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Ru atoms with a large radius are often doped into a lattice as substituents due to reaction kinetics and thermodynamics limitations. Therefore, overcoming kinetic resistance to realize interstitial Ru doping in phosphides and establishing the internal relationship of its electrocatalytic performance are challenging. Considering that the tensile strain induced by a quenching-induced huge temperature difference can provide the possibility of interstitial doping, an interstitially Ru-doped FeCoP/FF electrode with 2.32% tensile strain was innovatively constructed by a strain-driven interstitial Ru doping strategy. As expected, the Ru-FeCoP/FF∥Ru-FeCoP/FF electrolyzer needs a cell voltage of only 1.64 V to deliver 1 A cm−2. Notably, the tensile strain and interstitially doped Ru synergistically promote the movement of electrons from Fe and Co sites to P and plummeting of the activation energy (Ea), thus accelerating the reaction kinetics of HER and OER. Overall, this work provides new ideas for designing an Ru interstitially doped electrode and optimizing the HER and OER kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Salmonella typhimurium infection is a considerable global health concern, particularly in children, where it often leads to persistent diarrhea. This condition can result in severe health complications including malnutrition and cognitive impairment. Methods: A comprehensive retrospective study was conducted involving 627 children diagnosed with Salmonella typhimurium enteritis. These children were hospitalized for Salmonella typhimurium enteritis between January 2010 and December 2022 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Propensity score matching was used to explore the potential risk factors and predictors of persistent diarrhea following S. typhimurium infection. Results: The study identified body temperature, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, white blood cell count, and lactose intolerance were significant predictors of persistent diarrhea. Nomogram models developed based on these predictors demonstrated robust performance in predicting persistent diarrhea risk, with an accuracy of > 90%. Conclusion: The developed nomogram models provide a practical tool for the early identification of children at high risk of persistent diarrhea, facilitating intervention, potentially preventing serious sequelae, and improving the prognosis of children with S. typhimurium enteritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective: Fungal keratitis (FK) usually develops to a poor clinical prognosis due to the fungal invasion and excessive inflammatory reaction. In order to enhance the therapeutic effect of natamycin (NAT), we used the anti-inflammatory biological polysaccharide bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) combined with NAT to prepare a new eye drop —— oxidized bletilla striata polysaccharide-natamycin (OBN). Methods: UV-vis, FT-IR, and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to identify the synthesis of OBN. Biocompatibility of OBN was determined by CCK-8, scratch assay, and corneal toxicity test. RAW264.7 cells and C57BL/6 mice were stimulated with A. fumigatus and treated with PBS, OBN, or NAT. The anti-inflammatory activity of OBN was detected by RT-PCR and ELISA. In mice with FK, the clinical scores were used to evaluate the effect of OBN; HE staining was performed to assess the corneal pathological changes; MPO assay and immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate neutrophil infiltration. Results: OBN was synthesized by combining oxidized bletilla striata polysaccharide (OBSP) with NAT through Schiff base reaction. OBN did not affect cell viability at a concentration of 160 μg/mL in HCECs, RAW264.7 cells, and mouse corneas. OBN versus NAT significantly improved the prognosis of A. fumigatus keratitis by reducing disease severity, neutrophil infiltration, and expression of inflammatory factors in vivo. Additionally, OBN treatment down-regulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in RAW264.7 and mouse models. Conclusion: OBN is a compound prepared by covalently linking OBSP to the imino group of NAT through Schiff base reaction. OBN treatment down-regulated inflammation and improved the prognosis of mice with A. fumigatus keratitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The pyrolysis process of waste printed circuit board (WPCB) with high economic benefit has been a black box problem, limiting the upgrading of pyrolysis processes. The resourcefulness and hazardous nature of WPCB will make it necessary for it to be treated properly. Multiphysics model was built to simulate the whole processes of WPCB pyrolysis and contaminants' release. The circuit board samples containing six components were selected for pyrolysis in a tube furnace at a rate of 10 ∘ C/min from room temperature to 600 ∘ C, and the residual rate of Br- was determined by the oxygen bomb method. The results showed that the difference in temperature distribution could be attributed to thermal conductivity and surface area. Heat distribution would be more even from the inner material in areas where holes existed. The assembly method would affect the stress distribution around the components. Thermal stress at the pins might cause the separation of components from the substrate. The concentration of brominated contaminants was influenced by the material and assembly method. The instantaneous concentration around the pin was 3–4 times compared to the bare substrate, which was beneficial for the release and control of brominated organics. This study provided the research method for the in-depth understanding of the pyrolysis process of complex materials; and provided a basis for the upgrading of related processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Hyperuricemia is considered as an independent risk factor for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and some AIS patients are accompanied by an increase in serum uric acid. Recent studies have highlighted the important role of gut microbiota in both hyperuricemia and AIS, but there is little available data on the relationship between gut microbiota and the pathogenesis of AIS with hyperuricemia (HAS). Methods: Here we profiled the gut microbiota composition in 63 HAS patients and 269 non-HAS patients through 16s rRNA sequencing. Male rat with hyperuricemia were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to establish HAS model and were then treated with Parabacteroides distasonis. Subsequently, the neurological deficit, pathological damages and blood-brain barrier disruption were evaluated. Moreover, the levels of ROS, inflammatory cytokines, NF-휿B pathway related protein, and vascular density markers were determined. Results: There were significant differences of gut microbiota