Octopus-Inspired Self-Adaptive Hydrogel Gripper Capable of Manipulating Ultra-Soft Objects.

Octopuses, due to their flexible arms, marvelous adaptability, and powerful suckers, are able to effortlessly grasp and disengage various objects in the marine surrounding without causing devastation. However, manipulating delicate objects such as soft and fragile foods underwater require gentle contact and stable adhesion, which poses a serious challenge to now available soft grippers. Inspired by the sucker infundibulum structure and flexible tentacles of octopus, herein we developed a hydraulically actuated hydrogel soft gripper with adaptive maneuverability by coupling multiple hydrogen bond-mediated supramolecular hydrogels and vat polymerization three-dimensional printing, in which hydrogel bionic sucker is composed of a tunable curvature membrane, a negative pressure cavity, and a pneumatic chamber.

A new method for developing an efficient, regional semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.

Background And Objectives: To establish a new method for developing an efficient and region-specific semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ), and to make it a simple, effective and widely applicable measurement tool, this study takes Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province as a case study.

Methods And Study Design: For 129 common food items, an initial food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24-hour dietary recall survey (24hDR) are constructed, and a variety of methods are combined to improve the convenience and credibility of the questionnaire itself in the inspection process, and the reliability and validity test are carried out.

Results: A total of 367 questionnaires are collected in study, including FFQ and 24hDR at various correction stages, in a three-month interval, and finally a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire containing 104 food items is obtained.

Design of Space Target Surveillance Constellation Based on Simulation Comparison Method.

Aiming at the requirement of space situational awareness on the full-domain and all-time coverage capability of low Earth orbit space targets and focusing on the design of a space-based space target awareness system, a space target awareness constellation design method based on simulation comparison is put forward. On the basis of systematically analyzing the distribution of space targets' orbits, the low Earth orbit space target surveillance mission mode, key indicators, and constraints of space target surveillance constellations are designed, and three space target surveillance constellation basic configurations are constructed. This paper randomly samples surveillance objects based on the stratified space target orbit distribution and selects a heterogeneous space target surveillance constellation in sun-synchronous morning-twilight orbit that meets the requirements of the surveillance mission model and capability by using simulations and comparisons.

Dynamic gas template method derived thin-layer graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for efficient 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid photodegradation and mechanism insight.

The extensive application of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, CHClO) as a herbicide has resulted in the significant environmental contamination. This pervasive pollution poses serious health risks to humans. Semiconductor photocatalytic technology represents a highly effective approach to addressing urgent environmental crisis.

Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Sparse Imaging Recovery Technique Based on Improved Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers.

Inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) technology is widely used in the field of target recognition. This research addresses the image reconstruction error in sparse imaging for bistatic radar systems. In this paper, sparse imaging technology is studied, and a sparse imaging recovery algorithm based on an improved Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers is proposed.

Four New Pyranones from the Sponge-Derived Fungus .

Four novel pyranone derivatives were isolated from fungi associated with the marine sponge species . The planar structures of these compounds were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic techniques, including HRESIMS, UV, IR, and 1D and 2D NMR. The absolute configuration of compound was determined via X-ray diffraction, while that of compound was determined using electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy.

Rational Design of Covalent Organic Frameworks-Based Single Atom Catalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The rational design of high-performance catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential for the development of clean and renewable energy technologies, particularly in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) possess numerous hollow sites, which contribute to the stable anchoring of transition metal (TM) atoms and become promising supports for single atom catalysts (SACs). Herein, the OER and ORR catalytic performance of a series of SACs based on TQBQ-COFs were systematically investigated through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, with particular emphasis on the role of the coordination environment in modulating catalytic activity.

Gene Expression Variations Induced by Sevoflurane in Glia and Glioma Cells and the Role of EPHA3 in Sevoflurane's Anti-Glioma Effect.

Introductions: Sevoflurane, a commonly used anesthetic in surgery, can produce anesthetic effects such as sedation and muscle relaxation upon inhalation, which may lead to postoperative cognitive dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanism by which sevoflurane affects nervous system diseases like glioma remains unclear.

Method: In this study, we analyzed high-throughput single-cell transcriptome data of sevoflurane treatment and identified immune cells that play crucial roles in biological processes such as the immunoinflammatory response and the maintenance of the blood- -brain barrier.

