosilicate phosphor KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+ are successfully synthesized. • Phase purity and tunable luminescence of KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+ are studied. • Effective energy transfer between Bi3+ and Eu3+ is demonstrated. • Hypersensitive thermal quenching is investigated with high S a and S r. Energy transfer between Bi3+ and Eu3+ has undergone substantial research but Bi3+ and Eu3+ co-doped luminescent materials with high energy transfer efficiency for temperature sensing are rarely investigated until now. Herein, Eu3+ and Bi3+ co-doped KBSi 2 O 6 phosphors were successfully synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The phase purity structure as well as the element distribution were carefully investigated through X-ray diffraction structural refinement and energy dispersive spectrometer analysis. The characteristic luminescence property and luminescence kinetics of KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+ were investigated. By the large spectra overlap between the emission spectrum of Bi3+ and excitation spectrum of Eu3+, the energy transfer from Bi3+ to Eu3+ can be inferred. The corresponding decrease of the emission intensity and decay time of Bi3+ in KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+ provided direct evidence for the effective energy transfer from Bi3+ to Eu3+. The interaction and energy transfer mechanism between Bi3+ and Eu3+ ions were also studied. By increasing the Eu3+ concentration in KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+, the color-tunable emission from blue to red can be realized. KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+ shows hypersensitive thermal quenching behavior and the maximum absolute sensitivity (S a) and relative sensitivity (S r) are determined to be 1.87 %K−1 and 2.895 %K−1, respectively. All of the above results imply that KBSi 2 O 6 : Bi3+, Eu3+ phosphor can be a color-tunable phosphor for optical temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance The abnormal increase in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration are critical events in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including restenosis and atherosclerosis. The dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (common name: Huangqin in China) have been confirmed to possess beneficial effects on CVD by clinical and modern pharmacological studies. Flavonoids in Huangqin exert anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects. Similar to Huangqin, Scutellaria strigillosa Hemsley (SSH) has been used to clear heat and damp and is especially rich in flavonoids including wogonin, wogonoside, baicalein, and baicalin. However, there have been few of reports about pharmacological activities of SSH. Aim of the study To investigate the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory properties of Scutellaria strigillosa Hemsley extract (SSHE) in vitro and in vivo and explore its possible mechanism of action. Materials and methods The chemical constituents of SSHE were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Triple-TOF-MS/MS). Cell proliferation and migration were investigated using BrdU incorporation assay and cell scratch test, respectively. The protein expression was determined by western blotting. In vivo , we established an artery ligation model of C57BL/6 mice and orally administered them with 50 or 100 mg/kg/day of SSHE. The carotid arteries were harvested and the intima-media thickness was examined 28 days post-ligation. Results Twelve compounds were identified and tentatively characterized. SSHE significantly inhibited the VSMC proliferation and migration stimulated by PDGF-BB and decreased the relative protein expression of regulatory signaling intermediates. Furthermore, the expression of SM22α was significantly elevated in SSHE-pretreated VSMCs, whereas knockdown of SM22α impaired the PDGF-BB-induced proliferation and migration arrest. Meanwhile, both ROS generation and the phosphorylation of ERK decreased in SSHE-pretreated VSMCs. In carotid artery ligation mice model, SSHE treatment significantly inhibited neointimal hyperplasia. Conclusions SSHE significantly inhibited the PDGF-BB-induced VSMC proliferation, migration, and neointimal hyperplasia of carotid artery caused by ligation. Upregulation of SM22α expression, inhibition of ROS generation and ERK phosphorylation were, at least, partly responsible for the effects of SSHE on VSMCs. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of anion-tuning on cobalt-based chalcogenides for OER in weakly alkaline seawater are comprehensively investigated via DFT, XAS, and XPS, and S substitution is proven to optimize the electronic structure of active site to prevent Cl* from transforming to ClO- for anti-corrosion. Co 3 S 4 could stably operate at the high current density of 100 mA cm−2 for 100h without any performance degradation. [Display omitted] • Co 3 S 4 and Co 3 Se 4 were transformed from the Co 3 O 4 precursor by hydrothermal method. • DFT predicts the possible active sites and mechanisms of OER and HCER in seawater. • S and Se substitution increases energy barrier of Cl* to ClO- for anti-corrosion. • S and Se could promote Co site transforming to active phase. • Co 3 S 4 stably operates at OER current density of 100 mA cm−2 in weakly alkaline seawater for 100 h and netrual seawater for 20 h. Regulating the electronic structure is of great importance for improving the performance, stability, and selectivity of seawater splitting catalysts. Herein, cobalt-based oxide and chalcogenide (Co 3 X 4 , X = O, S, and Se) are synthesized to investigate the effect of anions on the electronic structure, catalytic performance and selectivity of the seawater oxidation catalysts. The theoretical calculations predict the possible active sites of oxygen evolution reaction and hypochlorite evolution reaction. Then the experimental characterization and calculation results demonstrate that S and Se substitution could regulate the electronic structure and d-band center of Co site, enhance the metallicity of catalysts. Moreover, the energy barrier of Cl* conversion to ClO- could be modulated for preventing the formation of ClO- by anions regulating. Consequently, Co 3 S 4 could stably operate at a current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M KOH + 0.6 M NaCl for 100 h and in neutral seawater for 20 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preharvest sprouting reduces the maize quality and causes a significant yield loss in maize production. vp-wl2 is a Mutator (Mu)-induced viviparous mutant in maize, causing white or pale yellow kernels, dramatically reduced carotenoid and ABA content, and a high level of zeta-carotene accumulation. Here, we reported the cloning of the vp-wl2 gene using a modified digestion-ligation-amplification method (DLA). The results showed that an insertion of Mu9 in the first intron of the zeta-carotene desaturase (ZDS) gene results in the vp-wl2 mutation. Previous studies have suggested that ZDS is likely the structural gene of the viviparous9 (vp9) locus. Therefore, we performed an allelic test using vp-wl2 and three vp9 mutants. The results showed that vp-wl2 is a novel allele of the vp9 locus. In addition, the sequences of ZDS gene were identified in these three vp9 alleles. The vp-wl2 mutant gene was subsequently introgressed into four maize inbred lines, and a viviparous phenotype was observed with yield losses from 7.69% to 13.33%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level is of crucial importance in the development of an organism. Here we present the characterization of a maize gene, U6 biogenesis-like 1 ( UBL1 ), which plays an important role in kernel and seedling development by influencing pre-mRNA splicing. The ubl1 mutant, exhibiting small kernel and weak seedling, was isolated from a Mutator -tagged population. Transgenic complementation and three independent mutant alleles confirmed that UBL1 , which encodes a putative RNA exonuclease belonging to the 2H phosphodiesterase superfamily, is responsible for the phenotype of ubl1 . We demonstrated that UBL1 possess the RNA exonuclease activity in vitro and found that loss of UBL1 function in ubl1 causes decreased level and abnormal 3′ end constitution of snRNA U6, resulting in splicing defect of mRNAs. Through the in vitro and in vivo studies replacing two histidines with alanines in the H-X-T/S-X (X is a hydrophobic residue) motifs we demonstrated that these two motifs are essential for the normal function of UBL1. We further showed that the function of UBL1 may be conserved across a wide phylogenetic distance as the heterologous expression of maize UBL1 could complement the Arabidopsis ubl1 mutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural deposits at pits T1 and T2 in Zhangkou Cave are intercalated with several flowstone layers. U-series dates show that the capping and 2nd flowstone layers are Holocene of age. The 4th and 5th flowstone layers are ca. 55 and 110 ka old respectively. The lithic artifacts bracketed by them provide unequivocal evidence for hominid presence during this time interval. The ┐temporal gap” of hominid fossil, widely quoted as in support of the out-of-Africa hypothesis, is most probably an artifact due to systematic errors of dating techniques. The infillings under 6th flowstone layer date to > 300 ka, much older than the previous estimate at 15 ka based on classical14C dating of fossil bones, providing one more example of the limited reliability of this chronometer. With rich relics and favorable conditions for precise dating, this site is promising for further multidisciplinary studies to address issues concerning recent human evolution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural deposits at pits Ti and T2 in Zhangkou Cave are intercalated with several flowstone layers. U-series dates show that the capping and 2nd flowstone layers are Holocene of age. The 4th and 5th flowstone layers are ca. 55 and 110 ka old respectively. The lithic artifacts bracketed by them