Search

To evaluate the potential ecotoxicity of ethiprole and early warning to earthworms (Eisenia fetida), different concentrations (0 mg·kg−1, 416 mg·kg−1, 625 mg·kg−1, and 1000 mg·kg−1) of ethiprole were added to artificial soil. The key bioindicators were measured and screened at 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 28 days. The results show that the activity of catalase (CAT) was inhibited for all treatments during the whole exposure period. Besides, the olive tail moment (OTM) value increased gradually as the concentration got higher, which exhibited a dose-time-dependent relationship. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene reached the maximum on the 7th day. Mitochondrial large ribosomal RNA (l-rRNA) subunit gene was always in a downregulated state as the concentration increased. Our results show that different concentrations of ethiprole induced certain oxidative stress, DNA damage, and genotoxicity in earthworms. The CAT activity, OTM, and SOD gene could be the most sensitive biomarkers to monitor the toxicity of ethiprole in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient ternary organic solar cells were achieved by utilizing an ultra-narrow bandgap material, IEICO-4 F, mixed with the fullerene material PC71BM as the acceptor and PTB7-Th polymer as the donor. The different weights of IEICO-4 F were dropped into the active layer to adjust the ratio of acceptor and donor, optimizing the performance of the cells. The results showed the ternary organic solar cells with 10wt% IEICO-4 F could obtain a higher short-circuit current density resulting in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 9.56%. MoO3/Ag/MoO3 as the transparent electrodes of the semitransparent organic solar cell (ST-OSCs) were prepared. The different thicknesses of Ag impacts on the performance of the ST-OSCs were investigated. The PCE of the ternary ST-OSCs was increased to 7.34% and the average visible light transmittance (AVT) was increased to 28.74% when Ag was 10 nm thickness. The ternary ST-OSCs presented both a good light transmittance and a high PCE. In addition, the light utilization efficiency of the ST-OSCs was increased to 2.1%, and the color reproduction index was improved too. The PCE and AVT of the ST-OSCs could improve simultaneously due to the appropriate ratio of the acceptor and donor as well as the optimized transparent electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs bibliometric analysis through CiteSpace to comprehensively evaluate the status and trends of MANF (mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor) research spanning 25 years (1997–2022). It aims to fill the gap in objective and comprehensive reviews of MANF research. MANF-related studies were extracted from the Web of Science database. MANF publications were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed for various factors by CiteSpace, including publication volume, journals, countries/regions, institutions, and authors. Keywords and references were visually analyzed to unveil research evolution and hotspot. Analysis of 353 MANF-related articles revealed escalating annual publications, indicating growing recognition of MANF's importance. High-impact journals such as the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Journal of Biological Chemistry underscored MANF's interdisciplinary significance. Collaborative networks highlighted China and the USA's pivotal roles, while influential figures and partnerships drove understanding of MANF's mechanisms. Co-word analysis of MANF-related keywords exposed key evolutionary hotspots, encompassing neurotrophic effects, cytoprotective roles, MANF-related diseases, and the CDNF/MANF family. This progression from basic understanding to clinical potential showcased MANF's versatility from cellular protection to therapy. Bibliometric analysis reveals MANF's diverse research trends and pathways, from basics to clinical applications, driving medical progress. This comprehensive assessment enriches understanding and empowers researchers for dynamic evolution, advancing innovation, and benefiting patients. Bibliometric analysis of MANF research. The graphical abstract depicts the bibliometric analysis of MANF research, highlighting its aims, methods, and key results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a prevalent, intricate, and intractable form of neuropathic pain. The available evidence indicates that alterations in the gut microbiota are significant environmental determinants in the development of chronic neuropathic pain. Nevertheless, the correlation between the gut microbiota and PHN remains elusive. A cross-sectional study was performed on a cohort of 27 patients diagnosed with PHN and 27 matched healthy controls. Fecal samples were collected and subjected to microbiota analysis using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Comparable levels of bacterial richness and diversity were observed in the gut microbiota of PHN patients and healthy controls. A significant difference was observed in 37 genera between the two groups. Furthermore, the LEfSe method revealed that the abundance levels of Escherichia-Shigella, Streptococcus, Ligilactobacillus, and Clostridia_UCG-014_unclassified were elevated in PHN patients, while Eubacterium_hallii_group, Butyricicoccus, Tyzzerella, Dorea, Parasutterella, Romboutsia, Megamonas, and Agathobacter genera were reduced in comparison to healthy controls. Significantly, the discriminant model utilizing the predominant microbiota exhibited efficacy in distinguishing PHN patients from healthy controls, with an area under the curve value of 0.824. Moreover, Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated noteworthy correlations between various gut microbiota and clinical symptoms, including disease course, anxiety state, sleep quality, heat pain, pain intensity, and itching intensity. Gut microbiota dysbiosis exists in PHN patients, microbiome differences could be used to distinguish PHN patients from normal healthy individuals with high sensitivity and specificity, and altered gut microbiota are related to clinical manifestations, suggesting potentially novel prevention and therapeutic directions of PHN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machining time and energy consumption are common process planning evaluation metrics. However, it is difficult to obtain accurate machining time and energy consumption values in the process planning stage, which may result in non-optimal obtaining process routes. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a flexible process planning method based on processing time and energy consumption prediction models. The historical processing data is analyzed, and a prediction model of machining time and energy consumption based on a radial basis function neural network is proposed. Considering the flexibility of multiple processes, a mathematical model of the flexible process planning problem based on the machining time and energy consumption prediction model is established. A multi-objective algorithm using a multidimensional real number coding method is proposed for problem-solving with the completion time and energy consumption minimization as the optimization objective. Two algorithms with better multi-objective optimization performance, the strength Pareto evolution algorithm 2, and the dominance ranking genetic algorithm II are selected for comparative analysis to obtain a better effect of optimization. The better algorithm is selected with the best parameters. Finally, case studies are conducted to verify the validity of the prediction model and the flexible process planning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophilic polymer coatings on artificial implants generate excellent tribological properties. The friction properties of polymer coatings are affected by salt ion factors. Herein, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to show that the superlubricity was achieved between poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA)-modified Ti6Al4V and polystyrene (PS) microsphere probe lubricated with monovalent salt solutions (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and CsCl). Considering that adhesion is an important cause of friction changes, the AFM was further utilized to obtain adhesion between friction pairs in different salt solutions. The results indicated that the larger the cation radius in the lubricant, the smaller the adhesion, and the lower the friction coefficient of the PVPA coating. The electrostatic interaction between the PVPA and one-valence cations in lubricants was analyzed by the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as it was found to be the main influencing factor of the adhesion. Combined analysis results of friction and adhesion indicated that by adjusting the size of cation radius in lubricant, the adhesion between the tribo-pairs can be changed, and eventually the magnitude of friction can be affected. This study opens up a new avenue for analyzing the friction characteristics of hydrophilic polymer coatings from the perspective of intermolecular forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A semitransparent organic solar cells (STOSCs) based on the PTB7-TH:PC71BM blended were obtained. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) and an average visible light transmission rate achieved 5.06% and 47.95%, respectively. For sufficiently absorption of the sunlight, the multi-terminal tandem solar cells (TSCs) were constructed. Three different structures of TSCs are constructed to adequately absorb the sunlight. One of them is the superposition of five same STOSCs, the PCE of TSCs obtains 10.83%. One is STOSCs as the top cell and the normal organic solar cells as the bottom cell; the PCE of TSCs obtains 9.90%. And the other one is STOSCs as the top cell and inorganic Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 as the bottom cell; the PCE of TSCs obtains 11.29%, and the absorption wavelength range extends to 1200 nm with the antireflection film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing studies have reported temperature modification effects on air pollutants–induced respiratory diseases. In the current study, daily data of respiratory emergency room visits (ERVs), meteorological factors, and concentrations of air pollutants were collected from 2013 to 2016 in Lanzhou, a northwest city in China. Daily average temperature was stratified into low (≤ 25 percentile, P25), medium (25–75 percentile, P25–P75) and high (≥ 75 percentile, P75) to explore how temperature modifies the effects of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2) on respiratory ERVs by using generalized additive Poisson regression model (GAM). Seasonal modification was also investigated. Results showed that (a) PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 had the strongest effects on respiratory ERVs in low temperature; (b) males and 15-and-younger were more vulnerable in low temperature while females and those older than 46 years were highly affected in high temperature; (c) PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 were mostly associated with the total and both males and females in winter, while SO2 resulted in the highest risk for the total and males in autumn and females in spring. In conclusion, this study found significant temperature modification effects and seasonal differences on the risks of respiratory ERVs due to air pollutants in Lanzhou, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tandem organic solar cell could absorb the complementarity sunlight spectra by the sub-cells based on the different energy gap of the active-layer materials. In this work, a wide-band gap of the organic material PTB7-Th: PC71BM is used as the front sub-cells active layer, and the narrow-band gap of PTB7-Th: IEICO-4F is used as the rear sub-cells active layer. The front and rear sub-cells present the complementary absorption spectra leading to the sufficiently improvement of the sunlight absorption. MoO3/Au/ZnO multilayer film is the interconnecting layer. ZnO film was prepared by the sputtering method is smaller root-mean-square than that of the film prepared by the solution synthesis, resulting in a good contact interfacial between the sub-cells. This is in favor of the JSC and FF of the tandem organic solar cell. Importantly, the short-circuit current density of the tandem solar cell is handily controlled by the active-layer concentration of the front sub-cell, the tandem cell exhibits an optimal PCE of 11.77% with a large VOC of 1.45 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 0.9Mg2SiO4-0.1CaTiO3 (MSCT) ceramics with 60ZnO-20B2O3-20SiO2 glass (ZBS) and LiF compound additives were prepared by solid-state reaction method. The effects of different ZBS contents on the phase, densification temperature, surface morphology and dielectric properties of MSCT ceramics were studied. The results show that ZBS can inhibit the reaction between LiF and CaTiO3, which improve the surface morphology and reduce the sintering temperature of MSCT ceramics. The sample of MSCT with 2wt%ZBS-1.5wt%LiF sintered at 900 °C for 90 min shows excellent microwave dielectric properties: εr = 9.26, Q × f = 68,580 GHz (at 15.5 GHz) and τf = -1.49 ppm/ °C. There is no obvious element diffusion at the co-firing interface between dielectrics and Ag electrodes, indicating it is a promising candidate for LTCC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely recognized that there are influences of static friction characteristics in a bolted joint on pre-tightening and service reliability. This study proposed a static friction coefficient model of joint surfaces based on the modified three-dimensional fractal model. A method of measuring the static friction coefficient of joint surfaces was investigated to verify the accuracy of model. The results showed that calculated value of the model and measured value of experiment are highly matched. Furthermore, the influential mechanisms of material, pressure, and surface topography were investigated. The relative error between experimental results and model calculations are all less than 15%. This research provides a theoretical basis for subsequent research on the friction characteristics of joint surfaces and connection reliability of bolted joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing applications of the planetary roller screw mechanism (PRSM) in mechanical systems particularly machine tools, a comprehensive mathematical model is required to define the kinematic characteristics and relations of the PRSM, such that its performances can be predicted for reliability analysis and design of machine tools. In this paper, the influences of machining and assembly errors on the motion characteristics of the PRSM are analyzed, and the kinematic model of the PRSM is established considering runout errors and elastic deformation. The planetary roller screw mechanism can be considered as a spring-mass system for analysis of the elastic deformation of the ball screw's thread under inertial force. For the spring-mass system, adjacency matrix is introduced to define the relationships between the elastic displacements of the joints and the deformations of the elements. Then, by considering the balance of force and the coordination of deformation, the nonlinear motion model of the double-nut roller screw is established. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by comparing the analytical results with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the reliability optimization design field of CNC machine tools, reliability allocation plays a significant part, which has the characteristics of high complexity and strong uncertainty. Traditionally, reliability allocation methods have the disadvantages of a single allocation influence factor, too subjective or too objective, not flexible enough, etc. To solve the related problems, a novel reliability allocation method for machine tools is proposed, which combines subjective and objective weightings, and a variety of influencing factors are considered comprehensively. To deal with the characteristic of uncertainty and fuzziness in machine tool reliability analysis, different intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (ITrFNs) are allocated according to the importance of influencing factors. As the subjective method, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) can reflect the decision maker's subjective preferences of machine tool influence factors, while the grey relational method (GRA) can analyze the relationship between data which is adopted as an objective weighting method. The reliability of each subsystem is obtained by combining the two methods. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is proved by an illustration analyzing and comparing it with the traditional AHP method and fuzzy allocation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the state of machining service, to evaluate the machining accuracy reliability of multi-axis CNC machine tools, analyze the accuracy failure mode and the reliability sensitivity under the failure mode, this paper proposes a research method by the cross-correlation studies of geometric error parameters to improve and promote the accuracy reliability of CNC machine tools. Firstly, by multi-body system theory, the homogeneous coordinate transformation matrix between each body of the machine tool is established, and the spatial machining accuracy model is constructed. At the same time, considering the time series problem in the measurement process of geometric error parameters, this paper studies the correlation between the error parameters for reliability analysis and proposes a novel reliability analysis index for each measurement point in the machine tool workspace. To validation of the method, the analysis results of this paper are compared with those by Monte Carlo simulation. In addition, the accuracy failure conditions of the machine tool are studied, the failure state function of machine tool accuracy is established, and the accuracy failure modes that may occur are analyzed from this, to carry out the accuracy failure sensitivity analysis under the failure mode, and to identify key geometric errors which have a great impact on the machining accuracy reliability of machine tool in the failure mode. Finally, taking a 3-axis machine tool as an example, according to the analysis results, this paper puts forward measures to improve the accuracy reliability and verifies the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of temperature variation on health has attracted increasing attention under global climate change. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was performed to estimate the risk of two indicators of temperature change (diurnal temperature range (DTR) and temperature change between neighboring days (TCN)) on respiratory hospital visits in Lanzhou, a semi-arid climate city in western China from 2012 to 2018. The whole year is divided into two different temperature change periods according to the TCN of each solar term. The results showed that extreme high DTR can apparently enlarge respiratory risk, and it indicated strong cumulative relative risk (RR) in the temperature drop period. Extreme low TCN had strong adverse effects on respiratory diseases especially in temperature rise period, with the greatest RR of 1.068 (95% CI 1.004, 1.136). The effect of extreme high TCN was more obvious in temperature drop period, with a RR of 1.082 (95% CI 1.021, 1.148) at lag 7. Females were more affected by extreme temperature changes. Young people were more vulnerable to DTR, while TCN has a greater impact on the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ink transfer is achieved by the squeezing and rotation of two rollers, one of which is a roller coated with a viscoelastic rubber layer. In this study, the force caused by ink hydrodynamic pressure on the rubber roller during the rotation is considered, the viscoelasticity of ink and rubber is equivalently substituted by spring-damping unit, and a rolling squeezing theoretical model of two rollers is established to study the node deformation of the rubber roller. The validity of the theoretical model is verified by experiments. Results show that the deformation of the rubber roller is greatly affected by the roller rotational speed, rubber layer thickness, and nip width. The rotational speed and nip width have a significant influence on the stiffness-damping of the ink layer and the ink force, and the rubber layer thickness has a remarkable effect on the squeezing deformation between the rollers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the value of the pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI to assess the prognostic factors in rectal adenocarcinoma (RA).This prospective study ran from January 2022 to September 2023 and consecutively enrolled participants with RA who underwent pre-operative MRI and radical surgery. The APTw signal intensity (SI) values of RA with various tumor (T), node (N) stages, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor grade were compared by Mann–Whitney U-test or t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the APTw SI values.A total of 51 participants were enrolled (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation], 26 men). There were 24 in the T1–T2 stage and 9 with positive PNI. The APTw SI max, 99th, and 95th values were significantly higher in T3–T4 stage tumor than in T1-T2; the median (interquartile range) (M (IQR)) was (4.0% (3.6–4.9%) vs 3.4% (2.9– 4.3%), p = 0.017), (3.7% (3.2–4.1%) vs 3.2% (2.8–3.8%), p = 0.013), and (3.3% (2.8–3.8%) vs 2.9% (2.3–3.5%), p = 0.033), respectively. These indicators also differed significantly between the PNI groups, with the M (IQR) (4.5% (3.6–5.7%) vs 3.7% (3.2–4.2%), p = 0.017), (4.1% (3.4–4.8%) vs 3.3% (3.0–3.9%), p = 0.022), and (3.7% (2.7–4.2%) vs 2.9% (2.6–3.5%), p = 0.045), respectively.Pre-operative APTw MRI has potential value in the assessment of T-staging and PNI determination in RA.Pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted MRI provides a quantitative method for noninvasive assessment of T-staging and PNI in RA aiding in precision treatment planning.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.Methods: To investigate the value of the pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI to assess the prognostic factors in rectal adenocarcinoma (RA).This prospective study ran from January 2022 to September 2023 and consecutively enrolled participants with RA who underwent pre-operative MRI and radical surgery. The APTw signal intensity (SI) values of RA with various tumor (T), node (N) stages, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor grade were compared by Mann–Whitney U-test or t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the APTw SI values.A total of 51 participants were enrolled (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation], 26 men). There were 24 in the T1–T2 stage and 9 with positive PNI. The APTw SI max, 99th, and 95th values were significantly higher in T3–T4 stage tumor than in T1-T2; the median (interquartile range) (M (IQR)) was (4.0% (3.6–4.9%) vs 3.4% (2.9– 4.3%), p = 0.017), (3.7% (3.2–4.1%) vs 3.2% (2.8–3.8%), p = 0.013), and (3.3% (2.8–3.8%) vs 2.9% (2.3–3.5%), p = 0.033), respectively. These indicators also differed significantly between the PNI groups, with the M (IQR) (4.5% (3.6–5.7%) vs 3.7% (3.2–4.2%), p = 0.017), (4.1% (3.4–4.8%) vs 3.3% (3.0–3.9%), p = 0.022), and (3.7% (2.7–4.2%) vs 2.9% (2.6–3.5%), p = 0.045), respectively.Pre-operative APTw MRI has potential value in the assessment of T-staging and PNI determination in RA.Pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted MRI provides a quantitative method for noninvasive assessment of T-staging and PNI in RA aiding in precision treatment planning.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.Results: To investigate the value of the pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI to assess the prognostic factors in rectal adenocarcinoma (RA).This prospective study ran from January 2022 to September 2023 and consecutively enrolled participants with RA who underwent pre-operative MRI and radical surgery. The APTw signal intensity (SI) values of RA with various tumor (T), node (N) stages, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor grade were compared by Mann–Whitney U-test or t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the APTw SI values.A total of 51 participants were enrolled (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation], 26 men). There were 24 in the T1–T2 stage and 9 with positive PNI. The APTw SI max, 99th, and 95th values were significantly higher in T3–T4 stage tumor than in T1-T2; the median (interquartile range) (M (IQR)) was (4.0% (3.6–4.9%) vs 3.4% (2.9– 4.3%), p = 0.017), (3.7% (3.2–4.1%) vs 3.2% (2.8–3.8%), p = 0.013), and (3.3% (2.8–3.8%) vs 2.9% (2.3–3.5%), p = 0.033), respectively. These indicators also differed significantly between the PNI groups, with the M (IQR) (4.5% (3.6–5.7%) vs 3.7% (3.2–4.2%), p = 0.017), (4.1% (3.4–4.8%) vs 3.3% (3.0–3.9%), p = 0.022), and (3.7% (2.7–4.2%) vs 2.9% (2.6–3.5%), p = 0.045), respectively.Pre-operative APTw MRI has potential value in the assessment of T-staging and PNI determination in RA.Pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted MRI provides a quantitative method for noninvasive assessment of T-staging and PNI in RA aiding in precision treatment planning.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.Conclusion: To investigate the value of the pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI to assess the prognostic factors in rectal adenocarcinoma (RA).This prospective study ran from January 2022 to September 2023 and consecutively enrolled participants with RA who underwent pre-operative MRI and radical surgery. The APTw signal intensity (SI) values of RA with various tumor (T), node (N) stages, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor grade were compared by Mann–Whitney U-test or t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the APTw SI values.A total of 51 participants were enrolled (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation], 26 men). There were 24 in the T1–T2 stage and 9 with positive PNI. The APTw SI max, 99th, and 95th values were significantly higher in T3–T4 stage tumor than in T1-T2; the median (interquartile range) (M (IQR)) was (4.0% (3.6–4.9%) vs 3.4% (2.9– 4.3%), p = 0.017), (3.7% (3.2–4.1%) vs 3.2% (2.8–3.8%), p = 0.013), and (3.3% (2.8–3.8%) vs 2.9% (2.3–3.5%), p = 0.033), respectively. These indicators also differed significantly between the PNI groups, with the M (IQR) (4.5% (3.6–5.7%) vs 3.7% (3.2–4.2%), p = 0.017), (4.1% (3.4–4.8%) vs 3.3% (3.0–3.9%), p = 0.022), and (3.7% (2.7–4.2%) vs 2.9% (2.6–3.5%), p = 0.045), respectively.Pre-operative APTw MRI has potential value in the assessment of T-staging and PNI determination in RA.Pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted MRI provides a quantitative method for noninvasive assessment of T-staging and PNI in RA aiding in precision treatment planning.