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AbstractInvestigation of the fruits of Rhododendron molle G. Don led to the isolation of three new grayanane-type diterpenoids, rhodomolleins LIV-LVI (1-3). The structures and absolute configurations of new compounds were fully elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, including HRESIMS, 1 D and 2 D NMR data. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for analgesic activities utilizing an acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. Compound 1 showed a significant antinociceptive effect with writhe inhibition rates of 72.9% and 100% at doses of 6 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg in mice, respectively. The binding mode of 1 to N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF, PDB: 6IP2) was explored by molecular docking, indicating the presence of hydrogen bond interactions which account for its analgesic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the inverse issues for the heat equations with spatial‐dependent source and time‐dependent source, respectively. In this work, the source identification issues are ill‐posed, and the numerical solutions (if they exist) are not continuously dependent on the data. A mollification regularization method with Dirichlet kernel is proposed to tackle the presented problems. Convergence analyses are carried out via two regularization parameter selection rules (a priori and a posteriori), respectively. Ultimately, a series of numerical experiments are presented to verify our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-horizontal submerged jets stilling basins have been utilized in large-scale water conservancy and hydropower projects due to its stable flow pattern, high energy dissipation rate and less atomization. This study employs vorticity criterion, Q criterion, λ2 criterion and Ω criterion to investigate the characteristics of vortex formation and turbulent dissipation in multi-horizontal submerged jets stilling basins with various configurations, including crest overflowing orifice alone (COO), combination of crest overflowing orifice and mid-discharge orifice (COO-MO) and mid-discharge orifice alone (MO). The results indicate that the Q criterion and λ2 criterion are effective in identifying vortex structure within multi-horizontal submerged jets stilling basin. Specifically, the stronger intensity of vortex structure and vortex dissipation are mainly distributed in the vicinity of the vertical drop, which gradually weakens for the increasing distance to the vertical drop. Furthermore, the intensity and number of vortexes with COO-MO are the largest. This conclusion can provide guidance for energy dissipation and bottom protection of stilling pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new species of the genus Bifurcia are described: B. kangding sp. nov. (♂♀), B. labahe sp. nov. (♂), B. luding sp. nov. (♂♀), B. shuangqiao sp. nov. (♂♀), and B. xiaojin sp. nov. (♂♀) from western Sichuan, China. A distribution map of the species and illustrations of genital characters are provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable, user-friendly, and multidimensional prediction tool can help to identify children at high risk for ADHD and facilitate early recognition and family management of ADHD. We aimed to develop and validate a risk nomogram for ADHD in children aged 3–17 years in the United States based on clinical manifestations and complex environments. A total of 141,356 cases were collected for the prediction model. Another 54,444 cases from a new data set were utilized for performing independent external validation. The LASSO regression was used to control possible variables. A final risk nomogram for ADHD was established based on logistic regression, and the discrimination and calibration of the established nomogram were evaluated by bootstrapping with 1000 resamples. A final risk nomogram for ADHD was established based on 13 independent predictors, including behavioral problems, learning disabilities, age, intellectual disabilities, anxiety symptoms, gender, premature birth, maternal age at childbirth, parent-child interaction patterns, etc. The C-index of this model was 0.887 in the training set, and 0.862 in the validation set. Internal and external validation proved that the model was reliable. A nomogram, a statistical prediction tool that assesses individualized ADHD risk for children is helpful for the early identification of children at high risk for ADHD and the construction of a conceptual model of society-family-school collaborative diagnosis, treatment, and management of ADHD. To construct a conceptual model of society-family-school collaborative diagnosis, treatment, and management of ADHD. We employed machine learning algorithms to identify 13 independent prognostic factors of ADHD from multi-dimensional predictors. We successfully developed a highly accurate early ADHD prediction model with a C-index of 0.887. This reliable and user-friendly tool incorporates multiple dimensions of prediction, enabling g parents, teachers, and physicians to identify children at a high risk of ADHD. By empowering parents, teachers, and physicians with the ability to identify children at high risk, we can facilitate early recognition and family management, leading to improved outcomes for children with ADHD. [Display omitted] • We developed a nomogram for ADHD in children aged 3-17, which can aid in early recognition and family management of ADHD. • The nomogram was validated externally by using another database, proving its reliability in accurately predicting ADHD risk. • This nomogram forms a collaborative diagnostic, therapeutic, and management model involving society, family, and school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate, transferrable, and computationally efficient potential energy surface is of paramount importance for all molecular mechanics simulations. In this work, by using water as an example, we demonstrate how one can construct a reliable force field by combining the advantages of both physically motivated and data-driven machine learning methods. Different from the existing water models based on molecular many-body expansion, we adopt a separation scheme that is completely based on distances, which is more convenient for generic molecular systems. The geometry dependence of atomic charges and dispersion coefficients are also introduced to improve the accuracy of the long-range part of the potential. The new potential provides a physically interpretable energy decomposition, and it is more accurate than the conventional physically motived potentials. Most importantly, through this study, we show that the information we learn from small clusters can be extrapolated into larger systems, thus providing a general recipe for the intermolecular force field development at the coupled-cluster singles and doubles plus perturbative triples level of theory in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, nickel-catecholate (Ni-CAT) nanorods were in situ compounded on graphene oxide (GO) to form a composite Ni-CAT@GO (NCG) with a special "blanket-shape" structure, which was used as an electrode material for supercapacitors. The morphology of Ni-CATs in situ grown on GO was modulated by introducing various contents of GO. With increasing GO, the length of nanorods of Ni-CATs is obviously shortened, and the charge transfer resistance of NCG is significantly reduced as the GO content is relatively low while it increases with further addition of GO, because excessive GO in NCG results in smaller crystal sizes accompanied by smaller stacking pores. Both the over-long Ni-CAT nanorods and the smaller stacking pores can restrict the accessible surface areas for the electrolyte. Optimal nanorod sizes are crucial to achieve good electrochemical performance for electrode materials. Galvanostatic charge–discharge analysis of NCG electrodes shows that their capacity initially increases and then decreases with the addition of more and more GO, and Ni-CAT@GO-0.5 (NCG0.5) with minimal charge transfer resistance exhibits the best electrochemical performance. The results demonstrate