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To observe the characteristics of suction loss in small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and analyze the factors affecting the stability of the suction ring, classify and grade suction loss, and determine the principles for its prevention and control.This study enrolled patients who underwent SMILE between June 2014 and June 2017. The relationship between the stability of the suction ring and suction loss was ascertained using surgical records and video recordings. The suction loss was classified and graded according to its characteristics and relationship with eye or head movement. The effect of target intervention on suction loss was observed.Suction loss can be divided into sudden and progressive types. According to the severity, the latter was divided into three grades (grade 1A or 1B, 2 and 3). Of the 1200 eyes (608 patients), two (0.17%) had sudden suction loss, and 132 (11%) had progressive suction loss. The superior part, inferior part, and other parts accounted for 63.4%, 19.3%, and 17.3% of progressive suction loss, respectively. The proportion of grades 1A, 1B, 2, and 3 suction loss was 53%, 34%, 12%, and 1%, respectively. The location of the threatened suction loss was opposite to the direction of the patient's head movement. After the intraoperative intervention, grades 1 and 2 did not develop into "actual" suction loss.Progressive suction loss was the most frequently observed suction loss during SMILE procedure. Grading suction loss can elucidate its underlying mechanism, which can guide targeted intervention measures to effectively control and reduce suction loss-induced damage, and further improve the safety and efficacy of SMILE.

Background BCMA CAR-T is highly effective for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma(R/R-MM) and significantly improves the survival of patients. However, the short remission time and high relapse rate of MM patients treated with BCMA CAR-T remain bottlenecks that limit long-term survival. The immune microenvironment of the bone marrow (BM) in R/R-MM may be responsible for this. The present study aims to present an in-depth analysis of resistant mechanisms and to explore potential novel therapeutic targets for relapse of BCMA CAR-T treatment via single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of BM plasma cells and immune cells. Methods This study used 10X Genomic scRNA-seq to identify cell populations in R/R-MM CD45+ BM cells before BCMA CAR-T treatment and relapse after BCMA CAR-T treatment. Cell Ranger pipeline and CellChat were used to perform detailed analysis. Results We compared the heterogeneity of CD45+ BM cells before BCMA CAR-T treatment and relapse after BCMA CAR-T treatment. We found that the proportion of monocytes/macrophages increased, while the percentage of T cells decreased at relapse after BCMA CAR-T treatment. We then reclustered and analyzed the alterations in plasma cells, T cells, NK cells, DCs, neutrophils, and monocytes/macrophages in the BM microenvironment before BCMA CAR-T treatment and relapse after BCMA CAR-T treatment. We show here that the percentage of BCMA positive plasma cells increased at relapse after BCMA CAR-T cell therapy. Other targets such as CD38, CD24, SLAMF7, CD138, and GPRC5D were also found to be expressed in plasma cells of the R/R-MM patient at relapse after BCMA CAR-T cell therapy. Furthermore, exhausted T cells, TIGIT+NK cells, interferon-responsive DCs, and interferon-responsive neutrophils, increased in the R/R-MM patient at relapse after BCMA CAR-T cell treatment. Significantly, the proportion of IL1βhi Mφ, S100A9hi Mφ, interferon-responsive Mφ, CD16hi Mφ, MARCO hi Mφ, and S100A11hi Mφ significantly increased in the R/R-MM patient at relapse after BCMA CAR-T cell therapy. Cell–cell communication analysis indicated that monocytes/macrophages, especially the MIF and APRIL signaling pathway are key players in R/R-MM patient at relapse after BCMA CAR-T cell therapy. Conclusion Taken together, our data extend the understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic relapse of BCMA CAR-T treatment in R/R-MM patient and the potential mechanisms involved in the alterations of antigens and the induced immunosuppressive microenvironment, which may provide a basis for the optimization of BCMA CAR-T strategies. Further studies should be performed to confirm these findings.

National environmental protection supervision and control has become essential means to regulate the environmental behavior of enterprises. Furthermore, the optimization, promotion, and sustainability of relevant policies are key topics of inquiry. Taking the implementation of national environmental protection supervision policies as the time series, this paper studies the impact of national environmental protection supervision and control on corporate production efficiency. It uses the multi-phase difference-in-difference (DID) method and explores the sustainability of said policies. Results indicate that, first, national environmental protection supervision and control can considerably enhance corporate production efficiency, and green technology innovation plays a vital role as an intervening variable. Second, national environmental protection supervision and control can only boost the increase in corporate production efficiency in the short term, and the impact will no longer be noticeable in the third year. This paper provides a decision-making basis for constantly boosting and revising national environmental protection supervision and control policies and stimulating green technology innovation.

