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In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (ATR) is widely used to treat memory and cognition dysfunction. This study aimed to confirm evidence regarding the potential therapeutic effect of ATR on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using a system network level based in silico approach. Study results showed that the compounds in ATR are highly connected to AD-related signaling pathways, biological processes, and organs. These findings were confirmed by compound-target network, target-organ location network, gene ontology analysis, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Most compounds in ATR have been reported to have antifibrillar amyloid plaques, anti-tau phosphorylation, and anti-inflammatory effects. Our results indicated that compounds in ATR interact with multiple targets in a synergetic way. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of genes targeted by ATR are elevated significantly in heart, brain, and liver. Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory and immune system enhancing effects of ATR might contribute to its major therapeutic effects on Alzheimer’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the proclamation of a mobility turn in the 2000s, scholars have populated the field with invaluable insights on what it means to move, and what the politics of movement are. One particularly useful thread revolves around the issue of infrastructures, which have generally been taken to mean the manifest forms of moorings and fixities that help order and give shape to mobilities. Yet, while significant inroads have been made in delineating the morphologies of transport infrastructures, mobilities research has been relatively reticent about the organisational structures, orders and arrangements that give rise to another key mobile phenomenon of our time — international migration. In this editorial introduction, we lay down some groundwork on the productive and political nature of infrastructures that likewise affect and inform the way (im)mobilities are contingently created and parsed in migration. Looking through the prism of East and Southeast Asia and its migration infrastructures, we take advantage of the ‘new’ infrastructural configurations in an emerging empirical context to point to some directions by which mobilities researchers can more rigorously interrogate ‘migration’ as another socially meaningful and specific form of mobility that exceeds a mere displacement of people or change in national domicile. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the article the author offers a relational interpretation of global governance since the 1960s. Topics include the reimagination of Western civilization through modernization via capitalism, findings and claims by anthropologists and other skeptics that challenged the universal formula of market-based development, and turning point in the worldwiew of elites gathered at the 2007 World Economic Forum. Also included are commentaries on the article.

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most malignant and common form of neuroendocrine lung cancer with pure (P‐SCLC) and combined subtypes (C‐SCLC). However, little is known about the differences between these two groups and in this study we aimed to provide a more comprehensive insight into SCLC. Methods: Data from 580 postoperative patients with pathologically confirmed SCLC in Shanghai Chest Hospital from January 2010 to December 2020 were collected retrospectively. The clinical characteristics and prognosis were analyzed. Results: A total of 357 P‐SCLC patients and 223 C‐SCLC patients were included. The results indicated that P‐SCLC appeared to have a higher proportion of being located in the middle lobe than C‐SCLC. The incidences of P‐SCLC in patients with visceral pleural invasion (VPI) and in stage II were higher than C‐SCLC, while C‐SCLC was more likely to be accompanied by higher incidences of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, and higher levels of CEA, SCCA and CYFRA21‐1 than P‐SCLC. The most common were SCLC combined with large cell neuroendocrine components among 223 C‐SCLCs. Survival analysis confirmed a more favorable disease‐free survival (DFS) (p = 0.016) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.024) in patients with P‐SCLCs compared with C‐SCLCs. Histological type, tumor location, pN stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, serum NSE and CA125 levels were independent risk factors for survival rate in SCLC. In addition, adjuvant chemotherapy was beneficial in improving stage I P‐SCLC and C‐SCLC DFS and OS rates, and similar results were not seen in adjuvant radiation therapy. Conclusions: Patients with C‐SCLC have a poorer prognosis than P‐SCLC patients. We determined that large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma was the most common additional component of C‐SCLC, and patients with this component appeared to have a longer DFS and OS than other combined components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetting deformation of the rockfill material, which is generated by particle sliding, breakage, and rearrangement, plays a vital role in earth-rockfill dam deformation that determines the safety of the dam. However, the previous wetting deformation particle breakage test was performed under the conventional stress path, which could not reflect the influence of stress path. This paper investigates the particle breakage of the basalt rockfill used in the Gushui dam during wetting deformation tests under the equal stress ratio path and drained triaxial shearing tests under the complex stress path. The results indicate that stress path, stress level, stress intensity, and particle breakage determine the wetting deformation under the equal stress ratio path. Under a low confining pressure (1,000 kPa), rockfill particle sliding and roll over are loosely constrained, and negligible particle breakage occurs during wetting deformation, which is mostly generated by particle sliding and rearrangement. Under a high confining pressure (2,000 kPa), rockfill particle sliding and roll over are more constrained. Thus, the contact force significantly increases and significant particle breakage occurs during wetting deformation. In addition, the relationship between the relative particle breakage index and plastic work under the equal stress ratio path and the following wetting deformation period can be simulated with a hyperbolic formulation, which cannot reasonably simulate the particle breakage under the transitional stress path after wetting deformation. The wetting deformation function under the equal stress ratio path was developed to incorporate the influence of the particle breakage and stress path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himalayan leucogranites are widely distributed in the North Himalayan gneiss dome (NHGD) and at the top of the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex (GHC) and are generally controlled by detachment faults. The ages of these prekinematic, synkinematic, and postkinematic leucogranites can be used to limit the activity of detachment structures (such as the South Tibetan Detachment System, STDS). Research on the STDS activity time in the eastern Himalayas