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Abstract Background The incidence of hemiparetic limb dysfunction reaches 85% in stroke patients, emerging as a critical factor influencing their daily lives. However, the effectiveness of current rehabilitation treatments is considerably limited, particularly in patients with upper extremity impairment. This study aims to conduct a prospective clinical trial to validate the safety and effectiveness of gamma oscillations induced by 40-Hz visual-auditory stimulation in treating post-stroke upper limb dysfunction and to explore the relevant mechanisms. Methods This trial is a prospective, randomized controlled, double-blind study. All enrolled patients were randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental group received intervention through 40-Hz visual-auditory stimulation, while the control group underwent intervention with randomly matched visual-auditory stimulation frequencies. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in motor function. Secondary efficacy endpoints include motor-evoked potentials, cerebral hemodynamic changes, neural network connectivity, and alterations in synaptic-related genes. Safety evaluation included major adverse events, all-cause mortality, and photosensitive epilepsy. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, after a 14-day treatment period, and during subsequent follow-up visits (at 3 and 6 months) post-treatment. The differences between the two groups will be compared. Discussion This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of gamma oscillations induced by 40-Hz visual-auditory stimulation in treating patients with upper extremity dysfunction after an acute cerebral stroke. Concurrently, we will explore potential mechanisms, including changes in synaptic-related genes and neural network connectivity. This trial is expected to provide evidence for the effectiveness of this new technique in treating upper extremity dysfunction after a stroke and improving patients’ quality of life. Trial registration The study protocol has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) under registration number ChiCTR2300076579 on October 12, 2023.

Synthetic aperture radar automatic target recognition (SAR-ATR) models based on deep neural networks (DNNs) are vulnerable to attacks of adversarial examples. Universal adversarial attack algorithms can help evaluate and improve the robustness of the SAR-ATR models and have become a research hotspot. However, current universal adversarial attack algorithms have limitations. First, considering the difficulty in obtaining information on the attacking SAR-ATR models, there is an urgent need to design a universal adversarial attack algorithm under a black-box scenario. Second, given the difficulty of acquiring synthetic aperture radar images, the effectiveness of attacks under small-sample conditions requires improvement. To address these limitations, this study proposed a black-box universal adversarial attack algorithm: transferable universal adversarial network (TUAN). Based on the idea of the generative adversarial network, we implemented the game of generator and attenuator to improve the transferability of universal adversarial perturbation (UAP). We designed loss functions for the generator and the attenuator, respectively, which can effectively improve the success rate of black-box attacks and the stealthiness of attacks. In addition, U-Net was used as a network structure of the generator and the attenuator to fully learn the distribution of examples, thereby enhancing the attack success rate under small-sample conditions. The TUAN attained a higher black-box attack success rate and superior stealthiness than up-to-date UAP algorithms in non-targeted and targeted attacks.

Despite their numerous excellent properties, metal sulfides are not particularly efficient at converting energy and purifying the environment, which limits their further applications. Fortunately, the energy conversion and environmental purification efficiencies of these materials have experienced notable advancements in recent years, accompanied by an improved understanding of their underlying mechanisms. Herein, progress in experimental researches in recent years on the engineering of single component metal sulfides by controlling morphology, construction of heterojunctions, and incorporating elements is reviewed. Methods to design and prepare metal sulfide‐based composites by building binary or ternary heterojunctions of metal sulfide/semiconductor/conductor are also discussed in detail. These materials are used in energy conversion and environmental purification systems, where they act as photocatalytic materials not only to split water, reduce carbon dioxide or nitrogen, but also to degrade pollutants (organic and inorganic) in water and gas. Finally, it is concluded by summarizing the research frontiers of metal sulfide nanomaterials in energy and environmental applications, as well as proposing potential challenges and future research directions. This work may contribute to a better understanding of metal sulfide nanocomposites and provide clues for the fabrication of more efficient metal sulfide‐based nanostructures for clean energy production and environmental remediation.

Pure water splitting by charged semiconductors and solar photons to concurrently generate H2 and O2 molecules has gained notable attention due to worldwide clean energy generation and storage. Despite significant advancements, challenges facing severe carrier recombination and sluggish electron transport continue to hinder the intrinsic efficiency of water splitting. Here, we fabricate two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride-hybridized sulfur thionic polymorphs (CN/S100/S010 junctions) by incorporating photoactive semiconductors within lateral nanosheets. As a result, the charge rectification effect within the coplanar graphitic carbon nitride/S100/S010 junctions is induced by well-designed driving forces: favorable band offsets and cascade polarized surface work functions. During the water splitting process, the photogenerated electrons are sequentially transferred from graphitic carbon nitride to element semiconductor sulfur {100} and subsequently oriented to sulfur {010} facets. This unique behavior of charge migration within CN/S100/S010 photocatalysts contributes to impressive rates of H2 and O2 production, reaching 740 and 363 µmol g−1·h−1, respectively, nearly 13-fold higher than that of the parent carbon nitride. Comprehensive spectroscopic and theoretical analyses confirm the formation of CN/S100/S010 hierarchies with long-lived charge carriers during hydrogen energy production. This work introduces novel avenues for automatically orienting photogenerated carriers and holds promising prospects for clean energy production.

