Search

Traffic load is one of the important external loads of bridges and simulating the site-specific traffic load is important for bridge condition assessment. This study proposes a new microscopic model to simulate the stochastic traffic load of any time period at bridge site based on weigh in motion (WIM) data. A model for simulating the microscopic interaction between vehicles was first proposed, by which free driving, car following and sudden braking can be reasonably simulated. Axle-weight information from the WIM data was embedded into the model to precisely simulate the vehicle load. A new vehicle sequence generation method based on WIM data was then proposed to generate the site-specific vehicle sequence of any time period with consideration of non-stationarity. Finally, a framework for simulating the site-specific stochastic traffic load is established. The proposed framework is validated through application based on realistic WIM data in traffic-flow simulation and load effect quantification. Comparisons of simulation results with the existing methods were also conducted to show the reasonability and novelty. The results indicate that the proposed framework can produce reasonable site-specific stochastic traffic load over any time period based on WIM data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiotherapy interruption (RTI) prolongs the overall total treatment time and leads to local control loss in many cancers, but it is unclear in esophageal cancer. We aimed to evaluate the influence of RTI on the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local-regional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) of patients with esophageal cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy. Methods: A total of 299 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from 2017 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed to investigate the effect of RTI on OS, PFS, and LRFS. The delayed time of radiotherapy interruption was calculated as the actual radiation treatment time minus the scheduled time. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by the COX proportional hazards regression models, and the survival analysis was performed through the Kaplan‒Meier method, and compared with the log-rank test. Results: The 3-year OS, PFS, and LRFS rates were 53.0%, 42.0%, and 48.0%, respectively. The univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the delayed time > 3 days was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS (HR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.10–2.55, p = 0.016), and LRFS (HR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.18–2.57, p = 0.006). The patient with a delayed time of > 3 days had poorer survival rates of OS, and LRFS than patients with a delayed time of ≤ 3 days (OS, p = 0.047; LRFS, p = 0.013), and the survival outcomes of patients with shorter delayed time (1–3 days) were slightly different from the patients without interruptions. The impact of delay time on PFS is not statistically significant, but the survival outcomes of the two groups were slightly different. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between delayed time and local control of esophageal cancer. The delayed time for more than 3 days might decrease the survival outcome, and increase the local recurrence risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a common chronic debilitating disease with a heavy social burden. single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can affect the function of microRNAs (miRNAs), which is in turn associated with neurological diseases. However, the association between SNPs located in the promoter region of miR-17-92 and the risk of depression remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the association between rs982873, rs9588884 and rs1813389 polymorphisms in the promoter region of miR-17-92 and the incidence of depression in a Chinese population. Methods: we used GWAS (Genome-wide association study) and NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) to screen three SNPs in the miR-17-92 cluster binding sites. A case-control study (including 555 cases and 541 controls) was conducted to investigate the relationship between the SNPs and risk of depression in different regions of China. The gene sequencing ii was used to genotype the collected blood samples. Results: the following genotypes were significantly associated with a reduced risk of depression: rs982873 TC (TC vs. TT: OR = 0.72, 95% CI, 0.54–0.96, P = 0.024; TC/CC vs. TT: OR = 0.74, 95% Cl, 0.56–0.96, P = 0.025); CG genotype of rs9588884 (CG vs. CC: OR = 0.74, 95% CI, 0.55–0.98, P = 0.033; CG/GG vs. CC: OR = 0.75, 95% Cl, 0.57–0.98, P = 0.036); and AG genotype of rs1813389 (AG vs. AA: OR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.57-1.00, P = 0.049; AG/GG vs. AA: OR = 0.76, 95% Cl, 0.59-1.00, P = 0.047). Stratified analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the three SNPS and variables such as family history of suicidal tendency (P > 0.05). Conclusions: our findings suggest that rs982873, rs9588884, and rs1813389 polymorphisms may be associated with protective factors for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying precursor information to rock failure is key to rock dynamic disaster warning. To solve the problem that a single in-situ monitoring method cannot accurately identify the precursors to rock failure, this paper combined a digital image correlation method, thermal infrared radiation and acoustic emission technology to conduct a multi-physical field joint monitoring experiment of granite under three-point bending. The information about strain, thermal infrared and acoustic emission of the rock brittle failure process could be obtained, and the variations in multi-physical field indices of the rock brittle failure process were analysed. Based on the theory of critical slowing-down, the study of the multi-physical field effects of critical slowing-down characteristics in the rock failure process, and further exploration of the precursor characteristics of the brittle failure of rock were undertaken. The results indicate that the strain, infrared, and acoustic emission parameters show sudden changes during brittle failure of granite. The lag step size has little effect on the variance of changes in multi-physical field parameters and exerts a similar influence on the changes in the autocorrelation coefficient curve. The degree of influence of the window length on the variance and autocorrelation coefficient curves of multi-physical field parameters is as follows: infrared field > strain field > acoustic emission field. Compared with the autocorrelation coefficient, the variance parameter is more universal and is better when the critical slowing-down theory is used to investigate the characteristics of multi-physical fields. The four parameters of the strain field variance, infrared field variance, the variance and autocorrelation coefficient for acoustic emission field increase sharply before fracture, representing precursor information to the brittle failure of granite. The four parameters can be used as disaster warning indicators in rock. Multi-mode joint monitoring and a comprehensive analysis of multi-physical information are beneficial to accurately determine the precursor points of rock failure disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the key role in the development of day surgery and the whole process management, anesthesiologists have played a positive role in promoting the organization and management of day surgery and perioperative quality control. As the bridge between day surgery wards and operating rooms, anesthesiologists need to join the hospital-level day surgery management committee or related organizations, and participate in the unified management and quality control of day surgery throughout the hospital. By establishing standardized anesthetic preoperative evaluation system, setting anesthetic subspecialty groups for day surgery, improving day surgery access system and other measures, we can reduce the risks associated with perioperative anesthesia, which is of great significance for optimizing the allocation and dispatching of surgical resources throughout the hospital. At the same time, formulating anesthetic quality control indicators for day surgery has a positive effect on further promoting and improving the construction of day surgery quality control indicators. At the micro level, based on individualized enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) measures, focusing on multi-modal analgesia, multi-drug postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and other management strategies, further implementing and refining perioperative anesthesia management processes and specific implementation plans to promote rapid recovery of day surgery patients and discharge on time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying, tracking