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Thioesters are a common class of biologically active fragments and synthetically useful building blocks. An attractive synthetic approach would be to use simple and bench-stable carboxylic acids as a coupling partner. Herein, we present a 4-bromo pyridine–borane complex as a catalyst for the direct coupling of carboxylic acids with thiols. A wide range of thioesters with good functional group compatibility could be prepared via this metal-free approach. The merit of this strategy is exemplified by the modification of carboxylic acid-containing drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Thiamine functions as a crucial activator modulating plant health and broad‐spectrum stress tolerances. However, the role of thiamine in regulating plant virus infection is largely unknown. Here, we report that the multifunctional 17K protein encoded by barley yellow dwarf virus‐GAV (BYDV‐GAV) interacted with barley pyrimidine synthase (HvTHIC), a key enzyme in thiamine biosynthesis. HvTHIC was found to be localized in chloroplast via an N‐terminal 74‐amino acid domain. However, the 17K‐HvTHIC interaction restricted HvTHIC targeting to chloroplasts and triggered autophagy‐mediated HvTHIC degradation. Upon BYDV‐GAV infection, the expression of the HvTHIC gene was significantly induced, and this was accompanied by accumulation of thiamine and salicylic acid. Silencing of HvTHIC expression promoted BYDV‐GAV accumulation. Transcriptomic analysis of HvTHIC silenced and non‐silenced barley plants showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in plant–pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal induction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, photosynthesis‐antenna protein, and MAPK signaling pathway. Thiamine treatment enhanced barley resistance to BYDV‐GAV. Taken together, our findings reveal a molecular mechanism underlying how BYDV impedes thiamine biosynthesis to uphold viral infection in plants. Significance Statement: BYDV‐GAV 17K interacted with barley pyrimidine synthase (HvTHIC), blocked HvTHIC targeting to the chloroplast, and subsequently lead to autophagy‐mediated HvTHIC degradation to disrupt thiamine synthesis, thereby inhibited thiamine mediated defense pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we build a tunable multipolar conjugated polymer framework platform via pore wall chemistry to probe the role of electronic structure engineering in improving the Li+ conduction by theoretical studies. Guided by theoretical prediction, we develop a new cyano‐vinylene‐linked multipolar polymer framework namely CNF‐COF, which can act as efficient ion sieves to modify solid polymer electrolytes to simultaneously tune Li+ migration and stable Li anodes for long‐lifespan all‐solid‐state (ASS) Li metal batteries at high rate. The dual‐decoration of cyano and fluorine groups in CNF‐COF favorably regulates electronic structure via multipolar donor‐acceptor electronic effects to afford proper energy band structure and abundant electron‐rich sites for enhanced oxidative stability, facilitated ion‐pair dissociation and suppressed anion movements. Thus, the CNF‐COF incorporation into poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolytes not only renders fast selective Li+ transport but also facilitates the Li dendrite suppression. Specifically, the constructed PEO composite electrolyte with an ultra‐low CNF‐COF content of only 0.5 wt % is endowed with a wide electrochemical window, a high ionic conductivity of 0.634 mS cm−1 at 60 °C and a large Li+ transference number of 0.81—remarkably outperforming CNF‐COF‐free counterparts (0.183 mS cm−1 and 0.22). As such, the Li symmetric cell delivers stable Li plating/stripping over 1400 h at 0.1 mA cm−2. Impressively, by coupling with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes, the assembled ASS Li battery under 60 °C allows for stable cycling over 2000 cycles at 1 C and over 1000 cycles even at 2 C with a large capacity retention of ~75 %, surpassing most reported ASS Li batteries using PEO‐based electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we build a tunable multipolar conjugated polymer framework platform via pore wall chemistry to probe the role of electronic structure engineering in improving the Li+ conduction by theoretical studies. Guided by theoretical prediction, we develop a new cyano‐vinylene‐linked multipolar polymer framework namely CNF‐COF, which can act as efficient ion sieves to modify solid polymer electrolytes to simultaneously tune Li+ migration and stable Li anodes for long‐lifespan all‐solid‐state (ASS) Li metal batteries at high rate. The dual‐decoration of cyano and fluorine groups in CNF‐COF favorably regulates electronic structure via multipolar donor‐acceptor electronic effects to afford proper energy band structure and abundant electron‐rich sites for enhanced oxidative stability, facilitated ion‐pair dissociation and suppressed anion movements. Thus, the CNF‐COF incorporation into poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolytes not only renders fast selective Li+ transport but also facilitates the Li dendrite suppression. Specifically, the constructed PEO composite electrolyte with an ultra‐low CNF‐COF content of only 0.5 wt % is endowed with a wide electrochemical window, a high ionic conductivity of 0.634 mS cm−1 at 60 °C and a large Li+ transference number of 0.81—remarkably outperforming CNF‐COF‐free counterparts (0.183 mS cm−1 and 0.22). As such, the Li symmetric cell delivers stable Li plating/stripping over 1400 h at 0.1 mA cm−2. Impressively, by coupling with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes, the assembled ASS Li battery under 60 °C allows for stable cycling over 2000 cycles at 1 C and over 1000 cycles even at 2 C with a large capacity retention of ~75 %, surpassing most reported ASS Li batteries using PEO‐based electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate synchronous solutions of coupled van der Pol oscillator systems with multiple coupling modes using the theory of rotating periodic solutions. Multiple coupling modes refer to two or three types of coupling modes in van der Pol oscillator networks, namely, position, velocity, and acceleration. Rotating periodic solutions can represent various types of synchronous solutions corresponding to different phase differences of coupled oscillators. When matrices representing the topology of different coupling modes have symmetry, the overall symmetry of the oscillator system depends on the intersection of the symmetries of the different topologies, determining the type of synchronous solutions for the coupled oscillator network. When matrices representing the topology of different coupling modes lack symmetry, if the adjacency matrices representing different coupling modes can be simplified into structurally identical quotient graphs (where weights can be proportional) through the same external equitable partition, the symmetry of the quotient graph determines the synchronization type of the original system. All these results are consistent with multi-layer networks where connections between different layers are one-to-one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of nitro pollutants is an important topic in environmental protection. A total of 3 Cd (II) complexes (1–3) based on 3 soft organic isomers, n-(3,5-dicarboxylato benzyloxy) benzoic acid (n = 2, 3 or 4-H3DBB), and a linear N-donor ligand, 3-bis(imidazole-l-ylmethyl) benzene (3-bibz), have been synthesized hydrothermally. Structural diversity of Complexes 1–3 displays the architectural 2D or 3D change: Complex 1 exhibits a 2D network featuring tri-nuclear metal units, Complex 2 is a 3D framework based on similar tri-nuclear metal units, and Complex 3 shows a 3D network with binuclear units. Fluorescent sensing properties exhibited in all these complexes have been discovered to detect nitrobenzene (NB) selectively and sensitively. In particular, Complex 3 possesses high sensitivity for NB with the lowest detection limit of 1.15 × 10−10 M. The results of the theoretical calculation verified the fluorescence detection mechanism of NB by these Cd-based complexes. Therefore, these Cd-based complexes might be used as excellent luminescent sensors for NB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable electromagnetically induced transparency-like (EIT-like) metamaterials exhibit extremely high modulation depth and sensitivity, and are widely applied in sensors, modulators and filters. However, frequency shift may occur in the process of regulation, and this law has not been discovered yet. In this work, we reveal the law of frequency shift in tunable EIT-like metamaterials. Based on bright-dark coupling mode and bright-bright coupling mode, two EIT-like metamaterials with simple structures are proposed. The transmission amplitude and frequency of EIT-like effect can be dynamically controlled by tuning the Fermi level of graphene. The law reveals that the frequency of EIT-like