Advancing Thermoelectric Performance of Bi2Te3 below 400 K.

Thermoelectric cooling devices utilizing Bi2Te3-based alloys have seen increased utilization in recent years. However, their thermoelectric performance remains inadequate within the operational temperature range (≤400 K), with limited research addressing this issue. In this study, we successfully modulated the carrier concentration of the sample through Te content reduction, consequently lowering the peak temperature of the zT value from 400 to 300 K. This led to a substantial enhancement in thermoelectric performance at room temperature (≤400 K). Furthermore, by doping with La, the electrical transport properties have been further optimized, and the lattice thermal conductivity has been effectively reduced at the same time; the average zT value was ultimately elevated from 0.69 to 0.9 within the temperature range of 300-400 K. These findings hold significant promise for enhancing the efficacy of existing thermoelectric cooling devices based on Bi2Te3-based alloys.

Cognitive mechanisms and neurological foundations of companion animals' role in enhancing human psychological well-being.

The impact of companion animals on human psychological health has garnered widespread attention. Research demonstrates that companion animals contribute positively in various ways, including reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and fostering positive emotions in humans. Recent studies have revealed significant changes in the activity levels of human emotion-related cortical areas (such as the frontal cortex and amygdala) and neurotransmitter (e.g., oxytocin, cortisol) secretion due to interaction with companion animals. However, research in this domain is still in a nascent stage, with many unknowns in the cognitive neural mechanisms involved. This paper proposes that to understand the cognitive mechanisms through which companion animals affect human psychological health, we need to examine changes in emotional cognitive processing. It aims to uncover the neurological underpinnings of how companion animals enhance human psychological well-being from the perspective of brain connectivity. This approach is expected to provide theoretical support and direction for future research and practical applications in this field.

Effects of three-duration Tai-Chi exercises on depression and sleep quality in older women.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the effects of 24 weeks of three-duration Tai-Chi (TC) practice on depression and sleep quality in older women. METHODS: A total of 124 older women were randomly divided into four groups: short-time group (SG, n = 31, mean age: 65.3), medium-time group (MG, n = 30, mean age: 65.7), long-time group (LG, n = 32, mean age: 64.9) and control group (CG, n = 31, mean age: 66.2). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured. RESULTS: 1) Within-group comparisons: Compared with the baseline, the 12th and 24th weeks showed reductions in TNF-α and IL-6 levels and increase in 5-HT level in the SG, MG and LG (p < 0.05). The LG at the 24th week had reduced BDI and PSQI scores (p < 0.05). Compared with the 12th week, the 24th week showed reductions in TNF-α and IL-6 levels (p < 0.01) and increase in 5-HT level (p < 0.05) in the SG, MG, and LG. 2) Between-group comparisons: The SG, MG, and LG had lower TNF-α and IL-6 levels and higher 5-HT level than the CG at 12th and 24th weeks (p < 0.05). At the 24th week, the LG had lower BDI and PSQI scores than the CG and lower TNF-α level than the SG and MG (p < 0.05). The MG had lower TNF-α levels than the SG in the 24th week (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that older individuals may undertake at least 12 weeks of TC exercise with a duration of 60 min per session to significantly improve depressive mood and sleep quality.

Effects of combined resistance training and Tai Chi on oxidative stress, blood glucose and lipid metabolism and quality of life in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This study examined the effects of resistance training (RT), Tai Chi (TC) and combination intervention (RT & TC) on the oxidative stress, blood glucose and lipid metabolism and quality of life of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ninety-four elderly patients with T2DM were randomly divided into an RT group (RTG, n = 23), TC group (TCG, n = 24), combination intervention group (CIG, n = 24) and control group (CG, n = 23). All participants were given nutrition and medication. On this basis, RTG, TCG and CIG were administered for 24 weeks (3 times/week, 40 minutes/time). Observation indicators were malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), 8-hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and diabetes specific quality of life (DSQL). RT, TC and joint intervention can reduce the oxidative stress damage on elderly patients with T2DM to different degrees, control the levels of blood sugar and blood lipid and improve the quality of life. Compared with single intervention, combination intervention can further reduce the level of oxidative stress but has no additional benefits on blood glucose and lipid control and quality of life.

