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Uranyl ion (UO22+) is both radiotoxic and chemically toxic, which has harmful effects on the ecological environment and human health. This work presents a novel material called two-dimensional photonic crystal polyacrylic acid hydrogel (2D-PCPAAH), which contains massive carboxyl groups that can bind to UO22+ by strong coordination interaction. UO22+ can be combined with multiple ligand groups, causing the shrinkage of the 2D-PCPAAH which results in a reduction in particle spacing and a color change. Via measuring the Debye diffraction ring diameter using a ruler, the particle spacing can be easily obtained and the UO22+ concentration can be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venous thromboembolism, which is common in cancer patients and accompanies or even precedes malignant tumors, is known as cancer-related thrombosis and is an important cause of cancer- associated death. At present, the exact etiology of the elevated incidence of venous thrombosis in cancer patients remains elusive. Platelets play a crucial role in blood coagulation, which is intimately linked to the development of arterial thrombosis. Additionally, platelets contribute to tumor progression and facilitate immune evasion by tumors. Tumor cells can interact with the coagulation system through various mechanisms, such as producing hemostatic proteins, activating platelets, and directly adhering to normal cells. The relationship between platelets and malignant tumors is also significant. In this review article, we will explore these connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freezing is a widely used technology for food processing that not only lowers the temperature of food below its freezing point but also inhibits microbial activity and slows down biochemical reactions to enable long-term preservation. However, the freeze thawing cycle can cause various chemical and physical damages to food, which are the main influencing mechanisms of low-temperature preservation. The size of ice crystals determines the degree of physical damage to cells, which has a significant impact on the freezing quality. Magnetic field (MF) treatment is a physical method that has been found to be milder, more effective, and have no obvious side effects compared to chemical treatments. Numerous studies have reported that MF promotes the cold storage of food, prolongs shelf life, inhibits ice crystal nucleation, increases supercooling, accelerates freezing speed, and reduces ice crystal sizes significantly. However, the role of MF in ice nuclei formation is still unresolved, and there are inconsistencies in research results and a lack of clear understanding of its potential mechanism. This paper aims to introduce the influence of MF on the formation and growth of ice crystals, summarize freezing curves on water and salt solutions, and analyze MF applications from two aspects: the thermodynamic mechanism and molecular dynamics point of view for freezing processes. Additionally, it discusses the problems encountered in recent researches and presents future development trends. The conclusion can be drawn that MF demonstrates great application potential in the field of freezing processes and food quality attribute evaluation. However, many questions remain with little consensus in the literature regarding their roles, and the mechanism of action is not unified. The application of MF in food freezing processes is still challenging. This paper hopes to provide guidance for future work on food freezing and contribute to the advancement of this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy is dependent on effective viral transduction, which might be inhibited by preexisting immunity to AAV acquired from infection or maternal delivery. Anti-AAV neutralizing Abs (NAbs) titer is usually measured by in vitro assay and used for patient enroll; however, this assay could not evaluate NAbs' impacts on AAV pharmacology and potential harm in vivo. Here, we infused a mouse anti-AAV9 monoclonal antibody into Balb/C mice 2 h before receiving 1.2 × 1014 or 3 × 1013 vg/kg of rAAV9-coGAA by tail vein, a drug for our ongoing clinical trials for Pompe disease. The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and cellular responses combined with in vitro NAb assay validated the different impacts of preexisting NAbs at different levels in vivo. Sustained GAA expression in the heart, liver, diaphragm, and quadriceps were observed. The presence of high-level NAb, a titer about 1:1000, accelerated vector clearance in blood and completely blocked transduction. The AAV-specific T cell responses tended to increase when the titer of NAb exceeded 1:200. A low-level NAbs, near 1:100, had no effect on transduction in the heart and liver as well as cellular responses, but decreased transduction in muscles slightly. Therefore, we propose to preclude patients with NAb titers > 1:100 from rAAV9-coGAA clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sialic acid (SA) is a kind of functional monosaccharide which exists widely in edible bird's nest (EBN), milk, meat, mucous membrane surface, etc. SA is an important functional component in promoting brain development, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-virus, anti-tumor and immune regulation. The intestinal mucosa covers the microbial community that has a significant impact on health. In the gut, SA can also regulate gut microbiota and metabolites, participating in different biological functions. The structure, source and physiological functions of SA were reviewed in this paper. The biological functions of SA through regulating key signaling pathways and target genes were discussed. In summary, SA can modulate gut microbiota and metabolites, which affect gene expressions and exert its biological activities. It is helpful to provide scientific reference for the further investigation of SA in the functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model improves the accuracy of climate prediction and obtains meteorological parameters for fine grids; however, fine-grid climate predictions for different time periods and regions often consumes a great amount of computational resources. In this letter, the Multi Residual Attention Generative Adversarial Network (MRA-GAN) is proposed based on the generative adversarial network; the technique is applied to restore a simulated image from a coarse-grid WRF model to a simulated image from a fine-grid WRF model. The fine-grid image generated by MRA-GAN is very similar to the original fine-grid image. When compared with Super-Resolution Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network with Gradient Penalty (SRWGAN-GP), the average of peak signal-to-noise was improved by approximately 0.54dB, and the average structural similarity index was improved by approximately 3%. After comparing the downscaling results of temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity of various models with the original data, the results show that MRA-GAN has the highest correlation, the lowest data dispersion, and the smallest data error. The trained network model was able to efficiently transform the coarse-grid meteorological fields from different time periods and different simulation variables into fine-grid meteorological fields, and it greatly reduced the computational workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) represents an irreversible and progressive pathological manifestation of chronic renal disease, which ultimately leads to end‐stage renal disease. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested to be involved in the progression of RIF. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16), a member of lncRNAs, has been found to be involved in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. This paper first researched the effect of SNHG16 on renal fibrosis. We established a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)‐induced mouse RIF model by ligation of the left ureter to evaluate the biological function of SNHG16 in RIF. As a result, SNHG16 was upregulated in UUO‐induced renal fibrotic tissues. Knockdown of SNHG16 inhibited RIF and reduced alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), fibronectin, and college IV expression. miR‐205 was a target of SNHG16, and downregulated in UUO‐induced renal fibrotic tissues. Inhibition of miR‐205 promoted RIF and increased the expression of α‐SMA, college IV, and fibronectin. Overexpression of SNHG16 promoted the UUO‐induced RIF, but miR‐205 abrogated this effect of SNHG16. Histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) showed high expression in UUO‐induced renal fibrotic tissues. Knockdown of HDAC5 significantly reduced α‐SMA, fibronectin, and college IV expression in renal tissues of UUO‐induced mice. Inhibition of miR‐205 promoted HDAC5 expression, but knockdown of SNHG16 inhibited HDAC5 expression in renal tissues of UUO‐induced mice. In conclusion, SHNG16 is highly expressed in renal fibrotic tissues of UUO‐induced mice. Knockdown of SHNG16 may prevent UUO‐induced RIF by indirectly upregulating HDAC5 via targeting miR‐205. SHNG16 may be novel target for treating renal fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of ventilation rate and air supply angle of an air purifier using computational fluid dynamics to determine the dispersion of airborne COVID virus exhaled by an infected person. The risk of infection for an occupant was determined based on the virus concentration in the active area and accumulated particle dose within the breathing zone by varying the ventilation parameters. The air purifier was found to provide a local dilution and would block the development of an expiratory jet for a short time to reduce transmission risk. Compared to the case without an air purifier, the maximum reductions were 94.27% in the accumulated dose and 53.2% in the particle count concentration. In the breathing area, the larger air supply angle (90° > 60° > 30°) is better when the ventilation rate was 27.0 m3/h and 40.5 m3/h. Otherwise, 60° air supply angle is preferable where the ventilation rate was 54.0 m3/h. Assessing the results with the grey relational analysis revealed that the relational degree for particle count concentration was greater by varying the ventilation rate than by varying the air supply angle. However, the relational degree according to the accumulated dose was greater by varying the air supply angle than by increasing the ventilation rate. These findings may provide an important control strategy to effectively mitigate the risk of infection in a confined room by using an air purifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of persulfate has received considerable attention for its potential application in the removal of pollutants. In recent years, various technologies have been developed to catalyze its activity, which can be classified into two main methods: homogeneous and non-homogeneous activation. Homogeneous activation methods encompass thermal activation, photoactivation, ultrasonic activation, electrical activation, microwave activation, and transition metal ion activation. What is more, non-homogeneous activation methods include activation through metal-based nanomaterials, MOF material activation, single-atom catalysts, piezoelectric effect activation, and carbon activation. In this review, it presents a comprehensive overview about the advantages and disadvantages of these activation methods, as well as the main reaction mechanisms. Additionally, chemical identification methods such as quenching, chemical probes, and isotope techniques are discussed. Furthermore, the article explores two characterization methods, electron paramagnetic resonance, in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, and their application in experimental studies. Finally, the current limitations of each technique and future research directions are discussed and prospected. This article aims to provide valuable insights into the various activation methods of persulfate and their applications in the field of environmental science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged exposure of the peritoneum to high glucose dialysate leads to the development of peritoneal fibrosis (PF), and apoptosis of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) is a major cause of PF. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Astragaloside IV could protect PMCs from apoptosis and alleviate PF. PMCs and rats PF models were induced by high glucose peritoneal fluid. We examined the pathology of rat peritoneal tissue by HE staining, the thickness of rat peritoneal tissue by Masson's staining, the number of mitochondria and oxidative stress levels in peritoneal tissue by JC‐1 and DHE fluorescence staining, and mitochondria‐related proteins and apoptosis‐related proteins such as PGC‐1α, NRF1, TFAM, Caspase3, Bcl2 smad2 were measured. We used hoechst staining and flow cytometry to assess the apoptotic rate of PMCs in the PF model, and further validated the observed changes in the expressions of PGC‐1α, NRF1, TFAM, Caspase3, Bcl2 smad2 in PMCs. We further incubated PMCs with MG‐132 (proteasome inhibitor) and Cyclohexylamine (protein synthesis inhibitor). The results demonstrated that Astragaloside IV increased the expression of PGC‐1α by reducing the ubiquitination of PGC‐1α. It was further found that the protective effects of Astragaloside IV on PMCs were blocked when PGC‐1α was inhibited. In conclusion, Astragaloside IV effectively alleviated PF both in vitro and in vivo, possibly by promoting PGC‐1α to enhance mitochondrial synthesis to reduce apoptotic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) often associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. Despite recent advances in treatment, PBL still has a poor prognosis. EBV is listed as one of the human tumor viruses that may cause cancer, and is closely related to the occurrence of some nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), lymphoma and 10% of gastric cancer (GC). It is very important to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between EBV-positive and EBV-negative PBL. Through bioinformatics analysis of DEGs between EBV-positive PBL and EBV-negative PBL, we gain a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of EBV-positive PBL. Methods: We selected the GSE102203 data set, and screened the DEGs between EBV-positive PBL and EBV-negative PBL. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were applied. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and screened for the hub genes. Finally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed. Results: In EBV-positive PBL, the immune-related pathway is upregulated and Cluster of differentiation 27 (CD27) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) are hub genes. Conclusions: In EBV-positive PBL, EBV may affect tumorigenesis through activation of immune-related pathways and upregulation of CD27, PD-L1. Immune checkpoint blockers of CD70/CD27 and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 pathways may be one of the effective strategies for the treatment of EBV-positive PBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous reports have shown that it is difficult to improve the methanol adsorption performance of nitrogen and oxygen groups due to their low polarity. Here, we first prepared porous carbon with a high specific surface area and large pore volume using benzimidazole as a carbon precursor and KOH as an activating agent. Then, we improved the surface polarity of the porous carbon by doping with Lithium (Li) to enhance the methanol adsorption performance. The results showed that the methanol adsorption capacity of Li-doped porous carbon reached 35.4 mmol g−1, which increased by 57% compared to undoped porous carbon. Molecular simulation results showed that Li doping not only improved the methanol adsorption performance at low pressure, but also at relatively high pressure. This is mainly because Li-modified porous carbon has higher surface polarity than nitrogen and oxygen-modified surfaces, which can generate stronger electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we determined the adsorption energy, adsorption distance, and charge transfer between Li atom and methanol. Our results demonstrate that Li doping enhances the adsorption energy, reduces the adsorption distance, and increases the charge transfer in porous carbon. The mechanism of methanol adsorption by Li groups was revealed through experimental and theoretical calculations, providing a theoretical basis for the design and preparation of methanol adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the effects of urban morphology on air quality, and also to provide a reference for urban planning and control. The correlations, degrees and patterns of influence between 2D/3D urban morphological indicators and concentrations of air pollutants on different scales correspond to various population sizes in Changsha were quantified via statistical methods. Pearson correlation analysis found that 2D indicators, green coverage rate (GCR), road density (RD) and 3D indicators, building otherness (BO), and building function mixing degree (BFMi) showed strong correlation with air quality, with more significant correlation for the 3D indicators across most of the scales. In addition, the extent of the relevance also varied with scale. Furthermore, the contribution of those morphological indicators to changes in concentrations of pollutants were investigated by linear regression analysis. Results showed that BO and GCR had the greatest impact on air quality. BO could explain more than 40% of PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations changes over various scales. A 10% increase in GCR could reduce the PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations by 0.8, 1.7, and 2.6 μg/m3 respectively on 500-m scale. Besides, larger explanatory power of GCR, RD, and BO were mainly found on large scales. Finally, the results of multiple regression indicated that the combined effect of 3D indicators were stronger than 2D indicators for most air pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation is a major factor affecting human health. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) plays a vital role in the development of inflammation, and the promoters of most inflammatory cytokine genes have NF-κB-binding sites. Targeting NF-κB could be an exciting route for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. As important constituents of natural plants, lignans are proved to have numerous biological functions. There are growing pieces of evidence demonstrate that lignans have the potential anti-inflammatory activities. In this work, the type, structure and source of lignans and the influence on mitigating the inflammation are systematically summarized. This review focuses on the targeting NF-κB signaling pathway in the inflammatory response by different lignans and their molecular mechanisms. Lignans also regulate gut microflora and change gut microbial metabolites, which exert novel pathway to prevent NF-κB activation. Taken together, lignans target NF-κB with various mechanisms to inhibit inflammatory cytokine expressions in the inflammatory response. It will provide a scientific theoretical basis for further research on the anti-inflammatory effects of lignans and the development of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common intraocular malignant tumor in adults. Due to the lack of effective treatments for metastatic UM, the survival of UM has not changed over the past 3 decades. Therefore, it is important to identify essential genes regulating the metastasis of UM. Methods: In this study, a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen in an orthotopic mouse model of UM was performed to identify the regulatory genes conferring the metastatic phenotype. Loss-of-function analyses were performed to explore the function of G protein pathway suppressor 2 (GPS2) in UM metastasis in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the function of GPS2 as a tumor suppressor in UM. Results: Among the highest-ranking genes, we found several validated tumor suppressors, such as SHPRH, GPS2, PRPH2, and hsa-mir-1229; GPS2 was chosen as the candidate gene for further studies. GPS2 was lower expressed in the tumor tissues of UM patients. Furthermore, knocking-down GPS2 promoted the proliferation and metastatic abilities of UM cells both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, analysis of the transcriptome data revealed that silencing GPS2 upregulates oncogenic signaling pathways MAPK and PI3K-Akt, and in the meantime downregulates tumor suppressor signaling pathway Slit/Robo in UM cells. Conclusion: Altogether, our study proved that the GPS2 gene functions as a tumor suppressor and might be a novel potential therapeutic target for UM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal vibration is a direct response to the mechanical defects of electrical equipment, and requires reliable vibration sensing for health condition evaluation in the associated system. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) triggered by random vibration to generate electrical energy/signal while giving feedback on the vibration state, paving a promising way towards self‐powered sensors. Here, an all‐in‐one sensing system configured with a vibration sensor demonstrates instantaneous discharge boosted TENG and IR wireless communication for vibration state online monitoring. The sandwich‐structured TENG combined with mechanical switches can release the co‐accumulated charges from dual triboelectric layers to yield giant instantaneous output power of 616 W, which is 106 times higher than that of the continuous discharge. Moreover, an IR LED as a transmitter driven by the TENG can form an all‐in‐one vibration sensor enabling wireless communication, where the sensor can be further integrated with repeaters and phones to establish a wireless vibration online monitoring system for vibration state visualization. This work presents a novel idea to implement high‐power TENG with IR communication integration for in situ vibration online monitoring. Such a strategy is potentially available for distributed sensor construction towards abnormal signal monitoring that reflects the operating state of equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual-language navigation (VLN) is the task of entailing an agent to carry out navigational instructions inside photo-realistic environments. One of the key challenges in VLN is how to conduct robust navigation by mitigating the uncertainty caused by ambiguous instructions and insufficient observation of the environment. Agents trained by current approaches typically suffer from this and would consequently struggle to take navigation actions at every step. In contrast, when humans face such a challenge, we can still maintain robust navigation by actively exploring the surroundings to gather more information and thus make a more confident navigation decision. This work draws inspiration from human navigation behavior and endows an agent with an active perception ability for more intelligent navigation. To