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Phosphorus pollution poses a significant challenge in addressing water contamination. The coagulant is one of the effective methods to remove phosphorus from wastewater. Abundant Al and Fe oxides in sludge residue make it have great potential to synthesize water treatment coagulants. However, the utilization of sludge residue for preparation of coagulant was seldom investigated. In this study, we fabricated a novel coagulant, polyaluminum ferric chloride (SM-PAC), using sludge residue as a raw material through acid leaching and polymerization processes. Characterization results confirm that the parameters of SM-PAC meet the specifications outlined in the national standard (GB/T 22627–2022). We investigated the effects of pH, dosage, initial phosphorus concentration, and contact time on the removal efficiency of SM-PAC. As anticipated, the prepared SM-PAC exhibited a significant efficacy in removing phosphorus, meeting the discharge standards set for municipal sewage. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics analysis suggests that the predominant mode of phosphorus adsorption on SM-PAC is chemical adsorption. Furthermore, the SM-PAC was employed in the actual wastewater treatment plant and exhibited excellent efficiency in phosphorus removal. The utilization of SM-PAC can not only effectively address the issue of sludge disposal but also achieve the goal of "treating waste with waste." It is expected that the proposed method of reusing sludge residue as a resource can provide a sustainable way to synthesize a coagulant for phosphorus removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Combination of drugs targeting independent signaling pathways would effectively block the proliferation of cancer cells with lower concentrations and stronger synergy effects. Dasatinib, a multi-targeted protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting BCR-ABL and kinases of SRC family, has been successfully applied in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). BMS-754807, an inhibitor targeting the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-IR) and insulin receptor (IR) family kinases, has been in phase I development for the treatment of a variety of human cancers. Herein, we demonstrated that dasatinib in combination with BMS-754807 inhibited lung cancer cell growth, while induced autophagy as well as cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Dasatinib in combination with BMS-754807 suppressed the expression of cell cycle marker proteins, Rb, p-Rb, CDK4, CDK6 and Cyclin D1, and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Dasatinib in combination with BMS-754807 induced autophagy in lung cancer cells, evidenced by the upregulation of LC3B II and beclin-1, the downregulation of LC3B I and SQSTM1/p62, and the autophagic flux observed with a confocal fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, dasatinib (18 mg/kg) in combination with BMS-754807 (18 mg/kg) inhibited the growth of tumors in NCI-H3255 xenografts without changing the bodyweight. Overall, our results suggest that dasatinib in combination with BMS-754807 inhibits the lung cancer cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vitro, which indicates promising evidence for the application of the drug combination in lung cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network embedding aims to map nodes in a network to low-dimensional vector representations. Graph neural networks (GNNs) have received much attention and have achieved state-of-the-art performance in learning node representation. Using fundamental sociological theories (status theory and balance theory) to model signed networks, basing GNN on learning node embedding has become a hot topic in signed network embedding. However, most GNNs fail to use edge weight information in signed networks, and most models cannot be directly used in weighted signed networks. We propose a novel signed directed graph neural networks model named WSNN to learn node embedding for Weighted signed networks. The proposed model reconstructs link signs, link directions, and signed directed triangles simultaneously. Based on the network representations learned by the proposed model, we conduct link sign prediction in signed networks. Extensive experimental results in real-world datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed model over the state-of-the-art network embedding algorithms for graph representation learning in signed networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable intensification needs to optimize irrigation and fertilization strategies while increasing crop yield. To enable more precision and effective agricultural management, a bi-level screening and bi-level optimization framework is proposed. Irrigation and fertilization dates are obtained by upper-level screening and upper-level optimization. Subsequently, due to the complexity of the problem, the lower-level optimization uses a data-driven evolutionary algorithm, which combines the fast non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), surrogate-assisted model of radial basis function and Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer to handle the expensive objective problem and produce a set of optimal solutions representing a trade-off between conflicting objectives. Then, the lower-level screening quickly finds better irrigation and fertilization strategies among thousands of solutions. Finally, the experiment produces a better irrigation and fertilization strategy, with water consumption reduced by 44%, nitrogen application reduced by 37%, and economic benefits increased by 7 to 8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the status of hotspots and research trends on geographic information system (GIS)–based landslide susceptibility (LS), we analysed 1142 articles from the Thomas Reuters Web of Science Core Collection database published during 2001–2020 by combining bibliometric and content analysis. The paper number, authors, institutions, corporations, publication sources, citations, and keywords are noted as sub/categories for the bibliometric analysis. Thematic LS data, including the study site, landslide inventory, conditioning factors, mapping unit, susceptibility models, and mode fit/prediction performance evaluation, are presented in the content analysis. Then, we reveal the advantages and limitations of the common approaches used in thematic LS data and summarise the development trends. The results indicate that the distribution of articles shows clear clusters of authors, institutions, and countries with high academic activity. The application of remote sensing technology for interpreting landslides provides a more convenient and efficient landslide inventory. In the landslide inventory, most of the sample strategies representing the landslides are point