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This study provided the first attempt of grafting hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with hydrophilic hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) monomer via a radiation grafting method. This grafted membrane showed an enhanced hydrophilicity (10° decrease of water contact angle), water content ratio, settling ability and wettability compared to the control membrane. Interestingly, filtration tests showed an improved dependence of water flux of the grafted membrane on the solution pH in the acidic stage. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis provided in-situ evidence that the reduced surface pore size of the grafted membrane with the solution pH governed such a dependence. It was proposed that, the reduced surface pore size was caused by the swelling of the grafted chain matrix, with the pH increase due to the chemical potential change. It was found that the grafted membrane showed a lower relative flux decreasing rate than the control membrane. Moreover, flux of the bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution was noticeably larger than that of pure water for the grafted membrane. Higher BSA flux than water flux can be explained by the effects of electric double layer compression on the polymeric swelling. This study not only provided a pH-sensitive PVDF membrane potentially useful for various applications, but also proposed novel mechanisms underlying the enhanced performance of the grafted membrane.

The study of atomically dispersed metal‐nitrogen electrocatalysts is still limited in terms of understanding their catalytic mechanism because of the inability to precisely regulate the coordination number and type of N in combination with the metal elements. Inspired by the high catalytic activity and selectivity of natural enzymes, herein, we have designed and fabricated ultrathin carbon nanosheet‐supported Mn single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with a precise pyrrole‐type Mn‐N4 (PT‐MnN4) configuration using a bio‐mimicking strategy. The PT‐MnN4 SACs display outstanding oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, with a half‐wave potential (E1/2) of 0.88 V (vs. revisible hydrogen electrode [RHE]) and extremely high stability in alkaline media. Moreover, superior ORR activities are also obtained, E1/2 of 0.73 V and 0.63 V in acid and neutral electrolytes, respectively, indicating the efficient pH‐universal ORR performances. The assembled zinc–air battery using the PT‐MnN4 SACs as air cathodes exhibits a high peak power density (175 mW cm−2) and long‐term stability up to 150 h, implying its promising application in metal–air batteries. This study has paved the way toward the rational design and precise regulation of single‐atom electrocatalysts. A new type of single‐atom MnN4 electrocatalyst with Mn–pyrrolic N4 sites anchored on ultrathin carbon nanosheets was prepared using a biomimetic‐enzyme‐induced strategy, which shows excellent oxygen reduction reaction performance and stability in the full pH ranges. Moreover, the assembled zinc–air batteries, with the Mn–N4 single‐atom catalysts as the cathode, also show a large peak power density and a stable discharge curve.

Objective We evaluated the interaction of urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) with diabetes on the risk of cardiovascular events in a cohort study. Methods The study population consisted of 639 participants with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 2–5, enrolled between 2010 and 2011 in Japan. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the independent and combined effects of the UPCR and diabetes on cardiovascular events. Results During a median follow-up of 3 years, 59 participants developed cardiovascular events during follow-up. A notably higher risk of cardiovascular events was found in participants with proteinuria [hazards ratio (HR): 2.16, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.17–3.97] compared to those without proteinuria at UPCR levels. In addition, the participants with diabetes had a higher risk of cardiovascular events (HR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.49–4.30) than those without diabetes. Moreover, an interaction was found between UPCR and diabetes on cardiovascular events ( P for interaction = 0.04). Participants with both proteinuria (UPCR ≥ 0.5 g/gCr) and diabetes had a 4.09 times higher risk of cardiovascular events (HR: 4.09, 95% CI: 1.97–8.47) compared with those without proteinuria (UPCR < 0.5 g/gCr) and diabetes. Conclusions In summary, among participants with CKD stages 2–5, proteinuria and diabetes were found to independently and jointly affect the risk of cardiovascular events. Participants with proteinuria and diabetes had the highest risk of cardiovascular events compared with other groups.

