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The increasing demand for multispectral information acquisition and the complexity of application environments have sparked a growing interest in broadband detection. However, achieving a high level of responsivity across a wide response range remains a significant challenge. Herein, an ultrasensitive broadband phototransistor based on hybrid photogating (HPG) structure is demonstrated, which consisted of a quasi‐2D beta‐phase gallium oxide (β‐Ga2O3) nanoflake as the carrier transport channel and a tellurium (Te) nanoflake as the photogating layer. Attributed to the strong doping influence of the Te nanoflake, a low off‐state current of pA level and a high on/off current ratio of ≈108 are obtained. Upon 255 nm wavelength illumination, the device exhibited an ultrahigh responsivity up to 3.82 × 106 A W−1 and a detectivity as high as 1.59 × 1014 Jones across a large gate voltage range. Notably, an exciting infrared response is obtained with a responsivity of 138 A W−1 and a detectivity of 3.70 × 109 Jones under the 1550 nm wavelength illumination, exclusively achievable when the gate voltage exceeded 4 V. Leveraging the gate‐tunable spectral response, an innovative model for secure optical communication was proposed. This work presents an efficient and feasible strategy for fabricating multifunctional optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Depressive complications in chronic pain are detrimental to rehabilitation. This study was aimed at determining the influence of the presence of depressive symptoms on the efficacy of physical therapy among participants with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods. Data was collected from a randomized controlled trial on 113 participants with CLBP. Participants were reallocated into the depressed or nondepressed groups based on the 50-cutoff point of the self-rating depression scale. All patients received 60 min sessions of physical therapy twice a week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was back-related disability. Secondary outcomes included pain ratings, sleep quality, life quality, other psychological outcomes, and minimal clinically important differences. These outcomes were collected at baseline, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. Results. 31 (27.4%) were accompanied by depressive symptoms. At 12 weeks, the initial depression score was only associated with anxiety score (β = 1.196 [0.531 to 1.860], P = 0.001) and depression score (β = 0.742 [0.200 to 1.284], P = 0.009) in the depressed group, but the initial depression score was associated with anxiety score (β = 0.409 [0.138 to 0.681], P = 0.004), depression score (β = 0.920 [0.658 to 1.184], P < 0.001), sleep quality (β = 0.108 [0.018 to 0.199], P = 0.020), and pain anxiety (β = 0.465 [0.034 to 0.897], P = 0.035) and negatively associated with life quality (β = − 0.815 [−1.267 to −0.363], P = 0.001) in the nondepressed group. Conclusions. Physical therapy is effective to CLBP with depressive symptoms. A higher initial depression score may weaken the efficacy of physical therapy in the nondepressed group. Depressive complications may adversely influence intervention efficacy for CLBP. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1800016396. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A ready supply of eggs has been provided for consumers throughout the years at a relatively low price sufficient to meet consumer demand. In response to the cage-free trend, adequate studies regarding the difference between the cage system and alternative systems are necessary due to the growing concerns about food safety and animal welfare, especially animal living conditions. Along with welfare concerns, there is rising consumer consciousness about the environmental sustainability of animal production. From this perspective, increasing persistency in lay and stability in egg quality would generate environmental and economic benefits. The present study investigated the effects of the enriched cage and free-range systems on the egg yolk nutrient composition at the late phase of the laying cycle (from the 68th week to the 74th week of age). The results of the present study indicated that the egg yolk lipid profile in terms of the total lipid, cholesterol, and fatty acid composition was not modified by the increasing age of laying hens. On the other hand, the results confirmed that the free-range system may improve the nutritional yolk fatty acid profile and its positive impact on human health, which can be a convincing support for the trend of "cage-free" eggs. In recent years, the free-range system for laying hens has increased, driven by societal sensitivity to animal welfare. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the total lipid, cholesterol, and fatty acid composition of egg yolks of late-age laying hens reared in enriched cages (C) and the free-range system (FR). Eggs were collected from Lohmann Brown Classic hens at the 68th, 70th, 72nd, and 74th week of age. The concentrations of total lipids and cholesterol were not affected (p > 0.05) by either factor. Egg yolk from the FR group showed lower (p < 0.01) monounsaturated fatty acids and higher (p < 0.01) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) compared with that of the C group. From a nutritional point of view, the PUFA n-6/n-3 and the PUFA/SFA ratios of egg yolk from the FR group were favorably lower and higher (p < 0.01) compared with the C one. Conversely, hen age did not affect (p > 0.05) the fatty acid composition of yolks. Interactions between factors were found for total n-3 and n-6 PUFA and the n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.01), as well as the thrombogenic index (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results confirmed that the free-range system may improve the nutritional yolk fatty acid profile and its positive impact on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunnan is rich in renewable energy resources. An understanding of its energy structure and developmental trajectories would assist in enabling the design of suitable decarbonizing pathways and how to fit into the national 30–60 agenda. Drawing from endogenous growth theory and time series analysis, our study employs comparative functions and scenario assessments to predict the changes in the key economic indicators, such as GDP, industrial structure shifts, population, and urbanization rates, during the low-carbon transition. We further show energy structure patterns and intensity trends using regression-modeling and data-fitting methods. Based on our analyses, we project that by 2035, Yunnan's GDP will grow to CNY 5.4761 trillion, with secondary and tertiary industries contributing 88.8%. The population is estimated to grow to 52.08 million with an urbanization rate of 70%. Moreover, fossil fuel energy consumption is forecasted to diminish to 38.7%, and energy consumption intensity is projected to be reduced to 0.38 tons of standard coal per CNY 10,000. If these metrics follow the inherent endogenous growth trend, Yunnan's emissions are forecasted to peak at around 220 million tons of CO2 by 2030. These findings not only provide a data foundation for Yunnan's low-carbon development goals but also illuminate pathways for regions rich in renewable resources to transition towards sustainable growth, emphasizing the harmony between advancement and environmental stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the drawbacks of high solubility and instability of polyoxometalates (POMs) in aqueous solution and to expand their application in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (ECR), we assemble sandwich-type POMs, K10[(PW9O34)2M4(H2O)2] (M = Mn, Ni, Zn, shortened as P2W18M4), into the hexagonal channel of a porphyrin-based metal–organic framework (MOF) PCN-222 to form P2W18M4@PCN-222 composites. Their ECR behavior displays polyoxoanion-dependent activity. P2W18Mn4@PCN-222 demonstrates a faradaic efficiency of 72.6% for the CO product (FECO), more than four times that of PCN-222 (FECO = 18.1%), and exhibits exceptional electrochemical stability over 36 h. P2W18Ni4@PCN-222 and P2W18Zn4@PCN-222 slightly increase (26.9%) and decrease (3.2%) in FECO, respectively. We combine the results with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to help understand the intrinsic reasons which reveals that the rate-determining step (RDS) reaction energy of P2W18Mn4@PCN-222 and P2W18Ni4@PCN-222 is significantly reduced compared to that of PCN-222. It is different in P2W18Zn4@PCN-222. Frontier molecular orbitals electron distribution results hint at directional electron transfer from P2W18Mn4/P2W18Ni4 to the porphyrin ring active