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Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease characterized by Th2-type inflammation in the airways. Leucine zip transcription factor-like 1 (LZTFL1) has been implicated in the regulation of Th2-related factors. The knockdown of LZTFL1 resulted in decreased levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. We hypothesize that LZTFL1 may have an effect on asthma. We established an acute asthmatic mouse model using the Ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization, and we found that LZTFL1 expression was upregulated in OVA-induced CD4 + T cells. Mice challenged with OVA were administered 5 × 107 TU of lentivirus via tail vein injection. LZTFL1 knockdown reversed the frequency of sneezing and nose rubbing in OVA mice. LZTFL1 knockdown reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, reduced goblet cell numbers, and mitigated collagen deposition in lung tissue. LZTFL1 knockdown decreased the levels of OVA-specific IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in alveolar lavage fluid of asthmatic mice. Furthermore, LZTFL1 knockdown inhibited the aberrant activation of MEK/ERK signaling pathway in asthmatic mice. GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) is an essential transcription factor in Th2 differentiation. Flow cytometry results revealed that LZTFL1 knockdown reduced the number of GATA3 + CD4 + Th2 cells, while it did not affect the stability of GATA3 mRNA. This may be attributed to ERK signaling which stabilized GATA3 by preventing its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. In conclusion, LZTFL1 knockdown attenuates inflammation and pathological changes in OVA-induced asthmatic mice through ERK/GATA3 signaling pathway. • LZTFL1 was highly expressed in spleen CD4+T cells of asthmatic mice. • LZTFL1 knockdown in asthmatic mice alleviated the airway inflammation. • LZTFL1 knockdown inhibited Th2 differentiation in asthmatic mice. • LZTFL1 knockdown suppressed MEK/ERK signaling in asthmatic mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the catalyst's surface was the major active location, the inner structure's contribution to catalytic activity was typically overlooked. Here, ZnO–Co 3 O 4−v nanozymes with several surfaces and bulk oxygen vacancies were created. The O atoms of H 2 O 2 moved inward to preferentially fill the oxygen vacancies in the interior and form new "lattice oxygen" by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth analysis and X-ray absorption fine structure. The internal Co2+ continually transferred electrons to the surface for a continuous catalytic reaction, which generated a significant amount of reactive oxygen species. Inner and outer double-layer electron cycles accompanied this process. A three-dimensional model of ZnO–Co 3 O 4−v was constructed using virtual reality interactive modelling technology to illustrate nanozyme catalysis. Moreover, the bactericidal rate of ZnO–Co 3 O 4−v for Methionine-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Multiple drug resistant Escherichia coli was as high as 99%. ZnO–Co 3 O 4−v was biocompatible and might be utilized to heal wounds following Methionine-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. This work offered a new idea for nanozymes to replace of conventional antibacterial medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft electronics have emerged as a prominent research domain, with diverse applications from medical monitoring to soft robotics. Liquid metal (LM) has emerged as a promising material for soft electronics due to its high electrical conductivity (3.4 × 106 S m−1) and fluidity at room temperature. However, the dispersion of LM nanoparticles and the performance of LM composites in soft electronics applications have not been extensively explored. In this study, a novel approach for the direct dispersion of LM nanoparticles in biocompatible hyaluronic acid (HA) to create multifunctional LM/HA hydrogels is presented. The LM/HA hydrogel displays remarkable electromechanical properties, including high stretchability (2,700%) and conductivity (116 S m−1), as well as excellent sensitivity (GF = 4.8) as a sensing material. Specifically, a facial expression monitoring system is developed utilizing the LM/HA hydrogel as the sensing material, along with a microcontroller, signal‐processing circuits, and a Bluetooth transceiver. The LM/HA hydrogel adheres closely to the skin surface to ensure the accuracy of facial expression monitoring. In summary, this study not only advances the understanding of the properties of LM but also expands the potential application scenarios of multifunctional LM hydrogels in soft robotics and implantable sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is one of the most common metrics used to describe vegetation dynamics. Unfortunately, low-quality pixels resulting from contamination (by features including clouds, snow, aerosols, and mixed factors) have impeded NDVI products' widespread application. Researchers have thought of several ways to improve NDVI quality when contamination occurs. However, most of these algorithms are based on the noise-negative deviation principle, which aligns low-value NDVI products to an upper line but ignores cases where absolute surface values are low. Consequently, to fill in these research gaps, in this article, we use the random forest model to produce a set of high-quality NDVI products to represent actual surface characteristics more accurately and naturally. Climate and geographical products are used as model inputs to describe environmental factors. They represent the random forest (RF) model that establishes relationships between MODIS NDVI products and meteorological products in high-quality areas. In addition, auxiliary data and empirical knowledge are employed to meet filling requirements. Notably, the random forest (RF) algorithm exhibits a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.024 and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.034, in addition to a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.974. Furthermore, the MAE and RMSE of the RF-based method decreased by 0.014 and 0.019, respectively, when compared to those of the STSG (spatial–temporal Savitzky–Golay) plan and by 0.013 and 0.015, respectively, when compared to the LSTM (long short-term memory) method. R2 increased by 0.039 and 0.027, respectively, compared to the STSG and LSTM methods. We introduced a novel series of NDVI products that demonstrated consistent spatial and temporal connectivity. The novel product exhibits enhanced adaptability to intricate environmental conditions and promises the potential for utilization in investigating vegetation dynamics within the Chinese region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orc1-2 is a non-initiator ortholog of archaeal/eukaryotic Orc1 proteins, which functions as a global regulator in DNA damage-responsive (DDR) expression. As for Orc1 initiators, the DDR regulator harbors an AAA+ ATPase domain, an Initiator-Specific Motif (ISM) and a winged-helix (wH) DNA-binding domain, which are also organized in a similar fashion. To investigate how Orc1-2 mediates the DDR regulation, the orc1-2 mutants inactivating each of these functional domains were constructed with Saccharolobus islandicus and genetically characterized. We found that disruption of each functional domain completely abolished the DDR regulation in these orc1-2 mutants. Strikingly, inactivation of ATP hydrolysis of Orc1-2 rendered an inviable mutant. However, the cell lethality can be suppressed by the deficiency of the DNA binding in the same protein, and it occurs independent of any DNA damage signal. Mutant Orc1-2 proteins were then obtained and investigated for DNA-binding in vitro. This revealed that both the AAA+ ATPase and the wH domains are involved in DNA-binding, where ISM and R381R383 in wH are responsible for specific DNA binding. We further show that Orc1-2 regulation occurs in two distinct steps: (a) eliciting cell division inhibition at a low Orc1-2 content, and this regulation is switched on by ATP binding and turned off by ATP hydrolysis; any failure in turning off the regulation leads to growth inhibition and cell death; (b) activation of the expression of DDR gene encoding DNA repair proteins at an elevated level of Orc1-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean and sustainable photoelectric technology has been developed rapidly in many fields. One of which is the novel marine corrosion protection technology that directly utilizes the abundant solar energy falling on the ocean to provide photoinduced cathodic protection for metallic structures, and has received increasing attention year by year. Improving the photoelectrochemical conversion and photoelectric cathodic protection performance for metals under sunlight is vital for achieving effective protection. In particular, optimizing the multi-dimensional nanostructured photoanode to accelerate the collection and transfer of photogenerated electrons and to improve the photoelectric and cathodic protection performance is a promising method. Here, an ultrafine branched anatase TiO2 nanolawn (NL) photoanode co-decorated with CdS nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide quantum dots (rGO QDs) was prepared. Compared with single CdS modified TiO2 NL, the three-phase junction CdS/rGO QDs/TiO2 NL shows further enhanced photoelectrochemical conversion performance under simulated sunlight and visible light irradiation, increased by 66.7% and 83.3% compared to that of CdS/TiO2 