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Fast permeation and effective solute-solute separation provide the opportunities for sustainable water treatment, but they are hindered by ineffective membranes. We present here the construction of a nanofiltration membrane with fast permeation, high rejection, and precise Cl - /SO 4 2- separation by spatial and temporal control of interfacial polymerization via graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ). The g-C 3 N 4 nanosheet binds preferentially with piperazine and tiles the water-hexane interface as revealed by molecular dynamics studies, thus lowering the diffusion rate of PIP by one order of magnitude and restricting its diffusion pathways towards the hexane phase. As a result, membranes with nanoscale ordered hollow structure are created. Transport mechanism across the structure is clarified using computational fluid dynamics simulation. Increased surface area, lower thickness, and a hollow ordered structure are identified as the key contributors to the water permeance of 105 L m 2 ·h −1 ·bar −1 with a Na 2 SO 4 rejection of 99.4% and a Cl - /SO 4 2- selectivity of 130, which is superior to state-of-the-art NF membranes. Our approach for tuning the membrane microstructure enables the development of ultra-permeability and excellent selectivity for ion-ion separation, water purification, desalination, and organics removal. Membranes with precise ion-ion separation are critical for sustainable water treatment. Here, authors demonstrated controlled construction of a nanofiltration membrane with fast permeation and high Cl - /SO 4 2- selectivity by simultaneous spatial and temporal control of interfacial polymerization.

The ingestion of Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim. (ZBM) and Capsicum annuum L. (CAL) may give a special taste and is becoming more popular worldwide. In this study, the synergistic, additive or antagonistic effects of ZBM with CAL, as well as the possible mechanism were investigated by exploring their antioxidant and nitrite-scavenging activities with the methods of HPLC-TOF-MS, GC-MS, DPPH-, ABTS- and nitrite-scavenging analyses. Results showed that the main identified compounds in ZBM extract were catechin, rutin and hydroxyl-α-sanshool, and that in CAL was capsaicin. ZBM possessed stronger antioxidant abilities than CAL, and a varied interaction between ZBM and CAL could be observed in antioxidant and nitrite-scavenging analysis, which depended on their ratio used. The ZBM–CAL mixture displayed a significant synergism in scavenging DPPH· test at the ratio of 3:1 (ZBM/CAL, w/w), which might be attributed to the synergism of catechin and capsaicin. However, the mixture could show a distinct antagonistic effect in scavenging ABTS·+ at lower ratios. In addition, a general antagonism was observed in scavenging nitrite at all ratios tested, which was in agreement with corresponding antagonism of catechin (and rutin) in ZBM with the capsaicin in CAL. As the key pungency composition of ZBM, hydroxyl-α-sanshool showed no nitrite-scavenging ability, and its combination with capsaicin had distinct antagonism to scavenge DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation. This study is significant for the rational combination of ZBM and CAL used in food processing and cooking in consideration of health benefits.

Piston secondary motion not only influences the side knocking of piston and frictional loss, but also influence the in-cylinder oil consumption and gas blow-by. An inline four-cylinder common rail diesel engine was chosen as the research object. Dynamic simulation model of piston assembly was built based on the piston and cylinder liner temperature field test. The impacts of pinhole offset, liner clearance and piston skirt ovality on piston secondary motion were researched. Based on the surface response method, the influence of multiple factors on friction power loss and slapping energy is estimated. The results indicate that: in-cylinder stress condition of piston will change with its structural parameters, then the secondary motion of piston will be affected as a result. Pinhole offset, liner clearance, piston skirt ovality and the interaction of the latter two all have significant effects on the friction power loss, while the slapping energy is significantly affected by liner clearance. Therefore, the parameters can be designed based on the significance level to optimize the secondary motion characteristics of the piston.

