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Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) are renowned for their reversible deformation capabilities. Yet, enhancing their mechanical strength while retaining such flexibility has posed a considerable challenge. To overcome this, we utilized 4D printing to develop an innovative composite of LCE with carbon fiber fabric (LCEC). This approach has notably increased the tensile strength of LCE by eightfold, all the while maintaining its exceptional capacity for reversible deformation. By adjusting the alignment angle between carbon fiber and the LCE printing direction from 0° to 90°, the LCEC demonstrates an array of new deformation patterns, including bending, twisting, wrapping, and S-shaped transformations, which are distinct from pure LCE materials. Our study unveils that LCE composites exhibit deformation processes markedly different from their pure material counterparts, with the ability of pure LCE to sustain tensile strains exceeding 1900%. These findings, previously undocumented and unexplored, represent a substantial contribution to the field of smart materials. Employing finite element analysis, we explored the carbon fiber and LCE matrix dynamics, revealing bending mechanics in LCECs. This combined experimental and simulation approach yields crucial insights for crafting durable, high-strength LCECs with diverse deformational properties, advancing smart material technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture can provide foraging habitat for birds, but it can also result in intentional and accidental mortality. We examined an overlooked conflict between razor clam (Sinonovacula spp.) aquaculture and declining shorebirds in southeastern China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. We surveyed 6 out of 11 internationally important stopover sites for these shorebirds and monitored shorebird mortality in 2 sites (Xinghua Bay, Yueqing Bay) with razor clam aquaculture. We visited an additional 32 sites in these 2 provinces to determine if there was netting in other razor clam farms. Approximately 8–9 km2 of intertidal foraging habitat was covered by horizontal nets to prevent birds from feeding on young razor clams at Xinghua Bay and Yueqing Bay. We conservatively estimated that 13,676 (2.5th–97.5th percentile 8,330–21,285) individual shorebirds were entangled in the nets at the 2 monitored sites in April and May 2021, including 2 endangered and 7 near‐threatened species. Mortality of 5 species for which we had sufficient data accounted for 0.76% (black‐tailed godwit [Limosa limosa]) to 4.27% (terek sandpiper [Xenus cinereus]) of their total flyway populations. This level of mortality could strongly affect their populations. We found netting at 17 additional razor clam farms, indicating a widespread threat to shorebirds. Although razor clams are typically harvested in late March to early April, nets are left on the mudflats throughout the spring and summer, including when the bulk of shorebird migration takes place. Immediately removing these nets after the clam harvest could prevent most of the spring mortality of shorebirds, although this is unlikely to happen without government regulations or economic incentives. To better assess and mitigate the impacts of this conflict, future research should quantify shorebird mortality at other razor clam farms, including during winter, explore less harmful deterrence methods, and assess the socioeconomic factors driving the conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient catalytic asymmetric electrophilic sulfenylation reaction for the synthesis of planar‐chiral sulfur‐containing cyclophanes has been developed for the first time. This was achieved by using a new Lewis base catalyst and a new ortho‐trifluoromethyl‐substituted sulfenylating reagent. Using the substrates with low rotational energy barrier, the transformation proceeded through a dynamic kinetic resolution, and the high rotational energy barrier of the substrates allowed the reaction to undergo a kinetic resolution process. Meanwhile, this transformation was compatible with a desymmetrization process when the symmetric substrates were used. Various planar‐chiral sulfur‐containing cyclophanes were readily obtained in moderate to excellent yields with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97 % yield and 95 % ee). This approach was used to synthesize pharmaceutically relevant planar‐chiral sulfur‐containing molecules. Density functional theory calculations showed that π‐π interactions between the sulfenyl group and the aromatic ring in the substrate play a crucial role in enantioinduction in this sulfenylation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient catalytic asymmetric electrophilic sulfenylation reaction for the synthesis of planar‐chiral sulfur‐containing cyclophanes has been developed for the first time. This was achieved by using a new Lewis base catalyst and a new ortho‐trifluoromethyl‐substituted sulfenylating reagent. Using the substrates with low rotational energy barrier, the transformation proceeded through a dynamic kinetic resolution, and the high rotational energy barrier of the substrates allowed the reaction to undergo a kinetic resolution process. Meanwhile, this transformation was compatible with a desymmetrization process when the symmetric substrates were used. Various planar‐chiral sulfur‐containing cyclophanes were readily obtained in moderate to excellent yields with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97 % yield and 95 % ee). This approach was used to synthesize pharmaceutically relevant planar‐chiral sulfur‐containing molecules. Density functional theory calculations showed that π‐π interactions between the sulfenyl group and the aromatic ring in the substrate play a crucial role in enantioinduction in this sulfenylation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding species distribution patterns and what determines them is critical for effective conservation planning and management. In the case of shorebirds migrating along the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF), the loss of stopover habitat in the Yellow Sea region is thought to be the primary reason for the precipitous population declines. However, the rates of decline vary considerably among species, and it remains unclear how such differences could arise within a group of closely related species using apparently similar habitats at the same locales. We mapped the spatial distributions of foraging shorebirds, as well as biotic (benthic invertebrates consumed by migrating shorebirds) and abiotic (sediment characteristics) environmental factors, at a key stopover site in eastern China. Five of the six sediment characteristics showed significant spatial variation with respect to distance along the shoreline or distance from the seawall in the same tidal flat. The biomasses of four of the six most abundant benthic invertebrates were concentrated in the upper or middle zones of the tidal flat. The distribution patterns of all three focal shorebird species on the tidal flat were best explained jointly by this heterogeneity of sediment characteristics and invertebrate prey. These results suggest that the loss of tidal flats along the Yellow Sea, which is typically concentrated at the upper and middle zones, may not only reduce the overall amount of staging habitat, but also disproportionately affect the most resource‐rich portions for the birds. Effective conservation of shorebird staging areas along the EAAF and likely elsewhere must consider the subtle habitat heterogeneity that characterizes these tidal flats, prioritizing the protection of those portions richest in food resources, most frequently used by focal bird species, and most vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. Article impact statement: Heterogeneity of tidal flats with respect to biotic and abiotic factors must be considered in shorebird conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 40 specimens of the genus Schizothorax (Cyprinidae: Schizothoracinae), including 10 matured males, 19 matured females and 11 juveniles, were captured from the Kirong Tsangpo River in China, which is located in the southern slope of the Central Himalayas. These specimens are identified as Schizothorax richardsonii (Grey, 1832) based on morphological characters and molecular analyses using mitochondrial Cyt b gene sequences. The Kirong population of S. richardsonii is relatively isolated from other populations in the Himalayas and has low genetic diversity. This is the first record of the genus Schizothorax fish in rivers of the Central Himalayas in China. As S. richardsonii is a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, a protection plan should be conducted to reduce the impact of anthropogenic disturbance by monitoring the natural population dynamics and assessing the ecological determinants of its distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motion of rotation, which served as a dynamic symbol within human-computer interfaces, has garnered extensive attention in interface and graphic design. This study aimed to establish speed benchmarks for interface design by exploring visual system preferences for the perception of both simple and complex rotating icons within the velocity range of 5-1800 degrees per second. The research conducted two experiments with 12 participants to examine the observers' just noticeable difference in speed (JNDS) and