Search

Many educational institutions have adopted e-learning methods during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain school teaching activities. However, systematic research on e-learning effectiveness in such a crisis is quite insufficient. This study aims to explore the impact of e-learning quality on students' satisfaction during the pandemic in regard to academic achievement and behavioral intention. Through a questionnaire and semester score database, the relevant data of 683 students were collected and then analyzed by PLS-SEM. The result shows that instructor teaching quality and e-learning system quality influence students' academic achievement and behavioral intention through increasing students' e-learning satisfaction. E-learning system quality moderated the impact of instructor teaching quality on students' e-learning satisfaction. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the comprehensive implementation of e-learning during a crisis.

Background Increasing number of travel-related infections were reported in China, but the spectrum, dynamics and disease burden of imported infections among foreign travelers remain vague. Methods We obtained the data on imported infections among foreign travelers from Custom Inbound Screening System (CISS) and the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System (NNIDRS). All the infections were classified into respiratory, gastrointestinal, vector-borne, blood/sex-transmitted and mucocutaneous diseases. The epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of imported infections among foreign travelers were investigated. Results In total, 17,189 travelers diagnosed with 58 imported infectious diseases were reported from 2014 to 2018, with an overall incidence rate of 122.59 per million. Respiratory infection (7,351 cases, mainly influenza) and Blood/sex-transmitted diseases (6,114 cases mainly Hepatitis B and HIV infection) were the most frequently diagnosed diseases, followed by vector-borne infections (3,128 cases, mainly dengue fever and malaria). The highest case number was imported from Asia and Europe, while the highest incidence rate was from Africa (296.0 per million). When specific diagnosis was compared, both the highest absolute case number and incidence rate were observed for influenza. An obvious seasonal pattern was observed for vector-borne diseases, with the epidemic spanning from July to November. The origin-destination matrices disclosed the movement of imported infection followed specific routes. Conclusions Our study gave a profile of infectious diseases among foreign travelers traveled into China and pinpointed the priority regions, seasons, populations for prevention and control.

Self‐assembly generated materials induced by an external magnetic field have attracted considerable interest following the development of nanodevices. However, the fabrication of macroscopic and anisotropic magnetic films at the nanoscale remains a challenge. Here, anisotropic magnetic films are successfully prepared using a solution‐based nanowire assembly strategy under a magnetic field. The assembly process is manipulated by changing the thickness of silica shell coated on the surface of magnetic nanowires. The anisotropic magnetic films show highly anisotropic magnetization under different angles of magnetic field and better magnetization properties than that of disordered magnetic films. The well‐defined nanowire arrays enable magnetization anisotropic property which may be useful in the magnetic energy conversion technologies and biomedical sciences which lie far beyond those achievable with traditional magnetic materials., Bioinspired! The anisotropic magnetic field in the brain of homing animals has inspired us to develop a self‐assembly strategy to fabricate ordered and highly anisotropic magnetic nanowires films. The anisotropic magnetic films showed prominent anisotropic magnetization useful to facilitate the development of magnetic energy conversion technologies.

Over the past decades, nanomaterials have been proven to have superior properties, because of their unique structural features differentiating from atoms and bulk materials, and their large-scale p...

Plant diversity exerts significant effects on ecosystem functioning. However, it remains unclear that whether the ecological consequences of genotypic diversity of the dominant species is similar to that of species diversity. In this study, diversity effects on biomass of 12 companion species and 12 genotypes of the dominant species (Stipa grandis) in the Inner Mongolia Steppe of China were examined by two independent diversity experiments. In order to explain the diversity effects, seven plant functional traits for each species or each genotype of S. grandis per mixture treatment were measured and their Rao’s quadratic entropy (FDQ) was estimated. There was significantly positive net species diversity effect on aboveground biomass, which was mainly contributed by complementarity effect; however, net diversity effects were not significant in genotypic diversity experiment. The FDQ among S. grandis genotypes was significantly lower than that among the companion species, and the relatively lower FDQ would increase niche overlap and limit complementarity effect among genotypes. Neither species diversity nor genotypic diversity of S. grandis showed significant influences on belowground biomass, suggesting the non-consistent results of diversity effect between belowground and aboveground systems. The present finding highlighted the species diversity effects on biomass, the role of FDQ on explaining complementarity effect by niche overlap or resource use efficient.

BackgroundMalignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are rare tumors with few prognostic tools. This study aimed to construct nomograms for predicting 3- and 5-year survival for patients with malignant PPGL.MethodsThe patient data was retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. A total of 764 patients diagnosed with malignant PPGL from 1975 to 2016 were included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two cohorts; the training cohort (n = 536) and the validation cohort (n = 228). Univariate analysis, Lasso regression, and multivariate Cox analysis were used to identify independent prognostic factors, which were then utilized to construct survival nomograms. The nomograms were used to predict 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with malignant PPGL. The prediction accuracy of the nomogram was assessed using the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCAs) was used to evaluate the performance of survival models.ResultsAge, gender, tumor type, tumor stage, or surgery were independent prognostic factors for OS in patients with malignant PPGL, while age, tumor stage, or surgery were independent prognostic factors for CSS (P ConclusionWe successfully constructed nomograms for predicting the OS and CSS of patients with malignant PPGL. The nomograms could inform personalized clinical management of the patients.

Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels are transmembrane proteins composed of four homologous domains (DI–DIV) that play important roles in membrane excitability in neurons and muscles. Analgesic-antitumour peptide (AGAP) is a neurotoxin from the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, and has been shown to exert analgesic effect by binding on site 4 of human Nav1.7 (hNav1.7). Mechanistic details about this binding, however, remain unclear. To address this issue, we compared the binding modes of AGAP/AGAPW38G/AGAPW38F and the hNav1.7 voltage-sensing domain on DII (VSD2hNav1.7) using homology modeling, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation and steered molecular dynamics. Results revealed the key role of tryptophan at position 38 on the binding of AGAP to VSD2hNav1.7. Pivotal roles are played also by residues on the β-turn and negatively charged residues at the C-terminal. We further show that electrostatic interaction is the main contributor to the binding free energy of the complex. Agreement between our computational simulation findings and prior experimental data supports the accuracy of the described mechanism. Accordingly, these results can provide valuable information for designing potent toxin analgesics targeting hNav1.7 with high affinity. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Summary: Designing large-area flexible transparent smart windows for high-efficiency indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) capture is important to guarantee safe indoor environments. In this article, we demonstrate that large-area fabrication of flexible transparent Ag-nylon mesh can be performed not only to turn the indoor light illumination intensity as thermochromic smart windows after uniformly coating with thermochromic dye but also to purify indoor air as high-efficiency PM2.5 filter. It takes only about $15.03 and 20 min to fabricate 7.5-m2 Ag-nylon flexible transparent windows without any modification with a sheet resistance of as low as 8.87 Ω sq−1 and optical transmittance of 86.05%. As an excellent PM filter (can be recycled after PM filtration), the removal efficiency is as high as 99.65% and the processing speed is high, which can reduce the PM2.5 density from heavily polluted (248 μg·m−3, purple alert) to good (32.9 μg·m−3, green statement) in 50 s. : Environmental Nanotechnology; Materials Processing; Electrical Materials Subject Areas: Environmental Nanotechnology, Materials Processing, Electrical Materials

AIM To analyse the postoperative survival of patients with portal hypertension and determine the factors that influence survival and construct nomograms. METHODS We retrospectively followed 1045 patients who underwent splenectomy plus pericardial devascularisation (SPD) between January 2002 and December 2017. Two SPD types are used in our department: splenectomy plus simplified pericardial devascularisation (SSPD) and splenectomy plus traditional pericardial devascularisation (STPD). The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the prognostic effects of multiple parameters on overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and bleeding-free survival (BFS). Significant prognostic factors were combined to build nomograms to predict the survival rate of individual patients. RESULTS Five hundred and fifty-seven (53.30%) patients were successfully followed with 192 in the SSPD group and 365 in the STPD group; 93 (16.70%) patients died, of whom 42 (7.54%) died due to bleeding. Postoperative bleeding was observed in 84 (15.10%) patients. The 5- and 10-year OS, DSS and BFS rates in the group of patients who underwent SSPD were not significantly different from those in patients who underwent STPD. Independent prognostic factors for OS were age, operative time, alanine transaminase level and albumin-bilirubin score. Independent prognostic factors for BFS were male sex, age, intraoperative blood loss and time to first flatus. Independent prognostic factors for DSS were the Comprehensive Complication Index and age. These characteristics were used to establish nomograms, which showed good accuracy in predicting 1-, 3- and 5-year OS and BFS. CONCLUSION SSPD achieves or surpasses the long-term survival effect of traditional pericardial devascularisation and is worthy of clinical promotion and application. Nomograms are effective at predicting prognosis.

