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This paper examines the impacts of information about COVID-19 on pig farmers’ production willingness by using endorsement experiments and follow-up surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021 in China. Our results show that, first, farmers were less willing to scale up production when they received information about COVID-19. The information in 2020 that the second wave of COVID-19 might occur without a vaccine reduced farmers’ willingness to scale up by 13.4%, while the information in 2021 that COVID-19 might continue to spread despite the introduction of vaccine reduced farmers’ willingness by 4.4%. Second, farmers whose production was affected by COVID-19 were considerably less willing to scale up, given the access to COVID-19 information. Third, farmers’ production willingness can predict their actual production behavior.

Arteriosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease and Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD) has been identified as an anti-atherosclerosis effect, and the study is aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism. The E4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is associated with both metabolic dysfunction and an enhanced pro-inflammatory response, ApoE-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice were fed with a high-fat diet to establish an arteriosclerosis model and treated with BHD or atorvastatin (as a positive control). The atherosclerotic plaque in each mouse was evaluated using Oil red O Staining. Elisa kits were used to evaluate blood lipid, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-4, IL-10, and tumor growth factor beta (TGF-β) contents, while Western blot was applicated to measure inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), arginase I (Arg-1) expression. Meanwhile, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and its target genes glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), as well as IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β were evaluated by the quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. BHD treatment significantly reduced body weight and arteriosclerosis plaque area and blood lipid levels including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Meanwhile, BHD demonstrated a significant suppression of M1 polarization, by decreased secretion of iNOS and pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in ApoE-/- mice. The present study also revealed that BHD promotes the activation of M2 polarization, characterized by the expression of Arg-1 and anti-inflammatory factors (IL-4 and IL-10). In addition, PKM2/HIF-1α signaling was improved by M1/M2 macrophages polarization induced by BHD. The downstream target genes (GLUT1, LDHA, and PDK1) expression was significantly increased in high fat feeding ApoE-/- mice, and those of which were recused by BHD and Atorvastatin. These results suggested that M1/M2 macrophages polarization produce the inflammatory response against AS progress after BHD exposure.

Abstract Analyzing degradation heterogeneity of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) while maintaining high practicality is consistently challenging, primarily due to the destructive and costly nature of existing techniques relying on material characterization. In this work, a designed magnetic array integrating 16 sensors within 25 cm2 space is used for direct scanning and imaging of PEMFC performance heterogeneity during its degradation. Results are validated through degradation mechanism analysis and material characterization, confirming its potential in guiding the development of durable materials.

Abstract Primary subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a type of acute stroke, accounting for approximately 10% of cases, with high disability and mortality rate. Early brain injury (EBI) is a critical factor in determining SAH mortality; however, there are no effective treatment interventions for EBI. Based on our results, the transmission of cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) from neurons to microglia is a key molecular event that triggers type I interferon response, amplifies neuroinflammation, and leads to neuronal apoptosis. Abnormal intracytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the initiating factor of the cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling axis. Overall, the cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling axis is closely associated with neuroinflammation after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Targeting cGAS triggered by cytoplasmic mtDNA may be useful for comprehensive clinical treatment of patients after SAH. Further studies targeting cGAS-specific antagonists for treating SAH are warranted. Video Abstract

In this paper, a new combustor with an output of 5 t/h is designed based on a computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) model. The flow field simulation is combined with the combustion simulation to analyze the internal two-phase flow, temperature field, and combustion products. The combustor structure was optimized. The simulation results show that the recovery efficiency of the waste sand and the energy utilization of the combustor can be improved under the original structure. The sand bed has a significant effect on flow field characteristics. The increase in particle temperature in the combustor increases the efficiency of waste sand recovery by increasing the height of the sand bed by 50 mm. The utilization rate of natural gas is increased and the economic efficiency is improved. The feasibility of the CPFD method can simulate the flow field characteristics inside the combustor very effectively.

BackgroundProne position has been well recognized for the treatment of adult acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We aimed to evaluate the role of prone position in the mechanical ventilation in children with ARDS, to provide evidence to the treatment and care of children with ARDS.MethodsWe searched the Pubmed et al. databases by computer until January 23, 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of prone position in the mechanical ventilation in children with ARDS. We evaluated the quality of included studies according to the quality evaluation criteria recommended by the Cochrane library. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.Results7 RCTs involving 433 children with ARDS were included. Meta-analysis indicated that prone position is beneficial to improve the arterial oxygenation pressure [MD = 4.27 mmHg, 95% CI (3.49, 5.06)], PaO2/FiO2 [MD = 26.97, 95% CI (19.17, 34.77)], reduced the oxygenation index [MD = −3.52, 95% CI (−5.41, −1.64)], mean airway pressure [MD = −1.91 cmH2O, 95% CI (−2.27, −1.55)] and mortality [OR = 0.33, 95% CI (0.15, 0.73), all P 0.05).ConclusionsProne position ventilation has obvious advantages in improving oxygenation, but there is no significant improvement in the time of mechanical ventilation in the treatment of children with ARDS. In the future, more large-sample, high-quality RCTs are still needed to further analyze the role of prone position in the mechanical ventilation in children with ARDS.

Abstract Objective To investigate the potential causal link between genetic variants associated with gut microbiome and risk of intracranial aneurysm (IA) using two-sample mendelian randomization (MR). Methods We performed two sets of MR analyses. At first, we selected the genome-wide statistical significant(P

IntroductionTo evaluate treatment strategies and clinical outcomes following endovascular embolization of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 19 patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital between October 2015 and May 2022, all treated with endovascular therapy. To collect and analyze patients’ clinical presentation, imaging data, postoperative complications, and prognosis and to analyze the safety and clinical outcomes of endovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas.ResultsImaging cure was achieved in 18 patients, with the arterial route chosen for embolization in 17 patients and the venous route in one patient; one patient received partial embolization. Staged embolization was performed in four patients. At postoperative follow-up of 9–83 months (37.8 ± 21.2), all 19 patients had recovered well (mRS score ≤ 2). Three patients experienced perioperative complications: intraoperative Onyx reflux into the middle cerebral artery in one patient; postoperative permanent limited left visual field loss and deafness in the left ear in one patient; and transient diplopia, vertigo, and decreased pain and temperature sensation of the left limb in one patient, with no abnormalities on post-procedure magnetic resonance examinations. A total of 17 patients completed a postoperative digital subtraction angiography review during follow-up, and one patient had a recurrence of an arteriovenous fistula.ConclusionEndovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas is safe and effective. Reduction of the Borden or Cognard classification via eliminating cortical venous reflux through multi-staged embolization or combined open surgery is a reasonable goal of treatment where complete obliteration of the fistula is not achievable.