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.Clinical relevance statement: To investigate the value of the pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI to assess the prognostic factors in rectal adenocarcinoma (RA).This prospective study ran from January 2022 to September 2023 and consecutively enrolled participants with RA who underwent pre-operative MRI and radical surgery. The APTw signal intensity (SI) values of RA with various tumor (T), node (N) stages, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor grade were compared by Mann–Whitney U-test or t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the APTw SI values.A total of 51 participants were enrolled (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation], 26 men). There were 24 in the T1–T2 stage and 9 with positive PNI. The APTw SI max, 99th, and 95th values were significantly higher in T3–T4 stage tumor than in T1-T2; the median (interquartile range) (M (IQR)) was (4.0% (3.6–4.9%) vs 3.4% (2.9– 4.3%), p = 0.017), (3.7% (3.2–4.1%) vs 3.2% (2.8–3.8%), p = 0.013), and (3.3% (2.8–3.8%) vs 2.9% (2.3–3.5%), p = 0.033), respectively. These indicators also differed significantly between the PNI groups, with the M (IQR) (4.5% (3.6–5.7%) vs 3.7% (3.2–4.2%), p = 0.017), (4.1% (3.4–4.8%) vs 3.3% (3.0–3.9%), p = 0.022), and (3.7% (2.7–4.2%) vs 2.9% (2.6–3.5%), p = 0.045), respectively.Pre-operative APTw MRI has potential value in the assessment of T-staging and PNI determination in RA.Pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted MRI provides a quantitative method for noninvasive assessment of T-staging and PNI in RA aiding in precision treatment planning.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.Key Points: To investigate the value of the pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI to assess the prognostic factors in rectal adenocarcinoma (RA).This prospective study ran from January 2022 to September 2023 and consecutively enrolled participants with RA who underwent pre-operative MRI and radical surgery. The APTw signal intensity (SI) values of RA with various tumor (T), node (N) stages, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor grade were compared by Mann–Whitney U-test or t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the APTw SI values.A total of 51 participants were enrolled (mean age, 58 years ± 10 [standard deviation], 26 men). There were 24 in the T1–T2 stage and 9 with positive PNI. The APTw SI max, 99th, and 95th values were significantly higher in T3–T4 stage tumor than in T1-T2; the median (interquartile range) (M (IQR)) was (4.0% (3.6–4.9%) vs 3.4% (2.9– 4.3%), p = 0.017), (3.7% (3.2–4.1%) vs 3.2% (2.8–3.8%), p = 0.013), and (3.3% (2.8–3.8%) vs 2.9% (2.3–3.5%), p = 0.033), respectively. These indicators also differed significantly between the PNI groups, with the M (IQR) (4.5% (3.6–5.7%) vs 3.7% (3.2–4.2%), p = 0.017), (4.1% (3.4–4.8%) vs 3.3% (3.0–3.9%), p = 0.022), and (3.7% (2.7–4.2%) vs 2.9% (2.6–3.5%), p = 0.045), respectively.Pre-operative APTw MRI has potential value in the assessment of T-staging and PNI determination in RA.Pre-operative amide proton transfer-weighted MRI provides a quantitative method for noninvasive assessment of T-staging and PNI in RA aiding in precision treatment planning.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA.The efficacy of APTw MRI in RA needs further investigation.T3–T4 stage and PNI positive APTw signal intensities were higher than T1–T2 and non-PNI, respectively.APTw MRI provides a quantitative method for assessment of T staging and PNI in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal gynecological malignancies. It is emergently needed to select a novel molecular fragment as a targeting element for the future development of molecular imaging diagnosis and targeting chemotherapy to ovarian cancer. Results: After five rounds of biopanning, a total of 44 positive phage clones were selected from final phage displayed peptide library. Nine consensus sequences were found based on the assay of sequencing results, then one clone of each consensus group was characterized and identified further by immunofluorescence assay. The result showed the phage clone R20 presents best targeting capacity. Then we synthesized peptide (OSP2) clone R20 displayed, it was characterized with high specificity and sensitivity binding to human ovarian cancer by a tissue chip assay. The target of OSP2 was predicted and docked as human carbonic anhydrase XII (CA12), an important protein usually deregulated in cancer. Conclusions: Taken together, OSP2 and its target indicate a novel investigation way in future to develop novel agent or drug delivery formulation for molecular imaging diagnosis and targeting chemotherapy of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the flat plastic parts with the size range of 200 to 1300 mm, the structural parameters decision model of injection mold gating system is established in this paper. Firstly, the relationship between the warpage and the structural parameters of gating system is fitted by Kriging model, and the minimum warpage is optimized by genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain the best structural parameters. Secondly, the best structural parameters of gating system corresponding to 16 groups of plastic parts are taken as samples, and the relationship between the structural parameters of gating system and the size parameters of plastic parts is established by Kriging model. In addition, K-means is used to reduce the number of the structural parameters of gating system from 5 to 2, in order to improve the accuracy of decision model. Finally, the size parameters of plastic parts are input to the decision model to obtain the structural parameters of gating system. Through the verification of mold flow analysis experiment, the structural parameters of gating system obtained by this method meet the design requirements and can effectively shorten the structural design cycle of injection mold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering is a crucial but challenging task in data mining and machine learning. Recently, deep clustering, which derives inspiration primarily from deep learning approaches, has achieved state-of-the-art performance in various applications and attracted considerable attention. Nevertheless, most of these approaches fail to effectively learn informative cluster-oriented features for data with spatial correlation structure, e.g., images. To tackle this problem, in this paper, we develop a deep convolutional self-paced clustering (DCSPC) method. Specifically, in the pretraining stage, we propose to utilize a convolutional autoencoder to extract a high-quality data representation that contains the spatial correlation information. Then, in the finetuning stage, a clustering loss is directly imposed on the learned features to jointly perform feature refinement and cluster assignment. We retain the decoder to avoid the feature space being distorted by the clustering loss. To stabilize the training process of the whole network, we further introduce a self-paced learning mechanism and select the most confident samples in each iteration. Through comprehensive experiments on seven popular image datasets, we demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can consistently outperform state-of-the-art rivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is a second-order nonlinear optical spectroscopy technique. Owing to its interfacial selectivity, SFG vibrational spectroscopy can provide interfacial molecular information, such as molecular orientations and order, which can be obtained directly, or molecular density, which can be acquired indirectly. Interfacial molecular behaviors are considered the basic factors for determining the tribological properties of surfaces. Therefore, owing to its ability to detect the molecular behavior in buried interfaces in situ and in real time, SFG vibrational spectroscopy has become one of the most appealing technologies for characterizing mechanisms at friction interfaces. This paper briefly introduces the development of SFG vibrational spectroscopy and the essential theoretical background, focusing on its application in friction and lubrication interfaces, including film-based, complex oil-based, and water-based lubricating systems. Real-time detection using SFG promotes the nondestructive investigation of molecular structures of friction interfaces in situ with submonolayer interface sensitivity, enabling the investigation of friction mechanisms. This review provides guidance on using SFG to conduct friction analysis, thereby widening the applicability of SFG vibrational spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally the danger cylinder is intimately related to the solution stability in P3P problem. In this work, we show that the danger cylinder is also closely related to the multiple-solution phenomenon. More specifically, we show that when the optical center lies on the danger cylinder, of the 3 possible P3P solutions, i.e., one double solution, and two other solutions, the optical center of the double solution still lies on the danger cylinder, but the optical centers of the other two solutions no longer lie on the danger cylinder. And when the optical