New Strategy for the Design of Anti-Corrosion Coatings in Bipolar Plates Based on Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Layers.

As a star material in conducting polymers, a polypyrrole coating was assembled onto the surface of 316 stainless steel by an electrochemical method. In the next step, the composite layer consisting of carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was sprayed. The corrosion manner of composite coatings in a simulated proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) environment was evaluated. The results show that the final coating generated at a voltage of 1.0 has demonstrated the optimized corrosion resistance. The polypyrrole layer improves the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel substrate, and the CNNS/PMMA coating further strengthens the physical barrier effect of the coating in corrosive solutions.

Solvent-Type Passivation Strategy Controls Solid-State Self-Quenching-Resistant Behavior in Sulfur Dots.

Treatment of sulfur dots with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been an efficient way to achieve a high luminescence quantum yield, and such a PEG-related quantum dot (QD)-synthesis strategy has been well documented. However, the polymeric insulating capping layer acting as the "thick shell" will significantly slow down the electron-transfer efficiency and severely hamper its practical application in an optoelectric field. Especially, the employment of synthetic polymers with long alkyl chains or large molecular weights may lead to structural complexity or even unexpected changes of physical characteristics for QDs. Therefore, in sulfur dot preparation, it is a breakthrough to use short-chain molecular species to replace PEG for better control and reproducibility. In this article, a solvent-type passivation (STP) strategy has been reported, and no PEG or any other capping agent is required. The main role of the solvent, ethanol, is to directly react with NaOH, and the generated sodium ethoxide passivates the surface defects. The afforded STP-enhanced emission sulfur dots (STPEE-SDs) possess not only the self-quenching-resistant feature in the solid state but also the extension of fluorescence band toward the wavelength as long as 645 nm. The realization of sulfur dot emission in the deep-red region with a decent yield (8.7%) has never been reported. Moreover, a super large Stokes shift (300 nm, λex = 345 nm, λem = 645 nm) and a much longer decay lifetime (109 µs) have been found, and such values can facilitate to suppress the negative influence from background signals. Density functional theory demonstrates that the surface passivation via sodium ethoxide is dynamically favorable, and the spectroscopic insights into emission behavior could be derived from the passivation effect of the sulfur vacancy as well as the charge-transfer process dominated by the highly electronegative ethoxide layer.

Hydroxy-selenomethionine supplementation promotes the in vitro rumen fermentation of dairy cows by altering the relative abundance of rumen microorganisms.

AIMS: This study aims to investigate the effect of hydroxy-selenomethionine supplementation on the in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics and microorganisms of Holstein cows. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five fermentation substrates, including control (without selenium supplementation, CON), sodium selenite supplementation (0.3 mg kg-1 DM, SS03), and hydroxy-selenomethionine supplementation (0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mg kg-1 DM, SM03, SM06 and SM09, respectively) were incubated with rumen fluid in vitro. The results showed that in vitro dry matter disappearance and gas production at 48 h was significantly higher in SM06 than SM03, SS03 and CON; propionate and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was higher in SM06 than CON. Moreover, higher species richness of rumen fluid was found in SM06 than others. Higher relative abundance of Prevotella and Prevotellaceae-UCG-003 and lower relative abundance of Ruminococcus-1 were detected in SM06 than CON. Besides, higher relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 was found in CON than other treatments. CONCLUSIONS: It is observed that 0.6 mg kg-1 DM hydroxy-selenomethionine supplementation could increase cumulative gas production, propionate, and total VFAs production by altering the relative abundance of Prevotella, Prevotellaceae-UCG-003, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 and Ruminococcus-1, so that it can be used as a rumen fermentation regulator in Holstein cows. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides an optimal addition ratio of hydroxy-selenomethionine on rumen fermentation and bacterial composition via an in vitro test.

Lanthanide Molecular Species Generated Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA Nanosphere for the Efficient Determination of Nitrite.

