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As an alternative to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by complex anthraquinone oxidation process, photosynthesis of H2O2 from water and oxygen without sacrificial agents is highly demanded. Herein, a covalently connected molecular heterostructure is synthesized via sequential C−H arylation and Knoevenagel polymerization reactions for visible‐light and sacrificial‐agent‐free H2O2 synthesis. The subsequent copolymerization of the electron‐deficient benzodithiophene‐4,8‐dione (BTD) and the electron‐rich biphenyl (B) and p‐phenylenediacetonitrile (CN) not only expands the π‐conjugated domain but also increases the molecular dipole moment, which largely promotes the separation and transfer of the photoinduced charge carriers. The optimal heterostructured BTDB‐CN0.2 manifested an impressive photocatalytic H2O2 production rate of 1920 μmol g−1 h−1, which is 2.2 and 11.6 times that of BTDB and BTDCN. As revealed by the femtosecond transient absorption (fs‐TA) and theoretical calculations, the linkage serves as a channel for the rapid transfer of photogenerated charge carriers, enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency. Further, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) uncovers that the oxygen reduction reaction occurs through the step one‐electron pathway and the mutual conversion between C=O and C−OH with the anchoring of H+ during the catalysis favored the formation of H2O2. This work provides a novel perspective for the design of efficient organic photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an alternative to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by complex anthraquinone oxidation process, photosynthesis of H2O2 from water and oxygen without sacrificial agents is highly demanded. Herein, a covalently connected molecular heterostructure is synthesized via sequential C−H arylation and Knoevenagel polymerization reactions for visible‐light and sacrificial‐agent‐free H2O2 synthesis. The subsequent copolymerization of the electron‐deficient benzodithiophene‐4,8‐dione (BTD) and the electron‐rich biphenyl (B) and p‐phenylenediacetonitrile (CN) not only expands the π‐conjugated domain but also increases the molecular dipole moment, which largely promotes the separation and transfer of the photoinduced charge carriers. The optimal heterostructured BTDB‐CN0.2 manifested an impressive photocatalytic H2O2 production rate of 1920 μmol g−1 h−1, which is 2.2 and 11.6 times that of BTDB and BTDCN. As revealed by the femtosecond transient absorption (fs‐TA) and theoretical calculations, the linkage serves as a channel for the rapid transfer of photogenerated charge carriers, enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency. Further, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) uncovers that the oxygen reduction reaction occurs through the step one‐electron pathway and the mutual conversion between C=O and C−OH with the anchoring of H+ during the catalysis favored the formation of H2O2. This work provides a novel perspective for the design of efficient organic photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic activity is largely determined by the coordination environment of the active sites. The catalytic activity of MnNC was much enhanced by the regulation of the coordination environment. The introduction of optimal epoxy to the vicinity of the Mn centers improved its half-wave potential by ∼300 mV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tack of prepreg is a key factor affecting the automatic tape laying process. During the manufacturing process of large composite parts, prepreg material may be stored at room temperature for several days, resulting in a decrease in its tack. In this study, a new tack test tool was designed, and the decay rate of prepreg tack at different temperatures was tested. We proposed a prepreg tack decay model, which assumes that the main factor in tack decay is the reduction in resin chain activity during storage. The maximum deviation between the model calculation results and the experimental results of the tack decay rate is 9.7%. This study also proposed a new statistical unit for prepreg tack, which can establish the relationship between the tack of prepreg and its remaining storage time and reduce prepreg management costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are very few cosmetic ingredients that can target oil control and extend the wear time. Fullerenes have been reported to have excellent antioxidant capacity and a variety of biological activities, such as quenching free radicals, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and promoting lipid flocculation. Objective: The purpose of applying foundation makeup on the face is to make the skin color even, but the secretion and oxidation of skin oil will make the makeup mottled and dull. In order to solve this problem, a fullerene composite material that can directionally absorb oil and resist oil oxidation has been developed. Methods: Fullerenes and hydroxyapatite composite was prepared by high pressure homogenization under alkaline condition. The indicated morphology and structure were characterized by SEM, UV–Vis, Raman, and XRD. The oil absorption capacity was determined by adding the C60‐hydroxyapatite composite to a mixed solution of hexane and oil, shaking for 1 h, filtering, analyzed by GC–MS, and calculating the oil absorption by external standard method. Artificial sebum was prepared by adding different mass of water and oleic acid to screen the optimum ratio. C60‐hydroxyapatite mixture and C60‐hydroxyapatite composite were added to the artificial sebum to test the oil‐absorbing capacity of the materials. The hydroxyl radical scavenging ability of C60‐hydroxyapatite composite containing different fullerene contents was measured by X‐band ESR spectroscopy, and the long‐term radical scavenging ability of the composites was tested in comparison with VC. Antioxidant experiment is adding C60‐hydroxyapatite composite material, and hydroxyapatite to oleic acid, then the UV light irradiation is aimed to accelerate the oxidation of oleic acid. Oleic acid act as a control group, and make the detection of oleic acid peroxide value after 7 days. The safety of the materials was tested by using culture media to soak the C60‐hydroxyapatite composite for 24 h and then used to culture cells. Results: The characterization of SEM, UV–Vis, Raman, and XRD showed that fullerene clusters were dispersed on the surface of hydroxyapatite stably, and they formed a stable composite. The adsorption rates of C60‐hydroxyapatite composites for oleic acid, phenyl trimethicone, caprylic capric glyceride, isooctyl palmitate, mineral oil, olive oil, and dimethicone were 60.5%, 9.3%, 9.15%, 5.24%, 2.94%, 1.01%, and 0%, respectively. The flocculation amount of artificial sebum was 5.9 g per gram of C60‐hydroxyapatite mixture and 24.2 g per gram of C60‐hydroxyapatite composite. C60‐hydroxyapatite composites have excellent quenching ability for hydroxyl radicals. When the fullerene content is 1, 2, 3, and 4 mg/kg, the quenching rates are 25.02%, 39.57%, 49.75%, and 62.24%, respectively. The quenching effect was enhanced with the increase of fullerene content, and it had strong long‐term antioxidant properties. It can also be proved that C60‐hydroxyapatite composites have strong antioxidant capacity through antioxidant experiments. The peroxide value of oleic acid on Day 0 was 2.8, and after 7 days of UV irradiation, the peroxide values of blank control, hydroxyapatite group, C60‐hydroxyapatite composite containing 0.5% and 1% fullerenes four groups of materials were 8.02 meq O2/kg, 7.98 meq O2/kg, 7.11 meq O2/kg, and 6.87 meq O2/kg, respectively. The cell activity was 20.94% and 99.2% after the cells were cultured for 24 h using C60‐hydroxyapatite composite and hydroxyapatite extracts, respectively, and the addition of fullerene was able to significantly increase the cell activity. Conclusion: Fullerene hydroxyapatite complex has excellent directional oil absorption characteristics, which can effectively remove free radicals and reduce skin oil oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPP) markedly impairs patients' quality of life. Research has shown that chronic stress may extend incisional nociception in male mice. Dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are integral to stress-related mental disorders (including major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and PTSD) and pain. However, the impact of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) on mesolimbic dopamine (DA) transmission in the development of CPP is yet to be established. It remains uncertain whether the dopamine signals in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), which regulate pain, derive from the VTA. This study aims to explore the role of VTA-rACC dopaminergic circuits in a mouse model of CPP induced by CSDS. Methods: We conducted CSDS on C57BL/6 J wild-type male mice (n = 12–16 mice/group) and DAT-cre male mice (n = 10–12 mice/group). After 