perceived speed for rotational icons. Experiment one measured the JNDS over eight-speed levels using a constant stimulus method, achieving a range of 14.9-29%. Building on this, experiment two proposed a sequence of speeds within the given range and used a rating scale method to assess observers 'subjective perception of the speed series' rapidity. The findings indicated that speed increases impacted the ability to differentiate between speeds; key points for categorizing low, medium, and high speeds were identified at 10, 180, and 720 degrees/s, respectively. Shape complexity was found to modulate the visual system's perception of actual speed, such that at rotation speeds above 180 degrees/s, complex icons appeared to rotate faster than simpler ones. Most importantly, the study applied quantitative methods and metrology to interface design, offering a more scientific approach to the design workflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) technology is widely used in intelligent medical treatment; however, massive mobile data transmission makes the cellular network overburden. The combination of medical Internet of Things technology and cloud storage can greatly improve this problem. Most of the existing medical Internet of Things systems cannot be adapted to the environment with limited resources after considering security and privacy, or after ensuring implementation efficiency, it will lead to reduced system security; that is, the mutual authentication function of the system is easily destroyed. The combination of medical Internet of Things technology and medical cloud storage technology can greatly improve the current smart medical environment. We propose an escrow-free identity-based scheme (EF-IDS) to ensure the function of mutual authentication between system entities, propose a secure lightweight cloud-centric smart medical system based on the medical Internet of Things based on EF-IDS and prove that our system ensures the privacy and security of users' personal health information. It also provides the ability to publicly verify the integrity of the data stored on the medical cloud server. Finally, the performance analysis shows that our proposed system has significant advantages in both communication overhead and computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the output tracking control problem for networked systems with plant-model mismatch, where two-channel random network delays are considered. According to the different ways of obtaining future control commands, two networked predictive control (NPC) methods are designed. One is the NPC method using one-way time delays, called ONPC, and the other is the NPC method using round-trip time delays, called RNPC. Furthermore, they are compared in terms of the way of compensation for two-channel delays, prediction process, and communication load, respectively. Then, the closed-loop stability conditions of the RNPC system and the ONPC system for the plant-model mismatch and match cases are derived, and their output tracking performance is also theoretically analysed. Finally, the results of the theoretical analysis are verified through numerical simulation that illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed two NPC methods as well as their separate advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we predicted the suitable areas for three Tibetan fish in 2050 and 2090 under moderate and extreme climate change and explored the barrier effects of hydropower projects on the distribution areas of the three species. The three species are important to the local fishery and have received a wide range of attention. We found that they had obviously different responses under climate change, but they all had a tendency to move to higher areas. Moreover, our hydropower projects would hinder their migration. This study provides a reference for local fish protection in the future and a guideline for the scientific planning of hydropower development in Tibet. As one of the most sensitive regions to global climate change, Tibet is subject to remarkable changes in biota over the past decades, including endemic fish species. However, no study has attempted to predict the changes in the distribution of Tibetan fishes, leaving a great blank for aquatic conservation in Tibet. Based on the Maximum Entropy model (MaxEnt), this study predicted the changes in the suitable habitats of three endemic fish species, including two species mainly inhabiting the rivers (Glyptosternon maculatum, Oxygymnocypris stewartii) and one species mainly inhabiting lakes (Gymnocypris selincuoensis) in Tibet under two representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) under two future scenarios (2050 and 2090), and explored the impact of the barrier effects of hydropower projects on the suitable habitats of fish. The results showed that under the four scenarios, the net change in the suitable habitats of the G. maculatum was negative (−2.0–−18.8%), while the suitable habitats of the O. stewartii and G. selincuoensis would be expanded, with the net change of 60.0–238.3% and 46.4–56.9%, respectively. Under different scenarios, the suitable habitats of the three species had a tendency to migrate to a higher elevation, and the largest expansion in the range of migration was projected to occur under the 2090-RCP8.5 scenario. In addition, due to the impact of the hydropower projects, the ability of G. maculatum to obtain new suitable habitats from climate change would be reduced by 2.0–8.1%, which was less than the loss induced by climate change (5.5–25.1%), while the suitable habitats of O. stewartii would be reduced by 3.0–9.7%, which was more than the impact of climate change (about 1%). The results of this study have guiding significance for the conservation and management of fish resources diversity in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin and Siling Co basin of Tibet, and also provide a reference for the coordination and scientific planning of hydropower projects in Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As key regulators, long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in the ruminant mammary gland. However, the function of lncRNAs in milk fat synthesis from dairy cows is largely unknown. In this study, we used the weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) to comprehensive analyze the expression profile data of lncRNAs from the group's previous Illumina PE150 sequencing results based on bovine mammary epithelial cells from high‐ and low‐milk‐fat‐percentage (MFP) cows, and identify core_lncRNAs significantly associated with MFP by module membership (MM) and gene significance (GS). Functional enrichment analysis (Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) of core_lncRNA target genes (co‐localization and co‐expression) was performed to screen potential lncRNAs regulating milk fat metabolism and further construct an interactive regulatory network of lipid metabolism‐related competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). A total of 4876 lncRNAs were used to construct the WGCNA. The MEdarkturquoise module among the 19 modules obtained was significantly associated with MFP (r = 0.78, p‐value <0.05) and contained 64 core_lncRNAs (MM > 0.8, GS > 0.4). Twenty‐four lipid metabolism‐related lncRNAs were identified by core_lncRNA target gene enrichment analysis. TCONS_00054233, TCONS_00152292, TCONS_00048619, TCONS_00033839, TCONS_00153791 and TCONS_00074642 were key candidate lncRNAs for regulating milk fat synthesis. The 22 ceRNAs most likely to be involved in milk fat metabolism were constructed by interaction network analysis, and TCONS_00133813 and bta‐miR‐2454‐5p were located at the network's core. TCONS_00133813_bta‐miR‐2454‐5p_TNFAIP3, TCONS_00133813_bta‐miR‐2454‐5p_ARRB1 and TCONS_00133813_bta‐miR‐2454‐5p_PIK3R1 are key candidate ceRNAs associated with milk fat metabolism. This study provides a framework for the co‐expression module of MFP‐related lncRNAs in ruminants, identifies several major lncRNAs and ceRNAs that influence milk fat synthesis, and provides a new understanding of the complex biology of milk fat synthesis in dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying where and when population 'bottlenecks' occur is critical to the conservation of migratory species, many of which are declining precipitously worldwide. Especially challenging is the evaluation of changes to staging sites. These sites are indispensable links in the migratory cycle but are typically used only briefly.We devised a field‐based approach to assess the quality and carrying capacity of a critical staging site in Nanpu, China, for the declining, migratory Red Knot (Calidris canutus rogersi & C. c. piersmai) during northward migration. The Nanpu tidal flat supports 50,000–100,000 Red Knots annually, and while there, the knots feed almost exclusively on the bivalve Potamocorbula laevis. We simultaneously monitored changes in the abundance of Red Knots and bivalves across this entire staging site in spring 2018.After taking into account potential competition with other shorebird species, we estimated that the Nanpu tidal flat was capable of supporting approximately 1.46–1.70 times the observed level of Red Knot usage of this site, and therefore is operating below, but close to, carrying capacity with respect to food resources for Red Knots. This result suggests that any further habitat loss or degradation at this site could harm the Red Knot population along the entire