Search

This article explores the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, which have applications in pharmacology and materials science. It discusses various methods for synthesizing these compounds, with a focus on the use of earth-abundant metals like iron and cobalt as catalysts. The authors explain the mechanisms involved in these reactions and highlight the advantages of using earth-abundant metals. While these methods have been used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules, there are still challenges to overcome, and more research is needed to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly catalytic systems. [Extracted from the article]

This paper is devoted to some inverse problems of recovering the nonlinearity for the Jordan–Moore–Gibson–Thompson equation, which is a third order nonlinear acoustic equation. This equation arises, for example, from the wave propagation in viscous thermally relaxing fluids. The well-posedness of the nonlinear equation is obtained with the small initial and boundary data. By the second order linearization to the nonlinear equation, and construction of complex geometric optics solutions for the linearized equation, the uniqueness of recovering the nonlinearity is derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) holds a great potential for converting CO2 into valuable carbon‐based chemicals and fuels. A promising strategy for enhancing CO2RR performance is the deliberate structural design of electrocatalysts, which can maximize the utilization of inherent structural advantages. In this work, SnO2 nanocubes (NCs) and nanorods (NRs) are synthesized using a surface energy‐driven growth orientation method, where the stable (110) facet and the highly energetic (001) facet constitute the SnO2 nanostructures. Leveraging the inherent structural merits of different facets on SnO2, theoretical calculations reveal that the (001) facet plays a primary role in inhibiting hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), while both (110) and (001) facets are highly favorable for CO2‐to‐formate conversion under the external bias. As a result, SnO2 NCs with a higher facet ratio of (001)/(110) achieve nearly 100% selectivity for the formation of carbonaceous products during CO2RR. More importantly, a maximum partial current density of about 1 A cm−2 with a formate Faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 90% is achieved in a flow cell, distinguishing it from most of the reported Sn‐based electrocatalysts. These results highlight the strategic advantages of leveraging the inherent structure of nanomaterials for efficient CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop a simple but effective nomogram to predict risk of septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) in the intensive care unit (ICU). We analyzed data from patients who were first admitted to the ICU for sepsis between 2008 and 2019 in the MIMIC-IV database, with no history of heart disease, and divided them into a training cohort and an internal validation cohort at a 7:3 ratio. SCM is defined as sepsis diagnosed in the absence of other cardiac diseases, with echocardiographic evidence of left (or right) ventricular systolic or diastolic dysfunction and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 50%. Variables were selected from the training cohort using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression to develop an early predictive model for septic cardiomyopathy. A nomogram was constructed using logistic regression analysis and its receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration were evaluated in two cohorts. A total of 1562 patients participated in this study, with 1094 in the training cohort and 468 in the internal validation cohort. SCM occurred in 13.4% (147 individuals) in the training cohort, 16.0% (75 individuals) in the internal validation cohort. After adjusting for various confounding factors, we constructed a nomogram that includes SAPS II, Troponin T, CK-MB index, white blood cell count, and presence of atrial fibrillation. The area under the curve (AUC) for the training cohort was 0.804 (95% CI 0.764–0.844), and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed good calibration of the nomogram (P = 0.288). Our nomogram also exhibited good discriminative ability and calibration in the internal validation cohort. Our nomogram demonstrated good potential in identifying patients at increased risk of SCM in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen of the deadly disease tuberculosis, depends on the redox cofactor mycofactocin (MFT) to adapt to and survive under hypoxic conditions. MftR is a TetR family transcription regulator that binds upstream of the MFT gene cluster and controls MFT synthesis. To elucidate the structural basis underlying MftR regulation, we determined the crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MftR (TB‐MftR). The structure revealed an interconnected hydrogen bond network in the α1‐α2‐α3 helices of helix‐turn‐helix (HTH) DNA‐binding domain that is essential for nucleic acid interactions. The ligand‐binding domain contains a hydrophobic cavity enclosing long‐chain fatty acyl‐CoAs like the key regulatory ligand oleoyl‐CoA. Despite variations in ligand‐binding modes, comparative analyses suggest regulatory mechanisms are largely conserved across TetR family acyl‐CoA sensors. By elucidating the intricate structural mechanisms governing DNA and ligand binding by TB‐MftR, our study enhances understanding of the regulatory roles of this transcription factor under hypoxic conditions, providing insights that could inform future research into Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we perform a numerical investigation on the polarization of a terahertz wave transmitting through a dust acoustic wave. Assuming a triangular waveform of the particle number density in the dust acoustic wave, the transmission characteristics are calculated using the finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that dust acoustic waves can function as a polarizer to control the polarization states of the terahertz wave, and the conversion efficiency depends on the parameters of the dust acoustic wave, such as the particle number density and the thickness of particle cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most dominant interannual signal of climate variability and profoundly affects river flooding globally, especially in East Asia. However, ENSO also has ∼2,000 and ∼1,000‐year cycles, but due to the lack of flood records with sufficient length, little is known about the ENSO's impact on floods at these millennial timescales. Here we test this in the middle‐lower Yangtze River by reconstructing the first Holocene flood record with optically stimulated luminescence and 14C ages of flood deposits. We find the periods with high flooding probability generally correspond with intervals of weakened solar activity. Importantly, the flood record displays 2,000 and 1,000‐year cycles similar to the ENSO record, and band‐pass filter results show the two records are synchronous at these bands. Our results reveal a persistent control of ENSO on millennial‐scale hydroclimatic variability in the Yangtze basin and likely other basins. Plain Language Summary: El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the prominent pattern of interannual climate variability, profoundly affecting the river flow and flooding at the global scale. However, the ENSO's interannual cycle was strongly damped or even non‐existent in most of the Holocene, compared with a more robust millennial periodicity. It remains unclear whether a link exists between the flood and ENSO at millennial timescales due to the lack of sufficiently long flood series. Here we test this in the Yangtze River (YR) because ENSO has the most significant impact on this drainage area. We compiled the most detailed flood ages over the middle and lower YR to reconstruct the Holocene flood record. We found that the flood variations have prominent 2,000 and 1,000‐year cycles, and they exhibit in‐phase relationship with ENSO at these cycles, suggesting a persistent modulation of ENSO on the flooding at millennial timescales in the middle and lower Yangtze basin. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the driving forces of floods in the Yangtze catchment at millennial timescales, thereby aiding to accurately assess flood hazards and flooding prediction in hydroclimatic modeling for the densely populated Yangtze basin. Key Points: We reconstructed the Holocene flood record for the middle and lower Yangtze River by compiling optically stimulated luminescence and 14C ages of flood depositsThe flood record displays clear 2,000 and 1,000‐year cyclesThe flood record is synchronous with El Niño‐Southern Oscillation at 2,000 and 1,000‐year cycles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development and maturity of electrochemical CO2 conversion involving cathodic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) and anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), conventional ex situ characterizations gradually fall behind in detecting real‐time products distribution, tracking intermediates, and monitoring structural evolution, etc. Nevertheless, advanced in situ techniques, with intriguing merits like good reproducibility, facile operability, high sensitivity, and short response time, can realize in situ detection and recording of dynamic data, and observe materials structural evolution in real time. As an emerging visual technique, scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) presents local electrochemical signals on various materials surface through capturing micro‐current caused by reactants oxidation and reduction. Importantly, SECM holds particular potentials in visualizing reactive intermediates at active sites and obtaining instantaneous morphology evolution images to reveal the intrinsic reactivity of active sites. Therefore, this review focuses on SECM fundamentals and its specific applications toward CO2RR and OER, mainly including electrochemical behavior observation on local regions of various materials, target products and onset potentials identification in real‐time, reaction pathways clarification, reaction kinetics exploration under steady‐state conditions, electroactive materials screening and multi‐techniques coupling for a joint utilization. This review undoubtedly provides a leading guidance to extend various SECM applications to other energy‐related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The load-bearing capacity of damaged composite materials can be improved using the double adhesive repair technique. This study uses acoustic emission (AE) as the primary detection method to examine the damage evolution of modified double-bonded repair specimens and discover the most effective configuration for bi-adhesive repair. The introduction of machine learning and signal feature extraction in the analysis of huge acoustic emission parameters has significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of damage classification. Following the preliminary division of the clustering results of the unsupervised algorithm, the corresponding relationship between various clustering types and damage types is confirmed using the energy characteristics of wavelet packet decomposition. Parameter and waveform analysis are extensively utilized in studying the AE damage of composite materials and have complementary advantages. Thus, a supervised classifier is established by combining characteristic parameters with time-frequency domain analysis of the signal waveform. Furthermore, machine learning is used to process the large signal set and analyze the debonding damage behavior of the patch. In the end, it is shown that the specimens with the modified adhesive in the middle of the repair area displayed superior repair results. Hence, when combined with machine learning, the signal classification of the damage evolution behavior of repaired specimens is realized with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yam mucilage is a novel environmentally friendly drag reducer. This study investigates drag reduction and degradation characteristics of Chinese yam mucilage, using an in-house rotor device. The effects of temperature, aging, and salts on the drag reduction rate (DR) of yam mucilage were also explored. Furthermore, the synergistic drag reduction properties of Chinese yam-polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution were investigated by blending Chinese yam mucilage with PEO. The rotational speed range of the rotor device was set at 200–700 r/min, corresponding to Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 30 396 to 106 385. The results demonstrated that the DR of yam mucilage initially increased, and then decreased at low concentrations, with increasing Re. Conversely, the DR of yam mucilage at high concentrations increased with increasing Re, albeit at a gradually slowing rate as concentration increased; however, the shear stability was gradually enhanced. Degradation testing revealed that yam slime exhibited semi-rigid, or rigid polymer characteristics, with notable shear stability. At a concentration of 2000 ppm and Re = 106 385, the maximum DR reached 44.1%. Prolonged heating and standing resulted in the reduced DR of yam mucilage. However, salt ions exerted dual effects on the DR of yam mucilage: Low concentrations of NaCl improved its effectiveness while Na2SO4 and high concentrations of NaCl diminished its efficacy. The addition of a small quantity of PEO was found to significantly enhance the drag reduction efficacy of yam mucilage, but no significant improvement in the shear stability of yam mucilage was observed. Yam mucilage exhibits promising potential as an environmentally friendly drag reducer with remarkable drag reduction capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarifying the relationship between the man–machine environment and its impact on the tunnel wall drilling task performance (TWDTP) is crucial for enhancing the task performance. Based on a questionnaire survey, indicators of the man–machine environment that affect the TWDTP were proposed in this study, and exploratory factor analysis and a structural equation model were employed to examine the potential factors influencing the task performance and their degrees of influence. By comparing the discrepancy between the perceived performance and importance, the satisfaction of potential factors was evaluated, and the priority order for optimizing these factors was determined by considering the degree of influence and dissatisfaction. The results of survey data analysis based on actual tunnel drilling operation scenarios indicated that tools had the greatest impact on the TWDTP, followed by the quality of the physical environment, while human factors had the least influence on the task performance. Convenient functional maintenance is the key to improving the TWDTP, along with enhancing the quality of the working environment. Once these main aspects are optimized, it is important to consider additional factors such as availability of spare tools, efficient personnel organization, man–tool matching, and safety and health assurance. This research approach provides significant guidance in understanding the relationships between the man–machine environmental factors affecting the performance of complex engineering tasks and identifying key influencing factors, thus providing essential insights for optimizing the TWDTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the failure problems of integrated circuit (IC) caused by higher package density, thinner package, and more heat sources, taking a multichip module (MCM) for receiver front end as an example, the 3-D model is established based on ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). Then, the steady-state thermal analysis is achieved to complete the automatic calculation of thermal characteristic. As a result, the temperature, stress, and deformation are investigated in details, and its temperature distribution, stress distribution, deformation distribution, and reliability variations of this MCM under different powers and temperatures can be obtained. This can provide important theoretical reference for the chip package optimization. Different from other studies which only focus on temperature or stress, it is more comprehensive and systematic for the thermal characteristic analysis of MCM. Meanwhile, this MCM is also representative for wireless communication system. It is of great significance to optimize the layout design and improve the thermal characteristic for IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good understanding of the in-situ stress and rock mass strength or their relative magnitudes is essential to underground geomechanical practices. A prevailing technique for estimating the maximum horizontal stress is the integrated method combining stress polygon, borehole breakout, and drilling-induced tensile fracture. This research embraced all these elements into a nondimensionalized chart to interpret the triangle relation among the in-situ stress, rock mass strength, and failure observation for an underground cylindrical opening at any depth. One of the potential applications of the nondimensionalized chart was shown via the filed observations from a testing tunnel in the Canadian underground research laboratory. An approaching method of untangling two correlated stress components was also proposed to constrain the in-situ stress ratio under the framework of Coulomb frictional failure theory. It is proved to be highly efficient and considerably accurate by implementing the approaching method using the failure observations from the KTB borehole in German. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the common properties of elements a and b satisfying a b n = b n + 1 and b a n = a n + 1 in the settings of Banach algebras, rings and operator algebras from the viewpoint of generalized inverses and spectral theory, where n is a positive integer. As applications, we show that if M 0 = T 0 0 N 0 , M 1 = T S 0 N 1 and M 2 = T 0 W N 2 are triangular operator matrices acting on the Banach space X ⊕ X such that N 0 , N 1 and N 2 are nilpotent, then many subsets of the spectrum of M 0 are the same with those of M 1 and M 2. Moreover, we improve some recent extensions of Jacobson’s lemma and Cline’s formula for the Drazin inverse, generalized Drazin inverse and generalized Drazin–Riesz inverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale gas is an important supplement to the supply of natural gas resources and plays an important role on the world's energy stage. The efficient implementation of hydraulic fracturing is the key issue in the exploration and exploitation of shale gas. The existence of bedding structure results in a distinct anisotropy of shale rock formation. The anisotropic behaviors of shale rock have important impacts on wellbore stability, hydraulic fracture propagation, and the formation of complex fracture networks. This paper briefly reviews previous work on the anisotropic mechanical properties of shale rock and their relation to hydraulic fracturing in shale reservoirs. In this paper, the research status of work addressing the lithological characteristics of shale rock is summarized first, particularly work considering the mineral constituent, which determines its physical and mechanical behavior in essence. Then the anisotropic physical and mechanical properties of shale specimens, including ultrasonic anisotropy, mechanical behavior under uniaxial and triaxial compression tests, and tensile property under the Brazilian test, are summarized, and the state of the literature on fracture toughness anisotropy is discussed. The concerns of anisotropic mechanical behavior under laboratory tests are emphasized in this paper, particularly the evaluation of shale brittleness based on mechanical characteristics, which is discussed in detail. Finally, further concerns such as the effects of bedding plane on hydraulic fracturing failure strength, crack propagation, and failure pattern are also drawn out. This review study will provide a better understanding of current research findings on the anisotropic mechanical properties of shale rock, which can provide insight into the shale anisotropy related to the fracture propagation of hydraulic fracturing in shale reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common adverse events following orthognathic surgery. It's a distressing feeling for patients and continues to be the cause of postoperative complications such as bleeding, delayed healing, and wound infection. This scoping review aims to identify effective PONV prophylaxis strategies during orthognathic surgery that have emerged in the past 15 years. Methods: We searched Pubmed, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, and Embase from 2008 to May 2023. Studies meeting the following criteria were eligible for inclusion: (1) recruited patients undergo any orthognathic surgery; (2) evaluated any pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic method to prevent PONV. Studies meeting the following criteria were excluded: (1) case series, review papers, or retrospective studies; (2) did not report our prespecified outcomes. Results: Twenty-one studies were included in this review. Pharmacological methods for PONV prevention include ondansetron and dexamethasone (3 studies), peripheral nerve block technique (4 studies), dexmedetomidine (1 study), pregabalin (2 studies), nefopam (2 studies), remifentanil (1 study), propofol (2 studies), and penehyclidine (1 study). Non-pharmacologic methods include capsicum plaster (1 study), throat packs (2 studies) and gastric aspiration (2 studies). Conclusions: Based on current evidence, we conclude that prophylactic antiemetics like dexamethasone, ondansetron, and penehyclidine are the first defense against PONV. Multimodal analgesia with nerve block techniques and non-opioid analgesics should be considered due to their notable opioid-sparing and PONV preventive effect. For the non-pharmacological methods, throat packs are not recommended for routine use because of their poor effect and serious complications. More prospective RCTs are required to confirm whether gastric aspiration can prevent PONV effectively for patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria, as essential organelles in cells, play a crucial role in cellular growth and apoptosis. Monitoring mitochondria is of great importance, as mitochondrial dysfunction is often considered a hallmark event of cell apoptosis. Traditional fluorescence probes used for mitochondrial imaging and sensing are mostly intensity-based and are susceptible to factors such as concentration, the probe environment, and fluorescence intensity. Probes based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can effectively overcome external interference and achieve high-contrast imaging of mitochondria as well as quantitative monitoring of mitochondrial microenvironments. This review focuses on recent advances in the application of FRET-based probes for mitochondrial structure imaging and microenvironment sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, passive radiative cooling (PRC) that realizes thermal management without consuming any energy has attracted increasing attention. However, few studies focus on low‐cost and robust PRC film fabricated by a facile and environmentally friendly method. In this study, via coextrusion blow film molding and water leaching, sandwiched PRC film (SPRCF) is efficiently prepared, and its skin and core layer are respectively high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) film