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The Chinese government has been exploring various paths to find a direction that better suits China’s national conditions during the past 60 years. Meanwhile, a series of political and economic events and policy transformations have had different effects on the port industry. This article attempts to ascertain how these events and port policies have influenced Chinese port traffic through an empirical study on data covering 1952–2009. The findings suggest that foreign trade has been the prime driver of the throughput of Chinese ports. The increase in the ports’ throughput has enabled an increase in domestic demand and the urgent need for further port investment. Chinese port throughput has been subject to multiple shocks. The Great Leap Forward1is found to have had the largest, but only a short-term impact. China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, however, led to a longer and exclusive effect on ports, with little observed effect on the other variables. The reform of port governance is shown to have had a more lasting positive effect on port throughput than physical investment. However, these latter effects are minor, the economic and political factors remain the primary driving factors of port throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a comprehensive regional or global maritime trade modeling framework, it is often necessary to determine the modal share of commodity flow between countries. Typically, this is resolved by either using a constant empirical value (such as the commodity value-weight ratio) or applying statistical models to determine mode choice or share. Whilst the latter method tends to provide a more rational solution, it is constrained by the appropriate choice of trade data classification level during model development. This paper therefore explores the potential impact of trade data aggregation (in terms of trade data classification level) on commodity mode choices derived from discrete choice models. Using international commodity flows between continents, discrete choice models can be developed to compare the modal split between air and sea transport. By considering four different international trade routes and three trade classification levels, the paper shows that detailed commodity trade classification may not necessarily lead to better results. Using the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (or HS System) as an example, it was found that it may be more effective developing models using HS two-digit commodity trade data for the purpose of international freight mode choice studies for the purpose of regional or global maritime trade modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article develops a new index “Achievable Capacity Index,”IA, which can accurately measure the profitability of newsboy-type product with normally distributed demand. An unbiased and effective estimator ofIAis derived to estimate actualIAas the parameters of distribution are unknown. Practically, the market information regarding demand is obtained from multiple samples rather than single sample. Therefore, we estimate and testIAbased on multiple samples. A hypothesis testing for examining whether the profitability meets designated requirement is presented. Critical values of the test are calculated to determine the evaluation results. Finally, a real case on the sales of donuts is presented to illustrate the applicability of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a repairableK-out-of-(M+W) retrial system withMidentical primary components,Wstandby components and one repair facility. The time-to-failure and time-to-repair of the primary and standby components are assumed to be exponential and general distributions, respectively. The failed components are immediately for repair if the server is idle, otherwise the failed machines would enter an orbit. It is assumed that the retrial times are exponentially distributed. We present a recursive method using the supplementary variable technique and treating the supplementary variable as the remaining repair time to obtain the steady-state probabilities of down components at arbitrary epoch. Then, a unified and efficient algorithm is developed to compute the steady-state availability. The method is illustrated analytically for the exponential repair time distribution. Sensitivity analysis of the steady-state availability with respect to system parameters for a variety of repair time distributions is also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to study grade level and gender differences in coping behaviors among Chinese students using a multidimensional scaling (MDS) single-ideal point model. In contrast to approaches that utilize the aggregated scores such as average scores, the MDS single-ideal point model makes use of individual items in a well-constructed coping instrument to examine typical coping behaviors preferred by adolescents of different grade levels and gender. The results revealed that college students developed a set of more specific coping responses than the middle school students. Moreover, college male students used more coping responses than the college female students. The article discusses the processes and issues in analyzing developmental differences via MDS single-ideal point models from the developmental perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In