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As a kind of bio-based polymer, poly (lactic acid) has potential application in fibers fields. Due to the weak nucleation ability, PLA crystallizes slowly and forms large spherulites during the forming process, which deteriorates the properties of PLA fibers. In this work, melt-spun method is employed for the fabrication of PLA/T composite fibers using succinate diphenyl dihydrazide (TMC-306) as the nucleating agent, and then the hot-drawing and heat setting is performed to the as-spun fibers. Compared with pure PLA fibers, PLA/T fibers show faster crystallization rate and improved performance due to the synergistic effect of heterogeneous nucleation and stress-induced crystallization. The characterization of non-isothermal crystallization behavior indicates that the peak crystallization temperature as well as crystallinity of PLA composites is increased to 121.5 °C and 36.78 % respectively by blending 0.3 wt% TMC-306. Meanwhile, the obtained PLA/0.3T composite fibers are highly crystallized and oriented at hot-drawing ratio of 2.4 folds and heat setting temperature of 100 °C, and the conformational stability is noticeably enhanced. Further, the tensile strength and storage modulus of PLA/0.3T composite fiber are 3.46 cN/dtex and 46,953 MPa respectively, which are increased by 42 % and 41 % compared with neat PLA fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A fast and sensitive method was established for determination of 12 analytes. • The pharmacokinetics of Zingiberis Rhizoma − Jujubae Fructus herb pair were profiled. • The absorption of the analytes was decreased in the stomach cold syndrome rats. • The compatibility of the herb pair promoted the absorption of analytes in model rats. The Zingiberis Rhizoma − Jujubae Fructus herb pair (ZJHP) is a classic herb pair in traditional Chinese medicine. The herb pair shows the effect of dispelling cold, harmonizing the middle and improving gastrointestinal function, and is widely used for patients with stomach cold syndrome (SCS), stomachache and anemofrigid cold. The gingerols, shogaols, flavonoids and triterpenic acids are the important bioactive ingredients of ZJHP. However, few pharmacokinetic studies have been investigated in vivo for the above compounds. To comprehend the kinetics of active components and promote their curative application, a fast and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was established for simultaneous determination of 12 analytes in normal and SCS rats in this study. The results showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters (C max , T max , t 1/2z , MRT 0-t , AUC 0-t and AUC 0-∞) in SCS model were significantly different from those in normal rats. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of rats given ZJHP were also varied from single herb oral administration, especially in model condition. These results indicated that the in vivo processes of the above analytes changed under pathological conditions and the compatibility of the herb pair could significantly influence the absorption of active components, which might provide an insight and further supports for the clinical application of ZJHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This review presents the advancements in water treatment using metal sulfide-based AOPs. • This review summarizes recent progress in the synthesis and applications of metal sulfides. • The research progress on metal sulfides as either co-catalysts or catalysts is analyzed. • The challenges and perspectives on metal sulfide-based AOPs for water treatment are proposed. Catalytic advanced oxidation processes (CAOPs) have received considerable attention for wastewater treatment. However, the insufficient stability of catalysts, coupled with the sluggish regeneration of active sites, poses a limitation to the sustained performance of CAOPs in practical applications over prolonged periods. To overcome these challenges, accelerating the M(n+1)+/Mn+ redox cycle (where M denotes transition metals and n denotes oxidation state) of catalysts during the treatment process emerges as a highly promising approach. This approach not only holds the potential to enhance efficiency but also offers a comprehensive solution for bolstering the stability of CAOPs. This comprehensive review summarizes the advancements in metal sulfide research, specifically emphasizing the evolving trend from homogeneous to heterogeneous reductants, with the objective of expediting the redox cycles of catalysts. The catalytic and co-catalytic roles of various metal sulfides, including MoS 2 , WS 2 , transition metals doped MoS 2 /WS 2 , iron sulfides, S-modified zero valent-iron, S-doped iron oxides, non-iron metals sulfides, S-modified layered double hydroxides, and S-based single-atom catalysts, in CAOPs, have been systematically summarized. These studies specifically concentrate on accelerating the M(n+1)+/Mn+ redox cycles of catalysts, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency, stability, and catalytic performance of both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives related to the applications of metal sulfide-based CAOPs for wastewater treatment were proposed to assist researchers in making efficient and stable heterogeneous Fenton/Fenton-like systems for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When applied to visual tasks, the diffractive neural network (DNN) based on light propagation between diffractive layers has advantages of all-optical, flexible, low-cost, easy to use as a plug-in, and also has good scalability. As the DNN goes deeper, some problems appear: slow convergence, over-fitting of network parameters, disappearance and explosion of gradients. Most of these problems are related to the redundancy of neurons brought by the standard size diffraction layer. Moreover, the energy loss caused by diffraction layer is inevitable. In this paper, we introduced a pyramid-ladder diffractive neural network (PDNN) which is high efficiency, low cost, strong scalability, able to improve DNN performance through imitation of residual structure and restrict gradients without additional optical hardware. What is more, the unique structure makes achievable layers number of PDNN break through the limitations of hardware and materials, so as to deal with complex problems such as object tracking. We also extended the network in multiple dimensions to make full use of the light and leverage the pyramid-ladder module as fundamental bricks. Code and an auxiliary software integrating functions of diffraction, 4 − f imaging system, supplementary light parameter selection assistance and pre-trained models for mechanism demonstration are available upon request. • A pyramid-ladder model improves DNN performance by imitating residual structure. • A strategy is proposed to increase DNN layers, reducing signal loss under limited hardware. • A paradigm of the diffractive neural network under multi-modal light inputs. • An auxiliary software "PDNNEDU" integrates optical calculation and trained models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Spectral stitching improves the detection ability towards minor and trace species. • Comprehensive molecular information and transfer behavior of O and N atoms are revealed. • Similarity and difference of samples are visually exhibited in PCA and HCA plots. The combination of mass spectrometry (MS) data and chemometrics methods is conducive to obtaining more comprehensive molecular information and evaluating the transfer behavior of O and N atoms during the conversion of biomass and coal. In this work, 12 thermal dissolution (TD) extracts of coal/biomass samples and the catalytic hydrogenation products of TD extracts were analyzed by Orbitrap MS using spectral stitching and in-source collision-activated dissociation (ISCAD) methods. Spectral stitching improves the detection ability towards minor and trace species, enhancing the number of identified compounds by two times. Meanwhile, ISCAD provides more comprehensive molecular structure information, which can illustrate the transfer patterns of heteroatoms and deepen the understanding of the structural characteristics of aromatic rings during the conversion of biomass and coal. Two chemometrics methods, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), were introduced to dig out the detailed similarities and differences between O-containing and N-containing compounds in coal and biomass. HCA method not only recognized the category of O-containing and N-containing compounds in each sample, but also showed the removal behavior of O and N atoms in biomass and coal. Thus, the combination of MS methods and chemometrics method is expected to