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In this paper, a thorough investigation is presented on the static and dynamic behaviors of a short-span cable-stayed bridge (CSB) incorporating steel and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) hybrid cables. The study focuses on the world's largest span and China's first highway, CFRP CSB. The performance of the CSB was compared using numerical simulations under four different cable patterns: steel cables, CFRP cables, and steel, and two types of hybrid cables with different structural arrangements. The results indicate that the use of the use of CFRP cables in the long cable region in the short-span CSB project investigated in this study offers improved performance in terms of stability, seismic response, and reduced displacements. In comparison to CFRP cables, hybrid cables have demonstrated a reduction of 12% in the maximum vertical displacement of the main girder. On the other hand, the hybrid cables result in reduced maximum internal forces and longitudinal and lateral displacements of the main girders and towers compared to steel cables. The difference in the arrangement of CFRP cables in the long cable region or short cable region is not obvious under dead loads, but significant differences still exist between the CFRP cable bridges in the short cable region and the long cable region in terms of live load effects, temperature effects, and dynamic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, lithium metasilicate (LS), a novel inorganic binder, was innovatively applied in silicon anodes. LS binder relies on favorable compatibility to achieve strong binding affinity, facilitating cycling stability. The Li+ transport channel within the LS binder enhances Li+ conductivity and promotes rate performance. [Display omitted] • A inorganic binder lithium metasilicate (LS) is innovatively applied in Si anodes. • The LS binder could provide a Li+ transport channel to improve rate performances. • The LS binder exhibits favorable compatibility to achieve strong binding affinity. • The presence of Li+ transport channel could prevent isolated silicon to generate higher initial capacity. Silicon (Si) is considered a high-capacity anode material with potential for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, the commercial application of Si anode is seriously hindered by huge volume variation (>300%) and limited Li+ diffusion ability. Herein, lithium metasilicate (LS), a novel inorganic binder, was innovatively developed to accommodate these challenges. Favorable compatibility is observed between the LS binder and Si nanoparticles (SiNPs) due to the existence of Si element within the LS skeleton. The interaction of the LS binder and SiNPs leads to a strong adhesion effect, enhancing the cycling stability of Si anode. The Si electrode with the LS binder presented an average discharge capacity of 2123 mAh/g at 0.84 A/g after 100 cycles. Furthermore, the presence of the Li+ transport channel within the LS binder enhances Li+ diffusion ability within Si anode. As a result, the average discharge capacity reaches 663 mAh/g at 8.4 A/g. This work thus explored new inorganic binder design approaches for Si anode, contributing to the advancement of high-performance Si anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capability to manipulate and analyze hard-wired metabolic pathways sets the pace at which we can engineer cellular metabolism. Here, we present a framework to extensively rewrite the central metabolic pathway for malonyl-CoA biosynthesis in yeast and readily assess malonyl-CoA output based on pathway-scale DNA reconstruction in combination with colorimetric screening (Pracs). We applied Pracs to generate and test millions of enzyme variants by introducing genetic mutations into the whole set of genes encoding the malonyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway and identified hundreds of beneficial enzyme mutants with increased malonyl-CoA output. Furthermore, the synthetic pathways reconstructed by randomly integrating these beneficial enzyme variants generated vast phenotypic diversity, with some displaying higher production of malonyl-CoA as well as other metabolites, such as carotenoids and betaxanthin, thus demonstrating the generic utility of Pracs to efficiently orchestrate central metabolism to optimize the production of different chemicals in various metabolic pathways. Pracs will be broadly useful to advance our ability to understand and engineer cellular metabolism. • A platform strain with an easily swappable malonyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway. • Development of a colorimetric reporter for malonyl-CoA. • A framework to extensively rewrite and monitor malonyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway. • Multiple superior enzyme mutants for malonyl-CoA production were identified. • Pathway-scale engineering boosted flaviolin, β-carotene and betaxanthin production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chaihu Shugan powder (CSP) is a prevalent prescription product used in the treatment functional dyspepsia (FD) in China. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms involved in the treatment of FD remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore the key components of CSP and their molecular targets and mechanisms in the treatment of FD. METHODS: Active compounds for CSP were identified from the TCMSP and SymMap databases, and the relevant targets were predicted. FD-related targets were obtained from the GeneCards and CTD database. In addition, using the protein-protein interactions (PPI) analysis, the common targets were obtained. Furthermore, the compound-target networks were created with Cytoscape. Finally, molecular docking was performed to identify the core targets and validate them experimentally. RESULTS: In total, 78 active compounds and 671 related targets of CSP were obtained. PPI network analysis identified 15 key FD-related compound targets. Molecular docking revealed that sitosterol and hyndarin exhibited good binding activities with AKT1 and IL6, respectively. Animal experiments have shown that CSP effectively increased the protein levels of AKT1 and reduced the serum levels of IL-6 in FD rats. CONCLUSION: This study provides a theoretical evidence for the analysis of the molecular targets and mechanisms of the action of CSP in FD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is often associated with poor patient outcomes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have a marked therapeutic effect on renal recovery. This study sought to explore the functional mechanism of EVs from adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) in tubular epithelial cell (TEC) repair in AKI. ADSCs were cultured and EVs were isolated and identified. In vivo and in vitro AKI models were established using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). EVs increased human kidney 2 (HK-2) cell viability; decreased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells and levels of kidney injury molecule 1, cleaved caspase-1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, gasdermin D-N, IL-18 and IL-1β; and elevated pro-caspase-1. EVs carried miR-21-5p into LPS-induced HK-2 cells. Silencing miR-21-5p partly eliminated the ability of EVs to suppress HK-2 cell pyroptosis and inflammation. miR-21-5p targeted toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and inhibited TEC pyroptosis and inflammation after AKI by inhibiting TLR4. TLR4 overexpression blocked the inhibitory effects of EVs on TEC pyroptosis and inflammation. EVs suppressed the nuclear factor-κB/NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NF-κB/NLRP3) pathway via miR-21-5p /TLR4. Finally, AKI mouse models were established and in vivo assays verified that ADSC-EVs reduced TEC pyroptosis and inflammatory response and potentiated cell repair by mediating miR-21-5p in AKI mice. ADSC-EVs inhibited inflammation and TEC pyroptosis and promoted TEC repair in AKI by mediating miR-21-5p to target TLR4 and inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the reactant mass transfer on the catalyst surface is a feasible approach to fabricate a robust solid catalyst for efficiently promoting the biomass macromolecules-involving reactions, specifically for biodiesel production by using non-edible acidic oils as feedstocks. In this premise, to reduce the mass transfer resistance, the hierarchical porous SOM-ZIF-8 was firstly synthesized using polystyrene spheres (PS) as templates and then employed as catalyst supports for loading of Keplerate-type polyoxomolybdates {Mo 132 } to prepare a novel {Mo 132 }@SOM-ZIF-8 solid acid catalyst. The catalyst characterization results revealed that the active species of {Mo 132 } clusters were well-dispersed on the SOM-ZIF-8 support and the primary framework of the SOM-ZIF-8 support remained nearly unaltered after the preparation processes. This prepared catalyst featured three-dimensional ordered hierarchical porous structure and dual Bronsted-Lewis acid sites, with a large surface area of 736.26 m2/g and high acidity of 903 μmol/g, presenting high activities for concurrent triglyceride transesterification and free fatty acids (FFAs) esterification. With the acidic soybean oils as feedstocks, 93.9 % of oil conversion and full FFA conversion to biodiesel were achieved over this solid catalyst at 130 °C for 8 h with a catalyst loading of 2 wt%, thus imparting the great potential for a one-pot efficient biodiesel manufacture from the acidic oils to comply with the demand of green and clean production. The synergy between the hierarchical porous structure and the strong acidity emerged, thus boosting the catalytic performance of this solid catalyst for the heterogeneous biodiesel production. The good FFA and moisture-resistance capacity was shown for this catalyst even in the case of moisture content of 3 % and FFA content of 25 %. Further, this catalyst showed excellent reusability without significantly losing its catalytic performance even after five runs, providing a deeper insight into constructing efficient solid catalysts with hierarchical porous structure that are utilized for cost-effective production of biodiesel from the non-edible acidic oils. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key component of the carbon (C) cycle, and its accumulation is influenced by the stoichiometry of C: nitrogen (N): phosphorus (P), as well as microbial metabolism. However, the mechanisms driving SOC accumulation in agricultural and natural soils remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of soil and microbial biomass (MB) C:N:P stoichiometry and microbial metabolic limitation on SOC accumulation in agricultural and natural soils. A survey of soils from 277 locations in eastern China was conducted, revealing that agricultural soils (paddy and upland soils) had 1.74-times higher SOC content than that of natural soils (wasteland and woodland soils). SOC showed a significant positive correlation with microbial C use efficiency (CUE), which in turn promoted SOC accumulation in agricultural soils. CUE was higher in agricultural soils (0.38–0.41) than in natural soils (0.25–0.31), which was attributed to reduced microbial metabolic limitation in agricultural soils. Increased nutrient supply was evident in agricultural soils, indicated by high SOC:TP, dissolved organic C:dissolved organic N, MBC:MBN, and MBC:MBP ratios, which alleviated microbial C and P limitations. However, in natural soils, low nutrient availability and enzyme activities resulted in significant microbial C and P limitations, thereby hindering SOC accumulation. Our results indicate that microbial metabolic limitation regulated by C:N:P stoichiometry stimulates SOC accumulation in agricultural soils, offering novel insights into SOC storage and emphasizing the importance of ecological stoichiometry and microbial metabolic limitation in SOC storage. [Display omitted] • Agricultural soils store more soil organic carbon than natural soils. • Carbon use efficiency was positively correlated with soil organic carbon. • Microbial C and P limitations negatively affected carbon use efficiency. • Decrease of the C:N:P stoichiometric ratios increased carbon use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaihu Shugan Powder (CHSGP) has significant clinical efficacy in the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD), but the specific mechanism requires further study. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of CHSGP on FD rats and the underlying mechanism of the effect on interstitial cells of cajal (ICC) mitophagy. The tail-clamping stimulation method was utilized to establish an FD rat model in vivo. Gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate test, H&E staining, and Immunohistochemistry were conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of CHSGP on FD rats. In vitro, the regulatory effect of CHSGP on CCCP-mediated ICC mitophagy was further investigated by CCK8, Transmission electron microscope, immunofluorescence co-staining, Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot to reveal the potential mechanisms of CHSGP inhibited ICC mitophagy. Animal experiments provided evidence that CHSGP promoted gastric motility, increased ICC numbers, reduced Parkin expression, and elevated USP30 expression in FD rats. In vitro, further mechanism research demonstrated that CHSGP decreased LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ、PINK1、Parkin、PHB2 protein expression and increased USP30 protein expression. Furthermore, CHSGP increased Mfn2 protein expression by suppressing activation of the PINK1/Parkin pathway when USP30 is knocked down, consequently reducing CCCP-induced ICC mitophagy. These results suggest that CHSGP may treat FD against CCCP-induced ICC mitophagy by the up-regulation of via PINK1/Parkin pathway. [Display omitted] • CHSGP promoted gastric motility and might be relate to inhibition of ICC mitophagy. • Knockdown of USP30 could activate PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway. • CHSGP inhibited PINK1/Parkin mitophagy through USP30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration of efficient and recyclable catalysts is highly desirable for catalytic biodiesel manufacture from low-grade acidic oils, in response to the demand of clean production and environmental concerns. For this aim, phosphotungstic acid (HPW) was firstly modified by tin metal, and then embedded on ZIF-8 metal-organic formworks (MOFs) to synthesize the SnPW@ZIF-8 catalyst. Catalyst characterization results revealed that the active species of Sn-doped HPW with Keggin-type anion structure were well-dispersed on the ZIF-8 support, and this catalyst featured high surface area with dual Brönsted-Lewis acid sites, posing enhanced catalytic performances to the oil transesterification and esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) presented in oils. By applying this catalyst, 92.8 % of oil conversion and 97.4 % of FFAs conversion were concurrently achieved under the optimized conditions, rendering one-pot conversion of low-grade acidic oils to biodiesel and minimizing the complex and tedious separation processes. Moreover, the higher water and FFA-resistance capacity was shown for this catalyst, imparting its more suitable for the efficient biodiesel production particularly with the acidic oils as feedstocks. Further, this catalyst could still remained high catalytic efficiency after five cycle reuses due to the strong interactions of the SnPW with the imidazole groups in the ZIF-8, making it to have the potential of cost-effective and efficient production of biodiesel from the low-grade acidic oils. [Display omitted] • SnPW@ZIF-8 solid catalyst with duai Brönsted-Lewis acid site were prepared. • This catalyst was effective for one-pot biodiesel production from low-grade oils. • Oil transesterification and FFA esterification can be achieved simultaneously. • This catalyst has good recyclability and high resistance to acid and moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium-based metal–organic framework nanosheet assembled hydrangea-like architectures were reported and an enhanced iodine capture capacity was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a new method was demonstrated for effective immobilization of the antibacterial peptide nisin on Grifola frondosa hydrophobin (HGFI), without the need of any additional complex reaction. Hydrophobin can self-assemble as a monolayer to form continuous negative-charged surfaces with enhanced wettability and biocompatibility. Adding nisin solution to such hydrophobin surface created antibacterial surfaces. The quantification analysis revealed that more nisin could be adsorbed on the HGFI-coated than to control polystyrene surfaces at different pH values. This suggested that electronic attraction and wettability may play important roles in this process. The transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis indicated the adsorption mode of nisin on the HGFI film, i.e., hydrophobins served as an adhesive layer for binding charged peptides to interfaces. The antibacterial activity of the treated surface was investigated via counting, a nucleic acid release test, scanning electron microscopy, and biofilm detection. These results indicated the excellent antibacterial activity of nisin adsorbed on the HGFI-coated surfaces. The activity retention of adsorbed nisin was demonstrated by immersing the modified substrates in a flowed liquid condition. • Hydrophobin HGFI was employed to immobilize AMP (Nisin) on material surfaces. • Nisin on the HGFI-coated surfaces exhibited excellent bioactivity. • The coating formation was easier without complex and rigorous conditional limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between geometric structure and stability of gold nanoclusters. [Display omitted] • The structures of medium-sized gold nanoclusters were globally optimized. • Many medium-sized gold nanoclusters were found to have high symmetry. • Most Au n (n < 48) nanoclusters are composed based on pyramid structures. • Icosahedral Au 13 core is found in the global minimums of larger Au 59 nanoclusters. • The relationship between geometric structure and stability of Au nanoclusters were studied. The stability, electronic and chemical properties of nanoclusters strongly depend on the geometric structures. The structures of neutral gold nanoclusters Au n (n = 20–60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 147) were searched by using minimum hopping method combining with density functional theory. The geometric and electronic properties of the global