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Quantitative identification of the main sources of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils around multiple types of key areas is of great significance for blocking pollution sources. However, there is a lack of more comprehensive relevant research. In this study, Beijing was taken as the research area and four main sources were identified using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) method. The concentration of Pb, PAHs, Cr, and Hg in soils was significantly affected by the presence of landuse type, road traffic, natural factor, and industrial production, respectively, and the farmland, distance to main road, Proterozoic Changcheng-Jixian parent material and cinnamon soil type, and the gross industrial production make greater contributions to these four factors respectively than other variables. Moreover, the uncertainty of the PMF indicates that this four-factor PMF solution is stable and appropriate. These results provide support for the comprehensive control of soil environmental risks.

An efficient 1,6-allylation addition of para-quinone methides to allylboronic acid pinacol ester catalyzed by bismuth(iii) triflate was developed. The reaction proceeded smoothly in high yields under mild conditions with only 0.5-5 mol% catalyst.

Background/Aims: A combination sevoflurane postconditioning (SPC) and remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is proved effective in an ex vivo rat heart perfusion model. However, the combined effect of those two interventions is not tested in rat myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model, and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect in vivo using a rat myocardial I/R model and illuminate the related mechanisms. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following 5 groups: i) sham-operated control; ii) I/R; iii) I/R + RIPC; iv) I/R + SPC; v) I/R + RIPC + SPC. The hemodynamic parameters were recorded at the end of reperfusion. The histological changes including the infarct size were assessed using Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and H&E staining. In addition, the circulating levels of cardiac enzymes (CK-MB, hs-cTnT, and cTnT) inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) were detected. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins (C-Caspase 3, PARP, Bax, and Bcl-2), proinflammatory factors (TLR4, HMGB-1, MyD88, and p65), and IKB-α were measured by Western blot analysis. Real-time PCR was performed to detect mRNA levels of the proinflammatory factors. Results: Both SPC and RIPC significantly reduced the infarct size, cardiac enzyme release, inflammatory cytokine secretion, and proinflammatory factor expression, and increased IKB-α expression compared to I/R group. Furthermore, the combination of those two strategies had synergic infarct size limiting and anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions: The finding of this study suggested that the combination of SPC and RIPC had a potentially cardioprotective effect through inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling.

A combination of experiment and first-principles research on the formation of the Al2O3 layer in alumina-forming austenitic stainless steel is presented. The results show that the oxide layer has a multilayer structure with an outer oxidized Cr2O3 and an inner Al2O3. Further, theoretical simulation using the first principles method is applied to research the formation process of the Al2O3 layer in the Fe/Cr2O3 interface as well as the impact of four alloying elements (Cr, Ni, Mn, and Si) on the formation of Al2O3. Results indicate that the Al atom originating from the Fe-based matrix prefers to diffuse into the Cr2O3 slab, thereby resulting in the formation of the Fe/Al2O3/Cr2O3 construction, which agrees with the experimental behaviour. Moreover, the introduction of Cr, Ni, Mn, and Si can slow down the diffusion of Al and result in a slower growth rate of Al2O3. The effects of Cr–Y (Ni, Mn, and Si) co-doping are more significant than those of X (Cr, Ni, Mn, and Si) single doping. Furthermore, Si can improve the adhesion of the Fe/Al2O3/Cr2O3 interface, thus can improve the adhesion of the oxide scales.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus. Accessory proteins are genus-specific for coronavirus, and two putative accessory proteins, NS6 and NS7, are predicted to be encoded by PDCoV; however, this remains to be confirmed experimentally. Here, we identified the leader-body junction sites of NS6 subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) and found that the actual transcription regulatory sequence (TRS) utilized by NS6 is non-canonical and is located upstream of the predicted TRS. Using the purified NS6 from an Escherichia coli expression system, we obtained two anti-NS6 monoclonal antibodies that could detect the predicted NS6 in cells infected with PDCoV or transfected with NS6-expressing plasmids. Further studies revealed that NS6 is always localized in the cytoplasm of PDCoV-infected cells, mainly co-localizing with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and ER-Golgi intermediate compartments, as well as partially with the Golgi apparatus. Together, our results identify the NS6 sgRNA and demonstrate its expression in PDCoV-infected cells., Highlights • The leader-body fusion site of NS6 sgRNA is identified. • NS6 sgRNA uses a non-canonical transcription regulatory sequence (TRS). • NS6 can be expressed in PDCoV-infected cell. • NS6 predominantly localize to the ER complex and ER-Golgi intermediate compartment.

Carbon dots (CDs) has shown exciting potential in the field of bioscience and biotechnology due to their low toxicity, biological and ecological friendliness and desirable performance characteristics of quantum dots (QDs). However, the effects of CDs on viruses are still largely unknown. In this study, we investigate the effect of CDs on the replication of virus by using pseudorabies virus (PRV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) as the models of DNA virus and RNA virus, respectively. Analyses of virus titers and the expression of viral proteins demonstrate that cells treated with CDs can significantly inhibit the multiplication of PRV and PRRSV. In mechanism, CDs treatment dramatically induces interferon-α (IFN-α) production and the expression of IFN-stimulating genes (ISGs) which in turn inhibits virus replication. Taken together, these results reveal a previously undefined role of CDs and provide a new strategy to develop antiviral agents.

