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Background: Despite the success of PD-1 blockade in recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), its effect for locoregionally advanced NPC (LANPC) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the benefit of adding PD-1 blockade to the current standard treatment (gemcitabine and cisplatin IC plus cisplatin CCRT ) for LANPC patients. Methods: From January 2020 to November 2022, 347 patients with non-metastatic high-risk LANPC (stage III-IVA, excluding T3-4N0) were included. Of the 347 patients, 268 patients were treated with standard treatment (IC-CCRT), and 79 received PD-1 blockade plus IC-CCRT (PD-1 group). For the PD-1 group, PD-1 blockade was given intravenously once every 3 weeks for up to 9 cycles (3 induction and 6 adjuvant). The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS) (i.e. freedom from local/regional/distant failure or death). The propensity score matching (PSM) with the ratio of 1:2 was performed to control confounding factors. Results: After PSM analysis, 150 patients receiving standard treatment and 75 patients receiving additional PD-1 blockade remained in the current analysis. After three cycles of IC, the PD-1 group had significantly higher rates of complete response (defined as disappearance of all target lesions; 24% vs. 9%; P = 0.006) and complete biological response (defined as undetectable cell-free Epstein-Barr virus DNA, cfEBV DNA; 79% vs. 65%; P = 0.046) than that in the standard group. And the incidence of grade 3–4 toxicity during IC was 47% in the PD-1 group and 41% in the standard group, with no significant difference (P = 0.396). During follow-up period, additional PD-1 blockade to standard treatment improved 3-year DFS from 84 to 95%, with marginal statistical significance (HR, 0.28; 95%CI, 0.06-1.19; P = 0.064). Conclusion: Additiaonl PD-1 blockade to gemcitabine and cisplatin IC and adjuvant treatment results in significant improvement in tumor regression, cfEBV DNA clearance, superior DFS, and comparable toxicity profiles in high-risk LANPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed efficiency (FE) is essential for pig production, has been reported to be partially explained by gut microbiota. Despite an extensive body of research literature to this topic, studies regarding the regulation of feed efficiency by gut microbiota remain fragmented and mostly confined to disorganized or semi-structured unrestricted texts. Meanwhile, structured databases for microbiota analysis are available, yet they often lack a comprehensive understanding of the associated biological processes. Therefore, we have devised an approach to construct a comprehensive knowledge graph by combining unstructured textual intelligence with structured database information and applied it to investigate the relationship between pig gut microbes and FE. Firstly, we created the pgmReading knowledge base and the domain ontology of pig gut microbiota by annotating, extracting, and integrating semantic information from 157 scientific publications. Secondly, we created the pgmPubtator by utilizing PubTator to expand the semantic information related to microbiota. Thirdly, we created the pgmDatabase by mapping and combining the ADDAGMA, gutMGene, and KEGG databases based on the ontology. These three knowledge bases were integrated to form the Pig Gut Microbial Knowledge Graph (PGMKG). Additionally, we created five biological query cases to validate the performance of PGMKG. These cases not only allow us to identify microbes with the most significant impact on FE but also provide insights into the metabolites produced by these microbes and the associated metabolic pathways. This study introduces PGMKG, mapping key microbes in pig feed efficiency and guiding microbiota-targeted optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aiming at the imbalance problem of excavating and anchoring efficiency ratio in the underground coal mine, a new type of parallel operation unit of excavation-supporting-anchoring is proposed to improve the excavating efficiency. Considering the uneven factors of the roof and floor of the coal mine roadway, the influence of different drilling angles and leg support angles on the leg support force is studied under the condition of simultaneous drilling of multiple drilling rigs. The results show that the maximum support force is 4.002 KN when the leg angle is different and the drilling angle is different. By constructing the coupling vibration model of the multi-drill drilling process and using the Lagrange method to solve the vibration law of key components of the anchorage system, the vibration law of drill pipe under different influencing factors such as cantilever extension, multi-drill simultaneous drilling, and drilling incident angle is studied. The results showed: (1) The vibration of the drill pipe in the cantilever extension state is more severe than that in the retracted state, and the maximum vibration peak reaches 7.61 mm. (2) The vibration response of the drill pipe is the most intense under the condition of four top anchor drilling rigs drilling at the same time. Under the working condition of only two drilling rigs, the vibration response of the drill pipe is the smallest. (3) As the drilling angle of the drilling rig increases, the vibration response of the drill pipe is more severe and the vibration amplitude is larger. A test prototype is built to simulate the actual anchoring drilling process, and the vibration law of the support platform and the drilling rig is obtained through the vibration detection system. The test results show that the vibration law of the key components is approximately the same as the theoretical simulation results. The relevant theoretical results can provide a technical basis for the drilling stability of the anchoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nitrogen-doped carbon supported Co/Ni bimetallic catalyst 2wt%Co/Ni@NC-700-10 was prepared and found to be efficient in the reductive N-formylation of 2,4-diamino-5-nitroso-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DANHP) to 2,4-diamino-5-formyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAFHP) for the synthesis of guanine. Under optimal conditions, the conversion of DANHP reached up to 95.6% with a DAFHP selectivity of 97.6%. The characterization results revealed that the cobalt/nickel nanoparticles of the catalyst uniformly dispersed and encapsulated in the nitrogen-dopped carbon, and the catalyst has the