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SUMMARY Maize is one of the world's most important staple crops, yet its production is increasingly threatened by the rising frequency of high‐temperature stress (HTS). To investigate the genetic basis of anther thermotolerance under field conditions, we performed linkage and association analysis to identify HTS response quantitative trait loci (QTL) using three recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations and an association panel containing 375 diverse maize inbred lines. These analyses resulted in the identification of 16 co‐located large QTL intervals. Among the 37 candidate genes identified in these QTL intervals, five have rice or Arabidopsis homologs known to influence pollen and filament development. Notably, one of the candidate genes, ZmDUP707, has been subject to selection pressure during breeding. Its expression is suppressed by HTS, leading to pollen abortion and barren seeds. We also identified several additional candidate genes potentially underly QTL previously reported by other researchers. Taken together, our results provide a pool of valuable candidate genes that could be employed by future breeding programs aiming at enhancing maize HTS tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engine as the core component of mechanical equipment, its operating state directly affects whether the equipment can operate normally. Predicting the engine remaining useful life (RUL) can monitor the health of the engine in real time and formulate a timely and reasonable maintenance plan. Aiming at the engine monitoring data with various and long time span, we propose a direct prediction method of engine RUL based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) optimized multi-layer Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) in this paper. Firstly, the monitoring data that can well reflect the engine degradation trend is screened out, and the samples are constructed through a sliding time window. Then, a multi-layer LSTM model is constructed to mine the deep-seated features of the samples for predicting the engine RUL. Finally, the hyperparameters of the multi-layer LSTM model are optimized automatically by the PSO algorithm to optimize the performance of the model. The effectiveness of this method is verified by NASA data set. RMSE, MAE and the scoring function are used as evaluation indexes. RMSE and score of the prediction results are 12.35 and 284.1, respectively. It has higher prediction accuracy compared with traditional deep learning and machine learning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous development of portable devices and new energy vehicles has led to an increasing demand for high‐performance lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), and anode materials, as a key part of LIBs, are being explored. Germanium‐based anode materials are considered to have good potential for application because of their high theoretical capacity. In this work, a germanium phosphate glass precipitating GeO2 microcrystal was designed and used in LIBs as anode materials for the study. The presence of GeO2 crystals increases the specific surface area and also provides more reaction sites for lithiation reaction, resulting in the capacity of the glass anode. The discharge specific capacity of the germanium‐phosphorus glass anode was as high as 740.9 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g−1. Interestingly, the synergistic effect between the glass matrix and the crystals not only increases the cycling capacity but also enhances the cycling stability of the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating concern regarding increasing air pollution and its impact on the health risks associated with PM2.5 in developing countries necessitates attention. Thus, this study utilizes the WRF-CMAQ model to simulate the effects of meteorological conditions on PM2.5 levels in Changchun, a typical city in China, during January 2017 and January 2020. Additionally, it introduces a novel health risk-based air quality index (NHAQI) to assess the influence of meteorological parameters and associated health risks. The findings indicate that in January 2020, the 2-m temperature (T2), 10-m wind speed (WS10), and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) were lower compared to those in 2017, while air pressure exhibited a slight increase. These meteorological parameters, characterized by reduced wind speed, heightened air pressure, and lower boundary layer height—factors unfavorable for pollutant dispersion—collectively contribute to the accumulation of PM2.5 in the atmosphere. Moreover, the NHAQI proves to be more effective in evaluating health risks compared to the air quality index (AQI). The annual average decrease in NHAQI across six municipal districts from 2017 to 2020 amounts to 18.05%. Notably, the highest health risks are observed during the winter among the four seasons, particularly in densely populated areas. The pollutants contributing the most to the total excess risk (ERtotal) are PM2.5 (45.46%), PM10 (33.30%), and O3 (13.57%) in 2017, and PM2.5 (67.41%), PM10 (22.32%), and O3 (8.41%) in 2020. These results underscore the ongoing necessity for PM2.5 emission control measures while emphasizing the importance of considering meteorological parameters in the development of PM2.5 reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrophysical very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays (with energies >30 GeV) are believed to result almost exclusively from the interactions of populations of highly relativistic particles with ambient matter or photon fields. The study of these VHE photons therefore allows us to examine the processes of particle acceleration in the Universe, and the extreme environments in which they occur. Gamma-rays are also highly directional, making them useful for studying the origin, acceleration, propagation, and composition of cosmic rays. This study uses the Monte Carlo method to simulate the process of extensive air showers being initiated when primary incident γ -rays with energies ranging from 10 GeV to 5 TeV interact with the atmosphere. The ultimate goal is to investigate and analyze the properties and lateral density distributions of Cherenkov light at different altitudes. The simulation considers various energies and zenith angles. The results show that a hump in the lateral density distribution of Cherenkov light is a distinctive feature of a γ -initiated shower, with the hump becoming less prominent at higher energy levels and altitudes. These significant findings not only facilitate better fitting of experimental data obtained from actual extensive air showers but also assist with estimating readings from detectors, thus advancing our understanding of these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is known to be involved in dexmedetomidine (DEX)‐mediated alleviation of renal ischemia and reperfusion injury, the influence of the association between DEX and SIRT3 on nephritis development remains unclear. In this study, the role of SIRT3 in DEX‐mediated amelioration of inflammation and oxidative stress in nephritis as well as the possible underlying mechanism were explored in vivo and in vitro. Methods: An animal model of glomerulonephritis was generated by injecting mice with interferon‐alpha (IFNα)‐expressing adenoviruses, and periodic acid–Schiff staining was then used to reveal pathogenicity‐related changes in the renal tissue. Additionally, human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) and renal mesangial cells (RMCs) were treated with IFNα to establish cell models of inflammation in vitro. Results: DEX administration alleviated glomerulonephritis in the animal model and upregulated SIRT3 expression in the renal tissue. SIRT3 knockdown inhibited the renoprotective effects of DEX against nephritis. IFNα induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in the RMCs and HEK293 cells and reduced their growth, as evidenced by the evaluation of cytokine levels (enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay), reactive oxygen species generation, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, nuclear factor‐erythroid factor 2‐related factor 2/heme oxygenase‐1 signal transduction, apoptotic cell proportion, and cell viability. In addition to promoting SIRT3 expression, DEX inhibited IFNα‐induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in these cells and promoted their viability. SIRT3 knockdown partially reversed the beneficial effects of DEX on RMCs and HEK293 cells. Conclusions: Our results suggest that DEX exhibits renoprotective activity during nephritis progression, protecting renal cells against inflammatory injury by promoting SIRT3 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance strategy selection is an important step in maintenance management, which is the basis for implementing maintenance optimization and formulating specific maintenance schemes. This paper takes the meta-action unit (MU) as the research object, considers the randomness and fuzziness of expert evaluation and the interaction between evaluation criteria in the selection process of maintenance strategy, and proposes a maintenance strategy selection method based on cloud DEMATEL-ANP. Firstly, DEMATEL based on cloud model is used to establish the interaction model between the main criteria, determine the weighted cloud weight of the super matrix and the inner dependencies of the sub-criteria under the same main criteria. Then, the cloud-ANP model is used to determine the outer dependencies relationship and construct the cloud super matrix, so as to obtain the cloud weight of each evaluation criteria in maintenance strategy selection. By using the subjective and objective weighting method, the evaluation of different experts on different maintenance strategy criteria is integrated, and the priority of alternative maintenance strategies of MU is obtained. Finally, different methods are used to sort and compare the alternative maintenance strategies of the rotating body rotation MU of the CNC turntable, which verifies the scientificity and effectiveness of the maintenance strategy selection method based on cloud DEMATEL-ANP are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitivity analysis, calibration, and verification of crop model parameters improve crop model efficiency and accuracy, facilitating its application. This study selected five sites within the Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation Area. Using meteorological data, soil data, and field management information, the EFAST (Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test) method was used to conduct first-order and global sensitivity analyses of spring wheat parameters in the WOFOST (World Food Studies Simulation) Model. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) analyzed the contribution of crop parameters to different simulation indices, with parameter sensitivity rankings being discussed under varying water supply and climate conditions. Finally, the adapted WOFOST model was employed to assess its applicability in the Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation Area. TMNFTB3.0 (correction factor of total assimilation rate at 3 °C), SPAN (life span of leaves growing at 35 °C), SLATB0 (specific leaf area in the initial period), and CFET (correction factor transpiration rate) showed higher sensitivity index for most simulation indices. Under the same meteorological conditions, different water supply conditions have a limited impact on crop parameter sensitivity, mainly affecting leaf senescence, leaf area, and assimilate conversion to storage organs. The corrected crop parameters significantly enhanced the wheat yield simulation accuracy by the WOFOST model ( M E = 0.9964; R M S E = 0.2516; M B E = 0.1392; R 2 = 0.0331). The localized WOFOST model can predict regional crop yield, with this study providing a theoretical foundation for its regional application, adjustment, and optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to understand and forecast future climate change and its impact on regional crop yield. This study employed the optimized World Food Studies (WOFOST) model and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) data to assess the effects of climate change in different emission scenarios [ e.g. , ssp126 [sustainable development with low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions], ssp245 (balanced development with medium GHG emissions), and ssp585 (conventional development with high GHG emissions)] on the spring wheat yield and growth period in Northwest China. Lasso regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), Random Forests (RF), and RNN showed superior optimization performance for radiation amount surface downwelling shortwave radiation flux (RSDS), maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), wind speed (sfcWind), and precipitation (PR). These optimizations decreased the root mean square error (RMSE) of RSDS, Tmax, Tmin, sfcWind, and PR by 1.0285, 2.6396, 2.7839, 2.3763, and 0.3020, respectively, compared to the original data. Long-term annual PR will increase by 415 mm in the ssp126 scenario, whereas the increases were estimated to be 257 mm and 249 mm under the ssp245 and ssp585 scenarios, respectively. Regarding temperature, Tmax and Tmin are expected to rise by 0.97 °C and 1.08 °C, respectively, under the ssp126 scenario. These values are also projected to be 2.29 °C/1.70 °C and 1.81 °C/3.36 °C for Tmax/Tmin under the ssp245 and ssp585 scenarios, respectively. The optimized crop parameters can effectively improve the yield simulation accuracy of the WOFOST model and reduce RMSE. Yinchuan and Huinong are projected to experience an increase of 19.8 % and 15.8 % in their average yield under the ssp585 scenario in the short-term future, compared to the average yield during the baseline period. Qingtongxia is expected to reach a 20.2 % increase under the ssp126 model, while Zhongning will undergo an increase of 12.3 % under the ssp585 model, and Litong will observe an 11.2 % increase under the ssp245 model. Qingtongxia showed the highest long-term production growth, with increases of 18.0 % and 15.3 %, respectively, under the ssp126 and ssp245 scenarios. Higher temperatures, radiation levels, and PR are typical features of the future climate in the study area. The CMIP6 data simulations and the optimized WOFOST model predict that spring wheat yield will increase soon but will not increase as much in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) utilization demands pretreatment to disrupt the compact structure and reduce the recalcitrance originating from LCB constituents interaction. Alkaline pretreatment (AP) selectively solubilizes lignin, enhances the accessible surface area, and eventually alters the pretreated residue structure. During pretreatment, heterogeneous susceptibility/recalcitrance of LCB constituents towards pretreatments and various phenomena such as phase transition, de/repolymerization, and lignin solubility are primarily responsible for structure alteration. Lignin structure comprises various kinds of bonds/linkages (β-O-4′, β-β′, and β-5′), and each one might be differently susceptible to a specific pretreatment. Differently susceptible lignin bonds/linkages and the relationship between AP and lignin bond degradation are not fully understood. Sequential alkaline pretreatment (SAP) was applied at constant pretreatment severity to investigate the lignin degradation, structure of residual lignin in the pretreated residue, and the heterogeneous susceptibility/recalcitrance of lignin bonds to categorize the labile/recalcitrant lignin moieties/bonds during SAP. Cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) was isolated from un/pretreated residues and characterized by FTIR, GPC, and 2D NMR (HSQC). Semi-quantification of 2D NMR spectra anticipated the heterogeneous degradation of lignin ether bonds/C-C linkages as β-5′ degraded completely than β-O-4′ and β-β′. It might be due to the accessibility of cellulose/hemicellulose-lignin matrix as each pretreatment step degraded LCB and exposed embedded structure. [Display omitted] • Sequentially alkaline pretreatment (SAP) employed to understand lignin degradation. • Lignin degradation, lignin moieties and bonds susceptibility during SAP studied. • Comparatively, β–O–4′ degraded more with each pretreatment step than β–β′ and β–5′. • β–β′ degraded gradually, and β–5′ became recalcitrant after first pretreatment step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic catalysis effect of NaOH and H 2 O 2 on the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of poplar was investigated and compared to the NaOH or H 2 O 2 catalyzed HTL at different temperatures and 30 min residence time. GC-MS, GPC, FT-IR, HPLC and TGA were used to comprehensively characterize the physical and chemical properties of liquefied products (bio-oil, lignin and solid residue). The results showed that the highest total bio-oil yield (70.65%) was obtained at 280 °C with NaOH (35 g/L)/H 2 O 2 (30 g/L) as catalysts. The average molecular weight and polydispersity index (PDI) were found to be lower compared to that from other conditions. As the NaOH concentration was increased, the bio-oil yield was improved. The concentration of H 2 O 2 for the optimal synergistic effect was observed to be 30 g/L. GC-MS analysis showed that the bio-oil obtained by NaOH (35 g/L)/H 2 O 2 (30 g/L) was characterized with the lowest N content. The synergistic effect promoted the higher production selectivity of o-xylene and p-xylene in the bio-oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding the adequate level of security of information systems dealing with sensitive data, privacy, or defense systems involves some form of access control. The audits performed are dealing with the determination of the allowed activities of the legal users, when attempting to access resources of the system. Usually, full access is provided after the user has been successfully authenticated through an authentication mechanism (e.g., password), while the corresponding authorization control is based on the confidentiality level of the respective resources and the authorization level assigned to each user. A very important diversification occurring in modern digital technologies is related to the identification based on blockchain technology, which is presented as a public, distributed data series, unable to modify its history and grouped in time-numbered blocks. In this work, a blockchain-based verifiable user data access control policy for secured cloud data storage is suggested for a version associated with big data in health care. It is an innovative system of applying classified access policies to secure resources in the cloud, which operates based on blockchain technology. System evaluation is carried out by studying a case in its resilience to Eclipse attack under different malicious user capabilities for routing table poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fluoroborate glass (LF) anode with a loose network structure induces the formation of Sb3+Sb5+O 4 crystals through charge discharge cycles. The presence of crystals increases the specific surface area of the reaction and increases the embedded lithium sites. • The introduction of F-ions improves the cycling stability