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In recent years, wide voltage range DC/DC converters have been widely used in telecom power, solar generation and electric vehicle charger applications. Based on this, a new multi‐resonant converter with wide input voltage is proposed here. Compared with the traditional LLC converter, the proposed converter can maintain the output voltage within a narrow frequency regulation range in both under‐resonance and over‐resonance areas. Thus, a wide voltage range can be realized without additional switch components or complex control strategies. The topology and the corresponding working principle of the proposed converter are introduced. In addition, the equivalent model by considering the fundamental wave is established and the influence of the resonance parameters on the voltage gain characteristic is analysed in detail. With these considerations, the resonance parameters are designed. Finally, a 500 W experiment platform is established to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are key components in promoting glioblastoma (GBM) progression. This study aimed to explore new therapeutic targets and related pathogenic mechanisms based on different MSCs infiltration levels in GBM patients. Methods: We estimated the relationship between cell infiltration and prognosis of GBM. Subsequently, key risk genes were identified and prognostic models were constructed by LASSO-Cox analysis. The risk genes were validated by five independent external cohorts, single-cell RNA analysis, and immunohistochemistry of human GBM tissues. TIDE analysis predicted responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors in different risk groups. Results: The MSCs infiltration level was negatively associated with survival in GBM patients. LOXL1, LOXL4, and GUCA1A are key risk genes that promote GBM progression and may act through complex intercellular communication. Conclusion: This research has provided a comprehensive study for exploring the MSCs infiltration environment on GBM progression, which could shed light on novel biomarkers and mechanisms involved in GBM progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A buried utility tunnel can effectively protect internal pipes by preventing or mitigating corrosion, external damage, and facilitating maintenance. During an earthquake, the energy from seismic waves is transmitted through the soil to the utility tunnel, then to the support structure, and ultimately to the pipe, making the support's interaction with the pipe crucial. In this study, scaled utility tunnel system undergoes shaking table tests at a horizontally non-homogeneous site. Various supports within the tunnel are modeled dynamic elements to assess energy dissipation. The attenuated seismic waves are then applied directly to the pipe to evaluate its response and validate the results against the tests. The study reveals that greater sliding between the tunnel and pipe leads to more energy dissipation and reduces the likelihood of significant pipe deformation. Situations with increased sliding of the side-wall angle steel support exhibit smaller strain peaks. Longitudinal sliding becomes more pronounced only when peak ground acceleration exceeds 0.8 g in longitudinal loading. The transverse sliding response under longitudinal loading is not influenced by the input acceleration peak. Additionally, modeling the internal pipe's interaction with the support as a simplified dynamic element yields more accurate responses, offering a foundational calculation for the design of shock absorption and vibration isolation in utility tunnel supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For road repair, a rapid method is much desired to minimize traffic disclosure. This study proposes a new method for granular materials to gain strength rapidly. Using microbial carbonation for reactive MgO cement (RMC), a pre-bio-carbonation method is proposed to allow RMC treated materials to gain 80% of the final strength in 2 h when 8% RMC content is used. In this proposed method, a biosolution that has been premixed several hours before application is applied together with RMC for soil treatment. The carbonates that have already been generated from a urea hydrolyzation using ureolytic bacteria allow an immediate carbonation of RMC. As a result, the strength of the bio-carbonated RMC treated materials gain strength rapidly due to a quick formation and crystallinity of hydrated magnesium carbonates. To study the mechanisms and effectiveness of this method, laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the strength development with time in the RMC treated granular materials and the conditions controlling the amount of strength gain. The influence of biosolution mixing time on the strength gain and the microstructural development of the bio-carbonated RMC are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modular Sigma DC/DC converter with wide input voltage range is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter is combined with a traditional LLC converter and two multi-resonant converters via Sigma architecture. Among them, the traditional LLC converter operates as a DC transformer (DCX) at resonant frequency to achieve maximum efficiency. Meanwhile, one of the multi-resonant