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As a two-way transmission channel, Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) not only greatly improves the efficiency of information transmission between computers and external devices, but also ensures the accuracy and consistency of information by eliminating metastable state, setting baud rate and other means. In this paper, on the basis of fully understanding the definition and function of UART, based on Verilog HDL language to build UART, and through Modelsim simulation, image and data. The experimental results show that the receiving and sending module of this module works well and meets the requirements of full-duplex serial communication equipment. There is no doubt that the design of this paper has made a more detailed explanation of the basic operating principle of UART, which will contribute to its further development.

Ubiquitination is an important post-translational modification that mediates protein degradation in eukaryotic cells, participating in multiple biological processes. However, the profiling of protein ubiquitination and the function of this crucial modification in fruit ripening remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that suppression of proteasome by the inhibitor MG132 retarded strawberry fruit ripening. Using K-ɛ-GG antibody enrichment combined with high-resolution mass spectrometry, we performed a comprehensive ubiquitinome analysis in strawberry fruit. We identified 2947 ubiquitination sites for 2878 peptides within 1487 proteins, which are involved in a variety of cellular functions. The lysine at position 48 (K48)-linked poly-ubiquitin chains appeared to be the most prevalent type of modification among the identified ubiquitinated proteins. A large number of ubiquitination sites exhibited altered ubiquitination levels after proteasome inhibition, including those within ripening-related proteins associated with sugar and acid metabolism, cell wall metabolism, anthocyanin synthesis, and ABA biosynthesis and signalling. We further demonstrated that FaBRIZ, a RING-type E3 ligase, functions as a negative regulator of ripening in strawberry fruit. Our findings highlight the critical regulatory roles of protein ubiquitination in fruit ripening. The ubiquitinome data provide a basis for further exploration of the function of ubiquitination on specific proteins.

Backgound. Prevalence of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in China is increasing recently, and the prevalence rate and the related risk factors of it are significantly different among regions in China. Epidemiological characteristics of NAFLD in Chongqing, a southwest city of China has not been fully revealed up to now. We conducted the present study to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD and its risk factors among the population in Chongqing. Methods. A total of 74,870 healthy adults(38,952 men and 35,918 women, mean age: 38.69 ± 14.38 years) from a grade 3 hospital in Chongqing, China were included in the present study. All of the participants underwent anthropometric measurements, liver ultrasonography and serum examinations. Student-T test, chi-square test and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results. The prevalence rate of NAFLD was 13.1% (9,752/74,870) with an increasing trend with age (P for trend 2 = 2726.65, P 50 years) is the strongest associated factor both for male(OR 3.46) and female(OR 15.08). Conclusions. The prevalence of NAFLD among healthy adults in Chongqing,China was relatively high. Our results suggest that individuals in this region with higher BMI, higher FBG, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevated ALT should pay high attention to NAFLD.

Background Nasojejunal tube (NJT) feeding has demonstrated value in reducing pneumonia in critically ill adults who require enteral nutritional (EN) support. This study discusses whether EN support via nasojejunal tube (NJT) feeding is more cost-effective than nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding in reducing pneumonia. Methods A decision tree model was created. The analysis was based on data from a health care provider in China. Model inputs were derived from published data. The endpoints included incremental cost per pneumonia infection avoided, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), net monetary benefit (NMB) and incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) associated with prevention of pneumonia. The uncertainty was assessed through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Results The base case analysis showed that EN support via NJT feeding resulted in 0.7453 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at a cost of $3018.83 compared to NGT feeding, which resulted in 0.7354 QALYs at a cost of $4788.76. NJT feeding was better than NGT feeding, providing an INMB of $2,075.09 and an ICER of $-178,813.96 per QALY gained, and the cost per pneumonia infection prevented was $16,808.51. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that NJT feeding was more cost-effective in 83.4% of the cases, with a cost below the WTP threshold. The NMB and INMB estimation for different WTP thresholds also indicated that NJT feeding is the optimal strategy. Conclusions EN support via NJT feeding was a more cost-effective strategy than NGT feeding in preventing pneumonia in critically ill adults. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Objective To explore the prevalence and its associated metabolic factors of thyroid nodules (TNs) among subjects who participated in the physical examinations in Chongqing, China. Methods The participants from the Health Management Center of JinShan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, between September 2015 and May 2020, were included in this study. All of the participants underwent thyroid ultrasonography, anthropometric measurements, and serum examinations. Differences in the TNs prevalence were compared with the chi-square test or Wilcoxon rang-sum test. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the metabolic factors associated with TNs and multiple thyroid nodules (MTNs). Results Of the included 121,702 participants, 41,547 had TNs, and 20,899 had MTNs, with the prevalence of 34.1 and 17.0 %, respectively. Women had a significantly higher prevalence of TNs than men (40.6 % vs. 29.8 %; χ2 = 1517.33, P P for trend Conclusions The prevalence of thyroid nodules was relatively high. The associated factors identified in this study could help the clinicians to detect the high-risk patients and make targeted screening strategies for the preventing of the occurrence of TNs.

