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Abstract: When modelling urban expansion dynamics, cellular automata models focus mostly on the physical environments and cell neighbours, but ignore the 'human' aspect of the allocation of urban expansion cells. This limitation is overcome here using an intelligent self-adapting multiscale agent-based model. To simulate the urban expansion of Auckland, New Zealand, a total of 15 urban expansion drivers/constraints were considered over two periods (2000–2005, 2005–2010). The modelling takes into consideration both a macro-scale agent (government) and micro-scale agents (residents of three income levels), and their multi-level interactions. In order to achieve reliable simulation results, ABM was coupled with an artificial neural network to reveal the learning process and heterogeneity of the multi-sub-residential agents. The ANN-ABM accurately simulated the urban expansion of Auckland at both the global and local scales, with kappa simulation value at 0.48 and 0.55, respectively. The validated simulation result shows that the intelligent and self-adapting ANN-ABM approach is more accurate than an ABM with a general type of agent model (kappa simulation = 0.42) at the global scale, and more accurate than an ANN-based CA model (kappa simulation = 0.47) at the local scale. Simulation inaccuracy stems mostly from the outdated master land use plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptualising an alternative to the Rieglian analyses of the correlation between power and composition in group portraiture, this article proposes a ritualistic approach to understanding the group photograph and its commemorative purpose. The proposal is raised through a case study of the photograph of Tohoro Duanfang (1861–1911) and an assembly of scholarly officials with the altar bronzes in his collection. Despite the uncertainty about its date and location, the photograph has been widely published in books on Chinese ancient bronzes and the culture of collecting. This article dates, decodes and contextualises this image within the imperial tradition of reinstating ancient bronzes in Confucius worship. It also discusses photography's primacy in the late Qing antiquarian praxis of studying, cataloguing and displaying bronzes. This study demonstrates that the process of taking a group photograph consists of a composite ritualistic event in which a 'pro-photographic' event is imbricated with a 'photographic event'. This imbricated flow of event and ritual may shed light on understandings of group photographs with an intelligibility that is not only visual, but also temporal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of urban areas at the national and regional scales is critical for urban planners and governments to design sustainable and environment-friendly future development plans. The nighttime lights (NTL) data provide an effective way to monitor the urban at different scales however is usually achieved by using empirical threshold-based algorithms. This study proposed a novel Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach, using moderate resolution imageries as NTL, MODIS NDVI and land surface temperature data, to map urban areas. Both random and maximum dissimilarity distance algorithm sampling methods were considered and compared. The validation of the urban areas extracted from MDA-based ANN against the 2011 US national land cover data showed a reasonable quality (overall accuracy = 97.84; Kappa = 0.74) and achieved more accurate result than the threshold method. This study demonstrates that ANN can provide an effective, rapid, and accurate alternative in extracting urban built-up areas from NTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate simulations and predictions of urban expansion are critical to manage urbanization and explicitly address the spatiotemporal trends and distributions of urban expansion. Cellular Automata integrated Markov Chain (CA-MC) is one of the most frequently used models for this purpose. However, the urban suitability index (USI) map produced from the conventional CA-MC is either affected by human bias or cannot accurately reflect the possible nonlinear relations between driving factors and urban expansion. To overcome these limitations, a machine learning model (Artificial Neural Network, ANN) was integrated with CA-MC instead of the commonly used Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Logistic Regression (LR) CA-MC models. The ANN was optimized to create the USI map and then integrated with CA-MC to spatially allocate urban expansion cells. The validated results of kappa and fuzzy kappa simulation indicate that ANN-CA-MC outperformed other variously coupled CA-MC modelling approaches. Based on the ANN-CA-MC model, the urban area in South Auckland is predicted to expand to 1340.55 ha in 2026 at the expense of non-urban areas, mostly grassland and open-bare land. Most of the future expansion will take place within the planned new urban growth zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overt visual attention approach for multi-agent systems and asynchronous motion tasks with limited field of view based on human behavior. In a first step, results from a study on human temporal attention switching during a formation task are presented. Three temporally switching human behaviors (observer, actor, idler) are identified and characterized towards distributions of attention foci. In a second step, based on these results, a behavior switching attention strategy is proposed. The strategy is evaluated in simulations of various formation task scenarios illustrating the effectiveness of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyacrylate latex containing fluorine and silicon were successfully synthesized