During the compaction process of HMA pavement, it is common to spray cold water on the wheel of a road roller to prevent the mixture from sticking to the wheel, which might deteriorate the bonding strength between the asphalt binder and aggregate, and consequently lead to surface polishing of the pavement. This paper aims to demonstrate whether the water used during the compaction process affects the surface performance of HMA pavement. In this study, the black pixel ratio and mass loss ratio were used to evaluate the water effect on the surface performance of asphalt pavement, considering the water consumption, molding temperature and long-term ageing process. The test results indicated that the water used during the compaction process would increase the risk of surface polishing of HMA pavement. This adverse effect became more significant if the HMA samples were prepared using greater water consumption, a greater molding temperature and a long-term ageing process. Moreover, there exists a certain correlation between the black pixel ratio and mass loss ratio, and their relationships were demonstrated by the experimental results in this study. It is recommended that further research concentrates on the influencing mechanism and the treatment strategy for the adverse effect caused by the water used during the compaction process. The use of more types of asphalt binders, aggregate and methodologies is also recommended in further studies.

With the progress of urbanization and the refining of research content, it is more urgent to study the integration of urban and rural public services. In this paper, with the papers on the main journals containing urban and rural public service integration research results as research object, bibliometric method and the visualization method of CiteSpace and CNKI were adopted to carry out fundamental reviewing from the number of papers, authors and institutions, and knowledge background, and then to conduct comprehensive analysis on hot research topics, theme connotation, and the law of development, and finally to get the objective results from the view of result evaluation and research extension, so as to provide the necessary basis and enlightenment for further study of urban and rural public service integration in China in the future.

With the rapid growth of electric vehicle (EV) ownership, the problem of increased peak loads on distribution networks due to large-scale EV integration needs to be addressed. This study proposes an active distribution network multi-objective optimization scheduling method. It takes into account the charging demands of large-scale EVs and aims to minimize distribution network operating costs, reduce net load variance, and maximize the photovoltaic (PV) consumption rate. First, the Monte Carlo sampling method is used to analyze the charging load demands of a large number of EVs. Next, we construct a multi-objective optimization scheduling model for the active distribution network. This model integrates the charging demands of EVs with the operating constraints of the distribution network. To tackle the multi-objective optimization problem, we propose the NSGAII-NDAX algorithm. Additionally, we employ a fuzzy theory-based method to select the Pareto optimal solution set, addressing the challenge of decision-making complexity posed by the large size and information-rich content of the optimal solution set. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method in the comparative analysis of multiple scenarios is verified by an improved IEEE 33-node example. The experimental results show that the proposed model and method can effectively utilize EV charging load optimization to reduce the peak-to-valley difference in the system load while ensuring the system’s economic operation and the maximum PV consumption rate. Compared with the other algorithms, the NSGAII-NDAX algorithm has stronger optimization ability and can better handle multi-objective optimization problems.

New fluorescent materials with a low cost, hypotoxicity, and concealment are desired for the application of anti-counterfeiting. Herein, we report a CsCu2I3@Cs3Cu2I5 composite with a triple-mode photoluminescence (PL) feature by simply adjusting the excitation wavelengths, which are ascribed to the multiple excited states of different phases in the CsCu2I3@Cs3Cu2I5 composite. The broadband emission and high quantum yield (∼51%) of the composite originate from the structure-oriented self-trapped excitons effect of Cs3Cu2I5 and CsCu2I3 phases. Moreover, the incorporation of polyethylene oxide (PEO) into this composite improves the stability of CsCu2I3@Cs3Cu2I5@PEO against harsh environments. The CsCu2I3@Cs3Cu2I5@PEO composite has a slight decay of ∼5% of its initial PL intensity and only a 3.5% shift of the corresponding color coordinate after 30 days of storage. More importantly, its initial PL intensity shows only 10.3% decay under ultraviolet exposure for 200 h. Our work provides a promising approach to design materials for advanced anti-counterfeiting applications.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of single- and multiple-stage endovascular treatment in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical and imaging data of 61 patients who harbored multiple aneurysms and presented to our institution with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Patients were grouped according to endovascular treatment strategy: one-stage or multiple-stage.ResultThe 61 study patients harbored 136 aneurysms. One aneurysm in each patient had ruptured. In the one-stage treatment group, all 66 aneurysms in 31 patients were treated in one session. The mean follow-up was 25.8 months (range, 12–47). At the last follow-up, the modified Rankin scale was ≤2 in 27 patients. In total, 10 complications occurred (cerebral vasospasm, six patients; cerebral hemorrhage, two patients; and thromboembolism, two patients). In the multiple-stage treatment group, only the ruptured aneurysm (30 in total) was treated at the time of presentation, and the remaining aneurysms (40 in total) were treated later. The mean follow-up was 26.3 months (range, 7–49). At the last follow-up, the modified Rankin scale score was ≤2 in 28 patients. In total, five complications occurred (cerebral vasospasm, four patients; and subarachnoid hemorrhage, one patient). During the follow-up period, there was one recurrence of aneurysm with subarachnoid hemorrhage in the single-stage treatment group and four recurrences in the multiple-stage treatment group.ConclusionBoth single- and multiple-stage endovascular treatment is safe and effective in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients who harbor multiple aneurysms. However, multiple-stage treatment is associated with a lower rate of hemorrhagic and ischemic complications.

Microbubbles have been widely used in power, chemical, mining and petroleum applications to improve energy efficiency. The venture-type bubble generator can improve reaction efficiency in chemical engineering as an efficient bubble generation method. Studying the flow field and bubble bursting mechanism can enhance the bubble generation performance. The volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase flow model was used in the Open Field Operation and Manipulation (OpenFOAM) framework to study the deformation and fragmentation behaviour of a single bubble in a Quasi three-dimensional. The relationship between the mechanism of bubble breakup and the flow field in the diverging section of a Venturi-type bubble generator was revealed. The reasons for the uneven distribution of bubble size were analyzed and discussed. The numerical simulation result shows that the fragmentation of a single bubble injected by the converging section is more substantial than that injected by the throat in the axial direction. Bubble fragmentation occurs mainly in the diverging section. The bubble's trajectory is highly similar to the vortex trajectory of the diverging section. The size of sub-bubbles generated by single bubble fragmentation decreases with the diverging angle and liquid flow rate increase. The differential distribution of turbulent kinetic energy in the radial position directly leads to the uneven distribution of the bubble size of the broken bubbles. As the liquid Reynolds number increases, static and dynamic erosion breakup are more prominent. The size of the sub-bubbles is much smaller.

