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In the face of the complex interior structure of a building, indoor navigation is an important tool for people to arrive at their destination in large public buildings. In this research, we first analyze the complexity of indoor space, which mainly includes spatial entities with rich semantics, but corridors lacking in semantics, poor visibility, and multi-dimensional floors. Then, we designed various indoor navigation maps based on spatial complexity and conducted a comparative analysis between the existing maps and the ones we designed. Participants were recruited to perform three navigation tasks in the study area on-site. The results demonstrate the advantages of using a hierarchical landmark representation for improved spatial knowledge acquisition and the effectiveness of scene-enhanced directional guidance in areas with poor visibility. It is worth noting that the introduction of three-dimensional maps was found to have a positive impact on users’ spatial perception and their ability to sketch routes accurately. In summary, this evidence confirms that maps based on spatial complexity not only enhance navigation efficiency but also have the potential to improve the overall indoor navigation experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dynamics of droplet splitting driven by the thermal Marangoni effect on a wettability-confined track based on the lubrication approximation. The results demonstrate that the restriction of the hydrophobic region and the driving of the eccentric heating prompt a droplet to split asymmetrically, and the complete splitting time under the eccentric heating is shortened compared to the concentric heating. Additionally, the time required for droplet splitting decreases with an increase in temperature gradient α and eccentric distance δ, while exhibiting an initial decrease and then an increase in variation with track width E, and the mass ratio M presents a positive correlation with α, δ, and E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proton charge radius and nucleon electromagnetic polarizabilities are fundamental properties probing the electromagnetic structure of the nucleons. Proton charge radius is directly related to the proton charge distribution and the nucleon electromagnetic polarizabilities characterize the response of the charge/magnetic constituents inside the nucleon to external electromagnetic fields. A precise understanding of these quantities is crucial not only for understanding how quantum chromodynamics (QCD) works in the non-perturbative QCD region but also for bound state quantum electrodynamics (QED) calculations of atomic energy levels. We discuss the experimental approaches employed in the recent decades to determine the proton charge radius and nucleon electromagnetic polarizabilities. We summarize the present status of the proton charge radius puzzle and polarizabilities measurements. Additionally, we provide prospects for various upcoming experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analogous to the well-known proton charge radius puzzle, a similar puzzle exists for the deuteron charge radius, r d . There are discrepancies observed in the results of r d , measured from electron-deuteron ( e - d ) scattering experiments, as well as from atomic spectroscopy. In order to help resolve the charge radius puzzle of the deuteron, the PRad collaboration at Jefferson Lab has proposed an experiment for measuring r d , named DRad. This experiment is designed to measure the unpolarized elastic e - d scattering cross section in a low- Q 2 region. To extract the cross section with a high precision, having reliable knowledge of QED radiative corrections is important. In this paper, we present complete numerical calculations of the lowest-order radiative corrections in e - d scattering for the DRad kinematics. The calculations have been performed within a covariant formalism and beyond the ultra-relativistic approximation ( m e 2 ≪ Q 2 ). Besides, we present a systematic uncertainty on r d arising from higher-order radiative corrections, estimated based on our cross-section results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional deep learning models prefer large data sets, and in reality small data sets are easier to obtain. It is more practical to build models suitable for small data sets. Based on CNN, this paper proposes the concept of union convolution to build a deep learning model Union-net that is suitable for small data sets. The Union-net has small model size and superior performance. In this paper, the model is tested based on multiple commonly used data sets. The experimental results show that Union-net outperforms most models when dealing with small datasets, and Union-net outperforms other models when dealing with complex classification tasks or dealing with few-shot datasets. The codes for this paper have been uploaded to https://github.com/yeaso/union-net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze and improve ZJUSAH classification for primary brainstem hematoma, we retrospectively reviewed 211 patients with primary brainstem hemorrhage who were admitted to our institution between January 2014 and October 2020. The primary clinical outcomes were the 30-day survival rate and 90-day consciousness recovery rate, which were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic model. The overall 30-day survival rate of the 211 patients was 69.7%. The 30-day survival rate was 95% among Type 1 patients, 77.8% among Type 2 patients, and 63.2% among Type 3 patients. The 90-day consciousness recovery rate was 63.2% among Type 1 patients, 61.9% among Type 2 patients, and 30.2% among Type 3 patients. Our findings suggest that ZJUSAH classification can be optimized according to hematoma volume, with Type 3 patients with a hematoma larger than 12.4 mL tending to have a worse state of consciousness. Additionally, we discovered that ZJUSAH classification is valuable in predicting 30-day survival rates in conservative treatment patients. In conclusion, our study established and optimized a new CT-based hematoma classification system for primary brainstem hematoma, which facilitates treatment selection and prognostic prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rich and accurate tactile perceptive capability is important for both humans and robots. Soft materials exhibit unique characteristics to construct high‐performance tactile sensors such as high sensitivity and high resistance to overload. In this work, a multiaxis tactile sensor based on a soft anisotropic waveguide that can distinguish normal force and shear force, which can greatly expand its potential uses in practice, is reported. First, the anisotropy of the waveguide sensor's response to vector forces is validated numerically and experimentally, and then two of those anisotropic units are embedded into one cladding with a crossed‐over layout, to form a multiaxis sensor. Then, a calibration algorithm is implemented on this sensor and the reconstruction of vector forces is achieved at an average accuracy of 28.0 mN for normal forces and 81.1 mN for shear forces, both with the sensing range of 1 N. Using this device, three demonstrations are shown to give outlooks of its potential application in human and robotic grasping tasks: a wearable tactile sensor for collecting human's haptic data during operation, a uniaxial gyroscope, and a robotic gripper's tactile sensor for assisting an unlocking task with a key. This work is a step toward more functional soft waveguide‐based force sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the era of big data, people are more likely to pay attention to privacy protection with facing the risk of personal information leakage while enjoying the convenience brought by big data technology. Furthermore, people's views on personal information leakage and privacy protection are varied, playing an important role in the legal process of personal information protection. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a semi-qualitative method based framework to reveal the subjective patterns about information leakage and privacy protection and further provide practical implications for interested party. Design/methodology/approach: Q method is a semi-qualitative methodology which is designed for identifying typologies of perspectives. In order to have a comprehensive understanding of users' viewpoints, this study incorporates LDA & TextRank method and other information extraction technologies to capture the statements from large-scale literature, app reviews, typical cases and survey interviews, which could be regarded as the resource of the viewpoints. Findings: By adopting the Q method that aims for studying subjective thought patterns to identify users' potential views, the authors have identified three categories of stakeholders' subjectivities: macro-policy sensitive, trade-offs and personal information sensitive, each of which perceives different risk and affordance of information leakage and importance and urgency of privacy protection. All of the subjectivities of the respondents reflect the awareness of the issue of information leakage, that is, the interested parties like social network sites are unable to protect their full personal information, while reflecting varied resistance and susceptibility of disclosing personal information for big data technology applications. Originality/value: The findings of this study provide an overview of the subjective patterns on the information leakage issue. Being the first to incorporate the Q method to study the views of personal information leakage and privacy protection, the research not only broadens the application field of the Q method but also enriches the research methods for personal information protection. Besides, the proposed LDA & TextRank method in this paper alleviates the limitation of statements resource in the Q method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs) align well with positive psychology philosophy and practices, but trials of SG-MBIs have largely focused on ill-being. This study developed a mindfulness-based positive psychology (MBPP) intervention integrating positive psychology with an SG-MBI to enhance well-being. A randomized control trial was performed to compare MBPP with a waitlist condition among 138 Chinese participants. The results showed that MBPP significantly reduced negative emotions for subjective well-being and significantly improved environmental mastery for psychological well-being. Improvements in self-compassion and negative attitudes but not avoidance, mediated changes in well-being. Changes in positive emotions, positive relations, and awareness were associated with the amount of meditation practice. These findings showed that MBPP is promising for improving well-being and that the positive psychology components play important roles. Broadly, the study illustrated that positive psychology and SG-MBIs can be effectively integrated, and it supported the further application of SG-MBIs from the positive psychology perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of smartphones among adolescents has led to earlier exposure, while also drawing more attention to problematic smartphone use (PSU) from the public. Previous studies have established a significant link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and problematic behaviors. This research delves deeper into the connection between ACEs and PSU, exploring the mediating effects of perceived discrimination and rumination. Using a cross-sectional design and multiple questionnaires, including the Revised Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), Perceived Discrimination Scale (PDS), and Rumination Responses Scale (RRS), the study involved 1624 Chinese middle school students. Correlation analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between adverse childhood experiences, perceived discrimination, rumination, and problematic smartphone use. Regression analysis results indicated that perceived discrimination and rumination acted as serial mediators in the association between adverse childhood experiences and problematic smartphone use. Specifically, (1) adverse childhood experiences directly influenced problematic smartphone use, (2) both perceived discrimination and rumination partially mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and problematic smartphone use, and (3) perceived discrimination and rumination sequentially mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and problematic smartphone use. These findings suggest that addressing perceived discrimination and reducing rumination can alleviate problematic smartphone use among middle school students with adverse childhood experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new strategy to realize efficient kinetic separation of hexane isomers. • A benchmark for the hexane isomers separation via kinetic mechanism. • Record capacity, record kinetic selectivities and record productivity. The separation of mono- and di-branched hexane isomers remains an important and challenging industrial process for the production of high-octane gasoline. Suitable adsorbents with high adsorption selectivity and capacity are urgently required. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy to realize highly efficient kinetically controlled hexane isomers adsorption separation that utilizes the tunability of the pore limiting diameter in M 2 TTFTB (M=Zn, Mn, Cd) by metal substitution. The appropriate refinement of the partially contracted pore not only improved the kinetic selectivities, but also enhanced the host–guest interaction and increased the adsorption capacity of 3MP and nHEX. The resulting Mn 2 TTFTB brought about both the record capacity of 3MP and the record kinetic selectivities of 3MP/22DMB and nHEX/22DMB, exhibiting the largest productivity of high-purity 22DMB in the breakthrough experiments, which sets a new benchmark for the hexane isomers separation via a rarely reported kinetically controlled mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-flavors have garnered significant attention in research due to their impact on overall flavor, which leads consumers to avoid purchasing or consuming food products with off-flavors, even if they offer health benefits. However, there has been limited research on encapsulating off-flavor compounds as a means to mask them and to improve the flavor profiles of food products. Starch, particularly its amylose component, is well-known for its ability to form inclusion complexes (ICs) with various small molecules, providing protection and controlled release of these encapsulated guest molecules. The complexation interaction between starch and guest compounds is influenced by factors such as the structure and chemistry of the guest, as well as the process method and parameters. In the present study, nine different beany off-flavor compounds, including hexanal (HAL), 3-hexanol (HOL), benzaldehyde (BAL), 1-octen-3-ol (OOL), 1-octen-3-one (ONE), 2-pentylfuran (PTF), trans -2-nonenal (NAL), trans, trans -2,4-nonadienal (NAD), and trans, trans -2,4-decadienal (DEC) were used as model off-flavors to examine their complexation ability with three types of preformed "empty" V-type high amylose maize starches (HAMS), namely V 6h , V 7 , and V 8. The successful formation of inclusion complexes was characterized using complementary techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that the complexation of off-flavor compounds with the starches did not significantly alter the original structures of the starches. Additionally, the IC samples prepared using the gas phase (GP) approach exhibited significantly higher encapsulation efficiency compared to the direct contact (DC) approach, as indicated by GC-MS analysis. Among the V-type starches, V 6h HAMS demonstrated the highest complexation efficiency for all selected beany off-flavor compounds when the ICs were prepared using the GP approach. This study suggests that both V 6h and V 8 starches exhibit effective scavenging abilities for beany off-flavor compounds. Further, complexation properties depend on the properties of the off-flavor compounds, the type of V starch used, and the IC preparation approach. [Display omitted] • Scavenging beany off-flavor compounds by preformed "empty" V-type starch. • Starch structure not significantly altered upon complexation. • Guest structure influenced scavenging efficiency, especially in direct contact approach. • V 6h -type starch has shown as the most effective through gas phase approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombination plays important roles in the genetic diversity and evolution of Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71). The phylogenetics of EV-A71 in mainland China found that one strain DL71 formed a new subgenotype C6 with unknown origin. This study investigated the detailed genetic characteristics of the new variant. DL71 formed a distinct cluster within genotype C based on the genome and individual genes (5′UTR, VP4, VP1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3D, and 3′UTR). The average genetic distances of the genome and individual genes (VP3, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3C, and 3D) between DL71 and reference strains were greater than 0.1. Nine recombination events involving smaller fragments along DL71 genome were detected. The strains Fuyang-0805a (C4) and Tainan/5746/98 (C2) were identified as the parental strains of DL71. In the non-recombination regions, DL71 had higher identities with Fuyang-0805a than Tainan/5746/98, and located in the cluster with C4 strains. However, in the recombination regions, DL71 had higher identities with Tainan/5746/98 than Fuyang-0805a, and located in the cluster with C2 strains. Thus, DL71 was a novel multiple inter-subgenotype recombinant derived from the dominant subgenotype C4 and the sporadic subgenotype C2 strains. Monitoring the emergence of new variants by the whole-genome sequencing remains essential for preventing disease outbreaks and developing new vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As electromagnetic environments are increasingly complex, there are more