Background Noninvasive assessment of high-risk varices (HRV) in idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) is rare. The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of spleen stiffness (SS) for evaluating the presence of HRV in IPH patients as compared the measurements in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods A retrospective single-center study was performed to evaluate the performance of SS for assessing HRV in IPH and HBV-infected patients, in comparison with liver stiffness (LS), spleen stiffness-to-liver stiffness ratio (SS/LS), LS spleen-diameter-to-platelet-ratio score (LSPS), portal hypertension risk score (PH risk score) and varices risk score, by using upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) as the gold standard. Finally, 86 IPH and 102 HBV-infected patients were enrolled. UGE, two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) and laboratory data were collected, and noninvasive parameters were calculated. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was conducted to acquire the optimal area under the ROC curve (AUC) and cutoff value for predicting the presence of HRV. Results In patients with HRV, the significantly different parameters between IPH (34.9%) and HBV-infected patients (46.1%) were as follows: spleen size (diameter 18.5 ± 3.9 cm vs. 20.8 ± 2.7 cm), SS (50.2 kPa vs. 42.9 kPa), LS (11.1 kPa vs. 18.3 kPa) and PT (prothrombin time 15.1 s vs. 16.7 s). No statistically significant differences were found in liver function, platelet counts, spleen thickness and flow volumes in the portal venous system (p > 0.05). The AUCs of SS were 0.98 and 0.96 for predicting the presence of HRV in IPH (44.0 kPa cutoff value; 0.93 sensitivity; 0.96 specificity) and HBV-infected patients (35.2 kPa cutoff value; 1.00 sensitivity; 0.82 specificity), respectively, which were significantly better than other parameters. Conclusion SS shows the optimal overall performance for predicting the presence of HRV in IPH and HBV-infected patients, in comparison with other noninvasive parameters.

In this paper, a co-doped cubic phase submicron particles Ba2LaF7:Yb3+/Ln3+ (Ln = Er3+,Ho3+) up-conversion material were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. By adjusting PH, time, temperature, and the amount of sodium citrate during the preparation process, it was possible to analyze and obtain the phase structure, morphology, and up-conversion luminescence characteristics of the particles. Furthermore, the influence of doping concentration on the up-conversion luminescence characteristics was studied using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence spectroscopy, and other characterization methods. The test results show that, under the conditions of pH = 9 and NaBF4 as the fluorine source, Ba2LaF7:Yb3+/Ln3+ (Ln = Er3+,Ho3+) spherical particles have an average size of 240 nm. Under the excitation of a 980 nm laser-diode (LD) laser, it was found that the material spectrum is mainly composed of strong green and weak red light. When Yb3+ and Er3+ doping concentrations are 18% and 2.5%, Yb3+ and Ho3+ doping concentrations are 18% and 3.5%, respectively, the up-conversion transmittance is the highest. Finally, the possible causes of the fluorescence decay curve of Ba2LaF7:Yb3+/Ln3+ (Ln = Er3+,Ho3+) up-conversion materials were investigated.

Secretory carcinoma (SC) of salivary gland, previously known as mammary analogue secretory carcinoma, is a rare low-grade malignancy harboring a diagnostic ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion. SC of salivary gland shares histopathological, immunohistochemical and genetic characteristics with SC of the breast. There are several previous cytomorphological characterizations of SC of salivary gland reported in the literature. The most commonly reported patterns are of epithelial clusters with papillary architectural features, or of single dispersed epithelial cells on a background of abundant histiocytes. Tumor cells exhibit vacuolated eosinophilic cytoplasm and round to oval nuclei with regular nuclear contours and inconspicuous or small nucleoli. The cytomorphology of SC may closely mimic that of acinic cell carcinoma or low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Moreover, when cohesive epithelial clusters do not appear on the smears, it may be very difficult to distinguish dispersed tumor cells from histiocytes. In this article, we review the literature pertaining to SC cytomorphology and we report a fine needle aspiration biopsy case of SC in salivary gland showing well-defined intracytoplasmic hyaline globules, a feature that has not been previously reported. This novel cytomorphological feature may be helpful in distinguishing the tumor cells of SC from histiocytes and from other low-grade salivary gland tumors.

In this paper, the preparation of a series of Li2TiGe1−xCrxO5 phosphors by high-temperature solid-state reaction is reported. The results of X-ray diffraction show that the doping of Cr4+ ions makes the lattice expand to a larger size. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows that the chromium ions in the sample are tetravalent, confirmed further by fluorescence spectroscopy. Under the excitation of 980 nm laser, the Cr4+ ions 3T2 → 3A2 radiates transition and emits light at 1300 nm. At the same time, the luminescence lifetime decreases with the increase in Cr4+ ions doping concentration. Li2TiGe1−xCrxO5 phosphors have a broad application prospect in near-infrared LEDs.

Multifunctional Fe3O4/Eu(DBM)3phen/PVP ((DBM: dibenzoylmethane, phen: 1,10-phenanthroline, PVP: polyvinyl pyrrolidone) microfibers were constructed by simple electrospinning process. The structure and morphology of the microfibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The diameters of pure PVP microfibers and the microfibers doped only with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were uniformly distributed, with an average size of about 360 nm. When 3% Eu(DBM)3phen complex and Fe3O4 NPs were both added to the precursor for electrospinning, the microfibers became very inhomogeneous in diameter. The photoluminescent properties of pure Eu(DBM)3phen complex and composite microfibers were also studied. The characteristic emission peaks of Eu3+ appeared in the composite microfibers. The intensities of emission and excitation spectra gradually decrease with adding more Fe3O4 NPs. The unit mass of the pure europium complex in some composite microfibers gave stronger luminescence than the pure europium complex. The fluorescence lifetime of 5D0 state in the composite microfibers is longer than that of pure europium complex. Additionally, the magnetic properties of Fe3O4 NPs and the composite microfibers were investigated. Fe3O4 NPs and composite microfibers were both superparamagnetic. The saturation magnetization of the composite microfibers was smaller than that of pure Fe3O4 NPs.

