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Verticillium wilt, a soilborne vascular disease caused by Verticillium dahliae , strongly affects cotton yield and quality. In this study, an isolated rhizosphere bacterium, designated Bacillus velezensis BvZ45-1, exhibited >46% biocontrol efficacy against cotton verticillium wilt under greenhouse and field conditions. Moreover, through crude protein extraction and mass spectrometry analyses, we found many antifungal compounds present in the crude protein extract of BvZ45-1. The purified oxalate decarboxylase Odx_S12 from BvZ45-1 inhibited the growth of V. dahliae Vd080 by reducing the spore yield, causing mycelia to rupture, spore morphology changes, cell membrane rupture, and cell death. Subsequently, overexpression of Odx_S12 in Arabidopsis significantly improved plant resistance to V. dahliae. Through studies of the resistance mechanism of Odx_S12 , V. dahliae was shown to produce oxalic acid (OA), which has a toxic effect on Arabidopsis leaves. Odx_S12 overexpression reduced Arabidopsis OA content, enhanced tolerance to OA, and improved resistance to verticillium wilt. Transcriptomics and quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that Odx_S12 promoted a reactive oxygen species burst and a salicylic acid- and abscisic acid-mediated defence response in Arabidopsis. In summary, this study not only identified B. velezensis BvZ45-1 as an efficient biological control agent, but also identified the resistance gene Odx_S12 as a candidate for cotton breeding against verticillium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noninvasive antibacterial therapies, such as photothermal therapy (PTT), have shown great promise to treat pathogens due to low toxicity and low drug resistance. Photothermal transducing agents (PTAs) play a pivotal role to make PTT a spatiotemporally controllable and effective technique. In this study, we designed and prepared a novel nanostructured material by using a cyanine dye (Flav7) as a PTA for the treatment of S. aureus infection. 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine polyethylene glycol galactose (DSPE-PEGG) was used to fabricate the nanoparticles (Flav7@DSPE-PEGG NPs) by encapsulating Flav7, and the Flav7@DSPE-PEGG NPs exhibited excellent water-dispersibility, photothermal stability, and biocompatibility. The results show that the constructed Flav7@DSPE-PEGG NPs retained good targeting capability and achieved a remarkable 99.9% eradication rate against S. aureus under 808 nm laser irradiation, and efficiently promoted infected wound healing by PTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multistep prediction of high-dimensional time series is an essential and challenging task. In this study, we propose an integrated reservoir predictor for making accurate and robust multistep-ahead forecasts based on short-term high-dimensional time series. Initially, a conjugated pair of Spatiotemporal Information (STI) equations is derived using Takens' embedding theory to transform the spatial information of high-dimensional variables into one-dimensional temporal information of the target variable and vice versa. Next, by exploiting reservoir networks, reservoir-based STI equations are established to efficiently capture nonlinear dynamics of the target system with only linear optimization. Then, through an integration phase, the integrated reservoir predictor can output precise and robust predictions of the multistep-ahead states of any target variable. The integrated reservoir predictor outperforms some other prediction methods (including reservoir computing, long-short-term-memory network, convolutional neural network and support vector regression), when applied to classical dynamic systems (e.g. 60D double scroll model, 40D Lorenz 96 model, and 60D Rössler model) and real-world datasets (solar generation data and PM2.5 concentration records), as indicated by evaluation metrics such as Pearson correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9 and root-mean-square errors below 0.3, even in the presence of noise in training data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is associated with dairy mastitis, which causes serious economic losses to dairy farming industry. Antibacterial peptide NZX showed good antibacterial activity against S. aureus. This study aimed to evaluate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of NZX against S. aureus-induced mouse mastitis. NZX exhibited potent in vitro antibacterial activity against the test S. aureus strains (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC): 0.23–0.46 μM), low mutant prevention concentration (MPC: 1.18–3.68 μM), and a long post antibiotic effect (PAE: 2.20–8.84 h), which was superior to those of lincomycin and ceftiofur. Antibacterial mechanisms showed that NZX could penetrate the cell membrane, resulting in obvious cell membrane perforation and morphological changes, and bind to intracellular DNA. Furthermore, NZX had a good stability in milk environment (retention rate: 85.36%, 24 h) than that in mammary homogenate (47.90%, 24 h). In mouse mastitis model, NZX (25–400 μg/gland) could significantly reduce the bacterial load of mammary tissue in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, NZX (100 μg/gland) could relieve the inflammatory symptoms of mammary tissue, and significantly decreased its pathological scores. The concentration–time curve of NZX (100 μg/gland) in the mammary tissue was plotted and the corresponding pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained by non-compartment model calculation. Those parameters of Tmax, T1/2, Cmax and AUC were 0.5 h, 35.11 h, 32.49 μg/g and 391 μg·h/g, respectively. Therefore, these results suggest that NZX could act as a promising candidate for treating dairy mastitis disease caused by S. aureus. Key points: • NZX could kill S. aureus by dual mechanism involved in membrane and DNA disruption • NZX could relieve S. aureus-induced mouse mastitis • Pharmacokinetic parameters of NZX in mouse mammary gland were obtained [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells represent a promising advancement in CAR cell therapy, addressing limitations observed in CAR-T cell therapy. However, our prior study revealed challenges in CAR-NK cells targeting CD19 antigens, as they failed to eliminate CD19+ Raji cells in NSG tumor-bearing mice, noting down-regulation or loss of CD19 antigen expression in some Raji cells. In response, this study aims to enhance CD19 CAR-NK cell efficacy and mitigate the risk of tumor recurrence due to target antigen escape by developing CD19 and CD20 (CD19/CD20) dual-targeted CAR-NK cells. Methods: Initially, mRNA encoding anti-CD19 CARs (FMC63 scFv-CD8α-4-1BB-CD3ζ) and anti-CD20 CARs (LEU16 scFv-CD8α-4-1BB-CD3ζ) was constructed via in vitro transcription. Subsequently, CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells were generated through simultaneous electrotransfection of CD19/CD20 CAR mRNA into umbilical cord blood-derived NK cells (UCB-NK). Results: Following co-electroporation, the percentage of dual-CAR expression on NK cells was 86.4% ± 1.83%, as determined by flow cytometry. CAR expression was detectable at 8 h post-electric transfer, peaked at 24 h, and remained detectable at 96 h. CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells exhibited increased specific cytotoxicity against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines (BALL-1: CD19+CD20+, REH: CD19+CD20−, Jurkat: CD19−CD20−) compared to UCB-NK, CD19 CAR-NK, and CD20 CAR-NK cells. Moreover, CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells released elevated levels of perforin, IFN-γ, and IL-15. Multiple activation markers such as CD69 and cytotoxic substances were highly expressed. Conclusions: The creation of CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells addressed the risk of tumor escape due to antigen heterogeneity in ALL, offering efficient and safe 'off-the-shelf' cell products. These cells demonstrate efficacy in targeting CD20 and/or CD19 antigens in ALL, laying an experimental foundation for their application in ALL treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (S. pseudintermedius) is the main pathogen causing pyoderma of canines. With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, traditional antibiotic treatments are limited. As a potential antibacterial agent, NZ2114 was effective against S. pseudintermedius, including drug-resistant strains. Its bactericidal efficacy was superior to mupiroxacin, ofloxacin and lincomycin. To facilitate the transcutaneous delivery of NZ2114 for the treatment of superficial pyoderma, chemical permeation enhancers were added since water-soluble NZ2114 does not easily penetrate the skin lipid layer. Two different NZ2114 sprays were prepared by combining 1% Azone + 10% propylene glycol (PG) or 5% N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) + 10% PG with NZ2114 after screening. The cumulative permeability of NZ2114 sprays were 244.149 and 405.245 μg/cm2 at 24 h with an in vitro percutaneous assay of mice skin, which showed a 244% and 405% increase in skin permeability than NZ2114, respectively. In addition, the efficacy of NZ2114 sprays in reducing skin bacteria colonisation was demonstrated in a mouse model of superficial pyoderma (24 mice, 3 mice/group) induced by S. pseudintermedius, and the 5% NMP + 10% PG + NZ2114 group had the best therapeutic effect compared to the other groups. This