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Investigating organic carriers’ utilization efficiency and bioactivity within organic–inorganic hybrid nanoflowers is critical to constructing sensitive immunosensors. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of immunosensors is interactively regulated by different classes of biomolecules such as antibodies and enzymes. In this work, we introduced a new alkaline phosphatase–antibody–CaHPO4hybrid nanoflowers (AAHNFs) microreactor based colorimetric immunoprobe. This system integrates a biometric unit (antibody) with a signal amplification element (enzyme) through the biomineralization process. Specifically, the critical factors affecting antibody recognition activity in the formation mechanism of AAHNFs are investigated. The designed AAHNFs retain antibody recognition ability with enhanced protection for encapsulated proteins against high temperature, organic solvents, and long-term storage, facilitating the selective construction of lock structures against antigens. Additionally, a colorimetric immunosensor based on AAHNFs was developed. After ascorbic acid 2-phosphate hydrolysis by alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the generated ascorbic acid decomposes I2to I–, inducing the localized surface plasmon resonance in the silver nanoplate, which is effectively tuned through shape conversion to develop the sensor. Further, a 3D-printed portable device is fabricated, integrated with a smartphone sensing platform, and applied to the data of collection and analysis. Notably, the immunosensor exhibits improved analytical performance with a 0.1–6.25 ng·mL–1detection range and a 0.06 ng·mL–1detection limit for quantitative saxitoxin (STX) analysis. The average recoveries of STX in real samples ranged from 85.9% to 105.9%. This study presents a more in-depth investigation of the recognition element performance, providing insights for improved antibody performance in practical applications.

In order to increase the utilization rate of vanadium–titanium magnetite in blast furnace smelting, the viscosity and potassium removal capacity of CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO–BaO–TiO2slag (CaO/SiO2= 1.05, 1–5 wt.% BaO, 2–20 wt.% TiO2) were studied for slag optimization using the cylinder method and slag–metal equilibrium technique, respectively. Also, the structural properties of the slag were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The concept of “a ring structure of Ti–O–Si” was proposed to express the change in the viscosity of the blast furnace slag. The results showed that the viscosity of slag increased with the increase in BaO content while the potassium removal capacity decreased. Furthermore, an increase in TiO2content from 2 to 20 wt.% resulted in a decrease in viscosity and an increase in potassium removal capacity. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that the charge compensation of Ba2+can form complex aluminosilicate structure and increase the viscosity of slag. Meanwhile, with the increase in TiO2content, Ti4+ions replace Si4+in the silicon-oxygen tetrahedral structure, thereby reducing the degree of polymerization of the silicate network and decreasing the viscosity.

This study presents a novel sensor that combines air pressure and temperature measurement using dual-interference microfiber resonators. The sensor leverages intermode interference and the resonant ring resonance effects within the microfiber loop structure, enabling simultaneous demodulation of temperature and air pressure. We have developed a mathematical model that is closely monitored alongside the reflectance spectral structure. The sensor exhibits two distinct linear sensitivities for pressure and two different linear sensitivities for temperature, as revealed by our testing results. Specifically, microfiber mode interference demonstrates a temperature and pressure sensitivity of 160 pm/°C and 167 pm/kPa, respectively, while the ring resonance effect yields a temperature and pressure sensitivity of 132 pm/°C and 62 pm/kPa, respectively. The maximum temperature resolution stands at 0.025 °C, and the pressure resolution is 0.023 kPa. These findings are supported by the concept of a linear connection, which serves as the foundation of the transmission matrix and enables concurrent discrimination of air pressure and temperature. This sensor offers advantages due to its straightforward structure, high extinction ratio, superior electrical safety, and effective protection against electromagnetic interference.

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology can provide real-time power for many terminal devices in Internet of Things (IoT) through millimeter Wave (mmWave) to support applications with large capacity and low latency. Although the intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) can be adopted to create effective virtual links to address the mmWave blockage problem, the conventional solutions only adopt IRS in the downlink from the Base Station (BS) to the users to enhance the received signal strength. In practice, the reflection of IRS is also applicable to the uplink to improve the spectral efficiency. It is a challenging to jointly optimize IRS beamforming and system resource allocation for wireless energy acquisition and information transmission. In this paper, we first design a Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) clustering protocol for clustering and data collection. Then, the problem of maximizing the minimum system spectral efficiency is constructed by jointly optimizing the transmit power of sensor devices, the uplink and downlink transmission times, the active beamforming at the BS, and the IRS dynamic beamforming. To solve this non-convex optimization problem, we propose an alternating optimization (AO)-based joint solution algorithm. Simulation results show that the use of IRS dynamic beamforming can significantly improve the spectral efficiency of the system, and ensure the reliability of equipment communication and the sustainability of energy supply under NLOS link.