This paper investigates the art design of user interaction experience in mobile systems through the methods of contextual perception and machine learning. The theoretical foundations for the design of intangible cultural heritage interactive display resources include digital display theory, intangible cultural heritage education theory, embodied cognition theory, and gamification design theory. Based on the modelling and analysis of the theoretical foundations, the design principles are derived, including the heritage education principle, the somatic interaction design principle, and the content design principle. In this paper, we use ontologies to construct user knowledge models, fuse multi-situational similarity metrics, screen out candidate neighbour sets through preliminary screening, then combine the user's activity to construct time-based weight tensor scores, use tensor decomposition to obtain recommendation evaluation values, and finally use the recommendation evaluation values to make artistic recommendations. The experimental results show that the algorithm can still obtain a good recommendation implementation in the case of extremely sparse data. The analysis of the fit between augmented reality and folk art appreciation class, as well as the reference to relevant application cases, make design and practice of augmented reality application in folk art appreciation class, try to solve the common problems in folk art appreciation class, analyse the feedback effect and make a summary and outlook.

Ligninolytic enzymes are potential candidates in whitening cosmetics because of their high melanin decolorization potential. Lignin peroxidase (LiP) owns a special place in dermatology and cosmetology industries among ligninolytic enzymes due to its comparatively high redox potential than other enzymes. The unpurified LiPs after fungal fermentation are commonly studied in cosmetics formulations due to difficulties in enzyme purification. The deconstruction potential of LiP could be attributed to the versatility of substrates, including both non-phenolic and phenolic compounds and xenobiotics. The exploration of ligninolytic enzymes for potential biotechnological applications has commonly been reported over the years. This review aimed to summarize the futuristic applications and current functionalities of ligninolytic enzymes in modern cosmetics formulations as a skin-lightening agent through melanin decolorization applications. Studies suggest high throughput applications of LiP in the cosmetic sector, where it has the potential to replace hydroquinone and other skin-lightening agents whose safety has resulted in controversies. Moreover, pigmentation disorders such as hyperpigmentation could be treated in a sustainable manner using such enzyme-based approaches.

In this study, the degradation performance of nutrients in zeolite trickling filter (ZTF) with different influent C/N ratios and aeration conditions was investigated. Microaeration was beneficial for enhancing NH4+-N removal performance. Due to the sufficient carbon source supply under a C/N ratio of 8, a high removal efficiency of NH4+-N and TN was simultaneously observed in ZTF. In addition, TN removal mainly occurred at the bottom, which might be explained by the sufficient nutrients available for bacteria to multiply in this zone. The abundant genera were Acinetobacter, Gemmobacter, Flavobacterium, and Pseudomonas, all of which are heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HNAD) bacteria. In addition, biofilm only slowed down the adsorption rate but did not significantly reduce the adsorption capacity of zeolite. Bio-zeolite had NH4+-N well adsorption capacity and bio-desorption capacity. Biological nitrogen removal performance was superior to physicochemical absorption of zeolite. The results suggested that the physicochemical of zeolite and biochemical reactions of microorganism coupling actions may be the main nitrogen transformation pathway in ZTF. Our research provides a reference for further understanding the nitrogen removal mechanism of zeolite bioreactors.

Isomaltulose, as a safe sucrose substitute, is widely used as a functional sweetener due to its promising properties, such as slower digestion, prolonged energy release, and less cariogenicity. The transformation of sucrose to isomaltulose by free sucrose isomerase (SIase) or microbial cells harboring the SIase gene has received considerable attention in the industry. Heterologous expression of SIase in food-safe grade strains has become a hot topic due to its broad applicability in the food industry. Thanks to rapid developments in genetic engineering technology, SIases from different sources have been heterogeneously expressed in Escherichia coli, which significantly increased the enzyme’s titer. This review presents a systematic and detailed summary of the contemporary biotechnological approaches employed for isomaltulose production, including the source, structural determination, catalysis mechanism, heterologous expression, catalytic reaction condition optimization of SIase, and immobilization of cells. In addition, protein engineering, heterologous expression in food-grade safety strains, fermentation optimization strategies, and immobilization techniques of SIase are introduced in detail. Towards the end, the review is wrapped up with the concluding remarks, and future strategies are outlined for improving the biological production of isomaltulose. Summary of biological isomaltulose production from sucrose catalyzed by sucrose isomerase.

In this study, we isolated two bacterial strains, P2 (Pseudomonas geniculata ATCC 19374, P. geniculata ATCC 19374) and B1 (Bacillus cereus EC3, B. cereus EC3) from pig farm soil, which were mixed to construct a novel bacterial mixture (P2:B1 = 1:1). We studied the heterotrophic nitrification capablity and growth characteristics of bacterial mixture in heterotrophic nitrification medium (HNM). And the factors affecting the nitrogen removal of the bacterial mixture such as C/N ratio, NH4+-N load and inoculation size of the bacterial mixture were investigated in this study. Furthermore, we used the bacterial mixture to treat livestock wastewater to remove NH4+-N, TN and COD. The results showed that the optimal C/N ratio and inoculation size for the bacterial mixture were 12 and 5%, respectively. It is worth to mention that the bacterial mixture shows excellent NH4+-N removal ability under low C/N ratio, indicating that the bacterial mixture had the potential to be applied to wastewater with C/N lower than 8. When the initial NH4+-N concentration was 500 mg/L, the NH4+-N removal efficiency exceeded 90% with a 5% inoculation size of the bacterial mixture after 72 h. When the single bacteria and bacterial mixture were employed to treat livestock wastewater, the removal efficiencies of bacterial mixture on NH4+-N, TN and COD within 72 h were 70.06%, 58.12% and 81.48%, respectively, which were higher than that of single bacteria. The bacterial mixture has potential application value in enhancing the ability of reactors and constructed wetlands to remove pollutants from livestock wastewater and developing a novel and efficient biological nitrogen removal technology. Our current research provides a research basis for the application of the bacterial mixture in the future.

