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The retrieval–extinction paradigm based on memory reconsolidation can prevent fear memory recurrence more effectively than the extinction paradigm. High-intensity fear memories tend to resist reconsolidation. Novelty–retrieval–extinction can promote the reconsolidation of fear memory lacking neuroplasticity in rodents; however, whether it could effectively promote high-intensity fear memory reconsolidation in humans remains unclear. Using 120 human participants, we implemented the use of the environment (novel vs. familiar) with the help of virtual reality technology. Novelty environment exploration was combined with retrieval–extinction in fear memory of two intensity levels (normal vs. high) to examine whether novelty facilitates the reconsolidation of high-intensity fear memory and prevents recurrence. Skin conductance responses were used to clarify novelty–retrieval–extinction effects at the behavioral level across three experiments. Retrieval–extinction could prevent the reinstatement of normal-intensity fear memory; however, for high-intensity fear memory, only the novelty–retrieval–extinction could prevent recurrence; we further validated that novelty–retrieval–extinction may be effective only when the environment is novel. Although the high-intensity fear memory is higher than normal-intensity in this study, it may be insufficient relative to fear experienced in real-world contexts or by individuals with mental disorders. To some extent, these findings indicate that the novelty–retrieval–extinction paradigm could prevent the recurrence of high-intensity fear memory, and we infer that novelty of environment may play an important role in novelty–retrieval–extinction paradigm. The results of this study have positive implications for the existing retrieval extinction paradigm and the clinical treatment of phobia. • Retrieval-extinction could prevent reinstatement of normal-intensity fear. • Novelty-retrieval-extinction could prevent recurrence of high-intensity fear. • Novelty of environment may play an important role in novelty–retrieval–extinction paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is an emerging technique for the clinical diagnosis of infectious disease that has rarely been used for the diagnosis of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis. This study compared mNGS detection with conventional culture methods for the on etiological diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites and evaluated the clinical effect of mNGS. Methods: A total of 109 patients with ascites due to cirrhosis were included in the study. We compared mNGS with conventional culture detection by analyzing the diagnostic results, pathogen species and clinical effects. The influence of mNGS on the diagnosis and management of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis was also evaluated. Results: Ascites cases were classified into three types: spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) (16/109, 14.7%), bacterascites (21/109, 19.3%) and sterile ascites (72/109, 66.1%). In addition, 109 patients were assigned to the ascites mNGS-positive group (80/109, 73.4%) or ascites mNGS-negative group (29/109, 26.6%). The percentage of positive mNGS results was significantly greater than that of traditional methods (73.4% vs. 28.4%, P < 0.001). mNGS detected 43 strains of bacteria, 9 strains of fungi and 8 strains of viruses. Fourteen bacterial strains and 3 fungal strains were detected via culture methods. Mycobacteria, viruses, and pneumocystis were detected only by the mNGS method. The mNGS assay produced a greater polymicrobial infection rate than the culture method (55% vs. 16%). Considering the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) counts, the overall percentage of pathogens detected by the two methods was comparable, with 87.5% (14/16) in the PMN ≥ 250/mm3 group and 72.0% (67/93) in the PMN < 250/mm3 group (P > 0.05). Based on the ascites PMN counts combined with the mNGS assay, 72 patients (66.1%) were diagnosed with ascitic fluid infection (AFI) (including SBP and bacterascites), whereas based on the ascites PMN counts combined with the culture assay, 37 patients (33.9%) were diagnosed with AFI (P < 0.05). In 60 (55.0%) patients, the mNGS assay produced positive clinical effects; 40 (85.7%) patients had their treatment regimen adjusted, and 48 patients were improved. The coincidence rate of the mNGS results and clinical findings was 75.0% (60/80). Conclusions: Compared with conventional culture methods, mNGS can improve the detection rate of ascites pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and has significant advantages in the diagnosis of rare pathogens and pathogens that are difficult to culture; moreover, mNGS may be an effective method for improving the diagnosis of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis, guiding early antibiotic therapy, and for reducing complications related to abdominal infection. In addition, explaining mNGS results will be challenging, especially for guiding the treatment of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of entanglement propagation in the dynamics of quantum multibody systems is an important problem in non-equilibrium physics. This paper optimizes the magnetic field to maximize the entanglement entropy and studies its influence on the entanglement propagation properties of quantum states. On the quantum Ising chain with the nearest neighbor coupling, the magnetic field obtained by variational optimization is applied to maximize the entanglement entropy of the final state and improve the entanglement growth rate in the ballistic transport region. At the same time, the entanglement entropy of the short chain can reach the entanglement saturation value of the long chain under a fixed magnetic field. When the chain length is increased, the saturation value of entanglement entropy increases, but the growth rate is almost the same. Specifically, by controlling the magnetic field, the entanglement growth rate of Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain with only the nearest neighbor interaction can be increased to the same rate as that of the system with long-range interaction. The research in this paper reveals the ability of magnetic field to control entanglement propagation in non-equilibrium process, which can be applied to quantum control and information processing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fundamentally understanding the structure–property relationship is critical to design advanced electrocatalysts for lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries, which remains a formidable challenge. Herein, by manipulating the regulable cations in spinel oxides, their geometrical‐site‐dependent catalytic activity for sulfur redox is investigated. Experimental and theoretical analyses validate that the modulation essence of cooperative catalysis of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) is dominated by LiPSs adsorption competition between Co3+ tetrahedral (Td) and Mn3+ octahedral (Oh) sites on Mn3+Oh−O−Co3+Td backbones. Specifically, high‐spin Co3+Td with stronger Co−S covalency anchors LiPSs persistently, while electron delocalized Mn3+Oh with adsorptive orbital (dz2) functions better in catalyzing specialized LiPSs conversion. This work inaugurates a universal strategy for sculpting geometrical configuration to achieve charge, spin, and orbital topological regulation in electrocatalysts for Li−S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fundamentally understanding the structure–property relationship is critical to design advanced electrocatalysts for lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries, which remains a formidable challenge. Herein, by manipulating the regulable cations in spinel oxides, their geometrical‐site‐dependent catalytic activity for sulfur redox is investigated. Experimental and theoretical analyses validate that the modulation essence of cooperative catalysis of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) is dominated by LiPSs adsorption competition between Co3+ tetrahedral (Td) and Mn3+ octahedral (Oh) sites on Mn3+Oh−O−Co3+Td backbones. Specifically, high‐spin Co3+Td with stronger Co−S covalency anchors LiPSs persistently, while electron delocalized Mn3+Oh with adsorptive orbital (dz2) functions better in catalyzing specialized LiPSs conversion. This work inaugurates a universal strategy for sculpting geometrical configuration to achieve charge, spin, and orbital topological regulation in electrocatalysts for Li−S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is well known, a black background can remove the influence of background light reflection and improve the color saturation of amorphous photonic crystal structural color. Coincidentally, a multilayered structure with a black layer of glaze base was found in Jun porcelain. Based on this, black crucible soil with high Fe 2 O 3 content was used as the raw material for imitating the multilayered structure. Furthermore, the reason for the formation of the black layer and its influence law on the saturation of structural color glazes were also studied. The results indicated that the diffusion of iron and titanium ions under the concentration gradient promoted the formation of a black layer. In addition, with increasing amounts of black crucible soil, the diffusion amount and depth of the transition metal ions were large, and the black layer was thickened. It was conducive to improving color saturation for the structural color glaze. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with type 2 diabetes, but its relationship with pre-diabetes is still unknown. This study aims to determine whether pre-diabetes is associated with NAFLD, followed by establishing a NAFLD predictive nomogram for lean Chinese pre-diabetics with normal blood lipids. Methods: Datasets from 3 previous studies, 1 (2774 pre-diabetics with normal blood lipids for training, 925 for validation), 2 (546 for longitudinal internal validation, post-5-year follow-up), and 3 (501 from another institution for external validation), were used. Kaplan-Meier determined cumulative NAFLD hazard, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis uncovered its risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis constructed the nomogram, followed by validation with receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration plot, and decision curve analyses. Results: NAFLD incidence increased with diabetes progression, and pre-diabetics had higher cumulative risk versus non-diabetics, even for lean individuals with normal blood lipids. Six risk factors were identified: body mass index, total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase:aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride:high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and γ-glutamyl-transferase. The nomogram yielded areas under the curve of 0.808, 0.785, 0.796 and 0.832, for respectively, training, validation, longitudinal internal validation, and external validation, which, along with calibration curve values of p = 0.794, 0.875, 0.854 and 0.810 for those 4 datasets and decision curve analyses, validated its clinical utility. Conclusions: Lean pre-diabetic Chinese with normal blood lipids have higher NAFLD risk versus non-diabetics. The nomogram is able to predict NAFLD among such individuals, with high discrimination, enabling its use for early detection and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of serum oligosaccharide chain (G-test), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and aspartic aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratios (AAR), both alone and in combination, for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) onset.Methods: Between Januarys 2020-2022, 152 subjects admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University was enrolled in this study, of which 77 had HCC, 18 chronic hepatitis (CH), 37 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 20 were healthy. Data for patient characteristics were collected, and differences between groups were analyzed by either Mann-Whitney U or χ2 tests. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic value of AFP, G-test, and AAR for HCC.Results: G-test, AFP, and AAR were all found to have close correlations with HCC among the different patient groups, with G-test being the most predictive for HCC among healthy and CL patients, as represented by respective areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.953 and 0.792 (P < 0.001). By contrast, AAR had the greatest diagnostic ability for HCC among CH patients (AUC = 0.850; P < 0.001). However, the combination of all 3 biomarkers obtained the most optimal results for predicting HCC onset, in terms of predictive capability for all 3 non-HCC patient groups, yielding AUCs of 0.958, 0.898, and 0.808 (P < 0.001) for, respectively, healthy, CH, and LC patients. Additionally, AFP had higher specificity, but lower sensitivity, with increased threshold values, as the recommended threshold of AFP ≥ 400 ng/mL yielded a missed diagnosis rate of 72.7%. For AFP-negative HCC (AFP-NHCC) patients, G-test alone had the greatest diagnostic capability (AUC = 0.855; P < 0.001), sensitivity (83.8%), and specificity (87.5%).Conclusion: G-test has the greatest diagnostic capability for HCC and AFP-NHCC, with high sensitivity and specificity, among healthy and LC patients. However, AAR had the highest diagnostic capability and sensitivity for HCC in CH. Overall, though, the combination of G-test, AFP and AAR provided the most optimal outcomes for predicting HCC onset, no matter the patient pre-conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: The survey was conducted with a consecutive sampling of 158 Chinese SLE patients attending public hospitals from January to March 2021. We used the translated Chinese version of the MMAS-8 to collect related data. Reliability, item, and factor analyses were used to test the reliability and validity of the MMAS-8 scale in the selected patients. The internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α coefficient. Test–retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in a subset of 30 participants. Construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and correlations between the Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale (SEAMS) and related measures. Results: The internal consistency reliability of the Chinese version of the MMAS-8 was high (Cronbach's α = 0.817), and the test–retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation = 0.947; P < 0.001). There were significant differences in the F test and t test between the two extreme groups before and after the ranking of 27% of the questionnaire scores (P < 0.001). The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) value of construct validity was 0.860. The spherical test value of Bartlettgers was 417.8822. Factor analysis yielded three components that accounted for 69.375% of the total variance. Exploratory factor analysis identified three dimensions of the Chinese version of the MMAS-8. In terms of criterion validity, the correlation of the MMAS-8 score in SEAMS indicated that the convergent validity was good (r = 0.926; P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study shows that the Chinese version of the Medication Adherence Scale-8 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing medication adherence in Chinese SLE patients. Key Points • Many factors affect medication adherence in SLE patients. • Many questionnaires measure medication adherence levels. • There is a lack of reliable validation of medication adherence questionnaires specifically for SLE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is an important indicator of aquaculture water quality. The prediction accuracy of DO content is the key role in managing and controlling aquaculture water quality. However, potential trends of DO under various conditions (such as weather) are always overlooked. This study aims to develop a novel DO forecasting model using the optimized regularized extreme learning machine (RELM) with factor extraction operation and K -medoids clustering strategy in a black bass aquaculture pond. We adopt the leave-one-out cross (LOO) error validation to obtain the optimal regularization parameter of RELM and enhance the forecasting accuracy. We further adjust the activation function to accelerate the RELM. Next, we divide the time series into day and night segments, and construct the clustering mechanism with the K -medoids method to extract the different patterns of data streams under various weather conditions. The experiments on 14 days' data from a real-world aquaculture pond demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of our proposed DO prediction model. We believe that our research will facilitate the development of a forecasting tool for warning hypoxia in the near future, which combines intelligent prediction models and real-time data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the first-principles approach, we investigated the electronic and chemical properties of cupric oxide CuO (110) and CuO (111) and substantiated their catalytic activity toward CO oxidation. It is found that CuO (111) surface