achieve this, we propose an end-to-end framework for learning an exploration policy that decides (i) when and where to explore, (ii) what information is worth gathering during exploration, and (iii) how to adjust the navigation decision after the exploration. In this way, the agent is able to turn its past experiences as well as new explored knowledge to contexts for more confident navigation decision making. In addition, an external memory is used to explicitly store the visited visual environments and thus allows the agent to adopt a late action-taking strategy to avoid duplicate exploration and navigation movements. Our experimental results on two standard benchmark datasets show promising exploration strategies emerged from training, which leads to significant boost in navigation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus‐doped boron nitride (PBN) has been confirmed as an effective metal‐free catalyst for the direct dehydrogenation (DDH) of ethylbenzene to styrene. In this paper, we further used barbituric acid as co‐reactant sources to create B defects in both PBN and mesoporous PBN (m‐PBN) materials. The XPS, N2 adsorption‐desorption, UV‐vis DRS, EPR, 11B SS NMR characterizations indicated both the electronic and pore structures of the catalyst with B defects were adjusted. Except for the improvement of mass transfer caused by B defects, DFT calculations showed the increase of electron density in B defects areas could enhance the breaking of C−H in ethylbenzene and the bond‐forming of H−H, which was acted to improve the catalytic activity. The m‐PBN with B defects delivered the styrene production rate of 22.54 mmolST g−1 h−1 and stably run 300 h when in‐situ grown on Al2O3, proving that defect tuning strategy is useful to construct efficient catalysts for styrene production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on the initial failure mechanism of coal under the impact of high pressure water jet is helpful to evaluate the damage characteristics of coal. Taking 2 coal seam in Jiulong mine as the research object, the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method was used to establish a numerical model of water jet erosion of coal, and von Mises theory was used to analyze the internal stress distribution and crack propagation characteristics of coal under high pressure water jet impact. Based on Python programming image processing technology, the crack formation law in coal was quantitatively characterized. The results show that the damage evolution process of coal mass under jet impact can be divided into crushing area, initial crack formation area and crack propagation area. When the jet contacts the coal surface, the crushing area is mainly formed by the shear stress under the influence of water hammer effect. In the initial crack formation area, the initial crack initiates under the combined action of compressive shear stress and micro tensile stress on the coal body. With the disappearance of water hammer effect, the stress wave caused by jet impact leads to the main tensile stress in the coal body, forming the crack propagation area. Therefore, in practical engineering, the damage degree can be judged by real-time monitoring the internal stress characteristics of coal under jet impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the pollutant dispersion of a nuclear power plant, a field tracing experiment was carried out in neutral stratification weather with the main wind direction SSW. On this basis, a wind speed profile and turbulence intensity profile consistent with the site were created in the wind tunnel. Meanwhile, how to generate a wind field of neutral stratification in a wind tunnel was studied in detail. Finally, a 1:1000 nuclear power area model was made to conduct tracing experiments in the wind tunnel. The results show that when the horizontal and vertical distances of the spire are 300 mm and 500 mm, and the horizontal and vertical distances of the rough element are 250 mm and 500 mm. A wind speed profile with a wind profile index of 0.321 was generated in the wind tunnel (0.334 in the field test), and the wind tunnel tracer experiment had the same diffusion trend as the field, which verified the accuracy of the flow field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural wind energy harvesting enables a far‐reaching and sustainable solution to supply pervasive sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT). Electromagnetic generators (EMGs) struggle to harvest energy from breezes, which causes regrettable energy wastage. Herein, a triboelectric‐electromagnetic hybridized nanogenerator (TEHG) is designed with a dual‐rotor structure to consolidate harvesting band for high efficiency of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) in breeze and the EMG in high wind speeds. The TEHG performs an efficient energy collection (41.05 W m−3) and a smooth output in the wind speed of 2−16 m s−1, attributed to the environmental self‐adaptive cooperation between TENGs and EMGs. The TENG output power contribution is more than 70% at low wind speeds (<5 m s−1). Moreover, a dual‐channel power management topology (DcPMT) is established to co‐manage outputs of two modules in TEHG. By virtue of the DcPMT hierarchically combining the isolated storage with undervoltagelockout strategy, the TEHG steadily supplies a standardized 3.3 V voltage for commercial electronics. Furthermore, a TEHG‐based self‐powered system is demonstrated for driving sensors to monitor meteorological information. The TEHG with DcPMT is advantageous in broad‐band and high‐efficiency of wind energy harvesting, thus exhibiting a great potential for elevating the environmental self‐adaptability and stability margin of the IoT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grouting is a common method used in reinforcing fractured rock, and it is important to study the crack evolution and mechanical properties of fractured rock after grouting under the influence of different excavation rates and crack geometries. Therefore, a set of grouting molds for small-sized specimens with fully penetrated cracks were designed. The crack formation location and penetration mechanism of grouted bodies with different crack inclinations using uniaxial compression tests with different loading rates were investigated. The crack extension process and energy concentration areas of the grouted plus solid specimens at different stages were revealed from the acoustic characteristic. The results show that the peak strength of crack-grouting sandstone decreases with the increase of crack inclination under the same loading rate. Comparisons of the crack inclination in slurry specimens under different loading rates imply that there is a critical value of crack inclination at 45° which concentrates the damage and cracking of the grouted body under compression within the grouted solidified body. When the crack inclination is small, the specimen is mainly extended from the crack of the rock block at the upper end of the grout consolidation to the lower end of the crack surface, and the acoustic emission ring count data mainly show a rising trend throughout the whole process, when the crack inclination is large, cracks are mainly produced around the surface subjected to grout consolidation and gradually expand to the interior of the grouted body, and there is almost zero growth in the ringing count in the elastic stage (II) and a larger growth in the ringing count in the yielding stage (III) and postpeak stage (IV). This research work can provide disaster prediction and theoretical guidance for the corresponding engineering construction of crack-grouting sandstone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Flavor‐imparting volatile chemicals