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The performance of perovskite cells closely relies on the quality of films, leading to a special focus on crystallization manipulation and defect control. In this study, a novel approach using 1D metal‐free perovskites, specifically DABCO‐NH4Cl3, is proposed to facilitate the crystallization process of 3D FAPbI3 perovskites, while simultaneously addressing surface defects. Analysis of crystallization kinetics reveals that the introduction of 1D metal‐free perovskites provides numerous nucleation sites, effectively slowing down crystal growth rates and resulting in the formation of uniform, large‐grain perovskite films. Furthermore, the organic groups present in 1D perovskites play a crucial role in passivating defects within the perovskite structure. The synergistic impact of these factors enables the perovskite to achieve an efficiency of 24.72% while demonstrating exceptional stability. This research offers a promising approach for controlling perovskite crystallization, leading to the development of high‐efficiency and stable perovskite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem‐oriented teaching (POT) activities are important in classroom instruction. The level of student response can be influenced by different teacher behaviours in POT. However, the characteristics of teachers' multimodal behaviours at different levels of response are unclear. This study applied epistemic network analysis to explore the characteristics of teachers' multimodal behaviours in POT with different response levels. Using 256 POT segments from 12 classroom teaching videos in primary and secondary schools, this study found that authentic questions and iconic gestures occupied a central position in multimodal behaviours. The concomitant use of multimodal behaviours and the flexibility in eye contact could improve the response levels of students. These findings help understand how teachers' multimodal behaviours can promote students' responses. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Various behaviours have been shown to impact learners' response, such as teachers' responses to students and teachers' non‐verbal behaviours.Epistemic network analysis can be used to analyse the structure of the connections between cognitive, social and interaction data.What this paper adds This study analyses the characteristics of teachers' multimodal behaviours during problem‐oriented activities.It also compares the salient properties of non‐verbal, verbal and multimodal behavioural networks generated by interactive fragments of students' responses of different cognitive levels.Implications for practice and policy Teachers should ask more authentic questions in the classroom to promote in‐depth thinking processes in students.The appropriate coordination of multimodal behaviours by teachers is crucial to promote the cognitive level of students' responses.Upon making eye contact with students, teachers should also use iconic gestures and be flexible regarding the use of eye contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety is a critical issue that is closely related to people's health and safety. As a simple, rapid, and sensitive detection technique, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology has significant potential for food safety detection. Recently, researchers have shown a growing interest in utilizing silent region molecules for SERS analysis. These molecules exhibit significant Raman scattering peaks in the cellular Raman silent region between 1800 and 2800 cm−1 avoiding overlapping with the SERS spectrum of biological matrices in the range 600–1800 cm−1, which could effectively circumvent matrix effects and improve the SERS accuracy. In this review, the application of silent region molecules-based SERS analytical technique for food safety detection is introduced, detection strategies including label-free detection and labeled detection are discussed, and recent applications of SERS analysis technology based on molecules containing alkyne and nitrile groups, as well as Prussian blue (PB) in the detection of pesticides, mycotoxins, metal ions, and foodborne pathogens are highlighted. This review aims to draw the attention to the silent region molecules-based SERS analytical technique and to provide theoretical support for its further applications in food safety detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astaxanthin, an oxygen-containing carotenoid derived from Haematococcus pluvialis, has excellent antioxidant properties and great potential in antioxidant, immunomodulation, anti-cancer, skin protection and aquaculture. However, the protective effect of astaxanthin on cells under the strong oxidative stress caused by external factors such as ionizing radiation has not been investigated. For this purpose, we employed γ-ray, one type of strong energy-penetrating radiations, to irradiate the normal cells, namely, BHK-21 and CHO-K1 cells, and studied the antioxidant capacity, or, the protective effect of astaxanthin in the cells. Our results showed that astaxanthin could significantly enhance the cell viability of the cells under radiation conditions by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells and reducing the radiation-caused DNA damage. Furthermore, we found that the antioxidant proteins HO-1 and p-Nrf2 were upregulated due to astaxanthin treatment, which activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway and alleviated the oxidative stress imposed by the ionizing radiation. This study therefore not only provides the evidence of the extraordinary antioxidant property of astaxanthin, but also may extend its application in radiation protection areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous domestic legislations, international treaties, agreements, conventions, and protocols to curb wildlife crimes, Bangladesh's illegal wildlife trade (IWT) crime rate has increased significantly in recent years. The provision of the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012 sets the highest seven and lowest two years punishment for killing tigers and elephants, a maximum of two years, and a minimum of six months imprisonment for killing birds. Nevertheless, the country has only 17% forest land; in this small area, wildlife crime increased 28 times in 2020, and nearly 4,000 live wild animals have been rescued, while more than 300 cases have been registered in the last ten years. We suggest that ineffective legal enforcement is the main reason for the illegal transaction of wild species through insecure border areas. Hence, successfully controlling the IWT problem in Bangladesh requires reducing the demand for wild animals, stopping the route of supplies, and combating global transnational wildlife crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of immobilized protein-based biodetection relies critically on the activity of the immobilized proteins as well as the biocompatibility of the protein surface. Although many protein immobilization strategies have been developed with satisfied detection readout signals. Non-specific interactions caused by the protein-coating surface are still of great concern since they often interfere with or affect the reliability of detection. Herein, we developed a highly efficient G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) immobilization method by the combination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with a self-labeling enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The immobilization relies on the covalent interaction between the fusion tag of a target GPCR (kinase domain of epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR) and its covalent inhibitor ibrutinib, which is modified on PEGylated silica gels. Two types of GPCRs, N-methyl-D-aspartate 2 A receptor (NMDAR 2A) and endothelin A receptor (ET A R), were used as examples to realize protein immobilization. The GPCR modified gels and the affinity columns packed with them have been extensively characterized, in terms of non-specific adsorptions, retention factor (k ′), half peak width (W 1/2), tailing factor (T f), theoretical plates (N), and association and dissociation constants of the ligands with the receptors. The immobilized GPCRs with reduced non-specific interactions and enhanced fouling resistance, salt tolerance, and chromatographic performance were clearly observed. We believe it is the first work to introduce PEGylation in GPCR immobilization and provide comprehensive proof-of-concept studies to illustrate the improved antifouling property, salt tolerance, and chromatographic performance. This method could be generally applicable in other immobilized protein-based technology for reliable biodetection. [Display omitted] • We developed a highly efficient GPCR immobilization method based on PEGylation. • Two types of GPCRs, NMDAR 2A and ET A R were applied to analyze the improvement of PEGylation. • PEGylated GPCR columns exhibited improved fouling resistance, salt tolerance, and chromatographic performance. • PEGylation provided more reliable measurements for the receptor-ligand interaction analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To understand the clinical characteristics of and explore the risk factors for mortality in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS).Methods: Data from SFTS patients diagnosed by laboratory examination at Chaohu Hospital affiliated with Anhui Medical University from June 2017 to January 2021 were retrospectively analysed. According to the clinical results, all confirmed patients were divided into the surviving group (80 patients) and non-surviving group (20 patients). The two groups were compared in terms of general characteristics, clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory indicators and other aspects. The independent risk factors for mortality in SFTS patients were analysed by multivariate binary logistic regression.Results: Univariate analysis showed a significant difference in age and the incidence of consciousness disturbance, respiratory failure, haemorrhagic manifestations, renal dysfunction, shock, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥400 U/L, creatine kinase (CK)≥1000 U/L, creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB) ≥100 U/L, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≥1000 U/L, serum creatinine ≥100 mmol/L, blood urea nitrogen ≥7.5 mmol/L and C-reactive protein ≥8 mg/L between the two groups (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Consciousness disorder, haemorrhagic manifestations, renal dysfunction, AST ≥ 400 U/L, and LDH ≥ 1000 U/L are independent risk factors for mortality in SFTS patients and merit close attention in clinical treatment to avoid fatal consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazardous chemicals are indispensable substances for the development of modern industries. However, improper storage, transportation, or handling of hazardous chemicals can cause chain disasters such as leakage and explosion, seriously threatening the safety of people's lives, society, economy, and natural environment. In this study, we analysed the occurrence and evolution process of various disaster events caused by hazardous chemical leakage based on the disaster system theory, and constructed a hazardous chemical leakage disaster chain from the aspects of disaster-causing factors, disaster-pregnant environment, hazard-affected bodies, and post-disaster losses. Taking a methane leakage accident as a case study, we conducted numerical simulation and spatio-temporal dynamic derivation on the hazardous chemical leakage disaster chain in a three-dimensional (3-D) geographic scene. This study can provide support on handling hazardous chemical leakage disasters and assist informed decision-making, including monitoring, pre-warning, disaster forecast and prevention, emergency preparedness, and post-disaster response, further improving the efficiency of emergency response and urban safety management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of evidence suggests the pivotal role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in influenza virus infection. Based on next-generation sequencing, we previously demonstrated that Lnc45 was distinctively stimulated by H5N1 influenza virus in mice. In this study, we systematically investigated the specific role of Lnc45 during influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Through qRT-PCR, we first demonstrated that Lnc45 is highly up-regulated by different subtypes of IAV strains, including H5N1, H7N9, and H1N1 viruses. Using RNA-FISH and qRT-PCR, we then found that Lnc45 can translocate from nuclear to cytoplasm during H5N1 virus infection. In addition, forced Lnc45 expression dramatically impeded viral replication of H1N1, H5N1, and H7N9 virus, while abolish of Lnc45 expression by RNA interference favored replication of these viruses, highlighting the potential broad antiviral activity of Lnc45 to IAV. Correspondingly, overexpression of Lnc45 inhibited viral polymerase activity and suppressed IAV-induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, Lnc45 significantly restrained nuclear aggregation of viral NP and PA proteins during H5N1 virus infection. Further functional study revealed that the stem ring arms of Lnc45 mainly mediated the antiviral effect. Therefore, we here demonstrated that Lnc45 functions as a broad-spectrum antiviral factor to inhibit influenza virus replication probably through inhibiting polymerase activity and NP and PA nuclear accumulation via its stem ring arms. Our study not only advances our understanding of the complexity of the IAV pathogenesis but also lays the foundation for developing novel anti-IAV therapeutics targeting the host lncRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the information technology of the Internet of Things has been developed by leaps and bounds, and the development of hardware technology has promoted the development of software technology. New concepts, new applications and new products emerge endlessly. Computer vision technology has made great progress, and industrial cameras are developing rapidly and are widely used in real life. The realization of high-definition capture and imaging functions of industrial cameras creates conditions for obtaining scientific data. This article aims to study the application of information security of the Internet of Things in the informationization of sports training and education. Correctly and objectively evaluate and understand the information security level of the Internet of Things. The guidance of computerization of sports training and education is based on the continuous and effective comparison of the implementation effect of computerization and the development strategy, and then the improvement of computerization work. Formulate the correct information strategy and provide assistance in specific implementation. On the basis of benefit, pragmatism and overall planning, formulate the correct information strategy and provide assistance in specific implementation. On the basis of benefit pragmatism and overall planning. Through experiments to master the Internet information security mechanism and use experimental questionnaire surveys and other methods to explore the application of Internet of Things information security in the informationization of sports training education, modern education must make full use of information technology, introduce physical education classroom teaching, and realize modern teaching. The experimental results of this article show that the application effect of Internet of Things information security information technology in physical education has been significantly improved. 60% of students have created better conditions for the current informationization of physical training and education, so that students can not only learn theoretical knowledge, but also deepen the understanding of sports in information teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing maturity of Internet information technology has led to the rapid rise of block-chain technology. In essence, the block-chain is a shared database. In recent years, block-chain technology has attracted the attention of the public and society. This paper mainly conducts systematic research and analysis on the integration and optimization of big data in sports training by block-chain, and achieves large-scale consensus in the case of decentralization, therefore, the information of the network will not be tampered with and forged, thus crossing the boundary of the bottom layer of the information system. This paper is based on the integration and optimization of sports training is big data. With the help of block-chain technology, each module is designed and implemented according to the needs. At the same time, the pow algorithm inside the block-chain is improved. The research results show that it is based on the block-chain. The integration and optimization of technical sports training big data can reduce the number of sports training injuries of sports school students by 10% -20%, which is very conducive to the healthy growth and development of sports school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is an information technology developed in recent years with the development of electronic sensors, intelligence, network transmission and control technologies. This is the third revolution in the development of information technology. This article aims to study the algorithm of the Internet of Things technology, through the investigation of the hazards of athletes’ sports training, scientifically and rationally use the Internet of Things technology to collect data on safety accidents in athletes’ sports training, thereby reducing the risk of athletes’ sports training and making athletes better. In this article, the methods of literature research, analysis and condensing, questionnaire survey, theory and experiment combination, etc., investigate the safety accident data collection of the Internet of Things technology in athletes’ sports training, and provide certain theories and methods for future in-depth research practice basis. The experimental results in this article show that 82% of athletes who are surveyed under the Internet of Things technology will have partial injuries during training, reducing the risk of safety accidents in athletes’ sports training, and better enabling Chinese athletes to achieve a consistent level of competition and performance through a virtuous cycle of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aminotransferases (ATs) are important biocatalysts for the synthesis of chiral amines because of their capability of introducing amino group into ketones or keto acids as well as their high enantioselectivity, high regioselectivity. Among all ATs, branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase (BCAT) can use branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) as substrate, including L-valine, L-leucine, and L-isoleucine, with α-ketoglutarate to form the corresponding α-keto acids and L-glutamate. Alternatively, BCATs have been used for the biosynthesis of unnatural amino acids, such as L-tert-leucine and L-norvaline. In the present study, the BCAT from Pseudomonas sp. (PsBCAT) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli for biochemical and structural analyses. The optimal reaction temperature and pH of PsBCAT were 40 °C and 8.5, respectively. PsBCAT exhibited a comparatively broader substrate spectrum and showed remarkably high