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Introduction: Population aging and internal migration have become the "norm" in China's population development. Influenced by both "mobility" and "old age," internal elderly migrants (IEMs) face the second-level digital divide problems primarily characterized by digital technology usage gap, which can lead to adverse health outcomes. Understanding the impact of the digital divide on the health of IEMs can provide effective solutions to meet the health needs of this particular group and facilitate their better integration into a digital society. Therefore, this study aims at exploring the impact of the digital divide on the health of IEMs, and identifying priorities and recommendations for improving IEMs' health by mitigating the adverse effects of the digital divide. Methods: In the 2017 China Migrant Dynamic Survey (CMDS), a cross‑sectional sample of 169,989 internal migrants in 32 provincial units across China was recruited by stratified probability proportionate to size sampling (PPS). We focus on IEMs and require interviewees to be 60 years and older. Therefore, we excluded samples younger than 60 years of age and retained only 6,478 valid samples. Subsequently, STATA 17.0 software was applied to analyze the data. Based on the research objective and Grossman's model of health demand, we empirically tested using ordered logit regression. Results: The digital divide does affect the health of IEMs in general and its negative effects tend to decrease significantly with age. In terms of groups, its impact showed noticeable group differences in residence arrangement, public health services and medical insurance coverage. Compared with IEMs who live alone or only live with their spouse, have not received public health service, and have not been covered by any medical insurance, the digital divide imposes a smaller adverse impact on the health of IEMs who live with at least one offspring, have received public health service, and have covered in at least one medical insurance. In terms of potential mechanisms, among the effects of digital divide on the health of IEMs, the mediating effect of urban integration is not significant, the social interaction has only a partial mediating effect, and the medical convenience has a significant mediating effect. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the existence of the third-level digital divide among IEMs concerning health, that is, the digital divide has adverse health outcomes for this group, and underscore the important implications of reducing the negative impact of the digital divide in improving the health status of IEMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic wavelet, also known as the “far-field wavelet,” plays a crucial role in various stages of seismic data signal processing. Accurately obtaining the far-field wavelet has become a key challenge in seismic signal processing. Existing methods for obtaining the far-field wavelet have certain limitations, while methods based on direct waves to extract the source wavelet are complex and difficult to implement. In this study, an exploration of the characteristics of direct waves in marine seismic data reveals that the far-field wavelet is essentially the zero-offset direct wave. Building upon this understanding, we propose a simplified method to extract the far-field wavelet using direct waves from marine seismic data. The method involves simulating the impulse response of direct waves with different ghost wave delays to calculate the filter factors. This process facilitates the conversion of direct waves with variable offsets, referred to as “offset filtering”. Throughout the calculation process, the filter factors remain unaffected by the source signal, focusing solely on the time delay effect between the direct waves and the source ghost waves in seismic traces with different offsets. As a result, the entire calculation process demonstrates a high level of stability. By applying the obtained filter factors to the actual direct wave data in marine seismic records, we can obtain the corresponding far-field wavelet. Testing and processing of real seismic data validate the simplicity, practicality, and ability of this method to yield high-precision seismic wavelets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room‐temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na–S) batteries have emerged as a promising candidate for next‐generation scalable energy storage systems, due to their high theoretical energy density, low cost, and natural abundance. However, the practical applications of these batteries are hindered by the notorious shuttle effect of soluble sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) and sluggish reaction kinetics, which result in fast performance loss. To address this issue, recent studies have reported impressive achievements of transition metal nanoparticles/single atoms/cluster/compounds (TM)‐based host materials with strong adsorption and catalyzation to NaPSs. These materials can significantly improve the electrochemical performance of RT Na–S batteries. In this review, the recent progress on TM‐based host materials for RT Na–S batteries, including iron (Fe)‐, cobalt (Co)‐, nickel (Ni)‐, molybdenum (Mo)‐, titanium (Ti)‐, vanadium (V)‐, manganese (Mn)‐, and other TM‐based materials are summarized. The design, fabrication, and properties of these host materials are comprehensively summarized and systematically analyzed the underlying chemical inhibition and electrocatalysis mechanism between NaPSs and TM‐based catalytic materials. At last, the challenges and prospects for designing efficient TM‐based catalytic materials for high‐performance RT Na–S batteries are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Krascheninnikovia ceratoides, a perennial halophytic semi-shrub belonging to the genus Krascheninnikovia (Amarathaceae), possesses noteworthy ecological, nutritional, and economic relevance. This species is primarily distributed across arid, semi-arid, and saline-alkaline regions of the Eurasian continent, encompassing Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, and Tibet. Results: We reported the comprehensive chloroplast (cp) genome of K. ceratoides, characterized by a circular conformation spanning 151,968 bp with a GC content of 36.60%. The cp genome encompassed a large single copy (LSC, 84,029 bp), a small single copy (SSC, 19,043 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) regions (24,448 bp each). This genome harbored 128 genes and encompassed 150 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Through comparative analyses involving cp genomes from other Cyclolobeae (Amarathaceae) taxa, we observed that the K. ceratoides cp genome exhibited high conservation, with minor divergence events in protein-coding genes (PCGs) accD, matK, ndhF, ndhK, ycf1, and ycf2. Phylogenetic reconstructions delineated K. ceratoides as the sister taxon to Atriplex, Chenopodium, Dysphania, and Suaeda, thus constituting a robust clade. Intriguingly, nucleotide substitution ratios (Ka/Ks) between K. ceratoides and Dysphania species for ycf1 and ycf2 genes surpassed 1.0, indicating the presence of positive selection pressure on these loci. Conclusions: The findings of this study augment the genomic repository for the Amarathaceae family and furnish crucial molecular instruments for subsequent investigations into the ecological adaptation mechanisms of K. ceratoides within desert ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseline correction is a vital part of spectral preprocessing, especially for Raman spectra. Iterative polynomial fitting is an easy but less accurate way to find baselines compared to other methods such as wavelet transform and penalized least squares (PLS) methods. The polynomial fitting methods can also get distorted results in certain conditions. In this paper, a neural network model for detecting the trend of the baseline was proposed to improve the correction accuracy of the fitting methods. The model selects the function basis according to the baseline trend instead of using a fixed polynomial function to match the baseline for a more precise fit. We also propose a way to generate simulation data, these data can be used to train the neural network model. The model provides reliable results for real spectral data with noise. Our method provides a new idea to correct the baseline with a strange shape. In addition, we examine the limitations of conventional iterative polynomial fitting, adaptive iteratively reweighted PLS and explain why our approach surpasses these methods. Graphical abstract This is a visual representation of the abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the changes of potent odorants (PO) in high‐salt liquid‐state fermentation soy sauce (HLFSS) after sterilization under 120°C for 15 s, the volatiles in HLFSS were isolated by solvent extraction combined with solvent‐assisted flavour evaporation and were analysed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry‐olfactometry. A total of 40 odour‐active compounds were identified, and their flavour dilution (FD) factors ranging from 1 to 4096 were determined by comparative aroma extract dilution analysis. Twenty‐four compounds with FD factors ≥8 were quantitated by establishing standard curves, and the results showed that total concentrations of alcohols and phenols were almost unchanged, those of esters, acids and pyrazines decreased and those of aldehydes and ketones