10 days of CSDS, a left posterior plantar incision was made to establish a mouse model of CPP. Paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were evaluated using Von-Frey fibre stimulation. The open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze test (EPM) were used to assess pain-related negative emotions. We used immunofluorescence staining and Western Blot to analyse D1, D2, c-Fos, and TH expression. DAergic fibre projections in the VTA-rACC neural pathway were traced using retrograde tracing and immunofluorescence staining. Optogenetics and Chemogenetics were employed to manipulate DAergic neurons in the VTA and their axons in the rACC. Results: The ipsilateral PWTs in male C57BL/6 J mice significantly decreased after surgery, returning to baseline after seven days. Conversely, in CSDS mice, ipsilateral PWTs remained reduced for at least 30 days post-incision. A significant reduction in TH-positive neurons expressing c-Fos in the VTA of CPP mice was observed 15 days post-incision. Activating DAergic neurons significantly improved ipsilateral PWTs and locomotor performance in the OFT and EPM in CPP mice post-incision. Additionally, D1 expression in the rACC was found to decrease in CPP mice, and this reduction counteracted the increase in PWTs caused by activating DAergic neuron axon terminals in the rACC. Conclusion: CSDS results in chronicity of postsurgical nociception and anxiety-like negative emotions, with alterations in DA transmission playing a role in CPP. Specific activation of DAergic neurons mitigates nociceptive responses and anxiety-like bahaviors, possibly mediated by D1 receptors in the rACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease and clinically manifests with cognitive decline and behavioral disabilities. Over the past years, mounting studies have demonstrated that the inflammatory response plays a key role in the onset and development of AD, and neuroinflammation has been proposed as the third major pathological driving factor of AD, ranking after the two well-known core pathologies, amyloid β (Aβ) deposits and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Epigenetic mechanisms, referring to heritable changes in gene expression independent of DNA sequence alterations, are crucial regulators of neuroinflammation which have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for AD. Upon regulation of transcriptional repression or activation, epigenetic modification profiles are closely involved in inflammatory gene expression and signaling pathways of neuronal differentiation and cognitive function in central nervous system disorders. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about epigenetic control mechanisms with a focus on DNA and histone modifications involved in the regulation of inflammatory genes and signaling pathways in AD, and the inhibitors under clinical assessment are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: ruthenium catalysis; mandelic acids; alkynes; annulation; isocoumarins EN ruthenium catalysis mandelic acids alkynes annulation isocoumarins 2005 2010 6 10/09/23 20231024 NES 231024 Graph Isocoumarins are an important class of natural lactones, and their skeletal structure is an important part of many active pharmaceutical ingredients. At present, the major methods for synthesizing isocoumarins include (1) the cyclization reaction of I ortho i -halogen-substituted benzoic acids or their esters or amides with 1,3-diketones or internal alkynes; [10][11][12] and (2) the internal cyclization reaction of I ortho i -alkenyl- or alkynyl-substituted benzoic acids or their esters. The reactions of benzaldehydes B 5 b and benzoic acids B 6 b with B 2a b proceeded when the amount of Cu(OAc) SB 2 sb -H SB 2 sb O was increased to 1.5 equivalents and the reaction time was shortened to ten hours. Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed C-H Annulation of Mandelic Acids with Internal Alkynes to Construct Isocoumarins. [Extracted from the article]

The synthesis of polycyclic compounds is of high interest due to the prevalence of these motifs in drugs and natural products. Herein, we report on the stereoselective construction of 3D bicyclic scaffolds and azetidine derivatives by modulation of N‐sulfonylimines to achieve either [4+2]‐ or [2+2]‐cycloaddition reactions. The utility of the method was established by further modulation of the product. Mechanistic studies are also included, which support reaction via Dexter energy transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of polycyclic compounds is of high interest due to the prevalence of these motifs in drugs and natural products. Herein, we report on the stereoselective construction of 3D bicyclic scaffolds and azetidine derivatives by modulation of N‐sulfonylimines to achieve either [4+2]‐ or [2+2]‐cycloaddition reactions. The utility of the method was established by further modulation of the product. Mechanistic studies are also included, which support reaction via Dexter energy transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mouse models of hyper- and hypothyroidism were used to examine the effects of thyroid hormone (TH) dyshomeostasis on the aging mammalian brain. 13–14 month-old mice were treated for 4 months with either levothyroxine (hyperthyroid) or a propylthiouracil and methimazole combination (PTU/Met; hypothyroid). Hyperthyroid mice performed better on Morris Water Maze than control mice, while hypothyroid mice performed worse. Brain weight was increased in thyroxine-treated, and decreased in PTU/Met-treated animals. The brain weight change was strongly correlated with circulating and tissue T4. Quantitative measurements of microvessels were compared using digital neuropathologic methods. There was an increase in microvessel area in hyperthyroid mice. Hypothyroid mice showed a trend for elevated glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive astrocytes, indicating an increase in neuroinflammation. Gene expression alterations were associated with TH perturbation and astrocyte-expressed transcripts were particularly affected. For example, expression of Gli2 and Gli3 , mediators in the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway, were strongly impacted by both treatments. We conclude that TH perturbations produce robust neurobehavioral, pathological, and brain gene expression changes in aging mouse models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning force field (ML-FF) has emerged as a potential promising approach to simulate various material phenomena for large systems with ab initio accuracy. However, most ML-FFs have been used to study the phenomena relatively close to the equilibrium ground states. In this work, we have studied a far from equilibrium system of liquid to crystal Si growth using ML-FF. We found that our ML-FF based on ab initio decomposed atomic energy can reproduce all the aspects of ab initio simulated growth, from local energy fluctuations to transition temperatures, to diffusion constant, and growth rates. We have also compared the growth simulation with the Stillinger–Weber classical force field and found significant differences. A procedure is also provided to correct a systematic fitting bias in the ML-FF training process, which exists in all training models, otherwise critical results like transition temperature will be wrong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of complex public health emergencies and various social medical needs in new situations, it is urgent to establish rapid detection technology for the early detection of pathogens to control their spread and minimize the resultant health and societal impact. Point-of-care testing (POCT) that allows rapid, on-site, and affordable detection and monitoring of health conditions at home or away from clinical labs has received increasing attention in modern medicine. In this work, we have synthesized multifunctional magainin I-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-Cu3(PO4)2 nanoflowers and demonstrated a new strategy for the fast diagnosis of pathogenic microorganisms by combining functional nanoflowers with a lateral flow immunoassay device. The prepared multifunctional nanoflowers immobilized many signal molecules, which solves the poor sensitivity of traditional lateral flow strips and realizes the highly sensitive detection of pathogenic microorganisms ("accurate detection"). Besides, this method can complete the rapid transformation of commercial-off-the-shelf lateral flow strips and realize the fast diagnosis of target analytes in case of an outbreak ("fast detection"). Therefore, the established rapid and highly sensitive lateral flow immunoassay for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms will effectively improve the early diagnosis efficiency of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and shorten the diagnosis time of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex is a key biological variable in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and plays a significant role in neuroinflammatory responses. However, the molecular