preparation did not cause any skin irritation, laying the foundation for the development of an effective and non-toxic topical product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological design and interfacial engineering are pivotal strategies for advancing electrocatalysis, however, achieving the optimization of both simultaneously remains a major challenge. To address this, we designed a multi-heterostructured bifunctional electrocatalyst cobalt-nickel-iron-phosphorus-sulfur composite (CoNiFe-PS) with a two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) hierarchical structure, which was synthesized through simultaneous phosphating and sulfuration based on cobalt-nickel layered double hydroxide (CoNi-LDH) nanosheets grafted with Prussian blue analogue (PBA) nanocubes. Notably, due to the distinctive morphology and synergistic effect between multi-heterostructure, the CoNiFe-PS catalyst demonstrated excellent performance in terms of ultralow overpotentials of 196 and 263 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), as well as 63 and 235 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2. Moreover, the CoNiFe-PS|| CoNiFe-PS cell was constructed for overall water splitting in alkaline condition and exhibited minimal voltage requirements of 1.479 and 1.693 V to achieve 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. This study provides a new perspective on fabricating multi-heterostructured bifunctional catalysts with unique morphology for highly efficient overall water splitting. [Display omitted] • The 2D/3D hierarchical and multi-heterostructured CoNiFe-PS catalyst was constructed. • The synergetic effect of morphological design and interfacial engineering greatly enhanced the catalytic activity. • The catalyst exhibited an ultrasmall voltage of 1.479 V at 10 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting. • It provided a design idea to fabricate high-performance bifunctional catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the relationship between serum miRNA-21 and miR-27b levels and prognosis of patients with renal clear cell carcinoma. Methods A total of 118 patients with renal clear cell carcinoma admitted to the Qinghai University Hospital from February 2019 to April 2021 were selected as the study subjects, and another 118 healthy patients in the same period as the control group. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-21 and miR-27b in the serum of all subjects. The relative expression levels of serum miR-21 and miR-27b between the patients with renal clear cell carcinoma and healthy control patients were compared. The expression and correlation of serum miR-21 and miR-27b in the patients with renal clear cell carcinoma of different pathological stages and Fuhrman grading were analyzed. The relationship between the expression of serum miR-21 and miR-27b and the survival and prognosis of the patients was explored as well. Results The expression levels of serum miR-21 and miR-27b in the patients with renal clear cell carcinoma were higher than those in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). The serum miR-21 expression level in stage IE patients was higher than in stage I (P < 0.05), while the serum miR-21 expression level in the stage IV patients was higher than that in stages I, II, and IE (P < 0.05). The expression level of miR-27b in the serum of patients gradually increased across the four stages, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). The pathological staging was positively correlated with the expression of miR-21 and miR-27b (P < 0.001). The expression levels of miR-21 and miR-27b in serum of patients gradually increased across grades I, E and IE by Fuhrman grading, with significant difference (P < 0.05). Fuhrman grading was positively correlated with the serum miR-21 and miR-27b expression (P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in the survival curve between the miR-21 high expression group and the low expression group ( P < 0.05 ) . There was a statistically significant difference in the survival curve between the high expression group and the low expression group of miR-27b (P < 0.05). Conclusion The expression levels of serum miR-21 and miR-27b in patients with renal clear cell carcinoma is indicative of the progression and prognosis of the patient's condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to isolate the proteolytic fraction from the silkworm thorn fruit (Cudrania tricuspidata) through ethanol precipitation at different ratios, and to determine its proteolytic activity and optimal activity conditions. Furthermore, the hydrolysis characteristics and antioxidant activity of soy protein isolate (SPI) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) hydrolyzates obtained through the enzymatic hydrolysis of freeze-dried silkworm thorn fruit powder (SF) were evaluated. For isolation and partial purification of proteolytic fraction, the water-solubilized fraction of the silkworm thorn fruit was purified through ethanol precipitation at four different ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6 (v/v). The protein recovery rate, caseinolytic activity, protein pattern, and optimal activity (pH, temperature, and inhibitors) of fractional ethanol precipitate obtained from the silkworm thorn fruit (ESF) were evaluated. The proteolytic fraction obtained from silkworm thorn fruit exhibited a major protein band around 65–70 kDa and showed the highest proteolytic activity at a 1:4 ratio of ethanol precipitation (p < 0.05). The optimal activity of the measured enzyme fraction was determined to be at pH 9.0 and 50 °C, and the proteolytic activity of ESF was almost inhibited by phenyl methyl sulphonyl fluoride (PMSF, 2 mM), a serine protease inhibitor. Compared to Alcalase and papain, extensively used as commercial enzymes, the silkworm thorn fruit powder was less effective in hydrolyzing SPI and WPC. Nevertheless, SPI and WPC hydrolyzates mediated with silkworm thorn fruit powder showed even better antioxidant activities than those mediated with Alcalase and papain. Thus, our results show the potential application of silkworm thorn fruit as a novel source of plant protease for producing human-grade protein hydrolyzates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, by rearranging the typical pyramid lattice structure of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites to obtain a small node distance and simplify the fabrication procedure, a new type of pyramid lattice structure is designed and fabricated using the snap-fit method. The flatwise compression and bending properties of the new pyramid lattice structure are studied experimentally. The results show that the compression failure mode of the lattice structure is truss fracture, while the bending failure mode is truss fracture and debonding between face sheets and cores. The damage distribution of the fibre and matrix in the lattice structure core is obtained via a finite element simulation, and it is found that there are differences in the ply damage with different fibre directions. In addition, the influence of the core truss length and layering direction on compression and bending properties of the structure are analysed using a finite element simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health concern with a high prevalence and increasing economic burden, but official medicine remains unavailable. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor member, is one of the most promising drug targets for NAFLD therapy that plays a crucial role in modulating bile acid, glucose, and lipid homeostasis, as well as inhibits hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. However, the rejection of the FXR agonist, obecholic acid, by the Food and Drug Administration for treating hepatic fibrosis raises a question about the functions of FXR in NAFLD progression and the therapeutic strategy to be used. Natural products, such as FXR modulators, have become the focus of attention for NAFLD therapy with fewer adverse reactions. The anti-NAFLD mechanisms seem to act as FXR agonists and antagonists or are involved in the FXR signaling pathway activation, indicating a promising target of FXR therapeutic prospects using natural products. This review discusses the effective mechanisms of FXR in NAFLD alleviation, and summarizes currently available natural products such as silymarin, glycyrrhizin, cycloastragenol, berberine, and gypenosides, for targeting FXR, which can facilitate development of naturally targeted drug by medicinal specialists for effective treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low activity and yield of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are pressing problems. The improvement of activity and yield through modification and heterologous expression, a potential way to solve the problem, is a research hot-pot. In this work, a new plectasin-derived variant L-type AP138 (AP138L-arg26) was constructed for the study of recombination expression and druggablity. As a result, the total protein concentration of AP138L-arg26 was 3.1 mg/mL in Pichia pastoris X-33 supernatant after 5 days of induction expression in a 5-L fermenter. The recombinant peptide AP138L-arg26 has potential antibacterial activity against selected standard and clinical Gram-positive bacteria (G+, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 2–16 µg/mL) and high stability under different conditions (temperature, pH, ion