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An improved model predictive control (MPC) with Luenberger state observer is proposed in this article for LC‐coupling hybrid active power filter (LC‐HAPF). Traditionally, the implementation of MPC for LC‐HAPF requires additional sensors to measure coupling capacitor voltage, thereby increases the system cost and reduces reliability. The existence of one‐step sampling delay in practice will also affect the final compensation performance. To relax these problems, both continuous and discrete models are deduced first. Then, the Luenberger observer is utilized based on the discrete model to mitigate the steady‐state error without additional sensors. In addition, the sampling delay compensation is provided by improving the prediction horizon. Finally, the effectiveness of the improved MPC for LC‐HAPF is verified by experiment results, indicating that the proposed method has fast dynamic response and low steady‐state error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, 1060 aluminum alloy is widely applied in the electronics industry, construction, the aerospace field, traffic engineering, decorations, and the consumer goods market for its good chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. In general, excellent processing property is necessary and important for the manufacturing of complicated panels. In this paper, a special 2D ultrasonic vibration incremental forming method is designed to improve its plasticity and mechanical properties. Three kind of processing methods, including traditional single-point incremental forming, longitudinal ultrasonic vibration incremental forming, and 2D ultrasonic vibration incremental forming, are used for the flexible manufacturing of cones and cylindrical cups of 1060 aluminum alloy sheet. Then, micro-hardness tests, residual stress tests, and scanning electron microscopy tests are carried out to probe the changes in micro-structure and mechanical properties and to analyze the effects of different types of ultrasonic vibration on the plasticity and fracture characteristic of 1060 aluminum alloy. It is proven that 2D ultrasonic vibration facilitates the improvement of plasticity and surface qualities of 1060 aluminum alloy better than the other two processing methods. Therefore, the novel 2D ultrasonic vibration incremental forming process possesses substantial application value for the flexible and rapid manufacturing of complicated thin-walled component of aluminum alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senior citizens suffering from cognitive impairment (CI) are on the East Asia rise. Multiple variables could lead to inter-/intra-individual cognition effectiveness variations, though previous research efforts did not consider weighting issues. This study scrutinized 5639 participants meeting required inclusion criteria by the CHARLS. Cognitive capacity was evaluated through Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Considering that MMSE scorings were not following normal distribution, a non-parametric test and multiple linear regression were performed to screen candidate variables linked to cognitive capacity. Such applicability of candidate factors in the cumulative effect and the weighting of the impact on cognitive performance were evaluated by random forest (RF) algorithm. Age, gender, education, marital status, residence, the type of residence, exercise, socialization level and drinking were correlated to MMSE scorings (p < 0.05). Among them, age, education, gender and sociality were correlated to individual MMSE items (p < 0.05). Regardless of MMSE scores and several MMSE items, age is always a prime factor. However, in the attention and computation item, education is better than age and ranks first. This preliminary study prompted age, education, gender, and sociality with varying weightings to be linked to cognitive capacity within a Chinese cohort by differing cognitive aspects. At different levels of cognitive performance, the main risk factors are basically similar, but there are still some differences. • The forecast accuracy between sociodemographic/lifestyle factors and MMSE score, together with weighting of each candidate factor in whole were initially analyzed for the first time. • Age, education, gender and social status were correlated to MMSE scores and individual MMSE items with differing weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permanent pacemakers are used for symptomatic bradycardia and biventricular pacing (BVP)‐cardiac resynchronization therapy (BVP‐CRT) is established for heart failure (HF) patients traditionally. According to guidelines, patients' selection for CRT is based on QRS duration (QRSd) and morphology by surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Cardiovascular imaging techniques evaluate cardiac structure and function as well as identify pathophysiological substrate changes including the presence of scar. Cardiovascular imaging helps by improving the selection of candidates, guiding left ventricular (LV) lead placement, and optimization devices during the follow‐up. Conduction system pacing (CSP) includes His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) which is screwed into the interventricular septum. CSP maintains and restores ventricular synchrony in patients with native narrow QRSd and left bundle branch block (LBBB), respectively. LBBP is more feasible than HBP due to a wider target area. This review highlights the role of multimodality cardiovascular imaging including fluoroscopy, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), myocardial scintigraphy, and computed tomography (CT) in the pre‐procedure assessment for CSP, better selection for CSP candidates, the guidance of CSP lead implantation, and the optimization of devices programming after the procedure. We also compare the different characteristics of multimodality imaging and discuss their potential roles in future CSP implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple cold expansion holes are widely used in connection areas of aircraft structures, in order to achieve uniform load transfer of the skin or connection parts. Split sleeve cold expansion (SSCE) is widely used to enhance the fatigue life of fastener holes by applying compressive residual stresses around the holes. In this study, the finite element method (FEM) was used to research the distribution and variation of residual stresses along the hole edges of 7075AA single-hole and multi-hole cold expansion (CE) specimens. Full-field strain measurements of single-hole and multi-hole specimens were performed using two-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC), and the residual stress and strain at the hole edge of the specimens measured by FEM and DIC were compared. FEM results shows that the maximum circumferential and radial residual stresses of three-hole specimens with three-hole spacing are increased by 5.37% and 31.53% compared with single-hole specimens. The maximum circumferential residual stress of three-hole specimens with four-hole spacing increases by 7.25% compared with a single hole, but the radial residual stress decreases by 12.98%. In addition, for three-hole specimens with hole spacing three times the hole diameter, the strengthening effect of SSCE in the order of middle hole, then left hole, and, finally, right hole is better than that of SSCE in the order of left to right hole. FEM and DIC full-field strain results are basically consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of complex construction, poor weather resistance, and environmental pollution of conventional thermal insulation materials, this paper introduces a new type of insulation decorative block (IDB) filled with insulation materials. Different anchoring methods were adopted to study the influence of anchor bolts on the out-of-plane mechanical properties of IDB walls. The test results revealed that the anchor bolts could effectively prevent the appearance and development of cracks in the specimens. With the increase of anchor bolts, the acceleration and displacement of the IDB walls decreased. Compared to rectangular arrangement, the staggered pattern of anchor bolts could reduce the relative displacement and acceleration. The structural calculation of IDB walls was carried out to determine the number of anchor bolts at different heights, and design suggestions were given to improve the performance of IDB walls. The analysis and test results indicated that the IDB is suitable for application in engineering structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent event data frequently occur in longitudinal studies, and it is often of interest to estimate the effects of covariates on the recurrent