provide methodological support to elucidate the molecular structure and conversion pathways for complex coal and biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of smart grid, capacity of wind power that connects to the grid increases gradually, which makes the continuous and stable operation of wind turbine (WT) critically important. Therefore, by considering gearbox structure and operating condition, a diagnosis approach for coupling faults of WT gearbox is proposed based on multitask parallel convolutional neural network with reinforced input (RI-MPCNN). The overall information array of gearbox that fuses wavelet packet transform of vibration signals, domain knowledge of gearbox components and operating condition s used as RI-MPCNN input. Then, RI-MPCNN that has parallel sub-convolutional neural networks (sub-CNNs) and multiple classifiers realizes the diagnosis of coupling faults of multiple components simultaneously. Meanwhile, a reinforced input is added to each sub-CNN to improve the diagnosis accuracy of each component. It is notable that the proposed approach not only fuses the overall gearbox information at system level, but also realizes fault diagnosis at component level. In the approach evaluation based on two case studies, the proposed approach can improve diagnosis accuracies by about 3 and 20% compared with the existing methods, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 3D hierarchically porous zero-valent iron (3D-ZVI) was fabricated via 3D printing. • 3D-ZVI showed a catalytic activity comparable to Fe powder with less Fe leaching. • 3D-ZVI retained its excellent catalytic efficiency even after 45 cycles. • The role of high-valent iron-oxo in the 3D-ZVI/PMS system was investigated. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) has emerged as an efficient catalyst for facilitating the decomposition of organic pollutants. However, practical applications of ZVI remain limited owing to its susceptibility towards oxidation and agglomeration. Herein, we utilize 3D printing to fabricate hierarchically porous ZVI (3D-ZVI), which displays a high level of printing precision and superb compression resistance. The 3D-ZVI catalyst can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade a diverse selection of organic contaminants. Notably, while the catalytic activity of 3D-ZVI is comparable to that of Fe powder under similar conditions, the concentration of leached Fe ions of the former is 6.3 times lower than that of the latter. Moreover, 3D-ZVI is capable of maintaining an efficient catalytic performance throughout 45 continuous reactions, which is significantly superior to most previously reported powder catalysts. The high-valent iron-oxo species generated in the 3D-ZVI/PMS system are primarily responsible for contaminant removal, while hydroxyl and sulfate radicals play a lesser role. Additionally, the degradation intermediates and their toxicity levels are investigated. This work provides insight into the practical applications of the ZVI/PMS system, and it also serves as a guide for the rational design of efficient and stable catalysts that can be conveniently recovered from aqueous environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stable isotope and multielement were first used for origin tracing of ginger. • Untargeted metabolomics was analyzed for ginger origin traceability. • Chemometric models showed good discrimination of gingers from different regions. • The KNN, SVM and RF models achieved better discriminant performance. • The mid-level fused dataset improved the discriminant efficiency. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a high-value food and herb worldwide. The quality of ginger is often related to its production regions. In this study, stable isotopes, multiple elements, and metabolites were investigated together to realize ginger origin traceability. Chemometrics showed that ginger samples could be preliminarily separated, and 4 isotopes (δ 13C, δ 2H, δ 18O, and δ 34S), 12 mineral elements (Rb, Mn, V, Na, Sm, K, Ga, Cd, Al, Ti, Mg, and Li), 1 bioelement (%C), and 143 metabolites were the most important variables for discrimination. Furthermore, three algorithms were introduced, and the fused dataset based on VIP features led to the highest accuracies for origin classification, with predictive rates of 98% for K-nearest neighbor and 100% for support vector machine and random forest. The results demonstrated that isotopic, elemental, and metabolic fingerprints were useful indicators for the geographical origins of Chinese ginger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The combined application of EZH2 inhibitors and Salmonella -delivered PD-1 siRNA can further inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer cell. • EZH2 inhibitors could not only significantly inhibit the survival of colon cancer cells and induce apoptosis, but also effectively inhibit cell invasion and migration in vitro and vivo. • This study suggests an emerging strategy based on a combination of immunomodulatory and immune response-promoting therapies. Immunotherapy has made significant progress in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, strategies to combine immunotherapy with anticancer drugs have attracted great attention due to the low response rate and unique toxicity profile of immunotherapies and the subsequent development of acquired resistance in some initial responders. EZH2, a histone methyl transferase subunit of a Polycomb repressor complex, is highly expressed in a variety of tumors, and targeting EZH2 has become a new strategy for tumor therapy and drug combination. Here，we studied the effect of EZH2 inhibitors on colorectal cancer cells and their combination with immunotherapy. Our results demonstrated that EZH2 inhibitors can not only significantly inhibit the survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and induce apoptosis, effectively inhibit cell invasion and migration, but also cause an increase in the expression of PD-L1 receptors on the cell surface. To determine the effect of EZH2 in combination with immunotherapy, we combine EZH2 inhibitors with PD-1 siRNA delivered by attenuated Salmonella. The vivo experiments have shown that the combination of EZH2 inhibitors and Salmonella-delivered PD-1 siRNA can further inhibit the development of CRC, trigger effective anti-tumor immunity, and improve therapeutic efficacy. Its underlying mechanisms mainly involve synergistic immunomodulation and apoptosis. This study suggests an emerging strategy based on a combination of EZH2 inhibitor and immunotherapy based on PD-1 inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study was performed to estimate the diagnostic blood loss (DBL) volume during hospitalization and investigate its relationship with the development of moderate to severe hospital acquired anemia (HAA) and increased number of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion following extensive burns.Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of adult burned patients with total body surface area (TBSA) burn larger than 40%, who were admitted to burn center of Changhai hospital between January 2005 and December 2017.Results: We included a final number of 157 patients in the present study. Moderate to severe HAA within the fourth week postburn was developed in 46 of 121 patients who stayed over 28-day hospitalization. Patients with moderate to severe HAA had both significantly higher total DBL volume [245 (IQR: 183.75, 325.25) mL vs 168 (119, 163) mL ; P = 0.001] and DBL volume per day [10.22 (IQR: 8.57, 12.38) mL vs 6.63 (5.22, 10.42) mL/day; P = 0.005]. Logistic regression analysis revealed that both DBL volume per day and TBSA burn were independent risk factors for the development of moderate to severe HAA.Conclusions: Severely burned patients appear to be prone to develop HAA during hospitalization. The DBL volume contribute to the occurrence of moderate to severe HAA, which might be a modifiable target for preventing HAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CZ48 was incorporated into PLA microbubbles via a double emulsion technique. • The encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading content were ˜85.73% and 26.07%. • The half-life time of CZ48 and CPT of CZ48-loaded microbubbles was enhanced. • Controlled release of CZ48–loaded microbubbles was achieved in vitro and in vivo. CZ48, a prodrug of camptothecin (CPT) with derivative resistant to lactone hydrolysis, suffers from limited application for cancer treatment due to poor water-solubility, thus causing its low bioavailability and absorption in vivo. To echo this problem, CZ48 was incorporated into poly (lactic acid) (PLA) microbubbles via a double