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To deal with stochastic hybrid systems with general state-dependent switching, we propose an approximation method by a sequence of stochastic hybrid systems with piecewise constant type switching. The convergence rate in the Wasserstein distance is estimated in terms of the difference between transition rate matrices. Our method is based on an elaborate construction of coupling processes in terms of Skorokhod's representation theorem for jumping processes. Moreover, we establish explicit criteria on the ergodicity and stability for stochastic hybrid systems with piecewise constant type switching. Some examples are given to illustrate the sharpness of these criteria., Comment: 26 pages

Federated edge learning (FEEL) technology for vehicular networks is considered as a promising technology to reduce the computation workload while keeping the privacy of users. In the FEEL system, vehicles upload data to the edge servers, which train the vehicles' data to update local models and then return the result to vehicles to avoid sharing the original data. However, the cache queue in the edge is limited and the channel between edge server and each vehicle is time-varying. Thus, it is challenging to select a suitable number of vehicles to ensure that the uploaded data can keep a stable cache queue in edge server while maximizing the learning accuracy. Moreover, selecting vehicles with different resource statuses to update data will affect the total amount of data involved in training, which further affects the model accuracy. In this paper, we propose a vehicle selection scheme, which maximizes the learning accuracy while ensuring the stability of the cache queue, where the statuses of all the vehicles in the coverage of edge server are taken into account. The performance of this scheme is evaluated through simulation experiments, which indicates that our proposed scheme can perform better than the known benchmark scheme., Comment: This paper has been accepted by China Communications

Table 1:Average weight % oxygen compositions and corresponding standard deviations, as well as densities of fault rocks Table 2:Carbon and oxygen isotope data of calcite veins and gray sandstone samples from Cunielongba exposure Table 3:Examples of the composition of gouge in the PSZ of different fault zones. Table 4:Mineral composition of fault rocks from Cunielongba exposure Table 5:Elements concentration analyzed with XRF Table 6:Carbon and oxygen isotope data of different types of samples along Xianshuihe fault

In this study, we evaluated the relative abundance of nitrogen functional genes (amoA, nirK and nirS) involved in ammonia oxidation and denitrification bacteria in laboratory-scale bioretention columns in response to environmental factors (e.g., moisture content, pH, soil organic matter, soil nitrogen) under different antecedent dry days (ADDs). We observed a decrease tendency of the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria at first and then increased when increasing ADDs from 1 to 22 day, while the relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria showed a downward trend. The abundance of bacteria gene amoA was positively associated with soil ammonia nitrogen concentration (r2 = 0.389, p < 0.05) and soil organic matter concentration (r2 = 0.334, p < 0.05), while the abundance of bacteria gene nirS was positively correlated with soil ammonia nitrogen (r2 = 0.730, p < 0.01), soil organic matter (r2 = 0.901, p < 0.01) and soil total nitrogen (r2 = 0.779, p < 0.01). Furthermore, gene counts for bacteria gene nirS were correlated negatively with plant root length (r2 = 0.364, p < 0.05) and plant biomass (r2 = 0.381, p < 0.05). Taken together, these results suggest that both nitrification and denitrification can occur in bioretention systems, which can be affected by environmental factors.

The Ovulidae (Gastropoda, Cypraeoidea) is a family of small to medium Mollusca in the order Littorinimorpha, and Sandalia is a very small genus containing only three extant species. In the present study, 132 specimens of Ovulidae were collected, belonging to seven genera and nine species, including 54 Sandalia bridgesi and three Sandalia triticea individuals. The cytochrome c oxidase I gene, 16S rRNA, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences were obtained from all specimens and compared with sequences downloaded from GenBank to calculate genetic distances and construct phylogenetic trees. The sequences of S. bridgesi and S. triticea exhibited a high degree of similarity, and S. bridgesi does not form a separate clade, supporting the proposal that S. bridgesi should be synonymised with S. triticea.

Logistic equation was used to fit the plant height growth of wheat and alfalfa in different intercropping treatments, and the effects of intercropping on the plant height growth of wheat and alfalfa were analyzed according to the results of fitting curve model parameters. The results showed that the plant height growth of wheat and alfalfa under different intercropping patterns was in line with "S" curve. According to the turning point of the growth curve, the plant height growth can be divided into three stages: gradual growth stage, linear growth stage and slow growth stage. In late March, wheat and alfalfa began to enter linear growth phase, which lasted about one month and one and a half months, respectively. The linear growth of wheat and alfalfa in all treatments accounted for more than 50% of the total growth in growth period. Intercropping alfalfa extended the linear growth period of wheat, but reduced the growth rate and amount of wheat in the linear growth period. While intercropping with wheat shortened the linear growth period of alfalfa, but accelerated its growth rate.

Table 1:Average weight % oxygen compositions and corresponding standard deviations, as well as densities of fault rocks Table 2:Carbon and oxygen isotope data of calcite veins and gray sandstone samples from Cunielongba exposure Table 3:Examples of the composition of gouge in the PSZ of different fault zones. Table 4:Mineral composition of fault rocks from Cunielongba exposure Table 5:Elements concentration analyzed with XRF Table 6:Carbon and oxygen isotope data of different types of samples along Xianshuihe fault &nbsp

With increasing attention on sibling relationship studies in China, one problem that has been neglected is the limited validation of instruments used to assess these relationships. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Sibling Inventory of Behavior to measure Chinese children’s sibling relationships using a stratified random sample of 590 parents of three- to six-year-olds in three economic regions. The confirmatory factor analysis obtained an adequate fit, suggesting that the Chinese version of the instrument had a six-factor structure (i.e., Companionship, Empathy, Teaching, Rivalry, Aggression, and Avoidance). It demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency as well as test–retest reliability. Results of discriminant, convergent, and criterion-related validity test also fulfilled psychometric requirements. Furthermore, the residual measurement invariance across regions was discovered. Given the importance, emergence, and tendency of sibling studies in China, having a reliable and valid instrument with robust psychometric properties is essential and impactful.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is an additive manufacturing technology designed to rapidly process and manufacture complex geometrical components based on computer model design. Based on a 3D data model, materials are accumulated layer by layer through computer control, and the 3D model is finally turned into a stereoscopic object. Compared with traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing technology has the advantages of saving man-hours, easy operation, no need for molds, and strong controllability of component geometry. With the development of this technology, according to the core materials and equipment and other elements of the printing molding technology, several types of 3D printing technologies such as fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, and solvent cast-3D printing have gradually formed. This review focuses on the principles and characteristics of several of the most representative 3D printing molding processes. And based on carbon nanomaterial (carbon fibers, graphene, and carbon nanotubes) reinforced polymer composite materials, the research progress of different 3D printing molding processes in recent years is reviewed. At the same time, the commercial application of 3D printing molding process in this field is analyzed and prospected.

