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Background: Oritavancin is a new generation of semi-synthetic glycopeptide antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria, which served as the first and only antibiotic with a single-dose therapeutic regimen to treat ABSSSI. A naturally occurring glycopeptide A82846B is the direct precursor of oritavancin. However, its application has been hampered by low yields and homologous impurities. This study established a multi-step combinatorial strategy to rationally construct a high-quality and high-efficiency biosynthesis system for A82846B and systematically optimize its fermentation process to break through the bottleneck of microbial fermentation production. Results: Firstly, based on the genome sequencing and analysis, we deleted putative competitive pathways and constructed a better A82846B-producing strain with a cleaner metabolic background, increasing A82846B production from 92 to 174 mg/L. Subsequently, the PhiC31 integrase system was introduced based on the CRISPR-Cas12a system. Then, the fermentation level of A82846B was improved to 226 mg/L by over-expressing the pathway-specific regulator StrR via the constructed PhiC31 system. Furthermore, overexpressing glycosyl-synthesis gene evaE enhanced the production to 332 mg/L due to the great conversion of the intermediate to target product. Finally, the scale-up production of A82846B reached 725 mg/L in a 15 L fermenter under fermentation optimization, which is the highest reported yield of A82846B without the generation of homologous impurities. Conclusion: Under approaches including blocking competitive pathways, inserting site-specific recombination system, overexpressing regulator, overexpressing glycosyl-synthesis gene and optimizing fermentation process, a multi-step combinatorial strategy for the high-level production of A82846B was developed, constructing a high-producing strain AO-6. The combinatorial strategies employed here can be widely applied to improve the fermentation level of other microbial secondary metabolites, providing a reference for constructing an efficient microbial cell factory for high-value natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne illnesses can be infectious and dangerous, and most of them are caused by bacteria. Some common food-related bacteria species exist widely in nature and pose a serious threat to both humans and animals; they can cause poisoning, diseases, disabilities and even death. Rapid, reliable and cost-effective methods for bacterial detection are of paramount importance in food safety and environmental monitoring. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) and electrochemical methods have been widely used in food safety and environmental monitoring. In this paper, the recent developments (2013–2023) covering PCR, LFIA and electrochemical methods for various bacterial species (Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli)), considering different food sample types, analytical performances and the reported limit of detection (LOD), are discussed. It was found that the bacteria species and food sample type contributed significantly to the analytical performance and LOD. Detection via LFIA has a higher average LOD (24 CFU/mL) than detection via electrochemical methods (12 CFU/mL) and PCR (6 CFU/mL). Salmonella and E. coli in the Pseudomonadota domain usually have low LODs. LODs are usually lower for detection in fish and eggs. Gold and iron nanoparticles were the most studied in the reported articles for LFIA, and average LODs were 26 CFU/mL and 12 CFU/mL, respectively. The electrochemical method revealed that the average LOD was highest for cyclic voltammetry (CV) at 18 CFU/mL, followed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at 12 CFU/mL and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at 8 CFU/mL. LOD usually decreases when the sample number increases until it remains unchanged. Exponential relations (R2 > 0.95) between LODs of Listeria in milk via LFIA and via the electrochemical method with sample numbers have been obtained. Finally, the review discusses challenges and future perspectives (including the role of nanomaterials/advanced materials) to improve analytical performance for bacterial detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, studies have reported a correlation that individuals with diabetes show an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mulberry leaves, serving as both a traditional medicinal herb and a food source, exhibit significant hypoglycemic and antioxidative properties. The flavonoid compounds in mulberry leaf offer therapeutic effects for relieving diabetic symptoms and providing neuroprotection. However, the mechanisms of this effect have not been fully elucidated. This investigation aimed to investigate the combined effects of specific mulberry leaf flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, rhamnocitrin, tetramethoxyluteolin, and norartocarpetin) on both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and AD. Additionally, the role of the gut microbiota in these two diseases' treatment was studied. Using network pharmacology, we investigated the potential mechanisms of flavonoids in mulberry leaves, combined with gut microbiota, in combating AD and T2DM. In addition, we identified protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) as a key target for kaempferol in these two diseases. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations showed that kaempferol has the potential to inhibit PTP1B for indirect treatment of AD, which was proven by measuring the IC50 of kaempferol (279.23 μM). The cell experiment also confirmed the dose-dependent effect of kaempferol on the phosphorylation of total cellular protein in HepG2 cells. This research supports the concept of food–medicine homology and broadens the range of medical treatments for diabetes and AD, highlighting the prospect of integrating traditional herbal remedies with modern medical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObtaining excellent prediction accuracy in the high-dimensional partially linear model is particularly important. However, it is difficult to achieve due to the complex relationship between nonparametric covariates and the response. Irrelevant covariates and unimportant data also commonly attenuate the prediction performance of the model. Further, high-dimensional data analysis is challenging for modern statistical studies. To overcome these difficulties, we propose the Double Sparsity Garrotized Kernel Machine (DSGKM) method with an efficient algorithm and its adjusted version for prediction. Specifically, we estimate the nonparametric components using the kernel machine technique, and impose L1-norm penalties simultaneously to select relevant covariates and retain the representative data in the final model. Besides, the convergence analysis of the adjusted algorithm is conducted. The advantages of our method are: (i) to sufficiently capture the complex relationship between nonparametric covariates and the response; (ii) to identify relevant covariates and select representative data; and (iii) to achieve higher computational efficiency, especially the situations when both parametric and nonparametric components are high-dimensional. Results on both simulated and real data show that the proposed method outperforms existing methods, even when outliers exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic that began 2019, as a worldwide public health crisis, has deeply affected and changed the daily life of many people. Urban residents were vulnerable and fragile in this pandemic, because high population density areas are at higher risk of infection and fatality. Vulnerability analysis has focused on infectious disease exposure, public health facilities and resources, and regional vulnerability assessment. It is regarded as an important part of a comprehensive risk management, which can help communities and families be resilient from this kind of public health emergency. However, current vulnerability analysis research lacks personal adaptive behaviors, social medical security, and individual attitudes toward regular pandemic prevention and control policies based on the cognition and experience of urban residents. This study proposes a comprehensive vulnerability analysis framework to analyze the three factors of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity for residents with different educational levels. A questionnaire was designed based on the framework for a survey conducted in Yangling, Shaanxi, China. Results show that exposure and sensitivity exhibit a downward trend with the increase of educational level, while adaptive capacity is not greatly affected by education. This study also supports finding limitations in planning for urban risk management to reduce the vulnerability of urban residents and to improve urban resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Styrene polymerization is a strong exothermic reaction, where the reactants, initiators and diluents are flammable and explosive substances. Once the reaction is out of control, it is extremely easy to cause fire and explosion accidents. In order to analyze the thermal hazards of styrene polymerization reactions, the thermal behaviors of reactions at different reaction conditions are investigated in this paper. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and adiabatic rate calorimeter (ARC) were used to study thermal behavior of styrene polymerization reactions initiated by dual initiators (azodiisobutyronitrile/tert-butyl peroxybenzoate) with different ratios. Reaction calorimetric experiments were performed via reaction calorimeter (RC1e) to analyze the process hazard and calculate thermal hazard parameters. Subsequently, the thermal decomposition properties of the polymerization products were studied by simultaneous thermal analyzer (TGA–DSC). Moreover, the apparent activation energy (Ea) during product decomposition was calculated by Starink and Friedman methods. The results show that the presence of initiators increases the risk of thermal runaway of the reaction. The thermal hazard of styrene polymerization can be reduced due to the addition of ethylbenzene. The most serious consequences of thermal runaway were caused at an early stage. It can be concluded that the reaction of the system containing AIBN initiator reacts at a lower temperature, while the reaction of the system with TBPB is relatively lagged. This study is valuable for the selection of initiator in the polymerization reaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been implicated in thrombotic diseases. There is no definitive explanation for how NETs form during acute ischemic strokes (AIS). The purpose of our study was to investigate the potential mechanism and role of NETs formation in the AIS process. Methods: As well as 45 healthy subjects, 45 patients with AIS had ELISA tests performed to detect NET markers. Expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on platelet microvesicles (PMVs) was analyzed by flow cytometry in healthy subjects and AIS patients' blood samples. We established middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice model to elucidate the interaction between PMPs and NETs. Results: A significant elevation in NET markers was found in patient plasma in AIS patients, and neutrophils generated more NETs from patients' neutrophils. HMGB1 expression was upregulated on PMVs from AIS patients and induced NET formation. NETs enhanced Procoagulant activity (PCA) through tissue factor and via platelet activation. Targeting lactadherin in genetical and in pharmacology could regulate the formation of NETs in MCAO model. Conclusions: NETs mediated by PMVs derived HMGB1 exacerbate thrombosis and brain injury in AIS. 59eUbqf-2Yb-L2dvdE9ZeT Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traction load of electrified railways is a special user of the power system, which will have a significant impact on and pose a challenge to the power system after grid connection. Considering the impact and fluctuation of traction load connected to the power grid, this paper proposed a method to study the influence of traction load on the transient stability of the power grid based on parameter identification. Firstly, according to the operation characteristics of traction load, a comprehensive traction load model based on the measurement-based method of induction motor parallel power function model is selected, and the objective function of parameter identification is determined. Then, the specific steps of using the improved gray wolf optimizer (IGWO) algorithm to achieve the parameter identification of the traction comprehensive load model are introduced, including chaotic map, nonlinear convergence factor, and individual position update. Next, with the IEEE39 bus system as the network background, the load parameters identified by the measured data of a line of the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway are imported into the Power System Analysis Software Package (PSASP) 7.0 for transient simulation to analyze the impact of traction load on the transient stability of the power grid. Finally, three typical load models are compared with the traction load model to draw relevant conclusions, and it is verified that the traction load characteristics are different from the general load model, which provides reference for the connection of electrified railway traction load to the power grid and the economic and technical construction of the power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, we analyzed the changes in extreme climate indices on the MP from 1981 to 2020, and the relationship between the extreme climate indices and atmospheric circulation indices. The results showed that (1) for temperature, (a) in terms of hot events, the inter-annual variation trends of summer days, warm days, and warm nights have significantly increased across the entire MP, with the central region experiencing a higher probability of extreme hot events. The inter-decadal variation of extreme hot indices showed a considerable increase from the period of 1991 to 2000 to the period of 2001 to 2010. (b) In terms of cold events, a substantial decrease in extreme cold events was revealed, with a great decrease from the period of 1981 to 1990 to the period of 1991 to 2000. (2) For precipitation, there was a decrease in extreme wet indices from 1981 to 2020. The simple precipitation intensity index (SDII) and total precipitation in wet days (PRCPTOT) exhibited a significant descending trend in the northern and northeastern MP. Decadal variations showed a decrease in extreme precipitation events, with a significant decline observed between the period of 1991 to 2000 and the period of 2001 to 2010. (3) For the relationship between the extreme climate indices and atmospheric circulation indices, extreme temperature indices are likely influenced by polar vortices, with the Asian polar vortex area index (APVAI) negatively correlated with extreme hot indices and the Asian polar vortex intensity index (APVII) positively/negatively correlated with most extreme hot and cold indices. Asian zonal circulation index (AZCI) showed significant correlations with most extreme hot and cold indices. Extreme precipitation indices only showed significant negative correlations with the Atlantic Meridional mode (AMM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has identified that unmet needs are associated with adverse mental health outcomes in older adults. However, the unmet needs of older adults' spousal caregivers are unknown. The present study examined the association between unmet needs and depression among spousal caregivers, and whether marital satisfaction mediated this association. We included 1,856 participants who provided care to their spouses with difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. Unmet needs of spousal caregivers were assessed as the total number of ADL/IADL tasks with which respondents had unmet needs. Path models were conducted to evaluate the associations between unmet needs, marital satisfaction, and depression. Subgroup analyses by sex were conducted to examine the sex differences regarding the associations. Spousal caregivers with more unmet ADL/IADL needs reported higher levels of depression (p < 0.001). Additionally, for wife caregivers, unmet ADL/IADL needs were associated with lower marital satisfaction, and lower marital satisfaction was associated with higher degrees of depression, indicating that marital satisfaction partially mediated the association between unmet needs and depression (p < 0.01). However, marital satisfaction did not mediate the association between unmet needs and depression among husband caregivers. The mediating effect of marital satisfaction on the association between unmet needs and depression only existed in wife caregivers. Social services should be provided to meet the needs of caregivers with ADL/IADL difficulties, and interventions should be implemented to promote the marital satisfaction of wife caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of a muzzle brake has a significant effect on the overall technical performance of an automatic weapon. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization of a muzzle brake that enhances the overall performance, that is, it increases the muzzle brake efficiency and simultaneously decreases the noise emanating from the rifle upon discharge. A standard impact-reaction muzzle brake was selected as the research object. The optimal values of four structural parameters were established through multi-objective optimization. The process consists of design of experiments, coupled computational fluid dynamics and computational acoustics calculations, an approximation model, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Based on the results, the correlation and sensitivity between the structural parameters and the objectives were investigated. Moreover, the reaction force and noise directivity of the optimized muzzle brake were compared with those of the original design. The results show that the disk angle of the side holes was the most sensitive design variable for both efficiency and noise. The optimized muzzle brake had a remarkable improvement in brake efficiency accompanied by only a small increase in the sound pressure level, so it showed better overall performance. The optimization method proposed in this paper is practical and effective for engineering design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With sociodemographic changes, men are increasingly taking responsibility for spousal caregiving. Previous studies have described gender differences in the psychological outcomes