event rate. This paper considers a flexible semi-parametric additive-multiplicative transformation mean model for recurrent event data, which includes the multiplicative model and additive transformation model as special cases. The new model is flexible in that they allow for both additive and multiplicative covariates effects, and additive effects are allowed to be time-varying. The estimation of regression parameters in the model is given by using the idea of estimating equations, and the asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are established. Numerical studies under different settings were conducted for assessing the proposed methodology and an application to a bladder cancer study is illustrated. The results suggest that they work well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ash fusion characteristics including ash properties and morphological changes in high‐temperature fusion test were studied among four types of fuels comprising two woody biomass, three straw biomass, two bituminous coals, and three biomass/coal mixtures. On the basis of ash fusion behavior and kinetic analysis of the ash melting process, a high‐precision acquisition method for ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) was developed. First, a reading index of AFTs was proposed; that is, in high‐temperature fusion test, initial deformation temperature (IDT), softening temperature (ST), and fluid temperature (FT) could be identified by the height shrinkage of 38%, 86%, and 98%, or the area shrinkage of 50%, 77%, and 97%, respectively. Kinetic analysis conducted on height/area shrinkage indicated that activation energy was highly related to temperature difference among IDT, ST, and FT, and low activation energy facilitated the enlargement of the temperature differences of ST‐IDT and FT‐ST. XRD patterns illustrated low activation energy had a promotion effect on the generation of higher melting substances such as KAlSi3O8 and CaSiO3, causing the elevation of the ST and FT. At last, a calculation method for AFTs based on activation energy and average height/area shrinkage was performed, which had high repeatability within an average error of ~6°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Effect of flue gas temperature on deposition mechanisms during co-firing is proposed. • The rise in flue gas temperature intensified sintering and agglomeration of deposits. • High flue gas temperature enhanced thermophoresis and condensation of alkali sulfates. • Initial layer deposits underwent melting deformation at a high flue gas temperature. • High flue gas temperature promoted formation of low-melting Ca, Fe-bearing silicates. The ash fouling and slagging caused by biomass combustion limits its extensive utilization, and biomass/coal co-firing is considered a promising way to alleviate this issue. In this study, the ash deposition characteristics at various flue gas temperatures during biomass/coal co-firing were investigated in a high-temperature down-fired furnace. The results indicated that an increase in flue gas temperature caused less deposition mass and intensified sintering of the deposited particles, which elevated the compactness and strength of deposits. As the flue gas temperature rose to 1100 °C, the deposited particles in the initial layer exhibited significant melting deformation and tightly adhered to the probe surface. The amounts of sintered particles in the outer and inner layers had a pronounced increase. The slagging indicators suggested that the slagging propensity of the deposits was enhanced remarkably at the flue gas temperature of 1100 °C. The influence of higher flue gas temperature on ash deposition formation was summarized as enhancing the melting degree of deposited particles, promoting the thermophoresis of low-melting fine ash particles and the condensation of SO 2 and alkali vapor, as well as accelerating the formation reaction of low-melting Ca, Fe-bearing silicates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• B. cereus mitigate the detrimental impacts of salt stress on cucumber. • B. cereus improves antioxidant capacity in cucumber under salt stress. • Modulation of ion metabolism by B. cereus to improve salt tolerance in cucumber. Salt stress poses a significant challenge to plants, exerting a detrimental impact on crop growth and yield. This study investigated the effects of the strain Bacillus cereus on plant growth, ion contents and antioxidant metabolism of cucumber seedlings under salt stress (150 mM NaCl). The results showed that B. cereus could colonize the roots system of cucumber, with peak colonization occurring on the 3rd day. Inoculation with B. cereus effectively alleviated the growth inhibition of cucumber seedlings induced by salt stress, resulting in improvements in plant height, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight. Furthermore, the Na+ content in cucumber seedlings subjected to salt stress was significantly reduced by 38.35 % in leaves and 38.19 % in roots upon B. cereus inoculation, while K + content increased by 9.88 % and 168.34 % in leaves and roots, respectively. Additionally, B. cereus significantly enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and antioxidant content, while reduced the levels of H 2 O 2 , MDA, and O 2 −. in cucumber seedlings under salt stress conditions. B. cereus -treated seedlings exhibited an increase in soluble sugar content by 35.27 % and 93.21 % in leaves, and 59.36 % and 128.78 % in roots, respectively. Moreover, B. cereus treatment significantly up-regulated the expression of salt tolerant gene in both cucumber leaves and roots. These results showed that B. cereus enhanced salt tolerance in cucumber seedlings by modulating the antioxidant defense system, maintaining ion homeostasis, and promoting the expression of stress-related genes, ultimately improving the growth of cucumber seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of tetramethylpyrazine nitrone (TBN) in healthy Chinese volunteers. Methods: A single‐ascending‐dose (SAD) study where 68 subjects were randomized to a single dose of placebo or TBN (50, 100, 200, 400, 700, 1,000, 1,400, or 1,800 mg) through IV infusion over 30 min. A multiple‐ascending‐dose (MAD) study where 24 subjects received TBN twice daily (with 12 hr interval) for total 6.5 days at doses of either 700 or 1,400 mg. Adverse events were recorded and pharmacokinetic samples were collected during the whole study period. Results: No serious adverse events were found in the study. All of the observed adverse events, including increased white blood cell (4.4% subjects) and neutrophil counts (4.4% subjects), and decreased hemoglobin levels (4.2% subjects), were laboratory test abnormalities. All the adverse events were mild and tolerable, and returned to normal without any intervention. In the SAD study, linear Cmax values were observed in the dose interval of 50–1,800 mg. In the MAD study, the average steady‐state concentrations (Cavg.ss) of TBN in the 700 and 1,400 mg dose group were 2,407 and 5,837 ng/ml, respectively. No drug accumulation was observed in this study. Conclusions: TBN is well tolerated in healthy volunteers. Linear Cmax values were observed in the interval of 50–1,800 mg, and target exposures of TBN were achieved without accumulation after twice daily administration to subjects. (This study has been registered at ChiCTR.org.cn. Identifier: ChiCTR1800016225 and ChiCTR1800019627.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chili peppers are loved by people all over the world and have been indispensable vegetable for three meals a day. However, reports about the association between chili consumption and gastric cancer (GC) risk have been conflicting. So, we carried out this meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of chili consumption on the risk of GC. Medline, PubMed, Web of science, Embase, Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched until May 2019. Heterogeneity among studies was examined using Q and I2 statistics. Combined odds ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random- or fixed-effects model. All data were analyzed using STATA 15.1 software. 