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A common dilemma with deep-learning-based solar power forecasting models is their heavy dependence on a large amount of training data. Few-Shot Solar Power Forecasting (FSSPF) has been investigated in this paper, which aims to obtain accurate forecasting models with limited training data. Integrating Transfer Learning and Meta-Learning, approaches of Feature Transfer and Rapid Adaptation (FTRA), have been proposed for FSSPF. Specifically, the adopted model will be divided into Transferable learner and Adaptive learner. Using massive training data from source solar plants, Transferable learner and Adaptive learner will be pre-trained through a Transfer Learning and Meta-Learning algorithm, respectively. Ultimately, the parameters of the Adaptive learner will undergo fine-tuning using the limited training data obtained directly from the target solar plant. Three open solar power forecasting datasets (GEFCom2014) were utilized to conduct 24-h-ahead FSSPF experiments. The results illustrate that the proposed FTRA is able to outperform other FSSPF approaches, under various amounts of training data as well as different deep-learning models. Notably, with only 10-day training data, the proposed FTRA can achieve an RMSR of 8.42%, which will be lower than the 0.5% achieved by the state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report acoustic impulse-response and system function of particle vibration inside viscous, dense solids and explain the physical mechanism of intrinsic-noise generation. With an external disturbance of a harmonic force acting on particles inside viscous solid media, the system of particle vibration goes through a gradual transition from a static state to a steady harmonic vibrational state. Based on the damped oscillator model, the transition frequency spectrum resembles the intrinsic noise generated by vibrating particles in viscous isotropic solids, which delivers a crucial understanding for applications to invert stratum characteristics around the drilled oil well and its abnormal geological structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ionic liquids were first used as catalysts to prepare lipophilic tyrosol laurate. • A high yield of tyrosol laurate (94.24 ± 1.23 %) was obtained by esterification. • Ionic liquid [Bmim]HSO 4 showed excellent catalytic performance and recyclability. • Lipophilic tyrosol laurate showed favorable ABTS radical scavenging ability. • This study proposed a new idea for the synthesis of tyrosol esters. Tyrosol is a natural phenolic compound with potent antioxidant properties in the field of food manufacturing. However, the low lipophilicity of tyrosol limited its application. Therefore, the construction of tyrosol laurate (Tyr-L) could effectively overcome the limitations of tyrosol. In this work, four ionic liquids (ILs) were applied for TYr-L preparation. Among them, the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([Bmim]HSO 4) showed the best catalytic performance. The maximum TYr-L yield was achieved (94.24 ± 1.23 %) under the optimal conditions (reaction temperature 119 °C, substrate ratio 1:6.7, IL dosage 9.2 %, and reaction time 12 h). The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were also evaluated and it was found that E a, Δ H , Δ S , and Δ G were 80.81 kJ·mol−1, 77.63 kJ·mol−1, −82.08 J·(mol·K)−1, and 109.89 kJ·mol−1, respectively. The acidic [Bmim]HSO 4 demonstrated excellent reusability and stability, even after 6 cycles. Furthermore, TYr-L showed superior ABTS radical scavenging ability, which could be further applied in various industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we constructed nanoscale graphene oxide (NGO) as a drug nanocarrier to improve the process of tumor-targeted drug releases, promote cellular uptake and accumulation of chemotherapy drugs in tumor tissues, and reduce the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs on normal cells. Hence, great stability was obtained in the biological solution. Moreover, we designed an effective nanoparticle system for the doxorubicin (DOX) delivery targeting the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by mediating the HN-1 (TSPLNIHNGQKL) through hydrogen and π–π bonds. DOX@NGO-PEG-HN-1 showed significantly higher cellular uptakes and cytotoxicity in OSCC cells (CAL-27 and SCC-25), compared to free DOX. Moreover, HN-1 showed considerable tumor-targeting and competition inhibition phenomenon. As we expected, the nanocarrier showed pH-responsive drug release. In total, our study represented a good technique to construct OSCC-targeted delivery of nanoparticles and improve the anticancer medicines' efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WD40 gene family is a highly conserved protein family in plants that plays a crucial role in various life activities. Although eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genome sequencing has been completed, there is limited research on the WD40 family in eggplant, and the regulatory mechanism of its involvement in anthocyanin synthesis remains poorly understood. The research identified the eggplant WD40 gene family, comprising 187 SmWD40 members that are unevenly distributed across 12 chromosomes of the eggplant. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into 11 subgroups, with members within the same subgroup having similar motifs and gene structures. The promoter of the SmWD40 genes contains a high number of light, stress, and hormone response elements. The expression patterns of 20 SmWD40 members of the S5 subgroup were analyzed during the formation of fruit color in long purple eggplant. Subsequently, we used virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to confirm the significance of the TTG1 (SmWD40-56) gene in subgroup S5 for anthocyanin synthesis in eggplant fruit. To investigate the molecular mechanism of SmWD40-56 in eggplant fruit color formation, we analyzed the expression patterns of structural genes for anthocyanin synthesis in eggplant fruit silenced for SmWD40-56. Finally, we predicted the protein interaction network of the SmWD40-56 gene to understand its potential regulatory mechanisms. The result showed that SmWD40-56 may regulate the structural genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and plays an important role in eggplant fruit color formation. This study provides some basis for studying the mechanism of eggplant fruit color formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hyperbranched epoxy resins (HERs) is a group of thermoset resins which can be used to improve specifically the toughness and strength of popular diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA). However, a relationship between the epoxy equivalent weight (EEW) of HERs and the level of property improvement has not been established due to the difficulty to control their EEW. Here we report the synthesis of a series of hyperbranched epoxy resins with different EEW (EHBP-n) through thiol-ene click reaction between thiol-ended hyperbranched polyesters and allylglycidyl ether. The rheological properties of the uncured EHBP-n/DGEBA blends are determined by viscosity and modulus changes, and are directly affected by the EEW of EHBP-n. Moreover, the EEW of EHBP-n also can tune the glass transition temperature and mechanical performances of the cured EHBP-n/DGEBA composites, and these properties first increased and then decreased with a decrease in the EEW of EHBP-n. At 9 wt % of EHBP-6, the improvements on the tensile, flexural, impact and adhesive strengths are 38.9%, 35.3%, 158.6% and 96.2%, respectively, compared with those of cured DGEBA. This result will give a basic guidance for obtaining epoxy resins with various performance. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Hyperbranched epoxy resins with a controlled epoxy equivalent weight (EHBP-n) were synthesized. • The rheological properties of the uncured EHBP-n/DGEBA blends were also researched. • EHBP-n has an positive effect on mechanical strength on DGEBA. • The paper will give a basic guidance for obtaining epoxy resins with various performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Hyperbranched epoxy resins with a controlled degree of branching (NPEHP-n) were synthesized. • The particle sizes, rheological properties, mechanical and thermal properties of NPEHP-n/DGEBA were studied. • Excellent flowability and disentangling function of NPEHP-n on DGEBA were reported. • The paper will supply an available route to obtain low viscosity and solvent-free epoxy resins. Abstract Epoxy-ended hyperbranched polymers (EHPs) are increasingly used in toughening and reinforcing diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA). Synthesis of EHPs with a precise degree of branching (DB) and the effect of DB on the property of EHPs are still a challenge. Here we report the synthesis and properties of nitrogen-phosphor skeleton epoxy-ended hyperbranched polymers (NPEHP-n) with a controlled degree of branching. The particle sizes, rheological properties, mechanical and thermal properties of NPEHP-n/DGEBA composites were studied in detail and compared with those of pure DGEBA. The particle sizes, viscosities, storage modulus and loss modulus of NPEHP-n/DGEBA blends decrease with an increase in DB and content of NPEHP-n, indicating excellent flowability of NPEHP-n with high DB and disentangled function of NPEHP-n. The mechanical performances of the cured NPEHP-n/DGEBA composites increase distinctly with the increase of the DBs and content of NPEHP-n, including the tensile, flexural and impact strength, showing a maximum value at about 9 wt% of NPEHP-n. The improvements on the tensile, flexural, and impact strengths are 31.7–42.8%, 56.4–76.4%, and 172.0–198.3%, respectively. The results will supply available route for disentangling DGEBA chain to obtain low viscosity epoxy resins and solvent-free coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) after n‐doping is a great challenge for the advance of the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, we report a series of thiazole imide‐based n‐type polymers by gradually increasing selenophene content in polymeric backbone. Thanks to the strong intramolecular noncovalent N⋅⋅⋅S interaction and enhanced intermolecular Se⋅⋅⋅Se interaction, with the increase of selenophene content, the polymers show gradually lowered LUMOs, more planar backbone, and improved film crystallinity versus the selenophene‐free analogue. Consequently, polymer PDTzSI−Se with the highest selenophene content achieves a champion σ of 164.0 S cm−1 and a power factor of 49.0 μW m−1 K−2 in the series when applied in OTEs after n‐doping. The σ value is the highest one for n‐type donor‐acceptor OTE materials reported to date. Our work indicates that selenophene substitution is a powerful strategy for developing high‐performance n‐type OTE materials and selenophene incorporated thiazole imides offer an excellent platform in enabling n‐type polymers with high backbone coplanarity, deep‐lying LUMO and enhanced mobility/conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) after n‐doping is a great challenge for the advance of the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, we report a series of thiazole imide‐based n‐type polymers by gradually increasing selenophene content in polymeric backbone. Thanks to the strong intramolecular noncovalent N⋅⋅⋅S interaction and enhanced intermolecular Se⋅⋅⋅Se interaction, with the increase of selenophene content, the polymers show gradually lowered LUMOs, more planar backbone, and improved film crystallinity versus the selenophene‐free analogue. Consequently, polymer PDTzSI−Se with the highest selenophene content achieves a champion σ of 164.0 S cm−1 and a power factor of 49.0 μW m−1 K−2 in the series when applied in OTEs after n‐doping. The σ value is the highest one for n‐type donor‐acceptor OTE materials reported to date. Our work indicates that selenophene substitution is a powerful strategy for developing high‐performance n‐type OTE materials and selenophene incorporated thiazole imides offer an excellent platform in enabling n‐type polymers with high backbone coplanarity, deep‐lying LUMO and enhanced mobility/conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-2 toxin is one of the most important trichothecene mycotoxins occurring in various agriculture products. The developmental toxicity of T-2 toxin and the exact mechanism of action at early life stages are not understood precisely. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of the toxin at 4–6 hours post fertilization (hpf) stage of development, and were observed for different developmental toxic effects at 24, 48, 72, and 144 hpf. Exposure to 0.20 μmol/L or higher concentrations of T-2 toxin significantly increased the mortality and malformation rate such as tail deformities, cardiovascular defects and behavioral changes in early developmental stages of zebrafish. T-2 toxin exposure resulted in significant increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell apoptosis, mainly in the tail areas, as revealed by Acridine Orange staining at 24 hpf. In addition, T-2 toxin-induced severe tail deformities could be attenuated by co-exposure to reduced glutathione (GSH). T-2 toxin and GSH co-exposure induced a significant decrease of ROS production in the embryos. The overall results demonstrate that T-2 toxin is able to produce oxidative stress and induce apoptosis, which are involved in the developmental toxicity of T-2 toxin in zebrafish embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetically recoverable catalyst was conveniently synthesized by the immobilization of sulfonic acid on the surface of silica-encapsulated Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and it was used to catalyze the conversion of fructose-based carbohydrates into 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF). A high EMF yield of 89.3 % was obtained from the etherification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural at 100 °C for 10 h. The one-pot conversion of fructose could produce EMF with a yield of 72.5 %. More importantly, EMF was also obtained in a satisfactory yield of 63.3 % when the polysaccharide inulin was used as the starting material. The excellent EMF yield showed that the catalyst had strong and sufficient acidic sites, which were responsible for the good catalytic performance. After the reaction, the catalyst could be readily removed from the reaction mixture by means of an external magnetic field, and the catalyst could be reused several times without significant loss in its catalytic activity. Incidentally, the product EMF was easily obtained through the evaporation of the solvent, ethanol, under reduced pressure at low temperature (ca. 40 °C), and the ethanol could also be reused. The integrated utilization of a biorenewable feedstock, magnetically recoverable catalyst, and bio-based green solvent is a typical example of an ideal green chemical process to produce potential liquid fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thepaper deals with oxidation of the biomass-derived model molecule5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) catalyzed by the trimetallic mixedoxide RuCo(OH)2CeO2. The catalyst RuCo(OH)2CeO2was prepared through alkali hydrolysis ofRuCl3, Co(NO3)2, and Ce(NO3)2and characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmissionelectron microscopy techniques. RuCo(OH)2CeO2showed high catalytic activity for aerobic oxidation of HMF undermild conditions (in the case of atmospheric oxygen pressure). Variousreaction parameters such as the reaction temperature, catalyst amount,solvent, and oxidant were explored. Results demonstrated that theoxidant and solvent showed a remarkable effect on the aerobic oxidationof HMF to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF). Under optimal conditions, DFF wasobtained in a high yield of 82.6% with HMF conversion of 96.5% after12 h at 120 °C. More importantly, the catalyst could be reusedseveral times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Effects of HPLC and VSP methods on ACE-inhibition assay were compared. [•] The HPLC method exhibits higher precision and reproducibility than VSP. [•] VSP provides a simplistic and rapid mean for the chemical analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reprogramming of somatic cells into inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provides an alternative to using embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human hair follicles (hHF-MSCs) are easily accessible, reproducible by direct plucking of human hairs. Whether these hHF-MSCs can be reprogrammed has not been previously reported. Here we report the generation of iPSCs from hHF-MSCs obtained by plucking several hairs. hHF-MSCs were isolated from hair follicle tissues and their mesenchymal nature confirmed by detecting cell surface antigens and multilineage differentiation potential towards adipocytes and osteoblasts. They were then reprogrammed into iPSCs by lentiviral transduction with Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4. hHF-MSC-derived iPSCs appeared indistinguishable from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in colony morphology, expression of alkaline phosphotase, and expression of specific hESCs surface markers, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, Tra-1-60, Tra-1-81, Nanog, Oct4, E-Cadherin and endogenous pluripotent genes. When injected into immunocompromised mice, hHF-MSC-derived iPSCs formed teratomas containing representatives of all three germ layers. This is the first study to report reprogramming of hHF-MSCs into iPSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Peptides inhibiting angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE, EC. 3.4.15.1) are possible cures of hypertension. Food-derived ACE-inhibitory peptides are particularly attractive because of reduced side effects. Previously, we reported ACE-inhibitory activity of grass carp protein hydrolysates. In this work, we report steps for purifying the ACE-inhibitory peptide from the hydrolysate and its biochemical properties. Following steps of ultrafiltration, macroporous adsorption resin, and two steps of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RE-HPLC), a single Val-Ala-Pro (VAP) tripeptide was identified. The tripeptide with excellent ACE-inhibitory activity (IC50 value of 0.00534mg/mL) was a competitive ACE inhibitor and stable against both ACE and gastrointestinal enzymes of pepsin and chymotrypsin. This is the first report of food-derived VAP. The identified unique biochemical properties of VAP may enable the application of grass carp protein hydrolysates as a functional food for treatments of hypertension. The developed purification conditions also allow the production of VAP for pharmaceutical applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A metabonomic approach using 1H NMR spectroscopy was adopted to investigate the metabonomic pattern of rat urine after oral administration of environmental endocrine disruptors (EDs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD) alone or in combination and to explore the possible hepatotoxic mechanisms of combined exposure to PCBs and TCDD. 1H NMR spectra of urines collected 24h before and after exposure were analyzed via pattern recognition by using principal component analysis (PCA). Serum biochemistry and liver histopathology indicated significant hepatotoxicity in the rats of the combined group. The PCA scores plots of urinary 1H NMR data showed that all the treatment groups could be easily distinguished from the control group, so could the PCBs or TCDD group and the combined group. The loadings plots of the PCA revealed remarkable increases in the levels of lactate, glucose, taurine, creatine, and 2-hydroxy-isovaleric acid and reductions in the levels of 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, succinate, hippurate, and trimethylamine-N-oxide in rat urine after exposure. These changes were more striking in the combined group. The changed metabolites may be considered possible biomarker for the hepatotoxicity. The present study demonstrates that combined exposure to PCBs and TCDD induced significant hepatotoxicity in rats, and mitochondrial dysfunction and fatty acid metabolism perturbations might contribute to the hepatotoxicity. There was good conformity between changes in the urine metabonomic pattern and those in serum biochemistry and liver histopathology. These results showed that the NMR-based metabonomic approach may provide a promising technique for the evaluation of the combined toxicity of EDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural polymer-based hydrogels have demonstrated great potential as wound-healing dressings. They help to maintain a moist wound environment as well as promote faster healing. In this work, a multifunctional hydrogel was prepared using keratin, sodium alginate, and carboxymethyl chitosan with tannic acid modification. Micro-morphology of hydrogels has been performed by scanning electron microscopy. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy reveals the presence of hydrogen bonding. The mechanical properties of the hydrogels were examined using a universal testing machine. Furthermore, we investigated several properties of the modified hydrogel. These properties include swelling rate, water retention, anti-freezing properties, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, hemocompatibility evaluation and cell viability test in vitro. The modified hydrogel has a three-dimensional microporous structure, the swelling rate was 1541.7%, the elastic modulus was 589.74 kPa, the toughness was 211.74 kJ/m3, and the elongation at break was 75.39%, which was similar to the human skin modulus. The modified hydrogel also showed inhibition of S. aureus and E. coli, as well as a DPPH scavenging rate of 95%. In addition, the modified hydrogels have good biological characteristics. Based on these findings, the K/SA/CCS hydrogel holds promise for applications in biomedical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) stands as a prevalent subtype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, leading to disease recurrence and low survival rates. PPARγ, a ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factor, holds significance in tumor development. However, the role of PPARγ in the development of OSCC has not been fully elucidated. Through transcriptome sequencing analysis, we discovered a notable enrichment of ferroptosis-related molecules upon treatment with PPARγ antagonist. We subsequently confirmed the occurrence of ferroptosis through transmission electron microscopy, iron detection, etc. Notably, ferroptosis inhibitors could not completely rescue the cell death caused by PPARγ inhibitors, and the rescue effect was the greatest when disulfidptosis and ferroptosis inhibitors coexisted. We confirmed that the disulfidptosis phenotype indeed existed. Mechanistically, through qPCR and Western blotting, we observed that the inhibition of PPARγ resulted in the upregulation of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), thereby promoting ferroptosis, while solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) was also upregulated to promote disulfidptosis in OSCC. Finally, a flow cytometry analysis of flight and multiplex immunohistochemical staining was used to characterize the immune status of PPARγ antagonist-treated OSCC tissues in a mouse tongue orthotopic transplantation tumor model, and the results showed that the inhibition of PPARγ led to ferroptosis and disulfidptosis, promoted the aggregation of cDCs and CD8+ T cells, and inhibited the progression of OSCC. Overall, our findings reveal that PPARγ plays a key role in regulating cell death in OSCC and that targeting PPARγ may be a potential therapeutic approach for OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thiol-epoxy click reaction was used as an energy-saving and high-efficient crosslinking approach. • THBP-n were used to crosslink diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) by a thiol-epoxy click reaction. • THBP-n could improve the crosslinking efficiency of DGEBA about 5 times. • THBP-n could increase several times of mechanical strength of DGEBA. • The reinforcement mechanism was attributable to the minimization of internal molecular free volume. Simultaneous improvement on mechanical performance, thermal stability and crosslinking efficiency of epoxy resins is a large challenge. Here, we have synthesized a series of thiol-ended hyperbranched