NL, respectively. The rGO QDs, which acted as a high-efficiency electron transporter, are uniformly deposited on the TiO2 NL, and further promote the transport efficiency of photogenerated electrons. CdS as a visible-light responder is responsible for broadening the spectral response, and the ultrafine branched TiO2 NL substrate greatly expands the photon capture area and increases the electron collection sites. Finally, the synergy of the above three aspects ensures that the ternary CdS/rGO QDs/TiO2 NL photoanode exhibits further enhanced simulated sunlight-driven and visible light-driven photoelectric conversion efficiency and a photoinduced cathodic protection effect on 316L stainless steel and pure copper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global annual consumption of marine metal corrosion is a significant challenge to the service life of metals and the development of marine strategies. A tri-dimensional AgInS2/In2S3 co-modified TiO2 nanobush (NB) superstructure photoanode is constructed. It shows superior photoelectric cathodic protection (PECP) characteristic for pure copper whose self-corrosion potential is more negative in simulated natural marine environment without additional any hole scavengers under simulated solar light illumination. Origin from the more negative energy level potential of AgInS2/In2S3, the quasi-Fermi level of the photogenerated electrons of TiO2 NB/AgInS2/In2S3 was pull to a more negative position, reinforcing the transmission of photogenerated electrons to the pure copper whose self-corrosion potential is more negative. The sensitizer AgInS2 together with the assistant layer In2S3 dramatically enhances the PECP performance of TiO2 NB/AgInS2/In2S3. The tri-dimensional ultrafine branch-like architecture of TiO2 NB with the nanoparticles quickens the collection and transfer of photogenerated electrons to the metallic pure copper. This environmentally friendly 3D photoanode structure provides a good reference for the optimized construction of photoelectric materials for marine metal corrosion protection. The tri-dimensional AgInS2/In2S3 co-modified TiO2 nanobush superstructure photoanode possesses superior photoelectric cathodic protection characteristic for pure cooper whose self-corrosion potential is more negative in simulated marine environment under simulated solar light illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic miniature soft‐bodied robots allow non‐invasive access to restricted spaces and provide ideal solutions for minimally invasive surgery, micromanipulation, and targeted drug delivery. However, the existing elastomer‐based (silicone) and fluid‐based (ferrofluid or liquid metal) magnetically actuated miniature soft robots have limitations. Owing to its limited deformability, the elastomer‐based small‐scale soft robot cannot navigate through a highly restricted environment. In contrast, although fluid‐based soft robots are more capable of deformation, they are also limited by the unstable shape of the fluid itself, and are therefore poorly adapted to the environment. In this study, non‐Newtonian fluid‐based magnetically actuated slime robots with both the adaptability of elastomer‐based robots and reconfigurable significant deformation capabilities of fluid‐based robots are demonstrated. The robots can negotiate through narrow channels with a diameter of 1.5 mm and maneuver on multiple substrates in complex environments. The proposed slime robot implements various functions, including grasping solid objects, swallowing and transporting harmful things, human motion monitoring, and circuit switching and repair. This study proposes the design of novel soft‐bodied robots and enhances their future applications in biomedical, electronic, and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Chirality-based nanomaterials, especially semiconductors nanoparticles (NPs), are the emerging research in biomedicine field. Herein, chiral manganese dioxide (L/D-MnO 2) NPs were synthesized by using threonine molecules as chiral ligands. Then cisplatin loaded L/D-MnO 2 (L/D-MnO 2 @Pt) NPs were successfully constructed based on the high specific surface area of L/D-MnO 2 NPs. L/D-MnO 2 @Pt NPs could be specifically internalized by tumor cells and efficiently deplete the glutathione (GSH) through redox reaction to release Mn2+ and Pt. The released Mn2+ exhibited strong chemodynamic effect through Fenton-like reaction. The depletion of GSH further improved the chemodynamic therapy (CDT) efficiency. The combination of the CDT of Mn2+ with the chemotherapy of Pt considerably enhanced the tumor therapy efficiency. It was particularly noteworthy that L/D-MnO 2 @Pt NPs showed chirality-based different internalization by tumor cells and further led to different tumor cell ablation effects, in which D-MnO 2 @Pt NPs exhibited stronger therapeutic efficiency than L-MnO 2 @Pt NPs. These findings provided deep insights for novel biomedical applications of chirality-based semiconductors NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of mesotrione on the control efficiency and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of Chenopodium album. Simulating three rainfall intensities of 2 mm/h (light rain), 6 mm/h (moderate rain) and 10 mm/h (heavy rain) at different interval times (0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h) to analyze variable regulation of the control effect, the photosynthetic pigment content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of C. album after spraying mesotrione. With the extension of rainfall time interval, the inhibition rate of plant height, plant control effect and fresh weight control effect of C. album were gradually increased, the inhibition effect of rainfall on the efficacy was gradually decreased, at the same time, the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, the maximum photochemical quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm), the actual photochemical quantum yield (Y (II)) and quantum yield (Y (NO)) production of regular energy consumption of C. album were also increased, while the nonregulatory energy decreased gradually. The results showed that the contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in leaves of C. album increased significantly by 35.63% and 35.38% compared with the control under the condition of simulating 6 mm/h in interval 1 hour. The study suggested that simulating 10 mm/h rainfall intensity had the greatest effect on C. album, the photosynthetic pigment content, Fv/Fm and Y (II) of leaves were significantly higher than those in the control groups under 0.5 h, 1 h and 2 h interval treatments. The carotenoid content was the lowest and Y (NO) was the largest under the 4 h interval treatment. As is displayed that rainfall reduced the weed control effect in the aspect of controlling C. album on mesotrione, which is partly contributed to increase photosynthetic pigment content and enhance the PS II photochemical activity. In conclusion, the rain intensity of ≤2 mm/h did not affect the control effect of mesotrione on C. album. At 6 mm/h within 1 h after treatment, the control effect of fresh weight was significantly reduced by more than 7.14%, and at 10 mm/h within 2 h, the control effect was significantly reduced by more than 14.78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive and heterogeneous malignancy. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key infiltrating cell populations in the inflammatory microenvironment of malignant tumors including MIBC. It intrigues us to explore the clinical significance and immunoregulatory role of TAMs infiltration and polarization in MIBC. Methods: A total of 141 patients with MIBC from Zhongshan Hospital and 391 patients with MIBC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were included in this study. Moreover, 195 patients who received anti-PD-L1 therapy from the IMvigor210 trial were enrolled. Patients were categorized into three subtypes considering the infiltration level and polarization status of TAMs, denoted as TAMlow (Subtype I), TAMhigh&M2/M1low (Subtype II), and TAMhigh&M2/M1high (Subtype III). Results: Subtype III suffered inferior prognosis, and Subtype II could benefit more from adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT). Subtype III was featured with increased pro-tumor cells and immunosuppressive cytokines, while Subtype II possessed more immunogenic cells infiltration with activated and tumoricidal properties. Subtype II and Subtype III presented basal/squamous-like characterization and showed additional prognostic merit beyond molecular classification. Subtype I exhibited elevated level of FGFR3 signature, while Subtype II had EGFR signaling activation and immunotherapeutic indication. Additionally, Subtype II patients were indeed highly sensitive to PD-L1 blockade therapy in IMvigor210 trial. Conclusion: The infiltration and polarization status of TAMs shaped distinct immune microenvironment with predictive significance for survival outcome, ACT benefit, and PD-L1 blockade therapy sensitivity in MIBC. Immune classification based on TAMs polarization and infiltration might provide tools to tailor chemotherapy and immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bionic Al 2 O 3 nanostructure was successfully prepared by using epipremnum aureum leaf as a bio-template. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG) were used to characterize the Bionic Al 2 O 3.The results showed that the optimum temperature is 1200 °C, and the as received bionic Al 2 O 3 was rhombohedral system with rod-like shape. The rod-like Al 2 O 3 are all over the epipremnum aureum leaf blade, which perfectly builds up the original leaf surface morphology and porous structure of cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium bromide, a high-value bromine resource, is widely used in the industrial synthesis processes and mercury removal from flue gas. However, there are some problems in traditional preparation methods for calcium bromide, such as long processing time, environmentally unfriendly and so on. To address these challenges, an electrodialysis metathesis (EDM) process was developed in this study to prepare high value-added calcium bromide using sodium bromide and calcium chloride as the raw materials. In order to obtain calcium bromide with high purity and improve the economic efficiency of the EDM process, the key influencing factors were investigated. Furthermore, the water migration during EDM was analyzed, and potential prospects of reducing apparent water flux volume by lowering temperature, current density, and the concentration difference between the dilute chamber and the concentrated chamber within an appropriate range. As a result, a calcium bromide product with a purity higher than 99 % was obtained with no Cl− detected. Mass fraction of Na+ was found to be 0.016 %, meeting the standards required by the industry. This method provides a new perspective and a good guide for the efficient preparation of highly valued bromine resources. • An electrodialysis metathesis process was proposed for calcium bromide preparation. • The methods to mitigate water migration were proposed. • The product quality and economic analysis were conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au2Ni1 alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a reverse microemulsion procedure and the structure, morphology, and composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the synthesized NPs were random alloys with a Au/Ni atom ratio of 2:1 with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure and average diameters of 8 ± 2 nm. A novel hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor was constructed using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) modified by the Au2Ni1 alloy NPs. The sensor properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry in H2O2 solution. The results demonstrate that the sensor exhibited good performance for H2O2 in phosphate buffer saline at pH 7.2. The detection limit was 2.12 × 10−8 mol/L with a linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.99647 with good stability and reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important aspects of clinical acupuncture practice, like diabetic gastroparesis, is the selection of suitable acupoints. Furthermore, it is critical to examine the therapeutic impact differences between distal and local acupoints, as well as the prescription of their combination. In this study, diabetic gastroparesis rats were treated by needling Zhongwan (CV12) and Zusanli (ST36), and then used Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography-CT (SPECT-CT) technology to assess the effects of promoting gastric motility. In addition, morphological observation, immunohistochemical examination, and biomarker assays, such as determination of growth factor 1, motilin, and ghrelin contents in serum samples, were performed to better understand the impact of certain various acupuncture treatments. All of the therapies improved the symptoms of diabetic gastroparesis rats, according to the findings. Stimulating these acupoints, on the other hand, can have a different therapeutic effect. In addition, needling local and distal acupoints together can have an antagonistic or synergistic impact on specific physiological and biochemical indexes such as gastric motility, ghrelin, gastrin, and growth factor 1, among others. Our findings demonstrated the benefits of acupoints and acupuncture in the management of diabetic gastroparesis, as well as a new insight into acupuncture therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many astonishing biological collective behaviors exist in nature, and artificial microrobotic swarms have been developed by emulating these scenarios. However, these microswarms typically have single structures and lack the adaptability that many biological swarms exhibit to thrive in complex environments. Inspired by viscoelastic fire ant aggregations and using a combination of experiment and simulation, a strategy to trigger ferrofluid droplets into forming microswarms exhibiting both liquid‐like and solid‐like behaviors is reported. By spatiotemporally programming an applied magnetic field, microswarms can be liquefied to implement reversible elongation with a high aspect ratio and solidified into entireties to perform overturning and bending behaviors. It is demonstrated that reconfigurability enables the microswarm to be a mobile dexterous micromanipulator, acting not only as a soft "octopus arm" to explore a confined environment and grasp a targeted object but also adaptively navigate multiple terrains, such as uneven surfaces, curved grooves, complex mazes, high steps, narrow channels, and even wide gaps. This microrobotic swarm can reconfigure both shapes and tasks based on the demands of the environment, presenting novel solutions for a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel photoelectrochemical cathodic protection technology is actively researched and developed for alleviating severe corrosion of marine metallic materials. And the corresponding sustained photoelectrochemical cathodic protection in the dark, under the collaboration of the electron storage materials, is also developed and optimized. WO3, as a kind of electron storage material, shows great potential in this area. The WO3/graphene oxide (WO3/GO) nanothorn cluster composites were synthesized via solovthermal method. The nanoscale graphene oxide (GO) sheets, added as templates, result in the formation of WO3 nanothorn clusters in the WO3/GO composite. The hybrid structure of the WO3/GO composite was formed when the GO adding amount is 0.2 wt%, denoted as WO3/GO 0.2. The lattice of WO3 contracted slightly and the crystallinity of WO3 was enhanced. The WO3/GO 0.2 nanothorn cluster composites promote the transfer and storage efficiency of the electrons compared with pure WO3. The high conductivity of the partly reduced GO leads to a faster electron transfer in the WO3/GO composite. The sustained photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance of the WO3/GO composite under the assistance of TiO2 (i.e., the coupling of WO3/GO 0.2-TiO2) for 304 stainless steel (SS) was promoted. A larger number of photoinduced electrons, generated by TiO2 under white light illumination, can be stored in the WO3/GO composite and be transferred to the coupled 304 SS electrode after shutting off the light. WO3/GO composite exhibits enhanced sustained photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance for 304 stainless steel under the assistance of TiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the need for improvement in the utilization of ammonium-rich solutions after the electrochemical reduction of nitrate (NO3−–RR), this study combined phosphorus-containing wastewater and adopted the electrochemical precipitation method for the preparation of struvite (MAP) to simultaneously recover nitrogen and phosphorus resources. At a current density of 5 mA·cm−2 and an initial solution pH of 7.0, the recovery efficiencies for nitrogen and phosphorus can reach 47.15% and 88.66%, respectively. Under various experimental conditions, the generated struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) exhibits a typical long prismatic structure. In solutions containing nitrate and nitrite, the coexisting ions have no significant effect on the final product, struvite. Finally, the characterization of the precipitate product by X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that its main component is struvite, with a high purity reaching 93.24%. Overall, this system can effectively recover ammonium nitrogen from the NO3−–RR solution system after nitrate reduction, with certain application prospects for the recovery of ammonium nitrogen and phosphate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at developing a green and highly-efficient technique, which enables co-crystallization and co-agglomeration of drugs, or the crystallization of one drug and simultaneous agglomeration with another drug, in pure water taking advantage of oiling-out. By establishing the phase diagram and making use of the oil droplets formed in an oiling-out system, spherical co-agglomerates containing desired ratios of drugs, ibuprofen (IBU) with a second active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), including L -menthol (MT), praziquantel (PZQ), rivaroxaban (RXB) and lenalidomide (LDM), were successfully prepared, simply relying on a heating–quenching operation. Forming processes of the spherical co-agglomerates involved two kinds of mechanisms: co-oiling-out and single-oiling-out mechanisms, making the oiling-out co-agglomeration (OOCA) technique suitable for a wide range of applications in pharmaceuticals. Particularly, the co-oiling-out mechanism, which was proposed and designed, for the first time in this work based on ternary phase diagrams of (API1–API2–water), uniform oil droplets of two APIs were generated, guaranteeing a high degree of content uniformity in the co-agglomerate products. The OOCA technique developed in this work can not only incorporate crystallization and granulation into one unit operation, but also