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Sexual dimorphism has commonly been found in many species. The phenotypes of Salix matsudana females and males are different under salinity stress. An F1 population was selected to compare the differences between males and females. As a result, males showed stronger roots and heavier dry weights than females. The unique molecular mechanisms of males and females under salinity stress were further analyzed based on the root transcriptome of males and females. Both males and females up-regulated systemic acquired resistance genes, such as ADH and oxygenase-related genes, to resist salt. Moreover, many other abiotic stress response genes were up-regulated in males to adjust to salinity stress, while females showed more down-regulation of nitrogen metabolism-related genes to decrease the harm from salinity stress. The research on salinity tolerance in Salix matsudana males and females would help to further understand sexual dimorphism under selection pressure and provide benefits to the ecological environment.

Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is considered as an environmentally friendly method for immobilizing heavy metals (HMs). The fundamental of the EICP method is to catalyze urea hydrolysis using the urease, discharging CO

C27H20Cl2F2N2O3S, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P‾{1}$ (no. 2), a = 8.7887(4) Å, b = 11.2517(6) Å, c = 13.7609(7) Å, α = 74.962(4)°, β = 81.084(4)°, γ = 71.259(4)°, V = 1240.68(11) Å3, Z = 2, R gt (F) = 0.0582, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1543, T = 100.0(1) K.

C26H18F5NO3S, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P‾{1}$ (no. 2), a = 7.8831(4) Å, b = 11.9591(7) Å, c = 13.3258(7) Å, α = 69.072(5)°, β = 88.556(4)°, γ = 73.730(5)°, V = 1122.48(11) Å3, Z = 2, R gt (F) = 0.0507, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1216, T = 100.0(1) K.

Calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) play important roles in plant responses to stress. However, their function in the ornamental woody plant Lagerstroemia indica is remains unclear. In this study, the LiCIPK gene family was analyzed at the whole genome level. A total of 37 LiCIPKs, distributed across 17 chromosomes, were identified. Conserved motif analysis indicated that all LiCIPKs possess a protein kinase motif (S_TKc) and C-terminal regulatory motif (NAF), while seven LiCIPKs lack a protein phosphatase interaction (PPI) motif. 3D structure analysis further revealed that the N-terminal and C-terminal 3D-structure of 27 members are situated near to each other, while 4 members have a looser structure, and 6 members lack intact structures. The intra- and interspecies collinearity analysis, synonymous substitution rate (Ks) peaks of duplicated LiCIPKs, revealed that ∼80% of LiCIPKs were retained by the two whole genome duplication (WGD) events that occurred approximately 56.12–61.16 million year ago (MYA) and 16.24–26.34 MYA ago. The promoter of each LiCIPK contains a number of auxin, abscisic acid, gibberellic acid, salicylic acid, and drought, anaerobic, defense, stress, and wound responsive cis-elements. Of the 21 members that were successfully amplified by qPCR, 18 LiCIPKs exhibited different expression patterns under NaCl, mannitol, PEG8000, and ABA treatments. Given that LiCIPK30, the AtSOS2 ortholog, responded to all four types of stress it was selected for functional verification. LiCIPK30 complements the atsos2 phenotype in vivo. 35S:LiCIPK-overexpressing lines exhibit increased leaf area increment, chlorophyll a and b content, reactive oxygen species scavenging enzyme activity, and expression of ABF3 and RD22, while the degree of membrane lipid oxidation decreases under NaCl treatment compared to WT. The evolutionary history, and potential mechanism by which LiCIPK30 may regulate plant tolerance to salt stress were also discussed. In summary, we identified LiCIPK members involved in abiotic stress and found that LiCIPK30 transgenic Arabidopsis exhibits more salt and osmotic stress tolerance than WT. This research provides a theoretical foundation for further investigation into the function of LiCIPKs, and for mining gene resources to facilitate the cultivation and breeding of new L. indica varieties in coastal saline-alkali soil.

Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has recently applied to immobilize heavy metals toward preventing their threats to public health and sustainable development of surrounding environments. However, for copper metallurgy activities higher copper ion concentrations cause the ureolytic bacteria to lose their activity, leading to some difficulty in forming carbonate precipitation for copper immobilization (referred to also as “biomineralization”). A series test tube experiments were conducted in the present work to investigate the effects of bacterial inoculation and pH conditions on the copper immobilization efficiency. The numerical simulations mainly aimed to compare with the experimental results to verify its applicability. The copper immobilization efficiency was attained through azurite precipitation under pH in a 4–6 range, while due to Cu2+ migration and diffusion, it reduced to zero under pH below 4. In case pH fell within a 7–9 range, the immobilization efficiency was attained via malachite precipitation. The copper-ammonia complexes formation reduced the immobilization efficiency to zero. The reductions were attributed either to the low degree of urea hydrolysis or to inappropriate pH conditions. The findings shed light on the necessity of securing the urease activity and modifying pH conditions using the two-step biomineralization approach while applying the MICP technology to remedy copper-rich water bodies.

Reinforcing structural members and construction materials using recycled fibers has become popular in the past decades due to sustainable development concerns. The recycled fibers as soil reinforcement elements contribute to the increase in shear strength by distributing stresses exerted in the soil along the length of the recycled fibers. Loess, widely spread over the Chinese Loess Plateau, is featured with metastable structure, large porosity, and high water sensitivity. This study presents the results of applying the large-scale stress-controlled direct shear tests on the recycled straw fiber-reinforced loess. The formation mechanism of shearing behaviour enhancement of the loess by straw fiber inclusion is revealed. The associated strain-hardening behaviour can be manifested using the dilation angle or the difference in friction angle between the large-displacement friction angle and the peak friction angle. Further, the shear strength using the displacement-controlled direct shear tests presents good correspondence with that using the stress-controlled direct shear tests. The test results explore the potential of using the recycled straw fiber-reinforced loess to protect the fragile loess environment in the northwest of China.

Perforator-based free perforator flaps have become an important tool for the reconstruction of tissue defects. The effect of the number of perforators on the outcomes of perforator flaps has been widely debated. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of single- and multiple-perforator-based free perforator flaps in free-flap reconstruction.We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM), Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov between January 2000 and June 2021 to identify studies that reported data on the outcomes of free perforator flaps. Two authors individually extracted data and performed quality assessment. Outcomes, including partial flap loss, total loss, fat necrosis, arterial insufficiency, venous insufficiency, hemorrhage and hematoma, wound dehiscence at recipient sites and donor site complications, were evaluated.Thirty-two studies with 2498 flaps were included in our analysis. No significant difference was found in the rates of partial loss and arterial insufficiency of flaps, hemorrhage and hematoma, wound dehiscence at recipient sites and donor site complications. However, the multiple-perforator group showed significantly lower rates of total loss (relative risk [RR] = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-1.79, p = .754), fat necrosis (RR = 1.79, 95% [CI]: 1.36-2.36, p = .000) and venous insufficiency (RR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.07-2.79, p = .026) than the single-perforator group.The rates of total loss, fat necrosis and venous insufficiency in the multiple-perforator group were lower than those in the single-perforator group. Hence, we recommend that multiple perforators be included in the free perforator flap when appropriate, to yield better clinical outcomes in reconstruction.

Heavy metal contamination during the rapid urbanization process in recent decades has notably impacted our fragile environments and threatens human health. However, traditional remediation approaches are considered time-consuming and costly, and the effect sometimes does not meet the requirements expected. The present study conducted test tube experiments to reproduce enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation applied to lead remediation under the effects of urease concentration and a calcium source. Furthermore, the speciation and sequence of the carbonate precipitation were simulated using the Visual MINTEQ software package. The results indicated that higher urease concentrations can assure the availability of CO32− during the enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) process toward benefiting carbonate precipitation. The calcium source determines the speciation of carbonate precipitation and subsequently the Pb remediation efficiency. The use of CaO results in the dissolution of Pb(OH)2 and, therefore, discharges Pb ions, causing some difficulty in forming the multi-layer structure of carbonate precipitation and degrading Pb remediation. The findings of this study are useful in widening the horizon of applications of the enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation technology to heavy metal remediation.

