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Using CO2 as the primary feedstock offers the potential for high-value utilization of CO2 while forging sustainable pathways for producing valuable natural products, such as l-tyrosine. Cascade catalysis is a promising approach but limited by stringent purity demands of nexus molecules. We developed an abiotic/biotic cascade catalysis using blended nexus molecules for l-tyrosine synthesis. Specifically, we begin by constructing a solid-state reactor to reduce CO2 electrochemically, yielding a mixture of acetic acid and ethanol, which serves as the blended nexus molecules. Subsequently, we use genetic engineering to introduce an ethanol utilization pathway and a tyrosine producing pathway to Escherichia coli to facilitate l-tyrosine production. The ethanol pathway synergistically cooperated with the acetic acid pathway, boosting l-tyrosine production rate (nearly five times higher compared to the strain without ethanol utilization pathway) and enhancing carbon efficiency. Our findings demonstrate that using blended nexus molecules could potentially offer a more favorable strategy for the cascade catalysis aimed at producing valuable natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of Ceph distributed storage systems, ensuring swift and symmetrical data recovery during severe data corruption scenarios is pivotal for data reliability and system stability. This paper introduces an innovative FPGA-based Multi-Dimensional Elastic Recovery Acceleration method, termed AMDER-Ceph. Utilizing FPGA technology, this method is a pioneer in accelerating erasure code data recovery within such systems symmetrically. By harnessing the parallel computing power of FPGAs and optimizing Cauchy matrix binary operations, AMDER-Ceph significantly enhances data recovery speed and efficiency symmetrically. Our evaluations in real-world Ceph environments show that AMDER-Ceph achieves up to 4.84 times faster performance compared with traditional methods, especially evident in the standard 4 MB block size configurations of Ceph systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and application of blockchain provides technical support for supply chain technological innovation and industrial innovation. Integrating the decentralized, independent, open, traceable and tamper-proof features of the blockchain into the supply chain can effectively improve the problems of unstable supply chain structure, low security, low privacy, low collaboration ability and high operating costs. Establishing probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic multi-attribute decision-making (PDHL-MADM) model to evaluate the performance of blockchain is an effective measure to optimize blockchain performance and improve supply chain stability. Therefore, this thesis first takes the processing efficiency, cost, security performance, update and improvement ability as evaluation attributes. Then the IDOCRIW weight method is used to calculate the objective weight of attributes. Based on Aczel-Alsina t-norm (AATN) and Aczel-Alsina t-conorm (AATCN), four operations of probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic term set (PDHLTS) are defined, and PDHLAAWA operator, PDHLAAOWA operator, PDHLAAHA operator, PDHLAAHM operator, PDHLAAWHM operator and their dual operators are proposed, and a series of corresponding PDHL operator models are constructed. In addition, the sensitivity and stability of this series of operator models are analyzed in depth. Finally, the new model proposed in this thesis is compared with the existing model to verify its scientific and superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly large and complex network brings convenience to our life and production, but it also brings potential dangers. Any minor vulnerability may lead to failure of application software configuration, software maintenance, user management and system management. Eventually, our network is interrupted, and even life and production data are leaked. Therefore, establishing a scientific and effective network security evaluation model is an effective way to supervise, manage and improve network security; It is also an effective measure to reduce the loss of life and production. Therefore, we first selected six factors closely related to network security to form a complete network security evaluation index system. Then, the utility function in the traditional measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (MARCOS) method is improved by using the value function in cumulative prospect theory (CPT), and a PDHL-MARCOS evaluation model that can reflect the decision-makers' (DMs') attitudes towards gains and losses is obtained in the probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic term set (PDHLTS). In addition, the relative entropy (RE) method is also used to obtain expert weights. The combination weights of attributes are obtained using the correlation coefficient and the standard deviation (CCSD) method and the weight function in CPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban fire accident is a common dangerous accident in urban sudden accidents, which threatens the safety of people's lives and property. For this reason, in recent years, all cities have incorporated the prevention and emergency management of urban fire accidents into their urban development planning, and actively improved their fire accident emergency management capabilities. However, how to evaluate the urban fire accident emergency management capacity of each city to ensure that people's lives and property are protected to the greatest extent is an urgent problem to be considered and solved. Therefore, this paper defines a class of probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic Heronian mean (PDHLHM) operator, probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic Power Heronian mean (PDHLPHM) operators, and their dual operators that can reflect the relationship between two attributes during aggregation. Taking urban fire accident risk monitoring and early warning capability, fire infrastructure and communication system, fire-fighting and rescue capability, recovery and reconstruction capability as evaluation attributes, the probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic weight Power Heronian mean (PDHLWPHM) operator model and the probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic weight Power geometric Heronian mean (PDHLWPGHM) operator model are constructed for group decision-making. In addition, the idempotence, boundedness and monotonicity of these operators are studied, and the sensitivity of the parameters involved in the operator model is analyzed. Finally, the new model proposed in this paper is compared with the existing model to verify its scientificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combination chemotherapeutic drugs administered via a single nanocarrier for cancer treatment provides benefits in reducing dose-limiting toxicities, improving the pharmacokinetic properties of the cargo and achieving spatial-temporal synchronization of drug exposure for maximized synergistic therapeutic effects. In an attempt to develop such a multi-drug carrier, our work focuses on functional multimodal polypeptide-based polymeric nanogels (NGs). Diblock copolymers poly (ethylene glycol)- b -poly (glutamic acid) (PEG- b -PGlu) modified with phenylalanine (Phe) were successfully synthesized and characterized. Self-assembly behavior of the resulting polymers was utilized for the synthesis of NGs with hydrophobic domains in cross-linked polyion cores coated with inert PEG chains. The resulting NGs were small (ca. 70 nm in diameter) and were able to encapsulate the combination of drugs with different physicochemical properties such as cisplatin and neratinib. Drug combination-loaded NGs exerted a selective synergistic cytotoxicity towards EGFR overexpressing ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, we developed ligand-installed EGFR-targeted NGs and tested them as an EGFR-overexpressing tumor-specific delivery system. Both in vitro and in vivo, ligand-installed NGs displayed preferential associations with EGFR (+) tumor cells. Ligand-installed NGs carrying cisplatin and neratinib significantly improved the treatment response of ovarian cancer xenografts. We also confirmed the importance of simultaneous administration of the dual drug combination via a single NG system which