The presence of nitrite (NO2-) in water and food leads to serious problems in public health and the environment. Therefore, it is important to develop a rapid and efficient method for the selective detection of NO2-. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA nanoprobe have been carried out. The Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA aqueous solution exhibits a strong green emission. Due to the addition of various concentrations of NO2- (0-100 µM), the fluorescence intensity has been suppressed. The nanoprobe Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward NO2- ions. Excellent linearity is obtained in the range of 5-80 µM with a detection limit of 1.03 µM. Furthermore, the presence of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles in Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA nanospheres will also facilitate the effective separation of Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA from the aqueous solution. Our proposed strategy is expected to fabricate an organic-inorganic hybrid magnetic nanomaterial and can be used as an efficient sensor. It has been shown that this new strategy has numerous advantages, such as high stability, selectivity, and simplicity of operation. It demonstrates great potential for simple and convenient NO2- detection. It may expand to a variety of ranges in environmental monitoring and biomedical fields.

Dietary live yeast supplementation alleviates transport-stress-impaired meat quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant status.

BACKGROUND: This experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary live yeast (LY, 1 × 1010 CFU g-1 ) supplementation on serum metabolic parameters, meat quality as well as antioxidant enzyme activity of transported broilers. A total of 192 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments with six replicates and eight chicks per replicate: a basal diet without transportation (CON), a basal diet containing 0 (T), 500 (T + LY500 ) and 1000 mg kg-1 (T + LY1000 ) LY with 3 h of transportation after feeding for 42 days, respectively. The serum and muscle samples of broilers were collected immediately after 3 h of transportation. RESULTS: A higher (P < 0.05) final body weight and average daily weight gain were observed in T + LY1000 group compared with CON and T groups. The T + LY1000 group reduced (P < 0.05) the serum lactate contents and improved (P < 0.05) the pH24h and decreased (P < 0.05) the drip loss in muscles of transported-broilers. Also, the T + LY1000 group enhanced (P < 0.05) the total-antioxidant capacity and reduced (P < 0.05) the malondialdehyde in serum and muscles. Besides, the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) in muscles was down-regulated (P < 0.05) of T + LY1000 group compared with T group. CONCLUSION: Dietary LY supplementation alleviates transport-stress-impaired meat quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant status. Therefore, LY may serve as a potential protector for broilers under transport stress in the future. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Partial Wave Amplitude Basis and Selection Rules in Effective Field Theories.

We derive the generalized partial wave expansion for N→M scattering amplitude in terms of spinor helicity variables. The basis amplitudes of the expansion with definite angular momentum j consist of the Poincaré Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. Moreover, we obtain a series of selection rules that restrict the anomalous dimension matrix of effective operators and how effective operators contribute to some 2→N amplitudes at the loop level.

Stepwise Assembly Protocols for the Rational Design of Lanthanide Functionalized Carbon Dots-Hydrogel and its Sensing Evaluation.

Inorganic-organic optical probe based on lanthanide emission will provide a new way for specific applications. In this work, sarcosine and urea are selected as raw materials to synthesize carbon dots with cyan-emissive color. In the next step, indicator components (Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid and lanthanide ions) are incorporated onto carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and the flexible alginate hydrogel is employed as the host to accommodate the emissive species. The soft material can exhibit typical red and green emissions. Its luminescence is responsive to calcium ions and the detection limit has been calculated to be 0.84 µM and 0.92 µM respectively. Such optical device can be employed as a portable probe in a variety of scientific fields due to its convenience and flexibility.

Effects of fasting on collective movement and fission-fusion dynamics in both homogeneous and heterogeneous shoals of a group-living cyprinid fish species.