increased. Based on quantitative results and thresholds in water, odour activity values (OAVs) were calculated. Eighteen compounds with OAVs ≥1 were determined as PO in HLFSS. The number of POs did not change after sterilization, and OAVs of 10 POs remained unchanged or varied very little. The significant changes in the concentrations of methional, 5‐ethyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐3(2H)‐furanone, nonanal, ethyl 2‐methylbutanoate, methionol, benzeneacetaldehyde, 4‐hydroxy‐2,5‐dimethyl‐3(2H)‐furanone and 2‐ethyl‐3,5‐dimethylpyrazine after sterilization caused the obvious variations of OAVs, which made cooked potato, caramel‐like, fatty and floral notes in HLFSS change in different degrees. The results obtained have some reference value to produce SS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the levels of serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and Klotho, and to study their relationship with girls with rapidly progressive central precocious puberty (RP-CPP). This is a cross-sectional study on the progression rate of central precocious puberty in girls, who complained of breast development before the age of 8 years and were followed between June 2021 and June 2022. At the same time, 28 healthy girls less than 8 years old who had not started puberty were recruited as the control group. The physical examination and laboratory evaluation of each group was completed. Only patients with CPP received pelvic ultrasound examination and bone age test. Bone age index (BAI), basal LH levels (BLH), basal LH levels/basal FSH levels (BFSH), peak LH (PLH)/peak FSH (PFSH), IGF-1, Klotho, FGF23, and ovarian volume in the RP-CPP group were higher than those in slowly progressive CPP (SP-CPP) group. In the RP-CPP group, IGF-1 was correlated with Klotho, FGF23, and BLH; Klotho was correlated with FGF23 and BLH; FGF23 was correlated with BLH. Conclusion: The BLH, FGF23, Klotho, and IGF-1 have a certain correlation with RP-CPP, which may play an important role in the speed of girls' sexual development. What is Known: • The association between IGF-1 and RP-CPP. What is New: • We found the association between FGF23, Klotho and RP-CPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoclusters (MNCs) are compositionally well‐defined and also structurally precise materials with unique molecule‐like properties and discrete electronic energy levels. Atomically precise ligand‐protected Cu nanoclusters (LP‐CuNCs) are one category of typical MNCs that usually demonstrate unique geometric and electronic structures to serve as electrocatalysts. However, the synthesis, application, as well as structure‐performance relationship of LP‐CuNCs are not adequately studied. Significantly, the ligands are essential to the geometric structure, crystal structure, size, and electronic structure of LP‐CuNCs, which determine their physiochemical properties and applications. In this review, significant progress in the ligand design of LP‐CuNCs, and their application in electrocatalytic reactions is introduced. The general basics of ligand‐protected MNCs (LP‐MNCs) are first introduced and the functions of ligands are emphasized. Subsequently, a series of different ligands for LP‐CuNCs including thiolates, phosphines, alkynyl, polymers, and biomolecules are highlighted. Thereafter, their applications in different electrocatalytic reactions are discussed. It is believed that this review will not only inspire the design and synthesis of novel LP‐CuNCs, but also contribute to the extension of their applications in electrocatalytic reactions and the establishment of accurate structure‐performance relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a member of the third generation of artificial neural network models, spiking neural P systems (SN P systems) have gained a hot research spot in recent years. This work introduces the phenomenon of lateral inhibition in biological nervous systems into SN P systems, and proposes SN P systems with lateral inhibition (LISN P systems). LISN P systems add the property of synaptic length to portray the lateral distance between neurons, and adopt a new form of rules, lateral interaction rules, to describe the reception of spikes by postsynaptic neurons with different lateral distances from the presynaptic neuron. Specifically, an excited neuron produces lateral inhibition on surrounding postsynaptic neurons. Postsynaptic neurons close to the excited neuron, i.e., neurons with small lateral distances, are more susceptible to lateral inhibition and either receive a fewer number of spikes generated by the excited neuron or fail to receive spikes. As the lateral distance increases, the lateral inhibition weakens, and the number of spikes received by postsynaptic neurons increases. Based on the above mechanism, four specific LISN P systems are designed for generating arbitrary odd numbers, arbitrary even numbers, arbitrary natural numbers and arithmetic series, respectively, as examples. By designing working modules, LISN P systems provide equivalence in computational power to the universal register machines in both generating and accepting modes. This verifies the computational completeness of LISN P systems. A universal LISN P system using merely 65 neurons is devised for function computation. According to comparisons among several systems, universal LISN P systems require fewer computational resources. • Spiking neural P systems with lateral inhibition (LISN P systems) are proposed. • A novel type of rules, lateral interaction rules, is introduced in LISN P systems. • Four specific LISN P systems are designed for generating different sets of numbers. • The Turing universality of LISN P systems is proved. • A small LISN P system using 65 neurons is designed for computing functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen sensors, using organic-inorganic and all-inorganic lead halide perovskites, have demonstrated huge advantages in operating temperature, responding time, and reversing oxygen content detection. Nevertheless, the toxicity and instability issues hinder their wide application. In this work, for the first time, we report a sensitive fluorescence oxygen detector based on lead-free double perovskite Cs 2 AgBiBr 6 thin film. The sensor has a remarkable performance in terms of fast response time of ≈56 s, recovery time of ≈91 s, and a relatively low limit of detection (LOD) of 150 ppm. More importantly, the unencapsulated sensor still exhibits an obvious response at low oxygen concentrations after two-week storage in ambient, and the device also exhibits good humidity, light, and thermal stability. Consequently, the lead-free double perovskite (Cs 2 AgBiBr 6) will be promising environmentally friendly material in developing reversible, sensitive, high-efficiency, and stable perovskite oxygen sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to investigate the correlation between Erbin and sepsis, and the role of Erbin on the pyroptosis pathway in acute kidney injury caused by sepsis and NLRP3/caspase-1/Gasdermin D pathway. Methods: In the study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery on mice were used to stimulate the in vitro and in vivo sepsis-induced renal injury model. The male C57BL/6 of wild-type mice (WT) and Erbin-knockout mice (Erbin−/−, EKO) were randomly divided into four groups (WT + Sham, WT + CLP, EKO + Sham, EKO + CLP). Inflammatory cytokine, renal function, pyroptotic cell numbers and the levels of protein and mRNA expression of pyroptosis, including the NLRP3 (all P < 0.05), were analyzed and found increase in Erbin−/− mice with CLP and LPS-induced HK-2 cells. Results: The inhibited of Erbin shows a renal damaged effect by promoting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in SI-AKI. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a novel mechanism by which Erbin regulates NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in SI-AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new power system is an energy interconnection network based on renewable energy generation. Information interconnection, data security, and reliability are the basis for the digital transformation of the power grid. Data sharing, lifecycle management, security, and user information privacy are issues that need to be addressed urgently. This paper analyzes the characteristics of the multi-combination of power grid data across services and introduces smart contract, cross-chain, and security encryption-related technologies. Based on the effective combination of smart contract and CP-ABE, data sharing schemes, including data sharing mechanism and data access control model are designed. Given this scheme, the blockchain system's overall architecture is proposed, including the main chain, side chain, data sharing, and cross-chain information interaction. Finally, the underlying blockchain service platform is built using the Hyperledger open-source framework. We deploy the platform to verify the feasibility of the scheme according to the requirements of the data center, trust center, and blockchain-distributed nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), dimers consisting of metal nanoparticles, as typical representatives of SERS substrates, have been extensively studied and applied. To achieve the optimal Raman enhancement, the extinction peak wavelength of the SERS-active dimer is matched with the excitation light to generate localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). For this purpose, the time-consuming