accumulate as fruits ripen, making major contributions to taste. The NAC transcription factor nonripening (NAC‐NOR) and DNA demethylase 2 (SlDML2) are essential for tomato fruit ripening, but details of the potential roles and the relationship between these two regulators in the synthesis of volatiles are lacking.Here, we show substantial reductions in fatty acid and carotenoid‐derived volatiles in tomato slnor and sldml2 mutants. An unexpected finding is the redundancy and divergence in volatile profiles, biosynthetic gene expression, and DNA methylation in slnor and sldml2 mutants relative to wild‐type tomato fruit. Reduced transcript levels are accompanied by hypermethylation of promoters, including the NAC‐NOR target gene lipoxygenase (SlLOXC) that is involved in fatty acid‐derived volatile synthesis.Interestingly, NAC‐NOR activates SlDML2 expression by directly binding to its promoter both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, reduced NAC‐NOR expression in the sldml2 mutant is accompanied by hypermethylation of its promoter. These results reveal a relationship between SlDML2‐mediated DNA demethylation and NAC‐NOR during tomato fruit ripening.In addition to providing new insights into the metabolic modulation of flavor volatiles, the outcome of our study contributes to understanding the genetics and control of fruit ripening and quality attributes in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is on the subject of the multiple-fuel cell (MFC) power module system in heavy-duty (HD) electric transportation. The MFC system is promising for increasing the system power level, redundancy, and lifetime and to reduce costs. In particular, the number of FC modules can affect system fluidic and electrical architectures significantly. Furthermore, system complexity and performance can also be influenced. Different MFC system electric architectures can lead to system global efficiency varying a lot, which is closely related to fuel economy. Meanwhile, an optimization strategy can also be used to help assign power demand among FC modules more efficiently, then help reduce power loss and hydrogen consumption. Hence, this article aims to make an investigation of MFC system architecture development in HD electric transportation and find the most suitable architecture from the view of efficiency and fuel economy based on quantitative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Neuroinflammation can be alleviated via M2 microglia polarization, which could promote the recovery of perimenopausal depression. Astragalin (AST) possesses anti-neuroinflammatory activity. However, the effects of AST on perimenopausal depression and the molecular mechanism in regulating microglia polarization remained unknown. Objectives: The purpose was to investigate the effects of AST on mice with simulated perimenopausal depression through regulating microglia polarization. It was aimed to clarify the molecular mechanism related to the interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R)/janus kinase (JAK) 1/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 6 signaling pathway. Methods: The ovariectomy (OVX)/chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced murine model of perimenopausal depression was established and treated with AST. Then the depression-like behaviors and cognitive ability of mice were examined. After that, we detected the markers of microglia polarization and its regulatory signals. In addition, lipopolysaccharides (LPS)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-induced inflammatory BV2 model were used to verify the potential molecular mechanism. Results: AST alleviated perimenopausal depression-like behaviors and memory deficits. AST alleviated microglia activation and increased Ki67-positive cells in dentate gyrus (DG). The viability of BV2 decreased by LPS/ATP was raised by AST. Moreover, both in vivo and in vitro, AST switched microglia from M1 phenotype caused by OVX/CUMS or LPS/ATP to M2 phenotype. The IL-4R/JAK1/STAT6 signaling was restored, and the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear NF-KappaB-p65 were reduced by AST. Importantly, AST showed prevention against the ubiquitination modification and degradation of STAT6. Conclusions: Our results revealed new insights into molecular mechanism associated with microglia polarization in the effect of AST on the mouse model of perimenopausal depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During Graves' disease (GD) treatment, Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is often ignored because only mild ocular symptoms are present in early GD. Therefore, we performed isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) analysis and measured relevant endocrine hormones to identify predisposing factors of GO. Serum samples from 3 patients with mild GD and GO and 3 patients with GD but without GO were analyzed by iTRAQ. Based on their clinical data, 60 patients with GD were divided into the GO-free and GO groups. All patients were followed up for 7 months. Their eye conditions and changes in related biochemical indexes were recorded. The iTRAQ results showed that RhoA expression was upregulated and correlated significantly with the tight junction pathway and immunity. The changes in FT3 and RhoA from baseline to 7 months, the FT3 and RhoA baseline levels, and the TRAb titer levels in patients with GD significantly differed between the groups. ELISA and western blotting for RhoA, TRAb, and FT3 in the serum samples from GO patients showed significant upregulation, as well as elevated serum RhoA and TRAb levels in the mild stage of GO. At 7 months, the serum RhoA and FT3 levels were elevated. RhoA is a potential biomarker for mild GO. In GD patients, if an elevated serum RhoA level is accompanied by an elevated TRAb or FT3 level, GO is highly likely to occur, even when obvious ocular symptoms are absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An agglomeration phenomenon characterized by nanoparticle dispersion is a decisive factor that reflects the degree of the maintained overall performance of nanofluids and other nanocomposites. However, the quantitative characterization and non‐destructive measurement for nanofluid dispersion (NFD) still remain challenged. Herein, an in situ NFD measurement system based on a variable frequency liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerator (VFLS‐TENG) is developed. This work utilizes VFLS‐TENG as a passive probe and proposes an equivalent capacitance circuit model for detecting NFD based on the electric double layer model at liquid–solid interfaces. In the circuit model, a quantitative calculation process for both particle size and spacing is introduced through parameter identification using the Quantum Genetic and Levenberg–Marquardt hybrid algorithm, and parameter separation using the Runge–Kutta algorithm. The results demonstrates a good agreement with the traditional methods, among which the measured particle size is more accurate than the hydrodynamic diameter of dynamic light scattering by 28.6% with a high sensitivity of 1667 nm nF−1. The proposed method is capable of measuring the effective charge on the nanoparticle surface in situ, and simultaneously obtaining the particle size and spacing for the online monitoring NFD, thus further facilitating the controllable preparation during the nano‐composites modification, and quantitative optimization of nanofluid design performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the implicit safety culture (ISC) and the dissemination among staff in a nuclear power plant. The Schein's cultural hierarchy theory was adopted to compare implicit aspects of different organizational cultures, and to explore the application of both