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We prove that for r∈N with r≥2 and μ>0, there exist α>0 and n0 such that for every n≥n0, every n-vertex graph G with δ(G)≥(1-1/r+μ)n and α(G)≤αn contains an r-th power of a Hamilton cycle. We also show that the minimum degree condition is asymptotically sharp for r=2,3 and the r=2 case was recently conjectured by Staden and Treglown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background TikTok is emerging as a vital platform for health information dissemination. Despite myopia being a global public health issue, the high-quality myopia information shared by health educators often fails to go viral. It is imperative to analyze the factors infuencing video quality and popularity, especially from diverse perspectives of researchers, health educators, and audiences. Methods TikTok myopia-related videos were retrieved using TikTok’s default comprehensive search (DCS) and most liked search (MLS) strategies. Venn diagrams were employed to illustrate the relationships and commonalities between the two strategies across four sample sizes (top 200, 150, 100, and 50). Video metadata, including details such as creator information, production properties, upload time, video duration, and viewer engagement, were collected. Video quality was assessed using the DISCERN tool. Video content covering six aspects of myopia were evaluated. The impact of search strategies, video sample sizes, production properties, and myopia content on video quality and audience engagement was analyzed through single-factor or multi-factor analysis. Results DCS and MLS retrieval strategies, as well as varying sample sizes, resulted in diferences in audience engagement for myopia videos (P<0.039), while The DISCERN quality scores remained comparable (P>0.221). Videos published by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and non-proft organizations (NPOs) were associated with high-quality (P≤0.014) but comparatively lower popularity (P<0.033). Videos that reported contents of risk factors, management, and outcomes showed high popularity (P<0.018), while longer video duration (>60s) exhibited the opposite trend (P<0.032). Content on myopia evaluation (P≤0.001) and management (P≤0.022) and video duration were positively correlated with higher DISCERN quality. Conclusion Videos created by HCPs and NPOs deserve greater attention. Rather than pursuing entertaining efects, professional educators should emphasize producing concise, and high-quality myopia content that readily resonates with the audience and has the potential to go viral on the platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimuli-responsive soft robots offer new capabilities for the fields of medical and rehabilitation robotics, artificial intelligence, and soft electronics. Precisely programming the shape morphing and decoupling the multiresponsiveness of such robots is crucial to enable them with ample degrees of freedom and multifunctionality, while ensuring high fabrication accuracy. However, current designs featuring coupled multiresponsiveness or intricate assembly processes face limitations in executing complex transformations and suffer from a lack of precision. Therefore, we propose a one-stepped strategy to program multistep shape-morphing soft millirobots (MSSMs) in response to decoupled environmental stimuli. Our approach involves employing a multilayered elastomer and laser scanning technology to selectively process the structure of MSSMs, achieving a minimum machining precision of 30 ^m. The resulting MSSMs are capable of imitating the shape morphing of plants and hand gestures and resemble kirigami, pop-up, and bistable structures. The decoupled multistimuli responsiveness of the MSSMs allows them to conduct shape morphing during locomotion, perform logic circuit control, and remotely repair circuits in response to humidity, temperature, and magnetic field. This strategy presents a paradigm for the effective design and fabrication of untethered soft miniature robots with physical intelligence, advancing the decoupled multiresponsive materials through modular tailoring of robotic body structures and properties to suit specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the stabilization issue for a multidimensional wave equation with localized Kelvin--Voigt damping on a cuboidal domain, in which the damping region does not satisfy the geometric control condition (GCC). The variable damping coefficient is assumed to be degenerate near the interface. We prove that the system is polynomially stable with a decay rate depending on the degree of the degeneration γ. A relationship between the decay order and γ is identified. In particular, this decay rate is consistent with the optimal one for the corresponding system with constant damping coefficient (i.e., γ = 0) obtained in [K. Yu and Z.-J. Han, SIAM J. Control Optim., 59 (2021), pp. 1973--1988]. Moreover, it is the first result on the decay rates of the solutions to multidimensional wave equations with localized degenerate Kelvin--Voigt damping when GCC is not satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes carry large cargo of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, serving as versatile biomarkers for disease diagnosis and vehicles for drug delivery. However, up to date, no well recognized standard procedures for exosome storage were available for clinical application. This study aimed to determine the optimal storage conditions and the anticoagulants for plasma-derived exosome isolation. Fresh whole blood samples were collected from healthy participants and preserved in four different anticoagulants including sodium citrate (SC1/4), sodium citrate (SC1/9), lithium heparin (LH), or Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), respectively. Exosomes were extracted from the plasma by differential ultracentrifugation and stored at three different temperatures, 4°C, -20°C or - 80°C for a duration ranging from one week to six months. All plasma samples for storage conditions comparison were pretreated with LH anticoagulant. Exosome features including morphological characteristics, pariticles size diameter, and surface protein profiles (TSG101, CD63, CD81, CD9, CALNEXIN) were assessed by transmission electron microscopy, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, and Western Blotting, respectively. Exosomes preserved in LH and SC1/4 group tended to remain intact microstructure with highly abundant protein biomarkers. Exosomes stored at 4°C for short time were prone to be more stable compared to thos at -80°C. Exosomes stored in plasma were superior in terms of ultrastructure, size diameter and surface protein expression to those stored in PBS. In conclusion, plasma-dervied exosome characteristics strictly depend on the anticoagulants and storage temperature and duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial cilia integrating both actuation and sensing functions allow simultaneously sensing environmental properties and manipulating fluids in situ, which are promising for environment monitoring and fluidic applications. However, existing artificial cilia have limited ability to sense environmental cues in fluid flows that have versatile information encoded. This limits their potential to work in complex and dynamic fluid-filled environments. Here, we propose a generic actuation-enhanced sensing mechanism to sense complex environmental cues through the active interaction between artificial cilia and the surrounding fluidic environments. The proposed mechanism is based on fluid-cilia interaction by integrating soft robotic artificial cilia with flexible sensors. With a machine learning-based approach, complex environmental cues such as liquid viscosity, environment boundaries, and distributed fluid flows of a wide range of velocities can be sensed, which is beyond the capability of existing artificial cilia. As a proof of concept, we implement this mechanism on magnetically actuated cilia with integrated laser-induced graphene-based sensors and demonstrate sensing fluid apparent viscosity, environment boundaries, and fluid flow speed with a reconfigurable sensitivity and range. The same principle could be potentially applied