Successful fertilization relies on the production and effective release of viable pollen. Failure of anther opening (dehiscence), results in male sterility, although the pollen may be fully functional. MYB26 regulates the formation of secondary thickening in the anther endothecium, which is critical for anther dehiscence and fertility. Here, we show that although the MYB26 transcript shows expression in multiple floral organs, the MYB26 protein is localized specifically to the anther endothecium nuclei and that it directly regulates two NAC domain genes, NST1 and NST2, which are critical for the induction of secondary thickening biosynthesis genes. However, there is a complex relationship of regulation between these genes and MYB26. Using DEX-inducible MYB26 lines and overexpression in the various mutant backgrounds, we have shown that MYB26 up-regulates both NST1 and NST2 expression. Surprisingly normal thickening and fertility rescue does not occur in the absence of MYB26, even with constitutively induced NST1 and NST2, suggesting an additional essential role for MYB26 in this regulation. Combined overexpression of NST1 and NST2 in myb26 facilitates limited ectopic thickening in the anther epidermis, but not in the endothecium, and thus fails to rescue dehiscence. Therefore, by a series of regulatory controls through MYB26, NST1, NST2, secondary thickening is formed specifically within the endothecium; this specificity is essential for anther opening.

Recent evidence points out the role of the gut microbiota in the aging process. However, the specific changes and relevant interventions remain unclear. In this study, Senescence-accelerated mouse P8 (SAMP8) mice were divided into 4 groups; young-FMT-group transplanted fecal microbiota from young donors (2–3 months old) and old-FMT-group transplanted from old donors (10–11 months old); additionally, other two groups either adult mice injected with saline solution or untreated mice served as the saline and blank control groups, respectively. All mice were intervened from their 7-months-old until 13-months-old. The open field test at 9 and 11 months of age showed that the mice transplanted with gut microbiota from young donors had significantly better locomotor and exploration ability than those of transplanted with old-donors gut microbiota and those of saline control while was comparable with the blank control. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the gut microbiome of recipient mice of young donors was altered at 11 months of age, whereas the alternation of the gut microbiome of old-donor recipient mice was at 9 months. For comparison, the recipient mice in the blank and saline control groups exhibited changes in the gut microbiome at 10 months of age. The hallmark of aging-related gut microbiome change was an increase in the relative abundance of Akkermansia, which was significantly higher in the recipients transplanted with feces from older donors than younger donors at 9 months of age. This study shows that fecal microbiota transplantation from younger donors can delay aging-related declines in locomotor and exploration ability in mice by changing the gut microbiome.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended as a standard therapy for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is the most widely used first-line treatment for advanced HCC. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits and tolerability of TACE added to a combination of lenvatinib and programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor in patients with unresectable HCC (uHCC). We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 144 patients with uHCC treated between August 2020 and August 2023. Patients received a combination of lenvatinib and a PD-1 inhibitor with or without TACE (T+L+P, n=81 or L+P, n=63, respectively). The baseline characteristics of the two groups were compared, and propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize bias. The study endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR). Factors influencing survival rates were analyzed using Cox regression, and adverse events (AEs) were documented and assessed. Before PSM, the T+L+P group showed significantly higher ORR (64.1% vs 44.4%, p < 0.05), longer median PFS (14.3 vs 9.6 months, p < 0.05), and longer median OS (24.6 vs 19.5 months, p < 0.05) compared to the L+P group. Even post-PSM, the T+L+P group showed significantly better OS and PFS compared to the L+P group (mOS: 28.0 vs 17.6 months p=0.0011, mPFS: 15.8 vs 9.3 months, p < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified treatment options as independent factors for PFS and OS. The safety profile of the T+L+P regimen was acceptableThe incidence and severity of adverse reactions in the T+L+P group were not significantly different compared to the L+P group (any grade, 90.1 vs 93.6%, p=0.551; grade≥3, 25.9 vs 23.8%, p=0.843).

The performance of alkali-activated slag (AAS) under thermal treatment has received particular attention. In this study, the effect of five elevated temperatures (25, 200, 400, 600, and 800 °C) and two cooling methods (air cooling and water spraying) on the mechanical and durability properties, microstructure, and phase evolution of AAS was investigated. The results show that AAS mortars exhibit higher resistance to thermal attack than OPC in terms of strength and durability. AAS samples cooled in air show higher residual strength than those cooled by spraying water, which is mainly attributed to fewer cracks formed in the former. The resistance to carbonization of exposed AAS mortars depends on the pore size distribution, while that to chloride ion penetration depends on the porosity. Cooling methods show a minor effect on the phase evolution of reaction products, suggesting that the microstructure degradation is mainly responsible for the damage of AAS structures. This study provides fundamental knowledge for the thermally induced changes on AAS which contributes new ideas for the development of construction structures with higher fire resistance.