High temperature oxidation behavior and mechanisms for super-austenitic stainless steel S32654 were investigated at 900, 1000 and 1200 °C in air. The oxide layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). At 900 °C, oxidation follows parabolic law within the initial 10 h, and the external solid MnMoO 4 molybdate oxide layer and the internal spinel oxide layer prevent oxygen or metal cations diffusion. The parabolic law then changes to a linear law due to the molten MnMoO 4 -MoO 3 molybdate electrochemical reaction and oxide layer cracking. At 1000 and 1200 °C, oxidation follows linear law. The nitrogen in air plays a very important role in accelerating oxidation. The synergistic effects of the molten MnMoO 4 -MoO 3 molybdate electrochemical reaction and discontinuous Cr 2 N precipitation strongly promote catastrophic oxidation.

Press bending is widely used in Al integral panels for the aerospace industry, which, combined with multi-point dies, is an innovative approach. In the forming process, the fracture on integral panels is a fatal flaw. In this study, it mainly presents a core method on how to predict fracture on stiffeners by a novel method—the multi-point press bending. With the combination of a multi-point press bending experiment and corresponding finite element method (FEM) simulation, a suitable ductile criterion was selected to predict fracture on an aircraft Al stiffener. Using the fracture criterion, the fracture moments and fracture positions on stiffeners were determined in the multi-point press bending process. Due to the rapid reconfigurable characteristic of multi-point die, an optimal deformation path was discussed to reduce the fracture risk on stiffeners. It was identified that the Cockcroft criterion proved to be the most favorable ductile fracture criterion to predict fracture on stiffeners. Moreover, in the multi-point press bending process of the 7B04-T7451 Al stiffener, it is not prone to fracture with the increase of forming steps. Multi-point forming with an equidifferent curvature deformation path reduces the fracture risk of stiffeners much more than that with an equidifferent radius deformation path.

A novel solid-phase microextraction coating that contains perhydroxy cucurbit[6]uril((OH)12Q[6]) was prepared by a sol-gel method. (OH)12Q[6] was used as a starting coating material with hydroxy-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (OH-PDMS) to bond chemically to a fused-silica substrate using 3-(2-cyclooxypropoxyl)propyltrimethoxysilane as cross-linking agent; hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions then led to the formation of a (OH)12Q[6]/PDMS-coating. The coating has a high thermal stability (360°C), long lifetime and can withstand organic and inorganic solvent rinsing because of the chemical binding between the coating and silica substrate. Its performance was tested by headspace (HS) solid-phase microextraction fiber coupled with gas chromatography to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) compounds in water samples. The (OH)12Q[6]/PDMS-coated fiber exhibited higher enrichment factors from fourfold for naphthalene to tenfold for pyrene compared with commercial PDMS fiber, and the enrichment factors increased with the number of condensed PAH rings. The strong adsorption affinity is believed to be attributed to hydrogen bonding and CH⋯π interactions between PAHs and (OH)12Q[6], according to the results of quantum chemical calculations. In the PAH analysis, the (OH)12Q[6]-coated fiber showed a good repeatability (

Highlights • A Chinese PDCoV strain CHN-HN-2014 was isolated from piglet with severe diarrhea. • CHN-HN-2014 shares 91.6%–99.4% nucleotide identity with other known PDCoV strains. • PDCoV strain CHN-HN-2014 is pathogenic in 5-day-old and 21-day-old piglets., Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine coronavirus that causes diarrhea in piglets. Since the first outbreak of PDCoV in the United States in 2014, this novel porcine coronavirus has been detected in South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, and China. In this study, a Chinese PDCoV strain, designated CHN-HN-2014, was isolated from piglets with severe diarrhea on a pig farm in Henan Province, China, and examined with a specific immunofluorescence assay and electron microscopy. Genomic analysis showed that CHN-HN-2014 shares 91.6%–99.4% nucleotide identity with other known PDCoV strains. The pathogenicity of CHN-HN-2014 was further investigated in 5-day-old and 21-day-old piglets. Both kinds of piglets developed clear clinical symptoms, including vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, and severe diarrhea, by 2 days postinoculation (DPI), and diarrhea persisted for about 5–6 days. Viral shedding was detected in rectal swabs until 14 DPI in challenged 5-day-old pigs and until 18 DPI in challenged 21-day-old pigs. At necropsy at 4 DPI, macroscopic and microscopic lesions were observed and viral antigen was detected in the small intestines with immunohistochemical staining. These data demonstrate that Chinese PDCoV strain CHN-HN-2014 shares high nucleotide identity with previously reported PDCoV strains and is pathogenic in 5-day-old and 21-day-old piglets.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), an emerging animal coronavirus causing enteric disease in pigs, belongs to the newly identified Deltacoronavirus genus in the Coronaviridae family. Although extensive studies have been carried out to investigate the regulation of interferon (IFN) responses by alphacoronaviruses, betacoronaviruses, and gammacoronaviruses, little is known about this process during deltacoronavirus infection. In this study, we found that PDCoV infection fails to induce, and even remarkably inhibits, Sendai virus- or poly(I: C)-induced IFN-β production by impeding the activation of transcription factors NF-κB and IRF3. We also found that PDCoV infection significantly suppresses the activation of IFN-β promoter stimulated by IRF3 or its upstream molecules (RIG-I, MDA5, IPS-1, TBK1, IKKε) in the RIG-I signaling pathway, but does not counteract its activation by the constitutively active mutant of IRF3 (IRF3–5D). Taken together, our results demonstrate that PDCoV infection suppresses RIG-I-mediated IFN signaling pathway, providing a better understanding of the PDCoV immune evasion strategy., Highlights • PDCoV infection fails to induce IFN-β production in LLC-PK1 cells. • PDCoV infection suppresses Sendai virus-or poly(I: C)-induced IFN-β production. • PDCoV impedes Sendai virus- or poly(I: C)-induced activation of NF-κB and IRF3. • PDCoV interrupts RIG-I signaling pathway to inhibit IFN-β production.