kinds of radar jamming signals. Active jamming recognition has problems of the low recognition accuracy and the high computational complexity, especially under a low jamming‐to‐noise ratio (JNR). Herein, a deep learning network based on bilinear EfficientNet and attention mechanism is proposed to recognise and classify eight kinds of jamming signals automatically. Firstly, the one‐dimensional interference signal is transformed into a two‐dimensional time–frequency image by the time–frequency analysis. Based on the transfer learning of EfficientNet‐B3, the effective features of the time–frequency image are automatically extracted by the two‐way network with attention mechanism, and the active interference classification is realised. The experimental results show that the method's overall recognition rate for eight kinds of interference signals is more than 97.5% when the JNR is −8 dB and is close to 100% at −2 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In hepatocellular carcinoma patients, due to the microenvironmental specificity of liver, the tumor microenvironment exhibits high immunosuppression and drug resistance, resulting in excessive or insufficient responses to immunotherapy. The dynamic interactions between tumor cells and immune modulators in the TME significantly impact the occurrence and development of tumors, efficacy, and drug resistance, which can create a much more positive response to immunotherapy. Moreover, with the wide application of single-cell sequencing technology in the TME, increasing evidence shows an interaction network among cells. Sequencing results suggest that specific tumor-associated macrophages are a hub node, connecting different cell populations in the cell interaction network, and can could regulate tumor generation and antitumor immunity. This review focused on therapeutic targets that could be targeted to remodel the tumor microenvironment and reprogram the tumor-associated macrophage phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, thereby improving immunotherapeutic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐layered plasmonic nanostructures are able to highly promote the near‐field confinement and effectively activate analytes, which are of predominate significance but are extremely challenging. Herein, the semi‐open Au core@carved AuAg multi‐shell superstructure nanoparticles (multi‐Au@Ag‐Au NPs, multi = mono, bi, tri, tetra, and penta) are reported with a high designability on electromagnetic field and capability of effectively capturing analytes. By controlling synthetic parameters such as the number of galvanic exchange and Ag growth, multi‐Au@Ag‐Au NPs are successfully obtained, with tunable layer numbers and asymmetric nanoholes. Due to collective plasmon oscillations of multi‐layered built‐in nanogaps, the electromagnetic field strength of a single penta‐Au@Ag‐Au entity reach 48841. More importantly, the penta‐Au@Ag‐Au NPs show a remarkable light‐harvesting capability, which is adaptive to different Raman lasers, supporting high‐diversity detection. Additionally, the structural specificity allows analytes to be sufficiently captured into interior hotspots, and further achieve highly sensitive detection with limit of detection down to 3.22 × 10−12 M. This study not only provides an effective pathway for integrating abundant hotspots and activating target molecules in single plasmonic superstructure, but stimulates advancements in SERS substrates for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Platelet-neutrophil aggregates (PNAs) are fundamental mechanisms linking hemostasis and inflammatory processes. Elevated level of PNAs have been reported in inflammatory diseases and coronary artery diseases. However, studies on the correlation between PNAs formation and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) are not available. Methods: A total of 92 participants were involved in this study, including 32 cases with DVT and 60 cases without DVT. Blood samples coagulated by K2-EDTA or sodium citrate were prepared for blood cell count and blood smears. PNAs and platelet activation were measured using flow cytometry. The correlation between platelet activation level and PNAs level was analyzed by linear regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed, assessing the prognostic performance of PNAs to predict potential risk of DVT occurrence. Results: PNAs was found in the blood smears of patients with DVT. Significant increased level of PNAs was identified in DVT group (medium 8.43%, interquartile range [IQR] 4.11%–15.69%), compared with that in control group (5.16%, IQR 2.40–9.60, p<0.01). The DVT group also showed a dramatic elevated level of total platelet activation (medium 16.06%, IQR 6.04–22.05) vs. control group (11.26%, IQR 5.54–19.99, p<0.05). The PNAs level was correlated with total platelet activation (r2=0.58, p<0.0001). A significantly high odds ratio (OR) of DVT occurrence was identified when the level of PNAs was higher than 7.4% (OR 3.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.463–8.838, p<0.01). Conclusions: An elevated level of PNAs was associated with risk of DVT occurrence, which might be a suitable marker predicting DVT development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic conversion of low‐concentration CO2 is considered as a promising way to simultaneously mitigate the environmental and energy issues. However, the weak CO2 adsorption and tough CO2 activation process seriously compromise the CO production, due to the chemical inertness of CO2 molecule and the formed fragile metal‐C/O bond. Herein, we designed and fabricated oxygen vacancy contained Co3O4 hollow nanoparticles on ordered macroporous N‐doped carbon framework (Vo−HCo3O4/OMNC) towards photoreduction of low‐concentration CO2. In situ spectra and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the constructed oxygen vacancy is able to break the local structural symmetry of Co−O−Co sites. The formation of asymmetric active site switches the CO2 configuration from a single‐site linear model to a multiple‐sites bending one with a highly stable configuration, enhancing the binding and structural polarization of CO2 molecules. As a result, Vo−HCo3O4/OMNC shows unprecedent activity in the photocatalytic conversion of low‐concentration CO2 (10 % CO2/Ar) under laboratory light source or even natural sunlight, affording a syngas yield of 337.8 or 95.2 mmol g−1 h−1, respectively, with an apparent quantum yield up to 4.2 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic conversion of low‐concentration CO2 is considered as a promising way to simultaneously mitigate the environmental and energy issues. However, the weak CO2 adsorption and tough CO2 activation process seriously compromise the CO production, due to the chemical inertness of CO2 molecule and the formed fragile metal‐C/O bond. Herein, we designed and fabricated oxygen vacancy contained Co3O4 hollow nanoparticles on ordered macroporous N‐doped carbon framework (Vo−HCo3O4/OMNC) towards photoreduction of low‐concentration CO2. In situ spectra and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the constructed oxygen vacancy is able to break the local structural symmetry of Co−O−Co sites. The formation of asymmetric active site switches the CO2 configuration from a single‐site linear model to a multiple‐sites bending one with a highly stable configuration, enhancing the binding and structural polarization of CO2 molecules. As a result, Vo−HCo3O4/OMNC shows unprecedent activity in the photocatalytic conversion of low‐concentration CO2 (10 % CO2/Ar) under laboratory light source or even natural sunlight, affording a syngas yield of 337.8 or 95.2 mmol g−1 h−1, respectively, with an apparent quantum yield up to 4.2 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effectiveness of conservative treatment of endometrial carcinoma (EC) with oral progesterone therapy, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), can be blunted due to primary or acquired resistance, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Methods: Genome-wide CRISPR screening was performed to identify potential regulators in response to MPA in Ishikawa cells. Crystal violet staining, RT–qPCR, western blotting, ChIP–qPCR and luciferase assays were employed to elucidate the p53-AarF domain-containing kinase 3 (ADCK3) regulatory axis and its roles in sensitizing EC cells to MPA treatment. Results: ADCK3 is identified as a previously unrecognized regulator in response to MPA in EC cells. Loss of ADCK3 in EC cells markedly alleviated MPA-induced cell death. Mechanistically, loss of ADCK3 primarily suppresses MPA-mediated ferroptosis by abrogating arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) transcriptional activation. Moreover, we validated ADCK3 as a direct downstream target of the tumor suppressor p53 in EC cells. By stimulating the p53-ADCK3 axis, the small-molecule compound Nutlin3A synergized with MPA to efficiently inhibit EC cell growth. Conclusions: Our findings reveal ADCK3 as a key regulator of EC cells in response to MPA and shed light on a potential strategy for conservative