The catalytic hydrodechlorination (HDC) technology exhibits great flexibility and safety under mild conditions, and shows extremely promising application prospects for the degradation of 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP). Prepare the N-doped phenolic resin carbon support (PMF) using phenol, melamine and formaldehyde as raw materials, and load Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on it. The XPS results indicate that the Pd/PMF-800 has a higher Pyridine-N (24.8%) and a higher Pd 0 /(Pd 2+ +Pd 0 ) ratio (65.4%). Moreover, the difference in electronegativity between the N atom and the resin carbon support enhances the binding energy between them. This enhancement promotes the nucleation of Pd NPs on the surface of the resin carbon support, thereby imparting higher stability to the Pd NPs. Due to these comprehensive advantages, Pd/PMF-800 has the highest dechlorination activity (k obs = 0.0594 min⁻¹) and stability (dechlorination rate is 91.56% after 5 cycle). Additionally, it also demonstrates efficient dehalogenation rates for 2-Chlorophenol and 4-Bromophenol. It can provide a catalyst that has high-efficiency dehalogenation performance, strong acid and alkali stability and adaptability, and can be recycled for the degradation of halogenated phenols in the environment.

Background The fruits of Gardenia are rich in flavonoids and geniposides, which have various pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome and metabolome of gardenia peel and kernel at different growth stages, revealed the regulatory network related to flavonoid synthesis, and identified the key regulatory genes. Results The results showed that in terms of flavonoid metabolic pathways, gardenia fruits mainly synthesized cinnamic acid through the phenylpropanoid pathway, and then synthesized flavonoids through the action of catalytic enzymes such as 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligase, chalcone synthase, chalcone isomerase and flavanol synthase, respectively. In addition, we found that the metabolomics data showed a certain spatial and temporal pattern in the expression of genes related to the flavonoid metabolism pathway and the relative content of metabolites, which was related to the development and ripening process of the fruit. Conclusions In summary, this study successfully screened out the key genes related to the biosynthesis metabolism of flavonoids in gardenia through the joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome. This is of certain significance to the in-depth study of the formation mechanism of gardenia efficacy components and the improvement of quality.

The complex, temporally variant singular value decomposition (SVD) problem is proposed and investigated in this paper. Firstly, the original problem is transformed into an equation system. Then, by using the real zeroing neurodynamics (ZN) method, matrix vectorization, Kronecker product, vectorized transpose matrix, and dimensionality reduction technique, a dynamical model, termed the continuous-time SVD (CTSVD) model, is derived and investigated. Furthermore, a new 11-point Zhang et al. discretization (ZeaD) formula with fifth-order precision is proposed and studied. In addition, with the use of the 11-point and other ZeaD formulas, five discrete-time SVD (DTSVD) algorithms are further acquired. Meanwhile, theoretical analyses and numerical experimental results substantiate the correctness and convergence of the proposed CTSVD model and DTSVD algorithms.

The chitinase binding domain (ChBD) plays a crucial role in the properties of enzymes. To assess its impact, we cloned a truncated mutant of the chitinase gene CaChi18B from the novel chitinase-producing facultative anaerobic bacterium Chitinilyticum aquatile CSC-1, designated as CaChi18B_ΔChBDs. The recombinant chitinase was successfully expressed and purified, exhibiting a specific activity of 3.48 U/mg on colloidal chitin, with optimal conditions at 45 °C and pH 6.0, and retaining over 80% activity at temperatures up to 40 °C. Kinetic analysis revealed that the Km value was 1.159 mg mL−1 and the Vmax was 10.37 μM min−1 mg−1. Compared to CaChi18B_ΔChBD1, which has only the first ChBD truncated at the N-terminus, CaChi18B_ΔChBDs exhibited minor changes in the optimal temperature and pH, while the Km and Vmax values increased significantly. CaChi18B_ΔChBDs exhibited tolerance to various metal ions, with K+ and NH4+ enhancing activity, while Cu2+ significantly inhibited it. Most organic reagents had minimal impact, except for formic acid, which severely reduced activity. The primary hydrolysis product in the initial phase was GlcNAc, contrasting with (GlcNAc)2 for CaChi18B_ΔChBD1. These findings indicated that the ChBD influences the enzyme’s Km, Vmax, and product distribution, enhancing our understanding of ChBD’s roles and advancing chitin utilization.