East Asian‐Australasian Flyway.Synthesis and applications. Quantitative monitoring and evaluation of habitat quality of staging sites are essential to successfully conserve declining migratory species. In particular, researchers and conservation practitioners should incorporate both population size and staging duration to more accurately assess the importance of different sites and to quantify how changes in staging habitat quality may translate into changes in the population sizes of migratory species at both local and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk fat is the most important and energy-rich substance in milk, and its content and composition are important reference elements in the evaluation of milk quality. However, the current identification of valuable candidate genes affecting milk fat is limited. IlluminaPE150 was used to sequence bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) with high and low milk fat rates (MFP), the weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) was used to analyze mRNA expression profile data in this study. As a result, a total of 10,310 genes were used to construct WGCNA, and the genes were classified into 18 modules. Among them, violet (r = 0.74), yellow (r = 0.75) and darkolivegreen (r = − 0.79) modules were significantly associated with MFP, and 39, 181, 75 hub genes were identified, respectively. Combining enrichment analysis and differential genes (DEs), we screened five key candidate DEs related to lipid metabolism, namely PI4K2A, SLC16A1, ATP8A2, VEGFD and ID1, respectively. Relative to the small intestine, liver, kidney, heart, ovary and uterus, the gene expression of PI4K2A is the highest in mammary gland, and is significantly enriched in GO terms and pathways related to milk fat metabolism, such as monocarboxylic acid transport, phospholipid transport, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, inositol phosphate metabolism and MAPK signaling pathway. This study uses WGCNA to form an overall view of MFP, providing a theoretical basis for identifying potential pathways and hub genes that may be involved in milk fat synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The present study aimed to reveal the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7, GATAD2A, and STAT3 genes and metabolism-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD), so as to provide a research basis for further exploring the diagnosis and treatment of diseases at the molecular level. Methods. A total of 564 patients were included in the physical examination center of Xinjiang Karamay People's Hospital. They were divided into an MAFLD case group and a healthy control group. The whole blood DNA of each sample was extracted by a whole blood genomic DNA extraction kit, and the genotypes of PNPLA3 rs738409, MBOAT7 rs64173, STAT3 rs744166, TM6SF2 rs58542926, and GATAD2A rs4808199 were performed; after adjusting for confounding factors, the additive model, dominant model, and recessive model of each gene were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results. The CC genotype of the PNPLA3 gene rs738409 and the TT genotype of the MBOAT7 gene rs64173 are risk factors in the occurrence of MAFLD. The AA genotype of the STAT3 gene rs744166 is a protective factor of MAFLD, while TM6SF2 rs58542926 and GATAD2A rs4808199 show no significant correlation with MAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The morbidity of rifampicin/multidrug-resistant tuberculous meningitis (RR/MDR-TBM) has shown an increasing trend globally. Its mortality rate is significantly higher than that of non-rifampicin/multidrug-resistant tuberculous meningitis (NRR/MDR-TBM). This article aimed to explore risk factors related to RR/MDR-TBM, and compare therapeutic effects of linezolid (LZD)- and non-linezolid-containing regimen for RR/MDR-TB patients in Shenzhen city. Furthermore, we aimed to find a better therapy for pathogen-negative TBM with RR/MDR-TBM related risk factors.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study enrolling 137 hospitalized cases with confirmed TBM from June 2014 to March 2020. All patients were divided into RR/MDR-TBM group (12 cases) and NRR/MDR-TBM group (125 cases) based on GeneXpert MTB/RIF and (or) phenotypic drug susceptibility test results using cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The risk factors related to RR/MDR-TBM were investigated through comparing clinical and examination features between the two groups. The mortality rate of RR/MDR-TBM patients treated with different regimens was analyzed to compare their respective therapeutic effects. A difference of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Most patients (111/137, 81%) were from southern or southwestern China, and a large proportion (72/137, 52.55%) belonged to migrant workers. 12 cases were RR/MDR-TBM (12/137, 8.8%) while 125 cases were NRR/MDR-TBM (125/137, 91.2%). The proportion of patients having prior TB treatment history in the RR/MDR-TBM group was significantly higher than that of the NRR/MDR-TBM group (6/12 vs. 12/125, 50% vs. 10.5%, P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed on other clinical and examination features between the two groups. Mortality was significantly lower in RR/MDR-TBM patients on linezolid-containing treatment regimen than those who were not (0/7 versus 3/5, 0% versus 60%, P = 0.045).Conclusions: The main related risk factor of RR/MDR-TBM is the history of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Linezolid-containing regimen appears to lower mortality rate of RR/MDR-TBM significantly in our study. We think Linezolid should be evaluated prospectively in the treatment of RR/MDR-TBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While numerous sensing strategies have been applied in the determination of Acetaminophen (AP), dopamine (DA), and ascorbic acid (AA), the selectivity is always a critical challenge based on their similar structure and function. Accordingly, the development of a highly selective sensing method is not only necessary but also crucial. In this study, a novel electrochemical sensing platform for the simultaneous determination of AP and DA has been successfully constructed based on a multifunctional nanocomposite (WP6-Pd-COF) of water-soluble pillar[6]arene (WP6), ultrafine Pd nanoparticles, and triethylene glycol-modified covalent organic framework (COF). Pd nanoparticles with an average size of 4.2 nm are prepared by reducing K2PdCl4 under the stabilization of oxygen-rich COF, which shows superior catalytic activity in electrochemical detection. A supramolecular host–guest recognition system introduced between WP6 and analytes (AP, DA, and AA) can effectively recognize AP and DA, implying the simultaneous determination of AP and DA by this approach. The electrode, best operated at a working potential range from −0.2 to 0.8 V (vs. Hg/Hg2Cl2), works in the concentration ranges of 0.2–8 μM for DA and 0.1–7.5 μM for AP, and has a detection limit of 0.06 μM for DA and 0.03 μM for AP (S/N = 3). Therefore, this study presents potential application values in sensing, catalysis, and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective conservation of migratory species depends on understanding both migratory connectivity and migration strategy. The red‐necked stint Calidris ruficollis is a small, highly migratory sandpiper of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, which is classified as 'Near Threatened' due to ongoing population declines. We tracked the migration of three red‐necked stints breeding in southern Chukotka, Russia, using geolocators, and supplemented our tracking data with re‐sighting records of color‐flagged individuals. The three birds, all of which bred within 2 km of each other, wintered in three different localities spanning nearly 5000 km. One individual completed its northward migration of >9400 km in two marathon flights; the second leg of that journey was completed in a nonstop flight of 5350 km. The successful conservation of just this one population requires protection of wintering sites across a vast area, coupled with key staging sites along the flyway. We suggest that other migratory species may pose similar conservation challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an axial flow pump operates at small flow rates, rotating stall may occur, which seriously restricts the pump performance and poses a great threat to the safe and stable operation of the whole system. The present work proposed a new groove flow control technology for the axial flow pump and studied its improvement effect and mechanism under stall conditions by numerical simulation. Results show that the groove flow control technology can significantly improve the hydraulic performance of the axial flow pump under stall conditions, with the pump head increment as high as 85.55% and the unstable region on the hydraulic performance curve was completely eliminated. In the inlet pipe region, it can effectively improve the bad flow state near the inlet of the impeller by increasing the axial velocity component and decreasing the velocity circulation dramatically. In the impeller region, the flow separation on the blade surface was improved and the cross-passage vortexes were suppressed, and the reasons were explained by analyzing the flow fields and pressure distributions in the representative grooves. In addition, compared with the diagonal groove (DG) scheme, the axial groove (AG) scheme showed better performance. • A