to other soft robotic systems integrating other actuation and sensing modalities for diverse environmental and fluidic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapidly aging population means many people have multiple health issues leading to an increased risk of acute medical emergencies. The objective of this study was to evaluate how essential experiential learning is in developing dental graduates' ability to manage medically compromised patients. Three hundred and twenty-seven students and graduates were invited to participate in an online survey to rate their confidence in managing medically compromised patients and acute medical emergencies using a 5-point Likert scale. Competence of knowledge was evaluated using 30 multiple choice questions (MCQs) across six domains. The respondents were also asked whether a theory-only training adequately prepared them to manage medically compromised patients, or whether it must be supplemented with clinical training. Two-hundred and sixty-four responses were collected from 75 undergraduates (UG), 96 junior dental officers (JDO) and 93 senior dental officers (SDO). The UG reported that they infrequently managed medically compromised patients, whereas both the JDO and SDO reported having frequent encounters with these patients. The mean confidence scale in the management of medically compromised patients were 2.62, 3.50 and 3.69 (out of 5), respectively. In contrast, their confidence scale in the management of acute medical emergencies was 2.05, 2.33 and 2.50 (out of 5), respectively. The MCQ scores were 25.51, 26.44 and 26.86 out of 30, respectively. The outcomes of the JDO and SDO were significantly better than the UG (t-tests, p<0.05). All three groups responded that a theory-only training in dental school did not adequately prepare them to manage medically compromised patients. Both the JDO and SDO felt that their clinical work experience better prepared them to manage these patients. Experiential learning from "real-life" clinical experience is an essential component in developing graduates' confidence and competence in the management of medically compromised patients. A dental curriculum with theory-only training in this aspect is inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the following rainbow version of subgraph containment problems in a family of (hyper)graphs, which generalizes the classical subgraph containment problems in a single host graph. For a collection G={G1,G2,...,Gm} of not necessarily distinct k-graphs on the same vertex set [n], a (sub)graph H on [n] is rainbow if there exists an injection φ:E(H)→[m] such that e∈E(Gφ(e)) for each e∈E(H). Note that if |E(H)|=m, then φ is a bijection and thus H contains exactly one edge from each Gi. Our main results focus on rainbow clique-factors in (hyper)graph systems with minimum d-degree conditions. Specifically, we establish the following: (1) A rainbow analogue of an asymptotical version of the Hajnal--Szemerédi theorem, namely, if t∣n and δ(Gi)≥(1-1t+ε)n for each i∈[nt(t2)], then G contains a rainbow Kt-factor; (2) Essentially a minimum d-degree condition forcing a perfect matching in a k-graph also forces rainbow perfect matchings in k-graph systems for d∈[k-1]. The degree assumptions in both results are asymptotically best possible (although the minimum d-degree condition forcing a perfect matching in a k-graph is in general unknown). For (1) we also discuss two directed versions and a multipartite version. Finally, to establish these results, we in fact provide a general framework to attack this type of problems, which reduces it to subproblems with finitely many colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately simulating the temperature field of frozen shaft lining in its early age (28 days) is difficult due to the influence of low temperature freezing and the heat of hydration in concrete. The temperature-dependent variation of the thermal properties of concrete and surrounding rock makes the simulation even more challenging. This study proposed a simulation method by considering the concrete maturity to characterize the spatiotemporal variation of temperature field in early age. In accordance with Arrhenius and heat conduction theories, a 3D temperature field control equation containing a model of hydration exothermic with equivalent age was established. The thermal parameters of rock and concrete at different temperatures were obtained through laboratory tests, and the temperature field of the lining was analyzed numerically by using ANSYS Parametric Design Language. The reliability of this method was verified by comparing with the measured data. Comparison results show that the proposed model successfully reflects the facts that the maximum temperature rise at different locations of the lining and the time taken to reach the maximum temperature rise are different. The temperature field in the early age shows five stages: induction period, linear growth period, nonlinear growth period, cooling period, and stabilization period. In the first 3 days, the temperature gradient between the inside and outside of the lining is large, which is prone to early temperature damage. This study provides a significant reference for early temperature damage and lining structure design optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to analyzing the explicit slow decay rate and turnpike in infinite-horizon linear quadratic optimal control problems for hyperbolic systems. Under suitable weak observability or controllability conditions, lower and upper bounds of the corresponding algebraic Riccati operator are proved. Then based on these two bounds, the explicit slow decay rate of the closed-loop system with Riccati-based optimal feedback control is obtained. The averaged turnpike property for this problem is also further discussed. We then apply these results to LQ optimal control problems constrained to networks of one-dimensional wave equations and also some multidimensional ones with local controls which lack a geometric control condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper, combined with structural characteristics of mechanical seed metering devices and air-suction seed metering devices, designs a multi-mode seed metering device. According to installation of seed holding rings and application of negative pressure, three modes (mechanical mode, air-suction mode and combination of air-suction mode and mechanical mode) can be realized. JPS-12 seed metering performance test benches and high-speed camera are used for indoor tests. According to results, under the mechanical mode, advancing speed has a significant effect on seed metering performance. At a low speed, the qualification rate is maintained at about 96%; with advancing speed increased, the qualification rate decreases significantly. Seed spacing variation coefficient gradually increases with speed increased and stabilizes at about 30%. Under the air suction mode, negative pressure and advancing speed have a significant effect on qualification rate and miss seeding rate. With negative pressure increased, qualification rate increases while miss seeding rate decreases. Negative pressure has no significant effect on seed spacing variation coefficient, but advancing speed has a significant effect on seed spacing variation coefficient. With speed increased, seed spacing variation coefficient increases significantly. Under the multi-mode, advancing speed and negative pressure have a significant effect on qualification rate and miss seeding rate. Negative pressure has no significant effect on seed spacing variation coefficient, but advancing speed has a significant effect on seed spacing variation coefficient. Upon comparison of three modes, when speed is 6 km/h, qualification rate of air suction mode is close to multimode, which is significantly higher than that of mechanical mode. When speed is 8-12 km/h, qualification rate of multi-mode is significantly higher than that of air suction work. With negative pressure increased, gap between them gradually decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inborn errors of nucleic acid metabolism often cause aberrant activation of nucleic acid sensing pathways, leading to autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases. The SKIV2L RNA exosome is cytoplasmic RNA degradation machinery that was thought to be essential for preventing the self-RNA-mediated interferon (IFN) response. Here, we demonstrate the physiological function of SKIV2L in mammals. We found that Skiv2l deficiency in mice disrupted epidermal and T cell homeostasis in a cell-intrinsic manner independently of IFN. Skiv2l-deficient mice developed skin inflammation and hair abnormality, which were also observed in a SKIV2L-deficient patient. Epidermis-specific deletion of Skiv2l caused hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and disrupted epidermal stratification, leading to impaired skin barrier with no appreciable IFN activation. Moreover, Skiv2l-deficient T cells were chronically hyperactivated and these T cells attacked lesional skin as well as hair follicles. Mechanistically, SKIV2L loss activated the mTORC1 pathway in both keratinocytes and T cells. Both systemic and topical rapamycin treatment of Skiv2l-deficient mice ameliorated epidermal hyperplasia and skin inflammation. Together, we demonstrate that mTORC1, a classical nutrient sensor, also senses cytoplasmic RNA quality control failure and drives autoinflammatory disease. We also propose SKIV2L-associated trichohepatoenteric syndrome (THES) as a new mTORopathy for which sirolimus may be a promising therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the vertical disk mechanical seed-metering device is taken as the object to optimize the design of seed holding ring. The laboratory test is carried out with seed-metering test bench and high-speed camera system; and the influence law of starting and ending angle, front inclination angle and flexible buffer of seed holding ring on the seed filling performance is studied. The ending angle of seed holding ring shall be consistent with seed throwing angle of seed-metering device, and the starting angle of seed holding ring has a significant effect on seed filling performance. The quality of fill index will first increase and then decrease, reaching the maximum at 35.7°; while miss fill index will first decrease and then increase, and the multiple fill index will be 0% when the starting angle is greater than 50°; and seed damage index will first decrease and then increase. In order to improve seed filling performance, the front end of seed holding ring is treated with inner chamfering. The larger the angle is, the lower the quality of fill index, the higher the multiple fill index and the lower the miss fill index, but the seed damage index will also increase. By setting a flexible buffer in the front end of seed holding ring, the seed damage index can be effectively reduced. When the buffer is 60 mm, the seed can be cleaned smoothingly, and the seed damage index will be 0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One‐lung ventilation (OLV), a common ventilation technique, is associated with perioperative lung injury, tightly connected with inflammatory responses. Dexmedetomidine has shown positive anti‐inflammatory effects in lung tissues in pre‐clinical models. This study investigated the efficacy of dexmedetomidine for suppressing inflammatory responses in patients requiring OLV. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Ovid, and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials focusing on dexmedetomidine's anti‐inflammatory effects on patients requiring OLV without any limitation on the year of publication or languages. 20 clinical trials were assessed with 870 patients in the dexmedetomidine group and 844 in the control group. Our meta‐analysis investigated the anti‐inflammatory property of dexmedetomidine perioperatively [T1 (30‐min OLV), T2 (90‐min OLV), T3 (end of surgery) and T4 (postoperative day 1)], demonstrating that dexmedetomidine's intraoperative administration resulted in a significant reduction in serum concentration of interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α and other inflammatory cytokines perioperatively. By calculating specific I2 index, significant heterogeneity was observed on all occasions, with I2 index ranging from 95% to 99%. For IL‐6 changes, sensitivity analysis showed that the exclusion of a single study led to a significant decrease of heterogeneity (96%–0%; p < 0.00001). Besides, pulmonary oxygenation was ameliorated in the dexmedetomidine group comparing with the control group. In conclusion, perioperative administration of dexmedetomidine can attenuate OLV induced inflammation, ameliorate pulmonary oxygenation, and may be conducive to a decreased occurrence of postoperative complications and better prognosis. However, the results should be prudently interpreted due to the evidence of heterogeneity and the limited number of studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the value of serum hepcidin in the diagnosis of Anaemia of Chronic Disease (ACD) in order to provide appropriate treatment. Methods: Literature search was performed in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBMdisc and CSPD till Jan, 2020. Studies using hepcidin assay for the diagnosis of ACD were included. Two researchers selected the literature according to the pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Metaanalysis was performed using Stata 15.0. Results: A total of 10 studies were included, including 739 patients with 402 ACD patients. Heterogeneity test results suggest that there is no statistical heterogeneity between the included studies and Meta-analysis was performed using a fixed-effects model. Results showed that serum hepcidin levels in patients with ACD combined with SEN, SPE, PLR, NLR, and Diagnostic OR were 0.94 [95% CI (0.90, 0.96)], 0.85 [95% CI (0.81, 0.88)], 6.1 [95% CI (4.8, 7.6)], 0.08 [95% CI (0.05, 0.12)] and 81 [95% CI (47, 139)] respectively. The area under the SROC curve (AUC) value was 0.91. Conclusion: Serum hepcidin assay is a valuable method to diagnose ACD in patients. However, due to the limitations of the quantity and quality of the research, the above conclusions need more research to verify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper takes the front-mounted parallel structure of the transmission as an example and uses the target detection algorithm to introduce a real-time equivalent energy consumption control strategy for the vehicle engine thermal energy system. Based on studying the relationship between fuel thermal energy and electrical energy consumed when the vehicle is driving in a cycle, we elaborated on the strategy’s critical issue, namely, the equivalent method of the electrical energy of the battery pack and the fuel thermal energy consumption of the engine. Finally, the thesis carries out a simulation test on this strategy based on the vehicle simulation model and compares it with other control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stabilization of a multidimensional wave equation on a cuboidal domain is considered. By applying the localized Kelvin--Voigt damping, in a region where the geometric control condition (GCC) is not satisfied, we prove that the system can be polynomially stabilized to 0 with the polynomial decay rate t5 under smooth initial conditions. In particular, the optimality of this explicit decay rate is verified for this system through a careful resolvent estimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, tetra­ethyl­ammonium tri­azido­tri-μ3-sulfido-[μ3-(tri­methyl­sil­yl)aza­nediido][tris­(3,5-di­methyl­pyrazol-1-yl)hydro­borato]triiron(+2.33)molybdenum(IV), (C8H20N)[Fe3MoS3(C15H22BN6)(C3H9NSi)(N3)3] or (Et4N)[(Tp*)MoFe3S3(μ3-NSiMe3)(N3)3] [Tp* = tris­(3,5-di­methyl­pyrazol-1-yl)hydro­bor­ate(1−)], crystallizes as needle-like black crystals in space group P⥘. In this cluster, the Mo site is in a distorted octa­hedral coordination model, coordinating three N atoms on the Tp* ligand and three μ3-bridging S atoms in the core. The Fe sites are in a distorted tetra­hedral coordination model, coordinating two μ3-bridging S atoms, one μ3-bridging N atom from Me3SiN2−, and another N atom on the terminal azide ligand. This type of heterometallic and heteroleptic single cubane cluster represents a typical example within the Mo–Fe–S cluster family, which