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The system reliability analysis of complex engineering structures remains a challenge in the field of reliability. In this work, a high-order moment method using generalized factorized dimensional reduction method (GF-DRM) and iterative maximum entropy method (IMEM) is proposed for structural system reliability assessment. Firstly, the performance functions are described uniformly by equivalent description methods for various system reliability problems. Secondly, a novel point estimation method (PEM) based on GF-DRM is proposed for the high-order moments estimation of the equivalent performance function. Thirdly, the system failure probability of the structures is accurately determined by using the IMEM, which can automatically determine the order of moments. Finally, four examples, including numerical and engineering cases, are investigated to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method, in which results obtained from the proposed method are compared with some other existing moment methods and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The results of the examples show the proposed method has fairly high accuracy and efficiency for structural highorder moments estimation and system reliability analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspective of accuracy, efficiency and versatility, calculating statistical moments for different forms of performance functions in a unified way remains a challenge, and their accuracy also considerably affects the results of subsequent reliability analysis. In this article, a new dimension-reduction model, termed as adaptive hybrid dimension-reduction model (AH-DRM), is derived to approximate the performance functions with different characteristics relatively accurately. Based on the AH-DRM, a highly flexible point estimation method (PEM), which has good versatility for the various forms of performance function, is developed for statistical moments estimation of stochastic systems. Subsequently, to illustrate the performance of the proposed method for different performance function forms, three examples, including weakly, moderately and strongly nonlinear benchmark examples, are investigated. The results indicate that the proposed method is versatile for each example and can receive desirable accuracy for evaluating the first-four central moments of the performance functions with high efficiency. Finally, the developed PEM is applied to reconstruct the probability density function of the performance function and calculate the reliability of structures with the aid of the saddlepoint approximation (SPA) method, and two practical engineering examples are used to verify the applicability of the proposed method in structural reliability analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The significance of self-esteem in the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction among college students cannot be over, as it lays a solid foundation for the prevention and control of Internet addiction. Methods: A total of 950 college students were surveyed using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R) through a cluster random sampling method. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, partial correlation analysis, mediation effect, moderation effect, and Bootstrap testing were conducted on the collected data to analyze and interpret the results. Results: (1) Significant gender differences were found in the amount of physical activity and the degree of Internet addiction among college students(P&& lt;0.001); (2) Physical activity was significantly and positively correlated with self-esteem (r = 0.26, P < 0.001), but significantly and negatively correlated with Internet addiction (r=-0.23, P < 0.001); Meanwhile, self-esteem and Internet addiction were significantly and negatively related to self-esteem (r=-0.22, P < 0.001). (3) Mediating effect analyses showed that self-esteem played a partial mediating role in physical activity and Internet addiction among college students, accounting for a portion of 78.95%. (4) A moderating effect of gender on the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction was discovered. Conclusion: The physical activity level of male students is significantly higher than that of female students, while the degree of internet addiction among female students is notably higher than that of male students. Physical activity can not only directly improve the issue of internet addiction among college students, but also indirectly improve it through self-esteem, with gender playing a moderating role in this process. This conclusion has practical reference significance for preventing and controlling internet addiction among college students, and provides evidence support for using physical activity as a reference solution in clinical applications. Additionally, it suggests that gender should be taken into account when preventing and intervening in internet addiction among college students, and different strategies and methods should be adopted for male and female students. Male students should be encouraged to participate more in physical activities, gradually increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of their participation, in order to divert their attention and enhance their sense of achievement in sports, thereby reducing their use of mobile phones. For female students, on the other hand, it is important to strengthen real-life communication, change the form of sports participation, engage in group, collaborative, and different situational sports activities, and enhance their focus and attention in sports, in order to reduce their internet dependency, better guide them to use the internet reasonably, and enable them to achieve emotional release through sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective • To explore the clinical effects of ultrasoundguided adductor block (UGAB) on postoperative analgesia after total knee replacement. Methods • From March 2022 to June 2022, 60 patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were included. They were divided into control (n = 30) and ultrasonic groups (n = 30). They all received total knee arthroplasty. Before total knee arthroplasty, patients in the control and ultrasonic groups underwent general anesthesia and UGAB, respectively. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain. The time of the first straight leg elevation and the first landing time were recorded. Knee joint function was evaluated. Information about the dosage of tramadol intramuscular injection and the number of times patient-controlled analgesia pump pressing was collected. The serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were detected. Results • Compared with the control group, UGAB increased the rate of muscle contraction and relaxation and total and relaxation after total knee replacement in the ultrasonic group (P < .05). UGAB reduced VAS scores of pain during passive activity after operation (P < .05). UGAB also facilitated the first straight leg lifting time after the operation and the time of the first landing after the operation (P < .05). Meanwhile, UGAB reduced the dose of tramadol and press times of the self-control analgesia pump after operation (P < 0.05). UGAB also suppressed postoperative IL-6 and hs-CRP levels and increased postoperative joint range of motion (P < .05). Conclusion • UGAB promotes early recovery of knee function with high safety in patients undergoing total knee replacement, with reduced postoperative pain and inflammatory reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rebleeding following endoscopic treatment in patients with cirrhosis is a serious life-threatening complication. In the present study, a novel, reliable and non-invasive score for prediction of rebleeding following endoscopic therapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) was developed. The present retrospective study recruited cirrhotic patients with EGVB (n=596) who underwent endoscopic therapy. Patients hospitalized from January 2015 to January 2020 were grouped into a training (n=437) cohort to develop the new score and those hospitalized from February 2020 to February 2022 were grouped into a validation (n=159) cohort to validate the score. The international normalized ratio (INR) and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade were used to develop the INR-ALBI (IALBI) score to predict risk of rebleeding. In the training cohort, the prognostic performance of the IALBI score and other ALBI-associated scores (modified ALBI, platelet-ALBI and ALBI-fibrosis-4) at 1, 3 and 12 months