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Freezing is a common method to maintain pork quality. However, prolonged frozen storage can cause oxidation reactions of metmyoglobin in pork, resulting in meat quality deterioration. Therefore, it is significant to detect frozen pork quality rapidly and non-destructively for public health and food safety. Metmyoglobin content is considered a critical indicator for evaluating the quality of frozen pork. In this paper, a rapid non-destructive method combining visible and near-infrared (VIS–NIR) spectroscopy technology with chemometrics was applied for the high accuracy ion of metmyoglobin content. First, VIS–NIR spectral data were collected on the pork samples with different freezing times. The raw spectral data were pre-processed using six methods: 1st derivative, 2nd derivative, Savitzky-Golay convolutional smoothing, vector normalization, standard normal variate, and multiple scattering corrections. Then, partial least squares (PLS) and random forest (RF) algorithms were applied to establish the prediction models of metmyoglobin content respectively, while the characteristic wavelengths were extracted by combining with the successive projections algorithm (SPA). The results showed significant effects on the prediction accuracy by using different modeling combinations. The MSC-RF-SPA model performed best in prediction, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.901 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0216, which confirmed the ability to evaluate metmyoglobin content in frozen pork with high accuracy. The results of this study indicated that Vis–NIR spectroscopy technology coupled with MSC-RF-SPA modeling is a promising method, which provided a new way to accurately detect metmyoglobin content in frozen pork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The characteristics of early-onset (onset age <50 years) and later-onset (onset age ≽ 50 years) cancers differ significantly. Identifying novel risk factors for both types of cancer is crucial for increasing awareness of cancer prevention and for reducing its burden. This study aimed to analyze the trends in incidence and risk factors for early-onset and late-onset cancers. We conducted a prospective study by drawing data from the Kailuan Study. This study included 6,741 participants with cancer (624 with early-onset cancer and 6,117 with later-onset cancer) and 6,780 matched controls among the 186,249 participants who underwent Kailuan health examinations from 2006 to 2019. The primary outcomes were cancer incidence rates, and associated risk factors for early- and later-onset cancer. Weighted Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals of each exposure factor for early- and later-onset cancer by cancer type. Population-attributable risk proportions were used to estimate the number of cases that could be prevented by eliminating a risk factor from the population. Except for liver cancer, incidence rates for nearly all types of cancer increased during the study period. Smoking, alcohol consumption, lipid metabolism disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, and inflammation were associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer at multiple sites, but risk factors for cancer incidence differed by site. Smoking, alcohol consumption, inflammation, and hypertension were the major contributors to preventable cancer. The incidence of several different types of cancer, including early-onset cancer, is increasing in northeastern China. Differences in risk factors between early-onset and later-onset malignancies may contribute to the divergence in the observed changes in incidence trends between these two specific types of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) have been widely adopted as optical materials because of their excellent luminescent properties. However, most of the reported synthetic methods are conducted in solvents, especially hydrothermal/solvothermal reactions, leading to intractable problems such as toxic and flammable solvents, complex and inseparable by-products, and dangerously high pressures and temperatures. Solid-phase synthesis of CDs in air is an effective solution to overcome the above issues, but solid reactions always result in uncontrolled growth and agglomeration of nanoparticles. In this study, some inorganic salts are selected as catalysts for synthesizing CDs in solid states and air, which also play as dispersants to hinder CDs aggregation. In the meantime, some aromatic derivatives containing hydroxyl and amino groups are chosen as carbon sources, ground with the optimized catalyst, and then heated together in air. The production yields are affected by the reaction time and reactant ratio, while the graphitization degrees of the CDs are determined by the reaction temperature. The IG/ID value of their Raman spectra increases from 0.59 to 0.85, and the particle size decreases from 2.5 to 1.4 nm when the synthesis temperature is increased from 200 to 280 °C. The as-prepared CDs show emission peaks ranging from 366 to 606 nm, with the photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield up to 53%. Their emission color variation mainly results from different carbon sources, which can be ascribed to the differences in the element composition, functional groups, and graphitic nitrogen content of these CDs. By dispersing CDs of different concentrations into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and combining them with blue LEDs, cold, standard, and warm white light emitting devices (WLEDs) are prepared, with a color rendering index (CRI) up to 84. Since the as-prepared CDs have antioxidant ability at high temperature, the as-prepared WLEDs have long lifespans, remaining the effective white luminescence after 72 h continuous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Insomnia Disorder (ID) are prevalent psychiatric conditions often occurring concurrently, leading to substantial impairment in daily functioning. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders and their comorbidity is crucial for developing effective interventions. This study aims to analyze changes in functional connectivity within attention networks and default mode networks in patients with depression and insomnia. Methods: The functional connectivity alterations in individuals with MDD, ID, comorbid MDD and insomnia (iMDD), and healthy controls (HC) were assessed from a cohort of 174 participants. They underwent rs-fMRI scans, demographic assessments, and scale evaluations for depression and sleep quality. Functional connectivity analysis was conducted using region-of-interest (ROI) and whole-brain methods. Results: The MDD and iMDD groups exhibited higher Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores compared to HC and ID groups (P < 0.001). Both ID and MDD groups displayed enhanced connectivity between the left and right orbital frontal cortex compared to HC (P < 0.05), while the iMDD group showed reduced connectivity compared to HC and ID groups (P < 0.05). In the left insula, reduced connectivity with the right medial superior frontal gyrus was observed across patient groups compared to HC (P < 0.05), with the iMDD group showing increased connectivity compared to MDD (P < 0.05). Moreover, alterations in functional connectivity between the left thalamus and left temporal pole were found in iMDD compared to HC and MDD (P < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed associations between abnormal connectivity and symptom severity in MDD and ID groups. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate distinct patterns of altered functional connectivity in individuals with MDD, ID, and iMDD compared to healthy controls. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and insomnia, which could be used as a reference for the diagnosis and treatments of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the first generation of macrocyclic hosts, crown ethers have excellent host-guest recognition characteristics and are widely used in molecular recognition, catalysis, drug delivery and other fields. Porous organic polymers (POPs) with adjustable porosity and stable network structure have become advanced materials for molecular storage, heterogeneous catalysis, water purification and energy storage. In recent years, crown ether-based porous organic polymers have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent performance, which combine supramolecular hosts with traditional polymer, and have created a new field for supramolecular chemistry and material science. In this review, we discusses the research status of crown ether-based porous organic polymers in structure and pollutant adsorption, including selective adsorption of metal ions in water and removal of organic pollutants, and prospected the promising applications and future development direction of crown ether-based porous organic polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to address vaccine coverage inequality. Despite calls from scientists and national organizations, progress in ensuring equitable access to vaccines has been slow. This study aims to reveal the COVID-19 vaccine coverage inequality and investigate the predictive effect of attitudes toward science and religion on real-word vaccination uptake. We draw on three high-quality, large-scale databases to unveil real-world vaccine coverage, which stood at an average of 53% of the population by mid-2022. The vaccination rate varies based on a country's income, with higher-income nations having higher vaccination rates and faster vaccination speed. Regression models and a multiverse analysis reveal that both country-level attitudes towards science and religion, as well as religious faith, are linked to vaccination rate at the country level. Countries where a higher proportion of the population prioritize religious beliefs over scientific evidence when the two come into conflict tend to have lower vaccination coverage rates and slower vaccination speeds. These findings suggest that scientists and policymakers must take into account social and cultural characteristics of populations when addressing vaccine inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the outcomes after acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain in a real-world settings, and analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Methods: Based on CHUNBO platform, patients with pharyngeal pain who were candidates for acupoint application on the basis of physician-evaluation, were enrolled in a nationwide, prospective, 69-week multicenter observational study from August 2020 to February 2022. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the confounding factors and the association rules were used to analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Outcome assessments included the disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain (within 3, 7, and 14 days), disappearance time of pharyngeal pain, as well as adverse events. Results: Of 7,699 enrolled participants, 6,693 (86.9%) received acupoint application and 1,450 (21.7%) with non-acupoint application. After PSM, there were 1,004 patients each in the application group (AG) and non-application group (NAG). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the AG at 3, 7, and 14 days were all higher than those in the NAG (P<0.05). The disappearance time of pharyngeal pain in the AG were shorter than that in the NAG (logrank P<0.001, hazard ratio=1.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.41–1.63). The median age of effective cases was 4 years, mainly 3–6 years old (40.21%). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the application group with tonsil diseases was 2.19 times higher than that in the NAG (P<0.05). The commonly used acupoints for the effective cases were Tiantu (RN 22), Shenque (RN 8) and Dazhui (DU 14). The commonly used herbs for the effective cases were Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae. Among them, Natrii sulfas was applied to RN 8 most frequently (support 84.39%). A total of 1,324 (17.2%) patients experienced AEs, and mainly occurred in the AG, with significant difference in the incidence of AEs between goups (P<0.05). All AEs reported were the first grade, and the average regression days of AEs was 2.8 days. Conclusions: Acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain resulted in improved effective rate and shortened duration, especially children aged 3–6 years old, and those with tonsil diseases. Acupoint of RN 22, RN 8 and DU 14, Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae were the most commonly used herbs in the treatment of pharyngeal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the surface flux transport model for the evolution of magnetic flux patterns on the Sun's surface. Our underlying motivation is to understand the model's prediction of the polar field (or axial dipole) strength at the end of the solar cycle. The main focus is on the "classical" model: namely, steady axisymmetric profiles for differential rotation and meridional flow, and uniform supergranular diffusion. Nevertheless, the review concentrates on recent advances, notably in understanding the roles of transport parameters and – in particular – the source term. We also discuss the physical justification for the surface flux transport model, along with efforts to incorporate radial diffusion, and conclude by summarizing the main directions where researchers have moved beyond the classical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spongy moth Lymantria dispar, formerly known as the gypsy moth, is a forest pest that occurs as two different biotypes: the European spongy moth (ESM), Lymantria dispar dispar, which is distributed in Europe and North America; and the Asian spongy moth (ASM), which consists of subspecies Lymantria dispar asiatica and Lymantria dispar japonica and is distributed in China, Russia, Korea, and Japan. The Asian biotype is classified as a quarantine pest by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of the superior flight ability of adult females compared to females of the European biotype. To identify genes that potentially account for differences in female flight capability between the two biotypes, we assembled and compared transcriptional profiles of two North American populations of ESM and two Chinese populations of ASM, including samples of unmated female adults and females after mating and oviposition. Of 129,286 unigenes identified, 306 were up-regulated in ASM samples relative to ESM, including genes involved in egg production. In contrast, 2309 unigenes were down-regulated in ASM samples, including genes involved in energy production. Although a previous study found that ASM female flight was reduced after oviposition, a comparison of gene expression before and after mating and oviposition did not reveal any genes which were consistently up- or down-regulated in the two ASM populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well known that the free ion concentration of metals plays a vital role in metal bioavailability. However, measurement of this fraction is still not easy over years of development. Nowadays, rare earth elements (REEs) are drawing more attentions as an emerging contaminant due to their wide applications in our daily life. To analyze the free ion concentration of neodymium (Nd), we adopted ion-exchange technique (IET) to investigate the changes on Nd free ion concentration in the presence of fulvic acid (FA). With the dynamic mode of IET analysis, the concentrations of Nd free ion were in the range of 0.85–36.8 × 10–8 M at the total Nd concentration of 5 × 10–7 M when FA varied from 0.4 to 10 M. However, these concentrations were 3–58 times higher than the one calculated by WHAM 7.0, which may be due to the particulate Nd spontaneously formed in solution. With single particle ICP-MS analysis, we found 0.25%–2.36% of Nd was in the form of colloids when the total Nd concentrations varied from 8.5 × 10–9 to 4.7 × 10–7 M, with the average particle sizes in the range of 26.5–39.2 nm. The presence of FA significantly decreased the number of Nd colloids, but increased the average particle size. Under the TEM, we found that Nd colloids were amorphous, with the size less than 200 nm. The present study provided a relatively new perspective on REE speciation in water. The natural organic matters not only affect the free ion concentration of Nd, but also influenced the size and numbers of Nd colloids in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a bacteriocin PA996 isolated from Pseudomonas azotoformans (P. azotoformans) was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate precipitation and SP-Sepharose column chromatography. P. azotoformans began to grow at 6 h, reached exponential phase at 12–18 h. Bacteriocin PA996 was produced at 18 h and reached a maximum level of 2400 AU/mL. The molecular mass of purified bacteriocin PA996 was estimated by SDS-PAGE and its molecular mass was approximately 50 kDa. By screening in vitro, the bacteriocin PA996 showed an antimicrobial activity against Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida). The bacteriocin PA996 showed antibacterial activity in the range of pH2–10 and it was heat labile. The inhibitory activities were diminished after treatment with proteinase K, trypsin and papain, respectively, while catalase treatment was ineffective. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and bactericidal kinetics curves showed that the bacteriocin PA996 had a good inhibitory ability against P. multocida. Our data indicate that bacteriocin PA996 could inhibit the growth of P. maltocida and it may have the potential to apply as an alternative therapeutic drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Functional divergence occurs widely among duplicated genes in plants. The divergence of functional genes may result from changes in gene regulation or protein-coding regions, or both. These changes contributing to the functional divergence of plants require further elucidation. Glutamine phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotransferase (ASE) is a key enzyme in de novo purine biosynthesis and plays important roles in plant growth and development. Results: In our research, three ASE genes were identified in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, and they were designated AtASE1, AtASE2 and AtASE3. Gene expression profiles revealed that the three genes exhibit very different expression, and gene regulation plays a pivotal role in the divergence of the ASE gene family. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that the three proteins were all localized in chloroplasts. Protein biochemical analysis revealed that the catalytic abilities of ASE proteins show differentiation, but further transgenic overexpression experiments proved that this was not the main reason for physiological functional divergence. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the functional divergence of the ASE gene family members might result from changes in their promoters, but not protein-coding region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parametric instability of homogeneous couplers with and without viscoelasticity has been the subject of many interests. Recently, an attention is given to the use of nonhomogeneous links to reduce the happening of dynamic instability of mechanisms. Therefore, the objective of this study is to perform qualitative analysis of beam-like members composed of periodically embedded arrays in transverse direction to diminish the possibility of occurrence of large amplitude vibration. By assuming that the member is an inhomogeneous continuum, the periodicity and matching conditions across the interfaces of arrays and layers are taken into account by the Fourier series. The embedded arrays have different geometric and material properties and carry linear viscoelastic Kelvin–Voigt model. The proposed model is evaluated by applying it as a coupler into a slider-crank mechanism to examine the influence produced by arrays to the primary and secondary parametric instability. Result shows that the stiffness ratio between arrays and basic layers has visible effect on narrowing the regions of dynamic instability. Meanwhile, even if the damping of basic layer is light, increasing the damping ratio of arrays increases the capability of the coupler to suppress resonant peaks of vibration. As the damping of basic layer is moderate, the combination of stiffness ratio and damping ratio produces significant influence on diminishing the occurrence of large amplitude vibration, even though the fundamental frequency of the coupler is close to the resonant frequency. It is concluded that the growth of small amplitude vibration into large motion regime caused by parametric resonance can be effectively attenuated if the material and geometric properties between arrays and basic layers of the coupler are properly arranged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PR-AMPs) have attracted much interest as they target Gram-negative and do not act by lytic mechanisms. In this study, a novel hybrid peptide OM19R was designed based on the Oncocin and MDAP-2. OM19R showed specific and improved potency against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella and Shigella standard strains compared to parental peptides. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged from 1 to 2 μM. However, the activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) was inhibited. The dependence of the SbmA protein for OM19R activity was also studied by a gene-knockout strain. The confocal laser scanning microscopy further revealed that OM19R could rapidly penetrate into E. coli cells without membrane damage. In summary, the hybrid peptide OM19R is a strong cell-selective antibacterial peptide and a promising specific antibacterial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further clarify the dewatering performance and torque evolution during the tailings thickening process, a self-made rake was connected to a rheometer to monitor the shear stress and torque. The dewatering performance of the total tailings was greatly improved to a solid mass fraction of 75.33% in 240 min. The dewatering process could be divided into three stages: the rapid torque growth period, damping torque growth period, and constant torque thickening zone. The machine restart was found to have a significant effect on the rake torque; it could result in rake blockage. Furthermore, the simultaneous evolution of the torque and solid mass fraction of thickened tailings was analyzed. A relationship between the torque and the solid mass fraction was established, which followed a power function. Both the experimental and theoretical results provide a reference for the deep cone thickener design and operation to enhance the dewatering performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) are well-known and highly valuable fish in the international ornamental fish community that have been plagued by Aeromonas veronii infections in recent years. Some A. veronii infections are serious enough to cause death. Lactobacillus plantarum, a probiotic, is one of the most environmentally friendly and safe alternatives to antibiotics for use as a feed additive for aquatic animals such as fish. The present study investigated the effects of L. plantarum C20015 on growth performance, immune responses, and eradication of A. veronii infection in koi carp. During a 6-week feeding experiment in an indoor aquarium and a 14-day A. veronii artificial infection experiment, a control diet group was fed with untreated feed twice a day, while experimental groups were given different concentrations of L. plantarum in their feed. The results indicated that the specific growth rate and percent weight gain of fish were significantly higher in the experimental groups than in the control diet group (P < 0.05). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and lysozyme (LZM) and the levels of IgM antibody were significantly higher in the L. plantarum–supplemented groups than in the control diet group, and the enzymatic activity in the 108 CFU/g C20015 group was higher than that in the 107 CFU/g C20015 and 109 CFU/g C20015 groups (P < 0.01). In contrast, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity in the experimental groups was the highest at 42 days. All fish in the control diet group died 7 days after A. veronii infection. After 14 days, the relative percent survival (%, RPS) of the fish in the L. plantarum–supplemented groups was significantly higher than that of the fish in the control group, and the 108 CFU/g C20015 group had the highest RPS. Therefore, we first reported that fish fed with 108 CFU/g of L. plantarum C20015 could promote food intake and growth for koi carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid the effect of photon defect on the imaging during X-ray generation, an imaging integral filter based on quantum enhancement was proposed in this paper to effectively reduce