and warning of the vortexed induced vibration (VIV) are essential for long-span suspension bridges because VIV might cause the driving safety problem. This study proposes an automatic method to identify and track the start and evolution of the VIV. Two feature indices, i.e. the energy concentration coefficient (ECC) and similarity ratio of amplitude (SRA), are utilised to form a feature index vector to identify and track the VIV. The Hilbert transform is utilised to process the vibration signal, based on which the SRA can be extracted. The k-means clustering method is introduced to automatically identify and track the VIV through automatically separating the feature index vectors into several clusters, and multi-level warming is established based on the acceleration root mean square (ARMS) value. The proposed method is validated using the in-field monitoring data of a suspension bridge suffering the VIV. The results indicate that the proposed automatic method can successfully distinguish the VIV from ambient vibration and can identify the forming of the VIV and track the evolution without any manual intervention, even for the VIV with low vibration amplitude. The multi-level warning can also be achieved based on the ARMS value when the VIV is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sparganosis is a worldwide food-borne parasitic disease caused by spargana infection, which infects the muscle of frogs and snakes as well as many tissues and organs in humans. There are currently no viable treatments for sparganosis. Understanding spargana's nutrition source and carbohydrate metabolism may be crucial for identifying its energy supply and establishing methods of treatment for sparganosis. Methods: Using an amino acid analyzer and nutrient concentration detection kits, we assessed nutrient concentrations in the muscles of Fejervarya limnocharis and Pelophylax plancyi infected or not infected with spargana. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to quantify the major enzymes involved in five glucose metabolism pathways of spargana developing in vivo. We also used quantitative PCR to assess key enzymes and transcriptome sequencing to explore the regulation of carbohydrate metabolic pathways in vitro in response to different 24-h food treatments. Results: Infected muscle tissues had considerably higher concentrations of glucogenic and/or ketogenic amino acids, glucose, and glycogen than non-infected muscle tissues. We discovered that the number of differentially expressed genes in Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was larger in low-glucose than in other dietary groups. We examined differences in the expression of genes producing amino acid transporters, glucose transporters, and cathepsins in spargana grown in various nutritional environments. In the normal saline group, only the major enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), glycogenesis, and glycogenolysis pathways were expressed. The l-glutamine group had the greatest transcriptional levels of critical rate-limiting enzymes of gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis. Furthermore, the low-glucose group had the highest transcriptional levels of critical rate-limiting enzymes involved in the TCA, glycolytic, and glycogenolysis pathways. Surprisingly, when compared to the in vitro culturing groups, spargana developing in vivo exhibited higher expression of these critical rate-limiting enzymes in these pathways, with the exception of the pentose phosphate pathway. Conclusions: Spargana have a variety of nutritional sources, and there is a close relationship between nutrients and the carbohydrate metabolism pathways. It takes a multi-site approach to block nutrient absorption and carbohydrate metabolism pathways to provide energy to kill them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-frequency noise may cause changes in cognitive function. However, there is no established consensus on the effect of low-frequency noise on cognitive function. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between low-frequency noise exposure and cognitive function. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and identified original studies written in English on low-frequency noise and cognition published before December 2022 using the PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases. The risk of bias was evaluated according to established guidelines. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed where appropriate. To explore the association between low-frequency noise exposure and cognitive function, we reviewed eight relevant studies. These studies covered cognitive functions grouped into four domains: attention, executive function, memory, and higher-order cognitive functions. The data extraction process was followed by a random-effects meta-analysis for each domain, which allowed us to quantify the overall effect. Results: Our analysis of the selected studies suggested that interventions involving low-frequency noise only had a negative impact on higher-order cognitive functions (Z = 2.42, p = 0.02), with a standardized mean difference of -0.37 (95% confidence interval: -0.67, -0.07). A moderate level of heterogeneity was observed among studies (p = 0.24, I2 = 29%, Tau2 = 0.03). Conclusions: Our study findings suggest that low-frequency noise can negatively impact higher-order cognitive functions, such as logical reasoning, mathematical calculation, and data processing. Therefore, it becomes important to consider the potential negative consequences of low-frequency noise in everyday situations, and proactive measures should be taken to address this issue and mitigate the associated potential adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein; Diptera: Tephritidae), which attacks citrus fruits in China is one of the most important international quarantine pests. Understanding the function of visual organs is the basis of trapping and prevention for management of pests such as B. minax. In this study, take-off ability and crawling experiments were conducted using 5 groups of B. minax all with different visual blinding treatments (blind ocelli, blind left compound eye, blind right compound eye, blind compound eyes, blind ocelli and compound eyes) and a corresponding control that was not blinded. We found that both the left and right compound eyes played a critical role in the vertical and horizontal crawling behavior of B. minax, while the ocelli did not. However, the perception of ambient light by ocelli or either compound eye had a significant influence on take-off of B. minax. Elucidating the monocular and compound eye functions of B. minax will help us to develop better visual traps for this important pest of citrus. La mosca china de los cítricos, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein; Diptera: Tephritidae), que ataca las frutas de cítricos en China es una de las plagas cuarentenarias internacionales más importantes. El comprender la función de los órganos visuales es la base del trampeo y la prevención para el manejo de plagas como B. minax. En este estudio, se realizaron pruebas de capacidad de despegue y experimentos de rastreo utilizando 5 grupos de B. minax, todos con diferentes tratamientos de cegamiento visual (ocelli ciego, ojo compuesto izquierdo ciego, ojo compuesto derecho ciego, ojos compuestos ciegos, ocelli ciego y ojos compuestos) y un control correspondiente que no fue cegado. Descubrimos que tanto el ojo compuesto izquierdo como el derecho desempeñaron un papel fundamental en el comportamiento de rastreo vertical y horizontal de B. minax, mientras que el ocelli no lo hizo. Sin embargo, la percepción de la luz ambiental por parte del ocelli o del ojo compuesto tuvo una influencia significativa en el despegue de B. minax. El esclarecer las funciones oculares monoculares y compuestas de B. minax nos ayudará a desarrollar mejores trampas visuales para esta importante plaga de los cítricos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the evolution and outcomes of postoperative trigeminal neuropathy following surgery of tumor involving the trigeminal nerve. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted between October 2018 and February 2019 involving 25 patients with tumors confirmed to involve the trigeminal nerve during surgery by senior author. Pre- and postoperative trigeminal nerve function status and clinical data were recorded. Results: This study included 18 cases of meningioma and seven of trigeminal schwannoma. Among the meningioma cases, 55.6% of the patients reported facial sensory dysfunction before surgery, 33.3% presented ocular discomfort, and 5.6% had masticatory muscle atrophy. Postoperatively, all patients experienced facial paresthesia, 94.4% complained of eye dryness, and one (5.56%) exhibited keratitis. Additionally, one patient (5.56%) showed new-onset masticatory weakness. During follow-up, 50.0% of patients reported improvement in facial paresthesia, and one (5.56%) experienced deterioration. Eye dryness resolved in 35.3% of patients, and keratitis remission was observed in one patient. However, one patient (5.56%) developed neurotrophic keratitis. Overall, 55.6% of patients displayed mild masticatory weakness without muscle atrophy. In the cases of schwannoma, 28.6% of patients had facial paresthesia before surgery, 42.9% showed ocular discomfort, and one (14.3%) complained of masticatory dysfunction. Postoperatively, 85.7% of patients reported facial paresthesia and eye dryness, with one patient (16.7%) experiencing keratitis. During follow-up, 66.7% of patients demonstrated improvement in facial paresthesia, 28.6% showed eye dryness remission, and one patient (16.7%) recovered from keratitis. However, one patient (16.7%) developed new-onset neurotrophic keratitis. One patient (16.7%) experienced relief of masticatory dysfunction, but 42.9% reported mild deterioration. Another patient (14.3%) had facial anesthesia that had not improved. Conclusion: Postoperative trigeminal neuropathy is a common complication with a high incidence rate and poor recovery outcomes after surgery for tumors involving the trigeminal nerve. When trigeminal nerve damage is unavoidable, it is essential to provide a multidisciplinary and careful follow-up, along with active management strategy, to mitigate the more severe effects of postoperative trigeminal neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the lubrication failure of water-lubricated bearings under short-term harsh conditions, preliminary experiments have shown that temporarily supplying a small amount of lubricating oil into a bearing as a secondary lubricant can improve the load capacity of the water film therein. However, the physical flow and diffusion state of this secondary lubricant (oil) in water are unclear. Therefore, a mixed lubrication model and a volume-of-fluid model are incorporated to study the diffusion behavior of a small amount of lubricating oil in a water-lubricated bearing. The results show that there is a backflow effect in the local area inside the bearing, where the fluid velocity is in the opposite direction to the linear velocity of the shaft. This backflow effect intensifies with increasing eccentricity ratio, which enlarges the oil-free zone in the middle part of the bearing. In the convergence area at the water inlet end of the bearing, the water supply pressure and backflow effect prevent the lubricating oil from escaping. Increasing the shaft speed has a positive effect on the diffusion of the oil and the load capacity of the fluid. To enhance the assisted lubrication effect of the oil, the oil injection port should be set in the loading zone to avoid the backflow zone. This research provides some fundamental data for reducing the friction and wear of water-lubricated bearings under harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stress usually leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in all aerobic organisms. Catalases (CAT) are the key antioxidant enzymes, which act as the first line of defense against ROS in the antioxidant pathway. The highly invasive and widely distributed whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED damages plants by feeding as well as by transmitting many plant viruses. Previous studies have shown that strong adaptability to high temperature helps explain the spread of MED around the world. However, the mechanism underlying high temperature adaptation of this pest is not well understood. In this study, 6 CAT genes were identified from the MED genome and transcriptome dataset, among which BtCAT1, BtCAT2, and BtCAT3 were found to be highly expressed in adults. The expression of BtCAT1, BtCAT2, or BtCAT3 increased with induction temperature and induction time. The MED was exposed with mean high temperature (30 °C or 35 °C) and a short‐term extremely high temperature (39 °C or 41 °C) after the silencing of BtCAT1, BtCAT2, or BtCAT3 to significantly increased ROS levels by at least 0.5 times and significantly decreased survival rate and fecundity of MED adults. The ROS level in the treated specimens gradually returned to a normal level after 24 h at 25 °C, but the survival rate still declined significantly. Taken together, our results demonstrate that CAT could help B. tabaci adapt to long‐term mean high temperatures and short‐term extremely high temperatures by eliminating excessive ROS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a scoping review to examine the barriers and facilitators accessing Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae testing among female sex workers. A literature search was conducted in Embase, Medline, and Web of Science for studies published from the date of creation of database to 17 March 2023, without restrictions for publication date. We used thematic synthesis to identify common affecting factors across included studies and then linked them into categories of the socioecological framework. Among the 14 articles included, 3 utilized qualitative methods, 7 utilized quantitative surveys, 2 were mixed methods, and 2 were randomized controlled trials. Several important affecting factors stood out during this review, including stigma and discrimination, as well as social support at the societal level, and financial costs at the service level. This review suggested that interventions on addressing societal- and service-level determinants are needed, which includes reducing stigma and discrimination toward sex work and cost for facility testing, as well as increasing social support and community engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aryl‐to‐vinyl nickel 1,4‐migration (1,4‐Ni migration) reaction has been reported for the first time. The generated alkenyl Ni species undergo a reductive coupling reaction with unactivated brominated alkanes affording a series of trisubstituted olefins. This tandem reaction exhibits mild conditions, a broad substrate scope, high regioselectivity, and excellent Z/E stereoselectivity. A series of controlled experiments have shown that the critical 1,4‐Ni migration process is reversible. In addition, the alkenyl nickel intermediates obtained after migration are highly Z/E stereoselective and do not undergo Z/E isomerization. The obtained trace isomerization products are caused by the instability of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aryl‐to‐vinyl nickel 1,4‐migration (1,4‐Ni migration) reaction has been reported for the first time. The generated alkenyl Ni species undergo a reductive coupling reaction with unactivated brominated alkanes affording a series of trisubstituted olefins. This tandem reaction exhibits mild conditions, a broad substrate scope, high regioselectivity, and excellent Z/E stereoselectivity. A series of controlled experiments have shown that the critical 1,4‐Ni migration process is reversible. In addition, the alkenyl nickel intermediates obtained after migration are highly Z/E stereoselective and do not undergo Z/E isomerization. The obtained trace isomerization products are caused by the instability of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-volume waste products, such as refrigerators and automobiles, not only consume resources but also pollute the environment easily. A two-sided disassembly line is the most effective method to deal with large-volume waste products. How to reduce disassembly costs while increasing profit has emerged as an important and challenging research topic. Existing studies ignore the diversity of waste products as well as uncertain factors such as corrosion and deformation of parts, which is inconsistent with the actual disassembly scenario. In this paper, a partial destructive mode is introduced into the mixed-model two-sided disassembly line balancing problem, and the mathematical model of the problem is established. The model seeks to comprehensively optimize the number of workstations, the smoothness index, and the profit. In order to obtain a high-quality disassembly scheme, an improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) is proposed. The proposed model and algorithm are then applied to an automobile disassembly line as an engineering illustration. The disassembly scheme analysis demonstrates that the partial destructive mode can raise the profit of a mixed-model two-sided disassembly line. This research has significant application potential in the recycling of large-volume products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst bauxite is a major source of aluminum and contains high concentrations of trace elements such as Li, Ga, Sc, and rare earth elements (REEs). It is regarded as a potential non-conventional REE source due to the increasing demand for REEs. This study provides new mineralogical and geochemical evidence of a Lindai bauxite deposit