was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier analysis. At each time point, most areas under the ROC curve of IALBI were higher than those of other ALBI-associated scores, particularly for prediction of early rebleeding. At 1 month, the rebleeding rates of patients with IALBI grade 2 and 3 were ~10.0- and 19.5-times higher than those of patients with grade 1, respectively. The negative predictive value (NPV) of IALBI for the training and validation cohort at 1 month was 100.0 and 97.8%, respectively. For viral and non-viral patients in the training cohort, IALBI showed good predictive ability and NPV for early rebleeding. The IALBI grading system successfully assessed rebleeding, particularly early rebleeding, in cirrhotic patients with EGVB following endoscopic therapy IALBI grade 1, predicted low risk of rebleeding and may not require endoscopic treatment again in the short-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a traditional advantageous industry in Guizhou and an important export product, tea plays an important role in the rural revitalization strategy. This paper first introduces the current situation of tea industry and export in Guizhou, then analyzes the problems that arise in the export process, and finally comes up with corresponding countermeasures and recommendations for the export development of tea, hoping to provide certain guidance and reference to the development of tea industry in Guizhou Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on determining the preferred epitaxy for III-nitride semiconductors on wet-transferred graphene, showing that the favored approach is quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe). Topics include the choice between remote epitaxy, where nonchemical bonds couple the III-nitride/graphene interface, and quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe), where covalent bonds are dominant.

As a traditional advantageous industry in Guizhou and an important export product, tea plays an important role in the rural revitalization strategy. This paper first introduces the current situation of tea industry and export in Guizhou, then analyzes the problems that arise in the export process, and finally comes up with corresponding countermeasures and recommendations for the export development of tea, hoping to provide certain guidance and reference to the development of tea industry in Guizhou Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earthquake simulation shaking table is an indispensable equipment for earthquake research. A new seismic wave generation and control method based on the twin rotary valve is proposed to meet the requirements of the flexible regulation of simulated seismic waves for large-scale testing. Meanwhile, the static and dynamic regulation characteristics are analyzed based on the mathematical model of the novel system aiming to further improve the frequency bandwidth and amplitude of the system. The research results show that the novel structure and control method are feasible in terms of the flexible regulation of the waveform frequency and amplitude, which provides new ideas to further enhance the level of the seismic wave control technology for large-scale testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating the cost of ecological damage into the pricing of natural resource asset utilization is a critical aspect of reform. Land reclamation from the sea is a usage mode that fundamentally alters the natural attributes of sea areas. Therefore, research on ecological damage compensation for land reclamation is imperative for allocating sea area resources using paid use collection standards. This paper proposes an ecological damage compensation assessment framework that sets the ecological compensation range based on the “opportunity cost” of land reclamation as the lower limit of compensation and the loss of marine ecosystem services and goods as the upper limit, accompanied by empirical research. The results find significant differences in ecological damage across different sea areas, with the minimum loss amount of port and shipping type at 551.70 yuan/ha, and the maximum loss amount of agricultural reclamation type at 2861.47 yuan/ha. Therefore, differentiated ecological compensation and dynamic adjustment of compensation standards are necessary to leverage the market’s economic influence in reclamation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On December 7, 2022, the Chinese government optimized the current epidemic prevention and control policy, and no longer adopted the zero-COVID policy and mandatory quarantine measures. Based on the above policy changes, this paper establishes a compartment dynamics model considering age distribution, home isolation and vaccinations. Parameter estimation was performed using improved least squares and Nelder-Mead simplex algorithms combined with modified case data. Then, using the estimated parameter values to predict a second wave of the outbreak, the peak of severe cases will reach on 8 May 2023, the number of severe cases will reach 206,000. Next, it is proposed that with the extension of the effective time of antibodies obtained after infection, the peak of severe cases in the second wave of the epidemic will be delayed, and the final scale of the disease will be reduced. When the effectiveness of antibodies is 6 months, the severe cases of the second wave will peak on July 5, 2023, the number of severe cases is 194,000. Finally, the importance of vaccination rates is demonstrated, when the vaccination rate of susceptible people under 60 years old reaches 98%, and the vaccination rate of susceptible people over 60 years old reaches 96%, the peak of severe cases in the second wave of the epidemic will be reached on 13 July 2023, when the number of severe cases is 166,000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical strategy for the total stepwise solid-phase synthesis of peptide–oligonucleotide conjugates was developed. In this strategy, the Boc/tBu protecting groups are utilized for the side chains of Trp, His, Arg, Asp, and Glu, and is deprotected in borate buffer at 90 °C to avoid depurination of the oligonucleotide caused by strong acid treatment. The advantage of this strategy is that the abovementioned amino acids are readily available in the market and the side reaction of deguanidination of the Arg residue can be avoided. This side-chain Boc/tBu protection strategy will expand the applicability of total stepwise synthesis in the preparation of peptide–oligonucleotide conjugates [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P450 (cytochrome P450) is a supergene family, which is involved in various metabolic pathways in plants. Based on previous study, we found some of cucumber P450 mRNAs were systemic mobile in cucumber/pumpkin grafts. However, the reason that why P450 mRNAs were endorsed as signaling, and what specific motif (s) did they harbored is not clear yet. Here, we first identified 221 CsaP450 genes in cucumber genomewide level. Combining with graft-transmissible mRNAs datasets in cucumber, we elucidated 15 mobile-CsaP450 -coding genes, of which 5 and 10 belonged to A-type and non-A type respectively. Compared with Arabidopsis and pumpkin (Cucubit moschata) graft-induced-transmissible P450 mRNAs, a phylogenetic tree was constructed and divided into eight clans by using multiple-sequence alignment. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations indicated that the expression patterns of the mobile-mRNA-coding CsaP450 genes in different tissues of cucumber was specifically enriched in oxidoreductase activity and secondary metabolic pathways. The structures and motifs of these 15 mobile-mRNA-coding CsaP450 genes and their types of regulatory elements told that the proportion of CU-rich motifs was higher than nonmobile-mRNA-coding CsaP450 genes. The integrated analysis of mobility direction and mRNA abundance of 15 mobilemRNA-coding CsaP450 genes allowed to conclude that there was rarely relationship between them. The study provided a new insight into the relationship between the motifs and functional characterization of mobile-mRNA-coding P450 genes of cucumber in genome-wide levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the thermoelectric (TE) properties of Janus MXY monolayers (M = Pd, Pt; X, Y = S, Se, Te) are systematically studied using first principles and the Boltzmann transport theory. The thermal conductivity (k), Seebeck coefficient (S), power factor (PF), and TE figure of merit (ZT) are calculated accurately for various carrier concentrations. The lattice thermal conductivities of these six materials sequentially decrease in the order PtSSe, PtSTe, PtSeTe, PdSSe, PdSTe, and PdSeTe. PdSeTe and PtSeTe monolayers have a high ZT close to one at 300 K. In addition, we predicted the TE properties at high temperatures and found that the maximum ZT (2.54) is achieved for a monolayer of PtSeTe at 900 K. The structural and electronic properties of these six Janus transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers were systematically studied from first principles. Our results show that all six materials are semiconductors with bandgaps between 0.77 eV and 2.26 eV at the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE06) level. The present work indicates that the Janus MXY TMD monolayers (M = Pd, Pt; X, Y = S, Se, Te) are potentially TE materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the substantial traffic emissions in urban areas, especially near road areas, the concentrations of pollutants, such as ozone (O3) and its precursors, have a large gap with the regional averages and their distributions cannot be captured accurately by traditional single-scale air-quality models. In this study, a new version of a regional-urban-streetnetwork model (IAQMS-street v2.0) is presented. An upscaling module is implemented in IAQMS-street v2.0 to calculate the impact of mass transfer to regional scale from street network. The influence of pollutants in street network is considered in the concentration calculation on regional scale, which is not considered in a previous version (IAQMS-street v1.0). In this study, the simulated results in Beijing during August 2021 by using IAQMS-street v2.0, IAQMS-street v1.0, and the regional model (NAQPMS) are compared. On-road traffic emissions in Beijing, as the key model-input data, were established using intelligent image-recognition technology and real-time traffic big data from navigation applications. The simulated results showed that the O3 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentrations in Beijing were reproduced by using IAQMS-street v2.0 both on regional scale and street scale. The prediction fractions within a factor of two (FAC2s) between simulations and observations of NO and NO2 increased from 0.11 and 0.34 in NAQPMS to 0.78 and 1.00 in IAQMS-street v2.0, respectively. The normalized mean biases (NMBs) of NO and NO2 decreased from 2.67 and 1.33 to -0.25 and 0.08. the concentration of NOx at street scale is higher than that at the regional scale, and the simulated distribution of pollutants on regional scale was improved in IAQMS-street v2.0 compared with that in IAQMS-street v1.0. We further used the IAQMS street v2.0 to quantify the contribution of local on-road traffic emissions to the O3 and NOx emissions and analyze the effect of traffic-regulation policies in Beijing. Results showed that heavy-duty trucks are the major source of on-road traffic emissions of NOx. The relative contributions of local traffic emissions to NO2, NO, and O3 emissions were 53.41, 57.45, and 8.49%, respectively. We found that traffic-regulation policies in Beijing largely decreased the concentrations of NOx and hydrocarbons (HC); however, the O3 concentration near the road increased due to the decrease consumption of O3 by NO. To decrease the O3 concentration in urban areas, controlling the local emissions of HC and NOx from other sources requires consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS), the formation of fibrofatty lesions in the vessel wall, is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke and is closely associated with aging. Disrupted metabolic homeostasis is a primary feature of AS and leads to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is an abnormal accumulation of unfolded proteins. By orchestrating signaling cascades of the unfolded protein response (UPR), ER stress functions as a double-edged sword in AS, where adaptive UPR triggers synthetic metabolic processes to restore homeostasis, whereas the maladaptive response programs the cell to the apoptotic pathway. However, little is known regarding their precise coordination. Herein, an advanced understanding of the role of UPR in the pathological process of AS is reviewed. In particular, we focused on a critical mediator of the UPR, X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), and its important role in balancing adaptive and maladaptive responses. The XBP1 mRNA is processed from the unspliced isoform (XBP1u) to the spliced isoform of XBP1 (XBP1s). Compared with XBP1u, XBP1s predominantly functions downstream of inositol-requiring enzyme-1a (IRE1a) and transcript genes involved in protein quality control, inflammation, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and calcification, which are critical for the pathogenesis of AS. Thus, the IRE1a/XBP1 axis is a promising pharmaceutical candidate against AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel β-carboline, namely Plagranline A (1), and a known alkaloid (2) were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus. Their structure was elucidated using a combination of spectroscopic analyses and computational chemistry, including electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD). Alkaloids 1 and 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against NO production. Interestingly, 1 and 2 are the first alkaloid constituents reported from the plant P. grandifloras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Restoration Zone is located in the west of Taiyuan City and belongs to the Xishan Coalfield. Due to the resource development activity of coal mining, which is caused by coal gangue accumulation, surface vegetation degradation, bare surfaces, and other phenomena, it is most common in this area. These have an impact on the surface ecology; however, after ecological restoration, the surface ecology has been greatly improved. There are many extraction models of vegetation coverage based on pixel dichotomology combined with multispectral vegetation index, but we believe that the combination of visible light vegetation index to construct models is relatively unexplored. The main problem of how to use the RGB image data in order to quickly and accurately extract vegetation coverage information is still under investigation and needs researchers' attention. In this paper, through selecting the vegetation coverage as the evaluation index of ecological restoration effect, a new RGB vegetation coverage CIVE calculation model is innovatively proposed to solve the above problem, and on the basis of this model, the vegetation cover change analysis is carried out in the Xishan ecological restoration area of Taiyuan. According to the analysis of vegetation coverage change, relevant paper data, and the characteristics of multiple historical remote sensing images, the ecological restoration area of Taiyuan Xishan is divided into six typical areas. Through empirical evaluation, we summarize and analyze these six typical areas, which can provide typical demonstration roles for other ecological restoration areas. Our findings suggest that the proposed CIVE model realizes the extraction of vegetation cover information and long-term series dynamic monitoring of vegetation coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Accumulation and propagation of pathological α-synuclein (α-Syn) are the major contributing factors to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Therapy to halt the spreading of α-Syn pathology needs to be established. Methods: After phage display and affinity maturation, human-derived anti-α-Syn autoantibodies were selected and applied to biochemical, cellular and animal models of PD. Results: The novel naturally occurring anti-α-Syn autoantibodies (α-Syn-nAbs), P21 and P22, selectively bind α-Syn preformed fibrils (PFFs), recognise Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs) in human PD brains, block α-Syn fibrillization and inhibit the seeding of α-Syn PFFs. Moreover, systematic administration of P21 and P22 attenuates α-Syn pathology, degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway and motor deficits in mice injected with α-Syn PFFs. Conclusions: P21 and P22 attenuate α-synuclein pathology and are promising candidates for PD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-fiber high-power linearly polarized chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system is experimentally demonstrated. Through stretching the pulse duration to a full width of approximately 2 ns with two cascaded chirped fiber Bragg gratings (CFBGs), a maximum average output power of 612 W is achieved from a high-gain Yb-doped fiber that has a core diameter of 20 µm with a slope efficiency of approximately 68% at the repetition rate of 80 MHz. At the maximum output power, the polarization degree is 92.5% and the M2 factor of the output beam quality is approximately 1.29; the slight performance degradations are attributed to the thermal effects in the main amplifier. By optimizing the B-integral of the amplifier and finely adjusting the higher-order dispersion of one of the CFBGs, the pulse width is compressed to 863 fs at the highest power with a compression efficiency of 72%, corresponding to a maximum compressed average power of 440.6 W, single pulse energy of 5.5 µJ and peak power of about 4.67 MW. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average power of a femtosecond laser directly generated from an all-fiber linearly polarized CPA system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization accelerates, the degree of human impact on land use is increasing. land use land cover change (LULC) is acknowledged as crucial factor in environmental change. The best way to understand historical land use patterns, changes, drivers, and developments is through a rigorous assessment of LULC changes. In this study, we aim to identify LULC changes from 2015 to 2022, and predict changes for 2030. Sentinel-2 images were employed to analyze LULC change patterns and predict future trends. The Random Forest algorithm was used to classify the various LULC classes with high accuracy and reliability. Multilayer Perceptron and Markov Chain Analysis (MLP-MCA) based Hybrid-Approach was employed to predict the future dynamics of LULC change for 2030. The study revealed that built-up area expanded 90.64 km2 from 2015 to 2022 due to natural resource substitution. Predictions indicate that 58.84% of the study area will be transform into built-up by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial multi-channel energy spectrometers have good performance, they have multiple in- put signal channels and multi-channel analyzers, which can simultaneously acquire the energy spectrum of multiple nuclear pulse signals. But the input signal channel of this general multi-channel energy spectrometer cannot be switched between the internal multi-channel analyzers, and an input signal channel can only be fixed to the corresponding multi-channel analyzers. Hence, to resolve this issue, this paper designed a nuclear pulse signal array switching circuit. The core of the array switching circuit is a switch array chip with low internal resistance and high bandwidth, which controls the signal connection between the input signal channel with the multi-channel analyzers. Using 137Cs and uranium ore as radioactive sources, the energy spectrum test and spectrum data analysis were carried out using a Nal detector, respectively, when the nuclear pulse signal passed through and did not pass through the array switching circuit. The results showed that the circuit demonstrates little effect on the energy resolution and linearity of the multi-channel analyzers but causes a small drift of the high-energy photopeak, and improve the reliability of the circuit by energy spectrum data accumulation. This circuit can make the application of a multi-channel energy spectrometers more flexible and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of geospatial information science and technology and applications in numerous areas, cartography and geospatial information education is becoming increasingly more important in training graduates equipped with new capacities. Cartography and geospatial information education are crucial to cartography and geospatial information science, as a discipline and a profession. The contents have always gradually been changing, as well as corresponding effective approaches to deliver sustainable and resilient education. In the new normal era of post COVID-19, summaries and reflections on the progress of available practices and theories can support better design of effective and quality education. In this paper, the conference papers and abstracts on educational topics published in the last 10 International Cartography Conferences are used to trace the path that educators in cartography and geospatial information have gone through. Bibliometric analysis is conducted on educational topics, authors, and regions. A domain term knowledge map is drawn showing that the number of publications on education in the International Cartography Conferences has been increasing. The geographic distribution of authors is very concentrated, with authors from European countries contributing about 50% of the publications and those from the top ten countries contributing 60%. Works in many other regions are less reported. The research topics are mainly focused on undergraduate and graduate education in geographic information systems, secondary education, education atlas, learning theories, learning environmental design, online education, etc. Pedagogies and experience of distance learning and online education in the last 20 years have been well applied. However best practices of online and distance education are rarely reported to support effective new normal education in the context of COVID-19 pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the main leguminous forage crop with great ecologic and economic value. The research of alfalfa in various fields has exploded, but has not been included in a systematic framework. This paper summarizes the status of global alfalfa research over the past 10 years, raise the subject concept of alfalfa biology, and review the recent advances from the perspective of discipline system as germplasm resources, multiomics and biotechnology, environmental biology, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, biological breeding and cultivation. This paper proposes the key unsolved scientific and technical issues in alfalfa biology, and hope to appeal the research interest of more plant scientists and to promote the development of alfalfa industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently commercial fixed-concomitant three agents have multiple problems such as multiple dosing administration, poor efficacy and side effects. Once-daily fixed-combination timolol-netarsudil-latanoprost ophthalmic solution (FC-TNL) has the ability to treat glaucoma by lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) with great efficacy and improving patient compliance. However, the commercialized netarsudil dimesylate precipitated when the pH of the solution was above 5.4, or when maleic acid, the salt of commercial timolol maleate, was mixed with netarsudil dimesylate. Consequently, the homologous salt engineering strategy was used to make netarsudil dimesylate soluble in pH 4.8-5.2 solution by synthesizing timolol mesylate. Next, the morphology of timolol mesylate was observed by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction. The prepared FC-TNL showed good stability during refrigeration storage. Additionally, FC-TNL exerted no influence on the intraocular penetration of each active compounds in the pharmacokinetic study. Importantly, once-daily FC-TNL exerted potent IOP-lowering effect and protective effect on retinal ganglion cells. The FC-TNL was stable, safe and effective, being a promising glaucoma therapeutic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the local well-posedness for an interface with surface tension that separates a perfectly conducting inviscid fluid from a vacuum. The fluid flow is governed by the equations of three-dimensional ideal compressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), while the vacuum magnetic and electric fields are supposed to satisfy the pre-Maxwell equations. The fluid and vacuum magnetic fields are tangential to the interface. This renders a nonlinear hyperbolic-elliptic coupled problem with a characteristic free boundary. We introduce some suitable regularization to establish the solvability and tame estimates for the linearized problem. Combining the linear well-posedness result with a modified Nash--Moser iteration scheme, we prove the local existence and uniqueness of solutions of the nonlinear problem. The non-collinearity condition required by Secchi and Trakhinin [Nonlinearity, 27 (2014), pp. 105-169] for the case of zero surface tension becomes unnecessary in our result, which verifies the stabilizing effect of surface tension on the evolution of moving vacuum interfaces in ideal compressible MHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of preoperative computed tomography (CT) to guide the wedge resection (WR) of lung nodules (LNs) in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is widely accepted. However, some LNs may be blocked by the scapula and a trans-scapular