Search

Objective: Catalpol (CAT) has various pharmacological activities and plays a protective role in cerebral ischemia. It has been reported that CAT played a protective role in cerebral ischemia by upregulaing NRF1 expression. Bioinformatics analysis reveals that NRF1 can be used as a transcription factor to bind to the histone acetyltransferase KAT2A. However, the role of KAT2A in cerebral ischemia remains to be studied. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of CAT in cerebral ischemia and its related mechanism. Methods: In vitro, a cell model of oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) was constructed, followed by evaluation of neuronal injury and the expression of METTL3, Beclin-1, NRF1, and KAT2A. In vivo, a MCAO rat model was prepared by means of focal cerebral ischemia, followed by assessment of neurological deficit and brain injury in MCAO rats. Neuronal autophagy was evaluated by observation of autophagosomes in neurons or brain tissues by TEM and detection of the expression of LC3 and p62. Results: In vivo, CAT reduced the neurological function deficit and infarct volume, inhibited neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex, and significantly improved neuronal injury and excessive autophagy in MCAO rats. In vitro, CAT restored OGD/R-inhibited cell viability, inhibited cell apoptosis, LDH release, and neuronal autophagy. Mechanistically, CAT upregulated NRF1, NRF1 activated METTL3 via KAT2A transcription, and METTL3 inhibited Beclin-1 via m6A modification. Conclusion: CAT activated the NRF1/KAT2A/METTL3 axis and downregulated Beclin-1 expression, thus relieving neuronal injury and excessive autophagy after cerebral ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short text streams, such as social media comments, are continuously generated, making effective clustering methods essential for extracting valuable information. However, existing research fails to address the problem of topic concentration in clustering, which leads to multiple topics being confused in one cluster, making it challenging to summarize the center of clustering. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes a novel topic-enhanced clustering method called TEDM, based on the Dirichlet model. The method uses dynamic clustering, leveraging topic information to improve the sampling of documents and better cluster documents on the same topic. TEDM constructs a dynamic word relation graph to extract topic terms, which is updated with the stream of documents to cope with the dynamic changes in topics. Extensive experimental studies demonstrate that TEDM outperforms state-of-the-art works on multiple real datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerodynamic performance of the flow around a cylinder with two free ends, which is also referred to as a finite-length cylinder, continues to be a subject of rigorous academic inquiry. However, limited research has been conducted on finite-length cylinders with rough surfaces. To evaluate the impact of relative roughness on the aerodynamic performance of a finite-length cylinder, we performed numerical simulations on a cylinder model with an aspect ratio of 1.5 with various relative roughness values. These simulations covered a range of Reynolds numbers from 3.9 × 103 to 4.8 × 105. The results indicated that both the relative roughness and Reynolds number could affect the aerodynamic characteristics of the cylinder by altering the flow pattern around the cylinder. As the Reynolds number increased, the four spiral eddies behind the finite-length cylinder gradually lost their symmetry in the axial direction and eventually transformed into a pair of recirculating eddies. Moreover, when the Reynolds number was constant at 2.0 × 104, an increase in the surface roughness of the cylinder triggered the same phenomenon. Additionally, the mechanism by which the surface roughness affected the aerodynamic coefficient of a finite-length cylinder in the current Reynolds number range was revealed. This influence was mainly attributed to the impact of pressure on the backside of the cylinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the potential mechanism of Yougui Wan on deformed lumbar intervertebral disk structure in rats. Methods: Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 10 rats in each group. The animals in the blank control group were healthy rats without specific treatment, and those in the model group and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group were used to establish the intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD) model by puncturing the annulus. Four weeks after modeling, rats in the TCM group were administered Yougui Wan by gavage for 2 consecutive weeks. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-10), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured by ELISA, and the protein expression levels of collagen II and Notch1 in intervertebral disk tissues were examined by Western blotting. Apoptosis was detected by the TUNEL method. Results: Compared with those in the blank group, IL-10, MIF and TNF-α levels in the model group and TCM group were increased (P < 0.05), the protein expression levels of collagen II were decreased, and the protein expression levels of Notch1 were increased. Compared with those in the model group, the levels of IL-10 in the TCM group were increased (P < 0.05), the levels of MIF and TNF-α were decreased (P < 0.05), the protein expression levels of collagen II were increased, and the protein expression levels of Notch1 were decreased. Conclusion: Yougui Wan can inhibit the inflammatory response in IDD rats, reduce the degradation of extracellular matrix, reduce apoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells, and alleviate intervertebral disk degeneration. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Notch signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy is a standard first-line treatment for metastatic bladder cancer (BCa) patients, and chemoresistance remains a major challenge in clinical practice. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as essential regulators in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. However, the role of circRNAs in mediating CDDP chemosensitivity has yet to be well elucidated in BCa. Methods: CircSTX6 (hsa_circ_0007905) was identified by mining the public circRNA datasets and verified by Sanger sequencing, agarose gel electrophoresis, RNase R treatment and qRT-PCR assays. Then, function experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of circSTX6 on BCa metastasis. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA stability assay, Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and Immunofluorescence (IF) were conducted to evaluate the interaction among circSTX6, miR-515-3p, PABPC1 and SUZ12. Animal experiments were performed to explore the function of circSTX6 in tumor metastasis and CDDP sensitivity. Results: We identified that circSTX6 was significantly upregulated in clinical samples and cells of BCa. Functionally, circSTX6 promoted cell migration and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circSTX6 could act as a miR-515-3p sponge and abolish its effect on SUZ12. Moreover, circSTX6 was confirmed to increase the stability of SUZ12 mRNA by interacting with a mRNA stabilizer PABPC1 and subsequently promote the expression of SUZ12. Importantly, silencing of circSTX6 improved the chemosensitivity of CDDP-resistant bladder cancer cells to CDDP. Furthermore, in vivo analysis supported that knockdown of circSTX6 attenuated CDDP resistance in BCa tumors. Conclusion: These studies demonstrate that circSTX6 plays a pivotal role in BCa metastasis and chemoresistance, and has potential to serve as a therapeutic target for treatment of BCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loading of homogeneous catalysts with support can dramatically improve their performance in olefin polymerization. However, the challenge lies in the development of supported catalysts with well‐defined pore structures and good compatibility to achieve high catalytic activity and product performance. Herein, we report the use of an emergent class of porous material—covalent organic framework material (COF) as a carrier to support metallocene catalyst—Cp2ZrCl2 for ethylene polymerization. The COF‐supported catalyst demonstrates a higher catalytic activity of 31.1×106 g mol−1 h−1 at 140 °C, compared with 11.2×106 g mol−1 h−1 for the homogenous one. The resulting polyethylene (PE) products possess higher weight‐average molecular