A novel series of CeO2 nanoparticles (CeNP) loaded two-dimensional (2D) graphite carbon nitride nanosheet (CeNP/g-C3N4) composites which possess heterojunction are prepared with different proportions of CeNP by a reliable and straightforward method. The samples were employed to degrade the rhodamine B (RhB) and produce hydrogen. The microstructure, morphology, composition and surface chemical states of the samples are analyzed, and the ability of the photoelectric response is characterized. The characterization ensures uniform loading of CeNP over the g-C3N4 surface and a co-existence of Ce3+/Ce4+ in the CeNP/g-C3N4 composite. The FT-IR spectra have revealed the changes in the local dipole moment of amino groups, vibration mode of the constituent functional group and electronegativity, indicating the electric interaction between CeNP and g-C3N4. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency of the CeNP/g-C3N4 increased initially and then decreased with the increasing of loaded CeNP. The CeNP/g–C3N4–C with 20 mg of CeNP was found to be the optimum proportion, which exhibited outstanding separation efficiency of the photo-generated carriers. The electron spin-resonance (ESR) spectra exhibit that the production of superoxide free radicals (∙O2−) was much higher than that of hydroxyl free radicals (∙OH) indicating that ∙O2− species play a predominant role in the photocatalytic action. The mechanism for enhanced photocatalytic activity of the CeNP/g-C3N4 is attributed to the interfacial optimization, which improved the photo-generated carrier separation.

BackgroundMelanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, is selectively activated by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). variants in MC2R are associated with family glucocorticoid deficiency 1 (FGD1).Case presentationWe first reported a Chinese family with two affected siblings with a homozygotic variant of c.712C>T/p.H238Y in MC2R, presenting with skin hyperpigmentation, hyperbilirubinemia, and tall stature. These individuals showed novel clinical features, including congenital heart defects, not been found in other FGD1 patients.ConclusionsWe reported a Chinese family with affected siblings having a homozygotic variant of c.712C>T/p.H238Y in MC2R.Our report may expand the genetic and clinical spectrum of FGD1.

This study investigated the effects of Clostridium butyricum on the growth performance, meat quality and intestinal health of broilers. A total of 800 one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to two groups with 16 replicates of 25 broilers per group and fed with a basal diet (CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 1.5 × 109 cfu/kg C. butyricum and 5 × 108 cfu/kg C. butyricum at 1–21 d and 22–42 d, respectively (CB). The results indicated that C. butyricum significantly increased the final body weight, average daily gain at 1–42 d in the growth performance of broilers (P < 0.05). Moreover, C. butyricum significantly increased a24h* value and pH24h value of breast meat but reduced the drip loss and shear force (P < 0.05). Regarding serum antioxidant indices, C. butyricum significantly increased the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and total antioxidative capacity activities and reduced the malondialdehyde content (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the broilers in the CB demonstrated an increase in jejunal lipase and trypsin activities, villus height (VH) and VH-to-crypt depth ratio at 42 d compared with those in the CON (P < 0.05). C. butyricum also upregulated the intestinal mRNA levels of zonula occludens-1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), SOD1 and interleukin-10 in the jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05), but it downregulated the mRNA levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05). These results indicate that C. butyricum can improve the growth performance and meat quality of broilers. In particular, C. butyricum can improve the intestinal health of broilers, which is likely to be related to the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

The X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262 exhibited a giant outburst in 2020, offering us a unique opportunity for X-ray polarimetry of an accreting pulsar in the supercritical state. Measurement with PolarLight yielded a non-detection in 3-8 keV; the 99% upper limit of the polarization fraction (PF) is found to be 0.34 averaged over spin phases, or 0.51 based on the rotating vector model. No useful constraint can be placed with phase resolved polarimetry. These upper limits are lower than a previous theoretical prediction of 0.6-0.8, but consistent with those found in other accreting pulsars, like Her X-1, Cen X-3, 4U 1626-67, and GRO J1008-57, which were in the subcritical state, or at least not confidently in the supercritical state, during the polarization measurements. Our results suggest that the relatively low PF seen in accreting pulsars cannot be attributed to the source not being in the supercritical state, but could be a general feature., Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ

Multi-input multi-out and non-orthogonal multiple access (MIMO-NOMA) internet-of-things (IoT) systems can improve channel capacity and spectrum efficiency distinctly to support the real-time applications. Age of information (AoI) is an important metric for real-time application, but there is no literature have minimized AoI of the MIMO-NOMA IoT system, which motivates us to conduct this work. In MIMO-NOMA IoT system, the base station (BS) determines the sample collection requirements and allocates the transmission power for each IoT device. Each device determines whether to sample data according to the sample collection requirements and adopts the allocated power to transmit the sampled data to the BS over MIMO-NOMA channel. Afterwards, the BS employs successive interference cancelation (SIC) technique to decode the signal of the data transmitted by each device. The sample collection requirements and power allocation would affect AoI and energy consumption of the system. It is critical to determine the optimal policy including sample collection requirements and power allocation to minimize the AoI and energy consumption of MIMO-NOMA IoT system, where the transmission rate is not a constant in the SIC process and the noise is stochastic in the MIMO-NOMA channel. In this paper, we propose the optimal power allocation to minimize the AoI and energy consumption of MIMO- NOMA IoT system based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Extensive simulations are carried out to demonstrate the superiority of the optimal power allocation.