18650 Lithium-ion batteries are wildly used as power sources for portable electronics because of the standardized format and economical manufacturing cost. However, commercial 18650 cells come in various designs due to the implementation of different protection devices. The current interrupt device and top vent are mandatory protection devices for all commercial 18650 Li-ion batteries. In contrast, the positive temperature coefficient thermistor, bottom vent, and protection circuit are optional protection devices that can be non-installed, installed separately, or combined in commercial 18650 batteries. Four representative commercial 18650 Li-ion batteries were disassembled and compared in terms of the similarities and differences of the protection devices. This paper overviews the working mechanism, advantages, and drawbacks of each protection device. Recommendations on battery selection and potential future trends are then provided.

Due to the existence of the expanding beam portion in the positive branch confocal unstable resonator, the laser passes through the intracavity deformable mirror (DM) twice with different apertures, which makes it complicated to calculate the required compensation surface of the DM. In this paper, an adaptive compensation method for intracavity aberrations based on reconstruction matrix optimization is proposed to solve this problem. A collimated probe laser of 976 nm and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS) are introduced from the outside of the resonator to detect intracavity aberrations. The feasibility and effectiveness of this method are verified by numerical simulations and the passive resonator testbed system. By adopting the optimized reconstruction matrix, the control voltages of the intracavity DM can be directly calculated from the SHWFS slopes. After compensation by the intracavity DM, the beam quality β of the annular beam coupled out from the scraper is improved from 6.2 times diffraction limit to 1.6 times diffraction limit.

Lithium-ion batteries must undergo a series of quality control tests before being approved for sale. In this study, quality control tests were carried out on two types of lithium-ion pouch batteries, here denoted as type A (with stacked electrode configuration) and type B (with a jelly-roll arrangement) to assess the effectiveness of the tests. Electrochemical tests, which included capacity and impedance measurements, found that both types of batteries met the specifications. However, computed tomography (CT) scan, disassembly, and material characterization revealed quality concerns in battery assembly and material composition. Results showed that, for an A cell, cathode extended past anode at the top and bottom of the roll, and a CT scan revealed inhomogeneities in the electrode near the corners. Similarly, analysis of a B cell revealed gaps in the winding structure and cathode material discrepancies. More specifically, the lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) material specified by the battery manufacturer turned out to be lithium cobalt oxide (LCO). The findings indicate that systematic quality control tests are needed to properly identify defects in batteries before they are used in products., Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE); Centre for Advances in Reliability and Safety (CAiRS)

Battery explosion incidents hinder the development and application of Li-ion batteries. This paper describes the use of nondestructive computed tomography (CT) to analyze cylindrical Li-ion battery samples that underwent thermal runaway and exploded. Unlike destructive analysis methods, which can lead to a loss of battery structural information, CT scan allows direct observation of a battery’s internal structure without disassembly. In this study, two case studies of 20700 and 18650 batteries show that sidewall and bottom case rupture was caused by blockage of the battery vent region, which prevented the release of the generated gas. This work demonstrates the ability of CT for post-mortem incident analysis and the limitations of current vent design, and also gives insight to a safety issue with some cylindrical batteries.

Porous graphene materials show outstanding performance in energy storage field due to their unique microstructure and properties. To construct 3D hierarchical porous graphene and combine with conductive polyaniline is an effective way to realize high energy density and good cycling stability. The interlamellar macroporous structure of 3D graphene was constructed by polystyrene (PS) microspheres and nickel foam as double templates. The mesoporous structure was etched in 3D macroporous graphene sheets by potassium hydroxide (KOH) chemical activation. And 3D hierarchical porous graphene (3D-hpGr) composited with polyaniline (PANI) by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization to obtain 3D-hpGr/PANI composites. The effect of the introduction of 3D-hpGr on microstructure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the composites was investigated. PANI nanowire arrays successfully decorate the surface of the 3D-hpGr sheets when the amount of 3D-hpGr reaches 40% (wt%). The specific capacitance of 3D-hpGr/PANI40 reaches 573 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, much higher than that of pure PANI (419 F g−1). The retention ratio of 3D-hpGr/PANI40 retains 84% of its initial specific capacitance after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1, and the cycling stability of all composites is higher than that of pure PANI (69%). The potential drop of 3D-hpGr/PANI composites decreases from 0.339 V to 0.139 V, and the energy density increases consequently. The energy density of 3D-hpGr/PANI40 reaches 31.2 W h kg−1 at the power density of 0.709 kW kg−1.

Cylindrical Li-ion batteries (cells) typically have safety vents in the positive terminal to enable the release of gases that build up inside the battery and thus help reduce the effects of thermal runaway, including fire and explosion. However, the vents are not always effective, and it is critical to understand why. This paper overviews various vent designs and presents two case studies of vents in cylindrical Li-ion batteries that failed to operate properly. The first case study concerns a Sony VCT5 18650 Li-ion battery in which thermal runaway caused the cylindrical casing (can) to rupture. The second case study involves an Ampking 20700 Li-ion battery in which thermal runaway caused side-wall rupture of the casing. In both cases, the vents did not function as intended. Computed tomography (CT) scanning was used to investigate the internal structure of the battery to assess the failure mechanisms of the failed vents. These cases raise concerns about the efficiency, reliability, and safety of some current vent designs.

Quantitative drug release is important for improving therapeutic efficiency and avoiding side effects. While using long-term delivery system for repeated therapy, it is indispensable but challenging to accurately control the drug dosing. Herein, a photocleavable prodrug-loaded hydrogel is proposed for near infrared (NIR) light-triggered quantitative pulsed drug release. IR783, a commercially available NIR fluorescent dye, is conjugated with methyl honokiol (mHNK) to give photocleavable IR783-mHNK prodrug. Injectable glycol chitosan (GC) hydrogel is chosen as a reservoir, in which IR783-mHNK can be efficiently loaded via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Upon 680 nm light-emitting diode (LED) light irradiation, IR783-mHNK cleaves and mHNK is released. Notably, it is found that IR783-mHNK presented synchronous photocleavage-fluorescence bleaching phenomenon, suggesting that the fluorescence of the prodrug synchronously decreases while undergoing photocleavage. The amounts of released mHNK and residual IR783-mHNK are visible and can be quantified with good correspondence. Quantitative drug release is achieved by controlling irradiation duration and monitoring fluorescence intensity. The prodrug-loaded hydrogel shows good stability, minimum leakage and efficient light responsibility both in vitro and in vivo. After light triggering, monitorable quantitative mHNK release and on-demand sleep-promotion are verified in mice, while no toxicities or side effects are observed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The DNA binding with one finger (Dof) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors involved in a variety of biological processes. However, little is known about their functions in fruit ripening, a flowering-plant-specific process that is required for seed maturation and dispersal. Here, we found that the tomato Dof transcription factor SlDof1, is necessary for normal fruit ripening. Knockdown of SlDof1 expression by RNA interference delayed ripening-related processes, including lycopene synthesis and ethylene production. Transcriptome profiling indicated that SlDof1 influences the expression of hundreds of genes, and a chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed a large number of SlDof1 binding sites. A total of 312 genes were identified as direct targets of SlDof1, among which 162 were negatively regulated by SlDof1 and 150 were positively regulated. The SlDof1 target genes were involved in a variety of metabolic pathways, and follow-up analyses verified that SlDof1 directly regulates some well-known ripening-related genes including ACS2 and PG2A as well as transcriptional repressor genes such as SlIAA27. Our findings provide insights into the transcriptional regulatory networks underlying fruit ripening and highlight a gene potentially useful for genetic engineering to control ripening.

Li-ion battery reliability has attracted significant research attention, but few studies have incorporated in-service performance and reliability data of batteries installed within a product. This paper investigates battery drain, unexpected shutdowns, and slow performance associated with Li-ion batteries, with a focus on Apple iPhones ® as a case study. The actions taken by Apple in response to these performance issues are discussed, especially from the perspective of Li-ion battery degradation. It is shown that not all battery reliability issues can be attributed to normal battery degradation; battery manufacturing defects and high C-rate applications are also shown to be contributors to battery reliability and performance issues, including those causing a low state of charge, a low state of health, and unexpected shutdowns.

In response to changing light quantity and quality, photosynthetic organisms perform state transitions, a process which optimizes photosynthetic yield and mitigates photo-damage. The serine/threonine-protein kinase STN7 phosphorylates the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (PSII; light-harvesting complex II), which then migrates from PSII to photosystem I (PSI), thereby rebalancing the light excitation energy between the photosystems and restoring the redox poise of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. Two conserved cysteines forming intra- or intermolecular disulfide bonds in the lumenal domain (LD) of STN7 are essential for the kinase activity although it is still unknown how activation of the kinase is regulated. In this study, we show lumen thiol oxidoreductase 1 (LTO1) is co-expressed with STN7 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and interacts with the LD of STN7 in vitro and in vivo. LTO1 contains thioredoxin (TRX)-like and vitamin K epoxide reductase domains which are related to the disulfide-bond formation system in bacteria. We further show that the TRX-like domain of LTO1 is able to oxidize the conserved lumenal cysteines of STN7 in vitro. In addition, loss of LTO1 affects the kinase activity of STN7 in Arabidopsis. Based on these results, we propose that LTO1 helps to maintain STN7 in an oxidized active state in state 2 through redox interactions between the lumenal cysteines of STN7 and LTO1.

The purpose of this study is to determine a method for quickly and accurately estimating the chlorophyll content of peanut plants at different plant densities. This was explored using leaf spectral reflectance to monitor peanut chlorophyll content to detect sensitive spectral bands and the optimum spectral indicators to establish a quantitative model. Peanut plants under different plant density conditions were monitored during three consecutive growth periods, single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and hyperspectral data derived from the leaves under the different plant density conditions were recorded. By combining arbitrary bands, indices were constructed across the full spectral range (350&ndash, 2500 nm) based on blade spectra: the normalized difference spectral index (NDSI), ratio spectral index (RSI), difference spectral index (DSI) and soil-adjusted spectral index (SASI). This enabled the best vegetation index reflecting peanut-leaf SPAD values to be screened out by quantifying correlations with chlorophyll content, and the peanut leaf SPAD estimation models established by regression analysis to be compared and analyzed. The results showed that the chlorophyll content of peanut leaves decreased when plant density was either too high or too low, and that it reached its maximum at the appropriate plant density. In addition, differences in the spectral reflectance of peanut leaves under different chlorophyll content levels were highly obvious. Without considering the influence of cell structure as chlorophyll content increased, leaf spectral reflectance in the visible (350&ndash, 700 nm): near-infrared (700&ndash, 1300 nm) ranges also increased. The spectral bands sensitive to chlorophyll content were mainly observed in the visible and near-infrared ranges. The study results showed that the best spectral indicators for determining peanut chlorophyll content were NDSI (R520, R528), RSI (R748, R561), DSI (R758, R602) and SASI (R753, R624). Testing of these regression models showed that coefficient of determination values based on the NDSI, RSI, DSI and SASI estimation models were all greater than 0.65, while root mean square error values were all lower than 2.04. Therefore, the regression model established according to the above spectral indicators was a valid predictor of the chlorophyll content of peanut leaves.

As an important auxiliary material, adhesive materials have many important applications in various fields including but not limited to industrial packaging, marine engineering, and biomedicine. Naturally occurring adhesives such as mussel foot proteins are usually biocompatible and biodegradable, but their limited sources and poor mechanical properties in physiological conditions have limited their widespread uses in biomedical field. Inspired by the underwater adhesion phenomenon of natural organisms, a series of biomimetic adhesive materials have been developed through chemical or bioengineering approaches. Notably, some of those synthetic adhesives have exhibited great promise for medical applications in terms of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, strong tissue adhesion and many other attractive functional properties. As natural adhesive materials possess distinctive "living" attributes such as environmental responsiveness, self-regeneration and autonomous repairs, the development of various biologically inspired and biomimetic adhesive materials using natural adhesives as blueprints will thus be of keen and continuous interest in the future. The emerging field of synthetic biology will likely provide new opportunities to design living glues that recapitulate the dynamic features of those naturally occurring adhesives.粘合材料作为一种重要的辅助材料，在工业包装、海洋工程以及生物医药等多个领域都有广泛的应用需求。天然存在的粘合剂如贻贝足丝粘合蛋白等具有良好的生物相容性和生物可降解性，但因其来源受限及在生理环境下较弱的粘合性能，因此在生物医药领域的应用受到了限制。从自然生物的粘合现象中汲取灵感，各种利用化学或生物合成方法制备的仿生粘合材料应运而生，针对生物医药领域的特定需求，一些新兴粘合材料在生物相容性、生物可降解性以及组织粘附等方面都表现出在医药领域应用的潜力。展望未来，受自然粘合材料兼具环境响应、自我再生和自修复等特征的启迪，各种生物灵感和生物仿生粘合材料的开发势必是未来的发展热点，而合成生物学技术为创建具有上述特征的活体粘合材料提供了新的可能。.

Background: To evaluate the preventive effect of dexmedetomidine(DEX) on adverse reactions induced by uterotonics used in cesarean section. Methods: Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) comparing dexmedetomidine with placebo on preventing the side effects of uterotonics in cesarean section were searched in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and CNKI. Results: Fifteen articles with 1174 patients were included in this study. Compared with placebo, DEX significantly reduced the incidence of adverse drug reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, facial flushing, chest distress, hypertension and tachycardia ([OR = 0.12, 95% CI (0.09, 0.17), P < 0.00001], [OR = 0.12, 95% CI (0.09, 0.18), P < 0.00001], [OR = 0.21, 95% CI (0.16, 0.29), P < 0.00001], [OR = 0.19,95%CI (0.12,0.30), P < 0.00001], [OR=0.09, 95%CI (0.05,0.14), P < 0.00001], [OR=0.04, 95%CI (0.02,0.07), P < 0.00001]),which were induced by uterotonics used in cesarean section. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine can prevent adverse reactions including nausea, vomiting, facial flushing, chest distress, hypertension and tachycardia caused by uterotonics used in cesarean section.

Li-ion batteries are commercially successful power sources for diverse applications. However, the characteristics of Li-ion batteries make them susceptible to thermal runaway, resulting in fires and explosions. To mitigate safety hazards prior to the occurrence of thermal runaway, various strategies have been applied for battery cells, as well as battery packages. This article reviews safety strategies for Li-ion batteries, including positive temperature coefficient thermistors, positive temperature coefficient electrodes, current interrupt devices, safety vents, protection circuitry, shutdown separators, electrolyte additives, safe electrolytes, passive protection designs in battery packages, and battery management systems. The trigger conditions, protection mechanisms, drawbacks, and applications of representative strategies are discussed, and potential future risk mitigation approaches are explored.

The demand for safer and cost-effective lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density and longer life requires thorough investigation into the structural and electrochemical behavior of cell components. Binders are a key component in an electrochemical cell that function to interconnect the active material and conductive additive and adhere firmly to the current collector. The characteristic changes in binders during device operation can result in desquamation of active materials from the current collector and induce capacity degradation. Here we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the pros and cons of the traditional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder, the correlation between PVDF and capacity loss, and the research progress of aqueous-based binders. Although aqueous-based slurry technology has spurred widespread interest across myriad topics, the purpose of this study is to examine whether aqueous binders can facilitate breakthroughs in future battery technology from the commercialization perspective. By critically analyzing the electrochemical performance of commercially viable anodes and cathodes, we address the key advantages as well as disadvantages of aqueous-based binders. Although aqueous binders outperform the low expandable graphite anode and metal oxide cathodes, their efficiency for largely expandable silicon anodes is unsatisfactory. Thus, aggressive effort is required to develop high-performance binders for future battery technology.

// Huaping Chen 1, * , Siyuan Chen 1, * , Shan Li 1, * , Zhijian Chen 1 , Xuan Zhu 1 , Meiyu Dai 1 , Lingxi Kong 1 , Xiaodan Lv 1 , Zhili Huang 1 and Xue Qin 1 1 Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China * These authors contributed equally to this work and should be considered as co-first authors Correspondence to: Xue Qin, email: qinxue919@126.com Keywords: des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin, AFP, hepatocellular cancer, diagnosis, meta-analysis Received: June 22, 2017 Accepted: July 30, 2017 Published: August 07, 2017 ABSTRACT Controversies about the combination of des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosing still exist. Hence, we performed this updated meta-analysis to estimate the diagnostic value of DCP , AFP and DCP + AFP in HCC. In addition, we conducted a validation study to analyze the performance of the candidate makers. After a systematic literature review, 27 studies from 20 articles were identified from four major databases. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 69% and 89%, respectively, for DCP; for AFP, they were 65% and 88%, respectively; and they were 82% and 85%, respectively, for DCP + AFP. The values of the area under the curve (AUC) for DCP, AFP, DCP + AFP, respectively, were 0.88, 0.75, and 0.90. The validation study confirmed that the performance of DCP + AFP (sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 86%; AUC = 0.887) was higher than that of DCP (sensitivity = 76%, specificity = 92%; AUC = 0.843) or AFP (sensitivity = 73%, specificity = 92%; AUC = 0.837) alone.