effect shifts only when the damping rates of both coupling modes change and the change of one damping rate cannot shift the EIT-like effect. The conclusion can be verified by two-particle model. Due to the universality in tunable EIT-like metamaterials, the law can reduce the blindness of building models in metamaterials and improve the efficiency of structural design. Our work shows great practical prospect in terahertz modulators, optical switches and buffers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embedded bioprinting overcomes the barriers associated with the conventional extrusion‐based bioprinting process as it enables the direct deposition of bioinks in 3D inside a support bath by providing in situ self‐support for deposited bioinks during bioprinting to prevent their collapse and deformation. Embedded bioprinting improves the shape quality of bioprinted constructs made up of soft materials and low‐viscosity bioinks, leading to a promising strategy for better anatomical mimicry of tissues or organs. Herein, the interplay mechanism among the printing process parameters toward improved shape quality is critically reviewed. The impact of material properties of the support bath and bioink, printing conditions, cross–linking mechanisms, and post‐printing treatment methods, on the printing fidelity, stability, and resolution of the structures is meticulously dissected and thoroughly discussed. Further, the potential scope and applications of this technology in the fields of bioprinting and regenerative medicine are presented. Finally, outstanding challenges and opportunities of embedded bioprinting as well as its promise for fabricating functional solid organs in the future are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusions The objective of this study was to gain insight into the barriers hindering the use of pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in five cities in China.MSM were recruited via community‐based organizations in an online “snowball” manner. Participants completed the questionnaire anonymously and shared it with key MSM peers (seeds) in five cities in China. Based on the results of univariate analysis, we used a structural equation model to analyse the role of PrEP knowledge awareness, PrEP counselling, and other behavioural variables on PrEP use.The study collected a total of 4223 valid questionnaires, and 18.2% of participants reported PrEP use. The results of the standardized total effects showed that the following paths were statistically significant (p < 0.05): from the age of first sex with men to PrEP knowledge awareness (β = −0.113) and PrEP use (β = 0.042); from high‐risk sexual behaviour scores to PrEP counselling (β = 0.039) and PrEP use (β = 0.103); from the number of HIV tests in the last year to PrEP knowledge awareness (β = 0.034), PrEP counselling (β = 0.170), and PrEP use (β = 0.197); from the level of self‐perceived risk of HIV infection to PrEP counselling (β = −0.115); from PrEP knowledge awareness to PrEP use (β = −0.049); and from PrEP counselling to PrEP use (β = 0.420).The proportion of PrEP use among MSM was relatively low. Age at first sex with men, number of HIV tests, high‐risk sexual behaviour, and PrEP counselling had a positive effect on PrEP use, whereas PrEP knowledge awareness had an inverse effect on PrEP use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a common chronic debilitating disease with a heavy social burden. single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can affect the function of microRNAs (miRNAs), which is in turn associated with neurological diseases. However, the association between SNPs located in the promoter region of miR-17-92 and the risk of depression remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the association between rs982873, rs9588884 and rs1813389 polymorphisms in the promoter region of miR-17-92 and the incidence of depression in a Chinese population. Methods: we used GWAS (Genome-wide association study) and NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) to screen three SNPs in the miR-17-92 cluster binding sites. A case-control study (including 555 cases and 541 controls) was conducted to investigate the relationship between the SNPs and risk of depression in different regions of China. The gene sequencing ii was used to genotype the collected blood samples. Results: the following genotypes were significantly associated with a reduced risk of depression: rs982873 TC (TC vs. TT: OR = 0.72, 95% CI, 0.54–0.96, P = 0.024; TC/CC vs. TT: OR = 0.74, 95% Cl, 0.56–0.96, P = 0.025); CG genotype of rs9588884 (CG vs. CC: OR = 0.74, 95% CI, 0.55–0.98, P = 0.033; CG/GG vs. CC: OR = 0.75, 95% Cl, 0.57–0.98, P = 0.036); and AG genotype of rs1813389 (AG vs. AA: OR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.57-1.00, P = 0.049; AG/GG vs. AA: OR = 0.76, 95% Cl, 0.59-1.00, P = 0.047). Stratified analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the three SNPS and variables such as family history of suicidal tendency (P > 0.05). Conclusions: our findings suggest that rs982873, rs9588884, and rs1813389 polymorphisms may be associated with protective factors for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Crosstalk regulation is a common regulatory phenomenon in Streptomyces, typically mediated by regulatory factors within gene clusters. Utilizing these regulatory factors to enhance the production of target compounds represents an important approach. This study focuses on two regulatory factors, PteF and PteR, within the filipin gene cluster in Streptomyces avermitilis, investigating their effects on both avermectin production and overall cellular metabolism. The findings provide theoretical groundwork for constructing high-yielding engineered strains of avermectins and provide new insights into the role of PteF in the biosynthesis of avermectins and its impact on cellular metabolic processes. Crosstalk regulation is widespread in Streptomyces species. Elucidating the influence of a specific regulator on target biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and cell metabolism is crucial for strain improvement through regulatory protein engineering. PteF and PteR are two regulators that control the biosynthesis of filipin, which competes for building blocks with avermectins in Streptomyces avermitilis. However, little is known about the effects of PteF and PteR on avermectin biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated their impact on avermectin biosynthesis and global cell metabolism. The deletion of pteF resulted in a 55.49% avermectin titer improvement, which was 23.08% higher than that observed from pteR deletion, suggesting that PteF plays a more significant role in regulating avermectin biosynthesis, while PteF hardly influences the transcription level of genes in avermectin and other polyketide BGCs. Transcriptome data revealed that PteF exhibited a global regulatory effect. Avermectin production enhancement could be attributed to the repression of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and fatty acid biosynthetic pathway, as well as the enhancement of pathways supplying acyl-CoA precursors. These findings provide new insights into the role of PteF on avermectin biosynthesis and cell metabolism, offering important clues for designing and building efficient metabolic pathways to develop high-yield avermectin-producing strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric carbonyl compounds play significant roles in the cycling of radicals and have exhibited surprisingly high levels in winter that were well correlated to particulate matter, for which the reason have not been clearly elucidated. Here we measured carbonyl compounds and other trace gasses together with PM 2.5 over urban Jinan in North China Plain during the winter. Markedly higher carbonyl concentrations (average: 14.63 ± 4.21 ppbv) were found during wintertime haze pollution, about one to three-times relative to those on non-haze days, with slight difference in chemical composition except formaldehyde (HCHO). HCHO (3.68 ppbv), acetone (3.17 ppbv), and acetaldehyde (CH 3 CHO) (2.83 ppbv) were the three most abundant species, accounting for ∼75% of the total carbonylson both haze and non-haze days. Results from observational-based model (OBM) with atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) indicated that AOC significantly increased with the increasing carbonyls during the winter haze events. Carbonyl photolysis have supplied key oxidants such as RO 2 and HO 2 , and thereby enhancing the formation of fine particles and secondary organic aerosols, elucidating the observed haze-carbonyls inter-correlation. Diurnal variation with carbonyls exhibiting peak values at early-noon and night highlighted the combined contribution of both secondary formation and primary diesel-fuel sources. 