Daphnetin Ameliorates Neuropathic Pain via Regulation of Microglial Responses and Glycerophospholipid Metabolism in the Spinal Cord.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common type of chronic pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. This condition imposes a considerable economic burden on society and patients. Daphnetin (DAP) is a natural product isolated from a Chinese medicinal herb with various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

Effects of Substrate Composition on the Growth Traits of Grafted Seedling in Macadamia () Nuts.

Macadamia nut plantings in China are expanding year by year. In order to breed and promote superior varieties, this study analyzed the effects of different rootstocks and scions on the survival rate of grafted seedlings, and then selected the best substrate composition for plant growth. The results showed that the survival rate of the HAES788 variety as rootstock and Guire No.

Additively-Manufactured Broadband Metamaterial-Based Luneburg Lens for Flexible Beam Scanning.

Multi-beam microwave antennas have attracted enormous attention owing to their wide range of applications in communication systems. Here, we propose a broadband metamaterial-based multi-beam Luneburg lens-antenna with low polarization sensitivity. The lens is constructed from additively manufactured spherical layers, where the effective permittivity of the constituting elements is obtained by adjusting the ratio of dielectric material to air.

Improving power ramp rate of a coal-fired power plant by a bypass steam accumulator.

The increasing penetration of high-volatility renewable energy sources in the power system presents higher demands for flexibility from coal-fired power plant (CFPP). To enhance the flexibility of CFPPs, researchers have conducted a significant amount of thermal-system-level research in recent years on increasing system peak shaving depth. However, the load ramp rate of CFPPs under deep peak shaving is rarely discussed, despite its significance to the overall flexibility performance of CFPPs.

Investigation of non-precious metal cathode catalysts for direct borohydride fuel cells.

Borohydride crossover in anion exchange membrane (AEM) based direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFCs) impairs their performance and induces cathode catalyst poisoning. This study evaluates three non-precious metal catalysts, namely LaMnCoO (LMCO) perovskite, MnCoO (MCS) spinel, and Fe-N-C, for their application as cathode catalysts in DBFCs. The rotating disk electrode (RDE) testing shows significant borohydride tolerance of MCS.

[Changes and influence factors of soil matrix infiltration in Chinese fir plantations with different stand ages in northern Guangxi].

Soil matrix infiltration is an important pathway for plantations to obtain water, which affects ecological benefits and water conservation function of plantations. The changes of soil matrix infiltration and its influencing factors in different growth stages of Chinese fir plantations remain unclear. We measured soil matrix infiltration process using a tension infiltrometer in Chinese fir plantations (5, 8, 11, and 15 years old) of Beijiang River Forest Farm in Rongshui, Guangxi, and analyzed soil basic physicochemical properties to identify the dominant factors influencing soil matrix infiltration.

Whole-exome sequencing identifies high-confidence genes for tic disorders in a Chinese Han population.

Background: Tic disorder (TD) is a polygenic neurodevelopmental disorder with high susceptibility. However, identifying high-confidence risk genes has been challenging due to poor replication across multiple studies.

Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on 390 TD patients and 372 unaffected individuals in a Chinese Han population.

Assessment of total mercury in urban particulate matter by filter fiber assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion coupling with microplasma assisted-cold vapor generation.

Background: The evaluation of particle-bound mercury (PBM) exposure is a crucial aspect of assessing the global cycle of mercury (Hg) and its adverse effects on human health and ecosystems. Nevertheless, the precise and reliable measurement of PBM remains a formidable task because of the costly and cumbersome equipment required, as well as the inadequate sensitivities exhibited by current analytical techniques. In this study, we provided a unique and straightforward approach utilising filter fiber-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (FF-MSPD) in conjunction with single-drop solution electrode discharge-induced cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (SD-SEGD-CVG-AFS) for the precise quantification of PBM.

A meta-analysis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis treatments for remission and recurrence prevention.

