2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate exposure induces duodenal inflammatory injury through oxidative stress in chickens.

2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP) is a widely used organophosphorus flame retardant and plasticizer, which is commonly found in the environment. EHDPHP not only potentially harms the environment but also causes different degrees of damage to the organism. In this study, the duodenum of chicks was selected as the potential toxic target organ to explore the mechanism of duodenal injury induced by EHDPHP exposure. Ninety one-day-old healthy male chicks were selected and randomly divided into C1(control group), C2(solvent control group), L(800 mg/kg), M(1600 mg/kg), H(3200 mg/kg) according to different doses of EHDPHP after one week of environmental adaptation. The chicks were given continuous gavage for 14 d, 28 d, and 42 d. It was found that constant exposure to EHDPHP caused an increase in duodenal MDA content, a decrease in P-gp, SOD, GSH-Px activities, and a decrease in duodenal mucosal immune factor (sIgA, GSH-Px). The expression of sIgM and mucosal link proteins (CLDN, OCLN, ZO-1, JAM) decreased, and the expression of the inflammatory protein (NF-κB, COX2) in duodenal tissues was up-regulated. The results showed that continuous exposure to EHDPHP could cause duodenal oxidative stress, inflammation, and mucosal barrier damage in chicks, which provided a basis for studying the mechanism of toxic damage caused by EHDPHP in poultry.

Influence of the type of atlantoaxial dislocation secondary to os odontoideum on sagittal alignment and balance of the subaxial cervical spine after posterior atlantoaxial fusion.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study aims to investigate the effect of the type of atlantoaxial dislocation due to os odontoideum on the sagittal alignment and balance of the cervical spine after posterior atlantoaxial fusion. METHODS: Data of 48 consecutive patients who underwent posterior C1-C2 fusion to treat atlantoaxial dislocation/instability due to os odontoideum were retrospectively reviewed. Radiographic variables, namely the T1 slope (T1S), C1-C2 angle, C2-C7 angle, C1-C2 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), C2-C7 SVA, and modified atlas-dens interval (MADI), were measured preoperatively, immediate postoperatively, and at final follow-up. Patients were divided into three groups based on the preoperative MADI. Differences within and between groups in radiographic variables and relationships between the investigated variables were analyzed. RESULTS: The MADI was correlated with the preoperative to postoperative changes in the C1-C2 angle (r = 0.776, P < 0.05) and C2-C7 angle (r = - 0.357, P < 0.05). In the group with anterior atlantoaxial dislocation, the C1-C2 angle and C2-C7 SVA were significantly enlarged at final follow-up (P < 0.05), while the C2-C7 angle was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The changes in C1-C2 angle and C2-C7 angle were opposite between the posterior group and the anterior dislocation group. CONCLUSION: The direction/type of atlantoaxial subluxation correlates with the changes in lower cervical curvature after atlantoaxial fusion. Patients with atlantoaxial posterior dislocation and atlantoaxial instability are less likely than those with atlantoaxial anterior dislocation to develop loss of lordosis after posterior atlantoaxial fusion.

Changes in the growth and physiological property of tea tree after aviation mutagenesis and screening and functional verification of its characteristic hormones.

Aerospace breeding is a breeding technique that utilizes a spacecraft to position plants in a space environment for mutagenesis, which is conducive to rapid mutagenesis for the screening of superior plant varieties. In this study, tea trees with aviation mutagenesis (TM) and those without aviation mutagenesis (CK) were selected as research subjects to analyze the effects of aviation mutagenesis on the growth, physiological properties, and hormone metabolism of tea trees, and to further screen the characteristic hormones and validate their functions. The results showed that the leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area of TM tea trees were significantly larger than those of CK. The growth indexes, the photosynthetic physiological indexes (i.e., chlorophyll content, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and photosynthetic rate), and the resistance physiological indexes (i.e., superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and soluble sugar) were significantly higher in TM than in CK. Hormone metabolome analysis showed that four characteristic hormones distinguished CK from TM, namely, l-tryptophan, indole, salicylic acid, and salicylic acid 2-O-ß-glucoside, all of which were significantly more abundant in TM than in CK. These four characteristic hormones were significantly and positively correlated with the growth indexes, tea yield, and the photosynthetic and resistance physiological indexes of tea trees. The leaf area, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and superoxide dismutase activity of tea tree seedlings after spraying with the four characteristic hormones were significantly increased, in which salicylic acid and salicylic acid 2-O-ß-glucoside were more favorable to increase the leaf area and superoxide dismutase activity, while l-tryptophan and indole were more favorable to increase the leaf chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate. It can be observed that aviation mutagenesis improves the accumulation of the characteristic hormones of tea trees, enhances their photosynthetic capacity, improves their resistance, promotes their growth, and then improves the tea yield.

