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Numerous studies have investigated the prognostic significance of ECT2 (epithelial cell transforming sequence 2) expression in patients with cancer. Nevertheless, conflicting results have been obtained. We thus performed a meta-analysis to systematically assess the prognostic significance of ECT2 in cancer. Electronic databases (PubMed and EMBASE) were searched for eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate effect sizes. A total of 5,305 patients from 19 articles and 21 studies were included. The pooled results revealed that high ECT2 expression was correlated with advanced TNM stage (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.42-3.32), positive lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 2.28-3.89), distant metastasis (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.03-4.92), and poor tumour differentiation (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.03-4.92). More importantly, high ECT2 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (HR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.84-2.78) and recurrence-free survival (HR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.24-1.86). Our results suggested that ECT2 is a promising prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for cancer.

Background Gastric mucosal lesion (GML) is the initiating pathological process in many refractory gastric diseases. And moxibustion is an increasingly popular alternative therapy that prevents and treats diseases. However, there are few published reports about developing pathology of GML and therapeutic mechanism of moxibustion treatment on GML. In this study, we investigated pathology of GML and therapeutic mechanism of moxibustion treatment on GML. Methods The male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were induced by intragastric administration of 75% ethanol after fasting for 24 h and treated by moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) and Liangmen (ST21) for 1 day, 4 days or 7 days. Then we applied 1H NMR-based metabolomics to dynamic analysis of metabolic profiles in biological samples (stomach, cerebral cortex and medulla). And the conventional histopathological examinations as well as metabolic pathways assays were also performed. Results Moxibustion intervention showed a beneficial effect on GML by modulating comprehensive metabolic alterations caused by GML, including energy metabolism, membrane metabolism, cellular active and neurotransmitters function. Conclusions Moxibustion can effectively treat gastric mucosal damage and effectively regulate the concentration of some related differential metabolites to maintain the stability of the metabolic pathway.

Optimal gradient performance is arguably a pre-requisite to realize the full potential of ultrahigh field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The values of using tailored gradient coils for brain imaging have been well acknowledged. Unfortunately, conventional head-only gradient coils have two major technical limitations, i.e. limited shoulder clearance and limited cooling capacity. A design, coined “flared-end” gradient coil, combined with a cooling method, named “outer-wall direct cooling”, is proposed to address these problems. The “flared-end” design permits brain access to the center of gradient coil. The “flared end” structure is 3D-printed. It has electrical winding patterns (grooves) on one side and evenly spaced cooling channels on the opposite side. Electrical conductor (copper wire) is fixed into the grooves; coolant is in direct contact with the outer surface of the electrical conductor above each cooling channel, eliminating interfacial thermal resistance between coolant and copper wires. Heat transfer area is thus determined by the size and the number of cooling channels. This approach allows high electric current density for high gradient field strength while maintaining high cooling efficiency. Additionally, the symmetric coil geometry guarantees intrinsic torque balance. As a proof of concept, we have made a gradient coil prototype without active shielding. This coil has an inner diameter of 0.3 m, and is capable of generating 0.337, 0.225 and 0.485 mT/m/A along X, Y and Z, respectively. Active shielding was designed theoretically, but not pursued in the construction of this coil prototype. The new coil geometry and cooling method offers a novel avenue for new gradient coils tailored for human brain imaging at ultrahigh field.

Chordoid gliomas are extremely rare entities, which are generally considered occurring exclusively in the third ventricle. Despite the low-grade histological grade, aggressive behaviors have been reported in literatures. Due to the low morbidity, the origins, clinical, and radiological features, management and prognosis are still yet to be well elucidated. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical profiles from a series of 6 patients with chordoid gliomas. All patients underwent surgical treatment, and the diagnoses were based on histopathological examinations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed perioperatively. Follow-up outcomes were presented. This case series consisted of three male and three female patients (age range 27-67 years; mean age 43.3 years). MRI results showed tumors in the third ventricle (4/6), temporal-parietal-occipital lobe involving the lateral ventricle (1/6), and cerebellar hemisphere (1/6). Three tumors were solid, and the others were cystic-solid. Hydrocephalus was present in one patient. The T1-weighted imaging showed hypo- to isointensity, and T2-weighted imaging showed iso- to hyperintensity; enhancement was homogeneous (4/6) or heterogeneous (2/6). Diffusion-weighted imaging showed no evidence of restricted diffusion. Magnetic resonance spectrum showed an elevated choline value and reduced N-acetylaspartate value. Gross total resection was achieved in all patients, and during an average follow-up period of 35.8 months, no recurrence was noted. Chordoid gliomas can occur outside the third ventricle with a great diagnostic challenge. The MRI characteristics suggest a low-grade tumor, and the accurate diagnosis depends on pathological criteria. Complete surgical resection is associated with a favorable outcome.