Abstract Background Guangdedendron micrum is the Late Devonian tree lycopsid that made up Xinhang fossil forest in Anhui, China, showing the earliest stigmarian rooting system. Based on new specimens of this lycopsid, the roots bearing rootlets, terminal parts of stems, vegetative leaves and monosporangiate strobili containing megaspores are researched in detail. Results The roots with four robust rhizomorphs are largely expanded and approach the size of those of the Late Carboniferous giant tree lycopsids in swampy forests. The rootlets along rhizomorphic axis leave oval to circular scars after abscission. Narrow-fusiform leaf cushions display a leaf scar, vascular bundle and ligule pit. Cylindrical megasporangiate strobili are borne singly, in pairs, or occasionally once-dichotomized. Of each megasporophyll, the pedicel consists of a keel and possibly undeveloped alations, and the long-triangular lamina presents a heel. Megasporangium is sessile and contains multiple Lagenicula megaspores with distinct spines and a large gula. Conclusions G. micrum displays large terminal monosporangiate strobili probably adapted to turbulent condition, and its megasporophylls together with multiple Lagenicula-type megaspores hint a possible primitive evolutionary status. These characteristics provide new insights into the evolution of fertile traits of early lycopsids.

Abstract Background To investigate the effect of superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass in the treatment of MCA stenosis or occlusion. Methods The clinical and imaging data of 31 MCA stenosis or occlusion patients with STA-MCA bypass were analyzed retrospectively. The operation was performed by STA-MCA M4 segment bypass via the frontotemporal approach. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate the neurological function of patients. Results After operation, head computed tomography (CT) showed that there was no new infarction or hemorrhage in the operation area. CTA and CTP showed that the bypass vessel was unobstructed in 29 cases and the cerebral perfusion was improved in 31 cases. Among the 31 patients, 7 patients had postoperative complications and 13 patients had improvement of clinical symptoms. The other patients had no complications and the clinical symptoms remained unchanged. The mRs score of 31 patients after operation indicated that the neurological function was significantly improved than pre-operation. Of the 31 patients, 23 cases were followed up. The mRs score showed that the neurological function of these 23 patients was further improved than that at discharge. In addition, DSA (or CTA) and CTP showed that the bypass vessel was unobstructed and the cerebral perfusion was further improved. Conclusion STA-MCA bypass was an effective method for the treatment of MCA stenosis or occlusion. However, the results should be further verified by large sample, multi-center and long-term follow-up.

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is a severe pest with agricultural, ecological, and medical significance. The baiting treatment is one of the main methods to control S. invicta. However, few studies have evaluated the acceptance of fire ant bait. Here, field and laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the foraging behaviors of S. invicta responding to fire ant baits containing different concentrations of active ingredients (fipronil, abamectin, or indoxacarb). Field studies showed that S. invicta transported significantly less 0.0125% fipronil bait than control bait (without toxicant) and 0.0001% fipronil bait. The number of foraging ants significantly decreased with an increase in fipronil concentration. Our previous study showed that S. invicta usually buries the food treated with repellent chemicals, and interestingly, significantly more soil particles were transported into tubes containing 0.0001% fipronil bait than tubes containing control bait or 0.0125% fipronil bait. In addition, S. invicta transported significantly less 0.0005% abamectin bait than control bait, and significantly fewer ants were found in tubes containing 0.0125% abamectin bait than control bait. However, there was no significant difference in bait transport, number of foraging ants, and weight of soil particles relocated in tubes containing different concentrations of indoxacarb bait. In addition, laboratory studies showed that S. invicta transported significantly less 0.0125% fipronil bait than control bait and bait containing abamectin (0.0025% or 0.0125%) or indoxacarb (0.0125% or 0.0625%). In addition, the transport speed for the 0.0125% fipronil bait was the slowest. These results show that specific concentrations of some active ingredients may negatively affect bait acceptance for S. invicta, and should be avoided in fire ant bait production.

A novel cellular concrete with millimeter-level pores fabricated with superabsorbent polymers and fiber is introduced. Porous structure with reinforcement of fiber are adopted to improve crack resistance and shock-absorbing ability. To investigate the dynamic mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced cellular concrete, quasistatic compression and split Hopkinson pressure bar tests with strain rate from 15 to 90 s−1 were conducted. Three different fiber volume fractions (0.2%, 0.6%, and 1%), and two types of fibers (polypropylene fiber and basalt fiber (BF)) were adopted. Along with two levels of porosities (20% and 60%), total of 12 mix designs of cellular concrete to three-level axial impacting. The research results show that the novel cellular concrete is sensitive to high strain rates, demonstrating increasing dynamic compressive strength, dynamic elastic modulus, dynamic increase factor (DIF), and peak toughness with the increase in strain rate. In addition to the inertia effect, the locally enhanced porous structure and fiber structure can change the stress field and crack path, along with the energy consumption of deformation and cracks in the pores. The amount of fiber, physicochemical property, distribution, and shape amplify or dampen through its thickening effect, interface reaction, and stress transmission. Recommended fiber types and dosages were proposed to improve strength, stiffness, and toughness. BF showed an enhanced performance in terms of strength, modulus, and sharp strain-rate effect. Rules of DIFs were also studied. Awareness of the dynamic properties provides a foundation for proper design of structural members and increases the use of cellular concrete.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes high rates of worldwide mortality and morbidity due to the complex secondary injury cascade. Recently, circular ribonucleic acids (circRNAs) have attracted significant attention in a variety of diseases. However, their expression characteristics in human TBI are still unclear. In this study, we examined brain injury tissues from six severe TBI patients in Jinling Hospital. The TBI tissues and adjacent brain contusion tissues were used to analyze differential expression signatures of circRNAs through full-length transcriptome sequencing, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and ceRNA network construction. Our results found that there were 126 differently expressed circRNAs in TBI. Among them, 64 circRNAs were up-regulated and 62 circRNAs were down-regulated. Moreover, GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the aberrantly expressed circRNAs participated in many pathophysiological processes of TBI, especially regarding microglial cell activation, protein transport, protein processing and inflammation. Furthermore, the ceRNA (circRNA-miRNA-mRNA) network predicted that there existed strong relationship among circRNA, miRNA and mRNA. Taken together, our results indicated for the first time that the expression profiles of circRNAs were different after human TBI. In addition, we found the signaling pathways that were related to circRNAs and predicted a ceRNA network, which provided new insight of circRNAs in human TBI.