weight (Mw) and narrower molecular weight distribution (Ð) after COF supporting, that is, Mw increases from 160 to 308 kDa and Ð drops from 3.3 to 2.2. The melting point (Tm) is also increased by up to 5.2 °C. Moreover, the PE product possesses a characteristic filamentous microstructure and demonstrates an increased tensile strength from 19.0 to 30.7 MPa and elongation at break from 350 to 1400 % after catalyst loading. We believe that the use of COF carriers will facilitate the future development of supported catalysts for highly efficient olefin polymerization and high‐performance polyolefins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma, despite the undoubted benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapies over monotherapies of angiogenic/mTOR inhibitors in the intention-to-treat population, approximately a quarter of the patients can scarcely gain advantage from ICIs, prompting the search for predictive biomarkers for patient selection. Methods: Clinical and multi-omic data of 2428 ccRCC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 537), JAVELIN Renal 101 (avelumab plus axitinib vs. sunitinib, n = 885), and CheckMate-009/010/025 (nivolumab vs. everolimus, n = 1006). Results: BAP1 mutations were associated with large progression-free survival (PFS) benefits from ICI-based immunotherapies over sunitinib/everolimus (pooled estimate of interaction HR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.51–0.99, P = 0.045). Using the top 20 BAP1 mutation-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) generated from the TCGA cohort, we developed the BAP1-score, negatively correlated with angiogenesis and positively correlated with multiple immune-related signatures concerning immune cell infiltration, antigen presentation, B/T cell receptor, interleukin, programmed death-1, and interferon. A high BAP1-score indicated remarkable PFS benefits from ICI-based immunotherapies over angiogenic/mTOR inhibitors (avelumab plus axitinib vs. sunitinib: HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.43–0.70, P < 0.001; nivolumab vs. everolimus: HR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.52–1.00, P = 0.045), while these benefits were negligible in the low BAP1-score subgroup (HR = 1.16 and 1.02, respectively). Conclusion: In advanced ccRCCs, the BAP1-score is a biologically and clinically significant predictor of immune microenvironment and the clinical benefits from ICI-based immunotherapies over angiogenic/mTOR inhibitors, demonstrating its potential utility in optimizing the personalized therapeutic strategies in patients with advanced ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To explore the therapeutic efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) combined with zoledronic acid (ZOL) in postmenopausal women and adult men with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). Materials and methods: A total of 238 patients with OVCF were randomly assigned to the control or ZOL group: 119 patients were treated with only PKP (control group), and 119 were treated with ZOL infusion after PKP (ZOL group). Clinical, radiological and laboratory indices were evaluated at follow-up. Results: The visual analog scale (VAS) score and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were significantly higher in both groups post-treatment than at baseline (all p < 0.01). The bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal femoral neck and height of the injured vertebra were significantly increased after treatment compared with before treatment, and the Cobb angle of the injured vertebra was significantly decreased in both groups (all p < 0.01). However, the bone metabolism indices (type I procollagen amino-terminal peptide (PINP), beta type I collagen carboxy-terminal peptide (β-CTX), and osteocalcin in the N-terminal molecular fragment (NMID)) were significantly lower post-treatment than at baseline in only the ZOL group (all p < 0.01). The VAS score, ODI, BMD, PINP level, β-CTX level, NMID level, vertebral height and Cobb angle of the injured vertebra were significantly higher in the ZOL group than in the control group (all p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the postoperative bone cement leakage rate between the two groups. At follow-up, new OVCFs were experienced by 16 patients in the control group and 2 patients in the ZOL group (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The therapeutic efficacy of PKP combined with ZOL for primary OVCF is clinically beneficial and warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter has been widely used in power supply modules due to its simple control and high output power. However, with the market's increasing demand for higher power sources, the PSFB converter needs to face challenges in increasing its output power level. Compared to redesigning a larger power module or a larger single converter, it will be more cost-effective to achieve a higher power output by paralleling the existing converters. However, due to the manufacturing differences in circuit components, the output imbalance in parallel PSFB converter systems may damage the power modules. Thus, the influence of differences in circuit components is analyzed in this paper, and it is found that the leakage inductance and transformer ratio are the main factors resulting in errors in current sharing control. Consequently, a dynamic hybrid compensator (DHC) is proposed in this paper, that can significantly reduce the error in current sharing control via the compensation of the duty cycle of a slave module. Furthermore, the DHC is verified on an 800 W two-phase PSFB converter, which shows that even when the difference in components is as large as 20%, the proposed method can still reduce the error in current sharing control to less than 2% under both half and full load conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-turn short circuit (ITSC) is a common fault in electrical machines, which may result in further devastation to the whole winding and magnets. In this article, a method for real-time residual insulation capacity monitoring of ITSC fault in permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) is proposed, which is robust to speed/torque variation and independent of machine parameters and extra sensors. It is based on the theory that the ITSC fault initiates as an insulation deterioration among adjacent turns and the fault severity can be described by the residual insulation capacity being relevant to the 2nd harmonic component in the dq-axis currents. Thus, a short-time Adaline-based harmonic extraction method is proposed for the separation of the needed 2nd harmonic component from time-varying current signals, being used as the fault indicator afterward. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is experimentally evaluated on a PMSM and shows quite good performance in fast-tracking and detection of faults in various stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the topics of COVID-19 news articles for better obtaining the relationship among and the evolution of news topics, helping to manage the infodemic from a quantified perspective. Design/methodology/approach: To analyze COVID-19 news articles explicitly, this paper proposes a prism architecture. Based on epidemic-related news on China Daily and CNN, this paper identifies the topics of the two news agencies, elucidates the relationship between and amongst these topics, tracks topic changes as the epidemic progresses and presents the results visually and compellingly. Findings: The analysis results show that CNN has a more concentrated distribution of topics than China Daily, with the former focusing on government-related information, and the latter on medical. Besides, the pandemic has had a big impact on CNN and China Daily's reporting preference. The evolution analysis of news topics indicates that the dynamic changes of topics have a strong relationship with the pandemic process. Originality/value: This paper offers novel perspectives to review the topics of COVID-19 news articles and provide new understandings of news articles during the initial outbreak. The analysis results expand the scope of infodemic-related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate early oncologic outcomes in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) with venous invasion (VI) treated using both open and mini-invasive approaches. Patients and materials: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 4 international referral center databases, including all the patients undergoing adrenalectomy for ACC with VI from January 2007 to March 2020. According to CT scan or MRI, the tumor thrombus was classified into four levels: (1) adrenal vein invasion; (2) renal vein invasion; (3) infra-hepatic Inferior vena cava (IVC); and (4) retro-hepatic IVC. In addition, we divided our patients into patients who had undergone open surgery and mini-invasive surgery. Results: We identified 20 patients with a median follow-up of 12 months. The median tumor size was 110mm. ENSAT stage was II in 4 patients, III in 13 patients, and IV in 3 patients. Tumor thrombus extended in the adrenal vein (n=5), renal vein (n=1), infra-hepatic IVC (n=9), or into the retro-hepatic IVC (n=5). Ten patients were treated with a mini-invasive approach. The patient treated with an open approach reported a more aggressive disease. The two groups did not differ in surgical margins, surgical time, blood losses, complications, and length of stay. The prognosis resulted worse in the patient undergoing open. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated a difference in OS for the patients stratified by ENSAT stage (Log-rank p=0.011); we also reported a difference in DFS for patients stratified for thrombus extension (p=0.004) and ENSAT stage (p<0.001). Conclusion: The DFS of patients with VI from ACC is influenced by the staging and the extension of the venous invasion; the staging influences the OS. The mini-invasive approach seems feasible in selected patients; however, further studies investigating the oncological outcomes are needed. Patient summary: A mini-invasive approach for adrenal tumors with venous invasion is an explorable option in very selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tridiagonal solver is an important kernel and is widely supported in mainstream numerical libraries. While parallel algorithms have been studied for many-core architectures, the performance of current algorithms and implementations is still hindered by input size sensitivity and cross-platform portability. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm WM-pGE for the batched solution of diagonally dominant tridiagonal systems. The algorithm balances the key design objectives, including computation complexity, memory complexity, parallelism, and input size sensitivity, better than existing algorithms. Moreover, an elegant formulation is presented to show the implementation and cross-platform optimization without loss of efficiency and generality, by extracting the platform-dependent works into only four vector operators. The results from our batched tridiagonal experiments show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the prior work PCR-pThomas by 25% and 12% on NVIDIA Tesla V100 in single and double precision, respectively. On Intel KNL, our method achieves a 10% improvement in performance over PCR-pThomas in double precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As one of the major diagnostic criteria in Musculoskeletal Infection Society, the microbiological diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) performed by analyzing periprosthetic tissue culture is recommended. The goal of this study was to determine if methylene blue (MB) has antibacterial effects that might interfere with microbial culture in vitro. Methods: Eight isolates of reference strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hominis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Candida albicans were incubated appropriately on blood agar, China blue agar, or Sabouraud’s agar plates at 35 ℃. (Streptococci were cultured in a CO2-rich atmosphere.) Each bacterial suspension was formed by 50-fold dilution before the test MB was added. For each strain, bacterial suspension was divided into 3 groups (5 samples each) exposed either MB 0.1%, MB 0.05% or sterile non-bacteriostatic 0.45% saline. The antimicrobial property of MB was determined by measuring the bacterial density on agar plates incubated for 24 h and comparing it with controls unexposed to MB. Results: Exposure to MB 0.1% or MB 0.05% negatively affected microbial viability in vitro. Of the diluted form of MB exposure, reference strains of S. hominis and A. baumannii resulted in fewer colony-forming units compared with the sterile saline control. MB concentration was significantly negatively correlated with CFU counts of S. hominis and A. baumannii strains. The antibacterial property of MB 0.1% or MB 0.05% appears to affect the ability to culture the organism in in vitro assays. Conclusion: MB 0.1% or MB 0.05% has strong antimicrobial activities against some commonly encountered bacterial strains in PJI in vitro. To further evaluate its potential antibacterial usefulness in clinical applications, the next studies are needed to assess the ability of MB to affect the ability to culture the pathogens in vivo, especially in periprosthetic tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regorafenib is the first oral targeted drug as a second-line agent in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who progressed on sorafenib treatment. Recently, several studies demonstrated that the combination of regorafenib and PD-1 inhibitors showed a synergistic effect. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of regorafenib with PD-1 inhibitors (RP) and regorafenib alone (R) as second-line treatment for advanced HCC. Methods: From October 2018 to January 2022, our retrospective study evaluated advanced HCC patients who received regorafenib with PD-1 inhibitors or regorafenib alone as a second-line treatment at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China. The efficacy and safety were compared between RP and R groups. Results: In total, 78 patients were enrolled in our study and were separated into two groups – RP group (48) and R group (30) – according to the criteria. The ORR of RP group and R group was 18.8% and 10%, respectively, and the DCR was 66.7% and 43.3%, respectively. The RP group had a longer mPFS (5.9 months vs 3.0 months, P< 0.001) and mOS (12.9 months vs 10.3 months, P=0.010) than the R group. Regorafenib monotherapy is an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS. In OS, subgroup analysis showed that patients with AFP ≥ 400ng/mL, BCLC C stage and extrahepatic metastasis may benefit from RP, while in PFS, subgroup analysis showed that patients with BCLC C stage, AFP ≥ 400ng/mL, extrahepatic metastasis, ALBI ≥-2.60 and first-line treatment of sorafenib may benefit from RP. The incidence of grade 3/4 adverse reaction in the two groups was 22.9% and 23.3%, respectively, with no significant statistically difference (P=0.966). Conclusion: In the second-line therapy of advanced HCC, compared to regorafenib alone, the combination of regorafenib and PD-1 inhibitors showed promising efficacy and tolerable drug toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel grain structure tailoring strategy using one-stepped planetary ball milling, different from conventional powder metallurgy routes that pre-prepared components with different microstructures and then mixed them up, was implemented to fabricate micro- and nano-sized SiC particles (m- & n-SiCp)/2024Al composites with heterogeneous lamella structure. The controllable transformation from homogeneous to heterogeneous grain structures is achieved via nonuniformly distributed n-SiCps induced local grain refinement. Heterogeneous lamella composites exhibit a superior modulus-strength-ductility synergy of 95.3 GPa in Young's modulus, 750.7 MPa in tensile strength and 4.9 % in uniform elongation, particularly with no less than 145 % and 175 % improvements in ductility and toughness, compared with homogeneous composites. Compressive stress relaxation experiments were conducted to reveal the structural dependence of plastic deformation behaviors. Sustainedly rising hetero-deformation induced (HDI) stress produced by extra geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) accumulation at heterogeneous soft/hard domain interfaces and sequential activation of multiple dislocation mediated mechanisms based on load transfer in heterogeneous lamella composites contribute to the enhanced strain hardening capacity, which offers intrinsic toughening. Also, extrinsic toughening originates from enhanced microcrack multiplication and crack-tip blunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of LINC00240/miR-155/Nrf2 axis on trophoblast function and macrophage polarization in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Methods: Bindings between LINC00240, miR-155 and Nrf2 were validated by dual luciferase reporter assay or RNA-immunoprecipitation. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and pyroptosis were detected by CCK-8, clone formation, wound healing, Transwell system, and flow cytometry, respectively. Macrophage polarization was tested by flow cytometry. The expression levels of LINC00240, miR-155, Nrf2, and oxidative stress and pyroptosis-related markers in in vitro and in vivo preeclampsia models were analyzed by qPCR, western blot, or ELISA assays. Blood pressure, urine protein levels, liver and kidney damages, and trophoblast markers in placenta tissues were further studied in vivo. Results: Placenta tissues from preeclampsia patients and animals showed decreased LINC00240 and Nrf2 and increased miR-155 expression levels, and the decreased M2 macrophage polarization. LINC00240 directly bound and inhibited expression of miR-155, which then inhibited oxidative stress-induced pyroptosis, promoting proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of trophoblasts, and M2 macrophage polarization. Inhibition of miR-155 led to increased Nrf2 expression and similar changes as LINC00240 overexpression in trophoblast function and macrophage polarization. Overexpression of LINC00240 in in vivo preeclampsia model decreased blood pressure, urine protein, liver and kidney damages, increased fetal weight and length, and induced trophoblast function and M2 macrophage polarization. Conclusion: LINC00240 inhibited symptoms of preeclampsia through regulation on miR-155/Nrf2 axis, which suppressed oxidative stress-induced pyroptosis to improve trophoblast function and M2 macrophage polarization. LINC00240 could be a potential therapeutic target for preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between maternal obesity and preterm birth remains controversial and inconclusive, and the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia (PE) on the relationship between obesity and preterm birth have not been studied. We aimed to clarify the relationship between prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the phenotypes of preterm birth and evaluate the mediation effects of GDM and PE on the relationship between prepregnancy BMI and preterm birth.Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 43,056 women with live singleton births from 2017 through 2019. According to the WHO International Classification, BMI was classified as underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (BMI 18.5-25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Preterm birth was defined as gestational age less than 37 weeks (extremely, < 28 weeks; very, 28-31 weeks; and moderately, 32-36 weeks). The clinical phenotypes of preterm birth included spontaneous preterm birth (spontaneous preterm labor and premature rupture of the membranes) and medically indicated preterm birth. We further analyzed preterm births with GDM or PE. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and causal mediation analysis were performed.Results: Risks of extremely, very, and moderately preterm birth increased with BMI, and the highest risk was observed for obese women with extremely preterm birth (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.07-10.97). Maternal obesity was significantly associated with spontaneous preterm labor (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.13-3.47), premature rupture of the membranes (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.08-3.86) and medically indicated preterm birth (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.25-3.37). GDM and PE mediated 13.41 and 36.66% of the effect of obesity on preterm birth, respectively. GDM mediated 32.80% of the effect of obesity on spontaneous preterm labor and PE mediated 64.31% of the effect of obesity on medically indicated preterm birth.Conclusions: Maternal prepregnancy obesity was associated with all phenotypes of preterm birth, and the highest risks were extremely preterm birth and medically indicated preterm birth. GDM and PE partially mediated the association between obesity and preterm birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no established screening approach for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We recently developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model for the detection of HCM based on the 12‑lead electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) in adults. Here, we aimed to validate this approach of ECG-based HCM detection in pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years). We identified a cohort of 300 children and adolescents with HCM (mean age 12.5 ± 4.6 years, male 68%) who had an ECG and echocardiogram at our institution. Patients were age- and sex-matched to 18,439 non-HCM controls. Diagnostic performance of the AI-ECG model for the detection of HCM was estimated using the previously identified optimal diagnostic threshold of 11% (the probability output derived by the model above which an ECG is considered to belong to an HCM patient). Mean AI-ECG probabilities of HCM were 92% and 5% in the case and control groups, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the AI-ECG model for HCM detection was 0.98 (95% CI 0.98–0.99) with corresponding sensitivity 92% and specificity 95%. The positive and negative predictive values were 22% and 99%, respectively. The model performed similarly in males and females and in genotype-positive and genotype-negative HCM patients. Performance tended to be superior with increasing age. In the age subgroup <5 years, the test's AUC was 0.93. In comparison, the AUC was 0.99 in the age subgroup 15–18 years. A deep-learning, AI model can detect pediatric HCM with high accuracy from the standard 12‑lead ECG. • No established approach for screening for HCM exists currently. • A deep-learning AI algorithm applied on the ECG can detect HCM with high accuracy in children and adolescents. • The AI-ECG algorithm may have optimal performance in the oldest subgroup of pediatric patients (15–18 years). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanistic understanding of free radical polymerization (FRP) in aqueous solution is hindered by the lack of kinetic coefficient data. Here, we investigated the propagation rate coefficient (kp) for FRP of HEMA in aqueous solution. The kp at 80 °C increased by 6 times as the monomer weight fraction in aqueous system decreases from 100 wt.% to 6 wt.%, that is., from 6.0 × 103 to 3.3 × 104 L·moL−1·s−1. This increase in kp is associated with the increase in pre‐exponential factor (A), which suggests an increase in entropy with increasing water molecules in the polymerization system. To investigate the effect of solvent on kp, pulse‐laser polymerization in solvents of different hydrogen bonding affinity, that is, 50 wt.% butyl propionate (BP) and dimethyl formamide (DMF), are conducted. The kp obtained are in order of kp,bulk∼kp,BP > kp,DMF, suggesting that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding at carbonyl moieties critically affects the geometry of transition state quasi‐equilibrium in propagation. We underpinned this observation by analyzing the carbonyl and alkene moieties of HEMA in different solvents using infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The mechanistic analyses and insights relating to hydrogen bonding and functional moieties can be relevant for future studies involving non‐aqueous solvents promoting hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) for completely endophytic renal tumors (three points for the "E" element of the R.E.N.A.L. scoring system). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent either RAPN or LPN between 2013 and 2016. Baseline characteristics, perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes were compared. Univariable and multivariable logistic analyses were performed to determine factors associated with pentafecta achievement (ischemia time ≤25 minutes, negative margin, no perioperative complication, return of estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] to >90% from baseline, and no chronic kidney disease upstaging). Results: No significant differences between RAPN vs LPN were noted for operating time (105 minutes vs 108 minutes, p = 0.916), estimated blood loss (50 mL vs 50 mL, p = 0.130), renal artery clamping time (20 minutes vs 20 minutes, p = 0.695), rate of positive margins (3.3% vs 2.0%, p = 1.000), and postoperative complication rates (18.0% vs 21.6%, p = 0.639). RAPN was associated with a higher direct cost ($11240 vs $5053, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in pathology variables, rate of eGFR decline for postoperative 12-month (9.8% vs 10.6%, p = 0.901) functional follow-up. Multivariate analysis identified that only RENAL score was independently associated with the pentafecta achievement. Conclusions: For completely endophytic renal tumors, both RAPN and LPN have excellent and similar results. Both operation techniques remain viable options in the management of these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this preliminary investigation into the pathogenesis of pre‐eclampsia was to screen the differential proteins in the serum of pregnant women with normal pregnancy and early‐onset pre‐eclampsia using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ), so as to identify serum biomarkers for the early diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia. Methods: We examined the peripheral serum of 58 normal pregnant women and 42 pregnant women with early‐onset pre‐eclampsia using iTRAQ; the differentially expressed proteins were screened for bioinformatics analysis; and the expression of candidate proteins human leukocyte antigen‐1 (HLA‐1) and β2‐microglobulin (β2M) in placental tissues was detected using western blot. Results: We identified a total of 63 differential proteins in the serum of patients from the normal control group and the pre‐eclampsia group, and this included 24 up‐regulated proteins and 39 down‐regulated proteins. The western blot results of placental tissue showed reduced HLA‐1 expression (1.12 ± 0.23) in the placenta in the pre‐eclampsia group as compared with the normal control group (1.34 ± 0.22). Consistent with the results observed in the serum, β2M in the placenta in the pre‐eclampsia group was significantly elevated (1.05 ± 0.47) in comparison with the normal group (0.75 ± 0.33) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, we found that iTRAQ technology was useful for identifying differentially expressed proteins in the peripheral serum of pregnant women with pre‐eclampsia, and that HLA‐1 and β2M, which may be involved in the occurrence of pre‐eclampsia, show promise as predictive markers of pre‐eclampsia. Synopsis: This study used iTRAQ to identify differential proteins in pregnant women with pre‐eclampsia, indicating HLA‐1 and β2M as potential predictive markers for early diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) provide promising solutions for wind energy harvesting in complex flow environment. However, it is challenging to guarantee satisfactory self-starting capability and high power efficiency simultaneously in a VAWT design. To address this challenge, a new hybrid Darrieus-Modifed-Savonius (HDMS) VAWT is designed and numerically tested using a fluid-structure interaction approach based on high fidelity computational fluid dynamics. A systematic study is conducted to analyze the effects of the moment of inertia, turbine structure, and external load on the self-starting capability and power efficiency. It is found that compared with the Darrieus VAWT, the HDMS design has better self-starting capability due to the torque provided by the MS rotor at small tip speed ratios (TSRs). The larger the MS rotor is, the better the self-starting capability is. However, there is penalty on power efficiency when the size of the MS rotor increases. With an appropriately sized MS rotor, the HDMS design can maintain high power efficiency comparable with the Darrieus VAWT at large TSRs. The key flow physics is that the HDMS design can keep accelerating at small TSRs due to the inner MS rotor, and can suppress dynamic stall on the Darrieus rotor at large TSRs. • The hybrid VAWT has excellent self-starting capability and high power efficiency. • A fluid-structure interaction approach is developed to study wind-driven flow. • The connection between unsteady aerodynamics and turbine dynamics is revealed. • Effects of moment of inertia, turbine structure and external load are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris striking the internal structures of aircraft components is capable of causing on-board fires and leading to catastrophic damage to both the aircraft and flight crew. In the present work, two experiments were conducted to capture the characteristics of high-speed debris strikes and dry-bay fires. Particle tracking velocimetry technique was utilized to investigate the dynamics of debris striking structural components of the aircraft. In conjunction, a flame front detection measurement technique was developed to identify the size and duration of dry-bay fires. Results demonstrated the ability to utilize fundamental image correlation techniques to determine velocity, size, and duration of flash events in support of aircraft survivability and safety research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a CFD-based method for simulating the real-time pressure drop and dust cake distribution of the ceramic filter at the macro-scale is presented. In this CFD-based method, a unique mesh grids zone, i.e., a dust cake zone, is created to model the particle deposition process on the ceramic candle surface. In the dust cake zone, the mesh grids on the same ray are arranged into a queue to mimic the dust cake growth trajectory, and the pressure drop and porosity of the dust cake layer are modeled by 1-D empirical formulas. In order to determine the exact grid cell for particle deposition, a novel algorithm is developed, and near-wall corrections of the drag and lift force are applied. Then, a steady and a transient simulation were performed and compared to the experimental data. The comparison results of the pressure drop across the ceramic filter show that the deviation of the pressure drop between experiment and simulation is below 3.6% and 6% in the steady and transient simulation, respectively. Additionally, the dust cake thickness at different locations was tested and compared to the simulation results, and the difference is between 3.9% and 12.9%. Moreover, some less-particle-deposition-zones (LPDZs) are found in the middle and lower portion of the ceramic candles. The size and position of these LPDZs are well predicted by the transient simulation, and their forming reasons are carefully analyzed. Unlabelled Image • A macro-scale CFD-based method for modeling particle deposition process is developed. • Mesh grids on the same ray are arranged into a queue to mimic the dust cake growth trajectory. • Near-wall corrections of drag and lift force are applied. • Dust cake distribution is well predicted. • Different vorticity field direction could lead to a different deposition result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Feature: Covalent Organic Framework-Supported Metallocene for Ethylene Polymerization (Chem. Eur. J. 54/2023) Covalent organic frameworks, ethylene polymerization, heterogenous polymerization, polyolefins, supported metallocenes Keywords: covalent organic frameworks; ethylene polymerization; heterogenous polymerization; polyolefins; supported metallocenes EN covalent organic frameworks ethylene polymerization heterogenous polymerization polyolefins supported metallocenes 1 1 1 09/29/23 20230926 NES 230926 B Covalent organic framework b (COF) particles with hydroxy groups and well-defined micropores have been synthesized and used as novel carriers to load a metallocene catalyst - Cp SB 2 sb ZrCl SB 2 sb . [Extracted from the article]

