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This study aimed to explore the protective effects of L-theanine supplementation on the diquat-challenged weaned piglets. A total of 160 weaned piglets were randomly divided into 4 groups using a 2 × 2 two-factor design, there were 4 replicates per group and 10 pigs per replicate. Piglets were fed diets (with 1000 mg/kg L-theanine addition or not), then challenged with diquat or saline on day 7. 21 days after challenge, two pigs from each replicate were selected for sample collection. Results showed that supplement with 1000 mg/kg L-theanine down-regulated the diarrhea rate, serum D-lactate level, tumor necrosis factor-α, and phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling in pigs without diquat challenge (p < 0.05). While for diquat-challenged piglets, L-theanine addition increased average daily gain, jejunum villus height, and interferon-γ level (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, L-theanine addition decreased the diarrhea rates and mortality, serum D-lactate level, and phosphorylation of ERK and JNK in diquat-challenged pigs (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that L-theanine pretreatment could alleviate diquat-induced oxidative stress and improve intestinal barrier function in diquat-challenged weaned piglets, which can be attributed to suppression of MAPK phosphorylation signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thoracic myelopathy caused by severe anterior ossification is often progressive and fails to respond to conservative treatment. Removal of the compressing ossification is the most effective method but is hard to operate. In this study, we describe a novel one‐stage posterior circumferential decompressive procedure assisted by an angled ultrasonic bone curette (UBC) for thoracic myelopathy caused by severe anterior ossification and evaluate its safety and efficacy. Methods: The current study enrolled 15 consecutive patients (five men and 10 women) with thoracic myelopathy caused by severely anterior ossification between January 2017 and December 2019. All patients underwent posterior circumferential decompression assisted by angled UBC and segmental instrumentation with interbody fusion. At the time of surgery, the average age was 58.6 ± 6.3 years (47–70 years). Before and after surgery, the patient data, clinical manifestation, operative levels, blood loss, operative time, perioperative complications, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. Results: All patients had successful one‐stage posterior circumferential decompression to remove anterior ossifications directly. There were 12 cases of OPLL, two cases of a calcified giant herniated disc, and one case of osteophyte. The average operation time was 153.4 ± 53.4 min (77–242 min), with a mean blood loss of 463.5 ± 155.8 mL (240–780 mL). The average length of stay in the hospital was 14.3 ± 4.7 days (9–25 days) and the mean follow‐up duration was 20.8 ± 8.8 months (12–39 months). Almost all patients had subjective improvement in motor power and gait. The average preoperative JOA score was 4.5 ± 1.6, which improved to 9.0 ± 1.8 at the final follow‐up. Postoperative differences in the overall JOA scores showed significant improvement (F = 105.446, p < 0.01). The overall recovery rate at the final examination scored 70.9% ± 25.0%. According to Hirabayashi's classification, eight cases were rated as excellent, four as good, two as fair, and one as unchanged. No patient was graded as deteriorated. Two patients (13.3%) experienced intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage, while two cases (13.3%) experienced unilateral intercostal neuralgia, and only one (6.7%) encountered acute neurological deterioration. All these patients were treated conservatively and their neurological function improved significantly. At the follow‐up, there was no evidence of neurological deterioration. Conclusion: Circumferential decompression assisted by angled UBC can preserve more posterior elements of the involved levels, maintaining an intact pleura and reducing the operation time and blood loss for thoracic myelopathy caused by severe anterior ossification. It is a safe, effective, and technically feasible method to provide surgeons with a new option for thoracic spinal circumferential decompression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brittle spalling is a crucial problem for hard ceramic coatings under high-angle sand erosion, especially for traditional binary nitride coatings such as ZrN. Here, we deposited the ZrAlSiN coating by co-doping Al and Si into the ZrN coating to improve the toughness and erosion resistance. ZrN coating was also prepared on Ti6Al4V substrates by magnetic filtration cathode vacuum arc technology (FCVA) under the same process for contrast. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and sand erosion resistance of ZrN and ZrAlSiN coatings were studied. The ZrAlSiN coating contains nanocrystalline ZrAlN and amorphous Si 3 N 4. The results show that the ZrAlSiN coating exhibits the highest H, H/E, H3/E2, and W elastic /W plastic among as-deposited coatings with the value of ~30.8Gpa, ~0.12, ~0.43Gpa, and 2.19, respectively. The erosion rate of the ZrAlSiN coating is about half that of the ZrN coating. The dopping of Si element is conducive to inhibition of the grain growth. The enhanced toughness while maintaining high hardness is one of the main reasons for the better anti-sand erosion performance of ZrAlSiN coatings. The research helps promote the application of ZrN-based coatings in the field of anti-sand erosion. • The co-doping of Al and Si elements resulted in a decrease in grain size. • The ZrAlSiN coating exhibited better mechanical properties with the highest H/E, H3/E2, and Welastic/Wplastic. • The co-doping of Al and Si enhances the toughness and erosion resistance of the ZrAlSiN coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the applicability of a-C-based films in aviation bearings, a novel superlattice composite multilayered WC-enhanced a-C (CWCC) film and a traditional nanocomposite WC/a-C (WCC) film were prepared by an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The microstructures and mechanical properties of films were evaluated, and their friction behaviors under boundary lubrication conditions in aviation lubricant were intensively researched. In comparison to WCC film, the CWCC film showed significantly higher nanohardness and superior toughness attributing to its supperlattice multilayer structure and higher sp3 content. The EDS and Raman analyses indicate that