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• The simultaneous existence of cross-over and veering that commonly wouldnt co-existence in single classical cables is found. • The setting of crosstie(s) can only significantly increase the out-of-phase modal frequency of specific orders. • The increment limits of dimensionless frequencies for systems with identical sagged cables are found. • Wave speed difference of sagged cables can enhance the effect of crosstie(s) to further increase the high-order modal frequencies. Analysis of key parameters is an effective means to understanding modal characteristics of a system. However, because of the large number of components, there are various geometric, material, and physical parameters in a sagged-cable-crosstie structure, which inevitably hinders the reasonable selection of key parameters. Based on the companion (Part 1) paper, the effect of four fundamental key parameters, i.e., the Irvine parameter, position and stiffness of crosstie(s), and wave speed ratio, on the modal characteristics of three representative models: double-cable-single-crosstie, three-cable-single-crosstie, and double-cable-double-crosstie, are investigated by mechanical modeling-based parametric analysis. The simultaneous existence of cross-over and veering phenomena that commonly wouldn't co-exist in single classical cables is found in sagged-cable-crosstie structures. Generally, the frequency curves of all the in-phase modes, out-of-phase modes with symmetrically arranged crossties, and specific out-of-phase modes with crossties just at modal nodes show cross-over phenomena, while that of out-of-phase modes with non-symmetrically arranged crossties show veering phenomena. Setting one or two crossties can only significantly increase the out-of-phase modal frequencies of specific orders, and the increment limits of dimensionless frequency for systems with identical sagged cables are found to be 1 and 2 respectively, no matter how the crosstie stiffness and position are adjusted and how many cables are connected. However, the wave speed difference between sagged cables can enhance the effect of crosstie(s) to further increase modal frequencies, especially for high-order ones, and hence break through the above increment limits. Moreover, the more cables with wave speed differences connected by crossties and the greater the difference in wave speed, the more the system frequency increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RWV have the potential to quantify urban ecosystem service capability (ESC) • In Shandong province, there is a significant spatial correlation between RWV and ESC. • PD is a key wilderness indicator that explains changes in RWV and ESC. • CS, HQ, and RD are key indicators in high-quality wilderness. Wilderness has proven to provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES). Wilderness have been shown to play an important role in preserving biodiversity and providing ES, which is indispensable to both nature and people. It is essential to integrate ES quantification into wilderness conservation and management. This study presents a method that combines the wilderness mapping and ecological indicators to measure ES of wilderness. The method was applied in 155,800 km2 of Shandong province in China, across 23 types of land use. First, relative wilderness value (RWV) and ecosystem service capability (ESC) were quantified according to Weighted Linear Combination (WLC). Then, spatial autocorrelation between RWV and ESC were tested and analyzed using GeoDa software. Finally, the Redundancy analysis was used to investigate the primary drivers of RWV and ESC in different landscape types. The findings showed that, there were 27,263 km2 of wilderness in Shandong province, of which 6,294 km2 were high-quality wilderness. The region with the highest RWV was the Yellow River Delta (RWV = 0.82), and the area with the highest ESC was Laoshan Mountain (ESC = 0.76). Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a positive correlation between RWV and ESC (Pearson's r = 0.637), both of which had significant spatial relevance (Moran's I = 0.589, P < 0.005). The RWV and ESC high-high clusters were found to cover 5,223 km2 of high-quality wilderness areas. Regression analysis (R2 = 0.744) showed that RWV can quantify ESC of urban area reliably. Population density (Explaining 33.9 %-49.3 %) was found to be a key indicator of RWV and ESC changes through the Redundancy analysis. In addition, we discussed key drivers of RWV and ESC of high-quality wilderness according to different landscape types. This approach can be used and adopted to support planning decisions dealing with wilderness conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The analytical methods of typical PPCPs were reviewed based on their polarity. • Passive sampling and solvent-free extraction methods are compared and recommended. • The relationship between log K ow of PPCPs and instrumental analysis was analyzed. • Non-target screen principle of PPCPs transformation products was summarized. • Factors affecting PPCPs recovery were discussed. Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and corresponding transformation products have caused widespread concern due to their persistent emissions and potential toxicity. They have wide octanol-water partition coefficients (K ow) and different ionization constants (p K a) resulting in a poor analysis accuracy and efficiency. A suitable analytical method is the first prerequisite for further research on their environmental behavior to prioritize the substances. This study reviewed a full-scale analytical protocol for environmental samples in the recent ten years: from sampling to instrumental methods. Passive sampling techniques were compared and recommended for long-term continuous and scientific observation. A quick and effective sample extraction and clean-up method are highly required. Chromatographic methods coupled to mass spectrometry for determining PPCPs with a wide range of log K ow (−7.53 to 10.80) were summed up. High-resolution mass spectrometry was confirmed to be a promising strategy for screening unknown transformation products, which would provide a nanogram level of detection limits and more accurate mass resolution. Screening strategies and mass change principles were summarized in detail. The recovery rate was important in multiple contaminants analysis identification and factors affecting the recovery rate of PPCPs were also discussed in this review, including sample matrix, target compounds characteristics, extraction method and solid-phase adsorbent. This review provides useful information for the selection of appropriate analytical methods and future development directions. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Portfolio diversification across cryptocurrencies significantly enhances the out-of-sample Sharpe ratio and utility. • The minimum variance model attains the smallest out-of-sample volatility and drawdown. • The maximum utility model achieves the highest out-of-sample return and utility. • None of the models are consistently better than the 1/N rule in Sharpe ratio. Utilizing the empirical data of ten major cryptocurrencies, this article examines the investablitiy and role of diversification in cryptocurrency market, and evaluates the out-of-sample performance of commonly used asset allocation models across cryptocurrencies. We show that portfolio diversification across different cryptocurrencies can significantly improve the investment results. We also find robust evidence that the maximum utility model dominates the out-of-sample utility, although none of the models can consistently beat the naïve 1/N portfolio in Sharpe ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Network embedding, which aims to generate dense, low-dimensional and representative embedding representations for all nodes in the network, is a crucial step for various AI-based tasks related to network analytics, such as node classification, community detection, and link prediction. In addition to network topology, node attributes are also easily accessible and ubiquitous information that serve as an important role in network embedding. How to jointly incorporate these two kinds of information into unified embedding representations is becoming one of the research focuses on network embedding. However, most existing methods are based on matrix factorization, which is not suitable for relatively large-scale datasets due to their quadratic time and space complexity. Moreover, most real networks evolve over time with varying topological structure or node attributes. This aspect requires the network embedding method to support efficient updating of embedding representations with respect to the evolution of the network. To address these two challenges, we propose a scalable attribute-aware network embedding (SANE) method to efficiently learn the joint embedding representations from topology and attributes. By enforcing the alignment of a locally linear relationship between each node and its K -nearest neighbors in topology and attribute space, the joint embedding representations provide more informative than a single representation extracted from topology or attributes alone. In addition, we devise incremental SANE to support updates of embedding representations in a dynamic environment. Several experiments are conducted on various datasets, demonstrating the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To contain the competitive influence spread in social networks is to maximize the influence of one participant and contain the influence of its opponent. It is desirable to develop effective strategies for influence spread of the participants themselves instead of blocking the influence spread of their opponents. In this paper, we extend the linear threshold model to establish the diffusion-containment model, abbreviated as D-C model, by incorporating the realistic specialties and characteristics of the containment of competitive influence spread. Then, we discuss the influence spread mechanism for the D-C model, and give the algorithm for the propagation of the diffusion influence (D-influence) and containment influence (C-influence). Further, we define the sub-modular set function of the C-influence in the D-C model and consequently give a greedy algorithm for solving the problem of maximizing the competitive influence containment approximately. Experimental results show the feasibility of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-power limit was encountered during the design of an aerial camera's thermal control system. It