of caregiving; however, few have focused exclusively on husband caregivers. This study investigates the influence of starting spousal caregiving on the psychological well-being of older husbands in rural areas and examines whether living arrangements can moderate this relationship. A total of 1,167 baseline non-caregiver husbands aged 60 and above in rural areas were taken from the 2011–2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was employed to examine the effects of spousal caregiving transitions and living arrangement changes on depressive symptoms over four years. Compared with rural husbands who remained non-caregivers, those transitioning into activities of daily living (ADL) caregiving reported higher depressive symptoms at follow-up (B = 1.67, p < 0.05). Moreover, the increase in depressive symptoms when transitioning into ADL caregiving was significantly lower among participants who changed from living with spouse alone to living with spouse and other family members together (B = − 5.37, p < 0.05). There was an association between transitioning into ADL caregiving and an elevated level of depression over four years among older husbands, which could be alleviated by living with family members. Co-residence with family members could serve as a natural support resource, buffering adverse mental health outcomes when older husbands start a demanding caregiving role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the prevalence of allergic diseases has increased significantly, causing great concern, and wheat, as one of the top 8 food allergens, is a common allergy trigger. Nevertheless, reliable estimates of the positivity rate of wheat allergens in the allergic population in China are still lacking. The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the positive detection rate of wheat allergens in the Chinese allergic population and further provide a reference for the prevention of allergy. CNKI, CQVIP, WAN-FANG DATA, Sino Med, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were retrieved. Related research and case reports about the positive rate of wheat allergen in the Chinese allergic population published from inception to June 30, 2022, were searched, and meta-analysis was performed using Stata software. The pooled positive rate of wheat allergens and 95% confidence interval were calculated by random effect models, and the publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test. A total of 13 articles were included for the final meta-analysis, in which wheat allergen detection methods involved only serum sIgE testing and SPT assessment. The results showed that the wheat allergen positivity detection rate in Chinese allergic patients was 7.30% (95% CI 5.68–8.92%). Subgroup analysis showed that the positivity rate of wheat allergens was influenced by region, but hardly by age and assessment method. The positive rates of wheat allergy in the population with allergic diseases were 2.74% (95% CI 0.90–4.58%) and 11.47% (95% CI 7.08–15.87%) in southern and northern China, respectively. In particular, the positive rates of wheat allergens were greater than 10% in Shaanxi, Henan and Nei Mongol, all of which belong to the northern region. These results suggest that wheat allergens are an important cause of sensitization in allergic populations from northern China, and therefore attention should be paid to early prevention in high-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the profound implications of chiral self-sorting in various fields such as biology, materials, catalysis, and supramolecular chemistry, the elucidation of intrinsic factors that affect the efficiency of this process remains a formidable challenge. Here, we present a theoretical analysis based on a recent example of a molecular cinquefoil knot. By introducing various amino acids into the chiral ligands, we probe the potential factors contributing to the absence of chiral self-sorting. Energy profile shows that the thermodynamic stability of the diastereoisomeric helicates is considerably influenced by the ratio and arrangement of chiral ligands. From our calculations, the interaction strength linked to chiral ligands exerts a greater influence on determining the chiral self-sorting outcome compared to structural or steric effects. A better understanding of the mechanism of chiral self-sorting formation of circular helicates could aid in the design of topologically chiral molecules with diverse functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing is one of the most effective methods for studying spider phylogeny. In this study, the mitogenomes of wolf spiders (Lycosa grahami and Lycosa sp.) were sequenced and compared with those of other spiders to study their evolutionary trends. The mitogenomes of L. grahami and Lycosa sp. were 14,240 and 14,589 bp in length, respectively, and their adenine and thymine contents were 73.74% and 76.23%, respectively. The mitogenomes contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a control region. We found that trnS1 and trnS2 of four Lycosa species lacked a dihydrouracil arm, most tRNAs lacked a TΨC arm, and there was a guanine-uracil wobble in the acceptor stem. Comparison of selective pressures on the 13 PCGs in the mitogenomes of Lycosidae showed the fastest evolution for ATP8 and the slowest for COI. Concatenated nucleotide sequences of the 13 PCGs and two rRNA genes were obtained from the mitogenomes of 63 spiders for phylogenetic analysis based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Phylogenetic relationships supported the monophyletic Mesothelae and Mygalomorphae. Lycosa clustered under a monophyletic group in Lycosidae. In addition, L. grahami and L. shansia were found to be more closely related to Lycosa sp. and L. singoriensis, respectively. This study provides crucial molecular information for further studies on the evolution and genetic diversity of the spider mitogenome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No reflow manifests coronary microvascular injury caused by continuous severe myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Microvascular obstruction (MVO) has emerged as one fundamental mechanism of no reflow. However, the underlying pathophysiology remains incompletely defined. Herein, we explore the contribution of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), derived mainly from platelet microparticles exacerbating MVO in no reflow. 44 STEMI patients undergoing successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in our study. Plasma HMGB1 levels in both the peripheral artery (PA) and infarct-related coronary artery (IRA) were measured by ELISA. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy assessed the level of HMGB1+ platelet derived microparticles (PMPs) and platelet activation. Flow cytometry and western blot evaluated the procoagulant activity (PCA) and the release of inflammatory factors of human microvascular endothelial cells (HCEMCs). HMGB1 levels were significantly higher in the IRA in no-reflow patients. The levels of HMGB1+ PMPs were considerably higher in the IRA of patients with no reflow and were strongly associated with platelet activation. Moreover, our results show that HMGB1 interacts with human microvascular endothelial cells primarily through TLR4, inducing HCMEC proinflammatory, procoagulant phenotype, and monocyte recruitment, accelerating microvascular obstruction and facilitating the development of no reflow. Our results illustrate a novel mechanism by which HMGB1, derived mainly from PMPs, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of no-reflow, revealing a novel therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of studies have studied the influence of emotional experience on an individual's estimation performance, but the influence of implicit emotion regulation is still unknown. Participants were asked to complete the following tasks in order: idiom matching task, multiplication computational estimation task (MCE task), gender judgment task (GJ task), and emotional experience intensity assessment task. The words matching task was adopted to achieve the purpose of implicit emotion regulation (implicit reappraisal and implicit suppression). Behavioral results showed that implicit reappraisal and implicit suppression equally contributed to improving an individual's estimation speed (but not ACC (accuracy)). The MCE task related ERP (event-related potential) results showed that the influence of implicit emotion regulation on estimation consisted of two phases. In the first phase (encoding phase), implicit reappraisal both enhanced (larger P1 amplitudes) and weakened (smaller N170 amplitudes) an individual's encoding sensitivity, while implicit suppression enhanced an individual's encoding sensitivity (larger P1 amplitudes). In the second phase (estimation strategies retrieval phase), implicit reappraisal (but not implicit suppression) cost more attention resources (larger LPC2 and LPC3 amplitudes). The present study suggested that both implicit reappraisal and implicit suppression contributed to improving an individual's estimation performance, and the regulation effect of implicit suppression (vs. implicit reappraisal) was better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis, a recently discovered iron-dependent regulated cell death, has been implicated in the therapeutic responses of various cancers