is more stable than the CuO (110) surface. We firstly study that adsorption of CO and O2 on perfect, oxygen vacancies and Cu-anchored CuO (111) surface. It is found that adsorption of CO and O2 molecules are chemical. Then we selected the most stable adsorption structure of CO/O2 to investigated the CO oxidation mechanism on different surface, here we choose to study the Langmuirâ€"Hinshelwood (LH) mechanism and Eleyâ€"Rideal (ER) mechanism. The results show that perfect and Ovacancy CuO (111) surface is more inclined to LH mechanism, while the Cu-anchored CuO (111) surface is more inclined to ER mechanism. The results show that CuO catalyst is very effective for CO oxidation. Our work provides a deep understanding for the search of economical and reasonable CO oxidation catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with Neoporphyra haitanensis (previously known as Pyropia haitanensis) that is a cultivar of nori in southern China, Phycocalidia suborbiculata (previously known as Pyropia suborbiculata) has higher heat resistance, but is not suitable for production and cultivation due to its round blades. In this study, a long-type mutant (PS-LT1) was isolated by using ultraviolet radiation to irradiate the blades of wild-type strain (PS-WT) of P. suborbiculata. Then the characteristics of PS-LT1 were analyzed and the results showed that the morphology of F1 gametophytic blades from the conchocelis of PS-LT1 was consistent with that of its parental blade, indicating that the long-form character could be stably inherited. At 30–60 days of age, the average length–width ratio of blades was about 6.7 in PS-LT1, which was 6.7-fold of that of PS-WT; the average absolute growth rate was 0.64 cm day−1 in PS-LT1, which was 3.8-fold of that of PS-WT. At 60 days of age, the average length and fresh weight of blades were 23.0 cm and 0.5 g in PS-LT1, which are 3.9- and 1.1-fold of those of PS-WT, respectively. At 25–45 days of age, the blades of both strains could continuously release archeospores, but the total number of released archeospores of PS-LT1 was 65.0% lower than that of PS-WT. In summary, PS-LT1 is a long-type mutant with the ability to release archeospores, which can be used as a material for breeding long-type improved strain of P. suborbiculata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Potentials of biatom doped in g-C 3 N 4 as promising NORR catalysts are studied by DFT. • According to reasonable screening strategy, the BAC based on g-C 3 N 4 was screened. • The results showed that 2Mn@g-C 3 N 4 has excellent catalytic activity and selectivity. NO reduction reaction (NORR) is not only an attractive method for sustainable ammonia (NH 3) production, but also a green method to eliminate the harmful gas NO. But a few NORR catalysts have been explored at present, and it remains a great challenge to explore efficient catalysts for the conversion of NO to NH 3. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we proposed a g-C 3 N 4 -based biatomic catalyst (BAC) as a promising candidate for NORR. We systematically studied the activation and conversion of NO on g-C 3 N 4 loaded with double 3d transition metal (TM), 3d TM and non-metallic atom, double non-metallic atoms. After screening for structural stability, adsorption of NO, catalytic activity of NORR and selectivity of NH 3 , it is found that 2Mn@g-C 3 N 4 is a stable NORR catalyst with high catalytic activity and selectivity. And then studied the charge variation to understand in depth the mechanism of its high catalytic activity. In addition, we also verified that all the structures have good thermodynamic stability, and g-C 3 N 4 can be used as a suitable substrate for diatomic catalyst. This study not only provides an idea for screening BACs for the synthesis of NH 3 by NO reduction, but also shows that BACs has great potential of NORR and contributes to the application of BACs in other electrochemical reactions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two unnatural regioisomeric glycosylated Gilvocarcin analogues were proposed as model compounds to study the origin behind the biosynthetic development of the Gilvocarcins, a class of bioactive C‐aryl glycoside natural products. More specifically, the origins behind the proposed O‐ to C‐glycoside migration in the evolution of the biosynthesis for these classes of Angucycline antibiotic natural products. For stability reasons a 5a‐carbasugar motif was used to mimic the sugar portion of the molecule and of synthetic ease the proposed abiotic rearrangement move the sugar analogue along with its O‐glycoside linkage. The two proposed regioisomeric analogues were synthesized by a regio‐divergent synthetic pathway and featured a Mitsunobu‐like invertive cyclictolization reaction to install the carbasugar motif. The two regioisomeric Gilvocarcin analogues were evaluated as antibiotic with Gilvocarcin M as a control. Only one of the two isomers showing weak antibiotic activity as compared to Gilvocarcin M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a destructive agricultural pest that frequently harbors various species of secondary symbionts including Rickettsia. Previous studies have revealed that the infection of Rickettsia can improve whitefly performance on food plants; however, to date, no evidence has shown, if, and how, Rickettsia manipulates the plant-insect interactions. In the current study, the effects of Rickettsia persistence on the induced plant defenses and the consequent performance of whitefly B. tabaci were investigated. Results revealed that Rickettsia can be transmitted into plants via whitefly feeding and remain alive within the cotton plants for at least 2 weeks. The different expression genes of cotton plants were mostly concentrated in the phytohormone signaling pathways, the marker genes of jasmonic-acid signaling pathway (AOC, AOS, LOX, MYC2) were significantly downregulated, while the marker genes of the salicylic-acid signaling pathway (WRKY70, PR-1) were upregulated. Biological experiments revealed that the fecundity of Rickettsia negative B. tabaci significantly increased when they fed on Rickettsia -persistent cotton plants. Taken together, we provide experimental evidence that the persistence of Rickettsia and its induced defense responses in cotton plants can increase the fitness of whitefly and, by this, Rickettsia may increase its infection and spread within its whitefly host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction between shear Alfvén wave (SAW) and energetic particles (EPs) is one of major concerns in magnetically confined plasmas since it may lead to excitation of toroidal symmetry breaking collective instabilities, thus enhances loss of EPs and degrades plasma confinement. In the last few years, Alfvénic zoology has been constructed on HL-2A tokamak and series of EPs driven instabilities, such as toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs), revered shear Alfvén eigenmodes (RSAEs), beta induced Alfvén eigenmodes (BAEs), Alfvénic ion temperature gradient (AITG) modes and fishbone modes, have been observed and investigated. Those Alfvénic fluctuations show frequency chirping behaviors through nonlinear wave-particle route, and contribute to generation of axisymmetric modes by nonlinear wave-wave resonance in the presence of strong tearing modes. It is proved that the plasma confinement is affected by Alfvénic activities from multiple aspects. The RSAEs resonate with thermal ions, and this results in an energy diffusive transport process while the nonlinear mode coupling between core-localized TAEs and tearing modes trigger avalanche electron heat transport events. Effective measures have been taken to control SAW fluctuations and the fishbone activities are suppressed by electron cyclotron resonance heating. Those experimental results will not only contribute to better understandings of energetic particles physics, but also provide technology bases for active control of Alfvénic modes on International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), warranting urgent study of the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and host immune response. Type I interferon (IFN-I) is a key component of host innate immune system responsible for eliminating the virus at the early stage of infection. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved multiple strategies to evade innate immune response to facilitate viral replication, transmission, and pathogenesis. This review summarizes the recent progresses on SARS-CoV-2 proteins that antagonize host IFN-I production and/or signaling. These progresses have provided knowledge for new vaccine and antiviral development to prevent and control COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ru kiln is one of the five most famous kilns in the Chinese Song Dynasty. To clarify the coloring mechanism of the Ru celadon glaze, the celadon samples from the Ru Guan kiln site of Qingliangsi were analyzed by spectrophotometer, X-ray fluorescence spectrum, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. The results indicated that the molar ratios of SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 and CaO/(CaO + Al 2 O 3) affected the formation of micro-bubbles, anorthite crystals and phase separated structures. A large number of bubbles and anorthite crystals formed special glossiness and opacifying effect in the Ru celadon glaze. And then, dense phase separation droplets in the amorphous region were in short-range order, but their diameters (31–46 nm) were too small to form visible structural colors on glaze surfaces. Only "opal effect" was formed by the light scattering, which added the aesthetic feeling for the Ru celadon. Besides, the phase separation droplets intensified the segregation of iron, and thus deepened the chemical color and made the Ru celadon glaze appear green-blue. Due to the neutral to alkaline soil at the Ru Guan kiln site, the water in the soil and its corrosion on the Ru celadon glaze resulted in the formation of Si–OH bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis face poor prognosis and increased mortality risk. Rifaximin, a non‐absorbable antibiotic, has been shown to have beneficial effects in preventing complications and improving survival in these patients. However, the underlying mechanisms of rifaximin's effects remain unclear. Methods: We obtained fecal samples from decompensated cirrhotic patients undergoing rifaximin treatment and controls, both at baseline and after 6 months of treatment. Shotgun metagenome sequencing profiled the gut microbiome, and untargeted metabolomics analyzed fecal metabolites. Linear discriminant and partial least squares discrimination analyses were used to identify differing species and metabolites between rifaximin‐treated patients and controls. Results: Forty‐two patients were enrolled and divided into two groups (26 patients in the rifaximin group and 16 patients in the control group). The gut microbiome's beta diversity changed in the rifaximin group but remained unaffected in the control group. We observed 44 species with reduced abundance in the rifaximin group, including Streptococcus_salivarius, Streptococcus_vestibularis, Haemophilus_parainfluenzae, etc. compared to only four in the control group. Additionally, six species were enriched in the rifaximin group, including Eubacterium_sp._CAG:248, Prevotella_sp._CAG:604, etc., and 14 in the control group. Furthermore, rifaximin modulated different microbial functions compared to the control. Seventeen microbiome‐related metabolites were altered due to rifaximin, while six were altered in the control group. Conclusion: Our study revealed distinct microbiome‐metabolite networks regulated by rifaximin intervention in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. These findings suggest that targeting these specific metabolites or related bacteria might be a potential therapeutic strategy for decompensated cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) has been emphasized as a leading event of the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis, while the exact mechanism of its activation is largely unknown. Furthermore, the novel non-invasive predictors of prognosis in cirrhotic patients warrant more exploration. miR-541 has been identified as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma and a regulator of fibrotic disease, such as lung fibrosis and renal fibrosis. However, its role in liver cirrhosis has not been reported. Methods: Real-time PCR was used to detect miR-541 expression in the liver tissues and sera of liver cirrhosis patients and in the human LX-2. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-541 on the activation of LX-2. Bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase reporter assay were conducted to investigate the target gene of miR-541. Results: miR-541 was downregulated in the tissues and sera of patients with liver cirrhosis, which was exacerbated by deteriorating disease severity. Importantly, the lower expression of miR-541 was associated with more episodes of complications including ascites and hepatic encephalopathy, a shorter overall lifespan, and decompensation-free survival. Moreover, multivariate Cox's regression analysis verified lower serum miR-541 as an independent risk factor for liver-related death in cirrhotic patients (HR = 0.394; 95% CI: 0.164–0.947; P = 0.037). miR-541 was also decreased in LX-2 cells activated by TGF-β and the overexpression of miR-541 inhibited the proliferation, activation and hydroxyproline secretion of LX-2 cells. JAG2 is an important ligand of Notch signaling and was identified as a direct target gene of miR-541. The expression of JAG2 was upregulated in the liver tissues of cirrhotic patients and was inversely correlated with miR-541 levels. A rescue assay further confirmed that JAG2 was involved in the function of miR-541 when regulating LX-2 activation and Notch signaling. Conclusions: Dysregulation of miR-541/JAG2 axis might be a as a new mechanism of liver fibrosis, and miR-541 could serve as a novel non-invasive biomarker and therapeutic targets for liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and influential factors of thrombocytopaenia in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients among the Chinese population in order to provide evidence for improving the treatment and nursing of SLE patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 3140 SLE patients admitted to two large tertiary hospitals was conducted in Anhui, China, from 2011 to 2018. In addition, the influential factors related to SLE with thrombocytopaenia were analysed through univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 804 SLE patients had thrombocytopaenia (25.6%). The top 5 clinical manifestations of SLE inpatients were proteinuria (51.0%), lupus nephritis (45.9%), new rash (38.4%), haematuria (36.7%) and pyuria (32.2%). The incidence of neurological manifestations, oral mucosal ulceration, pleurisy, pericarditis, hyperglycaemia, leucocytopaenia, urinary casts, haematuria, pyuria and high disease activity in the thrombocytopaenia group were higher than those in the non-thrombocytopaenia group (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.009, p = 0.005), neurological manifestations (OR = 1.373, p = 0.048), pericarditis (OR = 1.394, p = 0.048), hyperglycaemia (OR = 1.717, p < 0.001), leucocytopaenia (OR = 2.551, p < 0.001), haematuria (OR = 1.582, p < 0.001), serum C3 level <0.85 g/L (OR = 1.525, p = 0.001), serum C4 concentration <0.10 g/L (OR = 1.287, p = 0.020), serum CRP concentration <8 ng/L (OR = 1.314, p = 0.005), prothrombin time >15.30 seconds (OR = 1.479, p = 0.032), activated partial thromboplatin time >45 seconds (OR = 1.924, p < 0.001) and thrombin time >21 seconds (OR = 1.629, p = 0.015) were associated with thrombocytopaenia. Conclusion: Thrombocytopaenia has a high prevalence in SLE patients and is related to some baseline, clinical and laboratory characteristics, affecting multiple organs and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By employing the semi‐rigid multidentate carboxylic acid ligand 4,4′,4′′‐{[(2,4,6‐trimethylbenzene‐1,3,5‐triyl)tris(methylene)]tris(oxy)}tribenzoic acid (denoted H3L), a new lanthanum coordination polymer, namely poly[[bis(dimethylformamide)(μ6‐4,4′,4′′‐{[(2,4,6‐trimethylbenzene‐1,3,5‐triyl)tris(methylene)]tris(oxy)}tribenzoato)lanthanum(III)] dimethylformamide tetrasolvate 0.25‐hydrate], {[La(C33H27O9)(C3H7NO)2]·4C3H7NO·0.25H2O}n or {[La(L)(DMF)2]·4(DMF)·0.25(H2O)}n (DMF is dimethylformamide) (1), was prepared and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, IR spectroscopy and photoluminescence studies. The asymmetric unit contains one LaIII cation, one anionic L3− ligand, two coordinated DMF molecules, four free DMF molecules and one‐quarter of a free water molecule. Compound 1 possesses (3,6)‐connected two‐dimensional kgd topology sheets consisting of secondary building units of La2 clusters and L3− ligands, which further stack into three‐dimensional supramolecular networks through π–π interactions. Compound 1 exhibits a photoluminescence emission at room temperature, with a peak at 410 nm, owing to a ligand‐centred excited state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough kinetic analysis of the rate theory for stochastic self-regulating