provides more therapeutic benefit than individual drug-loaded NGs administered at equivalent doses. This work illustrates the potential of our carrier system to mediate efficient delivery of a drug combination to treat EGFR overexpressing cancers. [Display omitted] • EGFR-targeted nanotechnology can improve therapy effectiveness in patients with EGFR overexpressing ovarian cancer. • Neratinib reversed cisplatin-induced pro-survival signaling in EGFR overexpressing cancer cells. • Extension of PEG chains in the shell of nanogels led to increased drug exposure to target sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time of global epidemic control, the location of the medical logistics distribution center (MLDC) has an important impact on the operation of the entire logistics system to reduce the operating costs of the company, enhance the service quality and effectively control the COVID-19 on the premise of increasing the company's profits. Thus, the research on the location of MLDC has important theoretical and practical application significance separately. Recently, the TODIM and VIKOR method has been used to solve multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) issues. The probabilistic uncertain linguistic term sets (PULTSs) are used as a tool for characterizing uncertain information. In this paper, we design the TODIM-VIKOR model to solve the MAGDM in PULT condition. Firstly, some basic concept of PULTSs is reviewed, and TODIM and VIKOR method are introduced. The extended TODIM-VIKOR model is proposed to tackle MAGDM problems under the PULTSs. At last, a numerical case study for medical logistics center site selection (MLCSS) is given to validate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new energy electric vehicles (NEEV) can effectively reduce vehicle fuel consumption and alleviate the contradiction between fuel supply and demand. It has made great contributions to improving the atmospheric environment and promoting the development of environmental protection. However, the insufficient number of new energy electric vehicle charging stations (NEEVCSs) and unreasonable coverage areas have become obstacles to the large-scale promotion of new energy electric vehicles. Therefore, we build a multi-attribute decision making (MADM) model based on probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic weight Maclaurin symmetric mean (PDHLWMSM) operator and a MADM model based on probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic weight power Maclaurin symmetric mean (PDHLWPMSM) operator to select the best charging station construction point from multiple alternative sites. In addition, the model constructed in this paper is compared with the existing MADM models to verify the scientificity of the model proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shengmai decoction, which has been included in the diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is effective in the early treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection (YQFM) is a modern Chinese medicine preparation of the Shengmai decoction. The mechanism of its intervention at the molecular level in the severe stage of COVID-19 remains unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the mechanism of YQFM in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: The corresponding target genes of the main active ingredients in YQFM and COVID-19 were obtained by using multiple databases and literature retrieval. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed, and enrichment analysis of the target was performed using Cytoscape 3.8.1. Lastly, the docking of all the identified compounds with angiotensin-converting enzyme II was confirmed by applying molecular docking technology. Results: YQFM has anti-inflammatory effects on RAW267.4 macrophages. The main active compounds of YQFM are all effective anti-inflammatory agents, and these active compounds also show beneficial physiological functions, such as anti-oxidation, anti-bacterial, and anticancer activities. Gene Ontology analysis showed enrichment in the following pathways: lipopolysaccharides, interleukins, NF-kappa B, interleukin-2 and others, revealing that YQFM may play a role in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 through these pathways. Conclusion: YQFM has multicomponent and multitarget characteristics, and it could reduce lung injury by inhibiting inflammatory reactions, promoting antiviral activities, and regulating immunity, among other functions, to treat patients with severe COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and metacognitions about smartphone use by conducting a latent profile analysis. Participants were 470 college students from a university in China, who completed the second version of the Big Five Personality Inventory as well as the Metacognitions about Smartphone Use Questionnaire. Results showed that the Big Five personality traits could be divided into four latent classes: overcontrolled, contradiction, doubt, and resilience. The classes showed different relationships with positive and negative metacognitions about smartphone use, with individuals in the overcontrolled and contradiction classes exhibiting more apparent negative metacognitions. The results support the importance of paying attention to the effects of neuroticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While classic studies proved that wide networks allow universal approximation, recent research and successes of deep learning demonstrate the power of deep networks. Based on a symmetric consideration, we investigate if the design of artificial neural networks should have a directional preference, and what the mechanism of interaction is between the width and depth of a network. Inspired by the De Morgan law, we address this fundamental question by establishing a quasi-equivalence between the width and depth of ReLU networks. We formulate two transforms for mapping an arbitrary ReLU network to a wide ReLU network and a deep ReLU network respectively, so that the essentially same capability of the original network can be implemented. Based on our findings, a deep network has a wide equivalent, and vice versa, subject to an arbitrarily small error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retaining walls are often built to prevent excessive lateral movements of the ground surrounding an excavation site. During an excavation, failure of retaining walls could cause catastrophic accidents and hence their lateral deformations are monitored regularly. Laser scanning can rapidly acquire the spatial data of a relatively large area at fine spatial resolutions, which is ideal for monitoring retaining walls’ deformations. This paper attempts to apply terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to measure lateral deformations of a soil mixing retaining wall at an ongoing excavation site. Reference measurements by total station and inclinometer were also conducted to verify those from the laser scanning. The deformations derived using laser scanning data were consistent with the reference measurements at the top part of the retaining wall (mainly the ring beam of the wall). This research also shows that the multi-scale-model-to-model method was the most accurate deformation estimation method on the research data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploding foil initiator (EFI) system has been extensively used in ignition and detonation sequences and proved to be of high safety and reliability. Polyimide is considered the ideal flyer material for EFI due to its excellent performance, including thermal stability, outstanding mechanical properties, high radiation resistance, and excellent dielectric properties. In this study, we prepared the EFI based on a polyimide (ODPA-ODA) flyer, which is spin-coated and solidified on patterned copper film in situ. The electric explosion test shows that the prepared EFI has good working performance, and the 4000 V working voltage drove the flyer to reach a maximum velocity of 5096 m/s. The polyimide morphology and chemical structure after the electric explosion was observed by microscope, SEM, XPS, and FTIR, which showed that the polyimide flyer underwent thermal deformation and complex chemical reactions during an electric explosion. A large number of polyimide bonds broke to form new carbonyl compounds, and the opening of aromatic rings was accompanied by the formation of aliphatic hydrocarbon