Microbial interactions facilitating efficient methane driven denitrification via in-situ utilization of short chain fatty acids.

High nitrate pollution in agriculture and industry poses a challenge to emerging methane oxidation coupled denitrification. In this study, an efficient nitrate removal efficiency of 100 % was achieved at an influent loading rate of 400 mg-N/L·d, accompanied by the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) with a maximum value of 80.9 mg/L. Batch tests confirmed that methane was initially converted to acetate, which then served as a carbon source for denitrification. Microbial community characterization revealed the dominance of heterotrophic denitrifiers, including Simplicispira (22.8 %), Stappia (4.9 %), and the high­nitrogen-tolerant heterotrophic denitrifier Diaphorobacter (19.0 %), at the nitrate removal rate of 400 mg-N/L·d. Notably, the low abundance of methanotrophs ranging from 0.24 % to 3.75 % across all operational stages does not fully align with the abundance of pmoA genes, suggesting the presence of other functional microorganisms capable of methane oxidation and SCFAs production. These findings could facilitate highly efficient denitrification driven by methane and contributed to the development of denitrification using methane as an electron donor.

In situ synergistic reduced graphene oxide-boron carbon nitride nanosheet heterostructures for high-performance fabric-based supercapacitors.

We develop a new type of heterostructure nanocomposite made of reduced graphene oxide-boron carbon nitride nanosheets (rGO-BCN) by B-C covalent bonds. The rGO-BCN nanocomposite delivers a large specific surface and excellent electrochemical properties, and is then constructed into flexible fabric-based high-performance supercapacitor electrodes based on the microfluidic electrospinning technology.

Type 2 diabetes mediates the causal relationship between obesity and osteomyelitis: A Mendelian randomization study.

Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to determine the causal relationship between Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and osteomyelitis (OM). We performed MR analysis using pooled data from different large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Instrumental variables were selected based on genome-wide significance, instrumental strength was assessed using F-values, and thresholds for the number of exposed phenotypes were further adjusted by Bonferroni correction. univariable and multivariable MR analyses were performed to assess causal effects and proportions mediated by T2D. IVW (inverse variance weighting) showed a significant genetic effect of osteomyelitis on the following: After correction by Bonferroni, univariable analyses showed that childhood body mass index (BMI) was not significantly associated with genetic susceptibility to OM [odds ratio (OR), 1.26; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02, 1.55; P = .030], not significantly associated with adulthood BMI (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.61; P = .034), significantly associated with waist circumference (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.51, 2.24; P < .001), and significantly associated with hip circumference (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.31, 1.76; P < .001). Meanwhile, multivariable analyses showed no significant effect of childhood BMI on OM (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.84, 1.62; P = .370), no significant effect of adulthood BMI on OM (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.21, 0.84; P = .015), a significant association between waist circumference and OM (OR, 4.30; 95% CI, 1.89, 9.82; P = .001), T2D mediated 10% (95% CI, 0.02, 0.14), and no significant association between hip circumference and OM (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.54, 1.90; P = .968). Our study provides evidence for a genetically predicted causal relationship among obesity, T2D, and OM. We demonstrate that increased waist circumference is positively associated with an increased risk of OM and that T2D mediates this relationship. Clinicians should be more cautious in the perioperative management of osteomyelitis surgery in obese patients with T2D. In addition, waist circumference may be a more important criterion to emphasize and strictly control than other measures of obesity.

Targeting branched N-glycans and fucosylation sensitizes ovarian tumors to immune checkpoint blockade.

