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Thermal insulation materials can provide thermal protection in extreme environments. Ceramic fibers have played an important role in the thermal protection field at high temperatures due to the advantages of low density, high strength, low thermal conductivity, and excellent thermal stability. In this work, high entropy (Y0.2Sm0.2Gd0.2Er0.2Ho0.2)3NbO7 (5RE3NbO7) nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning and subsequent calcination. Defective fluorite‐structured 5RE3NbO7 nanofibers were obtained when heated at 900°C. The research indicates that 5RE3NbO7 nanofiber based porous ceramics present an ultralow thermal conductivity (0.0992 W/m·K, porosity of 78.18%), good thermal stability, and high spectral reflectance, which establish the foundation for applications in thermal insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The female Bombyx mori accumulates a large amount of egg proteins, mainly Vg and 30K, during egg formation to provide nutrition for embryo development. The synthesis and transport of Vg have been extensively studied, particularly the regulation of Vg transcription induced by 20E; however, the mechanism of 30K protein synthesis is poorly studied. As a model organism of the order Lepidoptera, B. mori has high reproduction potential. In the present study, we found that the FHL2 homologous gene (BmFhl2) in B. mori is involved in inhibiting female egg formation by influencing the synthesis of 30K protein. Interference of BmFhl2 expression in silkworm females increased 30K protein synthesis, accelerated ovarian development, and significantly increased the number of eggs produced and laid; however, the 20E pathway was inhibited. The transcription levels of Vg and 30Kc19 were significantly downregulated following BmFhl2 overexpression in the silkworm ovarian cell line BmN. The Co-IP assay showed that the potential binding protein of BmFHL2 included three types of 30K proteins (30Kc12, 30Kc19, and 30Kc21). These results indicate that BmFHL2 participates in egg formation by affecting 30K protein in female B. mori. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is an important environmental factor affecting the growth and development of silkworm (Bombyx mori). To analyze the effect of intestinal microbes on silkworm in response to a high-temperature environment, this study used a combination of high throughput sequencing and biochemical assays to detect silkworm intestinal microbes treated with high temperature for 72 h. The results show that high temperature affects the intestinal microbes of silkworm and that there are sex differences, specifically, females were more sensitive. The changes in the metabolism and transport ability of silkworm intestinal tissues under high temperature are related to the intestinal microbes. High temperatures may affect the intestinal microbes of silkworms, regulating the activity of related digestive enzymes and substance transport in the intestine, thereby affecting the silkworm's digestion and absorption of nutrients, and ultimately affecting growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sleep is vital for children's early socio‐emotional development, particularly empathy. This study aimed to explore the associations between sleep and empathy in young preschoolers. A sample of 23,259 preschoolers (4.3 ± 0.3 years) at the entry year of preschool was recruited as part of the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation‐Preschool (SCHEDULE‐P) study. Caregivers reported on child sleep, affective empathy, and cognitive empathy through the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and the Griffith Empathy Measure. Ordinary least‐square regression and quantile regression were performed for the associations between sleep and empathy. Sex differences were also investigated. Night sleep duration was negatively associated with affective empathy (β = −0.35, p < 0.001), and positively associated with cognitive empathy (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). Longer nap duration was associated with higher affective empathy (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were positively associated with affective empathy (β = 0.04, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with cognitive empathy (β = −0.09, p < 0.001). These associations were generally stronger in children at higher empathy quantiles and also those at the 10th cognitive empathy quantile. The associations between sleep and affective empathy were mainly contributed by girls, and were more common in boys in terms of cognitive empathy, particularly at the 10th and the 30th quantiles. In conclusion, longer night sleep duration and fewer sleep disturbances are associated with a more mature empathy pattern in young preschoolers. The associations are more prominent in children at the higher end of the empathy spectrum, and vary by sex. These findings highlight the importance to promote sleep health in young children for optimal socio‐emotional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Normative data are essential for neuropsychological evaluations, but they are scarce for Mandarin-speaking populations, despite Mandarin being the language with the most native speakers. Several normative data studies have been reported in recent years for Mandarin speakers, who reside in different countries/regions (e.g., mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore, etc.). This review aims to serve as a reference guide to appropriate norms when working with a Mandarin-speaking patient and to guide future endeavors in test validation and development in areas where studies to date fall short. Method: We conducted a systematic review utilizing the PsycInfo, PubMed, and China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases as well as additional literature search through citations. We performed evaluations of the existing norms based on their test selection, cognitive domains covered, sample size, language, regions of participant recruitment, stratification by age/gender/education levels, and reporting of other psychometric properties. We focused on articles that included performance-based tests for adults but excluded those with purely clinical norms or from commercial publishers. Results: We reviewed 1155 articles found through literature search and identified 43 articles reporting normative data for this population that met our inclusion criteria. Sixty-five distinctive tests and 127 versions were covered. The results are presented within two detailed tables organized by articles and tests, respectively. Conclusions: We discussed the strengths and limitations of these normative reports. Practitioners are recommended to utilize normative data that most closely approximate a test-taker's cultural and demographic backgrounds. Limitations of the current review are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child self-regulation (SR), a key indicator for later optimal developmental outcomes, may be compromised in the presence of parental mental disorders, especially those characterized by affective dysregulation. However, positive parental behaviors have been shown to buffer against such negative effects, especially during infancy when SR shows great plasticity to environmental inputs. The current study investigated the effect of maternal and paternal lifetime and current internalizing disorders on the developmental trajectory of infant SR from 3 to 24 months, and the potential moderating role of positive parental behaviors. A latent growth model revealed that SR increased overall from 3 to 24 months. Mothers' positive parental behaviors demonstrated significant moderation effects, such that maternal lifetime internalizing disorder was associated with higher SR intercept only among those with low levels of positive parental behavior. Mothers' lifetime internalizing disorder was