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Abstract Due to the BCS theory, hydrogen, the lightest element, would be the prospect of room-temperature superconductor after metallization, but because of the difficulty of the hydrogen metallization, the theory about hydrogen pre-compression was proposed that the hydrogen-rich compounds could be a great option for the high T c superconductors. The superior properties of TmH6, YbH6 and LuH6 indicated the magnificent potential of heavy rare earth elements for low-pressure stability. Here, we designed XTmH12 (X = Y, Yb, Lu, and La) to obtain higher T c while maintaining low pressure stability. Most prominently, YbTmH12 can stabilize at a pressure of 60 GPa. Compared with binary TmH6 hydride, its T c was increased to 48 K. The results provide an effective method for the rational design of moderate pressure stabilized hydride superconductors.

Objective: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a common cancer with high aggressiveness and high mortality in women. Recently, a plenty of studies have indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert the crucial function in human cancers, TNBC is included. The carcinogenicity of lncRNA long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1503 (LINC01503) has been confirmed in several cancers, nevertheless, its function in TNBC still unclear. Therefore, our study aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of LINC01503 in TNBC. Methods: In our study, RT-qPCR was performed to detect the expression of LINC01503 in TNBC cells. The proliferative, invasive, migratory and apoptotic abilities of TNBC cells were detected by functional assay such as CCK-8, clone formation, EdU staining, transwell, and flow cytometry. RIP, RNA pull down, and luciferase assay revealed interactions between LINC01503, miR-335–5p, and sphingolipid transporter protein 2 (SPNS2). Finally, rescue experiments were performed to validate the previous results. Results: LINC01503 expression was singularly high in TNBC cells. LINC01503 knockdown could restrain cell proliferation, invasion and migration, but accelerated cell apoptosis in TNBC. What’s more, miR-335–5p could be sponged by LINC01503 in TNBC. We also found that overexpressed miR-335–5p could inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion and facilitates cell apoptosis. Moreover, SPNS2 was the target gene of miR-335–5p and it functioned as an oncogene in TNBC cells. Finally, we found that overexpressed SPNS2 or inhibited miR-335–5p could reverse the suppressive function of silencing LINC01503 on TNBC progression. Conclusion: LINC01503 could facilitate cell proliferation, migration and invasion of TNBC by sponging miR-335–5p to elevate SPNS2 expression.

Abstract By employing metal oxides as oxygen carriers, chemical looping demonstrates its effectiveness in transferring oxygen between reduction and oxidation environments to partially oxidize fuels into syngas and convert CO2 into CO. Generally, NiFe2O4 oxygen carriers have demonstrated remarkable efficiency in chemical looping CO2 conversion. Nevertheless, the intricate process of atomic migration and evolution within the internal structure of bimetallic oxygen carriers during continuous high‐temperature redox cycling remains unclear. Consequently, the lack of a fundamental understanding of the complex ionic migration and oxygen transfer associated with energy conversion processes hampers the design of high‐performance oxygen carriers. Thus, in this study, we employed in situ characterization techniques and theoretical calculations to investigate the ion migration behavior and structural evolution in the bulk of NiFe2O4 oxygen carriers during H2 reduction and CO2/lab air oxidation cycles. We discovered that during the H2 reduction step, lattice oxygen rapidly migrates to vacancy layers to replenish consumed active oxygen species, while Ni leaches from the material and migrates to the surface. During the CO2 splitting step, Ni migrates toward the core of the bimetallic oxygen carrier, forming Fe–Ni alloys. During the air oxidation step, Fe–Ni migrates outward, creating a hollow structure owing to the Kirkendall effect triggered by the swift transfer of lattice oxygen. The metal atom migration paths depend on the oxygen transfer rates. These discoveries highlight the significance of regulating the release–recovery rate of lattice oxygen to uphold the structures and reactivity of oxygen carriers. This work offers a comprehensive understanding of the oxidation/reduction‐driven atomic interdiffusion behavior of bimetallic oxygen carriers.

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether dexmedetomidine provides survival benefit in critically ill patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC).Methods: Patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy admitted to the ICU were identified from the Medical Information Marketplace for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. They were divided into two groups: patients who started dexmedetomidine within 48 h of ICU admission and lasted for more than 4 h and patients who did not receive dexmedetomidine as a control group. The primary outcome was 28-day hospital mortality, the secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and the extended outcomes included duration of mechanical ventilation and vasopressor use, ICU stay, and hospital stay. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to match patients who received dexmedetomidine with those who did not, and multivariable Cox models and logistics models were used to account for baseline differences and unmeasured confounders. An external validation was performed with the Critical care database comprising patients with infection at Zigong Fourth People’s Hospital.Results: After PSM, 592 patients who received dexmedetomidine were matched with 592 patients who did not receive dexmedetomidine. In the primary and secondary endpoints, dexmedetomidine was associated with a lower risk of 28-day hospital mortality (19.3% vs. 14.2%, hazard ratio (HR) 0.71; P = 0.020) and in-hospital mortality (22.3% vs. 16.4%, odds ratio (OR) 0.68; P = 0.017) in patients with SIC. Regarding the extended outcome, dexmedetomidine was also associated with a longer length of hospital stay (median 12.54 days vs. 14.87 days, P = 0.002) and longer ICU stay (median 5.10 days vs. 6.22 days, P = 0.009). In addition, the duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly increased in the dexmedetomidine group (median 41.62 h vs. 48.00 h, p = 0.022), while the duration of vasopressor use was not significantly different (median 36.67 h vs. 39.25 h, p = 0.194). Within 48 h of ICU stay, receiving a dose of dexmedetomidine greater than 0.474 μg/kg/h and continuous dexmedetomidine administration for 24–48 h may be associated with 28-day hospitalization outcomes in patients with SIC. External cohort validation also found that the use of dexmedetomidine after admission to the ICU can reduce 28-day mortality in patients with SIC.Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine administration is associated with reduced 28-day hospital mortality and in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with SIC, and these findings deserve further verification in randomized controlled trials.