Solar energy, as a clean and renewable energy source, holds significant promise for addressing water shortages. Utilizing solar energy for water evaporation is seen as an effective solution in this regard. While many existing interfacial photothermal water evaporation systems rely on nanoparticles or graphene as photothermal or support materials, this study introduced polydopamine (PDA) as a photothermal material due to its environmental friendliness and excellent photon absorption characteristics that closely match the solar spectrum. Polystyrene (PS) was also introduced as a support material for its porous structure and density similar to water, enabling it to float on water. The resulting PS-PDA composite porous structure solar evaporator exhibited a photothermal conversion efficiency comparable to nanoparticles (over 75%), yet with lower production costs and minimal environmental impact. This innovative approach offers a scalable solution for water-scarce regions, providing a cost-effective and efficient means to address water scarcity. The use of PDA and PS in this context highlights the potential for utilizing common materials in novel ways to meet pressing environmental challenges.

Abstract Background Rhizosphere soil physicochemical, endophytic fungi have an important role in plant growth. A large number of endophytic fungi play an indispensable role in promoting plant growth and development, and they can provide protection for host plants by producing a variety of secondary metabolites to resist and inhibit plant pathogens. Due to the terrain of Gansu province is north–south and longitudinal, different climatic conditions, altitude, terrain and growth environment will affect the growth of Codonopsis pilosula, and the changes in these environmental factors directly affect the quality and yield of C. pilosula in different production areas. However, In C. pilosula, the connection between soil nutrients, spatiotemporal variation and the community structure of endophytic fungi isolated from C. pilosula roots has not been well studied. Results Seven hundred six strains of endophytic fungi were obtained using tissue isolation and the hyphaend-purification method from C. pilosula roots that picked at all seasons and six districts (Huichuan, HC; Longxi, LX; Zhangxian, ZX; Minxian, MX; Weiyuan, WY; and Lintao, LT) in Gansu Province, China. Fusarium sp. (205 strains, 29.04%), Aspergillus sp. (196 strains, 27.76%), Alternaria sp. (73 strains, 10.34%), Penicillium sp. (58 strains, 8.22%) and Plectosphaerella sp. (56 strains, 7.93%) were the dominant genus. The species composition differed from temporal and spatial distribution (Autumn and Winter were higher than Spring and Summer, MX and LT had the highest similarity, HC and LT had the lowest). physical and chemical of soil like Electroconductibility (EC), Total nitrogen (TN), Catalase (CAT), Urease (URE) and Sucrase (SUC) had significant effects on agronomic traits of C. pilosula (P

IntroductionTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can regulate brain functions by modulating endogenous brain rhythms. Theta-band neural oscillations are associated with memory function. In particular, theta neural oscillatory power evoked in the parietal cortex is closely related to memory retrieval processes. In this study, the immediate effects of high-definition theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (HDθ-tACS) on the human left parietal cortex were investigated using short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) and electroencephalography (EEG).MethodsTen subjects participated in this study. We used 6-Hz HD tACS to stimulate the left parietal cortex for 15 min. SAI was calculated, and non-linear dynamic analysis of the EEG was performed to analyze neuronal function after HD θ-tACS.ResultsThe results showed a significant decrease in SAI (p < 0.05), while the left frontoparietal network was reinforced, leading to brain lateralization after HD θ-tACS. During performance of a memory task, F3 signals showed a significant upward trend in approximate entropy following treatment (p < 0.05). There was also a significant decrease in cross-approximate entropy in the C3–C4 and P3–P4 connections following the intervention (p < 0.05) in a resting eyes-open condition and in the memory task condition.DiscussionIn conclusion, HD θ-tACS could alter cholinergic transmission and cortical excitability between the parietal and motor cortices, as well as reinforcing the frontoparietal network and the left-lateralization phenomenon, which may facilitate memory formation, encoding, and consolidation.