The Loess Plateau can be considered as a landslide-prone area in northwest China. The genera consensus about the interaction between landslide deposit and terrace sediments is not well studied; this paper summarised 40 loess landslides in the South Jingyang Platform, Shaanxi Province, China to help understand of this issue. Four of the loess landslides with high mobility have been analysed in detail. Three trenches T1, T2 and T3 dug after the loess landslides LD37, LD11 and LD38 highlighted the landslide-induced changes in geomorphology and internal geometry of geology, respectively. Furthermore, observation of upwards seepage flow on the profile of trench T3 is believed to be the trigger of the high speed, and long runout flowslides in the study area. A newly developed sandbox apparatus is used to reproduce the landslide kinematics due to a mass travelling over an inclined plane. The sandbox experiments show that the sediments are sheared and pushed upwards after the collision with the deposits. The deposits are then wrapped in a space between sediments, which tends to form the ‘sandwich’ structure. The distal sediments are thrust when the loess deposits’ kinetic energy consistently dissipates, developing the accumulated folded strata. These results reveal the deposits’ interactions with the sediments in the study area and provide key guideposts regarding prevention and mitigation of loess landslide hazards.

The conventional poststack inversion uses standard recursion formulas to obtain impedance in a single trace. It cannot allow for lateral regularization. In this paper, ID edge-preserving smoothing (EPS) filter is extended to 2D/3D for setting precondition of impedance model in impedance inversion. The EPS filter incorporates a priori knowledge into the seismic inversion. The a priori knowledge incorporated from EPS filter preconditioning relates to the blocky features of the impedance model, which makes the formation interfaces and geological edges precise and keeps the inversion procedure robust. Then, the proposed method is performed on two 2D models to show its feasibility and stability. Last, the proposed method is performed on a real 3D seismic work area from Southwest China to predict reef reservoirs in practice.

Studies on transuranic oxides provide a particularly valuable insight into chemical bonding in actinide compounds, in which subtle differences between metal ions and oxygen atoms are of fundamental importance for the stability of these compounds as well as their existence. In the case of neptunium, it is still mainly limited to specific Np oxide compounds without periodicity in the formation of stable structures or different oxidation states. Here, we report a systematic global minimum search of Np2Ox (x = 1–7) clusters and the computational study of their electronic structures and chemical bonding. These studies suggest that Np(V) ion could play the structure-directing role, and thus the mixed-valent Np(III/V) in Np2O4 is predicted accessible. In comparison with lower oxidation state Np analogues, significant 5f-orbital covalent interactions with Np(V)O bonding are observed, which shows that these model neptunium oxides can provide new understandings into the behavior of 5f-electrons in chemical bonding and structural design.

Background: The polymorphisms inside microRNA target sites locating in the 3′-UTR region may introduce the micro­RNA-binding changes, which may regulate the gene expression and correlate with the potential diseases. Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether the polymorphisms in microRNA target sites of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway genes are associated with the susceptibility of mite-sensitized allergic rhinitis (AR) in a Han Chinese population. Methods: In this case-control study, 454 AR patients and 448 healthy controls were recruited. Three HapMap single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were mapped to putative microRNA recognition sites and genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Results: The genotype and allele frequencies of 3 SNPs (rs1590 in TGFBR1; rs1434536 and rs17023107 in BMPR1B) showed lack of significant association with AR. However, in the subgroup analysis, the TG, GG, and TG/GG genotypes of rs1590 exhibited significantly increased risk of AR in the male subgroup (TG: adjusted OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.08–2.31; GG: adjusted OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.09–2.86; TG/GG: adjusted OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.13–2.33). The CT genotypes of rs17023107 might have potential to protect against AR in the patients age of Conclusions: In a Han Chinese population, stratified by age and gender, susceptibility to mite-sensitized AR may be associated with 2 SNPs (rs1590 and rs17023107) in microRNA target sites of TGF-β signaling pathway genes.