is relatively sparse. In this study, the zircon and monazite U–Th–Pb geochronology of synkinematic and postkinematic leucogranites, which are affected by the STDS and NHGD, in four areas (Lhozhag, Kuju, Xiaozhan, and Cuonadong) in Shannan City, Tibet, China, was measured. The results show that the oldest synkinematic two‐mica granite from Lhozhag, which is affected by the STDS, is 24–25 Ma, so the time of STDS activity is at or slightly earlier than 25 Ma. The youngest synkinematic leucogranite is the garnet‐bearing muscovite granite in Cuonadong at 18.4 Ma. The oldest undeformed postkinematic leucogranite (not affected by the STDS) is the muscovite granite in Xiaozhan at 17.4 Ma. Therefore, the end of STDS activity can be limited to 18.4–17.4 Ma. The STDS includes three forms: detachment fault in the NHGD (northern extension of the STDS), the inner STDS between the GHC and Tethyan Himalayan Sequence, and the outer STDS at the bottoms of synformal klippes. In this paper, the active time limits of the above three kinds of detachment zones are comprehensively summarized. Based on this work, the northward extension (ductile deformation) time of the STDS in the region is considered to be 28–17 Ma. The exhumation of the GHC is mainly controlled by in‐sequence shearing: first, the South Tibet Thrust system (predecessor of the STDS) at the top of the GHC thrust southward at 45–28 Ma, then the High Himalayan Discontinuity fault in the middle of the GHC forms south‐vergent ductile thrusts at 28–17 Ma, and finally, the Main Central Thrust at the bottom of the GHC thrust southward at 17–9 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cuonadong Dome in southern Tibet is a newly discovered gneiss dome in the Tethys Himalaya. Here, we investigate the Late Cambrian augen gneiss (orthogneiss) within the core of this dome to address the controversy surrounding early Palaeozoic tectonic evolution of the northern margin of eastern Gondwana. We report new zircon laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐(MC‐)ICP‐MS) U‐Pb ages, Lu‐Hf isotopes, whole‐rock major and trace element geochemistry, and Sr‐Nd‐Pb data on representative samples from the granitic gneiss. The weighted mean of 116 analyses of zircon grains yields an age of 498.2 ± 1.5 Ma (mean square weighted deviation [MSWD] = 1.2). Forty‐one spots analyses on these grains show consistent εHf (t) values of −2 to +4 (average = +1.1), corresponding to Hf crustal model age (TDM2) of 1.3 to 1.6 Ga (average = 1.39 Ga). The orthogneiss (metagranite) is characterized by high Si and K contents, with low Al, Mg, and Ti, and A/CNK values ranging from 0.87 to 0.98 with an average of 0.92, indicating a metaluminous composition and I‐type granitoid affinity. The granitoid displays significant enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and relatively flat high rare earth element (HREE) patterns, with strong negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.26–0.31). The primitive mantle‐normalized trace elements show a relative enrichment in large‐ion lithophile elements, such as Rb, and high‐field strength elements, such as Th, U, Zr, and Hf, with depletion in Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, P, and Ti. The rocks show high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7221–0.7248) and low εNd (t) values (−8.9 to −7.3) with Nd model ages (TDM) of 1.79–1.91 Ga. Their radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions show (206Pb/204Pb)t = 18.804–19.110, (207Pb/204Pb)t = 15.730–15.768, and (208Pb/204Pb)t = 38.409–39.054, indicating an ancient upper middle continental crustal origin. Our study shows that the protolith of the metagranite was most likely derived from the partial melting of upper continental crust with a minor contribution of depleted mantle materials. Through integration of the regional information on early Palaeozoic magmatism and metamorphic events, we contend that the protolith of the Cuonadong granitic gneiss formed in an accretionary setting associated with the early Palaeozoic Proto‐Tethys Oceanic plate subduction beneath the Gondwana continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Inorganic adsorbents can lower the concentration of phosphate radicals in aqueous solution. However, the traditional adsorbents containing low-valence metal atoms have many defects in the application process, such as low adsorption capacity, easy dissolution in solution, and easy agglomeration of the nano-sized adsorbents and so on. This article presents a novel and effective method to immobilize high-valence Ce element on the porous silica micro-spheres via an impregnation-calcination-activation technique to efficiently remove phosphate radical. The Ce-SiO 2 was synthesized via (1) Ce3+ atoms adsorbed on the surface of silica sphere, (2) cerium nitrate hexahydrate transformed into cerium dioxide via thermal decomposition process and (3) anhydrous cerium dioxide transformed into hydrous cerium oxide (HCO) via an acid activation process. The field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicate that cerium oxide nanoparticles grow homogeneously on the surface of the silica sphere when the heating rate is 2 °C/min at 90.5 °C and 218.0 °C. The X-ray diffraction instrument (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy XPS results demonstrate that Ce3+ atoms could be oxidized into Ce4+ atoms and produce ample reduced ion-exchange sites. Bath adsorption experiments indicate that 15HCO-SiO 2 has excellent properties of removing phosphate ions and the maximum adsorption capacity is 85.5 mg/g. Kinetic and isothermal studies show that the experimental data fit nicely into pseudo-second kinetic and Langmuir models, indicating that the chemical adsorption, as well as the monolayer adsorption, occur simultaneously in the adsorption process. Analysis of the adsorption mechanism analysis suggests that the phosphate ions are sequestered by a reduction and ion-exchange reaction (CeO 2 to CePO 4). Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the synthesis of the adsorbent and phosphate radical adsorption mechanism. Image 1 Highlights • Impregnation-calcination-activation techniques were used to immobilize Ce on the silica-based particles. • Cerium modified adsorbent showed a high phosphate adsorption capacity. • Adsorption performance is evaluate by pseudo-second-oeder kinetic, Webber Morris intra particle diffusion and Langmuir models. • The reduction and ion-exchange from CeO 2 to CePO 4 was occurred in adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphologies of red blood cells (RBCs) in fluid environment have attracted many research interests. We propose a coarse-grained membrane model based on the area-difference-elasticity (ADE) model, and integrate the immersed boundary (IB) method and lattice Boltzmann (LB) method for the simulations of vesicles and RBCs. The membrane’s energy is composed of bending energy, ADE energy, area energy, volume energy and the elastic energy of the membrane skeleton. The fluid environment is solved by the LB method, and the membrane and fluid models are coupled by the IB method. With only bending energy and area energy, the cells show the prolate–oblate–stomatocyte transition with decreasing volume. If all energy components are included, the stomatocyte–discocyte–acanthocyte transition