mechanisms contributing to this sexually dimorphic neuroinflammatory response remain elusive. Here we describe a significant and previously unreported tissue enrichment and sex-specific alteration of a set of inflammatory microRNAs (miRNAs) in CD11b+ cells of brain and bone marrow isolated from naïve mice as well as mice subjected to TBI. Our data from naïve mice demonstrated that expression levels of miR-146a-5p and miR-150-5p were relatively higher in brain CD11b+ cells, and that miR-155-5p and miR-223-3p were highly enriched in bone marrow CD11b+ cells. Furthermore, while miR-150-5p and miR-155-5p levels were higher in male brain CD11b+ cells, no significant sexual difference was observed for miR-146a-5p and miR-223-3p. However, TBI resulted in sex-specific differential responses of these miRNAs in brain CD11b+ cells. Specifically, miR-223-3p levels in brain CD11b+ cells were markedly elevated in both sexes in response to TBI at 3 and 24 h, with levels in females being significantly higher than males at 24 h. We then focused on analyzing several miR-223-3p targets and inflammation-related marker genes following injury. Corresponding to the greater elevation of miR-223-3p in females, the miR-223-3p targets, TRAF6 and FBXW7 were significantly reduced in females compared to males. Interestingly, anti-inflammatory genes ARG1 and IL4 were higher in females after TBI than in males. These observations suggest miR-223-3p and other inflammatory responsive miRNAs may play a key role in sex-specific neuroinflammatory response following TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliability assessment of solder joints under thermomechanical cycling is one of the long lasting concerns in the field of electronic materials. To pay attention to this issue, an artificial neural network approach was developed to assess the lifetime of SnAgCu-based solder joints under thermomechanical cycling processes. Using this approach, it is also possible to distinguish the role of creep and fatigue in the damage evolution. The results demonstrate that the model is able to accurately predict the lifetime of solder joints with minimum possible time. It was also revealed that the solder layer thickness plays a crucial role in the interconnection failure, so that an optimum solder thickness is needed for the highest joint lifetime. Moreover, it was determined that the thinner solder layer and hot dwell temperature in the thermal cycling dominate the creep event on the damage evolution, while the thicker solder layers along with higher ramping rates in the thermal cycling are responsible for the fatigue dominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem encountered when the spraying robot has run out of medicine even though the spraying task on the field is not complete, we developed a spraying–dosing robot group and proposed a collaborative navigation system based on an orchard map. Firstly, we constructed a 3D orchard point cloud map and set up navigation path points on the projected map. Secondly, we developed a master–slave command-based cooperative navigation strategy, where the spraying robot was the master and the dosing robot was the slave. Finally, the spraying robot and the dosing robot completed the cooperative navigation on the constructed map by using the pure pursuit algorithm and D-A control algorithm, respectively. To validate the cooperative navigation system, we conducted field tests on the separate communication and navigation control. The results of communication experiments demonstrated that the packet loss rate was less than 5%, which satisfied communication requirements. The experimental results of the navigation control demonstrated that the maximum value of the absolute lateral error is 24.9 cm for the spraying robot and 29.7 cm for the dosing robot. The collaborative navigation system proposed in this research can meet the automatic navigation requirements of the spraying–dosing robot group for collaborative tasks in traditional orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to assess the effect of telehealth management via WeChat on improving the quality of life of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: In this study, we retrospectively collected the clinical data of 118 patients who underwent PCI and received remote health management from our hospital via WeChat from June 2021 to September 2021 (WeChat group). The clinical data of 114 patients who underwent PCI but did not receive remote health management from our hospital from September 2020 to December 2020 were also collected (conventional group). Anxiety, depression, and quality of life scale scores were compared between the 2 groups at 6 months postdischarge. Results: Six months postdischarge, patients in the WeChat group had significantly lower Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) (55.7 ± 7.2 vs 58.8 ± 6.4, P = .001) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) (56.0 ± 5.9 vs 58.2 ± 6.2, P = .007) scores than did those in the conventional group. Compared to those in the conventional group, the patients in the WeChat group had significantly greater 6 months post-discharge The World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF scores in the following domains: physical (14.3 ± 1.7 vs 13.1 ± 1.7, P < .001 psychological (15.2 ± 1.3 vs 13.5 ± 1.5, P < .001 social relationship (12.9 ± 1.7 vs 12.3 ± 1.8, P = .01) and environmental (12.7 ± 2.0 vs 12.0 ± 1.9, P = .006). Conclusion: The use of WeChat to carry out remote health management for patients who underwent PCI can be an effective way to provide high-quality hospital medical services to patients’ families and can effectively alleviate patients’ anxiety and depression and enhance their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of Ce into Co-Mn oxides induced the charge redistribution of Co and Mn via electronic coupling, which facilitated the Co3+/Co4+ transition. Thus, the overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 was reduced significantly by 73 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction after Ce doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are capable of self-renewal with multilineage differentiation potential. After being cryopreserved, hDPSCs were reported to maintain a high level of proliferation and multi-differentiation abilities. In order to optimize cryopreservation techniques, decrease storage requirements and lower contamination risks, the feasibility of new whole-tooth cryopreservation and its effects on hDPSCs were tested. The survival rates, morphology, proliferation rates, cell activity, surface antigens and differentiation abilities of hDPSCs isolated from fresh teeth were compared with those of one-month cryopreserved teeth in 5% and 10% DMSO. The data of the present study indicated that the new cryopreservation approach did not reduce the capabilities or stemness of hDPSCs, with the exception that it extended the first appearance time of hDPSCs in the teeth that were cryopreserved in 10% DMSO, and reduced their recovery rate. With the novel strategy of freezing, the hDPSCs still expressed the typical surface markers of MSCs and maintained excellent proliferation capacity. Three consecutive weeks of osteogenic and adipogenic induction also showed that the expression of the key genes in hDPSCs, including lipoprotein lipase (LPL), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), type I collagen (COL I) and osteocalcin (OSC) was not affected, indicating that their differentiation abilities remained intact, which are crucial parameters for hDPSCs as cell-therapy candidates. These results demonstrated that the new cryopreservation method is low-cost and effective for the good preservation of hDPSCs without compromising cell performance, and can provide ideas and evidence for the future application of stem-cell therapies and the establishment of dental banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to investigate the effect of high-carbohydrate diets supplemented with trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) on growth, body composition, liver health and related metabolites of Megalobrama amblycephala. A total of 270 healthy Megalobrama amblycephala with the body weight of (5.00±0.50) g were randomly divided into three groups, with three replicates in each group and 30 fish in each replicate. The fish in control group (group CD) were fed with basal diet, fish in high-carbohydrate group (group HCD) were fed with 38.25% total sugar diet, fish in highcarbohydrate + 0.2% TMAO group (group HTD) were fed with 38.25% total sugar plus 0.2% TMAO diet. The experiment lasted for 90 d. The results showed that the weight gain rate and specific growth rate of Megalobrama amblycephala in group HCD were significantly lower than those in group CD and group HTD (P<0.05), and fat content and hepatosomatic ratio of Megalobrama amblycephala in group HCD were significantly higher than those in group CD and group HTD (P<0.05). Compared with group CD, hepatocytes of Megalobrama amblycephala in group HCD were damaged, a large amount of fat accumulation