emulsion technique (W/O/W), and the successful loading was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The obtained CZ48-loaded microbubbles had a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 6.7 μm, and the encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading content were as high as 85.73 ± 2.41% and 26.07 ± 0.76%, respectively. The in vitro drug release demonstrated that only about 55% of CZ48 was released for CZ48-loaded PLA microbubbles in 48 h. In contrast, over 90% of CZ48 was released for free CZ48 crystals sample in only 5 h. Besides, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies further revealed that the availability of both CZ48 and its metabolite CPT were obviously enhanced after the incorporation of CZ48 into PLA microbubbles. To be noted, the value of AUC 0-∞ of the CZ48-loaded microbubbles was about 5-fold higher than that of free CZ48 suspension, implying a much higher anticancer effect of the CZ48-loaded microbubbles. The half-life time (T 1/2) of both CZ48 and CPT of the CZ48-loaded microbubbles were also significantly longer than that of the free CZ48, indicating a delayed release time for the microbubbles. Hence, this work promotes a promising drug carrier system for the controlled release of CZ48 as well as other drugs with poor water-solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Closing the resource loop by transforming plastic waste into higher value products is an important step for changing from a linear to circular economy. Using a sequential pyrolysis and catalytic chemical vapour deposition process, plastics have been successfully converted into carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Pure low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and mixed plastics (MP) were used as raw materials in the two-stage process. In the first stage, the plastics were pyrolysed at 600 °C. In the second stage, the non-condensable gases were converted into multi-walled CNTs over a Ni-based catalyst at two different temperatures, 500 and 800 °C. The influence of plastic feedstock and synthesis temperature on the performance of plastic-derived CNTs as electrode materials in electrocatalysis was investigated. The CNTs were evaluated as electrode materials for their heterogeneous electron transfer rate using a redox probe, which showed improved electrochemical behaviour. For oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), CNTs produced at 500 °C demonstrated superior performance compared to those produced at 800 °C. Influence of feedstock on electrocatalytic ORR activity of the as synthesised CNTs was marginal. Temperature was the governing factor influencing the properties of CNTs due to annealing and oxidation of edge defects generated during synthesis at higher temperatures. • Plastics were converted to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and used as electrode material. • Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction was observed using plastic derived CNTs electrodes. • CNTs synthesised at 500 °C performed better than those synthetized at 800 °C. • Higher defect density and lower amount of oxidised sites enhanced electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Plastic increased total plant 15N uptake rather than Open. • More residual 15N was recovered in 0–120 cm soil under Plastic than under Open. • The ridge was the main N fertilizer source for plant uptake. • Lateral N movements from furrow to ridge and from ridge to furrow were observed. Abstract A better understanding of the fate and transport of fertilizer nitrogen (N) is critical to maximize crop yields and minimize negative environmental impacts. Plastic film mulching is widely used in drylands to increase soil water use efficiency and crop yields, but the effects on fertilizer N use efficiency need to be evaluated. A field experiment with 15N-urea (260 kg N ha−1) was conducted to determine the fate and transport of fertilizer N in a ridge-furrow system with plastic film mulched ridge (Plastic), compared with a flat system without mulching (Open). In the Plastic, the 15N-urea was applied to the ridge only (Plastic-Ridge), or to the furrow only (Plastic-Furrow). Maize grain yield and net economic benefit for Plastic were significantly higher (by 9.7 and 8.5%, respectively) than those for Open. Total plant 15N uptake was 72.5% greater in Plastic compared with Open, and 15N was allocated mostly to the grain. Losses of the applied urea-N were 54.5% lower in Plastic and much more residual 15N was recovered in 0–120 cm soil compared with Open (42.7 and 26.8% of applied 15N, respectively). Lateral N movements from furrow to ridge and from ridge to furrow were observed and attributed to lateral movement of soil water due to microtopography of ridges and furrows and uneven soil water and heat conditions under mulching and plant water uptake. The ridges were the main N fertilizer source for plant uptake (96.5 and 3.5% of total N uptake in Plastic from ridge and furrow, respectively) and the furrow was the main source of N losses (78.6 and 21.4% of total N losses in Plastic from furrow and ridge, respectively). Gas emissions, especially ammonia volatilization was probably the main N loss in furrow. Thus, appropriately localized N application – into the ridges, and management strategies should be designed for Plastic to maximize N use efficiency by crops, decrease N gas losses and maintain sustainable agricultural systems in drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystals with mixed anions refer to inorganic salts containing at least two types of anions or anionic groups, and these anions can be Q 2− (Q = O, S, Se, Te) and X − (X = F, Cl, Br, I), and anionic groups include various B–O groups, (OH) − , (IO 3 ) − , (CO 3 ) 2− , (SiO 4 ) 4− , (NO 3 ) 3− and (PO 4 ) 3− . Recently, in view of the insufficiency and strong requirements of second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, especially ones in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) and middle and far-infrared (MFIR) regions, the study of NLO crystals have received intensive interest from researchers. For a NLO crystal candidate, desirable properties include large NLO coefficients, high laser-induced damage threshold values, phase matchabilities and wide transparent windows. The availability of the former two properties is especially problematic since the structural factor influences them in reverse order. To balance them, it is necessary to introduce different anions into the structure to induce them to function differently. Under the guidance of anionic group theory and the functional moiety concept, many NLO crystals with mixed anions have been obtained. However, to date, a systematic survey of this topic has not been carried out. In this review, recently reported NLO crystals with mixed anions are summarized, the contents of which are mainly focused on their crystal structures and NLO behaviors, together with the relationship between these two aspects. It is hoped that this work will provide a useful perspective on the most promising NLO candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic deoxygenation of coal enhances the stability and combustion performance of coal-derived liquid fuels. However, determination of the selectivity of removal of oxygen atoms incorporated in or residing outside of aromatic rings is challenging. This limits the ability to evaluate the success of catalytic deoxygenation processes. A mass spectrometric method, in-source collision-activated dissociation (ISCAD), combined with high resolution product ion detection, is demonstrated to allow the determination of whether the oxygen atoms are in aromatic compounds reside outside of aromatic rings or part of the aromatic system, because alkyl chains can be removed from aromatic cores via ISCAD. Application of this method for the analysis of a subbituminous coal treated using a supported catalyst revealed that the catalytic treatment reduced the number of oxygen-containing heteroaromatic rings but not the number of oxygen atoms residing outside the aromatic rings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of the species of chlorine is crucial in the metropolis-Beijing, which is suffering serious haze pollution with high frequency. Particulate Matters (PMs) with five different sizes were collected in Beijing from July 2009 to March 2016, and characterized non-destructively by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. PM <0.2 , PM 0.2-0.5 and PM >2.5 contributed for the major PMs mass in spring and summer, PM 0.5-1.0 and PM 1.0-2.5 contributed for the major PMs mass in autumn and winter. The concentrations of the three chlorine species were in the order of inorganic