gene networks is presented. The chemical master equation kinetic model in terms of a coupled birth-death process is deconstructed into several simpler kinetic modules. We formulate and improve upon the rate theory of self-regulating genes in terms of perturbation theory. We propose a simple five-state scheme as a faithful caricature that elucidates the full kinetics including the 'resonance phenomenon' discovered by Walczak et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 18926 (2005)]. The same analysis can be readily applied to other biochemical networks such as phosphorylation signaling with fluctuating kinase activity. Generalization of the present approach can be included in multiple time-scale numerical computations for large biochemical networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We proposed CSELM model to predict dissolved oxygen change from time series data. • CSELM prediction model was verified by experiments with two counterpart models. • We used clustering method to capture characteristics of data in similar time slots. • CSELM achieved satisfied efficiency and accuracy in dissolved oxygen prediction. Abstract Accurate and efficient prediction of dissolved oxygen from time series data is critical for aquaculture that needs intelligent management and control. However, data streams of dissolved oxygen that are nonlinear and continuously generated challenge the existing prediction methods. This paper provides a novel Clustering-based Softplus Extreme Learning Machine method (CSELM) to accurately and efficiently predict dissolved oxygen change from time series data. The CSELM adopts k -medoids clustering to group the dataset into different clusters based on Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) distance, and uses a new Softplus ELM algorithm to discover a common trend in a cluster of time series pieces (within the same period) and then predict the future trend. The Softplus ELM improves ELM using a new activation function, Softplus, to solve the nonlinear and continuous problems of time series data streams and adopting partial least squares (PLS) to avoid the instability of output weight coefficients. The DTW based clustering in CSELM improves the efficiency while tolerating some data loss and uncertain outliers of sensor time series. Softplus based on PLS optimizes the performance and increases the accuracy of ELM. We have demonstrated that CSELM achieves better prediction results than PLS-ELM and ELM models in terms of accuracy and efficiency in a real-world dissolved oxygen content prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to explore the effect of phase separation on the Jian ware blue colored glaze with iron oxide. In order to analyze the forming cause of glaze patterns and their coloring mechanism, the phase, microstructure and chemical state of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. The results indicated that the addition of calcium phosphate introduced highly-active Ca 2+ and P 5+ into the glaze. Since Ca 2+ with high ionic potential had a greater ability to appeal O 2− than Si 4+ , the glaze melt was separated into calcium-rich phase and silicon-rich phase. The difference of viscosity caused the non-uniform distribution of quartz and glass phase, and then affected the distribution of iron ions in two phases, which formed glaze patterns. Adding P 5+ that had a strong effect of reversed polarization on the Fe-O increased the contents of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ -O-Fe 2+ , and thus deepened the blue-green of glaze surface. In addition, it promoted the formation of worm-like phase-separated structures and the existence of structural color. Therefore, phase separation enriched not only patterns but also glaze colors of the Jian ware blue colored glaze. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The potentials of 10 TM atoms doped in the Pt (1 0 0) surface as efficient and sustainable NOER catalysts are systematically studied by DFT. • The results showed that Ti/Co/Ni-Pt has the excellent NOER catalytic activity and better selectivity than HER. • The mechanisms of NO conversion to N 2 O and N 2 on Ti/Cr/Co/Ni-Pt systems were studied under high NO coverage. NO electrocatalytic reduction (NOER) is an efficient and sustainable way to eliminate NO harmful gas and synthesis NH 3. However, finding suitable catalysts for the catalytic reduction of NO to NH 3 and improving the catalytic activity of NOER is one of the challenges to be overcome at present. Hence, the potentials of 10 transition-metal (TM) atoms doped in the Pt (1 0 0) surface as efficient and sustainable NOER catalysts are systematically studied by using first-principles calculation. The mechanisms of NOER were explored by calculating the Gibbs free energy. The results showed that Ti/Cr/Co/Ni-Pt has the excellent NOER catalytic activity, and there is better selectivity than hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for Ti/Co/Ni-Pt systems. According to results of limiting potential, Ni-Pt exhibits high activity and selectivity for NOER towards NH 3 synthesis. Furthermore, we also studied the mechanisms of NO conversion to N 2 O and N 2 on Ti/Cr/Co/Ni-Pt systems under high NO coverage. It provides an idea to realize controllable multi-product on Pt - based catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) negatively affects the health‐related quality of life and increases the risk of overt HE (OHE) in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the impact of CHE on long‐term patient outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to explore the association between CHE and disease progression and survival among cirrhotic patients. Methods: This was a single‐center prospective study that enrolled 132 hospitalized patients with cirrhosis, with an average follow‐up period of 45.02 ± 23.06 months. CHE was diagnosed using the validated Chinese standardized psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score. Results: CHE was detected in 35.61% cirrhotic patients. During the follow‐up, patients with CHE had a higher risk of developing OHE (log‐rank 5.840, P = 0.016), exacerbation of ascites (log‐rank 4.789, P = 0.029), and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) (log‐rank 8.738, P = 0.003). Cox multivariate regression analyses revealed that CHE was independently associated with the occurrence of OHE, exacerbation of ascites, and PVT. Furthermore, patients with progression of cirrhosis were more likely to be diagnosed as CHE (log‐rank 4.462, P = 0.035). At the end of the follow‐up, patients with CHE had a lower survival rate compared to those without CHE (log‐rank 8.151, P = 0.004). CHE diagnosis (hazard ratio 2.530, P = 0.008), together with elder age and higher Child–Pugh score, were risk factors for impaired survival in cirrhotic patients. Conclusion: CHE is associated with disease progression and poor survival in patients with cirrhosis, indicating that CHE may serve as an independent predictor of poor prognosis among these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the phase-separated structures and the effective refractive index of the sky-blue glaze of Jun ware were investigated to determine the forming conditions of structural colors caused by amorphous photons crystals. It showed that with separation structures of short range order and average diameter of 106–260 nm, the structural color of amorphous photons could be formed in the glaze. In order to verify them and study the effect of colorant by the experimental method, the phase separation glazes were prepared with different contents of iron ore slag. The results indicated that the addition of colorant not only increased the effective refractive index of glazes, but also darkened the glaze color and suppressed incoherent scattering. Therefore, structural colors deepened with the increasing of colorant contents. Deciphering the ancient nanotechnology could thus potentially help researchers prepare colorful glazes by the green environmental protection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Mn(II) complexes,trans-[Mn(L1-L2)2(NCS)2] (1–2) with triaryltriazole (1, L1 = 3-(p-bromophenyl)-4-phenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole;2, L2 = 3,4-bis(p-methylphenyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole), have been synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ESI-MS, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Crystallographic studies revealed that both1and2contain a distorted octahedral [MnN6] core with twotrans-disposed NCS−ions. The L1 ligand,1and2, together with four known homologous Mn(II) complexes,trans-[Mn(L3-L6)2(NCS)2] (3–6) (3, L3 = 3-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole;4, L4 = 3-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4-(p-bromophenyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole;5, L5 = 3-(p-chlorophenyl)-4-(p-methylphenyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole;6, L6 = 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-4-(p-methylphenyl)-1,2,4-triazole), were testedin vitrofor their antibacterial activities against two Gram-positive bacterial strains and two Gram-negative bacterial strains by the MTT method. The results indicate that1exhibited better activity than Penicillin and Kanamycin againstPseudomonas aeruginosaand also better than its free L1 ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This work takes the Five dynasty celadon body of Yaozhou kiln as the major study objects. Based on the analysis of XRF, XRD, SEM/EDS, UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometers and XPS, the chemical compositions, microstructure and optical quality of the white and black bodies have been investigated. The results indicates that the Five dynasty celadon body has lower SiO 2 content than that of the other dynasties, which provides an evidence for dating research on ancient celadon. Furthermore, the high Fe 2 O 3 and TiO 2 contents enhance the formation of F e 2 3 + T i 4 + O 5 , F e 2 + T i 2 4 + O 5 and Ti 2 O 3 in the black body and deepen the coloring of Fe 2 O 3 . As a result, its color is darker than the white body. In addition, there are more crystal boundaries and residual micropores appeared in the black body. They serve as optical scattering centers and decrease the transmittance of incidence light. Therefore, the black body has much worse transmittance than that of the white body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of exposed facets on voltage decay and capacity fading of Li-rich layered oxides (LLOs) is unraveled via two nanoplates which are prepared by very similar co-precipitated-precursor method. The top-bottom surface of one nanoplate is (101) facet (S101 sample, active plane) and the other is exposed (001) facet (S001 sample, inactive plane). Although S101 sample delivers an excellent rate capability (149 mA h g −1 at 2000 mA g −1 ), both its voltage and capacity decrease faster than S001 sample. TEM, HRTEM, XPS and XRD of cycled samples demonstrate: (1) Large area of active surface will accelerate electrochemical corrosion and phase transformation of LLOs and (2) electrochemical corrosion and phase transformation of LLOs with large area of inactive surface can be mitigated, leading to slow voltage decay and capacity fading. In addition, we discover Co and Ni are easier to react with electrolyte than Mn. Therefore, suitable facets and compositions may be more useful for improving the electrochemical performance of LLOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new benzimidazolyl substituted triaryltriazoles, 3-(2-pyridyl)-4-( p-R-phenyl)-5-(2-benzimidazolyl)-1,2,4-triazoles ( L 1: R = OCH3; L 2: R = CH3; L 3: R = H; L 4: R = Br; L 5: R = Cl; L 6: R = F) were successfully synthesized. Yield of L 1-6 is in the range from 61 to 76%. The compounds L 1-6 were characterized by UV-vis, FTIR, 1H-NMR, ESI-MS spectra, and elemental analysis. Additionally, the absolute configurations of L 1-5 were determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a new asymmetric bistable model driven by correlated multiplicative colored noise and additive white noise. The mean first-passage time (MFPT) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the indexes of evaluating the model are researched. Based on the two-state theory and the adiabatic approximation theory, the expressions of MFPT and SNR have been obtained for the asymmetric bistable system driven by a periodic signal, correlated multiplicative colored noise and additive noise. Simulation results show that it is easier to generate stochastic resonance (SR) to adjust the intensity of correlation strength . Meanwhile, the decrease of asymmetric coefficient and the increase of noise intensity are beneficial to realize the transition between the two steady states in the system. At the same time, the twice SR phenomena can be observed by adjusting additive white noise and correlation strength. The influence of asymmetry of potential function on the MFPTs in two different directions is different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ontogenetic growth reflects the changes of biomass, height (or body length) of a biological organism as a function of time. Many growth equations have been built but few can accurately predict the ending time of growth. Here we are attempting to provide two growth equations for predicting the time when growth terminates. Meanwhile, these models are also expected to apply to different growth patterns of biological organisms. Two time-dependent growth equations with four parameters each were obtained by replacing temperature with time in two non-linear mathematical models that describe the temperature-dependent developmental and growth rates of poikilotherms. Both models can generate a skewed or symmetrical bell-shaped curve. We obtained the growth equations by integrating these two temperature-dependent developmental rate models with temperature replaced by time. The dry weight data of six species of agricultural crops, the height data of four bamboo species, the tree-ring width data of two coniferous species, and the fresh weight data of 16 animals were used to fit these growth equations. Both growth equations agree well with the actual growth data of animals and plants. Additionally, one equation exhibits wide applicability and is better than the other in describing the tree-ring width. The time of reaching the maximal biomass or height can be predicted by these two models. The growth equations are valuable for predicting the time when the maximal biomass and height (or body length) are reached. Parameters of theses equations can directly reflect the growth rate: the conceptual starting time of growth, the ending time of growth, the maximal growth, and the time associated with the maximal growth rate that is actually the inflection point of the growth equation. We show that these two equations apply to many diverse species. It is worthwhile to explore and compare the growth patterns of biological organisms. In addition, the prediction of tree-ring width of conifers will be helpful to accurately predict the carbon storage in forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work takes the Five dynasty sky-green glaze of Yaozhou kiln as the major study object. Based on the analysis of XRF, XRD, XPS and SEM/EDS, the chemical compositions, firing technique and microstructure of the sky-green glaze were investigated. A possible coloring mechanism was proposed to explain the variation of glaze appearance. The results indicated that the Five dynasty sky-green glaze had relatively high contents of CaO and K 2 O, which led to the better gloss and transparency than others. Besides that, the chemical coloring of Fe 2 O 3 and the scattering of phyical structures also affected the color saturation and opacity of glaze surface. The high Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ ratio and phase separation droplets of forming structural color by the amorphous photons and Rayleigh scattering contributed to increasing the blue tone of sky-green glaze. In addition, the residual crystals decreased the transparency of glaze surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clipping is one of the most important land-use practices in grassland ecosystems, yet the extent of clipping effect on ecosystem carbon (C) cycles depends on its interaction with nitrogen (N) deposition in future global climate change scenario, especially in the N-limited alpine meadow ecosystem. We conducted a field N addition (40 kg N ha −1 yr −1 ) and clipping experiment in an alpine meadow on the northern Tibet Plateau to investigate the effects of exogenous N input and clipping on ecosystem (Re) and soil respiration (Rs). Generally, N enrichment enhanced Re, Rs and aboveground biomass (AGB) in the second year of the experiment, but the extent of the enhancements decreased from the third year of the experiment. Clipping didn’t affect Re, Rs and AGB relative to the control, while clipping and N addition significantly increased belowground biomass. Soil inorganic N increased, while soil pH decreased with the year of N additions. Significant positive correlations of aboveground biomass with Re and Rs suggest the increase of plant photosynthetic C fixation under N addition is a key force in driving thus