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Al0.5CoCrCuFeNiSi high entropy alloy coating without and with a 1 wt.% Y2O3 addition was fabricated by laser cladding technique on H13 substrate. The results showed that the laser cladding coatings without and with Y2O3 addition consist of a mixture of body centered cubic (BCC) dendrites and face centered cubic (FCC) interdendrites. With the addition of Y2O3, the peaks of BCC dendrites in the coating shifted to leftwards, which is caused by the distortion of lattice due to the dissolution of Y with larger atomic radius. There exist cracks and porosities in the coating without Y2O3 addition. With Y2O3 addition, the cracks and porosities in the laser cladding coating were inhibited greatly. In addition, the microstructure of the coating with Y2O3 addition was refined due to the improving of the ratio of nucleation. The enhancement of properties, such as hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, of the coating with Y2O3 addition came from the inhibition of cracks and porosities and the refinement of microstructure.

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and serum elevations in the phosphaturic hormone FGF23, which may be maladaptive and lead to increased morbidity and mortality. To determine the role of FGF23 in the pathogenesis of CKD-MBD and development of secondary HPT, we developed a monoclonal FGF23 antibody to evaluate the impact of chronic FGF23 neutralization on CKD-MBD, secondary HPT, and associated comorbidities in a rat model of CKD-MBD. CKD-MBD rats fed a high-phosphate diet were treated with low or high doses of FGF23-Ab or an isotype control antibody. Neutralization of FGF23 led to sustained reductions in secondary HPT, including decreased parathyroid hormone, increased vitamin D, increased serum calcium, and normalization of bone markers such as cancellous bone volume, trabecular number, osteoblast surface, osteoid surface, and bone-formation rate. In addition, we observed dose-dependent increases in serum phosphate and aortic calcification associated with increased risk of mortality in CKD-MBD rats treated with FGF23-Ab. Thus, mineral disturbances caused by neutralization of FGF23 limited the efficacy of FGF23-Ab and likely contributed to the increased mortality observed in this CKD-MBD rat model.

[Al.sub.0.5]CoCrCuFeNiSi high entropy alloy coating without and with a 1 wt.% [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3] addition was fabricated by laser cladding technique on H13 substrate. The results showed that the laser cladding coatings without and with [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3] addition consist of a mixture of body centered cubic (BCC) dendrites and face centered cubic (FCC) interdendrites. With the addition of [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3], the peaks of BCC dendrites in the coating shifted to leftwards, which is caused by the distortion of lattice due to the dissolution of Y with larger atomic radius. There exist cracks and porosities in the coating without [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3] addition. With [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3] addition, the cracks and porosities in the laser cladding coating were inhibited greatly. In addition, the microstructure of the coating with [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3] addition was refined due to the improving of the ratio of nucleation. The enhancement of properties, such as hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, of the coating with [Y.sub.2][O.sub.3] addition came from the inhibition of cracks and porosities and the refinement of microstructure.

A major challenge for organic solar cell (OSC) research is how to minimize the tradeoff between voltage loss and charge generation. In early 2019, we reported a non-fullerene acceptor (named Y6) that can simultaneously achieve high external quantum efficiency and low voltage loss for OSC. Here, we use a combination of experimental and theoretical modeling to reveal the structure-property-performance relationships of this state-of-the-art OSC system. We find that the distinctive π–π molecular packing of Y6 not only exists in molecular single crystals but also in thin films. Importantly, such molecular packing leads to (i) the formation of delocalized and emissive excitons that enable small non-radiative voltage loss, and (ii) delocalization of electron wavefunctions at donor/acceptor interfaces that significantly reduces the Coulomb attraction between interfacial electron-hole pairs. These properties are critical in enabling highly efficient charge generation in OSC systems with negligible donor-acceptor energy offset. Y6, as a non-fullerene acceptor for organic solar cells, has attracted intensive attention because of the low voltage loss and high charge generation efficiency. Here, Zhang et al. find that the delocalization of exciton and electron wavefunction due to strong π-π packing of Y6 is the key for the high performance.

Strigolactones are carotenoid-derived phytohormones that impact plant growth and development in diverse ways. However, the roles of strigolactones in the responses to temperature stresses are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that strigolactone biosynthesis is induced in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) by heat and cold stresses. Compromised strigolactone biosynthesis or signaling negatively affected heat and cold tolerance, while application of the synthetic strigolactone analog GR245DS enhanced heat and cold tolerance. Strigolactone-mediated heat and cold tolerance was associated with the induction of abscisic acid (ABA), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) accumulation, C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR 1 (CBF1) transcription, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Importantly, a deficiency in ABA biosynthesis compromised the GR245DS effects on heat and cold stresses and abolished the GR245DS-induced transcription of HSP70, CBF1, and antioxidant-related genes. These results support that strigolactones positively regulate tomato heat and cold tolerance and that they do so at least partially by the induction of CBFs and HSPs and the antioxidant response in an ABA-dependent manner.

