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Purpose: The objective of this multicenter study was to compare the diagnostic performance of lateral flow assay (LFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the Dynamiker Aspergillus Galactomannan levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples for I. Methods: We registered 310 clinically suspected Aspergillus infection patients from December 2021 to February 2023 and classified them into subgroups as the "IA group" and "non-IA group" based on the latest EORTC/MSG guidelines. The immunoassays were analyzed by LFA and ELISA respectively. Results: Galactomannan was examined using LFA, and serum and BALF samples demonstrated sensitivities of 82.57% and 89.47%, specificities of 90.76% and 92.00%, PPVs of 89.11% and 96.23%, and NPVs of 85.04% and 79.31%, respectively. Galactomannan was observed using two assays in serum and BALF samples and showed PPAs of 95.11% and 93.33%, NPAs of 89.19% and 96.30%, and TPAs of 92.47% and 94.25%, respectively. The ROC curve demonstrated that LFA had optimum diagnostic value when the index value (I value) = 0.5, the sensitivity was 84.94%, and the specificity was 90.97%. Conclusion: Compared to the ELISA method, the LFA has shown excellent performance for the diagnosis of IA in serum and BALF sample and can be used as an assay for the early diagnosis of patients with IA. The dynamic change in galactomannan levels may be useful for assessing treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of subsurface hydrodynamic anomalies plays a significant role in groundwater resource management and environmental monitoring. In this paper, based on data from the groundwater level, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation in the Chengdu area of China, a method for detecting outliers considering the factors affecting groundwater levels is proposed. By analyzing the factors affecting groundwater levels in the monitoring site and eliminating them, simplified groundwater data is obtained. Applying sl-Pauta (self-learning-based Pauta), iForest (Isolated Forest), OCSVM (One-Class SVM), and KNN to synthetic data with known outliers, testing and evaluating the effectiveness of 4 technologies. Finally, the four methods are applied to the detection of outliers in simplified groundwater levels. The results show that in the detection of outliers in synthesized data, the OCSVM method has the best detection performance, with a precision rate of 88.89%, a recall rate of 91.43%, an F1 score of 90.14%, and an AUC value of 95.66%. In the detection of outliers in simplified groundwater levels, a qualitative analysis of the displacement data within the field of view indicates that the outlier detection performance of iForest and OCSVM is better than that of KNN. The proposed method for considering the factors affecting groundwater levels can improve the efficiency and accuracy of detecting outliers in groundwater level data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of subsurface hydrodynamic anomalies plays a significant role in groundwater resource management and environmental monitoring. In this paper, based on data from the groundwater level, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation in the Chengdu area of China, a method for detecting outliers considering the factors affecting groundwater levels is proposed. By analyzing the factors affecting groundwater levels in the monitoring site and eliminating them, simplified groundwater data is obtained. Applying sl-Pauta (self-learning-based Pauta), iForest (Isolated Forest), OCSVM (One-Class SVM), and KNN to synthetic data with known outliers, testing and evaluating the effectiveness of 4 technologies. Finally, the four methods are applied to the detection of outliers in simplified groundwater levels. The results show that in the detection of outliers in synthesized data, the OCSVM method has the best detection performance, with a precision rate of 88.89%, a recall rate of 91.43%, an F1 score of 90.14%, and an AUC value of 95.66%. In the detection of outliers in simplified groundwater levels, a qualitative analysis of the displacement data within the field of view indicates that the outlier detection performance of iForest and OCSVM is better than that of KNN. The proposed method for considering the factors affecting groundwater levels can improve the efficiency and accuracy of detecting outliers in groundwater level data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many researches have shown that nanotwinned structure and graphene reinforcing phase can improve the mechanical properties of aluminum (Al) metal, but the synergistic effect of the two on nanoindentation mechanical response of Al matrix composites is rarely reported. In this research, based on molecular dynamics simulations, the nanoindentation mechanical properties and microscopic deformation mechanisms of graphene/nanotwinned Al matrix composites are studied. The effect of the inclination angle and spacing of the twin boundaries (TBs), the insertion position of the graphene sheet, the graphene coating and the layer number of the graphene sheet on the nanoindentation mechanical properties of the Al matrix composites is analyzed. The nanoindentation mechanical properties of nanotwinned Al strongly depend on the inclination angle of TBs, and the dislocation slip modes mainly includes three types: hard mode I (dislocation pile-up penetration mode), soft mode I (partial dislocation parallel twin boundary slip mode) and hard mode II (dislocation limited slip mode). Moreover, as the twin boundary spacing increases, the dislocation slip mode starts to weaken until the nanoindentation mechanical properties are insensitive to the twin inclination orientation. The insertion of the graphene sheet weakens the indentation mechanical properties of the nanotwinned Al matrix composite, which is attributed to the interaction of the graphene with the dislocations and the subsequent absorption of part of them. The weakening effect depends on the distance between the graphene/Al interface and the plastic zone. What's more, graphene coating can improve the indentation mechanical properties of composites. In addition to the load bearing effect of graphene in the elastic stage, this strengthening effect is also attributed to the combined action of graphene and TBs in the plastic stage, which makes the dense dislocation network widely distributed around the indentation of graphene coating and induces the interfacial strain hardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instability of rock slope is still a very frequent geological disaster, which seriously affects people's life and production activities. Previous studies have mainly focused on deformation mechanism, prediction, and control of hard rock with single lithology, while there are limited studies on the theoretic computational method of the stability for soft–hard interbedded anti-inclined rock strata. In this study, a geomechanical model for the toppling failure of soft–hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope is established. The modes of failure for soft and hard rock strata are analyzed, the computational formula of the downward thrust for each anti-inclined rock stratum is derived, and the stability safety factor of each rock stratum is defined. A theoretical computational method for determining the potentially most dangerous failure surface of soft–hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope is proposed. By comparing with the existing research results, the theoretical solving method proposed in this study can well solve the location of the potentially most dangerous failure surface of soft–hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope. The potentially most dangerous failure surface of this kind of slope is approximately planar, and the angle between it and the normal plane of the rock strata is an acute angle within 30°. It provides theoretical support for the stability analysis of this kind of slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Lennard-Jones potential function, a theoretical model of atoms/ions interaction with finite-size (doped) graphene is presented to investigate the mechanical behaviors of atoms/ions adsorption and migration on the surface of finite-size boron, nitrogen and boron nitride doped graphene. The results show that boron, nitrogen and boron nitride doping can change the interaction between atoms/ions and graphene, and the type, position and domain size of doping elements have significant effects on the adsorption sites and adsorption energy of atoms/ions. The stable adsorption sites, adsorption heights and adsorption energy of atoms/ions on the surface of doped graphene can be controlled by regulating the doping elements. Meanwhile, boron, nitrogen and boron nitride doping can affect the energy period and energy barrier of atoms/ions migration on graphene surface. The proper design of boron, nitrogen and boron nitride doping position, size and distribution can effectively control the atom/ion migration behavior on graphene surface. This research work can provide a