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Recent investigations of FeSe-based superconductors have revealed the presence of two superconducting domes and suggest possible distinct pairing mechanisms. Two superconducting domes are commonly found in unconventional superconductors and exhibit unique normal states and electronic structures. In this study, we conducted electromagnetic transport measurements to establish a complete phase diagram, successfully observing the two superconducting domes in FeSe1−xSx (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) and FeSe1−xTex (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) superconductors. The normal state resistivity on SC1 shows the strange metal state, with a power exponent approximately equal to 1 (ρ(T) ∝ Tn with n ~ 1), whereas the exponent on SC2 is less than 1. A bulk Dirac state observed on SC1, completely synchronized with the strange metal behavior, indicating a close relationship between them. While a topological surface Dirac state is witnessed on SC2 and undergoes a sign change near the pure nematic quantum critical point. The evolution of the Dirac states indicates that the appearance of the two superconducting domes may originate from the Fermi surface reconstruction. Our findings highlight distinct Dirac states and normal state resistivity across the two superconducting domes, providing convincing evidence for the existence of the two different pairing mechanisms in FeSe-based superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that allocating the whole virtual power station is not centralized and promoting the free access of power distribution, a research on distributed scheduling of urban power network based on blockchain technology is proposed. and a scheme is proposed. Based on the consistency of decentralized virtual power plant and blockchain in decentralized point-to-point interaction and decentralized cooperation, this paper proposes to use blockchain consensus mechanism to realize distributed scheduling of virtual power plant. According to the principle of continuous micro- increment cost, the optimal economic dispatch of virtual power system is realized by taking the micro- increment characteristic as the variable. and the optimal economic dispatch strategy is realized. As a node of the blockchain, each distributed energy in the virtual power plant has a complete backup of the key data of the whole network. When the load changes, each node uses the PBFT consensus algorithm to independently calculate the new power of each unit. The new power data is stored on the chain, and the global consistency of micro incremental features is maintained to realize the reasonable load distribution among units. The experimental results show that, when the initial t = 1, the λ the values of each unit are different. The system does not meet the principle of constant consumption micro-increase rate, and the system does not operate in the optimal state. After a PBFT consensus, λ variable reaches the same value at t=8, and the system reaches the optimal operating state. Conclusion: The simulation experiment verifies the effectiveness of the algorithm, realizes distributed scheduling by using blockchain, and provides a feasible reference scheme for the operation mode of decentralized virtual power plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Attention, a complex cognitive process, is linked to the functional activities of the brain's dorsal attention network (DAN) and default network (DN). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and blinding efficacy of a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) paradigm designed to increase the excitability of the DAN while inhibiting the DN (DAN+/DN-tDCS) on attention function in healthy young adults. Methods: In this randomized controlled experiment, participants were assigned to either the DAN+/DN-tDCS group or the sham group. A single intervention session was conducted at a total intensity of 4 mA for 20 min. Participants completed the Attention Network Test (ANT) immediately before and after stimulation. Blinding efficacy and adverse effects were assessed poststimulation. Results: Forty participants completed the study, with 20 in each group. Pairedsample t-test showed a significant post-stimulation improvement in executive effect performance (t = 2.245; p = 0.037) in the DAN+/DN-tDCS group. The sham group did not exhibit any significant differences in ANT performance. Participants identified the stimulation type with 52.50% accuracy, indicating no difference in blinding efficacy between groups (p = 0.241). Mild-to-moderate adverse effects, such as stinging, itching, and skin reddening, were reported in the DAN+/DN-tDCS group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: DAN+/DN-tDCS enhanced attention function in healthy young individuals, particularly in improving executive effect performance. This study presents novel strategies for enhancing attentional performance and encourages further investigation into the mechanisms and outcomes of these interventions across diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates the association between convalescent plasma therapy and the negative conversion rate in patients with persistent COVID-19 test positivity. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with severe or mild to moderate COVID-19 whose viral nucleic acid tests remained positive for over 30 days. Patients were categorized into two groups: those who administered convalescent plasma therapy and those who were not. Data collected included information on therapy strategies used (convalescent plasma, corticosteroids, interferons, etc.), patients' demographic characteristics, comorbidities, therapeutic medications, and nucleic acid testing results. Patients in the convalescent plasma therapy group were matched 1:2 ratio with those in the non-convalescent plasma therapy group. Cumulative negative conversion rates on the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth days post-therapy initiation were analyzed as dependent variables. Independent variables included therapy strategies, demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and therapeutic medication usage. Univariate analysis was conducted, and factors with a p-value (P) less than 0.2 were included in a paired Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the cumulative negative conversion rate between the convalescent plasma therapy group and the non-convalescent plasma therapy group on the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth days. Specifically, on day the fifth, the negative conversion rate was 41.46% in the convalescent plasma therapy group compared to 34.15% in the nonconvalescent plasma therapy group (HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 0.82-3.61, P = 0.15). On the tenth day, it was 63.41% in the convalescent plasma therapy group and 63.41% in the non-convalescent plasma therapy group (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.69~2.26, P = 0.46). On the fifteenth day, the negative conversion rate was 85.37% in the convalescent plasma therapy group and 75.61% in the non-convalescent plasma therapy group (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.71-1.97, P = 0.51). Conclusion: Our finding does not support the hypothesis that convalescent plasma therapy could accelerate the time to negative conversion in patients who consistently test positive for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alport syndrome (AS), a hereditary kidney disease with a high risk for renal failure, is attributed to pathogenic variants in genes COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5 that encode type IV collagen. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly applied to the diagnosis of AS, but complex genotype-phenotype correlation, that is, identifying the significance of variants, is still a huge clinical challenge. In this study, we reported the case of a 27-year-old Chinese woman with a family history of hematuria and proteinuria. Notably, the proband is the only one in her family with renal insufficiency. NGS was performed in this family, and it was revealed that the proband was a compound heterozygote for two variants in the COL4A3 gene: c.2990G>A inherited from her father and c.4981C>T inherited from her mother. We modeled the spatial structure of the corresponding protein and assumed that structural abnormalities led to the breakdown of type IV collagen networks, amajor component of the glomerular basement membrane. Thus, the proband was diagnosed with autosomal recessive AS, characterized by severe defects of the glomerular basement membrane. Hence, the proband showed a loss of renal function. This case presentation emphasizes the importance of NGS for AS diagnosis and introduces a novel genotype of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common object detection and image segmentation methods are unable to accurately estimate the shape of the occluded fruit. Monitoring the growth status of shaded crops in a specific environment is challenging, and certain studies related to crop harvesting and pest detection are constrained by the natural shadow conditions. Amodal segmentation can focus on the occluded part of the fruit and complete the overall shape of the fruit. We proposed a Transformerbased amodal segmentation algorithm to infer the amodal shape of occluded tomatoes. Considering the high cost of amodal annotation, we only needed modal dataset to train the model. The dataset was taken from two greenhouses on the farm and contains rich occlusion information. We introduced boundary estimation in the hourglass structured network to provide a priori information about the completion of the amodal shapes, and reconstructed the occluded objects using a GAN network (with discriminator) and GAN loss. The model in this study showed accuracy, with average pairwise accuracy of 96.07%, mean intersection-over-union (mIoU) of 94.13% and invisible mIoU of 57.79%. We also examined the quality of pseudo-amodal annotations generated by our proposed model using Mask R-CNN. Its average precision (AP) and average precision with intersection over union (IoU) 0.5 (AP50) reached 63.91%,86.91% respectively. This method accurately and rationally achieves the shape of occluded tomatoes, saving the cost of manual annotation, and is able to deal with the boundary information of occlusion while decoupling the relationship of occluded objects from each other. Future work considers how to complete the amodal segmentation task without overly relying on the occlusion order and the quality of the modal mask, thus promising applications to provide technical support for the advancement of ecological monitoring techniques and ecological cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we apply ...-steepest descent method to analyze the long-time asymptotics of complex mKdV equation with the initial value belonging to weighted Sobolev spaces. Firstly, the Cauchy problem of the complex mKdV equation is transformed into the corresponding Riemann-Hilbert problem on the basis of the Lax pair and the scattering data. Then the long-time asymptotics of complex mKdV equation is obtained by studying the solution of the Riemann-Hilbert problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present systematic review with meta-analysis was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of EMD (enamel matrix derivative) using a minimally invasive surgical technique (MIST) or flapless approach for the treatment of severe periodontal probing depths. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature including searches in PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Grey Literature databases as well as manual searches was performed on September 1st, 2021. Studies utilising EMD in a non-surgical or minimally invasive approach were included. The eligibility criteria comprised randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing minimally-invasive/flapless approaches with/without EMD for the treatment of probing depths >5 mm. Results: From 1525 initial articles, 7 RCTs were included and 12 case series discussed. Three studies investigated a MIST approach, whereas 3 studies utilised a flapless approach. One study compared EMD with either a MIST or a flapless approach. The RCTs included ranged from 19-49 patients with at least 6 months of follow-up. While 5 of the studies included smokers, patients smoking >20 cigarettes/day were excluded from the study. The meta-analysis revealed that EMD with MIST improved recession coverage (REC) and bone fill (BF) when compared to MIST without EMD. However, no difference in CAL or PD was observed between MIST + EMD vs MIST without EMD. No statistically significant advantage was found for employing the EMD via the flapless approach. Conclusions: Implementing EMD in MIST procedures displayed statistically significant improvement in REC and BF when compared to MIST alone. These findings suggest that MIST in combination with EMD led to improved clinical outcomes while EMD employed in nonsurgical flapless therapy yielded no clinical benefits when compared to nonsurgical therapy alone without EMD. More research is needed to substantiate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater salt is constantly supplied from the marine environment to coastal underground brine deposits, meaning that brine has the potential for continuous extraction. There is currently a lack of information about the processes that drive the fluxes of seawater salt to underground brine deposits in tidal-driven brine mining areas. We chose the Yangkou salt field on the southern coast of Laizhou Bay, a brine mining area, as our study site. We monitored the spatial and temporal distribution of the underground brine reserve and the changes in water level and salinity in the mining area and adjacent tidal flats using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrogeological measurements. We monitored cross-sections along two survey lines and observed that the underground brine reserve receives a stable supply of seawater salt, and calculated that the rate of influx into the brine body in the mining area near the boundary of the precipitation funnel was 0.226-0.232 t/h. We calculated that a total salt flux of approximately 5.50 t enters the underground brine body every day through a 150 m long shoreline and a 1322.3 m2 window, which is sufficient to sustain the daily extraction of one brine well. During tidal cycles, there are two peaks in the salinity of the water supplied to the underground brine reserve, which means that the brine supply is from at least two high-salinity salt sources in different tidal stages. The first salinity peak occurs during the initial stage of the rising tide after seawater inundates the tidal flat. At this time, seawater, which is a solution and carries a large amount of evaporated salt, is transported into the brine layer through highly permeable areas or biological channels and replenishes the brine in the mining area. The second salinity peak occurs during the early stage of the falling tide. Influenced by hysteresis-driven tidal pumping, high-salinity brine from the lower intertidal zone is rapidly transported into the mining area, thereby increasing the salinity of the underground brine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technique is an important means for rapid identification of plant gene function, and a stable VIGS system in taro can provide technical support for rapid and efficient gene function verification. A VIGS system was constructed with a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based vector, with phytoene desaturase (CePDS) as the indicator gene, then CeTCP14 was silenced to further verify the robustness of this system. Ganyu No.1 was used as the material to construct the taro VIGS system using the leaf injection method with CePDS at OD600 = 0.6, and the silencing plant rate was 12.23%, the expression level of CePDS was about 59.34%-77.18% compared to the control, and the chlorophyll content decreased 