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It has been proposed that the quality of acidic soils can be improved in the presence of alkaline byproduct amendments containing silicon (Si), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K). In the present study, we aimed to explore the effect of byproduct amendments on ameliorating acidic soil in Jiaodong Peninsula of China in the existence of different types of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LOAs, such as malic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, and succinic acid) that are usually excreted by plant roots. Therefore, a 60-day incubation test was carried out to assess the effect of byproduct amendments and LOAs on soil physicochemical properties, soil available Mg and Ca, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil respiration, and enzyme activities. The results showed that in the presence of LOAs, the byproduct amendments could still increased the soil pH and decreased the soil exchangeable acid and exchangeable Al3+. Compared with the control group (CK), all byproduct amendment-containing treatments could increase soil available Mg and Ca, soil CEC, soil respiration, and soil sucrase (S-SC) activity. The addition of byproduct amendments could significantly improve the chemical and biological properties of the acidic brown soils in Jiaodong Peninsula of China. However, LOAs, especially the LOAs that could precipitate with Ca in byproduct amendments, negatively impair the ameliorating effect on acidic soil compared with byproduct amendments alone treatment. When using byproduct amendments to ameliorate acidic soil, the type of LOAs secreted by plant roots was an influencing factor that must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the whole world is faced with a common topic, that is, the contradiction between energy consumption, serious fog, the continuous rise of PM2.5, plastic waste, white pollution and other environmental pollution and the worldwide energy shortage. In this paper, aiming at the international new town construction project in Xigu District, Lanzhou, Revit software is used to establish a physical model for data integration and integrated management of the geometric information of building space, functional information of building space, building materials and other related data information of the project, and an analysis model for the scheme design of the residential building of the project is obtained, and ecological and technical factors such as energy consumption analysis, lighting analysis, indoor lighting analysis, solar radiation analysis, shading and thermal comfort analysis of the project location are analyzed. The research shows that the thermal performance, energy consumption simulation analysis and hourly heat gain/loss analysis of the envelope in the coldest weather in the local area show that the heat conduction of the envelope is small under the three conditions of structural design (case A), standard limit (case B) and hypothetical construction (case C), which indicates that the solar radiant heat is mainly related to the material performance of the external window when the heat transfer coefficient of the roof is close, and the heat gain and loss between regions has little change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive control arc length-based trajectory optimisation approach, which combines the control vector parameterisation (CVP) method with Gauss time grid distribution and adaptive grid refinement strategy, is proposed to further improve the downrange of unmanned hypersonic vehicles. Firstly, the Gauss time grid strategy is introduced to obtain a nonuniform Gauss time grid to calculate the original control profiles. By employing the curve integral formula to analyse the control arc length, an adaptive time grid refinement concept is proposed and the refinement process is derived in detail. The initial time grid nodes are then adaptively subdivided and combined. Finally, the control arc length-based nonuniform time grid refinement optimisation method is implemented. Numerical tests are carried out on common aero hypersonic vehicles and comparisons are made with other CVP methods. The test results reveal that the proposed approach can efficiently improve the downrange and decrease the path constraint oscillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of the oval hole on the strength and the failure mechanisms of rock materials, a series of uniaxial and biaxial compression numerical simulations were carried out using the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM). Based on the numerical simulation results, the effects of dip angle (β), major–minor ratio (ω) and position of the oval hole on rock strength characteristics crack initiation and development process and final failure modes were analysed in detail. The numerical simulation results indicate that: (1) Under uniaxial compression, the ultimate failure modes of rock containing oval holes can be mainly classified into single inclined plane shear failure, X-shaped tensile-shear composite failure and Y-shaped tensile-shear composite failure. Under biaxial compression, the ultimate failure mode is single-inclined plane shear failure dominated by shear cracks. Whether it is uniaxial compression or biaxial compression, the crack initiation position of the main fracture surface is near the end of the major axis of the oval hole. (2) Under uniaxial compression, the axial stress–strain curve of rock containing the oval hole is smooth before and after the peak, but under biaxial compression, there is obvious fluctuation in the post-peak stage due to crack initiation and propagation. In both uniaxial and biaxial compression, the pre-peak elastic stage of the axial stress–strain curve of the rock containing the oval hole is significantly shortened and the peak stress is significantly reduced compared with the intact rock, which indicates that the bearing capacity of the rock is seriously reduced by the existence of oval hole. (3) When the position and major–minor axis ratio of the oval hole remain unchanged, the uniaxial compressive strength and biaxial compressive strength increase with the increase of the dip angle of the oval hole. When the position and dip angle of the oval hole remain unchanged, the uniaxial compressive strength and biaxial compressive strength decrease with the increase of the major–minor axis ratio of the oval hole. (4) At different dip angles, the brittleness index Bi of rock containing oval holes decreases with the increase of confining pressure, and the brittleness degree shows a gradual weakening trend. At the same time, when the dip angle increases, the decreasing amplitude of brittleness index Bi decreases with the increase of confining pressure. Three types of failure