Search

The association between magnesium status and sleep quality is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between renal reabsorption-related magnesium depletion score (MDS) and sleep quality. This study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey of adults aged ≥20 years who participated in NHANES 2005–2014. We used weighted logistic regression to examine the association between MDS and sleep quality and performed trend tests to analyze for the presence of a dose-response relationship. Subgroup analyses were performed based on various sleep outcomes and covariates. A total of 20,585 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 48.8 years and 50.7 % female. After adjusting for all covariates, we found a graded dose-response relationship between MDS and sleep trouble as well as sleep disorder. Further analyses revealed a significant positive association between MDS and sleep apnea (OR = 3.01; 95 % CI 1.37–6.62), but no association with restless legs, insomnia or insufficient sleep. In addition, subgroup analyses revealed that middle-aged, male, obese, low magnesium intake, and depressed patients were more prone to sleep trouble and sleep disorder; interestingly, MDS was positively associated with excessive sleep in subjects ≥60 years and without depression. Our study found a significant association between MDS and sleep quality, particularly sleep apnea, but adequate magnesium intake may be beneficial in mitigating this association. MDS may be associated with excessive sleep in older adults, but not with insufficient sleep or insomnia. • A graded dose-response relationship was found between MDS and sleep trouble/sleep disorder. • A significant positive association was found between MDS and sleep apnea. • No association was found between MDS and restless legs, insomnia or insufficient sleep. • MDS was positively associated with excessive sleep in subjects ≥60 years. • Adequate magnesium intake may be beneficial in ameliorating this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the performance of Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise Point Positioning (PPP) Ambiguity Resolution (AR) under various ionospheric scintillation environments, we selected GPS data of ionospheric scintillation monitoring receivers (ISMR) and geodetic receivers from high-latitude and low-latitude regions during 2021–2023. We conducted GPS Kinematic PPP using Canadian Spatial Reference System (CSRS) PPP and used the maximum and average values of σ φ and S 4 as indicators to characterize the intensity of phase scintillation and amplitude scintillation for ISMRs, while the maximum and average values of Rate of Total Electron Content Index (ROTI) to characterize the intensity of ionospheric scintillation for geodetic receivers. We also used ambiguity resolved percentage (ARP) and the 3-Dimensional Root Mean Square (3D RMS) of positioning errors as performance metrics for PPP-AR and PPP. As the maximum and average values of ionospheric scintillation indices increase, the PPP-ARP for high-latitude ISMRs decreases to 90.0 %, and the 3D RMS can reach 0.204 m. During ionospheric quiet conditions, positioning accuracy of GPS PPP can reach the cm-mm level. As the geomagnetic latitude decreases, the scintillation effects on PPP-AR and PPP become more pronounced for high-latitude ISMRs. Compared with high-latitudes, ISMRs located at low-latitudes are more severely affected by scintillation, with PPP-ARP at the station HNLW in China and the station UFBA in Brazil dropping to 80.0 % and 60.0 %, respectively. The 3D RMS can reach 0.288 m and 0.341 m. The results of geodetic receives are consistent with those of ISMRs, with 3D RMS of positioning errors up to 0.240 m and 0.256 m for CYNE and MAL2, respectively, while PPP-ARP drops to 60.4 % and 79.6 %. Additionally, we observed a strong positive correlation between ionospheric scintillation duration and the maximum values of σ φ , S 4 and ROTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third phase of BDS (BDS-3) began to provide fully global positioning service. To investigate the performance of BDS observations in ionospheric scintillation index establishment, this study focuses on the construction of amplitude scintillation index S 4c using the carrier-to-noise ratio data of BDS-3. Based on the newly installed ionospheric scintillation monitoring receiver (ISMR) data at the Ledong station in Hainan from July 2021 to December in 2022, the relationship between the amplitude scintillation indexes S 4c and S 4 is analyzed and compared. Statistical results indicate the correlation coefficient between S 4c and S 4 can reach 0.95. To analyze the magnitude difference of S 4c derived from different geodetic GNSS receivers, six groups of collocated stations at various latitudes are employed to calculate the S 4c from January to December in 2022. The values of S 4c processed by different types of receivers are slightly different, sorted by the processed values in descending order as TRIMBLE > LEICA > SEPTENTRIO, where the mean value of difference between TRIMBLE and SEPTENTRIO is about 0.05, and the mean value of difference between LEICA and SEPTENTRIO is about 0.03. The six collocated groups of stations showed a significant increase in the difference in S 4c values within the season of the year when scintillation occurred, with the increased values moving up and down in the range of one-fifth of the mean values. Finally, the S 4c is applied in detecting ionospheric irregularities during the Tonga volcanic eruption on January 15, 2022. It is found that the ionospheric irregularities start at 11:00 UT and drift westward from the eruption center region, gradually shifting to the Southeast Asia region with obvious scintillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Construction of Global Ionospheric ROTI for GNSS Observation Data Day. • Positioning accuracy of PPP software under different magnetic storm intensity. • Compare the performance of PPP software in global, regional, and single station. • Positioning accuracy from high to low is CSRS-PPP, Net_Diff, GAMP, and APPS. Currently, many precise point positioning (PPP) services provide through software or online websites for GNSS positioning studies and applications. Various PPP service software has different positioning performances due to their respective algorithms and versions. In addition, the positioning accuracy and reliability of PPP services lack systematic evaluation, especially in the case of geomagnetic storms. This study presents the PPP performance analysis of the common GNSS PPP software as CSRS-PPP (https://www.geod.nrcan.gc.ca/), APPS (https://apps.gdgps.net/), Net_Diff (http://center.shao.ac.cn/shao%5fgnss%5fac/), and GAMP (https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/gps-toolbox/GAMP) under different geomagnetic storm intensities. The PPP experiments involve data from 916, 885, and 676 GPS stations data on 17 March 2015 (severe), 26 August 2018 (strong), and 15 January 2022 (moderate), respectively. The results showed that the positioning performance of the four PPP software is different in the magnetic storm environment. We found that during geomagnetic storms, the CSRS-PPP software has the highest positioning accuracy and reliability, while the APPS software shows the worst positioning performance. The performance of Net_Diff and GAMP during geomagnetic storms are comparable but are better than that of APPS. Statistical results indicate that the average values of 3D RMS of CSRS-PPP, APPS, Net_Diff, and GAMP under severe storm are 0.14 m, 0.60 m, 0.40 m, and 0.33 m, under strong storm are 0.18 m, 0.65 m, 0.27 m, and 0.33 m, and under moderate storm are 0.25 m, 1.66 m, 0.26 m, and 0.34 m, respectively. The main reason why the CSRS-PPP has the best positioning accuracy under different intensity storms is that it uses the ambiguity-fixed PPP solution, while the other three software use float solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution threatens adolescents' physical health and adversely affects adolescents' mental health. Previous studies mostly focused on the effects of air pollution on physical health, but there were few studies on the effects of air pollution on mental health. We collected scores of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms from 15,331 adolescents from 43 schools in eleven provinces in September and November 2017. The data on air pollution comes from the China High Air Pollutants dataset, which included concentrations of particulate matter with diameters of ≤1.0 μm (PM 1), diameters of ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5), and diameters of ≤10 μm (PM 10), as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). The associations between air pollution and depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents were estimated using generalized linear mixed models. Depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents were 16% and 32%, respectively. In the adjusted model, an interquartile range (IQR) increase from PM 2.5 was associated with the odds of anxiety symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.01, P = 0.002]. Also, an IQR increase in PM 10 was significantly associated with the odds of anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.01, P = 0.029). Compared with the lowest quartile, the adjusted