and polygon, and the most frequently used sample subdividing strategy is random sampling. The scale effects, lack of geographic consistency, and no standard are key problems in landslide conditioning factors. Feature selection is used to choose the factors that can improve the model's accuracy. With advances in computing technology and artificial intelligence, LS models are changing from simple qualitative and statistical models to complex machine learning and hybrid models. Finally, five future research opportunities are revealed. This study will help investigators clarify the status of LS research and provide guidance for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to validate and prove the novel risk score models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-specific disease risk group (AML-DRG) and AML-Hematopoietic Cell Transplant-composite risk (AML-HCT-CR) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT). Among the 172 AML patients analysed, 48.3% (n = 83) were females. Median age was 31.5 years (range 14 to 62 years), two patients was more than 60 years old (1.2%). Median follow-up was 44 months (range 1 to 94 months). According to the AML-DRG model, 109, 49 and 14 patients were in low-, intermediate- and high-risk group, respectively. According to the AML-HCT-CR model, 108, 30, 20 and 14 patients were in low-, intermediate-, high- and very high-risk group, respectively. Our results showed that the AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR models significantly predicted cumulative incidence of relapse (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). But AML-DRG model was not associated with NRM (p = 0.072). Univariate analysis showed that the AML-DRG model could better stratify AML patients into different risk groups compared to the AML-HCT-CR model. Multivariate analysis confirmed that prognostic impact of AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR models on post-transplant OS was independent to age, sex, conditioning type, transplant modality, and stem cell source (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR models can be used to effectively predict post-transplant survival in patients with AML receiving AHCT. Compared to AML-HCT-CR score, the AML-DRG score allows better stratification and improved survival prediction of AML patients post-transplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, object detection algorithms have achieved great success in the field of machine vision. To pursue the detection accuracy of the model, the scale of the network is constantly increasing, which leads to the continuous increase in computational cost and a large requirement for memory. The larger network scale allows their execution to take a longer time, facing the balance between the detection accuracy and the speed of execution. Therefore, the developed algorithm is not suitable for real-time applications. To improve the detection performance of small targets, we propose a new method, the real-time object detection algorithm based on transfer learning. Based on the baseline Yolov3 model, pruning is done to reduce the scale of the model, and then migration learning is used to ensure the detection accuracy of the model. The object detection method using transfer learning achieves a good balance between detection accuracy and inference speed and is more conducive to the real-time processing of images. Through the evaluation of the dataset voc2007 + 2012, the experimental results show that the parameters of the Yolov3-Pruning(transfer): model are reduced by 3X compared with the baseline Yolov3 model, and the detection accuracy is improved, realizes real-time processing, and improves the detection accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials provide the versatile playground to stack two or more vdW layers for creation of superior materials with desired properties. Here we theoretically adopt a twisted stack-engineering of two LaBr2 monolayers to break space inversion symmetry for ferroelectricity and ultimately multiferroism. The enhancement and reversal of electric polarization are accompanied with the transition from interlayer ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic orderings, demonstrating an effective magnetoelectric coupling effect with a mechanism dissimilar to that of the conventional multiferroics. Magnetization dynamics simulations show that such magnetic phase transition can excite topologically protected bimeron, and the skyrmion Hall effect can be suppressed by bilayer-bimeron stabilized in both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configurations. Moreover, in the small-angle twisted moiré superlattice, the uniform polarization will evolve into a staggered domain structure, accompanied with the appearance of bimeron, which forms a significant discrepancy with the non-twisted stack-engineered multiferroic LaBr2 bilayer. This work provides a strategy for 2D multiferroic materials by twisted stack engineering of magnetic single layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Kaempferol is a natural flavonoid that has been reported to be active against many cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. In our previous study, we found kaempferol could act as a selective androgen receptor modulator, thereby suppress development of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This finding inspired us to further explore the effect and the mechanism of action of kaempferol on prostate cancer. Methods: Plate clone formation assay was performed to detect the effect of kaempferol on cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect the impact of kaempferol on cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. qPCR, immunofluorescence staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect the expression of gene and protein of Ki67 which is a biomarker of cell proliferation. Results: In the present study, we found kaempferol could dramatically suppress androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells proliferation and induce their apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that kaempferol induced cell cycle to be arrested at G1 phase in 22Rv1 cells but at S and G2 phase in PC-3 cells. In addition, we detected the mRNA and protein of Ki67 which is corresponding to the cell proliferation and found that kaempferol could significantly inhibit Ki67 expression at mRNA level but increase its expression at protein levels in both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Conclusion: Taken together, kaempferol inhibited the proliferation of androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells by regulating the expression of Ki67. These findings further shed light on the mechanism of action of kaempferol on anti-prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of ethyl levulinate (EL) to produce γ-valerolactone (GVL) through catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) reaction plays a crucial role in the field of biomass catalytic conversion. In this work, a novel Zr-base catalyst with phenate group, phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl in its structure was prepared by the co-precipitation of natural sources gallic acid and ZrCl4. It was found that Zr-GA has an excellent catalytic performance for this reaction and satisfactory GVL yield could be achieved. Besides, Zr-GA could be easily separated from the reaction system and reused at least six times without a significantly decrease in activity. Meanwhile, various characterizations had proved that Zr-GA is a porous material with acid–base bifunctional sites. The main reason for the high catalytic activity of the Zr-GA was that the synergetic effects of Lewis acid/base sites and Brønsted acid sites and appropriate textural properties. In addition, a possible reaction mechanism was proposed in conjunction with the poisoning experiment and previous reports. The heterogeneous catalyst Zr-GA prepared with gallic acid as a raw material has low cost and recyclability, and has great potential in green chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a letter to the editor of the Journal of Anesthesia discussing the analgesia mode after cesarean section. The authors express their interest in a previous paper that suggested patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) may provide better analgesia than epidural morphine alone. They raise a few points and reservations, including the need for further analysis of preoperative and intraoperative factors that may influence postoperative pain, clarification on the use of BMI in the study, and the importance of considering the adverse effect of motor block when using local anesthetics. The authors appreciate the innovative work and emphasize the importance of optimizing doses of local anesthetics and opioids for PCEA. [Extracted from the article]

Semi-batch operated reaction processes are necessary for some competitive reaction systems to achieve a desirable process selectivity and productivity of fine chemical products. Herein the structural and operating parameters of the teethed high shear mixers were adjusted to study the micromixing performance in the semi-batch operated system, using the Villermaux/Dushman reaction system. The results indicate that the rising of the rotor speed and the number of rotor teeth, the decrease of the width of the shear gap and the radial distance between the feed position and the inner wall of stator can enhance the micromixing level and lead to the decrease of the segregation index. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics calculations were carried out to disclose the evolution of the flow pattern and turbulent energy dissipation rate of the semi-batch operated high shear mixer. Furthermore, the correlation was established with a mean relative error of 8.05% and R2 of 0.955 to fit the segregation index and the parameters studied in this work, which can provide valuable guidance on the design and optimization of the semi-batch operated high shear mixers in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal(loid) (Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, V, Tl, and As) and Pb isotope compositions of two black shale weathering profiles were determined to investigate the geochemical behaviors of these toxic elements during black shale weathering and the heavy metal(loid) contamination and source apportionment of Pb in black shale-associated soils. Black shale has higher heavy metal(loid) concentrations than the upper continental crust and the worldwide average shale. In contrast, the surface soils have much higher heavy metal(loid) concentrations than the profile soils. The heavy metal(loid) concentrations in black shale-associated soils are higher than the Chinese and worldwide soil background values, except for Co and Pb. Black shale-associated soils, especially the surface soils, have higher average concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn than Chinese, Dutch, and Canadian soil guidelines. The enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values indicate various degrees of heavy metal(loid) contamination in these soils, particularly for the heavy metals Cd, Tl, and V and metalloid As. Co and Pb contamination in these soils is not a current concern. According to the mass transfer coefficient (τTa,j) values, Cd, Co, Ni, and Zn show overall losses, and other metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, and V) exhibit different behavior in the studied black shale weathering profiles. Based on a simple binary Pb isotopic mixing model, black shale is the dominant contributor to the Pb in black shale-associated soils (70.5–91.1% to profile soils and 81.2–88.8% to surface soils), and vehicle exhaust contributes less (8.9–29.5%) to the Pb in profile soils. Vehicle exhaust can exert an impact on the Pb isotopic evolution at depth intervals of 60–80 cm below the soil surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol (FA) produce ethyl levulinate (EL) plays a crucial role in the field of biomass conversion. In this work, a novel Zr-base catalyst with sulfonic groups in its structure was prepared by the co-precipitation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and ZrOCl2 (Zr-DBS) under non-toxic conditions. It was found that Zr-DBS has an excellent catalytic performance for this reaction and an EL yield of 95.27% could be achieved. Besides, Zr-DBS could be easily separated from the reaction system and reused at least four times without a significantly decrease in activity. Meanwhile, Zr-DBS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3-TPD). The main reason for the high catalytic activity of the Zr-DBS was that the synergetic effects of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites and appropriate textural properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial photosynthesis, light-driving CO2 conversion into hydrocarbon fuels, is a promising strategy to synchronously overcome global warming and energy-supply issues. The quaternary AgInP2S6 atomic layer with the thickness of ~ 0.70 nm were successfully synthesized through facile ultrasonic exfoliation of the corresponding bulk crystal. The sulfur defect engineering on this atomic layer through a H2O2 etching treatment can excitingly change the CO2 photoreduction reaction pathway to steer dominant generation of ethene with the yield-based selectivity reaching ~73% and the electron-based selectivity as high as ~89%. Both DFT calculation and in-situ FTIR spectra demonstrate that as the introduction of S vacancies in AgInP2S6 causes the charge accumulation on the Ag atoms near the S vacancies, the exposed Ag sites can thus effectively capture the forming *CO molecules. It makes the catalyst surface enrich