Electrophotocatalytic Tellurosulfonylation of Alkynes for the Synthesis of ß-(Telluro)vinyl Sulfones.

Difunctionalization of alkynes has gained a lot of interest in current organic chemistry. Herein, we developed an electrophotocatalytic multicomponent cascade reaction of alkynes and indoles with sulfinic acid sodium salts using elemental tellurium as the tellurium source. Using synergistic anodic oxidation and visible-light irradiation, various ß-(telluro)vinyl sulfones have been prepared. This strategy features mild reaction conditions, excellent substrate scope, readily available starting materials, and great functional group tolerance.

PGK1 Is Involved in the HIF-1 Signaling Pathway as a Hub Gene for Ferroptosis After Traumatic Brain Injury.

The pathogenesis of ferroptosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unclear; therefore, we aimed to identify key molecules associated with ferroptosis in TBI using bioinformatics analysis to determine its underlying mechanisms. GSE128543 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and TBI-associated modules were obtained by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We identified 60 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by intersecting the modules with ferroptosis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis gene libraries. The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway was identified to be critical for ferroptosis post-TBI, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network identified 20 hub genes, including phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), ribosomal protein (RP) family, pyruvate kinase M1/2 (PKM), hypoxia-inducible factor 1α subunit (HIF-1α), and MYC genes. In this study, we further explored the role of PGK1, a gene involved in HIF-1 signaling pathway; however, its role and mechanism in TBI are still unclear. Moreover, we constructed a TBI mouse model and examined PGK1 and HIF-1α expression levels, and the results revealed their expressions increased after cortical injury in mice and they co-localized in the same cells. Furthermore, we examined the expressions of PGK1 in the cerebrospinal fluid of 20 clinical patients with different degrees of brain injuries within 48 h of surgery and examined the cognitive function of patients according to the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The results revealed that PGK1 expression level was negatively correlated with the severity of the brain injury. These findings suggest that PGK1 may become a potential hub gene for ferroptosis via the HIF-1 signaling pathway, second to neurological injury after TBI, thereby affecting patient prognosis.

First Report of Yellow Leaf Spots on Maize Caused by Colletotrichum siamense in Yunnan Province, China.

The southwest maize planting area is the third largest maize-producing region in China, including the entire provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, parts of Guangxi and Hunan provinces. In June 2022, yellow leaf spot symptoms were observed commonly on maize in southern Yunnan province, including Pu'er City, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture and Honghe Hani & Yi autonomous prefecture. The disease incidence on maize in Pu'er ranged from 10% to 20% from June to August. The initial symptoms appeared as needle-like spots scattered on the leaf surface with obvious yellow haloes, with a diameter ranging from 0.2 to 2 mm and were quite similar to maize Curvularia leaf spot. But the lesion size did not expand significantly and without reddish or dark brown margins. In July 2023, 30 diseased leaves were collected in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province. Leaf tissues (3×3 mm) were cut from the infected margins, surface disinfested with 75% ethanol for 30 s, 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, and rinsed three times with sterile water, then placed on PDA at 25℃. Forty-eight isolates with the morphological characteristics of Colletotrichum ssp. were obtained by single-spore isolations (isolation frequency 42.5%). The fungal colonies on PDA were dense with white mycelia on the edges, and yellowish-white on the reverse side. The conidia were transparent, cylindrical, smooth-walled, and 6.8 to 17.5 × 3.8 to 6.5 µm. Two isolates (YNH-1 and YNH-2) were used for DNA extraction. The ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and ß-tubulin 2 (TUB2) regions were amplified by PCR. The PCR primers in this study were as described previously (Weir et al. 2012). The sequences of both isolates were 100% identical, and all sequences showed >98% identity with Colletotrichum siamense in the GenBank. The sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS, PP237394; ACT, PP265410; CAL, PP265411; GAPDH, PP265412; TUB2, PP265413). A phylogenetic tree was constructed by MEGA_v. 11.0.13 with the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. The isolate YNH-1 and YNH-2 clustered with C. siamense DAR 76934 (97% bootstrap support) in the same branch. Pathogenicity tests were performed on the susceptible maize variety B73. Twelve healthy maize seedlings were inoculated with a conidial suspension (1×106 conidia/ml) of isolate YNH-1. All the seedlings were kept in an incubator at 26℃, with a 90% humidity and a 12 h light/dark cycle. After 5 days, yellow spots appeared on the leaves of the plants. The symptoms on inoculated leaves were similar to those observed in the field after 10 days, whereas no symptoms appeared in the control. The pathogen C. siamensis was re-isolated from the infected leaves, which fulfilled the Koch's postulates. C. siamense can cause leaf diseases on a wide range of hosts. It has been reported causing anthracnose on tea (Camellia sinensis) (Wang et al. 2016) and wax apple (Syzygium samarangense) (Yao et al. 2023) in Yunnan Province, China. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing yellow leaf spots on maize in China as well as a new host record for C. siamense causing leaf disease. However, how C. siamense spreads among different host plants in the region is still unknown. This study provides important information for epidemiological study and comprehensive management of yellow leaf spot on maize.

