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A diffusive predator–prey system withIvlev-typefunctional response subject to Neumann boundary conditions is considered. Hopf and steady-state bifurcation analysis are carried out in detail. First, the stability of the positive equilibrium and the existence of spatially homogeneous and inhomogeneous periodic solutions are investigated by analysing the distribution of the eigenvalues. The direction and stability of Hopf bifurcation are determined by the normal form theory and the centre manifold reduction for partial functional differential equations and then steady-state bifurcation is studied. Finally, some numerical simulations are carried out for illustrating the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When various urban functions are integrated into one location, they form a mixture of functions. The emerging big data promote an alternative way to identify mixed functions. However, current methods are largely unable to extract deep features in these data, resulting in low accuracy. In this study, we focused on recognizing mixed urban functions from the perspective of human activities, which are essential indicators of functional areas in a city. We proposed a framework to comprehensively extract deep features of human activities in big data, including activity dynamics, mobility interactions, and activity semantics, through representation learning methods. Then, integrating these features, we employed fuzzy clustering to identify the mixture of urban functions. We conducted a case study using taxi flow and social media data in Beijing, China, in which five urban functions and their correlations with land use were recognized. The mixture degree of urban functions in each location was revealed, which had a negative correlation with taxi trip distance. The results confirmed the advantages of our method in understanding mixed urban functions by employing various representation learning methods to comprehensively depict human activities. This study has important implications for urban planners in understanding urban systems and developing better strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RecQ helicases play a central role in maintaining genome stability and may interact with some important cancer-related proteins such as BRCA1. Mutations of the human RecQ helicase genes WRN and BLM lead to rare autosomal recessive disorders, Werner and Bloom syndromes, which are associated with premature aging and cancer predisposition, including breast cancer. In this case–control study of 1,004 breast cancer cases and 1,008 controls, we tested the hypothesis that non-conservative amino acid exchanges in WRN (leu1074Phe), BLM (Met298Thr) and BRCA1 (Pro871Leu) are independently or jointly associated with the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. We found that the variant genotype of WRN Leu1074Phe was associated with a 1.36-fold significantly increased risk of breast cancer (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06–1.74). Moreover, a significant gene–environment interaction was evident between WRN leu1074Phe and age at menarche ( Pint = 0.02). Subjects carrying Phe/Phe genotype and with earlier age at menarche had 3.58-fold increased risk of breast cancer (OR = 3.58, 95% CI = 2.54–5.05). However, we did not find the significant main effect of polymorphisms in BLM and BRCA1 and also no locus–locus interactions were identified between WRN, BLM and BRCA1. These findings indicate that WRN leu1074Phe variant may contribute to the susceptibility of breast cancer in Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most genes identified that control Arabidopsis trichome initiation and formation are transcription factors or regulatory components in transcriptional networks and include GLABROUS1 (GL1), GLABRA2 (GL2), GLABRA3 (GL3) and TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1 (TTG1). Herein, we report that an importin β-like protein, SENSITIVE TO ABA AND DROUGHT2 (SAD2), is required for trichome initiation. Mutations in SAD2 disrupted trichome initiation resulting in reduced trichome number, but had no effect on trichome development or root hair number and development. Expression levels of GL1, MYB23, GL2 and TTG1 were reduced in shoots of sad2 mutants while expression levels of GL3 and ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 ( EGL3) were enhanced. Overexpression of GL3 increased trichome numbers in wild type but not in sad2 mutants, indicating that the function of the GL3 protein is altered in the sad2 mutants. In contrast, overexpression of GFP-GL1 decreased trichome number in both wild type and sad2. Double mutant analysis of gl1 sad2 and gl3 sad2 indicated that SAD2 functions genetically, at least in part, in the same pathway with these two genes. Co-immunoprecipitation indicated that the sad2 mutation does not disrupt formation of the TTG1-GL3-GL1 complex. Analysis of GFP fusions of GL1, GL2, GL3 and TTG1 suggested that these proteins are most likely not direct cargo of