Prolonged exposure to a music-enriched environment mitigates acute noise-induced inflammation and apoptosis in the chicken spleen by modulating the Keap-1/Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways.

The rise of operational noise as an environmental pollutant for farm animals is an emerging concern. The mechanisms through which music can alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis induced by noise exposure remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate the alleviating effects and underlying mechanisms of long-term music exposure on noise-induced damage to the chicken spleen. Male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were divided into four groups: control (C), acute noise stimulation (NS), noise stimulation with music mitigation (NSM), and music only (M). NS and NSM groups were exposed to noise (simulating sudden intensity noise, 115 to 120dB) for 10 minutes daily for a week, starting at 14-days-old. NSM and M groups then received 28 days of 6-hour daily music (Mozart K.448, 60-65 dB). The results showed that noise stimulation significantly activated the Keap-1/Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Long-term music intervention has also been demonstrated to successfully mitigate oxidative stress and abnormal apoptosis induced by acute noise stimulation. Microscopic examination of the spleen revealed that acute noise stimulation resulted in an increase in splenic cells, a decrease in lymphocytes, and blurred boundaries between the red and white pulps in the NS group. However, these pathological changes were alleviated in the NSM group following music intervention. Compared with the control group, the NS group exhibited significantly elevated oxidative stress parameters. In contrast, music intervention in the NSM group notably improved antioxidant capacity and partially alleviated morphological abnormalities in the spleen. Additionally, noise stimulation activated the NF-κB pathway, upregulating the downstream genes of the inflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. Noise-induced mitochondrial damage led to apoptosis, as observed by TUNEL staining, along with increased gene and protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax, Cyt-C, Casp-3, Casp-8, and Casp-9. These findings indicate that acute noise exposure can induce splenic damage via oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis by modulating the Keap-1/Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways. Prolonged music stimulation effectively mitigates noise-induced damage, offering a vital experimental foundation for further research on noise pollution's impact on organisms and music's alleviating role.

Evaluation of the prognosis in patients with small-cell lung cancer treated by chemotherapy using tumor shrinkage rate-based radiomics.

BACKGROUND: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. However, the prognostic value of the tumor shrinkage rate (TSR) after chemotherapy for SCLC is still unknown. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 235 patients with SCLC. The TSR cutoff was determined based on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The associations of TSR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Recurrence patterns after first-line treatment were summarized in a pie chart. A nomogram was constructed to validate the predictive role of the TSR in SCLC. RESULTS: The TSR cutoff was identified to be - 6.6%. Median PFS and OS were longer in the group with a TSR < -6.6% than in the group with a TSR ≥ - 6.6%. PFS and OS were also longer in patients with extensive SCLC when the TSR was < - 6.6% than when it was > - 6.6%. Brain metastasis-free survival was better in the group with a TSR < - 6.6%. There was a significant positive correlation between TSR and PFS. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that the TSR, patient age, and previous radiotherapy were independent prognostic factors for OS while TSR and M stage were independent prognostic factors for PFS. CONCLUSIONS: The TSR may prove to be a good indicator of OS and PFS in patients receiving chemotherapy-based first-line treatment for SCLC.

Comparative analysis of medical glue and positioning hooks for preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules.

