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Morinda officinalis is a traditional Chinese tonic herb, and have been used in the treatment of multiple diseases. Here, three iridoid glycosides isolated from M. officinalis were evaluated for their roles in the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. All three iridoid glycosides could induce TFEB/TFE3-mediated lysosomal biogenesis and trigger autophagy. Interestingly, they promoted the nuclear import of TFEB/TFE3 without affecting their nuclear export, suggesting their role in the maintenance of lysosomal homeostasis. The results from this study shed light on the identification of autophagy activators from M. officinalis and provide a basis for developing them in the treatment of oxidative stress-involved diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing a quantitative relationship between modern pollen and vegetation remains a pivotal but intricate pursuit within the field of Quaternary palynology. The R-value, a well-established and traditional metric characterized by its simplicity and direct applicability, serves to calibrate the nonlinear disparities between surface pollen and modern vegetation. This study entails the construction of a comprehensive pollen R-value dataset for China derived from R-values published between 1987 and 2021. The dataset, compiled after rigorous screening, calibration, and standardization processes, encompasses 898 modern pollen sampling sites and 2115 pollen R-value data entries, encapsulating 152 pollen taxa spanning 65 families and 113 genera. Synthesizing the extracted R-values yielded the following insights: (1) A macrospatial analysis validates previously established knowledge at a site-specific scale. Evidently, pollen R-value variations across China are statistically significant. Approximately two-thirds of pollen taxa exhibit underrepresentation (e.g., Taxodiaceae, Corylus, Nitraria, Tamarix, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae), while the remaining one-third display overrepresentation (e.g., Pinus, Picea, Betula, Ephedra, Chenopodiaceae, and Artemisia). The degree of underrepresentation surpasses that of over-representation, and the representation patterns of Castanea, Quercus, Polygonaceae, and Asteraceae are contingent upon vegetation types. (2) Pollen R-values follow distinct spatial distribution patterns within China. In the woody vegetation region of eastern China, R-values progressively decline from north to south, correlating with rising temperatures and precipitation. Conversely, in herbaceous vegetation regions of northern and western China, R-values decrease from east to west and from northeast to southwest, corresponding to increased aridity. Nevertheless, pollen R-values manifest variation contingent on pollen taxa, vegetation types, and climatic regions, even differing for the same taxa across varying vegetation types and climatic conditions. This highlights the intricate nature of pollen R-values and their interpretation of pollen-vegetation relationships. (3) Pollen R-values and relative pollen production estimates exhibit resemblances and a modest positive correlation. However, adjudicating between them as representatives of vegetation requires nuanced consideration, as both metrics convey pollen representation within vegetation, demonstrating the multifaceted relationships they share with modern vegetation. Further recommendations suggest that when assessing pollen representation in modern vegetation, fossil pollen content should be weighted using either the median or log-transformed R-value. This approach underscores the necessity of comprehensively accounting for divergences and convergences across various spatial scales and vegetation types, particularly the disparities observed within identical pollen taxa across dissimilar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Laser lithotripsy under fluoroscopic guidance is difficult to perform and risky due to its invisibility. In this study we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel endoscopic auxiliary system (NEAS)‐assisted lithotripsy under fluoroscopy for treating difficult common bile duct (CBD) stones. Methods: Patients with difficult CBD stones who were treated with NEAS‐assisted laser lithotripsy (NEAS group) or conventional mechanical lithotripsy (ML) under fluoroscopy (ML group) were retrospectively evaluated. The primary outcome was the complete stone clearance rate and the secondary outcomes included operation time, complications, and medical cost. Results: Seventeen patients were treated with NEAS‐assisted laser lithotripsy and 144 patients underwent ML. Using the propensity score matching analysis, 17 pairs of cases treated with NEAS‐assisted lithotripsy and ML were included. Patients in the NEAS group showed a higher stone clearance rate than the ML group (94.1% vs 58.8%, P = 0.039), as well as shorter operation time (41.9 min vs 49.4 min, P < 0.001) and lower medical cost (USD 4607 vs USD 5014, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the complication rate between the two groups (5.9% vs 17.6%, P = 0.601). Conclusion: NEAS‐assisted fluoroscopy‐guided laser lithotripsy is feasible and safe, which may be a promising technique in fluoroscopy‐guided laser lithotripsy for difficult CBD stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "In vivo evaluation of Mg–6Zn and titanium alloys on collagen metabolism in the healing of intestinal anastomosis" published in Scientific Reports. The correction states that there were errors in the assembly of Figure 4 and Figure 5 in the original article. The corrected figures and accompanying legends are provided in the correction notice. The authors of the article are Xiao-hu Wang, Jian-shu Ni, Nai-long Cao, Song Yu, Yi-gang Chen, Shao-xiang Zhang, Bao-jun Gu, and Jun Yan. [Extracted from the article]

As a luminescent material with excellent structural diversity and optical tunability, cuprous iodide organic–inorganic hybrid semiconductors have attracted extensive attention in the field of environmental friendly solid-state lighting (SSL). In order to systematically study how tiny changes in ligands influence the luminescence properties of their complexes, in this study, the tail atoms of ethyl groups in ligands are modified with halogen atoms (F, Cl, and Br) and four all-in-one (AIO)-structured cuprous iodide inorganic–organic hybrid semiconductor materials (Cu2I4(Ln)2) are successfully obtained. The adjustment of the tail atoms effectively regulated the stacking modes of Cu2I42− clusters and their luminescence properties, realizing the transition of the crystal luminescence color from blue to green with the internal quantum yield (IQY) increasing from 1.57% to 53.39%. Their optical diffuse reflectance spectra and density functional theory calculations (DFT) helped investigate the origin and mechanism of luminescence. They are very stable and have good solution processability, which means that they can be applied as rare-earth element-free lighting phosphors. This study can provide ideas and a theoretical basis for designing cuprous iodide cluster luminescent materials in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia play a crucial role in the activation of immune defense mechanism as the resident macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia can eliminate damaged neurons, plaques, and other infectious agents. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-2 (TREM-2) speculates to be beneficial in preventing inflammation-induced bystander damage of neurons. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of TREM-2 on neurons are not clarified. We cultured PC12 cells with conditioned medium which was the supernatant of LPS-treated BV2 cells and six groups of PC12 cells (control group, LPS group, TREM-2 WT + LPS group, TREM-2 over-expression + LPS group, siRNA control + LPS group, and siRNA TREM-2 + LPS group) were investigated. The mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators: Nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Arginase-1(Arg-1) were quantified by using RT-PCR. Assessment of apoptosis in PC12 cells mediated by BV2 microglia was analyzed using TUNEL assays. The result showed that LPS stimulation significantly enhanced inducible iNOS (M1) production in BV2 cells (P < 0.01), and increased PC12 cells apoptosis (P < 0.01), while reduced the production of Arg-1 (M2) in BV2 cells (P < 0.01). These effects were attenuated by TREM-2 over-expression, but enhanced by TREM-2 silencing. It indicated that TREM-2 inhibited LPS-mediated neuronal apoptosis by down-regulating iNOS and up-regulating the expression of Arg-1 in BV2 microglia. Therefore, our findings may provide new insights in the regulation of TREM-2 on neuronal apoptosis via BV2 microglial M1/M2 modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motivation for this paper is to investigate the use of three promising types of recurrent neural networks (RNNs), i.e., the long short-term memory (LSTM) network, the bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU), when applied to the task of copper price prediction. This is done by deploying these RNNs with adequate data slicing and augmentation procedures to extract useful information from both domestic and