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• A novel deep learning-based registration network • A novel smooth constraints function • Two-stage skip connections obtain richer local information • Proposed method can be easily transferred to various applications Medical image registration can establish the spatial consistency of the corresponding anatomical structures between different medical images, which is important in medical image analysis. In recent years, with the rapid development of deep learning, the image registration methods based on deep learning greatly improve the speed, accuracy, and robustness of registration. Regrettably, these methods typically do not work well for large deformations and complex deformations in the image, and neglect to preserve the topological properties of the image during deformation. Aiming at these problems, we propose a new network TS-Net that learns deformation from coarse to fine and transmits information of different scales in the two stages. Two-stage network learning deformation from coarse to fine can gradually learn the large and complex deformations in images. In the second stage, the feature maps downsampled in the first stage for skip connection can expand the local receptive field and obtain more local information. The smooth constraints function used in the past is to impose the same restriction on the global, which is not targeted. In this paper, we propose a new smooth constraints function for each voxel deformation, which can better ensure the smoothness of the transformation and maintain the topological properties of the image. The experiments on brain datasets with complex deformations and heart datasets with large deformations show that our proposed method achieves better results while maintaining the topological properties of deformations compared to existing deep learning-based registration methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemorrhage progression in deep intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) involves not only the growth of parenchymal hematoma but also an increase in intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The search for methods that predict both the increased risk of parenchymal hematoma and IVH growth is warranted. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at multiple centers. Participants with deep ICH were enrolled from January 2018 to December 2021. Prediction models based on logistic regression analysis included clinical as well as routine radiographic and radiomics variables, separately or in combination. The performance of each model was evaluated using discrimination measures (e.g., area under the curve [AUC]). Evaluation of clinical utility was performed using decision curve analysis (DCA). Overall, 647 individuals across 4 stroke centers were included. A total of 429 (66%) patients from 3 centers were assigned to the primary cohort and 218 (34%) from another center were placed in the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that the Glasgow Coma Scale score, baseline ICH volume, IVH, blend sign, and radiomics score were associated with hemorrhage progression in the primary cohort. The clinical-radiomics model (AUC = 0.852 and 0.835) improved the prediction performance of hemorrhage progression compared to the Noncontrast computed tomography signs model (AUC = 0.666 and 0.618) in both the primary and validation cohorts, with similar results in the decision curve analysis curves. The clinical-radiomics model outperformed the routine Noncontrast computed tomography signs model in predicting the progression of deep ICH. The clinical benefit of screening patients using this model may assist in risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled FAVOR (Comparison of Quantitative Flow Ratio Guided and Angiography Guided Percutaneous Intervention in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease) III China trial, quantitative flow ratio (QFR)-based lesion selection improved 1-year clinical outcomes compared with conventional angiographic guidance for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the benefits of QFR guidance persist at 2 years, particularly for patients in whom QFR changed the revascularization strategy.Methods: Eligible patients were randomized to a QFR-guided strategy (PCI performed only if QFR ≤0.80) or a standard angiography-guided strategy. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), or ischemia-driven revascularization occurring within 2 years were analyzed in the intention-to-treat population.Results: Among 3,825 randomized participants, 2-year MACE occurred in 161 of 1,913 (8.5%) patients in the QFR-guided group and in 237 of 1,912 (12.5%) patients in the angiography-guided group (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.54-0.81; P < 0.0001), driven by fewer MIs (4.0% vs 6.8%; HR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.44-0.77; P = 0.0002) and ischemia-driven revascularizations (4.2% vs 5.8%; HR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.53-0.95; P = 0.02) in the QFR-guided group. Landmark analysis showed consistent results within the first year and between 1-2 years (Pint = 0.99). Although the 2-year MACE rate was lower in the QFR-guided group in both patients with and without revascularization strategy changes, the extent of outcome improvement was greater (Pint = 0.009) among those patients in whom the preplanned PCI strategy was modified by QFR.Conclusions: QFR-guided lesion selection improved 2-year clinical outcomes compared with standard angiography guidance. The benefits were most pronounced among patients in whom QFR assessment altered the planned revascularization strategy. (FAVOR III China Study [The Comparison of Quantitative Flow Ratio Guided and Angiography Guided Percutaneous Intervention in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease] NCT03656848). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frictional heat of the ball screw pairs is an important heat source for machine tools. Aiming at the shortcomings in current research, the frictional heating effect was studied in depth. The sliding and rolling frictional mechanisms were analyzed with the thermo-force coupling effect. The calculation method of sliding strokes based on relative motion principle of planetary transmission were proposed. A new frictional heating effect model was established and the nut temperature was calculated. The calculation value of the nut temperature was compared with its measurement value. The calculated residual was only − 0.64 ℃ ∼ 0.53 ℃. The traditional empirical model and the new model was compared in the same test, and the new model accuracy has been improved by 91.35%. [Display omitted] • The calculation method of sliding strokes based on the relative motion principle of planetary transmission were proposed, which reduced the complexity of motion analysis for ball screw pairs. • A new frictional heat calculation model was established, which can characterize the frictional heating effect of ball screw pairs. • The sliding and rolling frictional mechanism of the ball screw pairs was analyzed, and the thermo-force coupling effect due to thermal deformation was considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hierarchical compliance safety decision-making framework is proposed. • By considering lane safety and static traffic laws at the decision-making layer and trajectory safety and dynamic traffic laws at the motion planning layer, this framework achieves safe and compliant driving for vehicles. • At the decision-making layer, a dual-layer admission evaluation method is proposed, which considers both macroscopic lane safety and static traffic laws compliance. This method can filter out behaviors from the candidate behavior sets that are both safe and compliant with static traffic laws. • At the motion planning layer, a method for constructing an environmental potential field is proposed, which considers safety and dynamic traffic laws. • This method, combined with the Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach, can plan trajectories that are both compliant with traffic laws and safe. As autonomous driving advances, autonomous vehicles will share the road with human drivers. This requires autonomous vehicles to adhere to human traffic laws under safe conditions. Simultaneously, when confronted with dangerous situations, autonomous driving should also possess the capability to deviate from traffic laws to ensure safety. However, current autonomous vehicles primarily prioritize safety and collision avoidance in their decision-making and planning. This may lead to misunderstandings and distrust from human drivers in mixed traffic flow, and even accidents. To address this, this paper proposes a decoupled hierarchical framework for compliance safety decision-making. The framework primarily consists of two layers: the decision-making layer and the motion planning layer. In the decision-making layer, a candidate behavior set is constructed based on the scenario, and a dual layer admission assessment is utilized to filter out unsafe and non-compliant behaviors from the candidate sets. Subsequently, the optimal behavior is selected as the decision behavior according to the designed evaluation metrics. The decision-making layer ensures that the vehicle can meet lane safety requirements and comply with static traffic laws. In the motion planning layer, the surrounding vehicles and the road are modeled as safety potential fields and traffic laws potential fields. Combining the optimal decision behavior, they are incorporated into the cost function of the model predictive control to achieve compliant and safe trajectory planning. The planning layer ensures that the vehicle meets trajectory safety requirements and complies with dynamic traffic laws under safe conditions. Finally, four typical scenarios are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results indicate that the proposed method can ensure compliance in safe conditions while also temporarily deviating from traffic laws in emergency situations to ensure safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten is an emerging environmental pollutant. However, a proved robust method for preserving and determining the concentrations of tungsten in environmental media is still lacking. This study examined and compared the suitability of classic methods and previously reported tungsten-oriented methods on preserving dissolved tungsten and recovering tungsten from soil/sediment matrix. Tungsten concentrations in the water samples and digestates were then determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our data showed that the tungsten-oriented HF and alkaline preservatives indeed successfully maintained the stability