Background: Through preoperative localization, surgeons can easily locate ground glass nodules (GGNs) and effectively control the extent of resection. Therefore, it is necessary to choose an appropriate puncture positioning method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medical glue and positioning hooks in the preoperative positioning of GGNs and to provide a reference for clinical selection. Methods: From March 30, 2020 to June 13, 2022, a total of 859 patients with a CT diagnosis of GGNs requiring surgical resection were included in our study at the hospital. Among them, 21 patients who either opted out or could not undergo preoperative localization for various reasons were excluded. Additionally, 475 patients who underwent preoperative localization using medical glue and 363 patients who underwent preoperative localization through positioning hooks were also excluded. We conducted statistical analyses on the baseline data, success rates, complications, and pathological results of the remaining patients. The success rates, complication rates, and pathological results were compared between the two groups-those who received medical glue localization and those who received positioning hook localization. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of patients in terms of age, body mass index, smoking history, location of the nodule, distance of the nodule from the pleura, or postoperative pathological results (P > 0.05). The success rate of medical glue and positioning hooks was 100%. The complication rates of medical glue and positioning hooks during single nodule positioning were 39.18% and 23.18%, respectively, which were significantly different (p < 0.001); the complication rates during multiple nodule positioning were 49.15% and 49.18%, respectively, with no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). In addition, the method of positioning and the clinical characteristics of the patients were not found to be independent risk factors for the occurrence of complications. The detection rate of pulmonary nodules also showed some positive correlation with the spread of COVID-19 during the 2020-2022 period when COVID-19 was prevalent. Conclusion: When positioning a single node, the safety of positioning hooks is greater than when positioning multiple nodes, the safety of medical glue and positioning hooks is comparable, and the appropriate positioning method should be chosen according to the individual situation of the patient.

Long noncoding RNAs HAND2-AS1 ultrasound microbubbles suppress hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the miR-873-5p/tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 axis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing data indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence and development of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies had found that the expression of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 was downregulated in HCC tissues, but its role in HCC progression is unclear. Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction mediated gene transfection is a new method to overexpress genes. AIM: To study the role of ultrasound microbubbles (UTMBs) mediated HAND2-AS1 in the progression of HCC, in order to provide a new reference for the treatment of HCC. METHODS: In vitro, we transfected HAND2-AS1 siRNA into HepG2 cells by UTMBs, and detected cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, Transwell invasion assay and Western blotting, respectively. In addition, we transfected miR-837-5p mimic into UTMBs treated cells and observed the changes of cell behavior. Next, the UTMBs treated HepG2 cells were transfected together with miR-837-5p mimic and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP2) overexpression vector, and we detected cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and EMT. In vivo, we established a mouse model of subcutaneous transplantation of HepG2 cells and observed the effect of HAND2-AS1 silencing on tumor formation ability. RESULTS: We found that UTMBs carrying HAND2-AS1 restricted cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT, encouraged apoptosis, and HAND2-AS1 silencing eliminated the effect of UTMBs. Additionally, miR-873-5p targets the gene HAND2-AS1, which also targets the 3'UTR of TIMP2. And miR-873-5p mimic counteracted the impact of HAND2-AS1. Further, miR-873-5p mimic solely or in combination with pcDNA-TIMP2 had been transformed into HepG2 cells exposed to UTMBs. We discovered that TIMP2 reversed the effect of miR-873-5p mimic caused by the blocked signalling cascade for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2/MMP9. In vivo results showed that HAND2-AS1 silencing significantly inhibited tumor formation in mice. CONCLUSION: LncRNA HAND2-AS1 promotes TIMP2 expression by targeting miR-873-5p to inhibit HepG2 cell growth and delay HCC progression.

RDFC-GAN: RGB-Depth Fusion CycleGAN for Indoor Depth Completion.

Raw depth images captured in indoor scenarios frequently exhibit extensive missing values due to the inherent limitations of the sensors and environments. For example, transparent materials frequently elude detection by depth sensors; surfaces may introduce measurement inaccuracies due to their polished textures, extended distances, and oblique incidence angles from the sensor. The presence of incomplete depth maps imposes significant challenges for subsequent vision applications, prompting the development of numerous depth completion techniques to mitigate this problem. Numerous methods excel at reconstructing dense depth maps from sparse samples, but they often falter when faced with extensive contiguous regions of missing depth values, a prevalent and critical challenge in indoor environments. To overcome these challenges, we design a novel two-branch end-to-end fusion network named RDFC-GAN, which takes a pair of RGB and incomplete depth images as input to predict a dense and completed depth map. The first branch employs an encoder-decoder structure, by adhering to the Manhattan world assumption and utilizing normal maps from RGB-D information as guidance, to regress the local dense depth values from the raw depth map. The other branch applies an RGB-depth fusion CycleGAN, adept at translating RGB imagery into detailed, textured depth maps while ensuring high fidelity through cycle consistency. We fuse the two branches via adaptive fusion modules named W-AdaIN and train the model with the help of pseudo depth maps. Comprehensive evaluations on NYU-Depth V2 and SUN RGB-D datasets show that our method significantly enhances depth completion performance particularly in realistic indoor settings.

