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This study aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control policies on the frequency of emergency department (ED) visits in a large tertiary hospital in central China, from January 2018 to September 2023. Methods: We conducted a multi-stage interrupted time series analysis to investigate the impact of various epidemic control policies on weekly ED visits at a tertiary hospital in Hunan Province, China. The study period ranged from January 1, 2018, to September 30, 2023, and was divided into four distinct periods: pre-epidemic, pandemic, normalized control, and end of control. Using a quasi-Poisson regression model, we examined the specific effects of these policies on emergency visits, with a particular focus on stratifying patients based on respiratory versus non-respiratory diseases. Results: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the number of ED visits in a tertiary hospital decreased by 38.5% (95% CI: 25.1% to 49.8%) during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which the number of ED visits for respiratory diseases increased by 79.4% (95% CI: 13.2% to 177.2%) and the number of ED visits for non-respiratory diseases decreased by 45.9% (95% CI: − 55.7% to − 34.2%). After the end of the epidemic control, the total number of ED visits increased by 31.5% (95% CI: 19.1% to 45.0%), with the number of ED visits for respiratory diseases rising by 379.2% (95% CI: 275.9% to 511.8%), but with no significant change in the number of ED visits for non-respiratory emergencies. Conclusion: Control policies were associated with people avoiding emergency care for non-respiratory related reasons during the pandemic, while the end of control policies was associated with a sharp rise in emergency care for respiratory diseases. This study provides a scientific basis for the different changes in ED visits under the implementation of varying epidemic prevention and control policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, most studies on the optimization of wind farm layouts on flat terrain employ a discrete grid-based arrangement method and result in irregular layouts that may damage the visual appeal of wind farms. To meet the practical requirements of wind farms, a two-step optimization method called "grid–coordinate" based on a genetic algorithm is proposed in this paper. The core idea is to initially determine the number of wind turbines and their initial positions using a grid-based approach, followed by a fine-tuning of the wind farm layout by moving the turbines in a row/column manner. This two-step process not only achieves an aesthetically pleasing arrangement but also maximizes power generation. This algorithm is conducted to optimize a 2 km × 2 km wind farm under three classic wind conditions, one improved wind condition, and a real wind condition employing both the Jensen and Gaussian wake models. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the optimization of configurations based on different wake models was conducted, yielding results including the efficiency, total power output, number of wind turbines, and unit cost of electricity generation. These results were compared and analyzed against the classical literature. The findings indicate that the unit cost of electricity generation using the two-step optimization approach with the Gaussian wake model is higher than that of the initial grid optimization method. Additionally, varying the number of wind turbines can lead to instances of high power generation coupled with low efficiency. This phenomenon should be carefully considered in the wind farm layout optimization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF) quantifies the cumulative burden of visceral and intra-abdominal adipose tissues. However, the relationship between the METS-VF and carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) has not been extensively explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the METS-VF and CAS. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 7089 Chinese adults who underwent physical examinations at the Zhenhai Lianhua Hospital, Zhejiang, China, in 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore the linear relationship between METS-VF and CAS. Generalised additive models (GAM) were employed to evaluate potential nonlinear associations. The inflection points of METS-VF were determined using segmented logistic regression analysis optimised for maximum likelihood ratios and recursive algorithms. Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between METS-VF and CAS (odds ratio [OR]: 1.824, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.753–1.899; P < 0.001). The GAM analysis confirmed a nonlinear association between them [effective degrees of freedom: 4.803, χ2: 876.7, P < 0.001], with an inflection point at a METS-VF of 8.09 (P < 0.001 for log-likelihood ratio test). Below this inflection point, METS-VF exhibited a significant positive association with CAS risk (OR: 1.874, 95% CI: 1.796–1.954; P < 0.001). Conversely, no significant association was observed when METS-VF ≥ 8.09 (OR: 0.998, 95% CI: 0.786–1.268; P = 0.989). Conclusions: METS-VF and CAS demonstrated a positive non-linear correlation, with the curve indicating a saturation effect at METS-VF = 8.09. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolation technology, especially for base isolation, is increasingly being applied in earthquake-prone areas. To satisfy some special demands (such as prevention from seawater erosion of an isolation layer, story-adding retrofit of existing buildings, avoidance of collision between base-isolated tall buildings, and so on), the isolation layer sometimes has to be set in the middle of a building to constitute inter-story isolated buildings. This special structural form inevitably encounters strong wind loads during service life, and its wind-resistant performance deserves to be investigated. This study conducts the wind-induced vibration analysis of inter-story isolated tall buildings with friction pendulum bearing (FPB). The nonlinear time domain analysis model and statistical linearization method to compute the wind-induced response of FPB inter-story isolated tall buildings are addressed based on an enhanced simplified model. Considering the independence of the upper and lower structures, two structural design schemes for inter-story isolated tall buildings are provided. Their dynamic characteristics are analyzed, and wind-induced responses are compared. Finally, the accuracy of the statistical linearization method is verified. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the structural design and wind resistance of inter-story isolated tall buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify independent risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) in a population with hyperuricemia (HUA) and develop a CAS risk prediction model. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 3579 HUA individuals who underwent health examinations, including carotid ultrasonography, at the Zhenhai Lianhua Hospital in Ningbo, China, in 2020. All participants were randomly assigned to the training and internal validation sets in a 7:3 ratio. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors associated with CAS. The characteristic variables were screened using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator combined with 10-fold cross-validation, and the resulting model was visualized by a nomogram. The discriminative ability, calibration, and clinical utility of the risk model were validated using the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. Results: Sex, age, mean red blood cell volume, and fasting blood glucose were identified as independent risk factors for CAS in the HUA population. Age, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, serum creatinine, fasting blood glucose, total triiodothyronine, and direct bilirubin, were screened to construct a CAS risk prediction model. In the training and internal validation sets, the risk prediction model showed an excellent discriminative ability with the area under the curve of 0.891 and 0.901, respectively, and a high level of fit. Decision curve analysis results demonstrated that the risk prediction model could be beneficial when the threshold probabilities were 1– 87% and 1– 100% in the training and internal validation sets, respectively. Conclusion: We developed and internally validated a risk prediction model for CAS in a population with HUA, thereby contributing to the CAS early identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a recognized risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Early diagnosis and the identification of predictive factors are important for the HUA population. This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) index and the triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index with NAFLD in individuals with HUA.Patients and Methods: A total of 5537 HUA participants were included in the study. Hepatic ultrasonography was conducted following the latest diagnostic criteria to diagnose NAFLD. The relationship between the TyG and METS-IR index and NAFLD was evaluated by multivariable logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline model (RCS). In addition, the area under the curve (AUC), positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were explored to compare the predictive value of IR surrogates for NAFLD with HUA. The AUCs of the two indicators were compared using the DeLong test.Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated TyG (OR = 2.285, 95% CI: 1.525, 3.428) and METS-IR (OR = 1.242, 95% CI: 1.219, 1.266) indices significantly increase the risk of NAFLD. Meanwhile, the RCS analysis revealed a -log-shaped nonlinear relationship between NAFLD risk and the METS-IR index (Pnon-linear < 0.001), contrasting with the linear association observed with the TyG index (Pnon-linear = 0.763). Notably, the risk of NAFLD demonstrated a significant escalation when the METS-IR index exceeded the threshold of 39.208 (OR=1). Compared to the TyG index (AUC = 0.734, 95% CI: 0.721~0.748), the METS-IR index (AUC = 0.821, 95% CI: 0.810~0.832) demonstrated superior predictive value for NAFLD in individuals with HUA according to the DeLong test.Conclusion: In the HUA population, the METS-IR index has a higher predictive value for NAFLD than the TyG index, contributing to early diagnosis and disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational engineering of pore structure and size, nanostructure, and local composition of metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) plays a crucial role for their applications. Herein, a facile O3/H2O co‐etching strategy is reported to treat ZIF‐67 to synthesize derivatives with novel and hard‐to‐acquire structures and properties, including mesoporous ZIF‐67 dodecahedra with variable mesopore sizes (3–30 nm), core–shell and core‐void‐shell mesoporous ZIF‐67@amorphous cobalt hydroxide dodecahedra, and hollow dodecahedral frameworks. In the cooperative etching mechanism, O3 diffuses into the hydrophobic ZIF‐67 to progressively oxidize the ligand to create functional groups, mesopores and voids, while the enhanced hydrophilicity and pore size allow H2O to diffuse inside to hydrolyze the metal centers to form cobalt hydroxide shells. The co‐etching boosts the performance of ZIF‐67 in the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction. The derived core‐void‐shell material possesses a highly attractive performance (an overpotential of 286 mV, a Tafel slope of 59.5 mV dec−1, and a stability of >20 h) because of the presence of amorphous cobalt species, large pores, hierarchal structure, and high hydrophilicity. This work provides a general approach for post engineering of MOFs to create novel structures and functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to extract more wind energy, the wind turbine rotor becomes larger and the tower becomes taller. With more flexibility and smaller damping, wind turbine tower is prone to vibrate in winds. Meanwhile, the tower suffers the periodic loadings caused by the rotor rotation in the operational condition. The excessive vibrations could not only significantly affect the power generation but shorten the structural life due to the fatigue as well. It is challenging to reduce the vibration caused by the rotor rotation using the passive tuned mass damper (TMD) and traditional LQR controller due to the limited effective bandwidth. Therefore, an active tuned mass damper (ATMD) using a virtual TMD algorithm is proposed to mitigate the along-wind vibration of the tower under parked and operational conditions. The virtual TMD algorithm exhibits wide effective bandwidth and only requires the acceleration information on the top of the tower or the relative displacement of the active TMD. Firstly, the aerodynamic-structure-servo coupling (ASSC) model of the wind turbine is established which considers the interaction among the aerodynamic load, structure, and servo system. Secondly, the accuracy of the ASSC model is then verified using the onshore 5 MW wind turbine by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Thirdly, the ATMD feedback control force is designed by the virtual TMD algorithm. Finally, the reduction effect on the along-wind vibration by the proposed controller is evaluated at both of operational and parked conditions using the ASSC model. The TMD and LQR controller are utilized for comparison. The numerical results demonstrate that tuned mass damper (TMD) system with fixed parameters becomes detuned and may loses its effectiveness at different wind speeds. In contrast, active control can suppress the vibration of wind turbines at different wind speeds. Compared to the LQR controller, the proposed controller can enhance the reduction effect of wind turbine response with smaller stroke and control force at operational conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we construct symmetric explicit symplectic schemes for the non-rotating Konoplya and Zhidenko black hole spacetime that effectively maintain the stability of energy errors and solve the tangent vectors from the equations of motion and the variational equations of the system. The fast Lyapunov indicators and Poincaré section are calculated to verify the effectiveness of the smaller alignment index. Meanwhile, different algorithms are used to separately calculate the equations of motion and variation equations, resulting in correspondingly smaller alignment indexes. The numerical results indicate that the smaller alignment index obtained by using a global symplectic algorithm is the fastest method for distinguishing between regular and chaotic cases. The smaller alignment index is used to study the effects of parameters on the dynamic transition from order to chaos. If initial conditions and other parameters are appropriately chosen, we observe that an increase in energy E or the deformation parameter η can easily lead to chaos. Similarly, chaos easily occurs when the angular momentum L is small enough or the magnetic parameter Q stays within a suitable range. By varying the initial conditions of the particles, a distribution plot of the smaller alignment in the X–Z plane of the black hole is obtained. It is found that the particle orbits exhibit a remarkably rich structure. Researching the motion of charged particles around a black hole contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms behind black hole accretion