EC treatment by activating the p53-ADCK3 axis to sensitize MPA-mediated cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many bioactive secondary metabolites synthesized by fungi have important applications in many fields, such as agriculture, food, medical and others. The biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is a complex process involving a variety of enzymes and transcription factors, which are regulated at different levels. In this review, we describe our current understanding on molecular regulation of fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis, such as environmental signal regulation, transcriptional regulation and epigenetic regulation. The effects of transcription factors on the secondary metabolites produced by fungi were mainly introduced. It was also discussed that new secondary metabolites could be found in fungi and the production of secondary metabolites could be improved. We also highlight the importance of understanding the molecular regulation mechanisms to activate silent secondary metabolites and uncover their physiological and ecological functions. By comprehensively understanding the regulatory mechanisms involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, we can develop strategies to improve the production of these compounds and maximize their potential benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic sensing, multiaxis, soft materials, tactile sensors, waveguides Keywords: anisotropic sensing; multiaxis; soft materials; tactile sensors; waveguides EN anisotropic sensing multiaxis soft materials tactile sensors waveguides 1 1 1 11/15/22 20221101 NES 221101 B Tactile Sensors b In article number 2200595, Xin-Jun Liu, Huichan Zhao, and co-workers present compact multi-axis tactile sensor for both human and robotic grasping. Conformable and Compact Multiaxis Tactile Sensor for Human and Robotic Grasping via Anisotropic Waveguides (Adv. [Extracted from the article]

Congenital (hypo)dysfibrinogenemia patients may have obstetric complications during their pregnancies. This study aimed to evaluate thromboelastography ( TEG) as a potential tool for assessing the tendency for obstetric complications in those patients in a non-pregnant state. A total of 22 female subjects with congenital (hypo)dysfibrinogenemia were recruited. Nine subjects had histories of obstetric complications and the other 13 subjects had at least one uneventful pregnancy without obstetric complications as yet. Detailed clinical investigation and phenotype/genotype detection were carried out, and both kaolin-activated TEG and functional fibrinogen TEG ( FF- TEG) were applied in all subjects. Significant differences were identified in all TEG parameters except for R and angle between these two groups ( P < 0.05) by covariance analysis. Receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) analysis of discrimination between these two groups of patients was performed for TEG parameters. Significantly high odds ratio ( OR) of obstetric complications occurrence were demonstrated in K ≥ 3.8 min, maximum amplitude ( MA) ≤ 54.2 mm, comprehensive index (CI) ≤ −3 (11.67, 95% CI 1.527-89.121, P < 0.05 in all), and MA- CFF ≤ 12.1 mm (20.00, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.967-203.322, P = 0.002). Moreover, MA- CFF had better prognostic performance, with a corresponding area under the receiver operating curve of 0.923 (range 0.815-1.031, P = 0.001). This study suggests that (hypo)dysfibrinogenemia patients with values outside of the cut-off values of TEG assays under non-pregnant state may have a higher risk of obstetric complications occurring when they are pregnant. No parameters under non-pregnant state in clinical laboratory have ever been reported to be risk factors for obstetric complication occurrence in (hypo)dysfibrinogenemia patients. This study explored such parameters in TEG assays and found that parameters of TEG assays under non-pregnant status might predict the occurrence of obstetric complications, which could provide physicians with important information about whether fibrinogen replacement therapy is required, so as to prevent the occurrence of obstetric complications, especially for patients who are asymptomatic in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Congenital dysfibrinogenemia (CD) is a rare qualitative disorder of fibrinogen (Fg) with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. We aimed to analyze clinical phenotype and molecular basis of 102 Chinese CD patients and to evaluate the application of thromboelastography (TEG). Materials and methods Clinical manifestations were recorded and quantified using the consensus ISTH bleeding assessment tool. Kaolin activated TEG and functional Fg TEG were applied in 30 patients. Genetic analysis of Fg genes were performed by direct sequencing. Results 27.5% patients experienced bleeding, 3.9% had thrombosis and 68.6% were asymptomatic. Females were more prone to experience bleeding (P = 0.01). Significant difference (P < 0.05) in TEG results were found between patients with hot-spot mutations at AαArg35(16) and γArg301(275), but were not identified between patients with and without bleeding. Normal TEG results were found in patients with mutations at AαArg35(16), AαPro37(18) or AαArg38(19). Six novel mutations were identified, including AαGly33(14)del, AαAsp57(38)_Trp60(41)delIVS2 + 1_ + 2GTdel, AαPhe742(723)Tyr, γAsn334(308)Thr, γGly335(309)Cys and γTrp395(369)Leu. Conclusions CD patients have similar clinical manifestations and hot-spot mutations worldwide with no ethnic difference. TEG results could not indicate the bleeding risk in patients, but priority of mutation screening at thrombin cleavage site or polymerization site on Aа chain may be given if TEG results are normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the linear and weakly nonlinear stability of a liquid film flowing down an inclined plane with an insoluble surfactant. First, the nonlinear evolution equations of a liquid film thickness and surfactant concentration are derived using the long-wave expansion method at a moderate Reynolds number (0 < Re ≤ 20). The linear stability of the flow is examined using the normal-mode method, and the linear stability criterion and critical Reynolds number Rec are obtained. The results reveal the destabilizing nature with increasing Reynolds number Re and the stabilizing nature with increasing Marangoni number M. Second, the nonlinear equations described by the complex Ginzburg–Landau equation are obtained using the multiple-scale method to investigate the weakly nonlinear stability of the system. The results show that a new linear instability region appears above the neutral stability curve caused by the solute-Marangoni effect, which develops into a supercritical stable zone under the influence of nonlinear factors. Increasing M generally improves the stability of the flow but continuing to increase M under the condition of M > Mc (critical Marangoni number) improves the nonlinear instability in the region and transforms part of the unconditional stability zone into a subcritical instability zone. The increase in Re extends an explosive unstable zone and reduces the threshold amplitude in the subcritical unstable zone. In contrast, the unconditional stable zone decreases and disappears after increasing Re to a specific value, which reflects the destabilizing effect of Re on the nonlinear zone of the flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch, especially its amylose component, is well-known to form inclusion complexes with a variety of small molecules such as fatty acids. The structure of the lipid guest could affect its complexation ability and other properties such as thermal stability. The present study aimed to investigate the complexation ability and the physicochemical properties of high amylose maize starch (HAMS) inclusion complexes with C18 fatty acids of various numbers and positions of double bonds, including octadecanoic (stearic, SA), (Z)-octadec-9-enoic (oleic, OA), (E)-octadec-9-enoic (elaidic, EA), (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic (linoleic, LA), (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic (α-linolenic, ALA), and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). Two complexation methods were used, which are the DMSO method and the "empty" V-type method. The formation, structural characteristics, and thermal properties of inclusion complexes formed were examined by complementary techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. As the guest fatty acid became more unsaturated and as the number of double bonds increased, the dissociation temperatures of HAMS-fatty acid inclusion complexes formed decreased with either complexation method. The DMSO method resulted in the formation of Form I inclusion complexes only, whereas the "empty" V-type method promoted the formation of Form II inclusion complexes with higher thermal stability. In addition, ethanol concentration was found to influence the formation of inclusion complexes when using the "empty" V-type method, and intermediate concentrations were