center in PCN-222, promoting the electro-reduction of CO2 activity. By contrast, P2W18Zn4 may accumulate electrons from PCN-222, thus facilitating the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This work reveals the critical role of sandwich-type POMs in manipulating the electron transfer pathway during the electrocatalytic process. Our findings would broaden the scope of POM applications in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the plant kingdom provides an enormous diversity of metabolites with potentially beneficial applications for humankind, a large fraction of these metabolites and their biosynthetic pathways remain unknown. Resolving metabolite structures and their biosynthetic pathways is key to gaining biological understanding and to allow metabolic engineering. In order to retrieve novel biosynthetic genes involved in specialized metabolism, we developed a novel untargeted method designated as qualitative trait GWAS (QT–GWAS) that subjects qualitative metabolic traits to a genome-wide association study, while the conventional metabolite GWAS (mGWAS) mainly considers the quantitative variation of metabolites. As a proof of the validity of QT-GWAS, 23 and 15 of the retrieved associations identified in Arabidopsis thaliana by QT-GWAS and mGWAS, respectively, were supported by previous research. Furthermore, seven gene-metabolite associations retrieved by QT–GWAS were confirmed in this study through reverse genetics combined with metabolomics and/or in vitro enzyme assays. As such, we established that CYTOCHROME P450 706A5 (CYP706A5) is involved in the biosynthesis of chroman derivatives, UDP-GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASE 76C3 (UGT76C3) is able to hexosylate guanine in vitro and in planta , and SULFOTRANSFERASE 202B1 (SULT202B1) catalyzes the sulfation of neolignans in vitro. Collectively, our study demonstrates that the untargeted QT–GWAS method can retrieve valid gene–metabolite associations at the level of enzyme-encoding genes, even new associations that cannot be found by the conventional mGWAS, providing a new approach for dissecting qualitative metabolic traits. A novel genome-wide association method to uncover biosynthetic loci underlying qualitative metabolic traits (designated as QT–GWAS) was developed and compared with a conventional quantitative metabolite GWAS (mGWAS). At least 23 of the associations identified by QT-GWAS were supported by previous research, and 7 associations involving three metabolic enzyme-encoding genes (CYP706A5 , UGT76C3 , and SULT202B1) were newly confirmed, illustrating the power of QT–GWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space radiation with inherently broadband spectral flux poses a huge danger to astronauts and electronics on aircraft, but it is hard to simulate such feature with conventional radiation sources. Using a tabletop laser-plasma accelerator, we can reproduce exponential energy particle beams as similar as possible to these in space radiation. We used such an electron beam to study the electron radiation effects on the surface structure and performance of two-dimensional material (FePS3). Energetic electron beam led to bulk sample cleavage and damage between areas of uneven thickness. For the FePS3 sheet sample, electron radiation transformed it from crystalline state to amorphous state, causing the sample surface to rough. The full widths at the half maximum of characteristic Raman peaks became larger, and the intensities of characteristic Raman peaks became weak or even disappeared dramatically under electron radiation. This trend became more obvious for thinner samples, and this phenomenon was attributed to the cleavage of Pâ€"P and Pâ€"S bonds, destabilizing the bipyramid structure of [P2S6]4â€" unit. The results are of great significance for testing the maximum allowable radiation dose for the two-dimensional material, implying that FePS3 cannot withstand such energetic electron radiation without an essential shield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper analyzed the different relationships between earlywood and latewood as well as total tree-ring growth and the climate factors and reconstructed 106 years of May–June mean temperature (TMJ) in the Tongbai Mountains based on the earlywood width chronology of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata. It also analyzed the linkages to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This paper found that earlywood width chronology has better response to the climate factors than latewood width and total tree-ring width. This study also found that the main limiting factors that restrained radial growth of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata in the Tongbai Mountains were May–June mean temperature and mean maximum temperature. The reconstructed TMJ series have a better reliability and are significantly negatively correlated with sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean and are significantly positively correlated with SST over the subtropical Pacific Ocean. Finally, the periodic fluctuations of TMJ in the Tongbai Mountains might be related to the quasi-biennial interannual oscillation of SST over the Indo-Pacific equatorial region (QBO). The results of this study are significant for further understanding and exploring forest growth and climate change in the climatic transition zone. The Tongbai Mountains are an ecologically sensitive region to climate change, where there lies a climatic transitional zone from a subtropical to a warm–temperate monsoon climate. The northern boundary of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata is here; thus, climate information is well recorded in its tree rings. Based on developed earlywood width (EWW), latewood width (LWW) and total ring width (RW) chronologies (time period: 1887–2014 year) of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata in the Tongbai Mountains in central China, this paper analyzed characteristics of these chronologies and correlations between these chronologies and climate factors. The correlation results showed that earlywood width chronology contains more climate information than latewood width chronology and total ring width chronology, and mean temperature and mean maximum temperature in May–June were the main limiting factors for radial growth of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata. The highest significant value in all correlation analyses is −0.669 (p < 0.05) between earlywood width chronology and May–June mean temperature (TMJ) in the pre-mutation period (1958–2005) based on mutating in 2006. Thus, this paper reconstructed May–June mean temperature using earlywood width chronology from 1901 to 2005 (reliable period of earlywood width chronology is 1901–2014). The reconstructed May–June mean temperature experienced eight warmer periods and eight colder periods and also showed 2–3a cycle change over the past 105 years. The spatial correlation showed that the reconstructed series was representative of the May–June mean temperature variation in central and eastern China and significant positive/negative correlation with the sea surface temperature (SST) of the subtropical Pacific Ocean and the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean from the previous October to the current June. This also indicated that May–June mean temperature periodic fluctuations might be related to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. The results of this study have extended and supplemented the meteorological records of the Tongbai Mountains and have a guiding significance for forest tending and management in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid the agglomeration of iron NPs and improve the dispersion of Fe SAs, we employed a mixed-ligand strategy to regulate the iron content in PCN-224(ZnxFey) and PCN-222(ZnxFey). Thanks to the sublimation of Zn and the Kirkendall effect, uniform dispersions of Fe SAs with 1.04–1.06 wt% were obtained in the pyrolysis products Zn0.5Fe0.5–N–C-224 and Zn0.5Fe0.5–N–C-222 with excellent CO2 → CO activity, super-stability, and recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic clustering of non-homologous genes for the biosynthesis of plant defensive compounds is an emerging theme, but insights into their formation and physiological function remain limited. Here we report the identification of a newly discovered hydroxycinnamoyl tyramine (HT) gene cluster in rice. This cluster contains a pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate oxidase (OsPDX3) producing the cofactor pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP), a PLP-dependent tyrosine decarboxylase (OsTyDC1), and two duplicated hydroxycinnamoyl transferases (OsTHT1 and OsTHT2). These members were combined to represent an enzymological innovation gene cluster. Natural variation analysis showed that the abundance of the toxic tyramine intermediate of the gene cluster among different rice accessions is mainly determined by the coordinated transcription of OsTyDC1 and OsTHT1. Further pathogen incubation assays demonstrated that the end products of the HT gene cluster displayed enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae (Xoo) and fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), and the enhanced resistance is associated with the boost of phytoalexins and the activation of defense response. The unique presence of the HT gene cluster in Oryza AA genome, together with the enrichment of transposon elements within this gene cluster region, provides an evolutionary background to accelerate cluster member combinations. Our study not only discovered a gene cluster involved in the phenylpropanoid metabolism but also addressed the key aspects of gene cluster formation. In addition, our results provide a new metabolic pool for plant defense against pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black putrid river water is often found in densely populated regions with rapid economic development and population growth. This study proposes immobilized native photosynthetic bacteria (PSB), a group of bacteria that can survive in and simultaneously purify a wide range of polluted water bodies, as a novel method for treating heavily polluted river water. A native photosynthetic bacterial (PSB) colony that is a mixture of Rhodovulum strictum and Thiococcus pfennigii was isolated from river sediment (River Zaoyu, Beijing), enriched, and immobilized to purify heavily polluted river water. Consequently, the immobilized PSB was used to treat heavily polluted river water (from the River Zaoyu), with results showing a 70.5% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) in 120 h. The removal efficiency of sulfide and ammonia nitrogen reached 91.7% and 28.3% in 48 and 24 h, respectively. In addition, the dissolved oxygen concentration rose from 0.31 to 1.52 mg L−1 in 48 h. Moreover, the heavily polluted river water became much less turbid following immobilized PSB treatment. This study demonstrates that the applicability of PSB in purifying heavily polluted river and immobilizing microorganisms like the PSB could be a prospective approach to enhance their performance in water bodies with low carbon, low dissolved oxygen (DO), high nitrogen, and high phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterostructures based on diverse two-dimensional (2D) materials are effective for tailoring and further promoting device performance and exhibit considerable potential in photodetection. However, the problem of high-density thermionic carriers can be hardly overcome in most reported heterostructure devices based on type I and type II band alignment, which leads to an unacceptably small I photo / I dark and strong temperature dependence that limit the performance of photodetectors. Here, using the MoTe 2 /h-BN/MoTe 2 /h-BN heterostructure, we report the hole-dominated Fowler–Nordheim quantum tunneling transport in both on and off states. The state-of-the-art device operating at room temperature shows high detectivity of >108 Jones at a laser power density of <0.3 nW μm−2 from the visible to near infrared range. In addition, the fast on–off switching and highly sensitive photodetection properties promise superior imaging capabilities. The tunneling mechanism, in combination with other unique properties of 2D materials, is significant for novel photodetection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to 90% of the human genome is transcribed into Long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that longer than 200 nucleotides but do not code for proteins. LncRNAs play a vital role in a broad range of biological process, it's dysregulations and mutations are linked to the development and progression of various complex human diseases. Given the dramatic changes and growing scientific outputs in lncRNAs field, using a quantitative measurement to analyze and characterize the existing studies has become imperative.Bibliometric analysis is a widely used tool to assess the academic influence of a publication or a country in a specific field. However, a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited papers in lncRNAs area has not been conducted. Thus, we executed a bibliometric study to identify the authors, journals, countries and institutions that contributed most to the top 100 lncRNAs list, characterize the key words and focus of top 100 most-cited papers, and detect the factors related to their successful citation. This study provides a comprehensive list of the most influential papers on lncRNAs research and demonstrates the important advances in this field, which might be benefit to researchers in their paper publication and scientific cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion is a method adopted to treat sludge, but its effectiveness is limited by the existence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). For the first time, this study separated sludge into intracellular polymeric substances (IPSs) and EPSs to investigate each of their digestion properties and the influences of EPSs. It was found that (1) EPS anaerobic digestion was completed in 3 days and was much quicker than by IPS; (2) the removal of organic matter in EPSs was higher than in IPSs; and (3) the biogas yield of EPSs [ 266.6 mL/g volatile solids (VS)] was higher than that of IPSs (229.2 mL/g VS). To examine the influences of EPS on sludge anaerobic digestion, an EPS-removal sample was compared with the control sample, and it was found that EPSs could restrict biogas production during sludge anaerobic digestion. After removing EPSs, cumulative biogas production and biogas yield were improved by 9.4% and 28.8%, respectively. The whole biogas production process was also shortened by 7 days after removing EPSs. Future studies could decide whether EPSs should be removed based on their role in anaerobic digestion outcomes (e.g., prioritize the production of biogas or the removal of organic matter). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic ammonium‐oxidizing (anammox) bacteria play a key role in the global nitrogen cycle and in nitrogenous wastewater treatment. The anammox bacteria ultrastructure is unique and distinctly different from that of other prokaryotic cells. The morphological structure of an organism is related to its function; however, research on the ultrastructure of intact anammox bacteria is lacking. In this study, in situ three‐dimensional nondestructive ultrastructure imaging of a whole anammox cell was performed using synchrotron soft X‐ray tomography (SXT) and the total variation‐based simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (TV‐SART). Statistical and quantitative analyses of the intact anammox bacteria were performed. High soft X‐ray absorption composition inside anammoxosome was detected and verified to be relevant to iron‐binding protein. On this basis, the shape adaptation of the anammox bacteria response to iron was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Comorbid pain and depression occur with high prevalence in clinical observations, and published academic journals about them have been increasing in number over time. However, few studies used the bibliometric method to analyze the general aspects of scientific researches on the comorbidity of pain and depression. The aim of this study is to systematically provide global scientific research in the comorbidity of pain and depression from 1980 to 2018. Methods. The published papers were searched between 1980 and 2018 in Web of Science. Publications related to comorbid pain and depression research were included. The language was restricted to English, and no species limitations were specified. Results. A total of 2,519 papers met the inclusion criteria in our study. The results revealed that the publications had a significant growth over time in the comorbidity of pain and depression research (P<0.001) by linear regression analyses. The United States had the largest number of publications and citations and the highest value of H-index. According to subject categories of Web of Science, research areas of the 2,519 papers mainly focused on clinical neurology (28.78%), neurosciences (22.9%), and psychiatry (22.23%). In accordance with types of pain, headache (19.09%) was the most popular topic in the included papers on comorbid pain and depression research. Conclusions. The findings provide useful information for pain and depression researchers to detect new areas