Water-resistant and pyknotic recyclable waste-cotton-derived bio-polyurethane-coated controlled-release fertilizer: Improved longevity, mechanism and application.

Reasonably utilize the recyclable waste-cotton resource to develop the bio-polyurethane coatings had aroused more and more environmental interests recently. However, the terrible water resistance and porousness of the waste-cotton-derived bio-polyurethane coating caused the rapid nutrients release. In this work, the water-resistant and pyknotic cotton-fibre-derived coated-ureas (WPCUs) were fabricated with the recyclable low-cost waste-cotton-derived materials. The dramatically enhanced pyknotic and water-resistant characteristics of the WPCUs coatings can be obtained by the three-dimensional computerized tomography (2.33 to 1.19 %) and the water contact angle. The enhanced elasticity and the decreased water absorption were also vital to enhance the controlled-release performance. The accompanying controlled-release performance of the WPCUs was obviously improved (<2 h to 58.43 days). The modified WPCU75-10 with 4.0 % coating content exhibits the excellent controlled-release performance compared to the unmodified WPCU0-0. The controlled release mechanism can be clarified: The air column inside of the "small and few" micropores in the WPCUs coating only allow the gaseous water molecules to slowly penetrate and dissolve the inner urea cores (rather than liquid water). The obviously increased oilseed rape yield (128.75 %) showed the dependable agricultural application of the WPCUs. This work provides the resultful approach to develop the eco-friendly recyclable waste-plant-derived controlled-release fertilizers.

Association of Novel Insulin Resistance Indices with Blood Pressure in New-Onset Hypertension and Elevated Blood Pressure Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Insulin resistance (IR) has a bearing on blood pressure (BP). Nevertheless, research on the relationships between surrogates for IR and BP is limited. In this study, we investigate the associations of these novel IR indices with BP in new-onset hypertension (HTN) and elevated BP individuals. Methods: An overall sample of 55,381 adult subjects was included in Hebei General Hospital. BP and other clinical indicators were measured. Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, TyG-waist circumference (TyG-WC), TyG-body mass index (TyG-BMI), TyG-waist to height ratio (TyG-WHtR), triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C) and metabolic score for IR (METS-IR) were collected as dependable surrogates for IR. Examinees were categorized into four groups based on BP levels. Those involved were classified as quartiles according to the levels of six surrogate IR indices. Logistic regression analysis was adopted to evaluate the impact of substitute IR indicators on BP. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to explore the predictive ability of the parameters on BP. Results: The incidence of elevated BP, stage 1 HTN and stage 2 HTN was 7.86%, 24.05% and 23.76%, respectively. As the levels of six substitute IR indices rose, so did the BP. In the logistic regression analysis, after full adjustment, all alternative IR indicators were independently related to both stage 1 HTN and stage 2 HTN. Except for TG/HDL-C, other substitute IR indices were strongly associated with elevated BP. ROC curves analysis suggested TyG-WC and TyG-WHtR outperformed other indicators with higher odd ratios and area under the curve (AUC) in all the participants. Conclusion: Increased substitute IR indices were significantly associated with elevated BP in new-onset HTN and elevated BP individuals. TyG-WC and TyG-WHtR could better predict elevated BP, stage 1 HTN and stage 2 HTN.

Integrated barium titanate electro-optic modulators operating at CMOS-compatible voltage.

We propose monolithically integrated electro-optical modulators based on thin-film x-cut barium titanate that exhibit large modulation bandwidth and operate at voltages compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. The optical and radio frequency parameters of the modulator are systematically simulated, calculated, and optimized, respectively. Our simulation includes the evaluation of single-mode conditions, the separation distance between the electrode edge and the waveguide edge, bending loss, optical field distribution, and half-wave voltage-length product for optical parameters, and characteristic impedance, attenuation constant, radio frequency effective index, and -3d B modulation bandwidth for radio frequency parameters. By engineering both the microwave and photonic circuits, we have achieved high electro-optical efficiencies and group-velocity matching simultaneously. Our numerical simulation and theoretical analysis show that the half-wave voltage-length product was 0.48 V·cm, and the -3d B modulation bandwidths with a device length of 5 mm and 10 mm were 262 GHz and 107 GHz, respectively. Overall, our study highlights the potential of the proposed modulators for low driving voltage and high-performance optical communication systems.