ShaoQing Li,1 BaoYang Zhang,2 Yong Shen,2 ZhanYong Wu11Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Orthopedics Hospital of XingTai City, XingTai 054000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: ZhanYong WuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, The Orthopedics Hospital of XingTai City, No. 202 Bayi Road, XingTai 054000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 1 863 116 4033Fax +86 0 319 206 9476Email xkzyywsj@163.comObjective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for poor outcome in patients who underwent multi-segmental anterior surgery, and analyze postoperative complications.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 158 patients after anterior surgery due to multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (m-CSM) between June 2008 and June 2016. Adjusted ORs and 95% CIs were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Cutoff values and the area under the curve for continuous risk factors were calculated through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The chi-squared test was performed for the comparison of complications among the three surgical groups.Results: By analyzing 105 patients with good outcome and 53 patients with poor outcome, we established that the risk factors for poor outcome were advanced age (OR =1.12, P=0.003), longer duration of symptoms (OR =1.07, P=0.028), and bigger kyphotic angle at final follow-up (OR =1.29, P

Thermal management of textiles requires local microclimate control over heat and wet dissipation to create a comfortable thermal-wet environment at the interface of the human body and clothing. Herein, we design a fabric capable of both sweat- and cooling-management using a knitted fabric featuring a bilayer structure consisting of hydrophobic polyethylene terephthalate and hydrophilic cellulose fibers to simultaneously achieve high infrared (IR) transmittance and good thermal-wet comfort. The IR transmission of this cooling textile increased by ~ twofold in the dry state and ~ eightfold in the wet state compared to conventional cotton fabric. When the porosity changes from 10 to 47% with the comparison of conventional cotton fabric and our cooling textile, the heat flux is increased from 74.4 to 152.3 W/cm2. The cooling effect of the cooling fabric is 105% greater than that of commercial cotton fabric, which displays a better thermal management capacity for personal cooling. This bilayer design controls fast moisture transfer from inside out and provides thermal management, demonstrating high impact not only for garments, but also for other systems requiring heat regulation, such as buildings, which could mitigate energy demand and ultimately contribute to the relief of global energy and climate issues.

Considerable progress has been made in dendroclimatological research in China during the period 2000–2017, including a significant increase in the spatial coverage of tree-ring chronologies developed for paleoclimatic research. New tree-ring sampling sites have been established across the Tibetan Plateau, as well as the northeastern and sub-tropical eastern parts of China. Most of the studies use coniferous trees, although different plant functional types (e.g., broadleaf species and shrubs) have also been increasingly investigated. Tree-ring chronologies longer than 600 years, however, are mostly found on the Tibetan Plateau, with the longest one extending back to 2637 BCE (before Common Era). Most tree-ring records in the eastern parts of China are

Objective To optimize a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) formulation for psoralen and isopsoralen (PSO and IPSO) isolated from Psoraleae Fructus. Methods A D-optimal design was used to investigate the influence of oil percentage, surfactant percentage and cosurfactant percentage on several properties of SEDDS including particle size, polydispersity, equilibrium solubility, in situ intestine absorption rate and intestinal permeability. Furthermore, the desirability function approach was applied to obtain the optimal formulation for the system. Results The oil percentage, surfactant percentage and cosurfactant percentage were optimized to be 53.6%, 35.7% and 10.7%, respectively, which means the model is available. Conclusions The D-optimal design is valuable to optimize the SEDDS formulation and understand formulation compositions’ functions on SEDDS properties.