must meet both low-power limit and high image quality. In order to ensure the camera's image quality measured by the modulation transfer function (MTF), the authors studied the camera with the method of integrated analysis: First calculating the nodal displacements according to the boundary conditions, after that, using Zernike polynomials to express the surface figure changes, then calculating the MTF. According to this process, the authors studied the temperature field's effect on the MTF, found a suitable one for the camera, and developed a thermal control strategy for the camera which met the low-power limit. The analysis was confirmed by the experimental data and the test results met the requirements of the camera's imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, the intelligent management and decision of Web services have attracted more and more attention due to the wide applications in various aspects of the real world. With the increase of Web services in an organization, the desired on-line services should be located rapidly requiring not only the syntactic but also the semantic techniques. In addition, aiming at fulfilling complex applications by discovering and composing available services automatically and precisely, it is indispensable to develop an underlying model and the corresponding measure for semantic associations among given Web services. In this paper, by mining the historical invocations of component services, we first construct a semantic model to describe their behavior rules based on the qualitative probabilistic network. Further, we propose a distance measure and the approach to discovering semantic associations among Web services. Preliminary experiments and performance studies show that our methods are feasible. Moreover, high recall and precision can be achieved when our methods are applied to Web service search. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Computing the posterior probability distribution for a set of query variables by search result is an important task of inferences with a Bayesian network. Starting from real applications, it is also necessary to make inferences when the evidence is not contained in training data. In this paper, we are to augment the learning function to Bayesian network inferences, and extend the classical “search”-based inferences to “search + learning”-based inferences. Based on the support vector machine, we use a class of hyperplanes to construct the hypothesis space. Then we use the method of solving an optimal hyperplane to find a maximum likelihood hypothesis for the value not contained in training data. Further, we give a convergent Gibbs sampling algorithm for approximate probabilistic inference with the presence of maximum likelihood parameters. Preliminary experiments show the feasibility of our proposed methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Develop a superhydrophobic coating with sesame cake-liked structure. • The coating is special for building walls to solve problem of mould caused by damp. • Good mechanical, chemical durability and weathering resistance is achieved. • The optimized coating obviously inhibits growth of Aspergillus and Simplicillium. The mildew caused by damp on building walls is harmful to human health. It is very necessary to prevent building walls from mildew from the source to solve environmental health problems. Here, we provided a special superhydrophobic coating for the surfaces of building walls from diatomaceous earth (DE) @SiO 2 by the sol–gel method, mixed with fluorosilicon (HLR-Si) resin and then sprayed on home-made walls. The resulting surface structure endowed the wall with self-cleaning properties: it had obvious anti-bioadhesion to Aspergillus and Simplicillium at 35 ℃ and above 90% humidity. The coated building walls were still waterproof after around 380 days, showing a promising application. Besides, the superhydrophobic sesame-cake-like coating was not easily destroyed after 16 peels and 300 min of stirring sand abrasion test with a speed of 250 rpm. The coating's superhydrophobicity also remained unchanged after being misted with different inorganic salt solutions for 12 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a refractory hematological disease that lack of effective therapy. Chinese traditional medicine Longchai Jiangxue formula (LCJX) has showed the powerful effects on PV. However, the active ingredients and mechanisms of this formula have not been elucidated. We explored the active ingredients and mechanisms of LCJX for treating PV. The chemical constituents of LCJX were qualitatively analyzed by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS. On this basis, the TCMSP, ETCM, PubChem BioAssay and ChEMBL databases were searched to predict the potential targets of chemical components of LCJX. Then Genecards, GEO, DisGeNET, and OMIM databases were used to retrieve data of targets related to PV. Drug-disease-target network and protein-protein-interaction (PPI) network were built. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed. Finally, Molecular docking, CCK-8 assay, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and western blot were processed so as to screen the active components related to PV and elucidate its mechanisms. A total of 84 compounds were identified from LCJX by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS. After removed duplicate items, there were 143 targets linked to both disease and drugs. Crucial genes, such as MTOR, HIF1A, JAK2, VEGFA, STAT3, AKT1, TERT, MAPK1, were shown in PPI network. GO enrichment indicated that oxidative stress process, tyrosine kinase activity and phosphatase binding function, and cell membrane structure were in reference to LCJX against PV. KEGG enrichment showed that JAK-STAT signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, were put in an important position of the treatment. Furthermore, Molecular docking, CCK-8 assay, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and western blot technique proved the therapeutic effect of Saikosaponin A, main ingredient of LCJX. This study, combined with UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS, network pharmacology and molecular biology, provides a reference for the identification of effective components, screening of quality markers and analysis of its action mechanism of LCJX. [Display omitted] • Traditional Chinese medicine "LongChaiJiangXue" is effective to Polycythemia Vera. • The UPLC technology is useful for biochemical analysis for medicine scientifically. • System pharmacology helps screen the main ingredients and mechanisms of the drugs. • Hub-genes and pathways were confirmed in vitro and in silico experimentally. • Molecular docking, cell viability assay and Western-blot experiment were processed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the stability of bird's nest multi scaffold structure, a hierarchical three-dimensional bionic structure (Wax-PFDMS-Pal-TiOx coating) with superamphiphobic (SAP) properties, high stiffness and good stability was designed with carnauba wax as barrier and binder, palygorskite (Pal) as structural framework, TiOx as nano filler and 1 H , 1 H , 2 H , 2 H -Perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (PFDMS) as modifier. In addition, the morphology, structure and chemical composition of the coating were proved by scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FI-TR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and other characterization methods. Studies have demonstrated that the nano-rough structure of Pal and TiOx can form submicron-nano composite hierarchical structure with carnauba wax, and hydrolyze and condense with PFDMS respectively to obtain the three-dimensional structure with high roughness and low surface energy. Under optimal conditions, the contact angles of water and oil on the coating surface are both over 160°. Meanwhile, the results of friction resistance test, salt resistance and pH resistance test show that the coating has excellent mechanical stability. The coating also has excellent self-cleaning property to resist the pollution of particles and mixture of water and oil. The current research is based on natural raw materials and provides a new idea for a stable bionic structure with SAP properties. [Display omitted] • The superamphiphobic Wax-Pal/PFDMS-TiOx coating of bionic bird's nest was prepared. • The stable three-dimensional and multi-level structure of micro-nano was formed. • Natural raw materials carnauba wax and palygorskite are environmentally friendly. • Used in self-cleaning field with remarkable mechanical stability and chemical stability. • Superamphiphobic mechanism of Wax-Pal/PFDMS-TiOx coating was explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quantitative analysis is used to evaluate the removal of microplastics in global WWTPs. • The filter-based technologies perform better microplastics removal efficiency. • Mechanisms of critical treatment technologies in microplastics removal are summarized. • An average of 7.2 billion day−1 microplastics entered the river from WWTPs. • Specific microplastics shall be highlighted besides the common microplastics. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be the main sources of microplastic contaminants in the aquatic environment, and an in-depth understanding of the behavior of microplastics among the critical treatment technologies in WWTPs is urgently needed. In this paper, the characteristics and removal of microplastics in 38 WWTPs in 11 countries worldwide were reviewed. The abundance of microplastics in the influent, effluent, and sludge was compared. Then, based on existing data, the removal efficiency of microplastics in critical treatment technologies were compared by quantitative analysis. Particularly, detailed mechanisms of critical treatment technologies including primary settling treatment with flocculation, bioreactor system, advanced oxidation and membrane filtration were discussed. Thereafter, the abundance load and ecological hazard of the microplastics discharged from WWTPs into the aquatic and soil environments were summarized. The abundance of microplastics in the influent ranged from 0.28 particles L−1 to 3.14 × 104 particles L−1, while that in the effluent ranged from 0.01 particles L−1 to 2.97 × 102 particles L−1. The microplastic abundance in the sludge within the range of 4.40 × 103–2.40 × 105 particles kg−1. In addition, there are still 5.00 × 105–1.39 × 1010 microplastic particles discharged into the aquatic environment each day Moreover, among the critical treatment technologies, the quantitative analysis revealed that