Boron is an ambitious fuel in energetic materials since its high heat release values, but its application is prohibited by low combustion efficiency and oxidization during storage. The polydopamine (PDA) was introduced into boron particles, investigating the impact of PDA content on the energetic behavior of boron. The results indicated that the PDA coating formed a fishing net structure on the surface of boron particles. The heat release results showed that the combustion calorific value of B@PDA was higher than that of the raw boron. Specifically, the actual combustion heat of boron powder in B@10%PDA increased by 38.08%. Meanwhile, the DSC peak temperature decreased by 100.65 °C under similar oxidation rate compared to raw boron. Simultaneously, the B@PDA@AP and B@AP composites were prepared, and their combustion properties were evaluated. It was demonstrated that B@10%PDA@AP exhibited superior performance in terms of peak pressure and burning time, respectively. The peak pressure is 12.43 kPa more than B@AP and burning time is 2.22 times higher than B@AP. Therefore, the coating of PDA effectively inhibits the oxidization of boron during storage and enhances the energetic behavior of boron and corresponding composites.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in tumor generation and progression. However, the exact functional significance and underlying molecular mechanism by which lncRNA CERS6-AS1 operates in the context of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unknown. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of the CERS6-AS1/miR-424-5p/ANLN axis in the progression of LUAD through bioinformatics and cytobehavioral experiments, and to provide a new insight into the combined treatment of LUAD. Based on the TCGA database, the expression of CERS6-AS1 in pan-cancer was evaluated, and its prognostic performance in LUAD was evaluated by ROC curve, survival curve and COX analysis. In addition, quantification of CERS6-AS1 expression levels in LUAD patients and lung cancer cells using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and further validate the functional significance of CERS6-AS1 in promoting the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of lung cancer cells. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed, and miR-424-5p inhibitors were applied to CERS6-AS1 knockdown cells. The potential downstream genes associated with the regulatory axis of CERS6-AS1/miR-424-5p were analyzed by PPI network and gene enrichment analysis (KEGG). Finally, we evaluated the prognostic value of high expression of ANLN in LUAD and its effects on immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden, chemotherapy response, and immunotherapy. CERS6-AS1 expression was significantly elevated in both LUAD patients and lung cancer cells. In the CERS6-AS1 knockdown assay, the proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of cancer cells were significantly inhibited. Notably, there was a prominent upregulation of miR-424-5p expression in cells where CERS6-AS1 was knocked down. Co-transfection of siRNA and miR-424-5p inhibitors into lung cancer cells restored the restriction on lung cancer cells. Anillin (ANLN) has been identified as a potential target gene for miR-424-5p and as a prognostic and immune biomarker associated with immune cell infiltration and tumor mutational burden in LUAD. Additionally, ANLN impacts the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in LUAD patients. This study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism in which CERS6-AS1 may contribute to the progression of LUAD by influencing the expression of ANLN as a competitive sponge for miR-424-5p.

BackgroundStroke was a major global public health challenge, and its prognosis was remarkably associated with inflammation levels and nutritional status. The advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) was a comprehensive indicator that combined inflammation and nutritional status. Currently, the relationship between ALI and the prognosis of stroke patients was not yet known. The purpose of the current study was to estimate their relationship.MethodsCohort data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2018 were collected. The association between ALI and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in stroke patients was estimated using a multivariable adjusted Cox model. Their non-linear relationship was analyzed by restricted cubic spline analysis. Sensitivity analysis was constructed through stratified analysis and interaction analysis.Results1,440 stroke patients were included in this study. An elevated ALI was significantly related to a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in stroke patients but not related to CVD mortality. A reverse J-shaped non-linear association between ALI and all-cause mortality in stroke patients, with an inflection point at 83.76 (the lowest of the mortality risk). On the left side of the inflection point, for each 10 U increase in ALI, there was a 16% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality. However, on the right side, the risk increased by 6%. There was no remarkable interaction between stratified variables and ALI.ConclusionThis was the first study on the relationship between ALI and all-cause and CVD mortality in stroke patients. Elevated ALI was closely associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. A reverse J-shaped non-linear relationship existed between the two, with an inflection point at 83.76. These findings implied that controlling the ALI of stroke patients within an appropriate range was crucial for their prognosis (such as weight management, albumin supplementation, anti-inflammatory treatment). The dynamic variation in ALI was also advantageous for clinicians in establishing personalized ALI criteria to maximize the long-term survival of stroke patients.

Abstract Background Whether body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for poor bowel preparation is controversial, and the optimal bowel preparation regimen for people with a high BMI is unclear. Methods We prospectively included 710 individuals with high BMIs (≥ 24 kg/m2) who were scheduled to undergo colonoscopy from January to November 2021 at 7 hospitals. Participants were randomly allocated into 3 L split-dose polyethylene glycol (PEG) group (n=353) and 2 L PEG group (n=357). The primary outcome was the rate of adequate bowel preparation, and the secondary outcomes included Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score, polyp detection rate, cecal intubation rate, and adverse reactions during bowel preparation. Furthermore, we did exploratory subgroup analyses for adequate bowel preparation. Results After enrollment, 15 individuals didn’t undergo colonoscopy, finally 345 participants took 3 L split-dose PEG regimen, and 350 participants took 2 L PEG regimen for colonoscopic bowel preparation. 3 L split-dose PEG regimen was superior to 2 L PEG regimen in the rate of adequate bowel preparation (81.2% vs. 74.9%, P = 0.045), BBPS score (6.71±1.15 vs. 6.37±1.31, P < 0.001), and the rate of polyp detection (62.0% vs. 52.9%, P = 0.015). The cecal intubation rate was similar in both groups (99.7%). Regarding adverse reactions, individuals were more likely to feel nausea in the 3 L PEG group (30.9% vs. 19.3%; P = 0.001); however, the degree was mild. In the subgroup analysis for adequate bowel preparation, 3 L split-dose PEG regimen performed better than 2 L PEG regimen in the overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 ) (P = 0.006) and individuals with constipation (P = 0.044), while no significant differences were observed in relatively normal (BMI 24-24.9 kg/m2) (P = 0.593) and obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) (P = 0.715). Conclusions 3 L split-dose PEG regimen is superior to 2 L PEG regimen for colonoscopic Bowel Preparation in relatively high-BMI individuals, especially overweight individuals (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 ). Trial Registration This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2000039068). The date of first registration, 15/10/2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn

The freeze–thaw effect has a significant impact on the strength deterioration of tunnel-lining concrete in cold regions. Therefore, the strength deterioration characteristics of concrete in a tunnel were studied, and silicone coating materials were used to improve its frost resistance and durability under freeze–thaw cycles. Freeze–thaw cycle tests were conducted on concrete specimens with different coatings. The freeze–thaw damage phenomenon, dynamic elastic modulus, and mass loss of the specimens were used to evaluate the freeze–thaw durability of concrete strengthened with coatings. The results demonstrated that silicone coatings effectively prevented moisture and corrosive substances from infiltrating the concrete, thereby enhancing its durability; the silicone–polyether hybrid had the most significant frost resistance at 500 g/m2 and silane type III at 300 g/m2, with freezing resistance times of 175 and 300, respectively. During the freeze–thaw process, the strength reduction rate of specimens was much greater than the mass loss rate of concrete. Taking into account the water environment surrounding the lining concrete and the site temperature, an equivalent indoor freeze–thaw cycle conversion model was established. The results can provide an experimental basis for selecting better frost-resistant materials for tunnel concrete in cold regions.

