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Acidic sugarcane leaf polysaccharide (ASLP) has a variety of biological activities, but its macromolecular properties make it difficult for the human body to completely absorb or metabolize quickly in the body, and the action time is short. To solve this problem, acidic sugarcane leaf polysaccharide liposomes (ASLPL) were prepared by reverse evaporation method and characterized for encapsulation efficiency, particle size, potential, morphology, rheology and stability. In vitro release and digestion tests were used to verify the sustained release effect and stability of ASLPL. The results showed that ASLPL was spherical, with an encapsulation rate of 86.19% ± 0.976%, a particle size of 134.57 ± 2.501 nm, and a zeta potential of −24.49 ± 1.002 mV, which was a pseudoplastic fluid that was more stable to be stored in a neutral environment at 4 °C. The antioxidant, hypolipidemic and antibacterial activities of ASLPL were significantly increased compared with those of ASLP. The in vitro release and digestion results showed that ASLPL had obvious sustained release effect and could slow down the digestion of ASLP in vivo and prolong the duration of action. Therefore, the development and utilization of ASLPL can provide a greater development potential for the further application of ASLP in the food and pharmaceutical fields. [Display omitted] • ASLPL is a typical pseudoplastic fluid with good stability. • The biological activity of ASLPL was significantly higher than that of ASLP. • ASLPL has obvious sustained release effect and improves the digestive stability of ASLP. • ASLPL is expected to develop into a new type of biological agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power sector is the pillar industry to promote China's rapid economic growth. It is also one of the sectors with the largest carbon emissions and water consumption. The green transformation of the power sector has become the focus of China's provincial economic and environmental policies. However, due to the complex inter-provincial power sector linkage, provincial power policies have spillover and overlapping effects, making it difficult for policies to coordinate and complement each other. Here, we quantify the value-added, CO2 emissions and water consumption driven by inter-provincial power sector linkage in China, and proposes differentiated policies at provincial and sectoral levels for green transformation of power sector. By quantifying the economic and environmental correlation effects among China's provincial power sectors, we found that low-carbon transformation of power sector in industrial provinces have higher economic costs. East and North China's policies committed to emission reduction in power sector can save more water. [Display omitted] • The economic and environmental linkage effects between China's provincial power sectors are quantified. • Low-carbon transformation of power sector in industrial provinces have higher economic costs. • East and North China's policies committed to emission reduction in power sector can save more water. • Electricity policies in China's high-income provinces should focus on the demand side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a waste of sugarcane, the added value of sugarcane leaves has not been fully utilized, and sugarcane leaf polysaccharide is an important active component of sugarcane leaves. Using new extraction methods to study the structure and biological activity of polysaccharides from sugarcane leaves is of great significance for the development and application of sugarcane leaves. To determine the structural characteristics and biological activities of different acidic sugarcane leaf polysaccharides (ASLPs) extracted by microwave-assisted hot alkali extraction (MALE), three new acidic sugarcane leaf polysaccharides (ASLP-50, ASLP-70 and ASLP-90) were precipitated by ethanol. The structure of ASLPs extracted by MALE contains protein, sulfate and uronic acid. ASLP-50 (195.88 kDa), ASLP-70 (94.62 kDa) and ASLP-90 (16.37 kDa) were acidic polysaccharides composed of mannose, galacturonic acid, glucose, arabinose and fucose. The results of XRD and NMR showed that ASLPs were amorphous polysaccharides composed of α-L-Araf-(1→ main chain, and its branching points were composed of Arap and GalpA residues. In addition, ASLPs showed significant antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antibacterial activities in vitro. The research and application of ASLPs provide a reference for the recycling of sugarcane leaves, which is conducive to the development of food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries. [Display omitted] • Three acidic polysaccharides were obtained from sugarcane leaves by MALE. • ASLPs showed strong antioxidant, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic potential in vitro. • ASLPs have certain antibacterial activity. • ASLPs have great potential for development and application in many fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic Welding Helmet Use (WHU) detection technology is of great significance for the safety management of construction site, then, this paper proposes a lightweight face-assisted model using YOLOv5s for the detection of WHU (WHU-YOLO). First, the Ghost module is introduced into YOLOv5s to optimize feature extraction parts of backbone and neck, reducing model complexity. Then, the neck of YOLOv5s is reconstructed