Melatonin, the receptors for which are abundant in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), can protect the heart from myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (MI/R) injury. The aim of this study was to determine whether the infusion of melatonin into the PVN protects the heart from MI/R injury by suppressing oxidative stress or regulating the balance between proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines in MI/R rats. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with a bilateral PVN infusion of melatonin. MI/R operation was performed 1 week after infusion. At the end of the third week after the infusion, all the rats were euthanized. This was followed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence studies of the rats. MI/R rats showed larger infarct size, increased left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume, and decreased LV ejection fraction and LV fractional shortening. Moreover, MI/R rats had a higher level of norepinephrine in the plasma, heart, and PVN; higher PVN levels of reactive oxygen species, NOX2, NOX4, IL-1β, and NF-κB activity; and lower PVN levels of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and IL-10 compared with the sham group. Melatonin infusion in PVN reduced LV end-diastolic volume, norepinephrine, reactive oxygen species, NOX2, NOX4, IL-1β, and NF-κB activity, and increased LV ejection fraction, LV fractional shortening, Cu/Zn-SOD, and IL-10. Overall, these results suggest that the infusion of melatonin ameliorates sympathetic nerve activity and MI/R injury by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in the PVN of MI/R rats.

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) with ScInO or MgScInO semiconductors were fabricated with the annealing temperature of only 150 °C. Compared with ScInO TFT, MgScInO TFT exhibited much better stability under negative-bias temperature stress (NBTS) at 60 °C with negative turn-on voltage ( ${V}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$ ) shift of −0.6 V at the initial stress stage (≤;900 s) and then positive $V_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$ shift (>900 s). First-principles calculations show that the oxygen vacancies ( ${V}_{\text {O}}$ ) tend to be bounded with Mg and form Mg– ${V}_{\text {O}}$ pairs with activating (or binding) energy of greater than 0.1369 eV, which is ascribed to the NBTS stability improvement for MgScInO TFT.

Insulin resistance plays a key role in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recent studies found that insulin resistance was associated with the dysfunction of KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP) expression and AKT pathway, and that oxymatrine possesses an antidiabetic effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the protection of oxymatrine against T2DM was associated with the modulation of the KSRP expression and AKT pathway. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet and injected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally to induce T2DM, which led to an increase in blood glucose levels and insulin resistance, and a decrease in insulin sensitivity and glycogen synthesis concomitant with KSRP downregulation, PTEN upregulation, and AKT phosphorylation deficiency. The administration of oxymatrine decreased blood glucose levels and insulin resistance, increased insulin sensitivity, and improved glycogen synthesis in the liver of T2DM rats, through a reversal in the expression of KSRP, PTEN, and AKT. On the basis of these observations, we concluded that oxymatrine can protect T2DM rats from insulin resistance through the regulation of the KSRP, PETN, and AKT expression in the liver.

The macroporous nickel foam (NF) with attached hollow mesoporous nickel dendrites (NF@p-Ni) was prepared through electrochemical deposition of copper-nickel dendrites on the NF (NF@CuNi) followed by selective removal of the copper cores. The deposition process under high cathodic current density in an acidic solution favored the formation of hydrogen bubbles which acted as a template for the subsequent growth of macroporous dendritic copper-nickel film with 10 μm scale pores. The copper appeared to play an important part in the growth of dendritic shape and hollow porous structure on the porous and conductive NF framework. In the electrochemical oxidation of urea, the NF@p-Ni electrode could offer abundant electroactive sites and porous channels for increasing the oxidation current density and efficiency compared to the NF@CuNi electrode. The NF@p-Ni electrode featuring macroporous catalyst layer of hollow dendrites on highly conductive NF framework expedited the charge-transfer reaction of urea electrooxidation and the evolution of gaseous products. Thus, the current density and efficiency of NF@p-Ni could reach 141 mA cm−2 and 82%, respectively, higher than those of NF@CuNi (110 mA cm−2 and 72%, respectively) in catalyzing the electrochemical oxidation of urea molecules at 0.60 V versus saturated calomel electrode.

We have performed structure searches for titanium (Ti) hydrides, vanadium (V) hydrides, zirconium (Zr) hydrides and niobium (Nb) hydrides under ambient and high pressure up to high hydrogen content using CALYPSO method combined with first-principles calculations. Ten novel stable phases, R 3 ¯ -TiH3, P42/mnm-TiH3, Ibam-TiH2.5, Cccm-VH, Pna21-ZrH4, R 3 ¯ -ZrH3, Pm 3 ¯ n_1-ZrH3, R 3 ¯ m-ZrH2.5, P2/c-NbH2.5 and P42/mcm-NbH2.5 were discovered under various pressures. In particular, the high hydrogen content Pna21-ZrH4 can be stabilized at 4–12 GPa. The detailed crystal structure, dynamical stability and electronic structure are also investigated for those novel stable phases. Combined with earlier predicted structures, comprehensive pressure–chemical potential (P- Δ μ H ) phase diagrams are constructed for these M−H systems.