automotive and home appliance industries, there are many complex-shaped sheet metal components which need to be fabricated in multiple stamping operations. For example, the manufacturing of an outer case of washing machine consists of stamping followed by a bending operation. After the first stage of the stamping process, a large amount of spring-back takes place, and therefore, it is difficult to proceed to the next stage of the bending process. In the stamping process of that kind of sheet component with low geometric constraint, the forming area is large compared to the forming depth. Therefore, the formed part is in an unstable state and is less geometrically constrained, which causes a large amount of spring-back. To investigate this phenomenon, finite element analyses are carried out. During a spring-back analysis after forming, bifurcation takes place and the finite element solution procedure using the Newton–Raphson scheme becomes unstable. To get a stable post-bifurcation solution, a bifurcation algorithm is introduced at the bifurcation point. The deformed shapes obtained from finite element analyses are in good agreement with the experimental data. From this study, it is shown that the bifurcation behaviour enlarges the spring-back and the degree of dimensional error. To obtain additional possible post-bifurcation solutions, non-bifurcation analyses using initial guesses obtained in a modal analysis are carried. For the initial guesses, lowed four eigenmodes are utilized. Finally, the post-bifurcation behaviour and spring-back amount are investigated for various process parameters including the forming depth, punch width and corner radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to examine grade-level differences in coping behaviors among adolescents using a probabilistic multidimensional scaling (MDS) single-ideal-point model. Using data from students in middle school and at college, this article illustrated the MDS single-ideal-point model as an alternative to examine students’ typical coping behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper considers two randomized control policies. One is (p, F)-policy queue which deals with the issue of randomized controlling arrivals to a queueing system and the server requires a start-up time before allowing customers to enter the system. Another is (q, N)-policy queue which considers the common issue of controlling service in a queueing system randomly, and the server requires a start-up time before providing service. The steady-state probability distribution of the system size and system performances measures are developed for both queues. In addition, we uncover an interrelationship between the (p, F)- and (q, N)-policy M/M/1/K queues by a series of propositions. The advantage created through interrelationship is that the solution of one queue has been derived, which assists us in obtaining that of the other queue easily. Finally, numerical results are presented for illustration purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given u maximal rigid object T of the cluster tube, ice determine the objects finitely presented by T. We then use the method of Keller and Reiten to show that the endomorphism algebra of T is Gorenstein and of finite representation type, as first shown by Vatne. This algebra tarns out to he the Jacohian algebra of a certain quiver with potential, when the characteristic of the base field is not .?. We study how this quiver with potential changes when T is mutated. We also provide a derived equivalence classification for the endomorphism algebras of maximal rigid objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study Pb–Te melt structural evolution, its electrical resistivity was experimentally investigated using the DC four-probe method during heating and cooling processes. An abnormal resistivity change was detected in some compositions of the Pb–Te melt, but not in Pb, Te, Pb–Te eutectic and Pb–Te 90 wt% melts. Since resistivity is a structure-sensitive physical quantity and resistivity resort was verified valid for investigating liquid structural changes in past studies, the abnormal resistivity variation can reflect some melt structure characters. So it can be inferred that in some compositions of Pb–Te melts, a temperature-induced liquid structure transition occurred and some compositions did not exhibit the phenomenon. Besides these, some analyses from the perspective of the nearly free electron model are also given in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article analyzes an M/G/1 queueing system with second optional service, server breakdowns, and general start-up times under (N, p)-policy. Customers arrive into the system according to a Poisson process. Service times, repair times, and start-up times are assumed to be generally distributed. The first service is essential for all arrived customers, and the second service is optional, which is demanded by some customers after their essential service is completed. For this queuing system, the expected cost function per unit time is constructed to search the joint optimum threshold values of the (N, p) at the minimum cost. We also obtain the explicit closed-form expression of the optimal solutions. A sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the impacts on the optimum threshold value. Finally, numerical results are presented