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Based on the theory of crystal anisotropy, it is proposed to improve electrical and optical performance by adjusting the orientation growth of Al-doped ZnO thin films. AZO thin films with preferred (002) and (103) orientation were deposited by stress regulation in the magnetic control sputtering system. The electrical and optical performance for (002) and (103) preferred thin films with identical texture strength and film thickness were analysed in detail. Compared to the conventional (002) preferred AZO thin films, (103) preferentially oriented AZO films exhibit lowering 34.2 % resistivity at the cost of reducing 2.1 % visible light transmittance. XPS fitting analysis of the O1s peak reveals that differences in oxygen vacancy concentration between the two orientations are primarily responsible for variations in electrical properties. It's a promising method by adjusting the orientation growth to improve electrical and optical performance of AZO thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergy enhancement of magnetic-spatial confinement using a bar magnet pair was applied to fiber-optic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (FO-LIBS). By studying the plasma morphology and emission spectroscopy, the plasma temporal behaviors under free expansion, spatial confinement, and magnetic-spatial confinement have been carefully compared. Temperature distribution and pixel-to-pixel relative standard deviation (RSD) of plasma morphology under the combined effect of magnetic field and the reflected shock wave on fiber-optic laser-induced plasma were studied for the first time. The magnetic field was found to deform the plume mainly at the left and right sides, and the two high-intensity areas in FO-LIBS plasma rose from 8.7% to 13.8% and resisted being compressed together after the shock wave reflected. The magnetic-spatial confinements also demonstrated better enhancements in emission spectra than only spatial confinement, and the magnetic field tended to give around 20% and 50% additional enhancement on line intensity at the early and later stages of evolution, respectively. Besides, the self-reversed effect was significantly reduced in magnetic-spatial confinement, which can be explained by more evenly distributed temperatures calculated by spatially resolved spectra. Pixel-to-pixel RSD distribution of plasma morphology was studied, and it was found that the area of more fluctuated parts was reduced by 40% and concentrated on the left and right sides of the plasma in the magnetic field at the early stage. After the shock wave passed through, the two high-intensity areas were observed to fluctuate less due to the compression of the shock wave. Furthermore, shot-to-shot spectra fluctuation was also reduced by up to 50% under the magnetic-spatial confinement, which is consistent with the results of plasma morphology fluctuation. This study provides evidence of plasma emission signal enhancement and stabilization under magnetic-spatial confinement in the FO-LIBS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections are a serious threat to human health. The development of rapid and sensitive detection methods for pathogenic bacteria is crucial for accurate drug administration. In this research, by combining the advantages of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we synthesized nanozymes with high catalytic performance, namely pomegranate seed-structured bimetallic gold–platinum nanomaterials (Ps-PtAu NPs), which can catalyze a colorless TMB substrate into oxidized TMB (oxTMB) with blue color to achieve colorimetric analysis of S. aureus. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed biosensor could quantitatively detect S. aureus at levels ranging from 1.0 × 101 to 1.0 × 106 CFU mL−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.9 CFU mL−1. Then, an integrated color picker APP on a smartphone enables on-site point-of-care testing (POCT) of S. aureus with LOD as low as 1 CFU mL−1. Meanwhile, the proposed biosensor is successfully applied to the detection of S. aureus in clinical samples with high sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor budding (TB) is a negative prognostic factor in colorectal cancer; however, its prognostic impact following neoadjuvant therapy for patients with rectal cancer remains unclear. This study aims to assess the prognostic impact of TB and the correlation between TB and other pathological features in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, CNKI, Wanfang, and ClinicalKey databases was conducted for studies on the prognosis of TB in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy from the inception of the databases to January 2023, and the final literature included was determined using predefined criteria. Quality assessment of the studies included, extraction of general and prognostic information from them, and meta-analyses were carried out progressively. Results: A total of 11 studies were included, and the results of the meta-analysis showed that high-grade tumor budding (TB-1) increased the risk of poor 5-year disease-free survival (HR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.38–2.22, P < 0.00001), 5-year overall survival (HR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.21–2.59, P = 0.003), local recurrence (OR = 4.15, 95% CI 1.47–11.75, P = 0.007), and distant metastasis (OR = 5.36, 95% CI 2.51–11.44, P < 0.0001) in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy. TB-1 was significantly associated with poor differentiation and lymphatic, perineural, and venous invasion. Conclusion: Tumor budding is significantly correlated with unfavorable prognosis and poor pathological characteristics following neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer. We anticipate more high-quality, prospective studies in the future to confirm our findings. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022377564. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid progress of perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs), the large‐scale fabrication of active matrix PeLED displays (AM‐PeLEDs) is gaining increasing attention. However, the integration of high‐resolution PeLED arrays with thin‐film transistor backplanes remains a significant challenge for conventional spin‐coating techniques. Here, the demonstration of large‐area, blue‐emitting AM‐PeLEDs are demonstrated using a vacuum deposition technique, which is regarded as the most effective route for organic light‐emitting diode displays. By the introduction of an in situ passivation strategy, the defects‐related nonradiative recombination is largely suppressed, which leads to an improved photoluminescence quantum yield of vapor‐deposited blue‐emitting perovskites. The as‐prepared blue PeLEDs exhibit a peak external quantum efficiency of 2.47% with pure‐blue emission at 475 nm, which represents state‐of‐the‐art performance for vapor‐deposited pure‐blue PeLEDs. Benefiting from the excellent uniformity and compatibility of thermal evaporation, the 6.67‐inch blue‐emitting AM‐PeLED display with a high resolution of 394 pixels per inch is successfully demonstrated. The demonstration of blue‐emitting AM‐PeLED display represents a crucial step toward full‐color perovskite display technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose here a pulsed galvanostatic control of a solid-contact ion-selective electrode coupled with a thin-layer ion-exchanger free membrane, which allows chronopotentiometric trace-level ion detection with a high-interfering background in a rapid and reversible way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that modulated signals' classification and recognition accuracy is not high in the complex and changeable electromagnetic environment, this paper improves the CNN‐LSTM network and proposes a modulation recognition method of the CNN‐LSTM network (Intra‐InterNet) based on the periodic characteristics of the signal. The method uses the feature extraction ability of the convolutional neural network to extract the correlation features within the cycle and between adjacent cycles of different kinds of modulated signals. At the same time, the relevant features of the signals of non‐adjacent cycles are extracted by using the characteristics of the LSTM. This feature extraction method effectively enhances the feature extraction capability of the network by utilizing the periodicity of the modulated signal. Through the identification and verification of various modulation signals, the experimental results show that: under the signal‐to‐noise ratio of −6 dB ∼ 6 dB, the average identification accuracy rate reaches 87.29%, which effectively improves the accuracy of signal modulation mode identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep learning-based method, improved YOLOv3 algorithm is proposed in the deep learning environment to tackle challenges such as big scale, uneven distribution, largescale variation, and complicated background of small- and medium-sized remote sensing photos. This manufacture uses Densenet as the backbone, replacing Darknet-53 to realize feature reuse