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Background: We attempted to explore the common and distinct long- and short-range functional connectivity (FC) patterns of melancholic and non-melancholic major depressive disorder (MDD) and their associations with clinical characteristics.Methods: Fifty-nine patients with first-episode drug-naïve MDD, including 31 patients with melancholic features and 28 patients with non-melancholic features, underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning to examine long- and short-range FC. Thirty-two healthy volunteers were recruited as controls. The support vector machines (SVM) was applied to distinguish the melancholic patients from the non-melancholic patients by using the FC of abnormal brain regions.Results: Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with MDD showed increased long-range positive FC (lpFC) in the right insula/inferior frontal gyrus and left insula. Relative to non-melancholic patients, melancholic patients displayed decreased lpFC in the right lingual gyrus, decreased short-range positive FC (spFC) in the right middle temporal gyrus and right superior parietal lobule, increased lpFC in the left inferior parietal lobule, and increased spFC in the left middle occipital gyrus/inferior occipital gyrus, left cerebellum VII/IX, and bilateral cerebellum CrusII. Increased lpFC in the left inferior parietal lobule in melancholic patients was correlated with the TEPS abstract anticipatory scores. SVM results showed that FCs of five combinations within different brain regions could distinguish melancholic patients from non-melancholic patients.Conclusions: FC abnormalities in the default mode network and parietal-occipital brain regions may underlie the neurobiology of melancholic MDD. An increased lpFC in the left inferior parietal lobule correlated with anhedonia may be a distinctive neurobiological feature of melancholic MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y 2 O 3 –MgO nanocomposites have received attention owing to their high optical and mechanical properties. However, the inevitable light scattering stemming from the refractive index difference between the two phases limits their applications in the near-infrared region. In this study, the grain boundary light scattering was reduced by doping ZnO into MgO. Y 2 O 3 –Mg 1−x Zn x O nanocomposites were fabricated by hot-press sintered nanopowders synthesized via the sol-gel combustion process. The addition of ZnO reduced the sintering temperature by almost 300 °C and reduced the average grain size by more than 50 nm. Transmittance of 75%–85% was maintained for all samples in the wavelength range of 2–6 µm. The near-infrared cut-on wavelength shifted from 1222 to 843 nm when the ZnO concentration was up to 25 mol%. This work demonstrates the potential of ZnO-doped Y 2 O 3 –MgO nanocomposites as infrared transparent ceramics over a wide infrared transmission range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-chain interaction plays a crucial role in enhancing asset circulation and data sharing across diverse blockchain systems. However, achieving secure and stable cross-chain data transactions remains a significant challenge. Traditional frameworks often prioritize efficiency, leading to potential security vulnerabilities, such as single points of failure and excessive computational burdens. These issues compromise the reliability of cross-chain interactions, necessitating the development of more robust methodologies to ensure secure data communication across consortium blockchains. To address these concerns, this paper proposes a novel cross-chain data interaction protocol based on a relay network, incorporating auditing and result arbitration mechanisms using short signatures from bilinear pairings. The protocol employs a trusted execution environment (TEE) within the relay network to execute service nodes that record transaction states. This approach not only reduces the computational load on the chain but also facilitates effective coordination for cross-chain consensus. Moreover, we present a cross-chain asynchronous consensus mechanism, named d-PBFT, to improve the flexibility of the cross-chain network. Security analysis and experimental results show that the protocol enhances the efficiency and ensures the security of cross-chain interaction, while reducing on-chain storage consumption. Thus, the protocol has a high level of security and feasibility for cross-chain data interaction among consortium blockchains. © 2014 xxxxxxxx. Hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hierarchical porous Indium-doping ZnO micro-bowl is constructed through an in-situ corrosion method. • The abundant voids and nanopores facilitate the ionic transport and accommodating the volumetric changes. • The Indium-doping accelerates the transition kinetics between Zn and ZnO through enhancing the electrical/ionic conductivity and adsorption to OH–. • The Indium-doping inhibits the hydrogen evolution. • The In-ZnO demonstrates high Zn utilization of 92.3%, and high capacity of 590.2 mAh/g even at high current density of 36 A/g. Aqueous nickel-zinc (Ni-Zn) battery is one promising grid energy storage device owing to its high theoretical energy density, high safety and low cost. However, the large-scale commercialization of Ni-Zn battery is significantly hindered by its low practical energy density and poor cycle lifespan caused by the low reversibility and transition kinetics between the metallic Zn and ZnO with low Zn utilization. To address these issues, a type of hierarchical porous Indium-doping ZnO micro-bowls (In-ZnO) is constructed through an in-situ chemical corrosion strategy. The abundant voids and pores facilitate the ionic transport, and simultaneously accommodate the volumetric expansion during the electrochemical transition between metallic Zn and ZnO. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that In-ZnO achieves the enhanced electrical/ionic conductivity and improved adsorption to OH–, accelerating the solid–liquid transitions of Zn-Zn(OH) 4 2- and Zn(OH) 4 2--ZnO, as well as the solid–solid transition of Zn-ZnO. Simultaneously, the Indium-doping inhibits the hydrogen evolution and passivation. Ascribed to the synergetic effect of the hierarchical porous structure and Indium-doping, the In-ZnO electrode demonstrates ultra-stable capacity retention of 98.6% over 1000 cycles at 9 A g-1 under 92.3% Zn utilization, and high capacity of 590.2 mAh g-1 even at high current density of 36 A g-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The SPR and fluorescence dual-mode detection system were applied. • The whole cell and membrane region of a single cell were analyzed simultaneously. • The temporal and spatial correspondences were established. • Effectiveness of multiple drugs on A549 cells was tested. The investigation of the interactions between cells and drugs forms a crucial aspect of biological and clinical medical studies. Generally, single-cell or local-cellular studies require a microscopic imaging system with high magnifications, which suffers from low detection throughputs and poor time responses. The study presented in this paper combined SPR and fluorescence to achieve cell localization, real-time monitoring of cell images and quantitative analysis of drugs. In order to obtain more comprehensive, accurate and real-time data, a dual-mode system based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence was constructed based on a 4× magnification lens. This enables simultaneous studies of an entire cell and a specific region of the cell membrane. An adaptive adjustment algorithm was established for distorted SPR images, achieving temporal and spatial matching of the dual-mode detection. The combination of SPR and fluorescence not only achieved micro-detection but also complemented the qualitative or quantitative limitations of SPR or fluorescence method alone. In system characterization, the response signal of SPR was noticed to increase with the increasing concentration of EGF in stimulated cells. It indicated that this platform could be employed for quantitative detection of the cell membrane region. Upon addition of EGF, a peak in the SPR curve was observed, and the cells in the corresponding SPR image turned whiter. This indicated that the platform can simultaneously monitor the SPR response signal and image changes. The response time of fluorescence in EGF testing was several seconds earlier than SPR, revealing that signal transduction first occurred in the whole cell and then propagated to the cell membrane region. The inhibitory ability of Gefitinib on cells was verified in a fast and real-time manner within 20 min. The results indicated that the detection limit of this method was 20 IU/mL for EGF and 10 µg/mL for Gefitinib. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the advantages of SPR and fluorescence dual-mode techniques in the analysis of cell-drug interactions, as well as their strong potential in drug screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lake ecosystems, pelagic-benthic coupling strength (PBCS) is closely related to foodweb structure and pollutant transport. However, the trophic transfer of antibiotics in a benthic-pelagic coupling foodweb (BPCFW) and the manner in which PBCS influences the trophic magnification factor (TMFs) of antibiotics is still not well understood in the whole lake. Herein, the trophic transfer behavior of 12 quinolone antibiotics (QNs) in the BPCFW of Baiyangdian Lake were studied during the period of 2018–2019. It was revealed that 24 dominant species were contained in the BPCFW, and the trophic level was 0.42–2.94. Seven QNs were detected in organisms, the detection frequencies of ofloxacin (OFL), flumequine (FLU), norfloxacin (NOR), and enrofloxacin (ENR) were higher than other QNs. The ∑QN concentration in all species was 11.3–321 ng/g dw. The TMFs for ENR and NOR were trophic magnification, while for FLU/OFL it was trophic dilution. The PBCS showed spatial-temporal variation, with a range of 0.6977–0.7910. The TMFs of ENR, FLU, and OFL were significantly positively correlated with PBCS. Phytoplankton and macrophyte biomasses showed indirect impact on the TMFs of QNs by directly influencing the PBCS. Therefore, the PBCS was the direct influencing factor for the TMFs of chemicals. [Display omitted] • First illustrated the PBCS was the direct impact factor for the TMFs of QNs. • Two-baseline approach is better to assess TMFs of chemicals in BPCFW. • Temporal variation of PBCS was significant while spatial variation was not. • The TMFs of