of dissolved tungsten. Even when preserved using HNO 3 or HCl, dissolved tungsten concentrations did not notably change in most of our water samples over the course of ∼4 months. Using glass containers for storing water samples also did not produce much difference from using high-density polyethylene containers. Our data further suggested that the addition of HF in digestion was important for tungsten solubilization from soil/sediment matrix. The digestion methods with HNO 3 /HCl/HF and HNO 3 /HF/NH 4 OH/EDTA both yielded quantitative recoveries of tungsten from certified reference materials and known synthetic samples, while the other tested methods had limited recoveries. The methods validated by this study could be used to accurately determine tungsten concentrations in environmental media and thereby to assess the fate and potential risks of tungsten. [Display omitted] • Preservation and digestion methods for tungsten-bearing samples were examined. • HF and alkaline preservatives maintained the stability of dissolved tungsten. • Storing water samples in glass and HDPE containers produced similar results. • Adding HF in digestion was necessary for quantitative recovery of tungsten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aged sarcopenia is characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, and mitochondrial dysregulation in skeletal myocyte is considered as a major factor. Here, we aimed to analyze the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) on mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in aged skeletal muscles. C2C12 cells were stimulated by 50 μM 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7β-OHC) to observe the changes of cellular ROS, mitochondrial ROS, and expression of PGC-1α and Nrf2. Different PGC-1α expression in cells was established by transfection with small interfering RNA (siRNA) or plasmids overexpressing PGC-1α (pEX-3-PGC-1α). The effects of different PGC-1α expression on cellular ROS, mitochondrial ROS and Nrf2 expression were measured in cells. Wild type (WT) mice and PGC-1α conditional knockout (CKO) mice were used to analyze the effects of PGC-1α on aged sarcopenia and expression of Nrf2 and CD38 in gastrocnemius muscles. Diethylmaleate, a Nrf2 activator, was used to analyze the connection between PGC-1α and Nrf2 in cells and in mice. In C2C12 cells, the expressions of PGC-1α and Nrf2 were declined by the 7β-OHC treatment or PGC-1α silence. Moreover, PGC-1α silence increased the harmful ROS and decreased the Nrf2 protein expression in the 7β-OHC-treated cells. PGC-1α overexpression decreased the harmful ROS and increased the Nrf2 protein expression in the 7β-OHC-treated cells. Diethylmaleate treatment decreased the harmful ROS in the 7β-OHC-treated or PGC-1α siRNA-transfected cells. At the same age, muscle-specific PGC-1α deficiency aggravated aged sarcopenia, decreased Nrf2 expression and increased CD38 expression in gastrocnemius muscles compared with the WT mice. Diethylmaleate treatment improved the muscle function and decreased the CD38 expression in the old two genotypes. Our study demonstrated that PGC-1α modulated mitochondrial oxidative stress in aged sarcopenia through regulating Nrf2. • Suppression of PGC-1α/Nrf2 may be a toxicological mechanism of 7β-OHC in C2C12. • PGC-1α regulates Nrf2 in skeletal muscles. • Nrf2 confronts the harmful ROS in skeletal muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim. has been used traditionally in Asia. It can dispel wind and cold, tonify the kidney, and strengthen bones and tendons. However, adverse effects of E. sagittatum have been reported, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate liver injury caused by an aqueous extract of E. sagittatum in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice and explore its potential mechanisms. Dried E. sagittatum leaves were decocted in water to prepare aqueous extracts for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Mice were administered an aqueous extract of E. sagittatum equivalent to either 3 g raw E. sagittatum /kg or 10 g raw E. sagittatum /kg once daily via intragastric injection for three months. The liver weights and levels of the serum biochemical parameters including alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total bilirubin (TBIL), and alkaline phosphatase were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed for histopathology. Apoptosis was detected using the TUNEL apoptosis assay kit. IL-1β was detected using ELISA kits. Proteomics was used to identify the differentially expressed proteins. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the levels of proteins significantly affected by the aqueous extract of E. sagittatum. E. sagittatum treatment increased the liver weights and liver coefficients, and ALT and AST levels significantly increased (p < 0.05). A high dose of E. sagittatum significantly increased LDH and TBIL levels (p < 0.05). Ruptured cell membranes and multiple sites of inflammatory cell infiltration were also observed. No evidence of apoptosis was observed. IL-1β levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05). The expressions of PIK3R1, p-MAP2K4, p-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/JNK, p-c-Jun, VDAC2, Bax, and CYC were upregulated, whereas that of Bcl-2 was inhibited by E. sagittatum. The expression of cleaved caspase-1 was significantly increased; however, its effects on GSDMD and GSDMD-N were significantly decreased. The expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and its effector proteins GSDME and GSDME-N significantly increased. Our results suggest that the aqueous extract of E. sagittatum induces liver injury in ICR mice after three months of intragastric injection via inflammatory pyroptosis. [Display omitted] • Liver injury of Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim. was verified in mice after intragastric injection for 3 months. • Significantly differentially expressed proteins named PIK3R1, VDAC2, and CYC might be key proteins. • Pyroptosis was newly reported in E. sagittatum induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developed oxalic acid (OA) chelated electrochemical (EF) released Fe2+ activated CaO 2 pre-conditioned sludge process. • EF-CaO 2 /OA effectively enhanced sludge dewaterability at neutral pH. • EF-CaO 2 /OA provides durable and effective oxidizing power. • End-of-conditioned sludge was still pH-neutral. • Altered protein secondary structure transforms sludge from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of activation of CaO 2 by oxalic acid (OA) chelated with electrochemically (EF)-released Fe2+ (EF-CaO 2 /OA) in improving the performance of sludge dewatering under neutral conditions. We also explored the mechanism of OA-reinforcement of EF-CaO 2 in enhancing the performance of wastewater-activated sludge dewatering by investigating the water content (Wc), specific resistance to filtration (SRF), pH, bound water content, extracellular polymers in the sludge, the secondary structure of proteins, the soluble ferric ions, and the morphology of the sludge. The EF-CaO 2 /OA process was better than the EF-CaO 2 process in terms of sludge dewatering. OA introduction significantly inhibited the increase of solution pH, which in turn promoted CaO 2 dissolution and persistent H 2 O 2 generation. The persistent oxidative reaction contributed to the degradation of hydrophilic protein fractions in EPS and the reduction of the proportion of hydrophilic structures in the secondary structure of proteins, which in turn improved the hydrophobicity of the sludge. The changing profile of DNA content in EPS proved that EF-CaO 2 /OA led to the damage of more sludge cells. It suggested that OA enhanced the oxidizing efficacy of EF-CaO 2 , which in turn promoted the release of bound water from more sludge cells. Moreover, OA significantly increased the amount of dissolved iron in solution by chelating the electrochemically released iron, which contributed to the stabilization of the oxidation reaction. Under the optimal conditions, sludge Wc and SRF treated by EF-CaO 2 /OA were reduced by 30.1% and 96.9%, respectively, and the dewatered sludge cake remained neutral. In conclusion, EF-CaO 2 /OA may be an efficient and feasible technique for deep sludge dewatering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the wide usage of high-fat diets in aquaculture, improving the ability of fish to utilize high-fat diets is one of the important issues in the field of aquaculture nutrition. Studies in mammals have proven that increasing the number of adipocytes improves high-fat diet-induced metabolic disease, suggesting that promoting adipocyte hyperplasia has potential as a novel nutritional strategy to reverse the negative effects of high-fat diets in farmed fish. To verify this hypothesis, a total of 270 juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) (34.57 ± 0.29 g) were randomly divided into 15 net cages, and a PPARγ agonist (rosiglitazone) was added to the high-fat diet to promote PPARγ-mediated adipocyte hyperplasia. The results showed that PPARγ was activated in adipose tissue instead of the liver and muscle, resulting in adipogenesis and healthy adipose tissue remodeling, including an increased ability to store and metabolize fat and decreased lipid accumulation, immune cell penetration and fibrosis, as well as inflammation. In addition, promoting PPARγ-mediated adipocyte hyperplasia significantly reduced the levels of inflammation in serum, liver and muscle (P < 0.05) and significantly reduced the serum contents of total triglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.05), indicating that the tolerance of grass carp to high-fat diets was increased. Subsequently, the growth performance and feed efficiency were significantly improved. Meanwhile, hepatic steatosis decreased as a result of reduced lipid absorption and synthesis, and the synthesis of protein in muscle was significantly increased by promoting the ability of muscle to utilize fat. Taken together, activating PPARγ-mediated adipocyte hyperplasia not only increases the tolerance of grass carp to high-fat diets but also promotes the utilization of high-fat diets and increases the protein-sparing effect of fat in grass carp. Our study indicates that targeting PPARγ-mediated adipocyte hyperplasia to change the pattern of adipose tissue expansion is a nutritional strategy to develop feed additives, which are used to reverse the negative effects of high-fat diets and promote the utilization of high-fat diets in farmed fish. • Dietary supplementation with rosiglitazone improves adipocyte hyperplasia. • Dietary supplementation with rosiglitazone increases the tolerance of grass carp to high-fat diets. • Dietary supplementation with rosiglitazone