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Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) infections result in substantial economic losses in the poultry industry. Recent findings have revealed that FAdV-4 significantly suppresses the host immune response upon infection; however, the specific viral and host factors contributing to this immunomodulatory activity remain poorly characterized. Moreover, diverse cell types exhibit differential immune responses to FAdV-4 infection. To elucidate cell-specific host responses, we performed transcriptomic analysis of FAdV-4 infected leghorn male hepatocellular (LMH) and chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells. Although FAdV-4 replicated more efficiently in LMH cells, it provoked limited interferon-stimulated gene induction. In contrast, FAdV-4 infection triggered robust antiviral responses in CEF cells, including upregulation of cytosolic DNA sensing and interferon-stimulated genes. Knockdown of key cytosolic DNA sensing molecules enhanced FAdV-4 replication in LMH cells while reducing interferon-stimulated gene expression. Our findings reveal cell-specific virus-host interactions that provide insight into FAdV-4 pathogenesis while identifying factors that mediate antiviral immunity against FAdV-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the analytical solutions of conformable time-fractional Navier-Stokes equation (CTFNSE) in cylindrical coordinates. The solutions are constructed applying Lie symmetry analysis, separation of variables method, q -homotopy analysis method (q -HAM) and the fractional Laplace and finite Hankel transforms, respectively. In addition, based on the above symmetries, the conservation laws of CTFNSE are derived using new Noether theorem. The profiles of some exact solutions are presented for the purpose of visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location pattern (SCP) mining aims to mine the implicit relationships between different spatial features. These features often have certain connections and co-occur in close geographical proximity. Regional co-location pattern (RCP) mining is a branch of SCP mining, which is usually used to discover some sets of spatial features that do not often co-occur in large spatial scales but co-occur in local regions. Discovering RCPs is still very challenging, because different RCPs will be obtained under different region partitions. However, existing region division methods still suffer from ignoring the influence of the density of individual feature instances, low recognition rate of regions with low density distribution but containing RCPs, and lack of semantic information in the delineated regions. To this end, first, we propose a novel multi-density clustering method based on maximal cliques (MCs) during the partitioning phase of RCP mining. Second, we design a two-stage mining algorithm based on MCs in the mining phase, which fully exploits the advantages of the MC to improve the mining efficiency, and the algorithm can quickly obtain new mining results when changing the prevalence threshold. Third, regional similarity is defined based on RCPs over regions to merge similar sub-regions. Finally, the proposed method is compared with a state-of-the-art method on both synthetic and real datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method can not only effectively solve the issues of existing methods to make the divided sub-regions more closely matched with the real spatial distribution, but also quickly obtain new mining results when changing the prevalence threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cr3+, Y3+ co-doped ZnGaSnO 4 (ZGSCY) shows enhanced persistent luminescence (PL) with the presence of H 2 O 2 in the solution. • Modification of ZGSCY with organosilica leads to improved dispersibility and enhanced PL intensity in response to H 2 O 2. • The intrinsic and extrinsic response mechanism is elucidated. • ZGSCY enables autofluorescence-free detection of H 2 O 2 in biological systems. Autofluorescence interference in the conventional fluorescence detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) in biological systems represents a long-lasting problem in the field of biosensing. Here, we report a Cr3+, Y3+ co-doped ZnGaSnO 4 (ZGSCY) nanoprobes which show long persistent luminescence (PL) that can be specifically enhanced by H 2 O 2 without background fluorescence interference. The mesoporous organosilica are coated on the surface of ZGSCY to enhance the biocompatibility of the nanoprobes. Importantly, PL intensity of the nanoprobes can be further improved, because of the specific response of tetrasulfide bond in organosilica to H 2 O 2. ZGSCY@MON show high-sensitive detection of H 2 O 2 in living cells and human serum with the advantages of high specificity, low detection limit (91 nM), and wide linear range (0.5–60 μM, 60–400 μM). Furthermore, the extraordinary detection capability of H 2 O 2 enables that the successful differentiate normal breast cells from breast cancer cells and the highly sensitive determination of serum glucose and cholesterol. We also clarified that the endogenous response originates from the UV-induced the interfacial electron transfer on ZGSCY regulated by H 2 O 2 and exogenous response stems from the elimination of the adsorption of PL from the organosilica by H 2 O 2. These findings open up a new effective way for autofluorescence-free detection of H 2 O 2 in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the connections between fundamental solutions and Lie symmetry groups for a class of conformable time fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) with variable coefficient are investigated for the first time. The group-invariant solutions to the considered equations are constructed by means of symmetry group method. Then, the corresponding fundamental solutions for these PDEs are established by taking the inverse Laplace transform of the group invariant solutions. In addition, some examples are introduced to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach. Furthermore, the conservation laws of these fractional PDEs are obtained making use of new Noether theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of lignin from woody biomass and subsequent conversion into useful products requires a solution to the problem of its solubility. The expanded C 9 formula of lignin, along with its atomic and functional groups, was determined by elemental analysis and NMRs spectroscopy. Based on the thus-obtained expanded C 9 formula, the cohesion parameters of lignin dispersion (10.8–11.1 cal1/2·cm−3/2), polarity (4.15–4.31 cal1/2·cm−3/2), hydrogen bonding (6.30–7.38 cal1/2·cm−3/2), and solubility (13.2–14.0 cal1/2·cm−3/2) were respectively calculated using atomic and functional group contributions method. We established the relationship between lignin structure and lignin solubility parameters. The dissolution characteristics of wheat straw organic acid lignin, industrial eucalyptus kraft lignin, bamboo kraft lignin, and softwood kraft lignin in formic acid–H 2 O, acetic acid–H 2 O, and formic acid–acetic acid–H 2 O solvent systems were analyzed. The results indicate that the dissolution behavior of lignins follows the solubility parameters theory. We have developed a lignin dissolution model according to the lignin structure. This model obeys the solubility parameter theory, overcomes the limitations of the "like dissolves like" principle in organic acid–water systems, and provides a concise method for the selection of lignin solvent systems and the quantitative determination of their solvent composition. [Display omitted] • The lignin structure was determined by elemental and NMRs analysis. • Relationship between lignin structure and solubility parameters was established. • Lignin dissolution behavior in organic acid–water obeys solubility parameter theory. • We established lignin dissolution model (LDM) based on solubility parameters. • LDM can be used for the design of lignin solvent system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement of the mechanical properties of brain tissue is of paramount importance for understanding its mechanics-biology relationship. Most published studies on brain viscoelasticity have been conducted using a single relaxation test, without validating the validity of linear viscoelasticity, which is insufficient to establish an accurate constitutive equation for brain tissue. We obtained the creep and relaxation profiles of