SAD2. Our data suggest that SAD2 is involved in trichome initiation by regulating these nuclear genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OsNHX1 gene (Na+/H+ antiporter gene of Oryza saliva L.) was introduced into Poplar 84K with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. PCR, Southern and Northern blot analysis showed that OsNHX1 gene was incorporated successfully into the genome of Poplar 84K and expressed in these transgenic plants. Salt tolerance test showed that three lines of transgenic plants grew normally in the presence of 200 mmol/L NaCl, while the Na+ content in the leaves of the transgenic plants grown at 200 mmol/L NaCl was significantly higher than that in plants grown at 0 mmol/L NaCl. The osmotic potential in the transgenic plants with high salinity treatment was lower than that of control plants. Our results demonstrate the potential use of these transgenic plants for agricultural use in saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the involvement of Ca2+/CaM in the signal transduction of acetylcholine regulating stomatal movement. How the neutrotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is able to regulate the movement of stomata in plants; Demonstration that Ca2+/CaM are also involved in the ACh regulated stomatal movement.

Focuses on a study which addressed the existence and localization of integrin-like guard cells of Vicia faba. Materials and methods; Results and discussion.

Objective: To examine the treatment recommendation patterns among urologists and radiation oncologists, the level of concordance or discordance between physician recommendations, and the association between physician recommendations and the treatment that patients received.Method: The study was a secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial conducted November 2010 to April 2014 (NCT02053389). Eligible participants were patients from the trial who saw both specialists. The primary outcome was physician recommendations that were scored using an adapted version of the validated PhyReCS coding system. Secondary outcomes included concordance between physician recommendations and the treatment patients received.Results: Participants were 108 patients (Mean age 61.9 years; range 43-82; 87% non-Hispanic White). Urologists were more likely to recommend surgery (79% of recommendations) and radiation oncologists were more likely to recommend radiation (68% of recommendations). Recommendations from the urologists and radiation oncologists were concordant for only 33 patients (30.6%). Most patients received a treatment that both physicians recommended (59%); however, 35% received a treatment that only one of their physicians recommended. When discordant, urologists more often recommended surgery and radiation oncologists recommended radiation and surgery as equally appropriate options.Conclusion: Urologists and radiation oncologists are more likely to differ than agree in their treatment recommendations for the same patients with clinically localized prostate cancer and more likely to favor treatment aligned with their specialty. Additional studies are needed to better understand how patients make decisions after meeting with two different specialists to inform the development of best practices within oncology clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A ratiometric colorimetric method for AA based on analyte-triggered AgNPs aggregation was established. • The proposed method exhibited a wide AA detection range from 1 μM to500 μM, and a low detection limit of 0.7 μM. • AA can be easily detected in various fruit juices with 10 min employing the proposed one-step method. A simple, fast, one-step method is described for ratiometric colorimetric detection of ascorbic acid (AA) based on 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In the presence of AA, the aggregation process of AgNPs can be triggered and accelerated, due to the interaction between 4-MPBA and the cis 1,2-diol moieties of AA through a reversible esterification, resulting in a distinguish color change from yellow to brownish red. The AA concentration-dependent color change can be quantified by the bare eyes or a UV–Vis spectrometer. The whole AA detection procedure was able to complete in 10 min with an excellent linear relationship (1–500 μM) and a low limit of detection (0.70 μM). The proposed approach was also used to accurately evaluate AA levels in orange juice. In our perception, this assay is rapid, sensitive, and specific, which demonstrates its potential on constructing biochemical and clinical sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asthma is significantly related to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) both in prevalence and severity. However, the clinical patterns of uncontrolled asthma with and without comorbid CRS are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and cytokine patterns of patients with uncontrolled asthma, with and without comorbid CRS.Methods: 22 parameters associated with demographic characteristics, CRS