in central Guizhou Province, aiming to analyze the genesis of REE minerals and reveal the forms of REEs occurring in these deposits. The results indicate that a large number of detrital and authigenic rare-earth phosphate minerals, including monazite and xenotime, were identified. In terms of their genesis, the authigenic monazite was mainly precipitated under alkaline and reducing conditions, whereas the authigenic xenotime was formed in acidic and reducing conditions. The mineralogical evidence detected by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and a TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer (TIMA) suggests that the REEs in the Lindai bauxite exhibit multiple forms, including rare-earth phosphate minerals (monazite and xenotime) and REE scavenging by hematite and anatase phases. Among them, the anatase controls some LREE (such as La, Ce, and Pr) distributions in addition to monazite, whereas the hematite also controls relatively large amounts of Sm, Eu, and HREE (such as Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu) distributions. According to the calculation of the percentage of REE-bearing mineral phases obtained by a TIMA analysis, REE scavenging by hematite accounted for 93.28% of all forms of REEs, REE scavenging by anatase accounted for 5.88%, monazite accounted for 0.67%, and xenotime accounted for 0.17%. This study provides new evidence of the forms of REEs occurring in Carboniferous karst bauxite in central Guizhou Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is among the most common psychiatric disorders, and is a leading cause of the global disease burden. Its pathophysiological mechanism is unclear, which limits the development of therapeutic strategies. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS) may be related. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of the rs2242385, rs155979, rs3762983, and rs3762984 polymorphisms in the lncRNA NONHSAT102891 on depression susceptibility in a Chinese population. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in a cohort of 480 patients with depression and 329 healthy controls, and performed genotyping by gene sequencing ii. Results: The rs155979 GC genotype was significantly associated with increased risk of depression compared with healthy controls. Stratified analysis showed a 2.08-fold increased risk of suicide in patients with rs155979 GC or GG genotype. The rs2242385, rs3762983, and rs3762984 polymorphisms were not significantly associated with the risk of depression. Haploid analysis showed linkage disequilibrium between rs155979, rs3762983, and rs3762984, and the CCG haplotype reduced the risk of depression. Limitations: The study sample was relatively small, and was restricted to patients from central and southern China. Further, only peripheral blood was used for DNA extraction. Conclusion: The rs155979 polymorphism may be associated with the occurrence of depression in the Chinese population. However, further studies are needed to verify the reliability of our results in large populations and different ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality Sr isotope data are critically dependent on the quality of reference materials that are used for instrumental calibration and data monitoring during laser ablation (LA) multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) analysis. We have prepared a new natural calcite reference material MNP for in situ Sr isotope measurement by LA-MC-ICP-MS. Detailed textural examination and major element determination suggest that the MNP calcite reference material has no growth rim or zoning. Trace element analyses by LA-ICP-MS showed that the MNP calcite reference material has low Rb/Sr ratios, low amounts of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and high Sr contents. The MNP calcite reference material is homogeneous with respect to Sr isotopes based on a large number of measurements performed by single-grain solution nebulizer (SN)-MC-ICP-MS and LA-MC-ICP-MS. The traditional bulk isotope analyses by TIMS and SN-MC-ICP-MS yielded a mean 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.70617 ± 0.00005(2SD, n = 18). A total of 585 LA-MC-ICP-MS Sr isotope analyses on random calcite crystals show homogeneous Sr isotopic compositions with an average 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.70617 ± 0.00005 (2SD), identical with the solution-based data. These suggest that MNP calcite can be used as a potential reference material for microbeam Sr isotopic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Heterostructures have excellent physicochemical properties, which have attracted much attention in photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic fields. Au-TiO2NTs and Au@TiO2NTs were fabricated by the impregnation method and a vacuum-assisted-impregnation route, respectively. The effects of Au position on the structural and photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 have been characterized and studied. The Au@TiO2NTs photoelectrode showed a significant photocurrent (∼17 μA/cm2), which was approximately 8.5 and approximately 2.3 times greater than that of TiO2NTs and Au-TiO2NTs. Meanwhile, Au@TiO2NTs also exhibited the best photocatalytic activity and stability for tetracyclines degradation. The characterization and experimental results revealed that the better performance of Au@TiO2NTs may be attributed to the smaller Au nanoparticles inside the nanotube space, the reduced interfacial charge transfer resistance, and the stronger electronic interaction between Au nanoparticles and TiO2NTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diosgenin, a steroidal saponin, is a natural product found in many plants. Diosgenin has a wide range of pharmacological activities, and has been used to treat cancer, nervous system diseases, inflammation, and infections. Numerous studies have shown that diosgenin has potential therapeutic value for lipid metabolism diseases via various pathways and mechanisms, such as controlling lipid synthesis, absorption, and inhibition of oxidative stress. These mechanisms and pathways have provided ideas for researchers to develop related drugs. In this review, we focus on data from animal and clinical studies, summarizing the toxicity of diosgenin, its pharmacological mechanism, recent research advances, and the related mechanisms of diosgenin as a drug for the treatment of lipid metabolism, especially in obesity, hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. This systematic review will briefly describe the advantages of diosgenin as a potential therapeutic drug and seek to enhance our understanding of the pharmacological mechanism, recipe‐construction, and the development of novel therapeutics against lipid metabolism diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid peroxides accumulation induced ferroptosis is an effective cell death pathway for cancer therapy. However, the hypoxic condition of tumor microenvironment significantly suppresses the efficacy of ferroptosis. Here, we design a novel nanoplatform to overcome hypoxia‐induced ferroptosis resistance. Specifically, we synthesize a novel kind of perfluorocarbon (PFOB)@manganese oxide (MnOx) core‐shell nanoparticles (PM‐CS NPs). Owing to the good carrier of O2 as fuel, PM‐CS NPs can induce higher level of ROS generation, lipid peroxidation and GSH depletion, as well as lower activity of GPX4, compared with MnOx NPs alone. Moreover, the supplement of O2 can relieve tumor hypoxia to break down the storage of intracellular lipid droplets and increase expression of ACSL4 (a symbol for ferroptosis sensitivity). Furthermore, upon stimulus of GSH or acidity, PM‐CS NPs exhibit the "turn on" 19F‐MRI signal and activatable T1/T2‐MRI contrast for correlating with the release of Mn. Finally, PM‐CS NPs exert high cancer inhibition rate for ferroptosis based therapy via synergetic combination of O2‐mediated enhancement of key pathways of ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid peroxides accumulation induced ferroptosis is an effective cell death pathway for cancer therapy. However, the hypoxic condition of tumor microenvironment significantly suppresses the efficacy of ferroptosis. Here, we design a novel nanoplatform to overcome hypoxia‐induced ferroptosis resistance. Specifically, we synthesize a novel kind of perfluorocarbon (PFOB)@manganese oxide (MnOx) core‐shell nanoparticles (PM‐CS NPs). Owing to the good carrier of O2 as fuel, PM‐CS NPs can induce higher level of ROS generation, lipid peroxidation and GSH depletion, as well as lower activity of GPX4, compared with MnOx NPs alone. Moreover, the supplement of O2 can relieve tumor hypoxia to break down the storage of intracellular lipid droplets and increase expression of ACSL4 (a symbol for ferroptosis sensitivity). Furthermore, upon stimulus of GSH or acidity, PM‐CS NPs exhibit the "turn on" 19F‐MRI signal and activatable