1-butene was further confirmed to be the major precursor for HCHO. This study confirms the great contribution of carbonyls to AOC, and also suggests that reducing the emissions of carbonyls would be an effective way to mitigate haze pollution in urban area of the NCP region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to endow natural minerals with fast, high-sensitivity, and controllable smart light, humidity, solvent and temperature responsiveness, a novel ceramic clay and cucurbituril (CB) guest-host system (MVCB) inspired by nature was self-assembled and rearranged via an ingenious and simple design successfully. For the first time, the multi-functional MVCB not only displayed a high intelligent multi-stimuli responsiveness as light, humidity, solvent, and temperature switches, but also had multiple selective molecular recognition responses because of different organic vapor with CB and asymmetrical bilayer clay. For instance, due to the factors of guest-host and slow release, the average response speed of self-assembled shuffling the MVCB in methanol was as high as 108°/s compared with bilayer film without CB (20°/s). Besides, the MVCB exhibited controllable swift movement and was bending for grabbing three times its own weight. Moreover, the ultra-wide operating temperature of the MVCB from was ranging −196 to 300 °C under extreme condition. More interestingly, the MVCB presented a unique and compliable self-driven, smart switch, shape memory, environmental awareness and soft robotic gripper owing to the asymmetrical swelling and supramolecular of the CB. This work not only brings a simple, cost-effective, large-scale, and efficient strategy for multi-functionalized natural minerals materials, but also opens potential applications for intelligent response, extremely resistant substances, energy conversion and soft robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) thin films is important for expanding their functions and applications. Herein, we first report a new kind of MOF thin film by using aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) dicarboxyl ligand through a liquid‐phase epitaxial (LPE) layer‐by‐layer (LBL) spraying method (named AIE surface‐coordinated metal‐organic frameworks thin film, AIE‐SURMOF). The obtained AIE‐SURMOF Zn4O(TPE)3 (ZnTPE) has highly growth orientation and homogeneous thin film, showing strong fluorescent property. Furthermore, by loading chiral guest in the MOF pore, the formed chiral encapsulated AIE‐SURMOF can clearly indicate obvious circularly polarized luminescence performance with glum of 0.01. This study provides new MOF thin film and new strategy for expanding function and application of MOF materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eddies in the Marginal Ice Zones (MIZ) contribute to an enhanced melting of sea ice by forcing contact between the sea ice and the warmer water off the ice edge. The horizontal current field can be retrieved by tracking the movement of ice floes between sequential satellite images. However, the traditional method of current retrieval imposes stringent requirements on the time intervals between sequential images, and the performance of the traditional method diminishes rapidly with increasing time intervals. In this paper, an improved method of retrieving currents from multi-sensor remote sensing images is proposed, which can significantly improve the accuracy of current retrieval. The method first extracts feature from remote sensing images based on texture features and a support vector machine model and then extracts prior information about the ice-edge eddy from the first two remote sensing images. Under the guidance of prior information, horizontal currents of the eddy are retrieved by tracking the movement of sea ice from sequential remote sensing images. The proposed method was used to retrieve currents from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 sequential images over the MIZ of the Fram Strait. Comparisons with the traditional method show encouraging results that the proposed method can significantly reduce the number of mismatches and improve the reliability of current vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As fertility rates continue to decline and negative population growth emerges, China has sequentially introduced encouraging fertility policies to raise fertility levels. The impact of fertility on women's health remains inconclusive. It is essential to explore further the correlation between fertility and the health status of 113 million migrant women of childbearing age in China. Objective: To investigate how fertility affects the health status of migrant women of childbearing age and determine if migrant women's socioeconomic status plays a moderating role in this process. Methods: Using a nationally representative dataset from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), we examined the effects of fertility on the self-rated health of migrant women of childbearing age. An ordinary least squares regression model with moderating effects was used for the empirical study, and robustness tests were conducted based on the ordered probit model and propensity score matching to address endogeneity. Results: The empirical results indicated that a rise in the number of children born significantly reduces the self-rated health of migrant women of childbearing age. An increase in years of schooling and household income can significantly mitigate the negative impact of childbearing on the health of migrant women. The robustness of the above results was validated through alternative models and propensity score matching (PSM) methods. The heterogeneity analysis revealed that fertility exerts a negative impact on the health status of migrant women with rural household registration and on the health status of inter-provincial and inter-city migrant women. Further investigation found that the occurrence of childbirth during migration and an increase in the number of girls significantly negatively impacted the health status of migrant women. In contrast, the increase in the number of boys did not show a significant effect. Improving the health of migrant women of childbearing age significantly positively impacted their future childbearing intentions. Conclusions: Migrant women of childbearing age bear the dual burden of migration and childbirth. Our findings showed the rise in the number of children born and the occurrence of childbirth during migration posed greater challenges to the health status of female migrants, particularly among those with lower socioeconomic status. Government and community efforts for enhancing health among migrant women of childbearing age are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing films of chiral metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with high circular polarization luminescence (CPL) is facing a great challenge for chiral sensing applications. Herein, a layer‐by‐layer chiral induction method is first reported to prepare enantiopure MOF films for CPL sensing. By layer‐by‐layer induction with the chiral inductor camphorsulfonic acid, fluorene‐based chiral MOF D/L‐ZnHF‐SO2 film (HF‐SO2 = 3,7‐Dibenzothiophenedicarboxylate, 5,5‐dioxide) with preferential growth orientation and homogeneous surface are prepared, which shows strong chiral feature and CPL with higher asymmetry factor of ±0.073. In addition, by mixed ligand approach, the isostructural fluorene ligand 9‐fluororenone‐2,7‐dicarboxylate is chosen to replace part of HF‐SO2 for preparing a series of chiral MOF films with tunable CPL emission. Furthermore, the prepared chiral MOF films with strong CPL performance are further utilized for enantiomers sensing. The CPL changes consisted with enantioselective adsorption results showed that D/L‐ZnHF‐SO2 film has good discrimination against chiral R/S‐phenylethylamine enantiomers, first reporting chiral MOF‐based candidates for the application in CPL sensing of enantiomers. This work provides a facile and effective approach for preparing chiral MOF films materials with high and tunable CPL performance, and also gives a new way to achieve CPL sensing of chiral enantiomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic materials are frequently exposed to high strain rates and complex stress conditions. Research on dynamic mechanical behaviors of these materials is essential for engineering design and industrial applications. In this paper, the dynamic plastic and flow behaviors of TC17 alloy under compression/tension-torsion were studied. The initial yield behaviors of TC17 alloy under quasi-static and dynamic loadings were researched, and a dynamic asymmetric yield criterion (DAYC) proposed by Yang, Guo, and Li was used to characterize the initial yield behavior. According to the hardening properties under different stress states, a modified dynamic hardening law (MDHL) was proposed to fit the loading surface. The plastic flow directions under quasi-static and dynamic loadings of TC17 alloy were investigated. Results showed that the plastic potential function may conform with the associated flow rule (AFR). The yield properties, strain hardening law, and plastic flow rule of TC17 alloy were systematically investigated and successfully characterized by DAYC and MDHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using macroporous cation exchange resin as the donor of exchangeable ions and carrier of products, ZnO@IER (namely, zinc oxide [ZnO]-loaded ion exchange resin) composites were successfully synthesized through the constant temperature oscillation and hydrothermal method. Scanning electron microscope results show that the gullies on the surface of D113 resin were inlaid with granular ZnO product and the size was <200 nm; D072 resin had a smooth surface structure, and when the hydrothermal time was 2 or 3 h, a perfect ZnO product with hexagonal structure could be obtained with side length of about 2–2.5 μm and thickness of hundreds of nanometers. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization fully confirmed the existence of ZnO in the composite. In addition, ZnO@D072IER-2h had a significant degradation effect on methylene blue solution, and the photocatalytic degradation rate reached 92.5% within 200 min. The photocatalytic degradation of ZnO@IER composites for the methylene blue solution was due to superposition of photocatalytic effects of ion exchange resin and ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Stroke may cause extensive after-effects such as motor function impairments and disorder of consciousness (DoC). Detecting these after-effects of stroke and monitoring their changes are challenging jobs currently undertaken via traditional clinical examinations. These behavioural examinations often take a great deal of manpower and time, thus consuming significant resources. Computer-aided examinations of the electroencephalogram (EEG) microstates derived from bedside EEG monitoring may provide an alternative way to assist medical practitioners in a quick assessment of the after-effects of stroke. Methods: In this study, we designed a framework to extract microstate maps and calculate their statistical parameters to input to classifiers to identify DoC in ischemic stroke patients automatically. As the dataset is imbalanced with the minority of patients being DoC, an ensemble of support vector machines (EOSVM) is designed to solve the problem that classifiers always tend to be the majority classes in the classification on an imbalanced dataset. Results: The experimental results show EOSVM get better performance (with accuracy and F1-Score both higher than 89%), improving sensitivity the most, from lower than 60% (SVM and AdaBoost) to higher than 80%. This highlighted the usefulness of the EOSVM-aided DoC detection based on microstates parameters. Conclusion: Therefore, the classifier EOSVM classification based on features of EEG microstates is helpful to medical practitioners in DoC detection with saved resources that would otherwise be consumed in traditional clinic checks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the constraints in the costs and efficiency of seismic exploration acquisition, marine hydrocarbon exploration mainly relies on towed-streamer acquisition. However, the seismic data obtained from streamers have limited azimuthal coverage, posing significant challenges for the prediction of complex fractured reservoirs using azimuthal anisotropy features. To address this issue, we proposed a workflow for conventional offshore narrow-azimuth streamer data, including the local angle domain migration imaging and prestack anisotropy inversion methods based on the Rüger approximation equation. First, the local angle domain full-azimuth migration imaging method is used to perform prestack imaging processing on narrow-azimuth streamer seismic data, thus obtaining prestack gather data with azimuth information. The prestack anisotropy parameter inversion method is then used to predict the fracture intensity distribution. Finally, the method and technical process proposed in this paper are applied to the fractured reservoir description of buried hills reservoirs in the deepwater area of the northern South China Sea. The practical results demonstrate that the proposed workflow, which combines full-azimuth migration imaging processing and prestack azimuthal anisotropy parameter inversion, can accurately predict fractured reservoirs using narrow-azimuth seismic data acquired through marine towed-streamer surveys. This technical workflow is also applicable to fracture predictions and reservoir evaluations in similar seismic survey areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate effect of Wumei Pill on colon cell apoptosis in ulcerative colitis (UC) rats by regulating miR-146a and its mechanism. Methods: A total of 50 SD rats were selected, with 10 rats in each group, and divided into control group, model group, Wumei Pill low, medium and high doses groups. Transfected with anti-miR-NC, anti-miR-146a, miR-NC, miR-146a as anti-miR-NC group, anti-miR-146a group, Wumei Pill+miR-NC group, Wumei Pill+miR-146a group. CCK-8 was used to detect cell proliferation; flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis; RT-qPCR was used to detect cell miR-146a expression; ELI-SA was used to detect cell IL-1β and IL-13 contents; Western blot was used to detect expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bax proteins. Results: Compared with control group, cell survival rate, Bcl-2 protein expression in model group were decreased, while apoptosis rate, Bax protein expression, IL-lp, IL-13 contents and miR-146a expression were increased (P<0.05). Compared with model group, Wumei Pill significantly increased cell survival rate and Bcl-2 protein expression, decreased cell apoptosis rate, Bax protein expression, IL-1β, IL-13 contents and miR-146a expression (P<0.05). Inhibition of miR-146a increased cell survival rate, Bcl-2 protein expression, decreased cell apoptosis rate, IL-1β, IL-13 contents and Bax protein expression (P<0.05). Overexpression of miR-146a reversed effects of Wumei Pills on proliferation and apoptosis of colon cells in UC rats. Conclusion: Wumei Pill can reduce apoptosis of colon cells in UC rats by up-regulating expression of miR-146a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the impact of vergence dysfunction on myopia progression in children with Defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled children prescribed DIMS spectacle lenses to slow myopic progression. Baseline vergence dysfunction was determined according to phoria at distance and near. Axial length (AL) measurement and cycloplegic subjective refraction were performed before fitting the lenses and at six-month and one-year follow-ups. The six-month and one-year AL and spherical equivalent (SE) change from baseline were calculated and compared in subgroups stratified with the type of vergence dysfunction. Results: Two hundred and ninety-two myopic children were included. Significant AL elongation and SE progression were observed at six months and one year (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Multiple regression demonstrated that AL elongation at six months (P < 0.001) and one year (P < 0.001) was negatively correlated with age, and SE progression at six months was associated with age (P = 0.002). The AL elongation at six months in children with convergence excess was significantly greater than in normal myopic subjects (P = 0.011) and subjects with convergence insufficiency (P = 0.008), divergence excess (P = 0.007), divergence insufficiency (P = 0.024) and basic esophoria (P = 0.048) at six months. Conclusion: The present research demonstrated that vergence dysfunction influences myopia progression for myopic children with DIMS, and the children with convergence excess suffer from the greatest myopia progression among different types of vergence dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion of air and water into valuable chemicals of ammonia (NH3) by plasma activation and electrochemical reduction is a promising approach to achieve zero carbon‐emission synthesis of NH3. However, designing highly efficient electrochemical catalysts is one of the key challenges in accomplishing this strategy. Herein, a self‐supported cobalt–tungsten alloy supported on cobalt foam (CoW/CF) is developed via a simple and efficient method at room temperature. Surprisingly, the catalyst exhibits ultra‐high NH3 partial current density (1559 mA cm−2), superior NH3 yield rate (164.3 mg h−1 cm−2), and high Faradaic efficiency (98.1%) under the condition of 0.2 M nitrate/nitrite, outperforming most of the reported values of electrosynthesis of NH3 to the knowledge. The introduction of W makes the Co atom surface electron deficient, which can enhance the adsorption of NOx− and mitigate the excessive bonding of hydroxyl radicals (OH*) generated during nitrite (NO2*) hydrogenation, thereby reducing the energy barrier of the potential‐determining step. More interestingly, a scale‐up reaction system is established, achieving an NH3 yield rate of 4.771 g h−1 and successfully converting the NH3 in solution into solid NH4Cl. The aforementioned progress significantly enhances the facilitation of NH3 electrosynthesis industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum butylmethylphosphinate AiBMP as a flame retardant and phenolphthalein as a synergistic agent were applied in a thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE)) in the current study. The thermal properties, flame retardancy, crystallization and mechanical properties of TPEE/AiMBP with or without phenolphthalein were investigated using various characterizations, including the limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL 94), thermogravimetric analysis TG, differential scanning calorimetry, microcombustion calorimeter (MCC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanical tests. The results revealed that AiBMP alone is an efficient flame retardant of TPEE. Adding 15 wt.