numerical simulation is necessarily done to obtain the extinction peak wavelength. Therefore, a deep learning-based method for rapidly predicting the extinction peak wavelength of gold nanosphere dimer is proposed and demonstrated in this work. The maximum prediction error is 4.15%, and the average prediction error is 0.9%. The accuracy is sufficient for common SERS applications. Thus, this method offers a rapid and effective approach for designing SERS-active dimers and has the potential for application in other photonic nanostructure designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Thyrotropin receptor-stimulating antibody (TSAb) is a pathogenic antibody in the serum of patients with Graves' disease. The binding of TSAb to thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) in non-thyroid tissue may be associated with the occurrence and development of Graves' disease-related complications. However, only few studies have been conducted on the effects of TSAb on the brain, and the pathogenesis of acute hyperthyroidism myopathy (ATM) is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of TSAb on the polarization of BV-2 cells in the brain and its possible mechanism and provide a basic experimental basis for ATM. Methods: BV-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of TSAb. The relative survival rate of BV-2 cells was determined using the CCK-8 assay; the migration ability of BV-2 cells was detected using the Transwell migration assay; and the expression levels of M1/M2 polarization markers (CD86, inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], CD206, and arginase 1 [Arg-1]), TSHR, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) protein in BV-2 cells were measured using WB. Results: Compared with the negative control group, the proliferative activity of BV-2 cells was significantly increased in the 20, 50, and 100 ng/mL TSAb groups, and the migration ability of BV-2 cells was significantly enhanced in the 50 and 100 ng/mL TSAb groups. The expression levels of M1 polarization markers (CD86 and iNOS), TSHR, TNF-α, and NF-κB protein in BV-2 cells treated with 50 and 100 ng/mL TSAb for 24 h were significantly upregulated, whereas those of M2 polarization markers (CD206 and Arg-1) significantly decreased. Conclusions: TSAb can induce abnormal activation of microglia, polarize to the M1 phenotype, and promote the inflammatory cascade reaction, in which TSHR plays a key role in NF-κB activation and proinflammatory cytokine release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: It is generally known that the order of mitochondrial genes is highly conserved, but to date, along with the gradual increase of teleostean mtDNA sequences in the GenBank database, the gene rearrangement events have been identified in all the published complete mitogenomes of Ophichthidae species. This amusing finding makes it necessary to carry out studies on mitogenome characteristics and phylogenetic evolution of this fish group. Here, we chose Ophichthus evermanni and O. erabo as representatives, and obtained the whole mtDNA sequences using the Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. The novel gene rearrangement and phylogenetic relationships indicated that Ophichthidae might be a monophyletic group and formed a sister group with Muraenesocidae. The family Ophichthidae has the largest number and the most various species (about 359 valid species) in the order Anguilliformes worldwide. Both morphological and molecular characteristics have been used to assess their taxonomic status. However, due to the ambiguous morphological features, molecular data such as mitochondrial DNA sequences have been implemented for the correct identification and classification of these fishes. In this study, the gene arrangement and structure characteristics of two Ophichthidae mitochondrial genomes were investigated for the first time. The total mitogenome lengths of O. evermanni and O. erabo were 17,759 bp and 17,856 bp, respectively. Comparing with the ancestral mitochondrial gene order, the irregular gene rearrangement happened between ND6 and tRNA-Pro (P) genes with another similar control region emerging between tRNA-Thr (T) and ND6 genes, which could be explained by the tandem duplication and random loss (TDRL) model appropriately. ML phylogenetic tree demonstrated that the family Ophichthidae was monophyletic origin, but genus Ophichthus might be polyphyletic because of the confused cluster relationships among different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the influence of long-term night shift nurses on the composition. Methods. The feces of 30 night shift nurses (test group) and 30 day shift nurses (control group) over 1 year were collected, and double-end sequencing based on bacterial 16S rDNA V3 + V4 and fungal 18S rDNA V3 + V4 was used to determine the differences by OTU clustering, diversity, flora abundance, and differential analysis. The results of 60 samples were sequenced for a total of 3, 052. There were 418 high-quality sequences, each sample produced an average of 50, 874 high-quality sequences. The OTU cluster analysis revealed that the number of OTUs was 365. The number of day-shift shift OTUs was 362. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05). There was no significant statistical difference in the Chao, Ace, Shan'non, and Simpson index between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Differential analysis of gut microflora between 2 groups showed that at the phylum level, the relative abundance of firmicutes in long-term night shift nurses was higher than in day shift nurses. However, the relative abundance of bacteroidetes was lower than that of white shift nurses (all p < 0.05). At the genus level, long-term night shift nurses' Bacteroides, Faecacterium, and Bifidobacterial were lower than that of white shift nurses (p < 0.05). However, the relative abundance of Prevotella and Megomonas was higher than that of white shift nurses (all p < 0.05). Conclusion. There are differences between night shift nurses, which lead to a decrease in intestinal probiotic flora and increased conditional pathogenic flora. Nursing managers should improve the intestinal flora change of night shift nurses through reasonable scheduling and dietary regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectroscopy, widely used for material analysis, has formed an extensive spectral library. In practical applications, it is usually necessary to preprocess Raman spectroscopy of the target material and then identify the material through spectral-library comparisons. Baseline correction is an important step during pre-processing and it usually requires a special algorithm. However, it demands time and high-level professional skill, confining Raman spectroscopy to laboratories rather than large-scale applications. Therefore, to improve its efficiency and take advantage of the big data in the spectral library, this paper proposes a simple data-augmented deep learning method to achieve Raman spectroscopy recognition without baseline correction. In this method, a simple mathematical baseline (linear or sine function) is added to the spectrum in the database to complete data augmentation. Its training set is used to train the deep learning model. The trained deep-learning model can identify 20 minerals with 100% accuracy without additional baseline correction. Therefore, the method is effective for rapid and direct recognition of Raman spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeastern (SE) Yunnan is a major Sn polymetallic province of China, with the Dulong large Sn-Zn polymetallic deposit (in the Laojunshan orefield) being one of the most representative deposits. Our recent work had first identified helvine- group minerals in this deposit. These minerals mainly occur in massive sphalerite ores, and coexist with sphalerite, pyrrhotite, biotite, talc, cassiterite, and fluorite. Raman spectroscopic, X‑ray difraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) analyses indicate that these helvine-group minerals are oscillatory-zoned helvine-danalite. Both the helvine and danalite zones are mixed with varying proportion of the other helvine-group end-member, and our studies indicate that the oscillatory zoning was formed mainly by periodic fluctuations of the fluid physicochemical conditions (notably fS2 and fO2), but less related to the variation of the fluid Mn, Fe, and Zn contents. The helvine zone was likely formed in a higher fS2 but lower fO2 environment than the danalite zone. In this study, we present the first LA-ICP-MS in situ trace element data for the helvine-danalite minerals from Dulong, and the results indicate that the helvine has considerably high contents and a wide range of trace elements. The helvine is rich in Ca, Al, Sc, and Y, while the danalite is rich in Sn and P (reaching thousands of parts per million). Such trace element enrichments are likely controlled by their respective ionic size and chalcophile behavior. Meanwhile, the fO2 and fS2 conditions during the zoning formation may have also influenced the trace element distributions: trace elements may have mainly entered the helvine-group minerals by substituting into the M-sites in M4[BeSiO4]3S, for instance Al, Sc, and Y substitute for Mn, and Sn and Mg for Fe and Zn. It is noteworthy that the helvine and danalite zones are all HREE-enriched and have distinct negative Eu anomalies. This may be related to the high fluid F-Y-P contents during the mineral formation. High-F-Y fluids