activity with bulked aliphatic L-amino acids (kcat up to 220 s−1). Additionally, PsBCAT had activities with aromatic L-amino acids, L-histidine, L-lysine, and L-threonine. This substrate promiscuity is unique for the BCAT family and could prove useful in industrial applications. To analyze the catalytic mechanism of PsBCAT with the broad substrate spectrum, the crystal structure of PsBCAT was also determined. Based on the determined crystal structure, we found some differences in the organization of the substrate binding cavity, which may influence the substrate specificity of the enzyme. Finally, conjugated with the ornithine aminotransferase (OrnAT) to shift the reaction equilibrium towards the product formation, the coupled system was applied to the asymmetric synthesis of L-tert-leucine and L-norvaline. In summary, the structural and functional characteristics of PsBCAT were analyzed in detail, and this information will be conducive to industrial production of enantiopure chiral amino acids by aminotransferase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of main observation and conclusion: An intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition was realized through C—C bond cleavage in the presence of Rh(I) catalyst. The selective ring opening of 2‐alkylenecyclobutanols enables the generation of active alkenylrhodium species, which underwent smooth cross addition over alkynes and (E)‐2‐nitroethenylbenzene, leading to highly substituted all‐carbon six‐membered rings in a single step and in a complete atom economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires are a primary driver of biogeochemical processes in ecosystems and affect the soil nutrient balance by altering the distribution of organic matter and associated nutrients as well as the composition and availability of elemental nutrients. We investigated the changes in soils' phosphorus (P) fractions and the adsorption characteristics of potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (orthoP) and myo‐inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) at two depths (0–5 and 5–10 cm) in soils from two sites differing in fire severity: long‐unburned and heavily burned. Five years after the fire, there were increases in the total P and extractable inorganic P (H2O‐P, NaHCO3‐Pi, NaOH‐Pi, D.HCl‐Pi and C.HCl‐Pi) contents. Conversely, there was a decrease in organic P (NaHCO3‐Po, NaOH‐Po and C.HCl‐Po). The adsorption of soil for orthoP at a depth of 0–5 cm was dependent on the amount of P supplied by the soil; at low concentrations, heavily burned soil showed a lower adsorption than long‐unburned soil. However, at high concentrations, the adsorption of heavily burned soil was significantly larger than that of long‐unburned soil. With respect to IHP, the adsorption of long‐unburned soil was also more significant at depths of 0–5 cm. The adsorption of both orthoP and IHP of heavily burned soil was significantly higher than that of long‐unburned soil at a depth of 5–10 cm. Fire also decreased the binding degree (k1) of soil‐P and the solid phase at depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm. The increase in P adsorption capacity outweighed the addition of P from ash, resulting in less leaching in heavily burned areas and minimizing P loss. Overall, forest fires significantly affect the adsorption characteristics and P fractions of soil, specifically orthoP and IHP, during the initial stage of postfire recovery. These effects are closely related to the direct influences of iron oxide, soil organic matter and aluminium oxide in the soil and may even produce relatively long‐term effects on the P recycling process of the entire ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A drug-loaded diaphragm is an easy-to-use and effective drug delivery system that is often used to treat mouth ulcers. In this study, an ultrafine fiber film loaded with capsaicin was successfully prepared using the electrospinning technology. poly-l-lactic acid and gelatin were selected as the matrix materials to form the composite fiber, and trifluoroethanol was used as a co-solvent for poly-l-lactic acid, gelatin and capsaicin to prepare the spinning solution, which was simple to fabricate. The prepared fiber films were characterized based on their microscopic morphology and tested to derive their mechanical properties. Thereafter, the capsaicin release behavior of the film was investigated. In vitro experiments revealed certain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial abilities while animal experiments revealed that the capsaicin-loaded ultrafine fiber film could promote the healing of oral ulcers in rats. Healing of the tongue tissue in rats administered 10% capsaicin-loaded fiber film was found to be better than that in rats administered the commercial dexamethasone patch. Overall, this development strategy may prove to be promising for the development of oral ulcer patch formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature superconducting pulsed power transformer (HTSPPT) is an important device for pulsed power supplies. It consists of a superconducting primary and a normal conducting secondary, which is used for energy storage and current amplification. The critical current density, the energy storage, and the coupling coefficient are three main performance indexes. They are affected by the geometry parameters of HTSPPT modules, such as the height and the width of the superconducting coils. In addition, the hoop stress of the HTSPPT coils is limited by the maximum tensile strength of high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. In this paper, Bi-2223/Ag HTS tapes are selected as the wire of primary inductor and the toroidal structure model is selected for multiple HTSPPT modules. The relationships between the geometry parameters of HTSPPT modules and the electrical performance are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A drug-loaded diaphragm is an easy-to-use and effective drug delivery system that is often used to treat mouth ulcers. In this study, an ultrafine fiber film loaded with capsaicin was successfully prepared using the electrospinning technology. poly-l-lactic acid and gelatin were selected as the matrix materials to form the composite fiber, and trifluoroethanol was used as a co-solvent for poly-l-lactic acid, gelatin and capsaicin to prepare the spinning solution, which was simple to fabricate. The prepared fiber films were characterized based on their microscopic morphology and tested to derive their mechanical properties. Thereafter, the capsaicin release behavior of the film was investigated. In vitro experiments revealed certain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial abilities while animal experiments revealed that the capsaicin-loaded ultrafine fiber film could promote the healing of oral ulcers in rats. Healing of the tongue tissue in rats administered 10% capsaicin-loaded fiber film was found to be better than that in rats administered the commercial dexamethasone patch. Overall, this development strategy may prove to be promising for the development of oral ulcer patch formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Astaxanthin isomer antioxidant activities against 1O 2 can be assessed by using DPBF. • The astaxanthin 1O 2 quenching capacity is three orders of magnitude greater than that of vitamin E. • The 1O 2 quenching capacities of the optical isomers of all- trans- astaxanthin are identical. • The cis -astaxanthin 1O 2 quenching capacity is greater than that of all- trans- astaxanthin. Astaxanthin (AST) is a natural antioxidant and has been widely applied as a food supplement. While astaxanthin has many isomers, there are few studies comparing its physicochemical properties. In this work, we were concerned about their antioxidant activities against external oxidative stresses, and specifically, the singlet oxygen (1O 2) quenching capacities of the representative optical and geometric isomers of astaxanthin were examined. Methylene blue (MB) was used as the photosensitizer to produce 1O 2 , and 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) was used to probe 1O 2. Our results showed that the 1O 2 quenching capacities of the optical isomers, including 3 S ,3 ′S , 3 R ,3 ′S , and 3 R ,3 ′R all- trans -astaxanthin, are identical. In contrast, the 1O 2 quenching capacity of cis -astaxanthin is higher than that of all- trans -astaxanthin. As such, this work provides an effective spectroscopic approach to assessing the antioxidant activities of various forms of astaxanthin against singlet oxygen, and demonstrates the remarkable difference among the geometric isomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comprehensively understand the volatile compounds and assess the aroma profiles of different types of Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim. Anli, Dongmili, Huagai, Jianbali, Jingbaili, Jinxiangshui, and Nanguoli were detected via headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). The aroma composition, total aroma content, proportion and number of different aroma types, and the relative quantities of each compound were analyzed and evaluated. The results showed that 174 volatile aroma compounds were detected in various cultivars, mainly including esters, alcohols, aldehydes, and alkenes: Jinxiangshui had the highest total aroma content at 2825.59 ng/g; and Nanguoli had the highest number of aroma species detected at 108. The aroma composition and content varied among pear varieties, and the pears could be divided into three groups based on principal component analysis. Twenty-four kinds of aroma scents were detected; among them, fruit and aliphatic were the main fragrance types. The proportions of aroma types also varied among different varieties, visually