Study on the Constitutive Modeling of (2.5 vol%TiB + 2.5 vol%TiC)/TC4 Composites under Hot Compression Conditions.

The hot deformation behavior of titanium matrix composites plays a crucial role in determining the performance of the formed components. Therefore, it is significant to establish an accurate constitutive relationship between material deformation parameters and flow stress. In this study, hot compression experiments were conducted on a (2.5 vol%TiB + 2.5 vol%TiC)/TC4. The experiments were performed under temperatures ranging from 1013.15 to 1133.15 K and strain rates ranging from 0.001 to 0.1 s-1. Based on the stress-strain data obtained from the experiment, the constitutive models were established by using the Arrhenius model and the BP neural network algorithm, respectively. Considering the relationship between strain rate, hot working temperature, and flow stress, a comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the prediction accuracy of two different constitutive models. The research results indicate that the flow stress of (2.5 vol%TiB + 2.5 vol%TiC)/TC4 increases with decreasing temperature and increasing strain rate, and the stress-strain curve shows obvious work hardening and softening behaviors. Both the Arrhenius model and the BP neural network algorithm are effective in predicting the hot compression flow stress of (2.5 vol%TiB + 2.5 vol%TiC)/TC4, but the average relative error and root mean square error of the BP neural network algorithm are smaller and the correlation coefficient is higher, thus possessing higher accuracy and reliability.

Research Note: Effects of environmental sound stimulus on behavioral responses, cortisol levels, and horizontal immunity of transferred pullets.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prolonged exposure to varying levels of music or noise on the behavioral, physiological, and immune responses of pullets following their transfer to an egg-laying facility. A total of 240 one-day-old Hy-Line Brown pullets were randomly assigned to five groups: 0 dB sound stimulation, low-decibel music (65-75 dB), high-decibel music (85-95 dB), low-decibel noise (65-75 dB), and high-decibel noise (85-95 dB) stimuli. Pullets received music or noise stimuli 10 h per d from 1-day-old to 16-wk-old and were then transferred to the egg-laying facility. The results indicated that feeding and drinking behaviors significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas feather pecking, aggression, and preening behaviors significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the pullets after transfer. Pullets also had higher serum cortisol (COR) levels (P < 0.05), whereas immunoglobulin Y (IgY), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (INF-γ), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels significantly increased (P < 0.05). Low-decibel sound stimuli increased aggressive behavior and decreased pecking behavior (P < 0.05). High-decibel sound stimuli decreased feather pecking, cage pecking, aggression, and sham dustbathing behaviors (P < 0.05). In addition, a low-decibel sound stimulus decreased the serum COR content, and increased the serum IL-6 level in the transferred pullets. A high-decibel sound stimulus also induced shorter tonic immobility (TI) durations in pullets on d 7 after transport stress. Meanwhile, high-decibel sound stimulus decreased the serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels of pullets. In conclusion, the transfer has detrimental effects on the pullets. Long-term sound stimulation effectively mitigated the negative impact of transportation stress on pullets. Among them, the high-decibel sound stimulus showed more promise in relieving transport stress.

Long-term music stimulating alleviated the inflammatory responses caused by acute noise stress on the immune organs of broilers by NF-κB signaling pathway.