Optimizing the Probabilistic Neural Network Model with the Improved Manta Ray Foraging Optimization Algorithm to Identify Pressure Fluctuation Signal Features.

To improve the identification accuracy of pressure fluctuation signals in the draft tube of hydraulic turbines, this study proposes an improved manta ray foraging optimization (ITMRFO) algorithm to optimize the identification method of a probabilistic neural network (PNN). Specifically, first, discrete wavelet transform was used to extract features from vibration signals, and then, fuzzy c-means algorithm (FCM) clustering was used to automatically classify the collected information. In order to solve the local optimization problem of the manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO) algorithm, four optimization strategies were proposed. These included optimizing the initial population of the MRFO algorithm based on the elite opposition learning algorithm and using adaptive t distribution to replace its chain factor to optimize individual update strategies and other improvement strategies. The ITMRFO algorithm was compared with three algorithms on 23 test functions to verify its superiority. In order to improve the classification accuracy of the probabilistic neural network (PNN) affected by smoothing factors, an improved manta ray foraging optimization (ITMRFO) algorithm was used to optimize them. An ITMRFO-PNN model was established and compared with the PNN and MRFO-PNN models to evaluate their performance in identifying pressure fluctuation signals in turbine draft tubes. The evaluation indicators include confusion matrix, accuracy, precision, recall rate, F1-score, and accuracy and error rate. The experimental results confirm the correctness and effectiveness of the ITMRFO-PNN model, providing a solid theoretical foundation for identifying pressure fluctuation signals in hydraulic turbine draft tubes.

Ant colony optimization-based adjusted PID parameters: a proposed method.

The ant colony algorithm (ACA) is a heuristic algorithm that resolves the optimality problem by simulating an ant's foraging process, which finds the shortest path. The connotation of the ACA is to find the optimal solution. The Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) parameter tuning is an essential tool in the control field and includes three parameters, Kp, Ki, and Kd, to achieve the best control effect. Besides, tuning the PID parameters is closely related to finding the "optimal" solution that can be attained based on the feasible combination of the two. This article transforms the PID parameter tuning problem into an ACA that finds the optimal solution called ACA-based PID parameters tuning. Furthermore, PID control is simulated by setting the parameters of ACA, such as ant colony size, iteration times, nodes, paths, path evaluation criteria, pheromone concentration, heuristic function, weight factor, and decision function. Eventually, the two PID controller parameter tuning strategies are compared and analyzed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are obtained. Compared with the 4:1 attenuation curve method, the proposed method can significantly reduce the MP score of the overshoot of the system, increase the time, and improve the dynamic and steady-state performance of the system, but reduce the steady-state error of the system. Therefore, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method is verified.

TTC7B Is a Novel Prognostic-Related Biomarker in Glioma Correlating with Immune Infiltrates and Response to Oxidative Stress by Temozolomide.