including breast cancer, making it a promising therapeutic target to manage this malignancy. Phytochemicals are conventional sources for medication development. Some phytochemicals have been utilized therapeutically to treat cancers as pharmaceutic agents or dietary supplements. Intriguingly, a considerable number of antitumor drugs derived from phytochemicals have been proven to be targeting ferroptosis, thus producing anticancer effects. In this review, we provide a short overview of the interaction between core ferroptosis modulators and breast cancer, illustrating how ferroptosis affects the destiny of breast cancer cells. We also systematically summarize the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on ferroptosis and emphasize their clinical applications in breast cancer suppression, which may accelerate the development of their therapeutic use in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella is a bacterial pathogen which is one of the leading causes of severe illnesses in humans. The current study involved the design and development of two methods, respectively using iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) and iron core gold nanoparticle (ICGNP), conjugated with the Salmonella antibody and the fluorophore, 4-Methylumbelliferyl Caprylate (4-MUCAP), used as an indicator, for its selective and sensitive detection in contaminated food products. Twenty double-blind beverage samples, spiked with Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, were prepared in sterile Eppendorf® tubes at room temperature. The gold layer and spikes of ICGNPs increased the surface areas. The ratio of the surface area is 0.76 (IONPs/ICGNPs). The comparative sensitivity and specificity of the IONP-based and the ICGNP-based methods to detect Salmonella were determined. The ICGNP method shows the limit of detection is 32 Salmonella per mL. The ICGNPs had an 83.3% sensitivity and a 92.9% specificity value for the presence and detection of Salmonella. The IONP method resulted in a limit of detection of 150 Salmonella per mL, and a 66.7% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity for the presence and detection of Salmonella. The higher surface area of ICGNPs increases the efficiency of detection. The monitoring of Salmonella can thus be achieved by a rapid magnetic fluorescent assay using a smartphone for image capture and analyze, providing quantitative results. The findings from the present study would help to detect Salmonella rapidly in water. It can improve the microbial quality of water and food safety due to the presence of Salmonella in the water environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are known to play a role in various diseases affecting coagulation. As of now, it is unclear whether NETs are present in hematoma samples collected from patients who have suffered an intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The objective of this was to determine whether NETs are present in circulation and hematoma samples from ICH patients and to evaluate the procoagulant activity (PCA) of NETs during the ICH process. The expression of NET markers in samples from 78 ICH patients and 35 healthy donners was detected by ELISA and flow cytometry. Immunostaining for neutrophil markers (neutrophil CD66b) and NET markers (citrullinated histone H3 [H3Cit] and extracellular DNA) was performed on hematoma samples obtained from ICH patients undergoing intracranial hematoma evacuation. Our findings suggest that plasma and hematoma samples from patients with ICH showed high levels of NETs. Furthermore, using DNase I to target NETs enhanced ex vivo hematoma lysis. In conclusion, NETs play an important role in the ICH process and may be a novel therapeutic target for treatment of ICH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the formation tracking control problem with prescribed performance is studied for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles whose disturbance is bounded with unknown boundary. Different from most existing works where prescribed performance control is realized based on error transformation, a new prescribed performance function-based adaptive strategy is proposed to guarantee both transient and steady state performance, which simplifies the design procedure. Furthermore, the proposed adaptive distributed sliding mode controller is of low complex and easily implementable, without utilizing the information of the external disturbance or any approximating structures to acquire such knowledge. Additionally, collision avoidance constraints among neighbors can be satisfied through appropriately designed performance bounds. Simulation verification also confirms the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Roll-to-Roll processing is used in the large-scale industrial production of organic optoelectronic materials, and one common raw material in it is aggregated conjugated polymer. This paper studies the aggregation processes of conjugated polymer (poly(3-hexylselenophene) (P3HS) and poly(3-hexylselenophene) (P3HT)) solutions. The obtained results can be used to guide the production. During the aggregation process of poly(3-hexylselenophene) (P3HS) solutions, maximum soluble absorbance (ABSmsol), concentration of soluble conjugated polymer (Csol) continually decreases. Maximum aggregated absorbance (ABSmagg), concentration of aggregated conjugated polymer (Cagg) continually increases during the aggregation. These parameters can be fitted by an exponential model with different coefficients, and the relationship between ABSmagg and Cagg is a Gaussian model. The relationship of concentration of aggregated conjugated polymer with Hansen Solubility Parameter (HSP) and the changing rate of Cagg ('Cagg) all follow the exponential model well. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) solutions have the same rules as P3HS solutions. In this paper, the phenomena of the aggregation process are explained by Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) and average photon energy (Eave). All conjugated polymer solutions in this paper form J-aggregates with decreasing Eave. This may be a feature for all conjugated polymer solutions with J-aggregates and reflects the decreasing of Gibbs free energy in these aggregation processes. This work provides a simple way for scholars to get more information from already widely used UV–Vis absorption spectra. Researchers can get the relationship between the concentration of conjugated polymer of an aggregation status and the absorbance of UV–Vis absorption spectra of conjugated polymer solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Styrene is an important monomer for synthetic resins, ion exchange resins and synthetic rubber. Styrene polymerization requires the use of initiators to increase the reaction rate, with composite initiators showing promise for increased reaction rates. However, increased reaction rates in polymerization, if uncontrolled, can lead to thermal runaway with disastrous consequences. Numerous runaway incidents have been documented, indicating inadequate awareness of the thermal hazards of polymerization reactions. This study focuses on determining via calorimetric techniques the thermal hazards of styrene polymerization using azodiisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and tert-Butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) composite initiators. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is employed to investigate the thermal decomposition properties of composite initiators with varying composition. Non-isothermal experiments and adiabatic experiments are used to determine the thermal hazard parameters including initial exothermic temperature and heat release of styrene polymerization. The risk of secondary reactions is evaluated by reaction calorimetry (RC1e) and product thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Key safety parameters of the exothermic reaction, such as the onset temperature, heat release, time to maximum rate under adiabatic condition as well as activation energy, are presented. The results show that the thermal hazard of the polymerization reaction is lowest when the ratio of AIBN to TPPB in the composite initiator is 1:1. In this scenario, the temperature reached by the uncontrolled reaction does not provoke the decomposition of the products, yet the runaway consequences are still unacceptable. This work provides extensive data as a reference for the process optimization of styrene polymerization from the perspective of safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy. MM stem cells (MMSCs) are thought to be the main causes of in vivo engraftment and eventual recurrence. As a notable new technology, cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) show a promising anti-tumor effect, due to their production of various ROS. In this study, we found that different types of plasma could inhibit MM's ability to form cell colonies, suppress MM in vivo engraftment, and extend survival times. We demonstrated that NAC (a ROS scavenger) could block ROS increases and reverse the inhibition of MM's cell-colony-formation ability, which was induced by the plasma treatment. By using a stem cell signaling array, we found that the Notch pathway was inhibited by the plasma treatment; this was further confirmed by conducting real-time PCRs of three MM cell lines. Together, these