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Background: The intricate balance between the advantages and risks of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) impedes the utilization of lung cancer screening (LCS). Guiding shared decision-making (SDM) for well-informed choices regarding LCS is pivotal. There has been a notable increase in research related to SDM. However, these studies possess limitations. For example, they may ignore the identification of decision support and needs from the perspective of health care providers and high-risk groups. Additionally, these studies have not adequately addressed the complete SDM process, including pre-decisional needs, the decision-making process, and post-decision experiences. Furthermore, the East-West divide of SDM has been largely ignored. This study aimed to explore the decisional needs and support for shared decision-making for LCS among health care providers and high-risk groups in China. Methods: Informed by the Ottawa Decision-Support Framework, we conducted qualitative, face-to-face in-depth interviews to explore shared decision-making among 30 lung cancer high-risk individuals and 9 health care providers. Content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: We identified 4 decisional needs that impair shared decision-making: (1) LCS knowledge deficit; (2) inadequate supportive resources; (3) shared decision-making conceptual bias; and (4) delicate doctor-patient bonds. We identified 3 decision supports: (1) providing information throughout the LCS process; (2) providing shared decision-making decision coaching; and (3) providing decision tools. Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the decisional needs and support required to undergo LCS among high-risk individuals and perspectives from health care providers. Future studies should aim to design interventions that enhance the quality of shared decision-making by offering LCS information, decision tools for LCS, and decision coaching for shared decision-making (e.g., through community nurses). Simultaneously, it is crucial to assess individuals' needs for effective deliberation to prevent conflicts and regrets after arriving at a decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of the impact strength and structure of bisphenol A polycarbonate aged in 65°C H2SO4 aqueous solutions (pH = 4.5) and in distilled water, both at 65°C, was carried out by means of impact testing, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Polarizing Microscopy (POM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) measurements. The results were as follows: the impact strength increased a little (from 71 to 76.3 kJ/m2) after being aged 1 day in the H2SO4 aqueous solution. Microvoids were formed on the surface of the PC in both the aqueous solution and distilled water aging, and the size and number of the microvoids increased substantially with the increase of aging time. The glass transition temperature showed a slight decrease after aging. In both liquids, the degradation mechanism was ascribed to the hydrolysis of ester groups in both aqueous solutions aging. However, the hydrolysis rate of PC aged in hot water was higher than that of the sample aged in the H2SO4 aqueous solution in the first day of aging. In addition, a ductile failure to brittle failure transition was observed for both H2SO4 solution and hot water aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaprazole, a newly developed oral proton pump inhibitor, was evaluated for safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in healthy Chinese subjects. This study involved administering either anaprazole sodium enteric‐coated tablet or placebo, followed by monitoring the incidence and severity of any adverse events (AEs). The pharmacokinetic parameters of anaprazole, its isomer, and main metabolisms were determined. The results showed that both single‐dose (2.5‐120 mg) and multiple‐dose (20 mg once daily, 40 mg once daily, or 20 mg twice daily) oral administration of anaprazole sodium enteric‐coated tablet were safe and well tolerated. Following single‐dose administration, the median time to reach maximum plasma concentration of anaprazole was between 3.50 and 5.25 hours, with mean elimination half‐life of 1.22‐3.79 hours. The absorption and elimination of anaprazole in the human body appeared to basically follow linear kinetics. After repeated dosing, steady‐state concentrations of anaprazole, its isomer, and primary metabolites were achieved, with a median time to reach maximum plasma concentration of 3‐3.75 hours and a mean elimination half‐life of 1.61‐2.27 hours for anaprazole. There was no significant drug accumulation after multiple‐dose oral administration. In conclusion, anaprazole sodium enteric‐coated tablets were found to be safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese individuals. Anaprazole is absorbed and metabolized consistently in the human body without any accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of apigenin in rats with acute lung injury (ALI). We also examined changes in levels of inflammatory and antioxidant factors after apigenin treatment in a rat model of ALI. Methods: We searched several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, and GoogleScholar, to retrieve relevant articles for our systematic review and meta-analysis. Five studies with 226 rat models of ALI were included in this study. We investigated inflammatory factors and oxidative stress with the corresponding 95% confidence interval in three groups: 1. Group1 (control vs. ALI), 2. Group2 (ALI vs. apigenin10), and 3. Group3 (ALI vs. apigenin20). Estimating the correlation and 95% confidence intervals for the inflammatory agents and oxidative stress in the intervention group (ALI), compared with that in the control group, respectively (correlation: 0.194; 95% confidence intervals, 0.101–0.282, p value =.001, z-value= 4.08) and (correlation: 0.099; 95% confidence intervals, 0.016–0.182, p value =.020, z value= 2.325). Estimating the correlation and 95% confidence intervals for the inflammatory agents and oxidative stress in the intervention group (apigenin 10 mg/kg), compared with that in the control group (ALI), respectively (correlation: 0.476; 95% confidence intervals, 0.391–0.553, p value =.001, z-value= 9.678) and (correlation: 0.415; 95% confidence intervals, 0.313–0.508, p value=.001, z-value= 7.349). Apigenin may have potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in rat models of ALI. However, the efficacy of apigenin as a therapeutic strategy requires further investigation through prospective controlled randomized trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting women in their reproductive years. Emerging evidence suggests that the maternal-fetal immune system is crucial for proper pregnancy. However, whether immune function is altered at the end of pregnancy in PCOS women and the underlying molecular mechanisms is currently unexplored. Herein, the basic maternal immune system was investigated (n = 136 in the control group; n = 103 in the PCOS group), and whole-transcriptome sequencing was carried out to quantify the mRNAs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs expression levels in fetal side placental tissue of women with PCOS. GO, KEGG, and GSEA analysis were employed for functional enrichment analysis. The process of identifying hub genes was conducted utilizing the protein-protein interaction network. CIBERSORT and Connectivity Map were deployed to determine immune cell infiltration and predict potential drugs, respectively. A network of mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA was constructed and then validated by qRT-PCR. First, red blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin were significantly elevated, while placental growth factor was hindered in PCOS women. We identified 308 DEmRNAs, 77 DEmiRNAs, and 332 DElncRNAs in PCOS samples. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that there were significant changes observed in terms of the immune system, especially the chemokine pathway. Eight genes, including FOS, JUN, EGR1, CXCL10, CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCL11, and CXCL8, were considered as hub genes. Furthermore, the degree of infiltration of neutrophils was dramatically decreased in PCOS tissues. In total, 57 ceRNA events were finally obtained, and immune-related ceRNA networks were validated. Some potential drug candidates, such as enalapril and RS-100329, could have a function in PCOS therapy. This study represents the inaugural attempt to evaluate the immune system at the end of pregnancy and placental ceRNA networks in PCOS, indicating alterations in the chemokine pathway, which may impact fetal and placental growth, and provides new therapy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual synchronous generator (VSG) technology has achieved some results in distributed generation networks and enhanced system stability. For problems that may occur in the system due to ignoring parameter linkages, this paper designs a synergistic controller that establishes the connection between the active frequency and the reactive voltage control loop based on synergy theory. As the output of the synergetic controller, the derived control law u is added to the power frequency control in the form of negative feedback. Two disturbance forms, a step disturbance, and a three-phase short-circuit fault, are set up. The conventional droop control and synergetic droop control results are compared using a MATLAB simulation system. Then, the system parameter variations were studied and analyzed, and the sensitivity of the control system with different values of parameters K1, K2, and K3 in the case of a three-phase short circuit was analyzed, which provides a reference guide for selecting parameters in later control optimization. Finally, the control effectiveness of a multi-machine VSG system was tested. The simulation results show that the proposed method has a pronounced effect on making the system stabilize quickly, which illustrates the effectiveness of this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address China's small coal power units facing shutdown and retirement, which urgently need life cycle extension and renovation, a complete solar thermal storage simulation power generation system based on the original site of a decommissioned thermal power unit is developed using Ebsilon software in this study. The operational characteristics of the simulated system are studied in depth to build a system with integrity and stability that can carry out economic and stable power production. The results of simulation tests on the solar collector system and the thermal storage subsystem show that the energy storage rate of the energy storage subsystem is affected by light intensity and significantly increases at approximately 8:00 a.m. The annual power generation capacity of the system is influenced by the energy storage hours set by the energy storage subsystem, and the annual power generation capacity increases more significantly when the energy storage hours are controlled within the range of 5–8 h. The operating efficiency of the corresponding subsystem can be improved by selecting a suitable location for the light intensity required and controlling the effective reflectivity of the mirror field and the energy storage hours, which can ensure the system's stable operation. The research results provide theoretical guidance for reusing and transforming retired thermal power units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biology describes a process by which proteins form membraneless condensates within a cellular compartment when conditions are met, including the concentration and posttranslational modifications of the protein components, the condition of the aqueous solution (pH, ionic strength, pressure, and temperature), and the existence of assisting factors (such as RNAs or other proteins). In these supramolecular liquid droplet-like inclusion bodies, molecules are held together through weak intermolecular and/or intramolecular interactions. With the aid of LLPS, cells can assemble functional sub-units within a given cellular compartment by enriching or excluding specific factors, modulating cellular function, and rapidly responding to environmental or physiological cues. Hence, LLPS is emerging as an important means to regulate biology and physiology. Yet, excessive inclusion body formation by, for instance, higher-than-normal concentrations or mutant forms of the protein components could result in the conversion from dynamic liquid condensates into more rigid gel- or solid-like aggregates, leading to the disruption of the organelle's function followed by the development of human disorders like neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, well-controlled formation and de-formation of LLPS is critical for normal biology and physiology from single cells to individual organisms, whereas abnormal LLPS is involved in the pathophysiology of human diseases. In turn, targeting these aggregates or their formation represents a promising approach in treating diseases driven by abnormal LLPS including those neurodegenerative diseases that lack effective therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) is the polypeptide, which protects the organism avoiding attack from pathogenic bacteria. Studies have shown that there were some antimicrobial peptides with molecular action mechanism involved in crossing the cell membrane without inducing severe membrane collapse, then interacting with cytoplasmic target-nucleic acid, and exerting antibacterial activity by interfacing the transmission of genetic information of pathogenic microorganisms. However, the relationship between the antibacterial activities and peptide structures was still unclear. Therefore, in the present work, a series of AMPs with a sequence of 20 amino acids was extracted from DBAASP database, then, quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) methods were conducted on these peptides. In addition, novel antimicrobial peptides with stronger antimicrobial activities were designed according to the information originated from the constructed models. Hence, the outcome of this study would lay a solid foundation for the in-silico design and exploration of novel antibacterial peptides with improved activity activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Lactoglobulin is one of the proteins in milk possessing antioxidant activity. The peptides derived from β-Lactoglobulin exhibit higher antioxidant activities than the most commonly used antioxidant. Furthermore, the detailed structure–activity relationship of these antioxidant peptides has not been elucidated. Therefore, in the present work, two-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (2D-QSAR) and three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were constructed to investigate the structural factors affecting activities and gave information for the rational design of novel antioxidant peptides. After calculation and screening of molecular descriptors, linear and nonlinear models were developed by multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares regression (PLSR) and support vector machines (SVM) approaches. The statistical parameters are as follows: R2 = 0.643, Q2 = 0.553/MLR, R2 = 0.612, Q2 = 0.5278/PLSR, R2 = 0.7085, Q2 = 0.6887/SVM, indicating that the SVM model is superior to the MLR and PLSR models. In addition, in the 3D-QSAR models, the Dragon-CoMFA (R2cv = 0.537, R2pred = 0.5201) and Dragon-CoMSIA (R2cv = 0.665, R2pred = 0.6489) methods were conducted to predict the antioxidant activities. Comparison of statistical parameters illustrates that the suitability of Dragon-CoMSIA is superior to the Dragon-CoMFA model. The results show the robustness and excellent prediction of the proposed models, and would be applied for modifying and designing novel and potent antioxidant peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore a hierarchical generalized latent factor model for discrete and bounded response variables and in particular, binomial responses. Specifically, we develop a novel two‐step estimation procedure and the corresponding statistical inference that is computationally efficient and scalable for the high dimension in terms of both the number of subjects and the number of features per subject. We also establish the validity of the estimation procedure, particularly the asymptotic properties of the estimated effect size and the latent structure, as well as the estimated number of latent factors. The results are corroborated by a simulation study and for illustration, the proposed methodology is applied to analyze a dataset in a gene–environment association study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microneme protein 2 (MIC2) and MIC2-associated protein (M2AP) play crucial roles in the gliding motility and host cell invasion of Toxoplasma gondii. Complex formation between MIC2 and M2AP is required for maturation and transport from the microneme to the parasite surface. Previous studies showed that M2AP associates with the 6th TSR domain of MIC2 (TSR6), but the detailed interaction remains unclear. In this study, we report crystal structures of M2AP alone and in complex with TSR6. TSR domains have an unusually thin, long structure with a layer of intercalated residues on one side. The non-layered side of TSR6 with hotspot residue His-620 at the center binds to M2AP. Remarkably, we show that TSR6 residue Y602 is dynamic; it equilibrates between being part of the layer (the layered state) and in a flipped-out state in the absence of M2AP. However, when bound to M2AP, Y602 shifts to the flipped-out state. Our findings provide insights into the association and stabilization of MIC2-M2AP complex, and may be used to develop new therapies to prevent infections caused by this parasite. Crystallographic and mutational analyses reveal key amino acid residues involved in the binding of microneme protein 2 (MIC2) to MIC2-associated protein (M2AP) in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Chronic inflammation is pathogenic and contributes to human diseases, causing a significant threat to public health. The NLR family pyrin domain‐containing protein 3 (NLRP3) is the best‐characterized factor regulating inflammation. Therefore, targeting NLRP3 has the potential to treat inflammatory diseases and improve human health. Experimental Approach: Lipopolysaccharide was used to induce inflammation in cell cultures. Lipopolysaccharide/d‐galactosamine and dextran sulfate sodium salt were used to induce acute liver inflammation and ulcerative colitis respectively in C57BL/6J mice. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, quantitative PCR and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to evaluate the activation of the inflammatory response in cell cultures and in mice. Key Results: JNUTS013, a novel sorbicillinoid compound recently synthesized by us, significantly inhibited inflammation both in cell cultures and in mouse models. Mechanistically, JNUTS013 induced proteasome‐dependent degradation of NLRP3. Hence, it suppressed the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the production of downstream inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The inhibitory effect of JNUTS013 on NLRP3 protein expression was confirmed in mice. Importantly, JNUTS013 failed to ameliorate bowel inflammation in Nlrp3‐/‐ knockout mice, supporting NLRP3 as the biological target by which JNUTS013 inhibits inflammation. Further studies revealed critical chemical moieties of JNUTS013 required for inducing NLRP3 degradation. Conclusion and Implications: This study identifies a novel compound JNUTS013 that inhibits inflammation through inducing NLRP3 protein degradation in vitro and in vivo, which not only supports the development of JNUTS013 as an anti‐inflammation agent but also creates a new way for the treatment of inflammation by chemically inducing NLRP3 degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: PSD502 is a metered-dose spray for premature ejaculation. The two trials aimed to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of PSD502 in healthy Chinese male and female individuals. Methods: Two phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were conducted in men (Trial 1) and women (Trial 2). The participants were randomized 3:1 to receive PSD502 (7.5 mg of lidocaine and 2.5 mg of prilocaine per spray) or a placebo. For male individuals, a single dose (three sprays) once daily was applied to the glans penis for 21 days except for nine sprays (three doses) on days 7 and 14, 4 h apart for each dose. For female individuals, two sprays were applied to the vagina and one to the cervix once daily for 7 days. The primary endpoint was safety. Pharmacokinetics analysis was also performed. Results: Twenty-four male and 24 female individuals were recruited. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 38.9% (7/18) of male individuals and 66.7% (12/18) of female individuals in the PSD502 group, respectively. Both trials reported 50.0% (3/6) treatment-emergent adverse events for the placebo. No grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events, serious adverse events, or treatment-emergent adverse events leading to early withdrawal or discontinuation occurred. After consecutive applications, lidocaine and prilocaine cleared rapidly in both trials. Plasma concentrations exhibited high inter-individual variability. The maximum plasma concentrations of active ingredients were far below the anticipated minimum toxic concentrations. The area under the plasma concentration–time curve of metabolites were ≤ 20% of the parent drugs. No clinically significant accumulations were observed in the two trials. Conclusions: PSD502 was well tolerated and showed low plasma concentrations in healthy Chinese male and female individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid advances of data acquisition techniques, spatio-temporal data are becoming increasingly abundant in a diverse array of disciplines. Here, we develop spatio-temporal regression methodology for analyzing large amounts of spatially referenced data collected over time, motivated by environmental studies utilizing remotely sensed satellite data. In particular, we specify a semiparametric autoregressive model without the usual Gaussian assumption and devise a computationally scalable procedure that enables the regression analysis of large datasets. We estimate the model parameters by maximum pseudolikelihood and show that the computational complexity can be reduced from cubic to linear of the sample size. Asymptotic properties under suitable regularity conditions are further established that inform the computational procedure to be efficient and scalable. A simulation study is conducted to evaluate the finite-sample properties of the parameter estimation and statistical inference. We illustrate our methodology by a dataset with over 2.96 million observations of annual land surface temperature, and comparison with an existing state-of-the-art approach to spatio-temporal regression highlights the advantages of our method. Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vegetation–temperature relationship is crucial in understanding land–atmosphere interactions on the Tibetan Plateau. Although many studies have investigated the connections between vegetation and climate variables in this region using remote sensing technology, there remain notable gaps in our understanding of vegetation–temperature interactions over different timescales. Here, we combined site-level air temperature observations, information from the global inventory modeling and mapping studies (GIMMS) dataset, and moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) products to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of air temperature, vegetation, and land surface temperature (LST) on the Tibetan Plateau at annual and seasonal scales. We achieved these spatiotemporal patterns by using Sen's slope, sequential Mann–Kendall tests, and partial correlation analysis. The timescale differences of vegetation-induced LST were subsequently discussed. Our results demonstrate that a breakpoint of air temperature change occurred on the Tibetan Plateau during 1994–1998, dividing the study period (1982–2013) into two phases. A more significant greening response of NDVI occurred in the spring and autumn with earlier breakpoints and a more sensitive NDVI response occurred in recent warming phase. Both MODIS and GIMMS data showed a common increase in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on the Tibetan Plateau for all timescales, while the former had a larger greening area since 2000. The most prominent trends in NDVI and LST were identified in spring and autumn, respectively, and the largest areas of significant variation in NDVI and LST mostly occurred in winter and autumn, respectively. The partial correlation analysis revealed a significant negative impact of NDVI on LST during the annual scale and autumn, and it had a significant positive impact during spring. Our findings improve the general understanding of vegetation–climate relationships at annual and seasonal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The responses of the impact strength and structure of bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) to aging in a 5 wt% aqueous solution of NaCl were studied in detail. The results of the Izod notched impact test showed that the impact strength decreased from 71.1 kJ/m2 to 17.5 kJ/m2 after an aging time of only 1 day in the aqueous solution of NaCl. The surface appearance of the aged PC observed by polarizing optical microscopy indicated that a large number of microvoids formed, and the size and number of these microvoids increased substantially with an increase in the aging time. The glass transition temperature, measured by differential scanning calorimetry, underwent a slight decrease after aging in the NaCl solution. In addition, no crystallization could be inferred from the heating curves. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed that the thermal decomposition temperature moved to a lower temperature, and the changes of the NaCl solution pH values indicated that hydrolysis was the dominant mechanism of degradation during aging in the aqueous solution of NaCl. Furthermore, the presence of NaCl accelerated the hydrolysis during the early stages of aging. A ductile-brittle transition caused by aging was inferred from observations of fracture surfaces using scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, frequent oil spills and increasing industrial wastewater discharge have caused serious water pollution problems. In addition, there are often microbial and dye pollutants in oil-containing wastewater. The development of materials that can simultaneously treat these three pollutants is very important for the safe treatment and recovery of wastewater. In this work, a modified calcium alginate-based aerogel membrane (CTW) was prepared through sol spraying, Ca2+ crosslinking and freeze drying by using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBA) quaternary ammonium salt modified sodium alginate (SA) as raw material and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) as adhesive. The results show that CTW membrane has super hydrophilic and underwater super-oleophobic properties, and can realize the separation oil-water emulsions under gravity, with the separation efficiency of >99 %. CTW membrane can also remove bacteria and dye such as Congo red from water by filtration, with removal rates of 100 % and 99 % respectively. The filtration results of mixed wastewater show that CTW membrane can realize one-step separation of oil, bacteria and dye in wastewater, and can also be recycled, having potential application prospect. • A new kind of quaternized calcium alginate (CTW) membrane for one-step separation of complex wastewater was prepared. • The oil-in-water emulsion can achieve >99 % separation efficiency under the action of gravity. • CTW membranes have the ability to remove bacteria and dyes with removal rates of 100 % and 99 %, respectively. • CTW membrane can be recycled for oil water emulsion separation and dye removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4D printing is an advanced technology that aims to endow the additively manufactured objects with time‐dependent transformations. Despite the great progress in the last decade, however, there are still some technical barriers for the majority of existing 4D printing techniques including the dependency on customized or expensive 3D printers and the demand of sophisticated chemistry in the preparation of active materials. Herein, an efficient and economical 4D printing approach that adopts multispeed fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique to embed graded built‐in strain into flat precursory pattern is proposed, allowing for prompt and talorable shapeshifting upon heat stimulus. Guided by the systematic optimization of FDM processing parameters, it is allowed to directly construct complex 3D structures from flat precursory patterns with flexibility and high fidelity, considerably reducing the built time and process complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the K-combined vector random field, whose finite-dimensional characteristic functions are made up of certain power functions and whose finite-dimensional density functions are comprised of the modified Bessel functions of the second type. It is an elliptically contoured vector random field, contains K-differenced vector random field of Alsultan and Ma (2019) as a special case, and possesses all orders of moments. It is fully characterized by its mean vector function and its covariance matrix function, just like a Gaussian vector random field. With various selection of its parameters, its finite-dimensional distributions may have heavy tails or thin tails, comparing with a Gaussian one, and thus it provides a potential model for applications. We also investigate the usual stochastic ordering, the convex ordering, and the peakedness ordering of K-combined random fields and of multivariate K-combined distributions, with necessary and/or sufficient conditions derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the enhanced erosion wear performance under acidic medium, a new high-vanadium–chromium alloy (HVCA) is designed and test samples produced by sand casting. The microstructure was analyzed by SEM, TEM and XRD. The erosion wear performance was tested in acidic medium designed by orthogonal test method. The factors affecting the erosion wear performance of HVCA are analyzed. The research results show that microstructure of HVCA is characterized by different carbides (M7C3, M23C6, VC, M2C) distributed in martensite and residual austenite. The hardness is 65.16 ± 0.2 HRC, and the impact toughness is 9.82 ± 0.12 J/cm2. H2SO4 concentration has the greatest influence on the erosion wear performance of HVCA, followed by the erosion wear angle. The maximum erosion wear performance of HVCA is 1.59 times that of HCCI. Compared with HCCI, HVCA has excellent erosion wear resistance because of its high hardness and toughness, a small amount of fracture and carbide shedding, and slight corrosion and wear interaction under erosion wear condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To robustly detect arbitrary-shaped scene texts, bottom-up methods are widely explored for their flexibility. Due to the highly homogeneous texture and cluttered distribution of scene texts, it is nontrivial for segmentation-based methods to discover the separatrixes between adjacent instances. To effectively separate nearby texts, many methods adopt the seed expansion strategy that segments shrunken text regions as seed areas, and then iteratively expands the seed areas into intact text regions. In seek of a more straightforward way that does not rely on seed area segmentation and avoid possible error accumulation brought by iterative processing, we propose a redundancy removal strategy. In this work, we directly explore two types of fuzzy semantics—text and separatrix—that do not possess specific boundaries, and separate cluttered instances by excluding the separatrix pixels from text regions. To deal with the fuzzy semantic boundaries, we also conduct reliability analysis in both optimization and inference stage to suppress false positive pixels at ambiguous locations. Experiments on benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-synuclein (α-syn) is a highly conserved and thermostable protein that is widely distributed in human brain. An intracellular aggregation of α-syn in dopaminergic neurons is the hallmark of a group of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease. Interestingly, α-syn is also highly expressed in red blood cells and is considered as one of the most abundant proteins in red blood cells. Moreover, α-syn is thought to play a regulatory role during normal erythropoiesis. However, whether α-syn participates in the pathogenesis of erythroid diseases has not been reported. In this review, we discuss the protein structure of α-syn and the importance of α-syn in erythropoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FAM230B serves as an oncogenic lncRNA in both gastric cancer and papillary thyroid cancer, while its role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unclear. We predicted that FAM230B could be a target of miR-140, a well-characterized tumor suppressor, and analyzed their interaction in AML. Differential expressions of FAM230B and miR-140 in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) were determined by RT-qPCR. Correlations were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Subcellular FAM230B location was determined using cellular fractionation assay. The direct interaction between FAM230B and miR-140 was confirmed by RNA pull-down assay. The roles of FAM230B and miR-140 in cell proliferation were explored using BrdU assay. High FAM230B expression level and low miR-140 expression level were observed in AML. FAM230B and miR-140 were inversely correlated and directly interacted with each other. FAM230B could be detected in both cytoplasm and nuclear samples. MiR-140 overexpression downregulated FAM230B expression and suppressed the enhancing effects of FAM230B overexpression on cell proliferation. MiR-140 may target FAM230B to suppress cell proliferation in AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme immobilization on supports enables one to extend stability by protection of the active center from deactivation, enabling reuse and curtailing operating costs. Recently, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have become an ideal support material for enzymatic immobilization due to their excellent properties. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) can be used to effectively enhance the hydration reaction of CO 2 and catalyze CO 2 into bicarbonate. The rational combination of CA with MOF will be more beneficial to expand the applications of CA in the future. This review aims to cover the research progress for the application of CA immobilization using MOF supports and the immobilization strategy, as well as its different uses, which represent great potential for commercial applications of immobilized CA. [Display omitted] • Applications of CA in free and immobilized forms are comprehensively reviewed. • The enzymatic characteristics of immobilized CA on different MOFs are described. • The immobilization methods, including their advantages and disadvantages, are elucidated. • The characteristics of MOFs suitable for CA immobilization are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial peptides (AMPs) are a kind of peptide material produced by the organism to resist the invasion of exogenous pathogens. Several antimicrobial peptides in different structures have been reported. To elucidate the relationship between structure and activity. A molecular modelling study on the nonapeptides using three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) was carried out. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) methods were employed for the identification of significant features of antimicrobial peptides. CoMFA and CoMSIA models all gave best parametric results ( R cv 2 = 0.563, R pred 2 = 0.654 for CoMFA; R cv 2 = 0.656, R pred 2 = 0.8045 for CoMSIA), which suggested that the derived models are highly robust and predictive. In addition, the derived contour maps would provide structural features to improve binding activity, and indicated that steric, electrostatic, and hydrophobic fields play vital roles in improving the activity. The derived models and information may help to provide an insight into the structural requirements for more potent peptides and facilitate the design and optimisation of novel antimicrobial peptides with promising enhanced activity. Furthermore, some potential candidate antimicrobial peptides have been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geese play an important role in agricultural economics, with China producing the vast majority of goose meat consumed worldwide annually. The variations in the avian viruses and co‐infections result in substantial economic losses to the goose industry in China. To understand the evolutionary characteristics and co‐infections of viruses, a broad epidemiological investigation of epizootic viruses of goose was carried out in nine provinces of China during 2018–2021. Here, the results indicated that, among the 1970 clinical samples, 50.81% (1001/1970) were positive for goose astrovirus (GAstV), 18.22% (359/1970) for avian orthoreovirus, 12.74% (251/1970) for goose parvovirus, 11.02% (217/1970) for H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus, 4.01% (79/1970) for Newcastle disease virus, and 2.08% (41/1970) for fowl adenovirus. Among the six viruses, co‐infections comprised a large proportion (66.37%) in the field, of which the dual infection was more common. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of GAstVs indicated that Chinese GAstVs had formed two distinct groups, that is, GAstV‐1 and GAstV‐2. GAstV‐2 sub‐genotype II‐c had arisen as the dominant genotype in the whole country. Notably, all the H9N2‐AIV isolated strains harboured the mammalian adaptation markers I155T, H183N, and Q226L (H3 numbering) in the HA gene, which promotes preferential binding to human‐like α2‐6‐linked sialic acid receptors. And beyond that, we determined that the goose‐origin Muscovy Duck Reovirus isolates, showing 51.7%–96% similarities to that of other waterfowl‐origin orthoreovirus isolates in sequence homology analysis of the representative part of σC, are a new variant of waterfowl‐origin orthoreovirus. These data provide valuable information about the prevalence of infectious diseases in geese on mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene has broad prospects for application in photonic devices. However, its zero-band gap limits its nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, and thus, its application. In this study, we synthesized reduced graphene oxide modified by Mn-doped semiconductor CdS nanoparticles (RGO/CdS:Mn) via a solvothermal method to study the development of NLO properties of graphene. The structures, morphologies and basic physical properties of RGO, CdS, RGO/CdS, and RGO/CdS:Mn were characterized. The third-order optical nonlinearities were tested by the Z-scan technique using a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser operating at 532 nm with a 30 ps pulse width. The results showed that the nonlinear susceptibility and saturation absorption of RGO/CdS:Mn were 15.3 and 26 times higher than those of RGO, respectively. The mechanism of the enhancement was analyzed based on the charge transfer between and within the components, and Mn doping produced trapping effect. The significantly improved optical nonlinearity of RGO/CdS:Mn lays a foundation for its applications in photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study intended to clarify the mechanisms by which WISP1-mediated IGF1/αvβ3/Wnt axis might affect the progression of ovarian cancer. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was implemented for pinpointing expression of IGF1 and WISP1 which was verified through expression determination in clinical tissue samples and cells. Next, gain- or loss-of-function experimentations were implemented for testing CAOV4 and SKOV3 cell biological processes. The interaction between WISP1 and IGF1 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation and the molecular mechanism was analyzed. Finally, ovarian cancer nude mouse models were prepared to unveil the in vivo effects of WISP1/IGF1. Results: IGF1 and WISP1 expression was elevated in ovarian cancer tissues and cells, which shared correlation with poor prognosis of ovarian cancer sufferers. Elevated IGF1 induced malignant properties of ovarian cancer cells through activation of PI3K-Akt and Wnt signaling pathway. WISP1 was positively correlated with IGF1. WISP1 could enhance the interaction between IGF1 and αvβ3 to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In vivo experiments also confirmed that upregulated WISP1/IGF1 induced tumorigenesis and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. Conclusion: In conclusion, WISP1 can facilitate ovarian cancer by activating Wnt via the interaction between IGF1 and αvβ3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of abundant fillers to obtain conductive and superhydrophobic waterborne polyurethane (WPU) composites generally results in increased interfaces in the composites, leading to reduced adhesion and poor corrosion resistance. Fillers such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were first treated by a coupling agent to reduce the contents of the fillers. Thus, in this work, WPU superhydrophobic conductive composites were prepared using electrostatic spraying (EsS). The polar groups (-OH and -COOH, etc.) on the WPU, PTFE, and MWCNTs were reacted with the coupling agent, making the WPU, PTFE, and MWCNTs become crosslinked together. Thus, the uniformity of the coating was improved and its curing interfaces were reduced, causing enhanced corrosion resistance. The dehydration reaction that occurred between the silane coupling agent and the polar surface of Fe formed -NH2 groups, increasing the adhesion of the coating to the steel substrate and then solving the problems of low adhesion, easy delamination, and exfoliation. With the increased content of the modified fillers, the conductivity and hydrophobic property of the composite were amplified, and its corrosion resistance and adhesion were first strengthened and then declined. The composite with the WPU, PTFE, MWCNTs, and KH-550 at a mass ratio of 7:1.5:0.1:0.032 held excellent properties; its volume resistivity and WCA were 1.5 × 104 Ω·cm and 155°, respectively. Compared with the pure WPU coating, its adhesive and anticorrosive properties were both better. This provides a foundation for the fabrication and application of anticorrosive and conductive waterborne composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK) are implicated in signaling transduction in eukaryotic organisms. It is largely unknown whether StCDPK28 plays a role in the response to water deficiency and osmotic stress in potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.). Potato cv. Zihuabai was cultivated under natural, moderate, and severe water deficiency conditions; to induce osmotic stress, potato plants were treated with 10% or 20% PEG. StCDPK28-overexpression and StCDPK28-knockdown plants were constructed. StCDPKs were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The subcellular location of the StCDPK28 protein was observed with confocal scanning laser microscopy. Phenotypic changes were indicated by photosynthetic activity, the contents of H2O2, MDA and proline, and the activities of CAT, SOD and POD. Results showed water deficiency and osmotic stress altered StCDPK expression patterns. StCDPK28 exhibited a membrane, cytosolic and nuclear localization. Water deficiency and osmotic stress induced StCDPK28 upregulation. Photosynthetic activity was enhanced by StCDPK28 overexpression, while decreased by StCDPK2 knockdown under water deficiency and osmotic stress. StCDPK28 overexpression decreased H2O2 and MDA, and increased proline, while StCDPK28 knockdown showed reverse results, compared with the wild type, in response to water deficiency and osmotic stress. StCDPK28 overexpression increased the activities of CAT, SOD and POD, while StCDPK28-knockdown plants indicated the reverse trend