As an environmental enrichment, music can positively influence the immune function, while noise has an adverse effect on the physical and mental health of humans and animals. However, whether music-enriched environments mitigate noise-induced acute stress remains unclear. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of music on the immune organs of broiler chickens under conditions of early-life acute noise stress, 140 one-day-old white feather broilers (AA) were randomly divided into four groups: control (C), the music stimulation (M) group, the acute noise stimulation (N) group, the acute noise stimulation followed by music (NM) group. At 14 days of age, the N and NM groups received 120 dB noise stimulation for 10 min for one week. After acute noise stimulation, the NM group and M group were subjected to continuous music stimulation for 14 days (6 h per day, 60 dB). At 28 days of age, the body temperature of the chicks, the histopathological changes, quantification of ROS-positive density and apoptosis positivity in tissues of spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius (BF) were measured. The results showed that acute noise stimulation led to an increase in the number and area of splenic microsomes and the cortex/medulla ratio of the detected immune organs. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of immune tissues of broilers in N group were decreased compared to the broilers in C group, while the mRNA levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-1ß increased. In addition, the gene and protein expression levels of IKK, NF-κB, and IFN-γ of three immune organs from broilers in the N group were increased. Compared to the C and N group, chickens from the NM group showed a decrease in the number and area of splenic follicles, an increase in the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, and a decrease in the expression levels of MDA, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-1ß. Therefore, a music-enriched environment can attenuate oxidative stress induced by acute noise stimulation, inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and consequently alleviating the inflammatory response in immune organs.

MOF-derived xPd-NPs@ZnO porous nanocomposites for ultrasensitive ppb-level gas detection with photoexcitation: Design, diverse-scenario characterization, and mechanism.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been regarded as a potential candidate with great application prospects in the field of gas sensing. Although plenty of previous efforts have been made to improve the sensitivity of MOF-based nanocomposites, it is still a great challenge to realize ultrafast and high selectivity to typical flammable gases in a wide range. Herein, porous xPd-NPs@ZnO were prepared by optimized heat treatment, which maintained the controllable morphology and high specific surface area of 471.08 m2g-1. The coupling effects of photoexcitation and thermal excitation on the gas-sensing properties of nanocomposites were systematically studied. An ultrafast high response of 88.37 % towards 200 ppm H2 was realized within 1.2 s by 5.0Pd-NPs@ZnO under UV photoexcitation. All xPd-NPs@ZnO exhibited favorable linearity over an extremely wide range (0.2-4000 ppm H2) of experimental tests, indicating the great potential in quantitative detection. The photoexcited carriers enabled the nanocomposites a considerable response at lower operating temperatures, which made diverse applications of the sensors. The mechanisms of high sensing performances and the photoexcitation enhancement were systematically explained by DFT calculations. This work provides a solid experimental foundation and theoretical basis for the design of controllable porous materials and novel photoexcited gas detection.

NADOL: Neuromorphic Architecture for Spike-Driven Online Learning by Dendrites.

Biologically plausible learning with neuronal dendrites is a promising perspective to improve the spike-driven learning capability by introducing dendritic processing as an additional hyperparameter. Neuromorphic computing is an effective and essential solution towards spike-based machine intelligence and neural learning systems. However, on-line learning capability for neuromorphic models is still an open challenge. In this study a novel neuromorphic architecture with dendritic on-line learning (NADOL) is presented, which is a novel efficient methodology for brain-inspired intelligence on embedded hardware. With the feature of distributed processing using spiking neural network, NADOL can cut down the power consumption and enhance the learning efficiency and convergence speed. A detailed analysis for NADOL is presented, which demonstrates the effects of different conditions on learning capabilities, including neuron number in hidden layer, dendritic segregation parameters, feedback connection, and connection sparseness with various levels of amplification. Piecewise linear approximation approach is used to cut down the computational resource cost. The experimental results demonstrate a remarkable learning capability that surpasses other solutions, with NADOL exhibiting superior performance over the GPU platform in dendritic learning. This study's applicability extends across diverse domains, including the Internet of Things, robotic control, and brain-machine interfaces. Moreover, it signifies a pivotal step in bridging the gap between artificial intelligence and neuroscience through the introduction of an innovative neuromorphic paradigm.