also associated with a lower linear slope in SR development with a moderate effect size. Fathers' current internalizing disorder was significantly associated with a higher intercept and lower linear slope of the SR trajectory. The current study expands the infant SR literature by describing its early developmental trajectory as well as early risk and protective factors within the parent–infant environment, taking into consideration developmental inputs from both parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synergic effect of graphene oxide (GO) and silicon nitride whisker (Si 3 N 4 w) on the mechanical properties of nacre-like alumina was investigated in this study. A comprehensive analysis on the composites, including microstructure, relative densities, flexural strength and fracture toughness, was carried out. The experimental results showed that, GO promoted the fracture toughness of the composites, but reduced the flexural strength slightly; while adding a certain amount of Si 3 N 4 w improved both flexural strength and fracture toughness. With the incorporation of GO and Si 3 N 4 w, the highest flexural strength reached 520 MPa and the fracture toughness reached 9.59 MPa m1/2. Microstructure observation revealed that the enhanced mechanical properties were ascribed to the synergistic toughening mechanisms induced by the nacre-like structure of alumina, GO pull-out, Si 3 N 4 w pinning and pull-out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical metal oxide with a strong electronic correlation, vanadium dioxide (VO 2) has great application potential in over-pulse protection, new storage devices, and field-effect switches. However, its chemical instability and low dispersibility have restricted its application in these areas. The synthesis of VO 2 @shell nanoparticles may improve VO 2 's oxidation resistance. Herein, VO 2 @SiO 2 core-shell nanoparticles with different coating thicknesses are synthesized via the Stöber method. The coated VO 2 's oxidation temperature is 45 °C higher than that of the uncoated sample. However, the phase-transition temperature of the coated samples remains unaffected (68 °C). A VO 2 @SiO 2 composite material is prepared by mixing VO 2 with a polyvinyl pyrrolidone matrix. When the SiO 2 coating thickness is less than 3 nm, the composite material undergoes temperature and electro-induced phase transitions. As a result of temperature changes and high voltage application, the resistance of the material can suddenly change. Moreover, the material resistance increases with increasing coating thickness. When the thickness of the material exceeds 3 nm, the room temperature resistance of the material sharply increases. The temperature-induced phase transition of the composite material is not clearly observed. In addition, repeated electro-induced phase transition cannot occur. The nonlinear coefficient of the electro-induced phase transition of the VO 2 @SiO 2 composite material filled with coated particles is improved, particularly when the coating thickness exceeds 2 nm. Our results indicate that SiO 2 coating can improve both oxidation resistance and electro-induced phase transition performance of VO 2. The optimal coating thickness was between 2 and 3 nm. These findings are of great importance to promote the practical applications of VO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early onset of depression predicts unfavorable psychosocial and health outcomes, and depression often co-occurs for children and their parents, yet family profiles of depression trajectories are not fully examined. This population-based longitudinal prospective cohort study included 2,111 families drawn from the Chinese Family Panel Study (CFPS) with biannual assessments from 2010 to 2018. Group-based multitrajectory modeling was used to identify depression trajectories of children, fathers, and mothers. Six distinct profiles of depression symptoms were identified. Based upon multitrajectory findings of family depression profiles, when adolescents are at risk for depression, there is likely at least one parent concurrently at risk for depression, but not vice versa. Families with social disadvantages and children of delayed developmental milestones are at elevated risk for depression. Even when children are at low risk for depression, depression in parents can spill over to impact other psychosocial and health outcomes. These findings suggest examining depression and its associating psychosocial factors could help identify trajectories of varying onset and continuity, which can inform early prevention and intervention from a family system perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aortic bypass may induce significant competitive blood flow in the postoperative aorta. • Wall shear stress-based hemodynamics and flow-mediated mass transportation govern the process of vascular remodeling and thrombosis. • Postoperative aortic morphological changes vary both spatially and temporally. • Low wall shear stress may be the major driving force of constrictive aortic remodeling. • A shear-based continuum advection model can readily predict sites of active thrombosis. Unconventional surgical procedures may be utilized in treating complicated middle aortic syndrome (MAS), the outcome and prognosis of which remain largely undetermined due to limited numbers and significant heterogeneity of this population. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, this study aimed to assess the dynamic changes of postoperative aortic flow in seeking to unveil the relationship between hemodynamics and vascular remodeling and thrombotic events. One patient with middle aortic syndrome complicated with aortic rupture was treated with hybrid repair of extra-anatomic bypass and fenestrated endovascular aortic repair. The patient was followed-up for 8 months by computational tomography angiography and Doppler ultrasound. Thoracoabdominal aortic blood flow and locations with ongoing thrombosis at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively were simulated and analyzed. Remodeling processes, including low wall shear-mediated constrictive remodeling of non-stented aorta, neointimal hyperplasia at suture lines, and minimal thrombosis at various locations, were evident. Meanwhile, abdominal blood flow was tri-phasic at 1 month after surgery, and was reversed and stabilized at 6 months. The distribution of newly formed thrombus vary at different follow-up stages, which were in line with the numerical simulation of thrombosis from different postoperative time points. CFD-based sequential monitoring is of promising value in capturing dynamic changes of vascular outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe3O4 nanoparticles/iodized oil magnetic fluids (FIOMFs) have showed potential in targeted hyperthermia for liver tumors; in this paper, FIOMFs were simply and conveniently prepared by dispersing the synthesized hydrophobic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (FNPs) in iodized oil; the stability, magnetothermal effects, and the biotoxicity of FIOMFs were evaluated. The results showed that the stability of FIOMFs was mainly influenced by the morphology and the size of FNPs. FNPs prepared with FeCl3·6H2O, oleylamine (OAm), ethylene glycol (EG), and stearic acid exhibited the best suspension stability, which could suspend in iodized oil stably for a long time. Depending on the FNP content and the parameters of the alternating magnetic field (AMF), the temperature of FIOMF in AMF can reach up to more than 70 °C within 60 s, exhibited excellent magnetothermal effects. The in vitro cytotoxicity tests indicated the cytotoxicity of FNPs is mainly influenced by its concentration in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis, crystal structures and physical properties of three quaternary compounds CsLiCrSe2, RbLiCrS2 and CsLiCrS2, which represent the first discovered