fresh adult porcine white matter (N = 120) and gray matter (N = 56) under finite step-and-hold uniaxial compression, using a mechanical testing machine, with 16.67 mm/s loading rate and 80 s hold time. These curves were employed to determine viscoelastic properties and demonstrated an excellent fit with a concise power-law function. The average initial modulus for gray matter (GM) was 6.619 kPa, higher than that for white matter under transverse loading (WM-2D) at 5.579 kPa (p < 0.01), yet lower than that for white matter under axial loading (WM-1D) at 6.759 kPa (p = 0.0121). Notably, WM-2D exhibited the highest degree of fluidity (β = 0.216). Our findings reveal that gray matter behaves as a linear viscoelastic material with power-law creep compliance and relaxation modulus. Conversely, the creep and relaxation behavior of white matter deviates from the verification relationship derived from linear viscoelastic theory, indicating its nonlinearity. This fact underscores the inaccuracy of assuming a linear constitutive relationship to characterize the viscoelastic properties of white matter. By combining the power-law function with the experimentally obtained creep compliance and relaxation modulus, we offer a unique approach to determining the viscoelastic characteristics of brain tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) can reduce uptake and translocation of cadmium (Cd) in plants via plenty of ways, including regulation of root morphology. However, the underlying mechanisms on how Se will regulate root morphology under metal(loid) stresses are not fully illustrated. To fill up this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of 0.5 mg L−1 selenite (Se(IV)) on root exudates, root morphology, root endogenous hormones, and Cd uptake efficiency of rice under the 1 mg L−1 Cd stress condition. The results showed that Se(IV) significantly reduced shoot and root Cd concentrations, and decreased Cd uptake efficiency via root hairs determined by a non–invasive micro-test (NMT) technology. When compared to the 1 mg L−1 Cd (Cd1) treatment, addition of 0.5 mg L−1 Se(IV) (1) significantly reduced root surface area and tip numbers, and non–significantly reduced root length, but significantly enhanced root diameter and root volume; (2) significantly enhanced concentrations of tartaric acid in the root exudate solution, root auxin (IAA) and root jasmonic acid (JA) via a UHPLC or a HPLC analysis; (3) significantly up-regulated metabolites correlated with synthesis of IAA, JA, gibberellin (GA), and salicylic acid, such as GA53, M–SA, (+/−)7–epi–JA, and derivatives of tryptophan and indole in the metabolome analysis. However, results of transcriptome analysis showed that (1) no upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in IAA synthesis; (2) some upregulated DEGs were found to be enriched in JA and GA53 synthesis pathways. In summary, although Se(IV) stimulated the synthesis of IAA, JA, and GA53, it significantly inhibited root growth mainly by 1) affecting signal transduction of IAA and GA; 2) altering IAA polar transport and homeostasis; and 3) regulating DEGs including SAUR32 , SAUR36 , SAUR76 , OsSub33 , OsEXPA8 , OsEXPA18 , and Os6bglu24. • Se reduced shoot and root Cd concentrations, and Cd uptake efficiency by root hairs. • Se reduced surface area and tip numbers of roots although IAA and JA concentrations were promoted. • Se stimulated synthesis of DMs correlated with synthesis pathways of indole/tryptophan, JA, GA53 and M-SA. • Se up-regulated many DEGs enriched in synthesis pathways of JA and GA53, but not in that of IAA. • Se disturbed signal transduction pathways of most phytohormones thus blocked functions of these hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Deformity of the first ray in hallux valgus patient has been deemed to mainly contribute to instability of the metatarsophalangeal joint. However, it is not clear whether the fixation of the distal osteotomy fragment and transposition of the sesamoid represent the best method for hallux valgus treatment. The aim of this study was to examine how postoperative hallux valgus osteotomy affects the stability of the first ray. Methods To accurately investigate the biomechanical behavior of the first ray in pre-/postoperative hallux valgus patients, we described the relative displacement and stress distribution of the first metatarsal bone and sesamoid by imageology, test measurement and foot finite element model. Findings Compared with the preoperative hallux valgus, the plantar pressure decreased by 47.8% and was redistributed on second metatarsal region. The peak stress and relative displacement of the distal osteotomy fragment increased by +55.7% and −59.9%, respectively. The movement of this component shifted toward the positive sagittal axis direction. In addition, the relative displacement of sesamoid decreased by 87.4% (0.18 mm) in vertical axis direction and the stress was also redistributed on medial and lateral region. Moreover, the strain of the medial main ligament was more favorable to reconstruct function of the first ray. Interpretation The findings showed that the osteotomy method was helpful for stability of the first ray. This would provide the stability suggestions for postoperative hallux valgus fixation and guide further rehabilitation. Highlights • The first ray in hallux valgus mainly contributes to instability of the joint. • To investigate biomechanical behavior of the first ray in hallux valgus • Testing, imageology and finite element model were used. • This would guide HV operation and further postoperative rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • GLP-1 agonists are diabetes drugs with neuroprotective effects. • The distribution of GLP-1R in the brain is associated with neurological disorders. • Aged rats have lower expression of GLP-1R compared with normal rats. • The change of GLP-1R expression in aged rats can be detected using microPET. • The results of biodistribution and IHC were consistent with microPET. Abstract The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has been demonstrated as a potential therapeutic target for some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and stroke. Besides, its distribution and density in brain regions are closely associated with cognition, motor function, learning and memory. Given the relationship between age and these neurological diseases, we firstly examined the influences of age on GLP-1R expression using [18F]AlF-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4 microPET imaging. The image showed that GLP-1R expression in nearly all regions of the brain of aged rats was evidently lower than that of normal rats. Significant differences were found in olfactory, striatum, hypothalamus, substantial nigra, and hippocampus, which have inseparable relations with some mental and neurological diseases such as PD and AD. Data obtained from biodistribution and immunohistochemistry staining also confirmed the image results. Taken together, these results illustrated decreased expression of GLP-1R in the brain of aged rats can be detected by [18F]AlF-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4, which implied GLP-1R as a reliable target and GLP-1R PET imaging could be a promising technology in the field of neurological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient scaffolding time in the process of rapid corrosion is the main problem of magnesium alloy stent (MAS). Finite element method had been used to investigate corrosion of MAS. However, related researches mostly described all elements suffered corrosion in view of one-dimensional corrosion. Multi-dimensional corrosions significantly influence mechanical integrity of MAS structures such as edges and corners. In this study, the effects of multi-dimensional corrosion were studied using experiment quantitatively, then a phenomenological corrosion model was developed to consider these effects. We implemented immersion test with magnesium alloy (AZ31B) cubes, which had different numbers of exposed surfaces to analyze differences of dimension. It was indicated that corrosion rates of cubes are almost proportional to their exposed-surface numbers, especially when pitting corrosions are not marked. The cubes also represented the hexahedron elements in simulation. In conclusion, corrosion rate of every element accelerates by increasing corrosion-surface numbers in multi-dimensional corrosion. The damage ratios among elements with the same size are proportional