international copper-related market indices for forecasting out-of-sample copper price movements. These RNN models are then empirically tested under various input window lengths, with the memory-free ANN model serving as a benchmark. The results show that the RNN models with memory units are superior to the memory-free ANN model, but the choice of a longer input window length may not produce a better prediction performance. To optimize the prediction results, the RNN models with relatively low forecasting errors are further combined using various ensemble averaging approaches (i.e., AVG or OLS, with the former being simpler) to integrate different model forecasts. Empirical findings show that the best ensemble prediction model is formed by combining just two RNNs (LSTM and BiLSTM) with shorter input window length, through the simpler AVG approach. Our results therefore suggest that in a sense, the "simpler is better" philosophy should apply for the deployment of RNN models for the task of copper price prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-processed CsPbI 3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have attracted enormous attention in both photovoltaic and electroluminescent applications in recent years. However, the surface defects of CsPbI 3 PQDs in the ligand exchange procedure still suffer the challenge of imperfect passivation, leading to poor device performance and ambient stability. In this work, we propose a modified surface ligand management to deposit CsPbI 3 PQD films using a layer-by-layer (LBL) solid-state exchange strategy, and its applications in photovoltaic and electroluminescent devices are studied. The conjugated phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) ligand, acting as a short-chain ligand with a phenyl group (PEA+ ion) for encapsulating the CsPbI 3 PQDs during the LBL procedure, which can both realize enhanced inter-dot coupling and defects passivation compared with conventional post-treatments. We further demonstrate the balanced transport and injection of electrons and holes within the PEAI-LBL based CsPbI 3 PQD films. With this approach, the CsPbI 3 PQD solar cells based on PEAI-LBL yielded a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 14.18% with a high open voltage of 1.23 V, along with obviously electroluminescent red emission properties in one device. Meanwhile, the unencapsulated devices exhibited excellent stability under a high-humidity environment. This strategy should accelerate advancement in utilizing PQDs for bifunctional optoelectronic applications. [Display omitted] • A bifunctional optoelectronic device based on CsPbI 3 perovskite quantum dots is investigated. • A PEAI layer-by-layer ligand-exchange strategy is proposed to study the surface chemistry of CsPbI 3 PQD. • The optical and electronic properties of CsPbI 3 PQD films are regulated to balance the separation and injection of carriers within device. • The bifunctional optoelectronic device achieved a champion PCE of 14.18%, along with impressive electroluminescent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new LMOFs, [Cd9(BTA)6(5-tbuip)6O2]n (LMOF-1) and [Cd3(BTA)2(5-tbuip)2]n (LMOF-2) (BTA = 1H-benzotriazole, 5-tbuip = 5-tert-butylisophthalic acid), have been synthesized by a solvothermal method. The different anions of cadmium salts lead to two isostructural LMOFs. Fe3+ could be detected by LMOF-1 with N-rich sites, which possessed a high quenching coefficient (Ksv) of up to 1.87 × 105 M−1. The Ksv value for the detection of Fe3+ is better than or comparable to those reported in the literature. Since LMOF-2 had a larger pore size compared to that of LMOF-1, it could detect Cr2O72− with a higher Ksv than LMOF-1. In addition, LMOF-1 is closer to white light, which means that it has potential application in white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new title MOFs, [Zn(BTA)2]n (LMOF-1) and [Zn3(BTA)2(5-tbuip)2]n (LMOF-2) (BTA = 1H-benzotriazole, 5-tbuip = 5-tert-butylisophthalic acid), have been synthesized by a solvothermal method. The structures of the two complexes have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and further characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. And the calculation of PLATON displays that the porosity values are 15.04% and 18.77%. Fluorescence analysis reveals that the two MOFs generate strong blue luminescence; LMOF-1 and LMOF-2 can be regarded as multiresponsive fluorescence sensors for Fe(III) and Cr(VI) (CrO42−/Cr2O72− ions) detection with high sensitivity and selectivity and a low detection limit in water via fluorescence quenching. It is worth noting that most LMOFs for detecting Ag+ to date are mainly formed with rare earth lanthanide metals, while there are still few Zn-based LMOF probes used in Ag+ detection. LMOF-1 can detect trace Ag+ in water with a low detection limit. In addition, LMOF-1 has excellent water stability and thermal stability, and is an excellent material for detecting Ag+ in daily water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of UAV target search in a three-dimensional unknown environment is a very challenging and realistic task. Compared with other intelligent algorithms, the pigeon swarm algorithm has faster convergence speed, higher search efficiency, and is suitable for target optimization tasks. Therefore, a multi-UAV target search method based on the pigeon swarm algorithm is proposed. The UAVs search for the information left by the target. Aiming at the problem that the pigeon swarm algorithm is easy to fall into the local optimum, an improved pigeon swarm algorithm based on the differential evolution strategy is proposed. Finally, simulation experiments verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have gained significant attention for their excellent optoelectronic properties, making them promising materials for applications in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells (SCs), but it is still a challenge to balance colloidal stability of QDs and conductivity of QD films. To address the issue, an effective surface ligand engineering method has been employed by using phenethylammonium bromide (PEABr) to passivate the surface defects of QDs while enhancing the charge transport and injection in QD films. The results indicate that PEABr ligand has successfully been adsorbed onto the surface of CsPbBr 3 QDs to passivate the vacancy defects, significantly enhance the electronic coupling between QDs. Systematically experimental studies show that PEABr post-treatment improves the PLQY (85 %) and stability of QDs with enhanced the carrier transport in QD film. Thanks to enhanced optoelectronic performance, the fabricated devices exhibited excellent photovoltaic (PV) and electroluminescent (EL) performance, and the CsPbBr 3 QD SC had a PCE of 2.00 % while exhibiting a maximum luminance (L max) of 1512 cd cm−2, thus realizing high-performance electroluminescent solar cell. [Display omitted] • The aromatic ammonium salts is applied to stabilize the dynamic binding surface of CsPbBr 3 QDs. • PEABr ligands could passivate the uncoordinated Pb2+ and occupy the A-site vacancies at the QD surface. • PEABr-treated QDs have a boosted PLQY (85 %) and stability, and the conductivity of the QD films is improved. • The solar cell presents higher PCE and improved electroluminescence performance compared to the control devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-inorganic CsPbBr 3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have great potential in semitransparent photovoltaics and tandem solar cells due to their excellent stability to hydrothermal and its wide bandgap (2.32 eV). Usually, the crystallization process of quantum dots films is separated from the film formation process without high temperature annealing owing to the quantum dots have crystallized during the synthesis process. This makes quantum dots more flexible in device applications such as flexible solar cells. However, the thermal annealing plays a potential role in improving quantum dots arrangement to enhance the carrier transport ability. Therefore, we systematically study a series of changes brought about by different annealing temperatures on CsPbBr 3 QD films and elucidate that thermal annealing leads to the drop of long-chain insulating ligands on the surface of the quantum dots and the grains growth through Ostwald ripening. More detailed, lower temperature (60 °C) annealing is favorable for quantum dot films that could promote the residual solvent evaporation and reduce the defect density to improve carrier transport. Then the performance of the device decreases as the annealing temperature increases owing to the partial fusion between quantum dots. The surface defect state of quantum dots increases and the carrier transport is hindered. And after annealing at 200 °C, the quantum dots grow large enough to form a bulk film at which carrier transport property improved. Finally, the specific effect of annealing on quantum dot films is revealed, which beneficial for obtaining high-performance solar cells. • Lower temperature (60 °C) annealing is favorable for quantum dot films. • Lower temperature (60 °C) annealing will rearrange the quantum dots. • 200 °C annealing realize the conversion from quantum dots films to bulk films. • Annealing will bring ripening of quantum dots and shedding of surface ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction after total gastrectomy is difficult to be performed using routine tools. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of cap‐assisted routine adult colonoscope (CARAC) for ERCP in these patients. Methods: Sixteen consecutive patients with indications of ERCP who had previously undergone total gastrectomy with Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction at two tertiary care endoscopy centers were identified. All ERCP procedures were carried out by using CARAC. The success rate of reaching the papilla, biliary cannulation and procedure‐related adverse events were analyzed. Results: The papilla was successful reached in 11 (68.8%) of the 16 cases, and biliary cannulation was subsequently reached in eight (72.7%) of the 11 cases. The procedures succeeded in three patients by using a percutaneous–endoscopic rendezvous procedure after failed cannulation. Overall clinical success was achieved in 11 (68.8%) of 16 patients. Procedure‐related mild acute pancreatitis was observed in 25.0% (4/16) of the cases and mild cholangitis in 18.8% (3/16). No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: CARAC for therapeutic ERCP is safe and effective in treating patients with Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction after total gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiac fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) has been considered an important part of cardiac pathological remodeling. Immune cells, especially macrophages, are thought to be involved in the process of fibrosis and constitute a niche with fibroblasts to promote fibrosis. However, the diversity and variability of fibroblasts and macrophages make it difficult to accurately depict interconnections. Methods: We collected and reanalyzed scRNA-seq and snRNA-seq datasets from 12 different studies. Differentiation trajectories of these subpopulations after MI injury were analyzed by using scVelo, PAGA and Slingshot. We used CellphoneDB and NicheNet to infer fibroblast-macrophage interactions. Tissue immunofluorescence staining and in vitro experiments were used to validate our findings. Results: We discovered two subsets of ECM-producing fibroblasts, reparative cardiac fibroblasts (RCFs) and matrifibrocytes, which appeared at different times after MI and exhibited different transcriptional profiles. We also observed that CTHRC1+ fibroblasts represent an activated fibroblast in chronic disease states. We identified a macrophage subset expressing the genes signature of SAMs conserved in both human and mouse hearts. Meanwhile, the SPP1hi macrophages were predominantly found in the early stages after MI, and cell communication analysis indicated that SPP1hi macrophage-RCFs interactions are mainly involved in collagen deposition and scar formation. Conclusions: Overall, this study comprehensively analyzed the dynamics of fibroblast and macrophage subsets after MI and identified specific subsets of fibroblasts and macrophages involved in scar formation and collagen deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new title MOFs, namely [Cd2(TIPA)2(bpodc)2]n (1 or MOF-1), [Cd2(TIPA)2(oba)2]n (2 or MOF-2) (TIPA = tris(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)amine, bpodc = benzophenone-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, oba = 4,4′-oxydibenzoic acid), have been synthesized via a solvothermal method. MOF-1 and MOF-2 both have a 2-fold interpenetrating 3D framework, and the calculation of PLATON display that porosity are 18.6% and 19.5%, respectively. Attributing to MOF-2 's uncoordinated carboxylate groups, it exhibits a high sensitivity in detecting Fe3+ with a very large quenching coefficient Ksv up to 27 027 M−1. Moreover, MOF-2 also has potential applications in chemical sensing of CrO42− and Cr2O72−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The population in Jiamusi has been reported to have the highest prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in China. The genetic causal-effect for this occurrence among the residents remains unclear. Given the long cold seasons with people wearing more clothes and reduced UV exposure, we aimed to study the association between the vitamin D metabolism-related gene CYP24A1 polymorphism and CRC susceptibility. Method: A case-control study was conducted that included 168 patients with CRC and 710 age-matched healthy individuals as the control group. Plausible susceptible variations were sought and clinical phenotypic-genotype association analysis was performed. Results: Overall, two CYP24A1 polymorphisms, rs6013905 AX (P = 0.02, OR = 1.89, 95%CI: 1.09–3.29) and rs2762939 GX (P = 0.02, OR = 1.52, 95%CI: 1.08–2.13) were significantly associated with CRC in the Jiamusi population. In the female group, three CYP24A1 polymorphisms, rs6013905 AX (P = 0.04, OR = 2.59, 95%CI: 1.03–6.49), rs2762939 GX (P = 0.01, OR = 2.35, 95%CI: 1.25–4.42), and rs6068816 GG (P = 0.05, OR = 1.89, 95%CI: 0.99–3.59) carriers were significantly associated with CRC. In clinical phenotypic-genotype analysis, rs6013905 GG (P = 0.05, OR = 4.00, 95%CI: 0.92–17.48) and rs2762939 GX (P = 0.03, OR = 4.87, 95%CI: 1.00–23.69) carriers were significantly associated with poorly differentiated CRC, while CYP24A1 rs6068816 AX was significantly associated with the tumor type (P = 0.02, OR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.10–3.96) and location (P = 0.04, OR = 2.24, 95%CI: 1.05–4.77). Conclusion: CYP24A1 gene polymorphism may be a genetic risk factor attributable to the highest prevalence of CRC in Jiamusi people. Individuals with CYP24A1 gene polymorphism may have an increased barrier for vitamin D absorption, thus contributing to the risk of CRC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a simple strategy to fabricate the cellulose aerogel with homogeneous porous structure and good compression strength properties has been demonstrated. The cellulose aerogel was simply prepared by adding styrene acrylic emulsion (SAE) to the TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), followed by freeze-drying and oven-heating, in which covalent bond between CNF and SAE was confirmed by FT-IR. Meanwhile, the regulation process of porous structure of cellulose aerogels was investigated by varying the properties of CNF, and the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and SAE. The results demonstrated that the porous structure of cellulose aerogel was gradually improved with increasing carboxyl content of CNF. CMC could effectively increase in specific surface area of cellulose aerogel, achieving a more preferred porous structure due to the elimination of hornification. SAE could highly enhance the uniformity of structure with specific surface area up to 184 m2/g, porosity up to 99%, and successfully improve the strength properties, showing the fabricated cellulose aerogel as a potential cushion packaging material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the biodiversity and carbon (C) functions of karst forests is scarce. This study comprehensively compared the species diversity and floristic characteristics, biomass and its allocation, leaf and soil C and nitrogen (N) concentrations, and photosynthetic capacity of dominant tree species between peak clump depression (PCD)-type and plateau surface (PS)-type karst forests on the basis of two large plots (i.e., 1 and 2 ha, respectively) in southwestern China. Results showed that PCD-type karst forest exhibits higher biodiversity and more tropical family and genus types than PS-type karst forest. These two types of karst forest presented similar total biomass, but PCD-type karst forest allocated more biomass to supporting roots and less biomass to absorbing roots. PS-type karst forest had higher C/N ratios in leaves and soils than PCD-type karst forest. Deciduous tree species in PS-type karst forest had low net photosynthetic rates, resulting in lower net photosynthetic rate in PS-type karst forest than in PCD-type karst forest. Species richness and C storage in the karst morphologies would be considerably enhanced if degraded vegetation in different types of karst area could be successfully restored to forests according to respective morphological and vegetation features. A comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity and C functions of karst vegetation is essential to biodiversity conservation, regional C storage estimation, vegetation management and restoration, and potential global change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the biodiversity and carbon (C) functions of karst forests is scarce. This study comprehensively compared the species diversity and floristic characteristics, biomass and its allocation, leaf and soil C and nitrogen (N) concentrations, and photosynthetic capacity of dominant tree species between peak clump depression (PCD)-type and plateau surface (PS)-type karst forests on the basis of two large plots (i.e., 1 and 2 ha, respectively) in southwestern China. Results showed that PCD-type karst forest exhibits higher biodiversity and more tropical family and genus types than PS-type karst forest. These two types of karst forest presented