Additional file 3: Supplement figure 1. The clinical information of ESCC PDX cases. Supplement figure 2. eEF2 protein levels in different ESCC cell lines. Supplement figure 3. A The concentration of shRNA virus used in this study. B The representative colony pictures of KYSE140, KYSE450 and KYSE510 after knock down of eEF2. Supplement figure 4. Protein expression level in KYSE410. A Western blotting explored the protein expression level in KYSE410 after transfected with eEF2. B. The protein expression level in KYSE410 after transfected with F363-858 fragment. Supplement figure 5. The processes of eEF2 construction and purification. A The identification of different clone of fragments by restriction endonuclease. B The protein identification of different fragments by Western blot. C The purification of different fragments checked by comas blue staining. Supplement figure 6. Overexpressing eEF2 in eEF2 knockdown cells rescued the inhibitory effects of TSN on ESCC. Supplement figure 7. TSN didn’t affect the transcription of TOP1 and TOP2. Supplement figure 8. TOP1 and TOP2 expression level and colony pictures. Supplement figure 9. Representative colony pictures in KYSE140, KYSE450 and KYSE510 rescued cells. Supplement figure 10. The average body weight of mice after treated with TSN in LEG73 and LEG106.

Additional file 1: Table S1. General features of the explosive eye injuries (total of 1115 patients). Fig. S1. Distribution of the number of patients and the proportions of male patients and bilateral eye injuries in different age groups.

Supplemental material, sj-doc-1-jbm-10.1177_03936155231184908 for Prognostic significance of N6-methyladenosine-modified related chemotransferase METTL3 in gastric carcinoma: Evidence from meta-analysis by Chenglou Zhu, Qiong Wu, Yan Xu, Jichun Ma, Yongli Hu, Junhong Wang, Zhenhua Gao and Mingxu Da in The International Journal of Biological Markers

Prompt tuning is a parameter-efficient way to deploy large-scale pre-trained models to downstream tasks by adding task-specific tokens. In terms of vision-language pre-trained (VLP) models, prompt tuning often requires a large number of learnable tokens to bridge the gap between the pre-training and downstream tasks, which greatly exacerbates the already high computational overhead. In this paper, we revisit the principle of prompt tuning for Transformer-based VLP models and reveal that the impact of soft prompt tokens can be actually approximated via independent information diffusion steps, thereby avoiding the expensive global attention modeling and reducing the computational complexity to a large extent. Based on this finding, we propose a novel Approximated Prompt Tuning (APT) approach towards efficient VL transfer learning. To validate APT, we apply it to two representative VLP models, namely ViLT and METER, and conduct extensive experiments on a bunch of downstream tasks. Meanwhile, the generalization of APT is also validated on CLIP for image classification. The experimental results not only show the superior performance gains and computation efficiency of APT against the conventional prompt tuning methods, e.g., +6.6% accuracy and -64.62% additional computation overhead on METER, but also confirm its merits over other parameter-efficient transfer learning approaches.

In this paper, we consider a multi-attribute decision making problem where the decision maker's (DM's) objective is to maximize the expected utility of outcomes but the true utility function which captures the DM's risk preference is ambiguous. We propose a maximin multi-attribute utility preference robust optimization (UPRO) model where the optimal decision is based on the worst-case utility function in an ambiguity set of plausible utility functions constructed using partially available information such as the DM's specific preferences between some lotteries. Specifically, we consider a UPRO model with two attributes, where the DM's risk attitude is multivariate risk-averse and the ambiguity set is defined by a linear system of inequalities represented by the Lebesgue-Stieltjes (LS) integrals of the DM's utility functions. To solve the maximin problem, we propose an explicit piecewise linear approximation (EPLA) scheme to approximate the DM's true unknown utility so that the inner minimization problem reduces to a linear program, and we solve the approximate maximin problem by a derivative-free (Dfree) method. Moreover, by introducing binary variables to locate the position of the reward function in a family of simplices, we propose an implicit piecewise linear approximation (IPLA) representation of the approximate UPRO and solve it using the Dfree method. Such IPLA technique prompts us to reformulate the approximate UPRO as a single mixed-integer program (MIP) and extend the tractability of the approximate UPRO to the multi-attribute case. Furthermore, we extend the model to the expected utility maximization problem with expected utility constraints where the worst-case utility functions in the objective and constraints are considered simultaneously. Finally, we report the numerical results about performances of the proposed models., Comment: 50 pages,18 figures

Dissolved rare earth elements (REEs) and neodymium isotopes (ϵNd) have been jointly used to evaluate water mass mixing and lithogenic inputs in the ocean. As the largest marginal sea of the West Pacific, the South China Sea (SCS) is an ideal region for reconstructing past hydrological changes. However, its REE and ϵNd distributions and underlying controlling mechanisms remain poorly understood. On the basis of four seawater profiles spread across the SCS, this study presents dissolved REE concentrations and ϵNd data under summer condition to better understand the processes that potentially influence changes in these parameters and their marine cycling. The results show high concentrations of REEs and large variations in ϵNd (−6.7 to −2.8) in surface water, likely caused by the dissolution of riverine and marine particles. Comparison with published data from samples taken during the winter of different years in this and previous studies suggests a possible seasonal variability of middle REE enrichment. The SCS deep water shows a narrow ϵNd range from −4.3 to −3.4, confirming the dominant presence of the North Pacific Deep Water in the deep SCS. The intermediate water in the central SCS is characterized by a more negative ϵNd signal (–4.2 to –3.4) than that found in its counterpart in the West Pacific (–3.5 to –2.8), indicating alterations by deep water through three-dimensional overturning circulation from the northern to southern SCS below ~500 m. The contributions of external sources could be quantitatively estimated for the SCS in terms of Nd. The dissolution of particles from the SCS surrounding rivers (0.26–1.3 tons/yr in summer; 5.6–29 tons/yr in winter) and continental margins (2–12 tons/yr in summer; 23–44 tons/yr in winter) may play an important role in providing additional Nd to the SCS surface water.

Table 1:Mineral composition of fault rocks from Cunielongba exposure Table 2:Elements concentration analyzed with XRF Table3:Examples of the composition of gouge in the PSZ of different fault zones.

