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To improve the adsorption and reusability of polypropylene (PP) fiber membranes, the organically modified saponite (Sap@P(St-co-MMA)) was prepared by solution polymerization. Furthermore, PP-based nanocomposite fiber membranes with strong oil adsorption, thermal stability, and reusability were prepared via melt-blown technology. The increased specific surface area of PP-based nanocomposite fiber membranes (PP-1.5%) provided more active sites for the oil adsorption. Simultaneous rheology and Fourier transform infrared measurements tests showed that Sap@P(St-co-MMA) enhanced the crystallinity of PP matrix, promoted the regular arrangement of molecules, and improved the intermolecular interaction force, which was beneficial for the oil adsorption. The adsorption of PP-1.5% (1.5 wt% addition of Sap@P(St-co-MMA)) fiber membrane for xylene and kerosene reached a maximum of 15.84 and 22.84 g [g.sup.-1], respectively. In the treatment of coal tar wastewater, the removal rate of oil can reach 62.9%, and the removal rate can still reach 51.17% after five cycles of experiments. In summary, PP-1.5% fiber membrane does not produce secondary pollution to the environment, and is a kind of oil removal material with good application prospect. Highlights * PP-based nanocomposites fiber membrane with strong oil adsorption was prepared. * Organically modified saponite had strong heterogenous nucleation for PP matrix. * Sap@P(St-co-MMA) increased the specific surface area of PP-based fiber membrane. KEYWORDS adsorption behavior, organically modified saponite, poly (propylene) nanocomposites fiber membranes, reusability, 1 | INTRODUCTION In recent years, with the rapid development of various enterprises such as coal chemical industry, resulting in the increasing of oily wastewater as well as the frequent [...]

Objective To investigate the surgical treatment effect of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) combined with bile duct tumor thrombus and the impact of Satoh classification on patient prognosis. Methods The clinical data of 29 patients with HCC combined with bile duct tumor thrombus who underwent radical surgery (anatomical liver resection/irregular liver resection + bile duct incision and embolectomy) in the Affiliated Huai'an No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2010 to October 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. According to Satoh classification, there were 9 cases of type Ⅰ, 6 cases of type Ⅱ, and 14 cases of type Ⅲ. Results All 29 patients successfully completed the operation, with perioperative death in 1 case (type Ⅲ) and loss to follow-up in 1 case (type Ⅱ). The overall 1-year and 3-year survival rates of patients after surgery were 60.7% and 53.6%, respectively. The 1-year disease-free survival rates of types Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ were 6/9, 3/5, and 6/14, respectively, and the 3-year disease-free survival rates were 5/9, 2/5, and 3/14, respectively. Conclusion For HCC patients combined with bile duct tumor thrombus, active anatomical liver resection/irregular liver resection + bile duct incision and embolectomy can achieve good surgical results. Satoh classification has certain guiding significance for judging patient prognosis.

With expanding globalization and the "cultural turn" in geographic research, the mobile phenomenon of the trans-local production of food culture has received increasing attention from society and academia. Trans-local ethnic theme restaurants are important carriers of food culture, and customer perception has always been a research hotspot for catering enterprises. However, there are few studies on the differences in customer perceptions of the authenticity of trans-local ethnic theme restaurants and the factors affecting them in multi-ethnic countries. To explore the differences in customer perceptions and influencing factors of the originality of food culture in trans-local ethnic minority theme restaurants, this study employed the theoretical framework of the originality of food culture, taking the Enshi Tujia restaurant in Wuhan as the research object, combining online text information and questionnaire surveys, and applying the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) methods to validate the theoretical framework of the originality of food culture in trans-local ethnic minority theme restaurants. Moerover, it used the Potential Conflict Index (PCI) method to analyze the overall level and internal differences of customers' perceptions regarding originality of trans-local ethnic minority food cultures. Specific factors affecting the differences in customers' perceptions were explored using the one-way nonparametric test and the optimal scale regression analysis. The results of the study are as follows: (1) The customers' perception levels of food and environmental authenticity in the Enshi Tujia restaurant in Wuhan were 0.60, but the customers' perception level of service authenticity was -0.06. The PCI values of food and environmental authenticity were 0.09 and 0.08, respectively, but the PCI values of service authenticity was 0.35. (2) Significant factors contributing to the differences in customers' perceptions of the originality of the dietary culture, such as expectations and information access, were: the overall level and internal differences in customer perceptions of food culture were not significant. Significant factors of customer perception differences, with importance indexes of 0.566 and 0.270, respectively, were found. Education was a significant factor leading to customer perception differences in food and service authenticity, with importance indexes of 0.081 and 0.141, respectively. Stimuli such as the degree of understanding of Enshi and the experience of traveling there lead to significant differences in the perception of food authenticity, with importance indexes of 0.144 and 0136. Recent dining time and income indicated that customers' perception of environmental authenticity and service authenticity differ significantly, with importance indices of 0.178 and 0.256, respectively, whereas cultural background factors such as the place of origin did not have a significant impact on the difference in customers' perceptions of the food culture authenticity. The study conclusions as follows: (1) Customers' perception of food authenticity and environmental authenticity of ethnic minority themed restaurants was high with small internal differences, while the perception of service authenticity was low with large internal differences. (2) Expectations and information acquisition channels are important factors leading to significant differences in customers' perceptions, but the influence of cultural background factors such as place of origin, degree of understanding of Enshi, and experience of traveling there is relatively limited. (3) Trans-local ethnic minority theme restaurants are micro spaces for the exchange and fusion of food culture in the source place and food culture there, which can satisfy the diversified dietary consumption needs of different customers, such as local and foreign ethnic minority customers. Trans-local production of ethnic minority theme restaurants is conducive to promoting the formation and development of a unified multi-ethnic state in China. This study expands the scale of research on the originality of food culture, enriches the theoretical content of the perception of the originality of food culture, and provides case references and a theoretical basis for the trans-local production and operation of ethnic minority themed restaurants.

Introduction: The presence of water significantly reduces the mechanical strength of rocks and induces various engineering geological hazards. The water weakening coefficient Kp is used to quantify this effect, defined as the ratio of wet uniaxial compressive strength to the dry value. Methods: A comprehensive physico-mechanical test was conducted on fifteen sandstones under dry and saturated conditions to predict the water weakening coefficient using easily obtainable physical parameters. Multiple linear regression was employed to establish the relationship between these parameters and the saturated water weakening coefficient. Results: The saturated water weakening coefficient decreases with increasing porosity and increases with higher Primary wave velocity (P-wave velocity). Rocks with higher porosity but lower P-wave velocity typically absorb more water. The P-wave velocity and clay mineral content were identified as the best predictors of the saturated water weakening coefficient (R2 = 0.82). Unsaturated water weakening coefficients at any water saturation level were well estimated using a previous exponential function. Discussion: The roles of different clay minerals and P-wave velocity in the water weakening process of rocks are comprehensively discussed. This study enhances the understanding of the water weakening mechanism and provides an improved evaluation model for the water weakening coefficient of sandstones using physical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single and multiple random change points (RCPs) in survival analysis have arisen naturally in oncology trials, where the time to hazard rate change differs from one subject to another. Recently, Xu formulated and discovered important properties of these survival models using a frequentist approach, allowing us to estimate the hazard rates, rate parameters of the exponential distributions for the RCPs, expected survival and hazard functions. However, these methods did not provide an estimation of the uncertainty or the confidence intervals for the parameters and their differences or ratios. Therefore, statistical inferences were not able to be drawn on the parameters and their comparisons. To solve this issue, this article implements a Gibbs sampler method to estimate the above parameters and the differences or ratios alongside the 100(1 $ - $− $\alpha $α)% highest posterior density (HPD) intervals calculated from Chen–Shao’s algorithm. The estimated rate parameters from the methods in Xu serve as empirical values in the Gibbs sampler method. Thus, formal statistical inferences can now be readily drawn. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed methods yield robust estimates, with the samples from the marginal posterior distributions converging rapidly and exhibiting favorable behavior. The 95% HPD intervals also demonstrate excellent coverage probabilities. This proposed method has a multitude of applications in clinical trials such as efficient clinical trial design and sample size adjustment based on the estimated parameter values at interim analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulatory mechanisms involved in embryonic development are complex and yet remain unclear. SCP4 represents a novel nucleus‐resident phosphatase identified in our previous study. The primary aim of this study was to elucidate the function of SCP4 in the progress of cartilage development and endochondral osteogenesis. SCP4−/− and SCP4Col2ER mice were constructed to assess differences in bone formation using whole skeleton staining. ABH/OG staining was used to compare chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage development. Relevant biological functions were analysed using RNA‐sequencing and GO enrichment, further validated by immunohistochemical staining, Co‐IP and Western Blot. Global SCP4 knockout led to abnormal embryonic development in SCP4−/− mice, along with delayed endochondral osteogenesis. In parallel, chondrocyte‐specific removal of SCP4 yielded more severe embryonic deformities in SCP4Col2ER mice, including limb shortening, reduced chondrocyte number in the growth plate, disorganisation and cell enlargement. Moreover, RNA‐sequencing analysis showed an association between SCP4 and chondrocyte apoptosis. Notably, Tunnel‐positive cells were indeed increased in the growth plates of SCP4Col2ER mice. The deficiency of SCP4 up‐regulated the expression levels of pro‐apoptotic proteins both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, phosphorylation of FoxO3a (pFoxO3a), a substrate of SCP4, was heightened in chondrocytes of SCP4Col2ER mice growth plate, and the direct interaction between SCP4 and pFoxO3a was further validated in chondrocytes. Our findings underscore the critical role of SCP4 in regulating cartilage development and endochondral osteogenesis during embryonic development partially via inhibition of chondrocytes apoptosis regulated by FoxO3a dephosphorylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key soil component. Determining its spatial distribution is necessary for precision agriculture and to understand the ecosystem services that soil provides. However, field SOM studies are severely limited by time and costs. To obtain a spatially continuous distribution map of SOM content, it is necessary to conduct digital soil mapping (DSM). In addition, there is a vital need for both accuracy and interpretability in SOM mapping, which is difficult to achieve with conventional DSM models. To address the above issues, particularly mapping SOM content, a spatial coefficient of variation (SVC) regression model, the Geographic Gaussian Process Generalized Additive Model (GGP-GAM), was used. The root mean squared error (RMSE), mean average error (MAE), and adjusted coefficient of determination (adjusted R 2 ) of this model for SOM mapping in Leizhou area are 7.79, 6.01, and 0.33 g kg−1, respectively. GGP-GAM is more accurate compared to the other three models (i.e., Geographical Random Forest, Geographically Weighted Regression, and Regression Kriging). Moreover, the patterns of covariates affecting SOM are interpreted by mapping coefficients of each predictor individually. The results show that GGP-GAM can be used for the high-precision mapping of SOM content with good interpretability. This DSM technique will in turn contribute to agricultural sustainability and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]