based on Bi-directional Feature Pyramid Network (Bi-FPN). The experimental results implemented on established Welding helmet and Human face Detection (WHD) dataset indicate that the false positives have been greatly decreased with the assistance of face data and the mean average precision (mAP) reaches 83.65%. Meanwhile, under the environment of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and 640 × 640 input size, WHU-YOLO with inference time up to 5.7 ms achieves model compression with 35.7%, 34.4% and 30.1% reductions in parameters, weight size and Floating Point Operations (FLOPs) compared with YOLOv5s, respectively, which has no decline on detection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing complexity of modern engineering systems has motivated a shift of research focus from component-level reliability to system reliability with interdependent components. There is a growing demand for efficient reliability methods to analyze high-dimensional systems that involve numerous dependent components and component variables. The first-order reliability method (FORM), which is widely used for component-level reliability analysis, becomes inaccurate for high-dimensional systems composed of numerous components, each with a nonlinear high-dimensional limit state function. By integrating the orthogonal plane sampling, this paper proposes an improved FORM-based method to tackle the curse of dimensionality for series systems. The idea is to construct secant hyperplanes using the orthogonal plane samples so as to reduce the FORM error for high-dimensional nonlinear limit state functions. The design points of secant hyperplanes are projected to high-dimensional system space using an efficient procedure based on the specified correlation matrix of variables. Finally, the series system reliability is computed as high-dimensional multi-normal integral, which is addressed by the equivalent component method. Four numerical examples are investigated to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. Results indicate that the proposed method is significantly more efficient than the Monte Carlo simulation and more accurate than the conventional FORM. • The OPS is leveraged for high-dimensional component reliability. • FORM is fused with OPS to analyze reliability of high-dimensional systems. • Solve high-dimensional Gaussian integral via equivalent component method. • The method can be orders more efficient than direct Monte Carlo simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • • Folic acid-chitosan conjugate was synthesized by amidation. • • Characterization of PC-CS/FA-NPs were performed by DLS, FTIR, TGA and SEM. • • The inhibitory effect of PC-CS/FA-NPs on hemolysis of red blood cells was studied. • • The in vitro digestibility of PC-CS/FA-NPs were investigated. Proanthocyanidins have significant biological activity and pharmacological effects and are widely used in food, medicine, and cosmetics. Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with proanthocyanidins have been proven to improve their biological activity. Given some deficiencies of chitosan (CS), the modification of chitosan by folic acid (FA) can obtain new variants with different functions. For this objective, the folic acid conjugated chitosan was designed, and in vitro properties of proanthocyanidins loaded nanoparticles were studied systemically. Firstly, folic acid-chitosan conjugate (FA-CS) was synthesized and characterized. Folate-coupled chitosan-loaded proanthocyanidin nanoparticles (PC-CS/FA-NPs) were prepared by ionic gelation technique using FA-CS as a carrier. The successful nanoparticle synthesis was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited a spherical shape and smooth and uniform distribution features with a size range of less than 300 nm, as observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Meanwhile, PC-CS/FA-NPs had good thermal and gastrointestinal digestive stability and had a protective effect on AAPH-induced erythrocyte oxidative hemolysis. In conclusion, folic acid decorated chitosan nanoparticles improved the stability and bioavailability of proanthocyanidins in gastrointestinal digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entities in the power supply chain usually tend to cooperate with each other for higher profits. The inter mechanism between the entities and power supply chain is an urgent research subject. To consider the power supply chain and entities better, a extended model of bilateral contract mechanism is proposed in this paper. Utilizing a Stackelberg game, this paper studies dynamic coordination and strategic interactions between power plants, power retailers, and consumers in the electricity trading process under demand uncertainty. An improved coordination model is proposed to help entities get potential profits as well as improve the stability of the power supply. The model is applied to power trading data from Guangdong, China which imposes penalties for inaccuracies in demand variation. Simulations suggest the model's solution exhibits higher reliability and minimizes fines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China in 2013 to promote the interconnected development and prosperity of all participating countries. In the context of global response to climate change, understanding the embodied carbon transfer change along economic trade before and after the Belt and Road Initiative is essential to reduce carbon