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are ubiquitous and diverse molecular chaperones. However, the contribution of sHSPs in pepper response to stress is controversial. In the study, we characterized a small heat shock protein gene CaHSP22.0 from pepper sHSP20s family, and found that the deduced amino acid sequence of CaHSP22.0 gene contained the conserved necessary domains and residue for sHSPs functions. Under normal condition, CaHSP22.0 was detected in all pepper organs, but its transcript level was up-regulated under high temperature and salt stress. CaHSP22.0-silenced pepper exhibits more sensitive to heat and salt stress, which was primarily reflected by aggravated chlorophyll degradation, increased leaf conductivity, level of superoxide anion free radical and malondialdehyde content. Interestingly, CaHSP22.0 overexpression also resulted in Arabidopsis sensitivity to high temperature and salt stress by inhibiting normal growth of leaves and roots, increasing superoxide anion free radical, decreasing activities of antioxidant enzymes and chlorophyll content, increasing malondialdehyde content, and disturbing low expression of genes involved in environment stress. Our results suggested that modified expression of CaHSP22.0 conferred peppers more sensitivity to high temperature and salt stress. The possible mechanism for CaHSP22.0 silencing is speculated to the damage to cell membrane; as for gene over-expression, the mechanism was complexed and might be the disruption of ROS caused by the improper levels of CaHSP22.0 with its substrates.

We report a 1556 year-long tree-ring width chronology for the Hexi Corridor, in the arid Northwestern China, established by applying the signal-free regional curve standardization method to 416 juniper ring-width series. We found that drought in early summer (May–June) is the primary controlling factor for tree growth in this area. We then developed an early summer moisture (i.e., scPDSI) reconstruction from 455 CE to present. Our reconstruction captures multi-centennial scale moisture variations, showing two long-term dry periods during 800–950 CE and 1000–1200 CE, and two long-term wet periods during 1200–1450 CE and 1510–1620 CE. We found strong similarities between hydroclimatic changes in the Hexi Corridor and Qaidam Basin from interannual to centennial timescales; however, at multi-centennial (> 300 years) timescales, hydroclimatic variations in the two regions showed significant regional differences. The Hexi Corridor witnessed a generally dry Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, here 800–1200 CE) and the drying 20th century, whereas the Qaidam Basin experienced high-precipitation periods during the MCA and 20th century. The different correlation pattern with Northern Hemisphere temperature suggest that the Qaidam Basin will receive more precipitation under global warming, whereas the Hexi Corridor will become dryer in the future.

Quantitative analysis of dopamine transporter (DAT) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images can enhance diagnostic confidence and improve their potential as a biomarker to monitor the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the present work, we aim to predict motor outcome from baseline DAT SPECT imaging radiomic features and clinical measures using machine learning techniques. We designed and trained artificial neural networks (ANNs) to analyze the data from 69 patients within the Parkinson’s Progressive Marker Initiative (PPMI) database. The task was to predict the unified PD rating scale (UPDRS) part III motor score in year 4 from 92 imaging features extracted on 12 different regions as well as 6 non-imaging measures at baseline (year 0). We first performed univariate screening (including the adjustment for false discovery) to select 4 regions each having 10 features with significant performance in classifying year 4 motor outcome into two classes of patients (divided by the UPDRS III threshold of 30). The leave-one-out strategy was then applied to train and test the ANNs for individual and combinations of features. The prediction statistics were calculated from 100 rounds of experiments, and the accuracy in appropriate prediction (classification of year 4 outcome) was quantified. Out of the baseline non-imaging features, only the UPDRS III (at year 0) was predictive, while multiple imaging features depicted significance. The different selected features reached a predictive accuracy of 70 % if used individually. Combining the top imaging features from the selected regions significantly improved the prediction accuracy to 75 % (p

The purpose of our study was to review and evaluate the efficacy and safety of nerve combing without neurovascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia. A retrospective review of 298 patients with trigeminal neuralgia between August 2007 and August 2016 was conducted. The patients were divided into two groups: the A group was treated by nerve combing (34 patients) and the B group received microvascular decompression (264 patients). Surgical outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Pain was completely relieved in 88.2% of group A patients and 92.8% of group B after surgery. The median duration of follow-up was 60 months (range 10–115 months) in group A and 62 months (range 12–118 months) in group B. 72.7% and 86.4% of cases were completely relieved in groups A and B, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the surgical outcomes between the two groups. Almost all patients experienced some degree of numbness or hypesthesia (76.5%). The rate of facial numbness in group A was significantly higher than that in group B. This study demonstrated that nerve combing without neurovascular decompression is a safe and effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. However, a majority of patients treated with nerve combing experienced some degree of facial numbness.