under water deficiency and osmotic stress conditions. Regulation of StCDPK28 expression could be a promising approach to improve the tolerance ability of potato plants in response to drought or high salt media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), traditionally used for analyzing larger molecules, faces challenges with low molecular weight (LMW) compounds (m/z < 500) due to matrix interference in the lower mass range. Significant advancements have been made to enhance MALDI-MSI's efficacy for LMW compounds by either diminishing interferences or augmenting ionization efficiency. These advancements cover the entire MALDI-MSI workflow, including matrix selection, tissue preparation, matrix application, and MS detection. Notably, these strategies incorporate the use of ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry, innovative matrices, on-tissue derivatization protocols, mass-shifting agents, and surface-assisted laser desorption ionization techniques. Despite these developments, existing literature reviews tend to narrow their focus on particular facets, thus not fully encapsulating the breadth of these innovations. This review aims to provide an exhaustive synthesis of recent progress in methodologies for MALDI-MSI of LMW compounds, filling a critical gap in the current scientific discourse. • Review of strategies to enhance MALDI imaging for LMW compounds. • High-resolution/tandem MS effectively identifies analyte signals from interferences. • New matrices/additives can reduce interferences and boost ionization. • Derivatization boosts ionization and shifts analytes to less-interfered regions. • Tissue preparation enhances signal clarity by removing undesired compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Polyphenolic compounds were used to form Fenton-like reaction systems. • Hydrogels prepared using Fenton-like reaction have excellent overall properties. • The drug release amount in transdermal drug-delivery is up to 22.32%. • Hydrogels are promising transdermal drug-delivery motion-sensing materials. External injuries that restrict movement require hydrogel sensors capable of delivering drugs to the corresponding skin for therapy and concurrently motion monitoring to assist in restoring motor function. In this study, we incorporated gallic acid (GA)-Fe3+–H 2 O 2 Fenton-like dynamic redox autocatalysis into hydrogels to generate significant quantities of hydroxyl radicals and accelerate gelation times (to seconds). The synthesized GA-Fe3+/ polyacrylic acid (PAA) hydrogels possess copious hydrogen and metal-coordination bonds due to the incorporation of GA and Fe3+, imparting self-healing capabilities and antibacterial properties in addition to a maximum tensile strength of 50.37 kPa, a self-adhesive strength of 17.53 kPa, 100 % UV resistance, and a conductivity of 1.401 S m−1. Hydrogels employed in wearable-sensing application exhibit high sensitivities, repeatabilities, and rapid response properties, enabling precise monitoring of human movement. Additionally, drug-loaded hydrogels exhibited up to 22.31 % drug release during 1 h of transdermal drug delivery. A significant reduction in drug release during transdermal experiments with drug-loaded hydrogels following motion stretching indicates that the drug had been successfully released during tensile sensing testing. Consequently, this autocatalytic system presents promising prospects for developing hydrogels suitable to transdermal drug-delivery motion-sensing for movement recovery caused by external injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the change and control mechanism of coal adsorption behavior under supercritical CO 2 (SC–CO 2), the changes in coal composition, structure and adsorption of coals before and after SC-CO 2 action were addressed by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), low temperature liquid nitrogen adsorption instrument and calorimeter. The influence of changes in coal composition and structure on its adsorption was quantitatively analyzed by grey correlation analysis. The results show that the effect of SC-CO 2 fluid treatment is proportional to the degree of coal damage. After SC-CO 2 treatment, the integral adsorption heat of CO 2 changes from −11.10 J/g to 13.744J/g, and the microcrystalline structure parameters and inorganic components in coal have the greatest influence on it. At the same time, it is also affected by temperature and pressure. With the increase of microcrystalline structure parameters d 002 , La and Lc, the integral adsorption heat of the samples showed a 'V' trend, and the increasing trend was the same as the decreasing trend of ash yield. On the whole, SC-CO 2 fluid treatment enhances the adsorption of gas by coal samples to a certain extent. • The SC-CO 2 fluid treatment enhances the gas adsorption of coal samples. • Microcrystalline structure parameters have the greatest influence on coal adsorption. • The effect of SC-CO 2 is proportional to the degree of coal deformation. • The ash content is consistent with the change trend of CO 2 integral adsorption heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is a common malignancy elderly male urogenital system, because of the special disease position, and postoperative complications such as urinary retention, urinary incontinence, and sexual dysfunction, if not treated, can increase the patients' physical pain, anxiety, and other psychological burden; endocrine therapy after surgery can affect self-image and quality of life of patients. Omaha system was originally used for community health nurses, which contains three main contents: problem classification, nursing intervention, and outcome evaluation. The problem classification dimension includes four dimensions: environment, physiology, social psychology, and health-related behavior. The nursing intervention dimension is composed of 75 intervention objectives and four behavior types. Omaha system is a nursing intervention model based on individual psychological, physiological, educational level, and family and social background. The model has good clinical application effect. This study aimed to explore the continuous nursing intervention effect in the nursing of patients with prostate cancer and its psychological impact. A total of 96 prostate patients with cancer who were admitted to Taizhou First People's Hospital from November 2019 to May 2021 were divided into Omaha system care group and routine care group with 48 cases each by random number table method. The routine care group received routine care and discharge guidance, and the Omaha system care group on the basis of the routine care group; continuation care based on the Omaha system was implemented. The differences in mental state, life quality score, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, average urine flow rate, and self-care ability score were compared between the routine care and Omaha system care group. The results showed that Omaha-based continuation care for prostate cancer is beneficial to reduce bad mood, improve patients' life quality score and self-care ability, and provide certain reference for clinical care of prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, blue quantum‐dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs) remain the bottleneck limiting the development of QLED‐based applications. To achieve high‐performance blue QLEDs, poly‐N‐vinylcarbazole (PVK) is usually employed as the hole‐transport layer (HTL) to reduce the hole injection barrier. However, fabrication of efficient blue QLEDs with PVK HTL remains challenging and empirical/accidental. Here, it is demonstrated that PVK layer can trap electrons and hence resulting in low device efficiency. This is why the performance of blue QLEDs is highly dependent on the PVK batch received from the manufacturers. As an interlayer, ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are inserted between PVK and blue ZnCdSe/ZnS QD emitters. The resulted device presents an external quantum efficiency of 20.6% under 2920 cd m−2, enhanced by ≈35% compared with that of PVK‐alone device. The remarkable enhancement is owing to the QD interlayer that not only suppresses the electron trapping in PVK, increasing the probability of exciton recombination within the emissive layer, but also facilitates the hole injection, improving the charge balance in blue devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the QT prolongation potential of domperidone in healthy Chinese participants and explore the possibility of a thorough QT (TQT) study in China with a smaller sample size using concentration‐QT (C‐QT) modeling. Part 1 was a randomized, placebo‐ and positive‐controlled, multiple‐dose, 4‐way crossover TQT study in healthy Chinese participants; 44 participants were randomized to either domperidone 10/20 mg or placebo 3 times daily, on days 1 to 3, followed by a single dose of either 10/20 mg domperidone/domperidone‐placebo/domperidone‐placebo plus 