characters of large surface area, as well as uniform dispersion and small diameters of metal nanoparticles in the form of Co/Ni alloy, which endowed its good catalytic performance in the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Fe embedded MgAl layered double hydroxide (MgAlFe0.4-LDH) showed excellent performances in the epoxidation of various olefins with O2/benzaldehyde as oxidant at mild conditions. Under optimal conditions, the olefins including terminal aliphatic olefins, cyclohexene and styrene were all converted to the corresponding epoxides in conversions close to 100% and selectivity higher than 95%. The epoxidation is accomplished in two elementary steps, which are catalytic oxidation of benzaldehyde to peroxybenzoic acid, and epoxidation of olefin to epoxide by peroxybenzoic acid generated in situ. The catalyst also exhibited good stability and recyclability. The characterization results revealed that the Fe species are present in the state of Fe3+ fully incorporated into the Mg/Al-LDH layers, and act as active sites in the catalyst. The embedment of Fe into MgAl-LDH largely increased the surface area and pore volume of Mg/Al-LDH, which is another factor enhancing the activity of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research provides a multi-criteria group decision support model for hotel selection according to traveller preference characteristics. Specifically, the study attempts to identify characteristic preferences among travellers through online reviews and then generate recommendation lists under these characteristics. Utilizing a sample of 48,756 online reviews on TripAdvisor.com, the research exploits natural language processing to acquire high-frequency feature words and employs these features to group online reviews for filtering unrelated ones. Subsequently, online reviews and fuzzy theory are combined to develop a decision support model, by utilising the information of user ratings and text comments. In addition, the related extension of the theoretic knowledge is presented. The findings demonstrate that, hotel quality varies under different characteristics and a comprehensive evaluation of hotels would encounter difficulty meeting travellers' demands, and the proposed model exhibits great performance in addressing this condition. The study can enable travellers to make a satisfactory hotel selection that matches their expectation to a high degree and also provides implications for hoteliers to understand tourist preferences and for tourism websites to optimize management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suitability of different substrates for enriched mixed microbial cultures (MMCs) is of importance to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) fermentation using renewable carbon. In this study, three enriched MMCs were evaluated for their fermentation features and kinetics with different carbon sources (sodium acetate, glucose, or starch). The results showed that the highly specific bacterial community composition was developed depending on the applied carbon source. Correspondence analysis suggested that the genus affiliated in Gammaproteobacteria_unclassified was related to 3-hydroxybutyrate (HB) synthesis in acetate-fed MMC (relative abundance of 38%) and glucose-fed MMC (relative abundance of 76.7%), whereas Vibrio genus was related to 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) production in glucose-fed MMC (relative abundance of 0.4%) and starch-fed MMC (relative abundance of 94.6%). The acetate-fed MMC could not use glucose and starch as fermentation carbon sources, showing the limitation of microbial species developed with the specific metabolic substrate. Glucose-fed MMC produced the highest PHA cell content of 64.2% cell dry weight when using sodium acetate as the fermentation carbon. Glucose-fed MMC showed wide resilience and adaptation to various carbon sources. When actual landfill leachate was used for fermentation by glucose-fed MMC, maximum PHA cell content of 45.5% cell dry weight and the PHA volumetric productivity of 0.265 g PHA/(L·h) were obtained. This study suggested carbon sources applied in the MMC enrichment stage had a significant influence on utilization of carbon in the fermentation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the demand for strategic metals, the dissolution of scrap superalloys is imperative for their recycling. This study investigates the electrochemical dissolution process of superalloys in different electrolytes. The results indicate that the dissolution rate of the samples is significantly emulative in organic electrolyte at current densities greater than 0.7 A cm−2. The dissolution behavior of the sample in aqua regia electrolyte can be classified as dissolution of the oxidation layer, formation of the anode product layer, and formation of the Cr-rich hindered-dissolution layer. While in organic electrolyte, the dissolution behavior can be partitioned as dissolution of the oxidation layer, formation of the porous Cr-rich hindered-dissolution layer, formation of dissolved pores, and detachment of the porous Cr-rich hindered-dissolution layer. Therefore, the formation of dissolved pores and detachment of the porous Cr-rich hindered-dissolution layer can effectively reduce the electrolytic resistance and the diffusion resistance in the electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To monitor and manage water environments, China developed a centralized multi-level administrative system where governments and agencies at each level are responsible for water quality within their regions. In this case, regional water quality assessment has become a critical issue. However, as a complex multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem, it faces many challenges such as diverse implement indicator framework, complicated indicator interrelations, and lack of reliable assessment methods. Therefore, this paper constructs a novel multistage decision support framework for regional water quality assessment. In phase I, we determine indicator framework strictly according to the national standards, involving PH, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), etc., totally 21 water quality indicators where the temperature indicator is excluded due to its lack of assessment standard. In addition, considering the matching between the characteristic of water quality data and the probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS) technique, we employ PLTS theory to process massive monitoring