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Based on the transport and polarization relaxation theories, the effects of hydrogen, fluorine, and chlorine atom passivation on the conductivity and dielectric properties of silicon carbide nanowires (SiCNWs) were numerically simulated. The results show that passivation can decrease the dark conductivity of SiCNWs and increase its ultraviolet photoconductivity. Among them, the photoconductivity of univalent (H) passivated SiCNWs is better than that of seven-valent (Cl, F) passivated SiCNWs. In terms of dielectric properties, the passivated SiCNWs exhibit a strong dielectric response in both deep ultraviolet and microwave regions. Hydrogen passivation SiCNWs produce the strongest dielectric response in deep ultraviolet, while fluorine passivation SiCNWs produce the strongest dielectric relaxation in the microwave band, which indicates that atomic passivation SiCNWs have a wide range of applications in ultraviolet optoelectronic devices and microwave absorption and shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial electron transfer (IET) through saturated single-linker and dual-linker groups from a perylene chromophore into nanostructured TiO2 films was studied by ultrafast spectroscopy. Perylene chromophores with one and two propanoic acid linker groups in the peri and ortho positions were investigated. In comparison to previously studied perylenes bound via unsaturated acrylic acid linkers, the chromophores with saturated linkers showed bi-exponential IET dynamics. Two distinct transfer times were observed that indicate the presence of two concurrent binding modes. A comparison between ortho- and peri-substituted sensitizers resulted in slower IET dynamics and weaker electronic coupling for ortho substitution. Finally, IET from sensitizers with saturated linker groups is neither promoted nor hindered by a second linker group. This indicates that only one of the two linkers binds covalently to the surface. This study reveals the importance of the anchor-binding mode and design considerations of the linker for regulating IET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of retaining the vessels around the orbicularis oculi muscle on reducing local swelling after blepharoplasty. Methods: A total of 309 patients undergoing blepharoplasty (total incision) were observed and randomly assigned to three groups; (A) conventional operation; (B) preservation of deep vessels; (C) preservation of anterior vessels of orbicularis oculi muscle. The groups were compared based on intraoperative blood loss, operation time, swelling, satisfaction, and complications. Results: Among the 309 patients, 39 were lost to follow‐up. c Additionally, A had the shortest operation time, followed by C with slightly longer duration. On the 7th day, 15th day, and 1 month after surgery, both B and C demonstrated significantly lower levels of swelling compared to A. Moreover, patient satisfaction was higher in B and C than in A. Conclusion: Retaining either superficial or deep veins of the orbicularis oculi muscle can effectively reduce short‐term postoperative swelling. However, when retaining the superficial central group of this muscle during surgery, it is crucial to strictly control the amount of surrounding tissue around vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the trajectory of transistor scaling defined by Moore's law encounters challenges, the paradigm of ever-evolving integrated circuit technology shifts to explore unconventional materials and architectures to sustain progress. Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, characterized by their atomic-scale thickness and exceptional electronic properties, have emerged as a beacon of promise in this quest for the continued advancement of field-effect transistor (FET) technology. The energy-efficient complementary circuit integration necessitates strategic engineering of both n-channel and p-channel 2D FETs to achieve symmetrical high performance. This intricate process mandates the realization of demanding device characteristics, including low contact resistance, precisely controlled doping schemes, high mobility, and seamless incorporation of high- κ dielectrics. Furthermore, the uniform growth of wafer-scale 2D film is imperative to mitigate defect density, minimize device-to-device variation, and establish pristine interfaces within the integrated circuits. This review examines the latest breakthroughs with a focus on the preparation of 2D channel materials and device engineering in advanced FET structures. It also extensively summarizes critical aspects such as the scalability and compatibility of 2D FET devices with existing manufacturing technologies, elucidating the synergistic relationships crucial for realizing efficient and high-performance 2D FETs. These findings extend to potential integrated circuit applications in diverse functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fir‐tree tenon/mortise structure in areo‐engine suffers from the combined high and low cycle fatigue (CCF) loads during service. The structural integrity of the tenon/mortise structure is significantly affected by the local strain distribution, while the strain value under the CCF loads is difficult to acquire. In this study, a simulated specimen of tenon/mortise structure is designed, and the CCF test is carried out using a divided‐path loading fixture to avoid interference between the high cycle fatigue (HCF) loads and the low cycle fatigue (LCF) loads. The high speed digital image correlation (DIC) method is adopted to acquire the real‐time strain distribution during CCF test. According to the strain results, the critical position of the mortise and its strain variation are determined. The high cycle strain of the mortise is proportional to the vibration amplitude of the tenon. The experimental results can provide basis for strength and life assessment. Highlights: A combined high and low fatigue test system is designed to study the strain variation.The real‐time strain distribution is obtained by high speed digital image correlation (DIC) method.The strain exhibits sinusoidal variations when applied to the combined high and low cycle fatigue (CCF) loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing literature suggests that gene expression can be greatly altered in disease conditions, and identifying those changes will improve the understanding of complex diseases such as cancers or diabetes. A prevailing direction in the analysis of gene expression studies the changes in gene pathways which include sets of related genes. Therefore, introducing structured exploration to differential analysis of gene expression networks may lead to meaningful discoveries. The topic of this paper is differential network analysis, which focuses on capturing the differences between two or more precision matrices. We discuss the connection between the thresholding method and the D-trace loss method on differential network analysis in the case that the precision matrices share the common connected components. Based on this connection, we further propose the cluster D-trace loss method which directly estimates the differential network and achieves model selection consistency. Simulation studies demonstrate its improved performance and computational efficiency. Finally, the usefulness of our proposed estimator is demonstrated by a real-data analysis on non-small cell lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an exceptional nitrate reduction to ammonia catalyst is reported, enabled by BO2− anion induction effects combining heterogeneous branching architecture‐driven mass transport enhancement strategies. The implantation of the BO2− anion can inductively enhance the electron cloud density and electron transmission paths of intrinsic catalysts, makes electron more active to improve the conductivity, regulates the adsorption and desorption rates of intermediates by space barrier effect, reduces the binding energy of the electron and 3d orbital of Ni in NiFe(BO2)O(OH), thereby lowing the transform free energy of the determining *NO3 to *HNO3 step. 3D hollow sea urchin lattice heterogeneous branching structure can self‐drive generate differentiated micro convection intervals, which will be beneficial for improving mass transfer dynamics especially localized disturbance mass transfer effect of catalyst for nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) catalysis process. Amazingly, the as‐prepared 3D NiFe metaborate oxyhydroxide hollow bionic sea urchins lattice catalyst has a high NH3 rate 6.27mmol·h−1·cm−2 with 98.7% Faradaic efficiency at low ‐0.25V(vs RHE) NO3RR potential. Moreover, the catalytic activity of this highly stable catalyst decreases only slightly over 100 h at ultra‐high 1500mA·cm−2 current. This work breaks through the bottleneck that plagues the performance improvement of non Cu‐based high‐current NO3RR catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We report a case of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) involving