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Fault detection and localization are vital for ensuring the stability of data center networks (DCNs). Specifically, adaptive fault diagnosis is deemed a fundamental technology in achieving the fault tolerance of systems. The highly scalable data center network (HSDC) is a promising structure of server-centric DCNs, as it exhibits the capacity for incremental scalability, coupled with the assurance of low cost and energy consumption, low diameter, and high bisection width. In this paper, we first determine that both the connectivity and diagnosability of the m-dimensional complete HSDC, denoted by H S D C m (m) , are m. Further, we propose an efficient adaptive fault diagnosis algorithm to diagnose an H S D C m (m) within three test rounds, and at most N + 4 m (m − 2) tests with m ≥ 3 (resp. at most nine tests with m = 2 ), where N = m · 2 m is the total number of nodes in H S D C m (m) . Our experimental outcomes demonstrate that this diagnosis scheme of HSDC can achieve complete diagnosis and significantly reduce the number of required tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Blandford–Znajek (BZ) mechanism in stellar-mass black hole (BH) hyperaccretion systems is generally considered to power gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Based on observational GRB data, we use the BZ mechanism driven by the BH hyperaccretion disc to investigate the evolution of the BH mass and spin after the jets break out from the progenitors. We find that the BH growths are almost independent of initial BH masses. Meanwhile, the BH growths will be more efficient with smaller initial spin parameters. We conclude that (i) the BZ mechanism is efficient for triggering BH growths for only 1 of 206 typical long-duration GRBs; (ii) the mean BH mass growths of ultra-long GRBs are marginal for all 7 samples collected; (iii) for the short-duration GRBs, the results that BHs show minimal growths is consistent with the mass supply limitation in the scenario of compact object mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a continuous flow process intensification approach is applied to the Grignard reaction for the kilogram-scale production of 9-aryl-fluoren-9-ols at room temperature and the production efficiency was up to 357 g h−1. Compared with batch, the yield increased from 45% to >99%, the raw material cost was reduced by 35%, the emission of solid waste was reduced by 64%, and the production period was reduced by 86%. What's more, the continuous flow process demonstrated significantly higher atom efficiency (Ae = 75.8%), reaction mass efficiency (RME = 69.93%), and carbon efficiency (CE = 92.97%) in comparison with the traditional batch synthesis method (Ae = 34.46%, RME = 31.47%, and CE = 41.83%). Moreover, the environmental impact factor (E-factor) of the continuous flow process was impressively reduced by 92.57% compared to the batch process (26.5882 kg kg−1), reaching an outstandingly low value of 1.9747 kg kg−1. More importantly, the end-to-end synthesis of 9,9′-spirobi[9H-fluorene] (SBF) was realized through a tandem Grignard reaction and Friedel–Crafts reaction, and the theoretical productivity could reach 123 g h−1, providing a new green production route for diarylfluorene derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG expansions in huntingtin (HTT) gene, involving motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, genetic modifiers and CAG repeat instability may lead to variations of clinical manifestations, making diagnosis of HD difficult. In this study, we recruited 229 HD individuals from 164 families carrying expanded CAG repeats of HTT, and analyzed loss of CAA interruption (LOI) on the expanded allele and CAG instability during germline transmission. Sanger sequencing and TA cloning were used to determine CAG repeat length and identify LOI variants. Detailed clinical features and genetic testing results were collected. We identified 6 individuals with LOI variants from 3 families, and all probands presented with earlier motor onset age than predicted onset age. In addition, we also presented 2 families with extreme CAG instability during germline transmission. One family showed an expansion from 35 to 66 CAG repeats, while the other family showed both CAG expansion and contraction in lineal three generations. In conclusion, we present the first document of Asian HD population with LOI variant, and we suggest that for symptomatic individuals with intermediate or reduced penetrance allele or negative family history, HTT gene sequencing should be considered in the clinical practice. Key messages: We screened the loss of CAA interruption (LOI) variant in a Chinese HD cohort and presented the first document of Asian patients with Huntington's disease carrying LOI variant. We identified 6 individuals with LOI variants from 3 families, and all probands presented with earlier motor onset age than predicted onset age. We presented 2 families with extreme CAG instability during germline transmission. One family showed an expansion from 35 to 66 CAG repeats, while the other family showed both CAG expansion and contraction in lineal three generations. We suggest that for symptomatic individuals with intermediate or reduced penetrance allele or negative family history, HTT gene sequencing should be considered in the clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurofilament light protein (NfL) has been proven to be a sensitive biomarker for Huntington's disease (HD). However, these studies did not include HD patients at advanced stages or with larger CAG repeats (>50), leading to a knowledge gap of the characteristics of NfL. Methods: Serum NfL (sNfL) levels were quantified using an ultrasensitive immunoassay. Participants were assessed by clinical scales and 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging. Longitudinal samples and clinical data were obtained. Results: Baseline samples were available from 110 controls, 90 premanifest HD (pre‐HD) and 137 HD individuals. We found levels of sNfL significantly increased in HD compared to pre‐HD and controls (both P < 0.0001). The increase rates of sNfL were differed by CAG repeat lengths. However, there was no difference in sNfL levels in manifest HD from early to late stages. In addition, sNfL levels were associated with cognitive measures in pre‐HD and manifest HD group, respectively. The increased levels of sNfL were also closely related to microstructural changes in white matter. In the longitudinal analysis, baseline sNfL did not correlate with subsequent clinical function decline. Random forest analysis revealed that sNfL had good power for predicting disease onset. Conclusions: Although sNfL levels are independent of disease stages in manifest HD, it is still an optimal indicator for predicting disease onset and has potential use as a surrogate biomarker of treatment effect in clinical trials. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The balanced hypercube B H n plays an essential role in large-scale parallel and distributed computing systems. With the increasing probability of edge faults in large-scale networks and the widespread applications of Hamiltonian paths and cycles, it is especially essential to study the fault tolerance of networks in the presence of Hamiltonian paths and cycles. However, existing researches on edge faults ignore that it is almost impossible for all faulty edges to be concentrated in a certain dimension. Thus, the fault tolerance performance of interconnection networks is severely underestimated. This paper focuses on three measures, t -partition-edge fault-tolerant Hamiltonian, t -partition-edge fault-tolerant Hamiltonian laceable, and t -partition-edge fault-tolerant strongly Hamiltonian laceable, and utilizes these measures to explore the existence of Hamiltonian paths and cycles in balanced hypercubes with exponentially faulty edges. We show that the B H n is 2 n − 1 -partition-edge fault-tolerant Hamiltonian laceable, 2 n − 1 -partition-edge fault-tolerant Hamiltonian, and (2 n − 1 − 1) -partition-edge fault-tolerant strongly Hamiltonian laceable for n ≥ 2. Comparison results show the partitioned fault model can provide the exponential fault tolerance as the value of the dimension n grows. • Based on the partitioned fault model, this paper propose three novel indicators for the balanced hypercubes B H n. • B H n is 2 n − 1 (resp. 2 n − 1 − 1)-partition-edge fault-tolerant (resp. strongly) Hamiltonian laceable. • Comparison results show the partitioned fault model can provide exponential fault tolerance as the dimension n grows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a rare case of a schwannoma which is localized on the posterior pharyngeal wall. It caused severe difficulty in swallowing and breathing in a 3-year-old child. Schwannomas of the posterior pharyngeal wall have been rarely reported in children. To our knowledge, only 7 cases of posterior pharyngeal wall schwannoma have been previously reported in the literature, but none of them is associated with a child. The tumor was removed with plasma radiofrequency excision via a transoral route. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging examination showed no recurrence of the tumor up to 2 years. To our knowledge, for the first time, a case of posterior pharyngeal wall schwannoma has been reported in a 3-year-old child, and the schwannoma was removed via plasma radiofrequency transoral excision. This case study illustrates that schwannoma may occur in children, and it is safe to treat this disease through plasma radiofrequency transoral excision route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the scale of the system expands, processor failures are inevitable. Fault diagnosis has great significance in analyzing the reliability of multiprocessing systems. Probabilistic fault diagnosis is a method that attempts to diagnose nodes correctly with high probability. In this paper, we extend the threshold |$t \leq 2$| to threshold |$t=3$| for regular networks based on probabilistic diagnosis algorithm and determine the status of a cluster of nodes by analyzing the local performance. Moreover, we evaluate the global performance based on the Poisson distribution and the Binomial distribution and show that the achievement in terms of correctness demonstrates a good performance. Finally, we employ the probabilistic diagnosis scheme to explore some well-known networks, including complete cubic networks, dual cubes and hierarchical hypercubes as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) is a universal scale assessing disease severity of Huntington's disease (HD). However, the English version cannot be widely used in China, and the reliability and validity of the Chinese UHDRS have not yet been confirmed. Objective: To test the reliability and validity of Chinse UHDRS in patients with HD. Methods: Between August 2013 and August 2021, 159 HD patients, 40 premanifest HD, and 64 healthy controls were consecutively recruited from two medical centers in China and assessed by Chinese UHDRS. Internal consistency and interrater reliability of the scale were examined. Intercorrelation was performed to analyze the convergent and divergent validity of the scale. A receiver operating characteristic analysis was conducted to explore the optimal cutoff point of each cognitive test. Results: High internal consistency was found in Chinese UHDRS, and its Cronbach's alpha values of the motor, cognitive, behavioral and functional subscales were 0.954, 0.826, 0.804, and 0.954, respectively. The interrater reliability of the total motor score was 0.960. The convergent and divergent validity revealed that motor, cognitive and functional subscales strongly related to each other except for Problem Behavior Assessment. Furthermore, we not only provided the normal level of each cognitive test in controls, but also gave the optimal cutoff points of cognitive tests between controls and HD patients. Conclusion: We demonstrate for the first time that the translated version of UHDRS is reliable for assessing HD patients in China. This can promote the universal use of UHDRS in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore independent factors influencing the risk of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis during the postoperative period in patients with gynecological malignancies by constructing a predictive model. Methods: In our study, we collected 573 patients with gynecological malignancies in the postoperative period between September 2016 and September 2020, who were divided into a modeling (n = 402) and verification group (n = 171) according to a ratio of 7:3. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine independent factors influencing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A nomogram model was created and a risk score was calculated. Results: Multivariate regression analysis showed that the independent factors affecting DVT among these patients included age, hyperlipidemia, abnormal uterine bleeding, degree of anemia, D‐dimer, operation time, and intraoperative blood loss. By incorporating these factors into a nomogram, we determined that the C‐index and calibration curve of the two groups both showed that the model distinguishes and fits well. Further comparing between the high‐ and low‐risk groups, we found that the model has favorable predictive performance. Conclusion: The predictive nomogram for the risk of DVT in patients with gynecological malignancies in the postoperative period demonstrated good calibration and recognition accuracy. Further independent research is necessary to verify our results. The predictive nomogram showed good accuracy in predicting the risk of venous thromboembolism in postoperative patients with gynecological malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of protection routing guarantees the existence of a loop-free alternate path for packet forwarding when a single link or node failure occurs. By Tapolcai's method, the presence of two completely independent spanning trees (CISTs for short) suffices to configure a protection routing. This article extends the idea of protection routing to involve more CISTs and attach a secure mechanism in the configuration, which we call the secure multi-protection routing scheme (SMPR-scheme). Then, we use the SMPR-scheme to deal with privacy-preserving data transmissions, such as downloading personal medical records, tax bills, or other private information. To evaluate the effectiveness of the SMPR-scheme, we develop a probabilistic model that allows some malicious nodes to collect information illegally through neighboring access. We experimented with SMPR-scheme on the BCube (i.e., the generalized hypercube) datacenter network. Simulation results show that data transmission using SMPR-scheme ensures confidentiality (i.e., no node other than the recipient can receive the complete message) and effectively resists privacy collection even under malicious infringement. • A protection routing can be configured by multiple completely independent spanning trees. • We develop an algorithm for secure data transmission using multi-protection routing scheme (SMPR-scheme). • We establish a probabilistic model to compute the data gathering rate through the illegal information exchange. • We implement SMPR-scheme to simulate illegal information exchange on BCube datacenter networks. • The experimental results show that the routing using SMPR-scheme achieves secure efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of water flow through non‐root soil macropores and along roots using X‐ray computed tomography (CT) is still challenging because of limited methods to quantify roots and pore structures. This study selected shrub‐encroached grassland consisting of a mosaic of shrub patches and interspace grass patches and the original grassland as a control treatment. Twelve intact soil columns (0–30 cm deep) were excavated, which included four replicates each from the soils under the original grassland, the shrub patches and interspace grass patches. Three‐dimensional networks of soil macropores and roots were quantified using CT scanning and image analysis techniques, and active flow pathways were identified through KI tracing experiment using CT scanning. The results showed that the tracer depths of soils under the shrub patches and interspace grass patches were deeper than those of the original grassland, which was attributed to the well‐developed root system. The tracer volume density was significantly and positively correlated with soil macropore node density and root volume density (p < 0.05), and significantly and negatively correlated with root mean angle (p < 0.05). Soils under the shrub patches had lower tracer volume density than that under the interspace grass patches, which was attributed to the horizontal‐oriented roots under the shrub patches. The relative contribution of water flow along roots was larger than that through non‐root soil macropores 35 min after dye application. This provided direct evidence that shrub roots were the main pathway of macropore flow resulting in water flow into deep soil layers in the shrub‐encroached grassland. Highlights: The tracer depths of shrub‐encroached grassland were deep due to well‐developed root system.Shrub patches had low tracer volume density due to the horizontal‐oriented roots.The contribution of water flow along roots was larger than that through non‐root soil macropores.Shrub roots were the main pathway of water flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The path-selectivity and stereoselectivity of gridization pathways into fluorene-based drawing hand grids (DHGs-F) are precisely modulated through tuning acid conditions and side-chain effects. BF3 ·OEt2 supports the realization of the gridization path (rac -DHG1-F, yield: 82%, meso -DHG1-F, yield: 11%). On the contrary, CF3 SO3 H will lead to the enhancements in polymerization pathways (about 85% yield). When the side chain is a methoxyl group, rac -DHG1-F and meso -DHG1-F will be obtained. However, when the side chain is a group without an oxygen atom, only rac -DHGs-F can be obtained (de = 100%). Moreover, through excitonic physical properties, rac -DHGs-F exhibits a more π-electronic delocalization, potentially serving as the intriguing tactic strategy to modulate the optoelectronic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupoint catgut embedding in the treatment of simple obesity through network meta-analysis. Methods. PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and VIP database (VIP) were searched by using computer from 2011 to August 2021, and 35 RCT studies were retrieved. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the modified Jadad scoring table, and Stata 15.0 software was used for traditional meta-analysis and network meta-analysis. Results. Thirty-five RCTs (3040 cases in total) were included. Acupoint embedding, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, TCM, acupoint embedding + acupuncture, acupoint embedding + exercise diet therapy, acupoint embedding + TCM, exercise diet therapy, acupoint embedding + moxibustion, and acupoint embedding + cupping were investigated in the studies. The results of network meta-analysis were as follows: in terms of total effective rate, acupoint catgut embedding was superior to acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and exercise diet therapy (P < 0.05); electroacupuncture, acupoint catgut embedding + acupuncture, acupoint catgut embedding + exercise diet therapy, acupoint catgut + TCM, acupoint catgut + moxibustion, and acupoint catgut + cupping were superior to acupuncture (P < 0.05); acupoint catgut + moxibustion was superior to electroacupuncture (P < 0.05); acupoint catgut + TCM, acupoint catgut + moxibustion, and acupoint catgut + cupping were superior to TCM treatment (P < 0.05); and electroacupuncture, acupoint catgut, acupoint catgut + acupuncture, acupoint catgut + exercise diet therapy, acupoint catgut + TCM, acupoint catgut embedding + moxibustion, and acupoint catgut embedding + cupping were superior to sports diet therapy (P < 0.05). Regarding weight loss, acupuncture treatment was superior to acupoint catgut embedding therapy (P < 0.05); acupoint catgut embedding + exercise diet therapy, acupoint catgut embedding + TCM, acupoint catgut embedding + moxibustion, and acupoint catgut embedding + cupping were superior to