chains. The morphology and chemical structure analysis after the electric explosion test will lay a foundation for us to further understand the working principle and evolution process of polyimide (ODPA-ODA) flyer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave plasma generator (MPG) of a sub-millimeter scale might be suitable for biomedical applications. However, there are still many unknowns regarding the MPG discharge behavior at this scale and specific conditions. A two-dimensional MPG model at the millimeter scale and its simulation and relative calculation in the COMSOL Multiphysics software are presented. A MPG filled with argon and helium is simulated, respectively. The frequency of a microwave source of about 5 GHz is considered. The number density and temperature of electrons as well as chemical composition are obtained at different power and pressure conditions. The electron density peaks slightly downstream of the crossing point, and the electron density is slightly asymmetrically in the y-plane due to the fact that the electromagnetic waves are absorbed asymmetrically. The electron temperature is relatively low everywhere, in part, due to the high operating pressure. The electron temperature peaks directly underneath the wave guide where the wave is absorbed. The electron density increases with the increase in the internal pressure and the input power of the MPG, the electron temperature decreases with the increase in the internal pressure of the MPG, but the electron temperature cannot be affected by the input power change of MPG. The amount of excited Ar+ and Ars (metastable atom) increases with the increase in the input power and pressure of MPG, but the amount of excited Ar almost remained unchanged. In addition, the amount of excited He almost remained unchanged, while the amount of excited He+, Hes (metastable atom), and He2+ increased with the increase in the input power and pressure of MPG. The simulation results of this model are thus informative for understanding the physical characteristics of millimeter-sized MPG, and it will provide a solid basis for the future development of such hardware in small plasma capsules for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional mesoscale finite element analysis (FEA) of a multilayered brain tissue was performed to calculate the damage-related average stress triaxiality and local maximum von Mises strain in the brain. The FEA was integrated with rate-dependent hyperelastic and internal state variable (ISV) models, respectively, describing the behaviors of wet and dry brain tissues. Using the finite element results, a statistical method of design of experiments (DOE) was utilized to independently screen the relative influences of seven parameters related to brain morphology (sulcal width/depth, gray matter (GM) thickness, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) thickness and brain lobe) and loading/environment conditions (strain rate and humidity) with respect to the potential damage growth/coalescence in the brain tissue. The results of the parametric study illustrated that the GM thickness and humidity were the two most crucial parameters affecting average stress triaxiality. For the local maximum von Mises strain at the depth of brain sulci, the brain lobe/region was the most influential factor. The conclusion of this investigation gives insight for the future development and refinement of a macroscale brain damage model incorporating information from lower length scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron-dependent lipid peroxidation-induced ferroptosis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) contributes to cognitive dysfunction. Chromobox7 (CBX7) was up-regulated in neural progenitor cells, followed by hypoxia and ischemia, and the suppression of CBX7 protected against renal and cerebral I/R injuries. However, the role of CBX7 in ferroptosis and cognitive dysfunction in rats with cerebral ischemia has not yet been reported. In our study, first, rats with cerebral I/R were established through middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Intracerebroventricular injection of shRNA targeting CBX7 (sh-CBX7) enhanced brain water content, and reduced neurological deficit scores and infarct size in rats post MCAO. Second, rats were subjected to 4 trials per day for 4 consecutive days in a Morris water maze. The time to find the platform in with 1 min was recorded as escape latency. On day 5, the platform was removed to conduct a spatial probe test. Rats were given 1 min to find the position of the platform, and the times for crossing the target within 1 min were recorded. Crossing the platform time is the time spent in each quadrant. Data from the Morris water maze showed that cognitive dysfunction in ischemic rats was ameliorated by the injection of sh-CBX7, which decreased the swimming distance and escape latency of ischemic rats, increased the times for crossing the target and platform in the maze. Moreover, injection of sh-CBX7 down-regulated levels of MDA and ROS, while it up-regulated SOD and GSH-Px to repress the oxidative stress. Third, knockdown of CBX7 in ischemic rats decreased the concentration of the ferric ions and the protein expression of transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), but enhanced the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), resulting in the inhibition of ferroptosis. Lastly, expressions of Nrf2, HO-1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) were up-regulated in ischemic rats post sh-CBX7 injection. In conclusion, suppression of CBX7 attenuated I/R injury, improved cognitive dysfunction and inhibited ferroptosis through the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic term set (PDHLTS) can not only express the complex linguistic information that the probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS) cannot express, but also reflect the frequency or importance of linguistic term set (LTS)that cannot be reflected by the double hierarchy linguistic term set (DHLTS). It is an effective tool to deal with multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems. Therefore, in this paper, we propose several aggregation operators which can aggregate PDHLTS information and apply them to MAGDM problems. Firstly, the basic notion of PDHLTS is reviewed, and the distance formula and algorithm of PDHLTS are defined; then, extant weighted averaging (WA) operator, weighted geometric(WG) operator and power weighted averaging (PWA) operator, power weighted geometric(PWG) operator to PDHLTS, and establish probability double hierarchy linguistic weighted averaging (PDHLWA) operator, probability double hierarchy linguistic weighted geometric (PDHLWG) operator, probability double hierarchy linguistic power weighted averaging (PDHLPWA) operator, probability double hierarchy linguistic power weighted geometric (PDHLPWG) operator; in addition, The idempotency, boundedness and monotonicity of these aggregation operators are studied; what's more, those aggregation operators are proposed to establish the enterprise credit self-evaluation model; Finally, compared with the available probabilistic double hierarchy linguistic MAGDM methods, the defined model is proved to be scientific and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) affects left ventricular (LV) mechanics and coronary perfusion. To understand the multifactorial effects of MD, we developed a computational model that bidirectionally couples the systemic circulation with the LV and coronary perfusion with flow regulation. In the model, coronary flow in the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCX) arteries affects the corresponding regional contractility based on a prescribed linear LV contractility-coronary flow relationship. The model is calibrated with experimental measurements of LV pressure and volume, as well as LAD and LCX flow rate waveforms acquired under regulated and fully dilated conditions from a swine under right atrial (RA) pacing. The calibrated model is applied to simulate MD. The model can simultaneously reproduce the reduction in mean LV pressure (39.3%), regulated flow (LAD: 7.9%; LCX: 1.9%), LAD passive flow (21.6%), and increase in LCX passive flow (15.9%). These changes are associated with right ventricular pacing compared with RA pacing measured in the same swine only when LV contractility is affected by flow alterations with a slope of 1.4 mmHg/mL² in