The present study aimed to reveal the effect of fasting (21 days) on collective movement and interaction dynamics in both homogeneous (eight members fed a commercial diet or deprived of food) and heterogeneous (four fed + four starved members) shoals of juvenile qingbo (Spinibarbus sinensis). The authors of this study measured the shoaling behaviour in both a commonly used rectangular open arena with no spatial complexity and a radial arm maze. When measured in the open arena, the starved shoals had a faster swimming speed and acceleration rate and a longer interindividual distance than the fed shoals, possibly because of the elevated foraging motivation. Nonetheless, the values of the heterogeneous groups were similar to those of the fed groups. Furthermore, in contrast to the fish in homogeneous shoals, the starved fish in heterogeneous shoals showed a slower acceleration rate and speed than fed members in heterogeneous shoals. These results, combined with the relationships of variables at the among- and within-shoal levels, suggested that starved fish limited their motion in heterogeneous shoals to maintain group cohesion but that the fed fish contributed more to maintaining shoal structure, possibly because of the higher energy expenditure required for movement changes. When monitored in a radial arm maze, starved shoals showed more fission-fusion episodes without sacrificing group cohesion, as they adaptively adjusted the frequency and duration of each majority choice. The among-shoal variation revealed that the heterogeneous groups showed less variation in the open arena but more variation in the radius maze than did the homogeneous groups. This difference might arise because dominant members have opposite effects on shoal behaviour and consensus decisions. In conclusion, the present study showed opposite effects of feeding states on collective behaviour between homogeneous and heterogeneous shoals, possibly because of the complicated interactions among members with different energy storage levels and foraging motivations. Furthermore, the heterogeneous groups showed a difference between shoal behaviour in the open area and exploration in the radial arm maze. Future studies manipulating the personality composition of starved and fed members of heterogeneous groups might yield interesting results.

Effect of Baduanjin exercise on cognitive function in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of Baduanjin training on the cognitive function in stroke survivors with cognitive impairment. DESIGN: A randomized, two-arm parallel controlled trial with allocation concealment and assessors blinding. SETTING: Community centre of Fuzhou city, China. SUBJECTS: A total of 48 participants were recruited and randomly allocated into the Baduanjin exercise intervention or control group. INTERVENTIONS: The control group maintained original medication and rehabilitation treatment. The Baduanjin training group received 24-week Baduanjin training with a frequency of three days a week and 40 minutes a day based on original medication and rehabilitation treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was global cognitive function. Secondary outcome measures included the specific domains of cognition (i.e. memory, processing speed, execution, attention and visuospatial ability) and activities daily living. RESULTS: In total, 41 (Baduanjin n = 22, control n = 19) participants completed 24-week treatment and data collection. Mean differences between groups at 24-week treatment were statistically significant for global cognitive function (MoCA: 2.54 (0.91 to 4.16)), execution (TMT-A: -42.4 (-75.0 to -9.8); TMT-B: -71.3 (-130.6 to -12.1)), memory (immediate recall: 2.11 (0.49 to 3.73); short-term delayed recognition: 2.47 (0.58 to 4.35) and long-term delayed recognition: 1.68(0.18 to 3.17)), attention (response time of alertness: -245.5 (-387 to -104)) and activities of daily living (modified Barthel Index). CONCLUSION: Regular Baduanjin training is associated with less loss of cognitive function in patients after stroke.

Realization of Optical Network Structures for Robust Films through Immobilization of Europium Complexes.

In this study, the bio-inspired self-cracking substrate can be employed as a template to control the formation of a robust mirco-patterning film. Uniform materials with variable diameters are achieved by optimizing the egg white/water ratios and reaction temperature. The incorporated europium ions exhibit its typical f-f transitions in patterned films. Moreover, the mechanical property and excellent transmittance features have been demonstrated. The current approach can be extended to design two-dimensional nanofabrication of different materials.

The effects of exercise on the structure of cognitive related brain regions: a meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging data.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous previous studies have suggested that physical activity or exercise may play an important role in both structural integrity of the brain and cognitive function. However, it is unclear what effect exercise has on cognitive related brain structure. The present study comprehensively reviews the effect of exercise on cognitive related brain regions of the healthy elderly by using activation likelihood estimation (ALE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials published up to September 2017. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias. GingerALE version 2.3.6 was used to perform the coordinate-based ALE meta-analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 50 distinct foci were analyzed for structural changes, containing 412 healthy older subjects. ALE showed significant regional increases in regions including the left superior temporal gyrus, left medial temporal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, right and left superior frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, right anterior cingulate and left lentiform nucleus in subjects with the exercise intervention compared to controls. However, considering the quantity and limitations of the included studies, the conclusion could not yet be drawn. Additional randomized controlled trials with rigorous designs and longer intervention periods are needed in the future.

In vitro and in vivo studies of a chlorin-based carbon nanocarrier with photodynamic therapy features.

