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Resistance of biodiesel industrial production came from high energy consumption and feedstock costs. To solve it, Na 2 CO 3 @BFD catalyst was prepared from blast furnace dust and used to catalyze biodiesel production at low temperature. Biodiesel yield of 99.04 wt% was obtained under conditions optimized by response surface methodology of methanol/oil molar ratio 13.72/1, catalyst dosage 9.77 wt % and 74.86 °C for 1.62 h. The order of influence of the four factors was temperature (245.9) > time (109.8) > methanol/oil molar ratio (23.83) > catalyst dosage (1.19). Back propagation neural network model (BPNN) was optimized using genetic algorithm (GA) and sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to predict biodiesel yield. The evaluation indexes of mean absolute error, mean square error, root mean square error and mean absolute percentage error of SSA-BPNN were 0.9236, 2.0184, 1.4207 and 1.0247 (vs. 2.4329, 9.1037, 3.0172 and 3.5000 for GA-BPNN and 4.3291, 43.4693, 6.5931 and 6.9227 for BPNN), indicating that SSA-BPNN model had excellent prediction ability to effectively reduce experimental costs and resource consumption. The reaction kinetics of Na 2 CO 3 @BFD for transesterification process showed that its activation energy was 65.73 kJ/mol, lower than that of reported solid base catalyst, indicating that it had significant potential in biomass conversion. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste-derived porous carbon shows great potential for application in CO 2 capture and conversion. In this work, we report a modified method for upcycling waste foam from vehicular sound insulation materials into porous carbon fiber composites that can be used for efficient CO 2 capture and conversion under 1 bar conditions. The sponge-like porous carbon composites have high nitrogen content, porosity, and mechanical strength, and can selectively adsorb CO 2 from flue gas. The adsorbed CO 2 can be desorbed via heating or vacuum and then converted into useful products such as cyclic carbonates. Besides, sponge-like porous carbon composites show good stability and recyclability, and can be easily scaled up in industrial applications. It is important to note that high-temperature carbonization causes the loss of nitrogen in unmodified porous carbon materials, which makes physical adsorption the dominant type of CO 2 adsorption. In contrast, composite materials that have undergone in-situ polymerization primarily adsorb and activate CO 2 through chemical action. The results of BET, XPS, TEM, FT-IR, and DFT studies suggest that the modified sponge-like porous carbon composites with more active sites are beneficial for CO 2 capture and conversion. Therefore, this study provides a green and sustainable way to utilize waste foam from end-of-life vehicles and the value-increment of CO 2. [Display omitted] • Rational utilization of waste foam from the end-of-life vehicles to prepare sponge-like porous carbon composites. • The PANI-modified strategy effectively maintains the diversity of N species in composites at 1000 °C. • The regenerated N species in composites could enhance catalytic performance for cycloaddition. • The composites have excellent hydrophobic properties and stable reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in the treatment of trachea and main bronchus adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) with a positive surgical margin. Patients with pathologically confirmed trachea or main bronchus ACC operated on at Shanghai Chest Hospital were enrolled. Survival, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. The χ2 test was applied to analyze the failure patterns among different groups (R0/0: negative margin resection without PORT; R1/0: positive margin resection without PORT; R1/1: positive margin resection with PORT). From January 2001 to December 2014, 77 patients were deemed eligible for the study. Pairwise comparisons showed that the overall survival rate of group R1/1 was comparable to that of group R0/0 (P =.438), and significantly longer than the rate of group R1/0 (P =.032). Additionally, the local disease-free survival rate of group R1/1 was much higher than that of group R0/0 (P =.023) and R1/0 (P =.001). Cox multivariate analysis identified the radiologic feature (P =.012) and PORT (P =.006) as significantly favorable prognostic factors for locoregional disease-free survival. By contrast, for overall survival, PORT (P =.032) was the only corresponding variable identified by univariate analysis. Furthermore, PORT significantly decreased the locoregional recurrence rate (P =.002) but not distant metastases (P >.999). PORT helped patients with tracheobronchial ACC and microscopic positive surgical margins to achieve a similar outcome as patients with complete resection. R0 resection may not be necessary for tracheobronchial ACC if it is difficult to be completely resected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to develop a novel bioactive edible film prepared by adding quercetin-encapsulated carboxymethyl lotus root starch nanoparticles (QNPs)，gellan gum and lotus root starch. The physicochemical characteristics, preservation effect and mechanism on grapes of the prepared film were investigated. SEM results showed that QNPs (5 %) were dispersed uniformly within lotus root starch matrix, indicating the formation of a stable composite nanoparticle film. In addition, the incorporation of QNPs (5 %) effectively improved the mechanical strength, thermal stability, barrier property and antioxidant activity of QNPs/starch film. Moreover, compared with the control, the QNPs/starch (5 %) film showed effective preservation effect on grapes during 21 days of storage at room temperature, based on the characterization by grape appearance, weight loss, firmness, and titratable acidity. Further studies found that QNPs/starch (5 %) film could exhibit enhanced antioxidant activity and potent anti-fungal ability against Botrytis cinerea , thus extending grape shelf life. In conclusion, the obtained QNPs/starch (5 %) film presented a promising application as an edible packing material for fruit preservation by antioxidant and preventing Botrytis cinerea contamination. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The advance of battery technology in electric vehicle and large-scale energy storage applications drives the development of new battery materials, such as sodium iron silicate Na 2 FeSiO 4. In this work, structural characteristics, deintercalation voltages, ionic conductivities, and mechanical properties of Na 2 FeSiO 4 polymorphs are investigated by using potential-based lattice dynamics and density functional theory methods. To simulate the polymorphism of Na 2 FeSiO 4 , a total of 14 structural models are constructed from the structure types ABC 2 X 4 of Na- and Li-based silicates. Free energies are calculated within the quasi-harmonic approximation to evaluate the relative stabilities of 13 dynamically stable structures under temperature and pressure conditions. The energetically favored structures reveal that Na 2 FeSiO 4 polymorphs tend to form the structures with three-dimensional (3D) framework of FeO 4 and SiO 4 tetrahedra. In comparison with Li-equivalent, Na 2 FeSiO 4 is predicted to have the characteristics of smaller volume change, lower deintercalation voltage, 3D or quasi-3D ionic mobility, and better mechanical property, which may deliver a prospect of higher electrochemical performance. The mechanism of substitution Na for Li on the effects of structural and electrochemical properties is also discussed. Helpful information is expected to provide for the preparation of high-performance cathode materials of Na-ion batteries and the fundamental understanding of Na-intercalation chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A refractive index sensor based on plasmonics metal–insulator–metal (MIM) waveguide coupled with an analogy T shaped resonator is proposed. The analogy T shaped resonator consists of two perpendicular rectangle cavities. At visible light range, the transmission characteristics of the sensor are investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The transmission spectrum exhibits a Fano resonance shape, which is caused by the interaction between the broadband and narrowband resonances of the two rectangle cavities. The refractive index sensing property is systematically studied with varied structural parameters and refractive indices. The result shows the maximum sensitivity of the sensor is 680 nm/RIU. The sensor may be potential applied in integrated of optical circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver oxide is a potential visible-light driven photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants, but its high cost and energy intensive recovery limit its future applications. In this study, a magnetic core-shell composite, Fe 3 O 4 -SiO 2 -APTES-Ag 2 O, was prepared and evaluated. Results show that the obtained composite possesses equivalent photocatalytic performance to the pure Ag 2 O under visible light irradiation. Phenol and methyl orange can be effectively photodegraded with the composite catalyst in 10 min. The used composite can be efficiently separated with greater than a 98.95% recovery rate in 5 s with a 330 mT magnetic field after four cycles. In addition, the composite only exhibited negligible performance decay due to the slight loss of loaded Ag 2 O. Evaluations of the Fe 3 O 4 -SiO 2 -APTES-Ag 2 O composite performance in a batch reactor, a semi-continuous reactor, and a continuous magnetic agglomeration reactor with methyl orange, all confirm the superb performance, stability, and separability of this magnetic composite photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbohydrates are important as signaling molecules and for cellular recognition events, therefore offering scope for the development of carbohydrate-mimetic diagnostics and drug candidates. As a consequence, the construction of carbohydrate-based bioactive compounds and sensors has become an active research area. While the advent of click chemistry has greatly accelerated the progress of medicinal chemistry and chemical biology, recent literature has seen an extensive use of such approaches to construct functionally diverse carbohydrate derivatives. Here we summarize some of the progress, covering the period 2010 to mid-2015, in Cu I -catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition CuAAC “click chemistry” of carbohydrate derivatives, in the context of potential therapeutic and diagnostic tool development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly stable catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation of blast furnace dust (BFD) in Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O, Na 2 CO 3 ·10H 2 O, NaHCO 3 and Na 2 CrO 4 solution and subsequent calcination at 300–600 °C. At low temperature of 65 °C for 2 h with methanol/oil molar ratio of 15/1, high biodiesel yield of 100 wt% was obtained with for both Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O@BFD 300 and Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O@BFD 400 catalyst (impregnating with Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O solution and calcining at 300 and 400 °C) at 7 wt% for the first use. Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O@BFD 300 catalyst exhibited outstanding stability and recyclability with biodiesel yield of 100 wt% at the fifth use (93 wt% at the twelfth use) owing to the formation of stable and active nanocomponents of NaFeO 2 (32.42 nm) and magnetic nanocomponent of Fe 3 O 4 (size of 3.14 nm and magnetization of 6.16 Am2/kg). This study finds a solution to use solid waste for the green production of biodiesel. [Display omitted] • NaFeO 2 -Fe 3 O 4 composites were prepared by wet impregnating and calcination. • High biodiesel yield of 100.00 wt% (Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O@BFD 300) was obtained at 65 °C. • Efficient biodiesel production can be achieved for 12 reuses with 92.56 wt% yield. • Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O@BFD 300 exhibited outstanding recyclability due to nano NaFeO 2 (32.42 nm). • Efficient magnetic separation form nano Fe 3 O 4 (6.16 Am2/kg) ensured continuous production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiple-ring shaped metal-insulator-metal (MIM) plasmonic waveguide is proposed and the transmission characteristic is investigated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results show that the proposed structure has typical filtering function and the electromagnetic wave energy of different wavelengths can be trapped in different insulator rings. The resonance theory is employed to analyze the trapping phenomenon successfully. This kind of multiple-ring shaped MIM waveguide may useful for plasmonic designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There exists a single nucleotide polymorphism, G or T, at the first base of the donor splice site of waxy gene intron 1 in rice. In order to study the relationship between the first base of the donor splice site of waxy gene intron 1 and amylose content in rice, the one-step PCR method was used to determine whether it is G or T in 220 Yunnan indigenous rice varieties from 14 districts, 55 towns/counties of Yunnan Province, and 101 varieties of which were validated by the PCR-Acc I method. According to the G/T polymorphism, 164 rice varieties showed GG-genotype, while the other 56 fell into TT-genotype, accounting for 74.5% and 25.5% of all the test varieties, respectively. When all the rice varieties were divided into indica and japonica subspecies, it was found that 80.5% of indica rice and 67.0% of japonica rice belonged to GG-genotype. The rice varieties with GG-genotype had significantly higher amylose content (18.95% on average) than those with TT-genotype (all below 16%), but 33 rice varieties with GG-genotype still had low amylose content ranging from 3.91% to 15.93%, and most of them came from the Dai minority area in the Southwest of Yunnan Province. However, there was no significant difference in the mean amylose content of the same GG or TT genotypes between indica and japonica rice, suggesting that different genetic backgrounds, indica or japonica, had no effect on amylose content. The coefficient of correlation between the genotype and amylose content was 0.733 (P<0.01). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study focuses on evaluating the carbonation potential of argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) slag and analyzing influence mechanism of carbonation on chromium leachability. Static thin-film accelerated carbonation and sequential leaching tests were carried out. Results show that the liquid to solid (L/S) ratio was the most influencing factor for AOD slag's carbonation, and the maximum carbonation ratio of AOD slag was 50–52% (L/S = 0.4 mL/g, P CO2 = 7.5 bar, and t > 6 h). Dicalcium silicate's carbonation resulted in the generation of amorphous calcium carbonate, crystalline calcite and silica gel. AOD slag's smooth surface could be eroded by these products gradually with carbonation furthered. The mineral phase evolution clearly influenced the mineral phase hydrolysis and physical encapsulation, and thus affected the hydrolysis behavior of the primary phase and the generation behavior of the secondary phase in the carbonated slags. Chromium leachability (20 days) declined to its lowest value (1.7 mg/kg) as the carbonation ratio growing to 23% and then increased to its highest value (7.9 mg/kg) with the carbonation ratio increasing to 52%. Chromium leachability varies with the carbonation ratio. The optimal carbonation ratio that resulting in minimum chromium leaching risk must be taken full in mind before using AOD slag in carbonation-related production activities. Image 1 • Static thin-film carbonation tests conducted on AOD Stainless Steel Slag. • Maximum carbonation ratio is 50–52% (L/S of 0.4 mL/g, P CO2 of 7.5 bar and time>6 h) • 23% carbonated AOD slag holds minimum Cr leachability. • 52% carbonated AOD slag holds a higher Cr leachability than original AOD slag. • Carbonation affects Cr leachability mainly by mineral phase hydrolysis and physical encapsulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct production of biodiesel by both esterification and transesterification of renewable oils with acid value (AV) of 9.6–28.9 mg KOH/g using calcined blast furnace dust is studied. Blast furnace dust calcined at 600–700 °C obviously promotes efficient biodiesel production because of the crystal form transformation from lead sulfate particles in dust into active lead oxide, lead sulfide, and lead particles. It is found for the first time that lead oxide, lead sulfide and lead particles can resist saponification from fatty acids to catalyze raw renewable oils to biodiesel with catalytic activity order as follows: lead oxide > lead > lead sulfide > lead sulfate. Biodiesel production process is optimized according to an orthogonal design with biodiesel yield of 92 wt% obtained at AV of 9.6 mg KOH/g (82 wt% after 5 cycles). Biodiesel yield of 84 wt% is achieved at AV of 28.9 mg KOH/g with acidity of 0.18 mmol/g. Calcined blast furnace dust presents potential applications in the production of biodiesel from renewable oils with high AVs. [Display omitted] • Renewable Jatropha biodiesel is produced by calcined blast furnace dust. • Main components PbO, Pb, PbS, PbSO 4 resist saponification of free fatty acids. • Catalytic activity sequenced as PbO > Pb > PbS > PbSO4 at acid value (AV) 9.6 mg KOH/g. • Jatropha biodiesel yield is 92 and 84 wt% at AV of 9.6 and 28.9. • Calcined blast furnace dust is cycled 5 times with biodiesel yield of 82 wt%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric furnace slag was highly productive and rich in elements, which can be used as a nutrient source for microalgae growth. The regulation of growth and lipid synthesis of Chlorella pyrenoidosa (C. pyrenoidosa) in electric arc furnace slag leaching solution with or without citric acid was investigated to develop efficient lipid production method with low cost. High lipid content of 45.89 wt% from C. pyrenoidosa with adding electric arc furnace slag leaching solution ≤40% into BG11 was obtained due to C. pyrenoidosa increasing lipid accumulation to resist oxidative stress caused by heavy metals in electric arc furnace slag (Ca of 5.13 mg/L, Fe of 0.05 mg/L, Mn of 0.12 mg/L and Cr of 0.01 mg/L). Exogenous citric acid can improve the ability of C. pyrenoidosa to resist heavy metal toxicity with high biomass content (0.44 g/L) achieved. The cooperation of multiple metal ions in electric arc furnace slag shortened the biomass accumulation stage and prolonged and speeded up the lipid synthesis stage of C. pyrenoidosa by modulating PEPC, ACC and ME activities. This study provided guidance for the industrialization of low-cost lipid-rich microalgae and metallurgical solid waste treatment. [Display omitted] • High lipid content (45.89 wt%) was obtained by adding EAFS leaching solution into BG11. • High biomass content (0.44 g/L) was achieved by citric acid assisting EAFS leaching. • The cooperation of elements in EAFS assisted overexpression of ACC and ME in algae cells. • Biomass production was promoted by regulating PEPC in algae cells. • Exogenous citric acid can improve the ability of microalgae to resist heavy metal toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The drug delivery route of curcumin nicotinate was improved by loading nano materials, and the drug dosage was reduced. • The construction of HA-M@PB@CN NPs provides an important alternative for the treatment of atherosclerosis. • The encapsulation of biomimetic membrane and the inlay of hyaluronic acid (HA) greatly increase the drug targeting effect and improve the efficacy of curcumin nicotinate. • This study provided new evidence for the mechanism of curcumin nicotinate regulating reverse cholesterol transport. Reducing lipid uptake of macrophages and stimulating cholesterol efflux are two necessary steps for atherosclerotic plaque regression. In this study, a compound of curcumin nicotinate (CN) was synthesized from nicotinic acid which can raise raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and curcumin which can lower lipid. However, the shortcomings of CN, such as poor water solubility and low bioavailability, limit its clinical application. In this article, a CN loaded biomimetic nanosystem was constructed by using Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB NPs) to improve its solubility, thereby changing its administration route. In addition, hyaluronic acid (HA) modification on the biomimetic PB NPs was adopted to prolong circulation time and improve the accumulation of drugs in the plaque region. Mechanism studies have shown that the constructed nanosystem could exert anti-AS effects through the pathway of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9(PCSK9) /Low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R), ATP Binding Cassette Transporter A1(ABCA1) /Caveolin-1 /Liver X Receptor (LXR). These findings indicated that the designed nano-platform is expected to be used for prevention and targeted therapy of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study revealed disrupted topological organization of whole-brain networks in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD); however, these results were mostly driven by recurrent MDD patients, rather than first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) patients. Furthermore, few longitudinal studies have explored the effects of antidepressant therapy on the topological organization of whole-brain networks. We collected clinical and neuroimaging data from 159 FEDN MDD patients and 152 normal controls (NCs). A total of 115 MDD patients completed an eight-week antidepressant treatment procedure. Topological features of brain networks were calculated using graph theory-based methods and compared between FEDN MDD patients and NCs, as well as before and after treatment. Decreased global efficiency, local efficiency, small-worldness, and modularity were found in pretreatment FEDN MDD patients compared with NCs. Nodal degrees, betweenness, and efficiency decreased in several networks compared with NCs. After antidepressant treatment, the global efficiency increased, while the local efficiency, the clustering coefficient of the network, the path length, and the normalized characteristic path length decreased. Moreover, the reduction rate of the normalized characteristic path length was positively correlated with the reduction rate of retardation factor scores. The interaction effects of groups and time on the topological features were not explored because of absence of the eighth-week data of NC group. The topological architecture of functional brain networks is disrupted in FEDN MDD patients. After antidepressant therapy, the global efficiency shifted toward recovery, but the local efficiency deteriorated, suggesting a correlation between recovery of retardation symptoms and global efficiency. • The topological architecture of functional brain networks was disrupted in first-episode drug-naïve MDD patients. • Nodal degrees, betweenness, and efficiency decreased in several networks compared to normal controls. • After antidepressant therapy, the global efficiency shifted toward recovery, suggesting recovery of retardation