a contractility-flow relationship. In sensitivity analyses, the model predicts that coronary flow reserve (CFR) decreases and increases in the LAD and LCX with increasing delay in LV free wall contraction. These findings suggest that asynchronous activation associated with MD impacts 1) the loading conditions that further affect the coronary flow, which may explain some of the changes in CFR, and 2) the coronary flow that reduces global contractility, which contributes to the reduction in LV pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) affects left ventricular (LV) mechanics and coronary perfusion. To understand the multifactorial effects of MD, we developed a computational model that bidirectionally couples the systemic circulation with the LV and coronary perfusion with flow regulation. In the model, coronary flow in the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCX) arteries affects the corresponding regional contractility based on a prescribed linear LV contractility-coronary flow relationship. The model is calibrated with experimental measurements of LV pressure and volume, as well as LAD and LCX flow rate waveforms acquired under regulated and fully dilated conditions from a swine under right atrial (RA) pacing. The calibrated model is applied to simulate MD. The model can simultaneously reproduce the reduction in mean LV pressure (39.3%), regulated flow (LAD: 7.9%; LCX: 1.9%), LAD passive flow (21.6%), and increase in LCX passive flow (15.9%). These changes are associated with right ventricular pacing compared with RA pacing measured in the same swine only when LV contractility is affected by flow alterations with a slope of 1.4 mmHg/mL² in a contractility-flow relationship. In sensitivity analyses, the model predicts that coronary flow reserve (CFR) decreases and increases in the LAD and LCX with increasing delay in LV free wall contraction. These findings suggest that asynchronous activation associated with MD impacts 1) the loading conditions that further affect the coronary flow, which may explain some of the changes in CFR, and 2) the coronary flow that reduces global contractility, which contributes to the reduction in LV pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) affects left ventricular (LV) mechanics and coronary perfusion. To understand the multifactorial effects of MD, we developed a computational model that bidirectionally couples the systemic circulation with the LV and coronary perfusion with flow regulation. In the model, coronary flow in the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCX) arteries affects the corresponding regional contractility based on a prescribed linear LV contractility-coronary flow relationship. The model is calibrated with experimental measurements of LV pressure and volume, as well as LAD and LCX flow rate waveforms acquired under regulated and fully dilated conditions from a swine under right atrial (RA) pacing. The calibrated model is applied to simulate MD. The model can simultaneously reproduce the reduction in mean LV pressure (39.3%), regulated flow (LAD: 7.9%; LCX: 1.9%), LAD passive flow (21.6%), and increase in LCX passive flow (15.9%). These changes are associated with right ventricular pacing compared with RA pacing measured in the same swine only when LV contractility is affected by flow alterations with a slope of 1.4 mmHg/mL² in a contractility-flow relationship. In sensitivity analyses, the model predicts that coronary flow reserve (CFR) decreases and increases in the LAD and LCX with increasing delay in LV free wall contraction. These findings suggest that asynchronous activation associated with MD impacts 1) the loading conditions that further affect the coronary flow, which may explain some of the changes in CFR, and 2) the coronary flow that reduces global contractility, which contributes to the reduction in LV pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its late diagnosis and dismal prognosis, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most devastating solid malignancies, with only 9% of patients surviving after being diagnosed. A multidrug chemotherapeutic regimen FOL-F-IRIN-OX (combination of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) offers survival benefits superior to that of gemcitabine single agent, but the treatment-related side effects are also severe. To overcome this therapeutic barrier, we developed polymeric micelles bearing active formats of irinotecan and oxaliplatin, SN38 and 1,2-diaminocyclohexane‑platinum (II), DACHPt. Crosslinked micelles were prepared using amphiphilic PEG- b -poly(L-glutamic acid)/SN38 conjugates and subsequently loaded with DACHPt. The dual drug-loaded micelles exhibited improved colloidal stability, prolonged drug release and remarkable cytotoxicity in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and Kras G12D ; Trp52 R172H/+ ; Pdx-1 Cre murine tumor organoids models. In vivo , (SN38 + DACHPt)-loaded micelles displayed superior antitumor and antimetastatic activities without impairing safety. Our results suggest that nanomedicine mimicking irinotecan and oxaliplatin as parts of FOLFIRINOX regimen may further improve the feasibility of this multidrug treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic uncertain linguistic sets (PULTSs) have extensively been employed in multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM)problem. The QUALIFLEX method, which is relatively a novel MAGDM technique, aims to obtain the optimal alternative. This paper proposes the probabilistic uncertain linguistic QUALIFLEX (PUL-QUALIFLEX) method with CRITIC method. To show the effectiveness of the designed method, an application is given for green supplier selection and the derived results are compared with some existing methods. Thus, the advantage of this proposed method is that it is simple to understand and easy to compute. The proposed method can also contribute to the selection of suitable alternative successfully in other selection issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide the probabilistic linguistic multiple attribute group decision making (PL-MAGDM) with incomplete weight information. In such method, the linguistic information firstly is shifted into probabilistic linguistic information. For obtaining the weight information of the attribute, two optimization models are built on the basis of the basic idea of grey relational analysis (GRA), by which the attribute weights can be obtained. Then, the optimal alternative is obtained through calculating largest relative relational degree from the probabilistic linguistic positive ideal solution (PLPIS) which considers both the largest grey relational coefficient (GRC) from the PLPIS and the smallest GRC form probabilistic linguistic negative ideal solution (PLNIS). Finally, a case study for waste incineration plants location problem is given to demonstrate the advantages of the developed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key factor in the ocean energy development, particularly for preventing and reducing disaster, the analysis of gust characteristic is necessary. This study presents the characteristics of annual and seasonal wind speed, gust wind speed in the western Pacific region, using the CCMP wind data and ERA-interim gust data. Results show that, (1) There is a good consistency in annual variation between the averaged wind speed and averaged gust, while a great difference with the maximum gust. (2) The averaged wind speed for 35 years in the nearshore is smaller than that in the off-shore. There is a large value belt in Ryukyu Islands -- Taiwan Island -- the traditional South China Sea gale center, with two obvious large centers (about 7.5-8.0 m/s) located in the Taiwan Strait, the traditional South China Sea gale center. The large area of maximum annual mean gust (> 50 m/s) is mainly locates in the broad ocean of the east of Taiwan, (3) There is an obvious seasonal difference of the average wind speed, average gust and maximum gust. The average gust has noticeable monthly variation, the peak usually appears in November and the trough mainly appearing in summer. There is also a noticeable monthly variation for the maximum gust. In the middle and south of the South China Sea, the maximum gust is <16 m/s in each month. In the most part of the western Pacific region, the peak value of maximum gust appearing is in October and August, it is about 14-24 m/s in other months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the changes in aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) stock from 2014 to 2017 to determine the recovery from the 2015–2016 El Niño event. Topics discussed include the use of low-frequency microwave satellite data (L-VOD) to feature precise monitoring of AGC changes, a large spread in the tropics due to the scarcity of stations and uncertainties in atmospheric transport simulations; and a strong reinvigoration of the tropical land sink after the 2015–2016 El Niño .