acupuncture and electroacupuncture treatment (P < 0.05); acupoint catgut embedding + exercise diet therapy, acupoint catgut embedding + TCM, and acupoint catgut embedding + moxibustion were superior to TCM treatment (P < 0.05); and acupoint catgut embedding, acupoint catgut embedding + acupuncture, catgut embedding + exercise diet therapy, acupoint catgut embedding + TCM, acupoint catgut embedding + moxibustion, and acupoint catgut embedding + cupping were superior to exercise diet therapy (P < 0.05). In terms of BMI reduction, acupoint catgut embedding + moxibustion and acupoint catgut embedding + cupping were more evident than acupuncture treatment (P < 0.05); and acupoint catgut embedding + moxibustion was more evident than electroacupuncture treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Acupoint catgut embedding and its combination with other therapies are the first choice for the treatment of simple obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct measuring of CO2 flux remains challenging for global lakes. The traditional sampling and gas transfer models used to estimate lake CO2 fluxes are variable and uncertain, and ice‐covered periods are often excluded from the annual carbon budget. Here, the first longtime (2013−2017) direct measurement of CO2 flux by eddy covariance system over the largest saline lake (Qinghai lake) in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) revealed that ice‐covered period draws large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere (−0.87 ± 0.38 g C m−2 d−1), a value more than twice the CO2 flux rate during the ice‐free period (−0.41 ± 0.35 g C m−2 d−1). The total CO2 uptake by all saline lakes on the QTP was estimated to −10.28 ± 1.65 Tg C yr−1, an equivalent to approximately one third of the net terrestrial ecosystems carbon sink in QTP. Our results indicate large sink for CO2 in winter is controlled by both seasonal hydrochemistry processes and lake ice absorption in saline lakes. This research also demonstrates decreasing CO2 uptake from the atmosphere by saline lakes on the QTP, which may turn carbon sinks to carbon sources with future warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effect of selenium-enriched biological feed on growth performance and slaughter performance of beef cattle. Thirty healthy beef cattle with an average body weight about 330 kg were randomly divided into two groups, which were control group and test group, with 15 cattle in each group. The control group was not supplemented with selenium-enriched biological feed, while the experimental group was supplemented with selenium-enriched biological feed. The experiment lasted for 22 w. The results showed that the final weight and average daily gain of beef cattle in test group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The live weight before slaughter, carcass weight, slaughter rate, net meat weight and eye muscle area of beef cattle in test group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The selenium content in beef spine and rump of test group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05), which was 0.148 4 and 0.158 2 mg/kg, respectively. The experiment indicates that adding selenium enriched biological feed can improve the growth performance and meat production performance of beef cattle, and can increase the deposition amount of selenium in different muscle tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) leads to huge economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. The high levels of mutations of IBV render vaccines partially protective. Therefore, it is urgent to explore an effective antiviral drug or agent. The present study aimed to investigate the in vivo anti-IBV activity of a mixture of plant essential oils (PEO) of cinnamaldehyde (CA) and glycerol monolaurate (GML), designated as Jin-Jing-Zi. Results: The antiviral effects were evaluated by clinical signs, viral loads, immune organ indices, antibody levels, and cytokine levels. The infection rates in the PEO-M (middle dose) and PEO-H (high dose) groups were significantly lower than those in the prevention, positive drug, and PEO-L (low dose) groups. The cure rates in the PEO-M and PEO-H groups were significantly higher than those in the prevention, positive drug, and PEO-L groups, and the PEO-M group had the highest cure rate of 92.31%. The symptom scores and IBV mRNA expression levels were significantly reduced in the PEO-M group. PEO significantly improved the immune organ indices and IBV-specific antibody titers of infected chickens. The anti-inflammatory factor levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ in the PEO-M group maintained high concentrations for a long time. The IL-6 levels in the PEO-M group were lower than those in prevention, positive drug, and PEO-L groups. Conclusion: The PEO had remarkable inhibition against IBV and the PEO acts by inhibiting virus multiplication and promoting immune function, suggesting that the PEO has great potential as a novel anti-IBV agent for inhibiting IBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The k -ary n -cube Q n k serves as an indispensable interconnection network in the design of data center networks, network-on-chips, and parallel computing systems since it possesses numerous attractive properties. In these parallel architectures, the paired (or unpaired) many-to-many m -disjoint path cover (m -DPC) plays a significant role in message transmission. Nevertheless, the construction of m -DPC is severely obstructed by large-scale edge faults due to the rapid growth of the system scale. In this paper, we investigate the existence of paired 2-DPC in Q n k under the partitioned edge fault (PEF) model, which is a novel fault model for enhancing the networks' fault-tolerance related to path embedding problem. We exploit this model to evaluate the edge fault-tolerance of Q n k when a paired 2-DPC is embedded into Q n k. Compared to the other known works, our results can help Q n k to achieve large-scale edge fault-tolerance. • This research studies the existence of paired 2-disjoint path cover in k -ary n -cubes in the presence of large-scale faulty edges. • Our findings generalize the result in [50] from the theoretical perspective. • Our results provide the exponential edge fault-tolerance compared to previous similar works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exclusion chromatography was developed to analyze molecular weight profile. • Protein molecular weight profile of milk samples was comprehensively evaluated. • Combining chromatographic with statistics to provide significant differences. • The results can guide the infant formula process and raw materials selection. Molecular weight is one of the main characteristic parameters of proteins, which is the basis for the functional properties of milk protein. This research aims at establishing molecular weight distribution pattern of milk protein based on exclusion chromatography. The method selected Na 3 PO 4 -Na 2 SO 4 (0.1 M, pH 6.7) buffer as the mobile phase and detected at 220 nm by HPLC-UV. The protein molecular weight distributions were determined and compared for human milk, bovine milk, and infant formula. The proportion of macromolecular proteins is much higher in infant formula compared to human or bovine milk. The protein molecular weights of human and bovine milk are significantly different around 90, 20, 14, and 2 kDa. The results provide holistic compare of bovine milk, human milk, and infant formula through protein molecular distribution. The new evaluation indicators for protein will drive technological simulation of infant formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most of gas hydrates reservoirs, the low permeability of sediments limits the commercial production of gas hydrates. Hydraulic fracturing is an efficient way to improve the permeability in hydrate reservoirs. However, how to choose a suitable hydraulic fracturing direction during hydrate production in a 3D hydrate reservoir is still unknown. In this study, the production of gas hydrates and underlying free gas within 10 years by a depressurization horizontal well (along X-axis) under different directions (XY, YZ, XZ plane) of hydraulic fracturing was numerically studied in a 3D model. The simulation results showed that, compared with no hydraulic fracturing, the final increase ratios of the hydrate dissociation volume and gas production volume for the fracturing in XY, YZ, and XZ plane were 188.16 %, 218.96 %, 84.95 %, and 170.29 %, 253.66 %, 102.64 %, respectively, and the final increase ratios of water production amount for the fracturing in XY, YZ, and XZ plane were 140.88 %, 787.25 %, and 381.07 %, respectively. For the hydraulic fracturing in YZ plane, the connection of the production well with the upper and lower strata was earlier, and the underlying free gas was mainly produced in the early period of hydrate production, leading to the higher gas production rate and gas to water ratio in the early period. However, the gas production rate and the gas to water ratio were reduced in the later period of hydrate production due to the consumption of the underlying free gas. For the hydraulic fracturing in XY plane, the connection of the production well with the upper and lower strata was delayed, and the underlying free gas was mainly produced in the later period of hydrate production, leading to the higher gas production rate and gas to water ratio in the later period. By comprehensive consideration, for the depressurization induced hydrate production by a horizontal well along the X-axis, it's suggested that the most suitable fracturing direction should be in YZ plane for a short production period (within 5 years), and it should be in XY plane for a long production period (exceeds 5 years). This study proposes a new point that the suitable hydraulic fracturing direction is related to hydrate production period, which could provide some guidance for gas hydrates production by hydraulic fracturing. [Display omitted] • The HF-YZ improved the gas production rate in the early period of hydrate production. • The HF-XY improved the gas production rate in the later period of hydrate production. • The suitable direction of hydraulic