converters, the DC to DC (D2D) part of the Sigma structure, is responsible for voltage regulation over a wide input voltage range. In addition, the other multi-resonant converter has two operation modes, including DCX and D2D. When it operates in the DCX mode, the Sigma converter has better performance and higher efficiency. When it operates in the D2D mode, the Sigma converter can handle a wider input voltage range. For each submodule, the operation principle and characteristics of the proposed Sigma converter are analyzed in detail. In addition, some key points of the parameter design for each part are also demonstrated. Finally, an experimental prototype with an input voltage of 540~1100 V is built to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB). It is the second largest single cause of death besides novel coronavirus pneumonia. Along with the abuse of antibiotics and extensive use of anti-tuberculosis drugs, multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, drug-resistant (XDR) TB and totally drug-resistant (TDR) TB became obstacles to the tuberculosis eradication worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, China is not only a high burden tuberculosis country in the world, but also a country with a serious epidemic of MDR. Traditional drugs fail to meet the needs of tuberculosis control. Therefore, it is urgent to find new targets of anti-tuberculosis drugs and develop new anti-tuberculosis drugs. Hence, this paper systematically summarizes the mechanism of traditional and newly developed anti-tuberculosis drugs, in which stressing the research progress of drug resistance mechanisms. This work provides us with new insights of new antituberculosis drug developments, and may contribute to a reduction in the harm that tuberculosis brings to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A facile and generalized design strategy of polymer precursor inks was developed for direct ink writing of metal oxide into submicron 3D architectures. The Maillard reaction between polyethyleneimine and glucose endows the 3D-printed precursors with the excellent shape fidelity during high-temperature pyrolysis. As-printed 3D periodic dielectric structure with woodpile geometry shows a significant light-matter effect in mid-infrared region. Three-dimensional-structured metal oxides have myriad applications for optoelectronic devices. Comparing to conventional lithography-based manufacturing methods which face significant challenges for 3D device architectures, additive manufacturing approaches such as direct ink writing offer convenient, on-demand manufacturing of 3D oxides with high resolutions down to sub-micrometer scales. However, the lack of a universal ink design strategy greatly limits the choices of printable oxides. Here, a universal, facile synthetic strategy is developed for direct ink writable polymer precursor inks based on metal-polymer coordination effect. Specifically, polyethyleneimine functionalized by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is employed as the polymer matrix for adsorbing targeted metal ions. Next, glucose is introduced as a crosslinker for endowing the polymer precursor inks with a thermosetting property required for 3D printing via the Maillard reaction. For demonstrations, binary (i.e., ZnO, CuO, In2O3, Ga2O3, TiO2, and Y2O3) and ternary metal oxides (i.e., BaTiO3 and SrTiO3) are printed into 3D architectures with sub-micrometer resolution by extruding the inks through ultrafine nozzles. Upon thermal crosslinking and pyrolysis, the 3D microarchitectures with woodpile geometries exhibit strong light-matter coupling in the mid-infrared region. The design strategy for printable inks opens a new pathway toward 3D-printed optoelectronic devices based on functional oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanodendrite particles (NDs) with densely branched structures and biomimetic architectures have exhibited great promise in tumor therapy owing to their prolonged in vivo circulation time and exceptional photothermal efficiency. Nevertheless, traditional NDs are deficient in terms of specific surface modification and targeting tumors, which restrict their potential for broader clinical applications. Here, we developed coronavirus-like gold NDs through a seed-mediated approach and using silk fibroin (SF) as a capping agent. Our results demonstrate that these NDs have a favorable drug-loading capacity (~65.25%) and light-triggered release characteristics of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). Additionally, NDs functionalized with specific probes exhibited exceptional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) characteristics, enabling high-sensitivity Raman imaging of unstained single cells. Moreover, these NDs allowed for real-time monitoring of endocytic NDs for over 24 h. Furthermore, ND@DOX conjugated with tumor-targeting peptides exhibited mild hyperthermia, minimal cytotoxicity, and effective targeting towards cancer cells in vitro, as well as responsiveness to the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vivo. These unique properties led to the highest level of synergistic tumor-killing efficiency when stimulated by a near-infrared (NIR) laser at 808 nm. Therefore, our virus-like ND functionalized with SF presents a novel