Traditional fossil energy sources still dominate the world energy structure. And fully utilizing biomass is a viable approach for energy transition. A bubbling fluidized bed has better heat and mass transfer, while particle agglomeration limits the development of its industrial application. In this paper, two-phase flow characteristics of a bubbling fluidized bed are investigated by combining numerical simulations and fluidized bed gasification experiments. Numerical simulations found that the bed fluidization height reached twice the initial fluidization height at the 0.054 m initial fluidization height with uniform particle distribution. Fluidized bed gasification experiments found that syngas yield increased with increasing temperature. The carbon conversion efficiency reached 79.3% and the effective gas production was 0.64 m3/kg at 850 °C. In addition, when the water vapor concentration reached 15%, the carbon conversion efficiency and effective gas production reached the maximum values of 86.01% and 0.81 m3/kg, respectively.

Thermochemical heat transformers (THT) can offer the potential for efficient energy storage and upgrade based on a reversible solid-gas reaction. A mechanical booster pump (MBP)-assisted water-based sorption thermochemical heat transformer driven by low-grade solar thermal energy is proposed to handle variations in the heat demand of buildings. The MBP operates during the discharging process to adjust the magnitudes of temperature lift by compression ratio depending on the user’s demands. The performances of the proposed cycle employing three different reactive salts are investigated and compared with the conventional THT cycle under various operating conditions. Results indicate that compared to the conventional THT cycle, the proposed cycle achieves a maximum temperature lift of 15–17°C, 17–19°C, and 23–26°C for SrBr2, LiOH, and CaCl2 in the evaporating temperature range of 20–40°C, respectively. In the same operating conditions, SrBr2 demonstrates the highest energy and exergy efficiencies, while CaCl2 is inferior to the others due to its greater sensible heat consumption and lower reaction heat under the studied conditions. A suggestion is put forth for enhancing the temperature lift by employing a two-stage MBP-assisted cycle that utilizes the reactive salt SrBr2. Compared to the single-stage MBP-assisted cycle, the heat output temperature can be further increased by up to 3–16°C at the expense of a maximum decrease of 6.6%, 84.4%, and 9.0% in coefficient of performance (COP) based on total energy input, COP based on electricity input, and exergy efficiency, respectively, at 30°C evaporating temperature. The economic and environmental analysis indicates that the proposed system is economically and environmentally feasible and could be a promising alternative to residential water heaters.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that leads to disability; however, existing therapies are still unsatisfactory. Activated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play an essential role in synovitis formation and joint destruction in RA. The Hedgehog signaling pathway is aberrantly activated and contributes to the aggressive phenotype of RA-FLSs. However, it remains uncertain whether inhibiting Smoothened (SMO), a critical component of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, is an effective treatment for RA. Here, we design a series of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that specifically target the SMO gene. With precise chemical modifications, siRNAs’ efficacy and stability are significantly improved, and the off-target effects are minimized. The optimized chemically modified siRNA (si-S1A3-Chol) decreases RA-FLS proliferation and invasiveness without the transfection reagent. Furthermore, si-S1A3-Chol injected intra-articularly effectively alleviates joint destruction and improves motor function in collagen-induced arthritis mouse models. Consequently, our results demonstrate that chemically modified siRNA targeting the Hedgehog signaling pathway may be a potential therapy for RA.

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of trees has always been a key task in precision forestry management and research. Due to the complex branch morphological structure of trees themselves and the occlusions from tree stems, branches and foliage, it is difficult to recreate a complete three-dimensional tree model from a two-dimensional image by conventional photogrammetric methods. In this study, based on tree images collected by various cameras in different ways, the Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) method was used for individual tree dense reconstruction and the exported point cloud models are compared with point clouds derived from photogrammetric reconstruction and laser scanning methods. The results show that the NeRF method performs well in individual tree 3D reconstruction, as it has a higher successful reconstruction rate, better reconstruction in the canopy area and requires less images as input. Compared with the photogrammetric dense reconstruction method, NeRF has significant advantages in reconstruction efficiency and is adaptable to complex scenes, but the generated point cloud tend to be noisy and of low resolution. The accuracy of tree structural parameters (tree height and diameter at breast height) extracted from the photogrammetric point cloud is still higher than those derived from the NeRF point cloud. The results of this study illustrate the great potential of the NeRF method for individual tree reconstruction, and it provides new ideas and research directions for 3D reconstruction and visualization of complex forest scenes.

The effective removal of tar is a major challenge for biomass gasification. Schemes based on chemical looping gasification (CLG) offer a promising alternative for converting biomass into syngas with low tar content. The present work examined the influence of a Ni-modified oxygen carrier (OC) on the benzene conversion rate, hydrogen yield, carbon deposition rate, and yield of combustible gas products under various experimental conditions in the CLG of benzene as a model biomass tar compound. After modification, the NiFe2O4 OC exhibited good catalytic and oxidation performance. With the increase in reaction temperature and Ni loading, the hydrogen yield, benzene conversion rate, and carbon deposition rate all increased gradually. With the increase of weight hourly space velocity (WHSV), the benzene conversion rate decreased from 89.75% to 81.1%. which indicated that the oxidation capacity of the OC to benzene decreased. Meanwhile, the addition of steam significantly eliminated the carbon deposition, which decreased to 2.62% at an S/C ratio of 1.48. During the long-term experiment, the oxidation activity and catalytic activity of the OC each exhibit a slight decreased, which was possibly due to the sintering and agglomeration of the OC. Finally, the cracking mechanism of the tar model compound benzene was proposed.

