Enhancement of Synergistic Photocatalytic Performance by Anchoring Cadmium Sulfide on Nanosphere Structured Coordination Polymers.

Precisely tuning how and where a reaction occurs in a one-step selective system is important but challenging owing to the similar electronic environments in multiple active sites. In this work, highly selective and effective reaction sites were obtained by generating copper coordination polymers (Cu-CP) of a range of sizes and morphologies, from bulk solid crystals (1) to uniform nanosphere structures (1a), by controlling the amount of surfactant hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The results indicated that the morphology and size of the uniform nanosphere structures were affected by the proportion of CTAB; uniform distribution of nanosphere structures was achieved with a premade building carrier when the content of CTAB was 0.005 mmol, generating a well-established platform. Photocatalytic cadmium sulfide (CdS) was then immobilized on the surface of the premade platform unit 1a through an in situ process to generate CdS@1a composites with well-dispersed catalytic CdS active sites. Furthermore, the well-defined CdS@1a composite platform was utilized as photocatalysts to explore the selective one-step depolymerization reaction under blue-light irradiation. Notably, the CdS0.149@1a composite, which featured a unique structure with evenly dispersed, closely spaced catalytic sites, exhibiting remarkable photoelectrochemical behaviors for selective one-step depolymerization of lignin model substances to aromatic monomer phenol and acetophenone framework products. This work demonstrates the use of an inherently morphological process to construct outstanding photocatalysts that could enable a wide range of photocatalytic reactions.

Heterologous Prime-Boost Immunization Strategies Using Varicella-Zoster Virus gE mRNA Vaccine and Adjuvanted Protein Subunit Vaccine Triggered Superior Cell Immune Response in Middle-Aged Mice.

Purpose: Heterologous immunization using different vaccine platforms has been demonstrated as an efficient strategy to enhance antigen-specific immune responses. In this study, we performed a head-to-head comparison of both humoral and cellular immune response induced by different prime-boost immunization regimens of mRNA vaccine and adjuvanted protein subunit vaccine against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in middle-aged mice, aiming to get a better understanding of the influence of vaccination schedule on immune response. Methods: VZV glycoprotein (gE) mRNA was synthesized and encapsulated into SM-102-based lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). VZV-primed middle-aged C57BL/6 mice were then subjected to homologous and heterologous prime-boost immunization strategies using VZV gE mRNA vaccine (RNA-gE) and protein subunit vaccine (PS-gE). The antigen-specific antibodies were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis. Additionally, cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was detected using ELISPOT assay and flow cytometry. Besides, in vivo safety profiles were also evaluated and compared. Results: The mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles had a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 130 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.156. Total IgG antibody levels exhibited no significant differences among different immunization strategies. However, mice received 2×RNA-gE or RNA-gE>PS-gE showed a lower IgG1/IgG2c ratio than those received 2×PS-gE and PS-gE> RNA-gE. The CMI response induced by 2×RNA-gE or RNA-gE>PS-gE was significantly stronger than that induced by 2×PS-gE and PS-gE> RNA-gE. The safety evaluation indicated that both mRNA vaccine and protein vaccine induced a transient body weight loss in mice. Furthermore, the protein vaccine produced a notable inflammatory response at the injection sites, while the mRNA vaccine showed no observable inflammation. Conclusion: The heterologous prime-boost strategy has demonstrated that an mRNA-primed immunization regimen can induce a better cell-mediated immune response than a protein subunit-primed regimen in middle-aged mice. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and optimization of VZV vaccines with the potentials to broaden varicella vaccination strategies in the future.

Jamming precoding in AF relay-aided PLC systems with multiple eavessdroppers.

Enhancing information security has become increasingly significant in the digital age. This paper investigates the concept of physical layer security (PLS) within a relay-aided power line communication (PLC) system operating over a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel based on MK model. Specifically, we examine the transmission of confidential signals between a source and a distant destination while accounting for the presence of multiple eavesdroppers, both colluding and non-colluding. We propose a two-phase jamming scheme that leverages a full-duplex (FD) amplify-and-forward (AF) relay to address this challenge. Our primary objective is to maximize the secrecy rate, which necessitates the optimization of the jamming precoding and transmitting precoding matrices at both the source and the relay while adhering to transmit power constraints. We present a formulation of this problem and demonstrate that it can be efficiently solved using an effective block coordinate descent (BCD) algorithm. Simulation results are conducted to validate the convergence and performance of the proposed algorithm. These findings confirm the effectiveness of our approach. Furthermore, the numerical analysis reveals that our proposed algorithm surpasses traditional schemes that lack jamming to achieve higher secrecy rates. As a result, the proposed algorithm offers the benefit of guaranteeing secure communications in a realistic channel model, even in scenarios involving colluding eavesdroppers.