concentration) and 2 × MIC of AP138L-arg26 could rapidly kill Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (> 99.99%) within 1.5 h. It showed a high safety in vivo and in vivo and a long post-antibiotic effect (PAE, 1.91 h) compared with vancomycin (1.2 h). Furthermore, the bactericidal mechanism was revealed from two dimensions related to its disruption of the cell membrane resulting in intracellular potassium leakage (2.5-fold higher than control), and an increase in intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS), the decrease of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and further intervening metabolism in S. aureus. These results indicate that AP138L-arg26 as a new peptide candidate could be used for more in-depth development in the future. Key points: • The AP138L-arg26 was expressed in the P. pastoris expression system with high yield • The AP138 L-arg26 showed high stability and safety in vitro and in vivo • The AP138L-arg26 killed S. aureus by affecting cell membranes and metabolism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is associated with dairy mastitis, which causes serious economic losses to dairy farming industry. Antibacterial peptide NZX showed good antibacterial activity against S. aureus. This study aimed to evaluate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of NZX against S. aureus-induced mouse mastitis. NZX exhibited potent in vitro antibacterial activity against the test S. aureus strains (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC): 0.23–0.46 μM), low mutant prevention concentration (MPC: 1.18–3.68 μM), and a long post antibiotic effect (PAE: 2.20–8.84 h), which was superior to those of lincomycin and ceftiofur. Antibacterial mechanisms showed that NZX could penetrate the cell membrane, resulting in obvious cell membrane perforation and morphological changes, and bind to intracellular DNA. Furthermore, NZX had a good stability in milk environment (retention rate: 85.36%, 24 h) than that in mammary homogenate (47.90%, 24 h). In mouse mastitis model, NZX (25–400 μg/gland) could significantly reduce the bacterial load of mammary tissue in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, NZX (100 μg/gland) could relieve the inflammatory symptoms of mammary tissue, and significantly decreased its pathological scores. The concentration–time curve of NZX (100 μg/gland) in the mammary tissue was plotted and the corresponding pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained by non-compartment model calculation. Those parameters of Tmax, T1/2, Cmax and AUC were 0.5 h, 35.11 h, 32.49 μg/g and 391 μg·h/g, respectively. Therefore, these results suggest that NZX could act as a promising candidate for treating dairy mastitis disease caused by S. aureus. Key points: • NZX could kill S. aureus by dual mechanism involved in membrane and DNA disruption • NZX could relieve S. aureus-induced mouse mastitis • Pharmacokinetic parameters of NZX in mouse mammary gland were obtained [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low activity and yield of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are pressing problems. The improvement of activity and yield through modification and heterologous expression, a potential way to solve the problem, is a research hot-pot. In this work, a new plectasin-derived variant L-type AP138 (AP138L-arg26) was constructed for the study of recombination expression and druggablity. As a result, the total protein concentration of AP138L-arg26 was 3.1 mg/mL in Pichia pastoris X-33 supernatant after 5 days of induction expression in a 5-L fermenter. The recombinant peptide AP138L-arg26 has potential antibacterial activity against selected standard and clinical Gram-positive bacteria (G+, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 2–16 µg/mL) and high stability under different conditions (temperature, pH, ion concentration) and 2 × MIC of AP138L-arg26 could rapidly kill Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (> 99.99%) within 1.5 h. It showed a high safety in vivo and in vivo and a long post-antibiotic effect (PAE, 1.91 h) compared with vancomycin (1.2 h). Furthermore, the bactericidal mechanism was revealed from two dimensions related to its disruption of the cell membrane resulting in intracellular potassium leakage (2.5-fold higher than control), and an increase in intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS), the decrease of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and further intervening metabolism in S. aureus. These results indicate that AP138L-arg26 as a new peptide candidate could be used for more in-depth development in the future. Key points: • The AP138L-arg26 was expressed in the P. pastoris expression system with high yield • The AP138 L-arg26 showed high stability and safety in vitro and in vivo • The AP138L-arg26 killed S. aureus by affecting cell membranes and metabolism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a (simple) graph on n ≥ 3 vertices and (d 1 , ... , d n) be the degree sequence of G with d 1 ≤ ⋯ ≤ d n . The classical Chvátal's theorem states that if d m ≥ m + 1 or d n − m ≥ n − m for each m with 1 ≤ m < n 2 (called the Chvátal-condition), then G is hamiltonian. Similarly, let G be a (simple) balanced bipartite graph on n ≥ 4 vertices and (d 1 , ... , d n) be the degree sequence of G with d 1 ≤ ⋯ ≤ d n . The classical Chvátal's theorem states that if d m ≥ m + 1 or d n 2 ≥ n 2 − m + 1 for each m with 1 ≤ m ≤ n 4 (called the Chvátal-condition), then G is hamiltonian. In this paper, for an abelian group A of order at least 4, we show that if a graph G satisfies the Chvátal-condition, then G is A -connected if and only if G ≠ C 4 , where C ℓ is a cycle of length ℓ. Moreover, for an abelian group A of order at least 5, we also show that if a balanced bipartite graph G satisfies the Chvátal-condition, then G is A -connected if and only if G ≠ C 6 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensified strategic competition between China and the US and the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict have polarised international attention on the promotion and prospects for European strategic autonomy (ESA). This change in the international and regional environment raises an important question: How does ESA affect China–EU relations? Answering it requires clarification of the main impacts of ESA promotion on China–EU relations. These include: the EU's reduced dependence on key materials and technologies from certain countries, and the formulation and expression, in line with core EU interests, of an independent stance and policies on China; China's adjustment of its European Strategy; and persistent external pressure from the United States. Starting from its particular interests, the EU has, to some extent, independently assessed and accordingly refined its relations with China, having pursued cooperation in global public welfare governance and other areas of similarly low ideological significance, and pragmatically explored ways of moderating competition and enhancing cooperation with China. Fields highly sensitive to geopolitical influence, or which involve key technologies and globally important supply chains, are those wherein China is treated as a competitor. Upon analysis, it can be concluded that the EU's most consistent approach to its goals of strategic autonomy is that of maintaining an alliance with the United States while avoiding full dependence on it, and competing with China in key areas that allow leeway for practical cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel sheeting is usually provided at the upper flange of purlin in steel roof with screw connections. The resulting diaphragm effect provided by the sheeting enhances the buckling resistance of the purlin. However, this diaphragm effect will be reduced due to any abnormality in the screw connection caused by wind-induced fatigue particularly from typhoon. This would reduce the buckling resistance of the purlin with sheeting (the purlin-sheeting system), and it would affect subsequent condition evaluation during their service life. This problem is addressed in this paper with a framework of time-dependent reliability evaluation of the buckling limit state of the purlin-sheeting system. The buckling resistance reduction due to the degradation of the diaphragm effect from typhoon is taken into account in the resistance model. The randomness of wind intensity and landfall occurrence of typhoon during the service life of purlin are also accounted for in the wind load effect model. The time-dependent reliability of the purlin at different positions of a roof is studied. Then the variation of reliability of the system due to the effect of climatic changes in the design service life is discussed. The proposed strategy is then applied to the evaluation of a purlin-sheeting system in eleven cities in China with typhoon occurrences with some useful results for future studies in the provisions of the design code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the interdecadal characteristics of the frequency of the winter single station extreme cold events (SSECEs) in North China and their relationship with sea surface temperature (SST). The results showed the following: (a) The SSECEs occurred frequently before 1991, but less thereafter, with an increase after 2018. The first two interdecadal modes of the SSECE frequency were east–west inverse and "n" patterns. (b) The interdecadal abrupt