theoretical reference for atoms/ions carriers, molecular sieves and ion battery electrodes based on doped graphene and graphene heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On June 17, 2020, a debris flow dammed lake was formed in Meilong gully, Danba County, China, and a subsequent outburst flood led to the reactivation of the Aniangzhai ancient landslide. This new type of multi-hazard chain (MHC) has attracted widespread attention. This study aims to introduce the formation and evolution processes associated with this novel MHC and develop proposed countermeasures based on field investigations and numerical simulations. We show that this type of MHC comprises five stages: (1) debris flow blocking a river; (2) formation of a barrier dam and lake; (3) lake outburst; (4) revival of an ancient landslide; and (5) flood-induced debris flow. Among these, stage (4) brings particular uncertainty to the risk assessment of the MHC. For translational landslides, the erosion associated with an outburst flood may continuously reduce their stability, while for rotational landslides, their stability may instead increase. By analyzing the formation conditions of the debris flow, criteria required for river blockage, deformation history of the Aniangzhai landslide, and changes in geomorphology, we conclude that the risk of an MHC at this locality may increase in the future. Both rigid dams and flexible barriers could be effective measures to address these risks. Our field investigations and remote sensing analyses indicate that other watersheds in the study area are also exposed to the risk of a similar MHC; this requires detailed future analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To distinguish the subtle differences among fine-grained categories, a large amount of well-labeled images are typically required. However, manual annotations for fine-grained categories is an extremely difficult task as it usually has a high demand for professional knowledge. To this end, we propose to directly leverage web images for fine-grained visual recognition. Nevertheless, directly utilizing web images for training fine-grained classification models tends to have poor performance due to the existence of label noise. In this work, we propose an end-to-end method by combining uncertainly dynamic loss correction and global sample selection to solve the problem of label noise. Specifically, we leverage a deep neural network to predict all samples, record the predictions of several recent epochs and calculate the uncertainly dynamic loss for global sample selection in the whole epoch. We conduct experiments on three commonly used noisy fine-grained datasets Web-Aircraft, Web-Bird and Web-Cars. The average classification accuracy is 75.40%, 78.53% and 82.19%, which has 1.20%, 2.16% and 3.43% improvements, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies were conducted to examine the relationships among university students' academic self-concept, perceptions of the learning environment, engagement, and learning outcomes (academic achievement, generic skills development, and learning satisfaction). Study 1 (N = 1,502) adopted a cross-sectional design and supported a model showing that engagement mediated the effects of academic self-concept and perceptions of the learning environment on generic skills development and learning satisfaction. It was also found that academic self-concept directly predicted academic achievement and generic skills and that perceptions of the learning environment directly predicted learning satisfaction. Study 2 (N = 2,069) adopted a longitudinal design involving three waves of data collection with a 1-year interval (freshman, sophomore, junior). The results of study 2 replicated the findings of study 1 and supported a reciprocal effects model showing that prior academic achievement predicted subsequent self-concept which in turn determined future achievement even with prior achievement partialed out. These findings contribute to developing a finer-grained model of higher education student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On July 20, 2013, a landslide-induced debris flow occurred in Dujiangyan city, China. Eleven houses were destroyed with more than 166 fatalities. Previous literature indicated that the 2008 Ms 8.0 earthquake and a long period of heavy rain contributed to this landslide. The rock slide was initiated and 21% of the rupture mass fell from the cliff. These rocks fragmented when impacting the ground and then entrained the base soil. Subsequently, the volume of rockfall increased by 28%. In an area of flow convergence, a short-lived blockage occurred, and the following outburst triggered a debris flow. Previous field investigations have shown that both topography and bed entrainment affect the landslide-debris flow transformation. However, the dynamic process has not been quantified. In this study, the discrete element method (DEM) considering the dragging and rolling effects was used to perform a back numerical analysis to capture the dynamic processes. The computational results indicate two different entrainment scenarios, plowing and shearing. The former occurred when the rock slide detached from the cliff, and the latter occurred when debris material moved above the colluvium. The landslide transformed into a debris flow during a short-term blockage that occurred in the gradually narrowing channel. During flow convergence, the inertial shearing stress developed due to the inter-particle collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to compare the safety and effectiveness between transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with drug-eluting beads (DEB-TACE) and conventional TACE (cTACE) using lipiodol-based regimens in HCC patients with a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Methods: This retrospective study included patients with patent TIPS who underwent TACE from January 2013 to January 2019 that received either DEB-TACE (DEB-TACE group, n = 57) or cTACE (cTACE group, n = 62). The complications, liver toxicity, overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), and objective response rate (ORR) were compared between the groups. Results: Altogether, 119 patients (50 ± 11 years, 107 men) were evaluated. The incidence of adverse events, including abdominal pain within 7 days (45.6% vs 79.0%, p < 0.001) and hepatic failure within 30 days (5.3% vs 19.4%, p = 0.027), were significantly lower in the DEB-TACE group than in the cTACE group. Compared to the cTACE group, the DEB-TACE group also showed mild liver toxicities in terms of increased total bilirubin (8.8% vs 22.6%), alanine aminotransferase (5.3% vs 21.0%), and aspartate aminotransferase (10.5% vs 29.0%) levels. The DEB-TACE group had better ORR than the cTACE group (70.2% vs 50.0%). The median OS and TTP were longer in the DEB-TACE group (11.4 vs 9.1 months, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.46, p < 0.001; 6.9 vs 5.2 months, HR = 1.47, p = 0.045). Multivariable analysis showed that α-fetoprotein levels, Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage, and treatment allocation were independent predictors of OS. Conclusion: DEB-TACE is safe and effective in HCC patients with a TIPS and is potentially superior to cTACE in terms of complications, liver toxicities, OS, TTP, and ORR. Key Points: • DEB-TACE is safe and effective in HCC patients after a TIPS procedure. • DEB-TACE improves overall survival, objective response rate, and liver toxicities and is non-inferior to cTACE in terms of time to progression. • DEB-TACE might be a potential new therapeutic option for HCC patients with TIPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During sintering of the silica-based ceramic core of turbine blades, a phenomenon called "nonuniform sintering" occurs that negatively affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the core. Standard samples of silica-based core were prepared by an injection molding method and sintered with alumina backfilling powder with different sodium contents. The effect of sodium content on the nonuniform sintering of silica-based cores and the thermal and mechanical properties was evaluated. Results show that the sintering level and the content of α-cristobalite in the surface layer are significantly higher than that of the sample interior. A considerable number of microcracks are found in the surface layer due to the β to α-phase transition of cristobalite. As the sodium content in the alumina powder decreases, the level of the nonuniform sintering and the amount of crystallized cristobalite in the surface layer decrease, which is beneficial to the thermal expansion and flexural strength at ambient temperature. The flexural strength and thermal deformation at high temperature are improved by reducing the surface cracks, but deteriorated with the decrease of the cristobalite crystallization when the surface cracks are macroscopically invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical devices-related infections pose a great threat to patients and cause an increased morbidity and mortality. Herein, we prepare an