comorbidity, severity of airflow obstruction and airway inflammation, and inflammation type of asthma were collected and assessed in 143 patients with uncontrolled asthma. Different clusters were explored using two-step cluster analysis. Sputum samples were collected for assessment of Th1/Th2/Th17 and epithelium-derived cytokines.Results: Comorbid CRS was identified as the most important variable for prediction of different clusters, followed by pulmonary function parameters and blood eosinophil level. Three clusters of patients were determined: Cluster 1 (n = 46) characterized by non-atopic patients with non-eosinophilic asthma without CRS, demonstrating moderate airflow limitation; Cluster 2 (n = 54) characterized by asthma patients with mild airflow limitation and CRS, demonstrating higher levels of blood eosinophils and immunoglobulin E (IgE) than cluster 1; Cluster 3 (n = 43) characterized by eosinophilic asthma patients with severe airflow limitation and CRS (46.5% with nasal polyps), demonstrating worst lung function, lowest partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), and highest levels of eosinophils, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and IgE. Sputum samples from Cluster 3 showed significantly higher levels of Interleukin (IL)-5, IL-13, IL-33, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α than the other two clusters; and remarkably elevated IL-4, IL-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ compared with cluster 2. The levels of IL-10 and IL-25 were not significantly different among the three clusters.Conclusions: Uncontrolled asthma may be endotyped into three clusters characterized by CRS comorbidity and inflammatory cytokine patterns. Furthermore, a united-airways approach may be especially necessary for management of asthma patients with Type 2 features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel colorimetric immunoassay for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) based on a combination of immunomagnetic separation and signal amplification via etching-enhanced peroxidase-like catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was developed. Nanoconjugates composed of gold and iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and further modified with antiS. aureus immunoglobulin Y (IgY), which was used for the selective enrichment and rapid separation of target bacteria in complex matrices. AuNPs functionalized with antiS. aureus aptamer were used as an artificial enzyme which has peroxidase-like catalysis activity. Catalytic activity of AuNPs is inhibited by modifying aptamer. However, catalysis of modified AuNPs remarkably enhanced by hydrogen peroxide etching. Based on collecting unbound modified AuNPs in the supernatant and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine-hydrogen peroxide reporting system, the yellow color of solution decreases linearly with increasing the concentration of S. aureus ranging from 10 to 106 cfu/mL. The limit of detection is 10 cfu/mL, and total detection time is 65 min. The recoveries of the S. aureus spiked in food samples are 88.2–119.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multi-emissive CDs-based fluorescence array combined with CLSM and LDA. • Synergistic recognition of bacteria and CDs at two pH levels and three excitations. • High discrimination performance for six foodborne bacteria with 100% accuracy. • Rapidly bacterial discrimination in mixture and food samples within a few minutes. The rapid discrimination of multiple foodborne pathogens is vital and challengeable in ensuring food safety. Herein, a facile fluorescence method was developed to distinguish different bacteria using multicolor-emissive carbon dots (CDs) based on confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The array employed single CDs as receptors and indicators, two pH solutions and three excitation channels as sensing elements for multicolor imaging and recognition of multiple bacteria. Through one-step staining, the CDs were capable of rapid adsorbing onto all bacteria in 1 minute with varying affinities. The discrimination ability of the array was markedly enhanced by means of the synergistic recognition of bacteria and CDs across diverse pH levels and three excitation channels. By using LDA, six kinds of bacteria could be well discriminated with the classification accuracy of 100%. Meanwhile, the feasibility has been successfully expanded to mixture and food samples discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, polyurethane (PU) microcapsules containing pirimiphos-methyl (PM) were prepared by interfacial reaction between toluene diisocyanate (TDI) trimer and 1, 4-butanediol. The microcapsules with different core-wall ratios were structurally characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle size analysis (LPSA) and so on. The results showed that PM was successfully encapsulated in PU microcapsules and the microcapsules had regular spherical shapes and clean surface. The surface of the microcapsules became wrinkled