% AiBMP increases the LOI value of TPEE from 20% to 36%. The formula TPEE-15 AiBMP passed the UL 94 V-0 rating with no dripping occurring. The MCC test shows that AiBMP depresses the heat release of TPEE. In comparison with pure TPEE, the heat release rate at peak temperature and the heat release capacity of TPEE-15AiBMP are reduced by 46.1% and 55.5%, respectively. With the phenolphthalein added, the formula TPEE/13AiBMP/2Ph shows a higher char yield at high temperatures (>600 °C), and the char layer is stronger and more condensed than TPEE-15AiBMP.The tensile strength and elongation at break values of TPEE-13AiBMP-2Ph are increased by 29.63% and 4.8% in comparison with TPEE-15AiBMP. The SEM morphology of the fracture surface of the sample shows that phenolphthalein acts as a plasticizer to improve the dispersion of AiBMP within the matrix. The good char charming ability of phenolphthalein itself and improved dispersion of AiBMP make the TPEE composites achieve both satisfying flame retardancy and high mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An H‐slot loaded metasurface (MTS) structure has been developed for the purpose of constructing a miniaturized wideband metasurface antenna (MTSA). The MTS is composed of an array of 3 × 3 rectangular small metal patches, each of which is loaded with an H‐slot. The inclusion of the H‐slot significantly lengthens the current path on the small metal patch, resulting in a small antenna size. Since the direction of the effective total current does not change, the radiation performance of the antenna is almost unaffected. To excite the MTS resonance and generate a stable radiation pattern while decreasing the backward radiation, an L‐probe with an intact ground is employed. Characteristic mode analysis (CMA) is applied to reveal the miniaturization mechanism of the MTS and guide modal excitation. The prototype is fabricated and measured within a compact radiation aperture size of 0.35λ0 × 0.29λ0 (λ0 is the free‐space wavelength at the center operating frequency). The measured −10 dB impedance bandwidth is 20.16% (5.22–6.39 GHz), with a peak gain of 6.28 dBi and a front‐to‐back ratio is larger than 20 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limitation to enhancing photocatalytic performance in photocatalysts lies in the rapid recombination of photo‐induced electrons and holes. Herein, AgNbO3 photocatalysts were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The effects of hydrothermal temperature on the microstructure and photocatalytic/piezo‐photocatalytic performances of AgNbO3 have been systematically investigated. The AgNbO3 cubes synthesized at 180 °C for 24 h exhibited the best photocatalytic/piezo‐photocatalytic performances among all samples. The corona poling as an important method of polarization engineering is applied to promote further the separation and migration of charge carriers in AgNbO3. The polarized AgNbO3 synthesized at 170 °C exhibited outstanding piezo‐photocatalytic performance, and a degradation rate of 95 % for RhB within 90 min and a high apparent rate constant of 0.02978 min−1 were achieved. On the one hand, the alternating piezoelectric field caused by ultrasonic‐assisted illumination destroyed the shielding effect and enhanced the separation of electron‐hole pairs. On the other hand, polarization engineering induced by corona poling promoted the separation and migration of photo‐induced carriers, thereby realizing more efficient utilization of these charges during the photocatalytic decomposition process. This work presents a facile way to achieve superior piezo‐photocatalytic performances of AgNbO3‐based photocatalyst via polarization engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel flip-fold removal model was established to reveal the ductile–brittle mixed removal phenomenon in the grinding process of glass-ceramics. This flip-fold model proposed for the ductile–brittle mixed removal mode differs from conventional brittle or ductile removal mechanisms. Using the theoretical exploration method, a theoretical model of flip-fold removal is established based on the analysis of different scenarios of the relationship between the depth of the stagnation region and pile-up height of the interference zone. Through an experimental verification method, the approach of crossing double scratches with a continuously variable scratch distance is proposed to observe the evolution progression and verify the flip-fold removal model. Using the analytical analysis method, the amplitude and direction cosine distributions of the interference stress field were analysed to reveal the internal mechanism of the flip-fold removal model. The results of the three scientific research methods were in good agreement with those of the proposed model. The flip-fold material removal model supports the comprehension of the ductile–brittle mixed removal mode during the grinding of hard-brittle materials. This model provides an approach to controlling the material removal mode from the perspective of regulating the flip-fold behaviour by adjusting the scratch distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few longitudinal studies have examined the prevalence of psychoactive drug use and its related predictors among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hong Kong. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychoactive drug use in this population and the relationships of background characteristics, health status, MSM-related self-stigma, and perceived stress with psychoactive drug use. Furthermore, the study tested the mediation effect of perceived stress in the relationship between MSM-related self-stigma and psychoactive drug use based on the minority stress model and the general strain model. A total of 600 MSM were recruited through multiple sources and completed a telephone interview at baseline, and 407 completed the 6-month follow-up survey. Prevalence of using any type of psychoactive drugs in the past 12 months at baseline and in the past six months at follow-up was 16.8% and 9.1% respectively. History of sexually transmitted infection (STI), self-stigma and perceived stress significantly predicted psychoactive drug use at 6-month follow-up. Bootstrapping analysis showed that self-stigma could, directly and indirectly, predict psychoactive drug use at 6-month follow-up through perceived stress. The results highlighted the need for interventions to reduce psychoactive drug use among local MSM and its potential modifiable factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uniparental disomy (UPD) is a rare genetic condition leading to potential disease risks. Maternal UPD of chromosome 6 upd(6)mat is exceptionally rare, with limited cases reported. This study reported two new cases of upd(6)mat and reviewed the literature of previous cases. Case presentation: Both cases exhibited intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and genetic analysis confirmed upd(6)mat in each case. The literature review identified a total of 19 cases. IUGR and preterm labor were the most common two symptoms observed, and additional anomalies and genetic variations were also reported in some cases. Conclusion: upd(6)mat is potentially associatied with IUGR, but the precise genotype–phenotype relationship remains unclear. The cases with upd(6)mat may present clinical features due to imprinting disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) are a superfamily of dimeric proteins associated with the detoxification of various reactive electrophiles and responsive to a multitude of stressors. We individually substituted Lys64 and Glu78 with Ala using site-directed mutagenesis to understand the role of subunit interactions in the structure and enzymatic properties of a rice GST (OsGSTU17). The wild-type OsGSTU17 lost the conserved hydrogen bond between subunits in tau class GSTs due to conserved Tyr92 replaced with Phe92, but still exhibited high substrate activities, and thermal stability remained in its dimeric structure. The significant decrease in thermal stability and obvious changes in the structure of mutant K64A implied that conserved Lys64 might play an essential role in the structural stability of tau class GSTs. The mutant E78A, supposed to be deprived