fracturing is related to the production period. • The underlying free gas hindered the dissociation of the hydrate bottom layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel preheated miniature burner with a flame holder and porous medium is proposed. • Effect of the porous medium height on the lean premixed flame feature is studied. • Some interesting flame behaviors are found by the means of experiment. • Some new features of the combustor wall thermal performance are analyzed in detail. • A higher porous medium can be adopted when the operating range is sufficiently wide. To improve the performance of the lean premixed combustion LPC that can achieve low emission of CO and NO x with high combustion efficiency, a novel preheated miniature combustor with a flame holder and porous medium is proposed here. The lean premixed combustion behaviors of methane-air are experimentally investigated in this combustor, and the corresponding thermal performances of the combustor wall are also revealed. The flashback, combustion within the porous medium, combustion next to the porous medium, and flame extinction are observed in sequence with a decreasing equivalence ratio. For the flame within the porous medium, it firmly resides within the porous medium. Therefore, in the practical application, a higher porous medium can be employed if the corresponding operating range of the LPC is sufficient. This study expands our insights into the lean premixed combustion features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of multiprocessor systems, the evaluation of interconnection network reliability holds utmost significance, both in terms of design and maintenance. The intricate nature of these systems calls for a systematic assessment of reliability metrics, among which, two metrics emerge as vital: connectivity and diagnosability. The R g -conditional connectivity is the minimum number of processors whose deletion will disconnect the multiprocessor system and every processor has at least g fault-free neighbors. The R g -conditional diagnosability is a novel generalized conditional diagnosability, which is the maximum number of faulty processors that can be identified under the condition that every processor has no less than g fault-free neighbors. In this paper, we first investigate the R g -conditional connectivity of generalized exchanged X-cubes G E X (s , t) and present the lower (upper) bounds of the R g -conditional diagnosability of G E X (s , t) under the PMC model. Applying our results, the R g -conditional connectivity and the lower (upper) bounds of R g -conditional diagnosability of generalized exchanged hypercubes, generalized exchanged crossed cubes, and locally generalized exchanged twisted cubes under the PMC model are determined. Our comparative analysis highlights the superiority of R g -conditional diagnosability, showcasing its effectiveness in guiding reliability studies across a diverse set of networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common mental disorder associated with suicide attempts. When a patient first visits the clinic, clinicians are often expected to make concrete diagnose about acute suicidal risk. However, the timeliness of suicide attempts correlates with patients with MDD has not been tested.Methods: We divided 1718 first-episode and untreated MDD outpatients into those who did not have suicide attempts (non-attempts), recent suicide attempters (≤14 days before assessment) and long - dated suicide attempters (> 30 days before assessment). Positive Symptom Scale of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale, 14 - item Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and clinical global impression of severity scale (CGI-S) was assessed. Body mass index, some glycolipid metabolism and thyroid hormone parameters were measured. A gradient-boosted decision trees statistical model was used to generate equally weighted classification for distinguishing recent and long - dated suicide attempters from non-attempts.Results: The classifier identified higher excitement, hostility, anxiety, depression symptoms and higher free thyroxine (FT4) as risk factors for recent suicide attempters with an estimated accuracy of 87% (sensitivity, 59.1%; specificity, 61.2 %). For long - dated suicide attempters' risk factors, single status, higher anxiety and hostility symptoms, higher LDLC and lower BMI, the estimated accuracy was 88% (sensitivity, 52.8%; specificity, 49.6%).Conclusions: Risk factors for suicide attempt among patients with MDD can be identified by integrating demographic, clinical, and biological variables as early as possible during the first time see a doctor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease involving motor, cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. HD patients with psychosis symptoms usually have bad prognosis. It is of great significance to explore the clinical, imaging and biological characteristics of HD patients with psychosis. A total of 118 Han Chinese patients with HD confirmed by Huntingtin genetic testing were recruited during 2013–2020. They were assessed by Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) and followed up in an average of 34 months by telephone or clinical visits. Psychosis was determined by the presence of delusions or hallucinations using UHDRS-Problem Behavior Assessment. Data of magnetic resonance imaging (n = 28) and serum neurofilament light chain (NfL, n = 28) were collected in some patients. Among 118 patients (mean age 46.0 years, SD 12.0; female 53.5%), the frequency of psychosis was 14.4% (n = 17) in the cross-sectional analysis and 17.8% (n = 21) in the longitudinal observation. Probands with psychosis were predominantly female (82.3%). They exhibited worse motor, cognitive, behavioral and functional performances compared with patients without psychosis. Furthermore, the lateral ventricle volume was larger in patients with psychosis compared with patients without psychosis (p = 0.0013) while there was no difference in NfL levels between two groups. NfL levels of patients with psychosis were negatively correlated with caudate volumes (r = −0.54, p = 0.044) and white matter volumes (r = −0.57, p = 0.035). In summary, HD patients with psychosis had distinct clinical, imaging and biological features. These features might help clinicians to identify psychosis in HD patients early and provide protective interventions before adverse outcomes occur. • We first described the imaging and biological features of HD patients with psychosis. • HD patients with psychosis have lager lateral ventricles. • The imaging features of psychosis in HD could help clinicians to identify psychosis timely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct photo-transformation of widely used antibiotics, including Tetracycline (TTC), chlortetracycline (CTC), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfamethazine (SMZ) were quantified for surface water by using artificial UV irradiation. The photolysis rate is directly proportional to the overlap between the absorption spectrum of the solution and the spectrum of the terrestrial sunlight. Increasing overlap fraction of Tetracycline (TC) group than Sulfanomide (Sulfa) group, the transformation of TC group is certified much faster than the sulfa group. The speciation of TC and Sulfa group antibiotics are pH-dependent and consequently influence its light adsorption spectrum. And the toxicity of the four target antibiotics along the photo-transformation was assessed. In field aquatic environment, a temporal- and spatial half-life model described the behavior of the antibiotics in water column of victoria harbour could be validated by using experimentally obtained quantum yield with the target field meteorological data. The modeling results indicated the photolysis rate of different kind of antibiotics varied differently along season, daily time and water depth. Summer, midday and surface layer of water body would be the time- and space-highlight spot in which the phototransformation are the dominant process for antibiotics concentration depletion. Seasonal variety would be enhanced for sulfa-group kind antibiotics, which having only tail overlapped with irradiation spectrum. Daily averaged half-lives of TC group were relatively stable, while the sulfa group antibiotics were found to vary from about 300 to 750 h, dependent on the seasonal change. Unlabelled Image • Photochemical reactions of target antibiotics was evaluated under varied condition. • Toxicity change was assessed along the photo transformation. • A modeling approach was set up for pollutants risk assessment in surface water. • The modeled photolysis rate varied along season, daily time and water depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Peak value of evapotranspiration appeared at 3600–3700 m in the Qinghai Lake watershed. • Evapotranspiration was dominantly controlled by water conditions below 3650 m, and by energy conditions above 3650 m. • Energy conditions were more influential factors limiting the evapotranspiration. Evapotranspiration (ET) and its dominant controls show obvious elevational pattern on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, due to heterogeneous environmental conditions regulated by altitude. To understand better how and why ET varies at different altitudes in the Qinghai Lake watershed, this study measured and retrieved soil moisture, solar radiation, and ET data between 3300 m and 4700 m, and further investigated the influence of water and energy conditions on ET. Results showed that, the mean annual terrestrial ET was 343 and 360 mm in this watershed in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The higher ET mainly appeared in the midstream of Shaliu River and on the southern region of Qinghai Lake, while the sand land on the east of Qinghai Lake and the bare rock in the northwest of the watershed had the lowest values. The ET increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of altitude, and its peak value appeared at 3600–3700 m. The dominant controls for ET switched from water conditions to energy conditions with the increase of elevation. The maximum limited fraction [(predicted value – actual