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Carbon fibers/poly(ether‐ether‐ketone) (CF/PEEK) composites have the advantages of excellent impact resistance, good moisture and heat resistance, ultra‐short molding cycle and recyclable secondary processing. Therefore, the investigation on CF/PEEK composites is an important development direction of low‐cost and high‐performance polymer‐based composites. However, due to the strong surface inertness of CF and the poor interface compatibility between CF and PEEK matrix, the mechanical properties of CF/PEEK composites are low. Moreover, PEEK matrix has the high melting point and large viscosity, making the processing of CF/PEEK composites very difficult. In this paper, the factors affecting the interfacial properties of CF/PEEK composites, the surface functionalization modification methods of CF, and the design & synthesis of interfacial compatibilizer are reviewed. The research progress and related academic achievements in interfacial strengthening and additive manufacturing technology of CF/PEEK composites are emphatically discussed. Finally, the development trends and application prospects of CF/PEEK composites are summarized. Highlights: CF/PEEK composite is the key material for industry and infrastructure.The factors affecting the interface interaction between PEEK and CF.The methods of interface strengthening for CF/PEEK composites.The additive manufacturing technology of CF/PEEK composites.The development trends and application of CF/PEEK composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary malignant bone tumor with an annual incidence of about 400 cases in the United States. Osteosarcoma primarily metastasizes to the lungs, where FAS ligand (FASL) is constitutively expressed. The interaction of FASL and its cell surface receptor, FAS, triggers apoptosis in normal cells; however, this function is altered in cancer cells. DNA methylation has previously been explored as a mechanism for altering FAS expression, but no variability was identified in the CpG island (CGI) overlapping the promoter. Analysis of an expanded region, including CGI shores and shelves, revealed high variability in the methylation of certain CpG sites that correlated significantly with FAS mRNA expression in a negative manner. Bisulfite sequencing revealed additional CpG sites, which were highly methylated in the metastatic LM7 cell line but unmethylated in its parental non-metastatic SaOS-2 cell line. Treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine, resulted in a loss of methylation in CpG sites located within the FAS promoter and restored FAS protein expression in LM7 cells, resulting in reduced migration. Orthotopic implantation of 5-azacytidine treated LM7 cells into severe combined immunodeficient mice led to decreased lung metastases. These results suggest that DNA methylation of CGI shore sites may regulate FAS expression and constitute a potential target for osteosarcoma therapy, utilizing demethylating agents currently approved for the treatment of other cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaOx devices have been extensively explored for applications such as power devices and solar blind detectors, based on their wide bandgap. In this study, we investigated the synaptic properties of the amorphous gallium oxide (a-GaOx)- based memristor with a W/WOx/a-GaOx/ITO structure, in which a-GaOx are deposited by RF magnetic sputtering at ambient temperature. The structure and components of a-GaOx are characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, and EDS. The electrical test indicates that W/WOx/a-GaOx is ohmic due to the thin WOx layer with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies. Consequently, the synaptic characteristics of the W/WOx/a-GaOx/ITO memristor depend on both the a-GaOx layer itself and the a-GaOx/ITO junction. The fitting results indicate that the a-GaOx/ITO junction is Schottky with unidirectional conductive properties. However, the elevated defect density results in a larger current for the reverse-biased a-GaOx/ITO junction. Moreover, adjusting the thickness of a-GaOx allows the device to achieve almost symmetrical forward and reverse currents. We have successfully observed typical synaptic characteristics in W/WOx/a-GaOx/ITO when stimulated by consecutive spike signals. Clearly, through careful design considerations regarding the structure and parameters, we have realized superior synaptic performance in a-GaOx-based memristors. This achievement shows that amorphous GaOx has great potential applications in neuromorphic computation chips for artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional bulk and thin piezoelectric materials based film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs) are facing an insurmountable challenge for millimetric frequency applications due to the poor piezoelectric properties of the materials when their thickness reaches the sub‐micron regime. Novel FBARs for ultra‐high working frequencies are in urgent demand to meet the requirements of the fast‐growing 5/6G telecommunication techniques. Recent advances in 2D piezoelectric nanomaterials create an opportunity in this perspective. Here, the first FBAR chip based on 2D 3R‐MoS2 ultrathin piezoelectric flakes with a solidly mounted resonator (SMR) architecture is reported. The typical resonant frequency for an SMR device based on ≈200 nm 3R‐MoS2 flake reaches over 25 GHz with high reproducibility. Theoretical and finite element analysis suggest that the observed resonance is of longitudinal acoustic modes. This study demonstrates for the first time that the access to 2D piezoelectric nanomaterials makes high performance piezoelectric devices feasible for various promising applications including high‐speed telecommunication, acousto‐optic, and sensor fields,etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants has played a crucial role in drug discovery. In this study, a simple and efficient method utilizing affinity-based ultrafiltration (UF) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the rapid screening and targeted separation of α-glucosidase inhibitors from Siraitia grosvenorii roots. First, an active fraction of S. grosvenorii roots (SGR2) was prepared, and 17 potential α-glucosidase inhibitors were identified based on UF-HPLC analysis. Second, guided by UF-HPLC, a combination of MCI gel CHP-20P column chromatography, high-speed counter-current countercurrent chromatography, and preparative HPLC were conducted to isolate the compounds producing active peaks. Sixteen compounds were successfully isolated from SGR2, including two lignans and fourteen cucurbitane-type triterpenoids. The structures of the novel compounds (4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11) were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, including one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Finally, the α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the isolated compounds were verified via enzyme inhibition assays and molecular docking analysis, all of which were found to exhibit certain inhibitory activity. Compound 14 exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 430.13 ± 13.33 μM, which was superior to that of acarbose (1332.50 ± 58.53 μM). The relationships between the structures of the compounds and their inhibitory activities were also investigated. Molecular docking showed that the highly active inhibitors interacted with α-glucosidase through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Our results demonstrate the beneficial effects of S. grosvenorii roots and their constituents on α-glucosidase inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on factors affecting video game player aggression has mainly reflected on the violent content of video games; in recent years, some researchers have focused on competitive factors in video games. However, little research has examined the sole impacts of competitive factors in video games without violent content on aggression, and the neurological processes of these effects are still unknown. The present study was the first to examine the electrophysiological characteristics of short-term competitive video game exposure and aggression. Thirty-five participants played a video game in either competitive or solo mode for 15 min, followed by an ERP experiment based on the oddball paradigm and the hot sauce paradigm to measure aggressive behavior. Results showed that playing competitive game mode was associated with faster judgment of aggressive words, larger P300 amplitudes, and selection of more chili powder than in solo mode. Mediation analysis further revealed that the P300 amplitude evoked by the aggressive words partially mediated the relationship between competitive game exposure and aggressive behavior. These findings support the general aggression model. However, this study has limitations, such as a single form of competitive game examined and single blindness, which need further improvement in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐detectivity and stable photodetectors (PDs) have been intensively