and make the feature extraction more effective; introduces the spatial pyramid pooling module into the feature pyramid part for increasing the receptive field and isolating the most prominent contextual features; adds SE attention module in the process of feature extraction and obtains richer features by learning more location information and channel information from the images. Under DOTA dataset, the final results are that the mean Average Precision value is 86.78%, which is 4.16% higher than the baseline YOLOv3 network. The model put forward makes it easier to extract information from the feature map and achieve higher detection accuracy without influencing the real-time performance of detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) P. K. Hsiao (MO) and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bug. (ME) are two primary sources of the Astragalus herb, also known as "Huangqi" in China, which is widely applied to treat hypertension, glomerulonephritis, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus. As two different sources of the Astragalus herb, the chemical profiles of MO and ME may be different. Previous studies showed abundant differences in chemical composition between MO and ME. Therefore, the by-products of MO and ME, such as Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) P. K. Hsiao flower (MOF) and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bug. flower (MEF), may have different phytochemical profiles. In this paper, a metabolomics method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC−Q−TOF−MS/MS) was employed to analyze the components of MOF and MEF. Consequently, the results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that MOF and MEF could be separated clearly. In total, 31 chemical markers differentiating MOF and MEF were successfully identified, including 22 flavonoids, 8 isoflavones and 1 benzopyran. Among them, the contents of 18 components, including Calycosin, Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, Quercetin, Rutin, Kaempferol, Formononetin, Isomucronulatol and Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin in MEF, were significantly higher than in MOF. In turn, the contents of another 13 components, covering Biochanin A, Tectoridin, Isomucronulatol-7-O-glucoside, Liquiritin, Rhamnetin, etc., were lower in the MEF group than that in the MOF group. It is worth noting that flavonoids, especially flavonoid glycosides, were the primary active chemical ingredients in MOF and MEF. The 18 ingredients in MEF with a higher level carried out diverse activities, like anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-tumor activities, which led us to speculate that MEF may have greater pharmacological effects and potential development prospects than MOF. The present results displayed that the contents of ingredients in the two different species of plants were radically different, and there was significant uniqueness to the components of MOF and MEF. Our study not only provides helpful chemical information for further quality assessment and active mechanism research of MOF and MEF but also offers scientific support for the resource utilization of MOF and MEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the constitutive equation and microstructure evolution of an experimental Fe–26.6Mn–9.8Al–1.0C lightweight steel at deformation temperatures of 850–1050 °C and strain rates of 0.01–5 s−1 via thermal–mechanical simulation. The flow stress curves of the steel are modified by considering the effects of friction and temperature rise. A high-temperature constitutive equation of the lightweight alloy is expressed using Arrhenius-type equation involving the Zener–Hollomon parameter, the constitutive equation based on peak stress and strain compensation (material parameters vary with different strain) were constructed, respectively, which can better predict the flow stress changes of the experimental steel during hot compression, the average absolute relative error (AARE) and R were calculated to be 5.6% and 0.98. DRX kinetic model of the experimental steel was also established, and the results show that the high temperatures and low strain rates are conducive to DRX. DRX is sensitive to thermal deformation temperatures and strain rates, but the sensitivity to temperatures is higher than that to strain rates. Deformation twin and dislocation slipping are the main deformation mechanisms in the experimental steel at the low deformation temperature of 850 °C. At the higher temperature of 1050 °C, the deformation mechanisms are dislocation slipping and deformation banding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: At present, pancreatic cancer (PC) has a high morbidity and mortality rate and a poor prognosis. The aim of this article was to study the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of advanced PC. Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, CNKI, VIP, and CBM databases were searched by computer to identify studies on the application of apatinib in patients with advanced PC. The patients in the included study were divided into an observation group (apatinib combined with radiotherapy) and a control group (radiotherapy only), and meta-analysis was performed for each outcome with Revman 5.4 software. This study was successfully registered on the PROSPERO website, and the registration number is CRD: 42,022,384,056 (available at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display%5frecord.php?RecordID=384056). Results: A total of 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 428 patients were included, including 215 in the observation group and 213 in the control group. Compared with the control group, the observation group showed a greater objective response rate [OR = 3.26, 95% CI (2.18, 4.87), P < 0.0001], disease control rate [OR = 5.04, 95% CI (3.12, 8.12), P < 0.0001], complete response rate [OR = 3.87, 95% CI (1.51, 9.88), P = 0.005], and partial response rate [OR = 2.43, 95% CI (1.63, 3.61), P < 0.001], The 1-year survival rate [OR = 2.39, 95% CI (1.15, 4.96), P < 0.05], 2-year survival rate [OR = 2.41, 95% CI (1.03, 5.61), P < 0.05], progression-free survival time [MD = 1.17, 95% CI (0.37, 1.96), P < 0.05], overall survival time [MD = 1.47, 95% CI (0.13, 2.80), P < 0.05], while the stability rate [OR = 1.14, 95% CI (0.72, 1.81), P = 0.58] and various complications were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Apatinib combined with radiotherapy was more effective than radiotherapy alone in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer (PC), and apatinib had acceptable safety. However, since our study was limited by the quantity and quality of the included studies, we look forward to more large-sample, multicentre, and high-quality RCTs in the future to verify the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annotation of animal genomes plays an important role in elucidating molecular mechanisms behind the genetic control of economically important traits. Here, we employed long‐read sequencing technology, Oxford Nanopore Technology, to annotate the pig transcriptome across 17 tissues from two Yorkshire littermate pigs. More than 9.8 million reads were obtained from a single flow cell, and 69 781 unique transcripts at 50 108 loci were identified. Of these transcripts, 16 255 were found to be novel isoforms, and 22 344 were found at loci that were novel and unannotated in the Ensembl (release 102) and NCBI (release 106) annotations. Novel transcripts were mostly expressed in cerebellum, followed by lung, liver, spleen, and hypothalamus. By comparing the unannotated transcripts to existing databases, there were 21 285 (95.3%) transcripts matched to the NT database (v5) and 13 676 (61.2%) matched to the NR database (v5). Moreover, there were 4324 (19.4%) transcripts matched to the SwissProt database (v5), corresponding to 11 356 proteins. Tissue‐specific gene expression analyses showed that 9749 transcripts were highly tissue‐specific, and cerebellum contained the most tissue‐specific transcripts. As the same samples were used for the annotation of cis‐regulatory elements in the pig genome, the transcriptome annotation generated by this study provides an additional and complementary annotation resource for the Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes effort to comprehensively annotate the pig genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical resection is a key method for glioma treatment. This inherently invasive procedure alters the tumor microenvironment of glioma cells that cannot be removed by surgery. However, few studies have focused on the impact of this microenvironment change on the growth of glioma cells. The authors preconstructed a surgical brain injury model, and then C6 glioma cells were transplanted. HE staining was used to observe the general morphology of tumor cells, and immunohistochemistry of MMP-2, MMP-9, GFAP, and CD31 was used to evaluate the invasiveness of glioma cells and activation of astrocytes and calculate microvessel density. In vitro, primary rat astrocytes were exposed to different temperature gradients. The supernatant was made into