ThCr2Si2-type chromium chalcogenides. They all share the same structure with the space group I4/mmm and Cr/Li mixed occupancy without ordering. Specifically, the Cr/Li–S bond length in RbLiCrS2 is found to be close to the low limit of known Cr–S bonds, and so only alkali metals Cs and Rb that are large enough in size can achieve lattice match and form these chromium compounds. Resistivity and magnetic measurements on CsLiCrSe2 and RbLiCrS2 single crystals and CsLiCrS2 powder crystals demonstrate that these compounds are semiconducting and exhibit a spin-glass state at low temperatures. A limited solid solution range exists in the close vicinity of Cr : Li = 1 : 1 for all three compounds. Cr concentration is found to play a vital role in affecting the spin-glass transition temperature TS; the higher the Cr concentration, the higher the TS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple one-step solvothermal method is proposed to prepare hydrophobic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) using iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)3), oleylamine (OAm), and ethylene glycol (EG). X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, and vibrating sample magnetometer are used to characterize the structure, morphology, and properties of products. The testing results indicate that the as-synthesized products are spherical-like hydrophobic MNPs, superparamagnetic at room temperature, with a saturation magnetization up to 76.8 emu/g. The good hydrophobic property of MNPs is attributed to the coverage of oleylamine, without causing a remarkable loss of magnetic property. In addition, the influences of material ratio, aging time, oleic acid, and stearic acid used as additives are studied in our research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were fabricated by molten salt-assisted thermal treatment in air. • Ultrathin BNNSs with large lateral sizes and low defect density were obtained. • This method provides a good direction for scalable production. Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) are expected to be high-efficiency thermal conducting fillers or mechanical reinforcements in advanced composites. However, the scalable preparation of ultrathin BNNSs with high crystallinity is still a challenge limiting their applications. In this work, a simple and scalable strategy is developed to exfoliate h-BN into BNNSs by molten salt-assisted thermal treatment in air. Ultrathin BNNSs with large lateral sizes and low defect density are successfully obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB), commonly called Tianma in Chinese, is a valuable and extensively used herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine with a wide range of clinical applications. It has been used to treat headaches, dizziness, stroke, epilepsy, amnesia, spasm, and other disorders since ancient times. Hundreds of compounds, including phenols, glycosides, polysaccharides, steroids, organic acids, and others, have been isolated and identified from this plant. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that its active ingredients possess many pharmacological effects, such as neuroprotective, analgesic, sedation and hypnosis, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, anti-convulsant, anti-dizziness, blood pressure lowering, blood lipids lowering, liver protection, anti-tumor, and immunity enhancement effects. The present review discusses the pharmacological actions and mechanisms of various components of GEB in cardiovascular diseases to provide a reference for further study of GEB. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innate immune response provides the first line of defense against viruses and other pathogens by responding to specific microbial molecules. A20 is a cytoplasmic ubiquitin-editing protein that negatively regulates the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-mediated activation of interferon regulatory factors (IRF) 3. Here, we found that influenza A virus (IAV) non-structural protein (NS) 1 dramatically induced the protein level of A20 in A549 cells whose expression levels were positively associated with the viral virulence. A20 overexpression in A549 cells significantly suppressed IAV-induced the activation of IRF3 and interferon (IFN) promoter, resulted in downregulation of IFNβ and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) mRNA. Conversely, silencing A20 expression markedly enhanced IRF3-mediated innate antiviral responses. Furthermore, we demonstrated that A20 overexpression in A549 cells obviously promoted IAV replication, and conversely, knockdown of A20 inhibited the viral replication. Overall, the findings described in this study support and extend previous results on interferon-antagonistic strategies of IAV NS1 by showing an induced host target A20, which restricts IAV-induced host innate immune antiviral responses and thereby facilitates viral replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and efficient heterogeneous catalyst SiO 2 -tpy-Nb was developed, and its application in the preparation of N -substituted phthalimides from o -phthalic acids or anhydrides with amines provides the desired products in good to excellent yields. The catalyst was stable and recoverable for eight consecutive cycles without a significant loss in its activity. Furthermore, the catalyst is applicable in continuous flow which indicates its potential utilization in industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established now that neuronal dysfunction rather than structural damage may be responsible for the development of rabies. In order to explore the underlying mechanisms in rabies virus (RABV) and synaptic dysfunctions, a quantitative proteome profiling was carried out on synaptosome samples from mice hippocampus. Synaptosome samples from mice hippocampus were isolated and confirmed by Western blot and transmission electron microscopy. Synaptosome protein content changes were quantitatively detected by Nano-LC-MS/MS. Protein functions were classified by the Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway. PSICQUIC was used to create a network. MCODE algorithm was applied to obtain subnetworks. Of these protein changes, 45 were upregulated and 14 were downregulated following RABV infection relative to non-infected (mock) synaptosomes. 28 proteins were unique to mock treatment and 12 were unique to RABV treatment. Proteins related to metabolism and synaptic vesicle showed the most changes in expression levels. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks revealed that several key biological processes related to synaptic functions potentially were modulated by RABV, including energy metabolism, cytoskeleton organization, and synaptic transmission. These data will be useful for better understanding of neuronal dysfunction of rabies and provide the foundation for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Asians of Chinese origin are the largest single Asian origin group in the United States and are also the third largest group in Harris County, TX (i.e. the Houston metropolitan area). Mandarin speakers constitute the majority of the group. The linguistic gaps between Chinese (Mandarin) and English make it essential to use appropriate tests and normative data when working with the Mandarin-speaking population. Although it is ideal to develop original tests and/or normative data for Mandarin-speaking patients residing in the United States, the process can be lengthy. Although these indigenous tests are being developed, a neuropsychological battery with tests validated in Mandarin-speaking regions (e.g. Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore) can provide valuable information for Mandarin-speaking patients who identify with their home culture/country/region. Methods A systematic review of two electronic databases (PubMed and PsycInfo) was conducted. Results A neuropsychological battery to assess cognitive domains, including global intellectual function, attention/processing speed, executive function, visuospatial/visuoconstruction, language, learning and memory, and emotion, was developed. Cognitive screeners and performance validity measures were also included. The battery consists of core and supplementary measures validated in the Mandarin-speaking population. A case illustration is provided. Conclusion Strengths and limitations of the battery and the role of interpretation in service delivery are discussed. The battery is recommended to clinicians for the evaluation of Mandarin-speaking older adults residing in the United States and other non-Mandarin-speaking regions where local norms are not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive function (EF) is particularly susceptible to sleep disturbances. The current study examined the association between sleep disturbance and its changes throughout kindergarten and their EF at graduation. Among a sample of 991 children, child sleep disturbances were reported by parents at the entrance (T1; M age=3.73years), middle (T2; M age=5.15years), and graduation (T3; M age=6.18years) of kindergarten. At T3, parents reported on children's global executive composite, inhibition, shifting, emotional control, working memory, and planning skills. Linear regression models revealed that T1, T2, and T3 sleep disturbances significantly predicted worse T3 EF. Latent change score analysis revealed that, the more children's sleep improved throughout kindergarten, the better their global executive composite, inhibition, shifting, emotional control, working memory, and planning skills were at graduation. Further, shifting skill is only predicted by T1-T2, but not T2-T3 sleep improvement. Therefore, these findings provided an important empirical foundation for the promising effects of sleep interventions that would promote neurocognitive development. • Sleep disturbances predicted worse executive function at the end of kindergarten. • Sleep improvements led to better executive function. • Sleep improvements during the first half of kindergarten matter more for shifting skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a large body of evidence suggesting that maternal prenatal depression significantly predicts mental health problems in children. However, little is known about the role of maternal childhood trauma within this effect. The current study utilized a sample of 187 mother-child dyads (51.3 % boys) from the Shanghai Sleep Birth Cohort (SSBC), a six-year prospective longitudinal study. The effects of maternal depression at late pregnancy (Center for Epidemiological Survey-Depression Scale) on the child mental health at six years old (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) were analyzed, with different types of maternal childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) being examined as moderators. The results showed that maternal prenatal depression positively predicted child mental health problems (β = 0.13, p <.05) and there was a significant moderating effect of maternal childhood emotional abuse (β = −0.05, p <.05); that is, in mothers with high childhood emotional abuse, child mental health problems remained high regardless of maternal prenatal depression (β = −0.02, p =.78), while in mothers with low childhood emotional abuse, maternal prenatal depression significantly predicted child behavioral and emotional problems (β = 0.20, p <.05). Relatively high socio-economic status samples, retrospective reports of maternal childhood trauma and the single reporter were the limitations of this study. The findings provided new insights into the impact of maternal prenatal depression on child mental health, highlighting the importance of intervention efforts targeting mothers with prenatal depression and childhood trauma history. • Child mental health was associated with maternal prenatal depression and childhood trauma. • Maternal prenatal depression was associated with a history of childhood trauma. • Only maternal childhood emotional abuse moderated the effect of prenatal depression on children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used in fields such as medical treatment, while the threat of artificial intelligence has also received extensive attention. However, this topic has been only limitedly explored in China. To provide a measurement tool for AI threat research in China, this study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Threats of Artificial Intelligence Scale (TAI) in two Chinese samples of adults (N1 = 654, N2 = 1483). Results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested that the one-factor model of TAI as the best fitting model. Furthermore, the Chinese TAI was significantly related to Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, proving good criterion-related validity of the Chinese TAI. In sum, this study suggested the Chinese version of the TAI as a reliable and effective tool in assessing AI threat in the Chinese context. Limitations and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological roles of Pumilio1 (PUM1) in ubiquitous cells remain unclear. Here we identify 48 degrading target mRNAs by combined analysis of transcriptome-wide mRNA stabilities and the binding of mRNAs. Further analysis revealed that cells respond to DNA damage by inhibiting PUM1-mediated mRNA decay to activate translesion synthesis (46/50). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We rationalize that a water-soluble low molecular weight polyoxypropylene diamine (i.e., Jeffamine® D400 polyetheramine), capable of various types of noncovalent molecular interactions through its amine and propylene oxide groups, presents a simple yet versatile opportunity to form complexes with natural polyphenol of tannic acid (TA) and be exploited to engineer functional materials and surfaces. By investigating TA-D400 complexation behaviors in water, we demonstrate that mixing weakly acidic TA and neutral D400 solutions of stock concentrations above 1.0 mg/mL allowed easy formation of colloidally stable TA-D400 complexes. Such complexes were characterized as cationic nanoparticles of typical hydrodynamic diameters less than 300 nm. Mixing ratios were found to be less of an influencer on complexation. The TA-D400 intermolecular complexation was shown to be driven primarily by hydrophobic interaction in conjunction with ionic association. A simple immersion process can induce the formation of substrate-independent, hierarchically structured, and highly hydrophilic surfaces because of adsorption of TA-D400 complexes. Such functional surfaces not only can potentially modulate cell-material interactions shown by our brief in vitro fibroblast cell culture study, but also are feasible for in situ facile reduction of HAuCl 4 to achieve integration of gold nanoparticles for function enrichment. This TA-D400 system adds a new option to the toolbox of polyphenol-mediated green technologies for surface engineering. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An estimated one million international students are enrolled in U.S. universities. However, little was known about the landscape of their mental health and help-seeking behaviors. Drawing from a large national university student sample (N = 228,421, 8.49% non-U.S. citizen) from the Healthy Minds Study, data indicated the rates of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorder, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation were 27.4%, 20.0%, 26.4%, 17.2%, and 8.8% respectively among international students, with high inter-country variabilities. Contrary to our expectations, there is no strong and consistent evidence suggesting international students were at higher risk for common mental health concerns compared to domestic students. However, among students who were screened positive for these mental health disorders (n = 96,567), there was a significant difference between service utilization rates for international students and domestic students (32.0% vs. 49.8%), even after controlling for gender, age, socioeconomic status, perceived need for help, mental health stigma, and using informal support. Our results highlight the urgency for addressing mental health concerns and equitable mental health care among international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to deal with the brittleness of ceramic materials is always one of the hot topics in the field of materials science. Design of layered ceramics with textured structure is one of the effective methods to improve their fracture toughness. The introduction of additives as interlayer phases can balance fracture toughness and flexural strength. However, the research about addition of interlayer phases and their mechanisms in the layered ceramics is still limited. In this work, nacre-like alumina ceramics were successfully fabricated by freeze casting followed by hot pressing. Silicon nitride was incorporated as the interlayer phase, and the effect on the mechanical properties of the nacre-like alumina was investigated. The addition of silicon nitride was beneficial to improvement of interlayer bonding between the alumina layers due to formation of sialon phase, leading to increase of flexural strength but decease of fracture toughness. When the content of silicon nitride was 3.3 wt%, flexural strength and fracture toughness of the sample was 468 MPa and 6.2 MPa m1/2, respectively. Compared with the sample without silicon nitride, the flexural strength was enhanced significantly. Additionally, both flexural strength and fracture toughness were improved as compared the sample without any additives. This work can provide available references for design and fabrication of high-strength and high-toughness ceramics by properly tuning the layer structure and interlayer phase composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica is one of the most widely used ceramics due to its excellent chemical stability and dielectric property. However, its destructive brittle nature inhabits it from wider application as a functional ceramic. An improvement in toughness is a challenging topic for silica ceramic, as well as other ceramics. In the paper, silica ceramic with different types of boron nitride powders and alumina platelets was fabricated by hot-pressing. Introduction of the additives had great influence on the composites' mechanical properties and microstructure. The silica matrix composite containing micro-sized boron nitride powders possessed the best mechanical properties, including the bending strength (134.5 MPa) and the fracture toughness (1.85 Mpa·m1/2). Meanwhile, the introduction of alumina platelets combined with boron nitride nanosheets achieved an effective enhancement of fracture toughness while maintaining the bending strength. Compared with the monolithic silica, the composite with simultaneous addition of alumina platelets and boron nitride nanosheets had a fracture toughness of 2.23 Mpa·m1/2, increased by approximately 27% (1.75 Mpa·m1/2). The crack deflection and platelet pullout were contributing to enhancement of the fracture toughness. The improved mechanical properties, combined with the intrinsic excellent dielectric and chemical properties, make the silica matrix composites promising wave transparent and thermal protection materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While recent works suggested that overweight/obesity may impair executive function (EF), the overweight/obesity-EF relationship has not been well studied in adolescents. Furthermore, no research has investigated adolescent EF impairments across the weight spectrum (e.g., underweight or thinness, normal, overweight/obesity), especially those with underweight condition, with the moderating effect of negative emotions in the weight-EF association being limitedly investigated. We aimed to determine whether overall and abdominal weight spectrum associated with EF impairments and to identity whether negative emotions moderate the weight-EF link in adolescents. Methods: We applied a subsample of the SCHEDULE-A project. Adolescents (11–18 years) were recruited using a multi-stage cluster random sampling approach. We measured the overall and abdominal weight spectrum by body mass index z-score and waist-to-height ratio, respectively. We used the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to evaluate adolescent EF in nature setting, and utilized the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) to assess three types of negative emotional status (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). Results: Of the 1935 adolescents, 963 (49.8%) were male. We observed that abdominal, not overall, overweight was associated with the Global Executive Composite (GEC) impairment (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.07–2.35), particularly for inhibit, emotion control, shift, working memory, and monitor domains. Furthermore, depression moderated the abdominal overweight-GEC association (P = 0.032 for interaction term), especially for emotional control, working memory, and initiate dimensions. Moreover, we also found abdominal thinness was associated with the Metacognition Index problem (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.04–1.72), particularly for plan and monitor areas. Conclusions: Both abdominal overweight and thinness were associated with adolescent EF, and depression would be a modifiable target to improve EF in adolescents with abdominal overweight. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the causal relationship between abdominal weight spectrum and EF, as well as the underlying mechanisms among adolescents suffering from depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alumina is one of the most commonly used and researched structural ceramic because of its excellent properties. However, its intrinsic brittleness is the fatal drawback, which hinders it from wider applications. How to improve its fracture toughness as well as the bending strength is always challenging for material researchers. In this paper, alumina matrix composites were fabricated by hot-pressing, in which some additives, including zirconia, alumina platelets, and MXene, were incorporated. The influence of the introduced additives on their microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. Compare with the monolithic alumina, both bending strength and fracture toughness of all samples were improved greatly. Incorporation of zirconia was beneficial to the mechanical properties due to the phase-transformation strengthening and toughening mechanism. While alumina platelets resulted in high fracture toughness because of the self-toughening of elongated grains. The synergistic effect of alumina platelets and MXene enormously improved the fracture toughness from 2.9 ± 0.3 MPa·m1/2 for monolithic alumina to 7.5 ± 0.4 MPa·m1/2 for the composite, which was increased by 159%. This work will provide useful references for the fabrication of high-strength and high-toughness alumina ceramics by introducing additives properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy RE 3 MO 7 -type ceramics with multiple cations at RE and M sites have been successfully fabricated via solid-state reaction method. The microstructure and thermal properties of two compositions, namely (Y 1/3 Yb 1/3 Er 1/3) 3 (Nb 1/2 Ta 1/2)O 7 and (Y 1/3 Yb 1/3 Er 1/3) 3 (Nb 1/3 Ta 1/3 Mo 1/3)O 7 , are studied. The XRD Rietveld refinement, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results demonstrate that the samples have pure disordered defective fluorite structure with highly homogeneous composition. These high entropy ceramics exhibit good thermal stability, high thermal expansion coefficients (11.1–11.5 × 10−6 K−1, 1000 °C), and low