provide unequivocal evidence for hominid presence during this time interval. The "temporal gap" of hominid fossil, widely quoted as in support of the out-of-Africa hypothesis, is most probably an artifact due to systematic errors of dating techniques. The infillings under 6th flowstone layer date to >300 ka, much older than the previous estimate at 15 ka based on classical 14C dating of fossil bones, providing one more example of the limited reli- ability of this chronometer. With rich relics and favorable conditions for precise dating, this site is promising for further multidisciplinary studies to address issues concerning recent human evolution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open girder sections are vulnerable to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) because of their bluff aerodynamic characteristics. A comparative investigation was conducted by wind tunnel tests and numerical simulation. Firstly, based on sectional model wind tunnel tests, the VIV performance of semi-open girder and separated edge-boxes open girder was studied with consideration of the influence of the equivalent mass, wind attack angle and damping ratio. The aerodynamic parameters Scruton number (S c ) and Strouhal number (S t ) of two girders were analyzed contrastively. In addition, VIV amplitudes corresponding to the real bridge girders were calculated by the linear and nonlinear theories. Then, flow fields around two semi-open girder sections were investigated on the basis of computational fluid dynamics. The results show that vertical and torsional VIVs of two open girders are observed, at +3°and +5° wind attack angles. There were two vertical VIV regions and the maximum amplitude in the second vertical VIV region is significantly larger than that in the first one. For the semi-open girder and separated edged-box open girder, the vertical VIV amplitudes at +5° wind attack angle is 115% and 75% larger than at +3° wind attack angle, respectively. The damping ratio could obviously mitigate the VIV of two girders and VIV amplitudes are decreased linearly with the S C number increases. There are vortexes above the girder deck at the opening position of the semi-open girder and the separated edge-boxes open girder. The oblique web and wind faring may break the large vortex into several smaller vortexes at the opening position, thus optimizing the vortex vibration performance of the girder. A thicker shear layer is formed at separated open-girder during the development of airflow towards backward of bridge deck, due to the effect of railings and the blunt boxes on the lower surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes a layered discrete cosine transform (DCT) image compression scheme, which generates an embedded bit stream for DCT coefficients according to their importance. Overview of layered coding of DCT coefficients; Detailed implementation of the proposed layered DCT compression algorithm; Experimental results.

The combination of superelastic shape memory alloy fibers and ECC materials can form a new SMA fiber reinforced ECC composite material (SMAF-ECC) with good self-centering performance. In order to study the self-centering performance of the new composite material, 6 groups of pre-notch beam specimens were made for three-point bending cyclic loading tests, and the failure phenomenon, hysteresis curve, self-centering effect and influencing factors of the specimens were analyzed. The research results show that when the SMA fibers are effectively anchored in the ECC matrix, the SMA fibers can exert the superelastic properties to provide the ECC beams with recoverying force, and realize the crack self-closure and deflection self-recovery function for the beams, with the minimum residual crack width and deflection is only 0.9 mm and 1.3 mm respectively. Increasing fiber content can cause a small increase in the self-centering ability of the beams. However, only when the fiber diameter is appropriate, better self-centering effect can be achieved, but the difference caused by fiber diameter in the test was only 5%. SMA Fiber end forms have significant influence on self-centering performance. The knotted end beam can get a more than 70% self-centering ratio, while the straight end beams and bended end beams have no self-centering ability. The research results provide important reference for the research and application of this new self-centering materials and their structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear flutter of a narrow railway truss girder are studied through free vibration and forced vibration wind tunnel tests. Four functions are used to fit the structural amplitude-varying damping ratio under no wind condition, and the fourth-order polynomial has higher goodness-of-fit. The narrow truss girder shows nonlinear flutter of a velocity-restricted type without amplitude hysteresis. At large angles of attack (AoA), the vertical participation and the AoA have little effect on the onset wind speed and amplitude. While at medium AoAs, even a low