occurred, and the integrated optical density (IOD) value was extremely increased (P<0.01). Compared with group HCD, the fat accumulation in hepatocytes of Megalobrama amblycephala in group HTD was decreased, and the cell morphology gradually returned to normal, and IOD value was extremely lower than that in group HCD (P<0.01). Compared with group HCD, the dimethylamine (DMA) content in kidney and muscle was significantly increased (P<0.05), trimethylamine (TMA) content in liver was significantly increased (P<0.05), and TMAO content in serum and kidney was significantly decreased in group HTD (P<0.05). Compared with group CD, intestinal DMA in group HCD and group HTD was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The experiment indicates that high glucose diet supplemented with 0.2% TMAO can promote the growth of Megalobrama amblycephala, significantly reduce the body crude fat content, improve liver health status, reduce serum TMAO content of Megalobrama amblycephalaby enhancing the degradation and excretion of TMAO in kidney and muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) of thermoset matrix composites are widely used in the aviation industry, there is little conclusive research on the relationship between the physical model of bonding interface formation process and the actual bonding strength between prepreg layers formed in AFP process. Although massive amounts of experimental data on prepreg tack have been achieved from existing research, engineers are unable to use these data as a decisive criterion in choosing process parameters. In this research, a prepreg layup physical model based on reptation model and viscoelastic mechanical model is built, in which the bonding interface formation process is divided into two stages, namely, diffusion and viscous stage. Layup-peeling experiments are conducted via a special designed high-speed layup experimental platform so that practical AFP process parameters can be imitated, and a logarithmic curve of layup velocity-peeling energy under different layup pressure is achieved. The slope of the logarithmic curve and the surface morphology of the sample after peeling prove the correctness of the established model. Simultaneously, the experimental data proves that when prepreg is peeled off, the transition from the cohesive failure mode to the interface failure mode occurs at the laying speed between 100 mm/s and 200 mm/s. These results can be used as a reference for choosing AFP process parameters to realize the balance between good bonding quality and harmless separation of adjacent prepreg layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical sensing for the sensitive and reliable detection of mercury(II) ions (Hg2+) is of great importance in environmental protection, food safety, and biomedical applications. Due to the bio-enrichment property of Hg2+ in organisms, it is particularly meaningful to develop an effective tool that can in situ and rapidly monitor the level of Hg2+ in living organisms. In this work, we report ligand functionalized gold-silver bimetallic nanoclusters with bright red fluorescence as intracellular probes for imaging Hg2+ in living cells and zebrafish. The bimetallic nanoclusters of DTT-GSH@Au/AgNCs (DG-Au/AgNCs) with strong fluorescence that benefited from the synergistic effect of Au and Ag atoms were obtained through a one-pot synthesis method, incorporating glutathione (GSH) and dithiothreitol (DTT) as the reducers and functionalized ligands. Attractively, the bright red fluorescence of DG-Au/AgNCs could be rapidly and selectively quenched by Hg2+ within 1 min with a very low detection limit of 1.01 nM. Additionally, DG-Au/AgNCs had a great advantage in the detection of Hg2+ in living cells and zebrafish owing to its notably strong red fluorescence at 665 nm, which could avoid effectively auto-fluorescence interference from the organism. Such easily prepared bimetallic fluorescent nanoclusters would be expected to provide a noninvasive and sensitive approach in the detection of heavy metals in situ for environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human amnion is an intrauterine tissue which is involved in the initiation of parturition. In-depth understanding of gene expression signatures of individual cell types in the amnion with respect to membrane rupture at parturition may help identify crucial initiators of parturition for the development of specific strategies to prevent preterm birth, a leading cause of perinatal mortality. Results: Six major cell types were revealed in human amnion including epithelial cells, fibroblasts and immunocytes as well as three other cell types expressing dual cell markers including epithelial/fibroblast, immune/epithelial and immune/fibroblast markers. The existence of cell types expressing these dual cell markers indicates the presence of epithelial-mesenchymal (EMT), epithelial-immune (EIT) and mesenchymal-immune (MIT) transitions in amnion at parturition. We found that the rupture zone of amnion exhibited some specific increases in subcluster proportions of immune and EMT cells related to extracellular matrix remodeling and inflammation in labor. The non-rupture zone exhibited some common changes in subcluster compositions of epithelial and fibroblast cells with the rupture zone in labor, particularly those related to oxidative stress and apoptosis in epithelial cells and zinc ion transport in fibroblasts. Moreover, we identified that C–C motif chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) was among the top up-regulated genes in amnion epithelial cells, fibroblasts and immunocytes in the rupture zone at parturition. Studies in pregnant mice showed that administration of CCL20 induced immunocytes infiltration to tissues at the maternal–fetal interface and led to preterm birth. Conclusions: Apart from the conventional epithelial, fibroblast and immunocytes, human amnion cells may undergo EMT, EIT and FIT in preparation for parturition. Intense inflammation and ECM remodeling are present in the rupture zone, while enhanced apoptosis and oxidative stress in epithelial cells and zinc ion transport in fibroblasts are present in amnion regardless of the rupture zones at parturition. CCL20 derived from the major cell types of the amnion participates in labor onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogues have been commercialized for the management of type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have underscored GLP-1's role as a modulator of alcohol-related behavior. However, the role of the GLP-1 analogue liraglutide on alcohol-withdrawal responses have not been fully elucidated. Liraglutide binds to the G-protein-coupled receptor and activates an adenylyl cyclase and the associated classic growth factor signaling pathway, which acts growth factor-like and neuroprotective properties. The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of liraglutide on alcohol withdrawal remains unknown. This study endeavored to explore the effects of liraglutide on the emotion and memory ability of alcohol-withdrawal mice, and synaptic morphology in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HP), and thus affects the relapse-like drinking of alcohol-withdrawal mice. The alcohol-withdrawal group was reintroduced to a 20% v/v alcohol and water through the two-bottle choice for four consecutive days, a period referred to as alcohol re-drinking. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to a regimen of 20% alcohol and water for a duration of 6 weeks. This regimen established the two-bottle choice model of alcohol exposure. Learning capabilities, memory proficiency, and anxiety-like behavior were evaluated using the Morris water maze, open field, and elevated plus maze paradigms. Furthermore, synaptic morphology and the levels of synaptic transport-related proteins were assessed via Golgi staining and Western Blot analysis after a two-week alcohol deprivation period. Alcohol re-drinking of alcohol-withdrawal mice was also evaluated using a two-bottle choice paradigm. Our findings indicate that liraglutide can substantially decrease alcohol consumption and preference (p < 0.05) in the alcohol group and enhance learning and memory performance (p < 0.01), as well as alleviate anxiety-like behavior (p < 0.01) of alcohol-withdrawal mice. Alcohol consumption led to a reduction in dendritic spine density in the mPFC and HP, which was restored to normal levels by liraglutide (p < 0.001). Furthermore, liraglutide was found to augment the levels of synaptic transport-related proteins in mice subjected to alcohol withdrawal (p < 0.01). The study findings corroborate that liraglutide has the potential to mitigate alcohol consumption and ameliorate the memory impairments and anxiety induced by alcohol withdrawal. The therapeutic efficacy of liraglutide might be attributed to its role in counteracting synapse loss in the mPFC and HP regions and thus prevented relapse-like drinking in alcohol-withdrawal mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantation-grown poplar (Populus cathayana) is regarded as a source