related to collaborators, cooperative institutions, popular topics, and research frontiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previously we reported on severe vitamin D deficiency in a large-scale cohort in the Tangshan area in northern China. However, whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with cardiovascular risk factors has not been systematically examined in the cohort.Objective: We aimed to determine the correlation between serum vitamin D status and lipid levels in circulation via an observational study.Methods: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) was measured. Based on the measurement subjects were classified into quintiles. Dyslipidemia was defined as having one of the following: elevated serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides or decreased HDL cholesterol, under lipid-control treatment.Results: The study was conducted in a total of 3788 adults in northern China during their routine health examinations. When the highest quintile of the 25(OH)D level was set as reference, the risk of having dyslipidemia increased progressively across the highest to the lowest 25(OH)D with ORs of 1 (reference), 1.232 (95% CI, 1.005-1.509), 1.235 (95% CI, 1.007-1.513), 1.403 (95% CI, 1.143-1.735) and 1.494 (95% CI, 1.217-1.833), respectively (Ptrend < .0001) after adjustment for age. This trend was unchanged after further adjustment for several potential confounders. In linear regression analysis, we found an inverse significant correlation between 25(OH)D and triglycerides (β coefficient = -0.077, p < .05) and LDL cholesterol (β coefficient = -0.245, p < .05), and positive correlation with HDL cholesterol (β coefficient = 0.038, p = .018).Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is found to be associated with dyslipidemia in a cohort of 3788 subjects. Specifically, serum 25(OH)D is inversely correlated with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels, and positively correlated with HDL cholesterol level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) are considered ideal for high COD wastewater treatment and resource recovery. This work is the first continuous-mode long-term (440 days) pilot study (240 L) by using PSB-membrane (PSB-MBR) system for such purpose. Results showed that the system started-up in 27 days for brewery wastewater and then stably operated under various temperature, initial COD and pH conditions, which showed fast start-up and strong robustness. Comparing with small-batch PSB-MBR system, the capacity of pollutants treatment degradation rate in the pilot-continuous PSB-MBR system was promoted. The operation parameters for pilot-continuous PSB-MBR system were determined as follows: light-micro aerobic, 72 h hydraulic retention time, 1200 mg L−1 inoculum size and 1.0 g L−1 d−1 organic loading rate, 2.5 F/M. Under these conditions, the COD and NH 4 + in effluent were below 80 and 15 mg L−1, respectively. The PSB cell production reached 483.5 mg L−1 d−1 with protein, polysaccharides, carotenoid, bacteriochlorophyll, and coenzyme Q10 of 420.9, 177.6, 2.53, 10.75, 38.6 mg g−1, respectively, showing great potential of resource recovery from organic wastewater. In addition, the collected biomass had no acute toxicity to crucian carps. This work provides a base for the scale-up of this novel technology. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Continuous pilot PSB-MBR firstly used for brewery wastewater resource recovery. • Operative parameters were determined for long-term pilot-continuous operation. • PSB-MBR system showed strong robustness to water quality and environment changes. • Good effluent quality with PSB cell production of 483.5 g L−1 d−1. • PSB cells were non-toxic, rich in protein and value-added substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time trends regarding the etiology of renal artery stenosis (RAS) are changing, but few investigations have focused on these issues. This study aimed to analyze the time trends regarding the etiology of RAS in a large patient sample from the China Center for Cardiovascular Disease. Consecutive inpatients with RAS from January 1999 to December 2016 were enrolled in this study. The etiologic diagnosis of RAS was based on established criteria. We retrospectively analyzed the time trends regarding the etiology of RAS during an 18-year period. A total of 2905 patients with RAS were enrolled. There were 2393 (82.4%) patients with atherosclerosis (AS), 345 (11.9%) with Takayasu arteritis (TA), 126 (4.3%) with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), and 41 (1.4%) with other causes. Among all patients (n = 2905), patients aged ≤ 40 years (n = 450), patients aged >40 years (n = 2455), female patients (n = 1097), male patients (n = 1808), female patients aged >40 years (n = 808), and male patients aged >40 years (n = 1647), there were a gradual increase in the proportion of atherosclerotic RAS (P < 0.05), a gradual decrease in the proportion of RAS caused by TA (P < 0.05), and almost no change in the proportion of RAS caused by FMD during the 18-year period (P > 0.05). The data show that the primary causes of RAS are AS, TA, and FMD. The proportion of RAS caused by AS and TA gradually increased and decreased, respectively, over time, and the proportion of RAS caused by FMD showed no significant change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) were reported to have great potential for nitrogen removal when treating high-ammonia wastewater. Light-oxygen conditions are the most important parameter; however, the role of the microbial community composition for PSB nitrogen removal remains unclear. This study focussed on the effects of three light-oxygen conditions on PSB performance and the microbial community during high-ammonia wastewater treatment. The results showed that light-oxygen conditions had a significant impact on nitrogen removal efficiency, microbial community diversity and composition. PSB under light-aerobic condition had the highest biomass, highest COD, NH 4 + -N, and NO 3 − -N removal efficiency, and the highest community diversity; these results have not been reported before. The dominant genus in samples under light-aerobic condition was Pseudomonas (with a proportion of 58.23%). The correlation analysis showed that Pseudomonas was positively correlated with NH 4 + -N and NO 3 − -N removal, with high correlation coefficients of 0.9. These results further revealed the underlying nitrogen removal mechanism of PSB in high-ammonia wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface structure in nanocomposite materials often directly influences the electric, thermal, and mechanical properties of functional architectures and limits their application in many fields, in addition to the characteristics of their nanobuilding blocks. In this work, we report that the electronic transport characteristic of a well-ordered carbon nanotube film is adjusted by the structural evolution of the junction caused by capillary effects. This mechanism can explain the resistance change and recovery throughout the immersion-evaporation process and even the anomalous transient decrease in the resistance. Meanwhile, we establish a relationship between the resistance change ratio of the film and the interfacial tension between the film and the immersion liquid. The ability to achieve a sensitive and repeatable resistance change in a carbon nanotube film could have important implications in the measurement of liquid properties, liquid sensors, and solution analysis and provide a new avenue for the development of new multifunctional architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of renal artery stent combined with optimal medical therapy as treatment for renal artery stenosis. Research design and methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with severe atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis received percutaneous renal artery stent because of poorly controlled hypertension or preservation of renal function. The patients also received optimal medical therapy to achieve the blood pressure, lipid and blood glucose targets. Main outcome measures:All patients underwent a 12 month follow-up to observe the effect of the procedure on blood pressure control, number of antihypertensive medications and creatinine level. Results:Stents were placed in 185 renal arteries of 149 patients. Mean stenosis was 83.1 ± 7.0%. The success rate of renal artery stent was 99.3%. At 12 months, estimated glomerular filtration rate increased significantly compared with baseline (84.1 ± 28.8 vs. 76.5 ± 22.50 ml/min ×1.73 m2,p < 0.05). Both office blood pressure and 24 hour blood pressure significantly decreased compared with baseline (from 153/83 