polymers (THBP-n) as curing agents to crosslink bisphenol-A epoxy resins by a thiol-epoxy click reaction. Compared with the common amine curing agent, the THBP-n could improve the crosslinking efficiency of DGEBA about 5 times. Increasing the thiol group number n from 3 to 6, 9 in THBP-n, the tensile strength, flexual strength, impact toughness of cured THBP-n/DGEBA materials increased simultaneously and sharply several times, besides their thermal degradation and glass transition temperatures raised to some extent. This improvement could be attributable to the synergetic effect about the minimization of internal molecular free volume, hyperbranched structure, and high-crosslinking density, substantiated by integrating techniques of dynamic light scattering, dynamic mechanical analysis, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and SEM, and the novel mechanism was proposed. The thiol-epoxy click reaction will supply an energy-saving route for high-efficient crosslinking of thermosetting epoxy resins with excellent comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is rising continuously. MetS is recently proposed as a predictor for the occurrence of vascular defects causing stroke. Carotid atherosclerosis is a major cause of disabling stroke and death. The presence of carotid plaques is associated with future cardiovascular (CV) events, with local plaque composition being an independent outcome predictor. We examined the association between ultrasonographically determined carotid plaque calcification and CV risk factors in MetS. This was a cross-sectional study with a total of 58 patients with MetS who underwent routine carotid ultrasonography of both carotid arteries to detect presence of calcified atherosclerotic plaque. Plaques with high echogenic nodules and posterior shadowing were considered calcified. Those who had no apparent cardiovascular vascular disease (CVD). After careful clinical examinations and biochemical evaluations. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationship between CV risk factors and carotid plaque calcification in studied subjects. Of this study subjects, the mean age was 63.8 ± 7.8 years. Carotid calcification was detected in 19.3% of the patients. We found that presence of carotid plaque calcification had statistically significantly positive correlations with the prevalence of autonomic dysfunction (p = 0.03), CKD (p = 0.001), framingham stroke risk score (FSRS) (p = 0.005), mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p = 0.05), and log creatinine (log cre) (p = 0.02), and negative correlations with log estimated Glomerular filtration rate (log eGFR) (p = -0.01). Results of logistic regression analysis showed that prevalence of CKD (p = 0.02) was significantly associated with carotid plaque calcification after adjustment of confounding risk factors. Our results suggest that carotid plaque calcification presence significantly related to CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing low‐cost and high‐performance n‐type polymer semiconductors is essential to accelerate the application of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). To achieve this objective, it is critical to design strong electron‐deficient building blocks with simple structure and easy synthesis, which are essential for the development of n‐type polymer semiconductors. Herein, we synthesized two cyano‐functionalized highly electron‐deficient building blocks, namely 3,6‐dibromopyrazine‐2‐carbonitrile (CNPz) and 3,6‐Dibromopyrazine‐2,5‐dicarbonitrile (DCNPz), which feature simple structures and facile synthesis. CNPz and DCNPz can be obtained via only one‐step reaction and three‐step reactions from cheap raw materials, respectively. Based on CNPz and DCNPz, two acceptor–acceptor (A–A) polymers, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) are successfully developed, featuring deep‐positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, which are beneficial to n‐type organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs) and OTEs performance. An optimal unipolar electron mobility of 0.85 and 1.85 cm2 V−1 s−1 is obtained for P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz), respectively. When doped with N‐DMBI, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) show high n‐type electrical conductivities/power factors of 25.3 S cm−1/41.4 μW m−1 K−2, and 33.9 S cm−1/30.4 μW m−1 K−2, respectively. Hence, the cyano‐functionalized pyrazine CNPz and DCNPz represent a new class of structurally simple, low‐cost and readily accessible electron‐deficient building block for constructing n‐type polymer semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing low‐cost and high‐performance n‐type polymer semiconductors is essential to accelerate the application of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). To achieve this objective, it is critical to design strong electron‐deficient building blocks with simple structure and easy synthesis, which are essential for the development of n‐type polymer semiconductors. Herein, we synthesized two cyano‐functionalized highly electron‐deficient building blocks, namely 3,6‐dibromopyrazine‐2‐carbonitrile (CNPz) and 3,6‐Dibromopyrazine‐2,5‐dicarbonitrile (DCNPz), which feature simple structures and facile synthesis. CNPz and DCNPz can be obtained via only one‐step reaction and three‐step reactions from cheap raw materials, respectively. Based on CNPz and DCNPz, two acceptor–acceptor (A–A) polymers, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) are successfully developed, featuring deep‐positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, which are beneficial to n‐type organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs) and OTEs performance. An optimal unipolar electron mobility of 0.85 and 1.85 cm2 V−1 s−1 is obtained for P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz), respectively. When doped with N‐DMBI, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) show high n‐type electrical conductivities/power factors of 25.3 S cm−1/41.4 μW m−1 K−2, and 33.9 S cm−1/30.4 μW m−1 K−2, respectively. Hence, the cyano‐functionalized pyrazine CNPz and DCNPz represent a new class of structurally simple, low‐cost and readily accessible electron‐deficient building block for constructing n‐type polymer semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the increasing wind power forecasting (WPF) demands of newly built wind farms without historical data, physical WPF methods are widely used. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) pre-calculated flow fields (CPFF)-based WPF is a promising physical approach, which can balance well the competing demands of computational efficiency and accuracy. To enhance its adaptability for wind farms in complex terrain, a WPF method combining wind turbine clustering with CPFF is first proposed where the wind turbines in the wind farm are clustered and a forecasting is undertaken for each cluster. K-means, hierarchical agglomerative and spectral analysis methods are used to establish the wind turbine clustering models. The Silhouette Coefficient, Calinski-Harabaz index and within-between index are proposed as criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the established clustering models. Based on different clustering methods and schemes, various clustering databases are built for clustering pre-calculated CFD (CPCC)-based short-term WPF. For the wind farm case studied, clustering evaluation criteria show that hierarchical agglomerative clustering has reasonable results, spectral clustering is better and K-means gives the best performance. The WPF results produced by different clustering databases also prove the effectiveness of the three evaluation criteria in turn. The newly developed CPCC model has a much higher WPF accuracy than the CPFF model without using clustering techniques, both on temporal and spatial scales. The research provides supports for both the development and improvement of short-term physical WPF systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant tumor that occurs in the oral mucosa. Pathological biopsy is still the current gold standard for OSCC diagnosis; however, some drawbacks need to be overcome. Therefore, it is urgently needed to find a non-invasive targeted technology for OSCC early diagnosis. Fluorescent optical imaging using near infrared (NIR) dyes tagged to tumor specific target will benefit such developments. Gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) is an attractive target for OSCC imaging and therapy. In this study, we synthesized nano-graphene oxide (NGO) nanoparticles with GRPR-specific peptides AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN via hydrogen bond and π–π bonds (NGO-BBN-AF750), and investigated their receptor binding, cell uptake and internalization in HSC-3 cells. NGO-BBN-AF750 and AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN showed a similar binding affinity to GRPR on HSC-3 cells. In contrast to AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN antagonist peptide, NGO-BBN-AF750 showed cellular internalization property. Overall, this study proposes a NGO nanoclusters-based nanoprobe for GRPR targeted near-infrared fluorescence imaging for OSCC. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems have shown highly significant potential in the delivery of a wide range of therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ATP bioluminescence method has been increasingly employed as a rapid, on-site detection method in nosocomial infections control. In this study, we used a paired design of monitoring methods, the colony counting method (C) and the ATP bioluminescence method, to evaluate environmental surfaces after disinfection. The ATP bioluminescence method included three detector types (B, P, and N). Every surface after disinfection was performed by combining two types of monitoring methods or detectors. There was no statistically significant difference in theATP content per surface siteamong samples from intensive care units (ICUs)and internal medicine wards using B (p = 0.435) and P (p = 0.260). According to the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, with the exception of the correlation between the ATP content values detected by B and P, the correlation between the values generated by the remaining methods/detectors was weak or lacking, whereasthe differences between the detectors were statistically significant. Therefore, there are differences between the ATP bioluminescence method and the colony counting method, also between different detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerized small molecule acceptors have recently greatly facilitated the development of all‐polymer solar cells (All‐PSCs) with respect to the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). However, high‐performance and low‐cost polymer donors for All‐PSCs are still lacking, limiting further large‐scale manufacturing of All‐PSCs. Herein, this work designs and synthesizes a new thiophene derivative, FETVT, featuring vinyl‐bridged fluorine and ester‐substituted monothiophene. Incorporation of FETVT into a polymer yields a high‐performance polythiophene derivative PFETVT‐T, which exhibits deep‐lying HOMO level, suitable solution pre‐aggregation ability, finely‐tuned polymer crystallinity, and appropriate thermodynamic miscibility with the polymer acceptor L15. As a result, binary based on PFETVT‐T achieves a record PCE of 11.81% with agood stability, representing a breakthrough for polythiophenes and their derivatives‐based All‐PSCs, which is also significantly higher than that (1.92%) of All‐PSCs based on its isomerized analog. Remarkably, PFETVT‐T achieves an impressive PCE exceeding 16% via the implementation of a ternary blend design. These findings offer a hopeful pathway toward attaining high‐performance, stable, and cost‐effective PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a common disease in plastic and cosmetic surgery, with limited treatment options, and is a challenge for clinicians. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser combined with botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) in treating HSs in rabbit ears and to provide new strategies for treating HS. Methods: Twenty‐four New Zealand white rabbits with induced HSs were randomly divided into one control and three treatment groups. After 4 weeks of modeling, BTXA (2.0 U) was injected into the HS of the BTXA and combination groups, whereas a fractional CO2 laser (combo mode, deep energy: 12.5 mJ; super energy: 90 mJ) was used in the fractional CO2 laser and combination groups. The laser treatments were repeated after 2 weeks. The HSs in the rabbit ears were observed and photographed 5 weeks after the first treatment. The scar thickness in each group was measured and compared, and the scar elevation index (SEI) was determined using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Collagen content and alignment were observed using Masson's trichrome staining. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed to analyze scar‐related protein levels. Results: Hypertrophic scars were reduced in all treatment groups compared with the control group. The combination group had lower scar thickness, SEI, and expression of scar‐related proteins in HSs, with an appearance similar to that of normal rabbit ear skin. Furthermore, the fibroblast content and collagen deposition decreased significantly in the combination group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Fractional CO2 laser combined with BTXA more effectively reduced HSs by inhibiting fibroblast proliferation, decreasing transforming growth factor‐β1 and α‐ smooth muscle actin expression, and causing collagen remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the upstream regulatory molecules of proteasomal activator 28γ (PA28γ), and explore its specific regulatory mechanism and potential clinical significance in OSCC. qPCR was used to examine miR-34a, circFANCA and PSME3 expression. Western blotting was adopted to detect PA28γ expression. Transwell experiments were conducted to evaluate OSCC cell migration and invasion ability. FISH was used to evaluate the subcellular localization of circFANCA and miR-34a, and RNA pull-down verified the interaction between them. The expression of circFANCA and miR-34a in clinical cohorts was assessed by ISH, and the results were subjected to survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Here, we proved that miR-34a expression is lower in highly aggressive OSCC tissues and cell lines. Notably, miR-34a can downregulate PA28γ expression and inhibit OSCC invasion and migration. Next, we confirmed that circFANCA promoted OSCC cell metastatic ability by sponging miR-34a. Importantly, interfering with miR-34a rescued the malignant progression of OSCC induced by silencing circFANCA. Finally, clinical data showed lower miR-34a expression and higher circFANCA expression were associated with poor prognosis in OSCC patients. The circFANCA/miR-34a/PA28γ axis facilitates the metastasis of OSCC, and circFANCA and miR-34a have potential to serve as prognostic markers for OSCC patients. [Display omitted] • CircFANCA directly targeted miR-34a. • CircFANCA mediated PA28γ expression through miR-34a. • CircFANCA silencing inhibited OSCC progression by the miR-34a/PA28γ axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing n‐type polymers with high electrical conductivity remains a major challenge for organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, by devising a novel selenophene‐based electron‐deficient building block, the pronounced advantages of selenium substitution in simultaneously enabling advanced n‐type polymers is demonstrated with high mobility (≈2 orders of magnitude higher versus their sulfur‐based analogues due to both intensified intra‐ and inter‐chain interactions) and much improved n‐doping efficiency (enabled by the largely lowered LUMO level with a ≈0.2 eV margin) of the resulting polymers. Via side chain optimization and donor engineering, the selenium‐substituted polymer, f‐BSeI2TEG‐FT, achieves a highest conductivity of 103.5 S cm−1 and power factor of 70.1 µW m−1 K−2, which are among the highest values reported in literature for n‐type polymers, and f‐BSeI2TEG‐FT greatly outperformed the sulfur‐based analogue polymer by 40% conductivity increase. These results