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Designing efficient water splitting electrocatalysts in pH-universal electrolytes is vital yet poses significant challenges. Here, the CoP/MoO 2 heterogeneous interface embedded in porous N-doped carbon (CoP/MoO 2 /NC) was designed by phosphating asphalt enwrapping polyoxometalate-based metal-organic frameworks (POM/ZIF67@asphalt). The CoP/MoO 2 /NC shows excellent performances with low overpotentials of 55, 50, 99 mV for HER and 194, 185, 285 mV for OER at 10mA·cm−2 current density in 1.0 M KOH, 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , and 1.0 M PBS, respectively. Such superior performance can be attributed to the highly dispersed nanoparticles, heterogeneous interface effect of electron transfer from CoP to MoO 2 , and optimized Gibbs free energy. The long-time stabilities for over 24 h are ensured with negligible decline in all electrolytes, which can be attributed to the excellent stability of CoP/MoO 2 and the corrosion resistance of thin carbon layer. Additionally, in overall water splitting, the CoP/MoO 2 /NC only requires voltages of 1.53 V/1.52 V/1.67 V to gain 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline medium, acidic medium and neutral medium, which exceeded the most reported non-precious catalysts. This work exhibits the excellent pH-universal electrocatalysts with high activity and stability. [Display omitted] • CoP/MoO 2 heterojunction embedded in porous N-doped carbon was prepared by using petroleum pitch as carbon source. • The unique structure of CoP/MoO 2 /NC provided the highly dispersed nanoparticles. • CoP/MoO 2 /NC had excellent catalytic performances toward HER, OER and overall water splitting over a wide pH range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy is frequently constrained by the presence of AAV-neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). Existing detection techniques have shown inconsistencies across laboratories and cellular dependencies, challenging their universal applicability. Here, we redefine the NAb titer concept to represent the capability to neutralize a specific number of AAV virions per milliliter of serum. We present the AAV-homology-directed repair (HDR) assay, which harnesses the CRISPR-Cas9 system, offering a precise and sensitive means of detecting AAV NAbs. This assay employs a promoterless AAV HDR vector for integration into electroporated cells, facilitating the stable expression of a quantifiable fluorescent reporter and subsequent NAb titer assessment. Comparative evaluations indicated that the AAV-HDR method outperforms the traditional AAV overexpression (AAV-OE) assay regarding sensitivity and consistency. Crucially, it produced consistent outcomes across various cell lines, suggesting its potential as a universal standard for NAb titer measurement. We further confirmed the validity of the AAV-HDR titration approach by juxtaposing it with the established NT50 assay. Notably, the AAV-HDR method correlated robustly with both the AAV-OE assay and NT50 NAb titer values, and it exhibited heightened efficacy in identifying low-titer antibodies compared with the NT50 method. Given its ability to address AAV NAb detection challenges, the AAV-HDR assay holds promise for refining therapeutic strategies in gene therapy, particularly in tailoring AAV doses to neutralize preexisting NAbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, magnesia‐alumina spinel foam ceramics were prepared by foaming‐sol method using magnesia alumina spinel as raw material, anionic surfactant potassium oleate (PO) as foaming agent, and alumina sol as curing agent. The curing mechanism and the effect of alumina sol content on the stability of foam slurry and the properties of foam ceramics were investigated. In the foam slurry, the alumina sol can react with PO, so magnesia‐alumina spinel can be fixed in the foam structure through the gel network to improve the stability of the foam slurry. The gelation process reduces the viscosity of the foam slurry. The pores of magnesia‐alumina spinel foam ceramics sintered at 1500°C are mostly closed pores and the average pore was 29.7–42.1 µm. With the increase of alumina sol content, the bulk density of magnesia‐alumina spinel foam ceramics increased from 1.3 to 1.9 g/cm3, the cold compressive strength from 8.8 to 22.7 MPa, and the thermal conductivity from .417 to .806 W·m−1·K−1(350°C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesia porous insulation materials were prepared via foam-gelcasting using industrial grade mid-range magnesia powder as the main raw materials, a copolymer of isobutylene and maleic anhydride (Isobam-104) as the dispersing and gelling agent, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the foam stabilizing agent, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the foaming agent. The effects of processing parameters such as amount of Isobam-104 (0.1 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.25 wt%, and 0.3 wt%) and firing temperature (1300 ℃, 1350 ℃, and 1400 ℃) on magnesia porous insulation materials were investigated. In addition, the universal testing machine (WDW-100E) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) were employed to characterize the firing samples. The results indicated that the compressive strength of the prepared samples increased with the increase in firing temperature, and the porosity decreased gradually. When the firing temperature was 1350 °C, the internal pores of the samples were uniformly distributed, the average pore size was in the range of 26.2 μm to 35.6 μm, and the compressive strength was in the range of 7.8 MPa to 11.5 MPa when porosity varied from 65.2% to 60.4%. The thermal conductivity of the prepared magnesia porous insulation materials was in the range of 0.481 W/(m·K) to 0.842 W/(m·K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the multiphase catalyst was prepared for catalytic Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions by anchoring palladium nanoparticles on tris(pentaethylene-pentamine)triazine modified boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs-TPEPTA-Pd). The synthesized catalysts were characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Subsequent experiments showed that BNNSs-TPEPTA-Pd is an excellent two-dimensional heterogeneous catalyst with a wide range of substrate tolerance, achieving an excellent yield of 95% within 45 min. On average, the catalyst improved the biaryl yield by about 12% and reduzced the reaction time by 4.6 h. In addition, the catalytic effect remained high after eight catalytic cycles. An efficient, stable, and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst was prepared by anchoring palladium nanoparticles on tris(pentaethylene-pentamine)triazine modified boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs-TPEPTA-Pd). The catalyst was used in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction to verify its activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanophotonic metasurfaces are widely utilized in various domains, such as biomedical, healthcare, and environmental monitoring, benefiting from their unique advantages of label‐free, noninvasive, and real‐time response. However, nanophotonic metasurfaces usually rely on sophisticated instruments, and expensive and time‐consuming fabrication processes, which severely restricts their practical applications. Herein, a spatially gradient metasurface is integrated with an imaging‐based sensing scheme, waiving the requirement of spectrometers and achieving an ultrahigh imaging‐based sensitivity of 3321 pixels/refractive index unit superior to that characterized using conventional compact spectrometers. The metasurface is fabricated by nanoimprint lithography using a reusable cyclic olefin copolymer template featuring millions of unique nanostructures. Under the illumination of monochromatic light, the transmittance of different nanostructures on the metasurface differs, resulting in grayscale images with varied intensity distributions. Analyzing the intensity change of the metasurface's recorded image can obtain the covering medium's refractive index. Furthermore, through theory and experimentation, the high reliability of the proposed reusable and flexible template has been verified for nanophotonic metasurface fabrication which further reduces the fabrication cost of core sensing elements. Finally, with proper optimization of the metasurface structure and imaging system, this setup is expected to be applied to many emerging areas of point‐of‐care, real‐time, and on‐site biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, magnesia porous ceramics were prepared by particle‐stabilized foams assisted foam‐gel casting. Secondly, the performance of magnesia slurry and magnesia porous ceramics was investigated. The obtained magnesia powder manifested high adsorption amount and excellent hydrophobicity, due to the strong adsorption ability of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) on magnesia particles. When the SDBS concentration is.3 wt%, the surface tension and expansion ratio of the slurry were 45 mN·m−1 and 1.68, respectively. The shape of the pore was sphere cell structure, with uniform distribution of pores in the sample, the average pore size was in the range of 58.7–73.9 μm, and the compressive strength was in the range of 25.3 MPa to 15.5 MPa when porosity varied from 56.7% to 70.