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a prevalent type of gynecologic malignancy, and to improve its treatment effectiveness, it is essential to identify new and more potent therapeutic drugs. Magnoflorine is a fundamental chlorine alkaloid with various pharmacological properties, including anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether Magnoflorine can inhibit the protective autophagy induced by cisplatin by modulating (high-mobility group B1) HMGB1 requires further investigation. This study aims to assess the impact of Magnoflorine on cisplatin resistance in OC. Our findings demonstrate that Magnoflorine enhances the sensitivity of OC cells to cisplatin. Additionally, it promotes apoptosis in cisplatin-resistant OC cells and simultaneously inhibits cisplatin-induced protective autophagy. Mechanistically, Magnoflorine reduces HMGB1 expression in cisplatin-resistant OC cells. Collectively, these results suggest that Magnoflorine has potential as a therapeutic agent for cisplatin-resistant OC in future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Oxycodone is a widely used opioid analgesic, which is involved in cancer pain and non-cancer pain. This study is intended to understand the publication characteristics of oxycodone research field and assess the quality of pertinent articles from 1998 to 2017. Methods. Oxycodone-related publications from 1998 to 2017 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed database. These papers were coded across several categories, such as total number, journals, countries, institutions, authors and citations reports. And the analysis of co-occurrence keywords was handled by VOSviewer software. Results. According to search strategies, a total of 2659 articles on oxycodone were published in world from 1998 to 2017 in WOS. Among the top 10 most productive organizations, six of them were American institutes, two of them were pharmaceutical enterprises and the other three were Finnish, Australian and Canadian institutes, which is similar with the distribution by country/region. Drewes AM from Denmark published most articles and PAIN MEDICINE is the most productive journal in oxycodone area. Meanwhile, clinical studies occupy a dominant position during the past 20 years. The 10 most cited papers were listed. Among these articles, 8 of them are reviews and 2 of those are meta-analysis. And the last decade (2008–2017) displayed that the newest keywords focus on "double-blind", "randomized controlled trial" and "neuropathic pain". Conclusions. The findings provided a comprehensive overview of oxycodone research. In view of the adverse effects of oxycodone, high-quality oxycodone studies both in basic studies and clinical trials need to be completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical characteristics for the study of two-dimensional inductively coupled plasma (ICP) discharge with different designs of copper coil and gas composition are presented in this paper. And this numerical model is a typical inductively coupled plasma discharge. Compared with former publications studying in ICP discharge, our simulation results indicate some new discoveries. First, the inductive coil gaps are arranged at different distances and their physical properties are studied in argon environment. The maximum electron density, electron temperature and macroscopic gas temperature are obtained at the best coil gap distance for discharge. Then, the inductive coils on the quartz tube without changing the coil gaps between the coils are placed in different positions and the discharge properties are also studied in argon environment. The maximum electron density, electron temperature and macroscopic gas temperature are obtained in the best position for discharge respectively. Finally, the physical characteristics of the ICP discharge in different gas compositions (other physical parameters were unchanged) are studied and the related important chemical reactions are also been described. It is concluded that the best discharge effect of argon gas is obtained under the same discharge conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • High-quality fluorographene nanosheets are fabricated by microwave-assisted liquid phase exfoliation. • The as-prepared fluorographene nanosheets are comprised of no more than four monolayers. • No other side reaction and impurity elements are introduced during the exfoliation process. • Fluorographene nanosheets exhibit excellent thermal stability and remarkable lubrication behavior in oil. Abstract Fluorographene (FG), as an important class of graphene derivatives, has shown great promise in high-performance devices and lubricating materials. However, the large-scale fabrication of high-quality and impurity-free FG nanosheets still remains a main challenge. Herein, a simple liquid-phase exfoliation approach to prepare thin FG nanosheets through the preliminary intercalation of raw graphite fluoride (GrF) particles by N,N-dimethyl formamide molecules, followed by a short-time microwave treatment is reported. Atom force microscopy measurements demonstrate that as-prepared FG nanosheets are comprised of no more than four monolayers after the microwave irradiation. After exfoliation, a small amount of aromatic C C groups in the FG nanosheets are restored, which slightly lowers the F content in FG as compared with the raw GrF. Besides, no other side reaction and impurity elements are introduced during the exfoliation process as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The resultant high-quality FG nanosheets exhibit excellent thermal stability and remarkable lubrication behavior in oil, and thus can be used as a new class of graphene derivatives with the capability of large-scale fabrication for the future device and various other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrostoma was recently proposed in Erythrogloeaceae (Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes), with all known members recorded as being plant pathogenic on economically important tree hosts. During our collections of Dendrostoma species in China, mild to severe canker symptoms were observed on sweet chestnut (Castanea mollissima) and oak (Quercus spp.) trees. Dead and dying plant tissues exhibiting Dendrostoma canker symptoms were sampled for fungal isolation. A total of 37 Dendrostoma isolates were obtained and analysed using morphological characteristics and molecular data (ITS, LSU, RPB2, TEF1-a). Based on these data, 10 novel clades could be distinguished, which also proved to represent morphologically distinct species described here as Dendrostoma aurorae, D. castaneae, D. castaneicola, D. chinense, D. dispersum, D. parasiticum, D. qinlingense, D. quercus, D. shaanxiense and D. shandongense spp. nov. A key to species of the genus is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the evaluation data of groundwater resources and the demand for water resources in the construction planning of Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base, a joint water supply plan for surface water and groundwater was proposed, and a linear programming model was used to optimize the joint water supply plan, which determined the actual quota and water supply route in the water supply plan. The results showed that Taole riverside water source could supply 0.065 x 108 m³/a of water to Pingluo Fine Chemical Base; Luotuojing emergency water source can could 0.019 x 108 m³/a of water to Hengcheng and Yuanyanghu Industrial and Mining Area; the No. 2 and No. 3 alternative water sources of Wuzhong Plain could supply 0.089 x 108 m³/a and 0.067 x 108 m³/a of water to Lingwu Industrial and Mining Area; No. 1 water source of Daquan area could supply 0.054 x 108 m³/a of water to Majiatan and Jijiajing Industrial and Mining Area in the south. According to the total water supply volume of 0.294 x 108 m³/a and the optimal water supply route, the groundwater quota is only 