ENR, FLU, and OFL were significantly positive correlation with PBCS. • PB and MB showed indirectly impact the TMFs of QNs by directly influence PBCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic (MP), as a new pollutant, not only affects the growth and development of plants but also may affect the secondary metabolites of plants. The anti-tumor role of Pinellia ternata is related to secondary metabolites. The role of brassinolide (BR) in regulating plant resistance is currently one of the research hotspots. The paper mainly explores the regulation of BR on growth and physiology of Pinellia ternata under MP stress. The experimental design includes two levels of MP (0, 1%) and two levels of BR (0, 0.1 mg/L). MP led to a marked reduction in plant height (15.0%), Fv/Fm (3.2%), SOD and APX activity (15.0%, 5.1%), whereas induced an evident raise in the rate of O 2 ·- production (29.6%) and GSH content (4.4%), as well as flavonoids (6.8%), alkaloids (75%), and β-sitosterol (26.5%) contents. Under MP addition, BR supply significantly increased plant height (15.7%), aboveground and underground biomass (16.1%, 10.3%), carotenoid and GSH content (11.8%, 4.2%), Fv/Fm (2.9%), and activities of SOD, GR, and MDHAR (32.2%, 21.08%, 20.9%). These results indicate that MP suppresses the growth of P. ternata , although it promotes secondary metabolism. BR can alleviate the inhibitory effect of MP on growth by improving photosynthesis, redox homeostasis, and the AsA-GSH cycle. [Display omitted] • MP reduces growth and antioxidant capacity of P. ternata. • MP promotes the generation of secondary metabolic substances in P. ternata. • BR enhances growth and antioxidant capacity of P. ternata under MP stress. • BR have a potential role in mitigating adverse effects of MP on P. ternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Solving balance search problems among local search and global search. • Objective black-box functions are constructed by Hierarchical Gauss process model. • A generalized hierarchical expected improvement method is proposed to solve bayesian optimization problem. • Hyperparmeter prior distribution models are adjusted by increasing the number of samples during the search process. With the improvement of the accuracy of numerical simulation experiments, the computational costs of black–box function problems are increasing. In the process of global optimization using the Bayesian optimization method, the sampling cost and the optimization accuracy are the keys for measuring the effectiveness of the Bayesian optimization method. The expected improvement method has a closed-form of the acquisition function, which can realize the effective use of the sampled points, thereby reducing the sampling cost and improving the optimization accuracy. Therefore, this method has been widely used to solve practical engineering problems. The current expected improvement methods are based on fixed local–global search strategy. These methods have difficulty adapting to black-box functions of different complexities, and they have significant limitations in balancing local and global search capabilities. This article proposes a generalized hierarchical expected improvement (GHEI) Bayesian optimization method with an adaptive search strategy. By introducing the balance parameters to adjust the improvement functions, the local–global search criterion is further changed. On this basis, an adaptive search strategy based on the equivalent expectation to improve the optimization is proposed, and it improves the ability to deal with black-box functions of different complexities. The accuracy of the hierarchical Gaussian process model is further improved through methods such as related parameter estimation, hyperparameter determination, and basis function order selection. Comparative analysis with numerical calculation examples verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. Finally, the adaptive GHEI method is applied on the spacecraft radiation resistance equivalent test analysis, and results show that the adaptive GHEI method exhibits a strong search efficiency and applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real point cloud registration, involving homologous and cross-source 3D data, poses significant challenges such as partial overlap, high noise, density disparities, and scale variations. In this paper, we introduce a framework called OEFM to guide transform estimation on the basis of feature metrics through overlap estimation with overlap region center weighting, which estimates transform parameters by minimizing feature projection error on overlap region features. Our proposed approach utilizes an overlap filtering module with a center-weighting mechanism to filter overlap points and feeds these points into a feature metric framework with a forward–backward transformation to estimate the transformation parameters. The rationale behind our approach is that only overlapping regions are useful for point cloud registration, while non-overlapping regions are anomalous. Furthermore, our proposed approach requires no correspondence search, making it robust to partial overlaps, large noise, density differences, and scale variations. We show that our approach achieves the highest registration recall for 3DMatch and 3DCSR in extensive experiments on both homologous and cross-source datasets. • We present an efficient unsupervised training module for transform estimation with forward–backward transformation, which could enhance the performance of unsupervised training as well as transform estimation. • We provide a robust point cloud registration technique combined with feature matching, without using the common correspondence search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall-induced soil slope failures are among the most frequent and widespread landslides in the world. The infiltration of water plays a critical role in the instability of slopes under rainfall conditions. By employing the physical models, field monitoring data becomes instrumental for the back analysis of soil parameters, providing critical insights into the mechanisms of slope instability. In this review, the initial section investigates the hydraulic characteristics of unsaturated soils, encompassing the soil-water characteristic curve, permeability function, and their variability nature. Subsequently, a comprehensive overview of infiltration models for unsaturated soil, coupled with their numerical and analytical solutions, is provided. The subsequent section systematically introduces physical model-based Bayesian parameter inference, with a particular emphasis on the formulations of likelihood functions. The exploration then shifts towards investigating the impacts of prior knowledge, likelihood, model structure, and assimilation approach on an unsaturated soil slope monitoring case. Finally, the limitations of the current approaches and future outlooks in this field are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the membrane residual stresses in S690 high strength steel welded π-shaped and cruciform sections. The experimental programme was performed on three π-shaped sections and two cruciform sections, fabricated from 5 mm thick S700MC high strength steel plates by means of gas metal arc welding, and included material tensile coupon tests and membrane residual stress measurements, with two measurements for each of the five S690 high strength steel welded π-shaped and cruciform sections. The measured tensile and compressive membrane residual stresses were analysed and the self-equilibrium of the measured membrane residual stresses in each constituent plate element was also verified, with the maximum unbalanced membrane residual stress to yield stress ratios of 3.3% for π-shaped sections and 3.2% for cruciform sections. The existing membrane residual stress predictive models, as given in the European convention and Swedish regulations, were assessed for their applicability to S690 high strength steel welded π-shaped and cruciform sections, revealing inaccuracy. Finally, two sets of new predictive models for membrane residual stresses in S690 high strength steel welded π-shaped and cruciform sections were proposed and shown to result in accurate predictions of the measured membrane residual stress data. • The membrane residual stresses in S690 high strength steel welded π-shaped and cruciform sections are studied. • Ten sets of measurements are conducted on three π-shaped sections and two cruciform sections. • The measured tensile and compressive membrane residual stresses are analysed. • The codified membrane residual stress predictive models are assessed, indicating inaccuracy. • New improved membrane residual stress predictive models are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of the cascadic multigrid method applied to improved Picard iteration method for nonlinear problems arising in deforming variably saturated porous media. The finite element method with 6-node triangular elements is applied to discretize the space and obtain nonlinear algebraic equations. Then the nonlinear iterative method is used for iterative solution. Since the classical nonlinear Picard iteration method (PI) can be slow to converge, two improved Picard iteration methods are proposed. One is the improved Picard method with iterations k on the coarse grid and number of multiple grids m (PI-MG(m , k)), and the other is the improved Picard method based on the cascadic multigrid method without parameter k (PI-NMG(m)). Three numerical examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the improved method. Results indicate that the convergence rate of PI is the slowest (10–25 nonlinear iterations per time step), followed by PI-MG(m , k) (3–5 nonlinear iterations), and PI-NMG(m) is the fastest (stable 2 nonlinear iterations). The computational efficiency of PI-NMG(m) is improved by about 90% relative to PI and by about 70% relative to AR-PI. This method can be applied to large-scale numerical calculation of seepage and deformation in unsaturated deforming porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordinary differential equation is a powerful tool for analyzing optimization algorithm. Motivated by the fact, this paper revisits Halpern fixed-point algorithm from an ordinary differential equation. More specifically, we establish a second-order ordinary differential equation with Hessian-driven damping, which is the limit of Halpern fixed-point algorithm. The Hessian-driven damping makes it possible to significantly attenuate the oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies show that the API p - y method may underestimate the pile-soil initial stiffness of offshore wind turbine (OWT) monopiles in clay while overestimate that in sand. To facilitate the reliability-based design of OWT monopiles with the API p - y design method, a two-stage evaluation method of the model bias factor for the p - y method (ε py) of monopiles under the serviceability limit state (SLS) was presented. The model bias factor ε py is derived by comparing field test data with high-fidelity 3D finite element model (FEM) results, and the p - y method predictions, addressing the issues of limited field test data for OWT monopiles. Results show that the mean of the model bias factor ε py depends on the characteristics of piles, the soil properties, and the composition of the layered ground. The systematic dependency is expressed by a trend function and the residual model bias factor follows a lognormal distribution with a mean of 1.01 and a COV of 0.14. The significance of the model uncertainty is illustrated using a case study. The results of the field example show that the design in clay sites may be considerably conservative and may be less conservative in sand sites if ignoring the model uncertainty. The result of this work can provide a basis for promoting reliability-based design for OWT monopiles. • A two-stage approach is presented to characterize the model bias factor for the API p-y method of OWT monopiles underSLS. • The proposed approach addresses the issues of limited field test data for OWT monopiles. • The model bias factor is applied to evaluate the reliability index of OWT monopiles under SLS in a real project in China. • Ignoring the model bias factor causes a conservative design in clay sites and a less conservative design in sand sites. • The result of this work can provide a basis for promoting reliability-based design for OWT monopiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular response to pharmacological action of drugs is significant for drug development. Traditional detection method for cellular response to drugs normally rely on cell proliferation assay and metabolomics examination. In principle, these analytical methods often required cell labeling, invasion analysis, and hours of co-culture with drugs, which are relatively complex and time-consuming. Moreover, these methods can only indicate the drug effectiveness on cell colony rather than single cells. Thus, to meet the requirements of personal precision medicine, the development of drug response analysis on the high resolution of single cell is demanded. To provide precise result for drug response on single-cell level, a microfluidic platform coupled with the label-free hyperspectral imaging was developed. With the help of horizontal single-cell trapping sieves, hundreds of single cells were trapped independently in microfluidic channels for the purposes of real-time drug delivery and single-cell hyperspectral image recording. To significantly identify the cellular hyperspectral change after drug stimulation, the differenced single-cell spectrum was proposed. Compared with the deep learning classification method based on hyperspectral images, an optimal performance can be achieved by the classification strategy based on differenced spectra. And the cellular response to different reagents, for example, K+, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and Gefitinib at different concentrations can be accurately characterized by the differenced single-cell spectra analysis. The high-throughput, rapid analysis of cellular response to drugs at the single-cell level can be accurately performed by our platform. After systematically analyzing the materials and the structures of the single-cell microfluidic chip, the optimal single-cell trapping method was proposed to contribute to the further application of hyperspectral imaging on microfluidic single-cell analysis. And the hyperspectral characterization of single-cell with cancer drug stimulation proved the application potential of our method in personal cancer medication. [Display omitted] • A microfluidic single-cell chip with hundreds of single-cell traps was developed to simultaneously achieve single cell trapping, drug delivery, and hyperspectral image recording. • Two different analysis methods, the ANN model for hyperspectral images, and the algorithm of differenced single-cell spectra were systematically analyzed and compared. • The cellular response of A549 cells to different reagents, such as K+, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and Gefitinib with different concentrations can be precisely characterized by the differenced single-cell spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Carbon nanospheres (CNSs) were synthesized via pressure-PSSMA assisted. • Pressure-PSSMA reduced the size of CNSs by increasing the number of carbon nuclei. • Pressure-PSSMA improved the size uniformity of CNSs by shortening nucleation time. • The application performance of CNSs was better than the large-size carbon spheres. Strict control of the monodispersity and size of hydrothermal carbon nanospheres (CNSs) with a size less than 150 nm is a prerequisite for many applications. However, designing and achieving the mass production of high-quality glucose-derived CNSs have been very challenging. Herein, we successfully synthesize PCNSs-PSSMA through a simple method that is synergistically assisted by an external pressure (2.0 MPa) and a small amount of poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) sodium salt (PSSMA). The mechanism of the external pressure and PSSMA effect on the synthesis of PCNSs-PSSMA is investigated. On the one hand, the pressure and PSSMA can increase the glucose hydrothermal carbonation (HTC) rate and increase the number of carbon nuclei. On the other hand, PSSMA adsorbs on the surface of the CNSs to inhibit their growth so that more raw materials can be used for nucleation. When limited by the raw materials, it is difficult for CNSs to continue to grow. Furthermore, we also verify that PCNSs-PSSMA is superior in terms of adsorption and catalysis to large carbon spheres prepared by traditional methods. Our findings provide potential guidance for the mass production of other small particle size nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endogenous sulfur dioxide is a novel inhibitor of hypoxia-induced mast cell degranulation. Endogenous SO 2 /AAT pathway exists in MCs. Mast cell-derived SO 2 upregulates cAMP level through activation of AC and inhibition of PDE, thereby suppressing degranulation of MCs. [Display omitted] • Endogenous SO 2 /AAT pathway exists in mast cells (MCs). • Endogenous SO 2 is a novel MC membrane stabilizer under hypoxic circumstance. • MC-derived SO 2 upregulates cAMP level, thereby suppressing MC degranulation. Mast cell (MC) degranulation is an important step in the pathogenesis of inflammatory reactions and allergies; however, the mechanism of stabilizing MC membranes to reduce their degranulation is unclear. SO 2 content in MC culture supernatant was measured by HPLC-FD. The protein and mRNA expressions of the key enzymes aspartate aminotransferase 1 (AAT1) and AAT2 and intracellular AAT activity were detected. The cAMP level in MCs was detected by immunofluorescence and ELISA. The release rate of MC degranulation marker β-hexosaminidase was measured. The expression of AAT1 and cAMP, the MC accumulation and degranulation in lung tissues were detected. To exam whether an endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO 2) pathway exists in MCs and if it serves as a novel endogenous MC stabilizer. We firstly show the existence of the endogenous SO 2 /AAT pathway in MCs. Moreover, when AAT1 was knocked down in MCs, MC degranulation was significantly increased, and could be rescued by a SO 2 donor. Mechanistically, AAT1 knockdown decreased the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content in MCs, while SO 2 prevented this reduction in a dose-independent manner. Pretreatment with the cAMP-synthesizing agonist forskolin or the cAMP degradation inhibitor IBMX significantly blocked the increase in AAT1 knockdown-induced MC degranulation. Furthermore, in hypoxia-stimulated MCs, AAT1 protein expression and SO 2 production were markedly down regulated, and MC degranulation was activated, which were blunted by AAT1 overexpression. The cAMP synthesis inhibitor SQ22536 disrupted the suppressive effect of AAT1 overexpression on hypoxia-induced MC degranulation. In a hypoxic environment, mRNA and protein expression of AAT1 was significantly reduced in lung tissues of rats. Supplementation of SO 2 elevated the cAMP level and reduced perivascular MC accumulation and degranulation in lung tissues of rats exposed to a hypoxic environment in vivo. SO 2 serves as an endogenous MC stabilizer via upregulating the cAMP pathway under hypoxic circumstance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapidly changeable market, product innovation is critical for enterprises to improve their product competitiveness. Product innovation can be described as an evolutionary process of technical systems where the relationship between technologies follows the evolution from parasitism to symbiosis in technological parasitism theory. The existing research on the technological parasitism theory mainly focuses on explaining and verifying the evolution law of product systems from parasitism to symbiosis in the product innovation process. However, these research activities are a post-hoc summary, which limits the guidance for enterprises to proactively realize the evolution of products from parasitism to symbiosis in an ex-ante perspective. For the development of innovative products in the engineering field, enterprises lack an effective ex-ante design method to proactively find the appropriate parasitic technology, and integrate it with the host technology for the product system evolving towards a symbiotic state. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a product innovation design process based on the recombination of host and target genes under the technological parasitism framework. Product scenario analysis is used to explore the potential function needs to determine the search direction of parasitic technologies. The min-complement distance measure method is introduced to identify the appropriate parasitic technology. Based on four recombination operations, the construction process of new product genome through the recombination of host and target genes is proposed. The concept of new product is formed through the transcription of the product genome. The final scheme is developed objectively by using the coefficient variation method and Dempster combination rule. The proposed method is applied in the ex-ante design of a Chinese medicine dispensing machine for its feasibility and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Structure-property relationships of MOFs were established with the capture of CWAs. • The number of hydrogen bond acceptors was a key factor governing the co-adsorption of CWAs by machine learning. • The similarities of top-performing MOFs were defined for the metals, organic links and topology. To effectively capture the low-concentration chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and their simulants which are extremely harmful to human health and environment, the properties of thousands of Computation-Ready, Experimental Metal-Organic Frameworks (CoRE-MOFs) for the adsorption and separation of four CWAs and simulants (dimethyl methyl phosphonate, soman, mustard gas, and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide) from the air were calculated by high-throughput computational screening. To reasonably identify the top-performing MOFs, the trade-off between selectivity and adsorption capacity (TSN) was introduced to measure the properties of MOFs. Five machine learning algorithms were employed to quantitatively evaluate the structure-performance relationships of MOFs for the adsorption of CWAs and validate that Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithms had the best prediction accuracy. Furthermore, four MOF descriptors (henry coefficient, number of hydrogen bonds, porosity, and volumetric surface area) were found to have significant influence on the properties of MOFs. Finally, it was determined that the number of hydrogen bond acceptors was a key factor governing the co-adsorption of CWAs and their simulants, and the similarities of adsorbents with good adsorption performance included Zn for metal center, trimesic acid for organic linker, and srs for topology. The microscopic insights obtained from our bottom-up approach are very helpful for the development of MOFs and other nanoporous materials for the capture of CWAs from the air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports laboratory testing and numerical modelling on the cross-sectional behaviour and resistances of press-braked S690 high strength steel slender channel section stub columns under combined compression and minor-axis bending. A testing programme, including initial geometric imperfection measurements and ten minor-axis eccentric compression tests, was firstly conducted. This was accompanied by a numerical modelling programme, including a validation study, where finite element models were developed and validated against test results, and a series of parametric studies, where the validated finite element models were used to generate further numerical data. The obtained test and numerical data were then adopted to evaluate the current codified design interaction curves for press-braked S690 high strength steel slender channel section stub columns under combined compression and minor-axis bending, as provided in the European code, North American specification and Australian/New Zealand standard. The evaluation results revealed that the codified design interaction curves led to conservative and scattered resistance predictions, mainly due to the conservative end points (i.e. the cross-section compression and bending resistances). Finally, a new design interaction curve, anchored to more accurate end points, was proposed and shown to result in a higher level of design accuracy and consistency than the codified design interaction curves. • The behaviour of S690 high strength steel slender channel sections under minor-axis combined loading was studied. • Minor-axis eccentric compression tests were carried out. • FE models were developed and validated against the test results and then used to perform parametric studies. • The codified design interaction curves were evaluated, revealing a high level of conservatism. • A new interaction curve, anchored to the CSM end points, was proposed and shown to yield higher design accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Metal exposure levels exhibited obvious variations between species. • Cu and Zn were the most accumulated elements. • Most trace metals declined over the last one to two decades. • Metals in the cultured organisms was far lower than those in wild marine organisms. Trace metal (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) exposures, distribution and bioaccumulation were investigated in marine organisms from Guangdong coastal regions, South China. The results showed that all of the selected metals were observed in marine organisms with a predomination of Cu and Zn. The metal exposure levels exhibited obvious variations between species with the decreasing order of crab>shellfish>shrimp>fish. The higher metals enrichment seen in shellfish and crab species primarily attributed to their living habits and the higher sediment background values of trace metals. Endpoint bioaccumulation factor (BAF fd) was used to characterize the bioaccumulation potentials of marine organisms to trace metals, of which Cu and Zn were the most accumulated elements. The exposure of trace metals in the cultured organisms was far lower than those in wild marine organisms, which is probably due to the effect of growth dilution. Comparisons with previous studies demonstrated that the concentration profiles of most trace metals declined over the last one to two decades, except Cu, that increased indistinctively. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper probes into the synchronization of delayed competitive memristor-based neural networks (CMNNs). Firstly, a new loosened integral inequality is advanced to decrease the estimation difference of auxiliary function-based integral inequalities (AFBIs). Next, by utilizing Legendre polynomials and appropriate loose variables, a delay-product function (DPF) is advanced to employ extra freedom and more information on system states. Then, by proposing nonlinear controller and Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) based on above DPF, two delay-dependent principles are offered to accomplish the global synchronization by making use of Chen et al.'s integral inequalities and quadratic combination technique. Finally, an example is supplied to reveal the effectiveness of the presented results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exogenous supplementation with PTD-ChAT is more effective than donepezil, especially in aged mice with severe dementia. • Functional compensation via a direct increase in ACh by PTD-ChAT was superior to indirect prolongation effect by donepezil. • DEGs in PTD-ChAT-treated mice were enriched in ACh-related pathways that improve cognitive deficits. • Donepezil was correlated with anti-inflammatory and insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathways. • The above results are of marked significance for research on new drugs for AD treatment. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) synthesizes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach). Exogenous supplementation with ChAT can functionally compensate for decreased Ach levels and ameliorate memory and cognitive deficits. In this paper, the treatment efficacy of recombinant ChAT (peptide transduction domain (PTD)-ChAT) and donepezil were compared in aged dementia mice, and their mechanisms were explored by performing the gene function annotation and enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes. The Morris water maze test showed that the swimming times of PTD-ChAT-treated (4 mg/kg) and donepezil-treated (0.5 mg/kg) mice with mild and moderate dementia were significantly shortened (P < 0.01 vs aged dementia mice), and no significant changes were observed between the PTD-ChAT- and donepezil-treated groups. In contrast, the swimming times of PTD-ChAT-treated mice with severe dementia were noticeably shorter than those of donepezil-treated mice with severe dementia (P < 0.01), indicating that the treatment efficacy of PTD-ChAT is superior to that of donepezil. The effect of PTD-ChAT was further confirmed in transgenic dementia mice (C57BL/6J-TgN (APP/PS1) ZLFILAS). Gene function annotation and enrichment analysis showed that PTD-ChAT improved cognitive deficits through Ach and was implicated in neuroprotection, synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival, and cerebrovascular remodeling through ACh and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway activation. Donepezil was significantly correlated with the immune inflammatory response and the insulin and IGF-1 signaling pathways. Therefore, although PTD-ChAT and donepezil were both effective in the treatment of aged dementia mice, their mechanisms were significantly different. Our research indicated that PTD-ChAT has potential promise for research on new drugs for AD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a large surface-groundwater exchange downstream of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and antibiotics upstream may influence sites downstream of rivers. Thus, samples from 9 effluent-receiving urban rivers (ERURs) and 12 groundwater sites were collected in Shijiazhuang City in December 2020 and April 2021. For ERURs, 8 out of 13 target quinolone antibiotics (QNs) were detected, and the total concentration of QNs in December and April were 100.6-4,398 ng/L and 8.02–2,476 ng/L, respectively. For groundwater, all target QNs were detected, and the total QNs concentration was 1.09–23.03 ng/L for December and 4.54–170.3 ng/L for April. The distribution of QNs was dissimilar between ERURs and groundwater. Most QN concentrations were weakly correlated with land use types in the system. The results of a positive matrix factorization model (PMF) indicated four potential sources of QNs in both ERURs and groundwater, and WWTP effluents were the main source of QNs. From December to April, the contribution of WWTP effluents and agricultural emissions increased, while livestock activities decreased. Singular value decomposition (SVD) results showed that the spatial variation of most QNs was mainly contributed by sites downstream (7.09%-88.86%) of ERURs. Then, a new method that combined the results of SVD and PMF was developed for a specific-source-site risk quotient (SRQ), and the SRQ for QNs was at high level, especially for the sites downstream of WWTPs. Regarding temporal variation, the SRQ for WWTP effluents, aquaculture, and agricultural emissions increased. Therefore, in order to control the antibiotic