similar total biomass, but PCD-type karst forest allocated more biomass to supporting roots and less biomass to absorbing roots. PS-type karst forest had higher C/N ratios in leaves and soils than PCD-type karst forest. Deciduous tree species in PS-type karst forest had low net photosynthetic rates, resulting in lower net photosynthetic rate in PS-type karst forest than in PCD-type karst forest. Species richness and C storage in the karst morphologies would be considerably enhanced if degraded vegetation in different types of karst area could be successfully restored to forests according to respective morphological and vegetation features. A comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity and C functions of karst vegetation is essential to biodiversity conservation, regional C storage estimation, vegetation management and restoration, and potential global change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells have become one of the highly promising candidates for photovoltaic technologies because of their low processing cost, rapid-growing power conversion efficiency and easy preparation process. Electron transfer layer (ETL) plays an important role in exciton separation and charge transport for perovskite devices. A TiO2–ZnO binary mixed nanoparticle (NP) ETL, which can be prepared in low-temperature hydrothermal method, was proposed. By analyzing the XRD and SEM, the incorporation of mixed NPs thin film improved the interfacial stability of ZnO/perovskite and prevented the perovskite layer from being decomposed as compared to the pure ZnO NPs thin film. Furthermore, UV spectrum and EIS results show that TiO2–ZnO mixed NP ETL has high transmittance and maintains good electrical properties of pure ZnO NPs basically. Finally, the efficiency of perovskite device based on TiO2–ZnO mixed NP ETL was improved to 15%. Our research provides a simple way for the application of ZnO in PCSs. A TiO2–ZnO binary mixed NPs thin film was proposed as ETL for planar perovskite solar cells, which was fabricated by adding TiO2 NPs into ZnO NPs that were both synthesized by hydrothermal method in low temperature. The presence of TiO2 NPs could improve the electrical properties of ETL and stabilize the interface of ZnO/perovskite at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: For multiple myeloma patients who respond to primary therapy, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is considered standard of care with high-dose melphalan for transplant candidates. There are now two different melphalan formulations available, including a propylene glycol containing (PG-MEL) product and a propylene glycol-free (PG-free MEL) product. Although considered bioequivalent, there remains limited literature directly evaluating the adverse events between the two agents. We seek to assess the tolerability and severity of side effects between the two formulations in a real-life practice setting. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive analysis was conducted of multiple myeloma patients who received autologous stem cell conditioning with either melphalan formulation when dosed at 100 mg/m2/dose for two consecutive doses. The primary outcome was the assessment of tolerability and severity of side effects. Tolerability was split into four major categories including hematologic toxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity, and highest recorded mucositis grade. Results: There were a total of 78 patients who received a melphalan preparation during the study. The median time to myeloablation and neutrophil engraftment was five and seven days post-HSCT, respectively, for all patients. Patients who received PG-free MEL were less likely to develop mucositis, with 22 (56%) reported highest grade 0, defined by World Health Organization oral toxicity scale, compared to those who received PG-MEL (33%), p = 0.04. Conclusion: There were minimal differences in tolerability or side effects observed between PG-free MEL and PG-MEL. These data may assist in better understanding the anticipated adverse effects of a high-dose melphalan conditioning therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progress in quantum physics shows that quantum computers may be a reality in the not too distant future. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) refers to cryptographic schemes that are based on hard problems which are believed to be resistant to attacks from quantum computers. The supersingular isogeny Diffie-Hellman (SIDH) key exchange protocol shows promising security properties among various post-quantum cryptosystems that have been proposed. In this paper, we propose two efficient modular multiplication algorithms with special primes that can be used in SIDH key exchange protocol. Hardware architectures for the two proposed algorithms are also proposed. The hardware implementations are provided and compared with the original modular multiplication algorithm. The results show that the proposed finite field multiplier is over 6.79 times faster than the original multiplier in hardware. Moreover, the SIDH hardware/software codesign implementation using the proposed FFM2 hardware is over 31 percent faster than the best SIDH software implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research exists regarding the relationship between fasting plasma C-peptide levels and sarcopenia. As a result, our study aimed to examine this association in elderly Chinese diabetic patients. This cross-sectional study included 288 elderly patients with diabetes mellitus from the Fourth People's Hospital in Guiyang who were enrolled prospectively between March 2020 and February 2023. The independent variable of interest was fasting plasma C-peptide, while the dependent variable was sarcopenia. Data on several covariates, including demographic factors, lifestyle habits, co-morbidities, anthropometric indicators, and laboratory indicators, were also collected. Of the 288 participants, 27.43% (79/288) had sarcopenia. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, we found a U-shaped association between fasting plasma C-peptide levels and sarcopenia, with inflection points identified at approximately 774 pmol/L and 939 mmol/L. Within the range of 50–744 pmol/L, each 100 pmol/L increase in CysC was associated with a 37% decrease in the odds of sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR], 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49 to 0.83; P < 0.001). Additionally, within the range of 939–1694 pmol/L, each 100 pmol/L increase in fasting plasma C-peptide was associated with a 76% increase in the odds of sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 2.81; P = 0.017). Our study revealed a U-shaped association between fasting plasma C-peptide levels and the likelihood of sarcopenia, with lower risk in the range of 774–939 pmol/L. These findings may assist in the development of more effective prevention and treatment strategies for sarcopenia in elderly diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While the effects of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) on embryonic toxicity are widely accepted, its exact mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated, which partially attribute to lack of ideal research model. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the capacity to differentiate into all cell types of three germ layers. Thus, they are ideal resources for the reproductive toxicity assessment in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the effects of PM 2.5 exposure on the oxidative stress and apoptosis of human ESCs (hESCs) and its possible mechanism. Our results showed that strong cytotoxicity high reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and fragmentation of nuclei were observed in the PM 2.5 -treated hESCs. Meanwhile, up-regulation of apoptosis as well as down-regulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway were also observed after PM 2.5 treatment. However, we did not detect significant expression change or phosphorylation of Akt and Erk in PM 2.5 -treated hESCs. Interestingly, scavenging of PM 2.5 -induced ROS by N -acetylcysteine (NAC) could block cell apoptosis and rescue the activity of Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, we demonstrate that PM 2.5 is toxic to hESCs by inhibition of ROS-mediated Nrf2 pathway activity. Our findings suggest activation of Nrf2 pathway will help develop new strategies for the prevention and treatment of PM 2.5 -associated disease. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • PM 2.5 caused severe cytotoxic effects on hESCs by elevating ROS level. • PM 2.5 induced down-regulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway in hESCs. • Akt and Erk pathways were not changed in PM 2.5 -treated hESCs. • NAC could block cell apoptosis and rescue the activity of Nrf2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel two‐dimensional (2D) ZnII coordination framework, poly[[μ‐1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene](μ‐5‐nitrobenzene‐1,3‐dicarboxylato)zinc(II)], [Zn(C8H3NO6)(C14H14N4)]n or [Zn(NO2‐BDC)(1,3‐BMIB)]n [1,3‐BMIB is 1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene and NO2‐H2BDC is 5‐nitrobenzene‐1,3‐dicarboxylic acid], has been prepared and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, thermal analysis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed that the compound is a new 2D polymer with a 63 topology parallel to the (10) crystal planes based on left‐handed helices, right‐handed helical NO2‐BDC–Zn chains and [Zn2(1,3‐BMIB)2]n clusters. In the crystal, adjacent layers are further connected by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, C—H...