Search

Hypertriglyceridemia is a common cause of acute pancreatitis. Pregnant women are at risk of developing hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP); however, whether pregnancy increases the risk of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is unknown. We aimed to assess the association between pregnancy and IPN. This 10-year retrospective cohort study was conducted at Jinling Hospital. Adult female patients of childbearing age with HTG-AP between January 2013 and September 2022 were screened. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the risk factors for IPN. Patients admitted within 7 days were assigned to the training and validation sets to develop a dynamic nomogram for IPN prediction. 489 patients were included, and 144 developed IPN. Logistic regression analyses revealed pregnancy (OR: 2.578 95% CI: 1.474–4.510) as an independent risk factor for IPN. Gestation weeks, ARDS, albumin level, and serum creatinine level were selected as the predictors of the dynamic nomogram for IPN prediction, with good discrimination in the training set (AUC 0.867 95% CI: 0.794–0.940) and validation set (AUC 0.957 95% CI: 0.885–1.000). Pregnancy increases the risk of IPN in adult patients of childbearing age with HTG-AP, and the dynamic nomogram may help risk stratification for IPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, global warming has led to frequent waterlogging disaster (WLD), hindering the normal growth and development of crops, affecting the sustainable development of the peanut industry and food security in China. Henan Province, the main peanut-producing area with frequent WLD, was selected as the study area. Based on the soil-crop-atmosphere continuum system, this study constructed a comprehensive waterlogging index (CWI) to monitor waterlogging events. To determine the applicability of CWI, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was calculated. A risk assessment model was constructed to evaluate the hazards of WLD during the different stages of development of spring peanut. The water stress at different growth stages of peanut on crucial physiological indices were studied to determine the natural vulnerability curve of WLD. As a consequence, based on the "Four-Factor" theory of disaster formation, this study established a dynamic WLD assessment model for peanut and evaluated the comprehensive risk of WLD in Henan from 1990 to 2020. The results indicated that the CWI is capable of accurately identifying waterlogging events and peanut responded significantly differently to water stress; the longer the duration of stress in the late growth period (LGP), the higher was the rate of yield reduction. The comprehensive risk of WLD to peanut rose from north to south during the three growth periods. During the LGP, high-risk regions constituted approximately 34.3% of the total population. This study provides a scientific basis and technical support for better exploration of peanut growth under waterlogging stress to manage and reduce the risk of WLD. • The comprehensive waterlogging index (CWI) can be used to identify waterlogging events. • Different water stress days in three periods had different effects on the growth of spring peanut. • Water stress in the late growth period had the greatest influence on the yield of spring peanut. • The risk was evaluated through "Four-Factor" theory, while the south of Henan had high-risk levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the national nutrition crisis and the adjustment of planting structure, millet has once again become a widely planted cash crop in Northern China. However, as the climate warms in recent years, drought has occurred frequently and repeatedly in Northern China, which has seriously threatened millet production safety in this area. Therefore, it is urgent to clarify the hazard of millet drought disaster and provide reference for the formulation of millet disaster prevention and reduction measures. In this paper, combined with the water demand of millet in each growth period, Standardized Precipitation Requirement Index (SPRI) was selected to identify and quantify the drought disaster of millet. Considering the impact of different degrees of drought in different growth periods, a hazard assessment model is constructed to evaluate the hazard of millet drought disaster in Northern China under the background of climate change. The results show that: (1) SPRI can well characterize the drought of millet in Northern China. (2) In the context of climate change, millet drought in Northern China shows a trend of increasing intensity and decreasing frequency, and it is possible that millet drought will be even more severe in the future. (3) Combined with the hazard assessment model, millet drought in Northern China will still be dominated by middle hazard in the future, but the areas with high hazard will gradually increase, mainly distributed in northeast China, central and western Inner Mongolia and northern Gansu. The research results can be of great practical significance for the adjustment of agricultural production structure in the future, especially for the sustainable development of agriculture and the formulation of measures to prevent and resist agricultural disasters. [Display omitted] • We apply SPRI to identify