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In higher plants, sucrose synthase (Susy, EC 2.4.1.13) as an enzyme with a core function, involved in the synthesis and breakdown of sugars, and plays an important role in growth and metabolism. Although, the different genes encoding Susy isozyme proteins have been cloned and functionally verified in several plant species, to date detailed information about the Susy genes is lacking in Sorghum. Here, we demonstrated the identification of five novel Susy genes from the sorghum genome database. Sequence, structure and phylogenetic analyses of these five SbSusy genes revealed evolutionary conservation through Susy gene family members across Sorghum and other crop plants. The expression of sorghum Susy genes was investigated via transcriptome database in various developmental stages and different tissues. Further qRT-PCR was performed to reveal the induction of SbSusy genes under salt, drought and sugar induction. The results indicated that all Susy genes were differentially expressed in various tissues and highly associated with sucrose metabolism. This study shows a theoretical reference of Susy genes in Sorghum, which provides new insights for the knowledge of the evolution relationships, and basic information to help clarify the molecular mechanism of Susy synthase genes in Sorghum. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01166-8.

Microorganisms, sensitive to the surrounding environment changes, show how the cave environment can be impacted by human activities. Zhijin Cave, featured with the most well-developed karst landform in China, has been open to tourists for more than 30 years. This study explored the microbial diversity in a karst cave and the impacts of tourism activities on the microbial communities and the community structures of bacteria and archaea in three niches in Zhijin Cave, including the mixture of bacteria and cyanobacteria on the rock wall, the aquatic sediments, and the surface sediments, using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology. It was found that Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacteria in the cave and Crenarchaeota and Thermoplasmatota were the dominant archaea. The correlation between microorganisms and environmental variables in the cave showed that archaea were more affected by pH and ORP than bacteria and F−, Cl−, NO3−, and SO42− were all positively relevant to the distribution of most bacteria and archaea in the cave. PICRUSt’s prediction of microbial functions also indicated that abundance of the bacteria’s functions was higher than that of the archaea. The intention of this study was to improve the understanding, development, and protection of microbial resources in caves.

Aim To explore the preoperative radiographic features and reduction methods of irreducible trochanteric and subtrochanteric fractures of the femur and to compare the perioperative characteristics and prognoses of irreducible and reducible fractures. Methods The data of 1235 patients with femoral trochanteric fractures surgically treated in our hospital between January 2010 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, 1163 cases of femoral trochanteric and subtrochanteric fractures were included in this study. Fractures in which good or acceptable reduction could not be reached by closed manipulation were defined as irreducible fractures. The preoperative radiographic features, fracture displacement patterns after closed manipulation and intraoperative reduction methods used to treat irreducible fractures were analyzed, and the perioperative characteristics and prognoses of irreducible fractures and reducible fractures were compared. Results There were 224 patients in the irreducible group and 939 patients in the reducible group. According to the radiographic features of fractures, irreducible fractures could be divided into four types: those with interlocking of the fracture, sagging of the femoral shaft, splitting of the lateral wall or medial wall, and comminution of the subtrochanteric area. Various kinds of reduction techniques were needed for different types. Conclusions The incidence of irreducible trochanteric fractures was 15.4%, while the incidence of irreducible subtrochanteric fractures was 84.6%. According to the radiographic features of fractures, they can be divided into four types. It is important to identify irreducible fractures preoperatively and make comprehensive plans to the greatest extent possible to shorten the operation time, reduce intraoperative blood loss, and reduce the incidence of complications.

With the rapid development of information technology, issues such as network security and privacy protection have attracted more and more attention. The traditional way to solve these problems is to design complex cryptographic protocols to strengthen security, but the traditional solutions are based on centralized systems. The stronger the control of the central organization of the system, the more vulnerable it is to attackers. However, the blockchain technology that has emerged in recent years has revolutionized the use of decentralized solutions. The privacy and security issues of smart cities have become particularly important. Safety technology research in cities has also become very important. In order to better study the security technology in smart cities, this paper uses asynchronous transmission mode to study the blockchain security technology in smart cities on the premise of the Internet of Things technology. This paper compares and analyzes the data collection, sorting and calculation of the cryptographic elliptic curve algorithm before and after the improvement in the blockchain technology, the throughput and delay of different consensus algorithms, and the percentage of the computing power of the consensus algorithm. Transaction security. The final result shows that, the improved elliptic curve algorithm has more obvious advantages than the previous elliptic curve when the value of k is larger, and the higher the value of k, the faster its single scalar multiplication speed; The improved elliptic curve algorithm has more obvious advantages than the previous elliptic curve when the value of k is larger, and the higher the value of k, the faster its single scalar multiplication speed; The consensus algorithm has the largest percentage of computing power, BTC.com, accounting for 20.4%, and the smallest percentage of BWPool's computing power is only 1%. Therefore, it can be concluded that the decentralization and consensus mechanism of blockchain security technology can well guarantee the communication security of the Internet of Things.