Carbonaceous materials have long been developed to utilize "nano-spaces" and numerous guest species could be encapsulated. A remarkable fluorescence difference has been observed after newly designed pyropheophorbide-a-appended carbon nanohorns were incorporated in a cellular medium and confocal microscopy was employed for the determination of the intracellular localization. Our study supported the role of carbon nanohorns as carriers of photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents and their heating behavior was discussed. We have developed a theranostic platform based on photosensitizer-conjugated carbon nanostructures and this system has been applied in an animal model. In addition, a negligible toxicity of CNH-Pyro was found in body weight experiments and histopathological examination of the major organs.

Ratiometric Fluorescence Platform Based on Modified Silicon Quantum Dots and Its Logic Gate Performance.

A novel optical nanoprobe based on silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) has been assembled through a one-pot low-temperature (40 °C) treatment by using 3-(aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and ascorbic acid (AA) as two precursors. The water-soluble SiQDs demonstrate intense green luminescence in aqueous environment and the excitation-dependent feature has been explored. Meanwhile, the incorporation of salicylaldehyde (SA) serves to suppress the emission of SiQDs effectively via nucleophilic reaction and an "on-off" change is observed. Furthermore, the addition of Zn2+ can lead to evolution of emission peaks, and the green band at 500 nm gradually shifts toward the blue side at 455 nm. The corresponding ratiometric signal changes ( I455/ I500) can accurately determine the Zn2+ concentration and the limit of detection is calculated to be 0.17 µM in the linear range between 1 and 100 µM. In this research, a molecular logic gate (AND) system has been well established by using SA and Zn2+ as two inputs. The fluorescence emission changes based on SiQDs will shed new light on the development of functional sensors at the nanoscale level.

Fluorescence Sensing Behavior for the Detection of Alcoholic Strength and Water Based on Two Novel Metallic Complex Edifices.

Alcoholic strength is a fundamental variable in industry production and its determination is crucial in technological developments. This study offers a novel strategy for fluorescent sensing of alcoholic content based on a terbium coordination complex. In pure water, the emissive compound displays blue luminescence. However, the addition of ethanol into the aqueous solution has induced the recovery of terbium green emissions. In another case, the achieved Eu(III)-phenanthroline complex shows high sensitivity to solvent polarity and the detection of trace amount of water can be realized through an "on-off" change with a low detection limit of 32.4 ppm.

Study of Specific Interaction between bis(p-phenylene)-34-crown-10-based Substituted Macrocycle and Ni2.

A novel macrocyclic host has been synthesized for the determination of Ni (II) ions in aqueous solution (H2O-CH3CN, v/v = 1:1). Its molecular structure has been verified by 1H-NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry (ESI).This probe shows selectivity towards the presence of Ni (II) ion among various alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metal ions. The formation of a new fluorescence band at 311 nm has been detected due to possible complex formation with increasing Ni2+ concentration in the range of 10-5-10-4 M. The detection limit is calculated to be 5.22 µM. To our knowledge, it will be the first case for bis(p-phenylene)-34-crown-10 based molecules to recognize Ni2+ ions.

Efficient Chemical Synthesis of Functional Rare Earth Orthoborates Nanosheets and Their Photoluminescence Studies.

In contrast to routine methods, La x Y1−x BO3:Eu3+ and La y Lu1−y BO3:Eu3+ were efficiently prepared by a supersonic microwave co-assistance method within 60 minutes at 90 °C. Orderly aggregated nanosheets were formed in high yields by preferential crystal growth processes. More importantly, it has never been reported that the magnetic-dipole transition with orange-color emissions (5D0 → 7F1) could be finely tuned based on the concentration variation of lanthanum elements. The electronic dipole transition (5D0 → 7F2) increases gradually when La/Y and La/Lu ratios are 4/1 and 7/3 respectively.