pollution, more attention should be paid to WWTP effluents, aquaculture, and agricultural emission sources for the benefit of sites downstream of WWTPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new and effective method for evaluating the reassembly of starch molecules at large scale (>2 nm) during retrogradation has been developed based on the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. The SAXS curves fitted by the Cauchy plus Power-law functions are decomposed into peak- and non-peak-derived sub-patterns. The peak-derived patterns are used for calculating (i) the size of ordered aggregate structures (d) using Lorentz correction and (ii) the proportion of ordered structures within starch samples (R peak) by estimating the ratio of the area under the peak-derived sub-pattern (S peak) to the total area under SAXS curve. The I max and fractal-like dimension (α) of the scattering aggregates (the fitted parameters of SAXS curve), d , S peak , S non - peak (the area under the non-peak-derived sub-pattern) and R peak change as a function of retrogradation time. Importantly, the S non - peak interrogates the continuous reduction of amorphous starch molecules during the aging, SAXS parameters including α and d describe starch ordered aggregate structures with larger scale than 2 nm are fitted well with pseudo Avrami equation. The SAXS in this study can be used to unravel the evolution of both amorphous starch structures and ordered aggregates with larger scale during retrogradation. • A new method for evaluating starch reassembly during retrogradation was developed. • Multi-scale structures of retrograded starch were revealed by SAXS. • Fractal structure and aggregate size were well-fitted with the pseudo Avrami model. • SAXS can be used for monitoring the evolution of starch reassembly during aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an extremely important tool for molecular diagnosis, as it can specifically amplify nucleic acid templates for sensitive detection. As another division of PCR, free convective PCR was invented in 2001, which can be performed in a capillary tube pseudo-isothermally within a significantly short time. Convective PCR thermal cycling is implemented by inducing thermal convection inside the capillary tube, which stratifies the reaction into spatially separate and stable melting, annealing, and extension zones created by the temperature gradient. Convective PCR is a promising tool that can be used for nucleic acid diagnosis as a point-of-care test (POCT) due to the significantly simplified heating strategy, reduced cost, and shortened detection time without sacrificing sensitivity and accuracy. Here, we review the history of free convective PCR from its invention to development and its commercial applications. Image 1 • Systematically review convective PCR (CPCR) from its invention to development and even commercial applications. • Different CPCR with different implementation formats were discussed. • Key characteristics of CPCR reactor such as material, fabrication, and thermal control were compared. • Different detection methods and formats of CPCR were compared. • CPCR system integration and commercial applications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between sleep HRV and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, and further explore whether HRV features can assist the automatic CVD prediction.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed polysomnography (PSG) data obtained from 2111 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study, who were followed up for a median of 11.8 years after PSG acquisition. During follow-up, 1252 participants suffered CVD events (CVD group) and 859 participants remained CVD-free (non-CVD group). HRV measures, derived from time-domain and frequency-domain, were calculated. Regression models were created to determine the independent predictor for long-term CVD outcomes, and to explore the association between HRV and CVD latency. Furthermore, based on HRV and other clinical features, a model was trained to automatically predict CVD outcomes using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm.Results: Compared with the non-CVD group, decreased HRV during sleep was found in the CVD group. HRV, particularly its component of high frequency (HF), was demonstrated to be independent predictor of CVD outcomes. Moreover, normalized HF was positively correlated with CVD latency. The proposed prediction model achieved a total accuracy of 75.3%, in which sleep HRV features served as a supplement to the well-recognized CVD risk factors, such as aging, adiposity and sleep disorders.Conclusions: Association between sleep HRV and long-term CVD outcomes was demonstrated here, suggesting that altered HRV during sleep might occur many years prior to the onset of CVD. Machine learning models, combining sleep HRV and other clinical characteristics, should be promising in the early prediction of CVD outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and they mostly stem from the imperfect combustion of fossil fuels and biofuels. PAHs are inherently associated with homogenous fine particles or distributed to different-sized particles during the aging of air masses. PAHs carried by fine particles undergo a long-range transport to remote areas while those adsorbed on coarse particles have a shorter lifetime in ambient air. More importantly, PAHs with higher molecular weights tend to be bound with finer particles and can deeply enter the lungs, posing severe health risks to humans. Thus, the environmental fate and health effects of particulate PAHs are strongly size-dependent. This review summarizes the size distributions of particulate PAHs freshly emitted from combustion sources as well as the distribution patterns of PAHs in ambient particles. It was found that PAHs from stationary sources are primarily bound to fine particles, which are slightly larger than particles to which PAHs from mobile sources are bound. In ambient air, particulate PAHs are distributed in larger size modes than those in the combustion fume, and the particle size decreases with PAH molecular weight increasing. The relevant mechanisms and influencing factors of particle size distribution changes are illustrated in this article, which are essentially attributed to combustion and ambient temperature as well as the physical and chemical properties of PAHs. Overall, the study on the particle size distribution of PAHs will contribute for a full understanding of the origin, atmospheric behaviors and health effects of particulate PAHs. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive deficits of schizophrenia are predictors of poor function, but antipsychotic medication has limited efficacy for cognitive deficits. These deficits in learning and memory may result from activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which microglia produce. The microglia inhibitor minocycline might arrest this cytokine damage to the hippocampus and reverse the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 75 patients with schizophrenia who randomly received low dose (100 mg/day) or high dose minocycline (200 mg/day) or placebo added to risperidone. MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used to assess the cognitive functioning, and serum levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assessed.Results: Minocyclinehigh dose group was significantly superior to minocyclinelow dose or placebo group not only for the improvements in cognitive tests' scores as well (P < 0.05), but for IL-1β and IL-6 serum levels reduction (P < 0.01). The amelioration of cognitive deficits with minocycline correlated not only with the remission of negative symptoms, but also with the reduction in serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6.Conclusions: Minocycline adjunctive treatment was effective in improving cognitive deficits of patients with schizophrenia. The beneficial effect of minocycline may be related to reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines through microglia inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of cyclic wave loads on the bearing capacity envelope of mat foundations for bottom-supported platforms in saturated soft clay seabed. These platforms offer advantages in terms of quick installation and removal but may experience reduced bearing capacity due to cyclic wave loads. An evaluation method for the failure envelope of mat foundation using Kriging-based response surface methodology under wave action is proposed. To achieve this, we incorporated an elastoplastic constitutive model for cyclic loading into the ABAQUS finite element method platform, utilizing a self-compiled user-defined material (UMAT) code to describe clay behavior. The evolution of uniaxial bearing capacity and vertical-horizontal-moment (VHM) bearing capacity failure envelope are investigated. The performances of Kriging-based response surface methodology and original response surface methodology are compared, and the evaluation of the VHM failure envelope using the Kriging-based response surface methodology is presented. Results indicate that cyclic wave loads can cause significant weakening of the initial bearing capacity failure envelopes of mat foundations. However, it is worth noting that cyclic wave loads only affect the magnitude of the envelope surface and not its shape. Furthermore, the bearing capacity failure envelope of mat foundations decreases with increasing cyclic stress ratio, frequency, and time factor of cyclic wave loads. The evaluation method for the failure envelope of mat foundation bearing capacity based on Kriging-based response surface methodology under the action of wave loads outperforms the original response surface methodology and can serve as a valuable reference for engineering design. • Cyclic wave loads can cause significant weakening of the initial bearing capacity failure envelopes. • Cyclic wave loads only affect the magnitude of the envelope surface and not its shape. • Failure envelope decreases with increasing cyclic stress ratio, frequency, and time factor. • Kriging-based RSM outperforms the original RSM in the evaluation of failure envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrically conductive fabric composites (CFCs) are recently developed for wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. However, it remains challenging to increase the shielding effectiveness (SE) and reduce the electromagnetic wave reflection while ensure durability. Herein, we prepare flexible and magnetic CFCs with an asymmetric structure via