conditioned medium for culturing C6 glioma cells. The scratch test and transwell test were used to evaluate the migration and invasion of tumor cells. GFAP expression was stronger in surgical brain injury rats, C6 cells implanted in these rats showed stronger expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and CD31 was expressed in more microvessels. Astrocytes exposed to high temperatures of 40°C and 43°C expressed stronger GFAP, and C6 cells cultured in their supernatants had stronger scratch healing ability and the ability to cross transwell chambers. The microenvironment changes caused by surgical brain injury will enhance the migration and invasion of glioma cells and increase the microvessel density in the tumor. This effect may be related to the activation of astrocytes caused by the thermal injury of bipolar coagulation during surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-permeability near-critical volatile reservoirs are characterized by light oil, complex fluid phase, and strong reservoir inhomogeneity, etc. Purely injecting CO2 will create a series of problems, such as serious gas channeling, low sweep efficiency, and low oil recovery. Therefore, in this paper, through a combination of experiments and simulations and in the process of studying the problem from simple to complex, we carried out phase equilibrium experiments for CO2-near-critical volatile oil and CO2-near-critical volatile oil-formation water, as well as experiments for minimum miscible pressure of slim-tube with pure CO2 and CO2–water co-injection to the comparative study of the miscible characteristics and displacement oil efficiency between pure CO2 injection and CO2–water co-injection. It provides an important reference for improving oil recovery by CO2–water co-injection in low-permeability near-critical volatile reservoir. The results of CO2-near-critical volatile oil/CO2-near-critical volatile oil-formation water phase equilibrium experiments show that the saturation pressure, density, and gas–oil ratio of the system increase, and the viscosity decreases with the increase in CO2 injection. In the three-phase system of CO2-near-critical volatile oil-formation water, the CO2 content in the flash gas of crude oil, gas–oil ratio, and gas–water ratio are negatively correlated with the water saturation. The results of slim-tube experiments and simulations on the miscible characteristics and displacement oil efficiency of pure CO2 injection and CO2–water co-injection show that the recovery degree of crude oil under CO2–water co-injection is higher than that of pure CO2 injection, and the CO2 dissolved transition section in oil and gas is shorter and the gas breakthrough time is later under CO2–water co-injection, which effectively increases the sweep efficiency and improves the degree recovery of crude oil. When CO2–water co-injection, the ratio of water is higher, the later the gas–oil ratio rises, the later the CO2 breakthrough, and the higher the degree of crude oil recovery. It indicates that when CO2–water co-injection, the ratio of water is higher, the more CO2 is dissolved in water, which effectively inhibits the occurrence of gas channeling and increases the sweep area, thus improving the degree recovery of crude oil. The research results of this paper provide an experimental basis and theoretical foundation for CO2–water co-injection for enhanced crude oil recovery in low-permeability near-critical volatile reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐pass sequencing data have been proposed as an alternative to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of several species. However, it has not been used in layer chickens yet. This study aims at comparing the GWAS results of White Leghorn chickens using low‐pass sequencing data (1×) and 54 k SNP chip data. Ten commercially relevant egg quality traits including albumen height, shell strength, shell colour, egg weight and yolk weight collected from up to 1,420 White Leghorn chickens were analysed. The results showed that the genomic heritability estimates based on low‐pass sequencing data were higher than those based on SNP chip data. Although two GWAS analyses showed similar overall landscape for most traits, low‐pass sequencing captured some significant SNPs that were not on the SNP chip. In GWAS analysis using 54 k SNP chip data, after including more individuals (up to 5,700), additional significant SNPs not detected by low‐pass sequencing data were found. In conclusion, GWAS using low‐pass sequencing data showed similar results to those with SNP chip data and may require much larger sample sizes to show measurable advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that particles cannot realize multidimensional analysis and poor global search ability, a composite particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed, improving the accuracy of particle swarm optimization. Firstly, k-clustering is used to cluster risk management particle swarm optimization. The advantages of particle swarm optimization have to be given full play, and the risk of hospital equipment management from various aspects has to be controlled. Then, the multidimensional particle swarm is segmented to obtain an ordered multidimensional risk particle swarm set, which provides a basis for later risk prediction. Finally, through the fusion function of multidimensional risk particle swarm, the risk particle swarm set based on the clustering degree is constructed, and the optimal extreme value is obtained, so as to improve the accuracy of management risk calculation results. Through MATLAB simulation analysis, it can be seen that the composite particle swarm optimization algorithm is better than particle swarm optimization algorithm in global search accuracy and search time. Moreover, the calculation time and accuracy are better. Therefore, the composite particle swarm optimization algorithm can be used to analyze the risk of hospital equipment and effectively control the risk of hospital equipment management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced-dimensional perovskites (RDPs) with self-assembled multi-quantum well structures have emerged as promising candidates for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) due to their high color purity, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and decent stability. Compared to the traditional RDP film preparation methods reported in the previous literature, thermal evaporation is an appealing option for RDP film fabrication with uniform crystallization, high repeatability, and precise control. Here, based on the vacuum deposition method, we adopted a combined strategy, including annealing treatment and device structure optimization. Meanwhile, we investigated the effects of post-annealing on charge carrier recombination kinetics, exciton energy transfer, and phase distribution of vacuum-deposited RDP films. As a result, we achieved an external quantum efficiency of 6.5% for the device, which is one of the best performances among prevailing research on vacuum-processed RDP-based LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Established the quaternary phase diagram FePO 4 -LiFePO 4 -NaFePO 4 -KFePO 4 by DFT for the first time. • The competitive mechanism of alkali ions in FePO 4 during extraction from a salt lake is revealed. • Na 2/3 FePO 4 phase is the main reason for to decreased cyclability of FePO 4 for lithium recovery in brines. • Proposed an innovative FePO 4 regeneration process to enhance electrode performance and lifespan. The rapid expansion of lithium battery applications has resulted in a shortage of lithium resources, prompting researchers to focus on the electrochemical extraction of lithium from water resources using FePO 4 as the host material. However, a large amount of alkali metal impurity ions in brine leads to irreversible capacity loss, limiting the industrial application of FePO 4 materials in lithium extraction. The mechanism of alkali metal ions' influence on FePO 4 materials remains unclear. To address this issue, the quaternary phase diagram of FePO 4 -LiFePO 4 -NaFePO 4 -KFePO 4 and the diffusion barriers of lithium/sodium ions in FePO 4 were obtained for the first time based on the theoretical calculation of density functional theory (DFT). DFT and X-ray diffraction (XRD) refinement revealed that the inability to remove Na 2/3 FePO 4 from the FePO 4 is a critical issue affecting electrode recyclability. An innovative electrode regeneration process was proposed to enhance the lifespan of FePO4 material. The Na 2/3 FePO 4 impurity was converted to LiFePO 4 using K 2 S 2 O 8 abstersion and 0.1 mol/L LiCl lithiation regeneration process. After five rounds of regenerations, the total lithium extraction of the material could still reach 80.18 % of the extraction of the brand-new electrode, demonstrating the multiple reuses of the host material and cost savings. These innovative discoveries can advance the industrial application of electrochemical lithium extraction from FePO 4 electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Yellow light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are