Hydrated salt CaCl2 is a promising material for low-grade thermochemical heat storage. To improve cyclic stability of the material, porous matrixes are usually employed to synthesize​ CaCl2/matrix composites. However, the multi-step reaction of the salt and multi-form sorption of the composites increase the complexity during the practical application. This study proposed a novel method to study the multi-form heat storage performance. By combining TG/DSC measurement with Peak-fitting analysis, the multi-form mechanism of hydration/dehydration is revealed quantitatively. A series of EG/CaCl2 composites are synthesized with different salt content in the range of 23.8 wt% ∼57.8 wt%. All of the composites show well endothermic dehydration performance below 130 °C. A highest heat storage density of 1637.6 kJ/kg was obtained with a salt content of 48.1 wt% and a water uptake of 0.79 g/g. Water uptake of EG/CaCl2 composites is composed of chemisorption water loaded through reversible hydration reactions and solution absorption water introduced from salt deliquescence. The solution absorption plays nearly the equitant important role as chemical sorption, both in water adsorption ability and thermal storage capacity. The EG/CaCl2 composite show great support capacity for both salt and solution, making it an interesting material for low-grade heat storage.

Abstract Cultural heritage is closely linked with individual historical figures, who become a key focus for cultural tourism. Confucianism laid the foundation for much of Chinese civilization, and Confucius and Mencius have been studied extensively and have been influential in many parts of the world. Zhu Xi, the founder and master of Neo-Confucianism (an important part of the Mount Wuyi world cultural heritage), has received less research attention. With the big bang of the metaverse, research on the immersive cultural heritage digital documentation and information service for historical figures has become a new perspective. This paper presents a metaverse-based digital documentation framework for historical figures. This framework addresses the digitization of multimodal data for cultural heritage and adapts to the needs of metaverse presentations. For cultural research and cultural preservation, the paper has explored a combined contactless virtual and real cultural heritage experience system. For tourists, we intend to develop an immersive and holistic cultural tourism information service before, during and after the tour. In particular, we have also developed the Zhu Xi metaverse system. This is a step forward in the construction of a metaverse of historical figures.

Foot ulcers can be caused by a variety of causes, and identifying the causes is essential for treatment and prognosis. Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon neutrophilic dermatosis that often accompanied by systemic diseases. The initial lesions of pyoderma gangrenosum is inflammatory papules or pustules, which rapidly progress to painful ulcers. Pyoderma gangrenosum are easily confused with local infectious diseases and diabetic feet, but the treatment options are completely different. Therefore, early and rapid diagnosis is crucial. This article reported on the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum in association with Crohn's disease presenting as a giant foot ulcer, and reviewed the literature to improve clinicians' understanding of the disease and reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment.

Abstract Background Cucumber is an important melon crop in the world, with different pericarp colors. However, the candidate genes and the underlying genetic mechanism for such an important trait in cucumber are unknown. In this study, a locus controlling pericarp color was found on chromosome 3 of cucumber genome. Results In this study, the light green inbred line G35 and the dark green inbred line Q51 were crossed to produce one F2 population. Consequently, we identified a major locus CsPC1 (Pericarp color 1). Next, we mapped the CsPC1 locus to a 94-kb region chromosome 3 which contains 15 genes. Among these genes, Csa3G912920, which encodes a GATA transcription factor, was expressed at a higher level in the pericarp of the NIL-1334 line (with light-green pericarp) than in that of the NIL-1325 line (with dark-green pericarp). This study provides a new allele for the improvement of cucumber pericarp color. Conclusion A major QTL that controls pericarp color in cucumber, CsPC1, was identified in a 94-kb region that harbors the strong candidate gene CsGATA1.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important process during metastasis in various tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, the study of its characteristics and related genes is of great significance for CRC treatment. In this study, 26 EMT-related gene sets were used to score each sample from The Cancer Genome Atlas program (TCGA) colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) database. Based on the 26 EMT enrichment scores for each sample, we performed unsupervised cluster analysis and classified the TCGA-COAD samples into three EMT clusters. Then, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to investigate the gene modules that were significantly associated with these three EMT clusters. Two gene modules that were strongly positively correlated with the EMT cluster 2 (worst prognosis) were subjected to Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. Then, a prognosis-related risk model composed of three hub genes GPRC5B, LSAMP, and PDGFRA was established. The TCGA rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) dataset and a CRC dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used as the validation sets. A novel nomogram that incorporated the risk model and clinicopathological features was developed to predict the clinical outcomes of the COAD patients. The risk model served as an independent prognostic factor. It showed good predictive power for overall survival (OS), immunotherapy efficacy, and drug sensitivity in the COAD patients. Our study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the clinical relevance of this three-gene risk model for COAD patients and a deeper understanding of the role of EMT-related genes in COAD.

Postvaccination serologic testing (PVST) is utilized to monitor the success or failure of vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in infants of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers. This secondary analysis of 1255 infants of HBsAg-positive mothers at 7–14 months age included in two prospective studies aimed to determine the optimal interval for PVST after three hepatitis B vaccine doses. HBsAg and anti-HBs were quantitatively tested with microparticle enzyme immunoassay. The average PVST interval was 3.8 ± 2.2 months. Overall, 1.7% (21/1255) infants had anti-HBs