help in achieving drug combination (polypills). An effective screening strategy for drugs applicable to the OOCA technique was established by simulation and computation, greatly reducing the utilization of chemical substances and helping save time in the promotion process of OOCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible electronics have been extensively explored for health monitoring and soft robotics. However, conventional hydrogels are inevitably frozen in polar environments and easily dehydrated, and have weak surface adhesion. Inspired by the natural mussel adhesive mechanism, we designed a polydopamine-polyacrylamide-LiCl (PPL) hydrogel with high electrical conductivity, high stretchability, and strong surface adhesion under low-temperature conditions. The PPL hydrogel exhibits robust adhesion (68.8 kPa), high electrical conductivity (384 S m−1 at room temperature, and 26 S m−1 at −40 °C), superior stretchability (1200%), and cycling stability (3000 cycles). The hydrogel sensor can accurately measure human joint movements, making them suitable for use in information encryption and decryption through Morse code even in polar environments (−60 °C). Further research in this area can lead to innovative solutions for communication and health monitoring in extreme conditions. [Display omitted] • The PPL hydrogel provides good conductivity (384 S m−1) and remarkable stretchability (1286%). • The hydrogel maintains strong adhesion at 68.8 kPa. • The hydrogel keeps a good conductivity of up to 26 S m−1 even at − 40 ℃. • This hydrogel-based sensor is capable of recording human joint motions. • The PPL sensor can communicate information through Morse code signals at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipase-loaded hollow colloidosomes are prepared for Pickering interfacial biocatalysis (PIB). Unlike in other systems, colloidosomes are self-assembled by lipases and silica nanoparticles, achieving a high enzyme-loading process without chemical crosslinking, and can stabilize Pickering emulsion due to the amphiphilic lipase confined in the porous shell. Remarkably, the enzyme encapsulation rate is 95.2%, which is better than other enzyme-loaded carriers in PIB reported so far. This system maintains 80.4% of the initial enzyme activity after 10 cycles, which provides a powerful and green platform for interfacial biocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To promote herbal medicine depends largely on its quality. Chromatographic fingerprint is a frequent approach for quality assessment of herbs however with challenges on robust and reproducibility. To develop rapid, cheap and comprehensive measurements as complementary tools for herbal quality control are still urgently needed. Moreover, biological activities are essential for herbal quality, and should be taken into consideration with emphasized in quality control. Methods: In this research, HPLC fingerprint and delayed luminescence (DL, a rapid and systematic tool) were used to measure the rhubarb samples of multiple species. Statistics were explored to classify these rhubarb samples using data obtained from two analytic methods. In addition, DL properties were linked to specific chemical components which may reflect bioactivities of rhubarb using Spearman's rank correlation. Moreover, mice model was used to evaluate the cathartic effect between rhubarb samples stratifying by two analytic methods. Results: We found that there was no significant difference of chemical fingerprints and DL signals among the different species of medicinal rhubarb. However, our results show a high similarity between HPLC fingerprint analysis and DL measurements in classification of these rhubarb samples into two sub-groups. In addition, the two sub-groups of rhubarb samples that may have different cathartic activities. Conclusion: This approach provides new leads for development of herbal quality assessment based on bioactivity. In conclusion, integrated assessment by measuring HPLC fingerprint and DL with emphasized on bioactivity may provide novel strategy for herbal quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing microrobots with multiple deformabilities has become extremely challenging due to the lack of materials that are soft enough at the microscale level and the inability to be reconfigured after fabrication. In this study, it is aimed to prove that liquid microrobots composed of ferrofluid droplets are inherently deformable and they can be controlled, individually or in aggregate, with multiple programmable deformabilities. For example, the liquid‐microrobot monomer (LRM) can pass through narrow channels via elongation and achieve scaling via splitting and coalescence. LRMs can also reassemble into various kinds of functional liquid‐robot aggregates, such as microsticks, micropies, microtrains, microkayaks, and microrollingpins. Thus, they can respond to multi‐terrain surfaces or perform various complex tasks. Moreover, the authors' physics‐based theoretical model demonstrates dynamic self‐assembly and group behavior of a multiple LRM system, which is conducive to investigating the mechanisms behind it. These ferrofluid droplet robots provide novel solutions for some potential applications, such as untethered micromanipulation and targeted cargo delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigation of aged Chinese herbal materials will help us to understand their use and sources in ancient time and broaden the historical perspective of Chinese material medica. To reach this aim, the basic understanding of aged herbal materials, including physical and chemical characters, is of great importance. Delayed luminescence (DL) technique was developed as a rapid, direct, systemic, objective and sample loss-free tool to characterize the properties of Chinese herbal materials. In this study, we measured DL values in aged Chinese herbal materials that were transported from Asia to Europe during the 20th century and stored in Naturalis Biodiversity Center and the Utrecht University museum, and compared these with modern material of the same species. Methods: A hyperbolic function was used to extract four properties from the DL curves of Chinese herbal material from 1900, the 1950s and recently harvested products. Statistical tools, including the Student's t test, One-way analysis of variance and Principal Component Analysis, were used to differentiate the DL properties of aged and contemporary collections of Glycyrrhiza spp. Curcuma aromatica Salisb., Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Alpinia officinarum Hance and Acorus calamus L. Results: Our results showed that DL properties were significantly different between historical and contemporary Chinese herbal materials. Changes in DL values were species-dependent: the effects of storage time of DL properties were specific for each species. These outcomes help us not only in the identification of historical Chinese medicine products but also provides valuable data of the effect of storage time on herbal materials. Conclusion: The simple, direct, rapid, and inexpensive measurements offered by DL provide a novel tool to assess the taxonomic identity of Chinese and other herbal materials and assess the differences in chemical properties with increasing storage time. Our results contribute to the further development of novel digital tools for the quality control of herbal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylenediamine (EDA) was added to modified Pt/SiAl catalyst by co-impregnation method for selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH 3 -SCO), which for the purpose of optimizing the low-temperature ammonia oxidation activity of Pt/SiAl catalyst. The results of several characterizations indicated that the addition of EDA could adjust the states and particle sizes of Pt, and the reduction property of Pt/SiAl catalyst, which together contributed to with the catalytic performance of catalysts and could be confirmed by XRD, TEM, H 2 -TPR and CO-FTIR. Detailed, the result of H 2 -TPR revealed more excellent reduction property of Pt/SiAl-E and the CO-adsorption result displayed more electron-rich of Pt species and more Pt0 species over Pt/SiAl-E than Pt/SiAl. The TEM results demonstrated the average particle sizes of Pt species decreased from 2.8 nm to 2.0 nm after adding EDA. Consequently, Pt/SiAl-E displayed better low-temperature NH 3 -SCO activity than Pt/SiAl, the light-off temperature of ammonia dropped from 217 °C to 205 °C. Unlabelled Image • Higher dispersion of active species Pt0 was obtained by a salt of Pt-chelated with EDA to inhibit the sintering of Pt0. • Light-off temperature of ammonia was dropped from 217 °C to 205 °C after adding EDA into Pt/SiAl. • Pt0 was the active species of ammonia oxidation reaction in the low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginsenoside extracts are often used as raw materials for various pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food supplement products. Development of a direct, rapid, cheap, and comprehensive measurement tool for the quality assessment of ginsenoside extracts, and indeed all herbal extracts, is urgently needed. In addition, a bioactivity-based assessment should be linked with quality control. In this report, we try to develop a novel quality control tool using ginsenoside extracts as an example. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect nine principal ginsenosides in 11 batches of ginsenoside extracts. Delayed luminescence (DL) was used to analyze the same ginsenoside extract samples. DL measurements showed the same results in terms of differentiating 11 ginsenoside extract samples compared with chemical analysis, and DL properties could be closely linked to index ginsenosides in the quality control of ginsenoside extracts. Next, a zebrafish tail-fin amputation model was used to study differences in anti-inflammatory effect between the ginsenoside extract batches. The results indicate that both chemical analysis and DL measurements could partially reflect biological activity. Thus, DL may serve as a rapid, direct, sensitive, and systemic tool for studying the overall properties of ginsenoside extracts. Our proposal for linking bioactivities as a tool for evaluation of the quality of ginsenoside extracts opens a new direction for quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The cobalt-phosphate (Co-Pi) decorated g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO shell-core nanorod array (Co-Pi/g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRA) photoanode with broadened spectral response and optimized photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance was prepared. The g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRA was prepared via improved urea impregnation and calcination methods in semi enclosed environment. The g-C 3 N 4 flexible slice shell was uniformly wrapped on ZnO nanorods core and the intimately contacted heterojunction was formed between the interface of g-C 3 N 4 and ZnO. The g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRA promotes the separation and transfer of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs on g-C 3 N 4 and ZnO under either visible light or white light illumination. The prepared g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRA was further electrodeposited with Co-Pi nanoparticles (NPs). The Co-Pi NPs can assist in the consumption of the photoinduced holes as well as pull the Fermi level potential of g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRAs towards the positive direction, resulting in the upward band bending at the band-edge position for Co-Pi/g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRAs and promoting the separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Consequently, the Co-Pi/g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRA exhibits an improved PEC performance under both visible light and white light illumination. In addition, g-C 3 N 4 flexible slice shell decorated with Co-Pi NPs covered on the surface of ZnO NRAs core improved the stability of the ZnO NRA photoanode. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The Co-Pi decorated g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO shell-core NRA was optimized and investigated. • It shows broadened spectral response and enhanced PEC conversion performance. • g-C 3 N 4 shell uniformly wrapped on ZnO NRA core forming shell-core architecture. • Co-Pi NPs pull the Fermi level potential of g-C 3 N 4 @ZnO NRAs to positive direction. • The external bias promotes the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PtRu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) in a commercial PtRu/C catalyst were encapsulated within few-layer graphitic boron nitride (h-BN) shells to form PtRu@h-BN/C core–shell catalysts, which were used as CO-tolerant anode catalyst in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Electrochemical results reveal that the PtRu@h-BN/C catalysts show similar activity in hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) as the PtRu/C catalysts but present enhanced CO-tolerance in fuel cell tests. Single cell performance with the PtRu@h-BN/C catalyst has been lowered by less than 20% with 30 ppm CO/25% CO 2 introduced into H 2 feed gas, while the PtRu/C catalyst suffers from a decrease of 60% under the same conditions. The reaction data and characterization results suggest that h-BN ultrathin shells can achieve a good balance between durability and activity, enabling the PtRu@h-BN/C material to act as a potential anode catalyst for PEMFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a common respiratory disease associated with airway inflammation. Nerolidol is an acyclic sesquiterpenoid with anti‐inflammatory properties. BALB/C mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) to induce asthma symptoms and given different doses of Nerolidol. We found that Nerolidol reduced OVA‐induced inflammatory cell infiltration, the number of goblet cells and collagen deposition in lung tissue. Nerolidol reduced the OVA‐specific IgE levels in serum and alveolar lavage fluid in an asthma model. Immunohistochemical staining of α‐SMA (the marker of airway smooth muscle) showed that Nerolidol caused bronchial basement membrane thinning in asthmatic mice. The hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is an important feature of airway remodeling in asthma. ASMCs were treated with 10 ng/mL TGF‐β to simulate the pathological environment of asthma in vitro and then treated with different doses of Nerolidol. Nerolidol inhibited the activity of TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway both in the lung tissue of OVA‐induced mouse and TGF‐β‐stimulated ASMCs. 16s rRNA sequencing was performed on feces of normal mice, the changes of intestinal flora in OVA‐induced asthmatic mice and Nerolidol‐treated asthmatic mice were studied. The results showed that Nerolidol reversed the reduced gut microbial alpha diversity in asthmatic mice. Nerolidol changed the relative abundance of gut bacteria at different taxonomic levels. At the phylum level, the dominant bacteria were Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, the dominant bacteria were Lactobacillus, Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides, and Lachnospiraceae. We conclude that Nerolidol attenuates OVA‐induced airway inflammation and alters gut microbes in mice with asthma via TGF‐β/Smad signaling. Significance statement: This research has demonstrated a mitigating effect of Nerolidol on the progress of asthma. TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway is the critical target of Nerolidol. Intestinal flora disorders induced by asthma are also regulated by Nerolidol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AgInS 2 /In 2 S 3 nanoparticles (NPs) co-sensitized TiO 2 nanotube array (NTA) photoanodes with high photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion efficiency are prepared and optimized. The In 2 S 3 buffer layer around AgInS 2 absorber layer significantly improves the charge generation/separation efficiency of the prepared photoanode. Compared with single AgInS 2 NPs sensitized TiO 2 NTAs, the design of the AgInS 2 /In 2 S 3 heterojunction NPs sensitized TiO 2 NTAs further promotes the charge transfer in the system, and avoids the unmatched energy band alignment between AgInS 2 and TiO 2 . The AgInS 2 (3)/In 2 S 3 (5) NPs co-sensitized TiO 2 NTAs possess the best PEC conversion performance. The AgInS 2 and In 2 S 3 NPs distribute uniformly on TiO 2 NTAs to form close interfacial adhesion. Simultaneously, the one-dimensional TiO 2 nanotubes serve as the direct electron pathways and ensure the rapid collection of charge carriers generated by the system. Moreover, due to the more negative Fermi levels and energy band potentials of AgInS 2 and In 2 S 3 , the prepared TiO 2 NTA/AgInS 2 (3)/In 2 S 3 (5) photoanode also exhibits an excellent PEC cathodic protection performance for 316L stainless steel in NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although thousands of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified in recent experimental efforts, it remains a challenge to explore their specific biological functions through molecular biological experiments. Since those members from same family share same or similar biological functions, classifying new miRNAs into their corresponding families will be helpful for their further functional analysis. In this study, we initially built a vector space by characterizing the features from miRNA sequences and structures according to their miRBase family organizations. Then we further assigned miRNAs into its specific miRNA families by developing a novel genes discriminant analysis ( GDA ) approach in this study. As can be seen from the results of new families from GDA , in each of these new families, there was a high degree of similarity among all members of nucleotide sequences. At the same time, we employed 10-fold cross-validation machine learning to achieve the accuracy rates of 68.68%, 80.74%, and 83.65% respectively for the original miRNA families with no less than two, three, and four members. The encouraging results suggested that the proposed GDA could not only provide a support in identifying new miRNAs’ families, but also contributing to predicting their biological functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CeZrTixO 2 mixed oxides were prepared by a co-precipitation method, and serial WO 3 /CeZrTixO 2 catalysts were prepared to investigate the influence of doping TiO 2 into CeZrO 2 on the catalytic performance of selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH 3 . The activity results showed that the introduction of appropriate amount of TiO 2 could effectively improve the catalytic performance. WO 3 /CeZrTi20O 2 with 20 wt.