mmHg to 134/73 mmHg and from 143/80 mmHg to 124/69 mmHg, respectively;p < 0.05), and less antihypertensive medication was taken compared with baseline (1.5 ± 0.8 vs. 2.2 ± 0.9;p < 0.05). Conclusions:Renal artery stent combined with optimal medical therapy as a treatment has a beneficial effect on blood pressure control and estimated glomerular filtration rate in selected patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Larger studies with a longer follow-up appear necessary to further confirm these intriguing findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of renal artery stent combined with optimal medical therapy as treatment for renal artery stenosis.Research Design and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with severe atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis received percutaneous renal artery stent because of poorly controlled hypertension or preservation of renal function. The patients also received optimal medical therapy to achieve the blood pressure, lipid and blood glucose targets.Main Outcome Measures: All patients underwent a 12 month follow-up to observe the effect of the procedure on blood pressure control, number of antihypertensive medications and creatinine level.Results: Stents were placed in 185 renal arteries of 149 patients. Mean stenosis was 83.1 ± 7.0%. The success rate of renal artery stent was 99.3%. At 12 months, estimated glomerular filtration rate increased significantly compared with baseline (84.1 ± 28.8 vs. 76.5 ± 22.50 ml/min ×1.73 m2, p < 0.05). Both office blood pressure and 24 hour blood pressure significantly decreased compared with baseline (from 153/83 mmHg to 134/73 mmHg and from 143/80 mmHg to 124/69 mmHg, respectively; p < 0.05), and less antihypertensive medication was taken compared with baseline (1.5 ± 0.8 vs. 2.2 ± 0.9; p < 0.05).Conclusions: Renal artery stent combined with optimal medical therapy as a treatment has a beneficial effect on blood pressure control and estimated glomerular filtration rate in selected patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Larger studies with a longer follow-up appear necessary to further confirm these intriguing findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the parametric instability of a panel (beam) under high speed air flows and axial excitations. The idea is to affect out-of-plane vibrations and aerodynamic loads by in-plane excitations. The periodic axial excitation introduces time-varying items into the panel system. The numerical method based on Floquet theory and the perturbation method are utilized to solve the Mathieu-Hill equations. The system stability with respect to air/panel density ratio, dynamic pressure ratio, and excitation frequency are explored. The results indicate that panel flutter can be suppressed by the axial excitations with proper parameter combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolamides (PAs) are specialized (secondary) metabolites mainly synthesized by BAHD N -acyltransferases. Here, we report metabolic profiling coupled with association and linkage mapping of 11 PAs in rice (Oryza sativa). We identified 22 loci affecting PAs in leaves and 16 loci affecting PAs in seeds. We identified eight BAHD N -acyltransferases located on five chromosomes with diverse specificities, including four aromatic amine N -acyltransferases. We show that genetic variation in PAs is determined, at least in part, by allelic variation in the tissue specificity of expression of the BAHD genes responsible for their biosynthesis. Tryptamine hydroxycinnamoyl transferase 1/2 (Os-THT1/2) and tryptamine benzoyl transferase 1/2 (Os-TBT1/2) were found to be bifunctional tryptamine/tyramine N- acyltransferases. The specificity of Os-THT1 and Os-TBT1 for agmatine involved four tandem arginine residues, which have not been identified as specificity determinants for other plant BAHD transferases, illustrating the versatility of plant BAHD transferases in acquiring new acyl acceptor specificities. With phylogenetic analysis, we identified both divergent and convergent evolution of N -acyltransferases in plants, and we suggest that the BAHD family of tryptamine/tyramine N -acyltransferases evolved conservatively in monocots, especially in Gramineae. Our work demonstrates that omics-assisted gene-to-metabolite analysis provides a useful tool for bulk gene identification and crop genetic improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We aimed to investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of selective stenting versus percutaneous balloon angioplasty (PTA) in hypertensive patients with renal artery stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis (RASTA). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of consecutive 152 RASTA patients from Fuwai Hospital between 2005 and 2012. All target lesions of renal arteries were firstly treated by plain PTA. After angioplasty, if flow-limited dissection and/or residual stenosis > 50% of diameter on angiogram existed, a selective stenting was then followed to further morphological improvement. Results The baseline characteristics between PTA (n = 93) and stenting groups (n = 59) were indistinguishable. At two-year follow-up, the rates of normalized, improved, and unaltered hypertension were 27.4%, 63.4% and 12.3% in PTA group (n = 93) versus 22.4%, 62.1% and 15.5% respectively in stenting group (p = 0.79). Primary patency rate was 90.1% in renal arteries (125 lesions) treated with PTA versus 75.6% in renal arteries (64 lesions) treated with stent placement (p = 0.008). Female, active stage of the disease requiring glucocorticoid and/or immunosuppressant agents, residual stenosis rate and stenting were significantly associated with the restenosis. In patients with restenosis, renal artery occlusion occurred more in stenting group (8/15), compared with that in PTA group (1/12) (p = 0.019). The stenting group underwent more reintervention procedures than PTA group (13/63 versus 8/125, p = 0.003). Conclusions If PTA alone failed in treating RASTA, selective stenting resulted in similarly effective blood pressure reduction. Stenting also resulted in lower 2-year primary patency rate, higher occlusion rate and higher reintervention rate than those who did not need stenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper establishes a structural dynamics model for torsional vibration of gearboxes containing a face-gear drive by considering flexibilities of gear teeth and transmission shafts. This model includes the time-varying gear mesh stiffness resulting fromthe unique face-gear meshing kinematics and nonunity contact ratio. The face-gear mesh-induced parametric instability phenomena are explored numerically via Floquet theory for various shaft characteristics and system inertia distributions. In addition, Tregold's approximation is employed for face-gear contact ratio calculations to avoid complex numerical computations. For design purposes, a perturbation technique is utilized to analytically predict the parametric instability boundaries for the cases with small time-varying components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature-dependent basic friction angles of granite fractures were investigated through three-core tilt tests with different heating temperatures, cooling treatment methods, specimen sizes, and tilting rates. Specimens were first heated to a predetermined temperature, then rapidly cooled to room temperature using two different cooling treatments (i.e., water and liquid nitrogen). The results indicated that the basic friction angles of thermally treated granite fractures increased linearly with the rise in heating temperature which could be mainly attributed to surface conditions altered by thermal stresses. The microcracks of the specimens subjected to thermal treatments were characterized using P-wave velocities and scanning electron microscope images. The basic friction angles increased as specimen sizes increased when the heating temperature was 400 or 800 °C. The tilting rate also had a significant impact on the basic friction angle of granite fractures subjected to the thermal treatments. The overall trends of the testing results with the two types of thermal treatment methods were similar when the heating temperature was 400 °C, while different evolutions were observed under the heating temperature of 800 °C. This study can provide some referential value for the stability analysis of jointed rock masses subjected to high temperature (e.g., geothermal exploration and nuclear waste disposal), and also the protection of stone cultural relics suffered from fire. • Basic friction angles of granite surfaces after heating and two different rapid cooling treatments are