Monoamine oxidases activity maintains endometrial monoamine homeostasis and participates in embryo implantation and development.

BACKGROUND: Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) is an enzyme that catalyzes the deamination of monoamines. The current research on this enzyme is focused on its role in neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, MAOs with two isoforms, namely, A and B, are located on the outer mitochondrial membrane and are widely distributed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Several reports have described periodic changes in the levels of this enzyme in the human endometrial tissue. RESULTS: The novel role of MAOs in endometrial receptivity establishment and embryonic development by maintaining monoamine homeostasis was investigated in this study. MAOs activity was observed to be enhanced during the first trimester in both humans and mice under normal conditions. However, under pathological conditions, MAOs activity was reduced and was linked to early pregnancy failure. During the secretory phase, the endometrial stromal cells differentiated into decidual cells with a stronger metabolism of monoamines by MAOs. Excessive monoamine levels cause monoamine imbalance in decidual cells, which results in the activation of the AKT signal, decreased FOXO1 expression, and decidual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that endometrial receptivity depends on the maintenance of monoamine homeostasis via MAOs activity and that this enzyme participates in embryo implantation and development.

The Ability of Different Tea Tree Germplasm Resources in South China to Aggregate Rhizosphere Soil Characteristic Fungi Affects Tea Quality.

It is generally recognized that the quality differences in plant germplasm resources are genetically determined, and that only a good "pedigree" can have good quality. Ecological memory of plants and rhizosphere soil fungi provides a new perspective to understand this phenomenon. Here, we selected 45 tea tree germplasm resources and analyzed the rhizosphere soil fungi, nutrient content and tea quality. We found that the ecological memory of tea trees for soil fungi led to the recruitment and aggregation of dominant fungal populations that were similar across tea tree varieties, differing only in the number of fungi. We performed continuous simulation and validation to identify four characteristic fungal genera that determined the quality differences. Further analysis showed that the greater the recruitment and aggregation of Saitozyma and Archaeorhizomyces by tea trees, the greater the rejection of Chaetomium and Trechispora, the higher the available nutrient content in the soil and the better the tea quality. In summary, our study presents a new perspective, showing that ecological memory between tea trees and rhizosphere soil fungi leads to differences in plants' ability to recruit and aggregate characteristic fungi, which is one of the most important determinants of tea quality. The artificial inoculation of rhizosphere fungi may reconstruct the ecological memory of tea trees and substantially improve their quality.

Heterologous Expression of Chrysanthemum TCP Transcription Factor CmTCP13 Enhances Salinity Tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR (TCP) proteins play critical roles in plant development and stress responses; however, their functions in chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) have not been well-studied. In this study, we isolated and characterized the chrysanthemum TCP transcription factor family gene CmTCP13, a homolog of AtTCP13. This gene encoded a protein harboring a conserved basic helix-loop-helix motif, and its expression was induced by salinity stress in chrysanthemum plants. Subcellular localization experiments showed that CmTCP13 localized in the nucleus. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of multiple stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements in the promoter region of CmTCP13. The heterologous expression of CmTCP13 in Arabidopsis plants enhanced their tolerance to salinity stress. Under salinity stress, CmTCP13 transgenic plants exhibited enhanced germination, root length, seedling growth, and chlorophyll content and reduced relative electrical conductivity compared with those exhibited by wild-type (WT) plants. Moreover, the expression levels of stress-related genes, including AtSOS3, AtP5CS2, AtRD22, AtRD29A, and AtDREB2A, were upregulated in CmTCP13 transgenic plants than in WT plants under salt stress. Taken together, our results demonstrate that CmTCP13 is a critical regulator of salt stress tolerance in plants.