explicit and implicit cultures, to define the ISC of a nuclear plant and to summarize its characteristics. The dissemination system and the mechanism of the ISC was scrutinized based on dynamic and superimposing effects, which are regarded as a unity of opposites. A differential dynamic model of the ISC dissemination of the nuclear power plant was established by this study. Results of the model indicated that the ISC could be disseminated freely within the power plant when the dissemination was at an unstable equilibrium point. However, the ISC would not disseminate effectively and might disappear gradually in the power plant when the dissemination was at an asymptotic equilibrium point. The application of ISC is a crucial issue to improve the safety and benefit of the management of the nuclear power plant, including measures such as intensifying the collaboration and communication of departments, and setting a special department for the ISC dissemination and some incentive protocols in the nuclear power plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most frequent primary eye cancer in adults with a 50% mortality rate. Characterizing the fundamental signaling pathways that drive UM is of importance for the development of targeted therapy. This study aims to probe the impact of sclerostin (SOST) on malignant progression of UM and regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Methods: Epithelial-type (n=20) and spindle-type (n=16) UM tissues were collected for immunohistochemical staining of SOST, Wnt-1, and β-catenin expressions. SOST was silenced in three UM cell lines (primary spindle-type OCM-1 cells, metastatic epithelial Mum-2B cells, and metastatic spindle-type Mum-2C cells) through transfecting specific siRNA. RT-qPCR and Western blot were presented for examining the levels of SOST, and markers in Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Flow cytometry, MTT, EdU, transwell, and tube formation assays were conducted, respectively. By implanting BALB/c nude murine models in situ , the function of SOST on tumor growth was investigated, followed by immunofluorescence double staining of SOST and LRP5/6. Results: Low SOST expression as well as high Wnt-1 and β-catenin expressions were found in epithelial-type (high malignancy) than spindle-type (low malignancy) UM tissues. Silencing SOST activated the markers in Wnt/β-catenin signaling as well as accelerated cell cycle progression, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and reduced apoptosis in UM cells. In situ tumor formation in murine eyes showed that SOST knockdown promoted tumor growth. Moreover, SOST interacted with LRP5/LRP6. Conclusion: SOST silencing may facilitate the malignant progression of UM cells through activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Mechanistically, SOST may exert this function by interacting with LRP5/LRP6 membrane receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overhead transmission lines are vulnerable to aeolian vibrations that threaten the operation of the power grid. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based self‐powered system offers a desirable way for vibration online‐monitoring with potential for large‐scale deployment. In this work, a self‐powered sensor network constructed by active vibration sensor (AVS) units with a spring‐mass based TENG (S‐TENG) is reported for effective energy harvesting and broadband vibration sensing. The basic TENG with structural parameters is first discussed from the aspects of efficiency and response characteristics, then the spring constant and mass weight are also adjusted for S‐TENGs with different optimal operation regions, thus the overall vibration amplitude and frequency response are further enhanced by the mutual compensation of S‐TENGs with a weight allocation strategy. Furthermore, the S‐TENGs are combined with external circuits to compose the AVS units, which are deployed in a distributed manner on a simulated transmission line to demonstrate a self‐powered wireless warning system and an aeolian vibration mapping system, enabling abnormal vibration warnings and vibration distribution monitoring over the whole line. This work represents a novel strategy for utilizing TENG technology for transmission line aeolian vibration monitoring and provides valuable guidance for further sensor network construction and power grid visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial release of submicron aerosol particles at workplace could cause undue health effect on workers. To effectively capture and remove airborne particles, we need to study the characteristics of various interactive particle motion forces (drag force, Brownian force, Saffman lift force, etc.) and the dispersion of these aerosol particles in indoor air. In this study, the dominant force of submicron particles was determined by calculating the acting forces with different particle sizes. Then, a Discrete Particle Model (DPM) was used to calculate the trajectory of particle movement in turbulent thermal plume flow. Horizontal dispersity (DH) was defined to evaluate the horizontal diffusion of the particulate matter. The impact of different particle diameters, heat source temperatures and initial relative velocities on DH was investigated. This study showed that the main acting forces for submicron aerosol particles were drag force, Brownian force, Saffman lift force and thermophoresis force. Brownian force cannot be ignored when the particle diameter was below 0.3 µm, which would promote the irregular movement of particles in space and enhance their diffusion ability. The smaller the particle size, the higher the heat source temperature and the lower the particles' initial velocity would lead to the increase of DH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no information search system can assist young children's known picture book search needs since the information is not organized according to their cognitive abilities and needs. Therefore, this study explored young children's known picture book search strategies and extracted picture book search elements by simulating a search scenario and playing a picture book search game. The study found 29 elements children used to search for known picture books. Then, these elements are classified into three dimensions: The first dimension is the concept category of an element. The second dimension is an element's status in the story. The third dimension indicates where an element appears in a picture book. Additionally, it revealed a young children's general search strategy: Children first use auditory elements that they hear from the adults during reading. After receiving error returns, they add visual elements that they see by themselves in picture books. The findings can not only help to understand young children's known‐item search and reformulation strategies during searching but also provide theoretical support for the development of a picture book information organization schema in the search system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radium, which is naturally present in many building materials, decays to the radioactive gas radon, which is exhaled from the surface of concrete block and is a major source of human exposure to radioactivity. In this study, an experimental evaluation of radon exhalation was conducted on a concrete block covered with mortar and acrylic render. Factors such as sand aggregates content and water content of the mortar cover layer, the thickness of the double cover layer were considered. Results showed that the radon exhalation rate was increased with an increase of sand content in mortar cover layer, and the radon exhalation rate was reduced with an increase of the thickness and water