with key reaction intermediates to lower the C-C binding coupling barrier, which facilitates the production of ethene. CO2 conversion driven by light is a promising strategy to synchronously overcome global warming and energy-supply issues. Here the authors show that the sulfur defect engineering on a quaternary AgInP2S6 atomic layer can excitingly change the CO2 photoreduction reaction pathway to the generation of ethene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel pneumatic-electric hybrid actuator is studied and developed to enable precise positioning within a cylinder stroke in industrial automation. The proposed actuator will also allow engineers to overcome the defects of bias torque and structural coupling in the parallel type of pneumatic-electric hybrid actuators. The novel hybrid actuator consists of a coaxial cylinder layout, the motor lead screw pair, and the position sensor; a serial driving pattern is applied. A special reconfigurable positioning structure is designed for both the fixed and moving module; therefore, a decoupling motion can be achieved for the fast pneumatic motion and the electric precise fine-tuning motion without interference. In this paper, the authors presented the structure of this novel pneumatic-electric hybrid actuator and the accompanying mathematical model for pneumatic-electrical driving. Additionally, the control strategy with proportional-fuzzy mode and the subsection frequency control mode are presented. Experimental results show that the pneumatic-electric hybrid actuator has satisfying motion characteristics, including high speed, low overshoot, and small load sensitivity. Its positioning accuracy is ±0.01 mm, with a positioning time within 2 s, which is better than that of current pneumatic localizable actuators and pneumatic-electric hybrid actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to characterize the earthquake-triggered landslides (EQTLs) during the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake and to describe the geological and geomorphological control of landslide hazards. The Jiuzhaigou-EQTLs were studied via field-based investigation and remote sensing techniques during few weeks immediately after the mainshock occurred. The Jiuzhaigou earthquake produced an 11.4-km2 landslide area with 5633 landslides, dominated by shallow disrupted landslides, rock falls, and rockslides/rock avalanche. Statistical analyses show that the Jiuzhaigou-EQTLs had low mobility with a modal apparent friction angle of 40–44°. The Jiuzhaigou-EQTLs mostly occurred at elevations of 2700–3500 m and below 900 m relative relief to the main riverbed, where small-scale landslides were situated at the lower to middle parts of hillslope and large-scale landslides were situated close to the ridge crests. Jiuzhaigou-EQTLs clustered on river valley-side at the upstream of Baihe River (Jiuzhai Paradise and Ganhaizi village), Rize gully, and Danzhu gully on the tectonically active region at the southwest side of seismogenic fault F2. Landslides are prone to failure on the carbonate rocks with anaclinal hillslopes, following the cataclinal and cata-plagioclinal hillslopes. Most Jiuzhaigou-EQTLs preferentially occur on the below low-level break line (L2) in V-shaped valley-side and between first-level (L2) and high-level break line (L1) in U-shaped valley-side formed from long-term paleo-glacier and river incision. We found that landslide frequency is determined by a combination of the earthquake source with ground deformation, slope distribution, and rock strength due to weathering and dissolution along the fractures. Ground surface deformation, rock type (strength), geological structures, and valley-side slope breaks dictated the Jiuzhaigou-EQTL distribution pattern and hazards. This study elucidates the roles that local conditions play in influencing the occurrence, distribution, and frequency of slope failures and provides a better understanding of EQTL phenomenon during the Jiuzhaigou earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sawdust loaded with zero-valent iron (S-ZVI) was prepared using a liquid phase reduction method for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Surface chemistry and morphology of adsorbents were characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SEM-mapping, EDX, and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The results demonstrated that the zero-valent iron was successfully loaded onto the sawdust. The impact of various factors such as pH, initial metal ion concentration, temperature, and contact time on the removal capability of the adsorbents was systematically investigated. The equilibrium adsorption data showed that the adsorption of arsenic ions and Cr(III) followed the Langmuir model well, and the maximum adsorption reached 111.37 and 268.7 mg/g in an aqueous solution system. In addition, the adsorption kinetics was more accurately described by the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting the domination of chemical adsorption. Meanwhile, the results on recyclability indicated that the high performance of S-ZVI on the removal of arsenic ions was well maintained after three regeneration cycles. The adsorption mechanism revealed in this work suggested that S-ZVI improved the dispersion of ZVI by minimizing the agglomeration, thus leading to highly effective adsorption via chelation, electrostatic interaction, and redox reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Previous studies indicated that urinary glucose (UG) had a limited efficacy in diabetes screening. This study was designed to have a re-evaluation of its efficacy, taking into consideration the collection method of urine and the measurement approach for UG among Chinese adults.Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled a total of 7689 participants without known diabetes, who were fasted and asked to empty bladders before a 75 g glucose loading. Urine was collected 2 h post glucose loading, and UG was measured using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The efficacy of UG in detecting diabetes was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results: The area under the ROC curve was 0.89 for quantitative UG and 0.87 for qualitative UG. Quantitative UG was positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2 h plasma glucose (2 h PG) (r = 0.55 and 0.56, respectively, both P < 0.001). Quantitative UG displayed a sensitivity of 82.9% and a specificity of 84.7% in detecting diabetes at the corresponding optimal cutoff of 130 mg. Qualitative UG exhibited a sensitivity of 80.2% and a specificity of 85.6% at the optimal cutoff of glycosuria + 1. In addition, the sensitivity of both quantitative and qualitative UG was significantly higher than that of HbA1c (≥ 6.5%) (P < 0.001) and had a comparable sensitivity to 2 h PG (≥ 11.1 mmol/L) (P = 0.493).Conclusions: UG, either