and cycling life of anodes in B 2 O 3 -Sb 2 O 3 glass systems. After 900 cycles, the specific discharge capacity of the LF glass anode remains at 371.4 mAh g−1. • LF glass anode not only has good long-term cycling stability, but also excellent rate performance. When tested with a high current of 2 A g−1, the active substance exhibits stable structure and good recovery ability. Glass anodes have received much concern due to their open network structure and ability to provide permeation channels for lithium-ions. However, there is still relatively little exploration of the electrochemical performance of F-ions-regulated glass network structure. In this work, fluoroborate glass with a loose network structure was prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method. This glass anodes (LF) induced the formation of Sb3+Sb5+O 4 crystals through charge/discharge cycling, and the presence of the crystals enhanced the specific surface area and embedded lithium sites. After 900 cycles, the specific discharge capacity of the LF glass anode is maintained at 371.4 mAh g−1, and the introduction of F-ions effectively improves the cycling stability and cycle life of the anode in the B 2 O 3 -Sb 2 O 3 glass system. This advances a new idea for the future research and development of glass anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The 5083Al/SUS405 laminated heterostructure composites (LHCs) was fabricated. • The LHCs exhibit simultaneous improvement in strength-ductility and damping capacity. • GNDs can act as effective dislocation damping sources and enhance damping capacity. The laminated heterostructure composite design was implemented on 5083Al alloy. Through the process of vacuum hot pressing (HP state) followed by cold rolling and annealing (CRA state), the 5083Al/SUS405 laminated heterostructure composites (LHCs) were fabricated. The LHCs exhibit excellent combination of strength-ductility and damping capacity. The damping in the LHCs originates from the combined effects of dislocation, interface and ferromagnetic damping mechanisms. Compared to 5083Al alloy, the LHCs exhibit higher dislocation damping at relatively high strain amplitudes (ε > 0.01 %), especially for the CRA state LHC with higher density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs). This suggests that GNDs not only enhance strength-ductility through the hetero-deformation induced (HDI) hardening effect, but also contribute to dislocation damping in the LHCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the vital renewable feedstock originated from carbon-neutral resources, due to prominent aromaticity lignin owns the potential to produce high value-added products. Multi-functional lignin valorization demands efficient lignin extraction at milder conditions to keep its structure intact to substitute petroleum-based reactants. Lignin extraction severity (LES) is considered as the primary factor affecting the structure of extracted lignin and ultimately determines its applications. Except for the LES, the selection of suitable reagents for lignin extraction concerned with specific applications is crucially important. To explore the influence of different reagents, this study focused on lignin extraction employing the commonly used strong acids at the same LES. Four lignin preparations were extracted using 80% aqueous dioxane with the addition of H 2 O (L1), HCl, H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 (pH = 1.30 ± 0.01 L2, L3 and L4, respectively). Analytical high-sensitive NMR (31P and 2D-HSQC) together with other characterizations (FTIR and GPC) were successfully employed and quantified while unveiling the structural heterogeneity among extracted lignin preparations. At the same LES, different reagents yielded lignin with varying structural characteristics and were potentially suitable for different applications. • Selection of suitable reagents was important for tailor-made lignin extraction towards its application. • Synergistic effect of H+ ions and anions caused lignin structure alteration. • The same severity factor with different reagents yielded lignin with different structural characterizations for different applications. • Quantification revealed the structural heterogeneity among extracted lignin preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broussonetia papyrifera, Cryptomeria fortunei, Arundo donax, and Robinia pseudoacacia were planted on a zinc smelting slag site. The habitat conditions and spatial distribution of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in slag were analyzed after seven years of restoration. The results showed that the pH, conductivity (EC), and moisture content of phytoremediated slag were lower than those of the control slag. The redox potential (Eh) and EC decreased with increasing slag depth. Phytostabilization significantly increased the contents of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in slag. TN, AN, AP, and DOC in slag showed obvious surface polymerization. Phytostabilization increased the content of calcite and gypsum in the slag. As and Sb concentrations were significantly lower than control slag, with an average decrease of 651–844 and 422–693 mg·kg −1, respectively. Residual As and Sb in phytoremediated slag was the most present form, the proportion of which was higher than that in the control slag. The proportions of calcium-bound and aluminum-bound As and Sb were lower. The contents of arsenic and antimony in plants had lower levels and followed the order of roots > leaves > stems. As and Sb showed a strong positive correlation with pH, EC, moisture content, and a negative correlation with TN, TP, AN, AP, and DOC. In summary, phytostabilization significantly improved slag site conditions and reduce As and Sb available concentrations. Novelty statement Co-contamination of As and Sb is common in mining areas because of similar chemical properties. There are only few reports on the effects of matrix modification and phytoremediation (without additional soil cover) on the soil physicochemical properties, the spatial distribution, and the bioavailability of As and Sb in zinc slag with an alkaline pH. The research determined that phytostabilization significantly improved slag site conditions and reduce As and Sb available concentrations. The results obtained can be used as necessary information for the large-scale ecological restoration or vegetation reconstruction of zinc smelting slag yards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the speciation of arsenic and antimony in the rhizosphere of 6 pioneer plants grown in zinc smelting slag to understand the main affecting factors of phytoremediation. Compared with the control slag, the pH of rhizosphere decreased significantly (p < 0.05) and the DOC content increased significantly (p < 0.05). Overall, the contents of arsenic (except Photinia serrulata and Lolium perenne) and antimony in the rhizosphere were lower than those of control slag. The proportions of residual arsenic and antimony in the rhizosphere were the highest and significantly higher than control slag. Exchangeable state, aluminum-bound state and calcium-bound state were lower than control slag. The contents of arsenic and antimony in plants were normal and followed the order of roots > leaves > stems. Arsenic and antimony were significantly positively correlated with Free iron and aluminum oxides and negatively correlated with DOC. After 7 years of phytoremediation, the content and bioavailability of arsenic and antimony in the rhizosphere were significantly reduced and have a normal contents in plants. It is speculated that phytoremediation increases the migration of arsenic and antimony to the surrounding area, and Photinia serrulata and Lolium perenne exhibited the best performance on stabilise arsenic in slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-ambient daytime radiative cooling (SA-DRC) has been demonstrated by various advanced emitters in recent studies, which have attracted considerable attention from fundamental sciences and potential applications. Apart from emitter's unique radiative properties, the cooling loss of the emitter affects the performance of SA-DRC in actual applications. Although the emitter is fixed in an enclosure space to decrease the effect of ambient wind on the performance of cooling, the cooling loss of the emitter still exists, and an effective heat transfer coefficient between the emitter and ambient air has directly been widely used to predict the magnitude of the cooling loss power. However, this mathematical description is limited, which will lead to a controversial prediction in some cases. In this study, the cooling loss of the emitter was investigated based on a local environment. The simulation was conducted on the basis of four advanced emitters that were reported in recent studies, and the results show that the cooling loss of the emitter increases with the increasing interface temperature of the enclosure space that surrounds the emitter, which weakens the cooling effect of the emitter. A case study shows that the temperature reduction of an infrared-spectral-selective emitter could be degraded from −3.2 °C to 0.1 °C when the interface temperature increases from ambient temperature to 6 °C higher than ambient temperature, which implies that the cooling effect has been entirely destroyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a flexible manipulation solution on droplet formation based on the modified T-junction with a rectangular rib to reduce the droplet size and improve monodispersity. The droplet formation in the ordinary and modified T-junctions is numerically investigated using the verified three-dimensional volume of fluid method. The