Banana is a fruit widely accepted by people over the world. Besides having delicious taste, it shows multiple health benefits. In this work, the major polysaccharide was isolated from banana and purified. It was identified to be α-(1 → 6)- d -glucan. The in vivo immunomodulatory activity assay indicated that α-(1 → 6)- d -glucan could improve the immune status by elevating T cell proliferation, phagocytic function of macrophage, CD3+ T cell level, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, IL-6, IgG, IgM, TNF-α and hemolysin antibody levels. The immunostimulatory activities of α-(1 → 6)- d -glucan were similar to β-(1 → 3)- d -glucan, a clinical immunostimulatory drug. This work revealed that α-(1 → 6)- d -glucan was an important bioactive chemical for the immunostimulatory activity of banana. It could be used as a nutraceuticals candidate.

Intensive research efforts have been devoted to increasing output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) by selecting or modifying materials, increasing effective area, optimizing device structures and harvesting circuits. Considering field emission and gas-ionization for electric breakdown, this paper proposes new theoretical models to predict the upper limits for output performance of contact-mode TENG harvesting system. It reveals that a constant surface charge density exists on the dielectric layer with an effective thickness below a critical value. The resultant TENG exhibits a high output power. The working efficiency of the TENG harvesting system quantitatively highlights the scope and focus of improvement for high output power. The findings would provide a powerful tool to guide the experimental design in selection of materials, structure of TENG, harvesting circuits and storage device for intended applications.

We investigate the intra-annual growth patterns of Chinese pine in Helan Mountains, confirming that regional water status plays a dominated role in stem radial increment. The associations between environmental conditions and stem radial increment (SRI) are useful for assessing a species’ growth response to climate change. Intra-annual SRI dynamics of Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) were monitored half-hourly by automatic point dendrometer during the growing season (May–September) in 2016 and 2017 at two altitudes in the Helan Mountains, northern central China. Here, we compared the seasonal growth patterns between two altitudes and 2 years. Trees at low altitude are characterized by earlier cessation, shorter growing season, and lower growth rate, resulting in less annual growth, which may reflect the greater drought intensified by rising temperature at low altitude. June precipitation significantly affected tree growth rate. The xylem growth was active when daily mean air temperature was 9.9 °C at our study region for P. tabulaeformis in an arid environment. During the growing season, daily stem radial increment showed a significantly positive correlation with precipitation and a negative correlation with daily air temperature at all altitudes. Climatic variables associated with tree water status, namely precipitation, vapor pressure deficit, and relative humidity, played important roles in daily stem radial increment as the same result as a linear mixed model. These factors drive the complex physiological processes of stem radial increment by influencing the moisture available to the tree.

The successful experimental syntheses of two-dimensional (2D) boron allotropes with intriguing properties have stimulated great interest in searching for novel low-dimensional boron. By using high-throughput first-principles calculations, we proposed a new stable 2D boron with a bilayer structure (P6-boron), composed of the building blocks of buckled B12 cluster. We showed the possibility of experimental syntheses of P6-boron on metal substrates and proposed a strategy to pursue for P6-boron by the B12 clusters self-assembly. Specifically, P6-boron possesses a topologically nontrivial Dirac nodal line, which is protected by the mirror-reflection symmetry. Furthermore, we employed a low-energy effective k·p model to prove the existence of the nodal line solution. In addition, the topological analysis of bonding suggests that the chemical bonds of P6-boron are all covalent rather than ionic bonds found in bilayer P6/mmm boron. We expect that our findings can favor the low-dissipation high-speed nanoele...

Flexible lithium-ion batteries have attracted tremendous attention as a promising power source in the growing field of flexible electronic devices. CuO shows high theory specific capacity in Li-ion storage, but it also suffers poor electrochemical cycling stability arising from the low conductivity during the lithium uptaking/releasing process. In this work, we report a simple and binder free for the synthesis of flexible Cu3N/CuO thin film electrodes directly on Ni foam by magnetron sputtering method followed with annealing in air at low temperature. This method is highly effective in improving the rate capability of the 300 °C treated Cu3N/CuO (CNO-300) electrode with discharge capacity of 605 mAh g−1 at 400 mA g−1 after 300 cycles, which is close to the theoretical capacity. The CNO-300 thin film electrode also shows remarkable cyclic performance retaining about 100% of the initial capacity (534 mAh g−1) after 1000 cycles at 1000 mA g−1.

The stability of large underground caverns in steeply dipping layered rock masses is not only affected by the engineering geological characteristics of surrounding rock masses, but also by the excavation sequences and reinforcement measures. Certain places around the periphery of underground openings, such as the high sidewalls, would exhibit significant displacement increases and various failure patterns if the excavation and support were not properly designed. These issues can, according to the basic principles of structurally-controlled concept, be largely attributed to the mechanical properties of bedding planes and other discontinuities. In order to clarify the possible mechanisms behind these failures and to realize the dynamic adjustment of construction, a thorough investigation was conducted to the underground caverns of the Wudongde hydropower station throughout the excavation process. The geological conditions and mechanical properties of the rock masses in the study area were first introduced in detail. Four examples were then presented following the overall logic from geological background to failure mechanism and finally to reinforcement practice. The first example focused on the local wedge-type instability analyses, including the collection of necessary information, the identification of potential blocks, as well as the determination strategies for the factors of safety. The second example illustrated typical tensile failure mode of steeply inclined strata induced by large-scale excavation. The sudden normal unloading of bedding planes led to observable fractures along these weaknesses and considerable increases in sidewall displacements. Large quantities of extra reinforcements had to be installed to control further development of fractured range of the upstream sidewall. The third example highlighted the long-range influence of excavations on the stability of downstream roof, where multistage displacement increase and shotcrete cracking took place as a result of stress concentration and strata buckling, possibly also of the local unfavorable discontinuities. The last example was related to the failure mode of combined discontinuities on the surfaces of piers between two pits. Lessons learned from these examples mainly involve what the mechanical behaviors of the steeply dipping layered rock masses in different places after excavation will be like, and to what extent these behaviors could be predicted or anticipated, which then put emphasis on the importance of geological investigations, and how the optimization of excavation sequence and bench height as well as the timely installation of regular supports could effectively reduce the risks of instability.

Temperature dependent relaxation time of 87Rb atoms, namely the longitudinal relaxation lifetime T1 and the transverse relaxation lifetime T2 are studied respectively by using the Franzen method and by measuring the optical rotation of a weak, linearly polarized probe light. Although the Franzen measurement in this work is taken with a weak probe light, the absorption of probe light can still destroy the spin polarization of 87Rb atoms to a certain degree. However, a longer relaxation time of T2 can be well achieved by measuring the optical rotation of linearly polarized light under 6 GHz detuning along the direction of red light. Results show that both T1 and T2 obey an exponential decay with temperature, and the temperature dependent decaying rate of relaxation is respectively 27.8 for T1 and 25.0 for T2, indicating that temperature playing a similar role in the reaction to T1 and T2.

We report the discovery of a rule-breaking two-dimensional aluminum boride (AlB6-ptAl-array) nanosheet with a planar tetracoordinate aluminum (ptAl) array in a tetragonal lattice by comprehensive crystal structure search, first-principles calculations, and molecular dynamics simulations. It is a brand new 2D material with a unique motif, high stability, and exotic properties. These anti-van't Hoff/Le Bel ptAl-arrays are arranged in a highly ordered way and connected by two sheets of boron rhomboidal strips above and below the array. The regular alignment and strong bonding between the constituents of this material lead to very strong mechanical strength (in-plane Young's modulus Y x = 379, Y y = 437 N/m, much larger than that of graphene, Y = 340 N/m) and high thermal stability (the framework survived simulated annealing at 2080 K for 10 ps). Additionally, electronic structure calculations indicate that it is a rare new material with triple Dirac cones, Dirac-like fermions, and node-loop features. Remarkably, this material is predicted to be a 2D phonon-mediated superconductor with Tc = 4.7 K, higher than the boiling point of liquid helium (4.2 K). Surprisingly, the Tc can be greatly enhanced up to 30 K by applying tensile strain at 12%. This is much higher than the temperature of liquid hydrogen (20.3 K). These outstanding properties may pave the way for potential applications of an AlB6-ptAl-array in nanoelectronics and nanomechanics. This work opens up a new branch of two-dimensional aluminum boride materials for exploration. The present study also opens a field of two-dimensional arrays of anti-van't Hoff/Le Bel motifs for study.