there is only small amount of carbon on the wear scars against CWCC film, while evident tribofilms rich in phosphate and WO 3 formed on the wear scars against WCC film, leading to slightly lower friction coefficients of WCC film. However, CWCC film exhibits more superior wear resistance than WCC film. Especially, at 150 N and 200 N, the wear rate of CWCC film is only about 33.6% and 44.2% of that of WCC film, respectively. It was demonstrated that the novel CWCC film featuring excellent wear resistance in aviation lubricant possesses better potential for the application in aviation bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel scheme to optimize the adaptive transmit waveform of chaotic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar is developed. The main objective of this work is to achieve high ability in target discrimination by using a Dirichlet process mixture model (DPMM)-based clustering method based on nonparametric Bayesian theory and to improve the capability of target detection by minimizing the mean square error of radar channel response via Kalman filtering (KF) technique. The two stages are the discrimination of multiple range-extended targets and the optimization of the adaptive chaos-based waveform for transmission. The adaptive chaotic MIMO waveform optimization scheme overcomes the problem of target discrimination and detection in an intelligent transportation system, where there is a need for extracting the feature of target information achieved from vehicle-mounted sensor. As the number of iterations increases, simulation experiments demonstrate better target discrimination capability provided by the proposed DPMM-KF technique as compared with the traditional waveform design method. In addition, the proposed DPMM-KF technique leads to improved target detection probability and receiver operating characteristics in the interference environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to improve and verify the anti-sand erosion performance of TiN film, a series of TiN films were fabricated using filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique by controlling nitrogen flow rate. The phase constituents and mechanical properties with variation of nitrogen flow rate were investigated. The nitrogen deficient phases of TiN 0.30 , Ti 2 N and TiN 0.61 decreased with increasing nitrogen flow rate, and the hardness of film increased monotonically from 16.77 GPa to 28.56 GPa. The results suggested that sand erosion was a complex process, where multiple mechanical properties contributed to the anti-sand erosion performance of TiN films. When the hardness of film was lower than a critical value of 23 GPa, the films exhibited poor anti-sand erosion performance. While for the films with high enough hardness, excessive residual stress was one of the main factors decreasing the anti-sand erosion performance of TiN films. It was demonstrated that by adjusting the phase constituents in TiN films, the variation of nitrogen flow rates made the mechanical properties of films quite different, and it ultimately showed a critical influence on the anti-sand erosion performance of TiN films. Especially, a better TiN film featuring the preferred orientation of TiN (111), the appropriate hardness of 27.33 GPa, the lowest residual stress of −2.15 GPa and the best anti-sand erosion performance was achieved at nitrogen flow rate of 20 sccm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To improve the tribological performance of M50NiL aero-bearing steel, the TiN, GLC and WC/GLC films were deposited on the M50NiL steel treated by low pressure vacuum carburizing. GLC and WC/GLC films were prepared using unbalance magnetron sputtering system, and TiN films were deposited by magnetic filtered cathode vacuum arc system. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the films were evaluated. The tribological properties of the films were investigated in different environments including dry sliding and #4010 aviation lubricant. The results show that, in dry sliding, WC/GLC film exhibits better tribological performance than GLC film under the load ranging from 5 N to 15 N, while as the load increases to 20 N, the wear rate of WC/GLC film is about 10% higher than that of GLC film. In #4010 aviation lubricant, under the full load ranging from 5 N to 30 N, TiN film shows lower friction coefficient than GLC film, and WC/GLC film performs the best tribological performance. Moreover, the wear mechanisms of TiN, GLC and WC/GLC films were analyzed. Highlights • TiN, GLC and WC/GLC films were deposited on the M50NiL steel treated by low pressure vacuum carburizing. • WC/GLC film performed the best tribological performance in #4010 aviation lubricant. • TiN film shows lower friction coefficient than GLC film in #4010 aviation lubricant. • The wear mechanisms of TiN, GLC and WC/GLC films were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess long-term outcomes after performing tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy (TWOM) for active and inactive noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media (COM) and to estimate the optimal time for surgery.Methods: The patients were placed into an active ear group (group A) and an inactive ear group (group B). All patients were followed up for 5 years after TWOM.Results: Ninety-two cases among 113 achieved dry ears in half a month to 1 month. The tympanic pressure gradually improved 3-6 months after the operation. A total of 69/72 ears achieved dry ears in the active ear group, and 37 ears had effective hearing improvement. In all, 40/41 ears achieved dry ears in the inactive ear group, and 20 ears had effective hearing improvement. There was no difference in the recurrence rate or hearing improvement in the two groups.Conclusion: With good quality control of the surgical treatment of TWOM, there are no differences in long-term outcomes in noncholesteatomatous COM in different chronic infection conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To study the sand erosion damage evolution and mechanism of TiN/Ti multilayer coatings, the coatings with period numbers of 1, 2, 4 and 8, were deposited by combining the techniques of FCVA and MEVVA ion implantation. The coatings were evaluated via nano-indentation and scratcher, and numerical simulations and sand erosion experiments were conducted. All of the coatings show quite high adhesion strengths of ~80 N. Besides, it was found that the deposited defects could lead to premature failure of coating. In the absence of defects, attributing to the maximum tensile stress and highest stress gradient