change of the "n" pattern occurred around 1997/1998. Before 1997/1998, the synergistic effects between the positive Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (+IPO) and the negative North Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (−AMO) triggered the "two troughs and one ridge" anomalous circulation in Eurasia. The Rossby wave energy propagated downstream from the Atlantic, strengthening the Lake Baikal ridge. Furthermore, the Siberian High (SH) became weaker in the north and stronger in the south. With the favorable jet conditions, the cold air invaded North China along the northerly airflow in front of the Lake Baikal ridge, resulting in the frequent SSECE occurrence in central North China. Afterwards, the opposite occurred. (c) The cooperation of SST anomalies (SSTAs) led to the east–west inverse anomaly of the SSECE frequency. Before 1991, the high SSTAs in the central North Atlantic and low SSTAs in the equatorial Indian Ocean and the southwest Pacific triggered "+", "−", "+", and "−" wave trains at mid-latitudes from the Atlantic to the North Pacific. The Rossby wave energy propagated eastward from the Atlantic, resulting in the SH and Urals ridge strengthening, and the Aleutian Low and East Asian trough deepening. The northwestern airflow in front of the Urals ridge guided the cold air into North China, leading to frequent SSECEs in central and eastern North China before 1991. The opposite occurred between 1992 and 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder that seriously affects the outcome of mothers and infants and lacks effective prediction and diagnosis methods. ELABELA is the second endogenous ligand of the apelin receptor (APJ) and is associated with the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. In a previous study, the authors found that the downregulation of ELABELA expression is closely related to late‐onset preeclampsia, which may be a marker for the clinical diagnosis of late‐onset preeclampsia. In this study, the authors again collected 120 maternal blood samples, including 60 pregnant women with a medical diagnosis of late‐onset preeclampsia. ELISA results showed that the serum ELABELA concentration in late‐onset preeclampsia pregnant women (12.57 ± 7.77 ng/mL) was significantly lower than that in normal pregnant women (36.99 ± 23.58 ng/mL), which was consistent with previously reported results. Therefore, the authors used an ELABELA monoclonal antibody to label four colloidal gold nanoparticles with different diameters (15, 30, 55, and 150 nm) and developed a transverse‐flow immunochromatographic band for the rapid and accurate detection of serum ELABELA levels. The strip test shows that colloidal gold with a diameter of 30 nm can be used as a good ELABELA detection marker and had more than 90% positive detection effect. Therefore, the authors hope that the colloidal gold strip with ELABELA as the diagnostic index developed by us will be popularized and applied in clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed and compared the effectiveness of the rotating seat of autonomous vehicles and that of an airbag in traditional vehicles as head protection measures in a frontal crash. Driver frontal crash models of traditional and autonomous vehicles and a head finite element model were established. Four evaluation indexes were used for comparison. The airbag proved more effective than seat rotation in terms of injury criteria and brain tissue injury risk under frontal crash conditions with and without brake involvement. A segmented protection measure based on crash acceleration values is proposed to improve crash safety in future autonomous vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lipodystrophy-associated metabolic disorders caused by Seipin deficiency lead to not only severe lipodystrophy but also neurological disorders. However, the underlying mechanism of Seipin deficiency-induced neuropathy is not well elucidated, and the possible restorative strategy needs to be explored. Methods: In the present study, we used Seipin knockout (KO) mice, combined with transcriptome analysis, mass spectrometry imaging, neurobehavior test, and cellular and molecular assay to investigate the systemic lipid metabolic abnormalities in lipodystrophic mice model and their effects on adult neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and olfactory function. After subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) transplantation, metabolic and neurological function was measured in Seipin KO mice to clarify whether restoring lipid metabolic homeostasis would improve neurobehavior. Results: It was found that Seipin KO mice presented the ectopic accumulation of lipids in the lateral ventricle, accompanied by decreased neurogenesis in adult SVZ, diminished new neuron formation in the olfactory bulb, and impaired olfactory-related memory. Transcriptome analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in SVZ of adult Seipin KO mice were significantly enriched in lipid metabolism. Mass spectrometry imaging showed that the levels of glycerophospholipid and diglyceride (DG) were significantly increased. Furthermore, we found that AT transplantation rescued the abnormality of peripheral metabolism in Seipin KO mice and ameliorated the ectopic lipid accumulation, concomitant with restoration of the SVZ neurogenesis and olfactory function. Mechanistically, PKCα expression was up-regulated in SVZ tissues of Seipin KO mice, which may be a potential mediator between lipid dysregulation and neurological disorder. DG analogue (Dic8) can up-regulate PKCα and inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro, while PKCα inhibitor can block this effect. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Seipin deficiency can lead to systemic lipid disorder with concomitant SVZ neurogenesis and impaired olfactory memory. However, AT restores lipid homeostasis and neurogenesis. PKCα is a key mediator mediating Seipin KO-induced abnormal lipid metabolism and impaired neurogenesis in the SVZ, and inhibition of PKCα can restore the impaired neurogenesis. This work reveals the underlying mechanism of Seipin deficiency-induced neurological dysfunction and provides new ideas for the treatment of neurological dysfunction caused by metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic injuries are the second leading cause of death after head injuries due to traffic accidents, and strain-induced injuries are becoming increasingly prominent. The quantitative study of aortic strain injury allows for a rapid assessment of the degree of aortic injury after an accident and timely diagnosis of the pathology of aortic injury. It is more reliable than diagnosis based on clinical symptoms alone and it is faster than diagnosis based on imaging. Based on the porcine aortic tensile and injury tests, this study obtained the maximum stress threshold of the aorta that can withstand tensile stress and the safe stress threshold under tensile action, which provides a more detailed data reference about aortic injury in the field of internal medicine. Injuries to the aorta under various degrees of traction were analyzed in detail. A comprehensive and quantitative evaluation criterion for aortic strain injury was proposed, which provides a more in-depth reference for the mechanism of aortic strain injury. In addition, combining it with current imaging promises a combination of numbers and shapes for rapid and accurate diagnosis of aortic strain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the vertical distribution characteristics of surface soil moisture based on ISMN (International Soil Moisture Network) multilayer in situ data (5, 10, and 20 cm; 2, 4, and 8 in) and performed comparisons between the in situ data and four microwave satellite remote sensing products (SMOS L2, SMOS-IC, SMAP L2, and SMAP L4). The results showed that the mean soil moisture difference between layers can be −0.042~−0.024 (for the centimeter group)/−0.067~−0.044 (for the inch group) m3/m3 in negative terms and 0.020~0.028 (for the centimeter group)/0.036~0.040 (for the inch group) m3/m3 in positive terms. The surface soil moisture was found to have very significant stratification characteristics, and the interlayer difference was close to or beyond the SMOS and SMAP 0.04 m3/m3 nominal retrieval accuracy. Comparisons revealed that the satellite retrievals had a higher correlation with the field measurements of 5 cm/2 in, and SMAP L4 had the smallest difference with the in situ data. The mean difference caused by using 10 cm/4 in and 20 cm/8 in in situ data instead of the 5 cm/2 in data could be about −0.019~−0.018/−0.18~−0.015 m3/m3 and −0.026~−0.023/−0.043~−0.039 m3/m3, respectively, meaning that there would be a potential depth mismatch in the data validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a tunable electrochemical benzylic C−H functionalization of (thio)xanthenes with terminal alkynes and nitriles in the absence of any catalyst or external chemical oxidant. The benzylic C−H functionalization can be well controlled by varying the electrochemical conditions, affording the specific coupling products via C−C and C−N bond formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although high ionic conductivities have been achieved in most solid‐state electrolytes used in lithium metal batteries (LMBs), rapid and stable lithium‐ion transport between solid‐state electrolytes and lithium anodes remains a great challenge due