and oriented ZnO@HDPE microfiber layer. Of note, such a sandwiched structure enables SPRCF to possess remarkable mechanical properties, abrasion, and weather resistance. Moreover, with the introduction of ZnO, SPRCF shows lower sunlight transmittance (≈3.8%) but higher mid‐infrared transmittance (≈88.8%), endowing it with remarkable PRC performance (the maximum cooling power of daytime and nighttime are respectively 73.8 and 96.7 W m−2). Furthermore, the decent self‐cleaning performance of SPRCF‐45 endows it with maintenance‐free features outdoors. This work proposes a facile and environmentally friendly method for preparing low‐cost and robust SPRCF, opening a new pathway to develop PRC film following the concept of polymer “structuring” processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α,β‐Unsaturated compounds are one of the most important functional compounds. Due to their unique property and versatile utility, they usually occur as the key intermediates for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and biological materials. Thus, their synthesis has attracted more attentions than before. The early approaches to α,β‐unsaturated compounds are mainly about transition‐metal‐free methods, such as halogenation‐dehydrohalogenation methods and strong oxidants methods (organosulfur, organoselenium, benzoquinone). Subsequently, palladium and the other transition‐metals catalyzed dehydrogenation of carbonyl compounds appeared respectively. In this review, transition‐metal‐catalyzed α,β‐dehydrogenation is discussed, which is categorized by functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic velocity varies in deep-water environments, and the variable-velocity seawater can affect the dispersion characteristics of Scholte wave. To improve the accuracy of inversion, a horizontal layered-seawater and layered-seabed (HLSLS) model is established with continuously varying velocities for seabed S-wave velocity inversion using Scholte wave. First, we deduced the Scholte wave dispersion equation and the amplitude-depth equation of the HLSLS model based on wave theory. Then, with the real acoustic velocity of the seawater and submarine sediments parameters of the Shenhu area in the South China Sea, we analyzed the influence of variable-velocity seawater on the dispersion characteristics of Scholte wave. Finally, we performed two-dimensional (2D) S-wave velocity inversion on the field OBS multi-component data in the South China Sea. The results showed that the variation of seawater acoustic velocity had a certain influence on the dispersion characteristics of Scholte wave in deep water. The accuracy and practicality of our method were verified through numerical and filed data experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Olives, which are rich in bioactive compounds, are processed into beverages in China. We investigated the effect of fermentation by Limosilactobacillus fermentum NCU001464 on the physicochemical characteristics, biological activities and phenolic compounds of olive pulp. After fermentation for 48 h, pH and individual sugar content of olive pulp decreased. Lm. fermentum NCU001464 fermentation enhanced the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and the inhibitory effect against xanthine oxidase (XO) of olive pulp. Total phenol content was not significantly different between olive pulp fermented for 0 and 48 h. However, the fermented olive phenol extract had a lower IC50 value than the unfermented phenol extract. Fluorescence spectroscopy results revealed that the olive phenol extract had a stronger XO inhibitory effect after fermentation. The dominant binding forces between olive phenols and XO were hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. There were 31 different phenolic compounds between the unfermented and fermented extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blasting presplitting is an effective method for preventing rock bursts in thick hard roofs. In this study, two adjacent working faces in the No. 10 mining area of the Jining No. 2 coal mine were considered as case studies, and the conditions of the working face and the construction parameters for roof blasting presplitting were introduced. The microseismic characteristics of the 2 working faces during the mining period were analyzed, and 10 indices for evaluating the microseismic characteristics of the working faces were proposed. Accordingly, the influence of blasting presplitting on the microseismic characteristics of the surrounding rock was evaluated. The results showed that the frequency of microseismic events changed with the mining stage of the working face. After the roof of the 103down03 working face was presplit, the average energy of microseismic events, maximum energy of microseismic events, and proportion of high-energy events all decreased significantly. The average height of the source decreased from 31.08 m above the coal seam to 8.78 m, and the average strike location of the source decreased from 102 to 32 m in front of the working face. After presplitting, the roof gradually changed from large-scale and high-energy fractures to small-scale and low-energy fractures. After blasting presplitting, the energy accumulated in the roof was released through the collapse of the roof in the goaf, which improved the burst risk in the coal and roadway in front of the working face, thus ensuring the safety of underground construction personnel and equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a novel panoptic segmentation method called the Mask-Pyramid Network. Existing Mask RCNN-based methods first generate a large number of box proposals and then filter them at each feature level, which requires a lot of computational resources, while most of the box proposals are suppressed and discarded in the Non-Maximum Suppression process. Additionally, for panoptic segmentation, it is a problem to properly fuse the semantic segmentation results with the Mask RCNN-produced instance segmentation results. To address these issues, we propose a new mask pyramid mechanism to distinguish objects and generate much fewer proposals by referring to existing segmented masks, so as to reduce computing resource consumption. The Mask-Pyramid Network generates object proposals and predicts masks from larger to smaller sizes. It records the pixel area occupied by the larger object masks, and then only generates proposals on the unoccupied areas. Each object mask is represented as a H × W × 1 logit, which fits well in format with the semantic segmentation logits. By applying SoftMax to the concatenated semantic and instance segmentation logits, it is easy and natural to fuse both segmentation results. We empirically demonstrate that the proposed Mask-Pyramid Network achieves comparable accuracy performance on the Cityscapes and COCO datasets. Furthermore, we demonstrate the computational efficiency of the proposed method and obtain competitive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Circular RNA circMET drives immunosuppression and anti-PD1 therapy resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma via the miR-30-5p/snail/DPP4 axis" published in the journal Molecular Cancer. The correction addresses an error in Figure 7 of the original article, specifically related to CD4 and CD8 staining in Hep1-6-Snail tumors treated by PBS, PD1 abs, and Sitagliptin. The correction does not impact the overall conclusions or discussion of the article. The corrected figures are provided in the notice. [Extracted from the article]