3.136 x 108 m³/a, which can not only meet the demand for water resources of the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base in 2020, but also can maximize the socio-economic and environmental benefits. The research could provide foundation basis for the economic and efficient utilization of water resources in the Base, and also provide references for the rational utilization of water resources in the industrial base of the arid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial intracrines are extracellular signaling proteins, targeted to the mitochondria. The pathway for mitochondrial targeting of mitochondrial intracrines and actions in the mitochondria remains unknown. Megalin/LRP2 mediates the uptake of vitamins and proteins, and is critical for clearance of amyloid-β protein from the brain. Megalin mutations underlie the pathogenesis of Donnai-Barrow and Lowe syndromes, characterized by brain defects and kidney dysfunction; megalin was not previously known to reside in the mitochondria. Here, we show megalin is present in the mitochondria and associates with mitochondrial anti-oxidant proteins SIRT3 and stanniocalcin-1 (STC1). Megalin shuttles extracellularly-applied STC1, angiotensin II and TGF-β to the mitochondria through the retrograde early endosome-to-Golgi transport pathway and Rab32. Megalin knockout in cultured cells impairs glycolytic and respiratory capacities. Thus, megalin is critical for mitochondrial biology; mitochondrial intracrine signaling is a continuum of the retrograde early endosome-to-Golgi-Rab32 pathway and defects in this pathway may underlie disease processes in many systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological evidence indicates a significant relationship between exposure to diisononyl phthalate and allergic asthma. Despite this, the mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. Previous toxicological researches have suggested that the development of allergic asthma may involve the activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and the nuclear factor κ-B (NF-κB) pathways. Nevertheless, it is currently unknown whether these specific signaling pathways are implicated in diisononyl phthalate (DINP)-induced allergic asthma. The objective of this research was to understand how DINP exacerbates allergic asthma in Balb/c mice through ERS and NF-κB pathways. To systematically examine the aggravated effects of DINP in Balb/c mice, we measured airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), lung tissue pathology, cytokines, and ERS and NF-κB pathway biomarkers. Additionally, we applied the ERS antagonist phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) or the NF-κB antagonist pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) to verify the mediating effects of ERS and NF-κB on DINP-exacerbated allergic asthma. The results of our experiment show that oral DINP exposure may exacerbate airway hyperresponsiveness and airway remodeling. This deterioration is accompanied by an imbalance in immunoglobulin levels, Th17/Treg cells, ERS, and NF-κB biomarkers, leading to the activation of pro-inflammatory pathways. Furthermore, our study found that the blocking effect of 4-PBA or PDTC can inhibit the Th17/Treg imbalance and effectively alleviate symptoms resembling allergic asthma. In conclusion, ERS and NF-κB signaling pathways play an important role in regulating DINP-induced allergic asthma exacerbations. [Display omitted] • Exposure to diisononyl phthalate aggravates allergic asthma in Balb/c mice. • Endoplasmic reticulum stress and NF-κB pathway is involved in allergic asthma exacerbated by diisononyl phthalate. • Exposure to diisononyl phthalate triggers Th17/Treg immune imbalance in Balb/c mice. • 4-PBA or PDTC treatment can alleviate allergic asthma caused by combined exposure to ovalbumin and diisononyl phthalate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As reserve talents for research, graduate students of scientific research institutions directly participate in the implementation process of various scientific research projects, which greatly promotes the innovation work of scientific research institutions. As an essential part of the national agricultural scientific and technological innovation system, provincial agricultural research institutions urgently need to maintain or expand the team of graduate students. Under the current graduate student recruitment system, provincial agricultural research institutions need to solve the problem of how to innovate on the recruitment methods, continuously expand the recruitment scale, and attract more outstanding graduate students to join the scientific and technological innovation team. This paper firstly introduced the institutional changes and recruitment status of graduate students in agricultural research institutions, then analyzed the problems faced by provincial agricultural research institutions in recruiting graduate students. Finally, combining the work practice of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, it came up with pertinent recommendations, to provide references for graduate student recruitment of provincial agricultural research institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaporthe species have often been reported as important plant pathogens, saprobes and endophytes on a wide range of plant hosts. Although several Diaporthe species have been recorded in China, little is known about species able to infect forest trees. Therefore, extensive surveys were recently conducted in Beijing, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi and Zhejiang Provinces. The current results emphasised on 15 species from 42 representative isolates involving 16 host genera using comparisons of DNA sequence data for the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), calmodulin (cal), histone H3 (his3), partial translation elongation factor-1a (tef1) and β-tubulin (tub2) gene regions, as well as their morphological features. Three known species, D. biguttulata, D. eres and D. unshiuensis, were identified. In addition, twelve novel taxa were collected and are described as D. acerigena, D. alangii, D. betulina, D. caryae, D. cercidis, D. chensiensis, D. cinnamomi, D. conica, D. fraxinicola, D. kadsurae, D. padina and D. ukurunduensis. The current study improves the understanding of species causing diebacks on ecological and economic forest trees and provides useful information for the effective disease management of these hosts in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy composites with excellent toughness and strength have been successfully fabricated by direct incorporation of graphite fluoride (GrF) without using any solvent or surfactant modification. Owing to the strong interfacial interactions, the glass transition temperature of GrF/epoxy composites exhibits a significant improvement as observed by dynamic mechanical analysis. Mechanical characterizations on GrF/epoxy composites suggest that the optimal increase of tensile strength and Young's modulus is achieved at a low filler concentration of 0.5 wt%, which is attributed to the favorable level of the GrF dispersion in the epoxy matrix. A maximum toughening effect is obtained at the concentration of 1 wt% GrF in the epoxy matrix with a 1.5-fold improvement in fracture toughness. The generation of crack pinning and crack deflection in epoxy due to the existence of GrF platelets is proposed to be the main toughening mechanism. Besides, microcracks resulted from pulling out, layer breakage and interfacial debonding of GrF platelets also contribute to the improvement in the fracture toughness of GrF/epoxy composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly transparent hydrophobic coatings with scratch-resistant property attract tremendous interest from both scientific research and practical applications. The present study demonstrates that hydrophobic coatings with high transmittance and anti-scratch performance on glass substrates can be easily created by dewetted epoxy structures in large scale, followed by the attachment of a low surface energy material. The influence of epoxy solution concentrations on the surface dewetted structures, as well as the hydrophobicity and transmissivity of glass substrates were investigated. It was found that the epoxy solution concentration of 5% combined with a low surface energy material coating on glass exhibited the highest contact angle of ∼113°. UV–vis