overall emission. In this paper, we used a multi-regional input-output model to study the embodied carbon transfer in trade between the Belt and Road countries that have signed cooperation documents with China from 2004 to 2017. The results showed that from 2004 to 2017, the growth rate that China's carbon emissions imported from other Belt and Road Initiative countries was about 1.9 times that of its exports. From 2004 to 2017, the proportion of China's carbon imports from other Belt and Road countries in China's total carbon imports increased from 3.41% to 3.73%, and exports decreased from 6.52% to 6.03%. In both 2004 and 2017, Electricity, Gas and Water sector, Heavy Industry sector, Transport sector were the three largest carbon transfer sectors in China's multilateral trade. In 2017, the embodied carbon transfer by multilateral trade among other Belt and Road countries except China increased by 15.53% compared with 2004. By comparing the characteristics of carbon transfer between China and the Belt and Road countries from 2004 to 2017, this study will provide insights for carbon emission reduction policy setting of Belt and Road Initiative countries. • We took countries that have signed documents with China as research objects. • MRIO model was used to analyze the carbon transfer change from 2004 to 2017. • The embodied carbon transfer in 2017 of BRI increased by 15.53% compared with 2004. • The growth rate of China's carbon imports from BRI was 1.9 times that of exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Economic and ecological analysis of food waste to hydrogen is conducted. • Hydrogen yield from food waste in China from 2004 to 2019 is 221.12 billion kg. • The power generation potential of the hydrogen gas is 661.97 TWh. • Usage of power from hydrogen could reduce global warming by 42,041.9 kt CO 2 eq. • The food waste to hydrogen project is economically feasible in all provinces. Hydrogen gas is widely acknowledged as a significant energy carrier worldwide. Hydrogen gas derived from sustainable sources could be used as an alternative to fossil fuel for electricity generation with zero emission of hazardous pollutants. Food waste valorization to hydrogen is a viable energy source with potential economic benefits. The current study examines the economic viability and environmental effect of producing hydrogen from food waste in China using biogas steam reforming for power generation. The key findings show that the steam reforming of biogas from food waste could produce 221.12 billion kg of hydrogen gas. The quantity of hydrogen gas yield could generate 661.97 TWh of electricity. It was found that the consumption of the available electricity from the hydrogen gas could displace 15,482.26 M liters of diesel fuel combustion. The amount of diesel fuel consumption avoided can reduce global warming by 42,041.90 kt CO 2 e. It was also discovered that hydrogen has an appealing ecological efficiency of 94.64% when used as a source of energy generation. According to the outcomes of the economic analysis, the food waste to hydrogen project is economically feasible in all of China's provinces. The average hydrogen production cost, return on investment, the payback period is $0.814/kWh, 29.8%, and 7.2 years. This study could provide scientific data for investment and decision-making on ecological sustainability in food waste to hydrogen initiatives in China and other emerging nations with a similar culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a Riemannian Manifold Hamiltonian Monte Carlo based subset simulation (RMHMC-SS) method to overcome limitations of existing Monte Carlo approaches in solving reliability problems defined in highly-curved non-Gaussian spaces. RMHMC is based on the second-order geometric information of a probability space. Specifically, it generates an optimized path for Markov chain evolutions in a Hamiltonian constructed on the Riemannian manifold. Compared with the recently proposed Hamiltonian Monte Carlo based subset simulation (HMC-SS) approach, the RMHMC-SS approach shows better performance in handling highly-curved probability distributions. After a brief review of HMC-SS, the theory and implementation details of RMHMC-SS are presented. Finally, various reliability examples are studied to test and verify the proposed RMHMC-SS method. • Riemannian Manifold Hamiltonian Monte Carlo based subset simulation is developed. • Second order geometric information is used for efficient MCMC evolution. • The method is designed for reliability problems in highly-curved non-Gaussian space. • The method is successfully demonstrated by applications to non-Gaussian problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We explore the determinants of SMEs' adoption of eco-innovation in Myanmar. • We perform multiple regression analysis using survey data (n = 800). • The influence of firm innovation capabilities is found to be the most significant. • We make some recommendations for promoting eco-innovation in Myanmar. Despite the growing body of eco-innovation literature, the drivers of eco-innovation adoption of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the least developing countries are relatively under-researched. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, this study uncovers the antecedents of SMEs' adoption of eco-innovation in Myanmar. We develop a conceptual model which we empirically test employing multiple regression analysis with the data from a sample of SMEs in Myanmar (n = 800). Results find that customer demands, rivalry pressures, managerial environmental concerns, environmental regulations, and firm innovation capabilities positively and significantly influence the eco-innovation adoption of small and medium enterprises in Myanmar. Among the five determinants, the influence of firm innovation capabilities is found to be the most significant. The research findings offer insights to the policymakers, SMEs managers, and researchers on what drives SMEs' adoption of eco-innovation in Myanmar, which helps implement environmental policies and strategies to reduce the environmental impact caused by economic growth in the context of least developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachial plexus (BP) root injury often results in disability of the upper extremities. Improvements in high-frequency ultrasonography have enabled the visualization of BP nerve roots. This study was aimed at quantifying the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in BP root injury at different stages post-trauma. A consecutive series of 170 patients with BP root injury between 2015 and 2019 were studied retrospectively and divided into three groups on the basis of time between injury and ultrasound examination (≤1 mo, 1-3 mo, >3 mo). Diagnosis of complete BP root injury under ultrasound was determined using a pre-defined criterion, including pseudomeningocele, retraction and rupture. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated based on surgical findings and intra-operative electrophysiological tests. Rates of detection of the cervical (C5-C8) and thoracic (T1) nerve roots under ultrasound were 99.4%, 99.4%, 99.4%, 95.9% and 79.4%, respectively. The sensitivity for complete BP root injury was 0.74, and the specificity was 0.91. No significant differences in sensitivity or specificity were observed across time stages. Ultrasound exhibited substantial consistency with surgical findings (κ = 0.70) for complete BP root injury at any stage post-injury. Ultrasound can be an optional method of diagnosis of complete BP root injury at an early stage post-injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative emission technologies (NETs) are becoming increasingly popular as an important means of combating climate change. However, NET development is still in its infancy compared with other solutions that have been thoroughly examined in the literature, such as renewable energies. Despite advances in the understanding of NETs, most existing studies are subject-constrained, case-driven, and literature-based, leaving a lack of comprehensive tracking of the wide range of NET options at a more granular level. The present study aims to fill this research gap from a patent standpoint by providing a thorough assessment of global technical improvements and achievements occurring in this domain over a 40-year timeline. After two rounds of rigorous screening of 936 patent families originally retrieved using a set of widely recognized patent search queries for NETs, our analysis kept 891 patents pertaining to 452 patent families. Then, the historical evolution and geographical distribution of these negative emission innovations were investigated, as well as tracked changes in technological hotspots, and innovation drivers and knowledge flows were identified. To advise on and steer the future direction of prospective NET breakthroughs, the study highlighted 16 subcategories of technologies within five NET categories. • The progress in patented negative emissions innovations is dissected in this study. • We studied the historical evolution of nine types of NET patenting over 40 years. • The forces driving progress in patenting in diverse NETs are identified. • Sixteen prospective clusters are proposed as future breakthrough opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and efficient method for the synthesis of chromone-containing triarylmethane derivatives via a HFIP promoted tandem alkylation/annulation protocol of o -hydroxyaryl enaminones with chlorohydrocarbon is described. Employing DCM/HFIP as solvent, the reactions proceed smoothly at room temperature without any transition-metal catalyst, providing a variety of chromone-containing triarylmethanes in moderate to good yields. Moreover, the developed protocol reveals a broad substrate scope and good group tolerance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) will greatly shorten their lifespan due to platinum (Pt) catalyst degradation during operation. This paper proposes an optimization-based energy management method considering Pt degradation, which is an improvement over the traditional strategy that only focuses on fuel optimization to consider both the minimal fuel and the minimum fuel cell life decay. Firstly, a one-dimensional (1D) Pt degradation model is established to comprehend how various voltage situations affect Pt deterioration. Then, various strategies to suppress Pt degradation are designed using Pontryagin's minimum principle (PMP) optimization algorithm in light of the influence analysis results, and the effects of the PMP algorithm under different strategies are tested on the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation platform. The results demonstrate that the performance of the PMP algorithm in real-time strategy is extremely near to the global optimal solution generated by the offline dynamic programming (DP) algorithm. After