vertical participation level will increase the onset wind speed and decrease the amplitude. At small AoAs, there is no vibration observed. The flutter derivative A 2 * is positive only in the limited reduced wind speed and amplitude range. The nonlinearity of self-excited lifting moment is higher only in the limited reduced wind speed and amplitude range, while that of self-excited lift is weaker and becomes stronger with the increasing amplitude and reduced wind speed. The negative aerodynamic damping is mainly provided by the flutter derivative A 2 * at small or large AoAs. Generally, the nonlinear flutter response is mainly controlled by the first-order component of the self-excited force, and the influence of high-order components can be ignored. • Relatively complete study of a narrow truss girder's nonlinear flutter characteristics. • The unique characteristics of the key flutter derivative A 2 * and self-excited lifting moment. • Analysis and verification of the influence of higher-order components of self-excited force on nonlinear flutter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impacts of Scutellaria strigillosa Hemsl. (SSH) on the proliferation, apoptosis of human hepatoma cell HepG2 and screen the bioactive components. We found that SSH extract inhibited HepG2 proliferation, arrested cell division prior to S phase. Additionally, SSH extract exposure induced apoptosis, and increased the proportions of late apoptotic cells. Specifically, we focus on the inhibitory effect of SSH extract on aspartate β-hydroxylase, a key therapeutic target of hepatocellular carcinoma closely related with the proliferation and apoptosis of HepG2. We found SSH extract with notable inhibitory activity against aspartate β-hydroxylase, elucidated the main bioactive constituents by HPLC-Q-TOF/MS and Molecular docking analysis. In conclusion, these results provided the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of SSH on HepG2 cell, elucidated the main bioactive constituents based on aspartate β-hydroxylase inhibition. These data revealed the potential value of SSH and its bioactive components for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer for the first time. [Display omitted] • The SSH extract inhibits the proliferation of HepG2 cells. • The SSH extract has proapoptotic effect on HepG2 cells. • The SSH extract exerts ASPH inhibitory activity. • Analysis of bioactive components binding to ASPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compounds with Cs 3 CoCl 5 structure usually exhibit a large Debay temperature with a large band gap, which has been considered as new host materials for WLED application. Oxide materials of the Cs 3 CoCl 5 structure have great luminescence characteristics, thus it is more worthwhile to research Cl-based materials with higher electronegativity. Here, an Mn2+ activated Cs 3 ZnCl 5 narrow band green emitting phosphor was developed and investigated in detail. Ternary alkaline chloride Cs 3 ZnCl 5 was successfully prepared by a coprecipitation method. XRD refinement, SEM and XPS have proved the successful preparation of Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : 6%Mn2+ with a single phase. The electronic structure investigation clearly states that Cs 3 ZnCl 5 has a large band gap with Eg∼4.467 eV. The Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : 6%Mn2+ phosphor can also generate green light with a peak wavelength of 525 nm and a fullwidth at half-maximum (FWHM) of 47 nm when excited by blue light at 451 nm. The luminescent property, as well as the concentration-dependent emission decay behavior of Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : 6%Mn2+ at room temperature, were studied. Over the temperature range of 30–120 °C, the thermal quenching performance of Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : 6%Mn2+ was investigated, and the related mechanism was discussed through thermoluminescence analysis. Electron traps transmit energy to the Mn2+ luminescence center after 120 °C, which will increase the emission intensity. Finally, a blue light-pumped white LED was constructed using this phosphor in combination with commercially available red phosphors. The findings above suggested that Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : 6%Mn2+ could be served as a potential green-emitting phosphor for white light-emitting diodes. • The Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : Mn2+ phosphors are successful prepared. • The abnormal thermal quenching have been discussed in detail. • The Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : Mn2+ phosphors have a green emitting at 525 nm. • The Cs 3 ZnCl 5 : Mn2+ phosphors can be used in WLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The preoperative diagnosis of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITNs) is very challenging. In this study, we aim to provide an integrated risk assessment for thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology to guide surgical decision-making, which includes results of blood