Aberrant glycosylation is a crucial strategy employed by cancer cells to evade cellular immunity. However, it's unclear whether homologous recombination (HR) status-dependent glycosylation can be therapeutically explored. Here, we show that the inhibition of branched N-glycans sensitizes HR-proficient, but not HR-deficient, epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). In contrast to fucosylation whose inhibition sensitizes EOCs to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy regardless of HR-status, we observe an enrichment of branched N-glycans on HR-proficient compared to HR-deficient EOCs. Mechanistically, BRCA1/2 transcriptionally promotes the expression of MGAT5, the enzyme responsible for catalyzing branched N-glycans. The branched N-glycans on HR-proficient tumors augment their resistance to anti-PD-L1 by enhancing its binding with PD-1 on CD8+ T cells. In orthotopic, syngeneic EOC models in female mice, inhibiting branched N-glycans using 2-Deoxy-D-glucose sensitizes HR-proficient, but not HR-deficient EOCs, to anti-PD-L1. These findings indicate branched N-glycans as promising therapeutic targets whose inhibition sensitizes HR-proficient EOCs to ICB by overcoming immune evasion.

Angularly stable terahertz multiband LiNbO3-polymer hybrid metamaterial for microfluidic refractive index sensing.

A terahertz (THz) L i N b O 3-polymer hybrid metamaterial (LPHM) consisting of three-layer Au patterns and two medium interval layers is demonstrated, and the bulk refractive index (RI) sensing performance is also studied. The parameter optimizations and sensing performances of the LPHM are simulated by the finite-element method (FEM). The results show that the reflection or absorption spectrum of the LPHM has four peaks in the 1-10 THz band, and the peaks move toward the lower frequency when the period (P) of the LPHM or the side length (a) of the notched square frame increases but shift to the higher frequency when w 1 or w 2 increases. Moreover, the LPHM has a wide angular stability and good structural stability. The sensing performance shows that the LPHM can achieve an RI sensitivity of 11.5 µm/RIU with a detection limit (DL) of 2.9×10-4 R I U. The LPHM has potential applications in pharmacological biodevices, THz immunosensing, modern medical and clinical practices, and detection of thin films and biochemical substances, and it can be expected to realize multiphysical parameter measurements.

Thermal-Robust Phenoxyimine Titanium Catalysts Bearing Bulky Sidearms for High Temperature Ethylene Homo-/Co- Polymerizations.

A family of titanium complexes (Ti1-Ti7) with the general formula LTiCl3, supported by tridentate phenoxyimine [O-NO] ligands (L1-L7) bearing bulky sidearms, were synthesized by treating the corresponding ligands with stoichiometric amount of TiCl4. All the ligands and complexes were well characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, in which ortho- methoxyl groups on N-aryl moieties shifted to downfield, corroborating the successful coordination reaction. Structural optimization by DFT calculations revealed that one of the phenyl groups on dibenzhydryl moiety could form π-π stacking interaction with the salicylaldimine plane, because of which the obtained titanium complexes revealed good thermal stabilities for high-temperature polymerization of ethylene. The thermal robustness of the complexes was closely related to the strength of π-π stacking interactions, which were mainly influenced by the substituents on the dibenzhydryl moieties; Ti1, Ti4 and Ti5 emerged as the three best-performing complexes at 110 °C. With the aid of such π-π stacking interactions, the complexes were also found to be active at >150 °C, although decreased activities were witnessed. Besides homopolymerizations, complexes Ti1-Ti7 were also found to be active for the high-temperature copolymerization of ethylene and 1-octene, but with medium incorporation percentage, demonstrating their medium copolymerization capabilities.

Effect of strength training with additional acupuncture on balance, ankle sensation, and isokinetic muscle strength in chronic ankle instability among college students.