approach should be used when performing the localization procedures. Aim: To investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical effectiveness of preoperative CT-guided Sens-cure needle (SCN) localization for scapula-blocked LNs (SBLNs). Material and methods: One hundred and eighty patients with LNs who had undergone CT-guided SCN localization before VATS were enrolled in this single-center retrospective study from January 2018 to December 2021. Ten of these patients (5.6%) had SBLNs and underwent localization using the trans-scapular approach. The technical success of localization, together with complications and VATS, was assessed. Results: Data on the 10 patients with 10 SBLNs were analyzed. Scapular puncture was successful in all patients (100%) with no incidence of complications near the scapula. SCN localization was also successful in 100% of patients. The average duration of SCN localization was 12.5 ±4.0 min, with 1 (10%) patient experiencing pneumothorax after localization. The WR success rate was also 100%. Three patients underwent additional lobectomy due to invasive adenocarcinoma. The VATS procedure lasted on average for 97.0 ±56.0 min with an average blood loss of 44.0 ±35.0 ml. Conclusions: Preoperative CT-guided SCN localization using the trans-scapular approach is safe, effective, and highly successful for VATS-guided WR of SBLNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction • Osteoporosis affects approximately 10% of the population worldwide. β-sitosterol (BSS), a major phytosterol in plants, has been claimed for centuries to have numerous medical benefits, including bone strengthening. This study aimed to find the benefit of BSS in treating osteoporosis according to traditional methods and to investigate the protective effect of BSS on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in rats. Design • Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups: the control group, the dexamethasone (DEX) group and one of two BSS-treated osteoporosis groups (100 and 200 mg/kg). Blood samples and femur bones were collected for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, biochemical and mRNA expression analysis. Results • The results indicated that BSS (100 and 200 mg/kg) increased bone length, bone weight and bone mineral density (BMD) and suppressed DEX-induced reduction in body weight, dose-dependently. Mechanistically, BSS (100 and 200 mg/kg) treatment alleviated the increase of bone resorption markers and the decline of osteogenic markers, which might be partially mediated by regulation of nuclear factor kappa-β ligand/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/ OPG) and RunX2 pathways. The immunohistochemical inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) results of the rats’ distal femur were negative in all groups. However, except in the DEX group, the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) color reaction in osteoblasts was strongly positive in the other 3 groups. These results suggest that BSS showed promising effects in protection against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis by protecting osteoblasts and suppressing osteoclastogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We systematically investigate the thermoelectric properties of lanthanum phosphide (LaP) using first-principles calculations together with the Boltzmann transport theory. The dynamic stability of LaP is confirmed based on phonon dispersion. The different atomic masses of La and P atoms lead to an acoustic-optical bandgap that prohibits scattering between acoustic and optical phonon modes. The lattice thermal conductivity κ l is 3.19 W/mK at room temperature, which is less than that of LaAs because of the smaller group velocities and the larger Grüneisen parameter. The calculated phonon-mode contribution to κ l , scattering rate, and mean free path may provide significant guidance to further theoretical and experimental research. The power factor reaches 0.012 W m−1 K−2 at a carrier concentration of 1.05 × 10 20 c m − 3 , which is comparable to the power factor of the typical thermoelectric material Bi2Te3. This reasonable power factor and thermal conductivity suggest that LaP is a promising thermoelectric material. The dependence of the figure of merit ZT on carrier concentration n and temperature T indicates that a high ZT can be obtained by increasing the temperature and tuning the carrier concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient halide perovskite solar cells generally rely on lithium-doped organic hole transporting layers that are thermally and chemically unstable, in part because of migration of iodide anions from the perovskite layer. We report a solution strategy to stabilize the hole transport in organic layers by ionic coupling positive polymer radicals and molecular anions through an ion-exchange process. The target layer exhibited a hole conductivity that was 80 times higher than that of the conventional lithium-doped layer. Moreover, after extreme iodide invasion caused by light-soaking at 85°C for 200 hours, the target layer maintained high hole conductivity and well-matched band alignment. This ion-exchange strategy enabled fabrication of perovskite solar cells with a certified power conversion efficiency of 23.9% that maintained 92% under standard illumination at 85°C after 1000 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground movements caused by the construction of tunnels and excavation are inevitable. Estimation of such movements is a very important for risk management in tunnel design. This paper presents a case study of ground settlements induced by twin shield tunnelling in Copenhagen using analytical and numerical methods and their predictions. The predictions are compared with the monitored settlements. The comparison shows that the predictions are sufficiently conservative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication of diabetes, but its underlying mechanisms still remain unclear. The multifunctional protein Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) plays an important role in cardiac pathogenesis by regulating cardiac apoptosis, cardiac fibrosis, and pathological remodeling, whereas its role in chronic DCM requires further investigation. Here, we report that the phosphorylation of YB-1 at serine102 (S102) was markedly elevated in streptozotocininduced diabetic mouse hearts and in high glucose-treated cardiomyocytes, whereas total YB-1 protein levels were significantly reduced. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that YB-1 interacts with the deubiquitinase otubain-1, but hyperglycemia-induced phosphorylation of YB-1 at S102 diminished this homeostatic interaction, resulting in ubiquitination and degradation of YB-1. Mechanistically, the high glucose-induced phosphorylation of YB-1 at S102 is dependent on the upstream extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/ Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (p90 ribosomal S6 kinase [RSK]) signaling pathway. Accordingly, pharmacological inhibition of the ERK pathway using the upstream kinase inhibitor U0126 ameliorated features of DCM compared with vehicletreated diabetic mice. We demonstrate that ERK inhibition with U0126 also suppressed the phosphorylation of the downstream RSK and YB-1 (S102), which stabilized the interaction between YB-1 and otubain-1 and thereby preserved YB-1 protein expression in diabetic hearts. Taken together, we propose that targeting the ERK/RSK/YB-1 pathway could be a potential therapeutic approach for treating DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional pogo analysis method while dealing with the liquid rocket with parametric uncertainty has a large calculation workload and poor accuracy, especially for heavy rockets. To remedy the deficiency, this paper presents an enhanced method applicable for any type of liquid rocket with parametric uncertainty based on the improved Rubin's model and interval analysis method. Firstly, the pogo analysis model is established by the improved Rubin's method. The uncertain parameters are viewed as variables in a bounded interval, and the upper and lower bounds of the damping ratio in the pogo analysis system can be expressed as a function of the uncertain parameters with the help of the Taylor series expansion. The coefficients in the Taylor series are derived by the orthogonality of left and right eigenvectors and Nelson's method. For the enhance method, the upper/lower bound and sensitivity of Pogo stability can be sought; in addition, an index evaluating the influence of various uncertain parameters on pogo stability is given for