The test quality estimation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) scattering measurement system is important for target detection and remote sensing. The kernel issue is to obtain credible scattering results, which provide a ground truth for the test quality estimation. However, it is quite difficult to obtain these characteristics due to the limitations of test facilities. To tackle the mentioned problem and give a test quality estimation criteria for the UAV system, the geometric model of the test region is first reconstructed using a physical-based convolutional neural network (CNN) and a self-designed vehicle scattering measurement system. Then, the shooting and bouncing rays (SBR) method is used to obtain accurate scattering of the test region. Finally, test errors and qualities are evaluated. Simulations and experiments are conducted to verify the geometric reconstruction and scattering calculation algorithms. Results show that the key error sources of the UAV scattering measurement system are observation angle and position deviations. The maximum and the minimum test quality of the UAV measurement system are 4.393 and 88.780, respectively.

Deploying microservice instances in geo-distributed edge clouds which are located at the network edge and in proximity to end-users can provide on-site processing, thereby improving the quality of service (QoS). To accommodate the time-varying request arrival rate of each edge cloud, the deployment scheme of microservice instances is dynamically adapted, which is called microservice autoscaling. However, existing studies on microservice autoscaling at the edge either only optimize the QoS without considering the cost of deploying microservice instances or simply focus on the cost per individual timeslot, and thus always severely violate the long-term budget constraint. To solve this problem, in this article, we propose GeoScale, a novel method that aims to optimize the average request response time under the long-term cost budget constraint. GeoScale first utilizes the Lyapunov optimization framework to decompose the long-term optimization problem into a series of per-timeslot sub-problems and then applies a signomial geometric programming (SGP)-based algorithm to obtain a near-optimal solution to each NP-hard sub-problem. Through extensive trace-driven experiments, we validate the superiority of GeoScale. The experimental results show that compared with existing strategies and designed baselines, GeoScale can improve QoS by reducing the average request response time up to 87.8% while significantly mitigating the violation of the long-term cost budget constraint.

To prolong the service life of satellites, space crawling robots are used for in-orbit services such as inspection and repair. However, the complex structure of the satellite surface requires path planning. Most current path planning algorithms are only applicable to the planar and 3D unconstrained case, and cannot be applied to CubeSat surface with abrupt changes in normal vectors. In this paper, we design a cube unfolding method to reduce the cube surface path planning problem to a planar path planning problem. This is accomplished by obtaining obstacle point cloud data through laser radar and converting the point cloud data into a grid map using the Gmapping algorithm. And considering the limitation of arithmetic power for operations on satellites, this paper uses PSO to solve this planar path planning problem. The experimental results show that the method can be applied to the surface of the CubeSat.

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are zinc-dependent enzymes capable of hydrolyzing all bicyclic β-lactam antibiotics, posing a great threat to public health. However, there are currently no clinically approved MBL inhibitors. Despite variations in their active sites, MBLs share a common catalytic mechanism with carbapenems, forming similar reaction species and hydrolysates. We here report the development of 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylic acids (AtCs) as broad-spectrum MBL inhibitors by mimicking the anchor pharmacophore features of carbapenem hydrolysate binding. Several AtCs manifested potent activity against B1, B2, and B3 MBLs. Crystallographic analyses revealed a common binding mode of AtCs with B1, B2, and B3 MBLs, resembling binding observed in the MBL-carbapenem product complexes. AtCs restored Meropenem activity against MBL-producing isolates. In the murine sepsis model, AtCs exhibited favorable synergistic efficacy with Meropenem, along with acceptable pharmacokinetics and safety profiles. This work offers promising lead compounds and a structural basis for the development of potential drug candidates to combat MBL-mediated antimicrobial resistance.

This paper studies the optimal low carbon production decision system with considered the constraints of carbon emission reduction policy for manufacturing enterprises producing two kinds of products in the free market. Firstly, The research proved the optimal production combination exists and it is unique under the carbon emissions limits, and next, the research analyzed the low-carbon production decision-making system in three situations, which are carbon emission trade decision, green technology input decision, and joint decision. The research results showed that carbon emission permits trade can increase more flexibility to manufacturing enterprises and increase their profits as well. However, the carbon emissions limits set by the government would have an important impact on the production decision system of manufacturing enterprises. Carbon emission permits trade and green technology investment can optimize and improve the production decision system of manufacturing enterprises to a certain extent. Meanwhile, the government's scientific and reasonable formulation of initial carbon quotas would mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of manufacturing enterprises to participate in carbon emission reduction. The government should also guide and encourage enterprises to invest in and develop low-carbon emission reduction technologies through tax relief, so as to improve carbon emission reduction technologies and its innovations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Abstract:Mulian performance has been an important part of the popular cultural imagination and religious practices of different Chinese cultural groups since at least the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). In late imperial Huizhou, it underwent a Confucian transformation to convey orthodox values and religious precepts. Through fieldwork on local Mulian traditions in three villages (Lixi 曆溪, Limu 栗木, and Mashan 馬山) of Qimen County, Anhui Province, since 2015, this paper discusses the contemporary theatrical and contextual transformations of Huizhou Mulian performances against the social and cultural background of folk religious revival amid the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) movement. I argue that since the popular religious practice of Mulian performance obtained the ICH designation, its ritualistic aspects of communal exorcism, magic spells, and deity worship have been systematically removed by the government through the strategies of fossilization, segmentation, and commodification. However, local performers and villagers might still harbor the religious orientation of eliciting good omens and fending off evil forces as well as belief in the supernatural and karmic retribution while acknowledging the official discourse. I use the term religious ambiguity to describe both the government's simultaneous ban on and tolerance of popular religious expressions and local people's uncertain, indefinite, and ambiguous attitude toward the supernatural in government heritage projects amid the ICH movement. This case study contributes to debates about how to "modernize" Chinese traditions without totally transforming them as well as discussions about how heritage politics and current Chinese socialist ideology affect local religious expressions and individual responses to revived folk traditions.