for several cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the melt structural evolution, at different temperatures, electrical resistivity evolution patterns with the time of Sn-Sb10 melt were experimentally investigated during isothermal processes. There was no change in resistivity during the isothermal process at 850°C for 360 min, while at higher temperatures, i.e. 875°C, 885°C, and 900°C, there was a dropping turn in the resistivity-time curves at different ranges. The higher the isothermal temperature, the earlier the dropping turn and the shorter the time range. As the resistivity resort was verified to be sensitive and valid for investigating liquid structure changes in past studies, the resistivity turn suggests the occurrence of a temperature-induced liquid structure transition. Based on the results, the kinetic mechanism of the liquid transition was also studied and the activation energies of the transition were calculated too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Constipation in patients with mild spinal cord disease is not well investigated yet. We aimed to investigate anorectal function and the effect of biofeedback therapy in constipated patients with mild spinal cord diseases. Material and methods. A total of 14 constipated patients with myelopathy and 32 with radiculopathy were enrolled retrospectively. All patients were able to walk independently. The control group comprised of 100 constipated patients without any neurologic problem. Colonic transit time and the presence of dyssynergia were assessed before biofeedback therapy. All patients answered structured questionnaires on constipation, before and after biofeedback therapy. Results. The mean rectosigmoid colonic transit time of the myelopathy group was significantly delayed (myelopathy, 18.6 ± 14.6 h; radiculopathy, 12.8 ± 11.9 h; control, 9.6 ± 11.2 h; p = 0.032). Delay in total colonic transit time was more frequent in the myelopathy group (myelopathy, 57.1%; radiculopathy, 23.3%; control, 18.5%; p = 0.004). On anorectal manometry, the squeezing pressure of the anal sphincter was decreased in the myelopathy group (myelopathy, 132.3 ± 73.3 mmHg; radiculopathy, 179.9 ± 86.1 mmHg; control 200.4 ± 82.4 mmHg; p < 0.05). The success rate of biofeedback therapy was lower in the myelopathy group (28.6% for myelopathy vs. 62.0% for control group; p = 0.034). The response rate to biofeedback therapy was similar between radiculopathy and control group (62.5% for radiculopathy vs. 62.0% for control group; p = 1.000). Conclusions. In constipation associated with mild myelopathy, delayed colonic transit and dyssynergic defecation were major pathophysiologic abnormalities and biofeedback was less effective compared with control group. However, in the radiculopathy group, biofeedback was as effective as in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we construct an improved procedure for estimating the process capability index Cpmk. We propose a new Cpmk lower-bound approach based on the GCI concept, and compare it with other existing methods. Based on the comparison results, we conclude with a recommendation, and construct a step-by-step procedure for the recommended approach to estimate the actual process capability Cpmk for various sample sizes. The lower bound attended by our recommended approach, indeed, improves other existing lower bound methods. We also investigate a real-world application to illustrate how we could apply the recommended approach to the actual manufacturing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let n, r ∈ . The affine Schur algebra [image omitted] (of type A) over a field K is defined to be the endomorphism algebra of certain tensor space over the extended affine Weyl group of type Ar-1. By the affine Schur-Weyl duality it is isomorphic to the image of the representation map of the [image omitted] action on the tensor space when K is the field of complex numbers. We show that [image omitted] can be defined in another two equivalent ways. Namely, it is the image of the representation map of the semigroup algebra [image omitted] (defined in Section 3) action on the tensor space, and it equals to the “dual” of a certain formal coalgebra related to this semigroup. By these approaches, we can show many relations between different Schur algebras and affine Schur algebras and reprove one side of the affine Schur-Weyl duality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polyoxometalate based on saturated Wells-Dawson polyanions and calcium cations, H2[Ca2(P2W18O62)(H2O)5] · 7.5H2O (1), has been synthesized in aqueous solution and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and IR. Compound 1 is a new example of 3D framework based on Wells-Dawson anions that act as chelate ligands to coordinate with calcium cations. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that the pH of the supporting electrolytic solution has a marked effect on the electrochemical behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of aryl ferrocenyl ketones were prepared from iodoferrocene, phenylboronic acids, and CO via palladium-catalyzed carbonylation coupling in a short time. The procedure was efficient and convenient and avoided formation of diacylated derivatives compared with currently available Friedel-Crafts acylation methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two compounds ( 1 and 2 ) have been isolated from the stem bark of Dysoxylum binectariferum (Roxb.) Hook. f. ex Bedd. Compound 1 is rohitukine {5,7-dihydroxy-2-methyl-8-[4-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl)-piperidinyl]-4 H -1-benzopyran-4-one}, a known compound that has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Compound 2 is a new alkaloid, named rohitukine N -oxide, the structure of which was elucidated on the basis of spectral evidences and comparison with the 1 H NMR data of rohitukine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP, EC 3.1.3.1.) was found in seaweeds, including five kinds of green alga, eighteen kinds of red alga, and six kinds of brown alga, collected from the seaside of Dalian in China. The enzyme was purified 1230-fold from Ulva pertusa Kjellm. It had a specific activity of 48.6 U/mg protein and was proven to be homogeneous by SDS-PAGE with a subunit molecular mass of 19.5 kDa. The activity of ALP peaked at pH 9.8, and was completely inhibited by DTT and partly by NBS. The Michaelis-Menten constant Km and the maximum reaction velocity Vmax, at pH 9.8 and 37°C were 0.950 mM and 5.00 µM/min, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal bottom ash produced from a thermal power plant was used in a batch experiment to investigate the adsorption characteristic of this bottom ash. The adsorbate solutions were synthetic wastewaters contained copper (Cu2+) or COD and a sanitary landfill leachate. The influences of various factors, such as contact time, pH, initial adsorbate concentration and temperature on the sorption have been studied. Experimental results show that coal bottom ash had a good adsorption capacity for copper and COD and could reduce the concentrations of various pollutants in the leachate. The adsorption capacities of each gram of coal bottom ash were 0.48 mg Cu (at pH 4 and temperature 25°C) and 7.5 mg COD (at pH 5 and temperature 25°C); their adsorption behaviors conformed to Freundlich's adsorption model. In treating leachate, the removal efficiencies of COD, NH3–N, total Kjeldah nitrogen, phosphorus, Fe3+, Mn2+ and Zn2+ were 47, 39.4, 31.1, 92.9, 96.5, 94.3 and 82.2%, respectively. Based on these results we can conclude that it is possible to use coal bottom ash for removing pollutants from wastewaters. The adsorption capacities of coal bottom ash for pollutants were also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the development of HaGuo Start-up Simulation Program for thermal-hydraulic analysis. Simulation of start-up behavior of a once-through boiler with integral separator start-up systems; Identification of the design principles; Accounts on the improved analytical-numerical method.

Somatic embryogenesis and green plant regeneration of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) were successfully established using immature inflorescences and seedling stems. The capacity for somatic embryogenesis from immature inflorescences was higher than that from seedling stems. Immature inflorescences of 0.5-1.5 cm in size cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing 2 mg l[sup -1] 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) gave the best performance in callus induction. Suspension cultures were initiated from friable nodule-forming callus in MS basal medium supplemented with 5.0 mg l[sup -1] 2,4-D and 0.5 mg l[sup -1] abscisic acid. Fast-growing and finely dispersed suspension cultures were established. Kinetin at 1.0 mg l- 1 and 2,4-D at 0.1 mg l[sup -1] was the best plant growth regulator combination in green plant regeneration from direct callus differentiation and suspension cultures. The highest green plant regeneration was achieved 5-7 weeks after initiation in suspension culture. More than 100 regenerated plants were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method, which measures the temperature of solid rocket motor exhaust plume, was developed by employing an improved sodium line reversal process. The formula for calculating the temperature was improved and simplified. The temporal temperature-time distributions of the exhaust plume of double base propellant rocket motors were given by the established method. The maximum time resolution and accuracy for the temperature measurement are 40 μs and 8%, respectively. This kind of temperature measurement does not disturb the combustion flow field of exhaust plume and is simpler and more sensitive. The maximum temperatures of SQ-2 propellant exhaust plumes are 2234 K and 2202 K for 240 mm and 500 mm apart from the motor nozzle, respectively. More combustion phenomena of the exhaust plume can be measured by using an existing instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, the adsorption/desorption of free and adsorbed gas in coal will cause the coal matrix swelling/shrinkage. However, there is no constant conclusion on how the coal deforms under the two types of gas under different temperature and pressure conditions. Herein, a self-developed constant-temperature adsorption/desorption and deformation test system is used to monitor the axial and radial deformations of coal caused by the adsorption of different gases. The effects of effective stress and gas-self adsorption on the deformation in the process of expansion of gas adsorbed–coal are studied. The results showed that at the initial stage of gas adsorption by coal, the axial deformation of coal exceeds the radial deformation. Under