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a catastrophic complication following total joint arthroplasty. Until now, the diagnosis of PJI is still confronted with difficulties, which is characterized by technical limitations. The question of whether sonication fluid PCR can provide high value in the diagnosis of PJI remains unanswered. This meta-analysis included 9 studies that evaluated PCR assays of sonication fluid for the diagnosis of PJI. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, Positive likelihood ratio (PLR), Negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and Diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71 to 0.81), 0.96 (CI, 0.94 to 0.97), 18.24 (CI, 6.07 to 54.78), 0.27 (CI, 0.20 to 0.36) and 86.97 (CI, 37.08 to 203.97), respectively. The AUC value of the SROC was 0.9244 (standard error, 0.0212). Subgroup analyses showed that use of multiplex PCR and may improve sensitivity and specificity. The results of this meta-analysis showed that PCR of fluid after sonication is reliable and of great value in PJI diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAC3A and MAC3B are conserved U-box-containing proteins in eukaryotes. They are subunits of the MOS4-associated complex (MAC) that plays essential roles in plant immunity and development in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, their functional mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that Arabidopsis MAC3A and MAC3B act redundantly in microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. Lack of both MAC3A and MAC3B in the mac3b mac3b double mutant reduces the accumulation of miRNAs, causing elevated transcript levels of miRNA targets. mac3a mac3b also decreases the levels of primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs). However, MAC3A and MAC3B do not affect the promoter activity of genes encoding miRNAs (MIR genes), suggesting that they may not affect MIR transcription. This result, together with the fact that MAC3A associates with pri-miRNAs in vivo, indicates that MAC3A and MAC3B may stabilize pri-miRNAs. Furthermore, we find that MAC3A and MAC3B interact with the DCL1 complex that catalyzes miRNA maturation, promote DCL1 activity, and are required for the localization of HYL1, a component of the DCL1 complex. Besides MAC3A and MAC3B, two other MAC subunits, CDC5 and PRL1, also function in miRNA biogenesis. Based on these results, we propose that MAC functions as a complex to control miRNA levels through modulating pri-miRNA transcription, processing, and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Symptomatic chronic low back and leg pain resulting from lumbar spine degenerative disorders is highly prevalent in China, and for some patients, surgery is the final option for improvement. Several techniques for spinal non-fusion have been introduced to reduce the side-effects of fusion methods and hasten postoperative recovery. In this study, the authors have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of Dynesys posterior dynamic stabilization system (DY) compared with lumbar fusion techniques in the treatment of single-level degenerative lumbar spinal conditions.Methods: A total of 221 patients undergoing single-level elective primary surgery for degenerative lumbar pathology were included. 2-Year postoperative health outcomes of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaires were recorded. 2-Year back-related medical resource use, missed work, and health-state values (Quality-adjusted life-year [QALY]) were assessed. Cost-effectiveness was determined by the incremental cost per QALY gained.Results: At each follow-up point, both cohorts were associated with significant improvements in VAS scores, ODI, SF-36 scores and EQ-5D QALY scores, which persisted at the 2-year evaluation. The 2-year total mean cost per patient were significantly lower for Dynesys system ($20,150) compared to fusion techniques ($25,581, $27,862 and $27,314, respectively) (P < 0.001). Using EQ-5D, the mean cumulative 2-year QALYs gained were statistically equivalent between the four groups (0.28, 0.27, 0.30 and 0.30 units, respectively) (P = 0.74). Results indicate that patients implanted with the DY system derive lower total costs and more utility, on average, than those treated with fusion.Conclusions: The Dynesys dynamic stabilization system is cost effective compared to instrumented lumbar fusion for treatment of single-level degenerative lumbar disorders. It is not possible to state whether DY or lumbar fusion is more cost-effective after 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors (LP) and regorafenib (R) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after sorafenib failure.Methods: From June 2018 to September 2021, 68 patients from a single center who received lenvatinib combined with PD-1 inhibitors or regorafenib after sorafenib treatment failure were analyzed. The tumor response and survival outcomes were compared between the LP group and R group. Prognostic factors for OS and PFS were determined using Cox proportional hazard regression models.Results: The ORR increased in the LP group (19.5% vs 7.4%, p =0.294), and the DCR was better in the R group (73.2% vs 44.4%, p =0.017). Additionally, median PFS and OS were not significantly different between the LP group and R two groups in survival analysis (PFS: 5.3 months vs 3.0 months, p =0.633; OS: 11.8 months vs 8.0 months, p =0.699). The common adverse events (≥grade 3) were hand-foot skin reactions (13.1%). In multivariate analyses, AFP≥ 400 ng/mL and ECOG PS 2 were independent risk factors for poor prognosis.Conclusion: The LP group appeared to have a trend of greater tumor response and a higher disease control rate than the R group among patients with sorafenib-resistant HCC, although PFS and OS did not differ significantly between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria were isolated from the surface of two samples of American pine wood nematodes to identify methods of controlling pine wilt disease. The dominant bacterial strains were identified, and their toxicity and pathogenicity, in addition to their competitiveness with other pathogenic bacteria, were measured to ascertain how bacteria on the surface of American pine wood nematodes might be used to prevent and control pine wilt disease. The bacterial isolates show that the dominant bacteria carried by the two samples of pine wood nematodes are US4, US5, Smal-007 and Rrad-006. Based on routine staining, morphological observation and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the four strains were identified as Delftia lacustris, Pseudomonas putida, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Rhizobium nepotum. The incubation of four dominant bacterial strains and Chinese dominant bacterial strains on the surface of aseptic nematodes and in nutrient broth showed that Smal-007 and Rrad-006 have strong competitiveness on the surface of pine wood nematodes. Using a bacterial culture medium to measure the propensity of pine seedlings to wilt, all the American dominant bacterial strains were shown to be less toxic than the Chinese dominant strains. If pine seedlings are inoculated with both bacterial and aseptic pine wood nematodes, American dominant bacterial strains present less pathogenicity than the Chinese dominant bacterial strains. In particular, Smal-007 and Rrad-006 show the lowest pathogenicity. If pine seedlings are inoculated with both bacterial and wild pine wood nematodes, American dominant bacterial strains significantly reduce the pathogenicity of wild pine wood nematodes isolated from Zhejiang Province, China. The effects of Smal-007 and Rrad-006 are confirmed as the most prominent. The American dominant strains Smal-007 and Rrad-006 satisfy two main requirements: excellent repulsion performance and low pathogenicity. Therefore, they can be used as candidate strains for biocontrol bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new PMMA microfluidic chip fabrication method by combining laser ablation technology with low-temperature bonding using optically clear adhesive (OCA) film and liquid optically clear adhesive (LOCA) was presented in this paper. The deformation and clogging issues of the microfluidic channel were well solved. The effective bonding area ratio of microfluidic chips could be greatly improved by adjusting bonding temperature and bonding time. The crevices around the microchannels were effectively eliminated by coating treatment of LOCA. The bonding strength and waterproof of PMMA microfluidic chips coating with/without LOCA were also evaluated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel method for the parameter determination of permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machines under different load conditions. It can identify the total dq‐axis flux linkages and also the PM flux linkage separately by the addition of a pair of negative and positive position offsets. It is also noteworthy that the influence of uncertain inverter non‐linearity and winding resistance is cancelled during the modelling process, and the experimental results on two different PM synchronous machines show a good agreement with the finite‐element prediction results. More importantly, it shows good performance in online tracking the variation of PM flux linkage, which is an important feature for aiding the condition monitoring of PMs, for example, monitoring the temperature of PMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of micro- and nano-sized SiC particles (micro- & nano-SiCps) into Al matrix constituted the micro- & nano-SiCp/Al composites through powder metallurgy. A unique ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure with micro-SiCps distributed among Al grains and most of nano-SiCps dispersed in grain interiors is characterized. Based