and quantitatively displaying changes of the whole aroma of the different varieties of pears brought by the changes in aroma composition. This study contributes to further research on volatile compound analysis, and provides useful data for the improvement of fruit sensory quality and breeding work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We screened out potential anti-asthma compounds from herbal extracts. • Thermodynamic and kinetic data were determined by nonlinear chromatography. • The binding constants were used to calculate the drug-like properties. • Tuberostemonine is the optimal lead candidate with good drug-like properties. Drug discovery based on natural products like medicinal herbs remains challenging due to the technique limitations for rapidly screening and validating leads. To address the challenges, we employ the immobilized β 2 - adrenergic recepotor (β 2 -AR), an identified target of asthma, as the stationary phase in chromatographic column to screen compounds extracted from Stemonae Radix, Playtycodonis Radix , and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. To analyze binding properties of the extracted compounds to the immobilized receptors, we measured their retention behavior in the receptor chromatography and compared with six clinical asthma drugs. We identified tuberostemonine, platycodin D, and glycyrrhizic acid as the potential leads against asthma by our β 2 -AR chromatography coupled with mass spectrum (MS). The association constants of the three compounds to β 2 -AR were 2.85 × 10−5, 2.55 × 10−4, and 4.07 × 10−6 M with the dissociation rate constants of 6.91 ± 0.35, 11.88 ± 0.60, and 9.49 ± 0.64 min−1, respectively. Tuberostemonine, a pentacyclic Stemona alkaloids, presented the most optimum values of binding efficiency index (BEI) and surface efficiency index (SEI) as close to the diagonal of SEI–BEI optimization plane when it is compared with platycodin D, glycyrrhizic and the six clinical drugs. Our results suggest that tuberostemonine is a promising natural product to be developed for treating asthma because it exhibits better drug-like binding properties to β 2 -AR than the clinical drugs. As such, we demonstrate a chromatographic strategy to identify bioactive natural products based on the β 2 -AR immobilization, which can be widely adopted to screen natural products from mixture of herbal extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a conventional two-stage PFC converter cascaded from the Boost and DC/DC converters, the output of the Boost circuit needs high voltage level electrolytic capacitor to storage energy, which has a large volume, short lifetime and high price. A Boost/half-bridge combined soft-switching resonant PFC converter is studied. It uses the low voltage electrolytic capacitor in the output of the half-bridge circuit to balance the instantaneous power, and greatly reduces the capacitor of a PFC converter. The Boost circuit output capacitor is resonant with the leakage inductance of the transformer. The control logic using a common circuit to control the two-stage converter is discussed. Good performance of the converter with small capacitance in the output of the Boost converter improves the feasibility of the reduction in capacitance. The capacitor design methods are given. The experimental results verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ITER power supply produces abundant low frequency harmonics. The paper proposes a control strategy to suppress those harmonics by taking the credit of the converters in series connection. • The generation of the low frequency harmonics is caused by asymmetrical trigger of the AC/DC converter. • A quantitative analysis on lowA frequency harmonic based on switching function is presented. • A hybrid control strategy is proposed to reduce the low frequency harmonics around 2nd order and improve voltage response performance of ITER power supply. The Coil Power Supply System is one of the most critical systems in the ITER machine to provide controlled DC power to the superconductive magnets by large power AC/DC converters for the control of plasma initiation, shape and position. The AC/DC converter system leads to serious harmonic variation and risk of the low frequency oscillation, which has become a major concern. In addition, the deficiency of the voltage response for AC/DC converters could downgrade the performance of the plasma operation. This paper describes the configuration and series control strategy of the ITER AC/DC converter. Then, according to the theoretical analysis of the time-varying and broad-spectrum distributed ITER load harmonics, an improved hybrid control strategy is proposed based on the existing sequential control strategy. The hybrid control strategy can restrain harmonic current and improve voltage response performance by redistributing the voltage of each series connected unit. Finally, the representative simulation confirms the effectiveness of the control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myocardial bridging (MB) is common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). There are sparse data on the impact of MB on myocardial fibrosis in HCM. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between MB and myocardial fibrosis in patients with obstructive HCM. Methods: In this cohort study, retrospective data were collected from a high-volume HCM center. Patients with obstructive HCM who underwent septal myectomy and preoperative cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were screened from 2011 to 2018. Results: Finally, 492 patients were included in this study, with an average age of 45.7 years. Of these patients, 76 patients had MB. MB occurred mostly in the left anterior descending artery (73/76). The global extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was correlated with the degree of systolic compression (r = 0.33, p = 0.003). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that the degree of systolic compression was an independent risk factor for LGE (β = 0.292, p = 0.007). The LGE fraction of basal and mid anteroseptal segments in patients with severe MB (compression ratio ≥ 80%) was significantly greater than that in patients with mild to moderate MB (compression ratio < 80%). During a median follow-up of 28 (IQR: 15–52) months, 15 patients died. Kaplan–Meier analysis did not identify differences in all-cause death (log-rank p = 0.63) or cardiovascular death (log-rank p = 0.72) between patients undergoing MB-related surgery and those without MB. Conclusions: MB with severe systolic compression was significantly associated with a high extent of fibrosis in patients with obstructive HCM. Concomitant myotomy or coronary artery bypass grafting might provide excellent survival similar to that of patients without MB. Identification of patients with severe MB and providing comprehensive management might help improve the prognosis of patients with HCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of bioactive compounds in complex matrices remains a major challenge due to the lack of highly efficient and specific methods. This work developed an approach based on high‐performance affinity chromatography to identify the potential antitussive compounds from Zhisou oral liquid. The main methods include the synthesis of immobilized beta2‐adrenoceptor by a one‐step method, the screening and identification of the potential bioactive compounds by the receptor column coupled with mass spectrometry, and the binding mechanism analysis of the compounds to the receptor by the in vivo experiment, injection amount dependent method and molecular simulation. We identified the potential bioactive compounds of Zhisou oral liquid as glycyrrhizic acid, platycodin D, tuberostemonine, and hesperidin. In vivo experiment showed that the combinational utilization of the four compounds was possible to present an equivalent antitussive effect to the formula. The docking results demonstrated that hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals forces were the main forces to drive the binding of the four compounds to beta2‐adrenoceptor. We concluded that the four compounds are the effective components in Zhisou oral liquid. The proposed strategy is possible to provide an alternative for the development of highly efficient methods to pursue the bioactive compounds of complex matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an improved active frequency drift (AFD) islanding detection method of a three-phase inverter. Different than the existing single-phase AFD method, in the three-phase system, the disturbance is added to the phase angle, which takes part in coordinate transformation calculations. Thus, the frequency drift of the three-phase reference current can be realized by the disturbance of the phase angle. It is unnecessary to add frequency drift to each phase respectively with the proposed method, which can simplify the control system. Furthermore, the non-detection zone can be eliminated by updating certain parameters; therefore, the detection method is sensitive. In this paper, the application of the proposed method in a digital control system is discussed in detail. The non-detection zone is analyzed, and an elimination method is proposed. Finally, the simulation and experimental results are given to verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of the state of charge (SOC) of a lithium-ion battery is one of the key technologies in battery management systems. The accuracy of SOC estimation mainly depends on the accuracy of the battery model. The traditional Thevenin model has limited application due to its fixed parameters. In addition, its accuracy is not high. This paper proposes a variable parameter equivalent hysteresis model based on the Thevenin model. The parameters of this model are regarded as variables that vary with temperature and SOC. They can be identified by hybrid pulse power characteristic (HPPC) experiments. In addition, the model also considers the hysteresis characteristics of the open circuit voltage (OCV) and uses a mathematical recursive equation to describe it. Experimental and simulation results show that the proposed model has a higher accuracy and a wider application than the Thevenin model. On the basis of this model, SOC estimation is carried out based on modified covariance extended Kalman filter (MVEKF) at different temperatures. The results show that the SOC estimation accuracy of the MVEKF method is significantly higher than that of an extended Kalman filter (EKF). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an ultrasensitive technique for both detection and structural characterizations. To further exploit these advantages, we designed and fabricated a dual-functional SERS probe for specific capture and fast detection of small molecule ligands binding to target protein from a mixture of compounds such as extracts of natural products. As a proof of concept, we synthesized SiO 2 @Ag nanoclusters that are coated with 6-chlorohexanoic acid for covalent immobilization of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) fused with a Halo-tag through enzyme-substrate recognition. As such, we fabricated a bioconjugated SERS probe, and the synthesis, coating, protein immobilization, and affinity-based ligand binding have been characterized and verified by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and elemental mapping. By applying this probe to analyze Gardenia jasminoides extract, we have successfully identified crocin I as a compound binding to 5-HTT, which was further proved by using mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Taken together, we have developed a novel SERS probe by integrating the inherent strength of SERS in molecular analysis with an extended functionality of affinity-guided molecular capture, which has demonstrated the potential in drug screening of challenging systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perovskite layer contains a large number of charged defects that seriously impair the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), thus it is essential to develop an effective passivation strategy to heal them. Based on theoretical calculations, it is found that enhancing the electrostatic potential of passivators can improve passivation effect and adsorption energy between charged defects and passivators. Herein, an electrostatic potential modulation (EPM) strategy is developed to design passivators for highly efficient and stable PSCs. With the EPM strategy, 1‐phenylethylbiguanide (PEBG) and 1‐phenylbiguanide (PBG) are designed. It is found that the charge distribution and electrostatic potential of phenyl‐ and phenylethyl‐ substituent on the biguanide are significantly enhanced. The N atom directly bonding to the phenyl group shows larger positive charge than that bonding to the phenylethyl group. The modulated electrostatic potential makes PBG bind stronger with the defects on perovskite surface. Based on the effective passivation of EPM, a champion efficiency of 24.67% is realized and the device retain 91.5% of its initial PCE after ≈1300 h. The promising EPM strategy, which provides a principle of passivator design and allows passivation to be controllable, may advance further optimization and application of perovskite solar cells toward commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chiral zinc amidate catalyzes additions of Et 2 Zn to aldehydes in high yields and mediocre ee. • Carboxamides bearing a phosphine oxide group work as bifunctional ligands. • Spiro[indane-1,2′-pyrrolidin]-5′-one constitutes a rigid backbone for effective chiral ligands. A series of bifunctional spiro ligands bearing "carboxamide–phosphine oxide" groups and ethylzinc carboxamidates from these ligands as catalysts for Et 2 Zn additions to aldehydes were reported. Excellent yields were obtained with moderate ee′s in Et 2 Zn additions to benzaldehyde derivatives, implying effectiveness of our newly designed catalytic structures as well as mediocre stereocontrol by these chiral ligands. Possible transition states were suggested based on the crystal structures of two ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence has demonstrated the critical role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating gene expression. However, the functional significance and mechanisms underlying influenza A virus (IAV)-host lncRNA interactions are still elusive. Here, we identified a functional lncRNA, LncRNA#61, as a broad anti-IAV factor. LncRNA#61 is highly upregulated by different subtypes of IAV, including human H1N1 virus and avian H5N1 and H7N9 viruses. Furthermore, nuclear-enriched LncRNA#61 can translocate from the nucleus to the cytoplasm soon after IAV infection. Forced LncRNA#61 expression dramatically impedes viral replication of various subtypes of IAV, including human H1N1 virus and avian H3N2/N8, H4N6, H5N1, H6N2/N8, H7N9, H8N4, H10N3, H11N2/N6/N9 viruses. Conversely, abolishing LncRNA#61 expression substantially favored viral replication. More importantly, LncRNA#61 delivered by the lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated strategy shows good performance in restraining viral replication in mice. Interestingly, LncRNA#61 is involved in multiple steps of the viral replication cycle, including virus entry, viral RNA synthesis and the virus release period. Mechanistically, the four long ring arms of LncRNA#61 mainly mediate its broad antiviral effect and contribute to its inhibition of viral polymerase activity and nuclear aggregation of key polymerase components. Therefore, we defined LncRNA#61 as a potential broad-spectrum antiviral factor for IAV. Our study further extends our understanding of the stunning and unanticipated biology of lncRNAs as well as their close interaction with IAV, providing valuable clues for developing novel broad anti-IAV therapeutics targeting host lncRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pharmacist-driven (PD) dosing and monitoring services have been shown to improve the clinical and economic outcomes in patients treated with different antibiotics, other than teicoplanin. This study investigates the impact of PD dosing and monitoring services on the clinical and economic outcomes of non-critically ill patients receiving teicoplanin treatment. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted. Patients were divided into the PD group and the non-PD (NPD) group. Primary outcomes included the achievement of target serum concentration, and a composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and sepsis or septic shock development during hospitalization or within 30 days of hospital admission. The cost of teicoplanin, overall medication cost, and total cost during hospital stay were also compared. Results: A total of 163 patients from January to December 2019 were included and assessed. Seventy patients were assigned to the PD group and 93 to the NPD group. The PD group had a higher percentage of patients reaching the target trough concentration (54% versus 16%, p < 0.001). Around 26% of the patients in the PD group and 50% of the patients in the NPD group met the composite endpoint during their hospital stay (p = 0.002). The PD group exhibited a significantly lower incidence of sepsis or septic shock, shorter hospital stays, reduced drug costs, and lower total expenses. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that pharmacist-driven teicoplanin therapy can improve the clinical and economic outcomes for non-critically ill patients. Trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn; identifier, ChiCTR2000033521. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the interest in the potential pharmacological application of dandelion, the chemical constituents and activities of Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz were studied. Box–Behnken response surface methodology was employed to optimize the protocol for extraction of flavonoid from dandelion. The molecular structures of different flavonoid compounds were acquired and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Several major flavonoid compounds were isolated and purified, namely, hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside, hesperetin-7-glucuronide, kaempferol-3-glucoside, baicalein, hyperseroside, which were extracted for the first time from dandelion. Hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside was identified as a new type of flavonoid that had never reported in the literature. This new flavonoid has outstanding antioxidant activity, as shown by its IC50 value (8.72 mg/L) for scavenging DPPH free radicals. The determination of the structure-related antioxidant activities could be interpreted based on DFT calculations. As such, we have not only illustrated the rich flavonoid contents in Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz, but also revealed new types of flavonoid compounds in dandelion in terms of structure and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of state-of-charge (SOC) is crucial to determine the remaining capacity of the Lithium-Ion battery, and thus plays an important role in many electric vehicle control and energy storage management problems. The accuracy of the estimated SOC depends mostly on the accuracy of the battery model, which is mainly affected by factors like temperature, State of Health (SOH), and chemical reactions. Also many characteristic parameters of the battery cell, such as the output voltage, the internal resistance and so on, have close relations with SOC. Battery models are often identified by a large amount of experiments under different SOCs and temperatures. To resolve this difficulty and also improve modeling accuracy, a multiple input parameter fitting model of the Lithium-Ion battery and the factors that would affect the accuracy of the battery model are derived from the Nernst equation in this paper. Statistics theory is applied to obtain a more accurate battery model while using less measurement data. The relevant parameters can be calculated by data fitting through measurement on factors like continuously changing temperatures. From the obtained battery model, Extended Kalman Filter algorithm is applied to estimate the SOC. Finally, simulation and experimental results are given to illustrate the advantage of the proposed SOC estimation method. It is found that the proposed SOC estimation method always satisfies the precision requirement in the relevant Standards under different environmental temperatures. Particularly, the SOC estimation accuracy can be improved by 14% under low temperatures below 0 °C compared with existing methods. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system time delay, which can be several times greater than the switching period, is typically neglected during the design of a three-phase voltage source rectifier system. As a result, the system time delay can cause different types of deteriorations, including a surge in the ac current, an overshoot in the dc-link voltage, and a decrease in system stability. This study first develops a dc model and linear model to form the basis of the analysis of the relationships between the system time delay and deteriorations. A novel method is then proposed to provide an accurate measurement of the system time delay to improve the efficiency of compensation methods. Based on the analysis and measurement results, two new compensation methods are subsequently proposed to effectively mitigate these deteriorations. The efficiency of the measurement and compensation methods is finally demonstrated via simulations and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wildfire prediction model is crucial for accurate rescue and rapid evacuation. Existing models mainly adopt regular grids or fire perimeters to describe the wildfire landscape. However, these models have difficulty in explicitly demonstrating the local spread details, especially in a complex landscape. In this paper, we propose a wildfire spread model with an irregular graph network (IGN). This model implemented an IGN generation algorithm to characterize the wildland landscape with a variable scale, adaptively encoding complex regions with dense nodes and simple regions with sparse nodes. Then, a deep learning-based spread model is designed to calculate the spread duration of each graph edge under variable environmental conditions. Comparative experiments between the IGN model and widely used fire simulation models were conducted on a real wildfire in Getty, California, USA. The results show that the IGN model can accurately and explicitly describe the spatiotemporal characteristics of the wildfire spread in a novel graph form while maintaining competitive simulation refinement and computational efficiency (Jaccard: 0.587, SM: 0.740, OA: 0.800). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Hypothesis: Identifying the factors influencing the development of female urinary incontinence (UI) may facilitate early intervention, potentially delaying its progression. This study was aimed at investigating the impact of lifestyle habits on the severity of UI among women in East China.This study included 414 women from six communities in East China who reported symptoms of UI and was conducted between September and December 2020. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Toileting Behaviours: Women’s Elimination Behaviours scale, and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form Chinese Version. Participants were categorised into two groups: those with mild UI and those with moderate-to-severe UI. Propensity-score matching was performed to balance confounding factors, and logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between lifestyle behaviours and UI severity.A total of 117 pairs were successfully matched. Logistic regression analysis revealed that daily perineal cleaning significantly protected against moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05). Conversely, living alone, poor sleep quality and hovering over the toilet while voiding were identified as independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05).Several lifestyle habits significantly impact the severity of UI among adult women. Screening for mild urinary leakage symptoms and implementing timely interventions are crucial for preventing the aggravation of UI and improving ability to work and quality of life.Methods: Identifying the factors influencing the development of female urinary incontinence (UI) may facilitate early intervention, potentially delaying its progression. This study was aimed at investigating the impact of lifestyle habits on the severity of UI among women in East China.This study included 414 women from six communities in East China who reported symptoms of UI and was conducted between September and December 2020. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Toileting Behaviours: Women’s Elimination Behaviours scale, and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form Chinese Version. Participants were categorised into two groups: those with mild UI and those with moderate-to-severe UI. Propensity-score matching was performed to balance confounding factors, and logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between lifestyle behaviours and UI severity.A total of 117 pairs were successfully matched. Logistic regression analysis revealed that daily perineal cleaning significantly protected against moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05). Conversely, living alone, poor sleep quality and hovering over the toilet while voiding were identified as independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05).Several lifestyle habits significantly impact the severity of UI among adult women. Screening for mild urinary leakage symptoms and implementing timely interventions are crucial for preventing the aggravation of UI and improving ability to work and quality of life.Results: Identifying the factors influencing the development of female urinary incontinence (UI) may facilitate early intervention, potentially delaying its progression. This study was aimed at investigating the impact of lifestyle habits on the severity of UI among women in East China.This study included 414 women from six communities in East China who reported symptoms of UI and was conducted between September and December 2020. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Toileting Behaviours: Women’s Elimination Behaviours scale, and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form Chinese Version. Participants were categorised into two groups: those with mild UI and those with moderate-to-severe UI. Propensity-score matching was performed to balance confounding factors, and logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between lifestyle behaviours and UI severity.A total of 117 pairs were successfully matched. Logistic regression analysis revealed that daily perineal cleaning significantly protected against moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05). Conversely, living alone, poor sleep quality and hovering over the toilet while voiding were identified as independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05).Several lifestyle habits significantly impact the severity of UI among adult women. Screening for mild urinary leakage symptoms and implementing timely interventions are crucial for preventing the aggravation of UI and improving ability to work and quality of life.Conclusion: Identifying the factors influencing the development of female urinary incontinence (UI) may facilitate early intervention, potentially delaying its progression. This study was aimed at investigating the impact of lifestyle habits on the severity of UI among women in East China.This study included 414 women from six communities in East China who reported symptoms of UI and was conducted between September and December 2020. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Toileting Behaviours: Women’s Elimination Behaviours scale, and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form Chinese Version. Participants were categorised into two groups: those with mild UI and those with moderate-to-severe UI. Propensity-score matching was performed to balance confounding factors, and logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between lifestyle behaviours and UI severity.A total of 117 pairs were successfully matched. Logistic regression analysis revealed that daily perineal cleaning significantly protected against moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05). Conversely, living alone, poor sleep quality and hovering over the toilet while voiding were identified as independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe UI (p < 0.05).Several lifestyle habits significantly impact the severity of UI among adult women. Screening for mild urinary leakage symptoms and implementing timely interventions are crucial for preventing the aggravation of UI and improving ability to work and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive activation of FGF19/fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) signaling is associated with poor survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). FGFR4 inhibitors show promise for HCC treatment. F30, an indazole derivative designed through computer-aided drug design targeting FGFR4, demonstrated anti-HCC activity as described in our previous studies. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying F30's anticancer effects remain largely unexplored. We report here that F30 could effectively induce ferroptosis in HCC cells. The concentrations of cellular ferrous iron, the peroxidation of cell membranes and the homeostasis of reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG) were dysregulated by F30, thereby affecting cellular redox status. Induction of ferroptosis in HCC by F30 was inhibited by specific ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. F30 upregulates various ferroptosis-related genes, including the heme oxygenase enzymes 1 (HMOX1), a key mediator of redox regulation. Surprisingly, F30-induced ferroptosis in HCC is dependent on HMOX1. The dysregulation of cellular ferrous iron concentrations and cell membrane peroxidation was rescued when knocking down HMOX1 with specific small interfering RNA. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying FGFR4-targeting F30's anti-HCC effects and suggest that FGFR4 inactivation could be beneficial for HCC treatment involving ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of molecular weight on antibacterial activity of polysaccharides. Results showed that low molecular weight (3.105 × 104 Da) polysaccharide (GCP-2) had higher inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than high molecular weight (5.340 × 104 Da) polysaccharide (GCP-1). Meanwhile, antibacterial activities of GCP-2 and GCP-1 against S. aureus were higher than those of E. coli. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of GCP-1 against E. coli and S. aureus were 2.0 mg/mL and 1.2 mg/mL, and MICs of GCP-2 against E. coli and S. aureus were 1.75 mg/mL and 0.85 mg/mL, respectively. Antibacterial mechanisms investigation revealed that GCP-2 and GCP-1 influenced cell membrane integrity, Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase activity on cell membrane and calcium ions in cytoplasm of E. coli and S. aureus , but not cell wall. Present work provided important implications for future studies on development of antibacterial polysaccharides based on molecular weight feature. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and green approach to the preparation of peroxidase-like nanozymes by reducing and functionalizing graphene oxide (rGO) with Ganoderma polysaccharide (GP) has been achieved in this work. Our results showed that the as-fabricated nanozyme, namely rGO-GP, possessed the excellent property of simulating peroxidase with higher catalytic activity compared with GO or rGO obtained by using chitosan, which may be due to the better dispersion of rGO-GP in the solution. Steady-state kinetics studies further showed that the catalytic process conformed to Michaelis-Menten equation and ping-pong mechanism. Benefiting from the excellent peroxidase property of rGO-GP, we have also successfully established a highly sensitive and selective colorimetric detection approach to trace detection of l-cysteine (l-Cys). The limit of detection (LOD) of l-cysteine is 0.1 μM and the linear detection range is 2–30 μM. Furthermore, the nanozyme was successfully applied for detecting l-cysteine in serum. This work therefore demonstrates the advantages of rGO-GP as an effective nanozyme in both its green synthesis and detecting application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two receptors were co-immobilized in equimolar amounts by bioorthogonal reaction. • Equations for revealing drug-dual target binding on heterogeneous surface were derived. • The method is reliable, time- and ligand-efficient with improved throughput. Characterization of the drug-target interactions is pivotal throughout the whole procedure of drug development. Most of the current assays, particularly, chromatographic methods lack the capacity to reveal drug adsorption on the muti-target surface. To this end, we derived a reliable and workable mathematical equation for revealing drug bindings to dual targets on the heterogeneous surface starting from the mass balance equation. The derivatization relied on the correlation of drug injection amounts with their retention factors. Experimental validation was performed by determining the binding parameters of three canonical drugs on a heterogeneous surface, which was fabricated by fusing angiotensin receptor type I and type II receptors (AT 1 R and AT 2 R) at the terminuses of circularly permuted HaloTag (cpHaloTag) and immobilizing the whole fusion protein onto 6-bromohexanoic acid modified silica gel. We proved that immobilized AT 1 R-cpHalo-AT 2 R maintained the original ligand- and antibody-binding activities of the two receptors in three weeks. The association constants of valsartan, candesartan, and telmisartan to AT 1 R were (6.26±0.14) × 105, (9.66±0.71) × 105, and (3.17±0.03) × 105 L/mol. In the same column, their association constants to AT 2 R were (1.25±0.04) × 104, (2.30±0.08) × 104, and (8.51±0.06) × 103 L/mol. The patterns of the association constants to AT 1 R/AT 2 R (candesartan>valsartan>telmisartan) were in good line with the data by performing nonlinear chromatography on control columns containing immobilized AT 1 R or AT 2 R alone. This provided proof of the fact that the derivatization allowed the determination of drug bindings on the heterogeneous surface with the utilization of a single series of injections and linear regression. We reasoned that is simple enough to model the bindings of drug adsorption on commercially available adsorbents in fundamental or industrial fields, thus having the potential to become a universal method for analyzing the bindings of a drug to the heterogeneous surface containing multiple targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carrier phase-shift pulsewidth modulation (PWM) strategy is widely used in modular multilevel converters (MMCs), where the modulation frequency ratio of switching and fundamental frequency is a major parameter. However, a low modulation frequency ratio, which is often implemented to decrease the power loss in a high-power MMC system, can greatly decrease the harmonic frequencies of the submodules’ capacitor voltages. Such effect is defined as the frequency-decrease effect in the capacitor voltage, which can cause several severe deteriorations, such as the low-frequency fluctuations, the unstable charge–discharge state of submodules’ capacitors, and unbalance phenomenon of the capacitor voltages, thus significantly deteriorating the system working performance. This study first proposes the mechanism of the frequency-decrease effect. A quantitative analysis of the relations between the frequency-decrease effect, the modulation frequency ratio, and corresponding deteriorations is then provided, indicating the root cause of the frequency-decrease effect. Based on the analysis, an appropriate enhanced balance strategy is introduced into the system. An optimal design method is used to determine an appropriate modulation frequency ratio and to mitigate the frequency-decrease effect; and an improved balancing method, which combines the direct-bias injection and condition selection to determine the modulation wave, is used to further improve the system performance. The frequency-decrease effect, the corresponding deteriorations, and the efficiency of the enhanced balance strategy to suppress the frequency-decrease effect are finally demonstrated via simulations and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High salt seriously reduces plant growth in wheat by depressing photosynthetic carbon assimilation. In this study, wheat plants were firstly primed with nano-ZnO (50 mg L−1), and after 20-day recovery, the plants were then exposed to a 10-day salt stress (200 mM NaCl). The nano-ZnO priming significantly reduced Na concentration and increased leaf water potential under salt stress. In relation to the non-primed plants, the nano-ZnO primed plants possessed more effective oxygen scavenging system as exemplified by the enhanced activities of SOD, APX and CAT, leading to a better maintenance in homeostasis of ROS production under salt stress. The nano-ZnO priming benefited the tolerance of photosynthetic apparatus to subsequent salt stress, which was mainly due to the enhanced trapped energy flux and electron transport flux. The nano-ZnO priming increased the activities of phosphoglucomutase and cytoplasmic invertase, which promoted the sucrose biosynthesis in leaves under salt stress. In addition, the nano-ZnO primed plants had higher shoot dry weight than the non-primed plants under salt stress. Collectively, nano-ZnO priming activated the antioxidant system to depress the oxidative burst and enhanced the efficiency of photosynthetic electron transport and sucrose biosynthesis in leaves under salt stress, hereby improved the salt tolerance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance maglev competitiveness in passive stability and simple structure, a manned hybrid maglev vehicle applying permanent magnetic levitation (PML) and superconducting magnetic levitation (SML) was developed. The vehicle is mainly composed of a maglev frame, a PML part, and an SML part. The maglev frame was employed to connect the PML and SML parts. Based on the magnetic rail of our high temperature superconducting maglev test line of the “Super-Maglev,” the onboard levitation components are bespoke to match the magnetic rails. The PML part is assembled to the maglev frame by vertical linear sliders, and is able to move freely in the vertical direction for appropriate heavy load. The driving method is linear induction motor whose primaries are installed between two rails, interacting with the induction plate mounted on the SML part. The rated