Objectives To validate a total-body PET-guided deep progressive learning reconstruction method (DPR) for low-dose 18F-FDG PET imaging. Methods List-mode data from the retrospective study (n = 26) were rebinned into short-duration scans and reconstructed with DPR. The standard uptake value (SUV) and tumor-to-liver ratio (TLR) in lesions and coefficient of variation (COV) in the liver in the DPR images were compared to the reference (OSEM images with full-duration data). In the prospective study, another 41 patients were injected with 1/3 of the activity based on the retrospective results. The DPR images (DPR_1/3(p)) were generated and compared with the reference (OSEM images with extended acquisition time). The SUV and COV were evaluated in three selected organs: liver, blood pool and muscle. Quantitative analyses were performed with lesion SUV and TLR, furthermore on small lesions (≤ 10 mm in diameter). Additionally, a 5-point Likert scale visual analysis was performed on the following perspectives: contrast, noise and diagnostic confidence. Results In the retrospective study, the DPR with one-third duration can maintain the image quality as the reference. In the prospective study, good agreement among the SUVs was observed in all selected organs. The quantitative results showed that there was no significant difference in COV between the DPR_1/3(p) group and the reference, while the visual analysis showed no significant differences in image contrast, noise and diagnostic confidence. The lesion SUVs and TLRs in the DPR_1/3(p) group were significantly enhanced compared with the reference, even for small lesions. Conclusions The proposed DPR method can reduce the administered activity of 18F-FDG by up to 2/3 in a real-world deployment while maintaining image quality.

The catalytic hydrogenation of nitroaromatics is an environmentally friendly technology for aniline production, and it is crucial to develop noble-metal-free catalysts that can achieve chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics under mild reaction conditions. In this work, zinc-modified Ni-Ti catalysts (NixZnyTi1) were fabricated and applied for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics hydrogenation. It was found that the introduction of zinc effectively increases the surface Ni density, enhances the electronic effect, and improves the interaction between Ni and TiO2, resulting in smaller Ni particle size, more oxygen vacancies, higher dispersion and greater concentration of Ni on the catalyst surface. Furthermore, the electron-rich Niδ− obtained by electron transfer from Zn and Ti to Ni effectively adsorbs and dissociates hydrogen. The results reveal that NixZnyTi1 (Ni0.5Zn0.5Ti1) shows excellent catalytic performance under mild conditions (70 °C and 6 bar). These findings provide a rational strategy for the development of highly active non-noble-metal hydrogenation catalysts.

Selective aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol (KA oil) with high yield under mild and green conditions is still a significant challenge in the current chemical industry. Herein, nitrogen doped graphene loaded non-noble Co (Co-N-rGO) catalysts, prepared by a facile post-impregnation method, exhibited a high catalytic performance and stability in liquid phase cyclohexane oxidation with molecular oxygen. The experiment and characterization results show that N doping in the catalysts promotes Co metal particle dispersion and induces carbon film coating on Co to prevent leaching and agglomeration. Besides, density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that N doping is beneficial to the O-O bonds breaking in cyclohexyl-hydroperoxides (CHHP), thereby promoting the dissociation of CHHP and enhancing the yield to KA oil. In addition, the catalyst can be easily separated without appreciable loss of catalytic activity after recycling for five times, and show potential industrial application value for the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane to KA oil in the chemical industry.

Zeolite imidazole frameworks 8(ZIF-8) and modified ones after pyrolysis are highly promising toward oxygen reduction reaction(ORR). Especially, the compositional modification of ZIF-8 is crucial to the enhancement of ORR performance, yet limited to the substitution of skeletal Zn(II) with other cations or simple physical adsorption of cations. Herein, we report the decoration of ZIF-8 with ORR active hemin(FeP) and Co(III) protoporphyrin(CoP) via the coordination between the peripheral carboxylic group of FeP and CoP with skeletal Zn(II). This allows well control over the quantity of loaded FeP and CoP, critical to the synthesis of advanced electrocatalysts. Subsequent pyrolysis of FeP and CoP co-decorated ZIF-8 leads to highly active ORR electrocatalysts with a half-wave potential(E1/2) of 0. 913 V(vs. RHE) in 0.1 mol/L KOH aq. and an E1/2 of 0.803 V(vs. RHE) in 0.1 mol/L HClO4 aq. Moreover, our electrocatalyst shows much more improved and comparable durability in alkaline and acidic media, respectively, during 3000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry(CV) scanning relative to commercial Pt/C.

An efficient method for catalyzing the ammoxidation of aromatic alcohols to aromatic nitriles was developed, in which a new heterogeneous catalyst based on transition metal elements was employed, the new catalyst was named Co-[Bmim]Br/C-700 and then characterized by X-ray photo-electronic spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The reaction was carried out by two consecutive dehydrogenations under the catalysis of Co-[Bmim]Br/C-700, which catalytically oxidized the alcohol to the aldehyde, and then the aldehyde was subjected to ammoxidation to the nitrile. The catalyst system was suitable for a wide range of substrates and nitriles obtained in high yields, especially, the conversion rate of benzyl alcohol, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol and 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol reached 100%. The substitution of ammonia and oxygen for toxic cyanide to participate in the reaction accords with the theory of green chemistry.