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of osmotic dehydration (OD) pretreatment on the drying and quality of pineapple slices dehydrated using microwave hot air rolling bed drying method. The result suggested the OD pretreatment significantly reduced the moisture content of the food material before drying. It also slightly increased the moisture ratio decreasing rate in the early stage of drying based on the formation of microchannels during the pretreatment. The pretreatment also increased overall temperature and facilitated the transition of free water to bounded water during drying. Based on the pretreatment, the undesired browning of pineapple slices during drying was significantly inhibited. However, the OD pretreatment with 60 % (w/v) sucrose solution caused significant dehydration of the sample before drying, finally resulting in more dramatic browning. Compared with the sample without OD pretreatment, the dried pretreated pineapple slices exhibited an increased amount of collapsed cell structures and pores, due to the cell deformation and water diffusion during the pretreatment. These microstructure changes finally contributed to their increased hardness, springiness and chewiness. Although the pretreatment caused a slightly higher ascorbic acid loss in the final dried food materials, the product with an improved sugar-to-acid ratio was prepared, indicating its improved acceptability. Considering the overall characteristics profile of the dried pineapple slices, the OD pretreatment using 50 % sucrose solution for 24 h was the optimum condition to develop promising dried pineapple slices products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Remarkable spatiotemporal pattern of N2O concentrations and fluxes were observed. • Factors controlling N2O emission vary across lake zones and seasons. • Seasonally frozen eutrophic shallow lakes in cold regions can be a source of N2O. • Northern part of the lake near the drained inlet is a "hotspots" for N2O emission. Eutrophic shallow lakes are generally considered as a contributor to the emission of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), while regional and global estimates have remained imprecise. This due to a lack of data and insufficient understanding of the multiple contributing factors. This study characterized the spatiotemporal variability in N 2 O concentrations and N 2 O diffusive fluxes and the contributing factors in Lake Wuliangsuhai, a typical shallow eutrophic and seasonally frozen lake in Inner Mongolia with cold and arid climate. Dissolved N 2 O concentrations of the lake exhibited a range of 4.5 to 101.2 nmol/L, displaying significant spatiotemporal variations. The lowest and highest concentrations were measured in summer and winter, respectively. The spatial distribution of N 2 O flux was consistent with that of N 2 O concentrations. Additionally, the hotspots of N 2 O emissions were detected within close to the main inflow of lake. The wide spatial and temporal variation in N 2 O emissions indicate the complexity and its relative importance of factors influencing emissions. N 2 O emissions in different lake zones and seasons were regulated by diverse factors. Factors influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of N 2 O concentrations and fluxes were identified as WT, WD, DO, Chl-a, SD and COD. Interestingly, the same factor demonstrated opposing effects on N 2 O emission in various seasons or zones. This research improves our understanding of N 2 O emissions in shallow eutrophic lakes in cold and arid areas. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a cement‐free alumina‐spinel (Al2O3–MgAl2O4) castables with a new aluminum–magnesium gel binder were developed to line the Ruhrstahl Heraeus refining ladle, chemical attacks, and degradation mechanisms of the used alumina‐spinel castables after industrial trials were investigated. The results indicated that a reaction product layer of (Mg, Fe)Al2O4 was observed between the slag layer and penetration layer (PL), which was mainly derived from the reaction between MgAl2O4 spinel in the refractory matrix and FeOt from slag or an oxidation of steel, and thereby prevented the further penetration of FeOt. Meanwhile, the in situ spinel could also entrap slight CaO, SiO2, and FeOt from the infiltrated slag to form composite spinel in the PL. Moreover, chemical corrosion/penetration and structural spalling dominated the degradation process of the refractory lining in this case. Cracks formed between the deteriorated layer and original layer because of mechanical and thermal stress, which caused spalling from the refractory's hot face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective harmonic elimination method of modified packed u-cells (MPUC) inverter fed induction motor built on modified multiverse optimizer (MMVO) algorithm is put forward. The proposed method adopts the MMVO algorithm to search the optimal solution in the SHEPWM equations through the two processes of exploring the optimal solution distribution and exploiting the optimal solution within it. On this basis, the influence of the different orders of power supply harmonics eliminated selectively on the motor's torque ripple is compared and analyzed by using the Simulink and MAXWELL. From the results of simulation and experiments, it can be proved that the method can achieve the required fundamental voltage and selectively suppress the harmonic with particular order. At the same time, it is verified by ANSYS MAXWELL that the working quality of the motor can be improved by selectively eliminating the 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th harmonics in the power source to effectively suppress the 6th and 12th periodic torque ripples that arise from these harmonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a serious wear problem in the middle plate of scraper conveyors, which causes the problems of high transportation cost, low efficiency, and a lot of material waste. Therefore, it is necessary to study the wear performance of middle plate materials. A new high-titanium low alloy wear-resistant steel (ZM4-13) and a typical material (NM400) for middle plates are studied in this paper. The findings show that the mass loss of ZM4-13 and NM400 rises with the increase of coal gangue percentage. They do not increase monotonically with the change of pH value, and there is a critical value: the critical value of NM400 is between 6–8, and the critical value of ZM4-13 is between 7–9. When the pH value is less than the critical value, the mass loss decreases with the increase of pH value; when the pH value is greater than the critical value, the mass loss increases with the increase of pH value. Under the condition of high gangue and neutral solutions, ZM4-13 has better wear resistance. Its wear resistance can reach up to 1.09–2.10 times compared with NM400. The in-situ precipitated TiC particles are dispersed in ZM4-13. The high hardness of the TiC precipitation area in ZM4-13 hinders the plowing of hard particles and the plastic deformation of surface materials, so ZM4-13 is more wear-resistant than NM400, especially suitable for the harsh working conditions of coal mine production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact and cost‐effective optical devices for highly sensitive detection of trace molecules