type of nanocarrier that exhibits significant potential for synergistic applications in precision medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In direct current (dc) microgrids, communication between converters is necessary for better power distribution and finer energy scheduling. This article proposes an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based carrier communication method for dc microgrid applications. The method integrates the communication function in the process of power conversion by modulating data into power control loop. To maximize the communication rate in a narrow band limited by pulsewidth modulation control, OFDM technology is applied in the data modulation process. The data is modulated to multiple low-frequency signal carriers, then the modulated wave is added to the output of the power control loop. Since no additional component is needed for sending data, this method has the advantages of low cost and simple implementation. In order to provide theoretical guidance for system design, the dc microgrid applying the proposed method is modeled. Furthermore, important issues of the communication system are discussed, including data frame format and intersymbol interference problem. At last, a 2 kW dc microgrid experimental platform is established and 9.6 kbps communication rate with a transmission distance of 200 m is achieved, which verifies the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel power flow tracing method based on power electronic signaling for peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading in dc microgrids. It employs a superimposed low-frequency sinusoidal carrier to trace dc power flows according to the bus port impedance characteristics of power converters. In order to support fair and accurate P2P trading, source-to-load power signaling (S2LPS) and source-to-source power verification (S2SPV) methods are presented. Through S2LPS, the P2P dc power flow from a specific distributed source (DS) to a power load (PL) is determined by detecting the carrier's active power at the PLs bus port. The same carrier is used to check the actual output power of the DS by S2SPV. By implementing S2LPS and S2SPV, the power flows of the system are traced, recorded, and verified by each DS and PL. Accurate power flow tracing is achieved on the physical layer, providing reliable data for P2P electricity trading. The principles of the proposed method are deduced in detail. Furthermore, the modifications to the control loops of DSs and PLs are depicted for implementations in dc microgrids. Finally, a 2.5 kW experimental platform is built to validate the correctness and feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have completed the design of an early warning and evaluation analysis module based on machine learning algorithms. Aiming at the prestressed CFRP-strengthened reinforced concrete bridges under natural exposure, we developed a theoretical model to analyze the long-term prestress loss of reinforced parts and the adhesion behavior of the CFRP-concrete interface under natural exposure conditions. The analysis deeply reveals the technical and engineering geomechanics characteristics of the D bridge. At the same time, through a series of experimental studies on the D bridge condition monitoring system, the data acquisition and transmission, processing and control of the D bridge condition monitoring system, and the bridge condition monitoring and evaluation software are provided. Regarding how to repair the engineering geomechanical characteristics of D bridge, we mentioned the prestressed CFRP reinforcement technology. The prestressed carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRP) structure made of reinforced concrete (RC) makes better use of the high-strength characteristics of CFRP and changes. It strengthens the stress distribution of the components and improves the overall strength of the components. It is more supported by engineers in the civil engineering and transportation departments. However, most prestressed CFRP-reinforced RC structures are located in natural exposure environments, and the effect of natural exposure environments on the long-term mechanical properties of prestressed C FRP-reinforced RC components is still unclear. This article mainly uses the research on the engineering geomechanics characteristics and reinforcement technology of the bridge body, so that people have a deep understanding of its concept, and provides reasonable use methods and measures for the maintenance and protection of the bridge body in the future. This paper studies the characteristics of engineering geomechanics based on machine learning algorithms and applies them to the research of CFRP reinforcement technology, aiming to promote its better development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the prediction accuracy of heating demand, an appropriate base temperature should be estimated before using the heating degree-days (HDD) approach. This study collected the measured data for gas consumption at half-hourly resolution and the building physical characteristics from 89 educational buildings over four years. To determine the base temperature, in addition to the ambient temperature, more detailed independent variables, i.e. solar insolation, relative