Purpose: The effects of the combination of strength training and acupuncture on chronic ankle instability have not been studied. This study examined effects of strength training combined with acupuncture on balance ability, ankle motion perception, and muscle strength in chronic ankle instability among college students. Methods: Forty-six chronic ankle instability college students were randomly categorized into the experimental group (n = 24, strength training + acupuncture) and the control group (n = 22, strength training) for an 8-week intervention. Results: For the results at 8 weeks, compared with the baseline, in the experimental group, the chronic Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) score, ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flex, eversion peak torque (60°/s), and plantar flex peak torque (180°/s) increased by 13.7%, 39.4%, 13.7%, 14.2%, and 12.3%, respectively. Dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, and eversion kinesthetic sensation test angles decreased by 17.4%, 20.6%, 15.0%, and 17.2%, respectively. Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral velocity decreased by 28.9%, 31.6%, 33.3%, and 12.4%, respectively. Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral mean velocity decreased by 28.9%, 31.6%, 33.3%, and 12.4%, respectively. In the control group, the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool score and the ankle dorsiflexion peak torque (60°/s) increased by 13.8% and 17.9%, respectively. The inversion kinesthetic sensation test angle decreased by 15.2%, whereas anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral mean velocity decreased by 17.1%, 29.4%, 12.3%, and 16.8%, respectively. 2) For the comparison between the groups after 8 weeks, the values of ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flex peak torque (60°/s) in the experimental group were greater than those in the control group. The values of ankle plantar flex kinesthetic sensation test angle, the anterior-posterior displacement, and anterior-posterior mean velocity in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment in conjunction with muscle strength training can further improve the balance ability of anterior-posterior, ankle dorsiflexion, and plantar flex strength and plantar flex motion perception in chronic ankle instability participants.

Molecular engineering to design a bright near-infrared red photosensitizer: cellular bioimaging and phototherapy.

Near-infrared red (NIR) fluorescence imaging guide phototherapeutic therapy (PDT) has the advantages of deep tissue penetration, real-time monitoring of drug treatment and disease, little damage to normal tissue, low cytotoxicity and almost no side effects, and thus, it is attracting increasing research attention and is expected to show promising potential for clinical tumor treatment. The photosensitizer (PS), light source and oxygen are the three basic and important factors to construct PDT technology, and highly efficient PSs are still being passionately pursued because they determine the PDT efficiency. Ideal PSs should have properties such as good biocompatibility, deep tissue penetration, and highly efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation despite the hypoxic environment. Therefore, pure organic type I PSs with NIR fluorescence have been receiving increasing attention due to their deep penetration and hypoxia resistance. However, reported NIR-active type I PSs usually require complex synthetic procedures, which presents a challenge for mass production. In this research work, based on the molecular design ideas of introducing the heavy atom effect and intramolecular charge transfer, we prepared three NIR-active type I PSs (TNZ, TNZBr, and TNZCHO) using a very simple method with one or two synthetic steps. Clear characterizations of photophysical properties, ROS performance tests, and fluorescent imaging of human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells and PDT treatment of HepG2 cells were carried out. The results revealed that the heavy atom and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effects could obviously enhance the ROS efficiency, and both PSs produce only type I ROS without any type II ROS (1O2) generation. The good NIR fluorescence brightness and type I ROS efficiency ensure satisfactory bioimaging and PDT outcomes. This research provides the possibility of preparing NIR-active type I PSs via mass production.

Preparation and Characterization of Soft-Hard Block Copolymer of 3,4-IP-b-s-1,2-PBD Using a Robust Iron-Based Catalyst System.