concerned in the field of wireless optical communication, among which perovskite material has become a prospective candidate owing to its outstanding photoelectric properties. However, the defects and mismatched energy levels of perovskite material can significantly reduce the detectivity and stability of PDs. Herein, the CsPbBr2I quantum dots (CQDs) with the surface modulation via potassium trifluoroacetate (KTFA) are utilized to deserve high‐detectivity and stable PDs. The surface modulation for CQDs not only passivates defects by inhibiting vacancies, but also enhances hole transport capacity by modulating energy level mismatch. As a result, the assembled CsPbBr2I PDs show a responsivity of 0.375 A W−1, a detectivity of 1.12 × 1013 Jones and an on/off ratio of 104. More importantly, the CsPbBr2I PDs exhibit excellent long‐term stability for 12 weeks and can withstand 1000 bending cycles. This work provides a guideline for the development of perovskite in wireless optical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is characterized by limited non‐scarring patchy alopecia, which appears as round or oval patches and is prone to recurrence, causing severe psychological burdens to patients. No specific device has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of baldness, but new treatments are being investigated and treatments such as the excimer laser, He‐ Ne laser, and excimer lamp have been proposed. A growing number of studies have found that fractional lasers also have great potential in the treatment of AA. Methods: A literature search and meta‐analysis using Review Manager 5.4 software to investigate the efficacy of fractional laser treatment for AA. Results: Fractional laser combined with minoxidil (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.17–1.49, p < 0.00001) or cortisol (RR 1.39, 95% CI 1.15–1.67, p = 0.00006) was more effective than either drug alone in the treatment of AA. Of course, the fractional laser alone was also effective in the treatment of AA (RR 10.33, 95% CI 2.07–51.36, p = 0.004) and more effective than cortisol alone (RR 1.86, 95% CI 1.36–2.52, p < 0.00001), and there was no effect on the occurrence of adverse effects (p = 0.49 > 0.05). When compared to other physical treatments of a comparable kind, fractional laser therapy's effectiveness was not significantly different (p = 0.15 > 0.05). Conclusion: Our results show that the use of fractional lasers can effectively treat alopecia areata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solvent system selection is a crucial and the most time‐consuming step for successful countercurrent chromatography separation. A thin‐layer chromatography‐based generally useful estimate of solvent systems method has been developed to simplify the solvent system selection. We herein utilized the method to select a solvent system for off‐line two‐dimensional countercurrent chromatography to separate chemical compositions from a complex fraction of the Siraitia grosvenorii root extract. The first‐dimensional countercurrent separation using chloroform/methanol/water (10:5.5:4.5, v/v/v) yielded four compounds with high purity and three mixture fractions (Fr I, III, and VII). The second‐dimensional countercurrent separation conducted on Fr I, III, and VII using the hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (4:6:6:4, 3:7:3:7, v/v/v) and chloroform/methanol/water (10:9:6, v/v/v) solvent systems, respectively, produced another four compounds. Four triterpenoids and four lignans were finally isolated, including two novel compounds. Hence, the generally useful estimate of solvent systems method is a feasible and efficient approach for selecting an applicable solvent system for separating complex samples. In addition, the off‐line two‐dimensional countercurrent chromatography method can improve both the peak resolution and the capacity of countercurrent chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is essential for eliminating aging and organelle damage that maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, the dysfunction of autophagy has been proven in hair loss such as AGA. Despite the crucial role of TRPML channels in regulating autophagy, their specific function in hair growth remains unclarified. To investigate the biological functions and associated molecular mechanisms of TRPMLs in hair growth, Animal experiments were conducted to confirm the function of TRLMLs activation in promoting hair growth. Subsequently, we analyzed molecular mechanisms in human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) activated by TRPMLs through transcriptome sequencing analysis. MLSA1(a TRPML agonist) promoted hair regeneration and accelerated hair cycle transition in mice. The activation of TRPMLs upregulated calcium signaling inducing hDPCs to secrete hair growth promoting factors and decrease hair growth inhibiting factors. In addition, activation of TRPMLs triggered autophagy and reduced the generation of ROS, thereby delaying the senescence of hDPCs. All these findings suggested that TRPMLs activation could promote hair growth by regulating hDPCs secretion of hair growth-related factors. Moreover, it may play a prominent role in preventing hDPCs from ROS damage induced by H 2 O 2 or DHT. Targeting TRPMLs may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for treating hair loss. • TRPMLs promotes hair regeneration and transition of hair cycle from telogen to anagen. • Differential expressions of TRPMLs in hair cycle reveals its importance in hair biology. • TRPMLs upregulated hair growth-related genes expression in dermal papilla cells. • Autophagy induced by TRPMLs could be involved in delaying cell stress and aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piperine (PIP) has been known for its pharmacological activities with low water solubility and poor dissolution, which limits its nutritional application. The purpose of this research was to enhance PIP stability, dispersibility and biological activity by preparing PIP nanoparticles using the wet-media milling approach combined with nanosuspension solidification methods of spray/freeze drying. Octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified waxy maize starch was applied as the stabilizer to suppress aggregation of PIP nanoparticles. The particle size, redispersibility, storage stability and in vitro release behavior of PIP nanoparticles were measured. The regulating effect on adipocyte differentiation was evaluated using 3T3-L1 cell model. Results showed that PIP nanoparticles had a reduced particle size of 60 ± 1 nm, increased release rate in the simulated gastric (SGF) and intestinal fluids (SIF) and enhanced inhibition effect on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells compared with free PIP, indicating that PIP-loaded nanoparticles with improved stability and anti-adipogenic property were developed successfully by combining wet-media milling and drying methods. [Display omitted] • The PIP nanoparticles were prepared by media milling combined with drying processes. • OSA-modified starch was added as a stabilizer to prevent the aggregation of PIP nanoparticles. • Stability, redispersibility and release of PIP nanoparticles were improved. • PIP nanoparticles exhibited enhanced anti-adipogenic activity in 3 T3-L1 adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant bone tumor arising from bone-forming mesenchymal cells in children and adolescents. Despite efforts to understand the biology of the disease and identify novel therapeutics, the survival of osteosarcoma patients remains dismal. We have concurrently profiled the copy number and gene expression of 226 osteosarcoma samples as part of the Strategic Partnering to Evaluate Cancer Signatures (SPECS) initiative. Our results demonstrate the heterogeneous landscape of osteosarcoma in younger populations by showing the presence of genome-wide copy number abnormalities occurring both recurrently among samples and in a high frequency. Insulin growth factor receptor 1 (IGF1R) is a receptor tyrosine kinase which binds IGF1 and IGF2 to activate downstream pathways involved in cell apoptosis and proliferation. We identify prevalent amplification of IGF1R corresponding with increased gene expression in patients with poor survival outcomes. Our results substantiate previously tenuously associated copy number abnormalities identified in smaller datasets (13q34+, 20p13+, 4q35-, 20q13.33-), and indicate the significance of high fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) expression in distinguishing patients with poor prognosis. FGFR2 is involved in cellular proliferation processes such as division, growth and angiogenesis. In summary, our findings demonstrate the prognostic significance of several genes associated with osteosarcoma pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An emergency response to a medical situation is generally considered to be a risk decision-making problem. When an emergency event occurs, it makes sense to take into account more than one decision maker's opinions and psychological behaviors. The existing research tends to ignore these