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To achieve full-spectrum utilization of solar energy, photo-thermal synergistic catalysis for hydrogen production provided an efficient route. However, most of the studies only focused on how to realize the conversion of solar energy to thermal energy, and neglected the dissipation of thermal energy to environment. Here, we designed a device with vacuum insulation layer (DVIL), which can achieve heat transfer optimization to accelerate photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Compared to conventional device which is in contact with ambient air directly (DCAD), DVIL exhibited faster heating response, and the final equilibrium temperature was raised by ∼20 °C, leading to enhancement of 47.3% and 28.7% on the hydrogen production rate from organic and inorganic reaction system, respectively. Further analysis on the heat transfer process proved that the vacuum layer serves as a thermal resistance that blocks the direct convective heat transfer between the reaction system and ambient air. Such thermal management through simple device designing holds great potential toward practical solar-to-hydrogen conversion and can be extended to other fields of photothermal catalysis. [Display omitted] • A device with vacuum insulation layer (DVIL) is designed to optimize heat transfer. • DVIL exhibits faster photothermal response and higher balanced temperature. • H 2 production is increased by 47.3% and 28.7% for organic and inorganic system. • Thermal management in photocatalytic hydrogen production is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein lattices that shift the structure and shape anisotropy in response to environmental cues are closely coupled to potential functionality. However, to design and construct shape‐anisotropic protein arrays from the same building blocks in response to different external stimuli remains challenging. Here, by a combination of the multiple, symmetric interaction sites on the outer surface of protein nanocages and the tunable features of phenylalanine‐phenylalanine interactions, a protein engineering approach is reported to construct a variety of superstructures with shape anisotropy, including 3D cubic, 2D hexagonal layered, and 1D rod‐like crystalline protein nanocage arrays by using one single protein building block. Notably, the assembly of these crystalline protein arrays is reversible, which can be tuned by external stimuli (pH and ionic strength). The anisotropic morphologies of the fabricated macroscopic crystals can be correlated with the Å‐to‐nm scale protein arrangement details by crystallographic elucidation. These results enhance the understanding of the freedom offered by an object's symmetry and inter‐object π−π stacking interactions for protein building blocks to assemble into direction‐ and shape‐anisotropic biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Minimally invasive right hemicolectomy has been increasingly used for the treatment of right hemicolectomy disease, and both intracorporeal anastomosis (ICA) and extracorporeal anastomosis (ECA) are available to restore intestinal continuity. However, the advantages and disadvantages of these two anastomoses are highly controversial. The present meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of ICA versus ECA in minimally invasive right colectomy to improve the grade of evidence. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intracorporeal versus extracorporeal anastomosis in laparoscopic or robotic right hemicolectomy published from database inception to February 2023. Two researchers performed the literature review, data extraction, bias assessment, and meta-analysis of the data using Review Manager 5.4 software. Results: Seven RCTs with a total of 750 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed a lower incidence of postoperative paralytic ileus (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39 ~ 0.99, p = 0.04) and shorter incision length (MD − 1.38; 95% CI: − 1.98 ~ − 0.78, p < 0.00001), but longer operative time (MD 10.69; 95% CI: 2.76 ~ 18.63, p = 0.008). The remaining events including bleeding (RR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.12 ~ 2.04, p = 0.33), anastomotic leak (RR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39 ~ 0.99, p = 0.85), surgical site infection (RR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.22 ~ 1.25, p = 0.15), overall perioperative morbidity (RR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.58 ~ 1.26, p = 0.44), number of harvested lymph nodes (MD 0.75; 95% CI: − 0.15 ~ 1.65, p = 0.10), and length of hospital stay (MD − 0.27; 95% CI: − 0.91 ~ 0.38, p = 0.42) were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Compared to ECA, ICA in minimally invasive right hemicolectomy reduced the risk of postoperative paralytic ileus and shortened the length of the incision but prolonged the operative time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To complement the information provided by deterministic seismic imaging at length scales above a certain resolution limit we present the first application of adjoint envelope tomography (AET) to experimental data. AET uses the full envelopes of seismic records including scattered coda waves to obtain information about the distribution of absorption and small‐scale heterogeneity which provide complementary information about the investigated medium. Being below the resolution limit this small‐scale structure cannot be resolved by conventional tomography but still affects wave propagation by attenuating ballistic waves and generating scattered waves. Using ultrasound data from embedded sensors in a meter‐sized concrete specimen we image the distribution of absorption and heterogeneity expressed by the intrinsic quality factor Q−1 and the fluctuation strength ɛ that characterizes the strength of the heterogeneity. The forward problem is solved by modeling the 2‐D multiple nonisotropic scattering in an acoustic medium with spatially variable heterogeneity and attenuation using the Monte‐Carlo method. Gradients for the model updates are obtained by convolution with the back‐propagated envelope misfit using the adjoint formalism in analogy to full waveform inversion. We use a late coda time window to invert for absorption and an earlier time window to infer the distribution of heterogeneity. The results successfully locate an area of salt concrete with increased scattering and concentric anomalies of intrinsic attenuation. The resolution test shows that the recovered anomalies constitute reasonable representations of internal structure of the specimen. Plain Language Summary: No matter how small the structures are that a seismic imaging method is able to resolve, there is structure with smaller length scale. On the one hand this small‐scale structure causes unwanted signals for conventional imaging approaches. But on the other hand it provides complementary information about the investigated medium. To turn this to our advantage we, for the first time, apply a new imaging method that uses the waves which are caused by the small‐scale structure. Using data of an experiment in a concrete block we demonstrate that we can identify areas of anomalous small‐scale structure. The results may help in the future to locate minute perturbations in the medium as they occur in the advent of volcanic eruptions or after earthquakes and to obtain new information about the geologic history of subsurface materials. The approach can be transferred to investigate man‐made materials and structures, such as deteriorating concrete constructions. Key Points: Adjoint envelope tomography is for the first time applied to image the scattering and absorption structure with the real dataThe iterative inversion uses envelopes of ultrasound signals from embedded transducers in a meter‐sized reinforced concrete specimenWe successfully image the distribution of statistical parameters characterizing the small‐scale heterogeneity and attenuation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flexible photodetector plays an important role in improving human medical health status. However, the narrow spectral detection range, poor stress stability, and non‐degradation of traditional flexible photodetectors greatly hinder the further development of wearable medical devices. In this paper, a novel flexible infrared photodetector is proposed for intelligent healthcare monitoring using high purity lead sulfide (PbS) nanoparticles on paper‐based flexible substrate synthesized by hydrothermal method and physical friction. The excellent performance of the detector is attributed to the 1.01 eV band gap and six‐arm stellate dendritic structure of PdS, a good combination between PbS and paper substrate via physical friction. As a result, our photodetector demonstrates wide‐spectrum detection capabilities from 365 to 1550 nm. The photodetector at 980 nm (50.4 μW cm−2) shows responsivity of 6.45 mA W−1, detectivity of 6.4 × 1010 Jones, response recovery time of 0.36 s/0.41 s, with good mechanical stability. By comparison, our detector has a wider detection range, better weak signal detection performance, and shorter response time than the performance of the former paper‐based detector. Furthermore, the paper‐based PbS photodetector as a dual‐wavelength photoplethysmography sensor is applied to analyze the oxygen saturation and develop an intelligent bandage to monitor wound healing. This paper‐based PbS photodetector has tremendous potential in the field of wearable medical devices and intelligent medical applications are expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rotating body consisting of a rotating shaft and bearings inevitably generates voltage and current. The potential difference between the bearing and the shaft is the main cause of electrical corrosion, which causes motor failure, shortened bearing life, and many safety issues. To prevent corrosion, passive shaft-grounding devices use conductive materials and brushes; however, these devices cannot be completely grounded, so there is a difference in local potential, and