thermal conductivities (0.91–1.16 W m−1 K−1, 30–1000 °C), which make them promising for applications as thermal barrier coating materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binderless cemented carbide has garnered attention for its exceptional hardness and suitability in extreme service conditions. The absence of a metal binder, however, leads to inadequate fracture toughness, which limits its broader application. This study explores the influence of SiC whisker on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-Al 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 binderless cemented carbide, utilizing a combination of experimental method and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The inclusion of 1 wt% SiC whisker resulted in a notable increase in fracture toughness, reaching an impressive toughness of 16.4 ± 0.5 MPa⋅m1/2, while maintaining a high Vickers hardness of 19.4 GPa. DFT calculations provided insights into the interface energy, cohesive energy, and charge density differences at the WC/SiC interface. This work also presents two models depicting the behavior of whiskers during fracture, based on the observed microstructure and computational findings. Overall, the present work offers significant insights and practical guidance for advancing binderless cemented carbide technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim of the study : There is still controversy with regard to adequate therapy for symptomatic patients who are refractory to medical management with myocardial bridges of the left anterior descending artery. This study sought to evaluate the treatment of symptomatic coronary myocardial bridges with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Methods: Thirteen patients who underwent surgery between October 2005 and May 2008 were included in this study. The mean patient age was 51.3 ± 10.2 years (range, 39-75 years). There were ten men and three women. All 13 patients had angina pectoris preoperatively, and they had myocardial bridges only. Coronary angiography prior to surgery demonstrated myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending artery with systolic compression ≥75% in all patients. They underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting using the internal mammary artery. Results: The acute clinical success rate was 100% with respect to the absence of myocardial infarction, death, or other major in-hospital complications. Postoperative coronary CT angiography studies in seven patients after one year demonstrated no graft stenosis. During follow-up, no patient had symptoms of angina. Conclusions: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery using a LIMA graft is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic coronary myocardial bridges. (J Card Surg 2012;27:405-407) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic heart disease is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and thus calls for development of more effective therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to identify potential therapeutic targets for coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) by investigating the causal relationship between plasma proteins and these conditions. Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to evaluate more than 1600 plasma proteins for their causal associations with CHD and MI. The MR findings were further confirmed through Bayesian colocalization, Summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization (SMR), and Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies (TWAS) analyses. Further analyses, including enrichment analysis, single-cell analysis, MR analysis of cardiovascular risk factors, phenome-wide Mendelian Randomization (Phe-MR), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were conducted to verify the roles of selected causal proteins. Results: Thirteen proteins were causally associated with CHD, seven of which were also causal for MI. Among them, FES and PCSK9 were causal proteins for both diseases as determined by several analytical methods. PCSK9 was a risk factor of CHD (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.13–1.38, P = 7.47E-06) and MI (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.21–1.54, P = 2.30E-07), whereas FES was protective against CHD (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.59–0.79, P = 6.40E-07) and MI (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54–0.77, P = 5.38E-07). Further validation through enrichment and single-cell analysis confirmed the causal effects of these proteins. Moreover, MR analysis of cardiovascular risk factors, Phe-MR, and PPI network provided insights into the potential drug development based on the proteins. Conclusions: This study investigated the causal pathways associated with CHD and MI, highlighting the protective and risk roles of FES and PCSK9, respectively. FES. Specifically, the results showed that these proteins are promising therapeutic targets for future drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet plays a crucial role in shaping the gut microbiota and overall health of animals. Traditionally, silkworms are fed fresh mulberry leaves, and artificial diets do not support good health. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the dietary transition from artificial diets to mulberry leaves and the effects on the gut microbiota and physiological changes in silkworms as a model organism. With the transition from artificial diets to mulberry leaves, the diversity of the silkworm gut microbiota increased, and the proportion of Enterococcus and Weissella, the dominant gut bacterial species in silkworms reared on artificial diets, decreased, whereas the abundance of Achromobacter and Rhodococcus increased. Dietary transition at different times, including the third or fifth instar larval stages, resulted in significant differences in the growth and development, immune resistance, and silk production capacity of silkworms. These changes might have been associated with the rapid adaptation of the intestinal microbiota of silkworms to dietary transition. This study preliminarily established a dietary transition–gut microbial model in silkworms based on the conversion from artificial diets to mulberry leaves, thus providing an important reference for future studies on the mechanisms through which habitual dietary changes affect host physiology through the gut microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a septenary NiCoZnFeCuMnCe hydroxide nanoarray catalyst with a unique wire-on-sheet morphology and high-entropy feature was fabricated, which exhibits boosted pre-oxidation behavior and synergistically enhanced catalytic activity and durability towards the oxygen evolution reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the role of HSP70 in modulating intestinal γδ T cells' Th17 response in Trichinella spiralis-induced PI-IBS mice model. Methods: The intestinal HSP70's expression and mRNA level were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR. The intestinal γδ T cell's morphological changes were analyzed using immunofluorescence staining and confocal laser scanning microscope. The pro-inflammatory cytokines' level was detected by ELISA. The isolated and purified γδ T cells were pre-incubated with HSP70 and their functions including proliferation, apoptosis, activation and production of IL-17 were also detected. Results: Heat treatment augmented intestinal HSP70 expression and alleviated the clinical presentations in PI-IBS mice. Meanwhile, intestinal γδ T cells and local IL-17 level were increased by pre-induction of HSP70. HSP70 promoted the proliferation of PI-IBS mice's intestinal γδ T cells, inhibited the apoptosis and stimulated these cells to secret IL-17 rather than IFN-γ. Conclusion: Our results suggest that HSP70 plays a protective role via up-regulating intestinal γδ T cell's Th17 