Abstract
China's civil examination system (keju), an incredibly long-lived institution, has a persistent impact on human capital outcomes today. Using the variation in the density of jinshi—the ...highest qualification—across 278 Chinese prefectures in the Ming-Qing period (c. 1368–1905) to proxy for this effect, we find that a doubling of jinshi per 10,000 population leads to an 8.5% increase in years of schooling in 2010. The persistent effect of keju can be attributed to a multitude of channels including cultural transmission, educational infrastructure, social capital and, to a lesser extent, political elites.
Ultrasonic irradiation for modified pectin preparation has become a research hotspot, but the influence of ultrasonic frequency is rarely studied. Therefore, in this study, mono frequency (MFU) and ...simultaneous dual frequency (SDFU) ultrasounds were used to modify citrus pectin (CP), and the effects of different ultrasonic frequency modes on the physicochemical, structural, functional, and biological properties of CP were comparatively investigated. The results showed that ultrasonic irradiation at 40 kHz in the MFU mode led to a larger increment in the galacturonic acid content of CP, but greater reductions in its intrinsic viscosity, molecular weight, and degree of methoxylation than in the SDFU modes. Ultrasonic frequency had no significant influence on the main CP chain, but rather on its neutral sugar side chains. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results suggested that CP treated by ultrasound at 40 kHz in the MFU mode exhibited fewer aggregates or looser networks than other ultrasonic treatments. Compared with the original CP, ultrasound treatment at different frequency modes effectively enhanced the thermal stability of CP, but remarkably lowered its shear thinning fluid behavior and liquid-like property. Moreover, among ultrasonically treated CPs, the CP obtained through ultrasound at 40 kHz in MFU mode exhibited the best antioxidant activity and bile acid-binding capacity in vitro.
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•Ultrasound at different frequencies was used to modify citrus pectin (CP).•Mono frequency ultrasound (MFU) at 40 kHz greatly affected CP's structural features.•Larger changes in rheological and thermal properties of CP caused by MFU at 40 kHz.•Ultrasonic-treated CP at 40 kHz showed a better biological activity than the others.
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•Three-dimensional graphene-MWCNTs nanocomposites were prepared.•Graphene-MWCNTs based electrochemical sensor was used to detect heavy metal ions for the first time.•The proposed ...sensor was certified capable for real sample with satisfactory results.
A green and facile method was developed to prepare a novel hybrid nanocomposite that consisted of one-dimensional multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The as-prepared three-dimensional GO–MWCNTs hybrid nanocomposites exhibit excellent water-solubility owing to the high hydrophilicity of GO components; meanwhile, a certain amount of MWCNTs loaded on the surface of GO sheets through π–π interaction seem to be “dissolved” in water. Moreover, the graphene(G)-MWCNTs nanocomposites with excellent conductivity were obtained conveniently by the direct electrochemical reduction of GO–MWCNTs nanocomposites. Seeing that there is a good synergistic effect between MWCNTs and graphene components in enhancing preconcentration efficiency of metal ions and accelerating electron transfer rate at G-MWCNTs/electrolyte interface, the G-MWCNTs nanocomposites possess fast, simultaneous and sensitive detection performance for trace amounts of heavy metal ions. The electrochemical results demonstrate that the G-MWCNTs nanocomposites can act as a kind of practical sensing material to simultaneously determine Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions in terms of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The linear calibration plots for Pb2+ and Cd2+ ranged from 0.5μgL−1 to 30μgL−1. The detection limits were determined to be 0.2μgL−1 (S/N=3) for Pb2+ and 0.1μgL−1 (S/N=3) for Cd2+ in the case of a deposition time of 180s. It is worth mentioning that the G-MWCNTs modified electrodes were successfully applied to the simultaneous detection of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions in real electroplating effluent samples containing lots of surface active impurities, showing a good application prospect in the determination of trace amounts of heavy metals.
Associated with the prime number
p
=
3
, a combined model of generalized bilinear Kadomtsev–Petviashvili and Boussinesq equation (gbKPB for short) in terms of the function
f
is proposed, which ...involves four arbitrary coefficients. To guarantee the existence of lump solutions, a constraint among these four coefficients is presented firstly, and then, the lump solutions are constructed and classified via searching for positive quadratic function solutions to the gbKPB equation. Different conditions posed on lump parameters are investigated to keep the analyticity and rational localization of the resulting solutions. Finally, 3-dimensional plots, density plots and 2-dimensional curves with particular choices of the involved parameters are given to show the profile characteristics of the presented lump solutions for the potential function
u
=
2
(
ln
f
)
x
.
Metastatic spread is the mechanism in more than 90 percent of cancer deaths and current therapeutic options, such as systemic chemotherapy, are often ineffective. Here we provide a proof of principle ...for a novel two-pronged modality referred to as Synergistic Immuno Photothermal Nanotherapy (SYMPHONY) having the potential to safely eradicate both primary tumors and distant metastatic foci. Using a combination of immune-checkpoint inhibition and plasmonic gold nanostar (GNS)-mediated photothermal therapy, we were able to achieve complete eradication of primary treated tumors and distant untreated tumors in some mice implanted with the MB49 bladder cancer cells. Delayed rechallenge with MB49 cancer cells injection in mice that appeared cured by SYMPHONY did not lead to new tumor formation after 60 days observation, indicating that SYMPHONY treatment induced effective long-lasting immunity against MB49 cancer cells.