Mycobacterium (M.) abscessus infections in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients cause a deterioration of lung function. Treatment of these multidrug-resistant pathogens is associated with severe side-effects, while frequently unsuccessful. Insight on M. abscessus genomic evolvement during chronic lung infection would be beneficial for improving treatment strategies. A longitudinal study enrolling 42 CF patients was performed at a CF center in Berlin, Germany, to elaborate phylogeny and genomic diversification of in-patient M. abscessus. Eleven of the 42 CF patients were infected with M. abscessus. Five of these 11 patients were infected with global human-transmissible M. abscessus cluster strains. Phylogenetic analysis of 88 genomes from isolates of the 11 patients excluded occurrence of M. abscessus transmission among members of the study group. Genome sequencing and variant analysis of 30 isolates from 11 serial respiratory samples collected over 4.5 years from a chronically infected patient demonstrated accumulation of gene mutations. In total, 53 genes exhibiting non-synonymous variations were identified. Enrichment analysis emphasized genes involved in synthesis of glycopeptidolipids, genes from the embABC (arabinosyltransferase) operon, betA (glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase) and choD (cholesterol oxidase). Genetic diversity evolved in a variety of virulence- and resistance-associated genes. The strategy of M. abscessus populations in chronic lung infection is not clonal expansion of dominant variants, but to sustain simultaneously a wide range of genetic variants facilitating adaptation of the population to changing living conditions in the lung. Genomic diversification during chronic infection requires increased attention when new control strategies against M. abscessus infections are explored.

Abstract Background Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been suggested to prevent the development of metabolic disorders. However, their individual role in treating hyperglycemia and the mechanism of action regarding gut microbiome and metabolome in the context of diabetes remain unclear. Results Supplementation of DHA and EPA attenuated hyperglycemia and insulin resistance without changing body weight in db/db mice while the ameliorative effect appeared to be more pronounced for EPA. DHA/EPA supplementation reduced the abundance of the lipopolysaccharide-containing Enterobacteriaceae whereas elevated the family Coriobacteriaceae negatively correlated with glutamate level, genera Barnesiella and Clostridium XlVa associated with bile acids production, beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and SCFA-producing species. The gut microbiome alterations co-occurred with the shifts in the metabolome, including glutamate, bile acids, propionic/butyric acid, and lipopolysaccharide, which subsequently relieved β cell apoptosis, suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis, and promoted GLP-1 secretion, white adipose beiging, and insulin signaling. All these changes appeared to be more evident for EPA. Furthermore, transplantation with DHA/EPA-mediated gut microbiota mimicked the ameliorative effect of DHA/EPA on glucose homeostasis in db/db mice, together with similar changes in gut metabolites. In vitro, DHA/EPA treatment directly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli (Family Enterobacteriaceae) while promoted Coriobacterium glomerans (Family Coriobacteriaceae), demonstrating a causal effect of DHA/EPA on featured gut microbiota. Conclusions DHA and EPA dramatically attenuated hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in db/db mice, which was mediated by alterations in gut microbiome and metabolites linking gut to adipose, liver and pancreas. These findings shed light into the gut-organs axis as a promising target for restoring glucose homeostasis and also suggest a better therapeutic effect of EPA for treating diabetes. Video abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke, are the most common cause of death and disability around the world. As the most common modification on ribonucleic acids (RNAs), N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has recently attracted great attentions due to its functions in determining the fate of RNAs through changes in splicing, translation, degradation and stability. A large number of studies have suggested that m6A modification played an important role in brain development and involved in many neurological disorders, particularly in CNS injuries. It has been proposed that m6A modification could improve neurological impairment, inhibit apoptosis, suppress inflammation, reduce pyroptosis and attenuate ferroptosis in CNS injuries via different molecules including phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). Therefore, m6A modification showed great promise as potential targets in CNS injuries. In this article, we present a review highlighting the role of m6A modification in CNS injuries. Hence, on the basis of these properties and effects, m6A modification may be developed as therapeutic agents for CNS injury patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the link between genetic variants associated with plasma homocysteine levels and risk of intracranial aneurysm (IA) using two-sample Mendelian randomization.MethodsWe used single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with human plasma homocysteine levels as instrumental variables for the primary analysis in a genome-wide association study of 44,147 subjects of European ancestry. Summary-level statistics were obtained for 79,429 individuals, including 7,495 IA cases and 71,934 controls. To enhance validity, five different Mendelian randomization methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, inverse variance weighted, simple mode, and weighted mode) were used for the analyses.ResultsThe inverse variance weighted analysis method produced P-values of 0.398 for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage [odds ratio (OR): 1.104; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.878–1.387], 0.246 for IA (OR: 1.124; 95% CI: 0.923–1.368), and 0.644 for unruptured IA (OR: 1.126; 95% CI: 0.682–1.858). The MR-Egger analysis showed no association between IAs and homocysteine, with all P > 0.05.ConclusionUsing gene-related instrumental variables, the Mendelian randomization analyses demonstrated a lack of an association between plasma homocysteine levels and IAs or aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

There has been much previous research into online group learning, but they have not been aware of or focused on the challenges that design disciplines encounter in terms of interaction when moving to online delivery. This qualitative study comprised 3 participatory design workshops and 22 one-to-one interviews that included a total of 34 teachers and students from the School of Design at the University of Leeds. Participants reported the challenges and feelings they encountered in online group learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that the interactive experience of group learning is mainly influenced by the size of the group, the layout of the platform interface, the teacher's management style and the conflict within the group, with more far-reaching discussions providing specific questions and subtle suggestions. The article's findings can inform future strategies for online group learning for students and teachers of design disciplines in design higher education institutions.

This paper is devoted to study a robust optimal excess-of-loss reinsurance and investment problem with p-thinning dependent risks for an ambiguity-averse insurer (AAI). Assume that the AAI's wealth process consists of two p-thinning dependent classes of insurance business. The AAI is allowed to purchase excess-of-loss reinsurance and invest in a financial market consisting of one risk-free asset and one risky asset, where risky asset's price follows CEV model. Under the criterion of maximizing the expected exponential utility of AAI's terminal wealth, the explicit expressions of the optimal excess-of-loss reinsurance and investment strategy are derived by employing techniques of stochastic control theory. Moreover, we provide the verification theorem and present some numerical examples to analyze the impacts of parameters on our optimal control strategies.

Abstract Background Increasing evidence highlights healthy dietary patterns and links daily cooking oil intake with chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. However, food-based evidence supporting the consumption of cooking oils in relation to total and cardiometabolic mortality remains largely absent. We aim to prospectively evaluate the relations of cooking oils with death from cardiometabolic (CVD and diabetes) and other causes. Methods We identified and prospectively followed 521,120 participants aged 50–71 years from the National Institutes of Health-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study. Individual cooking oil/fat consumption was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for mortality through the end of 2011. Results Overall, 129,328 deaths were documented during a median follow-up of 16 years. Intakes of butter and margarine were associated with higher total mortality while intakes of canola oil and olive oil were related to lower total mortality. After multivariate adjustment for major risk factors, the HRs of cardiometabolic mortality for each 1-tablespoon/day increment were 1.08 (95% CI 1.05–1.10) for butter, 1.06 (1.05–1.08) for margarine, 0.99 (0.95–1.03) for corn oil, 0.98 (0.94–1.02) for canola oil, and 0.96 (0.92–0.99) for olive oil. Besides, butter consumption was positively associated with cancer mortality. Substituting corn oil, canola oil, or olive oil for equal amounts of butter and margarine was related to lower all-cause mortality and mortality from certain causes, including CVD, diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusions Consumption of butter and margarine was associated with higher total and cardiometabolic mortality. Replacing butter and margarine with canola oil, corn oil, or olive oil was related to lower total and cardiometabolic mortality. Our findings support shifting the intake from solid fats to non-hydrogenated vegetable oils for cardiometabolic health and longevity.

Abstract Background Metabolic syndrome (MS) can promote the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to examine the association of MS and its components with CVD, to further prevent and control CVD in Kazakhs. Methods In the cohort study, a total of 2644 participants completed the baseline survey between April 2010 and December 2012.The follow-up survey was conducted from April 2016 to December 2016 and was completed by 2286 participants (86.46% follow-up rate). Cox regression was used to evaluate the association of each component and the number of combinations of MS components on the development of CVD. Results A total of 278 CVD patients were enrolled from rural residents of Xinjiang. The average age of the MS and non-MS groups was 46.33 and 38.71 years, respectively. Independent associations with CVD were found for elevated blood pressure (BP) (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) [aHR] = 1.50,95%confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–2.08), elevated waist circumference (WC) (aHR = 1.60, 95%CI: 1.19–2.15), and elevated triglycerides (TG) (aHR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.04–2.01). Participants with one to 5 MS components had an increased HR for developing CVD, from 1.82to 8.59 (P for trend

Acute central nervous system (CNS) injuries, including ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), are the most common cause of death and disability around the world. As a kind of non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) with endogenous and conserve, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently attracted great attentions due to their functions in diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. A large number of studies have suggested that circRNAs played an important role in brain development and involved in many neurological disorders, particularly in acute CNS injuries. It has been proposed that regulation of circRNAs could improve cognition function, promote angiogenesis, inhibit apoptosis, suppress inflammation, regulate autophagy and protect blood brain barrier (BBB) in acute CNS injuries via different molecules and pathways including microRNA (miRNA), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), ph1osphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), Notch1 and ten-eleven translocation (TET). Therefore, circRNAs showed great promise as potential targets in acute CNS injuries. In this article, we present a review highlighting the roles of circRNAs in acute CNS injuries. Hence, on the basis of these properties and effects, circRNAs may be developed as therapeutic agents for acute CNS injury patients.

The current mobility problems and feasible solutions were analyzed,and the existing service continuity capabilities and key features on the network-side which were defined by 3GPP were studied,including SSC mode,uRLLC,traffic routing and so on.A network-side and application-side collaboration mechanism was proposed to satisfy the low latency services involving cross-MEC handover for fast mobility at the edge scenarios.The general idea of the follow-up study on mobility management and the path of phased implementation were also proposed.

Continuous variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) can be potentially implemented through seawater channels, whereas the involved oceanic turbulence has a negative effect on the maximal transmission distance of quantum communication systems. Here, we demonstrate the effects of the oceanic turbulence on the performance of the CVQKD system and suggest an implementation feasibility of the passive CVQKD through the oceanic turbulence-based channel. We achieve the channel transmittance characterized by the transmission distance and depth of the seawater. Moreover, a non-Gaussian approach is used for performance improvement while counteracting the effects of excess noises on the oceanic channel. Numerical simulations show that the photon operation (PO) unit can bring reductions of excess noise when taking into account the oceanic turbulence, and hence results in performance improvement in terms of transmission distance and depth as well. The passive CVQKD explores the intrinsic field fluctuations of a thermal source without using an active scheme and hence has a promising application in chip integration for portable quantum communications.

The finite sampling bandwidth of an analog-to-digital converter has a negative effect on the continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD), which leaves a potential loophole for an eavesdropper and weakens the practical security of the system. To compensate for the loss in free space, we deploy an adaptive optics (AO) unit in the detector of the CVQKD system with discrete modulations. Since the closed-loop control bandwidth of the embedded AO unit can be optimized with the sampling frequency, the practical security of the system can be enhanced in terms of the secret key rate. The security analysis is demonstrated on the basis of the derived secret key rate with numerical simulations, providing a feasible implementation of CVQKD in realistic free-space environments.

The practice of deep-braced excavation in congested urban environments involves frequently buried pipelines, which can exert a significant effect on the performance of the excavation. The objective of this paper is to investigate the performance of a 12.5-m-deep-braced excavation spanned by two shallowly buried large-diameter pressurized pipelines. A suspension structure is installed within the excavation to protect the in situ pipelines during the construction. The excavation performance is investigated by performing a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The finite element method is verified based on the observations at the site. The results indicate that, as expected, the excavation support structures displace together with varying degrees of deformation toward the excavated area. The strut shear forces are found to be distributed axially in linear manners, while the strut bending moments are in symmetric manners. The benefit of using the proposed pipeline suspension structure is demonstrated. By using this structure, pipeline deformation can be well controlled, and the structural integrity and safety of the pipelines can be ensured. This benefit depends on the convenient operation in that the elevation of the cork base of the pipeline suspension structure is stably lowered during the construction process.