Abstract Background Photosynthesis in the green leafless blade tissues or organs of plants has been studied in some plants, but the photosynthetic characteristics of stems and petioles are poorly understood. Cucurbitaceous plants are climbing plants that have substantial stem and petiole biomass. Understanding the photosynthetic contribution of cucumber stems and petioles to their growth and the underlying molecular mechanisms are important for the regulating of growth in cucumber production. Results In this study, the photosynthetic capacity of cucumber stems and petioles were determined by 14CO2 uptake. The total carbon fixed by the stems and petioles was approximately 4% of that fixed by one leaf blade in the cucumber seedling stage, while the proportion of the carbon accumulated in the stems and petioles that redistributed to sink organs (roots and shoot apexes) obviously increased under leafless conditions. The photosynthetic properties of cucumber stems and petioles were studied using a combination of electron microscopy and isotope tracers to compare these properties of stems and petioles with those of leaf blade using two genotypes of cucumber (dark green and light green). Compared with those of the leaf blades, the chlorophyll contents of the cucumber stems and petioles were lower, and the stems and petioles had lower chloroplast numbers and lower stoma numbers but higher thylakoid grana lamella numbers and larger stoma sizes. The Chl a/b ratios were also decreased in the petioles and stems compared with those in the leaf blades. The total photosynthetic rates of the stems and petioles were equivalent to 6 ~ 8% of that of one leaf blade, but the respiration rates were similar in all the three organs, with an almost net 0 photosynthetic rate in the stems and petioles. Transcriptome analysis showed that compared with the leaf blades, the stems and petioles has significantly different gene expression levels in photosynthesis, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism; photosynthetic antenna proteins; and carbon fixation. PEPC enzyme activities were higher in the stems and petioles than in the leaf blades, suggesting that the photosynthetic and respiratory mechanisms in stems and petioles are different from those in leaf blade, and these results are consistent with the gene expression data. Conclusions In this study, we confirmed the photosynthetic contribution to the growth of cucumber stems and petioles, and showed their similar photosynthetic patterns in the terms of anatomy, molecular biology and physiology, which were different from those of cucumber leaf blades.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an extremely harmful pollutant in diesel engine exhaust fumes, which must be controlled and removed effectively. In order to better integrate desulfurization materials into diesel exhaust systems, a new desulfurization powder coating (DeSOx coating) was prepared. The SO2 capture performance and kinetics of the DeSOx coating were subsequently studied. This study used a fixed-bed reactor to test the DeSOx coating SO2 capture performance and conduct kinetic analysis at various temperatures and gas flows. The analysis obtained the kinetic parameters of the activation energy and Arrhenius constant, with the derived rate control equations, under isothermal conditions. The DeSOx coating and filter which were prepared using metal oxide powders, SiO2 colloidal sol, and additives, exhibited an enhanced SO2 capture performance. In this experiment, an MnO2/SiO2/LiOH coating had the best SO2 removal rate and capture capacity at 400 °C. Under a reaction space velocity of 10700 h−1, the MnO2/SiO2/LiOH coating SO2 removal rate was 100% within the first hour of reaction. Under a reaction space velocity of 32000 h−1, the MnO2/SiO2/LiOH coating SO2 capture capacity was 132.7 mgSO2/gmaterial during the second hour of reaction. The SO2 capture conversion rate of the DeSOx coating and filter follows the second-order kinetic mechanism model. For the MnO2/SiO2/LiOH coating, the Arrhenius equation gives an activation energy of 4952 J/mol and the Arrhenius natural logarithmic constant is 8.969 s−1. For the MnO2/SiO2/LiOH filter, the activation energy of the rate constant is 214 J/mol, and the Arrhenius natural logarithmic constant is 3.744 s−1. Therefore, the desulfurization coating is an effective way to remove SO2 pollutants from diesel exhaust gases.

Detailed and updated maps of actively cropped fields on a national scale are vital for global food security. Unfortunately, this information is not provided in existing land cover datasets, especially lacking in smallholder farmer systems. Mapping national-scale cropped fields remains challenging due to the spectral confusion with abandoned vegetated land, and their high heterogeneity over large areas. This study proposed a large-area mapping framework for automatically identifying actively cropped fields by fusing Vegetation-Soil-Pigment indices and Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) time-series images (VSPS). Three temporal indicators were proposed and highlighted cropped fields by consistently higher values due to cropping activities. The proposed VSPS algorithm was exploited for national-scale mapping in China without regional adjustments using Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 images. Agriculture in China illustrated great heterogeneity and has experienced tremendous changes such as non-grain orientation and cropland abandonment. Yet, little is known about the locations and extents of cropped fields cultivated with field crops on a national scale. Here, we produced the first national-scale 20 m updated map of cropped and fallow/abandoned land in China and found that 77 % of national cropland (151.23 million hectares) was actively cropped in 2020. We found that fallow/abandoned cropland in mountainous and hilly regions were far more than we expected, which was significantly underestimated by the commonly applied VImax-based approach based on the MODIS images. The VSPS method illustrates robust generalization capabilities, which obtained an overall accuracy of 94 % based on 4,934 widely spread reference sites. The proposed mapping framework is capable of detecting cropped fields with a full consideration of a high diversity of cropping systems and complexity of fallow/abandoned cropland. The processing codes on Google Earth Engine were provided and hoped to stimulate operational agricultural mapping on cropped fields with finer resolution from the national to the global scale.

Chemical looping (CL) technology is a novel technology for the clean and efficient use of energy. Oxygen carriers (OCs) are the cornerstone of CL technology. The development of low–cost, high–performance OCs is crucial for the application of CL conversion. Hematite, one of the natural Fe–based OCs, has several advantages (e.g., low cost and environmental friendliness), but its low reactivity limits its application in CL. The performance of hematite can be effectively improved by modifying some of its active components. This study explored the improvement of hematite reactivity by adding alkaline (earth) metals (K, Na, and Ca) and transition metals (Ni, Cu, and Mn). The crystal phases of the OCs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results revealed that the addition of metals significantly changed the phase of the original hematite. The active solid solution of K–Fe–O and Na–Fe–O species exhibited strong catalytic activity to facilitate lignite char conversion. The addition of CaO promoted the devolatilization of lignite, while the formation of a solid CaFe2O4 solution with low reactivity inhibited the lattice oxygen release. The presence of CuO/CuFe2O4 in the Cu–modified sample could release a small amount of free O2 to promote volatile conversion. The high activity phases of NiO and NiFe2O4 in the Ni–modified OCs could improve the reaction activity of hematite. However, the MnFeO3 phase with low reaction activity was generated in the Mn–modified OC, decreasing the reaction rate of the Mn–modified OC with lignite char.

Chemical looping gasification (CLG) technology is an effective approach to converting wood waste into high-quality syngas. In the present work, the reactivity of natural hematite is enhanced by doping with nickel oxide (NiO), and the effects of various operating parameters upon the CLG of wood waste are investigated using the NiO-modified hematite as an oxygen carrier. The NiO-modified hematite gives a significantly increased carbon conversion of 79.74%, and a valid gas yield of 0.69 m3/kg, compared to 68.13% and 0.59 m3/kg, respectively, for the pristine (natural) hematite, and 54.62% and 0.55 m3/kg, respectively, for the Al2O3, thereby indicating that the modification with NiO improves reactivity of natural hematite towards the CLG of wood waste. In addition, a suitable mass ratio of oxygen carrier to wood waste (O/W) is shown to be beneficial for the production of high-quality syngas, with a maximum valid gas yield of 0.69 m3/kg at an O/W ratio of 1. Further, an increase in reaction temperature is shown to promote the conversion of wood waste, giving a maximum conversion of 86.14% at reaction temperature of 900 °C. In addition, the introduction of an appropriate amount of steam improves both the conversion of wood waste and the quality of the syngas, although excessive steam leads to decreases in the reaction temperature and gas residence time. Therefore, the optimum S/B (mass ratio of steam to biomass) is determined to be 0.4, giving a carbon conversion and valid gas yield of 86.63% and 0.94 m3/kg, respectively. Moreover, the reactivity of the NiO-modified hematite is well-maintained during 20 cycles, with a carbon conversion and valid gas yield of around 79% and 0.69 m3/kg, respectively. Additionally, the XRD and SEM-EDS analyses indicate no measurable change in the crystal phase of the re-oxidized oxygen carrier.