results constitute the first report of plasma treatment inhibiting MM in vivo engraftment and prolonging survival time by suppressing the Notch pathway via ROS regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A precipitation hardening high-entropy alloy (HEA) (FeCoNi)86Al7Ti7 was fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) and ageing treated under different temperatures and time conditions. Yield strength of the aged HEA increases substantially from 710 to 934 and then to 1203 MPa. Theoretical analyses reveal that the coherent L12 precipitate contributes most of the improved strength for the aged HEAs, whereas recovery during ageing causes the decrease of dislocation density thus exerts a softening effect. In addition, it is found that ductility decreases with increasing volume fraction of the incoherent L21 precipitates. Based on a void growth model, the trend is qualitatively explained. Moreover, a new fracture mode, intercellular fracture, is proposed to account for the strong dependence of fracture dimple size on the dislocation cells, also directly validated by delicate microstructural examination. The findings provide an effective strengthening method and propose a unique fracture mechanism for the additively manufactured HEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma-activated solution (PAS) has attracted wide attention in cancer treatment because it can treat deep tumors and offer storability. The changes in reactive species and physicochemical properties of PAS during storage can affect its anticancer effect. In this study, the plasma-activated medium (PAM) was prepared by treating RPMI 1640 medium with afterglow gas generated by a custom-built air surface dielectric barrier discharge device. PAM was stored at four common temperature conditions (25 °C, 4 °C, −20 °C, and −80 °C) for 1 day, 4 days, and 7 days, and then, the physicochemical properties, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), and the anti-cancer effect on A549 cells under different storage conditions were compared. The results showed that PAM exhibited different anticancer effects at different storage temperatures over a 7 day storage period. The anticancer ability of PAM under 80 °C storage remained stable after 7 days of storage and decreased at all other temperatures. These results were also verified by apoptosis results, and the differences were mainly related to the concentration of H2O2 and NO2−, and oxido reduction potential. Our results provided a theoretical basis for the storage of PAM and its application in anticancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People typically remember faces of their own race better than the faces of other races, which is known as the own-race bias. Social-cognitive theories on the own-race bias debate if motivation plays a role in racial face recognition under the "Asian-Caucasian" context. We investigated the effect of social-identity-threat based motivation on own-race bias. In Experiment 1, Chinese participants were primed with a negative image of own-race by associating Chinese (i.e., own-race) faces with negative personality traits. Results showed that such social identity threat marginally affect the own-race bias in face recognition sensitivity (Experiment 1a), and it did not influence participants' implicit positive attitudes toward their ethnicity (Experiment 1b). In Experiments 2, 3 and 4, the social identity threat was manipulated by reading an article before the face recognition task. Experiment 2 found that the social identity threat significantly affected the own-race bias in face recognition false alarm. Although we did not find the modulation effect of group on ORB with ANOVA in Experiments 3 and 4, we observed the significant indirect effect of group on ORB through the mediator of generalized threat. Together, the current study provides evidence of social motivation in the own-race bias in the "Asian-Caucasian" setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • UV sensing sensitivity reaches μW/cm2 level using color spaces. • Naked-eye-based dosimetry is enabled by wearable UV sensor. • UV radiation warning is achieved based on smart UV sensing textile. • High fatigue resistance, low-cost fabrication and nice portability. A dual-channel photochromic Schiff base HBA is reported herein, which undergoes a reversible tautomerism in response to UV exposure, showing visible changes in both color and fluorescence. The spectral behavior, fatigue resistance, sensitivity are studied. The quantification of photochromic fluorescence/color change is solved by applying color spaces and chromatic aberration. HBA is further fabricated into low-cost wearable sensor and smart textile, enabling visual feedback under UV radiation. It demonstrates a low-costing platform for naked-eye-based dosimetry of outdoor UV radiations, providing an early warning for excessive UV exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The installation of muzzle brake changes the flow direction of propellant gas, which leads to a decline in the recoil force but an increase in the muzzle flow noise of the side rear. Therefore, the coordination between high efficiency and low harm of muzzle brake is one of the factors limiting its optimization. To address this problem, a numerical method for evaluating the comprehensive performance of muzzle brake targeting muzzle brake efficiency and impulse noise is proposed in the present study. The two performance indexes are calculated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-computational aeroacoustics (CAA) coupled method. Afterwards, a corresponding experiment is conducted to verify its feasibility. Furthermore, the comprehensive performance of muzzle brakes with three different structures are analysed based on the two indexes obtained by the proposed numerical method. The results reveal that both indexes can be influenced by the structure of muzzle brakes. The increased braking efficiency is almost accompanied by increased impulse noise, but the functional relation is not linear dependence. Thus, the comprehensive performance can be improved by optimization of the structure. The evaluation method proposed in this paper has theoretical significance for optimizing muzzle brakes, which is of great engineering value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gut microbiota homeostasis is significant to host health and well-being. Treatment of red-crowned cranes with avian influenza vaccines and anthelmintics has played pivotal roles in therapeutic management in zoos. This study provides evidence concerning if and how the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic treatment impact the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes. For the first time, we revealed that the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes is resilient to the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic, which may be affected to disorder in the short term but can recover to homeostasis over time. In addition, it is proposed that more controlled experiments should be performed properly to contribute to animal disease control and optimal management in the zoo. Gut microbiota homeostasis is important for host health and well-being; however, drugs may affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Red-crowned cranes are a vulnerable species. Treatment of red-crowned cranes with avian influenza vaccines and anthelmintics has played pivotal roles in therapeutic management in zoos. To investigate the changes in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota after the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic treatment, we used 16S rRNA sequencing to obtain and compare the bacterial community composition before and after the treatment. The alpha diversity of the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes decreased on the day of the treatment and then fluctuated over time. The composition of gut microbiota tended to be similar in the short term after the treatment, as supported by the beta diversity hierarchical cluster analysis. Only 3, 8, and 72 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the three individuals were shared among the five groups before and after treatment. The relative abundance of Firmicutes significantly increased to 99.04% ± 0.28% on the day of the treatment, in which the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was 93.33% ± 5.85%. KEGG pathways analysis indicated that the main function of the gut microbiota is involved in metabolism, and the present study indicates that the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes is resilient to the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic, even disordered in the short term, and could recover over time. More individual experimentation and functional potential in metabolism are needed in the future to support animal disease control and optimal management in the zoo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the precipitation records of 2474 meteorological stations, this study investigated precipitation characteristics and trends in China from 1961 to 2010, including spatiotemporal distribution and changes in average annual precipitation amount, number of days when daily precipitation > = 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 mm, and extreme precipitation indices. The results showed that: (1) in