A four‐component reaction of N‐arylpropiolamides, Hantzsch esters, Na2S2O5 and water via a radical cascade cyclization process with the insertion of sulfur dioxide mediated by K2S2O8 is reported. A series of alkylsulfonated spiro[4,5] trienones are prepared up to 86% yield with a good functional group tolerance and substrate applicability. Preliminary mechanism experiments indicate that carbonyl oxygen of spiro[4,5] trienones originated from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Akkermansia muciniphila is considered the "paradigm for next-generation beneficial microorganisms" and has been reported to help alleviat immunerelated diseases. Evidence shows that herbal medicine can treat disease by regulating the abundance of A. muciniphila. Recent studies have revealed a link between A. muciniphila and immune-related diseases. Here, we systematically reviewed the association between A. muciniphila, herbal medicine, and immune-related diseases (including inflammatory bowel disease, human immunodeficiency virus, cancer immunotherapy, and immune-related liver injury). We also summarize the potential mechanisms of action of A. muciniphila and offer perspectives for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its initial discovery in the Hunan province of China, genomic DNA of porcine circovirus 4 (PCV4) has been detected in pigs across multiple provinces in China, as well as in South Korea. However, the prevalence of porcine circovirus type 4 in Gansu Province, China, remains unknown. To address this gap, we undertook an extensive study where we gathered 121 clinical samples displaying diverse clinical manifestations from pig farms in Gansu Province between 2022 and 2023. Employing a real-time fluorescence quantification method, we identified the presence of PCV4 genome. Out of the 121 clinical samples analyzed, 13 samples tested positive for PCV4, resulting in a positive rate of 10.74% (13/121). This finding confirms the presence of PCV4 in pig farms within Gansu Province, China. Furthermore, we successfully sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of two distinct PCV4 strains, comparing them with 60 reference sequences archived in the GenBank database. The results revealed a high nucleotide homology (98.2–98.8%) between the strains obtained in this study and the PCV4 reference strains, indicating a relatively low evolutionary rate of the PCV4 genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that two strains in this study belong to PCV4a and PCV4c. As far as we know, this study marks the inaugural report on the molecular identification and genomic attributes of PCV4 in Gansu Province, China, offering valuable insights for devising preventive and control strategies against this emerging virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450s are a large family of protein-encoding genes in plant genomes, many of which have not yet been comprehensively characterized. Here, a novel P450 gene, CYP82D47, was isolated and functionally characterized from cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that CYP82D47 expression was triggered by salicylic acid (SA) and ethephon (ETH). Expression analysis revealed a correlation between CYP82D47 transcript levels and plant defense responses against powdery mildew (PM) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (Foc). Although no significant differences were observed in disease resistance between CYP82D47-RNAi and wild-type cucumber, overexpression (OE) of CYP82D47 enhanced PM and Foc resistance in cucumber. Furthermore, the expression levels of SA-related genes (PR1, PR2, PR4, and PR5) increased in CYP82D47-overexpressing plants 7 days post fungal inoculation. The levels of ETH-related genes (EIN3 and EBF2) were similarly upregulated. The observed enhanced resistance was associated with the upregulation of SA/ETH-signaling-dependent defense genes. These findings indicate the crucial role of CYP82D47 in pathogen defense in cucumber. CYP82D47-overexpressing cucumber plants exhibited heightened susceptibility to both diseases. The study results offer important insights that could aid in the development of disease-resistant cucumber cultivars and elucidate the molecular mechanisms associated with the functions of CYP82D47. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosion deflection has recently become an important topic in hazardous asteroid deflection. Changes in asteroid velocity and angular velocity, as well as the degree of structural damage, should be fully considered in the explosion deflection scheme. This study investigates the effect of explosion position on the deflection of the asteroid 25143 Itokawa. First, we propose a mathematical model to quickly determine the changes in the angular velocity of Itokawa with explosions at different positions, and verified its reliability through numerical simulations. Mathematical model indicated a maximum 349-fold difference in Itokawa's angular velocity change under explosions at different positions, and revealed that the decisive factor is the force arm (maximum 850-fold difference), not the moment of inertia (maximum 4.01-fold difference). Then, to demonstrate the effect of porosity on shock wave propagation, we established a mesoscopic model based on the porosities of Itokawa's head and body. We used the single-material arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) and finite element-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (FE-SPH) adaptive methods to simulate the deflection of the asteroid with a 300-kt TNT-equivalent explosion at different positions 10 m underground. The simulated changes in asteroid velocity and angular velocity were consistent with the predictions of the mathematical model. Finally, we investigated the effects of the asteroid geometry and material composition on the shock wave propagation and asteroid damage evolution (material response and structural response). • The Effect of explosion position on the angular velocity change of Itokawa is investigated. • A mesoscopic model is established to better demonstrate the effect of porosity on shock wave propagation. • The effects of asteroid geometry and material composition on asteroid material and structural responses are explored. • The damage evolution of Itokawa with explosions at different positions is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed permanent magnet motors (HSPMMs) have received attention in direct drive systems from the industry. Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) have become the most practical solution for HSPMMs in industrial applications due to the advantages of their highly modular structure, high-quality output and high reliability. In this article, the symmetrical discrete-time model of the MMC for the HSPMM drive is presented. Based on this symmetrical discrete-time model, the discrete-time current regulator has been designed. Moreover, the submodel (SM) capacitor energy balance models for MMC have been described, and the energy balance control scheme is introduced. Finally, the simulation and experimental results show that the presented discrete-time current regulator has a strong dynamic response at high speed (15 kr/min), and the SM capacitor voltage balance control is also achieved. Compared with the conventional PI current controller, the proposed discrete-time current regulator improves the current loop dynamic performance at high-speed, and the energy balance control scheme can ensure the SM capacitor voltage balance of the MMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by the infiltration of inflammatory cells and demyelination of nerves. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS, as studies have shown abnormalities in mitochondrial activities, metabolism, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels, and mitochondrial morphology in immune cells of individuals with MS. The presence of mitochondrial dysfunctions in immune cells contributes to immunological dysregulation and neurodegeneration in MS. This review provided a comprehensive overview of mitochondrial dysfunction in immune cells associated with MS, focusing on the potential consequences of mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming on immune function. Current challenges and future directions in the field of immune-metabolic MS and its potential as a therapeutic target were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General methods for the preparation of geminal bis(boronates) are of great interest due to their widespread applications in organic synthesis. While the terminal gem‐diboron compounds are readily accessible, the construction of the sterically encumbered, internal analogues has remained a prominent challenge. Herein, we report a formal umpolung strategy to access these valuable building blocks. The readily available 1,1‐diborylalkanes were first converted into the corresponding α‐halogenated derivatives, which then serve as electrophilic components, undergoing a formal substitution with a diverse array of nucleophiles to form a series of C−C, C−O, C−S, and C−N bonds. This protocol features good tolerance to steric hindrance and a wide variety of functional groups and heterocycles. Notably, this strategy can also be extended to the synthesis of diaryl and terminal gem‐diboron compounds, therefore providing a general approach to various types of geminal bis(boronates). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General methods for the preparation of geminal bis(boronates) are of great interest due to their widespread applications in organic synthesis. While the terminal gem‐diboron compounds are readily accessible, the construction of the sterically encumbered, internal analogues has remained a prominent challenge. Herein, we report a formal umpolung strategy to access these valuable building blocks. The readily available 1,1‐diborylalkanes were first converted into the corresponding α‐halogenated derivatives, which then serve as electrophilic components, undergoing a formal substitution with a diverse array of nucleophiles to form a series of C−C, C−O, C−S, and C−N bonds. This protocol features good tolerance to steric hindrance and a wide variety of functional groups and heterocycles. Notably, this strategy can also be extended to the synthesis of diaryl and terminal gem‐diboron compounds, therefore providing a general approach to various types of geminal bis(boronates). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with individuals with hearing loss, tinnitus patients without hearing loss have more psychological or emotional problems. Tinnitus is closely associated to abnormal metabolism and function of the limbic system, a key brain region for emotion experience, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Using whole‐brain microvasculature dynamics imaging, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is identified as a key brain region of limbic system involve in the onset of salicylate‐induced tinnitus in mice. In the tinnitus group, there is enhanced purine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and a distinct pattern of phosphorylation in glutamatergic synaptic pathway according to the metabolome profiles, quantitative proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data of mice ACC tissue. Electroencephalogram in tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds show that the functional connectivity between pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and the primary auditory cortex is significantly increased for high‐gamma frequency band, which is positively correlated with the serum glutamate level. These findings indicate that ACC plays an important role in the pathophysiology of tinnitus by interacting with the primary auditory cortex and provide potential molecular targets in the ACC for tinnitus treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UV nonlinear optical materials require the simultaneous achievement of a large second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficient (≥1 × KH2PO4 (KDP), dij > 0.39 pmV−1), wide bandgap (λ < 300 nm, Eg > 4.2 eV), and moderate birefringence (0.05‐0.10@1064 nm) in a single structure. Therefore, designing UV nonlinear optical materials with excellent comprehensive performance is a challenging task. Herein, four UV transparent selenite materials are successfully obtained, namely, Al2(SeO3)3(H2O)3 (1), Ga2(SeO3)3(H2O)3 (2), NaGa3(HSeO3)6(SeO3)2 (3), and Cd5Ga4(HSeO3)2(SeO3)10 (4), through rational design and screening in the pure selenite system. Al2(SeO3)3(H2O)3 (1) and Ga2(SeO3)3(H2O)3 (2) are UV nonlinear optical materials with balanced properties, exhibiting moderate SHG responses (1.2 and 1.1 × KDP), appropriate birefringence (0.084 and 0.076@1064 nm), and wide bandgaps (5.5 and 5.3 eV). Such bandgaps are the largest in the reported pure selenite nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. This work further demonstrates that pure selenite is a good candidate for UV NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nontoxic bio-polymeric drag reducers are of great practical importance. In this work, a new natural and environmentally friendly drag reducer is introduced, which is extracted from the yam. Yam mucilage solutions are highly shear thinning and are insensitive to temperature variation. Their drag-reducing capability is tested in a water tunnel with the injection of yam mucilage solutions at the bottom wall. The main flow speed varies 0.5–2 m/s, and the corresponding bulk Reynolds number (Re) varied from 11 467 to 45 868. The mean concentration profile from the planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) images and the mean velocity profile from the particle image velocimetry (PIV) images are obtained to explain the drag reduction of the yam mucilage solution. A maximum drag-reduction rate (DR) of 25.27% is achieved. The effects of the solution concentration, the injection rate, and the main flow speed on the drag-reduction efficiency are explored. The DR-log10K fitting curve is linear, consistent with that of the reported polymer drag reducers. The K-scaling laws also imply that the consumption of yam mucilage would be much more than that of polyethylene oxide (PEO) corresponding to similar DR. The further revelation of the effective drag-reducing component within the yam mucilage is believed to promote the efficiency of drag reduction. The yam mucilage is a candidate drag-reducing agent that can be an alternative to existing polymer solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Paeoniforin ameliorates cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease via JNK/p53 signaling" published in the journal Metabolic Brain Disease. The correction states that the figures in the original article were not the final versions and provides the corrected versions of Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The figures show the results of experiments related to the effects of Paeoniforin on Parkinson's disease in mice, including the attenuation of loss of nigrostriatal DA neurons, cell apoptosis, neuronal survival, accumulation of Aβ, and the phosphorylation of the JNK/p53 pathway. The correction notice is authored by Zhu-qing He, Peng-fei Huan, Li Wang, and Jian-cheng He. Springer Nature, the publisher, remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) supported metal nanoparticles (MNPs) (MNPs@MOFs) composites, as a class of effective functional materials, have been extensively explored because of the synergetic effect of MOFs and MNPs. Lots of synthesized methods are developed to synthesize MNPs@MOFs composites. These strategies can be generally divided into four main synthesis strategies: ship‐in‐the‐bottle, bottle‐around‐the‐ship, one‐pot, and sandwich assembly approaches. In this review, the recent synthesized strategies are discussed and summarized for the design and fabrication of different MNPs@MOFs composites. Then, the catalytic applications of some MNPs@MOFs composites are presented. Lastly, the challenges and future perspectives are also pointed out in this hot research filed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel air bleeding aerodynamic diffuser is proposed based on the study of the traditional