Pharmacological strategies that boost intracellular NAD
are highly coveted for their therapeutic potential. One approach is activation of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) to increase ...production of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the predominant NAD
precursor in mammalian cells. A high-throughput screen for NAMPT activators and hit-to-lead campaign yielded SBI-797812, a compound that is structurally similar to active-site directed NAMPT inhibitors and blocks binding of these inhibitors to NAMPT. SBI-797812 shifts the NAMPT reaction equilibrium towards NMN formation, increases NAMPT affinity for ATP, stabilizes phosphorylated NAMPT at His247, promotes consumption of the pyrophosphate by-product, and blunts feedback inhibition by NAD
. These effects of SBI-797812 turn NAMPT into a "super catalyst" that more efficiently generates NMN. Treatment of cultured cells with SBI-797812 increases intracellular NMN and NAD
. Dosing of mice with SBI-797812 elevates liver NAD
. Small molecule NAMPT activators such as SBI-797812 are a pioneering approach to raise intracellular NAD
and realize its associated salutary effects.
Achieving the activation of drugs within cellular systems may provide targeted therapies. Here we construct a tumour-selective cascade activatable self-detained system (TCASS) and incorporate imaging ...probes and therapeutics. We show in different mouse models that the TCASS system accumulates in solid tumours. The molecules show enhanced accumulation in tumour regions via the effect of recognition induced self-assembly. Analysis of the molecular penetration in tumour tissue shows that in vivo self-assembly increases the penetration capability compared to typical soft or hard nanomaterials. Importantly, the in vivo self-assembled molecules exhibit a comparable clearance pathway to that of small molecules, which are excreted from organs of the reticuloendothelial system (liver and kidney), while are relatively slowly eliminated from tumour tissues. Finally, this system, combined with the NIR probe, shows high specificity and sensitivity for detecting bladder cancer in isolated intact patient bladders.
Zwitterionic polymers are continually suggested as promising alternatives to tune the surface/interface properties of materials in many fields because of their unique molecular structures. Tremendous ...efforts have been devoted to immobilizing zwitterionic polymers (polyzwitterions, PZIs) on the material surfaces. However, these efforts usually suffer from cumbersome and time-consuming procedures. Herein we report a one-step strategy to facilely achieve the bioinspired polydopamine/polyzwitterion (PDA/PZI) coatings on various substrates. It requires only 30 min to form PDA/PZI coatings by mixing oxidant, dopamine, and zwitterionic monomers, including carboxybetaine methacrylate (CBMA), sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), and 2-methacryloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC). These bioinspired coatings display multifunctional properties such as underwater antioil-adhesion and antifreezing thanks to their high hydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity. The coatings even show the antiadhesion property for crude oil with high viscosity. Therefore, the PDA/PZI-coated meshes are efficient for separating both light oil and crude oil from oil/water mixtures. All these results demonstrate that the one-step strategy is a facile approach to design and exploit the bioinspired PDA/PZI coatings for diverse applications.
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) used as an alternative to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for thromboprophylaxis after cancer surgery for venous thromboembolic events (VTE) remains unclear. ...This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of DOACs versus LMWH in these patients.
A search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Web of Science was carried out and included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that directly compared DOACs with LMWH for thromboprophylaxis in patients after cancer surgery through July 25, 2023. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were VTE, major bleeding, and clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB) within 30 days of surgery. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2) tool for RCTs and ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023445386).
We retrieved 5149articles, selected 27 for eligibility, and included 10 studies (three RCTs and seven observational studies) encompassing 3054 patients who underwent postoperative thromboprophylaxis with DOACs (41%) or LMWH (59%). Compared to LMWH thromboprophylaxis, DOACs had a comparable risk of VTE (RR:0.6995% CI:0.46-1.02, I
= 0%), major bleeding (RR:1.55 95% CI:0.82-2.93, I
= 2%), and CRNMB (RR, 0.89 95% CI, 0.4-1.98, I
= 31%) during the 30-day postoperative period. Subgroup analysis of VTE and major bleeding suggested no differences according to study type, extended thromboprophylaxis, tumor types, or different types of DOAC.
DOACs are potentially effective alternatives to LMWH for thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing cancer surgery, without increasing the risk of major bleeding events.
Abstract
We here report on the direct observation of ferroelectric properties of water ice in its 2D phase. Upon nanoelectromechanical confinement between two graphene layers, water forms a 2D ice ...phase at room temperature that exhibits a strong and permanent dipole which depends on the previously applied field, representing clear evidence for ferroelectric ordering. Characterization of this permanent polarization with respect to varying water partial pressure and temperature reveals the importance of forming a monolayer of 2D ice for ferroelectric ordering which agrees with ab-initio and molecular dynamics simulations conducted. The observed robust ferroelectric properties of 2D ice enable novel nanoelectromechanical devices that exhibit memristive properties. A unique bipolar mechanical switching behavior is observed where previous charging history controls the transition voltage between low-resistance and high-resistance state. This advance enables the realization of rugged, non-volatile, mechanical memory exhibiting switching ratios of 10
6
, 4 bit storage capabilities and no degradation after 10,000 switching cycles.
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