by semi-continuous seeded emulsion polymerization in the presence of the mixed emulsifier of novel sodium lauroyl glutamate (SLG) anion surfactant and BCE-10 nonionic surfactant, which methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA) were used as main monomers and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate (HFMA) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) were used as the functional monomers. Potassium persulfate (KPS) was used as the initiator. The structural groups of the latex films were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal performance of the film was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis. The latex particle size and its distribution were measured by the dynamic light scattering detector. Furthermore, surface hydrophobicity of the latex film was examined by measurement of water contact angle (WCA). WCA and thermal stability of the film are increased with the increased amount of HFMA and VTES. Factors, which have an influence on the properties of the resultant latex and its film, are investigated in detail. Results show that the optimal condition of synthesizing the emulsion is as follows: the amount of emulsifiers is 7.0%; mass ratio of SLG to BCE-10 is 1:1; the amount of initiator is 0.8%; the mass ratio of MMA to BA is 1:1; the content of the fluorine monomer and silicon monomer is 6.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitexin and isovitexin, as potential SKN-1/Nrf2 (SKN-1 is a homologous protein of mammalian Nrf2) activators, extended lifespan and promoted healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans. This study aims to elucidate the role of SKN-1/Nrf2 in vitexin and isovitexin-induced anti-aging and stress-resistance. Vitexin and isovitexin upregulated antioxidant gene and protein expressions, reduced ROS accumulation, and increased SKN-1 accumulation in the nucleus. They prolonged lifespan and clear ROS during stressful conditions in a skn-1-dependent manner. skn-1 was also found to be necessary for these compounds-induced longevity under normal conditions. They were also witnessed to retard cellular senescence and scavenge ROS in senescent cells by directly binding to the pocket of Keap1 to promote the dissociation and activation of Nrf2. This study showed that SKN-1/Nrf2 signaling was vital to delaying ageing and enhancing anti-stress capacity with vitexin and isovitexin. The findings provide new insights into apigenin C-glycosides activating the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway and demonstrate their potential as candidates for innovative strategies in chemoprophylaxis against ageing and oxidative-related diseases. The activation of the SKN-1/Nrf2 signaling pathway by vitexin and isovitexin delays ageing and enhances stress-resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluorinated polyacrylate latex were successfully prepared with semi- continuous seeded emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate (BA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate (HFMA) which was initiated with potassium persulfate (KPS) initiator and emulsified with the novel mixed surfactants of sodium lauryl glutamate (SLG) and alkylphenol ethoxylates (OP-10). The structure of the resultant latex was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The particle size of the latex was measured by Zetatrac dynamic light scattering detector. The film of latex was tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and contact angle (CA). The optimum conditions of preparing the novel fluorinated polyacrylate latex are optimized and the results are as follows: the amount of emulsifiers is 4.0%; mass ratio of SLG to OP-10 is 1:1, the amount of the initiator is 0.6%. The mass ratio of MMA to BA is 1:1 and the amount of HFMA is 7.0%. In this case, the conversion is high and the polymerization stability is good. In addition, the water resistance and thermal properties of the latex films were improved significantly in comparison with the film of the latex prepared without the fluorinated monomer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) powder was usually used as hemostatic agent because of its excellent physical properties of water-absorption and water-locking. However, if γ-PGA absorbs enough water, how about its blood compatibility? Here, the other side of the coin was investigated. The anticoagulant properties of γ-PGA were characterized byin vitrocoagulation tests, hemolytic assay, platelet adhesion, and platelet activation. Moreover, cytotoxicity experiments of γ-PGA were also carried out by MTT assay. Results indicated that the sufficient water-absorbed γ-PGA has good anticoagulant property and non-cytotoxicity. It means γ-PGA has good anticoagulant property, non-cytotoxicity. If γ-PGA has absorbed enough water, it can be used as an anticoagulation biomaterial. With double effects (coagulation and anticoagulation), the γ-PGA with desirable bioproperties can be readily tailored to cater to various biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It was the first time that 3-octadecylcarbamoylacrylicacid-cisplatin nanocomplexes (OMI-CDDP-N) were synthesized via monocarboxylato and O→Pt coordination. The nanocomplexes exhibited lower IC50values compared with cisplatin (CDDP)in vitro, and enhanced antitumor efficacy in murine liver cancer (H22)in vivo. However, the toxicity of the nanocomplexes was more severe than CDDP. OMI-CDDP-N-based liposome (OCP-L) was prepared in order to maintain the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of OMI-CDDP-N. Here, a series of parameters were investigated to optimize liposome formulation. The optimal formulation was CDDP/phospholipids/cholesterol (1/10/0.7 wt.