Ammonium Sulfite Slurry from Ammonia-Based Desulfurization Activates Water-Soluble Humic Substances from Lignite: Performance, Application, and Mechanism.

Both ammonium sulfite slurry (ASS) from ammonia-based desulfurization and lignite are waste materials with low value. In this work, an innovative method was developed by applying ASS in lignite activation to produce water-soluble humic substances (WHSs) with a high bioactivity and economic value. The optimal activation method was to mix lignite and ASS at a 4:1-liquid-solid ratio by vortex blender and then oscillate it for 30 min at 25 °C. Compared with that of the unactivated lignite (UAL), the yield of WHSs from activated lignite (AL) increased by 42.72%. WHSs from AL consisted of a large number of aliphatic carbons with low molecular weight and functional groups such as amides, amines, sulfonic acid groups, C-O, and so forth. Moreover, WHSs from AL at lower concentrations (2 mg/L) has a more obvious root-elongation-promoting effect than WHSs from UAL (10 mg/L). Activation experiment with the lignite-related model compounds revealed that ASS caused the breakage of Caliph-O, Caliph-Caliph, and Carom-Caliph linkages between aromatic rings. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of green and sustainable technologies for the beneficial reuse of ASS and lignite in agriculture.

Acupuncture-adjuvant therapies for treating perimenopausal depression: A network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The issues related to the treatment of perimenopausal depression (PMD) are the side effects of antidepressants and hormone replacement therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in PMD patients. METHODS: Databases, namely PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and WanFang, were reviewed for related randomized controlled trials dated between database inception and November 22, 2022. The primary outcomes were the efficacy rate and the Hamilton Depression Scale score. The secondary outcomes were the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol and the Kupperman score. Odds ratios (ORs) were generated as the effect size for dichotomous outcomes, while the standard mean difference (SMD) ± standard deviation was used for continuous outcomes. Matrices were developed to demonstrate pairwise comparisons of regimens related to each endpoint. Utilizing Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3, Stata 16.0 and SPSS 21, data were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 27 studies involving 2269 PMD patients and 8 therapeutic measures were incorporated into the network meta-analysis (NMA). The NMA showed that warm acupuncture (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.00-2.44), electroacupuncture (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.00-1.8), abdominal acupuncture (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.73-1.96), and common acupuncture (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.9-2.17) were more effective than fluoxetine + menopausal hormone treatment in the treatment of PMD. The NMA also showed that, based on the Hamilton Depression Scale score, warm acupuncture was more effective than the other 4 acupuncture-related treatments, i.e., electroacupuncture (SMD = -1.22, 95% CI: -2.34 to -0.09), thread embedding (SMD = -1.31, 95% CI: -2.21 to -0.40), abdominal acupuncture (SMD = -1.33, 95% CI: -2.42 to -0.24), and common acupuncture (SMD = -1.46, 95% CI: -2.26 to -0.66). The cumulative ranking probability (SUCRA) showed that warm acupuncture (99.6%) was the best treatment method. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this network meta-analysis may help patients and therapists choose the best acupuncture therapy for treating perimenopausal depression patients and furnish reliable evidence for guidelines.