multidimensional aspects. To fill this literature gap, we propose a multi-attribute model.Methods: The model is based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT), considering multiple experts' psychological factors. By not assuming full rationality, we extend existing models to allow multiple experts' risk preferences to be incorporated into the decision-making process in the case of an emergency. Then, traditional CPT is extended by allowing for multiple attributes. In addition, rather than using crisp data, interval values are adopted to tackle the usual uncertainties in reality.Results: The multi-attribute CPT based model proposed can deal with the selection of potential emergency alternatives. The model incorporates interval values to allow more uncertainty and the comparative studies show that the optimal solution changes under different scenarios.Conclusions: Our illustrative example and comparative study show that considering multiple experts and multiple attributes is more reasonable, especially in complicated situations under an emergency. In addition, decision-makers' risk preferences highly affect the selection outcomes, highlighting their importance in the medical decision-making process. Our proposed model can be applied to similar fields with appropriate modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced resistance is considered as a sustainable strategy to control postharvest decay of fruits, while light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a green physical technology are of more and more interest in postharvest fruit preservation field. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the resistance inducing ability of LED irradiation with different light wavelengths and photoperiods for cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. 'Qianxi'). Results indicated the exposure to 40 W m-2 of four light wavelengths for 3 d decreased B. cinerea lesion diameter on harvested cherry tomatoes, notably the best effect in blue light (470 nm). Meanwhile, the mechanism of blue light-induced disease resistance is the enhancement of defense-enzyme activity and the expression of defense-related genes. Moreover, results revealed that blue light enhanced vitamin C content and the firmness of the fruit exocarp, suggesting the potential usage of blue light in the postharvest preservation of cherry tomatoes. • LEDs of different wavelengths in inducing disease resistance of fruits were studied. • The best results were obtained by blue light continuously at 40 W m-2 for 3 d. • Blue light enhanced the activities of defense enzymes and antioxidant enzymes. • Blue light maintained soluble solids, vitamin C content and peel hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The imaging sensor can acquire four wear debris features (concentration, distribution, shape, and colour) in real-time. • The net force on the wear debris is calculated, demonstrating the minor debris capture ability of the device. • The sensor has a wide concentration-sensing range (2–200 ppm) and can monitor the size distribution from normal wear to fault state. • The shape (circular, regular, irregular, elongated) and colour of individual wear debris can be identified by wear debris images. Sensors that can real-time monitor the wear particles suspended in lubricating oil are of great value in evaluating the health state of various machines (e.g., engines, transmissions). Here we report an on-line imaging sensor with a new structure, operating with magnetic deposition and flowing dispersion methods. A highly divergent magnetic field is generated by the cage electromagnet to collect ferromagnetic particles which will then disperse via the flow field in the disc-like channel. Wear particles in the chain- and separated-form are imaged respectively by the imaging module to acquire four debris features (concentration, size distribution, shape, and colour). We demonstrated that the developed sensor offers a low size detection limit (1–10 μm), a broad concentration-sensing range (2–200 ppm), and a high throughput (∼100 ml/min). Beyond that, the type and material of wear debris can also be identified in the test, utilising the shape and colour features getting by the sensor. This sensor shows promise for use in monitoring the machine health condition and studying the wear mechanism of surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are essential materials for electronic devices due to their high saturation magnetization. However, traditional SMCs fabricated by cold-pressing method possess low strength and insufficiently reliable insulation, which restricts their further application. In this study, liquid-phase sintering technique is introduced and optimized to fabricate FeSiCr/MoO 3 SMCs. During sintering, ammonium molybdate (AMT) decomposes to form liquid-phase MoO 3 , which helps to achieve insulation and promote the formation of a transition layer on the surface of FeSiCr. The most optimum sample (the 400 MPa/800 °C /6 wt% sample) is obtained with crushing strength of 329.8 MPa, real part permeability of 29.7 (1 MHz), cut-off frequency of 116 MHz, high saturation magnetization of 177.3 emu/g and power loss of 1224.4 kW/m3 (10 MHz, 5 mT). This study indicates that liquid-phase sintering may be a reliable means for developing novel SMCs. • Liquid-phase sintering method is introduced to fabricate high strength soft magnetic composites capable of operating at high frequency. • The microstructure of inter-particle phase and transition layer formed during the liquid-phase sintering process is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) has become one of the most widely used rapid diagnostics platforms for the point-of-care testing of various contaminant residues in food. However, traditional gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based ICTSs suffer limited sensitivity ranged from ng/mL to μg/mL, thus severely hindering them from meeting the increasing demand for trace target detection. The use of novel nanomaterials with high signal strength to replace AuNPs as signal probes is considered as the most effective strategy to enhance the sensitivity of ICTS nanosensor. Among them, highly luminescent nanomaterials have attracted increasing interest in improving the detection performance of ICTS due to its advantages of visualization, quantitation, multiplexing, anti-jamming capability, and high sensitivity. Currently available nanomaterials include dye-based fluorescent nanomaterials, semiconductor quantum dots and its nanobeads, up-conversion nanoparticles, time-resolved fluorescence nanomaterials, aggregation-induced emission nanomaterials, noble metal nanoclusters, and magnetic fluorescent nanomaterials, and they have been successfully applied for detecting various hazardous substances, including pesticide and veterinary drug residues, food additives, mycotoxins, heavy metal ions, allergens, and microorganisms. In this review, thus we comprehensively summarize the application potentials and critical roles of such nanomaterials as signal reporters in current ICTS systems to ensure food safety. A detailed classification of signal probes with emphasis on the inherent advantage, synthesis, signal amplification strategy, and further improvement of each luminescent nanomaterial was discussed and the state-of-the-art of commercial fluorescent ICTS kits and readers for food safety was summarized. Further improvement should focus on the design and development of high-quality luminescent nanomaterials, ultra-sensitive detection, multiplexing and multimode sensing, accurate quantification, and intelligent signal reading. [Display omitted] • Immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) has played crucial roles in rapid detection of food safety. • The coupling of fluorescent signal transduction with ICTS technology favors improved sensitivity and quantitative analysis. • Nanotechnology-enhanced fluorescent ICTS was discussed in ensuring food safety. • The currently available commercial fluorescent ICTS kits and readers were summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a framework of privacy-preserving inpainting for outsourced image and an encrypted-image inpainting scheme are proposed. Different with conventional image inpainting in plaintext domain, there are two entities, that is, content owner and image restorer, in our framework. Content owner first encrypts his or her damaged image for privacy protection and outsources the encrypted, damaged image to image restorer, who may be a cloud server with powerful computation capability. Image restorer performs inpainting in encrypted domain and sends the inpainted and encrypted image back to content owner or authorized receiver, who can acquire final inpainted result in plaintext domain through decryption. In our encrypted-image inpainting scheme, with the assist of Johnson–Lindenstrauss transform that can preserve Euclidean distance between two vectors before and after encryption, the best-matching block with the smallest distance to current block can be found and utilized for patch filling in Paillier-encrypted image. To eliminate