Sn-0.7Cu-xCNT@Ni (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 wt.%) nanocomposite solder was prepared by the mechanical alloying method. The effects of CNT@Ni modification on the hardness, electrical conductivity, wettability and mechanical properties of Sn-0.7Cu lead-free solder were studied. The microstructure of the raw material and composite solder were observed with scanning electron microscopy, and the solderability was evaluated through spreading experiments. The experimental results show that the hardness of the composite solder increased with an increased amount of doped CNT@Ni, but the electrical conductivity was lower than that of the original Sn-0.7Cu. At the same time, when the doping content is 0.05 wt.%, the spreading ratio and spreading area of the composite solder were maximized, significantly improving the wettability of the solder. The mechanical properties first increased and then decreased with an increased CNT@Ni doping content. When the doping content was 0.075 wt.%, the maximum yield strength and elongation were reached, and then began to decrease with increased doping. This result may be due to the agglomeration of CNT@Ni.

In a recent paper, Jiang et al. (Eng Optim 52(1):37–52, 2020) considered proportionate flowshop scheduling with position-dependent weights. For common and slack due-date assignment problems, they proved that both of these two problems can be solved in $$O(n^{2} \log n)$$ time, where $$n$$ is the number of jobs. The contribution of this paper is that we show that these two problems can be optimally solved by a lower-order algorithm, i.e., in $$O(n\log n)$$ time.

The cyclopentanone and derivatives are a class of crucial fine chemicals for various industries and currently produced by conventional petrochemical synthetic routes. Here, we demonstrated a new synthetic approach to directly fabricate N-doped carbon nanotube (N-CNTs) networks with confined Co nanoparticles from Co2+-impregnated bulk g-C3N4 as high performance hydrogenation rearrangement (HR) catalyst to efficiently convert a wide spectrum of biomass-derived furanic aldehydes to the corresponding cyclopentanones in water under a record-low H2 pressure of 0.5 MPa and mild temperature. We unveiled a Co-catalysed bulk g-C3N4 decomposition/carbonisation CNTs formation mechanism. A new HR pathway was also unveiled.

Due to the influence of outdoor climate and indoor human activities, the moisture accumulation of building enclosure structure will lead to the growth of mould on the interior surface of the wall, damage the building structure and endanger human health. Taking an office building in Dachangshan Island of Dalian, a cold area in North China, as an example, the outdoor relative humidity is high, and the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is large during the heating period, which is easy to cause the increase of moisture content of the enclosure structure and the growth of mould. This study focuses on the influence of the heat and moisture transfer characteristics of the office building wall on the growth process of mould on the interior surface of the building. The dominant fungi of indoor air and wall surface were Penicillium and Cladosporium. WUFI software was used to simulate the heat and moisture transfer and the growth process of mould on the inner surface of the wall. The results show that the relative humidity of the air micro layer on the inner wall surface of the office building reaches more than 80% at the beginning of heating period in November every year, the mould hypha grows significantly in December and brings pollution risk. Finally, the relative humidity drops below 70% after the heating period is over in April, and the mould stops growing. The main reason for this phenomenon is that the condensation interface in the wall structure during the heating period leads to the accumulation of water in the wall, which is then transmitted to the wall surface through the wall pores, thus increasing the moisture content. This method provides a r eliable way for the numerical simulation of indoor mould growth risk.

In this study, Sn-0.7Cu composite solders with different weight of graphene nanosheets (GNSs) were successfully prepared by mechanical milling and hot-pressing sintering. The effects of GNSs on the microstructure, wettability, and mechanical properties of Sn-0.7Cu solder alloys were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the distribution density of GNSs in the solder matrix became larger as the content of the GNSs increased, and the GNSs basically distributed at the grain boundary. In addition, the grain size of the solder deceased firstly and then increased with increasing GNSs. Furthermore, the melting temperature of Sn-0.7Cu-xGNSs composite solders barely change compared with original Sn-0.7Cu solder. After Sn-0.7Cu-xGNSs, composite solders reflowed on Cu substrate at 250 °C for 20 min, and the experimental results reveal that the spread area and spread rate of composite solders on Cu substrate decreased with increasing content of GNSs. In addition, the mechanical properties of Sn-0.7Cu-xGNSs composite solders were obtained by tensile test. The tensile test results show that the yield strength and the ductility of composite solders both increased firstly and then decreased with addition of GNSs. In summary, the composite solders have best ductility and best yield strength when the content of GNSs is 0.05 wt% and 0.075 wt%, respectively.