With the rapid development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, more and more UAVs have been used in forest survey. UAV (RGB) images are the most widely used UAV data source in forest resource management. However, there is some uncertainty as to the reliability of these data when monitoring height and growth changes of low-growing saplings in an afforestation plot via UAV RGB images. This study focuses on an artificial Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lancelota, named as Chinese Fir) young forest plot in Fujian, China. Divide-and-conquer (DAC) and the local maximum (LM) method for extracting seedling height are described in the paper, and the possibility of monitoring young forest growth based on low-cost UAV remote sensing images was explored. Two key algorithms were adopted and compared to extract the tree height and how it affects the young forest at single-tree level from multi-temporal UAV RGB images from 2019 to 2021. Compared to field survey data, the R2 of single saplings’ height extracted from digital orthophoto map (DOM) images of tree pits and original DSM information using a divide-and-conquer method reached 0.8577 in 2020 and 0.9968 in 2021, respectively. The RMSE reached 0.2141 in 2020 and 0.1609 in 2021. The R2 of tree height extracted from the canopy height model (CHM) via the LM method was 0.9462. The RMSE was 0.3354 in 2021. The results demonstrated that the survival rates of the young forest in the second year and the third year were 99.9% and 85.6%, respectively. This study shows that UAV RGB images can obtain the height of low sapling trees through a computer algorithm based on using 3D point cloud data derived from high-precision UAV images and can monitor the growth of individual trees combined with multi-stage UAV RGB images after afforestation. This research provides a fully automated method for evaluating the afforestation results provided by UAV RGB images. In the future, the universality of the method should be evaluated in more afforestation plots featuring different tree species and terrain.

To assure stable and dependable functioning of the thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system under unstable low-grade heat temperatures, three mechanical booster pump-assisted TCES (MBP-assisted TCES) modes operating with SrBr2·H2O/H2O, LiOH/H2O, and CaCl2·H2O/H2O are proposed for the application of heat storage and upgrading. The operating modes are the MBP-assisted charging mode (A mode), MBP-assisted discharging mode (B mode), and MBP-assisted charging and discharging mode (C mode). A thermodynamic model is established to evaluate the influences of condensing temperature, compression ratio, MBP isentropic efficiency, and reaction advancement on the heat source temperature and system performance from both energy and exergy perspectives. The results indicate that compared with the other two modes, the B mode is more effective in reducing the heat source temperature and achieving better system performance. Compared to the conventional TCES mode, the proposed modes can operate at lower heat source temperatures that can be minimized by up to 21∼25°C by employing the B mode with a compression ratio of 3.0 at the condensing temperature of 24°C. The B mode with SrBr2·H2O/H2O exhibits the highest energy and exergy efficiencies that the coefficients of performance based on total energy input and electric power consumed (COPtotal and COPelec), and exergy efficiency varies in the range of 0.53∼0.59, 7.4∼19.6, and 0.78∼0.95, respectively. In contrast, CaCl2·H2O/H2O shows the lowest system performance, but a higher heat output temperature can be required. In addition, to maintain the MBP discharge temperature below 180°C, there is a maximum permitted compression ratio that varies depending on the operating modes, operating conditions, and working pairs. The findings of this research can be used as theoretical references and suggestions for selecting MBP-assisted TCES modes, operating conditions, and working pairs for low-grade heat storage and upgrading.

A comprehensive review of combustion characteristics of ammonia (NH3) as a carbon free fuel is presented. NH3 is an attractive alternative fuel candidate to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel and the emission of CO2, soot, and hydrocarbon pollutants, due to its comparable combustion properties, productivities from renewable sources, and storage and transportation by current commercial infrastructure. However, the combustion properties of NH3 are quite different from conventional hydrocarbon fuels, which highlight the specific difficulties during the application of NH3. Therefore, this paper presents comparative experimental and numerical studies of the application of NH3 as a fuel during combustion process, including the combustion properties of laminar burning velocity, flame structures, pollutant emissions for the application of NH3 as a carbon free fuel. This paper presents the burning velocity and pollutant emissions of NH3 alone and mixtures with other fuels to improve the combustion properties. The aim of this paper is to review and describe the suitability of NH3 as a fuel, including the combustion and emission characteristics of NH3 during its combustion process.

Tar is an unavoidable biomass gasification byproduct. Tar formation reduces gasification efficiency and limits the further application of biomass gasification technology. Hence, efficient tar removal is a major problem to be solved in the formation and application of biomass gasification technology. Chemical looping gasification (CLG), a novel and promising gasification technology has attracted extensive attention owing to its low tar generation. Active oxygen carriers (OCs), the reduced OC in CLG, are considered to be excellent catalysts for tar cracking. In this study, the use of benzene as a typical tar model compound for tar removal using the iron ore OC is investigated. In the blank experiment, where an inert material (SiO2) is used as the carrier, the benzene cracking is relatively low, and the benzene conversion, H2 yield, and carbon conversion are 53.65%, 6.33%, and 1.24%, respectively. The addition of hematite promotes benzene cracking. A large amount of oxygen-containing gases (CO and CO2) are generated. Additionally, the conversion degrees for benzene, H2 and carbon are about 67.75%, 21.55%, and 38.39%, respectively. These results indicate that hematite performs both oxidation and catalysis during benzene cracking. The extension of the residence time facilitates benzene removal, owing to the good interaction between the gas phase and solid phase. The addition of water vapor inhibits the benzene conversion and promotes the conversion of carbon deposition. The lattice oxygen reactivity of hematite OC shows an uptrend as the cycle number is increased during the benzene conversion cycle. The experimental results confirm that CLG has a low-tar advantage and that hematite is an effective OC for benzene removal.