of the cell morphology is recovered with increasing area difference between the two leaflets of the membrane. Therefore, the proposed numerical model is capable to simulate the morphology of the RBC in various scenarios. This model can be further employed to study the deformation of cells in blood flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inserted junction in the composite dam of the Guanyinyan hydropower station, with a height of 75 m, is the weak point of the dam structure. During the first impoundment, cracks appear on the junction crest of the earth-rockfill dam, which primarily results from the uncontrollable deformations of the dam. The deformations of earth-rockfill dams generally include static, rheological and wetting deformations. Therefore, the deformation parameters, which include the constitutive model, rheological and wetting parameters, are the key issues for controlling dam deformation. In this paper, parameters of the E-B model (constitutive model), creep deformation model and wetting model of the earth-rockfill materials were jointly back-analyzed using a parallel mutation particle swarm optimization method, according to the displacements that were monitored on the dam body. The back-analysis results showed that the non-uniform settlement induced by creep deformation and wetting deformation of the dam soil ultimately caused the cracks on the crest. More than 83% of the displacement that is generated by creep deformation is predicted to be released within three years after impoundment, and the total settlement on the crest ten years after construction is predicted to remain at less than 1% of the dam height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe form acute respiratory distress syndrome remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. LianQinJieDu (LQJD), which is a traditional Chinese medicine, has been clinically used for antiviral drug. The present study investigated whether Lianqinjiedu(LQJD) ameliorates lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute lung injury in rats and aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of LQJD. Rat model with ALI induced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS was treated by oral administration of LQJD. The recruitment of body temperature and the histopathology of lung tissue from all groups were evaluated to grade the severity of the inflammation. The inflammatory cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were examined by ELISA assay, and the TLR4 and NF-κBp65 expression levels were evaluated by Real time-PCR and western blotting. It was observed that LQJD reduced the LPS-induced body temperature, inflammatory cytokines level, and lung injuries, and blocked the activation of TLR4/NF-κBp65 signaling in lung tissue. This study demonstrates that LQJD has a protective effect on LPS-induced inflammatory rats through the signaling pathway of TLR4 and NF-κBp65. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cuonadong is the firstly discovered W-Sn-Be-Rb deposit in Himalayan. • Zircon and cassiterite U-Pb and muscovite Ar-Ar ages (15.5–14.3 Ma) are similar. • E-W extension of the NSTR initiated at ca. 18–14 Ma. • Himalaya leucogranites belong to Sn granite. The Cuonadong deposit is located in the Cuonadong gneiss dome of the eastern Tethyan Himalaya and is characterized as a large- to superlarge-scale Sn polymetallic deposit in the Himalaya orogen. The mineralization pattern includes skarn W-Sn mineralization in the strong shear zone of the dome mantle, hydrothermal Sn-W veins controlled by north-south-trending rifts (NSTRs), and Be-Rb mineralization in pegmatitic leucogranite. The results of this study show that the zircon U-Pb age of undeformed (postkinematic) leucogranites is 15.5 ± 0.1 Ma (n = 28, MSWD = 1.4), the cassiterite U-Pb age of the vein-type Sn-W orebody is 14.3 ± 0.5 Ma (n = 40, MSWD = 3.2), and the muscovite Ar-Ar age of beryl-bearing pegmatitic leucogranite is 15.2 ± 0.2 Ma (MSWD = 1.5). The isotopic dating results demonstrate that the Cuonadong Sn-W-Be-Rb mineralization has a close genetic relationship with the Miocene (ca. 16–14 Ma) leucogranite magmatic hydrothermal activity in the Cuonadong dome. The deformed (synkinematic) two-mica granite (18 Ma) was cut by the Sn-W ore veins (14 Ma) faulted by NSTRs, indicating that the E-W-trending extension of the NSTRs initiated at ca. 18–14 Ma. The Himalaya leucogranite belongs to a highly fractionated granite with high Sn content (>15 ppm). In conclusion, the Himalaya leucogranite is considered to be tin granite in this study, and therefore, the Himalaya presents high potential for Sn polymetallic mineralization prospecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thalamic tissue damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) follows a 'surface-in' gradient from the ventricular surface. The clinical consequences of this gradient are not completely understood. Using quantitative gradient-recalled echo (qGRE) MRI, we evaluated a periventricular thalamic gradient of tissue integrity in MS and its relationship with clinical variables., Methods: Structural and qGRE MRI scans were acquired for a cohort of MS patients and healthy controls (HC). qGRE-derived R2t* values were used as a measure of tissue integrity. Thalamic segmentations were divided into 1-mm concentric bands radiating from the ventricular surface, excluding the CSF-adjacent band. Median R2t* values within these bands were used to calculate the periventricular thalamic gradient., Results: We included 44 MS patients and 17 HC. R2t* increased slightly with distance from the ventricular surface in HC. MS patients had a steeper periventricular thalamic gradient compared to HC (mean slope 0.55 vs. 0.36; p < 0.001), which correlated with longer disease duration (β = 0.001 /year; p = 0.027) and higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score (β = 0.07 /EDSS point; p = 0.019). Left and right thalamus were symmetrically affected., Conclusions: We detected an increased thalamic gradient in MS in vivo using qGRE MRI, which correlated with disease duration and greater clinical disability. These findings further support the 'surface-in' pathology hypothesis in MS and suggest a CSF-mediated process given symmetric bi-thalamic involvement., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest JRC has received grant support from the National MS Society and consulting honoraria from EMD Serono, Genentech, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Novartis. AHC has received consulting honoraria from Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, EMD Serono, and Genentech/F. Hoffman-La Roche, Horizon, Janssen, Novartis, Octave, and TG Therapeutics. MRB has received consulting honoraria from Bristol Myers Squibb, EMD Serono, Novartis, and TG Therapeutics., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) with discontinuous driving coils potentially applied in the underground pipeline freight delivery system is introduced in this article. Firstly, the detailed structure of the PMLSM with discontinuous driving coils is designed and presented, and the dynamic models of the PMLSM during three different processes are developed. In addition, based on the proportional-integral (PI) and the adaptive disturbance observer (DOB), a multi-loop control