Recently the porous bilayer wood solar collectors have drawn increasing attention because of their potential application in solar desalination. In this paper, a thermodynamic model has been developed to analyze the performance of the wood solar collector. A modeling analysis has also been conducted to assess the performance and operating conditions of the multiple effect desalination (MED) system integrated with the porous wood solar collector. Specifically, the effects of operating parameters, such as the motive steam temperature, seawater flow rate, input solar energy and number of effects on the energy consumption for each ton of distilled water produced have been investigated in the MED desalination system combined with the bilayer wood solar steam generator. It is found that, under a given operating condition, there exists an optimum steam generation temperature of around 145°C in the wood solar collector, so that the specific power consumption in the MED system reaches a minimum value of 24.88 kWh/t. The average temperature difference is significantly affected by the solar heating capacity. With the solar capacity increasing from 50 kW to 230 kW, the average temperature difference increases from 1.88°C to 6.27°C. This parametric simulation study will help the design of efficient bilayer wood solar steam generator as well as the MED desalination system.

Canopy and stem phenology of Qinghai spruce, central Qilian Mountains, respond to different environmental factors depending on season and elevation. To understand vegetation species response to climate change, much research has been devoted to changes in forest phenology. Results of such studies are not only of scientific interest; they are potentially of great use in forest management. This study focuses on variations in canopy and stem phenology as affected by climate and elevation. We collected data on canopy phenology (as recorded in the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index) and stem phenology [using the Vaganov–Shashkin (V–S) model] in Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) growing at two sites in the central Qilian Mountains, Northeast Tibetan Plateau. One site was at a higher elevation, near the local alpine tree-line, and the other was near the local lower tree-line. At both sites, a significant correlation was found between canopy and stem spring phenology. This would seem to be mainly due to spring temperatures. No such correlation was found between canopy and stem autumn phenology. The study suggests that the main factors affecting stem growth after the beginning of growing season would be temperature and soil moisture, and that these have different effects depending on elevation. At the lower elevation, soil moisture seems to be the main factor limiting growth. At the higher elevation, temperature was the determining factor. Climate change will have different effects depending on elevation.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) are transcription factors highly involved in physiological development and metabolism in the human body. They also play important roles in the treatment of cancer and metabolic diseases. Chemicals that interact with ERs can be used to treat diseases and maintain health. Phytoestrogens are natural chemicals that have been documented to possess significant ER modulatory activities. However, since phytoestrogens usually exist at low quantities in nature, heterologous biosynthesis techniques have quickly developed in recent years in order meet the demands for needed therapeutic amounts. In this review, the performance of phytoestrogens as ER modulators is described along with recent advances in biosynthesis techniques.

The shortage of clean water is one of the predominant causes of human mortality, especially in remote rural areas. Currently, solar steam generation is being adopted as an efficient, sustainable, and low-cost means for water desalination to produce clean water. However, preventing salt accumulation during operation while maintaining long-term stability and a rapid evaporation rate is a critical challenge that needs to be urgently addressed to further facilitate the practical applications of solar desalination, especially for desalinating high-salinity brine. Here, we demonstrate that a bimodal porous structure (e.g., balsa wood) can serve as an efficient and stable solar vapor generator for high-salinity brine desalination. Taking advantage of the inherent bimodal porous and interconnected microstructures of balsa wood, rapid capillary transport through the microchannels and efficient transport between the micro- and macrochannels through ray cells and pits in the bimodal evaporator can lead to quick replenishment of surface vaporized brine to ensure fast and continuous clean water vapor generation. The bimodal evaporator demonstrates a rapid evaporation rate of 6.4 kg m−2 h−1 under 6 suns irradiation and outstanding long-term stability for desalination of high salinity brine. The large vessel channels play a critical role in preventing salt from accumulating, as evidenced by controlled experiments with large vessels either blocked in the bimodal evaporator (balsa evaporator) or absent in a unimodal evaporator (e.g., cedar wood) whose porous structure occurs naturally without large vessels. Both approaches demonstrate severe salt accumulation during solar desalination due to a lack of sufficient brine replenishment from the bulk solution beneath. With its unique bimodal porous and interconnected microstructure configuration obtained by a facile and scalable fabrication method, our bimodal porous structured evaporator device represents an efficient, stable, low-cost, and environmentally friendly solar vapor generator for high-salinity brine desalination.