tests, molecular tests, and repeat fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Methods: The study retrospectively included 265 ITNs between June 2019 and April 2022. According to our integrated risk assessment process that starts with blood testing, followed by supplementary DNA mutation detection on the first FNAB, and finally repeat FNAB, we divided the ITNs into high-risk and low-risk groups. Performance was evaluated with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and the consistency between the risk evaluation and histological results. Results: Of the 265 ITNs, 87 were included in the risk assessment process. The risk assessment had a sensitivity of 84.1%, specificity of 83.3%, PPV of 95.1%, NPV of 57.7%, and AUC of 0.837. The nodules with consistent results between the risk groups and histological outcomes, which included malignant cases in the high-risk group and benign cases in the low-risk group, accounted for 83.9% of all risk-assessed nodules. Conclusions: These data suggest that the integrated risk assessment might provide proper information for surgical decision-making in patients with ITNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Both sugar and the hormone gibberellin (GA) are essential for anther‐enclosed pollen development and thus for plant productivity in flowering plants. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) AtSWEET13 and AtSWEET14, which are expressed in anthers and associated with seed yield, transport both sucrose and GA. However, it is still unclear which substrate transported by them directly affects anther development and seed yield.Histochemical staining, cross‐sectioning and microscopy imaging techniques were used to investigate and interpret the phenotypes of the atsweet13;14 double mutant during anther development. Genetic complementation of atsweet13;14 using AtSWEET9, which transports sucrose but not GA, and the GA transporter AtNPF3.1, respectively, was conducted to test the substrate preference relevant to the biological process.The loss of both AtSWEET13 and AtSWEET14 resulted in reduced pollen viability and therefore decreased pollen germination. AtSWEET9 fully rescued the defects in pollen viability and germination of atsweet13;14, whereas AtNPF3.1 failed to do so, indicating that AtSWEET13/14‐mediated sucrose rather than GA is essential for pollen fertility.AtSWEET13 and AtSWEET14 function mainly at the anther wall during late anther development stages, and they probably are responsible for sucrose efflux into locules to support pollen development to maturation, which is vital for subsequent pollen viability and germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of NiHCCo precursors via simple co-precipitation and nickelâ€"cobalt tetraselenide composites grown on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (NiCoSe4/N-rGO) were fabricated using solvothermal method. The introduction of N-rGO used as a template effectively prevented agglomeration of NiCoSe4 nanoparticles and provided more active sites, which greatly increased the electrochemical and electrical conductivity for NiCoSe4/N-rGO. NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20 presents a remarkably elevated specific capacity of 120 mA h gâˆ'1 under current density of 1 A gâˆ'1. NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20 demonstrates an excellent cycle life and achieves a remarkable 83% retention rate over 3000 cycles with 10 A gâˆ'1. NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20//N-rGO asymmetric supercapacitor was constructed based on the NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20 as an anode, N-rGO as cathode by using 2 mol lâˆ'1 KOH as an electrolyte. NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20//N-rGO ASC demonstrates an ultra-big energy density of 14 Wh kgâˆ'1 and good circulation stability in the power density of 902 W kgâˆ'1. It is doubled in comparison to the NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20//rGO asymmetric supercapacitor (7 Wh kgâˆ'1). The NiCoSe4/N-rGO-20//N-rGO ASC capacity retention is still up to 93% over 5000 cycles (5 A gâˆ'1). The results reveal that this device would be a prospective cathode material of supercapacitors in actual applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epialleles, the heritable epigenetic variants that are not caused by changes in DNA sequences, can broaden genetic and phenotypic diversity and benefit to crop breeding, but very few epialleles related to agricultural traits have been identified in maize. Here, we cloned a small kernel mutant, smk-wl10 , from maize, which encoded a tubulin-folding cofactor B (ZmTFCB) protein. Expression of the ZmTFCB gene decreased in the smk-wl10 mutant, which arrested embryo, endosperm and basal endosperm transfer layer developments. Overexpression of ZmTFCB could complement the defective phenotype of smk-wl10. No nucleotide sequence variation in ZmTFCB could be found between smk-wl10 and wild type (WT). Instead, we detected hypermethylation of nucleotide CHG (where H is A, C