that the NCG0.5 electrode with optimal morphology possesses an excellent capacitance of 563.8 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and a good rate performance of 61.9% at 10 A g−1, indicating that Ni-CAT@GO is a new type of promising electrode material for supercapacitors based on conductive metal–organic frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doping of nonmetals in multiphase metal catalysts can effectively improve the catalytic performance and reduce the catalyst cost. In this study, we synthesized transition metal phosphide (RuCo@P/CNT) catalysts loaded on carbon nanotubes (CNT) using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the reducing agent. The microstructure and phase composition of RuCo@P/CNT nanoparticles were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and BET. RuCo@P/CNT nanoparticles show superior catalytic activity and cycle stability in the catalytic ammonia borane hydrolysis process compared to Ru/CNT and RuCo/CNT nanoparticles, retaining 65.74% of their initial catalytic activity after 5 reaction cycles. The test yielded values for turnover frequency and activation energy of 327.33 min-1 and 36.77 kJ·mol-1, respectively. Additionally, a kinetic isotope effect value of 2.61 for H2O/D2O showed that O-H bond breaking in proportional acceptor water is the decisive step in the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane, and based on this discovery, a specific mechanism for the catalytic hydrolysis of AB by RuCo@P NPs is postulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four morphologically similar species of the Pholcus yichengicus species group, occurring in geographic proximity of China's Qinling Mountains, were recognised, based on morphology and four methods of molecular species delimitation. They comprise two new species, namely Pholcus ankang sp. nov. and P. baoji sp. nov. and two previously described species: P. ovatus Yao & Li, 2012 and P. taibaiensis Wang & Zhu, 1992. Their DNA barcodes were obtained to estimate p-distances and K2P distances. In addition, an identification key for the four closely-related species is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report 18 spider species of the genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 from a survey in the Qinling Mountains of central China. They belong to four species groups and include seven species new to science: Pholcus jiaozuo Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀) in the taishan species group; P. luonan Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. luoyang Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. lushan Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. shangluo Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. weinan Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀) and P. yuncheng Yang & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀) in the yichengicus species group. Detailed diagnoses, descriptions, photomicroscopy images and DNA barcodes of all new species are provided. Our study will make a significant contribution to understanding species diversity and zoogeography of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragali Radix (AR) or its extract has been used as an herbal medicine and dietary supplement in China, Europe, and the United States. The gut microbiota could provide new insights for exploring dietary supplements' underlying mechanism on organisms. However, no reports have focused on the regulatory effect of AR on the gut microbiota as a dietary supplement. In this study, healthy ICR mice of either sex were divided into AR and control (CON) groups and given AR water extract (4.55 mg/kg·day−1) or saline by gavage for 14 days, respectively. Then 16S rRNA gene sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry-based fecal metabolomics were integrated to investigate the benefits of dietary AR. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was also introduced to investigate the metabolites with highly synergistic changes. AR supplementation influenced the structure of intestinal microflora, especially enriching short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria g_Coprobacillus, g_Prevotella, and g_Parabacteroides. AR also significantly altered the fecal metabolome, mainly related to amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and bile acid (BA) metabolism. Moreover, the increased secondary BAs and BA-sulfates might closely relate to intestinal microflora. These findings provide valuable insights for future research of dietary AR as a functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the efficiency of hens and extending the egg-laying cycle require maintaining high egg production in the later stages. The ovarian follicles, as the primary functional units for ovarian development and oocyte maturation, play a crucial role in regulating the continuous ovulation of hens. The egg production rate of laying hens is mostly affected by proper follicle growth and ovulation in the ovaries. The objective of this study was to identify the key genes and signaling pathways involved in the development of ovarian follicles in Taihang hens through transcriptome screening. In this study, RNA sequencing was used to compare and analyze the transcriptomes of ovarian follicles at four developmental stages: small white follicles (SWF), small yellow follicles (SYF), F5 follicles, and F2 follicles, from two groups: the high continual production group (H-Group) and the low continual production group (L-Group). A total of 24 cDNA libraries were constructed, and significant differential expression of 96, 199, 591, and 314 mRNAs was detected in the SWF, SYF, F5, and F2 follicles of the H and L groups, respectively. Based on the results of GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, each stage of follicle growth possesses distinct molecular genetic features, which have important effects on follicle development and significantly promote the formation of continuous production traits through the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, and neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction. Additionally, through STEM analysis, we identified 59 DEGs, including ZP4, KCNH1, IGFs, HMGA2, and CDH1, potentially associated with follicular development within four significant modules. This study represents the first transcriptome investigation of follicles in hens with high and low egg-producing characteristics at four crucial developmental stages. These findings provide important molecular evidence for understanding the regulation of follicular development and its variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer has evolved into a substantial public health concern as the second-leading cause of mortality globally. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been the two most widely used cancer therapies in recent years; however, both have drawbacks. Therefore, the focus has shifted to the creation of herbal medicines, the extraction of active ingredients, replacement therapy, and the adverse effects of these medications. Ginsenoside Rh2, which is extracted from ginseng, has been identified in many cancer cells. The immune system of the body is strengthened by ginsenoside Rh2, which can also cause the proliferation, death, and differentiation of tumor cells through various pathways. For instance, it inhibits the expression of the NF- κ B signaling pathway and induces cell apoptosis, affects the expression levels of mitochondrial apoptosis proteins Bcl-2 and Bax, and cooperates with the PD-1 blockade to reactivate T cells to promote an antitumor immune response. Furthermore, ginsenosides Rh2 has the effect of reversing the toxic effect of chemotherapy drugs on normal cells, reducing myocardial damage, and relieving bone marrow function suppression. For clinical applications, it is mainly used as an adjuvant drug for preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and rescue treatment of advanced cancer. This paper summarizes the pharmacological action and mechanism of ginsenosides Rh2 in all kinds of cancer and looks forward to its future development and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CuIn(ina) 