The photolysis of colchicine under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation was studied by ultraviolet (UV) scanning and HPLC-MS. The photoproduct was proposed and the cytotoxicity change before and after irradiation was investigated. Results showed that both ultraviolet and visible light irradiation could effectively degrade colchicine into deacetamido-lumicolchicine. The process conformed to first-order kinetics, in which a high degradation rate (K = 0.5862 h − 1 ) was observed when colchicine was dissolved in ethanol and irradiated by UV light. Cell viability and cell cycle studies proved that a photolysis treatment of colchicine could weaken the cytotoxicity effectively. Colchicine inhibited the division of BRL 3 A cells in G2/M phase with an IC 50 value of 0.48 µg/mL, while the toxic effect could be reduced significantly with IC 50 2.1 µg/mL when colchicine was exposed to UV irradiation. Results are beneficial to the toxicity elimination of colchicine in the processing of daylily flower in food industry, and can also provide photochemistry reference for colchicine-related studies.

The application and development of metal ceramic composites have been restricting due to its low grinding efficiency and ground quality. In this paper, the hybrid machining technology combined mechanical with electrolytic grinding based on dressed coarse diamond grinding wheel is proposed to perform efficient and precise grinding of metal ceramic composites. First, the dry electrical discharge dressing technology was used to dress coarse diamond grinding wheel to obtain high grain protrusion and sharp micro-grain cutting edges. Next, the mechanical and electrolytic hybrid grinding process using dressed coarse diamond wheel was developed to grind metal ceramic. Finally, the effects of different process parameters on ground surface topographies and surface roughness were investigated. It is shown that the proposed hybrid grinding method was feasible and can effectively improve the ground surface quality. The experimental results show that the optimal process parameters including the depth of cut, open-circuit voltage and impulse width were 5 μm, 20 V and 400 ns, respectively. Compared with traditional mechanical grinding, the ground surface roughness by the proposed hybrid machining method was improved by about 25%.

Pollen development and release involves a number of important stages, which govern the success of fertilisation and thus indirectly crop yields. The secondary cell wall in the anther plays a pivotal role in anther dehiscence by offering mechanical strength required for opening and pollen release (Wilson et al. 2011). MYB26/MALE STERILE35(MS35) is a key regulator of the secondary thickening development in anther, mutation of this gene results in a failure of anther dehiscence and functional male sterility (Steiner-Lange et al. 2003; Yang et al. 2007). However, the regulatory network of MYB26 remains to be fully identified. To address this issue, the MYB26 direct targets and interactive proteins were investigated. Putative targets of MYB26 were selected, based on their expression patterns, from previously determined expression profiles of the ms35 mutant (Song, 2009). PKSP, a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) was co-expressed with MYB26. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-PCR indicated that MYB26 may bind to the first intron of PKSP. The NAC SECONDARY WALL–PROMOTING FACTOR1 (NST1) and NST2 genes have been demonstrated as direct targets of MYB26 in ChIP-PCR. However, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) did not show binding and retardation, possibly due to the requirement of additional proteins to facilitate MYB26 binding. MYB26 interactive proteins were investigated using the yeast two-hybrid system (C.Yang, Z.A.Wilson, unpublished data) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays. Y2H560, a CHY-type/RING-type Zinc finger protein and Y2H320/TGA9, a bZIP transcription factor family protein interacted with MYB26 in plant cell nuclei. Y2H320/TGA9 has been shown to be functionally redundant with TGA10 in regulating anther development (Murmu et al. 2010). The tga9tga10 double mutant produced indehiscent anthers and was male sterile due to the developmental arrest of the adaxial anther lobes and abnormal tapetum and pollen development in the abaxial anther lobes. In summary, MYB26 appears to regulate endothecium development and secondary thickening formation and thus anther dehiscence probably through directly regulating the subfamily VII RLCK PKSP and the NAC transcription factors NST1, NST2 and by interacting with a CHY-type/RING-type Zinc finger protein Y2H560 and the bZIP transcription factor Y2H320/TGA9.