reducing calculation burden. The numerical simulations are provided to verify the high efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method and exhibit the effects of various parameter variations on pogo stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female sexual behavior as an innate behavior is of prominent biological importance for survival and reproduction. However, molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying female sexual behavior is not well understood. Here, we identify the Cholecystokinin-like peptide Drosulfakinin (DSK) to promote female sexual behavior in Drosophila. Loss of DSK function reduces female receptivity while overexpressing DSK enhances female receptivity. We identify two pairs of Dsk-expressing neurons in the central brain to promote female receptivity. We find that the DSK peptide acts through one of its receptors, CCKLR-17D3, to modulate female receptivity. Manipulation of CCKLR-17D3 and its expressing neurons alters female receptivity. We further reveal that the two pairs of Dsk-expressing neurons receive input signal from pC1 neurons that integrate sex-related cues and mating status. These results demonstrate how a neuropeptide pathway interacts with a central neural node in the female sex circuitry to modulate sexual receptivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) in food products such as wasabi is commonly analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), while liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is more suitable for the polar metabolites. The development of an effective method for the simultaneous determination of AITC and its phase II metabolites is needed to support drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) studies. Methods: Derivatization of AITC by reaction with N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-L-cysteine methyl ester (tBocCysME) was used for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI-MS) analysis, allowing the simultaneous determination with its phase II metabolites. At room temperature, reaction conditions have been optimized to maximize the reaction of AITC with tBocCysME quantitively. Reaction selectivity was examined by the presence of AITC metabolites. Quantification of AITC was performed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with an external calibration method and applied on the serum of C57BL/6 J mouse for a DMPK study. Results: The limit of quantification (LOQ) was determined to be 0.842 nM from the derivatization method and by UHPLC/MS/MS analysis. The method accuracy in the mouse serum samples was 75 ± 2% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.0% of method variation. The UHPLC/MS/MS analysis gave RSDs of 0.2% and 1.8% for intra-day and inter-day variations. With the newly developed method, AITC could be detected in mouse serum upon oral administration for the first time. Conclusions: An analytical method involving a rapid derivatization pre-treatment and quantitative UHPLC/ESI-QqQ-MS/MS analysis has been developed for a biological sample assay of AITC, enabling selective and sensitive detection of the AITC derivative and AITC metabolites simultaneously. The method developed could be applied to the DMPK study of AITC as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates well-designed tri-layer flexible transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs), whose structure is ZnO (20 nm)/Ag grids (4, 6, 8, 10 nm)/ZnO (20 nm) (ZAZ), fabricated via thermal deposition. The optical, electrical, and mechanical characteristics of the proposed structure are improved compared to those of MoO3/Ag grids/MoO3 (MAM) electrodes. The transmittance at 550 nm, sheet resistance, and figure of merit of the proposed ZAZ electrodes with 6-nm silver grids are 78.58%, 9.3 Ω/square, and 9.6 x 10-3, respectively, which are better than those of MAM electrodes (66.25%, 9.7 X/square, and 1.6 x 10-3, respectively). It is found that the enhancement of the electrical characteristics of ZAZ can be ascribed to the improved crystallization of ZnO films. ZnO films with improved crystallization and a larger grain size can inhibit carriers from scattering at inter-grain boundaries. Based on a bending test, the strains of ZAZ electrodes under tension and compression were 0.616%, 0.633%, and those of MAM electrodes were 0.62% and 0.65%, respectively. The sheet resistance of the ZAZ structure increases significantly after 800 bending cycles, while that of the MAM structure increases significantly after only 200 bending cycles. These data indicate that ZAZ electrodes have significantly improved mechanical properties and durability compared to those of MAM electrodes in the bending test under both tensile and compressive stress. The proposed TCEs show good optical, electrical, and mechanical characteristics and have potential for application in optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), a positive-sense, enveloped RNA virus that belongs to the Flaviviridae family, hijacks cell host proteins for its own replication. We previously demonstrated that Golgi-specific brefeldin A (BFA) resistance factor 1 (GBF1), a regulator of intracellular transport, mediates CSFV infection. However, the molecular mechanism by which this protein regulates CSFV proliferation remains unelucidated. In this study, we constructed a series of plasmids expressing GBF1 truncation mutants to investigate their behavior during CSFV infection and found that GBF1 truncation mutants containing the Sec7 domain could rescue CSFV replication in BFA- and GCA (golgicide A)-treated swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVECs), demonstrating that the effect of GBF1 on CSFV infection depended on the activity of guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). Additionally, it was found that ADP ribosylation factors (ARFs), which are known to be activated by the Sec7 domain of GBF1, also regulated CSFV proliferation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ARF1 is more important for CSFV infection than other ARF members with Sec7 domain dependence. Subsequent experiments established the function of coatomer protein I (COP I), a downstream effector of ARF1 which is also required for CSFV infection by mediating CSFV invasion. Mechanistically, inhibition of COP I function impaired CSFV invasion by inhibiting cholesterol transport to the plasma membrane and regulating virion transport from early to late endosomes. Collectively, our results suggest that ARF1, with domain-dependent GBF1 Sec7, activates COP I to facilitate CSFV entry into SUVECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase family enzyme DmdC catalyzes the third step in the dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) demethylation pathway, the oxidation of 3-methylmercaptopropionyl-CoA (MMPA-CoA) to 3-methylthioacryloyl-CoA (MTA-CoA). To study its substrate specificity, the recombinant DmdC1 from Ruegeria pomeroyi was characterized. In addition to MMPA-CoA, the enzyme was highly active with short-chain acyl-CoAs, with Km values for MMPA-CoA, butyryl-CoA, valeryl-CoA, caproyl-CoA, heptanoyl-CoA, caprylyl-CoA, and isobutyryl-CoA of 36, 19, 7, 11, 14, 10, and 149 μM, respectively, and kcat values of 1.48, 0.40, 0.48, 0.73, 0.46, 0.23, and 0.01 s-1, respectively. Among these compounds, MMPA-CoA was the best substrate. The high affinity of DmdC1 for its substrate supports the model for kinetic regulation of the demethylation pathway. In contrast to DmdB, which catalyzes the formation of MMPA-CoA from MMPA, CoA, and ATP, DmdC1 was not affected by physiological concentrations of potential effectors, such as DMSP, MMPA, ATP, and ADP. Thus, compared to the other enzymes of the DMSP demethylation pathway, DmdC1 has only minimal adaptations for DMSP metabolism compared to other enzymes in the same family with similar substrates, supporting the hypothesis that it evolved relatively recently from a short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase involved in fatty acid oxidation. IMPORTANCE We report the kinetic properties of DmdC1 from the model organism R. pomeroyi and close an important gap in the literature. While the crystal structure of this enzyme was recently solved and its mechanism of action described (X. Shao, H. Y. Cao, F. Zhao, M. Peng, et al., Mol Microbiol 111:1057-1073, 2019, https://doi.org/10 .1111/mmi.14211), its substrate specificity and sensitivity to potential effectors was never examined. We show that DmdC1 has a high affinity for other short-chain acylCoAs in addition to MMPA-CoA, which is the natural substrate in DMSP metabolism and is not affected by the potential effectors tested. This