millet drought by considering actual water demand. • Future changes of millet drought evaluated by CMIP6-GCM models. • Hazard assessment model was presented combined with disaster loss coefficient. • The areas with high hazard of millet drought will gradually increase in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing lead-free ferroelectrics BiFeO 3 with polarized electric field for tuning charge-transport properties in piezo-photocatalytic and ferro-photoelectrochemical (PEC) is highly desired but also challenging, especially defects such as impurity phases and oxygen vacancies lead to the weak polarization and large leakage current of BiFeO 3. Here, we used a facile electrospinning strategy to modify BiFeO 3 nanofibers by A-site Pr ion and B-site Mn ion co-doping. In this way, the concentrations of oxygen vacancies and valence of Fe3+ to Fe2+ were significantly inhibited, and the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of the rhombohedral (R) to tetragonal (T) phase was obtained, resulting in better ferroelectric performances and lower leakage current. Thus, BiPrFeMnO 3 nanofibers was able to generate a large piezoelectric potential through magnetic stirring (piezoelectric effect) and light irradiation (photocatalytic effect), resulting in superior piezo-photocatalytic performance with a degradation rate of 0.1352 min−1 for rhodamine B, which was 8.29, 4.3 and 4.2 times higher than that of BiFeO 3 , BiPrFeO 3 and BiFeMnO 3 , respectively. In addition, optimized PEC performance by controlling the polarization state was observed in BiPrFeMnO 3. The photocurrent could be effectively tuned by more than 16 times (8.2 −131.2 μA·cm−2 at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl) under irradiation of simulated sunlight by tuning the poling voltage between + 4 and − 4 V. Meanwhile, the onset potential switched from − 0.16 to − 0.18 V, which was favorable for the PEC reactions. Our present work gives a clear understanding of the role of ferroelectric polarization and solar energy conversion and provides a way to develop highly efficient piezo-/ferroelectric nanomaterials. We propose elemental substitution of A-site and B-site in BiFeO 3 -based Pb-free ferroelectric nanofiber to improve the ferroelectric properties and reduce the concentrations of oxygen vacancies and Fe2+. Furthermore, this driving force for charge separation directly contributes to the enhancement of the piezo-photocatalysis degradation of RhB and ferro-photoelectrochemical activity in Pr and Mn co-doped BiFeO 3 ferroelectrics. [Display omitted] • An effective strategy to improve the ferroelectric properties and reduce the concentrations of oxygen vacancies by introducing elemental substitution in BiFeO 3 nanofibers. • The BiPrFeMnO 3 nanofibers possess superb piezo-photocatalysis degradation activity with a reaction rate of 0.1352 min-1, which is 8.3 times higher than BiFeO 3 nanofibers. • The photocurrent could be effectively tuned by 16 times (8.2−131.2 μA·cm−2 at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl) under light irradiation by tuning the poling voltage between +4 and −4 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate photonic nanojets (PNJs) generated from silicon-based cuboids and grating structures. The cuboid structure consists of a base microcuboid and a nanocuboid sitting on top. By tuning the parameters of cuboids and surrounding medium, we show that ultra-narrow PNJs with spot sizes between 82 nm (~ λ /7.8) and 86 nm (~ λ /7.4) can be achieved under a 638 nm TE-polarized light illumination. These results are comparable to the solid immersion resolution limit of λ /7.8 for silicon lenses, but significantly exceeding the half wavelength limit in air. By arranging an array of hybrid-cuboids structures into a grating structure, we show that the PNJ resolution can be pushed beyond the solid immersion limit, reaching λ /8.3 with spot size ~77 nm. This is one of the highest optical resolutions reported to date for a visible light PNJ array generated by a grating and may find applications in sensing and lithography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic biochar adsorbents often suffer from the uneven distribution and shedding problems of nanoparticles. In this study, a one-pot sol-gel pyrolysis method was proposed to synthesize a MnFe 2 O 4 functionalized magnetic sawdust-based biochar (MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC) for efficient removal of diclofenac sodium (DCF). The MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC was characterized by XRD, Raman, VSM, TG-DSC, SEM, TEM, BET, FTIR and XPS. The results demonstrated that the combination of sol-gel and sawdust effectively led to a homogeneous distribution of MnFe 2 O 4 on biochar and the MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC possessed a much richer pore structure and functional groups than the original biochar. A systematic comparison of MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC with commercial activated carbon (CAC) was conducted by analyzing the effects of initial pH, adsorbent dosage, coexisting ions, contact time and temperature on their adsorption performance. Based on the adsorption isotherm study, the maximum adsorption capacity of MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC was predicted to be 352.17 mg/g, which was almost 3.5 times that of CAC. Selectivity adsorption study and real water-based removal experiment further demonstrated the satisfactory adsorption selectivity and applicability of MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC for DCF. This study reveals that the one-pot sol-gel pyrolysis is a promising method for synthesizing excellent magnetic biochar adsorbents. [Display omitted] • The sawdust-based biochar was prepared by one-pot sol-gel pyrolysis method. • The sol-gel procedure favored the homogeneous distribution of MnFe 2 O 4 in biochar. • MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC had abundant functional groups along with graded pore structure. • The adsorption prformance of MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC overtook commercial activated carbon. • The MnFe 2 O 4 @SBC had good selectivily and real sample applicability for DCF removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] To improve the measurement resolution and accuracy of the grating displacement sensor, this paper proposes an image signal denoising method of grating linear displacement sensors based on NLM. Firstly, the optical system is designed to load the displacement information into the fringe image based on the grating pitch; Then, the principle of NLM image denoising is studied, and the inverse ratio kernel NLM denoising algorithm is designed; Thirdly, the effect of denoising algorithm is compared with the typical kernel function; Finally, the optimized image is used for displacement demodulation. The experimental results show that the SNR of the image is 30.1370db after denoising by this algorithm, and the high-precision displacement stage is set at 20 nm, 40 nm, and, 60 nm. Using the method in this paper, the positioning can be calculated to 22.7 nm, 38.2 nm, and 63.3 nm, and the sub-pixel positioning of the image and the nanopositioning measurement of the displacement are completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fitting drought intensity and yield loss rate to construct sensitivity curves. • Considering millet planting climatic suitability as a potential exposure index. • A perfect index system suitable for millet drought risk assessment was built. • Distribution and dynamic migration characteristics of millet drought risk were analyzed. Due to the improvement of living standards and the adjustment of dietary structure, the cereal industry shows excellent growth prospects. Clarifying millet drought risk distribution and determining its dynamic evolution characteristics are therefore of great importance for guiding millet production, preventing drought risks, and ensuring food security. In this study, SPRI was used to identify millet drought, and drought intensity-yield loss rate curves were constructed to characterize millet drought sensitivity. The potential exposure of millet was explored by considering millet climatic suitability and farmland proportion. In light of this, a comprehensive assessment of millet drought risk in different growth periods was made using natural disaster risk theory. The results showed that: (1) The sensitivity model for each growth period had passed the F-test of α = 0.05 (R2 were 0.544, 0.408 and 0.347 respectively), reaching a significant level, which proved that the model can be used to assess millet drought sensitivity. (2) More than 70 % of Liaoning Province had a suitable climatic environment for millet production. Combined with the farmland proportion, the area with high potential exposure was distributed in the central region of Liaoning. (3) The millet drought risk in different growth periods showed a characteristic distribution of high in the northwest and low in the southeast. Among them, Chaoyang had the largest high and extremely high drought risk area in the three growth periods, accounting for 92.11 %, 99.34 % and 98.86 % respectively. At the same time, the center-of-gravity model shows that the barycenter of millet drought risk has a trend of spreading from the west of Liaoning to the northeast and southwest. To sum up, the millet drought risk area in Liaoning may increase in the future, measures should be taken to prevent and mitigate millet drought from three aspects: before, during and after the disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Realizing excellent fusion of optical fiber and lithium-ion battery. • Implementation of internal temperature monitor by implanting FBG. • FBG sensor displays better signal-to-noise ratio than thermocouple. • The internal temperature is 3.83 °C higher than the external temperature at 2C. • Revealing relationship between charge/discharge rates and temperature gradient. Current cell performance monitoring, which relies on measurements of sporadic surface temperature through the battery management system (BMS), does not provide a reliable information on the true internal battery state. Here we proposed and demonstrated in-operation temperature monitoring of lithium-ion batteries using an implanted femtosecond-laser-inscribed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. For comparison, both FBG and thermocouple are simultaneously implanted in an 18650 cell. Over repeat cycles with different conditions (0.5C, 1C and 2C), we experimentally demonstrated