strategy is designed for the PMLSM with discontinuous driving coils. The critical performances of PMLSM, such as the speed precision and anti-disturbance ability, are testified in the experiment, and the results validate that the multi-loop control model with adaptive DOB used in the PMLSM with discontinuous driving coils has better speed precision than the PI+PI model by suppressing the detent force., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Perfluorooctanoic acid is ubiquitous in water bodies and is detrimental to the health of organisms. Effectively removing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent organic pollutant, has been a hot topic around the world. With traditional physical, chemical, and biological methods, it is difficult to effectively and completely remove PFOA, the costs are high, and it is easy to cause secondary pollution. There are difficulties in applying some technologies. Therefore, more efficient and green degradation technologies have been sought. Photochemical degradation has been shown to be a low-cost, efficient, and sustainable technique for PFOA removal from water. Photocatalytic degradation technology offers great potential and prospects for the efficient degradation of PFOA. Most studies on PFOA have been conducted under ideal laboratory conditions at concentrations that are higher than those detected in real wastewater. This paper summarizes the research status of the photo-oxidative degradation of PFOA, and it summarizes the mechanism and kinetics of PFOA degradation in different systems, as well as the influence of key factors on the photo-oxidative degradation and defluoridation process, such as system pH, photocatalyst concentration, etc. PFOA photodegradation technology's existing problems and future work directions are also presented. This review provides a useful reference for future research on PFOA pollution control technology.

As the current excessive accumulation of fluoride (F - ) in the environment can be hazardous to human health, it is essential to remove fluoride from wastewater. In this study, diatomite (DA) was used as a raw material and modified using aluminum hydroxide (Al-DA) for use in the adsorption of F - from water bodies. SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, and Zeta potential characterization analyses were carried out; adsorption tests and kinetic fitting were performed, and the effects of pH, dosing quantity, and presence of interfering ions on the adsorption of F - by the materials were investigated. The results show that the Freundlich model effectively describes the adsorption process of F - on DA, which therefore involves adsorption-complexation interactions; however, the Langmuir model effectively describes the adsorption process of F - on Al-DA, corresponding to unimolecular layer adsorption mainly via ion-exchange interactions, that is, adsorption is dominated by chemisorption. Aluminum hydroxide was shown to be the main species involved in F - adsorption. The efficiency of F - removal by DA and Al-DA was over 91% and 97% for 2 h, and the adsorption kinetics were effectively fit by the quasi-secondary model, suggesting that chemical interactions between the absorbents and F - control the adsorption process. The adsorption of F - was highly dependent on the pH of the system, and the maximum adsorption performance was obtained at pH 6 and 4. The optimal dosage of DA and Al-DA was 4 g/L. Even in the presence of interfering ions, the removal of F - on Al-DA reached 89%, showing good selectivity. XRD and FTIR studies showed that the mechanism of F - adsorption on Al-DA involved ion exchange and the formation of F-Al bonds., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common demyelinating central nervous system disease. MRI methods that can quantify myelin loss are needed for trials of putative remyelinating agents. Quantitative magnetization transfer MRI introduced the macromolecule proton fraction (MPF), which correlates with myelin concentration. We developed an alternative approach, Simultaneous-Multi-Angular-Relaxometry-of-Tissue (SMART) MRI, to generate MPF. Our objective was to test SMART-derived MPF metric as a potential imaging biomarker of demyelination., Methods: Twenty healthy control (HC), 11 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 22 progressive MS (PMS), and one subject with a biopsied tumefactive demyelinating lesion were scanned at 3T using SMART MRI. SMART-derived MPF metric was determined in normal-appearing cortical gray matter (NAGM), normal-appearing subcortical white matter (NAWM), and demyelinating lesions. MPF metric was evaluated for correlations with physical and cognitive test scores. Comparisons were made between HC and MS and between MS subtypes. Furthermore, correlations were determined between MPF and neuropathology in the biopsied person., Results: SMART-derived MPF in NAGM and NAWM were lower in MS than HC (p &lt; 0.001). MPF in NAGM, NAWM and lesions differentiated RRMS from PMS (p &lt; 0.01, p &lt; 0.001, p &lt; 0.001, respectively), whereas lesion volumes did not. MPF in NAGM, NAWM and lesions correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (p &lt; 0.01, p &lt; 0.001, p &lt; 0.001, respectively) and nine-hole peg test (p &lt; 0.001, p &lt; 0.001, p &lt; 0.01, respectively). MPF was lower in the histopathologically confirmed inflammatory demyelinating lesion than the contralateral NAWM and increased in the biopsied lesion over time, mirroring improved clinical performance., Interpretation: SMART-derived MPF metric holds potential as a quantitative imaging biomarker of demyelination and remyelination., (© 2022 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Background: Imaging biomarkers of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) are needed. Quantitative gradient recalled echo (qGRE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluates microstructural tissue damage in MS., Objective: To evaluate qGRE-derived R2t* as an imaging biomarker of MS progression compared with atrophy and lesion burden., Methods: Twenty-three non-relapsing progressive MS (PMS), 22 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and 18 healthy control participants underwent standard MS physical and cognitive neurological assessments and imaging with qGRE, FLAIR, and MPRAGE at 3T. PMS subjects were tested clinically and imaged every 9 months over 45 months. Imaging measures included lesion burden, atrophy, and R2t* in cortical gray matter (GM), deep GM, and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). Longitudinal analysis of clinical performance and imaging biomarkers in PMS subjects was conducted via linear models with subject as repeated, within-subject factor. Relationship between imaging biomarkers and clinical scores was assessed by Spearman rank correlation., Results: R2t* reductions correlated with neurological impairment cross-sectionally and longitudinally. PMS patients with clinically defined disease progression ( N  = 13) showed faster decrease of R2t* in NAWM and deep GM compared with the clinically stable PMS group ( N  = 10). Importantly, tissue damage measured by R2t* outperformed lesion burden and atrophy as a biomarker of progression during the study period., Conclusion: qGRE-derived R2t* is a potential imaging biomarker of MS progression.