filter-based treatment technologies exhibited the best microplastics removal efficiency. Fibers and microplastics with large particle sizes (0.5–5 mm) were easily separated by primary settling. Polyethene and small-particle size microplastics (<0.5 mm) were easily trapped by bacteria in the activated sludge of bioreactor system. The negative impact of microplastics from wastewater treatment plant was worthy of attention. Moreover, unknown transformation products of microplastics and their corresponding toxicity need in-depth research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A smart PFDTMS/UA@TiO x coating with switchable wettability was fabricated. • Superhydrophilicity-in air superoleophobicity was switched upon ammonia vapor. • Used in oily wastewater treatment with high efficiency and good reusability. • Superamphiphobicity can be recovered as before by heating. • Synthetic mechanism of PFDTMS/UA@TiO x coating was explained. Controllable superwettability has aroused increasing attention in the field of oily wastewater treatment, but its controllable preparation is still challenging. Herein, a smart superamphiphobic coating is reported, which become superhydrophilic and superoleophobic when it is induced by ammonia. This superamphiphobic coating is prepared by immersing into the fluorosilane-modified titanium carboxylate hybrid gel and the carnauba wax solution. Its superamphiphobicity is restored by heating to 65℃ for 15 min or by exposure to sunshine for 30 min. The as-prepared coating with switchable superwettability displayed outstanding oil-water selective separation performance, along with excellent durability. Its separation efficiency was always maintained at over 96.6 %, even after repeated use for 20 times. Collectively, this novel coating can be used for controllable oil and water separation, oil collection and water removal from oil, which stands for a developed treatment for oily wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A mature teratoma is a neoplasm which rarely occurs in the Eustachian tube. A 10-month-old girl presented with persistent otorrhea and an increasing nasal obstruction was finally diagnosed as a Eustachian tube mature teratoma. The neoplasm was successfully resected transorally using an endoscope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mg, O, Si partitioning between molten iron and silicate are calculated using FPMD. • Mg, O, Si start to precipitate at ∼4370 K, with MgO dominates, SiO 2 insignificant. • Core Mg and O contents decrease gradually while Si remains sub-constant until present. • Buoyant Mg precipitation may act as driving force of the geodynamo since 3.5 Ga. • Giant impact, magma ocean, magnetic field, core composition are linked in concert. The high conductivity of the Earth's core discovered through first-principles and experimental studies requires that the core must start very hot and cool down slowly to generate the Earth's magnetic field by thermal buoyancy. The requirement is difficult to satisfy due to the fast cooling of the overlying magma ocean and consequently of the underlying core. This is in direct conflict with the early appearance of the Earth's paleomagnetic field. Recently, it was proposed that significant amount of magnesium (Mg) can be partitioned into the core through the high temperature created by the Moon-forming Giant Impact. Due to its intrinsic low solubility, subsequent cooling would cause Mg precipitation to generate compositional buoyancy to power the geodynamo in the early history of the Earth. Here we show using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations that the equilibrium constant of magnesium dissolution in molten iron depends on temperature, entirely consistent with recent experimental data. We further show that Mg partitioned into the core during giant impacts and reaching a concentration of about 2 wt% can precipitate out at around 3.5 Ga, much earlier than the onset of inner core nucleation. During the subsequent evolution of the Earth, silicon (Si) concentration of the Earth's core will remain constant while Mg and oxygen (O) concentrations decrease significantly. Consequently, the current Si concentration in the core reflects the accretion processes of the Earth while O and Mg concentrations in the core is the combined result of both accretion and the subsequent evolution of the Earth core. Forward modeling shows that for MgO precipitation to provide enough power to generate the magnetic field in the early history of the Earth, initially high silicon content of the core is preferred, which is accommodated readily in the Grand Tack accretion scenario. The geodynamo driven by MgO precipitation explains the secular decline of palaeomagnetic field intensity in the early history of the Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As moderately volatile elements, isotopes of Rb and K can trace volatilization processes in planetary bodies. Rubidium isotopic data are however very scarce, especially for non-carbonaceous meteorites. Here, we report combined Rb and K isotopic data (δ 87/85Rb and δ 41/39Κ) for 7 ordinary, 6 enstatite, and 4 Martian meteorite falls to understand the causes for the variations in volatile abundances and isotopic compositions. Bulk Rb and K isotopic compositions of planetary bodies are estimated to be (Table 1): Mars +0.10 ± 0.03 ‰ for Rb and −0.26 ± 0.05 ‰ for K, bulk OCs - 0.12 - 0.24 + 0.15 ‰ for Rb and - 0.72 - 0.41 + 0.28 ‰ for K, bulk ECs + 0.02 - 0.26 + 0.29 ‰ for Rb and - 0.33 - 0.23 + 0.37 ‰ for K. The bulk K isotopic compositions of subgroup OCs are estimated to be - 0.72 - 0.55 + 0.26 ‰ for H chondrites, - 0.71 - 0.39 + 0.23 ‰ for L chondrites, and - 0.77 - 0.30 + 0.63 ‰ for LL chondrites. A broad correlation between the Rb and K isotopic compositions of planetary bodies is observed. The correlation follows a slope that is consistent with kinetic evaporation and condensation processes, suggesting volatility-controlled mass-dependent isotope fractionation (as opposed to nucleosynthetic anomalies). Individual ordinary and enstatite chondrites show large Rb and K isotopic variations (−1.02 to +0.29 ‰ for Rb and −0.91 to −0.15 ‰ for K). Samples of lower metamorphic grades display correlated elemental and isotopic fractionations between Rb and K, while samples of higher metamorphic grades show great scatter, suggesting that chondrite parent-body processes have decoupled the two elements and their isotopes at the sample scale. Several processes could have contributed to the observed isotopic variations of Rb and K, including (i) chondrule "nugget effect", (ii) volatilization during parent-body thermal metamorphism (heat-induced vaporization and gas transport within parent bodies), (iii) thermal diffusion during parent-body metamorphism, and (iv) impact/shock heating. Quantitative modeling of the first two processes suggests that neither of them could produce isotopic variations large enough to explain the observed isotopic variations. Volatilization during parent-body thermal metamorphism [the scenario (ii)], which has been commonly invoked to explain the isotopic variations of volatile elements, is gas transport-limited and its effect on isotopic fractionations of moderately volatile elements should be negligible. Modeling of diffusion processes suggests that (iii) could produce K isotopic variation comparable to the observed variation. The large isotopic variations in non-carbonaceous meteorites are thus most likely due to diffusive redistribution of K and Rb during metamorphism and/or shock-induced heating and vaporization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Broadband anti-reflective and water-repellent coatings were fabricated. [•] Transmittance increased to 99.0%, significantly higher than that of commercial solar glasses. [•] The performance of standard solar cells with the AR coating was enhanced as much as 6.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To describe the clinical features of pen cap aspiration and removal techniques. Study design: We retrospectively reviewed all children with a history of inhaling a pen cap who were referred to the ENT department, at Beijing Children''s Hospital, between Jan 2006 and Dec 2010. Methods Clinical data was recorded, including patients’ common information, physical examination, radiologic data and final outcome. Results: Data from 44 children, with a median age of 8.7 years of age (35 months to 12 years) and a male–female ratio of 7.8:1 were analyzed. The time between inhalation and diagnosis with extraction of the foreign body ranged from several hours to 6 years, but 75% (33/44) were seen within one week. 89% (39/44) had pen caps removed by rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. Reverse grasping forceps were used in 62% of the cases and ordinary forceps in 38% of the cases (24/15, p <0.05). In 2 cases, the pen caps were coughed up. In 2 cases the FB was removed via a tracheotomy and in 1 case by thoracotomy. Conclusions: Pen caps are an unusual foreign body in the airway, occurring frequently in school age children. Rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia with reverse grasping forceps was the most favorable method for extraction of pen caps, but open surgical approaches should be available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The usage of biodegradable plastics is expanding annually due to worldwide plastic limits, resulting in a substantial number of microplastics (MPs) particles formed from biodegradable plastic products entering the aquatic environment. Until now, the environmental behaviors of these plastic product-derived MPs (PPDMPs) have remained unclear. In this work, commercially available polylactic acid (PLA) straws and PLA food bags were used to evaluate the dynamic aging process and environmental behavior of PLA PPDMPs under UV/H 2 O 2 conditions. By combining scanning electron microscopy, two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transform infrared correlation spectroscopy (COS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was determined that the aging process of the PLA PPDMPs was slower than that of pure MPs. The 2D-COS analysis revealed that the response orders for the functional groups on the PLA MPs differed during the aging process. The results demonstrated that the oxygen-containing functional groups of the PLA PPDMPs were the first to react. Subsequently, the –C–H and –C–C− structural responses began, and the polymer backbone was ruptured by the aging process. However, the aging of the pure-PLA MPs started with a brief oxidation process and then breakage of the polymer backbones, followed