Some methoxy-, hydroxyl-, pyridyl-, or fluoro-substituted 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidones (BAPs) could reduce inflammation and promote hepatoma cell apoptosis by inhibiting activation of NF-κB, especially after introduction of trifluoromethyl. Herein, a series of trifluoromethyl-substituted BAPs (4-30) were synthesised and the biological activities were evaluated. We successfully found the most potential 16, which contains three trifluoromethyl substituents and exhibits the best anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory activities. Preliminary mechanism research revealed that 16 could promote HepG2 cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner by down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulating the expression of Bax, C-caspase-3. Meanwhile, 16 inhibited activation of NF-κB by directly inhibiting the phosphorylation of p65 and IκBα induced by LPS, together with indirectly inhibiting MAPK pathway, thereby exhibiting both anti-hepatoma and anti-inflammatory activities. Molecular docking confirmed that 16 could bind to the active sites of Bcl-2, p65, and p38 reasonably. The above results suggested that 16 has enormous potential to be developed as a multifunctional agent for the clinical treatment of liver cancers and inflammatory diseases.

Strata erosion in northwest China has become an engineering concern as a result of overdevelopment of land. This issue is more distinct for loess soil than other soils since it is characterised by metastable microstructure, high porosity, and water sensitivity. This study explores the potential for the use of agricultural waste straw as a recycled reinforcement material to form the enhanced shearing behaviour towards preventing instability of the loess body. The stress-strain relation and the pore pressure behaviour of Lantian loess and reinforced Lantian loess were studied using the conventional triaxial compression (CTC) stress path for three different confining pressures. Comparison with Jingyang loess and Delhi silt of similar relative fraction of silt to clay, sheared under the reduced triaxial compression (RTC) stress path and the reduced triaxial extension (RTE) stress paths, respectively, was conducted, with emphasis on strength uniqueness and critical state behaviour, to shed light on the effect of waste straw inclusions. The results indicate that the stress path in undrained compression and extension tests had a pronounced effect on the stress-strain relation of the studied soils. Insertion of the waste straw in Lantian loess restrained the development of volumetric deformation, producing higher pore pressures than Lantian loess (unreinforced). This study explores an exciting potential for the use of agricultural waste straw to prevent instability of the loess body in hilly-gullied regions of northwest China when subjected to quick surface thick fills.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a nasal inflammatory disease resulting from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The association between Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway and environmental factors in AR pathogenesis remains to be explored. This study aims to assess the genetic association of AR with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TLR signaling pathway, and investigate the roles of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in AR.A total of 452 AR patients and 495 healthy controls from eastern China were enrolled in this hospital-based case-control study. We evaluated putatively functional genetic polymorphisms inIn the single-locus analysis, two SNPs inThe genetic polymorphisms of

Additional file 4: Table S2. List of primers used.

Supplemental Material for Risk Factors for Free Flap Outcomes: A Retrospective Study of 318 Free Flaps for Head and Neck Defect Reconstruction by Qi-hui Qiao, Shou-cheng Yin, Chao Shi, Shuai Wang, Qiang Xu, Zhong-fei Xu and Cui-juan Feng in Ear, Nose & Throat Journal

Additional file 1: Table S1. Cis-element motifs in the promoter region of SmAP2-17 and its homologous genes.