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a novel approach to achieve self-healing property of cement sheath in the oil well triggered by oil leakage through cracks. An oil swellable polymer (OSP) with [...]

The low enzymatic capability of terpene synthases and the limited availability of precursors often hinder the productivity of terpenes in microbial hosts. Herein, a systematic approach combining protein engineering and pathway compartmentation was exploited in Yarrowia lipolyticafor the high-efficient production of trans-nerolidol, a sesquiterpene with various commercial applications. Through the single-gene overexpression, the reaction catalyzed by nerolidol synthase (FaNES1) was identified as another rate-limiting step. An optimized FaNES1G498Qwas then designed by rational protein engineering using homology modeling and docking studies. Additionally, further improvement of trans-nerolidol production was observed as enhancing the expression of an endogenous carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT2) putatively responsible for acetyl-CoA shuttling between peroxisome and cytosol. To harness the peroxisomal acetyl-CoA pool, a parallel peroxisomal pathway starting with acetyl-CoA to trans-nerolidol was engineered. Finally, the highest reported titer of 11.1 g/L trans-nerolidol in the Y. lipolyticaplatform was achieved in 5 L fed-batch fermentation with the carbon restriction approach.

Shewanella algaeis a zoonotic marine bacterium that causes a variety of infections in immunocompromised patients or those who have been exposed to seawater. The development of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) resistance in S. algaeare found in human and environment isolates during the past ten years, and thus the treatment options are decreasing.

Pipeline safety faces a prevalent threat in mountainous areas due to landslides. The advent of landslides introduces the risk of pipeline leaks or ruptures, posing a significant threat to the environment, with the potential for casualties. Throughout the occurrence of landslides, uncertainties abound, yet few studies have addressed the incorporation of uncertainties in assessing pipeline safety. This work proposes a novel hybrid approach to the safety assessment for pipelines under landslides. The use of finite element analysis (FEA) models the pipeline under the action of landslides. The numerical outcomes, combined with unascertained measure theory (UMT), develop a multi-indicator unascertained measure (UM) matrix. Random forest (RF) algorithm is employed to determine the weight of indicators in the matrix. The hybrid application of set pair theory and the UM evaluation vector finally determine the pipeline safety degree and level. The proposed methodology has been well-validated through a case study on an in-service pipeline. The results indicate that the case pipeline safety degree is 2.777, 2.132, 3.132, 3.904, and 2.240, respectively. The corresponding safety level is III, II, III, IV, and II, respectively, which is consistent with the pipeline's actual condition. Different from the conventional safety assessment approach, the proposed methodology demonstrates the enhanced effectiveness, facilitating a more precise evaluation of the pipeline's safety condition.

Rare earth-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have the advantages of a narrow emission peak, large anti-Stokes displacement, negligible autofluorescence and photobleaching, which make them popular in biomedical fields. With the development of biological technology and nanotechnology, great progress has been achieved in application of rare earth-doped UCNPsfor disease diagnosis and treatment. To date, based on the light conversion characteristics of upconverted rare earth nanocrystals, their medical applications are mainly focused on tumor detection and treatment. In view of the above situation, this paper focuses on reviewing UCNPs applications for the treatment and detection of various diseases, including atherosclerosis, inflammation, bacterial infections, viruses, and tumors. Finally, challenges and opportunities of UCNPs applicaiton in disease treatment and detection are discussed. Overall, our goal is to provide readers with a fresh perspective on developments in the treatment and detection of various diseases with rare earth-doped upconversion materials.

With the development of digital technology, Memory Projects, such as the American Memory and the Venice Time Machine, have been explored continually as typical digital humanity projects. In these projects, humanists are able to look into the thousand-year-history with a macro view by a ‘data telescope’, as well as numerous micro views by ‘data microscopes’. This article investigates representative historical memory and city memory projects from over the past 20 years and analyses the purpose, investigation, cooperation, methods, implementation, and technical routes adopted. The following problems are apparent: resource decentralization and fragmentation, duplication of database construction, single-user service mode and low utilization rate of cultural heritage resources, etc. This study provides an overall technical route to solve these problems by examining ongoing practice. The Shanghai Memory Project, undertaken by Shanghai Library, uses knowledge reorganization and data reconciling technologies such as Big Data, Semantic Web, and Knowledge Graph to construct an overarching Humanities Research Environment, which is co-constructing, sharing, and interconnecting to avoid problems of resource decentralization and database duplication. The Project provides a user service model, which combines the library creating knowledge with user-generated content. Implementing data visualization technologies, such as AR, VR, etc., the project improves the collection display and promotes the utilization of the resources. The Urban Memory Project is a comprehensive program that relies on cooperation and interdisciplinary collaboration, co-construction, and the sharing of data. Meanwhile, an increasing number of Urban Memory Projects play a significant role in helping to develop the Digital Humanities’ infrastructure.