are significant in many applications, including healthcare, pollutant monitoring and explosive detection. Nanophotonic metasurface‐based sensors have been intensively attracting attentions for molecular detection. However, conventional methods often involve spectroscopic characterizations that require bulky, expensive and sophisticated spectrometers. Here, a novel ultrasensitive sensor of plasmonic metasurfaces is designed and fabricated for the detection of trace molecules. The sensor features a convex holographic grating, of which the first‐order diffraction pattern of a disposable metasurface is recorded by a monochrome camera.The diffraction pattern changes with the molecules attached to the metasurface, realizing label‐free and spectrometer‐free molecular detection by imaging and analyzing of the diffraction pattern. By integrating the sensor with a microfluidic setup, the quantitative characterization of rabbit anti‐human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and human IgG biomolecular interactions is demonstrated with an excellent limit of detection (LOD) of 0.6 pm. Moreover, both the metasurface and holographic grating are obtained through vacuum‐free solution‐processed fabrications, minimizing the manufacturing cost of the sensor. A prototype of the imaging‐based sensor, consisting of a white light‐emitting diode (LED) and a consumer‐level imaging sensor is achieved to demonstrate the potential for on‐site detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact and cost‐effective optical devices for highly sensitive detection of trace molecules are significant in many applications, including healthcare, pollutant monitoring and explosive detection. Nanophotonic metasurface‐based sensors have been intensively attracting attentions for molecular detection. However, conventional methods often involve spectroscopic characterizations that require bulky, expensive and sophisticated spectrometers. Here, a novel ultrasensitive sensor of plasmonic metasurfaces is designed and fabricated for the detection of trace molecules. The sensor features a convex holographic grating, of which the first‐order diffraction pattern of a disposable metasurface is recorded by a monochrome camera.The diffraction pattern changes with the molecules attached to the metasurface, realizing label‐free and spectrometer‐free molecular detection by imaging and analyzing of the diffraction pattern. By integrating the sensor with a microfluidic setup, the quantitative characterization of rabbit anti‐human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and human IgG biomolecular interactions is demonstrated with an excellent limit of detection (LOD) of 0.6 pm. Moreover, both the metasurface and holographic grating are obtained through vacuum‐free solution‐processed fabrications, minimizing the manufacturing cost of the sensor. A prototype of the imaging‐based sensor, consisting of a white light‐emitting diode (LED) and a consumer‐level imaging sensor is achieved to demonstrate the potential for on‐site detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a stochastic single species population model with the Allee effect. We mainly analyze the persistence of population, and obtain the strictly critical conditions of persistence and extinction of population: When σ 2 ≥ 2 (r − a) , the population will go extinct in probability; when σ 2 < 2 (r − a) , the stochastic model possesses a unique stationary distribution which implies that the population is permanent. The obtained results are finally verified through numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of long non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in cognitive dysfunction induced by isoflurane (ISO). Morrier water maze analysis was performed to evaluate the cognitive function of rats. Modified modified neurological severity score (mNSS) scores were assessed for neurological damage. The levels of MEG3 in hippocampal tissues of rats and hippocampal neuron cell lines HT22 were examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, the cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assay. Indicators of inflammation and oxidative stress were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and commercial assay kits. Relationship between MEG3 and microRNA (miR)-7-5p was verified by the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. MEG3 was increased in hippocampal tissues and HT22 after ISO treatment (p < 0.05). MEG3 downregulation alleviated the increase in neurological severity score and cognitive dysfunction caused by ISO treatment (p < 0.05). In vitro, MEG3 downregulation alleviates the decrease in cell activity and increased apoptosis induced by ISO. What's more, MEG3 reduction eliminated activation of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress promoted by ISO treatment in rats and HT22 (p < 0.05). MEG3 was confirmed to specifically bind to miR-7-5p. Inhibition of miR-7-5p eliminated the alleviating effects of MEG3 downregulation on cognitive dysfunction caused by ISO treatment. Decreased MEG3 alleviates cognitive dysfunction caused by ISO by targeting miR-7-5p and play a neuroprotective effect. We present a strategy for MEG3 as a potential target for brain protection during anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the thermal energy loss of high temperature kilns and furnaces and lower the surface temperature of the kiln body, magnesia insulation materials were prepared using self-made magnesia porous aggregates (using high purity magnesia powder as starting material and potassium oleate as the foaming agent), middle grade magnesia powder, calcium aluminate cement, and SiO2 micropowder as starting materials, introducing walnut shell powder impregnated with silica sol (short for Sws) as a pore-forming agent. The effects of the Sws addition (0, 10%, 15%, and 20%, by mass) and the sintering temperature (1 300, 1 350, 1 400, and 1 480 °C) on the properties of magnesia insulation materials were studied. The results show that (1) for the specimens fired at 1 480 °C, when the Sws addition is 10%, the cold compressive strength is 22 MPa; when the Sws addition is 20%, the thermal conductivity is 0.368 W·m-1·K-1 (350 °C); (2) nano-silica in the silica sol reacts with MgO in the matrix to form forsterite, which encapsulates the pores volatilized from the walnut shell powder and forms closed pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A creative approach for fabricating porous magnesia materials with improved mechanical and thermal properties using walnut shell powders as pore-forming agent combined with self-created porous magnesia aggregates is reported in the present work. The work focused on the microstructure and binding mechanism of the novel walnut shell powders (WSP), which treated by silica sol, aluminum sol, and oleic acid, and the properties and microstructure of porous magnesia materials. The results showed that the surface of the sols-treated walnut shell powders was spherical and significantly dispersed. The oleic acid-treated walnut shell powder (OWS) did not differ much from the original state; the surface was rough and agglomeration. The porous magnesia material with the addition of SWS has excellent properties, forms closed pores and low conductivity. When the SWS was added at 10%, the bulk density, porosity, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of samples were 1.64 g·cm−3, 53.97%, 22 MPa, and 0.447 W/(m·K), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hysteresis space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) reconfigurable fault-tolerant method for single-phase voltage source multi-level inverter with current tracking is proposed. Firstly, the influence of single switch open circuit fault and double switches open circuit fault on the voltage vector of the inverter is analyzed, and on this basis, the equivalent replacement of the voltage vector is obtained by using the topology reconstruction of the inverter, and the redundant voltage vectors with overlapping positions are preferred for equivalent replacement. If there are no coincident non-fault vectors, the other non-fault vectors with the closest position and effect are selected. The fault-tolerant method does not need the switching operation between the main power switching device and spare power switching device of the inverter, and can directly control the on–off