response in PI-IBS mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical valorization of bulk chemicals to produce value-added fine chemicals is highly attractive and deemed to be a green and economic way to optimize traditional industrial synthesis. The electrochemical methanol upgrading (EMU) process which converts methanol to value-added formate exhibits an expectation of high profit and adherence to the tenets of green chemistry, and it has received substantial interest aimed at discovering highly efficient catalysts with satisfactory operational stability. In this work, focusing on enriching and activating the high-valence cobalt active sites, a hierarchically nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon-supported Co/CoO hybrid catalyst grown on cobalt foam (Co–N–C/CoO/CF) was fabricated. The high porosity and conductive microchannels could synergistically enrich the local high-valence Co active sites and boost the in situ generation of such sites via an electrochemical pre-oxidation process. Benefitting from the synergy of multiple structural benefits, the Co–N–C/CoO/CF catalyst exhibits robust EMU performance. An ultralow potential of 1.309 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode can be identified to drive a 50 mA cm−2 EMU current density, and a high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 98.2% can be achieved. In addition, with the merits of high structural stability, excellent operational stability can be achieved for Co–N–C/CoO/CF with negligible degradation in either current density or FE for at least 120 h, making the catalyst the most stable catalyst to date for methanol-to-formate upgrading. Its high activity and excellent operational stability make the Co–N–C/CoO/CF catalyst a promising candidate for green and economic formate electrosynthesis via partial methanol electro-oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, materials that absorb electromagnetic waves (EMW) are being increasingly studied and used. In particular, numerous attempts have been made to improve the performance of EMW-absorbing ceramics, but little attention was paid to the effect of doping on their relevant properties. In this work, Ti 3 AlC 2 , a typical MAX-phase ceramic, was doped with different elements (Zr, Mo, Cr, Fe and Ni) at the M site via a pressure-free reactive sintering. Phase and microstructure analysis show that the doped Ti 3 AlC 2 samples possess high purities and typical layered structures. It was noticed that (Ti 0.8 Zr 0.2) 3 AlC 2 demonstrates the lowest reflection loss (−48.0 dB at the thickness of 1.62 mm) and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 3.9 GHz. Elemental doping has been proved to alter the dielectric and magnetic properties of Ti 3 AlC 2 , and the boosted EMW absorption performance was found to be originated from the improved impedance matching. Here, we systematically investigated the influence of different dopants on the EMW absorption characteristics of Ti 3 AlC 2 , which provides significant insights for the future design of novel EMW-absorbing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High-entropy carbides powders were synthesized by carbothermal reduction method. • The solid-solution elements have a great influence on EMW absorption capability. • The intrinsic characteristics make the high-entropy carbides promising EMW absorbing materials. The electromagnetic wave absorption performance of high-entropy transition metal carbides, including (Ti 0.2 Zr 0.2 Hf 0.2 Nb 0.2 Ta 0.2)C, (Ti 0.2 Zr 0.2 Mo 0.2 Nb 0.2 Ta 0.2)C and (Ti 0.2 Zr 0.2 Cr 0.2 Nb 0.2 Ta 0.2)C, was investigated in the frequency from 2 GHz to 18 GHz. The electromagnetic parameter measurement and subsequent electromagnetic wave absorption evaluation showed that the high-entropy transition metal carbides possessed good electromagnetic wave absorbing properties, which had a great relation to the solid-solution elements. The (Ti 0.2 Zr 0.2 Mo 0.2 Nb 0.2 Ta 0.2)C with a 1.50 mm thickness displayed a minimal reflection loss of -32.1 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth (<-10 dB) was in the frequency range of 13–18 GHz. Intriguingly, the minimum reflection loss reached -36.6 dB at the thickness of 2.50 mm. The electromagnetic wave absorption performance was mainly associated with conductivity loss and dipole polarization, which originated from intrinsic conductivity of the high-entropy carbides and lattice distortion resulting from solid solution of multiple elements, respectively. The experimental results show that the high-entropy transition metal carbides may be promising structural-functional integrated ceramics in wide applications. The single-phase high-entropy transition metal carbide powders without complex structure and multi phases design present excellent EMW absorption properties, including minute reflection loss and broad absorption bandwidth. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is an increasing demand for the assessment of executive function (EF) among Chinese preschoolers. However, there exists methodological and cross-cultural challenges of performance-based EF assessment. The current review aims to 1) identify and summarize the current application of performance-based EF assessment tools for Chinese preschoolers in China and 2) offer recommendation guidelines for different application scenarios, such as clinical or scientific research, and for related personnel.Method: A literature search was conducted from Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. We focused exclusively on performance-based tools assessing EF among children aged three to six years, encompassing tasks of inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, reasoning, problem solving, and/or planning. Clinical (e.g. children with autism spectrum disorders) and multilingual populations residing outside of China (e.g. Chinese Americans) were excluded. Two authors independently screened, extracted, and evaluated each tool for characteristics (e.g. name, domain, type, version, language, approach of administration, and scoring) and sample information (e.g. sample size, age, and region). Results: A total of 98 articles were included, with 255 tools being identified that were further classified into 44 unique types, covering nine EF domains. Most tools were original or informally sinicized, with notable variations in tool selection, administration, and interpretation process. Given that a complete set of EF tools has not been identified as perfectly suitable for Chinese preschoolers, we also offered recommendations based on empirically adapted evaluation criteria. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the need for appropriate adaptation, administration, and interpretation of the current EF tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic aneurysm (AA), a potentially lethal condition with the characteristic of aortic dilatation, can only be treated by surgical or endovascular procedures. The underlying mechanisms of AA are unclear and early preventive treatment is still insufficient due to segmental aortic heterogeneity and the limitations of current disease models. Here, we firstly established a comprehensive lineage-specific vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC)-on-a-chip model using human induced pluripotent stem cells to yield cell lineages representing different segments of the aorta and tested the constructed organ-on-a-chip model under various tensile stress conditions. Bulk RNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, western blot and FACS analyses were performed to discover the segmental aortic heterogeneity of response for tensile stress and drug testing. The appropriate stretching frequency for all lineages of SMCs was 1.0 Hz, paraxial mesoderm (PM) SMCs were more sensitive to tensile stress than lateral mesoderm (LM) SMCs and neural crest (NC) SMCs. These differences may