OR of anxiety symptoms for the highest quartile of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were 1.29 (1.15, 1.44) and 1.23 (1.06, 1.42), respectively. In addition, the association between PM 2.5 and depressive symptoms was significant. The robustness of the results was also confirmed by stratification and sensitivity analyses. Exposure values for airborne particulate matter were associated with depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in adolescents, particularly for PM 2.5 and PM 10 with anxiety symptoms among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doppler measurements are immune to cycle slips, which offers great potential for constructing the ionospheric scintillation indexes. This study proposes a new scintillation index referred to as Doppler Index ( DI ) derived from dual-frequency Doppler measurements released by geodetic receivers operating at 1 Hz. The reliability of DI is compared with the dedicated scintillation indexes S 4 and σ φ outputted by the ionospheric scintillation monitoring receivers (ISMRs) as well as the indexes ROTI and S 4 c derived from geodetic GNSS receivers. Experimental results suggest that there is strong correlation between DI and the common scintillation indexes S 4 , σ φ , and ROTI . The statistics indicate that the mean values of correlation coefficients between DI and S 4 / σ φ are around 0.6–0.8 based on three ISMR stations data located at low, middle, and high latitudes. Using different types of geodetic GNSS receivers (Septentrio, Javad, Leica, and Trimble) data, the mean values of correlation coefficients between DI and ROTI can reach around 0.9. In addition, due to the different tracking technologies and locations for the different receiver types, the features of scintillation occurrence thresholds based on DI are also analyzed in this study. Statistical results suggest that for the Septentrio, Javad, Leica, and Trimble receivers, the μ + 3 σ can be used as the threshold of DI in ionospheric scintillation monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-healing anti-corrosion materials are widely regarded as a promising long-term corrosion protection strategy, and this is even more significant if the damage can be monitored in real-time and consequently repaired. Inspired by the hierarchical structure of human skin, self-healing, solvent-free polyurethane/carbon nanotubes composites (SFPUHE-HTF-CNTs) with a skin-like bilayer structure were constructed. The SFPUHE-HTF-CNTs were composed of two layers, namely, a hydrophobic solvent-free polyurethane (SFPUHE-HTF) containing disulfide bonds and fluorinated polysiloxane chain segments consisting of a self-healing layer and CNTs with good electrical conductivity consisting of a corrosion protection layer, which also allowed for the real-time monitoring of damage. The results of corrosion protection experiments indicated that the SFPUHE-HTF-CNTs had a low corrosion current density (8.94 × 10−9 A·cm−2), a positive corrosion potential (−0.38 V), and a high impedance modulus (|Z| = 4.79 × 105 Ω·cm2). The impedance modulus could still reach 4.54 × 104 Ω·cm2 after self-healing, showing excellent self-healing properties for anti-corrosion protection. Synchronously, the SFPUHE-HTF-CNTs exhibited a satisfactory damage sensing performance, enabling the real-time monitoring of fractures at different sizes. This work realized the effective combination of self-healing with corrosion protection and damage detection functions through a bionic design, and revealed the green, and low-cost preparation of advanced composites, which have the advantage of scale production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of school-based greenness exposure on mental health among adolescents remains unclear. The study aimed to estimate the associations between school-based greenness and depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents and explore potential modifier and mediator between the associations.Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 15,559 adolescents was conducted in China. The Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 9-Item Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale were used to assess the depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within a 400 m and 800 m zone surrounding schools was used to indicate the adolescents' exposure to greenness. We estimated daily concentrations of PM1.0, PM2.5, and NO2 from the China High Air Pollutants dataset. Multiple logistic regression models were used.Results: Higher exposure to greenness surrounding schools was negatively associated with depressive (OR: 0.774, 95%CI: 0.685-0.875) and anxiety symptoms (0.740, 0.669-0.818). We observed stronger associations between greenness and depressive and anxiety symptoms among girls, lower age group (11-15 years), and adolescents born to parents with lower education levels. PM1.0 (proportion mediated estimates: 14.3 %; 95 % CI: 4.2 %, 24.5 %) and PM2.5 (10.5 %; 95 % CI: 3.0 %, 17.9 %) mediated the associations between greenness exposure and depressive symptoms. The number of days adolescents attended physical education classes per week mediated -22.8 % (95 % CI: -38.5 %, -7.1 %) and -9.7 % (95 % CI: -15.5 %, -3.8 %) of the effects of greenness on depressive and anxiety symptoms.Conclusions: Increasing the greenness and improving the environment surrounding schools is effective in promoting the mental health of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic and self‐cleaning materials have attracted tremendous attention because of their broad applications. However, it is still challenging to develop excellent films exhibiting both reparable superhydrophobic and robust mechanical properties by an environmentally friendly method. Inspired by a natural nacre structure, the novel multi‐layered inorganic‐organic films consisting of n‐octadecylamine‐modified graphene oxide (NGO) and solvent‐free self‐healing polyurethane synthesized by Diels‐Alder reaction (SFPU‐DA) are demonstrated. Through the layer‐by‐layer assembly technology, super‐hydrophobic and self‐repairing solvent‐free polyurethane composite films (NGO/SFPU‐DA films) are prepared. The NGO/SFPU‐DA composite films exhibit healing of surface creases and cracks within 120 s at 120 °C. Meanwhile, the contact angle and sliding angle of the films can be as high as 151° and 8°, respectively. Noticeably, even after 21 times of rubbing, the superhydrophobicity of the obtained films does not significantly reduce. In addition, the tensile strength and peel strength of NGO/SFPU‐DA films can reach 22.6 MPa and 88.6 N/30 mm. Moreover, the steel coated with NGO/SFPU‐DA films exhibits lower corrosion current density and better corrosion resistance than the single NGO/SFPU‐DA film and uncoated steel. The method may provide an effective way to obtain excellent self‐cleaning materials with long service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microwave wireless power transmission system avoids the problems of large consumables, complex construction, and high maintenance costs caused by the cable. It can be seen that this method has specific demands and is worthy of deep research. This paper designs a high-power dual-frequency rectifier circuit that works at 1.15 and 1.7 GHz for wireless energy transmission. Using GaN HEMT as the rectifier, the output DC power reaches 6.5W, far beyond the conventional diode rectifier circuit in terms of power capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Data Interpolation Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOF) method is accurate in filling missing remote sensing datasets. This study used the Data-Interpolating Convolutional Auto-Encoder (DINCAE) method to reconstruct chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) data from the Bohai and Yellow seas and compare it with DINEOF. The reconstruction power of the two methods was evaluated using cross-validation and in situ data, and the accuracy of both data validated by DINCAE was higher than that of DINEOF. The reconstruction results of the two methods were analysed from two perspectives: time and space scale. The reconstruction errors of DINCAE were lower than those of DINEOF at different temporal scales, and the temporal sensitivity of DINEOF was greater than that of DINCAE. DINCAE outperforms DINEOF in terms of controlling the small-scale features and Chl-a values. In terms of efficiency, DINCAE is five times faster than DINEOF for similar reconstruction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Star anise essential oil (SAEO) has garnered significant attention for its potent bioactivities. However, the instability and poor water solubility of SAEO limit its application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. To overcome these challenges and improve bioavailability, we encapsulated SAEO within β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) using a saturated aqueous solution method. Characterization techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the successful formation of SAEO and β-CD inclusion complex (SAEO-IC) with good thermal stability. The inclusion complex had a yield of 63.18 ± 3.18% and an oil content of 9.32 ± 0.36%. In vitro digestion studies revealed the stability of SAEO-IC in gastric conditions, with the primary release of active ingredients occurring in the intestine. Moreover, the encapsulation process preserved the antioxidant properties of SAEO and demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial and anti-tumor activity, suggesting that SAEO-IC has the potential to serve as a natural antimicrobial and anticancer agent. [Display omitted] ● The encapsulation of SAEO significantly enhanced its thermal stability. ● SAEO-IC demonstrated stronger antibacterial and antitumor activity compared to SAEO. ● The inhibitory mechanism of SAEO-IC on bacteria was elucidated. ● In vitro digestion studies showed that SAEO-IC was stabilized in the stomach, with its active ingredients primarily released in the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under a simple redox system of selenite and ascorbic acid, we used Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharides (GLPs) as a stabilizer and dispersing agent to generate well-dispersed and stable selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). The size, stability, morphology and physicochemical properties of GLPs-SeNPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric (TG). The results showed that orange-red, amorphous, zero-valent and spherical GLPs-SeNPs with mean diameter of approximately 92.5 nm were successfully prepared, which exhibited good storage stability at 4 °C and remaining highly stable at different ion strengths and pH. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) and superoxide anion radical (O 2 •−) radical scavenging ability of GLPs-SeNPs were higher than those of bare SeNPs, GLPs and sodium selenite (Na 2 SeO 3), and could reach 103.41%, 94.23%, 86% at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL, respectively. Besides, GLPs-SeNPs also showed higher inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. In vitro cytotoxicity assay and hemolysis activity examinations indicated that GLPs-SeNPs have excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, the GLPs-SeNPs might be used as a potential antioxidant agent and antidiabetic agent for food and medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The merits of hyaluronic acid (HA) as a representative biological carbohydrate polymers especially in bioactivity and tailorability makes it ideal building block for the engineering of tissue engineering scaffolds. HA-based bio-composites integrate the characteristics of multi-component materials, possessing versatility and further improving the therapeutic efficacy. Human like collagen (HLC), which is hydrophilic, biomimetic, and bio-safe, with human tissue-derived collagen biofunction, has attracted extensive attention worldwide. Herein, we developed a novel method for HA/HLC bio-composite membranes preparation, comprising one-step surface modification-assembly process by which the HLC self-assembles are simultaneously loaded on the oxidized-modified HA (oxi-HA) from the surface/interface micro-scale. Comprehensive material characterizations and in vitro/in vivo biostudies proved that the HLC/oxi-HA composite membranes exhibited significantly enhanced biological activity, hemostatic performances, and wound healing properties compared to that of the pristine HA. The results of this study highlight the great potential of the prepared biomimetic HLC/oxi-HA bio-composites as a new generation of multifunctional HA-based wound-healing materials. • HLC/oxi-HA was synthesized by one-step surface modification-assembly process • HLC/oxi-HA exhibited higher biological activity properties than HA • HLC/oxi-HA-15 endowed satisfied hemostatic performance • Mechanism of one-step surface modification-assembly were explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Molecular-level light-emitting origins were strategically imparted to paper. • The morphology of AIE self-assembly can be adjusted on demand. • AFP-FP exhibited high selectivity, sensitivity and repeatable recognition of NH 3. • AFP-FP integrated with smartphone realized the visual food spoilage monitoring. Biogenic amines containing NH 3 are important indicators for conducting full-scale appraisal of food spoilage and disease diagnosis. However, the currently-used detection methods of NH 3 have several limitations such as time-consuming high cost, and inability to provide visual real-time monitoring. Therefore, researchers have attempted to explore strategies for quantitative real-time monitoring of NH 3 for food spoilage has attracted widespread attentions. Herein, we developed sustainable, fast response, hypersensitized, user-friendly and molecular-level light-emitting biomass-based materials (AFP-FP) containing on-demand nanostructured brain-cells-inspired aggregation-induced-emission (AIE) self-assembles for real-time visual monitoring of seafood spoilage. The 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-isophthalaldehyde-based AIE probe (AFP) was synthesized using a simple "one-step" route. AFP-FP exhibited high selectivity, sensitivity, repeatable and quantitative recognition (y = 7.292×103x + 7.621×104, R = 0.990) of NH 3 with a low detection limit (246 ppb) and fast response (<1 s). Furthermore, we integrated AFP-FP into a user-friendly smartphone color recognition app, enabling its practical application in visual, real-time daylight monitoring of food spoilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatholobi caulis (SC), the dried vine stem of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, is known as Ji Xue Teng in China, and has long been used as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat anaemia, menstrual abnormalities, rheumatoid arthritis, purpura, etc. The aim of this review is to provide a systematic and updated summary of the traditional uses, chemical constituents, biological activities and clinical applications of SC. In addition, several suggestions for future research on SC are also proposed. Extensive information and data on SC were obtained from electronic databases (ScienceDirect, Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, SpringerLink and Wiley Online). Additional information was collected from Ph.D. and MSc dissertations, published books, and classic material medica. To date, phytochemical studies have revealed that approximately 243 chemical ingredients have been isolated from SC and identified, including flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, volatile oils, sesquiterpenoids and other compounds. Many studies have indicated that extracts and pure constituents from SC possess a wide spectrum of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological effects, such as anti-tumour, haematopoietic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial effects, as well as other activities. SC could be applied to the treatment of leukopenia, aplastic anemic, endometriosis, etc. according to the clinical reports. The traditional efficacies of SC is due to the biological functions of its chemical compounds, especially flavonoids. However, research investigating the toxicological effects of SC is relatively limited. SC is widely used in TCM formulae and its some traditional efficacies has been confirmed by extensive recent pharmacological and clinical studies. Most the biological activities of the SC may be attributed to flavonoids. However, in-depth studies on the molecular mechanisms of the effective ingredients and extracts of SC are limited. Further systematic studies focusing on pharmacokinetics, toxicology and quality control are needed to ensure the effective and safe application of SC. [Display omitted] • All isolated and identified compounds in Satholobi caulis (SC) were described in this review. • The modern researches on traditional efficacies of SC were summarized. • SC is expected to be an important source of anti-tumor and anti-anemia drugs development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two widely used scintillation indexes S 4 and σ φ are generated by dedicated ionospheric scintillation monitoring receivers (ISMRs), which typically have 50-Hz temporal resolution and thus require substantial memory capabilities. Taking into consideration the huge number of common Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, the derivation of a GNSS receiver-based scintillation index as a supplement to the ISMR indexes is expected to improve the study of ionospheric scintillation. We developed an amplitude scintillation index, S 4 c , which is derived from the carrier-to-noise density ratio ( C / N 0 ) data released by common geodetic GNSS receivers operating at 1-Hz. The reliability of the S 4 c index is compared with the typical scintillation index S 4 of three ISMRs located in Hong Kong and Brazil. The statistics indicate that during scintillation activity, the correlation coefficient between S 4 c (derived from common receivers) and S 4 (generated by ISMRs) is generally higher than 0.9. The reliability of S 4 c was also verified based on 1-year observations from two adjacent stations in Hong Kong, which are equipped with Leica GR50 and Septentrio PolaRxS Pro receivers, respectively. Long-term scintillation occurrence ( S 4 c > 0.2 vs. S 4 > 0.2) rates show good agreement between S 4 c and S 4 . In addition, two-dimensional S 4 c maps (1° × 1°) generated by GPS L1 and BDS B1 signals data collected at 117 continuous operation tracking stations in China clearly show post-sunset super plasma bubbles as the source of ionospheric scintillation during the main phase of the intense storm that occurred on September 8, 2017. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using the S 4 c index derived from the large volume of GNSS observations recorded by non-scintillation GNSS receivers for the study and monitoring of ionospheric scintillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Chemical bonds is an effective strategy to obtain excellent performance of electrode materials. Herein, we report SnSe nanoparticles growth on carbon nanotubes (SnSe-CNTs) composite with strong Sn C bonding for high performance LIBs anode. The composite electrode exhibits high reversible capacity of 772 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g−1. Even under higher current density of 1 A g−1, the capacity of composite electrode still maintains 323 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles, the capacity retention rate is as high as 69.5%. It is found that strong electronic coupling between SnSe nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes conducive to the rapid transmission of electron/ion, facilitating the reversible conversion reaction between Sn and Li 2 Se to form SnSe. Meanwhile, Sn C bonding significantly improved structural stability of SnSe nanoparticles growth on carbon nanotubes composites electrode. These encouraging results of chemical bonding provide new opportunities for designing advanced electrode materials. Sn C bonding facilitates the electrochemical kinetics of SnSe-CNTs electrode for high performance LIBs. Unlabelled Image • Sn C bonding was successfully constructed at the interface of SnSe-CNTs composite by a simple solvothermal method. • Sn C bonding provides fast electron/ions transfer path. • The transfer path greatly enhances the reversible conversion reaction of SnSe-CNTs electrode. • Sn C bonding significantly improves structural stability of the electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both peer victimization and internet addiction are common public health problems for children and adolescents. Several studies found an association between peer victimization and internet addiction, but the mechanism underlying this association remained unclear. This study aimed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association.Methods: Data was extracted from an epidemiologic study involving middle and high school adolescents, in which 15,415 individuals (14.6 ± 1.7 years) were recruited. The moderated mediation models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 2.16 software, in which the mediation variables were depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, and the moderation variable was school functioning.Results: The total indirect effect of verbal victimization on internet addiction through depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms was found to be 0.4531, which accounted for 63.7% of the total effect of verbal victimization on internet addiction. Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms totally mediated the association between relational victimization and internet addiction and the association between the physical victimization and internet addiction. There were gender differences in the mediating effects of depressive and anxiety symptoms on the association between peer victimization and internet addiction. The indirect effect of the three different types of peer victimization (physical, verbal, relational) on internet addiction became stronger as school functioning increased.Limitations: We included two mediators in one model, and the data used in this study was self-reported and cross-sectional.Conclusions: Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms mediate the association between peer victimization and internet addiction. Students who score higher in school functioning were more likely to develop internet addiction when they encounter peer victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile synthetic method was used to prepare N-CQDs via the hydrothermal treatment of gelatin. The obtained N-CQDs were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, XPS, TEM and UV-vis spectrometry; the results showed that the N-CQDs have been successfully prepared. Importantly, we designed a “turn off” fluorescent probe for the detection of Cr(vi) ions; the results indicated that when the concentration of N-CQDs was 10 μg mL−1, the pH was 9 and the reaction time was 20 min at room temperature, the fluorescence quenching degree of N-CQDs was relatively large. The results indicated that N-CQDs showed a wide linear range from 0 to 60 μmol L−1, with a low limit of detection of 348.18 μmol L−1. Furthermore, this method and the diphenylcarbazide method were respectively used to detect Cr(vi) ions in leather and the results were compared, which were satisfactory. It can be seen that this method was simple, low cost and had a higher sensitivity and better selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wear-resistant and conductive superhydrophobic coatings with a nest-like structure were successfully prepared via a facile one-step method. The coatings were fabricated by spraying nanocomposites composed of modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and solvent-based polyurethane (PU), in which MWCNTs created both microscale and nanoscale roughness, while PU served as a binder. It is shown that the MWCNTs content can strongly influence the morphology of the composite coating, which thus displays the different superhydrophobicities. The PU/30% MWCNTs coating with a sheet resistance of 2.4 ± 0.1 kΩ/sq exhibits superhydrophobicity with a high contact angle of 159.8°±2° and a low droplet sliding angle of less than 3°. The resulting coating shows the excellent wear-resistance, even after 40 abrasion cycles on sandpaper. Due to its advantages of simple fabrication technology and outstanding wear-resistant performance, the coating has potential applications in anti-electromagnetic interference, corrosion protection for metal surfaces and anti-ice materials for cables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interlayer defects were constructed on the (002) crystal plane of WS 2 by Ni doping. • The interlayer defect structures exhibit higher sodium storage capacity. • DFT analysis shows that defects can greatly reduce the diffusion barrier for Na+. Tungsten disulfide (WS 2) exhibits high theoretical capacity (433 mAh g−1) and unique layered structure, which is a potential anode material for sodium ion batteries. The sodium ions are diffused mainly along the (0 0 2) crystal plane of WS 2 , showing unsatisfactory Na+ diffusion kinetics leads to poor rate capacity. It is still a challenge to break through the two-dimensional diffusion of Na+ and to realize the rapid multi-dimensional transport of more Na+. In this work, the multi-dimensional migration channel structure constructed by Nickel-doped WS 2 composite, which exhibits penetrable interlayer defects on the (0 0 2) crystal plane of WS 2 nanosheets. On one hand, the interlayer defects as active sites can absorb more Na+, showing higher sodium storage capacity. On the other hand, the DFT results show that these interlayer defect structures can greatly reduce the diffusion barrier for Na+ migration along the vertical direction of (0 0 2) crystal plane of WS 2. The structure expands the diffusion of Na+ from two-dimensional plane to multi-dimensional, which enables high speed sodium and potassium ion storage kinetics. This work provides a new idea for improving ion diffusion and accelerating electrochemical reaction kinetics of other transition metal layered compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving sustained and stable release of macromolecular antibacterial agents and unidirectional transport of liquids in targeted environment is still a challenge to be addressed in the management of wounds with large amounts of tissue exudates. In this work, a multilayer electrospun membrane (ethylcellulose-ethylcellulose/gelatin-quercetin/Eudragit L-100/polyethylene glycol, EC-EC/Gel-Q/EL/PEG) was designed with hydrophobic-hydrophilic gradients and drug sustained-release properties controlled by self-pumping effect and prepared using sequential electrospinning technology. The capillary force of different layers in the multilayer membrane could be controlled by precisely tuning the polymer concentrations of the inner and middle layers to extract water directly from hydrophobic inner ethylcellulose (EC) layer to hydrophilic middle ethylcellulose/gelatin (EC/Gel) layer. The droplets could not penetrate the hydrophobic side, but the drug molecules in the outer layer quercetin-loaded Eudragit L-100 (Q/EL/PEG) membrane moved after absorbing a large amount of water. The drug release behavior of multilayer wound dressing mainly followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. This multifunctional electrospun membrane could rapidly drive the biofluid outflow, effectively block the invasion of external contaminants and continuously release anti-inflammatory drugs, without any obvious cytotoxicity to mouse fibroblast cells. Hence, the above results indicate the excellent therapeutic potential of the proposed biomaterial as a wound dressing for diabetic patients. [Display omitted] • The membrane showed the property of drug sustained-release. • The membrane showed the