ecosystem CO 2 efflux. However, the positive correlation between soil pH and aboveground biomass indicated soil acidification could be one of important factors decelerating the positive responses of plant growth to soil N availability increase. All the results suggest soil acidification due to N addition influenced the effects of N enrichment and clipping on ecosystem CO 2 efflux through modulating plant growth and photosynthetic C allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equation describing a power–law relationship between the mean and variance of population abundance in space or time is known as Taylor’s power law (TPL), initially observed in samples of insects. Factors determining the TPL exponent are of particular concern to ecologists because the observations of the exponent usually range 1–2. Recent studies have suggested that TPL is caused solely by statistical artifacts rather than biological processes, with the corresponding statistical models lacking linkages to explicit population demography. In this study, we used two special forms of the Neyman–Scott cluster point process to study the effect of offspring dispersal distance from the parents on the TPL exponent. Results showed that dispersal distance could largely affect the TPL exponent. The response curve of TPL exponent to dispersal distance is similar to the shape of the left-skewed gamma distribution function multiplied by a constant which can permit its maximum value to exceed 1. That means, short-distance dispersals could produce large TPL exponents relative to the whole response curve. However, the TPL exponent will decline in the case that the dispersal is extremely short or long. To better understand the function of the exponent of TPL on fitness, we attempted to link plant seed dispersal ability to the TPL exponent, and we discussed the trade-off between investing in propagation energy and in performance energy of plants. Dispersal overlap of offspring each other to an extent can cause a large TPL exponent, providing maximum fitness in a population. A novel theoretical frame was proposed to explain the role of spatial TPL relationships in affecting the fitness of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic crops are increasingly promoted for their practical effects on suppressing certain insect pests, but all transgenic crops are not equally successful. The insect pests can easily develop resistance against single Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin transgenic crops. Therefore, transgenic crops including two or more mixed Bt-toxins can solve this problem by delaying the resistance development and killing the majority of targeted pests before the evolution of resistance. It is important to test the controlling effects of transgenic crops including multiple mixed toxins on a particular insect pest. Previous research has checked the cross-resistance and interactions between Bt toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab against one susceptible and four resistant strains of cotton bollworm. The results showed that independence was the main interaction type between two toxins for the susceptible strain, whereas synergism was the main interaction type for any one resistant strain. However, the optimal combinations of two toxins were not obtained. In the present study, we developed two multi-exponential equations (namely bi- and tri-exponential equations) to describe the combination effects of two Bt toxins. Importantly, the equations can provide predictions of combination effects of different continuous concentrations of two toxins. We compared these two multi-exponential equations with the generalized linear model (GLM) in describing the combination effects, and found that the bi- and tri-exponential equations are better than GLM. Moreover, the bi-exponential equation can also provide the optimal dose combinations for two toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline nickel-zinc batteries have attracted more attention due to their inherent safety and high specific energy. However, the cycling stability of Ni–Zn batteries is still an urgent problem. Herein, we fabricate the Ni 12 P 5 @PANI core-shell structure by polyaniline cladding on the Ni 12 P 5 nanowires. The polyaniline not only effectively improves the specific capacity of Ni 12 P 5 , but also greatly enhances the cyclic stability. The optimized Ni 12 P 5 @PANI nanowires provide a specific capacity of 272.8 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 (189.2 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1, 69.4% retention rate) and long-life cycling (93% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 10 A g−1). Moreover, the theoretical calculations indicate that the polyaniline is easy to polymerize on the surface of Ni 12 P 5 , and the lower formation energy verifies that the polyaniline shell layer can effectively promote the structural stability of Ni 12 P 5 , thus enhancing the cycle life. In addition, the assembled Ni 12 P 5 @PANI//Zn battery retains 112.3% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 3 A g−1, and provides a high energy density of 287.9 Wh kg−1 and power density of 49.1 kW kg−1 (based on the mass of active substance). This work provides a feasible high-rate and durable cathode material for alkaline Ni–Zn batteries. [Display omitted] • Ni 12 P 5 @PANI core-shell structure is fabricated by cladding the Ni 12 P 5 with PANI. • Ni 12 P 5 @15PANI provides 272.8 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 (189.2 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1). • Ni 12 P 5 @15PANI nanowires retain 93% capacity after 1000 cycles at 10 A g−1. • The core-shell structure effectively improves the stability of Ni 12 P 5. • Ni 12 P 5 @15PANI//Zn has 287.9 Wh kg−1and 112.3% capacity retention at 3 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently no antiviral therapies available for the tick-borne flaviviruses associated with hemorrhagic fevers: Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), both classical and the Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) subtype, and Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV). In this brief study, we describe the in vitro antiviral activity of adenosine analog NITD008 against KFDV, AHFV, OHFV, as well as Tick-borne Encephalitis virus (TBEV). Alongside the well-established activity of NITD008 against mosquito-borne flaviviruses, our results have demonstrated the feasibility of identifying nucleoside analog inhibitors that have pan-flavivirus activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separative-phase fancy glaze was successfully prepared by using the iron ore residue as the ceramic colorant. A possible coloring mechanism was proposed to explain the variation of glaze colors and patterns with the increasing of firing temperature. Effects of the firing temperature on the chromaticity, precipitated phase and microstructure of separative-phase fancy glaze were investigated. The results indicated that with increasing the firing temperature, the content of whitlockite decreased while the size of phase separation droplets in glazes increased. The residual whitlockite weakened coloring of Fe 2 O 3 and formed glaze patterns. In addition, the increased size of phase separation droplets weakened the structural color, which increased the L * and b * value of glazes. Therefore, the color of separative-phase fancy glaze got more yellow and brown gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the many mathematical models proposed for capturing the dynamics of plant growth, the beta sigmoid function (BSF) is the newest and consequently is not well known to ecologists. A recent software package based on the Microsoft Excel macro, LEAF-E, was designed to promote the use of BSF, even though the performance of BSF and other growth models had not been compared. We developed R functions for fitting the BSF with a freer option for choosing the parametric number, and illustrated their performance using simulated data generated by four equations (the exponential, logistic, Gompertz, and von Bertalanffy equations), as well as dry weights of six crop species measured in growing seasons. Compared to other growth models, the BSF allowed for both symmetric and asymmetric growth curves, and thus the simulated data modeled the actual data quite well. It was demonstrated that the BSF was better than the above four traditional growth equations. In addition, the R functions developed here can facilitate future data fitting and model comparison for capturing plant growth dynamics. And the time when plants reach their maximum body size can be accurately obtained by