in the exposed topmost TiN layer, the TiN/Ti coatings are generally eroded off as layered. The simulation results showed the high tensile stress distributing on the surface and undersurface of every TiN layer were probably the main factors for crack initiation and brittle flaking. Accordingly, the TiN/Ti coating with one period performed the best erosion resistance, while the coating with eight periods showed the worst performance. These results indicate that based on the high adhesion strength and few defects, the fewer TiN layers in coating, the fewer vulnerable regions with high tensile stress, and resulting in better sand erosion resistance. Highlights • The TiN/Ti coatings are deposited by combining the techniques of FCVA and MEVVA ion implantation. • The highest tensile stress and maximum stress gradient distribute on the topmost TiN surface of the coating. • In the absence of deposited defects, the TiN/Ti multilayer coatings are eroded off as layered. • The fewer TiN layers, the fewer regions with high tensile stress, leading to better erosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the applicability of a-C coatings in a wide temperature range, a novel Si- and WC- co-reinforced amorphous carbon coating (SiC-nWCC), consisting of Si-doped a-C nanolayers and WC/a-C nano-multilayers, is proposed in this paper. A series of SiC-nWCC coatings with different modulation ratios (0.49–1.98) were fabricated by a closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The influences of modulation ratio on the microstructure, mechanical properties together with thermal stability of SiC-nWCC coatings were explored. The tribological behaviors of SiC-nWCC coatings against M50 steel balls were investigated at room temperature to 500 °C in ambient air. The results show that the SiC-nWCC coating with the modulation ratio of 1.98 achieved superior wide-temperature applicability, featuring the average friction coefficient lower than 0.17 and the wear rate less than 9.84 × 10−6 mm3/N·m in the whole temperature range of 25–500 °C. The excellent wide-temperature tribological performance of the SiC-nWCC coating are mainly attributed to the good thermal stability and the formation of temperature adaptive tribological layers. At 25 °C, sp2-rich carbon is the main lubrication phase of tribological layers, and at 200– 400 °C, the lubrication performance of coating relies on both sp2-rich carbon and Si-rich oxides, and at 500 °C, the self-lubrication phases of Si-rich oxides and WO 3 are account for the outstanding lubricating performance of coating. This work provides a profound insight for developing the wide-temperature applicable a-C based coatings. • A novel wide-temperature applicable nanocomposite multilayer SiC-nWCC film is proposed. • SiC-nWCC film with modulation ratio of 1.98 achieves superior tribology performance at 25– 500 °C in ambient air. • Wide-temperature adaptive lubrication mechanism is the combination effects of sp2-rich carbon, Si-rich oxides and WO 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To expand the lubricating temperature range of a-C based film in air atmosphere, a novel Si and WC co-doping Si/WC/a-C film was proposed. The Si/WC/a-C film with different Si contents were prepared by an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The effects of Si on the microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of WC/a-C films were explored, and its wide-temperature tribological behaviors against M50 steel were researched at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 500 °C in air atmosphere. The Si-doping inhibited the crystallization of WC in films, leading to the microstructural transformation from nanocrystalline-amorphous to amorphous. The introduction of Si significantly improved the nanohardness, thermal stability and wide-temperature lubrication properties of WC/a-C film. Therein, the Si/WC/a-C film with 18.85 at.% Si exhibited the best tribological performance featuring the average friction coefficients less than 0.25 at 25–500 °C. Its prominent wide-temperature lubrication performance can be attributed to the successive generation and their combined effect of the self-lubricating phases of sp2-rich carbon, Si–O–C and WO 3 in different temperature ranges. Remarkably, appropriate Si-doping can effectively inhibit the oxidation of sp2-rich carbon in tribological layers, thus it is the dominant lubrication phase throughout the wide temperature range of 25–500 °C. • A novel Si/WC/a-C film with 18.85 at.% Si realizes continuous lubricating at 25–500 °C in air ambient. • Si-doping inhibits the oxidation of sp2-rich carbon in tribological layers. • Wide-temperature lubrication mechanism is the combined effects of sp2-rich carbon, Si–O–C and WO 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microstructure of TiN/Ti multilayer films transformed from TiN/Ti x N y /Ti to TiN/Ti x N y. • Evolution of impact damage mechanisms of TiN/Ti multilayer films was explored. • Crack growth mode changed from lateral along interface to vertical across multilayers. The evolution of cyclic impact damage mechanisms of TiN/Ti multilayer films were investigated in terms of microstructural transformation as the modulation period decreased sharp from micron-scale (1000 nm) to nano-scale (60 nm). It was found that the ductile Ti phases reduced with decreasing modulation period, and the microstructures of films transformed from TiN/Ti x N y /Ti to TiN/Ti x N y (x > y). The cyclic impact results showed that both impact resistance and damage mechanisms of TiN/Ti multilayer films were strongly associated with modulation period. In the cyclic nano-impact conditions, the smaller modulation period of TiN/Ti film, the lower critical fracture load and higher fracture probability, thus worse impact resistance. Furthermore, the evolution of cyclic impact damage mechanisms of TiN/Ti multilayer films were revealed that in T1000 film, only few cracks were observed and the Ti interlayers could prevent cracks from extending deeper into film, resulting in slight fracture with small chippings. While there were many more cracks in T60 film and these cracks could easily across multilayers, leading to severe brittle spalling with multiple layers. It was demonstrated that with the microstructural transformation from TiN/ Ti x N y /Ti to TiN/ Ti x N y , a higher cracking probability was found in TiN/Ti films, and the crack propagation mode changed from horizontal along interface to vertical across multilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the wide-temperature applicability of amorphous carbon-based films, a novel