modes of rock with elliptical hole are systematically summarised, and the failure mechanisms of elliptical hole rock are revealed. The influence of different positions, major–minor axis ratio, and dip angle of rock containing oval holes on uniaxial compression and biaxial compression are studied. The relationship between brittleness index and failure mode of rock containing the oval hole is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a multi-regime threshold vector autoregressive model to investigate the asymmetric and nonlinear impacts of financial stress on China's real economy in high- and low-stress regimes. Special attention is paid to the reliability of the measures of financial stress and real activities in China. We find that the response of China's real economy to a financial stress shock is bigger in high-stress regimes than in low-stress regimes. The negative response to a positive shock is bigger than the positive response to a negative shock. The response to a positive shock is disproportionately larger when the size of the shock increases, but a negative shock does not have this amplifying effect, indicating the danger of a severe financial crisis and the difficulty to revert its damage to China's real economy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental innovation is an important variable in the study of strategic management. However, studies on the effect of environmental innovation have drawn different conclusions. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to reanalyze the relationship between environmental innovation and firms' performance, based on 33 empirical studies, and we evaluated the moderating effects of the economic development level of a country, cultural background, industry diversity, and data types. The results showed that environmental innovation can positively promote both firms' financial performance and environmental performance. In developed countries and Eastern culture, environmental innovation has a stronger effect on firms' financial performance, and the effect of environmental innovation on environmental performance is stronger within the context of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy place the ureter at risk. Although traditional anatomic studies indicate that ureters generally cross over the common iliac artery in the pelvic inlet, the view is often different during surgery. Hence, digital three-dimensional models have been utilized to solve this conundrum. Our study aimed to evaluate the anatomic relation between the iliac artery and the ureter in the pelvic inlet. A medical image processing system processed data collected from 129 female patients, and digital 3D models of the iliac artery and ureter were used to study their anatomic relation. Left- and right-side data were compared using Pearson's χ2 analysis. Two different anatomic relations were found immediately posterior to the ureter: Common iliac arteries were present in 33.2% and external iliac arteries in 76.8%. The mean distances from the point at which the ureter crossed over the iliac artery until the bifurcation of the artery was 8.8 ± 12.2 mm in the left pelvis and 12.4 ± 10.8 mm in the right pelvis – different from that of the traditional anatomic study. In the future, these models and digital anatomical data could help avoid surgical complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly-metamorphism has been observed in many Precambrian metamorphic terranes. The metamorphic overprinting in the poly-metamorphic rocks makes it difficult to determine the timing and P − T path of each metamorphic event. In this study, in situ U–Pb dating of zircon, xenotime, and monazite, with simultaneously determination of trace element compositions, is utilized to provide new constraints on the timing of discrete metamorphic events involving reactivation of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt, the eastern edge of the North China Craton. Detrital zircons from metasandstones in the Gaixian Formation record a mixed provenance that includes late Neoarchean (ca. 2532 Ma) and middle Paleoproterozoic (ca. 2181 Ma). Xenotimes from the Gaixian pelitic schists yield an upper intercept age of 1906 ± 25 Ma, and this age is interpreted as the timing of greenschist-facies regional metamorphism. However, monazites from the same pelitic schists yield a distinctly younger age of 242 Ma, with late Paleoproterozoic inherited ages of 1894 and 1809 Ma, which are broadly consistent with the xenotime ages. In addition, magmatic zircons from a granitic mylonite vein yield a similar age of 245 Ma, making it coeval with the monazite. The interpretation of these ages is also reinforced by the mineral assemblage of inclusions in the dated accessory mineral grains. These new geochronological data, combined with published data from the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt and the related regions, suggest that the Gaixian Formation in the Yanghe area was likely some time deposited at 2181–1900 Ma, and experienced both late Paleoproterozoic and Triassic low-grade metamorphic events related to two distinct orogenic phases in the eastern North China Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borate esters have been emerging as a good candidate in green additives for the increasing needs of environmental protection. A versatile boron–nitrogen-modified castor oil additive (abbreviated as BNC) was prepared. The thermal stability and the oxidation stability of BNC were evaluated. The oil solubility, dispersion stability, lubricity, and biodegradability of BNC in both rapeseed oil and 400SN mineral oil were investigated, respectively. The morphology and tribo-chemical characteristics of the worn surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer to reveal the possible lubricating mechanisms. The results indicated that the BNC additive had good thermal stability and anti-oxidation ability. The oil solubility and dispersivity of BNC in rapeseed oil is better than that in 400SN mineral oil. The BNC additive could effectively improve the anti-wear and friction-reducing properties of rapeseed oil and 400SN mineral oil. The surface analysis indicated that elemental boron, nitrogen, and oxygen are involved in the lubrication films, and it was deduced that the physical adsorption films, chemical adsorption films, chemical reaction films, and permeable layers work together to reduced friction and wear. Moreover, the BNC could improve the biodegradability of both rapeseed oil and mineral oil, which was attributed to the promoted growth and quantity of microbes by elemental nitrogen involved in BNC. The synthesized BNC additive was demonstrated a potential ecofriendly and effective lubricant additive in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of chemo‑resistance is ultimately responsible for treatment failure and relapse in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, the mechanism underlying glucocorticoid (GC) resistance remains unclear. This study was performed to identify GC resistance-related genes using the transcriptome chip from the GEO database, and preliminarily analyze drug resistance mechanism in B-ALL. Here, we found that ANXA5 expression was upregulated in B-ALL cells and high-level ANXA5 was associated with dexamethasone (DEX) resistance. Then, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was designed to silence ANXA5 expression in the B-ALL cell lines, and the apoptotic rate of cells treated with DEX was detected by flow cytometry. As a result, cell apoptosis was dramatically promoted in B-ALL cells following silencing of ANXA5 and DEX administration versus that in ANXA5-silenced alone or DEX-treated alone cells. It was further found that down-regulation of ANXA5 in B-ALL cells significantly increased the relative amount of cleaved Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 induced by DEX. Collectively, inhibition of ANXA5 gene expression may represent a novel method to restore the sensitivity of treatment-resistant B-ALL tumors to GC-induced cell death, which is of important clinical significance to overcome drug resistance associated with B-ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one species of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with strong carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. They can be widely found in the environment, which cause great harm to the ecological environment. In addition, they endanger human health by polluting food from the natural environment and food processing. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately detect PAHs in various sample matrices, which requires the accurate, practical and rapid detection methods. This review aims to investigate the progress of research methods for PAHs, including pretreatment methods and detection methods. A summary analysis of different methods is performed by searching the literature on numerous methods for detecting PAHs published in various journals. There are many pretreatment methods for PAHs, such as solid phase extraction (SPE), cloud point extraction (CPE) and so on. The most commonly used methods for detecting PAHs are high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Spectrophotometry, chromatography and chromatography-mass spectrometry have been used more frequently owing to their accuracy and convenience. At the same time, some immunological methods, such as immunosensormethods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), immunofluorescence, etc. are also widely used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coupled Alice–Bob modified Korteweg de-Vries (mKdV) system is established from the mKdV equation in this paper, which is nonlocal and suitable to model two-place entangled events. The Lax integrability of the coupled Alice–Bob mKdV system is proved by demonstrating three types of Lax pairs. By means of the truncated Painlevé expansion, auto-Bäcklund transformation of the coupled Alice–Bob mKdV system and Bäcklund transformation between the coupled Alice–Bob mKdV system and the Schwarzian mKdV equation are demonstrated. Nonlocal residual symmetries of the coupled Alice–Bob mKdV system are researched. To obtain localized Lie point symmetries of residual symmetries, the coupled Alice–Bob mKdV system is extended to a system consisting six equations. Calculation on the prolonged system shows that it is invariant under the scaling transformations, space-time translations, phase translations and Galilean translations. One-parameter group transformation and one-parameter subgroup invariant solutions are obtained. The consistent Riccati expansion (CRE) solvability of the coupled Alice–Bob mKdV system is proved and some interaction structures between soliton–cnoidal waves are obtained by CRE. Moreover, Jacobi periodic wave solutions, solitary wave solutions and singular solutions are obtained by elliptic function expansion and exponential function expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A three-dimensional (3D) model of the pelvic vessels was reconstructed before surgery to aid in the understanding of the individual anatomy and help guide lymphadenectomy performance. Material and methods: Thirty patients with early-stage cervical cancer who were scheduled for lymphadenectomy at Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from January 2017 to June 2017 were included. Three-dimensional models of the pelvic vessels were obtained. Results: All 3D models of the 30 patients were reconstructed successfully and were consistent with the operative findings.The most common structural types posterior to the common iliac artery (CIA) and CIA bifurcation (CIAB) were non-vessel structures (23/30 patients) and the common iliac vein (CIV) (27/30); these were observed separately on the left pelvic vein. The confluence of common iliac vein (CCIV) (29/30) and CIV (20/30) were most commonly observed posterior to the CIA and CIAB; these were observed separately on the right pelvic vein. Venous abnormalities were identified in 15 patients. There were variants in venous confluence shown to be homolateral to the CIV (2/15) and contralateral to the CIV (2/15) and CCIV (4/15). Conclusions: Three-dimensional models of the pelvic vessels can provide information on individual anatomy features that can help guide lymphadenectomy performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some previous studies already explored associations between paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphisms and cancer, with conflicting findings. Here, we aimed to better analyse the relationship between PON1 polymorphisms and cancer in a larger combined population by performing a meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for related articles. We calculated odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate whether there are genetic associations between PON1 polymorphisms and cancer. Forty studies were included for this meta-analysis. The PON1 rs854560 polymorphism (L55M) was found to be significantly associated with cancer in general population (dominant comparison: p =.04, OR = 0.85, 95%CI 0.73–0.99; recessive comparison: p =.007, OR = 1.27, 95%CI 1.07–1.51; allele comparison: p = 0.02, OR = 0.85, 95%CI 0.75–0.97). Subgroup analyses indicated that the significant findings were mainly driven by the haematological tumours and breast cancer subgroups. We did not observe any positive findings for PON1 rs662 polymorphism (Q192R) in combined analyses. In summary, this meta-analysis proved that PON1 rs854560 polymorphism could be used to identify individual with elevated susceptibility to cancer, especially for haematological tumours and breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient trajectory optimisation approach combining the classical control variable parameterisation (CVP) with a novel smooth technology and two penalty strategies is developed to solve the trajectory optimal control problems. Since it is difficult to deal with path constraints in CVP method, the novel smooth technology is firstly employed to transform the complex constraints into one smooth constraint. Then, two penalty strategies are proposed to tackle the converted path and terminal constraints to decrease the computational complexity and improve the constraints satisfaction. Finally, a nonlinear programming problem, which approximates the original trajectory optimisation problem, is obtained. Error analysis shows that the proposed method has good convergence property. A general hypersonic cruise vehicle trajectory optimisation example is employed to test the performance of the proposed method. Numerical results show that the path and terminal conditions are well satisfied and better trajectory profiles are obtained, showing the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Osteoporosis (OP) is a progressive systemic bone disease. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is routinely employed and is considered the gold standard method for the diagnosis of OP. Objective: We aimed to investigate the potential use of combined information from multiple bone turnover markers (BTMs) as a clinical diagnostic tool for OP. Materials and methods: A total of 9053 Chinese postmenopausal women (2464 primary OP patients and 6589 healthy controls) were recruited. Serum levels of six common BTMs, including BAP, BSP, CTX, OPG, OST and sRANKL were assayed. Models based on support vector machine (SVM) were constructed to explore the efficiency of different combinations of multiple BTMs for OP diagnosis. Results: Increasing the number of BTMs used in generating the models increased the predictive power of the SVM models for determining the disease status of study subjects. The highest kappa coefficient for the model with one BTM (BAP) compared to DXA was 0.7783. The full model incorporating all six BTMs resulted in a high kappa coefficient of 0.9786. Conclusion: Our findings showed that although single BTMs were not sufficient for OP diagnosis, appropriate combinations of multiple BTMs incorporated into the SVM models showed almost perfect agreement with the DXA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the distributed optimisation problem over a multi-agent network, where the objective function is described by a sum of all the local objectives of agents. The target of agents is to collectively reach an optimal solution while minimising the global objective function. Under the assumption that the information exchange among agents is depicted by a sequence of time-varying undirected graphs, a distributed optimisation algorithm with uncoordinated time-varying step-sizes is presented, which signifies that the step-sizes of agents are not always uniform per iteration. In light of some reasonable assumptions, this paper fully conducts an explicit analysis for the convergence rate of the optimisation method. A striking feature is that the algorithm has a geometric convergence rate even if the step-sizes are time-varying and uncoordinated. Simulation results on two numerical experiments in power systems show effectiveness and performance of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to investigate the consumer preference and the quality attributes of five brands of Chinese traditional first-grade fava pastes, following which their quality differences were evaluated in order to identify the key drivers or factors, which can be applied to explain the behavior of consumer preferences. Consumers ranked these samples based on the 9-point method. An obvious preference for sample P1 was observed with 35% of participants settling on extremely liked option, giving the said sample the highest overall preference score of 7.8 ± 0.2. Further sensory and physicochemical properties, and volatiles were conducted to identify the major drivers of the consumer behavior. Sensory evaluation showed that sample P1 also produced the highest overall sensory score (85 ± 3). Though all the samples exhibited similar physicochemical attributes, significant differences were observed in the species and the concentration of volatile compounds. Accordingly, the content of free amino acids (FAAs) and low-molecular-weight (MW) fraction (≤5 kDa) represented the trend that fell in line with sensory score. PLS2 correlation analysis indicated that physicochemical indices and volatiles could be used to explain the consumer preference, which was likely to be synergistically affected by FAAs, protein, amino nitrogen, dietary fiber, Ca, P, Fe, δ-Ε, and some volatiles, especially the positive drivers of FAAs and low MW proportion to sample P1. The work would not only provide valuable information for grading of fava pastes in the industry but also guide actual producing toward the expectation of consumers, especially increasing those positive drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was a different study from traditional anatomy to construct three-dimensional (3D) model of the corona mortis (CMOR) through contrasted enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning. This will provide an aid for the understanding of the fine anatomy of CMOR, as well as surgical produces. A medical image processing system was used to process computed tomography scanning data collected from 330 cases of woman patients. Accurate digital 3D models of the CMOR were used to study the incidence, location, and the morphological patterns. These models have a rotation of 360° and allow displaying from different views. The incidence was 51.1% for the venous CMOR, 14.1% for the arterial CMOR in the 660 sides pelvic wall and vessel models. The mean distance from the symphysis pubis for the venous CMOR was 66.87 mm, and 59.60 mm for the arterial CMOR. The morphological patterns we identified were classified in three types (I-III). The model of CMOR serves as a useful tool for the learning and investigation of the CMOR. In the future, the digital anatomical data can be beneficial to illustrating the operation approach and decreasing the surgical complications.ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHERCopyright of Minimally Invasive Therapy & Allied Technologies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The In2S3thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition at different processing parameters. The In2S3films were well crystallized when grown at pH values in the range of 1.6–2.0. With increase of the sulfide ion concentration and deposition temperature, the formation and growth rates of β-In2S3crystals improve. Too high sulfide ion concentration and deposition temperature can induce decomposition of In2S3crystals. When grown at pH value of 1.8, nIn:nSratio of 1:4 and deposition temperature of 80°C, the In2S3film can achieve highly crystallized structure, high transmittance of over 80% and proper energy gap value of 2.74 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The classical DLVO theory was applied to calculate the interaction potential energy between diamond particles in electroless nickel (EN) solution and its diluted solutions with deionized (DI) water to predict their dispersion and sedimentation rates. Sedimentation tests and particle size distribution for all particle dispersions were measured to verify the DLVO calculations. Results show that the curve features of interaction potential energy vary with the dilution ratio of dispersions. The energy barrier in the curves requires the minimum 1:100 dilution of the EN solution. A sufficient energy barrier results in an extremely slow sedimentation rate of particles by keeping them separate. Otherwise, they settle down quickly due to the agglomeration resulting from their attractive forces at any separation distance. The prediction results are in good agreement with the measurement of sedimentation tests and particle size distribution. The classical DLVO theory is applicable to the field of electroless plating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses first the basic theory and fractal characteristics of generalized Julia set in coupled map lattice (CML Julia set for short). Then, two different generalized CML Julia sets are coupled, which makes two different generalized CML Julia sets change to the same one. Using gradient control and optimal control, the synchronization of two different such generalized CML Julia sets is, respectively, also realized, which makes one CML Julia set change to another. The coupling and synchronization of two no-identical generalized CML Julia sets are accomplished via coupling and synchronizing their trajectories. To verify the feasibility of coupling and gradient and optimal control methods, we consider the generalized CML Julia sets, whose lattice length is 2, as examples to achieve their coupling and synchronization. Finally, digital simulations are carried out for α=3 and α=4 and the results verify the effectiveness of the coupling and synchronization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Methotrexate (MTX) is a key component of chemotherapeutic regimens for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and enters the cell via active transport mediated by the reduced folate carrier (RFC1). A major single-nucleotide polymorphism of the RFC1 gene, G80A, which affects the activity of RFC1, may influence MTX toxicity in pediatric ALL. We collected all studies that investigated the association of RFC1 G80A polymorphism and MTX toxicity in pediatric ALL, and found inconsistency among their results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize all of these studies in order to clarify the correlation between the RFC1 G80A polymorphism and MTX toxicity in pediatric ALL. A recessive model demonstrated no influence of the RFC1 G80A genotype on MTX toxicity. In conclusion, the RFC1 G80A polymorphism does not seem to be a good marker of MTX-related toxicity in pediatric ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the integration of volatile renewable energy and random energy consumption in the building grid, uncertainties have become a big concern for the operation of energy-efficient buildings. To minimize energy usage expenses under uncertainty, it is necessary to determine the optimal power production for a building from various energy sources, including the electric grid, battery, and combined heat and power with a boiler unit. This article presents a multi-stage mixed-integer stochastic programming model for optimal operation of energy-efficient building systems considering controllable electric and thermal loads. Taking into account the randomness of non-controllable electric and thermal loads, as well as solar power generations through the multi-stage scenario tree, the operation of energy-efficient buildings will be more robust against changes in uncertain variables. With information of uncertainties updated hourly, the rolling scheduling method is introduced to determine an adaptive power output of electric grid, charging/discharging status of the battery, and operation of combined heat and power with a boiler unit. The simulation results offer a set of adaptive decision solutions within the scheduling horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three polymorphic complexes, namely [Cu2(pdc)2(bpe)2(H2O)2]·H2O (1), [Cu2(pdc)2(bpe)2(H2O)2]·H2O (2), and {[Cu2(pdc)2(bpe)2(H2O)]·3H2O}n(3) (bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene), were synthesized viain situligand transformation reaction, in which 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpa) undergoes dehydrogenation to 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe), which was found to be highly dependent on the reaction temperature. Polymorphs 1 and 2 have the same molecular formula but distinct differences in morphology, triclinic system withPīspace group, and monoclinic system withC2/c space group, respectively. Structural comparison shows that complexes 1 and 2 consist of centrosymmetric binuclear building blocks, while complex 3 features a one-dimensional (1-D) ladder chain. The thermal properties were also investigated for the complexes. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition ofSynthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic, Metal-Organic, and Nano-Metal Chemistryto view the supplemental file. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The CuInSe2and Cu(In1-xGax)Se2absorbing layer films are prepared by selenization after magnetron sputtering. The influence of selenization parameters, including selenized temperature and time, on microstructure of CuInSe2thin films was studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Highly crystallized CuInSe2film could be obtained when selenized at 500°C for 40 min. By using the same selenization technique, high-quality Cu(In1-xGax)Se2films were also successfully synthesized from two types of CuInGa precursor layers with different structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of Zn(Ac)2·2H2O with N-(2-propionic acid)-salicyloyl hydrazone, a tridentate ligand (C10H10N2O4, H3L), and imidazole (C3H4N2), a monodentate ligand, in MeOH:H2O = 3:1 (V/V) yields [Zn(HL)(C3H4N2)(H2O)]. The crystal structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction. In the compound, it crystallizes with two independent molecules in the unit and the two molecules are linked by an intermolecular hydrogen bond and one short contact. Zn is five-coordinated by one tridentate hydrazone ligand, one imidazole, and one water molecule. The coordination polyhedron around Zn(II) described as a distorted square-pyramid. In addition, antibacterial activities of the complex against coliform were investigated by turbidimetry/spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

N-Arylation of imidazoles with arylboronic acids was efficiently carried out in the presence of a catalytic amount of SiO2-NHC-CuI in methanol at room temperature under base-free reaction conditions. The reactions of a variety of arylboronic acids with imidazoles generated the corresponding products N-arylimidazoles in good to excellent yields. In addition, SiO2-NHC-CuI could be recovered and recycled for six consecutive trials without significant loss of its reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascites syndrome (AS) in broiler chickens, also known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is a significant disease in the poultry industry. It is a nutritional metabolic disease that is closely associated with hypoxia-inducible factors and rapid growth. The rise in pulmonary artery pressure is a crucial characteristic of AS and is instrumental in its development. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is an active subunit of a key transcription factor in the oxygen-sensing pathway. HIF-1α plays a vital role in oxygen homeostasis and the development of pulmonary hypertension. Studying the effects of HIF-1α on pulmonary hypertension in humans or mammals, as well as ascites in broilers, can help us understand the pathogenesis of AS. Therefore, this review aims to (1) summarize the mechanism of HIF-1α in the development of pulmonary hypertension, (2) provide theoretical significance in explaining the mechanism of HIF-1α in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (ascites syndrome) in broilers, and (3) establish the correlation between HIF-1α and pulmonary arterial hypertension (ascites syndrome) in broilers. HIGHLIGHTSExplains the hypoxic mechanism of HIF-1α.Linking HIF-1α to pulmonary hypertension in broilers.Explains the role of microRNAs in pulmonary arterial hypertension in broilers.Explains the hypoxic mechanism of HIF-1α.Linking HIF-1α to pulmonary hypertension in broilers.Explains the role of microRNAs in pulmonary arterial hypertension in broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Fe-0.45 wt% C alloy plate was subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) in a camber filled with Cr powder and a nanocrystalline surface layer containing Cr element was produced during the treatment. Owing to the high diffusivity of nanocrystalline surface layer, Cr element can diffuse and be pressed into nanocrystalline surface layer during SMAT. Within the subsequent annealing process, Cr element can further diffuse in the surface layer, resulting in formation of new compounds, such as (Cr,Fe)23C6 and (Cr,Fe)7C3. SMAT within metallic powder, which can conveniently and effectively accomplish surface modification, should be concerned and utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary campylobacter enteritis with secondary bacteremia was diagnosed in an immunocompromised patient with stage IV gliosarcoma. She developed mild diarrhea followed by systemic symptoms with transient generalized weakness and fever. She was treated with azithromycin and had a full recovery and without relapse through 2 months of follow-up. Her diagnosis was confirmed by a positive stool culture for Campylobacter sp. and blood culture for Campylobacter jejuni/coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the changes in Tenon''s capsule fibroblast (HTF) proliferation and their expressions of transforming growth factor-ββ (TGF-ββ) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in patients with long-term use of topical antiglaucoma medications, and to evaluate the potential effect of these medications on the outcome of glaucoma filtering surgery for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: HTFs isolated from the conjunctiva of ten POAG patients and ten control patients with cataract or retinal detachment were tested for their in vitro proliferation capacity. RT-PCR (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) was performed to detect the expressions of TGF-ββ and MMP mRNAs in the HTFs, and the expression of TGF-ββ2 protein was detected immunohistochemically. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression of TGF-ββ1 in the supernatant of the HTFs treated with the topical antiglaucoma agents. Results: The HTFs from the POAG patients showed significantly higher proliferative activity than those from the control patients ( P == 0.0013). The HTFs in the POAG group showed significantly higher expressions of TGF-ββ2 and TGF-ββ3 mRNA and lower MMP-9 mRNA than the control HTFs. MMP-3 mRNA was not detected in the HTFs in POAG groups, but lowly expressed in the control HTFs. The HTFs in the POAG group had a significantly higher expression of TGF-ββ2 protein; TGF-ββ1 protein was not detected in the control HTFs, but was highly expressed in the POAG group. Treatment of the HTFs with latanoprost resulted in a 4-fold increase in TGF-ββ1 expression in both groups, which was comparable for the expression after the exposure. Conclusions: Long-term use of some topical antiglaucoma medications might be associated with enhanced HTF proliferation and abnormal expressions of TGF-ββ and MMPs, which might have promoted scarring of the filtering blebs following glaucoma filtering surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two cadmium(II) arenedisulfonate complexes, namely [Cd(Him)4(H2O)2][Cd(Him)4(2,6nds)2] (1) and Cd(Him)4(1,5nds)]n (2), where Him = imidazole, nds = naphthalenedisulfonate, have been synthesized in aqueous solution and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. Crystal data for 1: C44H48O8N16S2Cd2, triclinic P -1, a = 8.466(2), b = 9.957(3), c = 17.911(5) Å, α = 79.999(5)○, β = 89.918(5)○, γ = 68.740(5)○, Z = 1, R1 = 0.0228, wR2 = 0.0568. Crystal data for 2: C22H22O6N8S2Cd, monoclinic Cc, a = 9.854(5), b = 17.122(9), c = 15.809(8) Å, β = 100.700(8)○, Z = 4, R1 = 0.0171, wR2 = 0.0420. The crystal structures of two complexes were elucidated and are all directed by hydrogen bonding interactions. Complex 1 features a 3D supramolecular framework generated by H-bonded 2D-sheet, and complex 2 also displays a 3D network formed by H-bonded 1D [Cd(Him)4(1,5-nds)]n polymeric chains. Furthermore, in the two complexes, the arenedisulfonate anions act as bifunctional spacers to compete with water molecules for the Cd(II) coordination by employing imidazole as auxiliary ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constituents of the ethanol extract from the root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (Polygalaceae) were investigated for antioxidant activity in senescence-accelerated mice. Consequently, two relevant samples were obtained, a fraction separated by macroporous resin (YZ-OE), and a major pure crystal of 3,6′-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS). Based on HPLC-ESI-MS analysis, the most constituents in the YZ-OE fraction from the extract of P. tenuifolia were oligosaccharide esters. The antioxidant activities of these two samples were evaluated using the accelerated senescence-prone, short-lived mice (SAMP) in vivo. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) were increased significantly in SAMP mice fed oligosaccharide esters (YZ-OE 50 mg/kg) and its constituents (DISS 50 mg/kg). However, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased in the blood and liver of SAMP mice. But when given YZ-OE, it could be decreased, by 44.3% and 47.5%, respectively, compared with the SAMP model. Results from the analyses indicated that the oligosaccharide esters (YZ-OE) from roots of P. tenuifolia had a high in vivo antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YZ-50 is an active fraction obtained from the root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (Polygalaceae) extract and it has been reported previously to exert beneficial effects on mental health in depressed sufferers, however, its mechanism of action remains unresolved. This study utilized the chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression in Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the effects of YZ-50 on depressive behaviors. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that the capacity of YZ-50 to reverse the harmful effects of CMS is relative to the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. Repeated administration of YZ-50 for 28 days at the doses of 140 and 280 mg/kg in CMS, YZ-50 reversed the CMS-induced changes in sucrose consumption, plasma corticosterone levels and open field activity. In addition, CMS significantly decreased hippocampal BDNF mRNA levels. However, YZ-50 counteracted a decrease in hippocampal BDNF mRNA caused by CMS. In conclusion, YZ-50 reversed the harmful effects of CMS on mood and behaviors in rats and it possesses an antidepressant property that is at least in part mediated by the neuroendocrine and neuropropective systems, and it is likely that the HPA system plays an important role in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of developing novel photovoltaic materials, 5,5''-biformyl-2,2':5',2''-terthiophene (OHC-3T-CHO) and 5,5''''-biformyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2''':5''',2''''-q-uinquethiophene (OHC-5T-CHO) were synthesized. The photovoltaic properties of OHC-3T-CHO and OHC-5T-CHO were studied. We have fabricated two flexible organic photovoltaic devices using OHC-3T-CHO, OHC-5T-CHO, and 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). The PET-ITO (indium tin oxides coated with polyethylene terephthalate)/OHC-3T-CHO/PTCDA/Al device has an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.12 V, and photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.00%, whereas the PET-ITO/OHC-5T-CHO/PTCDA/Al device has a Voc of 1.78 V and PCE of 1.08%. Both devices have high Voc (1.12 V and 1.78 V). It is possible that intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the -CHO group of OHC-nT-CHO and the carboxylic dianhydride of PTCDA enhanced the efficiency by promoting forward interfacial electron transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the therapeutic effect and the induced anti-tumor immunity through the alternating cooling and heating was investigated using 4T1 murine mammary carcinoma, a common model of human metastatic breast cancer. While fifteen of seventeen regular mice were cured, primary recurrence and metastasis caused death of all the nude mice within one month after the same treatment. Histological analyses showed that viable cells existed in the tumor debris after the treatment, indicating that the direct killing effect was not the only therapeutic mechanism. Further investigation found rejection of tumor upon re-challenge, and anti-tumor immune response was studied. Stronger cytotoxicity T-lymphocyte (CTL) and Th1 cytokines response as well as infiltration of immunocytes were observed in the treated mice in comparison to those after the surgical resection. The results showed that the alternating cooling and heat could stimulate anti-tumor immunologic response in vivo and the underlying mechanisms will be further investigated in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water activity combined with the glass transition temperature can be used to predict the shelf life of foods. Water sorption isotherms and glass transition as a function of moisture content were determined for carrot chips after vacuum frying. The GAB model was fitted to the measured sorption data while the Gordon Taylor equation was used to model the water plasticization effect. The critical moisture content and the critical water activity at which the glass transition occurs were obtained at selected storage temperatures. The changes in moisture content, fat content, water activity, breaking force, β-carotene content, ascorbic acid, and acid value of vacuum-fried carrot chip at selected storage temperatures (0, 10, 25°C) during a 6-month storage period were investigated. The estimated shelf life of carrot chip, defined by the degradation time of the acid value at different storage conditions, was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel developed spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of trazodone hydrochloride in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant micelles was described. Under optimal conditions, there was a good linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and trazodone hydrochloride concentration in the range of 4.0×10-9 to 8.0×10-6 mol · l-1with the detection limit of 1.3×10-9 mol · l-1 (S/N=3). This method has been used to determine trazodone hydrochloride in biological fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrot slices were subjected to the following four different pretreatments prior to vacuum frying: (1) blanching, (2) blanching and air drying, (3) blanching and osmotic dehydration, (4) blanching, osmotic dehydration, followed by freezing. The effects of these pretreatments on the physicochemical properties and fat distribution in vacuum-fried carrot chips were also investigated. There were significant differences in the total yield, amounts of carotenes, vitamin C, and the color values of carrot chips following different pretreatments (P < 0.05). Pretreatment significantly affected the