Background To investigate the influence of small voxel Bayesian penalized likelihood (SVB) reconstruction on small lesion detection compared to ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction using a clinical trials network (CTN) chest phantom and the patients with 18F-FDG-avid small lung tumors, and determine the optimal penalty factor for the lesion depiction and quantification. Methods The CTN phantom was filled with 18F solution with a sphere-to-background ratio of 3.81:1. Twenty-four patients with 18F-FDG-avid lung lesions (diameter 3. The recovery coefficient (RC) was calculated by dividing the measured activity by the injected activity of the hot spheres in the phantom study. The SUVmax, target-to-liver ratio (TLR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the volume of the lesions, and the image noise of the liver were measured and calculated in the patient study. Visual image quality of the patient image was scored by two radiologists using a 5-point scale. Results In the phantom study, SVB0.6, SVB0.8, and SVB0.9 achieved higher RCs than SVOSEM. The RC was higher in SVOSEM than RVOSEM and SVB1.0. In the patient study, the SUVmax, TLR, and visual image quality scores of SVB0.6 to SVB0.9 were higher than those of RVOSEM, while the image noise of SVB0.8 to SVB1.0 was equivalent to or lower than that of RVOSEM. All SVB groups had higher CNRs than RVOSEM, but there was no difference between RVOSEM and SVOSEM. The lesion volumes derived from SVB0.6 to SVB0.9 were accurate, but over-estimated by RVOSEM, SVOSEM, and SVB1.0, using the CT measurement as the standard reference. Conclusions The SVB reconstruction improved lesion contrast, TLR, CNR, and volumetric quantification accuracy for small lesions compared to RVOSEM reconstruction without image noise degradation or the need of longer emission time. A penalty factor of 0.8–0.9 was optimal for SVB reconstruction for the small tumor detection with 18F-FDG PET/CT.

As a quantum material, Weyl semimetal has a series of electronic-band-structure features, including Weyl points with left and right chirality and corresponding Berry curvature, which have been observed in experiments. These band-structure features also lead to some unique nonlinear properties, especially high-order harmonic generation (HHG) due to the dynamic process of electrons under strong laser excitation, which has remained unexplored previously. Herein, we obtain effective HHG in type-II Weyl semimetal β-WP2 crystals, where both odd and even orders are observed, with spectra extending into the vacuum ultraviolet region (190 nm, 10th order), even under fairly low femtosecond laser intensity. In-depth studies have interpreted that odd-order harmonics come from the Bloch electron oscillation, while even orders are attributed to Bloch oscillations under the “spike-like” Berry curvature at Weyl points. With crystallographic orientation-dependent HHG spectra, we further quantitatively retrieved the electronic band structure and Berry curvature of β-WP2. These findings may open the door for exploiting metallic/semimetallic states as solid platforms for deep ultraviolet radiation and offer an all-optical and pragmatic solution to characterize the complicated multiband electronic structure and Berry curvature of quantum topological materials., Weyl semimetals have interesting band-structure features that lead to unique properties. Here, the authors observe and study high-harmonic generation in type-II Weyl semimetal β-WP2 crystals.

Background Butyl acetate has shown wide applications in food, cosmetics, medicine, and biofuel sectors. These short-chain fatty acid esters can be produced by either chemical or biological synthetic process with corresponding alcohols and acids. Currently, biosynthesis of short chain fatty acid esters, such as butyl butyrate, through microbial fermentation systems has been achieved; however, few studies regarding biosynthesis of butyl acetate were reported. Results In this study, three proof-of-principle strategies for the one-pot butyl acetate production from glucose through microbial fermentation were designed and evaluated. (1) 7.3 g/L of butyl acetate was synthesized by butanol-producing Clostridium acetobutylicum NJ4 with the supplementation of exogenous acetic acid; (2) With the addition of butanol, 5.76 g/L of butyl acetate can be synthesized by acetate-producing Actinobacillus succinogenes130z (ΔpflA); (3) Microbial co-culture of C. acetobutylicum NJ4 and A. succinogenes130z (ΔpflA) can directly produce 2.2 g/L of butyl acetate from glucose by using microbial co-culture system with the elimination of precursors. Through the further immobilization of A. succinogenes130z (ΔpflA), butyl acetate production was improved to 2.86 g/L. Conclusion Different microbial mono- and co-culture systems for butyl acetate biosynthesis were successfully constructed. These strategies may be extended to the biosynthesis of a wide range of esters, especially to some longer chain ones.