The medical computed tomography (CT) technique cannot be directly applied to power equipment, such as gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), because of its huge size and immovability. In this research, a three-dimensional X-ray imaging system is developed for GIS equipment. The three-dimensional X-ray imaging system includes machinery, motion control, data acquisition, image reconstruction and three-dimensional image display subsystems. The principle of three-dimensional X-ray imaging is based on the Radon transform and the inverse transform. The rotary scanning device successfully collects 360 sets of projection data. The tomographic image is reconstructed using the acquired projection data. Shown in this paper is what is believed to be the world's first three-dimensional structure photograph of GIS that can be sliced and displayed using X-ray imaging. The application of the three-dimensional X-ray imaging system to the 110 kV GIS equipment at the Shayao Station of the Dongguan Power Supply Bureau shows that the overall accuracy of the system can reach up to 200 microns and the highest resolution of the output tomogram can reach up to 3160 × 3160 pixels.

Background:Considerable advances have been made in developing materials that promote wound healing and inhibit scar formation in clinical settings. However, some challenges, such as cumbersome treatment processes and determination of optimal treatment time, remain unresolved. Thus, developing a multifunctional wound dressing with both wound healing and scar inhibition properties is crucial. Here, we present an integrated electrospun fibrous composite membrane (MPC12) for wound healing and scar inhibition, consisting of aquaternized chitosan-loaded inner membrane (PCQC5) and quaternized silicone-loaded outer membrane (MQP12).Results:The inner membrane effectively coagulates blood and promotes wound healing, and the outer membrane moisturizes, resists bacteria, and inhibits scar formation. In vivo evaluation in a rabbit ear model revealed that MPC12 treatment results in faster wound healing and better alleviation of scar hypertrophy than treatment with commercial products (KELO-COTE, MSSG).Conclusions:Our strategy offers an excellent solution for the potential integration of wound healing and scar inhibition.

With the development of distributed energy resources (DERs), the power flow (PF) in the distribution network (DN) is changed from unidirectional to bidirectional, resulting in complex control and coordinate measures. Network reconfiguration (NR) is a feasible solution for the power grid side to deal with the complex PF. This paper proposed an edge-cloud-coordinated reconfiguration framework with edge servers (ESs) in the prosumer side and cloud servers (CSs) in the utility grid side, where the edge computing (EC) technology is implemented in ES to support load forecasting (LF), while cloud computing (CC) is used in CS to reconstruct the DN. LF is implemented by the long–short-term memory network to acquire the load information in advance, and the social preference of prosumers has been considered. The NR is formulated as a complex combinatorial optimization problem with the goal of minimizing power losses, while satisfying the power flow and voltage requirement. The NR problems are solved by the proposed advanced harmony search algorithm, which can find the optimal global solution, while satisfying the complex constraints of the NR problem. Numerical results are conducted based on an IEEE 33-bus network, which shows the high accuracy of LF and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed framework in terms of reducing more than 40% power losses and satisfying the voltage requirement.

Studies on transuranic oxides provide a particularly valuable insight into chemical bonding in actinide compounds, in which subtle differences between metal ions and oxygen atoms are of fundamental importance for the stability of these compounds as well as their existence. In the case of neptunium, it is still mainly limited to specific Np oxide compounds without periodicity in the formation of stable structures or different oxidation states. Here, we report a systematic global minimum search of Np

Objectives This study was conducted to identify the risk factors for free flap outcomes in head and neck reconstruction. Methods A retrospective review of 318 free flaps were used for head and neck reconstructions in 317 patients over seven years. The patient characteristics, surgical data, and flap outcomes were recorded. The impact of risk factors related on the outcomes of free flaps were analyzed using single and multivariate analysis. Results For single factor analysis, 295 free flaps for the first reconstruction were included. Hypertension and the type of recipient vein are associated with venous thrombosis ( P = .018, P = .047). Hypertension, type of free flap, recipient artery, and recipient vein were associated with the incidence of re-exploration ( P = .009, P = .011, P = .017, P = .021). Hypertension had an obvious effect on the flap survival ( P = .005). For multivariate analysis, hypertension (odds ratio = .166, 95% confidence interval: .043 – .636; P = .009) was a statistically significant risk factor for flap survival. For types of recipient artery and vein, selecting two venous anastomosis (one of IJVS and one of EJVS) had the minimum incidence of venous thrombosis (2.2%), and selecting facial artery, single vein (one of IJVS), and two veins (one of IJVS and one of EJVS) for anastomosis had lower incidence of re-exploration, which were 4.4%, 2.9%, and 6.0%, respectively ( P < .05). Conclusions Risk factors as hypertension, type of free flap, recipient artery and vein should be paid more attention in the free flaps for head and neck reconstructions. We believe proper measures will lead to better results in head and neck reconstruction.