the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) (BCR::PDGFRA) fusion gene, classified as a BCR::ABL1-like subtype. To our knowledge, this is the first such report. Case Presentation: The patient tested negative for BCR::ABL1 fusion. t(4;22)(q12;q11.2) was detected by karyotype analysis. BCR::PDGFRA transcripts were detected by RNA sequencing. Dasatinib combined with chemotherapy was ineffective. Furthermore, EZH2 mutation was detected. Imatinib, which led to complete remission, was administered; flow cytometry revealed that the minimal residual disease had dropped to 0.008%, and RT-qPCR revealed that BCR::PDGFRA/ABL1 dropped to 9.18 × 10−4. Conclusion: It is noteworthy that imatinib was more effective than dasatinib in our case, although the duration of remission was short. Our findings suggest that other therapies like allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may need to be combined to improve long-term survival in ALL cases with BCR::PDGFRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety is a global issue in public hygiene. The accurate, sensitive, and on-site detection of various food contaminants performs significant implications. However, traditional methods suffer from the time-consuming and professional operation, restricting their on-site application. Hydrogels with the merits of highly porous structure, high biocompatibility, good shape-adaptability, and stimuli-responsiveness offer a promising biomaterial to design sensors for ensuring food safety. This review describes the emerging applications of hydrogel-based sensors in food safety inspection in recent years. In particular, this study elaborates on their fabrication strategies and unique sensing mechanisms depending on whether the hydrogel is stimuli-responsive or not. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels can be integrated with various functional ligands for sensitive and convenient detection via signal amplification and transduction; while non-stimuli-responsive hydrogels are mainly used as solid-state encapsulating carriers for signal probe, nanomaterial, or cell and as conductive media. In addition, their existing challenges, future perspectives, and application prospects are discussed. These practices greatly enrich the application scenarios and improve the detection performance of hydrogel-based sensors in food safety detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat selection has been a central focus of animal ecology, with research primarily concentrating on habitat choice, utilization, and evaluation. However, studies confined to a single scale often fail to reveal the habitat selection needs of animals fully and accurately. This paper investigates the wintering whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) in Manas National Wetland Park, Xinjiang, using satellite tracking to determine their locations. The Maximum Entropy model (MaxEnt) was applied to explore the multi-scales habitat selection needs of Manas National Wetland Park's wintering whooper swans across nighttime, daytime, and landscape scales. This study showed that the habitat selection of the wintering whooper swans varied in different scales. At the landscape scale, wintering whooper swans prefer habitats with average winter precipitations of 6.9 mm and average temperatures of −6 °C, including water bodies and wetlands, indicating that climate (precipitation and temperature) and land type (wetlands and water bodies) influence their winter habitat selection. During daytime, whooper swans prefer areas close to wetlands, water bodies, and bare land, with a more dispersed distribution of water bodies. For nighttime, they tend to choose areas within the wetland park where human disturbance is minimal and safety is higher. This study can provide scientific basis and data support for habitat conservation and management of wintering waterbirds like whooper swans, recommending targeted conservation measures to effectively manage and protect the wintering grounds of whooper swans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was designed to assess the associations between emerging cardiometabolic indices—the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR), the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)—and the incidence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Methods: We consecutively enrolled 4351 T2D patients. The AIP, SHR, TyG index, and HOMA-IR were calculated from baseline parameters. DKD was defined as a urine albumin/creatinine ratio > 30 mg/g or an eGFR < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m. All participants were categorized into tertiles based on the cardiometabolic indices. Multivariate logistic regression models, restricted cubic splines, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for analysis. Results: A total of 1371 (31.5%) patients were diagnosed with DKD. A restricted cubic spline showed a J-shaped association of the AIP and TyG index with DKD, a log-shaped association between HOMA-IR and DKD, and a U-shaped association between the SHR and DKD incidence. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that individuals in the highest tertile of the four cardiometabolic indices had a significantly greater risk of DKD than did those in the lowest tertile (AIP: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.02–1.14, P = 0.005; SHR: OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.12–1.81, P = 0.004; TyG index: OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.42–2.45, P < 0.001; HOMA-IR: OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.52–3.30, P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curves showed that the HOMA-IR score was better than other indices at predicting the risk of DKD, with an optimal cutoff of 3.532. Conclusions: Elevated AIP, SHR, TyG index and HOMA-IR are associated with a greater risk of DKD in patients with T2D. Among these indices, the HOMA-IR score demonstrated the strongest association with and predictive value for DKD incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new mixture integer-valued autoregressive process model with a finite random range Nt based on Pegram operator and binomial thinning operator is proposed. The new model can be well used to describe finite-range { 0, 1, ⋯ , L } integer-valued data with a broad variety of dispersion patterns, zero-inflation and multimodality. We derive the basic numerical characteristics of the model and testify stationarity and ergodicity properties. Conditional least squares method and maximum quasi-likelihood method are employed to estimate the parameters of NMBAR(1) model. The asymptotic properties of the estimators are acquired. Multiple groups of stochastic simulation studies are carried out to assess and compare the performances of these estimators and a real example is analyzed to illustrate the advantages of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin splitting plays a pivotal role in most modern spintronic effects. Conventionally, spin splitting accompanied by macroscopic magnetic moments has been typically discussed in the context of ferromagnets. Nevertheless, the amalgamation of spin splitting and antiferromagnets has led to a range of intriguing magnetoelectronic effects in the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics. Considering this perspective, this Letter focuses on exploring the emerging area of spin-split antiferromagnetic spintronics. It begins with a brief overview of the historical development of the anomalous Hall effect. Subsequently, recent studies on the spin-splitting-related anomalous Hall effects in antiferromagnets are elaborated upon. Finally, a summary is provided outlining the occurrence of spin splitting in different types of antiferromagnets, including noncollinear antiferromagnets and collinear altermagnets. Additionally, the associated magnetoelectronic effects are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model of a bistable speed bump vibration energy harvester (BSVEH) is designed by combining the buckling beam, rack and pinion, one-way clutch and speed bump with rotor alternator. One-way clutches are used to ensure the input shaft of rotor alternator to rotate unidirectionally during the up-and-down vibration of the speed bump. The coupled mechanical model of the speed bump energy harvester is established to study the power generation performance subjected to various structural parameters, that is, types of speed bump, types of vehicles, geometrical parameters of the buckling beam, speed increasing ratio and moment of inertia. Simulations show that the output power of the BSVEH (such as 148 J in 1 second) is larger than that of the speed bump energy harvester with linear spring (86 J in 1 second). Compared with the vehicle passing over speed bump energy harvester with linear spring, the vertical and pitch accelerations of a vehicle are decreased 9.3% and 16.5%, respectively when it passes over the BSVEH. Riding quality is also improved. The