quantitatively or qualitatively measured at 2 h post glucose loading, was effective in diabetes screening. This indicates that UG is a feasible approach for diabetes screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the biological functions of Qulian and provide theoretical basis for studying the expression regulation of QL14h, which was screened by the bioinformatics computer software, database and online programs were used to predict and analyse the nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence of QL14h. Results of gene structure analysis showed that its full length was 816 bp including 805 bp ORF which encoded 259 amino acids. QL14h had no signal peptide and no transmembrane domain, so it belonged to non-secretion protein; The results of the protein structure analysis showed that there were 150 α-helix, 0 β-sheet plus and 13 β-turn in QL14h; QL14h was a kind of hydrophilic protein and belonged to 14-3-3 protein family. Therefore the study showed that QL14h had biological significance, and these results could be the theoretical basis and provide evidences for further verifying the biological functions of QL14h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of the uncertainty associated with stormwater models should be analyzed before using modelling results to make decisions on urban stormwater control and management programs. In this study, the InfoWorks Integrated Catchment Modelling (ICM) rainfall-runoff model was used to simulate hydrographs at the outfall of a catchment (drainage area 8.3 ha, with 95% pervious areas) in Shenzhen, China. The model was calibrated and validated for two rainfall events with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency >0.81. The influence of rainfall, model parameters and routing methods on outflow hydrograph of the catchment was systematically studied. The influence of rainfall was analyzed using generated rainfall distributions with random errors and systematic errors (± 30% offsets). Random errors had less influence than systematic errors on peak flow and runoff volume, especially for two rainfall events with larger depths and longer durations. The Monte Carlo simulations using 500 parameter sets were used to verify the equifinality of the nine model parameters and determine the prediction uncertainty. Most of the monitored flows were within the uncertainty range. The influence of two routing methods from rainfall excess to hydrograph was studied. The InfoWorks ICM model incorporating double quasilinear reservoir routing was found to have a larger effect on the simulated hydrographs for rainfall events having larger depths and longer durations than using the U.S. EPA's Storm Water Management Model nonlinear reservoir routing method did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: ‘Cd toxicity in rice’ events have resulted in vast public concern and uncertainty. Effective bioremediation could be accomplished via applying microbes that are capable of alleviating Cd content in rice grains.Methods: Here, we investigated the effect of inoculating Aspergillus aculeatus on tolerance, uptake and transportation of Cd in rice cultivated in Cd contaminated growth medium.Results: A. aculeatus facilitated rice growth in Cd polluted growth medium and alleviated Cd toxic effects according to our observations on biomass, leaf and root length and grain yield. Cd accumulation analysis indicated that the plants which were inoculated with A. aculeatus exhibited minimum Cd level in all organs. Particularly in grain we observed a 40.5% reduction compared to the Cd only treated plants. Differences in Cd accumulation in rice inoculated with A. aculeatus might be attributed to the enhancement of cell wall-bound Cd, decreasing the Cd inorganic forms in roots, and inhibiting the expression of OsNRAMP5 and OsNRAMP1. A. aculeatus inoculation also led to minimum growth medium DTPA-Cd concentration, which possibly reduced the availability of the metals for plant uptake.Conclusions: These results suggested that A. aculeatus might potentially be applicable to improve Cd tolerance and reduce Cd transportation in grains of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Triassic was a period of ecological restoration for the earth's system after the end-Permian mass extinction. Geochemical records linked to the variations in marine ecosystems during this period have attracted the interest of geologists for many years. Based on petrographic analysis of samples and evaluations of their reliability as proxies for original seawater, this study investigated the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of 350 carbonate rock samples from the Lower Triassic (and adjacent strata) in the southern Longmenxia section of Guang'an, eastern Sichuan Basin. The results indicate that the Triassic carbonate rocks from the southern Longmenxia section favorably preserved the original seawater's δ C signal. Furthermore, carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions are found to be poorly correlated, with a determination coefficient as low as 0.0205 and only 44 rock samples show results of Mn/Sr>2 and/or δ O<-6.5‰. The complete carbon isotopic curve for the Lower Triassic is established using the data from the remaining 306 samples with Mn/Sr<2 and/or δ O>-6.5‰. This curve presents favorable comparability on a global scale, specifically in the δ C minima near the Permian-Triassic boundary, at the top of the Jia1 and within the the Jia3, as well as in the δ C maxima at the tops of the Ye1 and Ye4, at the base of the Jia2 and at the top of the Ye3. The peaks and troughs corresponding to these maxima and minima all reflect global signals. By comparing these results to previous research on coeval carbon isotopic curves established within the chronostratigraphic framework, the ages of these critical evolution points are determined. The results show that the Ye1 roughly corresponds to the Griesbachian substage; the Ye2 through Ye4 correspond to the Dienerian substage; Jia1 corresponds to the Smithian substage; from the Jia2 to the lower part of the Jia4 correspond to the Spathian substage; and the middle and upper parts of the Jia4 belongs to the Aegean Substage of the Middle Triassic. Around the boundary between the Jia1 and Jia2 (which represents the Smithian-Spathian boundary (SSB)), the value of δ C increases rapidly from -0.911‰ to 3.679‰. The span during which the seawater's carbon isotope experiences this drastic change may be less than 36 kyr. The oxygen isotope, which is more sensitive to sedimentary environmental changes, exhibits changes prior to the carbon isotope near the SSB, indicating a significant increase in the salinity of the seawater before a sharp rise in the carbon isotope; this event leads to the formation of evaporites and dolomites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a geochemical study on the mineralogy and major elements of