data. In phase II, relative weight considering indicators' interrelationship is produced by the proposed regression-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method, and further forms combined weight by balancing single-factor weight. In phase III, we present a new PLTS measure and extend the fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) method to generate assessment results. Then, we investigate water quality status of 16 administrative districts in Shanghai, China, with the proposed method. The collected data are derived from 26 water quality monitoring sites and covers the period during September 2018 to February 2019. The results confirm a hypothesis that the statistically significant interrelationship does exist among indicators, and point out that Huang Pu District remains the best water quality with highest values of C C i in the range of (0.79–0.85) over the 6 months. Moreover, the parameter analysis and comparative analysis are further given that verifies the robustness and reliability of the model in details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interval rough numbers play an important role in dealing with complex fuzzy relationships. In this paper, a group decision-making (GDM) model based on interval rough multiplicative reciprocal (IRMR) matrix is proposed. Firstly, the inconsistency, satisfactory consistency and complete consistency of the IRMR matrix are defined from the perspective of set theory. Secondly, an improved method for the inconsistent IRMR matrix is introduced to address the inconsistent preference matrix in GDM. We define the uniform approximation matrix of the IRMR matrix, prove its existence, and provide a new calculation method for the sorting vector of IRMR matrix. Finally, the multiplicative reciprocal matrix obtained with a weighted geometric operator assembly is still the IRMR matrix. A GDM algorithm of the IRMR matrix is presented. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated using an illustrative example, and its feasibility and effectiveness are verified through comparison with other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-Unsubstituted cyclic imides were readily synthesized in deep eutectic solvent (DES) choline chloride (ChCl)/urea from anhydrides with urea. Urea serves as both a DES component and a nitrogen source, which endows the protocol with advantages of smooth reaction, easy separation of products, simple recovery and recycling of ChCl/urea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various aryl nitriles were readily synthesized from aerobic oxidation of substituted benzyl alcohols in deep eutectic solvent composed of choline chloride (ChCl) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) in the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), followed by condensation with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. High yields of corresponding nitriles have been obtained under mild reactions conditions. This strategy belongs to a novel and environmentally benign transition-metal-free one-pot cascade process for the synthesis of nitriles. Various aryl nitriles were readily synthesized from aerobic oxidation of substituted benzyl alcohols in deep eutectic solvent (ChCl/p-TsOH) in the presence of TEMPO, followed by condensation with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. This strategy belongs to a novel and environmentally benign transition-metal-free one-pot cascade process for the synthesis of nitriles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) has been rarely studied after haploidentical donor (HID) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We performed a retrospective multicentre study on patients with SOS after allo-HSCT in China. The incidence, risk factors, and outcomes were compared between HID HSCT and matched related donor (MRD) HSCT. SOS developed in 0.4% of patients (HIDs: 0.4%, MRDs: 0.5%, p = 0.952) at a median time of 21.50 days (range, 1-55) after allo-HSCT (HIDs: 24 days, MRDs: 20 days, p = 0.316). For patients diagnosed with SOS, the 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 22.7% and 22.4% in patients receiving HID and MRD transplantation, respectively (p = 0.584). Overall survival (OS) at 2 year was 10.4% and 38.5% in the two groups (p = 0.113). The transplant-related mortality (TRM) at 100 days was 60.9% in the HID group and 38.5% in the MRD group (p = 0.178). According to the multivariate analyses, significant independent risk factors for the occurrence of SOS were delayed platelet engraftment (p = 0.007) and advanced disease status at the time of HSCT (p = 0.009). The outcomes of SOS after HID HSCT are similar to those after MRD HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the vagueness of real-world environments and limited knowledge of human beings, it is natural for decision makers to express their preferences by means of incomplete 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic preference relations (FLPRs). Besides, since different decision makers possess distinctive educational and academic background, they may select linguistic term sets with different granularities to represent their opinions. This study primarily focuses on multi-granular linguistic multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) based on incomplete 2-tuple FLPRs. First, we introduce an extended four-way procedure for estimating unknown elements from an acceptable incomplete 2-tuple FLPR as well as a completion method for obtaining unknown linguistic 2-tuples in an unacceptable incomplete 2-tuple FLPR. Based on the four ways for estimating unknown values, a formula is then established to calculate the consistency index of an incomplete 2-tuple FLPR. Second, a 2-tuple linguistic induced generalized ordered weighted averaging operator is introduced and further analyzed from different aspects. Subsequently, by systematically fusing the aforementioned contributions, a novel approach is developed to address MCGDM problems with multi-granular incomplete 2-tuple FLPRs and unknown weight information. Specifically, the importance weights of decision makers with respect to different criteria are decided by the corresponding consistency indices. Finally, an investment problem is furnished to illustrate the application of our proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its competitive inhibitor activity against aminopeptidase B, bestatin isolated from the broth of Streptomyces olivoreticuli ATCC 31159 is famous and currently used as an approved