by continuous oxidation. Moreover, compared to the PLA PPDMPs, the pure-PLA MPs exhibited a greater adsorption capacity, which was increased by 88% after aging, whereas those of the two PPDMPs only increased by 64% and 56%, respectively. This work provides new insights into the behaviors of biodegradable PLA MPs in aquatic environments, which is critical for assessing the environmental risks and management policies for degradable MPs. [Display omitted] • The aging process of PLA plastic product-derived MPs was slower than pure-PLA MPs. • The UV/H 2 O 2 aging process significantly increased the adsorption capacity of PLA MPs. • Product-derived MPs had lower adsorption capacity for pollutants compared to pure MPs. • 2D-COS demonstrated the dynamic aging process of PLA product-derived MPs and pure-PLA MPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovering user similarities from social media can establish the basis for user targeting, product recommendation, user relationship evolution and understanding. User similarities not only depend on the topological structure but also the dependence degrees between users. In this paper, we adopt Bayesian network (BN), an important and popular probabilistic graphical model, as the underling framework and propose a data-intensive approach for discovering user similarities. First, upon the massive social behavioral interactions, we give the method for measuring direct similarities between users and the MapReduce-based algorithm for constructing a BN to describe these similarities, called user Bayesian network and abbreviated as UBN. We also give the idea for storing large-scale UBNs in a distributed file system. Then, to measure indirect similarities between users, we give the method for measuring the closeness of user connections in terms of the properties of UBN's graphical structure. Further, we give the MapReduce-based algorithm for measuring the dependence degrees by means of UBN's probabilistic inferences. By combining the above two perspectives of measures, the indirect similarity degree between users can be achieved, while guaranteeing the applicability theoretically. Finally, we give experimental results and show the efficiency and effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved organic matter regulates the interaction between microplastics (MPs) and organic pollutants. Here, this paper investigated the effect and mechanism of humic acid (HA) on the adsorption behavior of thiacloprid at two microfibers (MFs)/water interface, and compared the differences in the performance of MFs and pure MPs. The results showed that 10 mg L−1 HA decreased the adsorption capacity and the partition coefficient K D of thiacloprid on MFs and pure MPs. Spectral analysis showed that HA could form hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces with both MPs and thiacloprid, ultimately affecting the adsorption behavior of thiacloprid at MPs/water interface via competitive adsorption and bridging effect. Furthermore, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy demonstrated that thiacloprid was preferentially adsorbed onto MPs compared with HA. Finally, density functional theory calculation demonstrated that phenolic-OH, –COOH, and alcoholic-OH played critical roles in competing adsorption and bridging effect. This study offers a theoretical foundation for a better comprehension of the adsorption behavior of organic pollutants at the MPs/water interface. [Display omitted] • HA reduced the partition coefficient K D of THIA at microfibers/water interface. • HA affected adsorption through both competitive adsorption and bridging effect. • THIA preferentially adsorbed on MPs compared with HA. • Phenolic-OH, –COOH, and alcoholic-OH acted through intermolecular hydrogen bonds. • Van der Waals forces also played significant roles in adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel superhydrophobic sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) modified polyurethane (MPU) was developed as the membrane material for controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) by cross-linking polymerization of 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and CMC-based modified polyol (CMP) which was made by grafting CMC onto polyether polyol (TMN-450). The modified polyurethane coated fertilizer (MPUCF) was prepared by using MPU as the membrane material through a fluidized bed device. Analysis results of 13C NMR showed that the coatings of PUCF and MPUCF were prepared by connecting hydroxyl to isocyanate groups to form a carbamate. MPU had lower water absorption rates than PU, and MPUCF coating showed excellent hydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that MPUCF coating surface was much more smooth and flat than that of PUCF. Furthermore, the nitrogen (N) release longevity of MPUCF can increased to 140 days when the coating rate was 5%. It is concluded that MPU was an excellent superhydrophobic coating material for CRF. • CMP was synthesized by grafting CMC onto polyether polyol (TMN-450). • Compared with PU, MPU had stronger hydrophobicity and lower water absorption. • Novel bio-based CRF were prepared by using MPU as coating material. • The N release period of novel CRF was improved by 188% using CMP instead of TMN-450. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]