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Reducing vehicle emissions and minimizing the impact of the transportation industry on the environment are key to achieving global sustainable development goals. China-6 emissions standard requires light-duty gasoline vehicles to meet the emissions limit requirements for particulate number (PN) emissions. Therefore, light-duty gasoline vehicles must also be equipped with a gasoline particulate filter (GPF) in addition to the three-way catalytic converter (TWC) and meet the emissions limit requirements within a durability mileage of 200,000 km. Currently, there is very little research on the impact of GPF degradation on the fuel economy and emissions of gasoline vehicles, especially on the newly restricted N2O emissions. This study adopts the vehicle test method to study the deterioration of emissions of a China-6 light-duty gasoline vehicle with driving mileage. The research results show that the emissions of gasoline vehicles still meet the emissions limit after driving 200,000 km, and the deterioration factors of various emission pollutants are less than the recommended deterioration factors. The gasoline vehicle's carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and fuel consumption increase by less than 3%, indicating that the aging of vehicle components, including TWC and GPF, has no significant impact on vehicle fuel economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Penicillium genus exhibits a broad global distribution and holds substantial economic value in sectors including agriculture, industry, and medicine. Particularly in agriculture, Penicillium species significantly impact plants, causing diseases and contamination that adversely affect crop yields and quality. Timely detection of Penicillium species is crucial for controlling disease and preventing mycotoxins from entering the food chain. To tackle this issue, we implement a novel species identification approach called Analysis of whole GEnome (AGE). Here, we initially applied bioinformatics analysis to construct specific target sequence libraries from the whole genomes of seven Penicillium species with significant economic impact: P. canescens, P. citrinum, P. oxalicum, P. polonicum, P. paneum, P. rubens, and P. roqueforti. We successfully identified seven Penicillium species using the target we screened combined with Sanger sequencing and CRISPR-Cas12a technologies. Notably, based on CRISPR-Cas12a technology, AGE can achieve rapid and accurate identification of genomic DNA samples at a concentration as low as 0.01 ng/µL within 30 min. This method features high sensitivity and portability, making it suitable for on-site detection. This robust molecular approach provides precise fungal species identification with broad implications for agricultural control, industrial production, clinical diagnostics, and food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childhood obesity is a global health problem that is associated with various metabolic complications, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance in childhood obesity are not fully understood. Nephroblastoma overexpressed gene (NOV), also known as CCN3, is a member of the CCN family of matricellular proteins that modulate cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, migration, and survival. Previous studies have shown that NOV/CCN3 is involved in glucose metabolism and insulin signaling in various tissues and cell types. However, the role of NOV/CCN3 in childhood obesity and insulin resistance remains unclear. Methods: In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between plasma NOV/CCN3 levels and insulin resistance in 58 obese and 43 non-obese children aged 6–12 years. We measured plasma NOV/CCN3 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and assessed insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). We also collected clinical and biochemical data, such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), fasting glucose (FG), fasting insulin (FI), lipid profile, and inflammatory markers. Results: We found that plasma NOV/CCN3 levels were significantly higher in obese children than in non-obese children (p < 0.001) and positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.42, p < 0.001), WC (r = 0.38, p < 0.001), BP (r = 0.35, p < 0.001), FG (r = 0.31, p < 0.001), FI (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), HOMA-IR (r = 0.48, p < 0.001), triglycerides (r = 0.28, p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.26, p < 0.001), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that plasma NOV/CCN3 levels were independently associated with HOMA-IR after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, WC, BP, FG, FI, lipid profile, and CRP (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that plasma NOV/CCN3 levels are elevated in childhood obesity and are associated with insulin resistance, indicating that NOV/CCN3 may play a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in obese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Macrophage-mediated inflammatory response in the early post-grafting period restricts fat graft retention. Pyroptosis is a novel type of programmed cell death that extensively participates in inflammatory pathologies. Objectives This study sought to determine whether macrophage pyroptosis was activated during the inflammatory phase after fat grafting and to investigate the efficacy of a pyroptosis inhibitor, disulfiram (DSF), in fat graft retention. Methods We established a C57BL/6 mice fat grafting model and then analyzed macrophage pyroptosis. DSF (50 mg/kg, every other day) was intraperitoneally injected starting 1 hour before fat grafting and continued for 14 days. An in vitro co-culture system was established in which mouse RAW264.7 macrophages were co-cultured with apoptotic adipocytes to further validate the findings of the in vivo studies and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results Here we reported that macrophage pyroptosis was activated in both fat grafts and in vitro co-culture models. DSF was found to be a potent pyroptosis inhibitor, promoting M2 macrophage polarization. In addition, DSF was demonstrated to enhance vascularization and graft retention. Conclusions Our results suggested that pyroptosis plays a crucial role in the inflammatory cascade within fat grafts. DSF, being a clinically available drug, could be translated into a clinically effective drug for improving fat graft survival by inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis, therefore inducing M2 macrophage polarization and promoting neovascularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menispermaceae species, as early‐diverging eudicots, can synthesize valuable benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) like bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (bisBIAs) and sinomenines with a wide range of structural diversity. However, the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for their chemo‐diversity are not well understood. Here, a chromosome‐level genome assembly of Menispermum dauricum is presented and demonstrated the occurrence of two whole genome duplication (WGD) events that are shared by Ranunculales and specific to Menispermum, providing a model for understanding chromosomal evolution in early‐diverging eudicots. The biosynthetic pathway for diverse BIAs in M. dauricum is reconstructed by analyzing the transcriptome and metabolome. Additionally, five catalytic enzymes – one norcoclaurine synthase (NCS) and four cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) – from M. dauricum are responsible for the formation of the skeleton, hydroxylated modification, and C‐O/C‐C phenol coupling of BIAs. Notably, a novel leaf‐specific MdCYP80G10 enzyme that catalyzes C2′‐C4a phenol coupling of (S)‐reticuline into sinoacutine, the enantiomer of morphinan compounds, with predictable stereospecificity is discovered. Moreover, it is found that Menispermum‐specific CYP80 gene expansion, as well as tissue‐specific expression, has