therapeutic agent for cancer and bacterial infections. It can be used alone or in combination with other antibiotics or anticancer drugs as adjuvant therapy drug for chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Due to the therapeutic importance of bestatin, mining of its biosynthetic mechanism is imperative. Genome mining, one of the bioinformatics-based approaches for the discovery of novel natural product, has been developed and applied widely. Herein, we reported the complete genome of Streptomyces olivoreticuli ATCC 31159 obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). It consists of 8,809,793 base pairs with a linear chromosome, GC content of 71.1%, 7520 protein-coding genes, 75 tRNA operons, 21 rRNA operons, 63 sRNAs. In addition, predictive analysis showed that at least 37 putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) of the secondary metabolites were obtained, 18 new BGCs with low similarity (< 25%) were included. The availability of novel and abundant gene clusters not only will provide clues for cracking the biosynthetic mechanism of bestatin, but also will provide valuable insight for mining the diverse bioactive compounds based on rational strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-dispersed Ni-CeOx nanoparticles grown on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were successfully synthesized via a simple one-step co-reduction method. The structure and properties of the catalysts were investigated by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM and ICP-OES. Among the prepared catalysts, Ni1-(CeO1.8)0.5/CNTs exhibited the highest catalytic activity, with 100% hydrogen selectivity and 80 molH2 molNi−1 h−1 of hydrogen generation rate (HGR) for hydrogen generation from hydrazine under 1.0 M NaOH solution at 343 K. This superior catalytic performance might be attributed to the smaller sizes and amorphous states of Ni species in Ni1-(CeO1.8)0.5/CNTs, as well as the close attachment of Ni-CeOx NPs on CNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decision makers, expressing their opinions through subintervals of [0, 1] is sometimes easier than using crisp numbers. This study defines some outranking relations derived by ELECTRE III for hesitant interval-valued fuzzy sets (HIVFSs). The properties of these outranking relations are discussed in detail. The concordance and discordance indexes of HIVFSs are then proposed. Ranking approach is developed based on the outranking relations of HIVFSs to handle multi-criteria decision-making problems. Finally, we provide practical examples, as well as sensitivity analysis and comparison with other techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immobilization of ruthenium species on polyethylenimine (PEI) modified magnetic nanoparticles coated with silica afford a multifunctional catalyst (Fe3O4@SiO2@PEI@Ru(OH)x) for the aerobic oxidation/Knoevenagel condensation of alcohols and active methylene compounds. A wide scope of alcohols and malononitrile could be converted to their corresponding condensation products in excellent yields under mild conditions. This catalyst has advantages of leaching-free of ruthenium species and ease of recovery by an external magnet. The activity deactivation of the catalyst was investigated and was ascribed to the transformation of surface Ru3+ to Ru4+ in the process of aerobic oxidation of alcohols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previously, compounds containing a piperidone structure have been shown to be highly cytotoxic to cancer cells. Recently, we found that the piperidone compound P2 exhibits a potent anti-neoplastic activity against human breast cancer-derived cells. Here, we aimed to evaluate two piperidone compounds, P1 and P2, for their potential anti-neoplastic activity against human leukemia/lymphoma-derived cells.Methods: Cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction were evaluated using MTS, annexin V-FITC/PI and mitochondrial membrane potential polychromatic assays to confirm the mode of action of the piperidone compounds. The effects of compound P1 and P2 treatment on gene expression were assessed using AmpliSeq analysis and, subsequently, confirmed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting.Results: We found that the two related piperidone compounds P1 and P2 selectively killed the leukemia/lymphoma cells tested at nanomolar concentrations through induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, as demonstrated by mitochondrial depolarization and caspase-3 activation. AmpliSeq-based transcriptome analyses of the effects of compounds P1 and P2 on HL-60 acute leukemia cells revealed a differential expression of hundreds of genes, 358 of which were found to be affected by both. Additional pathway analyses revealed that a significant number of the common genes were related to the unfolded protein response, implying a possible role of the two compounds in the induction of proteotoxic stress. Subsequent analyses of the transcriptome data revealed that P1 and P2 induced similar gene expression alterations as other well-known proteasome inhibitors. Finally, we found that Noxa, an important mediator of the activity of proteasome inhibitors, was significantly upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels, indicating a possible role in the cytotoxic mechanism induced by P1 and P2.Conclusions: Our data indicate that the cytotoxic activity of P1 and P2 on leukemia/lymphoma cells is mediated by proteasome inhibition, leading to activation of pro-apoptotic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-valued trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers (SVTNNs) have a strong capacity to depict uncertain, inconsistent, and incomplete information about decision-making problems. Preference relations represent a practical tool for presenting decision makers’ preference information regarding various alternatives. The purpose of this paper is to propose single-valued trapezoidal neutrosophic preference relations (SVTNPRs) as a strategy for tackling multi-criteria decision-making problems. First, this paper briefly reviews basic concepts about neutrosophic sets and SVTNNs and defines a new comparison method and new operations for SVTNNs. Next, two aggregation operators, the single-valued trapezoidal neutrosophic weighted arithmetic average operator and the single-valued trapezoidal neutrosophic weighted geometric average operator, are proposed for applications in information fusion. Then, this paper discusses the definitions of completely consistent SVTNPRs and acceptably consistent SVTNPRs. Finally, we outline a decision-making method based on SVTNPRs to address green supplier selection problems, and we conduct a comparison study and discussion to illustrate the rationality and effectiveness of the decision-making method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health and medical problem worldwide. Oxidative stress plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of TBI. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an important factor in the cellular defense against oxidative stress, is activated following TBI. In this study, the protective effects of Isoliquiritigenin (ILG), a promising antioxidant stress drug, was evaluated as a protective agent against TBI. In a mouse model of controlled cortical impact Injury, we found that the ILG administration reduced the Garcia neuroscore, injury histopathology, brain water content, cerebral vascular permeability, the expression of cleaved caspase3, aquaporin-4, glial fibrillary acidic protein and the increased the expression of neurofilament light chain protein, indicating the protective effects against TBI in vivo. ILG treatment after TBI also restored the oxidative stress and promoted the Nrf2 protein transfer from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. We then used Nrf2−/− mice to test the protective effect of Nrf2 during ILG treatment of TBI. Our findings indicated that Nrf2−/− mice had greater brain injury and oxidative stress than wild-type (WT) mice and ILG was less effective at inhibiting oxidative stress and repairing the brain injury than in the WT mice. In vitro studies in SY5Y cells under oxygen glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation stimulation yielded results that were consistent with those obtained in vivo showing that ILG promotes Nrf2 protein transfer from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Nrf2 is an important protective factor against TBI-induced injuries, which indicates that the protective effects of ILG are mediated by inhibiting oxidative stress after TBI via a mechanism that involves the promotion of Nrf2 protein transfer from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes two extended projection-based preference ranking organization methods for enrichment evaluations for multi-criteria decision making with hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs). We first utilize three linguistic scale functions to solve linguistic information transformation with differences in semantics. Correspondingly, we define projection and normalized projection measurements for HFLTSs. We then propose a projection-based difference measurement for HFLTSs while considering the risk appetite of decision-makers. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposals are demonstrated by their application to a practical example of green supply chain management problem, which is followed by sensitivity and comparative analyses. Finally, conclusions and future research directions are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1040°C-hot-deformed Ti2AlNb-based alloy solution-treated at 950°C and aged at different temperatures was quantitatively investigated. The microstructure, size of the phase, and microhardness of the deformed alloys were measured. The results indicated that the microstructure of the deformed Ti2AlNb-based alloy specimens comprise coarse O lath, fine O lath, equiaxed O/α2, and acicular O phase. More O phase was generated in the deformed alloy after heat treatment because the acicular O phase was more likely to nucleate and grow along the deformation-induced crystal defects such as dislocations and subgrain boundaries. After deformation and subsequent heat treatment, the acicular O phase of the resultant alloy became finer compared to that of the undeformed alloy, and the acicular O phase became coarser and longer with the elevated aging temperature, while the width of the O lath exhibited unobvious variations. The hot deformation facilitated the dissolution of the O lath but accelerated the precipitation of the acicular O phase. When the 950°C-solution-treated deformed Ti2AlNb-based alloy was then aged at 750°C for different periods, the phase content was nearly invariable, O and B2 phases eventually reached equilibrium, and the microstructure became stable and homogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A catalyst system consisting of copper (I) chloride, sodium 2-picolinate (PIC) and TEMPO has been found to be effective in the aerobic oxidative conversion of benzylic alcohols with aqueous ammonia to nitriles in the absence of organic solvent. Various benzyl alcohols were converted to their corresponding nitriles in high yields. The ligand PIC can be easily removed from the reaction mixture due to its water solubility, allowing for easy product purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keen competition drives hotel companies to enhance their position. One way to do this is to select a proper hotel location. However, hotel location selection is a complex problem. This study establishes a multi-criteria hotel location selection method. In this method, cognitive information is depicted by multi-hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (MHFLTSs). Moreover, the method considers the non-compensation of criteria. It introduces the elimination and choice translating reality (ELECTRE) method. Notably, the method utilizes projection to define concordance and discordance indices. A case study and comparative study are performed in this study. They exhibit the feasibility of the method. Results of the studies show that the method can solve such problems, and they reveal the method’s advantages. One theoretical contribution lies in the characterization of cognitive information. MHFLTSs can handle vacillation of decision-makers caused by their complex cognition, and they express both conformity and divergence of opinions during cognitive processes. Our method has the advantages of the ELECTRE method. In addition, the ELECTRE method is improved by introducing the projection. The proposed method is promising in hotel location selection. Moreover, it is a potential option to address cognitive computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of third-party logistics (TPL) providers can greatly influence the development of a company, and it has therefore become a hot topic for research. The process of selecting TPL providers is complicated because it