spectrum studies indicated that the coatings fabricated by our method had almost the same transmittance as that of the glass substrate. In addition, nano-scratch test illustrated that the prepared coating was capable of delaying crack generation, further strengthening the glass surfaces. Furthermore, our approach also facilitates the large-scale fabrication of hydrophobic anti-scratch coatings on glass as demonstrated by the preparation of mobile phone screen coatings. The detailed mechanism of large-scale hydrophobic coatings on glass with high transmission and anti-scratch performance was carefully elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large number of spectral channels in a hyperspectral image (HSI) produces a fine spectral resolution to differentiate between materials in a scene. However, difficult classes that have similar spectral signatures are often confused while merely exploiting information in the spectral domain. Therefore, in addition to spectral characteristics, the spatial relationships inherent in HSIs should also be considered for incorporation into classifiers. The growing availability of high spectral and spatial resolution of remote sensors provides rich information for image clustering. Besides the discriminating power in the rich spectrum, contextual information can be extracted from the spatial domain, such as the size and the shape of the structure to which one pixel belongs. In recent years, spectral clustering has gained popularity compared to other clustering methods due to the difficulty of accurate statistical modeling of data in high dimensional space. The joint spatial-spectral information could be effectively incorporated into the proximity graph for spectral clustering approach, which provides a better data representation by discovering the inherent lower dimensionality from the input space. We embedded both spectral and spatial information into our proposed local density adaptive affinity matrix, which is able to handle multiscale data by automatically selecting the scale of analysis for every pixel according to its neighborhood of the correlated pixels. Furthermore, we explored the "conductivity method," which aims at amplifying the block diagonal structure of the affinity matrix to further improve the performance of spectral clustering on HSI datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two novel zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF) materials, ZIF-9 and ZIF-12 were firstly introduced as catalysts to activate PMS for Rhodamine B degradation. ZIF-9 and ZIF-12 have the same composition in metal ions (Co 2+ ) and organic linker, but show different structural topologies (SOD and RHO, respectively) and particle size. The two ZIFs were successfully synthesized and characterized via SEM and PXRD. Both ZIF-9 and ZIF-12 as the PMS activation catalysts were evaluated and compared, and the underlying mechanism was proposed. The nanoscale nature enables ZIF-9 a closer contact with PMS, which leading to degradation rate ZIF-9 > ZIF-12 at the time of 5 min (54.8% and 27.7%, respectively). And the degradation of ZIF-12 gradually caught up with ZIF-9 when the reaction time was longer, which can be attributed to the RHO topology and larger cage size of ZIF-12. The efficient degradation of RhB indicates that ZIF-9 and ZIF-12 can be promising heterogeneous catalyst to activate PMS for the degradation of RhB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel knee joint exoskeleton, is designed in this paper, including the mechanical structure and hydraulic damper. To determine the spring parameters of knee joint exoskeleton and verify its effectiveness, we conduct the following studies. Firstly, forward kinematics analysis of the swing phase is obtained and Lagrange dynamics analysis is carried out. Secondly, the 3D model of exoskeleton is set up and ADAMS simulation is conducted. Then the spring parameters of knee joint exoskeleton are selected, including the spring force, the spring stiffness coefficient and the spring expansion, according to the simulation results. Finally, there are three sets of moments on the non-wearable side, the moments resulted from ADAMS simulations, the moments from the CGA (Clinical gait analysis) and the moments calculated from the Lagrange equation are compared, results show they are in good agreement. The effectiveness of the ADAMS simulation proves that the parameters of the hydraulic damper can meet the actual requirements. The simulation analysis of the exoskeleton provides important parameters for the manufacture and it also provides theoretical basis for the later control theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies several modes of coevolution of various types of El Niño_Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) by performing rotated season-reliant empirical orthogonal function (S-EOF) analysis with consideration of ENSO asymmetry. The first two modes reveal that early-onset ENSO is associated with subsequent strong IOD development, whereas late-onset ENSO forces an obscure IOD pattern with marginal SST anomalies in the western Indian Ocean. Further studies show that El Niño starting before early summer can more easily force an IOD event than that starting in late summer or fall, even when they are of equivalent magnitudes. This is because the atmospheric responses over the Indian Ocean to the eastern Pacific warming are in sharp contrast between early and late summer. Early-onset (late onset) El Niño can (cannot) cause favorable atmospheric circulation conditions over the Indian Ocean for inducing the western Indian Ocean warming, which facilitates the subsequent IOD development. In addition, the different propagations of ocean dynamic Rossby waves during the early- or late-onset types of ENSO are also accountable for the different IOD development. For the higher-order modes, the rotated S-EOF of "Niño only" cases shows a coevolution between a negative IOD mode and a date line Pacific El Niño, with warm sea surface temperature anomalies originating from the northern Pacific meridional mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile but efficient spray-coating method was recently developed to manufacture thin, flexible, and transparent epoxy films reinforced with well-exfoliated and highly-aligned α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoplatelets in smectic liquid crystalline order. Here, we investigate the scratch resistance of ZrP/epoxy nanocomposites prepared following the same spray-coating process. Comparison was made with neat epoxy coating to determine the impact of ZrP nanofillers. Tests were conducted with accordance to ASTM D7027 /ISO 19252 scratch standard and scratch mechanisms were studied using different experimental tools. Results show that scratch resistance is considerably improved after introducing ZrP nanofillers to the epoxy coating. This was reflected by the delay in microcracking and plowing damages and the decrease of scratch coefficient of friction. This result is attributed to the significant role of exfoliated and aligned ZrP nanofillers in enhancing the mechanical properties of the epoxy matrix. The usefulness of the current study in developing new coating systems for high-performance applications is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of etomidate on the oxidative stress response and levels of inflammatory factors resulting from ischemia-reperfusion injury of the lower extremities during tibial fracture surgery were investigated. From December 2013 to June 2015, 60 tibial fracture patients with surgical indications for open reduction and internal fixation were selected. Patients were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group. All patients were stanched by tourniquet hemostasis. Patients in the observation group were anesthetized with etomidate (3-6 mg/kg.h) + remifentanil (0.1-0.25 μg/kg/min) administered with an injection pump to maintain intraoperative sedation and analgesia anesthesia. Patients in the control group received propofol (3-6 mg/kg.h) + remifentanil (0.1-0.25 μg/kg/min). Before surgery (T0), before surgery was completed and anesthesia was stopped (T1), 24 h after surgery (T3), 48 h after surgery (T4), and 1 week after surgery (T5), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was determined with a kit, and ELISA was used to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6 in peripheral blood from both groups of