T1/T2‐MRI contrast for correlating with the release of Mn. Finally, PM‐CS NPs exert high cancer inhibition rate for ferroptosis based therapy via synergetic combination of O2‐mediated enhancement of key pathways of ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid extraction of liquefaction induced by strong earthquakes is helpful for earthquake intensity assessment and earthquake emergency response. Supervised classification methods are potentially more accurate and do not need pre-earthquake images. However, the current supervised classification methods depend on the precisely delineated polygons of liquefaction by manual and landcover maps. To overcome these shortcomings, this study proposed two binary classification methods (i.e., random forest and gradient boosting decision tree) based on typical samples. The proposed methods trained the two machine learning methods with different numbers of typical samples, then used the trained binary classification methods to extract the spatial distribution of liquefaction. Finally, a morphological transformation method was used for the postprocessing of the extracted liquefaction. The recognition accuracies of liquefaction were estimated by four evaluation indices, which all showed a score of about 90%. The spatial distribution of liquefaction pits is also consistent with the formation principle of liquefaction. This study demonstrates that the proposed binary classification methods based on machine learning could efficiently and quickly provide the spatial distribution of liquefaction based on post-earthquake emergency satellite images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sealing performance between two contacting surfaces is of significant importance to stable operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. In this work, an analytical micro-scale approach is first established to predict the gas leakage in fuel cells. Gas pressure and uneven pressure distribution at the interface are also included in the model. At first, the micro tortuous leakage path at the interface is constructed by introducing contact modelling and fractal porous structure theory. In order to obtain the leakage at the entire surface, contact pressure distribution is predicted based on bonded elastic layer model. The gas leakage through the discontinuous interface can be obtained with consideration of convection and diffusion. Then, experiments are conducted to validate the numerical model, and good agreement is obtained between them. Finally, influences of surface topology, gasket compression and gasket width on leakage are studied based on the model. The results show that gas leakage would be greatly amplified when the asperity standard deviation of surface roughness exceeds 1.0 μm. Gaskets with larger width and smaller thickness are beneficial to sealing performance. The model is helpful to understand the gas leakage behavior at the interface and guide the gasket design of fuel cells. [Display omitted] • An analytical model is built to predict gas leakage rate in fuel cells. • Uneven pressure distribution at the interface is considered in the model. • Leakage is amplified when asperity height standard deviation exceeds 1.0 μm. • Leakage becomes serious when gasket compression ratio is lower than 8%. • Gaskets with larger width and smaller thickness are beneficial to sealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the characteristics of tensile and shear cracks in a rockburst event is crucial for understanding the rockburst mechanism. In this study, several specimens were tested under biaxial compression, and the released acoustic emissions (AEs) of the resulting tunnel rockburst event were recorded. Based on the AE energy and dominant frequency parameters, the different AE characteristics and dominant frequency evolution law of tensile and shear cracks during the rockburst were analysed. According to the results, there are four types of AE signals in a rockburst event: low-frequency and low-energy signals, low-frequency and high-energy signals, medium-frequency and low-energy signals and high-frequency and low-energy signals. The low-frequency and low-energy signals are mainly generated by tensile cracks, and the low-frequency and high-energy signals originate from both tensile and shear cracks. The medium-frequency and low-energy signals and high-frequency and low-energy signals are often generated by tension cracks. The rockburst process can be classified into four stages: calm period, small-grain ejection period, sheet-like peeling period and violent ejection period. Before the occurrence of rockburst, both tensile and shear cracks produce low-frequency and high-energy signals. The low-frequency and high-energy (amplitude) AE signals are crucial for monitoring and early warning procedures for rockburst events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulating the stochastic traffic load has been an important issue for bridge condition evaluation. This paper proposes an improved cellular automaton for stochastic traffic load simulation with consideration of axle load and microscopic interaction. The cells, neighbors, transition rules and boundary conditions in the improved model are all redefined. The cell length can be manually defined with any value. The vehicle load can be precisely simulated using axle load if the cell length is set small or using concentrated load when a large cell length is defined. Acceleration based transition rules are proposed, and different acceleration for each vehicle can be computed to more reasonably simulate the microscopic behavior. The feasibility of the proposed model is validated through comparisons on traffic flow simulation and load effect quantification with in-field weigh in motion data and other models. The results indicate that the proposed model improves the existing models both in vehicle load simulation and traffic flow simulation and can be used for stochastic traffic load simulation for bridges with any length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an approach for finite element (FE) model updating and response prediction of frame structures based on optimal sensor placement (OSP), which integrates sensor placement optimization, mode expansion, and model updating techniques. Firstly, sensor optimization layout and modal testing analysis are conducted on a bolted laboratory frame structure. The covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification (SSI-COV) method identifies the real-world structure’s natural frequencies, modal damping, and mode shapes. Secondly, the complete mode shapes are expanded using the measured incomplete modal data from the limited number of sensors. Thirdly, a multi-objective function based on frequency and mode shapes is established to adjust the parameters of the FE model. This ensures that the updated model accurately represents the dynamic properties of the actual structure within a specific frequency range. Finally, the Rayleigh damping of the frame structure is estimated, and the damping matrix is assembled to enhance the accuracy of dynamic response prediction in the updated model. By comparing the response prediction results of the updated FE model with and without considering the updated damping effects to the measurement data of the real-world structure, it is demonstrated that the proposed method considering updated damping effects can more effectively predict the structural response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architecture erosion (AEr) can adversely affect software development and has received significant attention in the last decade. However, there is an absence of a comprehensive understanding of the state of research about the reasons and consequences of AEr, and the countermeasures to address AEr. This work aims at systematically investigating, identifying, and analyzing the reasons, consequences, and ways of detecting and handling AEr. With 73 studies included, the main results are as follows: (1) AEr manifests not only through architectural violations and structural issues but also causing problems in software quality and during software evolution; (2) non‐technical reasons that cause AEr should receive the same attention as technical reasons, and practitioners should raise awareness of the grave consequences of AEr, thereby taking actions to tackle AEr‐related issues; (3) a spectrum of approaches, tools, and measures has been proposed and employed to detect and tackle AEr; and (4) three categories of difficulties and five categories of lessons learned on tackling AEr were identified. The results can provide researchers a comprehensive understanding of AEr and help practitioners handle AEr and improve the sustainability of their architecture. More empirical studies are required to investigate the practices of detecting and addressing AEr in industrial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a