π interactions, C—O...π interactions and N—O...π interactions to form a three‐dimensional structure in the solid state. In addition, the compound exhibits strong fluorescence emissions in the solid state at room temperature. A zinc(II) compound, prepared by the reaction of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O with 5‐nitrobenzene‐1,3‐dicarboxylic acid (NO2‐H2BDC) and 1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene (1,3‐BMIB) in H2O, is a new two‐dimensional ZnII coordination polymer with a (4,4) topology parallel to the (10) crystal planes based on left‐handed helices, right‐handed helical NO2‐BDC–Zn chains and [Zn2(1,3‐BMIB)2]n clusters. The compound exhibits strong fluorescence emissions in the solid state at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel two‐dimensional CdII coordination framework, poly[[[μ‐1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene‐κ2N:N′](μ‐1,3‐phenylenediacetato‐κ4O,O′:O′′,O′′′)cadmium(II)] dihydrate], {[Cd(C10H8O4)(C14H14N4)]·2H2O}n or {[Cd(PDA)(1,3‐BMIB)]·2H2O}n [1,3‐BMIB is 1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene and H2PDA is 1,3‐phenylenediacetic acid], has been prepared and characterized using IR, elemental analysis, thermal analysis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, the latter revealing that the compound is a (4,4) grid coordination polymer with layers oriented parallel to the bc crystal planes. In the crystal, adjacent layers are further connected by O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a three‐dimensional structure in the solid state. In addition, the compound exhibits strong fluorescence emissions and shows photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue in the solid state at room temperature. A cadmium(II) compound prepared by reaction of Cd(NO3)2·6H2O with 1,3‐phenylenediacetic acid and 1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene in H2O, possesses a new (4,4) two‐dimensional CdII coordination polymeric structure parallel to the bc plane. The compound exhibits strong fluorescence emissions and a highly photocatalytic degradation activity for the degradation of methylene blue in the solid state at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel two‐dimensional CoII coordination framework, namely poly[(μ2‐biphenyl‐4,4′‐diyldicarboxylato‐κ2O4:O4′){μ2‐bis[4‐(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)phenyl] ether‐κ2N3:N3′}cobalt(II)], [Co(C14H8O4)(C20H18N4O)]n, has been prepared and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, thermal analysis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The crystal structure reveals that the compound has an achiral two‐dimensional layered structure based on opposite‐handed helical chains. In addition, it exhibits significant photocatalytic degradation activity for the degradation of methylene blue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the deformation of the skull base and fronto-temporal soft tissue in the patients with anterior plagiocephaly over 1 year of age by three-dimensional (3D) imaging after fronto-orbital advancement (FOA).Methods: We quantitatively analyzed the surgical results and outcome of FOA performed in 10 patients with anterior plagiocephaly. The measurements of the skull base and fronto-temporal soft tissue were performed based on 3D computed tomography (CT) scan. We assessed symmetry of the skull base and fronto-temporal soft tissue change.Results: The mean age of patients at FOA was 38.9 months. A significant asymmetry of the skull base was found in all the patients. The growth of the anterior and middle fossae was restricted and the deformation of the fronto-temporal region was marked by soft tissue measurements in different grades. On the follow-up CT images 23.6 months after surgery, there was prominent change (p < 0.05) between the two hemibases (CSO^ ratio) and between the lengths and angles of the anterior and middle cranial hemi-fossae (CX, CSX^, XSM^, XM ratio), especially in grade IIA. Anterior cranial vault asymmetry index obviously decreased to − 1.2 from 12% after surgery (p < 0.05). What’s more, ACA^ was also proved to be less after surgical correction (19.91° versus 8.29°, p < 0.01) in grade IIA. The change of fronto-temporal soft tissue was significant such as the frontal angle, the angle of the frontal plane, the fontal-temporal angle, and the angle of the temporal plane in different grades.Conclusions: The asymmetry of the skull base and the deformation of the fronto-temporal region can be presented by intracranial view at over 1 year of age in different grades. FOA can correct the skeletal malformation of the fronto-temporal region as well as soft tissue and the asymmetry of the skull base was improved after surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the growing use of financial hedging among competitive firms nowadays, we develop a game-theoretical model to investigate the problem of applying financial hedging to improve a firm’s competitive strategy. A distinctive setting of the model is that the firm value is a concave function of the firm profit, which is consistent with the empirical evidences in finance literature. After proving the unique existence of the Nash equilibrium, we examine the effects of financial hedging on the equilibrium and yield some novel results. In particular, our analysis suggests that in a competitive market, financial hedging is not just to protect a firm’s bottom line; perhaps more importantly, effective financial hedging schemes can help increase the firm value by boosting the firm’s production, raising the market share, and improving its profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual offline robot teaching provides a flexible and more economic robot programming solution to belt lapping. Due to the elasticity of the components, the applied force directly influences the polishing result, and the corresponding reaction force sensed by the user affects his or her decision on next operation. However, most of the simulation works reported so far focus mainly on the machining effect of belt lapping but not the contacting force. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel force feedback model for virtual robot teaching of belt lapping. By analyzing the force conditions at different process stages, three kinds of forces, namely natural force, colliding force, and resistance force, are defined to facilitate users with continuous force feedback during a virtual lapping process. To validate the model, a comparative study is done between the actual force measured during the belt lapping process and that simulated by the proposed force model. Moreover, evaluators are involved to conduct the virtual lapping of a mechanical part using the prototype developed. Both the quantitative and the evaluation experiments have validated that the force model is able to provide users with realistic force feedback and better ergonomic feelings of immersion. Moreover, they are also positive on the flexibility and efficiency of using the prototype for virtual robot teaching of belt lapping processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of two dominant species, one deciduous tree ( Platycarya strobilacea) and one evergreen tree ( Machilus cavaleriei), was estimated based on the tree-ring width and the girth increment as well as allometric functions in a karst evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest in central Guizhou Province, southwestern China. Results showed that the ANPP increased from 1961 to 2015, especially during the last 20-30 years, but with strong variations. The deciduous tree had higher ANPP than the evergreen tree according to two kinds of estimates by the tree ring and girth increment. The averaged ANPP for these two mature trees was 2.27 kg/individual/year, ca. 8 t/ha/year considering the normal stand density. Such karst forest productivity was lower than the natural subtropical forests in China and in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ericoid mycorrhizal associations are a symbiotic relationship between soil fungi and ericaceous plants. Diversity of fungi associated with hair roots of ericaceous plants may vary as a result of frequent disturbances by human activities. The fungal diversity and communities associated with hair roots of Rhododendron ovatum were investigated along a human disturbance gradient in subtropical forests of China. Nine hundred fungal operational taxonomic units were determined by high-throughput sequencing, including different phyla such as Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Glomeromycota. The dominant phylum in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations and old-growth forest was Ascomycota, while Basidiomycota was the dominant phylum in secondary forests. The indicator species analyses showed that more