can readily incorporate HREEs into helvine-group minerals, and phosphates incorporate HREEs more readily in alkali fluids. Europium occurs as Eu2+ in the fluid, causing the negative Eu anomalies observed. We have also identified grains of cassiterite in the helvine-group minerals and its coexisting sphalerite. U-Pb dating on these cassiterite grains yielded 86.5 ± 1.6 Ma, coeval with the reported sulfide mineralization age. This indicates that both the Be and Sn-Zn polymetallic mineralization occurred in the Cretaceous, and may have been products of the Late Yanshanian Laojunshan magmatic-hydrothermal activity. Considering the close relations with many W(-Be) deposits nearby (e.g., Nanyangtian, Saxi, and Maka), the Laojunshan orefield may also have substantial Be mineralization potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of a deep-sea eel Congriscus megastoma (Anguilliformes: Congridae) was determined by high throughput sequencing technology. As the first mitogenome of the genus Congriscus up to now, its entire mtDNA sequence was 17,616 bp in length, including 37 mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes) and 2 control regions, which was inconsistent with that of the typical vertebrate mitogenomes. In addition, the genes of C. megastoma exhibited an obvious rearrangement. ND6 and tRNA-Glu were transferred between tRNA-Thr and tRNA-Pro, as well as a doubled control region appeared. The tandem duplication-random loss (TDRL) model was an ideal explanation for this irregular gene reorganization phenomenon. The Bayesian phylogenetic tree showed that Congridae species were divided into four clades, suggesting their non-monophyletic origin. Congriscus had the closest relationships with Thalassenchelys and Coloconger. Species with gene rearrangement separately clustered as one clade. The results provided a basis for future studies of mitochondrial DNA structure and phylogeny of Anguilliformes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiking neural P systems (SN P systems for short) realize the high abstraction and simulation of the working mechanism of the human brain, and adopts spikes for information encoding and processing, which are regarded as one of the third-generation neural network models. In the nervous system, the conduction of excitation depends on the presence of membrane potential (also known as the transmembrane potential difference), and the conduction of excitation on neurons is the conduction of action potentials. On the basis of the SN P systems with polarizations, in which the neuron-associated polarization is the trigger condition of the rule, the concept of neuronal membrane potential is introduced into systems. The obtained variant of the SN P system features charge accumulation and computation within neurons in quantity, as well as transmission between neurons. In addition, there are inhibitory synapses between neurons that inhibit excitatory transmission, and as such, synapses cause postsynaptic neurons to generate inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. Therefore, to make the model better fit the biological facts, inhibitory rules and anti-spikes are also adopted to obtain the spiking neural P systems with membrane potentials, inhibitory rules, and anti-spikes (referred to as the MPAIRSN P systems). The Turing universality of the MPAIRSN P systems as number generating and accepting devices is demonstrated. On the basis of the above working mechanism of the system, a small universal MPAIRSN P system with 95 neurons for computing functions is designed. The comparisons with other SN P models conclude that fewer neurons are required by the MPAIRSN P systems to realize universality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. With a high incidence and limited treatments, gastric cancer (GC) seriously threatens human health worldwide. Weikang Keli (WK) is a compound prescription summed up from clinical experience. In our previous studies, WK has been proved to exert antitumor effects. However, there are no research studies to discuss and verify its mechanism as a compound. Objective. The aim of the study is to explore the potential molecular mechanism of WK in the treatment of GC with the aid of network pharmacology and verify it through experiments. Methods. Related databases were used to obtain genes and targets of WK and gastric cancer. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network is constructed and visualized by Cytoscape 3.7.2. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were used to analyze core targets. The cell viability of MFC and BGC-823 cells was determined by CCK8. Immunofluorescence was used to determine autophagy of GC cells. Moreover, the effect of WK on the MAPK signaling pathway in GC cells and tumor tissues of ICR mice was detected by Western blot. Results. A total of 106 cross targets of WK and GC were obtained. According to the enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG, we target the MAPK signaling pathway to discuss the mechanism of WK on GC. Cell experiments proved that WK inhibited the viability of gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Autophagosome aggregation and an increase in the expression of an autophagy marker protein LC3-II can also be observed in WK groups. Further animal experiments showed that the tumor inhibition rate of WK showed a dose-effect relationship. Moreover, the expressions of p-JNK, p-p38, and p-ERR1/2 proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway in WK Group were downregulated both in the cell and animal experiments, compared with the blank control group. Conclusion. WK showed an explicit antitumor effect on gastric cancer through the MAPK signaling pathway, and the curative effect varies in different concentrations. Besides, in model mice, the antitumor effect of high-dose WK group is close to that of platinum. This study provided a theoretical basis for the application of WK in the clinical treatment of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room‐temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na–S) batteries are arousing great interest in recent years. Their practical applications, however, are hindered by several intrinsic problems, such as the sluggish kinetic, shuttle effect, and the incomplete conversion of sodium polysulfides (NaPSs). Here a sulfur host material that is based on tungsten nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen‐doped graphene is reported. The incorporation of tungsten nanoparticles significantly accelerates the polysulfides conversion (especially the reduction of Na2S4 to Na2S, which contributes to 75% of the full capacity) and completely suppresses the shuttle effect, en route to a fully reversible reaction of NaPSs. With a host weight ratio of only 9.1% (about 3–6 times lower than that in recent reports), the cathode shows unprecedented electrochemical performances even at high sulfur mass loadings. The experimental findings, which are corroborated by the first‐principles calculations, highlight the so far unexplored role of tungsten nanoparticles in sulfur hosts, thus pointing to a viable route toward stable Na–S batteries at room temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the clinical outcome of socket shield technique (SST) is superior to that of conventional immediate implantation (CII). Materials and method: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, and Google Scholar) were searched to identify randomized controlled trials up to June 31, 2021. Five evaluation indexes were extracted, namely, buccal bone resorption at the horizontal and vertical levels (BBH and BBV), the soft tissue recession assessed by pink evaluation scores (PES), patient satisfaction (PS), ISQ, and the success rate of implantation (SRI), to compare the superiority between SST and CII operations. All data analyses were performed using Review Manager (version 5.4). Results: Ten studies were included in this review. The sample included 388 implants, with 194 in the SST group and 194 in the CII group. Compared with the CII group, the SST group had a lower BBH and BBV (standardized mean difference (SMD), − 1.77; 95% CI, − 2.26 to − 1.28; P < 0.00001 and SMD, − 1.85; 95% CI, − 2.16 to 1.54; P < 0.00001), higher PES improvement (SMD, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.59 to 2.95; P < 0.00001), higher rate of PS (OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.08 to 9.04; P = 0.04), and slightly higher ISQ (SMD, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.28 to 1.15; P = 0.001). Conclusions: Compared with CII, SST could be a better option for esthetic area implantation, but evaluation of its long-term success is still needed. Clinical relevance: By comparing and analyzing the operations of immediate implant in esthetic zone, we could choose SST to effectively alleviate the absorption of bone tissue and improve the contouring of soft tissue after anterior teeth extraction, so as to achieve a more stable and superior clinical outcomes of implant in esthetic zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the cognitive function and nutritional status of elderly patients with gastric cancer during perioperative period, and to analyze their correlation. Methods: Aged patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery in The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from March to October 2021 were selected as the subjects of this study. The monitoring data of cognitive function and nutritional status were retrospectively