Recently, identifying the contamination status and assessing the health risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface water and groundwater have been of great significance. Eighteen individual PFASs were analyzed in thirty-three surface/groundwater samples during one period in a fluorine chemical park (Park A) and during two periods in Park B. The mean total concentration of 18 PFASs (∑PFASs) in Park A (9104.63 ng·L -1 ) was significantly higher than that in the wet season (WS) (801.68 ng·L -1 ) or DS (714.64 ng·L -1 ) in Park B. The perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) was the predominant substance in the two parks, and the maximum concentration in groundwater exceeded 10,000 ng·L -1 . The contamination status in the wet season (WS) was higher than that in the dry season (DS) in Park B. The ∑PFASs in Park A presented an increasing tendency following the groundwater flow direction, whereas this rule was limited to all periods in Park B. Two relative source contributions (RSCs) of 20% or 100% allowed assessing the PFASs risk to different age groups, and the results revealed that some PFASs (4 ≤ C ≤ 7 or 9 ≤ C ≤ 12) were identified as having a low risk quotient (RQ), except for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and PFOA (C = 8). The RQ mix value mainly relies on PFOA and PFOS, with a larger contribution rate of 80-90%. All assessed cases (case 1, case 2, case 3, and case 4) in all age groups revealed that infants were vulnerable to PFASs influence, followed by children, teenagers, and adults., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The rotating characteristic and the stability analysis of unsymmetrical magnetically suspended motor (MSM) are investigated in the article. Firstly, the dynamic functions of unsymmetrical MSM with different moment of inertia ratios and suspension span ratios are developed. Based on the equation of radial rotation, the open-loop pole and the frequency response are analyzed, so relationships among critical whirling frequency, moment of inertia ratio and suspension span ratio are established. Moreover, relationships among rotating characteristic, moment of inertia ratio and suspension span ratio are investigated, and then the rotation stability criterion of unsymmetrical MSM based on dual-frequency bode diagram is developed. Finally, the results prove that the proposed rotation analysis method is a potential way to analyze rotating characteristic of unsymmetrical MSM., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water containing high concentrations of fluoride is widely distributed and seriously harmful, largely because long-term exposure to fluoride exceeding the recommended level will lead to fluorosis of teeth and bones. Therefore, it is imperative to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly adsorbents to remove fluoride from polluted water sources. In this study, diatomite (DA), calcium bentonite (CB), bamboo charcoal (BC), and rice husk biochar (RHB) were tested as adsorbents to adsorb fluoride (F - ) from water, and this process was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (FEI-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The effects of pH, dosage, and the initial mass concentration of each treatment solution upon adsorption of F - were determined. Kinetic and thermodynamic models were applied to reveal the mechanism of defluoridation, and an orthogonal experiment was designed to obtain the optimal combination of conditions. The results show that the surfaces of CB, BC, and RHB have an irregular pore structure and rough surface, whereas DA has a rich pore structure, clear pores, large specific surface area, and high silica content. With regard to the adsorption process for F - , DA has an adsorption complex electron interaction; that of CB, BC, and RHB occur mainly via ion exchange with positive and negative charges; and CB on F - relies on chemical electron bonding adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of DA can reach 32.20 mg/g. When the mass concentration of fluoride is 100 mg/L, the pH value is 6.0 and the dosage is 4.0 g/L; the adsorption rate of F - by DA can reach 91.8%. Therefore, we conclude that DA soil could be used as an efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly adsorbent for fluoride removal, perhaps providing an empirical basis for improving the treatment of fluorine-containing water in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Tang, Xiang, Li, Tan and Zhu.)