new groove flow control technology for the axial flow pump was proposed. • New technology eliminates the unstable region on the hydraulic performance curve. • New technology improves flow patterns in the inlet pipe and the impeller. • Axial grooves show better performance than diagonal grooves. • Improving mechanism was analyzed according to simulated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Favourable effects of oxygen vacancies in TiO2−x synthesized via a calcination method on the electrochemical performance of dual Mg/Li-ion batteries are investigated. The dual-ion cell shows excellent rate capabilities up to 40 C and outstanding cyclability up to 2500 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory animals play vital ecological roles in ecosystems worldwide, yet many species are threatened by human activities. Understanding the detailed patterns of habitat use throughout the migration cycle is critical to developing effective conservation strategies for these species. Migratory shorebirds undertake some of the longest known migrations, but they are also declining precipitously worldwide. To better understand the dynamics of shorebird declines along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, we quantified the spatiotemporal foraging distribution of 17 migratory shorebirds at two critical stopover sites. We found that shorebirds exhibit substantial interspecific and site-specific differences in their foraging distributions. Notwithstanding these differences, however, the upper tidal flats appear to be especially important to most shorebirds by providing more than 70% of the birds' cumulative foraging time, twofold greater than their proportional area. Because the upper tidal flats are also more prone to coastal development, our findings may help to explain why shorebird populations along the flyway have declined much faster than the overall rate of tidal flat loss. Our work highlights the importance of protecting upper tidal flats to conserve migratory shorebirds and demonstrates the value of a detailed ecological understanding of habitat usage by migratory animals for conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy loss is a key factor affecting the performance of the axial-flow pump, especially under the low flow conditions when sharply decrease of energy performance happens and strong vibration of the units poses great threats to the system safety. To address this problem, the entropy theory was utilized to quantitatively analyze and accurately locate the energy loss of axial-flow pump under different working conditions, and to analyze the improvement of energy performance of the axial-flow pump by groove flow control technology. The energy loss characteristics before and after the addition of grooves were compared under different flow rates, and the mechanism of improving energy performance of the axial-flow pump by groove flow control technology was revealed. 1) The impeller and guide vane are the main regions of energy loss in the flow passage under different flow conditions, which is of vital importance to the energy performance. Under the low flow conditions, the energy loss of the inlet pipe region is also nonnegligible, averagely accounts for 30% of the total entropy production in the saddle area. 2) The high entropy generation area in the impeller region is concentrated near the blade tip on the cylinder surface besides the shroud and the high entropy generation area in the inlet pipe region is besides the wall near inlet of the impeller under the low flow conditions. 3) After adding grooves, the total entropy production of axial-flow pump decreases under low flow conditions, especially under the deep stall condition, 5.32% in the impeller region and 17.26% in the inlet pipe region, leading to an increase of head by 65.77%. 4) Under the deep stall condition, the elimination of main passage vortex and the weakening of clearance vortex in the impeller region will lead to a significant decrease of the local entropy generation in the impeller, which is the underlying causes of the improvement of the energy performance in the saddle area of the axial-flow pump. The groove flow control technology applied in this paper can effectively improve the energy performance of the axial-flow pump, which provides valuable references for the improvement of energy characteristics in similar hydraulic machinery. • Entropy production distribution of different pump components are clarified. • Grooves significantly reduce the total energy loss under low flow conditions. • Mechanism of energy loss decreasing by groove control technology are revealed. • Influence of grooves on energy loss distribution of inlet pipe region is explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart structures based on shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) are gradually applied to the aerospace field hosting an ideal combination of properties. The damage behavior of SMPC-based smart structures with large deformations requires mechanism research to satisfy their reliability. In this study, a programmable SMPC-based locking laminate was investigated, which is expected to replace initiating explosives. Firstly, based on fiber buckling theory, fiber-reinforced SMPC locking laminate was designed and analyzed, and the safe allowable area and damage modes were determined. Additionally, the deformation test of the locking laminate based on fiber fabric reinforced SMPC showed that there is two typical damage behavior: matrix cracking and interlayer delamination. For this reason, theoretical analysis was performed to reveal the damage mechanism and initial damage location. The results indicated that the fiber bundle width, arc radius, and thickness were the influencing factors of matrix cracking, while the center angle was the influencing factor of delamination. Finally, finite element analysis shows the validity of the theoretical analysis. This research has potent inspiration and reference significance for the design of SMPC-based smart structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are promising materials for soft actuations. LCE composites (LCECs), via the inclusion of fillers into LCEs, bring diverse functionalities and stimuli-responsive capabilities. It is still a challenge to improve the mechanical properties of LCEC and ensure that the material can perform reversible transformations. Here we present a cost-effective LCEC design and fabrication method by dispersing continuous carbon fibers and carbon nanotubes into LCEs, forming a new type of LCEC actuator. We found that through adjusting the angle (such as 45° and 90°) between the carbon fiber and the stretching axis of LCEC matrix, complex deformable geometries can be easily achieved including bending and twisting structures with enhanced storage modulus (400.9 MPa at 25 °C). Furthermore, the LCEC actuators could be driven by various stimuli including heat (120 °C), light (800 mW cm−2), and electricity (2.0 V). As a result, our new LCEC actuator outperforms other LCE actuators by having the largest number of morphing geometries and stimulus-responsive modes. Our LCEC design and manufacturing strategy represents a promising general methodology that can be easily extended to other continuous fibers (such as glass fiber, aramid fiber, etc.) filled LCECs, bringing even rich shape-changing capabilities that are needed for soft robots and beyond. LCEC actuators incorporated with continuous carbon fiber and carbon nanotube have been designed. The continuous carbon fiber can both adjust the deformation geometry and provide conductive path. Consequently, these actuators can be triggered by multi-stimulus method including heat, light, and electricity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration routes of red‐necked phalaropes breeding around the Bering Sea are poorly known, despite the fact that the Bering Sea could mark the boundary between the East Palearctic populations that winter in the Pacific Ocean around the East Indies and the West Nearctic populations that winter in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America. Geolocator data retrieved from two male phalaropes tagged in southern Chukotka, Far Eastern Russia, confirm that birds breeding in this region belong to the East Palearctic population and winter in the East Indies, suggesting that the division line with the West Nearctic population is farther to the east. The routes taken by the two phalaropes were almost entirely pelagic, totaling around 18 000–20 000 km round‐trip, with the birds continuously on the move during migration, rather than resident in any particular stopover site, contrary to most other migratory shorebirds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) reporter gene has been used to trace stem cells. However, whether FTH1 expression is affected by stem cell differentiation or whether cell differentiation is affected by reporter gene expression remains unclear. Here, we explore the relationship between FTH1 expression and neural differentiation in the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) carrying FTH1 into neuron-like cells and investigate the feasibility of using FTH1 as an MRI reporter gene to detect neurally differentiated cells. By inducing cell differentiation with all-trans retinoic acid and a modified neuronal medium, MSCs and MSCs-FTH1 were successfully differentiated into neuron-like cells (Neurons and Neurons-FTH1), and the neural differentiation rates were (91.56±7.89)% and (92.23±7.64)%, respectively. Neuron-specific markers, including nestin, neuron-specific enolase, and microtubule-associated protein-2, were significantly expressed in Neurons-FTH1 and Neurons without noticeable differences. On the other hand, FTH1 was significantly expressed in MSCs-FTH1 and Neurons-FTH1 cells, and the expression levels were not significantly different. The R2 value was significantly increased in MSCs-FTH1 and Neurons-FTH1 cells, which was consistent with the findings of Prussian blue staining, transmission electron microscopy, and intracellular iron measurements. These results suggest that FTH1 gene expression did not affect MSC differentiation into neurons and was not affected by neural differentiation. Thus, MRI reporter gene imaging based on FTH1 can be used for the detection of neurally differentiated cells from MSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of active, deformable materials that can switch between a temporary shape, which can be freely designed, and their original shape. With their large deformation, low density, various stimulation methods, good biocompatibility and other advantages, SMPs have become widely accepted as smart materials. However, SMPs have many limitations and weaknesses that are exposed in engineering applications. For this reason, the significance of SMP composites (SMPCs) has been analyzed in terms of four aspects: reinforcement, innovation and improvement of driving methods, the creation of specific deformations and the creation of multifunctional materials. We then introduce the constitutive theory of SMPs and the post-buckling analysis of SMPCs. Afterward, we introduce the extensive applications of SMPCs in the fields of aerospace, biomedical equipment, self-finishing, deformable mandrels and the 4D printing of active origami structures, demonstrating their ability to undergo active driving and deformation, their adaptiveness, their ease of transport and their rapid production capacity, which fully demonstrate the unique advantages of SMPs in solving application problems. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of SMPCs in applications are summarized, and the prospects for new SMPCs and new SMPC structures are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transmitter sends a packetized message over a fading channel using packet-level erasure coding and physical-layer channel coding of each resultant packet. Given an overall code rate, this paper finds the optimal rates of the erasure code and the channel code to minimize the transmit power required for a certain message error probability. This paper considers a practically important fading model in which the number of block fades in a transmitted channel codeword increases with the codeword length. Such a model applies, for example, in a time-varying channel with a fixed coherence time. The rate at which diversity grows with codeword length plays an important role in the optimization problem. If the diversity growth factor is large enough, then the erasure code plays a minor role, having an optimal rate that is essentially nondecreasing with decreasing overall rate. We prove analytically that, on a channel with linear growth in diversity, as overall rate decreases, the optimal erasure code rate eventually increases to its maximum possible value (e.g., a rate of 1 for an erasure code with no overhead). Additionally, we also consider the optimization problem of minimizing the message error probability given a transmit power. Numerical results again show that erasure coding is not necessary when overall code rates are sufficiently low. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Crystalline qualities of three AlN films grown by cold-wall high temperature hydride vapor phase epitaxy (CW-HT-HVPE) on c-plane sapphire substrates, with different AlN buffer layers (BLs) deposited either by CW-HT-HVPE or by hot-wall low temperature hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HW-LT-HVPE), have been studied. The best film quality was obtained on a 500-nm-thick AlN BL grown by HW-LT-HVPE at 1000 ℃. In this case，the AlN epilayer has the lowest full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of the (0002) and (10–12) x-ray rocking curve peaks of 295 and 306 arcsec, respectively, corresponding to the screw and edge threading dislocation (TD) densities of 1.9×10 8 cm −2 and 5.2×10 8 cm −2 . This improvement in crystal quality of the AlN film can be attributed to the high compressive-stress of BL grown by HW-LT-HVPE，which facilitate the inclination and annihilation of TDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stress state and damage modes of SMPC were analyzed theoretically. • Considering the compressive strain of matrix, the strain energy of matrix cracking and fiber fracture damage systems were developed. • The neutral surface position, critical buckling position, critical damage position, and half-wavelength were solved by using the minimum energy principle. • The expressions and evolution rules during the damage propagation process were obtained by energy method. Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) are gradually being used in space deployable structures due to their unique shape memory properties and variable stiffness characteristics. Currently, the damage behavior of SMPC has not been systematically investigated, which affects its structural design and application. In this study, the damage behavior analysis of unidirectional fiber-reinforced SMPCs was investigated. The buckling deformation and damage modes of SMPC were analyzed theoretically. The strain energy of the matrix cracking and fiber fracture damage system was developed considering the compressive strain of the matrix. Additionally, the analytical expressions of the key parameters during bending were determined and the law of evolution was revealed. The damage mode analysis showed that decreasing fiber volume content and increasing thickness were more likely to result in matrix cracking damage. The fiber fracture would occur in the stretching region if the fiber volume content was less than a certain value. Finally, the experiment was performed to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical method. This work is significant for the design and optimization of the SMPC-based structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stress state and damage modes of SMPC were analyzed theoretically. • Considering the compressive strain of matrix, the strain energy of matrix cracking and fiber fracture damage systems were developed. • The neutral surface position, critical buckling position, critical damage position, and half-wavelength were solved by using the minimum energy principle. • The expressions and evolution rules during the damage propagation process were obtained by energy method. Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) are gradually being used in space deployable structures due to their unique shape memory properties and variable stiffness characteristics. Currently, the damage behavior of SMPC has not been systematically investigated, which affects its structural design and application. In this study, the damage behavior analysis of unidirectional fiber-reinforced SMPCs was investigated. The buckling deformation and damage modes of SMPC were analyzed theoretically. The strain energy of the matrix cracking and fiber fracture damage system was developed considering the compressive strain of the matrix. Additionally, the analytical expressions of the key parameters during bending were determined and the law of evolution was revealed. The damage mode analysis showed that decreasing fiber volume content and increasing thickness were more likely to result in matrix cracking damage. The fiber fracture would occur in the stretching region if the fiber volume content was less than a certain value. Finally, the experiment was performed to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical method. This work is significant for the design and optimization of the SMPC-based structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of low-cost and high-performance membranes is one of the most critical issues for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Herein, a novel ether-free poly(p -terphenylene methylimidazole) (PTMIm) is synthesized by a facile one-pot Friedel-Crafts polyhydroxyalkylation of p -terphenyl and 1-methyl-2-imidazolecarboxaldehyde. The PTMIm has excellent organic solubility and good chemical stability towards high valence vanadium ions. Meanwhile, due to the present pendant imidazole groups, the PTMIm membrane exhibits a high sulfonic acid absorption capability, achieving a suitable area resistance (AR). In order to further enhance the performance of the PTMIm membrane, side-chain quaternization is carried out by using 1-bromopropane, 3-bromo- N,N,N -trimethylpropan-1-aminium bromide and 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride as quaternized reagents. Comparing with pure PTMIm membrane and propyl group grafted membrane (i.e. PTMIm-C 3), terminal quaternary ammonium side chain grafted membranes of PTM-C 3 -QA and PTMIm-C 3 -OH-QA possess lower AR and better vanadium ion resistance simultaneously. Consequently, the ion selectivity value of the PTMIm-C 3 -QA membrane is 8.7 × 105 S min cm−3, which is approximately 130 times higher than that of Nafion 115 (6.6 × 103 S min cm−3), mainly resulting from its low AR (0.68 Ω cm2) and ultralow vanadium ion permeability (9.5 × 10−9 