humidity, wind speed, and one-day ahead residual temperature, were incorporated into a three-parameter change-point multi-variable regression (3PH-MVR) for heating. The mean base temperature using the 3PH-MVR approach was about 0.4°C lower than the results from the 3PH method only. The relationships between base temperature and annual HDD (based on 15.5°C), building location, and mean daily solar insolation were evaluated. It is found that the annual HDD and the daily insolation had clear impacts on base temperature, while there was a plausible relationship between base temperature and building location. Compared with traditional approach, the proposed 3PH-MVR method considers multiple weather parameters and determines a more robust base temperature, thus improving the prediction accuracy of HDD with higher average R2 value at 0.86 than that of univariate regression (0.82). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general strategy to carry out cell uptake and biodistribution studies is to label nanoparticles (NPs) with a fluorescent dye. However, the comparative study of different dye‐loaded NPs remains difficult owing to uncontrolled dye quenching and de‐quenching. Here we compared two types of dye‐labeled NPs and demonstrated their distinct properties. NPs with dye molecules at a solid state suffer from dye quenching, so the dye release and/or NP degradation in biological environments leads to a several‐fold increase of fluorescence intensity despite the same amount of NPs, owing to the state switch from quenching to de‐quenching. In contrast, NPs with dye molecules at a soluble state exhibit no quenching effect. To standardize the comparative study, we propose two possible solutions: using lower dye loading or using medium analysis for quantifying cell uptake of NPs. This work provides valuable insights into selecting valid quantification methods for bio‐nano studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general strategy to carry out cell uptake and biodistribution studies is to label nanoparticles (NPs) with a fluorescent dye. However, the comparative study of different dye‐loaded NPs remains difficult owing to uncontrolled dye quenching and de‐quenching. Here we compared two types of dye‐labeled NPs and demonstrated their distinct properties. NPs with dye molecules at a solid state suffer from dye quenching, so the dye release and/or NP degradation in biological environments leads to a several‐fold increase of fluorescence intensity despite the same amount of NPs, owing to the state switch from quenching to de‐quenching. In contrast, NPs with dye molecules at a soluble state exhibit no quenching effect. To standardize the comparative study, we propose two possible solutions: using lower dye loading or using medium analysis for quantifying cell uptake of NPs. This work provides valuable insights into selecting valid quantification methods for bio‐nano studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grand-canonical Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to investigate the adsorption and separation of the binary mixture of CO2, SO2, and H2S in neutral and charged armchair single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at low pressures and 303 K. SWCNTs with diameter of 2.17, 2.71, and 3.26 nm and intertube distance of 1.0 nm were modeled. Fixed charges of −0.04 e to +0.04 e were placed on each nanotube carbon to investigate the effect of charge. It is found that the behaviors of CO2, SO2, and H2S as a component of the mixture in charged SWCNTs basically obey the same rules as they behave as pure gases. Due to the additional strong Coulomb force between the adsorbate and the charged SWCNTs, the adsorption quantity of the polar molecule (SO2 or H2S) are enhanced remarkably when mixed with CO2, while the adsorption of CO2 is usually suppressed as a result of adsorption competition in a limited space. As for the case of the mixture of SO2 or H2S, either of them can be enhanced or suppressed in the adsorption competition, depending on the sign of SWCNT charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large range of nanoparticles have been developed to encapsulate hydrophobic drugs. However, drug loading is usually less than 10 % or even 1 %. Now, core–shell nanoparticles are fabricated having exceptionally high drug loading up to 65 % (drug weight/the total weight of drug‐loaded nanoparticles) and high encapsulation efficiencies (>99 %) based on modular biomolecule templating. Bifunctional amphiphilic peptides are designed to not only stabilize hydrophobic drug nanoparticles but also induce biosilicification at the nanodrug particle surface thus forming drug‐core silica–shell nanocomposites. This platform technology is highly versatile for encapsulating various hydrophobic cargos. Furthermore, the high drug loading nanoparticles lead to better in vitro cytotoxic effects and in vivo suppression of tumor growth, highlighting the significance of using high drug‐loading nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large range of nanoparticles have been developed to encapsulate hydrophobic drugs. However, drug loading is usually less than 10 % or even 1 %. Now, core–shell nanoparticles are fabricated having exceptionally high drug loading up to 65 % (drug weight/the total weight