Spirolones A-E, five spiroketals from a productive saline soil derived .

Background: In recent decades, spiroketals which features with two rings joined by a spiro atom, have stimulated a great deal of researches for their diverse significant biological activities. Fungi are proved to be key reservoirs of structurally unique chemical skeletons. Up to date, [6,6]-spiroketals from fungal strains are still sporadically reported.

Rational Design of High-Performance Photocontrolled Molecular Switches Based on Chiroptical Dimethylcethrene: A Theoretical Study.

The reversible photo-induced conformation transition of a single molecule with a [5]helicene backbone has garnered considerable interest in recent studies. Based on such a switching process, one can build molecular photo-driven switches for potential applications of nanoelectronics. But the achievement of high-performance reversible single-molecule photoswitches is still rare.

Defects in Exosome Biogenesis Are Associated with Sensorimotor Defects in Zebrafish Mutants.

Mutations in human are associated with neurodevelopmental defects, including motor delays and defective muscle tone. encodes a AAA-ATPase required for membrane scission, but how mutations in lead to impaired control of motor function is not known. Here we identified a mutation in zebrafish , T248I, that affects sensorimotor transformation.

The recent progress of bone regeneration materials containing EGCG.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most effective active ingredient in tea polyphenols and belongs to the category of catechins. EGCG has excellent antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory, osteogenesis-promoting, and antibacterial properties, and has been widely studied in orthopedic diseases such as osteoporosis. To reach the lesion site, achieve sustained release, promote osteogenesis, regulate macrophage polarization, and improve the physical properties of materials, EGCG needs to be cross-linked or incorporated in bone regeneration materials.

Structural insight into synergistic activation of human 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase.

The enzymes 3-methylcrotonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase (MCC), pyruvate carboxylase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase belong to the biotin-dependent carboxylase family located in mitochondria. They participate in various metabolic pathways in human such as amino acid metabolism and tricarboxylic acid cycle. Many human diseases are caused by mutations in those enzymes but their structures have not been fully resolved so far.

Ropivacaine synergizes with sorafenib to induce apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the IL-6/STAT3 pathway.

The development of resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells limits the effectiveness of sorafenib, but combination therapy with other drugs may have a positive effect. However, the effect of ropivacaine combined with sorafenib on the treatment of HCC cells and its potential regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. The proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells treated with ropivacaine, sorafenib, and ropivacaine plus sorafenib were analyzed by cell-counting kit 8 and flow cytometry.

Sophisticated Structural Ceramics Shaped from 3D Printed Hydrogel Preceramic Skeleton.

Shaping ceramic materials into sophisticated architecture with 3D hierarchical structure is desirable in multiapplication yet remains challenge due to their brittle and stiff nature. Herein, a new method to achieve ceramic architectures with unsupported and large-spanning structure by shaping vat photopolymerization 3D printed hydrogel preceramic skeleton with unique flexible and deformable character is proposed. Specifically, the present photopolymerizable hydrogel preceramic achieves one stone, two birds: the photosensitive polymer matrix coupled with ceramic nanoparticles for the first shaping by vat photopolymerization 3D printing and the secondary plasticity of the 3D printed ceramic body through flexible shape deformation of hydrogel networks.

Topology and giant circular dichroism of enantiomorphic Kagome bands in a designed covalent organic framework.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline organic materials that have shown potential to be a new physical platform. In this work, a designed COF named AB-COF, which has novel enantiomorphic Kagome bands, is proposed and a feasible route to synthesize it is given. a combination of first-principles calculations and tight-binding analysis, we investigate the electronic structures and the phase interference of the COF.

Long non-coding RNA NORAD regulates megakaryocyte differentiation and proplatelet formation via the DUSP6/ERK signaling pathway.

Megakaryopoiesis and platelet production is a complex process that is underpotential regulation at multiple stages. Many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are distributed in hematopoietic stem cells and platelets. lncRNAs may play important roles as key epigenetic regulators in megakaryocyte differentiation and proplatelet formation.

miR-199a-5p targets DUSP14 to regulate cell proliferation, invasion and stemness in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) shows the highest morbidity among malignant tumors worldwide. Despite improvements of diagnosis and treatment, patient prognosis remains unfavorable. Therefore, there is a need to discover a novel treatment strategy for NSCLC.