that implanted FBG and thermocouple sensors show very similar temperature response curves but the FBG sensor provide a much better signal-to-noise ratio. The monitored internal temperature by FBG is 3.71 °C higher than the external temperature during 2C cycling, demonstrating the necessity to record internal temperature especially at long cycles and higher rates within BMS. This operando FBG sensor is a powerful tool in current battery monitoring and its state-of-health evolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, it is necessary to study the influence of extreme climate and concurrent events on crop growth. The study area was the Songliao Plain, where drought events frequently occur. First, the daily meteorological data of 14 meteorological stations from 1981 to 2016 were collected to analyze the temporal and spatial changes in the crop water surplus and deficit index, extreme growing degree-days, and heat stress intensity during different growth stages of maize. Second, the cloud model was used to describe the fuzziness of concurrent events (simultaneous drought and heat), and mutual mapping between qualitative and quantitative data was undertaken. The fuzzy certainty degree of the influence of different degrees of concurrent events on maize was calculated. Third, the copula function was used to describe the randomness of concurrent extreme events and calculate the joint probability distribution and return period. An assessment method was proposed for concurrent events from the perspective of system uncertainty. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between concurrent events and maize yield, which showed different degrees of water deficit and warming trends during each growth period. Crops were most affected by extreme weather during the reproductive growth period (RGP). During the vegetative growth period (VGP), the temperature increase was higher than in other periods, especially in the high-latitude region. The frequency of mild concurrent events was higher during the VGP and RGP. During the vegetative and reproductive period, the average occurrence probability of mild, moderate, and severe concurrent events was 21.9%, 1.7%, and 0.35%, respectively, whereas during the RGP, it was 23.1%, 8.2%, and 0.12%, respectively. The present study provides a meaningful reference for a better understanding of the occurrence laws of drought, heat, and concurrent events during crop growth periods and how to optimize the agricultural management of maize. • Cloud model qualitative and quantitative mapping of drought and heat events. • Copula function was used to describe the randomness of concurrent extreme events. • Vegetative growth periods (VGP) and reproductive growth periods (RGP) were modelled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Overall, climate warming is beneficial to sugarcane distribution. • There is a risk of drought in the main sugarcane producing areas. • The cropland fragmentation is significant in sugarcane climate suitable area. • The sugar industry has faced challenges seriously in recent years under global warming and human factors. Guangxi is the primary producer of sugarcane in China and provides a highly suitable habitat for sugarcane growth. However, its distribution range has changed significantly in recent years due to climate change as well as human factors. Without extensive knowledge of the changing trends in suitable sugarcane planting areas, efforts to improve its productivity in Guangxi may be insufficient. In this study, the interdecadal change in sugarcane distribution in Guangxi in response to climate change from 1960 to 2019 was estimated using the MaxEnt model and the landscape pattern of land use in the suitable sugarcane area was analyzed. In addition, we discuss the effects of global warming on sugarcane production in the sustainable development of the sugar industry in Guangxi. Our results indicate: (1) from 1960 to 2019, approximately 65% of Guangxi Province could grow sugarcane. Chongzuo City, Nanning City and Parts of Baise City, are highly suitable areas, and unsuitable areas are mainly concentrated in the north. In general, sugarcane climate suitability extended further in low-altitude areas, and then extended to high- altitude areas. However, from the 2000s to the 2010s, climate suitability showed a decreasing trend, decreasing from 16.036 × 106 ha to 15.4985 × 106 ha (2) The order of land use area in the suitable sugarcane climate range was as follows: woodland > cropland > grassland > construction land > water. With the increase in climate suitability, the distribution of cultivated land expanded. From 1980 to 2005, cropland in suitable areas showed a fragmentation trend. By 2010, the cropland patches disappeared after fragmentation. (3) Due to landscape constraints, infertile soil, and labor costs, the sugar industry faces various challenges. The evaluation of climate suitability could provide a theoretical reference for a planting layout of sugarcane, and landscape pattern analysis of suitable sugarcane climate areas is conducive to the integration of small pieces of land into large ones, making mechanization possible. Overall, strict layout and management measures are required in sugarcane planting areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]