minimums were analyzed. A tendency of Au n nanoclusters growth was observed, and for larger nanocluster it tends to forming sphere-like structure, according the Oblateness/Prolateness parameter. To study the relationship between geometric structure and stability, the Oblateness/Prolateness parameter, average coordination and bond length of all the obtained isomers were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designability is an attractive feature for metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and essential for reticular chemistry, and many ideas are significantly useful in the carboxylate system. Bi‐, tri‐, and tetra‐topic phosphonate ligands are used to achieve framework structures. However, an efficient method for designing phosphonate MOFs is still on the way, especially for uranyl phosphonates, owing to the complicated coordination modes of the phosphonate group. Uranyl phosphonates prefer layer or pillar‐layered structures as the topology extension for uranyl units occurs in the plane perpendicular to the linear uranium‐oxo bonds and phosphonate ligands favor the formation of compact structures. Therefore, an approach that can construct three‐dimensional (3D) uranyl phosphonate MOFs is desired. In this paper, a sterically hindered phosphonate ligand method (SHPL) is described and is successfully used to achieve 3D framework structures of uranyl phosphonates. Four MOF compounds ([AMIM]2(UO2)(TppmH4)⋅H2O (UPF‐101), [BMMIM]2(UO2)3(TppmH4)2⋅H2O (UPF‐102), [Py14]2(UO2)3(TppmH4)2⋅3 H2O (UPF‐103), and [BMIM](UO2)3(TppmH3)F2⋅2 H2O (UPF‐104); [AMIM]=1‐allyl‐3‐methylimidazolium, [BMMIM]=1‐butyl‐2,3‐dimethylimidazolium, [Py14]=N‐butyl‐N‐methylpyrrolidinium, and [BMIM]=1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium) are obtained by ionothermal synthesis, with zero‐dimensional nodes of uranyl phosphonates linked by steric tetra‐topic ligands, namely tetrakis[4‐(dihyroxyphosphoryl)phenyl]methane (TppmH8), to give 3D framework structures. Characterization by PXRD, UV/Vis, IR, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry (TG) were also performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA has emerged as an appealing material for information storage due to its great storage density and durability. Random reading and rewriting are essential tasks for practical large‐scale data storage. However, they are currently difficult to implement simultaneously in a single DNA‐based storage system, strongly limiting their practicability. Here, a "Cell Disk" storage system is presented, achieving high‐density in vivo DNA data storage that enables both random reading and rewriting. In this system, each yeast cell is used as a chamber to store information, similar to a "disk block" but with the ability to self‐replicate. Specifically, each genome of yeast cell has a customized CRISPR/Cas9‐based "lock‐and‐key" module inserted, which allows selective retrieval, erasure, or rewriting of the targeted cell "block" from a pool of cells ("disk"). Additionally, a codec algorithm with lossless compression ability is developed to improve the information density of each cell "block". As a proof of concept, target‐specific reading and rewriting of the compressed data from a mimic cell "disk" comprising up to 105 "blocks" are demonstrated and achieve high specificity and reliability. The "Cell Disk" system described here concurrently supports random reading and rewriting, and it should have great scalability for practical data storage use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To apply AquaCrop to the study of agricultural soil moisture in the North China Plain, a water-treatment experiment on summer maize was carried out at the Fengqiu experimental station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from 2017 to 2018. A water treatment was used to achieve field water capacities of 20 (W1), 40 (W2), and 60 (W3) cm soil layers under irrigation, and a rain-fed treatment (W0) was added. The model parameters were calibrated using the measured data in 2017. Then, they were applied to 2018 to verify the ability of the model to simulate water stress. The results showed that the variation trends for crop yield, canopy coverage, total soil water content, and the curve in the growth cycle simulated via AquaCrop were consistent with the actual observations; the results of a discrete analysis showed that the values of b (regression coefficient), R2 (determination coefficient), and EF (efficiency) were close to 1, and the values of the RMSE (root mean square error) were close to 0, which proved that the model could simulate dynamic changes in summer maize yield, canopy coverage, and total soil water content well. AquaCrop had good applicability in the North China Plain and could be applied to the study of agricultural water consumption and water-use efficiency in this area. The simulated values obtained can serve as an easily obtainable source of long-term experimental data in areas with frequent non-extreme weather events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structures of Ti-oxo clusters were thought to be rigid given the high stability of Ti–O–Ti bonds. A Ti32-oxo nanoring, Ti32(μ2-O)8(μ3-O)8(L)16(gly)32(glyH)16·12(glyH2)·29(IPA) (L = 4-aminobenzoic acid, glyH2 = ethylene glycol, IPA = isopropanol) (1), experiences an unexpected single-crystal-to-single-crystal desolvation process upon exposure to air, affording another new crystalline phase Ti32-oxo cluster (1-Dry) with a shrunk ring size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaihu Shugan San (CHSGS) was effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). To investigate the mechanism of CHSGS in FD through dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp-1)-mediated interstitial cells of cajal (ICC) mitophagy. Forty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, model, mdivi-1, mdivi-1 + CHSGS and CHSGS groups. Tail-clamping stimulation was used to establish the FD model. Mdivi-1 + CHSGS and CHSGS groups were given CHSGS aqueous solution (4.8 g/kg) by gavage twice a day. Mdivi-1 (25 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally once every other week for 4 w. Mitochondrial damage was observed by corresponding kits and related protein expressions were assessed by Immunofluorescence and (or) Western Blot. Compared with the mean value of the control group, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and citrate synthase (CS) in the model group were decreased by 11% and 35%; malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased by 1.2- and 2.8-times; ckit fluorescence and protein expressions were decreased by 85% and 51%, co-localization expression of LC3 and voltage dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), Drp-1 and translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 20 (Tom20) were increased by 10.1- and 5.4-times; protein expressions of Drp-1, Beclin-1, and LC3 were increased by 0.5-, 1.4-, and 2.5-times whereas p62 was decreased by 43%. After mdivi-1 and (or) CHSGS intervention, the above situation has been improved. CHSGS could improve mitochondrial damage and promote gastric motility in FD rats by regulating Drp-1-mediated ICC mitophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A uranyl phosphonate framework, (UO2)2(1,3-pbp)(H2O)2·2H2O (UPF-1) (1,3-pbp = 1,3-phenylenebis(phosphonic acid)), experiences a thermally induced order–disorder transition, leading to a negative linear correlation between the photoluminescence intensity and temperature, and may find application as a luminescent thermometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobins are a series of low molecular weight proteins produced by filamentous fungi that play an important role in fungal growth. They have a globular structure and possess a unique hydrophobic patch on their surface that makes them amphiphilic, making them among the most surface-active proteins. Herein, the surface charge properties of HGFI, a class I hydrophobin from Grifola frondosa, were altered by replacing the negatively charged Glu24 with a positively charged Lys to generate the ME24 mutant. Pichia pastoris GS115 was used for recombinant expression of the ME24 mutant, which was purified by a two-step procedure. The function of the mutated residue in HGFI self-assembly was investigated. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the polarity of ME24 was enhanced compared with HGFI. Circular dichroism, thioflavin T assay, water contact angle and atomic force microscopy indicated that Glu24 participates in rodlet formation. Water solubility detection and dynamic light scattering showed that Glu24 affects the assembled state of HGFI in aqueous solution. The behaviour of the mutant in an emulsion, in the dispersion of insoluble materials and in large-scaled protein production suggests the functions of hydrophobins can be tuned for new applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroids (anti-inflammatory drugs) combined with antioxidants are frequently prescribed to treat cisplatin (CP)-induced hearing loss in the clinic. Compared to systemic administration of free drugs, local drug delivery systems offer better therapeutic qualities and patient compliance since they not only can bypass the blood-labyrinth barrier but also can perform sustained release. In this work, dexamethasone (DEX) and lipoic acid (LA) non-spherical microcrystals (MCs) were prepared without complicated chemical modification. Following a series of physical characterizations, including morphology, stability and injectability, dissolution and round window membrane distribution of MCs, DEX MCs, LA MCs and the simple mixture of DEX MCs + LA MCs (combination group) were administered in guinea pigs by intratympanic injection. We found that LA MCs enabled improvement of DEX absorption in the combination group compared to a single dose. In addition, no significant morphological changes or inflammatory responses were observed in cochlear tissue, indicating good biocompatibility. Finally, the combination group also demonstrated synergistic therapeutic effect for protecting hair cells against CP-induced damage. The local co delivery of DEX MCs and LA MCs offers a new strategy for the treatment of CP-induced inner ear injury since they provide sustained anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects simultaneously. [Display omitted] • Dexamethasone and lipoic acid non-spherical microcrystals formed by precipitation. • Dexamethasone absorption was increased in the presence of lipoic acid in vivo. • Combined microcrystals provided synergistic therapy for inner ear diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Betamethasone microparticles and polymer complex nanoparticles were prepared. • The processed drugs exhibited greater solubility and lower cytotoxicity. • Influencing factors of the particle forming process were investigated. • Characterization was performed by SEM, DSC, FTIR, and XRD. Poor solubility limits the pharmacological activities of betamethasone (BM), including its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. To improve the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate of BM, supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technology was used to prepare BM microparticles and BM–polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solid dispersion nanoparticles. The effects of temperature, pressure, solution feeding rate, and drug concentration on particle formation were investigated using both single-factor and orthogonal experimental methods, and the optimal preparation process was screened. The physicochemical properties of the BM particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. After the SAS process, the particle size was reduced significantly and the crystalline shape was altered, which considerably increased the solubility and dissolution rate of BM. Furthermore, the toxicity of BM to live cells was reduced because of the BM–PVP solid dispersions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Class IIa bacteriocin pediocin PA-1 has broad-spectrum activity and is a well-characterized candidate food biopreservative. Here, a simple approach is designed to extend the application of pediocin PA-1 in improving the antibacterial activity of electrospun poly(caprolactone) (PCL) grafts through combining PA-1 with HGFI, which is a self-assembled protein with characteristics allowing the modulation of surface properties of other materials originated from Grifola frondosa . Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as the host for expression of fusion protein PA-1-linker-HGFI (pH) and his-tag purification was used to purify recombinant protein pH. An antibacterial activity assay showed the fusion protein pH retained the biological property of native PA-1. Water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, immunofluorescence assay and atomic force microscopy indicated the surface properties of HGFI were greatly preserved by the fusion protein pH. Finally, antibacterial activity of pH-modified PCL substrate measurements implied the fusion protein significantly improved the bacterial-resistance of the PCL film through dressing the PCL fibers with the recombinant pH protein. This work presents a new perspective on the application of hydrophobin and pediocin PA-1 in antibacterial medical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution causes a great threat to microbial metabolism, which plays a vital role in studying soil nutrient cycling and predicting carbon (C) storage in agroecosystems. However, the responses of microbial metabolism characteristic to heavy metal contamination and the mechanisms through which microbial metabolism mediate nutrient cycling and C dynamics in contaminated soil remain elusive. Here, we performed an incubation experiment over 80 days to investigate the variations in microbial metabolic limitation under various Pb levels (0, 100, 500, 800, 1500, 2000, and 3000 mg Pb kg−1 dry soil) in cropland soil using extracellular enzymatic stoichiometry, and to reveal the impact of Pb stress on soil C storage by associating with microbial metabolic quotients (q CO 2) and C use efficiency (CUE). The results showed microbial relative C limitation and phosphorus (P) limitation were observed in Pb-contaminated soils. Pb addition enhanced the microbial relative C limitation by approximately 7.3%, while decreasing the P limitation by approximately 12.3%. Furthermore, Pb addition led to higher q CO 2 (from 8.75 to 108 μg C kg−1 MBC−1 d−1) duo to the increase of microbial relative C limitation, suggesting that the more CO 2 was released of per unit of microbial biomass C. The increase of microbial relative C limitation reduced CUE (from 0.35 to 0.10) because of the change in microbial metabolism from growth to respiration maintenance under Pb stress. Consequently, the CUE and q CO 2 together determined the loss of soil C. Our study reveals that microbial relative C limitation is the dominant driver of soil C loss and provides important knowledge of microbial metabolic limitation regulating soil C turnover in PTEs-contaminated agricultural soils. [Display omitted] • Pb pollution increased microbial C limitation while decreasing P limitation. • Pb pollution increased soil C loss by increasing q CO 2 and decreasing CUE. • Microbial C limitation is the dominant driver of q CO 2 increase and CUE decrease. • Microbial C limitation is more sensitive than microbial P limitation to Pb stress. • Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry is promising for evaluating heavy metal pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). Apigenin, a type of bioflavonoid widely found in citrus fruits, has a number of biological actions including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Although apigenin has potential antidepressant activity, the mechanisms of this effect remain unclear. The present study aims to investigate the effects of apigenin on behavioral changes and inflammatory responses induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in rats. GW9662, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) inhibitor, was administered 30 min before apigenin. We found that treatment with apigenin (20 mg/kg, intragastrically) for three weeks remarkably ameliorated CUMS-induced behavioral abnormalities, such as decreased locomotor activity and reduced sucrose consumption. In response to oxidative stress, the NLRP3 inflammasome was activated and IL-1β secretion increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of CUMS rats. However, apigenin treatment upregulated PPARγ expression and downregulated the expression of NLRP3, which subsequently downregulated the production of IL-1β. In addition, GW9662 diminished the inhibitory effects of apigenin on the NLRP3 inflammasome. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that apigenin exhibits antidepressant-like effects in CUMS rats, possibly by inhibiting IL-1β production and NLRP3 inflammasome expression via the up-regulation of PPARγ expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Umbelliferone (UMB), a natural antioxidant belonging to coumarin derivatives, is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and protect neuronal cells from death. Here we aimed to investigate the effects of UMB in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). Pretreatment with UMB (15 and 30 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days ameliorated the neurological outcomes, infarct volume and brain edema in brains of MCAO rats. Our results provided evidence that UMB significantly protected neuronal cells against cerebral ischemia reperfusion-induced injury. Furthermore, UMB treatment could inhibited the level of oxidative stress and the production of inflammatory cytokines in brain tissues of MCAO rats. In addition, UMB significantly upregulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), which exhibited neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative disease. UMB treatment also suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation via reducing expression of Thiredoxin-interactive protein (TXNIP). These results suggest that UMB may have beneficial effects for neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischemic partly through the inhibition of TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome and activation of PPAR-γ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a brief review and comparison of the engine waste heat recovery technologies have been made. These five technologies are electric turbocompounding systems (ETC), thermodynamic organic Rankine cycle (ORC), thermoelectric generators (TEG), hydrogen generation by using exhaust