% TiO 2 showed better deNO x activity and sulfur/water vapor tolerance than W/CeZrO 2 . Several techniques, including N 2 physisorption, XRD, XPS, H 2 -TPR, NH 3 -TPD and in situ DRIFTS, were employed to characterize catalysts. The results indicated that doping TiO 2 led to the formation of cerium-zirconium-titanium solid solution with larger surface area. The interactions among metal oxides could enhance the redox properties of the catalyst, which was helpful to the improvement of the low-temperature NH 3 -SCR activity. Moreover, the addition of TiO 2 promoted the adsorption and activation of NH 3 and increased the reactivity of adsorbed nitrate species with NH 3 species, which significantly affected the NH 3 -SCR performance. Finally, the results of in situ DRIFTS demonstrated that the NH 3 -SCR reaction mainly followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism over W/CeZrO 2 and W/CeZrTi20O 2 catalysts at 200 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common eye disorder known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) eventually results in blindness and vision loss. AMD has a complicated and poorly understood aetiology. The main pathological processes associated with AMD include oxidative damage, inflammation, and neovascularization. Flavonoids are naturally occurring bioactive substances with extensive distribution and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neovascularization inhibitory properties. Several in vitro and in vivo AMD-related models pertinent to vision and this ocular ailment have been used to assess the mechanisms of action of various flavonoids. This article will discuss the research progress of flavonoids in AMD, especially the characteristics and mechanism of flavonoids in treating AMD. [Display omitted] • Peer-reviewed articles published on PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar are analyzed. • To investigate the effect of flavonoids in the treatment of AMD from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic. • Perspectives to the clinical transformation of flavonoids are emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy-driven photoinduced cathodic protection technology is considered as one of the most promising state-of-the-art and eco-friendly technology for marine metallic corrosion protection, utilizing only solar energy instead of sacrificial anode materials or impressed current to achieve corrosion protection. A 3D Zn-doped Bi 2 S 3 sensitized WO 3 /ZnO multi-heterojunction photoelectrode with both adjustable energy band and electron self-storage characteristics was enlightened and constructed to couple with metallic materials for providing long-term photoinduced cathodic protection both in light and dark conditions. [Display omitted] • An electron self-storage WO 3 /ZnO/Zn-Bi 2 S 3 photoelectrode was constructed. • Doping of Zn makes the energy band of Bi 2 S 3 wider and more negative. • The multijunction promotes the backward transfer of photogenerated electron and hole. • The transformation of Bi3+/Bi5+ promotes the consumption of photogenerated holes. • It exhibits an enhanced sustained photoinduced cathodic protection performance. Solar energy-driven photoinduced cathodic protection (PICP) technology utilizes solar energy to protect marine metallic structures against severe marine corrosion. To enhance the solar energy utilization and strengthen dark-state application for realizing long-term protection, herein, a 3D nanothorn cluster-like WO 3 /ZnO/Zn-Bi 2 S 3 multijunction with electron-storage characteristic and adjustable energy band was constructed. It exhibited an enhanced continuous release of photogenerated electron and sustained cathodic protection in dark conditions. Exposed to only 100 s of simulated sunlight irradiation, the WO 3 /ZnO/Zn-Bi 2 S 3 could store 5.27×10−2 C electrons and provide up to 5460 s of sustained CP for the coupled metal after light stops, which was 10.8 and 3.5 times higher than those of WO 3 /ZnO (4.89×10−3 C) and WO 3 /Zn-Bi 2 S 3 (1.51×10−2 C), respectively. The WO 3 nanothorn cluster-like substrate with reversible valence transformation of W6+/W5+ together with the large surface area and one-dimensional transmission path can store photogenerated electrons under illumination and release photogenerated electrons after light stops efficiently. Notably, the tri-phase heterojunction with introduction of intermediate "Carrier Springboard" ZnO between WO 3 and Zn-Bi 2 S 3 contributed to the building of well-matched energy band gradient to strengthen the directional backward transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes. The energy band of Bi 2 S 3 sensitizer was adjusted towards negative direction by doping with zinc element to boost PICP application performance. The reversible valence transformation of Bi3+/Bi5+ could promote the consumption of photogenerated holes. These synergistically enhanced the sustained PICP performance of the WO 3 /ZnO/Zn-Bi 2 S 3 photoelectrode both in dark and light conditions. This design shed light on energy-storage photoelectrodes for long-term PICP of metallic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The LM/CNTs hydrogel achieves high conductivity and excellent transparency. • This strain sensor shows the lowest detection limit (0.01 mm, 0.25 % stretch). • The strain sensor implants on the heart of the endangered Chinese sturgeon. • The LM/CNTs hydrogel broadens the preparation strategies for sensing materials. Strain sensors are intriguing in advanced electronics and are typically composed of active sensing materials. Good elastic recovery, self-healing, good adhesion, high transparency, and great mechano-response are essential but can be rarely met in one material. Here, we report a wireless strain sensor that exhibits tissue-like mechanical properties (softness), is conformable to soft tissues (heart and tail) and has the lowest limit of detection (0.25 % stretch). After introducing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) bridged liquid metal (LM) composites (LM/CNTs), the strain sensor simultaneously achieves excellent transparency and conductivity. This LM/CNTs hydrogel overcomes the limitations of the traditional hydrogel and achieves high conductivity (up to 94 S/m), good stretchability (2,200 %), and a high degree of transparency (93 %), in addition to enough adhesion (20 kPa) and rapid self-healing (20 min). The strain sensor device is composed of intrinsically soft LM/CNTs hydrogel as sensing material, a microcontroller, signal-processing circuits, and Bluetooth transceiver. This device is applied to recording high-quality heartbeat signals and clear in-site observation of cardiac bleeding, which has helped a Chinese sturgeon survive after Caesarean. This approach provides an ideal strategy for protecting and saving endangered animals and broadens the applications of strain sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt-WO 3 /ZrO 2 catalyst was prepared by co-impregnation method to improve the ammonia oxidation performance of Pt/ZrO 2 . Differences in textural, structural, surface chemical states, redox properties and acid properties, together with the catalytic performance of Pt/ZrO 2 and Pt-WO 3 /ZrO 2 catalysts were investigated systematically. The results of H 2 -TPR revealed that higher reduction ability was possessed by Pt-WO 3 /ZrO 2 than that of Pt/ZrO 2 due to the influence of tungsten on platinum. The XPS results showed that electron transfer from tungsten to platinum species made higher electron density around platinum. The TEM results revealed that the active lattice plane Pt[111] was obtained by modification of W species. Consequently, Pt-WO 3 /ZrO 2 exhibited obviously better ammonia oxidation performance compared with Pt/ZrO 2 , the light-off temperature of NH 3 shifted from 284 °C to 249 °C, the activation energy decreased from 113.4 kJ mol −1 to 96.2 kJ mol −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory, the Chinese pharmacopeia assigns a therapeutic description of “taste” to all herbs; thus, an herb's “taste” is valued in traditional Chinese medicine as a major ethnopharmacological category and reflects the herb's therapeutic properties. These properties guide the practitioner with respect to preparing a specific herbal formula in order to provide each patient with a personalized intervention. The key challenge in evidence-based medicine is to characterize herbal therapeutic properties from a multi-target, multi-dimensional systems pharmacology perspective. Here, we used delayed luminescence (DL, the slowly decaying emission of photons following excitation with light) as a rapid, direct, highly sensitive indicator to characterize the properties of herbal medicines. The DL parameters were able to reliably identify a specific category of herbal materials with the so-called “sweet” taste. To support the DL results and provide biological relevance to the DL results, we used a murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cell-based assay to examine the immunomodulatory effects of herbal extracts from various “taste” categories. Our results indicate that DL may serve as a robust and sensitive tool for evaluating the therapeutic properties of herbs based on the traditional Chinese medicine classification of “taste”. Thus, DL provides a promising technological platform for investigating the properties of Chinese herbal medicines both qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes is estimated to reach 4.4% by 2030, placing a significant burden on our healthcare system. Therefore, the ability to identify patients in early stages of the disease is essential for both prevention and effective management, and diagnostic methods based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be suitable for identifying patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes. Here, a panel of three physicians trained in TCM classified 44 pre-diabetic subjects into three syndrome