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions typically form around a central vein that can be visualized with FLAIR* MRI, creating the central vein sign (CVS) which may reflect lesion pathophysiology. Herein we used gradient echo plural contrast imaging (GEPCI) MRI to simultaneously visualize CVS and measure tissue damage in MS lesions. We examined CVS in relation to tissue integrity in white matter (WM) lesions and among MS subtypes., Objective: We aimed to determine if CVS positive lesions were specific to MS subtype, if CVS can be detected consistently among readers using the GEPCI method, and if there were differences in tissue damage in lesions with vs without CVS., Subjects and Methods: Thirty relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) subjects and 38 primary and secondary progressive MS (PMS) subjects were scanned with GEPCI protocol at 3T. GEPCI T2*-SWI images were generated to visualize CVS. Two investigators independently evaluated WM lesions for CVS and measured lesion volumes. To estimate tissue damage severity, total lesion volume, and mean lesion volume, R2t*-based tissue damage score (TDS) of individual lesions and tissue damage load (TDL) were measured for CVS+, CVS-, and confluent lesions. Spearman correlations were made between MRI and clinical data. One-way ANCOVA with age and sex as covariates was used to compare measurements of CVS+ vs CVS- lesions in each individual., Results: 398 of 548 lesions meeting inclusion criteria showed CVS. Most patients had ≥40% CVS+ lesions. CVS+ lesions were present in similar proportion among MS subtypes. Interobserver agreement was high for CVS detection. CVS+ and confluent lesions had higher average and total volumes vs CVS- lesions. CVS+ and confluent lesions had more tissue damage than CVS- lesions based on TDL and mean TDS., Conclusion: CVS occurred in RRMS and PMS in similar proportions. CVS+ lesions had greater tissue damage and larger size than CVS- lesions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interests: Victoria A. Levasseur has nothing to disclose in relation to this study. Biao Xiang has nothing to disclose in relation to this study. Amber Salter has nothing to disclose in relation to this study. Dmitriy Yablonskiy has nothing to disclose in relation to this study. Anne H. Cross is funded by the Manny and Rosenthal – Dr. John L. Trotter MS Center Chair of Barnes Jewish Hospital foundation and the Leon and Harriet Felman Fund for Human MS Research. She has also received consulting and/or speaking fees from Biogen, Celgene, EMD Serono, Genentech/Roche, Greenwich Biosciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, and Race to Erase MS, all outside the submitted work., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Numerous factors can influence the force exerted by clear aligners on teeth. This study aimed to investigate the stability of the force delivered by two different material appliances. 90 clear aligners with 2 materials and three different activations were designed and fabricated. Then, a device was employed to measure the force generated by the two types of PET-G material appliances immersed in artificial saliva for 0, 3, 7, 10, 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to observe the morphologic alterations on the aligner surfaces, respectively. The forces generated by different activation appliance exhibited differently, 0.0 mm < 0.1 mm < 0.2 mm. In addition, increasing the immersion times and the orthodontic force also decreased, but the forces decreased differently. Compared with the forces of conventional PETG appliances with 0.20 mm activation, the modified PETG appliances with the same activation exhibited significantly higher mean force. When comparing the mean force for modified PETG appliances after 10 and 14 days with conventional PETG appliances, the delivery forces exhibited significant differences (P < 0.05). The force delivered by both materials decreased obviously following artificial saliva immersion, and the force generated by modified aligners exhibited better stability than conventional aligners.

Impaired homeostasis of copper has been linked to different pathophysiological mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases and oxidative injury has been proposed as the main mechanism. This study aims to use curcumin, a widely used antioxidative and anti-apoptotic agent, to exert the neuroprotective effect against copper in vitro and illuminate the underlying mechanism. The effect of curcumin was examined by using a cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, spectrophotometer, and western blot. Results revealed that after pretreatment with curcumin for 3 h, copper-induced toxicity and apoptosis show a significant decline. Further experiments showed that curcumin not only decreased the production of ROS and MDA but also increased the activities of the ROS scavenging enzymes SOD and CAT. Moreover, curcumin treatment alleviated the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and the nuclear translocation of cytochrome c induced by copper. The protein levels of pro-caspase 3, pro-caspase 9, and PARP1 were up-regulated and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was down-regulated in the presence of curcumin. Taken together, our study demonstrates that curcumin has neuroprotective properties against copper in SH-SY5Y cells and the potential mechanisms might be related to oxidative stress and mitochondrial apoptosis.

Objective: To compare the clinical effect between electroacupuncture (EA) at Neima point and Neiguan (PC 6) and epidural nerve block for preemptive analgesia in patients undergoing thoracic surgery., Methods: Sixty patients with elective radical esophagectomy were randomly divided into a group A, a group B and a control group, 20 cases in each group. The patients in the group A were treated with injection of 20 mL 0.375% ropivacaine at epidural space 30 min before anesthesia induction, followed by normal anesthesia during operation; the patients in the group B were treated with 30 min EA at bilateral Neima point and Neiguan (PC 6) before anesthesia induction, followed by normal anesthesia during operation; the patients in the control group were treated with general anesthesia alone. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia was applied for all the patients. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded at the following time points: before acupuncture/epidural puncture (T 0 ), skin incision (T 1 ), extubation (T 2 ) and 2 h after operation (T 3 ); the dosage of anesthetics and extubation time were recorded; the plasma levels of β-endorphin (β-EP), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) were measured at the following time points: T 0 , T 3 , 12 h after operation (T 4 ), 24 h after operation (T 5 ) and 48 h after operation (T 6 ). Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the analgesic effect., Results: The MAP at T 1 and T 2 in the group A was lower than that in group B and control group ( P <0.05), and HR at T 1 and T 2 was lower than that in control group ( P <0.05). The MAP and HR at T 1 and T 2 in the group B were lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05). The dosage of remifentanil in the group A and group B was lower than that in the control group ( P <0.05), and extubation time was earlier than that in the control group ( P <0.05). The content of β-EP at T 4 , T 5 and T 6 in the group B was higher than that in the group A and control group ( P <0.05); the contents of 5-HT and PGE 2 at T 3 , T 4 and T 5 in the group A and group B were lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05). The VAS scores at T 3 , T 4 and T 5 in the group A and group were lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: The preemptive analgesia of EA at Neima point and Neiguan (PC 6) and epidural nerve block could both provide effective perioperative analgesia for thoracic surgery. The EA could better maintain intraoperative hemodynamics and has less physiological disturbance.