investigated. • Temperature-dependent mechanisms are analyzed. • Influences of specimen size and tilting rate on the basic friction angle of granite are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic steels are perceived as the most promising structural materials for advanced fission- and future fusion-reactor applications owing to their excellent irradiation resistance and high-temperature mechanical properties. To understand the role of interfaces under irradiation, the first-principles calculations have been performed to investigate geometric, energetic and electronic properties of the {1 0 0}<1 0 0>Fe//{1 0 0}<1 0 0>Y 2 O 3 interface as well as their interaction with radiation point defects. For O monovacancy in the Y 2 O 3 layer, its formation energy slightly increases when it approaches to interface. For Fe monovacancy, the vacancy formation energy decreases when the vacancy is close to the interface. For Fe–Fe divacancies, the formation energy of the first nearest neighbor (1NN) and 2NN Fe–Fe divacancies at the interface are −9.48 eV and −10.49 eV, while their binding energies are −2.46 eV and −1.45 eV, respectively. These results suggest that the α-Fe/Y 2 O 3 interface tends to attract vacancies in Fe matrix, yet prevents to form voids at the interface, which enhances radiation resistance of ODS steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic pathogen that can infect a range of animals and humans. Ingestion of T. gondii oocysts in soil is a significant transmission route for humans and animals acquiring toxoplasmosis. In the present study, we developed a new semi-nested PCR method to determine T. gondii oocysts distribution in soils in northwestern China., Results The one tube semi-nested PCR assay was developed to detect the oocysts of T. gondii in soil, targeting the repetitive 529 bp fragment of T. gondii genomic DNA. Then a total of 268 soil samples, including 148 samples from Gansu Province and 120 samples from Qinghai Province, northwestern China, were examined by the semi-nested PCR method. One third of the positive samples were sequenced. The sensitivity of the semi-nested PCR assay was 102 T. gondii oocysts in 5 g soil sample. Investigation of soil samples from northwestern China showed that 34 out of 268 soil samples (12.69%) were T. gondii positive. Sequences of the partial 529 bp fragments varied from 0-1.2% among the sequenced samples. The prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in soil from cities (24/163) was slightly higher than that in soils from pasturing areas (10/105) (P = 0.21). Among the different regions in cities, the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in soils from parks was 14.15%, whereas that in soils from schools was 19.05%. Conclusions The present study firstly reported the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in soils in northwest China using a novel semi-nested PCR assay, which provided baseline data for the effective prevention and control of toxoplasmosis in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid coumarin-thiazole compound was developed as a novel ratiometric and colorimetric sensor for bisulfite anions. Structure identification of the compound was confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 1H,1H COSY, heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), IR, and HRMS spectroscopy. The detection of bisulfite anions was performed through the Michael addition of the bisulfite anion toward the hybrid coumarin-thiazole sensor. The reaction between the sensor and bisulfite anion caused the fluorescence intensity to decrease at 600 nm and to increase at 450 nm and simultaneously yielded a visible color change from purplish red to colorless because the π conjugation between thiazole and coumarin was blocked. The sensor possessed high selectivity and sensitivity for bisulfite with respect to other common anions in aqueous solution. Moreover, the practical value of this sensor was confirmed by its application in the detection of bisulfite anion in human breast adenocarcinoma cells and granulated sugar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study investigates the safety and efficacy of anterolateral (AL) osteotomy for the treatment of lateral tibial plateau fractures merged with relatively simple and intact posterolateral (PL) corner displacement and screens applicable patients. Methods: Totally, 11 patients with lateral tibial plateau fractures involving the PL corner were included in this study. Of them, seven patients sustained their injuries from motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), three from sports and one from fall from height. All of them received open reduction and internal fixation through the AL approach. Operation time, incision length, range of motion (ROM), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score, time of union and complications were retrospectively reviewed. Tibial plateau angle (TPA), lateral posterior slope angle (PSA) and articular step-off reduction after surgery were examined by a radiograph technique. Results: Statistically, the means of operation time, incision length, ROM and follow-up period were 82 min, 11 cm, 97° and 27 months, respectively. Three patients had slight complications: superficial infection, hardware irritation and secondary valgus deformity, without severe neural or vascular injuries, which revealed the safety and efficacy of the PL treatment. The average HSS knee score was 91.2 (range 86-96). Reduction (mean TPA 87.2° and mean PSA 8.3°) was satisfactory in 10 patients, except for one patient with a radiographic articular stepoff of 5 mm (case 10). Conclusions: The AL approach is safe and effective for lateral tibial plateau fractures involving the PL corner, especially for fractures merged with simple and intact PL corner displacement (depression and/or split). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel ratiometric and colorimetric chemosensor bearing hybrid coumarin-hemicyanine functionality has been synthesized for cyanide sensing. The detection of cyanide was performed via the nucleophilic attack of cyanide anion toward the polarized C N bond of the hybrid coumarin-hemicyanine dye. The reaction between the sensor and cyanide anion caused a remarkable decrease in the absorption spectra at 510 nm and simultaneously yielded a clear color change from red to yellow due to the blocking of the π-conjugation between hemicyanine and coumarin. The ratiometric absorbance changes showed a linear response to cyanide anion in the concentration range of 9.8–2000.0 μM. The sensor achieved rapid detection of cyanide anion in 3 min and possessed high selectivity for cyanide with respect to other common anions. In addition, the sensor can serve as practical colorimetric sensor for “in-the-field” measurement that would not require any additional equipment by virtue of a “dip-stick” approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The miscibility of poly(vinyl chloride)/poly( n-butyl methacrylate) (PVC/P nBMA) blend and the interdiffusion kinetics of PVC/P nBMA laminates have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. This blend exhibited a lower critical solution temperature behavior. Below 120 °C, DSC results showed each blend with different PVC contents exhibited only a single glass transition temperature which increased with PVC content, indicating that PVC and P nBMA were miscible. After PVC/P nBMA laminates were annealed at different temperature for different time, a smooth cross-section across interface was prepared by ultramicrotoming. Combined with topography and phase images of tapping mode AFM, the relative concentration profile, interface width and the relationship between interface width and annealing time could be obtained. In a regime of rubbery/rubbery interdiffusion, the diffusion obeyed a typical Fickian Case-I behavior where the interface width was proportional to the square root of annealing time. The mutual diffusion coefficient was in good agreement with that obtained from DSC and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. However, in the regime of glassy/rubbery interdiffusion, the diffusion followed a typical Case-II behavior where the interface width was proportional to annealing time. These results imply that AFM is a reliable and powerful tool for the investigation of polymer/polymer interdiffusion at a level of polymer chain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in orchestrating the host responses to a wide variety of foreign antigens and are essential in maintaining immune tolerance. Distinct biomaterials have been shown to differentially affect the phenotype of DCs, which suggested that biomaterials may be used to modulate immune response toward the