400 mg of moxifloxacin, on day 4. Twelve‐lead electrocardiograms were recorded in triplicate at predefined time points with pharmacokinetic sampling. The results were that change from baseline in QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) using the Fridericia formula (QTcF) between domperidone and placebo was 1.3 milliseconds and 2.7 milliseconds for 10 and 20 mg 3 times daily, and upper limits of 2‐sided 90%CI for all time points were below regulatory threshold of 10 milliseconds. In part 2, resampling analysis using C‐QT modeling for moxifloxacin showed false‐negative rates of <5% with sample sizes ≥6. We could conclude that no clinically relevant effect on corrected QT interval or new safety signals was observed with domperidone. A dedicated TQT study with C‐QT modeling could assess drug effects on QT/corrected QT intervals for novel drug development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Binders play a key role in maintaining the integrity of high-capacity silicon anodes, which otherwise experience serious capacity decay during cycling caused by huge volume variation of the silicon. With an aim to developing a highly efficient polymeric binder to mitigate this capacity decay, we present a novel binder synthesized from polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polymerized β-cyclodextrin (β-CDp) for Si anodes for the lithium-ion batteries. This PAA-β-CDp binder has a 3D network structure, which provides strong adhesion between the active material and the current collector. PAA-β-CDp binder makes silicon anode achieve a specific capacity of 2326.4 mAhg−1 at the current density of 0.2 A g−1 with a capacity retention of 64.6% after 100 cycles. The experimental results show that the PAA-β-CDp binder can effectively mitigate the huge volume change and improve the capacity and cycling performance of Si anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of implant‐supported zirconia crowns with various vent designs on the marginal excess cement (MEC) and retention values under different cement application patterns. Materials and Methods: Cercon zirconia crowns (n = 36) were divided into the following groups: no venting (NV group), a small occlusal vent hole (SOV group), a large occlusal vent hole (LOV group), and a small palatal‐occlusal vent hole (SPV group). The cement was applied to the crowns with different methods: occlusally half axial walls (OH), cervically half axial walls (CH) and all axial walls (AA), and different amounts of cement were applied with a chosen method. The weight of the MEC was calculated, and the retention force was recorded. ANOVA was used to analyze the MEC weights and retention values. Results: In all vented groups, the OH application method resulted in no MEC and the least retention force, and the AA method expressed significantly less MEC (p < 0.01) than the CH method without retention force reduction. At each amount of cement (5, 10, 20, 30 mg), all three venting designs significantly reduced the MEC by the AA method, and the mean MEC of the LOV group was lower than that of any other group. Conclusions: Applying a thin layer of cement evenly to all axial walls of vented zirconia crowns showed excellent clinical effects regarding the MEC and the retention force. Clinical significance: Residual excess cement was identified as a possible risk indicator for peri‐implant diseases. Simply and effectively minimizing marginal extrusions without reducing the retention force has clinical value. The results of this study indicate that applying a thin layer of cement evenly to all axial walls of vented zirconia crowns is an acceptable method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are widely used to model complex dynamics that arise in biology, chemistry, engineering, finance, physics, etc. Calibration of a complicated ODE system using noisy data is generally challenging. In this paper, we propose a two-stage nonparametric approach to address this problem. We first extract the de-noised data and their higher order derivatives using boundary kernel method, and then feed them into a sparsely connected deep neural network with rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation function. Our method is able to recover the ODE system without being subject to the curse of dimensionality and the complexity of the ODE structure. We have shown that our method is consistent if the ODE possesses a general modular structure with each modular component involving only a few input variables, and the network architecture is properly chosen. Theoretical properties are corroborated by an extensive simulation study that also demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method in finite samples. Finally, we use our method to simultaneously characterize the growth rate of COVID-19 cases from the 50 states of the United States. • ODEs are used for modeling complex dynamics in various fields. • Calibrating complex ODE models with noisy data is difficult. • A two-stage nonparametric approach is proposed based on deep learning. • The approach is proven to be consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Redox-driven ultrafast free-radical polymerization process. • Gelation in a time scale of seconds at ambient temperature. • LS and CNC significantly enhance the mechanical robustness of hydrogel electrolytes. • The hydrogel electrolytes endow the high t zn 2+ and ionic conductivity. • The hydrogel electrolytes suppress Zn dendrites and interfacial side reactions. Hydrogel electrolytes with high intrinsic toughness and ionic conductivity are considered essential for realising flexible energy storage. Polyzwitterionic hydrogel electrolytes typically exhibit excellent ionic transference number and conductivity because of their distinct rapid anionic and cationic channels, thereby achieving superior ionic transport kinetics. This paper presents an ultrafast autocatalytic gelation process, which can produce a self-adhesive hydrogel electrolyte (PAD@SC) via copolymerization of vinyl monomer acrylic acid and zwitterionic monomer sulfobetaine in a time scale of seconds instead of hours at room temperature (approximately 20 °C). The incorporation of bio-based functional enhancement components, namely, sodium lignosulfonate and nanocellulose, into the hydrogel precursor solution facilitated the reconstruction of noncovalent hydrogen bond networks within the hydrogel, resulting in enhanced mechanical properties. Moreover, the PAD@SC hydrogel electrolyte prepared using this autocatalytic system can effectively inhibit the growth of Zn dendrites to realize a stable Zn anode. The assembled PAD@SC-based flexible Zn-ion capacitors possess high specific capacitance (85.4 mAh g−1), rate performance, and cycling stability (10000 cycles at 5 A g−1), indicating remarkable potential for practical application in flexible power supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional ELISA methods have been widely used for disease diagnosis, yet the sensitivity and accuracy are still to be improved. Based on our label-free AuNPs-mediated plasmonic sensor, we developed an ultrasensitive plasmonic ELISA by integrating the plasmonic sensor and cascade amplification. In principle, alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-conjugated antibodies captured targets, and the ALP hydrolyzed 2-phospho-ascorbic acid (AA2P) into ascorbic acid (AA). Then, the released AA changed Fe3+ into Fe2+, which further triggered Fe2+-catalyzed H 2 O 2 -preventing aggregation of AuNPs by oxidizing Cysteine (FeHOAuC). Finally, the target content was negatively related with the AuNPs aggregation and the subsequent color variation. As a proof-of-concept, this novel plasmonic ELISA exhibited an ultralow LOD (0.1 ng/mL, around 4.4 pM) and a detection range (0.25–8.0 ng/mL) on detecting neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) within 120 min. The sensitivity was superior to those of conventional ELISA and plasmonic ELISA. In summary, our study provided a novel and sensitive plasmonic ELISA for proteinic biomarker diagnosis. [Display omitted] • A label-free plasmonic ELISA was fabricated by cysteine-induced AuNPs clustering. • The detection was triply amplified by enzymatic catalysis and our nanosensor platform. • The plasmonic ELISA specifically sensed proteins with an ultralow LOD (4.4 pM). • The plasmonic ELISA was feasible to detect NGAL for serum sample of disease mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trucking is a key industry in Canada with around 180 000 professional drivers. As an industry it has a disproportionately high injury claim rate, particularly for back injuries. Whole-body vibration (WBV) can contribute to the onset and development of low back disorders, and is a well-documented exposure among driving professions. A widely adopted WBV mitigation measure focuses on hydraulic and/or pneumatic passive suspension systems both in the driver's seat and underneath the vehicle