Curcumenol regulates Histone H3K27me3 demethylases KDM6B affecting Succinic acid metabolism to alleviate cartilage degeneration in knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Cartilage metabolism dysregulation is a crucial driver in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Modulating the homeostasis can mitigate the cartilage degeneration in KOA. Curcumenol, derived from traditional Chinese medicine Curcuma Longa L., has demonstrated potential in enhancing chondrocyte proliferation and reducing apoptosis. However, the specific mechanism of Curcumenol in treating KOA remains unclear. This study aimed to demonstrate the molecular mechanism of Curcumenol in treating KOA based on the transcriptomics and metabolomics, and both in vivo and in vitro experimental validations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, a destabilization medial meniscus (DMM)-induced KOA mouse model was established. And the mice were intraperitoneally injected with Curcumenol at 4 and 8 mg/kg concentrations. The effects of Curcumenol on KOA cartilage and subchondral was evaluated using micro-CT, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In vitro, OA chondrocytes were induced with 10 µg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with Curcumenol to evaluate the proliferation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism through CCK8 assay, flow cytometry, and chondrocyte staining. Furthermore, transcriptomics and metabolomics were utilized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolites. Finally, integrating multi-omics analysis, virtual molecular docking (VMD), and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS), IHC, immunofluorescence (IF), PCR, and Western blot (WB) validation were conducted to elucidate the mechanism by which Curcumenol ameliorates KOA cartilage degeneration. RESULTS: Curcumenol ameliorated cartilage destruction and subchondral bone loss in KOA mice, promoted cartilage repair, upregulated the expression of COL2 while downregulated MMP3, and improved ECM synthesis metabolism. Additionally, Curcumenol also alleviated the damage of LPS on the proliferation activity and suppressed apoptosis, promoted ECM synthesis. Transcriptomic analysis combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a significant downregulation of 19 key genes in KOA. Metabolomic profiling showed that Curcumenol downregulates the expression of d-Alanyl-d-alanine, 17a-Estradiol, Glutathione, and Succinic acid, while upregulating Sterculic acid and Azelaic acid. The integrated multi-omics analysis suggested that Curcumenol targeted KDM6B to regulate downstream protein H3K27me3 expression, which inhibited methylation at the histone H3K27, consequently reducing Succinic acid levels and improving KOA cartilage metabolism homeostasis. Finally, both in vivo and in vitro findings indicated that Curcumenol upregulated KDM6B, suppressed H3K27me3 expression, and stimulated collagen II expression and ECM synthesis, thus maintaining cartilage metabolism homeostasis and alleviating KOA cartilage degeneration. CONCLUSION: Curcumenol promotes cartilage repair and ameliorates cartilage degeneration in KOA by upregulating KDM6B expression, thereby reducing H3K27 methylation and downregulating Succinic Acid, restoring metabolic stability and ECM synthesis.

Glycine modified copper promotes CO2 electroreduction to multi-carbon products: a computational study.

Molecular modification strategy exhibits great potential for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. Here, DFT calculations were applied to study the mechanism of CO2 electroreduction on glycine modified copper. The results indicate that the interaction between the modified molecule and the intermediate could change the reaction energy of CO2 electroreduction.

Accuracy of cell-free Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA testing in pleural effusion for diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy (TP) presents a significant challenge due to the low bacterial load in pleural effusion (PE) samples. Cell-free Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (cf-TB) in PE samples is considered an optimal biomarker for diagnosing TP. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of cf-TB testing across diverse research sites with a relatively large sample size. METHODS: Patients suspected of TP and presenting with clinical symptoms and radiological evidence of PE were consecutively enrolled by treating physicians from 11 research sites across 6 provinces in China between April 2020 and August 2022. Following centrifugation, sediments obtained from PE were used for Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and mycobacterial culture, while the supernatants were subjected to cf-TB testing. This study employed a composite reference standard to definite TP, which was characterized by any positive result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) through either PE culture, PE Xpert, or pleural biopsy. RESULTS: A total of 1412 participants underwent screening, and 1344 (95.2%) were subsequently enrolled in this study. Data from 1241 (92.3%) participants were included, comprising 284 with definite TP, 677 with clinically diagnosed TP, and 280 without TP. The sensitivity of cf-TB testing in definite TP was 73.6% (95% CI 68.2-78.4), significantly higher than both Xpert (40.8%, 95% CI 35.3-46.7, P < 0.001) and mycobacterial culture (54.2%, 95% CI 48.4-59.9, P < 0.001). When clinically diagnosed TP was incorporated into the composite reference standard for sensitivity analysis, cf-TB testing showed a sensitivity of 46.8% (450/961, 95% CI 43.7-50.0), significantly higher than both Xpert (116/961, 12.1%, 95% CI 10.2-14.3, P < 0.001) and mycobacterial culture (154/961, 16.0%, 95% CI 13.8-18.5, P < 0.001). The specificities of cf-TB testing, Xpert, and mycobacterial culture were all 100.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of cf-TB testing is significantly superior to that of Xpert and mycobacterial culture methods, indicating that it can be considered as the primary diagnostic approach for improving TP detection. Trial registration The trial was registered on Chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000031680, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=49316 ).