37.80%-56.11% in CePDS silencing plants. The silencing plant rate increased significantly by leaf injection at OD600 = 1.0, and reached 27.77%, but there was no significant difference in silencing plant rate between the leaf injection method and bulb vacuum treatment. CeTCP14 was further silenced with bacteria solution OD600 = 1.0 and bulb vacuum treatment in Ganyu No.2, the silencing plant rate was 20%, and the expression level of CeTCP14 was 43.94%-63.34% of the control. Meanwhile, the starch content in the corms decreased significantly to 70.88%-80.61% compared to the control. In conclusion, the results indicated that a TRV-based VIGS system is effective in taro. The concentration of bacterial solution is a key factor affecting the VIGS system, CeTCP14 can affect starch accumulation in taro bulbs. A robust VIGS system establishment in taro could lay a good foundation for the subsequent rapid gene function verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of permanent magnets and electrically excited windings creates an air gap magnetic field. The development of a hybrid magnetic circuit motor with an adjustable magnetic field is of great significance. This article introduces a hybrid magnetic circuit motor design that combines salient pole electromagnetic and permanent magnets. A tubular magnetic barrier has been designed to reduce inter-pole leakage and enhance the usage rate of permanent magnets in the hybrid magnetic circuit motor. The optimum eccentricity of the rotor has been accurately designed, resulting in an improved sinusoidal distribution of the air gap magnetic density waveform. An analysis of the static composite magnetic field under various excitation currents has been conducted, showcasing the capability of the hybrid magnetic circuit motor to stably adjust the air gap flux density level and output torque. A prototype has undergone comprehensive trial production and testing, conclusively confirming the machine's superior output performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horizontal platelet-rich fibrin (H-PRF) contains a variety of bioactive growth factors and cytokines that play a key role in the process of tissue healing and regeneration. The blood collection tubes used to produce Solid-PRF (plasmatrix (PM) tubes) have previously been shown to have a great impact on the morphology, strength and composition of the final H-PRF clot. Therefore, modification to PM tubes is an important step toward the future optimization of PRF. To this end, we innovatively modified the inner wall surface of the PM tubes with plasma and adjusted the gas environment inside the PM tubes to prepare super-hydrophilic anaerobic plasmatrix tubes (SHAP tubes). It was made anaerobic for the preparation of H-PRF with the aim of improving mechanical strength and bioactivity. The findings demonstrated that an anaerobic environment stimulated platelet activation within the PRF tubes. After compression, the prepared H-PRF membrane formed a fibrous cross-linked network with high fracture strength, ideal degradation characteristics, in addition to a significant increase in size. Thereafter, the H-PRF membranes prepared by the SHAP tubes significantly promoted collagen synthesis of gingival fibroblast and the mineralization of osteoblasts while maintaining excellent biocompatibility, and advantageous antibacterial properties. In conclusion, the newly modified PRF tubes had better platelet activation properties leading to better mechanical strength, a longer degradation period, and better regenerative properties in oral cell types including gingival fibroblast and alveolar osteoblasts. It also improves the success rate of H-PRF preparation in patients with coagulation dysfunction and expands the clinical application scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a non-inflammatory degenerative joint disease, characterized by joint pain and stiffness. The prevalence of OA increases with age. However, the relationship between biomarkers [collagen type III α1 (COL3A1), COL5A1, COL6A2, COL12A1] and OA remains unclear. The OA subchondral bone dataset GSE51588 was downloaded from the GEO database, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed, and a protein-protein interaction network was constructed and further analyzed using Cytoscape and STRING. Functional enrichment analysis was performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and then Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to formulate the molecular functions and pathways based on the results of GO and KEGG analyses. Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and TargetScan were used to identify the hub-gene-related diseases and the microRNAs that regulated the central hub genes. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to confirm the expression of related proteins in OA and non-OA tissue samples. A total of 1,679 DEGs were identified. GO analysis showed that the DEGs were primarily enriched in the process of 'immune system', 'extracellular region', 'secretory granule', 'collagen-containing extracellular matrix', 'ECM-receptor, glycosaminoglycan binding' and 'systemic lupus erythematosus'. The results of GSEA were similar to those of GO and KEGG enrichment terms for DEGs. A total of 25 important modules were generated, and two core gene clusters and seven core genes were obtained (COL6A2, COL5A2, COL12A1, COL5A1, COL6A1, LUM and COL3A1). Core genes were expressed differentially between OA subchondral bone and normal tissue samples. The expression levels of COL3A1, COL5A1 and COL6A2 in OA subchondral bone tissue were higher compared with those in normal tissues, but COL12A1 expression was not significantly increased; all stained markers were highly expressed in surrounding tissues of immunohistochemical staining. In conclusion, COL3A1, COL5A1 and COL6A2 may be potential molecular biomarkers for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] This study was conducted to provide a theoretical basis for the extraction and comprehensive utilization of functional active components of Chrysanthemum morifolium polyphenols. [Methods] With C. morifolium as a raw material, polyphenols were extracted by water extraction. The extraction process of polyphenols were optimized by single factor tests on solid-liquid ratio, extracting time and times. Old rice wine selected as the base wine was added with C. morifolium polyphenol extract, honey, citric acid and other auxiliary materials to prepare a kind of chrysanthemum old rice wine. Through sensory analysis combined with fuzzy mathematics comprehensive evaluation method, the optimal formula of chrysanthemum old rice wine was determined, and the corresponding physicochemical indicators of the obtained chrysanthemum old rice wine were tested. [Results] The optimal soaking prods for C. morifolium was as flows: extraction time of 20 min, a solid-liquid ratio of C. morifolium to warm water at 1 : 40, extraction times of 3 times. The physical and chemical indicators of the chrysanthemum wine obtained from the above optimal formula were as flows: sugar content 5%, ethanol content 11 %, and pH value 4.04. The chrysanthemum old rice wine obtained was clear and transparent, and the fragrance of chrysanthemum was coordinated with the mellow aroma of rice wine. The taste was refreshing and suitable for the vast majority of people to drink. [Conclusions] The new type of chrysanthemum old rice wine combines the polyphenolic active substances in C. morifollum with the low ethanol content of old rice wine, which not only improves the utilization rate of C. morifollum, but also strengthens the health function of old rice wine products, improves the quality of old rice wine, and promotes the healthy and rapid development of the old rice wine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hairy fig (Ficus hirta Vahl.) root is a traditional medicinal and food homologous plant in China. Due to the lignified roots are extremely difficult to cut and package, postharvest treatment is very difficult. Therefore, when the roots of the hairy fig are used as a soup ingredient, the root cortex is simply peeled off and used.In order to promote the development and utilization of hairy fig root, chemical composition, volatile profiles and antioxidant activities of entire root (ER), root cortex (RC) and root internal tissue (RIT) of hairy fig were investigated. Hairy fig root was rich in fat, protein, soluble sugar, polyphenols, flavones and other nutrients, which had significant difference in ER, RC and RIT (P<0.05). Chemical components and nutrients were highest in RC, and lowest in RIT, as well as psoralen and bergapten. In ER, RC and RIT, content of psoralen was 0.70, 0.77, 0.32 mg/g, and 0.27, 0.42, 0.14 mg/g for bergapten. Phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium were the main minerals, and arginine was the main free amino acid. There were 47 volatile components detected in ER, RC and RIT, where aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds were the dominant components. The relative level of aldehydes was 16.98~34.09%, and 6.71~45.23% for heterocyclic compounds. In addition, total relative amount of volatile components was 75.68% in RC, but 57.94% in RIT. From chemical components, nutritional components and volatile components content, the quality of RC was better than ER and RIT. The results might be related to chemicals accumulation position and the physiological structure of different parts of plants. According to antioxidant activity, ER, RC and RIT have scavenging activity of 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals. The half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of RC on ABTS, DPPH and hydroxyl radical were 3.51, 0.08 and 1360.40 mg/mL, respectively, which were lower than ER and RIT. Based on the drying process of the samples, the RC and RIT exhibited the best drying efficiency. All in all, from the point of view of saving energy and quality, RC not only had better quality but need less energy to dry. These results provided a reference for the development and utilization of hairy fig root cortex as a raw material in medicine, functional food or dietary additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite its widespread therapeutic use and effectiveness, the underlying pharmacologic mechanisms of Wendan decoction (WDD) and how it works to treat sudden deafness (SD) remain unclear. In this study, the pharmacological mechanisms of WDD underlying SD were analyzed using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) was employed to identify the active compounds and target genes of WDD, and genes associated with SD were screened on five databases. RGUI conducted Gene Ontology (GO) functional and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. A compound-target network was established using Cytoscape, and the STRING database created a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to identify the key compounds and targets. Subsequently, a network of crucial compound-target was generated for further molecular docking analysis. For molecular docking simulations of the macromolecular target proteins and their matching ligand molecules, AutoDock Vina and AutoDockTool were utilized. Results: TCMSP identified 162 active target genes and 36 active compounds for WDD. The active target genes were compared with the 2271 genes associated with SD to identify 70 intersecting active target genes linked to 34 active compounds. The GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were undertaken, and compound-target, and PPI networks were built. The key compounds and protein targets were identified and integrated to form a key compound-target network. Eventually, molecular docking was performed to investigate the interactions of the protein targets with their respective compounds. Conclusion: This study highlights the mechanisms of multi-compounds, targets, and pathways of WDD acting on SD and provides further evidence of crucial compounds and their matching target proteins of WDD acting on SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implants are widely used in medical applications and yet macrophage-mediated foreign body reactions caused by implants severely impact their therapeutic effects. Although the extensive use of multiple surface modifications has been introduced to provide some mitigation of fibrosis, little is known about how macrophages recognize the stiffness of the implant and thus influence cell behaviors. Here, we demonstrated that macrophage stiffness sensing leads to differential inflammatory activation, resulting in different degrees of fibrosis. The potential mechanism for macrophage stiffness sensing in the early adhesion stages tends to involve cell membrane deformations on substrates with different stiffnesses. Combining theory and experiments, we show that macrophages exert traction stress on the substrate through adhesion and altered membrane curvature, leading to the uneven distribution of the curvature-sensing protein Baiap2, resulting in cytoskeleton remodeling and inflammation inhibition. This study introduces a physical model feedback mechanism for early cellular stiffness sensing based on cell membrane deformation, offering perspectives for future material design and targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During adolescence, a second period of central nervous system (CNS) plasticity that follows the fetal period, which involves sleep deprivation (SD), becomes apparent. SD during adolescence may result in abnormal development of neural circuits, causing imbalance in neuronal excitation and inhibition, which not only results in pain, but increases the chances of developing emotion disorders in adulthood, such as anxiety and depression. The quantity of surgeries during adolescence is also consistently on the rise, yet the impact and underlying mechanism of preoperative SD on postoperative pain remain unexplored. This study demonstrates that preoperative SD induces upregulation of the P2Y12 receptor, which is exclusively expressed on spinal microglia, and phosphorylation of its downstream signaling pathway p38Mitogen-activated protein/Nuclear transcription factor-B (p38MAPK/NF-B)in spinal microglia, thereby promoting microglia activation and microglial transformation into the proinflammatory M1 phenotype, resulting in increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines that exacerbate persisting postoperative incisional pain in adolescent mice. Both intrathecal minocycline (a microglia activation inhibitor) and MRS2395 (a P2Y12 receptor blocker) effectively suppressed microglial activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression. Interestingly, supplementation with dehydrocorydaline (DHC), an extract of Rhizoma Corydalis, inhibited the P2Y12/p38MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway, microglia activation, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the model mice. Taken together, the results indicate that the P2Y12 receptor and microglial activation are important factors in persistent postoperative pain caused by preoperative SD in adolescent mice and that DHC has analgesic effects by acting on these targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the presence of extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) in the anterior capsule of the lens in the eyes of patients with cataract and with high myopia. Circle-Seq was performed to identify differences in the eccDNA and gene expression between the anterior capsule of the lens of patients with simple nuclear cataract (C, n = 6 cases) and patients with nuclear cataract along with high myopia (HM, n = 6 cases). The expression of eccDNA was confirmed using routine quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The eccDNA ranked in C and HM ranged in length from 0.017 kb - 9.9 Mb with two distinctive peaks detected at 0.2 kb and 0.5 kb, while eccDNA that were differentially expressed ranged in size from 0.05 kb - 57.8 kb with two distinctive peaks observed at 0.1 kb and 0.5 kb. Only 2.5% of the eccDNA in C and 2% in HM were>25 kb in size. The gene-rich chromosomes contributed to more number of eccDNA/Mb, while several wellknown high myopia candidate genes, including catenin delta 2 (CTNND2) and ubiquitin-like with PHD, exhibited significantly increased levels of eccDNA in the anterior capsule of the lens in patients with high myopia. This study highlighted the topologic analysis of the anterior capsule of eyes with high myopia, which is an emerging direction for research and clinical applications. These findings suggested that eccDNA was commonly detected in eyes with high myopia and cataracts, and the candidate genes for high myopia identified in previous studies were also observed in the eccDNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bone grafting materials are frequently utilized in oral surgery and periodontology to fill bone defects and augment lost or missing bone. The purpose of this study was to compare new bone formation in bone defects created in both normal and osteoporotic animals loaded with three types of bone grafts from different origins. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight female Wistar rats were equally divided into control normal and ovariectomized animals. Bilateral 2.5-mm femur defects were created and filled with an equal weight of (1) natural bone mineral (NBM, BioOss) of bovine origin, (2) demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA, LifeNet), or (3) biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP, Vivoss). Following 3 and 6 weeks of healing, hematoxylin and eosin and TRAP staining was performed to determine new bone formation, material degradation, and osteoclast activity. Results: All bone substitutes demonstrated osteoconductive potential at 3 and 6 weeks with higher osteoclast numbers observed in all ovariectomized animals. NBM displayed continual new bone formation with little to no sign of particle degradation, even in osteoporotic animals. DFDBA particles showed similar levels of new bone formation but rapid particle degradation rates with lower levels of mineralized tissue. BCP bone grafts demonstrated significantly higher new bone formation when compared with both NBM and DFDBA particles; however, the material was associated with higher osteoclast activity and particle degradation. Interestingly, in osteoporotic animals, BCP displayed synergistically and markedly more rapid rates of particle degradation. Conclusion: Recent modifications to synthetically fabricated materials were shown to be equally or more osteopromotive than NBM and DFDBA. However, the current BCP utilized demonstrated much faster resorption properties in osteoporotic animals associated with a decrease in total bone volume when compared with the slowly/nonresorbing NBM. The results from this study point to the clinical relevance of minimizing fastresorbing bone grafting materials in osteoporotic phenotypes due to the higher osteoclastic activity and greater material resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide variety of emerging spintronic device concepts will greatly benefit from the use of materials with an anomalous Hall effect and large magnetoresistance. In this regard, a magnetic topological insulator is a potential candidate, leading to a better way to manipulate spin. The different roles of surface and bulk states in Bi1.9Dy0.1Te3 topological insulators are determined by investigating electronic states, magnetotransport properties, Seebeck coefficient and magnetization. Magnetoresistance attains a huge value ∼1500% at a magnetic field of 7 T, which is attributed to the surface state. The magnetization behavior clearly suggests the existence of an antiferromagnetic state. The observed anomalous Hall effect is established as the contribution from the bulk state. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that there is no appreciable energy gap at the Dirac point of the topological surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the loss of a drive motor and improve the output efficiency of the drive motor, this paper explores the in uencing factors of core loss of an embedded combined magnetic pole drive motor (ECMPDM) for new energy vehicles. The mathematical model of the core loss of the drive motor is established. The monitoring points are selected in different areas of the stator to analyze the distribution of magnetic density, and the correctness of the model is preliminarily verified. Taking the motor core loss as the primary objective of optimization, the multi-objective optimization of the stator slot structure size is carried out by the response surface analysis method. The average value of the stator core loss and the radial magnetic density amplitude of the B point is taken as the two optimization objectives, and the optimal solution of the model is selected by the Pareto frontier distribution diagram. The optimal stator structure is analyzed, and the core loss value is calculated by three methods and compared with the simulation value. The prototype experiments of the optimized motor are carried out, and the no-load core loss experiment, rated voltage characteristic experiment, and peak power characteristic experiment are carried out, which verify the rationality of the optimized size and structure of the embedded combined magnetic pole drive motor for new energy vehicles and provide a possibility for the analysis of the temperature field of the embedded combined magnetic pole drive motor for new energy vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Glioma accounts for the vast majority of primary brain tumors with inevitable recurrence and poor prognosis. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is overexpressed in multiple human tumors and could activate a variety of oncogenic-associated signal pathways. However, its role in the glioma microenvironment is still largely unknown. Methods: We collected the RNA sequence data and clinical information of gliomas from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and investigated MELK expression and its correlation with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in glioma. Moreover, the relationship between MELK expression and immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of gliomas was explored through single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Metascape online analysis were performed to find out signaling pathways enriched by differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low-MELK expression groups. Finally, immunohistochemistry was performed to validate our findings. Results: Data analysis of CGGA and GEO datasets showed that MELK was significantly upregulated in gliomas than in normal brain tissues, and MELK expression was obviously correlated with clinicopathologic features, including age, WHO grade, histological subtype, IDH mutant status, 1p19q codeletion status, and PRS type. Stratified analysis, Cox regression analysis, and nomogram model revealed that high expression of MELK predicted poor survival; hence, MELK could serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for glioma. Moreover, results from enrichment pathway analysis indicated that the immune system process, angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle, and other oncogenic-related signal pathways were significantly enriched between high- and low-MELK expression groups. Immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that increased MELK expression was significantly correlated with higher immune scores, higher fractions of immunocytes (T cells, NK cells resting, macrophages, resting mast cells, and neutrophils), and higher expression levels of immune checkpoints (B7-H3, CTLA4, LAG3, PD-1, PD-L1, and TIM3). Finally, immunohistochemistry analysis validated our findings that high expression of MELK relates to increased malignancy and poor prognosis of glioma. Conclusion: Our findings identified that MELK could act as an independent prognostic indicator and potential immunotherapy target for glioma. In conclusion, these findings suggested that DDOST mediated the immunosuppressive microenvironment of gliomas and could be an important biomarker in diagnosing and treating gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of Wendan decoction (WDD) as a therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been studied in many clinical trials, and some of them showed that WDD is effective for treating this condition. However, no comprehensive research to evaluate the clinical efficacy of WDD in NAFLD patients had been performed. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to provide an in-depth inquiry into the data currently available about the safety and effectiveness of WDD to treat NAFLD. Methods: We examined the primary database for any reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including WDD and its effectiveness in treating NAFLD. We used the Jadad rating scale to determine the overall quality of the selected RCTs, and we searched the Cochrane Reviewer’s Handbook for criteria for potential bias. The primary findings from the included RCTs were recorded, and the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 software developed by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: We retrieved ten RCTs that were suitable for this evaluation and included them in a systematic review and meta-analysis. The quality and risk of bias in the included RCTs were assessed. The meta-analysis showed that the total clinical effective rate was substantially greater in the WDD cohort compared with that in the control cohort, and liver function, blood lipid indices, and blood glucose-related indicators were substantially improved in the WDD-treated cohort compared with those in the control cohort. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two cohorts. Conclusion: WDD is safe and effective for treating NAFLD, which is advantageous for the patients’ liver function as well as their blood lipid indices and blood glucose-related indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of high THD (total harmonic distortion) of air-gap magnetic density, large cogging torque, and low power density of permanent magnet (PM) hub motor, a built-in tangential and radial PM combined-pole hub motor is proposed in this paper. The magnetic field provided by tangential PM is the main magnetic field, and the magnetic field provided by radial PM plays an auxiliary role in regulation, which can effectively improve the air-gap magnetic density of the motor, reduce the THD of back electromotive force (EMF), and weaken the peak value of cogging torque. Based on the equivalent magnetic circuit method, this paper analyzes the magnetic circuit of the motor, deduces the leakage magnetic flux coefficient, and reduces the leakage magnetic flux by optimizing the structure of the motor. Finally, the prototype is manufactured and tested to verify the effectiveness of finite element analysis. The results show that the designed PM hub drive motor has low THD of back EMF and good sinusoidality of waveform under no-load condition, and good output performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our study aims to summarize and analyze the clinical characteristics of transient infantile hypertriglyceridemia (HTGTI) and variants in the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1) gene and the effect of HTGTI on the protein structure of GPD1. Methods: Retrospective analysis, using the general data, symptoms, signs, and auxiliary examinations, was performed on patients with HTGTI, which were confirmed by genetic testing in our hospital and reported cases online. The clinical data were analyzed using statistical and bioinformatic approaches. Results: A total of 31 genetically confirmed HTGTI patients were collected from our hospital and cases reported in the literature. The clinical manifestations showed the median age of onset was 6.0 (1.9, 12.0) months. All the patients had normal psychiatric status, but 22.6% of them presented growth retardation and short stature, 93.5% had hepatomegaly, and 16.1% had splenomegaly. Just a few children were reported with jaundice, cholestasis, and obesity (3.2-6.5%). The laboratory investigations showed that 96.8% of them had hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) with a median level of 3.1 (2.1, 5.5) mmol/L, but only 30.0% had returned to normal during follow-up. In addition, 93.5% of patients had elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) with an average level of 92.1 ± 43.5 U/L, while 38.7% had hypercholesterolemia. Upon abdominal imaging, all patients presented fatty liver and liver steatosis, with 66.7% of patients showing hepatic fibrosis. Statistical differences in triglyceride (TG) level were observed in the =6 months group compared with the older groups and in the 13 months to 6 years group with >6 years group (H = 22.02, P < 0.05). The restricted cubic spline model showed that severe HTG decreased in the early stage of infants to the normal level; however, it rebounded again to a mild or moderate level after the following days. The genetic test revealed that the main variant types of the GPD1 gene were missense variants (51.6%), followed by splicing variants (35.5%) and nonsense variants (12.9%). Of patients, 87.1% had homozygous variants, with the most frequent loci being c.361-1G > C and c.895G > A. Conclusion: The common manifestations of HTGTI were HTG, hepatomegaly, elevated liver transaminases, and hepatic steatosis in early infancy. However, the recurrence of aberrant HTG may pose long-term detrimental effects on HTGTI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has become the most prevalent histologic subset of primary lung cancer, and effective innovative prognostic models are needed to enhance the feasibility of targeted therapies for the disease. Programmed cell death (PCD) performs an integral function in the origin and treatment of cancer. Some PCD-related effective signatures for predicting prognosis in LUAD patients could provide potential therapeutic options in LUAD. A copperdependent cell death referred to as cuproptosis is distinct from known PCD. However, whether cuproptosis is associated with LUAD patients' prognoses and the potential roles of cuproptosis-related genes involved is still unknown. For the prediction of LUAD prognosis, we developed a unique cuproptosisassociated gene signature. In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, the score derived from the risk signature on the basis of six cuproptosis-related genes was found to independently serve as a risk factor for anticipating lung cancer-related death. The differentially expressed genes between the high- and low-risk groups were linked to the cilium-related function. LUAD patients' prognoses may now be predicted by a unique gene signature identified in this work. This discovery also provides a substantial foundation for future research into the links between cuproptosis-associated genes and ciliumrelated function in LUAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint condition associated with inflammation and characterized by progressive degradation of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone loss in the early stages. Inflammation is closely associated with these two major pathophysiological changes in OA. Velutin, a flavonoid family member, reportedly exerts anti-inflammatory effects. However, the therapeutic effects of velutin in OA have not yet been characterized. In this study, we explore the effects of velutin in an OA mouse model. Histological staining and micro-CT revealed that velutin had a protective effect against cartilage degradation and subchondral bone loss in an OA mouse model generated by surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). Additionally, velutin rescued IL-1b-induced inflammation in chondrocytes and inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and bone resorption in vitro. Mechanistically, the p38 signaling pathway was found to be implicated in the inhibitory effects of velutin. Our study reveals the dual protective effects of velutin against cartilage degradation and subchondral bone loss by inhibiting the p38 signaling pathway, thereby highlighting velutin as an alternative treatment for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy remains the standard treatment for medulloblastoma (MB), and the radioresistance contributes to tumor recurrence and poor clinical outcomes. Nuclear DNA topoisomerase II-alpha (TOP2A) is a key catalytic enzyme that initiates DNA replication, and studies have shown that TOP2A is closely related to the therapeutic effects of radiation. In this study, we found that TOP2A was significantly upregulated in MB, and high expression of TOP2A related to poor prognosis of MB patients. Knockdown of TOP2A inhibited MB cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas overexpression of TOP2A enhanced the proliferative and invasive ability of MB cells. Moreover, si-TOP2A transfection in combination with irradiation (IR) significantly reduced the tumorigenicity of MB cells, compared with those transfected with si-TOP2A alone. Cell survival curve analysis revealed that the survival fraction of MB cells was significantly reduced upon TOP2A downregulation and that si-TOP2A-transfected cells had decreased D0, Dq, and SF2 values, indicating that TOP2A knockdown suppresses the resistance to radiotherapy in MB cells. In addition, western blot analysis demonstrated that the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was inhibited after TOP2A downregulation alone or in combination with IR treatment, whereas overexpression of TOP2A exhibited the opposite effects. Gene set enrichment analysis also revealed that Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway is enriched in TOP2A high-expression phenotypes. Collectively, these data indicate that high expression of TOP2A leads to poor prognosis of MB, and downregulation of TOP2A inhibits the malignant behaviour as well as the radioresistance of MB cells. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may be involved in the molecular mechanisms of TOP2A mediated reduced tumorigenicity and radioresistance of MB cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the bone-inducing properties of two types of collagen membranes in combination with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)-2 and rhBMP-9 on osteoblast behavior. Materials and Methods: Porcine pericardium collagen membranes (PPCM) and porcine dermis-derived collagen membranes (PDCM) were coated with either rhBMP-2 or rhBMP-9. The adsorption and release abilities were first investigated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay up to 10 days. Moreover, murine bone stromal ST2 cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteoblast differentiation were assessed by MTS assay; real-time polymerase chain reaction for genes encoding runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2); alkaline phosphatase (ALP); and osteocalcin, ALP assay, and alizarin red staining. Results: Both rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-9 adsorbed to collagen membranes and were gradually released over time up to 10 days. PPCM showed significantly less cell attachment, whereas PDCM demonstrated comparable cell attachment with the control tissue culture plastic at 8 hours. While both rhBMPs were shown not to affect cell proliferation, collagen membranes combined with rhBMP-9 significantly increased ALP activity at 7 days and ALP mRNA levels at either 3 or 14 days compared with the control tissue culture plastic. Furthermore, rhBMP-9 increased osteocalcin mRNA levels and alizarin red staining at 14 days compared with the control tissue culture plastic. Conclusion: The results from this study suggest that both porcine-derived collagen membranes combined with rhBMP-9 accelerated the osteopromotive potential of ST2 cells. Interestingly, rhBMP-9 demonstrated additional osteogenic differentiation compared with rhBMP-2 and may serve as a suitable growth factor for future clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Collagen barrier membranes were first introduced to regenerative periodontal and oral surgery to prevent fast ingrowing soft tissues (ie, epithelium and connective tissue) into the defect space. More recent attempts have aimed at combining collagen membranes with various biologics/growth factors to speed up the healing process and improve the quality of regenerated tissues. Recently, a new formulation of enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system (Osteogain) has demonstrated improved physico-chemical properties for the adsorption of enamel matrix derivative to facilitate protein adsorption to biomaterials. The aim of this pioneering study was to investigate the use of enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system in combination with collagen barrier membranes for its ability to promote osteoblast cell behavior in vitro. Materials and Methods: Undifferentiated mouse ST2 stromal bone marrow cells were seeded onto porcine-derived collagen membranes alone (control) or porcine membranes + enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system. Control and enamel matrix derivative–coated membranes were compared for cell recruitment and cell adhesion at 8 hours; cell proliferation at 1, 3, and 5 days; and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at 3 and 14 days for genes encoding Runx2, collagen1alpha2, alkaline phosphatase, and bone sialoprotein. Furthermore, alizarin red staining was used to investigate mineralization. Results: A significant increase in cell adhesion was observed at 8 hours for barrier membranes coated with enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system, whereas no significant difference could be observed for cell proliferation or cell recruitment. Enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system significantly increased alkaline phosphatase mRNA levels 2.5-fold and collagen1alpha2 levels 1.7-fold at 3 days, as well as bone sialoprotein levels twofold at 14 days postseeding. Furthermore, collagen membranes coated with enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system demonstrated a sixfold increase in alizarin red staining at 14 days when compared with collagen membrane alone. Conclusion: The combination of enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system with a barrier membrane significantly increased cell attachment, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblasts in vitro. Future animal testing is required to fully characterize the additional benefits of combining enamel matrix derivative in a liquid carrier system with a barrier membrane for guided bone or tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under investigation in this paper are two local fractional partial differential systems, one is the homogeneous linear partial differential system with initial values, and the other is the inhomogeneous non-linear partial differential system with initial and boundary values. To solve these two local fractional systems, we employ the local fractional variational iteration method and obtain exact solutions. It is shown that the method provides an effective mathematical tool for solving linear and non-linear local fractional partial differential systems with initial and boundary values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has become a powerful tool for biomedical research by providing a variety of valuable information with the advancement of computational tools. Lineage analysis based on scRNA-seq provides key insights into the fate of individual cells in various systems. However, such analysis is limited by several technical challenges. On top of the considerable computational expertise and resources, these analyses also require specific types of matching data such as exogenous barcode information or bulk assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) data. To overcome these technical challenges, we developed a user-friendly computational algorithm called "LINEAGE" (label-free identification of endogenous informative single-cell mitochondrial RNA mutation for lineage analysis). Aiming to screen out endogenous markers of lineage located on mitochondrial reads from label-free scRNA-seq data to conduct lineage inference, LINEAGE integrates a marker selection strategy by feature subspace separation and de novo "low cross-entropy subspaces" identification. In this process, the mutation type and subspace-subspace "cross-entropy" of features were both taken into consideration. LINEAGE outperformed three other methods, which were designed for similar tasks as testified with two standard datasets in terms of biological accuracy and computational efficiency. Applied on a label-free scRNA-seq dataset of BRAF-mutated cancer cells, LINEAGE also revealed genes that contribute to BRAF inhibitor resistance. LINEAGE removes most of the technical hurdles of lineage analysis, which will remarkably accelerate the discovery of the important genes or cell-lineage clusters from scRNA-seq data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaoshan vernacular house is an important branch of Lingnan traditional houses in South China, with a long architectural history and excellent climate responsiveness to the hot-humid climate. The modern rural houses learn the traditional experiences mainly in the form but fail to inherit the climate-responsive design and wisdom of the traditional houses. This study took the widely distributed Xiashanhu houses in Chaoshan as the object, generated 128 Xishanhu parametric models by combinations of various parameters on design factors of building, opening, shading, construction, and street layout, and investigated the climate-responsive design techniques by using the parametric methods. The results show that the hall width, room width, cornice height, orientation, and wall construction are the key climate-responsive design factors oriented towards thermal performance of Xiashanhu houses. The optimized designs are: the smaller hall width (4.05m,4.32m,4.59m), the smaller room width (2.7m,2.97m,3.24m), the larger cornice height (4.92m,5.1m), the orientation ranged from 30° north by west to 30° north by east, and the brick and concrete wall. The rationality and validity were verified by applying the optimized climate-responsive designs to the re-construction of a new rural house. Compared to the original case, the thermal performance is significantly improved by 5.18-9.98%. A detailed discussion was also provided on considering the actual situation and needs of the modern buildings in the process of "using the past for the present." This study is believed to provide valuable references for the research and modern applications of climate-responsive designs of traditional vernacular houses. It also contributes to the preservation of architectural and cultural regional characters and the inheritance of architectural climate responsiveness in contemporary times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure the safety of shore-based hydrogen bunkering operations, this paper takes a 2000-ton bulk hydrogen powered ship as an example. Firstly, the HAZID method is used to identify the hazards of hydrogen bunkering, then the probability of each scenario is analyzed, and then the consequences of scenarios with high risk based on FLACS software is simulated. Finally, the personal risk of bunkering operation is evaluated and the bunkering restriction area is defined. The results show that the personal risk of shore-based bunkering operation of hydrogen powered ship is acceptable, but the following risk control measures should be taken: (1) The bunkering restriction area shall be delineated, and only the necessary operators are allowed to enter the area and control the any form of potential ignition source; (2) The hose is the high risk hazards during bunkering. The design form of bunkering arm and bunkering hose is considered to shorten the length of the hose as far as possible; (3) A safe distance between shore-based hydrogenation station and the building outside the station should be guaranteed. The results have a guiding role in effectively reducing the risk of hydrogen bunkering operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as an important basic processing aid exhibits superior physicochemical properties and is extensively used in the manufacture of fluoropolymer materials. As a persistent organic pollutant (POP), PFOA is increasingly found in the water environment with increased industrial applications, destroying the water ecosystem and affecting the health of animals and plants through the food chain. However, PFOA as an important dispersant of synthetic fluoride is expensive, recycling PFOA can lead to high economic benefits. In this study, the reclamation and removal of PFOA were researched by using reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology. The PFOA removal rate property was evaluated using the high flux RO membrane and a multi-stage RO was designed. In accordance with the mechanism for electrostatic repulsion and pore exclusion, the PFOA rejection and membrane regeneration performance were analyzed. The results indicated that the RO membrane permeation flux was 55 L/m² ·h at 1.5 MPa and the PFOA rejection rate was over 99%. The concentrated solution of PFOA was further disposed using the multi-stage RO unit, the rejection rate of which remained stable. The regenerative capacity of the RO membrane by physical flushing for 5 min was 85%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythrocyte enucleation is thought to have evolved in mammals to support their energetic cost of high metabolic activities. However, birds face similar selection pressure yet possess nucleated erythrocytes. Current hypotheses on the mammalian erythrocyte enucleation claim that the absence of cell organelles allows erythrocytes to 1) pack more hemoglobin into the cells to increase oxygen carrying capacity and 2) decrease erythrocyte size for increased surface area-to-volume ratio, and improved ability to traverse small capillaries. In this article, we first empirically tested current hypotheses using both conventional and phylogenetically informed analysis comparing literature values of mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and mean cell volume (MCV) between 181 avian and 194 mammalian species. We found no difference in MCHC levels between birds and mammals using both conventional and phylogenetically corrected analysis. MCV was higher in birds than mammals according to conventional analysis, but the difference was lost when we controlled for phylogeny. These results suggested that avian and mammalian erythrocytes may employ different strategies to solve a common problem. To further investigate existing hypotheses or develop new hypothesis, we need to understand the functions of various organelles in avian erythrocytes. Consequently, we covered potential physiological functions of various cell organelles in avian erythrocytes based on current knowledge, while making explicit comparisons with their mammalian counterparts. Finally, we proposed by taking an integrative and comparative approach, using tools from molecular biology to evolutionary biology, would allow us to better understand the fundamental physiological functions of various components of avian and mammalian erythrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrene represents one of the most attractive units for building organic optoelectronic materials. Most pyrene derivatives that have been reported are 1,3,6,8-substituted pyrenes, as these positions are active to electrophilic reactions. By utilising Ir-catalysed borylation, which is sterically driven, Marder and co-workers have developed an effective way to synthesise 2-, 4-, 2,7-, and 4,9-substituted pyrenes, and the photophysics of these pyrene derivatives has been investigated. Similar methodology has also been used in the study of perylene and others. This review summarises the Ir-catalysed borylation of pyrene and other aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as their contributions to the development of organic optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]