and provides valuable insights into the initial formation process of an accretion disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A downburst is a typical local highly intensive wind all over the world, which is attributed to be the main cause of wind damage to transmission lines in inland areas worldwide. The collapse accidents of transmission towers under the downburst still occur every year. Therefore, it is of great significance to assess the safety of the transmission towers under downbursts. The motivation of the present study is to propose a fragility assessment method for transmission towers under the action of a downburst considering the uncertainty of wind-resistance capacity and the stochastic wind load effect. First, the downburst wind field of the transmission tower with different wind attack angles and different radial distances is simulated according to the mixed stochastic model. Then, random material characteristic samples are generated by the Latin hypercube sampling technique and applied to establish uncertain finite element models for transmission towers. Next, the static nonlinear buckling analysis is carried out by numerical methods to determine the ultimate capacity under the downburst wind load. The parameter analysis of different wind attack angles and radial distances between the downburst and the tower is conducted to determine the most unfavorable location of the maximum response. The failure mode of the transmission tower and the probabilities of the initial failure main members are summarized. Finally, the fragility curves of the transmission tower under the downburst and the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind are compared. The results show that the maximum response is located at R = 1.6D. Most of the initial buckling members are located close to the first section of the tower. The fragility curves of the tower under the downburst are more dangerous than the ABL wind with the attack angle increasing from 0° to 90°. Furthermore, considering the probability model of intensity and direction of the downburst and based on the previous fragility analysis, the collapse probability of the transmission tower caused by the downburst is obtained. By probability analysis of the parameters, including layout conditions, different directions, and different wind speeds, it is found that the most favorable arrangement is 157.5°, and the most unfavorable arrangement is 112.5°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary characteristics of the special interlayer contained in the section of the Sparkling Lake dam revealed by the 8 August Jiuzhaigou earthquake in 2017 are obviously different from the tufa in the dam body, and they are considered to be historic flood relics. Based on the study of the particulate matter from the 8 August Jiuzhaigou earthquake, this study combined comparative petrographic, mineralogical, geochemical, and chronological studies of the special interbedded sediments of the Sparkling Lake dam with other genetic samples to obtain homology information and genetic links and to explore the tufa depositional dynamics and earthquake disaster subsidence. The paleoseismic benefit in the discontinuity layer was explored, and the paleoseismic information embedded in the profiles was extracted, providing a new idea for reconstructing the paleoseismic events in the tufa deposition sequence. According to X-ray diffraction, laser particle size analysis, and scanning electron microscope experiments, the particulate matter in the Jiuzhaigou mountains has its own specific mineralogical characteristics. The mineral composition of the particulate matter is basically calcite. The particle size is large, and single particles are mostly angular and subangular. The fracture morphology observed under the single-particle microscope was uneven, showing the characteristics of the dust caused by earthquake disasters. The geochemical analysis data show that the distribution patterns of rare earth elements in different types of particulate matter in the same area have similar characteristics. Moreover, an analysis of the elements Rb, Sr, and Ba shows that the particulate matter in Jiuzhaigou has a strong correlation (R2 = 0.9941), indicating the stability and uniformity of the material source. The source of the particulate matter was limestone of the carbonate strata from the Devonian to the Triassic. Combined with mineralogy and grain size morphology, the interbedded particles in the tufa depositional profile have the potential application of paleoseismic archives to record extreme seismic events. According to the chronological data of the special interlayer sediments in the tufa dam body, the paleoseismic age is inferred to be 1220 ± 30 BP. Therefore, the tufa bedding can be related to the paleoearthquake, and the special interlayer of the tufa section can be used to reconstruct paleoearthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology, it has been widely used to study the wind field characteristics of downbursts in mountainous areas. However, there is little guidance on the selection of different turbulence models for simulating downburst wind fields over hills using CFD, and few comparative studies have been conducted. This paper used nine turbulence models to simulate the wind field of a downburst over a 3D quadratic ideal hill. The simulated values of average and transient winds were compared with wind tunnel test data, and the flow characteristics at different moments under a downburst were analyzed. The flow characteristics in the wake region of the downburst over the hill are also quantitatively analyzed using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method. The results show that approximately 85% of the results from the LES and REA models fall within a 30% error range, so the large eddy simulation (LES) model and the realizable k-ε model (REA) are more accurate in simulating the mean wind field, and the transient wind field simulated by the LES model is also in good agreement with the experimental data. In addition, this paper reveals the evolution mechanism of the transient wind field structure over a hill model under a downburst and finds that the first-order mode obtained by POD may be related to the acceleration effect on the hilltop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of high-performance and low-cost oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is crucial for environment friendly hydrogen production. Some transition metals have been proven to be good substitutes for noble metals due to their unique electronic structural characteristics and good electrocatalytic performances, with examples including nickel and cobalt, which are usually used to prepare OER electrocatalysts. In this work, we synthesized three-dimensional Ni-Co-Fe ternary layered double hydroxide nanosheet array electrocatalysts via hydrothermal process. Iron element was introduced into the Ni-Co based hydroxide. The ternary layered double hydroxide has a nanoarrays microstructure. Theoretical analysis confirms that by adjusting the ratio of Ni/Co/Fe, the microstructure of the catalyst changes significantly. Attributed to the special nanostructure, the catalysts show superior catalytic activities in oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results show that a small overpotential of 222 mV at the current density of 20 mA·cm−2 for the OER in 1.0 M KOH is acquired. A small Tafel slope of 61.22 mVdec−1 and a maximum specific capacitance of 239 Fg−1 are also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency analysis of tornadoes is very important for risk analysis and disaster control. In this paper, the annual frequency of tornadoes that occurred in the United States from 1967 to 2016 is analyzed. The