value)/predicted value × 100] of ET by water condition (soil moisture content) achieved 11.2% and 10.1% at 3300–3350 m in 2014 and 2015, and the corresponding mean area-weighted values were 7.3% and 5.4% at 3300–3650 m, respectively. The maximum limited fraction of ET by energy condition (shortwave radiation and air temperature) achieved 24.4% and 29.8% at 4650–4700 m in 2014 and 2015, and the corresponding mean area-weighted values were 10.8% and 11.9% at 3650–4700 m, respectively. Overall, the energy conditions were more influential factors limiting the ET in the entire watershed, and this conclusion is critical for the management of regional terrestrial ecosystem with future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although soil respiration (R s), as the largest flux of CO 2 from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere, has been measured and simulated widely, its drivers on different temporal scales in high-altitude regions are not well known. These driving factors were analysed at a site upstream of the Heihe River Basin based on measurements carried out using a field chamber over 3 years during three stages of the 5 cm soil layer: freezing and thawing (FT), completely frozen (CF), and completely thawed (CT). The analysis covered hysteresis with reference to soil respiration, photosynthesis, diurnal changes in soil temperature during CT in the growing season, and the contribution of carbon emissions outside the growing season (winter) to the total annual R s. Results show that 1) the drivers of R s on the diurnal scale during FT, CF, and CT were totally different: soil temperature (T 5) and moisture (W 5) at 5 cm depth for FT; air temperature near soil surface (T a) and soil water content at 20 cm depth (W 20) for CF, and T 5 and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for CT; 2) at the diurnal scale during CT, R s took 1.48–6.16 h less to reach its peak value than what T 5 did, while 0.84–2.81 h more than PAR did; 3) cumulative R s in winter was 132.31 g cm−2, accounted for approximately 16% of the annual carbon efflux from the subalpine meadow. Results suggest that the contribution of winter to the annual total R s was large and should be considered in assessing carbon budget in high-altitude regions. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The driver of daily change in R s of each freeze/thaw were totally different. • The dominant influence of P ar and T s on R s is different in growing season. • T 5 and W 5 influenced the seasonal trajectory of R s jointly. • The contribution of winter R s should be considered in assessing C budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral carbohydrate (CHO) intake is a safe method with effective clinical results in various surgical patients before surgery. Nevertheless, due to a lack of adequate clinical data, it is not frequently utilized in older patients undergoing orthopedic surgery for osteoporotic fractures (OPFs), especially in China. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between preoperative oral CHO consumption and outcomes in elderly patients undergoing surgical treatment for OPFs. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single Chinese institution and included a total of 879 elderly patients (median age: 71 years; range: 50–99 years) who underwent OPF surgery. Various exclusion criteria were established as follows: (a) the necessity for urgent surgical intervention; (b) the existence of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetes mellitus with blood glucose levels lower than 2.8 mmol/L; (c) a medical history of gastrointestinal motility disorders or delayed gastric emptying; (d) the utilization of local anesthesia; (e) a Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score over 2; and (f) an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score exceeding 3. After propensity score (PS) matching, 264 patients from each cohort were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was the all-cause mortality rate within 60 days post-surgery, while secondary outcomes included the length of hospital stay (LOS), hospitalization costs, intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusions, and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and aspiration. The relationship between preoperative oral CHO intake and outcomes was evaluated using multivariate regression analysis. Results: After PS matching, preoperative oral CHO intake was negatively associated with 60-day mortality in the fully adjusted model (odds ratio 0.35; 95% confidence interval 0.12–0.97; P-value: 0.04). Patients who received preoperative oral CHO intake also had a shorter LOS and lower hospitalization costs than those who did not receive CHO intake. However, none of the models showed a significant association between CHO intake and PONV or blood transfusion risk. Furthermore, no cases of aspiration were observed in either cohort. Conclusions: Preoperative oral CHO intake may be associated with reduced mortality risk and improved outcomes in elderly patients undergoing surgical treatment for OPFs. However, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of our study, including its retrospective nature, potential unmeasured confounding variables, the small sample size, incomplete data on important variables such as duration of surgery and inflammatory markers, and the limited generalizability due to the participation of only one institution. Future research with larger sample sizes and a broader range of events is warranted to validate and enhance the validity of our findings, particularly in assessing long-term results and understanding the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To discuss the presentation, evaluation, and management of congenital laryngeal webs with subglottic stenosis. Methods: The clinical data of six children were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The median age of these children who came to our hospital was 14 months (range 1–26 months). A tracheotomy was performed in all these six children. The median age of the patients who underwent tracheotomy was 4 months (range 1–11 months). The surgical method was T-tube implantation combined with cricoid cartilage reconstruction. The median age of these patients at the time of operation was 22 months (range 13–35 months). The T-tube remained in place for 3–8 months, with a median time of 6 months. The tracheal tubes in all these children were successfully removed. All patients were followed up for more than 2 years without recurrence. Conclusions: Children who have congenital laryngeal webs with subglottic stenosis required early tracheotomy. Open laryngoplasty combined with T-tube implantation and cricoid cartilage reconstruction may play a crucial role in the treatment of these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discharge of partially treated effluent from sewage treatment plants (STPs) is a significant source of chemical contaminants, such as retinoids and oestrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are continuously input into the marine environments of densely populated and urbanized coastal cities. In this study, we successfully developed three analytical methods to detect and qualify retinoic acids (at-RA, 13c-RA & 9c-RA), their metabolites (at-4-oxo-RA, 13c-4-oxo-RA & 9c-4-oxo-RA), and oestrogenic EDCs using high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Using these methods, we found that the total concentrations of retinoids in the influents and effluents of three saline STPs in Hong Kong were 7.1–29 ng/L and 3.7–9.1 ng/L, respectively, and those of EDCs were 3107–5829 ng/L and 1225–2638 ng/L, respectively. Retinoids were dominated by at-4-oxo-RA or 13c-4-oxo-RA in wastewater, whereas at-RA and 13c-RA were the most abundant in sludge. Alkylphenols and bisphenol A were the dominant EDCs in wastewater, whilst alkylphenols, triclosan, and triclocarban were dominant in sludge. Overall, the sewage treatment processes in the STPs of Hong Kong were not highly efficient in the removal of retinoids and EDCs from wastewater influents, with removal efficiencies in the aqueous phase of 41–82% and 31–79%, respectively. The removals were attributed mainly to sorption and degradation. Due to such limited removal, the effluents from STPs and the adjacent seawaters (i.e., receiving water bodies) still exhibited relatively high concentrations of retinoids (2.0–4.3 ng/L in seawaters) and EDCs (71–260 ng/L in seawaters), which posed medium ecological risks to the coastal marine ecosystem of Hong Kong (i.e., hazard quotients: 0.1–1). • This was the first systematic examination of retinoids and EDCs in saline STPs. • 41–82% of the retinoids and 31–79% of the EDCs were removed from the aqueous phase. • Removal of these chemicals was mainly attributed to sorption and degradation. • We also quantified the environmental levels of retinoids and EDCs in seawaters. • Retinoids and EDCs in seawater posed medium ecological risks to marine organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One mononuclear Ni(II) complex [Ni(L1)(MeOH) 2 ]·MeOH(1) and two novel trinuclear Ni(II) complexes [Ni 3 (L2) 3 (EtOH) 6 ] (2) and [Ni 3 (L2) 3 (H 2 O) 6 ] (3) constructed from N 2 O 2 -donors chelating ligands (H 2 L1 and H 2 L2) were synthesized and characterized structurally. In addition, Hirshfeld surface analyses and the fluorescence titration experiments were investigated. One mononuclear Ni(II) complex [Ni(L1)(MeOH) 2 ]·MeOH (1) and two novel trinuclear Ni(II) complexes [Ni 3 (L2) 3 (EtOH) 6 ] (2) and [Ni 3 (L2) 3 (H 2 O) 6 ] (3) constructed from symmetric N 2 O 2 -donors chelating ligands (H 2 L1 and H 2 L2) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, UV–Vis spectra and fluorescence spectra. The structures of all three complexes were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Complex 1 includes one Ni(II) atom, one completely deprotonated (L1)2− unit and two coordinated methanol molecules, and forms an infinite 2D supramolecular network via the intermolecular hydrogen bonds. While complex 2 or 3 is trinuclear with three Ni(II) atoms, three completely deprotonated (L2)2− units and six coordinated ethanol or H 2 O molecules. These self-assembling complexes