Research on fruit picking test of blueberry harvesting machinery under transmission clearance.

Since China possesses the vast territory and a large blueberry planting area, blueberry harvesting with hand is laborious and time consuming. As the blueberry planting agronomy in China is different from other countries, it is pretty significant to develop blueberry harvesting machinery applicable to the domestic planting agronomy to achieve mechanized harvesting of blueberries. In blueberry harvesting operation, the harvesting system as the core component of the machine is the key technology of the harvesting machinery. The previous study found that: in terms of harvesting machinery, most of the literature has studied the dynamic characteristics, while few articles have been published to study the transmission clearance. But the clearance collision force generated by the transmission clearance of the harvesting system directly affected the output load moment and harvesting force of the machine developed by acting on the plant, and then affected the picking efficiency and the quality of picked fruit. Therefore, this paper focuses on the study of the transmission clearance of the blueberry harvesting machine. Firstly, the MLSD modeling method was applied to establish the transmission clearance model of the harvesting device, and the corresponding mechanical analysis of the transmission clearance was carried out. Secondly, after programming in MATLAB software and simulation in ADAMS software, the correctness of the transmission clearance model of the harvesting device was verified in different environments. The multi-body dynamics analysis software ADAMS was used for building the transmission clearance model of the harvesting device and perform mechanical simulation to analyze the clearance collision force and the output load moment of the harvesting device. Pro/E, ADAMS and ANSYS software were integrated to establish the flexible body of blueberry plant. Then the flexible body was combined with the mechanical model of harvesting device for rigid-flexible coupling simulation analysis to study the fruit harvesting force under different transmission clearances. Finally, the orthogonal method was used to conduct field test on blueberry harvesting to study the influence of the transmission clearance on the quality of picked fruit and picking efficiency of the machinery. Therefore, the best combination of the transmission clearance of the harvester was obtained as follows: cam clearance (the clearance joints of cam) was 0.25 mm, the slider clearance was 0.2 mm, left connecting rod clearance pair was 0.1 mm, right connecting rod clearance pair was 0.2 mm; the field picking test was conducted to obtain the machine's picking efficiency was 3.93 kg min-1, the shedding rate of unripe fruit was 3.1 %, and the damage rate of picked fruit was 2.8 %. The research findings of this paper can offer referenced basis and theoretical support for berry harvesting machinery, and also can provide guidance for the design and improvement of other agricultural and forestry harvesting machinery.

PRMT6 Epigenetically Drives Metabolic Switch from Fatty Acid Oxidation toward Glycolysis and Promotes Osteoclast Differentiation During Osteoporosis.

Epigenetic regulation of metabolism profoundly influences cell fate commitment. During osteoclast differentiation, the activation of RANK signaling is accompanied by metabolic reprogramming, but the epigenetic mechanisms by which RANK signaling induces this reprogramming remain elusive. By transcriptional sequence and ATAC analysis, this study identifies that activation of RANK signaling upregulates PRMT6 by epigenetic modification, triggering a metabolic switching from fatty acids oxidation toward glycolysis. Conversely, Prmt6 deficiency reverses this shift, markedly reducing HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis and enhancing fatty acid oxidation. Consequently, PRMT6 deficiency or inhibitor impedes osteoclast differentiation and alleviates bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. At the molecular level, Prmt6 deficiency reduces asymmetric dimethylation of H3R2 at the promoters of genes including Ppard, Acox3, and Cpt1a, enhancing genomic accessibility for fatty acid oxidation. PRMT6 thus emerges as a metabolic checkpoint, mediating metabolic switch from fatty acid oxidation to glycolysis, thereby supporting osteoclastogenesis. Unveiling PRMT6's critical role in epigenetically orchestrating metabolic shifts in osteoclastogenesis offers a promising target for anti-resorptive therapy.

