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Highlights : With its layered structure, abundant functional groups, and excellent electrical conductivity, MXene is of great research interest in the field of gas sensing. The preparation technology of gas sensors is constantly being optimized, opening up avenues for the development of gas sensing. MXene-based composite materials (MXene/graphene, MXene/metal oxides, MXene/MOF, and MXene/polymer) are applied in various gas sensors. With the development of science and technology, the scale of industrial production continues to grow, and the types and quantities of gas raw materials used in industrial production and produced during the production process are also constantly increasing. These gases include flammable and explosive gases, and even contain toxic gases. Therefore, it is very important and necessary for gas sensors to detect and monitor these gases quickly and accurately. In recent years, a new two-dimensional material called MXene has attracted widespread attention in various applications. Their abundant surface functional groups and sites, excellent current conductivity, tunable surface chemistry, and outstanding stability make them promising for gas sensor applications. Since the birth of MXene materials, researchers have utilized the efficient and convenient solution etching preparation, high flexibility, and easily functionalize MXene with other materials to prepare composites for gas sensing. This has opened a new chapter in high-performance gas sensing materials and provided a new approach for advanced sensor research. However, previous reviews on MXene-based composite materials in gas sensing only focused on the performance of gas sensing, without systematically explaining the gas sensing mechanisms generated by different gases, as well as summarizing and predicting the advantages and disadvantages of MXene-based composite materials. This article reviews the latest progress in the application of MXene-based composite materials in gas sensing. Firstly, a brief summary was given of the commonly used methods for preparing gas sensing device structures, followed by an introduction to the key attributes of MXene related to gas sensing performance. This article focuses on the performance of MXene-based composite materials used for gas sensing, such as MXene/graphene, MXene/Metal oxide, MXene/Transition metal sulfides (TMDs), MXene/Metal–organic framework (MOF), MXene/Polymer. It summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of MXene composite materials with different composites and discusses the possible gas sensing mechanisms of MXene-based composite materials for different gases. Finally, future directions and inroads of MXenes-based composites in gas sensing are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atractylodes chinensis volatile oil (ACVO) microcapsules were prepared with chitosan as parietal material. The optimal conditions for encapsulation were investigated by the Response Surface Method (RSM). ACVO microcapsules were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size analyzer and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. In vitro release properties of ACVO microcapsules were investigated at pH 1.5 and 7.4, respectively. The effects of ACVO microcapsules on the length of rat gastric smooth muscle cells (GSMC), mRNA and protein expression of calmodulin (CaM) and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) were investigated. Results showed that under optimal conditions, encapsulation efficiency (EE) was 82.19 %. ACVO microcapsules were spherical with a particle size of 1100 nm. ACVO microcapsules had a good release profile at pH 1.5, and the cumulative release within 72 h reached 85.32 %. Cell experiments showed that ACVO microcapsules (0.02, 0.04 μg/mL) had no effect on cell activity, while induced GSMC to contract, and improved the mRNA, protein expressions of CaM and MLCK in GSMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic extraction of building contours from high-resolution images is of great significance in the fields of urban planning, demographics, and disaster assessment. Network models based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and transformer technology have been widely used for semantic segmentation of buildings from high resolution remote sensing images (HRSI). However, the fixed geometric structure and the local receptive field of the convolutional kernel are not good at global feature extraction, and the transformer technique with self-attention mechanism introduces computational redundancies and extracts local feature details poorly in the process of modeling the global contextual information. In this paper, a dual-branch fused reconstructive transformer network, DFRTNet, is proposed for efficient and accurate building extraction. In the encoder, the traditional transformer is reconfigured by designing the local and global feature extraction module (LGFE); the branch of global feature extraction (GFE) performs dynamic range attention (DRA) based on the idea of top-k attention for extracting global features; furthermore, the branch of local feature extraction (LFE) is used to obtain fine-grained features. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) is employed to efficiently fuse the local and global features. In the decoder, a simple channel attention module (CAM) is used in the up-sampling part to enhance channel dimension features. Our network achieved the best segmentation accuracy on both the WHU and Massachusetts building datasets when compared to other mainstream and state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O-GlcNAcylation, an important post-translational modification catalyzed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), plays critical roles in several biological processes. In this study, we present our findings on the function of FpOGT in regulating physiological processes and pathogenicity of Fusarium proliferatum (Fp), the alfalfa root rot fungus. The deletion of FpOGT impaired mycelial growth and altered macroconidia morphology in Fp. Furthermore, ΔFpOGT mutant displayed altered tolerance to various stressors, including cell wall perturbing agents, osmotic stressors, metal ionic stressors, and fungicides. Deletion of FpOGT significantly decreased Fp virulence toward alfalfa. The transcriptome analysis demonstrated that FpOGT plays a regulatory role in glucose metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), by influencing the expression of relevant genes. The downregulation of the glucokinase gene, FpGCK, was observed in ΔFpOGT, and the disruption of FpGCK led to a decrease in Fp virulence. Additionally, FpOGT affected the expression levels of the FpGCK-AS1 isoform, thereby impacting glucokinase function. The molecular docking analysis elucidated the plausible physical interaction between FpOGT and FpGCK, thereby offering valuable insights into their interrelationship. These findings underscore the indispensable involvement of FpOGT, the sole O-GlcNAc transferase in Fp, in various biological processes and the pathogenicity through its regulation of fundamental metabolic processes. Consequently, this study emphasizes the significance and elucidates the molecular mechanism underlying the role of O-GlcNAc transferase in diverse fundamental biological processes and the pathogenicity of phytopathogenic fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of biomass for the production of agricultural green inputs is regarded as a crucial strategy for achieving low-carbon development in agriculture, while also fully harnessing the potential of renewable resources. Pesticides, as a vital agricultural input, often encounter issues pertaining to inefficient usage, resulting in significant environmental pollution and economic losses. As a main component of lignocellulosic biomass, lignin has become one of the most appealing biopolymers for the construction of advanced pesticide delivery systems. This review aims to provide a thorough summary of the advancements in lignin-based controlled release formulations (LCRFs) for the precise delivery of pesticides. The research in this field has experienced rapid growth in the past five years, making it an important area of study. Common LCRFs are introduced, and the factors influencing the release of active ingredients (AIs) within different LCRFs are analyzed. Special emphasis is placed on intelligent-responsive LCRFs, encompassing an overview of the existing formulations and an exploration of their potential application scenarios and development strategies. It is crucial to promote innovation in pesticide formulations based on the actual demands of agricultural production. We hope this review will stimulate the high-value utilization of lignin and the green development of plant protection technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let p be a prime number and F a totally real number field unramified at places above p. Let r ‾ : Gal (F ‾ / F) → GL 2 ( F p ‾) be a modular Galois representation which satisfies the Taylor-Wiles hypothesis and some technical genericity assumptions. For v a fixed place of F above p , we prove that many of the admissible smooth representations of GL 2 (F v) over F p ‾ associated to r ‾ in the corresponding Hecke-eigenspaces of the mod p cohomology have Gelfand–Kirillov dimension [ F v : Q p ]. This builds on and extends the work of Breuil-Herzig-Hu-Morra-Schraen in [2] and Hu-Wang in [12] , giving a unified proof in all cases (r ‾ either semisimple or not at v). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Herein, a pair of chiral macrocyclic luminogens derived from chiral 1,1‐bi(2‐naphthol) (BINOL) and tetraphenylethenes (TPEs) have been prepared with high yield via intramolecular McMurry coupling, in which the preferential helicity of propeller‐shaped TPE units can be tuned via choosing proper chiral BINOL tethers. The preferential chiral geometry of the macrocyclic luminogen was unambiguously confirmed by X‐ray crystal crystallography and theoretical calculation, whereas the variable‐temperature NMR spectra and chiral HPLC analysis further verified the intramolecular motions. These two chiral macrocyclic luminogens both exhibit obvious aggregation‐induced emission behavior and mechanochromic luminescence properties. Furthermore, aggregation attenuated CD signals and circularly polarized luminescence were observed for these two chiral macrocylic luminogens in THF‐water mixture and PMMA matrix. These results had paved a new approach toward constructing chiral aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) and their structural engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we designed a series of new carbohydrate-based coumarin carbonic anhydrase IX inhibitors by using 1,2,3-triazoles as linker. Next, these designed compounds were synthesized by the optimized one-pot click chemistry reaction condition. Subsequently, these target compounds were assayed for the inhibition of three carbonic anhydrase isoforms (CA I, CA II and CA IX). Intriguingly, all the compounds showed better CA IX inhibitory activity than initial coumarin fragments. Among them, compound 10a (IC50: 11 nM) possessed the most potent CA IX inhibitory activity, which was more potent than the reference drug acetazolamide (IC50: 30 nM). Notably, compound 10a showed 3018-fold, 1955-fold selectivity relative to CA I and CA II, respectively. Meanwhile, representative compounds could reduce tumor cell viability and the extracellular acidification in HT-29 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. Even more interestingly, our target compounds had no apparent cytotoxicity toward MCF-10A cell line. In addition, the in vitro stability assays also indicated our developed compounds possessed good liver microsomal metabolic stabilities and plasma stability. Furthermore, representative compounds revealed relatively low hERG cardiac toxicity and acute toxicity. Furthermore, docking studies were carried out to understand the interactions of our target compounds with the protein target CA IX. Collectively, our results suggest that compound 10a, as a selective CA IX inhibitor, could be an important lead compound for further optimization and development as an anticancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A σ‐bonded platinum(II) diketopyrrolopyrrole (Pt‐DPP) complex was synthesized from a reaction of p‐pinacolatoborylphenyl‐substituted DPP with dichloro(1,5‐cyclooctadiene)platinum(II), followed by a ligand exchange reaction with triphenylphosphine. The Pt‐DPP complex is highly fluorescent not only in solution but also in the solid state. From the comparison of the emission properties with those of N‐benzyl‐DPPs bearing phenyl and p‐bromophenyl substituents, the intense emission of the Pt‐DPP complex is ascribed to the DPP‐centered fluorescence. In the solid state, aggregation‐caused quenching is mitigated by the well‐segregated molecular packing due to the bulky triphenylphosphine ligands. The facile synthesis and unique fluorescence properties of the Pt‐DPP complex are beneficial for creating DPP‐based functional chromophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opinion dynamics (OD) models simulate the evolution of personal opinions using computer science, social dynamics, physics, and complexity science tools on social networks. However, current opinion dynamics models mainly utilize agent-based models to simulate user interactions but still need to leverage large-scale data fully. Social networks typically involve a vast number of users and information, making it difficult for models to capture the complex interactions in real social networks. Additionally, many models overlook the specific mechanisms of user interactions, such as how network individuals influence and interact with one another, resulting in inaccuracies in modeling individual opinion evolution. This paper proposes a novel approach that integrates the probabilistic bounded confidence model (PBC) with deep learning, i.e., Neural Probabilistic Bounded Confidence (NPBC), to tackle these challenges. The NPBC model adopts an attention network, a long short-term memory (LSTM) network, and a feedforward neural network to approximate the evolution of individual opinions within networks. It satisfies the data approximation and the users' opinion update rule that conforms to the PBC model. This model enhances the understanding of opinion dynamics, helping to develop effective strategies for opinion guidance in social networks. Finally, the proposed NPBC model is evaluated on three synthetic and Twitter datasets. The results demonstrate that the proposed NPBC model performs better than the six baseline methods in predicting user opinions. Compared to baseline models, the model's accuracy (ACC) and comprehensive evaluation (F1) scores improve by up to 18% and 7%, respectively. • Combining deep learning and probabilistic bounded confidence model. • Using fully connected layers to map users and time to the same vector space. • The attention mechanism captures the internal correlations between users and time. • The long short-term memory network is used to capture the sequence features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-earthquake secondary fire is the major hazard prefabricated concrete (PC) structures face and is currently a hot research topic. Fully-grouted sleeve connection (FGSC) is the main connection method for PC structures, whose failure can result in serious consequences. However, the research on FGSC with tensile damage at elevated temperatures is limited and only at the experimental stage. To enrich the related studies, we proposed a 2D model that considers material damage in good agreement with the corresponding experimental results. 15 finite element models are established with two key parameters, tensile displacement, and temperature, to further investigate the mechanical performance of FGSC under force-thermal coupling. The temperature and damage distribution of FGSC are presented, in addition to the critical temperatures that cause the force state to change. The study results show that the damage pattern of FGSC mainly depends on the tensile phase, and the temperature-induced force can create non-negligible damage to the material. Based on this, the trends of axial and radial forces of FGSC have been summarized as well as their new prediction equations whose coefficients of determination are 99.36 % and 99.83 % in the elevated temperature stage. The numerical simulation method and conclusions obtained are the essential basis for the subsequent study of the response of PC structures under post-earthquake secondary fires. • In the context of multiple factors such as thermal coupling, a 2D-axisymmetric modeling method that is experimentally validated and can quantitatively assess material damage is proposed. • The damage to FGSC by thermal stress was investigated, as well as the first study of the variation rule of radial force RF1 with temperature. • Summarized the formula of axial and radial forces of FGSC due to heat as a function of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ventricular remodeling refers to the structural and functional changes of the heart under various stimuli or disease influences and may also be accompanied by myocardial fibrosis, where an excessive amount of fibrous tissue appears in the myocardial tissue, affecting the heart's normal contraction and relaxation. Hypertension is posing the potential risk of causing myocardial injury and remodeling. The significance of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in myocardial remodeling cannot be overlooked. Drug targeting of RAAS can effectively lower blood pressure and reduce left ventricular mass. Studies have shown that ginsenoside Rh4 can inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. In this study, a myocardial remodeling model was established using angiotensin (Ang) II, and the inhibitory effect of RH4 on myocardial hypertrophy and remodeling induced by Ang II was investigated using pathological staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Immunofluorescence and qPCR demonstrated that Rh4 causes myocardial hypertrophy and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro. The Rh4 target was identified using transcriptomics. The findings indicated that RH4 could inhibit myocardial hypertrophy, inflammatory fibrosis, and oxidative stress induced by Ang II, suggesting potential cardiovascular protection effects. In vitro experiments have shown that Rh4 inhibits myocardial hypertrophy. Transcriptomics revealed that nuclear factor interleukin-3 (NFIL3) is a downstream regulator of Rh4. By constructing AAV9-NFIL3 and injecting it into mice, it was found that NFIL3 overexpression interfered with anti-Ang II-induced myocardial remodeling of Rh4. These results indicate that Rh4 demonstrates potential therapeutic effects on myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. [Display omitted] • Ginsenoside RH4 inhibits Ang II-induced myocardial remodeling. • Rh4 plays cardiac protective role via the downstream regulatory gene of NFIL3. • Rh4 has potential therapeutic effects on myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, the first country worldwide to approve a gene therapy in 2003, almost lost the advantage for a head start in cell and gene therapy (CGT) development due to a lack of clear and strict regulatory frameworks. The rapid advancements of CGTs' development worldwide as well as their therapeutic potential have triggered the government to conduct a spate of regulatory reforms to promote normative development of CGTs in China. Encouraged by policy support, the remarkable progress for CGTs in China has been observed over the past few years, thereby catapulting China back into the forefront of CGTs worldwide. This article aims to provide an overview of regulatory reforms, the current development landscape of CGTs, as well as key contributors and challenges for CGT development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The financial figures for CGTs are still promising despite severe disruption. • COVID-19 repositioning strategies provide opportunities for manufacturers of CGTs. • CGTs industry needs to increase its resilience to navigate potential future crises. • More restrictions on CGTs price and reimbursement are foreseeable. • Value-based price and alternative payment mechanisms will be increasingly leveraged. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has caused significant disruption to the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry, which has historically faced substantial complexities in supply of materials, and manufacturing and logistics processes. As decision-makers shifted their priorities to COVID-19-related issues, the challenges in market authorisation, and price and reimbursement of CGTs were amplified. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see that some CGT developers are adapting their efforts toward the development of promising COVID-19-related therapeutics and vaccines. Manufacturing resilience, digitalisation, telemedicine, value-based pricing, and innovative payment mechanisms will be increasingly harnessed to ensure that market access of CGTs is not severely disrupted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Smartphone multitasking behavior has become prevalent in our daily lives, yet factors influencing smartphone multitasking behavior have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to examine the roles of a set of demographic, personality and motivational factors on smartphone multitasking behavior, and how these factors were related to general and application-specific types of smartphone multitasking behavior. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 2,659 smartphone users were invited to complete an online survey on smartphone multitasking behavior. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine the roles of demographic, personality and motivational factors on smartphone multitasking behavior. Findings: The results showed that, in general, demographic factors, such as gender, age, occupation status, education and smartphone usage time significantly predicted smartphone multitasking behavior. People characterized by agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness to experience were more likely to multitask with smartphones. Information seeking, efficiency and habit motivations were identified as major motivational factors for smartphone multitasking behavior. The roles of demographic, personality and motivational factors differed much across varied types of application-specific smartphone multitasking behavior. Originality/value: This study extends and advances the literature on media multitasking, smartphone multitasking in particular, by identifying a set of demographic, personality and motivational factors as antecedents of smartphone multitasking behavior. In addition, this study revealed the differentiated roles of the above-mentioned factors across varied types of smartphone application usages. The findings provide important implications for practitioners to tailor smartphone applications and services to different target smartphone users and use situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, SCAPS-1D simulation software (Version: 3.3.10) was employed to enhance the efficiency of CsSnX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. By fine-tuning essential parameters like the work function of the conductive glass, the back contact point, defect density, and the thickness of the light absorption layer, we effectively simulated the optimal performance of CsSnX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) all-inorganic perovskite solar cells under identical conditions. The effects of different X-site elements on the overall performance of the device were also explored. The theoretical photoelectric conversion efficiency of the device gradually increases with the successive substitution of halogen elements (Cl, Br, I), reaching 6.09%, 17.02%, and 26.74%, respectively. This trend is primarily attributed to the increasing size of the halogen atoms, which leads to better light absorption and charge transport properties, with iodine (I) yielding the highest theoretical conversion efficiency. These findings suggest that optimizing the halogen element in CsSnX3 can significantly enhance device performance, providing valuable theoretical guidance for the development of high-efficiency all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The proposal was made to introduce gelatin into the test solution to utilize the coffee ring effect of liquid droplets for the enrichment of heavy metals in the solution. • The influence of different gelatin mass fractions on the deposition morphology of droplet surfaces and the LIBS spectral intensity was analyzed. • The spectral enhancement mechanism of four different substrate materials, namely Zn plate, Al plate, Ni plate, and Polymethyl methacrylate plate, was investigated. In order to enhance the stability and lower the detection limit of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technology, gelatin was introduced into the test solution in this study to enrich heavy metals using the coffee ring effect. The effects of different gelatin mass fractions on the surface deposition morphology of droplets and the intensity of spectroscopy were analyzed. Explored the spectral enhancement mechanisms of four substrate materials. The results demonstrated that the best coffee ring enrichment was achieved with a gelatin mass fraction of 2.5 %. The signal-to-noise ratios of Cu and Cr were enhanced by 5.5 and 3.6, and the relative standard deviations decreased by 59.5 % and 53.8 %. When Zn plate was used as the substrate material, the detection limits for Cu and Cr were 0.715 mg/L and 3.881 mg/L. The research indicates that surface-enhanced LIBS based on coffee ring enrichment can improve spectral stability and lower the detection limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first-principles electronic structure calculation was applied to investigate the electronic properties of the LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 (001) heterostructure system (HSs) under strain. The results show that the distorted structure at the interface determines the occupied orbitals of 2DEG, further resulting in different sensitivities of interfacial charge carrier density, electron effective mass, electron mobility, and electrical conductivity on strain. The interfacial metallic states of tensile-strained and biaxial-compressive-strained LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 (001) HSs mainly occupy Ti 3d x y orbitals, which is the same for unstrained HSs. Then, the electron effective mass slightly decreases with tensile strain, which leads to a higher electrical conductivity. Different from biaxial-compressive-strained LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 (001) HSs with Ti 3d x y occupied orbitals, the Ti 3d y z orbitals are occupied for uniaxial-compressive-strained HSs, thus leading to a remarkably increased electron effective mass and sharply decreased electrical conductivity. These results give us a guidance to effectively modify the interfacial electronic characteristics of LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 (001) HSs by strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Pyrrolopyrrole aza-BODIPY (PPAB), a dimeric BODIPY analogue containing a pyrrolopyrrole structure at the center, exhibits intense far-red and near-infrared (NIR) absorption and emission. Herein, tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene-appended PPABs (TCBD-PPABs) were synthesized by post-modification based on a [2+2] cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization (CA-RE) reaction with tetracyanoethylene. Owing to the redshift of the PPAB absorption in the NIR region and the emergence of the intramolecular charge-transfer band in the visible region, TCBD-PPABs exhibit panchromatic absorption in the visible/NIR regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has enacted the dual credit policy to enhance electric vehicle (EV) diffusion, and the impact of information transmission on manufacturers' decisions has not been well considered under the policy compliance pressure. We developed a complex network-based evolutionary game model to study the proliferation of EVs under the dual credit policy and explore the impact of different information transmission mechanisms. Our results suggest that stricter enforcement of corporate average fuel consumption credit requirements can promote the effective diffusion of EVs. Surprisingly, increasing the EV credit ratio requirement does not significantly promote the EV proliferation. Credit prices play a crucial role in policy effectiveness. Furthermore, our study highlights the heterogeneous effect of information transmission on policy effectiveness, which indicates a dual effect of industry information. Mixed information transmission can combine the advantages of both modes, avoiding crowding-out effects while reducing volatility and maximizing the benefits of information transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the abolition of the purchase subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) in China commencing from 2023, expanding the incentive policy system has become a priority. In the absence of subsidies, different types of information from multiple dimensions become important references for EV adoption, which were rarely studied. To fill the gap, we developed an evolutionary model based on multiplex networks to analysis the effectiveness of different types of policies based on consumers' dynamic decisions. Furthermore, different interaction mechanisms were constructed to examine the influence of information dimensions of EV quantity and evaluations. Our results show that: (1) The value retention rate of EVs exerts a significant impact on the adoption rate. (2) Restricting the purchase and driving of traditional vehicles can stimulate the diffusion of EVs. However, due to crowding-out effect, no better policy effect can be achieved when both policies are strictly implemented. (3) The behavioral information possesses a dual impact. Demonstration policies can enhance adoption by improving consumers' perception of the number of EVs. Education and publicity can promote the adoption by enhancing consumers' evaluation. (4) Compared with the evaluation information, the quantity of EVs is more reliable, which also reflects the subtle influence of the environment. • A dynamic consumer decision model based on two-layer multiplex networks. • The dynamics between consumer behavior and preference are considered. • Social information in the two dimensions of electric vehicles quantity and evaluation. • Alternative incentive policy systems beyond subsidies. • Policies based on economic value perception and social information interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Microgels are colloidal particles with crosslinked polymer networks and dimensions ranging from tens of nanometers to micrometers. Specifically, smart microgels are fascinating capable of responding to biological signals in vivo or remote triggers and making the possible for applications in biomaterials and biomedicines. Therefore, how to fundamentally design microgels is an urgent problem to be solved. In this review, we put forward our important fundamental opinions on how to devise the intelligent microgels for cancer therapy, biosensing and biological lubrication. We focus on the design ideas instead of specific implementation process by employing reverse synthesis analysis to programme the microgels at the original stage. Moreover, special insights will be, for the first time, as far as we know, dedicated to the particles completely composed of DNA or proteins into microgel systems. These are discussed in detail in this review. We expect to give readers a broad overview of the design criteria and practical methodologies of microgels according to the application fields, as well as to propel the further developments of highly interesting concepts and materials. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • We expect to give readers a broad overview of the design criteria and practical methodologies of microgels. • We focus on design ideas instead of specific implementation process. • A reverse synthesis analysis was employed to programme the microgels at the original stage. • For the first time, it decicated to the particles composed completely of DNA or proteins into microgel systems. • The mechanism of the most basic and the most commonly used methods for synthesizing microgels are briefly reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a multifunctional drug delivery platform (Au NR@SiO2/Ce@Dox@PDA@aptamer, abbreviated as PP-Dox nanocomposites) for enhancing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment with controlled drug release, magnetic targeting and specific cancer cell targeting. The platform is composed of polydopamine (PDA) as gatekeepers, gold nanorods (Au NRs) as local photothermal generators, S6 aptamers as targeting ligands and magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (mSiO2) containing high payloads of Ce with cross-linking ligands as drug containers and magnetic targeting agents. Upon uptake into cells or stimulation under a near-infrared (NIR) laser, pH and photothermally triggered drug release was observed. When target cancer cells are absent, the cellular uptake of PP-Dox nanocomposites is suppressed and displays poor treatment effect. However, when target cancer cells are present, more PP-Dox nanocomposites enter into cells because of the specific recognition between aptamers and targeted cells, resulting in an excellent treatment effect. Furthermore, the magnetic field and photothermal effect also supply a more effective therapeutic outcome than chemotherapy alone. We believe that the PP-Dox multifunctional platform has great potential in targeted cancer therapy for enhancing therapeutic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Self-assembly exploits a facile non-covalent way to couple structurally different building blocks for creating soft materials with synergetic novel properties and functions. Taking advantage of magneto-properties from magnetic surfactants as well as versatile functional ligand formed by carbon quantum dots with cysteine (cys-CQDs), the magnetic network materials were firstly constructed by using magnetic surfactants and cys-CQDs as self-assembly building blocks. Counterions of Br−, [GdCl 3 Br]−, [HoCl 3 Br]− in surfactants could control the morphology of magnetic network structures, and the concentration of magnetic surfactants manoeuvres a versatile scenario of self-assembly behavior. Self-assembly of cys-CQDs and CTAHo brought out a 10-fold increase in magnetic moment of CTAHo. The fluorescent property of carbon quantum dots firstly served as an effective indicator element to dissect the collective effect in self-assembly process. For the sake of capturing the target sequence-specific DNA molecules, in situ growth of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) upon the magnetic network structures was realized by synergetically electrostatic and coordinated interaction of carboxyl groups and Ag ions. The magnetic Ag self-assemblies anchored thiol-containing DNA, serving as a magnetic separation booster for the target sequence-specific DNA molecules under an applied magnetic field, which will bring light on designing magneto-functional self-assembly materials according to practical application requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Plasmonic microgels (PMgels) of the self-assembled gold nanorods (Au NRs) with side-by-side piles in ionic liquid microgels were prepared. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed unique self-growth and self-arrangement of Au NRs in the microgel systems. The fabrication of PMgels occurs through co-assembling Au NRs and an ionic liquid microgel system, therefore differs from the fabrication of conventional plasmonic hybrid nanocomposites. These PMgels showed strong absorption in the near-infrared window and enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency, up to 52.8%, compared to the Au NRs (22%) as a result of the ordering and dense packing of Au NRs in the microgels. When the PMgels were exposed to a near-IR laser, the doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) released from PMgels and the resulting thermal effect can immensely inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. The tests demonstrated that no tumor metastasis occurred. This platform of the PMgels with the laser-controlled delivery system could provide chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy for a wide spectrum of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A field experiment was conducted to investigate the resistance to wind erosion of consolidated soil layer (CSL) on the edge of Ulan Buh Desert in Inner Mongolia, China under natural conditions during Aug. 2015–Apr. 2016. The CSLs consisted of sandy soil, fly ash (FA) (5%, 10% and 15% (w/w) soil) and polyacrylamide (PAM) (0.05% and 0.1% (w/w) soil). The experimental site was divided equally into Regions A and B where dry FA and PAM powder were applied in two ways in mid-Jul. 2015. In Region A, FA and PAM were mixed homogeneously with the 0–0.3 m depth topsoil. In Region B, FA alone was mixed homogeneously with the 0–0.3 m depth topsoil. PAM was then scattered uniformly on top of the surface layer. Finally, CSLs were formed by spraying an appropriate amount of water onto the surface to dissolve PAM fully and being equilibrated for one week to achieve a moisture content close to the initial soil moisture content (0.6%). It was found that during 2–26 Aug. 2015, the wind erosion rate (WER) was reduced most significantly by 77% in CSL (10%FA + 0.05%PAM) in Region A and by 58% in CSL (10%FA + 0.1%PAM) in Region B compared with control (CK) (WER = 10.2 kg/m2). However, during 3–27 Sep. 2015, there was no significant difference in WER between treatments in Regions A and B compared with CK (WER = 1.4 kg/m2). Whereas, during the following longer period of wind erosion (viz. 27 Sep. 2015–21 Apr. 2016), the WER was reduced most significantly by 69% in CSL (5%FA + 0.1%PAM) in Region A and by 32% in CSL (5%FA + 0.05%PAM) in Region B compared with CK (WER = 80.7 kg/m2). The resistance to wind erosion of CSL in Region A was much stronger than in Region B. The WER of CSL was influenced by wind conditions including wind speed and direction. Precipitation also had an impact on the WER of CSL as the cohesive effect of PAM can be influenced by precipitation. The CSL as a mixture of sandy soil, FA and PAM is recommended for wind erosion control. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Fly ash, PAM and sandy soil formed consolidated soil layer (CSL) on dune surface. • Wind erosion rate of CSL was determined under natural conditions. • Higher daily wind speed could increase the wind erosion rate of CSL. • Precipitation could improve CSL's resistance to wind erosion. • PAM is recommended to be mixed with fly ash and sandy soil for longer CSL's lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To assess the efficacy of acupuncture in treating opioid use disorder (OUD). Design. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Clinicaltrials.gov, and who.int/trialsearch were searched from inception to 23 December 2017. The methodological quality of selected studies and the quality of evidence for outcomes were assessed, respectively, by the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool and the GRADE approach. Statistical analyses were conducted by RevMan 5.3. Results. A total of nine studies involving 1063 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results showed that acupuncture could be more beneficial than no treatment/sham acupuncture in terms of changes in craving for opioid (MD -2.18, 95% CI -3.10 to -1.26), insomnia (MD 2.31, 95% CI 1.97 to 2.65), and depression (SMD -1.50, 95% CI -1.85 to -1.15). In addition, these findings showed that, compared to sham electroacupuncture (EA), EA had differences in alleviating symptoms of craving (SMD -0.50, 95% CI -0.94 to -0.05) and depression (SMD -1.07, 95% CI -1.88 to -0.25) and compared to sham transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS), TEAS had differences in alleviating symptoms of insomnia (MD 2.31, 95% CI 1.97 to 2.65) and anxiety (MD -1.26, 95% CI -1.60 to -0.92) compared to no treatment/sham TEAS. Conclusions. Acupuncture could be effective in treating OUD. Moreover, EA could effectively alleviate symptoms of craving for opioid and depression, and TEAS could be beneficial in improving symptoms of insomnia and anxiety. Nevertheless, the conclusions were limited due to the low-quality and small number of included studies. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42018085063. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Malignant bone tumors associated with aggressive osteolysis are currently hard to be cured by the clinical strategies. Nevertheless, nanomedicine might provide a promising therapeutic opportunity. Here, we developed a multifunctional melanin-like nanoparticle for bone-targeted chemo-photothermal treatment of malignant bone tumors. The particle was originally fabricated from alendronate-conjugated polydopamine nanoparticle (PDA-ALN) that exhibited excellent photothermal effect and high affinity to hydroxyapatite. PDA/Fe-ALN significantly enhanced the magnetic resonance contrast of the bone tumors in vivo , suggesting that more PDA-ALN accumulated at the osteolytic bone lesions in the tumors compared with the non-targeting PDA. Chemodrug SN38 was efficiently loaded on PDA-ALN, and the drug release could be triggered by near-infrared irradiation and acidic stimulus. Finally, the combined chemo-photothermal therapy efficiently suppressed the growth of bone tumors and reduced the osteolytic damage of bones at a mild temperature around 43 °C. This study provides an efficient and robust nanotherapeutics for the treatment of malignant bone tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, an enhancement combining planar mirror constraint and temperature control is reported. Theoretical analysis of planar mirror constraint and temperature control reveals that the interaction of the two mechanisms further enhances the spectral response. The spectral intensities and signal-to-noise ratios of samples with and without the enhancements were compared. The results showed that the enhancement factors for Cd, Fe, Al, and Pb were 2.50, 2.78, 2.66, and 2.47, respectively. The corresponding signal-to-noise ratio enhancement factors were 1.83, 2.11, 1.98, and 1.91. The coefficients of determination R2 for Cd and Pb were 0.912 and 0.962 without enhancement but were 0.969 and 0.990 with the dual mechanism. The limits of detection for Cd and Pb were 74.6 mg/kg and 62.3 mg/kg without enhancement but were 58.4 mg/kg and 46.7 mg/kg with the dual mechanism. This study shows that the enhancement with planar mirror constraint and temperature control improved the signal-to-noise ratio and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of a breathing support with superior binding affinity for the facile immobilization of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) for remotely controlled chemical reactions is of immense scientific interest in catalytic applications. Herein, a straightforward and fast electrostatic self-assembly of Au NPs onto near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive plasmonic core–shell thermosensitive ionic microgels, which are based on gold nanorods (Au NRs) coated with microgel shells of ionic liquids, has been constructed. These self-assembled nanocomposites exhibit high catalytic activity and controllability as compared to other Au-based catalysts reported in literature for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. In the entire catalytic process, the NIR laser acts as a motor to drive the plasmonic core–shell ionic microgels for breathing and thereby tunes the progress of the catalytic reaction. Our results may provide a novel strategy, which is completely different from other traditional modes, to regulate the catalytic activity. The realization of this breathing modulation method induced by a remotely controlled way may create possibilities for the design of functional nanomaterials that can serve as intelligent catalysts with excellent catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Recombinant glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (rE-4) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, which has the same amino acid sequence to exenatide, except for the C-terminal deamidated. This study assessed the pharmacokinetics and preliminary pharmacodynamics of rE-4, following single and multiple subcutaneous injections in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Design and methods: In the randomized, open-label study, Chinese patients with T2DM ( n = 36) were randomly assigned to three groups of rE-4 ( n = 12), rE-4 with metformin ( n = 12) and exenatide ( n = 12, as the control group) for 12 weeks. rE-4 and exenatide were administered by subcutaneous injection in the abdomen, and metformin was given by oral administration. Patients received rE-4 or exenatide 5 μg twice a day for the first 4 weeks and adjusted the dose of rE-4 or exenatide to 10 μg twice a day at day 29 for the following 8 weeks, if their glycated albumin (GA) values were still greater than 17%. We evaluated pharmacokinetic parameters of rE-4 and exenatide, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h postprandial blood glucose (PG2 h), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and body weight at designated time points. Results: Thirty-six patients were enrolled, and 29 subjects finished the study. rE-4 was absorbed quickly with a median peak-reaching time ( t ) of 0.8-1.5 h and eliminated rapidly with a median terminal half-life ( t ) of 1.6-1.9 h. The exposure of rE-4 increased in an approximately dose-proportional method without accumulation. rE-4 10 μg twice a day could reduce FPG (~2.29 mmol/L), PG2 h (~6.00 mmol/L), HbA1c (~1.19%) and body weight (~0.48 kg) from baseline to 12 weeks, with no statistical significance compared with exenatide (FPG: ~1.88 mmol/L; PG2 h: ~6.66 mmol/L; HbA1c: ~1.13%; body weight: ~0.47 kg) and rE-4 with metformin (FPG: ~2.33 mmol/L; PG2 h: ~6.51 mmol/L; HbA1c: ~0.84%; body weight: ~1.16 kg) ( p > 0.05). Conclusions: rE-4 twice a day has a pharmacokinetic profile similar to exenatide and rE-4 with metformin after single and multiple doses in Chinese patients with T2DM. Also, rE-4 could improve glycemic control effectively. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01342042. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: T0001 was the first mutant of recombinant fusion protein of human tumor necrosis factor receptor and Fc fragment (rhTNFR:Fc) based on etanercept on a global scale. This study was carried out to investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) and immunogenicity of T0001 in healthy Chinese volunteers. Methods: This study was randomized, with a single ascending dose, and the first-in-human clinical trial of T0001. Healthy Chinese volunteers ( n = 56; male: female = 1:1) were randomly assigned to receive a single subcutaneous (sc) injection of 10, 20, 35, 50, 65 or 75 mg of T0001. Blood samples were collected at designated time points after sc injection to assess immunogenicity and pharmacokinetics of T0001. Results: During the study, no serious adverse events were observed. T0001 was slowly absorbed with a median T of 84 h and slowly eliminated with a T of 42.1-58.2 h. In the dose-exposure proportionality analysis, the estimated points for AUC and C were 0.87 with a 90% CI of 0.76-0.98 and 0.86 with a 90% CI of 0.74-0.97 respectively. The plasma concentration of free (unbound T0001) plasma TNFα and total (bound and unbound T0001) TNFα both increased significantly after the injection of T0001. Ten out of 56 volunteers (17.9%) tested positive for anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) at a low level. Conclusions: T0001 was safe and well-tolerated at doses up to 75 mg. C and AUC had an increasing tendency with dose levels, but we could not conclude that T0001 has linear PK properties in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembly exploits noncovalent interactions to offer a facile and effective method for the construction of soft materials with multifunctionalities and diversity. In this work, fluorescence carbon quantum dots coordinated by Ce3+ ions (CQDCe) have been synthesized and exploited as building blocks to generate a series of hierarchical structures through the ionic self-assembly of CQDCe and biomolecules, namely DNA, myoglobin (Mb), and hyaluronic acid (HA). In particular, vesicles can be constructed by the simple mixing of oppositely charged CQDCe and DNA in water. The formation of unusual vesicles can be explained by the self-assembly of CQDCe with a rearranged structure and the rigid DNA biomolecular scaffolds. This facile noncovalent self-assembly method has inspired the innovative use of virgin DNA as a building block to construct vesicles rather than resorting to a sophisticated synthesis. The self-assembly of CQDCe-biopolymers was accompanied by aggregation-induced photoluminescence (PL) quenching. The biosensing platform was designed to detect polypeptides and deoxyribonuclease I through competitive binding of CQDCe and enzymatic hydrolysis of the DNA backbone, respectively. We believe that the integrative self-assembly of CQDCe and DNA will enrich the theoretical study of vesicle formation by DNA molecules and extend the application of fluorescence carbon quantum dots in the biological field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycythemia vera (PV) and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH) are relatively independent diseases, and few studies have linked them. However, in clinical settings, there may be a causal relationship. The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinical data of five patients with portal hypertension caused by PV and summarize the characteristics of PV with portal hypertension, to enhance the knowledge of this disease. The clinical data of five patients with PV and portal hypertension treated at Beijing You'an Hospital (Beijing, China) from January 2010 to March 2022 were retrospectively collected. The characteristics of these patients were then summarized and analyzed, including general information, laboratory tests, imaging and gastroscopy data. Overall, four patients were diagnosed with PV earlier compared with those with NCPH (ranging between days and years), whereas one patient was diagnosed with NCPH at the time of PV diagnosis. These four patients had blood cell elevations of 2-3 categories (red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets). The Child classification of liver functions in all five patients were found to be grades A-B. All five patients had splenomegaly, where three patients had portal vein thrombosis and cavernous degeneration. In addition, four patients had moderate or severe esophageal varices. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this was the first case series of NCPH caused by PV. Among the patients, it was revealed that: i) NCPH caused by PV had milder liver function damage compared with cirrhosis-induced portal hypertension; ii) splenomegaly, ascites and esophageal varicose veins were prominent symptoms of NCPH caused by PV; iii) If PV is diagnosed, esophagogastroduodenoscopy should be performed as early as possible and regularly, where primary prevention measures for esophageal variceal hemorrhage are recommended; and iv) patients with PV with portal hypertension are at risk of thrombosis and bleeding, but it remains to be determined whether early antithrombotic therapy can reduce complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel FeMo-based catalyst was successfully synthesized and characterized. • N/O co-doped strategy was applied to the electrochemical O2-to-H2O2 synthesis. • The new insights may open an effective pathway to the design of more catalysts. In electrochemical O 2 -to-H 2 O 2 synthesis, the lack of systematic strategies and proof-of-concept studies is one of the key problems for practical applications. Herein, as exemplified by the FeMo bimetallic material for a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e- ORR), we report a substantial improvement by facilitating the surface reconstruction of oxides or nitrides into N/O co-doped electrocatalyst. Additionally, in-depth evidence including electrochemical signals, H 2 O 2 -proof work, in-situ Raman and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, identified that the N/O co-doped FeMo catalyst has been favored by 2e- ORR, opening an effective pathway to the design of more bimetallic catalysts for electroreduction of O 2 to H 2 O 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A systematic competency model for international engineering project managers. • State very clear of assessment method steps and a case calculation is carried, which may be a reliable reference for related studies. • Besides Evaluation, the parts of interactions between factors are also helpful for decision making. • Suggestions are proposed to help employment and future development of project managers for companies. Due to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese engineering contracting companies have ushered in excellent opportunities in the international engineering market. However, for the lack of comprehensive talents, Chinese international engineering projects are currently facing various difficulties. How to select, evaluate, and train highly competitive engineering project managers is of great significance to them. In this paper, an improved Multi-Attribute Decision Making Method (MADM) is used to construct the competency model of international engineering project managers, so as to provide a reliable reference and suggestions for the evaluation process and future development. The current study of project managers' competency is mainly focused on the local level rather than the international level, and discussed about the competency of general project managers instead of a specific industry of engineering. Also, we noticed the lack of a systematic method of competency evaluation for Chinese international engineering project managers. Aiming at the manager competency of international engineering projects, this paper firstly combines Repertory Grid technique (RepGrid) with the help of Chinese experts abroad and factor analysis to construct a competency evaluation index system, and then combines Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) to explore the interaction between various indicators and determine the weight of each indicator. Finally, through improved Vlse kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method the five candidates from a Chinese company in the case are evaluated. The final parts of this article provide a methodological reference and improvement suggestions for the recruitment, performance evaluation, training and career development of international engineering project managers based on the constructed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The piezophototronic effect has been widely explored to improve the performance of optoelectronic devices. However, modulation of piezoelectric charges varies with different energy band structures. Thus, it is important to investigate the specific role of the piezophototronic effect from a theoretical perspective. Herein, the piezophototronic effect in anisotype p‐Si/n‐ZnO heterojunction photodiodes with type‐II energy band diagrams through analytical derivation and numerical simulation is thoroughly studied. It is found that both the depletion region and quasineutral region have a decisive effect on photocurrent in their respective regions. Specifically, modulations of piezoelectric charges on depletion region current and quasineutral region current are opposite and compensate each other, resulting in reduced piezophototronic effect. Heterojunctions under short diode conditions are preferred for better piezophototronic effect as modulation on quasineutral region current is weakened while that on depletion region current remains unchanged. The effects of doping concentration, absorption coefficient, and minority carrier lifetime of semiconductor materials on device characteristics are also studied. This work provides deeper insight into the underlying device physics of the piezophototronic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of bone tumors is a challenging problem due to the inefficient delivery of therapeutics to bone and the bone microenvironment-associated tumor resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. Here, we developed a bone-targeted nanoparticle, aspartate octapeptide-modified dendritic platinum-copper alloy nanoparticle (Asp-DPCN), for photothermal therapy (PTT) of bone tumors. Asp-DPCN showed much higher affinity toward hydroxyapatite and bone fragments than the non-targeted DPCN in vitro . Furthermore, Asp-DPCN accumulated more efficiently around bone tumors in vivo , and resulted in a higher temperature in bone tumors during PTT. Finally, Asp-DPCN-mediated PTT not only efficiently depressed the tumor growth but also significantly reduced the osteoclastic bone destruction. Our study developed a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of bone tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A numerical simulation method for the multifactor coupling of stress field and temperature field is developed. • The numerical simulation method is in good agreement with the experiment results at elevated temperatures. • The numerical simulative description of the grout material failure and fracture of a steel bar. • Prediction of the yield point and the ultimate point of FGSC from 25 °C to 1000 °C. Fire is one of the main objects of study at the cutting edge of the research on disaster prevention and mitigation in structures. In the event of a fire, the mechanical properties of the structural material will be significantly reduced, resulting in serious consequences. This paper simulates the tensile properties of sleeve grouting members at five different temperatures, to contribute to the research here. The simulated member stress-strain curves fit well with the corresponding experimental results. The paper introduces constitutive models of concrete, steel, and sleeve. Beyond that, a feasible finite element model of the grouted sleeve is proposed. Two special points' (yield point, ultimate point) coordinate formulas which are related to different temperatures (25–1000 °C) are presented. It indicates the regularity of fully-grouted sleeve tensile force-displacement curves in various temperatures. Meanwhile, the research content provides the basis for further research on reinforcing bars spliced by grout-filled coupling sleeves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design a novel bone tumor cell targeting nanosystem for chemo-photothermal combined therapy. The nanosystem is constructed by hybridization of Mn-Co metal organic frameworks as core and polydopamine as shell. Its surface is loaded with doxorubicin and modified bone tumor cell targeting peptide. The nanosystem can break through the "barrier" of bone microenvironment and target bone tumor cells efficiently. [Display omitted] • One-step method to prepare Metal organic framework@polydopamine nanoparticles. • Design and synthesis of bone tumor targeting peptide modified nanosystem. • Nanosystem targets bone tumor cells by break through the bone microenvironment. • Nanosystem can treat bone tumors by chemo-photothermal combined therapy. • Nanosystem can inhibit bone tumors growth and the accompanying osteolysis. The bone microenvironment provides a "barrier" for bone tumors to resist clinical chemoradiotherapy, implying that molecules targeting tumor cells alone cannot effectively target bone tumor cells. One restriction of using nanosystems in the treatment of bone tumors is bone tumor cell-targeting. In this study, a novel chemo-photothermal combined therapy (CPT) bone tumor cell-targeting nanosystem was designed. A bone tumor cell-targeting peptide (BTTP) was covalently attached to the surface of the nanosystem. The nanosystem was constructed by hybridization of a core Mn-Co metal-organic framework and polydopamine as the shell (TM@P). The TM@P/DOX nanosystem could be first targeted to the bone damage interface by the bone-targeting peptide octapolyaspartic acid (D 8) of BTTP. Then the KCQGWI↓GQPGCK polypeptide fragment of BTTP could be cut off by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secreted by bone tumors, and finally guided specifically the nanosystem into bone tumor cells by cell penetrating peptides (R 8) of BTTP. Doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded onto the TM@P surface (TM@P/DOX). The nanosystem targeted bone tumor cells well in vivo and enhanced the contrast of bone tumor (MRI). Finally, the TM@P/DOX nanosystem-mediated CPT effectively inhibited bone tumor growth and osteolysis. This study provides an effective new approach for the treatment of malignant bone tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design a novel bone tumor cell targeting nanosystem for chemo-photothermal combined therapy. The nanosystem is constructed by hybridization of Mn-Co metal organic frameworks as core and polydopamine as shell. Its surface is loaded with doxorubicin and modified bone tumor cell targeting peptide. The nanosystem can break through the "barrier" of bone microenvironment and target bone tumor cells efficiently. [Display omitted] • One-step method to prepare Metal organic framework@polydopamine nanoparticles. • Design and synthesis of bone tumor targeting peptide modified nanosystem. • Nanosystem targets bone tumor cells by break through the bone microenvironment. • Nanosystem can treat bone tumors by chemo-photothermal combined therapy. • Nanosystem can inhibit bone tumors growth and the accompanying osteolysis. The bone microenvironment provides a "barrier" for bone tumors to resist clinical chemoradiotherapy, implying that molecules targeting tumor cells alone cannot effectively target bone tumor cells. One restriction of using nanosystems in the treatment of bone tumors is bone tumor cell-targeting. In this study, a novel chemo-photothermal combined therapy (CPT) bone tumor cell-targeting nanosystem was designed. A bone tumor cell-targeting peptide (BTTP) was covalently attached to the surface of the nanosystem. The nanosystem was constructed by hybridization of a core Mn-Co metal-organic framework and polydopamine as the shell (TM@P). The TM@P/DOX nanosystem could be first targeted to the bone damage interface by the bone-targeting peptide octapolyaspartic acid (D 8) of BTTP. Then the KCQGWI↓GQPGCK polypeptide fragment of BTTP could be cut off by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secreted by bone tumors, and finally guided specifically the nanosystem into bone tumor cells by cell penetrating peptides (R 8) of BTTP. Doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded onto the TM@P surface (TM@P/DOX). The nanosystem targeted bone tumor cells well in vivo and enhanced the contrast of bone tumor (MRI). Finally, the TM@P/DOX nanosystem-mediated CPT effectively inhibited bone tumor growth and osteolysis. This study provides an effective new approach for the treatment of malignant bone tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer enterprises face similar market environment and development prospects. For the purpose of economic rationality and avoiding risks, enterprises imitate and learn from peer enterprises' green innovation decisions. However, few studies focus on the relationship between peer effect and government policies. In order to fill the gap, an evolutionary game model based on complex network is built, and different information interaction mechanisms are constructed to study the dynamic impact of government policies on the diffusion of green innovation among peer enterprises. The results show that: (1) based on peer effect, green innovation incentive, environmental protection tax and innovation subsidy are effective policy tools to promote green innovation diffusion. (2) green innovation incentive and innovation subsidy have the best policy effect threshold. Peer alliances invalidate further incentives for generosity. (3) Increasing the intensity of environmental tax will first promote and then inhibit the diffusion of green innovation. (4) Different information interaction mechanisms of peer effect significantly impact the effectiveness of policies, and there are differences. Compared with the positive information, enterprises are more vulnerable to the negative information of the industry. This reflects the conservative attitude of enterprises. The conclusions provide a multi perspective reference for the implementation of government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preclinical Research The aim of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective benefits of rhGLP ‐ 1 in diabetic rats subjected to acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). Streptozotocin (STZ) ‐ induced diabetic rats were pretreated with rhGLP ‐ 1 (10, 20, or 40 μg/kg ip, tid) for 14 days. During this time, body weight and fasting blood glucose levels were assessed. Rats were then subjected to MCAO 90 min/R 24 h. At 2 and 24 h of reperfusion, rats were evaluated for neurological deficits and blood samples were collected to analyze markers of brain injury. Rats were then sacrificed to assess the infarction volume. rhGLP ‐ 1 pretreatment lowered blood glucose levels, improved neurological scores, attenuated infarct volumes, and reduced the blood levels of S100 calcium ‐ binding protein B (S100B), neuron ‐ specific enolase (NSE), and myelin basic protein (MBP). rhGLP ‐ 1 has neuroprotective benefits in diabetic rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and could potentially be used as a prophylatic neuroprotectant in diabetic patients at high risk of ischemic stroke. Drug Dev Res 77 : 124 – 133, 2016.   © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ideal vector in gene therapy should exhibit high serum stability, excellent biocompatibility, a desired transfection efficacy and permeability into targeted tissues. Here, we describe a class of low-molecular-weight fluorodendrimers for efficient gene delivery. These materials self-assemble into uniform nanospheres and allow for efficient transfection at low charge ratios and very low DNA doses with minimal cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate that these vectors combine the features of synthetic gene vectors such as liposomes and cationic polymers and present promising potential for clinical gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ideal vector in gene therapy should exhibit high serum stability, excellent biocompatibility, a desired transfection efficacy and permeability into targeted tissues. Here, we describe a class of low-molecular-weight fluorodendrimers for efficient gene delivery. These materials self-assemble into uniform nanospheres and allow for efficient transfection at low charge ratios and very low DNA doses with minimal cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate that these vectors combine the features of synthetic gene vectors such as liposomes and cationic polymers and present promising potential for clinical gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bi 2 S 3 nanorods with abundant sulfur vacancies exhibit superior and sustainable photocatalytic nitrogen fixation activity under near-infrared irradiation and full solar irradiation. [Display omitted] • Controllable fabrication of sulfur-vacancy-rich Bi 2 S 3 nanorods were fabricated by a simple solvothermal route. • The abundant SVs can absorb nitrogen and decrease the photoinduced carriers recombination. • Bi 2 S 3 nanorods exhibit effective and sustainable photocatalytic N 2 fixation under near-infrared irradiation. Herein, orthorhombic phase Bi 2 S 3 nanorods with different concentration of sulfur vacancies (SVs) were controllably synthesized via a facile solvothermal strategy. Benefited from the high specific surface area, proper band gap, good reduction capacity and abundant SVs, the Bi 2 S 3 nanorods exhibit remarkable photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance. The ammonia yield of the sulfur-vacancy-rich Bi 2 S 3 -3 is around 51.04 μmol g−1 h−1 under full solar irradiation. Moreover, Bi 2 S 3 -3 also responds sensitively to near-infrared (NIR) light, and the nitrogen reduction rate is 33.37 μmol g−1 h−1. The superior photocatalytic performance of Bi 2 S 3 is mainly attributed to SVs, which can absorb nitrogen and afford plentiful active sites to activate molecular nitrogen. Moreover, SVs also can trap the photoinduced electrons and contribute to the separation of the interfacial charge. This work provides a promising and sustainable defect-rich photocatalyst for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen using solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of an efficient gene vector based on dendrimer remains a great challenge due to the presence of multiple barriers in gene delivery. Single-functionalization on dendrimer cannot overcome all the barriers. In this study, we synthesized a list of single-, dual- and triple-functionalized dendrimers with arginine, phenylalanine and histidine for gene delivery using a one-pot approach. The three amino acids play different roles in gene delivery: arginine is essential in formation of stable complexes, phenylalanine improves cellular uptake efficacy, and histidine increases pH-buffering capacity and minimizes cytotoxicity of the cationic dendrimer. A combination of these amino acids on dendrimer generates a synergistic effect in gene delivery. The dual- and triple-functionalized dendrimers show minimal cytotoxicity on the transfected NIH 3T3 cells. Using this combination strategy, we can obtain triple-functionalized dendrimers with comparable transfection efficacy to several commercial transfection reagents. Such a combination strategy should be applicable to the design of efficient and biocompatible gene vectors for gene delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A. splendens was grown in FA- and PAM-consolidated soil layer (CSL) in the desert. • Factors influencing A. splendens growth in the CSLs were investigated. • The resistance to wind erosion of CSL was further improved by A. splendens cover. Vegetation restoration is an important part of effective desertification control. Consolidated soil layer (CSL) formed by mixing coal fly ash (FA), dry anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) granules, and sandy soil can increase the resistance to wind erosion of the soil. This study further investigated the effect of CSL on vegetation recovery on the sandy land in the Ulan Buh Desert, North China. FA and PAM were applied into the 0–0.3 m depth sandy soil layer at varying application rates to form CSLs (viz. T1 (5%FA + 0.05%PAM), T2 (5%FA + 0.1%PAM), T3 (10%FA + 0.05%PAM), T4 (10%FA + 0.1%PAM), T5 (15%FA + 0.05%PAM), and T6 (15%FA + 0.1%PAM)) where Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski (A. splendens) was planted. The results showed that the moisture content of T3 and T4 was consistently higher than that of untreated sandy soil (CK) along the 0.1–0.2 m depth soil layer, which was attributed to the increased water holding capacity of sandy soil by FA and PAM via alteration of coarse soil texture by fine-sized FA particles and binding of soil particles by PAM as well as the formation of soil surface crust. As a result, the growth traits of A. splendens including average height, tillers number, and leaf-area coverage were promoted in CSLs during the one-year growth period, with the most distinctly improved final growth traits noted in T4 and T6. The eight-month field observation found that the resistance to wind erosion of CSL with A. splendens cover was significantly improved than that of CK, and the wind erosion rate decreased with increasing FA application rate. The improvement in the resistance to wind erosion of CSL was attributed to the pozzolanic action and filling effect of fine FA particles and adhesive action and inter-particle binding of PAM. A. splendens cover was demonstrated to effectively protect the CSL from being eroded by wind in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch obtained from seedless breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) procured from Xinglong and the Spice and Beverage Research Institute were isolated and their granule and physicochemical characteristics were analyzed. Both Xinglong seedless breadfruit starch (XBS) and Spice and Beverage Research Institute seedless breadfruit starch (SBS) exhibited a B-type diffraction patterns. SBS showed higher amylose content (25.71%), weight average molecular weight (Mw) (2.17 × 107 g/mol), A chains (degrees of polymerization (DP) 6–12) (17.26%), B2 chains (DP 24–36) (22.67%), B3 chains (DP ≥ 37) (14.42%), gelatinization enthalpy (Δ H g) (13.29 J/g), crystallinity (R c) (19.97%), short-range molecular order (0.59), gelatinization temperature (T p) (73.01 °C), pasting temperature (Pt) (75.95 °C), final viscosity (FV) (8125 cP), setback viscosity (SBV) (2366 cP), gel hardness (23.33 g) and adhesiveness (−79.14 g s) than those of XBS (24.33%, 1.68 × 107 g/mol, 16.83%, 20.74%, 13.10%, 12.39 J/g, 10.90%, 0.55, 68.56 °C, 71.80 °C, 8073 cP, 1694 cP, 10.72 g and −85.72 g s, respectively). However, lower B1 chains (DP 13–24) (45.72%), water absorption capacity (WAC) (117.32%), peak viscosity (PV) (6047 cP) and breakdown viscosity (BDV) (288 cP) were found for SBS, compared to those obtained for the XBS (49.33%, 139.10%, 7343 cP and 964 cP). The average particle size of SBS (7.44 μm) was similar to that of XBS (7.54 μm). Principal component analysis indicated that a significantly positive correlation was found among Mw, A1 chains, B2 chains, B3 chains, 1047/1022, gel hardness, amylose content, R c , T p , FV, Pt, Δ H g and SBV (p < 0.05). In addition, the proportions between the B1 chains, PV, porosity, WAC, gel adhesiveness, and ΔH were negatively correlated with Mw, A1 chains, B2 chains, B3 chains, 1047/1022, gel hardness, amylose content, R c , T p , FV, Pt, Δ H g and SBV (p < 0.05). Significantly negative correlation was also found among BDV and SBV, and T p and FV (p < 0.05). This paper can potentially be used as a theoretical reference to prompt more investigations for the extensive utilization of SBS and XBS in the food industry. [Display omitted] • The seedless breadfruit is a potential starch resource, which has not been exploited. • Starches were from Xinglong (XBS) and Spice and Beverage Research Institute (SBS). • Both the SBS and XBS was observed B-type pattern with various relative crystallinity. • The gelatinization enthalpy and gel hardness of SBS were higher than those of XBS. • Compared with XBS, SBS showed higher molecular weight and ratio of long chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]