In this study, the pro-osteogenic effects of EPA-containing phosphatidylcholine (EPA-PC), a natural agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ), were first investigated both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments showed that EPA-PC promoted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation into osteoblasts over adipocytes, which was contrary to the role of rosiglitazone, a well-known full PPARγ agonist. qRT-PCR and western blotting indicated that EPA-PC significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels of osteogenesis-related genes, such as Runx2, ALP and COL-I. Although EPA-PC promoted mRNA expression of PPARγ, it didn’t affect the protein level of PPARγ. Furthermore, EPA-PC promoted ERK-mediated phosphorylation of PPARγ at serine 112, which was positively associated with osteogenesis. In vivo experiments indicated that EPA-PC increased bone formation rate and enhanced bone biomechanical properties of adolescent mice. In summary, our study showed that EPA-PC promoted osteogenesis by up-regulating Runx2 expression and ERK-regulated serine 112 phosphorylation of PPARγ, which enhanced our understanding about the action mode of PPARγ agonists.

In existing proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications, improper membrane water management will cause PEMFC performance decay, which restricts the reliability and durability of PEMFC systems. Therefore, diagnosing improper water content in the PEMFC membrane is the key to taking appropriate mitigations to guarantee its operating safety. This paper proposes a novel approach for diagnosing improper PEMFC water content using a two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2D-CNN). In the analysis, the collected PEMFC voltage signal is transformed into 2D image data, which is then used to train the 2D-CNN. Data enhancement and pre-processing techniques are applied to PEMFC voltage data before the training. Results demonstrate that with the trained model, the diagnostic accuracy for PEMFC membrane improper water content can reach 97.5%. Moreover, by comparing it with a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), the noise robustness of the proposed method can be better highlighted. Furthermore, t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) is used to visualize the feature separability with different methods. With the findings, the effectiveness of using 2D-CNN for diagnosing PEMFC membrane improper water content is explored.

BackgroundWhether consumption of egg and cholesterol is detrimental to cardiovascular health and longevity is highly debated. Data from large-scale cohort studies are scarce. This study aimed to examine the associations of egg and cholesterol intakes with mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and other causes in a US population.Methods and findingsOverall, 521,120 participants (aged 50-71 years, mean age = 62.2 years, 41.2% women, and 91.8% non-Hispanic white) were recruited from 6 states and 2 additional cities in the US between 1995 and 1996 and prospectively followed up until the end of 2011. Intakes of whole eggs, egg whites/substitutes, and cholesterol were assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Cause-specific hazard models considering competing risks were used, with the lowest quintile of energy-adjusted intake (per 2,000 kcal per day) as the reference. There were 129,328 deaths including 38,747 deaths from CVD during a median follow-up of 16 years. Whole egg and cholesterol intakes were both positively associated with all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. In multivariable-adjusted models, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) associated with each intake of an additional half of a whole egg per day were 1.07 (1.06-1.08) for all-cause mortality, 1.07 (1.06-1.09) for CVD mortality, and 1.07 (1.06-1.09) for cancer mortality. Each intake of an additional 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day was associated with 19%, 16%, and 24% higher all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality, respectively. Mediation models estimated that cholesterol intake contributed to 63.2% (95% CI 49.6%-75.0%), 62.3% (95% CI 39.5%-80.7%), and 49.6% (95% CI 31.9%-67.4%) of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality associated with whole egg consumption, respectively. Egg white/substitute consumers had lower all-cause mortality and mortality from stroke, cancer, respiratory disease, and Alzheimer disease compared with non-consumers. Hypothetically, replacing half a whole egg with equivalent amounts of egg whites/substitutes, poultry, fish, dairy products, or nuts/legumes was related to lower all-cause, CVD, cancer, and respiratory disease mortality. Study limitations include its observational nature, reliance on participant self-report, and residual confounding despite extensive adjustment for acknowledged dietary and lifestyle risk factors.ConclusionsIn this study, intakes of eggs and cholesterol were associated with higher all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. The increased mortality associated with egg consumption was largely influenced by cholesterol intake. Our findings suggest limiting cholesterol intake and replacing whole eggs with egg whites/substitutes or other alternative protein sources for facilitating cardiovascular health and long-term survival.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT00340015.

Renal fibrosis represents a key pathophysiological process in patients with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) and is typically associated with a poor prognosis. Renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs), in response to a host of pro-fibrogenic stimuli, can trans-differentiate into myofibroblast-like cells and produce extracellular matrix proteins to promote renal fibrosis. In the present study we investigated the role of histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) in this process and the underlying mechanism. We report that expression levels of HDAC11 were up-regulated in the kidneys in several different animal models of renal fibrosis. HDAC11 was also up-regulated by treatment of Angiotensin II (Ang II) in cultured RTECs. Consistently, pharmaceutical inhibition with a small-molecule inhibitor of HDAC11 (quisinostat) attenuated unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) induced renal fibrosis in mice. Similarly, HDAC11 inhibition by quisinostat or HDAC11 depletion by siRNA blocked Ang II induced pro-fibrogenic response in cultured RTECs. Mechanistically, HDAC11 interacted with activator protein 2 (AP-2α) to repress the transcription of Kruppel-like factor 15 (KLF15). In accordance, KLF15 knockdown antagonized the effect of HDAC11 inhibition or depletion and enabled Ang II to promote fibrogenesis in RTECs. Therefore, we data unveil a novel AP-2α-HDAC11-KLF15 axis that contributes to renal fibrosis.

Antipenetration performance of honeycomb shelter under two repeat projectile strikes is investigated via test and numerical simulation. Among them, there are two kinds of test targets: cylindrical honeycomb structure target and reinforced concrete target; a numerical simulation target is a honeycomb-structure target composed of hexagonal honeycomb unit, and the size of the target is the same as that of the honeycomb-structure target in test. The results show that the damage area of the honeycomb-structure target is smaller than that of the reinforced concrete target under projectile strikes with approximately the same velocity. The damage range of the honeycomb-structure target is limited within the hexagonal cell getting contact with projectile left other cells with no damage. During the two repeat projectile strikes, the first projectile will deflect to some extent just as single projectile strike. The deflection of the second projectile is larger and is related to the distance between the strike points of the two projectiles. The results show that honeycomb shelter performs good under two repeat projectile strikes.