widely utilized in high-quality lighting, light communication, indicator lamps, etc. Owing to their outstanding material properties and device performance, the metal halide perovskites have demonstrated a significant potential for LED applications. However, the performance of the yellow perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs) is inferior to that of their green and red counterparts, with the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) limited to ∼3.1%. Further, a majority of the yellow PeLEDs are fabricated using the spin-coating methods. The current study reports the development of the yellow CsPbBr 2 I PeLEDs based on an all-vacuum deposition approach, which has been widely employed in the commercial organic LEDs (OLEDs). By controlling the co-evaporation rate of CsI and PbBr 2 , the growth kinetics of the perovskite layer are regulated to achieve a small grain size of ∼31.8 nm. Consequently, an improved radiative recombination rate (8.04 × 10−9 cm3/s) is obtained owing to the spatial confinement effect. The PeLEDs based on the optimal perovskite film demonstrate the yellow electroluminescence (574 nm) with a maximum EQE of ∼3.7% and luminance of ∼16,200 cd/m2, thus, representing one of the most efficient and bright yellow PeLEDs. Overall, this study provides a useful guideline for realizing the efficient PeLEDs based on the thermal evaporation strategy and highlights the potential of PeLED as an efficient and bright yellow light source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf angle, including leaf petiole angle (LPA) and leaf blade angle (LBA), is an important trait affecting plant architecture. Anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) genes play a vital role in plant growth and development, including regulation of leaf angle. Here, we identified and characterized the APC genes in Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.) with a focus on GhAPC8 , a homolog of soybean GmILPA1 involved in regulation of LPA. We showed that independently silencing the At or Dt sub-genome homoeolog of GhAPC8 using virus-induced gene silencing reduced plant height and LBA, and that reduction of LBA could be caused by uneven growth of cortex parenchyma cells on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the junction between leaf blade and leaf petiole. The junction between leaf blade and leaf petiole of the GhAPC8- silenced plants had an elevated level of brassinosteroid (BR) and a decreased levels of auxin and gibberellin. Consistently, comparative transcriptome analysis found that silencing GhAPC8 activated genes of the BR biosynthesis and signaling pathways as well as genes related to ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified gene modules significantly associated with plant height and LBA, and candidate genes bridging GhAPC8 , the pathways of BR biosynthesis and signaling and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. These results demonstrated a role of GhAPC8 in regulating LBA, likely achieved by modulating the accumulation and signaling of multiple phytohormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model describing the thermal balance of Holstein dairy cattle was developed. The model quantified the heat flow of five main nodes at the body core, top and bottom skin, and top and bottom coat of a dairy cow. Heat production by the animal and heat flows between the animal and the environment, including conduction, convection, evaporation and radiation, were calculated based on existing models and physical principles. The model requires information of climate, animal characteristics and location as inputs, and returns body core, skin and coat temperatures as outputs. The thermal balance model was evaluated through two datasets. The root mean squared error of prediction for body temperature was 1.16 °C and 0.40 °C for the two datasets, respectively. A simulation study was conducted based on a Holstein dairy cow with 600 kg of body weight and 25 kg of daily milk yield under a typical summer environment in California, USA for three days. The average simulated temperatures of body, top and bottom skin, and top and bottom coat were 40.9, 35.6, 35.9, 34.1 and 33.7 °C, respectively. A local and a global sensitivity analyses showed that heat production, surface area and the parameters relative to respiration and sweating were the most sensitive. The model is able to predict the dynamic change of body temperature under hot weather, and to guide the use of physical cooling strategies, such as shade, fans, sprinklers and cooling mats in dairy facilities. • Dynamic model describing the thermal balance of Holstein dairy cattle was developed. • Model predicts dynamic change of body temperature and heat transfer under hot weather. • Thermal balance model evaluated with two datasets using sensitivity analysis. • Heat production, surface area and respiration/sweating most sensitive parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-entity fusion and low interpretability of answers are urgent issues • We employ heterogeneous graphs for entity fusion of community question answering • The heterogeneous graph neural network is used for entity relation embedding • Meta-paths represent user intention and are pioneered for answer interpretability • Experiments on real datasets verify the interpretable question-answering performance Community question answering is a rising technology based on users' autonomous interactive behaviors, such as posting their issues, answering questions based on their experience, and commenting on existing questions. As a result of its use of natural language for communication and stimulation of user interest in information sharing, it has increasingly taken the place of other channels as the main way that people learn new things. Multi-type entity characteristics fusion and poor answer interpretability are the two major concerns that currently plague community answer prediction research. The Interpretable Answer Retrieval Method Based on Heterogeneous Network Embedding (IARHNE) is what we present in this work. It combines complex entity features and generates interpretable predicted answers. In order to incorporate the interactions of several kinds of individuals in answer social retrieval, we first build a heterogeneity graph. In order to acquire entity embeddings, we secondly use the heterogeneous graph neural network. We then adopt the vector distance to convert the entity matching problem in the heterogeneous information network into a homogeneous node similarity job. Finally, using entity correlation to predict answers, we provide a list of answers to the new query and interpret them using meta-paths. Comparative studies using three authentic datasets demonstrate the benefits of IARHNE for interpretative question-answering research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li 2 ZnTi 3 O 8 (LZT)- x wt.%Nb 2 O 5 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) microwave dielectric ceramics were synthesized by the conventional solid-phase sintering method. The effect of Nb 2 O 5 addition on crystal structure, Raman spectra, and dielectric properties were studied. X-ray diffraction results indicated that the maximum crystallinity of LZT ceramics were obtained at 1075 °C, and that Nb5+ diffused into the LZT matrix completely to form a stable solid solution. XRD refinement results demonstrated that the substitution of Nb5+ for Ti4+ caused the cell volume to increase. The microscopic morphology of LZT- x wt.%Nb 2 O 5 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) ceramics were further investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and results indicated that Nb 2 O 5 could promote the grain growth and sintering of LZT ceramics. Extrinsic and intrinsic dielectric losses were studied through Raman and impedance spectroscopy. The highest value of quality factor × resonant frequency (Q × f) was attributed to the increase in relative density and reduced number of oxygen vacancies (V O • • ), as well as the decrease in damping behavior. Moreover, the dielectric constant (ε r) showed the same trend as cell polarization and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ f) was inversely proportional to cell volume. The LZT ceramics with 3 wt% Nb 2 O 5 addition sintered at 1075 °C for 4 h exhibited the optimal microwave properties, i.e., ε r = 26.52, Q × f = 66 304 GHz, and τ f = - 14.2 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kaolinite is firstly incorporated into P3HT for improving organic photodetector. • Kaolinite leads to a 312% enhancement in average haze and thus enhancing light absorption. • Kaolinite device enhances photocurrent response by 170% in visible light range. • The addition of Kaolinite resulted in 176% increase in responsivity and sevenfold increase in detectivity. This study presents a novel and cost-effective approach to incorporating Kaolinite into poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin films, marking the first-ever utilization of Kaolinite as a light scatter in organic photodetector. Kaolinite, is abundant in the earth's reserves and characterized by its low cost, demonstrates excellent adsorption and dispersion properties. Compared with P3HT devices, the introduction of Kaolinite resulted in a threefold increase in average haze values. The addition of Kaolinite improves film quality, resulting in a more compact and uniform surface morphology. Enhanced light absorption in the Kaolinite photodetector facilitates improved carrier transport, leading to heightened light responsiveness. Experimental results demonstrate a significant average increase of 176% in responsivity (R) and an average sevenfold increase in detectivity (D*). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraprotein interdomain electron transfer (IET) between the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and heme centers is an obligatory step in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. An isoform-specific pivotal region near Leu406 in the heme domain of human inducible NOS (iNOS) was proposed to mediate the FMN-heme domain–domain alignment (J Inorg Biochem 153:186–196, 2015). The FMN-heme IET rate is a measure of the interdomain FMN/heme complex formation. In this work, the FMN-heme IET kinetics in the wild type (wt) human iNOS oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct were directly measured by laser flash photolysis with added synthetic peptide related to the pivotal region, in comparison with the wt construct alone. The IET rates were decreased by the iNOS HKL peptide in a dose-saturable fashion, and the inhibitory effect was abolished by a single L406 → E mutation in the peptide. A similar trend in change of the NO synthesis activity of wt iNOS holoenzyme by the peptides was observed. These data, along with the kinetics and modeling results for the L406T and L406F mutant oxyFMN proteins, indicated that the Leu406 residue modulates the FMN-heme IET through hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the IET rates were analyzed for the wt iNOS oxyFMN protein in the presence of nNOS or eNOS-derived peptide related to the equivalent pivotal heme domain site. These results together indicate that the isoform-specific pivotal region at the heme domain specifically interacts with the conserved FMN domain surface, to facilitate proper interdomain docking for the FMN-heme IET in NOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a key regulator of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in vivo. Despite its functional importance, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. Here, purified dimeric human Hsp90α was used to investigate whether (and if so, how) Hsp90 affects the FMN–heme interdomain electron transfer (IET) step in NOS. Hsp90α increases the IET rate for rat neuronal NOS (nNOS) in a dose‐saturable manner, and a single charge‐neutralization mutation at conserved Hsp90 K585 abolishes the effect. The kinetic results with added Ficoll 70, a crowder, further indicate that Hsp90 enhances the FMN–heme IET through specific association with nNOS. The Hsp90‐nNOS docking models provide hints on the putative role of Hsp90 in constraining the available conformational space for the FMN domain motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current review is designed with aims to highlight the impact of heat stress (HS) on calves and heifers and to suggest methods for HS alleviation. HS occurs in animals when heat gain from environment and metabolism surpasses heat loss by radiation, convection, evaporation and conduction. Although calves and heifers are comparatively heat resistant due to less production of metabolic heat and more heat dissipation efficiency, they still suffer from HS to some degree. Dry matter intake and growth performance of calves and heifers are reduced during HS because of redistributing energy to heat regulation through a series of physiological and metabolic responses, such as elevated blood insulin and protein catabolism. Enhanced respiration rate and panting during HS accelerate the loss of CO2, resulting in altered blood acid-base chemistry and respiratory alkalosis. HS-induced alteration in rumen motility and microbiota affects the feed digestibility and rumen fermentation. Decreased luteinizing hormone, estradiol and gonadotrophins due to HS disturb the normal estrus cyclicity, depress follicular development, hence the drop in conception rate. Prenatal HS not only suppresses the embryonic development by the impaired placenta, which results in hypoxia and malnutrition, but also retards the growth, immunity and future milk production of newborn calves. Based on the above challenges, we attempted to describe the possible impacts of HS on growth, health, digestibility and reproduction of calves and heifers. Likewise, we also proposed three primary strategies for ameliorating HS consequences. Genetic development and reproductive measures, such as gene selection and embryo transfers, are more likely long-term approaches to enhance heat tolerance. While physical modification of the environment, such as shades and sprinkle systems, is the most common and easily implemented measure to alleviate HS. Additionally, nutritional management is another key approach which could help calves and heifers maintain homeostasis and prevent nutrient deficiencies because of HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: An InDel marker closely linked with a major and stable quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 4BS, QSnpa.cau-4B, controlling spike number per unit area will benefit wheat yield improvement. Spike number per unit area (SNPA) is an essential yield-related trait, and analyzing its genetic basis is important for cultivar improvement in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, we used the F2 population derived from a cross between two wheat accessions displaying significant differences in SNPA to perform quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Through bulked segregant analysis, a major and stable QTL that explained 18.11–82.11% of the phenotypic variation was identified on chromosome 4BS. The QTL interval was validated using F4:5 and F6:7 families and narrowed it to a 24.91–38.36 Mb region of chromosome 4BS according to the 'Chinese Spring' reference genome sequence. In this region, variations in 16 genes caused amino acid changes and three genes were present in only one parent. Among these, we annotated a gene orthologous to TB1 in maize (Zea mays), namely TraesCS4B01G042700, which carried a 44-bp deletion in its promoter in the higher-SNPA parent. An InDel marker based on the insertion/deletion polymorphism was designed and used to diagnose the allelic distribution within a natural population. The frequency of the 44-bp deletion allele associated with higher SNPA was relatively low (13.24%), implying that this favorable allele has not been widely utilized and could be valuable for wheat yield improvement. In summary, we identified a major and stable QTL for SNPA and developed a diagnostic marker for the more-spiked trait, which will be beneficial for molecular-assisted breeding in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the demand for more accurate, productive, and economical robot manipulators is increasing in the robotics industry. However, a manipulator will produce kinematic errors during production. Thus low-cost kinematic calibration is demanded. Moreover, environmental mapping is also demanded to plan the motions of the manipulator. In this paper, we proposed a simultaneous kinematic calibration, localization, and mapping (SKCLAM) method, which can simultaneously calibrate the kinematic parameters of an industrial robot manipulator using a commercial RGB-D camera attached to its end effector to reconstruct its surroundings. In our method, the kinematic calibration is achieved with feature detection and epipolor geometry. Synthetic and real data experiments were conducted to verify the SKCLAM method. We succeeded in reducing the kinematic errors of the manipulator and reconstructing dense 3D maps of the workspace in the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel freestanding all-solid-state polymeric membrane Cu2+-selective electrode (Cu2+-ISE) is proposed based on three-dimensional graphene sponge (3D GS). The 3D GS electrode has been characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Experiments show that 3D GS possesses a large electrical double layer capacitance, good conductivity, and high hydrophobicity. Based on these superior properties, 3D GS has been applied as both electrode substrate and solid contact for construction of a freestanding all-solid-state polymeric membrane Cu2+-ISE. The 3D GS-based Cu2+-ISE shows a good Nernstian response ranging from 1.0 × 10−8 to 7.9 × 10−4 M with a low detection limit of 2.5 × 10−9 M. Moreover, the proposed Cu2+-ISE exhibits a stable potential response with a reduced water layer at the sensing membrane/3D GS interface and is not affected by interferences from light, O 2 and CO 2. A freestanding all-solid-state polymeric membrane Cu2+ -selective electrode based on three-dimensional graphene sponge was fabricated. Image 1 • A freestanding all-solid-state polymeric membrane Cu2+-ISE based on three-dimensional graphene sponge (3D GS) is