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Amauroderma rugosum (Blume and T. Nees) Torrend (Ganodermataceae) (A.rugosum) has been found to have anti-inflammatory ability in previous studies. The present study aimed to verify the therapeutic benefits of A.rugosum in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and to investigate its underlying mechanism of action. Acute experimental ulcerative colitis was induced by feeding the mice drinking water supplemented with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The findings indicated that the ethanolic extract of domesticated A.rugosum exhibited therapeutic efficacy comparable to Salazosulfapyridine (SASP) in mitigating clinical symptoms and the pathological score of the colon. Furthermore, A.rugosum exhibited the capacity to enhance the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins, while concurrently decreasing the levels of TNF-ɑ and IL-6. A noteworthy finding is that it exhibited the capability to diminish the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. In conclusion, A.rugosum attenuates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis by enhancing intestinal barrier function and inhibiting mucosal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebrovascular abnormalities are critical indicators of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Understanding the normal evolution of brain vessels is essential for detecting early deviations and enabling timely interventions. Here, for the first time, we proposed a pipeline exploring the joint evolution of cortical volumes (CVs) and arterial volumes (AVs) in a large cohort of 2841 individuals. Using advanced deep learning for vessel segmentation, we built normative models of CVs and AVs across spatially hierarchical brain regions. We found that while AVs generally decline with age, distinct trends appear in regions like the circle of Willis. Comparing healthy individuals with those affected by AD or stroke, we identified significant reductions in both CVs and AVs, wherein patients with AD showing the most severe impact. Our findings reveal gender-specific effects and provide critical insights into how these conditions alter brain structure, potentially guiding future clinical assessments and interventions. Cerebrovascular abnormalities are key indicators of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, the authors show evolutionary trends of cortical and vascular volumes across spatial hierarchies with a deep learning-based pipeline and varying volume reductions in different brain pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer (BCa), as the most common malignant tumor of the urinary system, has received significant attention in research on the clinical application of artificial intelligence algorithms. Nevertheless, it has been observed that certain investigations use data from various medical facilities to train models for BCa, which may pose a privacy risk. Given this concern, protecting patient privacy during machine learning algorithm training is a crucial aspect that requires substantial attention. One emerging machine learning paradigm that addresses this concern is federated learning (FL). FL enables multiple entities to collaboratively build machine learning models while preserving data privacy and security. In this study, we present a multicenter BCa magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset. The dataset comprises 275 three-dimensional bladder T2-weighted MRI scans collected from four medical centers, and each scan includes diagnostic pathological labels for muscle invasion and pixel-level annotations of tumor contours. Four FL methods are used to assess the baseline of the dataset for both the task of diagnosing muscle-invasive bladder cancer and automatic bladder tumor lesion segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal subchondral bone remodeling plays a pivotal role in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we analyzed subchondral bone samples from OA patients and observed a significant upregulation of ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) specifically in subchondral bone osteoclasts. Notably, we found a strong correlation between UCHL1 expression and osteoclast activity in the subchondral bone during OA progression in both human and murine models. Conditional UCHL1 deletion in osteoclast precursors exacerbated OA progression, while its overexpression, mediated by adeno-associated virus 9, alleviated this process in male mice. Mechanistically, RANKL stimulates UCHL1 expression in osteoclast precursors, subsequently stabilizing CD13, augmenting soluble CD13 (sCD13) release, and triggering an autocrine inhibitory effect on the MAPK pathway, thereby suppressing osteoclast formation. These findings unveil a previously unidentified negative feedback loop, RANKL-UCHL1-sCD13, that modulates osteoclast formation and presents a potential therapeutic target for OA. Abnormal subchondral bone remodeling plays a pivotal role in the progression of osteoarthritis. Here, the authors reveal a negative feedback loop, RANKL-UCHL1-sCD13, which limits osteoclastogenesis in the subchondral bone to prevent osteoarthritis progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Community health needs assessments are required for most state and local public health agencies and non-profit hospitals. Typically based on community health improvement planning models, these assessments encompass overall community health and multiple diseases to inform program planning. National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers and community-based cancer-focused programs share the goal of reducing cancer burden in the catchment areas they serve. However, to date, no published models exist to guide cancer-specific needs assessments for a determined geographic area that can inform both public health and research initiatives. The purpose of this article is to outline a cancer needs assessment (CNA) framework and community-engaged, mixed-methods process, along with a case study of how we applied it in Kentucky. Methods: We convened a steering committee of key organizational partners to provide input throughout the process. We developed a conceptual framework of multi-level determinants affecting cancer-related outcomes. We incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data gathered through a variety of means, including a novel application of group concept mapping to guide definition of priorities. Results: The resulting CNA has helped guide strategic planning and priorities for Kentucky's Cancer Action Plan, Markey Cancer Center, state agencies, and community-based organizations. Conclusion: This framework and process can be used collaboratively by cancer center Community Outreach and Engagement offices, public health agencies, oncology programs, and community partners to plan impactful cancer control programs and research in their catchment areas. Universities can also use them to inform the planning of community engagement and health equity research efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Website Fingerprinting (WF) attacks enable a local eavesdropper to use metadata of packet flow, such as size, timing, and direction, to infer the websites a user is visiting. This can damage the user privacy provided by anonymity systems such as Tor. Tor has implemented the WF defense called Circuit Padding Framework, which provides an interface for developers to implement their own defenses. However, these defenses in the framework were overcome by the Deep Fingerprinting (DF) attack. In this paper, we propose a novel defense approach called break burst padding (Break-Pad), which injects a random number of padding packets into an incoming burst once the number of consecutive incoming packets exceeds a set number. We integrated Break-Pad into the existing Circuit Padding Framework. In addition, we have implemented two padding machines named August and October in the new framework and conducted experiments to evaluate these