on this, the synergetic constraint of dual-scale reinforcements on deformation of Al matrix is employed to enhance dislocation accumulation through increased SiCp/Al interface area and Orowan pinning effect, resulting in an improved strain hardening capacity. Compared with 10 vol% micro-SiCp/Al composites, the composites with 1 vol% nano-SiCps and 9 vol% micro-SiCps exhibit notable tensile properties of 285 MPa in yield strength, 374.7 MPa in ultimate strength and 11.3% in total elongation, increased by 32.6%, 28.7% and 37.8%, respectively, while remain a comparable Young's modulus of 94.6 GPa. Theoretical analysis proves that the dominant strengthening mechanism in micro- & nano-SiCp/Al composites is dislocation strengthening, different from the load transfer in individual micro-SiCp/Al composites. Our work provides inspirations for fabricating high-modulus Al matrix composites with simultaneously enhanced strength and ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geotechnical materials may contain organic matters and gas bubbles during the process of their formation. The existence of compressible gas bubbles and organic matters may affect the excess pore water pressure distribution during compression and the deformation behaviour of the materials. Immediate settlement and creep have been observed in the early stage of consolidation curves of brown coal and peat samples, which can not be explained with Terzaghi's consolidation theory where soils are considered as fully saturated and soil particles are incompressible. A numerical model has been developed to model the consolidation behaviour of brown coal and peat considering the inclusion of gas bubbles and the time dependent compressible organic matters. In the model, the materials are assumed to contain incompressible minerals, compressible organic matters, gas bubbles and water. Consolidation of the materials is considered as a coupling process of water extrusion and volume variation of gas bubbles and organic matters. The model has been validated using the experimental results from one dimensional consolidation curves of brown coal and historical test results of peat. The gas content and the compressibility of organic matters can be obtained using the proposed model. The model can be used to analyze compression behaviour of geotechnical materials containing compressible particles and gas bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal management materials with high thermal conductivity (TC), adjustable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and excellent mechanical properties have promising applications in the electronic packaging and high-power density equipment fields. In this work, we have developed a novel strategy for tungsten-copper coated graphite flakes and aluminum nitride nanoparticles reinforced copper matrix composites (GFs(W–Cu)/AlN/Cu composites) fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing sintering. Herein, tungsten-copper coated graphite flakes (GFs(W–Cu)) were prepared by impregnation reduction and ultrasonic-assisted electroless plating, in which W–Cu coating improved interfacial bonding and realized metallurgical-physical synergy. Meanwhile, the AlN nanoparticles reinforced Cu flakes (AlN/Cu) were prepared by high energy ball milling, where AlN nanoparticles were evenly dispersed in the Cu matrix and played the role of pinning boundary and refining grain. Effects of nano-AlN with different volume fractions on the mechanical and thermal properties of GFs(W–Cu)/AlN/Cu composites were studied as well. As for the mechanical properties, the in-plane, through-plane flexural strength and tensile strength of GFs(W–Cu)/1.5AlN/Cu composite reached 276.7 ± 4.5, 390.6 ± 4.5 and 136.1 ± 3.0 MPa respectively, which increased by 96.8%, 283.7% and 120.7% than those of the GFs(W–Cu)/Cu composites. In terms of the thermal properties, the in-plane TC of GFs(W–Cu)/1.5AlN/Cu composite is 617.8 ± 12 Wm−1K−1, while the through-plane CTE ranging 25–200 °C is 4.9 ± 0.2 ppmK-1. In conclusion, the GFs(W–Cu)/AlN/Cu composites provide a huge potential for design and application in the thermal management materials. • A novel ternary copper matrix composite reinforced by tungsten-copper coated GFs and AlN nanoparticles was fabricated via hot-pressing sintering. • W–Cu coating obviously promoted the interfacial bonding to metallurgical-mechanical synergy bonding. • Uniformly dispersion of nano-AlN effectively enhanced grain refinement and higher strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheets supported by NC/Co nanowires is used as binder-free electrode. • NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co electrode shows high specific capacitance and good cycle stability. • The solid-state ASC is assembled based on NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co and NC electrodes. • NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co // NC ASC shows a 1.6 V operating potential and 81.1 % retention. The performance of supercapacitors not only depends on the structure of the electrode but also relates to the composition of electrode material. The binder-free integrated electrodes were obtained from NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheets grown on nitrogen-doped carbon and Co aggregation (NC/Co) nanowires through a hydrothermal process and subsequent annealing. The NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co composite presents the stereostructure with NC/Co nanowire supports and intertwined NiCo 2 O 4 ultrathin nanosheets. The NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co electrode demonstrates excellent electrochemical capacitive performances and cycling stability, where it illustrates a splendid specific capacitance of 1112 F g−1 at 1 A g-1 and maintains around 90.7 % of the maximum capacitance after 5000 cycles. Besides, the functionalized asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was fabricated based on NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co and NC with KOH-PVA solid electrolyte. The NiCo 2 O 4 @NC/Co // NC ASC possesses a stabilized operating potential range of 1.6 V and retains around 81.1 % retention after 5000 cycles. This makes a great potential for Ni-Co multiple compound electrodes for high-performance energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a wireless positioning method based on Deep Learning. To deal with the variant and unpredictable wireless signals, the positioning is casted in a four-layer Deep Neural Network (DNN) structure pre-trained by Stacked Denoising Autoencoder (SDA) that is capable of learning reliable features from a large set of noisy samples and avoids hand-engineering. Also, to maintain the temporal coherence, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based fine localizer is introduced to smooth the initial positioning estimate obtained by the DNN-based coarse localizer. The data required for the experiments is collected from the real world in different periods to meet the actual environment. Experimental results indicate that the proposed system leads to substantial improvement on localization accuracy in coping with the turbulent wireless signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated butanol production from switchgrass based on hydrothermolysis pretreatment. The inhibitors present in the hydrolyzates were measured. Results showed poor butanol production (1 g/L) with non-detoxified hydrolyzate. However, adjusting the pH of the non-detoxified hydrolyzate to 6 and adding 4 g/L CaCO 3 increased butanol formation to about 6 g/L. There was about 1 g/L soluble lignin content (SLC), and various levels of furanic and phenolic compounds found in the non-detoxified hydrolyzate. Detoxification of hydrolyzates with activated carbon increased the butanol titer to 11 g/L with a total acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) concentration of 17 g/L. These results show the potential of butanol production from hydrothermolysis pretreated switchgrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a combined parameter estimation for permanent-magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs), by which the rotor permanent-magnet (PM) flux linkage and mechanical parameters, such as the combined moment of inertia and viscous friction coefficient, are estimated without the aid from nominal machine parameter values. The proposed estimation of rotor PM flux linkage is based on the addition of position offsets and does not need the information of other machine parameters or injection of currents. With the aid from estimated rotor PM flux linkage, the electromagnetic torque can be consequently calculated for the estimation of mechanical parameters at no-load condition, and a two-step method is employed to achieve a higher ratio of signal to noise. This combined parameter estimation is finally validated on a surface-mounted PMSM (SPMSM) and an interior PMSM (IPMSM), respectively. It is found that the estimation error of combined moment of inertia with reference to its nominal value can be less than 10 $\%$ even if it (the combined moment of inertia) is lower than 1\times 10^-3\ \kg\cdot \m^2 , while the estimation error will be further decreased to less than 3 \%$ if it is higher than 7\times 10^-3\ \kg\cdot \m^2. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A thin film of α-Fe 2 O 3 on FTO substrate has been synthesized from hydrothermal process in an aqueous solution of FeCl 3 and Na 2 HPO 4 . A nanocube structure of α-Fe 2 O 3 is observed within the formed hematite films and coated with phosphate ions on the surface. For comparison, another phosphate modified hematite film has been prepared by soaking the bare hematite film in Na 2 HPO 4 solution. A negative electrostatic field can be built up on the surface of both phosphate modified hematite which will promote charge separation and extraction of photoexcited holes to the electrode surface. It is found that different types of phosphate complex exist in the hematite films, which has been determined by the isoelectric point (IEP) of the hematite films, and consequently influences the formation and strength of the electrostatic field. The effects of phosphate ions on the morphology, surface characteristics and the photoelectrochemical properties of the hematite thin films are investigated and the mechanism is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes how to use the addition of rotor position offsets as perturbation signals for the parameter estimation of permanent-magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs), which can be used for the condition monitoring of rotor permanent magnet and stator winding. During the proposed estimation, two small position offsets are intentionally added into the drive system, and the resulting voltage variation will be recorded for the estimation of rotor flux linkage. With the aid from estimated rotor flux linkage, the stator winding resistance can be subsequently estimated at steady state. This method is experimentally verified on two prototype PMSMs (150 W and 3 kW, respectively) and shows good performance in monitoring the variation of rotor flux linkage and winding resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a multiparameter estimation scheme for permanent-magnet (PM) synchronous machines (PMSMs) under variable-speed control, of which the estimation model is full rank and has taken into account the estimation and compensation of voltage-source-inverter nonlinearity. During the proposed estimation, the PMSM will work under variable speed control, and two sets of machine data corresponding to two sets of different rotor speeds will be recorded and used for the calculation of the proposed estimation model. It shows that the proposed estimation model can be solved by using a conventional quantum genetic algorithm and can ensure the identifiability of all needed parameters owing to its inherent full rank feature. The performance test of the proposed estimation is then conducted on an interior PMSM, and it shows that parameters such as rotor PM flux linkage and winding resistance can be accurately estimated without the aid from nominal parameter values of PMSM. Therefore, the proposed method can be used for the condition monitoring of stator winding and rotor PMs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A digital controller for LED driver is presented. The controller is used in the flyback converter which works in discontinuous current mode (DCM). A comparator is adopted to shape the auxiliary winding voltage based on traditional primary side regulation (PSR). A five-states finite state machine (FSM) is designed to deal with the shaped auxiliary winding signal. The FSM extracts the system time information from the shaped signal and controls all the sequences in the whole system. To achieve high accuracy of the output current, an adaptive delay compensation scheme is adopted. A LED prototype whose typical output power is 7 W is used in both simulation and experiment to demonstrate the effectiveness of this novel digital controller. The measurement results show that the line regulation when the input ac voltage varies from 85-265 V is 3.4% and the load regulation when the load varies from 3-10 LEDs is 2.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethyl pyruvate (EP) is a simple aliphatic ester of the metabolic intermediate pyruvate that has been demonstrated to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent in a variety of in vivo and in vitro model systems. However, the protective effects and mechanisms underlying the actions of EP against endothelial cell (EC) inflammatory injury are not fully understood. Previous studies have confirmed that endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) plays an important role in regulating the pathological process of EC inflammation. In this study, our aim was to explore the effects of EP on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced inflammatory injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and to explore the role of ERS in this process. TNF-α treatment not only significantly increased the adhesion of monocytes to HUVECs and inflammatory cytokine (sICAM1, sE-selectin, MCP-1 and IL-8) production in cell culture supernatants but it also increased ICAM and MMP9 protein expression in HUVECs. TNF-α also effectively increased the ERS-related molecules in HUVECs (GRP78, ATF4, caspase12 and p-PERK). EP treatment effectively reversed the effects of the TNF-α-induced adhesion of monocytes on HUVECs, inflammatory cytokines and ERS-related molecules. Furthermore, thapsigargin (THA, an ERS inducer) attenuated the protective effects of EP against TNF-α-induced inflammatory injury and ERS. The PERK siRNA treatment not only inhibited ERS-related molecules but also mimicked the protective effects of EP to decrease TNF-α-induced inflammatory injury. In summary, we have demonstrated for the first time that EP can effectively reduce vascular endothelial inflammation and that this effect at least in part depends on the attenuation of ERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We have recently developed a periodontal diagnostic tool that was validated in non-smokers with periodontitis. Tobacco smoking is a recognized risk factor for periodontal diseases that can mask gingival bleeding and lead to a false negative diagnosis. Therefore, the purpose of current study is to further validate this instrument in smokers with periodontal diseases. Methods Using a portable optical near-infrared spectrometer, optical spectra were obtained, processed and evaluated from healthy ( n = 108), gingivitis ( n = 100), and periodontitis ( n = 79) sites of 54 systemically healthy smokers. A modified Beer-Lambert unmixing model that incorporates a non-parametric scattering loss function was used to determine the relative contribution of deoxygenated haemoglobin (Hb) and oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO2) to the overall spectrum. The balance between tissue oxygen delivery and utilization in periodontal tissues was then assessed. Results Tissue oxygen saturation was significantly decreased in the gingivitis ( p = 0.016) and periodontitis ( p = 0.007) sites, compared to the healthy sites. There was a trend towards increased concentration of Hb and decreased concentration of HbO2 from healthy to diseased sites, without statistical significance ( p > 0.05). Conclusions Optical spectroscopy can determine tissue oxygenation profiles of healthy and diseased sites in smokers. The spectral profile of periodontal sites in smokers generally resembles those from non-smoking patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Higher alcohols production using mixed culture from syngas was investigated. [•] Ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol were produced by a mixed culture. [•] CP15 or mixed culture did convert carboxylic acids to respective alcohols. [•] There was an increased productivity by the CP15 and Clostridium propionicum mixed culture. [•] Mixed culture converted 50% more acids to alcohols than CP15 alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]