In this paper, the optimal beamforming problem of multi-input single-output (MISO) cognitive radio (CR) downlink networks with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer is studied. Due to the nonconvexity of the objective function, the considered nonconvex optimization problem is firstly transformed to an equivalent subtraction problem and then an approximated convex optimization problem is obtained by using the successive convex approximation (SCA). When the instantaneous channel state information (CSI) of the eavesdropping link is unknown to the legitimate transmitter, another interruption-constrained energy efficiency optimization problem is proposed and the Bernstein-type inequality (BTI) is used to conservatively approximate the probability constraint. The paper proposes a two-level iterative algorithm based on Dinkelbach to find the optimal solution of the EE maximization problem. Numerical results validate the effectiveness and convergence of the proposed algorithm.

Background The frequent movement of population between countries brings an increasing number of travel-related infections. This study aims to define the spectrum and dynamics of imported infections observed from international travel in the Chinese mainland. Methods Sick travellers were screened by inbound sentinel surveillance and post-travel clinic visits from 2014 to 18. The infections were classified as respiratory, gastrointestinal, vector-borne, blood/sexually transmitted and mucocutaneous. The analysed variables included the place of origin of the travellers (Chinese or foreign) and the time when travel-related infection was present (at the time of return, during travel and post-travel visits to the clinic). Results In total, 58 677 cases were identified amongst 1 409 265 253 travellers, with an incidence of 41.64/million, comprising during-travel incidence of 27.44/million and a post-travel incidence of 14.20/million. Respiratory infections constituted the highest proportion of illnesses during travel (81.19%, 31 393 of 38 667), which mainly came from Asian countries and tourists; with influenza virus and rhinovirus infections being mainly diagnosed. Vector-borne diseases constituted the highest proportion of post-travel illnesses (98.14%, 19 638 of 20 010), which were mainly diagnosed from African countries and labourers; with malaria and dengue fever being mainly diagnosed. The differential infection spectrum varied in terms of the traveller’s demography, travel destination and travel purpose. As such, a higher proportion of foreign travellers had blood/sexually transmitted diseases (89.85%, 2832 of 3152), while Chinese citizens had a higher prevalence of vector-borne diseases (85.98%, 19 247 of 22 387) and gastrointestinal diseases (79.36%, 1115 of 1405). The highest incidence rate was observed amongst travellers arriving from Africa, while the lowest was observed amongst travellers arriving from Europe. Conclusions The findings might help in preparing recommendations for travellers and also aid in primary care or other clinics that prepare travellers before trips abroad. The findings will also help to identify locations and the associated types of infections that might require attention.

We designed a stable gait pattern and posture-control balance system to enable a biped humanoid robot to maintain balance and avoid falling when walking on uneven ground or slopes. In this study, we first examined the problem of gait generation and the balance of a humanoid robot and then proposed a posture-control balance system using the inertial sensors of a gyroscope and accelerometer to sense the tilt angle of the robot according to the environment. To process the data obtained by the sensors, the mean filter was applied to eliminate the noise in the data, and the complementary filter was used to properly combine the data from both the gyroscope and accelerometer. The system further modifies the gait and posture of the robot based on the results obtained through a fuzzy system to attain the angle of balance and stabilization. A robot with an open platform was used to test the implementation of the proposed algorithm, and the experimental results demonstrated that the robot could successfully maintain balance when walking uphill and downhill on uneven surfaces. Moreover, because only one parameter needs to be adjusted when applying the balance-control system, the system can be easily extended to any related humanoid robot.