Background: Gliomas are one of the most prevalent malignant brain tumors. Hence, identifying biological markers for glioma is imperative. TTC7B (Tetratricopeptide Repeat Domain 7B) is a gene whose role in cancer in currently identified. To this end, we examined the TTC7B expression as well as its prognostic significance, biological roles, and immune system impacts in patients with glioma. Methods: We evaluated the function of TTC7B in GBM and LGG through the published CGGA (Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas) and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) databases. CIBERSORT and TIMER were used to analyze the link between TTC7B and immune cells, while R was used for statistical analysis. In addition, Transwell analysis, including migration and invasion assays, was performed to identify the relationship between TTC7B and temozolomide. Results: Low expression of TTC7B was observed in GBM and LGG. 1p/19q codeletion, IDH mutation, chemotherapy, and grade were found to have a significant correlation with TTC7B. Besides, low TTC7B expression was linked with low overall survival (OS) in both GBM and LGG. In the Cox analysis, TTC7B was found to independently function as a risk element for OS of patients with glioma. Furthermore, CIBERSORT analysis demonstrated a positive link between TTC7B and multiple immune cells, especially activated NK cells. Transwell analysis, including migration and invasion assays, revealed that temozolomide reduced the migration and invasion capacity of glioma cells and increased the expression of TTC7B. Conclusion: In all, TTC7B could serve as a promising prognostic indicator of LGG and GBM, and is closely associated with immune infiltration and response to oxidative stress by temozolomide.

Empirical Research on the Critical Success Factors of Construction Program.

Scientific identification of the factors that underpin the success of construction program can effectively promote the success of construction program. Based on literature statistics, this paper developed the measurement items of key success factors of construction program in Chinese context. Based on exploratory factor analysis, seven key success factors of construction program were extracted. Then, the excellence model of construction program was constructed by referring to the ideas, concepts, and theoretical mechanisms of EFQM model. The research conclusions of this paper provide a systematic and holistic guidance for the successful implementation of the program by the construction program organization and promote the success of the program.

Is Resilient Transportation Infrastructure Low-Carbon? Evidence from High-Speed Railway Projects in China.

Establishing resilient transport infrastructure is an effective way for cities to deal with external disturbances and uncertainties during rapid urbanization. However, human society is presently facing a series of sustainable development obstacles, where the energy shortage and environmental pollution are catching significant concerns. Hence, it is imperative to investigate the carbon emission of the growing number of resilient transportation infrastructure (RTI) projects. Through extracting the carbon emission factor (CEF), this study built the carbon emission measurement model (CEMM) to evaluate the carbon emission of 26 resilient high-speed railway construction projects in China. The results indicated that the carbon emissions of the entire high-speed railway infrastructure projects in China show regional and social environmental differences. Meanwhile, there are potential correlations and positive relationships between the resilience of the high-speed railway infrastructure projects and their carbon emission. Suggestions and recommendations for governments and construction enterprises are put forward to further improve the resilient and low-carbon development of transportation infrastructure in China.

Meta-Analysis on the Application Value of Collaborative Nursing in Postcolostomy Nursing of Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effect of collaborative nursing on self-care ability of postcolostomy patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched to collect relevant literatures on randomized controlled trials of postcolostomy patients with CRC. The search period was started from 2010 to 2021. Statistical analysis was performed on the data extracted from the comprehensive meta-analysis with STATA 16.0 analysis software. RESULTS: As a result, it was found that the incidence of adverse reactions in the control group was higher than that in the treatment group. Seven studies included the preintervention self-care concept and preintervention self-care skills. Six studies included preintervention self-care responsibility and preintervention exercise of self-care agency (ESCA) scale. In the comparison among the concept of self-care after intervention, self-care skills, self-care responsibility, and ESCA scale, all of them had higher scores in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). It fully explains that collaborative nursing can significantly improve the evaluation indicators of patients' self-care ability and reduce patient complications. CONCLUSION: The application of collaborative nursing in the nursing work of patients with CRC after colostomy can significantly reduce the incidence of adverse nursing reactions.