content. Besides, indoor radon concentration and effective dose estimation involving concrete block with cover layer were evaluated. The calculated indoor radon concentration was reduced from 234.9 to 201.1 Bq m−3 as the thickness of the cover layer was increased from 15 to 35 mm, and the effective dose was reduced by 0.61 mSv y−1. Therefore, the addition of a cover layer on the indoor walls, floors and ceilings could reduce the indoor radon concentration and the radon dose on exposure to occupants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat radiation in a residential kitchen was simulated by CFD (Computational-fluid-dynamics) to evaluate the cooling by a radiant cooling ceiling panel and pollution dispersion by the range hood and the air extraction system. The kitchen has a 2-hobs stove and a fume hood for removing waste heat and fumes. The simulation was validated by measurements in a domestic kitchen in a home in Changsha, China, where summer temperature is generally about 33 °C and often over 35–42°C. The simulation results show that the pollutant concentration in the kitchen during cooking was much lower than the Chinese standard criteria of GB/T18883-2002. A standard turbulence model was used, which indicated satisfactory distribution of temperature and airflow in the kitchen. The indoor airflow velocity was low. The airflow temperature when both hobs were used was slightly higher by 3–4°C than when a single hob was used. The temperature in the kitchen during cooking was about 28 °C, which was a degree lower than the living-room temperature, thus maintaining a comfortable thermal and healthy environment. The radiant cooling in the ceiling was shown to be a significant contributing factor. The ring suction type range hood has a sufficient capacity to remove the kitchen fume contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron trap states characterization plays a vital role in mesoscale measurement. Previous destructive methods have been applicable only in qualitative comparison. Nonetheless, the imaging of trap states distribution in space and energy level remains challenging. Herein, a triboelectric nanogenerator driven detrapping current (TENGd‐DTC) measurement system is reported. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is designed as a high voltage generator, with an output voltage of ≈3 kV for driving the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The discharge model with dynamic carriers' evolution is proposed, thus the detrapping currents can be extracted from DBD currents, based on which energy levels and densities of trap states are quantitatively calculated. The chamber design parameters as the platform for TENGd‐DTC measurement under DBD are optimized. With the optimized chamber, the energy level range within 0.6–0.8 eV can be clearly characterized, and the difference between results of the proposed and the current methods is less than 12%. More importantly, the improved measurement electrode array is applied for multi‐point scanning, and imaging of trap parameters is demonstrated vividly at a spatial resolution of ≈50 μm. This work paves an effective and non‐destructive imaging approach for trap states characterization, and potential applications in mesoscale modification of functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a component of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F, a significant complex in the protein translation process. It has been found to be closely related to many human tumors, such as gastric carcinoma. It is known that the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) upregulates eIF4E in various ways in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, there are very few studies on eIF4E in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. We found that the expression level of eIF4E in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma was lower than other types of gastric carcinoma, and the downregulation of eIF4E could lead to increased apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cells, retardation at S phase, and decreased cell migration. The dual luciferase reporter experiment showed that EBV-miR-BART11-3p could directly target the 3'-UTR region of eIF4E, and BART11-3p is the key factor leading to the downregulation of eIF4E. It could provide a new evidence for EBV-regulating host gene to affect the development of gastric carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based self‐powered system for wind energy harvesting introduces a desirable solution to alleviate the expanding energy supply concerns in the development of the internet of things. In this work, an auto‐switching self‐powered system based on a dual‐rotation shaft TENG (D‐TENG) is reported to effectively harvest wind energy over a broad‐band wind speed (2.2–16 m s−1). The D‐TENG is designed in a concentric dual‐rotation shaft structure, in which two independent TENGs with different shapes, sizes, and arm lengths of wind cups are rationally coupled. The integration of the two TENGs with varied structural parameters achieves mutual compensation of their own merits, enabling the whole system to have preferable aerodynamics and high energy conversion efficiency over a broad range of wind speeds. Moreover, an electromagnetic generator (EMG) with the same energy collection module is also fabricated for a comparison with TENG in the start‐up properties and average output power. Furthermore, a packaged self‐powered system is demonstrated for simulated wind energy harvesting, while the charging characteristics are also discovered. The proposed TENG renders a more efficient technique for energy harvesting and greatly expands its potential in the large‐scale wind energy harvesting that can be attributed to the multi‐stage strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1 (NUSAP1) is a significant mitotic regulator and has been found to be implicated in carcinogenesis of several cancers. The aim of this study was to explore the functional role and underlying mechanisms of NUSAP1 in osteosarcoma. Methods: Western blot assay and Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were employed to assess the expressions of NUSAP1, cell division cycle 20 homologue (CDC20) and cyclin A2 (CCNA2) in osteosarcoma cells. Cell proliferation was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, and flow cytometry was applied for exploring cell cycle. In addition, an osteosarcoma tumor-bearing mouse model was established by injection of transfected osteosarcoma cells. Tumor volume and protein expressions of Ki67 and PCNA were examined. Bioinformatics analysis and immunoprecipitation were used to identify the combination of NUSAP1 with CDC20 and CCNA2. Results: The mRNA and protein expression of NUSAP1 were extremely upregulated in osteosarcoma cells. Overexpression of NUSAP1 promoted whereas NUSAP1 silencing suppressed cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in transfected osteosarcoma cells. In osteosarcoma mouse model, NUSAP1 expression affected tumor volume and levels of Ki67 and PCNA. Moreover, CDC20 or CCNA2 silencing inhibited NUSAP1-induced cell proliferation and cell cycle in osteosarcoma cells. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that upregulated NUSAP1 may exacerbate the development of osteosarcoma by accelerating the proliferation and cell cycle process of osteosarcoma cells by binding to CDC20 and CCNA2, suggesting NUSAP1 as a possible therapeutic target for treatment of osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of temperature difference between indoor air and concrete, and water content in concrete, on Rn-222 exhalation were investigated. In concrete with 0% water content, the heat generated due to temperature difference between concrete and indoor air could raise Rn-222 exhalation rate by 2.6 times. The Rn-222 exhalation rate rose initially, then declined as water content in concrete was increased. The maximum Rn-222 exhalation rate was 4.4 mBq m−1 s−1 in concrete with 10% water content. A grey prediction model was established for predicting Rn-222 exhalation rates and exposure doses of residents due to different indoor temperature differences with concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of orthogonal frequency modulation (OFDM) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques plays an important role in modern communication systems. In order to meet the growing throughput demands, future MIMO-OFDM receivers are expected to utilize a massive number of antennas, operate in dynamic environments, and explore high frequency bands, while satisfying strict constraints in terms of cost, power, and size. An emerging technology to realize massive MIMO receivers of reduced cost and power consumption is based on dynamic metasurface antennas (DMAs), which inherently implement controllable compression in acquisition. In this work we study the application of DMAs for MIMO-OFDM receivers operating with bit-constrained analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). We present a model for DMAs which accounts for the configurable frequency selective profile of its metamaterial elements, resulting in a spectrally flexible hybrid structure. We then exploit previous results in task-based quantization to show characterized the achievable OFDM recovery accuracy for a given DMA configuration in the presence of bit-constrained ADCs, and propose methods for adjusting the DMA parameters based on channel state information. Our numerical results demonstrate that by properly exploiting the spectral diversity of DMAs, notable performance gains are obtained over existing designs of conventional hybrid architectures, demonstrating the potential of DMAs for realizing high performance massive antenna arrays of reduced cost and power consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis, which could be regulated by miRNA-27a, is a key player in the development of depression. Isoliquiritin is a phenolic flavonoid compound that has been demonstrated to suppress NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis. However, it is still unknown whether isoliquiritin could confer antidepressant activity via decreasing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis by stimulating miRNA-27a. Thus, in the current study, we explored the antidepressant activity of isoliquiritin and its underlying mechanism.Methods: Expression of miRNA-27a in depressed patients or mice was measured using qRT-PCR. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to illustrate the link between miRNA-27a and SYK. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) depression models were established to investigate the antidepressant actions of isoliquiritin. Changes in miRNA-27a/SYK/NF-κB axis and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis were also examined. The role of miRNA-27a in isoliquiritin-related antidepressant effect was further investigated by using miRNA-27a inhibitors and mimics of miRNA-27a.Results: Our results showed the miRNA-27a expression was downregulated in the serum of depressed patients, and decreased serum and hippocampus expression of miRNA-27a were observed in rodent models of depression. SYK gene expression was significantly reduced by miRNA-27a mimic incubation. Isoliquiritin profoundly attenuated LPS or CSDS-induced depressive symptoms, as well as CSDS-induced anxiety behavior. In the hippocampus, LPS and CSDS decreased miRNA-27a mRNA expression; increased the protein levels of SYK, p-NF-κB, and NLRP3: cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, and GSDMD-N: and elevated the concentration of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, which were all restored by isoliquiritin administration. Meanwhile, isoliquiritin upregulated the hippocampal NeuN protein level, improved the survival and morphology of neurons, and decreased pyroptosis-related neuronal cell death. Moreover, isoliquiritin protected primary microglia against LPS and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) elicited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in vitro, evidenced by declined protein levels of p-NF-κB, NLRP3; cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, and GSDMD-N; upregulated miRNA-27a mRNA expression; and decreased the mRNA and protein levels of SYK. Nevertheless, miRNA-27a inhibitors significantly reversed isoliquiritin-generated therapeutic efficacy in CSDS mice and in vitro. Furthermore, the cytoprotective effect of isoliquiritin was similar to that of miRNA-27a mimics in LPS and ATP-treated primary microglia. Taken together, these findings suggest that isoliquiritin possesses potent antidepressant property, which requires miRNA-27a/SYK/NF-κB axis controlled decrease of pyroptosis via NLRP3 cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon is a radioactive pollutant that could pose hazards to the surrounding environment and people due to its radioactive decay progenies. In this study, numerical simulations of radon dispersion were conducted under natural and mechanical ventilation with an air-purifier for radon. Factors such as the air supply speed, position and air supply angles of the purifier were considered. Results showed that the increase in the air supply speed from the purifier was an effective solution to reduce indoor radon pollution. The effect was better when the purifier was in the middle of the room. The purification effect was similar when the air supply changed under natural ventilation, while purification function was more effective when the air supply angle was 60° under the mechanical ventilation condition. An effective dose estimation involving typical ventilation schemes with radon purifier was evaluated. Using this approach, the radiation effect on occupants was computed. The calculated effective dose was 0.9 mSv y−1 when the air supply speed of the purifier was 0.2 m s−1 under natural ventilation. As a result, the effective dose calculated was under the annual effective dose limit of 3–10 mSv y−1 recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for public exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel approach for automatically generating a move plan for scene arrangement.1 Given a scene like an apartment with many furniture objects, to transform its layout into another layout, one would need to determine a collision-free move plan. It could be challenging to design this plan manually because the furniture objects may block the way of each other if not moved properly; and there is a large complex search space of move action sequences that grow exponentially with the number of objects. To tackle this challenge, we propose a learning-based approach to generate a move plan automatically. At the core of our approach is a Monte Carlo tree that encodes possible states of the layout, based on which a search is performed to move a furniture object appropriately in the current layout. We trained a policy neural network embedded with a LSTM module for estimating the best actions to take in the expansion step and simulation step of the Monte Carlo tree search process. Leveraging the power of deep reinforcement learning, the network learned how to make such estimations through millions of trials of moving objects. We demonstrated our approach for moving objects under different scenarios and constraints. We also evaluated our approach on synthetic and real-world layouts, comparing its performance with that of humans and other baseline approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]