of low-quality wood, with poor dimensional stability and low decay resistance. In this study, poplar wood was impregnated with sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) or organo-montmorillonite (O-MMT), furfuryl alcohol (FA, at concentrations of 15%, 30% and 50%), separately or in their combinations to prepare clay treated, furfurylated, and clay-reinforced furfurylated wood, respectively. The two-step method by introducing Na-MMT first and then FA and organic modifier was feasible to achieve a reasonable penetration. These components could entirely enter the wood cell lumen or partly enter the wood cell wall, and thus initiate a series of reactions. Compared with Na-MMT reinforced furfurylated wood (M-F), the O-MMT reinforced furfurylated wood (O-F) exhibited better dimensional stability (ASE up to 71%) and decay resistance (3.2% mass loss). Moreover, O-MMT played a predominant role in decay resistance of O-MMT reinforced furfurylated wood. Even at low O-MMT loadings, the modified wood had a significant inhibitory effect on the white-rot decay fungus Trametes versicolor. Based on an overall evaluation, O-MMT reinforced furfurylated wood seemed to provide an optimal choice for both moist or wet conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of pseudorutaecarpine derivatives were prepared in good to excellent yields through a gold(I)‐catalyzed selective cyclization and 1,2‐shift of N‐alkynyl quinazolinone‐tethered indoles. Mechanistic study revealed that spiroindolenines generated in situ by cyclization at the the indole C3 position underwent an alkenyl 1,2‐shift to generate pseudorutaecarpine. The reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions, has a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and gram‐scalable application. Furthermore, biological evaluation showed that most of the pseudorutaecarpine scaffolds prepared exhibit anti‐inflammatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Preoperative CSDS could promote prolongation of incisional pain in male mice. • CSDS-induced prolonged postoperative pain is not correlated with stress-caused social avoidance. • Perioperative CNSDS or VSDS similarly prolonged postoperative pain in both sexes. • Spinal microglial activation promotes stress-induced pain transition in a sex-dependent manner. Prolonged postsurgical pain, which is associated with multiple risk factors in the perioperative stage, is a common medical and social problem worldwide. Suitable animal models should be established to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the perioperative prolonged postsurgical pain. In this study, standard and modified social defeat stress mice models, including chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), chronic nondiscriminatory social defeat stress (CNSDS) and vicarious social defeat stress (VSDS), were applied to explore the effect of perioperative social defeat stress on postsurgical pain in male and female mice. Our results showed that exposure to preoperative CSDS could induce prolonged postsurgical pain in defeated mice regardless of susceptibility or resilience differentiated by the social interaction test. Similar prolongation of incision-induced mechanical hypersensitivity was also observed in both sexes upon exposing to CNSDS or VSDS in the preoperative period. Moreover, we found that using the modified CNSDS or VSDS models at different recovery stages after surgery could still promote abnormal pain without sex differences. Further studies revealed the key role of spinal microglial activation in the stress-induced transition from acute to prolonged postoperative pain in male but not female mice. Together, these data indicate that perioperative social defeat stress is a vital risk factor for developing prolonged postoperative pain in both sexes, but the promotion of stress-induced prolonged postoperative pain by spinal microglial activation is sexually dimorphic in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The process parameters of Fe-Al coating prepared on FeCrAl alloy were investigated. • The temperature-dependent growth kinetic equation of the Fe-Al coating is obtained. • The time-dependent growth kinetic equation of the e Fe-Al coating is obtained. • The permeation reduction factor of Fe-Al coating are 67 at 360 °C and 40 at 400 °C. Al 2 O 3 is a promising tritium permeation barrier coating material due to its excellent thermodynamic stability and tritium permeation resistance. However, the thermal mismatch between Al 2 O 3 and FeCrAl alloy will affect the coating performance. Fe-Al coating can act as a transition layer between the Al 2 O 3 coating and FeCrAl alloy which can reduce the difference in thermal expansion coefficient. The process parameters and coating properties of Fe-Al coating prepared on FeCrAl alloy by pack aluminizing have been investigated by energy dispersive spectrometer, scanning electron microscope, electron back scatter diffraction and deuterium permeation experiment. The Fe-Al coating is primarily composed of Fe 2 Al 5 phase. The growth kinetic equation of the Fe-Al coating under different aluminizing temperature below 700 °C and the growth kinetics equation of the Fe-Al coating under different aluminizing time were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bioactive MNP recently emerges to be a promising biomaterial for chronic wounds. • Antibacterial and ROS-scavenging MNP is prepared by MnO2 NPs and AI-derived AMPs. • The combination of MNP and LTPT is more effective than commercial wound dressings. Chronic wound with complex clinical characteristics poses a significant challenge worldwide. Bioactive and stimulus responsive microneedle patch (MNP) has recently become one of the growing centers of wound healing, due to its suitability for suture-free tissue adhesion and transdermal cargo delivery. Herein, a series of double layer MNPs with dual antibacterial and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging abilities were firstly reported. Biocompatible methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) served as the base material of MNP. An artificial intelligence (AI)-derived antimicrobial peptide (AMP) was electrostatically assembled with hollow MnO 2 nanoparticles, and then loaded onto microneedle tips. The products (named as GMCM) exhibited good photothermal conversion and anti-oxidative nanozyme activities. GMCM combined with low temperature photothermal therapy (LTPT) could not only relieve ROS-induced cell damage, but also inhibit the survival and proliferation of host bacteria. The broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of GMCM was solid, minimizing the potential of bacterial resistance. Wound healing evaluations were performed using a S. aureus infected skin defect model. The combination of GMCM and LTPT could complete the wound healing within 15 days, and the overall effect was better than that of product control (3 M®). In conclusion, this work will provide a competitive biomaterial for accelerating chronic wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resulting interfacial stress in heteroepitaxial nanocomplex usually has negligible influence on its performance, but at high pressures (HP) the effect can be significantly amplified. In order to unravel the underlying mechanism and search for high quality pressure sensors, a simple object is employed, NaErF4@NaLnF4 (Ln = Y, Lu, Gd) and its Tm3+‐doped derivatives, to comparatively study the effect of interfacial stress on upconversion (UC) luminescence. Specifically, the doping enhances greatly mechanosensitivity because of the anisotropic local geometry of the dopant ions of which the structural distortion is amplified by HP. The generated compressive strain does extend into the core as witnessed by the effect of tensile strain in the shell on the core and the fact that Lu‐shelled nanoparticles are the most sensitive to external force among Tm3+‐doped system. This compressive strain in concert with the external HP intensifies the coupling between Er3+ and Tm3+, making the attenuation of green UC emission more pronounced. The red to green UC emission ratio of this material, robust both in structural and optical properties, increases linearly with pressure in the range from ambient to 9 GPa. The study opens a new horizon for understanding the effect of interfacial stress on UC luminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone metabolism disorder, which increases the risk of fractures, and in severe cases it may cause disability or even death. An important factor contributing to osteoporosis is the imbalance between bone formation and resorption. Naringin was reported to promote osteoblast differentiation, thus enhancing bone formation and alleviating osteoporosis development. However, the signalling pathways related to the regulatory mechanism of naringin in osteoporosis development are not clear. Proliferation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) treated with naringin in vitro was detected by CCK‐8. An osteogenesis differentiation medium supplemented with naringin was applied to explore the effects of naringin on BMSC osteogenic differentiation, as detected by Alizarin red staining. Ovariectomy (OVX)‐induced postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) rats were orally administered with naringin. Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and micro‐CT were applied to measure bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecula thickness (Tb.Th), trabecula number (Tb.N), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV). H&E staining was performed to show pathological changes of the femur in PMOP rats after naringin treatment. Bone metabolism indicators were assessed by ELISA. We found that naringin suppressed the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Naringin promoted BMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, naringin alleviates bone loss and improves abnormal bone metabolism of PMOP rats. Collectively, naringin promotes BMSC osteogenic differentiation to ameliorate osteoporosis development by targeting JAK2/STAT3 signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactions of polycarboxylate ligand (2,2′‐H2bpdc or H3OABDC), N‐donor auxiliary ligand (4‐bpmh) with Cd(II) salts under solvothermal conditions resulted in two coordination polymers formulated as [Cd(2,2′‐bpdc)(4‐bpmh)(H2O)]n·n(H2O) (1) and [Cd3(OABDC)2(4‐bpmh)2(H2O)4]n·2n(H2O) (2) (2,2′‐H2bpdc = diphenic acid, H3OABDC = 5‐oxyacetate isophthalic acid, and 4‐bpmh is N,N‐bis‐pyridin‐4‐ylmethylene‐hydrazine). Meanwhile, the investigations of luminescent performances and thermal stabilities suggest that the two compounds are candidate materials for the fluorescent emitting material. The assessment of their application values on the infantile bronchial pneumonia was carried out and their specific mechanism was investigated in the meantime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CRISPR/Cas9 is a rapidly developing genome editing technology in various biological systems due to its efficiency, portability, simplicity and versatility. This editing technology has been successfully applied in in several important plants of Solanaceae such as tomato, tobacco, potato, petunia and groundcherry. Wolfberry ranked the sixth among solanaceous crops of outstanding importance in China following potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper and tobacco. To date, there has been no report on CRISPR/Cas9 technology to improve Lycium ruthenicum due to the unknown genome sequencing and the lack of efficient regeneration and genetic transformation systems. Results: In this study, we have established an efficientregeneration and genetic transformation system of Lycium ruthenicum. We have used this system to validate target sites for fw2.2, a major fruit weight quantitative trait locus first identified from tomato and accounted for 30% of the variation in fruit size. In our experiments, the editing efficiency was very high, with 95.45% of the transgenic lines containing mutations in the fw2.2 target site. We obtained transgenic wolfberry plants containing four homozygous mutations and nine biallelic mutations in the fw2.2 gene. Conclusions: These results suggest that CRISPR-based gene editing is effective for the improvement of black wolfberry traits, and we expect this approach to be routinely applied to this important economic fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormone (TH) perturbation is a common medical problem. Because of substantial public health impact, prior researchers have studied hyper- and hypothyroidism in animal models. Although most prior research focused on in utero and/or developmental effects, changes in circulating TH levels are commonly seen in elderly individuals: approximately 20% of persons older than 80 years have clinically impactful hypothyroidism and up to 5% have clinical hyperthyroidism, with women being more often affected than men. TH disease model methodology in mice have varied but usually focus on a single sex, and the impact(s) of TH perturbation on the adult brain are not well understood. We administered thyroxine to middle-aged (13 to 14 months) male and female mice to model hyperthyroidism and TH-lowering drugs propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole, to induce hypothyroidism. These pharmacological agents are used commonly in adult humans. Circulating TH-level changes were observed when thyroxine was dosed at 20 µg/mL in drinking water for two weeks. By contrast, PTU and methimazole did not elicit a consistent reproducible effect until two months of treatment. No substantial changes in TH levels were detected in brain tissues of treated animals; however, pronounced changes in gene expression, specifically for TH-processing transcripts, were observed following the treatment with thyroxine. Our study indicated a robust compensatory mechanism by which the brain tissue/cells minimize the TH fluctuation in CNS by altering gene expression. Neurobehavioral changes were related to the TH perturbation and suggested potential associations between cognitive status and hyper- and hypothyroidism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is still incurable and characterized by clonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). Therefore, effective therapeutic interventions must target both myeloma cells and the BM niche. Methods: Cell proliferation, drug resistance, and chromosomal instability (CIN) induced by CHEK1 were confirmed by Giemsa staining, exon sequencing, immunofluorescence and xenograft model in vivo. Bone lesion was evaluated by Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. The existence of circCHEK1_246aa was evaluated by qPCR, Sanger sequencing and Mass Spectrometer. Results: We demonstrated that CHEK1 expression was significantly increased in human MM samples relative to normal plasma cells, and that in MM patients, high CHEK1 expression was associated with poor outcomes. Increased CHEK1 expression induced MM cellular proliferation and evoked drug-resistance in vitro and in vivo. CHEK1-mediated increases in cell proliferation and drug resistance were due in part to CHEK1-induced CIN. CHEK1 activated CIN, partly by phosphorylating CEP170. Interestingly, CHEK1 promoted osteoclast differentiation by upregulating NFATc1 expression. Intriguingly, we discovered that MM cells expressed circCHEK1_246aa, a circular CHEK1 RNA, which encoded and was translated to the CHEK1 kinase catalytic center. Transfection of circCHEK1_246aa increased MM CIN and osteoclast differentiation similarly to CHEK1 overexpression, suggesting that MM cells could secrete circCHEK1_246aa in the BM niche to increase the invasive potential of MM cells and promote osteoclast differentiation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that targeting the enzymatic catalytic center encoded by CHEK1 mRNA and circCHEK1_246aa is a promising therapeutic modality to target both MM cells and BM niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amnion‐derived prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and cortisol are key to labor onset. Identification of a common transcription factor driving the expression of both cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β‐HSD1), the key enzymes in their production, may hold the key to the treatment of pre‐term labor. Here, we have found that the CCAAT enhancer binding protein δ (C/EBPδ) is such a transcription factor which underlies the feed‐forward induction of COX‐2 and 11β‐HSD1 expression by their own products PGE2 and cortisol in human amnion fibroblasts so that their production would be ensured in the amnion for the onset of labor. Moreover, the abundance of C/EBPδ in the amnion increases along with COX‐2 and 11β‐HSD1 at term and further increases at parturition. Knockout of C/EBPδ in mice delays the onset of labor further supporting the concept. In conclusion, C/EBPδ pathway may be speculated to serve as a potential pharmaceutical target in the amnion for treatment of pre‐term labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress is the main cause of mood disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Individuals respond to stress differently, as some develop depressive symptoms, whereas others successfully cope with adversity, but it remains unclear what makes some particularly vulnerable to stress. The chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) mouse model, an ethologically valid rodent model that exhibits long-term physiological and behavioral phenotypes similar to depression and anxiety, can imitate individual differences in stress responses in humans. In this review, we not only summarize various behavioral deficits of the CSDS mouse model that were reported since its establishment but also concentrate on modified CSDS mouse models that have been developed in recent years, aiming at providing useful information for future research and application of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echinacoside, a natural phenylethanoid glycoside, was discovered and isolated from the garden plant Echinacea angustifolia DC., belonging to the Compositae family, approximately