a-C/(WC/a-C) film compositing of a-C nano-layers and super-latticed WC/a-C nano-multilayers was proposed and successfully fabricated on M50NiL substrate by an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. For comparison, a monolayer a-C film and a super-latticed WC/a-C film were also prepared on the same substrates. The microstructures, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the as-deposited films were investigated. Particularly, the tribological behaviors of films against M50 counterpart were evaluated at the temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 350 °C. The results showed that because of the excellent thermal stability of super-latticed WC/a-C sublayers, the a-C/(WC/a-C) film has effectively overcome the poor tribological performance of a-C film at high temperatures (≥200 °C). While benefiting from the good toughness of a-C sublayers, the a-C/(WC/a-C) film showed significant better wear resistance than the WC/a-C film at the temperatures of 25–200 °C. The best wide-temperature applicability of the novel a-C/(WC/a-C) film should be attributed to the favorable mechanical properties, together with the formations of carbon-rich transfer film at 25–150 °C and WO 3 -rich transfer film at 200–350 °C. • A novel a-C/(WC/a-C) film compositing of a-C nano-layers and super-latticed WC/a-C nano-multilayers was proposed. • The a-C/(WC/a-C) film combined the excellent thermal stability of WC/a-C film and the good toughness of a-C film. • The tribological behaviors of a-C, WC/a-C and a-C/(WC/a-C) films against M50 counterparts were investigated at 25–350 °C. • Compared with a-C and WC/a-C films, the a-C/(WC/a-C) film exhibited the best wide-temperature applicability at 25–350 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosa rugosa , a species of notable economic importance, faces cultivation challenges attributed to its vulnerability to thermal stress. In this study, we report the molecular cloning and functional characterization of RcHsf17 , a heat shock transcription factor (Hsf) from group B2, derived from the stress-resilient cultivar of Chinese rose, R. chinensis 'Slater's Crimson China'. RcHsf17, which localizes to the nucleus, is responsive to heat stress and various stress-related stimuli, such as abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2). The overexpression of RcHsf17 in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and R. rugosa significantly enhanced their thermotolerance. In R. rugosa , overexpression of RcHsf17 led to cell wall thickening, sustained photosynthetic efficiency, and decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Transcriptome analysis revealed that RcHsf17 upregulated the expression of other Hsfs such as HsfA3 and HsfB1 , small heat shock protein genes (sHSP s), and genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis under normal conditions. Under heat stress condition, there is a significant upregulation of HsfA6B , gene associated with photosynthesis, and genes responsible for encoding antioxidant enzymes. These findings collectively emphasize the pivotal role of RcHsf17 in conferring thermotolerance to R. rugosa , through mechanisms that include strengthening cell wall integrity, alleviating heat-induced photosynthetic decline, and enhancing the efficiency of ROS detoxification pathways. • RcHsf17 expression was upregulated with heat, hormones and oxidative treatments. • Overexpression of RcHsf17 in Arabidopsis and R.rugosa improved plant tolerance to heat. • Heat shock factor HsfA6B, as well as cell wall biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and antioxidant related genes are affected to enhance the heat tolerance by RcHsf17 overexpression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic posterior atlantoaxial dislocation (PAAD) without fracture of the odontoid process is a rare injury. Closed reduction by skull traction under C‐arm fluoroscopic guidance and open reduction have been reported previously for the treatment of PAAD. Objective: To report a rare case of PAAD without fracture treated by closed manual reduction and posterior fixation. To provide a new method—atlantoaxial dynamic test—for confirming the integrity of the transverse ligament after reduction and evaluate the ideal treatment strategy for traumatic PAAD without fracture of the odontoid process or rupture of the transverse ligament. Method: A 54‐year‐old woman was riding in the passenger seat when her vehicle was rear‐ended by a car. X‐ray and computed tomography (CT) scans were used to diagnose PAAD without a related fracture. Closed manual reduction under C‐arm fluoroscopy was performed after applying general anesthesia via sober intubation, and the integrity of the transverse ligament was confirmed by the atlantoaxial dynamic test with C‐arm fluoroscopy. Then, pedicle screw internal fixation via the posterior approach was applied to maintain atlantoaxial stability. Results: The procedure was performed uneventfully, and the patient was able to move out of bed on the first day after surgery with Philadelphia cervical gear. During a 2‐year follow‐up period, imaging data demonstrated no instability of the atlantoaxial complex. Conclusion: Closed manual reduction under C‐arm fluoroscopy is an easy and effective method for PAAD. The integrity of the transverse ligament can be confirmed by C‐arm fluoroscopy through the atlantoaxial dynamic test after reduction. Pedicle screw internal fixation via the posterior approach can provide sufficient stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of optimizing the anti-impact performance of TiN film, a series of TiN films with different N/Ti ratios were investigated. The phase evolution and mechanical properties of TiN films were explored. In particular, the cyclic nano-impact tests with impact energy ranging from 0.1 μJ to 0.9 μJ were conducted to evaluate the anti-impact performance of TiN films. It was found that the non-stoichiometric phases of TiN 0.30 , Ti 2 N and TiN 0.61 reduced with increasing N/Ti ratio in TiN films. The hardness of film increased with increasing stoichiometric TiN phase in films, while as an indicator of toughness, the H3/E2 ratio decreased. The anti-impact performance of TiN films displayed a close relationship with both hardness and H3/E2 ratio, in which a high enough hardness was the prerequisite of outstanding impact resistance, and H3/E2 ratio was an important factor affecting the damage mechanism. As the H3/E2 ratio decreased, the damage mechanism of TiN film transformed gradually from plastic fatigue damage to brittle fracture failure. Especially, the TiN