The main manifestation of obesity is persistent low-level inflammation and insulin resistance, which is an important factor inducing or promoting other obesity-related diseases. As a proinflammatory programmed cell death, pyroptosis plays an important role, especially in the activation and regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Pyroptosis is associated with the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory diseases and is characterized by the formation of micropores in the plasma membrane and the release of a large number of proinflammatory cytokines. This article mainly introduces the main pathways and key molecules of pyroptosis and focuses on the phenomenon of pyroptosis in obesity. It is suggested that the regulation of pyroptosis-related targets may become a new potential therapy for the prevention and treatment of systemic inflammatory response caused by obesity, and we summarize the potential molecular substances that may be beneficial to obesity-related inflammatory diseases through target pyroptosis.

Based on one-dimensional (1D) H-titanate nanotubes (H-TNTs: TNTs with loosely distributed H+ across the interlayers), a novel series of Cd0.5Zn0.5S loaded H-TNTs (Cd0.5Zn0.5S/TNTs) composites with varied ratios have been achieved by the in-situ growth method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy (HR/TEM), XRD, FT-IR, XPS, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), fluorescence spectroscopy (FL), photocurrent, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, etc. These studies concurrently revealed a successful formation of Cd0.5Zn0.5S/TNTs heterojunction, and a homogeneous distribution of Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanoparticles over the surface of 1D H-TNTs. The incorporation of the appropriate amount of Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanoparticles (10%) significantly improves the efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs separation. The photocatalytic reduction efficiency of the Cd0.5Zn0.5S/TNTs for Cr(VI) and degradation efficiency for organic molecules increased initially and then decreased with the amount of loaded Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanoparticles. The optimal photocatalytic efficiency was observed at 10 %Cd0.5Zn0.5S/TNTs, which were 2.71-fold and 4.8-fold than that of pure H-TNTs for the removal of the Cr(VI) and the degradation of the organic molecules, respectively. The ESR test signified that the holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (∙O2–) played an essential role in the degradation process of organic molecules. Finally, a reasonable explanation for enhanced photocatalysis performance was proposed.

C21H16I N3O2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 12.7439(9) Å, b = 11.8391(8) Å, c = 13.4459(7) Å, β = 99.803(5)°, V = 1999.0(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0365, wR ref (F 2) = 0.0905, T = 293(2) K.

Mitochondria are essential organelles for neuronal function and cell survival. Besides the well-known bioenergetics, additional mitochondrial roles in calcium signaling, lipid biogenesis, regulation of reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis are pivotal in diverse cellular processes. The mitochondrial proteome encompasses about 1,500 proteins encoded by both the nuclear DNA and the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA. Mutations in the nuclear or mitochondrial genome, or combinations of both, can result in mitochondrial protein deficiencies and mitochondrial malfunction. Therefore, mitochondrial quality control by proteins involved in various surveillance mechanisms is critical for neuronal integrity and viability. Abnormal proteins involved in mitochondrial bioenergetics, dynamics, mitophagy, import machinery, ion channels, and mitochondrial DNA maintenance have been linked to the pathogenesis of a number of neurological diseases. The goal of this review is to give an overview of these pathways and to summarize the interconnections between mitochondrial protein dysfunction and neurological diseases.