antibacterial composite (TPU-x) through blending medical grade thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and the complex (PL-DOSS) of ε-polylysine (ε-PL) and docusate sodium (DOSS). >99% reduction of colony forming unit (CFU) can be obtained in TPU-x composite films even at relatively low content of PL-DOSS, e.g. 0.13% for Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 0.5% for E. coli. The excellent antibacterial activity is mainly attributed to the formation of PL-DOSS nanoparticles that are uniformly dispersed in the TPU matrix with a size of ∼100 nm. TPU-x composite films exhibit long-term stability in saline and good biocompatibility, and retain mechanical properties of TPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On August 14, 2020, it occurred a landslide-induced debris flow in Wangcang County, Sichuan Province, Southwest China, three people killed, and two houses destroyed. Behaved as a typical geohazard chain, it originated from a rockslide in marlstone, controlled initially by structural planes in rock mass, and evolved into a debris flow through successive geophysical process. This debris flow reached a run-out distance of 2050 m in the horizontal and 628 m in vertical direction. Remote sensing analysis, field survey, and laboratory tests were conducted to investigate its failure mechanism and dynamic characteristics. The results found that the source zone in the gully was 16.32 × 103 m2, with a volume of 317.52 × 103 m3. Interbedded marlstone with dense structural planes was one of controlling factors for the landslide failure. The continuous rainfall up to 315 mm during the previous 24 days and 32 mm at the date before the incident directly motivated rock slope failure. The contributions of topography, rock fragmentation, entrainment, and flow discharge for this process were discussed. It is found that changes in slope from 11° to 40° provided tremendous potential energy for the rock mass sliding with high speed and then disintegrating in traveling. Entrainment in the channel increased the fine content of the moving rocky mixture. In addition, the flow discharge changed the rheological properties of the mixture by adding seepage. These factors significantly affected the transformation process. Notably, the turning relief or confluence site may be accelerating this process. This research may provide references for further research on geohazard chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the lengthy search time, massive space occupation, and overlong planned path of the traditional A* algorithm, this paper integrates the bidirectional search with the intelligent ant colony algorithm to obtain the heuristic function selection factor, and uses the factor to improve the evaluation function of the algorithm. The simulation results show that the improved algorithm achieved better dynamic navigation than the traditional A* algorithm both in search time and distance, featuring shorter path searching time and the algorithm running time. Therefore, the result of this research has effectively reduced the search time and enhanced the dynamic search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complex geological processes of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, numerous deposits, especially the large-scale ancient landslide deposits, are characteristic features of the valleys incised in southwestern China. Intense water level fluctuations since 2011 in Maoergai Reservoir, China, registered the reactivation of Xierguazi ancient landslide, and presented a significant risk to neighboring facilities. Based on detailed field survey and drilling exploration, the landslide was divided into Zone A and Zone B, and other characterizations of landslide were studied as well. To precisely measure the extent of landslide displacement during filling and drawdown stage, surface displacement monitoring system was deployed on the landslide. The monitoring analyses data reveal that reservoir fluctuation is the dominant factor influencing landslide displacement, especially during drawdown stage. Moreover, a future sliding is anticipated in Zone A, while a creep had already existed in Zone B. A reservoir regulation was then established using the lead-lag correlation between reservoir fluctuation and landslide displacement and landslide stability analysis. In the end, the follow-up deformation monitoring demonstrates that the reservoir regulation controlled the landslide effectively. Landslide control by reservoir regulation in Maoergai can serve as a case study for other settlements involved in similar construction activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the van der Waals (vdW) interaction potential and the bending rigidity of graphene, the self-scrolling mechanical behaviors of monolayer graphene flake induced by carbon nanotube (CNT)/black phosphorus nanotube (BPNT) are studied, and the analytical expressions of critical radius of CNT/BPNT are derived when the graphene flakes spontaneously scroll round them. The factors affecting the critical radius of nanotubes are systematically analyzed, which include the axial length ratio between nanotube and graphene, wrapping angle of graphene, temperature, type and layer number of nanotube. It is found that the axial length ratio between nanotube and graphene has a significant effect on the critical radius. The critical radius of nanotubes increases with the decrease of the axial length ratio, and the critical radius of double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) increases faster than that of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and BPNT. When the SWCNT and graphene have the same axial length, the critical radius of SWCNT induced completely wrapping of monolayer graphene is about 0.4757 nm, which is in good agreement with the simulation results in the literature. The wrapping angle of graphene can also affect the critical radius of nanotubes, which increases with the increase of wrapping angle. Furthermore, the influence of environmental temperature, the type and layer number of nanotubes on the critical radius of nanotubes is discussed, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule endoscopy is a new type of technology in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases, with painless and low invasive features. However, current capsule robots have many problems, such as over-sized, single function and lack of active locomotion control. This study proposed and designed a new wireless modular capsule robotic system in pipe. The modular capsule robots could move forward and backward in the pipe in the axial direction, turn in a bending environment, and achieve the rendezvous and separation action through the three-dimensional rotating magnetic field generated by the three-axis Helmholtz coils. In this paper, the drive system of the three-axis Helmholtz coils, the power supply control system, and the modular capsule robot structure were analyzed and designed respectively. Finally, a series of characterization experiments were carried out to evaluate the motion characteristics of the modular capsule robots, including the influence of the flow environment imitated to human body's gastrointestinal motility, the frequency of the input signal, and the different structure of the robots on the movement characteristics of the modular capsule robot in this study. The study also evaluated the turning characteristics of robots. Experimental results showed that under different circumstances, modular capsule robots had good motion characteristics, and the effectiveness of the modular functionality had also been verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NMR serves as an important technique for probing rock pore space, such as pore structure characterization, fluid identification, and petrophysical property testing, due to the reusability of cores, convenience in sample processing, and time efficiency in laboratory tests. In practice, NMR signal collection is normally achieved through polarized nuclei relaxation which releases crucial relaxation messages for result interpretation. The impetus of this work is to help engineers and researchers with petroleum background obtain new insights into NMR principals and extend existing methodologies for characterization of unconventional formations. This article first gives a brief description of the development history of relaxation theories and models for porous media. Then, the widely used NMR techniques for characterizing petrophysical properties and pore structures are presented. Meanwhile, limitations and deficiencies of them are summarized. Finally, future work on improving these insufficiencies and approaches of enhancement applicability for NMR technologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On July 23, 2019, a large-scale landslide occurred in Jichang town, Shuicheng County, Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province in China. The landslide, which moved along two gullies, resulted in strong punching-shear, induced scarping on vegetation and large destruction of houses, and finally formed a deposit with a