film featuring N/Ti ratio of 0.780 (TiN-16) was not only hard enough to resist penetration, but also tough enough to prevent the film from fracturing, thus it exhibited the best comprehensive anti-impact performance. • By adjusting the phase constituents, the variation of N/Ti ratios modified the hardness and toughness of TiN films. • Damage mechanism of TiN films transformed from plastic fatigue to brittle fracture with decreasing H3/E2 ratio. • TiN-16 film featuring a high hardness and an optimal H3/E2 ratio exhibited the best anti-impact performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michelia crassipes is the only plant with purple flowers amongst Michelia species, and its tepals exhibit an obvious color change from green to purple. In this study, a combination of metabolic and transcriptomic analyses was conducted at three stages of tepals in Michelia crassipes : green tepal, purple spot-containing tepal, and totally purple tepal. Several classes of flavonoid compounds were detected and cyanidin 3-rutinoside and delphinidin 3-glucoside were the major anthocyanins underlying the purple color formation, along with co-pigmentation of flavone compounds represented by luteolin derivatives and flavonol compounds represented by kaempferol and quercetin derivatives. Transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of genes encoding enzymes involved in the conversion of phenylpropanoid for flavonoid biosynthesis in Stage 1 vs. Stage 2, whereas up-regulation of most flavonoid biosynthesis genes was observed in Stage 1 vs. Stage 3. MYB, bHLH, and WD40 isoforms, as well as other classes of transcriptional factors, also exhibited differential expression. In addition, differentially expressed genes putatively related to the transport of flavonoids were also identified. The results of the current study provide insight into the regulatory mechanism underlying the color transition from green to purple in Michelia crassipes tepals and describe a complicated network involving PAL , transporter genes, and transcription factors, specifically responsible for the emergence of purple color in Stage 1 vs. Stage 2. • The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS has been a powerful tool in the detection of secondary metabolites in plants. • Combination of metabolic and transcriptomic analyses facilitate the understanding of flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in specific plants. • The color phenotype in plants is affected by not only the genes involved in the flavonoid synthesis, but also the genes related to the flavonoid transport. • There are various kinds of flavonoids in the tepal of Michelia crassipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe exhaust gas emitted by a stenter machine will lead to energy waste and environmental heat pollution. Therefore, designing an efficient waste heat recovery apparatus for exhaust gas not only protects the environment but also saves production costs. In the article, the heat transfer performance and pressure drop of three types of heat exchangers: flat-plate heat exchanger (PHE), wavy-PHE, and zigzag-PHE were numerically studied in the context of waste heat recovery from the exhaust gas of stenter machines. The heat transfer rate (Q), Nusselt number (Nu), Colburn factor (j), pressure drop, Fanning friction factor (f), and comprehensive performance factor (JF) were investigated while Reynolds numbers ranged from 1000 to 9000. An experimental measurement was devised to validate the accuracy of the numerical simulation. The results of the research indicate that the wavy-PHE exhibits improved heat transfer efficiency and reduced pressure drop, primarily attributed to the substantial generation of secondary flow. Three new correlations for Nusselt number in different PHEs were developed based on commonly existing empirical formulas. The prediction accuracy for the Nusselt number based on the new correlations has been significantly improved in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important factor secreted by skeletal muscle, myonectin can regulate lipid metabolism and energy metabolism, but its role in the utilization of peripheral free fatty acids (FFAs) by porcine intramuscular fat cells remains to be further investigated. In this study, porcine intramuscular adipocytes were treated with recombinant myonectin and palmitic acid (PA), either alone or in combination, and then were examined for their uptake of exogenous FFAs, intracellular lipid synthesis and catabolism, and mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. The results showed that myonectin decreased the area of lipid droplets in intramuscular adipocytes (p < 0.05) and significantly increased (p < 0.05) the expression levels of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Moreover, myonectin can up-regulate the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Myonectin significantly promoted the uptake of peripheral FFAs (p < 0.01), improved (p < 0.05) the expression of fatty transport protein 1 (FATP1) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in intramuscular adipocytes. Myonectin also significantly increased (p < 0.05) the expression levels of fatty acid oxidation markers: transcription factor (TFAM), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) and oxidative respiratory chain marker protein complex I (NADH-CoQ) in mitochondria of intramuscular adipocytes. In summary, myonectin promoted the absorption, transport, and oxidative metabolism of exogenous FFAs in mitochondria, thereby inhibiting lipid deposition in porcine intramuscular adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), one kind of scanning probe microscopy technique, featuring the advantage of non-contact imaging of sample surfaces in three dimensions with high resolution, has been widely applied in characterizations of sample topography, especially for soft materials. However, the time consuming imaging process of SICM restricts its further applications, such as in characterization of dynamic change of sample surface. In this work, a fast control mode of SICM, named as a continuous control mode, has been developed. In this mode, the SICM probe (i.e., pipette) is controlled by speed instructions in the axial direction of pipette ( Z axis), and the pipette position is determined by the position sensor. Compared to the conventional piezo control mode of SICM (i.e., the stepwise control mode), in which the pipette is controlled by the position instructions and moves step by step, the continuous control mode can perform the continuous movement of the pipette in Z axis and overcome the time consuming problem caused by the repeated acceleration and deceleration of the pipette during the stepwise mode. Moreover, the imaging resolution in Z axis is not restricted by the pipette movement step and the imaging rate in the continuous control mode can be significantly enhanced without losing imaging quality. The approach speed of pipette in the continuous control mode can reach at 300 nm/ms, which is much faster than that in the stepwise mode. The surfaces of the soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) samples with three different patterns, the hard metal grating sample and the cardiac fibroblasts as the biological sample demo were comparably scanned by SICM using the continuous control mode and the stepwise approach mode, respectively. The obtained SICM images of the sample topography prove that the continuous control mode can not only reduce the imaging deviation, but also efficiently improve the scanning rate of SICM. Furthermore, the continuous control mode can reconstruct the sample topography more stably compared to the stepwise control mode. The continuous control mode developed in this work can provide an efficient and reliable control strategy for improving the imaging performance of SICM system, and therefore can be potentially applied in dynamic characterizations of various samples in material science, biology and chemistry fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the psychological experience characteristics of nursing staff with different roles in response to sudden public health emergencies so as to formulate targeted intervention strategies against the negative psychology of nursing staff. Methods Based on the principle of information saturation, purposive sampling was used to select nursing staff with different roles, and semi-structured interviews were conducted from July to August 2022. The interview data were sorted and analyzed by QSR Nvivo 11.0 software. Results A total of 18 nursing staff members were included in this interview, including 9 managers and 9 non-managers. Four tree nodes were determined based on the interview materials: positive orientation of work feelings, negative experience in the support process, influencing factors of negative experience, and psychological adjustment measures. The high-frequency words were "problem", "work", "influence", "psychology", "pressure", "communication", etc. The most important sub-node in the tree node of "influencing factors of negative experience", "psychological adjustment measures", "positive orientation of work feelings" and "negative experience in the support process" was "management pressure", "self-release path", "sense of value" and "worry", respectively. The proportion of negative matrix coding words for nursing management personnel was much greater than that for non-management personnel, while the proportion of positive matrix coding words was much smaller than that for non-management personnel. Conclusions There were different degrees of negative psychological tendencies among front -line emergency nurses in sudden public health emergencies, among which management personnel were more prominent. Corresponding psychological adjustment intervention strategies should be formulated for nursing managers in emergency work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report the outcomes and feasibility of a new technique to change K‐line (−) to K‐line (+) via only a posterior approach to treat multilevel non‐continuous cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (C‐OPLL) with kyphotic deformity. Methods: In this study, 17 consecutive cases of patients who underwent vertical pressure procedure (VP) combined with posterior cervical single‐open‐door laminoplasty and instrumented fusion from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 were enrolled. The following radiographic parameters: C2‐C7 Cobb angle, local Cobb angle, extent of OPLL, and the distance from OPLL to the K‐line(DK) were measured and analyzed. Clinically, the JOA score, VAS‐N and VAS‐A, NDI, and complications were collected from medical records to evaluate the clinical outcomes. Results: All 17 cases shifted from K‐line (−) to K‐line (+).Comparing the preoperative images to the final follow‐up images, the mean C2‐7 Cobb angle changed from −6.94° ± 8.30° to 8.18° ± 4.43°, and the local Cobb angle altered from −9.12° ± 8.68° to 6.65° ± 6.11°. The mean DK increased from −2.64 ± 1.52 mm to 3.09 ± 2.19 mm. One patient showed C5 palsy and recovered within 3 months. The mean JOA score increased from 8.88 ± 2.11 to 14.71 ± 1.36. The average NDI decreased from 20.65 ± 7.80 to 8.94 ± 4.93. The mean VAS‐N and VAS‐A decreased from 3.44 ± 1.80 and 4.69 ± 1.97 to 1.25 ± 0.86 and 1.38 ± 1.16. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Conclusion: A new technique added to posterior decompression and fusion (PDF), the vertical pressure procedure effectively corrects K‐line (−) to K‐line (+) and avoids the shortcomings of conventional anterior decompression and fusion (ADF) as well as PDF to provide a relatively safe and adequate decompression, cervical realignment. It pronounced satisfactory clinical outcome for extensive non‐continuous OPLL with kyphotic deformity even though OPLL remains ventral to the spinal cord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a Eulerian Wall Film (EWF) model and a discrete phase model (DPM) are applied to simulate the phenomenon of droplet re-entrainment in a baffle demister. The primary objective was to design a new hook plate and evaluate its influence on the performance. The results show that the phenomenon of droplet re-entrainment occurs owing to the separation and stripping of the liquid film at the corner of the demister. Moreover, the liquid film strips at the areas where the local velocity is quite high near the wall of the demister. With the installation of the hook, the removal efficiency increased from 68.4% to 87.2% at 3 m/s inlet velocity. When the inlet velocity was increased to 6 m/s, the removal efficiency reached 96.7%, indicating that the existence of the hook plate further improved the efficiency of the demister, whereas the pressure loss of the system also increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A large number of variants have been employed in various medical applications, such as providing medication instructions, disease susceptibility testing, paternity testing, and tumour diagnosis. A high multiplicity PCR will outperform other technologies because of its lower cost, reaction time and sample consumption. To conduct a multiplex PCR with higher