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray (2022), Montreal, Jul 17-22, 2022.--Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering vol. 12181 Article number 121811W.-- Full list of authors: Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Santangelo, Andrea; Xu, Yupeng; Feroci, Marco; Hernanz, Margarita; Lu, Fangjun; Chen, Yong; Feng, Hua; Nandra, Kirpal; Jiang, Weichun; Svoboda, Jiri; Brandt, Soren; Schanne, Stephane; in't Zand, Jean; Michalska, Malgorzata; Bozzo, Enrico; Kalemci, Emrah; Agudo, Ivan; Ahangarianabhari, Mahdi; Aitink-Kroes, Gabby; Ambrosi, Giovanni; Ambrosino, Filippo; An, Zhenghua; Perez Torres, Miguel Angel; Antonelli, Matias; Argan, Andrea; Babinec, Viktor; Baldini, Luca; Barbera, Marco; van Baren, Coen; Baudin, David; Bayer, Joerg; Bellazzini, Ronaldo; Bellutti, Pierluigi; Bertucci, Bruna; Bertuccio, Giuseppe; Bi, Xingzi; Boezio, Mirko; Bonvicini, Valter; Bonvicini, Walter; Bordas, Pol; Borghese, Alice; Borghi, Giacomo; Bouyjou, Florent; Bozkurt, Ayhan; Brez, Alessandro; Brienza, Daniele; Cadoux, Franck; Campana, Riccardo; Cao, Jiewei; Cao, Xuelei; Casares, Jorge; Cavazzuti, Elisabetta; Ceraudo, Francesco; Chen, Tianxiang; Chen, Wen; Chen, Can; Chen, Yupeng; Chen, Xin; Chen, Yehai; Chenevez, Jerome; Cheng, Yaodong; Cirrincione, Daniela; Civitani, Marta; Cong, Min; Coti Zelati, Francesco; Cui, Weiwei; Cui, Tao; Cui, Wei; Dai, Boyu; Dauser, Thomas; De Angelis, Nicolas; De Marco, Barbara; De Rosa, Alessandra; Del Monte, Ettore; Di Cosimo, Sergio; Diebold, Sebastian; Dilillo, Giuseppe; Ding, Fei; Dohnal, Roman; Dong, Zefang; Donnarumma, Immacolata; Dovciak, Michal; Du, Yuanyuan; Ducci, Lorenzo; Evangelista, Yuri; Fan, Qingmei; Favre, Yannick; Ferres, Patricia; Fiandrini, Emanuele; Ficorella, Francesco; Fuschino, Fabio; Luis Galvez, Jose; Gao, Na; Gao, Min; Ge, Yuqiang; Ge, Mingyu; Gevin, Olivier; Grassi, Marco; Gu, Yudong; Gu, Quanying; Guan, Ju; Guedel, Manuel; Han, Xingbo; Han, Dawei; He, Huilin; He, Junwang; Hedderman, Paul; den Herder, Jan-Willem; Hong, Bin; Hormaetxe, Ander; Hou, Dongjie; Hu, Zexun; Hu, Hao; Hu, Qingbao; Hu, Yu; Huang, Yue; Huang, Jiangjiang; Huang, Qiushi; Huo, Jia; Hynek, Richard; Iwasawa, Kazumi; Izzo, Lucca; Ji, Long; Jia, Shumei; Jiang, Bowen; Jiang, Wei; Jiang, Jiechen; Jiang, Xiaowei; Jiao, Yang; Jin, Ge; Jin, Fan; Jose, Jordi; Karas, Vladimir; Kennedy, Thomas; Kirsch, Christian; Kole, Merlin; Komarek, Martin; Kreykenbohm, Ingo; Kuiper, Lucien; Kuvvetli, Irfan; Labanti, Claudio; Latronico, Luca; Laubert, Phillip; Li, Tao; Li, Longhui; Li, Hong; Li, Duo; Li, Wei; Li, Maoshun; Li, Gang; Li, Xiaobo; Li, Chengkui; Li, Bing; Li, Haibo; Liang, Hong; Liao, Qiuyan; Liao, Jinyuan; Limousin, Olivier; Lin, Yanjian; Linares, Manuel; Liu, Rui; Liu, Yichen; Liu, Zhihao; Liu, Hongwei; Liu, Xiaojing; Liu, Xiaohua; Lo Cicero, Ugo; Loehring, Jens; Lombardi, Giovanni; Lorenz, Maximilian; Lu, Bing; Lucchesi, Leonardo; Luo, Tao; Luo, Laidan; Ma, Jia; Ma, Xiang; Macera, Daniele; Malcovati, Piero; Manfreda, Alberto; Maria Paredes, Josep; Marinucci, Andrea; Martindale, Adrian; Meidinger, Norbert; Mele, Filippo; Mendes, Vasco; Meng, Bin; Merkl, Martin; Meuris, Aline; Miniutti, Giovanni; Minuti, Massimo; Morbidini, Alfredo; Morgante, Gianluca; Muleri, Fabio; Munini, Riccardo; Mussolin, Lorenzo; Negri, Barbara; Nie, Jianyin; Novak, Petr; Nowosielski, Witold; Nuti, Alessio; Onat, Ahmet; Orleanski, Piotr; Orsini, Leonardo; Ottensamer, Roland; Ou, Ge; Pacciani, Luigi; Paltani, Stephane; Pan, Teng; Pan, Kai; Pareschi, Giovanni; Patruno, Alessandro; Pepponi, Giancarlo; Perinati, Emanuele; Piazzolla, Raffaele; Picciotto, Antonino; Piemonte, Claudio; Pinchera, Michele; Pliego, Samuel; Poutanen, Juri; Qi, Liqiang; Qi, Fazhi; Qiang, Pengfei; Qiao, Fangjian; Qiao, Zheng; Qiu, Xiangbiao; Qiu, Chengbo; Qu, Jinlu; Rachevski, Alexandre; Rashevskaia, Irina; Rea, Nanda; Ribo, Marc; de la Rie, Rob; Rodriguez, Jerome; Rodriguez Gil, Pablo; Sala, Gloria; Schanz, Thomas; Serafinelli, Roberto; Sgro, Carmelo; Shen, Zhengxiang; Sheng, Lizhi; Shi, Jingyan; Sironi, Giorgia; Skup, Konrad; Song, Liming; Song, Zeyu; Song, Jiangbo; Spandre, Gloria; Spiga, Daniele; Su, Yongquan; Sun, Liang; Sungur, Muberra; Sveda, Libor; Tagliaferri, Gianpiero; Tan, Ying; Tao, Lian; Tcherniak, Denis; Tenzer, Chris; Todaro, Michela; Tolos, Laura; Torok, Gabriel; Torres, Diego F.; Trois, Alessio; Turhan, Onur; Uttley, Phil; Vacchi, Andrea; Virgilli, Enrico; Vogel, Channah; Walton, Dave; Wang, Jian; Wang, Xianqi; Wang, Bo; Wang, Langping; Wang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Dianlong; Wang, Yusa; Wang, Juan; Wang, Hao; Wang, Ruijie; Wang, Ping; Wang, Lingjun; Wang, Wenshuai; Wang, Tian; Wang, Haoyu; Wang, Zhanshan; Watts, Anna L.; Wen, Xiangyang; Wilms, Joern; Winter, Berend; Wu, Xin; Wu, Chao; Wu, Zhenyu; Wu, Qiong; Wu, Kaiji; Xiong, Hao; Xiong, Shaolin; Xu, Wei; Xu, Zhao; Xu, Jingjing; Xu, Xiongwei; Xue, Jiadai; Yan, Yongqing; Yan, Xingtao; Yang, Xianghui; Yang, Yanji; Yang, Xiongtao; Yang, Sheng; Yang, Jiawei; Yang, Yingquan; Yi, Shuxu; Yu, Yonggao; Yu, Ke; Zampa, Ganluigi; Zampa, Nicola; Zane, Silvia; Zdziarski, Andrzej A.; Zhang, Long; Zhang, Shu; Zhang, Wenda; Zhang, Xiaoli; Zhang, Zhen; Zhang, Jiawei; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Ziliang; Zhang, Dali; Zhang, Honglin; Zhang, Aimei; Zhang, Tong; Zhang, Hongmei; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Liang; Zhang, Yueting; Zhao, Li; Zhao, Baosheng; Zhao, Zijian; Zhao, Xiaofan; Zhao, Haisheng; Zhao, Xiaoyun; Zheng, Shijie; Zhou, Yupeng; Zhou, Xiaohong; Zhu, Jiahuan; Zhu, Yuxuan; Zhu, Cheng; Zhu, Zhencai; Zorzi, Nicola; Zwart, Frans, The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) is a flagship observatory for X-ray timing, spectroscopy and polarimetry developed by an International Consortium. Thanks to its very large collecting area, good spectral resolution and unprecedented polarimetry capabilities, eXTP will explore the properties of matter and the propagation of light in the most extreme conditions found in the Universe. eXTP will, in addition, be a powerful X-ray observatory. The mission will continuously monitor the X-ray sky, and will enable multiwavelength and multi-messenger studies. The mission is currently in phase B, which will be completed in the middle of 2022. © 2022 SPIE. All rights reserved., The Chinese team acknowledges support by the Chinese Academy of Sciences through the Strategic Priority Research Program, Grant No. XDA15020100. The Italian authors acknowledge funding support by the Italian Space Agency (under agreement n. 2020-3-HH.0 and ASI-INAF n.2017-14-H.O) and INFN (project XRO -X-ray Observatories). The Spanish authors acknowledge funding support from the MICIN/AEI grant PID2019-108709GB-I00. The German team acknowledges support from the Bundesministerium fur Wirtschaft und Technologie through the Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) under the grant number FKZ 50 OO 1902. The Polish team acknowledges FNP grant POIR.04.04.00-00-5C65/17. The Czech team acknowledges support from the GACR project 21-06825X. The Turkish team acknowledges support from the Turkish Space Agency., With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709