to the ratios of corrosion-surface numbers under uniform corrosion. The finite element simulation using proposed model provided more details of changes of morphology and mechanics in scaffolding time by removing 25.7% of elements of MAS. The proposed corrosion model reflected the effects of multi-dimension on corrosions. It would be used to predict degradation process of MAS quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location patterns represent the subsets of spatial features which are frequently located together in a geographic space. Spatial co-location pattern mining has been a research hot in recent years. However, maybe the features in a prevalent co-location pattern further have more interesting relationships such as symbiotic relationships, competitive relationships or causal relationships. This paper mines symbiotic relationships implied in prevalent co-location patterns from dynamic spatial databases. Firstly, after analyzing the existed definition of symbiotic patterns, a criterion of judging strong symbiotic patterns is proposed. Secondly, a novel algorithm to mine strong symbiotic patterns from prevalent co-location patterns is presented, named basic algorithm. Third, for improving the efficiency of the basic algorithm, an improved algorithm which integrates two expensive operations of the basic algorithm into together, and a pruning strategy with two pruning lemmas are presented. The experiments evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms with “real + synthetic” data sets and the results show that strong symbiotic patterns are more concise and actionable compared to traditional prevalent co-location patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) can reduce cadmium (Cd) uptake/translocation via regulating pectins, hemicelluloses and lignins of plant root cell walls, but the detailed molecular mechanisms are not clear. In this study, six hydroponic experiments were set up to explore the relationships of uptake/translocation inhibition of Cd by selenite (Se(IV)) with cell wall component (CWC) synthesis and/or interactions. Cd and Se was supplied (alone or combinedly) at 1.0 mg L–1 and 0.5 mg L–1, respectively, with the treatment without Cd and Se as the control. When compared to the Cd1 treatment, the Se0.5Cd1 treatment 1) significantly increased total sugar concentrations in pectins, hemicelluloses and callose, suggesting an enhanced capacity of binding Cd or blocking Cd translocation; 2) stimulated the deposition of Casparian strips (CS) in root endodermis and exodermis to block Cd translocation; 3) stimulated the release of C–O–C (–OH– or –O–) and C O (carboxyl, carbonyl, or amide) to combine Cd; 4) regulated differential expression genes (DEGs) and metabolites (DMs) correlated with synthesis and/or interactions of CWSs to affect cell wall net structure to affect root cell division, subsequent root morphology and finally elemental uptake; and 5) stimulated de–methylesterification of pectins via reducing expression abundances of many DMs and DEGs in the Yang Cycle to reduce supply of methyls to homogalacturonan, and regulated gene expressions of pectin methylesterase to release carboxyls to combine Cd; and 6) down–regulated gene expressions associated with Cd uptake/translocation. [Display omitted] • Se increased total sugar concentration in pectins, hemicelluloses and callose under Cd exposure. • Se promoted deposit of Casparian strips via upregulating DEGs and DMs correlated with their synthesis. • Se demethylated pectins via regulation of DEGs correlated with PME and DMs in Yang Cycle. • Se inhibited expression of DEGs correlated with xylan degradation and possibly facilitated arabinoxylan formation. • Se stimulated release of functional groups including C–O–C (–OH– or –O–) and C O to combine Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoliquiritigenin, a flavonoid compound, exhibits a variety of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and anti-tumor effects. In the past few years, the consumption of isoliquiritigenin-containing dietary supplements has increased due to their health benefits. Although the neuroprotective effects of isoliquiritigenin have been well-investigated, these studies were performed in cells and adult animals. The potential effects of isoliquiritigenin on the development, especially the neurodevelopment, of certain populations, such as zebrafish larvae, have not been investigated. In this study, zebrafish larvae were employed as a model to investigate the effects of isoliquiritigenin on development and neurodevelopment. Zebrafish embryos treated with high concentrations of isoliquiritigenin (10 and 15 μM) exhibited high rates of mortality, hatching, and malformation, indicating that isoliquiritigenin can affect zebrafish development. In addition, isoliquiritigenin impeded the development of central nervous system regions and the length of dopaminergic neurons located in midbrains and thalami of transgenic zebrafish larvae. The locomotor ability of zebrafish larvae exposed to high concentrations of isoliquiritigenin was negatively affected. The total distance and the average velocity significantly decreased, and anxiety-related behaviors were observed under light–dark challenge. Furthermore, the levels of gap43 , tuba1b , mbp , hcrt , vmat2 , and pomc , which mediate neurodevelopment, neurotoxicity, and anxiety were significantly decreased in zebrafish larvae exposed to isoliquiritigenin. These results indicate that isoliquiritigenin can disrupt the development of dopaminergic neurons and the function of the central nervous system in zebrafish, causing anxiety-like symptoms. [Display omitted] • Isoliquiritigenin induced developmental toxicity in zebrafish larvae. • Isoliquiritigenin inhibited the development of central nervous system in zebrafish. • Isoliquiritigenin induced anxiety-like symptoms in zebrafish larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camptothecin is a naturally occurred anticancer drug but exhibits limitations including poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and high level of adverse drug reactions on normal organs. To overcome these problems, this paper developed a novel amphiphilic Lau-Leu-HES carrier using hydroxyethyl starch, lauric acid, and L -leucine as starting materials. The carrier was successfully applied to prepare Lau-Leu-HES nanoparticles loading camptothecin. The drug loading efficiency and encapsulation efficiency of the nanoparticles were calculated to be 29.04% and 81.85%, respectively. The nanoparticles exhibited high zeta potential (–15.51 mV) and small hydrodynamic diameter (105.4 nm). Camptothecin in nanoparticles could be rapidly released under acidic condition (pH = 4.5), thereby indicating the high sensitivity under cancer microenvironments. Anticancer investigation revealed that the nanoparticles could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in vitro. Compared with commercial available drug doxorubicin, the nanoparticles could significantly inhibit the expression of kras v12 oncogene in transgenic Tg (EGFP-kras V12 ) zebrafish. These results indicate that the camptothecin-loaded Lau-Leu-HES nanoparticles are expected to be a potential candidate for cancer therapy. [Display omitted] • Lauric acid and L -leucine were used for modification of hydroxyethyl starch. • Camptothecin-loaded nanoparticles inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells. • Zebrafish model was used for investigating the anticancer activity of nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new cell-based method for mining co-locations on extended objects was presented. • Cell-relation operations replaced instance computing to speed up the calculation. • Neighbor relations were materialized into feature transactions of cells. • The algorithm was compared with the latest algorithm and the classical one. Spatial co-location pattern mining (SCPM) is intended to discover subsets of spatial features whose instances are frequently located together in geographic areas. Traditional SCPM methods are designed for point spatial instances. However, in reality, instances are mostly in the form of extended objects, e.g., lines, polygons. In addition, current SCPM methods with extended objects are less well researched and have two disadvantages: (1) Existing researches cannot effectively capture neighborhood relationships between extended objects and their mining results cannot properly reflect the distribution dependence of features; (2) These methods are