volume of 2 × 106 m3. This research aims to understand the effect of topography on landslide kinematics. To achieve this aim, a detailed field investigation was first carried out with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography survey, resident interviews, and field sampling. The rainfall analysis indicates the effective rainfall within 7 days before landslides was 70.14 mm which exceeded the rainfall threshold of 54.3 mm in this region, which finally triggered the landslide. Traditional soil mechanic tests were then performed to identify the soil properties of the source material. Combined with numerical simulation using the nonlinear shallow water equation, the whole process of landslides was divided into four stages: instability stage, acceleration stage, transformation stage, and impact and accumulation stage. The simulations results show the landslide block slid with a low velocity of 8 m/s for about 100 m. Then, Froude number of landslide increases from 2 to 3 when passing the high and steep terrain, indicating that landslide change to inertial dominated with potential same Froude behavior of classic debris flow. The rupture mass slid with the peak velocity of 23 m/s and diverged in two gullies and ran out for about 600 m. The maximum velocity is 23 m/s in east gully while only 15 m/s in west gully. Compared with deep and incised valleys in the west, shallow and straight valley in the east decreases the deposit depth and further increases the velocity of landslide material with increased runout distance. This research may provide a fast flow path of back analyzing geo-hazards on complex terrain and serve as a basis for future research on long runout landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoid sensilla are the most common mechanoreceptors in insects; depending on their distribution, they can act as either exteroceptors or proprioceptors. In this study, the internal structure of the trichoid sensillum from Nilaparvata lugens was studied, using focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). We reconstructed a three-dimensional (3D) model derived from the FIB-SEM data set. The model displayed characteristic mechanosensory sensilla components, including a hair inserted in the socket, a dendrite going through the laminated cuticle, and an electron-dense tubular body at the dendrite terminal. The detailed 3D model showed the relationship between the microtubules within the tubular body and those outside of the tubular body. We also found an autocellular junction in the tormogen cell, indicating that the tormogen cell grows around the dendrite sheath to form a hollow column shape during sensilla morphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Derived from RNA, 5ʹ-ribonucleotides, especially Inosine-5ʹ-monophosphate (IMP) and guanosine-5ʹ-monophosphate (GMP), can enhance the umami taste of soy sauce. In this study, the RNA content of three different salt-tolerant yeasts was examined. The most valuable strain was subjected to atmospheric and room-temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis, which improved its RNA content by 160.54%. Regular fermentation with RNA-enhanced strain failed to increase the amount of 5ʹ-ribonucleotides in the soy sauce due to hydrolysis by phosphatase. A two-stage fermentation strategy was then carried out. Aroma compounds were mainly synthesized in the first stage, and RNA-enriched biomass was massively produced in the second stage followed by heat treatment to inactivate phosphatase. After the proposed strategy was applied, IMP and GMP in the soy sauce reached 68.54 and 89.37 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, the amounts of key aroma compounds and organic acids significantly increased. Results may provide new insights for improving the quality of soy sauce through microorganism breeding and fermentation control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pre-stroke statin use reduces stroke severity and improves functional outcomes; however, whether low-dose statins as a primary preventive measure have similar effects on the Chinese population remains unclear. Methods: Consecutive cases of ischaemic stroke between May 2011 and January 2017 were retrospectively analysed. The primary endpoints were stroke severity on admission and functional outcomes at 90 days. The secondary endpoints were factors related to lower stroke severity on admission. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Of the 1878 patients, 6.4% and 23.8% were pre-stroke statin users before and after propensity matching, respectively, reducing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission from 5 (2–9) to 3 (2–4) (P < 0.001). Patients receiving pretreatment with low-dose statins tended to have a better mRS distribution (median mRS score 2 [1–3] vs. 3 [2–4], P = 0.007) and a higher likelihood of favourable functional outcomes (FFOs) at 90 days (61 [65.6%] vs. 151 [50.8%], P = 0.005). The logistic regression analysis showed that low-dose statins taken before stroke (odds ratio [OR] = 0.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08–0.27, P < 0.001) and being male (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66–0.99, P = 0.035) were related to a lower stroke severity on admission but not among patients with atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.12–2.44, P = 0.012) or elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.08–1.17, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Pretreatment with low-dose statins reduced initial stroke severity, improved functional outcomes at 90 days and was independently associated with a lower stroke severity on admission among Chinese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is now considered to be one of the main technological options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It seems that pipeline transmission is an effective way to transport the large amount of CO2 from the capture site to the storage site over long distance for most CCUS projects. Therefore, risk assessment of CO2 transmission pipelines has been an important aspect for successful development of the CCUS industry in the future. Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a group-based activity to prioritize risk. A group multi-criteria decision-making approach based on combined weights and the hesitant fuzzy VIKOR (vlsekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje in Serbian, meaning "multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution") method is proposed to evaluate the risk of CO2 transmission pipelines. First, a pair-wise comparison matrix for risk factors is constructed according to the evaluation information given by the FMEA team members, and a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used to determine the subjective weight vector of these risk factors. The maximizing deviation method is used to determine the objective weights of risk factors. Then, to select the most serious failure modes for CO2 transmission pipelines, the hesitant fuzzy VIKOR method is used to prioritize the potential failure modes that have been identified by the FMEA team members. Finally, a numerical example for risk assessment is given to illustrate the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes in biochemical marker level of bone turnover of women before and after menopause and the relationship between it and bone mineral density (BMD) are analyzed. At the same time, the level of biochemical markers of bone metabolism of women with decreased BMD at premenopause and postmenopause is discussed. In this paper, the lumbar vertebrae (L1–L4) and femoral neck BMD of 225 female outpatients with osteoporosis were measured by dual-energy X ray bone sonometer. Among them, 185 menopause women at age of 45–65 were selected, and they were divided into normal bone mass group (50), decreased bone mass group (35) and osteoporosis group (100) according to BMD; in addition, 45 menopause women with decreased BMD at age of 51–70 were selected as postmenopause decreased-BMD group, and 25 non-menopause decreased-BMD women at age of 42–50 were selected as premenopause decreased-BMD group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was carried out to measure the level of serum cathespin K (Cathe K), bone alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) of all patients; and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay is used to detect the level of osteocalcin, β-crosslaps and type-I procollagen N-terminal propeptide(PINP). The Cathe K, PINP, β-crosslaps, osteocalcin and TRAP level of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are obviously higher than those of normal bone mass group (P < 0.05), and they are in negative correlation to lumbar vertebrae (L1–L4) or femoral neck BMD (P < 0.05); B-ALP level is slightly lower than that of normal bone mass group, however, such difference is of no statistical significance (P > 0.05). The Cathe K and TRAP level of serum in postmenopause decreased-BMD group were significantly lower than those in premenopausal women (P < 0.01), and the PINP and osteocalcin level of serum were