Background Trophoblast dysfunction during pregnancy is fundamentally involved in preeclampsia. Several studies have revealed that human chorionic villous mesenchymal stem cells (CV-MSCs) could regulate trophoblasts function. Results To understand how human chorionic villous mesenchymal stem cells (CV-MSCs) regulate trophoblast function, we treated trophoblasts with CV-MSC supernatant under hypoxic conditions. Treatment markedly enhanced proliferation and invasion and augmented autophagy. Transcriptome and pathway analyses of trophoblasts before and after treatment revealed JAK2/STAT3 signalling as an upstream regulator. In addition, STAT3 mRNA and protein levels increased during CV-MSC treatment. Consistent with these findings, JAK2/STAT3 signalling inhibition reduced the autophagy, survival and invasion of trophoblasts, even in the presence of CV-MSCs, and blocking autophagy did not affect STAT3 activation in trophoblasts treated with CV-MSCs. Importantly, STAT3 overexpression increased autophagy levels in trophoblasts; thus, it positively regulated autophagy in hypoxic trophoblasts. Human placental explants also proved our findings by showing that STAT3 was activated and that LC3B-II levels were increased by CV-MSC treatment. Conclusion In summary, our data suggest that CV-MSC-dependent JAK2/STAT3 signalling activation is a prerequisite for autophagy upregulation in trophoblasts. Graphic abstract

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting rice production worldwide. Understanding the genetic basis of salinity tolerance is key for rice breeding. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a super hybrid rice Liang–You–Pei–Jiu (LYP9) parents 93-11 and PA64s, exhibited variation in phenotypes including shoot length (SL), root length (RL), shoot fresh weight (SFW), root fresh weight (RFW), shoot dry weight (SDW), and root dry weight (RDW) under 50 and 100 mM NaCl stress. QTL analysis identified a total of 38 QTLs for these 6 traits under two distinct concentrations of salt, distributing on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10. A total of 21 QTLs were found in 6 stable loci. A novel major QTL, qSL7 for shoot length on chromosome 7 was identified in two distinct concentrations. A chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) harboring the qSL7 locus from PA64s with 93-11 background was developed and exhibited higher SL value, higher K+ concentration, and lower Na+ concentration compared to 93-11. With BC5F2:3 derived from CSSL-qSL7/93-11, the qSL7 was fine mapped within a 252.9 kb region on chromosome 7 where 40 annotated genes located including, LOC_Os07g43530, which encodes a DNA-binding domain containing protein reported previously as a transcription factor playing a positive role in salt stress tolerance. Our study provides new genetic resources for improvement of salinity tolerance in rice breeding.

Graphene nano-sheets (GNSs) are considered a functional (excellent/good) material at solder alloy modification. In this study, GNSs were doped into Sn–0.7Cu solder by powder metallurgy to form Sn–0.7Cu–xGNSs (x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 wt%) composite solders. The density, hardness, and electrical conductivity of the composite solders were investigated. At the same time, Potentiodynamic polarization method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to analyze the electrochemical corrosion behavior of composite solders in the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results revealed that as the content of GNSs increased, the hardness of composite solders decreased, but the density enhanced when compared with original Sn–0.7Cu. Simultaneously, the conductivity reached highest as the GNSs content was 0.025 wt%. Potentiodynamic polarization showed that GNSs affected the anodic reaction of the solders. The corrosion resistance of Sn–0.7Cu–0.075GNSs was better than that of other alloys. Sn3O(OH)2Cl2 and Tin oxides were the formation of the corrosion product by XPS and XRD analysis. SEM analysis confirmed that when the GNSs content was 0.075 wt%, the corrosion products were dense and the corrosion resistance of the alloy was improved.

Highly thermo-stable and tunable-luminescence phosphors Y3Al2Ga3O12: Tb3+, Sm3+ are synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction method. In this study, the multicolor emission, thermal stability and energy transfer mechanism in Y3Al2Ga3O12: Tb3+, Sm3+ are evaluated in detail. The emission color can be tuned from green to yellow by adjusting the Tb3+/Sm3+ ratio. The energy transfer efficiency from Tb3+ to Sm3+ reaches as high level as 62.5%. Energy transfer mechanism of Tb3+-Sm3+ are related to the dipole–dipole interaction. Furthermore, Y3Al2Ga3O12: Tb3+, Sm3+ phosphor shows a good thermal stability, the integrated intensity (150 °C) of YAGO: 0.5 Tb3+, 0.1Sm3+ still keeps more than half of that at room temperature. Therefore, the multicolor tunable phosphor Y3Al2Ga3O12: Tb3+, Sm3+ presents a potential for application in the white LEDs.

A series of broadband blue-green phosphors Rb0.5+yNa1.5−y(Li3SiO4)2:xEu2+ (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.4, 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.08) were synthesized by the high-temperature solid-state reaction. The powder X-ray diffraction was employed to explore the crystal structural evolution from RbNa3(Li3SiO4)4 to RbNa(Li3SiO4)2 with the increasing of Rb+. The spectra show the optimized composition was determined as y = 0.4. The luminescence, lifetime decay curves and thermal steadily spectra of Rb0.9Na1.1(Li3SiO4)2:xEu2+ phosphors were investigated in detail. The phosphor of Rb0.9Na1.1(Li3SiO4)2:Eu2+ shows suitable visible spectra (450–550 nm, cover the blue and green regions), excellent thermal quenching (104%@150 °C of the initial integrated intensity at room temperature under 396 nm excitation) and broad excitation spectrum (320–450 nm). Finally, a commercial near-UV LED devices (395 nm) were fabricated with the Rb0.9Na1.1(Li3SiO4)2:Eu2+ phosphor as blue-green and commercial red phosphor CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ with a warm color temperature of 3104 K and a color rendering index of 91.8. This result indicated that Rb0.9Na1.1(Li3SiO4)2:Eu2+ may be a promising blue-green phosphor for indoor lighting.