The high energy density compound octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) and the strong exothermic compound LiH represent an excellent principal explosive and an active fuel, respectively. Herein, the energetic characteristics of HMX-based explosives are explored by adding LiH as fuel additive. The detonation parameters of HMX-based explosives containing LiH were tested with free-field explosion experiments and compared with those of traditional TNT, HMX, and aluminized explosives. The results show that the explosives exhibit higher energy and present preferable explosion effect when LiH is added as an explosive ingredient. The improvement of impulse is more than 32.8 % at 2 m. The shock wave peak overpressure increases by almost 40 % at a distance of 3 m from detonation center specially for the explosive containing both LiH and Al additives. Elemental H and Li are expected to release tremendous energy to effectively improve the explosives instant damage power, but the detonation duration is shorter than that of Al-containing mixed explosives, which may limit the advantage over Al in the impulse. Li2CO3 powder is the solid product of HMX/LiH, which explains the LiH oxidation during the explosion. The exothermic processes in the formation are the reason for the increased energy of HMX/LiH explosives. These results can provide guidance to a potential energetic system formed by HMX and LiH.

A simple, rapid, and efficient method to analyze essential oil contents in a traditional Chinese medicine, Pogostemon Cablin (PTC), was developed using a novel solid-phase microextraction fiber that contains cucurbit[7]uril-based (Q[7]) porous coordination nanotubular polymer followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Solid-phase microextraction parameters such as extraction temperature, extraction time, and sample mass were optimized. Selected solid-phase microextraction conditions include an extraction temperature of 90 °C, an extraction time of 20 min, and a sample mass of 0.2 g. Twenty-five compounds were identified in the PTC. Three active compounds (patchouli alcohol, α-patchoulene, and β-patchoulene) were used to evaluate the extraction efficiency using different methods and fibers. The home-made novel fiber was more selective and particularly efficient in isolating biologically active compounds, and yielded a higher amount of total compounds than steam distillation and commercial fi...

The influences of current density and saccharin concentration on nanocrystalline nickel coatings synthesized by direct current electrodeposition were analyzed. Results show that in the current density range from 0.5 A/dm2 to 1.5 A/dm2, nanocrystalline nickel coatings with broad microhardness HV distribution from 4150 MPa to 6030 MPa can be synthesized by adjusting saccharin concentration. The preferred orientation in the deposits exists at 0.5 A/dm2, (111), (200) double orientation texture changes to a (200) orientation texture as saccharin concentration and (200) intensity increase. The internal stresses of the samples prepared at 0.5 A/dm2 decrease to nearly 0 MPa as saccharin concentration increases to 1.2 g/L. The results of DSC curves show that the grains start to grow until 600 °C and keep the thermal stability near to bulk nickel when grain sizes are in the range from 28 nm to 98 nm. However, when the grain size is 10 nm, the grains grow abnormally at 317 °C, and their thermal stability decrease sharply.

The application of mesh to reconstruct pelvic floors is considered a state-of-the-art method for the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. Polypropylene (PP) is the most frequently used synthetic graft material in gynecology departments due to its good mechanical property and non-degradability. Pelvic repairing meshes are required to have good biocompatibility, stability and low shrinkage with sufficient softness. Meshes should also adhere to surrounding tissues to support pelvic organs after implantation. This work designed two kinds of lightweight PP macroporous meshes with different structures. The meshes were designed based on analyzing properties of Gynemesh® PS, which is a common pelvic repairing mesh in clinical use. The requirements of mesh design were as follows: mesh weight 2, pore size >75 µm, porosity >60%. Two kinds of meshes were fabricated according to design requirements and named the S1 mesh and S2 mesh. Several structural parameters, including thickness, weight, pore size, porosity and mechanical properties, including bursting strength, tensile strength, suture pulling off force and flexibility, were tested and analyzed. S1 mesh and S2 mesh were then implanted in the onlay position of rabbits for 90 days. The biocompatibility was evaluated through operation situation, postoperative recovery, mesh adhesion, shrinkage, histological evaluation of mesh and surrounding tissues. The results revealed that the two kinds of meshes were both beneficial to promote tissue growth; most animals recovered well. However, S1 mesh had greater shrinkage, while there existed one case of infection in the S2 mesh group because of mesh folding.

