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Purpose: The goal of this study was to propose a knowledge-based planning system which could automatically design plans for lung cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and materials: From May 2018 to June 2020, 612 IMRT treatment plans of lung cancer patients were retrospectively selected to construct a planning database. Knowledge-based planning (KBP) architecture named αDiar was proposed in this study. It consisted of two parts separated by a firewall. One was the in-hospital workstation, and the other was the search engine in the cloud. Based on our previous study, A‑Net in the in-hospital workstation was used to generate predicted virtual dose images. A search engine including a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D CNN) was constructed to derive the feature vectors of dose images. By comparing the similarity of the features between virtual dose images and the clinical dose images in the database, the most similar feature was found. The optimization parameters (OPs) of the treatment plan corresponding to the most similar feature were assigned to the new plan, and the design of a new treatment plan was automatically completed. After αDiar was developed, we performed two studies. The first retrospective study was conducted to validate whether this architecture was qualified for clinical practice and involved 96 patients. The second comparative study was performed to investigate whether αDiar could assist dosimetrists in improving the quality of planning for the patients. Two dosimetrists were involved and designed plans for only one trial with and without αDiar; 26 patients were involved in this study. Results: The first study showed that about 54% (52/96) of the automatically generated plans would achieve the dosimetric constraints of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and about 93% (89/96) of the automatically generated plans would achieve the dosimetric constraints of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). The second study showed that the quality of treatment planning designed by junior dosimetrists was improved with the help of αDiar. Conclusions: Our results showed that αDiar was an effective tool to improve planning quality. Over half of the patients' plans could be designed automatically. For the remaining patients, although the automatically designed plans did not fully meet the clinical requirements, their quality was also better than that of manual plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spray drying is an important industrial method for the preparation of B. thuringiensis powder from fermentation liquor. The effect of spray drying on the crystal proteins, however, has not been reported in the literature so far. The present study systematically investigated the effect of inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature, atomizing air pressure and additives (including organic and inorganic auxiliaries) on the thermal destruction of crystal proteins of B. thuringiensis. The results indicated that the content of crystal proteins of B. thuringiensis powder decreased with increased inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature and atomising air pressure. The pseudo-z values for inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature and atomizing air pressure were 826.4 ℃, 204.0 ℃ and 4.74 MPa, respectively. Among them, the outlet air temperature was a major parameter influencing the thermal destruction of crystal proteins, therefore, the decrease of the outlet air temperature was beneficial to increase the protein content in powder. Although the spray drying had an adverse effect on crystal proteins, the crystal protein content in spray-dried powder approached that in freeze-dried powder when the inlet air temperature of 165 ℃, outlet air temperature of 70 ℃ and atomizing air pressure of 0.15 MPa were employed. The addition of some organic and inorganic auxiliaries to fermentation liquor can protect the crystal proteins from heat damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of inaccuracy in detecting the α phase contour of TB6 titanium alloy. By combining computer vision technology with human vision mechanisms, the spatial characteristics of the α phase can be simulated to obtain the contour accurately. Therefore, an algorithm for α phase contour detection of TB6 titanium alloy fused with multi-scale fretting features is proposed. Firstly, through the response of the classical receptive field model based on fretting and the suppression of new non-classical receptive field model based on fretting, the information maps of the α phase contour of the TB6 titanium alloy at different scales are obtained; then the information map of the smallest scale contour is used as a benchmark, the neighborhood is constructed to judge the deviation of other scale contour information, and the corresponding weight value is calculated; finally, Gaussian function is used to weight and fuse the deviation information, and the contour detection result of TB6 titanium alloy α phase is obtained. In the Visual Studio 2013 environment, 484 metallographic images with different temperatures, strain rates, and magnifications were tested. The results show that the performance evaluation F value of the proposed algorithm is 0.915, which can effectively improve the accuracy of α phase contour detection of TB6 titanium alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we demonstrate a tunable mid-infrared (mid-IR) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using an MgO: PPLN crystal with a polarization period of 29.8 μm, which was end-pumped by a 1064 nm electro-optic cavity-dumped all-solid-state laser (1064 nm EOCD-laser) with a pulse repetition frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 kHz. Thanks to the use of 808 nm pulsed laser diode (LD) side-pumping Nd: YAG crystal, transverse electro-optic modulating (TEOM) MgO: LN crystal, and birefringent crystal (BC) filtering in the 1064 nm cavity-dumped cavity, both the 1064 nm EOCD-laser and the idler light output by the OPO exhibited high peak power and low peak-to-peak instability in both pulse width and single pulse energy. By combining temperature tuning of the MgO: PPLN crystal from 30 °C to 200 °C, wavelength tuning of the idler light from 3705.2 to 3424.3 nm was achieved. For the first time, a pulsed idler light at 3705.2 nm with a high peak power of 1.224 MW, a narrow pulse width of 4.97 ns, and an optical-to-optical (1064 nm to 3705.2 nm) conversion efficiency of 38.1% was obtained, corresponding to a tuning temperature of 30 °C and a pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz. The peak-to-peak instability for both pulse width and single pulse energy was only ± 1.04% and ± 1.41%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution coefficient (Kd) of radionuclides is a crucial parameter in assessing the safety of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) geological repository. It is determined in the laboratory through batch and column experiments. However, differences in obtained Kd values from distinct experiments have not been thoroughly assessed and compared. This study evaluated strontium (Sr) sorption on different granite materials using static batch and dynamic experiments (column and core-flooding experiments). The results from batch sorption experiments showed higher Sr sorption on granite under acidic and strongly alkaline conditions, low solid–liquid ratios, and low ionic strength. In column experiments, a two-site sorption model was used to simulate Sr transport in crushed granite and mixed pure minerals. The sorption of Sr on crushed granite exhibited a higher affinity than that of mixed pure minerals. The dual-porosity transport model was employed to investigate Sr transport behavior in fractured granite in the core-flooding experiment. Kd obtained from batch sorption experiments are four to twenty times higher than those from column experiments, and two to three orders of magnitude higher than that from a core-flooding experiment. The results of this study provide valuable insights into safety assessment for the HLW geological repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of modern science and technology, navigation technology provides great convenience for people's life, but the problem of inaccurate localization in complex environments has always been a challenge that navigation technology needs to be solved urgently. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an augmented reality navigation method that combines image segmentation and multi-sensor fusion tracking registration. The method optimizes the image processing process through the GA-OTSU-Canny algorithm and combines high-precision multi-sensor information in order to achieve accurate tracking of positioning and guidance in complex environments. Experimental results show that the GA-OTSU-Canny algorithm has a faster image edge segmentation rate, and the fastest start speed is only 1.8 s, and the fastest intersection selection time is 1.2 s. The navigation system combining the image segmentation and sensor tracking and registration techniques has a highly efficient performance in real-world navigation, and its building recognition rates are all above 99%. The augmented reality navigation system not only improves the navigation accuracy in high-rise and urban canyon environments, but also significantly outperforms traditional navigation solutions in terms of navigation startup time and target building recognition accuracy. In summary, this research not only provides a new framework for the theoretical integration of image processing and multi-sensor data, but also brings innovative technical solutions for the development and application of practical navigation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driver's risk perception ability is of great significance to traffic safety. Driver's risk perception ability is reflected in the risk handling in traffic situation and has a great impact on driving decisions, especially speed decisions. However, the mechanism of the influence of risk perception on driving decisions under risk situations is still unclear. According to standardized risk perception test, we divided drivers into high risk perception ability (H-RPA) group and low risk perception ability (L-RPA) group. Participants were shown traffic pictures with different levels of risk and asked to make decisions about whether to slow down, while their electrical brain responses were recorded. All participants were interviewed after the experiment. The results showed that in the low-risk traffic situation, compared to the drivers with H-RPA, the drivers with L-RPA made less deceleration decisions and evoked larger N1 and smaller P1 amplitude. 93.75% of the drivers with L-RPA stated in interviews that they did not notice the traffic risks on the road. The results show that risk perception affects the allocation of attention to risks in traffic situations, leading to a decrease in the safety of driving decisions. Our research results provide a reference for the training of safe driving skills for drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cymbidium ensifolium L. is an economically important terrestrial orchid. Leaf color is a key horticultural trait with aesthetic and ornamental significance. However, the molecular basis of leaf color change in C. ensifolium remains to be fully understood. Here, different color leaves of C. ensifolium were collected and classified into two groups, namely, leaf buds that appear red in the juvenile stage (RL) and those that transform green in the mature stage (GL). Significantly higher anthocyanin content was observed in RL than GL. RNA-seq data showed a total of 3955 differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs) were screened, and 381 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected by metabolome analysis in RL vs GL. Further analysis revealed that the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway (ko00942) is essential for leaf color change. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, petunidin-3-O-(6″-O-p-coumaroyl) rutinoside, and peonidin-3-O-glucoside were identified as key anthocyanins affecting leaf color change. Meanwhile, we identified key structural unigenes associated with leaf color change, including CHS, CHI, DFR, F3H, F3′H, and ANS. Correlation analysis revealed 77 DEUs associated with transcription factors to exhibit strong correlations with both DEUs and DAMs involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Our study identifies the important metabolic and functional role of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in C. ensifolium leaf color change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on bursting behaviors of a Mathieu–van der Pol oscillator excited by low-frequency parametric and external excitations, where two novel bursting modes (namely cascaded bursting oscillations and non-cascaded bursting oscillations) are presented. In particular, the folds induced by the extreme values of the slow variable and the shape of the equilibrium branches are found on the quiescent state vibrations in two bursting patterns. We find that the spiking state vibrations can be induced by the subcritical Hopf bifurcations, supercritical Hopf bifurcations, and limit cycle fold bifurcations, and these three different types of the spiking state attractors can be found simultaneously with the variation of the positive integer ratio n. For the cascaded bursting, more and more large-amplitude limit cycles can be observed with the increase of n, leading to a greater number of the spiking states, while for the non-cascaded bursting, only one large-amplitude limit cycle can be found. In addition, we show that the spiking state attractors cannot be created by the small-amplitude limit cycles due to the Hopf bifurcation delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging process can affect the physical and chemical properties as well as adsorption capacity of biochar. This study focuses on the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) as the research object, and artificially ages biochar prepared from rice straw and corn straw through accelerated freeze–thaw cycles, alternating dry wet cycles, and ultraviolet light treatment, in order to evaluate the effects of different aging conditions on the physical and chemical properties of the two different types of biochar and on their adsorption capacities for Cd. After aging, the pH of rice and corn biochar decreased to varying degrees, respectively. The surface structure was ruptured, the average pore diameter was decreased, and the specific surface area was increased by 27.3%, 21.9%, and 9.8% (rice) and 95.4%, 27.7%, and 13.4% (corn). Ultraviolet light aging has the most significant impact on the elemental content of biochar, and the C content was decreased by 12.4% (rice) and 9.3% (corn). The O content was increased by 11.2% (rice) and 44.1% (corn), and the numbers of O/C, H/C, (O + N)/C, and oxygen-containing functional groups were increased. These results demonstrate that the aging process reduces the degree of aromatization of biochar, while enhancing its polarity and Cd adsorption capacity. Rice straw biochar (RSB) has a greater ability to adsorb Cd than corn straw biochar (CSB). In addition, ultraviolet light aging is particularly effective in increasing heavy metal adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory bowel disease. UC confronts with severe challenges