For the fast prediction of the hydrodynamic characteristics of a floating horizontal-axis tidal current turbine (HATT) with coupled rotation and surging motion, this study applies the CFD method to simulate the coupled rotation and surging motion, and obtains the axial force and axial torque coefficients at different current velocities. According to the CFD simulation data, the constant force, damping, and added mass coefficients can be obtained by least-squares fitting. The approximate calculation formulas of the axial force and axial torque coefficients of a turbine with coupled rotation and surging motion are summarized by analyzing the constant force, damping, and added mass coefficients under different surge frequencies and amplitudes, turbine rotation speeds, and current velocities. The results demonstrate the following: 1) the frequency and amplitude of the surge have little impact on the damping coefficient, which is positively proportional to the tip speed ratio; 2) when predicting the hydrodynamic load of a turbine with coupled rotation and surging motion, the added mass coefficient can be neglected, and only the influence of the constant terms of the constant force and the damping coefficients are needed. The approximate calculation formula obtained in this study can effectively predict the hydrodynamic load of the HATT.

To adapt to an ocean environment of changing wave period, a novel point-absorber concept is proposed: a fully-enclosed Dual Mass-Spring-Damper (DMSD) floater system that has an internal mass and spring so that its resonance frequency can be varied by changing the movable internal mass and spring. In a waterproof floater, this one-degree-of-freedom heaving energy converter can float or be submerged to evade excessive storm load. Optimization of the internal mass, spring and damping system in the frequency domain is first developed to demonstrate that favorable capture width is achievable for a range of incident-wave frequency. Next, power and motion response of this system in an ISSC wave spectrum are studied in time domain. With constant damping for power-takeoff, the DMSD system is found to have noticeably lower capture width in irregular waves than that in regular waves at a frequency that is the same as the peak wave frequency of the spectrum. Since excessive relative motion can occur in irregular-wave excitation, end-stops, modeled by a stiff spring and strong damper, are applied in the time-domain simulation. When properly designed, degradation of only 1–2% in the capture width in the irregular-wave environment is found when end-stops are applied.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-qjp-10.1177_17470218211041842 for Neural correlates of contributions of interpreting training to second language semantic integration by Fei Zhong, Yanping Dong and Yaqiong Liu in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

The loess tends to behave in an instable manner when subjected to external loads since it is characterised by metastable structure, high porosity, and water sensitivity. Therefore, the Chinese Loess Plateau has been deemed as a landslide-prone area in northwest China. This study explores the potential use of the loess-waste straw mixture as an alternative backfill material to improve the stability of loess against shallow slope failure and functionalise the agricultural solid waste. The displacement-controlled direct shear tests aim to document the baseline shear strength parameters of the loess specimen with and without waste straw inclusion, whereas the stress-controlled direct shear tests reveal the temporal relations of horizontal and vertical displacement under given shear stresses. The increase in cohesion, induced by the effect of waste straw inclusions, contributes the most to the increase in shear strength, and it is predicted using the perpendicular model. The measured results are generally in line with the prediction. Further, the stress state at failure in a displacement-controlled direct shear test and a stress-controlled direct shear test for same specimen under equal testing conditions shows good correspondence to each other irrespective of testing method, and their results approximate a single failure envelope.