terms of annual average precipitation amount, both dry to wet, wet to wetter, and shifting between wet and dry showed decadal and climatical fluctuations in annual precipitation totals in space and time, with a clear shift in space from the 0 to 200 mm and above 400 mm precipitation levels to the 200 to 400 mm precipitation level. (2) In terms of graded precipitation days, three kinds of trend changes were observed: (a) enhancement, manifested as an increase in precipitation events, mainly in the northwest and northeast of China; (b) reduction, manifested as a decrease in precipitation events, mainly in the central parts of China; and (c) polarization, which is manifested as a decrease in gentle and light precipitation events but an increase in dry days, heavy, and rainstorm precipitation events, primarily along coastal area in southeast China. (3) In terms of extreme precipitation events, precipitation persistence showed a decreasing trend, but an increasing trend in precipitation intensity and magnitude in most regions of China. This paper also presents the relationship between certain atmospheric circulation indices and the seasonal precipitation of summer and winter. The distribution characteristics and changes in minor precipitation events were highlighted, including gentle and light rain events. Relevant findings can provide scientific guidance for water resource management and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To examine the joint effects of self and spousal frailty status on functional and mental health in Chinese older adults and determine whether such effects vary by urban versus rural residency. Background: Frailty is a clinical syndrome among old adults and would lead to adverse outcomes. However, studies on the interactive patterns of frailty status between spouses and the joint effects of such patterns on health outcomes are scarce. Design: Data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 2,581 married seniors who participated both 2011 and 2015 waves of the CHARLS were categorised into four groups: robust self–robust spouse (RR), robust self–frail spouse (RF), frail self–robust spouse (FR) and frail self–frail spouse (FF). Methods: Frailty was measured using the physical frailty phenotype scale. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD). Functional health was measured by difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The generalised estimating equation was used to estimate the effects of concordant frailty on mental and functional outcomes, stratified by rural/urban residency. This study followed the STROBE checklist. Results: The FF group reported higher levels of ADL/IADL difficulties and depressive symptoms at follow‐up than the RR group; urban individuals in the RF group reported higher follow‐up depression than the RR group; and rural individuals from the FR or RF groups reported more follow‐up ADL/IADL difficulties than the RR group. Conclusion: Frailty and subsequent health decline are interdependent in older couples, and the rural/urban context is important for understanding this interdependence in the older Chinese population. Relevance to clinical practice: Couples‐based intervention strategies are needed to tackle situations in which one or both spouses are concurrently facing frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel hollow-magnetite (HFO)/MXene nanohybrids with coral-like structure were successfully prepared via templating and electrostatic self-assembly techniques for electromagnetic (EM) wave adsorption application. The unique coral-like structure of the prepared HFO/MXene hybrids was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). When mass ratio of HFO to MXene is 2:1, the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB max) of HFO/MXene hybrids is able to reach 5.36 GHz. Moreover, when mass ratio of HFO to MXene is 1:1, the minimum reflection loss (RL min) even achieves −42.48 dB with a thickness of 3.1 mm. The excellent EM absorption performance of HFO/MXene hybrids is mainly due to the ideal impedance matching and synergistic effect of magnetic loss and dielectric loss caused by unique coral-like structure. This work provides unexplored areas in the design of the spatial structure of MXene for microwave absorption. [Display omitted] • HFO/MXene hybrids with unique coral-like structure was prepared by templating and electrostatic self-assembly method. • Hollow Fe 3 O 4 are distributed in MXene, which provides magnetic losses and improves the impedance matching. • RL min achieves −42.48 dB with a thickness of 3.1 mm, and maximum EAB max is able to reach 5.36 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many ways, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to be crucial in the onset and advancement of cancer throughout the last ten years and have become a new focus of intense research in the field of RNAs. Accumulating studies have demonstrated that circRNAs can regulate parental gene expression via a variety of biological pathways. Furthermore, research into the complex interactions between circRNAs and their parental genes will shed light on their biological roles and open up new avenues for circRNAs' potential clinical translational uses. However, to date, multi-dimensional cross-talk between circRNAs and parental genes have not been systematically elucidated. Particularly intriguing is circRNA's exploration of tumor targeting, and potential therapeutic uses based on the parental gene regulation perspective. Here, we discuss their biogenesis, take a fresh look at the molecular mechanisms through which circRNAs control the expression of their parental genes in cancer. We further highlight We further highlight the latest circRNA clinical translational applications, including prognostic diagnostic markers, cancer vaccines, gDNA, and so on. Demonstrating the potential benefits and future applications of circRNA therapy. • Highlights the biogenesis of circRNAs, with particular emphasis on the cross-talk between circRNAs and parental genes in cancer, and their molecular mechanisms. • Analyzed the advantages and prospects of circRNAs as clinical translational applications in the future from a new perspective,such as in vitro synthesis of circRNAs, packaging of formulations, vaccine development, and guided applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of carbon quantum dots-based (CQDs) fluorescent probes for real-time monitoring pH in cells is still unsatisfied. Here, we propose the synthesis of nitrogen, sulfur-doped CQDs (N,S-CQDs) using one-pot hydrothermal treatment, and serve it as fluorescent probes to realize the real-time sensing of intracellular pH. These pH-responsive N,S-CQDs were proved exhibited a diversity of admirable properties, including great photostability, nontoxicity, favorable biocompatibility, and high selectivity. Particularly, due to the doping of nitrogen and sulfur, N,S-CQDs possessed long-wavelength emission and large Stokes Shift (190 nm), which could avoid self-absorption of tissue to realize high contrast and resolution bioimaging. The response of the probes to pH showed a good linear in range of 0.93–7.00 with coefficient of determination of 0.9956. Moreover, with advantages of high signal-to-noise ratio and stability against photobleaching, the as-prepared N,S-CQDs were successfully applied to monitor pH in living cells via bioimaging. All findings suggest that N,S-CQDs have significant potential for practical application for sensing and visualizing pH fluctuation in living systems. [Display omitted] • N,S-CQDs as fluorescent probes were synthesized via one-pot hydrothermal method. • The probes can realize reversible real-time detection of pH in human serum and cells. • Large Stocks shift (190 nm) of N,S-CQDs is beneficial to avoid self-absorption. • High selectivity and wide detection range (a good linear range of pH: 0.93−7.00). • CQDs possess favorable biocompatibility, can be applied for intracellular pH imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Transcriptomic analysis of 33 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples revealed that the most enriched pathway for differentially expressed genes was related to the cell cycle process, where DDX11-AS1 is the most significant lncRNA. Upregulation of DDX11-AS1 expression through demethylation was significantly associated with a poor prognosis. Further mechanistic studies revealed that DDX11-AS1 promoted the growth of HCC by interacting with PARP1 through attenuating its binding to p53, leading to downregulated expression of p53 for inhibiting the transcription of downstream genes such as p21. Knockdown of DDX11-AS1 expression in xenograft mice using anti-DDX11-AS1 oligonucleotide suppressed liver tumor proliferation. These findings indicate that DDX11-AS1 plays a role in the development of liver cancer by affecting the cell cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies documented that caregiving affects the mental health of spousal caregivers, and social participation is a favorable contributor to late-life well-being. However, it remains unclear whether changing social participation influences caregivers' mental health during their transition into spousal caregiving. The present study investigated the influence of transitioning into spousal caregiving, continuity and changes in social participation, and their interactions on older