center moves on the danger cylinder, accordingly the optical centers of the two other solutions of the corresponding P3P problem form a new surface, characterized by a polynomial equation of degree 12 in the optical center coordinates, called the deltoidal surface of danger cylinder (DSDC). This indicates the danger cylinder always has a companion deltoidal surface. For the significance of DSDC, we show that when the optical center passes through the DSDC, the number of solutions of P3P constraint system must change by 2, or DSDC acts as a delimitating surface of the P3P solution space. These new findings shed some new lights on the P3P multi-solution phenomenon, an important issue in P3P study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophilic polymer coatings can improve the surface characteristics of artificial implants. However, because they are used in vivo, they inevitably come into contact with biomolecules that affect their interfacial tribological properties. In this paper, the friction behaviors of poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA)-modified Ti6Al4V and polytetrafluorethylene balls were analyzed using albumin, globulin, aggrecan, and hyaluronic acid as lubricants. The interaction properties and dynamic adsorption characteristics of the biomolecules and PVPA molecules were explored by a quartz crystal microbalance to identify the cause of the friction difference. It was found that protein molecules disturbed the superlubricity of the PVPA-phosphate-buffered saline system because of the formation of a stable adsorption film, which replaced the interfacial characteristics of the PVPA coating. Polysaccharides, with their excellent hydration properties and polymer structure, had an unstable dynamic interaction or zero adsorption with PVPA molecules, and hardly changed the superlubricity of the PVPA and phosphate-buffered-saline system. The influence mechanism of the specific friction of proteins and polysaccharides was analyzed. Interactions were observed among different biomolecules. Polysaccharides can potentially reduce protein adsorption. The result of the synergistic regulation of the friction coefficient for PVPA-modified Ti6Al4V is approximately 0.017. The results of this study will provide a theoretical basis for the use of polymer coatings in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporomandibular joint OA (TMJOA) is a common degenerative joint disease, leads to structural damage and ultimately loss of function. Matrix degradation is one of the first pathogenesis during the progression of OA, it was effective to inhibit matrix degradation to block the development of OA. In this study, an in vivo model (compressive mechanical force) and an in vitro model (IL-1β) were used to induce OA-like changes in TMJ cartilage and chondrocytes. We revealed lysyl oxidase like-2 (LOXL2) play a critical role in TMJOA. LOXL2 expression decreased in mechanical stress/IL-β induced TMJOA-like lesions in both in vivo models and in vitro models. Furthermore, recombinant LOXL2 (rhLOXL2) treatment ameliorated the degenerative changes induced by mechanical stress in vivo, including the thinning cartilage, down-expression of collagen II and proteoglycan, and over-expression of TNF-a, while LOXL2 antibody (anti-LOXL2) treatment exacerbated these changes. Mechanistically, the protection of LOXL2 in chondrocytes was induced partly through activation of the Integrin/FAK pathway. The inhibition of the Integrin/FAK pathway could neutralized the effects caused by rhLOXL2. Collectively, our study suggests that the LOXL2 plays a protective role in mechanical stress induced TMJOA-like changes, and the Integrin/FAK pathway may be a key downstream pathway in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani is one of the major fungal pathogens associated with root rot in alfalfa that severely limits commercial alfalfa production worldwide. Host resistance is considered the most cost-effective and sustainable way to manage diseases caused by this pathogen. This study aimed to determine whether any host resistances to R. solani exist among a wide-ranging alfalfa collection and whether host resistances were associated with a specific geographic origin. We found a large variation in disease responses among the 68 alfalfa varieties, with the range of disease indices of shoots from 23 to 94% and roots from 31 to 98% as well as reductions in dry weight of shoots from 35 to 96% and roots from 2 to 99%. Among these, three varieties (Gannong 9, Trifecta and Common), originating from three different countries, displayed a high level of resistance, with disease indices of shoots and roots as well as reductions in dry weight of shoots and roots being all ≤40%. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed three main groups of disease responses existed among varieties, with five varieties (7%) showing resistance, 15 varieties (22%) being moderately resistant and the remaining ones exhibiting susceptibility. Besides, varieties with a similar disease response were associated with various geographic origins. This study provides valuable resistance sources for breeding programs to develop alfalfa varieties with improved resistance to R. solani, and for facilitating the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying the resistant varieties to this pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the printing quality, this study focused on the thermo-fluid-solid coupling process of ink roller-ink. One of the highlights of this study is to consider the influence of temperature on the rubber hyperelastic parameters, viscoelastic parameters, and ink viscosity. The other highlight is to improve the elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory and Hertz contact theory through the rubber elastic modulus, which is determined by the relaxation curve considering the temperature and working conditions. Furthermore, based on the improved theory, the thermo-fluid-solid coupling model of ink roller-ink was established. Finally, the effect of temperature on the coupling process was analyzed. The results show that under the working conditions, with increasing temperature from 20 °C to 40 °C, the contact half-width increases from 4.2335 mm to 4.4701 mm, and the minimum ink film thickness decreases from 0.5097 mm to 0.1410 mm, and the maximum ink pressure decreases from 0.6802 MPa to 0.6618 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment-friendly flexible Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells show great potentials for indoor photovoltaic market. Indoor lighting is weak and multi-directional, thus the researches of photovoltaic device structures, techniques and performances face new challenges. Here, we design symmetrical bifacial CZTSSe solar cells on flexible Mo-foil substrate to efficiently harvest the indoor energy. Such devices are fabricated by double-sided deposition techniques to ensure bifacial consistency and save cost. We report 9.3% and 9% efficiencies for the front and back sides of the flexible CZTSSe solar cell under the standard sun light. Considering the indoor environment, we verify weak-light response performance of the devices under LED illumination and flexibility properties after thousands of bending. Bifacial CZTSSe solar cells in parallel achieve the superposition of double-sided output current from multi-directional light, significantly enhancing the area utilization rate. The present results and methods are expected to expand indoor photovoltaic applications. Indoor lighting is weak and multi-directional, thus the requirement for photovoltaic differs from that designed for outdoor. To efficiently harvest the indoor energy, the authors designed CZTSSe bifacial solar cells on flexible Mo substrate using double-sided deposition to ensure consistency and to save cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Data is lacking on the characteristics of drug-related problems in Chinese elderly inpatients and the impacts of clinical pharmacy activities in the geriatric ward in China. Objective To describe the nature of drug-related problems in elderly inpatients based on the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification, and identify the correlates of the drug-related problems. Setting Geriatric ward of a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. Method Pharmacists reviewed medication orders over a 12-month period with drug-related problems and interventions documented. Drug-related problems were categorized respectively according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine factors associated with drug-related problems. Main outcome measure The causes, interventions proposed and risk factors of potential drug-related problems. Results A total of 335 interventions associated with possible drug-related problems for 184 older patients were recorded. The incidence of patients experiencing at least one drug-related problem was 34.5%. Drug therapy problems were most commonly classified within the treatment effectiveness domain. Drug selection accounted for most cause of possible drug-related problems. The most common intervention was starting a drug and the acceptance rate was 91.9%. The factors associated with drug-related problems were the number of prescribed medications, Charlson Comorbidity Index and length of stay (P < 0.05). Conclusion Drug-related problems are common in elderly inpatients. Clinical pharmacy service is necessary to the optimization of drug therapy in older inpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Breast cancer is a popular fatal malignant tumor for women with high of rates incidence and mortality. Development of the new approaches for breast cancer targeted diagnosis and chemotherapy is emergently needed by the current clinical practice, the important first step is finding a breast cancer specifically binding molecule or fragment as early clinical indicators. Results: By a phage-displayed peptide library, a 12-mer peptide, CSB1 was screened out using MCF-7 cells as the target. The consequently results under immunofluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) indicated that CSB1 bound MCF-7 cells and breast cancer tissues specifically and sensitively with high affinity. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the peptide CSB1 targets the 5-Lipoxygenase-Activating Protein (FLAP), which has been implicated in breast cancer progression and prognosis. Conclusions: The peptide, CSB1 is of the potential as a candidate to be used for developing the new approaches of molecular imaging detection and targeting chemotherapy of breast cancer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the Li2O–MgO–ZnO–B2O3–SiO2 (LMZBS) ceramic with low sintering temperatures were prepared via the traditional solid-state method, and the Mg2SiO4/LMZBS ceramic composite was prepared by adding Mg2SiO4 ceramic, and the results showed that the properties of LMZBS ceramic was improved upon addition of Mg2SiO4 ceramic. The sinterability, microstructure, dielectric properties, mechanical properties and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of composite were determined. The crystal structure was determined using X-ray diffraction, and Mg2SiO4, Mg3B2O6, Mg2B2O5 were the main phase. The 20 wt% Mg2SiO4 ceramic sintered at 900 °C exhibited superior performance: ε r of 6.97, Q value of 1732 at 10 GHz and flexural strength of 206 MPa, and CTE value of 10.06 ppm/°C. The composite was also found to match well with the Ag electrode in an investigational study. These properties have made the Mg2SiO4/LMZBS ceramic composite great candidates in low-temperature co-fired ceramics technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the P3P problem could have 1, 2, 3 and at most 4 positive solutions under different configurations among its three control points and the position of the optical center. Since in any real applications, the knowledge on the exact number of possible solutions is a prerequisite for selecting the right one among all the possible solutions, and the study on the phenomenon of multiple solutions in the P3P problem has been an active topic since its very inception. In this work, we provide some new geometric interpretations on the multi-solution phenomenon in the P3P problem, and our main results include: (1) the necessary and sufficient condition for the P3P problem to have a pair of side-sharing solutions is the two optical centers of the solutions both lie on one of the three vertical planes to the base plane of control points; (2) the necessary and sufficient condition for the P3P problem to have a pair of point-sharing solutions is the two optical centers of the solutions both lie on one of the three so-called skewed danger cylinders;(3) if the P3P problem has other solutions in addition to a pair of side-sharing (point-sharing) solutions, these remaining solutions must be a point-sharing (side-sharing) pair. In a sense, the side-sharing pair and the point-sharing pair are companion pairs; (4) there indeed exist such P3P problems that have four completely distinct solutions, i.e., the solutions sharing neither a side nor a point, closing a long guessing issue in the literature. In sum, our results provide some new insights into the nature of the multi-solution phenomenon in the P3P problem, and in addition to their academic value, they could also be used as some theoretical guidance for practitioners in real applications to avoid occurrence of multiple solutions by properly arranging the control points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dustfall samples from the western Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) were collected from 2013 to 2016 at Jiuzhoutai for dustfall variation analysis. Results showed that the seasonal dustfall variations were non-significant in the region, indicating dustfall sources with inconsistent patterns largely contributed to the modern loess formation. The average rate of loess accumulation was approximately 0.34 mm/year, which is much higher compared to the other periods of the Holocene. In addition, the lack of regular patterns of dustfall contents in the coarse fraction (> 50 μm in diameter) indicates a proximal source with crustal origins, which is a dominant source for the modern loess. From 2013 to 2016, the dustfall from crustal origins increased by approximately 19%, and among those collected dustfall, approximately 24% came from pollutants, indicating that anthropogenic activities such as industrial pollutants and vehicle emissions played an important role in modern loess accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, CaO–Al2O3–B2O3–SiO2(CABS) glass/MgAl2O4 composite for low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) applications was prepared. The sinterability, microstructure, dielectric properties, mechanical properties, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of composite were determined. MgAl2O4 as ceramic filler improves the dielectric properties of the composite, mechanical properties, and density. The 45 wt% CABS glass contents composite sintered at 900 °C exhibit superior performance, which have relatively high bulk density, dielectric constant = 6.51, dielectric loss = 3.1 × 10–3 (10 GHz) and CTE = 4.51 ppm/°C, flexural strength = 261 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic drives are the core components to enable movement in industrial robots. Unfortunately, the deformation of flexspline causes obvious partial axial load on gear engagement. This synthetic error leads to a series of additional problems, such as the deterioration of transmission quality, and the reduction of both precision and fatigue life. This study focuses on a harmonic drive with a double circular-arc tooth profile. A coordinate transformation is carried out based on the kinematics of harmonic drives. On this basis, the conjugate tooth profile of a circular spline is derived. A simulation model is developed based on the motion relationship for harmonic transmission. The effect of inhomogeneity of the load distribution on the surface of the gear teeth was investigated using the partial axial-load index. The effect of different factors on the partial axial load is analyzed. To reduce the effect of partial axial load of flexspline, we select a suitable material and wall thickness. For a certain practical range, both tooth width and chamfering of the flexspline teeth help reduce the partial axial load and increase the flexspline length. These conclusions enable improvements of future designs of reliable flexspline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abscisic acid (ABA) acts as a signaling hormone in plants against abiotic stress, but its function in energy homeostasis under heat stress is unclear. Results: Two rice genotypes, Nipponbare (wild-type, WT) with flat leaves and its mutant high temperature susceptibility (hts) plant with semi-rolled leaves, were subjected to heat stress. We found significantly higher tissue temperature, respiration rate, and ABA and H2O2 contents in leaves as well as a lower transpiration rate and stomatal conductance in hts than WT plants. Additionally, increased expression of HSP71.1 and HSP24.1 as well as greater increases in carbohydrate content, ATP, NAD (H), and dry matter weight, were detected in WT than hts plants under heat stress. More importantly, exogenous ABA significantly decreased heat tolerance of hts plants, but clearly enhanced heat resistance of WT plants. The increases in carbohydrates, ATP, NAD (H), and heat shock proteins in WT plants were enhanced by ABA under heat stress, whereas these increases were reduced in hts plants. Conclusion: It was concluded that ABA is a negative regulator of heat tolerance in hts plants with semi-rolled leaves by modulating energy homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the association between cesarean section (CS) and the risk of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov database for studies related to the association between CS and the risk of neonatal RDS up to 25 August 2018. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a random-effects model (REM).Results: A total of 26 studies from 25 available articles were included in this meta-analysis. For the association between CS and the risk of neonatal RDS, the pooled OR was 1.76 (95% CI 1.48-2.09). The pooled OR of the risk of neonatal RDS was 2.38 (95% CI 1.89-2.99) for elective CS and 1.85 (95% CI 1.34-2.56) for emergency CS.Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that CS, elective CS, and emergency CS were associated with an increased risk of neonatal RDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer precipitation in the north fringe of East Asian Summer Monsoon (NFEASM) accounts for the majority of annual regional precipitation and plays an important role in regional climatology and agriculture development. Here we analyze variations in summer precipitation in the NFEASM over the past millennium using several simulations with Earth System Models and compare with two dendroclimatological hydroclimate reconstructions that partly cover the past millennium. Both reconstructed records show good agreement on past hydroclimate variations but do not show overly anomalous hydroclimate periods, except for clear drying trends in the second half of the twentieth century. The reconstructed decadal hydroclimate variations are not correlated with any of the simulations, and the simulations are not correlated among themselves either, which strongly suggests that the decadal variability is not linked to the external climate forcing. In addition, the superposed epoch analysis also does not identify a response of simulated precipitation to volcanic eruptions. Therefore, precipitation variability in this region over the past millennium seems to have been driven by internal climate processes. In the simulations, regional summer precipitation is positively and significantly correlated with sea-level-pressure (SLP) over the North Pacific and is negatively and significantly correlated with SLP in southwestern China at both interannual and decadal time scales. This agrees with the teleconnection patterns identified from meteorological reanalysis datasets, indicating that this dipole correlation pattern is robust. Therefore, the SLP difference between these two areas is used as an index to identify the atmosphere circulation pattern favorable to summer precipitation in the NFEASM. This SLP index shows spatial variable correlations with sea-surface-temperature (SST) in the North Pacific: there is a significant positive correlation in the northern North Pacific, while a significant negative correlation in the southern North Pacific. Although the underlying mechanisms for these correlations likely differ between two subareas, it appears that the atmosphere drives SST anomalies in the both subareas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively improve the management level and service level of the intelligent park, the information fusion in the intelligent park is studied. First, the main concepts of the Internet of things and cloud computing are discussed. It includes key technology, architecture, application field and key technology of cloud computing, platform architecture and so on. Based on the above, a hardware architecture and technical scheme based on cloud computing, cloud storage and cloud analysis is proposed. The design of the application system, the application support platform, the transmission and the sensors used in the park are discussed. In addition, a software architecture and technical scheme for information intelligent application system based on cloud computing, cloud storage and cloud analysis is proposed. The research target and function design of each application system are studied in detail. Finally, the implementation effect of intercommunication and fusion processing between the systems is analyzed. The results show that the system can effectively solve the information island phenomenon. The introduction of new technology will bring great social and economic benefits for the park. It provides a reference for the development of intelligent cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFIT) 2 is associated with various viral infections and pathogenesis in humans and mice. However, there are few reports on IFIT2 in pigs and the polymorphic information remains unclear. Here, by using a direct PCR sequencing method, we identified four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), c.259G>A (p.Gly87Ser), c.520T>G (p.Phe174Val), c.571C>T (p.Pro191Ser), and c.879A>G (p.Glu293Glu), for the first time in the coding sequence of the porcine (p) IFIT2 gene from a Chinese local breed (Hebao pig), Western commercial pig breeds (Yorkshire and Landrace), and a Chinese developed breed (Beijing Black pig). SNP c.520T>G (p.Phe174Val) leads to the addition of a tetratricopeptide repeat motif, characteristic structure of the IFIT family. SNPs c.259G>A and c.520T>G are medium polymorphic loci (0.25 < polymorphic information content < 0.5) and distributed differently in Western pig breeds and the Chinese local pig, Hebao, which is well known for its strong resistance to disease. Additionally, they are completely linked. The four SNPs constituted five haplotypes with GTCA and AGCA as dominant. The haplotype variant AGCA, which is mainly present in Hebao pigs, significantly synergized the poly(I:C)-induced activation of transcription factors, including NF-κB and IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-binding factors, and the expression of interferon β, indicating that the variant contributes to the induction or magnitude of the immune response upon viral infection. The data showed that variant AGCA might be useful in improving the resistance of pigs to viruses through marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paraffin wax (PW) is a solid-liquid organic phase change material (PCM). However, the low thermal conductivity and poor light-heat conversion performance limit its feasibility in solar thermal storage applications. In this paper, CuS-decorated carboxyl multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/PW light-heat conversion composite PCMs were prepared by one step. The structure and properties of the composite PCMs were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis, coefficient of thermal conductivity, UV-visible-near infrared spectrometer and light-heat conversion testing. The results showed that the light-heat conversion performance of CuS-MWCNTs/PW composite PCMs were better than that of MWCNT/PW composite PCMs with the same mass fraction. Therefore, it is expected that this research will open up new avenues of study for the creation of advanced composite PCM with excellent light-heat conversion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IFN-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 2 (IFIT2) plays important roles in host defense against viral infection as revealed by studies in humans and mice. However, little is known on porcine IFIT2 (pIFIT2). Here, we performed molecular cloning, expression profile, and transcriptional regulation analysis of pIFIT2. pIFIT2 gene, located on chromosome 14, is composed of two exons and have a complete coding sequence of 1407 bp. The encoded polypeptide, 468 aa in length, has three tetratricopeptide repeat motifs. pIFIT2 gene was unevenly distributed in all eleven tissues studied with the most abundance in spleen. Poly(I:C) treatment notably strongly upregulated the mRNA level and promoter activity of pIFIT2 gene. Upstream sequence of 1759 bp from the start codon which was assigned +1 here has promoter activity, and deltaEF1 acts as transcription repressor through binding to sequences at position − 1774 to − 1764. Minimal promoter region exists within nucleotide position − 162 and − 126. Two adjacent interferon-stimulated response elements (ISREs) and two nuclear factor (NF)-κB binding sites were identified within position − 310 and − 126. The ISRE elements act alone and in synergy with the one closer to start codon having more strength, so do the NF-κB binding sites. Synergistic effect was also found between the ISRE and NF-κB binding sites. Additionally, a third ISRE element was identified within position − 1661 to − 1579. These findings will contribute to clarifying the antiviral effect and underlying mechanisms of pIFIT2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to present our experience of retaining encrusted ureteral stents (EUS) and discuss the effectiveness of 4.5/6.5F ureteroscope (URS) in the procedure. The data of patients with EUS in our center from January 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The inclusion criterion was ureteral stents that required intervention above the ureteral orifice to retain and was proved to be encrusted. Impacted stents would be removed by ureteroscope lithotripsy (URL) via 8/9.8F or 4.5/6.5F URS. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) then be the further step if URL failed. 