High-Precision Printing of Cermets by Collapsable Matrix Assisted Digital Light Processing.

Shaping hard and brittle materials, e.g. cermets, at micrometer resolution has long been known challenging for both mechanical machining and high energy beam based additive manufacturing. Digital light processing (DLP), which features great printing quality and decent precision, unfortunately lacks capability to deal with the popular slurry-typed cermet precursor due to the tremendous optical absorption by its particles. Here, an innovative protocol based on a versatile collapsable matrix is devised to allow high-precision printing of WC-Co cermets on DLP platform. By tuning the external environment, this matrix attenuates composite powders to facilitate photopolymerization at the printing stage, and shrinks to condense green parts prior to thermal sintering. The as-obtained samples by collapsable matrix assisted DLP can reach a relative density of ≈90%, a record-breaking resolution of ≈10 µm, and a microhardness of up to 14.5 GPa. Complex delicate structures, including school emblem, honeycomb, and micro-drill can be directly fabricated, which has never been achieved before. Impressively, the as-obtained micro-drill is able to be directly used in drilling tasks. The above strategy represents a great progress in DLP by enabling shaping strong light attenuating materials at high resolution. Such advantages are ideal for the next generation ceramic-metal composite additive manufacturing.

Real-world TRAE association between niraparib and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Background: Pre-clinical studies showed the anti-tumor mechanisms of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) and platinum have some crossover and overlap in the DNA damage repair pathway, patients who respond to platinum-based chemotherapy are also more likely to be sensitive to PARPi. This real-world study mainly aimed to evaluate whether TRAE (treatment-related adverse event) between platinum based chemotherapy (PBC) and niraparib are also associated. Methods: Patients received niraparib as maintenance treatment or salvage therapy for advanced ovarian cancer at the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University from January 2020 to August 2023 were included. Survival data of niraparib treatment and adverse events occurred during the last platinum-based chemotherapy cycle before starting niraparib treatment and during niraparib treatment are documented. Fisher's exact test were used for correlation analysis. Results: 1. 40 patients treated with niraparib were included in the analysis, including 31 patients treated with niraparib for 1st-line maintenance therapy, 6 patients for PSR (platinum-sensitive recurrence) maintenance therapy, and 3 patients for salvage therapy. The overall median follow-up time was 15.0 months (ranged from 2.2 months to 32.1 months). 2. Overall grade≥3 TRAE (40% vs 70%, p=0.012) including anemia (20% vs 45%, p=0.041) and neutrophil count decreased (17.5% vs 57.5%, p<0.001) was significantly lower during niraparib treatment compared to during chemotherapy. 3. Any grade TRAE (75% vs 100%, p=0.002) including white blood cell count decreased (47.5% vs 87.5%, p<0.001), red blood cell count decreased (57.5% vs 92.5%, p<0.001), anemia (55% vs 87.5%, p<0.001) and neutrophil count decreased (35% vs 85%, p<0.001) were also significantly lower in niraparib treatment group compared with chemotherapy group. No new safety signals were identified. Conclusion: 1. In this real-world practice, we observed that patients with advanced ovarian cancer who experienced any grade and grade ≥3 TRAE during chemotherapy were well tolerated when treated with niraparib, particularly the incidence of any grade and grade ≥3 anemia, and neutrophil count decreased during niraparib treatment were significantly lower compared with that during chemotherapy. 2. For patients with ovarian cancer who have experienced grade ≥3 hematological adverse reactions during prior platinum-based chemotherapy, greater attention should be paid to the monitoring and management of hematological adverse reactions during subsequent treatment with niraparib.

Case report: Diagnosis and surgical treatment of delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with hepatothorax and enterothorax in a small dog.