or T nucleotide) sequence contexts and increased level of histone H3K9me2 methylation in the upstream sequence of ZmTFCB in smk-wl10 compared with WT, which might respond to the attenuating transcription of ZmTFCB. In addition, yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays identified a strong interaction between ZmTFCB and its homolog ZmTFCE. Thus, our work identifies a novel epiallele of the maize ZmTFCB gene, which might represent a common phenomenon in the epigenetic regulation of important traits such as kernel development in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and ultra‐broadband red phosphor CsMg2P3O10: Mn2+ (CMPO: Mn2+) is first synthesized toward indoor plant growth LEDs. The phase purity, element composition, crystal, and local electronic structure are explored to discuss the structure and photoluminescence properties. Structure refinement and series X‐ray diffractometer (XRD) results show that CMPO: Mn2+ is well crystallized in an orthogonal crystal system. The diffuse reflection and excitation spectra show that CMPO: Mn2+ has strong absorption around near ultraviolet region, assigned to the [6A1 → 4E(4D), 4T2(4D), [4A1(4G), 4E(4G)], and 4T1(4G)] transitions of Mn2+, respectively. Upon 415 nm excitation, an efficient red emission centered at 647 nm with ultra‐broad full width at half‐maximum (FWHM ∼ 100 nm) and high quantum efficiency (IQE ∼ 44.3 %) is observed, and because of the ultra‐broad FWHM, the red emission is well accordant with the absorption spectra band of phytochrome PR and PFR. The optimal doping contents, lifetime as well as interaction mechanism of CMPO: Mn2+ are discussed in detail. Finally, the excellent thermal stability (84.5% @ 140°C) and related thermal quenching mechanism of CMPO: Mn2+ are discussed. The above results indicate that CMPO: Mn2+ phosphors have great potential for application in plant growth LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MYC has been identified to profoundly influence a wide range of pathologic processes in cancers. However, the prognostic value of MYC-related genes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains unclarified. Gene expression data and clinical information of PAAD patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (training set). Validation sets included GSE57495, GSE62452, and ICGC-PACA databases. LASSO regression analysis was used to develop a risk signature for survival prediction. Single-cell sequencing data from GSE154778 and CRA001160 datasets were analyzed. Functional studies were conducted using siRNA targeting RHOF and ITGB6 in PANC-1 cells. High MYC expression was found to be significantly associated with a poor prognosis in patients with PAAD. Additionally, we identified seven genes (ADGRG6, LINC00941, RHOF, SERPINB5, INSYN2B, ITGB6, and DEPDC1) that exhibited a strong correlation with both MYC expression and patient survival. They were then utilized to establish a risk model (MYCsig), which showed robust predictive ability. Furthermore, MYCsig demonstrated a positive correlation with the expression of HLA genes and immune checkpoints, as well as the chemotherapy response of PAAD. RHOF and ITGB6, expressed mainly in malignant cells, were identified as key oncogenes regulating chemosensitivity through EMT. Downregulation of RHOF and ITGB6 reduced cell proliferation and invasion in PANC-1 cells. The developed MYCsig demonstrates its potential in enhancing the management of patients with PAAD by facilitating risk assessment and predicting response to adjuvant chemotherapy. Additionally, our study identifies RHOF and ITGB6 as novel oncogenes linked to EMT and chemoresistance in PAAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric‐field‐induced strain in piezoelectric materials, which has demonstrated broad applications, usually provides about 1% strain. A giant and reversible deformation as large as ≈5% in BiFeO3 thin film induced by electrochemistry is reported, where the large lattice change is induced by electrochemical reaction through absorption and desorption of oxygen. Prior to deformation, a precursor phase with projected Fe–Fe pairs is formed first under low voltage (1 V), and then a large lattice expansion is eventually achieved under a high voltage (≈18 V), which is reversible under negative voltage. It is found that the giant strain is due to the electrochemically induced migration of oxygen ion which leads to significant out‐of‐plane lattice expansion under positive voltage, resulting in the formation of a new oxygen‐deficient phase. Interestingly, the new oxygen‐deficient phase is capable of transforming back to the pristine structure by absorbing oxygen under negative voltage. The results provide a new route to realize giant and reversible deformation in oxides by oxygen migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel liquid polyphosphonate polyol (DMDP) was synthesized from dimethyl methylphosphonate and 1,6-hexanediol. Reactive hot melt polyurethane adhesives with high flame retardancy (HMPURs) were prepared from poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) (PTMG-2000), two kinds of poly(1,4-butylene adipate) (PBA-2000 and PBA-3000) and DMDP or dimethyl methylphosphonate as well as tetrahydrofuran acrylate. Five specimens of flame-retardant HMPURs with different weight percent of DMDP (0, 2, 4 and 6 wt%) and dimethyl methylphosphonate (4 wt%) were obtained. The mechanical properties, thermal stability, flammability, and bonding strength of the specimens were investigated. The results show that with the increase of DMDP content, the elongation at break and tensile strength decrease slightly, and the flame retardancy of HMPURs is significantly improved with the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increasing from 17.2 to 28.2. The incorporation of DMDP leads to a higher thermal stability of HMPURs at high temperature and more char yield at 650 °C. With the increase of DMDP content, the final bond strength of HMPURs on the same substrate changes little, but the green strength of HMPUR-6 on the same substrate is observably less than other samples. The performance of HMPUR with the reactive flame retardant is superior to that of HMPUR with the additive flame retardant. In addition, the corresponding flame-retardant mechanism of DMDP-containing HMPURs was investigated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The results indicate that the pyrolysis of the HMPURs releases phosphorus-containing fragments to play a flame retardant role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuticular waxes, long-chain hydrocarbon compounds, form the outermost layer of plant surfaces in most terrestrial plants. The presence of cuticular waxes protects plants from water loss and other environmental stresses. Cloning and characterization of genes involved in the regulation, biosynthesis, and extracellular transport of cuticular waxes onto the surface of epidermal cells have revealed the molecular basis of cuticular wax accumulation. However, intracellular trafficking of synthesized waxes to the plasma membrane for cellular secretion is poorly understood. Here, we characterized a maize glossy (gl6) mutant that exhibited decreased epicuticular wax load, increased cuticle permeability, and reduced seedling drought tolerance relative to wild-type. We combined an RNA-sequencing-based mapping approach (BSR-Seq) and chromosome walking to identify the gl6 candidate gene, which was confirmed via the analysis of multiple independent mutant alleles. The gl6 gene represents a novel maize glossy gene containing a conserved, but uncharacterized, DUF538 domain. This study suggests that the GL6 protein may be involved in the intracellular trafficking of cuticular waxes, opening the door to elucidating the poorly understood process by which cuticular wax is transported from its site of biosynthesis to the plasma membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen vacancy in different oxide systems shows up as a crucial parameter in modulation of the emerging application-oriented functionalities. A systematic exploration on the relation between oxygen vacancy and electronic structure of the La0.2Sr0.8MnO3 (LSMO) thin film has been carried out through sequential surface treatments followed by a series of wide scan XPS, O 1s XPS, O-K edge XAS, Mn-L edge XAS and work function measurements. Experimental results demonstrate mutual corroborative certifying evidences in between the different photoemission spectral measurements on the evolution and influence of the oxygen vacancy. Spectral characteristic features observed in the work are applicable using as justification fingerprint for the existence, modulation, or elimination of the oxygen vacancy in similar perovskite type oxide systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately identifying the aerodynamic loads on vehicles is the fundamental issue for assessing the driving safety of vehicles on long-span bridges subjected to strong crosswinds. Thus, the aerodynamic interference of bridges with vehicles must be considered. However, very few studies have been conducted to quantify both the steady and unsteady crosswind loads for vehicles on wide bridge decks. In this paper, the mean and peak aerodynamic coefficients and aerodynamic admittance functions for three types of high-sided vehicles (medium trucks, buses, and tractor-trailers) on two wide bridge decks (a single-box girder and a twin-box girder) were determined by means of wind tunnel tests. The effects of vehicle position, wind angle of attack, and geometric shape of the deck on these aerodynamic parameters were investigated. The results show that the aerodynamic coefficients of vehicles on both bridge decks vary significantly with their lateral position. Moreover, the effect of wind angle of attack on the aerodynamic coefficients of vehicles on the leeward side of the twin-box girder is extremely substantial, as is the geometric shape of the bridge deck. However, the vehicle position, wind angle of attack, and bridge deck geometry all have little influence on the aerodynamic admittance functions of vehicles. • Various cases on steady and unsteady aerodynamic forces of vehicles on two wide bridge decks under crosswind are studied. • Bridge deck geometry, vehicle position and wind angle of attack have significant effects on aerodynamic parameters of vehicles on bridge decks. • Empirical expressions of aerodynamic admittance functions of vehicles on wide bridge decks are fitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer with high mortality and poor prognosis. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways have been implicated in promoting tumor cell proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. Methods As a potential inhibitor of tumor metastasis, the role of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) in HCC development and the functional relevance with MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways were investigated. The levels of RKIP expression were examined in human HCC tissues and correlated with tumor stages and metastatic status. Function of RKIP in cellular proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis was investigated in HCC cell lines by either overexpressing or knocking down RKIP expression. Mouse xenograft model was established to assess the effect of RKIP expression on tumor growth. Results Our results demonstrated decreased RKIP expression in HCC tissues and a strong correlation with tumor grade and distant metastasis. Manipulation of RKIP expression in HCCLM3 and HepG2 cells indicated that RKIP functioned to inhibit HCC cell motility and invasiveness, and contributed to tumor growth inhibition in vivo . Mechanistic studies showed that the function of RKIP was mediated through MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. However, cell type-dependent RKIP regulation on these two pathways was also suggested, indicating the complex nature of signaling network. Conclusion Our study provides a better understanding on the molecular mechanisms of HCC metastasis and sets the foundation for the development of targeted therapeutics for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper formulates mechanical deformation of biological tissues as nonlinear filtering for dynamic estimation of mechanical deformation behaviours of biological tissues; • Tissue mechanical deformation is discretised in the spatial and temporal domains by the nonlinear finite element method (NFEM) and central difference integration scheme, respectively, to construct the nonlinear state-space equations for dynamic filtering; • An extended Kalman filter (EKF) is developed to dynamically estimate mechanical deformations of biological tissues • The proposed EKF-NFEM conquers the NFEM limitation of expensive computations and still preserves a reliable level of accuracy as the NFEM. Background and Objective : Soft tissue modelling is crucial to surgery simulation. This paper introduces an innovative approach to realistic simulation of nonlinear deformation behaviours of biological soft tissues in real time. Methods : This approach combines the traditional nonlinear finite-element method (NFEM) and nonlinear Kalman filtering to address both physical fidelity and real-time performance for soft tissue modelling. It defines tissue mechanical deformation as a nonlinear filtering process for dynamic estimation of nonlinear deformation behaviours of biological tissues. Tissue mechanical deformation is discretized in space using NFEM in accordance with nonlinear elastic theory and in time using the central difference scheme to establish the nonlinear state-space models for dynamic filtering. Results : An extended Kalman filter is established to dynamically estimate nonlinear mechanical deformation of biological tissues. Interactive deformation of biological soft tissues with haptic feedback is accomplished as well for surgery simulation. Conclusions : The proposed approach conquers the NFEM limitation of step computation but without trading off the modelling accuracy. It not only has a similar level of accuracy as NFEM, but also meets the real-time requirement for soft tissue modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fish scale (FS) anchored PdCl 2 complex was synthesized by a simple technique. • FS-PdCl 2 is an efficient catalyst for ligand-free Suzuki reactions in aqueous. • The catalyst shows outstanding reusability and it can be reused 8 times. PdCl 2 anchored on fish scale (FS) complex were intended to a heterogeneous catalyst for ligand-free Suzuki coupling reaction in aqueous media. The catalyst FS-PdCl 2 was characterized by FT-IR, powder XRD, XPS and SEM. FS-PdCl 2 complex has been successfully implemented for Suzuki coupling reactions of various halogenated aromatics with arylboronic acid to provide the corresponding biaryl compounds under environmentally friendly conditions (40 °C, water solvent). Moreover, the efficient catalyst shows excellent stability and recyclability, and its catalytic activity without any decrease after 8 times consecutive reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]