property of liquids directional transport. • The membrane exhibited enormously potential as a diabetic wound dressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current positioning accuracy of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Single Point Positioning (SPP) with code measurement is in the order of several metres due to systematic errors. To further reduce the systematic errors in SPP, this contribution develops a new strategy to BDS SPP with a sparse reference network, named Augmented SPP (A-SPP). In this method, the Combined Residual Errors (CRE) products of BDS B1I measurement are integrated with three optional base stations that are close to the rover station. Based on the Satellite Elevation Angle Weighted (SEAW) average technique, the code residual errors of each BDS satellite observed by the rover station can be acquired epoch-by-epoch. Finally, the corrected code observations for the rover station can be utilised to achieve an A-SPP solution. The validation of this method is confirmed by both static and kinematic tests. Results clearly show that the accuracies of the A-SPP solution for horizontal and vertical directions are better than 0·5 m and 1·0 m. This study suggests that the proposed A-SPP solution is a good option for single-frequency GNSS users to improve their positioning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leakage of oil or organic pollutants into the ocean arouses a global catastrophe. The superhydrophobic materials have offered a new idea for the efficient, thorough and automated oil/water separation. However, most of such materials lose superhydrophobicity when exposed to hot water (e.g. >55 °C). In this study, a hot water-repellent superhydrophobic mesh used for oil/water separation was prepared with one-step spray of modified polyurethane and hydrophobic silica nanoparticles on the copper mesh. The as-prepared superhydrophobic mesh could be applied as the effective materials for the separation of oil/water mixture with a temperature up to 100 °C. In addition, the obtained mesh could selectively remove a wide range of organic solvents from water with high absorption capacity and good recyclability. Moreover, the as-prepared superhydrophobic mesh shows excellent mechanical durability, which makes it a promising material for practical oil/water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the characteristics of Multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (Multi-GNSS) ionospheric scintillation and cycle-slip occurrence through the analysis of Multi-GNSS data collected by a newly installed receiver located at Sha Tin of Hong Kong from 6 October 2015 to 31 December 2016. This period of time was under a moderate solar activity condition with average sunspot number and F 10.7 as 44 and 92, respectively. Considering the frequent occurrence of loss of lock in satellites measurements in the presence of ionospheric scintillation, a rate of geometry-free (ROGF) combination is proposed to take the time gap size between two data arcs into account in the cycle-slip detection. The results show that most ionospheric scintillation events and cycle-slips are observed from 20:00 LT to 0:00 LT. Under the strong scintillation ( S 4 > 0.6) conditions, it is found that the time series of wide-land (WL) ambiguity N WL and ROGF vary significantly and their range can reach more than 50 cycles and 0.1 m/s, respectively. However, the variations of the N WL and ROGF are generally small under weak scintillation (0.2 < S 4 ≤ 0.6) or non-scintillation ( S 4 ≤ 0.2) conditions. A strong correlation of scintillation and cycle-slip occurrence is also verified by the daily and spatial statistics results. In addition, it is found that on average every 1000 strong scintillation events can result in 200, 124, and 171 cycle-slip occurrences in GPS, GLONASS, and BDS, respectively, whereas these values are 7, 12, and 12 per 1000 under weak scintillation conditions. This study suggests that cautions be taken when GNSS measurements are contaminated by the strong ionospheric scintillation in GNSS applications such as real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. (TB) is a traditional Tibetan medicine used to treat hepatobiliary diseases. However, modern pharmacological evidence of the activities and potential mechanisms of TB against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-NAFLD effect of ethanol extract of TB (ETB) and investigate whether its ameliorative effects are associated with the regulation of intestinal microecology. In this study, the curative effects of ETB on NAFLD were evaluated in mice fed a choline-deficient, L-amino acid defined, high fat diet (CDAHFD). Biochemical markers and hepatic histological alterations were detected. Gut microbiota and faecal metabolites were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC‒MS) profiling. The results showed that oral treatment with middle- and high-dose ETB significantly improved features of NAFLD, reducing the levels of TG, LDL-C, ALT and AST, and increasing the level of HDL-C. Liver histopathologic examination demonstrated that ETB attenuated lipid accumulation and hepatocellular necrosis. ETB treatment restored the structural disturbances of gut microbiota induced by CDAHFD, reduced the levels of Intestinimonas , Lachnoclostridium , and Lachnospirace-ae_FCS020_group , and increased Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium. Moreover, untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed that ETB could restore the disrupted taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, and glutathione metabolism of the intestinal bacterial community in NAFLD mice. ETB was effective in ameliorating the NAFLD, possibly by remodelling the gut microbiota composition and modulating the faecal metabolism metabolites of the host, highlighting the potential of TB as a resource for the development of anti-NAFLD drugs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport protein particle ( TRAPP) was initially identified as a vesicle tethering factor in yeast and as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor ( GEF) for Ypt1/Rab1. In mammals, structures and functions of various TRAPP complexes are beginning to be understood. We found that mammalian TRAPPII was a GEF for both Rab18 and Rab1. Inactivation of TRAPPII-specific subunits by various methods including si RNA depletion and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion reduced lipolysis and resulted in aberrantly large lipid droplets. Recruitment of Rab18 onto lipid droplet ( LD) surface was defective in TRAPPII-deleted cells, but the localization of Rab1 on Golgi was not affected. COPI regulates LD homeostasis. We found that the previously documented interaction between TRAPPII and COPI was also required for the recruitment of Rab18 to the LD. We hypothesize that the interaction between COPI and TRAPPII helps bring TRAPPII onto LD surface, and TRAPPII, in turn, activates Rab18 and recruits it on the LD surface to facilitate its functions in LD homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a three-layer structure consisting of ultra-high strength steel and high strength steel was resistance spot welded. Macro characteristics of the joint were described in terms of nugget diameter, nugget offset, penetration rate, indentation depth, the indentation diameter, and thickness thinning rate. The results show that the smallest nugget diameter is about 6.3 mm and nugget offset is ignorable. Welding parameters have discrepant influence on penetration rate. The maximum penetration rate is about 71 %. Indentation diameter ranges from 6 to 8.6 mm and increases with welding parameters. Indentation depth varies with welding parameters and reaches a maximum value 1.3 mm. Because of the delay of deformation, welding time and electrode force have little effect on thickness thinning rate when they are in relatively low level. However, thickness thinning rate increases with welding time and electrode force when they are in high level, which is like the trend in welding current. The maximum thickness thinning rate is about 33 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The inclusion complex of essential oil from wampee fruit pericarp and β-CD were prepared for the first time. • The aqueous solubility of wampee essential oil after encapsulation was enhanced significantly. • Different analyses (XRD, SEM, FTIR) confirmed the formation of the inclusion compound. • The antioxidant capacity of encapsulated wampee essential oil was well preserved. The essential oil of wampee [ Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels] fruit pericarp (WEO) has excellent biological activities. However, it is highly volatile and in poor solubility, limiting its application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to synthesize the inclusion complex of WEO and β-cyclodextrin (WEO–β-CD-IC) to overcome its shortcomings. Prepared by using the freeze-drying method, the obtained inclusion complex was characterized by several analytical methods: FT-IR, SEM, TG-DSC, and XRD. Effects of three elements on the WEO extraction yield using the ultrasound-assisted hydrodistillation (UAHD) method were also measured. The results of FT-IR and XRD demonstrated the encapsulation of WEO into β-CD. TG-DSC was used to probe the thermostability of WEO obviously improved and the water-solubility of WEO was distinctly enhanced by 14 times after complexing. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging ability of encapsulated WEO demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity was well preserved. These data support further development of making better use of wampee fruit peel essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AKT and associated signaling pathways have been recognized as promising therapeutic targets for decades, and growing evidence indicates that inhibition or degradation of cellular AKT are viable strategies to treat cancer. Guided by an in silico modeling approach for rational linker design and based on our previous work in this field, we herein efficiently synthesized a small group of cereblon-recruiting AKT PROTAC molecules and identified a highly potent AKT degrader B4. Compared to the existing AKT degraders, B4 has a structurally unique AKT targeting warhead derived from the pyrazole-furan conjugated piperidine derivatives. It induces selective degradation of all three isoforms of AKT and exhibits efficacious anti-proliferation against several human hematological cancers. Notably, B4 demonstrates potent inhibition of AKT downstream signaling superior to its parental inhibitor. Together with its active analogs, B4 expands the arsenal of AKT chemical degraders as a valuable probe to uncover AKTs new functions and as a potential drug candidate to treat cancer. [Display omitted] • Structure-based rational linker design enables efficient discovery of AKT degrader B4. • B4 rapidly depletes cellular AKT and strongly suppresses AKT downstream signaling. • B4 potently inhibits MCL and MM cell growth and synergizes with Ibrutinib in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematic model for Galileo single point positioning is introduced. After errors corrections are made, Galileo single point positioning is performed using observation data from IOV satellites at MGEX tracking stations on seven consecutive days. The results indicate that the single point positioning performance of Galileo based on four IOV satellites was inferior to GPS single point positioning based on a full constellation. The accuracy was better than 4. 5 m and 9. 0 m for the horizontal direction and vertical direction, respectively. The accuracy of combined GPS/Galileo single point positioning was better than GPS-only single point positioning in three coordinate components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Normal pregnancy is characterized by maternal hemodynamic adaptations of cardiovascular system and uterine artery. We aimed to investigate quantitatively the relationship between uterine artery Doppler (Ut AD) ultrasonography and finger photoplethysmography (PPG) in each of the three trimesters. Methods: Eighty normal pregnancy subjects were recruited from the nulliparous women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancy presenting for a routine ultrasound scan and divided into three groups according to their trimester. Comparative analysis were conducted between Ut AD ultrasonography and finger PPG within and across trimesters, particularly with focus on the relationship between Uterine Artery Resistance Index (UtA RI) and photoplethysmographic reflection index (PPG RI) throughout pregnancy. Additional 10 preeclampsia patients in third trimester were enrolled for comparison. Results: Both UtA RI and PPG RI were markedly decreased with gestation in normal pregnancy and generally consistent with each other in trend. The preeclampsia patients of third trimester were significantly higher in both indices, even more than normal pregnancy subjects of first trimester. Conclusions: The results of this study revealed clear relationship between UtA RI and PPG RI throughout pregnancy which could be exploited to enhance the potential ability in early recognition of pathophysiologic process in maternal adaptation and prediction of complicated pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the availability of Galileo signals from four in-orbit validation (IOV) satellites, positioning with Galileo-only observations has become possible, which allows us to assess its positioning performance. The performance of the Galileo system is evaluated in respect of carrier-to-noise density ratio (C/N0), pseudorange multipath (including noise), Galileo broadcast satellite orbit and satellite clock errors, and single point positioning (SPP) accuracy in Galileo-only mode as well as in GPS/Galileo combined mode. The precision of the broadcast ephemeris data is assessed using the precise satellite orbit and clock products from the Institute of Astronomical and Physical Geodesy of the Technische Universität München (IAPG/TUM) as references. The GPS-Galileo time offset (GGTO) is estimated using datasets from different types of GNSS receivers and the results indicate that a systematic bias exists between different receiver types. Positioning solutions indicate that Galileo-only SPP can achieve a three-dimensional position accuracy of about six metres. The integration of Galileo and GPS data can improve the positioning accuracies by about 10% in the vertical components compared with GPS-only solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background: Duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) is a mammalian plasma ferric reductase enzyme that catalyses the reduction of ferric to ferrous ion in the process of iron absorption. The current study investigates the relationship between Dcytb, iron, dehydroascorbate (DHA) and Hif-2α in cultured cell lines. Methods: Dcytb and Hif-2α protein expression was analysed by Western blot technique while gene regulation was determined by quantitative PCR. Functional analyses were carried out by ferric reductase and 59Fe uptake assays. Results: Iron and dehydroascorbic acid treatment of cells inhibited Dcytb mRNA and protein expression. Desferrioxamine also enhanced Dcytb mRNA level after cells were treated overnight. Dcytb knockdown in HuTu cells resulted in reduced mRNA expression and lowered reductase activity. Preloading cells with DHA (to enhance intracellular ascorbate levels) did not stimulate reductase activity fully in Dcytb-silenced cells, implying a Dcytb-dependence of ascorbate-mediated ferrireduction. Moreover, Hif-2α knockdown in HuTu cells led to a reduction in reductase activity and iron uptake. Conclusions: Taken together, this study shows the functional regulation of Dcytb reductase activity by DHA and Hif-2α. General significance: Dcytb is a plasma membrane protein that accepts electrons intracellularly from DHA/ascorbic acid for ferrireduction at the apical surface of cultured cells and enterocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) integration into a Burkitt''s lymphoma (BL) cell line (Raji) was investigated, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southern hybridization, genomic library screening and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). BaMHIW fragments of the EBV genome and DNA sequences of the viral latent membrane protein (LMP)1 and LMP2 genes were detected in Raji cells. BaMHI-digested high-molecular weight DNA from Raji cells generated 4 and 10kb, 23kb fragments that hybridized to Probe-1 (EBV genome 13232–16189) and Probe-2 (EBV genome 5–3271). Genomic library for Raji cells was constructed. Plaques (1×105) were screened with Probe-2, and four positive clones were obtained. Chromosomal integration of EBV DNA was detected in the Raji cell. The viral integration sites included 1p, 1q, 2q, 3p, 3q, 4q, 5q, 6q, 7p, 7q, 9q, 11p, 14q and 15q. Despite this multiplicity of integration sites, integration showed high frequency only at the sites 4q, 2q, 1q and 7q; 64% of the total signals were found in these four chromosomal bands. No viral integration occurred in chromosomes 16–22 or the sex chromosomes (X, Y). This study is the first comprehensive FISH analysis of EBV integration into the chromosomes of the Raji cell line. The findings support the notion that EBV integrates into the Raji cell genome non-randomly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: β-Secretase is an important protease in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Some statine-based peptidomimetics show inhibitory activities to the β-secretase. To explore the inhibitory mechanism, molecular docking and three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies on these analogues were performed. The Lamarckian Genetic Algorithm (LGA) was applied to locate the binding orientations and conformations of the peptidomimetics with the β-secretase. A good correlation between the calculated binding free energies and the experimental inhibitory activities suggests that the identified binding conformations of these potential inhibitors are reliable. Based on the binding conformations, highly predictive 3D-QSAR models were developed with q2 values of 0.582 and 0.622 for CoMFA and CoMSIA, respectively. The predictive abilities of these models were validated by some compounds that were not included in the training set. Furthermore, the 3D-QSAR models were mapped back to the binding site of the β-secretase, to get a better understanding of vital interactions between the statine-based peptidomimetics and the protease. Both the CoMFA and the CoMSIA field distributions are in well agreement with the