may be a good reference for understanding the structure and function of the nitro­genase FeMo cofactor. The residual electron density of disordered solvent mol­ecules in the void space could not be reasonably modeled, thus the SQUEEZE [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18] function was applied. The solvent contribution is not included in the reported mol­ecular weight and density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the gravity model of trade, this paper studies the trade creation effect of China-Asean free trade area. 23 trading countries in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania are selected as samples. Construct the trade gravity model of China-Asean free trade area and make the empirical analysis. The increase of GDP in trading countries will promote the growth of trade flow. Secondly, CAFTA will increase trade volume, but the effect is not significant. In addition, geographical distance has a negative impact on the increase of trade flows. In order to promote the trade development of China-Asean free trade area, differentiated cooperation is needed. It needs to carry out sub-regional cooperation with CAFTA and promote trade cooperation with One Belt and One Road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may enable the fabrication of integrated circuits smaller than 10 nanometers, but this would require scalable production of dense and electronically pure semiconducting nanotube arrays on wafers. We developed a multiple dispersion and sorting process that resulted in extremely high semiconducting purity and a dimension-limited self-alignment (DLSA) procedure for preparing well-aligned CNT arrays (within alignment of 9 degrees) with a tunable density of 100 to 200 CNTs per micrometer on a 10-centimeter silicon wafer. Top-gate field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated on the CNT array show better performance than that of commercial silicon metal oxide-semiconductor FETs with similar gate length, in particular an on-state current of 1.3 milliamperes per micrometer and a recorded transconductance of 0.9 millisiemens per micrometer for a power supply of 1 volt, while maintaining a low room-temperature subthreshold swing of <90 millivolts per decade using an ionic-liquid gate. Batch-fabricated top-gate five-stage ring oscillators exhibited a highest maximum oscillating frequency of >8 gigahertz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the stabilization problem of the rotating disk-beam system with infinite memory in the moment control. A linear feedback law is proposed, which consists of a torque control and a moment control with an infinite memory term. It is shown that the closed-loop system is well-posed and exponentially stable provided that the desired constant angular velocity and the memory kernel function satisfy certain conditions. The main ingredient of the proof is the frequency-domain method. Numerical simulations are also put forward to validate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steam explosion (SE) was used to pretreat rice straw (RS) and Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CKK). Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated RS and CKK, and a pure cellulose (bacterial cellulose, BC) were performed and compared. The characteristics and changes of different substrates during pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis were observed. After SE pretreatment, the hemicellulose content of RS and CKK was decreased from 21.7% to 4.9% and 17.9% to 6.2%, respectively. The cellulose percent of RS and CKK was increased to 45.1% and 38.4%, and the enzymatic hydrolysis conversion of cellulose was increased 1.1 times and 0.9 times, respectively. Although the composition and enzymatic yield of different substrates varied, their enzymatic hydrolysis rates showed a similar declining trend during enzymatic hydrolysis. The adsorption capacities of substrates on the enzyme were increased by pretreatment. The enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency was closely related to the enzyme adsorption capacities of substrates at the initial stage (1 h). The BC and SE pretreated RS first adsorbed and subsequently desorbed the enzyme, while the untreated RS and CKK had weak adsorption capacity and formed irreversible adsorption with the enzyme. The changes in crystallinity after enzymatic hydrolysis suggested that there was no direct correlation between the crystallinity and digestibility of cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) is used as an n-type dopant to improve the electro-optical properties of the Alq3-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Li2CO3-doped tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq3) layers with various concentrations were prepared by the co-evaporating method. When 10% Li2CO3 was doped into an Alq3 electron-transporting layer, device properties such as the turn-on voltage, the maximum luminance, and the device efficiency were improved, becoming better than LiF and comparable to devices with Cs2CO3 dopants. Li2CO3-doped Alq3 layers possess an enhanced electron injection, transporting and hole-blocking ability. The higher mobility of the Li2CO3-doped samples has been derived using space-charge-limited current (SCLC) measurements. X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy results show that some electrons transfer from Li2CO3 into Alq3, which increases the electron concentration in Alq3 films and moves the Fermi level close to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of Alq3. The charge transfer was further confirmed by absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Therefore, the electron injection and transport efficiency are both enhanced due to a lower electron injection barrier and a higher electron mobility, which improve the charge carrier balance in OLEDs and lead to better device efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, tetraethylammonium triazidotri-μ3-sulfido-[μ3-(trimethylsilyl) azanediido][tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)hydroborato]triiron(+2.33)molybdenum(IV), (C8H20N)[Fe3MoS3(C15H22BN6)(C3H9NSi)(N3)3] or (Et4N)[(Tp*)- MoFe3S3(μ3-NSiMe3)(N3)3] [Tp* = tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)hydroborate(1-)], crystallizes as needle-like black crystals in space group P1. In this cluster, the Mo site is in a distorted octahedral coordination model, coordinating three N atoms on the Tp* ligand and three μ3-bridging S atoms in the core. The Fe sites are in a distorted tetra-hedral coordination model, coordinating two µ3-bridging S atoms, one µ3-bridging N atom from Me3SiN2-, and another N atom on the terminal azide ligand. This type of heterometallic and heteroleptic single cubane cluster represents a typical example within the Mo-Fe-S cluster family, which may be a good reference for understanding the structure and function of the nitro-genase FeMo cofactor. The residual electron density of disordered solvent mol-ecules in the void space could not be reasonably modeled, thus the SQUEEZE [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9-18] function was applied. The solvent contribution is not included in the reported mol-ecular weight and density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buried structures, such as pipes and culverts, are extensively used for transportation applications. The existence of these structures within the soil mass causes a redistribution of stresses. The stiffness of the buried structure relative to the surrounding soil affects the magnitude and distribution of vertical stresses. Higher stresses on a buried structure may cause excessive deformations and even failure of the buried structure. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam, a lightweight material, has been increasingly used above buried structures as a compressible inclusion to reduce vertical stresses acting on the buried structures. This experimental study investigated the effects of EPS geofoam, including geofoam stiffness and thickness, on the distribution of vertical stresses above a rectangular concrete culvert under static and cyclic footing loads. Reduced-scale models were constructed in a test box under a plane-strain condition. This study adopted the induced trench installation (ITI) method to place the concrete culvert overlaid with an EPS geofoam. The backfill material was a dry, poorly graded Kansas River sand. The footing load was applied parallell to the culvert axis. Earth pressure cells were used to monitor the vertical stress distributions above the geofoam and surrounding soil. The experimental results show that the EPS geofoam reduced the vertical stresses on the buried structure due to the mobilization of soil arching. The lower stiffness and thin geofoam had more effect on the vertical stress reduction. Cyclic loading minimized the soil arching effect induced by the compressible geofoam. This paper also examines the test results with available analytical solutions. The effects of soil arching and the induced vertical stress above the rigid structure under static footing load were considered separately. The analytical solutions were found to match well with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the energetics and geometries of carbon nanoconic tip molecular models. Role of isolated pentagon rule in fullerene characterization; Differences in the energy of tip molecules from pentagons; Effects of tip size on energetics.

Current-voltage, or i-V, curves are used in combustion to characterise the ionic structure of flames. The objective of this paper is to develop a detailed modelling framework for the quantitative prediction of the i-V curves in methane/air flames. Ion and electron transport coefficients were described using methods appropriate for charged species interactions. An ionic reaction mechanism involving cations, anions and free electrons was used, together with up-to-date rate coefficients and thermodynamic data. Because of the important role of neutral CH species in the ion production process, its prediction by the detailedAramcoMech 1.4 mechanismwas optimised by using available experimental measurements. Model predictions were evaluated by comparing to i-V curves measured in atmospheric-pressure, premixed, burner-stabilised flames. A detailed evaluation of the reliability of ion kinetic and transport parameters adoptedwas performed. The model provides good quantitative agreement with experimental data for various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable technology has been viewed as one of the plausible alternatives to capture human motion in an unconstrained environment, especially during running. However, existing methods require kinematic and kinetic measurements of human body segments and can be complicated. This paper investigates the use of neural network model (NN) and accelerometer to estimate vertical ground reaction force (VGRF). An experimental study was conducted to collect sufficient samples for training, validation and testing. The estimated results were compared with VGRF measured using an instrumented treadmill. The estimates yielded an average root mean square error of less than 0.017 of the body weight (BW) and a cross-correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. The results also demonstrated that NN could estimate impact force and active force with average errors ranging between 0.10 and 0.18 of BW at different running speeds. Using NN and uniaxial accelerometer can (1) simplify the estimation of VGRF, (2) reduce the computational requirement and (3) reduce the necessity of multiple wearable sensors to obtain relevant parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study some variants of Dirac-type problems in hypergraphs. First, we show that for k ≥ 3, if H is a k-graph on n ∊ kN vertices with independence number at most n=p and minimum codegree at least (1=p + o(1))n, where p is the smallest prime factor of k, then H contains a perfect matching. Second, we show that if H is a 3-graph on n ∊ 3N vertices which does not contain any induced copy of K4- (the unique 3-graph with 4 vertices and 3 edges) and has minimum codegree at least (1/3 + o(1)))n, then H contains a perfect matching. Moreover, if we allow the matching to miss at most 3 vertices, then the minimum degree condition can be reduced to (1/6+o(1)))n. Third, we show that if H is a 3-graph on n ∊ 4N vertices which does not contain any induced copy of K4- and has minimum codegree at least (1/8 + o(1)))n, then H contains a perfect Y-tiling, where Y represents the unique 3-graph with 4 vertices and 2 edges. We also provide the examples showing that our minimum codegree conditions are asymptotically best possible. Our main tool for finding the perfect matching is a characterization theorem in [J. Han, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 369 (2017), pp. 5197{5218] that characterizes the k-graphs with minimum codegree at least n/k which contain a perfect matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is widely considered to be an economical alternative to capture human motion in daily activities. Use of an IMU for clinical study, rehabilitation, and in the design of orthoses and prostheses has increased tremendously. However, its use in defining running gait is limited. This study presents a practical method to estimate running spatial and temporal parameters using an inertial sensor by placing it on a shoe. A combination of a zero-crossing method and thresholding is used to identify foot-strike and foot-off based on foot acceleration during running. Stride time, ground contact time and flight time can then be identified. An off-phase segmentation algorithm is applied to estimate stride length and running speed. These two parameters are commonly used to evaluate running efficiency and to differentiate elite runners. This study found that an IMU can estimate foot-strike and foot-off with average absolute time differences of 2.60-6.04 and 2.61-16.28 ms, respectively. Stride time was estimated with error between − 4.04 and 0.33 ms. Stride length and running speed were estimated with maximum average errors of 45.97 mm and 0.41 km/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new nanocomposite (SCZ), microspherical carbon (SC) loaded with nanoscale zerovalent iron (ZVI), was fabricated to efficiently remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in water. Therein, SC was derived from waste carton through hydrothermal treatment after pretreatment of removing hemicellulose and lignin, and the optimal hydrothermal conditions (200 °C, hydrothermal time of 12 h) for the preparation of SC were obtained. Subsequently, SC could effectively load ZVI nanoparticles which displayed high dispersion on the surface of SC and in the pores among SC particles owing to steric hindrance effect. The obtained SCZ displayed a high removal efficiency of 100% within 5 h on Cr(VI) (20 mg/L), and the resultant SCZ-Cr could be conveniently separated from water because of its magnetism. Importantly, SCZ could be loaded in cardboard, and the obtained system could serve as a stable filter for removal of Cr(VI) in water. This work provides a cheap and effective method for Cr(VI) removal, which also greatly facilitates the recycling of waste carton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geocells, one type of geosynthetics manufactured in a form of three-dimensional interconnected cells, have been reported to effectively provide lateral confinement to infill material to increase the modulus and bearing capacity of base courses. Most studies so far have been focused on the behavior of geocell-reinforced bases under static loading. Geocells used for pavement applications are subjected to repeated loading. Limited studies have been conducted to investigate the performance of geocell-reinforced bases under repeated loading. In this study, single and multiple geocell-reinforced granular bases with three types of infill materials (Kansas River sand, quarry waste, and AB-3 aggregate) were tested and compared with the unreinforced bases under repeated loading. This study experimentally investigated the effect of the geocell reinforcement on the permanent deformation and percentage elastic deformation of the granular bases. The test results showed that the geocell reinforcement reduced the permanent deformation and increased the percentage elastic deformation of the granular bases. Multiple