significantly higher than those in premenopause decreased-BMD group (P < 0.01). However, the differences of lumbar vertebrae (L1–L4), femoral neck BMD and β-crosslaps, B-ALP level between the two groups are of no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Osteoporosis of postmenopausal women is high turnover. The changes in the levels of serum osteocalcin, β-crosslaps, PINP, B-ALP, TRAP and Cathe K could reflect the bone metabolism activity. The joint detection of BMD and bone-turnover biochemical marker is beneficial to the prevention, treatment and efficacy observation of the patients with osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the value of the MR-based radiomics signature in differentiating ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL) and idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI).Methods: One hundred fifty-seven patients with pathology-proven OAL (84 patients) and IOI (73 patients) were divided into primary and validation cohorts. Eight hundred six radiomics features were extracted from morphological MR images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) procedure and linear combination were used to select features and build radiomics signature for discriminating OAL from IOI. Discriminating performance was assessed by the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). The predictive results were compared with the assessment of radiologists by chi-square test.Results: Five radiomics features were included in the radiomics signature, which differentiated OAL from IOI with an AUC of 0.74 and 0.73 in the primary and validation cohorts respectively. There was a significant difference between the classification results of the radiomics signature and those of a radiology resident (p < 0.05), although there was no significant difference between the results of the radiomics signature and those of a more experienced radiologist (p > 0.05).Conclusions: Radiomics features have the potential to differentiate OAL from IOI.Key Points: • Clinical and imaging findings of OAL and IOI often overlap, which makes diagnosis difficult. • Radiomics features can potentially differentiate OAL from IOI non invasively. • The radiomics signature discriminates OAL from IOI at the same level as an experienced radiologist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cutting edge structure of PCBN tools has an important influence on cutting force, chip morphology, and tool wear in hard cutting process. In order to evaluate the cutting performance of PCBN tools with variable chamfered edge, this paper carried out comparative experiments of high-speed hard cutting hardened steel GCr15 by PCBN tools, respectively, with variable chamfered edge and uniform chamfered edge, and proposed the detection index and measurement of macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics of chips, and found the variation rule of cutting force, chip morphology, and tool wear over cutting time. The experimental results showed that under the effect of helical cutting edge, the axial and radial load of the PCBN with variable chamfered edge, to a certain extent, was decomposed, which resulted in relatively smaller radial force and axial force; in the state of no tool wear, the macro morphologies of chips generated by the two cutting tools with different chamfered edges, were both wavy, however, with the increase of cutting time, the chip morphology of the cutting tool with uniform chamfered edge changed from being wavy into being irregularly curved, while the one of the cutting tool with variable chamfered edge remained invariable. In contrast, as for the cutting tool with variable chamfered edge, the margin of its rake crater wear is relatively far away from the cutting edge, and it has obvious advantages in improving the chip removal performance and tool life, and reducing the cutting resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular interventional surgery has been become a specialized surgical technique because it can minimize the trauma and shorten the recovery time, but it needs more accurate operation and image to guide the surgery. In the meantime, it needs that the doctor has a great deal of experience. Moreover, it needs to train the novice because of the lack of experienced neurosurgeons. In order to solve aforementioned problems, the training system for vascular interventional surgery was proposed. A novel VR-based robot-assisted catheterization training system is designed to solve these problems. This system is composed of the virtual environment and the haptic device. The virtual environment included a catheter model and a vascular model to realize the synchronous movement with the haptic device. In order to imitate soft tissue deformation, mass-spring model has been proposed in physical modeling. In this paper we established a dynamics equation of the moving catheter. We analyzed the elasticity distribution of the wall of vascular according to the previous research. The haptic interaction device based on magneto-rheological fluid as the master manipulator was applied to control the movement of the catheter model in the virtual environment and realize haptic feedback. At the same time, a force feedback calculation model for the novel master manipulator has been proposed. Ten times experiments both in axial movement direction and in radial movement respectively, are carried out, there was within 0.74 mm error in axial movement direction and 3.5° error in radial movement direction. When the moving speed of the catheter is 5 mm/s, the force error between the virtual environment and the feedback force of the damper is within 0.3 mN. The error is in the range which is permitted during VIS. The proposed method improved accurate operability and traceability in this novel VR robotic catheter training system. It offers users better visualization and control. The experimental results indicate that the performance of the synchronous movement and the force feedback can meet our design requirement. The developed training system can be used to train novice for VIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anoikis is a unique form of apoptosis associated with vascularization and distant metastasis in cancer. Eliminating anoikis resistance in tumor cells could be a promising target for improving the prognosis of terminal cancer patients. However, current studies have not elaborated on the prognosis effect of anoikis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cutaneous melanoma. Pre-processed data, including RNA sequences and clinical information, were retrieved from TCGA and GTEx databases. After a series of statistical analyses, anoikis-related lncRNAs with prognostic significance were identified, and a unique risk signature was constructed. Risk scores were further analyzed in relation to the tumor microenvironment, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion, immune checkpoint genes, and RNA methylation genes. The indicators were also used to predict the potentially sensitive anti-cancer drugs. An anoikis-related lncRNAs risk signature consisting of LINC01711, POLH-AS1, MIR205HG, and LINC02416 was successfully established in cutaneous melanoma. Overall survival and progression-free survival of patients were strongly linked with the risk score, independently of other clinical factors. The low-risk group exhibited a more beneficial immunological profile, was less affected by RNA methylation, and was more sensitive to the majority of anti-cancer drugs, all of which indicated a better prognostic outcome. The 4 hub lncRNAs may be fundamental to studying the mechanism of anoikis in cutaneous melanoma and provide personalized therapy for salvaging drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, to achieve ultra-wideband radar cross section (RCS) reduction, a coding phase gradient metasurface (CPGM) is proposed by using Pancharatnam-Berry (P-B) phase. The CPGM is composed of eight types of CPGM elements, and a series of phase gradients with different directions or starting-values will be introduced in these types of CPGM elements under the same EM-wave incidence, so it can not only achieve anomalous reflection to reduce its specular RCS but also reduce the maximum bi-static RCS due to phase cancelation. The simulation results demonstrate that the CPGM has an excellent performance in RCS reduction, compared with a pure metallic plate with the same size, its specular RCS under normal incidence with arbitrary polarization can be reduced more than 10 dB in the ultra-wide frequency band of 8.8–34.8 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 119.3%, and its maximum bi-static RCS can also be reduced effectively in the ultra-wide frequency band; moreover, when the incident angle is increased to 45°, the RCS reduction can still be achieved in an ultra-wide frequency band. Finally, an effective experimental verification is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new type of amphibious spherical robots. The robot includes four drive units. Each drive unit consists of two servo motors, a water-jet propeller, a DC motor and a wheel. The robot can constitute