developed. • The 3D GS can be used as both electrode substrate and solid contact for construction of Cu2+-ISE. • The electrode shows a stable potential response with a LOD of 2.5 × 10−9 M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield and quality are two crucial breeding objects of wheat therein grain weight and grain protein content (GPC) are two key relevant factors correspondingly. Investigations of their genetic mechanisms represent special significance for breeding. In this study, 199 F2 plants and corresponding F2:3 families derived from Nongda3753 (ND3753) and its EMS-generated mutant 564 (M564) were used to investigate the genetic basis of larger grain and higher GPC of M564. QTL analysis identified a total of 33 environmentally stable QTLs related to thousand grain weight (TGW), grain area (GA), grain circle (GC), grain length (GL), grain width (GW), and GPC on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, 4D, 6B, and 7D, respectively, among which QGw.cau-6B.1, QTgw.cau-6B.1, QGa.cau-6B.1, and QGc.cau-6B.1 shared overlap confidence interval on chromosome 6B. This interval contained the TaGW2 gene playing the same role as the QTLs, so TaGW2-6B was cloned and sequenced. Sequence alignment revealed two G/A SNPs between two parents, among which the SNP in the seventh exon led to a premature termination in M564. A KASP marker was developed based on the SNP, and single-marker analysis on biparental populations showed that the mutant allele could significantly increase GW and TGW, but had no effect on GPC. Distribution detection of the mutant allele through KASP marker genotyping and sequence alignment against databases ascertained that no materials harbored this allele within natural populations. This allele was subsequently introduced into three different varieties through molecular marker-assisted backcrossing, and it was revealed that the allele had a significant effect on simultaneously increasing GW, TGW, and even GPC in all of three backgrounds. Summing up the above, it could be concluded that a novel elite allele of TaGW2-6B was artificially created and might play an important role in wheat breeding for high yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An efficient DNN-based design framework for functionally graded lattices is established. • Functionally graded lattices are designed using the framework, fabricated using addictive manufacturing, and evaluated using experimental tests. • The effectiveness of the design framework is demonstrated with the performances of the functionally graded lattices. • This work is inspirable to promote advanced structures/materials with tailored properties. Auxetic materials with counterintuitive negative Poisson's ratio have been of significant interest due to potential applications across diverse engineering fields. Functionally grading such auxetics further enables customization of the structural response and harnesses the potential for multi-functional applications. However, a critical challenge in designing functionally graded lattices is to efficiently determine the spatial variation of the functional gradient and the corresponding geometric designs to achieve the desired response. In this paper, a highly efficient deep learning-based inverse design framework for functionally graded tetra-petal auxetics with spatially tailored properties is presented. This framework significantly improves the efficiency of tailoring functionally graded auxetics where many unit cells need to be tailor-designed. The graded tetra-petal auxetics obtained from the inverse design framework are additively manufactured and subjected to impact tests. The results show superior impact performance compared with uniform designs, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed inverse design framework, which can be inspirable to promote advanced structures/materials with enhanced impact resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of crack‐induced on the intergranular corrosion (IGC) behavior of aerial aluminum alloy subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD) is investigated in this work. Addressing this problem, a particular SPD technology, namely elliptical cross‐sectioned spiral equal channel extrusion (ECSEE), is employed to prefabricate cracks. The microstructure, induced‐crack observation and IGC behavior of the ECSEE‐ed alloy are observed. ECSEE can significantly refine the grains, while lots of small and deep dimples as well as broken second‐phase particles appear on fracture surface. The formation mechanism of the fracture surface is revealed based on the observation of fracture morphology. A typical stress corrosion cracking characteristic is observed in IGC tested ECSEE‐ed alloy, and the corroded fracture consisted of higher volume fraction of brittle intergranular fractures that are made up of rockcandy‐like brittle and intergranular fracture. The mechanism of intergranular corrosion of dehiscence and cracking is determined considering the factors such as grain refinement, grain boundary precipitations, preexisted crack, and residual stress. The influence of crack‐induced on the intergranular corrosion (IGC) behavior of aerial aluminum alloy subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD) is investigated. The mechanism of intergranular corrosion of dehiscence and cracking is determined considering the factors such as grain refinement, grain boundary precipitations, preexisted crack, and residual stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three kinds of heat treatment procedure, namely solid solution treatment (SST), homogenization heat treatment (HHT) and aging heat treatment (AHT), were adopted to control grain boundary characteristics of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aluminum alloy after severe plastic deformation. And the experimental researches were employed to find the effect of grain boundary characteristic on intergranular corrosion of severely deformed aluminum alloy, including the optical microscope (OM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). OM and EBSD observations show that heat treatment for severely sheared Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy can significantly increase the fraction of large angle grain boundaries and recrystallized grain boundaries. TEM observations agree well with the results of OM, EBSD and XRD, through the dislocations, the morphology and size of precipitated phase, and the grain boundary style. The results of microhardness and tensile tests maintain that AHT is the best way to improve both strength and plasticity. Intergranular corrosion observations show that sample after HHT has the optimum corrosion resistance while the sample after AHT possesses the worst performance. The influence mechanism of grain boundary characteristic on the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties is investigated in consideration of grain boundary type and precipitates in grain and grain boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solid-contact ion-selective electrode (SC-ISE) based on a covalent organic framework@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite is proposed. The composite can be synthesized through the polycondensation of 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) and 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone (DAAQ) on the rGO nanosheets, which shows high capacitance and good redox-active properties. By applying Cd2+-ISE as a model, the electrode exhibits a Nernstian slope of 29.7 ± 0.4 mV/decade in the activity range of 1.0 × 10−7 - 7.9 × 10−4 M and the limit of detection is 6.8 × 10−8 M. Particularly, the electrode based on DAAQ-TFP@rGO exhibits a low potential drift of 1.2 ± 0.2 μV/h over 70 h due to the large capacitance of 2.0 mF. Moreover, the DAAQ-TFP@rGO-based Cd2+-ISE shows good reproducibility and the standard deviations of the standard potentials for single batch and batch-to-batch are 0.28 (n = 4) and 0.30 mV (n = 4), respectively. The developed SC-Cd2+-ISE is not disturbed by light or gas and no aqueous layer occurs between the sensing membrane and DAAQ-TFP@rGO layer. The DAAQ-TFP@rGO composite is highly promising for construction of calibration-free SC-ISEs. [Display omitted] • DAAQ-TFP@rGO combining the benefits of large capacitance and good redox-active properties is used as solid contact. • The DAAQ-TFP@rGO-based Cd2+-ISE exhibits a low potential drift of 1.2 μV/h over 70 h and a large capacitance of 2 mF. • E° standard deviations of the single batch and batch-to-batch electrodes are 0.28 (n = 4) and 0.30 mV (n = 4), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CAP admitted to the Department of Endocrinology of 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team were recruited into this study. Clinical data such as age, sex, temperature, blood routine, liver function, renal function, albumin, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), use of oral antidiabetic drugs, number of involved lobes and history of cerebrovascular disease were included in the analysis. The sample function of R software was used to randomly divide the enrolled population into a training