4 exhibits preferential adsorption of C 2 H 6 over C 2 H 4. • C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 selectivity of CuIn(ina) 4 can be as high as 2.3 at ambient conditions. • Separation potential of CuIn(ina) 4 can reached up to 1578 mmol/L. Purification of ethylene (C 2 H 4) is an essential and energy-intensive process in the petrochemical industry. Adsorption separation using ethane (C 2 H 6)-selective porous adsorbents is a highly efficient and straightforward method for obtaining polymer-grade C 2 H 4 from a binary C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 mixture. However, the design and construction of C 2 H 6 -selective adsorbents are very challenging tasks. Herein, we demonstrate a microporous heterometal-organic framework, CuIn(ina) 4 , can preferentially enrich C 2 H 6 than C 2 H 4. Experimental results revealed that CuIn(ina) 4 exhibited remarkable separation performance for the C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 mixture with a high C 2 H 6 loading capacity (3.3 mmol/g), high IAST selectivity (2.3) and separation potential (1578 mmol/L for equimolar C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 mixture) under ambient conditions. The effectiveness of CuIn(ina) 4 for C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 adsorption separation was confirmed by theoretical calculations and breakthrough experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues have always been a concern, and designing a material that can effectively combat both gaseous and liquid pollutants is a goal we are working toward. Herein, two examples of N-rich covalent organic frameworks (COFs), named YCOF1 and YCOF2, were synthesized using the solvothermal method. Their structure, stability and morphology were characterized using PXRD, FT-IR, XPS, TGA and SEM. According to the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, the specific surface areas of YCOF1 and YCOF2 were 559.096 and 741.261 m2 g−1, respectively. Under the volume percentage of simulated flue gases, YCOF1 exhibits excellent CO2 IAST selectivities of 70.97 at 273 K and 30.05 at 298 K, while YCOF2 also exhibits excellent CO2 IAST selectivity of 51.90 at 273 K. Moreover, their high specific surface area and abundant active sites provide excellent adsorption capacity for malachite green (MG), with maximum adsorption amounts of 650.14 mg g−1 (YCOF1) and 572.95 mg g−1 (YCOF2). Furthermore, the adsorption of the COFs for dyes followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. The dye removal efficiency of YCOF1 and YCOF2 showed less than 5% change after 5 adsorption cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While teaching assistants (TAs) have experienced various employment challenges, little research has been done to examine factors affecting their well-being. Based on an extended Control-Value model in studying teachers’ emotions and well-being, the present study examined the relationship between primary school TAs’ Control-Value variables in the context of formative feedback practice (abbreviated as TFBCV), their emotional well-being, and other well-being indicators. 305 TAs from 184 primary schools in Hong Kong participated in this survey study. Usually, there is at least one TA to support students with special educational needs in each mainstream school in Hong Kong. This sample represents 39% of primary schools in Hong Kong given that each school has one TA to join this study and these participating schools. The results supported our hypotheses that TFBCV has significant direct effects on both a combined positive emotion and the two discrete positive emotions (Joy and Love). TFBCV also has a significant indirect effect on job satisfaction via positive emotions. Interestingly, job stress was nearly uncorrelated with TFBCV and positive emotions. We discuss implications for extending teacher well-being research to include the ‘missing’ but essential piece of TAs in the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nucleus-targeted enzyme prodrug nanocomposite, assembled from β-cyclodextrin-lysine (CL), catalase (CAT), Pt(IV) and chlorin e6 (Ce6), was developed for self-augmenting cascade photo-chemo therapy of tumors. It can effectively transport through the cytoplasm and accumulate in the nucleus, thereby significantly inhibiting tumor growth and lung metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disease, and the condition is difficult to assess. In the past, numerous brain dynamics models have made remarkable contributions to neuroscience and the brain from the microcosmic to the macroscopic scale. Recently, large-scale brain dynamics models have been developed based on dual-driven multimodal neuroimaging data and neurodynamics theory. These models bridge the gap between anatomical structure and functional dynamics and have played an important role in assisting the understanding of the brain mechanism. Large-scale brain dynamics have been widely used to explain how macroscale neuroimaging biomarkers emerge from potential neuronal population level disturbances associated with AD. In this review, we describe this emerging approach to studying AD that utilizes a biophysically large-scale brain dynamics model. In particular, we focus on the application of the model to AD and discuss important directions for the future development and analysis of AD models. This will facilitate the development of virtual brain models in the field of AD diagnosis and treatment and add new opportunities for advancing clinical neuroscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the eye region has been found to convey sufficient information for emotional recognition and interpersonal communication, little is known regarding the extent to which the prioritized processing of emotional eye regions relies on available attentional resources. To address this issue, the present study used a dual-target rapid serial visual presentation task in which the perceptual load levels of the first target (T1), as well as the valence of the second target (T2), were manipulated. In addition to the traditional event-related potential (ERP) analysis method, the mass univariate statistics approach was employed. Behaviorally, both happy and fearful eye regions were recognized more accurately than neutral eye regions, regardless of the T1 perceptual load. ERP findings revealed an enhanced N170 amplitude for fearful eye regions compared to neutral eye regions, confirming the preferential and automatic processing of fearful signals at the early sensory stage. The late positive potential component exhibited enhanced responses to fearful and happy eye regions, suggesting the amplified representation consolidation in working memory. Collectively, these findings indicate that isolated eye regions are processed automatically to a higher degree owing to their perceptual and motivational significance. • The processing of emotional eye regions is independent of perceptual load. • Fearful eye regions are processed automatically and preferentially. • N170 and LPP components are modulated by emotional valence of eye region. • Human brain is highly sensitive to emotional signals projected from eye region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic modification occurring in RNA has become the hotspot of the field. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most abundant RNA internal modification mainly occurring at the consensus motif DR (m6A) CH (D = A/G/U, R = A/G, H = A/C/U) in the 3'-UTR particularly the region near stop codons. The life cycle of m6A methylation includes "writers," "erasers," and "readers", which are responsible for the addition, removal, and recognition of m6A, respectively. m6A modification has been reported changing RNA secondary structure or modulating the stability, localization, transport, and translation of mRNAs to play crucial roles in various physiological and pathological conditions. Liver, as the largest metabolic and digestive organ, modulates vital physiological functions, and its dysfunction gives rise to the occurrence of various diseases. Despite the advanced intervening measures, mortality due to liver diseases is continuously high. Recent studies have explored the roles of m6A RNA methylation in the pathogenesis of liver diseases, providing new insights for studying the molecular mechanism of liver diseases. In the review, we extensively summarize the life cycle of m6A methylation, as well as its function and relevant mechanisms in liver fibrosis (LF), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hepatitis virus infection, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and eventually we explore the potential of m6A as a treatment option for these liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: chiral phosphoric acid; organocatalysis; cycloaddition; alkenes; alkynes EN chiral phosphoric acid organocatalysis cycloaddition alkenes alkynes 1200 1214 15 06/19/23 20230704 NES 230704 1 Introduction Asymmetric cycloaddition reaction is the most powerful strategy for the construction of various enantioenriched carbocycles and heterocycles, [1] because it provides an efficient and completely atom-economical route from simple precursors. In order to achieve this goal, we needed to overcome the following issues: (1) realization of efficient cycloaddition of alkynes with appropriate partners; (2) the installation of suitable groups onto alkynes to avoid free rotation around the potential C-C axes; (3) the choice of a competent chiral catalyst to promote the designed cycloaddition reactions and to control the stereoselectivity. 3 CPA-Catalyzed Cycloaddition of Alkynes Although the CPA-catalyzed cycloaddition of alkenes have been well documented, the CPA-catalyzed asymmetric cycloaddition reaction of alkynes is still lacking. On the other hand, the cycloaddition of alkynylnaphthols with imines proceeded via a sequential [4+2] cycloaddition, an alkyne-type Povarov cycloaddition, and an auto-oxidation reaction. [Extracted from the article]

Constraint satisfaction problems have a wide range of applications in areas such as basic computer theory research and artificial intelligence, and many major studies in industry are not solved directly, but converted into instances of satisfiability problems for solution. Therefore, the solution of the satisfiability problem is a central problem in many important areas in the future. A large number of solution algorithms for this problem are mainly based on completeness algorithms and heuristic algorithms. Intelligent optimization algorithms with heuristic policies run significantly more efficiently on large-scale instances compared to completeness algorithms. This paper compares the principles, implementation steps, and applications of several major intelligent optimization algorithms in satisfiability problems, analyzes the characteristics of these algorithms, and focuses on the performance in solving satisfiability problems under different constraints. In terms of algorithms, evolutionary algorithms and swarm intelligence algorithms are introduced; in terms of applications, the solution to the satisfiability problem is studied. At the same time, the performance of the listed intelligent optimization algorithms in applications is analyzed in detail in terms of the direction of improvement of the algorithms, advantages and disadvantages and comparison algorithms, respectively, and the future application of intelligent optimization algorithms in satisfiability problems is prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change in the ecological environment in the arid core area is a critical issue in the context of global warming. To study the paleoclimate evolution, precise identification of minerals deposited in Asia's arid hinterland, Lop Nur Salt Lake, NW China was conducted. The hyperspectral data of the salt crust was sampled to identify the species and content of sedimentary minerals, and the multispectral photos were used to reconstruct the salt crust morphology using the unmanned aerial vehicles platform. The SUnSAL (sparse unmixing by variable splitting and augmented Lagrangian) method was employed to inverse the sedimentary mineral components along the shoreline. The heterogeneity of salt and clay minerals in bright and dark ear-shaped strips was evaluated. The paleoclimatic environment associated with salt lake extinction was reconstructed by analyzing paleoclimate records of sediments, spectral reflectance and morphology of the salt crust. Results show that: (1) the variations in the micro-geomorphology of the salt crust are obviously the reason for the formation of bright and dark ear-shaped strips and the differences in the species and relative content of the sedimentary minerals are the microscopic reason. The high ratio of sedimentary salt minerals to clay minerals (RS/C) contributes to the high reflectivity, and the salt crust presents a bright texture. The low RS/C results in the low reflectivity, salt crust presents a dark texture; (2) the bright and dark ear-shaped strips represent warm-arid and cold-humid climates. The shape of the Lop Nur Lake shoreline evolved due to alternating warm-dry and cold-humid paleoclimate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native potato flour is one of the most promising food sources or additives to meet the increasing need for healthy food. Multi-stage drying is one of the most promising methods for potato drying, but the chemical and functional properties need to be evaluated. In this work, the soluble peptide, digestibility, enzyme activity, flavonoid, and odorants with multi-stage drying methods were studied. Results showed that high-temperature first stage (HTFs) treatment enhanced the slowly digestible starch content and Maillard reaction, but the highest effective concentration for 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals scavenging ratio at 50% (77.62 mg/mL), and 6.995 mg/mL of soluble peptide could be found for the 90 + 60 °C hot air dried sample. This indicated that longstanding decelerate drying stage treatment has obvious damage effects on antioxidant activity and proteins. The HTFs treatment has positive effects to enhance the drying rate and quality of native potato flour, but the second stage needs to be minimized. Moreover, radiofrequency assisted method might be a better solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider solving the Cauchy problem of the Schrödinger equation with potential-free field by a mollification regularization method in this work. By convolving the measured data with the Dirichlet kernel, the ill-posed case is turned into a well-posed one. Convergent estimates are gained via the priori and the posteriori parameter selection rules. Finally, three simulation experiment results are shown to prove the feasibility and stability of our presented procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: New remedies are required for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) due to insufficient efficacy of available therapies. Here, we used chemogenetic approaches combined with in vivo pharmacology to elucidate the role of basolateral amygdala (BLA) astrocytes in DNP pathogenesis and provide new insights into therapeutic strategies for DNP. Experimental Approach: A streptozotocin‐induced DNP model was established. Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) were used to regulate astrocyte activity. Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed using the electronic von Frey test. Anxiety‐like behaviours were detected using open field and elevated plus maze tests. Astrocytic activity was detected by immunofluorescence, and cytokine content was determined by ELISA. Key Results: BLA astrocytes were regulated by DREADDs, and inhibition of BLA astrocytes attenuated mechanical allodynia and pain‐related negative emotions in DNP rats. In contrast, temporary activation of BLA astrocytes induced allodynia without anxious behaviours in naive rats. In addition, koumine (KM) alleviated mechanical allodynia and anxiety‐like behaviours in DNP rats, inhibited the activation of BLA astrocytes and suppressed the inflammatory response. Furthermore, persistent activation of BLA astrocytes through chemogenetics mimicked chronic pain, and KM alleviated the pain hypersensitivity and anxiety‐like behaviours. Conclusion and Implications: DREADDs bidirectionally regulate the activity of BLA astrocytes, which proves for the first time the role of BLA astrocyte activation in the pathogenesis of DNP and represents a novel therapeutic strategy for DNP. KM ameliorates DNP, perhaps by inhibiting the activation of BLA astrocytes and reveal KM as a potential candidate for treating DNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three‐dimensional (3D) nanoporous CuAg (NPCuAg) alloy catalysts with various Cu/Ag ratios are prepared by electrochemical dealloying of metallic glassy (MG) precursors. All dealloyed samples exhibit homogenous nanoporous structure and element composition distribution. After systematically evaluating their electrocatalytic performance toward MOR, it was found that the catalytic activity of the NPCuAg catalysts is enhanced along with the increase of Cu/Ag ratio, which may be attributed to the more exposed active reaction sites derived from high surface area of nanoporous structure and the optimal synergistic effect. Thus, the NPCu1.75Ag alloy catalyst presents the best methanol electro‐oxidation properties, including a high current density of 397.2 mA cm−2 and good operation stability that retaining 84.5 % catalytic activity even after 7200 s. These results outperform most reported copper‐based MOR catalysts in alkaline methanol solution. Considering these advantages, the designed electrodes are expected to be promising catalysts for alkaline DMFCs applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the self-system processes model of motivation, we explored the mediating role of academic self-concept in the relationship between perseverance of effort and self-assessment. The results showed that perseverance of effort has a positive but not statistically significant association with self-assessment when controlling academic self-concept. The results supported our hypotheses that academic self-concept, whether at the domain-specific or component-specific level, significantly mediated the effect of the perseverance of effort on self-assessment, lending empirical support to the closer conceptual link between self-perceptions and self-assessment practices in learning. The results contribute to the literature of the three research lines (grit, academic self-concept and self-assessment) and suggest that academic self-concept enhancement interventions are beneficial not only to academic achievement based on the reciprocal relationship that has been well documented in the self-concept literature but also to self-assessment in the light of the self-system processes model of motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pholcus is the most diverse spider genus in Pholcidae, and is widely distributed in the Palaearctic, Indo-Malayan, Afrotropical, and Australasian Regions. Previously, the Pholcus spiders have not been recorded from the Lüliang Mountains of North China. We undertook an expedition there for the first time. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from four gene fragments (COI, H3, wnt, 28S) suggested that Pholcus from the Lüliang Mountains were grouped into nine well-supported clades. We adopted an integrative approach, including morphology and four methods of molecular species delimitation (ABGD, GMYC, bPTP, and BPP), to investigate species boundaries. Such analyses identified the nine clades as nine separate species, of which eight are new to science. All of them belong to the P. phungiformes species group. Spiders of the genus Pholcus were collected for the first time during an expedition to the Lüliang Mountains in Shanxi Province, North China. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from COI, H3, wnt, and 28S genes allowed us to group them into nine well-supported clades. We used morphology and four methods of molecular species delimitation, namely Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC), Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes (bPTP), and Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography (BPP), to investigate species boundaries. These integrative taxonomic analyses identified the nine clades as nine distinct species, comprising Pholcus luya Peng & Zhang, 2013 and eight other species new to science: Pholcus jiaocheng sp. nov., Pholcus linfen sp. nov., Pholcus lishi sp. nov., Pholcus luliang sp. nov., Pholcus wenshui sp. nov., Pholcus xiangfen sp. nov., Pholcus xuanzhong sp. nov., and Pholcus zhongyang sp. nov. The species occur in geographic proximity and show many morphological similarities. All of them belong to the P. phungiformes species group. The records from the Lüliang Mountains represent the westernmost distribution limit of this species group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gastrointestinal tract of all animals, including insects, is colonized by a remarkable array of microorganisms which are referred to collectively as the gut microbiota. The hosts establish mutually beneficial interactions with the gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms shaping these interactions remain to be better understood. Here, we investigated the roles of Musca domestica peptidoglycan recognition protein SC (MdPGRP‐SC), a secreted pattern recognition receptor, in shaping the gut microbial community structure by using biochemical and high‐throughput sequencing approaches. The recombinant MdPGRP‐SC (rMdPGRP‐SC) could strongly bind various pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) including peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide and D‐galactose, and exhibited mild affinity to β‐1, 3‐glucan and D‐mannose. Meanwhile, rMdPGRP‐SC could also bind different kinds of microorganisms, including gram‐positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), gram‐negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and yeast (Pichia pastoris). rMdPGRP‐SC also exhibited weak antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis. Knockdown of MdPGRP‐SC by RNAi reduced the persistence of ingested E. coli and a load of indigenous microbiota in the larval gut significantly. In addition, depleted MdPGRP‐SC also altered the gut microbiota composition and led to increased ratios of Gram‐negative bacteria. We hypothesize that MdPGRP‐SC is involved in maintaining gut homeostasis by modulating the immune intensity of the gut through multiple mechanisms, including degrading or neutralizing various PAMPs and selectively suppressing the growth of some bacteria. Considering the functional conservation of the peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP) family in insects, the catalytic PGRPs might be promising candidate targets not only for pest and vector control but also for the treatment of bacterial infection in insect farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and the associated protein (Cas) gene editing can induce P53 activation, large genome fragment deletions, and chromosomal structural variations. Here, gene expression was detected in host cells using transcriptome sequencing following CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. We found that the gene editing reshaped the gene expression, and the number of differentially expressed genes was correlated with the gene editing efficiency. Moreover, we found that alternative splicing occurred at random sites and that targeting a single site for gene editing may not result in the formation of fusion genes. Further, gene ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that gene editing altered the fundamental biological processes and pathways associated with diseases. Finally, we found that cell growth was not affected; however, the DNA damage response protein—γH2AX—was activated. This study revealed that CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing may induce cancer-related changes and provided basic data for research on the safety risks associated with the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proper activation of autophagy plays a protective role in Alzheimer's disease. • Fibroblast growth factor 21 attenuates Alzheimer's disease pathology and regulates autophagy. • Defective autophagy can produce fibroblast growth factor 21. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a disorder of the central nervous system that is typically marked by progressive cognitive impairment and memory loss. Amyloid β plaque deposition and neurofibrillary tangles with hyperphosphorylated tau are the two hallmark pathologies of AD. In mammalian cells, autophagy clears aberrant protein aggregates, thus maintaining proteostasis as well as neuronal health. Autophagy affects production and metabolism of amyloid β and accumulation of phosphorylated tau proteins, whose malfunction can lead to the progression of AD. On the other hand, defective autophagy has been found to induce the production of the neuroprotective factor fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), although the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this review, we highlight the significance of aberrant autophagy in the pathogenesis of AD, discuss the possible mechanisms by which defective autophagy induces FGF21 production, and analyze the potential of FGF21 in the treatment of AD. The findings provide some insights into the potential role of FGF21 and autophagy in the pathogenesis of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The superconductor/magnetoresistance (SC/MR) mixed sensor has the advantage of ultra-high sensitivity, but it is only sensitive to unidirectional magnetic fields that are perpendicular to the superconducting flux-to-field transformation amplifier (SFTA). This inherent characteristic limits its applications in three-dimensional magnetic field detection. This paper presents a new architecture of the SC/MR mixed sensor with magnetic flux guides to realize three-dimensional magnetic field measurement. The finite element analysis method was used to confirm the performance of the mixed sensor, which theoretically proved the feasibility of three-dimensional magnetic field measurement and analyzed the influence of the magnetic field detection errors caused by the installation errors of MFGs. Finally, a mixed sensor composed of a whole-SFTA, four tunneling magnetoresistances, and two layers of MFGs was prepared, and experimental performances were obtained. Indeed, the mixed sensor can measure the three-dimensional magnetic field. This work is a meaningful contribution to the development of three-dimensional weak magnetic field detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, four different combinations of gums, including carrageenan (CG), its binary blends with xanthan gum (XG) or guar gum (GG) in equal ratios, and its ternary blends with XG and GG in three equal ratios, were involved into making partially crystalline emulsions (PCEs), respectively. The freshly prepared emulsions were systematically characterized by rheological property, particle size distribution, microscopic morphology, interfacial property, and intermolecular interactions, and their emulsion stabilities were further evaluated using multiple light scattering technique and storage test. All PCEs stabilized by gum blends (CG + XG, CG + GG, and CG + XG + GG) obtained decreased apparent viscosities at 0.01 s−1 (10.12–25.32 Pa·s), particle sizes (3.12–4.06 μm), as well as interfacial protein concentrations (22.60–27.01 mg/m2), which were much lower than those with single CG (35.98 Pa·s, 6.72 μm, and 47.74 mg/m2, respectively). The microscopic morphology showed that blending CG with XG and/or GG contributed to formation of firmer three-dimensional matrix, thereby preventing the aggregation of fat droplets. Inclusion of XG and/or GG also significantly reduced contribution of hydrophobic interactions from 0.72 to 0.24–0.44 mg/mL. Both multiple light scattering and storage test revealed that emulsion instabilities were mainly manifested as a clarification at the bottom and an agglomeration at the top. PCE-CG + XG + GG exhibited superior stability with low creaming index (6.20 %) and viscosity (1180.0 mPa·s) after three months of storage. The research aims to evaluate the effects of CG and its blends with XG and GG on stability of PCEs, and the results potentially provide valuable information for manufacture of stable PCE foods. • Partially crystalline emulsions (PCEs) are widely used in decorating leisure foods. • PCEs formulated with carrageenan alone underwent watering-off and agglomeration. • Gum blends were developed from carrageenan, xanthan and guar gum. • The gum blends significantly inhibited flocculation and aggregation of droplets. • Stability of PCEs during storage was improved by formulating with the gum blends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity (waist circumference, body mass index (BMI)) and lifestyle factors (dietary habits, smoking, alcohol drinking, Sedentary behavior) have been associated with risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in observational studies, but whether these associations are causal is unclear.Methods: We performed a univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization study to evaluate these associations. Genetic instruments associated with exposures at the genome-wide significance level (P < 5 × 10-8) were selected from corresponding genome-wide associations studies (n = 216,590 to 1,232,091 individuals). Summary-level data for BPH were obtained from the UK Biobank (14,126 cases and 169,762 non-cases) and FinnGen consortium (13,118 cases and 72,799 non-cases). Results from UK Biobank and FinnGen consortium were combined using fixed-effect meta-analysis.Results: The combined odds ratios (ORs) of BPH were 1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.43, P = 0.0045), 1.08 (95% CI 1.01-1.17, P = 0.0175), 0.94 (95% CI 0.67-1.30, P = 0.6891), 1.29 (95% CI 0.88-1.89, P = 0.1922), 1.23 (95% CI 0.85-1.78, P = 0.2623), and 1.04 (95% CI 0.76-1.42, P = 0.8165) for one standard deviation (SD) increase in waist circumference, BMI, and relative carbohydrate, fat, protein and sugar intake, 1.05 (95% CI 0.92-1.20, P = 0.4581) for one SD increase in prevalence of smoking initiation, 1.10 (95% CI 0.96-1.26, P = 0.1725) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.69-1.02, P = 0.0741) for one SD increase of log-transformed smoking per day and drinks per week, and 1.31 (95% CI 1.08-1.58, P = 0.0051) for one SD increase in sedentary behavior. Genetically predicted waist circumference (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.43, P = 0.0004) and sedentary behavior (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.23, P = 0.0021) were associated with BPH after the adjustment of BMI.Conclusion: This study supports independent causal roles of high waist circumference, BMI and sedentary behavior in BPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deploying the dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) equipment at intersections can improve the transportation efficiency and decrease the energy consumption. It can easily turn the disadvantages of waiting time for red phase into the advantages of charging benefits for electric vehicles (EVs). This study develops a multiobjective speed planning model with differentiated charging strategy to optimize the EV's trajectory at signalized intersections with DWPT. To mitigate the negative impact of DWPT, the proposed model is divided into charging priority driving (C-eco-driving) mode and time priority driving (T-eco-driving) mode for connected and automated electric vehicles (CAEVs) to apply different scenarios. Meanwhile, a widely applied car-following model, i.e., the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM), has been calibrated with the ground-truth dataset to meet the intersection characteristic for EVs in mixed traffic. The efficiency and robustness of two eco-driving modes were validated in single-vehicle and mixed traffic based on MATLAB simulation. For single vehicle, the electricity benefits of the C-eco-driving mode and T-eco-driving mode increase about 0.0867 kWh and 0.0532 kWh, respectively. T-eco-driving mode reduces 2.5 s of travel time. For mixed traffic, the C-eco-driving mode provides more charging benefits about 51~73% than no-control strategy. In contrast, the T-eco-driving mode provides significant time benefits of 2.6 s and slight electricity benefits of 