symptom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly stable heterogeneous catalysts were prepared by impregnating carbonates suspension solutions onto electric furnace dust (EFD) and being calcined at high-temperature for the production of biodiesel from soybean oil. Process of impregnating with CaCO 3 , BaCO 3 , SrCO 3 and CdCO 3 suspension solutions and being calcined at high-temperature did not promote improvement of catalytic activity of EFD powder, while the single impregnating with K 2 CO 3 suspension solution can only improve its catalytic activity in the first use. Na 2 CO 3 @EFD catalyst synthesized by impregnating with only Na 2 CO 3 suspension solution owned considerable catalytic activity from nano Na 2 CO 3 (37.0 nm) and good recyclability from nano Fe 3 O 4 (size of 30.0 nm & Ms of 26.77 Am2/kg) with biodiesel yield of 99.13 wt% at 65 °C in 2 h with 15/1 methanol/oil molar ratio and 7 wt% catalyst dosage in the first use (93.50 wt% in the eleventh use). The kinetic study with Na 2 CO 3 @EFD was carried out, and it was found that the activation energy was 32.81 kJ/mol and the frequency factor was 3760.85 /min, lower than reported solid base catalysts, which suggested synthesized Na 2 CO 3 @EFD catalyst owned remarkable potential for industrial application in biomass energy conversion. Highly stable heterogeneous catalysts were prepared with carbonates suspension solutions impregnating onto electric furnace dust to catalyze the production of biodiesel from soybean oil with biodiesel yield of 99.13 wt% in the first use (93.50 wt% in the eleventh use). [Display omitted] • Highly stable catalysts were prepared by impregnating with carbonates onto EFD. • High biodiesel yield of 99.13 wt% was obtained at 65 °C within 2 h. • Good recyclability from Na 2 CO 3 for transesterification and Fe 3 O 4 for separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor homology domains 2 (TIE2)-expressing macrophages (TEMs) are an angiogenesis-promoting subset of tumor-associated macrophages that have been demonstrated to be increased in solid tumors and associated with the progression of cervical cancer. However, the induction mechanism of TEMs remains unclear. Here, based on multicolor immunofluorescence of 58 cervical cancer tissues and the GEPIA database, we found that TEMs were increased in TIE2-high cervical cancer and related to shorter survival. In vitro and in vivo experiments verified that exosomes derived from TIE2-high cervical cancer cells transferred TIE2 protein directly to macrophages, thereby inducing TEMs. Similar to primary TEMs, TEMs induced by tumor-derived exosomes promoted angiogenesis, could be induced by angiopoietin-2, and possessed an M2-like phenotype. In conclusion, exosomes derived from TIE2-high cervical cancer cells induce TEMs by directly transporting TIE2 to promote tumor angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid catalyst (Na 2 CO 3 @EFD) was prepared by wet impregnation of electric furnace dust (EFD) in aqueous Na 2 CO 3 solution. It had high basicity and acidity of 0.34 and 0.16 mmol/g for biodiesel production. High biodiesel yield of 99.8 wt% from soybean oil was obtained under the optimized reaction conditions (by Central Composite Design) of 71 °C in 111.36 min with 5.4 wt% catalyst and methanol/oil molar ratio of 11.8/1. After 11 cycles, biodiesel yield still maintained at 90.8 wt% with catalyst recovery rate >90 wt% by magnetic separation of catalyst EFD powders (containing Fe 3 O 4 with magnetism of 59.1 Am2/kg). Pure Na 2 CO 3 particles presented poorer recyclability with lower biodiesel yield of 89.5 wt% even at the eighth cycle by centrifugal separation. Na 2 CO 3 @EFD catalyst had high activity and recyclability because: (i) EFD as support hosted nanoparticles of Na 2 CO 3 (30.3 nm) as main base site for transesterification; (ii) porous EFD support provided acidic sites from metal oxides (e.g., ZnO and Al 2 O 3) for esterification; (iii) EFD adsorbed active components into its micropores to maintain high recyclability; and (iv) EFD magnetism from magnetic Fe 3 O 4 kept high efficient magnetic separation. Total metals in the blended biodiesel met the National Standard of China and heavy metals were lower than typical petrochemical diesel. The study gave a practical use of industrial solid waste for the green production of biodiesel. [Display omitted] • Nanocatalyst was synthesized by impregnating electric furnace dust in Na 2 CO 3 solution. • It was bifunctional with high basicity and acidity of 0.34 and 0.16 mmol/g. • High biodiesel yield of 99.79 wt% was obtained at 71 °C. • 90.84 wt% biodiesel yield was still achieved after 11 cycles. • Metals in biodiesel met National Standard, lower than that petrochemical diesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Near-isogenic lines (NILs) are preferred materials for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and for evaluating gene action or interaction. We developed a set of NILs with cold tolerance at the booting stage by backcrossing the strongly cold-tolerant japonica landrace, Kunmingxiaobaigu (KMXBG) to cold-sensitive japonica cultivar, Towada, as the recipient parent. A BC4F5 line was selected as a parent to construct a BC5F2 segregating population from which BC5F3 lines were developed. Cold tolerance at the booting stage was evaluated on the basis of spikelet fertility of main panicles over 2 years and two locations. Using a LOD significance threshold of 3.0, compositive interval mapping based on a mixed linear model revealed eight QTLs on chromosomes 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11. They were tentatively designated qCTB-1-1, qCTB-4-1, qCTB-4-2, qCTB-5-1, qCTB-5-2, qCTB-10-1, qCTB-10-2 and qCTB-11-1. All alleles for cold tolerance were contributed by KMXBG, and the marker intervals containing them were narrowed to 0.6–5.6cM. Genetic distances between