set and a validation set in a ratio of 7:3. The training set was divided into a survival group and a death group according to the occurrence of outcome events. Risk factors were selected by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to develop a new prediction model and a prediction line graph. The predictive efficiency and accuracy of the new model were evaluated by comparison with the CURB-65 score model, which was used to assess the prognosis of pneumonia. The clinical significance of the new prediction model was evaluated by clinical decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve evaluation. Results A total of 223 patients were incorporated into the statistical analysis, including 156 in the training set and 67 in the validation set. In the training set, the clinical data of 127 patients in the survival group and 29 patients in the death group were used for the between-group difference analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for changes in consciousness, urea nitrogen and neutrophil counts, temperature (OR= 3.05, 95%CI 2.80-3.48), albumin (OR=0.61, 95%CI 0.36-0.77), LVEF (OR=0.61, 95%CI 0.37-0.82), number of involved lobes (OR=6.29, 95%CI 2.43-6.45) and history of cerebrovascular disease (OR= 2.23, 95%CI 1.09-4.65) were independent risk factors for short-term mortality in T2DM inpatients with CAP. In the training set, compared with CURB-65 score, the area under the curve (AUC) of the new model [0.898 5 (95%CI 0.838 8-0.958 1)] in this study was higher than CURB-65 score [0.752 5 (95%CI 0.655 7-0.849 4), P<0.05]. Clinical decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve evaluation of the new model were better than CURB-65 scores. The AUC of the new model in the verification set was 0.928 8 (95%CI 0.850 3-1.000 0), and the fitting effect was good. Conclusion The prediction model in this study, which included temperature, albumin, LVEF, number of involved lobes and history of cerebrovascular disease, was effective in predicting short-term mortality in T2DM patients with CAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lead halide perovskites show excellent optoelectronic properties but are unsatisfactory in terms of stability and toxicity. Herein, bismuth (Bi)‐doped lead‐free inorganic perovskites Cs2SnCl6:Bi are reported as blue emissive phosphors. Upon Bi doping, the originally nonluminous Cs2SnCl6 exhibits a highly efficient deep‐blue emission at 455 nm, with a Stokes shift of 106 nm and a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) close to 80%. Hybrid density functional theory calculations suggest the preferred formation of [BiSn+VCl] defect complex, which is believed to be responsible for the optical absorption and the associated blue emission. The Cs2SnCl6:Bi also shows impressive thermal and water stability due to its inorganic nature and the formation of protective BiOCl layer. White light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are constructed using Cs2SnCl6:Bi and commercial yellow phosphors combined with commercial UV LED chips, giving the Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates of (0.36, 0.37). This work represents a significant step toward the realization of highly efficient, stable, and environmentally benign next‐generation solid‐state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface between calmodulin (CaM) and the NO synthase (NOS) heme domain is the least characterized interprotein interface that the NOS isoforms must traverse through during catalysis. Our previous molecular dynamics simulations predicted a salt bridge between K497 in human inducible NOS (iNOS) heme domain and D118(CaM). Herein, the FMN – heme interdomain electron transfer (IET) rate was found to be notably decreased by charge‐reversal mutation, while the IET in the iNOS K497D mutant is significantly restored by the CaM D118K mutation. The results of wild‐type protein with added synthetic peptides further demonstrate the critical nature of K497 relative to the rest of the peptide sequence in modulating the IET. These data provide definitive evidence supporting the regulatory role of the isoform‐specific K497 residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FMN−heme interdomain electron transfer (IET) in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is a key stage of the electron transport chain, which supplies the catalytic heme site(s) with the NADPH-derived electrons. While there is a recognition that this IET depends on both the electron tunneling and the conformational dynamics, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this work, the IET kinetics were measured by laser flash photolysis for a bidomain oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct of human inducible NOS (iNOS) over the ionic strength range from 0.1 to 0.5 M. The forward (heme → FMN, k ETf ) and backward (FMN → heme, k ETb ) intrinsic IET rate constants were determined from the analysis of the observed IET rates using the additional information regarding the conformational dynamics obtained from the FMN fluorescence lifetime measurements and theoretical estimates. Both k ETf and k ETb exhibit a bell-shaped dependence on the ionic strength, I , with the maximum rates corresponding to I  ~ 0.2 M. This dependence was explained using a new model, which considers the effect of formation of pairs between the protein surface charged residues and solution ions on the docked state dynamics. The trial simulations of the intrinsic IET rate dependences using this model show that the data can be reproduced using reasonable energetic, structural, and chemical parameters. The suggested model can explain both the monophasic and biphasic ionic strength dependences and can be used to rationalize the interprotein/interdomain electron transfer rates for other types of protein systems where the docked state is sufficiently long-lived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we prepared a tertiary amide-based gemini surfactant (DSTAPA), which contained two pH-sensitive tertiary amide head groups. Then the molecule state distribution and self-assembly transition of the surfactant in aqueous solution were investigated under different pH conditions. The DSTAPA molecules were on the states of double cationic (DSTAPAH2+), single cationic (DSTAPAH+), and double tertiary amine groups (DSTAPA) under acidic, neutral, and basic conditions, respectively. With the variation of the molecule states, the sample was water-like below pH of 6.8 and immediately transformed to gel-like fluid between pH of 6.8 and 7.8, then changed to white precipitate with the further increase of pH value. Furthermore, the microstructure and regulation mechanism were investigated by rheological measurements, dynamic light scattering, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. The appearance and micelle transitions of the DSTAPA aqueous solution are actually owing to the spherical–worm-like micelle transition, leading to dramatic viscosity increase and hydrogel formation. This transition was completely reversible and repeated for at least three cycles. Finally, a reasonable mechanism of the transition was proposed based on the viewpoints of the molecular states and micelle structures. The DSTAPA aqueous system with pH-reversible property has a great potential application in oil and gas production. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the gradual death of dopaminergic neurons. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptors are widely distributed throughout the central nervous system, which can promote the survival and growth of neurons and protect neurons. This study revealed that BDNF promotes STAT3 phosphorylation and regulates autophagy in neurons. The PD mouse model was established by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Moreover, SH-SY5Y cells were treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP+) to establish a PD cell model. The level of BDNF was low in PD model mice and SH-SY5Y cells treated with MPP+. BDNF enhanced the levels of p-TrkB, P-STAT3, PINK1, and DJ-1. BDNF promoted autophagy, inhibited the level of p-α-syn (Ser129) and enhanced cell proliferation. The autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-methyladenine, 3-MA) reversed the protective effects of BDNF on neurons. BiFC assay results showed that there was a direct physical interaction between BDNF and STAT3, and coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicated an interaction between STAT3 and PI3K. The PI3K agonist Recilisib activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, promoted autophagy, and alleviated neuronal cell damage. BDNF alleviates PD pathology by promoting STAT3 phosphorylation and regulating neuronal autophagy in SH-SY5Y cells and cultured primary neurons. Finally, BDNF has neuroprotective effects on PD model mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-solid-state polymeric membrane Ca2+-selective electrode based on hydrophobic octadecylamine-functionalized graphene oxide has been developed. The hydrophobic composite in the ion-selective membrane not only acts as a transduction element to improve the potential stability for