sixty years ago. Extensive investigations have revealed that it possesses a wide array of pharmacologically beneficial activities for human health, particularly notable for its neuroprotective and anticancer activity. Several crucial concerns surfaced, encompassing the recognition of active metabolites that exhibited inadequate bioavailability in their prototype form, the establishment of precise molecular signal pathways or targets associated with the aforementioned effects of echinacoside, and the scarcity of dependable clinical trials. Hence, the question remains unanswered as to whether scientific research can effectively utilize this natural compound. To support future studies on this natural product, it is imperative to provide a systematic overview and insights into potential future prospects. The current review provides a comprehensive analysis of the existing knowledge on echinacoside, encompassing its wide distribution, structural diversity and metabolism, diverse therapeutic applications, and improvement of echinacoside bioavailability for its potential utilization. [Display omitted] ● ECH, a natural phenylethanoid glycoside, has been isolated from numerous medicinal or horticultural plants. ● The latest research progress in distribution, pharmacological action and bioavailability improvement of ECH was reviewed. ● ECH is effective in oxidative stress, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer etc. ● ECH should be explored for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion resistance of CrMnFeCoNi coatings with varying TiC contents and the evolution of TiC within these coatings were comprehensively investigated. These CrMnFeCoNi coatings, with different TiC concentrations, were fabricated using laser cladding technology. The behavior of TiC evolution in CrMnFeCoNi coatings was observed to follow a distinct pattern. At a TiC loading of 2 wt%, TiC exhibited a dispersed distribution. Interestingly, in coatings loaded with 4 wt% TiC, TiC was observed in various shapes, including elongated, square, petaled, and circular forms owing to the melting of TiC particles under the influence of a high-energy laser beam. The convection action of the molten pool combined several unmelted, partially melted, and precipitated TiC particles, resulting in diverse shapes. Furthermore, increasing the TiC content to 10 wt% led to the aggregation and fusion of TiC into clusters. Additionally, the electrochemical corrosion resistance behavior of CrMnFeCoNi coatings with varying TiC content displayed a significant correlation with the TiC concentration. As the TiC content increased, the galvanic corrosion resistance also increased. At lower TiC content levels, a higher number of electrochemical cells formed between the CrMnFeCoNi matrix and the dispersed TiC, leading to an elevated corrosion rate. In contrast, as the TiC content increased, the dispersed TiC phase fused together, reducing the likelihood of electrochemical cell formation. Notably, the electrochemical corrosion resistance of the CrMnFeCoNi coating containing 10 wt% TiC resembled that of the TiC-free coating. • The evolution behavior of TiC in CrMnFeCoNi coatings are described. • Corrosion resistance behavior of coating shows markable relation with TiC content. • Dispersive TiC facilitates the formation of galvanic cells between TiC and substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oceans are natural sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), but the origin of excess CH4 at the surface remains enigmatic. Incubation experiments were conducted in the western North Pacific (WNP) and its marginal seas (i.e., Yellow Sea and South China Sea [SCS]) to identify the degradation of methylphosphonate (MPn) to CH4 in the oceans and the microbes associated with MPn‐driven CH4 production. In the coastal seawater of the Yellow Sea, CH4 was observed to accumulate after MPn enrichment with a high MPn to CH4 conversion efficiency (approximately 60%). Dissolved inorganic phosphorus (Pi) did not effectively restrict the microbial utilization of MPn in the eutrophic coastal waters. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that Vibrio spp. were the dominant bacteria in the MPn‐amended treatments. Moreover, several Vibrio isolates isolated from the coastal waters were found to produce CH4 while growing in culture using MPn as the sole P source, thereby indicating that Vibrio spp. might be the major contributors to MPn‐dependent CH4 production. In oligotrophic areas, such as the SCS and WNP, CH4 production from MPn metabolism was also observed in the surface seawater. In contrast to coastal waters, this pathway in oligotrophic areas is regulated by dissolved Pi availability. This work confirms that aerobic CH4 formation from MPn degradation can occur both in eutrophic coastal waters and oligotrophic oceans driven by MPn‐utilizing microorganisms (especially heterotrophic bacteria), which may have a significant impact on our understanding of the CH4 and P cycles in global oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared the H3PW12O40-doped pyromellitic diimide (PMDI) photocatalysts via thermal transformation using urea phosphotungstate and pyromellitic dianhydride as precursors (UPWPI) and calcination of PMDI with phosphotungstic acid directly (UPIPW). The influences of the strategies on the morphology, light absorption, and visible-light photocatalytic degradation efficiency of H3PW12O40-doped PMDI are systematically investigated by various characterization methods. By comparing the structure of UPWPI and UPIPW, the adoption of urea phosphotungstate as precursors can promote the separation of PMDI into small particles and the inclusion of phosphotungstic acid. Moreover, the visible-light (λ > 420 nm) absorption efficiency of UPWPI is also enhanced compared with that of UPIPW because of the improved photogenerated electron transfer efficiency between PMDI and HPW. With a catalyst dosage of 100 mg and the degradation time of 3 h, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of imidacloprid on UPWPI was 97.12% and the degradation rate constant was 0.93 h−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, synergism between two wood modification methods was investigated with the aim of providing insights into improving wood hydrophobicity. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) was modified using two variants of the same treatment procedure: in the first case, paraffin wax emulsion (PWE) impregnation was followed by thermal modification (TM); in the second case, the order was reversed, and TM was followed by PWE impregnation. The treated samples were then immersed in distilled water for 1, 6, 24, 48 or 96 h. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were employed to evaluate the concentration of different water components, as well as the water distribution. The results indicated that the combined treatment showed much better performance than either treatment individually, particularly when PWE impregnation was followed by TM. Moreover, through the use of MRI, we characterized the role of both methods in the synergistic relationship, which showed that the PWE impregnation increased the wood hydrophobicity through decreasing free water absorption, while the TM performed the same function through bound water absorption. In addition, paraffin wax penetrated the newly formed cracks caused by TM, which also contributed to the synergistic mechanism between PWE impregnation and TM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, synergism between two wood modification methods was investigated with the aim of providing insights into improving wood hydrophobicity. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) was modified using two variants of the same treatment procedure: in the first case, paraffin wax emulsion (PWE) impregnation was followed by thermal modification (TM); in the second case, the order was reversed, and TM was followed by PWE impregnation. The treated samples were then immersed in distilled water for 1, 6, 24, 48 or 96 h. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were employed to evaluate the concentration of different water components, as well as the water distribution. The results indicated that the combined treatment showed much better performance than either treatment individually, particularly when PWE impregnation was followed by TM. Moreover, through the use of MRI, we characterized the role of both methods in the synergistic relationship, which showed that the PWE impregnation increased the wood hydrophobicity through decreasing free water absorption, while the TM performed the same function through bound water absorption. In addition, paraffin wax penetrated the newly formed cracks caused by TM, which also contributed to the synergistic mechanism between PWE impregnation and TM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unprecedented nickel-catalyzed 1, n -arylboration (n >2) of terminal nonactivated alkenes has been developed. This reaction is the first example of a regioselective arylboration of terminal nonactivated alkenes and features high selectivity, wide functional-group tolerance, and operational simplicity. Remarkably, preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that an equilibrium of various nickel intermediates exists in this transformation, but bond formation is favored at the benzylic position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the charge patching method for the calculation of the electronic structure of organic systems containing a large number of atoms was presented. The method was tested on a range of systems including alkane and alkene chains, polyacenes, polythiophenes, polypyrroles, polyfuranes, polyphenylene vinylene, and poly(amidoamine) dendrimers. The results obtained by the method are in very good agreement with direct calculations based on density functional theory, since the eigenstate errors are typically of the order of a few tens of meV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study systematically explores the effect of ultrasound on the CrMnFeCoNi + x(TiC) coatings fabricated by laser cladding. The investigations revealed that the microstructure of the CrMnFeCoNi + x(TiC) cladding layers prepared without ultrasonic assistance is mainly columnar dendrites. With the introduction of ultrasound, the columnar dendrites break up and form equiaxed dendrites. The aggregation of TiC is reduced in the 2 wt% TiC cladding layer prepared by ultrasonic assistance relative to that without ultrasonic assistance. On the other hand, increasing the TiC to 4 wt% in the cladding layer resulted in the spreading of TiC in a wider range along the grain boundary upon ultrasonic treatment. Furthermore, the grain size shows no obvious changes and there is no significant textural characteristics in cladding layers prepared with and without ultrasonic assistance. In contrast, the effect of ultrasound on the TiC distribution is minimal in the cladding layer with 10 wt% TiC. Besides, the introduction of ultrasound could effectively reduce the mass wear rate and the friction coefficient of the CrMnFeCoNi cladding layer with different TiC content except that of 10 wt% TiC cladding layer. The large size and small number of TiC particles in ultrasonic-assisted and non-ultrasonic-assisted 10 wt% TiC cladding layers leads to a decrease in the number of forming corrosion galvanic cell and a decrease in the influence on the dislocation density. Therefore, both ultrasonic-assisted and non-ultrasonic-assisted 10 wt% TiC cladding layers exhibite high electrochemical corrosion resistance. The effect of ultrasonic vibration on CrMnFeCoNi cladding layers with different TiC contents can be explained by the influence of TiC on ultrasonic attenuation. • The effect of ultrasound on TiC distribution is minimal in 10 wt% TiC coatings. • Both 10 wt% TiC coatings exhibited high electrochemical corrosion resistance. • The increasing of TiC particles leads to attenuation of ultrasonic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ultrasound on the distribution pattern of TiC and properties of 4 wt% TiC reinforced CrMnFeCoNi coatings fabricated by laser cladding is investigated systematically. The increased amplitude of ultrasonic radiation promotes partial or local dissolution of TiC into C and Ti. Limited amount of C and Ti is solidly dissolved into the matrix resulting in the increase of CrMnFeCoNi lattice constant. Additionally, another C and Ti will be reprecipitated as TiC during the cooling process of laser cladding. The 4 wt% TiC reinforced CrMnFeCoNi coating primarily contains small amount of granular TiC without ultrasonic treatment. With the increase of ultrasound amplitude, the TiC content in the coating of CrMnFeCoNi increases gradually. When the ultrasonic amplitude is 5 μm, the TiC particles have a slight tendency to aggregate and some TiC aggregates into blocks due to the increase in TiC content. However, as the ultrasonic amplitude increases to 10–20 μm, the TiC is distributed in a fishbone shape due to the enhanced vibration effect of ultrasound. Meanwhile, the increasing ultrasonic amplitude increases the hardness and changes the wear mechanism gradually from adhesive to abrasive wear, improving the wear resistance of the coatings. Besides, the corrosion resistance of the coatings is decreased with the increasing ultrasonic amplitude. It is mainly because a lot of TiC distributes along the grain boundary leading to intergranular corrosion with ease. • The increased ultrasonic amplitude promotes partial dissolution of TiC into C and Ti. • Increasing ultrasonic amplitude changes wear mechanism from adhesive to abrasive wear. • TiC distributes along grain boundary leading to intergranular corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase transformations have been a prominent topic of study for both fundamental and applied science. Solid-liquid reaction-induced phase transformations can be hard to characterize, and the transformation mechanisms are often not fully understood. Here, we report reversible phase transformations between a metal (Pb) nanocrystal and a viscous liquid-like phase unveiled by in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy. The reversible phase transformations are obtained by modulating the electron current density (between 1000 and 3000 electrons Å-2 s-1). The metal-organic viscous liquid-like phase exhibits short-range ordering with a preferred Pb-Pb distance of 0.5 nm. Assisted by density functional theory and molecular dynamics calculations, we show that the viscous liquid-like phase results from the reactions of Pb with the CH3O fragments from the triethylene glycol solution under electron beam irradiation. Such reversible phase transformations may find broad implemen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of andrographolide derivatives with introduction of amide moiety into ring A by Beckmann rearrangement were synthesized. In series 1, the ring A was converted to caprolactam, and an amide moiety was linked to C-19 of ring A in series 2. Among them, compound 8h exhibited obvious inhibition on HK2 enzyme activity (IC 50 = 9.36 ± 0.08 μM) and LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells (IC 50 = 22.38 ± 3.57 μM), and potent binding affinity with HK2 (Kd = 5.12 ± 0.82 μM). The preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) suggested that the formation of caprolactam of ring A and esterification of C-19-hydroxyl could improve the inhibitory effects on HK2 enzyme of andrographolide derivatives. Furthermore, compound 8h significantly reduced the levels of IL-1β and IL-6, down-regulated the expressions of iNOS and COX-2. Its anti-inflammatory effect was related to the inhibition of both NF-κB pathway and glycolysis enzyme HK2. Since HK2 could be a novel and effective target for anti-inflammation, compound 8h might be a new anti-inflammatory agent targeting at HK2, or serve as a lead compound to design and synthesize more HK2 inhibitors with better inflammatory effects. Image 1 • Two series of andrographolide derivatives with introduction of amide moiety into ring A were synthesized. • Compound 8h exhibited obvious inhibition of HK2 enzyme activity. • Compound 8h also could reduce LPS-induced NO, IL-1β and IL-6 production in RAW264.7 cells. • The anti-inflammatory action mechanism of 8h was related to the inhibition of both NF-κB signal pathway and HK2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains the second most frequent vascular disease with high mortality but has no approved medical therapy. We investigated the direct role of apelin (APLN) in AAA and identified a unique approach to enhance APLN action as a therapeutic intervention for this disease. Loss of APLN potentiated angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AAA formation, aortic rupture, and reduced survival. Formation of AAA was driven by increased smooth muscle cell (SMC) apoptosis and oxidative stress in Apln-/y aorta and in APLN-deficient cultured murine and human aortic SMCs. Ang II-induced myogenic response and hypertension were greater in Apln-/y mice, however, an equivalent hypertension induced by phenylephrine, an α-adrenergic agonist, did not cause AAA or rupture in Apln-/y mice. We further identified Ang converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the major negative regulator of the renin-Ang system (RAS), as an important target of APLN action in the vasculature. Using a combination of genetic, pharmacological, and modeling approaches, we identified neutral endopeptidase (NEP) that is up-regulated in human AAA tissue as a major enzyme that metabolizes and inactivates APLN-17 peptide. We designed and synthesized a potent APLN-17 analog, APLN-NMeLeu9-A2, that is resistant to NEP cleavage. This stable APLN analog ameliorated Ang II-mediated adverse aortic remodeling and AAA formation in an established model of AAA, high-fat diet (HFD) in Ldlr-/- mice. Our findings define a critical role of APLN in AAA formation through induction of ACE2 and protection of vascular SMCs, whereas stable APLN analogs provide an effective therapy for vascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]