13 studies (3,095 cases and 4,761 controls) were included in the meta-analysis. A 1.96-fold increased risk of GC was shown for the moderate-high chili consumption (OR = 1.96, 95%CI =1.59−2.42). Dose-response analysis showed a significant nonlinear association of GC risk with capsaicin intake (pnon-linearity <0.05) and suggested a significant positive association between high chili consumption and GC risk (OR = 2.28, 95%CI = 1.76–2.96) but not moderate chili consumption (OR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.36–1.41). Sensitivity analysis and publication bias test results indicated that no publication bias and the results were reliable (Egger's: P = 0.288). Evidence from this meta-analysis suggested that a higher level of chili consumption may be associated with an increased incidence of GC. More studies are warranted to confirm the association between chili consumption and the risk of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the drug resistance data of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) collected in 19 tertiary hospitals in the China Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Trial Program from 2007 to 2018. Methods: According to the unified plan, clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were collected from 19 tertiary hospitals in 19 cities in mainland China. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined by a twofold agar dilution method, and antimicrobial susceptibility was established. The isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and their drug resistance data were analyzed. Results: In total, 302 strains of CRKP were screened from 3,671 strains of K. pneumoniae. The clinical isolation rate of CRKP increased from 0.9% to 19.9% in the past 12 years, and the isolation rate of CRKP in pediatric patients increased the fastest, to 24.7%. Along this period, the isolation rate in the intensive care unit was higher than that in other settings. The number of CRKP strains with imipenem and meropenem MIC ≤8 mg/L decreased from 63.6% to 11.7% and from 72.7% to 14.2%, respectively. Resistance to drugs that may be used to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections has increased to varying degrees, and CRKP has the lowest resistance rate to polymyxin B (<19.0%). Conclusion: Because the MIC of CRKP is increasing each year in China, carbapenems are less likely to be used as part of combined therapy to treat CRKP infections. It is difficult to obtain good therapeutic effects against CRKP infections with MICs that are too high. CRKP is still the most sensitive to polymyxin B in vitro, followed by tigecycline. Combination therapy may be the most effective current treatment for CRKP infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sildenafil citrate is approved to treat erectile dysfunction. An orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) of sildenafil citrate that does not require swallowing or administration with fluids has been developed. The bioequivalence and bioavailability of sildenafil citrate ODT (50 mg) without and with water were compared with conventional sildenafil citrate tablets (50 mg) in an open‐label, randomized crossover study. Healthy Chinese male subjects (n = 36) were allocated to 1 of 6 sildenafil citrate treatment sequences under fasted conditions, and plasma samples for determination of sildenafil concentrations were collected predose through 14 hours postdose. Bioequivalence was demonstrated for sildenafil citrate ODT administered without water relative to the sildenafil citrate tablet administered with water; 90%CIs for the ratios of adjusted geometric means for sildenafil AUClast, Cmax, and AUCinf (ratio, 101.41%; 90%CI, 95.49%‐107.70%; ratio, 93.55%; 90%CI, 84.15%‐104.00%; and ratio, 101.03%; 90%CI, 94.80%‐107.66%; respectively) were wholly contained within the bioequivalence acceptance range of 80% to 125%, indicating bioequivalence criteria were met. Relative bioavailability of sildenafil citrate ODT administered with water to the sildenafil citrate tablet (50 mg) administered with water was 97.10%, 91.43%, and 97.09% with respect to sildenafil AUClast, Cmax, and AUCinf, respectively (90%CI, 91.43%‐03.12%, 82.25%‐101.65%, and 90.90%‐103.71%, respectively). Both sildenafil citrate formulations were generally well tolerated in healthy Chinese men. Sildenafil citrate ODT administered without or with water was bioequivalent to or met bioequivalence criteria compared with conventional sildenafil citrate tablets administered with water under fasted conditions in healthy Chinese men, thus offering a convenient alternative method of oral administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cardiac troponin (cTn) is a calcium ion (Ca2+)-sensitive hetero-trimer complex that consists of three subunits: cTnC, cTnI and cTnT. The protein is a primary biomarker and potential target for the diagnosis and therapy of myocardial necrosis in acute coronary syndrome. Previously, a minimal region (mSwt peptide) of cTnI C-terminal switch peptide is identified as a functionally required segment for mediating cTnI interaction with the cTnC N-terminal domain to which Ca2+ binds. Here, we attempt to investigate the Ca2+-dependent effect on the inter-subunit interaction between cTnC and cTnI at molecular level. The structure of Ca2+-bound and Ca2+-free cTnC N-terminal domains as well as their complexes with mSwt peptide are stripped from the crystal structure of full-length cTn complex, which are then subjected to 600-ns molecular dynamics simulations for conformational equilibrium and post energetics analysis. It is revealed that Ca2+ can effectively stabilize the native conformation of cTnC N-terminal domain and the tight binding mode of mSwt peptide to the domain; lack of Ca2+ would cause a considerable unfolding phenomenon in the domain, particularly in helices H1 and H5, and largely shift the interaction manner between the domain and peptide. In addition, there is also a significant difference between the binding curves of mSwt peptide to Ca2+-bound and Ca2+-free domains along the dynamics trajectory; the former monotonically increases over the whole simulations, whereas the latter exhibits a unimodal profile. Binding analysis also observes a significant concentration-dependent effect of Ca2+ on the domain–peptide affinity, that is, just a little of Ca2+ can improve the affinity remarkably. Overall, it is demonstrated that Ca2+ plays a crucial role in domain–peptide interaction and Ca2+ should bind very efficiently to the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) often leads to neonatal death or severe, irreversible neurological deficits. Pathologically, the occurrence of massive cell death and subsequent inflammation suggested that pyroptosis, an inflammation associated programed cell death, might play a role in HIE. Here, by measuring changes of key molecules in pyroptosis pathway in HIE patients, we discovered that their elevation levels tightly correlate with the severity of HIE. Next, we demonstrated that application of MCC950, a small molecule to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome and thus pyroptosis, substantially alleviated pyroptosis and the injury severity in rats with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD). Mechanistically, we showed that NLRP-3/caspase-1/GSDMD axis is required for microglia pyroptosis and activation. Our data demonstrated that microglia mediated pyroptosis played a crucial role in neonatal HIE, which shed lights into the development of intervention avenues targeting pyroptosis to treat HIE and traumatic brain injuries. • Elevation of key molecules in pyroptosis pathway in neonatal HIE patients. • MCC950 substantially alleviated pyroptosis and the injury severity of neonatal HIE. • NLRP-3/caspase-1/GSDMD axis is required for microglia pyroptosis and activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioavailability of nanoparticles during the digestive process is intricately linked to their structural integrity and interactions with bile salts. In this study, enzymatically hydrolyzed protein nanoparticles encapsulating β -carotene (BC) were prepared using three proteases with different cleavage specificity. In vitro digestion and cellular uptake models are employed to investigate the structural changes of BC during the digestion process and their bioavailability. It was found that Flavorzyme exhibited lower hydrolysis degree as compared to Neutrase and Alcalase, selectively hydrolyzing the 7S subunit of SPI while retaining a higher content of acidic peptides within the 11S subunit, resulting in higher surface hydrophobicity. Therefore, partially hydrolyzed protein nanoparticles (SPIH@NPs) prepared with Flavorzyme (SPIH–F@NP) demonstrated the strongest resistance to digestion. Compared to SPI nanoparticles, the release rate of β -carotene in SPIH-F@NP was reduced from 25.99% to 13.13%, leading to a higher retention of β -carotene in the aqueous phase and a 2.66-fold increase in its bioaccessibility. Moreover, SPIH-F@NP demonstrated the highest affinity for bile salts, resulting in a 1.48-fold improvement in the absorption efficiency of β -carotene compared to SPI nanoparticles. These findings establish a theoretical basis for further enhancing the application potential of protein-based nanoparticles in terms of bioavailability. [Display omitted] • Flavorzyme selectively hydrolyzed SPI's 7S subunit, preserving 11S acidic peptides for superior structural integrity over Neutrase and Alcalase. • SPIH-N@NP and SPIH-F@NP showed improved bile salt binding due to increased hydrophobicity and retention of 11S globulin's A subunit acidic peptides. • The preserved structure and increased bile salt adsorption of SPIH-F@NP and SPIH-N@NP enhance the bioaccessibility and absorption efficiency of BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) have significantly increased in recent years. It has been shown that early diagnosis of CRC improves the five-year survival of patients compared to late diagnosis, as patients with stage I disease have a five-year survival rate as high as 90 %. Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified Kallikrein 10 (KLK10), a member of the Kallikrein family, as a reliable predictor of CRC progression, particularly in patients with early-stage CRC. Furthermore, single-cell analysis revealed that KLK10 was highly expressed in tumor and partial immune cells. Analysis of the biological functions of KLK10 using the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes and gene ontology indicated that KLK10 plays a role in the proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells, along with the maintenance of tumor function and immune regulation, explicitly by T cells and macrophages. EdU cell proliferation staining, plate clone formation assay, and cell scratch assay demonstrated that KLK10 inhibition by siRNA affected the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. Cell cycle detection by flow cytometry demonstrated that KLK10 inhibition led to cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. In addition, the proportion of M1 and M2 macrophages in 45 tumor specimens was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, the proportion of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in plasma was identified by flow cytometry, and their correlation with KLK10 was analyzed. The effects of KLK10 on T cells and macrophages were verified in independent cell experiments. The results revealed that KLK10 also activates CD4+ T cells, mediating M2-type macrophage polarization. [Display omitted] • KLK10 is strongly associated with survival of colorectal cancer in stage I-II. • KLK10 affects the proliferation, migration and cell cycle of cancer cells. • KLK10 is involved in activation and differentiation of T cells and macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Maximum energy storage density (57.4 kWh/m3) of hydrate cold storage was obtained. • Increasing the solution concentration boost the cold charge capacity by 2–3 times. • Rapid dilution of dissociated solution was key to enhancing the cold discharge. • Self-regulation of driving force was relied on temperature and concentration. Low energy storage density, intermittent phase changes, and heat transfer barriers have posed significant challenges in the implementation of hydrate energy storage systems. Based on the heterogeneous nucleation mechanism for tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) hydrate phase change energy storage, a novel cold storage system with internally circulating gas disturbance was constructed for energy evaluation and thermodynamic evolution. The hydrate cold storage efficiency, response time, dynamic driving force, unique force pattern of the coils and guest molecule diffusion were analyzed for the first time. The bubbles generated by gas internal circulation provided numerous nucleation sites for hydrate formation, efficiently promoting the energy storage process. The disturbances caused by the bubbles also rapidly transmitted the energy generated by the phase change. A hydrate storage density of 57.4 kWh/m3 for this system was the maximum among known hydrate storage systems. Notably, a change in solution concentration (from 10 wt% to 40 wt%) resulted in a 2–3-fold increase in the cold charge capacity. Rapid dilution of local solutions and rapid release of cold were the ways to promote the cold discharge. Less damage to the stress structure of the coil was due to the loose accumulation of hydrate particles under gas disturbance. The microbubbles generated by the gas disturbance enabled heterogeneous nucleation and heat-mass transfer in the hydrate cold storage. The gas disturbance-based hydrate energy storage process holds significant guiding value for various applications such as refrigerated transport, building cooling systems, and grid peak shaving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PKs), safety, and immunogenicity of the biosimilar HEC14028 compared to reference Trulicity® (dulaglutide) in healthy male Chinese subjects. This study was a single‐center, randomized, open, single‐dose, parallel‐controlled comparative Phase I clinical trial, including a screening period of up to 14 days, a 17‐day observation period after administration, and a 7‐day safety follow‐up period. A total of 68 healthy male subjects were randomly assigned (1:1) to the test group (HEC14028) and the reference group (dulaglutide) (single 0.75 mg abdominal subcutaneous dose). The primary objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of HEC14028 and compare the pharmacokinetic similarities between HEC14028 and dulaglutide. The primary PK endpoints were maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the blood concentration‐time curve from zero time to the estimated infinite time (AUC0–∞). The study results showed that HEC14028 and dulaglutide were pharmacokinetically equivalent: 90% confidence interval (CI) of Cmax and AUC0–∞ geometric mean ratios were 102.9%–122.0% and 97.1%–116.9%, respectively, which were both within the range of 80.00%–125.00%. No grade 3 or above treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), TEAEs leading to withdrawal from the trial, or TEAEs leading to death were reported in this study. Both HEC14028 and dulaglutide showed good and similar safety profiles, and no incremental immunogenicity was observed in subjects receiving HEC14028 and dulaglutide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) semi-clathrate hydrate possesses a unique clathrate structure for capturing and sequestering small-molecule gases, such as CH 4 , H 2 and, CO 2 and the advantage of phase change energy storage. Elucidating the diversified reactions and determining the optimal phase change characteristics of TBAB hydrate is crucial to discovering and overcoming specific limitations hindering the large-scale applications. In this study, in situ macroscopic visualization, three-dimensional reconstruction via X-ray Computed Tomography, and differential scanning calorimeter measurements were performed to discover, verify, and analyze the distinct characteristics of TBAB hydrate phase change, including phase separation, three-dimensional structure, and thermal effects. The optimal concentration of TBAB hydrate energy storage was found and verified experimentally for the first time. A peculiar liquid layer (liquid-liquid phase separation) caused by hydrate-solution phase separation was observed after multiple formation-dissociation cycles. The liquid layer separated a region that optimized the hydrate phase change. The solutions with different initial concentrations could evolve an optimized phase-change region of the same concentration (37 wt%) via multiple cycles. The region of the same concentration was shown to be the result of optimal aggregation of molecules. In proving the particularity of the concentration in the optimized region, TBAB hydrate dissociation exhibit thermal effects that can be easily ignored (TBAB molecules ionization and ionic bond synthesis), which affected the TBAB hydrate latent heat measurement. Finally, the optimal concentration of TBAB hydrate phase change was determined as 37 ± 1 wt%, and the characteristics of the concentration, including the volume fraction, complete conversion of water molecules and TBAB molecules, and latent heat, were confirmed by the liquid layer. The experimental results obtained for the first time in this study are important guidance for TBAB hydrate in the field of gas capture and energy storage. [Display omitted] • Solid-liquid phase separation leads to liquid-liquid phase separation. • Guest molecule optimum aggregation hypothesis of memory effect was proposed. • Changes in ionic bonds play an important role in TBAB hydrate phase change. • Hydrate volume fraction could be up 99% by XCT 3D reconstruction. • 37 wt% was considered to be the optimal concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In gas capture/storage and energy storage, tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) hydrates have been regarded as superior carriers owing to their unique molecular selectivity and high latent heat. Hydrate conversion amount is a significant parameter in evaluating gas selection and cold storage characteristics. This study proposes a method for calculating hydrate conversion amount proposed based on the correlation between electrical conductivity and solution concentration. The correlation index (R2) between electrical conductivity and TBAB solution concentration was above 0.99 at concentrations less than below 5 wt%. The conversion amounts of different hydrate types were obtained using a unique hybrid calculation method. The differences in hydrate conversion amount, conversion ratio, and memory effect were compared at different mass fractions. The results indicated that the hydrate morphology and accumulation patterns were influenced by the TBAB solution ionization degree. Regular hexagonal TBAB hydrate crystals were observed at a low ionization degree. The maximum conversion ratio of TBAB hydrate reached 96% (1 °C/30 wt%). The variation trend of TBAB hydrate phase equilibrium temperature was consistent with that of the electrical conductivity of the solution. The investigation of the memory effect revealed that the phase change process of TBAB hydrate is more predictable in high-concentration initial solutions. [Display omitted] • Regular hexagonal hydrate was observed for the first time. • Insufficient ionization of TBAB slowed hydrate conversion. • TBAB hydrate phase equilibrium temperature was consistent with ionization degree. • Temperature, induction factor, and residual solution volume affected hydrate conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the distributed state estimation problem for multi-sensor networks with quantized measurements. Within the Bayesian framework, a distributed adaptive moving horizon estimation algorithm is developed. Unlike the existing methods regarding quantized errors roughly as bounded uncertainties, the posterior distributions of the errors are demanded to be derived. To overcome the difficulty of evaluating the posterior distributions for series of the states and quantized errors jointly, the variational Bayesian methodology is adopted to approximate the true distributions. Based on the fixed-point iteration method, the update rules are analytically derived, with the convergence criterion provided. Furthermore, by incorporating the average consensus algorithm into the prediction process, all sensors can achieve consensus on their estimates in a distributed manner. Finally, a numerical example of target tracking under logarithmic and uniform quantization effects is given to illustrate the validity of the proposed algorithm. • A distributed adaptive moving horizon estimation method is proposed to handle with quantized measurements. • The VB technique and the fixed-point iteration algorithm are utilized to approximate the true posterior distributions. • The average consensus algorithm is employed into the prediction process to ensure the consensus among all sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We report on a controlled synthesis of uniform MOF-5 sheets. The MOF sheets were solvothermally synthesized in a basic reaction medium in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Systematical investigation on the synthetic parameters revealed a pH-modulated mechanism for the formation of sheet-like morphology of MOF-5 crystals and a PVP-promoted shape evolution of the well-defined square sheets with uniform length and thickness. Graphical abstract A pH-modulated synthesis method was reported to prepare uniform MOF-5 square sheets. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Uniform MOF-5 square sheets were synthesized. • The formation of MOF-5 sheets involved a cube-to-sheet solvothermal morphology transformation. • A pH-modulated mechanism was proposed for the formation of MOF-5 sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a modulated synthesis method that enables the preparation of monodisperse MOF-5 crystals with tunable sizes and shapes. This controlled synthesis involves the base-tuned nucleation and the surfactant-modulated facet growth of MOF-5 during its crystallization. Systematic reactions with triethylamine (TEA) as additional base and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as capping agent were investigated. Under optimized experimental conditions, monodisperse MOF-5 cubes (with tunable sizes ranging from ~400 nm to ~2500 nm), truncated cubes, truncated octahedrons, and octahedrons could be produced with high reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as renewable electricity-generation devices are often confronted with the poor long-term durability and high cost of cathodic catalysts. In this study, iron (III) metaphosphate/iron phosphide/partly-graphitized carbon ((Fe(PO 3 ) 3 )/FeP/PGC) catalysts obtained at 750–950 °C are used as air–cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in single-chamber MFCs. As temperature increases, graphitization degree of carbon skeleton in (Fe(PO 3 ) 3 )/FeP/PGCs gradually increases to obtain a higher electrical conductivity. At 900 and 950 °C, monoclinic structured Fe(PO 3 ) 3 is formed in PGC structure to constitute the Fe(PO 3 ) 3 /FeP heterojunctions, which should originate from the partial oxidation of FeP. The maximum power density (1.162 ± 0.022 W m −2 ) of MFCs is obtained by Fe(PO 3 ) 3 /FeP/PGC (900 °C) cathode, which is higher than that of commercial Pt/C (1.052 ± 0.015 W m −2 ) and only has a decline of 4.56% after 1900 h operation (excellent durability). Well-dispersed Fe(PO 3 ) 3 /FeP heterojunctions and abundant oxygen-containing groups (C–O–C, C–O–H and C–OH) play the important roles in achieving the high charge transfer efficiency (8.7 ± 0.2 Ω) and long-term durability in bio-electricity generation. Fe(PO 3 ) 3 /FeP/PGC (900 °C) primarily proceeds the efficient four-electron ORR pathway by exploiting the synergistic effects between the active components (Fe(PO 3 ) 3 /FeP) and porous structure (533.77 m 2  g –1 ). This study provides the promising non-precious-metal ORR electro-catalysts for replacing Pt/C in renewable energy-generation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Nemonoxacin, a nonfluorinated quinolone, has been approved in Taiwan and mainland China for the treatment of bacterial infection. Whether nemonoxacin is associated with the adverse events of other quinolones, such as the risk for QT-interval prolongation, which has led to the withdrawal of several fluoroquinolones from the market, needs to be elucidated. Methods The effects of nemonoxacin on thorough QT/QTc interval was investigated in this randomized, placebo- and positive-controlled crossover study conducted according to the International Conference on Harmonisation E14 guideline. Forty-eight healthy adults received a single oral dose of nemonoxacin 500 mg (therapeutic dose), nemonoxacin 750 mg (supratherapeutic dose), moxifloxacin 400 mg (positive control), or placebo in 1 of 4 cohorts (Williams Latin square design) in the fasted condition. After a 7-day washout, 6 male and 6 female subjects were orally administered a 500-mg dose of nemonoxacin after high-fat food intake. The primary end point was the change in QT interval corrected for heart rate using the Fridericia formula (QTcF). The secondary end point was the change in QT interval corrected for heart rate using the Bazett formula (QTcB). Findings The study revealed that nemonoxacin was classified as not likely dangerous at the therapeutic dose (500 mg) and as potentially dangerous at the supratherapeutic dose (750 mg). The T max of nemonoxacin was 1 to 2 hours after administration, and the elimination half-life was 5 to 7 hours, in the fasted conditions. High-fat food intake had significant effects on the T max , C max , AUC 0–∞, and QT/QTc interval of nemonoxacin compared with these values in the fasted condition. A correlation between QTcF and the plasma drug concentration of nemonoxacin was not observed. Implications Nemonoxacin at the clinically therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses had a prolongation effect on QT/QTc. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03362853. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an intelligent plant protection machine for spraying herbicides at a real-time variable rate plays a key role in improving the utilization efficiency of herbicides and reducing environmental pollution. Spraying volume (SV) and nozzle size (NS) are key factors influencing droplet deposition and herbicide efficacy and safety. A three-way split-split plot design experiment was conducted in the winter wheat field, with SV 180 L·ha−1 and 150 L·ha−1 in the main plot, a turbo air induction nozzle TTI11004 and TTI11003 in the subplot, herbicide flucarbazone-Na 70% WG mixed with florasulam 50 g·L−1 SC as the recommended dose, and a 20% reduced dose in the sub-subplot. Droplet deposition and weed control efficacy treated by these three factors and their combination were evaluated. Results indicated that there was a significant influence of SV on droplet coverage and density, but no significant influence of NS and its interaction with SV. A droplet coverage and density of treatment at 180 L·ha−1 were both significantly higher than at 150 L·ha−1. The influence of SV and its interaction with NS on weed control efficacy were significant. The efficacy of treatment TTI11004 at SV 180 L·ha−1 was the highest but decreased when NS was switched to TTI11003 and the SV was decreased to 150 L·ha−1. There was no significant effect of all the treatments on winter wheat yield and its components, but the yield loss could be reduced by 2.36% when the herbicide input was reduced by 20%. We can conclude that herbicide input can be reduced by at least 20% using the intelligent machine while equipped with the right NS at the right SV, which would increase the safety of winter wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new thiourea derivative (PT) bearing a water-soluble porphyrin fluorophore was synthesized and used as a highly sensitive and selective chemodosimeter for mercury ions (Hg 2+ ) in aqueous solution. PT exhibits large ratiometric absorption and fluorescence emission variations upon exposure to various Hg 2+ concentrations based on the Hg 2+ -promoted intramolecular cyclic guanylation of thiourea. This mechanism was verified via NMR, MS, and FT-IR spectral data. The chemodosimeter is highly selective for Hg 2+ in the presence of alkali, alkaline earth, transition, and heavy metal ions in the physiological pH window with a detection limit of ppb level. The selectivity can also be visualized under UV light, whereby the red fluorescence of PT becomes orange only in the presence of Hg 2+ . The potential practical application of PT to detect Hg 2+ on paper strips is also described. Finally, in living cells, it exhibits excellent membrane permeability and low toxicity and thus can be used for confocal fluorescence imaging of intracellular Hg 2+ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembling nanoparticle made from soy protein hydrolysates has proved to be a promising delivery system due to its excellent biocompatibility and synthetic feasibility. In this study, the critical parameters that control the SPI hydrolysate structure and its encapsulation capacity have been assessed. Three different enzymes, including Flavorzyme, Neutrase and Alcalase, were selected to hydrolyze soy protein isolate (SPI), and a solvent evaporation method was used to fabricate β -carotene loaded nanoparticles. Microstructure observation, SDS-PAGE, surface hydrophobicity, and endogenous fluorescence analysis were carried out to examine the key structural factors influencing encapsulation efficiency of SPI hydrolysates nanoparticles (SPIHs). It was found moderate exposure of hydrophobic amino acids inside the 7 S globulin via Flavorzyme controlled hydrolysis can increase the surface hydrophobicity of SPIH, therefore improving its emulsifying properties, while excessive hydrolysis of 7 S by Alcalase would cause weak hydrophobic interactions between the hydrophobic amino acids, which restricted the binding site with β -carotene. Above results provide a foundation for fabricating nanoparticles encapsulating lipophilic compounds with high encapsulation rate from SPI hydrolysates (SPIH). SPI forms nanoparticles through self-assembly after enzymatic hydrolysis, which improve the encapsulation efficiency of β-carotene. [Display omitted] • The hydrolysis behaviors of Alcalase, Neutrase and Flavorzyme on different subunits of SPI were studied. • The effects of enzymatic hydrolysis on the structure and emulsifying properties of SPIH nanoparticles were studied. • The relationship between SPI structure and encapsulation efficiency of SPIH nanoparticles were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We a new model of discrete-time switched stochastic non-autonomous systems with external inputs and time-varying delays under partially unstable subsystems. • Our model has wider applicability because we consider the existence of partially unstable subsystems in the switching subsystems and time-varying delays. • The mode-dependent average dwell time and the multiple Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional are used. • Some main idea of the research is overcome the influences caused by partially unstable subsystems in the switching subsystems and time-varying delays. • Some new stability criteria based on the related systems are derived. This paper addresses the globally stochastically exponentially input-to-state stability (ISS) and ISS of discrete-time switched stochastic systems with partially unstable subsystems under the influence of time-varying delays and external input by applying the mode-dependent average dwell time and the multiple Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional. Some main idea of the research is overcome the influences caused by partially unstable subsystems in the switching subsystems and time-varying delays. Some new stability criteria based on the related systems are derived, these criteria extend many models and relax some restrictions compared to previous work. Finally, we use two examples to verify the effectiveness of our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile hormone (JH) is one of the key insect hormones that regulate metamorphosis. Juvenile hormone diol kinase (JHDK) is an enzyme involved in JH metabolism and catalyzes JH diol to form a polar end product, JH diol phosphate that has no JH activity. In this study, a JHDK complementary DNA (cDNA) was cloned from Spodoptera litura and the structure and expression of the gene was characterized. The cDNA was 714 base pairs in length and encoded a protein of 183 amino acids with a molecular mass of 21 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.55. Based on the structure, three putative calcium binding motifs and guanosine triphosphate-binding motifs were predicted in the protein. Modeling of the 3-D structure showed that the protein consisted of eight α-helixes linked with loops, with no β-sheets. The gene was expressed in the epidermis, fat body and midgut of fifth and sixth instar larvae. The expression level in the epidermis was lower than in the fat body and midgut. The gene was expressed at higher levels at the early stages than in the later stages of fifth and sixth instar midgut and fat body. The results suggest that this gene may be involved in the regulation of the JH titer in larvae of S. litura. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread and improper use of pyrethroid insecticides, such as deltamethrin, has resulted in the evolution of resistance in many mosquito species, including Culex pipiens pallens. With the development of high-throughput sequencing, it is possible to massively screen pyrethroid resistance-associated gene. In this study, we used Illumina-Solexa transcriptome sequencing to identify genes that are expressed differently in deltamethrin-susceptible and -resistant strains of Culex pipiens pallens as a critical knowledge base for further studies. A total of 4,961,197,620 base pairs and 55,124,418 reads were sequenced, mapped to the Culex quinquefasciatus genome and assembled into 17,679 known genes. We recorded 1826 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Among them, 1078 genes were up-regulated and 748 genes were down-regulated in the deltamethrin-resistant strain compared to -susceptible strain. These DEGs contained cytochrome P450 s, cuticle proteins, UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, lipases, serine proteases, heat shock proteins, esterases and others. Among the 1826 DEGs, we found that the transcriptional levels of CYP6AA9 in the laboratory populations was elevated as the levels of deltamethrin resistance increased. Moreover, the expression levels of the CYP6AA9 were significantly higher in the resistant strains than the susceptible strains in three different field populations. We further confirmed the association between the CYP6AA9 gene and deltamethrin resistance in mosquitoes by RNA interfering (RNAi). Altogether, we explored massive potential pyrethroid resistance-associated genes and demonstrated that CYP6AA9 participated in the pyrethroid resistance in mosquitoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intriguing feature of China's rapid socioeconomic development during the past 30 years is the new path it appears to represent for other developing countries. Unfortunately, the risks associated with China's model are severe; they include a growing gap between the rich and poor caused by an unbalanced supply of social welfare, environmental degradation caused by unsustainable development, growing risks to food security caused by farmland degradation, damage to China's international reputation, and growing social turbulence as a result of runaway corruption. These problems will jeopardize China's achievements if the current path continues to be pursued without intervention by the central government to solve these problems. To provide insights into the damage being caused by China's socioeconomic development model, we provide examples of problems that have arisen during the current period of reform and that must be avoided by other developing countries that hope to emulate China's rapid development without incurring the same costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and biological processes including embryonic development, innate immunity, and infection in many species. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs are involved in drug resistance. However, little is known about the relationship between the miRNAs and insecticide resistance in mosquitos. Here, we reported that conserved miR-278-3p and its target gene are critical for pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens pallens. We found that CYP6AG11 is the target of miR-278-3p, through bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification. The expression level of miR-278-3p was lower, whereas the level of CYP6AG11 was higher in deltamethrin-resistant strain, which were detected using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). We also found that CYP6AG11 was regulated by miR-278-3p via a specific target site with the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) by luciferase reporter assay. In addition, overexpression of CYP6AG11 in the mosquito C6/36 cells showed better proliferation than the cells with empty vector when treated by deltamethrin at different concentrations. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-278-3p through microinjection led to a significant reduction in the survival rate, and the level of CYP6AG11 was simultaneously reduced. These results indicated that miR-278-3p could regulate the pyrethroid resistance through CYP6AG11. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive and improper application of insecticides has caused the evolution of resistance in many mosquito populations, including Culex pipiens pallens (L.). Deltamethrin, a representative pyrethroid insecticide, is the most widely used synthetic insecticide in mosquito-borne control field. Comprehensively identifying genes and regulators associated with deltamethrin resistance and elucidating the manner in which they regulate this process is critical for effective control of mosquitoes. CircRNAs are the upstream regulatory factors of miRNAs and mRNAs, which play a role via the competitive endogenous RNA mechanism. In this study, we used high-throughput circRNA sequencing to identify circRNAs that were expressed differently in deltamethrin-susceptible strain (DS strain) and -resistant strain (DR strain) mosquitoes [NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) database accession number: PRJNA714543]. We detected a total of 12,816 significantly differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs). Among them, 6769 circRNAs were up-regulated and 6047 circRNAs were down-regulated in the DR strain compared to DS strain. Among the DE-circRNAs, we further screened that supercont3.352:252102|253283 was significantly over-expressed in the DR strain through qPCR multiple verification (P < 0.05).We used the divergent primer to amplify the rolling circle product and obtained the full-length sequence of supercont3.352:252102|253283 (GeneBank accession number: MW729338). Through software comparison and bioinformatics analysis, we predicted that supercont3.352:252102|253283 might participate in deltamethrin resistance by sponging cpp-miR-1671 and blocking its inhibition on CYP4G15.We further found that the expression of cpp-miR-1671 was significantly lower in DR strain (P < 0.01), while the expression of CYP4G15 was significantly higher in DR strain (P < 0.05).Taken together, the present study provided the most comprehensive circRNA expression profile of mosquitoes, and suggested that supercont3.352:252102|253283 might participate in deltamethrin resistance through the supercont3.352:252102|253283/cpp-miR-1671/ CYP4G15 pathway. [Display omitted] •.We used circRNA-seq to identify 6,769 up-regulated and 6,047 down-regulated circRNAs in the DR compared to the DS strain. • We screened that supercont3.352:252102|253283 was significantly over-expressed in the DR strain through qPCR verification. • We amplified the rolling circle product and obtained the full-length sequence of supercont3.352:252102|253283. • Supercont3.352:252102|253283 might participate in deltamethrin resistance through the cpp-miR-1671/ CYP4G15 pathway. • The cpp-miR-1671 was significantly under-expressed, while the CYP4G15 was significantly over-expressed in the DR strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical investigation is performed to further address the effects of geometric parameters and excitation frequency of the actuator on the synthetic jet fluidic characteristics by utilizing a two-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model. The vibrating diaphragm is modeled as a movable wall varying in sinusoidal mode. Computations are carried out by using FLUENT software with the coupled user definition function (UDF) describing the diaphragm movement. The results show that the geometric parameters of the actuator, such as the cavity depth and diameter, as well as orifice thickness and diameter, have important influences on the synthetic jet fluidic characteristics. The velocity output could be maximized if the geometric parameters of the synthetic jet actuator are designed to ensure that the cavity acoustic Helmholtz resonance frequency is coincided with the diaphragm excitation frequency. For a fixed actuator cavity, when the diaphragm excitation frequency is consistent with the Helmholtz resonance frequency of actuator cavity, the relative pressure insides the cavity is obviously great during the ejection stroke while low during the suction stroke. In the presented actuator parameters, the synthetic jet is enhanced as the decrease of cavity depth for the fixed orifice. The change of cavity diameter in the vicinity of corresponding cavity acoustic resonance diameter has relatively weaker influence on the synthetic jet. When the diaphragm is excited at high frequency, small orifice diameter will restrict the ejection and suction capacity of the synthetic jet actuator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel adaptive cubature Kalman filter is proposed for nonlinear system against randomly occurring injection attacks. • The prior statistical information of the attacks is not required. • Variation Bayesian method is employed to approximate the joint posterior distribution of state and attack statistics. • Cubature integral rule is adopted for nonlinear state estimation. The problem of state estimation for nonlinear dynamic systems in the presence of randomly occurring injection attacks (ROIAs) is investigated. This paper requires no prior statistical information of the attacks, which relaxes the assumption of the existing result that the attack probability and the probability density function of attack signals need to be known. With the distribution of the attack probability and attack signals modeled as Beta distribution and Gaussian mixture distribution, a variational Bayesian based adaptive cubature Kalman filter is proposed to approximate the joint posterior distribution of the system state vector and unknown parameters. In addition, the update rules of the state and the statistical parameters of attacks are analytically derived by employing the fixed-point iteration approach. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed filter is validated through numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sparse coding based classifier (SCC) proves to lead to the state-of-the-art result in pattern recognition. Compared with traditional generative models and discriminative models, it neither casts some assumption on the distribution of data, nor learns a hyperplane to separate samples. However, SCC is characteristic of slow prediction because an -norm minimization need to be solved to assign the label for each sample. In this paper, we propose a Superpixel-wise Structural Sparse Coding based Classifier (S3CC) for image segmentation. An unsupervised superpixel segmentation is first used to derive the initial labeled samples, and SCC is extended to the semi-supervised pattern where unlabeled samples are incrementally labeled and taken as the dictionary to improve the classification accuracy. Moreover, a neighborhood spatial constraint is cast on the prediction of pixel labels, to avoid the speckle-like mis-segmentation of images. Some experiments are taken on some artificial texture images, to investigate the segmentation result of our proposed S3CC. Some aspects including (1) Comparison of S3CC with SCC, (2) Comparisons of S3CC with and without spatial constraint, (3) Comparison of S3CC with semi-supervised S3CC, are tested, and the results prove the efficiency and superiority of S3CC to its counterparts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanofibers with distinct luminescent property were facilely fabricated by electrospinning from porphyrinated polyimide and demonstrated as a kind of novel sensory material for trace detection of TNT vapor (10ppb). Covalently bonding of porphyrin fluorophores into the polyimide main chains reduces the aggregation-caused fluorescence self-quenching of porphyrin and improves the physicochemical stability of the polyimide nanofibers. The large surface area-to-volume ratio and hence good gas accessibility endow the porphyrinated nanofibers with much more remarkable fluorescent quenching behavior toward trace TNT vapor than its spin-coating dense film counterparter. Besides TNT, 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (PA) and nitrobenzene (NB) could also quench the fluorescence of the porphyrinated nanofibers, but the quenching efficiency is much lower than that of TNT. An apparent binding affinity constant of (2.37±0.19)×107 L/mol was calculated from SPR analysis, confirming that the porphyrinated nanofibers is a promising alternative for TNT detection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Land degradation is a primary issue that affects environmental conservation and socioeconomic development. However, ecological restoration has complex and poorly understood consequences for the structure and composition of future ecosystems and socioeconomic systems. To illustrate the complexity of ecological restoration, we discuss the potential links between China''s ongoing large-scale ecological restoration practices and the resulting changes of natural factors such as landscape characteristics, climate, and vegetation communities. These changes may lead to restoration difficulty when the goal is to rebuild a system that resembles the pre-disturbance state. Even though the intentions of ecological restoration may be good, it is necessary to harmonize the ecological effects with simultaneous and future social changes, thereby benefiting both nature and society. Any simplistic or extreme approach to ecological restoration is potentially dangerous because the long-term effects on nature and society are generally unknown, so careful monitoring will be required, particularly for large-scale projects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effects of ursolic acid (UA) on the expression of C-reactive protein (CRP) induced by IL-6 in HepG2 cells and the protective effects on the CRP-induced injury to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with IL-6 or IL-6 and different concentrations of UA for 48h, then the cells were collected. The total protein and RNA of the cells were extracted for western blotting and RT-PCR methods to detect CRP protein and mRNA expression. HUVECs were treated with CRP or CRP and different concentrations of UA for 24h. Cell proliferation in each group was assayed by MTT. Cells were collected for western blotting and RT-PCR methods to detect VCAM-1, LOX-1 protein or mRNA expression. Result: IL-6 can significantly increase CRP protein and mRNA expression in HepG2 cells, and this effect of IL-6 can be decreased by UA (6.25, 12.5, 25μmol/L) markedly in a dose-dependent manner. UA can inhibit CRP-induced proliferation of HUVECs. CRP can obviously increase LOX-1/VCAM-1 expression in HUVECs, both on mRNA and protein levels and the effect of CRP can be inhibited by UA (5, 10, 20μmol/L) in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: UA can reduce the over expression of CRP in HepG2 cells induced by IL-6 and inhibit the increased expression of VCAM-1 and LOX-1 in HUVECs caused by CRP. Our research suggests that UA can reduce CRP levels in plasma and prevent inflammatory cytokines from injuring endothelial cells by inhibiting the hepatic synthesis of CRP. So UA may have positive significance for prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Low molecular mass protein-2 ( LMP2) and low molecular mass protein-7 ( LMP7) genes play a critical role in foreign antigen processing on the major histocompatibility complex-I CD8 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte pathway. This study was designed to investigate whether the sequence variants in the LMP2/ LMP7 coding region were associated with intestinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( M. tuberculosis) infection or with the co-infection of pulmonary tuberculosis. A total of 168 patients with intestinal tuberculosis and 235 normal controls were recruited for this study. Two polymorphisms of LMP2 (Arg60-His) and LMP7 (Gln145-Lys) were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The associations of the LMP2/ LMP7 genotype and haplotype with intestinal M. tuberculosis infection were assessed by using logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that LMP7 position codon 145 Lys/Lys and Gln/Lys alleles in the coding region were associated with the infection of intestinal M. tuberculosis ( P = 0.003, odds ratio [OR] = 3.86 and P < 0.001, OR = 2.28, respectively). Meanwhile, the Arg-Lys and Cys-Lys haplotypes exhibited significant relation to the intestinal M. tuberculosis infection ( P = 0.006, OR = 1.87; P = 0.021, OR = 1.83, respectively). No significant associations were observed for any of the single-nucleotide polymorphism genotypes or haplotypes with the co-infection of pulmonary tuberculosis ( P > 0.05). The results indicated that the genetic variant within the LMP2/ LMP7 gene would increase the risk of intestinal M. tuberculosis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel sensor fabricated from the nanofibrous membrane of porphyrinated polyimide (PPI) for the rapid detection of trace amount of hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas is described. Covalently bonding of the porphyrin fluorophores into polyimide main chains overcomes the disadvantage of porphyrin aggregation and improves the physicochemical stability of polyimide simultaneously. The dual chromo- and fluorogenic responses of the nanofibrous membrane upon exposure to HCl gas are interpreted in terms of the out-of-plane distortion of porphyrin macrocycle, which ultimately affects its optical properties. UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to further study the protonation of porphyrin moieties in polyimide. With large amount of available surface area and hence good gas accessibility, the nanofibrous membrane of porphyrinated polyimide shows unusually high sensitivity and fast response time in sensing application. An apparent binding affinity constant of (1.05±0.23)×104 Lmol−1 was calculated from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, confirming that the porphyrinated nanofibrous membrane is an applicable material for constructing HCl-sensitive gas sensor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a case study of two Chinese families with dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH) who exhibited pathogenic mutations in the adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) gene. Topics discussed include the amplification of ADAR1 gene through polymerase chain reaction, the amino acid change through the missense mutation, and the genes participating in melanosome synthesis and transport and melanocyte development.

A novel Hilbert frequency selective surface (FSS) is proposed and experimental studied. By etching the FSS elements as two iteration Hilbert curve and arraying the Hilbert FSS elements symmetrically, it is experimentally found that the proposed FSS is dual-polarized, and several stopbands are exhibited within the operating frequency band. It is also observed that the proposed Hilbert FSS element achieved a size reduction of 93.6% when compared to the conventional square patch FSS resonated at the similar frequency. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:1221-1223, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27570 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]