geocell-reinforced sections demonstrated even better performance as compared with single geocell-reinforced sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) is produced in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is quickly converted to α-ketoglutarate by D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (D2HGDH). In a mouse model of colitisassociated colon cancer (CAC), urine level of D2HG during colitis correlates positively with subsequent polyp counts and severity of dysplasia. The i.p. injection of D2HG results in delayed recovery from colitis and severe tumorigenesis. The colonic expression of D2HGDH is decreased in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients at baseline who progress to cancer. Hypoxia-inducible factor (Hif)-1α is a key regulator of D2HGDH transcription. Our study identifies urine D2HG and tissue D2HGDH expression as biomarkers to identify patients at risk for progressing from colitis to cancer. The D2HG/D2HGDH pathway provides potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of CAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the association between the coaptation height of mitral valve and mitral regurgitation after mitral valve repair.Methods: From Sep 2014 to Jun 2015, 20 patients underwent mitral valve valvuloplasty for mitral regurgitation were included. Ring annuloplasty was performed in all cases. Mitral valve short-axis dimension (MVd), coaptation height (CH), Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured by the transesophageal echocardiography before the operation in operation room and 3 months and 12 months after the operation by the transthoracic echocardiography. A degree from 0 to 4 was used to measure the degree of mitral regurgitation.Results: There were 14 patients with 0, 3 patients with 1, 3 patients with 2 of mitral regurgitation 12 months after the operation. CH (3.53 ± 1.91 mm) increased significantly at 3 months (5.05 ± 1.09 mm) and 12 months after operation (5.22 ± 1.15 mm) (p < 0.05). MVd and LVEF were not significantly changed after mitral valve repair. Furthermore, CH after resuscitation have a statistically significant negative correlation with the degree of mitral regurgitation 12 months after operation.Conclusion: The mitral valve repair with mitral valve ring induce the morphologic change of the mitral valve structure. The increase of CH after mitral valve repair may be one of the main factors in regulation of mitral regurgitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the core and foundational technology, on-orbit radiometric calibration of a space-borne sensor is of great importance for quantitative remote sensing applications. As for the space-borne multi-camera mosaic imaging sensor, however, the currently available on-orbit radiometric calibration method cannot carry out the integrated processing of on-orbit absolute radiometric calibration and relative radiometric correction simultaneously between cameras, influencing the accuracy of quantitative applications. Therefore, taking the GaoFen-1 (GF-1) wide-field-of-view (WFV) sensor as an example in this research, an innovative on-orbit radiometric calibration method is proposed to overcome this bottleneck. Firstly, according to the principle of the cross-calibration approach, we retrieve valid MODIS and GF-1 WFV image pairs over the Dunhuang radiometric calibration sites (DRCS) in China by using a set of criteria and extract the radiometric control points (RCPs) connecting in both images. Secondly, the DEM-aided block adjustment of the rational function model is applied to eliminate the geometrical misalignment of GF-1WFV images at the same orbit. Then, the average digital numbers of spectral and spatial homogeneous surfaces are calculated and chosen as the radiometric tie points (RTPs) extracted from the overlapping region of the adjacent WFV cameras. Thirdly, the radiometric block adjustment (RBA) algorithm is introduced into on-orbit radiometric calibration of the space-borne multi-camera mosaic imaging sensor. Finally, the radiometric calibration coefficients are solved by the least square method. The validation results indicate that our proposed method can acquire high absolute radiometric calibration accuracy and achieve relative radiometric correction between cameras. Compared with the results using the cross-calibration method to calibrate each WFV camera independently, the advantages of RBA are presented. In addition, the uncertainties caused by RCPs' distribution are discussed, which is beneficial to further optimize the calibration program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a novel method for feature extraction of steady communication signals based on the distribution of bispectrum amplitude and phase (BAP) to solve the identification problem of the same type of emitters. First, a propagation model of communication signals is modeled by analyzing the mechanism of emitter fingerprint, and the irrelevance between bispectrum amplitude and phase is demonstrated. Then, on the basis of estimating the signal bispectrum, bispectrum symmetry is used to adopt different methods to extract features according to their own characteristics of amplitude and phase spectrum. Finally, the simulated and actual communication signals from the same type of emitters are used for the experiment. The identification performance of BAP method is compared with another three methods in terms of antinoise performance, influence of the number of training samples, and feature distribution. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the BAP method overcomes the shortcomings of SIB and SB methods, and the extracted features have good clustering and interclass separability, solving the identification problem of the same type of emitters under low SNR and small number of training samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important component of rural finance includes agricultural cooperatives, which have become the main economic support for rural poverty alleviation due to their active participation in government targeted poverty alleviation activities, highlighting their socio-economic status. The only financial institution in rural finance—agricultural cooperatives, which have promoted positive effects on local economic development. As a new computing method, edge computing invades the cloud into the network through services, which ensures response time and efficient reliability, and reduces system delay by applying in-depth learning. It plays a good role in alleviating the pressure of bandwidth consumption in cloud networks, as well as protecting user privacy and data security. Through the research on edge computing and deep learning technology, this paper makes the rural capital allocation market produce new financial services and demonstrates its significant advantages. By promoting the transformation of agricultural cooperatives, it is possible to more fully ensure that rural people enjoy the fruits of reform and development. At the same time, there is a problem of uneven income distribution in the social economy. While reducing social conflicts, it is also necessary to reduce factors of instability in society, in order to encourage people to work and live happily and safely. Through practical research on the intelligent financial service methods of agricultural cooperatives, the optimal allocation of rural economic resources has been determined, providing practical knowledge support for the economic and industrial development of rural areas, and providing reasonable support for the research on rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is a ventilator mode which has demonstrated potential benefits in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. We therefore sought to compare relevant pulmonary data and safety outcomes of this mode to the conventional ventilation and sustained inflation. Canines admitted after intravenous injection of oleic acid requiring mechanical ventilation were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=6), namely conventional ventilation group, low tidal volume ventilation with recruitment group (LTV+SI) and APRV group. The changes of oxygenation, ventilation, airway pressure, inflammatory reaction