Metal-organic frameworks/metal nanoparticles as smart nanosensing interfaces for electrochemical sensors applications: a mini-review.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials with huge specific surface area and abundant active sites, which are composed of metal ions or clusters and organic ligands in the form of coordination bonds. In recent years, MOFs have been successfully applied in many fields due to their excellent physical, chemical, and biological properties. Electrochemical sensors have advantages such as economy, portability, and sensitivity, making them increasingly valued in the field of sensors. Many studies have shown that the electrode materials will affect the performance of electrochemical sensors. Therefore, the research on electrode materials is still one of the hotspots. MOFs are also commonly used to construct electrochemical sensors. However, electrochemical sensors prepared from single MOFs have shortcomings such as insufficient conductivity, low sensitivity, and poor electrochemical catalytic ability. In order to compensate for these defects, a new type of nanocomposite material with very ideal conductivity was formed by adding metal nanoparticles (MNPs) to MOFs. The combination of the two is expected to be widely applied in the field of sensors. This review summarizes the applications of various MNPs/MOFs composites in the field of electrochemical sensors and provides some references for the development of MNPs/MOFs composites-based electrochemical sensors in the future.

Thiele's Fluorocarbons: Stable Diradicaloids with Efficient Visible-to-Near-Infrared Fluorescence from a Zwitterionic Excited State.

Thiele's hydrocarbon was the first synthesized diradicaloid in the search for stable open-shell structures, but it remains sensitive to oxygen and light. We here report the synthesis of Thiele's fluorocarbon (TFC) and its derivatives exhibiting exceptional thermal, oxidative, and photostability. TFCs have remarkable luminescent properties with yellow to NIR fluorescence and up to 100% quantum yields. X-ray crystallography and ESR spectroscopy confirm their closed-shell quinoidal ground state. As expected from their symmetric nonpolar structure, the TFCs' absorption spectra show no solvent effect, but their emission reveals an extraordinarily large Stokes shift which increases with solvent polarity (from 0.9 eV in cyclohexane to 1.5 eV in acetonitrile). We show that this behavior is a result of sudden polarization, leading to a zwitterionic excited state.

Blood tau-PT217 contributes to the anesthesia/surgery-induced delirium-like behavior in aged mice.

INTRODUCTION: Blood phosphorylated tau at threonine 217 (tau-PT217) is a newly established biomarker for Alzheimer's disease and postoperative delirium in patients. However, the mechanisms and consequences of acute changes in blood tau-PT217 remain largely unknown. METHODS: We investigated the effects of anesthesia/surgery on blood tau-PT217 in aged mice, and evaluated the associated changes in B cell populations, neuronal excitability in anterior cingulate cortex, and delirium-like behavior using positron emission tomography imaging, nanoneedle technology, flow cytometry, electrophysiology, and behavioral tests. RESULTS: Anesthesia/surgery induced acute increases in blood tau-PT217 via enhanced generation in the lungs and release from B cells. Tau-PT217 might cross the blood-brain barrier, increasing neuronal excitability and inducing delirium-like behavior. B cell transfer and WS635, a mitochondrial function enhancer, mitigated the anesthesia/surgery-induced changes. DISCUSSION: Acute increases in blood tau-PT217 may contribute to brain dysfunction and postoperative delirium. Targeting B cells or mitochondrial function may have therapeutic potential for preventing or treating these conditions.

EPRS1 correlates with malignant progression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (EPRS1) is an aminoacyl-tRNA synthase involved in the pathology of cancer and other diseases. In this study, we investigated the carcinogenic function, potential mechanism, and clinical significance of EPRS1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The expression, clinical significance, and prognostic value of EPRS1 in HCC were assessed using the TCGA and GEO databases. The function of EPRS1 in HCC cells was detected by CCK-8, Transwell, and hepatosphere formation assays. Immunohistochemistry was used to explore the difference in EPRS1 levels in HCC tissues and peri-cancerous tissues. The mechanism of EPRS1 was studied using a proteomics method. Finally, cBioportal and MEXEPRSS were used to analyze the variations involved in the differential expression of EPRS1. RESULTS: EPRS1 was frequently upregulated at the mRNA and protein levels in liver cancer. Increased EPRS1 correlated with shortened patient survival. EPRS1 could promote cancer cell proliferation, characteristics of cell stemness, and mobility. Mechanistically, EPRS1 played a carcinogenic role by upregulating several downstream proline-rich proteins, primarily LAMC1 and CCNB1. In addition, copy number variation could contribute to the high expression of EPRS1 in liver cancer. CONCLUSION: Together, our data imply that enhanced EPRS1 contributes to the development of HCC by increasing the expression of oncogenes in the tumor microenvironment. EPRS1 may be a successful treatment target.