be related to the different transcriptional profiles of the tension-stressed distinct lineage-specific vascular SMCs, specifically in relation to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Also, the organ-on-a-chip displayed contractile physiology, perfect fluid coordination, and was conducive to drug testing, displaying heterogeneous segmental aortic responses. Compared with LM-SMCs and NC-SMCs, PM-SMCs were more sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The model is evaluated as a novel and suitable supplement to AA animal models for determining differential physiology and drug response in different parts of the aorta. Furthermore, this system could pave the way for disease modeling, drug testing, and the personalized treatment of patients with AA in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Pulmonary hypertension is a well-known risk factor for hemodynamic instability after heart transplantation. However, it remains unclear whether a mild elevation of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) is associated with higher risks of graft dysfunction and resultant extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Methods. From 2016 to 2021, 102 adult recipients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation at our institution were investigated (mean age, 48.5 ± 13.2 years; 22.5% female). This study cohort was stratified into 3 groups based on the PASP measured by right heart catheterization before surgery: >50 mmHg, 35–50 mmHg, and <35 mmHg. The primary end point was ECMO support after procedure. Results. ECMO was implemented in 24 (23.5%) patients due to difficult weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass or cardiac low output in the intensive care unit, which was likely to be associated with higher mortality (P = 0.053). Age, gender, comorbidities, preoperative medications, and graft ischemia time were comparable across the 3 groups. The use of ECMO was significantly more common in patients with baseline PASP >50 mmHg (11/36, 30.6%) and 35–50 mmHg (12/38, 31.6%), while only 1 (3.6%) patient with baseline PASP <35 mmHg required ECMO support after transplant (P = 0.007). Multivariate logistic models demonstrated that PASP (odds ratio = 2.34; P = 0.028) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (odds ratio = 1.01; P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative ECMO. Conclusions. A mild elevation of pretransplant PASP (e.g., 35–50 mmHg) is related to low cardiac output and subsequent ECMO after heart transplantation, for which prompt administration of vasodilators before transplant may be protective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening vascular disease. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the main composition of aortic media and dysfunction of SMCs may lead to acute TAAD. The aim of this work was to investigate whether the SMCs of acute TAAD could be isolated and cultured for further research.Methods: TAAD tissues were obtained from acute TAAD patients who underwent emergent surgical treatment. A simple and economical technique of collagenase digestion method was used to isolate and culture human SMCs. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was applied to identify SMC phenotypes. Purity of isolated and cultured SMCs was analyzed with flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy respectively.Results: The purity of isolated SMCs was 78.2%, including α-smooth muscle cell actin positive 13.9%, calponin positive 35.0% and double positive 29.3%. For cultured SMCs, abundant expression of α-smooth muscle cell actin was observed universally under fluorescence microscope. Confocal laser scanning microscope testified that cultured cells were double positive of α-smooth muscle actin and calponin.Conclusions: This is the first report of successful culture of SMCs isolated from human acute TAAD tissues. Living human SMCs of acute TAAD provides us with a new method for studying formation of acute TAAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel continuous flow method for the methoxylation of chloronitrobenzenes was developed. The reaction went smoothly and high yields were achieved under the optimized conditions. Furthermore, up to 76% yield of azoxybenzenes were obtained from the corresponding nitrobenzenes in the presence of NaOH in continuous flow. Compared to batch conditions, the reaction time was significantly shortened, and the chemical waste was reduced obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the nacre-like alumina ceramics, with introduction of zirconia, are fabricated by freeze casting followed by hot pressing. The experimental results show that zirconia particles are uniformly distributed between the layered alumina 'brick' in the form of 'mortar'. Due to the incorporation of zirconia with proper particle size, both flexural strength and fracture toughness of the nacre-like alumina are greatly improved, much stronger and tougher than pure alumina. In regard to the sample containing 13.3 wt% zirconia, the flexural strength reaches 522 MPa, ∼47% increase in comparison with the monolith. Particularly, when zirconia content is 10 wt%, the fracture toughness is increased by ∼66%, from 6.1 MPa m1/2 to 10.1 MPa m1/2. Microstructure observation and fracture behavior analysis reveal that the coupling effects of bioinspired nacre-like structure and stress-induced transformation toughening are responsible for the enhanced mechanical properties. The results show that it is an effective method to increase the mechanical properties of layered alumina ceramics by introducing proper interlayer phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method for the regioselective C2-chlorination of heterocyclic N-oxides has been developed. PPh3/Cl3CCN were used as chlorinating reagents and the desired N-heterocyclic chlorides were obtained smoothly in satisfactory yields. The reactions proceeded in a highly efficient and selective manner across a broad range of substrates demonstrating excellent functional group tolerance. In addition, this chlorination reaction can be used for the modification of N-heterocyclic scaffolds of appealing ligands and pharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust in automation plays a leading role in human-automation interaction. As there lack of scales measuring trust in automation in China, the purpose of this study was to adapt the trust between People and Automation Scale (TPAS) into Chinese and to demonstrate its psychometric properties among Chinese adults. A total of 310 Chinese adults were randomly selected as sample 1, and 508 Chinese adults as sample 2. Results of the item analysis revealed that each item had a good quality, and the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested that the two-factor model with 12 items was the best fitting model. In addition, the TPAS was positively correlated with Interpersonal Trust Scale (ITS), proving good evidence based on relations to other variables to support the TPAS. In sum, the study suggested that the Chinese version of the TPAS could be used as an effective tool to assess trust in automation in the Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) is an important research field based on calcium phosphate biomaterials. In this paper, a new synthesis method of CDHA/α-TCP BCP was studied. By controlling the addition amount of citric acid, the relative contents of CDHA and α-TCP in the BCP were controlled. BCP bone cement was prepared with different proportions of BCP as raw materials. The BCP bone cement was characterized by XRD and SEM, and evaluated by measuring setting time, compressive strength, SBF immersion, and colorimetric CCK-8 assay. The results showed that the increase of CDHA content can lead to the reduction of the setting time of bone cement and delay the degradation rate of BCP bone cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]