mid-ridge (A), near mountaintop (B), and valley (C) profiles developed in the Lower Cambrian black shale in Northeast Chongqing, China. The primary objective was to understand the elemental mobility, mineralogical transformation, and weathering progression during black shale chemical weathering in a subtropical climate. Profiles A, B, and C are characterized as weak, weak to moderate, and moderate to intense in terms of weathering intensity, respectively, by the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA). Results indicate that most elements were mobilized by acidic solutions produced during the oxidation of pyrite and organic matter (OM). Among the major elements, Si was slightly enriched in profile A, but depleted through desilication in profile B and C. Al was enriched in the regolith zone in profile A and C, and Fe was enriched at the oxic front because of secondary clay and sesquioxide formation. The addition and depletion of major elements and the depth of the oxic front increased with the degree of weathering. Gypsum and Fe- (hydro-) oxides were observed to form and re-precipitate in the saprock and fractured shale zones. Clay minerals formed from dissolution of plagioclase and the transformation of other labile clay minerals during weathering. The progressive changes in mineralogical composition of weathered material from profile A to C showed the sequence of mineral decomposition with degree of weathering: first, oxidation of pyrite and OM; then Ca and Mg were removed during dissolution of carbonatite; followed by removal of Na from dissolution of plagioclase; lastly, transformation of clay minerals during weathering; meanwhile, desilication occurs at moderate to intense weathering stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu-doped BiFeO (BEFO) prepared by a conventional hydrothermal method was with weak magnetism, a good visible light absorption and a weak luminescent broadening peak at 530-590 nm under the UV excitation of 365 nm. When treated by solvothermal method using ammonia as solvent, the remnant magnetization of the sample was increased from 36 to 114 memu/g. Instead, when using ethanol as solvent, the absorbance value was enhanced to be 1.2 at the wavelength range even to 800 nm. However, the results of photoluminescence measurement of post-treated samples suggested that the enhanced light absorption and magnetism will inevitably suppress the photoluminescence. The present work provided a facile way to improve the magnetism and light absorption while maintaining structure and morphology of bismuth ferrite and brought light to the study of interrelationships between the light absorption, magnetism and photoluminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S1, a novel BH3 mimetic, can induce apoptosis dependent on Bax/Bak through inhibition of Bcl-2 in various tumors. S1 also induces autophagy through interrupting the interaction of Bcl-2 and Beclin1. Our results showed that S1 induces apoptosis in human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Autophagy precedes apoptosis, in SKOV3 cells treated with S1 (6 μmol/L), autophagy reached the maximum peak at 12 h after treatment and decreased to 24 h. In SKOV3 cells treated with different concentrations of S1 for 24 h, the highest level of autophagy was observed with 5 μmol/L and decreased to 10 μmol/L. Autophagy inhibitors 3-MA and CQ enhanced apoptosis induced by S1 in SKOV3 cells. However, overactivation of caspases in apoptosis induced by S1 may inhibit the autophagy-inducing function of Beclin1. Because the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD recovered the autophagy-inducing function of Beclin1 through reduction of activated caspase-mediated cleavage of Beclin1. Furthermore, the Beclin1 cleavage products could further increase apoptosis induced by S1 in SKOV3 cells. This indicates that apoptosis induced by high doses and long exposure of S1 causes the overactivation of caspases and subsequent cleavage of Beclin1, and inhibits the protection of autophagy. Moreover, the cleaved product of Beclin1 further promotes apoptosis induced by S1 in SKOV3 cells. Our results suggest this may be a molecular mechanism for enhancing the sensitivity of cancer cells to apoptosis induced by small molecular compound targeting Bcl-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-pressure solenoid valve with high flow rate and high speed is a key component in an underwater driving system. However, traditional single spool pilot operated valve cannot meet the demands of both high flow rate and high speed simultaneously. A new structure for a high pressure solenoid valve is needed to meet the demand of the underwater driving system. A novel parallel-spool pilot operated high-pressure solenoid valve is proposed to overcome the drawback of the current single spool design. Mathematical models of the opening process and flow rate of the valve are established. Opening response time of the valve is subdivided into 4 parts to analyze the properties of the opening response. Corresponding formulas to solve 4 parts of the response time are derived. Key factors that influence the opening response time are analyzed. According to the mathematical model of the valve, a simulation of the opening process is carried out by MATLAB. Parameters are chosen based on theoretical analysis to design the test prototype of the new type of valve. Opening response time of the designed valve is tested by verifying response of the current in the coil and displacement of the main valve spool. The experimental results are in agreement with the simulated results, therefore the validity of the theoretical analysis is verified. Experimental opening response time of the valve is 48.3 ms at working pressure of 10 MPa. The flow capacity test shows that the largest effective area is 126 mm and the largest air flow rate is 2320 L/s. According to the result of the load driving test, the valve can meet the demands of the driving system. The proposed valve with parallel spools provides a new method for the design of a high-pressure valve with fast response and large flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste heat recovery for internal combustion engine (ICE) has been considered as an important strategy to improve efficiency and promote fuel economy, thus alleviating the problems of energy shortage and environmental pollution. This paper investigates the characteristics of various kinds of waste heat energy, namely, waste heat in exhaust, cooling water and charge air, over the engine's whole operating region. Based on the energy balance experiments, the energy distribution of a conventional heavy-duty diesel engine is obtained under mapping characteristics. According to exergy analysis, the energy recovery potential for waste heat is studied as well. The experimental results indicate that exhaust energy increases with engine speed