%), with distilled water as hydration medium and an encapsulation efficiency of 94.2 ± 2.1%.In vitrocytotoxicity studies revealed that OCP-L and OMI-CDDP-N exhibited a lower IC50compared with commercial cisplatin injection (CDDP-S) in a variety of human cancer cells. In H22-implanted mice, OCP-L showed a significantly higher antitumor activity than OMI-CDDP-N or CDDP-S at a dose of 5 mg/kg (p < 0.01). Moreover, OCP-L exceeded the size cutoff for kidney clearance, hence it bypassed the nephrotoxicity of CDDP which is a major curse of CDDP in the clinic. These results suggested that the unique OMI-CDDP-N-entrapped liposome can overcome the disadvantages associated with conventional CDDP therapy and provide a higher safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel cationic polyacrylate latex containing fluorine silicon was successfully prepared via soap-free emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, vinyltriethoxysilane and hexafluorobutylmethacrylate in water phase, which were initiated with water soluble azo initiator and emulsified with the mixed surfactants polymerizable emulsifier and OP-10. The films of the resultant latex were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and contact angle (CA) determinator, respectively. In comparison with the conventional polyacrylate latex, the thermal stability and water resistance of novel latex film are improved. The conditions of preparing the novel cationic acrylate latexes were optimized. The optimum conditions of preparing the novel latex are as follows: the amount of emulsifiers and the initiator are 6.0% and0.3%, respectively; both the amount of VETS and amount of HFMA are 6.0%. In this case, the conversion is high and the polymerization stability is good. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Bi5Fe0.5Co0.5Ti3O15(BFCT) polycrystalline thin films with Aurivillius phase were prepared by the chemical solution deposition in the conventional tube furnace. The structure and surface topography were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The typical ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed with remnant polarization ∼ 37.7μC/cm2(2Pr) and coercive field (Ec) ∼ 123.4 kV/cm, respectively. The magneticM-Hcurve shows a well-saturated weak ferromagnetic behaviour at room temperature and the saturated magnetization (Ms) was ∼ 2.3 emu/cm3. Meanwhile, we also utilized the rapid thermal annealing (RTP) to prepare the BFCT film, and the effect of different fabrication processes on ferroelectric and magnetic properties in the BFCT film was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological and clinical gender differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been reported; however, gender differences in brain functional connectivity and the relationship between resting brain functional imaging and clinical symptoms has not been studied in OCD. A total of 62 drug-naive patients with OCD (31 males, 31 females) and 60 healthy controls (HCs) (30 males, 30 females) matched for age, sex, and education underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) over the whole brain and seed-based connectivity analyses were evaluated to examine the intrinsic cerebral activity of the subjects. Additionally, associations between functional connectivity and clinical features were analysed. Compared to male OCD (mOCD) patients, female OCD (fOCD) patients showed higher ALFF values in the right parahippocampal gyrus. Compared to HCs, fOCD patients showed significantly decreased functional connectivity between the right parahippocampal gyrus and whole brain to the right posterior central gyrus/precentral gyrus/superior temporal gyrus/barycentric lobule and left anterior cuneus. Abnormal functional connectivity was negatively correlated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory total scores. Our results suggest that the right parahippocampal gyrus, which is related to executive control and emotional regulation, may show gender differences in OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child trafficking is a serious social problem in China that has led to numerous family tragedies and drawn considerable attention. Here, we used a new database to investigate child trafficking in Henan Province in central China from a geographical perspective to help researchers better understand and explain trafficking activity. We discovered that trafficking cases involved more male than female children and that the trafficking rate was the highest for younger age groups. Child trafficking presented an interannual variation of 'rise and fall' between 1949 and 2018. An increasing trend in trafficking cases was observed after 1981, peaking in 1991, followed by a rapid decline in trafficking cases in subsequent years. Trafficking occurs more frequently during the summer than in the winter. The geographic hotspots of trafficking have continuously expanded over time from central to southwestern to southeastern Henan Province, thus revealing a triangular trafficking pattern of decentralization. The spatial pattern of child trafficking is strongly influenced by transportation. We expect these findings to provide a valuable reference for local governments in their efforts to prevent and combat child trafficking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to evaluate the accuracy of periostin for the diagnosis of asthma through a systematic review and meta-analysis. we searched the electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science) to find relevant studies through December 31, 2018. Studies selecting, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted by two researchers independently according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used bivariate mixed effects model to conduct the meta-analysis. A total of 9 studies including 1448 