to the high interfacial impedances and infinite volume changes of metallic lithium. In this work, a chemical vapor‐phase fluorination approach is developed to establish a lithiophilic surface on rubber‐derived electrolytes, which results in the formation of a resilient, ultrathin, and mechanically integral LiF‐rich layer after electrochemical cycling. The resulting ultraconformal layer chemically connects the electrolyte and lithium anode and maintains dynamic contact during operation, thus facilitating rapid and stable lithium‐ion transport across interfaces, as well as promoting uniform lithium deposition and inhibiting side reactions between electrolyte components and metallic lithium. LMBs containing the novel electrolyte have an ultralong cycling life of 2500 h and deliver a high critical current density of 1.1 mA cm−2 in lithium symmetric cells as well as showing good stability over 300 cycles in a full cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although high ionic conductivities have been achieved in most solid‐state electrolytes used in lithium metal batteries (LMBs), rapid and stable lithium‐ion transport between solid‐state electrolytes and lithium anodes remains a great challenge due to the high interfacial impedances and infinite volume changes of metallic lithium. In this work, a chemical vapor‐phase fluorination approach is developed to establish a lithiophilic surface on rubber‐derived electrolytes, which results in the formation of a resilient, ultrathin, and mechanically integral LiF‐rich layer after electrochemical cycling. The resulting ultraconformal layer chemically connects the electrolyte and lithium anode and maintains dynamic contact during operation, thus facilitating rapid and stable lithium‐ion transport across interfaces, as well as promoting uniform lithium deposition and inhibiting side reactions between electrolyte components and metallic lithium. LMBs containing the novel electrolyte have an ultralong cycling life of 2500 h and deliver a high critical current density of 1.1 mA cm−2 in lithium symmetric cells as well as showing good stability over 300 cycles in a full cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique electrochemical four-component reaction of terminal alkynes, (thio)xanthenes, nitriles, and water has been established in the absence of any catalyst or external oxidant. This electrochemical reaction features high atom economy and mild conditions, affording oxazole derivatives in moderate to good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of single bubble in gas–liquid two phase flow is a critical yet unresolved issue in both science and industry. In this study, the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method is used to numerically simulate and experimentally investigate the effect of initial bubble diameter, liquid viscosity, and surface tension on bubble deformation and the internal flow field of the bubble in a pool of stationary liquid. The findings indicate that as liquid viscosity increases, the bubble's rising speed decreases, and the bubble tends to oscillate. The variation in bubble deformation ratio and the degree of fluctuation increase with the bubble's initial diameter and decrease with the viscosity of the liquid phase. Additionally, as the surface tension of the liquid decreases, the bubble becomes more prone to rupture, and the number of ruptures increases. The flow field inside the bubble can be classified into three categories: "double main vortex type," "double main vortex type with separated vortex," and "double main vortex type with scattered vortex." The velocity reaches its maximum at the center of each vortex type, and the velocity at the interface varies as the bubble interface shape changes. This work lays the foundation for the study of the flow field inside the bubble and improves the predictability of gas–liquid equipment design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Endoscopic sinus surgery is commonly performed for maxillary sinus (MS) disease, and the surgical extent of the MS medial wall or ostium varies. We examined the effect of MS surgery on nasal airflow and air-conditioning using computational fluid dynamics in five nasal cavity numerical models. Methods: Four types of unilateral virtual MS surgery were conducted on the right MS based on computed tomography images of a 49-year-old man with normal anatomy. The five models were as follows: baseline (normal), middle meatal antrostomy (MMA), MMA with inferior meatal antrostomy (MMA+IMA), mega-antrostomy (MEGA), and endoscopic medial maxillectomy (EMM). Virtual simulator software and a stereoscopic display with haptic device were used for virtual surgery. Meshing software and computer fluid dynamics software were used to generate meshes and analyze airflow. Results: The MMA and MMA+IMA results were similar to the baseline model. However, EMM and MEGA exhibited some physiological changes. The amount of airflow moving into the MS was largest in the EMM model, followed by the MEGA model. The distributions of wall shear stress and surface water-vapor increased near the enlarged MS ostium in EMM and MEGA. Skewed airflow partition and different airflow rates between the operated and unoperated sites of the nose also changed the air-conditioning characteristics. EMM substantially reduced the relative humidity in the nasopharynx, and MEGA showed a smaller reduction. Conclusion: Among four surgery techniques, EMM produced the largest increase in wall shear stress and surface water vapor flux on the posterior surface of the MS and the greatest deterioration in the nasal cavity's air-conditioning capacity. MEGA reduced the local airflow disturbance inside the MS and prevented excessive degeneration of the cavity's overall air-conditioning capacity. In conclusion, MEGA and modified EMM approaches have physiological advantages over EMM, while securing a sufficient spatial extent of resection for surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Effective analgesia is required to ensure maternal and neonatal safety. OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of analgesia applied throughout labor and analgesia applied during the first stage of labor in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). METHODS: In this study, 120 puerperae with PIH who gave birth in our hospital were enrolled as the study participants and were randomized into two groups (n = 60 in each group) using a coin flip. Those who received analgesia throughout labor were enrolled in the observation group, and those administered analgesia during the first stage of labor were enrolled in the control group. The analgesic effects, changes in blood pressure during labor, and neonatal health were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Differences in visual analog scale (VAS) scores before analgesia, 10 min after analgesia, and full cervical dilation between the two groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05 in all). The VAS scores of the puerperae in the observation group during forced breathing in the second stage of labor and fetal head expulsion were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 for both). The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, forceps delivery, and antihypertensive treatment in the observation group was slightly lower than in the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The rate of oxytocin treatment in puerperae in the observation group was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences in base excess, arterial partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and pH between the two groups of newborns were not statistically significant (P > 0.05 for all). Differences in changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the two groups of puerperae were not statistically significant (P > 0.05 for both). Eclampsia did not occur during labor in either group. CONCLUSION: For patients with PIH, the application of analgesia throughout labor had a positive analgesic effect, effectively controlling the changes in blood pressure and ensuring the health of newborns. This is worthy of widespread clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonum cuspidatum is a homology of traditional medicine and functional food widely distributed around the world. Our previous study on the hyperlipidemic animal model demonstrated that Polygonum cuspidatum was effective in ameliorating hyperlipidemia, which is characterized by lipid disorders. Herein, the regulatory effect of Polygonum cuspidatum on lipid metabolism needs to be known if its hypolipidemic mechanism is desired to clarify. In this study, an ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry‐based lipidomic strategy was first applied to investigate the lipidomic patterns of high‐fat diet‐induced hyperlipidemic hamsters when treated with Polygonum cuspidatum. The results showed that Polygonum cuspidatum improved the lipidomic profile of hyperlipidemia. A total of 65 differential lipids related to the hypolipidemic effect of Polygonum cuspidatum were screened out and identified, and these differential lipids covered various categories, such as phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, triacylglycerols, sphingomyelins and so on. Orally administrated Polygonum cuspidatum restored these differential lipids back to normal or nearly normal levels. This study adopted lipidomics to reveal the key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Polygonum