promotes the growth performance and protein-sparing effect of fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• To reduce the leakage mass flow rate in the Loss-of-Coolant Accidents of the nuclear heating reactor , we designed a novel passive flow limiter that can completely block the flow by the inside moveable ball under the large pressure difference. • The dimensionless critical flow rate η of the passive flow limiter was established by mathematical analysis , and the appropriate range of η was determined. • Investigation of the relationship between hydraulic performance and geometric parameters of the passive flow limiter by three-dimensional numerical simulations. • Comparison and evaluations of the numerical results and the discussion on the optimal design of the passive flow limiter. A novel passive flow limiter was designed for the NHR200-II nuclear heating reactor to reduce the break mass flow rate in loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs). The flow limiter is mainly composed of a multisection cylindrical flow passage and an internal movable ball, and the flow passage would be blocked automatically by the movable ball while the flow in the passage was accelerated during a LOCA transient. The dimensionless critical flow rate η was identified as the key performance parameter of the limiter. Important geometric parameters, such as the axial distance H , the shape of the throat section, the blockage ratio of the ball in the pipe, and the front length L were studied numerically to optimize the structure of the passive flow limiter. The dimensionless critical flow rate η was found to increase rapidly with the axial distance H. The downstream throat shape of the passive flow limiter also affects the performance. The blockage ratio has a relatively small effect on the dimensionless critical flow rate η , and the dimensionless critical flow rate decreases with the increasing front length L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) treated polyamide 66 (PA66) textiles were coated with green and naturally abundant polysaccharides specifically, chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (SA) together with phytic acid (PA) via layer by layer (LbL) deposition. The prime focus of such treatment was to intensify both the hydrophilic and flame retardant properties of PA66 fabric substrates. Subsequently, the prepared coatings were further subjected to cross-linking modification by dipping them into the barium (Ba) salt solution. Obtained results indicated that the MCC-modified PA66 exhibited a water contact angle (WCA) value of 00 and revealed a drop in peak heat release rate (pHRR) up to 31 % with complete suppression of melt-dripping. Meanwhile, the Ba-ion-induced cross-linking treatment further escalated this reduction up to 36 % by adding enhanced thermal stability, improved char quality along better wash durability of as prepared coatings. In addition, the combined modification of PA66 textiles with MCC and Ba-ion handed a superb enhancement of physical properties like tensile strength by ca. 50 % compared to the pure PA66. Thus, this MCC-assisted surface modification paves the way for a new kind of greener treatment of PA66 textiles in attaining superior hydrophilic and flame retardant properties of the same. • MCC-assisted surface engineering of PA66 fabrics was done. • Green polysaccharides were deposited on PA66 surfaces in LbL assembly. • MCC-modified and LbL deposited fabric surfaces exhibited superhydrophilicity. • MCC-modified and LbL deposited showed a substantial reduction in pHHR by 36 %. • Ba ion cross-linking helped to obtain superior wash durability to developed coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activity has been historically linked to atherosclerosis. Paradoxically, we recently found that global deficiency in c-Kit function increased atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic mice. This study aimed to investigate if such unusual atheroprotective phenotype depends upon c-Kit's function in smooth muscle cells (SMC). We studied atherosclerosis in a SMC-specific conditional knockout mice (KitSMC) and control littermate. Tamoxifen (TAM) and vehicle treated mice were fed high fat diet for 16 weeks before atherosclerosis assessment in the whole aorta using oil red staining. Smooth muscle cells were traced within the aortic sinus of conditional c-Kit tracing mice (KitSMC eYFP) and their control littermates (KitWT eYFP) by immunofluorescent confocal microscopy. We then performed RNA sequencing on primary SMC from c-Kit deficient and control mice, and identified significantly altered genes and pathways as a result of c-Kit deficiency in SMC. Atherosclerosis significantly increased in KitSMC mice with respect to control groups. In addition, the loss of c-Kit in SMC increased plaque size and necrotic core area in the aortic sinus of hyperlipidemic mice. Smooth muscle cells from KitSMC eYFP mice were more prone to migrate and express foam cell markers (e.g., Mac2 and MCAM) than those from control littermate animals. RNAseq analysis showed a significant upregulation in genes associated with cell proliferation, migration, lipid metabolism, and inflammation secondary to the loss of Kit function in primary SMCs. Loss of c-Kit increases SMC migration, proliferation, and expression of foam cell markers in atherosclerotic plaques from hyperlipidemic mice. [Display omitted] • c-Kit, a well-known stem cell marker, plays an important role in smooth muscle cells. • c-Kit deficiency increases smooth muscle cell migration to atherosclerotic lesions. • c-Kit deficiency increases smooth muscle cell-derived foam-cell formation. • c-Kit expression decreases atherosclerosis unlike other receptor tyrosine kinases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting anomalies in time series is a vital technique in a wide variety of industrial application in which sensors monitor expensive machinery. The complexity of this task increases when heterogeneous sensors provide information of different attributes, scales and characteristics from the same machine. Actually, the challenges of anomaly detection for industrial time series are to design effective pre-processing, feature extraction and overcome the lack of abnormal samples. Recent deep learning models have shown prominent abilities on raw multivariate time series, alleviating these previous works. In this work, a novel framework named multi-time scale deep convolutional generative adversarial network (MTS-DCGAN) is proposed to deal with anomaly detection of industrial time series. Firstly, multivariate time series are transformed into the multi-channel signature matrices via sliding window based cross-correlation computation, and therein forgetting mechanism is introduced to effectively avoid false alarms due to excessive influence of old sequences. Then the framework conducts an unsupervised adversarial training of multi-channel signature matrices and capture their hidden features via deep convolution structure. Besides, a novel threshold setting strategy is proposed to optimize anomaly detection performance under imbalance of normal and abnormal data. Finally, the proposed framework is assessed against the experiments on four datasets. Within this study, experimental results show our framework outperforms the comparison algorithms in terms of model performance and robustness, providing an effective anomaly detection method for industrial multivariate time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A driving safety zone model is proposed to ensure the platoon's operational safety. • Module Rational Traffic Participant is designed to provide behavioral strategies. • Distributed collaborative controllers are developed to implement the strategy. A driving-safety-zone-model-oriented motion planning framework (DSZMF) is proposed for autonomous platoons in heterogeneous driving environments with complex driving behaviors and interactions between human-driven and autonomous vehicles. As an extension of the responsibility-sensitive-safety (RSS) model, the driving safety zone model ensures that autonomous truck platoons adhere to explicit and implicit traffic rules as rational traffic participants. It consists of three zones created by safe distances and artificial potential field (APF), namely the restricted zone, the coordinated zone, and pre-cautionary zone. The Rational Traffic Participant (RTP) module is created by using a Finite State Machine (FSM) to provide an optimized platooning behavioral strategy based on the dynamic states of surrounding vehicles. Furthermore, the distributed model predictive controllers are utilized for motion planning, while the H infinity controller is developed to maintain the string stability of the autonomous platoon. The proposed DSZMF generates behavioral decisions by thoroughly considering the driving safety zone model, string stability, and multiple vehicle dynamics constraints. Finally, three critical scenarios are co-simulated for case studies, and the simulation results demonstrate that the DSZMF improves the safe time integration rate over the existing MCF by 18.9%, 11.1%, and 11.6% in three scenarios, respectively. In addition, DSZMF increases the minimum longitudinal and lateral Time to Collision (TTC) values to reduce collision risks. The case studies validate the efficacy of the proposed method for safety assurance and collaborative control of the autonomous platoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Various indicators used to evaluate heat tolerance in tomato plants are summarized. • The current state of germplasm and quantitative trait loci related to tomato heat tolerance are reviewed. • The physiological mechanisms and molecular basis of tomato heat tolerance are discussed. • The main challenges and future research efforts required for tomato heat tolerance are proposed. Global warming is one of the most concerning challenges that human beings are facing. The occurrence and intensity of heat stress events are expected only to increase, with a major negative impact on agricultural production systems. Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops worldwide, but it is highly sensitive to heat stress. Genetic improvement of heat tolerance will be critical for the sustainable production of tomato. Here, we provide an update on various aspects of tomato heat stress response and tolerance, including the various indicators used in heat tolerance evaluation, germplasm and quantitative trait loci, physiological mechanisms and molecular basis of tomato heat tolerance. Finally, we highlight the main challenges and the required future efforts in tomato heat tolerance research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Prestin (SLC26a5) underlies enhanced mammalian hearing. • The function of prestin depends on prior membrane potential. • Here we study the development of this functional dependence in HEK cells. • Maturation of the response corresponds to prestin density in the membrane. • We suggest at a critical density cooperative effects among prestin molecules are maximal. Prestin (SLC26a5) is an integral membrane motor protein in outer hair cells (OHC) that underlies cochlear amplification. As a voltage-dependent protein, it relies on intrinsic sensor charge to respond to transmembrane voltage (receptor potentials), thereby effecting conformational changes. The protein's electromechanical actively is experimentally monitored as a bell-shaped nonlinear capacitance (NLC), whose magnitude peaks at a characteristic voltage, V h. This voltage denotes the midpoint of prestin's charge–voltage (Q–V) Boltzmann distribution and region of maximum gain of OHC electromotility. It is an important factor in hearing capabilities for mammals. A variety of biophysical forces can influence the distribution of charge, gauged by shifts in V h , including prior holding voltage or membrane potential. Here we report that the effectiveness of prior voltage augments during the delivery of prestin to the membranes in an inducible HEK cell line. The augmentation coincides with an increase in prestin density, maturing at a characteristic membrane areal density of 870 functional prestin units per square micrometer, and is likely indicative of prestin–prestin cooperative interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an algorithm for reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous media, in which the randomly distributed individual entities, such as aggregates, pores or other material phases with different sizes and shapes can be explicitly represented. The reconstruction procedure achieves high efficiency and reliability by integrating random process theory and stochastic reconstruction procedure. Specifically, the random process theory is applied to generate an initial model based on the statistics obtained from the digital image of heterogeneous material sample and then this coarse model is evolved by the simulated annealing algorithm to match the same statistical descriptors of sample structure. Two 3D models of different sizes are reconstructed. The autocorrelation function is applied to validate the accuracy of the reconstructed models. The comparison between the reconstructed models and the real model shows good agreement. The proposed method is suitable for reconstructing large size 3D random media for its high computational efficiency. • Three-dimensional reconstruction of random heterogeneous media. • An enhanced autocorrelation function to generate more detailed features. • An improved algorithm by integrating random process theory and SAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A route for simultaneously CO 2 mineralization and synthesis of Li 4 SiO 4 was proposed. • The thermodynamics for synthesis of Li 4 SiO 4 was analyzed. • The effect of process parameters on CO 2 uptake of Li 4 SiO 4 were investigated. • The route integrated CO 2 capture, storage and disposal of solid wastes. Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is one of the most important technological options to mitigate the effect of greenhouse gases on the global climate. A process for indirect mineral carbonation of blast furnace slag (BFS) with (NH 4) 2 SO 4 as a recyclable reagent has been proposed recently. Preparation of high-performance and high-value-added products from its by-products would further improve economy of the process. In this study, Li 4 SiO 4 , a lithium-based high temperature CO 2 sorbent, was prepared using Li 2 CO 3 or LiOH·H 2 O and the silica gel derived from the indirect carbonation process. As a comparison, two other silicon sources were also used in the synthesis. The sorbents thus-prepared were compared for their CO 2 uptake performances. The results show that the sorbent synthesized with Li 2 CO 3 and the BFS-derived silica gel at Li/Si molar ratio of 4 (Li 2 CO 3 -BFS-4) possesses the best CO 2 uptake performance with a sorption capacity of 0.329 (g CO 2 /g sorbent) within 20 min. The replacement of Li+ in the Li 4 SiO 4 crystal lattice by the impurity metal ions, Ti4+ and Al3+, entrained in the silica gel through co-precipitation during the mineralization process, enhanced the diffusion of Li+ and O2−, which might be responsible for the excellent CO 2 uptake performance. The effect of absorption temperature, Li/Si ratio, CO 2 concentration and the CO 2 sorption/desorption cycling stability were also investigated systematically. Compared with other existing synthesis methods, the method presented in this work for high temperature CO 2 sorbent of Li 4 SiO 4 through mineral carbonation of blast furnace slag is more environment-friendly and economically attractive, thus with promise in industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networks are ubiquitous in contemporary society, where one's opinions and behaviors are easily influenced by those around them. The effectiveness of social influence analysis has become significant for numerous application fields such as online recommendation, advertising, and viral marketing. Graph-based deep learning has achieved significant success in influence prediction. However, the existing methods ignore the privacy issue and are incapable of cross-organizational collaboration. Inspired by the recent success of federated learning in privacy protection and breaking the data barrier. In this paper, a novel federated learning framework, FedInf, is proposed to tackle the problem of social influence prediction. Specially, to further protect user privacy and achieve secure aggregation for multiple local models, we introduce differential privacy into the local parameters, adding artificial noise before model aggregation. In order to trade-off utility and privacy, we first freeze the embedding layers to reduce the number of upload parameters, and then project model parameters into low-dimensional space. Therefore, less noise is required to provide the same level of privacy protection. Extensive experiments on four real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed FedInf is effective while providing privacy protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and accurate measurement of material mechanical properties is important for material development. The mechanical properties of materials are comprehensively affected by factors such as material composition and microstructure. The existing single-mode prediction methods have the problems of poor mapping integrity and low prediction accuracy. In this paper, a multimodal fusion prediction model integrating material microstructure information and material composition information is proposed. Firstly, Convolutional neural network(CNN) is used to extract the material microstructure features, and Multilayer perceptron(MLP) is used to extract the component features. Then, the adaptive feature vector fusion module designed to adjust the influence of different modal information on the mechanical properties is used to achieve high-level feature fusion, and neural network is used to complete the mechanical properties prediction. The method is verified on the data of an alternative composite material. The method proposed provides a promising solution for the measurement and prediction of material properties. [Display omitted] • The proposed model takes into account both the microstructure and composition of the material. • The addition of CBAM makes the model pay more attention to the features of the particle region in the SEM image. • Using branch network makes it easier to learn the mass proportion feature and crystal type feature interactively. • An adaptive feature vector fusion module is proposed which can control the influence weight of different modal information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play a central etiological role in the development of sensorineural hearing loss, either inherited or acquired. • Cochlear cells are susceptible to oxidative damage due to their high metabolic demands. • Many promising antioxidant therapies for the prevention and treatment of acquired sensorineural hearing loss are in preclinical and clinical development. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can either be genetically inherited or acquired as a result of aging, noise exposure, or ototoxic drugs. Although the precise pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SNHL remain unclear, an overwhelming body of evidence implicates mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress playing a central etiological role. With its high metabolic demands, the cochlea, particularly the sensory hair cells, stria vascularis, and spiral ganglion neurons, is vulnerable to the damaging effects of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent oxidative stress in cochlear cells can be caused by inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations (hereditary hearing loss and aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity), accumulation of acquired mtDNA mutations with age (age-related hearing loss), mitochondrial overdrive and calcium dysregulation (noise-induced hearing loss and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity), or accumulation of ototoxic drugs within hair cell mitochondria (drug-induced hearing loss). In this review, we provide an overview of our current knowledge on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the development of SNHL caused by genetic mutations, aging, exposure to excessive noise, and ototoxic drugs. We also explore the advancements in antioxidant therapies for the different forms of acquired SNHL that are being evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nitrogen (N) losses are related to N deposition and activity of microbes that affect N dynamics. However, the effects of N deposition on gross N dynamics and mechanisms of N losses are not fully understood. Here, we quantified N losses from runoff and gaseous N (NO, N 2 O) emissions, assessed gross N transformation rates using 15N tracing, and recorded microbe abundance using real-time PCR in a temperate Korean pine plantation treated with zero N (control), low-N (20 kg N ha−1 yr−1), moderate-N (40 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and high-N (80 kg N ha−1 yr−1). The results showed that total N loss (N 2 O, NO and surface runoff) during the growing season was higher with N addition, where it was 0.86 kg N ha−1 in control and 1.83 kg N ha−1 in the high-N treatment. NH 4 + and DON losses from surface runoff and NO loss from gas emissions were higher with N addition, whereas gross N mineralization and autotrophic