The so-called learned sorting, which was first proposed by Google, achieves data sorting by predicting the placement positions of unsorted data elements in a sorted sequence based on machine learning models. Learned sorting pioneers a new generation of sorting algorithms and shows a great potential because of a theoretical time complexity ON and easy access to hardware-driven accelerating approaches. However, learned sorting has two problems: controlling the monotonicity and boundedness of the predicted placement positions and dealing with placement conflicts of repetitive elements. In this paper, a new learned sorting algorithm named LS is proposed. We integrate a back propagation neural network with the technique of look-up-table in LS to guarantee the monotonicity and boundedness of the predicted placement positions. We design a data structure called the self-regulating index in LS to tentatively store and duly update placement positions for eliminating potential placement conflicts. Results of three controlled experiments demonstrate that LS can effectively control the monotonicity and boundedness, achieve a better time consumption than quick sort and Google’s learned sorting, and present an excellent stability when the data size or the number of repetitive elements increases.

Something like normal functionality of tools in a manufacturing process is typically designed to ensure reliability, where fast and accurate identification of tool abnormal operation plays a vital role in intelligent manufacturing. In this study, a novel method is proposed to assess the cutting tool condition, which consists of a convolutional neural network with wider first-layer kernels (W-CONV), and long short-term memory (LSTM). The analysis benefits from the use of output power signals from the cutting tool, since they can be obtained easily and efficiently, enabling the proposed method to be applicable in practical operation for online condition monitoring. Moreover, effectiveness of the proposed method is investigated, using test data from cutting tools at various tool wear conditions. Results demonstrate that with the proposed method, tool wear condition can be identified accurately and efficiently. Furthermore, with test data collected at cutting tools with different sizes, the robustness of the proposed method can be further clarified.

Abstract Background A rodent model of photodynamic AION resulting from intravenous verteporfin is presented. The analysis of the morphological function, the pathological changes and the potential mechanism of action were further investigated. Methods Photodynamic treatment was conducted on the optic nerve head (ONH) following administration of the photosensitizer. The fellow eye was considered as sham control. Fundus Fluorescein angiography (FFA), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and Flash-visual evoked potential (F-VEP) recordings were conducted at different time points. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe apoptotic cell death (TUNEL) and macrophage infiltration (ED-1/Iba-1). Retrograde labeling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was used to evaluate the loss of RGCs. Results After laser treatment, SD-OCT indicated optic nerve edema, while FFA indicated late leakage of the ONH. F-VEPs were distinctly reduced compared to control eyes. The number of apoptotic RGCs peaked on day 14 (5.71 ± 0.76, p

Background: Perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate are well-known thyroid disrupters and may contribute to changes in body weight. However, the associations between environmental exposure to these chemicals and obesity-related outcomes remain unclear. Objectives: We aim to examine the urinary levels of perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate and their associations with obesity and abdominal obesity in the U.S. population. Methods: Here, we investigated the data of 16,265 adults aged 20–85 years from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2001–2014. Urinary levels of perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate were measured by ion chromatography combined with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Obesity and abdominal obesity were defined by the body mass index and waist circumference, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations. Results: Overall, 5794 (35.6%) cases of obesity and 9090 cases (55.9%) of abdominal obesity were observed among the participants. In multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, urinary nitrate was inversely associated with obesity (p = 0.0022 for trend), while urinary thiocyanate was positively related to obesity (p

Joint blind source separation (J-BSS) has emerged as a data-driven technique for multi-set data fusion applications. In this paper, we propose a Jacobi generalized orthogonal joint diagonalization (GOJD) algorithm for J-BSS of multiset signals. By the use of second-order statistics, we can obtain multiple sets of auto-covariance and cross-covariance matrices from the multi-set signals, which together admit a GOJD formulation. For computing the GOJD, we propose a computationally efficient Jacobi algorithm, which uses a sequence of Givens rotations to simultaneously diagonalize the covariance matrices. In comparison with other GOJD algorithms, the proposed algorithm is shown to have fast convergence. Moreover, as the optimal Givens rotation matrix in each update is calculated in closed-form, this algorithm is computationally very efficient. In the application aspect, we have considered the scenario where different data sets in J-BSS may have different number of sources, among which there exist both similar components that are consistently present in multiple data sets, and diverse components that are uniquely present in each data set. We have shown how J-BSS based on the proposed GOJD algorithm can effectively extract both similar and diverse source components. Simulation results are given to show the nice performance of the proposed algorithm, with regards to both speed and accuracy, in comparison with other algorithms of similar type.

This paper is devoted to the problem of prescribed performance trajectory tracking control for symmetrical underactuated unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in the presence of model uncertainties and input quantization. By combining backstepping filter mechanisms and adaptive algorithms, two robust control architectures are investigated for surge motion and yaw motion. To guarantee the prespecified performance requirements for position tracking control, the constrained error dynamics are transformed to unconstrained ones by virtue of a tangent-type nonlinear mapping function. On the other hand, the inaccurate model can be identified through radial basis neural networks (RBFNNs), where the minimum learning parameter (MLP) algorithm is employed with a low computational complexity. Furthermore, quantization errors can be effectively reduced even when the parameters of the quantizer remain unavailable to designers. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed controllers is verified via theoretical analyses and numerical simulations.