adults' depressive symptoms over time. Information on caregiving transitions and social participation for 2,436 baseline noncaregivers was drawn from the 2011‒2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. Generalized estimating equations were used for estimating the effects of caregiving transitions (transition into low-intensity caregiving, transition into high-intensity caregiving versus no caregiving) and changing social participation (increased participation, decreased participation, continuous participation versus no participation) on follow-up depressive symptoms. Individuals who transitioned into spousal care provision over a four-year period reported more elevated depressive symptoms than those who remained noncaregivers. Individuals who continued or increased social participation reported fewer depressive symptoms than those who reported no participation over the four-year period. Increases in depressive symptoms were less severe among individuals who maintained continuous or increased social participation when transitioning into high-intensity care provision than among their counterparts who were not continuously involved in social participation during the transition. Continuous social participation protected against adverse psychological consequences during the transition into high-intensity spousal caregiving. Clinical attention should be directed at supporting spousal caregivers who meet difficulties in maintaining social participation when starting a demanding caregiving role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unknown whether and how poverty influences the long-term outcome of persons with severe mental illness (SMI). Aims: To explore the change of poverty status in persons with SMI from 1994 to 2015 and examine the impact of poverty status on patients' outcome in rural China. Method: Two mental health surveys using identical methods and International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) were conducted in 1994 and 2015 in the same six townships of Xinjin County, Chengdu, China. Results: The annual net income per person was 19.8% and 100.2% higher for the general population than for persons with SMI in 1994 and 2015 respectively. Compared with 1994 (48.2%), persons with SMI in 2015 had significantly higher rates of poor family economic status (

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Various clinical studies have shown that the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine has rapid, robust, and sustained antidepressant effects. However, given the concerns about the adverse effects of ketamine on patients, it would be important to identify a set of biomarkers that could be used to predict clinical outcomes for its treatment. A total of 83 MDD patients received treatment with six ketamine infusions for up to 2 weeks and were classified into "responders" or "non-responders" based on an average change in the HAMD score >50% from baseline. A nested cross-validation approach was applied to prevent information leakage and overestimation of model performance. The initial dataset was divided randomly into training and test sets in a nested six-fold cross-validation. We first performed genome-wide logistic regression to find potentially significant variants related to treatment response and then selected the top SNPs based on the genetic association results using the random forests algorithm. Subsequently, six machine learning models were employed to construct prediction models by using ten-fold cross-validation. A series of model comparisons showed that the best performing fold was characterized by accuracy of 0.85, precision of 0.75, and a sensitivity of 1.00 with the support vector machine algorithm. Together, these findings demonstrated that the machine learning approach can predict the treatment outcomes of multiple ketamine infusions on the basis of the genotyping information of each participant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixed-wing UAVs have shown great potential in both military and civilian applications. However, achieving safe and collision-free flight in complex obstacle environments is still a challenging problem. This paper proposed a hierarchical two-layer fixed-wing UAV motion planning algorithm based on a global planner and a local reinforcement learning (RL) planner in the presence of static obstacles and other UAVs. Considering the kinematic constraints, a global planner is designed to provide reference guidance for ego-UAV with respect to static obstacles. On this basis, a local RL planner is designed to accomplish kino-dynamic feasible and collision-free motion planning that incorporates dynamic obstacles within the sensing range. Finally, in the simulation training phase, a multi-stage, multi-scenario training strategy is adopted, and the simulation experimental results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is significantly better than that of the baseline method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the synthesis, crystallographic data and photophysical properties of a donor-acceptor (D-A) compound, methoxybenzylidene methanone Schiff base (HMPPM). It shows remarkable vapofluorochromism, embodied as turn-on red fluorescence in response to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with fast response and high signal contrast. HMPPM is further developed into a cellulose sensor via dip-dying method for VOCs detection. We further use RGB and CIELAB color spaces to quantify the vapofluorochromic fluorescence. The limits of detection (LOD) of the sensor reach ppm level. Furthermore, it was fabricated into a wearable VOC sensor, with the introduction of an endogenous/exogenous reference, which conduces to high accuracy and visual identification. The cellulose sensor can be tailored into diversified patterns, with controllable shape and size, which facilitated the encapsulation into various wearables, including shoes, hat and smart band, etc. , succeeding in scenario-based VOCs detection. In addition, we built a smartphone-based sensing platform based on HMPPM , which achieves a ppm-level LOD in VOCs monitoring. [Display omitted] • Turn-on vapofluorochromic effect toward VOCs. • Innovative quantitative method using fluorescent reference with image technology. • Portable VOC sensor compatible with smartphone platform and wearable applications. • Facile synthesis, low-cost preparation, fast response and ppm sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-protein-producing amino acid synthesized from the excitatory amino acid glutamate via the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase, is extensively found in microorganisms, plants and vertebrates, and is abundantly expressed in the spinal cord and brain. It is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian nervous system. GABA plays crucial roles in the regulation of synaptic transmission, the promotion of neuronal development and relaxation, and the prevention of insomnia and depression. As the major inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA plays pivotal roles in the regulation of pain sensation, which is initiated by the activation of peripheral nociceptors and transmitted to the spinal cord and brain along nerves. GABA exerts these roles by directly acting on three types of receptors: ionotropic GABA A and GABA C receptors and G protein-coupled GABA B receptor. The chloride-permeable ion channel receptors GABA A and GABA C mediate fast neurotransmission, while the metabotropic GABA B receptor mediates slow effect. Different GABA receptors regulate pain sensation via different signaling pathways. Here we highlight recent updates on the involvement of specific GABA receptors and their subtypes in the process of pain sensation. Further understanding of different GABA receptors and signaling pathways in pain sensation will benefit the development of novel analgesics for pain management by targeting specific GABA receptor subtypes and signaling pathways. [Display omitted] • GABA regulates synaptic transmission contributing to pain sensation. • GABA A receptor regulates membrane potential depending on transmembrane chloride gradient. • GABA A receptor-mediated analgesic effects rely on subunits compositions. • GABA B receptor modulates pain transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum (Al) and cadmium (Cd) often coexist in the acidic soils of southern China, but their interactive effects remain unclear. In this study, this was examined in Al-resistant (Atlas 66) and Al-sensitive (Scout 66) wheat cultivars. The results showed that Al significantly alleviated the root growth of Al-tolerant Atlas 66 under Cd stress but had no effect on the root growth of Al-sensitive Scout 66 or the shoot growth of both cultivars. However, Al substantially decreased Cd accumulation in the roots and shoots of Atlas 66 and Scout 66. This could be attributed to the decreased uptake of Cd by the roots rather than the changes in Cd distribution in various organs or the Cd binding and adsorption of the cell wall. Using non-invasive micro-test technology, we further confirmed that Al and Cd co-exposure significantly inhibited the net Cd2+ influx into the roots of Atlas 66 and Scout 66 compared to Cd-only stress. Furthermore, the higher Cd2+ influx into roots should be responsible for the high Cd accumulation in the roots and shoots of Atlas66 than in those of Scout66 under Al and Cd co-exposure, which may be due to the higher Al accumulation in the roots of Al-sensitive Scout 66 that resulted in the larger decrease of negative charges on root surfaces. Finally, the effects of Al on the expression of Cd-related genes responsible for Cd uptake and translocation in wheat roots were investigated. The results have suggested that Al significantly downregulated the expression of TaNramp5 in Atlas 66 and the expression of TaNramp5 , TaIRT1 and TaHMA2 in Scout66. • Al led to a significant decrease of Cd accumulation in wheat plants. • Al decreased the Cd uptake by wheat roots. • A lower Cd2+ influx into roots was detected in Al-sensitive Scout 66. • Al significantly down-regulated the expressions of Cd-related genes in wheat roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brewing beer with cereals other than barley malt has drawn wide attention in recent years. Germinated brown rice (GBR), which contains high contents of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is a well-known functional food and is widely incorporated as an ingredient in different products. However, little is known about the influence of GBR addition on the processability and quality of beer. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of different contents (0, 20, 40, and 60%) of GBR in the recipe on the beer quality. GBR beers had a lower color (7.60–15.86 EBC), alcohol content (3.02–3.67 %vol), fermentation degree (51.57–59.71%), and bitterness (11.07–14.80 IBU) than Pilsen malt (PM) beer. An enrichment was observed in GABA, which is considered a bioactive component with multiple physiological functions, in all GBR beers prepared and a maximum GABA content of 86.21 mg/L was obtained in 60% GBR beer. Volatile compounds were also analysed and the introduction of GBR led to elevated levels of higher alcohols. Beer with 20% GBR achieved the best sensory characteristics. This study evaluated the brewing potential of GBR in the brewing industry. [Display omitted] • Brewing with 60% germinated brown rice is possible. • Germinated brown rice can bring γ-aminobutyric acid to beer. • The high potential of germinated brown rice in brewing was proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors, which can achieve tremendous power density and ultrafast charge/discharge speed, are crucial components for high power equipment. Yet, the synchronous achievement in high recoverable energy density (Wrec) and high efficiency (η) is a long‐term difficulty for dielectric ceramics. Herein, the (0.85 − x)NaNbO3–0.15BaTiO3–xBi(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 (NN–BT–xBMT) relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were proposed and studied. The doping of BMT was conducive to promoting the microstructure and bandgap and improving the dielectric relaxation properties of NN–BT ceramics. Finally, the sample of x = 0.10 presented a high Wrec of 5.9 J/cm3 and a high η of 90% simultaneously. In addition, the sample also exhibited superb charge/discharge performances with large power density (PD = 137 MW/cm3) and fast charge/discharge speed (t0.9 = 39 ns). The above results reveal that the NaNbO3‐based ceramics could serve as potential alternatives for advanced dielectric capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Shape quality factor describes shapes of UV–vis spectra in aggregations quantitatively. • It decreases when amount of aggregate is small and increase when amount is large. • Its relationship with time is a double Gaussian function with high accuracy. • It can describe similarities of shapes of UV–vis spectra conveniently. • It describes aggregation process of conjugated polymer solution at a wavelength range. We have defined a dimensionless parameter called shape quality factor to describe shapes of UV–vis absorbance spectra during aggregation process of conjugated polymer solutions quantitatively. Time-lapse UV–vis absorbance spectra of poly(3-hexylselenophene) (P3HS) solutions are obtained. Shape quality factors of UV–vis absorbance spectra during the aggregation process of P3HS solutions are calculated. Shape quality factors usually decrease during aggregation process when amount of aggregate is small, and increase when amount of aggregate is large. Relationship between shape quality factor and aggregation time can be fitted by double Gaussian functions. This work provides a simple way to describe shapes of UV–vis absorbance spectra of conjugated polymer solutions quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A task allocation problem for heterogeneous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the presence of environment uncertainty is studied in this paper. Generally, the process of finding efficient allocation scheme can be computationally prohibitive. This work presents a Q-learning based fast task allocation (FTA) algorithm through neural network approximation and prioritized experience replay, which effectively offloads the online computation to an offline learning procedure. Specifically, the proposed approach develops a Q network that encodes the allocation rules. The Q network not only considers the effect of environment uncertainty, but also is capable of handling total different tasks. Comparison simulations are provided to show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, biomass-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with excellent water solubility, strong fluorescence and favorable biocompatibility were synthesized via one-step hydrothermal treatment of purple perilla for the first time. The functional group composition, morphology, and pH stability of the synthesized CQDs were systematically investigated. And based on fluorescence quenching of CQDs, the as-prepared CQDs were innovatively developed as an effective "signal-off" fluorescent probe for selective and sensitive detection of silver ion (Ag+) with two linear ranges of 0–10 and 10–3000 nM, and a detection limit 1.4 nM. The specificity and selectivity of this fluorescent probe were also verified through challenging the detection by using similarmetallic cations or in real water samples. In addition, the as-prepared CQDs exhibit a low cytotoxicity and a good biocompatibility, revealing its potential bioimaging applications in living cells. Image 1 • CQDs were synthesized via one-step hydrothermal treatment of purple perilla. • Selective and sensitive detection of Ag+ were achieved based on as-prepared CQDs. • The obtained CQDs have low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. • Fluorescence quenching of CQDs by Ag+ was revealed following a static mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a diethylamino methanone Schiff base (HBAPE) was reported. Its synthesis, quantum chemical calculations, photophysical behaviors containing aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) were systematically studied. More importantly, HBAPE exhibits photochromism in response to UV light via reversible tautomerism, where a remarkable color change in both absorption and emission was observed. Thermal treatment or visible-light exposure would activate the reverse reaction to restore the compound to its pristine state. The color change in the photochromic process is well quantified by RGB and CIE L * a * b * color space, and the latter exhibits high compatibility and accuracy owing to the utilization of the derived color shift (Δ E* Lab). Based on Δ E* Lab analysis, the limits of detection (DL) are calculated to be as low as 6.2 μW/cm2 (by manual color picking) and 2.6 μW/cm2 (by chromatic meter measurement), suggesting high sensitivity towards UV radiation. We further develop a prototype of data-recording film that can write and erase binary data by UV and heating/visible-light, respectively. The data recording film shows high signal contrast by utilizing Δ E* Lab as the output, achieving nice rewritability. A strategy for data encryption-decryption was developed. With an inert compound as the background covering, the information can be concealed via heating or visible-light, and revealed by UV radiation, providing a reliable strategy for information safety. [Display omitted] • Using CIE L * a * b * and color shift to quantify the photochromic change. • A prototype of rewritable data storage using color shift as binary signal. • A bimolecular data-recoding system enabling information encryption-decryption. • Facile synthesis, low-cost fabrication, reusability and μW/cm2 level sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The problem of fault‐tolerant attitude tracking control for rigid spacecraft in the presence of inertia uncertainties, actuator faults, and external disturbances is investigated in this paper. A novel adaptive finite‐time continuous fault‐tolerant control strategy is developed by combining the fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode surface and the adaptive multivariable super‐twisting algorithm, which improves the robustness while preserving high accuracy and finite‐time convergence. The main features of the control strategy are the double‐layer adaptive algorithm based on equivalent control, which ensures nonoverestimation of the control gain and the continuous controller, which maintains better property of chattering reduction. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed controller is illustrated by numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]