not efficient enough with large datasets. This paper proposes a novel framework called cell-relation operations framework to overcome these issues. To eliminate the first shortcoming, the framework uses the area overlapping of buffers between objects to gain the neighbor relationships between extended objects and introduces participation index under buffer size k to identify prevalent co-location patterns. To address the second problem, our framework employs cell-relation operations rather than instance relation computing as the basic computing unit for co-location mining, which substantially speeds up the computation. The framework obtains spatial co-locations by counting the feature transactions of the cells and calculates the feature overlap ratio of the cells to generate co-locations. We implement experiments with real datasets to demonstrate that our framework's mining results are more reasonable and the proposed framework's runtime outperforms the baselines by 2 to 4 orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphdiyne (GDY) is a novel two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope that has attracted much attention in materials, physics, chemistry, and microelectronics for its excellent properties. Much effort has been devoted to exploring the biomedical applications of GDY in 2D carbon nanomaterials, especially for smart drugs and gene delivery. However, few studies have focused on the biocompatibility and potential environmental hazards of GDY and its derivatives. In this study, graphdiyne oxide (GDYO) and graphene oxide (GO) were obtained using different oxidation methods. Their cytotoxicity and hemolysis in vitro and biocompatibility in subcutaneous and peritoneal locations in vivo were compared. GDYO had very low biotoxicity in vitro and was moderately biocompatible in the muscle and abdominal cavity in vivo. Highly oxidized products and graphdiyne quantum dots (GDQDs) were observed in peritoneal cells. GDYO had better biocompatibility and its sheet size was easily diminished through oxidative degradation. Therefore, GDYO is a good candidate for use in 2D carbon nanomaterials in biomedicine. [Display omitted] • Graphdiyne oxide and graphene oxide show similar biological cytotoxicity. • Graphdiyne oxide has advantages of biocompatibility and environmental safety. • Graphdiyne oxide is more susceptible to be oxidized and degraded. • Graphdiyne oxide can be converted into quantum dots easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sigmoid sinus cortical plate dehiscence (SSCPD) is common in pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients, and is treated through SSCPD resurfacing surgery in clinic, but the bio-mechanism is not clear as so far. This study aimed to clarify the bio-mechanism of PT sensation induced by SSCPD, and quantify the relationship of cortical plate (CP) thickness and PT sensation intensity. It was hypothesized that SSCPD would induce PT through significantly amplifying sigmoid sinus (SS) venous sound in this study. Finite element (FE) analysis based on radiology data of typical patient was used to verify this hypothesis, and was validated with clinical reports. In cases with different CP thickness, FE simulations of SS venous sound generation and propagation procedure were performed, involving SS venous flow field, vibration response of tissue overlying dehiscence area (including SS vessel wall and CP) and sound propagation in temporal bone air cells. It was shown in results that SS venous sound at tympanic membrane was 56.9 dB in SSCPD case and −45.2 dB in intact CP case, and was inaudible in all thin CP cases. It was concluded that SSCPD would directly induce PT through significantly amplifying SS venous sound, and thin CP would not be the only pathophysiology of PT. This conclusion would provide a theoretical basis for the design of SSCPD resurfacing surgery for PT patients with SSCPD or thin CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a combination of traction and vibration therapy is usually used to alleviate low back pain (LBP) in clinical settings. Combining head-down tilt (HDT) traction with vibration was demonstrated to be efficacious for LBP patients in our previous study. However, the biomechanics of the lumbar spine during this combined treatment is not well known and need quantitative analysis. In addition, LBP patients have different grades of degeneration of the lumbar spinal structure, which are often age related. Selecting a suitable rehabilitation therapy for different age groups of patients has been challenging. Therefore, a finite element (FE) model of the L1–L5 lumbar spine and a vibration dynamic model are developed in this study in order to investigate the biomechanical effects of the combination of HDT traction and vibration therapy on the age-related degeneration of the lumbar spine. The decrease of intradiscal pressure is more effective when vibration is combined with traction therapy. Moreover, the stresses on the discs are lower in the “traction + vibration” mode than the “traction-only” mode. The stress concentration at the posterior part of nucleus is mitigated after the vibration is combined. The disc deformations especially posterior disc radial retraction is improved in the “traction + vibration” mode. These beneficial effects of this therapy could help decompress the discs and spinal nerves and therefore relieve LBP. Simultaneously, patients with grade 1 degeneration (approximately 41–50 years old) are able to achieve better results compared with other age groups. This study could be used to provide a more effective LBP rehabilitation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trisaccharide repeating unit of the O-antigen from Burkholderia anthina, α-L-Rha-(1→2)-α-L-Rha-(1→2)-β-D-Gal-O(CH 2 ) 3 NH 2 ( 1 ), and its dimer, α-L-Rha-(1→2)-α-L-Rha-(1→2)-α-D-Gal-(1→3)-α-L-Rha-(1→2)-α-L-Rha-(1→2)-β-D-Gal-O(CH 2 ) 3 NH 2 ( 2 ), were synthesized via a highly convergent and efficient assembly strategy. Sequential glycosylation of galactosyl acceptor 6 with rhamnosyl thioglycoside 7 , followed by condensation of the resulting disaccharide acceptor 9 with rhamnosyl imidate donor 10 , gave the title molecule 1 after global deprotection. The title hexasaccharide 2 was assembled in a convergent [2+2+2] manner, in which α-1,2-linked disaccharide 12 was initially obtained by the coupling reaction of disarmed thiorhamnoside acceptor 15 with armed thiogalactoside donor 14 . Sequential glycosylation of disaccharide acceptor 9 with thioglycoside donors 12 and 13 afforded the target compound 2 after global deprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valgus foot (VF) is the most common foot deformity in children with cerebral palsy (CP), which seriously affects the foot balance in standing and posture control in walking. Little information about the locus and stress of internal bones was available. To accurately describe the biomechanical behavior of the internal bones of VF in CP, we compared the locus and stress of internal bones between the normal foot (NF) and VF by finite element models. Compared with the NF, displacement of the talus and navicular drop in VF increased by 109% and 171% in vertical direction respectively, and the locus of talus had a tendency to clockwise rotation and downward movement in coronal plane. In addition, the abduction angle of forefoot in VF increased up to 10.3°, which was twice more than that in the NF. Moreover, the lateral metatarsophalangeal joints were upward tilted 6.3° comparing with touchdown posture of NF, and peak von Mises stress of the internal bones in VF model concentrated on the fourth metatarsal. The simulation showed that locus of the forefoot, downward rotation of talus head and navicular drop were meaningful to quantify the collapse of medial longitudinal arch. It would provide some suggestions to the rehabilitation treatments of the CP children's VF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty-five percent of the population has experienced low back pain (LBP), which may result in decreasing muscle strength and endurance, functional capacity of the spine, and so on. Traction and vibration are commonly used to relieve the low back pain. The effect of the combing traction and vibration on back muscles, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) was investigated in this study. Thirty healthy subjects participated in 12 trials lying supine on the spine-combing bed with different tilt angle (0°, 10°, 20° and 30°) and vibration