Inspiration plays an important role in the design activities and design education. This paper describes “ancient cultural artefacts” as “cultural inspiration”, consisting of two types called “cultural-pictorial inspiration” (CPI) and “cultural-textual inspiration” (CTI). This study aims to test the important role of cultural inspiration with different types in cultural product design activities. Through an exploratory experiment, design students were asked to extract cultural features from ancient cultural artefacts and generate new “culturally-oriented products”. Two experts statistically analyzed the categories and quantities of cultural features, and then evaluated the creativity (originality and practicality) of design outcomes. Results show that students who worked with CTI create more creative outcomes than students who worked with CPI. It was also found that cultural features generation affect the originality of design outcomes.

In the current study, by solvothermal reaction of Cu(NO3)2·3H2O or Co(NO3)2·6H2O with the H4Tdada ligand in a mixed solvent of H2O and DMA, two novel coordination polymers (CPs) were prepared and their chemical formulae are {[(CH3)2NH2]2[Co(Tdada)](H2O)3}n (1) and {[Cu2(Tdada)(H2O)(DMA)](DMA)3}n (2, H4Tdada ​= ​5,5′-((thiophene-2,5-dicarbonyl) bis(azanediyl)) diisophthalic acid). The single crystal X-diffraction studies show that compound 1 shows a 3D 2-fold interpenetrated framework with a 4-connected dia topology and compound 2 shows a non-interpenetrated framework with a 4-connected lon topology. The magnetic investigations indicate that the two compounds possess antiferromagnetic coupling between neighboring metallic ions, and the Curie-Weiss constant is −7.5 ​K for 1 and -6.04 ​K for 2, respectively. Their treatment activity on viral myocarditis was evaluated and the related mechanism was discussed at the same time. First of all, the Cell Counting Kit-8 was carried out to evaluate the toxicity of compounds 1 and 2. The Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Detection Kit was conducted and the apoptosis of the virus infected cardiomyocytes was measured. In addition to this, the ELISA detection was used to measure the hs-cTnT in the cardiomyocytes after compound 1 or 2 treatment.

This study investigated the passivation behaviour of wrought 316L stainless steel (SS) and 316L manufactured by the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The 3D printing laser power influenced microstructure, passive film and corrosion resistance of SLM 316L SS were studied, and compared with the results of wrought 316L SS. The results indicated that a smaller corrosion current density and improved breakdown potential (Eb) of SLM 316L SS was associated with a higher proportion of Cr2O3 in the passive film at OCP conditions. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) proved that the passive film on SLM 316L SS was continuous and compact at 600 mV vs. Ag/AgCl applied potential. The increase in the applied potential resulted in a high content of hydroxide being recorded in the passive film. The results also suggest preferential facets of (1 1 0) and abundant grain/sub-grain boundaries for SLM 316L SS, as well as the increased work of separation and growth rate of the passive film from the substrate. Wrought 316L SS demonstrated preferred facets of (1 1 1)-γ and larger grains. There are confirmed via X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and the first-principle calculation.

Background ROS1 gene rearrangements are reported at a prevalence of 1-2% in unselected cancer populations including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and notably higher in lung adenocarcinoma. More than twenty ROS1 fusion partners have been identified, which continues to increase due to the adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for genetic testing. The tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) including crizotinib, lorlatinib, and entrectinib, have demonstrated favorable efficacy in the treatment of ROS1-rearranged NSCLCs. Methods A total of 17,158 Chinese non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whose tumor specimen and/or circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) underwent genomic profiling by hybridization capture-based targeted NGS of exons and introns of cancer related genes were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics, treatment history, and progression-free survival (PFS) for crizotinib of a subset of 37 patients were further evaluated. Results A total of 288 ROS1-positive NSCLC patients were identified in the cohort at a frequency of 1.7% (288/17158). ROS1 fusions retaining the intact ROS1 kinase domain were confirmed in a subset of 258 patients (1.5%) with the most common fusion partner being CD74 (104/258, 40%), followed by EZR (34/258, 13%), SDC4 (28/258, 11%), SLC34A2 (27/258, 11%), and other recurrent ones at low frequency including TPM3, GOPC, MYH9, and CCDC6. Most frequent breakpoints on ROS1 are spreading in introns 33 (37%), 31 (25%), 32 (17%) and 34 (11%) with no obvious hotspots. 5.4% of cases (14/258) were fused to intergenic regions (IGR), mainly on the same chromosome of ROS1, with unknown fusion products. Notably, CD74 (63%) and EZR (50%) are more frequently fused with ROS1 intron 33, while ROS1 intron 31 was the most common breakpoint region of fusion events involving SDC4 (79%) and SLC34A2 (81%). Median PFS (mPFS) was not significantly different between fusions involving breakpoints in ROS1 introns 31-34 for crizotinib treatment, whereas non-CD74 patients (n=23) trended to demonstrate longer mPFS than that of CD74-ROS1 cases (n=14) (12.0 versus 9.9 months). Previously reported acquired resistance to crizotinib in ROS1-rearranged patients, including ROS1 G2032R and S1986F mutations, were observed in 11 out of 37 patients upon disease progression. In addition, two out of three patients who had uncharacterized fusion partners (IGR-ROS1) achieved durable clinical benefit on crizotinib. Conclusion We hereby report the prevalence of ROS1 fusions of 1.7% in a large Chinses NSCLC population detected by NGS testing and the most frequent fusion partners including CD74, EZR, SDC4, and SLC34A2. Crizotinib has demonstrated robust response in treating ROS1-rearranged NSCLC, particularly in non-CD74 ROS1-positive patients. Keywords ROS1, gene fusion, non-small cell lung cancer, crizotinib, breakpoint, next-generation sequencing Citation Format: Dongling Gao, Yuchen Han, Zhihua Zhao, Qiuxiang Ou, Xiaoling Tong, Ruiying Zhao, Nan Dong, Xue Wu, Wencai Li, Guozhong Jiang. Molecular and clinicopathological characteristics of Chinese non-small cell lung cancers with ROS1 gene fusions identified by next-generation sequencing [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 741.