Objective To explore self-consciousness and depression in children with precocious puberty (PP) and analyse its effect on children of both sexes. Methods Sixty children with PP and 60 non-PP children matched for sex and age participated in the study. Children were assessed using the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children and the Piers–Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale. Results There were significant differences in physical appearance and attributes, anxiety, happiness and satisfaction between PP children and non-PP children. PP children had significantly higher depression than non-PP children. In the PP group, girls were significantly more prone to anxiety and unhappiness than boys. Conclusion: There were sex differences in the effect of PP on children’s self-consciousness, and girls were more prone to anxiety and unhappiness. More attention should be paid to improving the physical and mental health of children with PP.

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) has been considered to cause immunotolerance to hepatitis B virus (HBV) in newborn infants after fetal HBeAg exposure. This study compared anti-HBs responses to hepatitis B vaccination in infants who were born to HBeAg-positive and -negative mothers respectively, to investigate whether fetal HBeAg exposure may induce immunotolerance to HBV. Totally 265 infants who received recommended neonatal immunoprophylaxis against hepatitis B and had no HBV infection were included. Anti-HBs levels were compared between 124 infants with cord blood positive HBeAg and 141 infants with cord blood negative HBeAg at 7–12 months of age. The infants in two groups had similar age at the follow-up (10.0 ± 2.3 vs 10.1 ± 2.3 months, P = 0.590). Overall, 259 (97.7%) of 265 infants achieved anti-HBs levels (mIU/ml) ≥10 and 6 (2.3%) others had anti-HBs 0.05). Additionally, the distribution of anti-HBs response levels were also comparable in infants with high and low HBeAg levels (P = 0.818). In conclusions, the fetal HBeAg exposure does not inhibit the antibody response to neonatal hepatitis B vaccination. The data suggest that HBeAg appears not inducing immunotolerance to HBV.

Recently, we showed that infants with or without fetal hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) exposure had comparable antibody response to hepatitis B vaccination and proposed that fetal HBeAg exposure appears to not induce immunotolerance to HBV. Here, we summarized the different results on the topic of fetal HBeAg exposure in inducing immunotolerance to HBV nucleocapsid protein, and the evidence to back up that the tendency of high infection rate in infants of HBeAg-positive mothers is more likely associated with higher maternal viral loads and is less likely associated with the fetal HBeAg exposure. We consider that whether fetal HBeAg exposure plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection remains to be an open question.

House price is closely associated with the development of the national economy and people’s daily life. Understanding the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of the house price is of great practical significance. Although a lot of attention has been paid to modeling the house price from structure and location attributes, limited work has considered the impact of visual attributes. Intuitively, a better visual environment may raise the surrounding house price. When aggregating multiple factors that influence house price, the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) provides a suitable solution. Specifically, the MGWR assigns each factor a bandwidth to model the spatial heterogeneity, e.g., a factor may have different influences at different places. In this paper, we introduce the visual environment factors into the MGWR method. In detail, we extract ten visual elements, e.g., sky, vegetation, road, from the Baidu street view (BSV) images, using a deep learning framework. We further define six visual environment factors to investigate their influence on house price. Based on the data from two representative Chinese cities, i.e., Beijing and Chongqing, we reveal the influence degree and spatial scale difference of six visual indexes on the house price in two cities. Results show that: (1) the influence intensity of our proposed six visual environment factors on the house price in different regions of the city can be identified, and the green view index (GVI) is the most important visual environmental factor; and (2) the influence of these view indexes changes significantly or even reversely depends on different areas.

CoO/g-C3N4 hybrid catalyst is facilely prepared for application to photocatalytic H2 evolution from water splitting by the vacuum rotation–evaporation and in situ thermal method. The physical and chemical properties of CoO/g-C3N4 are determined by a series of characterization methods. The g-C3N4 with 0.6 wt% Co loading exhibits superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity with an H2 evolution amount of 23.25 mmol g−1 after 5 h. The obtained 0.6 wt% CoO/g-C3N4 can split water to generate 0.39 mmol g−1 H2 without sacrificial agent and noble metal, while the pure g-C3N4 is inactive under the same reaction conditions. The remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic H2 evolution activity of CoO/g-C3N4 composites is mainly ascribed to the effective separation of electron–hole pairs and charge transfer. The work creates new opportunities for the design of low-cost g-C3N4-based photocatalysts with high photocatalytic H2 evolution activity from overall water splitting.

Tree height is an important vegetative structural parameter, and its accurate estimation is of significant ecological and commercial value. We collected UAV images of six tree species distributed throughout a subtropical campus during three periods from March to late May, during which some deciduous trees shed all of their leaves and then regrew, while other evergreen trees kept some of their leaves. The UAV imagery was processed by computer vision and photogrammetric software to generate a three-dimensional dense point cloud. Individual tree height information extracted from the dense photogrammetric point cloud was validated against the manually measured reference data. We found that the number of leaves in the canopy affected tree height estimation, especially for deciduous trees. During leaf-off conditions or the early season, when leaves were absent or sparse, it was difficult to reconstruct the 3D canopy structure fully from the UAV images, thus resulting in the underestimation of tree height; the accuracy improved considerably when there were more leaves. For Terminalia mantaly and Ficus virens, the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of tree height estimation reduced from 2.894 and 1.433 m (leaf-off) to 0.729 and 0.597 m (leaf-on), respectively. We provide direct evidence that leaf-on conditions have a positive effect on tree height measurements derived from UAV photogrammetric point clouds. This finding has important implications for forest monitoring, management, and change detection analysis.

This study evaluates the performance of a molten carbonate fuel cell and micro gas turbine (MCFC/MGT) hybrid power system bi-fueled by city gas and biogas. The performance of the MCFC/MGT hybrid power system and MFCF/MGT hybrid power system response have been investigated experimentally and numerically. Results show that the MCFC, steam reformer, and catalytic combustor models are in agreement with the experimental results of the system fueled by city gas only and the system bi-fueled by city gas and biogas. The MFCF/MGT hybrid power system can have manifest operation with the addition of biogas at a flow rate of up to 150.0 Nm3·h−1, which is about 50% of the overall input heat value. In addition, the MCFC and MGT outputs decrease with the increase in the flow rate of added biogas, with an overall power generation efficiency ranging from 39.0% to 42.0%. Furthermore, the MCFC/MGT hybrid power system can be operated stably both at low amplitude with slow current change and large amplitude with rapid power conditions. Finally, the MCFC/MGT hybrid system bi-fueled by city gas and biogas may be applicable to the energy supply of the micro–grid network.