chlorine (Cl inorg ) > aliphatic chlorine (Cl ali ) > aromatic chlorine (Cl aro ), indicating that Cl inorg constituted the primary chlorine fraction and less toxic Cl ali constituted the primary total organic chlorine (Cl ali + Cl aro , abbreviated as Cl org ) in the PMs in Beijing. In addition, these three chlorine species exhibited identical seasonal variation in PM 2.5 : winter > autumn > spring > summer. Wet precipitation is an important factor to result in the lower mass concentrations of these three chlorine species in summer. The temporal variations of both size resolved PM mass concentrations and chlorine species concentrations suggested that the air pollution prevention and control in Beijing has just won initial success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit of Ziziphus jujuba ( Jujubae Fructus ) has been used as food and crude drug for thousands of years. Although several chemical and biological studies have revealed triterpenic acid as the main bioactive constituent of Jujubae Fructus responsible for immune-regulatory activity, only few pharmacokinetic studies have been conducted. To comprehend the kinetics of triterpenic acids and promote their curative application, a sensitive and efficient ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry method (UPLC-MS/MS) was established. UPLC-MS/MS was applied for the simultaneous determination of ceanothic acid, epiceanothic acid, pomonic acid, alphitolic acid, maslinic acid, betulinic acid, and betulonic acid in normal and immunosuppressed rat plasma samples. After sample preparation, chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C 18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) with acetonitrile: methanol (1:1, v/v) and 0.5% ammonium acetate in water as mobile phase. The established method was validated and found to be specific, accurate, and precise for the seven triterpenic acids, and was successfully applied for the pharmacokinetic study of rat plasma samples. The results showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters (C max , T max , AUC 0–t , AUC 0–∞, and CLz/F) in the plasma samples of immunosuppressed rats were significantly different from those in normal rats, and might provide an insight for the clinical usage of triterpenic acids from Jujubae Fructus . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Chinese medicine Kushen ( Radix Sophorae flavescentis ) is medicinally used for the subterraneous root leaving the stems, leaves and seeds as a major industrial waste. The application value of the Sophora flavescens seed is worth of attention. Herein, it was intended to characterize the mature S. flavescens seed for their phytochemicals composition in alkaloids, fatty acids, polysaccharide, protein, nucleosides and nucleobases. In addition, their bioactivities such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were also evaluated through different in vitro biochemical assays. The mature S. flavescens seed is rich in alkaloids, linoleic acid and crude protein, which exhibit excellent antibacterial, antioxidant activity and nutritional value. The phytochemical profiles and the bioactivities of S. flavescens seed endorse it a promising resource, which could be utilized in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industry as the raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding and tailoring of the electrochemistry of graphite is of significant industrial importance. We develop a method of etching pits into the basal planes of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) by electrolysis. The etching of HOPG was realized by performing electrochemical reactions at alternating potentials at room temperature, and the resulting membranes are characterized using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Etching only occurs when the electrolysis at negative bias is followed by a brief switch to a positive bias. The size of the etched pits can be tuned by varying the applied potential and reaction time, with deeper pits formed with increased redox cycles and reaction time. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that the electrochemical performance is enhanced greatly as etching progresses due to exposure of edge sites. For its ease of application, efficiency and low cost, our wet etching approach has great promise as a method to develop high active electrodes and nanoporous membranes at large scales for various industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the influence of new materials like nanoparticles in the water environment on biological substances has been widely studied. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent a new type of pollutant in the environment. Graphene oxide (GO), as a nano material, because of its unique structure, may have an impact on antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) and ARGs; however the research in this area is rarely reported. Therefore, this study mainly investigated the effects of GO on bacterial antibiotic resistance. The results showed that GO had a limited effect on ARB inactivation. A high concentration of GO (>10 mg/L) can damage resistant plasmids to reduce bacterial resistance to antibiotics, but low concentrations of GO (<1 mg/L) led to almost no damage to the plasmid. However, all tested concentrations of GO promoted the conjugative transfer from 1to over 3 folds, with low concentrations and high concentration (1–10 and 100 mg/L) of GO samples the least promoted. The overall effect of GO on antibiotic resistance needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past several years, many efforts have been made to develop polyanion-type cathode materials for sodium ion batteries by chemists and material scientists. These materials are one of the main types of promising cathodes though the studies are still in their infancy. This paper reviews almost all the important advances of polyanion-type cathodes on their syntheses, crystal structures, morphologies, electrochemical performance and Na redox mechanisms. It specifically focuses on their crystal chemistry and electrochemical behaviors. The contents are divided into several categories according to their chemical compositions. After introduction of the synthetic methods, phosphates (ortho-, pyro- and fluoro-), silicates, sulfates, and mixed anions type cathodes are summarized and discussed successively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechano-chemical method was used to synthesize solid solution Na(BH 4 ) 1-x Br x with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. Samples with compositions of x ≤ 0.333 were annealed, in order to form a single phase material. Bromide substitution leads to smaller unit cell size and lower temperature and enthalpy of the order-disorder phase transition of NaBH 4 . There is a linear relation between the amount of substitution, the temperature, the enthalpy and the kinetics of the phase transition. This linear relation between enthalpy and amount of substitution can be expressed by the function ΔH = −6.268x + 1.206 where x is the amount of substitution and ΔH is the enthalpy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α -LiFeO 2 and its nanocomposite with porous carbon ( α- LiFeO 2 / PC) is prepared by a simple one-step solid-state method. They are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectrum, and BET surface area analysis techniques. When composited with PC, α- LiFeO 2 particles with smaller sizes locate on the surface or insert in the pores of PC. α- LiFeO 2 /PC can deliver the first discharge capacity of 1830 mAh/g, and 792 mAh/g can be maintained after 120 cycles at 0.1 C. Its capacity can reach to 570 mAh/g after 120 cycles even at 1C. The facile preparation method and nice electrochemical data, together with cheap and eco-friendly iron sources, make α- LiFeO 2 /PC a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A palladium-catalyzed aroylation of NH-sulfoximines for the efficient synthesis of N -aroyl sulfoximines from aryl halides and chloroform has been developed. The mild reaction conditions (temperature, catalyst loading) and the use of a CO surrogate render this transformation a useful method for the synthesis of N -aroyl sulfoximines from available feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the industrial technology from coke oven gas to synthetic natural gas, a process of CO 2 recycle assistance with coke oven gas to synthetic natural gas is proposed, simulated, and optimized. The effects of key parameters on the performance of new system are investigated and the optimum parameters are determined. The coke oven gas reacts with the recycled CO 2 separated from the CO 2 -rich exhaust gas to produce syngas for