three movement structure ways according to the environment. When the robot enters water, it adopts water jet propulsion. According to different land conditions, there are two movement patterns to switch. One is a quadruped movement pattern which is available to climb over obstacles; the other is a driving wheel movement pattern which is used to speed up the movement of robot under the flat terrain. Characteristic evaluation experiments on land for a novel amphibious spherical robot were conducted. Underwater motions of the robot mainly rely on the four water-jet propellers, it is necessary to measure relationship between actuating force of the water-jet propeller and the duty ratio. Gambit software is employed to establish and mesh the water-jet propulsion model. Simulation analysis of the models is implemented by FLUENT software. Localization control of the robot and wireless control of the robot were conducted. Finally, experiment results indicated that the developed novel amphibious spherical robot is feasible to develop marine resources and implement marine missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xinjiang, a region of high salinity and drought, is a host to many arid and semi-arid plants. Many of these plants including Ferula spp. have indigenous pharmaceutical histories. As many of the medicinal properties of plants are in tandem with the associated microorganisms residing within the plant tissues, it is advisable to explore the endophytic potential of such plants. In the present study, diversity of culturable bacteria isolated from medicinal plants Ferula songorica collected from Hebukesaier, Xinjiang were analyzed. A total of 170 endophytic bacteria belonging to three phyla, 15 orders, 20 families and 27 genera were isolated and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The phylum Actinobacteria constitutes a major portion of the endophytic microbes isolated from the plant Ferula songorica (107 isolates). Overall endophytic species richness of the sample was 58 taxa while the sample has statistical values of 4.02, 0.97, 0.65 and 16.55 with Shannon's, Simpson, Species evenness and Margalef, respectively. Root tissues were found to be more suitable host for endophytes as compared to leaf and stem tissues. Among these endophytic strains, 88 % can grow on nitrogen-free media, 19 % solubilize phosphate, while 26 and 40 % are positive for production of protease and cellulase, respectively. The results confirm that the medicinal plant Ferula songorica represents an extremely rich reservoir for the isolation of diverged bacteria with potential for growth promoting factors and biologically active compounds including enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular interventional surgery (VIS) is an effective treatment method for vascular diseases. However, there are many problems in traditional VIS, such as surgeons are radiated by X-ray, the lack of well skilled surgeons, the security of the surgery will be reduced due to the Surgeons' fatigue, high risk of the surgery. To solve these problems, a robotic catheter system is needed to protect the surgeons and enhance the safety of the surgery. In this paper, a novel robotic catheter system with master-slave structure for VIS has been developed. This system is designed with the consideration of the operation method in traditional VIS, which allows the surgeon to operate a real catheter on the master side, then the surgeon make full use of the natural catheter manipulation experience and skills obtained in conventional catheter operation. The salve manipulator operates the catheter insert into the blood vessel with following the operation of the surgeon, and the operating force of the salve manipulator is detected. On the master side, a novel damper-based magnetorheological (MR) fluid is designed to realize the force feedback, which is also used to reappear the operation force from the salve manipulator. The damper connected directly with real catheter is a piston structure using the MR fluid to realize the force feedback. It can transmit the feedback force to surgeon's hand through the operating catheter connected with damper, which seems that the surgeon operates the catheter beside the patient. The operating transparency of the developed system has been enhanced. The mechanism of the developed system has been introduced in detail. Performance evaluation experiments for the developed robotic catheter system have been done. The experimental results indicated that the developed robotic catheter system is fit for VIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $$\varphi $$ be an analytic self-map of the unit disk $$\mathbb {D},\,H(\mathbb {D})$$ the space of analytic functions on $${\mathbb {D}}$$ , and $$g \in H(\mathbb {D}).$$ The boundedness and compactness of the generalized integration operator from mixed-norm space to the Zygmund-type space, and the little Zygmund-type space are investigated in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, precast segmental concrete bridge columns became prevalent because of the benefits of accelerated construction, low environmental impact, high quality and low life cycle costs. The lack of a detailed configuration and appropriate design procedure to ensure a comparable performance with monolithic construction has impeded this structural system from being widely used in areas of high seismicity. In this study, precast segmental bridge column cyclic loading tests were conducted to investigate the performance of unbonded post-tensioned segmental bridge columns. One monolithic and two precast segmental columns were tested. The precast segmental column exhibited minor damage and small residual displacement after the maximum 7% cyclic drift; energy dissipation (ED) can be enhanced byadding ED bars. The experimental results were modeled by a simplified pushover method (SPOM), as well as a fiber model (FIBM) finite element method. Forty-five cases of columns with different aspect ratios, axial load ratios and ED bar ratios were analyzed with the SPOM and FIBM, respectively. Using these parametric results, a simplified design method was suggested by regressive analysis. Satisfactory correlation was found between the experimental results and the simplified design method for precast segmental columns with different design parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schisandra chinensis has been used as traditional medicine. The structures of isolate active compounds (schisandrin B, deoxyschisandrin, schisandrin C) from S. chinensis were characterized by physical and spectroscopic analyses. Active compounds were tested for their potential to act as anti-melanogenesis or skin-whitening agents by their abilities to inhibit tyrosinase activity in the cell-free mushroom tyrosinase assay and cellular tyrosinase derived from B16 melanoma cells. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity was correlated to the inhibition of melanin productions in a-MSH-stimulated and unstimulated B16 cells. Cellular tyrosinase kinetics were analyzed and showed by Lineweaver- Burk plot. Schisandrin B was minimally cytotoxic (cell viability: 88.99% at 0.75 µM) and the IC value for suppression of mushroom tyrosinase activity was estimated as 0.6 µM. Zymography analysis demonstrated schisandrin B's concentration-dependent effects and the kinetic analysis indicated schisandrin B's noncompetitive-inhibitory action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wirries et al. [[1]] have written an interesting paper on the relationship between lateral joint space width (JSW) and later total hip arthroplasty (THA) after arthroscopically arthrotomy for treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Therefore, the success of a joint-preserving mini-open arthrotomy seems to be dependent on the status of the radiological JSW and the intra-operative cartilage status of the lateral edge. Technique". [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The development of the human embryonic spinal cord is very complicated, and many cell types are involved in the process. However, the morphological characteristics of neuronal and glial cells during the development of the human fetal spinal cord have not been described. We investigated the systemic distributions and expression pattern of the cell type-specific markers Neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) during the development of the human fetal spinal cord, in order to clarify the detailed developmental changes of neuronal and glial cells in chronological and spatial aspects. Methods: A total of 35 fetuses, aged 3 weeks to 8 months of gestation (E3W-E8M), were studied. The markers used for immunohistochemical study were NeuN and GFAP. Results: The intracellular makers NeuN and GFAP were widely detected expression in different structures and cells during the development of the human fetal spinal cord, including the following: central canal, neuroepithelial layer, internal limiting membrane, mantle layer, marginal layer, basal plate, alar plate, ependymal layer, gray matter, white matter, neuron, astrocytes, and nerve fibers. However, there