the all-solid-state Ca2+-selective electrode, but also is used to immobilize Ca2+ ionophore with lipophilic side chains through hydrophobic interactions. The developed all-solid-state Ca2+-selective electrode shows a stable potential response in the linear range of 3.0×10−7-1.0×10−3 M with a slope of 24.7±0.3 mV/dec, and the detection limit is (1.6±0.2 )×10−7 M ( n=3). Additionally, due to the hydrophobicity and electrical conductivity of the composite, the proposed all-solid-state ion-selective electrode exhibits an improved stability with the absence of water layer between the ion-selective membrane and the underlying glassy carbon electrode. This work provides a simple, efficient and low-cost methodology for developing stable and robust all-solid-state ion-selective electrode with ionophore immobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 9-week feeding trial in floating freshwater cages (1.0 m×1.0 m×2.0 m) was conducted to study the effects of different dietary levels of protein and starch on growth, body composition, and gene expression of enzymes in common carp, Cyprinus carpio (mean body weight, 36.12±1.18 g) to evaluate the protein-sparing effect of dietary carbohydrate. Four diets were formulated with corn starch as the carbohydrate source to obtain corn starch levels of 6.5%, 13%, 19.5%, or 26% and protein levels of 30.5%, 28.2%, 26.4%, and 24.2%. The results showed no differences in growth performance of fish fed the diets with different protein and corn starch levels, but body composition and glucose metabolic enzyme activity of carp were significantly affected by the different diets ( P< 0.05). Weight gain, specific growth rate, and the feed conversion ratio were not different in fish fed the different dietary treatments. Protein efficiency ratio increased significantly as corn starch level increased ( P< 0.05). Whole-body crude lipid composition increased with increasing dietary corn starch level ( P< 0.05). Glucokinase (GK), hexokinase, and pyruvate kinase (PK) activities increased significantly with increasing dietary corn starch level ( P< 0.05), whereas glucose-6-phosphate (G6Pase) activity decreased with increasing dietary corn starch level ( P< 0.05). GK gene expression was significantly higher in fish fed the high-corn starch diet than those fed the low-corn starch diet ( P< 0.05). G6pase gene expression tended to decrease with increasing starch level ( P> 0.05). In summary, the results indicate a protein-sparing effect by substituting carbohydrate in the diet of common carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional porous graphene-mesoporous platinum nanoparticle (3D PGR-MPN) composite is used as solid contact for developing an all-solid-state polymeric membrane Cd 2+ ion-selective electrode (Cd 2+ -ISE). The 3D PGR with MPNs as cross-linking sites can be synthesized by a facile hydrothermal co-assembly method. The obtained 3D PGR-MPN composite is promising for acting as solid contact due to its unique characteristics such as high interfacial area, superior double layer capacitance, excellent conductivity and high hydrophobicity. The ISE exhibits a stable Nernstian response in the range of 10 −8 –10 −4 M and the detection limit is 10 −8.8 M. The 3D PGR-MPN-based Cd 2+ -ISE shows good potential response and no water layer exists between the polymeric membrane and the 3D PGR-MPN layer. Additionally, the proposed Cd 2+ -ISE is robust to O 2 , CO 2 and light interferences. This work provides a versatile method for preparing an effective solid contact to develop a stable and reliable all-solid-state ISE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ growth of quasi-superhydrophobic porous NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheet arrays with a one-step electrodeposition method was provided. A calcium ion-selective electrodes (Ca2+-ISE) was subsequently constructed by using the prepared NiCo 2 S 4 as a solid contact layer. The proposed Ca2+-ISE exhibits a good Nernstian slope of 30.7 ± 0.3 mV/dec and a detection limit of 1.6 × 10−7 M. Due to the large redox capacitance of 1.8 mF, the Ca2+-ISE based on NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheet arrays shows a high potential stability of 1.9 ± 0.5 μV/h over 90 h. Excellent reproducibilities for the NiCo 2 S 4 -based Ca2+-ISEs can be obtained with the single batch and batch-to-batch E° standard deviations of 0.3 (n = 6) and 0.7 mV (n = 5), respectively. The NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheet arrays have a large contact angle of 148 ± 1.4°, which effectively suppresses the formation of a water layer at the sensing membrane/NiCo 2 S 4 interface. [Display omitted] • Quasi-superhydrophobic NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheets arrays has been synthetized by a one-step electrodeposition method. • Good reproducibilities for the NiCo 2 S 4 -based Ca2+-ISEs are obtained with the single batch and batch-to-batch E° standard deviations of 0.3 (n = 6) and 0.7 mV (n = 5), respectively. • The developed Ca2+-ISE shows a low potential drift of 1.9 ± 0.5 μV/h over 90 h and a large redox capacitance of 1.8 mF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), elliptical cross-section spiral equal-channel extrusion (ECSEE) and torsion deformation (TD) have been proven as efficient SPD methods for grain refinement. In order to compare the characteristics of grain refinement by these technologies, experimental researches on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties have been conducted by optical microscopy (OM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and microhardness tests. OM observation shows a significant decrease and non-uniformed distribution in grain size on the cross-section of the processed samples, which agrees well with the result of strain distribution. TEM observation shows a similar refinement process undergoing the forming of shear bands, dislocation forest, large-angle grain boundaries and sub-grains. The different morphological structures by TEM have been discussed in terms of the effect of deformation modes including bending–torsion, extrusion torsion and pure torsion on microstructure evolution. Microhardness distribution of pure copper after 6-passes deformation agrees well with the microstructure observed by OM. However, ECAP is different with ECSEE and TD in microhardness distribution along the radial and circumferential directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of ecological science, the demand to integrate ecosystem services into ecological management is increasing. Stakeholders are interested in comparing stocks and ability to supply ecosystem services in different regions. However, different areas may have different primary ecosystem services and knowledge of the aggregated value of ecosystem services may be lacking, making comparisons difficult. Relevant indicators that can integrate a group of ecosystem services for comparison are therefore needed. This paper formulated two indicators, ecosystem service supply rate and supply–demand ratio, and applied them in a case study to compare and map the spatial–temporal status of ecosystem services and the ability to supply these in different regions. Using nine regions in the Taihu River Basin in China as an example, data obtained from high-resolution spatial land use, land cover maps and stakeholder interviews were used to identify the spatial–temporal potential supply and flow of ecosystem services and human demand patterns. The results showed that ecosystem service supply rate had declined from 2000 to 2010, indicating that the overall proportion of potential ecosystem services turned into flow in the Taihu River Basin declined. Determination of supply–demand ratio revealed that the status of ecosystem service provision in the basin is in deficit, with the deficit increasing between 2000 and 2010. These findings indicate that ecosystem service supply rate and supply–demand ratio are useful indicators of ecosystem service status and can permit comparisons between regions on both a spatial and temporal scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of cold rolling reduction ratio (CRRR) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ferritic stainless steel (FSS) 430 were analyzed based on a series of experiments. The results show that the thickness of coarse grain bands decreases with an increase in CRRR, and when the CRRR increases to a certain value, the coarse grain bands break down into refined, equiaxed grains due to the plastic deformation. In addition, the optimization of CRRR was found to benefit both the microstructural refinement and mechanical properties of FSS 430. Also, the optimization of CRRR optimized the texture structure of FSS 430 by reducing the fraction of undesired components ({110} < 110 > component, for example), giving a rise to the plasticity of material. On the other hand, the formation of Lüders band can also be affected by the modification of CRRR. Overall, an optimal CRRR of 70% was obtained with refined microstructure and texture structure, thereby improving the mechanical properties of FSS 430. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]