effect laws of the type and speed of the vehicle speed on the output power of the BSVEH are obtained. The maximum output power of SBVEH is 14.8 W at the vehicle speed 24 km/h. The maximum energy-efficiency of the BSVEH can reach 43.9%. And the maximum average electrical power can arrive at 12.7 W. The optimal parameters favoring the output power of BSVEH are determined. The advantages of power generation and riding quality, correctness of mechanical models and effectiveness of BSVEH are verified by simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to better understand the workflow, outcomes, and complications of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for pediatric status dystonicus (SD). We present a systematic review, alongside a multicenter case series of pediatric patients with SD treated with DBS. Methods: We collected individual data regarding treatment, stimulation parameters, and dystonia severity for a multicenter case series (n = 8) and all previously published cases (n = 77). Data for case series were used to create probabilistic voxelwise maps of stimulated tissue associated with dystonia improvement. Results: In our institutional series, DBS was implanted a mean of 25 days after SD onset. Programming began a mean of 1.6 days after surgery. All 8 patients in our case series and 73 of 74 reported patients in the systematic review had resolution of their SD with DBS, most within 2 to 4 weeks of surgery. Mean follow‐up for patients in the case series was 16 months. DBS target for all patients in the case series and 68 of 77 in our systematic review was the globus pallidus pars interna (GPi). In our case series, stimulation of the posterior–ventrolateral GPi was associated with improved dystonia. Mean dystonia improvement was 32% and 51% in our institutional series and systematic review, respectively. Mortality was 4% in the review, which is lower than reported for treatment with pharmacotherapy alone (10–12.5%). Interpretation: DBS is a feasible intervention with potential to reverse refractory pediatric SD and improve survival. More work is needed to increase awareness of DBS in this setting, so that it can be implemented in a timely manner. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:156–173 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topotactic transition is a structural phase change in a matrix crystal lattice mediated by the ordered loss/gain and rearrangement of atoms, leading to unusual coordination environments and metal atoms with rare valent states. As early as in 1990s, low temperature hydride reduction is utilized to realize the topotactic transition. Since then, topological transformations are developed via multiple approaches. Especially, the recent discovery of the Ni‐based superconductivity in infinite‐layer nickelates has greatly boosted the topotactic transition mean to synthesizing new oxides for exploring exotic functional properties. In this review, a detailed and generalized introduction is provided to oxygen‐related topotactic transition. The main body of the review includes four parts: the structure‐facilitated effects, the mechanism of the topotactic transition, some examples of topotactic transition methods adopted in different metal oxides (V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) and the related applications. This study is to provide timely and thorough strategies to successfully realize topotactic transitions for researchers who are eager to create new oxide phases or new oxide materials with desired functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MALAT1 is one of the most hopeful members implicated in angiogenesis in a variety of non-malignant diseases. In multiple myeloma (MM), MALAT1 is recognized as the most highly expressed long non-coding RNA. However, the functional roles of MALAT1 in angiogenesis and the responsible mechanisms have not yet been explored. Herein, we discovered a novel regulatory network dependent on MALAT1 in relation to MM tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. We observed that MALAT1 was upregulated in MM and significantly associated with poor overall survival. MALAT1 knockdown suppressed MM cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis, while restricting endothelial cells angiogenesis. Moreover, MALAT1 directly targeted microRNA-15a/16, and microRNA-15a/16 suppression partly reverted the effects of MALAT1 deletion on MM cells in vitro as well as tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. In addition, further study indicated that MALAT1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA for microRNA-15a/16 to regulate vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression. Our results suggest that MALAT1 plays an important role in the regulatory axis of microRNA-15a/16–VEGFA to promote tumorigenicity and angiogenesis in MM. Consequently, MALAT1 could serve as a novel promising biomarker and a potential antiangiogenic target against MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthorimaea operculella attacks potatoes worldwide, causing great losses in potatoes' quantity and quality. P. operculella feed on potatoes with a relatively high concentration of steroidal glycoalkaloids called solanine, which potatoes produce as secondary metabolites. The potential genes involved in solanine‐induced response in P. operculella were identified by performing next‐generation sequencing and Illumina RNA‐seq analysis on solanine‐treated P. operculella to explore differentially expressed genes. Four major families of detoxification enzymes were identified, including 71 cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), 22 glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs), 58 esterases (ESTs) and 16 UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). The Illumina RNA‐Seq data showed 2875 and 1625 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the P. operculella larvae after exposure to the LC25 and LC75 of solanine compared with the untreated controls. Furthermore, 21 upregulated DEGs, including 13 CYPs, 3 GSTs, 4 ESTs and 1 UGT, and 20 downregulated DEGs, including 5 CYPs, 3 GSTs, 9 ESTs and 3 UGTs, were detoxification genes that may be related to solanine‐induced response and needed to be further verified. The RT‐qPCR results among the six upregulated P450 unigenes after solanine treatment were consistent with RNA‐Seq data, confirming the accuracy and reproducibility of the gene expression profiles generated from RNA‐seq. This study provides new information about the detoxification genes involved in solanine‐induced response in P. operculella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to introduce a gold-standard Pashto dataset and a segmentation app. The Pashto dataset consists of 300 line images and corresponding Pashto text from three selected books. A line image is simply an image consisting of one text line from a scanned page. To our knowledge, this is one of the first open access datasets which directly maps line images to their corresponding text in the Pashto language. We also introduce the development of a segmentation app using textbox expanding algorithms, a different approach to OCR segmentation. The authors discuss the steps to build a Pashto dataset and develop our unique approach to segmentation. The article starts with the nature of the Pashto alphabet and its unique diacritics which require special considerations for segmentation. Needs for datasets and a few available Pashto datasets are reviewed. Criteria of selection of data sources are discussed and three books were selected by our language specialist from the Afghan Digital Repository. The authors review previous segmentation methods and introduce a new approach to segmentation for Pashto content. The segmentation app and results are discussed to show readers how to adjust variables for different books. Our unique segmentation approach uses an expanding textbox method which performs very well given the nature of the Pashto scripts. The app can also be used for Persian and other languages using the Arabic writing system. The dataset can be used for OCR training, OCR testing, and machine learning applications related to content in Pashto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new autoregressive process for finite-range time series of counts is proposed to analyse the finite-range integer-valued data based on an invisible Markov chain. We derive the probabilistic and statistical properties of the model. Conditional least squares (CLS) method and conditional maximum likelihood (CML) method are employed to estimate the parameters of interest. Furthermore, the forecasting problem is addressed. In addition, multiple simulation studies are performed to investigate the finite sample performance of parameter estimators and to compare the proposed estimation methods. The proposed model is applied to a finite-range data series of measles infections in Germany in 2004–2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene expressions have been extensively studied in biomedical research. With gene expression, network analysis, which takes a system perspective and examines the interconnections among genes, has been established as highly important and meaningful. In the construction of gene expression networks, a commonly adopted technique is high‐dimensional regularized regression. Network construction can be unadjusted (which focuses on gene expressions only) and adjusted (which also incorporates regulators of gene expressions), and the two types of construction have different implications and can be equally important. In this article, we propose a variable selection hierarchy to connect the unadjusted regression‐based network construction with the adjusted construction that incorporates two or more types of regulators. This hierarchy is sensible and amounts to additional information for both constructions, thus having the potential of improving variable selection and estimation. An effective computational algorithm is developed, and extensive simulation demonstrates the superiority of the proposed construction over multiple closely relevant alternatives. The analysis of TCGA data further demonstrates the practical utility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Critical transitions", in which systems switch abruptly from one state to another are ubiquitous in physical and biological systems. Such critical transitions in complex systems are commonly described as dynamical processes within the framework of nonlinear dynamics and the bifurcation theory. However, systematic treatment from the global thermodynamic perspective is still challenging. Furthermore, from the previous established dynamical framework, a universal early-warning signal for predicting such transitions is still not very clear and complete. Here we developed a non-equilibrium thermodynamic and dynamical framework for general complex systems. Our approach used the analogy to the conventional statistical mechanical treatment for the equilibrium phase transitions, while the nature of the non-equilibrium dynamics is still captured and reflected. Applying this framework to two well-known non-equilibrium systems, we found warning signals based on thermodynamic quantities and the time-reversal symmetry breaking nature of non-equilibrium systems can be detected much earlier than those explored in the previous works based on nonlinear dynamics and the bifurcation theory. Irreversibility of the observed time series strongly correlates to the behavior of these thermodynamic quantities and provides a practical way for predicting transitions. Our work provides a general yet practical approach for exploring collective behaviors in complex systems. Phase transition phenomena have been widely studies and non-equilibrium system, as oppose have been subject of recent investigation. This work introduces a non-equilibrium thermodynamic and dynamical framework for studying critical transitions in complex systems based on thermodynamic quantities and time-reversal symmetry breaking which detects transitions much earlier than previous works based on nonlinear dynamics and bifurcation theory, providing a practical way for predicting transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocyte activation is key in neurodegenerative diseases. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exhibits neuroprotective effects on astrocytes, although the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we explored the effects of H2S on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced astrocyte activation and astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation. After inducing primary astrocytes via LPS exposure, H2S levels were altered. The generation and secretion of inflammatory mediators by astrocytes and their interrelation with P-glycoprotein (P-gp), an important transporter belonging to the ABC transporter family, were assessed. Activated astrocytes showed upregulated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA expression, and significantly increased proinflammatory factor mRNA/protein expression and release. The secretory capacity of astrocytes was reduced, with significantly decreased proinflammatory factor levels in culture supernatant after P-gp inhibitor verapamil pretreatment. The increase in the intracellular H2S level inhibited LPS-induced GFAP expression and P65 nuclear entry in astrocytes. mRNA expression and release of proinflammatory factors were reduced significantly, with no significant changes in cytoplasmic protein expression. S-sulfhydration levels increased significantly with the increased concentration of sodium hydrosulfide or S-adenosyl-l-methionine addition, with only moderate changes in astrocyte P-gp expression. H2S regulates NF-κB activation, leads to S-sulfhydration of P-gp, and inhibits the biosynthesis and secretion of proinflammatory factors by astrocytes. The regulatory effects of H2S on astrocytes may have clinical value for exploring new therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial aerosols in intensive broiler houses whose species and concentrations are closely related to human health are ubiquitous. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution and diversity of bacterial aerosols in the air of broiler houses. Significant spatial variations in airborne bacterial concentrations were observed inside the poultry farmhouse. The results indicated that bacteria in the air samples could be grouped into a total of 1,674 OTUs. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of the microbial community at the entry of the broiler house was higher than that at the middle or the rear (p < 0.01). The Sankey diagram illustrated species dynamic changes in Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria among the different locations. From the aspect of LEfSe (LDA Effect Size) analysis, we discovered that the abundance of Planctomycetes was significantly higher in the entry than in the rear and middle. This study shows the spatial distribution of the entire bacterial community in intensive broiler houses, which offers a new perspective for studying airborne total bacteria in those environments. Implications: The bacteria contained in air aerosols from poultry houses are closely connected to animal health and production. This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and diversity of bacterial aerosols in the air of broiler houses. The results observed that bacterial aerosol concentrations in the examined broilers house varied greatly at different positions, and a significantly higher exposure to bacterial aerosol was observed at the middle than at the other positions (p < 0.05). The alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of the microbial community at the entry of the broiler house was higher than that at the middle or the rear (P<0.01). Sankey diagram illustrated species dynamic changes of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria among the different locations. The microbial communities in genus level in the samples of entry and rear were closer, while the species diversity of middle and rear samples in chicken house was highly similar (P>0.05). Altogether, results revealed that the effects of spatial factors on the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the air of closed-cage broiler houses, which poses a potential threat to the health of animals and workers in those environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As biological macromolecules, proteins are involved in important cellular functions ranging from DNA replication and biosynthesis to metabolic signalling and environmental sensing. Protein sequencing can help understand the relationship between protein function and structure, and provide key information for disease diagnosis and new drug design. Nanopore sensors are a novel technology to achieve the goal of label‐free and high‐throughput protein sequencing. In recent years, nanopore‐based biosensors have been widely used in the detection and analysis of biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. At the same time, computer simulations can describe the transport of proteins through nanopores at the atomic level. This paper reviews the applications of nanopore sensors in protein sequencing over the past decade and the solutions to key problems from a computer simulation perspective, with the aim of pointing the way to the future of nanopore protein sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the nonlinear strain-displacement relationship of spatial curved beam theory, a finite element model for galloping analysis of iced transmission lines is established, which involves three translational degrees of freedom (DOF) and one rotational degree of freedom for each node. Considering the aerodynamic nonlinearity and the geometric nonlinearity of large amplitude motions of the iced transmission line, the nonlinear dynamic finite element equation is presented by using the virtual work principle. The equation is transformed into the sub-space according to the mode superposition method and a time integration algorithm is also performed in the sub-space. Then, the element independence and modal convergence are researched. Finally, the influence of aerodynamic forces on structural frequency is analyzed. The numerical results show that aerodynamic forces will greatly affect the torsional frequency of the transmission line, which accurately reflects the dynamic characteristics of transmission lines. Furthermore, the galloping calculation of the transmission line has reliable accuracy by using 4-DOF (per node) elements for the iced conductor. On the other hand, the model can predict the actual galloping response of the transmission line, which is convenient for the implementation of subsequent control design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the integrated circuit (IC) feature size is reduced to 0.13 μm and below, copper (Cu) becomes the new wiring material in interconnect materials. The double damascene process is the only process for Cu patterning that is mature and has been successfully applied to IC manufacturing, so Cu interconnection chemical–mechanical polishing (CMP), which can achieve the surface nanoscale accuracy required by lithography level, is of great importance to the IC industry. The slurry is the most important component of the CMP materials and has a significant impact on the surface quality of the polished wafer. Therefore, how to select suitable additives to improve the chemical effect and obtain excellent post-polishing surface and good slurry stability while saving cost is an urgent issue to be considered. The research progress of each component in Cu interconnection slurry was discussed in this paper, mainly focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of acidic and alkaline slurries, and the research progress of oxidants, complexing agents, surfactants, and corrosion inhibitors as well as their respective action mechanisms were analyzed in detail, which will be a great contribution to the IC field. It will facilitate the optimization of the slurry for further development of new Cu interconnection CMP slurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common disease seriously threatens the health of the mother and fetus. Studies have shown that there are a large number of differentially expressed circular RNAs in PE compared with normal pregnant women, suggesting they may be involved in regulation of pathogenesis of PE and are valuable for early prediction of PE. This study intends to explore the screening and regulatory mechanism of differential circRNAs in the placenta of PE patients. METHODS: The placenta of patients undergoing cesarean section delivery in the obstetrics department of our hospital was selected, and total RNA was extracted. Through high-throughput sequencing, combined with bioinformatics, PE-specific circRNAs were screened, and it was speculated that they were related to the physiological function of the placenta in PE. RESULTS: Two thousand thirty-five circular RNA expression abundances were detected in the three groups of samples. Taking P<0.05 and the fold difference =1.5 times as the screening criteria for differential genes, 488 differentially expressed circular RNA molecules were obtained. G0 and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of differentially circRNA-derived genes indicated there were significant differences in ErbB signaling pathway, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling pathway, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. A total of 1214 circRNAs and 2649 miRNA were constructed a ceRNA regulatory networks in PE patients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the normal pregnancy placenta, there are abnormally expressed circRNAs in the placenta of PE, and these abnormally expressed circRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of PE through certain pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Film holes are extensively utilized to protect the blade external surface by ejecting coolant, forming a protective film, and separating the hot gas and blade surface. Trenched holes, caused by the turbine blade coated with thermal barrier, greatly feature better film cooling performance than traditional cylinder holes. In this study, the effects of a rib-disturbed feed flow on the film cooling performance of trenched holes are studied through the numerical method. Two typical rib attacking angles, 45° and 135°, are compared with the blowing ratio increasing from 0.5 to 2.0. The effects of the curved surface (convex and concave) are also included. Numerical results prove that film effectiveness with the coolant fed by the rib-disturbed internal flow is sensitive to the blowing ratio. The rib-turbulated cooling flow entering the film hole is featured with different swirling states; therefore, the interaction between the mainstream and the cooling air of varied swirling state leads to different film coverage and effectiveness. Overall, 135° ribs induce better adiabatic film cooling effectiveness than 45° ribs, with a maximum improvement 34.9% at M = 0.5. Film effectiveness on the convex surface is better than that on flat and concave surfaces. Area-averaged η on convex and concave surfaces is, respectively, 4.7% higher and 6.2% lower than that on the flat surface. Normal pressure gradient established on the convex surface contributes to reducing the turbulence intensity and improving the film lateral coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of mononuclear and binuclear lanthanideIII complexes with formulae [Dy(Cy3PO)(tmhd)3] (1), [Dy2(dppeO2)(tmhd)6] (2) and [Ln2(dppeO2)(acac)6(H2O)2] (3, Ln = Dy, 4, Ln = Gd, 5, Ln = Eu, 6, Ln = Tb) (Cy3PO = tricyclohexyl phosphine oxide, tmhd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptane dionate, acac = acetylacetone, dppeO2 = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane dioxide) constructed using β-diketonate combined with mono- and bi-phosphine oxide ligands were structurally, optically and magnetically characterized. The easy to modify backbone of monodentate phosphine oxide and bidentate β-diketonate enables them to modulate local coordination geometries around lanthanide ions by means of an electronic effect and/or steric hindrance of substituents on the terminal of these ligands and consequently optimize the corresponding optical and magnetic properties. In this vein, a series of Dy containing single-molecule magnets (SMMs) were constructed, in which complex 3 possessed a relatively higher local geometry symmetry (D4d) and displayed a significantly slow magnetic relaxation behavior at a hysteresis temperature of 3 K. In addition, the Gd congener complex 4 showed a pronounced magnetocaloric effect (MCE) with a –ΔS maxm value of 20.4 J kg−1 K−1, and more strikingly, a field induced SMM behavior was observed in 4 despite the isotropic nature of GdIII ions. Also of note is that the suitable triple state energy of ligands matches well with the excited states of EuIII, TbIII and DyIII ions, which led to the corresponding characteristic metal-centered luminescence emission. In this work, the deliberately selected β-diketonate and phosphine oxide combined with different lanthanide ions led to a series of multifunctional materials with SMM, luminescence and MCE properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study a short-term and efficient technology by 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) in blueberry, the fruit was treated with 0, 0.5, 1 and 3 μL/L 1-MCP for 2 h then stored at 25 ± 1 °C with 40–50% relative humidity (RH) for 9 d. The weight loss, decay incidence, respiration rate, firmness, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acid (TA), Brix-acid ratio (BAR), sensory evaluation, content of cell wall polysaccharide, activities of cell wall composition-related enzymes and energy metabolism in blueberry were determined during shelf life. The results showed that the weight loss, decay incidence and respiration rate were reduced by 3 μL/L 1-MCP treatment. Compared to other groups, the firmness, the content of TA and anthocyanins were maintained in 3 μL/L 1-MCP-treated blueberry. In contrast, the SSC and BAR were lower compared to those untreated. However, the sensory evaluation of "taste" and "aroma" value showed no differences in all fruits. The content of protopectin, cellulose and hemicellulose was higher in 1-MCP-treated blueberry, accompanied by a decrease in polygalacturonase (PG) and pectin methyl esterase (PME) activity. The content of water-soluble pectin (WSP) was lower in 1-MCP-treated blueberry than untreated ones. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) was higher in 1-MCP-treated blueberry than the untreated, which induced more serious lignification. The results of energy metabolism also showed that the 1-MCP treatment could ensure sufficient intracellular energy supply. The 3 μL/L 1-MCP treatment could maintain the shelf quality and retard decomposition of cell wall polysaccharide by ensuring sufficient intracellular energy supply and inhibiting cell wall-degrading enzymes activity. Taken together, this study highlighted an efficient and short-term 1-MCP treatment technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of pursuing high-quality economic development involves many moving parts, and economic agglomeration (EA) is an essential element that can significantly affect green total factor productivity (GTFP). This study uses SBM and GML models to calculate GTFP of 99 cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2004 to 2017. Then, based on the panel data of these cities, the SYS-GMM and the mediating effect model are used to empirically test the influence and action path of EA on GTFP. The conclusions are as follows: There is an evident inverted U-shaped link between EA and GTFP in the YRB. The development level of the upper and middle reaches of the YRB is lower than the "agglomeration inflection point" (CNY 1.231 billion/KM2), while the downstream region has crossed this inflection point and has a crowding effect. In addition, EA affects GTFP through labor pool, intermediate input sharing and knowledge technology spillover. This study concludes that, in order to boost GTFP in the YRB, diversified strategies based on regional development are required to avoid the crowding impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working temperature is a critical parameter that influences the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Appropriate thermal management can improve the efficiency of PEMFCs and prevent irreversible internal damage such as membrane degradation. To solve the slow response and poor dynamic performance of traditional temperature control strategies, the dynamic temperature mode of PEMFCs is established and a temperature control strategy based on the sparrow search algorithm-proportional integral differential (SSA-PID) is proposed in this study. The performance of the SSA-PID temperature control is verified by the simulations of current step change, vehicle dynamic load, and working parameter variation. The results show that the proposed method has the advantages of fast convergence, better dynamic performance, and anti-disturbance ability. The maximum power density of the SSA-PID temperature controller is 6.58% and 12.94% higher than GA (genetic algorithm)-PID and traditional PID controllers, respectively. Moreover, the proposed method can ensure temperature fluctuations within 0.5 K under dynamic disturbance. • The PEMFC temperature control strategy based on sparrow search algorithm is proposed. • The performance of the temperature control strategy under external disturbance is discussed. • The proposed control method is compared with the GA-PID and traditional PID controllers. • The proposed method can ensure temperature fluctuations within 0.5 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entanglement of high-dimensional multipartite systems plays an important role both in quantum foundation and applications of quantum physics. Inspired by the genuine high-dimensional entanglement (Kraft et al. in Phys Rev Lett 120:060502, 2018), we first propose a new criterion to characterize genuine entangled states in arbitrary finite dimensional systems. We further define two decomposable models by using embedding method for featuring experimentally untrusted parties. We show that the equivalence of local decomposability and embedded decomposability holds under special conditions for entangled pure states. For mixed states, we show the decomposability may be changed in embedded space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important energy base in China, the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin plays an important role in achieving the goal of "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" in China. Based on the theoretical framework of industrial structure, environmental regulation and carbon emission, a panel vector autoregressive model is adopted to examine the dynamic relationship between environmental regulations, carbon emissions, and industrial structure with the panel data of 79 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2004 to 2019. The findings indicate that: (1) On the whole, the effect of environmental regulation on carbon emissions is initially boosted, then prevented. Industrial structure has an inhibitory influence on carbon emissions, but this inhibitory effect is with apparent lag. Environmental regulation prevents industrial structure upgrading in the near term. (2) From the regional viewpoint, it can be seen that the degree of coordination between the upper, middle and down reaches of the Yellow River Basin steadily diminishes from east to west during the period of 2004-2019. The down reaches areas basically achieved the coordinated development of among the three. In the middle reaches, the environmental regulation has the most obvious effect on reducing carbon emissions reduction, but the incentive effect on industrial structure upgrading is not obvious, and industrial structure upgrade is clearly insufficient to reduce carbon emissions. In the upper reaches, the effect of industrial structure upgrading on carbon emission reduction is clear, but the effect of environmental control on carbon emission reduction is significantly less than that of industrial structure upgrading. Finally, this study puts forward concrete policy recommendations to achieve the high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different electronic and steric effects of amine backbone led to linear-type M-Dy-M, one-dimensional (1D) chain and interlayer-type structures of complexes. • Align the magnetic easy axis of lanthanide ions as closely as possible with the direction of M-M facilitating the mitigation of quantum tunneling of magnetization. • Notable hysteresis loops at maximum temperature of 3.5 K, 7.5 K, and 4 K are observed for Cu 2 Dy, Zn 2 Dy and Ni 2 Dy complexes, respectively. Series of 3d-4f heterotrinuclear complexes [ M Dy M ] (M =Zn, Cu, Ni) with formula [Cu 2 (L1) 2 DyCl 2 (H 2 O)]·Cl·MeCN (1), [Cu 2 (L2) 2 DyCl 2 ] n (2), [Cu 2 (L3) 2 DyCl 2 (MeOH) 2 ]·Cl·(MeOH) 3 (3), [Zn 2 (L1) 2 DyCl 2 (H 2 O)]·Cl·MeCN (4) and [Ni 2 (L1) 2 DyCl 3 ]·(CH 2 Cl 2) 2 (5) were constructed by three hexadentate compartment Schiff bases (L1 = N ,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine; L2 = N ,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-propanediamine; L3 = N ,N'-bis(2‑hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine). Different electronic and steric effects of amine backbone lead to linear-type M -Dy- M , one-dimensional (1D) chain and interlayer-type structures of complexes 1 – 5 , respectively. Among these, complexes 1, 4 and 5 were constructed as the M -Dy- M linear-type coordination configuration containing diamagnetic zinc(II) ions and paramagnetic copper(II) ions or nickel(II) ions respectively. Molecular magnetic studies reveal that complexes 1, 4, 5 and chain complex 2 exhibited significant single-molecule magnets (SMMs) behavior and the notable hysteresis loops at maximum temperature of 3.5 K, 3 K, 7.5 K, and 4 K are observed, which are comparable among the outstanding heteronuclear (d/f) SMMs constructed by Schiff base ligands. Series of 3d-4f heterotrinuclear [MDyM] SMMs were constructed, different electronic and steric effects of amine backbone lead to very different structure and displaying significant magnetic relaxation with hysteresis loops at maximum temperature of 3.5 K, 3 K, 7.5 K, and 4 K, respectively, which are comparable among the outstanding heteronuclear (d/f) SMMs constructed by Schiff base ligands. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A cascade dual-enzyme transformation strategy based on CRISPR-Cas12a and Mg2+-DNAzyme. • The trans -cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas12a could be regulated by ZEN-Apt. • NH 2 -MnO 2 /Pd@AuNBs has larger surface area and higher electrical conductivity. • PtPd@Fe 3 O 4 -MB as signal label improves sensitivity and simplifies operations. The combination of the CRISPR/Cas system and biosensing is of profound significance in small molecule diagnostics. Herein, we report a cascade dual-enzyme transformation strategy for ultrasensitive analysis of zearalenone (ZEN) by utilizing the CRISPR/Cas12a trans -cleavage activity and DNAzyme amplification. NH 2 -MnO 2 /Pd@Au NBs nanocomposites are greatly promising electrode modification material for improving electrode sensing performance. PtPd@Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposites are synthesized as signal label materials to load the electroactive molecule methylene blue (MB). The recognition of ZEN target and aptamer is converted into DNA signal to regulate the trans -cleavage activity of the CRISPR/Cas12a on Mg2+-DNAzyme probes. After that, in the presence of DNAzyme probes and Mg2+, the MB signal changes caused by Mg2+dependent DNAzyme-assisted catalytic cleavage of signal labels on the electrode surface are evaluated. The quantitative detection of ZEN is ultimately achieved. Under optimal conditions, the as-prepared electrochemical aptasensor shows a wide linear detection range of 1 × 10-5 to 10 ng·mL−1, and the detection limit is 6.27 × 10-6 ng·mL−1. Moreover, the constructed aptasensor exhibits satisfactory selectivity, stability and repeatability, which also has a wide application prospect in the real sample analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Differences on aroma profiles between Fujian and Yunnan white teas were revealed. • 28 Chiral free and glycosidically bound volatiles were identified and compared. • Linalool and α-terpineol showed the opposite major configurations in two white teas. • Glycosidically bound linalool oxides were directly quantified for the first time. • Fujian and Yunnan white teas could be distinguished based on nine key compounds. The Fujian and Yunnan provinces in China are the most representative origins of white tea. However, the key differences in the chemical constituents of the two white teas have rarely been revealed. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the aroma profiles, chiral volatiles, and glycosidically bound volatiles (GBVs) in Fujian and Yunnan white teas was performed, and 174 volatiles and 28 enantiomers, including 22 volatiles and six GBVs, were identified. Linalool, linalyl-β-primeveroside (LinPrim), and α-terpineol presented the opposite dominant configurations in Fujian and Yunnan white teas, and the chiral GBVs were firstly quantified with significant differences in the contents of R -LinPrim and β- d -glucopyranosides of (2 R , 5 R)-linalool oxide A and (2 R , 5 S)-linalool oxide B. Moreover, discrimination functions for Fujian and Yunnan white teas were created using nine key variables with excellent reliability and efficiency. These results provide a new method for objectively distinguishing authentic white teas according to geographical origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate a practical use case of PDF/A for digitization of text documents following FADGI's recommendation of using PDF/A as a preferred digitization file format. The authors demonstrate how to convert and combine TIFFs with associated metadata into a single PDF/A-2b file for a document. Using real-life examples and open source software, the authors show readers how to convert TIFF images, extract associated metadata and International Color Consortium (ICC) profiles, and validate against the newly released PDF/A validator. The generated PDF/A file is a self-contained and self-described container that accommodates all the data from digitization of textual materials, including page-level metadata and ICC profiles. Providing theoretical analysis and empirical examples, the authors show that PDF/A has many advantages over the traditionally preferred file format, TIFF/JPEG2000, for digitization of text documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical transport model (CTM) is an essential tool for air quality prediction and management, widely used in air pollution control and health risk assessment. However, the current models do not perform very well in simulating PM2.5 components. Studies suggested that the uncertainties of model chemical mechanism, source emission inventory and meteorological field can cause inaccurate simulation results. Still, the emission source profile of PM2.5 has not been fully taken into account in current numerical simulation. This study aims to answer (1) Whether the variation of source profile adopted in chemical transport models (CTMs) has an impact on the simulation of PM2.5 chemical components? (2) How much does it impact? (3) How does the impact work? Based on the characteristics and variation rules of chemical components in typical PM2.5 sources, different simulation scenarios were designed and the sensitivity of components simulation results to PM2.5 sources profile was explored. Our findings showed that the influence of source profile changes on simulated PM2.5 concentration was insignificant, but its impact on PM2.5 components could not be ignored. The variations of simulated components ranged from 8% to 167% under selected different source profiles, and simulation results of some components were sensitive to the adopted PM2.5 source profile in CTMs. These influences are connected to the chemical mechanisms of the model since the variation of species allocations in emission sources directly affected the thermodynamic equilibrium system. We also found that the perturbation of the PM2.5 source profile caused the variation of simulated gaseous pollutants, which indirectly indicated that the perturbation of the source profile affected the simulation of secondary PM2.5 components. Given the vital role of air quality simulation in environment management and health risk assessment, the representativeness and timeliness of source profile should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials are promising candidates for refined performance optimization of cementitious materials. In recent years, numerous studies about the performance improvement of nanomaterials using polymers have been conducted, but the modification of cement-oriented nanomaterials with inorganic modifiers is seldom assessed. In this study, we explored the performance tuning and optimization of nanomaterials by inorganic modification. In this work, hydration acceleration efficiency of calcium carbonate (CaCO3, CC) was tuned via surface deposition with calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) nanogel through seeding. Multiple calcium carbonate–calcium silicate hydrate (CC–CSH) samples with varying degrees of surface modification were prepared via dosage control. According to characterizations, the degree of C–S–H modification on the CaCO3 surface has a maximum that is controlled by available surface space. Once the available space is depleted, excessive C–S–H turns into free form and causes adhesion between CC–CSH particles. The resultant CC–CSH samples in this work showed enhanced hydration acceleration efficiency that is tuned by the actual degree of C–S–H modification. Elevated C–S–H modification causes CC–CSH's acceleration behavior to shift to enhanced early-age acceleration. According to mortar strength tests, CC–CSH with 5% C–S–H modification showed the most balanced performance, while CC–CSH with higher C–S–H modification showed faster early-age strength development at the cost of lower later-age strength. The inferior later-age strength of highly C–S–H-modified CC–CSH samples may be due to the coarsening of hydration products and stiffening of their network, as well as agglomeration caused by C–S–H adhesion. This study may offer a novel route for performance tuning of cement-oriented nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel total non-ionic polystyrene-polyurethane (PS-PU) composite latex was synthesized with polymerizable polyethylene glycol ether. Contrary to traditional styrene-butyl acrylate latex (St-BA), PS-PU has a smaller size and superior dispersion stability, and it is stable in saturated Ca(OH)2 even after 72 h. In fresh-mixed mortars, PS-PU showed a little adverse effect on workability and insignificant air entrainment, with little defoamer consumption. The retardation effect of PS-PU is also much milder than traditional St-BA. As for strength, PS-PU showed a less adverse effect on early and late age compressive strength, but its effect on flexural strength is not as pronounced as St-BA at high dosages (4% and 6%). The different behavior in cementitious materials between PS-PU and St-BA can be reasoned from their different adsorption behavior and surface charge properties, as the results from characterizations suggest. The non-ionic nature of PS-PU made it less prone to destabilization and adsorption, which turned out as the aforementioned behavior in cementitious systems. The difference can further be ascribed to the difference in their polymeric structure and properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 42-year-old male was hospitalized 13.5 hours after ingestion of 50 mg (approximately 0.7 mg/kg) colchicine in a suicide attempt. The patient developed gastrointestinal dysfunction, grade IV myelosuppression, and restrictive respiratory failure without occurrences of cardiovascular collapse or fatal dysrhythmias. Emergency treatment with integrated Chinese and Western medicine was started and the patient fully recovered without long-term complications. This report describes a massive overdose of colchicine successfully treated with integrated Chinese and Western medicine. Current treatment options are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile photochemical synthetic strategy to support noble metal single atoms onto CeO 2 is developed. • An efficient dechlorination strategy, where the stubborn Cl ions strongly binding to Pt sites are deeply removed from the catalyst, is proposed via photo-deposition. • Surface oxygen on CeO 2 is activated after dechlorination, resulting in enhanced capability of H 2 O dissociation. • The water–gas shift activity is thus promoted. Such strategy shows universality toward different metals, supports and reactions. During regular synthesis, the supported catalysts may suffer from incomplete exposure of metal sites, whose activity may accordingly be limited by the stubborn residues and inert coordination environment. Here we report a photochemical strategy to fabricate promoted Pt-CeO 2 catalysts, where UV-induced deep dechlorination and the following surface oxygen activation are achieved. With a photo-deposition method, the usually neglected stubborn Cl residues are easily removed from Pt-CeO 2. The adjacent oxygen species are activated under UV illumination, whose flexible elimination creates sufficient surface vacancies, resulting in enhanced H 2 O dissociation. The derived catalyst shows excellent performances for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction. Such strategy shows universality toward different metals, supports and reactions. This work sheds light on the synthesis of robust catalysts, by applying photochemical method for Cl removal and surface oxygen activation. The universal strategy shows great potentials in developing promoted solid catalysts for various heterogeneous reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint seismic and controlled‐source electromagnetic surveys can reduce uncertainty and improve hydrocarbon quantification. However, the successful interpretation of joint seismic and controlled‐source electromagnetic survey data requires a valid rock physics model to link the elastic and electrical rock properties. A cross‐property differential effective medium is recently proposed with pores embedded in the mineral matrix. We have presented a technique to test the applicability of the cross‐property differential effective medium model to the joint elastic‐electrical properties of reservoir sandstones. The method is based on the common employment of measured sample porosity and inverted equivalent pore aspect ratio from cementation exponent for the modelling. Application of the modelling approach to a laboratory joint elastic‐electrical dataset shows that there is a systematic discrepancy in the modelled and measured joint elastic–electrical properties. It is also found that an equivalent pore aspect ratio is existing to reasonably predict the trend of the joint elastic–electrical data; however, the porosity used in the modelling is far from their measured values. Conversely, if the measured sample porosity is employed, the mentioned equivalent pore aspect ratio fails to fit either of the measured elastic and electrical rock properties. The results indicate the incapability of the cross‐property differential effective medium model for the joint elastic–electrical modelling of reservoir rocks and suggest the requirement of a new model to link the elastic and electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FAM3A is a recently identified mitochondrial protein that stimulates pancreatic-duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1) and insulin expressions by promoting ATP release in islet β cells. In this study, the role of intracellular ATP in FAM3A-induced PDX1 expression in pancreatic β cells was further examined. Acute FAM3A inhibition using siRNA transfection in mouse pancreatic islets significantly reduced PDX1 expression, impaired insulin secretion, and caused glucose intolerance in normal mice. In vitro , FAM3A overexpression elevated both intracellular and extracellular ATP contents and promoted PDX1 expression and insulin secretion. FAM3A-induced increase in cellular calcium (Ca2+) levels, PDX1 expression, and insulin secretion, while these were significantly repressed by inhibitors of P2 receptors or the L-type Ca2+ channels. FAM3A-induced PDX1 expression was abolished by a calmodulin inhibitor. Likewise, FAM3A-induced β-cell proliferation was also inhibited by a P2 receptor inhibitor and an L-type Ca2+ channels inhibitor. Both intracellular and extracellular ATP contributed to FAM3A-induced PDX1 expression, insulin secretion, and proliferation of pancreatic β cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is generally accepted that the distal resection margin of intermediate- to low-lying rectal cancer should be greater than 2 cm and at least 1 cm in special cases. This study intends to investigate whether a distal resection margin ≤ 1 cm affects tumor outcomes for patients with intermediate- to low-lying rectal cancer. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Sixteen studies included data for distal resection margins ≤ 1 cm (1684 cases) and > 1 cm (5877 cases), and 5 studies included survival data. Meta-analysis was used to compare the local recurrence rate and long-term survival of patients with distal resection margins > or ≤ 1 cm. Results: The local recurrence rate in the ≤ 1-cm margin group (9.5%) was 2.3% higher than that in the > 1-cm margin group (7.2%) according to a fixed-effects model (RR [95% CI] 1.42 [1.18, 1.70], P < 0.001). The overall survival results of the five 1-cm margin studies showed an HR (95% CI) of 0.96 (0.75, 1.24) (P = 0.78). Subgroup analysis showed that the local recurrence rate in the subgroup with perioperative treatment was 1.2% lower in the ≤ 1-cm margin group (8.3%) than in the > 1-cm margin group (9.5%) (RR [95% CI] 0.97 [0.63, 1.49], P = 0.90). In the surgery alone subgroup, the local recurrence rate was 4.7% higher in the ≤ 1-cm margin group (12.4%) than in the > 1-cm group (7.7%) (RR [95% CI] 1.76 [1.09, 2.83], P = 0.02). Conclusions: For patients with intermediate- to low-lying rectal cancer undergoing surgery alone, a distal resection margin ≤ 1 cm may be not safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioactive ingredients of green coffee beans were extracted using high pressure-assisted extraction (HPE) and compared against those derived from the traditional heat reflux (HR) extraction method. The effect of extraction conditions on the extraction efficiency of functional components (chlorogenic acids, caffeine, total phenols, and flavonoids); the free radical-scavenging activity of the extract; and the inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and food pathogenic bacteria were measured. Using water as the solvent, the high-pressure extraction rates of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and caffeine were 3.20–5.75 mg/100 g and 4.32–7.95 mg/100 g, respectively, which were significantly higher than the rates obtained using the traditional method (2.92 mg/100 g and 3.54 mg/100 g, respectively). Under optimal extraction conditions of 25 °C and 600 MPa for 2.5 min, inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase by the extract reached rates of 27.8% and 26.7%, respectively, with the highest free radical-scavenging activity of 81.5%. HPE exhibited antibacterial activity against both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria innocua) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) bacteria, and the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (4.69 mg/mL) against S. aureus was achieved. Scanning electron microscopic observations evidenced that high pressure partially damaged the intercellular compartments of coffee beans, increased solvent permeability, and improved the extraction rate of bioactive ingredients. The outcomes of the study demonstrated that HPE can be employed as an efficient extraction technique for production of chlorogenic acids and caffeine that might have a potential application in food and related industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a micromechanical damage model to describe the microstructural damage behaviors of ceramic matrix composites with hierarchical porosity during thermomechanical loading. The microstructure evolution may cause the nonlinear constitutive behavior, and a hierarchical porosity-based elasto-plastic constitutive model was developed. Damage mechanisms of matrix-crack, hierarchical pore nucleation and fiber-breaking are incorporated into the formulation of the damage model to describe various micromechanical damage modes of ceramic matrix composites accurately. Two damage variables are proposed for the damage evolution of matrix and fiber bundles. The main damage mechanisms in the matrix are matrix-cracking, and fibers breaking in the fiber bundles. The performance of the proposed damage model is verified by comparing with the existing experimental data. The proposed damage model outperforms the existing counterparts by capturing the microstructural damage mechanism and integrated into the damage model, and the contribution of different damage mechanisms can be quantified. The present work will provide a robust tool for describing the damage behaviors of matrix and fiber bundles in the ceramic matrix composites under thermomechanical loading, as well as allow a more accurate characterization of microstructural damage for a large extent of ceramic matrix composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]