of hydrogen and salt bonds between subunits, appeared in the soluble form of dimers, even though its tertiary structure altered and stability declined dramatically. These results suggest that the hydrogen and ionic bonds provided by conserved residues are not as important for OsGSTU17 dimerization and enzymatic properties. These results further supplement our understanding of the relationship between the structure and function of GSTs and provide a theoretical basis for improving crop resistance through targeted modification of GSTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Emerging studies have revealed that macrophages possess different dependences on the uptake, synthesis, and metabolism of serine for their activation and functionalization, necessitating our insight into how serine availability and utilization impact macrophage activation and inflammatory responses. Methods: This article summarizes the reports published domestically and internationally about the serine uptake, synthesis, and metabolic flux by the macrophages polarizing with distinct stimuli and under different pathologic conditions, and particularly analyzes how altered serine metabolism rewires the metabolic behaviors of polarizing macrophages and their genetic and epigenetic reprogramming. Results: Macrophages dynamically change serine metabolism to orchestrate their anabolism, redox balance, mitochondrial function, epigenetics, and post-translation modification, and thus match the distinct needs for both classical and alternative activation. Conclusion : Serine metabolism coordinates multiple metabolic pathways to tailor macrophage polarization and their responses to different pathogenic attacks and thus holds the potential as therapeutic target for types of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Arabidopsis RESISTANCE TO POWDERY MILDEW 8.1 (RPW8.1) is an important tool for engineering broad‐spectrum disease resistance against multiple pathogens. Ectopic expression of RPW8.1 leads to enhanced disease resistance with cell death at leaves and compromised plant growth, implying a regulatory mechanism balancing RPW8.1‐mediated resistance and growth. Here, we show that RPW8.1 constitutively enhances the expression of transcription factor WRKY51 and activates salicylic acid and ethylene signalling pathways; WRKY51 in turn suppresses RPW8.1 expression, forming a feedback regulation loop. RPW8.1 and WRKY51 are both induced by pathogen infection and pathogen−/microbe‐associated molecular patterns. In ectopic expression of RPW8.1 background (R1Y4), overexpression of WRKY51 not only rescues the growth suppression and cell death caused by RPW8.1, but also suppresses RPW8.1‐mediated broad‐spectrum disease resistance and pattern‐triggered immunity. Mechanistically, WRKY51 directly binds to and represses RPW8.1 promoter, thus limiting the expression amplitude of RPW8.1. Moreover, WRKY6, WRKY28 and WRKY41 play a role redundant to WRKY51 in the suppression of RPW8.1 expression and are constitutively upregulated in R1Y4 plants with WRKY51 being knocked out (wrky51 R1Y4) plants. Notably, WRKY51 has no significant effects on disease resistance or plant growth in wild type without RPW8.1, indicating a specific role in RPW8.1‐mediated disease resistance. Altogether, our results reveal a regulatory circuit controlling the accumulation of RPW8.1 to an appropriate level to precisely balance growth and disease resistance during pathogen invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractA sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate based on SiO2@Ag core-shell with a QuEChERs pretreatment method were constructed for the determination of carbendazim residue in tobacco leaves. The SERS substrate was formed by self-assembly of monolayer homogeneous SiO2 nanospheres onto silicon wafer following by vacuum thermal evaporation of silver film. The QuEChERs pretreatment method was used to eliminate the interfering effects of pigments and organic acids in tobacco leaves. The results for carbendazim in tobacco leaves show the limit of detection (LOD) of the SERS substrate was 0.1 mg/kg and the recovery rate was from 82.56% to 95.93%. The proposed low-cost sensitive SERS substrates provide potential application for tobacco safety monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maiwa yak is a special breed of animal living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has great economic value, but its fertility rate is low. The corpus luteum (CL) is a temporary tissue that plays a crucial role in maintaining the physiological cycle. However, little is known about the transcriptome profile in Maiwa yak CL. In the present study, the transcriptome of Maiwa yak CL at early (EYCL), middle (MYCL) and late-stages (LYCL) was studied employing high-throughput sequencing. A total of 25,922 transcripts were identified, including 22,277 known as well as 3,645 novel ones. Furthermore, 690 and 212 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs were detected in the EYCL vs. MYCL and MYCL vs. LYCL groups, respectively. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs illustrated that the most enriched pathway was PI3K-Akt pathway. Furthermore, twenty-six DEGs were totally found to be associated with different biological processes of CL development. One of these genes, PGRMC1, displayed a dynamical expression trend during the lifespan of yak CL. The knockdown of PGRMC1 in luteinized yak granulosa cells resulted in defective steroidogenesis. In conclusion, this study analyzed the transcriptome profiles in yak CL of different stages, and provided a novel database for analyzing the gene network in yak CL. The manuscript analyzed the transcriptome profiles in yak CL during the estrous cycle. Twenty-six DEGs were found to be associated with the development or function of CL. One of the DEGs, PGRMC1, was found to be responsible for steroidogenesis in luteinized yak granulosa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service robots have been widely utilised in service encounters to deliver human services. However, it is unclear whether co-creation with service robots increases or decreases employee wellbeing. Based on self-determination theory, this study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of co-creation with service robots on employee wellbeing. An online survey was used to collect data from 332 employees working in the hospitality and tourism industry in China who had co-created with service robots at work. The results indicate that co-creation with service robots has an important autonomy-enhancing effect on employees. Furthermore, the relationship between co-creation with service robots and employee wellbeing through the need for competence and the need for relatedness is also mediated by the need for autonomy. This study extends self-determination theory to the domain of service robots by showing that employees’ basic psychological needs play an important role in shaping their wellbeing in the context of co-creation with service robots at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Supporting food security while maintaining ecosystem sustainability is one of the most important global challenges for humanity. Optimization of cropping systems is expected to promote the ecosystem services of agroecosystems. Yet, how and why cropping system influences the trade‐offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services remain poorly understood.We investigate the influence of six cropping systems on trade‐offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services after considering 36 agricultural ecosystem properties using field experiment data from 2020 to 2022.We show that designing cropping system is a critical tool to closing the gap between ecosystem sustainability and commercial profitability. Cropping system with three harvests within 2 yr had higher performance in overall ecosystem multiple services through enhancement of supporting, regulating, and economic performance without compromising provisioning compared with four other systems. These systems diminished the trade‐off among multiple services, resulting in a 'win‐win' situation for economics and multiple services. By contrast, the monoculture and double cropping systems lead to a strong trade‐off between pairwise services including ecosystem health and profitability.Our work illustrates the substantial potential of rotation systems with three harvests within 2 yr in enforcing ecosystem services and closing the trade‐offs among multiple agricultural ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is devoted to Poisson stable (including stationary, periodic, quasi-periodic, Bohr almost periodic, Bohr almost automorphic, Birkhoff recurrent, almost recurrent in the sense of Bebutov, Levitan almost periodic, pseudo-periodic, pseudo-recurrent) solutions for stochastic functional evolution equations (SFEEs) with infinite delay. First, we prove the existence of bounded mild solutions for SFEEs with infinite delay. Then, according to the relationship