Electrochemical Mechanism of Recovery of Nickel Metal from Waste Lithium Ion Batteries by Molten Salt Electrolysis.

With the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries, the cumulative amount of used lithium-ion batteries is also increasing year by year. Since waste lithium-ion batteries contain a large amount of valuable metals, the recovery of valuable metals has become one of the current research hotspots. The research uses electrometallurgical technology, and the main methods used are cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, chronoamperometry and open circuit potential. The electrochemical reduction behavior of Ni3+ in NaCl-CaCl2 molten salt was studied, and the electrochemical reduction behavior was further verified by using a Mo cavity electrode. It is determined that the reduction process of Ni3+ in LiNiO2 is mainly divided into two steps: LiNiO2 → NiO → Ni. Through the analysis of electrolysis products under different conditions, when the current value of LiNiO2 is not less than 0.03 A, the electrolysis product after 10 h is metallic Ni. When the current reaches 0.07 A, the current efficiency is 77.9%, while the Li+ in LiNiO2 is enriched in NaCl-CaCl2 molten salt. The method realizes the separation and extraction of the valuable metal Ni in the waste lithium-ion battery.

Study on the Behavior of Electrochemical Extraction of Cobalt from Spent Lithium Cobalt Oxide Cathode Materials.

The molten salt electrochemical method was used to reduce the Co in spent LiCoO2. The reduction mechanism of Co (III) in LiCoO2 was analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, and open circuit potential. The reduction process of Co (III) on Fe electrode was studied in NaCl-CaCl2-LiCoO2 molten salt system at 750 °C. The results show that the reduction process of Co (III) is a two-step reduction: Co (III) → Co (II) → Co (0) and they are all quasi-reversible processes controlled by diffusion. Phase analysis (XRD) shows that Li+ and Cl2- in the molten salt form LiCl electrolysis experiments with different voltages were carried out, which proved the stepwise reduction of Co in LiCoO2.

Great enhancement on two-photon photoluminescence imaging contrast of Au nanoparticles via double-pulse femtosecond laser excitation with controlled phase differences.

Au nanoparticles are attractive contrast agents for noninvasive living tissue imaging with deep penetration because of their strong two-photon photoluminescence (TPPL) intensity and excellent biocompatibility. However, the inevitable phototoxicity and huge auto-fluorescence are consistently associated with laser excitation. Therefore, enhancement of TPPL intensity and suppression of backgrounds are always highly desired under the demand of reducing excitation powers. In this work, we develop a double-pulse TPPL (DP-TPPL) scheme with controlled phase differences (Δφ) between the double pulses to significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of TPPL imaging. Under the modulated phase (Δφ periodically varying between 0-2π), our results show that SNR can be improved from 4.3 to 1715, with an enhancement of up to 400 folds at the integration of 50 ms. More importantly, this enhancement can be unlimitedly lifted by increasing the number of photons or integration times in principle. Further boosting has been achieved by reducing the magnitude of background noises; subsequently, SNR is improved by more than 104 times. Our schemes offer great potential for reducing phototoxicity and extracting extremely weak signals from huge backgrounds and open up a new possibility for a rapid, flexible, and reliable medical diagnosis by TPPL imaging with diminished laser powers.

Exploration of exciton dynamics in GaTe nanoflakes via temperature- and power-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence spectra.

GaTe nanoflakes have been receiving much research attention recently due to their applications in optoelectronic devices, such as anisotropic non-volatile memory, solar cells, and high-sensitivity photodetectors from the ultraviolet to the visible region. Further applications, however, have been impeded due to the limited understanding of their exciton dynamics. In this work we perform temperature- and power-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectra to comprehensively investigate the exciton dynamics of GaTe nanoflakes. Temperature-dependent PL measurements manifest that spectral profiles of GaTe nanoflakes change dramatically from cryogenic to room temperature, where the bound exciton and donor-to-acceptor pair transition normally disappear above 100 K, while the charged exciton survives to room temperature. The lifetimes of these excitons and their evolution vs temperature have been uncovered by time-resolved PL spectra. Further measurements reveal the entirely different power-dependent exciton behaviors of GaTe nanoflakes between room and cryogenic temperatures. The underlying mechanisms have been proposed to explore the sophisticated exciton dynamics within GaTe nanoflakes. Our results offer a more thorough understanding of the exciton dynamics of GaTe nanoflakes, enabling further progress in engineering GaTe-based applications, such as photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, and nanoelectronics.