simple analysis shows that frequencies of tornadoes of different sites are spatially correlated and over-dispersed. To explain the two characteristics of the data, the Bayesian hierarchical model is proposed. For comparison purposes, the Bayesian model with negative binomial distribution, Poisson distribution, Polya distribution, and first-order, non-negative, integer-valued autoregressive model with Bell innovations(BL-INAR(1)) are considered to fit the frequency of tornado. The distribution parameters of all sites are assumed to be spatially correlated, and the corresponding Bayesian hierarchical models were established. MCMC (Markov Chain Monte Carlo) method is applied to parameter estimations and relative statistical inference. By comparison of the analysis results, the negative binomial distribution is recommended to analyze the overdispersion and spatial correlation among the sites of the data. The comparison between the simulated frequencies based on the proposed model and the actual frequencies also verifies that the proposed method is a better model for the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol‐to‐olefin (MTO) conversion on zeolites has encountered severe coke deposition and rapid deactivation. Creating different levels of porosity is essential to mitigate such issues. Herein, we demonstrate a facile and green strategy to synthesize uniform and hierarchically macro/mesoporous ZSM‐5 microspheres by combining spray‐freeze drying and steaming‐assisted crystallization (SAC). The structure, crystallinity, and porosity of the zeolite microspheres are controlled by adjusting the water/gel mass ratio and time in the SAC process. The structure evolution during the SAC process is revealed. In the catalytic MTO reaction, the representative hierarchically porous ZSM‐5 catalyst exhibits superior catalytic performance. At a very high weight hourly space velocity of 18 h−1, it shows a dramatically prolonged lifetime (47 h at >99% conversion) and much‐improved selectivity to ethylene and propylene compared with the conventional microporous ZSM‐5 and nano‐sized ZSM‐5. The enhanced performance is originated from the hierarchical structure and suitable acidity of the ZSM‐5 microspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolomics is a field of systems biology that draws on the scientific methods of other groups to qualitatively or quantitatively characterize small molecule metabolites in organisms, revealing their interconnections with the state of the organism at an overall relative macroscopic level. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is well known as a chronic metabolic disease, and metabolomics provides an excellent platform for its clinical study. A growing number of metabolomic analyses have revealed that individuals with DKD have metabolic disturbances of multiple substances in their bodies. With the continuous development and improvement of metabolomic analysis technology, the application of metabolomics in the clinical research of DKD is also expanding. This review discusses the recent progress of metabolomics in the early diagnosis, disease prognosis, and pathogenesis of DKD at the level of small molecule metabolites in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This wind tunnel study was conducted to investigate the similarity laws involved in the reasonable simulation of the wake characteristics of a full-scale wind turbine. A 5 MW scaled wind turbine model was designed using an optimization method based on the blade element momentum (BEM) theory. Subsequently, wind tunnel tests were carried out on the geometrically similar model and the thrust-optimized model, with different yaw angles and under various upstream flow conditions. The results indicated that the wake development of the wind turbine model was closely related to the thrust forces of the wind turbine, and both kinematic and dynamic similarity laws should be observed to achieve wake characteristics that are reasonably similar to those of a full-scale wind turbine. This study investigated the aerodynamic similarity principles of small-scale wind turbine models to develop a more effective method for simulating full-scale turbine wake characteristics in wind tunnel tests. The outcomes of this study revealed the limitations of the anomalously low thrust coefficients in geometrically similar wind turbine models and present reasonable model design methodologies for small-scale wind turbine models in wind tunnel tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the large eddy simulation method and the actuator line model are used to investigate the wake redirection of two turbines. Different turbine spacings and yaw-based control of the upstream turbine are considered. The effects of yaw angle and turbine spacing on the output power of two turbines are comprehensively analyzed, and the physical mechanisms of the wake deficit, deflection and interaction are revealed from the distributions of the wake velocity, turbulence intensity and the structures of wake vortices. The results show that the overall power of two turbines is related to the yaw angle of the upstream turbine and the spacing between two turbines. We find yaw angle is the dominant factor in the total power improvement compared to turbine spacing. Still, a large yaw angle causes significant power fluctuations of the downstream turbine. The deficit of wake velocity and the change of output power are determined by the characteristics of the wake flow field, which the yaw control regulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brane-world metric with an external magnetic field is a modified theory of gravity. It is suitable for the description of compact sources on the brane such as stars and black holes. We design a class of explicit symplectic integrators for this spacetime and use one of the integrators to investigate how variations of the parameters affect the motion of test particles. When the magnetic field does not vanish, the integrability of the system is destroyed. Thus, the onset of chaos can be allowed under some circumstances. Chaos easily occurs when the electromagnetic parameter becomes large enough. Dark matter acts as a gravitational force, so that chaotic motion can become more obvious as dark matter increases. The gravity of the black hole is weakened with an increasing positive cosmological parameter; therefore, the extent of chaos can be also strengthened. The proposed symplectic integrator is applied to a ray-tracing method and the study of such chaotic dynamics will be a possible reference for future studies of brane-world black hole shadows with chaotic patterns of self-similar fractal structures based on the Event Horizon Telescope data for M87* and Sagittarius A*. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in an immunocompromised host is often associated with the Macklin effect, which can progress to spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM), subcutaneous emphysema (SCE), and pneumothorax (PNX). Diagnosing the causative organism of these conditions in non-HIV infected patients and treating hypoxemia while preventing further lung damage can be challenging. This study examines the case of a non-HIV infected male with SPM, SCE, and PNX secondary to severe Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJ) infection.Case Presentation: A 53-year-old male with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) was admitted with fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. His respiratory function progressively deteriorated due to the development of SPM, SCE, and PNX, eventually requiring endotracheal intubation and invasive ventilation. As a result of high pressure in his airways occasioned by lung recruitment maneuvers, his pulmonary parameters worsened, necessitating veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. The early initiation of VV-ECMO facilitated ultra-protective lung ventilation and prevented the progression of SPM, SCE, and PNX. Traditional diagnostic assays were unrevealing, whereupon the patient resorted to the metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology for uncovering potential pathogens. Consequently, we detected a significantly higher infection by PJ in the patient's bronchoscopy lavage fluid. Finally, the patient was successfully treated with appropriate antimicrobials and was decannulated after nine days of ECMO support.Conclusions: SPM, SCE, and PNX are rare clinical manifestations of PJP. However, they can be considered as poor prognostic factors of the infection. Physicians should, therefore, be alert to the possibility of PJP in immunocompromised patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an important role in regulating metabolism of red blood cells (RBCs) and their storage lesions, but the study of how circRNA expression changes in stored RBCs has rarely been conducted. Methods: The expression change of circRNA was systemically evaluated via high-throughput sequencing on healthy RBCs on day 0, 20, and 40. And then we confirmed the reliability of the high-throughput sequencing analysis by RT-qPCR characterization on selected circRNAs. A higher parental gene enrichment was used to explore circRNA function in pathways. In addition, we deciphered a dysregulated circRNA-related ceRNAs network, and identified three circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes related to storage lesion. Results: We identified 2,586 known and 6,216 putative novel circRNAs, more than 100 circRNAs expression levels were shifted, and the number of downregulated circRNAs was greater with longer storage time. Furthermore, a higher parental gene enrichment related to circRNA was found in pathways, including cAMP signaling pathway, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, apoptosis, adhesion, MAPK signaling pathway, cystine methionine metabolism, RNA degradation, RNA transport, TGF-β, and actin regulatory pathway. hsa_circ_0007127-miR-513a-5p-SMAD4, hsa_circ_0000033-miR-19a-3p-VAMP3, and hsa_circ_0005546-miR-4720-CCND3 regulatory axes related to storage lesion was found. Conclusions: Through investigation in circRNAs profile and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions, this study provides insights on stored RBC circRNA expression changes, which closely relate to the storage lesion of RBCs and their physiological functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the estimation uncertainty for the wind energy output, the accurate assessment of the wind speed distribution plays an important role. Due to the influence of the complex terrain, the wind speed data in mountainous area may show the heavy tail. The tail has an important effect on the annual energy production of the wind turbine because of the power output being the cubic of the wind speed. Hence the heavy tail should be highlighted before choosing the proper distributions. To characterize the heavy tail, the box plot, QQ plot and conditional mean exceedance are used. In addition, the wind climate in the mountainous area is very complicated and typically mixed by local storms and large-scale wind flows. The distribution of the wind speed is prone to exhibit bimodal or even multi-modal nature. The conventional unimodal distributions such as Weibull may not well portray these distributions. The mixture distribution has more flexibilities to handle this challenge. Both generalized extreme value distribution and generalized Pareto distribution are considered to formulate the mixture distribution in modeling the tail. The maximum likelihood method and the constrained maximum likelihood method are used to estimate distribution parameters. The comprehensive evaluation criteria are adopted to determine the most appropriate distribution of four sets of wind speed in the mountainous area of Yunnan, China. Graphical tools, such as histogram density curve and QQ plot, are also used for evaluation. Results show that heavy tail distribution should be considered for the wind data in mountainous areas and the proposed mixture model with the constrained maximum likelihood method for the parameter estimation will be superior for the wind energy potential estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a generalized version of the base isolation, the inter-story isolation has increasing applications in tall buildings due to its better adaptivity. Compared with the seismic response of the base-isolated building, that of the inter-story isolated building is more complex because it is affected by dynamic characteristics of the lower structure (LS), isolation layer (IL) and upper structure (US), which deserves the in-depth study. This study presents a comprehensive investigation on the reduced model and the seismic response of the inter-story isolated building. The equations of motion are established using modal displacements of the linear lower and upper structures, as well as the displacement of the isolation layer with the nonlinear hysteretic restoring force character. In light of the contribution of the generalized stiffness, a method of selecting the adequate participating modes of lower and upper structures is proposed. The nonlinear time history analysis of example tall buildings to seismic excitations shows that the reduced building model can provide accurate estimation for important seismic responses. Based on the reduced building model, the influence of dimensionless parameters including frequency ratio, mass ratio, damping ratio, second stiffness ratio (i.e. ratio of the post-yield over pre-yield stiffness) and the ratio of yielding force to total weight of upper structure on structural responses are investigated systematically. Finally, the equivalent linearization method being suitable for the base-isolated structure is evaluated for the inter-story isolated structure, and the filter effect of the lower structure is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guangzhou Rail Transit Line 22 is the first municipal express line in Guangzhou with the design speed of 160 km/h. The depot, naming Chentougang Depot, is designed for superstructure development. By sorting out the current vibration control standards for sensitive areas of subway depot and considering factors such as the vibration reduction effect of different vibration and noise reduction measures, domestic and abroad construction technology and economic indicators, the vibration and noise reduction measures of rail transit depots were compared and analyzed. Combined with the existing design experience of vibration reduction and noise reduction in Guangzhou urban rail transit, the design scheme of vibration reduction and noise reduction for the Chentougang depot was finally determined. The research shows that the use of vibration-damping ballast pads in the turnout area outside the garage of the depot has characteristics of good vibration-damping effect, convenient and fast construction, and it does not affect the layout of the rail-passing pipeline. Due to the faster speed of the test line, and considering the qualified performance of ladder sleepers applied in many test lines of depots of Guangzhou metro system, ladder sleepers were adopted for the test line. To reduce the vibration of rail joints, CWR were laid on the inner line of the garage, and the thermoplastic polyester high elastic pad was used for the fastener system. Damping rail was used in the small radius curve area outside the garage, and the noise reduction effect was considered more than 4 dB. The embedded track system was used for its advantages including