the sensitivity of X-ray detection system for quantum noise. Firstly, the coupling constraint at the end of the image intensifier was analyzed by discussing the X-ray imaging mechanism. The effects of quantum thermal noise and defects on spectrum transfer were studied from the micro perspective. Then the effectiveness of the new integral filter method was verified from the view of the integral effect of fundamental space frequency transfer characteristics in Fourier spectrum. Finally, the superiority and real-time performance of the quantum enhancement filter method were verified by the comparison filter testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolation and characterization of a bacteriocin from Brevibacillus laterosporus DS-3 and its ability in producing antibacterial activity were examined in this study. We isolated 48 bacterial strains from different native ecological niches. Sources included lake water, soil, air, and food. Among the isolates from the soil sample, morphological and biochemical tests identified Brev. laterosporus DS-3, which showed great potential for bacteriocin production. It was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, then applied in a Sephadex G-15 gel filtration column connected to a purification of AKTA Pure (USA) and reverse phase chromatography. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated that bacteriocin DS-3 has a low molecular weight of 1592.579 Da. LNTLETEEWFFK was identified as the sequence by mass spectrometry analysis in tandem liquid chromatography and MASCOT research. This bacteriocin inhibited Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and was effective against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Brev. laterosporus DS-3 present in here is thermostable and tolerant to extreme pH. However, inactivation of its antibacterial activity was observed when treated with papain and trypsin but not pepsin, proteinase K, and catalase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt (Co) is an essential component of several enzymes and coenzymes in living organisms. Excess Co is highly toxic to plants. The knowledge of molecular response mechanisms to cobalt stress in plants is still limited, especially in woody plants. The responses of weeping willow (Salix babylonica) seedlings to Co stress were studied using morphological and physiochemical measurements and RNA-seq analysis. The physiological and biochemical indexes such as growth rate, the content of chlorophyll and soluble sugar, photosynthesis and peroxidase activity were all changed in willow seedlings under Co stress. The metal ion concentrations in willow including Cu, Zn and Mg were disturbed due to excess Co. Of 2002 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 1165 were root-specific DEGs and 837 were stem and leaf-specific DEGs. Further analysis of DEGs showed there were multiple complex cascades in the response network at the transcriptome level under Co stress. Detailed elucidation of responses to oxidative stress, phytohormone signaling-related genes and transcription factors (TFs), and detoxification of excess cellular Co ion indicated the various defense mechanisms in plants respond to cobalt stress. Our findings provide new and comprehensive insights into the plant tolerance to excess Co stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study evaluated the antibacterial activity and mode of action of fibrauretine on Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus, and synergistic effect with kanamycin against multi-drug resistant E. coli. Results: The fibrauretine exhibited inhibitory effect on the growth of the tested bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of 2.5–5 and 5–10 mg/ml, respectively. Morphological changes of cell microstructure were observed after adding fibrauretine at MIC. The mode of action was further confirmed by measuring release of 260-nm absorbing materials and extracellular potassium ions. Checkerboard dilution test suggested that fibrauretine exhibited synergistic activity when combined with kanamycin (FICI ranging from 0.5625 to 0.625). Conclusions: Our results indicated that fibrauretine exerted synergistic effect with kanamycin and its antibacterial mode of action mainly attributed to disruption of cell membrane integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) is an important pathogen that causes bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in China and other countries. To investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of P. multocida isolated from different provinces in China, we analyzed antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types of P. multocida; then, we sequenced the complete genome of strain found to be multidrug-resistant. The isolates exhibited resistance to many antimicrobial agents, especially amikacin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfachloropyridazinesodium, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis showed that a clonal spread of multidrug-resistant isolates occurred in various provinces. All of the isolates carried class I integron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength of cement-based materials, such as mortar, concrete and cement paste backfill (CPB), depends on its microstructures (e.g. pore structure and arrangement of particles and skeleton). Numerous studies on the relationship between strength and pore structure (e.g., pore size and its distribution) were performed, but the micro-morphology characteristics have been rarely concerned. Texture describing the surface properties of the sample is a global feature, which is an effective way to quantify the micro-morphological properties. In statistical analysis, GLCM features and Tamura texture are the most representative methods for characterizing the texture features. The mechanical strength and section image of the backfill sample prepared from three different solid concentrations of paste were obtained by uniaxial compressive strength test and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The texture features of different SEM images were calculated based on image analysis technology, and then the correlation between these parameters and the strength was analyzed. It was proved that the method is effective in the