pathogenic indicator fungi appeared in the disturbed forests, whereas more putative ericoid mycorrhizal fungi existed in the old-growth forests. Principal component analysis also showed that the fungal communities in the hair roots of R. ovatum were distinct between natural forests and plantations, suggesting that the fungal communities associated with hair roots of R. ovatum after logging were resilient and could recover to predisturbance status. The results of envfit analysis showed that performance of host plants rather than accompanying plant community and soil parameters of plots was the key determinant of the root-associated fungal community of R. ovatum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the microstructure evolution of hydrogenated microcrystalline germanium (μc-Ge:H) thin films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). There is an amorphous incubation layer formed in the initial deposition stage of μc-Ge:H thin film. It is demonstrated that the thickness of incubation layer can be reduced by high hydrogen dilution and high discharge power method. However, at high hydrogen dilution, the deposition rate of μc-Ge:H appears a sharply decrease. Using a high discharge power can compensate the deposition rate decrease but lead to decrease of average grain size and appearance of micro-void in the μc-Ge:H thin film. In addition, by comparing two thickness groups of μc-Ge:H thin films deposited at different discharge powers, it is noticed that the evolution process relates to the formation of crystal nucleuses. Thus, a power gradient method is proposed to understand the mechanism of nucleation and crystal growth in the initial deposition process of μc-Ge:H films. Finally, by power gradient method, the incubation layer thickness of μc-Ge:H thin films has been decreased to less than 6 nm. Moreover, Raman scattering spectra shows a 38 nm μc-Ge:H film has a crystal fraction ( X C ) of 62.4%. Meanwhile, the mobility of TFT devices shows the improved electrical property of μc-Ge:H film deposited by power gradient method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) are promising candidates that can improve the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this paper, a ternary OSC with two donors, including one wide bandgap polymer poly[ N -9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT), one low bandgap polymer Poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2- b :4,5- b ′]dithiophene-co-3-fluorothieno[3,4- b ]thiophene-2-carboxylate] (PTB7-Th), and one acceptor [6,6]-phenyl C70 butyric acid methyl ester (PC 70 BM), is fabricated in atmospheric conditions. By incorporating a 20% content of PCDTBT, an optimized PCE of 7.86% for ternary OSC is characterized by a short-circuit current density ( J sc ) of 15.21 mA cm −2 , a fill factor of 69.70% and an open-circuit voltage ( V oc ) of 0.74 V. The V oc values increased steadily from 0.73 to 0.86 V as the increase of PCDTBT fraction, which indicates that the V oc of ternary OSC is not limited by the smallest one of the corresponding binary OSC. We show that the J sc of the ternary OSC is better than those of the binary OSC in virtue of the complementary polymer absorption and cascade energy levels, as well as optimized morphology of the ternary system. Furthermore, the lifetime of the devices with PCDTBT is greatly enhanced. This work indicates that two donors (PTB7-Th/PCDTBT) ternary BHJs system provide a simple and effective method to improve the performance and also the stability of OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel multifunctional chemical sensor Mn-based LMOF, namely, [Mn(tipe) 4 (ndc)Cl] n (LMOF-1) was solvothermally synthesized by introducing an aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) ligand, 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-(1H -imidazole-1-yl)-phenyl)ethane, and analyzed by single crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric and powder X-ray diffraction and other methods. The analysis of the structure showed that LMOF-1 crystallized in a monoclinic system, P2 1 /n space group. LMOF-1 has high stability and strong luminescence properties in solutions. The sensing experiments testify that it can be used as a selectively multifunctional sensor for Fe3+, CrO 4 2− and Cr 2 O 7 2−, with high quenching coefficient (Ksv) values at 11924 ​M−1, 16078 ​M−1 and 18744 ​M−1, respectively. Noticeably, there found that the Ksv value of Cr 2 O 7 2− was the highest among published literature. A novel Mn-based LMOF, [Mn(tipe) 4 (ndc)Cl] n (LMOF-1), was solvothermally synthesized by introducing an AIE luminogens ligand. It has high stability and strong luminescence properties in water and can be used as a multifunctional sensor for Fe3+, CrO 4 2− and Cr 2 O 7 2−. [Display omitted] • A novel multifunctional chemical sensor Mn-based LMOF-1 was solvothermally synthesized by introducing an AIEgens ligand. • LMOF-1 has high stability and strong luminescence properties. • It can be used as a selectively multifunctional sensor for Fe3+, CrO 4 2− and Cr 2 O 7 2−, with high quenching coefficient values. • The Ksv value of Cr 2 O 7 2− was the highest among published literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three new LMOFs titled, [Mn(TIPA)(ndc)(H 2 O)] n (LMOF-1), [Mn 2 Cl 2 (TIPA) 2 (oba)] n (LMOF-2), [Mn 3 O(TIPA)(oba) 3 ] n (LMOF-3) (TIPA = tris(4-(1H-imidazole-1-yl)phenyl)amine, ndc = 1,4-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, oba = 4,4'-oxydibenzoic acid) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. • Due to an uncoordinated carboxylate group in LMOF-1, it can selectively detect Fe3+, CrO 4 2- and Cr 2 O 7 2− ions with high quenching constants and low detection limits of 14,647 M−1 and 2.505 × 10−5 M for Fe3+, 10,705 M−1 and 2.835 × 10−5 M for CrO 4 2-, 6101 M−1 and 3.108 × 10−5 M for Cr 2 O 7 2−. • It is worth noting that the LMOF-1 exhibited excellent sensing performance for OH−. Three new LMOFs titled, [Mn(TIPA)(ndc)(H 2 O)] n (LMOF-1), [Mn 2 Cl 2 (TIPA) 2 (oba)] n (LMOF-2), [Mn 3 O(TIPA)(oba) 3 ] n (LMOF-3) (TIPA = tris(4-(1H-imidazole-1-yl)phenyl)amine, ndc = 1,4-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, oba = 4,4'-oxydibenzoic acid) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Single crystal diffraction analysis showed that LMOFs 1-3 were two-node network structures. LMOF-3 had a 2-fold interpenetrating 3D framework made up of pentahedron SBU with Mn 3 O(CO 2) 6 units as the core (The Mn 3 O(CO 2) 6 unit is defined as a pentahedral SBU). LMOF-1 and LMOF-2 on the other hand consist of six-coordinated octahedral structures with a single Mn atom as the core, with an uncoordinated carboxylate group in LMOF-1, selectively detecting Fe3+, CrO 4 2- and Cr 2 O 7 2− ions with high quenching constants and low detection limits of 14,647 M−1 and 2.505 × 10−5 M for Fe3+, 10,705 M−1 and 2.835 × 10−5 M for CrO 4 2-, 6101 M−1 and 3.108 × 10−5 M for Cr 2 O 7 2−. It is worth noting that the LMOF-1 exhibited excellent sensing performance for OH− [Display omitted] Under hydrothermal conditions, [Mn(TIPA)(ndc)(H 2 O)] n (1), [Mn 2 Cl 2 (TIPA) 2 (oba)] n (2), [Mn 3 O(TIPA)(oba) 3 ] n (3). 1-3 show strong blue luminescence and may be useful to the development of fluorescent materials. Noticeably, 1 shows unusually detecting behavior to OH−. And it can also be considered as a multi-response highly efficient luminescent sensor toward Fe3+ cation, CrO 4 2− and Cr 2 O 7 2− anions in water due to the uncoordinated carboxylate groups. It means they potentially can be used as luminescence-based chemical sensors for detecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Pancreatic acinar cell necrosis and subsequent inflammatory response aggravate acute pancreatitis ( AP). Tetraspanin CD9 has been reported to mediate inflammatory signaling by regulating molecular organization at the cell surface. This study aimed to investigate the role of CD9 in caerulein-induced AP ( CIP) in mice. Methods The expression of CD9 was detected in CIP in mice in vivo and cholecystokinin ( CCK)/recombinant mouse tumor necrosis factor (rm TNF)-α induced pancreatic acinar cell death in vitro by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunofluorescence. The roles of CD9 in pancreatic acinar cell death and inflammatory response were further studied through the deletion of CD9 expression using small interfering RNA (si RNA). Results CD9 was markedly upregulated in pancreatic tissues in mice during the early onset of CIP and was located mainly at the pancreatic acinar cell surface, which was associated with pancreatic damage. Additionally, incubation with CCK or rm TNF-α directly increased the expression of CD9 in isolated mice pancreatic acinar cells in vitro. The deletion of CD9 expression partially reversed both pancreatic acinar cell death induced by CCK and m RNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines produced by damaged acinar cells. Conclusion These results indicate that increased CD9 expression may be involved in pancreatic injury, possibly via the promotion of cytokine expressions in CIP in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron doped nanocrystalline-Si:H/a-SiC x :H (nc-Si:H/a-SiC x :H) quantum dot superlattice has been prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at