and some small pores appeared when the core wall ratio was increased to 5:2. The microcapsules could effectively protect PM against degradation below 45 °C and showed sustainable release for 40–80 hours in alcohol aqueous solution (50:50, v/v). From the fitting parameters of the power exponent, the release of PM from PU microcapsules was controlled by mixing mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the mismatch of desired support versus support received and to evaluate the impact of these mismatches on health outcomes of people with diabetes. This cross-sectional study is a secondary data analysis of medical record and survey data of participants with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes from a diabetes care and education program. Biophysical metrics included HbA1c, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and high- and low-density lipoproteins. Psychosocial and self-care survey outcomes included diabetes distress, diabetes self-care, and diabetes self-efficacy. Support mismatch was a difference score (support desired-support received). Descriptive statistics were computed for demographics, clinical characteristics, and primary outcomes. Multiple linear regressions were computed. The percentage of participants experiencing support mismatch (surplus/deficits) across six domains was: 15%/27% (foot care), 22%/24% (take medicine), 24%/23% (test blood sugar), 21%/29% (physical activity), and 18%/34% (follow meal plan). Greater support deficits were associated with higher triglyceride levels, increased diabetes distress, and lower diabetes self-efficacy. Findings indicate that greater support deficits can be a risk factor for some poorer physical and psychosocial health outcomes. Interventions to facilitate functional supportive behaviors are an avenue for future research and clinical practice. • 42–52% of participants with diabetes had a mismatch in diabetes-management support. • Support deficits may be a risk factor for poorer health and wellbeing. • Interventions to facilitate functional supportive behaviors are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vacuolar H + -translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase (V-PPase, EC 3.6.1.1) is an electrogenic proton pump and has been studied in many plants. Here we report characterization of the OVP1 gene from rice (Oryza sativa L.). Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-qPCR) showed that OVP1 was induced by cold stress. OVP1 overexpression resulted in enhanced cold tolerance in transgenic rice, which was related to an increased integrity of cell membrane, decreased MDA content and accumulation of proline to higher level as compared with wild type rice seedlings. These results indicated that V-PPase was an important element in the survival strategies of plants under cold stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cytoplasmic free calcium concentration ([Ca[sup2+]][subc]) in pollen cells of Lilium daviddi is measured with confocal laser scanning microscopy to investigate the effect of heterotrimeric G protein (G protein) on [Ca[sup2+]][subc] and the possible signal transduction pathway of G protein triggering cellular calcium signal. After application, cholera toxin (CTX), an agonist of G protein, triggers a transient increase of [Ca[sup2+]][subc] in pollen cells, and evokes a spatial-temporal characteristic calcium dynamics; while pertussis toxin (PTX), a G protein antagonist, leads to the decrease of [Ca[sup2+]][subc]. Both L-type Ca[sup2+] channel blocker verapamil and inhibitor of IP[sub3] receptor heparin inhibit CTX-induced [Ca[sup2+]][subc] increase. The results show that G protein may play a role in the modulation of [Ca[sup2+]][subc] through enhancing the extracellular Ca[sup2+] influx and releasing of Ca[sup2+] from intracellular stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compare driving capacity of individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and healthy controls (HC) using a driving simulation program. A prospective study was performed on individuals with ALS who reported they were still driving, and a group of HCs. Demographic data included age and gender. Assessment included cognitive assessments (Montreal cognitive assessment [MoCA] and ALS Cognitive Behavioral Scale [ALS-CBS]); gait speed (m/s); ALS Functional Rating Scale-revised total score (ALSFRS-R); and simulated driving assessment (Lane Change Task [LCT]). The LCT is a simple assessment tool which simulates the visual, cognitive, and motor demands of driving to detect at-risk drivers and uses distractions (secondary tasks) to quantify the performance loss on the primary task (lane changes). Twenty-eight individuals with ALS (22 males, mean age 64 years) and 20 HCs (7 males, mean age 59 years) were studied. Individuals with mild to moderate ALS (ALSFRS-R mean 36.2) were older, had mild cognitive difficulty (MoCA 24 vs 27; ALS-CBS 14.19 [SD 3.85]) and mobility decline (gait speed 1.1 vs 1.4 m/s) compared to HC. Driving assessment using the LCT found no