modes (along with the sagittal and coronal axis with 0 Hz, 2 Hz and 12 Hz separately). EMG was recorded during each trial. Power spectral frequency analysis was applied to evaluate muscle fatigue by the shift of median power frequency (MPF). Pulse pressure (PP) was calculated from BP. HR and PP were used to estimate the effect of the combination of traction and vibration on the cardio-vascular system. It was shown that vibration could increase HR and decrease PP. The combination of traction and vibration (2 Hz vibration along Z -axis and 12 Hz vibration along Y -axis) had no significant effect on the cardio-vascular system. The MPF of lumbar erector spinae (LES) and upper trapezius (UT) decreased significantly when the angle reached 20° under the condition of 2 Hz vibration along Z -axis compared with it of 0°. Furthermore, the MPF also decreased significantly compared with it of static mode at 20° for LES and at 30° for UT. However at 12 Hz vibration along Y -axis, the MPF had significant increase when the angle reached 20° in LES and 30° in UT compared to 0°. For LES, the MPF also had significant difference when the angle was increased from 10° to 20°. Therefore, combining 2 Hz vibration along Z -axis and traction (tilt angles that less than 20°) may to reduce muscle fatigue both for LES and UT compared with either vibration or traction alone. The combination of 12 Hz vibration along Y -axis and traction (tilt angles greater than 10° for LES and more than 20° for UT) could provide good treatment of lower muscle fatigue for back pain compared with either vibration or traction alone. It is helpful to provide biomechanical quantitative basis for the selection of the clinical treatment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We perform Galilei symmetry group classification of a class of third-order nonlinear evolution equations in one spatial variable, which generalize KdV and mKdV equations. All inequivalent PDEs belonging to the class in question which admit the classical Galilei group, the extended Galilei group and the natural extensions of the extended Galilei groups are constructed. The list of so obtained invariant equations may be used as motion equations for they all satisfy the Galilei relativity principle. In addition, we also give a complete classification of group invariant solutions for one obtained Galilei-invariant equation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Li2FeSiO4/C composites were successfully prepared by tartaric acid assisted sol–gel route. Tartaric acid was used as both the chelating agent and carbon source. Effects of carbon content on the physical and electrochemical performances of the samples were studied in detail. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), galvanostatic charge–discharge and AC impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The particle size of Li2FeSiO4/C decreases with increasing content of carbon; however higher content of carbon will lead to poorer crystallinity and more impurities. When the carbon content is 4.0wt.%, the Li2FeSiO4/C sample has the largest exchange current density (i° =0.110mAcm−2) and highest diffusion coefficient of lithium ion (D Li + =1.01E−12cm2 s−1). Thus, Li2FeSiO4/C with 4.0wt.% carbon has the best electrochemical properties, in terms of discharge capacity and cycling stability. It exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 119.7mAhg−1 at C/16 rate at room temperature. When cycled at C/10 rate, the Li2FeSiO4/C sample with 4.0wt.% carbon delivers an initial discharge capacity of 96.6mAhg−1, and 98.6% of the initial discharge capacity remained after 25 cycles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Berberine is a famous alkaloid extracted from Berberis plants and has been widely used as medications and functional food additives. Recent studies reveal that berberine exhibits neuroprotective activity in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders all over the world. However, the actual site of anti-PD action of berberine remains largely unknown. To this end, we employed a fluorescently labeled berberine derivative BBRP to investigate the subcellular localization and blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability in a cellular model of PD and zebrafish PD model. Biological investigations revealed that BBRP retained the neuroprotective activity of berberine against PD-like symptoms in PC12 cells and zebrafish, such as protecting 6-OHDA induced cell death, relieving MPTP induced PD-like behavior and increasing dopaminergic neuron loss in zebrafish. We also found that BBRP could readily penetrate BBB and function in the brain of zebrafish suffering from PD. Subcellular localization study indicated that BBRP could rapidly and specifically accumulate in mitochondria of PC12 cells when it exerted anti-PD effect. In addition, BBRP could suppress accumulation of Pink1 protein and inhibit the overexpression of LC3 protein in 6-OHDA damaged cells. All these results suggested that the potential site of action of berberine is mitochondria in the brain under the PD condition. Therefore, the findings described herein would be useful for further development of berberine as an anti-PD drug. [Display omitted] • A fluorescently labeled berberine derivative BBRP exhibits higher neuroprotective activity than berberine. • BBRP can rapidly and specifically accumulate in mitochondria of PC12 cells when it exerted anti-PD effect. • BBRP can readily penetrate BBB and function in the brain of zebrafish suffering from PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Graphite is an inexpensive carbon material, but its hydrogen absorbing performance has attracted little attention. In this paper, in order to lower the cost of nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) battery, graphite is used as a hydrogen absorbing material in its negative electrode. The results of charge–discharge tests show that the graphite electrode has poor electrochemical hydrogen absorbing performance. The capacity of the graphite/AB5 alloy (90wt%) composite electrode is close to AB5 alloy (298mAh/g), but it has higher charge–discharge polarization and difficulty in activation. When graphite is modified with metal nickel powder by a simple ball milling process, the capacity of the composite electrode reaches to 315mAh/g and its activation is accelerated. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests show that hydrogen diffusion in the modified composite electrode is more rapid than in AB5 alloy, thereby resulting in lower charge–discharge polarization and better discharge performance at large currents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The amorphous V2O5 (a-V2O5)/S composite cathode material was prepared by mechanical mixing with a-V2O5 gel and elemental sulfur. The main analysis tools were scanning electron microscopy, pore size distribution, charge–discharge test, electrical impedance spectroscopy and so on. The results showed that initial discharge capacity was declined for the composite cathode, which was 514mAhg−1, compared with elemental sulfur cathode (597mAhg−1), however, it was found that the composites electrode possessed better capability of high current than that of sulfur electrode, the discharge capacity kept at 286mAhg−1 at 0.8mAcm−2 and was 55.6% of that at 0.1mAcm−2, but the discharge capacity of sulfur at 0.8mAcm−2 was only 18.8% of that at 0.1mAcm−2. The addition of a-V2O5 could decrease the resistance of composites electrode, leading to remarkably improve the capability of high current discharge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• In subcritical water, naked oat stem cell wall can be depolymerized orderly. • The order of lignin removal in tissues and cell wall was proposed. • At 190 °C, middle lamella was completely separated, producing a pulp-like residue. • At 210 °C, hemicellulose was almost completely degraded. In this study, the depolymerization of naked oat stem cell wall and the dissolution of its chemical compositions during autohydrolysis in subcritical water (150−210 °C, 0.38–1.85 MPa) were investigated, to explore the potential of naked oat stems as raw materials for green biorefinery. Our results showed that the sequence of lignin removal was from parenchyma cells to sclerenchyma fibers in the tissues, and from the middle lamella to the inner side of the cell wall, and finally to the middle layer of the cell wall. The total lignin removal rate reached the highest value (47.7 %) at 190 °C, and by this time, the cell wall was depolymerized and the autohydrolysis residue was in the form of pulp. At 190 °C, the hemicellulose side chain was degraded by 100 %, and the ash was almost completely removed. When the reaction temperature was further increased to 210 °C, the removal rate of xylose was close to 100 %, and degradation of the cellulose crystal zone began. We found that in moderately subcritical water, all the chemical compositions of naked oat stem were expected to be dissolved in a controllable and orderly manner. Our findings will play a substantial role in solving the problem of lignocellulosic biomass composite cell wall resistance to depolymerization in a single green solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel maximal prevalent co-location pattern mining framework is presented. • The time and space costs are reduced efficiently by maximal cliques and hash tables. • Enumerating maximal cliques is accelerated by bit string operations. • The performance of the proposed method is proved by comparative experiments. Co-location patterns refer to subsets of Boolean spatial features with instances of these features frequently appear in nearby geographic space. Maximal co-location patterns are a compact representation of these patterns that lead users more easily to absorb results and make meaningful inferences. The current algorithms for maximal co-location pattern mining are based on a generate-test candidate model. The main execution time of this model is occupied by collecting co-location instances of candidates, which makes discovering maximal co-location patterns is still very challenging when data is big and/or dense. To take up the challenge, a novel maximal co-location pattern mining framework based on maximal cliques and hash tables (MCHT) is developed in this study. First, all maximal cliques that can compactly represent neighbor relationships between instances of a spatial data set are enumerated. The advantages of bit string operations are fully utilized to speed up the process of enumerating maximal cliques. Next, a participating instance hash table structure is constructed based on these maximal cliques. Then information about the co-location instances of maximal patterns can be queried and collected efficiently from the hash table. After that, by calculating participation indexes of these patterns to measure their prevalence, maximal prevalent co-location patterns can be filtered efficiently. Finally, a series of experiments is conducted on both synthetic and real-facility data sets to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can efficiently reduce both the computational time and the memory consumption compared with the existing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: β-Site APP cleavage enzyme 1 (BACE1) is the β-secretase responsible for generating amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in Alzheimer''s disease (AD). Previous studies suggest that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) modulates the β-secretase-mediated cleavage of APP and reduces the production of Aβ. The mechanism of PKC-mediated modulation of β-secretase activity, however, remains elusive. We report here that activation of PKC modulated β-secretase activity through either suppressing the accumulation or promoting the translocation of BACE1 protein in a cell type-dependent manner. We found that activation of PKC suppressed the accumulation of BACE1 protein in fibroblasts through an enhancement of intracellular protease activities. In neurons, activation of PKC did not alter the expression level of BACE1, but led to more BACE1 translocated to the cell surface, resulting in a decreased cleavage of APP at the β1 site. Together, Our findings provide novel mechanisms of PKC-mediated modulation of β-secretase activity, suggesting that alteration of the intracellular trafficking of BACE1 may serve as a useful therapeutic strategy to lower the production of Aβ in AD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Evaluation of city-residential solar hot water systems (SHWS) in a large-scale area is a complicated topic since many endogenous and exogenous factors would affect the results. This paper presents an adaptability evaluation model for regional SHWS in city-residential buildings through using multiple attribute-decision methods. The evaluation factors, including six variable parameters and eight constant parameters, were selected based on energy-economic-environment consideration. In addition, the provincial databases of the utilization of solar energy resources in China were established and 31 provincial capital cities were investigated. The results are summarized as follows: 1) the five most important factors, with summing weights accounting for 54% in total, are the solar radiation intensity, payback period, solar fraction, installation area, and water supply temperature; 2) compared with the evaluation methods regarding different factors, energy-economic-environment adaptability evaluation method is more reliable, especially when there are huge differences existing in solar energy resources, economic levels, and energy prices. 3) sensitivity analysis shows that it has little influence on the evaluation results when the weight of the first level evaluation index changes within 25%. The conclusions in this paper provide valuable guidance for renewable energy planner and decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the location of necrotic lesions is necessary to diagnosis of osteonecrosis. Different region segmentation methods of the femoral head were proposed to quantitatively measure necrotic lesions including Japanese Investigation Committee for Avascular Necrosis (JIC) classification and China-Japan Friendship Hospital (CJFH) classification. Biomechanical methods could bring important information to evaluate the reasonability of these classifications. In this study, microstructural and mechanical properties of trabecular bone were quantitatively analyzed according to the region segmentation methods described in these classifications. Microstructural parameters of trabecular bone were analyzed based on micro-CT scanning. Mechanical properties were measured through Nanoindentation and micro-finite element analysis. It was found that microstructural and mechanical properties of trabecular bone in the middle region was more adaptive to load bearing than the medial and lateral regions according to the CJFH classification; lesions in the middle region could bring more changes to microstructure and stress distribution. According to JIC classification, differences of microstructural and mechanical properties among the three regions were not significant. Biomechanical characteristics of trabecular bones could be better distinguished with CJFH classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With fast development of economy and trade globalization, the water resources system has undergone profound changes due to the overconsumption of physical water and the complex virtual water flow. China is poor in water and rich in arable land for the north, but rich in water and poor in arable land for the south. The spatial mismatch of water and food production has posed a great threat to sustainable development. To quantify the virtual water flow with grain trade and evaluate its influence on the regional water resources system, this study simulated the interprovincial virtual water flow embedded in grain transportation based on a linear optimization model and assessed the water pressure induced by virtual water flow. Results show that the annual virtual water flow (as much as 73.46 billion m3 in 2012) associated with interprovincial grain trade is mainly from the North to the South. The grain output areas are mainly located in the Northeast, Northwest, and the North China Plain, while the grain input areas are mainly distributed in the eastern and southern coastal provinces with well-developed economies. According to the estimation, when China's food demand reaches a peak of 650 million tons in 2030, the virtual water flow will further increase and the volume of virtual water flowing out of Northeast China will be up to 50 billion m3, accounting for 90% of the total virtual water flow. The increasing the virtual water outflow in North China will severely exceed the local water resources capacity in the arid and semi-arid areas and have an obvious negative impact on sustainable development in Northern China. Further improving the water