The effect of Tungsten (W) on the precipitate evolution and mechanical properties of the alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels (AFAs) Fe-15Cr-25Ni-3Al-NbWCu during aging at 700 °C was systematically investigated. After aging at 700 °C, microstructural characterization revealed that both of the secondary NbC and L12-ordered Ni-Cu-Al phases were precipitated in the matrix of the two steels for strengthening alloys, but W-added AFA (AFA-W) steel exhibited a smaller average size of Ni-Cu-Al phase than AFA steel. In addition, most of the precipitates in AFA steels were δ-ferrite phase with prolonging the aging time, and few Fe2Nb-type Laves phases were observed in the 1000 h-aged AFA samples. However, the addition of W promoted the precipitation of Fe2W-type Laves phases and increased its volume fraction during the aging period. The continuity of δ-ferrite at the grain boundary of AFA-W steels was also interrupted by the co-precipitated Fe2W Laves phase and B2-NiAl phase, avoiding the formation of detrimental δ-ferrite network. Compared to AFA steels, AFA-W steels exhibited higher room temperature tensile properties at the same aging time, which may be caused by the strengthening effect of more dispersed Fe2W phases and smaller sizes of Ni-Al-Cu phases in the grain interiors. Meanwhile, the stress concentration on the triple junctions caused by δ-ferrite was decreased by Fe2W precipitates; thus, further resulting in an increased ductility compared to the AFA steels without W addition.

As a crucial part of cultural tourism, museums can represent the cultural image of a destination. From the perspective of emotion, this study adopted structural equation modeling to examine the correlation between emotion, museum image, and behavioral intention of tourists. Additionally, the mediating effects of cognitive motivation (overall stratification) and emotional motivation (positive and negative emotion) on the paradigm of "museum image–behavioral intention" were compared and analyzed. This research was undertaken at three museums in Xi’an, China, with 893 valid questionnaires collected. The results showed that the image of the museum has a significant impact on tourists' emotions and a significant positive impact on overall satisfaction and behavioral intention. Moreover, tourists' emotions significantly influence the overall satisfaction and behavioral intention, they play different mediating effects between museum image and behavioral intention. Finally, managerial and theoretical implications were discussed.

Background Characterizing the synchronous changes of epileptic seizures in different stages between different regions is profound to understand the transmission pathways of epileptic brain network and epileptogenic foci. There is currently no adequate quantitative calculation method for describing the propagation pathways of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in the brain network from the short and long term. The goal of this study is to explore the innovative method to locate epileptic foci, mapping synchronization in the brain networks based on EEG. Methods Mutual information was used to analyze the short-term synchronization in the full electrodes; while nonlinear dynamics quantifies the statistical independencies in the long –term among all electrodes. Then graph theory based on the complex network was employed to construct a dynamic brain network for epilepsy patients when they were awake, asleep and in seizure, analyzing the changing topology indexes. Results Epileptic network achieved a high degree of nonlinear synchronization compared to awake time. and the main path of epileptiform activity was revealed by searching core nodes. The core nodes of the brain network were in connection with the onset zone. Seizures always happened with a high degree of distribution. Conclusions This study indicated the path of EEG synchronous propagation in seizures, and core nodes could locate the epileptic foci accurately in some epileptic patients.

Beckground: The current study aims to investigate whether miR-937 can be used as a diagnostic biomarker in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for children with Kawasaki disease (KD) with or without coronary artery dilation (CAD). Methods Gene chip technology was used to screen miRNAs differentially expressed between KD children and normal healthy children. Furthermore, real time PCR was carried out to validate the expression of miR-937 in 50 children with KD (25 cases with and 25 cases without CAD) and 25 healthy children. Meanwhile, target genes of miR-937 were analyzed using TargetScan and dual luciferase reporter assay. Results First, 20 miRs with significantly differentially expressed mononuclear cell (PBMCs) in peripheral blood between children with KD and normal healthy children were identified by gene chip technology. Real time PCR analysis validated that the expression of miR-937 decreased most significantly among all differentially expressed miRNAs. Secondly, miR-937 was down-regulated significantly before treatment with gamma globulin (IVIG), while its expression was significantly up-regulated after IVIG treatment. In addition, the expression of miR-937 in KD children with CAD was significantly lower than that of KD children without CAD. Person's correlation assay showed that miR-937 negatively correlated with CAD. Dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that IL-1β was a target gene of miR-937. Conclusions In summary, miR-937 in PBMCs was involved in the occurrence and development of KD, which provides new ideas for the prevention and treatment of KD coronary artery dilation.