mosaic effect after decryption, weighted mean filtering in encrypted domain is conducted with Paillier homomorphic properties. Experimental results show that our privacy-preserving inpainting framework can be effectively applied in secure cloud computing, and the proposed encrypted-image inpainting scheme achieves comparable visual quality of inpainted results with some typical inpainting schemes in plaintext domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing target tracking in satellite videos plays a key role in various fields. However, due to the complex backgrounds of satellite video sequences and many rotation changes of highly dynamic targets, typical target tracking methods for natural scenes cannot be used directly for such tasks, and their robustness and accuracy are difficult to guarantee. To address these problems, an algorithm is proposed for remote sensing target tracking in satellite videos based on a variable‐angle‐adaptive Siamese network (VAASN). Specifically, the method is based on the fully convolutional Siamese network (Siamese‐FC). First, for the feature extraction stage, to reduce the impact of complex backgrounds, we present a new multifrequency feature representation method and introduce the octave convolution (OctConv) into the AlexNet architecture to adapt to the new feature representation. Then, for the tracking stage, to adapt to changes in target rotation, a variable‐angle‐adaptive module that uses a fast text detector with a single deep neural network (TextBoxes++) is introduced to extract angle information from the template frame and detection frames and performs angle consistency update operations on the detection frames. Finally, qualitative and quantitative experiments using satellite datasets show that the proposed method can improve tracking accuracy while achieving high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intertemporal decision-making is important for both economy and physical health. Nevertheless, in daily life, individuals tend to prefer immediate and smaller rewards to delayed and larger rewards, which is known as delay discounting (DD). Episodic future thinking (EFT) has been proven to influence DD. However, there is still no inconsistent conclusion on the effect of negative EFT on DD. Considering the perceived controllability of negative EFT may address the issue (Controllability refers to the extent to which progress and result of an event could be controlled by ourselves). In the current study, we manipulated EFT conditions (baseline, neutral EFT, negative-controllable EFT and negative-uncontrollable EFT), delayed time (i.e. 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years) and reward magnitude (small, large). We mainly found that when experiencing negative-uncontrollable EFT compared to negative-controllable EFT in the delayed time of 6 months with large rewards, individuals chose more delayed rewards, suggesting that negative-uncontrollable EFT effectively reduced DD under conditions of both large-magnitude reward and longer delayed time. The current study provides new insight for healthy groups on optimising EFT. In that case, individuals are able to gain long-term benefits in financial management and healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First report of R-(−)-pranoprofen and S-(+)-pranoprofen differences in pharmacokinetics. • Pranoprofen enantiomers were quantified in rat plasma by a new LC-MS/MS method with per-4-chlorophenylcarbamate-β-cyclodextrin bonded chiral stationary phase. • The LLOQ for both pranoprofen enantiomers were 1.0 ng mL−1. • The chromatographic elution order of pranoprofen enantiomers were determined. The objective of this study is to develop a quick and precise chiral liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology that operates in reversed phase mode. Following oral administration of 5.0 mg/kg rac -pranoprofen, the suggested approach was completely validated and successfully used to the stereoselective detection of pranoprofen enantiomers in rat plasma for the first time. Both the polysaccharide derivatized chiral stationary phase and a homemade β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivatized based chiral column were assessed. The latter one, a per-4-chlorophenylcarbamate-β-cyclodextrin bonded chiral stationary phase (CPCDP) made in our laboratory, allowed for the highly sensitive detection, relatively short retention time and complete separation (resolution 2.0) of the pranoprofen enantiomers. A solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure on C 18 cartridge was optimized for the extraction of S -(+)-, R -(−)-pranoprofen and internal standard (S -(+)-ketoprofen, IS) from rat plasma in detail. Acetonitrile with 0.1 % formic acid in aqueous phase (60:40, v:v) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min was the ideal mobile phase condition. The outcome of pharmacokinetic study showed that the values of maximum plasma concentration (C max) and the area under plasma drug concentration–time curve to infinity (AUC 0-∞) for S -(+)-pranoprofen were 1.79 and 1.90 times greater than R -(−)-isomer, respectively. Altogether, this work is the first to examine the stereospecific pharmacokinetics of pranoprofen enantiomers in vivo , whose data provided potential possibility for the development of pure isomer with superior pharmacological activity and safety to replace racemic application in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) with preservation effect by using pea protein isolate (PPI) nanoparticles as emulsifiers, candelilla wax (CW) as organo-gelator and d -limonene (DL) as antifungal agent. The optimal formulation parameters of NLCs were firstly determined based on results of particle size, poly-dispersity index and zeta potential, and then NLCs prepared by optimal formulation were further characterized. The results showed that DL was successfully encapsulated inside NLCs. Moreover, the encapsulation of amorphous DL led to more disordered crystalline state of NLCs. In addition, in comparing the properties of NLCs and nanoemulsions (NEs) without CW, it was found that the addition of CW seemed to have several beneficial effects on NLCs: 1) NLC droplets were well dispersed, whereas NE droplets exhibited coalescence and flocculation; 2) compared with NEs, NLCs displayed excellent storage stability and inhibition ability of DL release. Furthermore, antifungal activity of NLCs was observed by in vitro and in vivo study. The acquired information in current research can provide novel insight into development of stable and antifungal nanocarriers that own a promising application in tomato preservation. [Display omitted] • NLCs were produced by pre-emulsification followed by ultrasonic treatment. • Candelilla wax (CW) was presumed to be important for the crystallization of NLCs. • CW endowed NLCs with high physical stability and retention rate of d -limonene. • NLCs showed good inhibition effect on the growth of Botrytis cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caloric restriction (CR), an energy-restricted intervention with undernutrition instead of malnutrition, is widely known to prolong lifespan and protect against the age-related deteriorations. Recently it is found that CR significantly affects female reproduction via hypothalamic (corticotropin releasing hormone, neuropeptide Y, agouti-related peptide) and peripheral (leptin, ghrelin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor) mediators, which can regulate the energy homeostasis. Although CR reduces the fertility in female mammals, it exerts positive effects like preserving reproductive capacity. In this review, we aim to discuss the comprehensive effects of CR on the central hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis and peripheral ovary and uterus. In addition, we emphasize the influence of CR during pregnancy and highlight the relationship between CR and reproductive-associated diseases. Fully understanding and analyzing the effects of CR on the female reproduction could provide better strategies for the management and prevention of female reproductive dysfunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method was developed and validated for the enantioselective determination of flurbiprofen in rat plasma using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry under reversed-phase elution mode. Two polysaccharide derivatized chiral stationary phases and a homemade β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivatized based chiral column were evaluated. The latter one, a per-4-chlorophenylcarbamate-β-cyclodextrin bonded chiral stationary phase which was synthesized in our laboratory, enabled the highly sensitive detection and complete separation (resolution 2.0) of the flurbiprofen enantiomers. The assay was carried out after the solid-phase extraction procedure with C18 cartridges, and with R-(−)-ibuprofen used as the internal standard. The developed method has been validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effect, stability, carryover effect and dilution effect. The lower limit of quantification for R-flurbiprofen