cm2 min−1). Meanwhile, both PTMIm and its grafted membranes exhibit excellent chemical stabilities within 400 h chemical stability test. Owing to the superior restriction on vanadium migration, the single cell with PTMIm-C 3 -QA displays an excellent self-discharge duration of 500 h, which is greatly longer than that of Nafion 115 (58 h). In the range of 40–160 mA cm−2, the PTMIm-C 3 -QA based cell expresses higher coulombic efficiencies (>99.5%) and larger energy efficiencies than the cell with Nafion 115. For the cycling test of VRFB during 500 cycles, the PTMIm-C 3 -QA based cell displays excellent cycle stability and good discharge capacity retention, indicating a great application potentiality of the PTMIm-C 3 -QA membrane for VRFBs. Novel ether-free poly(p -terphenylene methylimidazole) (PTMIm) and its grafted membranes with excellent performance are proposed for VRFBs. [Display omitted] • Ether-free poly(p -terphenylene methylimidazole) and its grafted membranes are synthesized and applied for VRFBs. • QA side chain grafted PTMIm membranes exhibit excellent ion selectivity and good chemical stability simultaneously. • PTMIm-C 3 -QA membrane displays high cycling stability in VRFB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The attenuation of shear strain in the resin matrix near a buckled fiber was considered. • The nonlinear stress-strain relationship during the post-buckling process was investigated. • The classical elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle was established to determine the dynamic buckling behaviors of SMPC at different temperatures. The microbuckling mechanics of unidirectional fiber-reinforced shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) with low fiber volume fraction were investigated, and the mechanical models were formulated considering the attenuation of shear strain in the resin matrix near the buckled fibers. We deduced the analytical expression of the attenuation function and the key parameters during the microbuckling process of SMPC, including the critical buckling wavelength and strain. The values determined by finite element analysis verified the accuracy of the above theoretical predictions. The nonlinear stress–strain relationship during the post-buckling process was also investigated. Additionally, the classical elastic–viscoelastic correspondence principle was established to determine the dynamic buckling behaviors of SMPC at different temperatures. The viscoelastic parameters of shape memory polymer (SMP) were obtained from the isothermal stress relaxation experiments, and then the variation of buckling wavelength with time at different temperatures was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the global pandemic of COVID-19, this study investigates the spatial factors influencing physical distancing, and how these affect the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, by integrating pedestrian dynamics with a modified susceptible–exposed–infectious model. Contacts between infected and susceptible pedestrians are examined by determining physical-distancing pedestrian dynamics in three types of spaces, and used to estimate the proportion of newly infected pedestrians in these spaces. Desired behaviour for physical distancing can be observed from simulation results, and aggregated simulation findings reveal that certain layouts enable physical distancing to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We also provide policymakers with several design guidelines on how to proactively design more effective and resilient space layouts in the context of pandemics to keep low transmission risks while maintaining a high pedestrian volume. This approach has enormous application potential for other infectious-disease transmission and space assessments. • A modified social force model was proposed for physical-distancing pedestrian dynamics. • A modified SEI model is introduced to estimate the proportion of newly infected pedestrians. • Some collective phenomena occur in the simulation for physical-distancing conditions. • Proper space organisation is suggested to curb infection spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inulin, as a dietary fiber, exerted prominent anti-obesity effects by modulating gut microbiota. However, the possible relationship and interplay of gut microbiome and function of distal intestine is still unclear now. This study aimed to investigate the possible targets of microbes and the related intestinal genes mediated by inulin. C57 BL/6 male mice were randomly allocated to chow diet (Chow) group, high-fat diet (HFD) group, and HFD supplemented with 3 % inulin (Inulin) group. Compared with HFD treatment, inulin supplementation significantly decreased the body weight, fat deposition, and fasting blood glucose level. In addition, mice treated with inulin had a remarkable alteration in the structure of cecal microbiota and transcriptomic profiling of ileum. In particular, inulin supplementation significantly reversed the HFD induced expression of Bacteroides, Allobaculum and nonrank_f_Bacteroidates_S24-7_group , and reversed the expression of genes belonging to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) family. In summary, inulin might alleviate HFD-induced fat deposition and metabolic disorders via regulating lipid metabolism of ileum, while the interaction between the sPLA2s and gut microbes might play important roles in the process. • Inulin modified the lipid metabolism related pathway in HFD induced obese mice. • The PLA2s and CYP450 genes alleviated disorder of lipid metabolism in ileum. • The sPLA2s might contribute to the modification of gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has emerged as an appealing therapeutic option against biofilm infections. However, effectively penetrating the dense barrier of biofilm and anchoring bacteria to achieve biofilm elimination and wound healing under hypoxic environments remains a challenge for aPDT. Herein, three type I/II Hypocrellin B (HB)‐cationic photosensitizers (HB‐P, HB‐TP, and HB‐TTP) are designed based on a multi‐cationic long chains molecular engineering strategy. With an increasing number of introduced cations, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and bacterial‐anchoring abilities of HB‐cationic photosensitizers are greatly enhanced. Notably, HB‐TTP demonstrates higher type I/II aPDT activity and broad‐spectrum antibacterial properties. Furthermore, to effectively address the conundrum of healing biofilm‐infected wounds, a ROS‐responsive core‐shell microneedle (HB‐TTP&EGF@MN) is designed by biphasically integrating HB‐TTP and growth factor. When the microneedle penetrates biofilm, the shell quickly dissolves and releases HB‐TTP to achieve biofilm removal under laser irradiation. The core is subsequently degraded slowly in the presence of endogenous ROS within the wound, facilitating a sustained release of growth factor to promote wound tissue regeneration. This work not only provides an effective strategy for the rational design of efficient antimicrobial agents but also proposes innovative ideas for the development of controlled‐release pharmaceutical materials to synergize against biofilm infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• BHDA was firstly introduced in PIP-TMC IP process for the preparation of NF membrane. • BHDA introducing enhanced the water permeation of NF membrane. • The MPQ membrane exhibited outstanding performance for heavy metals removal. High-performance nanofiltration (NF) membranes have profound implications for water purification. Here, we reported a novelty polyamide NF membrane through introducing bis (2-hydroxyethyl) dimethyl-ammonium chloride (BHDA) in interfacial polymerization (IP) process on three-channel substrate membrane. This new monomer bearing abundant quaternary ammonium (N+) and hydroxyl could participate in the reaction between piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). Then, not only was positive charge introduced into the NF membrane, but the hydrophilic of the resultant NF membrane was also significantly improved. Thus, the as-prepared PIP/BHDA-TMC (MPQ) membrane exhibited enhanced pure water flux (12.9 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1) which is 2.4 times as high as that of the PIP-TMC (MP) membrane, coupled with the salt rejection sequence as MgSO 4 (93.46%) > Na 2 SO 4 (91.61%) > MgCl 2 (88.15%) > NaCl (22.03%). Meanwhile, MPQ exhibited a promising separation performance to various heavy metal salts (96.43% CuSO 4 , 96.16% ZnSO 4 , 91.69% Cu(NO 3) 2 , 89.69% ZnCl 2 , 88.37% Pb(NO 3) 2). The stability of MPQ was tested with simulated wastewater, and the results illustrated that it has a potential applicability for heavy metals removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fluorescent cyclodextrin shows unexpected and strong fluorescence enhancement upon binding of organic molecules, and the enhancing mechanism is found to be different from those reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cow milk fat is an essential indicator for evaluating and measuring milk quality and cow performance. Growing research has identified the molecular functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) necessary for mammary gland development and lactation in mammals. Method: The present study analyzed circRNA expression profiling data in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) from cows with highly variable milk fat percentage (MFP) using differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Results: A total of 309 differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs) were identified in the high and low MFP groups. WGCNA analysis revealed that the pink module was significantly associated with MFP (r = − 0.85, P = 0.007). Parental genes of circRNAs in this module were enriched mainly in lipid metabolism-related signaling pathways, such as focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, adherens junction and AMPK. Finally, six DE-circRNAs were screened from the pink module: circ_0010571, circ_0007797, circ_0002746, circ_0003052, circ_0004319, and circ_0012840. Among them, circ_0002746, circ_0003052, circ_0004319, and circ_0012840 had circular structures and were highly expressed in mammary tissues. Subcellular localization revealed that these four DE-circRNAs may play a regulatory role in the mammary glands of dairy cows, mainly as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Seven hub target genes (GNB1, GNG2, PLCB1, PLCG1, ATP6V0C, NDUFS4, and PIGH) were obtained by constructing the regulatory network of their ceRNAs and then analyzed by CytoHubba and MCODE plugins in Cytoscape. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are crucial and most probable ceRNA regulators in milk fat metabolism. Conclusions: Our study identified several vital circRNAs and ceRNAs affecting milk fat synthesis, providing new research ideas and a theoretical basis for cow lactation, milk quality, and breed improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide SQPK was selected by in silico digestion and virtual screening from goat β-casein, and its effect and regulatory mechanism on function of endothelial cells was further evaluated. The results showed that SQPK exhibited relatively good ACE inhibition capacity (IC 50 = 452.7 μg/mL). Treatment with 25 μg/mL SQPK for 12 h significantly elevated nitric oxide (NO) production, stimulated eNOS expression (p < 0.05) and affected the transcriptomic profiling of EA. Hy926 cells. In particular, SQPK stimulated the expression of genes encoding inflammatory cytokines (CXCL1/2 and IL6) but depressed encoding mesenchymal markers (FN1 and CNN3). Furthermore, SQPK modified the expression of genes involved in endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Therefore, the selected peptide SQPK may exert potential protective effects on the function of endothelial cells by inhibiting the EndMT. [Display omitted] • Virtual screening is not accurate in selecting ACE inhibitory peptide. • SQPK exhibits potent ACE inhibition capacity. • SQPK inhibits the EndMT in endothelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide SQPK was selected by in silico digestion and virtual screening from goat β-casein, and its effect and regulatory mechanism on function of endothelial cells was further evaluated. The results showed that SQPK exhibited relatively good ACE inhibition capacity (IC 50 = 452.7 μg/mL). Treatment with 25 μg/mL SQPK for 12 h significantly elevated nitric oxide (NO) production, stimulated eNOS expression (p < 0.05) and affected the transcriptomic profiling of EA. Hy926 cells. In particular, SQPK stimulated the expression of genes encoding inflammatory cytokines (CXCL1/2 and IL6) but depressed encoding mesenchymal markers (FN1 and CNN3). Furthermore, SQPK modified the expression of genes involved in endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Therefore, the selected peptide SQPK may exert potential protective effects on the function of endothelial cells by inhibiting the EndMT. [Display omitted] • Virtual screening is not accurate in selecting ACE inhibitory peptide. • SQPK exhibits potent ACE inhibition capacity. • SQPK inhibits the EndMT in endothelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) is a promising intervention mode for HIV prevention, but little is known about its feasibility and effects in promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among Chinese gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Methods: We evaluated an instant messaging application using a WeChat-based mini-app to promote PrEP uptake among GBMSM via a mixed-methods design that includes a 12-week, two-arm randomized controlled pilot trial and in-depth progress interviews in Guangzhou, China. Primary outcomes include the number of PrEP initiations, individual-level psychosocial variables related to PrEP initiation, and usability of the PrEP mini-app. Results: Between November 2020 and April 2021, 70 GBMSM were successfully enrolled and randomized into two arms at 2:1 ratio (46 to the intervention arm, 24 to the control arm). By the end of 12-week follow-up, 22 (31.4%) participants completed the initial consultation and lab tests for PrEP, and 13 (18.6%) filled their initial PrEP prescription. We observed modest but non-significant improvements in participants' intention to use PrEP, actual PrEP initiation, PrEP-related self-efficacy, stigma, and attitudes over 12 weeks when comparing the mini-app and the control arms. Qualitative interviews revealed the key barriers to PrEP uptake include anticipated stigma and discrimination in clinical settings, burden of PrEP care, and limited operating hours of the PrEP clinic. In-person clinic navigation support was highly valued. Conclusions: This pilot trial of a mobile phone-based PrEP mini-app demonstrated feasibility and identified limitations in facilitating PrEP uptake among Chinese GBMSM. Future improvements may include diversifying the content presentation in engaging media formats, adding user engagement features, and providing off-line in-clinic navigation support during initial PrEP visit. More efforts are needed to understand optimal strategies to identify and implement alternative PrEP provision models especially in highly stigmatized settings with diverse needs. Trial registration: Trial registration: The study was prospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04426656) on 11 June, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The striking predilection of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in women, especially during gonad-intact puberty or reproductive years, indicates that oestrogen plays an important role in the progression of TMD, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC) was used to create temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) models in rats, while 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) injections were applied to mimic patients with high-physiological levels of oestrogen. Micro-CT scanning, histological staining and real-time PCR assays were preformed to observe the degenerative changes in the mandibular condylar cartilage and subchondral bone. The results showed that obvious degradation was found in the condylar cartilage and subchondral bone of rats with UAC procedure, including decreased cartilage thickness, loss of extracellular matrix, increased apoptotic chondrocytes and expression of pro-inflammatory and catabolic factors, decreased bone mineral density and increased osteoclast activity. E 2 supplements aggravated the condylar cartilage degradation but reversed the abnormal bone resorption in the subchondral bone induced by UAC. Our results revealed that high-physiological oestrogen plays a destructive role in condylar cartilage but a protective role in subchondral bone at the early stage of TMJ OA. These dual and distinct effects should be given serious consideration in future OA treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphingolipid compositions are crucial for the structural and physiological properties of microalgae membranes. In the present study, we developed a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometric method based on MS E data collection for the identification of sphingolipids with high efficiency, selectivity, sensitivity and mass accuracy and applied this method for precise structural identification and quantitative profiling of ceramides and glycosphingolipids in total lipid extracts from 17 strains of microalgae, including 11 strains of diatom, 3 strains of dinoflagellate and 3 strains of haptophyta. Using this method, four species of sphingolipids including 27 ceramides, 13 monosaccharide ceramides, 18 disaccharide ceramides and 18 trisaccharide ceramides were identified. The compositions of sphingolipid-included glycosyl moieties, long chain bases and N -acyl chains showed a significant difference among different microalgae categories. Some long chain bases including d19:2, d19:3 and d19:4, glycosyl moieties including disaccharide and trisaccharide, and N -acyl chains such as 14:0, 14:1, 24:0, 24:1, h18:1, h19:1 and h22:0–2 can be chosen as the molecular signature for microalgae from three major phyla. This methodology will be useful for a wide range of physiological and pathological studies of sphingolipids. Furthermore, the diversity of sphingolipid structure could provide a new criterion for microalgae chemotaxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New long side-chain imidazolium functionalized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes with low cost and high performance are developed for the vanadium redox flow battery. [Display omitted] • 1-(3-Aminopropyl)imidazole functionalized PVC membranes are synthesized for VRFBs. • Incorporation of APIm endows APIm-PVC membranes with excellent SA absorption capability. • 80%APIm-PVC achieves a 5 times higher ion selectivity than Nafion 115. • VRFB with 80%APIm-PVC displays high battery efficiencies and excellent cycle constancy. Developing polymer membranes with low price, superior ion conduction and good vanadium ion transport resistance is currently a hot topic in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). In the present work, long side-chain imidazolium functionalized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membranes are fabricated to provide a versatile strategy for the ion transport and selectivity trade-off in VRFBs. PVC is employed as the membrane matrix owing to its low price, high tensile strength and natural chlorine groups. 