We have seen remarkable recent progress in computational visual recognition, producing systems that can classify objects into thousands of different categories with increasing accuracy. However, one question that has received relatively less attention is “what labels should recognition systems output?” This paper looks at the problem of predicting category labels that mimic how human observers would name objects. This goal is related to the concept of entry-level categories first introduced by psychologists in the 1970s and 1980s. We extend these seminal ideas to study human naming at large scale and to learn computational models for predicting entry-level categories. Practical applications of this work include improving human-focused computer vision applications such as automatically generating a natural language description for an image or text-based image search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Critical Race Theory (CRT) in music education. It presents information on Critical Race Theory, and how laws and practices implementation help in creating racial inequality in the United States. It mentions challenges related to dominant music culture, limited music exposure for the students, and the role of music educators.

According to the industry standard, low permeability and tight reservoir are highly stress-sensitive in laboratory tests. However, this phenomenon has not been effectively confirmed in the field production test. For this reason, a method to measure stress sensitivity by axial loading is proposed. By loading fixed axial stress, the measurement method achieves the effect of equivalent preloading fluid pressure. Meanwhile, the equivalent theoretical curve can be obtained by translating the curve. Through this method, the stress sensitivity of the core with microfracture is studied. According to the results, the stress sensitivity of the cores can be divided into two stages: the first stage is the non-opening stage of microfractures, in which the stress sensitivity is weak; the second stage is the opening stage of microfractures, in which the stress sensitivity increases sharply. When the permeability changes significantly, the corresponding pressure is the microfracture's opening pressure. In addition, if the abscissa of the experimental results corresponds to the field production data, the field stress sensitivity curve of the field reservoir can be obtained. Conventional stress sensitivity test shows that the four cores in the study block exhibit medium to strong stress sensitivity. According to the stress sensitivity curve analysis after curve translation, the stress sensitivity of the reservoir is about 25% in the elastic production stage, which is classified as weak stress sensitivity. This conclusion can effectively support the phenomenon of the unobvious stress sensitivity in the field production of low permeability and tight reservoirs.

Iron ore sinter is one of most extensively utilised ferrous burdens for blast furnace (BF) worldwide. The sinter quality greatly depends on the microstructure and chemical compositions of calcium ferrites which is significantly affected by sinter basicity (mass ratio of CaO to SiO2). The characterisation of iron ore sinter products with varying binary basicity (CaO/SiO2) from 1.5 to 2.7 was studied by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy-energy spectrometer (SEM-EDS). The results show that the change of sinter basicity changes the microstructure and composition of silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminium (SFCA), and more dendritic shape composite calcium ferrite (SFCA) with Fe-rich/low-Si is generated. Under the optical microscope, statistical results of the sinter reveal that with the increase in basicity, the aspect ratio of calcium ferrite increases from 2.35 to 7.69, indicating a gradual refinement of the crystals. Moreover, the distribution of crystals becomes more uniform, and the size of pores between crystals also decreases gradually, thereby the mechanical properties of the sinter from a microscopic structural perspective being enhanced. SEM-EDS analysis studies have found a certain linear relationship between the aspect ratio of SFCA and its iron content, where higher iron content in SFCA leads to finer and narrower SFCA formations. Additionally, an increase in basicity favours the generation of more composite calcium ferrite (SFCA) with Fe-rich/low-Si characteristics, which significantly improves the reducibility of the sinter. Moreover, what is even more interesting is that the iron content in SFCA shows an inverse relationship with the content of silicon, calcium and aluminium elements, yet it is directly proportional to the quaternary basicity [(CaO + MgO)/(SiO2 + Al2O3)] in SFCA.

COP9 signalosome catalytic subunit CSN5 plays a key role in tumorigenesis and tumor immunity, showing potential as an anticancer target. Currently, only a few CSN5 inhibitors have been reported, at least partially, due to the challenges in establishing assays for CSN5 deubiquitinase activity. Here, we present the establishment and validation of a simple and reliable non-catalytic activity assay platform for identifying CSN5 inhibitors utilizing a new fluorescent probe, CFP-1, that exhibits enhanced fluorescence and fluorescence polarization features upon binding to CSN5. By using this platform, we identified 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylic acids as new CSN5 inhibitors, which inhibited CSN5 but slightly downregulated PD-L1 in cancer cells. Furthermore, through the integration of deep learning-enabled virtual screening, we discovered that shikonins are nanomolar CSN5 inhibitors, which can upregulate PD-L1 in HCT116 cells. The binding modes of these structurally distinct inhibitors with CSN5 were explored by using microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations and tryptophan quenching assays.

The increasing usage of bismuth oxychloride pigment for metal coating purposes is discussed.