Thermochemical remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil (PCS) has attracted increased attention. Pyrolysis is one of an important thermochemical treatment technology. The pyrolysis behavior of PCS and the main gaseous products evolved were investigated by means of a simultaneous thermogravimetric analyzer (TG) coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Pyrolysis residue characteristics were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), FTIR, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed that the pyrolysis process of PCS was divided into water evaporation, volatilization of light volatile, degradation of low/high boiling point organic matters, and decomposition of inorganic mineral. The increase of heating rate would lead to the shift of thermal profiles to a higher temperature region and the increase of mass loss rate, without changing the patterns of thermal degradation of PCS. In addition, CO2, the most important gaseous product, was released in two temperature regions of 700–1090 K and 1090–1220 K. The trace pollution gaseous product SO2 was discharged above 1100 K. After pyrolysis, the organic matters were significantly reduced, and the inorganic minerals such as CaCO3 and BaSO4 were decomposed. The sulfur in PCS mainly existed in the form of sulfate-S, sulfonic acid-S or sulfone-S, sulfoxide-S, aromatic-S, and aliphatic-S. During pyrolysis, sulfate-S was continuously decreased, while the other four forms of organic-S may be transformed into each other and finally partially stabilized in the pyrolysis residue.

To determine the combined therapeutic effect of fractional carbon dioxide laser and silicone gel on fresh traumatic scars using a rabbit ear hypertrophic scar (EHS) model, as well as on human subjects. The rabbit EHS model was established by punching four circular wounds in each ear and respectively treated with carbon dioxide laser, silicone gel, and the combination of both, while one wound was left untreated. In addition, a validation group of five rabbits was also included wherein the wounds were treated with triamcinolone, IFN-α, and normal saline, with one untreated control. The gross hyperplasic changes and the histological features were analyzed, and the scar elevation index (SEI) was calculated for each treatment group. In the rabbit model, the untreated control wounds showed hypertrophic growth, whereas triamcinolone or IFN-α showed an inhibitory effect, similar to that on hypertrophic scars in humans, thereby proving the feasibility of our animal model. The SEI peaked 2 months after treatment and was respectively 2.28 ± 0.56, 1.85 ± 0.33, 1.91 ± 0.34, and 1.45 ± 0.22 in the untreated control, and the silicone, laser, and combined treatment groups, clearly indicating a significant therapeutic effect of the combined treatment modality (p

The spin-orbit torque (SOT) arising from materials with large spin-orbit coupling promises a path for ultra-low power and fast magnetic-based storage and computational devices. We investigated the SOT from magnetron-sputtered BixSe(1-x) thin films in BixSe(1-x)/CoFeB heterostructures by using a dc planar Hall method. Remarkably, the spin Hall angle (SHA) was found to be as large as 18.83, which is the largest ever reported at room temperature (RT). Moreover, switching of a perpendicular CoFeB multilayer using SOT from the BixSe(1-x) has been observed with the lowest-ever switching current density reported in a bilayer system: 2.3 * 105 A/cm2 at RT. The giant SHA, smooth surface, ease of growth of the films on silicon substrate, successful growth and switching of a perpendicular CoFeB multilayer on BixSe(1-x) film opens a path for use of BixSe(1-x) topological insulator (TI) material as a spin-current generator in SOT-based memory and logic devices.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can be used as robust and flexible encapsulation overlayers, which effectively protect metal cores but allow reactions to occur between inner cores and outer shells. Here, we demonstrate this concept by showing that Pt@h-BN core–shell nanocatalysts present enhanced performances in H2/O2 fuel cells. Electrochemical (EC) tests combined with operando EC-Raman characterizations were performed to monitor the reaction process and its intermediates, which confirm that Pt-catalyzed electrocatalytic processes happen under few-layer h-BN covers. The confinement effect of the h-BN shells prevents Pt nanoparticles from aggregating and helps to alleviate the CO poisoning problem. Accordingly, embedding nanocatalysts within ultrathin 2D material shells can be regarded as an effective route to design high-performance electrocatalysts.