water content, fat content, and water activity of carrot chips (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences in the breaking force of carrot chips treated with different pretreatments (P > 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed a high positive correlation between the fat content of carrot chips and the initial water content of carrot slices. The fat distribution pattern depended on the initial water content and the structure of the material left by water evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfides can be selectively converted to corresponding sulfoxides in excellent yields under mild conditions by linear and 1% cross‐linked poly[4‐hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]styrene (PSHTIB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moisture sorption isotherms for carrot chips after vacuum frying were determined using a gravimetric technique at 10, 25, and 40°C and fitted with BET, GAB, Smith, Halsey, Henderson, and Peleg models. A nonlinear least-squares regression program was used to determine the models constants. The Peleg, Halsey, and GAB models were found to best represent the experimental data throughout the entire water activity range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum frying is an alternative method to produce high quality vegetable or fruit chips. The effect of frying temperature and vacuum degree on moisture content, oil content, color, and texture of fried carrot chips were investigated. During the early stage of vacuum frying, the rate of moisture removal and oil absorption increased with increasing frying oil temperature and degree of vacuum. Statistical analysis of the color data showed that there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in lightness (I.) redness (a), and yellowness (b) of carrot chips as a function of vacuum degree and temperature and vacuum degree. The statistical analysis also showed that there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the breaking force as a function of temperature, but the breaking force was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the vacuum degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of N-protected peptide alcohols and one N-glycopeptide derivative were synthesized using DEPBT. We showed that the carboxyl group selectively reacted with amino group of the amino component in the presence of unprotected hydroxy groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of N-protected peptide alcohols were synthesized using amino alcohols with unprotected hydroxy groups as amino components by the catalysis of subtilisin or α-chymotrypsin in organic solvents. N-protected aromatic amino acid esters were more suitable as acyl donors for subtilisin. The influences of different N-protecting groups, organic solvents, and content of water on synthesis of N-protected peptide alcohols were systematically studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of developing new oligothiophene-based liquid crystals involving hydrogen bonding, new terthiophene derivatives containing an alkylamide group, N,N′-distearyl-2,2′ : 5′,2″-terthiophene-5,5″-dicarboxamide (DNC[sub 18]3T) and N,N′-dialkyl-5,5″-dibromo-2,2′ : 5′,2″-terthiophene-4,4″-dicarboxamides (DNC[sub n]DBr3T, n = 5, 8, 16, 18), were designed and synthesized, and their thermal behaviour examined. While DNC[sub 18]3T did not exhibit liquid crystallinity, DNC[sub n]DBr3T compounds with n = 8, 16, 18 were found to form smectic A phases. In addition to liquid crystal behaviour, crystal polymorphism was also observed for DNC[sub 16]DBr3T. It is shown that both the position of the amido group and the alkyl chain length greatly affect liquid crystal phase formation. The absence of liquid crystallinity in the corresponding ester derivatives suggests that intermolecular hydrogen bonding also plays a role in the formation of liquid crystal phases in the DNC[sub n]DBr3T system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TKX-50, as a representative of a new nitrogen-rich energetic compound, has attracted extensive interests due to its high energy and low sensitivity properties. As an important energetic material, combustible agent has great influence on improving the energy level of explosives and propellants. Boron powder has become the most potential combustible agent in energetic fields because of its unique performances. In this work, nano-boron-based microspheres containing TKX-50 are directly fabricated by electrospray deposition. The prepared microspheres showed high monodispersity with particle size ranging from ~1–3 μm. Thermal behavior results show that the mass gain of the electrostatically sprayed sample is 163.3%, which is much higher than that of pure boron and physically mixed samples. Combustion behavior tests show that electrosprayed microspheres exhibit outstanding performance in comparison to physical mixed sample, the peak pressure improved by 85%, the burning time decreased by 21% and the pressurization rate improved by 136%. These excellent properties are probably related to their uniform microstructure. Therefore, electrospray preparation of microspheres with controllable structure has a good application prospect in energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been assessments of the carbon (C) offsetting potential of China's forest sector using historical inventories and future projections. Here, we critically reflect on the assessments we have done and carefully synthesize our findings of China's C sequestration by forest ecosystems and storage by harvested wood products (HWPs). We show that China raised its forest stock volume by 5.069 × 109 m3 during 2006–2020, giving a biomass C uptake of 2.592 petagrams (Pg). With a cumulative C emission of 37.031 Pg during the same period of time, the offsetting ratio of forest biomass is 6.99%. If C stored in HWPs during the period (0.491 Pg) is included, that ratio rises to 8.33%; further counting C sequestered by forest soil (1.277 Pg) boosts the ratio to 11.76%. With a stock volume increase of 14.813 × 109 m3 from 2006 to 2060, projected under a conventional scenario, the forest sector C removal could reach 9.286 Pg without including soil C or 13.017 Pg otherwise, offsetting 10.50% or 14.72% of the cumulative emission of 88.425 Pg. These results indicate that the forest sector has played and will continue to play a significant a role in its decarbonizing drive, but the government has been conservative in setting its targets, particularly for the increase of forest stock volume. Future policy and research efforts must effectively link the country's forest structure, quality, and growth, and thus C sequestration and storage, with improved forest management and wood products manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]