Metrics & More. Article Recommendations Page 5457. Two images of the lane in the "v-actin" group (Figures 10d and S9) were chosen by mistake when submitting pictures. To verify the accuracy of the experimental results, we repeated these experiments, and the revised Figures 10d and S9 support the results reported in the original paper. This change does not affect the conclusion of this paper. The authors apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused. (Figure Presented). The revised Figure S9 is as follows: (Figure Presented).

This study investigated the potential effects of different alloying elements X (X=Fe, Ni, Mn, Co, Si, Nb, W, Cu, Ce, Y) in the Cr2O3 (0001) layers with water adsorption by using the first-principles method. For water adsorption, the most stable adsorption site was bridge site. By calculating the adsorption energy of the alloy element doped layer, the distances of top Cr and O layer and charge densities of Cr and O atoms, it is concluded that the vapor corrosion resistance of the oxide film was improved after doping with elements such as Fe, Ni, Mn, Co, Si, Cu, Ce and Y. In particular, the rare elements doped system can obviously enhance resistance to water vapor erosion. By adding YCo and YW, the oxidation film showed better corrosion resistance than single-element doping and CoW co-doping systems.

With the rapid development of modern industry, heavy metals in the soil introduce the risk of serious pollution. To reduce this pollution risk, the following four research questions needed to be addressed: What are the main influencing factors of soil pollution? What is the degree of influence? Do factors operate independently or are they interconnected? Which regions have high pollution risk and should be paid more attention? The study area was in Huanjiang County, with 273 km2, and geographical detector proved to be a useful tool to solve these four problems. We found that mine activity and pH value were the primary influencing factors for total and water-soluble heavy metals. The interaction effects of mine activity and soil type, pH values, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for total heavy metals, as well as pH value and mine activity for water-soluble heavy metals, were greater than the sum effect of two factors. Zones with a high concentration of heavy metals were closer to the road and farther from the mine area, which had low NDVI, large slope, high terrain, and large pH values. Concentrations of total heavy metals were higher in calcareous soils and in dryland and forests. Zones with a higher concentration of water-soluble heavy metals were closer to the mine and river, which had lower DEM and pH values. The uncertainty of geographical detector was also analyzed on the basis of their interpolation accuracy and the stratification number of influencing factors, and we found that the existing sample numbers and the stratification number of influencing factors met the needs of geographical detector calculation. This study's conclusions are useful for soil pollution control and restoration.

Activated carbons (ACs) were modified by acidic solutions (H

The multimedia fugacity model (Ⅲ) was used to simulate the distribution, transfer and fate of typical polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in air, water, soil and sediment in an electrical equipment dismantling area in eastern China. The modeling data were compared with monitored values in air, soil and sediment for validation purpose. Moreover, the transfer fluxes between different compartments were analyzed in order to infer the main transfer process. Parameters of the model were tested and the key parameters were identified using sensitivity analysis method for BDE47 and BDE209.The results of sensitivity analysis indicated that vapor pressure, the lg

To reduce the precipitation of &sigma, phases and to improve the hot workability of S31254 steels, boron has been added into the composition of S31254 to a concentration of 40 ppm. The precipitation behavior was investigated before and after the addition of boron in different S31254 alloys during the compression deformation, and the nose temperature at 950 &deg, C and the phase dissolution temperature at 1074 &deg, C were selected as the measurement temperature. The result showed that more &sigma, phases were precipitated at the grain boundary of S31254 alloys, compared to the boron-added alloy. Meanwhile, the addition of 40 ppm boron into the alloys has obviously prevented the &sigma, phases from the austenitic matrix, and it takes longer time for the precipitation of &sigma, phase at 950 &deg, C. The specific influence factors of boron on the precipitation of &sigma, phases were also further discussed.

The purpose of this study is to assess the value of early abdominal non-enhanced computed tomography (NECT) in developing strategies for treating acute gallstone pancreatitis (AGP). AGP patients underwent NECT within 48 h after symptom onset to determine the presence of peripancreatic fluid collection, gallstones, and common bile duct stones. Patients with mild AGP who had neither organ failure by clinical data nor peripancreatic fluid collection by NECT (classified as grade A, B, or C based on the Balthazar CT grading system) were randomized to undergo an early laparoscopic cholecystomy (ELC; LC performed within 7 days after a pancreatitis attack, without waiting for symptom resolution) or late laparoscopic cholecystomy (LLC; LC performed ≥ 7 days following an attack, with the patient being completely free of AGP symptoms). The study enrolled 102 patients with mild AGP defined by clinical data and NECT. NECT was 89.2 % and 87.8 % accurate in detecting gallbladder stones and CBD stones, respectively. Totals of 49 and 53 patients were assigned to an ELC and LLC group, respectively. All patients in both groups were cured, no LC-related complications occurred, and no case of AGP increased in severity following LC. The mean lengths of hospital stay and LC operation time were significantly shorter in the ELC group than the LLC group (P

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Water and energy are closely connected and both are very important for human development. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are central to water-energy interactions as they consume energy to remove pollutants and thus reduce the human gray water footprint on the natural water environment. In this work, we quantified energy consumption in 9 different WWTPs in south China, with different treatment processes, objects, and capacities. The energy intensity in most of these WWTPs is in the range of 0.4-0.5 kWh/m3in 2014. Footprint methodologies were used in this paper to provide insight into the environmental changes that result from WWTPs. A new indicator "gray water footprint reduction" is proposed based on the notion of gray water footprint to better assess the role of WWTPs in reducing human impacts on water resources. We find that higher capacity and appropriate technology of the WWTPs will result in higher gray water footprint reduction. On average, 6.78 m3gray water footprint is reduced when 1 m3domestic sewage is treated in WWTPs in China. 13.38 L freshwater are required to produce the 0.4 kWh electrical input needed for treating 1 m3domestic wastewater, and 0.23 kg CO2is emitted during this process. The wastewater characteristics, treatment technologies as well as management systems have a major impact on the efficiency of energy utilization in reducing gray water footprint via these WWTPs. The additional climate impact associated with wastewater treatment should be considered in China due to the enormous annual wastewater discharge. Policy suggestions are provided based on results in this work and the features of China's energy and water distribution.