a low temperature of 150 °C. This method for fabricating superlattice allows controlling both the size and density of Si quantum dots in potential well and the characteristics of potential barrier without subsequent annealing treatment. Cross-section high resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations confirm the periodic multi-layer structure of silicon quantum dots (~ 2 nm diameter) separated by a-SiC x :H matrix (2–3 nm thickness) with sharp interface. With strong blue photoluminescence and high perpendicular conductivity, boron doped nc-Si:H/a-SiC x :H quantum dot superlattice shows great advantages in obtaining applicable blue light emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Patterns of past vegetation changes over time and space can help facilitate better understanding of the interactions among climate, ecosystem, and human impact. Biome changes in China over the last 22,000yr (calibrated radiocarbon date, a BP) were numerically reconstructed by using a standard approach of pollen-plant functional type-biome assignment (biomization). The biomization procedure involves pollen data from 2434 surface sites and 228 fossil sites with a high quality of pollen count and 14C dating, 51 natural and three anthropogenic plant functional types (PFTs), as well as 19 natural and one anthropogenic biome. Surface pollen-based reconstruction of modern natural biome patterns is in good agreement (74.4%) with actual vegetation distribution in China. However, modern large-scale anthropogenic biome reconstruction has not been successful based on the current setup of three anthropogenic PFTs (plantation, secondary, and disturbed PFT) because of the limitation of non-species level pollen identification and the difficulty in the clear assignment of disturbed PFTs. The non-anthropogenic biome distributions of 44 time slices at 500-year intervals show large-scale discrepant and changed vegetation patterns from the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the Holocene throughout China. From 22ka BP to 19ka BP, temperate grassland, xerophytic shrubland, and desert dominated northern China, whereas cold or cool forests flourished in central China. Warm–temperate evergreen forests were restricted to far southern China, and tropical forests were absent. During 18.5ka BP to 12ka BP, cold, cool, and dry biomes extended to some parts of northern, western, and eastern China. Warm–temperate evergreen and mixed forests gradually expanded to occupy the whole of southern China. A slight northward shift of forest biomes occurred from 15ka BP to 12ka BP. During 11.5ka BP to 9ka BP, temperate grassland and shrubland gradually stretched to northern and western China. Cold and cool forests widely expanded into northern and central China, as well as in the northern margin of South China along with temperate deciduous forest. Since the early mid-Holocene (approximately 8.5ka BP to 5.5ka BP), all forest biomes shifted northward at the expense of herbaceous and shrubby biomes. Simultaneously, cold and cool forest biomes occupied the marginal areas of the Tibetan Plateau and the high mountains in western China. During the middle to late Holocene, from 5ka to the present, temperate grassland and xerophytic shrubland expanded to the south and east, whereas temperate deciduous forests slightly shifted southward. After 3ka BP, forest biomes were absent in western China and on the Tibetan plateau surface. Dramatic biome shifts from the LGM to the Holocene were observed in the forest-grassland ecotone and transitional zones between temperate and subtropical climates, between subtropical and tropical regions, and in the mountainous margins of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Evidence showed more human disturbances during the late Holocene. More pollen records and historical documents are therefore further needed to understand fully the human disturbance-induced large-scale forest changes. In addition, more classifications of anthropogenic biome or land cover, more distinct assignment of pollen taxa to anthropogenic PFTs, and more effective numerical and/or mechanistic techniques in building large-scale human disturbances are required. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High germanium (Ge) content hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon–germanium alloy (μc-Si1−x Ge x :H) has been prepared by conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The influence of the bombardment of energetic ions on the structural and electrical properties of high Ge content μc-Si1−x Ge x :H films was studied by Raman, transmission electron microscopy and conductivity measurements. Under low pressure and high levels of ion bombardment conditions, a mitigation of the rapid increase of Ge incorporation and a significant improvement of the homogeneous distribution of the crystal grains for high Ge content μc-Si1−x Ge x :H films were achieved. Consequently, an enhancement in the quantum efficiencies over 800nm wavelengths and a spectral response extending to 1300nm for μc-Si1−x Ge x :H solar cells were achieved by using an intrinsic layer with x=0.77. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background. This study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of Chaihu Shugan powder combined with Zu San Li acupoint stimulation on the acute pancreatitis of liver and qi stagnation syndromes, the protection of intestinal barrier function, the prevention of severe tendency, and safety evaluation. Method. Data were collected from October 2019–June 2021 at Xinhua Hospital, which is affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Emergency Department. Eighty patients with acute pancreatitis were randomly divided into a control treatment group (40 people) and a combined traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment group (40 people). Detailed records of hospitalised patients were obtained, including the general situation of patients' clinical diagnosis and clinical examination before and after treatment. The changes in inflammatory and immune indexes before and after treatment were recorded. Result. Compared with the standard treatment group, the relief time of abdominal pain in the TCM treatment group was significantly shortened with statistically significant differences. Compared with the standard treatment group, the levels of WBC, ALT, CA, hemodiastase, lipase, TG, and other factors in the TCM treatment group decreased, whereas the levels of DB, SCR, cholesterol, K+, and other factors increased. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Chaihu Shugan powder combined with Zu San Li acupoint stimulation can reduce the clinical manifestations of liver and qi stagnation syndromes of acute pancreatitis, protect the intestinal barrier function, prevent the tendency of severe illness and improve the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the predictive value of the combination of bone marrow (BM) proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and liver R2* for osteopenia and osteoporosis and the additional role of liver R2*. Methods: A total of 107 healthy women were included between June 2019 and January 2021. Each participant underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and chemical shift-encoded 3.0-T MRI. PDFF measurements were performed for each lumbar vertebral body, and R2* measurements were performed in liver segments. Agreement among measurements was assessed by Bland-Altman analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to select optimised cut-offs for BM PDFF and liver R2*. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. The C statistic and continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI) were adopted to explore the incremental predictive ability of liver R2*. Results: Bone mass decreased in 42 cases (39.3%) and nonbone mass decreased in 65 cases (60.7%). There were significant differences among the age groups, menopausal status groups, PDFF > 45.0% groups, and R2* > 67.7 groups. Each measurement had good reproducibility. The odds ratios (95% CIs) were 4.05 (1.22–13.43) for PDFF and 4.34 (1.41–13.35) for R2*. The C statistic (95% CI) without R2* was 0.888 (0.827–0.950), and with R2* was 0.900 (0.841–0.960). The NRI resulting from the combination of PDFF and R2* was 75.6% (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The predictive improvement over the use of BM PDFF and other traditional risk factors demonstrates the potential of liver R2* as a biomarker for osteopenia and osteoporosis in healthy women. Key Points: • Liver R2* is a biomarker for the assessment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. • Liver R2* improved the ability to predict osteopenia and osteoporosis. • The intra- and interobserver measurements showed high agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been attracting more and more attention. Although perovskite materials have high defect tolerance, defects remain the main factor that seriously affects the efficiency and stability of PSCs. Herein, the ionic liquid of 1-butyl, 3-methylimidazolium acetate ([BMIM][ACO]) was introduced into the SnO2/perovskite interface for the first time. Thanks to the dipoles formed by ILs spontaneously, the work function of SnO2 