analyzed from 1 to 3 days before surgery, 1 and 3 days after surgery, 7 days after surgery (before discharge) and 30 days after surgery to analyze the correlation between cognitive function and nutritional status in elderly patients with gastric cancer. Results: the incidence of mild cognitive impairment in elderly patients with gastric cancer was 52.43 %, the visual space of the two groups' (mild cognitive impairment) ability of execution, name, attention, language, abstract thinking, delayed memory and cognitive function scores were lower than 1 set of directional force (cognitive function in normal group), statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The nutritional status of elderly patients with gastric cancer was lower than that of healthy elderly group at the same period (P < 0.05). The scores of visual spatial executive function, name, attention, delayed memory, orientation and total score of cognitive function in elderly gastric cancer patients were positively correlated with nutritional status (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The cognitive function and nutritional status of elderly patients with gastric cancer are both in a low state during treatment and a higher level of cognitive function can help patients maintain a more correct nutritional cognition, and the nutritional status of patients will be relatively better. There is a positive correlation between cognitive function and nutritional status in elderly patients with gastric cancer, which should be paid attention to in the treatment. • This study delves into the correlation between perioperative cognitive function and nutritional status in elderly patients with gastric cancer. • Moreover, their nutritional status is notably lower compared to healthy elderly individuals. • These insights underscore the importance of addressing cognitive and nutritional aspects in the care of elderly gastric cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interpersonal problem circumplex is extensively used in the field as an assessment framework for understanding the interpersonal implications of a range of personality and psychopathology constructs. The vast majority of this large literature has been conducted in Western convenience and clinical samples. We computed interpersonal problem structural summary parameters for a range of personality and psychopathology variables in two Chinese offender samples (N = 424 and N = 555) and one undergraduate sample (N = 511) to test how well findings from Western samples generalize to Chinese undergraduates and offenders. The results showed that findings in Western samples generalized reasonably well to Chinese young adult and forensic contexts, although the interpersonal profiles of external variables were less specific in Chinese samples. Compared with undergraduates, interpersonal distress has stronger associations with the mental health of offenders. This study further elaborates the interpersonal correlates of individual differences in personality and psychopathology across cultures and assessment contexts, and it also extends the literature examining interpersonal problems in forensic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proactive prediction and systematic classification of students' academic performance empower educational administrators with the invaluable capability to not only pinpoint potential challenges but also to craft targeted strategies and interventions that are tailored to the unique needs of students. This multifaceted approach enables educational institutions to proactively address issues within the education system, fostering a more equitable and effective learning environment for all, while simultaneously fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability in the pursuit of educational excellence. Hence, the current investigation aims to classify and predict the students' performance by examining and comparing the machine learning and artificial neural network assessments. Five methods of the Random Forest Classifier, the Decision Tree Classifier, the K Neighbors Classifier, the MLP Classifier, and the XG-Boost Classifier are used. These methods' performances are compared through the accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score indicators. This comparison is applied to the base data and balanced data, which is carried out by the SVM-SMOTE technique. Finally, five metaheuristic algorithms are applied to the selected method to evaluate the performance indicators of the hybrid models. The results indicate that applying the SVM-SMOTE technique improves the methods' performance, in which the XG-Boost represented the best performance. As a result, the metaheuristic algorithms are applied to the XG-Boost, yielding to 9.33%, 8.44%, 9.33%, and 9.27% enhancement of the Accuracy, Precision, Recall and F1-Score values. Subsequently, the Enhanced Artificial Ecosystem-Based Optimization + XG-Boost hybrid method provides the accuracy and F1-score values of 0.9417 and 0.9413. These results underscore the potential of combining machine learning techniques with metaheuristic algorithms to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of predicting and classifying students' performance, thus providing valuable insights for educational administrators to address issues and improve the education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries, as part of the post‐lithium‐ion batteries (post‐LIBs), are expected to deliver significantly higher energy densities. Their power densities, however, are today considerably worse than that of the LIBs, limiting the Li‐S batteries to very few specific applications that need low power and long working time. With the rapid development of single cell components (cathode, anode, or electrolyte) in the last few years, it is expected that an integrated approach can maximize the power density without compromising the energy density in a Li‐S full cell. Here, this goal is achieved by using a novel biomass porous carbon matrix (PCM) in the anode, as well as N‐Co9S8 nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the cathode. The authors' approach unlocks the potential of the electrodes and enables the Li‐S full pouch cells with unprecedented power densities and energy densities (325 Wh kg−1 and 1412 W kg−1, respectively). This work addresses the problem of low power densities in the current Li‐S technology, thus making the Li‐S batteries a strong candidate in more application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a globally increasing health epidemic. Lifestyle intervention is recommended as the main therapy for NAFLD. However, the optimal approach is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive approach of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) concerning enhanced control of calorie-restricted diet (CRD), exercise, and personalized nutrition counseling on liver steatosis and extrahepatic metabolic status in Chinese overweight and obese patients with NAFLD. Methods: This study was a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted across seven hospitals in China. It involved 226 participants with a body mass index (BMI) above 25. These participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the ILI group, which followed a low carbohydrate, high protein CRD combined with exercise and intensive counseling from a dietitian, and a control group, which adhered to a balanced CRD along with exercise and standard counseling. The main measure of the study was the change in the fat attenuation parameter (FAP) from the start of the study to week 12, analyzed within the per-protocol set. Secondary measures included changes in BMI, liver stiffness measurement (LSM), and the improvement of various metabolic indexes. Additionally, predetermined subgroup analyses of the FAP were conducted based on variables like gender, age, BMI, ethnicity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Results: A total of 167 participants completed the whole study. Compared to the control group, ILI participants achieved a significant reduction in FAP (LS mean difference, 16.07 [95% CI: 8.90–23.25] dB/m) and BMI (LS mean difference, 1.46 [95% CI: 1.09–1.82] kg/m2) but not in LSM improvement (LS mean difference, 0.20 [95% CI: -0.19–0.59] kPa). The ILI also substantially improved other secondary outcomes (including ALT, AST, GGT, body fat mass, muscle mass and skeletal muscle mass, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, blood pressure, and homocysteine). Further subgroup analyses showed that ILI, rather than control intervention, led to more significant FAP reduction, especially in patients with concurrent hypertension (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In this RCT, a 12-week intensive lifestyle intervention program led to significant improvements in liver steatosis and other metabolic indicators in overweight and obese Chinese patients suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Further research is required to confirm the long-term advantages and practicality of this approach. Trial registration: This clinical trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT03972631) in June 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article "Recent Advances in Transition-Metal-Based Catalytic Material for Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries," Yuping Liu, Shuangyi Liu, Lin Zhang, and their colleagues provide a comprehensive review of the recent developments in transition-metal-based catalytic materials for room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries. The authors discuss the design, fabrication, and properties of these materials, as well as the challenges and prospects of using RT Na-S batteries for scalable energy storage systems. This article is a valuable resource for researchers interested in the field of RT Na-S batteries and their potential applications in energy storage. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Associations between dimensions of narcissism and aggression have been well-documented in Western samples. We aimed to generalize findings regarding the validity of one-, two- (Grandiose Narcissism, GN, and Vulnerable Narcissism, VN), and three-factor models (Agentic Narcissism, Agent; Neurotic Narcissism, Neuro; Antagonistic Narcissism, Antag) of narcissism and associations with aggression to Chinese offender and nonoffender samples. Methods: Our preregistered study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a novel methodological approach, relative weights analysis (RWA) in an offender (N = 485) and a community (N = 578) sample from China to examine the generalizability of narcissism dimensions, and within-study meta-analysis using 9 samples (N = 3520, and 282 effect sizes) to examine links between narcissism dimensions and aggression. Results: The two-factor model replicated well across samples and three-factor model replicated moderately, with differences emerging for the structure of Antag in offenders. Narcissism was positively correlated with aggression, although associations varied across narcissism dimensions and types of aggression. Conclusion: The dimensional models of narcissism and associations with aggression generalized fairly well from Western to Chinese offender and nonoffender populations, although some potential differences worthy of consideration in future research and practice were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, studies have shown that pesticides may have adverse effects on the flavor quality of the fruits, but there is still a lack of appropriate methods to repair the damage. This study investigated the effects and mechanism of applying the emerging material, nano‑selenium, and two fungicides (Boscalid and Pydiflumetofen) alone or together on the flavor quality and antioxidant capacity of strawberries. The results showed that the two fungicides had a negative impact on strawberry color, flavor, antioxidant capacity and different enzymatic systems. The color damage was mainly attributed to the impact on anthocyanin content. Nano‑selenium alleviated the quality losses by increasing sugar-acid ratio, volatiles, anthocyanin levels, enzyme activities and DPPH scavenging ability and reducing ROS levels. Results also showed that these damage and repair processes were related to the regulation of flavor and ripening related transcription factors (including FaRIF , FaSnRK1 , FaMYB10 , FaMYB1 , FaSnRK2.6 and FaABI1), the upregulation of genes on sugar-acid, volatile, and anthocyanin synthesis pathways, as well as the increase of sucrose and ABA signaling molecules. In addition, the application of nano-Se supplemented the selenium content in fruits, and was harmless to human health. This information is crucial for revealing the mechanisms of flavor damage caused by pesticides to strawberry and the repaired of nano‑selenium, and broadens the researching and applying of nano‑selenium in repairing the damage caused by pesticides. [Display omitted] • BOS and PYD damaged the flavor quality of strawberries and resulted in poor fruit color. • Nano-Se reduced damage caused by fungicides by improving flavor and antioxidant capacity of fruit. • Nano-Se increased the Se content of fruits without posing potential health risks. • Nano-Se upregulated genes expression related to the biosynthesis of anthocyanins and ABA. • Repair mechanism of nano-Se was related to the regulation of TFs and signaling molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersivity of self-healing microcapsules plays a critical role in the self-repairing properties of coatings. However, resolving the aggregation phenomenon of self-healing microcapsules has been challenging due to their high surface energy. In this paper, we successfully developed magnetically responsive self-healing microcapsule (MS-TO@CA) and polyurethane (PU) coatings with biomimetic interface wet-adhesion patterned microstructures and realized the adsorption, automatic capture and dispersion of MS-TO@CA based on different patterned microstructure sizes, microparticle sizes and contents. COMSOL software was used to simulate the magnetic field design and distribution, and the magnetization phenomenon of the microstructure was analyzed. The optimal process for the preparation of a new type of magnetically responsive self-healing PU coating was proposed. Compared with the control group, the corrosion time of the metal under the action of the coating was delayed by 816 h, and the antifouling performance was improved by approximately 30 times. This work has guiding significance for prolonging the service life of metals and improving metal anticorrosion and antifouling. [Display omitted] • Magnetic PU coatings with bionic interface viscous microstructures were developed. • The magnetic divergence effect realizes dispersion of MS-TO@CA in the coating. • The corrosion time lag of the magnetically responsive self-healing coating is approximately 816 h. • The coating antifouling performance is improved by approximately 30 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal‐based nanoparticle‐embedded carbon materials have received increasing attention for constructing next‐generation electrochemical catalysts for energy storage and conversion. However, designing hybrid carbon materials with controllable hierarchical micro/mesoporous structures, excellent dispersion of metal nanoparticles, and multiple heteroatom‐doping remains challenging. Here, a novel pyridinium‐containing ionic hypercrosslinked micellar frameworks (IHMFs) prepared from the core–shell unimicelle of s‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(4‐bromomethyl) styrene (s‐PtBA‐b‐PBMS) and linear poly(4‐vinylpyridine) were used as self‐sacrificial templates for confined growth of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) inside cationic IHMFs through electrostatic interaction. After pyrolysis, MoS2‐anchored nitrogen‐doped porous carbons possessing tunable hierarchical micro/mesoporous structures and favorable distributions of MoS2 nanoparticles exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction as well as small Tafel slope of 66.7 mV dec−1, low onset potential, and excellent cycling stability under acidic condition. Crucially, hierarchical micro/mesoporous structure and high surface area could boost their catalytic hydrogen evolution performance. This approach provides a novel route for preparation of micro/mesoporous hybrid carbon materials with confined transition metal nanoparticles for electrochemical energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Chinese Academy of Sciences land cover dataset (CAS_LC) and soil texture dataset (CAS_ST) as well as Tsinghua University land cover dataset (TU_LC) were incorporated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to evaluate the impacts of land cover and soil texture changes on the surface wind and air temperature as compared with outdated default datasets. Six modeling scenarios including single updating for the three new datasets, combined updating of new datasets (CAS_LC + CAS_ST, TU_LC + CAS_ST), and default datasets are designed. WRF simulations were conducted with three resolutions (9, 3, and 1 km) for the period of 14 July to 31 September 2017 over Harbin. Results of the 10‐m wind speed, 10‐m wind direction, and 2‐m air temperature (T2) were evaluated against WRF default datasets (WLS). Results show that TU_LC‐related simulations with lower mean absolute error (MAE) demonstrated the usefulness of this dataset in the wind speed simulation, while the changing soil texture exerted a limited effect on modeled wind. CAS_LC improved simulated wind direction and T2. Significant changes in the three variables were frequently induced by urban and built‐up land or water bodies related transformations. The 3‐km grid resolution was sufficient to reasonably simulate the surface winds and air temperature. The roughness length was a main factor disturbing the wind speed, while the land cover transformation was responsible for the changes in surface temperature and heat fluxes, thereby affecting T2 simulation. Key Points: Land cover transformation dominates wind speed and wind direction changesLand cover as well as soil texture transformations dominate temperature changes3km resolution is optimal for wind condition simulation, however, 1km resolution favors temperature simulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bench-scale indirect pulsation-assisted fluidized bed dryer with a 0.24 m2 cross-section area has been built to confirm the drying performance of lignite. The fluidized bed dryer with tube bundles was utilized to investigate the scale-up effect on the drying rate of the pulsed flow using superheated steam as the drying medium. Particles agglomeration was found a serious problem when to increase the scale of the fluidized bed dryer. Agglomeration reduction could be achieved through increasing horizontal diffusion rate using the pulsation-assisted flow and then drying rate was enhanced. Drying rate enhancement effect increased