A 30-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of κ-selenocarrageenan on the growth performance, selenium accumulation, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus, with different sizes (70 g ± 10 g and 100 g ± 10 g). Sea cucumbers of each size were randomly assigned into two groups; a diet without supplemented κ-selenocarrageenan was referred to as a control diet, or supplemented with κ-selenocarrageenan at selenium (Se) levels of 2.0 μg/g. Selenium accumulation in the body wall and intestine was determined on days 0, 10, 20, and 30. The survival rate (SR) was significantly higher in the κ-selenocarrageenan-treated group (Se group) than in the control group. After 30 days of feeding, κ-selenocarrageenan supplementation increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in A. japonicus. Furthermore, the intestinal microbiota diversity of sea cucumbers was increased by dietary supplementation with κ-selenocarrageenan and the relative abundances of some probiotics (such as Sulfitobacter and Rhodobacteraceae) were also increased. It is suggested that κ-selenocarrageenan could increase the antioxidant capacity and modulate the intestinal microbiota of sea cucumbers A. japonicus. Further researches will be conducted for its optimal administration concentrations in vivo.

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a mesenchymal tumor commonly found in the kidneys. Extra-renal AML is uncommon and especially rare in the nasal cavity. To our knowledge, fewer than five cases of nasal AML are reported in the United States. We present a case of nasal AML in a 65-year-old man with a history of rhinosinusitis and obstruction of the left nasal cavity. The lesion comprised of admixed spindled smooth muscle cells, mature adipose tissue, and thick-walled blood vessels. Smooth muscle differentiation of the spindled cells was confirmed by expression of smooth muscle actin. Surprisingly, melanocytic markers, such as HMB45, were negative. The histologic features and immunoprofile suggest that nasal AML is pathologically distinct from neoplastic AMLs/perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) that typically occur in the kidney. We propose that nasal AML is a hamartomatous lesion rather than neoplastic. Although AML is rare in the nasal cavity, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of clinically benign nasal masses.

Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten disulfide (WS2) has emerged as a promising ultrathin semiconductor for building high-performance nanoelectronic devices. The controllable synthesis of WS2 monolayers (1L) with both large size and high quality remains as a challenge. Here, we developed a new approach for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of WS2 monolayers by using K2WS4 as the growth precursor. The simple chemistry involved in our approach allowed for improved controllability and a fast growth rate of ~ 30 μm·min−1. We achieved the reliable growth of 1L WS2 flakes with side lengths of up to ~ 500 μm and the obtained WS2 flakes were 2D single crystals with low density of defects over a large area as evidenced by various spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations. In addition, the large 1L WS2 single crystals we obtained showed higher electrical performance than their counterparts grown with previous approaches, demonstrating the potential of our approach in producing high quality and large 2D semiconductors for future nanoelectronics.

Leprosy is a disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that results in disability. In 2000 the World Health Organization announced that leprosy had been eradicated. In nonendemic areas diagnosing leprosy is becoming a challenge for inexperienced clinicians. This case involves a male patient suffering from chronic numbness, hand deformity and recurrent erythema. Skin biopsy revealed granuloma and acid-fast staining of short-rod bacteria. Peripheral venous blood was subjected to metagenomic next generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, which revealed 3 unique sequence reads of M. leprae. Paraffin-embedded tissue and fresh samples scraped from skin lesions were subjected to in-house PCR targeting 16S rRNA, hsp65, rpoB, rpoT, ribF-rpsO, and mmaA. Sanger sequencing of amplicons from fresh samples and paraffin-embedded tissue verified the presence of M. leprae. For inexperienced clinicians in nonendemic areas nucleic acid amplification tests, such as in-house PCR, are helpful for diagnosing leprosy but sequence reads from metagenomic next generation sequencing may also provide evidence when interpreted cautiously.