α-Pinene, an important biologically active natural monoterpene, has been widely used in fragrances, medicines, and fine chemicals, especially, in high-density renewable fuels such as jet fuel. The development of an α-pinene production platform in a highly modifiable microbe from renewable substitute feedstocks could lead to a green, economical avenue, and sustainable biotechnological process for the biosynthesis of α-pinene. Here, we report engineering of an orthogonal biosynthetic pathway for efficient production of α-pinene in oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolyticathat resulted in an α-pinene titer of 19.6 mg/L when using glucose as the sole carbon source, a significant 218-fold improvement than the initial titer. In addition, the potential of using waste cooking oil and lignocellulosic hydrolysate as carbon sources for α-pinene production from the engineered Y. lipolyticastrains was analyzed. The results indicated that α-pinene titers of 33.8 and 36.1 mg/L were successfully obtained in waste cooking oil and lignocellulosic hydrolysate medium, thereby representing the highest titer reported to date in yeast. To our knowledge, this is also the first report related to microbial production of α-pinene from waste cooking oil and lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolyticais an attractive cell factory platform strain and can be used for sustainable production of high-value oleochemical products. Wax esters (WEs) have a good lubricating property and are usually used as a base for the production of advanced lubricants and emollient oils. In this study, we reported the metabolic engineering of Y. lipolyticato heterologously biosynthesize high-content very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and fatty alcohols and efficiently esterify them to obtain very-long-chain WEs. Co-expression of fatty acid elongases from different sources in Y. lipolyticacould yield VLCFAs with carbon chain lengths up to 24. Combining with optimization of the central metabolic modules could further enhance the biosynthesis of VLCFAs. Furthermore, through the screening of heterologous fatty acyl reductases (FARs), we enabled high-level production of fatty alcohols. Genomic integration and heterologous expression of wax synthase (WS) and FAR in a VLCFA-producing Y. lipolyticastrain yielded 95–650 mg/L WEs with carbon chain lengths from 32 to 44. Scaled-up fermentation in 5 L laboratory bioreactors significantly increased the production of WEs to 2.0 g/L, the highest content so far in yeasts. This study contributes to the further efficient biosynthesis of VLCFAs and their derivatives.

Two polymer dispersants, polyester dispersant (PD) and sodium polyacrylate (NaPAA), were used to disperse titanium dioxide in 10% aqueous isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The effect of pH and zeta potential on the dispersibility of the titanium dioxide (TiO2) was studied via sedimentation. An optimum pH value of 8 for the two polymer dispersants in aqueous IPA suspension was found. The isoelectric point of the TiO2particles was at pH 5.1 and pH 5.3 and shifted to lower pH in the presence of PD or NaPAA, with a greater decrease in zeta potential for the NaPAA suspension (− 36.5 to − 64.1 mV) due to the high degree of ionization compared with PD (− 36.5 to − 60.6 mV). The conformations of PD and NaPAA were strongly pH dependent: Their adsorption was highest at low pH and lowest at high pH, with the maximum adsorption of PD and NaPAA being 44.0 and 39.2 mg g−1at pH 3, respectively. It was shown that the stability of the suspensions was not only dependent on the pH but also on the zeta potential and molecular structure of the dispersant.

The change in surface damage/microstructures and its effects on the hydrogen (H) isotope/helium (He) dynamic behavior are the key factors for investigating issues of tungsten (W)-based plasma-facing materials (PFMs) in fusion such as surface erosion, H/He retention and tritium (T) inventory. Complex surface damage/microstructures are introduced in W by high-temperature plasma irradiation and new material design, typically including pre-damage and multi-ion co-deposition induced structures, solute elements and related composites, native defects like dislocations and interfaces, and nanostructures. Systematic experimental and theoretical researches were performed on H isotope/He retention in complex W-based materials in the past decades. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of typical surface damage/microstructures and their effects on H/He retention in W, both in the experiment and multiscale modeling. The distribution/state, dynamics evolution, and interaction with defects/microstructures of H/He are generally summarized at different scales. Finally, the current difficulties, challenges and future directions are also discussed about H/He retention in complex W-based PFMs.

Reference intervals (RIs) of laboratory testing play a fundamental role in medical activities. RIs vary greatly for populations in different areas This study aimed to evaluate the age- and sex-specific reference intervals for a healthy population in a typical city of northern China. A cross-sectional study was performed in 4 tertiary care centers of Shijiazhuang of China, biochemical analytes were analyzed using a Beckman Coulter AU5800 (Beckman Coulter Inc., Brea, CA). A total of 42,979 healthy individuals were involved in this study. Grouped by age- and sex-specific, reference intervals of all the measures have been established. We found that different age groups of males and females have significant differences (all P< .001) in levels of various biochemical analytes. We provided a comprehensive age- and sex-specific RIs for biochemical analytes, which showed dynamic changes with both age and sex. For the local population, the reference intervals established here can be adopted in other clinical laboratories after appropriate validation.