load is designed as 375 kg and achieved for one passenger at 15 mm field cooling height. Measurements of its mechanical property were performed under static loads. Results display that the manned hybrid maglev vehicle possesses good advantages of load ability and passive stability at the same time. The work explores a new feasible combination of the PML and the SML for maglev applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A poly(urethane) urea acrylate oligomer with dynamic hindered urea bonds is synthesized. • Nano-SiO 2 reinforces the mechanical properties without compromising the photocuring rate and transparency. • The 3D-printed elastomer incorporates ionic liquids to create a conductive elastomer. • Pyramid-Kelvin lattice microstructures increase the pressure sensitivity of the sensor. • Tailored wearable sensors are fabricated using Voronoi tessellation and kirigami art. As flexible sensors are soft and prone to damage in practical applications, stretchable conductors with self-healing capacity can extend their service life. However, existing vat photopolymerization (VP) 3D-printed self-healing elastomers generally have a tensile strength of less than 1 MPa, which limits the load-bearing capacity and application range of the flexible sensors. Herein, a photocurable oligomer comprising dynamic hindered urea bonds (HUBs) was synthesized to prepare self-healing elastomers. By using a surface-functionalized spherical nano-silica (Nano-SiO 2) for reinforcement modification, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the 3D-printed elastomer were enhanced by 73.7% and 111.3%, respectively, without compromising the transparency and photopolymerization rate. The fractured elastomer exhibited a high tensile strength of 5.44 MPa and a stretchability of 372% after self-healing. Subsequently, a stretchable ionic conductive elastomer (SICE) with high transparency and self-healing properties was developed by incorporating ionic liquids into the 3D-printed elastomer. The high resolution of VP-based 3D printing allowed the construction of pyramid-Kelvin lattice microstructures in the pressure sensor, which enhanced the pressure sensitivity of the sensor several times compared to the pyramid structure. In addition, combining Voronoi tessellation and kirigami art to fabricate tailored wearable sensors with smart structures, broadens the application range and improves the wearing comfort of the sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the bioactivities of antioxidant, anti-bacteria, anti-inflammation, immune regulation, antitumor and anti-coagulation, plant and microbial polysaccharides have been widely used in foods, medicine and cosmetics. However, how structure features affect the physicochemical property and bioactivity of plant and microbial polysaccharides is still unclear. Ultrasonic degradation usually degrades or modifies plant and microbial polysaccharides with different physicochemical properties and bioactivities by affecting their chemical or spatial structures via mechanical bond breaking and cavitation effects. Therefore, ultrasonic degradation might be an effective strategy for producing bioactive plant and microbial polysaccharides and analyzing their structure-function relationship. Present review summarized the influence of ultrasonic degradation on structural feature, physicochemical property and bioactivity of plant and microbial polysaccharides. Moreover, further problems need to be paid attention to during the application of ultrasonication for plant and microbial polysaccharides degradation are also recommended. Overall, present review will provide an efficient method for producing enhanced bioactive plant and microbial polysaccharides and analyzing their structure-activity relationship based on ultrasonic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which examination and treatment of knee damage is performed using a surgical device known as the arthroscope. Lipoma arborescens (LA), an infrequent intra-articular lesion, originates from mature adipose cells under subsynovial tissue. The synovial membrane is pale yellow with large villous projections. It is caused by various underlying factors. We found many patients with LA and processed them appropriately.The research was implemented to investigate therapeutic effect of semi-automated arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment for knee joint. Methods We used the Stryker arthroscopic in surgery that is 4 mm in diameter with angle at 30°. Patients were chosen by biomechanical analysis and scanning mode. All of the patients underwent radiographic imaging examination, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Lysholm Score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Arthroscopic limited synovectomy was carried out on these patients. Results The wound of all patients healed up. The content of follow-up includes: chief complaints, range of motion of knee joint, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Lysholm score. No swollen nor effusion of the infected knee was found in all patients during the follow-up. The postoperative symptom was markedly alleviated in fourteen patients and partially alleviated in one. All patients were satisfied with the therapeutic effect. Conclusion We performed biomechanical analysis based on knee slight flexion and extension. Arthroscopy is an endoscope for the diagnosis and treatment of joint diseases. Semi-automated arthroscopic debridement is good for early and mid-term osteoarthritis with Lipoma arborescens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series battery equalisation can improve battery charge and discharge reliability and extend battery life. Inductor-based battery equalisation schemes have the advantages of simple topologies and control strategies. According to the energy transfer pathway, inductor-based battery equalisation schemes can be divided into cell-to-cell and cell-to-pack equalisation schemes. The control strategies of the cell-to-cell schemes are simple; the inductor can only transfer energy between the neighbouring cells, so the equalisation speed is low. The cell-to-pack schemes are able to accomplish energy transfer between the cells and pack by charging and discharging the inductors. The equalisation speed is high, but the control strategies may be complex. In this paper, different equalisation topologies are reviewed, then a unified control strategy which is applicable to all of the inductor-based equalisation topologies is proposed. The equalisation speeds and efficiencies of these different schemes, including the newly-proposed unified control strategy, are analysed and compared. Based on the theoretical analysis, simulations, and experimental verifications, it is concluded that this unified control strategy can perform the battery equalisation process quickly and efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a bellwether transportation mode, albeit with hot controversy, evacuated tube transport (ETT) can dramatically reduce air friction, and incorporating Maglev technology could also thoroughly eliminate wheel-rail friction. It is not difficult to imagine that incorporation of these two technologies could establish an innovative transportation system, with particular advantages in terms of high speed, safety, energy saving, and environmental protection. The integration of these two technologies has been a great challenge, however, due to the composite technology. To realize this revolutionary idea, we have successfully developed the first proof-of-principle prototype of a 45-m-long high-temperature superconducting Maglev evacuated tube transport (HTS Maglev-ETT) test system, called the “Super-Maglev,” based on the passive self-stable HTS Maglev conceived in our group in 2000. The system mainly consists of three parts: an HTS Maglev-vehicle-guideway coupling system with 1-t load capability at a levitation gap of 10 mm, a 45-m-long racetrack-type evacuated tube with a 2-m-diameter circular cross section pumped by a hybrid air extraction system, and a 3-m linear induction motor to provide sectional propulsion. The system can achieve a pressure as low as 2.9 kPa in the tube. Experiments show that air drag on the vehicle is greatly reduced at that low air pressure, and a maximum speed of 50 km/h was recorded on the 6-m-diameter test guideway. Theoretically, the reduction of the aerodynamic consumed power could reach as high as to 90% under 10 kPa. This “Super-Maglev” strongly demonstrates the feasibility and potential merits of the HTS Maglev-ETT transportation concept. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present work, a Gynostemma pentaphyllum herb endophytic fungus of Chaetomium globosum CGMCC 6882 polysaccharide produced from tapioca starch (GCP-TS) with submerged fermentation was analyzed. GCP-TS contains rhamnose, glucosamine, galactose, glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid in the molar ratio of 6.29: 0.55: 1.12: 22.93: 10.94: 3.54. Its weight-average molecular weight, number-average molecular weight and polydispersity were 4.73 × 104 Da, 4.29 × 104 Da and 1.103, respectively. Antioxidant results showed that GCP-TS had a concentration-dependent scavenging ability against DPPH radical, superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, and ABTS radical. The corresponding scavenging capacities of GCP-TS aqueous solution at the concentration of 1.0 mg/mL were 45.11 ± 2.52, 43.58 ± 1.97, 36.27 ± 2.48, and 34.39 ± 2.06 %, respectively. Antibacterial activities of GCP-TS against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were enhanced with the increase in its concentration, and its bacteriostatic activity against S. aureus was stronger than that against E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]