Alterations in resting-state functional connectivity of the default mode network in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: an fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is characterized by cognitive functional decline, especially in memory. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely used in neuroimaging studies that explore alterations between patients and normal individuals to elucidate the pathological mechanisms of different diseases. The current study was performed to investigate alterations in the functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) in aMCI patients compared to healthy elderly controls, as well as further define the association between neurological alterations and memory function. METHODS: Twenty-five aMCI patients and 25 healthy individuals were recruited and underwent both fMRI and neuropsychological examinations. fMRI data was analyzed by independent component analysis. RESULTS: Compared to healthy individuals, aMCI patients exhibited a significant increase in functional connectivity between the DMN and right-middle and right-superior frontal gyri, left-middle occipital gyrus, and left-middle temporal gyrus, but reduced functional connectivity between the DMN and left-middle and left-inferior frontal gyri and left insula. These alterations were found to be associated with reduced memory function. CONCLUSIONS: aMCI patients exhibited abnormal functional connectivity between the DMN and certain brain regions which is associated with changes in memory function associated with aMCI.

Study of a water-soluble fluorescent sensor based on the Eu(III) pefloxacin complex.

The antibiotic type organic structure pefloxacin binds well with europium (III) ions as a useful scaffold for assembling optical probes and allows energy transfer from ligand to metal ions through coordination linkages. This water-soluble chemosensor demonstrated significant 'off-on (red)' changes from an alkaline to a neutral environment (pH 14-8). The emission changed from red to blue under acidic conditions (pH 7-2). The whole process was completely reversible and effective within the pH range 2 to 14. Moreover, this probe system exhibited distinct luminescence quenching upon the addition of Cu2+ or Fe3+ . This general modular route will permit easy detection and the concept can be extended to a variety of quinolones for sensing purposes.

Critical role of miR-155/FoxO1/ROS axis in the regulation of non-small cell lung carcinomas.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, and non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) account for 85 % of lung cancer cases. Despite enormous achievement in the treatment of NSCLC, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis are largely unknown. The current study was designed to evaluate the role of miR-155 in NSCLC cell proliferation and to explore the possible molecular mechanisms. We found that miR-155 expression was increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The increase of miR-155 significantly increased A549 cell proliferation, decreased S phase cell population and increased G2/M phase cell population. Decrease of miR-155 expression markedly inhibited cell proliferation, increased S phase cell population, and decreased G2/M phase cell population. Increase of miR-155 significantly decreased forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) 3'UTR luciferase activity and expression and decrease of miR-155 notably increased FoxO1 expression. Overexpression of FoxO1 significantly inhibited miR-155-exerted increase of cell proliferation and G2/M cell population. Downregulation of FoxO1 by siRNAs significantly promoted cell proliferation, decreased S phase cell numbers, and increased G2/M cell population. Downregulation of FoxO1 markedly increased ROS level, as reflected by increased DHE staining. Moreover, when N-acetylcysteine was present, increase of cell proliferation induced by downregulation of FoxO1, and upregulation of miR-155 was significantly inhibited. In conclusion, we found that miR-155 promoted NSCLC cell proliferation through inhibition of FoxO1 and the subsequent increase of ROS generation. Our findings highlight miR-155/FoxO1/ROS axis as a novel therapeutic target for the inhibition of NSCLC growth.

Extension of novel lanthanide luminescent mesoporous nanostructures to detect fluoride.

A novel polydentate type ligand derived from N(2),N(6)-bis(4,4-diethoxy-9-oxo-3-oxa-8,10-diaza-4-siladodecan-12-yl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide (L) has been designed, and it played essential roles in the assembly of new organic-inorganic functional materials. First, its multiple amide groups would coordinate to lanthanide ions firmly and transfer the absorbed energy to both Eu(III) and Tb(III) simultaneously. Second, the hydrogen-bond donor units showed strong affinity to guest anion (F(-)). Third, the two silylated arms could induce the formation of sol-gel derived siloxane hybrid materials. Following this idea, two lanthanide luminescent amorphous particles (ASNs-Eu and ASNs-Tb) have been prepared for the recognition of fluoride ions. Further modification of the synthesis method and transformation to mesoporous network (MSNs-Eu and MSNs-Tb) led to much enhanced thermostabilities, larger specific surface area (from 78.5 to 515 m(2) g(-1) for Eu(III); 89.6 to 487 m(2) g(-1) for Tb(III)), and lower detection limits (2.5 × 10(-8) M for MSNs-Eu and 3.4 × 10(-8) M for MSNs-Tb) for the fluoride ion.