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Platforms competition affects both the structure of the whole industry and the fate of the individual companies within it. The extant studies either simply divide the participants of a platforms war into suppliers and consumers or adopt unbounded rationality assumptions. This paper constructs a game model that includes platforms, suppliers, and the final consumers. We analyze the condition and stability of each equilibrium and the impacts of the characteristics of the core and complementary products on the equilibrium by using the method of evolutionary game. Our results show the following: (1) If the two platforms initially have separate advantages in terms of the number of suppliers or consumers, there will be an equilibrium of the coexistence; otherwise, there will be an equilibrium of single platform dominating. (2) The equilibrium of a single platform dominating is more stable than that of the coexistence of multiple platforms. (3) Incidental shocks to the number of suppliers are more likely to break the coexistence equilibrium than consumers. (4) Platforms with poor core product quality and a high price for core and complementary products can coexist with other superior platforms only if the former has more consumers and suppliers at the beginning of the competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale implementation of the Gully Stabilization and Land Reclamation (GSLR) project induces various failures of loess slopes due to excavation in Yan' an, China. However, the deformation and failure behavior of these excavated loess slopes have not been fully understood. In this study, field investigation was undertaken for analyzing the distributions and failure features of excavation-induced loess slope failures. It is found that plastic failure mainly occurs in Q3 loess layers and brittle failure in Q2. To understand the underlying failure mechanism, a series of triaxial shear tests were conducted on intact Q3 and Q2 loess samples that with different water contents, namely natural water content (natural), dry side of the natural value (drying 5%), and wet side (wetting 5%). The characteristics of stress-strain curves and failure modes of the samples were analyzed. Results show that the stress-strain curves of Q2 samples are dominated by strain-softening characteristics, while Q3 samples mainly exhibit strain-harden features except in the drying state. Correspondingly, shear failures of Q3 specimens are mainly caused by shear crack planes (single, X or V-shaped). For Q2 loess, the dominance of tensile cracks is observed on the surface of damaged specimens. These disclose the different failure modes of excavated slopes located in different strata, that is, the arc sliding failure of Q3 loess slopes and the stepped tensile failure of Q2 loess slopes, and are helpful in the design and management of the ongoing GSLR projects in the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore mechanism of hedyotis diffusa extract attenuating acute pancreatitis (AP) lung injury in rats from 5'-adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK)/autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5) signaling pathway. Methods: AP lung injury rat model was established, and rats were randomly divided into model group, extract (hedyotis diffusa extract) group, 3-MA (autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine) group, AICAR (AMPK activator) group and extract+AICAR group, with 15 rats in each group, and another 15 rats were selected as sham operation group. ELISA was performed to determine levels of serum amylase (AMY), IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-18; amount of ascites and proportion of lung wet/dry (W/D) in rats were determined; HE was performed to observe pathological damage of pancreas and lung tissues; Western blot was performed to determine lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), autophagy substrate p62, IL-1β precursor protein (pro-IL-1β), trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP), AMPK, p-AMPK, ATG5, autophagy marker LC3-II/I, ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (UPS10) expressions. Results: Compared with sham operation group, ascites volume, lung W/D, pancreas and lung tissue pathological damage scores, serum AMY, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18 levels, pancreatic tissue p62, TAP, pro-IL-1β expressions, lung tissue p-AMPK/AMPK, ATG5, LC3-II/I, UPS10, pro-IL-1β expressions of rats in model group were increased (P<0.05), while LAMP2 protein expression in pancreas and lung tissue was decreased (P<0.05); after model rats were intervened by hedyotis diffusa extract or autophagy inhibitor 3-MA, the above indexes were significantly improved (P<0.05), and improvement effect of hedyotis diffusa extract was better than 3-MA (P<0.05); while AMPK activator AICAR could attenuate improvement effect of hedyotis diffusa extract on lung injury in AP rats (P<0.05). Conclusion: Hedyotis diffusa extract can reduce inflammatory response and autophagy level by inhibiting AMPK/ATG5 signaling pathway, and improve lung injury in AP rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of on-demand ride service platforms has made it increasingly important for these platforms to efficiently match services by understanding driver characteristics and consumer preferences. This paper aims to investigate the pricing strategy by considering the impact of consumer preference heterogeneity and the different service types offered by drivers. The findings of this study reveal the need for the platform to strike a balance between service cost and the benefits of high-quality drivers, which can be referred to as the "cost-performance ratio". If the "cost-performance ratio" that attracts high-quality drivers is high, the platform will attract high-quality drivers or drivers of all types to participate while offering differentiated services. Otherwise, the platform will only provide services through low-quality drivers. Furthermore, the platform will also consider when to offer differentiated services based on network externalities and service quality. When the network externalities of the two types of services are similar, the platform will differentiate them based on service quality differences. Overall, considering consumer preference heterogeneity, drivers of service types, and network externalities, this paper provides guidance for platforms to make optimal decisions that enhance their service offerings and improve overall customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global population aging poses a tremendous burden on the health care system worldwide. Frailty is associated with decreased physical reserve and is considered an important indicator of adverse events in the older population. Therefore, there is growing interest in the early diagnosis and intervention of frailty, but the cellular mechanisms responsible for frailty are still not completely understood. Chronic inflammation is related to decreased physical function and increased disease risk. Additionally, multiple human and animal studies suggest that inflammation probably plays the largest role in contributing to frailty. Some inflammatory markers have been proposed to predict physical frailty. However, there are still large gaps in knowledge related to the clinical application of these markers in frail patients. Therefore, understanding the biological processes and identifying recognized and reliable markers are urgent and pivotal tasks for geriatricians. In the present review, we broadly summarize the inflammatory markers that may have potential diagnostic and therapeutic use, thereby translating them into health care for older people with frailty in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive lipid accumulation in the liver. Clarifying the molecular mechanism of lipid metabolism is crucial for the treatment of NAFLD. We examined miR-192-5p levels in the livers of mice in which NAFLD was induced via a high-fat diet (HFD), as well as in mouse primary hepatocytes and human HepG2 cells treated with free fatty acids (FFAs). MiR-192-5p inhibitor was administered to NAFLD mice and hepatocytes to verify the specific function of miR-192-5p in NAFLD. We validated the target gene of miR-192-5p and further illustrated the effects of this miRNA on the regulation of triglyceride (TG) metabolism. We found that miR-192-5p was significantly increased in the livers of NAFLD mice and FFA-treated hepatocytes. Inhibition of miR-192-5p increased the accumulation of hepatic TGs and aggravated hepatic steatosis in NAFLD mice. In FFA-treated hepatocytes, miR-192-5p inhibitors markedly increased TG content, whereas overexpression of miR-192-5p reduced TG levels. Yin Yang 1 (Yy1) was identified as the target gene of miR-192-5p, which regulates TG synthesis via the YY1/fatty-acid synthase (FASN) pathway. Our results demonstrated that miR-192-5p should be considered a protective regulator in NAFLD that can inhibit hepatic TG synthesis by targeting Yy1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the prediction model comprised of patients' laboratory results and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers of host gene for the clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who underwent interferon (IFN)-α therapy, this prospective case–control study enrolled 131 patients with CHB who underwent IFN-α-based regimens in our hospital between January 2015 and September 2019. Among them, 56 cases were without HBsAg clearance, while the other 75 cases had HBsAg clearance. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that CYP27B1 rs4646536 (odd ratio [OR] = 0.155, 95% CI: 0.030–0.807, p = 0.027), PAK4 rs9676717 (OR = 11.237, 95% CI: 1.768–71.409, p = 0.010), IL28B rs12979860 (OR = 0.059, 95% CI: 0.006–0.604, p = 0.017), baseline HBsAg (OR = 0.170, 95% CI: 0.040–0.716, p = 0.016), and HBeAg status (OR = 3.971, 95% CI: 1.138–13.859, p = 0.031) were independently associated with HBsAg clearance. The model that included rs3077, rs4646536, rs9676717, rs2850015, rs12979860, baseline HBsAg, HBeAg status, and HBV DNA had the best prediction performance for HBsAg clearance prediction, with AUC = 0.877, 80% sensitivity, and 81% specificity. In conclusion, laboratory results and gene polymorphisms before treatment might have a good predictive value for HbsAg clearance after IFN-α treatment in CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we derive error estimates for two second-order numerical schemes for solving the viscous Cahn-Hilliard equation with hyperbolic relaxation, one based on the second-order Crank-Nicolson time marching method and the other on the backward differentiation formula. In both schemes, the nonlinear potential is discretized by the Invariant Energy Quadratization (IEQ) method, which employs an auxiliary variable to produce a linear and unconditional energy-stable structure. After assuming some reasonable boundedness and continuity conditions for the nonlinear function, the optimal error estimate is rigorously derived using mathematical induction. Finally, several numerical experiments are carried out to verify the theoretical predictions of the convergence rate and energy stability of the algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane proteins are critical mediators for tumor progression and present enormous therapeutic potentials. Although gene profiling can identify their cancer-specific signatures, systematic correlations between protein functions and tumor-related mechanisms are still unclear. We present here the CrMP-Sol database (https://bio-gateway.aigene.org.cn/g/CrMP), which aims to breach the gap between the two. Machine learning was used to extract key functional descriptions for protein visualization in the 3D-space, where spatial distributions provide function-based predictive connections between proteins and cancer types. CrMP-Sol also presents QTY-enabled water-soluble designs to facilitate native membrane protein studies despite natural hydrophobicity. Five examples with varying transmembrane helices in different categories were used to demonstrate the feasibility. Native and redesigned proteins exhibited highly similar characteristics, predicted structures and binding pockets, and slightly different docking poses against known ligands, although task-specific designs are still required for proteins more susceptible to internal hydrogen bond formations. The database can accelerate therapeutic developments and biotechnological applications of cancer-related membrane proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competition between platforms supported by digital technology, to a great extent, affects the structure of the whole industry and the fate of individual enterprises in the industry. For related enterprises, it is very important to clarify the influencing factors of platform competition equilibrium. This paper constructs a game model that includes platforms, suppliers, and the final consumers. We analyze the condition and stability of each equilibrium and the impacts of the characteristics of the core and complementary products on the equilibrium by using the method of evolutionary game. Our results show the following: (1) If the two platforms initially have separate advantages in terms of the number of suppliers or consumers, there will be an equilibrium of the coexistence of the two platforms; otherwise, there will be an equilibrium of single platform dominating. (2) The equilibrium of a single platform dominating is more stable than that of the coexistence of multiple platforms. (3) The equilibrium of coexistence is more easily broken by the occasional shock of increasing or decreasing the number of suppliers than by consumers. (4) Platforms with poor core product quality and a high price for core and complementary products can coexist with other superior platforms only if the former has more consumers and suppliers at the beginning of the competition. This paper not only enriches the research content in the field of platform competition, but also provides new ideas for them to develop appropriate competition strategies in combination with their own conditions. Plain Language Summary: The Evolutionary Game of Platform Competition The purpose of this paper is to analyze the equilibrium state of platform competition in a dynamic market from a tripartite perspective of platform-supplier-consumer. This paper constructs a game model that includes platforms, suppliers, and the final consumers. We analyze the condition and stability of each equilibrium and the impacts of the characteristics of the core and complementary products on the equilibrium by using the method of evolutionary game. Our results show the following: (1) If the two platforms initially have separate advantages in terms of the number of suppliers or consumers, there will be an equilibrium of the coexistence of the two platforms; otherwise, there will be an equilibrium of single platform dominating. (2) The equilibrium of a single platform dominating is more stable than that of the coexistence of multiple platforms. (3) The equilibrium of coexistence is more easily broken by the occasional shock of increasing or decreasing the number of suppliers than by consumers. (4) Platforms with poor core product quality and a high price for core and complementary products can coexist with other superior platforms only if the former has more consumers and suppliers at the beginning of the competition. This paper not only enriches the research content in the field of platform competition, but also provides new ideas for them to develop appropriate competition strategies in combination with their own conditions. The limitation of this paper is that it does not consider the possibility of having companies enter or exit the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of intellectual property information services (IPIS) plays a vital role in bolstering the public service infrastructure for intellectual property. Utilizing IPIS' social advantages in universities is integral to boosting technological innovation and fostering economic growth. This study conducts a literature review and network research to examine how academic libraries in the U.S. and China carry out IPIS in the knowledge economy era to adapt to the new network environment. Specifically, we select 43 academic libraries recognized as Patent and Trademark Resource Centers in the U.S. and 33 National Intellectual Property Information Service Centers in China. Our main contribution is developing a framework with 5 interrelated dimensions encompassing a total of 15 elements that can serve as a reference or guide for creating IPIS in academic libraries, where online services are the primary format. Through a comprehensive analysis of the survey sample websites, we thoroughly examine the key attributes of the IPIS models employed by academic libraries in both the U.S. and China across various levels. Our research also encompasses a comprehensive examination of the roles and responsibilities of academic libraries and librarians in the context of the knowledge and innovation era. Finally, this study draws upon the valuable practical experiences of IPIS at academic libraries in the U.S. and China, serving as a point of reference. It offers robust targeting and applicable guidelines and recommendations for academic libraries in comparable nations, particularly China, to build IPIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane proteins are critical mediators for tumor progression and present enormous therapeutic potentials. Although gene profiling can identify their cancer-specific signatures, systematic correlations between protein functions and tumor-related mechanisms are still unclear. We present here the CrMP-Sol database (https://bio-gateway.aigene.org.cn/g/CrMP), which aims to breach the gap between the two. Machine learning was used to extract key functional descriptions for protein visualization in the 3D-space, where spatial distributions provide function-based predictive connections between proteins and cancer types. CrMP-Sol also presents QTY-enabled water-soluble designs to facilitate native membrane protein studies despite natural hydrophobicity. Five examples with varying transmembrane helices in different categories were used to demonstrate the feasibility. Native and redesigned proteins exhibited highly similar characteristics, predicted structures and binding pockets, and slightly different docking poses against known ligands, although task-specific designs are still required for proteins more susceptible to internal hydrogen bond formations. The database can accelerate therapeutic developments and biotechnological applications of cancer-related membrane proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce some classes of univalent harmonic functions with respect to the symmetric conjugate points by means of subordination, the analytic parts of which are reciprocal starlike (or convex) functions. Further, we discuss the geometric properties of the classes, such as the integral expression, coefficient estimation, distortion theorem, Jacobian estimation, growth estimates, and covering theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce some classes of univalent harmonic functions with respect to the symmetric conjugate points by means of subordination, the analytic parts of which are reciprocal starlike (or convex) functions. Further, by combining with the graph of the function, we discuss the bound of the Bloch constant and the norm of the pre-Schwarzian derivative for the classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • RIP3 inhibition reduced cerebral infarction volume. • It also reduced neurological deficits and neuronal ultrastructural damage. • It can exert a protective effect by reducing necroptosis and apoptosis. • We showed the cascade of the RIP3/CaMKII/Pyk2 pathway in brain ischaemic stroke. Neuronal necroptosis and apoptosis are the most important pathways for programmed cell death after brain ischaemic stroke. Although apoptosis signalling pathways have been extensively studied, molecular mechanisms underlying necroptosis remain unclear. In this study, we found that receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3) deficiency reduced cerebral infarction volume, neurological deficits, and neuronal ultrastructural damage in a mouse model of brain ischaemic stroke by inhibiting programmed cell death. RIP3 deficiency inhibited the activation of both calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) cascade, decreased the expression of classic necroptotic and apoptotic proteins, and ultimately decreased neuronal necroptosis and apoptosis. We further confirmed that RIP3 deficiency inhibited the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, the increase of calcium influx and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In addition, compared with WT primary cortical neurons, the decreased expression of CaMKII and Pyk2 was further verified in a Ripk3 −/− primary cortical neurons underlying oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model. In conclusion, we first identified that the RIP3/CaMKII/Pyk2 pathway is involved in programmed cell death after brain ischaemic stroke, which suggests it is a promising therapeutic target in ischaemia-induced neuronal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using literature content analysis method, the knowledge map was made via CiteSpace software, with the core literature of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) as the data source, and the following conclusions were drawn. (1) The development course of sports tourism research can be divided roughly into 4 stages: initial germination stage, preliminary development stage, high-speed development stage and stable development stage. (2) The National Social Science Foundation, the Sports Research Project of the State General Administration of Sport, and the Soft Science Research Plan of Henan Province were the main sources of funds for sports tourism research, while the national and provincial funds were dominant. (3) Among the published journals of sports tourism, the publication types had unbalanced distribution, with more literatures published in sports journals and less in tourism journals. (4) In terms of authors of sports tourism articles, there were mainly three core teams led by Yu Sumei, Liu Shaoying and Lu Yuanzhao. Sports Tourism Market Characteristics and Product Development written by scholar Wang Degen had the strongest intensity of academic influence with the highest cited frequency. (5) In terms of research institutions of sports tourism, Henan University was an important institution for publishing sports tourism literature, but academic research links on sports tourism among institutions had not been established. (6) At present, the key research directions of sports tourism include sports tourism economy, sports tourism development, sports tourism industry development, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the theoretical perspective of educational ecology, the basic situation of professional development of rural physical education teachers in Deqing County and the restricting factors in the process of professional development were investigated and analyzed by using the methods of literature review, questionnaire survey and mathematical statistic analysis, aiming to find out the problems existing in the professional development of rural physical education teachers in Deqing County. The targeted optimization strategies were explored, so as to achieve the effects of enriching the research theory of professional development of rural physical education teachers, improving the quality of physical education in rural schools, inheriting excellent rural sports culture, driving the development of rural mass sports, promoting the construction of rural material and spiritual civilization, and improving the quality of rural human capital. According to the research, the gender structure of rural physical education teachers in Deqing County was unreasonable; the teachers were undertaken heavy teaching task; there was a shortage of highly educated people; some teachers lacked understanding and attention to the connotation of professional development; the teachers had insufficient knowledge of educational science; teachers' sense of responsibility needed to be strengthened; schools did not pay enough attention to teachers' continuing education and training, and teachers were less satisfied with training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of wireless network and various communication technologies, the information on the Internet is expanding rapidly. The development of wireless network and various communication technologies has promoted the development of e-commerce, and people can understand a large amount of commodity information without leaving home. However, due to the complex information on the network, users need to pass a lot of screening to obtain the information they want, and a large amount of irrelevant information will cause users to consume a large amount of irrelevant information. To solve these problems, the personalized recommendation system is created, but the recommendation system is recommended according to the characteristics of users' interest and shopping behavior. However, users' interests will change, so they need to use other technologies to screen for relevant commodity information. Evidence theory has a strong ability to distinguish between true and false information and to deal with uncertain information. To this end, this article studies the application of the evidence theory in the recommendation system and finds that the evidence theory algorithm can infer the information needed by users based on the uncertain information. Moreover, the experiment in this article proves that the algorithm application of the evidence theory in the recommendation system can well grasp the interests of users and recommend the information needed by users. This improves the efficiency of users to obtain the required information and achieves 80 points for content recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study is conducted to synthesize the effects of web‐based self‐management intervention on patients with cancer. Evaluation: We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases for related randomized controlled trials from inception through 2021. Reference lists of included studies were also searched for additional qualified studies. For quantitative data synthesis, standardized mean differences were used to eliminate the influence caused by different scales. Narrative synthesis was also performed. Key issues: Nine in 1149 studies were included for narrative and quantitative analysis. The pooled data suggested that patients in the intervention group had better quality of life (standardized mean difference = 1.091, 95% confidence interval: 0.155–2.028) and lower depression (standardized mean difference = −1.634, 95% confidence interval: −2.980 to −0.287) than those in the control group. The result of narrative synthesis is that patients receiving intervention had lower cancer or symptom distress and higher self‐efficacy than those in the control group. Conclusion: Web‐based self‐management intervention improved lives of cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study established a model for a closed low-temperature heat pump drying (HPD) system and structured a sludge drying experimental platform to validate it. The effects of incoming air temperatures of the drying cabinet, circulating air volume, and ambient temperature on both drying rate and system performance were investigated. The findings revealed that the drying rate and specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) rise with higher incoming air temperatures of the drying cabinet and circulating air volume, while the coefficient of performance (COP) exhibited a contrasting trend. The sludge dried the fastest with a drying rate of 6.01 kg/h when the incoming air temperatures of the drying cabinet and circulating air volume were set to 65 °C and 900m³/h, respectively. At the incoming air temperature of the drying cabinet was 65 °C and the circulating air volume was set to 850 m3/h, the SMER reached the maximum value, 2.782kg/(kW·h). In addition, the COP increased as the ambient temperature rose, while the drying rate and SMER both decreased gradually. The drying rate demonstrated an average decline of 0.29 kg/h for every 2 °C rise in ambient temperature, while the SMER exhibited an average decrease of 0.148kg/(kW·h). These works offer guidance for the practical implementation of the sludge HPD system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to detect the function of retinoic acid receptor responder 1 (RARRES1) and its regulator miR-769-5p in the growth and mobility of osteosarcoma cells. Methods: The Gene Expression Omnibus database was applied to analyze RARRES1 and miR-769-5p expression, and the survival rate of osteosarcoma patients. The target association between miR-769-5p and RARRES1 was speculated by miRWalk, TargetScan, and miRanda Web sites, as well as affirmed by dual luciferase assay. RARRES1 expression was tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The malignant properties of MG-63 and U2OS cells were assessed by a series of biological experiments. Results: RARRES1 was lowly expressed in osteosarcoma patients, which resulted in unfavorable survival. Depletion of RARRES1 promoted the viability and mobility of osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, miR-769-5p was affirmed as an upstream regulator of RARRES1 and negatively regulated RARRES1 expression. miR-769-5p upregulation accelerated the viability and mobility of osteosarcoma cells, which can be blocked by RARRES1 overexpression. miR-769-5p inhibitor suppressed the effect of malignant viability and mobility of osteosarcoma cells, while this suppressive effect was abolished by depleting RARRES1. Discussion/Conclusion: miR-769-5p promoted cell viability, invasion, and migration by reducing RARRES1 expression in osteosarcoma cells, which might provide novel targets for the treatment of osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a sustainable 3D carbon aerogel (AO-WPC) is prepared from waste paper (WP), and used for efficient antibiotics removal from water. The AO-WPC aerogel shows good mechanical property and can recover after 100th of 30 % compression strain. The specific surface area of AO-WPC aerogel is up to 654.58 m2/g. More importantly, this aerogel reveals proper pore size distribution, including micro sized macropores between carbon fibers and intrinsic nano scale mesopores (11.86 nm), which is conducive to remove antibiotics from water. Taking tetracycline (Tc) as an example, the maximum adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of AO-WPC for Tc are as high as 384.6 mg/g and 0.510 g/(mg‧min), respectively, which exhibits significant advantages over most of the recent absorbents, and the adsorption toward Tc reveals good resistance to various environmental factors, including pH, various ions, and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Moreover, good thermal stability enables the AO-WPC aerogel to be regenerated through simple burning, and the adsorption capacity of Tc only decreases by 10.4 % after 10 cycles. Mechanism research shows that hydrogen bonding and π-π electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) interaction play the important role in the adsorption. The excellent mechanical property and adsorption performance imply good practical prospect of the AO-WPC aerogel. [Display omitted] • A compressible carbon aerogel is prepared from cheap waste paper. • The adsorption toward antibiotics reveals fast kinetics and high capacity. • The adsorption performance shows good resistance to various environmental factors. • This carbon aerogel can efficiently regenerate more than 10 times through burning. • The adsorption mechanisms are hydrogen bonds and π-π electron-donor-acceptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic capacity is the sum of an individual's physical and mental capacities, which helps determine functional ability. Intrinsic capacity decline is an important predictor of adverse health outcomes and can identify individuals at higher risk of functional decline. Aging is characterized by a decrease in physiological reserves and functional abilities. Chronic inflammation, a mechanism of aging, is associated with decreased intrinsic capacity, which may mirror the broader relationship between aging and functional ability. Therefore, it is crucial for maintaining functional ability and promoting healthy aging to study the mechanisms of intrinsic capacity decline, identify easily available markers, and make targets for intervention from the perspective of chronic inflammation. We reviewed the current research on chronic inflammation, inflammation-related markers, and intrinsic capacity. To date, there is still no inflammatory markers with high specificity and sensitivity to monitor intrinsic capacity decline. Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha may potentially indicate changes in intrinsic capacity, but their results with intrinsic capacity or each intrinsic capacity domain are inconsistent. Considering the variations in individual responses to changes in inflammatory markers, it may be beneficial to explore the use of multiple analytes instead of relying on a single marker. This approach could be valuable in monitoring the decline of intrinsic capacity in the future. • Chronic inflammation may accelerate decline in intrinsic capacity. • IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α can serve as biomarkers for assessing IC decline. • Inflammation and intrinsic capacity reflect the aging-function connection. • Timely monitoring and intervention in IC decline are vital for healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yixinyin, the traditional Chinese medicine, has the effects of replenishing righteous qi, and promoting blood circulation to eliminate blood stagnation. It is often used to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of our study is to explore the key components and targets of Yixinyin in the treatment of MI. In this study, we analyzed gene expression data and clinical information from 248 samples of MI patients with the GSE34198, GSE29111 and GSE66360 data sets. By constructing a weighted gene co-expression network, gene modules related to myocardial infarction are obtained. These modules can be mapped in Yixinyin PPI network. By integrating differential genes of healthy/MI and unstable angina/MI, key targets of Yixinyin for the treatment of myocardial infarction were screened. We validated the key objectives with external data sets. GSEA analysis is used to identify the biological processes involved in key targets. Through molecular docking screening, active components that can combine with key targets in Yixinyin were obtained. In the treatment of myocardial infarction, we have obtained key targets of Yixinyin, which are ALDH2, C5AR1, FOS, IL1B, TLR2, TXNRD1. External data sets prove that they behave differently in the healthy and MI (P < 0.05). GSEA enrichment analysis revealed that they are mainly involved in pathways associated with myocardial infarction, such as viral myocarditis, VEGF signaling pathway and type I diabetes mellitus. The docking results showed that the components that can be combined with key targets in YixinYin are Supraene, Prostaglandin B1, isomucronulatol-7,2′-di-O-glucosiole, angusifolin B, Linolenic acid ethyl ester, and Mandenol. For that matter, they may be active ingredients of Yixinyin in treating MI. These findings provide a basis for the preliminary research of myocardial infarction therapy in traditional Chinese medicine and provide ideas for the design of related drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How people encode numbers in the context of multiple overlapping encoded cues remains unclear. In this study, we explored Chinese finger numbers, which contain both a numerical magnitude cue and a left-right hand cue offered by the expressing hand, to investigate the number encoding mechanism in the context of multiple overlapping cues. Chinese finger numbers expressed by the left or right hand were randomly and centrally presented on a computer screen to participants who were asked to perform a hand classification task (Experiment 1), a magnitude classification task (Experiment 2), a parity classification task (Experiment 3) and a magnitude classification or ring classification task (Experiment 4). We discovered (a) only an association effect between the pressed key and the expressing hand in hand classification and parity classification tasks, (b) the SNARC effect only on the magnitude classification task, (c) the association effect between the pressed key and the expressing hand on the larger, Chinese finger number, magnitude classification task in Experiment 2, and (d) the SNARC effect and the association between the pressed key and the expressing hand were reversed on the ring classification task. From these results, we concluded that people can flexibly choose appropriate number encoding cues and how numbers are encoded in the context of multiple overlapping cues depending on (a) which cognition task individuals perform and (b) the character of the numbers involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, as human life expectancy increases, birth rate decreases and health management concerns; the traditional Healthcare imaging system, with its uneven Healthcare imaging resources, high Healthcare imaging costs, and diagnoses often relying on doctors' clinical experience and equipment level limitations, has affected people's demand for health, so there is a need for a more accurate, convenient, and affordable Healthcare imaging system that allows all people to enjoy fair and quality Healthcare imaging services. This paper discusses the construction and evaluation of an intelligent medical diagnostic model based on integrated deep neural networks, which not only provides a systematic diagnostic analysis of the various symptoms input by the inquirer but also has higher accuracy and efficiency compared with traditional medical diagnostic models. The construction of this model provides a theoretical basis for integrating deep neural networks applied to medical neighborhoods with big data algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yixinyin, the traditional Chinese medicine, has the effects of replenishing righteous qi, and promoting blood circulation to eliminate blood stagnation. It is often used to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of our study is to explore the key components and targets of Yixinyin in the treatment of MI. In this study, we analyzed gene expression data and clinical information from 248 samples of MI patients with the GSE34198, GSE29111 and GSE66360 data sets. By constructing a weighted gene co-expression network, gene modules related to myocardial infarction are obtained. These modules can be mapped in Yixinyin PPI network. By integrating differential genes of healthy/MI and unstable angina/MI, key targets of Yixinyin for the treatment of myocardial infarction were screened. We validated the key objectives with external data sets. GSEA analysis is used to identify the biological processes involved in key targets. Through molecular docking screening, active components that can combine with key targets in Yixinyin were obtained. In the treatment of myocardial infarction, we have obtained key targets of Yixinyin, which are ALDH2, C5AR1, FOS, IL1B, TLR2, TXNRD1. External data sets prove that they behave differently in the healthy and MI (P < 0.05). GSEA enrichment analysis revealed that they are mainly involved in pathways associated with myocardial infarction, such as viral myocarditis, VEGF signaling pathway and type I diabetes mellitus. The docking results showed that the components that can be combined with key targets in YixinYin are Supraene, Prostaglandin B1, isomucronulatol-7,2′-di-O-glucosiole, angusifolin B, Linolenic acid ethyl ester, and Mandenol. For that matter, they may be active ingredients of Yixinyin in treating MI. These findings provide a basis for the preliminary research of myocardial infarction therapy in traditional Chinese medicine and provide ideas for the design of related drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a survey with 554 kindergarten teachers in China to explore the relationship between psychological empowerment and retention intention, along with the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of professional emotion. The results show that psychological empowerment had a positive effect on retention intention through the mediating effect of psychological capital. Additionally, professional emotion significantly moderated the effects of psychological capital on retention intention. Thus, we confirmed that psychological capital mediated the effects of psychological empowerment on retention intention and that professional emotion moderated the second half of this mediation process. The results of our study have theoretical and practical significance for proposing intervention measures to improve the retention intention of kindergarten teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capital enrichment (CE) results from capital flows, which reflect the capital distribution among different regions and industries. This paper constructs the evaluation model of resource allocation efficiency from the perspective of capital and innovation resources. It expounds on CE's theoretical mechanism by using the panel data from 2011 to 2018 for system GMM estimation. It finds that the manufacturing capital allocation efficiency (CAE) and innovation resource allocation efficiency (IRAE) show a volatile development trend. Both static and dynamic panel models show that there is a significant U-shaped curvilinear relationship between CE and CAE, CE and IRAE. CE's inhibitory effect on CAE and IRAE decreases with the improvement of CE until it exceeds the critical value of 8.27 and 8.93. After that, its impact on CAE and IRAE changes from negative to positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for environmentally friendly and passenger-favored flight operation requires a systematic scheme of sustainable trajectory optimization for the aircraft cruise. This paper achieves it by proposing an innovative performance framework based on the comprehensive benefit to the society considering both economic and noneconomic ones, following which the sustainable trajectory optimization problem is modeled by discretization. A method combining forward recurrence and memoization operation, called memoization dynamic programming, is developed to solve the model with computational efficiency. Working with real-world operational data of a typical flight route, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme at different levels and explore the difference in its performance due to meteorological conditions, aircraft type, and time horizon. The scheme is proved to perform robustly in comprehensive performance with a stable benefit rate of about 8% through sensitivity analysis, by which we find that it is relatively better for the flights cruising on business route with a load factor of 85%. Tradeoff results suggest that the systematic consideration of both the economic and noneconomic performance contributes to improved integrated sustainability. In particular, the optimal comprehensive performance at a monthly level can be obtained when accepting an additional $26,500 economic cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and characterisation of tetrasubstituted tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFs) 1a–1c, which bear photoresponsive 4ʹ-cyanoazobenzenyl units, are described. These units were linked to the TTF core through spacers of different lengths. All synthesised compounds displayed mesogenic phases over a wide temperature range and no crystallisation, but vitrified to form glassy mesogens during cooling from the isotropic melt. Compound 1a with a short spacer (n = 6) exhibited enantiotropic nematic and smectic A mesophases. In contrast, compound 1b showed monotropic smectic A and oblique columnar phases. However, compound 1c with the longest spacer (n = 10) only possessed an oblique columnar phase. The results for this compound series showed that the molecular packing pattern depended on the spacer length and that cool-crystallisation was observed upon further heating. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry and impedance tests confirmed that compound 1a has potential applications in organic semiconductor materials. A new series of compounds derived from heterocycle TTF was successfully designed and synthesised using simple synthetic methods. All compounds formed glassy mesogens with an above-ambient glass transition temperature during cooling from the isotropic melt. With increasing spacer length, the self-assembled structures changed from Lam to Colo. These TTF‐based LCs, in combination with good electron-donating properties and the inherent optoelectronic properties of azobenzene, might be attractive new candidates for organic optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of residents' participation in leisure sports in Lanhe Town, Nansha District, Guangzhou are studied by means of literature review and questionnaire survey. The results show that residents' participation in leisure sports in Lanhe Town, Nansha District is not satisfactory. Due to the influence of economic level, the field and facilities for leisure sports are insufficient in Lanhe Town, Nansha District, Guangzhou, and there is a shortage of professional leisure sports instructors and management personnel for field and facilities. Combined with the actual situation of Lanhe Town in Nansha District, the countermeasures against the existing problems are put forward from the aspects of construction of leisure sports facilities, policy publicity, personnel management, capital investment and residents' consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate a P1 finite element method for a two-dimensional weighted optimal control problem arising from a three-dimensional (3D) axisymmetric elliptic state-constrained optimal control problem with Dirichlet boundary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of central and peripheral B cells and their responsiveness are decreased in aged mice. The diversity of mice central and peripheral B cell repertoires with increasing age has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that there were significant differences in the usage of some V, D, and J genes in the BCR H-CDR3 repertoire of bone marrow B cells, spleen B cells and spleen memory B cells in 3-, 12-, and 20-month-old mice. In the productive, pseudogene, and out-of-frame sequences, bone marrow B cells had significant differences in 5′J trimming with age; peripheral spleen B cells and memory B cells had significant differences in N1 insertion, N2 insertion, P5'D insertion, and 5'D trimming with age. The BCR H-CDR3 repertoire diversity of mice bone marrow B cells, spleen B cells and spleen memory B cells decreased with increasing age. The proportion of overlap in bone marrow and spleen B cells, but not spleen memory B cells, of mice at different ages was lower at 3 months than at 12 and 20 months. This study is the first to report the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the CDR3 repertoire of central and peripheral B cells change as mice age, to further investigation of the decline and response of B cell immunity in young/middle/old-aged mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the development of self-assembly donor-σ-acceptor (D-σ-A) molecules, a series of D-σ-A low-molecular mass organogelators, consisting of tetrathiafulvalene (D) and cyanobiphenyl (A) connected by a thioalkanoyloxy spacer of varying lengths modified with hydrophobic chains incorporating amide groups on the side, was designed and readily synthesized. Their gelation properties were studied. The results showed that the gelation capability of these compounds was highly dependent on the alkyl chain length in the spacer group and the TTF and cyanobiphenyl units. Derivative 1a with short alkyl chain (n = 4) efficiently gelated in some aromatic solvents, forming opaque organogels. These gelators reacted with F4TCNQ to form stable charge-transfer complex gels in ethanol. Clear evidence of self-assembled micro/nanoflower, fibrous, or tubular morphologies in gelation state was obtained by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the molecules adopted lamellar and rectangular columnar molecular packing models in the gel phase by X-ray diffraction. The native gels underwent a reversible gel-sol phase transition upon exposure to external stimuli. The gel-sol transition of the organogel was stimulated by the addition of fluoride anions. Interestingly, all gels showed an irreversible gel-sol transition triggered by TFA and TEA. The formation of flower-like morphologies of TTF-based derivatives in the gel state was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cow milk fat is an essential indicator for evaluating and measuring milk quality and cow performance. Growing research has identified the molecular functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) necessary for mammary gland development and lactation in mammals. Method: The present study analyzed circRNA expression profiling data in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) from cows with highly variable milk fat percentage (MFP) using differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Results: A total of 309 differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs) were identified in the high and low MFP groups. WGCNA analysis revealed that the pink module was significantly associated with MFP (r = − 0.85, P = 0.007). Parental genes of circRNAs in this module were enriched mainly in lipid metabolism-related signaling pathways, such as focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, adherens junction and AMPK. Finally, six DE-circRNAs were screened from the pink module: circ_0010571, circ_0007797, circ_0002746, circ_0003052, circ_0004319, and circ_0012840. Among them, circ_0002746, circ_0003052, circ_0004319, and circ_0012840 had circular structures and were highly expressed in mammary tissues. Subcellular localization revealed that these four DE-circRNAs may play a regulatory role in the mammary glands of dairy cows, mainly as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Seven hub target genes (GNB1, GNG2, PLCB1, PLCG1, ATP6V0C, NDUFS4, and PIGH) were obtained by constructing the regulatory network of their ceRNAs and then analyzed by CytoHubba and MCODE plugins in Cytoscape. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are crucial and most probable ceRNA regulators in milk fat metabolism. Conclusions: Our study identified several vital circRNAs and ceRNAs affecting milk fat synthesis, providing new research ideas and a theoretical basis for cow lactation, milk quality, and breed improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammation (CI) in older adults is associated with reduced health span and life span. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one CI marker that is strongly associated with adverse health outcomes and mortality in aging. We have previously characterized a mouse model of frailty and chronic inflammatory pathway activation (IL-10tm/tm, IL-10 KO) that demonstrates the upregulation of numerous proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6. We sought to identify a more specific role for IL-6 within the context of CI and aging and developed a mouse with targeted deletion of both IL-10 and IL-6 (IL-10tm/tm/IL-6tm/tm, DKO). Phenotypic characteristics, cytokine measurements, cardiac myocardial oxygen consumption, physical function, and survival were measured in DKO mice and compared to age- and gender-matched IL-10 KO and wild-type mice. Our findings demonstrate that selective knockdown of IL-6 in a frail mouse with CI resulted in the reversal of some of the CI-associated changes. We observed increased protective mitochondrial-associated lipid metabolites, decreased cardiac oxaloacetic acid, improved myocardial oxidative metabolism, and better short-term functional performance in DKO mice. However, the DKO mice also demonstrated higher mortality. This work shows the pleiotropic effects of IL-6 on aging and frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nutrient contents and organic carbon (C) stability are key indicators for restoration of degraded grassland. However, the effects of long‐term active restoration of extremely degraded grassland on soil parameters have been equivocal. The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of active restoration of degraded alpine grassland on: (a) soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization; and (b) the importance of biotic factors for temperature sensitivity (Q10) of SOM mineralization. Soils were sampled from intact, degraded and restored alpine grasslands at altitudes ranging between 3,900 and 4,200 m on the Tibetan Plateau. The samples were incubated at 5, 15 and 25°C, and Q10 values of SOM mineralization were determined. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the importance of vegetation, soil physico‐chemical properties and microbial parameters for Q10 regulation. The Q10 of N mineralization was similar among intact, degraded and restored soils (0.84–1.24) and was higher in topsoil (1.09) than in subsoil (0.92). The best predictive factor of CO2‐Q10 for intact grassland was microbial biomass, for degraded grassland was basal microbial respiration, and for restored grassland was soil bulk density. Restoration by planting vegetation decreased the Q10 of SOM mineralization as soil bulk density, the most important negative predictor, increased in restored grassland. The Q10 of SOM mineralization in topsoil was 14% higher than in subsoil because of higher microbial abundance and exo‐enzyme activities. The NH4+ content was greatest in intact soil, while NO3− content was greatest in degraded soil. The SOM mineralization rate decreased with grassland degradation and increased after long‐term (>10 years) restoration. In conclusion, extremely degraded grassland needs proper long‐term management in active restoration projects, especially for improvement of soil nutrients in a harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fermented Caragana korshinskii feed on meat quality in three muscle tissues (longissimus dorsi m., triceps brachii and biceps femoris) in Tan sheep. Sheep were randomly divided into two groups: the control group was fed a basic diet, and the experimental group was fed the basic diet supplemented with 10% fermented Caragana korshinskii. The results for the meat quality characteristics showed that the fermented Caragana korshinskii group had significantly greater more crude protein in all three muscles and more ash in the longissimus dorsi m. and triceps brachii than the control group. The fermented Caragana korshinskii group had a significantly higher ultimate pH in the biceps femoris and triceps brachii than the control group. The fermented Caragana korshinskii group had greater inosinic acid content in the longissimus dorsi m. and triceps brachii than the control group. The fermented Caragana korshinskii group had significantly higher levels of Asp, Thr, Glu and Ser in the triceps brachii than the control group. The fermented Caragana korshinskii group had significantly higher levels of C12:0 in the triceps brachii, of C15:0 and C16:0 in the biceps femoris, of C16:1 in the longissimus dorsi m. and triceps brachii, of C18:0 in the triceps brachii than the control group. Therefore, adding 10% fermented Caragana korshinskii to the diet of the sheep significantly improved the crude protein, ash, inosinic acid, partial amino acid and fatty acid contents as well as the ultimate pH and L* values in Tan sheep muscles. Fermentative caragana korshinskii was partially substituted for corn stalk to feed Tan sheep could significantly improve crude protein, ash, ultimate pH, L* value, inosinic acid, partial amino acid and fat acid species and content of Tan sheep. It was provided scientific basis for the rational utilization of caragana korshinskii resources by studying its effect on meat quality of Tan sheep. Fermented Caragana korshinskii solves the problem of lack of forage resources in China and the imbalance of forage supply in winter and spring in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is to study the influence of sulphate corrosion on the mechanical behaviors of concrete, especially concrete corrosion under actual corrosion environment. This study investigated different immersion methods for concrete in a corrosion environment, and different strengths of concrete specimens with contents of sodium sulphate and magnesium chloride of 10.36% and 12.00%, respectively. Strength tests were performed on the specimens for the different immersion methods of full immersion, half‐immersion, and dry‐wet cycles, and with different strengths for the concrete of C20, C35, and C50. To study the internal mechanisms of the corrosion of concrete with different immersion methods and different strengths, a microscopic pore structure test was conducted. The field tests were performed after 12 years to evaluate the long term performance of the concrete under the actual environmental conditions. The test results show that full immersion mainly led to chemical corrosion, half immersion led to double damage from salt crystallization and chemical corrosion, and dry‐wet cycles accelerated the corrosions of the salt crystallization and chemical corrosion. The higher the strength of concrete, the better its resistance to the sulphate corrosion. In comparison with the strength of the concrete before corrosion, field test results show that the strength of uncorroded concrete after 12 years is increased by 9.5% and the strength of corroded concrete after 12 years is reduced by 56.2%. The results of the strength tests and pore structure tests show that sulphate has a significant impact on concrete strength after 12 years of field tests. This study will contribute to improve long‐term performance of the concrete, provide guidance for concrete structure design in corroded areas, and suggested that increasing attention should be paid to the effects of sulphate on concrete performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the new normal in China's economy, the development of coal enterprises continues to be sluggish, and their social responsibility issues have received increased attention from all walks of life. The stakeholder model of social responsibility was constructed based on the stakeholder theory to reveal the influence of social responsibility on the corporate value in the Chinese coal sector and their transmission mechanism. The panel data of coal enterprises in Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges from 2011 to 2019 was used to employ the system GMM (Generalized Moment Estimation) and the mediating effect model for empirical research. The results show that social responsibility has a positive influence over corporate value, and the impact of social responsibility on corporate value is heterogeneous for stakeholders in different dimensions. Social responsibility towards employees, shareholders, creditors, resources, and the environment has the greatest contribution to corporate value. Additionally, capital enrichment plays a mediating role in this effect, which enhances the positive impact of social responsibility on corporate value. Such findings reveal the transmission mechanism of social responsibility on corporate value and provide policy suggestions for coal enterprises to promote their sustainable development, which is beneficial for the national energy security and strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to optimize the product distribution of the Cu–Al catalytic system in the oxalate hydrogenation reaction as a way to optimize and improve the product structure of the coal-to-ethylene glycol process (Coal-Oxalate-EG), the researchers have investigated the two anchoring sites for anchoring the Cu component that is available in the Al2O3 support. The results show that the catalyst xSB synthesized from Al2O3 enriched with surface –OH functional groups is superior to the catalyst xSol synthesized from Al2O3 enriched with Al3+Penta sites for oxalate conversion, whereas xSol outperforms the xSB catalyst for the formation of alcohol-ether ester chemicals. Using diethyl oxalate (DEO) as feedstock, the reaction temperature of the 1Sol catalyst (235 °C) was higher than that of the 1SB catalyst (205 °C) for the conversion of the same amount of DEO at the same Cu loading. Meanwhile, the chemical selectivity of alcohol ether esters was higher for the 1Sol catalyst (~ 35%) than for the 1SB (~ 20%). Detailed characterization (XRD, NH3-TPD, XPS, in-situ FTIR, TEM, etc.) shows that the Al3+Penta sites are mainly present in the bulk phase of Al2O3, and the number of Al3+Penta sites present on the surface of the carriers is only sufficient to maintain the low content of Cu species in a highly dispersed state. A certain number of Al–OH is still required for the anchoring of the Cu species to the Al2O3 support surface. Therefore, hydroxyl-rich SB carriers are more favorable for the high dispersion of Cu species. Meanwhile, the stronger LAS distributed on the surface of the hydroxyl-rich SB carrier will lead to the decomposition or dehydration of the raw materials and intermediates during the reaction process, resulting in the formation of lower molecular weight products, which is unfavorable to the formation of the alcohol-ether ester products. Based on the detailed reaction data and characterization, a more complete product formation pathway of oxalate in the Cu–Al catalytic system is given, which provides a certain theoretical basis for the development of new coal-based chemical pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive impairment (CI) refers to the dysfunction of memory, language, visual space, execution, calculation, understanding, and judgment in one or more aspects. With global aging, CI will become prevalent worldwide. At present, there is no effective cure for CI. However, Nobel laureate Tu Youyou's research on artemisinin has inspired Chinese researchers to focus on traditional Chinese herbs (TCHs) for the treatment of CI. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has led to a theory for an independent CI system. The pathogenesis of such impairment involves deficiency, phlegm, and stagnation and involves a range of organs, including the brain, kidneys, heart, liver, and spleen. Our current understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of this condition has led to the realization that TCHs can improve cognitive dysfunction. Clinical research has shown that TCHs can improve the neuropsychological scale score of patients, the TCM symptom score, and the patient's quality of life. Research has also suggested that TCHs can retard A β deposits and tauopathy, regulate the metabolism of cholinergic neurotransmitters, and so on. However, due to their complexity, little is known of the safety and efficacy of TCHs in patients with CI. It is likely that we will be able to identify the precise mechanisms associated with the action of TCHs in such patients due to the integration of multiple technologies. This paper summarizes the pharmacokinetics, curative effect, and mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese herbs in order to provide a scientific basis for the improvement of cognitive dysfunction by TCHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declines in both physical and cognitive function are associated with increasing age. Understanding the physiological link between physical frailty and cognitive decline may allow us to develop interventions that prevent and treat both conditions. Although there is significant epidemiological evidence linking physical frailty to cognitive decline, a complete understanding of the underpinning biological basis of the two disorders remains fragmented. This narrative review discusses insights into the potential roles of chronic inflammation, impaired hypothalamic-pituitary axis stress response, imbalanced energy metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroendocrine dysfunction linking physical frailty with cognitive decline. We highlight the importance of easier identification of strategic approaches delaying the progression and onset of physical frailty and cognitive decline as well as preventing disability in the older population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of restrained shrinkage cracking on the chloride penetration of high‐performance concrete was investigated. Different shrinkage cracking patterns were first produced on concrete slabs subjected to nonrestrained, two‐side restrained, or four‐side restrained condition. For each restrained condition, four water‐binder (w/b) ratios of 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, and 0.40 were employed, and for each w/b ratio, fly ash and granulated blast‐furnace slag were utilized in a systematic replacement of cement at the levels of 0, 20, 30, 40, and 50%, respectively. Then, rapid chloride penetration (RCP) tests were conducted on samples sliced from concrete slabs for measuring the charge passed through the sample per se ASTM C1202. The experimental results indicate that w/b ratio, replacement level, and restrained condition had significant effects on the chloride penetration, and the charge passed could be well described by a unified expression when taking these three factors into account. Cracking area that could be used is responsible for the variation of the charge passed. More restraints resulted in bigger cracking areas meaning extra passages for chloride ingress, and in turn increased the charge passed during RCP test. Moreover, the inclusion of fly ash and slag proved to be effective in reducing chloride penetration, and small w/b ratio had a similar beneficial effect regarding chloride resistance which could be attributed to an improved pore structure within concrete and reduced cracking area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To characterize the clinical features of patients with ocular inflammatory diseases (OID) who tested positive for atypical perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (P-ANCA). Methods: Retrospective case series of patients with OID seen at the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institute (MERSI) from April 2014 to April 2016. Results: 813 patients were tested for ANCA with 34 patients (4%) being positive for atypical P-ANCA. Among those with positive atypical P-ANCA, the most frequent diagnoses were anterior uveitis in 62% (n = 21) followed by scleritis in 20% (n = 7). Only one patient had an episode of recurrent disease flare-up. All but one patient, who had concomitant C-ANCA seropositivity and granulomatosis with polyangiitis, had a favorable disease course with controlled inflammation using topical and/or systemic immunomodulatory therapy. Conclusion: In contrast to typical C-ANCA and P-ANCA, atypical P-ANCA seropositivity was not associated with severe vasculitis or poor prognosis in patients with the OID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To review the value of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in identifying the pathogens which cause ocular infections, thereby facilitating prompt initiation of treatment with an optimal anti-microbial regimen. Both contemporary and futuristic approaches to identifying pathogens in ocular infections are covered in this brief overview. Methods: Review of the peer reviewed literature on conventional and advanced methods as applied to the diagnosis of infectious diseases of the eye. Conclusion: NGS is a novel technology for identifying the pathogens responsible for ocular infections with the potential to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis and hastening the selection of the best therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of IVIg monotherapy in patients with recalcitrant ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP). Methods: A chart review of all OCP patients seen at the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution (MERSI) between 2005 and 2015 was completed. Stage was graded by using the Foster grading system. IVIg infusion was 2g/kg/cycle administered in 3 consecutive days monthly. Results: Of 512 OCP patients, 17 patients (34 eyes) treated with IVIg monotherapy were identified. Seven were female and ten were male. The average age at diagnosis was 60.7-year-old. The follow up time ranged from 12 to 140 months. Twenty-six eyes (76.5%) achieved remission. Nine remission eyes received cataract surgeries, and 2 of them had relapse (22.2%). The other 17 eyes did not undergo ocular surgery and remained in remission. IVIg monotherapy showed high efficacy in stage 1 OCP (7/7, 100%). Ocular surgery can be associated with OCP relapse (Table 2). Conclusions: IVIg monotherapy is an effective and safe therapy in patients with recalcitrant OCP. Ocular surgery can be associated with OCP relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate immunological variations between a group that received the hepatitis B vaccine and a non-vaccine group. We focused on a cohort that achieved HBsAg seroclearance after Peg-IFNα treatment of CHB. Methods: We enrolled twenty-eight individuals who achieved HBsAg seroclearance after Peg-IFNα treatment. They were divided into two groups: a vaccine group (n = 14) and a non-vaccine group (n = 14). We assessed lymphocyte subpopulations, B cell- and T cell-surface costimulatory/inhibitory factors, cytokines and immunoglobulin levels were detected at different time points to explore immune-function differences between both groups. Results: The seroconversion rate in the vaccine group at 24 weeks post-vaccination was 100%, which was significantly higher (p = 0.006) than that of the non-vaccine group (50%). Additionally, more individuals in the vaccine group exhibited anti-HBs levels exceeding 100 IUs/L and 300 IUs/L compared to the non-vaccine group (p < 0.05). The vaccine group demonstrated significantly increase total B cells and class-switched B cells at 24 weeks and plasma cells, CD80+B cells, Tfh cells, and ICOS+Tfh cell at 12 weeks, compared with baseline levels (p < 0.05). Conversely, Bregs (CD24+CD27+ and CD24+CD38high) decreased significantly at 24 weeks (p < 0.05). None of the above changes were statistically significance in the non-vaccine group (p > 0.05). Total IgG increased significantly in the vaccine group, and IL-2, IL-5, and IL-6 concentrations increased significantly at week 24 (p < 0.05). Differences in various types of cytokines and immunoglobulins in the plasma of the non-vaccine group were not significant (p > 0.05). Anti-HBs titers positively correlated with Th1/Th2 cells at 24 weeks (r = 0.448 and 0.458, respectively, p = 0.022 and 0.019, respectively), and negatively with CD24+CD38highBreg cells (r = -0.402, p = 0.042). Conclusions: After achieving HBsAg seroclearance through Peg-IFNα treatment for CHB, administering the hepatitis B vaccine significantly increased anti-HBs-seroconversion rates and antibody levels. We also observed significant immunological differences between the vaccine and non-vaccine groups. Specifically, the vaccine group exhibited significant increases in B cells, plasma cells, and Tfh cells, while Breg levels was significantly lower. These immunological changes are likely conducive to the production of anti-HBs antibodies. However, in the non-vaccine group, the observed changes were not significantlly significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most frequent cause of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by a progressive decline in cognitive function that is associated with the formation of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Gut microbiota comprises of a complex community of microorganisms residing in the gastrointestinal ecosystem. These microorganisms can participate in gut–brain axis activities, thereby affecting cognitive function and associated behaviours. Increasing evidence has indicated that gut dysbiosis can jeopardise host immune responses and promote inflammation, which may be an initiating factor for the onset and evolution of AD. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a promising resource which encompasses immense chemical diversity and multiple-target characteristics for the treatment of AD. Many TCMs regulate the gut microbiota during treatment of diseases, indicating that gut microbiota may be an important target for TCM efficacy. In this review, we summarised the role of the microbiota–gut–brain axis in the development of AD and the effects of TCM in treating AD by regulating the gut microbiota. We anticipate that this review will provide novel perspectives and strategies for future AD research and treatments. [Display omitted] • Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with cognitive impairment. • Gut microbiota partake in gut–brain axis activities and impact cognitive function. • TCM can improve cognitive function by modulating gut microbiota. • TCM is a promising microbial-based therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]