than 100 plex multiplicity, primers need to be carefully designed to avoid the formation of secondary structures and nonspecific amplification between primers, templates and products. Thus, a user-friendly, highly automated and highly user-defined web-based multiplex PCR primer design software is needed to minimize the work of primer design and experimental verification. Results: Ultiplex was developed as a free online multiplex primer design tool with a user-friendly web-based interface (http://ultiplex.igenebook.cn). To evaluate the performance of Ultiplex, 294 out of 295 (99.7%) target primers were successfully designed. A total of 275 targets produced qualified primers after primer filtration, and 271 of those targets were successfully clustered into one compatible PCR group and could be covered by 108 primers. The designed primer group stably detected the rs28934573(C > T) mutation at lower than a 0.25% mutation rate in a series of samples with different ratios of HCT-15 and HaCaT cell line DNA. Conclusion: Ultiplex is a web-based multiplex PCR primer tool that has several functions, including batch design and compatibility checking for the exclusion of mutual secondary structures and mutual false alignments across the whole genome. It offers flexible arguments for users to define their own references, primer Tm values, product lengths, plex numbers and tag oligos. With its user-friendly reports and web-based interface, Ultiplex will provide assistance for biological applications and research involving genomic variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tree Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis is native to China and is an important forest species widely used for wood production. Here, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of six wild and six cultivated accessions of this tree. The 12 cp genomes ranged from 131,379 to 131,528 bp. The GC content was 35.4%, similar to other gymnosperm species. The cp genomes lacked typical inverted repeat (IR) regions and encoded 118 genes. Most genes appeared in one copy and 17 genes contained introns. Two multi-copy genes (trnM-CAU × 3, trnQ-UUG × 2) were identified. And 59–61 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the whole cp genomes, and most SSR loci consisted of A or T bases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that wild and cultivated accessions were not clearly differentiated. Our results will provide useful information for the conservation and utilization of this variety. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2021.1932592. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La modified TiO2 prepared by sol–gel method as the support of Fe–Mn/TiO2(xLa) catalyst significantly improved SO2 resistance. La inhibited the growth of TiO2 particle, and led to the obvious layered structure of TiO2 and more mesopores, which accelerated the decomposition of ammonium sulfate. The increase of Brønsted acid sites and the electron transfer between La and active components Fe and Mn in La doped catalysts inhibit the adsorption and oxidation of SO2 on the catalyst, thus improving the SO2 resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To design a new type of screw for minimally invasive atlantoaxial anterior transarticular screw (AATS) fixation with a diameter that is significantly thicker than that of traditional screws, threaded structures at both ends, and a porous metal structure in the middle. The use of a porous metal structure can effectively promote bone fusion and compensate for the disadvantages of traditional AATSs in terms of insufficient fixation strength and difficulty of bone fusion. The biomechanical stability of this screw was verified through finite element analysis. This instrument may provide a new surgical option for the treatment of atlantoaxial disorders. Methods: According to the surgical procedure, the new type of AATS was placed in a three-dimensional atlantoaxial model to determine the setting of relevant parameters such as the diameter, length, and thread to porous metal ratio of the structure. According to the results of measurement, the feasibility and safety of the new AATS were verified, and a representative finite element model of the upper cervical vertebrae was chosen to establish, and the validity of the model was verified. Then, finite element-based biomechanical analysis was performed using three models, i.e., atlantoaxial posterior pedicle screw fixation, traditional atlantoaxial AATS fixation, and atlantoaxial AATS fixation with the new type of screw, and the biomechanical effectiveness of the novel AATS was verified. Results: By measuring the atlantoaxial parameters, the atlantoaxial CT data of the representative 30-year-old normal adult male were selected to create a personalized 3D printing AATS screw. In this case, the design parameters of the new screw were determined as follows: diameter, 6 mm; length of the head thread structure, 10 mm; length of the middle porous metal structure, 8 mm (a middle porous structure containing an annular cylinder); length of the tail thread structure, 8 mm; and total length, 26 mm. Applying the same load conditions to the atlantoaxial complex along different directions in the established finite element models of the three types of atlantoaxial fusion modes, the immediate stability of the new AATS is similar with Atlantoaxial posterior pedicle screw fixation.They are both superior to traditional atlantoaxial anterior screw fixation.The maximum local stress on the screw head in the atlantoaxial anterior surgery was less than those of traditional atlantoaxial anterior surgery. Conclusions: By measuring relevant atlantoaxial data, we found that screws with a larger diameter can be used in AATS surgery, and the new AATS can make full use of the atlantoaxial lateral mass space and increase the stability of fixation. The finite element analysis and verification revealed that the biomechanical stability of the new AATS was superior to the AATS used in traditional atlantoaxial AATS fixation. The porous metal structure of the new AATS may promote fusion between atlantoaxial joints and allow more effective bone fusion in the minimally invasive anterior approach surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress plays an important role in femoral head necrosis. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains growth factors that can accelerate fracture healing. PRP combined with core decompression can promote recovery from non-traumatic femoral head necrosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether PRP combined with core decompression can inhibit oxidative stress in steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head model via Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. METHODS: Forty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into normal group, model group, control group and PRP group, with 10 rabbits in each group. In the model and PRP groups, a model of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis was established in a sterile environment. At 4 weeks after operation, the rabbits in the PRP group were injected with 0.4 mL of 3% PRP after core decompression. The control group received core decompression treatment, and the control and model groups were raised normally. After 14 weeks, the experimental animals were sacrificed. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of bone marrow cavity and the vacancy rate of bone lacunae in the femoral head of each group. Total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione, and malondialdehyde were detected. TUNEL was used to detect bone cell apoptosis in the femoral head. Immunofluorescence staining was used to determine the distribution of Keap1 and Nrf2. Western blot was used to measure Keap1, Nrf2, and H0-1 protein expression in the femoral head. Approval was obtained from the Animal Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, approval No. qhdx-201908374. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with the normal group, the trabecular bone in model group was thinned with structure disorder. Compared with the model group, the trabecular bone structure in control group was restored, and the number of vacant bone lacunae was reduced (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the animals treated with PRP combined with core decompression were further improved, the trabecular bone structure was further improved, and the number of vacant bone lacunae was further reduced (P < 0.05). Whereas there was no significant difference between the PRP group and normal group (P > 0.05). (2) The total antioxidant capacity and serum levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and reduced glutathione in the model group were significantly lower than those in normal animals (P < 0.05), while the MDA concentration was significantly higher than that in the normal group (P < 0.05). These oxidative stress indexes were slightly improved in the control group compared with the model group (P > 0.05), while these indexes were significantly improved in the PRP group than the model and control groups (P < 0.05). (3) The expression of Kesp1 in the model group was significantly lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.05), and the expression of Nrf2 and HQ-1 protein was significantly higher than that of the normal group (P < 0.05). The expression of Keap1 in the PRP group was lower than that of the model and control groups (P < 0.05), and the expression of Nrf2 and HQ-1 was significantly higher than that of the model and control groups (P < 0.05). Therefore, PRP can effectively inhibit oxidative stress in the process of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis, which may be caused by activating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qingke (Tibetan hulless barley) has long been cultivated and exposed to long-term and strong UV-B radiation on the Tibetan Plateau, which renders it an ideal species for elucidating novel UV-B responsive mechanisms in plants. Here we report a comprehensive metabolite profiling and metabolite-based genome-wide association study (mGWAS) using 196 diverse qingke and barley accessions. Our results demonstrated both constitutive and induced accumulation, and common genetic regulation, of metabolites from different branches of the phenylpropanoid pathway that are involved in UV-B protection. A total of 90 significant mGWAS loci for these metabolites were identified in barley-qingke differentiation regions, and a number of high-level metabolite trait alleles were found to be significantly enriched in qingke, suggesting co-selection of various phenylpropanoids. Upon dissecting the entire phenylpropanoid pathway, we identified some key determinants controlling natural variation of phenylpropanoid content, including three novel proteins, a flavone C -pentosyltransferase, a tyramine hydroxycinnamoyl acyltransferase, and a MYB transcription factor. Our study, furthermore, demonstrated co-selection of both constitutive and induced phenylpropanoids for UV-B protection in qingke. Qingke (Tibetan hulless barley) has long been cultivated and exposed to long-term and strong UV-B radiation on the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we report a comprehensive metabolite-profiling and metabolite-based genome-wide association study using 196 diverse qingke and barley accessions. Our results demonstrated both constitutive and induced accumulation, and common genetic regulation, of metabolites from different branches of the phenylpropanoid pathway that are involved in UV-B protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of a novel lumbar approach named extraforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (ELIF), a newly emerging minimally invasive technique for treating degenerative lumbar disorders, using a digitalized simulation and a cadaveric study. Methods: The ELIF surgical procedure was simulated using the Mimics surgical simulator and included dissection of the superior articular process, dilation of the vertebral foramen, and placement of pedicle screws and a cage. ELIF anatomical measures were documented using a digitalized technique and subsequently validated on fresh cadavers. Results: The use of the Mimics allowed for the vivid simulation of ELIF surgical procedures, while the cadaveric study proved the feasibility of this novel approach. ELIF had a relatively lateral access approach that was located 8–9 cm lateral to the median line with an access depth of approximately 9 cm through the intermuscular space. Dissection of the superior articular processes could fully expose the target intervertebral discs and facilitate a more inclined placement of the pedicle screws and cage with robust enhancement. Conclusions: According to the computer-based simulation and cadaveric study, it is feasible to perform ELIF. Further research including biomechanical study is needed to prove ELIF has a superior ability to preserve the posterior tension bands of the spinal column, with similar effects on spinal decompression, fixation, and fusion, and if it can enhance post-fusion spinal stability and expedites postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]