and load, while cooling water energy is more sensitive to load, especially at low and middle speed. Charge air energy, on the other hand, mainly counts on speed rather than load. Exhaust energy possesses the highest recovery potential in terms of both quantity and quality. Through waste heat recovery, a dramatic improvement in engine efficiency is achievable, actually, the maximum value can amount to 60% or even more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) is a stress factor or a signal molecule involved in various plant physiological and developmental processes. In the present study, the generation of reactive oxygen species and the metabolism of proline due to different sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) concentrations were investigated in callus from halophyte Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. Treatment with SNP led to significant increases of hydrogen peroxide (HO) content and cell viability but notable reductions in hydrogen radical level and lipid peroxidation degree, and superoxide onion (O) content also enhanced in 100 μM SNP-treated calli. Using a chemical inhibitor for plasma membrane (PM) NADPH oxidase diphenylene iodonium (DPI), we found low O generation in untreated and 25 μM SNP-treated calli, whereas in those treated with 100 μM SNP O level exhibited a very little alteration, comparable to the absence of DPI. These suggest a high activity of PM NADPH oxidase in untreated calli. HO scavenging enzymes (catalase, peroxidase [POD] and ascorbate peroxidase) and HO forming enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], cell wall-POD and diamine oxidase [DAO]) stimulated significantly in calli treated with different SNP concentrations while glutathione reductase activity decreased. In addition, a reduction in proline content was observed in SNP-treated calli. Moreover, different SNP concentrations stimulated proline dehydrogenase (PDH) and ornithine δ-aminotransferase but inhibited r-glutamyl kinase (GK). In conclusion, our results suggest that the increasing HO generation was associated with the stimulation of SOD, cell wall-POD and DAO, and that the reduction of proline content might be the consequence of increased PDH activity and decreased GK activity in N. tangutorum Bobr. calli under SNP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of single-agent gemcitabine in the maintenance treatment of histologically confirmed metastatic breast cancer cases. Methods: The 45 patients carried efficacious chemotherapy were divided into maintenance therapy group ( n = 23) and control group ( n = 22) according to the different treatment methods. Patients in the maintenance therapy group received gemcitabine therapy until 6 cycles, disease progression or adverse effect intolerance. Within the control group, the patients were given best supportive care. Follow-up was made until disease progression, death or 2 years. The short-term clinical efficacy and adverse effects, progression-free survival (PFS) and median survival of recurrence (MSR) of these two groups were compared and analyzed. Results: Compared with the control group, the experiment group had higher response rate (RR; 73.9% vs 31.8%; P < 0.05), and significantly progress of median PFS (13.1 vs 9.6 months; P < 0.05). However, the progression of MSR had no statistically difference with the control group (23.3 vs 21.1 months; P > 0.05). Most of the treatment-related adverse events were mild, and the most common adverse event was hematologic toxicity. The 3 cases occurred grades 3-4 neutropenia and 3 cases occurred grades 3-4 thrombocytopenia. The 1 patient stopped treatment because of grade 3 allergic reaction, and 4 patients required dose reduction for grade 4 adverse events. Other adverse effects were grades 1-2, and all were recovered after symptomatic treatment. There was no significant side effect which threatened the life. Conclusion: In the extension maintenance treatment, gemcitabine can consolidate the therapeutic effect in advance and significantly prolong median PFS of metastatic breast cancer patients. In conclusion, gemcitabine monotherapy with a favorable safety profile is an effective maintenance treatment in metastatic breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 in the gastrocnemius muscles of rats following contusion. Muscle regeneration involves cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation and is regulated by growth factors. A growing body of evidence suggests that LLLT promotes skeletal muscle regeneration and accelerates tissue repair. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=96) were randomly divided into three groups: control group (no lesion, untreated, n=6), contusion group (n=48), and contusion-plus-LLLT group (n=42). Gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) laser irradiation (635 nm; beam spot, 0.4 cm(2); output power, 7 mW; power density, 17.5 mW/cm(2); 20 min) was administered to the gastrocnemius contusion for 20 min daily for 10 days. Muscle remodeling was evaluated at 0 h and 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injury. Hematoxylin and eosin and Van Gieson staining were used to evaluate regeneration and fibrosis; muscle superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected via biochemical methods; expression of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were investigated via immunohistochemistry. The results showed that LLLT markedly promoted the regeneration of muscle and reduced scar formation. LLLT also significantly enhanced muscle SOD activity and significantly decreased muscle MDA levels 1, 2, and 3 days after injury. LLLT increased the expression of IGF-1 2, 3, and 7 days after injury and decreased the expression of IGF-1 21 and 28 days after injury. LLLT decreased the expression of TGF-β1 3 and 28 days after injury but increased expression at 7 and 14 days after injury. Our study showed that LLLT could modulate the homeostasis of ROS and of the growth factors IGF-1 and TGF-β1, which are known to play important roles in the repair process. This may constitute a new preventive approach to muscular fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callus of the halophyte Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. was used to investigate proline metabolism and its signal regulation under salinity stress. Enhanced levels of proline and hydrogen peroxide (HO) were observed in calli exposed to salinity stress, and elevated levels of calcium (Ca) were detected in early responses to 75 mM NaCl treatment. Additionally, NaCl treatment induced significant elevation of ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT) activity, but notable decreases occurred in the activities of glutamyl kinase (GK) and proline dehydrogenase (PDH). HO scavenger dimethylthiourea and pyruvate inhibited the accumulation of proline and the stimulation of OAT in salinity-stressed