1-(3-Aminopropyl) imidazole (APIm) is grafted into PVC via a facile nucleophilic reaction, which provides the basic groups as the interaction sites for sulfonic acid, resulting in low area resistance. Meanwhile, due to the electrostatic repulsion effect of positively charged imidazolium cations between vanadium ions, APIm-PVC membranes display low vanadium ion permeability. Consequently, the 80 %APIm-PVC membrane has both low area resistance of 0.268 Ω∙cm2 and low vanadium ion permeability of 9.0 × 10−8 cm2∙min−1 simultaneously, achieving a 5 times higher ion selectivity (2.65 × 105 S min cm−3) than Nafion 115 (0.52 × 105 S min cm−3). The VRFB equipped with the 80 %APIm-PVC membrane shows higher battery efficiencies than the cell with Nafion 115 ranging from 100 to 160 mA∙cm−2, and also possesses excellent cycle constancy, indicating that low-cost x %APIm-PVC membranes have a great application potentiality for VRFBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale Diacylgycerol- N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS) and diacylglycerylhydroxymethyl- N,N,N-trimethyl-β-alanine (DGTA) are structural isomers that are the most commonly described betaine lipids in microalgae. The structural differentiation and precise identification of DGTS and DGTA in microalgae need to be established during mass spectrometry analysis. Methods Total lipid was extracted from Amphora spp. with CHCl3/CH3OH (1:1, v/v). The qualitative analysis of DGTS and DGTA in Amphora spp. was carried out using Li+/H+ dual mode by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry operating in MSE mode (UPLC/QTOF MSE). Results Characteristic fragment ions [C10H22O5N]+ at m/z 236.15 and [C7H14O2N]+ at m/z 144.10 from the [M + H]+ precursor ion can be used for the qualitative analysis of both DGTA and DGTS, whereas the loss of m/z 87 and 74 from the [M + Li]+ precursor ion are specific for DGTS, and the loss of m/z 103 from the [M + Li]+ precursor ion is only for DGTA. As a result, 9 DGTSs and 16 DGTAs with different fatty acids were identified simultaneously in Amphora spp. Semi-quantitative analysis of DGTS and DGTA in Amphora spp. showed that the contents of DGTS ranged from 0.003 to 0.438 nmol mg-1 dw, and that of DGTA from 0.004 to 0.414 nmol mg-1 dw. Conclusions This is the first report to achieve the ambiguous structural identification of DGTS and DGTA by UPLC/QTOF MSE using dual Li+/H+ adduct ion mode, which has remained a challenge in the past. It could provide new insights into their phylogeny and be helpful to characterize the natural phytoplankton communities as intact polar lipid biomarkers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Co 0.85 Se-CTAB was successfully prepared through one-pot hydrothermal method. • Co 0.85 Se-CTAB as magnesium-ion battery cathode material showed a high capacity and fast activation rate. • Two-step magnesium storage mechanism of Co 0.85 Se-CTAB as cathode in MIBs was revealed. Co 0.85 Se with Cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) prepared by the one-pot hydrothermal method is used as a cathode material for magnesium ion battery (MIB) for the first time. It exhibits higher initial capacity (348 mAh/g) and reversible capacity (127 mAh/g) than that of the untreated Co 0.85 Se. The obvious improvement can be ascribed to the enhanced conductivity and the lowered charge-transfer resistance (R ct) when CTAB is introduced. Moreover, the two-step magnesium storage mechanism of Co 0.85 Se-CTAB in MIB is investigated. This work provides a novel method to enhance the electrochemical properties of metal selenides as electrodes for magnesium ion batteries by adding CTAB cationic surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An event-triggered network predictive control method, which uses allowable time delays, was developed for networked control systems with random network delays, packet disorders, and packet dropouts in the feedback and forward channels. In this method, random communication constraints are uniformly treated as a time delay at each time instant. Subsequently, based on a time-delay state feedback control law, the proposed method is used to actively compensate for the time delay that exceeds the allowable. In addition, the introduction of an event-triggered mechanism reduces communication loads and saves network resources. A necessary and sufficient stability condition for the closed-loop system is provided, which is independent of random time delays and is related to the allowable delay. Finally, the simulation results of the two systems verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing membrane electrolyte materials with high performance and low cost is a key factor in promoting the application and commercialization of the high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). In this work, a Tröger's base (TB) polymer is synthesized from commercially available and low-cost 4,4′-diamine-3,3′-dimethyl-biphenyl (DMBP) and dimethoxy methane in trifluoroacetic acid via a one-pot TB polymerization reaction under mild conditions. The obtained polymer is composited by TB unit and DMBP moiety (named as DMBP-TB), which occupies a good organic solubility, high thermal stability and excellent chemical resistance. Due to the built-in bicyclic amine rings and intrinsic microporous structure, the pure DMBP-TB membrane exhibits a remarkable phosphoric acid (PA) doping content as high as 1077% in 85 wt% PA solution at room temperature. However, the excessive swelling and poor mechanical integrity hinder the PA doped DMBP-TB membrane as the HT-PEM. Thus, the commercial and low-cost engineering thermoplastic of poly(ether ketone cardo) (PEKC) is employed as the enhanced material to prepare DMBP-TB blend membranes. The DMBP-TB/50%PEKC/149%PA membrane displays an anhydrous conductivity of 0.061 S cm−1 at 180 °C and a tensile strength of 8.7 MPa at room temperature, which enables H 2 –O 2 fuel cell with a peak power density of 536 mW cm−2 at 180 °C without backpressure, suggesting the utility for HT-PEMFCs. Tröger's base polymer blended with poly(ether ketone cardo) membranes with excellent performance are proposed for HT-PEMFCs. [Display omitted] • Tröger's base polymer blended with PEKC membranes are proposed for HT-PEMFC. • Membranes exhibit high chemical stability, conductivity and tensile strength. • DMBP-TB/50%PEKC/149%PA based cell displays a peak power density of 536 mW cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cavitation is a complex flow phenomenon that hinders the efficient, safe, and stable operation of hydraulic machinery. To investigate the effect of cavitation on energy performance and flow characteristics of hydraulic machinery, cavitating flow in a slanted axial-flow pump based on entropy production theory and vortex dynamics is studied. The results show that the impeller chamber is a primary region of cavitation and energy loss generation under different cavitation conditions, including the incipient, growing, and wedge-shaped cavitation stages. In the incipient cavitation stage, as degree of cavitation strengthens, the flow at the impeller blade is smooth with little cavitation, and the variation in entropy production is constant, resulting in a stable energy performance. As it evolves into the wedge-shaped stage, the cavitation grows from the tip region near the impeller blade to the hub. At this time, the entropy production increases in the impeller chamber, resulting in a drop in energy performance. Meanwhile, flow separation appears at the impeller blade, and a secondary tip leakage vortex is promoted. The region with high vorticity basically matches the region with the high local entropy production rate. According to the relative vorticity transport equation, compressibility of cavitation strongly affects the relative vorticity in the impeller chamber, indicating that cavitation indirectly increases entropy production and energy loss by affecting the vorticity distribution, resulting in the drop in energy performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness is a rare genetic disease mainly caused by a point mutation in mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid. Lipoprotein lipase gene mutations are associated with familial dyslipidemias, which are difficult to manage. We reported for the first time a case that had both maternally inherited diabetes and severe hyperlipidemia caused by lipoprotein lipase gene mutation (C.347(exon3)G>C) that was resistant to fenofibrate and atorvastatin. We were able to manage the patient's hyperlipidemia with bezafibrate, and her diabetes was well controlled with insulin. In conclusion, genetic testing is helpful in identifying rare and interesting cases when clinicians suspect inheritable diseases. Additionally, when one fibrate drug is ineffective in treating hyperlipidemia, it might be worthwhile trying another fibrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]