Introduction: The inertial stabilization platform (ISP) is widely used in the earth observation system to stably track the line of sight of the payload because it could isolate vibrations and angular motions of the aviation platform., Objectives: an active magnetic actuator (AMA) system integrating the axial and the radial control is used to levitate the azimuth gimbal to improve attitude stabilization precision and dynamic performance of the ISP, and then the dynamic model of azimuth gimbal is developed., Methods: The magnetic force and the gimbal torque of the axial-radial integrated AMA system are investigated, and the attitude information of the suspended azimuth gimbal is measured., Results: The attitude stabilization precision of azimuth gimbal is confined at 0.02°, and the control bandwidth of the axial-radial integrated AMA system could exceed 100 Hz., Conclusion: the ISP with an axial-radial integrated AMA system has better attitude stabilization precision and wider control frequency than the pure mechanical ISP, so it is potential to be applied in the airborne remote sensing system to improve the measurement precision., Competing Interests: The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Cairo University.)

In this article, for the translation and radial rotation of the magnetically suspended motor (MSM) with heavy self-weight and great moment of inertia, robust control functions are designed to improve the disturbance attenuation by minimizing model uncertainties introduced by variations of current stiffness and displacement stiffness. On the one hand, the H ∞ control function with the mixed sensitivity is designed to the translational control of the MSM. On the other hand, for the rotation control of the MSM around radial axes, μ-synthesis is utilized to attenuate disturbances caused by the gyroscopic coupling with variable rotational speed. Simulation is developed to testify the disturbance attenuation of control functions when pulse-type, sinusoidal-type and random-type disturbances are imposed on the MSM respectively. Furthermore, experiments about axial translation and radial rotation are conducted to validate the robust stability of designed control functions. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that the robust control scheme has better ability on disturbance attenuation of the MSM with great inertia of moment and heavy self-weight., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) assisted by a puncture frame., Materials and Methods: Clinical data of 106 patients with nephrolithiasis who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy from October 2016 to December 2017 in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The channels were established by the assistance of the puncture frame., Results: The mean puncture time was 35 ± 18 seconds, the puncture was performed 1.3 ± 0.9 times on average. The puncture was successfully performed at first attempt in 73 cases. The mean operation time was 67.3 ± 39.2 min, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 48 ± 22 mL. The stones were located on the left in 50 (47.2%) cases, and on the right in 56 (52.8%) cases. Channels were established through the upper, middle and lower calyces of the kidney in 78 (73.6%), 20 (18.9%), and 8 (7.5%) cases, respectively. The puncture sites were located on the upper and lower of 12th rib in 81 (76.4%) and 25 (23.6%) cases. Intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusion was given in four cases. Pleural injury occurred in two cases, and hydropneumothorax occurred in one case in whom closed thoracic drainage was performed. The stone free rate after a single surgery was 87.7% (93/106)., Conclusion: Establishing a percutaneous nephrolithotomy access tract under ultrasound guidance using the puncture frame is an efficacious and safe approach.

Peripheral neurotoxicity often occurs in patients receiving parenteral polymyxin therapy (i.e., colistin methanesulfonate or polymyxin B). The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of curcumin on colistin-induced peripheral neurotoxicity using a murine model. Female C57BL/6 mice ( n = 10 in each group) were randomly divided into the following: (1) control group (saline), (2) curcumin only group (200 mg/kg/day; orally), (3) colistin only group (18 mg/kg/day; i.p.), (4) colistin (18 mg/kg/day) plus curcumin 50 mg/kg/day group, (5) colistin (18 mg/kg/day) plus curcumin 100 mg/kg/day group, (6) colistin (18 mg/kg/day) plus curcumin 200 mg/kg/day group; all mice were treated for 7 days. Orally applied curcumin was detected in the brain, cerebellum, and sciatic nerve. Co-administration of oral curcumin markedly improved colistin-induced impaired sensory and motor dysfunctions in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumin supplementation at 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly decreased lipid peroxidation and upregulated catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, ATP levels, and Na + /K + -ATPase activity in sciatic nerve tissue, compared to the colistin alone group. Curcumin supplementation at 200 mg/kg upregulated the levels of AKT, NGF, mTOR, Nrf2, and HO-1 mRNA and concomitantly downregulated Bax, caspases-3, and -9 mRNA; it also decreased caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity. In summary, for the first time, our study reveals that the protective effect of oral curcumin on colistin induced peripheral neurotoxicity is associated with the activation of NGF/Akt and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways and inhibition of oxidative stress. This study highlights the potential clinical application of curcumin as an oral neuroprotective agent coadministered during colistin therapy.