machines. In the open-world setting, our results show that August, with 29% bandwidth overhead, reduces Tik-Tok's TPR by 14.48% and DF's TPR by 22%. October outperforms the best padding machine, RBB. With 36% bandwidth overhead, it drops Tik-Tok's TPR to 74.24% and DF's TPR to 65.36%. In the one-page setting, October further reduces the bandwidth overhead by 11% while achieving similar performance to RBB. In the information leak analysis, for the burst sequence feature of the traffic, October leaks at 2.453 bits, while the best comparable padding machine Interspace leaks at 2.629 bits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritic disease, and phenotypic modification of chondrocytes is an important mechanism that contributes to the loss of cartilage homeostasis. This study identified that Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1) plays a pivotal role in regulating chondrocytes phenotype and maintaining cartilage homeostasis. Proteome-wide screening revealed markedly upregulated FSCN1 protein expression in human OA cartilage. FSCN1 accumulation was confirmed in the superficial layer of OA cartilage from humans and mice, primarily in dedifferentiated-like chondrocytes, associated with enhanced actin stress fiber formation and upregulated type I and III collagens. FSCN1-inducible knockout mice exhibited delayed cartilage degeneration following experimental OA surgery. Mechanistically, FSCN1 promoted actin polymerization and disrupted the inhibition of Decorin on TGF-β1, leading to excessive TGF-β1 production and ALK1/Smad1/5 signaling activation, thus, accelerated chondrocyte dedifferentiation. Intra-articular injection of FSCN1-overexpressing adeno-associated virus exacerbated OA progression in mice, which was mitigated by an ALK1 inhibitor. Moreover, FSCN1 inhibitor NP-G2-044 effectively reduced extracellular matrix degradation in OA mice, cultured human OA chondrocytes, and cartilage explants by suppressing ALK1/Smad1/5 signaling. These findings suggest that targeting FSCN1 represents a promising therapeutic approach for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The randomness and complexity of rock mass fissure development seriously affects the strength and stability of the rock mass. In order to analyse the influence of different numbers of rock bridges on the strength of rock mass, uniaxial compression and numerical simulation tests of fissured sandstone is carried out to study the influence law of different numbers of rock bridges on the mechanical properties and failure characteristics of rock. The results show that the number of rock bridges affects the damage mode of the rock mass, and when the fissure inclination and the inclination of rock bridges is constant, the damage microcrack development status of rocks with different numbers of rock bridges is different; the increase of the number of rock bridges has an optimising effect on the mechanical properties of the rock mass, and the peak stress and elastic modulus increase with the increase of the number of rock bridges. Under uniaxial compression, shear coalescence occurred in the intact rock specimens, while the fracture-containing specimens changed from shear damage to mixed shear-tension damage with the increase of the number of rock bridges. The damage of the rock specimens containing only 0 and 1 rock bridge are mainly caused by the extended shear cracks at the tip of the prefabricated cracks and the penetrating rock bridges; the rock specimens containing 2 rock bridges produced tensile cracks at the same time as shear cracks are formed, and the damage of the specimens is caused by the joint extension of shear and tensile cracks. When the total length of the co-linear cracks is the same, the higher the number of rock bridges, the smaller the stress intensity factor of the rock mass, and the less likely the specimen will be damaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main factors governing iron-bound organic carbon (Fe-bound OC) formation under different environmental conditions have been less well identified. In this study, we investigated the distribution of Fe-bound OC and the influencing factors in soils of a typical subtropical mountain ecosystem. Materials and methods: Soil samples at different altitudes (402–1653 m) and depths (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm) in the Nanling Mountains of southern China were collected. The influence of soil property indicators and microbial diversity characteristics on the formation of Fe-bound OC was explored. Results: The Fe-bound OC content in the soils ranged from 1.40 ± 1.32 g/kg to 15.09 ± 3.57 g/kg, accounting for an average of 23.49 ± 13.03% of the total organic carbon (TOC), and generally increased with altitude and exhibited significantly higher values at the soil depth of 0–20 cm, while its proportion to TOC (fFe-OC) gradually increased as soil depth increased. The more significant indicators in explaining the variation of Fe-bound OC include TOC, particulate organic carbon (POC), free iron oxides (Fed), amorphous iron oxides (Feo), complexed iron oxides (Fep), Feo/Fed, pH, Ca, sand and silt. Feo/Fed was strongly linearly correlated with Fe-bound OC, thus can be a good predictor of Fe-bound OC content. RDA analysis showed that Fe-bound OC/fFe-OC had a relatively closer correlation with bacterial phyla including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes. Conclusions: The attitude gradient and soil depth significantly influence the content of Fe-bound OC. The distribution of Fe-bound OC exhibited a certain correlation with both biotic and abiotic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large oil and gas storage tanks serve as crucial industrial energy infrastructures, which are usually thin-walled steel structures with large volumes and light weights, and they are sensitive to wind loads. Under the influence of strong winds or typhoons, large oil and gas storage tanks may suffer wind-induced damage, resulting in the leakage of gas or liquid inside the tanks, posing hazards to the ecological environment and public safety. Therefore, it is of great theoretical and engineering significance to research the wind resistance of large oil and gas storage tanks. This paper provides a comprehensive review of key issues in wind resistance for large oil and gas storage tanks, including characteristics of flow around circular cylinders, wind effects on structures with circular cross-sections, near-surface wind field characteristics, wind effects on large oil and gas storage tanks, wind-induced interference effects, structural dynamic characteristics, wind loads and wind-induced response calculations, multiple load effects, and wind-induced vibration control. The deficiencies of current research are summarized. The prospects for research on the design theory and safety assurance of large oil and gas storage tanks are presented through various methods, including field measurements of near-surface wind fields and wind effects, wind tunnel tests utilizing aeroelastic models, numerical simulations involving fluid–solid coupling, theoretical analysis, and machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beveling process is an important process in the manufacturing of resonators, which has a significant impact on the frequency stability of resonators. Without understanding the frequency characteristics of the resonator after beveling, it is impossible to accurately design the beveled resonators. Thus, in order to investigate the vibration characteristics of AT-cut beveled resonators, we investigated the high-frequency vibration in this work by using the subregional geometric fitting method (SGFM) based on Mindlin's plate theory. Quartz crystal plates with nonuniform thicknesses are partitioned into three regions and each region is fitted by using the polynomial functions based on the measured geometric morphology data. The governing equations are obtained based on Mindlin's two-dimensional theory and the coupled vibrations are further solved using the partial differential equation module of COMSOL. In the numerical calculation, we compare the results obtained by the SGFM with those obtained by the global fitting method and the measured data. The accuracy and effectiveness of the SGFM are also verified. It is found that the frequencies obtained by the SGFM are slightly higher than the frequencies obtained by the global fitting method, and the results of SGFM are closer to the measured results. Meanwhile, as the beveling time increases, the frequency increases and the energy trapping effect becomes more significant. The proposed method can significantly improve the computational efficiency of thickness-shear vibration while ensuring accuracy. It is expected to provide a new geometric fitting method for the analysis of beveled crystal resonators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the tislelizumab-based chemoimmunotherapy combined with gemcitabine/cisplatin for bladder-sparing in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Methods: Forty-five patients who received bladder-sparing treatment or radical cystectomy (RC) for MIBC (cT2-T4a, NxM0) were retrospectively enrolled. All patients received maximal transurethral resection of bladder tumor (mTURBT), followed by four cycles of chemo-immunotherapy with tislelizumab (PD-L1 inhibitor), gemcitabine, and cisplatin. Clinical efficacy was evaluated to compare the benefit of bladder-sparing treatment on clinical CR (cCR) and RC for non-cCR patients. The primary outcomes were bladder intact disease-free survival (BIDFS) and overall survival (OS), and the secondary outcomes were adverse effects. The PD-L1 status and molecular subtypes of tumors were analyzed. Results: The overall survival rate was 88.8% (95%CI: 79.6%, 98.0%) at 12 months, 85.7% (95%CI: 74.9%, 96.5%) at 18 months, and 66.6% (95%CI: 45.2%, 88.0%) at 24 months. Twenty-nine patients (64.4%) achieved cCR and their OS rate was 96.6% (95%CI: 89.9%, 100%). Sixteen patients were in the non-cCR group, and their OS rate was 75.0% (95%CI: 53.8%, 96.2%) at 12 months, 65.6% (95%CI: 40.3%, 90.9%) at 18 months, and 52.5% (95%CI: 21.9%, 83.1%) at 24 months. The BIDFS rate for patients who received bladder-sparing treatment was 96.0% (95%CI: 88.4%, 100%) from 12 to 24 months. Four patients (8.8%) were PD-L1 positive and 41 patients (91.2%) were PD-L1 negative. Conclusions: Our retrospective study of patients with MIBC suggests that tislelizumab-based neoadjuvant therapy was a safe and effective bladder-sparing treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a discrete maximum principle in Hamel's formalism for optimal nonholonomic motion planning is proposed, which is a discrete analogue of the usual necessary conditions for optimality obtained from the Pontryagin maximum principle. The exact Hamel integrator associated with discrete Lagrangian mechanics is adopted to derive the forced and nonholonomic integrator. A universal discrete nonholonomic optimal control framework based on moving frames is established. The optimal nonholonomic trajectory optimization for a wall-crawling mobile robot moving on a spherical tank is considered for the established framework, where the configuration space is a non-Euclidean space. The simulated results by the proposed framework accurately capture some interesting nonholonomic behaviors and geometric structures for the given mechanical model, and the feasibility and computing efficiency are verified by comparison with the open-loop control and direct parameter optimization methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting water head is crucial in groundwater utilization, and requires quick and accurate solutions. This study employs a method combining the collocation Trefftz method (CTM) and the fictitious time integration method (FTIM) for groundwater head detection and restoration. The Laplace equation is solved using CTM, and the Trefftz basis function is linearly combined to fit the exact solution while adding characteristics length for numerical stability. The FTIM solves the nonlinear algebraic equations system for water head detection. Numerical examples quantify the method's accuracy, and boundary restoration results are compared with the Picard successive approximation method, showcasing FTIM's advantages in convergence steps and precision. The solution comparison under irregular boundary conditions further verifies the proposed method's efficacy (MAE ≤ 10–15). The CTM–FTIM calculated water level boundary aligns with the actual boundary, and its noise immunity is verified using real observation well data (MAE ≤ 10–2, Itertimes ≤ 5000). The CTM–FTIM method eliminates meshing needs for quick solutions in irregular regions, accurately determining water levels in the study domain using few known boundary points, solving infinite domain groundwater head detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial biomaterials with dynamic mechano-responsive behaviors similar to those of biological tissues have been drawing great attention. In this study, we report a TiO2-based nanowire (TiO2NWs) scaffolds, which exhibit dynamic mechano-responsive behaviors varying with the number and amplitude of nano-deformation cycles. It is found that the elastic and adhesive forces in the TiO2NWs scaffolds can increase significantly after multiple cycles of nano-deformation. Further nanofriction experiments show the triboelectric effect of increasing elastic and adhesive forces during the nano-deformation cycles of TiO2NWs scaffolds. These properties allow the TiO2NW scaffolds to be designed and applied as intelligent artificial biomaterials to simulate biological tissues in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the initial-boundary-value problem of the isentropic compressible Navier–Stokes–Poisson equations subject to large and non-flat doping profile in 3D bounded domain with slip boundary condition and vacuum. The global well-posedness of classical solution is established with small initial energy but possibly large oscillations and vacuum. The steady state (except velocity) and the doping profile are allowed to be of large variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the grinding process of crankshafts, the grinding parameters were improperly selected, which easily caused the high temperature in the grinding zone and led to burns on the crankshaft journal surface. To address this issue, referencing previous studies, the suitability of the Gaussian heat source model was verified by comparing it with three different heat source models. The Gaussian heat source model was applied to predict the temperature on the surface of the crankshaft connecting rod journal. Transient thermal analysis and investigation of material phase transformation were employed to explore the mechanism of grinding burns. The interaction effects among grinding parameters were analyzed using the Box-Behnken design, and a multiple linear regression equation was established for response surface optimization. The results demonstrated that applying the Gaussian heat source model and response surface optimization yielded the optimal solution, with a maximum deviation of 1.37% between the simulation and optimization results. By selecting a grinding depth (ap) of 0.40 mm, wheel speed (vs) of 40.00 m/s, and feed rate (vx) of 0.036 mm/s as the processing parameters, the temperature in the grinding zone was reduced to 659.37 °C, effectively mitigating grinding burns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has significant potential in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) due to its unique layered structure and adjustable layer spacing. However, the electrochemical performance remains unsatisfactory primarily due to the limited interlayer spacing. Here, a composite material consisting of MoS2 nanosheets with expanded interlayer spacing and intercalated surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG) is proposed as a cathode material for AZIBs. The results indicate that PEG is intercalated into the layered structure of MoS2, resulting in a significant expansion of the MoS2 layer spacing (from 0.62 to 0.95 nm). The PEG effectively mitigates the agglomeration during MoS2 growth, promotes the 2H to 1T phase conversion in MoS2 (about 60% of 1T phase content), provides more active sites for electrochemical reactions, reduces electron transfer resistance, and shortens diffusion distance of zinc ions. During the process of charging and discharging, the intercalated PEG molecules serve as "pillars" to provide structural support for MoS2 layers, thereby enhancing their stability. The pseudocapacitive behavior of the MoS2-PEG is promoted by the combination of these aforementioned advantages. Consequently, the MoS2-PEG composite electrode exhibited a discharge capacity of 123.4 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 1.0 A g−1 and maintained a capacity retention of 83.5% after 200 cycles, while pure MoS2 only displayed a reversible capacity of 71.5 mAh·g−1 under identical conditions. This study provides a reference for the development of MoS2 as a cathode material for AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Many studies have found that when the piezoelectric devices are with the sizes of micrometer/nanoscale level, another significant electromechanical coupling characteristic, namely the flexoelectric effect, also plays important role in the performance of devices. In order to investigate the effect of flexoelectricity on the thickness-shear vibration, a mathematical model of a finite piezoelectric plate with slowly varying thickness and elliptical crosssection is presented with the consideration of flexoelectric effect in this paper. Methods: The proposed model uses the first order McLaughlin series to approximate the elliptical geometric function and the its first derivative is ignored since we assume that the plate thickness varies slowly along the length. The displacement function we adopted is assumed to be antisymmetric through the thickness due to the thicknessshear vibration mode. In addition, regarding to the thin and long flexoelectric plate, only the shear strain gradient through the thickness is considered in the mathematical model. The nonlinear governing equations, which incorporate geometric nonlinearity, are converted into differential equations as function of time by the Galerkin method. The method of multiple scales is employed to obtain the solution of nonlinear governing equation with the first order approximation. The obtained frequencies of thickness-shear mode are expressed in terms of vibration amplitude, eccentricity and flexoelectric coefficients. Results and Conclusion: The results show that the nonlinear thickness-shear vibration is size dependent and flexoelectric effect has significant influence on the nonlinear thickness-shear vibration frequencies of micro thin plates. The eccentricity and geometric nonlinearity also have great influence on the nondimensional fundamental frequencies. Thus, for accurate design of nano/micro scale high precision and high frequency flexoelectric/piezoelectric devices with elliptical cross-section, flexoelectricity must be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient, heterogeneous copper(I)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of primary aliphatic, allylic, propargylic and benzylic alcohols to aldehydes has been achieved under open-air and base-free conditions in MeCN at room temperature in the presence of 3 mol% of 1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)urea-functionalized SBA-15-anchored copper iodide complex [Dpu-SBA-15-CuI] and 4 mol% of TEMPO, delivering a wide range of the corresponding aliphatic, α,β-unsaturated and aromatic aldehydes in good to excellent yields. This new heterogeneous copper(I) complex can be easily prepared via a simple procedure from readily available and inexpensive reagents and recycled at least ten times without any remarkable loss of activity. The use of reusable copper catalyst and air as the oxidant, as well as mild and base-free conditions make this protocol attractive for environmentally sustainable processes. A highly efficient, heterogeneous copper(I)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of primary aliphatic, allylic, propargylic and benzylic alcohols to aldehydes under open-air and base-free conditions is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of early 30-minute dynamic 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning protocol for patients with lung lesions in comparison to the standard 65-minute dynamic FDG-PET scanning as a reference. Methods: Dynamic 18F-FDG PET images of 146 patients with 181 lung lesions (including 146 lesions confirmed by histology) were analyzed in this prospective study. Dynamic images were reconstructed into 28 frames with a specific temporal division protocol for the scan data acquired 65 min post-injection. Ki images and quantitative parameters Ki based on two different acquisition durations [the first 30 min (Ki-30 min) and 65 min (Ki-65 min)] were obtained by applying the irreversible two-tissue compartment model using in-house Matlab software. The two acquisition durations were compared for Ki image quality (including visual score analysis and number of lesions detected) and Ki value (including accuracy of Ki, the value of differential diagnosis of lung lesions and prediction of PD-L1 status) by Wilcoxon's rank sum test, Spearman's rank correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the DeLong test. The significant testing level (alpha) was set to 0.05. Results: The quality of the Ki-30 min images was not significantly different from the Ki-65 min images based on visual score analysis (P > 0.05). In terms of Ki value, among 181 lesions, Ki-65 min was statistically higher than Ki-30 min (0.027 ± 0.017 ml/g/min vs. 0.026 ± 0.018 ml/g/min, P < 0.05), while a very high correlation was obtained between Ki-65 min and Ki-30 min (r = 0.977, P < 0.05). In the differential diagnosis of lung lesions, ROC analysis was performed on 146 histologically confirmed lesions, the area under the curve (AUC) of Ki-65 min, Ki-30 min, and SUVmax was 0.816, 0.816, and 0.709, respectively. According to the Delong test, no significant differences in the diagnostic accuracies were found between Ki-65 min and Ki-30 min (P > 0.05), while the diagnostic accuracies of Ki-65 min and Ki-30 min were both significantly higher than that of SUVmax (P < 0.05). In 73 (NSCLC) lesions with definite PD-L1 expression results, the Ki-65 min, Ki-30 min, and SUVmax in PD-L1 positivity were significantly higher than that in PD-L1 negativity (P < 0.05). And no significant differences in predicting PD-L1 positivity were found among Ki-65 min, Ki-30 min, and SUVmax (AUC = 0.704, 0.695, and 0.737, respectively, P > 0.05), according to the results of ROC analysis and Delong test. Conclusions: This study indicates that an early 30-minute dynamic FDG-PET acquisition appears to be sufficient to provide quantitative images with good-quality and accurate Ki values for the assessment of lung lesions and prediction of PD-L1 expression. Protocols with a shortened early 30-minute acquisition time may be considered for patients who have difficulty with prolonged acquisitions to improve the efficiency of clinical acquisitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo pith ring (BPR) is regarded as a particular tissue affecting bamboo processing and is usually discarded, resulting in waste and low utilization of bamboo. To improve the utilization of bamboo and make full use of BPR, the fundamental properties, including morphology, chemical properties, and mechanical properties of BPR by confocal laser-scanning microscope, SEM, IR-image, and nanoindentation, were investigated in this study. On the macroscale, the stone cells in BPR are round or square and closely arranged, and the average thickness of BPR is 404.6 μm. On the cell scale, with the increase in distance from the pith cavity, stone cells show different shapes and sizes. On the cell wall scale, the stone cell in BPR show a multi-layer structure with alternating thick and thin walls, and there are dense pits on the wall layer. Stone cell is mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, and hemicellulose and lignin contents are higher than parenchyma cell. The elastic modulus and hardness of the stone cell wall were 6.98 GPa and 491.8 MPa, respectively. Studying BPR morphology, chemical, and mechanical properties are expected to lay a foundation for, among others, bamboo gluing, mechanics research, and drying cracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient removal of thorium from the environment is critical due to the risks it poses to organisms. Metal–organic frameworks are favored by scholars because of their potential to effectively adsorb a variety of heavy metal ions in wastewater treatment. In this work, the interaction of UiO-66-NH2 surface with graphene, enhances adsorption capacity of MOFs. Optimal adsorption conditions have been identified, and a detailed adsorption mechanism has also been comprehensively discussed. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity exhibited by UiO-66-GO is 119.57 mg g−1. Moreover, it shows a fast adsorption rate and reached equilibrium within 20 min. The development of materials with good adsorption performance and fast adsorption for Th(IV) plays an important role in the development of Th(IV) adsorption in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study on the use of a novel renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) technique for treating resistant hypertension (RH). The technique involves the CT-guided administration of an ozone-oxygen gas mixture near the lumbar ganglia and the renal artery surface. The study describes the procedure and presents the results, which show a significant reduction in blood pressure and a decreased need for antihypertensive medication. The authors suggest that this approach warrants further investigation to evaluate its safety and efficacy in treating RH. [Extracted from the article]

Pretreatment patient-specific quality assurance (prePSQA) is conducted to confirm the accuracy of the radiotherapy dose delivered. However, the process of prePSQA measurement is time consuming and exacerbates the workload for medical physicists. The purpose of this work is to propose a novel deep learning (DL) network to improve the accuracy and efficiency of prePSQA. A modified invertible and variable augmented network was developed to predict the three-dimensional (3D) measurement-guided dose (MDose) distribution of 300 cancer patients who underwent volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) between 2018 and 2021, in which 240 cases were randomly selected for training, and 60 for testing. For simplicity, the present approach was termed as "IVPSQA." The input data include CT images, radiotherapy dose exported from the treatment planning system, and MDose distribution extracted from the verification system. Adam algorithm was used for first-order gradient-based optimization of stochastic objective functions. The IVPSQA model obtained high-quality 3D prePSQA dose distribution maps in head and neck, chest, and abdomen cases, and outperformed the existing U-Net-based prediction approaches in terms of dose difference maps and horizontal profiles comparison. Moreover, quantitative evaluation metrics including SSIM, MSE, and MAE demonstrated that the proposed approach achieved a good agreement with ground truth and yield promising gains over other advanced methods. This study presented the first work on predicting 3D prePSQA dose distribution by using the IVPSQA model. The proposed method could be taken as a clinical guidance tool and help medical physicists to reduce the measurement work of prePSQA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Existing studies about wind pressure on agricultural greenhouse buildings concentrate on the mean wind pressure while ignoring the systematic research on fluctuating wind pressure characteristics and the influence of roof shape on the wind pressure characteristics, which are closely associated with the wind-induced damage mechanism. In this study, two typical agricultural greenhouse buildings on tropical islands are selected as prototypes to conduct pressure measurement experiments in the wind tunnel. Based on the wind pressure time series for the two greenhouses, the mean and fluctuating wind pressure distribution pattern and the localized high-pressure generation mechanism are analyzed. Then, the shape coefficient of the two greenhouses is compared in depth to the standards from four countries. Besides, wind pressure non-Gaussian determination criteria for agricultural greenhouse buildings considering the roof shape and wind directions are proposed. Lastly, the differences in wind pressure spectra on the roofs and walls of the two greenhouses are summarized. The results indicate the roof shape has a significant influence on the wind pressure characteristics. Compared with the pitched roof, the vaulted roof will increase the suction effect on the windward front zone and the middle area, mitigate the suction impact on the leeward roof, and weaken the wind pressure non-Gaussian characteristics. The experimental shape coefficient of the pitched-roof greenhouse is basically consistent with the standard from the U.S., while that of the vaulted-roof greenhouse has some deviation from the existing standards. The results provide a theoretical basis for the wind-resistant design of agricultural greenhouse buildings on tropical islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the discovery that water can trigger a peculiar nuclear reaction and produce energy. Cavitation may induce unusual reactions through implosion of water vapor bubbles. Many of this research has been published formally or informally. We have conducted experiments using two reactor types made from multiple-pipe heat exchanger and found that the heat exchange process of water produces peculiar excess heat and abnormally high pressure leading to rupture of the reactor. Recently, we have tested another eight reactors. Interestingly, these reactors produce non-condensable gas. We suspected that they include 22Ne and CO2. We used a mass spectrometer (MS) to analyze 14 gas samples collected from 8 reactors, including ten samples showing a coefficient of performance COPx > 1.05 (with excess heat) and four having COPx < 1.05 (without excess heat). Several methods were adopted to identify the gas content. For CO2 identification, two methods are employed. For 22Ne identification, three methods are employed. All the results confirm that isotope 22Ne and regular CO2 really exist in the output gas from reactors determined to have excess heat. We conjecture a possible mechanism to produce 22Ne and CO2 and find out that 12C and isotope 17O are the intermediate. They finally form isotope gases containing 17O, including H2O-17 (heavy-oxygen water), isotope O2 (16O–17O), and isotope CO2 (12C–16O–17O). In the excess heat producing reactors, all these gasses were detected by MS in the absence of 20Ne and 21Ne. The observed isotope gases produced from reactors having excess heat verifies that water can trigger a peculiar nuclear reaction and produce energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring of physiological parameters is a crucial topic in promoting human health and an indispensable approach for assessing physiological status and diagnosing diseases. Particularly, it holds significant value for patients who require long-term monitoring or with underlying cardiovascular disease. To this end, Visual Contactless Physiological Monitoring (VCPM) is capable of using videos recorded by a consumer camera to monitor blood volume pulse (BVP) signal, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), oxygen saturation (SpO2) and blood pressure (BP). Recently, deep learning-based pipelines have attracted numerous scholars and achieved unprecedented development. Although VCPM is still an emerging digital medical technology and presents many challenges and opportunities, it has the potential to revolutionize clinical medicine, digital health, telemedicine as well as other areas. The VCPM technology presents a viable solution that can be integrated into these systems for measuring vital parameters during video consultation, owing to its merits of contactless measurement, cost-effectiveness, user-friendly passive monitoring and the sole requirement of an off-the-shelf camera. In fact, the studies of VCPM technologies have been rocketing recently, particularly AI-based approaches, but few are employed in clinical settings. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of the applications, challenges, and prospects of VCPM from the perspective of clinical settings and AI technologies for the first time. The thorough exploration and analysis of clinical scenarios will provide profound guidance for the research and development of VCPM technologies in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed-flow pumps have been widely used in water jet propulsion field. To ensure reliability and operation efficiency, it is necessary to investigate the characteristics of hydraulic excitation force during transient operations. In this paper, the radial force of a water jet mixed-flow pump during rapid startup period was investigated numerically based on improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) and siding mesh method, the external characteristics were verified by test results. The spatial-temporal evolution of radial force was analyzed. The radial force during rapid startup presents transient and delay phenomenon, which shows disparity compared with quasi-steady state. The flow analysis and blade strip analysis show inlet recirculation significantly affects the radial force's evolution, the radial force is quite different from blade root to tip and the blade tip contributes most to the radial force delay phenomenon. By applying boundary vorticity flux (BVF) theory and separation vortex formation diagnosis, separation regions caused by the dissipation of inlet recirculation were effectively identified and the change trend is in line with the change of radial force, which explains how inlet recirculation results the delay of radial force on blade tip strip and the whole impeller blade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy with cellular and immunological characteristics that remain unclear. Here, we perform transcriptomic analysis for 111,038 single cells from tumor tissues of six MBC and thirteen female breast cancer (FBC) patients. We find that that MBC has significantly lower infiltration of T cells relative to FBC. Metastasis-related programs are more active in cancer cells from MBC. The activated fatty acid metabolism involved with FASN is related to cancer cell metastasis and low immune infiltration of MBC. T cells in MBC show activation of p38 MAPK and lipid oxidation pathways, indicating a dysfunctional state. In contrast, T cells in FBC exhibit higher expression of cytotoxic markers and immune activation pathways mediated by immune-modulatory cytokines. Moreover, we identify the inhibitory interactions between cancer cells and T cells in MBC. Our study provides important information for understanding the tumor immunology and metabolism of MBC. Male breast cancer may involve different populations of immune cells. Here the authors use single cell transcriptomics to show that infiltration of T cells is lower in male breast cancer relative to female breast cancer, and find that this is accompanied by distinct metabolic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of ethanol and acetaldehyde to 1,3-butadiene has been an emerging process to produce key chemicals. The preparation of highly efficient catalysts and the understanding of reaction mechanism are current research priority. Herein, mesoporous silica framework confining zirconia (Zr-HMS) was prepared and act as catalyst for 1,3-butadiene production from ethanol and acetaldehyde. The prepared catalysts were characterized by Low-angle X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 physical adsorption-desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–vis spectra. It has been shown that the Zr-HMS exhibits similar textural properties to supported catalyst (ZrO2/HMS). However, regardless of their comparable activities, higher 1,3-butadiene selectivity is obtained over Zr–HMS, which can be due to the different active zirconia species in two catalysts. Mesoporous framework confining character of Zr-HMS can achieve uniformly dispersed zirconia species. Further investigation toward the reaction process has presented new viewpoints for formation and consumption of some typical intermediates and byproducts, which will help to understand the reaction mechanism and construct efficient catalysts for conversion of ethanol and acetaldehyde to 1,3-butadiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to compare implant positioning accuracy and patient-centered results between static and dynamic computer-assisted implant surgery (s-CAIS and d-CAIS) in edentulous jaws. Material and methods: The current study retrospectively evaluated a total of 110 implants placed in 22 fully edentulous patients via s-CAIS or d-CAIS (n = 11). The accuracy of implant positioning was assessed by measuring the implant's angular deviation and deviation at the platform and apex from the preoperative design postoperatively. Patient-centered results, including preoperative and intraoperative patient-reported experiences and postoperative patient-reported outcomes, were extracted from the medical records. The nested t test and chi‐square test were used to compare accuracy and patient-centered results between s-CAIS and d-CAIS postoperatively. Results: The implants in the s-CAIS group showed significantly smaller angular deviation (2.32 ± 1.23°) than those in the d-CAIS group (3.87 ± 2.75°). In contrast, the platform and apical deviation were significantly larger in s-CAIS (1.56 ± 1.19 mm and 1.70 ± 1.09 mm, respectively) than d-CAIS (1.02 ± 0.45 mm and 1.00 ± 0.51 mm, respectively). Furthermore, the implants in the s-CAIS group deviated significantly (p < 0.001) more toward the coronal direction than those in the d-CAIS group. Notably, all patients in the s-CAIS group reported an obvious foreign body sensation during surgery, representing a significant difference from the d-CAIS group. Conclusions: Compared to s-CAIS, d-CAIS is a reliable technique for the placement of multiple implants in fully edentulous patients with less linear deviation and less foreign body sensation. Trial registration. The retrospective study was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on August 8th, 2022, with registration number No. ChiCTR2200062484. Clinical relevance: Despite the increasing use of computer- assisted implant surgery in fully edentulous patients, clinical evidence comparing implant positioning accuracy and patient-centered results between static and dynamic CAIS systems is scarce. Our study demonstrated that compared to s-CAIS, d-CAIS is a reliable technique for the placement of multiple implants in fully edentulous patients with less linear deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the extensive production and use of antibiotics for medicinal and veterinary purposes, antibiotics and genes that code for antibiotic resistance are now present in various environmental media with higher frequencies of occurrence and at higher concentrations than before. Particularly, China has led the world in the production and consumption of antibiotics, which might lead to higher pollution levels of antibiotic resistance genes and pose a threat to human health. Here, we review the sources of antibiotic resistance genes in China, and their spatial distribution and pollution levels in surface water, e.g., in lakes and rivers, atmosphere, and soil. Statistics indicate that higher levels of antibiotics and related antibiotic resistance genes were detected in eastern China compared with other regions, and that tetracycline and sulfanilamide resistance genes are the