dump diffuser. The performance and flow characteristics of these two diffusers are compared and analyzed using the numerical simulation method, which is validated by experiments. The effects of length and hole diameter on the diffuser's performance are also studied. The results reveal that, at inlet Mach numbers of 0.15, 0.20 and 0.30, compared with the dump diffuser, the total pressure loss coefficient of the new diffuser decreases by 18.52 %, 15.05 % and 40.23 %. The performance of the air bleeding aerodynamic diffuser with varing lengths has little change, which means its aerodynamic capabilities are still capable of meeting the requirements of advanced combustion chambers. As the diameter of the air bleed hole increases, the total pressure loss coefficient of the diffuser decreases and becomes gentler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many kinds of medicinal ingredients occur in Cirsium lineare that have good clinical efficacy, conferring on this species its high medicinal development value. However, with a rapidly changing global climate, it is increasingly imperative to study the factors affecting the habitat distribution and survival of species. We predicted the current and future distribution areas of suitable habitats for C. lineare, analyzed the importance of environmental variables in influencing habitat shifts, and described the alterations to suitable habitats of C. lineare in different periods (modern, 2050s, and 2070s) and scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5). The results show that, under the current climate, the total suitable area of C. lineare is about 2,220,900 km2, of which the highly suitable portion amounts to ca. 292,600 km2. The minimum temperature of the coldest month, annual precipitation, and mean daily temperature range are the chief environmental variables affecting the distribution of habitat for C. lineare. In the same period, with rising greenhouse gas emission concentrations, the total suitable area will increase. In general, under future climate change, the suitable habitat for C. lineare will gradually migrate to the west and north, and its total suitable area will also expand. The results of this experiment can be used for the conservation and management of the wild resources of C. lineare. We can choose suitable growth areas to protect the medicinal resources of C. lineare through in situ conservation and artificial breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the role of PANoptosis-related molecules in HCC is crucial for advancing therapeutic strategies. Methods. We conducted a comprehensive analysis using public data from the Cancer Genome Atlas, Human Protein Atlas, Tumor Immune Single Cell Hub, and STRING databases. Techniques included Kaplan–Meier survival curves, Cox regression, LASSO analysis, and various computational methods for understanding the tumor microenvironment. We also employed ClueGO, gene set enrichment analysis, and other algorithms for biological enrichment analysis. Results. CASP8 emerged as a significant molecule in HCC, correlated with poor survival outcomes. Its expression was predominant in the nucleoplasm and cytosol and varied across different cancer types. Biological enrichment analysis revealed CASP8's association with critical cellular activities and immune responses. In the tumor microenvironment, CASP8 showed correlations with various immune cell types. A nomogram plot was developed for better clinical prognostication. Mutation analysis indicated a higher frequency of TP53 mutations in patients with elevated CASP8 expression. In addition, CASP8 was found to regulate YEATS2 in HCC, highlighting a potential pathway in tumor progression. Conclusions. Our study underscores the multifaceted role of CASP8 in HCC, emphasizing its prognostic and therapeutic significance. The regulatory relationship between CASP8 and YEATS2 opens new avenues for understanding HCC pathogenesis and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractUsing the 2009 consumption-based value-added tax (VAT) reform in China as a quasi-natural experiment for investment tax incentives, we investigate the impact of investment tax incentives on firm pollution abatement investment via a difference-in-differences (DID) approach. We find that the investment tax incentives have significantly raised firm pollution abatement investment of the eligible firms over the ineligible firms by 21.7%. Moreover, the effect is more pronounced for firms with political connection and firms located in regions with stricter environment regulation and lower pollution abatement costs. Our mechanism shows that the motivations for tax deduction play an important role in increasing pollution abatement investment. We also find that VAT reform has a negative indirect impact on firm environmental fine and firm employments and has a positive impact on firm’s capital-labor ratio and labor productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has historically been exceedingly challenging to create physically and chemically stable lanthanide compounds with strong second harmonic generation (SHG) due to their strong preference to central symmetry. In this work, five new non‐centrosymmetric lanthanide selenites, namely, Ln2F2(OH2)(MoO3)2(SeO3)2 (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb and Dy), are achieved by partial fluorination of the lanthanide oxygen polyhedron. An HF corrosion resistant supercritical hydrothermal method is developed, which is a facile and universal method for HF corrosion and high‐temperature high‐pressure environment. The title compounds displayed a novel 3D framework composed of 1D molybdenum selenite chains bridged by Ln2F2O12(OH2) dimers. Their powder SHG responses showed a large difference, ranging from 1.0 to 9.0 × KH2PO4 (KDP) at 1064 nm. The half‐filled Gd compound exhibited very strong SHG efficiency of up to 1.2 × KTP (KTiOPO4) at 2050 nm. Compounds Tb and Gd are the first lanthanide selenites with SHG intensity reaching KTP level, which is very rare in this system. Furthermore, these compounds can also possess excellent physicochemical stability and strong luminescence emission, indicating that they are promising multifunctional nonlinear optical materials. This work offered an effective way for design and synthesis of multifunctional and high‐performant nonlinear optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a Boolean network model with high dimensional chaos driving and investigates the synchronization of the chaos‐driven Boolean network with a semi‐tensor product. In order to protect the privacy and ensure the security of image transmission, the synchronization results are utilized in the image cryptosystem to achieve compression and encryption. First, the driving chaos system is coupled with multiple local systems and synchronized with the transmitted encrypted signals. Second, the Boolean network is driven and synchronized with derived chaos signals. Finally, images are encrypted and compressed with chaos‐driven Boolean network signals in the transmitter, and then decrypted and recovered with synchronized chaos and Boolean network signals in the recipient. Because of the complexities of high dimensional chaos and Boolean network, the proposed cryptosystem has good security in the secure communication and image process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN), the most common pathological change in primary glomerulonephritis, is characterized by increased macrophage infiltration into glomeruli, which results in proinflammatory cytokine release. Macrophage infiltration and differentiation are induced by the Janus kinase 2 and signal transducer and activator of the transcription 1 (JAK2/STAT1) pathway. As a suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) downregulates the immune response by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT1 pathway, we investigated whether a peptide mimicking the SOCS1 kinase inhibitor region, namely, SOCS1 peptidomimetic, protects against nephropathy. Glomerular JAK2/STAT1 pathway activation was synchronized with kidney injury in an MsPGN rat model. Rats treated with the SOCS1 peptidomimetic exhibited reduced pathological glomerular changes and lessened macrophage recruitment. Moreover, in vivo, the phosphorylation of the JAK2/STAT1 pathway was downregulated in infiltrated macrophages of glomeruli. In vitro, the SOCS1 peptidomimetic inhibited macrophage M1 polarization by suppressing JAK2/STAT1 activation. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the SOCS1 peptidomimetic plays a protective role against pathologic glomerular changes in MsPGN by reducing macrophage infiltration and inhibiting macrophage polarizing to the M1 phenotype. SOCS1 peptidomimetic, therefore, presents a feasible therapeutic strategy to alleviate renal inflammation in MsPGN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) played a critical role in lethality and destruction as a vital military explosive in the world. Unfortunately, the current PBXs exhibit poor properties in safety performance and reliability for the weak interfacial surface, which cannot meet requirements of the high security and high reliability of weapons and ammunition in the harsh environment of modern battlefields. Herein, the neutral polymeric bonding agents (NPBAs) were successfully coated on the surface of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (HMX) and proved to enhance the mechanical performance and reliability of PBXs. The scanning electron microscopy images indicated a slight aggregation of NPBAs coated in the HMX surface, the XRD spectra of HMX@NPBAs had an analogous spectrum of HMX, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum confirmed that the NPBAs played a role on the surface of HMX by coating. Furthermore, the HMX coated with NPBAs had more excellent safety performance, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. The strategy is helpful to strengthen the interaction between HMX and binder matrix, which provides a brilliant idea in modifying for the weak interfacial surface of energetic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this investigation was to scrutinize the effects of a thermal treatment on the electrostatic complex formed between gum arabic (GA) and ε-polylysine (ε-PL), with the goal of improving the antibacterial properties and reducing the hygroscopicity of ε-PL. The heated complex with a ratio of 1:4 exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 93.3%. Additionally, it had an average particle size of 350.3 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.255, and a zeta potential of 18.9 mV. The formation of the electrostatic complex between GA and ε-PL was confirmed through multispectral analysis, which demonstrated the participation of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, as well as the enhanced effect of heat treatment on these forces within the complex. The complex displayed a core-shell structure, with a regular distribution and a shape that was approximately spherical, as observed in the transmission electron microscopy images. Additionally, the heated GA–ε-PL electrostatic composite exhibited favorable antibacterial effects on Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes, with reduced minimum inhibitory concentrations (15.6 μg/mL and 62.5 μg/mL, respectively) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (31.3 μg/mL and 156.3 μg/mL, respectively) compared to free ε-PL or the unheated electrostatic composite. Moreover, the moisture absorption of ε-PL reduced from 92.6% to 15.0% in just 48 h after being incorporated with GA and subsequently subjected to heat. This research showed a way to improve the antibacterial efficiency and antihygroscopicity of ε-PL, reducing its application limitations as an antimicrobial substance to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal microbiota was connected to Parkinson's Disease (PD) pathology. The ancient Chinese medication for PD is Compound Dihuang Granule (CDG), and we found a neuroprotective function in treating the constipation of PD patients. Nevertheless, the mechanism of action still needs to be clarified. We predicted the probable targets of CDG against PD through Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) network pharmacology and verified the analysis through animal experiments in vivo. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis screened PD-related genes, including Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1), Nuclear Factor- Kappa B (NF-κB), and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses proved that the NF-κB and toll-like receptor signaling pathways serve a key function in CDG therapy of PD. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that CDG strongly connected to TLR4/NF-κB. Experiments findings indicated that CDG improved the damage of dopaminergic neurons and gut microbial dysbiosis, ameliorated motor impairments, and suppressed the PD-associated inflammation and oxidative stress in mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahy dropyridine (MPTP). CDG suppressed the inflammatory proteins in the colon and protected the intestinal barrier. Overall, CDG improved gut microbial in PD by blocking the pathway of TLR4/NF-κB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shigella dysenteriae is a highly pathogenic microorganism that can cause human bacillary dysentery by contaminating food and drinking water. This study investigated the antibacterial activity of chestnut bur polyphenol extract (CBPE) on S. dysenteriae and the underlying mechanism. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CBPE for S. dysenteriae was 0.4 mg/mL, and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 1.6 mg/mL. CBPE treatment irreversibly disrupted cell morphology, decreased cell activity, and increased cell membrane permeability, cell membrane depolarization, and cell content leakage of S. dysenteriae, indicating that CBPE has obvious destructive effects on the cell membrane and cell wall of S. dysenteriae. Combined transcriptomic and metabolomics analysis revealed that CBPE inhibits S. dysenteriae by interfering with ABC protein transport, sulfur metabolism, purine metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and some other pathways. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of S. dysenteriae infection with extract from chestnut burs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce two new search strategies to further improve the performance of vegetation evolution (VEGE) for solving continuous optimization problems. Specifically, the first strategy, named the dynamic maturity strategy, allows individuals with better fitness to have a higher probability of generating more seed individuals. Here, all individuals will first become allocated to generate a fixed number of seeds, and then the remaining number of allocatable seeds will be distributed competitively according to their fitness. Since VEGE performs poorly in getting rid of local optima, we propose the diverse mutation strategy as the second search operator with several different mutation methods to increase the diversity of seed individuals. In other words, each generated seed individual will randomly choose one of the methods to mutate with a lower probability. To evaluate the performances of the two proposed strategies, we run our proposal (VEGE + two strategies), VEGE, and another seven advanced evolutionary algorithms (EAs) on the CEC2013 benchmark functions and seven popular engineering problems. Finally, we analyze the respective contributions of these two strategies to VEGE. The experimental and statistical results confirmed that our proposal can significantly accelerate convergence and improve the convergence accuracy of the conventional VEGE in most optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]