Structure and Wear Resistance of TiC-Reinforced Al1.8CrCuFeNi2 High-Entropy Alloy Coating Using Laser Cladding.

Al1.8CrCuFeNi2 high-entropy alloy coatings with different TiC contents were prepared using laser cladding. The effect of TiC on the microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of the coatings was investigated. It was found that the phase structure of the coating with 10 wt.% TiC was a single BCC phase with no other precipitated phase. When 20 wt.% TiC was added, the phase structure of the coating was a BCC phase and TiC phase. When the TiC content increased to 30 wt.%, more TiC-reinforcing phase was formed. With the increase in the TiC content, the hardness of the high-entropy alloy coating was enhanced and the wear loss clearly decreased, which was closely related to the change in the coating structure. The addition of TiC to high-entropy alloys plays the role of fine-grain strengthening and dispersion strengthening.

Spatiotemporal assessment of ecosystem services supply-demand relationships to identify ecological management zoning in coastal city Dalian, China.

Integrating ecosystem services supply-demand relationships into ecological management zoning is a hot topic. Most studies have focused on the matching relationship between the supply and demand of ecosystem services. However, the extent to which both are coordinated at different matching levels is ignored, that is, whether ecosystem services supply and demand tend to reinforce each other at high levels or constrain each other at low levels. Therefore, taking Dalian as an example, this study constructed a research framework for ecological management zoning by integrating the matching and coupling coordination relationship of ecosystem services supply-demand. We found that the supply of ecosystem services in Dalian decreased by 23.70% and the demand increased by 22.54% from 2005 to 2019. There was an obvious mismatch and disharmony in the supply and demand of ecosystem services, and the matching and coordination often did not exist simultaneously. Overlay analysis was used to divide Dalian into four ecological management zones: eco-conservation, eco-development, eco-improvement, and eco-restoration zones. This study helped in integrating the matching and coupling coordination relationship of ecosystem services supply-demand into the environmental management system, which has practical significance for the sustainable development of ecosystem services.

CarveMix: A simple data augmentation method for brain lesion segmentation.

Brain lesion segmentation provides a valuable tool for clinical diagnosis and research, and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved unprecedented success in the segmentation task. Data augmentation is a widely used strategy to improve the training of CNNs. In particular, data augmentation approaches that mix pairs of annotated training images have been developed. These methods are easy to implement and have achieved promising results in various image processing tasks. However, existing data augmentation approaches based on image mixing are not designed for brain lesions and may not perform well for brain lesion segmentation. Thus, the design of this type of simple data augmentation method for brain lesion segmentation is still an open problem. In this work, we propose a simple yet effective data augmentation approach, dubbed as CarveMix, for CNN-based brain lesion segmentation. Like other mixing-based methods, CarveMix stochastically combines two existing annotated images (annotated for brain lesions only) to obtain new labeled samples. To make our method more suitable for brain lesion segmentation, CarveMix is lesion-aware, where the image combination is performed with a focus on the lesions and preserves the lesion information. Specifically, from one annotated image we carve a region of interest (ROI) according to the lesion location and geometry with a variable ROI size. The carved ROI then replaces the corresponding voxels in a second annotated image to synthesize new labeled images for network training, and additional harmonization steps are applied for heterogeneous data where the two annotated images can originate from different sources. Besides, we further propose to model the mass effect that is unique to whole brain tumor segmentation during image mixing. To evaluate the proposed method, experiments were performed on multiple publicly available or private datasets, and the results show that our method improves the accuracy of brain lesion segmentation. The code of the proposed method is available at https://github.com/ZhangxinruBIT/CarveMix.git.