driven BIA diversity in Menispermaceae as compared to other Ranunculales species. This study sheds light on WGD occurrences in early‐diverging eudicots and the evolution of diverse BIA biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a newly discovered small molecule adipocytokine, and research has shown that it is closely related to the occurrence and development of obesity. However, there are currently few research reports on SDF-1 in childhood obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and this study aims to explore the relationship between SDF-1 and obesity related indicators in obese children. Methods: Serum SDF-1 concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Clinical and biochemical data were collected, such as body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, liver enzymes, cholesterol, and fasting insulin. Children with NAFLD or not were evaluated through Color Doppler Ultrasound. Results: Serum SDF-1 concentrations were significantly higher in obese subjects than in non-obese subjects (P < 0.05), and were elevated in the NAFLD obese subjects than in the non-NAFLD obese subjects (P < 0.05). SDF-1 was positively correlated with BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, body fat percentage (BFP), basal metabolic rate (BMR), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), glutyltranspeptidase (GT), and homoeostasis model of HOMA-IR, independent of their uric acid (UA), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), gender and age. BFP and BMR were associated with the serum SDF-1 concentrations in multivariable linear regression analysis. Conclusion: These results suggest that SDF-1 levels are elevated in obese children and are associated with NAFLD, indicating that SDF-1 may play a role in the development of childhood obesity and metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival crises stalk many animals, especially endangered and rare animals. Accurate species identification plays a pivotal role in animal resource conservation. In this study, we developed an animal species identification method called Analysis of whole-GEnome (AGE), which identifies species by finding species-specific sequences through bioinformatics analysis of the whole genome and subsequently recognizing these sequences using experimental technologies. To clearly demonstrate the AGE method, Cervus nippon, a well-known endangered species, and a closely related species, Cervus elaphus, were set as model species, without and with published genomes, respectively. By analyzing the whole genomes of C. nippon and C. elaphus, which were obtained through next-generation sequencing and online databases, we built specific sequence databases containing 7,670,140 and 570,981 sequences, respectively. Then, the species specificities of the sequences were confirmed experimentally using Sanger sequencing and the CRISPR-Cas12a system. Moreover, for 11 fresh animal samples and 35 commercially available products, our results were in complete agreement with those of other authoritative identification methods, demonstrating AGE's precision and potential application. Notably, AGE found a mixture in the 35 commercially available products and successfully identified it. This study broadens the horizons of species identification using the whole genome and sheds light on the potential of AGE for conserving animal resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ablative laser combined with pulsed dye laser to treat pathological scars. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all blind, randomized, controlled trials of ablative laser and pulsed dye laser for treating pathological scars. The databases PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were used. All research on ablative laser combined with PDL in treating pathological scars with ablative laser or no treatment as controls were included in the meta‐analysis. The retrieved studies' reference lists were thoroughly examined. Results: POSAS and VSS were used as evaluation criteria in seven studies involving 189 patients. Effect of combined laser group therapy (−1.259 95% confidence interval, −1.515 to −1.003; p < 0.0001). The difference between the combined treatment and control groups was (−1.375; 95% CI, −1.727 to −1.023; p < 0.0001) and (−1.150; 95% CI, −1.523 to −0.777; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Ablative laser combined with PDL is more effective and safer than ablative laser or PDL alone in the treatment of pathological scars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Striae Distensae (SD) is a common dermatological lesion. The mechanism of formation is unclear, the prevailing theory is mechanical pulling of the skin and hormonal changes. Traditional SD treatment methods include topical drugs, photoelectric therapy, stripping and others, but each has limitations. Stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF‐gel) is a filler physically prepared from granular fat, enriched with adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM). A good effect in the treatment of neck lines, wounds, acne, and other aspects. SD formation and treatment goals are comparable to those of neck lines. In this study, SVF‐gel filling will be used to treat mature SD, and its effectiveness and safety will be discussed in detail. Methods: From December 2019 to June 2022, recruit patients who want to treat SD caused by obesity or pregnancy among those who have "autologous fat aspiration" to change their body shape. Preoperatively, the area to be treated for SD was marked, autologous fat aspiration was performed, and the aspirated fat was prepared as SVF‐gel and filled into the preoperatively marked SD. All patients had preoperative and postoperative follow‐up with planar photographs and VISIA skin analyzer photographs to assess surgical results and safety from subjective and objective perspectives. Results: A total of 36 patients were enrolled, with 31 of them successfully followed up on. The mean Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) score six months after surgery was 1.87 ± 0.03. At six months postoperatively, the overall patient satisfaction rate was 90%. The depth, area, and color of SD improved six months after surgery, and no serious complications occurred in any of the patients. Conclusions: SVF‐gel is a safe and effective method of improving mature SD and can be used as a clinical treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Facial rejuvenation is becoming more and more popular, particularly among middle‐aged persons. There are currently many techniques for improving the aforementioned situations, but each has its drawbacks. Our study aimed to discuss the treatment effect of a composited technique for reversing both lower eyelid and midface aging. Methods: The patient's face was designed and measured before surgery. During surgery, a traditional lower blepharoplasty incision was made. The layer between the orbital septum and the orbicularis oculi muscle was separated to approximately 4‐5 mm below the infraorbital, then the orbital septum and orbicularis retaining ligament were found to be released. A self‐made suspension curving needle subconsciously passed through the brim of the superficial cheek fat pad via the "U‐type" path and raised them to the proper location. Then sutured them to the infraorbital rim periosteum, as well as the suborbicularis oculi fat (SOOF) and the orbital septum fat. Secured the outside canthus to keep the lower lid position stable. Results: From February 2020 to November 2022, 106 patients underwent the new surgical procedure and were successfully followed up for 20 ± 6.5 months postoperatively. The mean GAIS score was 2.42 ± 0.78, patient satisfaction rate was 95%. All of the Barton grades were decreased. The nasal base level suspension points were elevated to a level of 5 ± 2 mm. 3D measurement data revealed significant improvements. Conclusions: The composited technique is a safe and effective way to reverse the aging of the lower eyelid and midface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China