AIM To compare the clinical outcomes of patients with portal hypertension (PH) who underwent treatment with splenectomy plus simplified pericardial devascularisation (SSPD) or splenectomy plus traditional pericardial devascularisation (STPD). METHODS We conducted a single-centre retrospective study of 1045 PH patients treated with either SSPD (S Group, 357 patients) or STPD (T Group, 688 patients) between January 2002 and February 2017. In all, 37 clinical indicators were compared to evaluate the efficacy of SSPD. RESULTS Perioperative indicators in the S Group were significantly better than those in the T Group (P < 0.05). In both groups, the postoperative long-term portal vein diameter and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score were significantly lower than those in the preoperative and postoperative short-term groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the S Group was significantly lower than that in the T Group (P < 0.05). Compared to the T Group, postoperative short-term WBC (white blood cell) and platelet counts were significantly lower and the short-term Hb (haemoglobin) level was significantly higher in the S Group (P < 0.05). In the S Group, postoperative long-term total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, alanine transaminase, and aspartate transaminase and postoperative serum creatinine and cystatin C levels were significantly lower than those in the T Group (P < 0.05), and postoperative albumin was significantly higher than that in the T Group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to STPD, SSPD is a simple and easy procedure resulting in less tissue damage. Patients recovered smoothly and steadily with fewer complications. Short-term liver and kidney function damage was less severe, and long-term liver function recovery was better. Therefore, SSPD is worthy of clinical promotion and application for the treatment of PH.

Nanowire devices have attracted considerable attention because of their unique structure and novel properties, and have opened up significant development opportunities. However, not many studies have focused on their stability and durability under practical conditions, which limits the rapid development of real applications. Herein, we systematically investigate three different treatments,polymer coating, inert atmosphere protection, and thickness-induced self-protection, to protect the tellurium nanowire devices from oxidation when exposed to open air. The degree of oxidation was monitored by examining changes in the valence states of tellurium element and in the morphology of the nanowires. After the protective treatments, the tellurium nanowire devices showed improved stability and remained stable even after 800 days of storage. This work highlights the importance of investigating the stability of nanowire devices, especially for their practical applications.

Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels play a pivotal role for the changes in membrane potential and belong to large membrane proteins that compose four voltage sensor domains (VSD1–4). In this study, we describe the binding mode and selectivity of one of the aryl sulfonamide sodium channel inhibitors, PF-04856264, for the VSD4s in Nav1.4, Nav1.5 and Nav1.7, respectively, through molecular dynamics simulation and enhanced post-dynamics analyses. Our results show that there are three binding site regions (BSR1–3) in the combination of the ligand and receptors, of which BSR1 and BSR3 contribute to the selectivity and affinity of the ligand to the receptor. What’s more, the 39th residue (Y39 in VSD4hNav1.4/ VSD4hNav1.7 and A39 in VSD4hNav1.5) and N42 in BSR1, the 84th residue (L84 in VSD4hNav1.4, T84 in VSD4hNav1.5, and M84 in VSD4hNav1.7) in BSR2 and the conserved positive charged residues in BSR3 have major contributions to the interaction between the ligand and receptor. Further analysis reveals that if the 39th residue has a benzene ring structure, the connection of BSR1 and the ligand would be much stronger through π-stacking interaction. On the other hand, the strength and number of the hydrogen bonds formed by the ligand and the conserved arginines on S4 determine the contribution of BSR3 to the total free binding energy. We anticipate this study pave the way for the design of more effective and safe treatment for pain that selectively target Nav1.7.

Bioaerosol significantly affect air quality and public health. However, limited information on bioaerosol at various levels of air quality over a long-term period has prevented our proper understanding of the possible threat to human health. In this study, airborne microbial samples were collected in Xi’an, China, from Apr. 2016 to Feb. 2017. The content of total airborne microbes (TAMs) was determined by fluorescent staining with DAPI (4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole). A comparative investigation was emphatically conducted concerning the concentration of TAMs at various air quality levels. The results indicated that the concentration of TAMs showed significant seasonal variation. The concentration variation in different seasons followed the order of winter (6.77 × 105 cells/m3) > autumn (4.22 × 105 cells/m3) > spring (2.38 × 105 cells/m3) > summer (1.66 × 105 cells/m3). The mean concentration of TAMs on hazy days (6.12 × 105 ± 3.50 × 105 cells/m3) was significantly higher than that on non-hazy days (2.15 × 105 ± 1.26 × 105 cells/m3). Importantly, the concentration of TAMs increased firstly and then slightly decreased with the deterioration of air quality, and the maximum concentration was observed at moderate pollution level. The joint effect of meteorological and environmental factors was found to be an important influence mechanism on bioaerosol concentrations. Furthermore, snowfall was found capable of improving air quality by reducing concentration of TAMs. The present results will improve our understanding of effect of air pollution on airborne microbes.

Acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) is commonly present in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). It is often difficult to predict gastrointestinal function in the early stage due to lack of reliable markers. We aimed to assess whether early plasma trefoil factor 2 (TFF-2) is a potential predictor for AGI. Fifty one patients were included for the onset of AP (from developing abdominal pain) within 72 hours in this prospective observational single-center study from January 2013 to July 2015. Among them 23 patients were classified as mild, 17 as moderately severe, and 11 as severe according to 2012 Atlanta classification. Plasma samples were collected only once at admission to the ICU. Twenty samples of healthy adults were also collected as control. The TFF-2 levels were determined by using a human TFF-2 enzyme-linked immunoassay. AGI grades from 1st to 7th day after admission were observed. The plasma TFF-2 levels among AP patients in early stage were significantly higher than healthy controls (766.41 ng/mL vs 94.37 ng/mL, P

Objective To investigate the effect of biliary tract external drainage (BTED) on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in rats and the relationship with heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway. Methods Thirty SD rats weighing 250–300 g were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 6): sham surgery (SS) group, SAP group, SAP + BTED group, SAP + zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) group, SAP + BTED + ZnPP group . The SAP model was induced via retrograde injection of 4% sodium taurocholate (1 mL/kg) into biliopancreatic duct through duodenal wall. BTED was performed by inserting a cannula into the bile duct of SAP rats. Tissue and blood samples were collected 24 h after surgery. Pathological changes in organs were scored. The level of amylase, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), diamine oxidase (DAO), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and ability to inhibit hydroxyl radical(·OH) in serum were measured. The expression of hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in tissues were analyzed by RT- PCR and western-blot. Results Organs damage in SAP rats was significantly alleviated by BTED ( p 0.05 ). Compared to the SAP group, the serum level of amylase, ALT, AST, DAO, MPO, and LPS were significantly lower in the SAP + BTED group, and the ability to inhibit ·OH was significantly higher ( p 0.05 ). The BETD treatment led to a significant reduction of TNF-α, IL-6 level and a significant increase of HO-1 level in tissues than in SAP rats ( p 0.05 ). ZnPP significantly inhibited all above mentioned changes. Conclusions BTED protected multiple organs against SAP related injuries via HO-1 upregulation.

We introduce the concept of electrophobic interaction, analogous to hydrophobic interaction, for describing the behavior of impurity atoms in a metal, a “solvent of electrons”. We demonstrate that there exists a form of electrophobic interaction between impurities with closed electron shell structure, which governs their dissolution behavior in a metal. Using He, Be and Ar as examples, we predict by first-principles calculations that the electrophobic interaction drives He, Be or Ar to form a close-packed cluster with a clustering energy that follows a universal power-law scaling with the number of atoms (N) dissolved in a free electron gas, as well as W or Al lattice, as Ec ∝ (N2/3−N). This new concept unifies the explanation for a series of experimental observations of close-packed inert-gas bubble formation in metals, and significantly advances our fundamental understanding and capacity to predict the solute behavior of impurities in metals, a useful contribution to be considered in future material design of metals for nuclear, metallurgical, and energy applications.

Conventional mesoporous materials-based transducers generally possess symmetrical geometries and are unable to easily distinguish two or more components in mixtures and reject the interferences. In this issue, Zhao et al. develop Janus mesostructures to realize a simultaneous multivariable gases sensor using solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) with subsequent surface modifications.