process of the inverter reconfiguration unit through the driving signal of insulated gate bipolar translator (IGBT), which is simple and stable. Under the conditions of single switch open circuit and most double switches open circuit, the output current of the inverter can accurately track the reference current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walnut protein (WP)-stabilized oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion gel can be used to produce food through 3D printing, but there was a problem of poor printing accuracy. We added κ-carrageenan (KG) to enhance the shape retention of corresponding printed products. In this study, the effect of KG on various physicochemical properties of the WP-stabilized O/W emulsion gel was investigated. The rheology results showed that adding KG significantly enhanced the mechanical strength and the viscosity of the produced WP-KG emulsion gel. The Lissajous curves indicated that the response of all samples under 10% low strain was mainly elastic, and the gels with 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 (w/w) KG had great shear recovery performance against deformation. The increased KG content in the gel reduced the number of pores, promoted emulsions droplet aggregation, reduced crystallinity, and decreased the water-binding ability of the gel. Adding KG to the gel significantly increased its hardness, resilience, and gumminess while reducing its springiness. Various emulsion gels with different KG contents were further used as the bioink for 3D printing. The result suggested that KG improved the printing accuracy and self-supporting ability of 3D-printed products. However, excessive KG (>0.4%, w/w) caused uneven extruded filaments, reduced the adherence between printed layers and decreased printing accuracy. Among various WP-KG emulsion gels, WP-KG0.3 was most appropriate for the 3D printing application. [Display omitted] • Built a κ- Carrageenan (KG) stabilized walnut protein emulsion gel (WP-EG) system. • The gels with 0.2–0.4% (w/w) KG showed superior resistance against deformation. • KG significantly enhanced the mechanical strength and the viscosity of the WP-EG. • KG had improved the accuracy and self-supporting ability of 3D printing products. • The KG content exceeding 0.4% w/w resulted in a decrease in printing accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are increasingly interested in moving object detection technology as a part of computer vision technology, which has grown in importance in recent years. Moving target detection technology is widely employed in military defense, security monitoring, medical examinations, intelligent transportation, and many other industries at the present time. A moving target detection system relies on rapid and accurate video picture segmentation to identify, locate, and analyze the target. The trajectory of a basketball player's shooting motion and the extraction of features are important to increase the accuracy of basketball players' shots. This study proposes an area growth algorithm-based approach to tracing the shooting motion of basketball players. The trajectory of the shot motion is captured using a video sensor image tracking approach. The corner points and the edge contours of the trajectory image are extracted using the edge contour feature extraction method, the feature extraction from the firing motion trajectory image is merged with the regional linear growth approach, and the corner points are then marked. Feature extraction improves basketball players' shooting accuracy and trajectory control ability. Simulation results show that the prediction accuracy of basketball players' shooting trajectories using this method can reach up to 100%, which improves the accuracy of motion trajectory extraction and enhances basketball players' shooting motion control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional selective harmonic elimination method of random pulse width modulation (RPWM) is only suitable for the two‐level inverter. Furthermore, when the harmonics below 6 kHz are selectively eliminated, it is easy to cause a low average switching frequency of the inverter, which leads to the increase of load current distortion rate. This paper proposes an RPWM selective voltage harmonic elimination method for a single‐phase five‐level MPUC (modified packed U‐cells) inverter based on cell division. The MPUC inverter is supposed to be divided into three series cells, and the carrier stacking strategy is used to realize the coordinated control between each cell. In the process of RPWM, the average switching frequency can be controlled within a certain range by selecting the random number. This method is divided into normal mode and master–slave mode. In the normal mode, the selective harmonic elimination is realized by the method of cancelling the front and back terms of Fourier series in each cell. In the master–slave mode, the master cell is mainly used for fundamental power output, and the slave cell is mainly used for RPWM selective harmonic elimination. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is one of the main factors affecting insect growth, development and reproduction. The effects of temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C) on the development and reproduction of Cinara cedri Mimeur (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Lachnidae) fed on Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) G. Don were evaluated in this study. With the increase of temperature from 10 to 30°C, the development duration at different development stages gradually shortened. There was a significant positive correlation between the developmental rates and temperature, following a quadratic regression model. The lower developmental threshold temperature (C) and effective accumulated temperatures (K) for completing a generation were 4.13°C and 263.4 degree-days, respectively. The highest fecundity was observed at 20°C with 25.74 first-instar nymphs/female. Both the highest intrinsic rate of increase (r, 0.11 ± 0.03) and net reproduction rate (R0, 19.06 ± 2.05) were observed at 20°C, whereas the lowest values of r (0.05 ± 0.01) at 10°C and R0 (5.78 ± 0.88) at 30°C were observed. The results suggest that temperature significantly affects the biology of C. cedri and the optimal temperature for its development is 20°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, magnesia porous aggregate was prepared by the foaming method with potassium oleate as the foaming agent. Secondly, the walnut shell powder was impregnated with the silica sol as the pore forming agent, and then, a new magnesia insulation material was prepared by 1300°C sintering. By changing the amount of the walnut shell powder added, the mechanical properties and thermal properties of the materials after sintering were studied. The results show that the sample with 10% walnut shell powder impregnated without the silica sol has a compression strength of 12 MPa. A sample with 10% walnut shell powder treated with the silica sol has a compression strength of 18 MPa. With the increase in the amount of the walnut shell powder added after impregnation, the bulk density, compression strength, and thermal conductivity of the sample all showed a decreasing trend, and the apparent porosity showed an increasing trend. When the additive amount is 20%, the bulk density of the sample is 1.029 g/cm3, and the thermal conductivity is 0.382 W/m K (1050°C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study mainly explored the influence of different induction modes such as NaCl and Transglutaminase on the 3D printing characteristics of whey protein isolate emulsion gel. The properties of gel were characterized from rheological properties, microstructure, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal stability and other aspects, and the relationship between 3D printing molding characteristics of gel and its applicability as a diet for dysphagia was discussed. Strain and frequency sweep showed that the addition of NaCl made gel difficult to be extruded during printing, while the addition of TG could get the opposite result. From a microscopic point of view, too high concentration of NaCl would lead to the disordered aggregation of proteins, which would reduce the structural strength of gel and make the water binding unstable. The addition of TG made the gel