integration of two functional layers and subsequent interfacial fusing through photothermal treatment. The obtained asymmetric nanofiber membrane (PANM) is composed of bottom conductive layer of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated polyurethane (PU) nanofibers and top magnetic layer of PU nanofibers loaded with ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs). The EMI SE of the PANMs in the X-band can reach 69.6 dB with the absorption coefficient A of ∼0.21. In addition, the PANMs also show good mechanical properties, electrothermal and photothermal conversion performance, great surface stability and durability. The mechanically robust and multifunctional nanofiber composites have broad application prospects in wearable electronic devices and next-generation communication technologies. [Display omitted] • A double layered membrane is developed via a two-step electrospinning method. • Photo-thermal fusion is applied to improve the adhesion of the two layers. • The membrane is one layer electrically conductive while the other magnetic. • The composite possesses outstanding absorption dominant EMI shielding performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of cyclic wave loads on the bearing capacity envelope of mat foundations for bottom-supported platforms in saturated soft clay seabed. These platforms offer advantages in terms of quick installation and removal but may experience reduced bearing capacity due to cyclic wave loads. An evaluation method for the failure envelope of mat foundation using Kriging-based response surface methodology under wave action is proposed. To achieve this, we incorporated an elastoplastic constitutive model for cyclic loading into the ABAQUS finite element method platform, utilizing a self-compiled user-defined material (UMAT) code to describe clay behavior. The evolution of uniaxial bearing capacity and vertical-horizontal-moment (VHM) bearing capacity failure envelope are investigated. The performances of Kriging-based response surface methodology and original response surface methodology are compared, and the evaluation of the VHM failure envelope using the Kriging-based response surface methodology is presented. Results indicate that cyclic wave loads can cause significant weakening of the initial bearing capacity failure envelopes of mat foundations. However, it is worth noting that cyclic wave loads only affect the magnitude of the envelope surface and not its shape. Furthermore, the bearing capacity failure envelope of mat foundations decreases with increasing cyclic stress ratio, frequency, and time factor of cyclic wave loads. The evaluation method for the failure envelope of mat foundation bearing capacity based on Kriging-based response surface methodology under the action of wave loads outperforms the original response surface methodology and can serve as a valuable reference for engineering design. • Cyclic wave loads can cause significant weakening of the initial bearing capacity failure envelopes. • Cyclic wave loads only affect the magnitude of the envelope surface and not its shape. • Failure envelope decreases with increasing cyclic stress ratio, frequency, and time factor. • Kriging-based RSM outperforms the original RSM in the evaluation of failure envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is not only a tasty food but also a beneficial medicinal substance that has been historically used to treat diabetes, as recorded in Tang Ben Cao. Recent research on animal models has shown that the ethyl acetate extract of Morus alba L. fruits (EMF) has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties. However, there is a lack of documentation on the specific mechanisms through which EMF exerts its hypoglycemic effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of EMF on L6 cells and C57/BL6J mice and to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying its effects. The findings of this study can contribute to the existing evidence for the application of EMF as a therapeutic drug or dietary supplement in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technique was utilized to gather MS data. Masslynx 4.1 software in conjunction with the SciFinder database and other relevant references were used to analyze and identify the chemical composition of EMF. A series of in vitro investigations including MTT assay, glucose uptake assay and Western blot analysis were performed using an L6 cell model stably expressing IRAP-mOrange after EMF treatment. In vivo investigations were performed on a STZ-HFD co-induced T2DM mouse model, which included assessments of body composition, biochemical tests, histopathological analysis, and Western blot analysis. MTT results revealed that EMF had no toxic effects on the cells at various concentrations. When EMF was administered to L6 cells, there was an increase in glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) translocation activity and a significant dose-dependent enhancement of glucose uptake by L6 myotubes. EMF treatment led to a marked increase in P-AMPK levels and GLUT4 expression in the cells, but these effects were reversed by an AMPK inhibitor (Compound C). In diabetic mice with STZ-HFD-induced diabetes, EMF treatment improved oral glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia. Furthermore, EMF supplementation significantly reduced insulin resistance (IR) in diabetic mice, as evaluated using a steady-state model of the insulin resistance index. Histopathological sections demonstrated that acute EMF treatment reduced hepatic steatosis, pancreatic damage, and adipocyte hypertrophy. Western blot analysis demonstrated that EMF treatment also reduced abnormally high PPARγ expression, elevated the level of p-AMPK and p-ACC, and augmented the abundance of GLUT4 in insulin-sensitive peripheral tissues. The results suggest that EMF may exert beneficial effects on T2DM through the AMPK/GLUT4 and AMPK/ACC pathways, as well as by regulating PPARγ expression. [Display omitted] • EMF increased glucose uptake in L6 cells by improving GLUT4 expression and transmembrane levels. • EMF exhibited hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in T2DM mice. • EMF exerts antidiabetic effects through AMPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has saved countless lives and maintained human health over its long history, especially in respiratory infectious diseases. The relationship between the intestinal flora and the respiratory system has been a popular research topic in recent years. According to the theory of the "gut-lung axis" in modern medicine and the idea that "the lung stands in an interior-exterior relationship with the large intestine" in TCM, gut microbiota dysbiosis is a contributing factor to respiratory infectious diseases, and there is potential means for manipulation of the gut microbiota in the treatment of lung diseases. Emerging studies have indicated intestinal Escherichia coli (E. coli) overgrowth in multiple respiratory infectious diseases, which could exacerbate respiratory infectious diseases by disrupting immune homeostasis, the gut barrier and metabolic balance. TCM is an effective microecological regulator, that can regulate the intestinal flora including E. coli , and restore the balance of the immune system, gut barrier, and metabolism. This review discusses the changes and effects of intestinal E. coli in respiratory infection, as well as the role of TCM in the intestinal flora, E. coli and related immunity, the gut barrier and the metabolism, thereby suggesting the possibility of TCM therapy regulating intestinal E. coli and related immunity, the gut barrier and the metabolism to alleviate respiratory infectious diseases. We aimed to make a modest contribution to the research and development of new therapies for intestinal flora in respiratory infectious diseases and the full utilization of TCM resources. Relevant information about the therapeutic potential of TCM to regulate intestinal E. coli against diseases was collected from PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and so on. The Plants of the World Online (https://wcsp.science.kew.org) and the Plant List (www.theplantlist.org) databases were used to provide the scientific names and species of plants. Intestinal E. coli is a very important bacterium in respiratory infectious diseases that affects the respiratory system through immunity, the gut barrier and the metabolism. Many TCMs can inhibit the abundance of E. coli and regulate related immunity, the gut barrier and the metabolism to promote lung health. TCM targeting intestinal E. coli and related immune, gut barrier, and metabolic dysfunction could be a potential therapy to promote the treatment and prognosis of respiratory infectious diseases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been growing evidence of comorbidity between problematic internet game use and internalizing and externalizing problems in young people. However, little is known about the directionality and gender differences in these longitudinal relations at the symptoms level in the framework of network theory among youth. This study estimated the longitudinal relations between the symptoms of problematic internet game use, internalizing and externalizing problems, and the gender differences of these relations in Chinese youth using cross-lagged panel network modeling (CLPN). A sample of 1269 Chinese youth (M age = 10.35 years) participated in this study semi-annually at two time points. CLPN analysis was used to calculate the network model of problematic internet game use and internalizing and externalizing problems to explore bridge symptoms and find transmission pathways between problematic internet game use and internalizing and externalizing problems. The CLPN revealed significant gender differences. For boys, depressed mood , which leads to relationships turning sour in order to play online games , bridges the relations between internalizing symptoms and problematic internet game use. For girls, irritability is the central predictive symptom, causing a range of problems related to problematic internet game use, which can, in turn, lead to fights or feelings of worthlessness. However, the effect sizes for the pathways between problematic internet game use and internalizing/externalizing problems were relatively weak, and the comorbidity between their relations should not be over-interpreted. The current findings provide new evidence for understanding the directional relationship between the central characteristics of problematic internet game use and internalizing and externalizing problems in