more favorable to maintain a stable and flexible amylose helical structure to form inclusion complexes with higher crystallinity and thermal stability. [Display omitted] • Starch inclusion complexes formed with C18 fatty acids of different chain configuration. • Lamellar thickness and thermal stability increased with degree of saturation. • Trans-double bonds facilitate complexation compared to cis-double bonds. • Form I & II type complex structures formed by empty helix method. • Ethanol content affected chain flexibility and thus the proportions of Form I & II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear component of starch, especially amylose, is capable of forming inclusion complex (IC) with various small molecules. It could significantly modify the structure and properties of starch, and it could bring beneficial effects when bioactive compounds can be encapsulated. This review discusses the formation and characterization of the starch-guest IC and focuses on the recent developments in the use of starch ICs for the encapsulation and controlled release of bioactive guest compounds. A great number of guest compounds, such as lipids, aroma compounds, pharmaceuticals, and phytochemicals, were studied for their ability to be complexed with starch and/or amylose and some of the formed ICs were evaluated for the chemical stability improvement and the guest release regulation. Starch-guest ICs has a great potential to be a delivery system, as most existing studies demonstrated the enhancement on guest retention and the possibility of controlled release. • A variety of bioactive compounds can form inclusion complex with starch. • Methods of preparation, characterization, and guest quantification were developed. • Controlled release kinetics were evaluated by both in vitro and in vivo studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing research indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in the development of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aimed to determine the role of circRNA CCND1 in UC bio-progression, which has been shown to be downregulated in UC tissues. Methods: Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the levels of circRNA CCND1, miR-142-5p, and nuclear receptor coactivator-3 (NCOA3) in UC tissues and in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Caco-2 cells. Target sites of circRNA CCND1 and miR-142-5p were predicted using StarBase, and TargetScan to forecast potential linkage points of NCOA3 and miR-142-5p, which were confirmed by a double luciferase reporter-gene assay. Cell Counting Kit 8 and flow cytometry assays were performed to assess Caco-2 cell viability and apoptosis. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were detected using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits. Results: CircRNA CCND1 was downregulated in UC clinical samples and LPS-induced Caco-2 cells. In addition, circRNA CCND1 overexpression suppressed LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammatory responses in Caco-2 cells. Dual-luciferase reporter-gene assays showed that miR-142-5p could be linked to circRNA CCND1. Moreover, miR-142-5p was found to be highly expressed in UC, and its silencing inhibited LPS-stimulated Caco-2 cell apoptosis and inflammatory responses. Importantly, NCOA3 was found downstream of miR-142-5p. Overexpression of miR-142-5p reversed the inhibitory effect of circRNA CCND1-plasmid on LPS-stimulated Caco-2 cells, and the effects of miR-142-5p inhibitor were reversed by si-NCOA3. Conclusion: CircRNA CCND1 is involved in UC development by dampening miR-142-5p function, and may represent a novel approach for treating UC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation is involved in governing the mechanism of tumor progression. We aimed to excavate the biological role and mechanism of the m6A methyltransferase METTL3 in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Methods: METTL3 expression was determined by database and tissue microarray analyses. The role of METTL3 in CCA was explored by loss- and gain-of-function experiments. The m6A target of METTL3 was detected by RNA sequencing. The role of AKR1B10 in CCA was explored, and the association between METTL3 and AKR1B10 was confirmed by rescue experiments. Result: METTL3 expression was upregulated in CCA tissue, and higher METTL3 expression was implicated in poor prognoses in CCA patients. Overexpression of METTL3 facilitated proliferation, migration, invasion, glucose uptake, and lactate production in CCA cells, whereas knockdown of METTL3 had the opposite effects. We further found that METTL3 deficiency inhibited CCA tumor growth in vivo. RNA sequencing and MeRIP-qPCR confirmed that METTL3 enhanced AKR1B10 expression and m6A modification levels. Furthermore, METTL3 directly binds with AKR1B10 at an m6A modification site. A CCA tissue microarray showed that AKR1B10 expression was upregulated in CCA tissue and that silencing AKR1B10 suppressed the malignant phenotype mentioned above in CCA. Notably, knockdown of AKR1B10 rescued the tumor-promoting effects induced by METTL3 overexpression. Conclusion: Elevated METTL3 expression promotes tumor growth and glycolysis in CCA through m6A modification of AKR1B10, indicating that METTL3 is a potential target for blocking glycolysis for application in CCA therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasive utilization of plastics and their integration into ecosystems has resulted in significant environmental issues, particularly the pollution of microplastics (MPs). In aquaculture, high‐fat feed (HFD) is frequently employed to enhance the energy intake and economic fish production. This study utilized zebrafish as a model organism to investigate the impact of concurrent exposure to HFD and MPs on fish intestinal pathology damage and intestinal microbiome. The experimental design involved the division of zebrafish into two groups: one receiving a normal diet (ND) and the other receiving HFD. The zebrafish were exposed to a control group, as well as polystyrene (PS) MPs of varying sizes (5 and 50 μm). Histopathological examination revealed that the combination of 5 μm MPs and HFD resulted in the most significant damage to the zebrafish intestinal tract. Furthermore, gut microbiome assays indicated that exposure to MPs and HFD altered the composition of the gut microbiome. This study demonstrates that in aquaculture, the issue of HFD must be considered alongside concerns about MPs contamination, as both factors appear to have a combined effect on the intestinal pathology damage and intestinal microbiome. The findings of this research offer valuable insights for the improvement of fish farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods were successfully prepared via calcination reduction process using glucose as reductant, and they were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and VSM techniques. The influences of additive concentration, solution volume, reaction temperature and reaction time on morphology and the properties of Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods were investigated. Firstly, α-Fe2O3 nanorods were prepared by the hydrothermal approach, and the FeCl3 concentration of 20 mM, the NH4H2PO4 concentration of 0.96 mM, the hydrothermal volume of 60 mL, the hydrothermal temperature of 180 °C, and hydrothermal time of 12 h were selected as the optimum conditions. Secondly, magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods calcined at 600 °C for 3 h with the mass ratio of 1:20 for α-Fe2O3 nanorods and glucose were constructed with largest saturation magnetization of 78.2 emu/g, their average length and average diameter were about 215.0 nm and 79.2 nm, respectively. An optimization process for the fabrication of magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods was introduced in this paper. Thereinto, α-Fe2O3 nanorods as a precursor were fabricated by hydrothermal method, and using glucose as a reduction agent to prepare the results products by high-temperature calcination. The influences of FeCl3 concentrations, NH4H2PO4 concentration, solution volume, hydrothermal temperature, hydrothermal time and the ratio of the precursors and glucose on the morphologies and magnetic properties of α-Fe2O3 and magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods were investigated, and their influence rules were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological processes (e.g., nutrient cycling) in riparian zones are often affected by land-use type and flooding. The extent to which land-use types and flooding conditions affect soil microorganisms and their ecological functions in riparian zones is not well known. By using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR (q-PCR), we tested the effects of three land-use types (i.e., forest, wetland, and grassland) and two flooding conditions (i.e., landward locations and waterward locations within the land-use types) on soil microbial communities and microbial functional genes in the riparian zones of a reservoir. Land-use type but not flooding significantly affected soil microbial