subtypes using TCM-based diagnostics. In addition, ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) was measured at four anatomical sites in each subject. Ten properties encompassing 40 parameters were then extracted from the UPE time series. Statistical analyses, including multinomial logistic regression, were performed using the results of each parameter measured at the four sites. Sixteen UPE parameters were then selected and used to discriminate between the three subtypes of pre-diabetic subjects. Next, Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to quantify the correlation between the 16 UPE parameters and the TCM-based diagnoses. The resulting correlation networks accurately reflected the differences between the three syndrome subtypes. These results suggest that UPE is a suitable tool for detecting subtypes in early-stage type 2 diabetes. In addition, our results provide evidence that TCM may represent an important step toward personalized medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility of cefmetazole acid in binary solvent mixtures, (methanol + water), (ethanol + water) and (isopropanol + water), was determined by UV spectroscopic method at temperatures from 278.15 to 303.15 K. The solubility of cefmetazole acid increased with the increase of temperature in all solvents. In (methanol + water) co-solvent mixture, the solubility of cefmetazole acid is maximal in neat methanol. In (ethanol + water) and (isopropanol + water) solvent mixtures, the solubility of cefmetazole acid reaches its maximum when the mole fraction of alcohol is 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. The modified Apelblat equation, the CNIBS/R-K model and the Jouyban–Acree model were applied to correlate the experimental solubility of cefmetazole acid. Moreover, the activity coefficients as well as the thermodynamic properties of mixing were calculated and discussed based on the NRTL model and experimental solubility values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the quality control of herbal drugs, there has been a major shift from evaluating individual chemicals to evaluating multiple-constituent chemicals, given the multi-pharmacology nature of herbal drugs. Therefore, rapid, systematic assays are needed in order to assess the quality of medicinal herbs using a comprehensive, integrated approach. Light-induced delayed luminescence (DL) is used to measure decaying long-term ultra-weak photon emissions following excitation with light. DL is considered to be a sensitive indicator for characterizing the properties of biological systems and herbal medicines with various therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of using DL as a novel quality-assessment tool using rhubarb material as a model system, and to establish the correlation between DL parameters and the chemical constituents of rhubarb. Raw roots and rhizomes were collected from rhubarb ( Rheum palmatum L . ) at various elevations in western China. HPLC analysis was used to identify fourteen bioactive constituents. Five DL parameters were calculated from the DL decay curves of the rhubarb samples. Statistical tools, including principal component analysis, were used to classify the rhubarb samples using data obtained using two different assays. Finally, Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to quantify the correlation between the bioactive compounds and corresponding DL parameters. We found that both the chemical analysis and DL measurements reflect variations in the quality of rhubarb due to environment factor. The DL parameters were correlated significantly with the bioactive chemical constituents. Our results indicate that DL is a promising tool for evaluating multiple constituents and for assessing the therapeutic properties of herbal medicines. Thus, DL may be used as part of a comprehensive system for assessing the quality and/or therapeutic properties of herbal medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation function-based methods have been widely in the operational modal analysis of engineering structures. However, the understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for modal estimation remains limited, which may result in inappropriate settings for key parameters adopted in these methods, thereby introducing errors in modal identification. Besides, the non-stationary features of the responses of high-rise buildings under severe wind conditions are a critical factor affecting the accuracy of modal estimates. To address these issues, the performances of several widely used correlation function-based methods are investigated via numerical simulation study of a frame structure. Then, two time-frequency domain methods with obvious advantages are selected and employed to analyze the dynamic responses of a 600 m high supertall building to determine the key parameters adopted in these techniques, and further evaluate the dynamic properties of the skyscraper during two super typhoons. Based on the reliable modal estimates, the time-varying features and amplitude dependency of modal properties as well as the natural frequency-dependent feature in damping ratios are presented and discussed. This paper aims to present effective tools for modal estimation through assessing the performances of the correlation function-based methods and determining the key settings in these methods as well as reveal the dynamic characteristics of high-rise buildings under severe typhoon conditions. • Assess the performances of correlation function-based methods regarding record duration, correlation length. • Evaluate the dynamic properties of 600m high skyscraper during two super typhoons. • Investigate variations in modal properties of the skyscraper with wind environments and structural response amplitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-soluble perylenediimides (PDIs) with high fluorescence intensity, photostability and biocompatibility have been successfully prepared and applied in the biological field. In this tutorial review, we briefly focus on the synthetic strategies for the preparation of water-soluble PDIs by incorporating ionic or non-ionic substituents with multiple polar groups into the bay-region, imide- or ortho-positions of PDIs. These ionic/non-ionic substituents can suppress π–π aggregation and shield the inner perylene chromophores, thus contributing to the water solubility which is essential for biological applications. The optical properties, absorption and emission maxima above 500 nm, minimize the autofluorescence background of cells and provide access to imaging in living cells. The biological applications of water-soluble PDIs are discussed from simple (basic) to complex (advanced) processes, including biosensing in vitro studies, imaging and gene/drug delivering in living cells, tissues and the whole body. The promising future of designed multi-functional water-soluble PDIs will be highlighted in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt/Co 3 O 4 nanoflowers were synthesized by precipitation and reduction methods, and they exhibited unparalleled four enzyme activities: oxidase-like, peroxidase-like, catalase-like and SOD-like activities by adjusting pH. Based on its excellent oxidase activity, a dual-functional colorimetric detection platform for pesticide residues thiram and Cu2+ had been constructed based on the turn on-off-on signal change. Combined with DFT theoretical calculations showed that Pt-Co was the active center, and in the key step of catalyzing O 2 to produce O 2 −, Pt/Co 3 O 4 needed lower energy. This study presented herein may provide an intelligent detection method to monitor environment. [Display omitted] • The pH-switchable Pt/Co 3 O 4 presented an excellent four-enzyme activity. • Establishing "on–off-on" colorimetric sensor platform to detect thiram and Cu2+ intelligently. • DFT calculation showed that the interfaces of Pt and Co 3 O 4 was the active sites. • In-depth discussion of the detection mechanism by in-situ DRIFTS. • Colorimetric detection of pesticide residues had a wide detection range and low limit of detection. Pt/Co 3 O 4 were synthesized by precipitation and reduction methods, exhibited unparalleled four enzyme activities: oxidase-like, peroxidase-like, catalase-like and superoxide dismutase activities by adjusting pH. The mechanism of enzyme activity was deeply explored, it was found that its oxidase activity originated from the oxygen vacancies of the material and O 2 −, 1O 2 , the peroxidase activity was attributed to the 1O 2 and OH formed by nanomaterials catalyzing H 2 O 2. Density functional theory calculations showed that Pt-Co with strong metal-oxide interaction interface was the active center, which needed a lower energy than others in the key step of catalyzing O 2 to produce O 2 −. Based on its excellent oxidase activity, a muti-functional colorimetric detection platform for thiram, Cu2+ and ziram had been constructed successfully. The linear ranges of thiram was 0.6–250 µM and the limit of detection was 0.065 µM. The linear ranges of Cu2+ and ziram were 10–200 µM and 5–50 µM, the limit of detection were 4.066 µM and 3.36 µM. It should be noted that the portable smart phone platforms for thiram, Cu2+ and ziram had also been established with instant and quick detection. It was worth noting that in-depth exploration of the detection mechanism combined with in situ diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy revealed that hydrogen bonds can be formed between thiram and oxidation substrate. And Cu2+ would inhibit the combination. Furthermore, it also showed excellent