evidence supports the hypothesis that DmdC1 possesses few adaptations to DMSP metabolism and likely evolved relatively recently from a short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase involved in fatty acid oxidation. This work is important because it expands our understanding of the adaptation of marine bacteria to the increased availability of DMSP about 250 million years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress damage is a common problem in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation. Under stress conditions, the mitochondrial function of BMSCs is disrupted, which accelerates senescence and apoptosis of BMSCs, ultimately leading to poor efficacy. Therefore, improving mitochondrial function and enhancing the antioxidative stress capacity of BMSCs may be an effective way of improving the survival rate and curative effect of BMSCs. In the present study, we have confirmed that overexpression of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 3 (NMNAT3) improves mitochondrial function and resistance to stress-induced apoptosis in BMSCs. We further revealed the mechanism of NMNAT3-mediated resistance to stress-induced apoptosis in BMSCs. We increased the level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by overexpressing NMNAT3 in BMSCs and found that it could significantly increase the activity of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 3 (Sirt3) and significantly decrease the acetylation levels of Sirt3-dependent deacetylation-related proteins isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (Idh2) and Forkhead-box protein O3a (FOXO3a). These findings show that NMNAT3 may increase the activity of Sirt3 by increasing NAD+ levels. Our results confirm that the NMNAT3-NAD+-Sirt3 axis is a potential mechanism for improving mitochondrial function and enhancing antioxidative stress capacity of BMSCs. In the present study, we take advantage of the role of NMNAT3 in inhibiting stress-induced apoptosis of BMSCs and provide new methods and ideas for breaking through the bottleneck of transplantation efficacy of BMSCs in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors report rationally designed, innovative tri-layer flexible transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) fabricated via thermal deposition. The proposed structure improves transparency compared with that of the traditional tri-layer electrode (dielectric/metal film/dielectric) by using metallic grid patterns (dielectric/metal grids/dielectric). The obtained MoO3/Ag grids/MoO3 TCEs show low sheet resistance and good mechanical properties. The sheet resistance of the proposed electrodes is 5.88 Ω/square and the transmittance reaches 76.5%, which are better than those of conventional MoO3/Ag film/MoO3 electrodes (6.12 Ω/square, <70%). The mechanical properties are significantly improved compared with those of MoO3/Ag film/MoO3 in the bending test under both tensile and compressive stress. The surface features of the MoO3/Ag grids/MoO3 TCEs were measured using the contact angle method to calculate the surface energy and polarity. The polarity is 0.5-0.26, which is better than those of indium tin oxide (0.35) and MoO3/Ag film/MoO3 (0.5-0.0058) electrodes for 0-800 bending cycles. The proposed flexible transparent electrodes show good optical, electrical, and mechanical characteristics and have potential for application in optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of process parameters on the surface roughness of workpieces during the hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing (HASM) has been studied. Firstly, TC4 cladding layers were prepared by laser under different scanning speeds. Then the cladding layers were milled to get the better surface. The microstructure, microhardness, and wear behavior of cladding layers were analyzed. The milling forces and the surface roughness were measured during and after the workpieces were milled with the different cutting speeds. Results show that with the laser scanning speed increase, the diffraction peaks of the α-Ti phase shift and gradually increase, the microstructure of cladding layer is refined gradually and the average microhardness of cladding layers also increases. However, the wear resistance of the cladding layers gradually decreases. Under the same scanning speed, high-speed milling is beneficial to obtain smaller milling force and surface roughness. Additionally, under the same vc, the minimum milling force and the surface roughness cladding layer are 6 mm/s and 10 mm/s respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and search for efficient thermoelectric materials that can directly convert waste heat into electricity have been of great interest in recent years since they have practical applications in overcoming the challenges of global warming and the energy crisis. In this work, two new two-dimensional 1T-phase group-VI binary compounds Se2Te and SeTe2 with outstanding thermoelectric performances are predicted using first-principles calculations combined with Boltzmann transport theory. The dynamic stability is confirmed based on phonon dispersion. It is found that the spin–orbit coupling effect has a significant impact on the band structure of SeTe2, and induces a transformation from indirect to direct band gap. The electronic and phononic transport properties of the Se2Te and SeTe2 monolayer are calculated and discussed. High carrier mobility (up to 3744.321 and 2295.413 cm2 V−1 S−1 for electron and hole, respectively) is exhibited, suggesting great applications in nanoelectronic devices. Furthermore, the maximum thermoelectric figure of merit zT of SeTe2 for n-type and p-type is 2.88, 1.99 and 5.94, 3.60 at 300 K and 600 K, respectively, which is larger than that of most reported 2D thermoelectric materials. The surprising thermoelectric properties arise from the ultralow lattice thermal conductivity kl (0.25 and 1.89 W m−1 K−1 for SeTe2 and Se2Te at 300 K), and the origin of ultralow lattice thermal conductivity is revealed. The present results suggest that 1T-phase Se2Te and SeTe2 monolayer are promising candidates for thermoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature is the most limiting factor in the growth of cool-season turfgrass. To cope with high-temperature stress, grass often adopt a memory response by remembering one past recurring stress and preparing a quicker and more robust reaction to the next stress exposure. However, little is known about how stress memory genes regulate the thermomemory response in cool-season turfgrass. Here, we characterized a transcriptional memory gene, Fa-heat shock protein 17.8 Class II (FaHSP17.8-CII) in a cool-season turfgrass species, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The thermomemory of FaHSP17.8-CII continued for more than 4 d and was associated with a high H3K4me3 level in tall fescue under heat stress (HS). Furthermore, heat acclimation or priming (ACC)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and photosystem II (PSII) electron transport were memorable, and this memory response was controlled by FaHSP17.8-CII. In the fahsp17.8-CII mutant generated using CRISPR/Cas9, ACC+HS did not substantially block the ROS accumulation, the degeneration of chloroplast ultra-structure, and the inhibition of PSII activity compared with HS alone. However, overexpression of FaHSP17.8-CII in tall fescue reduced ROS accumulation and chloroplast ultra-structure damage, and improved chlorophyll content and PSII activity under ACC+HS compared with that HS alone. These findings unveil a FaHSP17.8-CII-PSII-ROS module regulating transcriptional memory to enhance thermotolerance in cool-season turfgrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical manifestations of neonatal GBS meningitis are as follows: non-specificity, long hospital stay, easy to cause neurological complications, and sequelae. Clinical pharmacist participated in the anti-infective treatment of a neonatal Streptococcus agalactiae meningitis whose cerebrospinal fluid was still abnormal when the drug was stopped. According to the PK/PD characteristics of antibacterial drugs, the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, and the adjustment of the antibiotic dose, the reasons for the decrease in the number of cerebrospinal fluid cells after vancomycin treatment were analyzed. Clinical pharmacists also analyzed the efficacy of linezolid in the treatment of neonatal bacterial meningitis, and discussed the indications for stopping medication when the cerebrospinal fluid is abnormal, so as to improve the safety and effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of neonatal bacterial meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of ammonia through the Haber-Bosch process is regarded as one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Despite significant efforts in optimizing the process, it still consumes 1 to 2% of the worldwide annual energy for the high working temperatures and pressures. The design of a catalyst with a high activity at milder conditions represents another challenge for this reaction. Herein, we combine density functional theory and microkinetic modeling to illustrate a strategy to facilitate low-temperature and -pressure ammonia synthesis through modified energy-scaling relationships using a confined dual site. Our results suggest that an ammonia synthesis rate two to three orders of magnitude higher than the commercial Ru catalyst can be achieved under the same reaction conditions with the introduction of confinement. Such strategies will open pathways for the development of catalysts for the Haber-Bosch process that can operate at milder conditions and present more economically viable alternatives to current industrial solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design. A retrospective study. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with axial symptoms (AS) after anterior surgery in treatment of multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis based on subgroup of follow-up time. Summary of Background Data. Although many scholars reported on AS after cervical surgery, the risk factors associated with AS are controversial. Few studies have investigated the risk factors of AS after anterior cervical surgery treating multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis. Methods. Totally, 103 patients who suffered from multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis receiving anterior surgery from July 2015 to June 2017 were reviewed for clinical and radiological outcomes. These data were collected at the time of before surgery, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. Data were performed to compare between the patients with and without AS. Results. In our study, the occurrence of AS was 46.6%, 34.0%, 20.4%, 12.6%, and 10.7% at the time of 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery, respectively. Our findings showed that patients with smoking, disease duration, preoperative Modic changes (Mcs), post-operative Cobb angle of C2-7, cervical range of motion (ROM) and T1 slope, and change of Cobb angle of C2-7, cervical ROM and T1 slope were associated with AS within 1 year after surgery. However, patients with smoking and preoperative Mcs were found to be risk factors associated with AS at at any follow-up. Conclusion. In the present study, many factors were related to AS during 1-year after surgery. What's more, patients with smoking and preoperative Mcs were associated with AS at any follow-up. We hope this article can provide a reference for spinal surgeons to predict which patients were susceptible to suffer from AS after anterior surgery in treatment of multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A retrospective study.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with axial symptoms (AS) after anterior surgery in treatment of multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis based on subgroup of follow-up time.Summary Of Background Data: Although many scholars reported on AS after cervical surgery, the risk factors associated with AS are controversial. Few studies have investigated the risk factors of AS after anterior cervical surgery treating multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis.Methods: Totally, 103 patients who suffered from multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis receiving anterior surgery from July 2015 to June 2017 were reviewed for clinical and radiological outcomes. These data were collected at the time of before surgery, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. Data were performed to compare between the patients with and without AS.Results: In our study, the occurrence of AS was 46.6%, 34.0%, 20.4%, 12.6%, and 10.7% at the time of 1 week, 3 months, 6 months,1 year, and 2 years after surgery, respectively. Our findings showed that patients with smoking, disease duration, preoperative Modic changes (Mcs), post-operative Cobb angle of C2-7, cervical range of motion (ROM) and T1 slope, and change of Cobb angle of C2-7, cervical ROM and T1 slope were associated with AS within 1 year after surgery. However, patients with smoking and preoperative Mcs were found to be risk factors associated with AS at at any follow-up.Conclusion: In the present study, many factors were related to AS during 1-year after surgery. What's more, patients with smoking and preoperative Mcs were associated with AS at any follow-up. We hope this article can provide a reference for spinal surgeons to predict which patients were susceptible to suffer from AS after anterior surgery in treatment of multilevel cervical disorder with kyphosis.Level of Evidence: 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough study on the thermal transport properties of the semimetal ScSb is carried out by combining first-principles calculations with Boltzmann transport theory. The dynamic stability of ScSb is verified by the phonon dispersion curve without an imaginary part. The obtained equilibrium lattice constant and bulk modulus agree well with the experimental and theoretical data. At room temperature, the calculated lattice thermal conductivity of ScSb is 29.9 W m−1 K−1, which is greatly larger than that of LaP (3.19 W m−1 K−1) due to its higher group velocity and smaller average Grüneisen parameter. By analyzing the contribution of each phonon mode to the lattice thermal conductivity, we find that the acoustic branch plays a dominant role, while the optical branch has little effect on it because of the inhibition of the anharmonicity. The temperature-dependent electronic transport properties, such as Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, power factor, and thermal conductivity, as a function of chemical potential, are also investigated. It is shown that the electronic thermal conductivity increases with the increasing temperature and chemical potential. By comparing the temperature dependence of lattice thermal conductivity and electronic thermal conductivity, it is found that the lattice thermal conductivity is dominant in the low-temperature region and the electronic thermal conductivity is dominant in the high-temperature region. The calculated maximum figure of merit ZT of ScSb is only 0.044 at 900 K. Therefore, for the thermoelectric application of ScSb, it is necessary to improve the correlated parameters in other ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study indicated knockout of receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) significantly attenuated cigarette smoke (CS)-induced airway inflammation in mice. In the present study, we aim to further detect the mediatory effects of RAGE in DNA methylated modification in CS-induced airway inflammation. Lung tissues from the CS-exposed mouse model of airway inflammation were collected for profiling of DNA methylation by liquid hybridization capture-based bisulfite sequencing, which were used for conjoint analysis with our previous data of gene expression by cDNA microarray to identify functional methylated genes, as well as hub genes selected by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, and functional enrichment analyses were then performed. After RAGE knockout, 90 genes were identified by intersection of the differentially methylated genes and differentially expressed genes. According to the reversed effects of methylation in promoters on gene transcription, 14 genes with functional methylated modification were further identified, among which chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), Toll-like receptor 6 (TLR6) and oncostatin M (OSM) with hypomethylation in promoters, were selected as the hub genes by PPI network analysis. Moreover, functional enrichment analyses showed the 14 functional methylated genes, including the 3 hub genes, were mainly enriched in immune-inflammatory responses, especially mitogen-activated protein kinase, tumor necrosis factor, TLRs, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 pathways. The present study suggests that RAGE mediates functional DNA methylated modification in a cluster of 14 targeted genes, particularly hypomethylation in promoters of CXCL1, TLR6 and OSM, which might significantly contribute to CS-induced airway inflammation via a network of signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]