quantitative analysis on the micro-morphology characteristics of CPB. There is a significant correlation between the texture features and the unconfined compressive strength, and the prediction of strength is feasible using texture parameters of the CPB microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of the most important bioceramic materials used in medical implants. The structure of HA coatings is closely related to their manufacturing process. In the present study, HA coatings were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V substrate by micro-plasma spraying. Results show that three distinct HA coatings could be obtained by changing the spraying power from 0.5 to 1.0 kW and spraying stand-off distance from 60 to 110 mm: (1) high crystallinity (93.3%) coatings with porous structure, (2) high crystallinity coatings (86%) with columnar structure, (3) higher amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP, 50%) coatings with dense structure. The in-flight particles melting state and splat topography was analyzed to better understand the formation mechanism of three distinct HA coatings. Results show that HA coatings sprayed at low spraying power and short stand-off distance exhibit high crystallinity and porosity is attributed to the presence of partially melted particles. High crystallinity HA coatings with (002) crystallographic texture could be deposited due to the complete melting of the in-flight particles and low cooling rate of the disk shape splats under higher spraying power and shorter SOD. However, splashed shape splats with relative high cooling can be provided by increasing SOD, which leads to the formation of ACP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Proper room and pillar sizes are both critical factors for safe mining and high ore recovery rate in shrinkage stoping mining of underground metal mines. The rock masses of Tangdan copper mine of China are fractured, which needs much reinforcement and support prior to mining. Cement-sodium silicate grout technology was selected, then its related parameters such as grout pressure, diffusion radius and time were calculated and proposed. In order to test the effect of the pressured grout in the fractured No.4 ore block, field experiments were conducted. To optimize stoping configuration, three-dimensional numerical simulation with ANSYS and FLAC 3D softwares was proposed. The results show that the drilling porosity and mechanical properties of the rock masses are increased obviously. After grout, ore recovery rate is increased by 10.2 % employing the newly designed stoping configuration compared with the previous. Last, analyzed from the surface movements, roof subsidence and the maximum principal stress of the pillars, the mining safety is probable of being ensured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), a member of the Pestivirus genus, is an important pathogen of cattle worldwide, causing reproductive disorders in adult cattle and mucosal disease in calves. However, limited information about BVDV infection in yaks ( Bos grunniens) in China is available, especially in white yaks which is a unique yak breed that only lives in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County (TTAC), Gansu Province, northwest China. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with BVDV infection in 1584 yaks in Gansu province, northwest China, between April 2013 and March 2014 using an indirect ELISA test. The overall seroprevalence of BVDV in yaks was 37.56 % (595/1584), with 45.08 % (275/610) in black yaks and 32.85 % (320/974) in white yaks. Moreover, positive yaks were found in all four regions, varied from 33.22 to 40.31 %. Male yaks had a similar seroprevalence (37.84 %) with that of the female yaks (37.11 %). Season, species and geographical origins of yaks were considered as risk factors analyzed by logistic regression model. To our knowledge, this is the first report of seroprevalence and risk factors associated with BVDV infection in white yaks in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we investigated nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (N-DAMO) as a potential methane sink in the Hangzhou Bay and the adjacent Zhoushan sea area. The potential activity of the N-DAMO process was primarily observed in Hangzhou Bay by means of C-labeling experiments, whereas very low or no potential N-DAMO activity could be detected in the Zhoushan sea area. The measured potential N-DAMO rates ranged from 0.2 to 1.3 nmol CO g (dry sediment) day, and the N-DAMO potentially contributed 2.0-9.4 % to the total microbial methane oxidation in the examined sediments. This indicated that the N-DAMO process may be an alternative pathway in the coastal methane cycle. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the presence of Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like bacteria in all the examined sediments, while the group A members (the dominant bacteria responsible for N-DAMO) were found mainly in Hangzhou Bay. Quantitative PCR showed that the 16S rRNA gene abundance of Candidatus M. oxyfera-like bacteria varied from 5.4 × 10 to 5.0 × 10 copies g (dry sediment), with a higher abundance observed in Hangzhou Bay. In addition, the overlying water NO concentration and salinity were identified as the most important factors influencing the abundance and potential activity of Candidatus M. oxyfera-like bacteria in the examined sediments. This study showed the evidence of N-DAMO in coastal environments and indicated the importance of N-DAMO as a potential methane sink in coastal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of slow leaching speed of copper, surfactant was added into lixivium as leaching agent in the experiment. Based on physical chemistry and seepage flow mechanics, the leaching mechanics of surfactant was analyzed. The solution surface tension and surfactant adsorbing on the surface of ore have a significant impact on the surface wetting effect. With leaching rate for response, the study screened out three main factors by Plackett-Burman design method: the sulfuric acid concentration, surfactant concentration and temperature. Among these three factors, the surfactant concentration is the most important contributor to leaching rate. After obtaining the