and hemodynamics at the basic state were observed at 0, 1, 2 and 4 h during the experiment. The levels of PaO2/FiO2 in APRV group were higher than LTV+SI group at 2 and 4 h (P<0.05). In APRV group, the PCO2 levels at 1, 2 and 4 h is much lower than LTV+SI group (P<0.05). Outcome variables showed no differences between APRV, LVT+SI and conventional mechanical ventilation for plateau airway pressure (24±1 vs. 29±3 vs. 25±4), mean arterial pressure (92.9±16.5 vs. 85.8±21.4 vs. 88.7±24.4), cardiac index (4.3±1.7 vs. 3.5±1.9 vs. 3.4±2.1), ERO2 (13.4±10.3 vs. 16.1±6.8 vs. 17.6±9.1), lac (2.5±1.7 vs. 3.1±1.6 vs. 3.9±1.9), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (132±11 vs. 140±6 vs. 195±13) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. For canines sustaining acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation, APRV can significantly improve oxygenation and keep hemodynamic stability compared with LTV+SI. The results of TNF-α and MMP-9 suggest that APRV could be as protective for ARDS as LTV with recruitment group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient transition-metal-free photoinduced intracyclization of 4H-chromen-4-ones in EtOH-H2O (7:1, v/v) at ambient temperature for the construction of complicated fused-ring heteroaromatics is established. The reaction proceeds smoothly without requiring any catalysts/additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species in the extremely thermophilic genus Caldicellulosiruptor can degrade unpretreated plant biomass through the action of multimodular glycoside hydrolases. To date, most focus with these bacteria has been on hydrolysis of glucans and xylans, while the biodegradation mechanism for arabinose-based polysaccharides remains unclear. Here, putative α-L-arabinofuranosidases (AbFs) were identified in Caldicellulosiruptor species by homology to less-thermophilic versions of these enzymes. From this screen, an extracellular XynF was determined to be a key factor in hydrolyzing α-1,2-, α-1,3-, and α-1,5-L-arabinofuranosyl residues of arabinosebased polysaccharides. Combined with a GH11 xylanase (XynA), XynF increased arabinoxylan hydrolysis more than 6-fold compared to the level seen with XynA alone, likely the result of XynF removing arabinofuranosyl side chains to generate linear xylans that were readily degraded. A second AbF, the intracellular AbF51, preferentially cleaved the α-1,5-L-arabinofuranosyl glycoside bonds within sugar beet arabinan. β-Xylosidases, such as GH39 Xyl39B, facilitated the hydrolysis of arabinofuranosyl residues at the nonreducing terminus of the arabinosebranched xylo-oligosaccharides by AbF51. These results demonstrate the separate but complementary contributions of extracellular XynF and cytosolic AbF51 in processing the bioconversion of arabinose-containing oligosaccharides to fermentable monosaccharides. IMPORTANCE Degradation of hemicellulose, due to its complex chemical structure, presents a major challenge during bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biobased fuels and chemicals. Degradation of arabinose-containing polysaccharides, in particular, can be a key bottleneck in this process. Among Caldicellulosiruptor species, the multimodular arabinofuranosidase XynF is present in only selected members of this genus. This enzyme exhibited high hydrolysis activity, broad specificity, and strong synergism with other hemicellulases acting on arabino-polysaccharides. An intracellular arabinofuranosidase, AbF51, occurs in all Caldicellulosiruptor species and, in conjunction with xylosidases, processes the bioconversion of arabinose-branched oligosaccharides to fermentable monosaccharides. Taken together, the data suggest that plant biomass degradation in Caldicellulosiruptor species involves extracellular XynF that acts synergistically with other hemicellulases to digest arabino-polysaccharides that are subsequently transported and degraded further by intracellular AbF51 to produce shortchain arabino sugars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For any γ > 0, Keevash, Knox and Mycroft (2015) constructed a polynomial-time algorithm which determines the existence of perfect matchings in any n-vertex k-uniform hypergraph whose minimum codegree is at least n/k + γn. We prove a structural theorem that enables us to determine the existence of a perfect matching for any k-uniform hypergraph with minimum codegree at least n/k. This solves a problem of Karpiński, Ruciński and Szymańska completely. Our proof uses a lattice-based absorbing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micropiles of small diameter have been used in practice to increase load capacities of existing foundations on soft soil, which may resist additional loads from the vertical expansion of structures. Load transfer from the existing foundation to the micropiles is an important mechanism to consider when designing an existing foundation underpinned by micropiles. However, this mechanism has not been well investigated or understood. This paper presents a numerical study on an existing foundation underpinned by micropiles using threedimensional (3D) finite-difference software. Verification of the numerical model was first achieved by comparing the results of the numerical model to those obtained from the full-scale loading test. In this verification, the numerical model was used to simulate an existing footing initially constructed on a natural soil to support a structure and later subjected to additional loads under two different conditions. Under the first condition, micropiles were installed without connection with the existing foundation. The existing foundation was subjected to initial loads, and then the micropiles were connected to the existing foundation for additional loads. Under the second condition, the foundation was first subjected to initial loads. Micropiles were installed and then connected to the foundation for additional loads. These two conditions were investigated further in a parametric study to understand the behavior of micropiles in the underpinned foundation under additional loading, including the load transfer between the existing foundation and the micropiles. This parametric study revealed that the installation sequence of micropiles had obvious effects on the vertical displacement of the footing, the percent load on the micropile, and the skin friction along the micropile. This study also revealed that the initial pressure ratio for underpinning and the length of micropiles had more effects on the behavior of the existing foundation underpinned by micropiles than the modulus of micropiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au@Fe3O4@PANI hybrid shells with controllable polyaniline (PANI) coatings as advanced supported catalysts have been fabricated. Specifically, Fe3O4 and Au nanoparticles were assembled on SiO2 templates, followed by conducting polymer PANI coating, leading to the formation of Au@Fe3O4@PANI hybrid shells after the template removal. The resultant supported Au nanocatalysts not only maintain hollow structures but also possess high saturation magnetization (65.46 emu/g). Catalytic tests toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH4 indicate that PANI and Fe3O4 not only endow high stability and recyclability but also can largely improve the catalytic activity of Au nanoparticles because of their synergetic effects. It is believed that Fe3O4@PANI hybrid shells can be regarded as multifunctional supports for noble metal nanocatalysts with a remarkably improved catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subgrade of roadways is subjected to repeated traffic loading at different loading intensities. The resilient modulus of subgrade is one of the important parameters for the design of pavements, including the estimation of permanent deformation (rutting) in the current Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). A significant portion of total rutting is often contributed by the subgrade, especially soft, fine-grained subgrade. Existing formulas for calculating rut depth of subgrade are only suitable for small deformation. Under certain conditions (e.g., low volume roads), large rut depth may be allowed. In addition, the resilient