Fabrication of the hollow dodecahedral NiCoZn layered double hydroxide for high-performance flexible asymmetric supercapacitor.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with unique layered structure have excellent theoretical capacitance. Nevertheless, the constrained availability of electrically active sites and cationic species curtails their feasibility for practical implementation within supercapacitors. Most of the reported materials are bimetallic hydroxides, and fewer studies are on trimetallic hydroxides. In here, the hollow dodecahedron NiCoZn-LDH is synthesized using CoZn metal-organic frameworks (CoZn-MOFs) as template. Its morphology and composition are studied in detail. Concurrently, the effect of the amount of third component on the resulting structure of NiCoZn-LDH is also researched. Benefiting from its favorable structural and compositional attributes to efficient transfer of ions and electrons, NiCoZn-LDH-200 demonstrates outstanding specific capacitance of 1003.3F g-1 at 0.5 A/g. Furthermore, flexible asymmetric supercapacitor utilizing NiCoZn-LDH-200 as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode reveals favorable electrochemical performances, including a notable specific capacitance of 184.7F g-1 at 0.5 A/g, a power density of 368.21 W kg-1 at a high energy density of 65.66 Wh kg-1, an energy density of 31.78 Wh kg-1 at a high power density of 3985.97 W kg-1, a capacitance retention of 92 % after 8000 cycles at 5 A/g, and a good capacitance retention of 90 % after 500 cycles of bending. The template method presented herein can effectively solve the problem of easy accumulation and improve the electrochemical properties of the materials, which exhibits a broad research prospect.

Survival of surface bacteriophages and their hosts in in situ deep-sea environments.

IMPORTANCE: The survival of the sinking prokaryotes and viruses in the deep-sea environment is crucial for deep-sea ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. Through an in situ deep-sea long-term incubation device, our results showed that viral particles and infectivity had still not decayed completely after in situ incubation for 1 year. This suggests that, via infection and lysis, surface viruses with long-term infectious activity in situ deep-sea environments may influence deep-sea microbial populations in terms of activity, function, diversity, and community structure and ultimately affect deep-sea biogeochemical cycles, highlighting the need for additional research in this area.

Advancements in scaffold for treating ligament injuries; in vitro evaluation.

Tendon/ligament (T/L) injuries are a worldwide health problem that affects millions of people annually. Due to the characteristics of tendons, the natural rehabilitation of their injuries is a very complex and lengthy process. Surgical treatment of a T/L injury frequently necessitates using autologous or allogeneic grafts or synthetic materials. Nonetheless, these alternatives have limitations in terms of mechanical properties and histocompatibility, and they do not permit the restoration of the original biological function of the tissue, which can negatively impact the patient's quality of life. It is crucial to find biological materials that possess the necessary properties for the successful surgical treatment of tissues and organs. In recent years, the in vitro regeneration of tissues and organs from stem cells has emerged as a promising approach for preparing autologous tissue and organs, and cell culture scaffolds play a critical role in this process. However, the biological traits and serviceability of different materials used for cell culture scaffolds vary significantly, which can impact the properties of the cultured tissues. Therefore, this review aims to analyze the differences in the biological properties and suitability of various materials based on scaffold characteristics such as cell compatibility, degradability, textile technologies, fiber arrangement, pore size, and porosity. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights to aid in the selection of appropriate scaffolds for in vitro tissue and organ culture.

Fabrication of hollow core-shell NiCo2O4@polypyrrole nanofibers/reduced graphene oxide ternary composites with excellent microwave absorption performances.