Spatial Differentiation and Influencing Factors in the Ecological Well-Being Performance of Urban Agglomerations in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River: A Hierarchical Perspective.

Improving the ecological well-being performance (EWP) of natural resources and environmental consumption in relation to human well-being, within the ecological boundary, is necessary for sustainable development. This study used the Super-SBM model to measure the urban EWP of urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River (MRYRUA) in 2020. The spatial differentiation characteristics of EWP in the MRYRUA were identified. The heterogeneity in the direction and size of the influencing factors of EWP at different urban hierarchy (UH) levels was empirically tested by establishing a threshold model. The results are as follows: (1) In 2020, the EWP of the study area showed a trend of high levels in the southwest and low levels in the northeast. The EWP presented a multi-center "core-periphery" distribution, and the characteristic of "central collapse" was evident. The UH level of the middle and lower hierarchy-level cities was inconsistent with its EWP. (2) A non-single linear relationship was found between the influencing factors of the EWP of the MRYRUA and the EWP. The impacts of technological progress, industrial structure, environmental regulation, and population density on the EWP of the MRYRUA all showed threshold characteristics. (3) Heterogeneity and stages were both observed for the influencing factors of EWP under different UH levels. The effect of technological progress on EWP presented the characteristics of bidirectional and two-stage developments, and environmental regulation presented the features of a significant positive three-stage development. Both industrial structure and population density presented two-stage aspects, but the former acted in a negative direction, while the latter served in a positive order. This study provides a theoretical basis for the government to formulate differentiated regional policies and promote the coordinated improvement of EWP among cities at all hierarchy levels in the urban agglomeration. This study is of great significance to the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. Its results can provide a reference for other urban agglomerations, metropolitan areas, and city clusters worldwide to coordinate economic development, ecological protection, and to improve people's well-being.

Building a New Framework for Evaluating the Livability of Living Space on the Basis of the Daily Activities of Rural Residents: A Case Study of Jianghan Plain.

The evaluation of the livability of rural living spaces is an important aspect of rural sustainable development, which is related to the well-being of rural residents. This study proposes a new evaluation framework for assessing the livability pattern of rural living spaces from the major components of the daily activities of rural residents. It fully considers whether the living space within a certain geographical area can meet the needs of rural residents in terms of residence, employment, consumption, leisure, and other types of daily activities. This study also establishes a comprehensive index system that includes 36 indicators and develops a comprehensive assessment method for evaluating the livability pattern of rural living spaces. Moreover, this research conducts a case study on the spatial pattern of rural living spaces in China's Jianghan Plain in 2018. We determine that the livability of rural living spaces in Jianghan Plain exhibits an evident "grade difference" characteristic. The overall livability level is not high. Seven problem counties from three categories are delineated on the basis of the score status. The new framework and conclusions of this study are conducive to the future targeted construction of livable rural living spaces.

Species composition and overall diversity are significantly correlated between the tongue coating and gastric fluid microbiomes in gastritis patients.

BACKGROUND: In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that the "tongue coating is produced by fumigation of stomach gas", and that tongue coating can reflect the health status of humans, especially stomach health. Therefore, studying the relationship between the microbiome of the tongue coating and the gastric fluid is of great significance for understanding the biological basis of tongue diagnosis. METHODS: This paper detected the microbiomes of the tongue coating and the gastric fluid in 35 gastritis patients using metagenomic sequencing technology, systematically constructed the microbial atlas of tongue coating and gastric juice, and first described the similar characteristics between the two sites. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between tongue coating and gastric juice in terms of microbial species composition and overall diversity. In terms of species composition, it was found that the two sites were dominated by five phyla, namely, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria, and that most of the gastric microbial species could be detected from the patient's own tongue coating. In terms of overall diversity, a significant correlation was found between the alpha diversity of the tongue coating microbiome and the gastric juice microbiome. Furthermore, in terms of abundance, 4 classes, 2 orders, 4 families, 18 genera and 46 species were found to significantly correlate between the tongue coating and the gastric fluid. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide microbiome-based scientific evidence for tongue diagnosis, and offer a new perspective for understanding the biological basis of tongue diagnosis.

Spatially Non-Stationary Response of Carbon Emissions to Urbanization in Han River Ecological Economic Belt, China.