including the unclear pathogenesis and lack of specific diagnostic markers, demanding for identifying predictive biomarkers for UC diagnosis and treatment. We perform immune infiltration and weighted gene co-expression network analysis on gene expression profiles of active UC, inactive UC, and normal controls to identify UC related immune cell and hub genes. Neutrophils, M1 macrophages, activated dendritic cells, and activated mast cells are significantly enriched in active UC. MMP-9, CHI3L1, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCR2 and S100A9 are identified as hub genes in active UC. Specifically, S100A9 is significantly overexpressed in mice with colitis. The receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrates the excellent performance of S100A9 expression in diagnosing active UC. Inhibition of S100A9 expression reduces DSS-induced colonic inflammation. These identified biomarkers associated with activity in UC patients enlighten the new insights of UC diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a prevalent lung disease in neonates that is associated with numerous complications and high mortality. The promising approach to treat BPD is the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), However, the current treatment of MSCs presents safety concerns, including occlusion of blood vessels and tumorigenicity. In this study, relevant publications from the Web of Science Core Collection were downloaded in January 2023. The acquired data were analyzed and predicted for trends and hotspots in this field using CiteSpace software. Results revealed that in recent years, the focus of co-cited references has been primarily on the clinical studies of MSCs and the application of MSCs derivatives for treating BPD models. The keywords that have gained attention are extracellular vesicles and exosomes. The United States has emerged as the most influential co-authoring country in this field. Among the co-cited journals, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine holds the highest influence. Thus, this study provides trends in publications, collaboration, research interests, and hotspots, and provides clues for novel ideas and strategies in to further MSCs treatments for BPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objective: This study aims to investigate the characteristics of patients with an initial diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an emergency department (ED) and their outcomes. Methods: A total of 147 SLE patients (119 females and 28 males, mean age 26 ± 19 years) who visited the ED of the Peking University People's Hospital between January 2017 and June 2022 were enrolled in the study. Data on demographic information, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, therapy, and outcomes were collected. Results: Most patients visit ED because of symptoms related to SLE (74.8%, 110/147). The remaining 37 patients (25.2%) visited ED due to infection (43.2%, 16/37), gastrointestinal bleeding (10.8%, 4/37), coronary heart or cerebrovascular disease (18.9%, 7/37), macrophage activation syndrome or thrombotic microangiopathy (18.9%, 7/37), leukemia (5.4%, 2/37), and hepatic encephalopathy (2.7%, 1/37). Of the patients, 54.4% (80/147) were first diagnosed with SLE at the time of their ED visit. Thrombocytopenia events occurred significantly more frequently in this group of patients (OR 3.664, 95% CI 1.586–8.464, p = 0.002). Pulse steroid therapy was administered to 32.5% (26/80) of the patients with an initial diagnosis of SLE, and 26.3% (21/80) of these patients also received IVIG therapy during their ED visit. SLEDAI scores were significantly decreased after 6 months of therapy. The rate of mortality was 6.8% (10/147) in the 6-month follow-up period, and all the ten deaths happened in patients with disease-established SLE. The main causes of death were infections (two patients) and SLE flare (four patients). Conclusion: Understanding disease patterns can contribute to physicians providing accurate diagnosis and efficient care for SLE patients in ED. Key Points • Systemic lupus erythematosus, a complex autoimmune disorder, can have either a chronic or a relapsing and remitting disease course. The disease can involve acute events or severe comorbidities, and frequent visits to the emergency department (ED) are inevitable. • It is essential to better understand which comorbidities can lead to emergency department visits. Accurate clinical diagnosis and appropriate interventions from ED physicians can have a strong impact on the prognosis of the disease. • Hematologic compromise attributed to SLE flare is the most common reason for ED visits. Owing to aggressive treatments, the clinical outcomes in patients with initial diagnosis of SLE have improved notably. • Our study highlights that early recognition and appropriate management of SLE-related conditions and other comorbidity in ED are crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As one of the most common gynecologic malignancies, endometrial cancer (EC) is driven by multiple genetic alterations that may be targeted for treatments. AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) gene mutations were reported as early events in endometrial carcinogenesis. Methods: To explore the alterations of downstream molecular pathways caused by ARID1A mutations and the associated therapeutic implications, we edited ARID1A gene in human endometrial cancer cell line Ishikawa using the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and CRISPR-Associated Proteins (CRISPR/Cas9) technology. We successfully constructed a stable Ishikawa cell line with a confirmed 10 bp deletion on the ARID1A gene, which resulted in a code-shift mutation and gene knockout. Results: Compared with unedited wild-type cells, ARID1A knockout (KO) led to reduced apoptosis, accelerated transformation from G0/G1 to S phase, and enhanced cell proliferation. ARID1A deficiency would reduce the protein levels of p21, caspase 7, and caspase 9 in Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells compared with the wild-type cells. In addition, ARID1A KO resulted in high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H). Moreover, transcriptomic analyses showed that ARID1A KO can lead to activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling. Furthermore, experimental analyses demonstrated that ARID1A KO cells had reduced expression of genetic instability-associated markers mutL homologue 1 (MLH1) and progesterone receptor B (PR) and increased p-Akt expression. Conclusion: These findings support further exploration of ARID1A as a therapeutic target for EC and provide insight into developing more effective treatments in EC, such as the combinatory use of immune checkpoint inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most countries along the Belt and Road are developing countries that face pronounced challenges due to poverty. The Chinese government has committed to implementing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to establish a 'Road to Poverty Reduction'. This study explores the impact of the BRI on poverty reduction in participating countries as well as the mechanisms underlying this impact. This research is of great significance to the continuing implementation of the BRI and global poverty governance. Based on a panel dataset extending from 2005 to 2019 and encompassing 151 countries, this article uses the difference-in-differences method to examine the Initiative's impact and conducts heterogeneity analysis to explore the mechanism underlying this impact in further detail. This approach results in four findings. First, joining the BRI can significantly reduce poverty rates in these countries. Second, the policy effect exhibits a time lag. In the long term, the poverty