applications in detecting pesticide and Cu2+ in environmental soil and water samples. This study presented herein may provide an intelligent detection method to monitor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a H 2 O 2 -treated indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ) semiconductor material was prepared. The photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance and the photoelectrochemical behaviors of the H 2 O 2 -treated In 2 O 3 were investigated. Under visible light illumination, the H 2 O 2 -treated In 2 O 3 exhibits enhanced photoelectrochemical conversion efficiency (the photoinduced current density was increased by approximately 50%) and enhanced photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance (the photoinduced cathodic protection current density was increased by approximately 81.8%). The concentrations of adsorbed oxygen and oxygen vacancy in In 2 O 3 were increased after H 2 O 2 treatment, resulting in the enhancement of visible light absorption activity of the H 2 O 2 -treated In 2 O 3 . With the increase of the concentration of oxygen vacancy, the Fermi level of In 2 O 3 negatively shifts, which promotes the photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance of the H 2 O 2 -treated In 2 O 3 . The increased surface adsorbed oxygen groups is beneficial for capturing the photoinduced electrons, resulting in the promotion of the separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs and the electron transfer capability, and hence leading to the increase of the photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance of the H 2 O 2 -treated In 2 O 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nitride@Indium oxide (C 3 N 4 @In 2 O 3 ) composite with quasi-shell–core structure was successfully prepared in this work. The photoinduced open circuit potential and current density results show that the C 3 N 4 @In 2 O 3 composite with quasi-shell–core structure could provide the optimal photoelectrochemical cathodic protection capability for 304 stainless steel under visible light when the adding amount of C 3 N 4 in the C 3 N 4 @In 2 O 3 composite is 3 wt%. The light absorption capability of the C 3 N 4 @In 2 O 3 composite was enhanced due to the synergistic effect of heterojunction structure. According to the HRTEM images, photoinduced Volt–Ampere characteristic curves and electrochemical impedance spectra, the ultrathin coating layer of C 3 N 4 on the surface of In 2 O 3 helps to form a heterojunction electric field at the interface between C 3 N 4 and In 2 O 3 , which enhances the separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Excessive C 3 N 4 will decline the photoelectrochemical cathodic protection of this composite due to the lower intrinsic electronic mobility and the lower photoelectric conversion property of C 3 N 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Photovoltaic effect of ZnO on the corrosion of metals are quantitatively studied. [•] Open circuit potential of ZnO negatively shifted under white light illumination. [•] OCPs of ZnO and the coupled metal decided the possible photoinduced anticorrosion. [•] The experimental methods used here provided examples for similar investigations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A stable fluorescent polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) film is successfully prepared in one pot by using N,N′-bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,6,7,12-tetrachloroperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldi­imide (4Cl-PDI) as the fluorophore. Aromatic nucleophilic substitution between the chlorine atom in 4Cl-PDI and the secondary amine in ring-opened PVP is proposed and demonstrated by a small-molecule model reaction. In contrast, N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyl diimide (PDI), which does not possess any chlorine atoms, has no such functions and can be easily disassociated from the produced PVP film. The chlorine atom is essential for the covalent bonding of the 4Cl-PDI molecules in the fluorescent PVP film, thus leading to stable optical properties. The facile synthesis approach is especially suitable for the preparation of fluorescent PVP film, by using perylene species as the fluorophore, which usually contains a halogen element in the bay region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ni-doped TiO2, which was fabricated via sol–gel method in the present work, possesses the best photoelectrochemical anticorrosion property for 304 stainless steel under visible light illumination when the Ni doping amount is 0.5% (Ti0.995Ni0.005O2). The Ni-doping leads to the extension of the photoresponse of TiO2 from ultraviolet to visible light. Ni is substitutionally doped in TiO2 matrix by substituting the Ti4+ lattice sites and the oxygen vacancy forms for Ti0.995Ni0.005O2. The oxygen vacancy promotes the transfer of photoinduced electrons, resulting in the increase of the photo-to-current conversion efficiency of TiO2 under visible light. Finally, the oxygen vacancy and Ni-doping efficiently enhance the photoelectrochemical anticorrosion property of TiO2 under visible light illumination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • A three layers FeO x @ZnMnFeO y @Fe-Mn bimetallic organogel was creatively synthesized. • The four-functional sensing platforms for H 2 O 2 , citric acid, norfloxacin and gallic acid were constructed effectively. • The smartphone detection platform for CA and NOR was established successfully. • CA and NOR were detected continuously based on the turn on-off-on signal change. • The nanozyme-like activity mechanism and the detection mechanism were analyzed systematically. In this study, the FeO x @ZnMnFeO y @Fe-Mn bimetallic organogel (FO@ZMFO@FM-MOG) with three layers structure was synthesized. It presented outstanding multi-enzyme (peroxidase, oxidase and catalase) activities. The systematical characterization results showed that Zn and Mn on the surface of FO@ZMFO@FM-MOG were nearly disappeared, and thus a large amount of Fe exposed as the active species. Accordingly, the high ratio of Fe2+/Fe3+ for FO@ZMFO@FM-MOG was conductive to the electron transfer and enzyme activity. Moreover, the multiple detection platforms were constructed based on the different nanozyme activities. As for the peroxidase-mimetic activity, citric acid (CA) and norfloxacin (NOR) were monitored continuously on the basis of the turn on–off-on signal change due to the electron transfer abilities and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) formation. The linear range of 0.415–6.21 μM was obtained with a low detection limit of 79 nM, which was rarely detecting citric acid by nanozyme. And the low detection limit of 52 nM for NOR was superior to the most published NOR assays in nanozyme field. Furthermore, an oxidase platform for gallic acid (GA) was also established due to superoxide anions (O 2 •−) generation. It should be noted that the smartphone detection platforms for CA and NOR were established successfully for on-site analysis. This study provided multifunctional detection platform for valuating CA, NOR and GA in food quality and environment monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuNi/CoMoO 4 with laccase-like activity showed multifunctional applications. The total antioxidant capacity of commercial beverage was measured accurately. And epinephrine could be on-site determinate by smartphone platforms based on CuNi/CoMoO 4 laccase-like activity. Moreover, CuNi/CoMoO 4 could be applied for acid fuchsin degradation due to ·OH and SO 4 ·− formation Furthermore, the laccase-like catalytic mechanism was investigated by theoretical calculation. [Display omitted] • CuNi/CoMoO 4 with laccase-like activities had multifunctional applications. • A smartphone platform was established for visual detection of epinephrine. • The laccase-like catalytic mechanism was investigated firstly by theoretical calculation. • CuNi/CoMoO 4 had a strong ability of activation PMS to produce ·OH and SO 4 ·−. • The efficiency was up to 99.45%, which was the highest value for AF degradation. In this work, CuNi/CoMoO 4 nanozyme was synthesized the hydrothermal method, followed by calcination and impregnation techniques, which had laccase-like activity and could be used as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator. Thus, the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of commercial beverage measurement and phenolic pollutants degradation were studied systematically. Besides, the portable smartphone platform integrated with an intelligence analysis APP and colorimetric signals was further established for on-site determination of epinephrine (a typical phenol). Simultaneously, as PMS activator, CuNi/CoMoO 4 could activate PMS to yield ·OH and SO 4 ·−, which was applied for organic pollutants (acid fuchsin, AF) degradation, and the degradation efficiency could reach up to 99.45% within 40 min. The results displayed that CuNi/CoMoO 4 had practical value in anti-oxidant food quality evaluation and pollution degradation. Furthermore, the theoretical calculation revealed that the activation energy of the rate-determining step over Cu/CoMoO 4 was decreased from 0.819 eV to 0.524 eV due to the enhanced interaction between Cu(I) of CuNi/CoMoO 4 and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). It not only provided a multifunctional catalyst for evaluating oxidative capacity in food quality and pollutant degradation, but also provided some new evidences for further study of laccase-like mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]