Background Two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE) is an ultrasound elastography technique that uses shear waves to quantitatively measure tissue stiffness and it has recently been developed as a safe, real-time, and noninvasive imaging technique. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of 2D-SWE in the diagnosis and treatment of acute compartment syndrome (ACS). Methods 2D-SWE was used to measure the elasticity values of the main muscles in the superficial compartments of the calf in 212 healthy volunteers, and the difference in the muscle elasticity values between different gender and age groups were analyzed. Nine patients with clinical suspicion of ACS were included in this study and 2D-SWE was used to measure the elasticity values of the muscles on the affected and unaffected sides, and a comparative analysis was performed. Results The mean elasticity values of the tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), and gastrocnemius medialis (GA) muscles in the relaxed state of the 212 healthy volunteers were 25.4 ± 3.2 kPa, 15.7 ± 1.5 kPa, and 12.1 ± 2.1 kPa, respectively. No statistically significant differences was observed in the elasticity values of the same muscle under the state of relaxation in different gender and age groups (p > 0.05). A statistically significant difference in the elasticity values of the muscle between the affected and unaffected sides in the fasciotomy group (p p > 0.05, n = 4) was observed. There was a statistically significant difference in the elasticity values of the muscle on the affected side in the two treatment groups (p Conclusions When the ACS occurs, the muscle elasticity of the affected limb increases significantly. 2D-SWE is expected to be a new noninvasive technique for the assessment of ACS and may provide a potential basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Background Relative haplotype dosage (RHDO) approach has been applied in noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the RHDO procedure is relatively complicated and the parental haplotypes need to be constructed. Furthermore, it is not suitable for the diagnosis of de novo mutations or mosaicism in germ cells. Here, we investigated NIPD of DMD using a relative mutation dosage (RMD)-based approach—cell-free DNA Barcode-Enabled Single-Molecule Test (cfBEST), which has not previously been applied in the diagnosis of exon deletion. Methods Five DMD families caused by DMD gene point mutations or exon deletion were recruited for this study. After the breakpoints of exon deletion were precisely mapped with multiple PCR, the genotypes of the fetuses from the five DMD families were inferred using cfBEST, and were further validated by invasive prenatal diagnosis. Results The cfBEST results of the five families indicated that one fetus was female and did not carry the familial molecular alteration, three fetuses were carriers and one was male without the familial mutation. The invasive prenatal diagnosis results were consistent with those of the cfBEST procedure. Conclusion This is the first report of NIPD of DMD using the RMD-based approach. We extended the application of cfBEST from point mutation to exon deletion mutation. The results showed that cfBEST would be suitable for NIPD of DMD caused by different kinds of mutation types.

Exploring high-efficiency earth-abundant electrocatalysts facilitates advances in sustainable energy conversion and storage. Herein, partially amorphous NiFe hydroxide nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile solvothermal method for application as a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst to produce oxygen by water decomposition. The partially amorphous phase and tunable component ratio of the NiFe-based hydroxide nanoparticles contributed to their excellent electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. Overpotentials of 265 and 296 mV were required to deliver current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm−2, respectively, and the Tafel slope was as low as 58.6 mV dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH. Besides, the OER performance of the nanoparticles was stable for more than 35 h. Ex situ Raman spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses revealed that the defect sites were the electrochemically formed in the metal hydroxide. The proposed approach provides a reliable method for enhancing the performance of other NiFe-based catalysts for water oxidation.

In the current research, the thermo-electrical vibration investigation of FG piezoelectric structures in a circular nanoplate is examined. Size-dependent nonlocal higher-order plate theory is dedicated to ponder the nonlocality. The mechanical properties of the system vary through the thickness based on the power law distribution. The nonlocal governing equations of motion and related boundary conditions are obtained according to Hamilton’s principle, whereby the differential quadrature (DQ) technique is employed as mathematical implement to acquire the responses of the eigenvalue problem in a discrete state. Several compositions of boundary situations including C–C and S–S are considered. The impacts of the diverse variables including nonlocality, FG index, temperature variations and external voltage are investigated on the vibration characteristics of the FG circular nanoplates.

The structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of a new $$\hbox {Fe}_{2}\hbox {MgB}$$ full-Heusler alloy were calculated using a first-principles approach based on density functional theory. The conventional $$\hbox {Cu}_{2}\hbox {MnAl}$$ -type and inverse $$\hbox {Hg}_{2}\hbox {CuTi}$$ -type structures in nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic states were considered for the full-Heusler alloy. The ferromagnetic $$\hbox {Hg}_{2}\hbox {CuTi}$$ -type structure was found to be the most energetically favourable. $$\hbox {Fe}_{2}\hbox {MgB}$$ with ferromagnetic structure has a molecular magnetic moment of 3.000 $$\mu _{B}$$ at the equilibrium lattice constant of 5.562 A. The molecular magnetic moment originates from the alloy’s two Fe atoms and obeys the Slater–Pauling rule. The majority-spin channels are metallic, whereas the minority-spin electrons exhibited a semiconducting behaviour with an indirect narrow gap of 0.179 eV in the equilibrium state. The ferromagnetic $$\hbox {Hg}_{2}\hbox {CuTi}$$ -type $$\hbox {Fe}_{2}\hbox {MgB}$$ is proven to be a potential half-metallic material suitable for use in spintronics.

We present the first-principles calculations of the structural, elastic, electronic, and magnetic properties for a new full-Heusler alloy Mn2MgGe. Both L21 and XA structures are considered for both nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic states. The results show that the XA structure in the ferromagnetic state is the energetically most favorable for the full-Heusler alloy, and exhibits ductile behavior, significant anisotropy, and robust half-metallicity. The total spin moment is 2.000 μB per formula unit in equilibrium state, which follows the Slater-Pauling rule. The spin-up electrons are metallic, whereas the spin-down bands are semiconductor with a gap of 1.086 eV at the equilibrium lattice constant of 6.066 A. Half-metallicity is maintained within the lattice constant range from 5.6 to 6.1 A. Our results indicate that Mn2MgGe is an interesting candidate in the area of spintronics.