brush friction generates a shaft current. The cumulative effect causes electrical corrosion; therefore, in this study, an electrical corrosion protection device for the rotating power supply shaft was developed. It detected current and potential difference and established a feedback system on the rotating shaft. It also energized the rotating shaft using an external power supply to eliminate the potential difference on the shaft and reduce electrical corrosion. The result was prolonged motor life and improved stability, operating efficiency, and operability of related equipment. In this study, a rotating-shaft test rig was set up, and a constant current was applied to simulate the potential difference and verify the performance of the anti-corrosion device. Gradually, the design scheme was optimized; the potential difference on the rotating shaft was accurately quantified; and the goal of controlling the potential difference within 2 mV was achieved. Finally, the electrical corrosion protection device was applied to the rotating shaft of a merchant ship, and the current and potential difference on the rotating shaft were monitored for 30 days. The results showed that the device had excellent performance in reducing the potential difference on the rotating shaft and preventing electrical corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the autofluorescence of Fu brick tea was observed during its production and consumption. Notably, the autofluorescence intensity of Fu brick tea varies in different locations. To explore underlying cause of autofluorescence, we detected ten types of microorganisms from Jingwei Fu tea and Xiangyi Fu tea, which contain the same raw materials but undergo different processing environments, leading to different autofluorescence levels. Consequently, we found that Eurotium cristatum and Aspergillus chevalieri are responsible for the autofluorescence of Fu tea. The differences in autofluorescence intensity are due to different densities of the two fungal species. And the fluorescence intensity of these fungi was affected by pH, temperature, and staining concentration. Therefore, different processing environments lead to different autofluorescence intensities of Fu tea. Additionally, we inoculated the two strains into raw dark tea, we observed altered contents of amino acids, catechins, etc.in dark tea, and these changes correlated with the autofluorescence intensity. Novelty impact statement: The cause of autofluorescence of Fu brick tea was obtained.We observed E. cristatum and A. chevalieri produced autofluorescence in these teas.Microorganisms caused changes in various biochemical components of the teas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing different protein nanostructures by using identical building blocks, while realizing their structural transformation in response to external stimuli, remains a challenge. Here, we fabricated protein nanocages and nanorods by using dimeric TmFtn as a building block and reacting with Mg2+/(α, L -lysine) with polymerization degrees of 9 (PLL9) and 15 (PLL15), respectively. Notably, the reversible shape transformation of these two supramolecular protein architectures with different dimensions can be achievable in response to external stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scattered seismic coda waves are frequently used to characterize small scale medium heterogeneities, intrinsic attenuation or temporal changes of wave velocity. Spatial variability of these properties raises questions about the spatial sensitivity of seismic coda waves. Especially the continuous monitoring of medium perturbations using ambient seismic noise led to a demand for approaches to image perturbations observed with coda waves. An efficient approach to localize spatial and temporal variations of medium properties is to invert the observations from different source–receiver combinations and different lapse times in the coda for the location of the perturbations. For such an inversion, it is key to calculate the coda-wave sensitivity kernels which describe the connection between observations and the perturbation. Most discussions of sensitivity kernels use the acoustic approximation in a spatially uniform medium and often assume wave propagation in the diffusion regime. We model 2-D multiple non-isotropic scattering in a random elastic medium with spatially variable heterogeneity and attenuation using the radiative transfer equations which we solve with the Monte Carlo method. Recording of the specific energy density of the wavefield that contains the complete information about the energy density at a given position, time and propagation direction allows us to calculate sensitivity kernels according to rigorous theoretical derivations. The practical calculation of the kernels involves the solution of the adjoint radiative transport equations. We investigate sensitivity kernels that describe the relationships between changes of the model in P - and S -wave velocity, P - and S -wave attenuation and the strength of fluctuation on the one hand and seismogram envelope, traveltime changes and waveform decorrelation as observables on the other hand. These sensitivity kernels reflect the effect of the spatial variations of medium properties on the wavefield and constitute the first step in the development of a tomographic inversion approach for the distribution of small-scale heterogeneity based on scattered waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-assembly of biomacromolecules is an extremely important process. It is potentially useful in the fields of life science and materials science. To carry out the study on the self-assembly of proteins, it is necessary to find out the suitable self-assembly conditions, which have always been a challenging task in practice. Inspired by the screening technique in the field of protein crystallization, we proposed using the same screening technique for seeking suitable protein self-assembly conditions. Based on this consideration, we selected 5 proteins (β-lactoglobulin, hemoglobin, pepsin, lysozyme, α-chymotrypsinogen (II) A) together with 5 screening kits (IndexTM, BML, Morpheus, JCSG, PEG/Ion ScreenTM) to investigate the performance of these crystallization screening techniques in order to discover new optimized conditions of protein self-assembly. The screens were all kept at 293 K for certain days, and were analyzed using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscope, fluorescence microscope, and atomic absorption spectroscope. The results demonstrated that the method of protein crystallization screening can be successfully applied in the screening of self-assembly conditions. This method is fast, high throughput, and easily implemented in an automated system, with a low protein consumption feature. These results suggested that such strategy can be applied to finding new conditions or forms in routine research of protein self-assembly. Key points: • Protein crystallization screening method is successfully applied in the screening of self-assembly conditions. • This screening method can be applied on various kinds of proteins and possess a feature of low protein consumption. • This screening method is fast, high throughput, and easily implemented in an automated system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study designed a novel interconnector, known as the dual-channel interconnector (DCI), for the anode-supported planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The DCI have two independent flow channels and allow multiple gases to enter SOFC simultaneously without interference. The DCI has half the height of a conventional interconnector. The electrochemical reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as well as the methane steam reforming reaction, water gas shift reaction and dry reforming reaction of methane were coupled in the mathematical models. Results show that the peak power densities of the DCI-SOFC increased by 21.7% and 11.3% compared to the SCI–SOFC for wet hydrogen and 30% reformed methane when both channels are utilized together. The DCI-SOFC exhibits similar electrical performance in any single-channel operation, accompanied by a 30% decrease in peak power density. The DCI-SOFC can significantly reduce the activation overpotential and concentration overpotential, while slightly increase the contact overpotential. The DCI eliminates the oxygen-free zone under the ribs and enhances the mass transfer inside the electrodes. The temperature inside of the DCI-SOFCs are strongly correlated with the gas composition and the flow direction. Overall, the DCI for SOFC is a promising design. • Novel interconnectors have two independent flow channels. • Novel interconnectors improve the SOFC electrical performance. • Novel interconnectors eliminates the oxygen-free zone under the ribs. • Novel interconnectors reduce activation and concentration overpotentials. • Novel interconnectors increase the direct contact area between gas and electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) are the most common cancers of the oral cavity, but the molecular mechanisms driving OSCC carcinogenesis remain unclear. Our group previously established a murine OSCC model based on a 10-week carcinogen [4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO)] treatment. Here we used K14CreERTAM;Rosa26LacZ mice to perform lineage tracing to delineate the mutational profiles in clonal cell populations resulting from single, long-lived epithelial stem cells, here called L acZ+ stem cell clones (LSCCs). Using laser-capture microdissection, we examined mutational changes in LSCCs immediately after the 10-week 4-NQO treatment and >17 weeks after 4-NQO treatment. We found a 1.8-fold ±0.4 (P = 0.009) increase in single-nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions (indels) in tumor compared with pre-neoplastic LSCCs. The percentages of indels and of loss of heterozygosity events were 1.3-fold±0.3 (P = 0.02) and 2.2-fold±0.7 (P = 0.08) higher in pre-neoplastic compared with tumor LSCCs. Mutations in cell adhesion - and development -associated genes occurred in 83% of the tumor LSCCs. Frequently mutated genes in tumor LSCCs were involved in planar cell polarity (Celsr1, Fat4) or development (Notch1). Chromosomal amplifications in 50% of the tumor LSCCs occurred in epidermal growth factor receptor, phosphoinositide 3-kinase and cell adhesion pathways. All pre-neoplastic and tumor LSCCs were characterized by key smoking-associated changes also observed in human OSCC, C>A and G>T. DeconstructSigs analysis identified smoking and head and neck cancer as the most frequent mutational signatures in pre-neoplastic and tumor LSCCs. Thus, this model recapitulates a smoking-associated mutational profile also observed in humans and illustrates the role of LSCCs in early carcinogenesis and OSCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In female mammals, the size of the initially established primordial follicle (PF) pool within the ovaries determines the reproductive lifespan of females. Interestingly, the establishment of the PF pool is accompanied by a remarkable programmed oocyte loss for unclear reasons. Although apoptosis and autophagy are involved in the process of oocyte loss, the underlying mechanisms require substantial study. Here, we identify a new role of lysine‐specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) in controlling the fate of oocytes in perinatal mice through regulating the level of autophagy. Our results show that the relatively higher level of LSD1 in fetal ovaries sharply reduces from 18.5 postcoitus (dpc). Meanwhile, the level of autophagy increases while oocytes are initiating programmed death. Specific disruption of LSD1 resulted in significantly increased autophagy and obviously decreased oocyte number compared with the control. Conversely, the oocyte number is remarkably increased by the overexpression of Lsd1 in ovaries. We further demonstrated that LSD1 exerts its role by regulating the transcription of p62 and affecting autophagy level through its H3K4me2 demethylase activity. Finally, in physiological conditions, a decrease in LSD1 level leads to an increased level of autophagy in the oocyte when a large number of oocytes are being lost. Collectively, LSD1 may be one of indispensible epigenetic molecules who protects oocytes against preterm death through repressing the autophagy level in a time‐specific manner. And epigenetic modulation contributes to programmed oocyte death by regulating autophagy in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, all inorganic bismuth lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals [CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I)] have received extensive attention due to their high performance in fluorescence quantum yield, narrow emission spectrum, and adjustable emission range. However, the disadvantages of high cost and poor stability have greatly limited the development prospects of the material. Here, in order to develop a perovskite quantum dot lasing cavity with high chemical stability, high quality factor and low fabrication cost, we have successfully fabricated a 3D random cavity device based on porous silicon/TiO2 nanowires. A TiO2 nanowire is grown on the porous silicon to form a 3D resonant cavity, and a perovskite quantum dot is spin-coated on the surface of the 3D resonant cavity to form a novel 3D complex film. The novel structure enhances the chemical stability and lasing quality factor of the resonant cavity while the fluorescence generated by the large quantum dots in the spatial interference structure constitutes the feedback loop, which will provide favorable support for the development of information optics. A 3D random cavity device has been successfully fabricated based on porous Si/TiO2 nanowires. TiO2 nanowires were grown on porous Si to form a 3D resonant cavity. A perovskite quantum dot is spin-coated onto the surface of the 3D resonant cavity to form a distinguished 3D complex film, which provides favorable support to the development of information optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal clusters are exploited by numerous metalloenzymes for catalysis, but it is not common to utilize a metal cluster for substrate transport across membrane. The recent crystal structure of a prototypic Zrt‐/Irt‐like protein (ZIP) metal transporter from Bordetella bronchiseptica (BbZIP) revealed an unprecedented binuclear metal center (BMC) within the transport pathway. Here, through a combination of bioinformatics, biochemical and structural approaches, we concluded that the two physically associated metal‐binding sites in the BMC of human ZIP4 (hZIP4) zinc transporter exert different functions: one conserved transition metal–binding site acts as the transport site essential for activity, whereas the variable metal–binding site is required for hZIP4's optimal activity presumably by serving as a secondary transport site and modulating the properties of the primary transport site. Sequential soaking experiments on BbZIP crystals clarified the process of metal release from the BMC to the bulky solvent. This work provides important insights into the transport mechanism of the ZIPs broadly involved in transition metal homeostasis and signaling, and also a paradigm on a novel function of metal cluster in metalloproteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 has been widely studied as an important electrode material for electrochemical energy storage. Understanding its relationship between textural properties and electrochemical characteristics is essential to boosting its practical performances. Herein, Aeroxide P25 TiO 2 nanoparticles annealing at different temperatures (400–600 °C) were investigated as an anode material of lithium ion battery. Their evolution in crystal phase and microstructural characteristics were characterized by XRD and BET surface analysis, and their lithium storage properties in half-cells were evaluated by various electrochemical analyses, including cyclic voltammetry, cycling testing, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the lithium storage properties were critically dependent on the size of TiO 2 anode materials. Pristine P25 initially exhibited the highest initial discharge specific capacity due to its smallest particle size; however, rapid capacity loss occurred during extended cycling. The annealing process was found to effectively enhance the cycling stability of TiO 2 although possessing a large particle size and smaller surface area. Typically, P400 showed the best performances in cycling stability, capacity retention ratio, and rate capability, which is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of high crystallinity, reasonable particle size, and less internal resistance. This study provides an instance of optimizing the textural properties of metal oxides for advanced LIB anode material applications. Image 1 • The annealing temperature significantly affects the crystal phase, microstructural characteristics, and thus lithium storage properties of TiO 2. • The cycling stability of Aeroxide P25 can be effectively enhanced via an annealing process. • P25 at 400 °C shows the superior performances in cycling stability, capacity retention ratio, and rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transverse isotropy with a vertical axis of symmetry is a common form of anisotropy in sedimentary basins, and it has a significant influence on the seismic amplitude variation with offset. Although exact solutions and approximations of the PP‐wave reflection coefficient for the transversely isotropic media with vertical axis of symmetry have been explicitly studied, it is difficult to apply these equations to amplitude inversion, because more than three parameters need to be estimated, and such an inverse problem is highly ill‐posed. In this paper, we propose a seismic amplitude inversion method for the transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry based on a modified approximation of the reflection coefficient. This new approximation consists of only three model parameters: attribute A, the impedance (vertical phase velocity multiplied by bulk density); attribute B, shear modulus proportional to an anellipticity parameter (Thomsen's parameter ε−δ); and attribute C, the approximate horizontal P‐wave phase velocity, which can be well estimated by using a Bayesian‐framework‐based inversion method. Using numerical tests we show that the derived approximation has similar accuracy to the existing linear approximation and much higher accuracy than isotropic approximations, especially at large angles of incidence and for strong anisotropy. The new inversion method is validated by using both synthetic data and field seismic data. We show that the inverted attributes are robust for shale‐gas reservoir characterization: the shale formation can be discriminated from surrounding formations by using the crossplot of the attributes A and C, and then the gas‐bearing shale can be identified through the combination of the attributes A and B. We then propose a rock‐physics‐based method and a stepwise‐inversion‐based method to estimate the P‐wave anisotropy parameter (Thomsen's parameter ε). The latter is more suitable when subsurface media are strongly heterogeneous. The stepwise inversion produces a stable and accurate Thomsen's parameter ε, which is proved by using both synthetic and field data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferrihydrite has been prevalently used in soil remediation as an effective amendment for in situ immobilization of arsenic (As). However, its poorly crystalline structure is unstable and can pose the risk of re-releasing As into soil. In this study, sequential extraction was coupled with a newly-established method, chelex-metsorb diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT), to study the ferrihydrite transformation/dissolution process and its effect on the mobility of arsenic in soil. Experiments in this work found that high soil moisture (70% SWHC) with a low soil redox potential (Eh) can significantly increase the rate of the ferrihydrite transformation/dissolution process compared to 30% SWHC. Soils