46 cases of EUS were treated in 36 patients from January 2012 to December 2016 in our institution. All subjects consisted of 18 males and 18 females; the average age was 49.81 ± 16.40 years (range 5-86). The mean time from stent insertion to encrustation was 9.28 ± 17.15 months (range 1-120). URL was performed in 44 cases (95.7%), including 19 cases (41.3%) by 8/9.8F URS and 25 cases (54.4%) by 4.5/6.5F URS due to the conventional URS’s failure to get into ureteral orifice or further part of ureter. Two patients (4.3%) underwent PCNL due to the inseparable circle developed by the intra-renal segment of encrusted stents. None of the patients underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and open surgery. All stents were eventually removed without blood transfusion or ureteral injury, except three cases with post-operative fever. All procedures were performed under one-session anesthesia. URL by 4.5/6.5F ureteroscope might increase the success rate of retaining encrusted ureteral stents remarkably, and then reduce the possibility of PCNL effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geochemical characteristics of aeolian and surface materials in potential source areas of dust are frequently employed in environmental reconstructions as proxies of past climate and as source tracers of aeolian sediments deposited in downwind areas. However, variations in the geochemical characteristics of these aeolian deposits that result from near-surface winds are currently poorly understood. In this study, we collected surface samples from the Ala Shan Plateau (a major potential dust source area in Central Asia) to determine the influence of aeolian processes on the geochemical characteristics of aeolian transported materials. Correlation analyses show that compared with surface materials, the elements in transported materials (e.g., Cu, As, Pb, Mn, Zn, Al, Ca, Fe, Ga, K, Mg, P, Rb, Co, Cr, Na, Nb, Si, and Zr) were subjected to significant sorting by aeolian processes, and the sorting also varied among different particle size fractions and elements. Variations in wind velocity were significantly correlated with the contents of Cr, Ga, Sr, Ca, Y, Nd, Zr, Nb, Ba, and Al, and with the Zr/Al, Zr/Rb, K/Ca, Sr/Ca, Rb/Sr, and Ca/Al ratios. Given the great variation in the geochemical characteristics of materials transported under different aeolian processes relative to those of the source materials, these results indicate that considerable uncertainty may be introduced to analyses by using surface materials to trace the potential source areas of aeolian deposits that accumulate in downwind areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Gonghe Basin of northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is threatened by aeolian processes, soil nutrient loss, and desertification, where human activities have greatly increased over recent decades. However, the interactions between aeolian processes and soil nutrient loss remain poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we employed a wind tunnel to simulate aeolian processes and soil nutrient loss affected by human activities such as tillage and trampling by livestock. Materials and methods: Field investigations, wind tunnel experiments, and experimental analyses were conducted to assess the impacts of human activity (wholesale destruction of vegetation) and aeolian processes on soil nutrient loss and desertification in the Gonghe Basin. Results and discussion: After grassland soil surface was disaggregated, sediments removed by high aeolian intensity (≥16 m s) ranged from 294.02 to 1012.73 g m, and wind erosion depths varied from 4.09 to 11.27 mm. High wind velocities resulted in losses of total soil organic matter (SOM) and total nitrogen (TN) by 7.56 and 0.38 kg ha, respectively. Under very high wind velocities (≥22 m s), losses of SOM and TN were 26.99 and 1.41 kg ha, respectively. Wind tunnel experiments indicate that in the Gonghe Basin, there were no significant correlations between wind velocity and the removal of SOM and TN; however, positive correlations were observed between wind velocity and total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK). Conclusions: Aeolian processes remove TK and TP from the soil surface, which has a potential impact on vegetation because that K and P are essential nutrients for plant growth. In addition, most nutrients are enriched within fine particle fraction of soil. Nutrient loss caused by aeolian processes may therefore result in the degradation of farmland and grassland, which consequently may have triggered desertification in the Gonghe Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the dispersion stability and self-antibacterial properties of cationic waterborne polyurethane materials is of vital importance to its various applications. In this work, a novel UV-curable waterborne polyurethane with pendant amine (PWPU) from 4-NCO prepolymer and modified by guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) was prepared by a simple method. The 4-NCO prepolymer is originated from the progressively grafting of tridentate polycaprolactone. The GAA, which is rarely used in coating industry, plays a positive reinforced role in our self-antibacterial coatings. Taking fully advantage of the merits of pendant amine and GAA, PWPU without bactericides possesses excellent properties in gram-negative (92.05%) and gram-positive (94.77%) antibacterial tests. Compared with the linear amine waterborne polyurethane (LWPU), PWPU has significant superiority in stability, and the increase in antibacterial efficiency is about 50%. Moreover, antibacterial efficiency still maintained 87.94% after 12 times washing. AFM results display that GAA and pendant amine increase the hydrophilic groups of coating surface, which improves the antibacterial performance. The experiments of thermal, mechanical performance and chemical resistance proof the reliability of the coatings. Therefore, this work has large potential in the applications of antibacterial materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll metabolic pathways and chloroplast development have been studied systematically by both biochemical and genetic approaches. However, the effect of them on photosynthesis has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. To gain expression profiles of genes involved in crucial pathways and regulators of photosynthetic metabolism in rice seedling, biochemical characteristics and transcriptome of two rice genotypes were compared. Zhefu802 and Chl-8 are the recurrent parent (dark-green leaf) and its near-isogenic lines (pale-green leaf), respectively. The net photosynthetic rate, F / F and Φ of Chl-8 were markedly higher than those of Zhefu802, although the chlorophyll content of Chl-8 was approximately one-third of Zhefu802. In this research, photosynthesis is controlled by delicate but complex genetic networks. In addition to DEGs directly involved in photosynthesis, DEGs involved in response to oxidative stress, energy metabolism and nitrate metabolism co-regulated photosynthetic efficiency in rice. DEGs categorized to signal transduction supported the regulation. Chloroplasts possessing an abundant thylakoid membrane system were not favored to photosynthesis. Five DEGs assigned to chloroplast category (GO:0009507) was genetic basis of difference on thylakoid membrane. Meanwhile, suitable chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a: b and ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoid, which caused by leaf and chloroplast structure, also promoted high photosynthesis. In summary, high photosynthetic efficiency involves coordinated regulation of the synthesis of multiple pigments, chloroplast development, response to oxidative stress, energy metabolism and nitrate metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO) using semiconductor photocatalysts has aroused a great deal of attention, and most studies have applied titanium dioxide (TiO) and modified TiO as photocatalysts in this process. In this study, we used Ti-substituted hydroxyapatite (TiHAP), an emerging photocatalytic material with a high adsorption capacity, as a novel photocatalyst to investigate the photocatalytic reduction of gaseous CO under ultraviolet (UV) light with water as the reductant. Powders of TiHAP and fluorine-doped TiHAP (TiFHAP) were prepared using a hydrothermal method, and their morphologies, structure, and composition were characterized via transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, photoluminescence fluorescent spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Compared to commercial P25-TiO, TiHAP provided enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CO into carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH), due to its higher conduction band position. Fluorine doping further facilitated the reaction activity of TiFHAP, with 5.6 wt% fluorine providing the optimal results. The relative humidity of the reaction system had a substantial effect on the CO reduction process. Higher relative humidity ensured greater participation of protons, which was confirmed by the increasing formation rates of CO and CH. Furthermore, a high CO formation rate always accompanied high CH formation selectivity, indicating that deep CO reduction can proceed rapidly over TiFHAP samples. This study supports the idea that TiHAP may be a novel and efficient photocatalyst for the reduction of CO. Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]