patients. Surgery in both groups was completed smoothly. We found that serum SOD levels of patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group, while the levels of TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 released by neutrophils were significantly decreased after ischemia-reperfusion injury (P<0.05). Postoperative length of stay in hospital of the observation group was significantly shorter and the occurrence rate of anesthesia complications was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). In conclusion, during surgery for lower limb fracture, the use of etomidate for maintaining sedation can effectively maintain serum SOD activity and inhibit the release of inflammatory factors after ischemiareperfusion injury of the fracture, to reduce the occurrence rate of anesthesia complications after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal oxides are considered to be among the most promising alternative anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. In this work, we fabricated porous Co3O4 nanofibers by electrospinning and used them as an anode material to improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Each nanofiber consisted of nanoparticles and nanopores, and the nanopores among the Co3O4 nanoparticles and the interlayer empty space between the 3D nanofibers were created to accommodate the volume expansion during the charge/discharge process. We compared the cycling performance of three types of Co3O4 anodes, namely, Co3O4 nanoparticles, Co3O4 microparticles, and Co3O4 nanofibers, and found that cells with Co3O4 nanofibers showed outstanding electrochemical performance with a high capacity of 1227.9 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1. We suspect that the unique structure of the fabricated Co3O4 nanofibers could enhance the accessibility of Li-ion intercalation while reducing possible side reactions as the specific surface area increases. The reversible capacity of cells with Co3O4 nanofibers can reach as high as 1000 mAh g-1 after 60 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g-1, which is even higher than the theoretical capacity of the Co3O4 anode. This is related to the formation of a polymer/gel-like film at the electrolyte/electrode interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper atmosphere is a transition region between the neutron-dominated aviation environment and satellite environment where primary protons and ions dominate. We report high altitude balloon measurements and model results characterising this radiation environment for single event effects (SEE) in avionics. Our data, from the RaySure solid-state radiation monitor, reveal markedly different altitude profiles for low linear energy transfer (LET) and high LET energy depositions. We use models to show that the difference is caused by the influence of primary cosmic ray particles, which induce counts in RaySure via both direct and indirect ionization. Using the new Model of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation Effects (MAIRE), we use particle fluxes and LET spectra to calculate single event upset (SEU) rates as a function of altitude from ground level to the edge of space at 100 km altitude. The results have implications for a variety of applications including high altitude space tourism flights, UAVs and missions to the Martian surface. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hyperammonemia is considered to be central to the pathophysiology of hepatic encephalopathy in patients exhibiting hepatic failure (HF). It has previously been determined that hyperammonemia is a serious metabolic disorder commonly observed in patients with HF. However, it is unclear whether hyperammonemia has a direct adverse effect on hepatic cells or serves as a cause and effect of HF. The present study investigated whether hepatic injury is caused by hyperammonemia, and aimed to provide an insight into the causes and mechanisms of HF. Hyperammonemic rats were established via intragastric administration of ammonium chloride solution. Hepatic tissues were assessed using biochemistry, histology, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry (FCM), semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Hyperammonemic rats exhibited significantly increased levels of liver function markers, including alanine transaminase (P<0.01), aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.01), blood ammonia (P<0.01) and direct bilirubin (P<0.05), which indicated hepatic injury. A pathological assessment revealed mild hydropic degeneration, but no necrosis or inflammatory cell infiltration. However, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assays confirmed a significant increase in the rate of cellular apoptosis in hyperammonemic rat livers (P<0.01). FCM analysis revealed that there were significantly more cells in the S phase and fewer in the G2/M phase (P<0.01), and the expression levels of cyclin A and D1 mRNA and proteins were significantly increased (P<0.01). In summary, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and an alteration of cyclin A and D1 levels were all markers of hyperammonemia-induced hepatic injury. These findings provide an insight into the potential mechanisms underlying hyperammonemia-induced hepatic injury, and may be used as potential targets for treating or preventing hepatic damage caused by hyperammonemia, including hepatic encephalopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the different effects of organic montmorillonite (OMMT) particles and shear flow on the crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) were discussed. While neat iPP and OMMT filled iPP were treated using the multistage stretching extrusion technology, changing the number of laminating-multiplying elements (LMEs) can obtain samples with different dispersion degree of OMMT particles and different orientation degree of molecular chains. With the increase of LME number, the content of β-crystal in neat iPP increased. But for OMMT/iPP composites, decreasing LME number caused the increase of content of β-crystal. The experimental results showed that the shear flow and large OMMT aggregations were essential factors for the formation of β-crystal in composites, and the crystalline morphology strongly depended on the size of OMMT particles. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of sample with 3 wt% of OMMT particles and without LME illustrated that β-transcrystallinity, fan-shaped β-crystal and α-spherulite were induced by different size of OMMT particles, respectively. A schematic was proposed to describe the formation mechanism of α-crystal and β-crystal under the coexistence of OMMT particles and shear flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Pseudomegischus van Achterberg, 2002, is newly reported from China. A new species, P. notiochinensis sp. n., is described and illustrated from southern China. A key to the species of Pseudomegischus is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p-coumaric acid (p-CA), a common plant phenolic acid with multiple bioactivities, has a lipid-lowering effect. As a dietary polyphenol, its low toxicity, with the advantages of prophylactic and long-term administration, makes it a potential drug for prophylaxis and the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the mechanism by which it regulates lipid metabolism is still unclear. In this study, we studied the effect of p-CA on the down-regulation of accumulated lipids in vivo and in vitro. p-CA increased a number of lipase expressions, including hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), as well as the expression of genes related to fatty acid oxidation, including long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT1), by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, and γ (PPARα and γ). Furthermore, p-CA promoted adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and enhanced the expression of the mammalian suppressor of Sec4 (MSS4), a critical protein that can inhibit lipid droplet growth. Thus, p-CA can decrease lipid accumulation and inhibit lipid droplet fusion, which are correlated with the enhancement of liver lipases and genes related to fatty acid oxidation as an activator of PPARs. Therefore, p-CA is capable of regulating lipid metabolism and is a potential therapeutic drug or health care product for hyperlipidemia and fatty liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]