experiment center by the steepest ascent experiment, a continuous variable surface model was built by response surface methodology. By solving quadratic polynomial equation, optimal conditions for leaching were finally obtained as follows: the sulfuric acid concentration was 60 g/L, the surfactant concentration was 0.00914 mol/L, and the temperature was 45 °C. The leaching rate was 66.81% in the optimized leaching conditions, which was close to the predicted value, showing that regression result was good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the interaction dynamics of a vehicle traveling on a simply supported beam. A simple quarter-car planar model of the vehicle is taken into account. The system of the quarter-car model is treated as a moving mass with a massless harmonic force rolling on a simply supported beam. The objective of this paper is to present analytical and numerical methodologies to evaluate the vehicle-beam coupling effects when the vehicle moves under variable speed condition. Due to the presence of friction and convective acceleration, the vehicle can be accelerated by a forward force. Meanwhile, the vehicle is capable of reducing speed by applying a retard force to the vehicle and/or increasing the friction between the vehicle and beam. This results in variable velocity, acceleration, and deceleration, as well as unknown location of the vehicle along the beam. Result shows that as the spring stiffness of the suspension is close to the resonant value, strong commensurability between the oscillating frequency of the vehicle and the vibrant frequency of beam occurs when the instantaneous speed of the vehicle becomes a small quantity. In other words, a commensurable condition between the vehicle and beam is weakened when the vehicle is accelerated by a positive driving force; it becomes strong if the vehicle is decelerated by a negative reverse force and friction. If the vehicle reduces its traveling speed sharply, large amplitude and high oscillating frequency of the vehicle were generated. This significantly reduces the riding comfort for passengers in the vehicle. The applied force and coefficient of friction can be treated as tuning parameters to determine the resonant region of the interaction dynamics of a vehicle-beam system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room and pillar sizes are key factors for safe mining and ore recovery in open-stope mining. To investigate the influence of room and pillar configurations on stope stability in highly fractured and weakened areas, an orthogonal design with two factors, three levels and nine runs was proposed, followed by three-dimensional numerical simulation using ANSYS and FLAC. Results show that surface settlement after excavation is concentrically ringed, and increases with the decrease of pillar width and distances to stope gobs. In the meantime, the ore-control fault at the ore-rock boundary and the fractured argillaceous dolomite with intercalated slate at the hanging wall deteriorate the roof settlement. Additionally, stope stability is challenged due to pillar rheological yield and stress concentration, and both are induced by redistribution of stress and plastic zones after mining. Following an objective function and a constraint function, room and pillar configuration with widths of 14 m and 16 m, respectively, is presented as the optimization for improving the ore recovery rate while maintaining a safe working environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to have a good understanding of the behavior of wet shotcrete as a support element interacting with the rock mass, mechanism of wet shotcrete interacting with rock in support systems was analyzed through theoretical, numerical study and analytical analysis. A new model of distribution of rock stress state after wet shotcrete was applied, which includes shotcrete layer, composite layer, strengthening layer, plastic layer and elastic layer, and a full illustration of the rock mass stress state was given after shotcrete interacting with rock mass. At the same time, numerical analysis with FLAC gives a stress distribution along the monitor line, respectively, at the sidewall and roof of the tunnel. The displacement obviously decreases with the depth of rock, the tangential stress for tunnel supported by shotcrete is lower than that without shotcrete, and radial stress for tunnel supported by shotcrete is higher than that without shotcrete. It has been demonstrated by AIRY'S stress function, which gives a reasonable solution. Finally, the application of wet shotcrete in Jinfeng Gold Mine shows that the displacement of tunnel decreases obviously in sidewall and roof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles economically, industrial-grade zinc sulfate and urea were utilized to synthesize ZnO precursors in a stirred-tank reactor or a Teflon-lined autoclave at 100-180 °C under complete sealing condition. The ZnO precursors were calcined at 450 °C for 3 h to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles. The composition of the precursors and the formation mechanism of ZnO were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the ZnO powders demonstrate that high-purity zincite ZnO nanoparticles are synthesized. Orthogonal experiments were performed to find out the optimal conditions for the maximum yield and the minimum size. The effect of temperature on the size of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated. The results show that a higher temperature is propitious to obtain smaller nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the momentum and mass conservation equations, a comprehensive model of heap bioleaching process is developed to investigate the interaction between chemical reactions, solution flow, gas flow, and solute transport within the leaching system. The governing equations are solved numerically using the COMSOL Multiphysics software for the coupled reactive flow and solute transport at micro-scale, meso-scale and macro-scale levels. At or near the surface of ore particle, the acid concentration is relatively higher than that in the central area, while the concentration gradient decreases after 72 d of leaching. The flow simulation between ore particles by combining X-ray CT technology shows