subjects with asthma were analyzed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were 0.68 (95% CI, 0.42–0.86), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.76–0.93) and 13.78 (95% CI, 4.64–40.93) respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating curves (SROC) was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84–0.90). The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated that no threshold effect existed in the included studies. The study design had statistical significance for sensitivity results (p < 0.001) through regression analysis. Heterogeneity might be caused by non-threshold effect. Periostin has moderate accuracy in the diagnosis of asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Da-Cheng-Qi Decoction (DCQD) has a significant effect on Severe Acute Pancreatitis-Associated Acute Lung Injury (SAP-ALI). To explore the mechanism of DCQD in the treatment of SAP-ALI based on intestinal barrier function and intestinal lymphatic pathway. Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham operation, model, and DCQD. The SAP model was induced by a retrograde infusion of 5.0% sodium taurocholate solution (1 mg/kg) at a constant rate of 12 mL/h using an infusion pump into the bile-pancreatic duct. Sham operation and model group were given 0.9% normal saline, while DCQD group was given DCQD (5.99 g/kg/d) by gavage 1 h before operation and 1, 11 and 23 h after operation. The levels of HMGB1, RAGE, TNF-α, IL-6, ICAM-1, d-LA, DAO in blood and MPO in lung were detected using ELISA. The expression of HMGB1, RAGE, NF-κB p65 in mesenteric lymph nodes and lung were determined. Compared with SAP group, DCQD significantly reduced the histopathological scoring of pancreatic tissue (SAP, 2.80 ± 0.42; DCQD, 2.58 ± 0.52), intestine (SAP, 3.30 ± 0.68; DCQD, 2.50 ± 0.80) and lung (SAP, 3.30 ± 0.68; DCQD, 2.42 ± 0.52). DCQD reduced serum HMGB1 level (SAP, 134.09 ± 19.79; DCQD, 88.05 ± 9.19), RAGE level (SAP, 5.05 ± 1.44; DCQD, 2.13 ± 0.54). WB and RT-PCR showed HMGB1-RAGE pathway was inhibited by DCQD (p < 0.01). DCQD improves SAP-ALI in rats by interfering with intestinal lymphatic pathway and reducing HMGB1-induced inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE), as a special phenomenon of fluorescence, can elegantly overcome the fluorescence quenching caused by common fluorescent materials under high concentration conditions and has attracted interest of researchers in many fields. Particularly AIE-active polymer nanoparticles have been widely utilized in a modern biomedical research. In this work, we prepared a novel kind of AIE-active fluorescent polymeric nanoparticals (Dex-OH-CHO) through a facile esterification between a new hydrophobic AIE-active 1, 8-naphthalimide derivative and the hydrophilic dextran. The structure and optical properties of Dex-OH-CHO were characterized in detail by FTIR, 1H NMR, XPS, TEM and fluorescence spectra. The results showed that Dex-OH-CHO emitted light-blue fluorescence in aqueous solution with high fluorescent quantum yield (Φ = 24.43%, concentration is 20 μg/mL), low CMC (5 μg/mL), good photostability, high water solubility and well dispersivity. Moreover, good biocompatibility and ideal cell uptake made Dex-OH-CHO had a great application potential in biological imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with different morphologies, including spherical, hexagonal, triangular and wirelike shapes, were prepared by chemical reduction method. The obtained Ag NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV–vis spectrophotometer and X-ray diffractometer. The results showed that Ag nanospheres, hexagonal Ag nanoplates, triangular Ag nanoplates and Ag nanowires were prepared using different reducing agents and capping agents. The growth mechanisms of Ag NPs were proposed. Ostwald ripening was the driving force for the shape evolution from spherical Ag NPs into unisotropic Ag NPs. In addition, the stability of triangular Ag nanoplates and Ag nanowires were firstly investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The further development of fishery resources is a hotspot in the development of the fishery industry. However, how to develop aquatic animal resources deeply is a key point to be solved in the fishery industry. Over the past decades, numerous aquatic animals have gained great attention in the development and utilization of their bioactive molecules which are of therapeutic applications as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Recent research revealed that aquatic animals are composed of many vital moieties, such as polysaccharides and proteins, which provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. In particular, aquatic animal polysaccharides are gaining worldwide popularity owing to their high content, ease of extraction, specific structure, few side effects, prominent therapeutic potential and incorporation in functional foods and dietary supplements. Thus, tremendous research on the isolation, identification and bioactivities of polysaccharides has been carried out. This review presents comprehensive viewpoints on extraction, separation, purification, structural characterization and bioactivity of various polysaccharides from aquatic animals, such as sea cucumber, abalone, oyster and mussels. In addition, this review profiled a brief knowledge on both current challenges and future scope in aquatic animal polysaccharides field. The review will be a direction of deep processing in fishery resources, which is a hotspot, but technical bottleneck. Furthermore, the review could be served as a useful reference material for further investigation, production and application of polysaccharides from aquatic animals in functional foods and therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]