with low pH and high available iron (Fe) content may also accelerate ferrihydrite transformation/dissolution, while soils with high clay fraction and high soil total organic matter (STOM) may inhibit the process. The amount of arsenic adsorption can also affect ferrihydrite transformation, even exceeding the effect of soil pH and dissolved Fe. Arsenic release was clearly observed in all three soils across all treatments, and it was also affected by changes in soil redox potential. More arsenic was released at high soil moisture (70% SWHC) roughly 7–15 d after the release of Fe. In addition, a partial arsenic fraction was transformed, along with ferrihydrite, from a combined As (F1 As) amorphous phase to combined As (F2 As) well-crystallized phase. These results suggested that ferrihydrite transformation/dissolution can affect the mobility of arsenic and that this phenomenon is more extreme at higher soil moisture levels. Unlabelled Image • Soil redox condition significantly regulated the ferrihydrite transformation/dissolution process. • Ferrihydrite transformation rate in soils was also controlled by the soil properties and amount of arsenic adsorption. • Ferrihydrite transformation/dissolution may lead to a short time release of the labile As. • Labile As release had a strong correlation with Fe(II) release. • Arsenic fractionation was also transformed with transformation of ferrihydite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In a growing follicle, the survival and maturation of the oocyte largely depend on support from somatic cells to facilitate FSH-induced mutual signaling and chemical communication. Although apoptosis and autophagy in somatic cells are involved in the process of FSH-induced follicular development, the underlying mechanisms require substantial study. According to our study, along with FSH-induced antral follicles (AFs) formation, both lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) protein levels and autophagy increased simultaneously in granulosa cells (GCs) in a time-dependent manner, we therefore evaluated the importance of LSD1 upon facilitating the formation of AFs correlated to autophagy in GCs. Conditional knockout of Lsd1 in GCs resulted in significantly decreased AF number and subfertility in females, accompanied by marked suppression of the autophagy in GCs. On the one hand, depletion of Lsd1 resulted in accumulation of Wilms tumor 1 homolog (WT1), at both the protein and mRNA levels. WT1 prevented the expression of FSH receptor (Fshr) in GCs and thus reduced the responsiveness of the secondary follicles to FSH induction. On the other hand, depletion of LSD1 resulted in suppressed level of autophagy by upregulation of ATG16L2 in GCs. We finally approved that LSD1 contributed to these sequential activities in GCs through its H3K4me2 demethylase activity. Therefore, the importance of LSD1 in GCs is attributable to its roles in both accelerating autophagy and suppressing WT1 expression to ensure the responsiveness of GCs to FSH during AFs formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gyral peaks, the highest foci on gyri, is under the regulation of genetic factors. • Genetic influence on gyral peaks is heterogeneous across cortical regions. • Genetic influence on gyral peaks is relatively hemispheric symmetry. • Heritability estimates are linearly decreasing with the gyrification timeline. • Earlier formed cortical folds are under stronger genetic influences than later ones. • The pits and peaks coupled by their time of appearance are also positively correlated in respect of their heritability estimates. Genetic mechanisms have been hypothesized to be a major determinant in the formation of cortical folding. Although there is an increasing number of studies examining the heritability of cortical folding, most of them focus on sulcal pits rather than gyral peaks. Gyral peaks, which reflect the highest local foci on gyri and are consistent across individuals, remain unstudied in terms of heritability. To address this knowledge gap, we used high-resolution data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) to perform classical twin analysis and estimate the heritability of gyral peaks across various brain regions. Our results showed that the heritability of gyral peaks was heterogeneous across different cortical regions, but relatively symmetric between hemispheres. We also found that pits and peaks are different in a variety of anatomic and functional measures. Further, we explored the relationship between the levels of heritability and the formation of cortical folding by utilizing the evolutionary timeline of gyrification. Our findings indicate that the heritability estimates of both gyral peaks and sulcal pits decrease linearly with the evolution timeline of gyrification. This suggests that the cortical folds which formed earlier during gyrification are subject to stronger genetic influences than the later ones. Moreover, the pits and peaks coupled by their time of appearance are also positively correlated in respect of their heritability estimates. These results fill the knowledge gap regarding genetic influences on gyral peaks and significantly advance our understanding of how genetic factors shape the formation of cortical folding. The comparison between peaks and pits suggests that peaks are not a simple morphological mirror of pits but could help complete the understanding of folding patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric field control of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) can enable low power consumption for perpendicular magnetic random access memory devices. However, the tuning of PMA by the electric field in ferromagnetic metal thin films is less efficient and limited to the interface due to the screening effect. Alternatively, the magnetoionic effect can control PMA efficiently, which utilizes ion migrations over the surface of the ferromagnetic metal by interfacing it with the charge reservoir of oxygen ions like GdOx. In this paper, we report the reversibly controlled magnetic domains of PMA Co in the Pt/Co/GdOx trilayer via the electric field at the nanoscale using conductive atomic force microscopy and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The magnetic domain phase values determined by MFM decrease and increase when negative and positive bias voltages of magnitude 4 V are applied to the surface of GdOx, respectively. These results suggest a path toward control of PMA materials at the nanoscale by the electric field for information storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract (a) Joint statistic matrix color-coded by TPs, FPs, FNs and TNs, which were obtained from the comparison between the connective matrices derived from tract-tracing database and dMRI data. The FVE brain map, the optimal brain map (out of the three brain maps in the present work) for global connectome, was used to construct connective matrices. The dMRI tractography connective matrix was constructed under the optimal tractography parameters (QA=0.2, Angle=70°) and binarized by the connective strength threshold corresponding to the maximal Youden index. Those parameters also apply to (b)–(i); (b) dMRI tractography fibers corresponding to the TP connections in (a). Fibers corresponding to the same connection have the same color; (c) The connective matrix color-coded by the average local C values on the dMRI fiber tracts corresponding to the TP connections. Pink block highlights those connecting brain sites in frontal lobe; (d) Top 1% connections in term of their large average local C values. Color blocks highlight some of these connections, and (e)-(i) show the corresponding dMRI fibers as well as the brain sites they connect. Dashed blocks indicate that those connections can find their symmetry counterparts in regions the solid blocks highlight. Interpretations of those blocks are found in the text. Highlights • Construction of a large-scale dMRI connectome was evaluated by gold-standard data: neuron tracing data and myelin stain data. • The presented framework is open for more data modalities and tractography models to be easily integrated in this framework. • With optimized tractography parameters and scales, we could substantially trust dMRI with more confidence. Abstract Accurate assessment of connectional anatomy of primate brains can be an important avenue to better understand the structural and functional organization of brains. To this end, numerous connectome projects have been initiated to create a comprehensive map of the connectional anatomy over a large spatial expanse. Tractography based on diffusion MRI (dMRI) data has been used as a tool by many connectome projects in that it is widely used to visualize axonal pathways and reveal microstructural features on living brains. However, the measures obtained from dMRI are indirect inference of microstructures. This intrinsic limitation reduces the reliability of dMRI in constructing connectomes for brains. In this work, we proposed a framework to increase the accuracy of constructing a dMRI-based connectome on macaque brains by integrating meso-scale connective information from tract-tracing data and micro-scale axonal orientation information from myelin stain data. Our results suggest that this integrative framework could advance the mapping accuracy of dMRI based connections and axonal pathways, and demonstrate the prospect of the proposed framework in constructing a large-scale connectome on living primate brains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Comparison and integration of neuroimaging data from different brains and populations are fundamental in neuroscience. Over the past decades, the neuroimaging field has largely depended on image registration to compare and integrate neuroimaging data from individuals in a common reference space, with a basic assumption that the brains are similar. However, the intrinsic neuroanatomical complexity and huge interindividual cortical folding variation remain underexplored. Here we focus on a specific cortical convolution pattern, termed 3‐hinge gyral folding, which