Condensed tannins (CT) in wine are derived from the seeds and skins of grapes, and their composition and content contribute to the bitterness/astringency characteristics and ageing potential of the wine. Global warming has accelerated the ripening process of grape berries, making them out of sync with seed ripening. To understand the influence of berry ripening on the seed CT composition and content, we analyzed the changes in the soluble and insoluble CT in the seeds of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes from two vineyards over two years. The results showed that the seed-soluble CT presented a slight downward trend in fluctuation during grape berry development, while the insoluble CT increased continuously before the véraison and remained at a high level afterwards. Relatively speaking, a lower sugar increment in developing grape berries favored the conversion of seed CT towards a higher degree of polymerization. The terminal unit of soluble CT was dominated by epigallocatechin gallate, the content of which decreased as the seeds matured. It is suggested that the seeds should be fully matured to reduce this bitter component in tannins. This study provides a reference for us to control the grape ripening process and produce high-quality grapes for wine making.

To investigate the antimicrobial activity of berberine and the mechanism by which it combats methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains isolated from patients with bloodstream infections. Fifteen clinical MRSA isolates were collected, and their Multi-locus Sequence Types (MLST) were examined. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and combined antibacterial activity of berberine alone, and when combined with clindamycin and rifampicin separately, were determined. Additionally, two MRSA strains (ST239 and ST5) were selected to perform the time-killing assay and biofilm formation test. Cell wall alterations and cell membrane integrity were measured by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and electron microscopy to assess the influence on cell morphology. Our data showed berberine was effective against MRSA at MIC values varying from 256 to 64 mg*L for different MLST types. Berberine alone, and when combined with clindamycin and rifampicin separately, displayed excellent antibacterial activity which reduced the bacterial counts by 2lgCFU*mL within 24h and significantly weakened biofilm formation compared with control strain. Additionally, bacterial cytological profiling indicates that berberine destroyed the structure of the cell walls, membrane integrity and further changed the cell morphology with concentration increased. In our study, berberine has excellent anti-MRSA activities and has synergistic antibacterial property when combined with clindamycin and rifamycin separately, and the mechanism of activities involves the destruction of cell wall and membrane.

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived phytohormones that are known to influence various aspects of plant growth and development. As root-derived signals, SLs can enhance symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, little is known about the roles of SLs in plant defense against soil-borne pathogens. Here, we determined that infection with root-knot nematodes (RKNs; Meloidogyne incognita) induced SL biosynthesis in roots of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Silencing of SL biosynthesis genes compromised plant defense against RKNs, whilst application of the SL analog racGR24 enhanced it. Accumulation of endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in the roots in response to RKN infection was enhanced by silencing of SL biosynthetic genes and was suppressed by application of racGR24. Genetic evidence showed that JA was a positive regulator of defense against RKNs while ABA was a negative regulator. In addition, racGR24 enhanced the defense against nematode in a JA-deficient mutant but not in an ABA-deficient mutant. Silencing of SL biosynthetic genes resulted in up-regulation of MYC2, which negatively regulated defense against RKNs. Our results demonstrate that SLs play a positive role in nematode defense in tomato and that MYC2 negatively regulates this defense, potentially by mediating hormone crosstalk among SLs, ABA and JA.

When the helicopter tail transmission system loses oil due to damage, the system needs to persist for 30 minutes. Therefore, the nonlinear tribo-dynamics model of the helicopter intermediate reducer (HIR) is established, which is coupled with the loss of oil lubrication. To simulate condition of the HIR system under the loss of lubrication (LOL), this study begins by establishing a complete HIR system CFD model, and analyse the lubrication of the gear tooth surface and the oil churning/windage under different lubrication conditions. Then, a coupled model based on the result of the CFD is proposed to calculate the coefficient of friction (COF) under the condition of light loss of lubrication (LLOL). The results show that COF gradually decreases first and then increases rapidly.

Chronic stress is a long-term condition that negatively affects cognitive ability and mental health. Individuals who experience chronic stress show poor attentional control. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) modulates executive function domains. Therefore, it is beneficial to investigate whether tDCS of the DLPFC could improve attentional control and relieve stress in chronically stressed individuals. We assess the event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with attentional control in individuals with chronic stress after the tDCS intervention. Forty individuals were randomly assigned to either the anodal tDCS group, which received 5 sessions of the 20 min tDCS over the DLPFC (2 mA; = 20), or the sham tDCS ( = 20). Participants' stress levels, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and state affects were assessed and compared before and after the intervention. The ERP was collected through electroencephalography (EEG) technology during an attentional network test. After the anodal tDCS, we found a significant decrease in the perceived stress scale (PSS) scores (from an average score of 35.05 to 27.75), = 0.01 as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores, = 0.002. Better performance in the attentional network test, a significant reduction in the N2 amplitudes, and an enhancement in the P3 amplitudes (both cues and targets) were also found in the anodal tDCS group. Our study findings suggest that tDCS to the left DLPFC could effectively relieve chronic stress, potentially reflected by increased attentional control.