Purpose Pipkin fractures are rare, complex hip injuries typically caused by high-energy trauma. Surgical management must balance adequate exposure with preservation of femoral head vascularity. We evaluated outcomes of surgical hip dislocation with absorbable screw fixation for Pipkin fractures. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 10 patients with Pipkin fractures treated by surgical hip dislocation and absorbable screw fixation at Foshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from December 2018 to March 2023. Demographics, Pipkin classification, and injured limb were recorded. All patients had at least 2 years of follow-up. Outcomes included fracture healing time, Modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS), and modified Merle d’Aubigné score. Complications, including avascular necrosis (AVN) and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), were documented. Results At final follow-up, the mean MHHS was 90.3 ± 6.8. Functional results were excellent in 7 patients, good in 2, and fair in 1 (excellent-to-good rate, 90%). Modified Merle d’Aubigné scores paralleled the MHHS. One patient with a Pipkin type III fracture developed AVN; no other major complications were observed. Patients with Pipkin types I and II achieved better functional recovery than those with types III and IV. Conclusions In treating Pipkin fractures, surgical hip dislocation provides adequate exposure while preserving femoral head vascularity. Bioabsorbable screws achieve stable fixation through their thread design and axial compression, supporting fracture healing. This technique shows promise as a treatment strategy for complex femoral head fractures.

Background Although successful outcomes of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treating nonunion fractures have been reported, there are widespread confounding factors and biases in the studies. This study aims to assess the biological benefits of PRP-enhanced therapy while controlling for the two core factors of nonunion fractures—biomechanics and biology. Methods Retrospective analysis of medical records of patients with aseptic atrophic tibial diaphyseal fracture nonunion treated with a single locking plate in a tertiary trauma center. Patients were divided into the PRP group and the non-PRP group based on the use of PRP. The surgical procedure for the non-PRP group was a single locked plate fixation combined with autologous iliac bone grafting. For the PRP group, PRP-enhanced autologous iliac bone grafting and the creation of a bioactive chamber were added. The outcome measures included the union rate, average healing time, visual analog scale pain score, lower limb function score, and complications. Results A total of 90 patients were included, with 39 patients in the PRP group and 51 patients in the non-PRP group. The average follow-up was 16.15 ± 3.14 months in the PRP group and 15.86 ± 3.26 months in the non-PRP group. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics and disease parameters ( P  > 0.05). At 9 months post-revision surgery, the healing rate in the PRP group was higher than that in the non-PRP group (58.97% vs 33.33%, p  = 0.015,χ 2  = 5.885), but the final union rate did not differ significantly (92.31% vs 78.43%, p  = 0.072,χ 2  = 3.240). After excluding cases of persistent nonunion, the PRP group had a significantly shorter average healing time compared to the non-PRP group (8.88 ± 2.03 months vs 10.54 ± 2.59 months, p  = 0.002, t =  −3.103,95%CI: [ −2.74,  −0.60]) and a higher lower limb function score (67.72 ± 4.18 vs 64.55 ± 5.98, p  = 0.003, t = 2.700, 95%CI: [0.83, 5.52]). The PRP group had 4 (10.26%) complications, while the non-PRP group had 8 (15.69%) complications. Conclusion In the treatment of atrophic fracture nonunion, PRP enhanced autologous iliac bone grafting can shorten bone healing time and accelerate the healing process, thereby improving limb function more rapidly. This finding provides a superior treatment option clinically for patients in need of accelerated nonunion healing and early recovery of lower limb function.

Many tools have been developed to predict the risk of diabetes in a population without diabetes; however, these tools have shortcomings that include the omission of race, inclusion of variables that are not readily available to patients, and low sensitivity or specificity. We aimed to develop and validate an easy, systematic index for predicting diabetes risk in the Asian population. We collected the data from the NAGALA (NAfld [nonalcoholic fatty liver disease] in the Gifu Area, Longitudinal Analysis) database. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model was used to select potentially relevant features. Multiple Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to develop a model based on the training set. The final study population of 15464 participants had a mean age of 42 (range 18-79) years; 54.5% (8430) were men. The mean follow-up duration was 6.05 (SD 3.78) years. A total of 373 (2.41%) participants showed progression to diabetes during the follow-up period. Then, we established a novel parameter (the FHTHWA index), to evaluate the incidence of diabetes in a population without diabetes, comprising 6 parameters based on the training set. After multivariable adjustment, individuals in tertile 3 had a significantly higher rate of diabetes compared with those in tertile 1 (hazard ratio 32.141, 95% CI 11.545-89.476). Time receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed that the FHTHWA index had high accuracy, with the area under the curve value being around 0.9 during the more than 12 years of follow-up. This research successfully developed a diabetes risk assessment index tailored for the Japanese population by utilizing an extensive dataset and a wide range of indices. By categorizing the diabetes risk levels among Japanese individuals, this study offers a novel predictive tool for identifying potential patients, while also delivering valuable insights into diabetes prevention strategies for the healthy Japanese populace.