Within the context of the "30·60 dual carbon" goal, China's low-carbon sustainable development is affected by a series of environmental problems caused by rapid urbanization. Revealing the impacts of urbanization on carbon emissions (CEs) is conducive to low-carbon city construction and green transformation, attracting the attention of scholars worldwide. The research is rich concerning the impacts of urbanization on CEs but lacking in studies on their spatial dependence and heterogeneity at multiple different scales, especially in areas with important ecological statuses, such as the Han River Ecological Economic Belt (HREEB) in China. To address these gaps, this study first constructed an urbanization level (UL) measurement method. Then, using a bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis and geographically weighted regression model, the spatial relationships between UL and CEs from 2000 to 2020 were investigated from a multiscale perspective. The results were shown as follows. The total CEs in the HREEB witnessed an upsurge in the past two decades, which was mainly dispersed in the central urban areas of the HREEB. The ULs in different regions of the HREEB varied evidently, with high levels in the east and low levels in the central and western regions, while the overall UL in 2020 was higher than that in 2000, regardless of the research scale. During the study period, there was a significant, positive spatial autocorrelation between UL and CEs, and similar spatial distribution characteristics of the bivariate spatial autocorrelation between CEs and UL at different times, and different scales were observed. UL impacted CEs positively, but the impacts varied at different grid scales during the study period. The regression coefficients in 2020 were higher than those in 2000, but the spatial distribution was more scattered, and more detailed information was provided at the 5 km grid scale than at the 10 km grid scale. The findings of this research can advance policy enlightenment for low-carbon city construction and green transformation in HREEB and provide a reference for CE reduction in other similar regions of the world.

Preparation of a biomimetic ionic liquids hybrid polyphosphorylcholine monolithic column for the high efficient capillary microextraction of glycopeptide antibiotics.

An ionic liquid hybrid zwitterionic polymer capillary microextraction (CME) column was prepared for the biomimetic enrichment of glycopeptides by one-step copolymerization of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide, in the presence of crosslinker trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMA). The resultant monolith was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and pore size distribution measurement. Due to the incorporation of zwitterionic MPC owning a unique biomimic structure (i.e. hydrophilic cation/anion and hydrophobic long-alkyl chain), the monolithic column has large pore size and good biocompatibility, exhibiting high extraction efficiency, permeability and fast mass transfer to targets. Besides, the use of ionic liquids (ILs) as co-monomer in the polymerization endows the monolith with enhanced mechanical stability, uniformity and multiple interactions. The prepared column was successfully applied in CME coupled to capillary electrochromatography (CEC) for the efficient enrichment and separation of glycopeptide antibiotics in foodstuff. The method demonstrated a wide linear range (50.0-18000.0 µg L-1), low detection limits (5.0-10.0 µg L-1, S/N = 3) and satisfied recoveries (76.0-109.7%). This work shows the advantage of fine-tuning biomimetic monoliths in application-specific CME-CEC.

Tongue coating microbiome as a potential biomarker for gastritis including precancerous cascade.

The development of gastritis is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Current invasive gastritis diagnostic methods are not suitable for monitoring progress. In this work based on 78 gastritis patients and 50 healthy individuals, we observed that the variation of tongue-coating microbiota was associated with the occurrence and development of gastritis. Twenty-one microbial species were identified for differentiating tongue-coating microbiomes of gastritis and healthy individuals. Pathways such as microbial metabolism in diverse environments, biosynthesis of antibiotics and bacterial chemotaxis were up-regulated in gastritis patients. The abundance of Campylobacter concisus was found associated with the gastric precancerous cascade. Furthermore, Campylobacter concisus could be detected in tongue coating and gastric fluid in a validation cohort containing 38 gastritis patients. These observations provided biological evidence of tongue diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine, and indicated that tongue-coating microbiome could be a potential non-invasive biomarker, which might be suitable for long-term monitoring of gastritis.

Discovery of potent and selective urea-based ROCK inhibitors: Exploring the inhibitor's potency and ROCK2/PKA selectivity by 3D-QSAR, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations.

An activity model and a selectivity model from 3D-QSAR studies were established by CoMFA and CoMSIA to explore the SAR. Then docking was used to study the binding modes between ligand and kinases (ROCK2 and PKA), and the molecular docking results were further validated by MD simulations. Computational results suggested that substitution containing positive charge attached to the middle phenyl ring, or electropositive group in urea linker was favored for both activity and ROCK2/PKA selectivity. Finally, three compounds were designed, and biological evaluation demonstrated that these molecular models were effective for guiding the design of potent and selective ROCK inhibitors.