Engineering semiconductor-based homo- (hetero-) junctions in hierarchical nanostructures is a promising way to achieve the high performance and recyclable photocatalysts toward pollutants degradation in water. Herein, we develop a kind of hierarchical p–n heterojunctions photocatalysts through controllable decoration of ultrathin p-BiOBr nanosheets onto n-TiO2 electrospun nanofibers by using a traditional solvothermal method. Structural characterization results indicate that the BiOBr nanosheets are assembled uniformly onto the TiO2 nanofibers. This well-designed hierarchical p–n heterojunctions in the p-BiOBr/n-TiO2 nanofibers photocatalyst lead to not only the improved generation/separation of photoinduced charges-carriers, but also the increased amount of redox sites. Benefiting to these advantages, the optimal p-BiOBr/n-TiO2 nanofibers exhibited the apparent rate constant of 0.1 and 0.15 min−1 for photocatalytic RhB and MO degradation under UV-light irradiation, which is twice and three times higher than that of mechanically mixtured BiOBr nanosheets and TiO2 nanofibers, respectively. Control experiments demonstrate that both the photoinduced electrons and the oxygen free radicals play the major roles on the enhancement of photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the p-BiOBr/n-TiO2 nanofibers photocatalysts with the unique nonwoven structure can be easily recycled without secondary pollution, in particular, still maintaining almost the initial photocatalytic activity during the wastewater treatment.

Background Pasteurella multocida is responsible for a highly infectious and contagious disease in birds, leading to heavy economic losses in the chicken industry. However, the pathogenesis of this disease is poorly understood. We recently identified an aspartate ammonia-lyase (aspA) in P. multocida that was significantly upregulated under iron-restricted conditions, the protein of which could effectively protect chicken flocks against P. multocida. However, the functions of this gene remain unclear. In the present study, we constructed aspA mutant strain △aspA::kan and complementary strain C△aspA::kan to investigate the function of aspA in detail. Result Deletion of the aspA gene in P. multocida resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial growth in LB (Luria-Bertani) and MH (Mueller-Hinton) media, which was rescued by supplementation with 20 mM fumarate. The mutant strain △aspA::kan showed significantly growth defects in anaerobic conditions and acid medium, compared with the wild-type strain. Moreover, growth of △aspA::kan was more seriously impaired than that of the wild-type strain under iron-restricted conditions, and this growth recovered after supplementation with iron ions. AspA transcription was negatively regulated by iron conditions, as demonstrated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Although competitive index assay showed the wild-type strain outcompetes the aspA mutant strain and △aspA::kan was significantly more efficient at producing biofilms than the wild-type strain, there was no significant difference in virulence between the mutant and the wild-type strains. Conclusion These results demonstrate that aspA is required for bacterial growth in complex medium, and under anaerobic, acid, and iron-limited conditions.

In this work, a unique Cu2O hexapod microcrystal with {100} facets etched concave structure has been successfully synthesized by a facile oxide etching method. Air and chloride ion were employed as etchant and shape controller agent, respectively. For the facet-selective adsorption of chloride ions on {110} and {111} planes, the oxide molecules may prefer to act on {100} facets and induced the concave structure formation, along the [100] zone axis. The {100} facets selectively etched Cu2O concave hexapod microcrystal exhibited highly improved photocatalytic activities (2.2 times) than that of basic structure, and displayed facet-dependent characteristics, which made them promising candidates for photocatalysts and sensing materials.

Two-dimensional (2D) MoS2, which has great potential for optoelectronic and other applications, is thermodynamically stable and hence easily synthesized in its semiconducting 2H phase. In contrast, growth of its metastable 1T and 1T' phases is hampered by their higher formation energy. Here we use theoretical calculations to design a potassium (K)-assisted chemical vapour deposition method for the phase-selective growth of 1T' MoS2 monolayers and 1T'/2H heterophase bilayers. This is realized by tuning the concentration of K in the growth products to invert the stability of the 1T' and 2H phases. The synthesis of 1T' MoS2 monolayers with high phase purity allows us to characterize their intrinsic optical and electrical properties, revealing a characteristic in-plane anisotropy. This phase-controlled bottom-up synthesis offers a simple and efficient way of manipulating the relevant device structures, and provides a general approach for producing other metastable-phase 2D materials with unique properties.

Household CO2 emissions were increasing due to rapid economic growth and different household lifestyle. We assessed per capita household CO2 emissions (PHCEs) based on different household consuming demands (including clothing, food, residence, transportation and service) by using provincial capital city level survey data in China. The results showed that: (1) there was a declining trend moving from eastward to westward as well as moving from northward to southward in the distribution of PHCEs. (2) PHCEs from residence demand were the largest which accounted for 44% of the total. (3) Correlation analysis and spatial analysis (Spatial Lag Model (SLM) and Spatial Error Model (SEM)) were used to evaluate the complex determinants of PHCEs. Per capita income (PI) and household size (HS) were analyzed as the key influencing factors. We concluded that PHCEs would increase by 0.2951% and decrease by 0.5114% for every 1% increase in PI and HS, respectively. According to the results, policy-makers should consider household consuming demand, income disparity and household size on the variations of PHCEs. The urgency was to improve technology and change household consuming lifestyle to reduce PHCEs.