cuspidatum against hyperlipidemia, which would provide a scientific basis for its clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite reports that the closed intensive care unit (ICU) system improves clinical outcomes, it has not been widely applied for various reasons. This study aimed to propose a better ICU system for critically ill patients by comparing the experience of open surgical ICU (OSICU) and closed surgical ICU (CSICU) systems in the same institution. Methods and findings: Our institution converted the ICU system from "open" to "closed" in February 2020, and enrolled patients were classified into the OSICU and CSICU groups at that time from March 2019 to February 2022. A total of 751 patients were categorized into the OSICU (n = 191) and CSICU (n = 560) groups. The mean age of the patients was 67 years in the OSICU group and 72 years in the CSICU group (p < 0.05). The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score was 21.8 ± 7.65 in the CSICU group, which was higher than the score 17.4 ± 7.97 in the OSICU group (p < 0.05). The sequential organ failure assessment scores were 2.0 ± 2.29 in the OSICU group and 4.1 ± 3.06 in the CSICU group (p < 0.05). After correction for bias by logistic regression analysis for all-cause mortality, the odds ratio in the CSICU group was 0.089 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.014–0.568, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite considering the various factors of increased patient severity, a CSICU system is more beneficial for critically ill patients. Therefore, we propose that the CSICU system be applied worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnéli phase titanium oxide (TinO2n−1, 4 ≤ n ≤ 10) has wide application prospects in energy storage, catalysis and other fields. During the preparation of the TinO2n−1 phase from TiO2 by the carbothermal reduction reaction (CRR), the coexistence of multiple phases caused by the change in the reduction degree is the theoretical and practical basis for obtaining TiO2/TinO2n−1 composite materials. In this work, the H2Ti3O7 nanofiber has been employed as a precursor for the following CRR process. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric (TG) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis results confirmed the phase transformation process of H2Ti3O7 → TiO2(B) → anatase → rutile → TinO2n−1. Comprehensive transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization was carried out to investigate the phase composition and interface structures of the products calcinated at different temperatures. TiO2/Ti5O9 and λ-Ti3O5/γ-Ti3O5 interfaces with specific orientation relationships have been observed. In addition, the phase transition mechanism has also been revealed based on the structural analysis results. By carefully considering the crystal structure and symmetry of the parent and new phase, the initial lattice strain matrix based on the two observed interfaces has been established accordingly. The crystallographic features of the two types of interfaces have been calculated based on modified invariant line theory, which has confirmed the consistency of the experimental observation and calculated results. The research in this paper can further expand the applicability of the three-dimensional invariant line theory in low symmetry crystal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol is a phytoalexin that is synthesized by stilbene synthase (STS). Resveratrol in the human diet is known to have beneficial effects on health. We previously identified six novel STS (VqNSTS) transcripts from the transcriptome data of Vitis quinquangularis accession Danfeng‐2. However, the functions of and defensive mechanisms triggered by these VqNSTS transcripts remain unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that the expression of five of these six novel members, VqNSTS2–VqNSTS6, can be induced by the powdery mildew‐causing fungus Uncinula necator. Additionally, overexpression of VqNSTS4 in the V. vinifera susceptible cultivar Thompson Seedless promoted accumulation of stilbenes and enhanced resistance to U. necator by activating salicylic acid (SA) signalling. Furthermore, our results indicate that the Alfin‐like (AL) transcription factor VqAL4 can directly bind to the G‐rich element (CACCTC) in the VqNSTS4 promoter and activate gene expression. Moreover, overexpression of VqAL4 in Thompson Seedless enhanced resistance to U. necator by promoting stilbene accumulation and activating SA signalling. Conversely, RNA interference‐mediated silencing of VqNSTS4 and VqAL4 resulted in increased susceptibility to U. necator. Collectively, our results reveal that VqNSTS4, regulated by VqAL4, enhances grapevine resistance to powdery mildew by activating SA signalling. Our findings may be useful to improve disease resistance in perennial fruit trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experimental and epidemiological studies have indicated an association between diabetes exposure and an increased risk of liver cancer due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, to date, no systematic study has specifically investigated the burden of NASH-related liver cancer due to exposure to high fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) levels worldwide. Methods: The number and rate of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from HFPG-induced NASH-related liver cancer were estimated based on the results of the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. The estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for age-standardized death or DALYs rates were calculated using a generalized linear model with a Gaussian distribution to quantify the temporal trends in the global burden of NASH-related liver cancer attributable to HFPG. The strength and direction of the association between the sociodemographic index (SDI) and death or DALY rate were measured using Spearman's rank-order correlation. Results: Globally, approximately 7.59% of all DALY and 8.76% of all mortalities of NASH-related liver cancer in 2019 were due to HFPG. The age-standardized death and DALY rates of NASH-related liver cancer attributable to HFPG increased from 1990 to 2019. The corresponding EAPCs were 0.69 (95% UI 0.48–0.89), and 0.30 (95% UI 0.05–0.56), respectively. This increasing pattern was most obvious in the high- and low-SDI regions. The age-standardized mortality and DALYs rate of NASH-related liver cancer attributable to HFPG varies considerably worldwide, with the middle SDI region having the highest death and DALY rates in 2019 (DALY 0.96 [95% UI 0.23–2.18]; death 0.05 [95% UI 0.01–0.11]). Conclusion: The burden of NASH-related liver cancer attributable to HFPG has increased over the past three decades, particularly in regions with high and low SDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In intensive pig production, the fighting behavior of weaning piglets after merging pens is relatively common. Fighting behavior not only easily causes injury in pigs but also affects the production performance of pigs. To reduce fighting behavior in farms, this study aimed to explore the possible effect of odorous substances on piglet fighting behavior after merging into a large pen. Six different sprays were tested: original creamy, cheese flavor, orange flavor, truffle, vanilla and pigpen flavor. In each experiment, two groups were set (one odor‐sprayed and no sprayed control), and 12 pigs were used per group. After mixing, the frequency of occurrence of various piglet behaviors in different pens was recorded. During this period, salivary cortisol levels and skin lesion scores were evaluated. As a result, the piglets sprayed with the original creamy, cheese flavor and vanilla substances obtained significantly higher average daily gain and feed intake and showed a significantly lower incidence of fighting behavior, and the skin lesion score and salivary cortisol of piglets were also reduced significantly. All the other odorous substances had no significant effects on the fighting behavior and production performance of piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM) catalyst has been successfully prepared by solid phase method (G-LSM-T), sol–gel method (C-LSM-T) and molten salt method (S-LSM-T), using as-prepared MnCO3 microspheres as templates, respectively. It was shown that the S-LSM-550 catalyst presented well-formed perovskite structures, large specific surface area (49.65m2/g) and promising catalytic activity in CO oxidation, which T50 and T90 for CO conversion over fresh S-LSM-550 were 145.14 °C and 170.73 °C. The S-LSM-550 calcined at 550 °C for 2 h exhibited excellent thermal stability and catalytic activity compared with the samples prepared by solid phase method and sol–gel method. Its superior catalytic performance could be greatly attributed to its stable microstructure, high surface Mn4+/Mn3+ molar ratio and more available surface adsorbed oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In product development (PD) organizations, coordinating technical dependencies among teams with different expertise in overlapping processes is a fundamental challenge. This article takes a more sophisticated approach than prior methodologies to improve coordination via organizational clustering, by accounting for both team structural and attribute similarity from the perspective of social network analysis. We built models to quantify the impact of the overlapping