was reduced and the transport ability of carriers was improved as well. Moreover, the Lewis acidity and lone pair electrons of [BMIM][ACO] contribute to the passivation of I– defects, Pb2+ defects, or Pb-I anti site defects. In addition, the presence of dipoles will repel the approach of photogenerated holes and the reverse transport of electrons, reducing the recombination of defect sites through field-effect passivation. The solar cell with efficiency of 19.43% was obtained under such a dual passivation effect, and the best device maintained 75.21% of the initial efficiency after 80 h of continuous illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Negative-contrast CT cholangiopancreatography (nCTCP) has been introduced into clinical practice recently. In the present study, we compared CT with nCTCP vs. MRI with MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for the differential diagnosis of periampullary carcinomas. Methods: Fifty-nine patients with pathologically proven periampullary carcinomas who had received both CT and MR examinations before operation were reviewed retrospectively. Two reviewers independently interpreted the two image sets [the two-dimensional (2D)-CT with nCTCP set (CT set) vs. the 2D-MRI with MRCP set (MRI set)] in differentiating periampullary carcinomas, and the results were compared to the final pathologic records. Results: An interobserver agreement with a weighed κ value of 0.868 for the CT set and 0.701 for the MRI set was obtained for both reviewers in this study. No statistically significant differences were observed in the accuracy of identifying each of the periampullary carcinomas of four origins ( P values of 0.250, 0.500, 0.500, and 1.000 for reviewer 1 in comparison with 1.000, 0.625, 0.687, and 1.000 for reviewer 2 on the two image sets, respectively). Conclusion: The CT set provides a comparable performance to that of the MRI set in differentiating periampullary carcinomas, and it may be an alternative to 2D-MRI with MRCP in assessing malignant biliary obstruction in patients who are not suitable for MR examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In situ grown p-nc-Si:H/a-SiC x :H quantum dot superlattice has been prepared by RF-PECVD at a low temperature of 150°C using layer by layer technique. This preparation method for fabricating superlattice allows controlling the properties of Si quantum dots in potential wells and the characteristics of potential barrier without subsequent annealing treatment, which is fully compatible with thin film Si technologies. High resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations confirm the superlattice structure of silicon quantum dots (~2nm diameter) separated by a-SiC x :H matrix (2–3nm thickness) with several periods. Strong room-temperature photoluminescence and the blue-shift of the PL peak position with increasing barrier height are indicative of quantum confinement effects. Applying p-nc-Si:H/a-SiC x :H superlattice as window layers, high open circuit voltage (>0.99V) was achieved for n–i–p type a-Si:H single junction solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

China is an important region for the global study of carbon because of its vast territory with various climate regimes, diverse ecosystems, and long-term human disturbances and land-use history. Carbon storage in ecosystems in China has been estimated using inventory and modeling methods in the past two decades. However, different methods may result in varied magnitudes and forms of carbon storage. In this study, the current status of carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems in China, including the impacts of land use, is summarized in the national, regional, and biome scales. Significant differences in data have existed among studies. Such differences are mainly attributed to variations in estimation methods, data availability, and periods. According to available national-scale information on Chinese terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation carbon in China is 6.1 Pg C to 76.2 Pg C (mean 36.98 Pg C) and soil carbon is 43.6 Pg C to 185.7 Pg C (mean 100.75 Pg C). The forest sector has vegetation carbon of 3.26 Pg C to 9.11 Pg C (mean 5.49 Pg C), whereas the grassland sector has 0.13 Pg C to 3.06 Pg C (mean 1.41 Pg C). Soil carbon in the forest and grassland sectors exhibits more significant regional variations. Further studies need a comprehensive methodology, which combines national inventory, field measurement, eddy covariance technique, remote sensing, and model simulation in a single framework, as well as all available data at different temporal and spatial scales, to fully account for the carbon budget in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing evidence supporting a role for microRNAs (miRNA) as targets in aberrant mechanisms of DNA hypermethylation. Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor miRNAs, including miR-663, which has recently been reported to be inactivated by hypermethylation in several cancers, may play important roles in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, expression of miR-663 and its promoter methylation remain status unclear in childhood leukemia. Methods: Promoter methylation status of miR-663 was investigated by methylation specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfate genomic sequencing (BGS). Transcriptional expression of miR-663 was evaluated by semi-quantitative and real-time PCR, and the relationship between expression of miR-663 and promoter methylation was confirmed using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) demethylation reagent. Results: MiR-663 was aberrantly methylated in 45.5% (5/11) leukemia cell lines; BGS showed that the promoter was significantly methylated in three AML cell lines; methylation of miR-663 was significantly higher in Chinese pediatric AML patients [41.4% (29/70)] compared to normal bone marrow (NBM) control samples [10.0% (3/30)]. These results were confirmed by both BGS and 5-Aza demethylation analysis. In addition, miR-663 transcript expression was significantly lower in AML patients, both with and without miR-663 methylation, compared to controls; however, there were no significant differences in clinical features or French-American-British (FAB) classification between patients with and without miR-663 methylation. Conclusions: Expression of miR-663 was significantly lower in pediatric AML cells compared to NBM controls; furthermore, a high frequency of miR-663 promoter hypermethylation was observed in both AML cell lines and pediatric AML samples. Inactivation of miR-663 by promoter hypermethylation could be affected by 5-Aza demethylation. These findings suggest that hypermethylation of the miR-663 promoter may be an early event in the development of pediatric AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 271 pollen records were selected from a large collection of both raw and digitized pollen spectra from eastern continental Asia (70°−135°E and 18°−55°N). Following pollen percentage recalculations, taxonomic homogenization, and age–depth model revision, the pollen spectra were interpolated at a 500-year resolution and a taxonomically harmonized and temporally standardized fossil pollen dataset established with 226 pollen taxa, covering the last 22calka. Of the 271 pollen records, 85% were published since 1990, with reliable chronologies and high temporal resolutions; of these, 50% have raw data with complete pollen assemblages, ensuring the quality of this dataset. The pollen records available for each 500-year time slice are well distributed over all main vegetation types and climatic zones of the study area, making their pollen spectra suitable for paleovegetation and paleoclimate research. Such a dataset can be used as an example for the development of similar datasets for other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Boron doped amorphous silicon carbide/nanocrystalline silicon (p-type a-SiC/nc-Si) hybrid window layer has a great potential to improve the solar cells performance for its high optical band gap, carrier mobility and doping efficiency. Thin (<30nm) p-type a-SiC/nc-Si hybrid films have been successfully deposited by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) from silane–methane gas mixtures at a low temperature of 150°C. Raman, FT-IR and HRTEM measurements were employed to investigate the structural characteristics of hybrid structure films. High quality p-type a-SiC/nc-Si hybrid window layer with controllable nano-sized silicon crystals embedded in amorphous silicon carbide matrix was obtained. Hybrid structure films with high values of optical band gap (∼2.2eV) and σ d (∼10−3 S/cm) were achieved in high hydrogen dilution conditions with optimized doping concentrations. Applying high quality p-type window layers and intrinsic a-Si layers, both high open circuit voltage (>0.96V) and high quantum efficiency values at short wavelengths were achieved for n–i–p type a-Si single junction solar cell. Meanwhile, the efficiency of the amorphous silicon and silicon–germanium (a-Si/a-SiGe) double junction solar cell was significantly improved to 11.8% by incorporating p-type a-SiC/nc-Si hybrid structure window layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]