Commercial malathion is a racemic mixture that contains two enantiomers, and malathion has adverse effects on mammals. However, whether these two enantiomers have different effects on animals remains unclear. In this study, we tested the effect of racemate, enantiomers, and metabolite of malathion on the metabolomics profile of HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells showed distinct metabolic profiles when treated with rac-malathion, malaoxon, R-(+)-malathion, and S-(-)-malathion, and these differences were attributed to pathways in amino acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. In addition, malathion treatment caused changes in amino acid levels, antioxidant activity, and expression of inflammatory genes in HepG2 cells. S-(-)-Malathion exhibited stronger metabolic perturbation than its enantiomer and racemate, consistent with the high level of cytotoxicity of S-(-)malathion. R-(+)-Malathion treatment caused significant oxidative stress in HepG2 cells but induced a weaker disturbance in the amino acid metabolism and a pro-inflammatory response compared to S-(-)-malathion and rac-malathion. Malaoxon caused more significant perturbation on antioxidase and a stronger antiapoptosis effect than its parent malathion. Our results provide insight into the risk assessment of malathion enantiomers and metabolites. We also demonstrate that a metabolomics approach can identify the discrepancy of the toxic effects and underlying mechanisms for enantiomers and metabolites of chiral pesticides.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting the human central nervous system (CNS) and leading to neurologic disability. Although conventional MRI techniques can readily detect focal white matter (WM) lesions, it remains challenging to quantify tissue damage in normal-appearing gray matter (GM) and WM., Purpose: To demonstrate that a new MRI biomarker, R2t*, can provide quantitative analysis of tissue damage across the brain in MS patients in a single scan., Study Type: Prospective., Subjects: Forty-four MS patients and 19 healthy controls (HC)., Field Strength/sequence: 3T, quantitative gradient-recalled-echo (qGRE), Magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery., Assessment: Severity of tissue damage was assessed by reduced R2t*. Tissue atrophy was assessed by cortical thickness and cervical spinal cord cross-sectional area (CSA). Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite was used for clinical assessment., Results: R2t* in cortical GM was more sensitive to MS damage than cortical atrophy. Using more than two standard deviations (SD) reduction versus age-matched HC as the cutoff, 48% of MS patients showed lower R2t*, versus only 9% with lower cortical thickness. Significant correlations between severities of tissue injury were identified among 1) upper cervical cord and several cortical regions, including motor cortex (P < 0.001), and 2) adjacent regions of GM and subcortical WM (P < 0.001). R2t*-defined tissue cellular damage in cortical GM was greater relative to adjacent WM. Reductions in cortical R2t* correlated with cognitive impairment (P < 0.01). Motor-related clinical signs correlated most with cervical cord CSA (P < 0.001)., Data Conclusion: Reductions in R2t* within cortical GM was more sensitive to tissue damage than atrophy, potentially allowing a reduced sample size in clinical trials. R2t* together with structural morphometry suggested topographic patterns of regions showing correlated tissue damage throughout the brain and the cervical spinal cord of MS patients., Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:487-498., (© 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

To study the tissue distribution of galactosyl daphnoretin liposomes in rats. At the dose of 10 mg•kg⁻¹, daphnoretin solution, daphnoretin liposomes, and galactosyl daphnoretin liposomes were administered to healthy SD rats via tail vein injection. The blood and tissue of heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine, brain and thymus were collected at 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, 240, 360 min after administration. The concentrations of daphnoretin in plasma and tissue samples were determined by HPLC. The results showed that galactosyl daphnoretin liposomes group had the highest concentration of daphnoretin in liver of unit weight at different time points; and at all of the time points, the target index DTI values of galactosyl daphnoretin liposomes to liver were greater than that of daphnoretin liposomes. Compared with daphnoretin solution, the AUC0-6 and Cmax of galactosyl daphnoretin liposomes in liver were 2.23, 5.22 times, respectively. This indicated that galactosyl daphnoretin liposomes can be concentrated at liver, with a significant liver targeting effect., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Two-dimensional gyroscopic torque can be produced by tilting the rotor shaft of the active magnetically suspended momentum wheel. The nonlinear magnetic torque is analyzed and then an adaptive back-stepping tracking method is proposed to deal with the nonlinearity and uncertainty. The nonlinearity of magnetic torque is represented as bounded unknown uncertainty stiffness, and an adaptive law is proposed to estimate the stiffness. Combined with back-stepping method, the proposed method can deal with the uncertainty. This method is designed by Lyapunov stability theory to ensure the stability, and its effectiveness is validated by simulations and experiments. These results indicate that this method can realize higher tracking precision and faster tracking velocity than the conventional cross feedback method to provide high precision and wide bandwidth outputting torque., (Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

For a magnetically suspended control moment gyroscope, stiffness and damping of magnetic bearing will influence modal frequency of a rotor. In this paper the relationship between modal frequency and stiffness and damping has been investigated. The mathematic calculation model of axial passive magnetic bearing (PMB) stiffness is developed. And PID control based on internal model control is introduced into control of radial active magnetic bearing (AMB), considering the radial coupling of axial PMB, a mathematic calculation model of stiffness and damping of radial AMB is established. According to modal analysis, the relationship between modal frequency and modal shapes is achieved. Radial vibration frequency is mainly influenced by stiffness of radial AMB; however, when stiffness increases, radial vibration will disappear and a high frequency bending modal will appear. Stiffness of axial PMB mainly affects the axial vibration mode, which will turn into high-order bending modal. Axial PMB causes bigger influence on torsion modal of the rotor., (Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Gas hydrate model and free gas model are established, and two-phase theory (TPT) for numerical simulation of elastic wave velocity is adopted to investigate the unconsolidated deep-water sedimentary strata in Shenhu area, South China Sea. The relationships between compression wave (P wave) velocity and gas hydrate saturation, free gas saturation, and sediment porosity at site SH2 are studied, respectively, and gas hydrate saturation of research area is estimated by gas hydrate model. In depth of 50 to 245 m below seafloor (mbsf), as sediment porosity decreases, P wave velocity increases gradually; as gas hydrate saturation increases, P wave velocity increases gradually; as free gas saturation increases, P wave velocity decreases. This rule is almost consistent with the previous research result. In depth of 195 to 220 mbsf, the actual measurement of P wave velocity increases significantly relative to the P wave velocity of saturated water modeling, and this layer is determined to be rich in gas hydrate. The average value of gas hydrate saturation estimated from the TPT model is 23.2%, and the maximum saturation is 31.5%, which is basically in accordance with simplified three-phase equation (STPE), effective medium theory (EMT), resistivity log (Rt), and chloride anomaly method.

There are two mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(19)H(15)NO(2), in which the dihedral angles between the naphthalene ring system and the pyridine ring are 40.5 (3) and 41.2 (4)°. In the crystal, C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules.