Search

The rapid development of supply chain finance (SCF) has significantly alleviated the financing difficulties of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, it is important to recognize that within the accounts receivable financing segment of the SCF credit market, the credit risk associated with SMEs poses a serious challenge and potential threat to the stability, health, and sustainable development of the SCF system. This paper pays special attention to the stability of the two-party evolutionary game between SMEs and financial institutions (FIs) within the context of the Chinese SCF credit market. To identify a pathway to reduce credit risks for SMEs while simultaneously enhancing system stability, this paper adopts the stochastic evolutionary game (SEG) model and combines the fixed-point method to determine the conditions that satisfy the stability of the system's index p mean square of the system. This study has made attempts in various aspects, such as the innovative construction and investigation of a nonlinear SEG model, the endeavor to study the stability of SEG systems using fixed-point methods, and the innovative construction of a more realistic two-player SEG system. The data and simulation results generated from hypothetical scenarios show that the conclusions of the article are credible and feasible. Through the study, we conclude that the higher credit ratio from FI and the higher penalty intensity from core enterprises (CEs) will accelerate the stability of the system. Based on solid data and modeling analysis, insights into the regulation of FI are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production via ethanol steam reforming (ESR) was conducted over amorphous sepiolite (SEP) supported Co based catalysts, deeming as a green and sustainable strategy for renewable energy. However, the subtle regulation to the ESR reactivity of Co/SEP catalysts still remains a challenge. Given the structure sensitive property of ESR, calcination temperature, as a vital regulation parameter, was used to control the key physicochemical properties of catalysts. By various characterization techniques, the results revealed that a calcination temperature mediated metal-support interaction was manifested in the form of Co speciation evolution. With increasing calcination temperature, the occurrence states of Co species change from Co oxides to Co-phyllosilicate then to Co-Al spinel. The ESR experiments indicated that Co/SEP-600 catalyst possessed a suboptimal activity via a dehydrogenation route and a 50 h stability due to a compromising among Co-phyllosilicate dominated MSI, texture, Co0 nanoparticle size and acid-base property. The further improvement of calcination temperature only brought about a poor stability of Co/SEP-700 with a phase transformation or a low activity of Co/SEP-800 with an irreducible Co-Al spinel. Hence, the interaction type of Co with SEP framework Si/Al atoms determined the ESR reactivity of the catalysts, which was modulated by the calcination temperature. Additionally, abundant graphitic coke deposition on the agglomerated Co0 grains was attributed the weak MSI, such as Co/SEP-400, while a slight coke deposition appeared at Co/SEP-800 with an irreducible Co-Al spinel phase. [Display omitted] • Calcination mediated Co speciation was elaborated to adjust H 2 yield from ESR over Co/SEP. • Co speciation evolved from Co oxides to Co-phyllosilicate and then to Co-Al spinel. • The Co-phyllosilicate facilitated ESR behavior due to the texture, MSI and nanoparticle size. • 700 °C heating treatment propelled catalyst degeneration derived from irreducible Co-Al spinel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthodytes occidentpalauta sp. nov. was collected from the Kyushu-Palau Ridge at a depth of 5 481 m in 2021. This new species is characterized by a gelatinous body wall, violet skin, six pairs of dorsal papillae, and a rough mid-ventral surface without tube feet. The dorsal deposits are rod-shaped and tripartite. Two types of papillae deposits as crosses with four arms with central bipartite apophyses. Ventral deposits are rods. Tentacle ossicles are rod-shaped with end protrusions. Gonad deposits are rod-shaped, tripartite, and cross-shaped. The phylogenetic analyses based on cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 16S individually and a concatenated dataset of COI and 16S genes of this species support that B. occidentpalauta sp. nov. belongs to Benthodytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is one of the commonly used feed ingredients in pig production and is usually characterized by high crude fat and high unsaturated fatty acids. However, the effect of adding high levels of DDGS to the diet on the lipid profile of muscle in finishing pigs is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding DDGS on the meat quality, chemical composition, fatty acid composition, and lipidomics profiling in the longissimus thoracis (LT) of finishing pigs. The results show that feeding DDGS affects meat quality and fatty acid composition, and alters lipid deposition in muscle by affecting lipid metabolism in finishing pigs. This study investigated the effects of adding corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to the diet on the meat quality, chemical composition, fatty acid composition, and lipidomics profiling in the longissimus thoracis (LT) of finishing pigs. Twenty-four healthy crossbred pigs (average body weight 61.23 ± 3.25 kg) were randomly divided into two groups with three replicates per group and four pigs per pen. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet, and the DDGS group was fed an experimental diet with 30% DDGS. The results show that adding DDGS to the diet increases the yellowness (b*), chroma (C*), linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) percentages, polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) percentages and iodine value of LT (p < 0.05). Based on LC–ESI–MS/MS, 1456 lipids from 6 classes or 44 subclasses in LT were analyzed, and 50 differential lipids were observed. Triglyceride (TG) with C18:2n-6 side chains and ceramide alpha-hydroxy fatty acid-sphingosine (Cer–AS) contents increased significantly, and the decrease in multiple glycerophospholipids (GPs) content may be related to differences in the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway. Correlation analysis suggests that triglycerides with C18:2n-6 side chains may be one of the reasons for the changes in b* and C* values in the LT. In conclusion, feeding DDGS affects the meat quality and fatty acid composition and may affect the lipid profile in the LT of finishing pigs by regulating lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymptotic behavior of solutions for a new class of generalized Halanay inequalities is studied via the fixed point method. This research provides a new approach to the study of the stability of Halanay inequality. To make the application of fixed point method in stability research more flexible and feasible, we introduce corresponding functions to construct an operator according to different characteristics of coefficients. The results obtained in this paper are applied to the stability study of a neural network system, which has high value in application. Moreover, three examples and simulations are given to illustrate the results. The conclusions in this paper greatly improve and generalize the relative results in the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A class of generalized Halanay inequalities is studied via the Banach fixed point method and comparison principle. The conditions to ensure the boundedness and stability of the zero solution are obtained in this study. This research provides a new approach to the study of the boundedness and stability of Halanay inequality. Numerical examples and simulation results verify the validity and superiority of the conclusions obtained in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-phyllosilicate with structure flexibility is acknowledged as a promising catalyst for hydrogen production by steam reforming. In this work, a series of hydrangea-like Co-phyllosilicate catalysts were synthesized by a template-free urea hydrothermal method, where the silica source was supplied by amorphous sepiolite. Both the exsolution property of phyllosilicate and the hierarchical macro-/meso-pore architectures of hydrangea-like morphology were combined to improve the metal dispersion and reactant activation. The catalytic behaviors of as-synthesized x Co/SEP-PS catalysts were evaluated in simulated tar (phenol + ethanol) steam reforming. It was founded that 10Co/SEP-PS catalyst achieved an optimal conversion (89.3%) and H 2 yield (67.4%) at 700 °C, as well as the lowest apparent activation energy of 35.5 kJ/mol. Various characterization results coupling with experimental investigations indicated that the fine Co particles implanted on Co-phyllosilicate lamella were highly stable and active for H 2 production. Meanwhile, the hydrangea-like Co-phyllosilicate provided high Lewis acidity and developed pore structure, significantly facilitating the reactant adsorption and activation, especially for phenol dehydrogenation. The synergy between developed pore structure and enhanced metal-support interaction of Co-phyllosilicate conferred 10Co/SEP-PS with a robust durability in a 50 h stability test and effective resistance to metal sintering and coke deposition. [Display omitted] • Amorphous SEP serves as a clay Si source for hydrangea-like Co-phyllosilicate synthesis. • Exsolved Co0 nanoparticles was anchored on residual Co-phyllosilicate nanosheets. • The phyllosilicate catalyst facilitated SBSR behavior due to the morphology, MSI and acidity. • Intermolecular interaction of ethanol and phenol inhibited aldol condensation for coke deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Uncommon EGFR mutations exhibit favorable but inconsistent treatment responses and survival outcomes to gefitinib and erlotinib. • Patients with compound EGFR mutations, especially those containing 19 deletion or L858R, had superior response and survival benefits compared to those with single uncommon EGFR mutation. • Gefitinib showed a superior tumor response advantage and PFS benefit compared to erlotinib in the treatment of patients with uncommon EGFR mutations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of gefitinib and erlotinib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Relevant researches were identified by a literature search of the PubMed database. Patients with EGFR mutations other than exon 19 deletion and L858R were eligible for the study. Clinical outcomes included objective response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). We categorized all uncommon EGFR mutations as: single uncommon EGFR mutations and compound mutations that containing 2 or more kinds of EGFR mutations. We also assessed outcomes in patients categorized by EGFR-TKIs: (1) gefitinib group; (2) erlotinib group. A total of 438 patients with NSCLC harboring uncommon EGFR mutations were included in this study. The ORR for gefitinib and erlotinib was 43.8 %, with a median PFS (mPFS) of 6.00 months and a median OS (mOS) of 20.50 months. Patients with compound mutations had an ORR of 56.3 % and an mPFS of 8.10 months. Both of them were significantly better than these in patients with single uncommon EGFR mutation, which were 29.3 % and 3.90 months, respectively (odds ratio (ORa): 2.74, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.86–4.05, P < 0.001; hazard ratio (HR): 0.58, 95 % CI: 0.48–0.71, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients with compound mutations containing 19 deletion or L858R had a superior response and survival benefits compared to patients with other compound mutation patterns. In addition, the gefitinib group showed a favorable efficacy advantage (P = 0.003) and PFS benefit (P = 0.021) compared to the erlotinib group. Uncommon EGFR mutations exhibit favorable but inconsistent treatment responses and survival outcomes to gefitinib and erlotinib, which are closely related to the mutation pattern, the cooccurring partner mutant genes, and the type of EGFR-TKIs received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dedicated Bus Lane (DBL) is a typical strategy to ensure priority for public transportation. However, when the frequency of bus departures is low, the DBL often remains vacant, reducing the efficiency of traffic utilization. Variable bus lane (VBL) strategy allows for the provision of service to social vehicles in specific scenarios, aiming to alleviate traffic congestion and improve emission efficiency at intersections. To analyze the impact of this strategy on dynamic queuing behavior and traffic efficiency at an isolated intersection, this paper proposes a multidimensional stochastic queuing model. The model incorporates various factors such as traffic demand, signal timing, bus arrival time, and the length of the variable area at intersections. By examining the steady-state distribution of queue length and calculating performance indicators, the effectiveness of VBL in improving intersection performance is evaluated. Numerical simulations have demonstrated that the proposed model accurately describes the vehicle queuing process at intersections under different conditions. Theoretical analysis confirms that the implementation of VBL strategy can effectively improve traffic efficiency at intersections and minimize the queue length of vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Present study was designed to investigate the association between muscular tissue desaturation and acute kidney injury (AKI) in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.A total of 253 patients (≥ 65 years old) who underwent abdominal surgery with expected duration ≥ 2 h were enrolled. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO2) was monitored at quadriceps and bilateral flanks during surgery. Muscular desaturation was defined as SmtO2 < 90% baseline lasting for > 60 s. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within postoperative 7 days. The association between muscular desaturation and AKI was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression model. The secondary outcomes indicated the other complications within postoperative 30 days.Among 236 patients, 44 (18.6%) of them developed AKI. The incidence of muscular desaturation at quadriceps was 28.8% (68/236). Patients with muscular desaturation had higher incidence of AKI than those without desaturation (27.9% [19/68], vs. 14.9% [25/168], P = 0.020). After adjustment of confounders, multivariable analysis showed that muscular desaturation at quadriceps was significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.21–6.67, P = 0.016). Muscular desaturations at left and right flank were also associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 6.38, 95% CI 1.78–22.89, P = 0.004; OR = 8.90, 95% CI 1.42–45.63; P = 0.019, respectively).Furthermore, patients with muscular desaturation may have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, sepsis and stroke at 30-day follow-up.Muscular desaturation was associated with postoperative AKI in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery which may serve as a predictor of AKI.Method: Present study was designed to investigate the association between muscular tissue desaturation and acute kidney injury (AKI) in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.A total of 253 patients (≥ 65 years old) who underwent abdominal surgery with expected duration ≥ 2 h were enrolled. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO2) was monitored at quadriceps and bilateral flanks during surgery. Muscular desaturation was defined as SmtO2 < 90% baseline lasting for > 60 s. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within postoperative 7 days. The association between muscular desaturation and AKI was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression model. The secondary outcomes indicated the other complications within postoperative 30 days.Among 236 patients, 44 (18.6%) of them developed AKI. The incidence of muscular desaturation at quadriceps was 28.8% (68/236). Patients with muscular desaturation had higher incidence of AKI than those without desaturation (27.9% [19/68], vs. 14.9% [25/168], P = 0.020). After adjustment of confounders, multivariable analysis showed that muscular desaturation at quadriceps was significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.21–6.67, P = 0.016). Muscular desaturations at left and right flank were also associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 6.38, 95% CI 1.78–22.89, P = 0.004; OR = 8.90, 95% CI 1.42–45.63; P = 0.019, respectively).Furthermore, patients with muscular desaturation may have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, sepsis and stroke at 30-day follow-up.Muscular desaturation was associated with postoperative AKI in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery which may serve as a predictor of AKI.Results: Present study was designed to investigate the association between muscular tissue desaturation and acute kidney injury (AKI) in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.A total of 253 patients (≥ 65 years old) who underwent abdominal surgery with expected duration ≥ 2 h were enrolled. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO2) was monitored at quadriceps and bilateral flanks during surgery. Muscular desaturation was defined as SmtO2 < 90% baseline lasting for > 60 s. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within postoperative 7 days. The association between muscular desaturation and AKI was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression model. The secondary outcomes indicated the other complications within postoperative 30 days.Among 236 patients, 44 (18.6%) of them developed AKI. The incidence of muscular desaturation at quadriceps was 28.8% (68/236). Patients with muscular desaturation had higher incidence of AKI than those without desaturation (27.9% [19/68], vs. 14.9% [25/168], P = 0.020). After adjustment of confounders, multivariable analysis showed that muscular desaturation at quadriceps was significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.21–6.67, P = 0.016). Muscular desaturations at left and right flank were also associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 6.38, 95% CI 1.78–22.89, P = 0.004; OR = 8.90, 95% CI 1.42–45.63; P = 0.019, respectively).Furthermore, patients with muscular desaturation may have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, sepsis and stroke at 30-day follow-up.Muscular desaturation was associated with postoperative AKI in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery which may serve as a predictor of AKI.Conclusion: Present study was designed to investigate the association between muscular tissue desaturation and acute kidney injury (AKI) in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.A total of 253 patients (≥ 65 years old) who underwent abdominal surgery with expected duration ≥ 2 h were enrolled. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO2) was monitored at quadriceps and bilateral flanks during surgery. Muscular desaturation was defined as SmtO2 < 90% baseline lasting for > 60 s. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within postoperative 7 days. The association between muscular desaturation and AKI was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression model. The secondary outcomes indicated the other complications within postoperative 30 days.Among 236 patients, 44 (18.6%) of them developed AKI. The incidence of muscular desaturation at quadriceps was 28.8% (68/236). Patients with muscular desaturation had higher incidence of AKI than those without desaturation (27.9% [19/68], vs. 14.9% [25/168], P = 0.020). After adjustment of confounders, multivariable analysis showed that muscular desaturation at quadriceps was significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.21–6.67, P = 0.016). Muscular desaturations at left and right flank were also associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 6.38, 95% CI 1.78–22.89, P = 0.004; OR = 8.90, 95% CI 1.42–45.63; P = 0.019, respectively).Furthermore, patients with muscular desaturation may have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, sepsis and stroke at 30-day follow-up.Muscular desaturation was associated with postoperative AKI in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery which may serve as a predictor of AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The headwaters of the Yangtze River are a complicated system composed of different eco-environment elements. The abnormal moisture and energy exchanges between the atmosphere and earth systems caused by global climate change are predicted to produce drastic changes in these eco-environment elements. In order to study the dynamic effect and ecological stress in the eco-environment, we adapted the Double Attention Mechanism (DAM) to improve the performance of the DeepLab V3+ network in large-scale semantic segmentation. We proposed Elements Fragmentation (EF) and Elements Information Content (EIC) to quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution characteristics and spatial relationships of eco-environment elements. In this paper, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) we established sample sets based on "Sentinel-2" remote sensing images using the interpretation signs of eco-environment elements; (2) the mAP, mIoU, and Kappa of the improved DeepLab V3+ method were 0.639, 0.778, and 0.825, respectively, which demonstrates a good ability to distinguish the eco-environment elements; (3) between 2015 and 2021, EF gradually increased from 0.2234 to 0.2394, and EIC increased from 23.80 to 25.32, which shows that the eco-environment is oriented to complex, heterogeneous, and discontinuous processes; (4) the headwaters of the Yangtze River are a community of life, and thus we should build a multifunctional ecological management system with which to implement well-organized and efficient scientific ecological rehabilitation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-glycerol Steam reforming over green and economical Co/sepiolite (SEP) catalysts was a promising strategy to hydrogen production. The activation pretreatment of SEP played a vital role for boosting catalytic behavior of Co/SEP. This work originally explored a full activation of SEP by molten NaOH for tailoring the physicochemical properties of Co-based catalysts prepared by urea precipitation method. Differing from the acid pickling/calcination and molten NaNO 3 activation, the molten NaOH treatment enhanced surface area of SEP by desilicication/dealumination effect and further improved the exposure of framework Si and its surface 'reactivity'. According to the characterization results of N 2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, TEM, H 2 -TPR, CO/CO 2 -TPD and XPS, it was found that the feathered Co-phyllosilicate formed on Co/SEP-NaOH catalyst, which enhanced the metal-support interaction, surface area and basic/metallic sites. In contrast, the molten NaNO 3 treatment facilitated the transformation of SEP into loughlinite and it was adverse to metal dispersion. Therefore, Co/SEP-NaOH catalyst possessed the highest conversion (92%) and H 2 yield (68%) during the activity test at 600 °C and the superior resistance to amorphous coke. Additionally, DFT analysis was introduced to simulate the process of glycerol adsorption and decomposition and demonstrated the Co–CoO interface as the primary reaction sites for the catalytic process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The RCCE method is presented with a novel multi-converter control structure. • The RCCE method is implemented by using battery and bidirectional DC/DC converter. • The RCCE method improves the output power and the efficiency of the system. • Comparative results show the outstanding performance of the proposed method. In this paper, the row current compensation and extraction (RCCE) method is presented to avoid power loss of the photovoltaic (PV) array caused by bypass diode conduction of PV modules under partial shading conditions (PSCs). In the PV system employing the RCCE method, PV arrays are directly connected to the battery through bidirectional DC/DC converters. These converters can be controlled to compensate or extract the current of each row of the PV array under PSCs. As a result, the power-voltage (P–V) curve only exhibits a single peak, reducing the complexity of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Additionally, the peak-load shifting can be achieved by the RCCE method under different working conditions. The feasibility and effectiveness of the RCCE method have been verified through prototype experiments. The results demonstrate that the PV modules in shaded areas can operate normally instead of being bypassed, and MPPT control will not lead to misjudgment of peak point through the RCCE algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the advent of the Li ion batteries (LIBs), the energy density has been tripled, mainly attributed to the increase of the electrode capacities. Now, the capacity of transition metal oxide cathodes is approaching the limit due to the stability limitation of the electrolytes. To further promote the energy density of LIBs, the most promising strategies are to enhance the cut-off voltage of the prevailing cathodes or explore novel high-capacity and high-voltage cathode materials, and also replacing the graphite anode with Si/Si–C or Li metal. However, the commercial ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolytes with relatively low anodic stability of ∼4.3 V vs. Li+/Li cannot sustain high-voltage cathodes. The bottleneck restricting the electrochemical performance in Li batteries has veered towards new electrolyte compositions catering for aggressive next-generation cathodes and Si/Si–C or Li metal anodes, since the oxidation-resistance of the electrolytes and the in situ formed cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) layers at the high-voltage cathodes and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers on anodes critically control the electrochemical performance of these high-voltage Li batteries. In this review, we present a comprehensive and in-depth overview on the recent advances, fundamental mechanisms, scientific challenges, and design strategies for the novel high-voltage electrolyte systems, especially focused on stability issues of the electrolytes, the compatibility and interactions between the electrolytes and the electrodes, and reaction mechanisms. Finally, novel insights, promising directions and potential solutions for high voltage electrolytes associated with effective SEI/CEI layers are proposed to motivate revolutionary next-generation high-voltage Li battery chemistries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the development characteristics of low‐permeability reservoirs such as weak water absorption, slow development of water injection, and strong pressure sensitivity, the effect of water injection in low‐permeability reservoirs is quite different from that in medium and high‐permeability reservoirs. Therefore, in oilfield development, it is important to study the movement law of the waterflooding front in low‐permeability reservoirs. In this paper, taking the Jilin oilfield as an example, a geological model of Xinmin 23 Block was established for the numerical simulation analysis considering the heterogeneity of low‐permeability reservoirs. In addition, artificial cores were manufactured to conduct the physical experiment of the waterflood front advance of cores with different physical properties under the influence of various factors such as the fracture and the range by the constant‐velocity flooding. Based on the numerical simulation and the physical experiment, the movement law of the waterflood front was analyzed and a basic method for evaluating the waterflooding development in low‐permeability reservoirs was established to provide feasible insights for the waterflooding development in low‐permeability reservoirs. In this paper, numerical simulation and experimental studies were performed on the effect of the waterflooding development of Xinmin 23 Block in the Jilin oilfield. The evaluation results obtained were consistent with the actual oil production providing a theoretical basis for judging the accurate advance time from the waterflood front to the production well in actual oil production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the continuing issues of environment and energy, methane dry reforming for syngas production have sparked interest among researchers, but struggled with the process immaturity owing to catalyst deactivation. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of efficient and stable catalysts with strong resistance to coking and metal sintering, including the application of novel materials, the assessment of advanced characterizations and the compatibility to improved reaction system. One feasible option is the crystalline oxide catalysts (perovskite, pyrochlore, spinel and LDHs), which feature a fine metal dispersion and surface confinement effect via a metal exsolution strategy and exhibit superior reactivity and stability. Some new materials (h-BN, clays and MOFs) also extend the option because of their unique morphology and microstructure. It also is elaborated that progresses were achieved in advanced characterizations application, leading to success in the establishment of reaction mechanisms and attributions to the formed robust catalysts. In addition, the perspective described the upgrade of reaction system to a higher reaction efficiency and milder reaction conditions. The combination of efficient reaction systems and robust catalysts paves a way for a scaling-up application of the process. Image 1 • Crystalline oxide catalysts are greatly robust due to a surface confinement effect. • New materials of h-BN, clay supports and MOFs were applied. • Reaction mechanisms were elaborated by advanced in-situ characterizations. • MDR reaction system was improved towards low temperature and high energy efficiency. • Mature MDR integrates robust catalysts, mechanism control and system improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We evaluated the prognostic potential of tumor 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake derived from positron emission tomography (PET) and known inflammatory hematological markers, both individually and in combination, for chemosensitivity and survival in patients with stage IIIB-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving first-line chemotherapy.Methods: A total of 149 patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC (based on TNM 7th edition) were retrospectively reviewed. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were used to quantitatively assess FDG uptake. The lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were selected as hematological markers. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for the determination of optimal cut-off values to predict chemotherapeutic response.Results: Patients with SUVmax > 11.6 or LMR ≤3.73 exhibited a significantly lower objective response rate (ORR) to chemotherapy (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). Through multivariable logistic regression analysis, both the SUVmax and LMR were identified as independent predictive factors for chemotherapeutic response (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001). Furthermore, a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model identified a high SUVmax (> 11.6) and low LMR (≤3.73) as independent predictors of poor PFS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.025) and OS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.032). A novel score system was constructed based on the SUVmax and LMR (SUV_LMR score), and patients were stratified into three subgroups. The patients with a score of 0 had a significantly higher ORR (88.9%) than did those with a score of 1 (59.6%) and score of 2 (25.0%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, multivariable Cox analysis further identified the SUV_LMR score as an independent prognostic factor for PFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Pre-treatment SUVmax and LMR were not only predictive factors for chemotherapeutic response but also independent prognostic factors of survival in stage IIIB-IV NSCLC. Moreover, the SUV_LMR score, which is based on primary tumor metabolic activity and the systemic inflammatory response, might provide a promising tool to predict chemosensitivity, recurrence and survival of advanced NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structures such as bridges, offshore platforms, wind power facilities, and drilling rigs generate a corresponding periodic structural response under cyclic loads such as solar radiation, tides and sea-land breeze. Data recovery and forecasting are major parts of the work to ensure structural safety using periodic structural health monitoring data. In this context, a combined method of autoregressive (AR) model and matrix factorization (MF) method is presented to reaching the tasks of data imputation and prediction. The combined method with a graph-based temporal regularizer can well capture the cyclic characteristics and random character. The verification of the method is conducted using an in-situ temperature monitoring dataset of a high-speed railway steel bridge. The application of the method for both data recovery and forecasting with structured missing entries is carried out, which indicates the combined method owns outstanding performance in accurately recover missing entries and making predictions. In the last part, the analysis of rank order and length of time lag is made to show its influence on imputation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembly of inorganic nanocrystals into ordered superlattices is of particular importance for their application in biomedicine and solid-state optoelectronic devices. However, dimensionality-controlled self-assembly of nanocrystals is still in its infancy. Emulsion-droplet confined self-assembly could offer a solution considering that the liquid/liquid interface and inner compartments can be respectively used as 2D and 3D templates for the assembly of nanocrystals, producing assemblies with a controlled dimensionality. CdSe nanorods with different aspect ratios were synthesized, and were applied as building blocks to uncover their assembly modes within the o/w emulsion droplets. The results reveal that by using both hydrophilic and lipophilic surfactants, hydrophobic CdSe nanorods can be locked at the liquid/liquid interface to produce a 2D supracrystalline sheet. In contrast, hydrophilic surfactants alone can result in the formation of 3D supracrystalline spherical colloids in similar conditions. Lipophilic surfactants, such as octylamine, can interact with the alkyl chains coated on the CdSe nanorods strongly, which consequently modulates the assembly mode of nanorods within the emulsion droplets. By considering the soft coatings of these supracrystalline structures with two different dimensionalities, these materials could be ideal candidates for the study of their interactions with biological soft matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, Li-ion battery (LIB) has turned into one of the most important advances in the history of technology due to its extensive and in-depth impact on our life. Its omnipresence in all electric vehicles, consumer electronics and electric grids relies on the precisely tuned electrochemical dynamics and interactions among the electrolytes and the diversified anode and cathode chemistries therein. With consumers' demand for battery performance ever increasing, more and more stringent requirements are being imposed upon the established equilibria among these LIB components, and it became clear that the state-of-the-art electrolyte systems could no longer sustain the desired technological trajectory. Driven by such gap, researchers started to explore more unconventional electrolyte systems. From superconcentrated solvent-in-salt electrolytes to solid-state electrolytes, the current research realm of novel electrolyte systems has grown to unprecedented levels. In this review, we will avoid discussions on current state-of-the-art electrolytes but instead focus exclusively on unconventional electrolyte systems that represent new concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We conducted this study to combine the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to establish a strong predictive model for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 163 newly diagnosed ESCC patients treated with CCRT. Eighty patients (training set) were randomly selected to generate cut-off SUVmean and NLR values by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and to establish a predictive model by using the independent predictors of treatment outcomes. Then, we evaluated the performance of the prediction model regarding treatment outcomes in the testing set (n = 83) and in all sets.Results: A high SUVmean (> 5.81) and high NLR (> 2.42) at diagnosis were associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes in patients with ESCC. The prediction model had a better performance than the simple parameters (p < 0.05). With a cut-off value of 0.77, the prediction model significantly improved the specificity and positive predictive value for treatment response (88.9 and 92.1% in the training set, 95.8 and 97.1% in the testing set, and 92.2 and 91.8% in all sets, respectively).Conclusions: The pretreatment SUVmean and NLR were independent predictors of treatment response in ESCC patients treated with CCRT. The predictive model was constructed based on these two parameters and provides a highly accurate tool for predicting patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perfusion CT can offer functional information about tumor angiogenesis, and 18F-FDG PET/CT quantifies the glucose metabolic activity of tumors. This prospective study aims to investigate the value of biologically relevant imaging biomarkers for predicting treatment response and survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer (LA ESCC). Methods: Twenty-seven patients with pathologically proven ESCC were included. All patients had undergone perfusion CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT using separate imaging systems before receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT). The perfusion parameters included blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), and time to peak (TTP), and the metabolic parameters included maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). The flow-metabolism ratio (FMR) was defined as BF divided by SUVmax. Statistical methods used included Spearman's rank correlation, Mann–Whitney U test or two-sample t test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 18 and 11.6 months, respectively. FMR was significantly positively correlated with BF (r = 0.886, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with SUVmax (r = − 0.547, p = 0.003) and TTP (r = − 0.462, p = 0.015) in the tumors. However, there was no significant correlation between perfusion and PET parameters. After dCRT, 14 patients (51.9%) were identified as responders, and another 13 were nonresponders. The BF and FMR of the responders were significantly higher than those of the nonresponders (42.05 ± 16.47 vs 27.48 ± 8.55, p = 0.007; 3.18 ± 1.15 vs 1.84 ± 0.65, p = 0.001). The ROC curves indicated that the FMR [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.846] was a better biomarker for predicting treatment response than BF (AUC = 0.802). Univariable Cox analysis revealed that of all imaging parameters, only the FMR was significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) (p = 0.015) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.017). Specifically, patients with a lower FMR had poorer survival. Multivariable analysis showed that after adjusting for age, clinical staging, and treatment response, the FMR remained an independent predictor of OS (p = 0.026) and PFS (p = 0.014). Conclusions: The flow-metabolism mismatch demonstrated by a low FMR shows good potential in predicting chemoradiotherapy sensitivity and prognosis in ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity‐drainage‐assisted steam flooding is a new technology to improve the recovery factor after deep penetration in deep super‐heavy oil reservoirs. This study is based on a model of the 60‐H25 test well group in Block 59 in Liaohe Oilfield, China. The numerical model uses the C programming language to analyze the influence of change in the bottom water height on the drainage effect and provides a theoretical basis for physical model experiments and field production. The physical model experiment uses similar principles to describe the production characteristics at different stages in a short cycle. We combine the numerical model and the physical model experiment to analyze the production rule of the Wa59 block over a long time period. The results show that the physical model experiment and the actual production of the block reflect the productivity change law of the well group, the degree of production, and the productivity relationship of the well group over short cycles and long periods, respectively. The comparison showed that the actual production was consistent with the production model of the physical model test, and the drainage effect was verified. The study of gravity‐drainage‐assisted steam flooding provides a reliable basis for the next stage of oilfield production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of traditional rock physics experimental methods in investigating the macroscopic pertrophysical properties of low porosity, low permeability, and high complexity pore structure reservoirs is limited by the high cost, long cycle, large error, and specific difficulties of such reservoirs. It is also difficult to evaluate quantitatively the influence of microscopic reservoir structure on rock physical properties. Application of micro-CT scanning and advanced imaging processing technology enables one to establish an accurate representative pore space model equivalent to the true core structure. Numerical simulation with Avizo-XLab solver method was used to calculate the pore fluid flow based on the Navier-Stokes equation and the Darcy seepage law. The visualization method helped to display the pore-space fluid flow in a three-dimensional streamline, and the pore pressure distribution field is displayed, making the simulation results clear and intuitive. Research shows that numerical simulation based on the digital platform provides an instrument for the measurement of the fluid micro flow and the rock seepage parameters. This paper provides a new method for digital research on rock physical properties which helps to overcome the deficiency of traditional rock physics experimental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence have probed a stimulatory influence of Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) with osteoblastic probability. miR-23a plays a crucial role in osteoblast differentiation. Whereas whether there exists a miRs-related mechanism by which NGR1 promotes preosteoblast differentiation remains unexplored. We pre-treated MC3T3-E1 with NGR1 to anatomize Runx-2 and Osx expression as well as ALP activity. Phosphorylation of regulators was evaluated by Western blot. SB203580 and Ruxolitinib were used to reduce the phosphorylation of regulators. The effects of NGR1 on miR-23a were verified by qRT-PCR. We analyzed the expression of Runx-2 and Osx, ALP activity as well as phosphorylation of regulators in MC3T3-E1 stimulated with NGR1 and transfected with miR-23a inhibitor. We found that NGR1 enhanced Runx-2 and Osx expression as well as ALP activity in a concentration-dependent manner. NGR1 might exhibit an efficacious promotion on Runx-2, Osx and ALP activity by increased phosphorylation of MAPK, JAK1, and STAT3. NGR1 resulted in miR-23a overexpression which positively modulated Runx-2 and Osx expression as well as ALP activity. Our results showed that miR-23a inhibitor reduced the phosphorylation of MAPK, JAK1 and STAT3 in MC3T3-E1 pre-treated with NGR1. In conclusion, NGR1 exhibited an efficacious promotion on preosteoblast differentiation by up-regulating miR-23a through MAPK and JAK1/STAT3 pathways. NGR1 induces MC3T3-E1 differentiation; miR-23a is positively regulated by NGR1; NGR1 regulates MAPK/JAK1/STAT3 through miR-23a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Co–Ce/Sepiolite (SEP) catalysts were prepared by surfactant-assisted coprecipitation route and subsequently evaluated for hydrogen production from ethanol steam reforming. The effects of the types and quantities of surfactants such as Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) and Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP) on catalysts microstructures were investigated by means of N 2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, H 2 -TPR, Raman, XPS, SEM, and TEM. The results demonstrated that the function of surfactants complexation with Co/Ce precursors enlarged the metal interparticle distance, led to the surface enrichment of Co/Ce atoms and provoked diverse Co–Ce interfaces, which could both enhance the reforming behavior and restrain the amorphous coke during reaction. Meanwhile, the optimal complexation effect of CTAB on Co–Ce/SEP-C0.4 (CTAB:Mδ+ = 0.4) gave it superior reducibility, surface content of Co/Ce atoms and relative abundance of oxygen vacancies. Consequently, Co–Ce/SEP-C0.4 presented the best ethanol conversion (96.2%), hydrogen yield (77.9%) and the uppermost catalytic stability (100 h) during ESR reaction. In addition, the scatter modes of surface Co/Ce particles and forms of Co–Ce interfaces significantly depended on surfactant types. Image 1 • Co–Ce/Sepiolite catalysts were prepared by surfactant assisted co-precipitation method. • The effects of the types and quantities of surfactants such as CTAB and PVP were investigated. • The complexing of surfactant and metal precursors enlarged metal interparticle distance. • The surface species rearrangement aroused diverse Co–Ce interfaces. • Co–Ce/SEP-C0.4 presented the superior catalytic performance during ESR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production by stream reforming ethanol (SRE) derived from biomass is a promising method. Thus, utilizing cut-price mineral clays to exploit an efficient and stable catalyst is of great significance. In this work, attapulgite (ATP)-supported nickel species catalysts with different Ni contents (denoted as xNi/ATP, x = 5–40 wt%) are manufactured by conventional and home precipitation methods. Many tests such as N 2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, TEM, H 2 -TPR and XPS are utilized to characterize the structural and surface properties of as-prepared catalysts. It is found that the metal-support interaction and reducibility of xNi/ATP catalysts presented volcano-shaped trends in terms of Ni content, and the Ni-O-Si/Al species formed through the interplay of nickel species with the ATP framework play a key role in determining catalytic performance. The superior balance of Ni-O-Si/Al species in the 20Ni/ATP catalyst gave it the highest reductive degree and metal-support interaction. Consequently, 20Ni/ATP exhibited the uppermost hydrogen production and ethanol conversion and the most catalytic stability during the SRE reaction. In addition, the conversion and H 2 yield obviously decreased with the weight hourly space velocity (WHSV, h−1), whereas they presented volcanic-type curves with increasing steam/carbon (S/C) molar ratios during SRE. Unlabelled Image • Ni content affects the metal-support interaction and reducibility of xNi/ATP. • The optimized Ni-O-Si/Al species play a key role for hydrogen production from SRE. • The catalytic performance of xNi/ATP was studied in steam reforming of ethanol (SRE). • 20Ni/ATP exhibits the outstanding catalytic performance during SRE. • WHSV and S/C have different effects on behaviors of hydrogen production via SRE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China Seas are one of the most diverse regions in the Pacific. Though much effort has been made to explore its biodiversity, the polychaetes diversity is still poorly known. A large number of species records are based on ecological investigation rather than taxonomical studies. We update the Polychaete species taxonomicaly described from China coastal waters during 2008–2017 and list them as a catalogue. The catalogue contains 47 species of 32 genera and 17 families, the type depository, type locality and geographic distribution. Some taxonomic problems are present in remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flashing is a new problem in heavy oil production technology with steam flooding. It can cause pump air locks, pump and pump tubing damage, reduced production, and other problems. A difficulty in predicting flashing parameters involves accurate calculation of the bottomhole temperature and pressure. Based on the principles of heat transfer and fluid dynamics, we have proposed the following models: a model for the wellbore temperature distribution, a model for the stress distribution, a model for calculating the partial loss of pressure when the fluid flows through a fixed valve, and also a model for calculating the parameters for steam flooding of heavy oil, taking into account corrections for the influence of the parameters of the oil — water mixture on the steam critical temperature vs. pressure curve. Taking into account the nature of the fluid, the moisture content, the temperature and other wellbore parameters, the model permits real-time monitoring of flashing in the pump. Experiments were conducted on Jin 45-22-K281 wells. We performed a comparative analysis of the calculated and experimentally measured values. We have shown that the model for calculating flashing parameters is sufficiently accurate for the bottomhole fluid conditions. Analysis of the factors influencing the flashing effect may be useful for providing a theoretical basis for steam flooding parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In-situ strengthening construction and experimental study were conducted on full-scale PC box girders derived from a bridge with typical damage accumulated from 20 years of service duration. • The hybrid strengthening measures including prestressed CFRP plates could effectively improve both the serviceability and ultimate limit states for PC box girder bridge. • The CFRP plate area was recommended for the bridge strengthening design, and analytical solutions were derived to calculate the yielding and ultimate flexural capacity of strengthened PC box girder. Two full-scale PC box girders with typical damage were derived from an in-situ bridge that was in service about 20 years, to understand the strengthening effects of prestressed CFRP plates for the entire bottom slab, casting of a RC layer in composite action with the entire top slab and steel plates anchored on the webs of the shear span. The flexural tests were conducted on the two full-scale PC box girders with and without strengthening measures, and comparative analysis was conducted regarding flexural capacity, failure mechanism, rigidity, ductility and overall structural behavior. The test results showed that the strengthening measures improved the girder rigidity by 40 % before reaching cracking state and increased the yielding and ultimate capacity by 39 % and 28% respectively. The theoretical analysis was conducted to discuss failure modes for PC box girder strengthened by prestressed CFRP plates. Theoretical equations are derived to calculate the flexural capacity of strengthened PC box girder according to typical failure modes. Good agreement with tested results was obtained. The strengthening design of the prestressing CFRP plate was verified by application in a PC box girder bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seepage laws for heavy oils in a compound well group, combining a single horizontal well and several vertical wells and exploited by SAGD (steam-assisted gravity drainage) technologies, are different from the laws for conventional reservoir exploitation. In order to determine the potential function for a reservoir exploited according to such a scheme, we use a model for the potential field distribution for horizontal and vertical wells, based on the principle of superposition of the potential in three-dimensional space. We have determined the areas affected for three-dimensional seepage, and also the boundary conditions ensuring movement of the fluid only under the action of gravity. We have compared SAGD technologies taking into account gravity and neglecting gravity, and we have analyzed the influence of the gravitational field on the pressure gradient in the formation. Based on the results obtained, we present a theoretical model for studying and predicting seepage mechanisms for heavy (high-viscosity) crude oil in a compound well group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 51 mesozooplankton samples collected with a WP2 net from 0 to 200 m depth along 160°E (4°S–46°N) in the Western Pacific from June to July 2014 were analyzed. The latitudinal distribution of mesozooplankton community structure was analyzed. The average biomass and abundance in different provinces generally increased with latitude: the biomass of zooplankton ranged from 1.18 mg DW m − 3 (11°N) to 97.81 mg DW m − 3 (45°N), and the abundance of zooplankton ranged from 45.11 ind. m − 3 (3°S) to 439.84 ind. m − 3 (41°N). The community structure of zooplankton also showed a significant latitudinal variation. At lower latitudes, calanoid copepods were the most abundant group, while cyclopoid copepods were the most abundant group at higher latitudes. Multidimensional scaling analysis of community structure and other physical/chemical/biological characteristics supported five ecological provinces in the northwestern Pacific: the Western Pacific Warm Pool Province (WARM), the North Pacific Tropical Gyre (NPTG), the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPST), the Kuroshio Current Province (KURO) and the Pacific Subarctic Gyres Province (PSAG). The Kuroshio Current Province can be regarded as a transitional zone between the subarctic and northern subtropical area, and this transitional zone corresponds much more closely to the ecocline concept, rather than the ecotone concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of development of a gelatinous plugging agent usable in heterogeneous formations at high temperatures is discussed. The static and dynamic properties of the agent and its optimal concentration are determined by variation. To optimize the plugging process, the experimental data are integrated with the numerical modeling data obtained by CMG software. The plugging agent contains 0.03% coagulant, 2.75% crosslinking agent I, 2.1 % crosslinking agent II, and 8% main heat-resistant agent. Gel viscosity is 2000-5000 mPa⋅sec, pH is 6-8, degree of plugging > 90.39%, and the working temperature >280 °C. The optimum injection control profile radius at which oil recovery is increased and flooding is reduced is 20 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling with traffic loads, thermal loads can also contribute to the fatigue damage cumulation of bridges. Referring to traffic and wind fatigue load models, the concepts of two kinds of probabilistic thermal fatigue load models for the first system of steel box girder bridges were proposed. Specifically, the basic forms of the two models are 1) equivalent vertical temperature gradient models based on the damage equivalence rule and 2) the effect ratio curves based on a statistical analysis of thermal actions. Then, two design probabilistic thermal fatigue load models following the given procedures are set up using an extended dataset based on a 350-day long-term in-suit temperature monitoring, and parametric analysis on three damage equivalence factors including geometric features, design life, and degree of indeterminacy was conducted. To validate the proposed models and related approaches, two kinds of fatigue details in a case steel box girder bridge were evaluated. The results show that thermal effects on fatigue damage cumulation are significant and should be taken into consideration, and the proposed thermal fatigue load models are applicable for fatigue design and evaluation. • The methodologies and procedures for establishing two kinds of thermal fatigue load models for steel box girder bridges were set up. • The design TFLMs were made based on temperature monitoring data, and the related damage equivalence factors were analyzed. • The increase rate of fatigue damage considering coupling thermal and traffic loads is larger than 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inline gas-liquid cyclone separator has been gradually used in oil & gas industry due to its high separation efficiency and less footprint. However, under the inlet flow conditions with large range of gas volume fractions, the research on structure design and separation performance are seriously insufficient. The preliminary structural design of the inline gas-liquid separator was carried out according to the particle separation theory, and the key structural parameters were optimized by using the Response Surface Method (RSM) together with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The structure optimization has improved the degassing efficiency by 17.44% and dehydration efficiency by 7.59%. With air and water as working medium, the separation performance of the inline gas-liquid cyclone separator was experimentally investigated in laboratory under a large range of gas volume fractions. The results show that the separation efficiency for both degassing and dehydration can exceed 80% with the inlet gas volume fraction ranges from 0.2 to 0.8. The optimum normalized flow split and liquid volume flow rate are 0.9 –1.2 and 8 m3/h, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the prohibition of antibiotics in feed, plant functional substances have been widely studied as feed additives. Resveratrol, a natural stilbene, and a non-flavonoid polyphenol found in plants, possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulatory features. Resveratrol generated intense scientific and public interest, primarily due to its widely reported ability to prevent cancer, delay aging and alleviate related metabolic diseases. Recently, resveratrol has been studied and applied as a feed additive in animal production. This review focuses on the outline of the absorption and metabolism and biological functions of resveratrol and summarizes the application of dietary resveratrol in animal production up to the present, including pigs, poultry, and ruminants. In pigs, dietary resveratrol improved intestinal health, mitochondrial function, meat quality, and more. In poultry, studies have shown that dietary resveratrol improves growth performance and meat and egg quality and alleviates heat stress induced adverse effects. There are few studies on dietary resveratrol in ruminants; however previous studies have indicated that dietary resveratrol increases nutrient digestibility and reduces methane emissions in sheep. It is hoped that this review could provide a specific theoretical basis and research ideas for the research and application of resveratrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium dahliae is a fungal pathogen causing Verticillium wilt on a range of economically important crops. Microsclerotia are its main survival and dormancy structures and serve as the primary inoculum on many hosts. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of temperature (5 to 50°C), pH (2 to 12) and nutrient regimes on microsclerotia germination. The optimal condition for microsclerotium germination was 20°C with pH 8.0 whereas nutrient regimes had no significant effect on its germination. The whole genome wide expression profiles during microsclerotium germination were characterized using the Illumina sequencing technology. Approximately 7.4 million of 21-nt cDNA tags were sequenced in the cDNA libraries derived from germinated and non-germinated microsclerotia. About 3.9% and 2.3% of the unique tags were up-regulated and down-regulated at least five-fold, respectively, in the germinated microsclerotia compared with the non-germinated microsclerotia. A total of 1654 genes showing differential expression were identified. Genes that are likely to have played important roles in microsclerotium germination include those encoding G-protein coupled receptor, lipase/esterase, cyclopentanone 1,2-monooxygenase, H(+)/hexose cotransporter 1, fungal Zn(2)-Cys(6) binuclear cluster domain, thymus-specific serine protease, glucan 1,3-beta-glucosidase, and alcohol dehydrogenase. These genes were mainly up-regulated or down-regulated only in germinated microsclerotia, compared with non-germinated microsclerotia. The differential expression of genes was confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis of 20 randomly selected genes from the 40 most differentially expressed genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Well dispersed chestnut-like Cd2Ge2O6 (CGO) and Cd2Ge2O6/reduced graphene oxide (CGO/RGO) nanocomposites are successfully prepared via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method and characterized as novel lithium storage materials for the first time. Electrochemical characterization of lithiation/delithiation of the CGO/RGO nanocomposites reveals a large capacity of 943mAhg−1 for the first cycle and a capacity retention of 721mAhg−1 even after 100 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of the CGO/RGO nanocomposites electrode compared to the pure CGO electrode can be attributed to the well dispersed RGO which enhances the electronic conductivity and accommodate the volume change during the lithium storage process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Botryosphaeria dothidea is a widespread and economically important pathogen on various fruit trees, and it often causes die-back and canker on limbs and fruit rot. In characterizing intraspecies genetic variation within this fungus, group I introns, rich in rDNA of fungi, may provide a productive region for exploration. In this research, we analysed complete small subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences of 37 B. dothidea strains, and found four insertions, designated Bdo.S943, Bdo.S1199-A, Bdo.S1199-B and Bdo.S1506, at three positions. Sequence analysis and structure prediction revealed that both Bdo.S943 and Bdo.S1506 belonged to subgroup IC1 of group I introns, whereas Bdo.S1199-A and Bdo.S1199-B corresponded to group IE introns. Moreover, Bdo.S1199-A was found to host an open reading frame (ORF) for encoding the homing endonuclease (HE), whereas Bdo.S1199-B, an evolutionary descendant of Bdo.S1199-A, included a degenerate HE. The above four introns were novel, and were the first group I introns observed and characterized in this species. Differential distribution of these introns revealed that all strains could be separated into four genotypes. Genotype III (no intron) and genotype IV (Bdo.S1199-B) were each found in only one strain, whereas genotype I (Bdo.S1199-A) and genotype II (Bdo.S943 and Bdo.S1506) occurred in 95% of the strains. There is a correlation between B. dothidea genotypes and hosts or geographic locations. Thus, these newly discovered group I introns can help to advance understanding of genetic differentiation within B. dothidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A framework of multi-energy system integrating with a liquid air energy storage system was proposed. • The LAES system could interact with the converter components of the combine cooling, heating and power system, such as combined heating and power, auxiliary boiler and chillers, to realize the complementary utilization of power, thermal energy and cold energy. • The information gap decision theory method was used to study power dispatching strategies of the LAES integrated systems, including risk-neutral, risk-averse and risk-taker strategy. In this paper, a framework of multi-energy system (MES) integrating with a liquid air energy storage (LAES) system was proposed. LAES, where liquid air works as an energy storage media, is a powerful and eco-friendly technology for storing renewable energy resources and reducing grid curtailment. Considering the characteristics of LAES (i.e. cold and heat circulation), the incorporation of LAES system into the Combined Cooling, Heating and Power system can achieve integrated use of energy and effectively save energy. Moreover, the prices of electricity will affect the overall cost of the MES. In other words, the decision-makers of the MES need to consider the uncertainty of electricity prices when making power dispatching decisions. To model the uncertainty of electricity prices, the information gap decision theory method was used to study power dispatching strategies of the MES. Three different strategies were proposed, including risk-neutral, risk-averse and risk-taker. In addition, demand response algorithms were used to study load transfer strategies. The results show that the demand responses of the three strategies are effective in terms of load transfer and cost saving. The total operation cost in the risk-neutral strategy with demand response can be 6.82% less than that without demand response; In the risk-taker strategy with demand response, the allowable grid electricity price is reduced by 25.24% when the opportunity cost drops by $8,000, and 23.32% without demand response. With additional robustness cost, the acceptable price change ratio using demand response is 21.91% in the risk-averse strategy, and 20.04% without demand response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Co–Ni–B composite particles with different mol ratio of Co to Ni were composited of spheres, spheres in-pair, hierarchical assemblies of dentrites, which were surfactant-free synthesized by chemical reduction method in aqueous solution. The complex permeability of the Co–Ni–B composite particles indicated reverse resonant peak at the frequency range of 8–16GHz, where the complex permittivity showed the positive resonant peak and the μ r″ of particles showed negative values, caused by the transformation between electric and magnetic energy. The imaginary parts of relative permeability (μ r″) of Co–Ni–B composite particles indicated one broad resonant peak over the 2–8GHz range for the high effective anisotropy. A slight decrease in complex permittivity resulted in an excellent impedance matching property. The Co–Ni–B composite alloy particles with mol ratio of 7:3 exhibited reflection loss less than −20dB in frequency range of 4.0–14.5GHz for the absorber thickness of 1.1–3.2mm, and an optimal RL of −32.4dB was obtained at 12.8GHz with thickness of 1.2mm. The broadest bandwidth of reflection loss less than −10dB from 13.0 to 17.0GHz, covering almost the whole Ku-band, was obtained for a thickness of 1.1mm layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a generalized predictive control (GPC) strategy with closed-loop model identification for burn-through point (BTP) control in the sintering process. First, the dynamic Auto-Regressive eXogenous (ARX) model structure is defined to describe sintering process. Considering the economy and security, a closed-loop identification method is adopted to update the parameters of the model. Then, BTP predictive control model is established based on GPC algorithm to predict BTP accurately and to calculate the strand velocity. Finally, a BTP control system is established and implemented in an iron and steel plant. The running results show that the system effectively guarantees the stability of sintering process and suppresses the fluctuation of BTP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Uniform polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers (average diameter about 30nm) are readily synthesized via a mediated-polymerization method in an aqueous medium by the use of cyclodextrin (CD) to control the secondary growth. Oligomers formed at an early stage act as seeds for the formation of the fully grown PANI nanofibers. The nucleation-growth theory – “birth-and-spread growth” mechanism – is employed to provide insight into the important effect of CD on the formation of PANI nanofibers. This mediated-polymerization method is able to produce high quality nanofibers in bulk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Radio-frequency (RF) transceiver array design using primary and higher order harmonics for in vivo parallel magnetic resonance imaging imaging (MRI) and spectroscopic imaging is proposed. The improved electromagnetic decoupling performance, unique magnetic field distributions and high-frequency operation capabilities of higher-order harmonics of resonators would benefit transceiver arrays for parallel MRI, especially for ultrahigh field parallel MRI. To demonstrate this technique, microstrip transceiver arrays using first and second harmonic resonators were developed for human head parallel imaging at 7T. Phantom and human head images were acquired and evaluated using the GRAPPA reconstruction algorithm. The higher-order harmonic transceiver array design technique was also assessed numerically using FDTD simulation. Compared with regular primary-resonance transceiver designs, the proposed higher-order harmonic technique provided an improved g-factor and increased decoupling among resonant elements without using dedicated decoupling circuits, which would potentially lead to a better parallel imaging performance and ultimately faster and higher quality imaging. The proposed technique is particularly suitable for densely spaced transceiver array design where the increased mutual inductance among the elements becomes problematic. In addition, it also provides a simple approach to readily upgrade the channels of a conventional primary resonator microstrip array to a larger number for faster imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A practical multinuclear transceiver RF volume coil with improved efficiency for in vivo small animal 1H/13C/23Na MR applications at the ultrahigh magnetic field of 7 T is reported. In the proposed design, the coil''s resonance frequencies for 1H and 13C are realized by using a traditional double-tuned approach, while the resonant frequency for 23Na, which is only some 4 MHz away from the 13C frequency, is tuned based upon 13C channel by easy-operating capacitive “frequency switches”. In contrast to the traditional triple-tuned volume coil, the volume coil with the proposed design possesses less number of resonances, which helps improve the coil efficiency and alleviate the design and operation difficulties. This coil design strategy is advantageous and well suitable for multinuclear MR imaging and spectroscopy studies, particularly in the case where Larmor frequencies of nuclei in question are not separate enough. The prototype multinuclear coil was demonstrated in the desired unshielded design for easy construction and experiment implementation at 7 T. The design method may provide a practical and robust solution to designing multinuclear RF volume coils for in vivo MR imaging and spectroscopy at ultrahigh fields. Finite difference time domain method simulations for evaluating the design and 7-T MR experiment results acquired using the prototype coil are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Super sonic separator is a new technology for natural gas dehydration and dehydrocarbon. Comparing to the traditional natural gas dehydration technology, it has advantages of low investments, high efficiency, low power consumption and small equipment dimension, but it has the disadvantage of high pressure drop. This paper discussed the application feasibility of the new technology on offshore platform dehydration and dehydrocarbon process, made a comparison with the traditional natural gas dehydration technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Equilibrium potential hysteresis of electrode materials refers to the phenomenon that discharge equilibrium potential is lower than charge equilibrium potential. It is induced by the strain accommodation energy of phase transformation. Taking LiFePO4 as an example, the equilibrium potential hysteresis and accommodation energy of two LiFePO4 with different particle sizes were characterized using galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The LiFePO4 sample with 40nm particle size has lower accommodation energy than that of 100nm LiFePO4, which is due to a narrower miscibility gap and smaller potential hysteresis of 40nm LiFePO4 comparing to 100nm LiFePO4. The phase transformation of LiFePO4 occurs only at potential levels above delithiation (charge) equilibrium potential and below lithiation (discharge) equilibrium potential. No phase transformation occurs when charge/discharge is limited in the potential hysteresis range, i.e. LiFePO4 behaves like a solid solution in the potential hysteresis range. A reliable EIS can only be obtained when it is performed at the center of potential hysteresis and the potential amplitude does not exceed the range of equilibrium potential hysteresis. The analysis on strain accommodation and potential hysteresis of LiFePO4 cathodes during Li ion insertion/extraction is also suitable for other phase transformation electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effect of magnetic field strength on low frequency oscillation in Hall thrusters, experiments were carried out with different operating parameters. Experimental results show that the effect of magnetic field strength on the low frequency oscillation changes with operating parameters. In the decline zone of magnetoampere characteristic curve, low frequency oscillation increases with the increase of magnetic field strength at low mass flow rate, while decreases with the increase of magnetic field strength at high mass flow rate. With further experiments and numerical simulations, it is found that the change of electron current at low mass flow rate and the change of ion current at high mass flow rate account for the variations of low frequency oscillation. Finally, the physical analysis is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The neurosteroid 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (allopregnanolone or ALLO) positively modulates GABAA receptors, an action that may contribute to the anxiolytic effects of ALLO. Recent evidence suggests that ALLO''s anxiolytic effects appear to be mediated by the amygdala, a key neural structure for emotional and cognitive behaviors. However, little is known regarding ALLO effects on amygdala physiology. We therefore explored ALLO effects on GABA neurotransmission in the central nucleus (Ce) of the amygdala, a major output nucleus involved in fear and anxiety. We recorded evoked GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in Ce neurons using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. We observed that ALLO significantly reduced the amplitude of evoked GABAA receptor-mediated IPSCs. However, the effect of ALLO was occluded by the NMDA receptor antagonist D-APV. D-APV alone also reduced evoked IPSCs in Ce neurons. These results suggest that ALLO-induced reduction of GABAergic transmission in Ce appears to depend on neural network activity, possibly involving an NMDA receptor-mediated mechanism. These ALLO effects on GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala may play a role in mediating its anxiolytic actions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The rate performances of four mixed conductive electrodes (Li4/3Ti5/3O4, LiFePO4, LiCoO2 and LiCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2) were investigated using galvanostatic charge/discharge, electrochemical impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration (GITT). These four electrode materials can be roughly divided into two groups according to the structure change during Li intercalation/extraction, i.e. the phase transition materials (Li4/3Ti5/3O4 and LiFePO4) and mixed phase transformation and solid solution materials (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 and LiCoO2). Both the ionic conductivity and phase transition kinetics have a strong impact on the rate capability of the electrode material in addition to the generally accepted factors such as particle size and electronic conductivity. The rate capabilities of Li4/3Ti5/3O4 and LiFePO4, which have an extended flat region in the charge/discharge curves, mainly depended on their phase transition kinetics. The rate performance of the solid solution materials were controlled by the ionic conductivity, with some influence from the electronic conductivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]