form different dimensional supramolecular structures through inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Hirshfeld surface analyses for complexes 1 , 2 and 3 were mapped with various functions and further quantification of intermolecular interactions was made through the generation of 2D fingerprint plots. In addition, the fluorescence titration experiments were used to characterize fluorescence properties of complexes 1 and 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Grassland exclosures with fencing are commonly used to prevent shrub encroachment. However, few studies have been conducted on the effect of exclosures on soil macropores and root architecture during shrub encroachment. This study aimed to quantify the effects of exclosures on soil macropore and root characteristics beneath the encroached shrub C. microphylla L. in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Two exclosure treatments, 9EX (shrubland enclosed for 9 years) and 2EX (shrubland enclosed for 2 years), were designed, with free grazing plots serving as controls. A total of twelve soil cores (0–50 cm deep) were excavated, which included three replicates of each treatment and control. Soil and root architecture of the soil cores were explored using X-ray computed tomography method. Results indicated that macroporosity was 1.03–1.66 times greater in the soil under the enclosed C. microphylla L. than in the soil under the grazed C. microphylla L., and the soil macroporosity increased with exclosure age. Macropores were abundant over the 0–400 mm soil layers under the enclosed shrubland but were mainly present at 0–250 mm soil depth under freely grazed shrubland. Exclosure led to significant proliferation of shrub roots compared with grazing. Root density was 1.04–1.86 times greater in the soil under the enclosed C. microphylla L. than in the soil under the grazed C. microphylla L. Roots were concentrated in the 0–250 mm soil layer in the grazed shrubland, whereas roots were abundant over 0–400 mm in the enclosed shrubland. The high number of macropores under the enclosed shrubland was closely associated with a high root density. These results suggest that exclosure enhances shrub root proliferation and therefore increases soil macroporosity and soil pore connectivity, which would be favourable for shrub encroachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One homo-trinuclear 3d and five novel windmill-type hetero-pentanuclear 3d-4f complexes [Zn3(L)(OAc)2(H2O)]·CH2Cl2 (1), [Zn4(L)2Sm(NO3)2(EtOH)2]NO3·H2O·2CHCl3 (2), [Zn4(L)2Eu(NO3)2(EtOH)2]NO3·C2H5OH·2CHCl3 (3), [Zn4(L)2Gd(NO3)2(EtOH)2]NO3·C2H5OH·2CHCl3 (4), [Zn4(L)2Tb(NO3)2(EtOH)2]NO3·C2H5OH (5) and [Zn4(L)2Dy(NO3)2(EtOH)2]NO3·C2H5OH·2CHCl3 (6) were synthesized by the reactions of a new bis(Salamo)-based tetraoxime ligand (H4L) with Zn(OAc)2·2H2O and Ln(NO3)3·6H2O (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb and Dy), respectively. The structures of complexes 1–6 were characterized via elemental analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography, and their fluorescence properties, catalytic activities and Hirshfeld surface analyses were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Polymerized titanium salts were proposed for municipal wastewater pretreatment. • PTC has superior coagulation performance for particles, organics and P removal. • PTC produces larger flocs and flocs sedimentation can be completed in 1 min. • PTC produces flocs with high-shear-resistance and strong re-aggregation capability. • Direct filtration of PTC effluent is alternative way for reclaimed wastewater reuse. Abstract Research concerning polymerized titanium salts for preliminary treatment of municipal wastewater remains limited. We proposed the pre-coagulation of municipal wastewater with polymerized titanium based coagulants, followed by direct crossflow ultrafiltration for water reuse by avoiding biological treatment. Compared with polymerized aluminum chloride (PAC), polymerized ferric sulfate (PFS) and polymerized titanium sulfate (PTS), the polymerized titanium chloride (PTC) achieved higher coagulation efficiency, with chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phosphorus (TP) removal reached 80.5% and 99.1%, respectively. Besides, PTC produced larger flocs (median equivalent diameter of 1408.1 μm) with better settling ability (flocs sedimentation in 1 min), higher shear resistance (strength factor reached 95.87%) and stronger re-aggregation capability (recover factor of 225.13%). The subsequent direct crossflow ultrafiltration of primary settled municipal wastewater could achieve complete suspended solids and P removal, being accompanied by additional 10–15% of organics removal. Specifically, ultrafiltration of PTC effluent obtained larger permeate flux up to 499.5 L m−2 h−1 and the reused water having higher quality (COD removal of 90.4%). Current study demonstrated the feasibility and superiority of utilizing polymerized titanium salts (especially PTC) for preliminary treatment of municipal wastewater. The resultant high-quality effluent through direct ultrafiltration provides alternative schemes for the demanding reclaimed wastewater reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Shrub encroachment has emerged as a global phenomenon over the past century. Multiple drivers have been put forward to explain the increased shrub dominance in various ecosystems around the world. However, the potential role of phenology in regulating shrub encroachment is not well understood. We address this issue using 3-year continuous monitoring of the phenology of coexisting shrubs and grasses combined with observations of ecohydrological processes (water uptake) and soil conditions (root zone soil moisture, soil texture, and soil temperature) at four study sites in Inner Mongolia, China, with shrub coverage of Caragana microphylla ranging from 0%, to 6.8%, 26.8% and 34.2%. Along such an encroachment gradient, shrubs exhibited progressively earlier onsets and later ends of the growing season, with an overall extension in growing season length by 15 days to 22 days in the later stages of shrub encroachment. Conversely, the coexisting grasses showed earlier occurrences both in spring and autumn phenological phases, which resulted in a phenological gap between shrubs and grasses. Thus, a positive feedback could exist between these phenological changes and shrub encroachment. In shrub patches, soils were wetter, with finer texture, and with more suitable temperatures for plant survival and development, which favored the lengthening of growing season of shrubs. The longer growing seasons are associated with longer periods of water use and photosynthesis for shrubs, and better opportunities for water uptake, with the overall effect of facilitating shrub growth and further expansion. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • We first explored the phenology roles in shrub encroachment gradient. • We combined the dynamics of ecohydrological processes and soil status. • Field observation, sampling and isotopic analysis were used. • Improved edatope, extended phenophases and intensive resource use were revealed. • Phenology, soil status and ecohydrological processes formed a positive feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the mechanism of a Bushen-Jianpi decoction (BSJPD) in liver cancer (LC) treatment, we analyzed clinical therapy data, conducted network pharmacology analysis, and performed pharmacological experimental verification in vitro and in vivo. The univariate analysis of clinical therapy showed that the BSJPD was protective factor (p < 0.05). The network pharmacology analysis showed that 9 compounds were important nodes of BSJPD-LC therapy network. In experimental verification, the rate of apoptosis increased in the liver tumors of mice treated with the BSJPD (p < 0.05); drug serum with 20 % BSJPD inhibited cell viability (p < 0.05) and reduced the expression of PI3K, the Bcl-xL/BAD ratio, and the levels of p53 and p-Akt in HepG2 cells. Moreover, licochalcone A, alisol B, and hederagenin inhibited cell viability (p < 0.05), induced cell apoptosis (p < 0.01), reduced p-Akt levels, and increased cleaved-CASP3 (p < 0.05) and p53 expression levels in HepG2 cells. These data suggest that the BSJPD prolongs the survival of LC patients and induces apoptosis and that it may be associated with the regulation of PI3K, Akt, p53, CASP3, and Bcl-xL/BAD expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Desert environments are characterized by limited and highly variable rainfall, which is an intermittent source of water critical to the evolution of the structure and functioning of desert ecosystems. The present study was the first to assess the effects of different amounts of rainfall received through discrete rainfall events and of their seasonality on two little-studied desert shrubs, namely Reaumurica soongorica and Nitria sphaerocarpa, in an arid inland river basin in north-western China.Materials and methods: Pulse rainfall events were simulated at the following magnitudes (amount of water in millimeters per rainfall event): 0, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 40 mm on two days in 2016, 24th June (early growing season) and 4th August (middle growing season), respectively. The rainfall effects were measured in terms of the following parameters: plant uptake of rainwater by plants as assessed by δ18O in the water within plant tissue, pre-dawn plant water potential, and the rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance.Results: N. sphaerocarpa shows faster response to simulated pulse rainfall events than R. soongorica, and the response of both species was quicker in the middle- than in early- growing season. Water uptake increased non-linearly with the amounts of rainfall, reaching a plateau at about 25 mm in R. soongorica and 20 mm in N. sphaerocarpa. The accumulative carbon gain relative to the controlled experiment increased with the amounts of rainfall, the increase being greater in the middle growing season.Conclusion: Our results clearly show that both the seasonality and the amounts of rainfall in discrete rainfall events took great impacts on response of plant ecophysiological