and S-flurbiprofen was 10 ng mL−1 in rat plasma, respectively. Linearity was confirmed in the range of 10.0–20000.0 ng mL−1 with a correlation coefficient (r2) greater than 0.996. The established method was successfully applied to a stereoselective pharmacokinetic study of flurbiprofen enantiomers in rat plasma following oral administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral infection outcomes are governed by the complex and dynamic interplay between the infecting virus population and the host response. It is increasingly clear that both viral and host cell populations are highly heterogeneous, but little is known about how this heterogeneity influences infection dynamics or viral pathogenicity. To dissect the interactions between influenza A virus (IAV) and host cell heterogeneity, we examined the combined host and viral transcriptomes of thousands of individual cells, each infected with a single IAV virion. We observed complex patterns of viral gene expression and the existence of multiple distinct host transcriptional responses to infection at the single cell level. We show that human H1N1 and H3N2 strains differ significantly in patterns of both viral and host anti-viral gene transcriptional heterogeneity at the single cell level. Our analyses also reveal that semi-infectious particles that fail to express the viral NS can play a dominant role in triggering the innate anti-viral response to infection. Altogether, these data reveal how patterns of viral population heterogeneity can serve as a major determinant of antiviral gene activation. Author summary: The combination of the enormous diversity of viral populations, underlying heterogeneity within host cells, and random chance mean that no two infected cells look exactly the same. The role that single cell heterogeneity plays in determining infection outcomes remains very poorly understood. Here, we describe an approach that allowed us to quantify both viral and host gene expression in thousands of influenza A virus infected cells. We observed an enormous degree of heterogeneity in both viral and host gene expression between individual infected cells. We found that virions that fail to express the viral NS gene can be major drivers of host antiviral immune activation. Comparison of antiviral gene expression patterns between H1N1 and H3N2 infection revealed surprising differences in single cell patterns of innate immune activation. Altogether, these studies identify patterns of single cell heterogeneity in both host and viral gene expression as a significant driver of infection outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifth generation mobile networks (5G) is coming into our life and it will not only provide an increase of 1000 times in Internet traffic in the next decade but will also offer "smarter" user experience. With the commercial uses of 5G, online social networks and smart phones will spring up again. Then cross-modality data will play a more important role in the daily information dissemination. As an effective way of content analysis, topic detection has attracted much research interest, but conventional topic analysis is undergoing the limitations from the cross-modality heterogenous data. This paper proposes a sentimental image dominant graph topic model, that can detect the topic from the heterogenous data and mine the sentiment of each topic. In details, we design a topic model to transfer both the low-level visual modality and the high-level text modality into a semantic manifold, and improve the discriminative power of CNN feature by jointly optimizing the output of both convolutional layer and fully-connected layer. Furthermore, since the sentimental impact is very significant for understanding the intrinsic meaning of topics, we introduce a semantic score of subjective sentences to calculate the sentiment on the base of the contextual sentence structure. The comparison experiments on the public cross-modality benchmark show the promising performance of our model. So our method using AI technology will facilitate the intellectualization of 5G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an effective approach for the fabrication of a per-4-chlorophenylcarbamate-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) bonded chiral stationary phase (CPCDP) in high-performance liquid chromatography. The morphology and structure of the ligand and the chiral stationary phase (CSP) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, fourier transform infrared spectra, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Because CPCDP was a kind of multimode enantioseparation materials, the enantioseparation of chiral compounds including twelve azole antifungal agents, five proton pump inhibitors and five dihydropyridine calcium antagonists were studied in both reversed-phase and normal-phase chromatography. All analytes were obtained enantiomeric separation. Especially, the resolution of azoles was excellent. The selectivity and resolution of voriconazole reached 15.41 and 16.80, which was an exciting achievement for the enantioseparations by β-CD based chiral stationary phases. Compared with the commercial 3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate-β-CD based chiral stationary phase (DMP), enhanced enantioselectivities for all the above compounds (except ilaprazole) were obtained on CPCDP column, which indicated that the 4-chlorophenylcarbamate group was conducive to the chiral recognition. Chromatographic studies elucidated that enhancement of analyte–chiral substrate interactions were attributed to the inclusion complexation, π–π stacking interaction, hydrogen-bonding, dipole–dipole interaction and steric hindrance. For further study, we also prepared semi-preparative chromatographic columns to obtain a single enantiomer. In addition to excellent chromatographic performance, the prepared CD-based column is stable and much cheaper than commercial columns, which can reduce the cost of test and has a good application prospect in chiral drug analysis. Image 1 • Per-4-chlorophenylcarbamate functionality enhanced enantioselectivities for CD stationary phases. • Enantioseparation of 22 racemates (three kinds of chiral drugs) in multimode HPLC. • Enantiomer elution order study for azoles by preparation of semi-preparative column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in the journal "Skin Research & Technology" explores the relationship between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and dyslipidemia. The researchers used Mendelian randomization (MR) to analyze genetic variations and identify causal links between circulating metabolites and AGA. The study found that certain lipoprotein subcomponents, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), were associated with the risk of AGA. However, the association between HDL and AGA disappeared when adjusted for confounding factors. The study suggests that VLDL may play a role in the development of AGA by affecting vasculature. It is important to note that the study was limited to patients of European origin and further research is needed to validate the findings in other populations. [Extracted from the article]

Phase contrast imaging (PCI) for materials of low Z-index has been rapidly developed in recent years. And PCI is also considered to have great potential to improve the resolution of radiographic imaging of high-Z materials by using high-energy gamma-ray, but the research is still in its infancy. In this paper, we develop a simulation method of gamma-ray PCI, which is based on the combination of the Monte Carlo simulation and wave optics. The feasibility of this method is verified by comparing the simulation result of Young's double-slit experiment with its analytic result. To demonstrate the potential of gamma-ray PCI, a simulation of a concentric metal sample is carried out. The edge enhancement effect of PCI is clearly observed at the interfaces of the sample. The simulation results preliminarily verify the feasibility of gamma-ray PCI for metallic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript reports the synthesis and fluorescent chemosensor property of a Schiff base derivative, 4-[(2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl) methylideneamino]benzoic acid (H2L). The fluorescence spectrum shows that H2L exhibits a highly selective and sensitive recognition for Al3+ ions in N,N′-dimethylformamide/water (DMF/H2O, 1/1, v/v). The fluorescence titration experiments and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) show that H2L and Al3+ ions form a 1:1 complex. 