A series of well-defined diblock copolymers, namely, 3,4-polyisoprene-block-syndiotactic-1,2-polybutadiene (3,4-PI-b-s-1,2-PBD), with a soft-hard block sequence were synthesized via an in situ sequential polymerization process using a robust iron-based catalytic system Fe(acac)3/(isocyanoimino) triptenylphosphorane (IITP)/AliBu3. This catalyst exhibits vigorous activity and temperature tolerance, achieving a polymerization activity of 5.41 × 106 g mol(Fe)-1 h-1 at 70 °C with a [IP]/[Fe] ratio of 15,000. Moreover, the quasi-living polymerization characteristics of the catalyst were verified through kinetic experiments. The first-stage polymerization of isoprene (IP) is performed at 30 °C to give a soft 3,4-PI block, and then a quantitative amount of 1,3-butadiene was added in situ to the quasi-living polymerization system to produce a second hard s-1,2-PBD. The s-1,2-PBD segments in block copolymers display a rodlike morphology contrasting with the spherulitic morphology characteristic of s-1,2-PBD homopolymers. The precise tunability of the length of the soft and hard chain segments of these novel elastic materials with the feed ratio of IP and BD, endowing them with outstanding mechanical properties and excellent dynamic mechanical properties, which are expected to be promising high-performance rubber materials.

Characterisation of the MLP genes in peach postharvest cold storage and the regulatory role of PpMLP10 in the chilling stress response.

The major latex proteins/ripening-related proteins are a subfamily of the Bet v 1 protein superfamily and are commonly involved in plant development and responses to various stresses. However, the functions of MLPs in the postharvest cold storage of fruits remain uninvestigated. Herein, we identified 30 MLP genes in the peach (Prunus persica) genome that were clustered into three subgroups. Chromosomal location analysis revealed that the PpMLP genes were unevenly distributed on five of the eight peach chromosomes. Synteny analysis of the MLP genes between peach and seven other plant species (five dicotyledons and two monocotyledons) explored their evolutionary characteristics. Furthermore, the PpMLP promoters contained cis-elements for multiple hormones and stress responses. Gene expression analysis revealed that PpMLPs participated in chilling stress responses. Ectopic expression of PpMLP10 in Arabidopsis improved chilling stress tolerance by decreasing membrane damage and maintaining membrane stability. Additional research confirmed that PpWRKY2 participates in PpMLP10-mediated chilling stress by binding to its promoter. Collectively, these results suggest the role of PpMLP10 in enhancing chilling stress tolerance, which is significant for decreasing chilling injury during the postharvest cold storage of peaches.

[Research Progress on the Prognostic Evaluation of MRD in Acute Myeloid Leukemia --Review].

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous group of malignant tumors in the blood system. Although many AML patients have achieved survive for a long time through chemotherapy and targeted therapy combined with/without HSCT, but some of them still be difficult to achieve remission or early relapse after remission. Therefore, refining risk stratification and achieving individualized treatment based on prognostic indicators is of great significance. As the research on prognostic indicators of AML deepens increasingly, the prognostic stratification has been continuously improved, from the MICM typing index to the comprehensive evaluation of biological disease characteristics such as MRD. This article reviews the development of prognostic indicators for AML and the research progress of MRD on AML prognosis evaluation to better identify patients with different risks and formulate and implement accurate diagnosis and treatment programs.

Policies and Practices Regarding Preparative Fasting for Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography: A Nationwide Survey.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate current policies and practices regarding preparative fasting before contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) and the knowledge and attitudes of radiology head nurses. METHODS: Radiology head nurses in 499 Chinese hospitals participated in an online survey on preparative fasting for CECT, which mainly included current departmental policies and practices and their knowledge and attitudes. RESULTS: Response rate was 89.8% (448/499). All surveyed hospitals established preparative fasting protocols, mainly based on guidelines for iodinated contrast media (ICM) usage (68.8%). For the nongastrointestinal CECT scan, the most frequent fasting duration for solid food, semiliquid diet, liquid diet, and clear liquids was 4 to 6 hours (215/422 [50.9%]), less than 6 hours (332/396 [83.8%]), less than 6 hours (275/320, 85.9%), and less than 6 hours (151/189 [79.9%]), respectively. Forty-six percent of the respondents confirmed that unnecessary excessive fasting existed in practice, and the related patient discomfort occurred in 60.3% of the hospitals, mainly manifested as hypoglycemia (86.7%). Expert consensus and guidelines for iodinated contrast media usage (75%) were the leading approach to gain knowledge about preparative fasting; 90.6% of the respondents believed that the clinical scenarios requiring preparative fasting were the upper abdominal examinations. A majority of respondents (72.1%) believed that the current preparative fasting policies needed improvement. CONCLUSION: Preparative fasting policies varied among hospitals in terms of the fasting content and duration. Respondents' opinions differed on fasting requirements based on various CECT examination sites and patients. The latest guideline regarding no fasting before CECT has not been fully adopted. Further research is required to promote the transformation of guideline evidence.

High-power 970†nm semiconductor disk laser: erratum.

An erratum is presented to modify a calculating error in our published manuscript ["High-power 970 nm semiconductor disk laser" Opt. Express31, 43963 (2023)10.1364/OE.506462 [CrossRef]]. All results throughout the manuscript and its conclusions are unaffected by this correction and remain valid.

Selenium substitution for dielectric constant improvement and hole-transfer acceleration in non-fullerene organic solar cells.

Dielectric constant of non-fullerene acceptors plays a critical role in organic solar cells in terms of exciton dissociation and charge recombination. Current acceptors feature a dielectric constant of 3-4, correlating to relatively high recombination loss. We demonstrate that selenium substitution on acceptor central core can effectively modify molecule dielectric constant. The corresponding blend film presents faster hole-transfer of ~5 ps compared to the sulfur-based derivative (~10 ps). However, the blends with Se-acceptor also show faster charge recombination after 100 ps upon optical pumping, which is explained by the relatively disordered stacking of the Se-acceptor. Encouragingly, dispersing the Se-acceptor in an optimized organic solar cell system can interrupt the disordered aggregation while still retain high dielectric constant. With the improved dielectric constant and optimized fibril morphology, the ternary device exhibits an obvious reduction of non-radiative recombination to 0.221 eV and high efficiency of 19.0%. This work unveils heteroatom-substitution induced dielectric constant improvement, and the associated exciton dynamics and morphology manipulation, which finally contributes to better material/device design and improved device performance.

[Pollution Characteristics, Source Apportionment, and Meteorological Response of Water-soluble Ions in PM2.5 in Xinxiang, North China].

Pollution variation, source characteristics, and meteorological effects of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in PM2.5 were analyzed in Xinxiang city, Henan Province. PM2.5 samples and their chemical components were monitored online by using URG-9000 in four seasons:winter (January, 2022), spring (April, 2022), summer (July, 2022), and fall (October, 2022). The results showed that the TWSIIs had the same seasonal fluctuations as PM2.5. The average seasonal concentrations of WSIIs ranged from 19.62-72.15 µg·m-3, accounting for more than 60% of PM2.5, demonstrating that WSIIs were the major components of PM2.5. The annual concentration value of NO3-/SO42- was 2.11, which showed an increasing trend, suggesting predominantly mobile sources for secondary inorganic aerosols (SNA). Further, the molar concentration value [NH4+]/[NO3-] was 1.95, demonstrating that agriculture emissions were the dominant contributors to atmospheric nitrogen. Furthermore, the backward trajectory analysis showed that the concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were higher when the northeasterly wind prevailed and the wind speed was high. High values of SOR and NOR were correlated with low temperatures and high relative humidity (T < 8℃, RH > 60%), demonstrating that more gaseous precursors were converted into sulfate and nitrate. At high temperatures (T > 24℃), there was no apparent high NOR value like that for SOR, mainly due to the decomposition of NH4NO3 at high temperatures. Finally, backward trajectories associated with the PMF-resolved results were used to explore the regional transport characteristics. The results illustrated that dust sources in the study areas were mainly influenced by air trajectories originating from the northwest regions, whereas secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, and biomass sources contributed more to WSIIs when wind speed and altitude air masses were low in the area surrounding the observation site.