The Ground-source Airborne Time-domain Electromagnetic (GATEM) system has advantages for high efficiency and complex areas such as mountainous zone. Because of ignoring the impact of flight height, the section interpretation method seriously affects the interpretation and imaging accuracy of shallow anomalies. The PID controller iteration downward continuation method is proposed. Based on the original iteration continuation method, the differential coefficient and integral coefficient are added. The result shows that the new method remarkably decreases the iteration number, and the accuracy are verified by comparison with the numerical integration solution. The PID controller iteration downward continuation method is applied to the interpretation of GATEM data. For synthetic data, the interpretation results of continued electromagnetic response are closer to the true model than the z = 30 m interpretation results. The method is also applied to GATEM field data in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, China. The interpretation results perform reliability using PID controller iteration downward continuation method in a GATEM field.

Methanol steam reforming (MSR) is an attractive option for in-situ hydrogen production and to supply for transportation and industrial applications. This paper presents a novel thermally autonomous MSR microreactor that uses silicon carbide (SiC) honeycomb ceramic as a catalyst support to enhance energy conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The structural design and working principle of the MSR microreactor are described along with the development of a 3D numerical model to study the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics. The simulation results indicate that the proposed microreactor has a significantly low drop in pressure and more uniform temperature distribution in the SiC ceramic support. Further, the microreactor was developed and an experimental setup was conducted to test its hydrogen production performance. The experimental results show that the developed microreactor can be operated as thermally autonomous to reach its target working temperature within 9 min. The maximum energy efficiency of the microreactor is 67.85% and a hydrogen production of 316.37 ml/min can be achieved at an inlet methanol flow rate of 360 μl/min. The obtained results demonstrate that SiC honeycomb ceramic with high thermal conductivity can serve as an effective catalyst support for the development of MSR microreactors for high volume and efficient hydrogen production.

BACKGROUND: Citrin deficiency (CD) is an autosomal recessive disease resulting from biallelic mutations of the SLC25A13 gene. This study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiological features of CD in the Guangdong and Shaanxi provinces of China. METHODS: A total of 3,409 peripheral blood samples from Guangdong and 2,746 such samples from Shaanxi province were collected. Four prevalent SLC25A13 mutations NG_012247.2 (NM_014251.3): c.852_855del, c.1638_1660dup, c.615+5G>A, and c.1751-5_1751-4ins(2684) were screened by using the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and newly-developed multiplex PCR methods, respectively. The mutated SLC25A13 allele frequencies, carrier frequencies, and CD morbidity rates were calculated and then compared with the Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. RESULTS: The mutations were detected in 68 out of 6,818 SLC25A13 alleles in Guangdong and 29 out of 5,492 alleles in the Shaanxi population. The carrier frequencies were subsequently calculated to be 1/51 and 1/95, while the CD morbidity rates were 1/10,053 and 1/35,865, in the 2 populations, respectively. When compared with the Shaanxi population, Guangdong exhibited a higher frequency of mutated SLC25A13 allele (68/6,818 vs. 29/5,492, χ(2)=8.570, P=0.003) in general, with higher c.852_855del (54/6,818 vs. 13/5,492, χ(2)=17.328, P=0.000) but lower c.1751-5_1751 -4ins(2684) (2/6,818 vs. 9/5,492, P=0.015) allele frequencies. The distribution of c.615+5G>A and c.1638_1660dup between the 2 provinces, as well as all 4 prevalent mutations among different geographic regions within the 2 provinces, did not differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings depicted the CD molecular epidemiological features in Guangdong and Shaanxi populations, providing preliminary but significant laboratory evidences for the subsequent CD diagnosis and management in the 2 provinces of mainland China.

PurposeThis research aims to study the corneal morphological changes in adult patients with myopic anisometropia after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and the safety, efficacy, and predictability of clinical outcomes.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study. Patients with myopic anisometropia [refractive difference >2.0 diopters (D)] were included in this study who underwent SMILE at our hospital from September 2019 to March 2021. For the two eyes of each patient, the one with higher myopia was defined as group A, and the fellow eye was group B. The follow-up time points were set as 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the surgery. The data collected were uncorrected and best-corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA and CDVA), spherical equivalent (SE), efficacy and safety indexes, posterior corneal elevation (PCE), anterior and posterior corneal radius of curvature in the 3 mm area at the center of the thinnest point of the cornea (ARC and PRC), and higher-order aberrations (HOAs).ResultsThe study included 36 patients (72 eyes), and the mean age was 25.2 ± 6.4 years. The preoperative SEs were −6.45 ± 1.25 D in group A and −3.76 ± 1.29 D in group B. Six months after surgery, the SEs in groups A and B were −0.09 ± 0.50 D and 0.07 ± 0.47 (P = 0.059), respectively. The efficacy indexes were 1.06 ± 0.16 in group A and 1.07 ± 0.14 in group B (P = 0.750). The safety indexes were 1.08 ± 0.14 in group A and 1.12 ± 0.15 in group B (P = 0.173). The PCE was significantly reduced at 6 months after surgery in pagebreak both groups (P < 0.05). The ARC was significantly higher than before the surgery (P < 0.05) in the two groups. The two groups showed significant increases in total HOAs, coma 90°, and spherical aberrations (P < 0.05).ConclusionSMILE is predictable, effective, and safe in correcting myopic anisometropia. The postoperative changes in HOAs are characteristic.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Heterogeneity originating from genomic instability is one of the critical reasons of poor outcomes. However, the studies of underlying mechanisms and pathways affected by mutations are still not intelligible. Currently, integrative molecular-level studies using multiomics approaches enable comprehensive analysis for cancers, which is pivotal for personalized therapy and mortality reduction. In this study, genomic and transcriptomic data of HCC are obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to investigate the affected coding and non-coding RNAs, as well as their regulatory network due to certain mutational signatures of HCC. Different types of RNAs have their specific enriched biological functions in mutational signature-specific HCCs, upregulated coding RNAs are predominantly associated with lipid metabolism-related pathways, and downregulated coding RNAs are enriched in axonogenesis for tumor microenvironment generation. Additionally, differentially expressed miRNAs are inclined to concentrate in cancer-related signaling pathways. Some of these RNAs also serve as prognostic factors that help predict the survival outcome of HCCs with certain mutational signatures. Furthermore, deregulation of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network is identified, which suggests a potential therapy via interference of miRNA activity for mutational signature-specific HCC. This study proposes a projection approach to reduce therapeutic complexity from genomic mutations to transcriptomic alterations. Through this method, we identify genes and pathways critical for mutational signature-specific HCC and further discover a series of prognostic markers indicating patient survival outcome.