gas heat energy, and hybrid pneumatic power systems (HPPS). According to comparison results, the HPPS system can achieve the highest fuel economy improvement among the five technologies. Though there are their own benefits by utilizing these different technologies, their disadvantages prevent the application of these advanced technologies to different extent. Besides, a combined evaluation method consisting of grey relational analysis and analytic hierarchy process has been applied to assess the five new engine waste heat recovery technologies from the perspective of technical, economic, and environmental aspect. Based on the final results of the new evaluation method, the HPPS was found to be the most promising WHR technology for vehicle engines. But because of the emphasis on economic benefit, TEG was found to be more favorable for working conditions, like power plant and marine engine. What is more, as is shown in the sensibility analysis, the weighing of the environment relevant factors can prominently influence the comparison results between ETC and HPPS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes an optimized human-machine interaction control strategy for exoskeleton based on traditional impedance control. The traditional impedance control has poor robustness due to the lack of accurate understanding of the environment, so it cannot accurately track the desired interactive force. Firstly, an adaptive controller is designed based on a model reference adaptive control algorithm to convert the force error into a position correction, which reduces the interaction force error. Then a PID-like algorithm is introduced into the system to improve the impedance relationship. Finally, the whole control system is verified by simulation experiments. It could be found that the interactive force error is reduced with the addition of an adaptive controller, but the system response is slowed down. At last, the PID algorithm is introduced into the control system. As a result, the system response speed and interaction force error are both further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is an important nutrient affecting nodulation and nitrogen fixation in soybeans. To further investigate the relationship of phosphorus with soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation, the seedling grafting technique was applied in this study to prepare dual-root soybean systems for a sand culture experiment. From the unfolded cotyledon stage to the initial flowering stage, one side of each dual-root soybean system was irrigated with nutrient solution containing 1 mg/L, 31 mg/L, or 61 mg/L of phosphorus (phosphorus-application side), and the other side was irrigated with a phosphorus-free nutrient solution (phosphorus-free side), to study the effect of local phosphorus supply on nodulation and nitrogen fixation in soybean. The results are described as follows: (1) Increasing the phosphorus supply increased the nodules weight, nitrogenase activity, ureide content, number of bacteroids, number of infected cells, and relative expression levels of nodule nitrogen fixation key genes (GmEXPB2, GmSPX5, nifH, nifD, nifK, GmALN1, GmACP1, GmUR5, GmPUR5, and GmHIUH5) in root nodules on the phosphorus-application side. Although the phosphorus-application and phosphorus-free sides demonstrated similar changing trends, the phosphorus-induced increases were more prominent on the phosphorus-application side, which indicated that phosphorus supply systematically regulates nodulation and nitrogen fixation in soybean. (2) When the level of phosphorus supply was increased from 1 mg/L to 31 mg/L, the increase on the P– side root was significant, and nodule phosphorus content increased by 57.14–85.71% and 68.75–75.00%, respectively; ARA and SNA were 218.64–383.33% and 11.41–16.11%, respectively, while ureide content was 118.18–156.44%. When the level of phosphorus supply was increased from 31mg/L to 61mg/L, the increase in the regulation ability of root and nodule phosphorus content, ARA, SNA, and ureide content were low for roots, and the value for nodules was lower than when the phosphorus level increased from 1 mg/L to 31 mg/L. (3) A high-concentration phosphorus supply on one side of a dual-root soybean plant significantly increased the phosphorus content in the aboveground tissues, as well as the roots and nodules on both sides. In the roots on the phosphorus-free side, the nodules were prioritized for receiving the phosphorus transported from the aboveground tissues to maintain their phosphorus content and functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For rotating machines, the localized faults of key components generally represent as periodic transient impulses in vibration signals. The existence of background noise will corrupt transient impulses in practice, and will thus increase the difficulty to identify specific faults. This paper combines the concepts of time–frequency manifold (TFM) and image template matching, and proposes a novel TFM correlation matching method to enhance identification of the periodic faults. This method is to conduct correlation matching of a vibration signal in the time–frequency domain by using the TFM with a short duration as a template. By this method, the time–frequency distribution (TFD) of a vibration signal is firstly achieved by the Smoothed Pseudo-Wigner–Ville distribution (SPWVD) method. Then the TFM template is learned to do correlation matching with the TFD of the analyzed signal. Finally, the ridge is extracted from the correlation matching image and the ridge coefficients are analyzed for periodic fault identification. The proposed method takes advantages of the TFM in noise suppression and template matching in object enhancement, and can enhance the fault impulses of interest in a unified scale. The novel method is verified to be superior to traditional enveloping method with providing smoother and clearer fault impulse component via applications to gearbox fault detection and bearing defect identification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Navigation line extraction was difficult for 6–14 leaf corn crop environment. • By white pixels proportion of total pixels index to get stalk location points. • By maximum value of column pixel adding curve to get root locating points. • Navigation line was extracted effectively using stalk and root locating points. The presence of weeds undermines the accurate algorithmic detection of navigation lines in cornfields, which plays a pivotal navigational role in the operation of intelligent agricultural machinery for tasks such as weeding and spraying. A method was proposed for extracting navigation lines by using the composite locations of the root and stalk of corn in the 6th- to 14th-leaf stages growing in a complex environment. The positional and area features were first used to eliminate the interference regions and obtain the root locations. The white pixel percentage index was used to filter the line segments obtained through the Hough transform and thereby determine the stalk locations. Experiments showed that the navigation lines were detected at an accuracy of 93.8%, an improvement of 10.2% over that achieved using conventional methods. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical utilities of many drugs were limited by poor solubility significantly for a long time until the distinguished development of nano drug carrier for enhancing their bioavailability. However, most of nano drug carriers were involved in extremely complex synthesis procedures, unstable quality control, and also the indeterminate pharmacokinetics in drug release phase. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel nano drug carrier aiming to ameliorate the solubility of curcumin. Hydrophobins, as amphiphilic proteins from filamentous fungi, attracted numerous attentions in biomaterials since their distinguished natural surfactant activities. Herein, as a novel nano drug carrier, hydrophobins were formed into nanoparticles containing curcumin in spontaneous manner by the strong surfactant activity of hydrophobins. In biomedical assays, the nanoparticles showed remarkable cell uptake efficiency, cell proliferation inhibitory and antitumor activity in intro and in vivo. In brief, it was ascertained that hydrophobins are capable to be employed as an efficient drug carrier for improving the poor solubility, low bioavailability of drugs such as curcumin. It was convinced that the easy-operation and safety properties of hydrophobins might prompt the applications of hydrophobins in pharmaceutics for many other drugs in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposed a hybrid search mode-based differential evolution (HSM-DE) algorithm to overcome the complex design of an interval type-2 fuzzy logic system (IT2FLS). First, transform complex design processes of the IT2FLS into optimization problems for our proposed evolutionary algorithm by decoding the whole system into design parameters regarded as search objectives. Then, the DE algorithm with a rapid convergence characteristic is adopted as a global search method for exploration according to a memetic algorithm (MA) structure. Considering the conventional DE algorithm is lack of escaping ability for the local optimal solution, a local search method combined with a simulated binary crossover (SBX) and polynomial mutation (PM) is utilized to enhance the exploitation behavior of our proposed method. In addition, simple constraints on the design parameters of the membership function are added to balance the searching freedom of the HSM-DE algorithm and the readability of the optimal IT2FLS. Finally, a simulation of a mobile two-wheel vehicle (MTWV) under a goal search task is performed to verify the effectiveness of the optimal IT2FLS auto designed by HSM-DE. All results demonstrate that the HSM-DE realizes auto design for the IT2FLS with high-performance control and outperforms the comparative methods. Moreover, four comparison methods are performed to validate the high-performance of the proposed HSM-DE on the search ability of the optimal solution. • A hybrid search mode-based differential evolution algorithm is proposed. • Memetic algorithm structure avoids the early convergence and local optimal solution. • Proposed algorithm with strong search ability and robustness outperforms the comparison methods. • The interval type-2 logic system auto designed by the proposed algorithm has high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrahigh‐capacity silicon (Si) anodes are essential for the escalating energy demands driven by the booming e‐transportation and energy storage field. However, their practical applications are strictly hampered by their intrinsically low electroconductivity, sluggish Li‐ion diffusion, and undesirably large volume change. Herein, a high‐performance Si anode, comprised of a modulated soft/hard coating of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (as Li‐ion conductor) and polyaniline (PANI) (as electron conductor) on the surface of Si nanoparticles (NPs) through H‐bonding network, is introduced. In this design, the abundant ─OH groups of soft PEG allow it to uniformly cover Si NPs while the hard PANI binds to PEG through its ─N─H group, thus constructing a tight connectin between Si and PEG‐PANI (PP). Consequently, the elastic PP allows Si@PP to accommodate the huge volume expansion while possessing fine electronic/ionic conductivity. Therefore, the Si@PP anode exhibits a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 90.5% and a stable capacity of 1871 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 1 A g−1 with a retention of 85.7%. Additionally, the Si@PP anode also demonstrates a high areal capacity of 3.01 mAh cm−2 after 100 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. This work reveals a scalable interface design of multi‐layer multifunctional coatings for high‐performance electrode materials in next‐generation Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bacteriophage BD49 specific for Citrobacter braakii was screened out and purified by double-layer plate method. It consists of a polyhedral head of 93.1 ± 1.2 nm long and 72.9 ± 4.2 nm wide, tail fibers, collar, sheath and baseplate. The bacteriophage was identified by morphology observed with transmission electron microscope (TEM), whole genome sequencing carried out by Illumina next generation sequencing (NGS) technique, and gene annotation based on Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) database. It was identified primarily as a member of Caudovirales by morphology and further determined as Caudovirales, Myoviridae, and Citrobacter bacteriophage by alignment of its whole genome sequence with the NCBI database and establishment of phylogenetic tree. The bacteriophage showed good environmental suitability with optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01, proliferation time of 80 min, optimum living temperature of 30–40 °C, and living pH of 5–10. In addition, it exhibited synergistic effect with ciprofloxacin against C. braakii in antibacterial tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: The health implications of BMI and MetS in lactating women are significant. This study aims to investigate the relationship between risk of Mets in lactation and BMI in four stages: pre-pregnancy, prenatal period, 42 days postpartum, and current lactation. Methods and results: A total of 1870 Lactating Women within 2 years after delivery were included from "China Child and Lactating Mother Nutrition Health Surveillance (2016–2017)". Logistic regression model and Restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to estimate the relationship between BMI and risk of MetS. ROC analysis was used to determine the threshold for the risk of MetS. Chain mediating effect analysis was used to verify the mediating effect. BMI of MetS group in all stages were higher than non-MetS group (P < 0.0001). There were significant positive correlations between BMI in each stage and ORs of MetS during lactation (P < 0.05). The best cut-off values for BMI in the four stages were 23.47, 30.49, 26.04 and 25.47 kg/m2. The non-linear spline test at BMI in 42 days postpartum, current and MetS in lactation was statistically significant (P non-linear = 0.0223, 0.0003). The mediation effect of all chains have to work through lactation BMI. The total indirect effect accounted for 80.95% of the total effect. Conclusions: The risk of MetS in lactating women is due to a high BMI base before pregnancy and postpartum. High BMI in all stages of pregnancy and postpartum were risk factors for MetS in lactation. BMI during lactation plays a key role in the risk of MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, flower-like stannous sulfide (SnS) nanomaterials are synthesized using a hydrothermal method and used as sensitive materials for cataluminescence (CTL)-based detection of diethyl ether. Gas sensors based on SnS nanomaterials are prepared, and the SnS nanomaterials exhibit excellent gas-sensitive behavior towards ether. High sensitivity to ether is achieved at a relatively low operating temperature (153 °C) compared to other common sensors. The response time is 3 s and the recovery time is 8 s. The CTL intensity shows a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9931) with a detection limit of 0.15 ppm and the concentration of ether in the range of 1.5–60 ppm. The proposed CTL sensor shows good selectivity towards ether. In addition, a highly stable signal is obtained with a relative standard deviation of 1.5%. This study indicates that the SnS-based sensor has excellent gas-sensitive performance and shows potential for applications in the detection of ether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macrosomia is a serious public health problem worldwide due to its increasing prevalence and adverse influences on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Maternal dyslipidemia exerts potential and adverse impacts on pregnant women and newborns. However, the association between maternal serum lipids and the risk of macrosomia has not yet been clearly elucidated. We explored the association between the maternal lipids profile at late gestation and the risk of having macrosomia among women without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: The medical records of 5407 pregnant women giving birth to single live babies at term were retrospectively analyzed. Subjects with DM, hypertension, thyroid disorders and fetal malformation were excluded. Maternal fasting serum lipids were measured during late pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the variables associated with the risk of macrosomia. Results: Maternal serum triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were related to macrosomia; each 1 mmol/L increase in TG resulted in a 27% increase in macrosomia risk, while each 1 mmol/L increase in HDL-C level resulted in a 37% decrease in macrosomia risk, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Notably, the risk of macrosomia increased progressively with increased maternal serum TG levels and decreased HDL-C levels. Compared with women with serum TG levels < 2.5 mmol/L, women with TG levels greater than 3.92 mmol/L had an approximately 2.8-fold increased risk of macrosomia. Compared with women with serum HDL-C levels above 2.23 mmol/L, women with HDL-C levels of less than 1.62 mmol/L had a 1.9-fold increased risk of giving birth to an infan with macrosomia. In addition, a higher risk of macrosomia was observed in women with simultaneous hypertriglyceridemia and low serum HDL-C levels (odds ratio [OR] 2.400, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.760–3.274) compared to those with hypertriglyceridemia or low serum HDL-C alone (OR 2.074, 95% CI: 1.609–2.673 and OR 1.363, 95% CI: 1.028–1.809, respectively). Conclusions: Maternal serum TG levels and HDL-C levels at late gestation are independent predictors of macrosomia in women without DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian influenza is an acute and highly contagious infectious disease that is caused by the influenza virus. Avian influenza has been widely spread all over the world, has caused property loss and has threatened human life and security. In this study, the recombinant plasmid rClone30‐chGM‐CSF was constructed and rescued to the recombinant virus rClone30‐chGM‐CSF successfully. After 8 days of immunization with the recombinant virus, the titre of NDV HI (haemagglutination inhibition) antibodies in SPF chickens reached its peak. The average titre of the rClone30‐chGM‐CSF group reached 6 log2 and was significantly higher than the protection critical