adding the tendency to limit high potential and voltage variation in the PMP algorithm, hydrogen consumption increases by only 2%. In comparison, the stack's degradation is decreased by nearly 50%, considerably extending the stack's service life and reducing the system's comprehensive use cost. • Prior literature verified the construction of a one-dimensional Pt degradation model. • Frequent voltage fluctuations and high voltage will exacerbate degradation via model analysis. • Developed two optimization-based strategies for reducing stack performance degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2 plays a pivotal role in the life cycle of the novel coronavirus and stands as a significant and promising target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNIs), as a category of compounds directed against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, exhibit a unique and highly effective mechanism, effectively overcoming various factors contributing to drug resistance against nucleoside inhibitors (NIs). This review investigates various NNIs, including both natural and synthetic inhibitors, that closely interacting with the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp with valid evidences from in vitro and in silico studies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As water scarcity intensifies worldwide, the equitable allocation of water resources has emerged as a critical challenge. This research investigates the intricate issue of allocating responsibility for virtual water, a concept that quantifies the water embedded in traded commodities. In pursuit of an effective allocation mechanism, we refine an innovative accounting scheme grounded in economic welfare gains arising from externalities. The results show that water-stressed areas in China, such as Xinjiang, significantly contribute to exporting virtual water and is responsible for 70%–85% of the virtual water outflow. Furthermore, more than 50% of virtual water imported from water-rich regions is attributed to these water-stressed areas while their trade partners bear the rest water responsibility. In contrast, southern China's abundant water resources reduce dependence on virtual water trade, leading to fewer responsibilities. Globally, the allocated responsibility for the new accounting mechanism reaches up to 7.5 times higher than for production-based accounting (PBA) and consumption-based accounting (CBA). Our study also reveals that the degree of dependency (price elasticities) plays a pivotal role in shaping the allocation outcomes. The implications of this research are significant for establishing a transparent and accountable framework for sustainable water resource management and facilitating seamless transitions toward sustainability. As global water scarcity intensifies, the redefined responsibility accounting according to the economic welfare is indispensable in addressing immediate and long-term water-related challenges. • We refine a mechanism to reallocate responsibility based on economic welfare gains. • Notable differences exist between results of the new mechanism and current production, consumption, and income-based methods. • Water-stressed areas bear higher proportions of virtual water responsibility. • Price elasticities play a crucial role in determining responsibility allocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HJURP expression is aberrantly upregulated and closely linked with the prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. • HJURP is a novel independent prognostic biomarker for clear cell renal cell carcinoma. • Upregulation of HJURP is closely related to activation of immune-related signaling pathways. • HJURP may serve as a novel target for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most prevalent and highly malignant pathological type of kidney cancer. Finding more precise biomarkers is critical for enhancing the prognosis of patients with ccRCC. Multiple studies have suggested that Holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP) promotes tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis in a variety of cancers. However, the role of HJURP in ccRCC remains unclear. The ccRCC dataset was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the relationship between HJURP expression and ccRCC clinical features was investigated using R software. The effect of HJURP expression on survival was assessed using survival probabilities and Cox regression. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to identify HJURP-related signaling pathways in ccRCC. Finally, Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) were used to analyze the correlation between HJURP expression and immunocyte infiltrates in ccRCC. HJURP expression was upregulated in ccRCC. Increased HJURP expression was associated with poor pathological features and correlated with poor prognosis in patients with ccRCC. Cox regression further found that HJURP expression was a high-risk factor for ccRCC patients. GSEA revealed that HJURP was closely linked to multiple immune-related signaling pathways. In ccRCC, HJURP expression was closely correlated with infiltration of various immune cells and expression of a wide range of immunocyte gene markers. HJURP is a potential independent prognostic marker in ccRCC that plays an essential role in the tumor microenvironment by regulating immunocyte infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]