between the solution and (drift and diffusion) coefficients, we obtain such Poisson stable solutions. Because the solutions of the delay equations are not Markov, we employ the solution maps in some phase space as a viable alternative for studying further asymptotic properties, and we also discuss Poisson stable solution maps and their asymptotic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study a class of reflecting stochastic differential equations whose coefficients depend on image measures of solutions under a given initial measure in Wasserstein space P 2 . By the penalization method, the image process, which is a diffusion process in P 2 , is constrained in a priori given domain O ⊂ P 2 . The large deviation principle for this reflecting image process is also established by weak convergence method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of organic and inorganic contaminants into soil from industry, agriculture, and urbanization has become a major issue of international concern, particularly the heavy metals such as aluminum (Al) and the chemical phenanthrene (PHE). Due to their potential toxicity and non-biodegrade in the environment, efficient remediation methods are urgently needed. Recently, research has comprehensively discussed using plants and their endophytes in bioremediation efforts. Endophytic Bacillus sp. R1, isolated from Brassica napus permanently contaminated with Al and PHE, has growth-promoting properties and can efficiently detoxify these contaminants. The pot experiment indicated that compared to the Al combined PHE contaminated soil alone treatment, the R1 treatment led to increased Al accumulation in canola roots across different levels of PHE, Al, and combined PHE and Al contamination. However, Al accumulation in canola shoots and seeds remained unchanged for all treatments. Moreover, PHE in canola roots and shoots was decreased by R1 inoculation and thereby reducing 26.12–60.61% PHE translocated into canola seeds. Additionally, R1 inoculation significantly increased the proportion of extractable Al and, decreased the proportion of acid-soluble inorganic Al and humic-acid Al, but did not affect the concentration of organically complexed Al. In summary, endophyte R1 can degrade PHE, improve canola roots’ Al uptake by increasing soil available Al, and scavenge the reactive oxygen species through production of antioxidant enzymes to help alleviate the toxicity of canola co-contaminated with aluminum and phenanthrene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, FOX-7 has attracted great interest due to its excellent performance. The initial decomposition mechanism of FOX-7 (ε phase) at high temperature and pressure is simulated by ab initio molecular dynamics. We mainly studied the initial reaction of FOX-7 under extreme conditions of 10 GPa and 700-3000 K. When the pressure is constant, FOX-7 shows different decomposition mechanisms as the temperature increases. At lower temperatures, hydrogen is transferred first. As the temperature increases, the transfer of hydrogen and the breakage of the C-NO2 bond leading to the generation of acid are the main initial decomposition pathways. The energy barrier for hydrogen transfer is lower than that of C-NO2 bond breaking, which was confirmed by a single-molecule transition state search. Thus, the correctness of the decomposition mechanism obtained by molecular dynamics is proved. Different from previous studies, this paper considers both temperature and higher pressure, providing a reference for the initial reaction mechanism of FOX-7 under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-Alkylation of alcohols by hydrogen transfer is a green and atomically economical method for the preparation of amines; however, most of the reported catalysts are noble metal and homogeneous catalysts. Essentially, heterogeneous catalysts with the stable co-existence of multiple valence metals are difficult to prepare. In this study, we designed mixed-metal oxide (MMO) CuMn2O4 with a self-supported mesoporous structure as a catalyst for the reactions of substituted alcohols and benzenesulfonamides/anilines. It possessed a high catalytic activity in the hydrogen transfer reaction, which can be mainly attributed to the Jahn–Teller effect and the unique electronic states of copper and manganese ions for their variable values and complex coordination status in the MMO material. Furthermore, the self-supported CuMn2O4 catalyst with the advantages of high surface area and large particle size, benefitted the adsorption–desorption of hydrogen over active sites, which established a 30% higher yield in the N-alkylation reaction as compared with its bulk alternative. Therefore, the active compositions with variable values and the unique mesoporous structure of CuMn2O4 were the combined reasons for the efficient hydrogen transfer and further N-alkylation reaction. Extensive substrates, such as, sulfonamides and alcohols, including electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents on benzyl alcohols and benzene sulfonamides were tried and were well-tolerated to achieve high yields, suggesting that the self-supported CuMn2O4 possesses excellent catalytic activity and broad universality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IPoC possesses a preventive effect against IR injury in healthy myocardium, but IPoC's protective effect on atherosclerotic myocardium is controversial. The current investigation aims to determine whether IPoC remains protective in atherosclerotic myocardium subjected to ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury; to explore the specific mechanisms by which IPoC exerts cardioprotection; to explore whether HIF-1 upregulation combined with IPoC could further the provide cardioprotection; and to gaze at the specific mechanism whereby combined treatment expert the cardioprotection. ApoE−/− mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) were used to develop a model of atherosclerosis. The myocardial IR model was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery for 45 min, followed by reperfusion for 120 min. The protection of IPoC in both healthy and atherosclerotic myocardium was evaluated by measuring oxidative stress, apoptosis, infarct size, pathology, mitochondrial dysfunction and morphology of myocardium. The specific mechanism by which IPoC exerts cardioprotection in healthy and atherosclerotic myocardium was observed by measuring the expression of proteins involved in HIF-1, APMK and RISK pathways. The effect of HIF-1α overexpression on the cardioprotection by IPoC was observed by intravenous AAV9 -HIF-1α injection. In healthy ischemic myocardium, IPoC exerted myocardial protective effects (antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, and improved mitochondrial function) through the activation of HIF-1, AMPK and RISK pathways. In atherosclerotic ischemic myocardium, IPoC exerted cardioprotection only through the activation of HIF-1 pathway; however, HIF-1 overexpression combined IPoC restored the activation of AMPK and RISK pathways, thereby further alleviating the myocardial IR injury. In the atherosclerotic state, the HIF-1 pathway is the intrinsic mechanism by which IPoC exerts cardioprotective effects. The combination of HIF-1 upregulation and IPoC has a significant effect in reducing myocardial injury, which is worth being promoted and advocated. In addition, HIF-1-AMPK and HIF-1-RISK may be two endogenous cardioprotective signalling pathways with great value, which deserve to be thoroughly investigated in the future. Figure A illustrates the mechanism through which IPoC guards the myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in healthy myocardium.Figure B illustrates the mechanism through which IPoC guards the myocardium from IR injury in atherosclerotic myocardium.Figure C illustrates the mechanism through which HIF-1 overexpression and IPoC combined treatment exerts cardioprotection against IR injury in atherosclerotic myocardium. [Display omitted] • In normal myocardium, the cardioprotection of IPoC is mediated by activation of the HIF-1, AMPK, and RISK pathways. • In atherosclerotic myocardium IR, the AMPK and RISK pathways are impaired and fail to be activated by IPoC. • In atherosclerotic myocardial IR, IPoC can still exert considerable cardioprotection by activating HIF-1 pathway. • HIF-1 pathway per se has a potent cardioprotective effect in the setting of atherosclerosis. • HIF-1 overexpression and IPoC combined treatment restored the activation of AMPK and RISK pathway. • The HIF-AMPK/RISK cascade is the intrinsic cardioprotective signaling in the context of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical valorization of bulk chemicals to produce value-added fine chemicals is highly attractive and deemed to be a green and economic way to optimize traditional industrial synthesis. The electrochemical methanol upgrading (EMU) process which converts methanol to value-added formate exhibits an expectation of high profit and adherence to the