of drug‐loaded nanoparticles) and high encapsulation efficiencies (>99 %) based on modular biomolecule templating. Bifunctional amphiphilic peptides are designed to not only stabilize hydrophobic drug nanoparticles but also induce biosilicification at the nanodrug particle surface thus forming drug‐core silica–shell nanocomposites. This platform technology is highly versatile for encapsulating various hydrophobic cargos. Furthermore, the high drug loading nanoparticles lead to better in vitro cytotoxic effects and in vivo suppression of tumor growth, highlighting the significance of using high drug‐loading nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various types of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been used in urological tissue engineering but to date the existence of MSCs has not been reported in the human bladder. The present study provided evidence that a small number of MSC-like cells exist in the human bladder and designated this class of cells 'human bladder-derived MSC-like cells' (hBSCs). It was demonstrated that hBSCs can be cultured to yield a large population. These hBSCs expressed the surface markers of MSCs and exhibited the capacity for osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. On induction with appropriate media in vitro, hBSCs could differentiate into bladder-associated cell types, including urothelial, endothelial and smooth muscle cell-like lineages. In addition, the average telomerase activity of adult hBSCs was higher compared with adult human bone marrow-derived MSCs, but lower than that of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs. These findings may inspire future studies on the role of hBSCs in urological tissue engineering applications and in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid acquisition of the spatial distribution of soil nutrients holds great implications for farmland soil productivity safety, food security and agricultural management. To this end, we collected 1297 soil samples and measured the content of soil total nitrogen (TN), soil available phosphorus (AP) and soil available potassium (AK) in Zengcheng, north of the Pearl River Delta, China. Hyperspectral remote sensing images (115 bands) of the Chinese Environmental 1A satellite were used as auxiliary variables and dimensionality reduction was performed using Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis. The TN, AP and AK of soil were predicted in the study area based on auxiliary variables after dimensionality reduction, along with stepwise linear regression (SLR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and back-propagation neural network (BPNN) models; 324 independent points were used to verify the predictive performance. The BPNN model, which demonstrated the best predictive accuracy among all methods, combined ordinary kriging (OK) with mapping the spatial variations of soil nutrients. Results show that the BPNN model with double hidden layers had better predictive accuracy for soil TN (root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.409 mg kg−1, R2 = 44.24%), soil AP (RMSE = 40.808 mg kg−1, R2 = 42.91%) and soil AK (RMSE = 67.464 mg kg−1, R2 = 48.53%) compared with the SLR, SVM and RF models. The back propagation neural network-ordinary kriging (BPNNOK) model showed the best predictive results of soil TN (RMSE = 0.292 mg kg−1, R2 = 68.51%), soil AP (RMSE = 29.62 mg kg−1, R2 = 69.30%) and soil AK (RMSE = 49.67 mg kg−1 and R2 = 70.55%), indicating the best fitting ability between hyperspectral remote sensing bands and soil nutrients. According to the spatial mapping results of the BPNNOK model, concentrations of soil TN (north-central), soil AP (central and southwest) and soil AK (central and southeast) were respectively higher in the study area. The most important bands (464–517 nm) for soil TN (b10, b14, b20 and b21), soil AP (b3, b19 and b22) and soil AK (b4, b11, b12 and b25) exhibited the best response and sensitivity according to the SLR, SVM, RF and BPNN models. It was concluded that the application of hyperspectral images (visible-near-infrared data) with BPNNOK model was found to be an efficient method for mapping and monitoring soil nutrients at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction (ODF) has been reported in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the comparison of olfactory function and olfactoryrelated gray matter (GM) between patients with NMO and MS needed to be further elucidated. Materials and methods: Thirty-seven patients with NMO and 37 with MS were enrolled. Olfactory function was evaluated with a Japanese T&T olfactometer test kit, and the neuroanatomical features of olfactory-related GM were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Results: Olfactory deficits were found in 51.4% of patients with NMO and 40.5% of patients with MS. Patients with NMO with ODF had significantly smaller olfactory bulbs than patients with MS with ODF (p = 0.031). Olfactory-related GM atrophy was found in patients with NMO in several regions of the right orbitofrontal cortex and right superior frontal gyrus; in patients with MS, reduced GM volume was found in the right parahippocampal gyrus and piriform cortex (p < 0.05, cluster size > 200 voxels). Conclusions: Olfactory deficits are common in both NMO and MS. However, the neuroanatomical features related to olfactory deficits differ greatly between the two diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive forces may cause root resorption and insufficient forces would introduce no effect in orthodontics. The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal orthodontic forces on a maxillary canine, using hydrostatic stress and logarithmic strain of the periodontal ligament (PDL) as indicators. Finite element models of a maxillary canine and surrounding tissues were developed. Distal translation/tipping forces, labial translation/tipping forces, and extrusion forces ranging from 0 to 300 g (100 g=0.98 N) were applied to the canine, as well as the force moment around the canine long axis ranging from 0 to 300 g·mm. The stress/strain of the PDL was quantified by nonlinear finite element analysis, and an absolute stress range between 0.47 kPa (capillary pressure) and 12.8 kPa (80% of human systolic blood pressure) was considered to be optimal, whereas an absolute strain exceeding 0.24% (80% of peak strain during canine maximal moving velocity) was considered optimal strain. The stress/strain distributions within the PDL were acquired for various canine movements, and the optimal orthodontic forces were calculated. As a result the optimal tipping forces (40-44 g for distal-direction and 28-32 g for labial-direction) were smaller than the translation forces (130-137 g for distal-direction and 110-124 g for labial-direction). In addition, the optimal forces for labialdirection motion (110-124 g for translation and 28-32 g for tipping) were smaller than those for distal-direction motion (130-137 g for translation and 40-44 g for tipping). Compared with previous results, the force interval was smaller than before and was therefore more conducive to the guidance of clinical treatment. The finite element analysis results provide new insights into orthodontic biomechanics and could help to optimize orthodontic treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground mining would cause ground subsidence damage and large amounts of cracks, which would result a loss of surface moisture and nutrient and intensifying drought. There are a few reports about damage to plant roots caused by coal mining. The irregular distribution of plant roots in soil and the different forces generated in process of surface subsidence are difficult to study comprehensively. The technologies to repair damaged plant roots have not been completely perfected yet. Based on quantitative simulation of alfalfa root cut-repair experiment, this paper discusses the influences of inoculated Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi on alfalfa root and the mitigation effects of an inoculation on the growth of alfalfa. Root injured alfalfa were investigated by soil pot experiments. The result indicated that at the same cut degree, the growth situation of inoculated alfalfa is better than the contrast. Compared with the Olsen-P content, at cut level of 0 and 1/3, the sand of inoculated alfalfa has less Olsen-P than contrast, at cut degree of 1/2 and 2/3, the sand of inoculated alfalfa has more Olsen-P than contrast, at degree of 3/4, the sand of inoculated alfalfa has less Olsen-P than contrast, the change trend of Olsen-P content is concerned with the relative strength size of absorb Olsen-P by alfalfa root and dissolve Olsen-P by root exudates and hyphae interstate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree planting is a powerful ecological restoration method that is frequently used around the world. However, the optimal tree canopy cover to promote ecosystem sustainability during ecological restoration is not yet known. To provide some guidance, we monitored 24 artificial restoration (afforestation) plots from 1999 to 2014 and 30 natural restoration plots from 1984 to 2014 in Changting County, Southern China. We found that some ecological parameters stabilized when the tree canopy cover was as low as 48.5% in the afforestation plots. The effects of this ecological threshold appeared approximately 10 years after plantation establishment. This stability was not detected or occurred after a much longer time in the natural restoration plots. The time lag before the stability appears may have prevented previous afforestation researchers from detecting such consequences, which would not appear in short-term research. Therefore, long-term research is needed to monitor the effects of ecological restoration activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of various doses of rocuronium on bispectral index (BIS) responses to propofol induction and tracheal intubation, as well as the role of the non-depolarization muscle relaxant rocuronium on the depth of sedation. A total of 72 patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II) were anaesthetized with propofol using a target-controlled infusion, and randomly divided into two sedation level groups (n=36). The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the BIS value: A normal sedation group (group 1), with a stable BIS value at 40-60, and a deep sedation group (group 2), with a BIS value <20 or with burst suppression. Each group was randomly divided into 4 subgroups A-D (n=9) according to the various doses of rocuronium (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 mg/kg). Tracheal intubation was performed after 2 min of rocuronium administration. BIS, electromyography (EMG), heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded continuously and averaged over 1 min during baseline (T1), steady state (T2), 2 min after rocuronium infusion (T3), and 0, 2 and 5 min after tracheal intubation. The results demonstrated that HR and MAP decreased significantly at T2 and T3 compared with T1. Following tracheal intubation (L0), HR and MAP significantly increased compared with T2 and T3, and returned to levels similar to those prior to intubation after 5 min. In group 1C and 1D, BIS was significantly decreased at T3 compared with T2; BIS was significantly increased at L0 compared with T3 in group 1A and 1B. EMG at earlier stages of anesthesia was significantly higher compared with other points, and was significantly increased at L0 compared with T3 in group 1A and 1B. These results demonstrated that BIS response may be associated with the dosage of rocuronium in the normal sedation group, although no association was observed with the deep sedation group. Tracheal intubation resulted in marked hemodynamic changes under both normal and deep sedation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of a laser pump/X-ray probe scheme for performing picosecond-resolution X-ray diffraction at the 1W2B wiggler beamline at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility is reported. With the hybrid fill pattern in top-up mode, a pixel array X-ray detector was optimized to gate out the signal from the singlet bunch with interval 85 ns from the bunch train. The singlet pulse intensity is ~2.5 ? 106 photons pulse-1 at 10 keV. The laser pulse is synchronized to this singlet bunch at a 1 kHz repetition rate. A polycapillary X-ray lens was used for secondary focusing to obtain a 72 µm (FWHM) X-ray spot. Transient photo-induced strain in BiFeO3 film was observed at a ~150 ps time resolution for demonstration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agricultural Science & Technology is the property of Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences 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. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the knowledge economy era, the innovation body is formed into Government-Industry-Academy collaborative innovation pattern, which can be described by triple helix model. What's more, triple helix model can better serve the scientific and technological innovation management. Although a variety of triple helix measurement methods have been applied into evaluation practice, these methods have their own drawbacks. In this paper, we conducted an in-depth analysis on the current principal methods based on mathematical characteristics. Combined with empirical analysis, we expect to form a comprehensive utilization pattern of different methods. This paper discusses the theory development of triple helix model with a focus on measurement methods, which are method based on mutual information and method cooperation similarity respectively. In this paper, we summarize the application scope of triple helix model by means of output of scientific papers, and bring technology transfer organization (TTO) into the triple helix innovation dimension, which can provide the triple helix model with exogenous motivation. Finally, we make a discussion on the future improvements of the triple helix model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing 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. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to investigate the protective mechanism of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) against heat stroke (HS) in rats. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC), normal saline-treated HS (NS-HS) and XBJ-treated HS (XBJ-HS) groups. At 47 and 57 min from the initiation of heat stress (42.5-43.5°C), the plasma levels of certain cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α], biochemical indicators (creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase) and coagulation indicators (activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen degradation products and D-dimer) were detected, and microscopy of the liver tissue of the rats was conducted. At 47 and 57 min after the initiation of the heat stress, the levels of the cytokines, coagulation indicators and biochemical indicators in the NS-HS group were significantly higher than those in the NC group (P<0.05). In the NS-HS group, the levels of the aforementioned indices were significantly reduced compared with those in the NC and NS-HS groups (P<0.05). In the NS-HS group, serious liver cell congestion, nuclear swelling and central vein dilation were visible, along with the appearance of bubbles in the liver tissue. In the XBJ-HS group, only a small number of congestive liver cells were identified, with occasional nuclear swelling but no bubbles, which was similar to the observations in the NC group. Early intervention treatment of HS with XBJ is able to reduce the systemic inflammatory response and coagulation activity and decrease the tissue ischemia and injury degree, thus extending the survival time of rats with HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]