structural characteristics of the binding groove of the β-secretase. Therefore, the final 3D-QSAR models and the information of the inhibitor–enzyme interaction would be useful in developing new drug leads against Alzheimer’s disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are attractive targets for anti-tumor drug design. Although thousands of their ligands have been studied as potential inhibitors against PTKs, there is no QSAR study that covers different kinds of inhibitors with observable structural diversity. However, by using this approach, we could mine far more useful information. Hence in order to better understand the binding model and the relationship between the physicochemical properties and the inhibitory activities of different kind of various inhibitors, molecular docking and 3D-QSAR, viz. CoMFA and CoMSIA, were combined to study 124 reported inhibitors with different scaffolds. Based on the docked binding conformations, highly reliable and predictive 3D-QSAR models were derived, which reveal how steric, electrostatic, and hydrophobic interactions contribute to inhibitors'' bioactivities. This result also demonstrates that it is possible to include different kinds of inhibitors with observable structural diversity into one 3D-QSAR study. Therefore, this study not only casts light on binding mechanism between EGFR and its inhibitors, but also provides new hints for de novo design of new EGFR inhibitors with observable structural diversity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quantum chemical DFT-B3LYP/6-31G[sup *] method and IR spectrometry have been used to investigate the natural and binding structures of Huperzine B (HupB) in order to better understand the interaction nature between acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) and its inhibitor, with the view of designing new AChE inhibitors. The predicted and experimental results reveal that both the natural state and binding form of HupB adopt the chair conformation. Furthermore, the B3LYP/6-31G[sup *] results suggest that structure S1 should be the dominant form of the two possible chair structures (S1 and S2, Fig. 2). The calculated results also show that the condensed ring structure composing of rings A, B and C is very rigid. Therefore, its flexibility does not need to be considered when we try to dock this structure to its target. Indeed, this supposition is confirmed by the excellent alignment of the binding structure produced from our recent X-ray crystallographic structure of the HupB-AChE complex with the B3LYP/6-31G[sup *] predicted geometry. Among all the 111 predicted vibrational bands, the mode 110, which is resulted from the stretching of the bond N2-H and having the second highest frequency, is essential for the geometrical identification. The difference between our predicted strongest absorption band and experimental IR spectrum suggests that a strong intermolecular interaction, which could be a hydrogen bond, exists in HupB crystal. The electrostatic potential surface of HupB derived from our B3LYP/6-31G[sup *] CHelpG atomic charge suggests a mechanism of how HupB would interact with its target. In addition, the good agreement between predicted vibrational bands (scaled by a factor of 0.96) and experimental result shows that B3LYP/631G[sup *] is a good tool for studying such kind of natural compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon structure was poured into gaps of WS 2 nanosheets, which supported the composite structure to maintain good structural stability. The composite structures exposed lateral (0 0 2) crystal plane of WS 2 nanosheets. Na+ diffused fast and stable along the (0 0 2) plane, exhibiting good structural stability and fast kinetics. • Exposed WS 2 nanosheets structure edge was constructed by a poured carbon structure. • The WS 2 structure with exposed lateral (0 0 2) crystal plane exhibits fast kinetics for Na+ transport. • The poured carbon structure stabilizes expansion of WS 2 nanosheets to maintain good structural stability. Growing tungsten disulfide (WS 2) on self-supporting carbon fiber cloth is an effective means to enhance the sodium storage. However, it is difficult for WS 2 to exhibit high stability and fast reaction kinetics on the surface of carbon fiber cloth. Herein, we construct a composite structure that WS 2 nanosheets are grown on the surface of carbon fiber cloth with many gaps. These gaps are poured by pyrolytic carbon structure. The composite structures expose lateral (0 0 2) crystal plane of WS 2 nanosheets (WS 2 /CFC@C-P). When WS 2 /CFC@C-P is evaluated as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), the exposed (0 0 2) lateral edge realizes the rapid migration of Na+ with fast reaction kinetics. Moreover, the poured carbon stabilizes expanded WS 2 nanosheets to maintain original structure. Under the above merits, WS 2 /CFC@C-P could provide high reversible capacity (672 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g−1) and rate capacity (657 mAh g−1at 0.1 A g−1 and 230 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1). Furthermore, they deliver 297 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 2 A g−1 with a low capacity fading of 0.96% per cycle. This work provides a new insight to develop high performance SIBs by introducing the fine regulation of carbon layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 15 January 2022, a significant volcanic eruption occurred at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH), causing global ionospheric disturbances. To investigate ionospheric anomalies and the kinematic GNSS PPP responses to this volcanic eruption over the Asia-Pacific region, the rate of the total electron content index (ROTI) map derived from about 1100 GNSS stations data and ionospheric scintillation indices S 4 and σ φ are used. We first selected data from six stations for kinematic PPP experiments. Multi-constellation and multi-frequency Precision Positioning (GAMP) software and GNSS analysis software are employed in the process. We then found that the positioning errors of three directions (east, north, up) during disturbance time are larger than those on an ionospheric quiet day (3 January 2022). To explore the reasons for PPP degradation, we conduct a quality analysis of GNSS data on these two days, including carrier-to-noise power-density ratio (C / N 0) and the number of cycle slips. The number of satellites affected by cycle slips increased obviously in the disturbance time. The statistics of cycle slip occurrence rate at low latitudes is 12.35 % while that on ionospheric quiet day is only 6.05 %. The strategy of expanding the cycle slip detection thresholds from 0.15 m to 1.5 m for phase geometry free (PGF) combination and 5 cycles to 12 cycles for Hatch–Melbourne-Wübbena (HMW) combination failed to significantly improve the PPP solutions based on data from 357 stations. It was found that only increasing the detection thresholds could not mitigate the PPP degradations. Our investigations contribute to the study of space weather and kinematic GNSS PPP responses to volcanic eruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is home to the second largest population of children and adolescents in the world. Yet demographic shifts mean that the government must manage the challenge of fewer children with the needs of an ageing population, while considering the delicate tension between economic growth and environmental sustainability. We mapped the health problems and risks of contemporary school-aged children and adolescents in China against current national health policies. We involved multidisciplinary experts, including young people, with the aim of identifying actionable strategies and specific recommendations to promote child and adolescent health and wellbeing. Notwithstanding major improvements in their health over the past few decades, contemporary Chinese children and adolescents face distinct social challenges, including high academic pressures and youth unemployment, and new health concerns including obesity, mental health issues, and sexually transmitted infections. Inequality by gender, geography, and ethnicity remains a feature of health risks and outcomes. We identified a mismatch between current health determinants, risks and outcomes, and government policies. To promote the health of children and adolescents in China, we recommend a set of strategies that target government-led initiatives across the health, education, and community sectors, which aim to build supportive and responsive families, safe communities, and engaging and respectful learning environments. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GNSS radio occultation (RO) plays an important role in ionospheric electron density inversion and sounding of sporadic E layers. As China's first electromagnetic satellite, China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) has collected the RO data from both GPS and BDS-2 satellites since March 2018. In this study, we extracted the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data of CSES and calculated the standard deviation of normalized SNR. A new criterion is developed to determine the Es events, that is, when the mean value of the absolute value of the difference between the normalized SNR is greater than 3 times the standard deviation. The statistics show that sporadic E layers have strong seasonal variations with highest occurrence rates in summer season at middle latitudes. It is also found that the occurrence height of Es is mainly located at 90–110 km, and the period 14:00–20:00 LT is the high incidence period of Es. In addition, the geometric altitudes of a sporadic E layer detected in CSES radio occultation profiles and the virtual heights of a sporadic E layer obtained by the Wuhan Zuoling station (ZLT) ionosonde show three different space-time matching criteria. Our results reveal that there is a good agreement between both parameters which is reflected in the significant correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composite of carbon materials and transition metal sulfides can significantly improve the poor cycling performance of transition metal sulfides in sodium storage. In this study, the nitrogen/sulfur co-doped three-dimensional graphene (NSGN) encapsulating transition metal sulfides (FeS, Co 9 S 8 and Ni 3 S 2) are designed in a general method to improve the poor cycling stability of transition metal sulfides. The desired anode materials all show an excellent cyclic stability with the capacity retention of 63%, 97% and 98% after 100 cycles in sodium-ion batteries for FeS@NSGN, Co 9 S 8 @NSGN and Ni 3 S 2 @NSGN electrodes, respectively. Consequently, this work can provide a new insight for in-situ synthesis of metal sulfides and graphene composites to improve the performance of sodium storage. A simple method is used to synthesize transition metal sulfide and nitrogen sulfur Co-doped three-dimensional graphene composite, which shows excellent sodium storage performance. Unlabelled Image • Designing a general and simple method to synthesis MSs@NSGN composites. • MSs nanoparticles are wrapped by NSGN exhibit excellent structure stability. • MSs@NSGN electrodes exhibit good cycle stability and rate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the special design of BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) constellation, the effects of ionospheric scintillation on operational BDS generally are more serious than on the global positioning system (GPS). As BDS is currently providing global services, it is increasingly important to seek strategies to mitigate the scintillation effects on BDS navigation and positioning services. In this study, an improved cycle-slip threshold model is proposed to decrease the high false-alarm rate of cycle-slips under scintillation conditions, thus avoiding the frequent unnecessary ambiguity resets in BDS precise point positioning (PPP) solution. We use one-year (from 23 March 2015 to 23 March 2016) BDS dataset from Hong Kong Sha Tin (HKST) station (22.4°N, 114.2°E; geomagnetic latitude: 15.4°N) to model the cycle-slip threshold and try to make it suitable for three types of BDS satellites and multiple scintillation levels. The availability of our mitigation strategy is validated by using three months (from 1 September 2015 to 30 November 2015) BDS dataset collected at 10 global navigation satellite system (GNSS) stations in Hong Kong. Positioning results demonstrate that our mitigated BDS PPP can prevent the sudden fluctuations of positioning errors induced by the ionospheric scintillation. Statistical results of BDS PPP experiments show that the mitigated solution can maintain an accuracy of about 0.08 m and 0.10 m in the horizontal and vertical components, respectively. Compared with standard BDS PPP, the accuracy of mitigated PPP can be improved by approximately 24.1%, 38.2%, and 47.9% in the east, north, and up directions, respectively. Our study demonstrates that considering different scintillation levels to establish appropriate cycle-slip threshold model in PPP processing can efficiently mitigate the ionospheric scintillation effects on BDS PPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver fibrosis is a pathological variation caused by almost all chronic liver injuries. As an edible and medicinal natural resource, Phyllanthus emblica (PE) has been reported to possess hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities and may have an ameliorating effect on hepatic fibrosis. To investigate the protective effect of the aqueous extract of PE (AEPE) against liver fibrosis and to uncover its related mechanisms, the chemical profile of AEPE was characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and sulfuric acid-phenol method. Ameliorative effects of different doses of AEPE were investigated in carbon-tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced liver fibrosis rats by analyzing biochemical markers, morphologic pathology, and related proteins expression in liver tissue. The results indicated that AEPE (1.8, 3.6 g/kg) could significantly reduce levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), collagen IV (Col IV), type III precollagen (PCIII), hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), protein carbonyl (PC), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hydroxyproline (Hyp) and increase the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT). Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E), Sirius red, and Masson staining showed AEPE-treated improved fibrotic lesions and inflammatory cell infiltration. Meanwhile, AEPE treatment also significantly downregulates the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the liver tissue and serum, respectively. In conclusion, AEPE possesses curative efficacy against liver fibrosis through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic factors are one of the most important causes of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). ESX1 is an X-linked testis-biased expressed gene, and a potential biomarker for testicular sperm retrieval in NOA patients, yet few systematic studies have investigated its association with NOA. Here, we performed selected exonic sequencing in a large cohort of Chinese males, and four novel missense mutations (including one compound mutation), one novel synonymous mutation of ESX1 unique to NOA patients were identified. We analyzed the effects of ESX1 mutations on cyclin A degradation and cell cycle progression by immunoprecipitation assay and flow cytometry, and found that the compound mutant p.[P365R; L366V] ESX1 compromised the stabilizing effect of ESX1 on polyubiquitinated cyclin A, thereby causing the failure of M phase arrest in cells. Further studies showed that the deleterious effect of the compound mutations on ESX1 protein function was attributed to p.P365R but not p.L366V alteration. The novel ESX1 mutation p.P365R might confer high risk for NOA in Han Chinese population, probably via affecting cell cycle control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinase inhibitors are crucial in cancer treatment, but drug resistance and side effects hinder the development of effective drugs. To address these challenges, it is essential to analyze the polypharmacology of kinase inhibitor and identify compound with high selectivity profile. This study presents KinomeMETA, a framework for profiling the activity of small molecule kinase inhibitors across a panel of 661 kinases. By training a meta-learner based on a graph neural network and fine-tuning it to create kinase-specific learners, KinomeMETA outperforms benchmark multi-task models and other kinase profiling models. It provides higher accuracy for understudied kinases with limited known data and broader coverage of kinase types, including important mutant kinases. Case studies on the discovery of new scaffold inhibitors for membrane-associated tyrosine- and threonine-specific cdc2-inhibitory kinase and selective inhibitors for fibroblast growth factor receptors demonstrate the role of KinomeMETA in virtual screening and kinome-wide activity profiling. Overall, KinomeMETA has the potential to accelerate kinase drug discovery by more effectively exploring the kinase polypharmacology landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible electric heaters with softness, comfort and heating performance have application prospects in the fields of life and health, medical security and so on. In this study, by taking advantage of the soft and comfortable properties of leather itself, collagen fibers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are composited through zirconium ion (Zr4+) coordination and complexation. The composition, microstructure and Joule heating performance of the prepared flexible conductive leather (CNTs@Zr@OTL) are investigated in detail. The characterisation results prove the (Zr4+) coordination effect and the successful preparation of CNTs@Zr@OTL. At the same time, it has a resistance of about 250 Ω, a shrinkage temperature (Ts) of about 75°C, mechanical property of about 8 MPa, 60 h strong biodegradability and Joule heating of about 65°C under 15 V DC voltage. The obtained product can be further designed as a flexible Joule heating heater (Jhh) with softness, comfort as well as conductivity, and excellent Joule heating performance, and its practical application effect in heating wrists, fingers, joints and car seats is explored, as well as the heating effect under the actual movement of human body such as squatting, sitting and walking. This work provides an idea and method for the intelligent interaction of flexible heaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]