Abstract Background The disruption of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation is a critical event during the process of joint injury in osteoarthritis (OA). P-15 peptides could bind to integrin receptors on various precursor cells, promote cell adhesion, release growth factors, and promote the differentiation of osteoblast precursor cells. However, the role of P-15 in OA, particularly in chondrocyte proliferation, is not fully understood. Methods The activity of SFPQ and RUNX2 in the bone tissue of patients with osteoarthritis was analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) inducer was performed to establish an in vitro model of OA. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay. The expressions of COL2a1, ACAN, COMP, SOX9, and BMP2 related to cartilage differentiation were detected using qRT-PCR. In addition, the expression levels of SFPQ, AKT, p-AKT, and RUNX2 were detected using Western blotting. Results The results showed that the expression of SFPQ was significantly decreased and the expression of RUNX2 was significantly increased in osteoarthritis cartilage tissue. P-15 peptide reversed IL-1β-induced cell proliferation obstruction and alleviated chondrocyte damage. Furthermore, P-15 polypeptide increased the expression levels of cartilage differentiation genes COL2a1, ACAN, and BMP2, while decreasing the expression of COMP and SOX9 in an inverse dose-dependent manner. Then specific interfering RNA proved that P-15 maintains chondrocyte stability and is associated with the SFPQ gene. Finally, we confirmed that P-15 inhibited the Akt-RUNX2 pathway, which is regulated in the expression of SFPQ. Conclusions P-15 can mitigate chondrocyte damage and osteoarthritis progression by inhibiting cell death and modulating SFPQ-Akt-RUNX2 pathway, offering an opportunity to develop new strategies for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The phenolic content of free and bound phenolic extracts from Lycopus lucidus Turcz. harvested from two sites (S1 and S2) at three different times (T1, T2 and T3) was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The content of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid in the phenolic extracts was detected by HPLC. Meanwhile, the protective effect of polyphenolic extracts on ·OH mediated DNA oxidative damage was evaluated. The results revealed that the phenolic contents of free and bound phenolic extracts were in the range of 86.53~181.40 and 89.70~193.58 μg GAE/mg, respectively. Higher amount of caffeic acid was found in the bound phenolic extract and the content of S2 L. lucidus Turcz. was higher than that of S1. Where as higher amount of rosmarinic acid was observed in the free phenolic extract. Furthermore, the rosmarinic acid content in S2 L. lucidus Turcz. was higher than that of S1 at T1 and T3. On the contrary, lower rosmarinic acid content was detected in S2 L. lucidus Turcz. at T2. The contents of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid varied greatly with the harvest sites. The percentage of DNA double helices of free (25~300 μg/mL) and bound phenolic extracts (3.125~50 μg/mL) were in the range of 1.81%~55.04% and 1.67%~70.83%, respectively. The DNA damage protective effect of bound phenolics was higher than that of free phenolics.

Abstract Acute lung injury (ALI), a prevalent complication of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), is also a leading contributor to respiratory failure and even death of SAP patients. Here, we intended to investigate the function and mechanism of stellate ganglion block (SGB) in ameliorating SAP-induced ALI (SAP-ALI). We engineered an SAP-ALI model in rats and treated them with SGB. HE staining and the dry and wet method were implemented to evaluate pathological alterations in the tissues and pulmonary edema. The rats serum changes of the profiles of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10 were examined. The profiles of miR-155-5p and SOCS5/JAK2/STAT3 were detected. Functional assays were performed for confirming the role of miR-155-5p in modulating the SOCS5/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in pulmonary epithelial cells. Our findings revealed that SGB vigorously alleviated SAP rat lung tissue damage and lung edema and lessened the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. SGB enhanced SOCS5 expression, hampered miR-155-5p, and suppressed JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation. As evidenced by mechanism studies, miR-155-5p targeted the 3′UTR of SOCS5 and repressed its expression, hence resulting in JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation. During animal trials, we discovered that SGB ameliorated SAP-ALI, boosted SOCS5 expression, and mitigated the levels of pro-inflammatory factors and miR-155-5p in the plasma. In vitro, miR-155-5p overexpression substantially facilitated pulmonary epithelial cell apoptosis, inflammation, and JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation and restrained SOCS5 expression. All in all, our work hinted that SGB could modulate the miR-155-5p/SOCS5/JAK2/STAT3 axis to alleviate SAP-ALI.

Improving kinetics for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction is relevant to important sustainable energy technologies. The authors propose an atomic-scale bimetal assembly consisting Pt and Fe dual sites to regulate the inherent scaling relationship between intermediates for fast kinetics.