Purpose: The major aim of our meta-analysis was to review the effectiveness of various treatment modalities for achieving successful remission and preventing recurrence for women with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM). This knowledge is instrumental in developing evidence-based guidelines for clinicians to improve management strategies and outcomes for patients with IGM.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar; studies published to 19 January 2022 were included.

Ribosomal DNA copy number is associated with body mass in humans and other mammals.

Body mass results from a complex interplay between genetics and environment. Previous studies of the genetic contribution to body mass have excluded repetitive regions due to the technical limitations of platforms used for population scale studies. Here we apply genome-wide approaches, identifying an association between adult body mass and the copy number (CN) of 47S-ribosomal DNA (rDNA).

Effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on strength of lower and upper extremities in athletes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Coaches and athletes are increasingly interested in understanding athletes' serum vitamin D levels, their impact on strength, physical performance, and athletic outcomes. Previous meta-analyses were reported with limited sample size and no significant overall effect was found. Hence, it is crucial to conduct a thorough and up-to-date systematic examination and meta-analysis to elucidate the potential advantages of supplementing with vitamin D3 in enhancing muscle strength for athletes.

Tunable metasurfaces for implementing terahertz controllable NOT logic gate functions.

Compared with traditional electrical logic gates, optical or terahertz (THz) computing logic gates have faster computing speeds and lower power consumption, and can better meet the huge data computing needs. However, there are limitations inherent in existing optical logic gates, such as single input/output channels and susceptibility to interference. Here, we proposed a new approach utilizing polarization-sensitive graphene-vanadium dioxide metasurface THz logic gates.

Sidelobe suppression for accelerating beams.

Although the control of trajectory, amplitude and beam-width in accelerating beams have been extensively investigated, sidelobes manipulation of such beams, which is required in many applications, has been surprisingly under-researched. This paper presents an approach for the generating of accelerating beams with significantly reduced sidelobes. The proposed method encompasses a two-step angular spectrum design, including employing a general model to establish the phase distribution and applying a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm to optimize the binary amplitude modulation.

Observation of Three-State Nematicity and Domain Evolution in Atomically Thin Antiferromagnetic NiPS.

Nickel phosphorus trisulfide (NiPS), a van der Waals 2D antiferromagnet, has received significant interest for its intriguing properties in recent years. However, despite its fundamental importance in the physics of low-dimensional magnetism and promising potential for technological applications, the study of magnetic domains in NiPS down to an atomically thin state is still lacking. Here, we report the layer-dependent magnetic characteristics and magnetic domains in NiPS by employing linear dichroism spectroscopy, polarized microscopy, spin-correlated photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy.

Combined dynamic transcriptome and flavonoid metabolome reveal the role of Mo nanoparticles in the nodulation process in soybean.

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation can reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment by reducing fertilizer input. The rapid development of nanomaterials in agriculture provides a new prospect for us to improve the biological nitrogen fixation ability of leguminous crops. Molybdenum is an important component of nitrogenase, and the potential application of MoONPs in agriculture is largely unexplored.

Cationic Polythiophene as Gene Carrier and Sonosensitizer for Sonodynamic Synergic Gene Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal and highly malignant tumors. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a new cancer treatment method. One of its unique advantages lies in the treatment of deep tumors due to its excellent tissue penetration ability caused by ultrasound (US).

De Novo Synthesis of 2,2'-Bipyridines and Related Bis-azines via Cascade Coupling and Double Pyridannulation of Isocyanides.

Herein, we present a new and general protocol for the assembly of 2,2'-bipyridyls from nonpyridine substrates without using any metal catalysts or organometallic reagents. The process starts from the coupling of two 1,3-dienyl isocyanides followed by a 6π-electrocyclization/aromatization cascade featuring the simultaneous formation of two pyridine rings in a single operation. Notably, this strategy is also applicable to the construction of nonsymmetrical 2-(2-pyridyl)-quinolines/-quinoxalines.