better integrity, excellent vibration and noise reduction performance, less maintenance and repair work, clean and beautiful outlook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cast-in-situ monolithic track bed mainly used in the traditional urban rail transit track has many shortcomings, such as poor construction quality, slow construction progress, various diseases, etc. The prefabricated slab track became the trend of track application due to its strong integrity, good construction quality and many other advantages. This paper introduced three kinds of slab ballastless track of high-speed railway in China, and systematically expounded the prefabricated slab track structure and its application of rail transit in major cities in China. The research shows that based on the reference of CRTS III slab ballastless track structure of high-speed railway and combined with the characteristics of urban rail transit, the prefabricated slab track is further optimized to make the structural composition and characteristics suitable for urban rail transit projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alternative splicing is a mechanism to produce different proteins with diverse functions from one gene. Many splicing factors play an important role in cancer progression. PRPF8 is a core protein component of the spliceosome complex, U4/U6-U5 tri-snRNP.Objective: However, PRPF8 involved in mRNA alternative splicing are rarely included in the prognosis.Methods: We found that PRPF8 was expressed in all examined cancer types. Further analyses found that PRPF8 expression was significantly different between the breast cancer and paracancerous tissues.Results: Survival analyses showed that PRPF8-high patients had a poor prognosis, and the expression of PRPF8 is associated with distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and post progression survival (PPS). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) has revealed that PRPF8 expression is correlated with TGF-β, JAK-STAT, and cell cycle control pathways. Consistent with these results, upon PRPF8 silencing, the growth of MCF-7 cells was reduced, the ability of cell clone formation was weakened, and p⁢21 expression was increased.Conclusions: These results have revealed that PRPF8 is a significant factor for splicing in breast cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease, common in China. TB bacteria can invade multiple organs throughout the body, but they rarely cause critical illness. We present a complex critically ill case in this report. Case presentation: A 40-year-old man suffered sudden cardiac arrest during an emergency room visit. Spontaneous circulation resumed after emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but recurrent ventricular fibrillation and refractory cardiac shock emerged. Thereafter, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was implemented to maintain hemodynamic stability. Blood test results revealed that the patient had severe electrolyte imbalance and adrenal insufficiency. Further imaging examination showed multiple tuberculosis lesions throughout the body, including the lungs, adrenal glands, and lumbar spine. In the end, the patient was successfully moved from the ICU after weaning from ECMO and the ventilator, and then transferred to an infectious disease specialist hospital for standard anti-tuberculosis therapy. Conclusions: ECMO has won the opportunity for the diagnosis and treatment of this young patient who suffered from a rare cause of cardiac arrest and finally achieved a good prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimin Wang, Fangjie Zhang Department of Emergency Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, People's Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Fangjie ZhangDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, People's Republic of ChinaTel +86-151 1625 6248Email [email protected] Background: Musculoskeletal infection (MSKI) is a common reason to seek medical care in the emergency department (ED). We aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and etiology of patients with MSKI in our ED, the characteristics of MSKI with sepsis, and the predictors of death in sepsis patients. Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed patients with MSKI from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2021. The patients were divided into non-sepsis and sepsis groups. Clinical data of these patients including their basic information, laboratory results, diagnostic results, and outcomes were collected. Statistical analysis was carried out using GraphPad Prism 5. Results: In all, 106 patients (70 male, 36 female) were enrolled in this study: 43 MSKI patients with sepsis and 63 MSKI patients without sepsis. Five patients with sepsis died. The patients' age and sex ratio were no significantly different between the sepsis and non-sepsis groups. In the sepsis group, the ratio of rheumatic diseases, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and deep vein thrombosis was significantly different than that in the non-sepsis group (all p< 0.05). Fifty-six patients (54.37%) had positive etiology results. Staphylococcus, streptococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli were the most common bacteria found in both groups, but sepsis patients had more Candida albicans infections than non-sepsis patients (p=0.0331, p< 0.05). The five patients who died in the sepsis group had higher serum levels of creatinine and procalcitonin (PCT). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that PCT (p=0.026; odds ratio, 1.038) was significantly related to mortality. Conclusion: In MSKI patients, rheumatic diseases, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and deep vein thrombosis are the risk factors for sepsis. Staphylococcus, streptococcus, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli were the most common bacteria in MSKI patients, while MSKI patients with sepsis had more C. albicans infections. Elevated PCT was significantly related to death in sepsis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coastal region of China suffers from severe typhoons. Hazard mitigation and risk management require a good estimation of the typhoon wind speed. In this study, an enhanced circular subregion method (CSM) is proposed. The efforts are mainly made in three aspects. First, a new treatment is developed to model the observed central pressure difference better. Second, the appropriate size for the enhanced CSM is discussed. Studies indicate that 500 km is appropriate. Third, Nataf transformation is introduced to incorporate the correlations among typhoon key parameters in wind hazard estimation. The enhanced CSM combined with a typhoon wind field model is used to assess the typhoon hazard for nine cities located in the coastal region of mainland China. Results show the design wind speeds predicted by traditional CSM are lower than those by the enhanced CSM for nine cities with an averaged difference of 4.3% for 50-year and 4.9% for 100-year return periods. The maximum difference was 6.1% in Fuzhou for 100-year return periods. Results also show the consideration of correlations among typhoon key parameters results in a change of the design wind speed at less than 2% for nine cities. Note that the consideration of correlations may not be neglected in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Architectural facades including balconies, mullions, shading boards, and ribs are widely used outside of tall buildings for the purpose of aesthetics and function. And these facades will affect the wind loads of tall buildings, such as the local wind pressure and aerodynamic force. Thus, to study the influence of architectural facades on wind loads of tall buildings is an important task in wind resistant design. However, most studies focus on the effect of the architectural facade on the local wind pressure using wind tunnel experiments. In the present paper, multiple point synchronous pressure measurements and high-frequency force balance (HFFB) experiments for tall buildings with various architectural facades are conducted to study the influence of different horizontal facades and vertical facades on the local wind pressures and the aerodynamic forces. The results show that the facade may have a significant influence on the local wind pressure and aerodynamic force, and the facade itself may suffer from the larger force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing low‐cost and highly active electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is urgently desired. We fabricated a mesoporous FeP self‐supported electrode (meso‐FeP/CC) through a facile and mild sol‐gel method. The mesoporous FeP self‐supported electrode displays superior HER electrocatalytic activity, requiring low overpotentials of 57 and 84 mV to drive 10 mA cm−2 in acidic and alkaline electrolyte, respectively. Meanwhile, the as‐prepared electrode exhibits fast kinetics with a small Tafel slope (acidic media: 42 mV dec−1 and alkaline media: 60 mV dec−1). The excellent catalytic performance of the electrode benefits from mesoporous framework with a large surface area (74.1 m2 g−1) and highly conductive self‐supported structure. The former endows the catalyst with a large active‐site density (3.5×1018 site per mg) and substantial accessible mesopores, and the latter accelerates reaction kinetics. This work offers a new avenue for rational designing high‐efficiency FeP HER electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), a special subtype of breast cancer, is characterized by high recurrence, mortality and few treatments. To date, the key factors contributing to TNBC progression have not been fully identified. In the current study, we found a TNBC-related circular RNA (circRNA), circ-PGAP3, and explored its biological function, clinical significance and potential mechanism of action. Materials and Methods: The functional assay was carried out using CCK-8, colony formation and Transwell invasion assays. RIP, RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assays were used to test the correlation between circ-PGAP3, miR-330-3p and Myc. The animal model was employed to verify the function of circ-PGAP3 in vivo. Results: Circ-PGAP3 expression was significantly increased in TNBC tissues. High circ-PGAP3 was closely associated with large tumor size, lymph node metastasis, later TNM stage and dismal outcome. Through performing a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, we found that circ-PGAP3 promoted TNBC cell growth and metastasis via sponging and inhibiting miR-330-3p, resulting in the upregulation of proto-oncogene Myc. Importantly, circ-PGAP3 expression was positively correlated with the Myc protein level but negatively correlated with miR-330-3p expression in TNBC tissues. Moreover, silencing of miR-330-3p or overexpression of Myc could effectively rescue the weakened malignant phenotype induced by circ-PGAP3 knockdown. Conclusion: Our results unveil the important driving role of circ-PGAP3 in TNBC development and progression, which provides a candidate therapeutic target for TNBC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring efficient noble metal‐free electrocatalysts is of significance for water electrolysis. In this work, we fabricated a high‐efficiency self‐supporting electrode with mesoporous FeP film coated on carbon cloth (meso‐FeP film/CC) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Compared with nanoparticle‐stacked disordered porous structure, the ordered mesoporous iron phosphide film exhibits high porosity as high as 2.3×1017 site per mg, as well as small pore size and uniform pore distribution, which enables the exposure of abundant active sites. Moreover, the self‐supporting structure with enhanced conductivity further optimizes its electrocatalytic performance towards the HER. As a result, the meso‐FeP film/CC displays a low overpotential (65 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2) and a small Tafel slope (44 mV dec−1) in acid condition, which is competitive among most of noble‐metal free electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic signal structures are very susceptible to wind-induced vibration because of their slenderness and low damping. In the wind, the vertical vibration is usually dominant, which affects driving safety and structural fatigue life. To suppress the vibration, a new type of pounding tuned mass damper (PTMD) is proposed in this study. It is specially designed for a cantilevered traffic signal structure with two improvements based on the original PTMD. First, the proposed PTMD has a hidden design and is housed inside the cantilevered mast arm of traffic signal structures, which can avoid visual interference and potential safety risks to drivers and pedestrians. Second, the static equilibrium position of PTMD is relocated so that its mass block just touches the lower boundary of mast arm, which makes it effective at any level of amplitude. Concretely, the mass block pounds the lower boundary of the mast arm under small-amplitude vibrations, while it pounds both the lower and upper boundaries under large-amplitude vibrations. The model experiment on a traffic signal structure was designed to verify the performance of the proposed PTMD in free and forced vibrations. Further, the corresponding numerical simulations were also carried out, where a nonlinear viscoelastic model was established to model the impact force and the related model parameters were obtained by the experimental results. Both numerical and experimental results show that the proposed PTMD is very effective in reducing the vibration of traffic signal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing earth‐abundant and efficient electrocatalysts to replace noble metals is highly desired for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in water electrolysis. In this study, we constructed a self‐supported electrode with ordered mesoporous carbon film coated carbon fibers as a substrate and Co doped FeS2 nanoparticles as catalytically active phase for the HER. The ordered mesoporous carbon served as nanoreactor to restrict the growth of sulfide particles and prevent them from agglomeration, leading to the formation of ultrafine and highly dispersed sulfide of ∼5 nm, which enables the exposure of abundant active sites. Meanwhile, the Co atom doping enhanced the adsorption of the catalyst towards hydrogen, thereby improving its intrinsic activity. As a result, the electrode exhibited outstanding catalytic activity for the HER in acid electrolyte, manifesting a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 92 mV and a small Tafel slope of 59 mV dec−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral matrix decomposition is a significant task for a wind velocity field simulation. However, the decomposition requires significant computational time and memory for large-scale structures with a large number of simulation points. To reduce the computational demand, the explicitly expressed Cholesky decomposition of a spectral matrix has been used widely to simulate the wind velocity field evenly distributed along a horizontal axis. In this study, a new closed-form solution of the Cholesky decomposition is proposed for the wind velocity field simulation in which the simulation points can be arbitrarily distributed along the horizontal axis, the autospectra at various points can be different, and the wave passage effect can be considered. Additionally, this closed-form solution is extended to the