with the increase of the pulsation-assisted flow velocity. The pulsation-assisted flow could enhance the drying rate by nearly 40% compared to that of the steady flow at the gas velocity of 0.29 m/s, and 20% at the gas velocity of 0.19 m/s. Frequency of pulsed flow also affected the drying rate, which 3 and 5 Hz-pulsed flow has a higher drying rate than that of 1 Hz. Drying characteristics of lignite in pulsation-assisted fluidized bed was studied. Pulsation-assisted flow enhanced the lignite drying rate. Particle horizontal dispersion rate increased by pulsation-assisted flow. 3 and 5 Hz pulsed flow increased the drying rate than 1 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several critical issues, such as the shuttling effect and the sluggish reaction kinetics, exist in the design of high‐performance lithium–sulfur (Li‐S) batteries. Here, it is reported that nitrogen doping can simultaneously and significantly improve both the immobilization and catalyzation effects of Co9S8 nanoparticles in Li‐S batteries. Combining the theoretical calculations with experimental investigations, it is revealed that nitrogen atoms can increase the binding energies between LiPSs and Co9S8, and as well as alleviate the sluggish kinetics of Li‐S chemistry in the Li2S6 cathode. The same effects are also observed when adding N‐Co9S8 nanoparticles into the commercial Li2S cathode (which has various intrinsic advantages, but unfortunately a high overpotential). A remarkable improvement in the battery performances in both cases is observed. The work brings heteroatom‐doped Co9S8 to the attention of designing high‐performance Li‐S batteries. A fundamental understanding of the inhibition of LiPSs shuttle and the catalytic effect of Li2S in the newly developed system may encourage more effort along this interesting direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgel nanoreactors maintain the stability of metallic nanoparticles and regulate their catalytic activity. However, limited by the synthetic method, the recycling ability and long‐lasting stability of microgel nanoreactors are challenged. Herein, a brand‐new nanoparticle carrier, ultralow crosslinked poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐b‐methacrylic acid) (P(NIPAm‐b‐MAA)) microgel, is synthesized based on the reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization method and the self‐crosslinking mechanism of PNIPAm. This carrier enables the easy preparation, low cost, long‐lasting stability, and high catalytic efficiency of nanoreactors. As far as it is known, the catalytic reduction rates of several dye models used in this work are the highest ones in similar systems. In addition, the presence of the MAA block leads to the agglomeration and dispersion of the microgels under different pH conditions, thus realizing rapid recycling of the nanoreactors. This novel carrier has great potential for a wide range of applications in catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saffron, derived from the stigma of Crocus sativus, is not only a valuable traditional Chinese medicine but also the expensive spice and dye. Its yield and quality are seriously influenced by its flowering transition. However, the molecular regulatory mechanism of the flowering transition in C. sativus is still unknown. In this study, we performed morphological, physiological and transcriptomic analyses using apical bud samples from C. sativus during the floral transition process. Morphological results indicated that the flowering transition process could be divided into three stages: an undifferentiated period, the early flower bud differentiation period, and the late flower bud differentiation period. Sugar, gibberellin (GA3), auxin (IAA) and zeatin (ZT) levels were steadily upregulated, while starch and abscisic acid (ABA) levels were gradually downregulated. Transcriptomic analysis showed that a total of 60 203 unigenes were identified, among which 19 490 were significantly differentially expressed. Of these, 165 unigenes were involved in flowering and were significantly enriched in the sugar metabolism, hormone signal transduction, cell cycle regulatory, photoperiod and autonomous pathways. Based on the above analysis, a hypothetical model for the regulatory networks of the saffron flowering transition was proposed. This study lays a theoretical basis for the genetic regulation of flowering in C. sativus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the persistence and the worldwide shortage of organs from both the deceased and living donors for clinical transplantation, pig organs or tissues hold immense promises for the patients on the waiting list, and xenotransplantation is deemed as one of the solutions to the organ shortage crisis. Indeed, the emerging gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, have led to tremendous progress in the generation of genetically modified pigs to overcome many barriers associated. Method: We presented a description of the xenotransplantation regulations in China and the related products. Result: Several groups in China have successfully generated transgenic pigs with the elimination of immune rejection or coagulation‐related genes, and both pre‐clinical and clinical studies have been reported. However, the pre‐clinical evaluation and clinical application of porcine xenotransplantation raises ethical and regulatory considerations. Herein, in this review, we will summarize and discuss the progress in xenotransplantation in China and xenotransplantation‐related products from the regulatory perspective. Conclusion: There has been remarkable progress in both the genetically modified pigs and pre‐clinical studies in China, and China will be the first country to successfully fulfill the xenotransplantation from pig organ to human in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an efficient strategy for the synthesis of dumbbell-shaped amphiphilic copolymers with cyclic moieties as the two bells was developed and the enhanced performance of dumbbell-shaped copolymers for controlled drug release because of the simultaneous introduction of two macrocycles was disclosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The impedance compensation approaches have been adopted to achieve the maximum output power and transfer efficiency in many magnetic coupling resonance wireless power transfer projects. However, it remains a challenge to obtain the constant output power and transfer efficiency in a fixed-frequency mode during variations in transfer distance and orientation of the coils. In this paper, using two series transmitting coils to achieve the constant output power and transfer efficiency is used. Design/methodology/approach: First, the circuit model is established and transfer characteristics are studied. Second, using the two series transmitting coils to achieve the constant output power and transfer efficiency is investigated. Finally, the experimental system is designed; it can optimize the transfer performances by itself; the constant output power and transfer efficiency are achieved in the fixed-frequency mode. Findings: When the receiving coil moves between the two series transmitting coils, the tolerance of the output power and transfer efficiency is less than 5 per cent. Research limitations/implications: When a receiving coil is placed between the two series transmitting coils, there are space limits. The receiving coil only shifts between the two transmitting coils. Practical implications: However, the rail guide vehicle may achieve constant output power and transfer efficiency when it moves on the rail guide. So, this topology may provide a practical solution. Originality/value: In this research, the three-coil MCR-WPT system including two series transmitting coils is presented. In a fixed-frequency mode, the constant output power and transfer efficiency is achieved in experiments during variations in transfer distance and orientation of the coils. The fluctuation of the output power and transfer efficiency is less than 5 per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We selected a high-k ceramic SrTiO 3 as the insulative shell to coat CNTs. • SrTiO 3 played dual effects in dielectric constant enhancement and inert barrier. • We prepare a high-K epoxy/CNT composite with low dielectric loss. • The dielectric constant is about 283 and the dielectric loss is only 0.07 at 1 KHz. To solve the conundrum of percolative dielectric composites, namely, large dielectric loss caused by direct contact between conductive fillers near the percolation threshold, researchers introduced a general method of coating an insulative shell on the conductive fillers. In this work, a core–shell-structured hybrid is synthesized by coating strontium titanate (STO) shell onto the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via sol–gel processing and compounded with epoxy resin as conductive filler to prepared the high dielectric constant percolative polymer composites. The STO shell outside the MWCNTs constrained the electrical conductivity of MWCNTs as an insulating layer and increased the dielectric constant of composites as a high dielectric constant ceramic. According to the dual function of STO shell, the composites of STO-coated MWCNTs and epoxy resin show an effectively improved dielectric constant and significantly reduced the dielectric loss. In the case of low filler loading amount at 11 wt%, the dielectric constant of the composite can reach 283 at 1000 Hz, and the dielectric loss is only 0.07. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, tetradecyl methacrylate-maleic anhydride-1-hexadecene (C14MC-MA-HE) terpolymers in various molar ratios was prepared and used as pour point depressants (PPDs) in 0# diesel fuel. Results showed that C14MC-MA-HE terpolymers exerted distinct depression effects on solid point (SP) and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) at 0.15 wt.%, especially in 4:1:1 and 4:4:1 ratio. To obtain better PPDs, the terpolymers were mixed with ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) at 1:1 mass ratio, and have proved to present better synergistic effects. PPDC-2 exhibited the best depression in both CFPP and SP by 20 °C at 0.15 wt.%. Additionally, the performance mechanism was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The star-shaped oscillation of water drops has been observed in various physical situations under vertical excitation with different sources. In the past, the motion of such drops was simplified to two dimensions and only the azimuthal oscillation modes were considered. The parametric instability mechanism explained with the 2D (two-dimensional) model and the corresponding dispersion relation are not satisfactory. In this paper, we show that the external excitation induces a Faraday-wave-like parametric instability on the upper surface of the drop, and the surface patterns and azimuthal oscillations are coupled to produce star-shaped oscillations, which induces a significant softening to oscillation frequencies. We build a 3D (three-dimensional) theoretical model, in which the surface patterns and azimuthal oscillations are connected via kinematical boundary conditions and vary at the same frequency. Given the surface and azimuthal mode numbers, we propose a quasi-3D dispersion relation, which shows better consistency with the experimental data compared with the previous quasi-2D dispersion relation. Our theoretical model provides a more accurate description of the dynamics of liquid drops and will motivate a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, it has been found that the flavor quality of tomato is continuously reduced compared with the original tomato varieties. Studies have found that nanomaterials can improve crop quality, but the differences and related mechanisms among different nanomaterials were not reported. In this study, nano-Se, nano-TiO 2 and nano-CeO 2 were spraying on tomato, and the effects of the three nanomaterials on the flavor quality and physiological and antioxidant properties of fruits were analyzed and compared. The results showed compared with nano-TiO 2 and nano-CeO 2 , nano-Se showed more obvious positive effects. Nano-Se increased the size and weight of tomato fruits and the levels of soluble sugar, promoted the accumulation of photosynthetic pigment, decreased the content of titratable acid, and also changed the expression of related genes, finally making the fruit sweeter; it also promoted the accumulation of antioxidant substances and nutrients such as lycopene, ascorbic acid, salicylic acid, GSH, SOD and CAT and decreased the content of MDA, H 2 O 2 and OFR thus improving the antioxidant performance of fruits; the contents of volatiles were also increased and the olfactory experience of tomato was improved. Nano-TiO 2 and nano-CeO 2 also improved the flavor quality and antioxidant properties of tomato, but the degree was lower than nano-Se. This experiment provided references for selecting more appropriate nanomaterials to improve tomato quality, and revealed the effects and mechanisms of different nanomaterials on tomato quality. [Display omitted] • Nano-Se, nano-TiO 2 and nano-CeO 2 all improved the flavor and physiological and antioxidant properties of tomato. • Nano selenium improved the sugars, acids and volatiles composition of tomato fruits. • Nano selenium enhanced the photosynthesis and SA level of tomato. • Nano selenium had the best effect on improving the flavor and quality of tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed analyses of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in order to characterize the evolutionary history of Orinus according to its population genetic structure, as well as to investigate putative hybrid origins of O. intermedius and to provide additional insights into relationships among species. The genus Orinus comprises three clonal grasses that are dominant species within xeric alpine grasslands of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). Here, we used eight selectively obtained primer pairs of EcoRI/MseI to perform amplifications in 231 individuals of Orinus representing 48 populations and all three species. We compared our resulting data to genetic models of hybridization using a Bayesian algorithm within NewHybrids software. We determined that genetic variation in Orinus was 56.65% within populations while the among‐species component was 30.04% using standard population genetics statistics. Nevertheless, we detected that species of Orinus were clustered into three highly distinct genetic groups corresponding to classic species identities. Our results suggest that there is some introgression among species. Thus, we tested explicit models of hybridization using a Bayesian approach within NewHybrids software. However, O. intermedius likely derives from a common ancestor with O. kokonoricus and is probably not the result of hybrid speciation between O. kokonoricus and O. thoroldii. We suspect that recent isolation of species of Orinus in allopatry via vicariance may explain the patterns in diversity that we observed, and this is corroborated by a Mantel test that showed significant positive correlation between geographic and genetic distance (r = 0.05, p < 0.05). Recent isolation may explain why Orinus differs from many other clonal species by exhibiting the highest diversity within populations rather than among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• AuNPs are one-step prepared and functionalized by the reduction of Au3+ by PEI-FA. • A compound vector system is formed by mixing PEI-AuNPs and PEI-FA-AuNPs. • The compound vector system can greatly improve gene delivery. • The specific gene transfection by this vector system is targeted to cancer cells. Gene transfection, as an effective treatment for inherited and acquired life threatening diseases caused by genetic deficiencies and abnormalities, has evolved as a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer and other intractable diseases. Non-target-specific vectors will affect normal cells as well as pathogenic cells, resulting in a relative decrease in transfection efficiency and unnecessary cytotoxicity. In the present work, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with folate (FA)-modified polyethylenimine (PEI-FA) were prepared by a single step method (without additional reducing agent) for targeted gene transfection in tumor cells. Moreover, an improved compound vector system was developed by mixing PEI-AuNPs and PEI-FA-AuNPs. It was shown that the compound vector system not only greatly increased transfection efficiency in HeLa cells, but also reduced cytotoxicity. By comparison, the transfection efficiency in L929 cells lacking folate receptor, was clearly lower than in tumor cells. The specific gene transfection of HeLa cells using this vector system could be clearly observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy in a co-culture system of HeLa cells and L929 cells. This transfection system with high-efficiency, high-specificity and low-toxicity appears to have potential in targeted cancer treatment and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cutaneous toxicities are the commonest side effects in patients with cancer treated using epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors such as erlotinib. For patients with such toxicities, there is a lack of safe, effective pharmacological agents. Here we established a skin toxicity model and investigated the preventive and therapeutic effect of Diallyl Trisulfide (DATS) in vivo. The mouse skin toxicities model was established through continuous administration of erlotinib for 49 days. Meanwhile, the mice in the experimental group underwent DATS treatment for 49 days. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and oil red O staining of back and limb skin was performed to determine whether DATS aqueous extract can reverse the skin toxicities caused by erlotinib. Compared with the erlotinib group, the incidence of rash in the DATS group was lower. In addition, in the DATS group, the degree of skin redness and herpes was mild, the body weight was stable, and the activity was favorable. By comparing the HE and oil red O staining results for the mouse skin, the degree of keratin hyperplasia was determined to be lower in the experimental group than in the erlotinib group, and the number of purulent neutrophils decreased. The number of follicles was relatively less. The release of TNF-α, IL-6 and other inflammatory factors was reduced by DATS. Erlotinib hydrochloride can cause severe skin toxicities, and DATS prevents skin toxicities, its mechanism may be related to DATS reduced erlotinib-induced inflammatory injury. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • An animal model of dermal toxicity caused by EGFRI was established. • The skin protection of DATS was confirmed. • It was verified that the skin protection mechanism of DATS is related to the anti-inflammatory effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]