Hydroponic systems in plant factories can be categorized into recirculating or noncirculating systems. In this study, the effects of various commercially available circulation pumps, including a centrifugal magnetic drive pump, a regenerative self-priming pump, and a submersible pump, were experimentally explored. In addition, the effects of an ultraviolet sterilization system on the ion concentrations in nutrient solutions were examined. The concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, nitrate, sulfate, and ferric (Fe3D) ions in the nutrient solution were measured. For all three types of pumps, the results indicated that there was no significant effect on the concentrations of ions in the nutrient solution. However, the concentration of Fe3D ions decreased significantly after the nutrient solution was treated by a ultraviolet sterilization system for 48 hours. In addition, the effects of the three types of pumps on the growth of butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa) were examined. The temperature records during the pump circulation tests showed that the nutrient solution temperature of the regenerative self-priming pump increased by 15.5 °C (from 20.5 to 36 °C), which caused yellow seedling, scorching on the leaves, and browning of the roots. The ion concentration in the nutrient solutions and total fresh weight of butterhead lettuce did not show any noticeable difference between the centrifugal magnetic drive pump and the submersible pump. In this paper, we clarify the cause of the decreasing iron concentration and provide a guideline for selecting the pump for circulating hydroponic systems in plant factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT40Cr steel was formed for chain wheel using a warm extrusion technique at different temperatures. The microstructures and chemical compostions of the obtained samples were analysed using an optical microscope and photoelectric direct-reading spectrometer, repectively. After the tensile test, the fracture morphologies of 40Cr steel were analysed using a field emisson scanning electron microscope, the effects of warm extrusion temperatures on the tensile properties of 40Cr steel were discussed. The results show that the yield limits of 40Cr steel extruded warmly at 550, 650, and 750°C are coincident approximately, compared with that at the extrusion temperature of 550°C, both the tensile strengths and the elongation rates of 40Cr steel at the extrusion temperatures of 650 and 750°C decrease. As the extrusion temperature increases, both the residual and the retained austenite contents of 40Cr steel decrease, and the plastic and the tensile strengths of 40Cr steel decrease.

ABSTRACTTwo kinds of deformations occurred in the interaction between rice and wheat straw and cutter during the actual operation: bending deformation of extruded straw and shear deformation of sheared straw. The indoor and outdoor bending and shear tests were set according to the two types of deformation. The indoor experimental results showed that rice and wheat straw had a decreasing bending strength as the loading rate increases. The shear strength of wheat straw increased first and then decreased with the growing loading rate; while the shear strength of rice straw increased with the increasing loading rate. The outdoor experimental results showed that: rice straw had a displacement greater than that of wheat straw, the marker pip displacement of rice straw was more uniform than that of wheat straw.

The uppermost Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation in the western Sichuan Basin of China has recently been shown to host as much as 5.3 tcf (1.5 x 1012 m>3) of natural gas resources. The reservoir rocks, composed mainly of microbially derived dolomudstone (e.g., thrombolites and stromatolites), are characterized by low porosity (<8%) and permeability (<0.001 to 10 md). The limestone is commonly tight and not of reservoir quality because of abundant meteoric calcite cementation, whereas the dolostone has various types of pores dominated by solution-enlarged pores and vugs, microbial framework pores, and micropores. Breccias are well developed in places, probably because of dissolution of underlying evaporites (e.g., anhydrite) by an influx of low-salinity fluids (e.g., freshwater and seawater) during an early burial stage. Early dolomitization created micropores in the dolomudstone, and subsequent diagenetic events were dominated by calcite, dolomite, quartz cementation, pyrite replacement, compaction, fracturing, and development of stylolites. Localized hydrothermal activity has been evidenced by high homogenization temperatures (~160°C-200°C) obtained from fluid inclusions in fracture-filling cements. Bacterial sulfate reduction probably resulted in H2S generation, pyrite precipitation, and solution-enlarged pore and vug formation, whereas part of the current H2S in these reservoirs may have been sourced from thermochemical sulfate reduction or an underlying formation (e.g., the Feixiangguan Formation). Development of microfractures and associated micropores was probably the final diagenetic event, which improved pore interconnectivity. This study confirms the effect of diagenesis on the development of a microbial dolomudstone reservoir, which may be applicable to other similar microbial carbonate reservoirs elsewhere, for example, Middle Triassic sections of the Tethys region and offshore Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTDiacylglycerol (DAG) supplementation has been shown to be associated with the health improvement of patients with diabetes mellitus, although this efficacy is uncertain. We quantitatively examined the effect of dietary DAG on fasting serum glucose and insulin concentrations by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Potential papers were initially searched from electronic databases of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria required the trial to be randomized, with triacylglycerol (TAG) controlled with fasting serum glucose or insulin concentration as one of the end points. Information was extracted independently by two reviewers and the effect of DAG was examined using Review Manager 4.2. Results showed that DAG reduced fasting serum insulin concentration significantly compared with TAG (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −8.23 pmol/l; 95% confidence interval [CI], −15.17 to −1.28 pmol/l; p = 0.02). In addition, DAG supplementation reduced fasting serum glucose concentration greatly (WMD = −0.10 mmol/l; 95% CI, −0.24 to 0.04 mmol/l; p = 0.18), and this effect was significantly correlated with the duration of intervention (fasting serum glucose concentration = 1.075–0.012; duration of intervention; p = 0.04; r = 0.90). In conclusion, DAG supplementation improved fasting serum glucose and insulin concentrations compared with TAG, and the effect on glucose was significantly correlated with the duration of intervention.