community composition at the phylum level, while both land-use type and flooding significantly affected the orders Nitrosotaleales and Nitrososphaerales. Alpha diversity was higher in the wetland and forest regardless of flooding conditions. Functional gene abundance differed among the three land-use types. Archaeal amoA (AOA) and nirS genes were more abundant in the wetland than in the grassland or forest. Bacterial amoA (AOB), nirK, nirS, and nosZ genes were more abundant in the waterward location than in the landward location but only in the wetland. Soil pH, moisture, and concentrations of soil organic matter and total soil nitrogen were significantly associated with the composition of archaeal and bacterial communities as well as with their gene abundance. This study revealed that soil microorganisms putatively involved in nitrogen cycling in riparian zones were more affected by land-use type than flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for almost 80% of such death. Tumor associated macrophage (TAMs) are abundant components in NSCLC. TAMs play critical roles in angiogenesis, immune escape and chemoresistance. Here we developed a dual-targeting drug delivery system (CaZOL@BMNPs) of zoledronate, which could bind to both tumor cells with overexpressed biotin receptors and macrophage mannose receptor (MMR) positive TAMs. The biotin- and mannose-modified lipid coated calcium zoledronate nanoparticles were preferentially internalized in both tumor cells and TAMs, and thereby inhibited their survivals. Our studies demonstrated that CaZOl@BMNPs treatment obviously reduced angiogenesis, reprogrammed immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and eventually restrained tumor progression with negligible systemic toxicity. Collectively, CaZOL@BMNPs could be a promising approach by dual-targeting tumor cells and TAMs for NSCLS chemoimmunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic glycan labeling provides a facile yet powerful tool to install chemical tags to the cell membrane via metabolic glycoengineering processes of unnatural sugars. These cell-surface chemical tags can then mediate targeted conjugation of therapeutic agents via efficient chemistries, which has been extensively explored for cancer-targeted treatment. However, the commonly used in vivo chemistries such as azide-cyclooctyne and tetrazine-cyclooctene chemistries only allow for one-time use of cell-surface chemical tags, posing a challenge for long-term, continuous cell targeting. Here we show that cell-surface ketone groups can be recycled back to the cell membrane after covalent conjugation with hydrazide-bearing molecules, enabling repetitive targeting of hydrazide-bearing agents. Upon conjugation to ketone-labeled cancer cells via a pH-responsive hydrazone linkage, Alexa Fluor 488-hydrazide became internalized and entered endosomes/lysosomes where ketone-sugars can be released and recycled. The recycled ketone groups could then mediate targeted conjugation of Alexa Fluor 647-hydrazide. We also showed that doxorubicin-hydrazide can be targeted to ketone-labeled cancer cells for enhanced cancer cell killing. This study validates the recyclability of cell-surface chemical tags for repetitive targeting of cancer cells with the use of a reversible chemistry, which will greatly facilitate future development of potent cancer-targeted therapies based on metabolic glycan labeling. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-borne fungi present significant hazards to food preservation and human health. Oxidation causes spoilage and the inedibility of the fruit. However, traditional packaging films without antimicrobial or antioxidant activities do not satisfy the active packaging requirements. Films with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities are urgently required. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized from fruit waste grape seed extracts (GSE). The antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of GSE–silver nanoparticles (GSE-AgNPs) and AgNPs (average size 20 nm) stabilized by polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP-AgNPs) were evaluated in vitro. The effect of chitosan (CS)-coated GSE-AgNPs and PVP-AgNPs on the postharvest quality of grape was studied during storage at 20 °C for 5 days. The results confirmed that grapes treated with CS and GSE-AgNPs showed significantly reduced decay percentage, weight loss, and maintained titratable acidity at high levels compared with those of untreated fruit and fruit treated with PVP-AgNPs. Moreover, CS and GSE-AgNPs significantly inhibited the total mold count during storage. Our results suggest that CS coating enriched with GSE-AgNPs has the potential to preserve the quality and extend the shelf life of grapes. • Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was green synthesis using grape seed extracts. • The GSE-AgNPs exhibited strong antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. • CS-GSE-AgNPs had excellent ability to prolong the shelf life of stored grape. • CS-GSE-AgNPs have promising prospected for active packaging in food field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the silver-based semiconductor modified TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TiO 2 NTA) for the improved photocatalytic treatment of industrial waste water have been a hot topic. The simple synthesis and environmental application of photocatalysts with excellent photocatalytic ability is still a big challenge. Herein, We reported the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) preparation of Ag 2 O nanoparticles on TiO 2 NTA surfaces. The different deposition cycles were performed to investigate the influence of Ag 2 O deposition amounts on the photoelectrochemical activity. Results revealed that the S-10 fabricated with 10 SILAR cycles had the impressive photocatalytic and photoelectric conversion performances. The visible light photovoltage and photocurrent of S-10 electrode were −0.20 V and 463.2 μA/cm2. Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of MO, RhB and MB dyes achieved 67.40%, 59.19% and 93.89%, respectively. Further increasing the irradiation time, the mineralization degree of organic dyes were improved up to 71.28%, 60.31%, and 92.58% after 6 h solar irradiation. Cr(VI) ions were also dramatically removed by photocatalysts. The remarkable photocatalytic performance of Ag 2 O/TiO 2 NTA would exhibit attractive prospect in the industrial waste water purification. Image 1 • Ag 2 O nanoparticles were deposited on TiO 2 NTA by a SILAR method. • The Ag 2 O/TiO 2 NTA showed the attractive photocatalytic activity. • The active group and photocatalytic mechanism were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of the urbanization process, the problems caused by extreme weather such as heavy rainstorm events have become more and more serious. During such events, the road and its auxiliary facilities may be damaged in the process of the rainstorm and waterlogging, resulting in the decline of its traffic capacity. Rainfall is a continuous process in a space–time dimension, and as rainfall data are obtained through discrete monitoring stations, the acquired rainfall data have discrete characteristics of time interval and space. In order to facilitate users in understanding the impact of urban waterlogging on traffic, the visualization of waterlogging information needs to be displayed under different spatial and temporal granularity. Therefore, the appropriateness of the visualization granularity directly affects the user's cognition of the road waterlogging map. To solve this problem, this paper established a spatial granularity and temporal granularity computing quantitative model for spatio-temporal visualization of road waterlogging and the evaluation method of the model was based on the cognition experiment. The minimum visualization unit of the road section is 50 m and we proposed a 5-level depth grading method and two color schemes for road waterlogging visualization based on the user's cognition. To verify the feasibility of the method, we developed a prototype system and implemented a dynamic spatio-temporal visualization of the waterlogging process in the main urban area of Nanjing, China. The user cognition experiment showed that most participants thought that the segmentation of road was helpful to the local visual expression of waterlogging, and the color schemes of waterlogging depth were also helpful to display the road waterlogging information more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landmark‐based pedestrian navigation can assist pedestrians in navigating successfully. Previous studies have investigated the factors affecting the cognitive efficiency of landmark visualization in terms of both the visual salience of landmarks and the personal characteristics of users. However, empirical studies and applications that consider the influence of spatial familiarity on landmark representation are limited. In this article, we propose a personalized landmark adaptive visualization method for pedestrian navigation maps considering user familiarity. We first explore the influence of spatial familiarity on landmark salience and symbols using cognitive experiments. The results showed that unfamiliar people preferred strong visual salience landmarks and image‐based symbols, while familiar people preferred strong semantic salience landmarks and text‐based symbols. Based on these results, a mathematical model of landmark salience for selecting personalized landmarks is proposed, and association rules between landmark salience and symbols are mined. Finally, the framework of a landmark visualization method is proposed based on the rules. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a prototype system is developed, and a comparative experiment is conducted with a Baidu map. Experimental results showed that the proposed method has direct practical implications for the development of pedestrian navigation systems, depending on different target users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is closely related to the occurrence of endometrial cancer (EC) and its poor prognosis. However, there is no effective clinical treatment for EC patients with diabetes (patientEC+/dia+). To explore new therapeutic targets, Ishikawa is cultured with high glucose (IshikawaHG) mimicking hyperglycemia in patientEC+/dia+. Subsequently, it is discovered that IshikawaHG exhibits glucose metabolic reprogramming characterized by increased glycolysis and decreased oxidative phosphorylation. Further, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) is identified to promote glycolysis of IshikawaHG by proteomics. Most importantly, JX06, a novel PDK1 inhibitor combined metformin (Met) significantly inhibits IshikawaHG proliferation though IshikawaHG is resistant to Met. Furthermore, a reduction‐sensitive biodegradable polymer is adopted to encapsulate JX06 to form nanoparticles (JX06‐NPs) for drug delivery. It is found that in vitro JX06‐NPs have better inhibitory effect on the growth of IshikawaHG as well as patient‐derived EC cells (PDC) than JX06. Additionally, it is found that JX06‐NPs can accumulate to the tumor of EC‐bearing mouse with diabetes (miceEC+/dia+) after intravenous injection, and JX06‐NPs combined Met can significantly inhibit tumor growth of miceEC+/dia+. Taken together, the study demonstrates that the combination of JX06‐NPs and Met can target the cancer metabolism plasticity, which significantly inhibits the growth of EC, thereby provides a new adjuvant therapy for patientsEC+/dia+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CoNi bimetallic alloys nanoparticles are in-situ encapsulated within N-doped carbon nanotubes. • CoNi alloys enrich active sites for the chemical adsorption of polysulfides compared with a single metal. • The advantages of metal Co and Ni are integrated into CoNi alloys to synergetically catalyze the polysulfide conversion. • The CNT-encapsulation strategy inhibits the agglomeration of CoNi nanoparticles, and enables its durable catalytic activity. • The Li-S battery with CoNi@NCNT interlayer harvests high capacity and good stability under high sulfur loading and low electrolyte usage. Transition metal nanomaterials are a kind of promising catalysts for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), but a single metal component is difficult to satisfy the demends simultaneously catalyzing the multi-step sulfur redox reactions (SRRs). Moreover, the agglomeration of nanometal materials leads to the decrease of catalytic sites during long-term cycling. Herein, we propose a in-situ encapsulation strategy to fabricate a composite featuring CoNi alloy wrapped in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (denoted as CoNi@NCNT). Compared with a single metal Co/Ni, CoNi alloy provides multiple active sites for strong chemisorption of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), and acts as the bidirectional catalyst of SRRs by integrating the preferred synergetic catalysis of the reduction of LiPSs by Co sites and the opposite process by Ni sites. The batteries based on CoNi@NCNT interlayer delivers a high discharge capacity of 1482.0 mAh g−1 at 0.1C, superior rate performance with a high capacity of 712.9 mAh g−1 at 5C, and good cycling stability. The battery can also provide a maximal specific capacity of 823.9 mAh g−1 when operated under the sulfur loading of 5.0 mg cm−2 and the electrolyte/sulfur ratio of ∼ 7.1 μL. In addition, the CNT-encapsulation structure effectively inhibits the agglomeration of CoNi nanoparticles, thus enabling its durable catalytic activity for SRRs. This work provides an insight to understand the specific catalysis of transition metal in SRRs and also develop an effective strategy to explore stable catalysts for high-performance LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban flooding, as one of the most serious natural disasters, has caused considerable personal injury and property damage throughout the world. To better cope with the problem of waterlogging, the experts have developed many waterlogging models that can accurately simulate the process of pipe network drainage and water accumulation. The study of urban waterlogging involves many data types. These data come from the departments of hydrology, meteorology, planning, surveying, and mapping, etc. The incoordination of space–time scale and format standard has brought huge obstacles to the study of urban waterlogging. This is not conducive to interpretation, transmission, and visualization in today's network environment. In this paper, the entities and attributes related to waterlogging are defined. Based on the five modules of urban drainage network, sub basin, dynamic water body, time series, and meteorological data, the corresponding UML (Unified Modeling Language) model is designed and constructed. On this basis, the urban waterlogging application domain extension model city waterlogging application domain extension (CTWLADE) is established. According to the characteristics of different types of data, two different methods based on FME object and citygml4j are proposed to realize the corresponding data integration, and KML (Keyhole Markup Language) /glTF data organization form and the corresponding sharing method are proposed to solve the problem that the CTWLADE model data cannot be visualized directly on the web and cannot interact in three-dimensional format. To evaluate the CTWLADE, a prototype system was implemented, which can convert waterlogging-related multi-source data in extensible markup language (XML) files conform. The current CTWLADE can map the data required and provided by the hydraulic software tool storm water management model (SWMM) and is ready to be integrated into a Web 3D Service to provide the data for 3D dynamic visualization in interactive scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinase inhibitors are crucial in cancer treatment, but drug resistance and side effects hinder the development of effective drugs. To address these challenges, it is essential to analyze the polypharmacology of kinase inhibitor and identify compound with high selectivity profile. This study presents KinomeMETA, a framework for profiling the activity of small molecule kinase inhibitors across a panel of 661 kinases. By training a meta-learner based on a graph neural network and fine-tuning it to create kinase-specific learners, KinomeMETA outperforms benchmark multi-task models and other kinase profiling models. It provides higher accuracy for understudied kinases with limited known data and broader coverage of kinase types, including important mutant kinases. Case studies on the discovery of new scaffold inhibitors for membrane-associated tyrosine- and threonine-specific cdc2-inhibitory kinase and selective inhibitors for fibroblast growth factor receptors demonstrate the role of KinomeMETA in virtual screening and kinome-wide activity profiling. Overall, KinomeMETA has the potential to accelerate kinase drug discovery by more effectively exploring the kinase polypharmacology landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoplastics (NPs) are widely found and threaten environmental and biological safety, because they do not degrade completely. We aimed to preliminarily explore the toxicity of NPs in obese children, because childhood obesity is a growing global health concern. We used zebrafish as a vertebrate toxicological model to examine the hepatic lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in juvenile zebrafish exposed to 1000 μg/L polystyrene NPs and a high‐fat diet (HFD) using Raman spectroscopy, pathological examination, transcriptome analysis, and 16S sequencing techniques. Our study showed that polystyrene NPs perturb the lipid metabolism and gut microbiota stability in zebrafish. Furthermore, the combined effects of polystyrene NPs and HFD resulted in gastrointestinal injury. Our study is one of the first to investigate the toxicity of polystyrene NPs to normal‐diet and HFD juvenile zebrafish using confocal Raman spectroscopy. Our results show the importance of a healthy diet and a reduction in the use of plasticware. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:147–158. © 2023 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a mixed method to investigate the dual effects of the flow experience provided by tourism live streaming (TLS) on tourists' travel intentions and how such effects vary across different types of destinations. The results reveal that, in contrast to managers' predictions, while flow experience from TLS may boost offline travel through inspiration, it can also increase tourists' concern for substitutability and thereby reduce their travel intentions. Live streamers' expertise positively moderates the positive effect of flow experience on inspiration. Furthermore, the negative impacts are more salient in highly reputable cultural destinations and natural destinations with limited reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TiO 2 NTAs) were mainly synthesized by the anodization of Ti foils, and the Ti mesh anodization was little researched. TiO 2 NTAs/Ti mesh showed remarkably high photocatalytic performance in pollutant treatment and photocurrent/hydrogen generation. In this paper, TiO 2 NTAs were synthesized on flexible three dimensional Ti mesh surface, and CdS/PbS sensitizers covered TiO 2 NTAs by the hydrothermal deposition. Especially, the S –CdS photocatalyst prepared by CdS sensitization showed strong photocurrent and photocatalytic pollutant removal capacity. RhB, MB dyes and Cr(VI) ions were effectively purified under solar irradiation, and samples also showed excellent visible light-driven photoelectric ability. Furthermore, the S –PbS photocatalyst prepared by PbS sensitization showed high photocatalytic water splitting performance. The functional material offers a flexible, low cost and high photocatalytic membrane for waste water treatment and photocurrent/hydrogen generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A subgroup of early-stage cervical cancer patients suffer from vaginal cuff recurrence following a primary surgery; however, recurrence after a disease-free interval of 5 years is rare. Treatments for isolated vaginal relapse remain controversial. Here we report a case of a 50-year-old woman with isolated vaginal cuff recurrence 8 years after primary radical surgery for cervical cancer. We conducted a vaginectomy and vaginoplasty using a type of tissue-engineered biomaterial graft. Three chemotherapy cycles of paclitaxel and cisplatin were administered after surgery. The patient has no evidence of disease to date (18 months after surgery) and had regained a satisfactory sexual life by 8 months postoperatively. To our knowledge, this case represents the first report regarding the use of vaginoplasty with biomaterial graft following vaginectomy for late isolated vaginal recurrence of cervical cancer in a patient who had undergone a primary radical hysterectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trans-translation is a ribosome rescue system that plays an important role in bacterial tolerance to environmental stresses. It is absent in animals, making it a potential treatment target. However, its role in antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa remains unknown.Methods: The role and activity of trans-translation during antibiotic treatment were examined with a trans-translation-deficient strain and a genetically modified trans-translation component gene, respectively. In vitro assays and murine infection models were used to examine the effects of suppression of trans-translation.Results: We found that the trans-translation system plays an essential role in P. aeruginosa tolerance to azithromycin and multiple aminoglycoside antibiotics. We further demonstrated that gentamicin could suppress the azithromycin-induced activation of trans-translation. Compared with each antibiotic individually, gentamicin and azithromycin combined increased the killing efficacy against planktonic and biofilm-associated P. aeruginosa cells, including a reference strain PA14 and its isogenic carbapenem-resistance oprD mutant, the mucoid strain FRD1, and multiple clinical isolates. Furthermore, the gentamicin-azithromycin resulted in improved bacterial clearance in murine acute pneumonia, biofilm implant, and cutaneous abscess infection models.Conclusions: Combination treatment with gentamicin and azithromycin is a promising strategy in combating P. aeruginosa infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genome of a novel mycovirus, Colletotrichum curcumae narnavirus 1 (CcNV1), derived from the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum curcumae strain 780-2T, was sequenced and analyzed. The full sequence of CcNV1 is 3,374 nucleotides in length and contains a single large open reading frame (ORF) encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 1,087 amino acids with a molecular mass of 124.2 kDa that shares the closest similarity with that of Monilinia narnavirus H (53.02% identity). RdRp phylogeny analysis showed that CcNV1 is a new member of the proposed genus "Betanarnavirus" within the family Narnaviridae. This is the first report of a novel narnavirus infecting the phytopathogenic fungus C. curcumae, the causal agent of leaf blight of Curcuma wenyujin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating subtype of stroke with high mortality and disability rate. Meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs) are a newly discovered intracranial fluid transport system and are proven to drain extravasated erythrocytes from cerebrospinal fluid into deep cervical lymph nodes after SAH. However, many studies have reported that the structure and function of mLVs are injured in several central nervous system diseases. Whether SAH can cause mLVs injury and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Herein, single‐cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics are applied, along with in vivo/vitro experiments, to investigate the alteration of the cellular, molecular, and spatial pattern of mLVs after SAH. First, it is demonstrated that SAH induces mLVs impairment. Then, through bioinformatic analysis of sequencing data, it is discovered that thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) and S100A6 are strongly associated with SAH outcome. Furthermore, the THBS1‐CD47 ligand‐receptor pair is found to function as a key role in meningeal lymphatic endothelial cell apoptosis via regulating STAT3/Bcl‐2 signaling. The results illustrate a landscape of injured mLVs after SAH for the first time and provide a potential therapeutic strategy for SAH based on mLVs protection by disrupting THBS1 and CD47 interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear instability analysis as well as a corresponding two‐dimensional hybrid simulation are performed to examine the excitation of the proton cyclotron waves observed upstream of Mars. The waves are believed to be excited by the pickup ions produced from the ionization of the Martian hydrogen exosphere. And previous statistical analysis of wave observations suggested that the waves are mostly related to pickup ion beam velocity distributions. While earlier linear instability analysis of pickup ion beam distributions has mainly been focused on the parallel unstable modes, our analysis reveals that the maximum growth rate occurs at very oblique propagation. The corresponding hybrid simulation confirms the linear analysis results and further demonstrates that the pickup ions are scattered toward an isotropic shell velocity distribution by the waves excited. Interestingly, the waves at oblique propagation gradually damp out and the system is eventually dominated by waves of quasi‐parallel propagation. Plain Language Summary: Waves near the local proton cyclotron frequency have commonly been observed upstream of Mars. Without the shielding of a global intrinsic magnetic field, the Martian exosphere interacts directly with the solar wind. Pickup ions are generated when neutrals in the exosphere are ionized and "picked up" by the solar wind. Observations suggested that the proton cyclotron waves upstream of Mars are excited by the newborn pickup ions, especially when they have a large drift along the background magnetic field with respect to the solar wind ions (i.e., a beam velocity distribution). The present study carries out linear instability analysis for pickup ions of a beam distribution. The results reveal the most unstable wave at large propagation angle, in contrast to previous analysis mainly focused on parallel unstable modes. Our subsequent hybrid simulation confirms the linear theory prediction and demonstrates the scattering of the pickup ions by the enhanced waves. More importantly, although the oblique waves grow first, they also fade away faster so that the simulation is dominated by waves at quasi‐parallel propagation in the late stage. Key Points: Pickup ion beam distribution can generate the left‐hand polarized proton cyclotron waves observed upstream of Mars after Doppler shiftThe maximum growth rate occurs at oblique propagation instead of parallel propagationEnhanced waves pitch angle scatter pickup ions toward an isotropic shell velocity distribution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]