Recently, the performance of thin-film transistors (TFTs) with amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) has been substantially improved. However, the device reliability under negative bias illumination/temperature stress (NBI/TS) remains a critical issue. Herein, a Cd and Sc co-doped In2O3 semiconductor (CdScInO) is developed for improving the NBI/TS stability of TFTs. The mobility, subthreshold swing, and on/off ratio of the CdScInO TFT are 15.9 cm2 V−1 s−1, 89 mV dec−1 and ∼107, respectively. More interestingly, the CdScInO TFTs exhibit excellent stability under NBTS at 80 °C or under NBIS with red light or green light illumination, while a threshold voltage shift of only −0.91 V is observed under NBIS with blue light illumination for 3600 s. First-principles calculations show that the Cd dopants cause the formation of holes, which can be bound with oxygen vacancies (VOs) to form Cd–VO pairs. Furthermore, the density of states near the valence band maximum decreases due to the upward repulsion between the O p states and the Cd d states. Thus, the activation of VO or electron donor defects is suppressed, which explains the NBI/TS stability improvement for CdScInO TFTs.

Dietary prenylated stilbenoids present in many food resources, and have good bioactivities. However, their structure-activity relationships are rarely reported. In this work, eighteen C- and O-prenylated stilbenoids were chemically semisynthesized using one-step approach. They all could inhibit sugar digestive enzymes, including α-glucosidase and α-amylase. 4-Geranyl piceatannol from jackfruit showed the strongest activity by suppressing dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) activity. The enzyme inhibition kinetics were measured and the inhibition mechanism was revealed. Evaluation of antioxidant activity highlighted that the introduction of prenyl with increasing prenyl chain length can significantly increase the antioxidant activity of stilbenoids. Our results suggested that prenylated stilbenoids could be used as functional food additives to decrease postprandial blood sugar levels by inhibiting sugar digestive enzymes and DPP-IV. Prenylated stilbenoids present remarkable DPP-IV inhibitory activity, providing more useful information for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Ferromagnetism in all-boron planar clusters is revealed based on high-throughput first-principles calculations. Magnetic boron clusters induced from p electrons have been confirmed with large spins, e.g., S = 3 in a B34 cluster, which can be assembled to construct all-boron ferromagnetic monolayers. Notably, the ferromagnetic semiconductors of boron monolayers can be designed with the hybridization of a nonmagnetic B36 cluster in experimental synthesis. The ferromagnetism-paramagnetism transition and semiconductor-metal transition in these boron nanostructures will occur around 500 K according to ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, indicating the potential applications in nano-devices at room temperature. The coexisting ferromagnetic and semiconducting properties in boron monolayers are attributed to the unique multicenter bonds together with the modulation of structural symmetry, which might be worth experimental attempts in the future.

The peel of Citrus reticulate ‘Chachiennsis’ (Chachi) is widely accepted as a functional food. It is generally recognized that its health benefits are dependent on storage time. However, the chemicals responsible for this phenomonon remain unclear. As bioactive polysaccharides are dominant in Chachi, Chachi polysaccharides with various storage times (5–20 years) were prepared. The monosaccharide composition was analyzed by GC-MS. NMR data revealed that Chachi polysaccharides were mainly consisted of arabinogalacturonan and another pectin with side chain of →4)-β-D-Galp-(1 → . α-L-Araf-(1→, →5)-α-L-Araf-(1→, →4)-α-D-GalpA-(1→, →4)-α-D-GalpAMe-(1→, →4)-β-D-Galp-(1→ and →4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→ were detected. The molecular weight of Chachi polysaccharides decreased along with the extension of storage time. However, the basic structure characteristics remained stable. The immumomodulatory activities of Chachi polysaccharides were improved as the storage time extended. The change of molecular weight was responsible for the improved immunomodulatory activity. The results explained how polysaccharides contributed to the enhanced health benefits of Chachi during storage.