includes fuzzy information that can be depicted by single-valued neutrosophic numbers (SVNNs). This paper establishes a new method for selecting TPL providers under single-valued neutrosophic environments. This method simultaneously takes into account the interrelationships among criteria and the different priority levels of criteria. To construct the method, we first introduce Frank operations of SVNNs, considering that extant operations for SVNNs lack flexibility and robustness. Then, we develop the single-valued neutrosophic Frank normalized prioritized Bonferroni mean (SVNFNPBM) operator utilizing the proposed Frank operations. The SVNFNPBM operator considers the interrelationships among criteria and their distinct priority levels by combining the Bonferroni mean and the prioritized average operators. Subsequently, we construct a method for selecting TPL providers based on the proposed operator. Finally, we describe a numerical example of selecting a TPL provider and conduct a comparative analysis to verify the applicability and feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces probability multi-valued neutrosophic sets (PMVNSs) based on multi-valued neutrosophic sets and probability distribution. PMVNS can serve as a reliable tool to depict uncertain, incomplete, inconsistent and hesitant decision-making information and reflect the distribution characteristics of all provided evaluation values. This paper focuses on developing an innovative method to address multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problems in which the weight information is completely unknown and the evaluation values taking the form of probability multi-valued neutrosophic numbers (PMVNNs). First, the definition of PMVNSs is described. Second, an extended convex combination operation of PMVNNs is defined, and the probability multi-valued neutrosophic number weighted average operator is proposed. Moreover, two cross-entropy measures for PMVNNs are presented, and a novel qualitative flexible multiple criteria method (QUALIFLEX) is developed. Subsequently, an innovative MCGDM approach is established by incorporating the proposed aggregation operator and the developed QUALIFLEX method. Finally, an illustrative example concerning logistics outsourcing is provided to demonstrate the proposed method, and its feasibility and validity are further verified by comparison with other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reductive amination of levulinic acid to N-substituted pyrrolidinones was performed in a continuous-flow microreactor (CFMR) in high yield, using formic acid as hydrogen source and acetonitrile as the reaction solvent. The developed protocol allows the avoidance of high boiling solvents such as DMSO and the additive triethylamine, more commonly associated with this synthetic transformation. As a result, the reaction products are more readily separated from the low boiling solvent.The continuous reductive amination of levulinic acid with amines to N-substituted pyrrolidones was performed in a continuous-flow microreactor in high yield, using formic acid as hydrogen source and acetonitrile as the reaction solvent under catalyst-free conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified neutrosophic uncertain linguistic set that integrates quantitative and qualitative evaluation can serve as an extension of both an uncertain linguistic variable and a simplified neutrosophic set. It can describe the real preferences of decision-makers and reflect their uncertainty, incompleteness and inconsistency. This paper focuses on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems in which the criteria occupy different priority levels and the criteria values take the form of simplified neutrosophic uncertain linguistic elements. Having reviewed the relevant literatures, this paper develops some generalized simplified neutrosophic uncertain linguistic prioritized weighted aggregation operators and applies them to solve MCDM problems. Finally, an illustrative example is given, and two cases of comparison analysis are conducted with other representative methods to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the developed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The personnel selection is a vital activity for companies, and multi-valued neutrosophic sets (MVNSs) can denote the fuzziness and hesitancy in the processes of the personnel selection. The extant fuzzy TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese of interactive and multi-criteria decision-making) methods take advantage of distance to denote the difference between two fuzzy sets (FSs). Nevertheless, the distance measurement, which ignores the included angle between two FSs, cannot comprehensively reflect the difference between two FSs. To cover this defect, a projection-based TODIM method with MVNSs for personnel selection is established to consider the risk preference of decision-makers and overcome the defect of the extant fuzzy TODIM methods. The proposed TODIM method makes use of an improved comparison method which overcomes the deficiency of extant comparison method. Furthermore, a projection-based difference measurement is defined and utilized in the projection-based TODIM method. We conduct a numerical example of the personnel selection to explain the application of the projection-based TODIM method and discuss the influence of the parameter. Finally, the proposed method is compared with several extant methods to verify its feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, comprehensive multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are investigated under bipolar neutrosophic environment. First, the operations of BNNs are redefined based on the Frank operations considering the extant operations of bipolar neutrosophic numbers (BNNs) lack flexibility and robustness. Subsequently, the Frank bipolar neutrosophic Choquet weighted Bonferroni mean operator and the Frank bipolar neutrosophic Choquet geometric Bonferroni mean operator are proposed based on the Frank operations of BNNs. The proposed operators simultaneously consider the interactions and interrelationships among the criteria by combining the Choquet integral operator and Bonferroni mean operators. Furthermore, MCDM methods are developed based on the proposed aggregation operators. A numerical example of plant location selection is conducted to explain the application of the proposed methods, and the influences of parameters are also discussed. Finally, the proposed methods