Salinity is one of the major environment factors that limits the growth of plants and the productivity of crops worldwide. It has been shown that Na+ transporters play a central role in salt tolerance and development of plants. The objective of this study was to identify Na+/H+ antiporter (NHX) genes and investigate their expression patterns in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) subjected to various concentrations of NaCl. A total of five putative NHX genes were identified and distributed on four chromosomes in sugar beet. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these BvNHX genes are grouped into three major classes, viz Vac- (BvNHX1, -2 and -3), Endo- (BvNHX4), and PM-class NHX (BvNHX5/BvSOS1), and within each class the exon/intron structures are conserved. The amiloride-binding site is found in TM3 at N-terminus of Vac-class NHX proteins. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) prediction suggested that only BvNHX5 putatively interacts with calcineurin B-like proteins (CBL) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPK), implying it might be the primary NHX involved in CBL-CIPK pathway under saline condition. It was also found that BvNHX5 contains one abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive element (ABRE), suggesting that BvNHX5 might be involved in ABA signal responsiveness. Additionally, the qRT-PCR analysis showed that all the BvNHX genes in both roots and leaves are significantly up-regulated by salt, and the transcription levels under high salinity are significantly higher than those under either low or moderate salinity. Taken together, this work gives a detailed overview of the BvNHX genes and their expression patterns under salt stress. Our findings also provide useful information for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of Na+ homeostasis and further functional identification of the BvNHX genes in sugar beet.

Verticillium dahliae is a broad host-range pathogen that causes vascular wilts in plants. Interactions between three hosts and specific V.dahliae genotypes result in severe defoliation. The underlying mechanisms of defoliation are unresolved. Genome resequencing, gene deletion and complementation, gene expression analysis, sequence divergence, defoliating phenotype identification, virulence analysis, and quantification of V.dahliae secondary metabolites were performed. Population genomics previously revealed that G-LSR2 was horizontally transferred from the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum to V.dahliae and is exclusively found in the genomes of defoliating (D) strains. Deletion of seven genes within G-LSR2, designated as VdDf genes, produced the nondefoliation phenotype on cotton, olive, and okra but complementation of two genes restored the defoliation phenotype. Genes VdDf5 and VdDf6 associated with defoliation shared homology with polyketide synthases involved in secondary metabolism, whereas VdDf7 shared homology with proteins involved in the biosynthesis of N-lauroylethanolamine (N-acylethanolamine (NAE) 12:0), a compound that induces defoliation. NAE overbiosynthesis by D strains also appears to disrupt NAE metabolism in cotton by inducing overexpression of fatty acid amide hydrolase. The VdDfs modulate the synthesis and overproduction of secondary metabolites, such as NAE 12:0, that cause defoliation either by altering abscisic acid sensitivity, hormone disruption, or sensitivity to the pathogen.

The recent emergence and rapid growth of new financial services by financial technology (Fintech) companies have driven banking institutions towards operational innovation in order to gain sustainable competitive advantage. This study aims to conduct an in-depth investigation of the banking sector in response to the challenges brought by Fintech startups. Based on the service innovation theory, we propose a novel hybrid multiple criteria decision-making method (MCDM) to evaluate service innovation strategies for improving the sustainability of China&rsquo, s banking industry during the Fintech revolution. A six-dimensional model comprising 20 sub-criteria is constructed and both the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique and DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) are used to explore interrelationships among the indices and their related weights. Finally, the modified VI&scaron, ekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR) method is employed to evaluate performance gaps in the four major types of commercial banks in China&mdash, state-owned, joint-stock, city commercial banks, and other credit cooperatives&mdash, in the field of service innovation. The improvement priorities, ranked from highest to lowest, are new business partners, new service concepts, organizational innovation, technological innovation, new customer interactions, and new revenue models. These results will provide strategies for the sustainable development of China&rsquo, s banking industry and the implementation of changes in response to the impact of the Fintech revolution.

The treatment effect of dam foundation fracture zone is related to dam safety, A case is provided base on the fault-fracture zone with large permeability in a core dam foundation in Xinjiang province, The dam foundation seepage model is established with the seepage finite element method base on The test results of post-grouting in the fault-fracture zone, simulation working conditions of different curtain depth and permeability indicate that significant impervious effects of compound grouting and depth-curtain at fault zone, leakage is less in the dam foundation and seepage stability meet the requirement on the riverbed overburden in the downstream, The results are high reference value for similar projects.