Background: Previous studies showed that polydextrose has physiologic effects similar to those of dietary fiber. Objective: Ingestion of 4, 8, and 12 g polydextrose/d was studied to determine the physiologic effects in Chinese subjects. Design: In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study, we evaluated the effects of polydextrose ingestion on clinical biochemistry indexes, glycated hemoglobin, glucose tolerance, the glycemic index, bowel function, stool weight and pH, short-chain fatty acid production, fecal microflora, and cecal mucosa cell proliferation. Results: Polydextrose had no significant effect on blood biochemistry indexes. Ingestion of 12 g polydextrose plus 50 g glucose resulted in a glycemic index of 89% (compared with a glycemic index of 100% after ingestion of 50 g glucose). Bowel function (frequency and ease of defecation) improved significantly and there were no reports of abdominal distention, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, or hypoglycemia. Fecal weight (wet and dry) increased and fecal pH decreased proportionally to polydextrose intake. Short-chain fatty acid production--notably that of butyrate, isobutyrate, and acetate--increased with polydextrose ingestion. There were substantial changes in fecal anaerobes after polydextrose intake. Bacteroides species (B. fragilis, B. vulgatus, and B. intermedius) decreased, whereas Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species increased. The cecal mucosa whole-crypt labeling index increased, with colonocyte proliferation mainly occurring in base compartments, which provided an indirect confirmation of butyrate production in the colon. Conclusion: Polydextrose ingestion had significant dietary fiber-like effects with no laxative problems. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:1503-9. KEY WORDS Polydextrose, dietary fiber, blood glucose, glycemic index, colonic fermentation, short-chain fatty acids, bowel function, fecal anaerobes, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, China

High-performance poly(lactic acid) (PLA) foam has been recognized as a promising material because of its biodegradability. However, low flexibility and foamability of PLAs has limited its use in different fields. In this study, a blend-toughening technology was used to toughen PLA and prepare flexible foams. The mechanical properties of PLA blends were evaluated, and the cellular structure of these foaming blends was characterized. The results show that the blending components significantly affected the overall mechanical properties and foaming behavior of PLA. The toughness of PLA was enhanced by adding poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and rigid particles. The rheological behavior of PLA was also affected by adding PBAT. Therefore, the cellular structure of the PLA foams was affected. A constitutive model was also used to fit the experimental results of the compression property of the PLA foam.

Effects of chitosan combined with nisin on quality enhancement in jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) were investigated during cold storage (4 ± 1 °C). 1% chitosan combined with different concentrations of nisin (0, 2 and 6 g/L) were utilized as preservatives. Changes in human sensory evaluation, GC–MS, total variable counts, and physiochemical indexes, including weight loss, colour, total volatile basic nitrogen and K value, were synchronously measured. Results demonstrated that 1% chitosan combined with 6 g/L nisin maintained high sensory scores, low moisture loss and volatile spoilage products. The optimized method also inhibited microbial propagation, nutrient (protein, nucleotides, etc) degradation, etc. This method is promising in aquatic products quality preservation.

This paper tests how slope shape varies with development of loess landforms using an artificial loess watershed. During the evolution of the small watershed, nine DEMs which can properly represent the loess surface of the watershed during different stages are generated using close-range photogrammetry. First, we apply an object-oriented method for DEM based slope classification to the surfaces of the artificial watershed. Then, DEMs representing the fourth through the eighth stages of development of the loess surface are selected as training data, and the DEM from the ninth stage selected as test data. We calculate the average transition probability of every slope type during each stage to construct a transition matrix. A Markov chain-based approach is then used to predict the slope shape changes. The experimental results show that the artificial watershed can properly describe slope shape changes in the evolution of loess landform, and the modelling precision is greater than 75% for all slope types, except for concaveconcave (CC) slope. The test also indicates that slope evolution in this artificial watershed is very similar to the evolution of real loess surfaces, and the simulation produced encouraging results in terms of its accuracy and similarity to real landscape.

Rainfall is an important triggering factor influencing the stability of soil slope. Study on some influences of the rainfall on the instability characteristics of unsaturated soil embankment slope has been conducted in this paper. First, based on the effective stress theory of unsaturated soil for single variable, fluid–solid coupling constitutive equations were established. Then, a segment of red clay embankment slope, along a railway from Dazhou to Chengdu, damaged by rainfall, was theoretically, numerically, and experimentally researched by considering both the runoff-underground seepage and the fluid–solid coupling. The failure characteristics of the embankment slope and the numerical simulation results were in excellent agreement. In the end, a sensitivity analysis of the key factors influencing the slope stability subjected to rainfall was performed with emphasis on damage depth as well as infiltration rainfall depth. From the analysis in this paper, it was concluded that the intensity of rainfall, rainfall duration, and long-term strength of soil have most effects on slope stability when subjected to rainfall. These results suggest that the numerical simulation can be used for practical applications.