We investigated the morphology and structure of spermatheca in Haplotropis brunneriana (Orthoptera: Pamphagidae) by light and electronic microscopy. The spermatheca can be subdivided into a tubular seminal receptacle and a multiple-coiled spermathecal tube, both of which are composed of cuticular intima, epithelium layer, basal lamina and muscle layer, from inside to outside. The cuticular intima is made up of a heterogeneous endocuticle, a homogeneous exocuticle and an epicuticle, but the proportion of exocuticle in intima of the seminal receptacle is larger than that of the spermathecal tube. The epithelium layer comprises epithelial cells, gland cells and duct cells. The ultrastructural features of the epithelial cells indicated that its function potentially includes support, secretion and absorption. The gland cells potentially fulfil a secretory role indicative of the abundance of mitochondria and microvilli. In gland cells, an extracellular cavity, showing region differences in the seminal receptacle and the spermathecal tube, was lined with microvillus border. The role of duct cell is responsible for forming the secretory ductules, which connect the extracellular cavity with the lumen of the spermatheca through the cuticular intima. These new data contribute to our understanding of the function of the spermatheca of H. brunneriana. Keywords: Ultrastructure, Seminal receptacle, Spermathecal tube

In order to improve the corrosion resisting property of ferrous metals in molten zinc, siliconizing, molybdenumizing and silicon-molybdenumizing are carried out on the Q235 steel surface by solid powder method. The infiltration layers’ morphology, compactness degree, microhardness, component and phase structure are analyzed. Moreover, the samples are soaked in the molten zinc bath at 470 ℃ for 26 h, and their corrosion rate is measured. The results show that the intermetallic compounds (Fe3Si, Fe3Mo, MoSi2 and Mo5Si3) with good corrosion resisting property are produced in infiltration layers. The addition of Mo element can promote the penetration of Si element in the infiltration agents, thus increasing the compact density of infiltration layers. The comparative results also prove that the silicon-molybdenumizing layers are more compact, especially for the sample with m(Si)∶m(Mo)=2∶1. Its corrosion rate decreases almost two orders of magnitude compared with that of the substrate, showing better corrosion resisting property. However, the existence of defects (such as holes) in the infiltration layers leads to the decrease of compact density, and the corrosion resisting property in molten zinc is also affected. Therefore, in the future studies much attention should be paid to the improvement of the compact density of solid infiltration layers, so as to further increase the corrosion resisting property.

Zinc plays an important role in functional and structural integrity of cells. The aim of the current study was to compare cell viability, zinc uptake efficiency, and gene expression of metallothionein (MT), divalent metal transporter (DMT-1), and other important zinc transporters (ZnTs) under experimental treatment of TPEN (N, N, N', N'-Tetrakis (2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine) (2 µM), and three zinc sources (zinc oxide nanoparticle (nano-ZnO), bulk zinc oxide (ZnO), and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4)) at different levels (25, 50, and 100 µM) in rat intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-6. Cells were classified into TPEN group and TPEN + zinc sources groups. In the present study, significantly decreased cell viability was observed in TPEN group, while supplementations with nano-ZnO at all levels and ZnO (50 and 100 µM) significantly increased the cell viability. ZnSO4 at a high concentration (100 µM) inhibited cell viability. Furthermore, cells of nano-ZnO group showed the highest viability at a 25 µM concentration. The uptake efficiency of nano-ZnO is higher than that of ZnSO4 and ZnO. Additionally, a significant down-regulation for ZnT-1, ZnT-4, MT, DMT-1 mRNA with TPEN treatment was detected. Compared with the unchanged ZnT-4, all zinc treatments up-regulated the gene expressions of ZnT-1, ZnT-5, ZnT-7, MT, and DMT-1. Our results indicate that nano-ZnO is more effective than ZnO and ZnSO4 in enhancing cell viability, and its lower cytotoxicity, higher uptake efficiency, and comparative transportation at low concentration also favour its potential use as a new zinc source in feed additives.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202665.].

Background. This study involved the development of a predictive 5-year morbidity nomogram for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Xinjiang Kazakhs based on cytokine levels. Methods. The nomogram was based on a baseline survey of the town of Nalati in the Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang from 2009 to 2013. By 2016, we had monitored 1508 people for a median time of 5.17 years and identified CVD events in the study population by collecting case information from local hospitals. The study population was divided into the training (n=1005) and validation cohorts (n=503) in a 2 : 1 ratio. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to verify the predictive accuracy of the nomogram. The result was assessed in a validation cohort. Results. At the end of the study, the incidence of CVD in Xinjiang Kazakhs was found to be 11.28%. We developed a new nomogram to predict the 5-year incidence of CVD based on age, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and adiponectin (APN) levels, diastolic blood pressure, and dyslipidemia. The AUC for the predictive accuracy of the nomogram was 0.836 (95% confidence interval: 0.802–0.869), which was higher than that for IL-6 and APN. These results were supported by validation studies. Conclusions. The nomogram model can more directly assess the risk of CVD in Kazakhs and can be used for CVD risk assessment.

In this paper, a systematic study is carried out to compare the performance of various V-I models at both normal and faulty conditions, in terms of simulating proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) behavior and analyzing the corresponding degradation process. In the analysis, the simulation accuracy of V-I models, including overall behavior simulation and the simulation of different PEMFC losses, is investigated. Results show that compared to the other V-I models, the V-I model using exponential function for mass transport loss and considering open circuit voltage (OCV) at zero current can provide the best simulation performance, with an overall root mean square error (RMSE) of about 0.00279. Furthermore, the performance of these V-I models in analyzing PEMFC degradation process is also studied. By investigating the evolution of PEMFC losses during the degradation, the effectiveness of these models in interpreting PEMFC degradation mechanisms can be clarified. The results show that, besides the simulation accuracy, different interpretations may be provided from different models; this further confirms the necessity of comparative study. Moreover, the effectiveness of different V-I models in identifying PEMFC abnormal performance at two faulty scenarios is investigated. The results demonstrate that, among different V-I models, the model using an exponential function for mass transport loss and considering OCV at zero current can provide more accurate simulation and reasonable interpretation regarding PEMFC internal behavior.

A broadband generalized sidelobe canceler (Broadband-GSC) application for near-field beamforming is proposed. This approach is implemented in the wavelet domain. Broadband-GSC provides a set of complex, adapted apodization weights for each wavelet subband. The proposed method constrains interference and noise signal to improve the lateral resolution with only one single emission. Performance of the proposed beamforming is tested on simulated data obtained with Field II. Experiments have proved that the new beamforming can significantly increase the image quality compared with delay-and-sum (DAS) and synthetic aperture (SA). Imaging of scattering points show that Broadband-GSC improves the lateral resolution by 43.2% and 58.0% compared with SA and DAS, respectively. Meanwhile，Broadband-GSC reduces the peak sidelobe level by 11.6 dB and 26.4 dB compared with SA and DAS, respectively. Plane wave emission experiment indicates that Broadband-GSC can improve the lateral resolution by 44.2% compared with DAS. Furthermore, the new beamforming introduces the possibility for higher frame-rate and higher investigation depth with increased lateral resolution.