reduction effect becomes more significant. Third, the BRI can significantly reduce poverty in countries neighbouring China and in lower-middle-income countries. The Land Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road distinctly reduce poverty. Fourth, the BRI contributes to poverty reduction in BRI countries by facilitating trade, enhancing financial and credit systems, increasing China's greenfield investment, and establishing digital infrastructure. Additionally, the BRI promotes poverty reduction through increased bilateral visits and technical cooperation, whereas knowledge sharing remains an area in need of further development. Through theoretical analysis and empirical tests, this article evaluates the policy effect of the BRI on poverty alleviation, tests the underlying mechanism, and responds to some concerns expressed by the international community. The findings of this article provide a feasible direction for improving the ability of the BRI to reduce poverty more effectively in the future and thus achieve the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lonicerae japonicae flos, also known as Jinyinhua (JYH), is an important component of traditional Chinese patent medicine (TCPM) products. However, the potential for adulteration and substitution with low-quality materials highlights the need for a reliable and sensitive approach to identify the species composition of TCPM products for consumer safety. Methods and results: We used universal ITS2 primers to amplify TCPMs containing JYH. However, the results were inconclusive, as only one operational taxonomic unit (OTU) was identified as Lonicera sp., which could not be identified at the species level. To confirm the species identification of Lonicera sp. in TCPM, we developed a short mini-barcode primer based on the psbA-trnH region, which, in combination with DNA metabarcoding technology, allowed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of artificially mixed samples. We applied the mini-barcode to distinguish TCPMs containing JYH and demonstrated its relatively accurate quantitative ability in identifying two Lonicera species. Conclusions: Our study presents a method for qualitative and quantitative identification of JYH, providing a promising application of DNA metabarcoding technology in the quality control of TCPM products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients not only undergo physical symptoms but also psychological suffering. Psycho-education interventions have been implemented widely to improve their psychological well-being. However, the effectiveness of psycho-education is unclear. Therefore, this research evaluates the effectiveness of psycho-education interventions on CRC patient outcomes and identifies effective intervention characteristics. The researchers searched the following databases: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, ProQuest, Wan Fang Data, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedicine Database, and China Academic Journals Full-Text Database. Additionally, gray literature and bibliographies of the included studies were also searched. Finally, this review included 11 randomized controlled trials and one controlled clinical trial. The results showed that psycho-education interventions exerted positive impacts on relieving anxiety and depression, improving self-efficacy and quality of life for CRC patients either immediately, post-intervention, or at least 2 months after intervention. Despite the variety of psycho-education interventions, health education, stress management, coping skills training, and social support are also essential components. Future research should include multi-center studies with sufficient sample sizes and rigorous designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Low biological hydrogen (bioH2) production due to non-optimal metabolic pathways occurs frequently. In this work, magnetic nitrogen-doped activated carbon (MNAC) was prepared and added into the inoculated sludge with glucose as substrate to enhance hydrogen (H2) yield by mesophilic dark fermentation (DF). The highest H2 yield appeared in 400 mg/L AC (252.8 mL/g glucose) and 600 mg/L MNAC group (304.8 mL/g glucose), which were 26.02% and 51.94% higher than that of 0 mg/L MNAC group (200.6 mL/g glucose). The addition of MNAC allowed for efficient enrichment of Firmicutes and Clostridium-sensu-stricto-1, accelerating the metabolic pathway shifted towards butyrate type. The Fe ions released by MNAC facilitated electron transfer and favored the reduction of ferredoxin (Fd), thereby obtaining more bioH2. Finally, the generation of [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase and cellular components of H2-producing microbes (HPM) during homeostasis was discussed to understand on the use of MNAC in DF system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold is a destructive disease caused by Botrytis cinerea, a pervasive plant pathogen, which poses a threat to both tomato growth and postharvest storage. The utilization of induced resistance presents a potential strategy for combating plant pathogenic attacks. ZNC (zhinengcong), an extract derived from the endophytic fungus Paecilomyces variotii, has been discovered to play a vital role in preventing diverse forms of bacterial infections. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism behind its ability to enhance tomato resistance to fungi remains unclear. In this study, we found that the exogenous spraying of ZNC could significantly improve the resistance of tomato plants to B. cinerea. The results of both the metabolomic analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) demonstrated that tomato plants responded to ZNC treatment by accumulating high levels of rutin. Additional transcriptome analysis uncovered that rutin enhances tomato resistance possible by initiating the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) related genes expression during the initial phase of invasion by B. cinerea. In addition, we also found that rutin might activate plant immunity by eliciting ethylene (ET) and jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated pathways. Therefore, plant immune inducer ZNC and rutin has bright application prospects and high utilization value to control gray mold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Early and accurate identification of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) at high risk of persistent acute respiratory failure (PARF) is crucial. We sought to determine the accuracy of simplified Lung Injury Prediction Score (sLIPS) and simplified Early Acute Lung Injury (sEALI) for predicting PARF in ward AP patients. Methods: Consecutive AP patients in a training cohort from West China Hospital of Sichuan University (n = 912) and a validation cohort from The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (n = 1033) were analyzed. PARF was defined as oxygen in arterial blood/fraction of inspired oxygen < 300 mmHg that lasts for > 48 h. The sLIPS was composed by shock (predisposing condition), alcohol abuse, obesity, high respiratory rate, low oxygen saturation, high oxygen requirement, hypoalbuminemia, and acidosis (risk modifiers). The sEALI was calculated from oxygen 2 to 6 L/min, oxygen > 6 L/min, and high respiratory rate. Both indices were calculated on admission. Results: PARF developed in 16% (145/912) and 22% (228/1033) (22%) of the training and validation cohorts, respectively. In these patients, sLIPS and sEALI were significantly increased. sLIPS ≥ 2 predicted PARF in the training (AUROC 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.89) and validation (AUROC 0.81, 95% CI 0.78–0.83) cohorts. sLIPS was significantly more accurate than sEALI and current clinical scoring systems in both cohorts (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Using routinely available clinical data, the sLIPS can accurately predict PARF in ward AP patients and outperforms the sEALI and current existing clinical scoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphioctopus fangsiao (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) is an important commercial species in the coastal waters of China. In recent years, however, the resource of A. fangsiao have declined because of habitat destruction and overfishing. To analyze the genetic variations of A. fangsiao caused by the fluctuation of resources, the population genetic structure of nine sampling locations collected from the Bohai Sea to the South China Sea were investigated, using mtDNA COI fragments and microsatellite DNA. The results of F-statistics, AMOVA, STRUCTURE and PCA analyses showed three phylogeographic clades (Clades A, B and C), revealing limited genetic exchange between north and south populations. These clades diverged in 2.23 (Clades A and B) and 3.67 (Clades A, B and C) million years ago, during the dramatic environmental fluctuations, such as sea level and temperature changes, have exerted great influence on the survival distribution pattern of global organisms. Our results for low genetic connectivity among A. fangsiao populations provide insights into the development of management strategies, that is, to manage this species as separate management unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine diagnostic accuracy and evaluate the predictive value of autoantibody profiles in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: A total of 140 patients with SSc (125 female, mean age 54.2 ± 14.2 years) were analyzed by a multiplex line immunoassay (Euroimmun) for autoantibodies against 12 SSc-related antigens. Associations between the presence of the autoantibodies and demographic clinical manifestations of patients with SSc were investigated. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of this assay were as follows: 32.9% and 99.4% for anti-Scl-70, 29.3% and 88.9% for anti-CENP A, 28.6% and 87.8% for anti-CENP B, 7.1% and 97.8% for anti-RP11, 5.7% and 100% for anti-RP155, 2.9% and 99.4% for anti-NOR 90, 2.9% and 98.9% for anti-Th/To, 1.4% and 96.7% for anti-PM-Scl-100, 5.0% and 98.3% for anti-PM-Scl-75, and 2.9% and 97.2% for anti-Ku, respectively. Anti-Scl-70 was significantly associated with sine scleroderma (P = 0.003), digital ulcers (P = 0.047), and Raynaud's phenomenon as the first clinical manifestation of onset (P = 0.017). SSc-ILD was more common in patients with anti-Scl-70 (P = 0.029) and less frequent in patients with anti-CENP A (P < 0.001) and anti-CENP B (P < 0.001). There was a significant association between PAH with anti-CENP A (P = 0.008) and anti-CENP B (P = 0.025). Renal involvement was significantly related to anti-NOR90 (P = 0.026) and anti-Th/To (P = 0.026). Conclusions: This study confirmed the important role of autoantibodies in accurately diagnosing SSc. The autoimmune profile of patients with SSc was related to specific disease manifestations. Key Points • Autoantibody profiles were useful for diagnosing SSc and predicting clinical features of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketone bodies have beneficial metabolic activities, and the induction of plasma ketone bodies is a health promotion strategy. Dietary supplementation of sodium butyrate (SB) is an effective approach in the induction of plasma ketone bodies. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this study, SB was found to enhance the catalytic activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), a rate-limiting enzyme in ketogenesis, to promote ketone body production in hepatocytes. SB administrated by gavage or intraperitoneal injection significantly induced blood ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in mice. BHB production was induced in the primary hepatocytes by SB. Protein succinylation was altered by SB in the liver tissues with down-regulation in 58 proteins and up-regulation in 26 proteins in the proteomics analysis. However, the alteration was mostly observed in mitochondrial proteins with 41% down- and 65% up-regulation, respectively. Succinylation status of HMGCS2 protein was altered by a reduction at two sites (K221 and K358) without a change in the protein level. The SB effect was significantly reduced by a SIRT5 inhibitor and in Sirt5-KO mice. The data suggests that SB activated HMGCS2 through SIRT5-mediated desuccinylation for ketone body production by the liver. The effect was not associated with an elevation in NAD+/NADH ratio according to our metabolomics analysis. The data provide a novel molecular mechanism for SB activity in the induction of ketone body production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel adsorbent (FeOOH@PU) for hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] removal was synthesized using a polyurethane foam (PU) and FeOOH via a facile one-step method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) characterized the adsorbent. The influence of environmental factors was investigated to evaluate the adsorption behavior for Cr(VI). Furthermore, adsorption dynamic and adsorption isotherm models described the adsorption performance. This adsorbent also treated electroplating wastewater and remediated simulated Cr(VI) contaminated soil. The adsorbent effectively removed Cr(VI) with a high adsorption rate; its equilibrium rate constant was 13 times that of FeOOH. Cr(VI) removal was a monolayer adsorption process and the maximum adsorption capacity of FeOOH@PU reached 34.9 mg Cr/g. Electrostatic attraction was the mechanism of Cr(VI) removal. Electroplating wastewater became clear and the Cr(VI) concentration decreased from 9.76 to 0.042 mg/L after treatment with FeOOH@PU. Cr enrichment in rice seedlings grown in remediated soil decreased from 7.687 to 6.295 mg Cr/kg. These results suggested that FeOOH@PU was a promising adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal and Cr(VI) stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radionuclides sorption on fractured rocks is greatly influenced by the constituent minerals and their spatial variations of the fracture matrix. The mineral heterogeneity distributions can lead to potential scale-dependent sorption coefficients in fractured rocks. The indicator geostatistics-based upscaling (IU) method is one promising upscaling approach but has a gap in linking parameters from different sources in real applications. Taking Se(IV) sorption on fractured granite as an example, this study developed a sorption coefficient transition function between individual minerals and mineral assemblages and validated the IU method for estimating the sorption coefficients under a hierarchical framework of reactive mineral facies. The sorption coefficients of the reactive mineral assemblage at the mesoform scale were estimated based on the spatial distribution of minerals on the fracture surface and multimodal mineral sorption coefficients at the microform scale. Compared to the parameters derived from our fracture transport experiment and traditional component additivity method, the IU method accurately estimates the sorption coefficients of mineral assemblage and delineates the variations of sorption coefficients at different scales. This study successfully bridges the gap between laboratory-scale measurements and field-scale simulations and provides important information for field-scale predictive modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Community dynamics, functions and driving factors of rhizosphere and bulk soil bacteria during secondary forest succession remain poorly understood in subalpine regions. Methods: Three typical successional stages (grassland, shrubland