differences in baseline scores or during motor, cognitive, or visually distracting conditions. Individuals with ALS with mild to moderate disease progression, with cognitive and motor weakness still demonstrate similar driving capacity to HCs using a driving simulation task. Driving assessment needs to be expanded longitudinally and perhaps with more robust measures to more precisely identify types of driving challenges that lead to cessation of driving in individuals with ALS. • Identifying impaired driving capacity in ALS is difficult. • No difference in simulated driving task was observed despite mild to moderate functional and cognitive decline. • Results do not imply these are "safe" drivers. • Cost-effective and reliable clinical assessments, to determine medical fitness to drive in individuals with ALS are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor rate and cycling performance are the most critical drawbacks for Si-based anodes on account of their inferior conductivity and colossal volumetric expansion during lithiation/delithiation. Here we report the fabrication of structurally-integrated urchin-like Si anode, which provides prominent structural stability and distinguished electron and ion transmission pathways for lithium storage. The inexpensive solid Si waste from organosilane industry after acid-washed and further ball-milling serves as the pristine Si-source in this work. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are in-situ grown outside Si microparticles, resulting in an urchin-like structure (Si/CNTs). The optimized Si/CNTs presents ascendant invertible capacity and rate performance, achieving up to 920 mAh g−1 beyond 100 cycles at 100 mA g −1, and a capacity of 606.2 mAh g−1 at 1 A g −1 after long cycling for 1000 cycles. The proposed scalable synthesis can be adopted to advance the performance of other electrode materials with inferior conductivity and enormous volume expansions during cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NIPAm (N-isopropylacrylamide), a thermosensitive monomer, was introduced into a system for synthesis of MicroPCMs (microencapsulated phase change materials) through free radical emulsion polymerization with n-oct (n-octadecane) as the core and cross-linked PMMA (poly (methyl methacrylate)) as the shell. The effect of NIPAm on the formation mechanism, surface morphologies, crystallization properties, and thermal stabilities of the MicroPCMs were studied using FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), and TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), respectively. The results indicate that addition of NIPAm causes a significant increase in the enthalpy of the heterogeneous nucleation (approximately 2–4 times more than without NIPAm). The diameter distribution of microcapsules becomes narrower (the PDI (polydispersity index) has a minimum of 0.073) and the encapsulation ratio and encapsulation efficiency increase. On the contrary, the microcapsules that have some irregular holes were obtained by adding NIPAm prepolymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear thickening fluid (STF) has great application potentials in the development of soft armors due to their unique properties. In this present study, the coaxial electrospinning method was used for the first time, using STF as the core of the composite fiber and polyketone (PK) as the sheath to fabricate a soft, foldable and impact-resistant fiber membrane with a mesh structure. The morphology, structure, chemical components, and impact resistance of the fiber membrane were characterized in detail. A core/shell structure was observed in the fiber cross section clearly. The impact resistance of the composite fibers (core to sheath ratio = 1:4, STF content = 46.2%), was about 33.3% higher than that of pure PK fibers without a core. When only one layer of the composite fibers (areal density = 60 g/m2) was added as an interlayer to two layers of aramid 1414 fibers, the impact resistance of the fabric increased by 18.8%. When spray coating resin was used in combination with only one layer of the composite fibers (areal density = 60 g/m2), the impact resistance of the fabric was enhanced by 27.8%. Therefore, the resultant fiber membrane has broad application prospects as an impact protection material. [Display omitted] • Impact-resistant membranes from electrospun fibers with a shear-thickening core. • It provides a feasible solution for the migration and leakage of STF in the traditional impregnation method. • The impact resistance of membranes was about 33.3% higher than that of pure PK fibers. • The impact-resistant membranes can be used as the interlayer of the aramid fabric to improve the impact resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene and carbon nanotubes are promising strengthening additives for improving the mechanical properties of polymers. Graphene oxide (GO) and carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CMWCNTs) were functionalized through a condensation reaction to graft melamine (M) on the GO and CMWCNTs and form products (M-g-GO and M-g-CMWNTs, respectively) with amino groups. Furthermore, both M-g-GO and M-g-CMWNTs were polymerized in situ with hexanediamine adipate salts to fabricate polyamide 66(PA66)/M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT nanocomposites. They were melt-spun into fibers with various mass ratios of M-g-GO and M-g-CMWNTs. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that one-dimensional M-g-CMWNTs could effectively suppress the stacking of individual two-dimensional M-g-GO by bridging adjacent M-g-GO sheets, resulting in a high contact area between the M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT structures and the polyamide 66 matrix (PA66). Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces of the composite matrix showed that the M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT hybrid nanofillers exhibited good dispersibilities and compatibilities. Additionally, the melting and crystallization behaviors of the PA66/M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT nanocomposite fibers were characterized. The average tensile strength of the PA66/M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT nanocomposite fibers containing M-g-GO (0.25 wt%)/M-g-CMWNTs (0.25 wt%) was 166% higher than that of pure PA66. Moreover, the tensile strength exhibited a maximum value when the mass ratio of M-g-GO to M-g-CMWNTs was 0.25/0.25. The remarkable synergistic effect between the M-g-GO and M-g-CMWNTs for improving the mechanical properties of polyamide 66 fibers was demonstrated. • First use of melamine functionalized carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and small-sized graphene oxide. • Some M-g-CMWNTs are embedded in the M-g-GO, forming a 3-D M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT network. • The M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT have good compatibility and interfacial interaction with PA66 matrix. • The mechanical properties of PA66/M-g-GO/M-g-CMWNT fibers are higher than that of pure PA66 fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effects of aquaporins on stomatal movement, we isolated a full length cDNA of aquaporin-like gene Vf- PIP1 (Vicia faba plasma membrane intrinsic protein gene, GenBank accession number: AY667436), which encodes for a 290-amino-acid polypeptide, from Vicia faba leaf epidermis by 5'/3' RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends). The analyses of VfPIP1 transmembrane regions and amino acid sequence show that VfPIP1 owns six membrane-spanning domains and the special plasma membrane signature sequences GGGANXXXXGY and TGI/TNPARSL/FGAAI/VI/VF/YN, and it should be a member of PIP1 subfamily. The results of in situ hybridization and Northern blot indicate that VfPIP1 is strongly expressed in guard cells and induced by ABA. Hereby, VfPIP1 may be involved in the water-transmembrane movement of guard cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the environmental regulations affecting carbon emissions is complex, and for many years it has been a hot research topic for researchers. However, few of the previous studies have focused on whether or not environmental regulations can potentially influence carbon emissions through technical efficiency. Therefore, the present study chose to investigate the mediation effects of the technical efficiencies between environmental regulations and carbon emissions using the provincial panel data of energy-intensive industries for the period ranging from 2005 to 2015. The results were as follows: (i) In regard to the entire group of energy-intensive industries, it was found that environmental regulations could not only potentially directly reduce carbon emissions, but also indirectly reduce carbon emissions through technical efficiency. In other words, technical efficiency had played a partial mediation role between the environmental regulations and the carbon emissions; (ii) It was observed that for the different subdivided energy-intensive industries, the different levels of technical efficiency had shown various mediation effects. For example, the mediation effects of technical efficiency in the petroleum processing and coking (PPC) industry; papermaking and paper products (PPP) industry, and raw chemical materials and chemical products (RCMCP) industry, were found to be similar to those of the whole energy-intensive industries. Furthermore, the "Porter Hypothesis" had been verified in the nonmetal mineral products (NMP) industry. However, there were no mediation effects observed in the smelting and pressing of ferrous metals (SPFM) and smelting and pressing of nonferrous metals (SPNM) industries; (iii) In this study, in accordance with the regression results of the double-threshold models, it was found that for the energy-intensive industries as a whole, the carbon emission reduction effects of environmental regulations had become stronger with the increases in technical efficiency. For the PPP and RCMCP industries, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship observed between environmental regulations and carbon emissions when the technical efficiency was taken as the threshold variable. Therefore, based on the research conclusions achieved in this study, some policy recommendations were put forward. • Environmental regulation reduces carbon emission of the energy intensive industries of China. • Technical efficiency plays a partial mediation effect between environmental regulation and carbon emission. • The mediation effects of technical efficiency differ in the subdivided energy-intensive industries. • The "Porter hypothesis" is verified in Nonmetal Mineral Products (NMP) industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study leveraged knowledge of the specific known cultivar progenitor "Nanjing11" of a weedy rice population from East China, and discovered that the landrace introgression greatly contributed to the recent feralization of modern cultivars, including the introduction of the Rc gene that confers key weedy traits such as red pericarp and seed dormancy., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ferroelectricity with switchable polarizations is generally associated with small ion-displacements and occurs only in 10 specific polar point groups, which is not a necessary requirement for ion conduction where the ions can also be electrically displaced but by much longer distances. Herein, through first-principles calculations, we predict the formation of unconventional ferroelectricity based on previous experimental reports on topotactic reaction with an aliovalent cation between trigonal layers of ion conductors. In such systems, the multivalent cations are surrounded by vacant sites that can simultaneously migrate by a much larger distance compared with conventional displacive ferroelectricity, giving rise to a quantized change in polarization even if the crystal lattices do not belong to the 10 polar groups. The deviation from classical principles can be attributed to the long ion displacements in ferroelectric ion conductors during switching that can lead to the transformation between multiple equivalent symmetrical stable states, which cannot be realized by the relatively small ion displacements in current ferroelectrics. The evenly distributed vacant sites due to Coulomb repulsion do not break the insulativity of the systems, while their inhomogeneous distribution under an electric field or in ferroelectric domain walls will give rise to high electrical conductance, which may be utilized for constructing nanoscale artificial ionic synapses that enable neuromorphic computing.

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterium contaminating milk and dairy foods causing food poisoning and foodborne pathogens. In this work, a smartphone-enabled enzyme cascade-triggered colorimetric platform was constructed using a cascade bio-nanozyme formed by immobilized glucose oxidase (GOx) on Fe 3 O 4 @Ag for rapid detection of S. aureus. Benefiting from reasonable experimental design, a bio-nanozyme cascade-triggered reaction was achieved through H 2 O 2 produced by GOx oxidation of glucose, followed by in situ catalysis of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by the inherent peroxidase-like activity of Fe 3 O 4 @Ag to produce color signals. Staphylococcus aureus detection could be performed through naked-eye observation and smartphone measurement, and the developed assay can achieve quantitative and qualitative detection of S. aureus. The on-site nanoplatform had satisfactory specificity and sensitivity with a low detection limit of 6.9 cfu·mL -1 in 50 min. Moreover, the nanoplatform has good practicality in the detection of S. aureus in milk samples. Therefore, the assay has potential application prospects in food safety inspection., (© 2024, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Background: While spontaneous pneumothorax has been documented in COVID-19 patients, reports on recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax due to cystic lesions in convalescent COVID-19 patients are scarce. The progression of these lung cystic lesions remains inadequately explored., Case Presentation and Literature Review: An 81-year-old male, a non-smoker with a history of rheumatoid arthritis, presented with fever, cough, and expectoration for 14 days. Initially diagnosed with moderate COVID-19, he deteriorated to severe COVID-19 despite adherence to local treatment guidelines. Successive identification of three cystic lesions termed "bulla" or "pneumatocele", and one cystic lesion with air-fluid level, referred to as "pneumo-hamatocele" (PHC), occurred in his lungs. Gradual improvement followed anti-inflammatory therapy and optimal supportive care. However, on day 42, sudden worsening dyspnea prompted a computed tomography (CT) scan, confirming a right spontaneous pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema, likely due to PHC rupture. Discharge followed chest tube implementation for pneumothorax resolution. On day 116, he returned to the hospital with mild