cab. Passive suspension 'air-ride' seats are the current industry standard but new technologies such as the electromagnetic active vibration cancelling (EAVC) seats offer potentially substantial improvements in WBV reduction. In this paper, we evaluate and compare four commonly used truck seats (three air-ride, one EAVC) for their vibration damping characteristics and WBV exposure attenuation in on- and off-road conditions. We recruited 24 professional truck drivers who drove 280 km (mixed on-road and off-road) in ore-haul trucks under four different seating conditions. Following the ISO 2631-1 WBV standard, vibration measurements were made on the cab floor and seat pad, and 8-h average weighted vibration (A(8)) and 8-h vibration dose values (VDV(8)) were calculated, as well as the Seat Effective Amplitude Transmissibility (SEAT), and daily vibration action limits (DVALs). These measures were compared between seat types, as well as road conditions. The EAVC seat gave best performance for both A(8) (0.27 m s−2) and VDV(8) (6.6 m s−1.75). The EVAC seat had the lowest SEAT tested (36.2%) and the longest DVAL. However, among the three passive air-suspension seats, two showed significantly reduced A(8) (0.43 and 0.44 m s−2) and VDV(8) (9.1 and 9.3 m s−1.75) exposures relative to the third passive air-suspension seats [A(8) (0.54 m s−2) and VDV(8) (11.1 m s−1.75)]. These differences in exposures among the three passive air-suspension seats resulted in varying DVAL times, with the worst performing seat reaching the DVAL after only 6.3 h of driving. There was also a seat by road type interaction; there were performance differences between the passive air-suspension seats on-road, but not off-road. The observed reduction of the WBV exposures measured from the EAVC seat was consistent with previous results. But we showed that there can also be substantive differences among seats that are the current industry standard. These differences were more evident on-road than off-road, which suggests that more work needs to be done to understand seat performance characteristics, and in matching the correct seat technology to the driving task. We demonstrated that WBV exposures in current industry conditions may exceed health-based exposure limits; this has policy relevance because WBV exposures are linked to prevalent and costly adverse health conditions in a working population that is ageing. Increased WBV measurement collection is recommended to ensure the anticipated exposure attenuations are achieved when seats are relied upon as an engineered control against WBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of value-added, chemically modified lignin-based copolymers for the use of technical lignin is crucial for green and sustainable development. Herein, we synthesized alkali-lignin-grafted polyacrylamide by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). As alkali lignin (AL) has the highest total hydroxyl group content, it was modified with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide to synthesize a lignin macroinitiator (lignin-Br) at different ratios of [OH group in AL]:[TEA]:[BiBB] = 1:1:1, 1:1.5:1.5, and 1:2:2. Acrylamide was grafted from lignin-Br with the most Br-initiating sites via ATRP. The ratios of monomer to lignin-Br used were 50:1, 100:1, and 200:1, and the synthesized copolymers (L-g-PAM) were denoted as L-g-PAM50, L-g-PAM100, and L-g-PAM200, respectively. These copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The FT-IR and 1H NMR results indicated that polyacrylamide was introduced into the lignin backbone of all L-g-PAM copolymers. Gel permeation chromatography of L-g-PAM showed that the Mw of L-g-PAM200 was the highest at 427,383 g/mol. Photographs and scanning electron microscopy images of L-g-PAM showed that L-g-PAM appeared as a soft sponge and contained interwoven fibers. The maximum degradation temperature (Tmax) of L-g-PAM increased with increasing monomer-to-lignin-Br ratio. Moreover, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of L-g-PAM was higher than that of AL. The alkali-lignin-grafted polyacrylamide, synthesized by ATRP, in our study has a narrow molecular weight distribution, and its soft sponge properties make it a hydrogel or another surfactant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing active, durable, and inexpensive electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is drawing increased interest. Here, a mild hydrothermal–electrodeposition two-step route is designed for the preparation of Ce-doped Ni–S@NiMoO4 micropillar composites on nickel foam (CeNiS@NiMoO4/NF). The as-constructed CeNiS@NiMoO4/NF electrode shows an ultralow overpotential, fast kinetics, superb intrinsic activity and excellent long-term stability for the OER. In 1 M KOH solution, 187 mV overpotential is required to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a Tafel slope of 35.28 mV dec−1, and in a saline-alkaline solution of 1 M KOH and 0.5 M NaCl, only 260 mV overpotential is needed to reach 100 mA cm−2, demonstrating its excellent OER performance. The above outstanding electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the influence of CeNiS nanosheets on the surface microstructure of NiMoO4 micropillars, which not only improves the conductivity of the catalyst, but also increases the surface area, as well as accelerates the escape of gases produced. Compared with other non-precious metal OER electrocatalysts, the as-prepared CeNiS@NiMoO4/NF presents stronger or close electrocatalytic activity and better durability, which provides a new electrocatalyst selection in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study describes application of computational approaches to identify robust and reliable three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models for hTAS2R1 ligands (23 peptides) through integrated ligand and structure based studies using bitter-tasting tetra-peptides. The 3D-QSAR analyses were performed using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA) methods. A CoMFA model with good predictive ability was produced based on the training set (17 peptides) and also showed satisfactory external predictive ability with 6 peptides (R 2cv = 0.533, R2pred = 0.6601). To improve the performance of the derived model, a reliable CoMSIA model was obtained and gave enhanced statistical results (R 2cv = 0.612, R2pred = 0.7433). In addition, MD simulations validated the rationality of the derived models and predicted the detailed interactions between peptides and the hTAS2R1 receptor. Some key residues (Leu18, Phe72, Tyr73, Lys76, and Pro187) were also pointed out after binding free energy calculations. The contour plots developed on the basis of the best model combined with the binding information helped to identify the significant structural features required for improving activity so as to design and predict novel bitter-tasting peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead halide perovskites always emerge complex interactions among different elemental ions, which lead to multiple intrinsic imperfections. Elemental defects, such as amine, Pb, and I vacancies at A‐, B‐, and X‐sites, are main issues to deteriorate perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Unfortunately, most previous passivators can only temporarily fix partial inactive vacancies as sacrificial agents. Herein, we propose a recovery agent, ferrocene (Fc), which can form a one‐dimensional perovskite with adequate steric cavities and suitable dissociation energy to recover all elemental defects back to active light‐harvesting perovskites, and regenerate Fc itself meanwhile. Based on this perpetual chain‐reaction cycle, corresponding PSCs maintain >10 000‐hour lifetime in inert condition and >1000‐hour durabilities under various extreme environments, including continuous 85 °C heating, 50 % relative humidity wetting, and 1‐sun light soaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead halide perovskites always emerge complex interactions among different elemental ions, which lead to multiple intrinsic imperfections. Elemental defects, such as amine, Pb, and I vacancies at A‐, B‐, and X‐sites, are main issues to deteriorate perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Unfortunately, most previous passivators can only temporarily fix partial inactive vacancies as sacrificial agents. Herein, we propose a recovery agent, ferrocene (Fc), which can form a one‐dimensional perovskite with adequate steric cavities and suitable dissociation energy to recover all elemental defects back to active light‐harvesting perovskites, and regenerate Fc itself meanwhile. Based on this perpetual chain‐reaction cycle, corresponding PSCs maintain >10 000‐hour lifetime in inert condition and >1000‐hour durabilities under various extreme environments, including continuous 85 °C heating, 50 % relative humidity wetting, and 1‐sun light soaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]