Silver nanoparticle enhanced metal-organic matrix with interface-engineering for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Integrating plasmonic nanoparticles into the photoactive metal-organic matrix is highly desirable due to the plasmonic near field enhancement, complementary light absorption, and accelerated separation of photogenerated charge carriers at the junction interface. The construction of a well-defined, intimate interface is vital for efficient charge carrier separation, however, it remains a challenge in synthesis. Here we synthesize a junction bearing intimate interface, composed of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles and matrix with silver node via a facile one-step approach. The plasmonic effect of Ag nanoparticles on the matrix is visualized through electron energy loss mapping. Moreover, charge carrier transfer from the plasmonic nanoparticles to the matrix is verified through ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and in-situ photoelectron spectroscopy. The system delivers highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic H2 generation, surpassing most reported metal-organic framework-based photocatalytic systems. This work sheds light on effective electronic and energy bridging between plasmonic nanoparticles and organic semiconductors.

Efficient room-temperature phosphorescence of covalent organic frameworks through covalent halogen doping.

Organic room-temperature phosphorescence, a spin-forbidden radiative process, has emerged as an interesting but rare phenomenon with multiple potential applications in optoelectronic devices, biosensing and anticounterfeiting. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with accessible nanoscale porosity and precisely engineered topology can offer unique benefits in the design of phosphorescent materials, but these are presently unexplored. Here, we report an approach of covalent doping, whereby a COF is synthesized by copolymerization of halogenated and unsubstituted phenyldiboronic acids, allowing for random distribution of functionalized units at varying ratios, yielding highly phosphorescent COFs. Such controlled halogen doping enhances the intersystem crossing while minimizing triplet-triplet annihilation by diluting the phosphors. The rigidity of the COF suppresses vibrational relaxation and allows a high phosphorescence quantum yield (ΦPhos ≤ 29%) at room temperature. The permanent porosity of the COFs and the combination of the singlet and triplet emitting channels enable a highly efficient COF-based oxygen sensor, with an ultra-wide dynamic detection range (~103-10-5 torr of partial oxygen pressure).

Bio-based Polyurethane Based on a Dynamic Covalent Network with Damage Tolerance for Controlled Release of Fertilizers.

Bio-based polyurethanes are promising for the controlled release of nutrients and fertilizers, but their toughness and plasticity need to be improved. We developed a smooth, dense, elastic, and indestructible bio-based polyurethane (BPU) coating with a nutrient controlled release ∼150% superior, a tensile strength ∼300% higher, and a toughness ∼1200% higher than those for the original BPU coating. Through a one-step reaction of soybean oil polyols (accounting for more than 60%), isocyanate, and benzil dioxime, the dynamic covalent network based on oxime-carbamate replaces part of irreversible covalent cross-linking. The dynamic fracture-bonding reaction in the modified coating BPU can effectively promote the hydrogen bond recombination and oxime-carbamate chain migration in the coating process, which avoids the structural defects caused by coating tear and fertilizer collision. This work provides a simple and versatile strategy for building controlled-release fertilizer coatings.

Simulation framework for fringe projection profilometry using ray tracing and light transport coefficient measurement.

Fringe projection profilometry is widely used in optical metrology, and fringe analysis is important to improve measurement accuracy. However, the fringe images captured by cameras are influenced by many factors, an analytical study of which, to characterize the imaging process, is difficult to perform. We propose a method to accurately simulate the real imaging system in the virtual environment using ray tracing algorithm. The light transport coefficients of the cameras are measured to simulate defocus instead of using Gaussian function. Experimental results show that the proposed method can simulate a physical system in the virtual environment more accurately than the Gaussian function at large defocus condition.