BackgroundThe INTERGROWTH-21st preterm postnatal growth standards (IPPGS) have increasingly been used to evaluate the growth of preterm infants worldwide. However, the validity of IPPGS's application to specific preterm populations remains controversial. This retrospective cohort study aimed to formulate reference growth charts for a preterm cohort in northern China and compare them to the IPPGS.MethodsA total of 1,827 healthy preterm infants with follow-up visits before 70 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) were retrospectively sampled from a preterm cohort (N = 2,011) born between 1 January 2011 and 28 February 2021, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University. Using the Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape method, 5,539 sets of longitudinal data were used to construct percentile and Z-score charts of length, weight, and head circumference (HC) at 40–64 weeks of PMA. Z-scores of length, weight, and HC (LAZ, WAZ, and HCZ) before 64 weeks were calculated using the IPPGS. Differences in the 50th percentile values between preterm infants and IPPGS (dLength, dWeight, and dHC) were calculated. Z-scores were assigned to six PMA clusters: 40–44, 44–48, 48–52, 52–56, 56–60, and 60–64 weeks for comparison between sexes.ResultsFor eligible infants, the mean PMA and weight at birth were 33.93 weeks and 2.3 kg, respectively. Boys, late preterm infants, twins, and infants with exclusively breastfeeding accounted for 55.8, 70.6, 27.8, and 45.9%, respectively. Compared to IPPGS, preterm infants were longer and heavier, especially for dLength in girls (range, 2.19–2.97 cm), which almost spanned the 50th and 90th percentiles of IPPGS. The dHC tended to narrow with PMA for both sexes. The mean LAZ, WAZ, and HCZ of both sexes at all PMA clusters were >0, especially for LAZ and WAZ (about 1.0 relative to IPPGS), indicating higher levels than the IPPGS at 40–64 weeks. Girls had larger LAZ at each PMA cluster, larger WAZ at 40–44 weeks, and lower HCZ after 56 weeks than boys. HCZ declined with PMA for both sexes.ConclusionPostnatal growth of this preterm cohort was considerably higher than that of the IPPGS at 40–64 weeks of PMA with sex differences.

Many studies have shown that heavy oil with high asphaltene content has a yield stress. Coupled with the solid-liquid interaction between porous media and heavy oil, there is a threshold pressure gradient when heavy oil flows in porous media. Meanwhile, some previous research has indicated that the high viscosity of heavy oil is the decisive factor for its threshold pressure gradient. Hence, this concept needs more clarification, especially because its accuracy is questionable. In this research, different oil samples with the same viscosity and also different asphaltene contents heavy oil samples were prepared. The viscosity of the different heavy oil samples was measured. Threshold pressure gradient experiments under different permeabilities and temperatures were also conducted on heavy oils. The results proved that the viscosity was not directly related to threshold pressure gradient of heavy oil. They also suggested that the heavy oil viscosity increased with the increase of asphaltene content. Moreover, the formula of the factors affecting threshold pressure gradient was regressed, and also its applicability was verified. As the temperature and core permeability increase, the threshold pressure gradient was also proven to decrease significantly. Furthermore, it was found that the threshold pressure gradient increased significantly with the increase of asphaltene content. Therefore, the heavy oil threshold pressure gradient could be characterized as a function of temperature, permeability, and asphaltene content. This study provided some theoretical support for the research attempts on the reduction of threshold pressure gradient and also on the effective development of heavy oil reservoirs.

Friction disc is the key part of the frictional clutch. But there is a lack of in-depth studies on the effect of the cutting parameters on residual stress and machining deformation. In this study, the simulation model for friction disc gear shaping was established and the effect of the typical cutting parameters on surface residual stress and machining deformation was studied. Based on the study’s results, the optimization experiment of friction disc gear shaping was carried out and a method was proposed to reduce machining deformation and to improve the fatigue life. Applying the proposed method, the residual stress on the tooth bottom increased from −122.50 to −371.33 MPa, an increase of 203.13% that increases the fatigue life greatly. Meanwhile, the front and bottom face deformation of the outer ring as well as the deformation of the front and bottom tooth tip can be decreased effectively. This study can provide technical support for improving the comprehensive performance of the friction disc and transmission system.

To determine the optimal strategies of multi-participants in a regional energy system, a tripartite game reciprocity model is developed for the government, the energy service company and the energy user by employing the evolutionary game theory. The strategy selection probability of the three-party participants under the conditions of balanced strategy and unbalanced strategy is analyzed. According to the simulation results, the government is more inclined to increase the subsidies for regional distributed energy stations, the energy service companies choose to implement preferential energy prices to increase revenues, and the energy users will choose the energy supply provided by the energy service companies.

With the development and rising of antimicrobial resistance, rapid and effective killings of bacteria are urgently needed, especially for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bacterial biofilms that are usually hard to be treated with conventional antibiotics. Here, a rapid and broad-spectrum antibacterial strategy is demonstrated through photothermal ablation with MXene and light. Ti3C2 MXenes, when combined with 808 nm light, show significant antibacterial effects in just 20 min. The antibacterial strategy is effective to 15 bacterial species tested, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). In addition, the rapid antibacterial strategy works for MRSA biofilms, by damaging the structures as well as killing bacteria in biofilms. Furthermore, the investigation of the antibacterial mechanisms shows that Ti3C2 with light kills bacteria mainly physically through inserting/contact and photothermal effect. This work broadens the potential applications of MXene and provides a way to eradicate bacteria and biofilms physically, without the likelihood of resistance development.