boys and girls. Gender-specific interventions targeting the central symptoms of internalizing and externalizing problems and problematic internet game use can help mitigate the vicious cycle of comorbidity among adolescents. • Cross-lagged panel network modeling (CLPN) was used. • The results revealed different longitudinal network patterns across gender. • Depressed mood was the central bridge for boys. • For girls, irritability was the central symptom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations into the cross-sectional behaviour and resistances of press-braked S690 high strength steel channel sections under combined compression and minor-axis bending. An experimental programme was firstly conducted and included initial local geometric imperfection measurements and ten minor-axis eccentric compression tests. The experimental programme was accompanied by a numerical modelling programme, where finite element models were developed and validated against the test results and then employed to perform parametric studies to expand the test data pool over a wider range of cross-section dimensions and loading combinations. The obtained test and numerical data were then used to assess the relevant codified design interaction curves, as provided in the European code, North American specification and Australian/New Zealand standard. The assessment results revealed that all the codified design interaction curves led to excessively conservative and scattered resistance predictions for press-braked S690 high strength steel channel sections under combined compression and minor-axis bending, mainly owing to the conservative linear shapes and inaccurate end points. Finally, a new design interaction curve, with more accurate end points and nonlinear shape, was proposed and shown to offer more accurate and consistent resistance predictions than the codified design interaction curves. • The behaviour of S690 high strength steel channel sections under minor-axis combined loading was studied. • Minor-axis eccentric compression tests were conducted. • FE models were developed and validated against the test results and then used to perform parametric studies. • The codified design interaction curves were assessed, revealing a high level of conservatism. • A new design interaction curve was proposed and shown to provide much improved design accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hydrogen polysulfides (H 2 S n , n > 1) influence a variety of important biological functions and activities associated with hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). The development of probes for rapid, selective, and sensitive detection of H 2 S n still remains a great challenge. Lysosome plays crucial roles in various physiological processes among living cells, which arouse high interest in detecting endogenous lysosome-targetable H 2 S n. To the best of our knowledge, there is no lysosome-targetable probe for H 2 S n has been reported. In this work, a new lysosome-targetable probe NIPY NF , based on the scaffold of imidazo [1,5-]pyridine, with a large Stokes shift (215 nm), low detection limit (84 nM), fast response time (6 min) and low cytotoxicity was designed and synthesized. Furthermore, NIPY NF was successfully applied into the cell imaging for detection of endogenous lysosome-targetable H 2 S n. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A novel lysosome-targetable probe NIPY NF was reported. • NIPY NF could discriminate H 2 S n over other analytes with high sensitivity, a low detection limit and a large Stokes shift. • NIPY NF could detect the endogenous H 2 S n in lysosome of living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The charge transfer mode of WO 3 /CdS is switched from type-Ⅱ to Z-scheme by photochromism. • Only when charge transfer of WO 3 /CdS is type-Ⅱ, can H 0.53 WO 3 /CdS composite be transformed in-situ. • Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism plays its prominent roles in improving photocatalytic H 2 evolution performance gradually. • The performance of H 0.53 WO 3 /CdS is much higher than that of WO 3 /CdS. Abstract In order to intrinsically boost the photocatalytic performance of WO 3 /CdS, the charge transfer route can be modulated from conventional type-Ⅱ to Z-scheme by incorporating of hydrogen ions into WO 3 /CdS to form H 0.53 WO 3 /CdS. This work indicates that only when charge transfer of WO 3 /CdS is type-Ⅱ, can H 0.53 WO 3 /CdS composite be formed in-situ. Subsequently, the Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism plays its prominent roles in gradually improving photocatalytic H 2 evolution performance. H 0.53 WO 3 /CdS has high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production, which is much higher than that of WO 3 /CdS. This work will provides an in-depth understanding of charge separation and transfer processes and steer charge flow in a Z-scheme manner for efficient solar-to-chemical energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Laminated structure is an effective design to improve the fracture and ablation behaviors of ceramics in the high temperature fields. To investigate the effect of interface layer on the fracture manner of laminated ceramics, two laminated ZrB 2 -SiC/SiC w (LZS w) and ZrB 2 -SiC/SiC p (LZS p) ceramics were prepared by hot pressing with SiC whiskers and SiC powders as strong interface layers, respectively. The flexural strength and fracture toughness of LZS w ceramic reached 471 MPa and 15.9 MPa m1/2, respectively. This improved fracture toughness of the LZS w ceramic was mainly attributed to the introduction of SiC whiskers as the strong interface layer, which significantly prompted crack deflection and branching, increased crack propagation path and consumed more fracture energy during fracture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 16 fixed-ended cold-formed stainless steel equal-leg angle section columns have been tested. • Numerical models have been validated against tests and used to perform parametric studies. • The column flexural-torsional buckling behaviour has been systematically investigated. • Current international design codes and other recent proposals have been described and discussed. • The accuracy of each approach has been evaluated against test and FE results. Abstract The flexural-torsional buckling behaviour of fixed-ended cold-formed stainless steel equal-leg angle section columns was experimentally and numerically investigated in this paper. The testing programme was conducted on two press-braked austenitic stainless steel equal-leg angle sections, and involved material testing, initial imperfection measurements and sixteen fixed-ended column tests. The test setup and procedure, together with the key experimental results, load–mid-height torsional rotation histories and flexural-torsional buckling failure modes, were fully reported. Finite element models were then developed to simulate the fixed-ended cold-formed stainless steel equal-leg angle section column tests, and the numerical structural responses and failure modes were shown to match well with the corresponding experimental observations. The validated finite element models were then utilised to carry out parametric studies to generate an extensive pool of numerical data on fixed-ended cold-formed stainless steel equal-leg angle section columns susceptible to flexural-torsional buckling. The load-carrying capacities derived from both the experiments and FE modelling were compared with the resistance predictions from the established design standards in Europe, America, and Australia/New Zealand and a recently proposed direct strength method. The comparison results generally indicated that the existing design codes unduly underestimate the flexural-torsional buckling resistances of fixed-ended cold-formed stainless steel equal-leg angle section columns, while the direct strength method substantially improves the design accuracy on average, but with many overpredicted resistances, indicating that further improvements are generally required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The present study investigated the bioavailability and toxicity of lead to the potworm Enchytraeus crypticus in six soils with different properties. Pb partitioning between the soil solution and solid phase was affected by soil organic matter (OM) content, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and water holding capacity (WHC). After 21 d exposure, Pb bioaccumulation in the enchytraeids was positively correlated with total soil Pb concentration. Bioaccumulation was best predicted by Pb availability (CaCl 2 -extractable and porewater Pb concentrations), and by the Ca concentration in pore water and the CEC of the soils. Toxicity varied greatly among soils, with LC50s and EC50 reproduction s based on total Pb concentrations ranging from 246 to >3092 and from 81 to 1008 mg Pb/kg dry soil, respectively. The variation in LC50s among soils was explained by differences in CaCl 2 -extractable Pb concentrations in soil and internal Pb concentrations in the animals. The differences in EC50 reproduction s could be explained from the CaCl 2 -extractable Pb concentrations in the soils. Although it was also correlated with CEC and porewater Ca concentration, pH CaCl2 was the dominating factor for predicting Pb toxicity based on total soil concentrations. This study demonstrates that soil properties, such as pH, CEC and Ca concentration in pore water, significantly affected the bioavailability and toxicity of Pb and therefore should be taken into account when assessing the ecological risk of metals in contaminated soils. Highlights • Pb toxicity to Enchytraeus crypticus was determined in six different natural soils. • Soil properties highly affected Pb availability, uptake and toxicity to E. crypticus. • CaCl 2 extractable Pb best explained Pb bioaccumulation and toxicity in all soils. • pH CaCl2 was main factor predicting Pb toxicity based on total soil concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aluminoborosilicate glasses with different contents of Y 2 O 3 were prepared by the conventional melt-annealing method. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and impedance instrument were used to investigate structure, thermal and dielectric properties of glass samples. The infrared spectrum analysis showed that the structure of aluminoborosilicate glasses became compact firstly and then loss with the increase of Y 2 O 3. Oxygen molar volume (V O) and molar volume (V m) of the glass samples reached the minimum with 2 mol% Y 2 O 3 addition, which indicated this sample had the more compact and dense glass network structure. The glass transition temperature (T g), onset glass crystallization temperature (T c) and crystallization peak temperature (T p) had an upward trend with the addition of Y 2 O 3. When Y 2 O 3 content was 2.0 mol%, the maximum value of Dietzel's thermal stability (∆T) and the Saad parameter (S) were 161 °C and 15.58 °C respectively. This meant that the thermal stability was enhanced by adding Y 2 O 3 , and the sample contained 2.0 mol% Y 2 O 3 had excellent thermal stability. The dielectric constant decreased to the minimum value (4.7) with the addition of 1.5 mol% Y 2 O 3 , and the dielectric loss met the minimum (3.8 × 10−4) when the content of Y 2 O 3 reached 2.0 mol%. Highlights • The structure of aluminoborosilicate glasses became compact firstly then loss with added Y 2 O 3. • The sample contained 2.0 mol% Y 2 O 3 had excellent thermal stability. • The minimum value of dielectric constant is 4.70 when Y 2 O 3 content was 1.5 mol%. • Dielectric loss reached the minimum value (3.8 × 10−4) at the content of 2.0 mol% Y 2 O 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The effect of foreign trade on China's carbon productivity was analyzed through spatial lag model. • China's carbon productivity had obviously positive spatial spillover effect. • Import trade significantly improved China's carbon productivity. • Foreign trade of the western region contributed the most to enhance China's carbon productivity. • The eastern and central regions were at the stage that the foreign trade inhibited carbon productivity. Abstract Foreign trade is one of the main sources of China's carbon emissions. Carbon productivity has become an important approach to measure the level of low carbon development, because it can integrate the goals of economic development and carbon reduction. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the influencing mechanisms of foreign trade on China's carbon productivity to improve trade quality and low carbon development. This research measured China's carbon productivity and analyzed the effect of foreign trade on carbon productivity through applying spatial lag model with the data of 30 provinces from 2000 to 2014. The results show that China's carbon productivity had obviously positive spatial spillover effect. Export-import significantly improved China's carbon productivity and mainly through import. As for the regional regression results, foreign trade of the western region contributed the most to enhance China's carbon productivity, while the eastern and central regions were at the stage that the foreign trade inhibited carbon productivity. Policy recommendations were put forward in terms of the emphasis of import trade, the optimization of trade structure, the customized measures in different regions to improve carbon productivity. Furthermore, provinces should coordinate with each other and eliminate inter-regional barriers to promote the market-oriented distribution of production factors, in order to realize the spillover effect of carbon productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • AQUATOX model incorporates direct toxic effects and indirect ecological effects. • Ecological risk of PAHs was assessed by the AQUATOX model. • The model could help determine the spatial-temporal variation of ecological risk. Abstract To evaluate the direct toxic effects and indirect ecological effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a plateau eutrophication lake ecosystem, we built AQUATOX model that focus on the interaction among phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrobenthos, and fish populations. The AQUATOX model was first implemented using 12 pelagic-benthic populations came from monitoring data obtained in 20 sampling sites at Dianchi Lake between April 2015 and January 2016. At the meantime, PAHs concentration was simultaneously investigated in surface water. According to the characteristics of trophic state, all of sampling sites can be subdivided into four areas: (1) Area I: algae-dense area; (2) Area II: aquatic organism protection area; (3) Area III: littoral zone damaged area; (4) and Area IV: ecosystem recovery area. The result of sensitivity analysis showed that most of populations were very sensitive to optimal temperature and respiration rate. Through calibration and validation analysis, the value of rB is range from 0.142 to 0.331, and the value of F is range from 0.116 to 0.300, which indicated that the model can describe the seasonal variation of 12 dominant populations in Dianchi Lake. Risk assessment showed that Rotifer and Chironomidae populations showed more sensitive for PAHs pollution. For the Rotifer and Copepoda , the loss of biomass caused by PAHs pollution was showed the highest value in Area II, followed by Area III, Area I, and Area IV. For the temporal variation, Rotifer and Copepoda were showed the highest difference values in winter. In additional, the risk can change according to the temporal variation, for Dianchi Lake, more attention should be pay in winter for the pollutants management. The model was effective in estimating the indirect ecological effects of competition, prey-predatory, biomass dilution or other effects passed through the foodweb. Therefore, our study showed that the importance of ecosystem level studies to predict the ecological risk of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs), characterized by striking morbidity and mortality, have become the most common life-threatening diseases. The existing drugs of CBVDs target one or a few of pathogenic factors, the efficacy of which is limited because of the complexity of CBVDs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), featured by multi-component and multi-target endows the great effectiveness in CBVDs treatment. For instance, Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz. （Erigeron breviscapus) has been used to treat CBVDs for a long time and the efficacy has been verified through years’ of practice. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of Erigeron breviscapus for treating CBVDs are still unclear. The aim of the study Systematically decipher the mechanisms of Erigeron breviscapus for treating CBVDs. Materials and methods The systems pharmacology approach is utilized by integrating ADME pharmacokinetic screening, target fishing, protein-protein interaction (PPI), network analysis and in vitro experiments verification. Results First, 14 potentially active molecules were screened out through in silico ADME pharmacokinetic evaluation, most of which have been reported with excellent biological activities. Then 169 targets of active molecules were read out using our in-house softwares, systems drug targeting (sysDT) and Weighted Ensemble Similarity(WES). We found that the targets of the active compounds were significantly enriched to the CBVDs therapeutic targets by analyzing their biological processes and protein-protein interactions (PPIs). A multi-layer network analysis including compound-target network, target-pathway network and “CBVDs pathway” indicated that the Erigeron breviscapus exerts a protective effect on CBVDs via regulating multiple pathways and hitting on multiple targets. Meanwhile in vitro experiments confirmed that the stigmasterol, scutellarein, and daucosterol from Erigeron breviscapus increased the MEK and PLCγ proteins levels, and decreased the expression of Bax, PI3K, and eNOS, which led to the cell survival, proliferation and contraction. Conclusion The approach used in this work offers a new exemplification for systematically understanding the mechanisms of herbal medicines, which will give an impulse to the CBVDs drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An efficient probabilistic back estimation method for characterization of spatial variability is proposed by integration of the Karhunen–Loève (K-L) expansion method, the Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) method and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. To reduce the dimension of back estimation, the spatially varied soil property is simulated using the K-L expansion method and the basic random variables of K-L terms are parameters to be estimated. To further reduce computation load, a PCE surrogate model is constructed to substitute the original model. The proposed method is applied on an example where a randomly heterogeneous soil slope is subject to surface infiltration. The pressure responses are used to estimate the spatial variability of the saturated coefficient permeability. The results show that the spatial variability can be satisfactorily estimated. The coefficient of variation of the estimation is less than 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long term and excessive insecticide use has resulted in some environmental problems and especially, insecticide resistance evolution in insect pests. The variation of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), associated with the metabolic detoxification of toxic xenobiotics, is often involved in insecticide resistance. Here, we found that the variation in a P450 gene, CYP6G4 , is the most important driver of carbamates resistance in the house fly (Musca domestica). Deciphering the detailed molecular mechanisms of the insecticide resistance is critical for performing suitable insecticide resistance management strategies. Our research results revealed that the combination of amino acid mutations (110C-330E-360N/S, 110C-330E-360S) of CYP6G4 could improve the resistance to propoxur. The nucleotide variations in the promoter region of CYP6G4 significantly increased the luciferase activity by the reporter gene assays. Additionally, miR-281-1-5p was confirmed to post-transcriptionally down-regulate the expression of CYP6G4. These findings suggest that three independent mechanisms; amino acid mutations of the P450 protein, mutations in the promoter region and low expression of post-trans-regulatory factors, as the powerful strategies for the insect resistance to toxic compounds, play a crucial role in the evolutionary processes of insecticide resistance. • Both mutations and overexpression of CYP6G4 were widespread in the field populations of the house fly with resistance to propoxur across China. • Both amino acid mutations of the CYP6G4 protein and nucleotide variations in the promoter region of CYP6G4 were involved in the house fly resistance to propoxur. • The decreased expression of miR-281-1-5p targeting CYP6G4 was also involved in the house fly resistance to propoxur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]