demonstrate that selenium substitution is a very effective strategy for improving n‐type performance and provide important structure‐property correlations for developing high‐performing n‐type OTE materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n‐Type semiconducting polymers with high thermoelectric performance remain challenging due to the scarcity of molecular design strategy, limiting their applications in organic thermoelectric (OTE) devices. Herein, we provide a new approach to enhance the OTE performance of n‐doped polymers by introducing acceptor‐acceptor (A‐A) type backbone bearing branched ethylene glycol (EG) side chains. When doped with 4‐(2,3‐dihydro‐1,3‐dimethyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)‐N,N‐dimethylbenzenamine (N‐DMBI), the A‐A homopolymer PDTzTI‐TEG exhibits n‐type electrical conductivity (σ) up to 34 S cm−1 and power factor value of 15.7 μW m−1 K−2. The OTE performance of PDTzTI‐TEG is far greater than that of homopolymer PBTI‐TEG (σ=0.27 S cm−1), indicating that introducing electron‐deficient thiazole units in the backbone further improves the n‐doping efficiency. These results demonstrate that developing A‐A type polymers with EG side chains is an effective strategy to enhance n‐type OTE performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n‐Type semiconducting polymers with high thermoelectric performance remain challenging due to the scarcity of molecular design strategy, limiting their applications in organic thermoelectric (OTE) devices. Herein, we provide a new approach to enhance the OTE performance of n‐doped polymers by introducing acceptor‐acceptor (A‐A) type backbone bearing branched ethylene glycol (EG) side chains. When doped with 4‐(2,3‐dihydro‐1,3‐dimethyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)‐N,N‐dimethylbenzenamine (N‐DMBI), the A‐A homopolymer PDTzTI‐TEG exhibits n‐type electrical conductivity (σ) up to 34 S cm−1 and power factor value of 15.7 μW m−1 K−2. The OTE performance of PDTzTI‐TEG is far greater than that of homopolymer PBTI‐TEG (σ=0.27 S cm−1), indicating that introducing electron‐deficient thiazole units in the backbone further improves the n‐doping efficiency. These results demonstrate that developing A‐A type polymers with EG side chains is an effective strategy to enhance n‐type OTE performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Bithiophene imide (BTI)‐based polymers have been promising photovoltaic materials due to their high mobility and tunable energy levels. However, BTI polymers have rarely been revisited since organic solar cells (OSCs) entered the era of non‐fullerene electron acceptors (NFEA) likely owing to their incompatibility with NFEAs. Herein, fine‐tuning the aggregation and orientation of BTI‐based donor‐π‐acceptor (D‐π‐A) polymer donors was achieved by incorporating the linear n‐octyl group into thiophene π‐bridge. The resulting polymer donor G15 shows excellent compatibility with NFEA L15 (polymer acceptor). The G15‐based all‐polymer OSCs achieve high power conversion efficiency of 15.17%. This is significantly higher than that (< 5%) of its analogue with isomerized branched alkyl chains and also among the highest values for all‐polymer OSCs. The results highlight that well‐tailored BTI polymer donors are attractive photovoltaic materials for further exploration in non‐fullerene organic solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hole transport materials (HTMs) are of great significance to improve the efficiency and long‐term stability of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). Herein, a series of new HTMs based on isomeric dithienothiophene (DTT) are designed and synthesized. Effects of sulphur (S) atoms positions on defect passivation and performance of PVSCs are systematically investigated through theoretical computation, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. The three molecules display noticeable isomeric effect in energy level, light absorption, and hole mobility. With S atoms varied from bottom‐bottom‐bottom in 3T‐1 to bottom‐bottom‐top in 3T‐2, then to bottom‐top‐bottom in 3T‐3, the grown perovskite crystallite on the corresponding HTMs shows more homeogenous film morphology and less pinhole traps. Meanwhile, nonradiative recombination losses can be suppressed and hole extraction efficiency at HTM/perovskite surface can be improved from 3T‐1 to 3T‐3. As a result, the remarkable improvement of short‐circuit current density nd open‐circuit voltage in inverted perovskite solar cells can be realized with increasing the sulphur atoms contribution to the molecular conjugation. More importantly, 3T‐3‐based dopant‐free HTM achieves a top power conversion efficiency of 19.23% in PVSCs with good device stability under green solvent processing. These results demonstrate the role of S atoms positions in HTMs on photovoltaic performance of PVSCs and the potential of DTT in developing eco‐friendly HTMs toward efficient PVSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high‐performance n‐type polymer semiconductors is powered by the design and synthesis of electron‐deficient building blocks with optimized physicochemical properties. By meticulously installing an imide group onto fluorene and its cyanated derivative, we report here two very electron‐deficient building blocks, imide‐functionalized fluorenone (FOI) and its cyanated derivative (FCNI), both featuring a deep‐lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level down to −4.05 eV and highly coplanar framework, endowing them ideal units for constructing n‐type polymers. Thus, a series of polymers are built from them, exhibiting unipolar n‐type transport character with a highest electron mobility of 0.11 cm2 V−1 s−1. Hence, FOI and FCNI offer a remarkable platform for accessing high‐performance n‐type polymers and the imide functionalization of appropriate (hetero)arenes is a powerful strategy for developing polymers with deep‐lying LUMOs for n‐type organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high‐performance n‐type polymer semiconductors is powered by the design and synthesis of electron‐deficient building blocks with optimized physicochemical properties. By meticulously installing an imide group onto fluorene and its cyanated derivative, we report here two very electron‐deficient building blocks, imide‐functionalized fluorenone (FOI) and its cyanated derivative (FCNI), both featuring a deep‐lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level down to −4.05 eV and highly coplanar framework, endowing them ideal units for constructing n‐type polymers. Thus, a series of polymers are built from them, exhibiting unipolar n‐type transport character with a highest electron mobility of 0.11 cm2 V−1 s−1. Hence, FOI and FCNI offer a remarkable platform for accessing high‐performance n‐type polymers and the imide functionalization of appropriate (hetero)arenes is a powerful strategy for developing polymers with deep‐lying LUMOs for n‐type organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages are classified into classically activated M1 macrophages and alternatively activated M2 macrophages, and the two phenotypes of macrophages are present during the development of various chronic diseases, including obesity-induced inflammation. In the present study, β-elemene, which is contained in various plant substances, is predicted to treat high-fat diet (HFD)-induced macrophage dysfunction based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and experimental validation. β-elemene impacts the imbalance of M1-M2 macrophages by regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines in mouse white adipose tissue both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the RAW 264 cell line, which are macrophages from mouse ascites, is used to identify the effects of β-elemene on inhibiting bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. These pathways both induce and are activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, and they also participate in the process of obesity-induced inflammation. The results highlight that β-elemene may represent a possible macrophage-mediated therapeutic medicine. β-elemene regulates the balance of proinflammatory