BACKGROUND: The napkin-ring sign (NRS) was accepted as unstable plaques at coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). However, the incidence is relatively low. We sought to assess whether the newly defined diamond-attenuation-sign [DAS, defined as a qualitative plaque feature in a mixed plaque (MP) on CCTA cross-section images by the presence of two features: a visual calcification (in the shape of a diamond) accompanied by an annular-shape lower attenuation plaque tissue surrounding the lumen like a ring], could be accurately identified as unstable atherosclerotic plaques. METHODS: Eight heart transplant recipients (8 male; mean age, 48.5±11.6 years; range, 37–65 years) underwent CCTA exams prior to heart transplant surgery. Segment-based CCTA sections were independently evaluated for various plaque patterns including non-calcified plaque (NCP) with NRS (NCP-NRS), NCP without NRS (NCP-non-NRS), MP with DAS (MP-DAS), MP without DAS sign (MP-non-DAS), and calcified plaque (CP). RESULTS: NCP-NRS plaques in 6.4% (23/358), NCP-non-NRS plaques in 24.0% (86/358), MP-DAS plaques in 18.2% (65/358), MP-non-DAS plaques in 20.1% (72/358), and calcified-plaques in 7.0% (25/358) of all cases. The specificity and positive predictive values of the MP-DAS and NCP-NRS signs to identify unstable plaque features were excellent (97.1% vs. 98.6%, 90.8% vs. 87.0%, respectively). DAS plaques were more frequently seen on CCTA exams than that of NRS (39.3% vs. 13.3%, respectively, P=0.001). The diagnostic performance of MP-DAS to identify unstable coronary lesions was superior compared to NCP-NRS [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), 0.756; 95% CI: 0.717–0.791 vs. 0.558; 95% CI: 0.514–0.600, respectively, P

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-qjp-10.1177_17470218211041842 for Neural correlates of contributions of interpreting training to second language semantic integration by Fei Zhong, Yanping Dong and Yaqiong Liu in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

Heavy metal contamination has caused serious threats to surrounding fragile environments and human health. While the novel microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology in the recent years has been proven effective in improving material mechanical and durability properties, the mechanisms remedying heavy metal contamination still remain unclear. In this study, the potential of applying the MICP technology to the lead remediation under the effects of urease activity and calcium source was explored. The values of OD

In our continuous exploration for bioactive polysaccharides, a novel polysaccharide FMP-2 was isolated and purified from the fruiting bodies of Morchella esculenta by alkali-assisted extraction. FMP-2 had an average molecular weight of 1.09 × 10

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are key signalling pathways that regulate a wide variety of cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and stress responses. The MAPK pathway includes three main kinases, MAPK kinase kinase, MAPK kinase and MAPK, which activate and phosphorylate downstream proteins. The extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1 and ERK2 are evolutionarily conserved, ubiquitous serine-threonine kinases that regulate cellular signalling under both normal and pathological conditions. ERK expression is critical for development and their hyperactivation plays a major role in cancer development and progression. The Ras/Raf/MAPK (MEK)/ERK pathway is the most important signalling cascade among all MAPK signal transduction pathways, and plays a crucial role in the survival and development of tumour cells. The present review discusses recent studies on Ras and ERK pathway members. With respect to processes downstream of ERK activation, the role of ERK in tumour proliferation, invasion and metastasis is highlighted, and the role of the ERK/MAPK signalling pathway in tumour extracellular matrix degradation and tumour angiogenesis is emphasised.