implemented the China VI emission standard in 2020. The China VI emission standard has added requirements for the RDE (real-world driving emission) test. To evaluate vehicle CO2 emission for different vehicles, 10 conventional gasoline vehicles were tested under the RDE procedure using the PEMS (portable emission testing system) method. All vehicles tested meet the sixth emission regulation with a displacement of 1.4 L~2.0 L. Among the vehicles tested, the highest CO2 emission factor was 281 g/km and the lowest was 189 g/km, while the acceleration of RDE gets a wider distribution, varying from −2.5 m/s2 to 2.5 m/s2. The instantaneous mass emission rate could reach around 16 g/s. The amounts of total CO2 emission in the positive region and the negative region make up 82~89% and 11~18% of the overall CO2 emission during the entire RDE driving period, respectively. The same vehicle has a wide range of CO2 emission factors at different VSP (vehicle specific power) intervals. Different RDE test conditions can lead to large differences in CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling NOx and CO2 emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) is receiving increasing attention. Accurate measurement of HDDV NOx and CO2 emissions is the prerequisite for HDDV emission control. Vehicle emission regulations srecommend the measurement of NOx and CO2 emissions from vehicles using an emission analyzer, which is expensive and unsuitable to measure a large number of vehicles in a short time. The on-board diagnostics (OBD) data stream of HDDVs provides great convenience for calculating vehicle NOx and CO2 emissions by providing the engine fuel flow rate, NOx sensor output, and air mass flow. The calculated vehicle NOx and CO2 emissions based on the OBD data were validated by testing a heavy-duty truck's emissions on the chassis dynamometer over the CHTC-HT driving cycle, showing that the calculated NOx and CO2 emissions based on the OBD data are consistent with the measured results by the emission analyzer. The calculated vehicle fuel consumptions based on the OBD data were close to the calculated results based on the carbon balance method and the measured results by the fuel flowmeter. The experimental results show that accessing vehicle NOx and CO2 emissions based on the OBD data is a convenient and applicable method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) is used in the treatment of nasolabial folds (NLFs). However, lighting and clinician subjectivity play a major role in evaluating the efficacy of this treatment. Objectives By applying 3-dimensional (3D) technology, this study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of BTX-A injection on muscular (M) and muscle–fat pad mixed-type (MF) NLFs. Methods BTX-A was injected into bilateral marked points on the NLFs, where the levator labii alaeque nasi, zygomaticus minor, and zygomaticus major pull the skin to form the NLF (2 U at each injection site). Pretreatment and posttreatment 3D facial images were captured with static and laughing expressions. The curvature, width, depth, and lateral fat volume of the NLFs were measured to compare the therapeutic efficacy for type M and MF NLFs. Results Thirty-nine patients with type M and 37 with type MF NLFs completed the follow-up data. In these patients, the curvature, width, and depth of the NLF showed a significant reduction at 1 month and gradually recovered at 3 and 6 months after treatment, with more significant improvement when laughing than when static. Variations compared to the pretreatment values of type MF were greater than those of type M at each time point. The lateral fat volume of the type MF NLF was significantly reduced (P <.05). Conclusions 3D technology can quantitatively evaluate the effects BTX-A injection for treating type M and type MF NLFs. BTX-A is more effective on type MF than on type M NLFs. Level of Evidence: 4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As a derivative of adipose tissues, stromal vascular fraction gel has been widely utilized in facial soft tissue filling, but it still does not achieve the expected effect in forehead filling. The reason may be related to the corrugator muscles movements. Objectives The authors aimed to evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) on the retention rate of stromal vascular fraction gel by limiting the corrugator muscles movements and to provide a theoretical basis that short-term inhibition of movement in the affected area could improve the effects of the fat graft. Methods From January 2019 to June 2021, patients with stromal vascular fraction gel facial filling (including frontal and temporal parts) were selected. According to whether or not BTX-A treatment was received, patients were divided into injected and the noninjected groups. A questionnaire and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) were administered to evaluate 2-dimensional photos. The retention rate and curvature were calculated with 3-dimensional images utilizing Artec Studio 13 Professional and MATLAB software. Results The graft retention, forehead curvature, and GAIS scores were all higher in the injected group than the noninjected group (P <.01). On the questionnaire, the injected group also showed more satisfaction with the treatment effect and were more willing to recommend the treatment to their friends. Conclusions BTX-A injection can improve the retention rate of prefrontal stromal vascular fraction gel filling, with higher patient satisfaction and better postoperative effects. Level of Evidence: 5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt‐tolerant plants generally grow in salty conditions, and some of them are also tolerant to heavy metal stress. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can help plants withstand abiotic stresses. However, few studies have focused on the effects of AMF on the growth of salt‐tolerant plants in cadmium (Cd)‐contaminated saline soils. In this study, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) on growth, ion uptake, and Na+ and Cd translocation in three salt‐tolerant grasses (Leymus chinensis, Puccinellia distans, and Astragalus adsurgens) in a Cd‐contaminated saline soil. The regulation of genes by AMF in A. adsurgens was also explored by transcriptome analysis. The results showed that AMF increased the biomass of A. adsurgens but not that of L. chinensis and P. distans. AMF promoted phosphorus (P) uptake from soil and improved shoot K+: Na+ ratio, but it decreased shoot Na+ and Cd concentrations and their translocation rates in A. adsurgens. Transcriptome analysis showed that AMF upregulated the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding cytokinins, which may be linked to the increase in shoot biomass in inoculated A. adsurgens, but downregulated the DEGs related to light harvest, suggesting avoidance of photodamage. AMF downregulated the DEGs in the pathways of the cell wall and those associated with antioxidant enzymes. These results suggest that AMF symbiosis in A. adsurgens effectively alleviates the Na+ and Cd toxicity of shoots. This study implies the potential to use salt‐tolerant grasses in association with AMF to rehabilitate the heavy metal‐contaminated saline ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of concentrated growth factor (CGF) injections in patients with androgenic alopecia. Methods: Venous blood of 60 patients (aged 18–55 years old with a mean age of 38 years) with androgenic alopecia who were treated from September 2017 to September 2019 were collected to prepare CGF. 0.1 ml CGF was injected into the alopecia area with an interval of 30–35 days for a total of 6 times. The evaluation was performed before treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the first injection and 3 and 6 months after the last injection. Results: Among the 60 patients, 58 cases received 6 treatments completely, 52 cases showed significant improvement, 8 cases improved, and no ineffective or worsening cases were found. Among the 58 patients, hair density, hair follicle density, and hair diameter increased significantly. Furthermore, the hair status of all patients was improved to varying degrees during the 6‐month follow‐up from the digital photographs. No complications such as redness, swelling, infection, and ulceration were found in the injection area, and the patient satisfaction was 93% (56/60). Conclusion: Concentrated growth factor treatment can significantly improve the symptoms of hair loss and increase hair diameter in patients with androgenic alopecia. It is effective, safe, and worth popularizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing detection of vehicle emissions is an effective supplement to the statutory periodic inspection of in-use vehicle emissions and it is a convenient technical method for real-time screening of high-emission vehicles. The principle of remote sensing detection is to inversely calculate the absolute concentrations of gaseous pollutants in vehicle exhaust according to the relative volume concentration ratio of each exhaust component to carbon dioxide (CO2) in the vehicle exhaust plume. Because the combustion mechanisms of gasoline engines and diesel engines are different, different inversion calculation methods of remote sensing data must be applied. The absolute concentrations of gasoline vehicle gaseous emissions measured by remote sensing can be calculated by the inversion calculation method based on the theoretical air–fuel ratio combustion mechanism. However, the absolute concentrations of diesel vehicle nitrogen oxide (NOx) measured by remote sensing must be calculated by the inversion calculation method based on the correction of the excess air coefficient. For the integrated remote sensing test system of gasoline and diesel vehicles, it is necessary to determine the vehicle category according to the vehicle type and license plate and adopt different inversion calculation methods to obtain the correct remote sensing results of vehicle emissions. The big data statistical analysis method for vehicle emission remote sensing results can quickly screen high-emission vehicles and dynamically determine the remote sensing emission screening threshold of high-emission vehicles as the composition of in-use vehicles changes and the overall emission of vehicles declines, so as to achieve dynamic and accurate screening of high-emission vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the China VI regulations for light-duty vehicles, the (RDE) test is introduced as a supplementary test procedure. In the actual test process, the RDE results are more significantly influenced by driving behavior and vehicle type. To reduce the test cost, the NOx and PN prediction models are established based on the GA-BP method. The results showed that the coefficients of determination of the GA-BP model for NOx and PN predictions are all greater than 0.9 and are linearly highly correlated at the instantaneous emission level. At the overall emission level, the overall error of the GA-BP model is less than 7% for NOx prediction and less than 6% for PN prediction. The model has high accuracy for both instantaneous and overall emissions of light-duty vehicles. This provides practical engineering value for guiding the RDE test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) injection of regional platysma has been utilized in the lower-part elevation and mandibular contour sculpture. However, the relative research, especially in quantitative assessment appears very spare. Our aim is to investigate the efficacy of three-dimensional (3D) technology as a method for regional platysma injection with BTX-A. Materials and Methods: From October 2019 to September 2020, patients with mild or moderate degrees of facial sagging on the lower face were recruited to regional platysma BTX-A injection, and 3D scanning and measurement technology was used to evaluate the difference of curved distances and angels. Patients' improvement was assessed by the global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS). Results: A total of 57 patients underwent regional platysma BTX-A injection and 32 patients were followed up successfully. Compared with Pre-operative, postoperative facial reference curves distance and cervico-mental angles had statistical differences (p < 0.05). GAIS suggested that the 3D imaging measurement technology could improve satisfaction. Conclusion: 3D technology can evaluate the improvement of the lower face with BTX-A. It provides effective measurement methods and raises satisfaction. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole genomes of plants should be ideal databases for their species identification, but unfortunately there was no such method before this exploration. Here we report a plant species identification method based on the whole Genome Analysis and Genome Editing (GAGE). GAGE searches for target sequences from the whole genome of the subject plant and specifically detects them by employing a CRISPR/Cas12a system. Similar to how Mendel chose Pisum sativum (pea), we selected Crocus sativus (saffron) to establish GAGE, in which we constructed a library containing all candidate target sequences. Taking a target sequence in the ITS2 region as an example, we confirmed the feasibility, specificity, and sensitivity of GAGE. Consequently, we succeeded in not only using GAGE to identify Cr. sativus and its adulterants, but also executing GAGE in the plants from different classes including angiosperms, gymnosperms, ferns, and lycophytes. This sensitive and rapid method is the first plant species identification method based on the whole genome and provides new insights into the application of the whole genome in species identification. A plant species identification method, GAGE, is reported that searches for target sequences from the whole genome of the subject plant and specifically detects them by employing a CRISPR/Cas12a system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acne is a chronic facial disease caused by Propionibacterium acnes, which proliferates within sebum-blocked skin follicles and increases inflammatory cytokine production. Several therapeutic drugs and products have been proposed to treat acne, yet no single treatment that ensures long-term treatment efficacy for all patients is available. Here, we explored the use of facial autologous fat transplant of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to dramatically reduce acne lesions. Methods: THP-1 cells were treated with active P. acnes for 24 h at different multiplicities of infection, and alterations in inflammatory factors were detected. To study the effect of THP-1 on inflammasome-related proteins, we first co-cultured ADSCs with THP-1 cells treated with P. acnes and evaluated the levels of these proteins in the supernatant. Further, an acne mouse model injected with ADSCs was used to assess inflammatory changes. Results: Propionibacterium acnes-mediated stimulation of THP-1 cells had a direct correlation with the expression of active caspase-1 and interleukin (IL)-1β in an infection-dependent manner. ADSCs significantly reduced the production of IL-1β induced by P. acnes stimulation through the reactive oxygen species (ROS)/Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)/caspase-1 pathway. The results showed that ADSCs inhibit the skin inflammation induced by P. acnes by blocking the NLRP3 inflammasome via reducing the secretion of IL-1β in vivo. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ADSCs can alter IL-1β secretion by restricting the production of mitochondria ROS, thereby inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway in P. acnes-induced inflammatory responses. This study indicates that anti‐acne therapy can potentially be developed by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing technology has been used for gasoline vehicle gaseous emissions monitoring for nearly 30 years. However, the application effect of the remote sensing detection of diesel vehicle tailpipe emission concentrations is unsatisfactory. Therefore, several approaches were proposed to analyze the remote sensing results for gaseous exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles, including the concentration ratios of gaseous emission components to carbon dioxide (CO2) and fuel-based emission factors. Based on our experimental results, these two metrics have some high values in low-speed or low-load conditions of vehicles, which introduces uncertainty when evaluating vehicle emission levels. Therefore, an inversion calculation method originally developed for remote sensing light duty diesel vehicle gaseous emissions was used for the remote sensing of nitrogen monoxide (NO) tailpipe concentrations in heavy duty diesel vehicles, and validated by PEMS tested emission results. For the first time, the above three options for evaluating the NOx emission level of diesel vehicles, including the concentration ratio of NO to CO2, the fuel-based NO emission factor and the estimated tailpipe NO emission concentration were investigated, and some influencing factors were also discussed. The remote sensing tailpipe NO emission concentration can be directly used to evaluate diesel vehicle NO emission levels compared with the two other metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous advancement of urbanization, the socioeconomic development and environmental damage in Zhengdong New District of Zhengzhou City seriously threaten the development of green space. The paper focused on Zhengdong New District and selected four important nodes in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 to interpret the remote sensing image, explore the local spatial evolution through the method of land use transfer model construction, extract the green space area conversion analysis information of the study area, and analyze the influence factors of its transformation. The research shows that from 2007 to 2019, the internal structure of green space in Zhengdong New District that were cultivated land, woodland, grassland, and water bodies, its showed different trends, and the dynamic changes were different. Among them, the area of cultivated land continued to decrease, the area of construction land continued to increase, the total area of woodland increased, the area of grassland and water bodies fluctuated, and the total green space was greatly reduced; the conversion of land types in Zhengdong New District mainly focused on the conversion of cultivated land to construction land, woodland, and grassland. The results shows that the green space of Zhengdong New District is affected by social, economic, natural, and other factors and various factors interact with each other. However, social and economic development factors are obviously stronger than natural and administrative factors on the evolution of green space area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Distant species producing the same secondary metabolites is an interesting and common phenomenon in nature. A classic example of this is scutellarein whose derivatives have been used clinically for more than 30 years. Scutellarein occurs in significant amounts in species of two different orders, Scutellaria baicalensis and Erigeron breviscapus, which diverged more than 100 million years ago. Here, according to the genome‐wide selection and functional identification of 39 CYP450 genes from various angiosperms, we confirmed that only seven Scutellaria‐specific CYP82D genes and one Erigeron CYP706X gene could perform the catalytic activity of flavone 6‐hydroxylase (F6H), suggesting that the convergent evolution of scutellarein production in these two distant species was caused by two independently evolved CYP450 families. We also identified seven Scutellaria‐specific CYP82D genes encoding flavone 8‐hydroxylase (F8H). The evolutionary patterns of CYP82 and CYP706 families via kingdom‐wide comparative genomics highlighted the evolutionary diversity of CYP82D and the specificity of CYP706X in angiosperms. Multi‐collinearity and phylogenetic analysis of CYP82D in Scutellaria confirmed that the function of F6H evolved from F8H. Furthermore, the SbaiCYP82D1A319D, EbreCYP706XR130A, EbreCYP706XF312D and EbreCYP706XA318D mutants can significantly decrease the catalytic activity of F6H, revealing the contribution of crucial F6H amino acids to the scutellarein biosynthesis of distant species. This study provides important insights into the multi‐origin evolution of the same secondary metabolite biosynthesis in the plant kingdom. Significance Statement: Here, we determined that the scutellarein accumulation in distant species from Lamiaceae and Asteraceae arose from the convergent evolution of Scutellaria‐specific CYP82D and Asteraceae‐specific CYP706X. The independent evolutionary pattern of CYP82 and CYP706 and the findings of crucial residues will provide novel insights into the convergent evolution of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in the plant kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Immediate reconstruction (IR) is a safe and effective surgical treatment for patients with breast cancer. We aimed to assess the prognosis, aesthetic outcomes, and patient satisfaction of IR compared with breast conservation surgery (BCS) and total mastectomy (TM). Methods: This retrospective matched-cohort study was conducted between May 2005 and December 2014. We established two cohorts according to the tumor (T) size of breast cancer. In the T≤3cm group, cases (IR) and controls (BCS or TM) were matched for age, pathological tumor size, and pathologic nodal status in a 1:1:1 ratio. In the T>3cm group, cases (IR) and controls (TM) were matched with the same factors and ratio. The primary outcome was the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary outcome was patient satisfaction and quality of life. Results: A total of 12,678 breast cancer patients were assessed for eligibility, of which 587 were included (T≤3 cm group: 155 IR vs 155 BCS vs 155 TM; T>3cm group: 61 IR vs 61 TM). In the T≤3 cm cohort, patients who underwent IR had no difference compared with those who underwent BCS or TM regarding the 5-year DFS (P=0.539); however, an improved aesthetic satisfaction, psychosocial, and sexual well-being were achieved in the IR group (P<0.001). In the T>3 cm cohort, the IR group had a worse median 5-year DFS (P=0.044), especially for Her2+ or triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) subtypes compared with the TM group. Conclusions: IR improves aesthetic satisfaction, psychosocial, and sexual well-being for breast cancer patients with T≤3 cm. For patients with T > 3 cm invasive breast cancer, TM is superior to IR as it predicts a better 5-year DFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature optimization, which is the theme of this paper, is actually the selective selection of the variables on the input side at the time of making a predictive kind of model. However, an improved feature optimization algorithm for breath signal based on the Pearson-BPSO was proposed and applied to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma by electronic nose (eNose) in the paper. First, the multidimensional features of the breath curves of hepatocellular carcinoma patients and healthy controls in the training samples were extracted; then, the features with less relevance to the classification were removed according to the Pearson correlation coefficient; next, the fitness function was constructed based on K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classification error and feature dimension, and the feature optimization transformation matrix was obtained based on BPSO. Furthermore, the transformation matrix was applied to optimize the test sample's features. Finally, the performance of the optimization algorithm was evaluated by the classifier. The experiment results have shown that the Pearson-BPSO algorithm could effectively improve the classification performance compared with BPSO and PCA optimization methods. The accuracy of SVM and RF classifier was 86.03% and 90%, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were about 90% and 80%. Consequently, the application of Pearson-BPSO feature optimization