activities and such responses are species dependent. The challenge ahead is to understand the consequences of long-term variability in rainfall for the physiology of desert plants and species dynamics in desert ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract The self-assembling of di-, tri- and tetra-nuclear metal(II) complexes shows propeller, butterfly and windmill type motifs, respectively. In complexes 1 and 2 , the ideal size, shape as well as strong coordination ability of OAc− as an anion significantly stabilize the aesthetic structure, while in complex 3 , the hydroxyl radical of an unexpected ligand H 2 L′, which derived from the cleavage of HL are coordinated with three Co(II) atoms at the same time. Meanwhile, complexes 1 , 2 and 3 possess a self-assembling 2D, 3D and 0D supramolecular structures by abundant noncovalent interactions. Besides, magnetic properties and Hirshfeld surface analyses were discussed. Abstract Two newly di- and tri-nuclear Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes constructed from a half-salamo chelating ligand (HL: 2-[ O -(1-ethyloxyamide)]oxime-6-methoxyphenol), [Cu 2 (L) 2 (μ-OAc) 2 ] (1) and [{Ni 3 (μ-OAc) 2 (L) 2 (OAc) 2 ]·CHCl 3 (2), and one tetranuclear Co(II) complex [Co 4 (L′) 4 (MeOH) 4 ] (3) based on an unexpected ligand H 2 L′ derived from the cleavage of HL have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV–vis spectra, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The single crystals of complexes 1 , 2 and 3 in the process of synthesis are obtained through different routes. The complex 1 includes two Cu(II) atoms, two completely deprotonated (L)− units and two μ-acetate ions, which displays a propeller-type motif. The complex 2 contains three Ni(II) atoms, two completely deprotonated (L)− units, two μ-acetate ions, two chelating acetate ions and one crystallizing chloroform molecule, the crystal structure of complex 2 reveals a butterfly-type motif. The complex 3 is made up of four Co(II) atoms, four completely deprotonated (L′)2− units (HL′: 2-[ O -(1-hydroxyethyl)]oxime-6-methoxyphenol) and four coordinated methanol molecules, which shows a windmill-type motif. Besides, magnetic properties and Hirshfeld surface analyses were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel butterfly-shaped hetero-pentanuclear 3d–4f complexes [Zn 4 (L) 2 Sm(H 2 O) 4 ]3NO 3 ·2EtOH ( 1 ) [Zn 4 (L) 2 Eu(NO 3 ) 2 (MeOH)(EtOH)]NO 3 ·H 2 O ( 2 ), [Zn 4 (L) 2 Gd(H 2 O) 4 ]3NO 3 ·MeOH·EtOH ( 3 ) and [Zn 4 (L) 2 Tb(NO 3 )(EtOH)(H 2 O) 2 ]NO 3 ·MeOH·EtOH ( 4 ) were synthesized by the reactions of a bis(salamo)-type tetraoxime ligand (H 4 L) with Zn(OAc) 2 ·2H 2 O and Ln(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd and Tb), respectively. The structures of complexes 1 – 4 were fully characterized by elemental analyses, FT–IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography, and their luminescence properties were also discussed. In addition, cyclic voltammograms were used to characterize electrochemical properties of the Zn(II)–Ln(III) (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd and Tb) complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Previous evapotranspiration (ET) partitioning studies have usually neglected competitions and interactions between antagonistic plant functional types. This study investigated whether shrubs and grasses have divergent ET partition dynamics impacted by different water‐use patterns, canopy structures, and physiological properties in a shrub‐encroached steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China. The soil water‐use patterns of shrubs and grasses have been quantified by an isotopic tracing approach and coupled into an improved multisource energy balance model to partition ET fluxes into soil evaporation, grass transpiration, and shrub transpiration. The mean fractional contributions to total ET were 24 ± 13%, 20 ± 4%, and 56 ± 16% for shrub transpiration, grass transpiration, and soil evaporation respectively during the growing season. Difference in ecohydrological connectivity and leaf development both contributed to divergent transpiration partitioning between shrubs and grasses. Shrub‐encroachment processes result in larger changes in the ET components than in total ET flux, which could be well explained by changes in canopy resistance, an ecosystem function dominated by the interaction of soil water‐use patterns and ecosystem structure. The analyses presented here highlight the crucial effects of vegetation structural changes on the processes of land–atmosphere interaction and climate feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the presence of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and physical soil crusts (PSCs) regulates surface soil hydrological processes in the high-altitude alpine ecosystems is still a pressing scientific issue owing to a lack of convincing field observation data. This study highlights the interesting phenomenon whereby BSCs and PSCs are jointly distributed in opposite orientations under a canopy of patchy Achnatherum splendens grass on the alpine steppe of the Qinghai Lake watershed (Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, northwestern China). The vegetation characteristics (plant species, cover, and biomass) and soil properties (volumetric soil water content, hydraulic conductivity, temperature, salinity, and macroporosity) were investigated for BSCs zones, PSCs zones, and interpatch zones (IPZs) in the A. splendens patches (ASPs) system. The experimental results show that BSCs increased infiltration during wet periods by increasing significantly greater hydraulic conductivity and macroporosity ( p  < 0.01), and reduced soil evaporation by maintaining a lower soil temperature than PSCs and IPZs during dry periods. BSCs had an important role in improving water retention in ASPs and thereby provided highly favorable conditions for plant recruitment and survival. However, PSCs reduced the infiltration capacity of surface soils and were suspected of generating runoff after intense rainfall events, which might promote connectivity of the horizontal water flux for ASPs. PSCs had a negative effect on the vegetation community by creating a saline environment (e.g. 28-fold higher salinity than for BSC zones and IPZs at 5 cm depth) for other herbaceous plants. The predominant wind direction, canopy effects of A. splendens on local microclimate, and salt accumulation were identified as the main factors determining the opposite distribution of BSCs and PSCs. The results suggest that BSCs and PSCs play contrasting roles in soil hydrology in ASPs, and provide valuable insights for understanding the spatial distribution of soil crusts and vascular plants as well as their interactions in high-altitude alpine steppe ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum-based chemically enhanced primary sedimentation has seen increasing use in wastewater treatment plants. However, the derived sludge (Al-sludge) has low biodegradability due to the inhibition of Al-coagulants on organic hydrolysis, which increases the difficulty of sludge treatment and limits the potential for resource recovery. In this study, the effects of pH adjustment on the pretreatment and fermentation of Al-sludge was investigated, with a focus on sludge hydrolysis and production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The effects of abiotic and biotic hydrolysis on sludge disintegration, organics solubilization, and hydrolytic enzyme activity were also evaluated. The results show that adjustment of the pH to between 8.0 and 10.0 was more effective than adjustment to between 2.0 and 6.0 for sludge hydrolysis and subsequent VFA production. The enzymatic activities of protease and α -glucosidase showed a positive correlation with the pH values, leading to the highest VFA yield (275 mg-COD/g-VS) for the initial pH 10.0 condition, with 46% improvement over the control reactor (without pH adjustment). Semi-continuous fermentation was found to be more effective than batch fermentation for the biotic hydrolysis rate, k H . Little phosphorus (<0.1 mg/L) was released from the Al-sludge into the fermented sludge liquor, so P removal was not necessary before the VFAs were used. The wastewater treatment process with Al-based chemically enhanced primary sedimentation and pH adjustment for enhanced sludge fermentation can recover 24% of organic carbon from domestic wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new solvent‐induced Ni(II) complexes with chemical formulae [{NiL(μ2‐OAc)(MeOH)}2Ni]·2MeOH (1), [{NiL(μ2‐OAc)}2(n‐PrOH)(H2O)Ni]·n‐PrOH (2), [{NiL(μ2‐OAc)(DMF)}2Ni] (3) and [{NiL(μ2‐OAc)(DMSO)}2Ni]·2DMSO (4), (H2L = 4‐Nitro‐4′‐chloro‐2,2′‐[(1,3‐propylene)dioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT‐IR, UV–Vis spectra and X‐ray crystallography. X‐ray crystal structure determinations revealed that each of the Ni(II) complexes 1–4 consists of three Ni(II) atoms, two completely deprotonated (L)2− units, two μ2‐acetate ions and two coordinated solvent molecules (solvents are methanol, n‐propanol, water, N,N‐dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulphoxide, respectively). Although the four complexes 1–4 were synthesized in different solvents, it is worthwhile that the Ni(II) atoms in the four complexes 1–4 adopt hexa–coordinated with slightly distorted octahedral coordination geometries, and the ratios of the ligand H2L to Ni(II) atoms are all 2: 3. The complexes 1–4 possess self‐assembled infinite 1D, 3D, 1D and 2D supramolecular structures via the intermolecular hydrogen bonds, respectively. In addition, fluorescence behaviors were investigated in the complexes 1–4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two homotrinuclear Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes, [{CoL(OAc)(DMSO)}2Co]·2DMSO and [{NiL(OAc)(DMSO)}2Ni] have been synthesized by the reaction of 4,4′-dichloro-2,2′-[(1,3-propylene)dioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol (H2L) with cobalt(II) and nickel(II) acetate tetrahydrate in the solution of DMSO, respectively, and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV-Vis spectra and X-ray crystallography. In the Co(II) complex, terminal Co2 and Co2#1 atoms located in the N2O2 sites, and are both hexa-coordinated with slightly distorted octahedral geometries. While the central Co1 atom is also hexa-coordinated by six oxygen atoms, four are phenoxy oxygen atoms from two (L)2− units, and two oxygen atoms from µ2-acetate ions, which has formed a octahedral geometry. In the Ni(II) complex, coordination environments of the Ni(II) atoms are similar to those of the Co(II) atoms. Infinite 1D supramolecular structure is formed via abundant intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions in the Co(II) complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The influence of the moss layer on soil structure and soil water retention is not well understood. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the changes in soil structure and soil water retention under moss layer and to reveal the influencing factors of these changes. Methods: 3D networks of moss layer and soil macropores were quantified using CT scanning and image analysis techniques, and soil water retention characteristics were explored through soil water retention curves (SWRCs) and VG model. Results: The length densities of the soil macropores under the thin moss and thick moss layers were approximately 2.7 and 1.6 times higher than that under no moss cover. The soil water retention under the thin and thick moss layers were greater than those under no moss cover, with the highest plant-available water capacity under the thin moss layer. The maximum water-holding capacity of the moss layer was significantly positively correlated with the field water-holding capacity of the soil and negatively correlated with the equivalent diameter of the macropores, while the storage capacity of the moss layer was significantly and negatively correlated with the maximum effective water content of the soil. The field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) were significantly and positively correlated with the soil organic matter. Conclusions: The effect of the moss layer on water retention may be mainly realized by influencing the pore distribution and organic matter accumulation. The moss layer had a positive ecohydrological effect on soil water retention and even water conservation in forest soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A thin Al(OH) 3 shell was coated on the surface of NZVI particles. • The Al(OH) 3 -coated NZVI particles exhibited a much improved stability in suspension. • The Al(OH) 3 coating shell increased the reductive reactivity of NZVI. • Adsorption onto the Al(OH) 3 shell facilitated the reduction of 4-NP by NZVI@Al(OH) 3. • The Al(OH) 3 shell extended the longevity of NZVI@Al(OH) 3 for contaminant removal. Abstract A novel structured material, aluminum hydroxide–coated nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI@Al(OH) 3), was synthesized to improve the applicability of NZVI in environmental remediation. Using a rate-control precipitation method, the surface of NZVI was covered with a thin shell of amorphous Al(OH) 3. ζ-potential of NZVI under a weak alkaline condition became positive after coating with the Al(OH) 3 shell. NZVI@Al(OH) 3 performed remarkably higher suspension stability in aqueous phase than bare NZVI, owing to the increased electrostatic repulsion and the reduction of magnetic attraction between the NZVI@Al(OH) 3 particles. Results of H 2 generation test indicated that the pH buffering capacity of the Al(OH) 3 shell and the enlarged surface area benefitted the reductive reactivity of NZVI@Al(OH) 3. Additionally, the adsorption capability of the positive Al(OH) 3 shell facilitated the reduction and detoxification of contaminants on the NZVI surface. Consequently, the core-shell structure dependent modification with a thin inorganic shell with multiple functions is a promising design for environmental nanomaterials, and the NZVI@Al(OH) 3 synthesized in this study is a feasible and environmentally benign material for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the performance of thermal energy storage (TES) systems, a multiple phase change material (multi-PCM) based TES unit for use in conventional air-conditioning systems was studied. Three PCMs (PCM-1, PCM-2, and PCM-3) with phase change temperatures of 5.3 °C, 6.5 °C and 10 °C, respectively, were used. Water was used as the heat transfer fluid (HTF). A three-dimensional model (3D) was developed in ANSYS FLUENT to investigate the charging process of multi-PCM TES unit. In order to validate the model, an experimental system was set up. The effect of volume ratio of multi-PCM, HTF inlet temperature and flow rate on the charging process of TES unit was investigated. The simulation results indicate that TES unit using multi-PCM with volume ratio 1:2:3 intensify the charging process in comparison with using single-PCM. The total charging capacity of multi-PCM TES unit with 1:2:3 proportions was 3637.2 kJ and increased by approximately 32.22% as compared to the single-PCM. For the HTF flow rate of 0.3 kg/s, decreasing the inlet temperature of HTF sped up the charging capacity, and obviously shortened the complete charging time of TES unit. However, the HTF inlet temperature did not appreciably change the total charging capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The farming practice of alternating ridges–furrows with plastic film mulching is widely used to improve field productivity of most staple crops such as maize and wheat in the semiarid Loess Plateau, but whether the technology has similar benefits on oil crops such as linseed flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.), still remains unknown. From 2012–2013, a 2–year field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of different ridges–furrows mulching patterns on soil hydrothermal parameters, linseed yield performance, water use efficiency and economic benefit at a rainfed semiarid site of the Loess Plateau. Four different treatments were designed as: i) alternating small and large ridges with full film mulching (RFM), ii) alternating ridges and furrows with plastic film mulching only on the ridges (RM), iii) flat planting with fully film mulching (FM) and iv) conventional flat planting without mulching (CK). Local widely cultivated variety Tianya 9 was used as testing cultivar. The results indicated that soil water storage during early growing stage was increased by 7.1%, 0.6% and 6.3% in RFM, RM and FM, respectively, compared with that of CK across two growing seasons. After harvesting, soil water storage in RFM was recovered to higher level than that of CK. Average soil temperature at seedling stage was 3.1 °C and 2.1 °C higher in RFM and FM than that of CK. In addition, film mulching generally accelerated crop development during early vegetative period, leading to a shorter growing season in RFM and RM. Particularly, both linseed yield and water use efficiency were enhanced by 116.2% and 154.8% in RFM, 50.3% and 72.4% in RM, 87.5% and 84.2% in FM across two growing seasons, respectively, compared with those of CK. Critically, the greatest net income and output to input ratio were achieved in RFM across both growing seasons. Present results clearly suggest that the practice of alternating small and large ridges with full film mulching provide an innovative option to optimize soil hydrothermal conditions, thereby boosting the productivity and profitability of dryland linseed flax in rainfed semiarid environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron-based chemically enhanced primary sedimentation (CEPS) is increasingly adopted for wastewater treatment in mega cities, producing a large amount of sludge (Fe-sludge) with a high content of organics for potential organic resource recovery. In this experimental study, acidogenic fermentation was applied treat FeCl 3 -based CEPS sludge for production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at different pHs. Batch fermentation tests on the Fe-sludge with an organic content of 10 g-COD/L showed that the maximum VFAs production reached 2782.2 mg-COD/L in the reactor without pH control, and it reached 688.4, 3095.3, and 2603.7 mg-COD/L in reactors with pHs kept at 5.0, 6.0 and 8.0, respectively. Analysis of the acidogenesis kinetics and enzymatic activity indicated that the alkaline pH could accelerate the rate of organic hydrolysis but inhibited the further organic conversion to VFAs. In semi-continuous sludge fermentation tests, the VFAs yield in the pH6 reactor was 20% higher than that in the control reactor without pH regulation, while the VFAs yield in the pH8 reactor was 10% lower than the control. Illumina MiSeq sequencing revealed that key functional microorganisms known for effective sludge fermentation, including Bacteroidia and Erysipelotrichi , were enriched in the pH6 reactor with an enhanced VFAs production, while Clostridia became more abundant in the pH8 reactor to stand the unfavorable pH condition. The research presented acidogenic fermentation as an effective process for CEPS sludge treatment and organic resource recovery and provided the first insight into the related microbial community dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sequencing batch reactor-based system was developed for enhanced phosphorus (P) removal and recovery from municipal wastewater. The system consists of an iron-dosing SBR for P precipitation and a side-stream anaerobic reactor for sludge co-fermentation with food waste. During co-fermentation, sludge and food waste undergo acidogenesis, releasing phosphates under acidic conditions and producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) into the supernatant. A few types of typical food waste were investigated for their effectiveness in acidogenesis and related enzymatic activities. The results show that approximately 96.4% of total P in wastewater was retained in activated sludge. Food waste with a high starch content favoured acidogenic fermentation. Around 55.7% of P from wastewater was recovered as vivianite, and around 66% of food waste loading was converted into VFAs. The new integration formed an effective system for wastewater treatment, food waste processing and simultaneous recovery of P and VFAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]