Abiotic stress can influence the interactions between a pathogen and its host. In this paper, we analyzed the effects of salicylic acid (SA) and pH on the morphological development and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae, the pathogen that causes rice (Oryza sativa) blast. A strain of rice blast that overexpresses biotrophy-associated secreted protein 1 (BAS1) and a wild-type (WT) strain were pretreated with different levels of pH and different concentrations of SA to analyze M. oryzae colony growth, sporulation, spore germination, dry weight of hypha, and appressorium formation. Disease incidence and the expression of defense-related genes in infected rice were analyzed after pretreatment with pH 5.00 or pH 8.00 and 200 μM SA. The results showed that both SA and pH had some influence on morphological development, including sporulation and appressorium formation of the BAS1-overexpression strain. In the 200 μM SA pretreatment, there was a lower incidence of disease and higher expression levels of the rice defense-related genes PR1a, PAL, HSP90, and PR5 on leaves inoculated with the BAS1-overexpession strain compared with the WT strain, whereas, LOX2 appeared to be downregulated in the BAS1-overexpession strain compared with the WT. In both pH treatments, disease incidence and expression of HSP90 were higher and the expression of PR1a and PR10a and LOX2 and PAL was lower in leaves inoculated with the BAS1-overexpression strain compared with leaves inoculated with the WT strain. We conclude that SA and pH affect morphological development of the BAS1-overexpression blast strain, but that these factors have little influence on the pathogenicity of the strain, indicating that BAS1-overexpression may have enhanced the tolerance of this rice blast strain to abiotic stressors. This work suggests new molecular mechanisms that exogenous SA and pH affect the interactions between M. oryzae and rice.

A high-performance Ni/Mo co-doped lithium manganate composite material, LiNi0.03Mo0.01Mn1.96O4, is prepared by a solid-state method, then a biomass-derived carbon layer with ethyl cellulose as the carbon source is applied to the surface of the composite particles. We find that carbon layer with the proper loading can significantly enhance the material’s cyclic stability and capacity at high discharge rates. At rates of 5C and 10C, our optimal sample (LNMMO-3wt%C), with 3 wt% carbon layer loading, has discharge capacities up to 114 and 98 mAh g−1, respectively, which are 10 and 8% higher than those of the uncoated co-doped material. Further, the carbon layer coating significantly improves the material’s stability at high discharge rates: the capacity retention of LNMMO-3wt%C after 400 cycles at discharge rates of 5C and 10C is high reaching 93.6 and 88.1%, respectively, compared with 91.4 and 74.3% for uncoated LNMMO. Based on our experimental results and analysis, we attribute the enhanced stability and capacity at high discharge rates to two factors: (i) enhanced conductivity and (ii) reduced Mn3+ dissolution, combined with significantly decreased resistance from Li+ ion intercalation/de-intercalation, due to the uniformity of the carbon layer coating.

Biochar has good adsorption ability to various contaminants. In this work, peanut shell, corncob, cotton stalks, and crayfish shell were pyrolyzed under three temperatures (300, 450, 600 °C) to obtain biochars for the removal of Ni2+. The biochars were further modified with 2 mol/L Na2S solution. Characterization results showed that the specific surface area and total pore volume of the modified biochars increased substantially. Among all the adsorbents, the modified corncob biochar (450 °C) showed the best Ni2+ adsorption. The adsorption kinetics followed the Elovich model with an equilibrium time of 24 h. The maximum capacity of the modified biochar reached 15.40 mg/g. The adsorption process was affected by pH, temperature, and coexisting ions. Increasing pH (under 7) provided more adsorption sites which enhanced adsorption capacity. Experimental results also indicated that the main adsorption mechanism of Ni2+ was ion exchange. Findings from this work suggest that modified biochar can be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Ni2+ from wastewater.

A new discovery was made in which commercially available triethanolamine could reduce the lattice volume of the supermolecular structure of cotton from the periphery of the lattice by moving cellulose chains on the surface of the crystallites to the amorphous regions, thereby decreasing the close-packed crystallization volume and leading to an increased free volume of the amorphous regions. Subsequently, several supermolecular structures for cotton fibers were successfully controlled to improve the colorfastness in cotton fibers at the molecular level. With the decrease in the degree of crystallinity, more unfixed dyes could be removed by washing reagents, whereas the remaining dyes were mostly fixed to the cotton by covalent bonds, causing a stronger colorfastness, with the best wet rubbing fastness reaching a relatively permanent grade 4. Moreover, the effect mechanism revealed that the unfixed dyes were detached from the cotton fibers according to the reverse process of the adsorption models and that there were additional methods for the unfixed dyes in the fibers to be removed in the presence of triethanolamine than when using pure water. In addition, the binding forces of dye adsorption in the cotton fibers decreased, while the entropy of dye adsorption was higher than that measured when using pure water. Thus, the results suggested that controlling the supermolecular structures of the cotton fibers promoted the removal of unfixed dyes from the fibers and achieved improved colorfastness.