algorithm will help improve the accuracy of hepatocellular carcinoma detection by eNose and promote the clinical application of intelligent detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully synthesized {BiW8}, a 10‐nuclear heteroatom cluster modified {BiW8O30}. At 24 h post‐incubation, the IC50 values of {BiW8} against HUVEC, MG63, RD, Hep3B, HepG2, and MCF7 cells were 895.8, 127.3, 344.3, 455.0, 781.3, and 206.3 μM, respectively. The IC50 value of {BiW8} on the MG63 cells was more than 2‐fold lower than that of the other raw materials. Through morphological and functional features, we demonstrated pyroptosis as a newly identified mechanism of cell death induced by {BiW8}. {BiW8} increased 2‐fold reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in MG63 cells at 24 h post‐incubation. Compared with 0 h, the glutathione (GSH) content decreased by 59, 65, 75, 94, and 97 % at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h post‐incubation, respectively. Furthermore, multiple antitumor mechanisms of {BiW8} were identified via transcriptome analysis and chemical simulation, including activation of pyroptosis, suppression of GSH generation, depletion of GSH, and inhibition of DNA repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully synthesized {BiW8}, a 10‐nuclear heteroatom cluster modified {BiW8O30}. At 24 h post‐incubation, the IC50 values of {BiW8} against HUVEC, MG63, RD, Hep3B, HepG2, and MCF7 cells were 895.8, 127.3, 344.3, 455.0, 781.3, and 206.3 μM, respectively. The IC50 value of {BiW8} on the MG63 cells was more than 2‐fold lower than that of the other raw materials. Through morphological and functional features, we demonstrated pyroptosis as a newly identified mechanism of cell death induced by {BiW8}. {BiW8} increased 2‐fold reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in MG63 cells at 24 h post‐incubation. Compared with 0 h, the glutathione (GSH) content decreased by 59, 65, 75, 94, and 97 % at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h post‐incubation, respectively. Furthermore, multiple antitumor mechanisms of {BiW8} were identified via transcriptome analysis and chemical simulation, including activation of pyroptosis, suppression of GSH generation, depletion of GSH, and inhibition of DNA repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fat grafting is a popular operative approach for rejuvenation. Some patients requiring facial fat grafting also have acne. Fat grafting may improve acne in some patients.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess whether fat grafting can improve acne and to analyze the mechanism of action by which such improvement occurs.Methods: Preoperative and postoperative digital photographs were examined retrospectively in 229 patients who underwent fat grafting to compare the numbers of inflammatory acne lesions. In addition, 18 patients with acne who were treated by injection of subdermal stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF-gel) were examined prospectively. The numbers of inflammatory acne lesions before and after treatment were measured, and changes in the levels of CD4+ T-cell infiltration were determined from immunohistochemical staining.Results: Of the 229 retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent fat grafting, 22 had acne and had complete follow-up data; in these patients, the numbers of acne lesions were significantly lower after than before treatment. The 18 patients who received subdermal SVF-gel injection showed evident improvements in inflammatory lesions after more than 1 year of follow-up. CD4+ T-cell infiltration was significantly decreased at week 4.Conclusions: Facial fat grafting can improve inflammatory acne lesions, perhaps because adipose-derived stem cells, which are plentiful in SVF-gel, reduce CD4+ T-cell-mediated inflammation responses.Level Of Evidence:4: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a new kind of add-drop multiplexer based on $\pi $ phase-shifted antisymmetric Bragg grating ($\pi $ -ASBG). Light resonance is formed in the $\pi $ -ASBG with mode conversion between backward fundamental transverse electric (TE0) mode and the forward first order transverse electric (T1) mode. With the aid of the TE1 mode generated in the $\pi $ -ASBG, add-drop multiplexer can be designed. As examples, two multiplexer structures based on single- and dual-bus resonator, on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform have been studied in detail. Besides, no light is reflected to the input port, if the structure is carefully designed with critical coupling condition satisfied. For the fabricated add-drop multiplexer based on single-bus resonator, the extinction ratio is 23.90 dB and full width at half maximum (FWHM) is 0.33 nm at the through port. For the fabricated add-drop multiplexer based on dual-bus resonator, the extinction ratio is 17.22 dB and FWHM is 0.29 nm at through port. The results show that proposed structures provide a new method to realize add-drop multiplexer and other integrated optical filters for optical communications and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Desire for improved aesthetic contour of the lower third of the face has resulted in an increase in chin augmentation. Although many fillers, including hyaluronic acid (HA), autologous fat and stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF-gel), have been used to improve facial morphology, chin augmentation requires fillers that provide greater support. Methods: The elastic and viscous moduli of SVF-gel and Coleman fat were assessed in vitro by rheological testing, whereas their elasticity were evaluated in vivo by ultrasonic elastography. Results in vitro were compared with those of highly elastic HA (HE-HA) and highly viscous HA (HV-HA), whereas results in vivo were compared with HE-HA. Changes in chin volume, SVF-gel retention rate and absorptivity for at least 12 months were measured by 3D white light scanning. Questionnaires were administered to assess patient satisfaction. Results: The elastic and viscous modulus of SVF-gel was, respectively, slightly lower than HE-HA and HV-HA but higher than the other two in vitro, with the elasticity of the three layers of SVF-gel lower than HE-HA but slightly higher than normal control in vivo. The average retention rate was 62.34±3.34% at 12 months. The absorptivity of 90% of the samples was <3% from 6 to 12 months, which was considered stable. Patients expressed satisfaction with their results. Conclusion: SVF-gel has ideal rheologic characteristics in vitro, which has slightly higher elasticity than normal fat tissue of chin in vivo, and could keep well retention rate for chin augmentation in clinic. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, remote sensing (RS) is applied in detecting vehicle exhaust emissions, and usually the RS emission results in a definite vehicle specific power (VSP) range are used to evaluate vehicle emissions and identify high-emitting vehicles. When the VSP exceeds this range, the corresponding vehicle emission RS data will not be used to assess vehicle emissions. This method is equivalent to setting only one VSP Bin qualified for vehicle emission evaluation, and generally only one threshold limit is given for each emission pollutant without considering the fluctuation characteristics of vehicle emissions with VSP. Therefore, it is easy to cause misjudgment in identifying high-emitting vehicles and is not conducive to scientific management of vehicle emissions. In addition, the vehicle emissions outside the selected VSP Bin are more serious and should be included in the scope of supervision. This research proposed the methods of vehicle classifications and VSP Binning in order to categorize the driving conditions of each kind of vehicles, and a big data approach was proposed to analyze the vehicle emission RS data in each VSP Bin for vehicle emission evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term oncologic safety of immediate reconstructive surgery in patients with invasive breast cancer: a retrospective matched-cohort study. A Immediate reconstruction of breast implants (IRBI); B Immediate reconstruction of autologous tissue (IRAT); C Breast conserving surgery (BCS); D Total mastectomy (TM) Graph: Fig. [Extracted from the article]