An asymmetric 1,6-conjugate addition of thioacetic acid with para-quinone methides has been developed by using chiral phosphoric acid catalysis in the presence of water. A series of sulfur-containing compounds were thus obtained in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities. Theoretical studies indicated that the water-bridged proton transfer is a potentially favorable reaction pathway. An unprecedented O-H⋅⋅⋅π interaction between water and the aromatic nucleus of chiral phosphoric acid was discovered to contribute significantly to the stereocontrol in the catalysis.

A practical one-pot method for the synthesis of biimidazoline has been developed. A variety of biimidazolines were prepared smoothly under mild conditions and were evaluated in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1,3-diaryl-2-propenyl acetate with malonate. The catalytic system gave the desired adducts in good yield and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee).

This study investigated the segregation behavior of alloying additives X (X = Si, Al, V, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Y) on the Fe(1 1 1)/Cr2O3(0 0 0 1) interface as well as the effects of these additives on the interfacial adhesive strength by using the first-principles method. The results indicated that W, Mo, and Nb atoms were easily segregated at the Fe(1 1 1)/Cr2O3(0 0 0 1) interface, however, the introduction of them would weaken the adhesive strength of the interface through weak-electron effects. Moreover, Y, Al, Si, Ti, and V were difficult to segregate at the Fe(1 1 1)/Cr2O3(0 0 0 1) interface. Comparison of separation energies and interfacial structural properties suggested that introduction of Si and Al improved the adhesive strength of the Fe(1 1 1)/Cr2O3(0 0 0 1) interface through strong interactions between Si/Al and O. Thus, Si and Al improved the adhesion of surface oxide scales and enhanced oxidation resistance.

Urban population potential is a good measure of urban spatial interactions. However, previous studies often assigned population data to the administrative point of the government or the centroid of the region, such as the county, ward or village. In these cases, two problems exist: (1) the zone centroid problem and (2) the scale problem. To better deal with these problems, we proposed a novel method for simulating the urban population potential based on urban patches using Jiangsu Province as the study area. This study conducted research on a classification scheme based on area for urban patches and developed an urban population potential model on the basis of a potential model. The spatial simulation of the urban population potential at various urban scales and the comprehensive urban population potential of Jiangsu were determined. The spatial pattern is “southern Jiangsu high and north-central Jiangsu low”, which is consistent with the “pole-axis” spatial system. This study also compared the simulations of the new method and a traditional method. Results revealed that the method based on urban patches was superior in simulating real spatial patterns of the urban population potential. Further improvements should focus on actual conditions, such as passable expressway entrances and exits and railway stations, and high-speed railway data should be employed when simulating the urban population potential across provinces and greater China.

We report a novel T-shaped linear-stapled intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. A unique feature of this technique is a "gastric pouch" that is preserved proximal to the gastric conduit and which serves as the stapler-firing pathway to protect the gastric conduit. The linear stapler is placed through an auxiliary port in the seventh intercostal space on the right posterior axillary line and fired along the longitudinal axis of the thorax, without being constrained by limited intrathoracic space. This technique, which has been performed in 8 patients, is efficient, reliable, and easy to perform.

Background It has been shown that 14-3-3 σ serves as a tumor suppressor gene, and is downregulated in various tumor tissues. However, the role of 14-3-3 σ during the initiation and progression of lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) is not well understood. Methods The expression status of 14-3-3 σ in archival tissue samples from 40 lung SqCC patients (36 with normal bronchia, 19 squamous metaplasia, and 17 dysplasia/carcinoma in situ, in their tissue samples) was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. The proliferation rate and tumor formation ability of the H520 cell transfected with 14-3-3 σ was tested with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and nude mice subcutaneous injection, respectively. Results In the normal bronchial epithelia, 14-3-3 σ was highly expressed, whereas it was significantly decreased in precancerous and cancerous tissues. Compared with matched invasive cancer tissues, the expression level of 14-3-3 σ in squamous metaplasia was significantly higher (P = 0.049), while that in dysplasia/carcinoma in situ showed no significant changes (P = 0.135). Statistical analysis showed that the expression level of 14-3-3 σ in tumor tissue was associated with the differentiation grade of the tumor (P = 0.001) and the prognosis of the patient (P = 0.003). The overexpression of 14-3-3 σ significantly suppressed the proliferation of H520 cells in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion The inactivation of 14-3-3 σ may be a very early event in tumorigenesis and could facilitate the initiation and progression of lung SqCC in a sustainable way.