composition between HAS patients and non-HAS patients, and a significant decrease in the abundance of Parabacteroides in HAS patients compared to non-HAS patients. Animal experiments showed that supplementation with P. distasonis increased beneficial commensal bacteria, significantly improved neurological deficits, pathological damages and BBB disruption, as well as reduced the level of serum uric acid in HAS rats. We further demonstrated that P. distasonis treatment decreased ROS level and increased SOD2 level, thereby reducing oxidative stress. Meanwhile, P. distasonis effectively inhibited NF-휿B signal pathway and reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β, alleviating the inflammatory response. Notably, P. distasonis treatment increased the levels of vascular density markers including cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), ameliorating vascular damage in HAS rats. Conclusions: Together, these findings highlighted the important role of P. distasonis in the pathogenesis of HAS, and its mechanism was involved in the regulation of gut microbiota-gut-brain axis, which implied a novel strategy against HAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

α-Olefins as aliphatic terminal alkenes could be obtained easily from numerous contemporary synthetic reactions as well as petrochemical industry, and also found in natural products. Compared to the alkenes attaching the directing groups or activating group, the catalytic asymmetric reaction of unactivated terminal alkenes presents great challenges due to the weak electron effect and small steric hindrance effect. This review mainly summarizes the latest progress of the asymmetric reaction of unactivated terminal olefins since 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: CD47, serving as an intrinsic immune checkpoint, has demonstrated efficacy as an anti-tumor target in hematologic malignancies. Nevertheless, the clinical relevance of CD47 in gastric cancer and its potential as a therapeutic target remains unclear. Methods: The expression of CD47 in clinical gastric cancer tissues was assessed using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Patient-derived cells were obtained from gastric cancer tissues and co-cultured with macrophages derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Flow cytometry analyses were employed to evaluate the rate of phagocytosis. Humanized patient-derived xenografts (Hu-PDXs) models were established to assess the efficacy of anti-CD47 immunotherapy or the combination of anti-CD47 and anti-VEGF therapy in treating gastric cancer. The infiltrated immune cells in the xenograft were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results: In this study, we have substantiated the high expression of CD47 in gastric cancer tissues, establishing a strong association with unfavorable prognosis. Through the utilization of SIRPα-Fc to target CD47, we have effectively enhanced macrophage phagocytosis of PDCs in vitro and impeded the growth of Hu-PDXs. It is noteworthy that anti-CD47 immunotherapy has been observed to sustain tumor angiogenic vasculature, with a positive correlation between the expression of VEGF and CD47 in gastric cancer. Furthermore, the successful implementation of anti-angiogenic treatment has further augmented the anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CD47 therapy. In addition, the potent suppression of tumor growth, prevention of cancer recurrence after surgery, and significant prolongation of overall survival in Hu-PDX models can be achieved through the simultaneous targeting of CD47 and VEGF using the bispecific fusion protein SIRPα-VEGFR1 or by combining the two single-targeted agents. Conclusions: Our preclinical studies collectively offer substantiation that CD47 holds promise as a prospective target for gastric cancer, while also highlighting the potential of anti-angiogenic therapy to enhance tumor responsiveness to anti-CD47 immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: To characterize the efficiency of glabridin alone and in combination with clinical antifungals in Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis. Methods: The broth microdilution method was performed to investigate whether glabridin exerted an antifungal role on planktonic cells and immature and mature biofilm. Antifungal mechanism was evaluated by Sorbitol and Ergosterol Assays. The synergistic effect of glabridin and antifungals was assessed through the checkerboard microdilution method and time-killing test. Regarding anti-inflammatory role, inflammatory substances induced by A. fumigatus were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Drug toxicity was assessed by Draize test in vivo. Macrophage phenotypes were examined by flow cytometry. Results: Regarding antifungal activity, glabridin destroyed fungal cell wall and membrane on planktonic cells and suppressed immature and mature biofilm formation. After combining with natamycin or amphotericin B, glabridin possessed a potent synergistic effect against A. fumigatus. Regarding anti-inflammatory aspects, Dectin-1, toll‑like receptor (TLR)-2 and TLR-4 expression of human corneal epithelial cells were significantly elevated after A. fumigatus challenge and reduced by glabridin. The elevated expression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced by A. fumigatus or corresponding agonists were reversed by glabridin, equivalent to the effect of corresponding inhibitors. Glabridin could also contribute to anti-inflammation by downregulating inflammatory mediator expression to suppress macrophage infiltration. Conclusions: Glabridin contributed to fungal clearance by destroying fungal cell wall and membrane, and disrupting biofilm. Combining glabridin with clinical antifungals was superior in reducing A. fumigatus growth. Glabridin exerted an anti-inflammatory effect by downregulating proinflammatory substance expression and inhibiting macrophage infiltration, which provide a potential agent and treatment strategies for fungal keratitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In order to investigate the effect of specially-shaped packet materials on the moisture retention for cigarettes, the isothermal adsorption curves of cut tobacco, cigarette paper, tipping paper, sulfate paper, filter rod and packet materials were established post production. The correlation curves between water activity and moisture contents were fitted by the DLP model equation, and the fitting results were verified. According to the law of mass conservation and the fitting results of the DLP equation, a prediction method for the moisture content in each material used in the specially-shaped packet was constructed, and a verification test of the method was conducted. The results showed that: 1) The determination coefficients of the fitting results were all higher than 0.999 0 by using the DLP model equation, and the average relative errors of the measured and predicted moisture contents were all less than 5%, indicating that the equation was suitable for evaluating the performance of the materials. 