The application of the Chinese version of the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to translate the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ) into Chinese and evaluate its reliability and validity in a sample of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Following the translation and revision of the Chinese version of the BIDQ, 169 patients with SLE were chosen as respondents to test the questionnaire's reliability and validity. We tested the content's validity through expert group evaluation. It is structural validity was examined through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability.The Chinese version of the BIDQ showed a content validity of .92. A two-factor structure was revealed by exploratory factor analysis, which explained 67.83% of the variance and proved by confirmatory factor analysis. Its overall Cronbach's α was .82 (P  < .001), and the Cronbach's α for each item ranged from .76 to .83. The test-retest reliability was .82, with the Cronbach's α for each item ranging from .76 to .84.Thus, adequate reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the BIDQ were demonstrated for use in patients with SLE.

Early prevention of complex decongestive therapy and rehabilitation exercise for prevention of lower extremity lymphedema after operation of gynecologic cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate efficacy of early prevention of complex decongestive therapy and rehabilitation exercise for prevention of postoperative lower limb extremity lymphedema for patients with gynecologic cancer. METHODS: 109 female patients were randomly divided into two groups, the control group who only received routine treatment and the CDT group who received both CDT and rehabilitation exercise. For rehabilitation exercise, patients received additional rehabilitation exercise strategy including professional education and full range exercise of hip joint. The incidence of lower extremity lymphedema was recorded. A simple scale for patients' lower extremity lymphedema was designed. The diameter of low limbs (both thighs and calves) was also measured The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) was used for measurement of quality of life. RESULTS: The incidence of lower extremity lymphedema was 15.09% cases of CDT group and 32.14% in the control group. K-M curve showed the lymphedema free time in CDT group was significantly longer. The subjective scores for heaviness of lower limbs, pain, numbness and dysfunction, as well as the diameters of both thighs and calves were lower in the CDT group. In both groups, the values of EORTC QLQ-C30-GHS and EORTC QLQ-C30-FS were significantly higher, and EORTC QLQ-C30-SS scores and BFI scores were remarkably lower. CONCLUSION: Early prevention of CDT combined with rehabilitation exercise reduced incidence of lower limb extremity lymphedema and improved patients' quality of life, as well as reduced the cancer-related fatigue.

Experiences and Psychological Adjustments of Nurses Who Voluntarily Supported COVID-19 Patients in Hubei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a major threat to global public health and economic development. Moreover, it has put considerable psychological pressure on nurses, who have played a vital role in the prevention and control of the epidemic. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed at exploring the experiences and psychological adjustments of nurses who voluntarily traveled to Hubei Province in China to provide support during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with twelve nurses recruited from three hospitals in Jiangsu Province and performed qualitative content analysis of the interview data. RESULTS: The following themes emerged from the analysis: (1) motivations for supporting the hardest-hit areas (professional commitment, family support, and media propaganda); (2) challenges faced during the support missions (heavy workloads, changes in working patterns, communication barriers, and barriers associated with wearing personal protective equipment); (3) psychological experiences (a sense of uncertainty, fear of infection, loneliness, stressful events, and sleep disorders); (4) psychological adjustments (adequate training and personal protective equipment, positive responses to stress, and social support); and (5) personal and professional growth (a strong professional identity, a positive work attitude, a perception of expanded possibilities, realization of the value of learning, and cherishing life). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Policy makers and nursing managers should implement effective measures for supporting nurses. They include ensuring adequate workforce preparedness for nurses, strengthening protection training, including professional psychologists in support teams, encouraging nurses to apply self-regulation methods, such as exercising and listening to music, and seeking social support to promote mental health.