wind velocity fields along vertical and inclined axes with little approximation. Further, the proposed approach is applied to the nonstationary wind velocity field simulation and random vibration analysis. Finally, numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed approach has good performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simulation and peak value estimation of non-Gaussian wind pressures are important to the structural and cladding design of the building. Due to its straightforwardness and accuracy, the moment-based Hermite polynomial model (HPM) has been widely used. However, its effective region for monotonicity is limited, resulting in its unsuitability for non-Gaussian processes whose skewness and kurtosis are out of the effective region. On the other hand, the Johnson transformation model (JTM) has attracted attention due to its larger effective region compared with that of the HPM. Nevertheless, the systematic study of its application to the simulation and peak value estimation of non-Gaussian wind pressures is less addressed. Specifically, its comparison with the HPM is not well discussed. In this study, a set of closed-form formulas to determine the relationship between correlation coefficients of the non-Gaussian process and those of the underlying Gaussian process was derived, and they facilitate a JTM-based simulation method for the non-Gaussian process. Analytical expressions for the non-Gaussian peak factor were developed. Furthermore, the JTM was systematically compared with the HPM in terms of the translation function, which helps to understand the ensuing performance evaluation on these two models in the simulation and peak value estimation based on the very long wind pressure data. Results showed that the JTM-based peak value estimation method performs well for wind pressures with weak to mild non-Gaussianity, even those beyond the effective region of the HPM, although it may provide slightly worse estimation for strong softening processes compared with the HPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency domain approach (FDA) based on the power spectral description of input and output has been widely applied in the random vibration analysis of structures because of its high efficiency and distinct relationship between the input and output. However, for large structures with closely spaced natural frequencies and nonproportional damping, the efficiency of this method for nonstationary response analysis is impacted by the high demand posed by the time-history analysis. In this study, a fast convolution integration method based on Duhamel integration is introduced to enhance the efficiency of the FDA for the nonstationary response analysis of nonproportionally damped structures. First, an efficient impulse excitation approach is proposed to identify the discrete-time impulse response of linear structures. Accordingly, the nonstationary response statistics can be directly evaluated by the convolution with respect to the discrete-time impulse response. Subsequent application of the fast Fourier transform (FFT)–based algorithm accelerates the evaluation of the convolution. Therefore, the proposed scheme is efficient as it eliminates a direct time-history analysis and benefits from the implementation of the FFT. The proposed method is also illustrated to enhance the analysis of nonlinear structures under nonstationary random excitations by invoking an equivalent statistical linearization scheme. Finally, numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing cost‐effective and highly active hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts is of pivotal importance in the roadmap of hydrogen economy. Increasing active sites and improving conductivity are two effective strategies to optimize the performance of electrocatalyst. In this paper, we report a highly active HER catalyst consisting of ultra‐small molybdenum carbide nanoparticles uniformly entrapped in mesoporous carbon microspheres (Mo2C@MCS) fabricated by in situ synthesis. In 1 M KOH, the catalyst exhibits an excellent HER performance with a pretty low overpotential (134 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2) and a small Tafel slope (51 mV dec−1), which exceeded the currently reported un‐doped Mo2C catalyst. The excellent HER performance is attributed to the abundant active sites provided by the ultra‐small Mo2C nanoparticles as well as the superior conductivity originated from carbon matrix and the intimate contact between Mo2C nanoparticles and mesoporous carbon wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the fast Fourier transform (FFT), an efficient and accurate algorithm was developed for improving the computational efficiency of structural responses under nonstationary stochastic excitations. In this method, the FFT technique was first adopted to accelerate the evaluation of time integration terms involving significant computational effort in the nonstationary stochastic response analysis of linear structures. Then, the proper orthogonal decomposition was used to assist the application of FFT for the generally modulated excitation by separating the frequency item of nonuniform modulation functions from the time integration terms. Further, the proposed method was extended to the nonstationary stochastic response analysis of nonlinear structures based on the equivalent statistical linearization method. Finally, numerical examples with respect to linear structures, Duffing systems, and hysteretic systems illustrated that the proposed method performs well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the peak value of wind load effects is an important task for engineers of structural and cladding design. Because of the various sources of uncertainties, such as the aerodynamic effect, model selection, and calibration errors, the peak wind load effects may have large variations. This study evaluates the uncertainty of the peak value of wind load effects across multiple samples from a wind tunnel. The Hermite polynomial model (HPM)-based translation process method is adopted to estimate the peak wind load effect. An empirical formula is proposed to estimate the parameters of peak value distribution. Two analytical approaches to model the uncertainty of the peak value at any fractile are proposed based on the probability function and the Gaussianity inference of the peak value. Numerical examples including the wind pressure coefficient and wind-induced response illustrate the performance of the proposed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capturing uranium(vi) from seawater is of paramount interest for the rapid expansion of energy needs. We report on materials covalently functionalized with amine groups to improve gas adsorption and remove metal ions. In this paper, polyacrylonitrile fibers (PANFs) covalently modified with hyperbranched polyethylenimine (HPEI) of different grafting degrees were facilely synthesized, and their performance to capture U(vi) in the presence of competitive ions and simulated seawater evaluated. In addition, the adsorption properties of the as-prepared adsorbents, including thermodynamics, kinetics and the influence of critical factors affecting U(vi) adsorption from aqueous solution were examined. The fibers with the best performance were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. The high density of amine groups on the modified fiber surface improves the adsorption ability by electrostatic attraction and surface interaction during the reaction process. From our findings, PAN–HPEI offers wide-ranging potential in the wide field of the removal of metal ions, and, in particular, the removal of U(vi) from seawater with high throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]