network have an orderly three-dimensional structure, making the water binding more stable. Both NaCl and TG can cause the secondary structure of protein to be more orderly and the thermal stability to be reduced, and the texture characteristics such as hardness, resilence, springiness, gumminess and chewiness to be reduced. During 3D printing of emulsion gel containing high concentration of NaCl, unsmooth extrusion filaments and pattern collapse occurred. TG can significantly improve the accuracy of 3D printing products. This study provided a basis for the application of whey protein isolate emulsion gel in 3D printing. [Display omitted] • Whey protein isolate emulsion gel (WPI-EG) was prepared by three induction modes. • Both NaCl and Transglutaminase (TG) led to order of protein secondary structure. • Both NaCl and TG changed the rheological properties and microstructure of WPI-EG. • The addition of high concentration NaCl was not conducive to 3D printing of WPI-EG. • TG improved the 3D printing suitability of WPI-EG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) temperature measurements in a combustion-flow field can only be performed in regions in which OH is abundant (i.e., the reaction and high-temperature burnout zones), this paper investigates the feasibility of using photolysis of dissolved water to generate additional OH in the low-temperature and non-reaction zones of the flow field. Multi-line fluorescence showed that the generated OH had reached thermal equilibrium within 50 ns after dissociation with a fitting temperature of 300 K in room-temperature air. To further verify the technical accuracy, averaged PLIF images from dissociated OH were calibrated and compared with thermocouple measurements in a heated-flow field, and the average deviation in the 423–823 K temperature range was less than 40 K, with a relative system error better than 5%. The results of this paper confirm the feasibility and accuracy of the photo-fragment PLIF (PF-PLIF) temperature measurement in a low-temperature flow field. This makes it an effective complement to traditional PLIF measurements, with great significance for analysis and model validation of combustion processes in low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper-palladium (CuPd)/boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) nanocatalysts were successfully prepared by a microwave-assisted method by using BNNSs as a carrier. These catalysts with a low noble metal content had a high catalytic activity for Cr(VI) reduction at room temperature. The reaction rate reached 0.04044 s − 1 , which was approximately 2.5 times that of Cu8Pd2/rGO with the same metal loading amount. Compared with the previously reported PdCu/NG nanocatalysts with a high noble metal content, the reaction rate increased more than five times. This is of great significance to the application of supported metal composites in environmental catalysis. The structure and morphology of the catalyst was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Several types of control experiments showed that the catalytic activity of the catalysts was not only influenced by the synergistic effect of bimetallic CuPd and metal-BNNSs but also related to the catalytic effect of the BNNS carrier itself. CuPd/BNNS nanocatalysts prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis have high catalytic activity for the reduction of hexavalent chromium by formic acid. Through a series of control experiments, it is found that in addition to the dual synergistic effect between bimetallic and metal-BNNSs, BNNSs itself has high catalytic activity for the reduction of hexavalent chromium by formic acid, and the reaction mechanism was deeply discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the direct observation of tagged hydroxyl within 200 µs after its formation in the temperature range of 294 K–891 K. We estimate the time and temperature frame of the coexistence of chemical reactions and diffusion based on analysis of the behavior of the tagging fluorescence spot of photodissociation hydroxyl. The reasons for the existence of chemical reactions and interactions between chemical reactions and diffusion are then analyzed. Theoretical and experimental identification of this frame can be explored for non-contact spectral measurements based on hydroxyl in a general flow field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foaming and foam stabilization mechanisms of potassium laurate (PL), potassium oleate (PO), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) were investigated in this study. Magnesia porous ceramics were fabricated by a foaming method, and the sample microstructures were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following heat treatment. Results showed that the foaming ability of the surfactants decreased in the order PO > SDS > SDBS > PL. The addition of calcium stearate (CS), a foam-stabilizing agent, extended the half-lives of SDS, SDBS, and PO foams in the order SDBS > PO > SDS. However, the addition of CS to PL significantly decreased its foam half-life. Pore sizes of the heat-treated samples decreased in the order PL > SDS > SDBS > PO, while the evenness of the pore distribution decreased in the order PO > SDBS > SDS > PL. Porous ceramics prepared with PO and CS had the smallest and most evenly distributed pores in the range of 5–10 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: State governments in the United States are increasingly viewing marijuana legalization as a policy option for controlling the opioid epidemic under the premise that marijuana is a less harmful substitute for opioids. The purpose of this study is to assess whether marijuana use is associated with decreased odds of prescription opioid use.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was applied to toxicological testing data from two national samples of drivers: 1) the 2011-2016 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and 2) the 2013-2014 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers (NRS). Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimated from multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of marijuana use with prescription opioid use and alcohol use.Results: Among the 47,602 drivers from the FARS, 15.7% tested positive for marijuana and 6.9% positive for prescription opioids. Compared with drivers testing negative for marijuana, those testing positive for marijuana were 28% more likely to test positive for prescription opioids (adjusted OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.15-1.42). Among the 7881 drivers from the NRS, 7.9% tested positive for marijuana and 4.5% positive for prescription opioids. Relative to drivers testing negative for marijuana, those testing positive for marijuana were twice as likely to test positive for prescription opioids (adjusted OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.29-3.20). In both study samples, marijuana use was associated with significantly increased odds of alcohol positivity.Conclusions: Drivers who test positive for marijuana are significantly more likely to test positive for prescription opioids. Longitudinal studies with rigorous designs and toxicological testing data are needed to further address the substitution hypothesis between marijuana and prescription opioids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Limited understanding exists regarding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA) in depressed adolescents. The maturation of brain network is crucial during adolescence, yet the abnormal alternations in depressed adolescents with NSSI or NSSI+SA remain poorly understood. Methods: Resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 114 depressed adolescents, classified into three groups: clinical control (non‐self‐harm), NSSI only, and NSSI+SA based on self‐harm history. The alternations of resting‐state functional connectivity (RSFC) were identified through support vector machine‐based classification. Results: Convergent alterations in NSSI and NSSI+SA predominantly centered on the inter‐network RSFC between the Limbic network and the three core neurocognitive networks (SalVAttn, Control, and Default networks). Divergent alterations in the NSSI+SA group primarily focused on the Visual, Limbic, and Subcortical networks. Additionally, the severity of depressive symptoms only showed a significant