using the BSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moon-white glaze was successfully reproduced with the addition of 0.02 wt% silicon carbide (SiC) for supplying carbon (C) and reducing iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) at 1250 °C. Effects of the SiC contents on the chromaticity, precipitated phase and microstructure of moon-white glaze were investigated. Based on the analysis of colorimeter, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, SEM and TG–DSC, a possible coloring mechanism was proposed to explain the variation of glaze colors with the increasing of SiC content. The results indicated that the addition of SiC contributed to increasing the content of C and the size of phase separation droplets in glazes. The formation of C increased the ratio of Fe 2+ to Fe 3+ and the increased size of phase separation droplets weakened the structural color, which increased the L* and b* value of glazes. Therefore, the color of moon-white glaze got more blue and white gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between spatial density and size of plants is an important topic in plant ecology. The self-thinning rule suggests a −3/2 power between average biomass and density or a −1/2 power between stand yield and density. However, the self-thinning rule based on total leaf area per plant and density of plants has been neglected presumably because of the lack of a method that can accurately estimate the total leaf area per plant. We aimed to find the relationship between spatial density of plants and total leaf area per plant. We also attempted to provide a novel model for accurately describing the leaf shape of bamboos. We proposed a simplified Gielis equation with only two parameters to describe the leaf shape of bamboos one model parameter represented the overall ratio of leaf width to leaf length. Using this method, we compared some leaf parameters (leaf shape, number of leaves per plant, ratio of total leaf weight to aboveground weight per plant, and total leaf area per plant) of four bamboo species of genus Indocalamus Nakai ( I. pedalis (Keng) P.C. Keng, I. pumilus Q.H. Dai and C.F. Keng, I. barbatus McClure, and I. victorialis P.C. Keng). We also explored the possible correlation between spatial density and total leaf area per plant using log-linear regression. We found that the simplified Gielis equation fit the leaf shape of four bamboo species very well. Although all these four species belonged to the same genus, there were still significant differences in leaf shape. Significant differences also existed in leaf area per plant, ratio of leaf weight to aboveground weight per plant, and leaf length. In addition, we found that the total leaf area per plant decreased with increased spatial density. Therefore, we directly demonstrated the self-thinning rule to improve light interception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mn-doped Ni 12 P 5 nanowires are synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. • The Mn-Ni 12 P 5 has 808 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 and well cyclic stability. • The DFT reveals that the Mn-doping can help form an octahedral supporting structure to enhance the stability. [Display omitted] Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have recently emerged as an important type of electrode materials for supercapacitors due to their intrinsically outstanding specific capacity and high conductivity. Herein, we report Mn doped Ni 12 P 5 nanowires (Mn-Ni 12 P 5 -3) as an advanced cathode material for hybrid supercapacitors, which delivers a high specific capacity of 808 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 (560 C g−1 at 10 A g−1) and good cyclic stability (capacity retention of 87% after 1000 cycles at 10 A g−1). Meanwhile, the First-principle Calculation results reveal that the Mn-doping can form an octahedral supporting structure between Mn atoms and P atoms to enhance the structure stability. The assembled Mn-Ni 12 P 5 -3//AC hybrid device demonstrates good capacity retention of 67.3% after 5000 cycles at 2 A g−1. This research brings a new implication to the development of supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The catalytic performance of FeS 2 (100) containing S vacancy for NO reduction reaction by using DFT method. • Results revealed that the FeS 2 (100) containing S vacancy as catalyst has an excellent electrocatalytic activity of NO under ambient conditions. • When the O atom of NO molecule is loaded in the S vacancy and side-on is adsorbed, all the processes are exothermic reactions. Electrocatalytic reduction is an effective method to remove harmful gas NO. In the process of reduction, NH 3 , one of the most important chemical raw materials in industrial production, can also be produced. However, large-scale practical application of NO electrocatalytic reduction is still a challenge, and to find the efficient, low-cost and stable catalysts is a problem that needs to be solved at present. By use of density functional theory calculation, we systematically studied that the potential of FeS 2 (100) containing S vacancy (S-vacancy FeS 2) as catalyst for NO electrocatalytic reduction. Our results revealed that NO can be chemisorbed stably at the S vacancy of FeS 2 (100) surface and consequent reduction of NO molecular can generate NH 3 and H 2 O. The S-vacancy FeS 2 as catalyst has an excellent electrocatalytic activity of NO under ambient conditions. More interestingly, when the O atom of NO molecule is loaded in the S vacancy and side-on is adsorbed, all the steps in the reduction process are exothermic reactions. Our work provides a deep understanding for the search of efficient and low-cost NO reduction catalysts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moso bamboos ( Phyllostachys edulis) are important forestry plants in southern China, with substantial roles to play in regional economic and ecological systems. Mixing broad-leaved forests and moso bamboos is a common management practice in China, and it is fundamental to elucidate the interactions between broad-leaved trees and moso bamboos for ensuring the sustainable provision of ecosystem services. We examine how the proportion of broad-leaved forest in a mixed managed zone, topology, and soil profile affects the effective productivity of moso bamboos (i.e., those with significant economic value), using linear regression and generalized additive models. Bamboo's diameter at breast height follows a Weibull distribution. The importance of these variables to bamboo productivity is, respectively, slope (25.9%), the proportion of broad-leaved forest (24.8%), elevation (23.3%), gravel content by volume (16.6%), slope location (8.3%), and soil layer thickness (1.2%). Highest productivity is found on the 25° slope, with a 600-m elevation, and 30% broad-leaved forest. As such, broad-leaved forest in the upper slope can have a strong influence on the effective productivity of moso bamboo, ranking only after slope and before elevation. These factors can be considered in future management practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of the efficiency and safety of the control stage in a steam turbine. Based on RANS with the application of structural hexahedron mesh and finite volume method, the flow field of the control stage in a steam turbine was calculated. Pressure contour and velocity contour were performed to analysis the flow field of the control stage under different conditions. Torque of the blade rotating one circle were performed. Amplitude-frequency map of the torque was obtained according to the FFT analysis. The results indicate that the flow field is nonuniform under partial admission condition. The maximum torque of the blade is 2.2 times larger than that in the flow area under four valves open condition, while under three valves open condition the maximum torque of the blade in the blocked area is 1.8 times larger. It can help to check the safety of the blade. Spectrum analysis indicates that the typical low frequency of the exciting force is caused by the rotating speed of the blade. The efficiency of the control stage under three valves open condition is 7% lower than that under four valves open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] There is no universal metabolic scaling exponent (α) for different species or taxa in the von Bertalanffy equation. [•] Use of 2/3 or 3/4 value for the scaling exponent α should not be decided merely based on the goodness-of-fit. [•] The logistic equation is a better model for describing the ontogenetic growth of animals and plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]