tenets of green chemistry, and it has received substantial interest aimed at discovering highly efficient catalysts with satisfactory operational stability. In this work, focusing on enriching and activating the high-valence cobalt active sites, a hierarchically nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon-supported Co/CoO hybrid catalyst grown on cobalt foam (Co–N–C/CoO/CF) was fabricated. The high porosity and conductive microchannels could synergistically enrich the local high-valence Co active sites and boost the in situ generation of such sites via an electrochemical pre-oxidation process. Benefitting from the synergy of multiple structural benefits, the Co–N–C/CoO/CF catalyst exhibits robust EMU performance. An ultralow potential of 1.309 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode can be identified to drive a 50 mA cm−2 EMU current density, and a high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 98.2% can be achieved. In addition, with the merits of high structural stability, excellent operational stability can be achieved for Co–N–C/CoO/CF with negligible degradation in either current density or FE for at least 120 h, making the catalyst the most stable catalyst to date for methanol-to-formate upgrading. Its high activity and excellent operational stability make the Co–N–C/CoO/CF catalyst a promising candidate for green and economic formate electrosynthesis via partial methanol electro-oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial carcinoma (ECa) is the fourth most common cancer among women. The oncogene PELP1 is frequently overexpressed in a variety of cancers, including ECa. We recently generated SMIP34, a small‐molecule inhibitor of PELP1 that suppresses PELP1 oncogenic signaling. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of SMIP34 in treating ECa. Treatment of established and primary patient‐derived ECa cells with SMIP34 resulted in a significant reduction of cell viability, colony formation ability, and induction of apoptosis. RNA‐seq analyses showed that SMIP34‐regulated genes were negatively correlated with ribosome biogenesis and eukaryotic translation pathways. Mechanistic studies showed that the Rix complex, which is essential for ribosomal biogenesis, is disrupted upon SMIP34 binding to PELP1. Biochemical assays confirmed that SMIP34 reduced ribosomal biogenesis and new protein synthesis. Further, SMIP34 enhanced the efficacy of mTOR inhibitors in reducing viability of ECa cells. SMIP34 is also effective in reducing cell viability in ECa organoids in vitro and explants ex vivo. Importantly, SMIP34 treatment resulted in a significant reduction of the growth of ECa xenografts. Collectively, these findings underscore the potential of SMIP34 in treating ECa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies reporting the effects of metabolic surgery, lifestyle intervention, and intensive insulin therapy for the remission of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been increasing, with fruitful results better conducted and yielded. However, there are only a few studies on the remission of T2DM using oral hypoglycemic drugs. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the remission effect of canagliflozin and metformin on participants with newly diagnosed T2DM and its possible underlying mechanism(s) through which these two medications elicit diabetes remission. Method: To this end, we performed a multicenter, parallel-group, randomized, controlled, and open-label trial. A total of 184 participants with a ≤ 3-year course of T2DM will be enrolled and randomly assigned to the canagliflozin or metformin treatment group in a ratio of 1:1. Participants in each group will maintain their medication for 3 months after achieving the target blood glucose level and then stop it. These participants will be followed up for one year to determine remission rates in both groups. Discussion: In this study, we will establish that whether canagliflozin is superior to metformin in terms of remission rate in participants with newly diagnosed T2DM. The results of this trial may provide robust evidence regarding the efficacy and mechanisms of the action of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in T2DM remission. Trial registration: ChiCTR2100043770(February 28, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a member of the Pneumoviridae family, can cause severe acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants, young children, immunocompromised individuals and elderly people. RSV is associated with an augmented innate immune response, enhanced secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and necrosis of infected cells. Oxidative stress, which is mainly characterized as an imbalance in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant responses, interacts with all the pathophysiologic processes above and is receiving increasing attention in RSV infection. A gradual accumulation of evidence indicates that ROS overproduction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of severe RSV infection and serves as a major factor in pulmonary inflammation and tissue damage. Thus, antioxidants seem to be an effective treatment for severe RSV infection. This article mainly reviews the information on oxidative stress and ROS-mediated cellular events during RSV infection for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and flow stability of a rocket-based combined-cycle (RBCC) inlet during the ejector-to-ramjet mode transition are investigated numerically. The operational pressure of the embedded rocket is adjusted to three different levels, and the time-sequences of the rocket and back pressure regulation are varied. The pressure in feature sections is monitored to reveal the coupling relationship and stability of the internal flowfield. The inlet is more adaptable to severe disturbances under the "throttle-maintaining" regulation and is susceptible under the "direct-shutdown" regulation. The severe fluctuation period is relatively short within "medium throttle-maintaining," while is lengthy within the "high throttle-maintaining." The severe fluctuation under the direct-shutdown develops with the propagation of the regulation and decays with its establishment. The ultimate flowfields driven by different time-sequences reach unanimity with the same adjustable parameters of embedded rocket and back pressure; however, the dynamic evolutions show distinct characteristics. During the mode transition, pressure "valleys" are formed in any selected sections with the rocket regulations, and "peaks" are developed in many sections due to the propagation of back pressure or the instability of the rocket jet. For the medium throttle-maintaining regulation, the effect of time-sequence on the flowfield is relatively weak. For the high throttle-maintaining regulation, the pressure disturbance rises abruptly under the rocket priority regulation, with a most severe amplitude of 100.7%. For the direct-shutdown regulation, the maximum pressure disturbance of 125% is observed within the rocket priority regulation, and the minimum disturbance occurs within the back pressure priority regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern high latitudes have experienced the strongest warming in the world and substantial changes in streamflow and hydrological extremes. However, there have been limited attribution studies of changes in streamflow and hydrological extremes in this region. This study provides the first trend detection and attribution assessment on 33 hydrological variables for 50 Norwegian catchments in the period 1961–2019, using observed and simulated runoff data from four hydrological models driven by factual (observed) and counterfactual forcing data. Significant increasing trends are detected in observed annual, spring and winter runoff in most catchments and significant trends towards earlier spring floods are found in 40% of catchments. The four hydrological models show similarly good performance in terms of daily discharge in both calibration and validation periods, and they can reproduce 62% of the observed significant trends considering both trend direction and significance. The counterfactual forcing data were generated by the ATTRICI model, which removed all warming trends and most significant trends in precipitation in the factual time series. Ninety-four percent of the simulated significant trends driven by the factual forcing data are insignificant under counterfactual conditions, with trend slopes approaching zero. Thus, based on the model performance in trend reproduction and the difference of significant trends under factual and counterfactual conditions, we conclude that about 58% of the observed significant trends in Norwegian catchments can be attributed mainly to climate change. The comparisons of the historical extreme events under factual and counterfactual conditions show that more than 65% of floods and droughts in the 2010s could have been magnified by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]