are compared with several extant methods to verify their feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) protection is widely used to prolong the lifetime of turbine components. The outermost layer of TBCs is ceramic layer, whose function is heat insulation, and the main composition of the ceramic layer is ZrO. In this study, the micro-ZrO and the nano-ZrO doped with 10 wt% CeO as well as micro-ZrO and nano-ZrO were prepared by air plasma spraying (APS) to study the advantages of the addition of rare earth element. The effect of CeO on the phase transformation of ZrO was studied. The results show that there are few cracks in micro- and nano-ZrO doped with 10 wt% CeO, and rare earth oxides can affect the phase transformation significantly. The morphologies, hardness and elastic modulus of the four ceramic layers were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis plus the full multiplicative form (MULTIMOORA) is a useful method to apply in multi-criteria decision-making due to the flexibility and robustness it introduces into the decision process. This paper defines several simplified neutrosophic linguistic distance measures and employs a distance-based method to determine criterion weights. Then, an improved MULTIMOORA approach is presented by integrating the simplified neutrosophic linguistic normalized weighted Bonferroni mean and simplified neutrosophic linguistic normalized geometric weighted Bonferroni mean operators as well as a simplified neutrosophic linguistic distance measure. This approach ranks alternatives according to three ordering methods, and then, uses dominance theory to combine the three rankings into a single ranking. Finally, this paper presents a practical case example and conducts a comparative analysis between the proposed approach and existing methods in order to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the developed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Z-numbers are a new concept considering both the description of cognitive information and the reliability of information. Linguistic terms are useful tools to adequately and effectively model real-life cognitive information, as well as to characterize the randomness of events. However, a form of Z-numbers, in which their two components are in the form of linguistic terms, is rarely studied, although it is common in decision-making problems. In terms of Z-numbers and linguistic term sets, we provided the definition of linguistic Z-numbers as a form of Z-numbers or a subclass of Z-numbers. Then, we defined some operations of linguistic Z-numbers and proposed a comparison method based on the score and accuracy functions of linguistic Z-numbers. We also presented the distance measure of linguistic Z-numbers. Next, we developed an extended TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese of interactive and multi-criteria decision-making) method based on the Choquet integral for multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems with linguistic Z-numbers. Finally, we provided an example concerning the selection of medical inquiry applications to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed approach. We then verified the applicability and superiority of our approach through comparative analyses with other existing methods. Illustrative and comparative analyses indicated that the proposed approach was valid and feasible for different decision-makers and cognitive environments. Furthermore, the final ranking results of the proposed approach were closer to real decision-making processes. Linguistic Z-numbers can flexibly characterize real cognitive information as well as describe the reliability of information. This method not only is a more comprehensive reflection of the decision-makers' cognition but also is more in line with expression habits. The proposed method inherited the merits of the classical TODIM method and considers the interactivity of criteria; therefore, the proposed method was effective for dealing with real-life MCDM problems. Consideration about bounded rational and the interactivity of criteria made final outcomes convincing and consistent with real decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Haloferax mediterranei is an extremely halophilic archaeon that is able to synthesize polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) in high salt environment with low sterility demand. In this study, a mathematical model was validated and calibrated for describing the kinetic behavior of H. mediterranei at 15, 20, 25, and 35 °C in synthetic molasses wastewater. Results showed that the production of PHA by H. mediterranei, ranging from 390 to 620 mg h L, was strongly dependent on the temperature. The specific growth rate ( µ ), specific substrate utilization rate ( q ), and specific decay rate ( k ) of H. mediterranei increased with temperature following Arrhenius equation prediction. The estimated activation energy was 58.31, 25.59, and 22.38 kJ mol for the process of cell growth, substrate utilization, and cell decay of H. mediterranei, respectively. The high temperature triggered the increased PHA storage even without nitrogen limitation. Thus, working at high temperatures seems a good strategy for improving the PHA productivity of H. mediterranei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many companies, green product development has become a key strategic consideration due to regulatory requirements and market trends. In this paper, the life cycle assessment technique is used to develop an innovative multi-criteria group decision-making approach that incorporates power aggregation operators and a TOPSIS-based QUALIFLEX method in order to solve green product design selection problems using neutrosophic linguistic information. Differences in semantics as well as the risk preferences of decision-makers are considered in the proposed method. The practicality and effectiveness of the proposed approach are then demonstrated through an illustrative example, in which the proposed method is used to select the optimum green product design, followed by sensitivity and comparative analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended grey numbers (EGNs), integrated with discrete grey numbers and continuous grey numbers, have a powerful capacity to express uncertainty and thus have been widely studied and applied to solve multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems that involve uncertainty. Considering stochastic MCDM problems with interval probabilities, we