synthetic natural gas production. This CO 2 recycle can significantly improve the hydrogen utilization efficiency in coke oven gas, which does not only increases the synthetic natural gas production and thus enhancing energy efficiency, but also reduces the CO 2 emission simultaneously. The results show that the energy and exergy efficiency (79.0% and 81.1%) of the new process is increased by 6.3 and 6.6 percent points, synthetic natural gas production cost and direct CO 2 emission reduced by 0.05 US$/m 3 and 99.9%, whereas the synthetic natural gas output increased by 20%, in comparison with the conventional coke oven gas to synthetic natural gas process. The proposed system provides a promising way for future improvements of coke oven gas to synthetic natural gas process, and can also be a guide for CO 2 utilization or CO 2 emission reduction in coking industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a flow shop scheduling problem in a production system where the machine setup times depend on their prior states. State-dependent setup times exist widely in thermal facilities such as boilers and furnaces. The fuzzy set theory is introduced to describe the uncertainty of processing times and due dates in this study. The goal of the proposed fuzzy flow shop scheduling problem is to dispatch jobs to the machines and to determine the job sequence and state transition of each machine to minimize energy consumption and tardiness. To most efficiently determine the impact of uncertainty, the problem is formulated based on accurate operations of fuzzy numbers, which differ from approximate calculations in the existing literature on scheduling. To solve the problem, two common pattern matching schemes and heuristics are proposed to be combined with the classical genetic algorithm. Computational experiments show that the proposed GA performs better than the random key GA method, especially for large problems. The numerical results also provide practical implications for the proposed problem. The state-dependent setup time constraint significantly influences the scheduling results. In addition, the objective can be improved by reducing the uncertainty of processing times and due dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration and development of second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) materials in the middle- and far infrared (MFIR) region are important and high profile topics in the fields of NLO, solid-state chemistry and laser. Common MFIR NLO materials are chalcogenides, halides, and iodates, which have a wide MFIR transparent range and large NLO coefficients. This review summarizes recent achievements on MFIR NLO materials, and specifically focuses on their crystal structures and NLO properties. Compared to known materials, the common choice for cations are alkali-metal Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs, the coin-metal Ag, and the alkali-earth metal Ba. Exploring mixed-anions materials could be one of the most promising solutions to obtaining NLO materials with both large second-harmonic generation (SHG) intensities and high laser induced damage thresholds (LIDTs). This review also summarizes functional moiety theory to elucidate the design of promising NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenton process has emerged as one of the most promising alternative strategies for wastewater treatment. Unfortunately, it is still challenging to deal with iron sludge generated during the process, which is of great importance for practical application. Here, we report a green way to modify iron sludge with low amount (0–2 wt%) of graphene as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst. XRD, FESEM, TEM, Raman and XPS results suggested that the iron sludge existed as FeOOH particles that were mainly entrapped inside the graphene sheet. BET results confirmed the mesoporous structure of the composites. Under the optimal conditions, the degradation rate of rhodamine B, acid red G and metronidazole by the iron sludge-graphene catalyst reached 99.0%, 98.5% and 91.8%, respectively, within 120 min. Moreover, the as-prepared catalyst exhibited wide pH operating range, excellent stability and reusability. The enhanced heterogeneous Fenton property of the composite as compared to bare iron sludge could be ascribed to the mesoporous structure, increased adsorption ability and the promoted ≡Fe III /≡Fe II cycle. This work not only provides a new idea of fabricating heterogeneous Fenton catalysts, but may also promote the application of homogeneous Fenton process for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five isostructural quaternary rare-earth sulfide Mg RE 6 Si 2 S 14 ( RE = Y, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm) have been successfully synthesized via high-temperature solid-state method. They crystallize in the hexagonal space group P 6 3 and belong to the MnLa 6 Si 2 S 14 structure type. Their 3-D structures are constructed by the connection between infinite 1-D [( RE 6 S 6 ) 6+ ] ∞ tubular and (SiS 4 ) 4– tetrahedron, and Mg 2+ ions occupy the octahedral interspaces in the [( RE 6 S 6 ) 6+ ] ∞ tubular. The lanthanide contraction phenomenon among these compounds is also discussed. Electronic structure calculation indicates that MgY 6 Si 2 S 14 has an indirect optical energy gap of 2.26 eV, and its optical absorption is mainly ascribed to the charge transition from S-3p to Y-4d states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A zero-valent copper (3D-ZVC) TPMS structure was fabricated via 3D printing. • 3D-ZVC can bear 13 kg of load, 8666 times higher than its own weight. • 3D-ZVC showed superior catalytic activity to Cu2+ and Cu powder in PMS activation. • 3D-ZVC is convenient to separate and displays excellent stability after 23 cycles. • Toxicity estimation analysis was used to evaluate the products of TC degradation. Three-dimensional (3D) printing has demonstrated great potential in wastewater purification. Herein, a facile 3D printing strategy is utilized to prepare zero-valent copper (3D-ZVC). The obtained 3D-ZVC framework displays a hierarchically porous structure and a rough surface, which correspond to excellent mechanical robustness and catalytic performance in degrading multiple organic pollutants through peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The 3D-ZVC/PMS/Vis system is capable of achieving a tetracycline (TC) degradation efficiency of over 96.5 % within 20 min, which greatly exceeds that of homogeneous Cu2+/PMS/Vis and contemporary powder/PMS/Vis systems as a result of the unique hierarchical porous structure and cycling of Cu(I)/Cu(II) in 3D-ZVC. Furthermore, the 3D-ZVC/PMS/Vis system exhibits a broad pH resistance range (3.21–10.18), spectacular adaptability, unparalleled stability, and excellent reusability after 23 successive cycles. Electrons and various reactive oxygen species, including SO 4 −, OH, O 2 −, and 1O 2 , are all involved in the decomposition of TC, with 1O 2 playing a dominant role. The influence parameters and possible intermediates of the 3D-ZVC/PMS/Vis system are investigated. Toxicity estimation analysis indicates that the toxicity of TC degradation products has been significantly reduced, which is further confirmed through growth control experiments of bean sprouts. This study highlights a prospective and feasible application of 3D printing in environmental remediation through PMS activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compacted graphite iron (CGI) is one of the structural materials of internal combustion engines. CGI is very difficult to fabricate by machining. In this paper, on the one hand, dry cutting and cutting fluid with different fluid pressures (pouring, 3–6 MPa) are used in machining of CGI to investigate the effects of fluid pressure on tool wear at different cutting speeds (100–300 m/min). On the other hand, cutting fluid is jetted in different directions (along rake face and flank face of cutting tool) to investigate jetting path's influences on the wears in the rake face and flank face of cutting tool. Wear morphologies of the cutting tool are analyzed with a 3D display system and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Wear-reducing effect of the high-pressure (6 MPa) cutting fluid is compared with those in the dry cutting, pouring fluid cutting, and low-pressure fluid cutting (3 MPa). Influences of fluid pressure variation on cooling and lubricant of cutting fluid in machining are discussed in the final. Results show that the high-pressure cutting fluid has excellent effect on reducing tool wear for both jetting along flank face and rake face of cutting tool. The wear-reducing of cutting tool will be more obvious with the increase