nitrification rates were lower. Gross mineral N immobilization and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium rates were very low, and immobilization of NH 4 + and NO 3 − varied among the treatments. The contrast between stimulated mineral N losses and suppressed mineral N production processes (mineralization and nitrification) with N addition showed that greater mineral N losses were likely related to losses from recently added N, rather than from old N converted from the native N pool, as a result of mineralization and nitrification processes. Suppressed NH 4 + and NO 3 − immobilizations in some treatments also contributed to greater N losses. Highlights • Enhanced N deposition increased total N loss (N 2 O, NO and surface runoff). • Autotrophic nitrification and mineralization were suppressed by enhanced N deposition. • Increasing mineral N loss is related to newly added N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Historical records of heavy metals from remote areas are important for assessing temporal pollution trends of the regional atmosphere. Based on comparison analyses of heavy metals, Pb isotopes, and total carbon in sediment cores from two relatively remote lakes on the southeast Mongolian Plateau, atmospheric heavy metal pollution trends during ∼1900–2016 were reconstructed. The current anthropogenic fluxes of Zn, Cd and Pb in the region are 11.7, 0.104 and 2.44 mg m−2 yr−1, respectively, close to those in Lake Sayram in West China, but lower than most other records in China. Anthropogenic metal fluxes and 206Pb/207Pb ratios suggest that (1) before ∼1950 atmospheric metal pollution was negligible in the region; (2) since ∼1950, the pollution became detectable but was relatively slight until ∼1980, corresponded with the beginning of socio-economic development after the foundation of China in 1949 and the rapid development after the Reform and Opening-up in 1978; and (3) since ∼2000, atmospheric Pb stopped increasing because of the phasing out of leaded gasoline. Based on comparison and fitting analyses with other sediment records, a similar four-stage evolution picture of atmospheric heavy metals in China over the last century was uncovered. This study indicates rapid increase trends of atmospheric heavy metals in China since ∼1980 associated with economic development. Highlights • Before ∼1950 atmospheric metal pollution was negligible in mainland China. • Atmosphere metal pollution increased slightly during ∼1950–1980. • Since ∼1980 the pollution has intensified rapidly. • The pollution trend fits well with two-stage socio-economic developments in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Lunar regolith molding technologies are receiving an increasing attention in lunar exploration program. Most studies are carried out in the air on earth, ignored the effects of high vacuum (~ 10-12 mbar) on the lunar surface. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at assessing the effect of vacuum on the sintering of low Ti basalt type lunar simulant CLRS-1. The results show that porous sample with density of 1.19 g cm-3 can be obtained by sintering at 1100 °C under vacuum, which has much lower thermal conductivity (0.265 W m-1 K-1) than concrete and other lunar resource derived structural materials. It could potentially be applied as the thermal insulation material for the Moon base construction. The pore-forming mechanism in vacuum was investigated. It was found that evaporation of the products of solid dissolved mineral crystals led to a great deal of weight loss and inhibited the densification during sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • CO 2 -expanded gelation approach was proposed for preparing bimodal porous materials. • CO 2 -expansion induced much short time for gelation. • CTAB template contributed to the surface area and CO 2 -expansion to the pore volume. • Bimodal silica-PW showed good selectivity and short time for 1,8-cineole from α-terpineol. • Bimodal Ni/SiO 2 exhibited excellent performance for phenol hydrogenation to cyclohexanol. Abstract In this work, a facile route was designed to fabricate bimodal porous silica with high surface area and pore volume via a CO 2 -expanded gelation with assistance of CTAB. Parameters such as the amount of CTAB, pressure of CO 2 and agitation time were investigated and optimized. Results showed bimodal silica contained small pore size (around 2 nm) from CTAB templating and large pore size (> 4 nm) from CO 2 -expanded gelation could be easily adjusted by the synthesis conditions. A typical sample with surface area of 1133 m2/g and pore volume of 1.24 mL/g was applied as a catalyst support for phosphotungstic acid, revealing much faster catalysis rate and relatively high selectivity for 1, 8-cineole from α-terpineol than the commercial MCM-41. The approach was also successfully extended to the preparation of bimodal NiO/silica composite, and the reduced Ni/silica showed higher catalysis performance than the unimodal sample for phenol hydrogenation to cyclohexanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, a hexapod, six-degree of freedom (DOF) platform has been implemented to perform the captive model tests. With this novel device, a physical ship model can be forced to produce independent or coordinated motions in six-DOF that cannot be accomplished by a traditional one. This paper starts with the demonstration of the principle of the novel captive model test device. The motion relations between the driving legs of the testing platform and the physical ship model have been derived, based on which the mathematical model of hydrodynamic force has been established. Next, the testing procedures have been given by performing hydrodynamic coefficients tests of a rectangular frame and two ship models using the novel test device. Finally, the test results are compared with the theoretical values to verify the reliability of the device. The test device proposed in this paper provides a novel alternative to the traditional captive model test devices. It can identify the complex hydrodynamic coefficients of the mathematical model simultaneously in a single device, which is of great significance for the efficient prediction of hydrodynamics performance of given ships and offshore structures. Highlights • A hexapod, six-degree of freedom platform is implemented to perform the captive model tests. • The test device can constrain the ship model to produce independent or coordinated motion in six-DOF. • The test device expands the range of hydrodynamic coefficient tests and can identify the complex hydrodynamic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macrophages are highly plastic cells that play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.Objectives: This study investigated the role of GATA3-positive macrophages in modulating cardiac function after myocardial infarction (MI) or in response to pressure overload hypertrophy.Methods: Myeloid-specific GATA3-deficient (mGATA3KO) mice were generated, MI or pressure overload was induced, and cardiac function was determined by echocardiography. GATA3-sufficient Cre mice were used as a control. Immunohistochemical staining, flow cytometry, MILLIPLEX Mouse Cytokine/Chemokine Assay, cultured macrophages, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot were used to determine the role of GATA3 in macrophages.Results: GATA3-positive macrophages rapidly accumulated in the infarcted region of the myocardium after acute MI. Deficiency of GATA3-positive macrophages led to a significant improvement of cardiac function in response to acute MI or pressure overload hypertrophy compared with the control mice. This improvement was associated with the presence of a large number of proinflammatory Ly6Chi monocytes/macrophages and fewer reparative Ly6Clo macrophages in the myocardium of mGATA3KO mice compared with control mice. Analysis of serum proteins from the 2 mouse genotypes revealed no major changes in the profile of serum growth factors and cytokines between the 2 mice genotypes before and after MI. GATA3 was found to be specifically and transiently induced by interleukin 4 in cultured macrophages through activity of the proximal promoter, whereas the distal promoter remained silent. In addition, the absence of GATA3 in macrophages markedly attenuated arginase-1 expression in cultured macrophages.Conclusions: We demonstrated that the presence of GATA3-positive macrophages adversely affects remodeling of the myocardium in response to ischemia or pressure overload, whereas the absence of these macrophages led to a significant improvement in cardiac function. Targeting of signaling pathways that lead to the expression of GATA3 in macrophages may have favorable cardiac outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phosphate-modified CeO 2 catalyst (Ce-P) with abundant and stable acid sites and oxygen vacancies was designed and showed excellent NH 3 -SCR performance after hydrothermal treatment. [Display omitted] • Ce-P catalyst shows higher hydrothermal stability than Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst. • PO 4 3-, SO 4 2- and WO 3 doping enhances the SCR performances of CeO 2. • PO 4 3- can still exist stably after hydrothermal treatment. • The stable P-Ce-O v structure increases the hydrothermal stability of Ce-P catalyst. Hydrothermal stability is one of the important bottlenecks limiting the application of NH 3 -SCR catalysts in NO x abatement. Different acid groups are used to modify CeO 2 which can greatly increase the number of surface oxygen vacancies and acid sites, thus improving the redox properties and acidity of Ce-based catalysts. Therefore, all the Ce-PO 4 3-, Ce-SO 4 2- and Ce-WO 3 catalysts demonstrate excellent catalytic activities. However, only the Ce-PO 4 3- catalyst shows superior hydrothermal stability and achieves > 80 % NO x conversion between 325 °C and 475 °C after hydrothermal treatment at 800 °C and 850 °C. The hydrothermal process resulted in the decomposition of sulfates and the sintering of WO 3 , leading to the decrease of oxygen vacancies and the weakness of acid sites. Nevertheless, the Ce-PO 4 3- catalyst could maintain these properties due to the ultra-high stable structure P-Ce-O v , which has the potential to replace the commercial Cu-SSZ-13. It provides a strategy to improve the hydrothermal stability of metal oxide SCR catalysts to satisfy the application in removing NO x from vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil nitrification exhibited a bell-shaped pattern with N enrichment in topsoil. • Soil nitrification linearly decreased with N enrichment in subsoil. • Nitrification was affected by microbe in topsoil but substrate supply in subsoil. Nitrogen (N) deposition has continually increased since the industrial revolution and its rate varies widely around the world. The dynamic of soil nitrification under N enrichment affects nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions and nitrate (NO 3 −) leaching which are related to current environmental problems. However, the response of soil nitrification, particularly in subsoil, to a N enrichment gradient and the mechanisms involved have not been well studied. In this study, the gross nitrification rates (GNRs) and relevant abiotic and biotic factors along a N addition gradient in a field were determined at three soil depths using a 15N-labeling method. The GNR in topsoil (0–10 cm) followed a bell-shaped curve as the N addition rate increased. The GNR in subsoil (10–20 and 20–40 cm) linearly decreased as the N addition rate increased. The GNR positively correlated with the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) abundance in topsoil (P < 0.05) and the gross mineralization rate in subsoil (P < 0.05). The results indicated that changes in the AOB abundance contributed to the bell-shaped pattern of GNR in the topsoil, and the decrease in mineralization rate contributed to the decrease in GNR with N enrichment by reducing substrate supply in the subsoil. The different responses of soil nitrification to N enrichment at different soil depths and the mechanisms involved should be taken into consideration in biogeochemical models to better predict the soil N cycling in the context of N enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -substituted oxindoles were obtained through a facile KOH/DMSO promoted intramolecular cyclization of o -bromophenylacetamides in good yields. Furthermore, isoindigo derivatives were readily synthesized through sequential intramolecular cyclization, oxidation and condensation of o -bromophenylacetamide in the presence of copper (II) acetate monohydrate, iodobenzene diacetate and KOH/DMSO. This method provides a convenient synthesis of a range of oxindoles and symmetrical biologically important ( E )-bisindole-2-ones using o -bromophenylacetamide as sole starting material. The reaction mechanism is elucidated in light of the control experiment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuously enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition alters the pattern of N and carbon (C) transformations, and thus influences greenhouse gas emissions. It is necessary to clarify the effect of N deposition on greenhouse gas emissions and soil N dynamics for an accurate assessment of C and N budgets under increasing N deposition. In this study, four simulated N deposition treatments (control [CK: no N addition], low-N [L: 20 kg N ha − 1 yr − 1 ], medium-N [M: 40 kg N ha − 1 yr − 1 ], and high-N [H: 80 kg N ha − 1 yr − 1 ]) were operated from 2014. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide fluxes were monitored semimonthly, as were soil variables such as temperature, moisture and the concentrations of total dissolved N (TDN), NO 3 − , NO 2 − , NH 4 + , and dissolved organic N (DON) in soil solutions. The simulated N deposition resulted in a significant increase in TDN, NO 3 − and DON concentrations in soil solutions. The average CO 2 emission rate ranged from 222.6 mg CO 2 m − 2 h − 1 in CK to 233.7 mg CO 2 m − 2 h − 1 in the high-N treatment. Three years of simulated N deposition had no effect on soil CO 2 emission, which was mainly controlled by soil temperature. The mean N 2 O emission rate during the whole 3 years was 0.02 mg N 2 O m − 2 h − 1 for CK, which increased significantly to 0.05 mg N 2 O m − 2 h − 1 in the high-N treatment. The N 2 O emission rate positively correlated with NH 4 + concentrations, and negatively correlated with soil moisture. The average CH 4 flux during the whole 3 years was − 0.74 μg CH 4 m − 2 h − 1 in CK, which increased to 1.41 μg CH 4 m − 2 h − 1 in the low-N treatment. CH 4 flux positively correlated with NO 3 − concentrations. These results indicate that short-term N deposition did not affect soil CO 2 emissions, while CH 4 and N 2 O emissions were sensitive to N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solute-saturated supercritical fluid loading (SSFL) process was proposed to load 2-phenylethyl alcohol (PEA) in silica and activated carbon (AC). The adsorption and loading amounts of PEA in carries were investigated at different temperatures (50.0–60.0 °C) and pressures (8.0–14.0 MPa) by a column sampling method. By using a high-pressure quartz spring method, the adsorption amounts of the binary PEA and CO 2 in silica were determined. The retention of PEA in the SSFL powder flavors was evaluated by a nitrogen-purging method. Results revealed that, compared with AC, silica had high loading of PEA (maximum 0.484 g/g) and showed better results in PEA preservation from loss at room temperature and control release at higher temperature; PEA suppressed the adsorption of CO 2 at relatively high pressure. Discussion indicated that precipitation and adsorption contributed to the high loading of PEA in silica, while adsorption mainly contributed to that in AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tenascin-C (TNC) is a highly conserved matricellular protein with a distinct expression pattern during development and disease. Remodeling of the left ventricle (LV) in response to pressure overload leads to the re-expression of the fetal gene program.Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the function of TNC in cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure overload.Methods: Pressure overload was induced in TNC knockout and wild-type mice by constricting their abdominal aorta or by infusion of angiotensin II. Echocardiography, immunostaining, flow cytometry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and reciprocal bone marrow transplantation were used to evaluate the effect of TNC deficiency.Results: Echocardiographic analysis of pressure overloaded hearts revealed that all LV parameters (LV end-diastolic and -systolic dimensions, ejection fraction, and fractional shortening) deteriorated in TNC-deficient mice compared with their wild-type counterparts. Cardiomyocyte size and collagen accumulation were significantly greater in the absence of TNC. Mechanistically, TNC deficiency promoted rapid accumulation of the CCR2+/Ly6Chi monocyte/macrophage subset into the myocardium in response to pressure overload. Further, echocardiographic and immunohistochemical analyses of recipient hearts showed that expression of TNC in the bone marrow, but not the myocardium, protected the myocardium against excessive remodeling of the pressure-overloaded heart.Conclusions: TNC deficiency further impaired cardiac function in response to pressure overload and exacerbated fibrosis by enhancing inflammation. In addition, expression of TNC in the bone marrow, but not the myocardium, protected the myocardium against excessive remodeling in response to mild pressure overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, low temperature plasma nitriding (LPN) was primarily used in 38CrMoAl hydraulic plunger to overcome the peeling problem of the compound layer in real application. The cross-sectional microstructures of the treated samples were observed by optical metallography, phase constituents were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the microhardness profile and brittleness of surface were measured by microhardness tester. The results showed that no compound layer was formed while plasma nitriding at 450 °Cfor 6 h, and XRD also confirmed that there existed no γ′-Fe 4 N. Meanwhile, the brittleness was decreased at lower temperature plasma nitriding comparing with normal plasma nitriding (NPN), due to no brittle compound layer formed on the outmost layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of silicon-rich shallow trench isolation (STI) on total ionizing dose (TID) hardening and gate oxide integrity (GOI) in a 130 nm partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology are investigated. Radiation-induced charges buildup in STI oxide can invert the parasitic sidewall channel of the n-channel transistor, which will increase the off-state leakage current and decrease the threshold voltage for the main transistor. Compared with the general STI process, the silicon-rich STI process can significantly suppress the increase in leakage current and negative shifts in subthreshold region induced by the total dose radiation, implying TID hardening for STI trench oxide. However, the silicon-rich STI process has a deleterious impact on GOI. It leads to the thin gate oxide thickness at trench corner and lowers the gate oxide breakdown voltage. Issues of gate oxide integrity induced by silicon-rich STI are investigated in this paper, and an optimized process to solve this problem is proposed and examined. Finally, the TID response of the optimized silicon-rich STI process is presented in comparison to the general and silicon-rich STI processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nitrification derived N 2 O emission increases with N enrichment at all soil layers. • Denitrification derived N 2 O emission decreases with N enrichment at all soil layers. • The N 2 O/nitrification ratio and narG and nirS amounts cause those changes. Clarifying responses of nitrification-derived N 2 O (N 2 O n) emission and denitrification-derived N 2 O (N 2 O d) emission to increasing nitrogen (N) deposition and the corresponding control factors help to better understand and predict the soil total N 2 O (N 2 O T) emission in the context of global change. However, these have not been well studied, particularly at different soil layers. Here, we measured those different N 2 O fluxes with laboratory incubation and the corresponding soil abiotic and biotic properties along a field N addition gradient at three soil depths in an alpine meadow. The results show that, with increasing N addition, both N 2 O T and N 2 O n emissions linearly increased, but N 2 O d emission linearly decreased at all soil depths (p < 0.05). The N 2 O n emission was correlated neither with the nitrification rate nor the abundance of nitrifier genes, but was positively correlated with the proportion of N 2 O n being emitted from nitrification (P N2On), which became larger with N enrichment (p < 0.05). The N 2 O d emission was positively correlated with the abundance of narG and nirS genes, which decreased with N enrichment (p < 0.05). These results reveal that the N 2 O n and N 2 O d emissions responded differently to increasing N deposition in both topsoil (0–10 cm) and subsoil (10–20 and 20–40 cm), and that the increase in N 2 O n emission was responsible for the higher N 2 O T emission with N enrichment. These findings extend the current understanding of the mechanism underlying increased N 2 O T emission with N enrichment, as previous studies have ignored the possibility of a depressed N transformation process derived N 2 O emission. The dynamics of P N2On and the abundance of narG and nirS in both topsoil and subsoil should be noted to better predict N 2 O n and N 2 O d emissions, and therefore, N 2 O T emission in the context of enhanced N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Decouple the causality among skin lesion classification, detection and segmentation from the Pareto efficiency view, solving the common trade-off dilemma in multiple tasks. • New paradigm boosts the diagnosis with the investigated favorable fusing manner. • Effective model compression scheme overcomes the redundant complexity, achieving the raised performance under fewer parameters. Multi-task learning has been used widely in many computer aided diagnosis applications recently, while the trade-off between different tasks remains challenging. Also, the inherent causality is less studied. In this paper, we focus on skin lesion analysis, including lesion classification, detection and segmentation. By defining the chain relationship (i.e., lesion detection boosts contour segmentation, and segmentation boosts lesion classification in turn), and further decoupling each pair-wise causality (e.g., detection to segmentation) from the Pareto efficiency view, we can solve the common trade-off issue between multi-task. On this basis, we propose a novel paradigm to improve the skin lesion segmentation and classification separately, and favourable feature fusion ways for each task are explored. Moreover, to address the huge model size problem, we design an effective model compression scheme (MCS). Extensive experiments on the ISIC2017 and PH2 datasets are conducted to evaluate the proposed paradigm. The results demonstrate that the popular models such as ResNet, DenseNet and UNet for lesion analysis can be boosted by applying the proposed paradigm, and the designed MCS reduces the amount of model parameters efficiently. We achieve performance improvements on skin lesion segmentation and classification without strenuous network design and soaring model complexity. This proposed approach is promising for the multi-task diagnosis setting in other medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moisture source history and changes in atmospheric circulation are the most important attributes for portraying past climate changes and for estimating possible future trends. However, few climate records reflecting these attributes are available from the marginal zones of the Asian summer monsoon. Here, we present a record of the oxygen isotopic composition of authigenic carbonates (δ 18 O carb ) of sequential sediments from Genggahai Lake in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Isotopic analyses were performed on the fine-grained carbonate fraction (<38 μm), mollusc shells, and stem encrustations from submerged plants. The stratigraphic variations of the δ 18 O record from the different carbonate components exhibit a remarkably similar pattern, probably reflecting the fact that δ 18 O carb variability was controlled primarily by changes in the oxygen isotopic composition of the lake water (δ 18 O LW ). Disequilibrium effects and water temperature are precluded as major factors affecting the δ 18 O carb variations. Genggahai Lake is hydrologically open and characterized by a rapid discharge rate, as indicated by analysis of the hydrological setting of the lake system and by the observed significant positive correlation between δ 18 O LW and the oxygen isotopic composition of the inflowing water (δ 18 O I ). Under such hydrological conditions, we argue that the isotopic signals of different moisture sources should be reflected in the carbonate isotopic composition. Furthermore, placing the δ 18 O carb record in the context of regional palaeoclimate archives, we found that the isotopic signals, particularly the negative shifts from the average values, cannot be interpreted consistently, despite a process of evaporative enrichment at the lake surface. During the early- to mid-Holocene, low δ 18 O carb values during 10.6–9.4 and 7.4–6.3 ka were associated with higher lake levels, and thus the record may have been significantly affected by a strengthened Asian summer monsoon at those times and hence by a positive moisture balance. Isotopic depletions with similar magnitudes occurred at 15–14.5, 13.8–13.3, 12.5–11.4, 5.3–4.8, 3.7–3.4, 2.8–2.3, 1.7, 1.3, and 0.6 ka, i.e., within the Lateglacial and the late Holocene. These negative shifts in δ 18 O carb corresponded to lower lake-level phases, and most likely were a response to intensification of the mid-latitude westerly circulation that may have transported significantly more 18 O-depleted moisture to the region, compared to that from the Asian summer monsoon. Overall, our results suggest that the alternating influence of the Asian summer monsoon and the westerlies played a significant role in determining the pattern of atmospheric circulation on the northeastern QTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new body tied to gate (BTG) n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (NMOSFET) with a diode in partially depleted SOI (PD SOI) is proposed and investigated. We first compare the transfer and output characteristics between the regular and BTG NMOSFETs with grounded body and floating body. The steep subthreshold slope (<6 mV/dec) and low OFF current (∼0.01 pA/μm) of the BTG NMOSFET with floating body are observed at V D = 3.3 V. Mechanisms of the floating body effect (FBE) and the diode are analyzed to explain the outstanding performance. The hysteresis characteristics of BTG NMOSFETs are also presented in comparison to regular ones. Finally, the steep subthreshold characteristics of the BTG NMOSFET with floating body at low drain voltage are studied for ultralow power application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, leading to airway epithelial injury. However, the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of PM2.5 have not been clarified. Here, we show that exposure to PM2.5 induces sustained activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling in human airway epithelial Beas–2B (B2B) cells. In addition, PM2.5 exposure significantly decreased miR-331 expression in B2B cells, which was abrogated by inhibition of ROS or phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Induction of miR-331 overexpression attenuated the PM2.5 exposure-induced NF-kBp65 nuclear translocation, IL-6 and IL-8 expression in B2B cells. Furthermore, miR-331 targeted the inhibitor of NF-κB kinase beta (IKK-β) by down-regulating the IKK-β-regulated luciferase activity in HEK293 cells. Moreover, induction of miR-331 over-expression inhibited IKK-β expression while induction of IKK-β over-expression prevented the inhibition of miR-331 on the PM2.5 exposure-induced NF-kBp65 nuclear translocation, IL-6 and IL-8 expression in B2B cells. Therefore, PM2.5 exposure decreased miR-331 expression via the ROS/PI3K/Akt pathway, resulting in an increase in the IKK-β expression and sustained NF-κB activation in human airway epithelial cells. Our findings may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of PM2.5 exposure and aid in design of new therapeutic strategies to prevent PM2.5-induced toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term trends of atmospheric compositions are significant for assessing the influence of human activities on the atmosphere and protecting the atmospheric environment. In this study, based on heavy metal concentrations and Pb isotope ratios in a well-dated sediment core from a remote alpine lake in central North China, anthropogenic fluxes of As, Cd, Sb, and Pb were reconstructed and heavy metal evolutions in the atmosphere were revealed in the last 200 years. The heavy metals in the atmosphere were generally natural origins before 1980 A.D. Since the 1980s they began to increase gradually, but they increased the most in the 1990s resulting from rapid developments of rough and high energy-consuming industries in North China. After entering the 21st century the industries still developed rapidly, but the atmospheric Pb ceased increase and the As and Sb even decreased in the 2000s due to (1) phasing out of leaded gasoline and (2) implementing stricter industrial emission standards in 2000 A.D. in China. However, in the 2000s the atmospheric heavy metals still kept at a relatively high level and even likely began to increase again in the 2010s. Considering the lake relatively remote and seldom affected by local human activities, the results likely reflect heavy metal evolutions in the regional background atmosphere of central North China at the annual/decadal timescale in the last 200 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) pathways are essential for inducing immune related genes during invasion of pathogens. In the present study, transcripts of eight pathway-related genes in Litopenaeus vannamei , including Toll, IMD, Pelle, IAP1, TRAF6, ALF, Crustin and Penaeidin3 were analyzed to further understand the potential relationship between Toll and IMD pathway. The high transcription levels of TRAF6, Pelle, Toll, IMD and IAP1 in selected tissues indicates their functional roles in Toll and IMD pathways. The increased mRNA expression of Toll and IMD detected in the early stage might suggest the inducible role of Toll and IMD upon bacterial infection. Moreover, the continuous increase of IMD and the high level of Pelle and TRAF6 in Vibrio anguillarum challenged group indicated that Gram-negative bacterium can activate both the Toll and IMD signaling pathway. Silencing of Toll by a dsRNA-mediated RNAi strongly increased the transcripts of IMD, Pelle, TRAF6, IAP1 and Akirin, knocking down of IMD also markedly increased the transcripts of Toll, Pelle, IAP1 and Akirin. Furthermore, ALF expression was significantly increased in response to V. anguillarum and Micrococcus lysodeikticus challenge, while the transcripts of Crustin and Pen3 in hemocytes were significantly reduced in V. anguillarum group, but rose significantly following M. lysodeikticus infection. In summary, we speculate that Toll and IMD pathway are not independent in shrimp, but linked to defense against bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Developed Ca/Fe layered double hydroxide-natural zeolite composite (CFL-Z). • CFL-Z features high P uptake of 46.7 mg P/g. • CFL-Z addition altered the P fraction in the sediment. • CFL-Z capping effectively reduced the risk of sediment-P release. • CFL-Z amendment and capping reshaped the microbial community structure. Despite the strict management of eutrophic waters globally, the release of phosphorus (P) from sediments maintains the eutrophic state of water bodies and poses a serious challenge to their management. Ca/Fe–LDH was synthesized with natural zeolite (NZ) by using a co-precipitation method (denoted as CFL-Z) to solve this problem. Results showed that Ca/Fe–LDH was successfully loaded onto the surface and inside the pores of NZ. The maximum P adsorption capacity value of CFL-Z was 46.7 mg/g under the mechanisms of electrostatic attraction, ligand exchange, and ion exchange. In incubation experiments, the addition of 6 % CFL-Z into P-contaminated sediments reduced P concentrations in overlying and interstitial water to 0.013 (97.3 % reduction) and 0.358 (82.1 % reduction) mg/L, respectively. In addition, unstable P forms (NH 4 Cl-P and BD-P) in sediments were converted into stable P forms (HCl-P and Res-P, respectively). Subsequent long-term anoxic experiments showed that CFL-Z capping sediments exhibited better inhibition of sediment P release compared with CFL-Z amendment sediments and was efficient and stable. Microbial community analysis showed that CFL-Z amendment and capping reshaped the microbial community structure, and different functional bacteria influenced the stability of sediment P. This work showed that CFL-Z overlays were considered to have potential applications in sediment P fixation, providing a new way to improve the P-binding capacity of natural mineral-like materials and resolve P-contaminated sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil gross N mineralization decreased with increasing N addition at all soil depths. • The decreased gross N mineralization was caused by acidification in topsoil. • The decreased gross N mineralization was caused by C limitation in subsoil. Continuously increasing nitrogen (N) deposition alters soil N mineralization, which is of vital importance in regulating soil N availability and satisfying plant N demands. Neither the response pattern of soil N mineralization to the chronic N enrichment nor the related mechanism has been well studied, particularly in deep soils. In this study, we measured the gross N mineralization rate (GNMR) as well as the corresponding soil abiotic and biotic properties along a chronic N addition gradient (7 years) at different soil depths in an alpine meadow. The results showed that GNMR was negatively correlated with the N addition rate and soil available NO 3 – content at each soil depth (P < 0.05). GNMR was positively correlated with soil pH, which was significantly decreased by N addition in the topsoil (0–10 cm, P < 0.05), but GNMR was not related to pH in the subsoil (10–20 or 20–40 cm). Instead, it was positively correlated with the soil carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N), which was significantly decreased by N addition in subsoil (P < 0.05). Soil pH and C/N mainly explained the decreased GNMR with N enrichment in the topsoil and subsoil, respectively, and the contribution of the soil C/N to the decreased GNMR at the 20–40-cm soil depth was larger than that at the 10–20-cm soil depth. The results demonstrated that acidification, increased N availability, and C limitation all decreased soil N mineralization under chronic N deposition, but acidification dominated the decrease in the topsoil, while C limitation dominated the decrease in the subsoil. These findings extend our understanding of the response pattern and mechanism of soil N mineralization with chronic N enrichment at different soil depths. The diverse mechanisms underlying soil N mineralization in response to chronically increasing N deposition at different soil depths should be considered when predicting soil N mineralization in the context of global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr 3) perovskite micro/nanostructures have potential applications in miniaturized integrated light sources due to their confined modal volume and high luminous efficiency. In this work, we synthesized CsPbBr 3 nanoplates with regular square shapes and smooth surface by the chemical vapor deposition method. The temperature-dependent and excitation power-dependent photoluminescence spectra reveal the excitonic photoluminescence properties. The whispering gallery mode (WGM)-like lasing in CsPbBr 3 nanoplates was observed at room temperature. We systematically investigated the pump fluence-dependent multi-mode and single-mode lasing actions in square microcavities. The blueshift of individual lasing modes can be attributed to the variation of refractive index resulting from the formation of the electron-hole plasma (EHP) state under highly injected carrier density. The results reveal the dependence of emission properties on excitation intensity, providing further understanding of the carrier-induced mode shift mechanism in the WGM-like lead halide perovskite microcavities. • The excitons in CsPbBr 3 nanoplates undergo a detrapping process with increasing temperature. • The electron-hole plasma lasing mechanism in square CsPbBr 3 nanoplates was revealed. • The refractive index-dependent lasing mode shift behavior was demonstrated by simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir physical parameters are crucial indexes for reservoir description. Deep learning is a data-driven algorithm, which may avoid some issues in conventional deterministic and stochastic inversion methods, such as cumulative and approximate errors. We develop a two-stage semi-supervised learning inversion method to predict porosity, shale content, and water saturation. Firstly, an inversion network is designed to predict physical parameters from pre-stack seismic data and initial models. The Spatio-temporal characteristics of seismic data and the low-frequency structural information of the initial model can be utilized efficiently by the network. In addition, considering the high production cost of label data in exploration geophysics, we construct a semi-supervised learning inversion workflow to relieve the dependence on the label in training. The rock physics model and seismic convolution forward model are invoked as a forward process in the workflow. Finally, we propose a two-stage inversion strategy to deal with the inversion of physical parameters with different data characteristics. The proposed method is applied to a field survey successfully. A high-resolution and high-accuracy inversion result can be obtained with our method, and potential locations of the gas reservoir can be indicated by prediction results. Meanwhile, the comparisons of the two stages demonstrate that illusions in predicted water saturation can be eliminated effectively. • A two-stage semi-supervised learning inversion method for reservoir physical properties is proposed. • The physical properties are predicted from the seismic and initial models directly with an inversion network. • The Spatio-temporal characteristics of data and structural information are utilized by the network. • The rock physics model and seismic forward model are invoked into the semi-supervised inversion workflow. • A two-stage inversion strategy is applied in the inversion of physical parameters with different data characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress has an important role in determining severe damage to the liver, including steatosis. Curcumin (CUR) is a natural polyphenol compound with antioxidant potential but its mechanism is still unclear. In this study, 2% ethanol (ETH) was used to establish a liver injury model in Tg (fabp10: Ps Red) transgenic zebrafish with the fluorescent liver. Ethanol-treated zebrafish had an increased vacuole rate at 144 h post-fertilization (hpf), thus confirming the effectiveness of the proposed model in inducing liver damage. However, when ethanol was submitted to co-exposure with curcumin, fluorescence area and signal intensity, as well as vacuole rate, were similar to the levels found in the control group. RNA-seq results showed that ethanol and CUR affected the regulation of catalytic activity and phenylalanine metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, and arginine and proline metabolism signaling pathways. QRT-PCR analysis also showed that treatment with CUR led to the downregulation of genes involved in the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway and altered the expression pattern of genes related to glutathione metabolism (gsr , gpx1a , gstp1 , gsto1 , and idh1a). CUR also induced an increase in GSH content and recovered decreased GSH caused by ethanol exposure. The findings discussed herein indicate that CUR can promote glutathione synthesis, which aided in the recovery from ethanol-induced liver damage in zebrafish larvae. [Display omitted] • Curcumin reverted liver steatosis caused by ethanol exposure in zebrafish larvae. • ETH-CUR affects catalytic activity-regulated GO enrichment biological processes. • ETH-CUR affects amino acid biosynthesis signaling pathway. • CUR promotes glutathione synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salt impurities in graphite oxide (GO) or graphene oxide usually affects their properties and application. Here, thermal stability and hazard (fire risk) of graphite oxide (GO) assembled films with salt impurities including K 2 SO 4 and MnSO 4 were investigated by C80 micro-calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis combined with infrared spectrometry techniques. It was found that the metal impurities can significantly increase the release of flammable CO during thermal decomposition of GO, even at a very low content. The mechanisms of thermal instability and fire risk of GO containing metal salts was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the problem of cooperative simultaneous attack of multi-missiles, we investigate the scenario under communication uncertainty composed of stochastic network and additive noise. The interaction between them will induce the disastrous complex behavior of Lévy flight in the consensus of impact time. To tackle it, the Mean Square (MS) stability of the whole system must be guaranteed. On this issue, we propose an integrated scheme which is developed as a robust control framework composed of circulant fading network and cooperative consensus algorithm. Firstly, a time-invariant consensus algorithm is taken by the definition of coordination variable of impact time. Secondly, the circulant network of spatially invariant structure is proposed for the MS stability analysis by system decomposition and the formula of the MS stability index is deduced. Finally, design principles of network structure and algorithm parameter are extracted by traversing all the possible circulant topology in practice. Simulation results demonstrate the disastrous results caused by the emergence of Lévy flight and the effectiveness of the proposed consensus scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]