is the conjunction of gyri from multiple orientations and has unique and consistent anatomically, structurally, and functionally connective patterns across subjects. By developing a novel shape descriptor and a two‐stage clustering pipeline, we devise an automatic method to identify 3‐hinges in the Human Connectome Project Q3 868 human brains, and further parameterize the complexity of such a pattern and quantify its regularity and variation in terms of 3‐hinge number, position, and morphology. Our results not only exhibit the huge interindividual variations, but also reveal regular relationship between gyral hinges and other factors, such as their locations and cortical morphologies. It is found that “line‐shape” cortices have relatively more consistent 3‐hinge shape pattern distributions, and certain types of 3‐hinge patterns favor particular cortical morphologies. In addition, more 3‐hinges are found on “line‐shape” cortices while their numbers vary more across subjects than those on “non‐line‐shape” cortices. This study adds new insights into a better understanding of the regularity and variability of human brain anatomy, and their functional aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large magnetoresistance and large magnetic field induced strain are observed in polycrystalline Ni42.8Co7.7Mn38.8Al10.7 Heusler alloy. The martensitic transformation from ferromagnetic austenite to weak‐magnetic martensite is realized in the alloy around the room temperature. A magentoresistance of −45% and magnetic field induced strain up to −500 ppm are observed under the magnetic field of 90 kOe. The evolution of the topography and magnetic domain is measured by magnetic force microscopy under different magnetic fields. Dramatic changes in magnetic domain structures are observed and discussed in the martensitic transformation process. The magnetic field induced reverse martensitic transformation should account for the large magnetoresistance and magnetic field induced strain. The results indicate the potential application of Ni42.8Co7.7Mn38.8Al10.7 alloy in magnetic multifunctional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that oblique seafloor spreading occurs in several regions where obliquity, α , was not recognized before. These include the slow spreading centers of the Red Sea ( α ≈ 20 ° ), intermediate spreading centers of the Cocos–Nazca plate boundary between 91°W and 94°W ( α ≈ 9 ° ), and superfast spreading centers of the East Pacific Rise at the Nazca–Pacific plate boundary between 29°S and 32°S ( α ≈ 10 ° ) and perhaps between ≈16°S and ≈22°S ( α ≈ 4 ° ). Thus, oblique spreading occurs across slow, intermediate, and superfast spreading centers, but not across fast spreading centers. Across intermediate and superfast spreading centers, oblique spreading does not occur in staircase-mode plate geometries, but does occur in oblique-mode plate geometries. Across slow and intermediate spreading centers, obliquity tends to decrease with increasing spreading rate, while across fast and superfast spreading centers it tends to increase with increasing spreading rate. Oblique spreading at intermediate and superfast spreading centers may be related to magma overpressure or to unusual directions of remote tectonic stress or to ongoing plate boundary reorganizations or to some combination of these. Using prior methods, we estimate the ratio of overpressure to remote tectonic stress for several spreading centers. In particular we show along a segment of the Cocos–Pacific plate boundary that magma overpressure is only one-fourth as large as remote tectonic stress, consistent with a prior inference from other observations. The highest obliquity occurs along ridge segments lying 200 km to 1500 km from a mantle plume, but not all ridge segments near plumes spread obliquely. For one set of estimates of plume fluxes, the rate of plume flux delivered to ridges correlates positively and significantly with spreading rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferrihydrite is commonly used as an amendment to remove or stabilize arsenic (As) in water, soils, and sediments due to its high specific surface area (>200 m 2 /g). However, its instability under oxic or anoxic conditions sometimes limits its efficiency for arsenic adsorption. This study employed a two-step sequential extraction method and the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique to investigate the effect of soil properties and water management on ferrihydrite transformation in soils. The results of sequential extraction and DGT indicated that ferrihydrite transformation and dissolution occurred within all treatments in three red soils derived from plate shale (PS), sandstone (SS) and quaternary red clay (QR). Ferrihydrite transformation and dissolution rate under 30% soil water holding capacity (SWHC) treatments were the fastest in PS followed by SS and QR, while in 70% SWHC treatments the order was SS > PS > QR. Ferrihydrite in 70% SWHC was transformed about 2–7 times faster than in 30% SWHC for the various treatments. The soil pH may be the main factor controlling ferrihydrite transformation in 30% SHWC, and in 70% SHWC it may work synergistically with Fe(II) as a result of continuous, partial anaerobic conditions formed after about 22 days. Variation among the three soils was controlled by different amounts of soil total organic matter, pH, available Fe, and the content of clay fraction (particulate size <0.02 mm). In the present study, SWHC was expected to be the direct factor controlling ferrihydrite transformation and dissolution process. However, the factor controlling these processes was actually variation in soil moisture, which promotes the dissolution of H + solutes and formation of Fe(II) in partial anaerobic conditions. The results obtained in this study have demonstrated the potential of using ferrihydrite on contaminated farmland as an amendment for arsenic stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using global multiresolution topography, we estimate new transform-fault azimuths along the Cocos-Nazca plate boundary and show that the direction of relative plate motion is 3.3° ± 1.8° (95% confidence limits) clockwise of prior estimates. The new direction of Cocos-Nazca plate motion is, moreover, 4.9° ± 2.7° (95% confidence limits) clockwise of the azimuth of the Panama transform fault. We infer that the plate east of the Panama transform fault is not the Nazca plate but instead is a microplate that we term the Malpelo plate. With the improved transform-fault data, the nonclosure of the Nazca-Cocos-Pacific plate motion circuit is reduced from 15.0 mm a−1 ± 3.8 mm a−1 to 11.6 mm a−1 ± 3.8 mm a−1 (95% confidence limits). The nonclosure seems too large to be due entirely to horizontal thermal contraction of oceanic lithosphere and suggests that one or more additional plate boundaries remain to be discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to screen the synbiotics with good antibacterial effect against Salmonella Typhimurium and to investigate its antibacterial mechanism. Laboratory-isolated Lactobacillus paracasei VL8 were selected and combined with four prebiotics, fructooligosaccharide (FOS), inulin, galactooligosaccharide (GOS), and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) for the comparison. Their growth, adhesion, tolerance and inhibition ability were evaluated by growth curve, non-specific adhesion test, simulated gastrointestinal fluid, and zone of inhibition method, respectively. The results showed that MOS had a better synbiotic effect with L. paracasei VL8, resulting in a significant increase in the growth of L. paracasei VL8, higher acid production, and a larger zone of inhibition of S. Typhimurium, reaching 16.75 mm. The time-kill curves showed that 20% (v/v) of metabolite in the medium could kill S. Typhimurium within 4h completely. Further, electron microscopic micrographs showed that the synbiotic metabolites caused damage to the cell membrane of S. Typhimurium, resulting in cytoplasmic efflux. The Findings indicated that the synbiotic combination between MOS and L. paracasei VL8 not only promoted the growth and acid production of the probiotic, but also exerted good inhibitory effects on S. Typhimurium by disrupting the cell membrane, which can be a potential natural antimicrobial agent for food applications. [Display omitted] • Mannan oligosaccharides- Lactobacillus paracasei VL8 combination are the most suitable synbiotics. • Mannan oligosaccharide enhances the antibacterial ability of Lactobacillus paracasei VL8. • Synbiotics cause membrane disruption and cytoplasmic leakage of S. Typhimurium. • Synbiotics completely kill S. Typhimurium within 4 h. • Synbiotics can be considered as preventive tools against S. Typhimurium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, seeking common, consistent and corresponding anatomical/functional regions across individual brains via cortical parcellation has been a longstanding challenging problem. In our opinion, two major barriers to solve this problem are determining meaningful cortical boundaries that segregate homogeneous regions and establishing correspondences among parcellated regions of multiple brains. To establish a corresponding system across subjects, we recently developed the Dense Individualized and Common Connectivity-based Cortical Landmarks (DICCCOL) system which possesses group-wise consistent white matter fiber connection patterns across individuals and thus provides a dense map of corresponding cortical landmarks. Despite this useful property, however, the DICCCOL landmarks are still far from covering the whole cerebral cortex and do not provide clear structural/functional cortical boundaries. To address the above limitation while leveraging the advantage of DICCCOL, in this paper, we present a novel approach for group-wise consistent parcellation of the cerebral cortex via a hierarchical scheme. In each hierarchical level, DICCCOLs are used as corresponding samples to automatically determine the cluster number so that other cortical surface vertices are iteratively classified into