biologic component in combination products. The elucidation of biomaterial property-DC phenotype relationships is expected to inform rational design of immuno-modulatory biomaterials. In this study, DC response to a set of 12 polymethacrylates (pMAs) was assessed in terms of surface marker expression and cytokine profile. Principal component analysis (PCA) determined that surface carbon correlated with enhanced DC maturation, while surface oxygen was associated with an immature DC phenotype. Partial square linear regression, a multivariate modeling approach, was implemented and successfully predicted biomaterial-induced DC phenotype in terms of surface marker expression from biomaterial properties with  = 0.76. Furthermore, prediction of DC phenotype was effective based on only theoretical chemical composition of the bulk polymers with  = 0.80. These results demonstrated that immune cell response can be predicted from biomaterial properties, and computational models will expedite future biomaterial design and selection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Long-lasting drought records can provide valuable insights into the history of hydroclimate change in central China, but meteorological records are too short to capture long-term variability of the humidity. In this study, we established a tree-ring width chronology of Pinus armandii Franch in the Funiu Mountains region of central China. Correlation analyses showed that tree radial growths were mainly limited by hydrothermal combination in May–June. The results of the moving correlation analysis further showed that the response relationship between tree growth and relative humidity in May–June (RH MJ) was the most stable. This relationship has been reconstructed since 1863. The variance of the reconstructed RH MJ was explained by 41.7% (40.6% after adjusting for degrees of freedom). Over the past 158 years, there were 3 wet periods and 4 dry periods. The spectral analysis revealed that the reconstructed RH MJ exhibited quasi-periods of 2-4a and 31.6a, and cross-spectrum analysis showed that the reconstructed RH MJ may be related to ENSO, PDO, solar activity and the East Asian summer monsoon. The spatial correlation analysis revealed that the reconstructed RH MJ accurately depicted the fluctuations in humidity within the Huanghe-Huaihe Plain. Furthermore, the reconstructed RH MJ exhibited a strong negative correlation with the sea surface temperature (SST) of the subtropical North Pacific, while it displayed a highly significant positive correlation with the SST of the eastern equatorial Pacific from the previous May to the current April. This also indicated a possible link between humidity fluctuations in the Huanghe-Huaihe Plain and the Pacific internal variability in climate system. Therefore, this research aims to expand and complement the existing meteorological records, providing important reference significance for forest management, agriculture, and animal husbandry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a significant increase in interest in green manufacturing as a key driver of global carbon-neutral efforts and sustainable development. To find the research hotspots of green manufacturing and reveal future research trends, this study reviewed and analyzed research articles from the Web of Science database on green manufacturing from 1991 to 2022 using a bibliometric method. The findings indicate a significant rise in the number of articles related to green manufacturing since the 2010s. Moreover, there has been an increase in the involvement of scholars from developing countries such as China and India in this field. Based on the literature review and bibliometric cluster analysis on green manufacturing, we believed that future research may continue following the lines of intelligent technology integration, adoption of frontier engineering techniques, and industry development in line with carbon reduction targets. A framework for future green manufacturing development is proposed, with a focus on Chinese policies. The framework could provide policy implications for developing countries looking to pursue opportunities for development in green manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cu2S nanostructures were fabricated by polyol method and then characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM. The morphologically different Cu2S nanostructures such as vertically nanorod arrays, nanoflowers assembled by nanorod arrays, nanoparticles and nanowires, can be successfully synthesized under different experimental conditions. The growth mechanism for the different nanostructures is proposed. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was evaluated based on the degradation of organic pollutant, active brilliant red X-3B (X-3B), under visible light. Among the Cu2S nanostructures, self-assembled nanoflowers have the highest photocatalytic activity. In addition, the prepared Cu2S nanostructures are found to be able to decolorize X-3B with iron ions for the formation of Fenton reagent. This study provides a more choice to prepare self-assembled nanostructures for the application of environmental pollution control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A new inorganic-organic hybrid compound was synthesized by the hydrothermal method. • It exhibits two types of Keggin anions and two [Ni 2 (BBPTZ) 5 octahedral fragments. • It shows outstanding redox property. • It shows excellent electrocatalytic activity for bromate/nitrite reduction. • It has good application potential in electrochemical sensing. Introducing the flexible ligand of 4,4′-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)biphenyl (BBPTZ) into the Keggin system, we synthesized a new 2D inorganic-organic hybrid compound of [Ni 2 (BBPTZ) 5 2 [SiMo 12 O 40 2 ·H 2 O (1) by the hydrothermal method. It exhibits two types of Keggin anions and two [Ni 2 (BBPTZ) 5 octahedral fragments, of which five BBPTZ ligands are showing two kinds of configurations, the "U" and "S". Compound 1 displays outstanding electrocatalytic activity for bromate/nitrite reduction, providing excellent potential for application in electrochemical sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hydrothermal reaction of Cd(OAc)2 ·4H2O with 3,6-di(2-pyrazinyl)-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (dpztzH2) at 165°C resulted in the formation of a one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer [Cd3(OAc)3(dpzt)3]·2H2O (1) (dpztH=2-(5-(pyrazin-2-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyrazine) and a new 3D microporous coordination network [Cd2(2,4,6-pyta)(dpzt)(H2O)]·2H2O (2) when pyridine-2,4,6-tricarboxylic acid (2,4,6-pytaH3) ligand was employed in the above reaction system, in which the anionic dpzt− ligand was resulted from the in situ solvothermal rearrangement and deamination of dpztzH2. Both complexes emit strong photoluminescence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new copper(I) compound [CuI(bppd)(μ-SCN)] (1) (bppd=3,6-bis(1-pyrazolyl)pyridazine) and a new manganese(II) compound [MnII(MeOppd)Cl2]·2H2O (2) (MeOppd=3-methoxy-6-pyrazol-1-yl-pyridazine), synthesized through solvothermal reactions of CuI with 3,6-bis(1-pyrazolyl)pyridazine in acetonitrile and MnCl2 ·4H2O with 3-chloro-6-pyrazol-1-yl-pyridazine in methanol, respectively, have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pca21 with a =7.145(2)Å, b =16.836(4)Å, c =10.562(3)Å, V =1270.6(5)Å3, and Z =4. Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a =18.064(2)Å, b =13.417(2)Å, c =11.082(1)Å, β =122.945(2)°, V =2253.9(4)Å3, and Z =4. The overall structure of 1 consists of 1D helical coordination chains which are further extended into a 3D supramolecular architecture via π–π stacking and CN hydrogen bonding interactions. Compound 2 is comprised of hydrogen-bonded double-strand water–chloride helical chains alternately interlinked by the Clph name="sbnd" />Cl bridges from Λ-[Mn(MeObpd)2Cl2] and Δ-[Mn(MeObpd)2Cl2] isomers, which are further extended into a 3D supramolecular architecture via rich CCl hydrogen bonding interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Porous silicon multilayer structures have remarkable optical and morphological properties that can be exploited for biosensing. In particular, a high internal surface area (>100 m²/cm³) and a linear response profile to changes in the dielectric environment enable fabrication of sensitive devices and a straightforward quantitation of the optical response. These essential operating characteristics are illustrated for p+ mesoporous silicon (pore diameter 15-20 nm) optical microcavilies. A series of devices were prepared to permit the immobilization of glutathione-S- transferase (∼50 kDa) within the porous matrix. Enzyme activity was exploited as an indirect means to quantitate the amount of protein immobilized. Activity was positively correlated with the optical sensor response. However, at high enzyme load the activity becomes nonlinear while the microcavity response remains linear. These data were used to determine the transduction limit (minimum amount of protein required to transduce an optical response), which is reported as areal mass sensitivity ranging between 50 and 250 pg/mm². This value is considered in context with the dynamic range of the bulk sensitivity, defined as the magnitude of the wavelength shift per refractive index unit, which was measured as a function of microcavity design parameters. This work has uncovered key parameters that can be tuned to improve the detection limit of this sensor modality. Because of the ever increasing number of emerging new biosensor technologies, defining sensor detection limits has become an ambiguous topic and a need exists to standardize measurements and sensitivity units. For chip-based devices, it seems appropriate to report sensitivity in terms of the minimum number of grams of bound target per surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves are the dry leaves of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Modern studies have shown that Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves and its extracts have many pharmacological effects, such as regulating hypothalamus pituitary ovary (HPO) axis function, estrogen like effects, correcting insulin resistance (IR), regulating lipids, and reducing weight, which are consistent with the clinical manifestations in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. PCOS patients often have HPO axis disorder, low estrogen, high androgen, high IR complication rate, and obesity. Previous preclinical studies have shown that total flavonoids from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves (TFEL) can improve the imbalance in sex hormone secretion in perimenopausal animal models by regulating the function of the HPO axis. Thus, it is important to understand if flavonoids are the active parts of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves that interfere with polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance (PCOS-IR), and determine the regulatory role they play in sex hormones and IR? Investigate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway in the ovary and kisspeptin/insulin like growth factor/leptin receptor1/androgen receptor (Kiss1/IGF-1/LEPR/AR) in the HPO axis to determine the mechanism of TFEL intervention in a rat model of PCOS-IR model rats. A rat model of PCOS-IR was established using a high-fat diet (49 d) combined with letrozole (1 mg/kg·d, for 28 d). Then, metformin (300 mg/kg·d) and TFEL (220 mg/kg·d, 110 mg/kg·d, and 55 mg/kg·d) were administered continuously for 21 days. At the end of the experiment, samples were taken and the related indexes were measured. TFEL reduced the body weight, Lee's index, ovarian index, ovarian area and ovarian volume, increased serum E 2 , SHBG levels and ISI, decreased serum levels of T, LEP, INS, and FBG (whole blood), and reduced the HOMA-IR in rats with PCOS-IR. TFEL downregulate Kiss1, IGF-1, and AR in the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus, and upregulate Kiss1, downregulate IGF-1 and AR in the pituitary gland, and upregulate Kiss1, downregulate IGF-1, LEPR, and AR in the ovary of rats with PCOS-IR. TFEL could downregulate p-IRS-1Ser307, upregulate IRS-1, p-IRS-1Tyr895, PI3Kp85α, p-PI3Kp85α, AKT, p-AKT, and GLUT4 in the ovary, and ameliorated histopathological changes in the ovary and pancreas of rats with PCOS-IR. TFEL can inhibit ovarian hyperplasia, regulate disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism and improve the secretion of sex hormones, by regulating the expression of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins in the ovary and Kiss1/IGF-1/LEPR/AR in the HPO axis. Schematic diagram of TFEL action in PCOS-IR model rats. TFEL plays a protective role in PCOS-IR model rats by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and then regulating the expression of Kiss1, IGF-1, LEPR, and AR in the HPO axis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's coal consumption has made up more than 70% of China's energy assumption since 1978, and it accounts for approximately 21% of global carbon emissions in 2017. How China reach clean air targets, fulfill its commitment to reduce CO 2 emission in the Paris Agreement, and achieve higher targets, such as peak CO 2 emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emission by 2060? A range of sustainability experiments have been conducted to support China's sustainability transition. As the biggest one among them, the Yangtze River Economic Belt runs across the middle of the country from east to west, with an area of 2,050,000 km2 or 21.39% of China's territory, and covers 11 provinces and cities. Although many studies have been conducted relevant to the Belt, few studies have described the research landscape, trends, and relevant topics of interest and gaps. To address these gaps, we review, synthesize, and analyze the latest publications on the Belt and find environmental governance has been the key topic in current publications. Significantly, atmospheric and climate governance may be used as a lens to understand China's environmental governance, human-environmental interactions and trade-offs between environmental protection and socio-economic development in the Belt. Based on this lens, we find that: I. current research on the Belt has started and increased rapidly in the past five years, but our knowledge on it as a cross-boundary, cross-level and cross-sector sustainability experiment is somewhat limited; II. distribution of risk and responsibility across different regions in atmospheric and climate governance has not been well-addressed; III. new carbon emission accounting methods, especially methods based on a consumption-based approach, could be adopted to offer more comprehensive and just understandings about sectoral differences and environmental benefits; IV. influence of topography and meteorology on ambient air quality in the Belt cannot be ignored and should be included by the following research; and V. trade-offs and competing interests among different actors should be recognized and balanced to facilitate sustainable industrial upgrading, innovation and transforming without compromising individual well-being and regional development. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A metal-organic framework based on silver(I) and mixed ligands {[Ag2(ibpa)2(bpp)2]·5H2O}n (1) (Hibpa = 4-isobutyl-α-methylphenylacetic acid, bpp = 1,3-di(4-pyridyl)propane) has been synthesized by the solvothermal reaction. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that 1 has a two-dimensional (2D) layer motif, and the layers of 1 are further mutually interdigitated to give rise to a 3D nanosized porous framework in the dimension of 13.23×13.19Å. Interestingly, the host framework encapsulates unique hexamer water clusters and is further connected into (H2O) 6n tapes by water–water hydrogen bonding interactions. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to determine the thermal stability of 1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A series of metal manganese-cerium silicon composite aerogel supported Pd catalysts were prepared by the in-situ method, the precipitation method and the impregnation method. The catalysts were applied to synthesize diphenyl carbonate (DPC) by oxidative carbonylation. The effects of different preparation methods and composite metal oxide contents on catalytic activities were studied. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, BET, TEM, H 2 -TPR and XPS. The results showed that the metal composite method had a great influence on the catalyst particle size and specific surface area; the low temperature oxidation performance and surface oxygen species content of the catalysts prepared by different methods were different. The catalyst prepared by the impregnation method has a large specific surface area and particle size, good low-temperature oxidation performance and more surface adsorption oxygen, which helps to improve the multi-step electron transfer efficiency, to promote the regeneration of the active component Pd2+ and to increase catalytic activity. Image 1 • Catalysts were prepared by the in-situ method, the precipitation method and the impregnation method. • The composite method affect the particle size and specific surface area. • The composite method affect the surface oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]