results reveal that the modified T-junction can significantly enlarge the dripping regime and droplet-generable regimes while decreasing the jetting regime. In the modified T-junction, the droplet detachment is much easier as the detachment driving forces are strengthened, while the resistance forces are weakened. By investigating the droplet formation in the ordinary and different modified T-junctions with change in viscosity, surface tension, and wall wettability, it is found that the dominant geometric factor affecting the droplet formation is the rib height, not the rib width. Based on the rib height, two modified scaling laws are proposed to predict droplet size in squeezing and dripping regimes. The wall wettability can deteriorate the droplet formation in the ordinary T-junction, while the rib in the modified T-junction can weaken this adverse effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, amorphous glass has been widely used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its amorphous structure which is conducive to the migration of lithium-ions. Among them, metal oxide glass anode materials have high charge/discharge capacity and excellent cyclic stability. It is expected to solve the problems of low graphite anode-specific capacity of lithium batteries, the collapse of the layered structure, and the sharp decay of cyclic capacity of charge/discharge. Therefore, this paper reviews and analyzes the research progress of metal oxide glass anode materials, especially tin-based and vanadium-based glass materials. Then, this paper proposes performance optimization strategies for glass anode materials. Besides, the prospects for the research of anode materials for lithium-ion batteries are also presented, in the hope of inspiring new ideas and further research in practical applications [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient Fa-ChCl-H-β catalytic system was developed to achieve high selectivity (78.5%) and yield (69.61%) of the C16 fuel precursor, the Fa-ChCl-DES can effectively assist in improving the performance of H-β. And the Fa-ChCl-H-β catalytic system had a shape-selective catalytic function in the feedstock pool constructed by lignin-derived platform compounds. [Display omitted] • An efficient Fa-ChCl-H-β catalytic system was developed. • High selectivity(78.5%) and yield (69.61%) of C16 was achieved. • Fa-ChCl-DES can effectively assist in improving the performance of H-β. • Fa-ChCl-DES was less toxic to H-β and can be regenerated. • Fa-ChCl-H-β catalytic system had shape-selective catalytic function. An efficient deep eutectic solvent (DES) catalytic system was developed for the aldol condensation of lignin derivatives acetovanillone (AV) with p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (PHB) to prepare C16 high energy fuel precursors to solve the problems of low coverage of lignin materials, low catalyst selectivity, and compatibility with solvents. With the optimized reaction conditions of a substrate molar ratio of 1:2, 5 g ChCl/Fa (1:6), 15 wt% H-β, and 100 ℃ for 120 min, the conversion rate of AV reached 88.68%, while the selectivity and yield of C16 reached 78.5% and 69.61%, respectively. The stability of H-β in DES was found to be better than that in conventional solvents based on SEM, TEM, XRD, and TG analysis. Moreover, NH 3 -TPD proved that DES could effectively increase the strong acid strength of H-β, thereby enhancing reactivity. Moreover, DES increased the specific surface area of the H-β catalyst from 109.59 m2/g to 404.118 m2/g and had a significant pore-enlarging effect (from 1.529 nm to 2.157 nm), which accelerated the reaction progress. DES was also found to be less toxic to H-β, enabling it to be regenerated. Furthermore, the shape-selective catalytic mechanism of the DES-assisted H-β system was demonstrated in the feedstock pool constructed by different lignin-derived platform compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mechanisms of Fe-based CME were investigated by electrochemical studies. • Decomposition potentials of Fe3+-catecholate complexes conformed with their E HOMO. • Oxidative decomposition of complexes initiated the formation of protective coating. • Coating suppressed both anodic and cathodic reactions of pyrite oxidation. Pyrite oxidation is the main cause of acid mine drainage (AMD) formation, a very serious environmental problem in numerous mining areas worldwide. To manage AMD, a promising approach called carrier-microencapsulation has been proposed to suppress pyrite oxidation via the formation of a protective coating on the mineral using redox sensitive catecholate complexes of Fe3+, Al3+, Si4+ and Ti4+. In this study, the mechanisms involved in the suppression of pyrite oxidation by Fe-based CME were investigated by conducting a series of electrochemical studies (i.e., linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS), and chronoamperometry). The results of LSV showed that the sequential decomposition of Fe3+-catecholate complexes on pyrite (tris-catecholate → bis-catecholate → mono-catecholate → Fe3+) occurred at different electrode potentials that corresponded to HOMO energy levels of the three Fe3+-catecholate complexes. Moreover, the oxidative decomposition of Fe3+-catecholate complexes formed a passivating coating as illustrated by chronoamperometry and EIS results using a rotating disk platinum (Pt) electrode. With longer decomposition time and at higher anodic potentials, defects in the coat decreased, resulting in the formation of a more resistant and evenly distributed coating. A comparison between chronoamperometry results of coated and uncoated pyrite electrodes suggests that the coating formed by Fe3+-catecholate complexes suppressed both anodic and cathodic half-cell reactions of pyrite oxidation by limiting the diffusion of reactants and products between pyrite and bulk solution phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pyrite, a common gangue mineral in complex sulfide ores and coals, is rapidly oxidized in water by ferric ions and dissolved oxygen to form a very acidic and heavy metal-laden leachate called acid mine drainage (AMD). Carrier-microencapsulation (CME) using Ti4+, Si4+, and Al3+ was reported as a promising new approach to prevent pyrite oxidation by forming a passivating barrier on the pyrite surface. In CME, the presence of Fe3+-catecholate complexes is unavoidable but their effects on pyrite oxidation remain unclear. In this study, the effects of Fe3+-catecholate complexes on pyrite oxidation were investigated. Formations of mono-, bis-, and tris-catecholate complexes of Fe3+ were verified by UV–Vis spectrophotometry and their speciation with pH was consistent with thermodynamic considerations. Linear sweep voltammetry was conducted to evaluate the redox properties of Fe3+-catecholate complexes, and the results indicate that ligands in the three complexes were sequentially oxidized until Fe3+ is released. Coating formation on pyrite was confirmed after treatment with mono- and bis-catecholate complexes. Results of SEM-EDX and ATR-FTIR indicate that the coating is composed primarily of iron oxyhydroxide phases. The results of leaching experiments showed that pyrite oxidation was suppressed by Fe3+-catecholate complexes via two mechanisms: (1) electron donating effects of the complexes, and (2) formation of a protective coating on pyrite. The results provide not only a better understanding of the effects of Fe3+-catecholate complexes on pyrite oxidation but also some possible applications of Fe3+-based CME such as the suppression of pyrite oxidation to prevent AMD formation and depression of pyrite floatability in mineral processing. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Fe3+-catecholate complexes were oxidatively decomposed to release Fe3+ on pyrite surface. • Fe3+ was precipitated as an iron oxyhydroxide coating on pyrite surface. • Iron-based CME suppressed pyrite oxidation and could depress its floatability in mineral processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) has been proved to be the main aetiological factor in dental caries. Curcumin, a natural product, has been shown to exhibit therapeutic antibacterial activity, suggesting that curcumin may be of clinical interest. The objective of this study is to evaluate the inhibitory effects of curcumin on metabolism and biofilm formation in S. mutans using a vitro biofilm model in an artificial oral environment. S. mutans biofilms were treated with varying concentrations of curcumin. The biofilm metabolism and biofilm biomass were assessed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and the crystal violet assay. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to analyse the composition and extracellular polysaccharide content of S. mutans biofilm after curcumin treatment. The biofilm structure was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope. The gene expression of virulence-related factors was assessed by real-time PCR. The antibiofilm effect of curcumin was compared with that of chlorhexidine. The sessile minimum inhibitory concentration (SMIC50%) of curcumin against S. mutans biofilm was 500 μM. Curcumin reduced the biofilm metabolism from 5 min to 24 h. Curcumin inhibited the quantity of live bacteria and total bacteria in both the short term (5 min) and the long term. Moreover, curcumin decreased the production of extracellular polysaccharide in the short term. The expression of genes related to extracellular polysaccharide synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, adherence, and the two-component transduction system decreased after curcumin treatment. The chlorhexidine-treated group showed similar results. We speculate that curcumin has the capacity to be developed as an alternative agent with the potential to reduce the pathogenic traits of S. mutans biofilm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NBS-LRR proteins encoded by the majority of R genes represent important intracellular receptors that directly or indirectly recognize pathogen effector proteins, which subsequently activate plant defense responses. In this study, a novel Plasmopara viticola-induced TIR-NBS-LRR gene, named VaRGA1, was cloned from leaf tissues of a highly downy mildew-resistant Vitis amurensis 'Shuanghong' grapevine. The fluorescence signal of the VaRGA1-GFP fusion protein was clearly partitioned to the cytoplasm and nucleus. The expression of the VaRGA1 gene was strongly induced during early stages of infection by P. viticola, and was also significantly upregulated after drought and salt treatments. Accordingly, grapevine leaves transiently expressing the VaRGA1 gene manifested increased resistance to P. viticola, and the overexpression of the VaRGA1 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana conferred enhanced resistance to Phytophthora parasitica through the activation of salicylic acid (SA) signaling and phenylpropanoid pathways and could also increase tolerance to drought and salt stresses at the germination and vegetable growth stages. These findings indicate that the grapevine VaRGA1 gene may function as the immune and non-immune receptors against biotic and abiotic stresses and that there may be signaling overlap between biotic and abiotic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viticulture in China, like in many other major grape-growing countries around the world, is severely affected by downy mildew ( DM) disease caused by Plasmopara viticola (Pv). However, little has been known about the pathogenicity and genetic structure of the pathogen distributed in China. In this study, 206 single-sporangiophore Pv strains were isolated from Pv-infected leaves collected from the most important grape-growing regions in China. Among them, 29 strains, isolated from a majority of sampled regions and from the hosts with different DM resistance, were tested for their pathogenicity by inoculating into six grape cultivars with different levels of DM resistance. Significant difference in pathogenicity was observed among these strains. Seven pairs of SSR primers selected from previous reports were used for genetic studies of these 206 Pv strains. A total of 64 alleles and 193 genotypes were identified, suggesting that oosporic infection resulted from sexual reproduction made the major contributions to the disease epidemics during the growing season. Analysis of molecular variance ( AMOVA) and principal coordinate analysis ( PCoA) showed that most of genetic variations were within populations. In addition, low levels of pairwise FST value (ranged from 0.02 to 0.07) and high levels of gene flow were detected between populations. Results from this study suggest that long-distance dispersals of Pv oospore occur in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downy mildew (DM), caused by oomycete Plasmopara viticola (Pv), can lead to severe damage to Vitis vinifera grapevines. Vitis amurensis has generally been regarded as a DM resistant species. However, when V. amurensis ‘Shuanghong’ were inoculated with Pv strains ‘ZJ-1-1’ and ‘JL-7-2’, the former led to obvious DM symptoms (compatible), while the latter did not develop any DM symptoms but exhibited necrosis (incompatible). In order to underlie molecular mechanism in DM resistance, mRNA-seq based expression profiling of ‘Shuanghong’ was compared at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post inoculation (hpi) with these two strains. Specific genes and their corresponding pathways responsible for incompatible interaction were extracted by comparing with compatible interaction. In the incompatible interaction, 37 resistance ( R ) genes were more expressed at the early stage of infection (12 hpi). Similarly, genes involved in defense signaling, including MAPK. ROS/NO, SA, JA, ET and ABA pathways, and genes associated with defense-related metabolites synthesis, such as pathogenesis-related genes and phenylpropanoids/stilbenoids/flavonoids biosynthesizing genes, were also activated mainly during the early stages of infection. On the other hand, Ca 2+ signaling and primary metabolism, such as photosynthesis and fatty acid synthesis, were more repressed after ‘JL-7-2’ challenge. Further quantification of some key defense-related factors, including phytohormones, phytoalexins and ROS, generally showed much more accumulation during the incompatible interaction, indicating their important roles in DM defense. In addition, a total of 43 and 52 RxLR effectors were detected during ‘JL-7-2’ and ‘ZJ-1-1’ infection processes, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmopara viticola is an oomycete pathogen that causes downy mildew, one of the most devastating diseases of grapevine. Currently, the molecular basis of the interaction between this pathogen and the grapevine host is not well understood. To explore the genes involved in P . viticola pathogenicity we performed RNA-Seq analysis of cDNAs derived from downy mildew-infected grapevine leaves for three different P . viticola isolates; two from China (JL-7-2, ZJ-1-1) and one from Australia (CSIRO-L-2). Approximately 30,000 unigenes were predicted for each of the three isolates and from these over 500 potential secreted proteins were identified. Using three prediction methods, a total of 51 PvRXLR effectors were identified to be present in the secretome, with at least 26 shared by two or more P . viticola isolates. Expression profiling, based on RNA-Seq data, indicated that PvRXLRs showed three different expression patterns during infection. Transient expression of selected PvRXLRs in Nicotiana benthamiana demonstrated that all were capable of suppressing programmed cell death triggered by the mouse BAX protein or the PAMP INF1. Additionally, BLASTP and Hidden Markov Model (HMM) searches identified 10 predicted proteins belonging to the CRN (Crinkler) group of oomycete effectors. Pfam domain analysis of the secretome also identified a diverse range of putative apoplastic effectors, the major groups being glycosyl hydrolases, peptidases and protease-inhibitors. This study provides the first detailed analysis of the secretome of grapevine downy mildew and its encoded effector arsenal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• V 2 O 5 nanocrystals with an elongated plate-like morphology are prepared. • Oxygen vacancies are present in samples annealed under hydrogen-containing gases. • An initial capacity of 284 mAh g−1 and a capacity of 153 mAh g−1 at 10 C are obtained. • Enhanced rate capacity and cycling stability are observed on the annealed samples. Vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5) is regarded as a promising cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, V 2 O 5 nanocrystals with an elongated plate-like morphology are prepared via a chemical solution approach that involves the hydrolyzation of vanadyl sulfate in alkaline solution. Oxygen vacancies are intentionally created by thermal treating the V 2 O 5 samples under hydrogen-containing gases at different temperatures. Although the annealing process does not change the shape, morphology and crystalline structure of V 2 O 5 nanocrystals, it does bring about a small amount of oxygen vacancies, as evidently from the results of XRD patterns and Raman spectra. The presence of oxygen vacancies has positive effects on the electrochemical properties. A higher initial discharge capacity, and excellent rate capability and cycling stability are observed on the oxygen vacancy-containing V 2 O 5 samples. Especially, the sample annealed at 350 °C is found to have an initial capacity of 284 mAh g−1and the capacity still maintains at about 153 mAh g−1 even at 10 C. The combination of nanoscale dimension and oxygen vacancies in V 2 O 5 nanocrystals presents a simple way to improve their rate capability and cycling stability for potential high-performance LIB applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Monodisperse core-shell spinel Li4Ti5O12@C submicron particles are prepared. • Li4Ti5O12@C particles have an un-aggregated morphology with N-doped carbon shell. • The carbon shell can prevent the fusion and agglomeration of Li4Ti5O12 particles. • Capacities of 165.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and 147.7 mAh g−1 at 20 C are obtained. • Significantly enhanced rate performances are observed on Li4Ti5O12@C sample. Monodisperse spinel Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) particles coated with a carbon layer (LTO@C) are prepared by using a solid-phase sintering reaction between pre-synthesized carbon-coated TiO 2 particles and lithium carbonate. The core-shell structured LTO@C particles have an average size of about 320 nm, and a carbon shell thickness of about 10 nm. While the TiO 2 particles that are pre-coated with a carbon layer generate LTO@C particles with monodisperse un-aggregated morphology, the TiO 2 particles without carbon coating eventually lead to aggregated LTO particles with an irregular morphology. Much better rate performances are observed for LTO@C particles than the un-coated LTO particles. The discharge specific capacity of the typical LTO@C sample is about 165.