use efficiency, adjusting the structure of spatial grain production distribution and physical-virtual water coupled management are effective countermeasures to ensure the coordination safety of food and water in China. Image 1 • There is a mismatch between water resources and cultivated land resources in China. • Anticipated population increases will exacerbate this problem in the future. • This study simulated interprovincial virtual water flow embedded in grain transportation. • Annual virtual water flow associated with grain trade is mainly from north to south. • Virtual water outflow in much of North China will exceed local water capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Co-precipitation of Se and HMs in soil is a key factor to reduce plant HM uptake. • Soil pH, Eh, water and microbes affect the ability of Se in reducing HM uptake. • Se affects HM uptake via altering root morphology which is affected by hormones. • Se doesn't always stimulate more formation of and sequestration of HMs on Fe plaques. • Se downregulates genes encoding proteins responsible for Cd uptake. Since selenium (Se) was shown to be an essential element for humans in 1957, the biofortification of Se to crops via foliar spraying or soil fertilization has been performed for several decades to satisfy the daily nutritional need of humans. Appropriate doses of Se were found to counteract a number of abiotic and biotic stresses, such as exposure to heavy metals (metalloids) (HMs), via influencing the regulation of antioxidant systems, by stimulation of photosynthesis, by repair of damaged cell structures and functions, by regulating the metabolism of some substances and the rebalancing of essential elements in plant tissues. However, few concerns were paid on why and how Se could reduce the uptake of a variety of HMs. This review will mainly address the migration and transformation of HMs regulated by Se in the soil-plant system in order to present a hypothesis of why and how Se can reduce the uptake of HMs in plants. The following aspects will be examined in greater detail, including 1) how the soil characteristics influences the ability of Se to reduce the bioavailability of HMs in soils and their subsequent uptake by plants, which include soil Se speciation, pH, water regime, competing ions and microbes; 2) how the plant root system influenced by Se affects the uptake or the sequestration of HMs, such as root morphology, root iron plaques and root cell wall; 3) how Se combines with HMs and then sequesters them in plant cells; 4) how Se competes with arsenic (As) and thereby reduces As uptake in plants; 5) how Se regulates the expression of genes encoding functions involved in uptake, translocation and sequestration of HMs by Se in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We present an efficient architecture for optimizing medical HRIs transmission and rendering in mobile telemedicine systems. • We present a novel image layering method based on geometric relation, which can generate different layer distributions by adjusting an unbalance factor (β). • We design a simple index structure and efficient indexing algorithm based on hash table and lattice partitioning to improve the query efficiency of image blocks. • We devise a query scheme based on similar matching, in which the query image block can be matched in real-time. • The prototype system is fully compliant with DICOM standard, which can be seamlessly integrated with other existing medical systems or mobile applications and used in various scenarios such as diagnosis, research, and education. The medical high-resolution image is very important in image processing and computer vision applications, which plays a critical role in image-guided diagnosis, clinical trials, consultation, and case discussion. How to efficiently access medical high-resolution images in mobile telemedicine systems is becoming a big challenge. Therefore, this work proposes an efficient pyramid architecture for optimizing medical high-resolution images transmission and rendering. The proposed architecture consists of three core schemes: (1) unbalance pyramid scheme based on geometric relationship, (2) indexing scheme based on hash table and lattice partitioning and (3) query scheme based on similar matching. Then, we design the responsive service components: generating service, indexing service, and query service. Finally, these services are combined into a prototype system that enables efficient transmission and rendering of medical high-resolution images. The result shows that the unbalance pyramid scheme can quickly generate the pyramid structure and the corresponding image files. The indexing scheme can create the index structure and the index file in real-time. The query scheme can not only match the best layer to which the image block belongs in real-time, but also can accurately capture the query image block. The prototype system based on proposed architecture is fully compliant with the DICOM standard, which can be seamlessly integrated with other existing medical systems or mobile applications, and used in various scenarios such as diagnosis, research, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was supposed that auxetic structure with negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) expands under stretch and could enhance the screw-bone fixation. In this study, the novel auxetic structure based bone screws were designed, and mechanical properties and fixation strength were evaluated. Auxetic unit cells (A1–A6) were introduced into the design of screw bodies after a mechanical evaluation. Tubular auxetic structures (TA1–TA6), auxetic screws (AS1–AS6) and one non-auxetic screw (NS) were manufactured using 3D-printing. The fabrication process well reproduced the original designs despite the some mismatch in the macro and micro morphologies. Tensile tests on specimens were conducted experimentally and computationally. The relationship between NPR and fixation strength of the screws was investigated by computationally bone-pullout test. Among all screw designs, AS2 generated the largest stiffness and strength, and better NPR, AS5 produced the highest NPR, and smallest stiffness and strength. Maximal pullout force within low-, mid- and high-density bone was shown in AS5 (399.39 N), AS6 (561.07 N) and AS2 (1185.93 N) respectively. It was concluded that varying auxetic structures altered the screw's mechanical properties especially its functional properties. The bone-screw fixation could be improved by auxetic structures while other design factors should also be taken in account. Unlabelled Image • Auxetic bone screws were designed and explored for the first time. • The designed screw can be fabricated by SLM 3D-printing method. • Varying auxetic structures altered the screw's mechanical properties especially its functional properties. • The bone-screw fixation could be improved by auxetic structures while it is also affected by other design factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels are attracting carriers for immobilization of small molecules due to their excellent properties, such as low optical background, recyclable and high loading ability. Several advantages will be found in designing optical sensors by utilizing hydrogels, such as the convenience for operation, the easiness to separate from media and the difficulties to introduce impurities to detection environment. As a fluorescein-based sensor for Hg2+, the N-(Fluorescein) lactam-N′-methylethylidene (FLA) was synthesized, and the structure confirmation process was finished by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR and mass spectrometry. The interaction of FLA with various mental ions demonstrated the high selectivity to Hg2+, which was proved by UV–Vis and fluorescence spectrometry analysis. Meanwhile, the binding mode of FLA Hg2+ was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. Then, counting FLA as functional monomer and MBA as crosslinker, different proportions of acrylamide (AAm), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were copolymerized with FLA and N , N ′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) to prepare hydrogel sensors. The hydrogel sensor was characterized by colorimetry and swelling properties. At last, the prepared hydrogels is capable to respond to different colors of Hg2+ in water or DMSO, and it can be reused after the treatment with ethylenediamine (EDA) solution. (a) Changes of color of Gel 1 in the presence of Hg2+ in distilled water and DMSO. (b) The reuse process of hydrogel sensor. Unlabelled Image • Fluorescein-based sensor • Hg2+ ion selective • Fluorescein-immobilized optical hydrogels • Naked-eye hydrogel sensor • Reusable hydrogel sensor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring adequate supply of food is the most important challenge facing China. With the dramatic change in food habits over the past few decades, the demand for arable land and irrigation water has also changed, undoubtedly increasing the uncertainty of ensuring China's food security. This study quantifies how China's food habits have influenced the requirements for arable land and water between 1981 and 2016 using data collected from multiple sources and projects the amount of arable land and irrigation water needed to ensure national food security. The results show that changes in food habit have led to increased demand for arable land and irrigation water during the past 30 years. In 1981, 124 million ha of arable land and 159 billion m³of irrigation water were needed for food consumption; however, these values increased to 137 million ha and 184 billion m³, respectively in 2016. Moreover, changes in food habit have exceeded the level of agricultural technology, becoming the main reason for increase in per capita demand of arable land and water after 1996. Under the current food habits, the demand for arable land and irrigation water will increase by 14% and 13%, respectively when the expected population peak occurs (in 2032), compared to those of 2016. However, if the food habits recommended by China's nutritionists are followed in the future, more arable land and irrigation water will be needed to meet China's demand compared to the current diet patterns. This study also proposes some measures to ensure China's food security based on the presented findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracked mining vehicles (TMVs) are key equipment in deep-sea mining systems and can easily slip when walking on soft sediments on the seabed. Thus, it is important to investigate the effect of track parameters and grounding-specific pressure on the shear interaction between mining vehicles and sediment. The sediment was simulated using a mixture of bentonite and water, and a shear test of the track with a single grouser and sediment was conducted. A numerical model of the track–sediment shear test was established, and the shear strength and failure mode of the sediment soil under the track action were examined. The results demonstrate that the peak shear strength of the track–sediment interface increases with an increase in the grounding-specific pressure, gradually increases with an increase in grouser height, and tends to stabilize at a given level of grouser height. Owing to the presence of the grouser, the deep-sea sediment transitions from the elastic state to the plastic state faster than the typical clay during the shear test. The variation law of peak shear strength at the track-sediment interface with the height of track grouser under different grounding-specific pressures was analyzed, and a modified shear stress-displacement relationship model was proposed. Wedge failure is the predominant method of failure for a single-grouser shear sediment soil at various heights. The primary factor affecting the horizontal disturbance range is the grouser height, and the range increases as the grouser height increases; the primary element affecting the vertical disturbance range is the grounding-specific pressure, and the range increases as the grounding-specific pressure increases. The relationship of the grouser height and cohesiveness with the interfacial shear strength was examined and a new shear stress–displacement relationship model that can accurately capture the shear mechanical behavior between the track and sediment under various grouser heights was proposed. In conclusion, the study findings could serve as a guide for the engineering design of a TMV walking system. • Explored the characteristics of the shear stress-displacement curves, and analyzed the effects of the grouser height and the grounding specific pressure on the peak shear strength of the interface. • Proposed a shear stress-displacement relationship model considering the grouser parameters. • Analyzed the failure process and final failure mode of sediment from the mesoscopic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, more and more existing building has an ever increasing requirement of retrofit, which has been developed from individual measure to combination package of multiple measures. It has become the challenging task for screening building multiple energy retrofit measures package (BMERMP). In this paper, a stepwise screening methodology for BMERMP is proposed considering economic and risk aspects, which integrates Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) and Monte Carlo (MC) analysis. First of all, this paper puts forward a calculation reference table for energy saving retrofit potential. In addition, this paper also uses unit energy saving incremental cost (UESIC) to screen technology and suggests economic internal rate of return（EIRR）as cost-benefit analysis index of BMERMP. Furthermore, the authors propose the concept of Value-at-Risk (VaR) as an effective measure to control the risk. The VaR for EIRR is determined by risk variation and can be obtained through MC simulation. Meanwhile, the study takes a commercial building for example, this building comprises 19 measures in initial BMERMP by energy diagnosis and the VaR of initial BMERMP is 97.6%, which has a high risk. According to the ranking of UESIC value, when 4 high cost technologies are reduced, the VaR can be reduced to 0.07%, then the economy of BMERMP is feasible and the risk is controllable. This paper provides a new perspective for the decision maker to select BMERMP. Highlights • A stepwise screening methodology to select building multiple energy retrofit measures package (BMERMTP) is proposed. • The screening methodology integrate Life-Cycle Costing(LCC) and Monte Carlo(MC) analysis. • Cost-benefit analysis for BMERMTP adopt the economic benefits of energy retrofits in the economic period. • Present the concept of Value-at-Risk (VaR) as an effective measure to control the risk for BMERMTP. • It suggests calculation table for building energy-saving retrofit potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-rate and stable-cycling hollow corn-like LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 material for lithium ion battery cathodes is successfully synthesized from a hollow hierarchical precursor that derives from hydrothermal method. The obtained material with unique 3D corn-like architecture is assembled from a mirco-rod body and numerous nanoparticles surface, which expand the electrochemical active area, depress the Ni/Li disorder, and alleviate the pulverization. As a proof of practical application, the cathode delivers a high-rate capacity of 186.94 mA h g −1 , and the capacity retention is 85.71% after 100 cycles at 200 mA g −1 . Particularly, this unique cathode architecture is stable, tolerates high-rate charging process, and keeps the original structure intact after fast Li + extraction and diffusion, thus possessing the advantages present in both nanostructures and microstructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3D re-entrant honeycomb structure was designed in a simple configuration by introducing a spatial angular design parameter. Mechanical responses under uniaxial compression of it at constant spatial angle (α) and different re-entrant angles (θ) were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Designed lattice auxetic structures with high shape fidelity were fabricated using selective laser sintering (SLS) of PA 2200 powder. The produced samples exhibited negative, zero, and positive Poisson's ratios depending on a selected θ value, and their mechanical properties varied over a wide range. Bend- and buckling-dominated deformation mechanisms of the struts have been observed under compression. Additionally, the analytical models of re-entrant honeycomb structures effectively illustrated the quantitative relationships between their mechanical properties (Young's modulus (E) and Poisson's ratio) and the design parameter θ. The results presented in this study would provide a reference to the customized design of the porous auxetic structures with unique mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]