The tensile and impact tests were used to study the mechanical properties under different temperatures of 300 mm large-scale angle steel at different positions, especially the tensile strength, yield strength, total elongation and impact toughness in the range of-40 oC to 20 oC. The results showed that different regions had great differences in the microstructures and impact toughness, in which the size of edge region was the smallest and the impact toughness was the best. However, the coarsened grain of heat affected zone at weld region had deteriorated to the low temperature impact toughness. When the impact energy was 34 J, the ductile-brittle transition temperature of weld, center, vertex and edge were-7.2 oC, -33.0 oC, -31.5 oC and far less than-40 oC, respectively. Meanwhile, because the banded structure was detrimental to the ductility, the elongation of rolling direction was lower than vertical direction. The strength of weld region was higher than other locations, but the elongation was obviously decreased.

AbstractThree advanced power systems use liquid salt coolants that generate tritium and thus face common challenges to prevent release of the tritium to the environment. The Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) uses the same graphite-matrix coated-particle fuel as High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) and clean fluoride salt coolants. Molten salt reactors (MSRs) dissolve the fuel in a fluoride or chloride salt and release the fission product tritium to the salt. High-magnetic-field fusion machines may use liquid salt cooling and blankets because of the very high power densities of this new class of fusion machine. The three technologies can be coupled to a Nuclear Air-Brayton Combined Cycle (NACC) enabling variable electricity with base-load reactor operation.Converging requirements for tritium control in 700°C liquid salts are leading to cooperative programs across technologies; tritium models that combined generation, chemistry, metal corrosion and transport; and new tritium control technologies using advanced carbon forms, metals produced by additive manufacturing and other technologies.

Three advanced nuclear power systems use liquid salt coolants that generate tritium and thus face the common challenges of containing and capturing tritium to prevent its release to the environment. The fluoride salt–cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) uses clean fluoride salt coolants and the same graphite-matrix coated-particle fuel as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Molten salt reactors (MSRs) dissolve the fuel in a fluoride or chloride salt with release of fission product tritium into the salt. In most FHR and MSR systems, the baseline salts contain lithium where isotopically separated 7Li is proposed to minimize tritium production from neutron interactions with the salt. The Chinese Academy of Sciences plans to start operation of a 2-MW(thermal) molten salt test reactor by 2020. For high-magnetic-field fusion machines, the use of lithium enriched in 6Li is proposed to maximize tritium generation—the fuel for a fusion machine. Advances in superconductors that enable higher power densities may require the use of molten lithium salts for fusion blankets and as coolants.Recent technical advances in these three reactor classes have resulted in increased government and private interest and the beginning of a coordinated effort to address the tritium control challenges in 700°C liquid salt systems. We describe characteristics of salt-cooled fission and fusion machines, the basis for growing interest in these technologies, tritium generation in molten salts, the environment for tritium capture, models for high-temperature tritium transport in salt systems, alternative strategies for tritium control, and ongoing experimental work. Several methods to control tritium appear viable. Limited experimental data are the primary constraint for designing efficient cost-effective methods of tritium control.

The presence of gas hydrates in Makran area of Pakistan is confirmed by seismic evidences in the form of a strong reflector known as bottom simulating reflector (BSR). Amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis is performed to analyze seismic behavior of free gas zone beneath BSR. This analysis is carried by considering a free gas zone beneath a gas hydrate-bearing zone and overlying a fully water saturated interval. Different pairs of AVO-derived attributes are applied to differentiate free gas and gas hydrates saturated sediments. Based on our analysis, it is concluded that low and high saturation of gas hydrates can be deduced from seismic amplitude anomalies. Low and high saturation of gas hydrates can be distinguish able from background trend. The fluid factor, pore space modulus and Poisson reflectivity are found more sensitive attributes for discrimination of gas hydrates saturation.

A 40Cr steel was formed with warm extrusion under different temperatures, and the tensile fatigue limits after the warm extrusion were calculated according to the Roca rule. The metallographic microstructure and chemical compositions of the extrusion samples were analyzed with an optical microscope and photoelectric direct-reading spectrometer, respectively; the residual stress and residual austenite were investigated on a stress tester. The fracture morphologies were analyzed with a field-emission scanning electron microscope, and the mechanism by which the warm extrusion temperatures affected the fatigue fracture of the 40Cr steel was discussed. The results show that the grains are refined by warm extrusion at 550°C, the C weight fraction on the sample surface is 0.39%, and the compressive residual stress and content of residual austenite are -297 MPa and 5.3%, respectively, increasing the fatigue life of the samples. The grain sizes of the extrusion samples at 650 and 750°C are larger than those at 550°C, the corresponding C content of the sample surface is 0.39% and 0.38%, respectively, and the compressive residual stresses and contents of residual austenite decrease, leading to a decrease in the fatigue life. The fatigue strength of the samples by warm extrusion at 550, 650, and 750°C is 382, 412, and 385 MPa, respectively. The fracture morphology of the sample at 550°C is a dimple, while that at 650 and 750°C is a cleavage step and river pattern, respectively.