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and 147.7 mAh g−1 at 20 C. The discharge specific capacity still keeps at 133.6 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. The results demonstrate that the presence of carbon shell on the surface of TiO 2 particles can prevent the particle agglomeration and limit the growth of lithium titanate grains within the space of carbon shell, and finally generate monodisperse un-aggregated morphology which can increase the contact area between the active material and the electrolyte. Furthermore, the uniform carbon shell can establish a conductive network to improve the overall electronic conductivity, which is beneficial to the improvement of the rate performances of LTO anodes for the applications of lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid mine drainage (AMD) formation is mainly caused by the oxidation of pyrite. Carrier-microencapsulation (CME) using metal-catecholate complexes has been proposed to passivate sulfide minerals by forming surface-protective coatings on their surfaces. Among the various metal-catecholate complexes, Ti-catecholate formed stable coatings having superior acid-resistance, but a thick enough passivating film required considerable time (ca. 14 days) to grow. Meanwhile, Fe-catecholates can form Fe-oxyhydroxide coatings within 2 days, however, they are less stable than Ti-based coating. To address these drawbacks of using a single metal-complex, this study investigated the concurrent use of Fe-catechol and Ti-catechol complexes for accelerating the formation of stable passivating coating on pyrite. Compared with a single metal-complex system, the coating formation was significantly accelerated in mixed system. Linear sweep voltammetry showed the simultaneous decomposition of [Fe(cat)]+ and [Ti(cat) 3 ]2– as the main reason for improved coating formation. Electrochemical properties of coatings formed by single and mixed complex systems, confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, indicated the coating formed in the mixed system had higher resistance and more electrochemically inert than the other cases. The simultaneous use of Fe-catechol and Ti-catechol complexes enhanced pyrite passivation by accelerating metal-complex decomposition and forming more stable coating composed of Fe 2 TiO 5. [Display omitted] • Pyrite passivation was investigated by CME using Fe- and Ti-catechol complexes. • When both complexes coexisted, their oxidative decompositions were accelerated. • CME using Fe-Ti-catechol complexes formed Fe 2 TiO 5 on pyrite surface. • Fe 2 TiO 5 had a higher resistance and more electrochemically inert than FeOOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the existing load balancing designs successfully make full use of available parallel paths and attain high bisection network bandwidth, they reroute flows regardless of their dissimilar performance requirements. But traffic in modern data center networks exhibits short bursts characteristic, which can easily lead to network congestion. The short flows suffer from the problems of large queuing delay and packet reordering, while the long flows fail to obtain high throughput due to low link utilization and packet reordering. In order to solve these inefficiency, we designed a fine-grained load balancing method (FLB), which uses an active monitoring mechanism to split traffic, and flexibly transfers flowlet to non-congested path, effectively reducing the negative impact of burst flow on network performance. Besides, to avoid packet reordering, FLB leverages the probe packets to estimate the end-to-end delay, thus excluding paths that potentially cause packet reordering. The test results of NS2 simulation show that FLB significantly reduces the average and tail flow completion time of flows by up to 59% and 56% compared to the state-of-the-art multi-path transmission scheme with less computational overhead, as well as increases the throughput of long flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Monte Carlo method, we conducted a comprehensive numerical simulation to investigate the response of the pulsed neutron logging in gas-bearing tight sandstone reservoir. We developed the saturation evaluation method based on the relative variation of the epithermal neutron count rates (denoted by De). Moreover, influential factors including the reservoir property, the fluid compositions, the gas saturation, as well as the solid components are investigated. The relationship between the gas saturation and De was established. The study provided a theoretical support for the quantitative characterization of gas-bearing tight sandstone reservoirs and is potential generalized to similar unconventional resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve flammability and radiation efficiency, a divergent porous media combustor is proposed and numerically studied. The local thermal non-equilibrium model is used to consider the temperature difference between gas and solid matrix. Effects of equivalence ratio, the wall thermal conductivity, solid matrix thermal conductivity, and divergent ratio on combustion characteristics, radiation efficiency, and flammability limits are studied. The results show that the divergent channel extends the blowout limit by 186% and obtains a maximum radiation efficiency of 29.3%, increased by 70% compared with the straight channel. A smaller wall thermal conductivity is recommended considering the flammability range and radiation efficiency. A careful choice of solid matrix thermal conductivity and the divergent ratio is suggested to balance their opposing effects on the radiation efficiency and the flammability. • A divergent channel is proposed to improve the performance of the MTPV system. • The divergent channel promotes the blowout limit by 186%. • A smaller wall thermal conductivity is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Expectations of medical students in China," by Peixing Wan and Erping Long in the March 26, 2016 issue.

Abstract A series of core-shell ZSM-5/SAPO-34 composite catalysts with different molar ratios were synthesized using hydrothermal method, and their catalytic performance was tested for the conversion of methanol-to-aromatics. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, SEM, NH 3 -TPD and N 2 adsorption-desorption analysis. The results showed that pristine SAPO-34 showed much lower selectivity to aromatics due to its narrow cage structure and lower acid sites. However, with increasing ZSM-5/SAPO-34M ratio, composite zeolite showed higher selectivity to aromatics. As the molar ratio was up to two, the selectivity to aromatics was even higher than that of pristine ZSM-5, indicating that core-shell composite zeolites with hierarchical structure and moderate acid sites were favored for methanol to aromatics. Meanwhile the optimum reaction condition for high yield of aromatics is determined to be 450 °C and 1.5 h−1(WHSV). Graphical abstract Core-shell ZSM-5/SAPO-34 composite catalysts were synthesized and applied for the conversion of methanol-to-aromatics. Composite catalysts showed higher selectivity to aromatics indicating that core-shell composite zeolites with hierarchical structure and moderate acid sites were favored the formation of aromatics. fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Tumor immunotherapy has the advantages of high specificity, minimal damage to the patient's body, and a long-lasting anti-tumor effect. However, due to the existence of immune escape phenomenon, the effect of anti-tumor immunotherapy is still poor. Therefore, a cancer vaccine that reverses tumor-associated immunosuppression is a very promising approach for research and treatment. Methods: Vaccines were prepared using autologous and allogeneic tumor cells and their lysates to syngeneic tumor cell lysates as immunogens. The glioma cell proliferation, apoptosis and the secretion level of MCP-2, IFN-γ were detected to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment against glioma in vitro. In addition, a rat glioma model was established to investigate the anti-tumor effect in vivo, and evaluated its efficacy by observing the changes of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, NK cells, and the level of IL-2 and IL-10 in peripheral blood before and after treatment. Results: The C6 + 9L glioma cell lysate vaccine (C6 + 9L-CL) not only inhibited the proliferation of glioma cells and promoted their apoptosis in vitro, but also significantly inhibited the tumor growth in vivo and improved the survival time of rats. In addition, the C6 + 9L-CL vaccine enhanced the anti-tumor immune response by promoting the secretion of T cell chemokines MCP-2, IFN-γ and IL-2, and by stimulating the proliferation of T cells and NK cells in peripheral blood and glioma tissues. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of molecular mimic vaccines on glioma and provided a theoretical basis for molecular mimic hybrid vaccines as a potential therapeutic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient ChCl-MeOH-AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O-Ru-C catalytic system was developed, and ChCl-MeOH-AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O-DES could effectively help to improve the performance of Ru-C, which achieved a high yield of aromatic small aromatic phenol ketones, VMK, SA, DMH and DHE (92.4%). And ChCl-MeOH-AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O-DES could achieve high selective lignin dissolution (93.1%) from Evodia lepta residue. [Display omitted] • ChCl-MeOH-AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O DES was developed for in-situ lignin hydrogenolysis. • Ru-C in the DES significantly improved the product yield and profile. • The system led to 93.1% delignification and 95.3% cellulose retention. • The system led to a high total aromatic phenol ketone yield of 92.4%. • Ru-C performance was improved by the DES system. A deep eutectic solvent (DES) system of ChCl-MeOH-AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O was developed for simultaneous dissolution of lignin from Evodia lepta residue and in-situ hydrogenolysis of lignin to aromatic phenol ketones using a Ru-C catalyst. The use of this DES led to a delignification of reached 93.1 % and cellulose and hemicellulose retentions of 95.3 % and 47.8 % respectively at the molar ratio of 1:12:0.2. While the total aromatic phenol ketones yield reached 92.4 % under 130 °C for 3 h with 17.2 % yields of vanillyl methyl ketone, 9.1 % syringylacetone, 25.4 % dihydroeugenol, and 40.7 % 4-propyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol. The improved Ru-C properties in the DES system like thermal stability, the specific surface area and reduction potential contributed on the exceptional high product yields. The aromatic phenol ketones were 312.5 % higher than the reported yields of hydrogenolysis of aromatic monomers by ethanol/1,4-dioxane/formic acid under 300 °C–2 h conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is an important element of landslide risk assessment, but the process often needs to span multiple platforms and the operation process is complex. This paper develops an efficient user-friendly toolbox including the whole process of LSM, known as the SVM-LSM toolbox. The toolbox realizes landslide susceptibility mapping based on a support vector machine (SVM), which can be integrated into the ArcGIS or ArcGIS Pro platform. The toolbox includes three sub-toolboxes, namely: (1) influence factor production, (2) factor selection and dataset production, and (3) model training and prediction. Influence factor production provides automatic calculation of DEM-related topographic factors, converts line vector data to continuous raster factors, and performs rainfall data processing. Factor selection uses the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) to calculate the correlations between factors, and the information gain ratio (IGR) to calculate the contributions of different factors to landslide occurrence. Dataset sample production includes the automatic generation of non-landslide data, data sample production and dataset split. The accuracy, precision, recall, F1 value, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under curve (AUC) are used to evaluate the prediction ability of the model. In addition, two methods—single processing and multiprocessing—are used to generate LSM. The prediction efficiency of multiprocessing is much higher than that of the single process. In order to verify the performance and accuracy of the toolbox, Wuqi County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province was selected as the test area to generate LSM. The results show that the AUC value of the model is 0.8107. At the same time, the multiprocessing prediction tool improves the efficiency of the susceptibility prediction process by about 60%. The experimental results confirm the accuracy and practicability of the proposed toolbox in LSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 40% of infertile men are diagnosed with oligoasthenozoospermia and the incidence is still rising, but the effective treatments are not been found until now. Astragalin, one of the main active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, may be effective in the treatment of oligoasthenozoospermia. This study investigated the pharmacological effects of astragalin for treatment of oligoasthenozoospermia in male mice, induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). Male mice were intraperitoneally injected by CTX (50 mg/kg), and astragalin (30 mg/kg) was given via oral gavage once daily. RNA-seq analysis highlighted astragalin upregulated gene expression of anti-apoptosis (AKT1and BCL2-XL), cell proliferation (ETV1, MAPKAPK2, and RPS6KA5) and synthesis of testosterone (STAR, CYP11A1, and PRKACB), but downregulated gene expression of cell apoptosis (BAD, BCL-2, CASPASE9, and CASPASE3) in mouse testis. Astragalin also significantly reversed the reduction in body weight, reproductive organs index, and sperm parameters (sperm concentration, viability, and motility) induced by CTX, and restored testicular abnormal histopathologic morphology induced by CTX. Furthermore, astragalin dramatically rescued the gene expression related to spermatogenesis (AKT1, BCL-2, CASPASE9, CASPASE3, MAPKAPK2, RPS6KA5, STAR, and PRKACB), and increased the level of testosterone by improving related proteins (STAR, CYP11A1, PRKACB) for oligoasthenozoospermia induced by CTX. In conclusion, astragalin may be a potential beneficial agent for oligoasthenozoospermia by increasing the testosterone levels in testis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large and shallow strike-slip earthquakes produce striking ground ruptures, damaging roads and infrastructure but providing great opportunities for examining the fault's structure. After the 2022 Mw 6.7 Menyuan earthquake, we observed abundant surface fractures by a combination of optical remote sensing, radar offset and unmanned aerial vehicle measurements. These fractures reveal a complex fault structure including apparent bending geometries and bifurcating branches, which are essential to understanding the mechanisms of faulting. In this paper, we used triangular dislocations to construct the fault geometry that reflected the distribution of measured strike changes but avoided unexcepted discontinuities and overlaps where the fault bent. The modeled fault geometry revealed an extensional releasing bend which was responsible for the southward branching of the fault rupture at its western edge. Our results also demonstrated the potential to explain the occurrence of aftershock clusters and to infer their fault geometries through the correlation analysis of the aftershock distribution and the slip induced stress field. The triangular dislocation model also enabled the calculation of the fault plane roughness and its spatial variation which directly controlled the fault slip magnitude and rupture termination. These analyses reveal an unprecedented level of detail of the fault structure and slip mechanics and, to some extent, offer insights into the physical processes and structural properties of crustal faults in the Earth's shallow crust. • Curved and branched surface ruptures were observed by multi-sourced geodetic data. • The fault structure was related to the distribution and clustering of aftershocks. • The fault rupture forked southward at its western end because of a releasing bend. • The fault plane roughness controlled the slip propagation and termination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis delivers diverse effector proteins into host plant cells to suppress the plant's innate immunity. In this study, we investigate the mechanism of action of a conserved RxLR effector, HaRxLL470, in suppressing plant immunity.Genomic, molecular and biochemical analyses were performed to investigate the function of HaRxLL470 and the mechanism of the interaction between HaRxLL470 and the target host protein during H. arabidopsidis infection.We report that HaRxLL470 enhances plant susceptibility to H. arabidopsidis isolate Noco2 by interacting with the host photomorphogenesis regulator protein HY5. Our results demonstrate that HY5 is not only an important component in the regulation of light signalling, but also positively regulates host plant immunity against H. arabidopsidis by transcriptional activation of defense‐related genes. We show that the interaction between HaRxLL470 and HY5 compromises the function of HY5 as a transcription factor by attenuating its DNA‐binding activity.The present study demonstrates that HY5 positively regulates host plant defense against H. arabidopsidis whereas HaRxLL470, a conserved RxLR effector across oomycete pathogens, enhances pathogenicity by interacting with HY5 and suppressing transcriptional activation of defense‐related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) treatment is largely determined by tumor stage. Despite improvements in the mode of treatment of various types of advanced disease, staging is still evolving. The role of tumor deposits (TDs) in staging remains debated. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between TDs and prognosis in GC.Methods: A total of 3098 patients were considered eligible for prognostic analysis (2706 patients in the TDs-negative group and 392 patients in the TDs-positive group). A one-to-one propensity score-matching analysis was performed using a logistic regression mode and the following covariates: age, gender, tumor location, size, differentiation, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, pTNM stage, type of gastrectomy, and the number of lymph nodes retrieved between TDs-negative and TDs-positive group, then 323 patients in each group were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors were conducted accordingly. The predictive ability of different staging system incorporating TDs was evaluated.Results: TDs were present in 14.5% cases and almost all of the patients (99%) suffered from advanced GC. Multivariate analysis showed that pN stage, chemotherapy, and TDs were the independent prognostic factors. The TDs-positive group showed a lower rate of 5-year disease-free survival compared with the TDs-negative group in all patients, stage II, and stage III patients (p = 0.001, 0.029, and 0.003, respectively). The 5-year disease-free survival for patients with TDs and without TDs was 27.6% and 34.4%, respectively.Conclusions: Our research shows that TDs are closely associated with prognosis in GC. TDs should be incorporated into the TNM staging system, which could then accurately improve the staging reliability and prognostic assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin content of feedstock contributed more for the biomass recalcitrance despite of the comprehensive effect from multiple physical and chemical characteristics based on the anaerobic digestion analysis of 16 plant wastes from South China. With the objective of improving anaerobic digestion performance of mixed fruit shell, hydrothermal pretreatment based on biogas slurry recycling (HPBSR) was proposed. Compared with traditional hydrothermal pretreatment, the lignin content of mixed fruit shell was reduced by 4.51–21.13% after HPBSR. The soluble chemical oxygen demand of liquid fraction under 200 ℃ increased by 87.45% relative to the control group with biogas slurry. And the cumulative methane yield of anaerobic digestion was 129.97 mL/gVS, which was 45.01% and 18.78% higher than the control group without treatment and the hydrothermal pretreatment group, respectively. Moreover, the HPBSR experimental group did not produce anaerobic digestion inhibitors (furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural), and the higher humic acid concentration would be another possible reason for the improvement of methane yield. The related results will provide insights into the resource utilization of biogas slurry. [Display omitted] • Hydrothermal pretreatment based on biogas slurry recycling (HPBSR) was proposed. • A 45.01% increase in methane yield was achieved after HPBSR process. • No furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were detected during HPBSR process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an endoscopic alternative to surgical resection of early gastric cancer (EGC). Besides offering both diagnostic and therapeutic capability, it has the benefits of reducing post-operative complications and provides fast recovery and better quality of life compared to surgical resection of neoplastic lesions. However, due to limitations of the procedure, its long-term outcomes are rather controversial.Methods: This study has been carried out to investigate the long-term outcomes of ESD which includes the overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and recurrence rate. The following databases were used to search for articles published until February 2018: Medline, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO.Results: A total of 13 eligible studies covering 4986 patients were selected for a meta-analysis based on specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. The difference of OS and disease-specific survival (DSS) between ESD and surgical treatment was not statistically significant (RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.68-1.19, p = 0.46; RR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.15-1.03, p = 0.06, respectively). However, DFS in the ESD group was much lower than that in the surgery group (RR = 3.40, 95% CI = 2.39-4.84, p < 0.001). In terms of the treatment after recurrence, the proportion of patients who could receive radical treatment was significantly higher in the ESD than that in the gastrectomy (OR = 5.27, 95% CI = 2.35-11.79, p < 0.001).Conclusions: This meta-analysis showed that ESD might be an alternative treatment option to surgery for patients with EGC in Asian countries. But a close surveillance program after ESD is of necessity, considering the higher possibility of tumor recurrence after ESD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Natural dissolution and denudation are the essential processes of karstification; however, their intensities depend on geographic and climatic conditions. Field dissolution tests of carbonate tablets were conducted in Hubei Province over a three years period to determine the impact of precipitation, lithology, altitude, vegetation and soil on carbonate dissolution. Results from the study show that carbonate dissolution rates vary from 1.23 to 2.86 mg cm−2 a−1. In addition, a comparative analysis of our results with those from 28 other sites reveal two lateral regional boundaries of karstification, one trending from South to North China, the other from North to Northwest China, with regional precipitation variations appearing to be the primary control factor. Comparison of the dissolution rate of carbonate tablets set up on the surface (150 cm above ground surface and on the ground surface) with those beneath the surface (20 cm and 50 cm beneath the ground surface) at different elevations reveal a vertical karstification boundary in the mountainous areas along the South-North karstification transition zone. The results also show that surface dissolution rates (1.50–2.18 mg cm−2 a−1) are higher than subsurface dissolution rates (0.53–1.61 mg cm−2 a−1) in high altitude areas. Conversely, in low altitude areas, the subsurface dissolution rate (3.94 mg cm−2 a−1) is much higher than surface dissolution rate (1.78 mg cm−2 a−1). Therefore, the horizontal and vertical karstification boundaries in China highlight the main karstification function based on local elevation as well as varying geographical conditions. It was also found that the magnitudes of carbonate dissolution are consistent with recent karstification degree, which is critical for modeling karst landform evolution in the near future. Highlights • Carbonate dissolution variations define two horizontal karstification boundaries. • Vertical karstification boundary exists in mountainous karst areas in Central China. • Regional rainfall variations mainly control subsurface dissolution differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The possibility of lymph node metastasis (LNM) is critical to the assessment of the indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the risk factors for LNM and construct a risk-scoring model for patients with early gastric cancer to guide treatment.Methods: A retrospective examination of reports and studies carried out January 2000 and December 2014 was conducted. A risk-scoring model for predicting LNM was developed based on the data thus collected. In addition, the model is subject to verification and validation by three institutions.Results: Of the 1029 patients, 228 patients (22%) had LNM. Multivariate analysis showed that female, depressed type, undifferentiated type, submucosa, tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion were significantly associated with LNM. An 11-point risk-scoring model was used to predict LNM risk. An area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of the risk-scoring model was plotted using the development set and the AUROC of the model [0.76 (95% CI 0.73-0.80)] to predict LNM risk. After internal and external validation, the AUROC curve for predicting LNM was 0.77 (95% CI 0.68-0.86), 0.82 (95% CI 0.72-0.91), and 0.82 (95% CI 0.70-0.94), respectively.Conclusions: A risk-scoring model for predicting LNM was developed and validated. It could help with personalized care for patients with EGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study of the manipulated air flow and heat transfer over a surface-mounted rib is performed using Large-Eddy Simulation (LES). The Reynolds number is set as Re  = 3000 (based on the rib height, h, and the inflow velocity, U 0 ) and the frequency of zero mass-flux jet is chosen as St r = fh/U 0  = 0.08. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the effect of perturbation on the flow and thermal fields and the dissimilarity of transportation between momentum and heat transfer. Due to perturbation, the mean reattachment length shows a reduction of 13%, while the maximum mean Nusselt number on the heated wall has an augment of 10%. The effect of perturbation on heat transfer disappears after 10h, which is shorter than 15h for the friction coefficient. The Stanton number and the coefficient of friction are applied to study the dissimilarity of heat and momentum transport. Detailed instantaneous flow structures and spectral analysis suppose that spanwise vortices (large turbulent coherent structures) shed behind the rib contribute to the dissimilarity by transporting the hot fluid to the center flow and carrying the cold fluid to the bottom wall. The phase-averaged iso-surface of Q-criteria confirms above dissimilarity mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Daodi medicinal material is widely used in Chinese herb medication. However, there is a lack of systematic methodology for identifying characteristics associated with good quality and reliable efficacy of Daodi med-material. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to provide some evidence to further substantiate the use of Daodi medicinal materials. Methods. Seven relevant databases were searched before July 2014. Two evaluators were responsible for screening and categorizing the results. The data was analyzed with Microsoft Excel 2007 and SPSS 21.0 statistical software. Results. Overall, 107 articles were systematically analyzed. Of these studies, 55.1% (59/107) focused on the methodology to assess Daodi med-material, and 38.3% (41/107) were interested in med-material ingredients, soil physical and chemical properties, and the geological background system (GBS). Only 6.5% (7/107) of studies were mainly conducted as clinical trials and animal experiments. Conclusion. Comparisons between Daodi and non-Daodi materials have been studied mainly in terms of the ingredients or composition of medical materials, soil physics and chemistry, and the GBS, and some identifying methodologies have been created to identify Daodi attributes. Until now, there is still no consensus of comparison criteria between Daodi and non-Daodi medicinal material. Only a few studies were conducted through animal experiments and clinical trials to determine Daodi superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]