In contemporary times, electromagnetic radiation poses a significant threat to both human health and the normal functioning of electronic devices. Developing composites as adsorption materials possess exceptional electromagnetic wave absorption performances can efficient address this critical issue. Herein, hollow core-shell NiCo2O4@polypyrrole nanofibers/reduced graphene oxide (NiCo-HFPR) composites are fabricated by the combination of electrostatic spinning, air calcination, in-situ polymerization, freeze-drying and hydrazine vapor reduction. As anticipated, NiCo-HFPR-0.2 exhibits noteworthy properties, with the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -61.20 dB at 14.26 GHz and 1.56 mm, as well as the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.90 GHz at 1.57 mm. Additionally, the simulation procedure is employed to determine the radar cross-section (RCS) attenuation. In comparison to a singular perfect electrically conductive (PEC) layer, the PEC layer coated with NiCo-HFPR-0.2 consistently yields an RCS value below -10 dB m2 within the range of -60° < θ < 60°. The RCS attenuation value of the NiCo-HFPR-0.2 coating achieves an outstanding 31.0 dB m2 at θ = 0°, strongly affirming the ability to effectively attenuate electromagnetic wave in real-world applications. The employed experimental methodology, the meticulously crafted composite, and the simulation outcomes presented in this study bear great promise for the progressive advancement of both theoretical investigations and practical applications within the domain of electromagnetic wave absorption.

Gut Microbiota-Derived 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid Alleviates Diarrhea in Piglets via the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway.

With the improvement in sow prolificacy, formula feeding has been increasingly used in the pig industry. Diarrhea remains a serious health concern in formula-fed (FF) piglets. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an efficacious strategy to reshape gut microbiota and the metabolic profile for treating diarrhea. This study aims to investigate whether FMT from breast-fed piglets could alleviate diarrhea in FF piglets. The piglets were randomly assigned to the control (CON) group, FF group, and FMT group. Our results showed that FF piglets exhibited a higher diarrhea incidence, damaged colonic morphology, and disrupted barrier function. In contrast, FMT treatment normalized the morphology and barrier function. FMT suppressed the JNK/MAPK pathway and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Additionally, FF piglets had a lower abundance of the beneficial bacterial genus Bifidobacterium compared to CON piglets. Following FMT administration, Bifidobacterium was restored. Meanwhile, 5-HIAA, a metabolite of tryptophan, and AHR-responsive CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 were upregulated. Importantly, integrated multiomics analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between Bifidobacterium and 5-HIAA. In vitro, 5-HIAA supplementation reversed the LPS-induced disruption of tight junctions and production of proinflammatory cytokines in IPEC-J2 cells. In conclusion, FMT reduced diarrhea incidence and improved growth performance. The alleviative effect of FMT on diarrhea was associated with Bifidobacterium and 5-HIAA.

Boosting CO2 Conversion by Synergy of Lead-Free Perovskite Cs2SnCl6 and Plasma with H2O.

Although dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is a promising technique for CO2 conversion, realizing CO2-to-alcohol is still challenging via the use of H2O. Herein, for the first time, efficient CO2 conversion was achieved via the synergism between the Cs2SnCl6 photocatalyst and DBD plasma assisted by H2O. The CO2 conversion ratio of plasma photocatalysis was 6.5% higher than that of only the plasma and photocatalysis, implying that the synergism of plasma catalysis and photocatalysis was achieved. Furthermore, the DBD plasma assisted by the Cs2SnCl6 photocatalyst could convert CO2 and H2O to CO and a small amount of methanol and ethanol. The CO2 conversion ratio was enhanced by 50.6% in the presence of H2O, which was attributed to the improvement of charge transfer due to the increased electrical conductivity of the photocatalyst surface during plasma discharge. This work provides a new idea for developing an efficient system for CO2 utilization.

Fabrication of cobalt-zinc bimetallic oxides@polypyrrole composites for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption.