Background Coronary slow flow (CSF) is a special coronary microvascular disorder. The pathogenesis and effective therapeutics of CSF remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the global and regional functions of the left ventricle (LV) and investigate the efficacy of nicorandil in patients with CSF. Patients and methods Thirty-six patients with CSF in the left anterior descending (LAD) branch and 20 patients with normal coronary arteries were included. Global and regional functions of the LV supplied by LAD were measured using conventional Doppler echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography, respectively, within 24 h after coronary angiography. Concentrations of plasma nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were detected using colorimetry and radioimmunoassay, respectively. The function of the LV and the levels of NO and ET-1 were also investigated before and 90 days after treatment with 15 mg/day of nicorandil. Results Compared with the control group, the early diastolic peak velocity (E), E/A ratio, and plasma NO levels were lower, whereas the late diastolic peak flow velocity (A) and plasma ET-1 levels were significantly higher in the CSF group (P

The aim in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is to reduce patients' symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and fatigue; to correct their posture; and to improve their quality of life. Currently, no definitive therapy is available for treating AS. Previous studies have reported positive results regarding the efficacy of exercise.This study aimed to assess the efficacy of ultrasound, combined with exercise, in patients with AS.The research team designed a randomized, double-blind, 2-arm parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial.The study took place at the Affiliated Hongqi Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University (Mudanjiang, China).Participants were 62 individuals with AS who were patients at the hospital.Participants were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: (1) the intervention group, who received exercise and ultrasound therapy; or (2) the control group, who received exercise and placebo ultrasound therapy, without an active probe, both for 8 wk.The outcome measures included (1) the numerical rating scale (NRS), (2) the Bath ankylosing spondylitis metrology index (BASMI), (3) the Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI), (4) the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), and (5) the ankylosing spondylitis quality of life (ASQoL) questionnaire. All outcomes were measured at baseline and at the end of 4 and 8 wk of treatment.Fifty-seven patients fulfilled the requirements of the study. Ultrasound and exercise therapy showed greater efficacy than the placebo ultrasound and exercise in decreasing the scores for the NRS, daily and at night; the BASMI; the BASDAI; the BASFI; and the ASQoL, at the end of both 4 and 8 wk of treatment. No adverse events were noted in either group.The study demonstrated that 8 wk of ultrasound and exercise therapy was efficacious in patients with AS.

Development of novel antiviral reagents is of great importance for the control of virus spread. Here, Ag

Rana chensinensis skin collagen/poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) composite scaffolds were first fabricated by electrospinning. The nanofibrous matrices were evaluated for their potential mechanical property as skin substitutes. The morphological and mechanical properties of the electrospun nanofibers were evaluated. The electrospun collagen/PLLA composite nanofibers showed the cross section had different shapes to pure collagen fiber. The addition of PLLA to collagen increased the mechanical property of the nanofibers, which were higher than those of pure collagen film. It is also expected that both the hydrogen bonding interaction and the fiber morphologies may play a crucial role in the mechanical properties of nanofiber filaments. Therefore, this work provides a promising approach to fabricate scaffolds for skin wound dressing.

A highly enantioselective Michael addition reaction of 2-substituted benzofuran-3(2H)-ones to nitroolefins was promoted by a bifunctional squaramide catalyst. As a result, a number of chiral 2,2'-substituted benzofuran-3-one derivatives, bearing adjacent quaternary-tertiary stereocenters, were efficiently synthesized with excellent enantioselectivities.

Methamphetamine (METH) administration results in addiction and memory impairment. Previous studies have suggested that levo-tetrahydropalmatine ( l -THP), an alkaloid purified from the Chinese herb Corydalis, attenuates the behavioral changes induced by METH. Therefore, in this study, we explored whether l -THP could also protect against the METH-induced memory impairment examined using the Morris water maze (MWM). We found that low dose of METH (1.0 mg/kg) treated for 20 consecutive days prior to the MWM experiment impaired spatial memory retention but not acquisition in mice. In addition, high dose of METH (10.0 mg/kg) treated during the spatial learning phase for five consecutive days impaired both the acquisition and retention of spatial memory. Moreover, both of these impairments induced by METH were reversed by l -THP treatment, indicating a potential protective role of l -THP in METH use.

Intercropping studies usually focus on yield advantage and interspecific interactions but few quantify temporal niche differentiation and its relationship with intercropping yield advantage. A field experiment conducted in northwest China in 2013 and 2014 examined four intercropping systems (oilseed rape/maize, oilseed rape/soybean, potato/maize, and soybean/potato) and the corresponding monocultures. Total dry matter data collected every 20 d after maize emergence were fitted to logistic models to investigate the temporal dynamics of crop growth and interspecific interactions. All four intercropping systems showed significant yield advantages. Temporal niche complementarity between intercropped species was due to differences in sowing and harvesting dates or the time taken to reach maximum daily growth rate or both. Interspecific interactions between intercropped species amplified temporal niche differentiation as indicated by postponement of the time taken to reach maximum daily growth rate of late-maturing crops (i.e. 21 to 41 days in maize associated with oilseed rape or potato). Growth trajectories of intercropped maize or soybean recovered after the oilseed rape harvest to the same values as in their monoculture on a per plant basis. Amplified niche differentiation between crop species depends on the identity of neighboring species whose relative growth rate is crucial in determining the differentiation.