Introduction This study protocol aims to explore the effectiveness and neural mechanism of the integration of action observation therapy (AOT) and sensory observation therapy (SOT) for post-stroke patients on upper limb sensorimotor function.Methods and analysis This is a single-centre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. A total of 69 patients with upper extremity hemiparesis after stroke will be recruited and randomly divided into an AOT group, a combined action observation and somatosensory stimulation therapy (AOT+SST) group, and a combined AOT and SOT (AOT+SOT) group in a 1:1:1 ratio. Each group will receive 30 min of daily treatment, five times weekly for 4 weeks. The primary clinical outcome will be the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity. Secondary clinical outcomes will include the Box and Blocks Test, modified Barthel Index and sensory assessment. All clinical assessments and resting-state functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging data will be obtained at pre-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2) and 8 weeks of follow-up (T3).Ethics and dissemination The trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine (Grant No. 2020-178). The results will be submitted to a peer-review journal or at a conference.Trial registration number ChiCTR2000040568

Stroke is a disease with high morbidity and disability, and motor impairment is a common sequela of stroke. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a type of non-invasive stimulation, which can effectively improve post-stroke motor dysfunction. This review discusses stimulation parameters, intervention timing, and the development of innovative devices for taVNS. We further summarize the application of taVNS in improving post-stroke upper limb motor function to further promote the clinical research and application of taVNS in the rehabilitation of post-stroke upper limb motor dysfunction.

Folin-Ciocalteu method and sodium nitrite-aluminum chloride method were used to determine total phenolic content and flavonoid content of bound phenolics from the inflorescences, peduncles and leaves of Ottelia acuminata (O. acuminata), respectively. The composition of bound phenolics was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antioxidant activity and protective effect against ROO· mediated DNA damage were also investigated. The results showed that total phenolic content of O. acuminata was in the range of 209.72~366.35 mg GAE/g Extract while total flavonoid content was in the range of 156.69~466.08 mg CAE/g Extract. Five phenolics, namely, caffeic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, luteolin, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid were identified in bound phenolics of O. acuminata. Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity (TEAC), 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging ability, iron ion reduction antioxidant ability (FRAP) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) scavenging rate IC50 value of different plant parts were in the range of 1.19~1.25 μmol TE/g Extract, 0.74~0.94 mmol/g Extract, 3.61~4.75 mmol Fe2+/g Extract, 0.34~1.26 mg/mL, respectively, among which the leaves displayed the strongest antioxidant activity. In the concentration range of 12.5~500 mg/mL, the percentage of double helix DNA in bound phenolics of inflorescences, peduncles and leaves ranged from 22.74% to 50.07%, 18.25% to 53.28% and 25.93% to 53.60%, respectively, among which the leaves showed the strongest DNA damage protective effect, followed by the peduncles. The results showed that O. acuminata was rich in bound phenolics which possessed strong antioxidant activity and DNA damage protective effect.

To investigate the effects of free phenolics from Lycopus lucidus Turcz. on apoptosis, cell cycle and inflammatory factors in CCl4 induced hepatocyte injury by using a in vitro experiment. Apoptosis and the distribution of cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. The contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and the activation of Caspase-3 were measured by kits. The protein expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also detected by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that compared with the model group, the free phenolics from Lycopus lucidus Turcz. could significantly reduce the apoptosis induced by CCl4 and affect the distribution of cell cycle. In addition, the free phenolics from Lycopus lucidus Turcz. decreased the contents of TNF-α and IL-8 and blocked the activation of Caspase-3 (P

Uncovering the dynamics of active sites in the working conditions is important yet challenging. Here the authors identify dynamic-coupling oxygen on atomically dispersed iridium sites during oxygen evolution reaction using in situ techniques.

Abstract The viability of lithium‐sulfur (Li–S) batteries toward real implementation directly correlates with unlocking lithium polysulfide (LiPS) evolution reactions. Along this line, designing promotors with the function of synchronously relieving LiPS shuttle and promoting sulfur conversion is critical. Herein, the nitrogen evolution on hierarchical and atomistic Ni–N–C electrocatalyst, mainly pertaining to the essential subtraction, reservation and coordination of nitrogen atoms, is manipulated to attain favorable Li–S pouch cell performances. Such rational evolution behavior realizes the “nitrogen balance” in simultaneously regulating the Ni–N coordination environment, Ni single atom loading, abundant vacancy defects, active nitrogen and electron conductivity, and maximizing the electrocatalytic activity elevation of Ni–N–C system. With such merit, the cathode harvests favorable performances in a soft‐packaged pouch cell prototype even under high sulfur mass loading and lean electrolyte usage. A specific energy density up to 405.1 Wh kg−1 is harvested by the 0.5‐Ah‐level pouch cell.

Dodders (Cuscuta chinensis) are rootless and holoparasitic herbs that can infect a variety of host plants, including the vitally important economic and bioenergy crop soybean (Glycine max). Although dodder parasitism severely affects the physiology of host plants, little is known about its effects on fungal communities and root secondary metabolites in hosts. In this study, variations in root-associated fungal communities and root metabolites of soybean under different parasitism conditions were investigated using ITS rRNA gene sequencing and UPLC–MS/MS metabolome detection technologies. The results showed that dodder parasitism significantly altered the composition and diversity of the fungal communities in the rhizosphere and endosphere of soybean. The relative abundance of the potential pathogenic fungus Alternaria significantly increased in the root endosphere of dodder-parasitized soybean. Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated that the fungal community in the root endosphere was susceptible to soil factors under dodder parasitism. Meanwhile, the content of soil total nitrogen was significantly and positively correlated with the relative abundance of Alternaria in the rhizosphere and endosphere of soybean. Metabolomic analysis indicated that dodder parasitism altered the accumulation of flavonoids in soybean roots, with significant upregulation of the contents of kaempferol and its downstream derivatives under different parasitism conditions. Taken together, this study highlighted the important role of dodder parasitism in shaping the fungal communities and secondary metabolites associated with soybean roots, providing new insights into the mechanisms of multiple interactions among dodder, soybean, microbial communities and the soil environment.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate brain plasticity by somatosensory stimulation (SS) and sensory observation (SO) based on mirror neuron and embodied cognition theory. Action observation therapy has been widely adopted for motor function improvement in post-stroke patients. However, it is uncertain whether the SO approach can also contribute to the recovery of sensorimotor function after stroke. In this study, we explored the therapeutic potential of SO for sensorimotor dysfunction and provided new evidence for neurorehabilitation.MethodsTwenty-six healthy right-handed adults (12 men and 14 women), aged 18–27 (mean, 22.12; SD, 2.12) years were included. All subjects were evaluated with task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to discover the characteristics and differences in brain activation between SO and SS. We adopted a block design with two conditions during fMRI scanning: observing a sensory video of brushing (task condition A, defined as SO) and brushing subjects' right forearms while they watched a nonsense string (task condition B, defined as SS). One-sample t-tests were performed to identify brain regions and voxels activated for each task condition. A paired-sample t-test and conjunction analysis were performed to explore the differences and similarities between SO and SS.ResultsThe task-based fMRI showed that the bilateral postcentral gyrus, left precentral gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, right supramarginal gyrus, and left supplementary motor area were significantly activated during SO or SS. In addition to these brain regions, SO could also activate areas containing mirror neurons, like the left inferior parietal gyrus.ConclusionSO could activate mirror neurons and sensorimotor network-related brain regions in healthy subjects like SS. Therefore, SO may be a promising novel therapeutic approach for sensorimotor dysfunction recovery in post-stroke patients.

BackgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a type of non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has proven effective for neuropsychiatric disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression are common psychiatric disorders that often are comorbid, meaning they occur simultaneously. Current evidence supports the value of tDCS for GAD. The objectives of this report is to explore the effect of tDCS on clinical symptoms and cerebral function in a patient with comorbid GAD and depression.MethodsOur subject was a semiprofessional athlete diagnosed with comorbid GAD and depression. Symptoms included palpitations, sweating, continuous tension, and anxiety. We designed a B-A-B experimental protocol and used the Beck Anxiety Index (BAI), Beck Depression Index (BDI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as assessment tools. Treatment consisted of 2 series of 15 days each, separated by a 3-week washout period. We collected functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data before and after both series, as well as fNIRS data immediately after the first treatment in both series. In addition, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data before and after the second series.ResultsAfter the first series, the scores of the three questionnaires (BAI, BDI and PSQI) decreased significantly, which showed the trend of improvement. The functional connection of bilateral prefrontal partial channels decreased significantly immediately after tDCS treatment. The results of the fNIRS before the second-series treatment showed that prefrontal connectivity returned to the state before the first intervention after the washout period. The results of the fNIRS after the second series treatment showed that the symptoms of depression and anxiety alleviated. The results of the fNIRS showed that the prefrontal connectivity decreased again.ConclusionIn the treatment of comorbid GAD and depression, tDCS can alleviate symptoms and improve sleep quality and social behavior. Brain imaging is widely used to observe functional changes by tDCS such as fMRI and fNIRS. The study also showed that fNIRS can be a safe, simple, and efficient method to assess brain activity.

To develop biodegradable, sustainable, and environment-friendly functional food-packaging materials, gelatin/zein/glucose nanofibers were fabricated through air-assisted electrospinning and then crosslinked by the Maillard reaction under mild conditions (60 °C and 50% relative humidity) in this study. Compared to traditional electrospinning, air-assisted electrospinning increased the yield of nanofibers by 10 times, and the average diameter from 263 nm to 664 nm, while the airflow facilitated uniform and smooth nanofiber formation. During the Maillard reaction in 0–5 days, the gelatin/zein/glucose showed no morphology change. Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis indicated that gelatin interacted with zein through hydrogen bonding and the occurrence of the Maillard reaction among the protein and glucose molecules. After four days of Maillard reaction, the nanofibers presented higher thermal stability, the most hydrophobic surface (water contact angle: 133.6°), and stiffer network structure (elastic modulus of 38.63 MPa, tensile strength of 0.85 MPa). Overall, Maillard-reaction-crosslinked gelatin/zein/glucose nanofibers showed favorable physical properties, which suggests their potential for application in food-active packaging.

Abstract The aim of this study is to explain the effects and mechanism of miRNA‐216 in osteosarcoma. We firstly evaluated the PTEN expression in 30 pairs of tumor and adjacent tissues which were from the 30 osteosarcoma patients. In the following cell experiments, we measured the cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell invasion, and migration abilities of NC (normal control) group, BL (blank) group, siRNA (miRNA‐216 inhibitor) group, and siRNA+PTEN inhibitor group. Furthermore, we measured the relative protein expression of difference groups by WB to explain the mechanism of miRNA‐216 in osteosarcoma. The PTEN was confirmed the target gene of miRNA‐216 by double luciferase target test. In conclusion, miRNA‐216 was an oncogene in osteosarcoma. miRNA‐216 knockdown had effects to suppress cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration and improve cell apoptosis by keeping in G1 phase via PTEN.

Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is considered to be one of the major pathological changes in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Neprilysin (NEP) is a zinc metallopeptidase that efficiently degrades Aβ. However, conventional approaches for increasing NEP levels or inducing its activation via viral-vector gene delivery have been shown to be problematic due to complications involving secondary toxicity, immune responses, and/or low gene transfer efficiency. Thus, in the present study, a physical and tractable NEP gene-delivery system via ultrasound (US) combined with microbubbles was developed for AD therapy. We introduced the plasmid, human NEP (hNEP), into skeletal muscle of 6-month-old amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 (APP/PS1) AD mice. Interestingly, we found a significantly reduced Aβ burden in the brain at 1 month after the delivery of overexpressed hNEP into skeletal muscle. Moreover, hNEP-treated AD mice exhibited improved performance in the Morris water maze compared to that of untreated AD mice. In addition, there were no apparent injuries in the injected muscle or in the lungs or kidneys at 1 month after the delivery of hNEP into skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that the introduction of hNEP into skeletal muscle via US represents an effective and safe therapeutic strategy for ameliorating AD-like symptoms in APP/PS1 mice, which may have the potential for clinical applications in the future.

Root diameter and rooting depth lead to morphological and architectural heterogeneity of plant roots; however, little is known about their effects on root-associated microbial communities. Bacterial community assembly was explored across 156 samples from three rhizocompartments (the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and endosphere) for different diameters (0.0–0.5 mm, 0.5–1.0 mm, 1.0–2.0 mm, and>2.0 mm) and depths (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–15 cm, and 15–20 cm) of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] root systems. The microbial communities of all samples were analyzed using amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. The results showed that root diameter significantly affected the rhizosphere and endosphere bacterial communities, while rooting depth significantly influenced the rhizosphere and rhizoplane bacterial communities. The bacterial alpha diversity decreased with increasing root diameter in all three rhizocompartments, and the diversity increased with increasing rooting depth only in the rhizoplane. Clearly, the hierarchical enrichment process of the bacterial community showed a change from the rhizosphere to the rhizoplane to the endosphere, and the bacterial enrichment was higher in thinner or deeper roots (except for the roots at a depth of 15–20 cm). Network analysis indicated that thinner or deeper roots led to higher bacterial network complexity. The core and keystone taxa associated with the specific root diameter class and rooting depth class harbored specific adaptation or selection strategies. Root diameter and rooting depth together affected the root-associated bacterial assembly and network complexity in the root system. Linking root traits to microbiota may enhance our understanding of plant root-microbe interactions and their role in developing environmentally resilient root ecosystems.

The ongoing Corona virus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has become a huge global health concern. Here, we reported a novel detection platform based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), termed real-time reverse transcription LAMP (rRT-LAMP) and applied it for the diagnosis of COVID-19 (COVID-19 rRT-LAMP). rRT-LAMP integrates reverse transcription, LAMP amplification, restriction endonuclease cleavage and real-time fluorescence detection into one-pot reaction, and facilitates the diagnosis of COVID-19 at 64°C for only 35 min. The ORF1ab (opening reading frame 1a/b) and NP (nucleoprotein) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were detected for diagnosing COVID-19. The limit of detection (LoD) of COVID-19 rRT-LAMP assay was 14 copies (for each marker) per vessel, and no positive results were obtained from non-SARS-CoV-2 templates. To demonstrate its feasibility, a total of 33 oropharynx swab samples collected from COVID-19 patients also were diagnosed as SARS-CoV-2 infection using COVID-19 rRT-LAMP protocol. No cross-reactivity was yielded from 41 oropharynx swab samples collected from non-COVID-19 patients. These data suggesting that the COVID-19 rRT-LAMP assay is a potential detection tool for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in clinical, field and disease control laboratories, and will be valuable for controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.

We aimed to explore whether motor function and activities of daily life (ADL) could be improved with the application of visual deprivation in two patients with Pusher syndrome complicated by hemispatial neglect after right basal ganglia stroke. We assessed two stroke patients suffering from severe motor disturbances, both tilting heavily to the left, with diagnoses of Pusher syndrome and left hemispatial neglect. Vision in the left eye was deprived using patches during clinical rehabilitation. Motor function promotion was confirmed using the Burke Lateropulsion Scale (BLS), Fugl–Meyer Balance Scale (FMBS), and Holden grade (HG), while the Barthel index (BI) assessed ADL immediately and 1 week after intervention. Both patients regained standing balance immediately using visual deprivation, as well as walking ability, although both scored 0 on the FMBS and HG. After 1 week of treatment, one patient increased to 11 and 3 on the FMBS and HG, respectively, while the BLS score decreased from 12 to 2, and the ADL increased from 23 to 70. The other patient demonstrated increases to 10 and 3 on the FMBS and HG, respectively, with the BLS decreasing from 13 to 3, and the ADL increasing from 25 to 60. Therefore, in the rehabilitation treatment of Pusher syndrome complicated by hemispatial neglect due to basal ganglia stroke, visual deprivation can significantly improve motor function and shorten the treatment course.

Mega infrastructure projects (MIPs) are exposed to numerous interdependent risks of various natures which pose difficulties in risk management. Thus far, the research on the risk interactions of MIPs has been focused on developing static risk networks within a single category of risks, at certain stages of the project. It is essential to understand the risk interactions at various stages of MIPs to identify the key risks and key risk relationships that jeopardise their success. This is especially relevant nowadays, as MIPs are expected to be delivered sustainably. Therefore, to analyse the dynamic risk interaction of MIPs, initially, through literature analysis and expert interviews, combined with the four dimensions of sustainable development and the four stages of MIPs, 98 risk factors of MIPs were identified. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine risk relationships and weights. Risk networks were developed for each stage of MIPs, and improved social network analysis was applied to these risk networks. Finally, the key risks and key risk relationships in each stage of MIPs were identified by analysing the changes of multi-level network indicators. This aided in determining risk control strategies. The results demonstrate that the key risks and key risk relationships are different for each stage of MIPs. Furthermore, the risks of different dimensions of sustainable development have different relationships at different stages. This research is the first to identify the risk relationships involved in MIPs by taking into consideration the whole project life cycle and its sustainable development. This research provides theoretical support for the risk management of MIPs, and strategic suggestions for controlling the risks at each stage of the project.

Silica antireflection coatings from sol-gel processes are of great importance in optical areas because of their capability to reduce light reflection and hence to increase transmission. However, it retained a challenge to enhance the mechanical durability of the sol-gel antireflection coatings. One option is to introduce strong chemical bonding between neighboring silica nanoparticles in the coatings. Here, we demonstrate that ammonia treatment is an effective approach to enhance the mechanical durability of the silica antireflection coatings. The coatings after ammonia treatment exhibited excellent mechanical properties, with tensile hardness of 4.4 GPa, pencil hardness of 4H, and good abrasion resistance, which is noticeably better than the coatings without ammonia treatment. The ammonia treatment did not impair the optical property of the coatings. The coatings after ammonia treatment remained their good transmission, with peak transmittance as high as 99.8%. Mechanism analysis suggests that the enhancement of the mechanical durability is likely due to the condensation of silanol groups between the neighboring silica nanoparticles under ammonia catalysis. The ammonia treatment provides a promising alternative to current approaches for improving the mechanical durability of the sol-gel silica coatings.

A thorough understanding of residents’ demands plays an important role in realizing the rational distribution of urban retail (UR) and promoting the habitability of cities. Unfortunately, these demands for UR are currently under-researched. To solve this problem, this study aims to quantify the capitalization effect of UR on housing prices and explores the impact of heterogeneity in housing structure characteristics, price quantile, and space on the residents’ demands for UR according to the hedonic price model, quantile regression, and geographically weighted regression in Chengdu. The results of these models show the following: (1) good property management and building sound insulation can reduce the negative influence of UR on residents’ lives; (2) only the owners of low-price houses are willing to pay a premium for UR; and (3) residents’ demands for UR increase from the central area to the peripheral area of Chengdu, and an inverted U-shaped relationship was found between housing prices and the UR level. A comprehensive analysis of the heterogeneity of residents’ demands for UR can provide a reference for planning departments, real-estate developers, and UR owners and promote the sustainable development of UR.

A chemical study of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3 led to the isolation of a new austalide meroterpenoid (1) and seven known analogues (2−8), two new labdane-type diterpenoids (9 and 10) and a known derivative (11). The structures of new compounds 1, 9, and 10 were determined by comprehensive analyses via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) data. The absolute configurations of 1, 9, and 10 were determined by comparisons of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) with the calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 represented the third example of austalides bearing a hydroxyl group at C-5 instead of the conserved methoxy in other known analogues. To our knowledge, diterpenoids belonging to the labdane-type were discovered from species of Penicillium for the first time. Compound 1 showed cytotoxicity toward MDA-MB-468 cells with an IC50 value of 38.9 μM. Compounds 2 and 11 exhibited inhibition against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 910 and 525 μM, respectively, being more active than the positive control acarbose (1.33 mM).

Three new butenolide derivatives, namely aspernolides N−P (1−3), together with six known analogues (4−9), were isolated from the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of the deep sea-derived fungus Aspergillus terreus YPGA10. The structures of compounds 1−3 were determined on the basis of comprehensive analyses of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) data, and the absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by comparisons of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) with calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 represents the rare example of Aspergillus-derived butenolide derivatives featured by a monosubstituted benzene ring. Compounds 6−9 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 3.87, 1.37, 6.98, and 8.06 μM, respectively, being much more active than the positive control acarbose (190.2 μM).

Male courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by two main regulators, fruitless (fru) and doublesex (dsx). Their sex-specific expression in brain neurons has been characterized in detail, but little is known about the downstream targets of the sex-specific FRU and DSX proteins and how they specify the function of these neurons. While sexual dimorphism in the number and connections of fru and dsx expressing neurons has been observed, a majority of the neurons that express the two regulators are present in both sexes. This poses the question which molecules define the sex-specific function of these neurons. Signaling molecules are likely to play a significant role. We have identified a predicted G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), CG4395, that is required for male courtship behavior. The courtship defect in the mutants can be rescued by expression of the wildtype protein in fru neurons of adult males. The GPCR is expressed in a subset of fru-positive antennal glomeruli that have previously been shown to be essential for male courtship. Expression of 4395-RNAi in GH146 projection neurons lowers courtship. This suggests that signaling through the CG4395 GPCR in this subset of fru neurons is critical for male courtship behavior.

Introduction: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can regulate brain functions by modulating endogenous brain rhythms. Theta-band neural oscillations are associated with memory function. In particular, theta neural oscillatory power evoked in the parietal cortex is closely related to memory retrieval processes. In this study, the immediate effects of high-definition theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (HDθ-tACS) on the human left parietal cortex were investigated using short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) and electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Ten subjects participated in this study. We used 6-Hz HD tACS to stimulate the left parietal cortex for 15 min. SAI was calculated, and non-linear dynamic analysis of the EEG was performed to analyze neuronal function after HD θ-tACS. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in SAI (p < 0.05), while the left frontoparietal network was reinforced, leading to brain lateralization after HD θ-tACS. During performance of a memory task, F3 signals showed a significant upward trend in approximate entropy following treatment (p < 0.05). There was also a significant decrease in cross-approximate entropy in the C3-C4 and P3-P4 connections following the intervention (p < 0.05) in a resting eyes-open condition and in the memory task condition. Discussion: In conclusion, HD θ-tACS could alter cholinergic transmission and cortical excitability between the parietal and motor cortices, as well as reinforcing the frontoparietal network and the left-lateralization phenomenon, which may facilitate memory formation, encoding, and consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can regulate brain functions by modulating endogenous brain rhythms. Theta-band neural oscillations are associated with memory function. In particular, theta neural oscillatory power evoked in the parietal cortex is closely related to memory retrieval processes. In this study, the immediate effects of high-definition theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (HDθ-tACS) on the human left parietal cortex were investigated using short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) and electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Ten subjects participated in this study. We used 6-Hz HD tACS to stimulate the left parietal cortex for 15 min. SAI was calculated, and non-linear dynamic analysis of the EEG was performed to analyze neuronal function after HD θ-tACS. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in SAI (p < 0.05), while the left frontoparietal network was reinforced, leading to brain lateralization after HD θ-tACS. During performance of a memory task, F3 signals showed a significant upward trend in approximate entropy following treatment (p < 0.05). There was also a significant decrease in cross-approximate entropy in the C3–C4 and P3–P4 connections following the intervention (p < 0.05) in a resting eyes-open condition and in the memory task condition. Discussion: In conclusion, HD θ-tACS could alter cholinergic transmission and cortical excitability between the parietal and motor cortices, as well as reinforcing the frontoparietal network and the left-lateralization phenomenon, which may facilitate memory formation, encoding, and consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]