Establishing a well-structured faculty is not only the focus of the construction of college faculty but also the only way for the survival and development of the university. The current research is based on quantitative research methods through a measurement model and tries to gain further understanding. After that, the primary data required is collected according to the survey strategy by providing self-administered questionnaires and interviews. Full-time lecturers who teach at Guizhou University in China were selected as the sampling frame for this study. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), moderating effects were observed to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that there are moderating effects of lecturers’ teaching experience on team structure towards optimizing the faculty. Optimizing the structure of the faculty of Guizhou University not only requires Guizhou University to introduce policies that are conducive to the construction of faculty but also requires the government to give team structure support to the faculty of the university. Finally, this research brings some implications to the policymakers and regulators as well. JEL: I20, I23, J24

The design of novel wound dressings with favorable mechanical properties, hemostasis, inherent antibacterial function, and biocompatibility to facilitate skin wound healing and inhibit scar formation has practical significance in clinical applications. Herein, a bilayered nanofibrous membrane (PQCQS) was fabricated by electrospinning poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL)/quaternized silicone (PQS, outer layer) and polyvinyl alcohol/collagen/quaternized chitosan (PCQC, inner layer) as wound dressings for damaged skin. The PQS nanofiber was utilized as the outer layer of the wound dressing because it combined the good mechanical property of PCL and antibacterial performance of quaternized silicone to suppress scar formation and provide a stable microenvironment for the wound healing process. The inner membrane (PCQC) exhibited hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and hemostasis, thus facilitating wound healing. The PQCQS membranes exhibited excellent hydrophilicity, outstanding thermal stability, comparable mechanical properties with human skin, efficient hemostatic performance, and cytocompatibility. Moreover, the PQCQS membranes demonstrated a good balance between antibacterial activity and cell proliferation. Moreover, the PQCQS membranes significantly expedited the wound healing process and inhibited scar hyperplasia better than commercial ointment (MSSG and KELO-COTE) in a rabbit ear full-thickness wounds defect model. That is, the bilayered nanofibrous membranes, with excellent antibacterial activity, hydrophilicity, hemostatic performance, scar inhibition, and wound healing properties, are appropriate candidates for wound dressings.

Lining cracking is a common issue in tunnels, which severely affects the integrity and service life of the tunnel. Bias pressure is one of the most important factors leading to lining cracking. In the present study, scale tests were carried out with different acting ranges of the bias pressure, and the bearing capacity, deformation behavior and crack morphology of the lining were measured. Then, the applicability of the extended finite element method (XFEM) in simulating lining cracking was validated using the scale test results. Furthermore, the crack evolution process and cracking mechanism of the lining caused by the bias pressure were investigated in detail by XFEM. The results showed that there was one intrados crack at the center of the bias pressure acting region, whereas two extrados cracks were symmetrically distributed on both sides of the bias pressure acting region. The intrados crack was a tensile crack with ‘ Λ ’ shape, which initiated first followed by the two extrados cracks. The eccentricity of the lining cross section was the key factor controlling the crack evolution. As the acting range of the bias pressure increased, the eccentricity of the cross section of the intrados crack gradually decreased, which led to a decrease in the crack propagation depth and width. This work can provide some helpful guidance for addressing the tunnel lining issues.

水体浮游植物具有捕获利用磷的能力以及沉水植物能够显著抑制水体中藻类生长已得到国内外广泛共识，但相应的潜在机制尚缺乏深入了解.本研究选取金鱼藻（Ceratophyllum demersum）为研究对象，基于室内模拟实验，探讨了沉水植物调控浮游植物捕获磷与过度生长的机制.结果显示，尽管未种植金鱼藻的对照组上覆水中总磷、总溶解态磷和可溶性活性磷的平均浓度均显著高于种植金鱼藻的实验组（约4倍），但是两个系统中这3种磷浓度随时间的变化趋势均符合S形的对数曲线.实验组藻类密度、有效光量子产量、总碱性磷酸酶活性（TAPA）以及细颗粒碱性磷酸酶活性（细颗粒APA）也远低于对照组.此外，对照组中粗颗粒碱性磷酸酶活性（粗颗粒APA）占TAPA的44.7%，显著高于细颗粒APA.结构方程模型结果表明，对照组水体藻类密度对TAPA具有直接的正向作用，而金鱼藻的生长显著弱化了不同形态磷与APA、藻类密度、细菌动力以及光量子产量之间的相互作用.这说明沉水植物对水体浮游植物生长的调控具有多种策略.