most prevalent. The absolute concentrations of antibiotic resistance genes are 102 − 105 copies per milliliter of water, 104–108 copies per gram of soil, and 104–106 copies per cubic meter of atmosphere. We also analyze the pollution status and fate of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment processes. Then, the biological and abiotic factors affecting the transfer and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes are elucidated. We discuss the risks of antibiotic resistance genes for ecological safety and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil and gas resources covered under gravel layer have had much attention. The mechanical behaviors and failure mechanism of conglomerate, main component of gravel layer, are still unclear for the complex distribution characteristics in gravel size, shape, and content. A numerical model considering gravel particles distributed randomly was established to study the effect of gravel distribution characteristics using a discrete element method. Results indicate that increasing the gravel size or content, or overlapping of the particles can reduce the number of independent gravel blocks, thus enhancing the heterogeneity of conglomerate and changing the failure types and crack development trend. The failure strength shows a parabolic trend with rising gravel content, while the elastic modulus increases linearly, causing the ability of specimen to resist deformation to improve. The mutual extrusion brings about the increase of failure strength rapidly and the reversal of peak strain and Poisson's ratio when gravel content is over 70%. The cohesion and internal friction angle show a parabolic tendency, based on which the strength prediction model of conglomerate considering gravel content was established with high precision. This work provides a kind of numerical method for studying the physical and mechanical characteristics of the strongly heterogeneous rock considering the components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Renal Activity Index for Lupus (RAIL) consists of urine protein assessment of neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule-1, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, adiponectin, hemopexin, and ceruloplasmin, which non-invasively identifies lupus nephritis (LN). We aimed to delineate RAIL scores with inactive versus active LN and changes over time with response to LN induction therapy. Methods: There were 128 pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and age-matched healthy controls recruited in a prospective case control study, with kidney biopsy confirmation of LN. Laboratory and clinical information was recorded and urine collected at diagnosis and end of induction and during maintenance therapy. Response to therapy was assessed by repeat kidney biopsy or laboratory parameters. Urine was assayed for RAIL biomarkers and the RAIL score calculated. Results: Pediatric RAIL (pRAIL) scores from 128 children and young adults with SLE (with/without LN: 70/38) including 25 during LN induction therapy, differentiated clinically active LN from inactive LN or without LN, and controls (all p < 0.0017). pRAIL scores significantly decreased with complete LN remission by 1.07 ± 1.7 (p = 0.03). Conclusions: The RAIL biomarkers differentiate LN patients based on activity of kidney disease, with decreases of ≥ 1 in pRAIL scores indicating complete response to induction therapy. Significantly lower RAIL scores in healthy controls and in SLE patients without known LN raise the possibility of subclinical kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop and investigate a deep learning model with data integration of ultrasound contrast-enhanced micro-flow (CEMF) cines, B-mode images, and patients' clinical parameters to improve the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis (≥ F2) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: Of 682 CHB patients who underwent ultrasound and histopathological examinations between October 2016 and May 2020, 218 subjects were included in this retrospective study. We devised a data integration-based deep learning (DIDL) model for assessing ≥ F2 in CHB patients. The model contained three convolutional neural network branches to automatically extract features from ultrasound CEMF cines, B-mode images, and clinical data. The extracted features were fused at the backend of the model for decision-making. The diagnostic performance was evaluated across fivefold cross-validation and compared against the other methods in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), with histopathological results as the reference standard. Results: The mean AUC achieved by the DIDL model was 0.901 [95% CI, 0.857–0.939], which was significantly higher than those of the comparative methods, including the models trained by using only CEMF cines (0.850 [0.794–0.893]), B-mode images (0.813 [0.754–0.862]), or clinical data (0.757 [0.694–0.812]), as well as the conventional TIC method (0.752 [0.689–0.808]), APRI (0.792 [0.734–0.845]), FIB-4 (0.776 [0.714–0.829]), and visual assessments of two radiologists (0.812 [0.754–0.862], and 0.800 [0.739–0.849]), all ps < 0.01, DeLong test. Conclusion: The DIDL model with data integration of ultrasound CEMF cines, B-mode images, and clinical parameters showed promising performance in diagnosing significant liver fibrosis for CHB patients. Key Points: • The combined use of ultrasound contrast-enhanced micro-flow cines, B-mode images, and clinical data in a deep learning model has potential to improve the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis. • The deep learning model with the fusion of features extracted from multimodality data outperformed the conventional methods including mono-modality data-based models, the time-intensity curve-based recognizer, fibrosis biomarkers, and visual assessments by experienced radiologists. • The interpretation of the feature attention maps in the deep learning model may help radiologists get better understanding of liver fibrosis-related features and hence potentially enhancing their diagnostic capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to conventional wind field measurement methods such as wind masts or wind towers, UAV-based measurement is a relatively new approach to making wind field measurements. In the present study, a method for measuring wind field by using a six-rotor UAV mounted with an ultrasonic anemometer was established, and the feasibility thereof in wind field measurement was tested. Firstly, the influence of the UAS fuselage attitude on the accuracy of wind measurement results was analysed by means of wind tunnel testing. The results show that the average wind speed obtained by the UAV anemometry system (UAS) was slightly larger, but the average wind speed obtained by the UAS was consistent with that obtained by the Cobra anemometer after the modification of the fuselage attitude coefficient. Secondly, the wind field measurement results obtained by the UAS and the wind tower were compared, and the revised wind speed, wind direction, turbulence intensity and other parameters obtained by the UAS were found to be consistent with those of the anemometers at the same height on the wind tower. The difference was within 5%, and the longitudinal fluctuating wind power spectra obtained by the two were almost the same, being in good agreement with the Von Karman spectrum. Finally, the UAS was used to measure the wind field characteristic parameters of a certain site, which were compared with the corresponding parameters of national regulations. The feasibility of the UAS in measuring the air wind field was verified. These research results provide a reference for further research into UAV wind measurement methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Robotic surgery for right-sided colon and rectal cancer has rapidly increased; however, there is limited evidence in the literature of advantages of robotic left colectomy (RLC) for left-sided colon cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of