12~30% than no-control strategy. The increment of market penetration rate and wireless charging length can significantly improve the charging benefits. When charging length has the same value, the closer the DWPT facilities to the intersection, the more obvious the charging benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive superconductor/tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) composite magnetic sensor was designed and fabricated to satisfy the demands of detecting weak magnetic fields down to the pT range at low frequencies. First, analysis of the 1/f noise provided an optimized design scheme for the TMR unit to reduce the noise level. Then, the key structural parameters of the superconducting flux transformation amplifier (SFTA) were optimized with focus on the bonding quality between SFTA and TMR units using the finite element method to enhance the magnetic field magnification factor. An SFTA–TMR composite method with secondary alignment and multi-step bonding was proposed to fabricate the composite magnetic sensor and ensure the designed bonding gap and alignment accuracy. Experiments showed that the magnetic field sensitivity reached 5 pT/Hz0.5 (@ 13 Hz), which is beyond the highest level of superconductor/TMR composite magnetic sensors reported to date and is a further step toward the application of weak magnetic field detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motivation of this work is to develop a simple method for the on-site detection of total arsenic at the ppb level. For this purpose, novel nano-coral gold (NCG) was fabricated using NH4Br to lead the growth of Au along a definite direction on a gold substrate. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) was used for the determination of arsenic in industrial water with a NCG working electrode. Due to the high specific surface area and nano-structure of the nano-coral gold, high sensitivity was achieved with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.4 ppb. 3.2 ppb arsenic was determined in industrial water. The detectable arsenic concentration is far below the regulatory limit of 10 ppb by the World Health Organization (WHO). Across the As (III) linear range from 2.5 to 100 ppb, the sensor response is stable, reproducible, and linear with concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) is an intracellular bacterial pathogen. It is prevalent but resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, the therapeutic effect of antibiotics on Salmonella infection is limited. In this study, we used the piglet diarrhea model and the Caco2 cell model to explore the mechanism of probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii L531 (L. johnsonii L531) against S. Infantis infection. L. johnsonii L531 attenuated S. Infantis-induced intestinal structural and cellular ultrastructural damage. The expression of NOD pathway-related proteins (NOD1/2, RIP2), autophagy-related key proteins (ATG16L1, IRGM), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers (GRP78, IRE1) were increased after S. Infantis infection. Notably, L. johnsonii L531 pretreatment not only inhibited the activation of the above signaling pathways but also played an anti-S. Infantis infection role in accelerating autophagic degradation. However, RIP2 knockdown did not interfere with ER stress and the activation of autophagy induced by S. Infantis in Caco2 cells. Our data suggest that L. johnsonii L531 pretreatment alleviates the intestinal damage caused by S. Infantis by inhibiting NOD activation and regulating ER stress, as well as promoting autophagic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A superconductor/magnetoresistance (SC/MR) mixed sensor often has very high-precision detection capability, but it is only sensitive to the out-of-plane magnetic field that is perpendicular to the superconducting flux-to-field transformation amplifier (SFTA). This inherent characteristic makes it impossible for a primary SC/MR mixed sensor to measure the in-plane magnetic field, which limits its application in many fields. This paper presents a new architecture of SC/MR mixed sensors with two magnetic flux guides (MFGs) to realize in-plane magnetic field measurement, which is attributed to the combined effects of MFGs and SFTA. The finite element method simulations are used to study the magnetic flux converting effect of MFGs and magnetic field amplification effect of SFTA, which theoretically proves the feasibility of in-plane magnetic field measurement and reveals the influences of the sizes and spacing of MFGs on magnetic field magnification. Experimental results show that the SC/MR mixed sensor with MFGs can simultaneously sense the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields, and the performance of the mixed sensor with MFGs is comparable to the primary one. The magnification and resolution of the mixed sensors with MFGs to the in-plane magnetic fields are, respectively, improved by 2.91 times and 2.23 times compared to those without MFGs to the out-of-plane magnetic fields. The work described in this paper is of great significance for the development of three-component weak magnetic field detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragali Radix (AR) is commonly used as the herbal drug in the traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, cultivated AR (AR-C) and wild/semi-wild AR (AR-W) were compared by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS). With the help of multiple mass defect filter (MMDF) and the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS), chemical investigation of the AR led to the tentative annotation of 196 compounds, including 76 isoflavones and flavones, 50 isoflavanes and pterostanes, 44 saponins, and 26 other compounds. Further analysis showed that 55 compounds (17 isoflavones and flavones, 25 isoflavanes and pterostanes, 8 saponins, and 5 others) showed higher contents in the AR-W. There were 13 compounds showed FC values higher than 3, and further ROC analysis showed 1 of them could be used as the marker for discrimination of AR-C and AR-W. We also found that isoflavanes, pterostanes, and isoflavones were more likely to be substituted by malonyl groups than the flavones and astragalosides, and the sum of malonyl-substituted flavonoid glycosides and corresponding precursor were also higher in AR-W than AR-C. However, the correlation between the chemical difference and the pharmacological difference is needed in the future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a member of the Rho family, Rac plays important roles in many species, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, DNA damage responses, metabolism, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. In this study, by constructing Rac-deleted mutants in Aspergillus flavus, it was found that the deletion of Rac gene led to the decline of growth and development, conidia production, AFB1 toxin synthesis, and seed infection ability of A. flavus. The deletion of Rac gene also caused the disappearance of A. flavus sclerotium, indicating that Rac is required for sclerotium formation in A. flavus. The sensitivity of Rac-deficient strains responding to cell wall stress and osmotic pressure stress increased when compared to A.flavus WT. The Western blot result showed that mitogen-activated serine/threonine-protein kinase Slt2 and mitogen-activated protein kinase Hog1 proteins were no longer phosphorylated in Rac-deficient strains of A. flavus, showing that Rac may be used as a molecular switch to control the Slt2-MAPK cascade pathway and regulate the osmotic Hog-MAPK cascade pathway in A. flavus in response to external stress. Altogether, these results indicated that Rac was involved in regulating the growth and development, conidia formation and AFB1 synthesis, and response to cell wall stress and osmotic pressure stress in A. flavus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was recently shown that pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death, is critically involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Liraglutide (Lg) is a novel long‐acting analog of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 