1H NMR titration results show that H2L coordinates to Al3+ ions with carboxylate, hydroxyl groups, and imine groups and the probable sensing mechanism may be the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants synthesize the thiazole precursor of thiamin (cThz-P) via THIAMIN4 (THI4), a suicide enzyme that mediates one reaction cycle and must then be degraded and resynthesized. It has been estimated that this THI4 turnover consumes 2% to 12% of the maintenance energy budget and that installing an energy-efficient alternative pathway could substantially increase crop yield potential. Available data point to two natural alternatives to the suicidal THI4 pathway: (i) nonsuicidal prokaryotic THI4s that lack the active-site Cys residue on which suicide activity depends, and (ii) an uncharacterized thiazole synthesis pathway in flowers of the tropical arum lily Caladium bicolor that enables production and emission of large amounts of the cThz-P analog 4-methyl-5-vinylthiazole (MVT). We used functional complementation of an Escherichia coli thiG strain to identify a nonsuicidal bacterial THI4 (from Thermovibrio ammonificans) that can function in conditions like those in plant cells. We explored whether C. bicolor synthesizes MVT de novo via a novel route, via a suicidal or a nonsuicidal THI4, or by catabolizing thiamin. Analysis of developmental changes in MVT emission, extractable MVT, thiamin level, and THI4 expression indicated that C. bicolor flowers make MVT de novo via a massively expressed THI4 and that thiamin is not involved. Functional complementation tests indicated that C. bicolor THI4, which has the active-site Cys needed to operate suicidally, may be capable of suicidal and - in hypoxic conditions - nonsuicidal operation. T. ammonificans and C. bicolor THI4s are thus candidate parts for rational redesign or directed evolution of efficient, nonsuicidal THI4s for use in crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hurricane Sandy revealed the higher-risk vulnerability to natural hazards of civil infrastructure systems in coastal megacities such as New York. Traditional sources of funding for both recovering from disasters and preventing future damages are not only limited, but also do not account for benefit transfers of the externalities induced by the provision of resilient infrastructure. In principle, property owners should be willing to pay (WTP) an amount equal to the perceived benefit, if this positive externality is internalized by them following some pricing mechanism. In this paper, we analyze the willingness of residents to financially support improvements in the resilience to extreme events of the transportation system in New York City. Choice microdata was collected for over 1500 residents of the metropolitan NYC area. Several logit-type models were estimated and the preferred model was a discrete-continuous heterogeneity mixture that allows for the derivation of flexible distributions of willingness to pay. Using hypothetical scenarios of recovery, the annual willingness to pay for individuals who missed work ands self identify as politically liberal ranges from $120 to $775, whereas for those individuals that were not directly affected the range is $15-$50. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper was to investigate the structural/mechanical properties of arc-ion-plated Ti film deposited at ultralow temperature (166 K, LT-Ti film) and its effect as an interlayer on the wear resistance of sputtered WS 2 film. The results revealed that the LT-Ti film mainly exhibited ω-phase structure due to the insufficient mobility of Ti adatoms at LT surface, while the α-phase was predominated in the Ti film deposited at room temperature (RT-Ti film). The LT-Ti film showed a higher hardness than the RT-Ti film as well as the better toughness and film-substrate adhesion on steel substrates. The wear resistance of sputtered WS 2 film could be significantly improved by employing the Ti films as its interlayer, especially for the LT-Ti film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has highlighted an association between alopecia areata (AA) and the collapse of hair follicle immune privilege, however, the causal linkage to specific immune cell traits remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the causal influence of immune cell traits on AA utilizing a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods: Leveraging GWAS summary statistics of 731 immunological traits (n = 3757) and AA data (n = 211,428), MR analyses were conducted employing inverse‐variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR‐Egger regression methodologies. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken using Cochran's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept test, and MR‐PRESSO analysis. A reverse MR analysis was performed for immune cell traits identified in the initial MR analysis. Results: Our study unveiled multiple immune traits associated with AA. Protective associations were observed for CD62L‐ CD86+ myeloid dendritic cells (DCs), TD CD4+%CD4+ T cells, and others, with ORs ranging from 0.63 to 0.78. Conversely, traits like CD62L on CD62L+ plasmacytoid DCs, HLA‐DR on CD14‐ CD16+ monocytes, HLA‐DR on monocytes, and others, were determined to augment the risk of AA, with ORs ranging from 1.13 to 1.46. Reverse MR analysis signified a reduction in BAFF‐R on IgD‐CD24‐B cells post‐AA onset (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–1.00), with no identified heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among the instrumental variables (IVs). Conclusions: Our findings suggests that CD62L on certain subpopulations of DCs and HLA‐DR on monocytes may epitomize risk factors for AA, offering potential therapeutic targets for alleviating AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Friction and wear behavior of both sputtered WS 2 films with loose or dense microstructures were investigated in vacuum, atomic oxygen (AO) and vacuum/AO irradiation alternate environments. The loose microstructure of pure WS 2 film composed of columnar platelets and vertical pores and the dense microstructure showed high compactness. The results revealed that the WS 2 films exhibited a periodic fluctuant friction coefficient and high wear under the synchronization action of AO irradiation and friction ( in-situ condition). The in-situ results also indicated significantly difference from that of conventional ex-situ methods. As the friction environments were switched from vacuum to in-situ AO, the friction coefficients of the two types of films increased from 0.03 to 0.07 and the wear life of them declined identically to a small value of ∼1.1 × 10 3 cycles, although the wear life of loose WS 2 film was up to 1.7 × 10 4 cycles and that of the dense film was longer than 2.3 × 10 4 cycles in vacuum. The friction and wear behavior did not depend on the film compactness but the anti-oxidation ability of WS 2 itself. For in-situ AO irradiation condition, the high friction resulted from the formation of oxidation product (WO 3 ) by AO and its delamination by frictional interaction was responsible for high wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript studies the fluorescent property of 3-[(2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)methylideneamino]benzoic acid (H 2 L). Fluorescent spectra show that in different solvents, H 2 L displays different fluorescent properties, which can be attributed to the interaction between the solvents and H 2 L. Further study indicates that H 2 L exhibits a highly selective and sensitive recognition for Hg 2 + ions in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), Al 3 + ions in methanol and N , N ′-dimethylformamide/water (DMF/H 2 O, 1/1, v / v ). The bonding modes and bonding ratio of H 2 L and metal ions in different solvents are explored by Job's plot, 1 H NMR titration, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The probable mechanisms were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessarily sharp focus of metabolic engineering and metabolic synthetic biology on pathways and their fluxes has tended to divert attention from the damaging enzymatic and chemical side-reactions that pathway metabolites can undergo. Although historically overlooked and underappreciated, such metabolite damage reactions are now known to occur throughout metabolism and to generate (formerly enigmatic) peaks detected in metabolomics datasets. It is also now known that metabolite damage is often countered by dedicated repair enzymes that undo or prevent it. Metabolite damage and repair are highly relevant to engineered pathway design: metabolite damage reactions can reduce flux rates and product yields, and repair enzymes can provide robust, host-independent solutions. Herein, after introducing the core principles of metabolite damage and repair, we use case histories to document how damage and repair processes affect efficient operation of engineered pathways – particularly those that are heterologous, non-natural, or cell-free. We then review how metabolite damage reactions can be predicted, how repair reactions can be prospected, and how metabolite damage and repair can be built into genome-scale metabolic models. Lastly, we propose a versatile ‘plug and play’ set of well-characterized metabolite repair enzymes to solve metabolite damage problems known or likely to occur in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new fluorescence chemosensor 3-[(2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl) methylideneamino]benzoic acid (L) was designed, synthesized and characterized. Fluorescence spectrum and UV–vis spectra