As a key parameter of a chemical heat storage material, the hydration and dehydration reaction characteristics of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) at pure vapor condition is unclear. In this study, we focused on the hydration reaction and dehydration process of LiOH at the pure vapor condition. The pressure−temperature diagram of LiOH equilibrium was measured. The hydration and dehydration of LiOH at various conditions have been experimentally investigated. The results show that the steam diffusion can be greatly enhanced at vacuum condition. A thin layer of LiOH is uniformly dispersed in the reactor, which can greatly increase the heat transfer between the LiOH material and reactor, leading to a higher hydration reaction rate of LiOH. Furthermore, the steam pressure, reaction temperature, and the particle size of LiOH can greatly influence the hydration reaction. A maximum hydration reaction rate of 80% is obtained under the conditions of 47 °C, steam pressure of 9 kPa, and particle size of 32−40 μm. LiOH exhibits a different reaction property at the condition of pure steam without air and below atmospheric pressure. A store and reaction condition of LiOH with isolation of air is recommended when apply LiOH as a heat storage material at low temperature.

With the progression of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) towards a mainstream resource management tool, it has become necessary to understand how best to process and analyze the data. While most ground surface identification algorithms remain proprietary and have high purchase costs; a few are openly available, free to use, and are supported by published results. Two of the latter are the multiscale curvature classification and the Boise Center Aerospace Laboratory LiDAR (BCAL) algorithms. This study investigated the accuracy of these two algorithms (and a combination of the two) to create a digital terrain model from a raw LiDAR point cloud in a semi-arid landscape. Accuracy of each algorithm was assessed via comparison with >7,000 high precision survey points stratified across six different cover types. The overall performance of both algorithms differed by only 2%; however, within specific cover types significant differences were observed in accuracy. The results highlight the accuracy of both algorithms across a variety of vegetation types, and ultimately suggest specific scenarios where one approach may outperform the other. Each algorithm produced similar results except in the ceanothus and conifer cover types where BCAL produced lower errors.

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is a layered solid containing positively charged layers with negatively charged anions as an interchangeable interlayer. In this research, Mg(Al)O supports were synthesized with three different Mg:Al molar ratios, and bimetallic PtSn catalysts were loaded onto the supports via the anion exchange method. The properties of ethane dehydrogenation of the PtSn/Mg(Al)O catalysts were investigated. The results show that the structure and properties of the PtSn/Mg(Al)O catalysts were influenced by the Mg:Al molar ratio of the hydrotalcites, which consequently influenced the ethane dehydrogenation performance. When the Mg:Al ratio was 5:1, the ethane dehydrogenation performance was optimal, relative to the Mg:Al ratios of 2:1 and 10:1.

Virtual geographic environments (VGEs) have been regarded as an important new means of simulating, analyzing, and understanding complex geological processes. Plants and light are major components of the geographic environment. Light is a critical factor that affects ecological systems. In this study, we focused on simulating light transmission and distribution within a three-dimensional plant canopy model. A progressive refinement radiosity algorithm was applied to simulate the transmission and distribution of solar light within a detailed, three-dimensional (3D) loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) canopy model. The canopy was described in three dimensions, and each organ surface was represented by a set of triangular facets. The form factors in radiosity were calculated using a hemi-cube algorithm. We developed a module for simulating the instantaneous light distribution within a virtual canopy, which was integrated into ParaTree. We simulated the distribution of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) within a loquat canopy, and calculated the total PAR intercepted at the whole canopy scale, as well as the mean PAR interception per unit leaf area. The ParaTree-integrated radiosity model simulates the uncollided propagation of direct solar and diffuse sky light and the light-scattering effect of foliage. The PAR captured by the whole canopy based on the radiosity is approximately 9.4% greater than that obtained using ray tracing and TURTLE methods. The latter methods do not account for the scattering among leaves in the canopy in the study, and therefore, the difference might be due to the contribution of light scattering in the foliage. The simulation result is close to Myneni’s findings, in which the light scattering within a canopy is less than 10% of the incident PAR. Our method can be employed for visualizing and analyzing the spatial distribution of light within a canopy, and for estimating the PAR interception at the organ and canopy levels. It is useful for designing plant canopy architecture (e.g., fruit trees and plants in urban greening) and planting planning.

Combustion and heat release characteristics of biogas non-premixed flames under various hydrogen-enriched and oxygen-enriched conditions were investigated through chemical kinetics simulation using detailed chemical mechanisms. The heat release rates, chemical reaction rates, and molar fraction of all species of biogas at various methane contents (35.3–58.7%, mass fraction), hydrogen addition ratios (10–50%), and oxygen enrichment levels (21–35%) were calculated considering the GRI 3.0 mechanism and P1 radiation model. Results showed that the net reaction rate of biogas increases with increasing hydrogen addition ratio and oxygen levels, leading to a higher net heat release rate of biogas flame. Meanwhile, flame length was shortened with the increase in hydrogen addition ratio and oxygen levels. The formation of free radicals, such as H, O, and OH, are enhanced with increase in hydrogen addition ratio and oxygen levels. Higher reaction rates of exothermic elementary reactions, especially those with OH free radical are increased, are beneficial to the improvement in combustion and heat release characteristics of biogas in practical applications.

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) plays an important role in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photo-damage by dissipating excessively absorbed light energy as heat, via the conversion of violaxanthin (V) to intermediate product antheraxanthin (A) and final product zeaxanthin (Z) under high light stress. We have cloned a violaxanthin de-epoxidase gene (CsVDE) from cucumber. The amino acid sequence of CsVDE has high homology with VDEs in other plants. RT-PCR analysis and histochemical staining show that CsVDE is expressed in all green tissues in cucumber and Arabidopsis. Using GFP fusion protein and immunogold labeling methods, we show that CsVDE is mainly localized in chloroplasts in cucumber. Under high light stress, relative expression of CsVDE and the de-epoxidation ratio (A+Z)/(V+A+Z) is increased rapidly, and abundance of the gold particles was also increased. Furthermore, CsVDE is quickly induced by cold and drought stress, reaching maximum levels at the 2(nd) hour and the 9(th) day, respectively. The ratio of (A+Z)/(V+A+Z) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) is reduced in transgenic Arabidopsis down-regulated by the antisense fragment of CsVDE, compared to wild type (WT) Arabidopsis under high light stress. This indicates decreased functionality of the xanthophyll cycle and increased sensitivity to photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) in transgenic Arabidopsis under high light stress.