that has potential protective effects against stroke. However, the relationship between Lg and pyroptosis in the brain is not well defined. In this study, we found that injection of Lg significantly improved the recovery of motor function, increased cerebral blood flow and ameliorated cerebral damage in a mouse model of focal cerebral cortical ischemia. Our results revealed that Lg treatment significantly reduced the levels of NLRP3, Caspase1, IL-1β and the pore-forming protein gasdermin D in microglial cells in vitro, suggesting that the neuroprotective effect of Lg may be achieved through the inhibition of pyroptosis. Furthermore, by using a specific inhibitor of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), we confirmed that the antipyroptotic mechanism of Lg may be mediated by NLRP3 in vivo. Our present study unveils a novel neuroprotective mechanism through which Lg alleviates ischemia by exerting NLRP3-dependent antipyroptotic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CuIn(ina) 4 has a much lower CH 4 adsorption amount than C 2 H 2 and CO 2. • The IAST selectivity values of C 2 H 2 /CH 4 and CO 2 /CH 4 are 20.2 and 5.3 at ambient condition. • The microporous channels and rich electronegative functional sites are key factors for separation performance. Purification of methane (CH 4) from multi-component mixtures containing acetylene (C 2 H 2) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) is a meaningful but challenging task. We herein reported a heterometal-organic framework, CuIn(ina) 4 , with microporous channels, which exhibits specific recognition of C 2 H 2 and CO 2 through suitable ultramicropores and surface environments. The results of experiments indicate that the title MOF shows high C 2 H 2 /CH 4 selectivity (20.2) and CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity (5.3). Column breakthrough experiments and theoretical calculations further demonstrate that CuIn(ina) 4 can efficiently separate CH 4 from ternary mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on multi-intent detection in the few-shot scenario. Most prior works for multi-intent detection pick intent labels when estimated label-instance relevance scores are above a given threshold. However, these methods often perform poorly since it is nontrivial to precisely estimate the label-instance relevance scores and set an appropriate threshold in the few-shot scenario. In addition, these methods overlook the correlation among intents, which is vital to multi-intent detection. In light of these, we propose a prompt-based fine-tuning (PFT) method to tackle the issue of multi-intent detection in the few-shot scenario. Specifically, we first construct a prompt template to predict the number of intents. According to the number of intents, we then construct an intent prompt template to identify intents. To capture the correlation among intents, we also introduce a multi-view multi-head self-attention scheme based on PFT. Experimental results on two datasets demonstrate that our proposed method significantly outperforms the baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To compare the clinical outcomes of using different hemostatic agents after transurethral plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (TUPKP) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients. Methods. The patients were divided into 5 groups according to the hemostatic agents used after TUPKP, including the haemocoagulase agkistrodon for injection (HCA), hemocoagulase for injection (HC), hemocoagulase bothrops atrox for injection (HCB), ethylenediamine diaceturate injection (EDD), and tranexamic acid (TXA). Propensity score matching was performed based on age, body mass index, prostate volume, hypertension status, fasting blood glucose, smoking, and drinking history. The hospitalization time, bladder irrigation time, indwelling catheterization time, the patency of urine flow, and blood transfusion records were used as outcome indicators to compare the clinical effects of these five agents. Results. We finally matched 65 pairs receiving HCA or HC, 71 pairs receiving HCA or HCB, 38 pairs receiving HCA or TXA, and 29 pairs receiving HCA or EDD. Compared with HC, HCA given during the perioperative period significantly reduced the median hospitalization time [7.00 days (5.00, 8.00) vs. 9.00 days (8.00, 10.00); p < 0.001 ] and median catheterization time (109.00 hours [88.00, 129.00] vs. 164.00 hours [114.00, 189.00], p < 0.001). Compared with EDD, the median hospitalization time (7.00 days [6.00, 8.00] vs. 10.00 days [8.00, 11.00]; p < 0.001) and median catheterization time (113.00 hours [95.00, 143.00] vs. 160.00 hours [139.00, 168.00]; p < 0.001) were also significant shorter in HCA group. Compared with HCB, median bladder irrigation time (45.00 hours [27.00, 71.00] vs. 49.00 hours [45.00, 72.00]; p = 0.04) was shorter in the HCA group. However, there were no statistical differences in outcomes between HCA and TXA. Conclusions. HCA probably has an advantage over HC, HCB, and EDD in reducing the hospitalization time, catheterization time, and bladder irrigation time among BPH patients undergoing TUPKP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red blood cell-derived extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs) are vesicles naturally produced by red blood cells and play multiple roles such as acting as cell-to-cell communication messengers in both normal physiological and diseased states. RBCEVs are highly promising delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents such as biomolecules and nucleic acids as they are easy to source, safe, and versatile. RBCEVs autonomously target the liver and pass the blood–brain barrier into the brain, which is highly valuable for the treatment of liver and brain diseases. RBCEVs can be modified by various functional units, including various functional molecules and nanoparticles, to improve their active targeting capabilities for tumors or other sites. Moreover, the RBCEV level is significantly shifted in many diseased states; hence, they can also serve as important biomarkers for disease diagnoses. It is clear that RBCEVs have considerable potential in multiple medical applications. In this review, we briefly introduce the biological roles of RBCEVs, presented interesting advances in RBCEV applications, and discuss several challenges that need to be addressed for their clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the association between prespecified factors and the malignancy risk of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) to support the development of rapid recommendations for daily use in the Chinese setting. Methods: The expert panel for the rapid recommendations voted for 12 candidate factors based on published guidelines, selected publications, and clinical experiences. We then searched Medline, Embase, and Web of Science up to October 17, 2021, for studies investigating the association between these factors and the diagnosis of malignant SPNs in patients with CT‐identified SPNs through multivariable regression analysis. The risk of bias was assessed using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Checklist. We pooled adjusted odds ratios (aOR) between candidate factors and the diagnosis of the malignant SPNs. Results: A total of 32 cross‐sectional studies were included. Nine factors were statistically associated with malignant SPNs: age (aOR 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.07), smoking history (2.83, 1.84–4.36), history of extrathoracic malignancy (5.66, 2.80–11.46), history of malignancy (4.64, 3.37–6.39), family history of malignancy (3.11, 1.66–5.83), nodule diameter (1.23, 1.17–1.31), spiculation (3.41, 2.64–4.41), lobulation (3.85, 2.47–6.01), and mixed ground‐glass opacity (mGGO) density of the nodule (5.56, 2.47–12.52). No statistical association was found between family history of lung cancer, emphysema, nodule border, and malignant SPNs. Conclusion: Nine prespecified factors were associated with the concurrent malignancy risk among patients with SPNs. Risk stratification for SPNs is warranted in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]