2) Under the condition of 90% relative humidity, the specially-shaped cigarette packet with a good moisture sealing degree could better isolate the influence of the environmental humidity within 15 days. 3) The same cigarettes were packed in the packets balanced at different relative humidity, and the moisture content in the packet system could reach full equilibrium after 18 days. 4) The prediction method optimized with the law of conservation of mass and the fitting results of the DLP model equation was accurate for the moisture content in each of the material in the packet system. The packets with different moisture contents in the materials had different effects on cut tobacco, filter rod, and sulfate paper, which indicated that the moisture content in cigarettes could meet the quality requirements by controlling the moisture contents in the materials within a reasonable time range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: This study aimed at the population receiving thrombolytic therapy and to explore the optimal time point for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). Methods: We assessed patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke. Blood parameters were sampled before thrombolysis (within 30 min after admission) and within 24–36 h after thrombolysis, respectively. The primary outcome measure was the occurrence of SAP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between admission blood parameters and the event of SAP. We also used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess the discriminative ability of blood parameters measured at different times in predicting SAP. Results: Among the 388 patients, SAP occurred in 60 (15%) patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NLR was significantly associated with SAP (NLR before IVT: aOR = 1.288; 95%CI = 1.123–1.476; p < 0.001; NLR after IVT: (aOR = 1.127, 95%CI = 1.017–1.249; p = 0.023). The ROC curve showed that the predictive ability of NLR after IVT was better than NLR before IVT, not only in predicting the occurrence of SAP but also in predicting short-term and long-term functional outcomes, hemorrhagic transformation, and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: Increased NLR measured within 24–36 h after IVT has a significant predictive effect on the occurrence of SAP and can be used to predict short-term and long-term poor functional outcomes, hemorrhagic transformation, and 1-year mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The research was used to uncover the mechanism of glabridin in Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis in anti-fungus and anti-inflammation. In vitro, RAW 264.7 cells were infected with A. fumigatus with incubation of glabridin in different concentrations. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR), Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to assess the inflammatory severe and alternation with the intervention of Dectin-2 siRNA and glabridin. In vivo, A. fumigatus keratitis mouse models were established by spore intra-stromal injection and treated with glabridin or PBS. And disease scores, inflammatory mediators, and periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining were exhibited to demonstrate the therapeutic efficiency of glabridin in vivo. Morphological interference assay monitored fungal germination. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the growth of fungi. In RAW 264.7 cells and mouse keratitis models, noncytotoxic 16 μg/mL glabridin showed significant inhibition in the expression of Dectin-2, NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and TNF-α after A. fumigatus infection, almost similar to the intervention of Dectin-2 siRNA. PAS staining illustrated the reduced hyphal distribution in cornea stroma with glabridin treatment. Glabridin remarkably inhibited A. fumigatus growth through delaying germination and disrupting the integrity of the hyphae membrane. Glabridin plays an anti-inflammatory role in A. fumigatus challenge via suppression of the Dectin-2 and NLRP3 inflammasome, and plays an anti-fungal role through delaying germination and changing the hyphal integrity. Glabridin plays an anti-inflammatory role in A. fumigatus infection of RAW264.7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner and through Dectin-2 mediation. Glabridin decreases fungal distribution and inflammation in mouse A. fumigatus keratitis. Glabridin inhibits A. fumigatus growth by delaying germination and disrupting cellular structure in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are generated increasingly recent years with the rapid replacement of electric and electronic products. Pyrolysis is considered to be a potential environmentally-friendly technology for recovering organic and metal resources from WPCBs. Thermogravimetric analysis and kinetic analysis of WPCBs were carried out in this study. It showed that the co-existing metals (Cu, Fe, Ni) in WPCBs have positive self-catalytic influence during the pyrolysis process. To illustrate their catalytic effects, the apparent activation energy was calculated by differential model. Contributions of different reactions during catalytic pyrolysis process was studied and the mechanism function was obtained by Šesták-Berggren model. The results showed that Cu, Fe, Ni can promote the reaction progress and reduce the apparent activation energy. Among the three metals, Ni plays better catalytic role than Cu, then Fe. This work provides theoretical base for understanding the three metals' catalytic influence during the pyrolysis of non-metal powders in WPCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Fungal keratitis (FK) is a refractory ophthalmic disease that can result in vision impairment and even blindness due to the severe fungal invasiveness and excessive inflammatory response. Therefore, antifungal treatment combined with local immunosuppressive therapy is regarded as the most effective strategy to improve the clinical outcome of FK. Oxidized polysaccharides with aldehyde groups possess obvious inhibitory activity towards microorganisms. Herein, we use chondroitin sulfate (CS), a recognized anti-inflammatory biopolysaccharide, to prepare oxidized chondroitin sulfate (OCS) via sodium periodate (NaIO4) oxidation for the treatment of FK. The chemical structure of OCS was characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, and XPS, revealing that the O-dihydroxy in the D -glucuronic acid unit of CS was selectively broken by NaIO4, forming active aldehyde groups. The introduction of aldehydes not only retains the anti-inflammatory activity but also confers OCS with antifungal property. In vitro antifungal experiments showed that OCS inhibits the growth, represses the biofilm formation and alters the membrane integrity of A. fumigatus. The toxicity of OCS was evaluated by cytotoxicity tests (CCK-8) and the Draize eye test in vitro and in vivo. qRT-PCR confirmed that OCS had similar anti-inflammatory activity as CS. In mice with A. fumigatus keratitis, OCS versus CS or PBS showed an excellent therapeutic effect, characterized by a lower corneal inflammation score, less fungal load, reduced neutrophil recruitment, and the downregulated expression of pro-inflammatory factors. Our findings demonstrate that OCS improves the prognosis of A. fumigatus keratitis in mice by inhibiting the growth of fungi, reducing the recruitment of neutrophils and inhibiting the inflammatory response. It provides innovative ideas for the development and application of OCS in medicine and biomaterials fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

An online sequence extreme learning machine neural network prediction model based on sample aggregation method (AOSELM) is proposed, which is used to solve the prediction of the charging process of lead‐acid batteries. The model is based on the online sequence extreme learning machine (OSELM) neural network and finds the similar samples of the test samples based on the mean influence value (MIV) algorithm. Similar samples are used for temporary incremental learning of the neural network, then the updated neural network makes predictions on the test samples. Taking the terminal voltage prediction of the battery charging process as an example, the BP neural network, the OSELM neural network and the AOSELM neural network are used to compare the predictions, and the charging process of the battery is predicted based on the AOSELM neural network. The comparison results show that the AOSELM neural network has higher prediction accuracy and adaptive ability than the BP neural network, and reduces the maximum absolute percentage error and the maximum absolute error of the prediction result when compared with the OSELM neural network. The prediction shows that the charging process of lead‐acid batteries can be accurately predicted by the AOSELM neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Current study proposes a green regeneration method of activated carbon (AC) laden with Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) from the perspective of environmental safety and resource regeneration. The defluorination efficiencies of AC adsorbed perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) using three molten sodium salts and one molten alkali were compared. Results showed that defluorination efficiencies of molten NaOH for the three PFCs were higher than the other three molten sodium salts at lower temperature. At 700°C, the defluorination efficiencies of PFOS and PFBS using molten NaOH reached to 84.2% and 79.2%, respectively, while the defluorination efficiency of PFOA was 35.3%. In addition, the temperature of molten salt, the holding time and the ratio of salt to carbon were directly proportional to the defluorination efficiency. The low defluorination efficiency of PFOA was due to the low thermal stability of PFOA, which made it difficult to be captured by molten salt. The weight loss range of PFOA was 75°C–125°C, which was much lower than PFOS and PFBS (400°C–500°C). From the perspective of gas production, fluorine-containing gases produced from molten NaOH-treated AC were significantly reduced, which means that environmental risks were significantly reduced. After molten NaOH treatment, the regenerated AC had higher adsorption capacity than that of pre-treated AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Reducing or degrading nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted by automobile exhausts has diversified ways. This paper presents a solution to degrade NO by Nano-sized titanium dioxide (Nano-TiO2) mixed with coating materials for traffic marking on road pavements. The effect on degradation was evaluated by adopting a simple laboratory test with statistical analysis. During the test, five different contents of Nano-TiO2, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6%, mix with a coating material for pavement marking, followed by an interpretation of the micro mechanism of degradation effect. The results show that the pavement marking coatings mixed with Nano-TiO2 has a good performance on NO degradation. The effect of degradation is increased with increasing the content of Nano-TiO2 particles, however. At the same time, a peak value with about 70% of the maximum removing rate existed when applying 4% Nano-TiO2 due to the agglomeration phenomenon for nanoparticles close to each other for adding more Nano-TiO2. The methods to reduce agglomeration are also suggested, and a routine field test for all potential traffic coating materials is recommended in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In order to minimize the fluctuation of moisture content in cut tobacco due to the lower relative humidity in dry seasons in a non-air-conditioned primary processing department, a micro-fog air humidifying system was designed on the basis of the existing fresh air supplying system in the primary processing department. The said control system was arranged at the inlet of fresh air and the amount of water addition was controlled by the humidity sensor at the operational site to maintain desired environmental humidity and stabilize the moisture content in cut tobacco. The micro-fog air humidifying system was tested on the cigarettes of brand"Septwolves"in Longyan Tobacco Industrial Limited Corporation. The results showed that the inter-batch stability of relative humidity in the non-air-conditioned primary processing department in dry seasons increased by 56.3%, and the inter-batch consistencies of moisture contents in dried, stem-blended and flavored cut tobacco raised by 19.0%, 12.9% and 30.8% respectively. This technology provides a support for improving the processing quality of cut tobacco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The LiDAR Statistical Barnes Objective Analysis (LiSBOA), presented in , is a procedure for the optimal design of lidar scans and calculations over a Cartesian grid of the statistical moments of the velocity field. Lidar data collected during a field campaign conducted at a wind farm in complex terrain are analyzed through LiSBOA for two different tests. For both case studies, LiSBOA is leveraged for the optimization of the azimuthal step of the lidar and the retrieval of the mean equivalent velocity and turbulence intensity fields. In the first case, the wake velocity statistics of four utility-scale turbines are reconstructed on a 3D grid, showing LiSBOA's ability to capture complex flow features, such as high-speed jets around the nacelle and the wake turbulent-shear layers. For the second case, the statistics of the wakes generated by four interacting turbines are calculated over a 2D Cartesian grid and compared to the measurements provided by the nacelle-mounted anemometers. Maximum discrepancies, as low as 3 % for the mean velocity (with respect to the free stream velocity) and turbulence intensity (in absolute terms), endorse the application of LiSBOA for lidar-based wind resource assessment and diagnostic surveys for wind farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A LiDAR Statistical Barnes Objective Analysis (LiSBOA) for the optimal design of lidar scans and retrieval of the velocity statistical moments is proposed. LiSBOA represents an adaptation of the classical Barnes scheme for the statistical analysis of unstructured experimental data in N -dimensional space, and it is a suitable technique for the evaluation over a structured Cartesian grid of the statistics of scalar fields sampled through scanning lidars. LiSBOA is validated and characterized via a Monte Carlo approach applied to a synthetic velocity field. This revisited theoretical framework for the Barnes objective analysis enables the formulation of guidelines for the optimal design of lidar experiments and efficient application of LiSBOA for the postprocessing of lidar measurements. The optimal design of lidar scans is formulated as a two-cost-function optimization problem, including the minimization of the percentage of the measurement volume not sampled with adequate spatial resolution and the minimization of the error on the mean of the velocity field. The optimal design of the lidar scans also guides the selection of the smoothing parameter and the total number of iterations to use for the Barnes scheme. LiSBOA is assessed against a numerical data set generated using the virtual lidar technique applied to the data obtained from a large eddy simulation (LES). The optimal sampling parameters for a scanning Doppler pulsed wind lidar are retrieved through LiSBOA, and then the estimated statistics are compared with those of the original LES data set, showing a maximum error of about 4 % for both mean velocity and turbulence intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: Baricitinib is an oral selective inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) 1 and JAK 2, which has demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This analysis aims to describe the efficacy and safety of baricitinib in Chinese RA patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX-IR), and to analyze the effects of baseline characteristics on the efficacy of baricitinib treatment. Methods: In this 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 231 Chinese patients with moderately to severely active RA who had MTX-IR were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 115) or baricitinib 4 mg once daily (n = 116). The primary endpoint was American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response at week 12. Other efficacy measures included ACR50, ACR70, Physician's Global Assessment of Disease Activity, Patient's Global Assessment of Disease Activity, patient's assessment of pain, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, remission and low disease activity rates according to Simplified Disease Activity Index or Clinical Disease Activity Index, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index, and mean duration and severity of morning joint stiffness, worst tiredness and worst joint pain were analyzed. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed across baseline characteristics. Results: Statistically significant improvement in ACR20 response was achieved with baricitinib at week 12 (53.4 vs. 22.6%, p = 0.001) in Chinese patients, compared to placebo. Most of the secondary objectives were met with statistically significant improvements. Efficacy of baricitinib was irrespective of patient demographics and baseline characteristics. Safety events were similar between the baricitinib and placebo groups. Conclusions: The efficacy of baricitinib 4 mg in Chinese patients with moderately to severely active RA and prior MTX-IR was clinically significant compared to placebo regardless of baseline characteristics. Baricitinib was well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile during the full study period. Trial Registration: NCT02265705 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: The relationships between the rs1800976, rs4149313 and rs2230806 polymorphisms in ATP binding cassette protein A1 and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) remain unclear.Methods: Four hundred and forty-two patients with CAD and 217 CAD-free subjects were enrolled in this study. The rs1800976, rs4149313 and rs2230806 polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Severity of CAD was evaluated by Gensini score system, number of stenotic coronary vessels and extent of coronary stenosis.Results: C allele of the rs1800976 polymorphism, G allele of the rs4149313 polymorphism and A allele of the rs2230806 polymorphism were found to be risk alleles for CAD (p<0.05 for all). In patients with CAD, C allele of the rs1800976 polymorphism was associated with high levels of hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and cystatin c (CysC), and its frequency increased with percentiles of Gensini score, number of stenotic coronary vessels and extent of coronary stenosis (p<0.05 for all). The subjects with GA genotype of the rs4149313 polymorphism had higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B and hs-CRP than those with AA genotype (p<0.05 for all). The subjects with AA genotype of the rs2230806 polymorphism had higher levels of TC, LDL-C and uric acid than those with GA genotype (p<0.05 for all). No associations between the rs4149313 or rs2230806 polymorphism and severity of CAD were detected.Conclusions: The rs1800976 polymorphism is significantly associated with the occurrence and severity of CAD, which is possibly mediated by hs-CRP and CysC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective: The correlation of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism with pediatric asthma risk was assessed in this meta-analysis.Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and CNKI databases were systematically searched for relevant literature, followed by application of odds ratios (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) for determining the strength of relationship.Results: Seven articles with 802 cases and 632 controls fulfilled the inclusion criteria. As a result, the ACE I/D polymorphism was related to elevated pediatric asthma risk (D vs I: OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.59-2.20; dominant model: OR =1.53, 95% CI = 1.28-1.81; recessive model: OR =1.54, 95% CI = 1.28-1.85; DD vs II: OR =2.95, 95% CI = 2.19-3.98; DI vs II: OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.78-1.19). Subgroup analysis stratified by race revealed significant interrelation in Asians.Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that the ACE I/D polymorphism might be related to the risk of pediatric asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

One‐way nested mesoscale to microscale simulations of an onshore wind farm have been performed nesting the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and our in‐house high‐resolution large‐eddy simulation code (UTD‐WF). Each simulation contains five nested WRF domains, with the largest domain spanning the north Texas Panhandle region with a 4 km resolution, while the highest resolution (50 m) nest simulates microscale wind fluctuations and turbine wakes within a single wind farm. The finest WRF domain in turn drives the UTD‐WF LES higher‐resolution domain for a subset of six turbines at a resolution of ∼5 m. The wind speed, direction, and boundary layer profiles from WRF are compared against measurements obtained with a met‐tower and a scanning Doppler wind LiDAR located within the wind farm. Additionally, power production obtained from WRF and UTD‐WF are assessed against supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system data. Numerical results agree well with the experimental measurements of the wind speed, direction, and power production of the turbines. UTD‐WF high‐resolution domain improves significantly the agreement of the turbulence intensity at the turbines location compared with that of WRF. Velocity spectra have been computed to assess how the nesting allows resolving a wide range of scales at a reasonable computational cost. A domain sensitivity analysis has been performed. Velocity spectra indicate that placing the inlet too close to the first row of turbines results in an unrealistic peak of energy at the rotational frequency of the turbines. Spectra of the power production of a single turbine and of the cumulative power of the array have been compared with analytical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Wind measurements were performed with the UTD mobile LiDAR station for an onshore wind farm located in Texas with the aim of characterizing evolution of wind‐turbine wakes for different hub‐height wind speeds and regimes of the static atmospheric stability. The wind velocity field was measured by means of a scanning Doppler wind LiDAR, while atmospheric boundary layer and turbine parameters were monitored through a met‐tower and SCADA, respectively. The wake measurements are clustered and their ensemble statistics retrieved as functions of the hub‐height wind speed and the atmospheric stability regime, which is characterized either with the Bulk Richardson number or wind turbulence intensity at hub height. The cluster analysis of the LiDAR measurements has singled out that the turbine thrust coefficient is the main parameter driving the variability of the velocity deficit in the near wake. In contrast, atmospheric stability has negligible influence on the near‐wake velocity field, while it affects noticeably the far‐wake evolution and recovery. A secondary effect on wake‐recovery rate is observed as a function of the rotor thrust coefficient. For higher thrust coefficients, the enhanced wake‐generated turbulence fosters wake recovery. A semi‐empirical model is formulated to predict the maximum wake velocity deficit as a function of the downstream distance using the rotor thrust coefficient and the incoming turbulence intensity at hub height as input. The cluster analysis of the LiDAR measurements and the ensemble statistics calculated through the Barnes scheme have enabled to generate a valuable dataset for development and assessment of wind farm models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Glaucoma has been the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is a high‐risk factor of glaucoma, repression of which has been the important treatment of glaucoma in clinic. Trabecular meshwork is crucial for maintaining IOP in aqueous humour out‐flow system. It is urgent to reveal the molecular mechanism of trabecular meshwork in glaucoma. Previous studies found that some pathways were related to glaucoma, such as extracellular matrix (ECM)‐receptor interaction, phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐protein kinase B (Akt) and apoptosis. To identify novel molecules in glaucoma, we performed high‐throughput transcriptome and proteome analysis to immortal human trabecular meshwork cells (iHTM) and glaucomatous human trabecular meshwork cells (GTM3), respectively. Twenty‐six up‐regulated genes/proteins and 59 down‐regulated genes/proteins were identified as the high‐risk factors based on differential analysis, including some known factors of glaucoma. Furthermore, a glaucoma‐related protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for investigating the function roles of risk factors. Some genes were identified as potential regulator in the pathogenesis of glaucoma based on the topology analysis and module analysis to the network. Importantly, we identified and demonstrated that CD9 played key roles in glaucoma by biological experiment. CD9 is down‐regulated in glaucoma, overexpression of CD9 can active integrin α4 (ITGA4), PI3K and Akt, which lead to the decreased apoptosis and attenuate glaucoma. All these results provide a novel molecular therapy of glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Aim: To explore clinical factors associated with extent of liver regeneration after hemihepatectomy to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Future liver remnant volume (as a percentage of functional liver volume, %FLRV) and remnant liver volume were measured preoperatively and at 1, 5, 9, and 13 weeks postoperatively. Results: After hepatectomy, 1 of 125 patients (0.8%) died within 3 months, 13 (10.4%) experienced liver failure, and 99 (79.2%) experienced complications. %FLRV was able to predict liver failure with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.900, and a cut-off value of 42.7% showed sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 88.6%. Postoperative median growth ratio was 21.3% at 1 week, 30.9% at 5 weeks, 34.6% at 9 weeks, and 37.1% at 13 weeks. Multivariate analysis identified three predictors associated with liver regeneration: FLRV < 601 cm3, %FLRV, and liver cirrhosis. At postoperative weeks (POWs) 1 and 5, liver function indicators were significantly better among patients showing high extent of regeneration than among those showing low extent, but these differences disappeared by POW 9. Conclusions: FLRV, %FLRV, and liver cirrhosis strongly influence extent of liver regeneration after hepatectomy. %FLRV values below 42.7% are associated with greater risk of post-hepatectomy liver failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Circulating nitric oxide (NO) and lipid levels are closely associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). It is unclear whether the rs1799983 polymorphism in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene is associated with plasma levels of NO and lipids. This systematic review and meta-analysis (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) aimed to clarify the relationships between the rs1799983 polymorphism and plasma levels of NO and lipids.Methods: Sixteen studies (2702 subjects) and 59 studies (14 148 subjects) were identified for the association analyses for NO and lipids, respectively. Mean difference (MD) and 95% CI were used to estimate the effects of the rs1799983 polymorphism on plasma NO and lipid levels. The primary outcome variable was NO, and the secondary outcomes included triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).Results: Carriers of the T allele had lower levels of NO (MD -0.27 μmol/L, 95% CI -0.42 to -0.12 μmol/L, p<0.001) and HDL-C (MD -0.07 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.14 to -0.00 mmol/L, p=0.04), and higher levels of TC (MD 0.13 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.20 mmol/L, p<0.001) and LDL-C (MD 0.14 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.22 mmol/L, p=0.002) than the non-carriers. Triglyceride levels were comparable between the genotypes.Conclusion: The association between the NOS3 rs1799983 polymorphism and CAD may be partly mediated by abnormal NO and lipid levels caused by the T allele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A method for intermolecular [3+2] cycloaddition between aryl cyclopropyl ketones and alkenes involving the combination of Lewis acid and photoredox catalysis is reported. In contrast to other more common methods for [3+2] cycloaddition, these conditions operate using a broad range of both electron-rich and electron-deficient reaction partners. The critical factors predicting the success of these reactions is the redox potential of the cyclopropyl ketone and the ability of the alkene to stabilize a key radical intermediate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Power production of an onshore wind farm is investigated through supervisory control and data acquisition data, while the wind field is monitored through scanning light detection and ranging measurements and meteorological data acquired from a met-tower located in proximity to the turbine array. The power production of each turbine is analysed as functions of the operating region of the power curve, wind direction and atmospheric stability. Five different methods are used to estimate the potential wind power as a function of time, enabling an estimation of power losses connected with wake interactions. The most robust method from a statistical standpoint is that based on the evaluation of a reference wind velocity at hub height and experimental mean power curves calculated for each turbine and different atmospheric stability regimes. The synergistic analysis of these various datasets shows that power losses are significant for wind velocities higher than cut-in wind speed and lower than rated wind speed of the turbines. Furthermore, power losses are larger under stable atmospheric conditions than for convective regimes, which is a consequence of the stability-driven variability in wake evolution. Light detection and ranging measurements confirm that wind turbine wakes recover faster under convective regimes, thus alleviating detrimental effects due to wake interactions. For the wind farm under examination, power loss due to wake shadowing effects is estimated to be about 4% and 2% of the total power production when operating under stable and convective conditions, respectively. However, cases with power losses about 60-80% of the potential power are systematically observed for specific wind turbines and wind directions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Over the last decade, N-N bond formation as a synthetic strategy has emerged as a powerful key step in the construction of highly valuable heterocycles from easily obtained materials. This review focuses on recent methods used to build N-N bonds, classified by intraand intermolecular reactions with various types of N-X (O, C, N, H) bond cleavage. 1 I ntroduction 2 Intramolecular N-N Bond Formation 2.1 Cleavage of N-O Bonds 2.2 Cleavage of N-C Bonds 2.3 Cleavage of N-N Bonds 2.4 Cleavage of N-H Bonds 2.4.1 Construction of Pyrazole Derivatives 2.4.2 Construction of Triazole Derivatives 2.4.3 Construction of Indazole and Pyrazoline Derivatives 2.4.4 Construction of Other N-N Bond Derivatives 3 Intermolecular N-N Bond Formation 4 Conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A simple, highly-automated instrument system used for on-site detection of foodborne pathogens based on fluorescence was designed, fabricated, and preliminarily tested in this paper. A corresponding method has been proved effective in our previous studies. This system utilizes a light-emitting diode (LED) to excite fluorescent labels and a spectrometer to record the fluorescence signal from samples. A rotation stage for positioning and switching samples was innovatively designed for high-throughput detection, ten at most in one single run. We also developed software based on LabVIEW for data receiving, processing, and the control of the whole system. In the test of using a pure quantum dot (QD) solution as a standard sample, detection results from this home-made system were highly-relevant with that from a well-commercialized product and even slightly better reproducibility was found. And in the test of three typical kinds of food-borne pathogens, fluorescence signals recorded by this system are highly proportional to the variation of the sample concentration, with a satisfied limit of detection (LOD) (nearly 102–103 CFU·mL−1 in food samples). Additionally, this instrument system is low-cost and easy-to-use, showing a promising potential for on-site rapid detection of food-borne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Hickory and peanut hydrochars were chemically activated with KOH and H3PO4and tested for their ability to remove methylene blue and lead from aqueous solutions. The physicochemical characteristics of the activated hydrochars determined were surface area, pore volume, and elemental composition. Kinetics and isotherm studies were then conducted on methylene blue adsorption. Compared to their nonactivated counterparts, the chemically activated hydrochars had higher surface areas and more functional groups. Activated hydrochars also had greater methylene blue and lead adsorption rates, which can be attributed to the improved physicochemical characteristics. H3PO4activated hydrochars removed more contaminants than the corresponding KOH ones. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] more...

Background: The APOA5 rs662799 polymorphism has been widely reported regarding its associations with the plasma lipid levels and the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD), whereas its relationship with the severity of CHD has not yet been explored. Methods: Four hundred and seventy-eight angiografically defined subjects (325 CHD patients and 153 CHD-free controls) were enrolled in this study. The rs662799 polymorphism was genotyped, and the fasting lipid data were collected for all participants. The severity of CHD was evaluated for the CHD patients by using Gensini scores. Results: The variant C allele of the rs662799 polymorphism was associated with lower levels of HDL-C in CHD-free women, and higher levels of TG and TG/HDL-C in women with CHD (P < 0.05 for all). The C allele was associated with higher prevalence of dyslipidemia and higher levels of Gensini scores only in women (P < 0.05 for both), but not in men. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the rs662799 polymorphism was independently associated with the Gensini scores in women after adjustment for other potential CHD risk factors (Beta = 0.157, 95 % CI: 0.017-0.298, P = 0.028). Conclusion: Our data indicate that the rs662799 polymorphism is associated with dyslipidemia and the severity of CHD in Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Iron-catalyzed reductive cyclization of 1,6- and 1,7-enynes was demonstrated by using an oxazoline iminopyridine ligand. Alcohol, ketone, ester, ether, halide, amine, amide, imine, nitrile, silyl, and alkyne groups are tolerated under the mild reaction conditions. A speculative mechanism is proposed on the basis of deuteration studies. A primary enantioselective transformation was also conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] with the severity of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Han Chinese people. Materials and methods: Six hundred and seventy-nine patients with angiographically defined CHD were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Fasting lipids were measured, and the severity of CHD was quantitatively assessed for each patient according to the number of stenotic coronary branches and the Gensini scoring system. Results: The levels of Lp(a), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and apolipoprotein (apo) B100 increased, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apoAI decreased significantly with the number of stenotic vessels. The levels of Lp(a) increased and HDL-C and apoAI decreased significantly with the Gensini scores. The logistic regression analyses showed that Lp(a) and HDL-C were independently associated with the number of stenotic coronary vessels after adjusting for age, weight, body mass index, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, triglycerides, TC, LDL-C, VLDL-C, apoAI, and apoB100. However, only Lp(a) was independently associated with the Gensini scores after adjustment. Conclusion: Our data indicate that Lp(a) might be a useful marker in predicting the severity of coronary heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

An introduction to is presented which discusses several contributions of participants to a symposium on multilingualism including John Trimbur tracing language differences, Juan Guerra arguing for translingual sensibility, and Louis-Jean Calvet's observation on translingual approach. more...

Background: Lipoprotein ratios have been shown to be associated with the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD), but little is known about their relationships with the severity of CHD. Methods: A total of 792 angiographically defined CHD patients were enrolled following their admission. Patients were stratified into three groups based on the tertile of the Gensini scores (≤33rd percentile, 33rd to 66th percentile and ≥66th percentile) or the number of stenotic coronary branches (single-branch stenosis, double-branch stenosis and multi-branch stenosis). Demographic and biochemical data were collected and lipoprotein ratios were calculated. Logistic regression and path analysis were employed to examine the relationships between the lipoprotein ratios and the severity of CHD. Results: The ratios of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100)/apolipoprotein AI (apoAI) increased with the tertile of the Gensini scores (P < 0.05 for both). The ratios of triglyceride (TG)/HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and apoB100/apoAI increased with the number of stenotic coronary branches (P < 0.05 for all). The univariate logistic regression showed that the ratios of TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and apoB100/apoAI were positively associated with both the tertile of the Gensini scores and the number of stenotic vessels (P < 0.05 for all), and the ratio of TG/HDL-C was positively associated with the number of stenotic vessels (P < 0.05). In multivariate logistic analysis, only the ratio of apoB100/ apoAI was independently and positively associated with the tertile of the Gensini scores (OR = 2.93, 95 % CI = 1.17-7.34, P = 0.022) and the number of stenotic vessels (OR = 3.14, 95 % CI = 1.01-6.47, P = 0.048) after adjusting for the possible confounding variables. The apoB100/apoAI ratio was also shown to be a direct mediator between the risk factors including age, BMI, HDL-C, LDL-C, apoB100 and apoAI and the severity of CHD by path analysis. Conclusion: Our data indicate that the apoB100/apoAI ratio could be a useful predictor for evaluating the severity of coronary stenosis in CHD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Catalytic asymmetric hydrosilylation of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes has been summarized. The intramolecular reactions proceed efficiently in the presence of noble transition-metal rhodium. The highly enantioselective intermolecular processes are catalyzed by earth-abundant transition-metal iron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The highly regio- and enantioselective iron-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydrosilylation of 1,1-disubstituted aryl alkenes was developed using iminopyridine oxazoline ligands to afford chiral organosilanes. Additional derivatization of these products lead to chiral organosilanols, cyclic silanes, phenol derivatives, and 3-substituted 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Vacuum metallurgy separation (VMS) is a technically feasible method to recover Pb, Cd and other heavy metals from crushed e-wastes. To further determine the environmental impacts and safety of this method, heavy metals exposure, noise and thermal safety in the ambiance of a vacuum metallurgy separation system are evaluated in this article. The mass concentrations of total suspended particulate (TSP) and PM10 are 0.1503 and 0.0973 mg m−3 near the facilities. The concentrations of Pb, Cd and Sn in TSP samples are 0.0104, 0.1283 and 0.0961 μg m−3, respectively. Health risk assessments show that the hazard index of Pb is 3.25 × 10−1 and that of Cd is 1.09 × 10−1. Carcinogenic risk of Cd through inhalation is 1.08 × 10−5. The values of the hazard index and risk indicate that Pb and Cd will not cause non-cancerous effects or carcinogenic risk on workers. The noise sources are mainly the mechanical vacuum pump and the water cooling pump. Both of them have the noise levels below 80 dB (A). The thermal safety assessment shows that the temperatures of the vacuum metallurgy separation system surface are all below 303 K after adopting the circulated water cooling and heat insulation measures. This study provides the environmental information of the vacuum metallurgy separation system, which is of assistance to promote the industrialisation of vacuum metallurgy separation for recovering heavy metals from e-wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...