An 8-year-old castrated male teddy bear dog presented to our clinic with a persistent cough. The sick dog suffered from vehicular trauma 6 months prior to the visit and had imaging and exploratory laparotomy. Imaging and exploratory laparotomy at the time showed no significant damage. We performed contrast radiography (barium gavage) on the sick dog. Based on the results of a complete contrast radiography (barium gavage), tubular shadows in the thoracic cavity were identified as the small intestine and cecum, and delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with hepatothorax and enterothorax was confirmed with radiographs. Accordingly, the sick dog underwent general anesthesia, manual ventilation and diaphragmatic herniorrhaphy by standard ventral midline abdominal approach. Postoperatively, the dog was given analgesia and antibacterial treatment, and the liver biochemical indexes were monitored to prevent endotoxin. Postoperative radiographs revealed clear contours of thoracic and abdominal organs. The dog moved, ate, and urinated normally within 10 days of the surgery. This case provides a reference for a complete barium meal imaging procedure that clearly shows the position of the organs in the thoracoabdominal cavity after the occurrence of a delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. This paper provides a practical reference for the diagnosis of delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with hepatothorax and enterothorax.

KAT8-mediated H4K16ac is essential for sustaining trophoblast self-renewal and proliferation via regulating CDX2.

Abnormal trophoblast self-renewal and differentiation during early gestation is the major cause of miscarriage, yet the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that trophoblast specific deletion of Kat8, a MYST family histone acetyltransferase, leads to extraembryonic ectoderm abnormalities and embryonic lethality. Employing RNA-seq and CUT&Tag analyses on trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), we further discover that KAT8 regulates the transcriptional activation of the trophoblast stemness marker, CDX2, via acetylating H4K16. Remarkably, CDX2 overexpression partially rescues the defects arising from Kat8 knockout. Moreover, increasing H4K16ac via using deacetylase SIRT1 inhibitor, EX527, restores CDX2 levels and promoted placental development. Clinical analysis shows reduced KAT8, CDX2 and H4K16ac expression are associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Trophoblast organoids derived from these patients exhibit impaired TSC self-renewal and growth, which are significantly ameliorated with EX527 treatment. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of targeting the KAT8-H4K16ac-CDX2 axis for mitigating RPL, shedding light on early gestational abnormalities.

A metric to quantify the time-varying characteristics of underwater acoustic communication channels.

Underwater acoustic communication signals suffer from time dispersion due to time-varying multipath propagation in the ocean. This leads to intersymbol interference, which in turn degrades the performance of the communication system. Typically, the channel correlation functions are employed to describe these characteristics. In this paper, a metric called the channel average correlation coefficient (CACC) is proposed from the correlation function to quantify the time-varying characteristics. It has a theoretical negative relationship with communication performance. Comparative analysis involving simulations and experimental data processing highlights the superior effectiveness of CACC over the traditional metric, the channel coherence time.

Engineering both intrinsic characteristic and local microenvironment of platinum sites toward highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction.

The optimization of the adsorption of oxygen-containing intermediates on platinum (Pt) sites of Pt-based electrocatalysts is crucial for the oxygen reduction reaction process. Currently, a large amount of researches mainly focus on modifying the bulk structure of the electrocatalysts, however, the vital role of solvent effect on the phase interfaces is often overlooked. Here, we successfully developed an electrocatalyst in which the ordered PtCo alloy anchors on the cobalt (Co) single-atoms/clusters decorated support (Co1,nNC) and its surface is further optimized using hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL). Experimental studies and theoretical calculations indicate that compressive stress on Pt lattice contributed by intrinsic structure and the local hydrophobicity caused by IL on the surface can suppress the stabilization of *OH on Pt. This synergistic effect affords outstanding catalytic performance, exhibiting a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.916 V vs. RHE and a mass activity (MA) of 1350.3 mA mgPt-1 in 0.1 mol/L perchloric acid (0.1 M HClO4) electrolyte, much better than the commercial Pt/C (0.849 V vs. RHE and 145.5 mA mgPt-1 for E1/2 and MA, respectively). Moreover, the E1/2 of IL-PtCo/Co1,nNC only lost 5 mV after 10,000 cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles due to a strong and synergistic contact of the intermetallic PtCo alloy with the Co1,nNC support and IL. This research provides an effective method for designing efficient electrocatalysts by combining intrinsic structure and surface modification.