and secondary forest) were selected to analyse bacterial communities, functions and interactions in the rhizosphere and bulk soils using high-throughput sequencing technology. Results: The results showed no significant difference in the bacterial α-diversity in the rhizosphere soil, whereas the bacterial α-diversity in the bulk soil of the grassland was significantly lower than that of the shrubland and secondary forest. Bacterial β-diversity in the rhizosphere soil differed significantly among the three succession stages, while the bacterial β-diversity in the bulk soil in the shrubland and secondary forest was significantly different from that in the grassland. However, the potential bacterial functions of the carbon, nitrogen and sulfate cycles revealed a consistent response in the rhizosphere and bulk soils to secondary forest succession. The soil total phosphorus, ammonium nitrogen, ratio of carbon to phosphorus and pH were the main factors affecting bacterial communities and potential functional groups. Bacterial network complexity was highest in the secondary forest rhizosphere soil and the shrubland bulk soil. Different keystone bacteria were detected in the rhizosphere and bulk soils among the three successional stages; they play major role in maintaining ecosystem function and community structure. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the bacterial communities and interactions in the rhizosphere and bulk soils respond differently to secondary forest succession, while the bacterial functional groups revealed a consistent response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression and anxiety are among the most common morbidities during the perinatal period. Very few studies have been conducted to examine the association between paternal childcare involvement and postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety (PPA) in East Asian cultures. This study aims to examine the association between fathers' involvement in childcare and mothers' mental health and explores the potential mediating effects of the mother and child's health among a national sample of Chinese women. This is a cross-sectional, self-administered online survey of maternal women (N = 778) within 1 year after childbirth in China. The questionnaire comprised of sociodemographics, fathers' childcare involvement, child and mother's physical health, and mothers' postpartum mental health status. A path analysis model was constructed to examine the correlation between paternal childcare involvement and maternal depression and anxiety within 1-year postpartum. The mediating effect of the mother and child's physical health was also explored in the model. Paternal involvement in childcare was significantly associated with lower PPD (β = −.36, p < 0.001) and PPA (β = −.29, p < 0.001) levels of mothers after covariates were adjusted. Furthermore, women's physical health partially mediated the association between paternal involvement and PPD, and child's health partially mediated the association between paternal involvement and PPA and PPD. Our findings emphasize the essential role of father's childcare involvement and the need to promote culturally tailored intervention programs, which may improve the mental health status among Chinese postpartum mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the thermoelectric effect of cement-based materials, conductive polyaniline (PANI) modified MnO2 powder was synthesized and used as a thermoelectric component in the cement composites. The nanostructured PANI was deposited on the surface of the nanorod-shaped α-MnO2 particle and the weight ratio of PANI to MnO2 was 22.3:77.7 in the composite. The synthesized PANI/MnO2 composite was nanostructured according to the SEM image. The test results of the thermoelectric properties proved that the PANI/MnO2 composite was effective as the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity values of the cement composites with PANI/MnO2 inside were 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than those of pure cement paste and the thermal conductivity values of these cement samples were similar. The obtained maximum figure of merit (ZT) value (2.75×10−3) was much larger than that of conductive materials reinforced cement-based composites. The thermoelectric effect of cement composites is mainly enhanced by the increased Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast activation protein (Fap) is a serine protease that degrades denatured type I collagen, α2-antiplasmin and FGF21. Fap is highly expressed in bone marrow stromal cells and functions as an osteogenic suppressor and can be inhibited by the bone growth factor Osteolectin (Oln). Fap is also expressed in synovial fibroblasts and positively correlated with the severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether Fap plays a critical role in osteoarthritis (OA) remains poorly understood. Here, we found that Fap is significantly elevated in osteoarthritic synovium, while the genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of Fap significantly ameliorated posttraumatic OA in mice. Mechanistically, we found that Fap degrades denatured type II collagen (Col II) and Mmp13-cleaved native Col II. Intra-articular injection of rFap significantly accelerated Col II degradation and OA progression. In contrast, Oln is expressed in the superficial layer of articular cartilage and is significantly downregulated in OA. Genetic deletion of Oln significantly exacerbated OA progression, which was partially rescued by Fap deletion or inhibition. Intra-articular injection of rOln significantly ameliorated OA progression. Taken together, these findings identify Fap as a critical pathogenic factor in OA that could be targeted by both synthetic and endogenous inhibitors to ameliorate articular cartilage degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the role of micro polyethylene (mPE) and micro polypropylene (mPP) on cadmium (Cd) adsorption and desorption in soil. Cd adsorption in soils reached equilibrium within 240 min with or without mPP/mPE. The largest Cd adsorption amount was 923.88 mg kg−1 in the control treatment (no MPs). The Cd adsorption amount in the mPP treatment was 872.21 mg kg−1, greater than that in the mPE treatment (780.21 mg kg−1). MPs reduced the soil adsorption of Cd to some extent. Soils supplemented with mPE were more inhibitory to Cd adsorption than mPP. The pseudo-second-order model equation proved to be the most optimal equation for describing Cd adsorption dynamics in the presence of different MPs, while the Freundlich equation was best for describing isothermal adsorption of Cd in the presence of MPs. MPs facilitate the desorption of metals from the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orchids Cymbidium 'Sakura' (CyC) and its etiolated mutant (CyT) were studied. CyC displays obvious dark green leaves, while CyT shows yellow leaves. There were obvious differences in phenotype and organelle ultrastructure between CyC and CyT. The total chlorophyll content in CyT was lower than that in CyC. Ca. 47.60 Gb clean data were obtained for the transcriptome from samples of CyC and CyT using Illumina Hiseq™ 2500 RNA-seq. The DEGs expression analysis results revealed that 1139 genes were differentially expressed between CyC and CyT. Several DEGs were further validated by qRT-PCR. Chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis were inhibited, and chlorophyll degradation contributed to the etiolated traits in the mutant. In our research, the phenotypic, physiochemical, and cytological traits were compared between CyC and CyT. The research will contribute to the understanding of the cloning and functional aspects of genes that involved in leaf color variation responses, and will accelerate leaf color breeding of orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) is still a serious problem threatening human health. Salidroside (SAL) is a natural phenylpropanoid glycoside compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ischemic properties. This study investigated the protective mechanism of SAL on middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)- and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model-induced CIRI via regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) axis. The results indicated that SAL (50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) not only effectively alleviated infarction rate, improved histopathological changes, relieved apoptosis by strengthening the suppression of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 proteins and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, but also increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and upregulated the expressions of Nrf2 and Trx1 on MCAO-induced CIRI rats. SAL also efficiently inhibited apoptosis and decreased oxidative stress in OGD/R-stimulated PC12 cells. Furthermore, blocking the Nrf2/Trx1 pathway using tretinoin, an Nrf2 inhibitor, significantly reversed the protective effect of SAL on OGD/R-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, SAL reduced the expression of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (ASK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family proteins. These results demonstrated that SAL inhibited oxidative stress through Nrf2/Trx1 signaling pathway, and subsequently reduced CIRI-induced apoptosis by inhibiting ASK1/MAPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas sp. Y-5, a strain with simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) capacity, was isolated from the Wuhan Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant. This strain could rapidly remove high concentrations of inorganic nitrogen. Specifically, Pseudomonas sp. Y-5 removed 103 mg/L of NH4+-N in 24 h without nitrate or nitrite accumulation when NH4+-N was its sole nitrogen source. The NH4+-N removal efficiency (RE) was 97.26%, and the average removal rate (RR) was 4.30 mg/L/h. Strain Y-5 also removed NO3−-N and NO2−-N even in aerobic conditions, with average RRs of 4.39 and 4.23 mg/L/h, respectively, and REs of up to 99.34% and 95.81% within 24 h. When cultured in SND medium (SNDM-1), strain Y-5 achieved an NH4+-N RE of up to 97.80% and a total nitrogen (TN) RE of 93.01%, whereas NO3−-N was fully depleted in 48 h. Interestingly, high nitrite concentrations did not inhibit the nitrification capacity of Y-5 when grown in SNDM-2, the RE of NH4+-N and TN reached 96.29% and 94.26%, respectively, and nitrite was consumed completely. Strain Y-5 also adapted well to high concentrations of ammonia (~401.68 mg NH4+-N/L) or organic nitrogen (~315.12 mg TN/L). Our results suggested that Pseudomonas sp. Y-5 achieved efficient simultaneous nitrification and denitrification, thus demonstrating its potential applicability in the treatment of nitrogen-polluted wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the study of the shortcomings of various existing fault ride-through (FRT) measures and targeting the problems of a single operation mode and poor FRT ability for the traditional DC chopper, this paper improves the structure of the traditional DC chopper. The improved DC chopper can switch between different operation modes according to different operating conditions of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) during voltage dips. Meanwhile, improved control strategies of rotor-side converters and grid-side converters are proposed to match the different operation modes of DC choppers. In addition, in the case of a deep voltage dip, the series impedance is connected to the stator side to enhance the rotor over both the current-limiting ability and the voltage fast recovery ability. The comprehensive application and coordination of the above measures can effectively limit the rotor overcurrent, suppress the DC bus overvoltage of the DFIG during a voltage dip, and accelerate the rapid recovery of the fault voltage. At the same time, the proposed comprehensive FRT scheme can be applied to different voltage dips. The simulation model of the FRT scheme is built on the MATLAB/Simulink software platform; the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed FRT scheme are verified by simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world's most important non-grain food crops, so it is important to improve the potato yield and quality. Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) play critical roles in various environmental stresses. Here, we studied the function of the heterologous overexpression of NtLTP4 from Nicotiana tabacum in potato. We cloned ubiquitin promoter ubi3 from potato, and then constructed the plant expression recombinant plasmid ubi3:pX6–NtLTP4, and transformed it into potato. PCR results indicated that 15 positive plants were obtained. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR data showed that 5 plants had high expression level of NtLTP4 gene. Western blot analyses showed that the NtLTP4 gene and its encoded protein (about 12 kDa) were normally transcribed and expressed in potato, indicating that transgenic NtLTP4 potato plants were successfully obtained. The tolerance to salt, drought, and Ralstonia solanacearum of potato plants with NtLTP4 overexpression was enhanced compared with that of non-transgenic plants. The resistance mechanism was also studied by detecting related resistance and functional genes. This study provides a method to improve potato resistance and obtain new transgenic potato varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicates that estrogen plays a pivotal role in neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia, but the molecular mechanism of this protection is still elusive. N‐myc downstream‐regulated gene 2 (Ndrg2), an estrogen-targeted gene, has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia in male mice. However, the role of Ndrg2 in the neuroprotective effect of estrogen remains unknown. In this study, we first detected NDRG2 expression levels in the cortex and striatum in both female and male mice with western blot analyses. We then detected cerebral ischemic injury by constructing middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO-R) models in Ndrg2 knockout or conditional knockdown female mice. We further implemented estrogen, ERα, or ERβ agonist replacement in the ovariectomized (OVX) Ndrg2 knockout or conditional knockdown female mice, then tested for NDRG2 expression, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, and extent of cerebral ischemic injury. We found that NDRG2 expression was significantly higher in female than in male mice in both the cortex and striatum. Ndrg2 knockouts and conditional knockdowns showed significantly aggravated cerebral ischemic injury in female mice. Estrogen and ERβ replacement treatment (DPN) led to NDRG2 upregulation in both the cortex and striatum of OVX mice. Estrogen and DPN also led to GFAP upregulation in OVX mice. However, the effect of estrogen and DPN in activating astrocytes was lost in Ndrg2 knockout OVX mice and primary cultured astrocytes, but partially retained in conditional knockdown OVX mice. Most importantly, we found that the neuroprotective effects of E2 and DPN against cerebral ischemic injury were lost in Ndrg2 knockout OVX mice but partially retained in conditional knockdown OVX mice. These findings demonstrate that estrogen alleviated cerebral ischemic injury via ERβ upregulation of Ndrg2, which could activate astrocytes, indicating that Ndrg2 is a critical mediator of E2-induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischemic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical significance of miR-17 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unknown. Methods: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to detect the miR-17 expression in 115 de novo AML patients, 31 patients at complete remission (CR) time, 8 patients at relapse time and 30 normal controls. Results: MiR-17 was upregulated in de novo AML compared with normal controls. Patients with high expression of miR-17 had less CEBPA double mutation, less favorable ELN-risk and lower CR rate. The level of miR-17 was significantly decreased at CR phase and was returned to primary level even higher when in relapse phase. In addition, Cox regression analysis revealed that miR-17 expression retained independent prognostic significance for overall survival (OS). Moreover, the gene-expression profile analysis of miR-17 in AML obtained from TCGA database was involved in multiple biological functions and signal pathways. Among the differential expressed genes (DEGs), we identified FGL2, PLAUR, SLC2A3, GPR65, CTSS, TLR7, S1PR3, OGFRL1, LILRB1, IL17RA, SIGLEC10, SLAMF7, PLXDC2, HPSE, TCF7 and MYCL as potential direct targets of miR-17 according to in silico analysis. Conclusions: High expression of miR-17 in de novo AML patients pointed to dismal clinical outcome and disease recurrence, which could serve as novel prognostic biomarker for AML patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public concerns have been dramatically increased over potential saltwater intrusion resulting in freshwater resources shortage in coastal aquifers in the past decades. Investigating the distribution and origin of saline water is a key factor to understand coastal groundwater evolution and further assist its management. Here we evaluate the horizontal and vertical spatial variability of the coastal groundwater salinity and its potential key influencing factors based on integrated hydrochemical and geoelectrical approaches in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China. The electrical resistivity tomography and geochemical data show a decrease of salinity from the coast to the inland with a water type varying from Cl–Na to HCO3–Ca at the regional scale. Points with higher/lower salinity values than those in the surrounding environment occasionally exist in the study region. In the cross section, the zone 2–90 m below the surface has low resistivity values, which correspond to high-salinity values in the subsurface. The moderate resistivity values at 0–2 m depth illustrate an infiltration of freshwater. The complex salinity distribution pattern is mainly controlled by the heterogeneity of formation and distribution of primary flow paths, while the coastal groundwater salinity evolution is shaped by the joint influence of paleo-seawater intrusion, the ion mixing processes, and the water–rock interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, bursting behaviors triggered by the pulse-shaped explosion (abbreviated as PSE) phenomenon and bifurcation structures are investigated in a parametrically and externally forced van der Pol–Mathieu system. The PSE, characterized by the pulse-shaped quantitative of the system solutions changing sharply at some values, is an innovative route to bursting oscillations reported recently. Three PSE-induced bursting types, namely intermittent "supHopf/supHopf-supHopf/supHopf" bursting via "PSE/PSE" hysteresis loop, "supHopf/supHopf" bursting via "PSE/PSE" hysteresis loop and "supHopf/supHopf" bursting via "supHopf/PSE" hysteresis loop, are investigated in detail by using the slow/fast analysis technology, time series analysis and phase diagram. We present a fact that the system parameters affect the positions of the PSE points, the types of the spiking states and the bursting forms. This paper adds the diversity of the bursting patterns triggered by the PSE and reveals some essential properties of bursting oscillations. In addition, the numerical simulations are used to test and verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bi2S3-modified ZnO nanowires (Bi2S3/ZnO) were prepared by the electrochemistry deposition and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction and their photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance was explored. Compared with that of pristine ZnO, the photo-response of the Bi2S3/ZnO heterostructure thin-film red shifted to the visible light range and their photocathodic protection for 304 stainless steel and Q235 carbon steel was improved under visible light. Furthermore, the enhanced mechanism was investigated systematically explored and it found that the appropriate energy level arrangement and the construction of heterojunction is responsible for the enhanced photocathodic protection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread globally, a series of vaccines, antibodies and drugs have been developed to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). High specific antibodies are powerful tool for the development of immunoassay and providing passive immunotherapy against SARS-CoV-2 and expected with large scale production. SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein was expressed in E. coli BL21 and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography, as antigen used to immunize hens, the specific IgY antibodies were extracted form egg yolk by PEG-6000 precipitation, and the titer of anti-S1 IgY antibody reached 1:10,000. IgY single chain variable fragment antibody (IgY-scFv) was generated by using phage display technology and the IgY-scFv showed high binding sensitivity and capacity to S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2, and the minimum detectable antigen S1 protein concentration was 6 ng/µL. The docking study showed that the multiple epitopes on the IgY-scFv interacted with multiple residues on SARS-CoV-2 S1 RBD to form hydrogen bonds. This preliminary study suggests that IgY and IgY-scFv are suitable candidates for the development of immunoassay and passive immunotherapy for COVID-19 to humans and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneity significantly effects the accuracy of flow and contaminant transport prediction in subsurface formations. The spatial correlation structure of hydraulic conductivity (K) is a crucial factor to characterize the heterogeneous architecture. In presented study, the relationship between the spatial correlation structure of K and plume dispersion is analyzed through the integration of experimental and numerical simulation approaches. A detailed description on the sedimentary facies types in a column experiment is obtained to ensure the accuracy of the heterogeneous characterization. The spatial correlation structure of K is analyzed with the components of ln(K) covariance and facies transition probability structures. Lagrangian-based models are developed to estimate solute dispersion in nonreactive tracer injection experiments. The results show that the model can predict plume spreading accurately when the spatial correlation structure is well defined. The dispersivities calculated by the Lagrangian-based model are slightly higher than those obtained from the solute transport experiments. Further, the upscaled dispersivity derived from the transition probability is dominated by the cross-transition probability structure, while the contribution of the auto-transition terms is quite small. The numerical modeling results confirm that the upscaled dispersivity can reproduce the solute breakthrough in the heterogeneous sediment well. The scale dependence of dispersion is strengthened when the flow direction is perpendicular to the bedding plane where the conductivity dramatically changes along the flow path in a layered bedding sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]