corresponding clusters across subjects within a group-wise classification framework . Experimental results showed that this approach can achieve consistent fine-granularity cortical parcellation with intrinsically-established structural correspondences across individual brains. Besides, comparisons with resting-state and task-based fMRI datasets demonstrated that the group-wise parcellation boundaries segregate functionally homogeneous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are two highly toxic elements. In recent years, many newly synthesized chemical materials have been used widely for treatments of As- and Cd-contaminated effluents. However, most materials do not exhibit high efficiencies for simultaneous removal of As and Cd from water systems. Our study established a simple scheme for synthesizing a sepiolite (SEP)-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-nZVI) for simultaneous removal of coexisting As and Cd from water and illuminated a possible underlying mechanism. Batch experiments showed that the maximum capacities for adsorption of As(III) and Cd(II) by S-nZVI were 230.29 mg/g and 11.37 mg/g, respectively, which represented better effects than those of other materials, as reported previously. Removal of Cd(II) depended on pH, but As(III) removal showed little dependence on pH. Coexisting ions such as phosphate (PO 4 3−) and the conjugate base of humic acid (HA) significantly inhibited simultaneous removal of As(III) and Cd(II). In the mixed As(III)–Cd(II) system, the presence of As(III)-pretreated S-nZVI significantly enhanced Cd(II) adsorption by a factor of four over that seen for aqueous solution without As(III). XRD and XPS results showed that CdFe 2 O 4 (Fe–O–Cd), Fe 2 As 2 O 14 or FeAsO 4 (Fe–O–As) were formed after As(III) and Cd(II) were captured by S-nZVI. However, a further zeta (ζ) potential analysis showed that the mechanism for As(III) and Cd(II) adsorption by S-nZVI is not just simple formation of the above chemicals, since the adsorbed As(III) increased the negative charge of S-nZVI; this suggested an electrostatic attraction between S-nZVI and Cd(II) and indicated that adsorbed As(III) created new sorption sites for Cd(II), which enhanced Cd(II) sorption via formation of ternary complexes (Fe–As–Cd). These results suggested that S-nZVI is a promising material for in situ remediation of heavy metal-contaminated groundwaters or paddy soils. • A newly sepiolite modified nZVI was synthesized for co removal of As(III) and Cd(II). • S-nZVI has high sorption efficiency of As(III) and Cd(II). • Pre-treatment with As(III) can significantly promote Cd(II) adsorption by S-nZVI. • The mechanism of As–Cd co-removal is suggested by forming a ternary complex Fe–As–Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural destructive resonance caused by the single resonant thickness of flat microwave absorbers results in narrow absorption, hindering the progress of stealth materials. Multi-scale optimization and metastructure design are effective in the improvement of multiple resonance thickness as well as wavefront transmission, allowing for greater freedom in the realization of broadband. Herein, hierarchical metamaterials constructed from pyramid metastructure composites and Huygens' metasurface on the basis of Fibonacci spiral element are reported here, with effective absorption bandwidth (reflection loss ≤ −10 dB) ranging from 4.8 to 18 GHz in terms of subwavelength thickness. The hybrid absorber also exhibits robustness with incident angle across 0°–50° for transverse magnetic polarization. The gradient impedance model based on pyramid composites comprising spherical carbonyl iron particles and graphene sheets will serve as a driver for the enhancement of the electromagnetic wave transmission and the booster of impedance matching. Huygens' resonance of HMS induces the magnetic field convergence effect due to the simultaneous balance of effective surface current and magnetic current, which facilitates the absorption of lossy composites for further broadening absorption bandwidth. This integrated design could be widely applied to other absorbent materials of choice. [Display omitted] • In the case of the electrical and magnetic response are properly balanced, the field excited by the meta-atom composed of centrosymmetric Fibonacci spirals shows similar dispersion of electric and magnetic polarizabilities, resulting in a negligible reflection of the proposed Huygens' metasurface in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz. • A comprehensive design of hierarchical metamaterials from four perspectives: microscale, mesoscale, macroscale and metamaterials, which provides a rigorous and scientific route for the broadband directional design of microwave absorbing materials. • The effective absorption bandwidth of proposed hierarchical metamaterial ranges from 4.8 to 18 GHz across C, X and Ku-band in terms of subwavelength thickness (0.096 λ 0) which merely 7% over theoretical minimum thickness dictated by the causality limit, and exhibits robustness with incident angle across 0°–50° for transverse magnetic polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic fractals have a large potential to achieve tunability and broadband serviceability for multimodal microwave devices owing to their scale-invariant property that generate strongly enhanced local fields with multiscale spatial distributions over multi-spectral ranges. Herein, we demonstrate a microwave metasurface absorber consist of periodic supercells of Fibonacci spiral capable of achieving highly efficient absorptions in a certain bandwidth and several discrete frequencies. Multiple absorption modes are achieved through the synergistic effect of multiple LC-resonances and cross-coupling of the patterned elements, and a broadband operation is completed by adjusting the thickness of dielectric layer based on interface interference theory. Experimental microwave average absorptivity over 82.9% (reflection loss, RL ≤ −7 dB) covering the 10.82–14.18 GHz region is obtained and the maximum absorptivity exceeds 99.8% with sub-wavelength thickness (0.039 λ 0). These results demonstrate that the synthetic fractal metasurface can be a good candidate absorber for microwave applications like sensing, multiband detecting and filtering. • A compact multiband fractal metamaterial absorber is realized by frequency shift and multi-resonance response. • Multi-narrow-band absorption with high Q factor and relative wide-band absorption (∼ 3.36GHz) are achieved simultaneously. • The inversely proportional logarithmic relationship between resonance frequency and initial arc radius is confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO 2 is a greenhouse gas and a major contributor to global warming. Efficient conversion of CO 2 into high value-added food materials represents a promising strategy to decrease CO 2 concentration. In this study, we reported that Ca2+-crosslinked alginate beads loaded with carbonic anhydrase (CA) can efficiently catalyze conversion of CO 2 into porous vaterite CaCO 3 particles via a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) inducing process. CA encapsulated within the Ca2+-crosslinked alginate beads maintained around 100% activity of its original activity after 10 assay cycles. Functionally, the CA-loaded alginate beads facilitated conversion of CO 2 into porous vaterite CaCO 3 particles with high CO 2 removal efficiency in the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose. Notably, such vaterite CaCO 3 particles can be explored for adsorption of astaxanthin with higher loading capacity (2.0 wt %), consequently improving the photo- and thermal-stability of this pigment. [Display omitted] • Carbonic anhydrase loaded within alginate beads serves as an edible CO 2 absorber. • These synthesized alginate beads convert CO 2 into vaterite CaCO 3 particles via CMC. • The obtained porous vaterite CaCO 3 particles have high astaxanthin loading capacity. • The vaterite CaCO 3 particles greatly improve the photothermal stability of astaxanthin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic acid amendments have been widely advocated for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. However, the impacts of straw-derived humic acid-like substances on the remediation of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) co-contaminated paddy soil remain unclear and the potential mechanism required clarification. In this study, we employed a pot experiment and chose a straw-derived humic acid-like substance (BFA) as the amendment with four doses to investigate how BFA affects the availability of Cd and As in soil and their accumulation in rice. The results showed that grain Cd decreased by 25.65–36.03%, while there was no significant change in total As (TAs) with the addition of BFA. The contents of DCB-Fe, DCB-As and DCB-Cd on the root surface decreased by 6.07–40.54% during the whole growth stage. The addition of BFA significantly decreased the pe + pH and enhanced the transformation of crystalline iron oxides (Fed) into amorphous forms (Feo) in the soil. The CaCl 2 -extractable Cd decreased and the KH 2 PO 4 -extractable As increased with the decrease in pe + pH and Fed and the relative increase in Feo. The correlation analysis showed that the decrease in availability of Cd and translocation factor of Cd effectively decreased the grain Cd and the decrease in DCB-Cd may also contribute to decreasing the uptake of Cd by rice. However, the increase in As of roots and shoots might play key roles in restricting the transport of As to rice grains. Consequently, the addition of BFA could effectively reduce the Cd accumulation in rice under flooding conditions, while no risk of As accumulation in rice grain was observed. The present work provides a new perspective for the application of straw-derived humic acid-like substances as amendments on Cd–As co-contaminated soils, which should be advocated as an eco-friendly, economical and effective soil amendment in the future. [Display omitted] • The decrease in availability of Cd, DCB-Cd, and TF of Cd decreased the grain Cd. • Rice root and shoot play an important role in restricting As transport to grains. • BFA had reduce impact on deposition of Fe plaque, further decreased DCB-Cd/As. • The decrease in pe + pH and Fe transformation effectively affect mobility of Cd/As. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first gold-catalyzed photoredox C(sp2)−H difluoroalkylation and perfluoroalkylation of hydrazones with readily available RF−Br reagents is reported. The resulting gem-difluoromethylated and perfluoroalkylated hydrazones are highly functionalized, versatile molecules. A mild reduction of the coupling products can efficiently produce gem-difluoromethylated β-amino phosphonic acids and β-amino acid derivatives. In mechanistic studies, a difluoroalkyl radical intermediate was detected by an EPR spin-trapping experiment, indicating that a gold-catalyzed radical pathway is operating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die ersten erfolgreichen gold ‐ katalysierten photoredoxselektiven C(sp2) ‐ H ‐ Difluoralkylierungen und ‐ Perfluoralkylierungen von Hydrazonen mit gut verfügbaren RF ‐ Br ‐ Reagentien werden beschrieben. Die resultierenden gem ‐ difluormethylierten und perfluoralkylierten Hydrazone sind hoch funktionalisierte, vielseitige Moleküle. Eine milde Reduktion der Kupplungsprodukte liefert effizient gem ‐ difluormethylierte β ‐ Aminophosphonsäuren und β ‐ Aminosäure ‐ Derivate. In mechanistischen Studien wurde eine Difluoroalkylradikal ‐ Zwischenstufe in einem EPR ‐ “Spin ‐ Trapping” ‐ Experiment detektiert, was auf einen gold ‐ katalysierten Radikal ‐ Mechanismus hinweist. Die radikalische C ‐ H ‐ Fluoralkylierung von Hydrazonen unter Gold ‐ und Photoredoxkatalyse ist sehr gut mit funktionellen Gruppen verträglich und liefert selektiv E ‐ konfigurierte Produkte, die in nützliche Synthesebausteine umgewandelt werden können. Ein radikalisches Intermediat wurde abgefangen und EPR ‐ spektroskopisch charakterisiert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishment of structural and functional correspondences of human brain that can be quantitatively encoded and reproduced across different subjects and populations is one of the key issues in brain mapping. As an attempt to address this challenge, our recently developed Dense Individualized and Common Connectivity-based Cortical Landmarks (DICCCOL) system reported 358 connectional landmarks, each of which possesses consistent DTI-derived white matter fiber connection pattern that is reproducible in over 240 healthy brains. However, the DICCCOL system can be substantially improved by integrating anatomical and morphological information during landmark initialization and optimization procedures. In this paper, we present a novel anatomy-guided landmark discovery framework that defines and optimizes landmarks via integrating rich anatomical, morphological, and fiber connectional information for landmark initialization, group-wise optimization and prediction, which are formulated and solved as an energy minimization problem. The framework finally determined 555 consistent connectional landmarks. Validation studies demonstrated that the 555 landmarks are reproducible, predictable, and exhibited reasonably accurate anatomical, connectional, and functional correspondences across individuals and populations and thus are named anatomy-guided DICCCOL or A-DICCCOL. This A-DICCCOL system represents common cortical architectures with anatomical, connectional, and functional correspondences across different subjects and would potentially provide opportunities for various applications in brain science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between brain structure and function has been one of the centers of research in neuroimaging for decades. In recent years, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques have been widely available and popular in cognitive and clinical neurosciences for examining the brain's white matter (WM) micro-structures and gray matter (GM) functions, respectively. Given the intrinsic integration of WM/GM and the complementary information embedded in DTI/fMRI data, it is natural and well-justified to combine these two neuroimaging modalities together to investigate brain structure and function and their relationships simultaneously. In the past decade, there have been remarkable achievements of DTI/fMRI fusion methods and applications in neuroimaging and human brain mapping community. This survey paper aims to review recent advancements on methodologies and applications in incorporating multimodal DTI and fMRI data, and offer our perspectives on future research directions. We envision that effective fusion of DTI/fMRI techniques will play increasingly important roles in neuroimaging and brain sciences in the years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are very spectacular plant pigments with many biological activities. However, because of their highly reactive nature, anthocyanins are unstable. We developed a novel strategy for improving the thermal stability and photostability of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) molecules by encapsulating them within the inner cavity of apo recombinant soybean seed H-2 subunit ferritin (rH-2). C3G molecules were successfully encapsulated within protein cages with a C3G/protein ratio of 37.5 to 1. As expected, such encapsulation increased the thermal stability and photostability of C3G molecules by a factor of ~2. More importantly, Caco-2 cell monolayer absorption and adhesion analyses showed that C3G molecules encapsulated within apoferritin nanocages were more efficient in transport as compared to free C3G. These findings indicate that protein with a shell-like structure as a nanoplatform can play an important role in the field of nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2- Line ferrihydrite (Fh) is widely used as a robust amendment for rapid arsenic removal or remediation in water or soil. However, the poorly crystalline phase of Fh is unstable and leads to arsenic leaching after long-term submergence in reductive aquatic and soil environments. In this study, the synthesized As(V)-bound Fh was characterized by various spectral approaches to investigate the factors that may affect the variation in As(V)-Fh in long-term continuously submerged soil suspensions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that hematite was the main product and that goethite was the byproduct after 360 d of incubation. Approximately 12–17% and 4–5% Fh were transformed at As/Fe mole ratios of 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. After 360 d of incubation, the hematite morphology was clearly observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the As(V)-Fh surface areas were also decreased by 17.3–27.6% and 11.9–16.6% for As/Fe mole ratios of 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. In a comparison of the two tested soils (soils sampled in Sichuan Province (SC) and Hunan Province (HN)), As(V)-Fh transformed faster in HN soil suspensions, and more hematite and goethite were formed. Furthermore, during the incubation period, As(V) was transformed to As(III), and both species were released into the suspension from the As(V)-Fh surface. It was suggested that soil pH and Fe(II) concentration were key factors controlling the As(V)-Fh transformation process, and the differences between the two soils were due to the different soil pH values and contents of available Fe. Arsenic release was mainly caused by Fh transformation and ligand competition with soil organic matter (SOM). [Display omitted] • As(V)-ferrihydrite transformed to hematite and goethite after 360 d of incubation. • As(V) and As(III) leaching was observed during the incubation. • Fe(II) and pH were the main factors leading to the As(V)-Fh transformation. • Transformation of As(V)-Fh and competition with SOM were the reasons for As release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2- Line ferrihydrite (Fh) is widely used as a robust amendment for rapid arsenic removal or remediation in water or soil. However, the poorly crystalline phase of Fh is unstable and leads to arsenic leaching after long-term submergence in reductive aquatic and soil environments. In this study, the synthesized As(V)-bound Fh was characterized by various spectral approaches to investigate the factors that may affect the variation in As(V)-Fh in long-term continuously submerged soil suspensions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that hematite was the main product and that goethite was the byproduct after 360 d of incubation. Approximately 12–17% and 4–5% Fh were transformed at As/Fe mole ratios of 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. After 360 d of incubation, the hematite morphology was clearly observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the As(V)-Fh surface areas were also decreased by 17.3–27.6% and 11.9–16.6% for As/Fe mole ratios of 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. In a comparison of the two tested soils (soils sampled in Sichuan Province (SC) and Hunan Province (HN)), As(V)-Fh transformed faster in HN soil suspensions, and more hematite and goethite were formed. Furthermore, during the incubation period, As(V) was transformed to As(III), and both species were released into the suspension from the As(V)-Fh surface. It was suggested that soil pH and Fe(II) concentration were key factors controlling the As(V)-Fh transformation process, and the differences between the two soils were due to the different soil pH values and contents of available Fe. Arsenic release was mainly caused by Fh transformation and ligand competition with soil organic matter (SOM). [Display omitted] • As(V)-ferrihydrite transformed to hematite and goethite after 360 d of incubation. • As(V) and As(III) leaching was observed during the incubation. • Fe(II) and pH were the main factors leading to the As(V)-Fh transformation. • Transformation of As(V)-Fh and competition with SOM were the reasons for As release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescence method for the detection of T4 PNKP was