was an absence of GFAP in astrocytes during early fetal spinal cord development until E9W, and the appearance of GFAP-positive reactivity was later than that of neurons. Conclusions: We consider that NeuN and GFAP can be used to identify neuronal and glial cells during the development of the human fetal spinal cord, and their distribution differs both chronologically and spatially. These characteristic expression patterns would give us a clue to better understand the developmental characteristics of the human spinal cord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents closed-form solutions for the problem of long-term satellite relative motion in the presence of $$J_2$$ perturbations, and introduces a design methodology for long-term passive distance-bounded relative motion. There are two key ingredients of closed-form solutions.One is the model of relative motion; the other is the Hamiltonian model and its canonical solution of the $$J_2$$ -perturbed absolute motion. The model of relative motion makes no assumptions on the eccentricity of the reference orbit or on the magnitude of the relative distances. Besides, the relative motion model is concise with straightforward physical insight, and consistent with the Hamiltonian model. The Hamiltonian model takes into account the secular, long-periodic and short-periodic effects of the $$J_2$$ perturbation. It also remains separable in terms of spherical coordinates to ensure the application of the Hamilton-Jacobi theory to derive the canonical solution. When deriving the canonical solution, pseudo-circular and pseudo-elliptical orbits are treated separately and Carlson's method is employed to calculate elliptic integrals, which takes advantage of the symmetry of the integrand. These symmetry properties hold physical insights of the $$J_2$$ -perturbed absolute motion. To design the long-term distance-bounded relative motion, the nodal period and the drift of right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) per nodal period are, respectively, matched non-instantaneously. Even though the nodal period and the drift of RAAN per nodal period can be obtained via the canonical solution, action-angle variables are used to obtain the frequency of the system without finding the complete solution to the perturbed orbital motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin B1 (thiamine pyrophosphate, TPP) is essential to all life but scarce in ocean surface waters. In many bacteria and a few eukaryotic groups thiamine biosynthesis genes are controlled by metabolite-sensing mRNA-based gene regulators known as riboswitches. Using available genome sequences and transcriptomes generated from ecologically important marine phytoplankton, we identified 31 new eukaryotic riboswitches. These were found in alveolate, cryptophyte, haptophyte and rhizarian phytoplankton as well as taxa from two lineages previously known to have riboswitches (green algae and stramenopiles). The predicted secondary structures bear hallmarks of TPP-sensing riboswitches. Surprisingly, most of the identified riboswitches are affiliated with genes of unknown function, rather than characterized thiamine biosynthesis genes. Using qPCR and growth experiments involving two prasinophyte algae, we show that expression of these genes increases significantly under vitamin B1-deplete conditions relative to controls. Pathway analyses show that several algae harboring the uncharacterized genes lack one or more enzymes in the known TPP biosynthesis pathway. We demonstrate that one such alga, the major primary producer Emiliania huxleyi, grows on 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine (a thiamine precursor moiety) alone, although long thought dependent on exogenous sources of thiamine. Thus, overall, we have identified riboswitches in major eukaryotic lineages not known to undergo this form of gene regulation. In these phytoplankton groups, riboswitches are often affiliated with widespread thiamine-responsive genes with as yet uncertain roles in TPP pathways. Further, taxa with 'incomplete' TPP biosynthesis pathways do not necessarily require exogenous vitamin B1, making vitamin control of phytoplankton blooms more complex than the current paradigm suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an anisotropic metasurface is proposed for linear-to-circular (LTC) and circular-to-linear (CTL) polarization conversions, which is composed of a square array of two-corner-cut square patches printed on a grounded dielectric substrate and covered by a dielectric layer. Numerical simulation results show that the anisotropic metasurface can act as a high-efficiency ultra-wideband reflective polarization converter to achieve both LTC and CTL polarization conversions. Under x- and y-polarized incidences, its reflected wave will be converted to left-handed and right-handed circular-polarized (CP) waves, respectively, in the ultra-wide frequency band between 7.14 and 25.66 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 113%, and the polarization conversion ratio (PCR) can be kept larger than 99.73% in the frequency range of 7.72–25.08 GHz; in addition, the reflected wave under CP incidence will be converted to an x- or y-polarized wave, and the bandwidth and PCR of the CTL polarization conversion are almost the same as those of the LTC polarization conversion. Finally, the working principle of the polarization converter is illustrated, moreover, an effective experimental verification is carried out, and a reasonable agreement is observed between the simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylose, the second most abundant sugar in lignocellulosic materials, is not efficiently utilized in current lignocellulose biotransformation processes, such as cellulosic ethanol production. The bioconversion of xylose to value-added products, such as pullulan, is an alternative strategy for efficient lignocellulose biotransformation. This paper reports the production of pullulan from xylose and hemicellulose hydrolysate by Aureobasidium pullulans AY82. The effects of DL-dithiothreitol (DTT) and pH on pullulan production from xylose were also intensively investigated. A maximal increase of 17.55% of pullulan production was observed in flasks added with 1.0 mM DTT. Batch fermentations with controlled pH were also conducted, and the optimal pH for cell growth and pullulan synthesis was 3.0 and 5.0, respectively. Based on these findings, two-stage pH control fermentations were performed, in which the pH of the medium was first adjusted to 3.0 for cell growth, and then changed to 5.0 for pullulan synthesis. However, the earlier the pH was changed to 5.0, the more pullulan was produced. Fermentation with controlled pH of 5.0 acquired the highest pullulan production. Under the optimized conditions (with the addition of 1.0 mM DTT and controlled pH of 5.0), the maximal pullulan production obtained from xylose was 17.63 g/L. A. pullulans AY82 also readily fermented hemicellulose hydrolysate under these optimized conditions, but with lower pullulan production (12.65 g/L). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography showed that the structure of the pullulan obtained in this study was identical to that of the pullulan standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have consistently demonstrated that multiple examples are better than one example in facilitating learning because the comparison evoked by multiple examples supports learning and transfer. However, research outcomes are unclear regarding the effects of example variability and prior knowledge on learning from comparing multiple examples. In this experimental study, the two critical aspects of problem type and solution method were used to design comparison conditions to teach equation solving. Randomly selected groups of 263 seventh-grade students learned to solve equations by comparing different example pairs. Results showed that students who did not use a shortcut method at pretest benefited least from comparing the two critical aspects first separately and then simultaneously. Students who used a shortcut method at pretest learned equally within conditions. Students may need to separately discern each critical aspect before they benefit from comparing simultaneous variation of these aspects. Examples should be designed according to aspects that are critical for specific students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can self-assemble as cylindrical bundles in some solvents after polystyrene (PS) grafting. In these three-dimensional regular structures, the tubes are oriented and parallel arranged. Every self-assembly structure has an order head and a comparatively loose tail. In order to find out the role that solvent plays, MWCNTs were dispersed in several organic solvents before and after modification. Based on macroscopic stability of suspensions and microscopic state of nanotubes, compatibility between solvents and MWCNTs can be confirmed. According to compatibility difference between tubes and PS, five chosen solvents are divided into three groups: selective solvent, good solvent, and bad solvent. MWCNT-g-PS can self-assemble only in selective solvents. Tetrahydrofuran and benzene are well compatible with PS, but bad with MWCNTs. Driven by the solvent-philic/solvent-phobic interaction, MWCNT-g-PS self-organized regularly as bundles. Because each part of the MWCNT-g-PS is compatible well with 1,2-dichlorobenzene, gathering tendency of the modified tubes have been enervated by their good compatibility and weak amphiphilicity. Grafted or not, nanotubes reveal poor compatibility with methanol and ethanol. Strong incompatibility and limited amphiphilicity make MWCNT-g-PS agglomerate as quickly and irregularly as raw tubes. An adapted hydrophilic/lipophilic balance system is introduced to qualify compatibility and amphiphilicity of MWCNT-g-PS in each solvent. This novel model not only reveals the relationship between solvent and microscopic state of unmodified/modified tubes, but also signifies the decisive role of solvent in self-assembly behaviors of MWCNT-g-PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polystyrene (PS) with molecular weight of 2.58 × 10 was grafted to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via covalent bonds. The modified tubes can self-assemble as regular bundles in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and benzene while unmodified ones cannot but agglomerate seriously and irregularly in the same solvents. In order to find out the role that polymer plays in self-assembly, a series of PS in different molecular weights were synthesized and grafted on the surface of MWCNTs. THF and benzene are two selective solvents because they are well compatible with PS but bad with tubes. Consequently, grafted MWCNTs show amphiphilicity in them. Solvent-philic/solvent-phobic interaction controls the self-assembly driving force. Small PS offers MWCNTs worse compatibility and poorer amphiphilicity than big PS. With amphiphilicity faded, grafted tubes lose self-assembly ability gradually. Meanwhile, degenerated compatibility cripples tubes' mobility. Therefore, both number and size of self-assemblies (SAs) decline when molecular weight of grafted PS diminishes. SAs lose their regularity and structural integrativity at the same time. Turbiscan stability index was introduced to quantify the compatibility between dispersate and solvents. Besides, a solvent-philic/solvent-phobic balance system was proposed to calculate compatibility and amphiphilicity of all the modified tubes. This model establishes a connection between compatibility, amphiphilicity, and self-assembly behaviors of modified MWCNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2p) and MP2(full)/6-311++G(3df,2p) calculations were carried out on the binary complex formed by HM (M = Li, Na, K) and HF or the π-electron donor (CH, CH, CH), as well as the ternary system FH∙∙∙HM∙∙∙CH/CH/CH. The cooperativity effect between the dihydrogen-bonding and H-M∙∙∙π interactions was investigated. The result shows that the equilibrium distances R and R in the ternary complex decrease and both the H∙∙∙H and H-M∙∙∙π interactions are strengthened when compared to the corresponding binary complex. The cooperativity effect of the dihydrogen bond on the H-M∙∙∙π interaction is more pronounced than that of the M∙∙∙π bond on the H∙∙∙H interaction. Furthermore, the values of cooperativity effect follow the order of FH∙∙∙HNa∙∙∙π > FH∙∙∙HLi∙∙∙π > FH∙∙∙HK∙∙∙π and FH∙∙∙HM∙∙∙CH > FH∙∙∙HM∙∙∙CH > FH∙∙∙HM∙∙∙CH. The nature of the cooperativity effect was revealed by the analyses of the charge of the hydrogen atoms in H∙∙∙H moiety, atom in molecule (AIM) and electron density shifts methods. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Alteplase is the current standard of care for acute ischemic stroke. Tenecteplase is a newer fibrinolytic agent with preferable administration and lower costs; however, its comparative effectiveness to alteplase remains uncertain. We set out to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to establish the benefits and harms of tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to April 2023 for randomized and non-randomized studies that compared tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. Paired reviewers independently assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We performed both conventional meta-analyses and Bayesian network meta-analyses (NMA) with random-effects models and used the GRADE approach to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Our primary efficacy outcome was excellent functional outcome at 3 months, defined as a score of 0–1 on the modified Rankin Scale. Our primary safety outcomes were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and all-cause mortality. Results: Thirty-six studies were eligible for review, including 12 randomized (n = 5533) and 24 non-randomized studies (n = 44,956). Moderate certainty evidence showed that there was no difference between tenecteplase and alteplase in increasing the proportion of patients achieving excellent functional outcome at 3 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% CI 0.98–1.23; risk difference [RD] 2.4%, 95% CI − 0.5 to 5.2), while moderate certainty evidence from NMA suggested that 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase significantly improved excellent functional outcome at 3 months (OR, 1.16; 95% credible interval 1.02–1.32). Moderate certainty evidence showed that, compared to alteplase, tenecteplase may make little to no difference in the prevalence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR, 1.12; 95% CI 0.79–1.59; RD 0.3%, 95% CI − 0.5 to 1.4), and probably reduces all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.44; 95% CI 0.30–0.64; RD − 4.6%; 95% CI − 5.8 to − 2.9). Conclusions: Moderate certainty evidence suggested that there was little to no difference between tenecteplase and alteplase in increasing the proportion of patients achieving excellent functional outcome at 3 months and the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, while compared to alteplase, tenecteplase probably reduce all-cause mortality. Administration of 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase after acute ischemic stroke is suggestive of increasing the proportion of patients that achieve excellent functional outcome at 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a deterministic scheme for preparing any number of distant atoms in a W state. The atoms are respectively trapped in spatially separated optical cavities connected by the fibers. Our scheme utilizes the adiabatic passage along dark state, and is robust against the atomic spontaneous emission and the decays of cavities. The numerical simulation of entanglement fidelity shows that the losses of fibers can be negligible under certain conditions. All of the advantages make the protocol more practical than previous ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The facile method to functionalize graphene oxide through surface modification with acetone was studied and improved. The resulting nanomaterials showed variable characteristics as the surface energy could be tailored according to the combination (proportion of H2O to acetone) of mixed solvent under sonication. Stability test and contact angle measurement showed that the treated graphene oxide exhibited different dispersibility and wettability. SEM images of graphene oxide films corroborated the changes in chemical composition of the sheets. FT-IR, XPS, and TGA observation provided direct evidence for chemical composition changes occurred on the surface. The presence of alkyl chain could decrease the surface energy and obviously control the hydrophilicity of the graphene oxide sheets. These results will provide significant guidance for the study of graphene-based bio-materials and nano-composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used meta-analysis to synthesize the relation between visual skills and Chinese reading acquisition based on the empirical results from 34 studies published from 1991 to 2011. We obtained 234 correlation coefficients from 64 independent samples, with a total of 5,395 participants. The meta-analysis revealed that visual skills as a global construct had a medium correlation effect size ( r = 0.32) associated with Chinese reading acquisition. The various visual processing skills differed in their relation to Chinese reading acquisition in different stages. Visual perception, speed of processing visual information, and pure visual memory had low-to-moderate correlations with Chinese reading acquisition in the lower grades (i.e., below second grade), whereas these relations did not retain their magnitude for children in the higher grades (i.e., second through sixth grades). By contrast, visual-verbal association skill was found to account for 34 and 41 % of the variance in children's Chinese reading acquisition in both lower and higher grade levels, respectively. Greater attention to this construct can significantly benefit reading research and instructional practice. No regional differences between studies in Mainland China and Hong Kong were found in the meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]