Delayed positron emission tomography (PET) imaging may improve sensitivity and specificity in lesion detection. We proposed a PET data-driven method to estimate the attenuation map (AM) for the delayed scan without an additional x-ray computed tomography (CT). An emission-attenuation-scatter joint estimation framework was developed. Several practical issues for clinical datasets were addressed. Particularly, the unknown scatter correction was incorporated in the joint estimation algorithm. The scaling problem was solved using prior information from the early CT scan. Fourteen patient datasets were added to evaluate the method. These patients went through two separate PET/CT scans. The delayed CT-based AM served as ground truth for the delayed scan. Standard uptake values (SUVmean and SUVmax) of lesion and normal tissue regions of interests (ROIs) in the early and delayed phase and the respective %DSUV (percentage change of SUVmean at two different time points) were analyzed, all with estimated and the true AM. Three radiologists participated in lesion detection tasks with images reconstructed with both AMs and rated scores for detectability. The mean relative difference of SUVmean in lesion and normal liver tissue were 3.30 and 6.69 %. The average lesion-to-background contrast (detectability) with delayed PET images using CT AM was 60 % higher than that of the earlier PET image, and was 64 % higher when using the data-based AM. %DSUV for lesions and liver backgrounds with CT-based AM were − 0.058 ± 0.25 and − 0.33 ± 0.08 while with data-based AM were − 0.00 ± 0.26 and − 0.28 ± 0.08. Only slight significance difference was found between using CT-based AM and using the data-based AM reconstruction delay phase on %DSUV of lesion. The scores associated with the two AMs matched well consistently. Our method may be used in delayed PET imaging, which allows no secondary CT radiation in delayed phase. The quantitative analysis for lesion detection purpose could be ensured.

Novel Eu2+ and Mn2+ doped fluorapatite-type Sr3YLi(PO4)3F powder materials have been synthesized via high temperature solid state reaction. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electric microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. Eu2+ single doped Sr3YLi(PO4)3F host displays a blue emission ranging from 400 to 550 nm centered at 439 nm, and exhibits a broad excitation band varying from 225 to 425 nm which matches with commercial n-UV LEDs (360–410 nm). Under near-UV light irradiation in the range from 270 to 410 nm, Eu2+ and Mn2+ co-doped Sr3YLi(PO4)3F phosphors show two emission bands centered at 439 and 565 nm, respectively. The relative intensity ratio of Eu2+ and Mn2+ can be changed by increasing the amount of Mn2+ ions, the emission color can be regulated from blue to white. The energy transfer process from Eu2+ to Mn2+ has been proved to the resonant type through the quadrupole–quadrupole interaction mechanism. It is important that the white light emission can be gained by modulating the relative contents of Eu2+ and Mn2+ ions in Sr3YLi(PO4)3F host. Base on the obtained results, the as-prepared phosphors might be applied as a candidate for white LEDs.

Background Blood counting and the liver function tests, as the routine examinations, can reflect the immune and nutritional status of the body, our aim is to assess the prognostic significance of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels and AST/ALT in primary hepatic carcinoma. Methods Clinico-pathological data of 414 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma in the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical College between January 2007 to January 2014 was analyzed retrospectively in this study. Survival curves were described by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by Log-rank test, univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify the prognostic factors. Results GGT was positively correlated with the tumor size(P = 0.000), tumor volume (P = 0.000), tumor volume percent (P = 0.004), TNM stage(P = 0.009), 1-year survival rate (P = 0.000), 3- years survival rate (P = 0.000) and 5-years survival rate(P = 0.000). The serum ALT/AST was significantly correlated with age (P = 0.047), tumor size(P = 0.002), tumor volume (P = 0.010), tumor volume percent (P = 0.005), TNM stage(P = 0.006), liver cirrhosis(P = 0.003), 3- years survival rate (P = 0.032) and 5-years survival rate(P = 0.000). The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the patients with primary hepatic carcinoma had a longer time in the low GGT group and low AST/ALT group, showing a significant difference (P

The aim of present study was to investigate the potential utilization of one cogeneration generated biomass ash Napier grass ash (NGA) as SCMs in cement-based materials. The chemical and mineral composition of NGA and its morphology characterization were investigated by means of XRF, XRD and SEM. In addition, the effect of NGA addition on the hydration of blended mixtures was studied by means of isothermal calorimetry. Furthermore, the effect of NGA addition on the properties of blended mortars was characterized by flowability and mechanical strength. The results show that the NGA from the industrial process presents irregular shapes with roughness and porosity surface textures and contains high silica content as well as high LOI. Further thermal treatment at 400 °C was applied aiming to reduce the LOI. The cement replacing by NGA (20% by mass) can partially contribute to the cement hydration. The mechanical strength results indicate that the NGA can meet the requirement to classify the material as a pozzolan no matter whether a further burning process was applied or not. In the present study, the pozzolanic behavior of NGA is slightly higher than that of FA, in terms of compressive strength. It will be of great interest to optimize the combustion technology to produce NGA ashes with lower LOI, aiming to improve its performance in mortar preparation.