Methanol steam reforming (MSR) has been regarded as a promising hydrogen supply method for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), while the efficiency for hydrogen production and integration method of MSR with PEMFC are two major challenges for commercial applications. Here, we present a highly efficient MSR system for hydrogen production and supply for low temperature PEMFC (LT-PEMFC). The MSR system has a highly compact microreactor, wherein MSR, methanol combustion, and CO selective methanation reactions occur. The CO selective methanation is used to reduce the content of CO concentration to remit the CO poison, then the reformate of MSR system is mixed with air and supply for the LT-PEMFC. Then, experimental tests are conducted to investigate the effects of operating parameters on hydrogen production. A staged supply strategy is proposed, it enables to startup the system within 11.2 min and with methanol consumption of 34.72 g. Results show that the methanol conversion can reach up to 93.0% and system's energy efficiency of 76.2%. After integration with a LT-PEMFC, a maximum 160 W electricity can be generated. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the developed MSR system can be used to supply hydrogen for LT-PEMFC and able to power mobile device requiring hundreds of watts power consumption.

In recent years, various deep neural networks have been proposed to improve the performance in the single image super-resolution (SISR) task. The commonly used per-pixel MSE loss function captures less perceptual difference and tends to make the super-resolved images overly smooth, while the perceptual loss function defined on image features extracted from one or two layers of a pretrained network yields more visually pleasing results. We propose a new perceptual loss function via combining features from multiple levels, which incorporates the discrepancy between the reconstruction and the ground truth in different structures. In addition, some variants of the proposed perceptual loss are explored. Extensive quantitative and qualitative comparisons with the state-of-the-art methods demonstrate that our loss function can drive the same network to produce better results when used alone or combined with other loss functions.

ObjectiveStudies have long shown that uncontrolled inflammatory responses in the brain play a key role in epilepsy pathogenesis. Microglias play an important role in epileptic-induced neuroinflammation, but their role after epileptic seizures is still poorly understood. Alleviating epilepsy and its comorbidities has become a key area of interest for pediatricians.MethodsA pilocarpine-induced rat model of epilepsy was established. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, epilepsy group, TLR4 inhibitor group (epilepsy+TAK-242), and NF-κB antagonist group (epilepsy+BAY11–7082).Results1. The results of TUNEL staining showed that the expression in rats in the epilepsy group was the most obvious and was significantly different from that in rats in the control, EP+BAY and EP+TAK groups. 2. The expression of TLR4 and NF-κB was highest in rats in the epilepsy group and was significantly different from that in rats in the control, EP+BAY and EP+TAK groups. 3. The fluorescence intensity and number of IBA-1-positive cells in rats in the epilepsy group were highest and significantly different from those in rats in the control, EP+BAY and EP+TAK groups. Western blot analysis of IBA-1 showed that the expression in rats in the epilepsy group was the highest and was statistically significant. 4. CD68 was the highest in rats in the epilepsy group and was statistically significant. 5. In the open-field experiment, the central region residence time of rats in the EP group was delayed, the central region movement distance traveled was prolonged, the total distance traveled was prolonged, and the average speed was increased. Compared with rats in the EP group, rats in the EP+BAY and EP+ TAK groups exhibited improvements to different degrees.ConclusionAt the tissue level, downregulation of the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway in epilepsy could inhibit microglial activation and the expression of the inflammatory factor CD68, could inhibit hyperphagocytosis, and inhibit the occurrence and exacerbation of epilepsy, thus improving cognitive and emotional disorders after epileptic seizures.

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate whether acute kidney injury (AKI) was associated with 3-year mortality in elderly patients after non-cardiac surgery.MethodsThe present study was a 3-year follow-up study of two randomized controlled trials. A total of 1,319 elderly patients who received non-cardiac surgery under general anesthesia were screened. AKI was diagnosed by the elevation of serum creatinine within a 7-day postoperative period according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines. A long-term telephonic follow-up was undertaken by investigators who were not involved in the previous two trials and had no access to the study group assignment. The date of death was taken from the official medical death certificate. The primary outcome was to investigate the association between AKI and postoperative 3-year mortality using the multivariable Cox regression risk model.ResultsOf the 1,297 elderly patients (mean age 71.8 ± 7.2 years old) who were included in the study, the incidence of AKI was 15.5% (201/1297). Of the patients with AKI, 85% (170/201) were at stage 1, 10% (20/201) at stage 2, and 5% (11/201) at stage 3. The 3-year all-cause mortality was 28.9% (58/201) in patients with AKI and 24.0% (263/1,096) in patients without AKI (hazard ratio 1.247, 95% confidence interval 0.939–1.657, P = 0.128). The multivariable Cox regression showed that AKI was not associated with 3-year mortality after adjustment of confounding factors (adjusted hazard ratio 1.045, 95% confidence interval 0.780–1.401, P = 0.766).ConclusionsAKI was a common postoperative complication, but it was not associated with 3-year mortality in elderly patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery. The low incidence of severe AKI might underestimate its underlying association with long-term mortality.

Chemotrophic microorganisms face the steep challenge of limited energy resources in natural environments. This observation has important implications for interpreting and modeling the kinetics and thermodynamics of microbial reactions. Current modeling frameworks treat microbes as autocatalysts, and simulate microbial energy conservation and growth with fixed kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. However, microbes are capable of acclimating to the environment and modulating their parameters in order to gain competitive fitness. Here we constructed an optimization model and described microbes as self-adapting catalysts by linking microbial parameters to intracellular metabolic resources. From the optimization results, we related microbial parameters to the substrate concentration and the energy available in the environment, and simplified the relationship between the kinetics and the thermodynamics of microbial reactions. We took as examples Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta – the methanogens that produce methane from acetate – and showed how the acclimation model extrapolated laboratory observations to natural environments and improved the simulation of methanogenesis and the dominance of Methanosaeta over Methanosarcina in lake sediments. These results highlight the importance of physiological acclimation in shaping the kinetics and thermodynamics of microbial reactions and in determining the outcome of microbial interactions.