The shape-controlled silver nanostructures have been widely used for template synthesis of metal nanostructures with desired morphologies and compositions for specific applications by galvanic replacement reaction, while the silver is sacrificed as oxidized to silver ion and abandoned as by-products. In view of the broad application prospect of the obtained metal nanostructures, the cost and environment problems after the template reactions should be taken into account for the large scale production in the future. To solve this problem, we conceptually demonstrate that the wasted AgCl generated from the template reactions can be easily recycled for the synthesis of valuable Ag nanowires. As representative examples, the average recovery of silver can be about 69.8%–84.6% after the template synthesis of Au/Pt nanostructures. The resynthesized Ag nanowires show uniform size distribution and excellent physical and chemical properties for the fabrication of transparent electrode and template synthesis.

KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins (KZNF) constitute the largest family of transcriptional regulators in humans and play critical roles in normal development and tumorigenesis. However, the function and mechanism of most KZNFs remain unclear. Here, we report that ZNF496, a KZNF family member, interacts with the DNA binding domain (DBD) of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) via its C2H2 domain. This interaction decreases ERα binding to chromatin DNA and results in the repression of ERα transactivation, the selective suppression of ERα target genes, and ultimately in a reduction of ERα-positive cell growth in the presence of E2. An analysis of clinical data revealed that the downregulation of ZNF496 expression is observed only in ERα-positive and not in ERα-negative breast cancer tissues when compared with that in matched adjacent tissues. Lastly, we also observed that the downregulation of ZNF496 is associated with poor recurrence-free survival among patients with breast cancer. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that ZNF496 is a novel ERα-binding protein that acts as a target gene-specific ERα corepressor and inhibits the growth of ERα-positive breast cancer cells.

The structural and electronic properties, such as adsorption energy, magnetic property, and charge-transferring process of Nin (n = 1–6) clusters interacting with pristine, strained and defective graphene were investigated by using the density functional theory calculations with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof exchange-correlation energy functional. By introducing strain and defects, the stability of the cluster-graphene system was improved significantly. The magnetic moments increased monotonically for Nin clusters on pristine and strained graphene while exhibited an oscillating behaviour for defective graphene. On the other hand, more charges being transferred from Nin clusters to defective graphene were observed compared with pristine and strained graphene.

In this study, polysulfone (PSf) nano-hybrid membranes have been successfully fabricated by loading modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the dispersed phase using the phase inversion method. MWCNTs were chemically functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to achieve better dispersion in the polymer matrix. PEG-g-CNTs were confirmed by ATR-FTIR and XPS spectroscopy. The hybrid membranes showed better hydrophilicity, higher pure water flux and more excellent antifouling properties. The results demonstrated that the membrane containing 1.5 wt% PEG-g-MWCNTs showed the lowest contact angle (53.9°) and the highest water flux (71.26 L m−2 h−1) which was significantly higher than that of the pure PSf membrane and MWCNTs/PSf membrane. In BSA filtration analysis, the modified MWCNTs led to significant improvement of the fouling recovery ratio (FRR) and dramatic reduction of the adsorption amount of BSA. In addition, membranes exhibited excellent tensile strength after the addition of PEG-g-MWCNTs.

Nonanastomotic strictures (NAS) are common biliary complications after liver transplantation (LT). Delayed rearterialization induces biliary injury in several hours. However, whether this injury can be prolonged remains unknown. The correlation of this injury with NAS occurrence remains obscure. Different delayed rearterialization times were compared using a porcine LT model. Morphological and functional changes in bile canaliculus were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry and TUNEL were performed to validate intrahepatic bile duct injury. Three months after LT was performed, biliary duct stricture was determined by cholangiography; the tissue of common bile duct was detected by real-time PCR. Bile canaliculi were impaired in early postoperative stage and then exacerbated as delayed rearterialization time was prolonged. Nevertheless, damaged bile canaliculi could fully recover in subsequent months. TNF-α and TGF-β expressions and apoptosis cell ratio increased in the intrahepatic bile duct only during early postoperative period in a time-dependent manner. No abnormality was observed by cholangiography and common bile duct examination after 3 months. Delayed rearterialization caused temporary injury to bile canaliculi and intrahepatic bile duct in a time-dependent manner. Injury could be fully treated in succeeding months. Solo delayed rearterialization cannot induce NAS after LT.