cytokines in mouse white adipose tissue through MAPK signaling. Targets of β -elemene are predicted based on its 3D structure and include regulators of macrophage-mediated processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-2 toxin is one form of trichothecenes, which contaminate crops and feedstuff commonly, and has a wide variety of toxic effects in human and animals, but little is known regarding its role on reproductive function and puberty development. Previous studies have reported that reproductive capacity is attained at puberty triggered by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse secretion, and kisspeptins/GPR54 signaling pathway play a central role in the activation of GnRH neurons. For our study, T-2 toxin was tested for its effects on the secretion of GnRH in GT1-7 cells, an immortalized hypothalamic neuron cell line, which could synthesize and secrete GnRH. GT1-7 cells were treated with low doses of T-2 toxin in dose–response assays, with and without kisspeptins, and the levels of GnRH were quantified in each treatment. Furthermore, western blot analysis was used to detect the proteins expression in kisspeptins/GPR54 signaling pathway. The present study demonstrated that low dose T-2 toxin stimulate GnRH secretion and alter the expression of associated proteins in GT1-7 cells in vitro, and the activation of GT1-7 cells response to T- 2 toxin was increased after pretreatment with kisspeptins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polythiophene material was synthesized by using thiophene as monomer and formaldehyde dimethyl acetal as crosslinking agent. The material was used as SPE adsorbent and the extraction conditions of tetracycline antibiotics were optimized. HPLC was used to determine tetracycline antibiotic residues in real samples under the optimal conditions of SPE. [Display omitted] • Polythiophene synthesized by external-crosslinker method as a solid phase extraction adsorbent. • The polythiophene material can be reused more than five times. • A method for analysis of tetracycline antibiotics in chicken feces and fish samples by using SPE-UV and SPE-HPLC. • The tetracycline and oxytetracycline residues in chicken feces were successfully detected. Porous polythiophene materials were successfully synthesized by external-crosslinker method and applied as sorbents in solid-phase extraction. A method for the determination of tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline/ oxytetracycline/doxycycline) in fish and chicken manure was proposed by combining solid phase extraction-ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer (SPE-UV) and solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography (SPE-HPLC). The effects of material dosage, extraction time, washing time, eluent type and dosage, and the reusability of polythiophene sorbent on extraction rate were investigated. With the use of SPE-HPLC method, satisfied linearity for three tetracyclines antibiotics was obtained in the range of 0.004–1 mg/L. The detection limits (LODs) were ranged from 0.0012 to 0.0027 mg/L and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 3.5–7.3% (n = 5). The recoveries in actual fish samples and chicken manure samples were 91.1–114.1% and 69.5–93.2%, respectively. No tetracycline antibiotics were detected in fish samples and no doxycycline was detected in chicken manure samples. However, oxytetracycline and tetracycline were detected in two chicken manure samples with the contents of 5.12, 6.58 mg/kg and 6.08, 7.72 mg/kg, respectively. This method was simple, sensitive and suitable for the determination of tetracyclines in practical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute stress affects cellular integrity in many tissues including the liver, but its underlying mechanism is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential involvement of catecholamines and adrenoceptors in the regulation of acute restraint stress-induced liver injury. Restraint was achieved by placing mice in restraint tubes. Mice were treated with either an α-l antagonist, prazosin, an α-2 antagonist, yohimbine, a β-l antagonist, betaxolol, a β-2 antagonist, ICI 118551, or a central and peripheral catecholamine depleting agent, reserpine, and followed by restraint stress. Assessment of liver injury (serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) , hepatic total GSH, GSSG and GSH/GSSG ratio) , histopathology and of apoptosis, by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling) assay and western blotting, was performed. Three hours of restraint stress resulted in liver injury, as indexed by elevated serum transaminase levels, decreased hepatic total GSH levels and GSH/GSSG ratio, increased hepatic GSSG levels as well as enhanced hepatocytes apoptosis. Either reserpine or prazosin or yohimbine was found to attenuate liver injury. Furthermore, prazosin and yohimbine protected against restraint-induced hepatocytes apoptosis through attenuating the activation of caspases-9 and -3 and reducing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. These results suggest that α-1 and α-2 adrenoceptors mediate restraint-induced liver oxidative injury through caspase-9 and Bcl-2 family of apoptotic regulatory proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] K-10 clay supported H3PW12O40 showed high activity for the synthesis of EMF. [•] EMF was obtained in a high yield of 91.5% by the etherification of HMF. [•] A high yield of EMF was also achieved in 61.5% from fructose through one-pot reaction. [•] The catalyst could be reused without the significant loss of its activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Conversion of cellulose into HMF was developed in DMSO catalyzed by AlCl3. [•] HMF yield of 20.5% was obtained from cellulose in DMSO. [•] Ionic liquid [BMIM]Cl largely promoted the conversion of cellulose into HMF in DMSO. [•] High HMF yield of 54.9% was obtained in a mixed solvent DMSO-[BMIM]Cl (10 wt.%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay combined with a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (LAMP-LFB) was established for the rapid and accurate detection of the mobilized colistin resistance gene (mcr-1), which causes the loss of colistin antibacterial efficacy in clinical treatments. The amplification stage of the assay was completed in 60 min at 63°C, and the reaction products could be visually detected by employing the LFB, which provided a fast (within 2 min) and objective method to evaluate the amplification results. The LAMP assay amplified the target sequences of mcr-1 with high specificity. In pure strains, the detection limit of the LAMP-LFB assay was 360 fg plasmid DNA/reaction, and in spiked feces samples the value was approximately 6.3×103 CFU/mL (~6.3 CFU/reaction), which was tenfold more sensitive than the PCR assay. The results show that the developed LAMP-LFB assay will be a worthy tool for the simple, rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of mcr-1 gene in clinical settings and resource-limited areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to establish a Bayesian networks (BNs) based model for inferring the risk of AKI in gastrointestinal cancer (GI) patients, and to compare its predictive capacity with other machine learning (ML) models. From 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015, we recruited 6495 inpatients with GI cancers in a tertiary hospital in eastern China. Data on demographics, clinical and laboratory indicators were retrospectively extracted from the electronic medical record system. Predictors of AKI were selected in gLASSO regression, and further incorporated into BNs analysis. The incidences of AKI in patients with esophagus, stomach, and intestine cancer were 20.5%, 13.9%, and 12.5%, respectively. Through gLASSO, 11 predictors were screened out, including diabetes, cancer category, anti-tumor treatment, ALT, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum uric acid (SUA), hypoalbuminemia, anemia, abnormal sodium, and potassium. BNs model revealed that cancer category, treatment, eGFR, and hypoalbuminemia had direct connections with AKI. Diabetes and SUA were indirectly linked to AKI through eGFR, and anemia created connections with AKI through affecting album level. Compared with other ML models, BNs model maintained a higher AUC value in both the internal and external validation (AUC: 0.823/0.790). BNs model not only delineates the qualitative and quantitative relationship between AKI and its associated factors but shows the more robust generalizability in AKI prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to delineate the incidence of electrolyte and acid-base disorders (EAD) in cancer patients, to figure out the risk factors of EAD, then to assess the impact of EAD on patients' in-hospital clinical outcomes. Patients with the diagnosis of malignancies hospitalized during 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015 were recruited in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai of China. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and clinical data, including survival, length of stay and hospital cost, were extracted from the electronic medical record system. Electrolyte and acid-base data were acquired from the hospital laboratory database. Of 25,881 cancer patients with electrolyte data, 15,000 (58.0%) cases had at least one electrolyte and acid-base abnormity. Hypocalcemia (27.8%) was the most common electrolyte disorder, followed by hypophosphatemia (26.7%), hypochloremia (24.5%) and hyponatremia (22.5%). The incidence of simple metabolic acidosis (MAC) and metabolic alkalosis (MAL) was 12.8% and 22.1% respectively. Patients with mixed metabolic acid-base disorders (MAC + MAL) accounted for 30.2%. Lower BMI score, preexisting hypertension and diabetes, renal dysfunction, receiving surgery/chemotherapy, anemia and hypoalbuminemia were screened out as the major risk factors of EAD. In-hospital mortality in patients with EAD was 2.1% as compared to those with normal electrolytes (0.3%). The risk of death significantly increased among patients with severe EAD. Similarly, the length of stay and hospital cost also tripled as the number and grade of EAD increased. EAD is commonly encountered in cancer patients and associated with an ominous prognosis. Patients with comorbidities, renal/liver dysfunction, and anti-tumor therapy have a higher risk of EAD. Regular monitoring of electrolytes, optimum regimen for intravenous infusion, timely correction of modifiable factors and appropriate management of EAD should not be neglected during anti-tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is the most powerful intrinsic protection against cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury. Previous studies have shown that a multifunctional TRIM family protein, MG53 (mitsugumin 53; also called TRIM72), not only plays an essential role in IPC-mediated cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury but also ameliorates mechanical damage. In addition to its intracellular actions, as a myokine/cardiokine, MG53 can be secreted from the heart and skeletal muscle in response to metabolic stress. However, it is unknown whether IPC-mediated cardioprotection is causally related to MG53 secretion and, if so, what the underlying mechanism is.Methods: Using proteomic analysis in conjunction with genetic and pharmacological approaches, we examined MG53 secretion in response to IPC and explored the underlying mechanism using rodents in in vivo, isolated perfused hearts, and cultured neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Moreover, using recombinant MG53 proteins, we investigated the potential biological function of secreted MG53 in the context of IPC and ischemia/reperfusion injury.Results: We found that IPC triggered robust MG53 secretion in rodents in vivo, perfused hearts, and cultured cardiac myocytes without causing cell membrane leakage. Mechanistically, IPC promoted MG53 secretion through H2O2-evoked activation of protein kinase-C-δ. Specifically, IPC-induced myocardial MG53 secretion was mediated by H2O2-triggered phosphorylation of protein kinase-C-δ at Y311, which is necessary and sufficient to facilitate MG53 secretion. Functionally, systemic delivery of recombinant MG53 proteins to mimic elevated circulating MG53 not only restored IPC function in MG53-deficient mice but also protected rodent hearts from ischemia/reperfusion injury even in the absence of IPC. Moreover, oxidative stress by H2O2 augmented MG53 secretion, and MG53 knockdown exacerbated H2O2-induced cell injury in human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, despite relatively low basal expression of MG53 in human heart.Conclusions: We conclude that IPC and oxidative stress can trigger MG53 secretion from the heart via an H2O2-protein kinase-C-δ-dependent mechanism and that extracellular MG53 can participate in IPC protection against cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Delayed diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is common because the changes in renal function markers often lag injury. We aimed to find optimal non-invasive hemodynamic variables for the prediction of postoperative AKI and AKI renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods: The data were collected from 1,180 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in our hospital between March 2015 and Feb 2016. Postoperative central venous pressure (CVP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, PaO2, and PaCO2 on ICU admission and daily fluid input and output (calculated as 24 h PFO) were monitored and compared between AKI vs. non-AKI and RRT vs non-RRT cases. Results: The AKI and AKI-RRT incidences were 36.7% (n = 433) and 1.2% (n = 14). Low cardiac output syndromes (LCOSs) occurred significantly more in AKI and RRT than in non-AKI or non-RRT groups (13.2% vs. 3.9%, P < 0.01; 42.9% vs. 7.1%, P < 0.01). CVP on ICU admission was significantly higher in AKI and RRT than in non-AKI and non-RRT groups (11.5 vs. 9.0 mmHg, P < 0.01; 13.3 vs. 9.9 mmHg, P < 0.01). 24 h PFO in AKI and RRT cases were significantly higher than in non-AKI or non-RRT patients (1.6% vs. 0.9%, P < 0.01; 3.9% vs. 0.8%, P < 0.01). The areas under the ROC curves to predict postoperative AKI by CVP on ICU admission (> 11 mmHg) + LCOS + 24 h PFO (> 5%) and to predict AKI-RRT by CVP on ICU admission (> 13 mmHg) + LCOS + 24 h PFO (> 5%) were 0.763 and 0.886, respectively. Conclusion: The volume-associated hemodynamic variables, including CVP on ICU admission, LCOS, and 24 h PFO after surgery could predict postoperative AKI and AKI-RRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A thiol-ene click reaction was used to functionalize CNTs by thiol-ended hyperbranched polymers. • Thiol-functionalized CNTs showed well dispersion in epoxy resins. • Functionalized CNTs could increase conductivity and mechanical strength of epoxy resins. • The flexible and ellipsoidal hyperbranched polymers could deform and transfer the load. • A reinforcing mechanism was supposed and substantiated by SEM, TEM, XPS and Raman techniques. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered as the attractively multifunctional nanomaterials for high conductivity and high strength, but it is still a challenge to prepare CNTs with high dispersion and their nanocomposites with simultaneous high strength and longation. Here, we used thiol-ended hyperbranched polymers to functionalize CNTs and obtain thiol-functionalized CNTs with excellent dispersion and good compatibility with epoxy resins matrix. The grafted thiol-ended hyperbranched polymers can supply a bridging function between epoxy resins and the CNTs to promote their interaction. The thermal conductivity, elongation, tensile, flexural and impact strengthes of thiol-functionalized CNTs/epoxy nanocomposites could be improved simultaneously by 23.33%, 37.46%, 60.74%, 26.72% and 86.71%, respectively. A reinforcing mechanism was supposed and substantiated by combining SEM, TEM, XPS and Raman techniques. The flexible and ellipsoidal hyperbranched polymers chains grafted on CNTs deform and transfer the load to increase mechanical strength and elongation. An efficient and environmentally-friendly route is introduced to functionalize CNTs and fabricate simultaneous high strength and high elongation CNTs/epoxy nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]