value of 4 log2; the titres of the rClone30 group and the blank group were 2.86 log2 and 1 log2, respectively, indicating that the recombinant virus can effectively improve the NDV antibody titre. Then, SPF chickens were co‐immunized with the recombinant virus and with three different vaccine subtypes of inactivated avian influenza. The results indicated that the SPF chickens that were immunized with the vaccine plus rClone30‐chGM‐CSF showed significantly higher avian influenza antibody levels than those in the single vaccine groups. Furthermore, the SPF chickens in the vaccine plus rClone30‐chGM‐CSF group elicited stronger CD4+ and CD8+ T‐cell proliferative responses and also had upregulated transcriptional levels of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐4, IL‐6 and IL‐17 compared with those in the single vaccine groups. This study has shown that the recombinant virus expressing chicken granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (chGM‐CSF) can be used not only as an NDV vaccine to effectively improve the titre of NDV antibodies but also as a biological adjuvant to enhance the immune effects of the avian influenza vaccine. Therefore, this recombinant virus can also be used as a biological adjuvant for other poultry vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the quasilinear Schrödinger equation involving concave and convex nonlinearities. When the pair of parameters belongs to a certain subset of ℝ 2 , we establish the existence of a nontrivial mountain pass-type solution and infinitely many negative energy solutions by using some new techniques and dual fountain theorem. Recent results from the literature are improved and extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate whether radiomic features extracted from dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging (DSC-PWI) can improve the prediction of the molecular subtypes of adult diffuse gliomas, and to further develop and validate a multimodal radiomic model by integrating radiomic features from conventional and perfusion MRI. Methods: We extracted 1197 radiomic features from each sequence of conventional MRI and DSC-PWI, respectively. The Boruta algorithm was used for feature selection and combination, and a three-class random forest method was applied to construct the models. We also constructed a combined model by integrating radiomic features and clinical metrics. The models' diagnostic performance for discriminating the molecular subtypes (IDH wild type [IDHwt], IDH mutant and 1p/19q-noncodeleted [IDHmut-noncodel], and IDH mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted [IDHmut-codel]) was compared using AUCs in the validation set. Results: We included 272 patients (training set, n = 166; validation set, n = 106) with grade II–IV gliomas (mean age, 48.7 years; range, 19–77 years). The proportions of the molecular subtypes were 66.2% IDHwt, 15.1% IDHmut-noncodel, and 18.8% IDHmut-codel. Nineteen radiomic features (13 from conventional MRI and 6 from DSC-PWI) were selected to build the multimodal radiomic model. In the validation set, the multimodal radiomic model showed better performance than the conventional radiomic model did in predicting the IDHwt and IDHmut-codel subtypes, which was comparable to the conventional radiomic model in predicting the IDHmut-noncodel subtype. The multimodal radiomic model yielded similar performance as the combined model in predicting the three molecular subtypes. Conclusions: Adding DSC-PWI to conventional MRI can improve molecular subtype prediction in patients with diffuse gliomas. Key Points: • The multimodal radiomic model outperformed conventional MRI when predicting both the IDH wild type and IDH mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted subtypes of gliomas. • The multimodal radiomic model showed comparable performance to the combined model in the prediction of the three molecular subtypes. • Radiomic features from T1-weighted gadolinium contrast-enhanced and relative cerebral blood volume images played an important role in the prediction of molecular subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important but challenging work to develop novel fault diagnosis (FD) methods of offshore wind turbines (WTs) for their maintenance cost that accounts for 20%–35% of the total lifecycle cost. In FD of offshore WTs, there are two common problems: lack of high-quality label data and ignoring fault severity. In this study, we apply the prototypical networks in few-short learning to cope with a small high-quality label data, and adopt the ordinal regression method to consider fault severity. To sum up, we develop a novel ordinal classification prototypical networks (OCPN) model by introducing ordinal regression into prototypical networks, which is suitable for the FD of offshore WTs. The real case data gathered by an enterprise engaging in equipment condition monitoring and fault diagnosis in China is used to verify OCPN's effectiveness. The experimental results show that the OCPN model outperforms several competing models in terms of better multi-classification performance. In practical engineering applications, the OCPN model is flexible for diagnostic experts to consider the priority of fault levels by introducing decision preference into the loss function. • The OCPN model is proposed by introducing ordinal regression into prototypical networks. • The OCPN model is suitable for the fault diagnosis of offshore wind turbines. • Its effectiveness is illustrated with our real case data of offshore wind turbines. • It outperforms several competing models in multi-classification fault diagnosis. • It is flexible for diagnostic experts to consider the priority of fault levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fault diagnosis, deep learning plays an important role, but still lacks good interpretability. To address this issue, we develop a novel fault frequency priors fusion deep learning (FFP-DL) framework by introducing fault frequency priors into deep learning. The FFP-DL framework contains two branches: fault frequency priors learning branch (FFPLB) and self-learning branch (SLB). We then propose a pre-training algorithm which can shorten the overall training time especially for training multiple models simultaneously. To illustrate its efficacy, we take convolutional neural network (CNN) as the specific deep learning model in the FFP-DL framework (FFP-CNN), and apply the FFP-CNN model to a private offshore wind turbines (OWTs) data. The experimental results show that the FFP fusion does help improve the performance of fault diagnosis in terms of accuracy and Marco-F1-score and provide good interpretability to the diagnosis results with the distinguished feature of predicted FFP. With the training data reduction, the performance of the FFP-CNN model does not deteriorate quickly, which implies that this framework is also suitable for less data. In addition, the result reveals the fact that the pre-training algorithm does reduce convergence epochs, which will help the FFP-CNN model train faster during the training process. • The FFP-DL framework is proposed by adding fault frequency priors to deep learning. • It is a flexible framework by considering different deep learning structures. • It contains two branches for both frequency priors learning and self-learning. • Its efficacy has been demonstrated on the fault diagnosis of offshore WTs. • The empirical results show that the FFP fusion does make sense in fault diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Evidence remains limited and inconsistent for the associations between sustained air pollution exposures and diabetes development. This study aimed to determine the potential effects of particulate matter with a diameter of ≤10 micrometres (PM10), particulate matter with a diameter of ≤2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on alterations of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), in particular, on prevalence and incidence of diabetes. Methods Cross-sectional analyses were conducted based on 9628 participants aged ≥45 years from the baseline survey (2011) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), whereas cohort analyses were based on 3510 individuals without diabetes at baseline in the third survey (2015). Residences of participants were geocoded and the air pollution exposures were estimated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. Linear, logistic and modified Poisson regression models, adjusting for multiple confounders, were applied to assess the associations between air pollution and FPG, HbA1c, prevalence and incidence of diabetes, respectively. Results Associations between PM10, PM2.5 and increased levels of FPG and HbA1c were identified. The levels of FPG and HbA1c increased by 0.025 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.007, 0.044) and 0.011 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.002, 0.019), respectively, for a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM10, and the levels of FPG and HbA1c increased by 0.061 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.028, 0.096) and 0.016 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.000, 0.031), respectively, for a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. There were also positive associations between diabetes prevalence and PM2.5 and PM10. In the cohort analyses, PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 were associated with a higher incidence of diabetes. Conclusion Air pollution was allied to diabetes development in elderly Chinese populations. Considering the impact of the dramatic increase in the incidence and prevalence of diabetes in China, interventions to improve air quality are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) is a major factor determining crop growth and productivity. It is closely related to N acquisition and assimilation efficiency. In this study, the respective responses and mechanisms of highland barley (Kunlun14) and barley (Ganpi6) were investigated under low N condition. The root length, plant height, root/shoot ratio, and relative root growth rate in Kunlun14 were greater than those in Ganpi6 under low N stress, suggesting Kunlun14 has stronger tolerance to low N. The contents of nitrate and amino acids were decreased more in Ganpi6 than in Kunlun14 under low N stress. Moreover, Kunlun14 maintained higher nitrate uptake, translocation and assimilation capacity than Ganpi6. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity, especially the plastidic G6PDH (Pla-G6PDH) activity, was markedly induced by low N in Kunlun14. Glucosamine, a G6PDH inhibitor, reduced nitrate uptake and assimilation capacity under low N stress. qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq analysis showed that the expression of HvG6PDH3 , encoding Pla-G6PDH3, was markedly induced by low N in barley roots. In addition, the differentially expressed genes in barley roots involved in hormones, transcription factors and cell wall biosynthesis play key roles under low N by regulating root development and N metabolism. Overexpression of HvG6PDH3 in Arabidopsis up-regulated the expression of AtNRT1.5 and AtNRT2.1 and increased the nitrate uptake and translocation capacity, which resulted in higher seed yield in HvG6PDH3 -overexpressors under low N stress. Taken together, HvG6PDH3 and the genes involved in regulating root architecture play essential roles in Kunlun14 tolerance to low N, which is conductive to maintaining high N uptake and assimilation efficiency. • Highland barley (Kunlun14) has higher NUE than barley (Ganpi6) under low N stress. • HvG6PDH3 is involved in the tolerance of highland barley to low N by positively regulating N uptake and assimilation. • DEGs involved in plant hormones, transcription factors and cell wall biosynthesis play key roles under low N stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Soil P limitation constrains rather than promotes microbial C metabolism. • Removal of microbial P limitation by P addition increases CO 2 release from soils by 19%–26% • Negative or positive relationship of microbial C and P limitations depend on soil C availability. • Alleviated microbial P limitation promotes soil C release via q CO 2 and priming effect under C sufficiency. • Soil native C decomposition via priming effect dominates soil C release under C limitation. Phosphorus (P) limitation to microorganisms is increasingly recognized in soils, but how the limitation mediates the metabolic processes of microbes driving soil carbon (C) release remains unclear. Here, we performed a 60-day incubation experiment adding two 13C-labeled organic C sources (glucose and straw) at five inorganic P addition levels in loess with low available P from the Loess Plateau, China. The nutrient limitations of microbes were quantified by enzymatic vector analysis, associated with soil respiration, microbial metabolic quotient (q CO 2), C use efficiency (CUE) and priming effect (PE) at both early (10 days) and late (60 days) stages of incubation. Results showed that reducing microbial P limitation increased CO 2 release from soils by 19–26% and from labeled glucose and straw by 12% and 29%, respectively. This indicated that soil P limitation overall constrains rather than promotes microbial C metabolism. A negative relationship between relative C and P limitations at the first 10-day incubation further indicated that added P (decreased P-acquiring enzyme activities) stimulated microbial C metabolism (increased C-acquiring enzyme activities) under enough C source. Whereas a positive relationship at 60-day incubation suggested that high microbial heterotrophic respiration under high P addition alleviate their C limitation. Furthermore, both multiple regression and partial least squares path models indicated that an increase in CO 2 release with P and C additions at early incubation was due to two processes, i.e., increasing available P promoted decomposition of native soil organic C due to PE as well as decay of added organic C by increasing q CO 2 and decreasing CUE. At late incubation, however, P addition increasing decomposition of native soil C via PE is the dominated control on CO 2 release under C limitation. We conclude that microbes are dominant by maintenance rather than growth metabolism in loess with low phosphorus availability, whereas the pathways of the metabolism driving C release depend on soil C availability. Our findings suggest that microbial P limitation has considerable positive effects on soil C sequestration in these ecosystems with low soil P availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embryo development is essential for seed yield and post-germination growth. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the rate-limiting enzyme in oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP), is widely involved in plant development and stress tolerance by providing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). In this study, the double mutant (g6pd5/6), overexpression line (G6PD5/6OE) and complementation line (g6pd5/6 Comp) of cytosolic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases (Cyt-G6PD) were used to investigate Cyt-G6PD roles in embryo development of Arabidopsis. The results showed that the germination rate of g6pd5/6 seeds was delayed in comparison with that of Col-0; moreover, 11.5% of g6pd5/6 seeds did not germinate. The dysfunction of Cyt-G6PD resulted in decreased fresh weight and primary root length of g6pd5/6 seedlings. The height and silique length of g6pd5/6 plants were also decreased. Moreover, the abortion rate of siliques and seeds of g6pd5/6 plants were increased compared with those of Col-0, G6PD5/6OE and g6pd5/6 Comp lines. However, the dysfunction of Cyt-G6PD did not affect pollen activity; but in g6pd5/6 , the embryo development was partially delayed or inhibited. The contents of fatty acids and storage proteins, two main storage materials in Arabidopsis seeds, were decreased in g6pd5/6 seeds. Exogenous application of fatty acids (C18:2; C18:3) alleviated the delayed germination of g6pd5/6 seeds. RT-qPCR results further demonstrated that the early embryo development genes were down-regulated in g6pd5/6. Taken together, Cyt-G6PD plays a pivotal role in plant seed development by regulating the transcriptions of early embryo development genes and the accumulation of storage materials (especially fatty acids). • Cyt-G6PD mutation affects the transcription of genes involved in embryonic development in Arabidopsis. • Cyt-G6PD mutation decreases the contents of fatty acids and storage proteins in g6pd5/6 seeds. • Cyt-G6PD dysfunction reduces seed yield and delays post-embryonic development of Arabidopsis seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft network materials (SNMs) are a class of network materials with periodic thin curved filaments in lattice patterns, offering excellent physical properties of high stretchability, highly tunable mechanical properties, and lightweight. Several theoretical models have been established for the inverse-engineering design of SNMs for reproducing the nonlinear J-shaped stress–strain curves for mechanical bionics. However, the existing design models required the semi-subjective decision in the choice of key geometric parameters, critical strain, etc., under the limited material libraries. In this study, we developed a brand-new hybrid operators-based multifactorial evolutionary algorithm (HOMFEA) for the inverse-engineering design of SNMs to reproduce the J-shaped stress–strain curves of various target soft biological tissues. The core algorithms in HOMFEA include a hybrid operator proposed based on the memetic algorithm theory, a vertical cultural transmission, and population formation coupled with modeling methods for SNMs. The HOMFEA-based design strategy allows more accurate reproduction of target stress–strain curves compared to the conventional EA-based framework and a phenomenological-based mechanical model. The high-performance computing capability suggests that it can serve as a reliable tool for more inverse-engineering design scenarios. • The EA approach was pioneeringly adopted for designing soft network materials (SNMs) consisting of complex thin curved filaments. • A new-architecture hybrid operator-based multifactorial evolutionary algorithm (HOMFEA) was developed, presenting strong capabilities of structural searchability and multi-tasks processing. • The HOMFEA-based design strategy allows end-to-end reverse-engineering design of SNMs, which reproduce the target J-shaped stress–strain curves of soft biological tissues precisely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]