correlation with altered RSFCs between Limbic and DorsAttn or Visual networks, strengthening the fact that increased depression severity alone does not fully explain observed FC alternations in the NSSI+SA group. Conclusion: Convergent alterations suggest a shared neurobiological mechanism along the self‐destructiveness continuum. Divergent alterations may indicate biomarkers differentiating risk for SA, informing neurobiologically guided interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delta wave activity is a prominent feature of deep sleep, which is significantly associated with sleep quality. The authors hypothesized that delta wave activity disruption during sleep could predict long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality risk. The authors used a comprehensive power spectral entropy-based method to assess delta wave activity during sleep based on overnight polysomnograms in 4,058 participants in the SHHS (Sleep Heart Health Study) and 2,193 participants in the MrOS (Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study) Sleep study. During 11.0 ± 2.8 years of follow-up in SHHS, 729 participants had incident CVD and 192 participants died due to CVD. During 15.5 ± 4.4 years of follow-up in MrOS, 547 participants had incident CVD, and 391 died due to CVD. In multivariable Cox regression models, lower delta wave entropy during sleep was associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease (SHHS: HR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.02-2.06; P = 0.03; MrOS: HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.17-2.73; P < 0.01), CVD (SHHS: HR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.21-2.11; P < 0.01; MrOS: HR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.00-2.05; P = 0.05), and CVD mortality (SHHS: HR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.18-3.18; P < 0.01; MrOS: HR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.12-2.47; P = 0.01) after adjusting for covariates. The Shapley Additive Explanations method indicates that low delta wave entropy was more predictive of coronary heart disease, CVD, and CVD mortality risks than conventional sleep parameters. The results suggest that delta wave activity disruption during sleep may be a useful metric to identify those at increased risk for CVD and CVD mortality. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembly is a technique that utilizes non-covalent interactions between molecules to assemble into ordered nano-scale aggregates from disordered states. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique is one of the commonly applied methods for constructing molecular assemblies at gas-liquid interfaces. In this study, a series of ordered composite films of amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-NH 2) and different dye molecules were prepared using LB technique. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of MWCNTs-NH 2 /dye composite films was investigated. The experimental results showed that MWCNTs-NH 2 /Methylene blue (MB) composite film exhibited good SERS enhancement performance for Rhodamine 6 G (R6G) molecules with an enhanced factor (EF) of 2.16 × 105, and had certain repeatability and uniformity, making it suitable for the detection of trace molecule. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of MWCNTs-NH 2 /dye composite films were also explored. MWCNTs-NH 2 /MB composite film not only exhibited the highest photocurrent value but also had the smallest impedance compared with the other films, indicating that it had lower impedance, better carrier transport rate, and more stable performance. This work provides an effective method for fabricating the composite LB films based on the carbon nanotubes with great SERS and photoelectric conversion efficiency. [Display omitted] • Prepare ordered composite films of amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes and dye molecules using the LB technique. • Exhibit good SERS enhancement performance for R6G molecules. • Exhibit a good photocurrent value and show a small impedance. • Provide effective method for fabricating new composite LB films based on carbon nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembly is a technique that utilizes non-covalent interactions between molecules to assemble into ordered nano-scale aggregates from disordered states. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique is one of the commonly applied methods for constructing molecular assemblies at gas-liquid interfaces. In this study, a series of ordered composite films of amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-NH 2) and different dye molecules were prepared using LB technique. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of MWCNTs-NH 2 /dye composite films was investigated. The experimental results showed that MWCNTs-NH 2 /Methylene blue (MB) composite film exhibited good SERS enhancement performance for Rhodamine 6 G (R6G) molecules with an enhanced factor (EF) of 2.16 × 105, and had certain repeatability and uniformity, making it suitable for the detection of trace molecule. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of MWCNTs-NH 2 /dye composite films were also explored. MWCNTs-NH 2 /MB composite film not only exhibited the highest photocurrent value but also had the smallest impedance compared with the other films, indicating that it had lower impedance, better carrier transport rate, and more stable performance. This work provides an effective method for fabricating the composite LB films based on the carbon nanotubes with great SERS and photoelectric conversion efficiency. [Display omitted] • Prepare ordered composite films of amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes and dye molecules using the LB technique. • Exhibit good SERS enhancement performance for R6G molecules. • Exhibit a good photocurrent value and show a small impedance. • Provide effective method for fabricating new composite LB films based on carbon nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage applications, lithium-ion batteries will face the problem of resource shortage. As a new type of secondary chemical power source, sodium ion battery has the advantages of abundant resources, low cost, high energy conversion efficiency, long cycle life, high safety, excellent high and low temperature performance, high rate charge and discharge performance, and low maintenance cost. It is expected to complement lithium-ion batteries in the field of large-scale electrochemical energy storage and low-speed electric vehicles [1]. At present, the industrialization of sodium ion battery has started at home and abroad. Sodium ion batteries have already had the market conditions and technical conditions for large-scale industrialization. This paper summarizes the structure of sodium ion batteries, materials, battery assembly and processing, and cost evaluation. The bottlenecks in the development of sodium ion batteries and meaningful future research directions are summarized and personal insights are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study that investigated the photoluminescence of GaInP under hydrostatic pressure. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study.