Composite materials that combine magnetic and dielectric losses offer a potential solution to enhance impedance match and significantly improve microwave absorption. In this study, Co3O4/ZnCo2O4 and ZnCo2O4/ZnO with varying metal oxide compositions are successfully synthesized, which are achieved by modifying the ratios of Co2+ and Zn2+ ions in the CoZn bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor, followed by a high-temperature oxidative calcination process. Subsequently, a layer of polypyrrole (PPy) is coated onto the composite surfaces, resulting in the formation of core-shell structures known as Co3O4/ZnCo2O4@PPy (CZCP) and ZnCo2O4/ZnO@PPy (ZCZP) composites. The proposed method allows for rapid adjustments to the metal oxide composition within the inner shell, enabling the creation of composites with varying degrees of magnetic losses. The inclusion of PPy in the outer shell serves to enhance the bonding strength of the entire composite structure while contributing to conductive and dielectric losses. In specific experimental conditions, when the loading is set at 50 wt%, the CZCP composite exhibits an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.58 GHz (12.42 GHz-18 GHz) at a thickness of 1.53 mm. Meanwhile, the ZCZP composite demonstrates an impressive minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -71.2 dB at 13.04 GHz, with a thickness of 1.84 mm. This study offers a synthesis strategy for designing absorbent composites that possess light weight and excellent absorptive properties, thereby contributing to the advancement of electromagnetic wave absorbing materials.

[Retracted] MicroRNA­15b promotes proliferation and invasion of non­small cell lung carcinoma cells by directly targeting TIMP2.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell migration and invasion images shown in Figs. 3B and D and 6C were strikingly similar to data that had already appeared in an article written by different authors at different research institutes [Liu C, Guan H, Wang Y, Chen M, Xu B, Zhang L, Lu K, Tao T and Zhang X: miR­195 inhibits EMT by targeting FGF2 in prostate cancer cells. PLoS One 9: e0144073, 2015]. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published prior to its submission to Oncology Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Oncology Reports 37: 3305­3312, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5604].

Fabrication of 1D Ni nanochains@Zn2+ doping polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide composites for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption.

Nowadays, electromagnetic radiation significantly impacts the normal operation of electronic devices and poses risks to human health. To effectively address this problem, the development of composites that exhibit exceptional electrochemical wave absorption through the combination of different components holds great promise. In this study, we have successfully prepared 1D Ni nanochains@Zn2+ doping polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide (Ni NCs@Z-P/RGO, denoted as R-x) composites using a combination of hydrothermal, solvothermal, in situ polymerization, and physical blending methods. Notably, the R-2 composite demonstrates a remarkable minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -63.58 dB at 14.3 GHz, with a thickness of 1.61 mm. Furthermore, the R-2 composite exhibits an impressive effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.08 GHz (11.92 GHz-17 GHz) at a thickness of 1.67 mm. These outstanding performances can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the different components and a well-thought-out structural design. Moreover, to showcase the practical applicability of the material, we have conducted additional investigations on the reduction of the radar cross-sectional area (RCS). The results strongly demonstrate that the prepared composite material, when used as a coating, effectively reduces the RCS value by up to 26.6 dB m2 for R-2 at θ = 0°. The experimental methods and simulations presented in this study hold significant potential for application in wave absorption research and practical implementations. Additionally, the prepared Ni NCs@Z-P/RGO composites demonstrate feasibility as wave-absorbing materials for future utilization.

A Flavin-Dependent Oxygenase Catalyzes Hydroxylation and Simultaneous Pyrrolidine Ring Formation in Protubonine Biosynthesis in Aspergillus ustus.

The hydroxylated and diacetylated cyclo-l-Trp-l-Leu derivative (-)-protubonine B was isolated from a culture of Aspergillus ustus 3.3904. Genome mining led to the identification of a putative biosynthetic gene cluster coding for a bimodular nonribosomal peptide synthetase, a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, and two acetyltransferases. Heterologous expression of the pbo cluster in Aspergillus nidulans showed that it is responsible for the formation of the isolated metabolite. Gene deletion experiments and structural elucidation of the isolated intermediates confirmed the biosynthetic steps. In vitro experiments with the recombinant protein proved that the flavin-dependent oxygenase is responsible for stereospecific hydroxylation at the indole ring accompanied by pyrrolidine ring formation.