Effects of carbon concentration and Cu additive in simulated fly ash (SFA) and real fly ash (RFA) on the formation of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), chlorobenzenes, and polychlorinated biphenyls which were all regarded as persistent chlorinated aromatics in iron ore sintering were investigated. In the annealing process of SFA with various carbon contents, the yield of chlorinated aromatics and the I-TEQ obtained their maximum at 10 wt% carbon content. Active carbon in SFA acted as the carbon source as well as an adsorbent which led to higher production of PCDD/F in solid phase at 10 wt% carbon content. The increase of carbon content will be beneficial on the formation of 2,3,7,8-Chloro-substituted PCDF compared with 2,3,7,8-Chloro-substituted PCDD. In addition, the CuCl2·2H2O was a much more powerful catalyst in the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds compared with elementary Cu, since it served as both a catalyst and a chlorine donor. However, the RFA behaved similarly with SFA with elementary Cu in the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds. The effect of carbon content and copper additives on formation of 2,3,7,8-chloro-substituted congeners displayed similar characteristics with the tetra- to octa-PCDD/F isomers and even the total PCDD/Fs.

Lithium-rich layered nickel–manganese oxide (LRL-NMO) as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries was successfully prepared using an oxalic acid co-precipitation method, with polyethylene glycol (PEG1000) as an additive. The effects of the Ni/Mn ratio and of PEG on the phase purity, morphology, and electrochemical performance of LRL-NMO were investigated with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and charge/discharge testing. Li[Li0.167Ni0.25Mn0.580]O2 delivered the best electrochemical performance among the various Li[Li1/3−2x/3Ni x Mn2/3−x/3]O2 (0

Given the large expenditures by households on goods and services that contribute a large proportion of global CO2 emissions, increasing attention has been paid to household CO2 emissions (HCEs). However, compared with industrial CO2 emissions, efforts devoted to mitigating HCEs are relatively small. A good understanding of the effects of some driving factors (i.e., urbanization rate, per capita GDP, per capita income/disposable income, Engel coefficient, new energy ratio, carbon intensity, and household size) is urgently needed prior to considering policies for reducing HCEs. Given this, in the study, the direct and indirect per capita HCEs were quantified in rural and urban areas of China over the period 2000-2012. Correlation analysis and gray correlation analysis were initially used to identify the prime drivers of per capita HCEs. Our results showed that per capita income/disposable income, per capita GDP, urbanization rate, and household size were the most significantly correlated with per capita HCEs in rural areas. Moreover, the conjoint effects of the potential driving factors on per capita HCEs were determined by performing principal component regression analysis for all cases. Based on the combined analysis strategies, alternative polices were also examined for controlling and mitigating HCEs growth in China.

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A simple and general approach is reported for the direct growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on macroscopic carbon substrates. Two typical geometries of biomass materials, cellulose fibers or rice husks, are chosen to act as the precursor of carbon substrates, and commercial polypropylene (PP) pellets are used as the carbon source of CNTs with the presence of Ni–Mo–Mg catalysts. This simple and general strategy was realized by a direct pyrolyzation of the PP blends containing biomass materials and Ni–Mo–Mg catalysts in a chemical vapor deposition device at 800 °C under nitrogen’s protection. The carbon products were characterized by various techniques such as X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results show that the CNTs are successfully grown on the macroscopic carbon substrate derived from cellulose fibers or rice husks, whereas the addition of biomass materials as carbon precursors has to some extent an influence on the morphology of CNTs in the carbon products.

A series of LiMn2O4/LiFePO4 blend cathodes was prepared by hand milling and ball milling in order to compensate the disadvantage of spinel LiMn2O4 and olivine LiFePO4. The morphologies of the blends were studied by scanning electron microscopy, and their electrochemical properties were studied by charge-discharge cycling, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It is easy to obtain uniform LiMn2O4/LiFePO4 blends by the hand milling technique, while significant particle agglomeration is caused by the ball milling technique. When the LiMn2O4:LiFePO4 mass ratio is 1:1, the nano-sized LiFePO4 powders not only uniformly cover the micron-sized LiMn2O4 particles but also effectively fill in the cavities of the LiMn2O4 space. Such morphology offers a good electrical contact and a high tap density, which leads to a high discharge capacity and good cycle stability.

We examined the spatial distributions of diatom assemblages in surface sediments of Hulun Lake and explored the potential relationships between diatom distributions and environmental variables using multivariate analyses. These results may provide a basis for fossil record interpretation. Surface sediment samples were taken at 30 sites throughout the lake to analyse diatom assemblages, and environmental variables potentially influencing diatom distributions were taken concurrently. Principal components analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were conducted to explore the spatial characteristics of diatom assemblages in the lake surface sediment and their relationship with the main environmental variables. Analyses showed remarkable spatial differentiation such that epiphytic and benthic diatoms dominated surface sediments in the eastern littoral region, while planktonic diatoms were dominant in the central and western profundal region. Additionally, in the southern part of the central and west profundal region, Stephanodiscus neoastraea was more abundant than Aulacoseira perglabra. RDA showed that the total nitrogen of surface sediments (TNs), which acts as a nitrogen source and stays balanced with lake water nitrogen levels, is the primary environmental variable influencing diatom assemblages in the surface sediments. S. neoastraea and A. perglabra in particular may be boosted by high nitrogen content in the sediment. Additionally, correlations of water depth with the distribution of sample sites and the ratio of planktonic to benthic diatoms indicated an inherent relationship between diatom distribution and water depth, where deep water drove a high planktonic/benthic ratio. This result further supports the use of the planktonic/benthic ratio in the fossil record to reconstruct historical change in lake depth.