modulus and the accumulation of the permanent deformation of a fine-grained subgrade are still not well quantified under cyclic loading at different intensities. In this study, cyclic plate loading tests at different loading intensities were performed on six test sections of fine-grained subgrade constructed in a geotechnical testing box [2 mwide × 2.2 mlong × 2 mhigh]. The California Bearing Ratios (CBRs) of the test sections ranged from 2.9 to 15.8%. The intensities of loading applied on a steel plate 305 mm in diameter increased from 5 to 70 kN, in load increments of 5 kN. In these tests, deformations and vertical/horizontal stresses were measured at varying distances from the center of the loading plate. For each test section, dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) tests and light weight deflectometer (LWD) tests were performed and a correlation between the CBR and dynamic modulus obtained from LWD tests was developed. Based on the measured surface resilient (elastic or recoverable) deformations, the resilient moduli of test sections at different loading intensities were back-calculated. The MEPDG soil damage model was modified to consider the influences of subgrade stiffness and bearing capacity. The modified MEPDG model was verified by two test sections with the base course over the subgrade, and the permanent deformations predicted by the modified model compared well with the measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromatographic separation is still a critical subject for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, three different high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) systems employing commercially available columns packed with 1.8, 3.5 and 5.0 µm particles were respectively developed and optimized for the combinative fingerprint analysis and multi-ingredients quantification of Sangju Ganmao tablet (SGT). Chromatographic parameters including the repeatability of retention time and peak area, symmetry factor, resolution, number of theoretical plates and peak capacity were used to assess the chromatographic performance of different HPLC systems. The optimal chromatographic system using Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column (2.1mm × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) as stationary phase was respectively coupled with diode array detector or mass spectrometry detector for the chromatographic fingerprint analysis and simultaneous quantification or identification of nine compounds of SGT. All the validation data conformed to the acceptable requirements. For the fingerprint analysis, 31 peaks were selected as the common peaks to evaluate the similarities of SGT from 10 different manufacturers using heatmap, hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results demonstrated that the combinations of the quantitative and chromatographic fingerprint analysis offer an efficient way to evaluate the quality consistency of SGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant amount of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) material is produced from flexible pavement rehabilitation projects. RAP can be used as a base course material for sustainable pavement construction. Performance of a pavement largely depends on the strength of its foundation, which consists of the subgrade and base course layers. Geocell was used in this study to increase the strength of RAP bases. Nine large-scale laboratory cyclic plate loading tests were conducted on unreinforced and geocell-reinforced RAP bases with three different thicknesses (150, 230, and 300 mm) over weak and moderate subgrades to investigate the influence of geocell confinement, base course thickness, base course strength, and subgrade strength on permanent and resilient deformations of RAP bases. The subgrade was prepared by mixing Kansas River sand with kaolin and compacted at weak [target California bearing ratio (CBR) = 2%] and moderate (target CBR = 5%) strengths. The test results showed that geocell confinement improved the performance of reinforced RAP bases by reducing permanent surface deformations and increasing resilient deformations and percentages of resilient deformation as compared with those of unreinforced bases. The RAP bases over the moderate subgrade performed better than those over the weak subgrade. Subgrade strength had a more pronounced effect than geocell confinement on the properties of RAP bases. Geocell confinement was more beneficial for the bases over the weak subgrade than those over the moderate subgrade. The relative improvement factors (RIFs) of the reinforced bases with respect to the unreinforced bases and the bases over the moderate subgrade with respect to the bases over the weak subgrade ranged from 1.1 to 11.4 and 1.2 to 17.2, respectively. The permanent deformation increased with the number of loading cycles and the RIFs increased with the permanent surface deformation of RAP base sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls reinforced with geosynthetic have been used extensively in highway projects around the world. Typical vertical spacing of geosynthetic reinforcement used in the design of an MSE wall is 0.6 m. This large reinforcement spacing requires a high reinforcement connection strength and may result in wall-facing bulging in the practice. To alleviate such problems, use of secondary reinforcement between primary reinforcement layers was proposed. However, this idea was not verified in the field. In this study, three MSE wall sections reinforced with geogrid layers were constructed and monitored in the field: (1) an MSE wall section with uniaxial geogrid layers as primary and secondary reinforcement; (2) an MSE wall section with uniaxial geogrid layers as primary reinforcement and with biaxial geogrid layers as secondary reinforcement; and (3) an MSE wall section with uniaxial geogrid layers as primary reinforcement only (i.e., the control section). Earth pressure cells, inclinometer casings and probes, and foil-type strain gauges were used in these three test wall sections to measure vertical and lateral earth pressures, accumulated lateral wall-facing deflections, and strains of primary and secondary geogrid layers during construction, respectively. The results from monitoring these three MSE wall sections were analyzed. The test results demonstrated the effects of secondary reinforcement on the improved performance of MSE walls, including reduced accumulated wall-facing deflections, a more uniform lateral earth pressure distribution, and reduced tensile strains in primary geogrid layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a condition in which patients experience the unrestrained proliferation of B cells as a consequence of impaired immune surveillance, almost always as a consequence of Epstein--Barr virus (EBV) infection. It remains one of the most serious potential complications that patients can experience after undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). While treatment with rituximab can significantly improve the prognosis of individuals with EBV-PTLD, those patients in whom rituximab fails to provide appreciable clinical benefit generally exhibit very poor outcomes. In the present report, we describe the case of an EBV-PTLD patient who was successfully treated with blinatumomab and received maintenance therapy consisting of venetoclax combined with azacytidine (AZA). The present case highlights the potential utility of blinatumomab as an effective treatment option for individuals with high-risk EBV-PTLD, although further explanation of the optimal dosing and treatment duration is warranted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove a new upper bound for the minimum d-degree threshold for perfect matchings in k-uniform hypergraphs when d < k/2. As a consequence, this determines exact values of the threshold when 0.42k ≤ d < k/2 or when (k, d) = (12, 5) or (17, 7). Our approach is to give an upper bound on the Erdos matching conjecture and convert the result to the minimum d-degree setting using an approach of Kühn, Osthus, and Townsend. To obtain exact thresholds, we also apply a result of Treglown and Zhao. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]