that the highest velocity in narrow pore reaches 0.375 m/s. The air velocity within the dump shows that the velocity near the top and side surface is relatively high, which leads to the high oxygen concentration in that area. The coupled heat transfer and liquid flow process shows that the solution can act as an effective remover from the heap, dropping the highest temperature from 60 to 38 °C. The reagent transfer coupled with solution flow is also analyzed. The results obtained allow us to obtain a better understanding of the fundamental physical phenomenon of the bioleaching process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SM54111 [cis-3, 5-diisopropylsalylic cyclohexanodiaminoplatinum (II), Saliplatin] is a novel platinum compound with encouraging anticancer effect. In order to get more useful information in multiple species for the security evaluation, dosage design, and drug delivery design, its pharmacokinetic behaviors in rats after intravenous administration were investigated in this study. Based on its pharmacokinetics in plasma, the distribution of SM54111 in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, adipose, testicle, or ovaries of rats sampled at 0.5 h, 1 h, and 3 h after intravenous administration were determined utilizing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Its amounts in urine and feces were determined at 8 sampling times till 96 h as well. It was proved that SM54111 fitted open two-compartment model in rats, with wide distribution in tissues and slow excretion. Its reasonable pharmacokinetic properties in rats make this novel platinum compound worthy of further research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new adaptive equalization scheme aiming at the intersymbol and interuser interferences in the multiuser ultra-wide band (UWB) channels is presented specially for direct-sequence UWB/time-hopping UWB (DS-UWB/TH-UWB) receivers. Its computational complexity and convergence rate are compared with the conventional algorithms. The simulation results show that the computational complexity of this scheme is less than employing the RLS method alone and the convergence rate of this scheme is farther off employing LMS method alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is the study of the dynamics of damped cable systems, which are suspended in space, and their resonance characteristics. Of interest is the study of the nonlinear behavior of large amplitude forced vibrations in three dimensions. As a first-order nonlinear problem the forced oscillations of a system having three-degrees-of-freedom with quadratic nonlinearities is developed in order to consider the resonance characteristics of the cable and the possibility of dynamic instability. The cables are acted upon by their own weight in the perpendicular direction and a steady horizontal wind. The vibrations take place about the static position of the cables as determined by the nonlinear equilibrium equations. Preliminary to the nonlinear analysis the linear mode shapes and frequencies are determined. These mode shapes are used as coordinate functions to form weak solutions of the nonlinear autonomous partial differential equations. In order to investigate the behavior of the cable motion in detail, the linear and the nonlinear analyses are discussed separately. The first part of this paper deals with the solution to the self adjoint boundary-value problem for small-amplitude vibrations and the determination of mode shapes and natural frequencies. The second problem dealt with in this paper is the determination of the phenomena produced by the primary resonance of the system. The method of multiple time scales is used to develop solutions for the resulting multi-dimensional dynamical system with quadratic nonlinearity. Numerical results for the steady state response amplitude, and their variation with external excitation and external detuning for various values of internal detuning parameters are obtained. Saturation and jump phenomena are also observed. The jump phenomenon occurs when there are multi-valued solutions and there exists a variation of kinetic energy among solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model for the chromospheric-coronal transition layer and lower corona has been constructed for the south polar region. EUV observations acquired by the Harvard OSO-4 experiment in the fall of 1967 were used in the analysis. The observations can be explained with a simple model consisting of two types of regions. One region has a temperature-density structure similar to that in models developed for typical equatorial quiet areas. The other region has a corona in which the temperature and density are a factor of about 2 lower and the chromospheric-coronal temperature gradient is less steep by a factor of 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial enteritis is the most important disease in lamb for breeding greatly affects the growth of animals. Changes in the community of intestinal flora can cause the disorder of the colonic environment induced diarrhea. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the incidence of bacterial enteritis and the number of intestinal microbiome, then the prevalence of drug-resistant genes was detected. Fecal samples were collected at five fattening sheep farms with different incidence of bacterial enteritis, pathogenic bacteria were isolated and identified, drug sensitivity tests were performed. Then, changes in number and structure of intestinal flora were compared by 16S rDNA V3-V4 region high-throughput sequencing, and the ARGs were detected using high-throughput real-time PCR. Our results revealed that the microbial communities were positively correlated with the incidence of bacterial enteritis in different farms. Bacterial communities were higher in YJ (with highest incidence of diarrhea) than any other farms. However, the ARGs seemed not to be more affected by the incidence of bacterial enteritis, but one of the significant findings to emerge from this study is that MCR-1 and NDM are detected in manure. This study has provided an insight of the changes occurring in intestinal flora and AGRs in fattening sheep farms with diverse incidence of bacterial enteritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]