developed based on the PDANTs. [Display omitted] • A novel strategy for T4 PNKP activity assay based on PDANTs mediated FRET. • It has been proved that PDANTs have ability to distinguish ssDNA and dsDNA. • The platform could be used for the detection of T4 PNKP activity in real samples. T4 polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (T4 PNKP) plays a critical role in various cellular events, such as DNA damage repair, replication, and recombination. Here, we have described a novel biosensor to detect the activity of T4 PNKP based on polydopamine nanotubes (PDANTs) mediated fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). A FAM-labelled (6-carboxyl-fluorescein) hairpin DNA probe with 3′-phosphoryl terminal was designed as the substrate for T4 PNKP. With the addition of PDANTs, the fluorescence of FAM-labelled hairpin DNA probe could be quenched because of the high adsorption of hairpin DNA on PDANTs. When T4 PNKP dephosphorylated the DNA probe, a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) product was obtained by Klenow fragment polymerase (KF polymerase) on its 3′-hydroxyl terminal, which could retain most of the fluorescence due to the week adsorption of dsDNA on PDANTs. The developed method demonstrates the sensitivity for T4 PNKP assay in the range from 0.05 to 1.5 U mL−1 with the detection limit of 0.005 U mL−1, which endows the proposed strategy with high enough sensitivity for practical detection in cell lysates. With the advantages mentioned above, this novel sensitive strategy has the potential in the study of DNA damage repair mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The consumption of milk is declining in industrialized countries, leading to inadequate calcium intake. Therefore, it is important to explore a new class of Ca-enriched nutrient for the fortification of food. In this work, we prepared a novel class of soluble and edible Ca–protein complexes where approximately 140 calcium ions were encapsulated within a phytoferritin nanocage. As an alternative to other organic and/or inorganic carriers, protein nanocages were found to provide a unique vehicle of biological origin for the intracellular delivery of calcium ions for supplementation. Such encapsulation can protect calcium ions within protein cages against dietary factors such as tannic acid (TA), oxalic acid (OA), and other divalent metal ions in foodstuffs. We demonstrated that the calcium-containing ferritin composites can be absorbed by Caco-2 cells through a process where a TfR1 receptor is involved, whereas the uptake of free calcium ions has been known to be associated with another receptor, DMT1, indicating that the calcium ions encapsulated in supramolecular protein cages can be internalized by the Caco-2 cells through a different pathway from its free analogs for calcium supplementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A novel computational framework for characterization of U-shape fibers. [•] Identification and characterization of U-shape fibers from DTI/HARDI/DSI data. [•] Characterization of U-shape fibers from human, chimpanzee and macaque brains. [•] Most U-shaped fibers connect neighboring gyri by coursing along cortical sulci. [•] Reveal an evolutionarily-preserved common pattern of U-shape fiber connectivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Joint modeling of anatomical and connectional features for ROI prediction. [•] A machine learning framework for developing predictive models of ROIs. [•] High accuracy in predicting large-scale functional network ROIs. [•] High reproducibility in ROI prediction. [•] Wide applications in scenarios without task-based fMRI data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Optimal duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of trials evaluating the effect of DAPT duration on long-term clinical outcomes after DES implantation. The authors searched OvidMEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for both randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized studies that evaluated DAPT duration on long-term clinical outcomes after DES implantation. The end point was the cumulative incidence of the composite of all-cause death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) at maximum follow-up. Quantitative analysis was performed to estimate the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for the effect of DAPT duration. The pooled effect of DAPT discontinuation before 6 months significantly increased risk of death and nonfatal MI (HR, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.80), but DAPT beyond 12 months did not reduce the incidence of the composite end point compared with drug discontinuation at 12 months (HR, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.10). In conclusion, the current evidence suggests that 6 to 12 months of DAPT may be optimal after DES implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The storage of large quantities of hydrogen at ambient temperature is a key factor in establishing a hydrogen-based economy. One strategy for hydrogen storage is to exploit the interaction between H2 and a solid material by physisorption of hydrogen on porous materials. However, physisorption materials containing MOF, porous carbons, zeolites, clathrates, and synthesized organic polymers physisorb only about 1 wt% of H2 at ambient temperature. One approach to solving this problem is to prepare new classes of physisorption materials which exhibits a mechanism different from the reported materials in hydrogen storage. Here we report the synthesis of apo cross-linked ferritin supramolecules by disulfide bonds, and their holo form. Unlike non-protein adsorbents, the hydrogen storage capacity of these protein materials increases as a function of temperature over the range of 20–40 °C. The holo supramolecules enable the adsorption of hydrogen up to 3.51 wt% at 40 °C and 40 bar H2. In contrast, non-protein physisorption materials such as activated carbon and nano Fe2O3 marginally adsorb hydrogen, and, as reported, their ability to adsorb hydrogen decreases with increasing temperature under the same experimental condition. These results demonstrate that protein materials have a unique hydrogen storage mechanism which offers new opportunities in exploration of physisorption materials at ambient temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have synthesized a series of zeolite ZSM-5 samples with hierarchical porous structure and tunable accessibility using organosilane as silanizing agent. Their structural and textural properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption. We derived the acidity property and accessibility of acidic sites in the hierarchical zeolites from the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of samples with the adsorption of pyridine and 2,6-dimethylpyridine (DMPy), and found that the accessibility index was linearly correlated with the external surface area of hierarchical zeolite whose hierarchical factor is a constant. Furthermore, the hierarchical ZSM-5 has exhibited a high catalytic activity and long life in both benzylation reaction of benzene by benzyl alcohol and methanol-to-gasoline reaction. The results show that the present synthesis route is highly effective to enhance the accessibility of Brønsted acid sites in zeolite ZSM-5. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Accurate prediction of protein secondary structure is essential for accurate sequence alignment, three-dimensional structure modeling, and function prediction. The accuracy of ab initio secondary structure prediction from sequence, however, has only increased from around 77 to 80% over the past decade. Here, we developed a multistep neural-network algorithm by coupling secondary structure prediction with prediction of solvent accessibility and backbone torsion angles in an iterative manner. Our method called SPINE X was applied to a dataset of 2640 proteins (25% sequence identity cutoff) previously built for the first version of SPINE and achieved a 82.0% accuracy based on 10-fold cross validation ( Q3). Surpassing 81% accuracy by SPINE X is further confirmed by employing an independently built test dataset of 1833 protein chains, a recently built dataset of 1975 proteins and 117 CASP 9 targets (critical assessment of structure prediction techniques) with an accuracy of 81.3%, 82.3% and 81.8%, respectively. The prediction accuracy is further improved to 83.8% for the dataset of 2640 proteins if the DSSP assignment used above is replaced by a more consistent consensus secondary structure assignment method. Comparison to the popular PSIPRED and CASP-winning structure-prediction techniques is made. SPINE X predicts number of helices and sheets correctly for 21.0% of 1833 proteins, compared to 17.6% by PSIPRED. It further shows that SPINE X consistently makes more accurate prediction in helical residues (6%) without over prediction while PSIPRED makes more accurate prediction in coil residues (3-5%) and over predicts them by 7%. SPINE X Server and its training/test datasets are available at © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has drawn considerable attention because of its potential application in food industry. Ferritin, an iron storage protein, is widely distributed in food made from legume seeds, which is highly stable due to its shell-like structure. Therefore, it is of special interest to know whether or not high HHP treatment has effect on this protein. In this study, the structure and activity of soybean seed ferritin (SSF) were examined by circular dichroism spectrum (CD), UV–VIS and fluorescence spectrophotometry in conjunction with stopped-flow light scattering upon treatment with HHP at 400MPa for 10min. Results revealed that such treatment has little effect on the primary and secondary structure of SSF, but pronouncedly altered its tertiary and quaternary structure. As a result, the protein aggregation property and iron release activity were dramatically changed, while its activity of iron oxidative deposition was kept unchanged. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]