processes on the interaction strength among PD teams, which we then used to construct structural similarity by combining tie strength and social cohesion among teams via the design structure matrix. To evaluate the organization network, we propose social embeddedness-related centrality indices within (intracluster) and across (intercluster) team groupings. To facilitate knowledge sharing, we base team attribute similarity on product- and process-related expertise among teams. We integrate the modularity index and an improved silhouette index to find an optimal number of clusters, which we then incorporate with team similarity measures as inputs to a spectral clustering algorithm. An industrial example illustrates the proposed model. The clustering results reinforce several managerial practices but also yield new insights, such as how to measure similarity among teams based on organizational network characteristics and how structural and attribute similarities impact the optimal organizational structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What Is Known and Objective: The present study compared the efficacy and safety of low‐dose febuxostat versus allopurinol in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients complicated with hyperuricemia (HUA). Methods: In this double‐centre, randomized, controlled study, 120 CKD patients complicated with HUA were recruited and randomly assigned to low‐dose febuxostat group (20 mg/day) or allopurinol group (200 mg/day) at 1:1 ratio. The serum creatinine (Scr), serum uric acid (SUA), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured at baseline (M0), month (M) 1, M3, and M6. Besides, the drug‐related adverse events (AEs) were recorded. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients showing a > 10% decline in eGFR from M0 to M6. Results: The eGFR level was increased at M6, but similar at M0, M1 and M3 in febuxostat group compared with allopurinol group. Notably, the proportion of patients with >10% decline in eGFR from M0 to M6 was decreased in febuxostat group compared with allopurinol group. However, there was no difference of Scr, SUA at M0, M1, M3 and M6 between febuxostat group and allopurinol group. Moreover, there was no difference of drug‐related AEs between febuxostat group and allopurinol group. Further subgroup analysis exhibited that low‐dose febuxostat presented superior effect on attenuating eGFR decline and lowering SUA level compared with allopurinol in CKD stage 3 subgroup, but not in CKD stage 2 subgroup. Conclusion: Low‐dose febuxostat may exhibit a superior renal‐protective effect, non‐inferior SUA lowering ability and safety profile compared with allopurinol in CKD patients complicated with HUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the differences in the steroid metabolic network between hyperandrogenic and non-hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was employed for the quantification of 36 kinds of serum steroids in 80 PCOS women during their follicular phase. Compared with those in non-hyperandrogenemia PCOS women (NA-PCOS), the levels of 17-hydroprogesterone (P = 0.009), androstenedione (P < 0.001), total testosterone (P < 0.001), dihydrotestosterone (P = 0.025), estrone (P = 0.007), and estradiol (P < 0.001) were increased in hyperandrogenemia PCOS (HA-PCOS) women. It was suggested that HA-PCOS may have increased activity of P450c17 (17-hydropregnenolone/pregnenolone, P = 0.008), 3βHSD2 (androstenedione/dehydroepiandrosterone, P = 0.004), and 17βHSD3 (testosterone/dehydroepiandrosterone, P = 0.01) and decreased activity of 5α reductase (dihydrotestosterone/testosterone, P = 0.008). Moreover, the ratio of luteinizing hormone (LH) to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was found to be related to these increased steroids and enzyme activities. In conclusion, the HA-PCOS and the NA-PCOS women showed different steroid profiles, and the different enzyme activities in steroidogenic pathway may be the main reason for the difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The evidence for the comparative effectiveness and safety of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in older patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is limited, especially in the acute phase of ACS. This study aimed to compare the in-hospital outcomes of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in older patients with ACS. Methods Hospitalised ACS patients aged ≥75 years who were recruited to the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS project between November 2014 and December 2019 and received aspirin and P2Y12 receptor inhibitors within 24 h after first medical contact were included. The primary outcomes were in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major bleeding. Multivariable Cox regression was performed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of ticagrelor and clopidogrel. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. Results Of 18,244 ACS patients, 18.5% received ticagrelor. Multivariable-adjusted analysis revealed comparable risks of in-hospital MACE between patients receiving ticagrelor and clopidogrel (hazard ratio [HR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–1.35). However, ticagrelor use was associated with 45% higher risk of in-hospital major bleeding compared with clopidogrel use (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.09–1.91). Similar results were found in the IPTW analysis. Conclusions ACS patients aged ≥75 years receiving ticagrelor during the acute phase had similar risk of in-hospital MACE, but higher risk of in-hospital major bleeding compared with those receiving clopidogrel. More evidence is needed to guide the use of P2Y12 receptor inhibitors during hospitalisation in older patients with ACS. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02306616. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are being employed in a growing variety of fields for efficient monitoring and data collection about events that would be impossible with conventional computing platforms. WSNs are self-organizing networks that collects and processes important information via their resource-constrained sensor nodes and provide valuable information about happening events. The unattended nature of sensor nodes in these networks makes them vulnerable to a wide range of threats, and the resource limitations imposed on their nodes complicate things even more while monitoring the target regions. This study relies on an identity-based encryption (IBE) approach to protect these nodes' resources while ensuring that they collect valuable data from the target regions. IBE simplifies the key generation process in these networks and at the same time improves the network security up to a sufficient level. For this purpose, an identity-based encryption online/offline (IBOOE) algorithm is proposed as a more acceptable solution to the security concerns of these nodes. IBOOE improves on the previous algorithm, i.e., IBE, by splitting the encryption into two phases: offline and online. The offline phase is mainly responsible for complicated and resource-intensive operations, e.g. exponential operation and pairing operation. The online phase, on the other hand, is mainly responsible for relatively easy calculations such as integer multiplication or hash operation. The comparison of the proposed IBOOE against the state of the art work, i.e., IBE, clearly demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical stimulation therapy has attracted widespread attention for its advantages of promoting cell proliferation and tissue regeneration, accelerating skin barrier restoration, and reducing scars. Its effect on accelerating wound healing has been clinically proven. However, traditional electrical stimulation therapy requires large power supply devices, which are inconvenient to carry and use. Therefore, self-powered flexible nano-piezoelectric membranes were developed in this work, which can generate electric field under mechanical stimulation to effectively eliminate bacteria and accelerate wound healing. In this work, poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) piezoelectric membranes were fabricated by electrospinning, and better piezoelectric properties were obtained by adding tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC), and their antibacterial and pro-healing effects were investigated with or without mechanical stimulation. Results showed that the output voltage of P(VDF-TrFE)/TBAC piezoelectric membrane was about 5.3 times higher than that of P(VDF-TrFE). Furthermore, the P(VDF-TrFE)/TBAC piezoelectric membrane had excellent antibacterial effect against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus after mechanical stimulation, and the inhibition rates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were 71.43% and 97.25%, respectively. Meanwhile, the results of in vivo and in vitro healing promotion experiments showed that P(VDF-TrFE)/TBAC piezoelectric membrane was effective in promoting cell growth and wound healing after mechanical stimulation, the wound was almost completely healed on the 7th day, and the healing rate was increased by about 37% compared with the blank. The P(VDF-TrFE)/TBAC flexible piezoelectric membrane is effective in electrical stimulation for wound healing, and it has potential applications in wound treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks–Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR) was evaluated for the assessment of long-term drought monitoring in Huaihe River Basin using daily gauge observation data for the period from 1983 to 2017. The evaluation results show that the PERSIANN-CDR algorithm has a good detection ability for small precipitation events over the whole basin, but a poor ability for extreme precipitation events (>50 mm/day). Daily PERSIANN-CDR estimates perform relatively better in areas with abundant precipitation, while the monthly and yearly PERSIANN-CDR estimates are highly consistent with gauge observations both in magnitude and space. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at various time scales (3, 6, and 12 months) was calculated based on PERSIANN-CDR and gauge observation, respectively. Grid-based values of statistics derived from those SPI values demonstrate that PERSIANN-CDR has a good ability to capture drought events of each time scale across the basin. However, caution should be applied when using PERSIANN-CDR estimates for basin-scale drought trend analysis. Furthermore, three drought events with long duration and large extent were selected to test the applicability of PERSIANN-CDR in drought monitoring. The results show that it has a good ability to capture when and where droughts occur and how far they spread. Due to the overestimation of small precipitation events, PERSIANN-CDR tends to overestimate the number of extreme droughts and their extents. This needs to be considered in future algorithm improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel coordination polymers {[Cu4(H2dam-dap)4(ClO4)2]·2ClO4}n (1) and [Cu3(H2dam-dap)2(N3)2(NO3)2]n (2) have been obtained through the copper salts and 3-(3-Amino-propylimino)-butan-2-one oxime (H3dam-dap) ligand, which was synthesized by one-pot reaction in the preparation process of complexes. Single-crystal X-Ray analysis shows that complex 1 displays a cage-like 12-MC-4 metallacrown structural unit with the sides exhibiting Cu–N–O repeat units, and the cage-like structures have been linked into one 1D chain by the bridges of ClO4− anions; 2 possesses trinuclear [Cu3(H2dam-dap)2]4+ unit with three Cu ion locating in a linear arrangement, and the adjacent trinuclear units are linked into a 2D coordination polymer by bridging nitrate anions. Magnetic studies reveal that 1 displays ferromagnetic coupling between metal centres, and 2 exhibits antiferromagnetic interaction and field-induced frequency-dependent behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical trials using fetal retinal pigment epithelium (fRPE), human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived RPE, or human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE for cell-based therapy for degenerative retinal diseases have been carried out. We investigated the culture-induced changes in passaged fRPE, hESC-RPE, and hiPSC-RPE cells and explored the differentiation and maturation effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on cells for manufacturing and screening high-quality RPE cells for clinical transplantation. RPE cell lines were set up and the culture-induced changes in subsequent passages caused by manipulating plating density, dissociation method, and repeated passaging were studied by a microscope, real-time quantitative PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescent assays. Gene and protein expression and functional characteristics of RPE cells incubated with ATRA were evaluated. Compared with fRPE, hESC-RPE, and hiPSC-RPE showed decreased gene and protein expression of RPE markers. RPE cells underwent mesenchymal changes showing increased expression of mesenchymal markers including a-SMA, N-cadherin, fibronectin and decreased expression of RPE markers including RPE65, E-cadherin, and ZO-1, as a subsequence of low plating density, inappropriate dissociated method, and repeated passaging. RPE cells treated by ATRA showed increased expression of RPE markers and increased expression of negative complement regulatory proteins (CRPs) and increased transepithelial resistance as well. Differences in protein and gene expression among three RPE types exist. ATRA can increase RPE markers, CRPs gene expression in fRPE, and stem cell-derived RPE. These can be used to guide the standard of screening RPE cells for clinical translational cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium aluminum hydrides are promising hydrogen storage materials due to their high hydrogen storage density. Hydrolysis of LiAlH 4 is an ideal path to reach the operating temperature (−40/60 °C) target released by department of energy without extra heating processes. Ethylene glycol is a common antifreeze agent ingredient for low temperature reactions. However, the reaction features of ethylene glycol with LiAlH 4 are still unknown. Here, the reaction behaviors of ethylene glycol with LiAlH 4 have been studied. The reaction of LiAlH 4 powder with ethylene glycol has been found to be hindered by the thin layer alcoholysis products on the surface. The alcoholysis products have been found to be easily react with water to yield Li–Al layered double hydroxides. The alcoholysis products have been demonstrated to be Li–Al double layered alcoholates, which is analogous to Li–Al layered double hydroxides. The ethylene glycol groups in the alcoholysis products are easily substituted by –OH in the presence of water. Thus, only water is consumed from the antifreeze agents for low temperature hydrogen release. [Display omitted] • The alcoholysis reaction of LiAlH 4 powder with ethylene glycol was hindered by the passivation product layer. • The alcoholysis products have a layered structure with the basal lattice parameter of about 8.37 Å. • The formation of layered structure followed the 2D diffusion-controlled and deceleratory nucleation mechanism. • Protonation made ethylene glycol moieties in alcoholysis products easily substituted by –OH in water. • Water will be the only consumed agent in the reaction of LiAlH 4 with antifreeze agents at low-temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal P2Y 12 inhibitor in high bleeding risk (HBR) patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear. We compared the in-hospital efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in ACS patients at HBR. We identified 22,120 hospitalized ACS patients with HBR treated with aspirin combined with either clopidogrel (n = 17,420) or ticagrelor (n = 4700) in the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS (CCC-ACS) project between November 2014 and December 2019. The median length of hospital stay was 10 days (interquartile range, 7–14 days). Compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital TIMI major or minor bleeding (4.8% vs 3.8%; adjusted OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.03–1.41; P = 0.022). The incidence of TIMI major bleeding (1.7% vs 1.1%, P = 0.005) and intracranial bleeding (0.8% vs 0.5%, P = 0.005) were also higher in the ticagrelor group than in the clopidogrel group. There was no significant difference in the rate of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) (a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or ischemic stroke) with ticagrelor compared with clopidogrel therapy (4.2% vs 4.3%; adjusted OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.90–1.28; P = 0.411). Outcomes in the propensity-matched cohorts and in sensitivity analyses were consistent with the those of the main analysis. Among ACS patients with HBR, ticagrelor as compared with clopidogrel was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital major bleeding without a significant reduction in in-hospital MACCE. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02306616. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores sellers' addressing behaviours in Chinese e-commerce live streaming discourse by focusing on the impact of gender. Data were drawn from a self-built corpus comprising 120 h of transcribed texts from live streaming on Taobao. By conducting a corpus-based analysis, we compared males' and females' keywords for addressing customers and their performative functions of suggestive selling. The findings show that: (1) both males and females use a small percentage of kinship terms; (2) males' ratio of address pronouns to nouns greatly surpasses females', but their frequency of ' nín ' (deferential you) is much lower than females'; (3) females are more likely to consistently use nouns with the meaning of baby, whereas males prefer utilising diverse friendship terms; and (4) females frequently use a pattern of 'thank/greet + baby' to conduct ritual interactions more often than males. We argue that both males' and females' addressing behaviours function to promote successful selling; however, gender distinctions do exist in terms of their lexical choices and pragmatic uses of addressing words. The current study contributes to both pragmatics and the sociolinguistic study of gender and language. • Provides research data on Chinese addressing behaviors in e-commerce live streaming context. • Explores how sellers manage rapport via address pronouns and nouns for suggestive selling. • Focuses on gender's impact on addressing forms by conducting a corpus-based analysis. • Finds both similarities and differences in males' and females' use of addressing forms. • Contributes to both pragmatics and the sociolinguistic study of gender and language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]