In this letter, we designed and experimentally demonstrated a compact mode converter in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide based on conformal dielectric metasurface, which uses polygonal slot structure to manipulate the wavefront of guided modes. Mode conversion from TE0 to TE2 mode can be realized within an ultracompact size ($\sim 7.66~\mu \text{m}$) by designing the arrow-like slot structure. With the help of asymmetric directional coupler (ADC), the TE0-to-TE2 mode converter was measured in the experiment with low insertion loss (IL) (< 0.5 dB) and low crosstalk (CT) (<−8.0 dB) from 1525 to 1565 nm. Moreover, a TE0-to-TE1 mode converter using another polygonal slot structure was also experimentally demonstrated. Our proposed mode converter shows great potential in high-density integration of photonic devices for on-chip mode control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tilted Bragg grating (TBG) has been intensively investigated for photonic devices such as fiber sensors and on-chip filters. In this article, we present that TBG can be equivalently realized by designing the tilted sampled Bragg grating (TSBG). As its basic grating is uniform and the sampling structure is in the order of micrometer, the fabrication of TSBG can be realized with one step of holographic exposure combined with micro-lithography. As examples, we designed and simulated the equivalent light responses of the TSBGs in the multimode planar waveguide and single-mode fiber respectively. Moreover, the fabrication tolerance of TSBG has also been analyzed. The proposed technique may pave a new way for different 2D gratings with good design flexibility and easy fabrication in various photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lonicera japonica is a widespread member of the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family utilized in traditional medical practices. This twining vine honeysuckle also is a much‐sought ornamental, in part due to its dynamic flower coloration, which changes from white to gold during development.The molecular mechanism underlying dynamic flower coloration in L. japonica was elucidated by integrating whole genome sequencing, transcriptomic analysis and biochemical assays.Here, we report a chromosome‐level genome assembly of L. japonica, comprising nine pseudochromosomes with a total size of 843.2 Mb. We also provide evidence for a whole‐genome duplication event in the lineage leading to L. japonica, which occurred after its divergence from Dipsacales and Asterales. Moreover, gene expression analysis not only revealed correlated expression of the relevant biosynthetic genes with carotenoid accumulation, but also suggested a role for carotenoid degradation in L. japonica's dynamic flower coloration. The variation of flower color is consistent with not only the observed carotenoid accumulation pattern, but also with the release of volatile apocarotenoids that presumably serve as pollinator attractants.Beyond novel insights into the evolution and dynamics of flower coloration, the high‐quality L. japonica genome sequence also provides a foundation for molecular breeding to improve desired characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever-tightening particulate emissions regulation and the need of extending diesel particulate filter (DPF) manual cleaning period require an in-depth investigation into exhaust-borne ash components that may potentially deposit in DPF using a variety of methods to accelerate loading. Currently, the most common method used is blending a certain volume of lubricant oil into diesel. Predictably, the addition of lubricant oil will alter the nature of particles emitted from engines, creating an artifact between "accelerated" and real ash and therefore biasing the functionality of this method. However, such impacts haven't been carefully evaluated. In this paper, the mass, number, size-resolved distribution, morphology, and elemental analysis of the particles from a Euro-5 compliant, 2.5 L diesel engine consuming conventional diesel, diesel+2v% lubricant oil, and diesel+4v%lubricant oil were measured and compared 24. The results indicate that with the addition of lubricant oil into diesel, both the particulate mass and number emission increased dramatically, a proportional increase in particle numbers of all size stages was seen with 2% lubricant oil blending, while 4% blending only increased the number concentrations of nuclei-mode and relatively large particles. Adding lubricant oil into diesel tended to complicate the microstructure of particles. Particle-bound phosphorus and zinc were only identified when lubricant oil was dosed. An increased oxygen mass fraction with the presence of lubricant oil also suggests heavier volatile materials emissions. Lastly, although burning diesel/lubricant oil mixtures enables an accelerated ash loading process in a DPF, excessive blending ratio could alter the nature of engine-out particles and increase uncertainty. It is recommended to achieve fast ash accumulation at a high engine load with diesel+2v%lubricant oil. • The impacts of adding lubricant oil into diesel on particle nature were studied. • PM, PN and, particle-bound O, S, P, Ca, Mg, Zn all increased with oil addition. • Particles became smaller but more aggregated once lubricant oil was added. • 2% oil addition is recommended for ash loading acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diesel particle filter (DPF) has been widely acknowledged as the most effective way to mitigate particulate matter emitted from diesel engines. Over time, ash mainly derived from lubricating oil will deposit in DPF, showing negative influence to engine performance, fuel economy, service life of DPF, and so on. Recently, the investigation about DPF backpressure characteristics and DPF regeneration process considering ash has gained attention. As a porous material, ash will play a key role in the DPF permeability. Thus, the pore morphology and fractal dimension of ash derived from three kinds of lube are addressed in this work. The results show that the changing tendency of the micropore specific surface and pore volume is consistent with the ash content in lubricant oil, which is owing to the chemical interaction of Ca and S contained in the oil during the complex DPF regeneration. There is no significant changing tendency of the mesopore and macropore properties because of the heterogeneity and complexity of ash. According to the fractal analyses, the Avnir equation shows excellent predictive accuracy for the pore surface fractal dimension of ash, which reflects that the ash pore surfaces are irregular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasingly stringent emission regulations, retrofitting in-use vehicles with matched diesel particulate filter (DPF) becomes a cost-effective measure to meet the regulations emission limit. Forty in-use heavy-duty diesel vehicles and 15 non-road diesel engines were retrofitted with DPF and the effects of DPF on the emission characteristics were investigated in this work. A high-efficiency matching method to select DPFs for different retrofitting applications has been presented in this paper. The results also verified that the particle number (PN) of all the diesel vehicles decreased over 95% after suitable matching of DPFs. It indicated that this method could be used for reference in other retrofitting projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and theoretically analyze a hybrid transverse mode resonance DFB semiconductor laser which consists of one active section with π-phase shifted anti-symmetric Bragg grating (π-ASBG) and two passive sections with uniform Bragg grating. The hybrid light resonance along with mode conversion between the fundamental transverse electric (TE0) mode and first order transverse electric (TE1) mode is formed by