RLC versus laparoscopic left colectomy (LLC) with complete mesocolic excision (CME) for left-sided colon cancer. Methods: Patients who had RLC or LLC with CME for left-sided colon cancer at five hospitals in China between January 2014 and April 2022 were included. A one-to-one propensity score matched analysis was performed to decrease confounding. The primary outcome was postoperative complications occurring within 30 days of surgery. Secondary outcomes were disease-free survival, overall survival and the number of harvested lymph nodes. Results: A total of 292 patients (187 male; median age 61.0 [20.0–85.0] years) were eligible for this study, and propensity score matching yielded 102 patients in each group. The clinicopathological characteristics were well-matched between groups. The two groups did not differ in estimated blood loss, conversion to open rate, time to first flatus, reoperation rate, or postoperative length of hospital stay (p > 0.05). RLC was associated with a longer operation time (192.9 ± 53.2 vs. 168.9 ± 52.8 min, p = 0.001). The incidence of postoperative complications did not differ between the RLC and LLC groups (18.6% vs. 17.6%, p = 0.856). The total number of lymph nodes harvested in the RLC group was higher than that in the LLC group (15.7 ± 8.3 vs. 12.1 ± 5.9, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in 3-year and 5-year overall survival or 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival. Conclusion: Compared to laparoscopic surgery, RLC with CME for left-sided colon cancer was found to be associated with higher numbers of lymph nodes harvested and similar postoperative complications and long-term survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the urgency of developing high energy density cathode materials in power batteries, as well as the high price and environmental unfriendliness of cobalt, researchers are working on ultra-high nickel low cobalt and ultra-high nickel cobalt-free layered cathode materials. However, the poor cyclic stability and rate performance of this material resulted from structural instability and severe surface/interface side reactions during cycling seriously hinder its practical application. In this paper, LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 (NM90) cathode material is modified by La2O3 coating, and La3+ doping caused by thermal diffusion is achieved simultaneously. The synergistic enhancement of the two modifications can effectively improve the layered structure and reduce surface/interface side reactions. The dual-modified material shows good structural stability, the La2O3 coating does not fall off and the active material does not appear fragmentation and collapse after 100 cycles. At the same time, the dual-modified material also shows excellent electrochemical performance, with a capacity retention of 83.19% after 100 cycles at 1 C and a reversible capacity of 129.9 mAh g−1 at 10 C. The electrochemical mechanism reveals that the dual-modified material effectively reduces the charge transfer resistance and greatly increases the Li+ diffusion coefficient. It will provide useful reference and technical support for the research of other electrode materials. The NM90 and La2O3-coated NM90 particles have similar spherical morphology and are formed by the agglomeration of many primary particles; the surface of NM90 material is evenly coated by La2O3 and No obvious boundary between La2O3 and NM90 materials is found; LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 cathode material coated by 1wt% La2O3 has the best cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the degradation of norfloxacin (NOF) using Ag3PO4/AgCl composite photocatalysts prepared via the in situ ion exchange method. The photocatalytic performance of the Ag3PO4/AgCl composite photocatalysts with different Ag3PO4 to AgCl ratios was estimated by the decomposition of NOF. The results indicated that the Ag3PO4/AgCl composite photocatalysts demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability under visible light irradiation. This was attributed to the higher separation efficiency of photo-induced carriers in the composites, as indicated by photocurrent density and EIS measurements. Furthermore, the degradation process of NOF was investigated in detail through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, revealing its mineralization behavior and decomposition pathways. Overall, these findings shed light on the potential application of Ag3PO4/AgCl composite photocatalysts for the effective degradation of NOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag and Pb co-doped polycrystalline SnSe materials were prepared by melting, high-energy ball milling and hot pressing sintering successively, and then their thermoelectric properties were investigated systematically. The results show that the addition of Pb can effectively improve the conductivity. The room temperature carrier concentration of the Sn0.94Ag0.01Pb0.05Se sample reaches 2.9 × 1018 cm−3. Ag2Se phase was formed in the material. With the increase of Ag and Pb content, the SnSe polycrystalline grains grew significantly, resulting in the increase of thermal conductivity. The ZT value of the Sn0.98Ag0.01Pb0.01Se sample at 873 K is 1.4, which is lower than that of pure SnSe polycrystalline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Manganese (Mn) poisoning can happen in the case of environmental pollution and occupational exposure. However, the underlying mechanisms of Mn-induced teste toxicity and whether mitochondrion and heat shock proteins (HSPs) are involved in toxic effect of Mn on chicken testes remain poorly understood. To investigate this, MnCl2·4H2O was administered in the diet (600, 900, and 1800 mg/kg Mn) of chickens for 30, 60, and 90 days. Electron microscopy and qPCR were performed. Results showed that Mn exposure suppressed dose- and time-dependently HSP40 and HSP60 mRNA levels, meanwhile increased does-dependently HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90 mRNA levels at all three time points under three Mn exposure concentrations. Furthermore, Mn treatment damaged myoid cells, spermatocytes, and Sertoli cells through electron microscopic observation, indicating that Mn treatment damaged chicken testes. In addition, abnormal shapes of mitochondria were found, and mitochondria displayed extensive vacuolation. The increase of HSP90 and HSP70 induced by Mn exposure inhibited HSP40 and stimulated HSP27, respectively, in chicken testes, which needs further to be explored. Taken together, our study suggested that there was toxic effect in excess Mn on chickens, and HSPs and mitochondria were involved in the mechanism of dose-dependent injury caused by Mn in chicken testes. This study provided new insights for Mn toxicity identification in animal husbandry production practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing the recovery technology of rhenium under the background of high molybdenum is of great significance to the recovery of rhenium resources in the leaching solution of molybdenum concentrate roasting. Herein, the resin LSL-N with adsorption capacity for rhenium and molybdenum was synthesized with N-methylimidazole as the functional group. The results of the batch adsorption test show that LSL-N resin has a good adsorption capacity for Re(VII) and Mo(VI), and the saturated adsorption capacity is 342.26 mg/g and 185.06 mg/g. The existing form of molybdenum (MO42–) in the solution was calculated by PHREEQC. The shorter hydrogen bond distance of MO42–@2LSL-N indicates that LSL-N resin has a stronger adsorption capacity for Mo(VI) when the active sites are sufficient, which is revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. LSL-N resin can enrich Re(VII) and Mo(VI) in the eluent at the same time, with the maximum enrichment factors of 134.8 and 38.6. Re(VII) and Mo(VI) can be desorbed step by step with different desorbents, and molybdenum can be recovered as well as rhenium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]