of the fluid pressure. Compared with the jetting along rake face, the cutting fluid jetting along flank face can more effectively reduce flank wear. Wear-reducing effect of high-pressure cutting fluid at higher cutting speed is more remarkable than that at lower cutting speed. Crater wear is the main mode on rake face and adhesive and abrasive wear on flank face due to high cutting temperature and hard particles in CGI. The high penetration ability which increases workpiece-coolant contact area and the high convective heat transfer coefficient due to forced heat convection process of the high-pressure cutting fluid enhances its cooling and lubrication effect in machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new ternary rare-earth zirconium chalcogenides, Ce 2 ZrSe 5 ( 1 ), Pr 2 ZrSe 5 ( 2 ) and Nd 2 ZrSe 5 ( 3 ), have been synthesized by a facile solid-state route with boron as the reducing reagent. They crystallize in the space group Pnma of the orthorhombic system, belonging to the U 3 Se 5 structure type. Their 3-D structures are constructed by parallel polyanionic {[ZrSe 5 ] 6– } n chains and LnSe 8 bicapped trigonal prisms. The magnetic susceptibilities' data indicate their antiferromagnetic-like behavior without magnetic order down to 2 K. The structural relationships among several similar structures are discussed, together with the lanthanide contraction in the Ln 2 ZrSe 5 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A feature points-based combined interpolation method for non-matching meshes data transfer in FSI is proposed. • The combined interpolation is realized by means of Simpson's rule. • The influence of the weigh coefficient is investigated by comparative studies. • Applicability and improvement on data transfer accuracy are validated using a series of examples. For numerical simulations of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems, discretized meshes of different computational domains do not have to match at the common interface. Data transfer via the interface is therefore significantly affecting the accuracy of FSI. Implementing data transfer between such pairwise non-matching meshes is challenging, as it is highly desirable to yield numerical accuracy using methods such as interpolation or projection. To further improve the data transfer accuracy for mesh-based approaches, this study proposes a feature points-based combined interpolation method by means of Simpson's rule, with which an appropriate weighting coefficient is determined. Moreover, radial basis function (RBF) is employed to perform the interpolation of scattered data points. The proposed method is validated by a series of examples involving various non-matching mesh configurations in FSI problems. The numerical findings indicate that this method can further improve data transfer accuracy. Even for a critical case with large mesh ratio at the interface it can provide satisfying results. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Laser irradiation realizes ultra-thin localized Au Coating. • Laser irradiation increases the electrodeposition efficiency. • Laser irradiation improves the surface quality of Au coating. • Laser irradiation achieves precise regulation of dimensional accuracy. • Laser irradiation improves corrosion resistance of Au coating. Traditional electrodeposition requires auxiliary technologies such as mask to realize localized deposited layer. In this paper, ultra-thin Au coating can be obtained selectively by laser-induced electrodeposition without mask, which has advantages in dimensional accuracy, brightness, good compactness. The deposition rate, dimensional accuracy, density, roughness, and corrosion resistance were evaluated under different laser single pulse energy (4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, and 8 μJ). Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the transient temperature field and the change law of the cathode substrate current under laser irradiation were detected to explore the mechanism induced by laser thermal effect. The results show that laser irradiation can increase the cathode limit current density to reach the Au precipitation potential. Besides, the electrodeposition rate increases with the increase of laser single pulse energy. When the laser single pulse energy is 6 µJ, the electrodeposition rate reaches 0.167 mg/min. Meanwhile, the electrodeposition accuracy and surface density are better, and surface roughness (Sa) is 0.98 μm. Moreover, compared with the Au coating product provided by an electroplating enterprise, the coating prepared by laser-induced electrodeposition has better corrosion resistance. When the laser single pulse energy is 6 µJ, self-corrosion potential (φ corr) is −0.3059 V, and self-corrosion current density (j corr) is 5.066 × 10−5 A/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have poor prognoses due to a limited understanding of the pathogenesis of OSCC. Zinc finger protein (ZNF) is the largest transcription factor family in the human genome and exert diverse and important functions. Nevertheless, the exact expression status and molecular mechanism of ZNF71 have not been described in OSCC. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the specific expression level of ZNF71 in OSCC tissues and to further interpret the potential molecular mechanism of ZNF71 in the pathogenesis of OSCC. In-house immunohistochemical staining of 116 OSCC samples and 29 non-OSCC samples was employed to detect the expression status of ZNF71 at the protein level of OSCC tissues. Single-cell RNA sequencing data from 7 OSCC samples was used to explore the expression landscape of ZNF71 in different cell types from OSCC tissues. High-throughput RNA sequencing data and gene chips data from 893 OSCC samples and 301 non-OSCC samples were utilized to identify the specific expression level of ZNF71 at the bulk mRNA level of OSCC tissues. Here, standardized mean difference (SMD) value was applied to calculate the expression differences between OSCC group and non-OSCC group. Multiple datasets were included; hence, the results were considered to be more reliable. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the stability of the results. Enrichment analysis and immune infiltration analysis were used to explore the underlying molecular mechanism of ZNF71 in OSCC. ZNF71 was significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues at the protein level (SMD = −1.96, 95 % confidence interval [95 % CI]: −2.43 to −1.50). ZNF71 was absent in various cell types from OSCC tissues including cancerous epithelial cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells. ZNF71 was downregulated in OSCC tissues at the bulk mRNA level (SMD = −0.38, 95 % CI: −0.75 to −0.02). Enrichment analysis showed that positively and differentially co-expressed genes mainly concentrated on "herpes simplex virus 1 infection" and "regulation of plasma membrane bounded cell projection organization", and negatively and differentially co-expressed genes mainly participated in "cell cycle" and "DNA metabolic process". Moreover, the putative target genes of ZNF71 mainly participated in "cellular respiration" and "protein catabolic process". Finally, immune infiltration analysis revealed that ZNF71 expression was positively correlated with multiple immune cells including activated B cells, memory B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells, and negatively correlated with various immune cells, including CD56 bright NK cells, neutrophil, and immature dendritic cells. The downregulation of ZNF71 may influence the initiation and promotion of OSCC by reducing immune infiltration, accelerating cell cycle progression, and affecting metabolic process, and this requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME), a solvent-free extraction technique, is an effective, cost-saving, versatile, and easily automated assay for high sample throughput. This paper reviews the application of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for the analysis of flavors/off-flavors in wine, fruits, meats, cereal products and non-volatile compounds such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, endogenous substances and other contaminants in food samples. The future developments and potential applications of SPME methods in food analysis was looked ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance YiQiFuMai Powder Injection (YQFM) is a modern preparation derived from Sheng-mai San, a traditional Chinese prescription, widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, its potential molecular mechanism remains unclear. Aim of the study The present study was designed to observe the effect of YQFM on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced the brain microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction and to explore the underlying pathways in vitro . Methods A mouse brain microvascular endothelial cell line (bEnd.3) was subjected to OGD (2–9 h) to examine the efficacy and molecular mechanisms in the presence or absence of YQFM (100, 200 and 400 μg/ml). Results The results of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) assays demonstrated that treatment with YQFM increased the cell viability and TEER value, decreased even blue (EB) albumin leakage after OGD in bEnd.3 cells. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining showed that YQFM reduced the breakage and translocation of Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin-5 after 4 h of OGD and decreased the expression of these proteins after 9 h of OGD. Moreover, YQFM significantly inhibited the expression, phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB/p65 and decreased the expression of intercellular adhesionmolecule-1 (ICAM-1) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) as well as production of nitric oxide (NO). In addition, real time-PCR results revealed that YQFM suppressed the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) after 4 h of OGD. Furthermore, YQFM markedly inhibited both the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) and cytoskeletal reorganization and reduced the expression of cleaved-ROCK1 in bEnd.3 cells subjected to OGD. Conclusion These findings suggest that YQFM ameliorates the OGD-induced brain microvascular endothelial cell barrier disruption associated with the NF-κB/p65 and ROCK1/MLC signaling pathways. These data provide new insights into the use of this preparation for treating cerebrovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel 3-D network SeS x /NCPAN (nitrogen-doped carbonized polyacrylonitrile) ( x = 0.1 and 0) composites were prepared by one-step in situ solid-state method, directly heated the mixture of Se, S and PAN sealed in a quartz tube under vacuum, which was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. It is discovered that SeS 0.1 is dispersed in the 3-D network of NCPAN. The reversible electrode operation of SeS 0.1 at ca. 1.1 V vs Li was identified with the capacity of 1387 mAh/g and around 600 mAh/g maintained after 20 cycles, demonstrating much better electrochemical performance than Se/NCPAN. This is the first study on one-step in-situ preparation of SeS x /NCPAN composites as the active cathode material for lithium–ion battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decreasing rates of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine serotypes, the prevalence of invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in asthmatic patients remains high. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the susceptibility of the asthmatic airway to bacterial infections. In this study, we used a combined model of allergic airway inflammation and Streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection to investigate the association between persistent allergic inflammation in the airway and antibacterial host defenses against S. pneumoniae . When challenged with S. pneumoniae , allergic mice exhibited higher airway bacterial burdens, greater eosinophil infiltration, lower neutrophil infiltration, and more severe structural damage than non-allergic mice. In sensitized mice, S. pneumoniae infection elicited higher IL-4 but lower IFN-γ, IL-17 and defensin-β2 expression than in control mice. These results indicate that persistent allergic inflammation impaired airway host defense against S. pneumoniae is associated with the insufficient IL-17 responses. To elicit IL-17 induced-anti-bacterial immune responses, mice were intranasally immunized with rIL-17. Immunized mice exhibited fewer bacterial colonies in the respiratory tract and less severe lung pathology than unimmunized mice. rIL-17 contributed to airway host defense enhancement and innate immune response promotion, which was associated with increased IL-23, MIP-2 and defensin-β2 expression. Administration of exogenous IL-17 (2 μg/mouse) suppressed eosinophil-related immune responses. The results demonstrate IL-17 plays a key role in host defenses against bacterial infection in allergic airways and suggest that exogenous IL-17 administration promotes the anti-becterial immune responses and attenuates the existed allergic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamic of action potential initiation in the wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in spinal dorsal horn of rats evoked by manual acupuncture at ST36 with three different stimulation frequencies. It is observed that the voltage threshold for action potential initiation in WDR neurons is dynamic and varies over a wide range of membrane potential. The broad variations in spike threshold are robust to the acupuncture frequency. It is also shown that the spike threshold is very sensitive to the maximal rate of rise of the action potential upstroke, and there is an obviously inverse relation between them. Our study provides a new perspective on the analysis of acupuncture-evoked signals. The findings could help to interpret how the individual spike evoked by manual acupuncture is generated in WDR neurons, which may contribute to uncover how acupuncture signals are encoded in its afferent neural pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis of CdS nanospheres and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid nanocomposites (CdS@rGO) under hydrothermal conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are employed to confirm the structures and morphologies of sphere-like CdS@rGO nanocomposites. The electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of triiodide and chemical stability for CdS@rGO composites are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Tafel plots. The short-circuit current density ( J sc ), open-circuit voltage ( V oc ) and fill factor ( FF ) are 14.81 mA cm −2 , 0.76 V and 0.656, respectively. Most importantly, these CdS@rGO materials are used as the counter electrode (CE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), and their conversion efficiency of this CE reaches 7.39%, which is comparable to the conventional platinum counter electrode (7.44%) under the same test conditions. Meanwhile, the CdS@rGO CE possesses the robust stability and the cost-effective performance in addition to the high power conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random walk on heterogeneous networks is a recently emerging approach to effective disease gene prioritization. Laplacian normalization is a technique capable of normalizing the weight of edges in a network. We use this technique to normalize the gene matrix and the phenotype matrix before the construction of the heterogeneous network, and also use this idea to define the transition matrices of the heterogeneous network. Our method has remarkably better performance than the existing methods for recovering known gene–phenotype relationships. The Shannon information entropy of the distribution of the transition probabilities in our networks is found to be smaller than the networks constructed by the existing methods, implying that a higher number of top-ranked genes can be verified as disease genes. In fact, the most probable gene–phenotype relationships ranked within top 3 or top 5 in our gene lists can be confirmed by the OMIM database for many cases. Our algorithms have shown remarkably superior performance over the state-of-the-art algorithms for recovering gene–phenotype relationships. All Matlab codes can be available upon email request. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common problem all over the world, low back pain (LBP) places a huge social and economic burden on people. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is often considered to be the main cause of low back pain. The current methods of treating disc degenerative diseases mainly focus on relieving symptoms, including surgery and conservative treatment, but none of them can be treated with the etiology, which means that the normal structure of the intervertebral disc cannot be fundamentally restored. With the development of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, exosomes from different sources, especially mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-exos) as active biological substances for intercellular communication have made rapid progress due to their potency in promoting tissue regeneration. The study of exosomes in the field of treatment of IDD has yielded many surprising results. This paper mainly reviews the mechanism and function of exosomes in the study of delaying or reversing IDD, as well as gives the prospects and challenges of exosomes. [Display omitted] • As a new research hotspot, exosomes have achieved amazing results in many degeneration diseases. • Various factors including apoptosis, inflammation, autophagy, etc. are involved in intervertebral disc degeneration. • Exosomes from different sources have shown encouraging results for the etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration. • We summarize the mechanism of the exosomes in disc degeneration and propose the prospects and challenges of exosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films are deposited on glasses substrate by RF magnetron sputtering. The optical, electrical and morphological properties of AZO films textured by wet-etching with different etchants, H 3 PO 4 , HCl, and HNO 3 are studied. It is found that the textured structure could enhance the light scattering and light trapping ability of amorphous silicon solar cells. The textured AZO film etched with HNO 3 exhibits optimized optical properties (T% ≧ 80% over entire wavelength, haze ratio > 40% at 550 nm wavelength) and excellent electrical properties (ρ = 5.86 × 10 −4 Ωcm). Scanning electron microscopy and Atomic force microscopy are used to observe surface morphology and average roughness of each textured AZO films. Finally, the textured AZO films etched by H 3 PO 4 , HCl and HNO 3 were applied to front electrode layer for p–i–n amorphous silicon solar cells. The highest conversion efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cell fabricated on HNO 3 -etched AZO film was 7.08% with open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density and fill factor of 895 mV, 14.92 mA/cm 2 and 0.56, respectively. It shows a significantly enhancement in the short-circuit current density and conversion efficiency by 16.2% and 20.2%, respectively, compared with the solar cell fabricated on as-grown AZO film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba ) fruit is widely consumed as food and traditional Chinese medicine in Asian countries due to its potential effects for human health. To facilitate selection of the maturity stage providing optimum health benefits, jujube fruits were analysed at six stages of growth (S1–6) for triterpenic acids, nucleosides, nucleobases, and sugars by UHPLC–MS/MS or HPLC–ELSD methods. The content levels of most triterpenic acids and sugars increased with ripening, and reached the highest at S5 and S6, respectively. The accumulation of the cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP) was mainly in the later stage of ripening (S5–6). Therefore, if taking triterpenic acids as the major quality indicator, S5 should be the ideal time to harvest jujube fruit, and the full ripen stage (S6) maybe the best choice when taking sugars and cyclic nucleotides as the most important components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring novel methods for estimation of global solar radiation from air temperature has been being a focus in many studies. This paper evaluates the transferability of support vector machines (SVM) for estimation of solar radiation in subtropical zone in China. Results suggest that solar radiation at one site (estimation site) could be well estimated by SVM model developed at another site (source site). The accuracy of estimation is affected by the distance and temperature difference between two sites, and altitude of source site. Higher correlations between RMSE of SVM and distance, and temperature differences are observed in northeastern region, increasing the reliability and confidence of SVM model developed at nearby stations. While lower correlations between RMSE and distance, and temperature differences are observed in southwest plateau region. When the altitude of estimation site is lower than 1200 m, RMSE show logarithm relationship with altitude of source sites where the altitude are lower than that of estimation site. Otherwise, RMSE show linearly relationship with altitude of source sites where the altitude are higher than 200 m but lower than that of the estimation site. This result suggests that solar radiation could be also estimated using SVM model developed at the site with similar but lower altitude. Based on these results, a strategy that takes into account the climatic conditions, topography, distance, and altitude for selecting a suitable source site is presented. The findings can guide and ease the appropriate choice of source sites for estimation of solar radiation at estimation site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A crossover behavior in the initial creep stage during nanoindentation with a constant load for a high-entropy-based alloy CoFeNi is found. The holding time and stress in the indentation tests are evaluated to reveal the intrinsic mechanism of the crossover point. It indicated that the initial creep behavior is dominated by the strain-hardening at the beginning and then transit into the dislocation migration induced viscous stage. The transition presents the crossover, where the strain hardening effect predominates in a very short initial period while the viscous stage accounts for most of the initial creep stage with a time-dependent strain rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Energy-resolved HCD fragmentation of coal-related model compounds was studied. • Fragmentation pathways and de-alkylation behaviors were explored. • Relationship between fragment structure and collision energy was established. To provide basic knowledge for coal conversion, twenty one coal-related model compounds (MCs) were analyzed using a tandem Orbitrap mass spectrometer (MS). Higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD), a method of Orbitrap MS, unraveled the detailed fragmentation pathways and de-alkylation behaviors of the ionized MCs under collision energies from 10 to 80 eV. Chemical bond breaking, hydrogen loss, rearrangement reaction, and elimination of neutral fragments were discussed to elucidate clear fragmentation pathways. For arenes without alkyl chains, a higher energy threshold of fragmentation was observed with the increasing of aromatic ring due to a higher conjugate effect of condensed aromatic structure. The existence of alkyl chains decreased the threshold of fragmentation because of the electron-donating effect of alkyl chains. Heteroatom-containing aromatic compounds, a series of important species in coal, showed a diversified fragmentation patterns due to a low bond dissociation energy and a weak conjugate effect compared with arenes. Fragmentation pathways and de-alkylation behaviors of coal-related MCs will contribute to building monitoring methods for coal and its derivatives conversions in chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The power optimization control strategy for CiADS project has been developed. • Logical structure of PID controller has been established for power control process. • QEA has been employed to deal with CiADS power optimization control strategy. • Performance of optimization method has been verified in predefined scenarios. The power optimization control strategy for China initiative Accelerator Driven subcritical System (CiADS), which focuses on the study of dynamic features and the stable operation of coupling nuclear system, is one of the most important research topics for the current engineering stage that is expected to be completed in the year 2025. However, the traditional way in handling the power control problem was carried out by specialists with transcendental knowledge and experiences, which has been believed as the high labor intensity and the brute force trial-and-error process. In this context, the Quantum Evolutionary Algorithm (QEA) has been employed to deal with the CiADS power optimization control strategy in order to fulfill the adaptive searching procedure continuously and automatically. The manipulation of proton beam intensity has been used as the main control approach, and the physical model in describing the dynamic characteristics of power control system has been constructed in coupling the lumped parameter method and the point reactor kinetics method. In addition, the logical structure of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller has been established for the power control process, and the QEA has been adopted to obtain the suitable set of parameters in the PID controller. Finally, the performance of the optimization method has been verified in the predefined control scenarios, and all the numerical results show that the control method has the applicability and feasibility in solving the CiADS power control problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]