show that L exhibits a highly selective and sensitive recognition for HCO 3 - /CO 3 2- in N,N′-dimethylformamide/water (DMF/H 2 O, 100/1-10/1, v/v) in pH range of 5-14. The competitive experiments and reversible tests prove the good performance of L. The Job′s plot, 1 H NMR titration, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) results show that L and HCO 3 - / CO 3 2- form 1:1 complexes. The probable mechanisms and the proposed binding modes were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergies of potassium trifluoroacetate (K-TFA) on the treatment of δ phase CsPbI 2 Br film, in which it not only passivates surface defects but also simultaneously benefits to the secondary growth of crystal during δ → α phase transition, are shown. Eventually, the assembled CsPbI 2 Br solar cells deliver a champion efficiency of 17.1% and an open-circuit voltage of 1.382 V. [Display omitted] • K-TFA assistes the α → δ → α phase transition approach for preparing high-quality CsPbI 2 Br film. • K-TFA can modulate crystal growth and passivate surface defects simultaneously. • The optimized CsPbI 2 Br solar cells deliver a champion efficiency of 17.1 % with a V oc output of 1.382 V. CsPbI 2 Br material is considered ideal for both single and multi-junction solar cells due to its outstanding stability against heat and illumination and suitable band gap. Unfortunately, CsPbI 2 Br perovskite solar cells (PSCs) still bear the severe energy loss owing to the inferior perovskite crystal quality and serious non-radiative recombination, impeding the further improvement of efficiency. Herein, the synergies of potassium trifluoroacetate on the treatment of δ phase CsPbI 2 Br film, in which it not only passivated surface defects but also simultaneously benefited to the secondary growth of crystal during δ → α phase transition, were proposed. It was found that the optimized CsPbI 2 Br film exhibited the enlarged crystal grains, preferable orientation and higher crystallinity. Meanwhile, the carboxyl groups within potassium trifluoroacetate could effectively bind to the under-coordinated Pb2+ ions on perovskite surface, thus improving the carrier interface dynamics. As a result, the assembled CsPbI 2 Br PSCs reached a champion power conversion efficiency of 17.1 % (steady-state efficiency of 16.11 %) and an open-circuit voltage of 1.382 V, which are among the highest values for CsPbI 2 Br PSCs based on dopant-free poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as hole transporting layer. More importantly, the synergetic strategy enabled the outstanding thermal stability by retaining 81 % of their initial efficiency after annealing at 85 °C in N 2 atmosphere for 800 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactic bars can drive cold gas inflows towards the centres of galaxies. The gas transport happens primarily through the so-called bar dust lanes, which connect the galactic disc at kpc scales to the nuclear rings at hundreds of pc scales much like two gigantic galactic rivers. Once in the ring, the gas can fuel star formation activity, galactic outflows, and central supermassive black holes. Measuring the mass inflow rates is therefore important to understanding the mass/energy budget and evolution of galactic nuclei. In this work, we use CO datacubes from the PHANGS-ALMA survey and a simple geometrical method to measure the bar-driven mass inflow rate on to the nuclear ring of the barred galaxy NGC 1097. The method assumes that the gas velocity in the bar lanes is parallel to the lanes in the frame co-rotating with the bar, and allows one to derive the inflow rates from sufficiently sensitive and resolved position–position–velocity diagrams if the bar pattern speed and galaxy orientations are known. We find an inflow rate of |$\dot{M}=(3.0 \pm 2.1)\, \rm M_\odot \, yr^{-1}$| averaged over a time span of 40 Myr, which varies by a factor of a few over time-scales of ∼10 Myr. Most of the inflow appears to be consumed by star formation in the ring, which is currently occurring at a star formation rate (SFR) of |$\simeq\!1.8\!-\!2 \, \rm M_\odot \, yr^{-1}$|⁠ , suggesting that the inflow is causally controlling the SFR in the ring as a function of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catharanthus roseus produces many pharmaceutically important terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) such as vinblastine, vincristine, ajmalicine, and serpentine. Past metabolic engineering efforts have pointed to the tight regulation of the TIA pathway and to multiple rate-limiting reactions. Transcriptional regulator ORCA3 (octadecanoid responsive Catharanthus AP2-domain protein), activated by jasmonic acid, plays a central role in regulating the TIA pathway. In this study, overexpressing ORCA3 under the control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter in C. roseus hairy roots resulted in no change in the total amount of TIAs measured. RT-qPCR results showed that ORCA3 overexpression triggered the upregulation of transcripts of most of the known TIA pathway genes. One notable exception was the decrease in strictosidine glucosidase ( SGD) transcripts. These results corresponded to previously published results. In this study, ORCA3 and SGD were both engineered in hairy roots under the control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Co-overexpression of ORCA3 and SGD resulted in a significant ( p < 0.05) increase in serpentine by 44 %, ajmalicine by 32 %, catharanthine by 38 %, tabersonine by 40 %, lochnericine by 60 % and hörhammericine by 56 % . The total alkaloid pool was increased significantly by 47 %. Thus, combining overexpression of a positive regulator and a pathway gene which is not controlled by this regulator provided a way to enhance alkaloid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergies of cesium trifluoroacetate (Cs-TFA) when utilized as a novel additive, in which it not only provides cesium cations (stabilizer) for perovskite lattice but also simultaneously modulates crystal growth and passivates grain boundaries defects, are shown. Eventually, the corresponding perovskite solar cells delivers a champion efficiency of 22.82%. [Display omitted] • Cs-TFA as a novel cesium source is adopted to prepare high-quality perovskite film. • Cs-TFA can modulate crystal growth and passivate defects simultaneously. • The devices with Cs-TFA deliver a champion efficiency of 22.82%. • The storage stability of device is greatly improved. The prejudicial defects accumulated at the grain boundaries and surface are one of the most important reasons that cause perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to deviate from the theoretical Shockley–Queisser efficiency limit and poor stability. Consequently, it is highly desirable to reduce defect densities of the polycrystalline perovskite film through manipulating perovskite crystallization and introducing passivation strategy. Herein, the synergistic effects of cesium trifluoroacetate (Cs-TFA) as a novel additive are demonstrated, where it not only provides cesium cations (stabilizer) for perovskite lattice, but also can simultaneously modulate crystal growth and passivate grain boundaries defects. The resultant perovskite films possess more regular morphology, larger grain sizes, and lower defect density. The enlarged crystal grains derive from the incorporation of Cs-TFA that slows down nucleation process, which is demonstrated by in-situ laser confocal photoluminescence imaging. As a result, the encouraging efficiency up to 22.82% is realized for the resulting optimized device. Additionally, the unencapsulated devices sustain around 91% of its initial efficiency after storing 850 h in the air with 40–45% relatively humidity (R.H.) under dark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chiral liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach was developed and verified for the first time in order to quantify the three alkaloids, namely tetrahydropalmatine (THP), tetrahydroberberine (THB) and tetrahydrocoptisine (THC) in Rhizoma Corydalis. Solid-phase extraction was used to prepare sample solution. Enantiomeric separation was obtained on a Chiralpak IC column using acetonitrile-water-ammonia (90:10: 0.1, v/v/v) as mobile phase. The detection was carried out in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with positive electrospray ionization source. Transitions of m/z 356.0→192.0, m/z 340.0→176.0 and m/z 324.1→176.0 were monitored for THP, THB and THC respectively. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r2 ≥0.9994) within the test ranges. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1.0 ng mL−1 and 1.5 ng mL−1 for (+)- and (−)-THP, 1.0 ng mL−1 and 3.0 ng mL−1 for (+)- and (−)-THB, 1.5 ng mL−1and 1.8 ng mL−1 for (+)- and (−)-THC, respectively. The precision, repeatability, and stability tests all meet the requirements. The average recoveries of the analytes ranged from 98.9 % to 101.3 %. Ultimately, the established method was successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of these alkaloid enantiomers extracted from Rhizoma Corydalis of different habitats. [Display omitted] • Three alkaloids in Rhizoma Corydalis were separated with a new chiral method. • The lower limit of quantitation ranged from 1.0 ng mL−1 to 3.0 ng mL−1. • The method shows higher sensitivity compared with previous studies. • First report on quantitative analysis of chiral alkaloids from different habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligence (measured by IQ) varies across individuals. An individual's IQ has been evidenced to be positively associated with verbal-humor production. However, to our knowledge, no study to date has examined how intelligence affects verbal-humor processing. The objective of this current electroencephalogram (EEG) study is to explore the dynamic impact of intelligence on processing patterns in three stages of verbal-humor processing from both temporal and oscillatory perspectives. Twenty-six subjects were recruited and required to read setup-punchline type statements in three conditions (funny, unfunny and unrelated). Event-related Potentials (ERPs) analysis found the earliest differences between relatively higher IQ (RHI) group and relatively lower IQ (RLI) group in dealing with unfunny conditions in the P200 component due to its role as a neural marker mediated by intelligence in language processing; more importantly, the processing patterns in two stages, incongruity detection and mirth, were found to be modulated by intelligence levels: the analysis of the N400 effect presented typical characteristics of incongruity detection for RHI group, while nontypical characteristics close to N300-like effect were found for RLI group; in the stage of mirth, RHI group presented a sustained P600 effect, while RLI group presented proper features of emotion processing. At the global level, these results indicate that people with different intelligence levels may employ dual-pattern model in processing two stages among three stages of verbal-humor appreciation. Event-related Oscillations (EROs) analysis revealed the functional role of the theta band and disclosed the impact of intelligence levels on the early stage of verbal-humor processing from the perspective of ERO. In the future research, further methodological considerations should be included to clarify the innate brain mechanisms aiming at examining intelligence differences regarding verbal-humor processing or indeed on any other issues. • Intelligence impacts processing patterns at stages of verbal-humor appreciation. • P200, mediated by intelligence, indicates the earliest differences. • The processing of incongruity detection and mirth is modulated by intelligence. • Theta band plays a functional role in processing incongruity detection and mirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an in-situ self-polymerization (ISP) strategy to prepare high-quality FA x MA 1- x PbI 3 films, which achieves the triple functions of grain growth, defect passivation and strain release. The corresponding PSCs delivers an efficiency of 22.9% and superior long-term stability. [Display omitted] • High-quality perovskite film is prepared by in-situ self-polymerization strategy. • The ISP strategy allows relaxation of tensile strain by 34% for perovskite film. • The optimized device achieves a champion PCE of 22.9%. • The storage and thermal stability of the device are greatly improved. The perovskite film fabricated by the currently approbatory solution method with high temperature annealing process is inevitably accompanied by the defects and strains, which are two critical factors affecting the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we demonstrate an in-situ self-polymerization (ISP) strategy for high-performance PSCs by incorporating self-polymerizable n-methacrylamide (NMA) monomer additives into the perovskite film. It is revealed that NMA could not only regulate crystal growth, but also passivate grain boundary defects through its own carbonyl groups. Moreover, the self-polymerization of NMA monomer could confine the thermal-expansion of perovskite during thermal crystallization process, thereby releasing the tensile strain of perovskite film. As a result, the optimized devices achieve a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.9%. These unencapsulated devices could maintain 91% of their initial PCE after aging 1500 h in ambient air (25 ± 5 ℃, 30 ± 5% relative humidity, dark) and 85% efficiency after annealing 600 h at 65 ℃ in nitrogen atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a cross-ancestry integrated risk score (caIRS) that combines a cross-ancestry polygenic risk score (caPRS) with a clinical estimator for breast cancer (BC) risk. We hypothesized that the caIRS is a better predictor of BC risk than clinical risk factors across diverse ancestry groups. METHODS: We used diverse retrospective cohort data with longitudinal follow-up to develop a caPRS and integrate it with the Tyrer-Cuzick (T-C) clinical model. We tested the association between the caIRS and BC risk in two validation cohorts including > 130,000 women. We compared model discrimination for 5-year and remaining lifetime BC risk between the caIRS and T-C and assessed how the caIRS would affect screening in the clinic. RESULTS: The caIRS outperformed T-C alone for all populations tested in both validation cohorts and contributed significantly to risk prediction beyond T-C. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve improved from 0.57 to 0.65, and the odds ratio per standard deviation increased from 1.35 (95% CI, 1.27 to 1.43) to 1.79 (95% CI, 1.70 to 1.88) in validation cohort 1 with similar improvements observed in validation cohort 2. We observed the largest gain in positive predictive value using the caIRS in Black/African American women across both validation cohorts, with an approximately two-fold increase and an equivalent negative predictive value as the T-C. In a multivariate, age-adjusted logistic regression model including both caIRS and T-C, caIRS remained significant, indicating that caIRS provides information over T-C alone. CONCLUSION: Adding a caPRS to the T-C model improves BC risk stratification for women of multiple ancestries, which could have implications for screening recommendations and prevention. Cross-ancestry integrated score improves breast cancer risk prediction for women of diverse ancestries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in the body, which is triggered by a body energy intake larger than body energy consumption. Due to complications such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), obstructive pneumonia and arthritis, as well as high mortality, morbidity and economic cost, obesity has become a major health problem. The global prevalence of obesity, and its comorbidities is escalating at alarming rates, demanding the development of additional classes of therapeutics to reduce the burden of disease further. As a central energy sensor, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has recently been elucidated to play a paramount role in fat synthesis and catabolism, especially in regulating the energy expenditure of brown/beige adipose tissue and the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). This review discussed the role of AMPK in fat metabolism in adipose tissue, emphasizing its role in the energy expenditure of brown/beige adipose tissue and browning of WAT. A deeper understanding of the role of AMPK in regulating fat metabolism and energy expenditure can provide new insights into obesity research and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relaxation mechanisms of shake gels (particle-polymer systems) are not yet fully understood, mainly because of the lack of effective structural parameters to describe relaxation processes. Small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering methods were employed to track the relaxation processes in a water-based shake gel system, composed of 20 wt % of 24.8 nm silica nanoparticles and 0.3 wt % of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO 1000k). The gelation of the studied silica-PEO dispersion was readily induced by quick manual shaking (∼3 cycles/s). Temporal structural evolution of the shake gel after manual agitation was inferred from the development of the modeled parameters. The quantitative structural parameters extracted from the scattering data, i.e. nearest neighbor distance of silica nanoparticles and floc size of gel network, showed that the shake gel network quickly relaxes during the first 10–20 min following the shake-induced gelation, and then slowly reaches a quiescent structure after 1 h. • Temporal structural evolution of the silica-PEO shake gel immediately after shaking was characterized by X-ray and light scattering. • The relaxation behavior was depicted by the quantitative relaxation parameters — nearest neighbor distance of silica particles and floc size of gel network. • The studied shake gel network quickly relaxed during the first 10–20 min but slowly thereafter. • This work advanced the deep understanding of fundamental relaxation processes of shake gels at nanometric resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]