the π-ASBG. The emitted light from one facet with the TE0 or TE1 mode can be controlled by tuning the injection currents of the passive sections. As an example, a laser with ridge waveguide is designed and simulated. The transverse mode with the same wavelength is tuned by changing the injection currents of the passive sections. The suppression ratio between the two transverse modes reaches 18.4 dB and 18.7 dB when the TE0 and TE1 modes are emitted, respectively. A simple method for equivalently realizing the grating in the proposed laser was also analyzed. Therefore, as the transverse mode tunable light source, the proposed laser may benefit the future mode division multiplexing (MDM) systems for reconfigurability and more flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diesel particle filter (DPF) is widely considered as the most effective approach to reduce and control particle matter (PM) emissions. However, with the continuous accumulation of particles, DPF has poor performance and has to burn PM, i.e. regeneration. Unlike soot, ash cannot be removed from DPF through burning, which shows a negative effect on DPF performance. Therefore, the recent research progress about ash deposited in DPF has been summarized. The chemical composition and formation process were analyzed. The effects of ash on the DPF performance were addressed. The results show that the ash is mainly generated from lubricating oil, and the chemical composition of ash mainly consists of Ca, Mg, P, and S. Meanwhile, the ash morphology and color depended on the ash chemical composition. The flow-induced transport and the regeneration-reduced transport alter the mobility of the ash from the channel walls to the plug. The ash cannot influence the DPF performace in the nomal condition while it has an important effect on back pressure and soot oxidation characteristics. Furthermore, there are still disagreements on the mechanism of the ash distribution process and the effect of the distribution form of ash deposits in the DPF channel on the pressure drop. In the future, the investigations on the ash physico-chemical property and the ash formation process will be helpful to elucidate the abovementioned problems. In addition, in order to reduce the ash deposited and ensure the DPF normal operation, the more strict lubricant regulations should be implemented in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principle, design, and characterization of a resonator on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform based on the $\pi $ phase-shifted antisymmetric Bragg grating (ASBG) are presented. With the aid of an asymmetric directional coupler (ADC), the resonance circuit between the two ASBGs is formed by the forward first-order transverse electric (TE1) mode and the backward fundamental transverse electric (TE0) mode. Only negligible amount of the backward TE0 mode can be coupled to the bus waveguide, which is different from the conventional Fabry–Perot (F-P) resonator. Compared with the widely used microring resonator, it can realize single wavelength resonance. The single resonance resonator with an extinction ratio of 20.0 dB and a quality factor (${Q}$ -factor) of 9888 has been experimentally demonstrated. Moreover, multiple wavelength resonances with a free spectrum range (FSR) of 0.63 nm is obtained when the phase shifter length is $200~\mu \text{m}$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this mymargin letter, we experimentally demonstrated a 1550-nm high-power single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser based on sampled moiré grating (SMG). By designing the sampling structure with micrometer scale, moiré grating (MG) can be equivalently realized along the laser cavity. Then, we can reduce the coupling coefficient near laser facet so as to increase the output power. The cavity length and ridge width of the fabricated laser are 1.0 mm and $3.0~\mu \text{m}$ , respectively. The measured threshold current and the slope efficiency are 30.0 mA and 0.36 mW/mA at the heat-sink temperature of 25 °C, respectively. When the injection current is 800.0 mA, the maximum output power is about 183.0 mW. The saturation power is significantly improved compared with conventional DFB laser with uniform sampled grating (USG), which was fabricated on the same wafer. In addition, a four-channel DFB laser array based on SMG was also fabricated on the same wafer, showing good wavelength uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ash deposited in the DPF cannot be burnt, which will affect the service life of DPF. However, previous works focused on the effect of ash on the engine exhaust emissions are limited. Therefore, the influence of ash on the emissions was studied in this work. The particle emissions, the gaseous emissions, and the unregulated emissions (carbonyl compounds and volatile organic compounds) were measured by an AMA4000 gaseous analyzer, ELPI, HPLC, and GC-MS, respectively. Research results indicate that the filtration efficiency decreases by 0.57-4.49% for accumulation mode particle of particulate matter, while it has very little effects on the other type and the particle number in the presence of ash. For regular gaseous pollutions, ash has no influence on CO2 and NOx emission, while CO and THC increase by 68.2% and 91.0%, respectively. For unregulated emissions, overall, carbonyl compounds increase by 41-150% and the BTEX decreases by 8.6-23.6% after ash formed. The change is mainly caused by the increase in the exhaust backpressure that plays a key role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we provided a proof-of-concept study on the anti-symmetric sampled Bragg grating (ASBG) with $\pi $ equivalent phase shift ( $\pi $ -EPS) in silicon-on-insulator (SOI). A four-channel narrow-band passive filter array was fabricated. Experimental results show that the 0th-order resonance is totally eliminated, while the +1st-order resonance is maintained. In addition, 3-D finite-difference-time-domain (3-D-FDTD) algorithm was also used to analyze the other characteristics of this structure, such as the radiation phenomenon caused by anti-symmetric feature. Since the anti-symmetric basic grating combined with sampling pattern could equivalently realize various grating structures, ASBG can be used for multi-wavelength photonic devices, such as DFB laser array, sensor array, electro-optic modulator array, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The presence of mild or moderate medial epicanthus is typical in Asian patients. Numerous epicanthoplasty techniques have been described previously. However, these methods usually leave obvious scars in the medial canthal area. The aim of this report is to introduce a novel epicanthoplasty technique and a concomitant double eyelidplasty which avoid leaving scars in the medial canthal region. Methods: From July 2013 to July 2015, 252 patients received epicanthoplasty and concomitant double eyelidplasty with this new technique. The medial epicanthus was corrected through the medial end of the eyelid crease incision. One hundred eighteen of these patients were followed up for 3-24 months (8 months in average). The preoperative and postoperative interepicanthal distances were measured at pre, 3 and 6 months post-operation. The aesthetic results were evaluated with patient visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Results: The average intercanthal distance significantly decreased 3 months after the operation (32.7 ± 2.3 mm vs 36.5 ± 2.6 mm, p < 0.05, paired t test). Little retraction was noticed at 6 months after the operation (33.0 ± 2.4 vs 32.7 ± 2.3 mm, p < 0.05, paired t test). The mean patient VAS score associated with satisfaction of overall outcome was 4.2 at 6 months after operation (range 2.5-5.0). Conclusion: This new method provides an effective way to correct the medial epicanthus without leaving any scar in the medial canthal region. Patients with mild to moderate medial epicanthus are good candidates for this procedure. Level of Evidence V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]