Background Here we describe the treatments and prognosis for metachronous metastases from gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) after initial R0 surgical resection at a large center in China. Methods The clinicopathological data and survival outcomes for 108 patients (median age, 54.0 years) with metachronous hepatic metastatic GEP-NETs disease who were initially treated using R0 surgical resection between August 2003 and July 2014 were analyzed using one-way comparisons, survival analysis, and a predictive nomogram. Results Fifty-five (50.9%) patients had pancreatic NETs and 92 (85.2%) had G2 primary tumors. For treatment of the hepatic metastases, 48 (44.4%) patients received liver-directed local treatment (metastasectomy, radiofrequency ablation, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, etc.), 15 (13.9%) received systemic treatment (interferon, somatostatin analogs, etc.), and 45 (41.7%) received both treatments. Multivariable analyses revealed that OS was associated with hepatic tumor number (P

This study introduces a parametric $${H_\infty }$$ loop shaping control for a robotic coax-helicopter using linear matrix inequality and provides a flexibility design method of the performance index selection. Based on stabilizing solution of sufficient linear conditions, an alternative but simple set of solvability conditions is developed. The dynamic model of a robotic coax-helicopter was built before the design procedure of a new parametric $${H_\infty }$$ loop shaping control was addressed. Therefore, the state and control matrices were computed using the small perturbation theory through the quasi-steady assumption. Performance of the resulting parametric $${H_\infty }$$ controller was implemented to compare with previous works. The numerical simulations indicate effectiveness of the proposed method in step responses of the closed loop. This method reduces the complexity of appropriate selection of required performance and gives designer an additional degree of freedom to seek the appropriate close-loop performance.

Acid-activated sepiolite (ASEP) supported K–La–Ni trimetallic catalysts were prepared and tested in the liquid phase hydrogenation of adiponitrile (ADN). The sepiolite was treated with dilute hydrochloric acid solution to obtain ASEP, ASEP supported K–La–Ni trimetallic catalysts were prepared by the incipient impregnation method and characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption, temperature programmed reduction, hydrogen chemisorption, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray. It was revealed that potassium could inhibit the formation of the 1-azacycloheptane by-product by neutralizing some acid sites on the catalyst, and the potassium and lanthanum could efficiently reduce nickel particles size and improve its dispersion. Sepiolite treated with hydrochloric acid increases the number of silanol groups (Si–OH) on the sepiolite surface, which is helpful to nickel particles adsorption and dispersion. ASEP supported K–La–Ni trimetallic catalysts (K–La–Ni/ASEP) present better catalytic performance under mild reaction conditions of 373 K and 2.0 MPa, the ADN conversion reaches to 90.03 %, the selectivity to 6-aminocapronitrile and hexamethylenediamine is up to 90.22 %.

Temporary unipedicle screw reduction with percutaneous kyphoplasty (TUSR-PKP) is a relatively new method for managing osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). A clinical retrospective comparative study was conducted to verify whether TUSR-PKP was noninferior to simple PKP regarding the management of OVCFs. A total of 38 consecutive patients who sustained OVCFs without neurological deficits and had undergone surgeries in our hospital from June 2012 to January 2014 were included in the study: 24 patients underwent simple PKP (control group) and the other 14 patients underwent TUSR-PKP (treatment group). All 38 patients were asked to participate in a long-term (>1 year) follow-up. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were recorded, and the Cobb angles and the vertebral body heights were measured on the lateral radiographs before surgery and on day 1, as well as 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The patients in the treatment group had better vertebral height gain and greater improvement on ODI compared with the control group (p

In order to obtain high-quality superconducting qubits, we employed a cold-development technique, using temperatures down to −20°C, to fabricate Al/AlO x /Al Josephson junctions. Cold development greatly reduced the sensitivity of the electron-beam resist to the developer, eliminated molecules of the electron-beam resist at trench edges, and improved the repeatability and reliability of the nanopatterning process. The fabricated samples have well-defined geometries and increased dose margins, with lateral sizes of 100 nm×100 nm on both silicon and sapphire substrates. Together with the bridge-free fabrication method we used in these experiments, we believe that the cold-development technique can play an important role in quantum information technology that employs superconducting qubits.

Steel slag used as binding materials often shows volumetric instability because of the existence of f-CaO (free calcium oxide). According to the composition analysis of steel slag, the tri-component f-CaO (CaO·aFeO1.5·bMnO2) was synthesized. The single phase CaO and some solid solution phases were detected in the tri-component f-CaO by XRD. The single phase CaO was found to be completely hydrated at room temperature after 18 h. The solid solution phase could not be hydrated at room temperature, while it could be hydrated partly via a boiling treatment. The hydration activity of CaO in the solid solution phase was lower than that of the single phase CaO. The f-CaO was mixed into Portland cement to study the expansibility by autoclave test. The single phase CaO had no contribution to the expansion when the content was not more than 1%. The solid solution phase in f-CaO was the main cause of the expansion. The relationship between the autoclave expansion rate and the f-CaO content conformed to the exponential equation. For the tri-component f-CaO, the smaller the molar ratio of Ca to Mn and Fe was, the more solid solution phase was present and the greater was the expansibility.