calli. Moreover, the utilization of Ca chelator EGTA and Ca channel blocker verapamil abolished the enhancement of proline level induced by 75 mM NaCl treatment for 3 days. These results suggest that the accumulation of proline is correlated to the increase of OAT activity and the decrease of PDH activity in response to salinity, and that elevated Ca signal during the early stage of NaCl treatment and the excitation of OAT activity resulting from the increase of HO generation are essential for proline accumulation in salinity-stressed calli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malic enzymes catalyze the reversible oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate using NAD(P) as a cofactor. NADP-dependent malic enzyme (MaeB) from Escherichia coli MG1655 was expressed and purified as a fusion protein. The molecular weight of MaeB was about 83 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. The recombinant MaeB showed a maximum activity at pH 7.8 and 46°C. MaeB activity was dependent on the presence of Mn but was strongly inhibited by Zn. In order to understand the physiological roles, recombinant E. coli strains ( icd/Δ maeB and icd/Δ maeB) containing NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), or engineered NAD-dependent IDH with the deletion of the maeB gene, were constructed using homologous recombination. During growth on acetate, icd/Δ maeB grew poorly, having a growth rate only 60% that of the wild-type strain ( icd). Furthermore, icd/Δ maeB exhibited a 2-fold greater adaptability to acetate than icd/Δ maeB, which may be explained by more NADPH production for biosynthesis in icd/Δ maeB due to its NADP-dependent IDH. These results indicated that MaeB was important for NADPH production for bacterial growth on acetate. We also observed that MaeB activity was significantly enhanced (7.83-fold) in icd, which was about 3-fold higher than that in icd, when switching from glucose to acetate. The marked increase of MaeB activity was probably induced by the shortage of NADPH in icd. Evidently, MaeB contributed to the NADPH generation needed for bacterial growth on two carbon compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgS nanoparticle nanowires were prepared in a porous anodic aluminum oxide template by a simple paired cell method, and were characterized by XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and EDS. The results showed that the as-prepared nanowires were composed of monoclinic AgS nanoparticles. The nanowire diameters ranged from 165 to 270 nm, and AgS nanoparticles were nearly spherical with diameters of 40 to 60 nm. The paired cell method is simple, low cost and easy to control for the fabrication of high density and high aspect ratio AgS nanoparticle nanowires. A formation mechanism for the nanoparticle nanowires was suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Treating scapular fractures is still a challenging task for surgeons. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, accuracy, and effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) and three-dimensional (3D) plate library-assisted posterior minimally invasive surgery, named AR-scapular system for scapula fracture. We speculated that using AR-scapular system would improve efficiency and quality for scapular fracture surgery.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 21 patients with scapular fractures treated by posterior minimally invasive surgery with reconstruction plates: nine patients were treated with conventional fixation in group I; whereas 12 patients were treated with pre-operative virtual simulation and intra-operative navigation-assisted fixation using AR-scapular system. We compared operative time, blood loss, complication, and Hardegger function between two groups. Statistical analyses evaluated significant differences between the groups for each of these variables.Results: In group II, the pre-operative virtual simulation time was 44.42 ± 15.54 min. The time required for pre-operative contouring of the plates was 16.08 ± 5.09 minutes. The patients in group II had significantly shorter operation time and less blood loss (- 28.75 min and - 81.94 ml, respectively; P < 0.05) than patients in the conventional surgery group. The average numbers of plates used were 1.56 ± 0.53 in group I and 1.25 ± 0.45 in group II. The difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The follow-up function outcome results were similar between groups (P > 0.05). There were no intra-operative or post-operative complications for all patients.Conclusion: Augmented reality and 3D plate library-assisted posterior minimally invasive surgery is an effective and reliable method for treating scapular fractures which can provide precise pre-operative planning and intraoperative navigation. This time-saving approach can give a more customized treatment plan, allowing for a safer reduction surgery. What is more, the portable projector is cheap and easy to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The published version of this article contains error. The equation (1) lost delta (Δ) before equal sign and five lines from the bottom before "-index", here needs modification to "Δ-index". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current research on soft grippers, pneumatically actuated soft grippers are generally fabricated using fully soft materials, which have the advantage of flexibility as well as the disadvantages of a small gripping force and slow response speed. To improve these characteristics, a novel pneumatic soft gripper with a jointed endoskeleton structure (E-Gripper) is developed, in which the muscle actuating function has been separated from the force bearing function. The soft action of an E-Gripper finger is performed by some air chambers surrounded by multilayer rubber embedded in the restraining fiber. The gripping force is borne and transferred by the rigid endoskeleton within the E-Gripper finger. Thus, the gripping force and action response speed can be increased while the flexibility is maintained. Through experiments, the bending angle of each finger segment, response time, and gripping force of the E-Gripper have been measured, which provides a basis for designing and controlling the soft gripper. The test results have shown that the maximum gripping force of the E-Gripper can be 35 N, which is three times greater than that of a fully soft gripper (FS-Gripper) of the same size. At the maximum charging pressure of 150 kPa, the response time is 1.123 s faster than that of the FS-Gripper. The research results indicate that the flexibility of a pneumatic soft gripper is not only maintained in the case of the E-Gripper, but its gripping force is also obviously increased, and the response time is reduced. The E-Gripper thus shows great potential for future development and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]