exertional dyspnea. Chest CT revealed recurrent right pneumothorax from a remaining cyst in the right lung. Apart from our patient, literature retrieval identified 22 COVID-19 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax due to cystic lesions, with a male predominance (95.6%; 22/23). Diagnosis of pneumothorax and lung cystic lesions occurred around day 29.5 (range: 18-35) and day 26.4 (± 9.8) since symptom onset, respectively. Except for one patient whose pneumothorax occurred on day seven of illness, all patients eventually recovered., Conclusions: Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax secondary to lung cystic lesions may manifest in convalescent COVID-19 patients, particularly males with COVID-19 pneumonia. Chest CT around 2 to 3 weeks post-symptom onset may be prudent to detect cystic lesion development and anticipate spontaneous pneumothorax., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: To systematically analyze differences in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) burden between young and older adults., Methods: We estimated the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of ASCVD, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), ischemic stroke (IS), and peripheral artery disease (PAD), in individuals aged 20-54 and > 55 years from 1990-2019, utilizing data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. The annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for age-specific prevalence, mortality, or DALY rates were calculated to quantify the temporal trends of ASCVD burden. We also analyzed population attribution fractions (PAF) of premature ASCVD mortality and DALYs for different risk factors and compared the burden of extremely premature, premature, and non-premature ASCVD cases based on clinical classifications., Results: From 1990-2019, the global prevalence rates of IHD, IS, and PAD in the 20-54 years age group increased by 20.55% (from 694.74 to 837.49 per 100,000 population), 11.50% (from 439.48 to 490.03 per 100,000 population), and 7.38% (from 384.24 to 412.59 per 100,000 population), respectively. Conversely, the ASCVD prevalence in > 55years age group decreased. Adverse outcome burdens, including mortality and DALYs, varied among ASCVD subtypes. The decrease in the mortality/DALY burden of IHD and IS was lower in the 20-54 years group than in the > 55 years group. For PAD, DALYs among those aged 20-54 increased but decreased among those aged > 55 years. When grouped according to socio-demographic index (SDI) values, lower SDI regions exhibited a higher proportion of young ASCVD burden. The prevalence of young IHD, IS, and PAD in low SDI regions reached 20.70%, 40.05%, and 19.31% in 2019, respectively, compared with 12.14%, 16.32%, and 9.54%, respectively, in high SDI regions. Metabolic risks were the primary contributors to the ASCVD burden in both age groups. Increased susceptibility to ambient particulate matter pollution and inadequate control of high body-mass index and high fasting plasma glucose in young individuals may partially explain the differing temporal trends between young and older individuals., Conclusions: The ASCVD burden in young individuals may become a growing global health concern, especially in areas with lower socioeconomic development levels that require more effective primary prevention strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Observational data (e.g. electronic health records) has become increasingly important in evidence-based research on dynamic treatment regimes, which tailor treatments over time to patients based on their characteristics and evolving clinical history. It is of great interest for clinicians and statisticians to identify an optimal dynamic treatment regime that can produce the best expected clinical outcome for each individual and thus maximize the treatment benefit over the population. Observational data impose various challenges for using statistical tools to estimate optimal dynamic treatment regimes. Notably, the task becomes more sophisticated when the clinical outcome of primary interest is time-to-event. Here, we propose a matching-based machine learning method to identify the optimal dynamic treatment regime with time-to-event outcomes subject to right-censoring using electronic health record data. In contrast to the established inverse probability weighting-based dynamic treatment regime methods, our proposed approach provides better protection against model misspecification and extreme weights in the context of treatment sequences, effectively addressing a prevalent challenge in the longitudinal analysis of electronic health record data. In simulations, the proposed method demonstrates robust performance across a range of scenarios. In addition, we illustrate the method with an application to estimate optimal dynamic treatment regimes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer using a real-world, nationwide electronic health record database from Flatiron Health., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.