• An up-scalable co-precipitation approach was proposed to prepare born-doped LLOs. • The stability of oxygen and manganese dissolution were improved remarkably after boron-doped. • Pouch-cell battery shows a capacity retention of 83.6% after 500 cycles without gas generation. The commercial application of Li-rich Mn-based layered oxides (LLOs) is hindered due to their instability of lattice oxygen and dissolution of manganese. Herein, an effective and large-scale production co-precipitation boron-doping strategy was proposed to improve the performance of Li 1.15 Mn 0.53 Ni 0.22 Co 0.1 O 2. We found that the boron introduced in the co-precipitation process will be uniformly distributed in the bulk and the resulting boron-doped Li 1.15 Mn 0.53 Ni 0.22 Co 0.1 O 2 shows excellent electrochemical properties with low doping amount. Multi-dimensional analysis shows that boron doping significantly improves the structural stability of materials. After 1200 cycles at 1C, boron-doped sample can deliver 147 mAhg−1 with an excellent retention of 80.1%, which is much higher than that of the pristine sample of 44% after 700 cycles. Moreover, the discharge voltage decay of the boron-doped samples is only 0.54 mV per cycle (1.39 mV for pristine). It is worth mentioning that the pouch-cell full battery cycle performance of doped samples is also excellent. The doped cathode//graphite shows a superior capacity retention of 83.6% after 500 cycles without gas generation, while the pristine//graphite only hold the 46.6% of initial capacity. The dQ/dV curves and the SEM/EDS of electrode analysis verified higher reversibility of lattice oxygen, less manganese dissolution and more stable microstructure, which greatly improved the cycling life after boron doping. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcuma wenyujin is a member of the Curcuma zedoaria (zedoary, Zingiberaceae) family, which has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its abundant biologically active constituents. Curcumenol, a component of Curcuma wenyujin, has several biological activities. At present, despite different pharmacological activities being reported, the clinical usage of curcumenol remains under investigation. To further determine the characteristics of curcumenol, the extraction, determination, and bioactivity of the compound are summarized in this review. Existing research has reported that curcumenol exerts different pharmacological effects in regard to a variety of diseases, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bactericidal, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer activity, and also ameliorates osteoporosis. This review of curcumenol provides a theoretical basis for further research and clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a series of urchin-like Ce(HCOO)3 nanoclusters were synthesized via a facile and scalable microwave-assisted method by varying the irradiation time, and the structure–property relationship was investigated. The optimization of the reaction time was performed based on structural characterizations and electrochemical performances, and the Ce(HCOO)3-210 s sample shows a specific capacitance as high as 132 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. This is due to the optimal mesoporous hierarchical structure and crystallinity that are beneficial to its conductivity, offering abundant Ce3+/Ce4+ active sites and facilitating the transportation of electrolyte ions. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor based on Ce(HCOO)3//AC was fabricated, which delivers a maximum energy density of 14.78 Wh kg−1 and a considerably high power density of 15,168 W kg−1. After 10,000 continuous charge–discharge cycles at 3 A g−1, the ASC device retains 81.3% of its initial specific capacitance. The excellent comprehensive electrochemical performance of this urchin-like Ce(HCOO)3 offers significant promise for practical supercapacitor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study with a horizontal 1.002 mm inner diameter mini-tube is conducted to investigate the two-phase frictional pressure drop of R134a flow boiling under hypergravity. Totally 1718 data points under the gravity from 1 to 3.16 g were obtained, with mass fluxes of 400–1075 kg/m 2  s, vapor qualities of 0.05–0.85, heat fluxes of 24.0 and 31.5 kW/m 2 , and saturation pressures of 0.6 and 0.7 MPa. The hypergravity conditions were achieved using a centrifugal acceleration machine. The results show that with increasing gravity the flow boiling frictional pressure drop increases at high vapor quality but decreases at low vapor quality, and the trend reversals take place roughly in the range of 0.07 <  x  < 0.45, depending on saturation pressure and mass flux. The comparison between the experimental data and the predictions of 28 correlations of two-phase frictional pressure drop is made, and the results show that the best correlation has a mean absolute deviation of 12.8% for the entire data, 10.6% for normal gravity, and 13.7% for hypergravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive homogeneous method for DNA detection has been developed. The system relies on two kinds of gold nanorod (AuNR) probes with complementary DNA sequences to the target DNA. In the presence of the target DNA, two kinds of AuNR probes are assembling into dimers or small aggregates. The target-induced AuNR aggregate has higher scattering intensity than that of a single AuNR because of the plasmonic coupling effect. Dark field microscopy was utilized to image the single particle and measure its scattering intensity. We wrote our own Matlab code and used it to extract the scattering signal of all particles. Difference in distribution of scattering intensity between the single AuNR and its aggregate provides a quantitative basis for the detection of target DNA. A linear dynamic range spanning from 0.1 pM to 1 nM and a detection limit of ~ 30 fM were achieved for the detection of DNA in serum sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is accepted that alteration of connexin43 (Cx43) expression in glomeruli is a common pathological response in several forms of kidney diseases. To date, however the change of the Cx43 expression in obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) has not been reported. In this study, the alteration of Cx43 expression in the glomeruli of rat with ORG was defined. Five-week-old rats were fed with high-fat diet for 18 weeks to establish the ORG model, then the histological change of glomeruli, the foot process effacement of podocyte, the markers for podocyte injury (nephrin,podocin and WT1) and Cx43 expression in glomeruli were examined respectively. The results demonstrated metabolic disorder, hyperinsulinemia, systemic inflammation and microalbuminuria in ORG rats. There was significant hypertrophy, glomerular expansion and inflammatory cell infiltration in the kidney of ORG rats compared to the control group. Significant foot process effacement of the podocyte in the glomeruli, nephrin loss and density reduction were shown in the ORG rats, and Cx43 expression was significant upregulated in glomeruli of ORG rats compared to the control group. The results indicate the correlation of overexpressed Cx43 with the obesity related renal inflammation and suggest that Cx43 might be a potential target in the development of obesity related glomerulopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface element segregation and electric conductivity are critical in determining lithium storage ability of given cathode materials, which are poorly understood and not correlated with the structure and overall performance. Here, layered lithium transition-metal oxides, one of the state-of-the-art cathode materials for lithium ion batteries are chosen to study. A serial of LiNi x Co 1-2x Mn x O 2 samples were prepared via a solid state reaction and subsequently characterized by XRD in conjunction with structural refinement, XPS depth profiling, and AC impedance spectroscopy. Slightly different expansion rates are observed for lattice parameters ( a and c/3 ) with varying of Ni content, which is attributed to the increase of average metal-ion radius and an increase of e g electron that enhances the columbic repulsion between transition metal and oxygen atoms. XPS depth profiling results show that surface composition is significantly deviated from bulk, in which Ni and Mn atoms tend to enrich in the surface region, while Co element is relatively deficient. Further, surface element segregation is alleviated by the increase of Ni/Mn content. Moreover, increasing the Ni/Mn content also raises the activation energy of bulk conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple perioperative complications increase mortality risk, and certain complications synergistically increase this risk to a greater degree than might be expected if the complications were independent, but these effects are not well established. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 422,827 intraabdominal general surgery patients (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2005-2011). Eight complications were evaluated: acute respiratory failure (ARF), acute kidney injury (AKI), sepsis/septic shock, stroke, cardiac arrest (CA), myocardial infarction (MI), deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolus, and transfusion. Each combination of two complications (28 total) was modeled using a Cox model for 30-day mortality, with adjustment for preoperative comorbidities and risk factors. Additive interaction was determined with the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). A positive RERI indicates that the mortality risk with both complications is greater than the sum of the individual mortality risks. Bonferroni correction was applied ( α = 0.05/28 = 0.0018). Results: Seven combinations demonstrated positive interaction: sepsis-CA (RERI 88.1; p < 0.0001), ARF-AKI (RERI 50.5; p < 0.0001), AKI-sepsis (RERI 33.9; p < 0.0001), sepsis-stroke (RERI 33.9; p < 0.0001), ARF-stroke (RERI 32.3; p < 0.0001), AKI-MI (RERI 24.5; p = 0.0013), and ARF-sepsis (RERI 19.2; p < 0.0001). Two combinations demonstrated negative interaction: ARF-CA (RERI −65.1; p = 0.0017) and CA-transfusion (RERI −52.0, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Interaction effects exist between certain complications to increase the risk of short-term mortality. ARF, AKI, sepsis, and stroke were most likely to be involved in positive interactions. Further research into the mechanisms for these effects will be necessary to develop strategies to minimize the compounding effects of multiple complications in the perioperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Opioid analgesics are a major driver of the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United Sates, accounting for about two thirds of drug overdose fatalities. There are conflicting reports regarding the effects of prescription opioids on driving safety. A meta -analysis was performed to assess the epidemiologic evidence for the association between use of prescription opioids and the risk of motor vehicle crashes. Methods Studies examining the association between driver prescription opioid use and motor vehicle crash involvement or crash culpability and published in English were identified through a comprehensive search of 15 bibliographic databases. Eligible articles were fully reviewed and summarized. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Overall summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through random effects models. Results Overall, 15 studies were included in the meta -analysis; of them, 10 assessed the association of prescription opioid use with the risk of crash involvement and 5 assessed the association of prescription opioid use with the risk of crash culpability. Reported crude ORs associated with prescription opioid use ranged from 1.15 to 8.19 for the risk of crash involvement and from 0.75 to 2.78 for the risk of crash culpability. Summary ORs based on pooled data were 2.29 (95% CI: 1.51, 3.48) for crash risk and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.13) for crash culpability. Conclusions The existent epidemiologic evidence indicates that use of prescription opioids by drivers is associated with significantly increased risks of crash involvement and crash culpability. Further research is needed to understand the epidemiologic patterns of prescription opioid use in the driver population and the interaction effects between opioids and alcohol on driving safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combine SnO 2 nanoparticles with some conductive carbonaceous materials has been regarded as one of the most effective strategies to solve the problems of poor conductivity and volume change. In this work, a SnO 2 /sulfonated graphene composite with 3D interpenetrating porous structure (3D SnO 2 /SG) was synthesized. The elaborate designed 3D SG structure not only generates an excellent electronic conductivity, but also buffers the volume expansion of the SnO 2 particles. As a result, the desirable 3D possesses enhanced performance when used as anode material in lithium battery. For example, the electrochemical results showed that the 3D SnO 2 /SG presents a high reversible specific capacity (928.5 mA h g −1 at the current density of 200 mA g −1 ). Even after 120 cycles, the specific capacity of 679.7 mA h g −1 (at the current density of 400 mA g −1 ) are still maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latex particles with the same core composition of poly(MMA-co-ALMA) and different shell compositions of poly(BA-co-AA) were prepared by semibatch emulsion polymerization using ‘power feed’ monomer and chain transfer agent addition methods in the shell layers. The seed stage involved formation of seed particles of 111 nm in diameter with a batch process. After that, two growth stages formed the final particle diameter, dz= 300 nm measured by dynamic light scattering. The gel content and the molecular parameters of the polymer were determined. The adhesive properties including loop tack, peel force and shear resistance were measured according to the FINAT test methods No. 9, 1 and 8. An evaluation was also made for the relationship between pressure-sensitive properties and molecular parameters. Introducing power feed to semibatch emulsion polymerization had no significant effect on the latex preparations and could improve the final conversion and the colloidal stability. The observed particles were grown without significant secondary nucleation. The power feed methods had no effect on the glass transfer temperature (Tg) of the shell layer also. Emulsion polymerization conducted by positive power feed resulted in the formation of longer primary polymer chains at the beginning than that conducted by negative power feed and standard uniform feed, which caused a very high gel fraction. As pressure-sensitive adhesives prepared by using the positive power feed had the highest gel content and strongest core–shell interaction, they exhibited the highest shear resistance, but the lowest tack and peel force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new analytical method has been developed to detect three kinds of DNA simultaneously based on magnetic beads and color-encoded plasmonic nanocrystals. Magnetic beads modified with capture DNA are employed to collect the specific target DNA, and color-encoded plasmonic nanocrystals are applied to signal the target through DNA hybridization. As a proof of concept, three types of representative metal nanocrystals of gold nanoparticle (AuNP), gold nanorod (AuNR), and gold/silver nanoparticle (Au/AgNP) were employed to signal three dissimilar virus-related protective antigen genes, Ebola virus (EV), Variola virus (VV), and Bacillus anthracis (BA), respectively. Detection limits of 0.5-3 fM were obtained showing the high sensitivity for DNA detection. The microscopic discrimination of the encoded nanoparticles allows simple, rapid, accurate, and cost-effective detection of multiple DNA molecules, indicative of the potential in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Use of administrative data to study the effectiveness of specialized palliative care is limited by the lack of a reliable method to identify patients receiving palliative care consultation. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code V66.7 has been used, but its validity for this purpose is unknown. Objective: To examine the validity of the ICD-9 code V66.7 for identifying whether hospitalized patients received palliative care consultation. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting/Subjects: All patients of age ≥18 years admitted to a single academic medical center between August 2013 and August 2015. Measurements: Sensitivity and specificity of the V66.7 code for palliative care consultation for all patients and several a priori identified subgroups. The reference standard was the presence of a palliative care consultation note in the electronic medical record. Results: Of 100,910 admissions, 1999 received a palliative care consultation (2.0%) and 1846 (1.8%) had usage of the V66.7 code. Sensitivity and specificity for the V66.7 code were 49.9% and 99.1%, respectively. Sensitivity was considerably higher for certain subgroups, such as patients with dementia (76.3%) and metastatic cancer (66.3%); addition of age restrictions further improved sensitivity while maintaining high specificity. Specificity was substantially lower for patients who died during hospitalization (sensitivity 53.9%, specificity 75.1%). Conclusions: In a single center, the ICD-9 code V66.7 had poor sensitivity and high specificity for identifying hospitalized patients who received a palliative care consultation. Appropriate use of this code for this purpose should take these characteristics into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]