the peaks of the QTL and nearest markers varied from 0 to 1.3cM. The variance explained by a single QTL ranged from 0.90 to 14.86%. Four QTLs, qCTB-1-1, qCTB-4-1, qCTB-5-1, qCTB-5-2 and qCTB-10-1, were detected in two or more trials. Comparisons with previous studies indicated that these QTLs were reliable. Our study sets a foundation for cloning cold-tolerance genes and provides opportunities to understand the mechanism of cold tolerance at the booting stage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: As a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), osimertinib has a powerful ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and a high potency for controlling brain metastases (BMs) from EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The clinical value of cranial radiation therapy in osimertinib-treated NSCLC with BMs remains largely unknown.Methods and Materials: Patients with NSCLC and BMs and receiving osimertinib treatment as the standard of care were retrospectively enrolled from 2 institutions. Cranial radiation therapy (RT; whole-brain radiation therapy [WBRT] or/and stereotactic radiosurgery [SRS]) performed before disease progression (PD) to osimertinib was categorized as upfront cranial radiation therapy (ucRT group), excluding those treatments performed during prior EGFR-TKI treatment. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and the time to intracranial progression (iTTP) were compared between the 2 groups, with adjustment by covariates in propensity-score matched (PSM) analyses. The state of having 1 to 3 BM lesions, with a maximal size of ≤3 cm, was defined as having oligo-BM; otherwise; the cases were defined as having multiple BMs.Results: Of the 205 patients enrolled, osimertinib was used as first-line therapy in 74 and second-line therapy in 131. There were 48 patients who received ucRTs, including WBRT in 24 and SRS in 24. All patients with oligo-BM in the ucRT group received SRS alone (n = 17), whereas most (n = 28; 90.3%) patients with multiple BMs received WBRT. Failure pattern analyses indicated that in the non-ucRT group, 40.2% of the initial PD involved the brain and 76.9% of the cranial PD involved the original sites, indicating the potential roles of ucRT. Indeed, the iTTP was significantly prolonged (P = .010) in the ucRT group among the whole population. In the PSM oligo-BM cohort, the ucRT group showed superior PFS (P = .033) and OS (P = .026) compared with the non-ucRT group, and the differences remained after multivariate Cox analyses. No such differences were observed in the subpopulation with multiple BMs.Conclusions: In osimertinib-treated NSCLC patients with BMs, oligo-BM status could be used as a potential factor to select patients for upfront cranial RT. Further investigation by well-designed clinical trials is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Older adults (aged ≥50) have become a key population of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sichuan. • HIV through heterosexual transmission has increased to 98.2% of cases in older adults. • There is significant spatial aggregation of HIV/AIDS cases among older adults. • Expanding the scope of HIV testing is an effective way to find HIV/AIDS infections. To describe epidemiological trends and spatial distributions of HIV/AIDS among older adults (aged ≥50) in Sichuan Province, China during 2008–19, and provide scientific reference for HIV/AIDS prevention, intervention and treatment. Data on HIV/AIDS cases reported in 2008–19 was extracted from the Case Report System. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to determine epidemic trends. Spatial autocorrelation and space-time analysis were conducted with ArcGIS10.6 and ArcGIS Pro2.4, respectively. A total of 77 854 HIV/AIDS cases among older adults were included in the study. Newly reported cases increased from 320 in 2008 to 22 189 in 2019, and the reported incidence rate (number of new reported cases/older adult population) rose from 0.001% to 0.077%. Infections through heterosexual transmission increased from 65.3% to 98.2% of total cases in older adults in this period. Spatial analysis at the county-level showed significant clustering throughout Sichuan, with the main hot spots concentrated in the southeast. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated that most of the southeastern counties/districts were Consecutive Hot Spots. Older adults have become a key population in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sichuan; comprehensive prevention and intervention measures targeted to older adults are urgently needed to control the spread of HIV/AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Osimertinib can delay but not prevent the development of symptomatic CNS metastasis. • L858R mutation was an independent risk factor of CNS metastasis. • The presence of baseline neuroimaging was not associated with prognosis. Central nervous system (CNS) metastases are common complications in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, for patients without baseline CNS metastasis, data regarding the incidence of symptomatic CNS metastasis with EGFR-TKI treatment and its risk factors are still rare. Patients with EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC without baseline CNS metastasis who are receiving first- and/or third-generation EGFR-TKIs were included. Overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence of symptomatic CNS metastasis upon treatment failure, and their risk factors were evaluated. There were 813 patients enrolled, with 562, 106, and 32 received first-line gefitinib, erlotinib, and osimertinib, respectively, while 113 received second-line osimertinib. At a median follow-up of 18.1 months, the median OS was 45.5 months. There were 38 patients developed symptomatic CNS metastases. Osimertinib-treated patients tended to have a lower risk of CNS metastases compared with those treated with first-generation EGFR-TKIs (p = 0.059). However, the cumulative incidence curves of symptomatic CNS metastasis tended to reach a plateau after approximately 3 years regardless of which generation was used, and incidences beyond that period were similar in the two groups. Patients with L858R mutation exhibited a higher risk of developing CNS metastasis than patients with 19del mutation (p = 0.001). Interestingly, the presence of baseline neuroimaging was not associated with the risk of developing CNS metastasis or OS. Compared with first-generation EGFR-TKIs, osimertinib can delay but not prevent the development of symptomatic CNS metastasis. L858R mutation is an independent risk factor for CNS metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel nano-sensor structure consisting of the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide with two rectangular baffles and a semicircular ring rectangular resonator (SRRR). The sensor's transmission characteristics are investigated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results show that the transmission spectrum of the sensor exhibits the Fano resonance shape. The influences of refractive index and structural parameters on transmission characteristics are systematically investigated. The maximum sensitivity (S) of the sensor can get up to 2560 nm/RIU (refractive index unit), and the figure of merit (FOM) is 1080. In addition, the potential application of the structure in temperature sensing is explored with a sensitivity of 0.87 nm/°C. The proposed structure has promising applications in nanoscale optical sensing. • A MIM waveguide composed of two rectangular baffles and a semicircular ring rectangular resonator is proposed. • This structure can achieve Fano resonances to realize refractive index sensing with sensitivity of 2560 nm/RIU. • This structure can be applied to temperature sensor with sensitivity of 0.87 nm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), widely existing in bone marrow and peripheral blood, are involved in the repair of injured vascular endothelium and angiogenesis which are important to diabetic mellitus (DM) patients with vascular complications. The number and the function of EPCs are related to the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated in DM patients. Lycopene (Lyc) is an identified natural antioxidant that protects EPCs under the microenvironment of AGEs from damage. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To investigate the effect of Lyc on EPCs, we isolated EPCs from DM rat bone marrow and determined cell proliferation, cell cycle,apoptosis and autophagy of EPCs. The present study showed that 10 μg/mL Lyc improved cell proliferation and had low cytotoxicity in the presence of AGEs. In addition, Lyc rescued S phase of the cell cycle arrest, reduced apoptosis rate and decreased autophagic reaction including ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of EPCs. Moreover, Lyc combined use of autophagy inhibitors, 3-MA, had better protective effects. Taken together, our data suggests that Lyc promotes EPCs survival and protect EPCs from apoptosis and oxidative autophagy induced by AGEs, further remaining the number and function of EPCs. This study provides new insights into Lyc protective mechanism of AGEs-induced oxidative autophagy in EPCs from DM patients and offers a new therapy for DM vascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallurgical slag as a by-product of the metallurgical industry not only has huge storage capacity and low price, but also causes serious damage to the environment and threatens the safety of human life by heavy metal in metallurgical slag leaching. The approach of metallurgical slag used to remove pollutants in wastewater is considered to achieve the purpose of "using waste to treat waste". This review focuses on three pretreatment methods of metallurgical slag including acid/alkali pretreatment, mixed pretreatment, and core-shell structure pretreatment, and their structural properties and performance optimization after pretreatment. The removal mechanism of typical pollutants, catalytic performance, reaction conditions, and recyclability of metallurgical slag such as steel slag, blast furnace slag, red mud, copper slag, and manganese slag are summarized and compared. [Display omitted] • Application of metallurgical slag in the wastewater treatment is summarized. • Three pretreatment methods of metallurgical slag are introduced. • Structure and performance of pretreated metallurgical slag are compared. • The removal mechanisms and influencing factors are introduced. • Sustainable utilization of metallurgical slag is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Blast furnace dust (BFD) was impregnated and calcined as heterogeneous catalysts. • Biodiesel yield of 100 wt% (Na-BFD) and 98.3 wt% (Ca-BFD) was achieved at 65 °C. • Na-BFD 500 achieved 95.8 wt% yield for 16 cycles by nano-components NaFeO 2 & Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5. • Ca-BFD 600 reached 94.1 wt% yield for 7 cycles by nano-components CaO & Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5. • Fe 2 O 3 and CaCO 3 in BFD were converted to magnetic and active components. In this study, nanocatalysts for biodiesel production were prepared via wet impregnation of blast furnace dust (BFD) in Na 2 CO 3 (Na-BFD) and CaCO 3 (Ca-BFD) suspension solutions and calcination at 500 and 600 °C, respectively. Biodiesel yields of 100.0 wt% (Na-BFD 500) and 98.3 wt% (Ca-BFD 600) were achieved at 65 °C. Synthesized catalysts showed outstanding activity and recyclability, due to the transition of CaCO 3 , Na 2 CO 3 and Fe 2 O 3 to nanocrystals of NaFeO 2 (29.9 nm), Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5 (10.5 nm), CaO (100.1 nm) and Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5 (50.0 nm). Na-BFD 500 achieved 95.8 wt% biodiesel yield with 16 cycles, whereas Ca-BFD 600 reached 94.1 wt% biodiesel yield with 7 cycles via magnetic separation. BFD containing convertible magnetic and active components (Fe 2 O 3 and CaCO 3) was an ideal raw material to synthesize catalyst for biodiesel production with high catalytic efficiency and easy separation. The study provided a practical utilization of industrial solid waste for biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the Stroop effect on both behavioral and brain activation of ADHD children off or on methylphenidate (MPH). Nine ADHD boys (aged 9.8–14.5 years) and 9 age-matched normal controls were included. A Stroop-like paradigm was used. AFNI (Analysis of Functional NeuroImaging) and its Deconvolution Analysis were used in a descriptive comparison between ADHD and control groups. (1) Both behavioral reaction time and brain activation showed Stroop effect in controls but neither was found in ADHD children off MPH. When MPH was administered, the Stroop effect tended to appear. (2) The activation volume (AV) of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in both the neutral (NC) and interference conditions (IC) in ADHD children off MPH was smaller than in controls. AV of anterior cingulate cortex in the IC in ADHD children off MPH was smaller than that in controls, but was similar in the NC to that in controls. AV of the basal ganglia, insula and cerebellum was also smaller in the IC, but was larger in the NC for ADHD children off MPH compared with controls. These findings are consistent with prior findings of hypofrontality in ADHD children and implicate a compensatory network including basal ganglia, insula and cerebellum for relative lower cognitive load tasks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to investigate possible neurometabolic differences between the predominantly inattentive subtype (ADHD-I), the combined subtype (ADHD-C) and normal controls. Proton spectra were acquired bilaterally on the lenticular nucleus in 20 schoolboys having ADHD and 10 matched controls. The boys with ADHD were divided into ADHD-C subtype (n=10) and ADHD-I subtype (n=10) according to DSM-IV criteria. The peaks of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), Choline moieties (Cho), myo-inositol (mI), creatine (Cr) and α-Glx were measured and their ratios to Cr were calculated. One-way ANOVA and post-hoc Bonferroni tests were used to detect the difference of the peak–area ratios of NAA, Cho, mI, and α-Glx to Cr among the three groups. There was a significant overall group difference in the NAA/Cr ratio both in the right and left lenticular nucleus (right: P=0.002; left: P=0.003). Only the ADHD-C subtype group showed a significant difference with controls (right: P=0.001; left: P=0.003) the right lenticular nucleus, the NAA/Cr ratio in the ADHD-C group was significantly lower than that in the ADHD-I group (P=0.012). In the left lenticular nucleus, the NAA/Cr ratio in the ADHD-C group showed a significant trend compared to the ADHD-I group (P=0.06). This study demonstrated the existence of measurable difference between children with ADHD-C and ADHD-I using 1H-MRS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We tested whether the stimulation of acupoints in the same spinal segments could induce different central responses with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Stimulation of acupoints ST36/SP6 (Zusanli/Sanyinjiao) or GB34/BL57 (Yanglingquan/Chengshan) both activated primary and secondary somatosensory area, insula, ventral thalamus, parietal Brodmann Area 40, temporal lobe, putamen, and cerebellum, while de-activated amygdala. Nevertheless, ST36/SP6 stimulation specifically activated orbital frontal cortex and de-activated hippocampus. Alternatively, stimulation of GB34/BL57 activated dorsal thalamus and inhibited those of primary motor area and premotor cortex. Thus, stimulation of acupoints in the same spinal segments induced distinct though overlapped cerebral response patterns, which indicated the existence of acupoint specificity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two- or 100-Hz electrical acupoint stimulation (EAS) can induce analgesia via distinct central mechanisms. It has long been known that the extent of EAS analgesia showed tremendous difference among subjects. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies were performed to allocate the possible mechanisms underlying the frequency specificity as well as individual variability of EAS analgesia. In either frequencies, the averaged fMRI activation levels of bilateral secondary somatosensory area and insula, contralateral anterior cingulate cortex and thalamus were positively correlated with the EAS-induced analgesic effect across the subjects. In 2-Hz EAS group, positive correlations were observed in contralateral primary motor area, supplementary motor area, and ipsilateral superior temporal gyrus, while negative correlations were found in bilateral hippocampus. In 100-Hz EAS group, positive correlations were observed in contralateral inferior parietal lobule, ipsilateral anterior cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens, and pons, while negative correlation was detected in contralateral amygdala. These results suggest that functional activities of certain brain areas might be correlated with the effect of EAS-induced analgesia, in a frequency-dependent dynamic. EAS-induced analgesia with low and high frequencies seems to be mediated by different, though overlapped, brain networks. The differential activations/de-activations in brain networks across subjects may provide a neurobiological explanation for the mechanisms of the induction and the individual variability of analgesic effect induced by EAS, or that of manual acupuncture as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]