twin-propelled wall-climbing robot that can stably adsorb and move quickly on a vertical wall by exploiting the propeller's reverse thrust as the adsorption force and the wheel as the movement method. This paper derives and theoretically analyses the aerodynamic characteristics of the twin-propelled wall-climbing mobile robot system exploiting the momentum inflow model and blade element theory and measures the reverse thrust of a single propeller through real-world experiments. Additionally, Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation software analyzes the influence of structural parameters, such as the lateral spacing of the twin-propeller fixed plate, the width of the fixed-rotor plate, and the inclination angle of the double-rotor on the airflow around the robot. Experiments on the adsorption and movement performance of the dual-rotor wall-climbing robot on a vertical wall demonstrate that the designed twin-propelled wall-climbing robot can stably adsorb and move on a vertical wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litopenaeus vannamei easily blackens during cold storage. To inhibit blackening and improve the storage quality of prawns, in this study, konjac glucomman (KGM)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) topological microgel was formed and used for storage and preservation of prawns to improve their antioxidant properties. The effect of KGM-EGCG topological microgel on inhibiting shrimp blackening was studied by measuring the sensory evaluation score, pH value, TVB-N value, K value, PPO activity, and the effect of changes in the total number of bacteria of KGM-EGCG-treated prawns during storage. SEM and FTIR results showed that during the KGM-EGCG binding process, the number of hydrogen bond connections and the intermolecular force increased. Results also showed that the KGM microgel can effectively embed EGCG and enhance its stability to achieve a better controlled release effect. Compared with the EGCG group and untreated group, KGM-EGCG microgel has better anti-PPO activity and can better maintain the organoleptic quality and inhibit bacterial growth of Litopenaeus vannamei. Therefore, the KGM-EGCG microgel could slow down the increase in pH value, the production of volatile base nitrogen, and the increase in K value, and effectively extend the shelf life of Litopenaeus vannamei from 3 d to 6 d, providing a theoretical basis for the research of KGM functional gel and a reference for the deep processing and value enhancement of green tea and shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DBU-2EG multimer absorbent with double H-bonds was designed by intermolecular self-assembly using DBU and EG. • The concentrated electron density around O in EG of DBU-2EG is in favor of the absorption of H 2 S by DBU-2EG. • A method for developing a high-efficiency absorbent for H 2 S was constructed by designing H-bonds in an absorbent molecule. • DBU-2EG multimer absorbent has a high absorption solubility of 5.8 mol/kg (25 °C, 1 atm) for H 2 S. A double H-bonds multimer absorbent for hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) absorption was designed via intermolecular self-assembly using 1,8-Diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]-undec-7-ene (DBU) and ethylene glycol (EG) under the guidance of quantum chemical calculation (QCC). The formation mechanisms of multimer absorbents and the absorption mechanisms between those absorbents and H 2 S were explored by QCC and experiments. It was found that the formed multimer absorbent at the DBU/EG molar ratio of 1:2 has two intermolecular H-bonds with different strengths between DBU and EG, which can combine with H 2 S via strong intermolecular forces. Furthermore, the characteristics analysis of multimer absorbents and complexes confirmed the above mechanisms. Experimental results indicated that the DBU-2EG has a higher H 2 S solubility of 5.8 mol/kg multimer absorbent with a low viscosity value of 15.12 mPa·s at 25 °C and better regeneration performance. The multimer absorbent exhibits great potential in the H 2 S capture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many-objective optimization problems (MaOPs) are challenging tasks involving optimizing many conflicting objectives simultaneously. Decomposition-based many-objective evolutionary algorithms have effectively maintained a balance between convergence and diversity in recent years. However, these algorithms face challenges in accurately approximating the complex geometric structure of irregular Pareto fronts (PFs). In this paper, an information entropy-driven evolutionary algorithm based on reinforcement learning (RL-RVEA) for many-objective optimization with irregular Pareto fronts is proposed. The proposed algorithm leverages reinforcement learning to guide the evolution process by interacting with the environment to learn the shape and features of PF, which adaptively adjusts the distribution of reference vectors to cover the PFs structure effectively. Moreover, an information entropy-driven adaptive scalarization approach is designed in this paper to reflect the diversity of nondominated solutions, which facilitates the algorithm to balance multiple competing objectives adaptively and select solutions efficiently while maintaining individual diversity. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, the RL-RVEA compared with seven state-of-the-art algorithms on the DTLZ, MaF, and WFG test suites and four real-world MaOPs. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the suggested algorithm provides a novel and practical method for addressing MaOPs with irregular PFs. • A novel RL-RVEA addresses many-objective optimization with irregular pareto fronts. • A reinforcement learning-based adaptive reference vector to guide the direction of convergence. • A scalarization approach preserves the diversity of solutions for next generation. • The RL-RVEA outperforms seven advanced many-objective optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Sn(II)/Sn(IV)-doped CeZrO x catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method. • Diethylamine combustion over CeZrSnO x -(Sn2+) had high activity and N 2 selectivity. • CeZrSnO x -(Sn2+) showed high hydrothermal stability during diethylamine combustion. • The ratio of Sn2+/Sn4+ had a significant impact on the catalytic activity. • The strong acidic sites on the catalyst were conducive to diethylamine combustion. The synthesis of CeZrSnO x by co-precipitation with different valence-state of Sn for diethylamine combustion is novel and intriguing. In this research, the Sn(II)/Sn(IV)-doped CeZrO x catalysts (CeZr(Sn)O x -(Sn2+) and CeZr(Sn)O x -(Sn4+)) were facilely prepared using the co-precipitation method, and their catalytic activities on destruction of diethylamine were evaluated. Detailed characterizations of the catalysts were conducted using X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), hydrogen-temperature programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR), temperature programmed ammonia desorption (NH 3 -TPD) and so on. For diethylamine combustion, CeZr(Sn)O x -(Sn2+) showed higher activity and nitrogen selectivity than other catalysts, and a high conversion of diethylamine (>90 %) at 250 °C was obtained. After hydrothermal aging treatment, a high conversion (>90 %) and high N 2 selectivity maintained over CeZr(Sn)O x -(Sn2+)-H at 280 °C, indicating high hydrothermal stability of CeZr(Sn)O x -Sn2+. Owe to the large specific surface area (SSA), high oxygen mobility and strong redox performance, and the synergy between metal elements in CeZr(Sn)O x -Sn2+ catalysts, the catalytic properties were enhanced. Moreover, Sn2+/Sn4+ ratio in the catalyst and strong acidic sites on the surface of the catalyst both had significant impacts on the catalytic activity and N 2 selectivity of the catalyst. Finally, the mechanism of diethylamine combustion over CeZr(Sn)O x -Sn2+ was obtained by analyzing the reaction through in-situ diffuse reflection infrared Fourier-transform spectrum (in situ DRIFTS) test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study of an 84-year-old woman with left lower abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diagnosed with an incarcerated obturator hernia, a rare condition more common in thin, multiparous, older women, often leading to delayed diagnosis due to subtle physical examination findings. Emergency laparotomy was performed and the patient recovered well post-surgery.

In aim to study the influence of circulating ash used as heat carrier and dolomite used as catalyst on mercury transition during the step conversion of coal pyrolysis and combustion, five experiments with different operating conditions were conducted in this study, including four pyrolysis experiments of raw coal, coal/ash, coal/dolomite, coal and ash/dolomite, and combustion experiment of pyrolysis solid product. By changing the experimental conditions including final pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, coal-ash ratio and dolomite type, the transition path and final mercury distribution in the step conversion process were comprehensively analyzed. Experiments results indicated that mercury completely released out from coal when the final pyrolysis temperature was 600 °C. The individual addition of ash could promote the mercury release from coal at lower temperature. Dolomite could catalyze the oxidation of Hg0 in gas phase, and the modified dolomite had better catalytic capacity for Hg0 oxidation than natural dolomite. The addition of circulating ash and natural dolomite both had a certain catalytic effect on Hg0 emission peaks during the coal pyrolysis. Increasing the coal-ash ratio was conducive to the oxidation of Hg0 in pyrolysis gas. During the direct combustion of coal, the content of Hg0 released into the gas phase could reach to 69.97%. By adding ash, ash/natural dolomite and ash/modified dolomite to the coal pyrolysis process, the content of Hg0 in pyrolysis gas decreased to 58.99%, 34.77% and 31.30%, respectively. The research is able to offer the theoretical foundation for mercury contaminants' removal and process optimization of the step conversion technology. • Ash heat carrier can promote the release of mercury in coal at lower temperatures. • Fe 2 O 3 has the strongest catalysis ability towards Hg0. • Dolomite and circulating ash have a synergistic effect on Hg0 oxidation. • The step conversion process greatly reduces the treatment pressure of mercury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on spiral self-assembly of lamellar micelles into multi-shelled hollow nanospheres with unique chiral architecture. Topics include the functional carbon nanospheres are exceptionally useful, the controllable synthesis of them with well-defined porosity and complex multi-shelled nanostructure remains challenging, and the lamellar micelle spiral self-assembly strategy to synthesize multi-shelled mesoporous carbon nanospheres with unique chirality.

The terrain covariate is one type of key environmental covariate used in digital soil mapping (DSM). Because the selection of proper terrain covariates relies largely on users' DSM knowledge and application context, automatic selection of terrain covariates is valuable for DSM users (especially non‐experts). Case‐based reasoning provides a promising solution to this demand. Recently, two case‐based reasoning strategies have been proposed (i.e., the covariate‐classification strategy and the most‐similar‐case strategy). However, there is no comparison of their performance, as well as that of the implemented methods based on the same or different strategies. This study fills this knowledge gap through a comparison experiment on the two representative methods for each strategy, respectively. Experiments adopted a DSM case base including 191 cases, which involve 38 terrain covariates. Results from a cross‐validation and a practical DSM application showed that the random forests method adopting the covariate‐classification strategy performed best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial prediction is essential for obtaining the spatial distribution of geographic variables and selecting appropriate covariates for this process can be challenging, especially for non-expert users. For easing the burden of selecting the appropriate covariates, two case-based reasoning strategies, namely the most-similar-case and covariate-classification strategies, have been proposed for automated covariate selection. The former may suggest nonessential covariates due to its case-level reasoning way. And the latter with covariate-level reasoning may overlook related covariates and recommend fewer covariates than the case-level reasoning. In this study, we propose a new strategy of integrating case-level and covariate-level reasoning to effectively leverage the strengths of both previous strategies while also addressing their limitations. The proposed strategy is validated through a case study of automatically selecting covariates for digital soil mapping under reasoning with a case base containing 189 cases. The leave-one-out evaluation demonstrated that our proposed strategy outperformed the previous two strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The study tried to compare the effectiveness and safety of target controlled infusion of sufentanil with traditional remifentanil in improving postoperative pain relief and recovery quality in patients undergoing daytime laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods This study is a prospective randomized controlled study, which selecting 100 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the day ward of our hospital from October 2019 to October 2022 as the observation subjects. Patients were divided into two groups using a random digitization method, with 50 patients receiving intraoperative target controlled infusion of remifentanil (conventional group) and 50 patients receiving intraoperative target controlled infusion of sufentanil (study group). Observe the postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, spontaneous breathing recovery time, awakening time, extubation time, directional force recovery time, as well as changes in blood pressure and heart rate during the perioperative period (before anesthesia induction (T0), 5 minutes after anesthesia induction (T1), intubation operation (T2), skin incision (T3), abdominal observation (T4), and extubation (T5) in two groups of patients. Results The visual analog scale (VAS) within 3 hours after surgery in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). However, the recovery time of spontaneous breathing, awakening time, extubation time, and directional force recovery time in the research group were longer than those in the conventional group (P < 0.05). After 5 minutes of anesthesia induction (T1), the blood pressure in the control group was lower than that in the study group. At extubation (T5), the blood pressure and heart rate in the control group were higher than those in the study group (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of perioperative adverse events between the two groups of patients. Conclusions Targeted infusion of sufentanil for patients undergoing daytime laparoscopic cholecystectomy has the advantages of smoother hemodynamics and significant analgesic effects. However, early discontinuation of the medication is necessary due to the prolonged postoperative recovery time of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the development of a rapid approach for directly converting indoles into 2‐oxindoles promoted by HOCl formed in situ from the combination of (bis(trifluoroacetoxy) iodo)benzene (PIFA) and n‐Bu4NCl ⋅ H2O. The procedure is widely functional group tolerant and provides 2‐oxindoles in up to 95% yield within 5 min. The potential applications of the developed methodology are demonstrated by the gram‐scale preparation of 3‐methyl‐2‐oxindole (11 a), the one‐pot two‐step syntheses of spiro‐oxindoles 26 a and 26 b, and the formal synthesis of (‐)‐folicanthine (2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium (Sr) ions were added to porous magnesium (Mg) oxide with silicon and fluorine by microarc oxidation (MAO) to improve its osteogenic and pro-angiogenic properties. First, pure Mg was oxidized by MAO, and Sr was added by electrolysis. The surface of the resulting Sr coating was characterized by SEM, EDS, and EDS mapping. The release of Sr ions was monitored by ICP-OES. The antibacterial property of the coating was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of Sr coating on osteogenesis was tested in MC3T3-E1 cell line by performing cell adhesion and proliferation tests, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity detection, cell morphology characterization, alizarin red staining, and osteogenic-related gene expression analysis. Finally, HUVECs cells were used to test the effect of Sr coating on angiogenesis through cell migration and tube formation assays, VEGF quantification, chicken embryo chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) test, and angiogenic-related gene expression analysis. The results showed that Sr coating had a hierarchical microstructure with a microporous structure evenly covered with nano-grains and that the Sr elements from the coating were released slowly and continuously. Sr coating had effective antibacterial properties and promoted cell adhesion, proliferation, ALP release, calcium nodule formation, and upregulated osteogenic gene expression. Moreover, the coating could promote migration, tube formation, VEGF expression, and angiogenic gene upregulation in endothelial cells. Sr coating also enhanced angiogenesis of CAM. This study supports that Sr coating on Mg- MAO enhances osteogenesis and angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive mapping of environment is an important means for environment assessment and management. The selection of predictor variables (or environmental covariates) is the first and key step in predictive mapping. A number of machine learning and statistical models have been developed to select what and how many environmental covariates in a wide range of predictive mapping. Nevertheless, those models require a large amount of field data for model training and calibration, which can be problematic in applying to the areas with no or very limited field data available. To overcome the shortcoming, this paper proposes the most similar case method for selecting environmental covariates for predictive mapping. First, we describe the basic idea and the development procedures of the most similar case method; second, as an experimental test, we employ the proposed method to select the topographic covariates for inputting to the predictive soil mapping; third, we evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method in the designed experiment using the leave-one-out cross-validation method. In total, 191 evaluation cases are included in the experimental case base and the test results show that 58.7% of the topographic covariates originally used in each evaluation case are correctly selected by the proposed method, which suggests that the proposed most-similar-case method perform reasonably well even with a relatively limited size of the case base. The future work should include the selection of other types of environmental covariates (e.g., climate, organism, etc.) and the development of an automatic method to extract the existing application cases from literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Beijing sub-pedigree 2 (BSP2) and T sub-lineage 6 (TSL6) are two clades belonging to Beijing and T family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), respectively, defined by Bayesian population structure analysis based on 24-loci mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR). Globally, over 99% of BSP2 and 89% of TSL6 isolates were distributed in Chongqing, suggesting their possible local adaptive evolution. The objective of this paper is to explore whether BSP2 and TSL6 originated by their local adaptive evolution from the specific isolates of Beijing and T families in Chongqing. Methods: The genotyping data of 16 090 MTB isolates were collected from laboratory collection, published literatures and SITVIT database before subjected to Bayesian population structure analysis based on 24-loci MIRU-VNTR. Spacer Oligonucleotide Forest (Spoligoforest) and 24-loci MIRU-VNTR-based minimum spanning tree (MST) were used to explore their phylogenetic pathways, with Bayesian demographic analysis for exploring the recent demographic change of TSL6. Results: Phylogenetic analysis suggested that BSP2 and TSL6 in Chongqing may evolve from BSP4 and TSL5, respectively, which were locally predominant in Tibet and Jiangsu, respectively. Spoligoforest showed that Beijing and T families were genetically distant, while the convergence of the MIRU-VNTR pattern of BSP2 and TSL6 was revealed by WebLogo. The demographic analysis concluded that the recent demographic change of TSL6 might take 111.25 years. Conclusions: BSP2 and TSL6 clades might originate from BSP4 and TSL5, respectively, by their local adaptive evolution in Chongqing. Our study suggests MIRU-VNTR be combined with other robust markers for a more comprehensive genotyping approach, especially for families of clades with the same MIRU-VNTR pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Arthroscopic shavers play an indispensable role in arthroscopic debridement. They have exquisite structures and similar designs. The purpose of this study was to establish a reproducible testing protocol to compare the resection performance and the quality (tensile strength, torsional strength, and corrosion resistance) of different arthroscopic shavers with comparable designs. We hypothesized that there could be little difference in resection performance and quality between these shavers. Methods: Incisor Plus Blade (IPB; Smith & Nephew, Andover, MA) and Double Serrated Plus Blade (DSPB; BJKMC, Shanghai, China) were selected for resection performance and quality test. For resection performance testing, the resection torque, which is the minimum torque required to cut off silicone blocks with the same cross-sectional area, was measured to evaluate the resection performance of shaver blades when the other factors remain the same. For quality testing, tensile and torsion tests of the shavers' joint part were performed, and ultimate failure load and maximum torque were measured and compared. The corrosion resistance of these blades was assessed by the boiling water test based on the ISO13402. Results: No significant difference existed in the resection torque between the shaver blades of IPB and DSPB (P = 0.54). To the failure load of shavers' joint parts, IPB was significantly higher than DSPB, both in the outer and inner blades (P < 0.0001). The maximum torque of the joint part had no significant difference between IPB and DSPB (for inner blades P = 0.60 and outer blades P = 0.94). The failure load (for both IPB and DSPB P < 0.0001) and maximum torque (for IPB P = 0.0475 and DSPB P = 0.015) of the inner blades were higher than those of the outer blades. No blemishes were observed on the surface of the blades after corrosion resistance tests. Conclusions: This study provided some new methods to evaluate the resection performance and quality of different shavers. The resection performance, the torsional strength of the joint part, and the corrosion resistance of IPB and DSPB may show comparable properties, whereas the tensile strength of the shavers' joint part showed some level of difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable sealing is necessary for the stable operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In practical application, various materials have been tried in PEMFC sealing. However, the mechanical properties of these sealing materials, which play a key role in the sealing stability, have not been fully understood in PEMFC environment, especially after long-term operation. In this paper, according to the operating environment of PEMFC, sealing material experiments are carried out to explore the differences in mechanical behaviors of sealing materials, including silicone rubber (SR), fluororubber (FR), nitrile rubber (NBR) and ethylene-propylene-diene-terpolymer rubber (EPDM) and the variation of mechanical properties of these sealing materials is predicted as time goes on. The results indicate that compression rate has a great influence on sealing contact stress. SR and EPDM, with the variation of 0.15 MPa and 0.45 MPa in stress, show the best and worst mechanical stability at different compression rates, respectively. In terms of temperature, it is found that SR can adapt to different operating temperature of PEMFC and only 18% variation is found from 20 °C to 100 °C. Finally, based on Time-Temperature Superposition (TTS), high temperature experiments are conducted to predict long-term relaxation stress under PEMFC working condition. The analysis results are beneficial for choosing suitable sealing material, and it can also be applied to predict sealing ability in PEMFC. • Mechanical behavior differences of different sealing materials were compared. • Influences of compression rate and temperature on stress were discussed. • The better gasket material was selected for proton exchange membrane fuel cell. • High temperature experiments were conducted to predict long-term stress relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the protective effects of a peptide (YGDEY, Tyr‐Gly‐Asp‐Glu‐Tyr) isolated from tilapia skin gelatin hydrolysates (TGHs), against UVB‐induced photoaging in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells. Results showed that YGDEY significantly decreased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased antioxidant factors (Superoxide Dismutase, SOD and Glutathione, GSH) expression and maintained balance between GSH and GSSG in HaCaT cells. Comet assay shows that YGDEY can protect DNA from oxidative damage. Furthermore, it significantly inhibited MMP‐1 (collagenase) and MMP‐9 (gelatinase) expression and increased Type I procollagen production. In addition, the molecular docking study showed that YGDEY may form active sites with MMP‐1 and MMP‐9. Moreover, Western blot analysis was utilized to measure the protein levels of UVB‐induced mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling pathways. Therefore, these results suggested that YGDEY has a therapeutic effectiveness in prevention of UVB‐induced cellular damage, and it is a candidate worthy of being developed as a potential natural antioxidant and food additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]