propose a grey stochastic MCDM approach based on regret theory and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), in which the criteria values are expressed as EGNs. We also construct the utility value function, regret value function, and perceived utility value function of EGNs, and we rank the alternatives in accordance with classical TOPSIS method. Finally, we provide two examples to illustrate the method and make comparison analyses between the proposed approach and existing methods. The comparisons suggest that the proposed approach is feasible and usable, and it provides a new method to solve stochastic MCDM problems. It not only fully considers decision-makers' bounded rationality for decision-making, but also enriches and expands the application of regret theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imines were synthesized from the cross-coupling of alcohols with amines catalyzed by activated carbon (AC) supported ruthenium nanoparticles under atmospheric molecular oxygen without aid of any additives. The readily prepared catalyst 5%Ru/AC showed good to excellent (yield > 90%) performances in the reaction of aromatic and heterocyclic alcohols with various amines, such as aromatic, aliphatic and heterocyclic amines. This protocol is simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly, and the catalyst can be easily recovered without major ruthenium loss. Graphical Abstract: Imines were synthesized from the cross-coupling of alcohols with amines catalyzed by activated carbon (AC) supported ruthenium nanoparticles under atmospheric molecular oxygen without aid of any additives. This protocol is simple, efficient, and environment friendly, and the readily prepared catalyst 5%Ru/AC showed good to excellent performances in the reaction of aromatic and heterocyclic alcohols with various amines, such as aromatic, and aliphatic amines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Introduction: Randomness and roughness commonly exist simultaneously in one decision-making problem in the real world; however, fewer systematic studies have been carried out for such problems. Methods: In this study, we employ interval-valued rough random variables (IRRVs) and interval-valued rough numbers (IRNs) to process decision information. Additionally, we propose a more reasonable comparison method of IRNs. We combine and extend the stochastic dominance of IRRVs and the classic ELECTRE III method (a useful outranking method). Finally, we develop an extended ELECTRE III approach for rough stochastic multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. We provide examples concerning site selection and investment appraisal in order to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed approach. We verify the applicability and advantages of our approach through comparative analyses with other existing methods. Results: Illustrative and comparative analyses indicate that our proposed approach is feasible for many practical MCDM problems, and the final ranking results of the proposed approach are more accurate and consistent with those obtained in actual decision-making processes. Conclusion: The IRNs and IRRVs are useful for dealing with rough stochastic decision information. The proposed approach is feasible and effective for solving rough stochastic MCDM problems, and retains the merits of IRRVs, SD relations, and outranking methods. The final outcomes from our approach are convincing and consist with actual decision-making. Thus, our proposed approach is more widely applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors sustain neurological disability and cognitive impairments due to the lack of defined therapies to reduce TBI-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been shown to have neuroprotective function in brain injury. The present study therefore investigates the beneficial effects of bFGF on the BBB after TBI and the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that bFGF reduces neurofunctional deficits and preserves BBB integrity in a mouse model of TBI. bFGF suppresses RhoA and upregulates tight junction proteins, thereby mitigating BBB breakdown. In vitro, bFGF exerts a protective effect on BBB by upregulating tight junction proteins claudin-5, occludin, zonula occludens-1, p120-catenin, and β-catenin under oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD) in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Both the in vivo and in vitro effects are related to the activation of the downstream signaling pathway, PI3K/Akt/Rac-1. Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt or Rac-1 by specific inhibitors LY294002 or si-Rac-1, respectively, partially reduces the protective effect of bFGF on BBB integrity. Overall, our results indicate that the protective role of bFGF on BBB involves the regulation of tight junction proteins and RhoA in the TBI model and OGD-induced HBMECs injury, and that activation of the PI3K/Akt /Rac-1 signaling pathway underlies these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical translation of growth factor therapies faces multiple challenges; the most significant one is the short half-life of the naked protein. Gelatin nanostructured lipid carriers (GNLs) had previously been used to encapsulate the basic fibroblast growth factor to enhance the functional recovery in hemiparkinsonian rats. In this research, we comparatively study the enhanced therapy between nerve growth factor (NGF) loaded GNLs (NGF-GNLs) and NGF only in spinal cord injury (SCI). The effects of NGF-GNLs and NGF only were tested by the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) locomotion scale, inclined plane test, and footprint analysis. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining were further performed to identify the expression of ER stress-related proteins, neuron-specific marker neuronal nuclei (NeuN), and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43). Correlated downstream signals Akt/GSK-3β and ERK1/2 were also analyzed with or without inhibitors. Results showed that NGF-GNLs, compared to NGF only, enhanced the neuroprotection effect in SCI rats. The ER stress-induced apoptosis response proteins CHOP, GRP78 and caspase-12 inhibited by NGF-GNL treatment were more obvious. Meanwhile, NGF-GNLs in the recovery of SCI are related to the inhibition of ER stress-induced cell death via the activation of downstream signals PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β and ERK1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]