High expression of ethylene response factor BcERF98 delays the flowering time of non-heading Chinese cabbage.

MAIN CONCLUSION: BcERF98 is induced by ethylene signaling and inhibits the expression of BcFT by interacting with BcNF-YA2 and BcEIP9, thereby inhibiting plant flowering. Several stresses trigger the accumulation of ethylene, which then transmits the signal to ethylene response factors (ERFs) to participate in the regulation of plant development to adapt to the environment. This study clarifies the function of BcERF98, a homolog of AtERF98, in the regulation of plant flowering time mediated by high concentrations of ethylene. Results indicate that BcERF98 is a nuclear and the cell membrane-localized transcription factor and highly responsive to ethylene signaling. BcERF98 inhibits the expression of BcFT by interacting with BcEIP9 and BcNF-YA2, which are related to flowering time regulation, thereby participating in ethylene-mediated plant late flowering regulation. The results have enriched the theoretical knowledge of flowering regulation in non-heading Chinese cabbage (NHCC), providing the scientific basis and gene reserves for cultivating new varieties of NHCC with different flowering times.

Suppressed Defects by Functional Thermally Cross-Linked Fullerene for High-Efficiency Tin-Lead Perovskite Solar Cells.

Mixed tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites have attracted the attention of the community due to their narrow bandgap, ideal for photovoltaic applications, especially tandem solar cells. However, the oxidation and rapid crystallization of Sn2+ and the interfacial traps hinder their development. Here, cross-linkable [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric styryl dendron ester (C-PCBSD) is introduced during the quenching step of perovskite thin film processing to suppress the generation of surface defects at the electron transport layer interface and improve the bulk crystallinity. The C-PCBSD has strong coordination ability with Sn2+ and Pb2+ perovskite precursors, which retards the crystallization process, suppresses the oxidation of Sn2+, and improves the perovskite bulk and surface crystallinity, yielding films with reduced nonradiative recombination and enhanced interface charge extraction. Besides, the C-PCBSD network deposited on the perovskite surface displays superior hydrophobicity and oxygen resistance. Consequently, the devices with C-PCBSD obtain PCEs of up to 23.4% and retained 97% of initial efficiency after 2000 h of storage in a N2 atmosphere.

Breast Augmentation Preferences and Concerns Among Chinese Women: A Nationwide Multicenter Study of 2066 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Research studies on Asian women's preferences for breast augmentation and the factors that influence decision-making are scarce or unrepresentative. METHODS: This study was conducted from September 2016 to September 2017, a period of one year. We developed a questionnaire for Chinese female with breast augmentation intentions based on the Breast-Q questionnaire, the world's most popular breast augmentation assessment tool, and conducted questionnaire surveys in 35 hospitals located in 19 provinces in mainland China among female who came to hospitals to inquire about breast augmentation surgery. RESULTS: A total of 2066 questionnaires were collected from female interested in breast augmentation. The age range at the time of response was 19-53 years (mean 31.2 ± 6.8 years). More than half of the respondents (58.1%) were married, and 70.4% of them had children. The respondents rated their dressed image significantly higher than their nude image. Their partners also rated their breast image poorly, with 43% rating it fair and 30.4% negatively. Internal reasons, such as improving self-confidence and creating a better body image, were the main motivators for breast augmentation. More than half of the respondents had only limited understanding of breast augmentation surgery or had heard of it but did not fully understand it (33.2% and 27.5%, respectively), and 69.4% had considered breast augmentation for less than three years. A total of 49.2% of the respondents learned about breast augmentation surgery through the Internet. A total of 43.8% of the respondents did not receive support from family members or partners. Surgical safety (20.4%), surgical effect (17.1%), and surgeon's skill (16.6%) were given the highest priority. The surgeon's professionalism, popularity, and academic background were also high on people's list of considerations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our breast augmentation survey provide data on many Chinese women considering breast augmentation. This will help plastic surgeons better understand the characteristics, preferences, and concerns of Chinese women undergoing breast augmentation and will be used to guide patient-doctor communication and help Chinese women make the most informed decisions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .