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The sugar industry is important for the economic development in China. Guangxi province is the largest sugar producer with over 60% of the total sugarcane cultivating area in the country. Research, development, and industrialization on the intensive processing and comprehensive utilization of sugarcane as a raw material will increase in the coming years. This article provides an overview of the development of diversified sugarcane deep processing, focusing on the current research development with special reference to the production of sugarcane wine, vinegar, sugarcane cell water, white sugar, and fructooligosaccharides in China, especially in Guangxi. The aim is to promote the second entrepreneurship of the sugar industry, upgrade the industrial chain, and provide advanced technologies to upgrade the quality and efficiency of the industry and achieve sustainable and healthy socioeconomic development in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A novel method is developed for precise control over the structure of 3D anodic aluminum oxide templates, enabling fine-tuning of both the vertical pore diameter and interspace within the templates. 3D carbon tube nanoarrays featuring significantly thinner and denser tubes are constructed as high-quality electrodes for miniaturized filter capacitors. The 3D compactly arranged carbon tube-based capacitor achieves a remarkable specific areal capacitance of 3.23 mF cm−2 with a phase angle of − 80.2° at 120 Hz. Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) with fast frequency response are regarded as small-scale alternatives to the commercial bulky aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Creating carbon-based nanoarray electrodes with precise alignment and smooth ion channels is crucial for enhancing EDLCs' performance. However, controlling the density of macropore-dominated nanoarray electrodes poses challenges in boosting the capacitance of line-filtering EDLCs. Herein, a simple technique to finely adjust the vertical-pore diameter and inter-spacing in three-dimensional nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (3D-AAO) template is achieved, and 3D compactly arranged carbon tube (3D-CACT) nanoarrays are created as electrodes for symmetrical EDLCs using nanoporous 3D-AAO template-assisted chemical vapor deposition of carbon. The 3D-CACT electrodes demonstrate a high surface area of 253.0 m2 g−1, a D/G band intensity ratio of 0.94, and a C/O atomic ratio of 8. As a result, the high-density 3D-CT nanoarray-based sandwich-type EDLCs demonstrate a record high specific areal capacitance of 3.23 mF cm−2 at 120 Hz and exceptional fast frequency response due to the vertically aligned and highly ordered nanoarray of closely packed CT units. The 3D-CT nanoarray electrode-based EDLCs could serve as line filters in integrated circuits, aiding power system miniaturization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of electrodes is the key to achieving ultrahigh-power performance in electrochemical energy storage devices. Recently, we have constructed well-organized and integrated three-dimensional (3D) carbon tube (CT) grids (3D-CTGs) using a 3D porous anodic aluminum oxide template-assisted method as electrodes of electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), showing excellent frequency response performance. The unique design warrants fast ion migration channels, excellent electronic conductivity, and good structural stability. This study achieved one of the highest carbon-based ultrahigh-power EDLCs with the 3D-CTG electrodes, resulting in ultrahigh power of 437 and 1708 W·cm−3 with aqueous and organic electrolytes, respectively. Capacitors constructed with these electrodes would have important application prospects in the ultrahigh-power output. The rational design and fabrication of the 3D-CTGs electrodes have demonstrated their capability to build capacitors with ultrahigh-power performance and open up new possibilities for applications requiring high-power output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the critical biological characteristics of human age, the face has been widely studied for age prediction, which has broad application prospects in the fields of commerce, security, entertainment, etc. Duo to complicated multi-latent heterogeneous features(e.g. gender) bring valuable messages for the image-based age estimation. A variety of methods utilize heterogeneous information for age estimation. However, heterogeneous features may have uncertain noise, and exploiting them without evaluating the reliability of confidence influence may impact the estimation accuracy. Inspired by the observation that gender has a noticeable impact on face at some particular age stage, this paper proposes a Feature Constraint Reinforcement Network (FCRN) to take advantage of constraint gender influence on the age estimation. The model extracts multi-scale latent heterogeneous features and deduces their confidence of influence upon age estimation methods. Specifically, it gets the gender and age features by classification and regression. Then, the model uses the gender factors extracted from the constraint gender features to reinforce and calculate the influence of different genders on age predictions among different age groups and improve the result of age prediction. Extensive experiments were conducted on the existing public aging datasets. The results show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake-triggered landslides (EQTLs) are affected by both seismogenic faults and topography. Using landslide data associated with the 2008 MW7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, the distribution characteristics of EQTLs were identified. And the influence of topographical changes and fault dip angle changes on the distribution of EQTLs was analyzed. Fault dip angle had a controlling impact on EQTL spatial distribution. When the dip angle increased, EQTL distribution was concentrated in a certain range on both sides of the fault and decayed rapidly with distance from the fault. When dip angle decreased, the hanging wall effect became more obvious, and the number of landslides on the hanging wall gradually decreased with distance from the fault. In terms of topography, EQTLs were closely related to relative elevation differences, forming a single peak for a local relief range of 400–1600 m. For > 70% of statistical units, EQTL density increased with local relief; the landslide distribution conformed to an exponential relationship with relief. Peak local relief and dominant local relief were highly negatively correlated with fault dip angle. Fault geometry and motion characteristics control the propagation of seismic waves, directly affecting the distribution of EQTLs; moreover, as tectonic activity controls local relief, it also indirectly affects the distribution of EQTLs. Our findings provide empirical evidence for the rapid assessment of EQTL distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotransmitters play essential roles in regulating neural circuit dynamics both in the central nervous system as well as at the peripheral, including the gastrointestinal tract1–3. Their real-time monitoring will offer critical information for understanding neural function and diagnosing disease1–3. However, bioelectronic tools to monitor the dynamics of neurotransmitters in vivo, especially in the enteric nervous systems, are underdeveloped. This is mainly owing to the limited availability of biosensing tools that are capable of examining soft, complex and actively moving organs. Here we introduce a tissue-mimicking, stretchable, neurochemical biological interface termed NeuroString, which is prepared by laser patterning of a metal-complexed polyimide into an interconnected graphene/nanoparticle network embedded in an elastomer. NeuroString sensors allow chronic in vivo real-time, multichannel and multiplexed monoamine sensing in the brain of behaving mouse, as well as measuring serotonin dynamics in the gut without undesired stimulations and perturbing peristaltic movements. The described elastic and conformable biosensing interface has broad potential for studying the impact of neurotransmitters on gut microbes, brain–gut communication and may ultimately be extended to biomolecular sensing in other soft organs across the body.NeuroString, a tissue-like biological interface created by laser patterning of polyimide into a graphene/nanoparticle network embedded in an elastomer, is introduced, allowing in vivo real-time detection of neurotransmitters in the brain and gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation light-emitting displays on skin should be soft, stretchable and bright1–7. Previously reported stretchable light-emitting devices were mostly based on inorganic nanomaterials, such as light-emitting capacitors, quantum dots or perovskites6–11. They either require high operating voltage or have limited stretchability and brightness, resolution or robustness under strain. On the other hand, intrinsically stretchable polymer materials hold the promise of good strain tolerance12,13. However, realizing high brightness remains a grand challenge for intrinsically stretchable light-emitting diodes. Here we report a material design strategy and fabrication processes to achieve stretchable all-polymer-based light-emitting diodes with high brightness (about 7,450 candela per square metre), current efficiency (about 5.3 candela per ampere) and stretchability (about 100 per cent strain). We fabricate stretchable all-polymer light-emitting diodes coloured red, green and blue, achieving both on-skin wireless powering and real-time displaying of pulse signals. This work signifies a considerable advancement towards high-performance stretchable displays.A material design strategy and fabrication process is described to produce all-polymer light-emitting diodes with high brightness, current efficiency and good mechanical stability, with applications in skin electronics and human–machine interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation wearable electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity. Besides previously reported softness and stretchability, desired merits for practical use include elasticity, solvent resistance, facile patternability and high charge carrier mobility. Here, we show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these targeted properties in both polymeric semiconductors and dielectrics, without compromising electrical performance. This is enabled by covalently-embedded in-situ rubber matrix (iRUM) formation through good mixing of iRUM precursors with polymer electronic materials, and finely-controlled composite film morphology built on azide crosslinking chemistry which leverages different reactivities with C–H and C=C bonds. The high covalent crosslinking density results in both superior elasticity and solvent resistance. When applied in stretchable transistors, the iRUM-semiconductor film retained its mobility after stretching to 100% strain, and exhibited record-high mobility retention of 1 cm2 V−1 s−1 after 1000 stretching-releasing cycles at 50% strain. The cycling life was stably extended to 5000 cycles, five times longer than all reported semiconductors. Furthermore, we fabricated elastic transistors via consecutively photo-patterning of the dielectric and semiconducting layers, demonstrating the potential of solution-processed multilayer device manufacturing. The iRUM represents a molecule-level design approach towards robust skin-inspired electronics. Next-generation skin-inspired electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity including elasticity, solvent resistance, and facile patternability. Here, the authors show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these requirements by covalently linking an in-situ formed rubber matrix with polymer electronic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic variables are the main factors determining the crop productivity, and these undergo changes in the course of time. Though silicon (Si) is not an essential element for the plants, its significant role has been observed in various plant species. Use of silicon could stimulate plant growth and mitigate multiple stresses such as salinity, drought, heat, extreme temperature, metal toxicity and nutritional imbalance as well as the stress linked with changes in global climatic variables. Silicon can also delay leaf senescence. In addition, Si is not harmful to plants even when present in excess. Eco-friendly techniques would be needed for addressing the growing demands for food grains and other agricultural production. The use of Si would become a sustainable strategy for increasing crop yield, improving quality and mitigating abiotic stresses in the near future. This review highlights our current understanding on the use of silicon to mitigate abiotic stresses and enhance crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vinasse is the waste liquid of molasses fermentation for alcohol production from sugarcane mills. The adequate utilization and treatment for vinasse have received increasing attention. Among the alternatives considered for the reuse of vinasse, irrigation in sugarcane fields is most common solution. However, few researchers consider the impact on the soil fertility, soil heavy metals content and soil microbial diversity by long-term application of vinasse in the fields. In order to evaluate the cumulative impact arising from the long-term application of vinasse, different treatments, viz., (1) soils not irrigated with vinasse, (2) soil irrigated with vinasse for 2 years, (3) soil irrigated with vinasse for 7 years, (4) soil irrigated with vinasse for 13 years, (5) soil irrigated with vinasse for 18 years, have been applied to sugarcane fields in Shangsi County, Guangxi, China. The pH, organic matter, total and available N, P, K, the concentration of Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ni, Cd and As, as well as the diversity of microbial community of the soil samples were determined. The results showed that after long-term irrigation by vinasse, soil acidification was observed, organic matter, N and K content increased, but no significant changes in the increase in P content were observed. The potential ecological risk of Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and As was low, indicating that accumulation of heavy metals in the soil was negligible when long-term irrigation with vinasse was practiced. The diversity of microbial community expressed as relative abundance of the predominant species in irrigated soil was slightly reduced due to influence by the physicochemical properties of soil, especially soil pH. Consequently, the proper management of vinasse irrigation and periodic monitoring of soil quality parameters are required to ensure safe and long-term irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induced by hemorrhagic shock (HS) initiates a systemic inflammatory response, which leads to subsequent kidney injury. This study assessed the efficacy of c-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) in attenuating kidney injury in a rat model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R). Sodium pentobarbital-anesthetized adult male Wistar rats underwent HS induced by the withdrawal of blood to a mean arterial pressure of 30-35 mmHg for 50 min. Then, the animals received CNP (25 μg/kg) or vehicle (saline) intravenously, followed byresuscitation with 1.5 times the shed blood volume in the form of normal saline. Mean arterial pressure was measured throughout the experiment, and acid-base status, oxidative stress, inflammation, tissue injury and kidney function were evaluated after resuscitation. CNP infusion reduced the malondialdehyde content, lowered the myeloperoxidase activity and decreased the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in the kidney. The histologic injury score and the plasma creatinine concentration were also significantly decreased after CNP treatment compared to the vehicle group. CNP treatment ameliorates oxidative stress, the inflammatory response, and consequently acute kidney injury after HS/R. Thus, CNP may represent a promising strategy to improve resuscitation for the treatment of HS and deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high quality sugarcane original vinegar drink was produced from fresh sugarcane juice using the wine yeast and LB acetate bacteria by submerged alcoholic fermentation followed by acetic fermentation at room temperature. The quality parameters of vinegar was investigated during the process of submerged fermentation. It was observed that the alcoholic fermentation period of 9 to 20 days and an acetic fermentation period of 15 to 21 days each in succession, produced the sugarcane quality vinegar with 3.04 % (w/v) total acid and 4° alcoholicity. Besides the vinegar consisted of many saccharides (fructose, glucose, sucrose) and organic acids (oxalic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, acetic acid). The prominent ingredient of acetic acid ranged from 8.16 to 13.65 mg/g. Vinegar produced by this process yielded a yellow-brown colour with full wine aromas and cane flavour, mild and mellow, low-alcohol and strong odour of vinegar. The present study provides a new approach to process sugarcane byproducts, which contributes to the value-added production and processing of sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the potential effects of variation of HO-1 activity on hemorheology, this study compared the hemorheological properties between transgenic HO-1G143H mutant mice and wild-type (WT) control mice. Fresh blood samples were obtained from mice via the ocular venous sinus. The whole blood viscosity was measured using a cone-plate viscometer. Erythrocyte deformability and aggregation was measured using ektacytometry. The elongation index was significantly reduced in the HO-1G143H mutant mice compared to the WT mice at the shear rates of 600, 800, and 1,000 s. The integrated elongation index was decreased in the HO-1G143H mutant mice compared to the WT mice. There was no statistically significant difference between the HO-1G143H mutant mice and the WT mice in terms of whole blood viscosity, aggregation index, amplitude of aggregation, and aggregation half time. The present study demonstrated that a reduction in HO-1 activity results in an impaired erythrocyte deformability. Although the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear, our study brings to light the participation of HO-1 in the variations of hemorheology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial activation elicited by inflammatory agents is regarded as a key event in the pathogenesis of several vascular inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the inhibitory effects and underlying mechanism of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) on LPS-induced endothelial activation were examined in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effect of CNP on adhesion molecule expression was assessed using quantitative real-time RT-PCR and western blotting analyses. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), MAPK, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated HUVECs were investigated using western blotting analyses, and the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using a fluorescence method. Pretreatment with CNP inhibited LPS-induced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, and P-selectin in a concentration-dependent manner. CNP suppressed the phosphorylation of p65 and NF-κB activation in LPS-stimulated cells. Moreover, CNP reduced ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation induced by LPS but not JNK. Furthermore, CNP induced Akt phosphorylation and activation of hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. CNP significantly inhibited the production of intracellular ROS. These results suggest that CNP effectively attenuated LPS-induced endothelial activation by inhibiting the NF-κB and p38 signaling pathways, eliminating LPS-induced intracellular ROS production, and activating the PI3K/Akt/HO-1 pathway in HUVECs; thereby, demonstrating that CNP may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of sepsis and inflammatory vascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new low alcoholic drinks, was brewed from fresh sugarcane juice using different kinds of yeast, viz., wine yeast, Fali yeast and thermo-tolerant yeast by submerged alcoholic fermentation. The main characteristic parameters of fermented cane juice such as alcohol content, total sugars, total acids and reducing sugar were investigated during the process of alcoholic fermentation in order to evaluate the effect of yeasts on the quality of alcoholic drinks. The results showed that alcoholic fermentation period and the alcohol content of fermented cane juice ranged from 9 to 20 days and 2.8-4.8 %, respectively. With respect to sensory evaluation, the alcoholic drink obtained by using wine yeast was found suitable with yellow-brown colour, clear and brighter appearance, full wine and cane aromas and flavor. Its soft, mild, mellow and slightly sweet taste made it possible to be used as a beverage in dines. The results of this study concerning the use of sugarcane juice as one of raw materials could be promising for industrial fermentations of low alcoholic drinks production, and also provides a new approach to process sugarcane by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood viscosity plays an important role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Under normal physiological conditions, blood viscosity is kept at a relatively stable level by a variety of regulatory mechanisms. However, under pathological conditions, disorders in these regulatory mechanisms mediated by endothelial cell dysfunction result in the pathogenesis and development of certain diseases, such as cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, monitoring and regulating blood viscosity are important for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of disease. This article reviews the role of blood viscosity regulation and its importance in disease prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary gastric adenosquamous carcinoma (PGASC) is a rare type of gastric cancer with limited research and poorly understood clinicopathological features. This study investigated the clinicopathological features and outcomes of PGASC. Patients with PGASC from Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and from the published literature were enrolled in this study. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and prognostic factors were identified through Cox proportional hazards regression models. This study identified 76 eligible cases of PGASC, with 45 cases from published literature and 31 from our center. The most prevalent symptoms were abdominal pain and dysphagia, with a median age of 62 years (range: 29–84 years). The primary lesions were predominantly in the proximal stomach, with a median tumor size of 6.5 cm (range: 1.5–16.0 cm). Tumor stages II, III, and IV were detected in 12 (16.7%), 43 (59.7%), and 17 (23.6%) patients, respectively. Most tumors were poorly differentiated in both the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) component and adenocarcinoma (AC) component. The median survival time was 17 months (range: 2–122 months). The 1, 3, and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 60.7%, 31.1%, and 24.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that OS was independently predicted by the proportion of SCC component, differentiation of AC component, and tumor stage. PGASC is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. A high proportion of SCC components, low differentiated AC components, and advanced tumor were associated with worse survival in patients with PGASC. Adjuvant therapy did not improve survival time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to establish a novel explicit method for the stochastic SIS epidemic model, which can preserve the bounded positive domain and asymptotic properties. The proposed new method is based on combining a logarithmic transformation with a truncated Euler-Maruyama method, and it has the first-order rate of convergence for the pth-moment with p > 0 . Moreover, without additional restriction conditions except those necessary to guarantee the extinction of the exact solution, the approximation of the extinction is achieved for the stochastic SIS model whose coefficients violate the global monotonicity condition. Some numerical experiments are given to illustrate the theoretical results and testify to the efficiency of our algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical C–N coupling from CO2 and NO3–, driven by renewable electricity, toward urea synthesis is an appealing alternative for Bosch–Meiser urea production. However, the unmatched kinetics in CO2 and NO3– reduction reactions and the complexity of C- and N-species involved in the co-reduction render the challenge of C–N coupling, leading to the low urea yield rate and Faradaic efficiency. Here, we report a single-atom copper-alloyed Pd catalyst (Pd4Cu1) that can achieve highly efficient C–N coupling toward urea electrosynthesis. The reduction kinetics of CO2 and NO3– is regulated and matched by steering Cu doping level and Pd4Cu1/FeNi(OH)2 interface. Charge-polarized Pdδ–-Cuδ+ dual-sites stabilize the key *CO and *NH2 intermediates to promote C–N coupling. The synthesized Pd4Cu1-FeNi(OH)2 composite catalyst achieves a urea yield rate of 436.9 mmol gcat.–1 h–1 and Faradaic efficiency of 66.4%, as well as a long cycling stability of 1000 h. In-situ spectroscopic results and theoretical calculation reveal that atomically dispersed Cu in Pd lattice promotes the deep reduction of NO3– to *NH2, and the Pd-Cu dual-sites lower the energy barrier of the pivotal C–N coupling between *NH2 and *CO. The synthesis of urea by electrochemically converting the waste of nitrate and carbon dioxide is an interesting approach, but currently still restricted to low urea yield rate and Faradaic efficiency. Here, the authors report an efficient copper single-atom alloy electrocatalyst toward urea electrosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the relationship between psychological distress and quality of life (QoL), cancer-related fatigue (CRF), and chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer patients. Methods: Advanced gastric cancer patients (39 with psychological distress and 35 without psychological distress) completed the Distress Thermometer (DT), QoL, and CRF test before receiving chemotherapy and assessed the efficacy after completing 2 courses of chemotherapy. Results: Psychological distress was a significant factor in the efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients (χ2 = 6.324; p = 0.042). Compared to advanced gastric cancer patients with no psychological distress, advanced gastric cancer patients with psychological distress had a poorer QoL (50.41 ± 6.17 vs. 60.01 ± 7.94, t = − 5.882, p < 0.01) and more pronounced CRF (5.75 ± 1.16 vs. 3.22 ± 0.75, t = 11.231, p < 0.01) while receiving chemotherapy. FACT-G (p = 0.0035, r = − 0.4568), as well as PFS (p < 0.0001, r = 0.6599), correlated significantly with efficacy for patients in the psychological distress group. The FACT-G (p = 0.0134, r = − 0.4139) of patients in the no psychological distress group correlated significantly with efficacy. Conclusion: Psychological distress has a negative impact on QoL, CRF, and efficacy and may be a potential risk for the efficacy of palliative chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Interception of teicoplanin oxidation intermediates yields new antimicrobial scaffolds" that was published in the April 10, 2011 issue is presented.

A correction is presented to the article "A pure nanoICG‑based homogeneous lipiodol formulation: toward precise surgical navigation of primary liver cancer after long‑term transcatheter arterial embolization."

Purpose: To explore the position change of fetal conus medullaris by ultrasound, and to propose gestational age-specific references for the lower limits of fetal conus medullaris level. Methods: We prospectively collected the imaging and clinical data of fetuses whose mothers accepted routine prenatal ultrasonic follow-ups in the Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, between November 2020 and April 2021. By assigning to the conus medullaris levels, calculating statistical data, and performing linear regression analysis, we determined the correlation between the conus medullaris level and gestational week, as well as between the 95th percentile of the conus medullaris level, i.e., the lower limit of the conus medullaris level, and gestational week. Results: We included 1202 different fetuses at 17–40 gestational weeks in the study. Both the conus medullaris level and the 95th percentile of the conus medullaris level were linearly correlated with gestational week. We calculated the adjusted values of the lower limits of fetal conus medullaris levels, that is, the theoretical references of the lower limits, according to the linear regression equation, and composed a comparison table. Conclusion: The fetal conus medullaris position continues changing cranially with gestational weeks during the whole pregnancy. The conus medullaris of a term fetus should not lie below the L2 vertebra level at birth. We proposed reference criteria of fetal low-lying conus medullaris for each gestational week from 17 to 40 weeks of gestational age, which potentially help prompt diagnosis and improve prognosis of fetal tethered cord syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There existed a lack of measuring instruments to clarify employees' psychological motivation for working overtime, which challenged the management of employees' occupational safety and health. Therefore, this article conducted three studies to develop and validate the Motivation for Overtime Work among Chinese Employees (MOW-CE) questionnaire. Study 1 developed the initial questionnaire, consisting of 55 questions. Study 2 involved a formal questionnaire exploring overtime work motivation, which was based on the data obtained from 208 valid questionnaires. Reliability analysis, item analysis, and principal component analysis were carried out to examine six factors, including promotion, belongingness, survival, companion, standard, and aimless, consisting of 21 items. Based on these data, Study 2 constructed the progressive model of external–internal overtime work motivation. Finally, Study 3 validated the formal questionnaire by analyzing the data obtained from 1412 valid questionnaires. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed good convergence validity and structural discrimination, and the questionnaire also passed the reliability test. This study proposes a new questionnaire that facilitates an understanding of why individuals work overtime according to an advanced model of external-internal motivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The elevated physical symptom burden in advanced lung cancer can disrupt patients' emotional well-being, and current literature suggests that physicians' good communication skills might be a buffer. However, little is known about for which group of patients this buffering effect is most effective. Based on a cross-sectional study in patients with advanced lung cancer, the present study examined whether the moderating effect of physicians' communication skills on the association between physical symptoms and emotional distress would further depend on patients' perceived disease understanding. Methods: Patients with advanced lung cancer (n = 199) completed a questionnaire including measures of physical symptoms related to lung cancer, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, perceptions of physicians' communication skills, and self-reported understanding of their disease. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a significant three-way interaction among physical symptoms, perceptions of physicians' communication skills, and perceived disease understanding on both anxiety and depression. Specifically, physicians' good communication skills exerted a buffering effect only for patients with lower levels of disease understanding. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that improving physicians' communication skills may be especially beneficial for reducing the maladaptive emotional reactions to symptom burden for patients with limited disease understanding. When time and resources for communication are restricted, enhanced awareness and focused training may be directed at communicating with patients who possess limited knowledge about their disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane is one of the most promising biomass resources in the developing bioeconomy. It is a source of fermentable sugars and of lignocellulosic biomass that can be converted to a variety of products. Brazil is the leading producer of sugarcane, with 734 million tons projected for 2022 and a yield of 74 tons per hectare. Sugarcane is already an important source of sugar, ethanol, and electricity through the direct burning of sugarcane bagasse, but its potential goes far beyond these products. For being easily fermentable, sugarcane juice is a promising source for other bio-based products, and the valorization of sugarcane residues in existing biorefineries has enormous potential, from the production of biogas from vinasse to the valorization of CO2, recovery of xylans and xylooligosaccharides, production of hydrogels, biosorbents, and 3G bioproducts. This manuscript will address the impact of sugarcane in the Brazilian bioeconomy, the status of technological development in sugarcane biorefineries, and the perspectives for sugarcane and its residues in a circular bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To surmount the critical issues of indocyanine green (ICG), and thus achieving a precise surgical navigation of primary liver cancer after long-term transcatheter arterial embolization. Methods: In this study, a facile and green pure-nanomedicine formulation technology is developed to construct carrier-free indocyanine green nanoparticles (nanoICG), and which subsequently dispersed into lipiodol via a super-stable homogeneous lipiodol formulation technology (SHIFT nanoICG) for transcatheter arterial embolization combined near-infrared fluorescence-guided precise hepatectomy. Results: SHIFT nanoICG integrates excellent anti-photobleaching capacity, great optical imaging property, and specific tumoral deposition to recognize tumor regions, featuring entire-process enduring fluorescent-guided precise hepatectomy, especially in resection of the indiscoverable satellite lesions (0.6 mm × 0.4 mm) in rabbit bearing VX2 orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma models. Conclusion: Such a simple and effective strategy provides a promising avenue to address the clinical issue of clinical hepatectomy and has excellent potential for a translational pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant reactive gliosis and neuroinflammation are typical pathogenetic hallmarks of brains in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, but regulation mechanisms are poorly understood. We are interested in role of programmed death-1 (PD-1) in glial reaction, neuroinflammation and neuronal injury in PD pathogenesis. Using PD mouse model and PD-1 knockout (KO) mice, we designed wild-type-control (WT-CON), WT-1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (WT-MPTP), PD-1-KO-control (KO-CON) and PD-1-KO-MPTP (KO-MPTP), and observed motor dysfunction of animal, morphological distribution of PD-1-positive cells, dopaminergic neuronal injury, glial activation and generation of inflammatory cytokines in midbrains by motor behavior detection, immunohistochemistry and western blot. WT-MPTP mouse model exhibited decrease of PD-1/Iba1-positive microglial cells in the substantia nigra compared with WT-CON mice. By comparison of four groups, PD-1 deficiency showed exacerbation in motor dysfunction of animals, decreased expression of TH protein and TH-positive neuronal protrusions. PD-1 deficiency enhanced microglial activation, production of proinflammatory cytokines like inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6, and expression and phosphorylation of AKT and ERK1/2 in the substantia nigra of MPTP model. We concluded that PD-1 deficiency could aggravate motor dysfunction of MPTP mouse model by inducing microglial activation and neuroinflammation in midbrains, suggesting that PD-1 signaling abnormality might be possibly involved in PD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) released into aquatic environment interact with other pollutants that already exist in water, potentially altering their toxicity, which poses a new problem for aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, we first evaluated the effects of polystyrene MPs (mPS) on copper (Cu) toxicity to the protozoan Euglena gracilis using three methods based on 96-h acute toxicity, orthogonal test and 12-d sub-acute toxicity data. Thereafter, the 12-d sub-acute exposure was employed to investigate protozoan growth, photosynthetic parameters and pigments, soluble protein, total antioxidant capacity and trace metal accumulation in E. gracilis after exposure to either 1.5 mg/L of Cu, 75-nm mPS (1 and 5 mg/L) or a combination therein, with the objective to understand the underlined mechanisms. The results show that the concentration and exposure time are key factors influencing the effects of the mPS on Cu toxicity. A mPS concentration of 5 mg/L caused significantly more dissipation energy, which is used for photosynthesis and thus decreased photosynthetic efficiency, but this effect weakened after 12 d of exposure. Exposure to Cu alone resulted in significantly high Cu accumulation in the cells and inhibited uptake of manganese and zinc. The presence of mPS did not influence the effects of Cu on trace metal accumulation. Our result suggests that application of multiple methods and indices could provide more information for a comprehensive understanding of the effects of mPS on toxicity of other pollutants. In addition, long-term exposure seems necessary for evaluating mPS toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While considered a relatively emergent area of research (Bloch and Sacks in Autom Constr 91:256–272, 2018), Semantic Enrichment (SE) and Semantic Web services are among the prominent topics and trends in BIM research (BIM handbook a guide to building information modeling for owners, designers, engineers, contractors, and facility managers, John Wiley & Sons Inc, New Jersey). SE computational approaches provide valuable means to overcome current BIM limitations such as interoperability, topology relationships, extensions to standard schemas, among many others. Therefore, the study herein consists of a semi-systematic literature review on BIM-based SE systems and applications developed during the last decade. The article describes the computational methods and approaches identified, a classification of the screened papers according to their primary BIM Use (https://bim.psu.edu/uses/), as well as reported limitations and recommendations for future developments. From the selected articles, main developments in SE techniques encompass multidisciplinary approaches comprising the use of Semantic Web technologies; inference rules, and rule processing engines; artificial intelligence methods; ontology mapping and semantic similarity; application of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) libraries; and custom plugins. Considering BIM Uses, research was mostly focused on "Capture Existing Conditions" and "Validate Code Compliance". Other identified BIM Uses " verified three or fewer occurrences. Reported limitations state that more user-friendly interfaces are required to handle SPARQL queries (Lee et al. in Autom Constr 68:102–113, 2016). Moreover, the ontologies development process is deemed as time-consuming (Zhong et al. in Build Environ 141:127–142, 2018), and constraints were identified when trying to share semantic data between BIM and Geographic Information System (GIS) platforms (Zhong et al. in Build Environ 141:127–142, 2018). Future research may be expected in transitions to a more extended BIM paradigm, such as the formalization of Digital Twinning processes; discussions concerning a standard format for SPARQL query results (Karan and Irizarry in Autom Constr 53:1–12, 2015); as well as enhanced support through the transition to Linked Data and ontology-based systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the growing economic might and intensification of global activities of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNE), this paper looks into the nature of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting. CSR communications of the largest Chinese companies and their counterparts from advanced economies have been compared based on quantitative and qualitative content analysis of CSR reports. A mixed method approach has been rarely utilized in the analysis of CSR reporting. To analyze CSR reports the paper uses a two-dimensional conceptual framework based on Wood (Acad Manag Rev 16:691–717, 1991); Jamali and Mirshak (J Bus Ethics 72:243–262, 2007) and Lockett, Moon and Visser (J Manag Stud 43:115–136, 2006); Moon and Shen (J Bus Ethics 94:613–629, 2010). The findings indicate that quantitatively Chinese MNEs display patterns of CSR reporting comparable to major MNEs in developed economies. This paper argues that just like MNEs from developed economies Chinese MNEs use a global CSR reporting template as a convenient tool to align and harmonize various isomorphic pressures. However, qualitatively substantive discrepancies in content have been also identified due to national or other contextual characteristics. The analysis reveals a complex picture of national and international isomorphic forces at play. The paper addresses the lack of consensus concerning convergence/divergence of CSR reporting across the globe and, more specifically, between developed economies and emerging markets. In this respect this paper responds to the general call for research looking into various aspects of business operations, including CSR reporting, of MNEs from emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The current big data era has placed new challenges for the study and application of information management (IM). The paper entitled "A Multi-modal Data Platform for Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease Using Machine Learning Methods" [[8]], used a multi-task learning algorithm based on the ADNI dataset to predict the cognitive scores of subjects in the next three years. Also, the authors use four different machine learning classification algorithms to conduct fusion research on AD multi-modal data, and thus to achieve the effect of assisting doctors in diagnosis. [Extracted from the article]

Previous studies have demonstrated that cognitive impairment is associated with neurophysiological changes in lung cancer following chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) pattern within the default mode network (DMN) and its associations with cognitive impairment in patients with lung cancer revealed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Resting-state fMRI scans were acquired from 21 post-chemotherapy and 27 non-chemotherapy lung cancer patients and 30 healthy controls. All groups were age, gender and education-matched. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was chosen as the seed region to detect the FC patterns and then determine whether these changes were related with specific cognitive performance. Compared with non-chemotherapy lung cancer patients, chemotherapy patients revealed decreased FC between the PCC and the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as well as increased FC with the left postcentral gyrus (PoCG). Relative to healthy controls, post-chemotherapy patients exhibited reduced FC between the PCC and the left ACC and left temporal lobe, as well as increased FC with the right PoCG. Moreover, the decreased FC of the PCC to bilateral ACC in post-chemotherapy patients was positively associated with reduced MoCA scores (left: r = 0.529, p = 0.029; right: r = 0.577, p = 0.015). The current study mainly demonstrated reduced resting-state FC pattern within the DMN regions that was linked with impaired cognitive function in lung cancer patients after chemotherapy. These findings illustrated the potential role of the DMN in lung cancer patients that will provide novel insight into the underlying neuropathological mechanisms in chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to geological history, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo formed at different times and were once connected during Quaternary glaciations. To determine how this history has influenced phylogeography, our study examined the population genetic structure of the tropical freshwater gastropod Melanoides tuberculata across Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo using the sequences from mitochondrial DNA 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I genes (1168 bp). In total, 104 specimens were collected from seventeen populations. All mtDNA haplotypes were identified as belonging to two highly divergent lineages, and these lineages were almost allopatric in their distributions. Our study found that the freshwater fauna in Malaysia might be divided into four regions: northeast Peninsular Malaysia, northwest Peninsular Malaysia, south Peninsular Malaysia, and Borneo. The phylogeography of M. tuberculata in Malaysia was shaped by the landforms of Peninsular Malaysia and by the paleo-river systems in the Sunda continental shelf. In addition, our study found that these two lineages in Malaysia have invaded the globe. These results suggest that Malaysia is located in important shipping lanes throughout the world, and the populations of M. tuberculate might be widely distributed throughout the world by shipping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study aimed to determine which hemodynamic parameters independently characterize anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysm formation and explore the threshold of wall shear stress (WSS) of the parent artery to better illustrate the correlation between the magnitude of WSS and AcomA aneurysm formation.Methods: Eighty-one patients with AcomA aneurysms and 118 patients without intracranial aneurysms (control population), as confirmed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) from January 2014 to May 2017, were included in this cross-sectional study. Three-dimensional-DSA was performed to evaluate the morphologic characteristics of AcomA aneurysms. Local hemodynamic parameters were obtained using transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD). Multivariate logistic regression and a two-piecewise linear regression model were used to determine which hemodynamic parameters are independent predictors of AcomA aneurysm formation and identify the threshold effect of WSS of the parent artery with respect to AcomA aneurysm formation.Results: Univariate analyses showed that the WSS (p < 0.0001), angle between the A1 and A2 segments of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) (p < 0.001), hypertension (grade II) (p = 0.007), fasting blood glucose (FBG; > 6.0 mmol/L) (p = 0.005), and dominant A1 (p < 0.001) were the significant parameters. Multivariate analyses showed a significant association between WSS of the parent artery and AcomA aneurysm formation (p = 0.0001). WSS of the parent artery (7.8-12.3 dyne/cm2) had a significant association between WSS and aneurysm formation (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-2.8, p < 0.001).Conclusions: WSS ranging between 7.8 and 12.3 dyne/cm2 independently characterizes AcomA aneurysm formation. With each additional unit of WSS, there was a one-fold increase in the risk of AcomA aneurysm formation.Key Points: • Multivariate analyses and a two-piecewise linear regression model were used to evaluate the risk factors for AcomA aneurysm formation and the threshold effect of WSS on AcomA aneurysm formation. • WSS ranging between 7.8 and 12.3 dyne/cm 2 was shown to be a reliable hemodynamic parameter in the formation of AcomA aneurysms. The probability of AcomA aneurysm formation increased one-fold for each additional unit of WSS. • An ultrasound-based TCCD technique is a simple and accessible noninvasive method for detecting WSS in vivo; thus, it can be applied as a screening tool for evaluating the probability of aneurysm formation in primary care facilities and community hospitals because of the relatively low resource intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether exogenous tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) will initiate a degenerative process in intervertebral disc in vivo. Methods: Exogenous TNF-α in dosages of 50 and 100 ng in 50 μL Dulbecco's Modified Essential Medium (DMEM) was injected into porcine lumbar discs; a third disc was injected only with 50 μL DMEM as a control. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) yielding T1- and T2-weighted images, T2-mapping, and post-contrast T1 images was performed and histology was studied as well. Results: After 3 months, a significant decrease in T2 value calculated from T2-mapping MRI was observed in the annulus and nucleus of both groups injected with TNF-α along with a slight decrease in disc height and nucleus volumes in comparison to the control discs. No obvious visual differences among the groups were observed in the normal T1- and T2-weighted MRI images. Post-contrast T1 MRI showed increased annulus enhancement in both TNF-α-injected groups compared to the control discs, while no enhancement difference was observed in the nucleus. Histological analysis showed degenerative changes with annulus fissure, cell cluster, nucleus matrix loss, vascularization and interleukin-1β expression in the outer annulus of both TNF-α-injected discs, while no degenerative changes were observed in the control discs. Conclusions: Intradiscal injection of exogenous TNF-α caused early stage disc degeneration in a porcine model. It may thus support the hypothesis of exogenic TNF-α being an important early pathogenetic factor in disc degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]