Development and verification of the glycolysis-associated and immune-related prognosis signature for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refers to the malignant tumor associated with a high mortality rate. This work focused on identifying a robust tumor glycolysis-immune-related gene signature to facilitate the prognosis prediction of HCC cases. Methods: This work adopted t-SNE algorithms for predicting glycolysis status in accordance with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-derived cohort transcriptome profiles. In addition, the Cox regression model was utilized together with LASSO to identify prognosis-related genes (PRGs). In addition, the results were externally validated with the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohort. Results: Accordingly, the glycolysis-immune-related gene signature, which consisted of seven genes, PSRC1, CHORDC1, KPNA2, CDCA8, G6PD, NEIL3, and EZH2, was constructed based on TCGA-HCC patients. Under a range of circumstances, low-risk patients had extended overall survival (OS) compared with high-risk patients. Additionally, the developed gene signature acted as the independent factor, which was significantly associated with clinical stage, grade, portal vein invasion, and intrahepatic vein invasion among HCC cases. In addition, as revealed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the model showed high efficiency. Moreover, the different glycolysis and immune statuses between the two groups were further revealed by functional analysis. Conclusion: Our as-constructed prognosis prediction model contributes to HCC risk stratification.

Scales and Historical Evolution: Methods to Reveal the Relationships between Ecosystem Service Bundles and Socio-Ecological Drivers-A Case Study of Dalian City, China.

Ecosystem service (ES) bundles can be defined as the temporal and spatial co-occurrence of ESs. ES bundles are jointly driven by socio-ecological factors and form at different scales. However, in recent research, a few studies have analyzed the dynamic evolution and driving mechanisms of ES bundles at different scales. Therefore, this study explored the spatial patterns of six ESs supplied in Dalian (China) from 2005 to 2015 at three spatial scales, determining the distribution and evolution patterns of ES bundles and their responses to socio-ecological driving factors. Our results are as follows: (1) We identified four ES bundles representing ecological conservation, water conservation, ecological depletion, and food supply. The developmental trajectory of each ES bundle could be attributed to the combined effects of environmental conditions and urban expansion. In particular, the water conservation bundle and food supply bundle were changed to the ecological depletion bundle. Given the ongoing urbanization, the conflict between ESs has intensified. (2) The impact of socio-ecological driving factors on ES bundles vary with scale. At three spatial scales, the digital elevation model (DEM) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) had a great impact on ES bundles. Urbanization indicators also strongly explain the spatial distribution of ES bundles at the county and grid scales. The interaction factor detector shows that there is no combination of mutual weakening, indicating that the formation of ES bundles is driven by multiple factors in Dalian. Overall, this study used a more holistic approach to manage the ecosystem by studying the temporal-spatial dynamics of the multiple ESs.

Age and Sex Differences Among Mildly Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients with Omicron Infection in 2022 in Shanghai, China.

Background: An epidemic of the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in March 2022, and over 600,000 cases were confirmed until early May 2022 in Shanghai, China. Data on Omicron infections are available in other countries, but the clinical features of patients in the Chinese population, especially in Shanghai, are still lacking. We collected data from a subset of asymptomatic and mildly ill patients to learn about the age and sex disparity of Omicron infection based on changes in cycle threshold values. Methods: The basic information of 325 patients who were consecutively admitted to the Shanghai Geriatrics Center was collected through medical records, and patients were tested for viral nucleic acid carriage using nasal swab samples during hospitalization. SAS 9.4 was used for data analysis, and a p value < 0.05% was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the 325 included patients, 58.8% were males, with a mean age of 47.2 years and 13.6 days of hospitalization on average. The average number of nucleic acid tests among female patients was 4.7, which was higher than that among male patients (4.1). The median value of the slope for cycle threshold (Ct) changes in the nucleic acid detection (NAD) test was 1.4. Logistic regression indicated that the proportion of slope for Ct changes >1.5 was slightly higher among male patients than among female patients (odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-1.66), and patients aged <45 years and 45-59 years had a higher proportion of slope for Ct changes >1.5 than patients aged ≥60 years. Ct values were more variable in the early stages of infection and stabilized in the later stages of infection. Conclusion: Among patients with mild illness or asymptomatic infection, the Ct value is a good, timely, and cost-effective method to reflect the recovery progress of patients. The slope of Ct changes was steeper among younger patients and male patients, which indicates faster disease recovery.