the same injection pressure, the volumetric strain caused by injecting He and CH4 into coal first increases and then decreases with increasing temperature. During the CH4adsorption of coal, the volumetric strain of coal caused by effective stress exceeds that caused by adsorption stress. With increasing injection pressure, coal deformations caused by adsorption stress varied insignificantly. At a constant temperature, the CH4 adsorption stress increases slightly with increasing injection pressure. Under a constant injection pressure, the decrease in the CH4 adsorption stress is large when the temperature rises from 40°C to 60°C and is small when the temperature rises from 60°C to 80°C. The effect of temperature on the CH4 adsorption stress is more significant than that of the injection pressure. Finally, the ratio of volumetric strain caused by adsorption stress to that caused by effective stress decreases with increasing temperature, and it is approximately constant at temperatures between 60°C and 80°C. In general, the volume deformation caused by adsorption stress is mainly affected when the temperature is <60°C; thus, 60°C can be regarded as the threshold temperature at which the gas adsorption of coal is significantly changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of finite-time H ∞ control for switched systems under a dynamic event-triggered mechanism. In order to avoid frequent switching phenomenon and exclude Zeno behavior, discrete state information is used to construct a state-dependent switching law and a dynamic event-triggered mechanism. The event-triggered condition only needs to be detected at the sampled instants, so the data transmission pressure is greatly relieved. By introducing a delay-dependent Lyapunov function with the internal dynamic variable, a criterion is established to achieve the finite-time H ∞ performance. A set of dynamic event-triggered controllers and a state-dependent switching law are co-designed to reach desired behavior. An application example of the switched RLC system is offered to demonstrate the advantages of the acquired method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the severity of college student's mental health has increased, with depression being the most prominent. This study's primary purpose was to explore (1) whether the perceived stress of COVID-19 was associated with depression through sequential mediation of mindfulness and dysexecutive function and also (2) the temporal association among mindfulness, dysexecutive function and depression. Methods: We performed two studies to evaluate dysexecutive function as a mechanism through which mindfulness impacts depression under the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 used a sequential mediation model to test the mediating role of mindfulness and dysexecutive function between the perceived stress of COVID-19 and depression based on 1,665 emerging adults. Study 2 used a random-effect, cross-lagged panel model (RE-CLPM) to test the directionality among mindfulness, dysexecutive function, and depression based on 370 emerging adults. Results: The cross-sectional study showed that perceived stress of COVID-19 was positively associated with depression through the sequential mediation of mindfulness and dysexecutive function (effect: 0.08, 95%CI = [0.07, 0.10]), also through the mediation of mindfulness (effect: 0.05, 95%CI = [0.03, 0.06]) and dysexecutive function (effect: 0.08, 95%CI = [0.06, 0.10]) separately. The RE-CLPM study indicated that dysexecutive function mediates the reciprocal relation between mindfulness and depression at the within-person level. Conclusion: These results suggest that dysexecutive function is an intermediate psychological mechanism that exacerbates depression under pandemic-related stress. Mindfulness can predict dysexecutive function and subsequently improve depression. As depression under pandemic-related stress can weaken the mindful state, long-term mindfulness practices are needed to maintain mental health during COVID-19. Dysexecutive function is a potential cognitive risk factor of depression under pandemic stress using cross-sectional data. The random effect cross-lagged panel model (RE-CLPM) demonstrated temporal association among mindfulness, dysexecutive functions, and depression. Long-term mindfulness practices are needed to maintain mental health under COVID-19 stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime transportation is important, not only for its contribution to global trade, but also for its potential role in our common effort to curb the global environmental problems and make the world's economic development sustainable. An interesting finding is that shipping firms are more likely to adopt proactive GSCM strategies, which contradicts the findings of most management studies that reactive firms outnumber proactive and leading companies. All sample firms were clustered into "the leaders", "proactive firms", and "reactive firms" according to their level of GSCM strategy adoption. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This study aimed to summarize the current evidence-based approach to perioperative enteral nutritional (EN) program for gastric cancer (GC) surgery and to develop a staged and operable EN management scheme based on the evidence to provide clinical guidance for improving perioperative EN management in patients with GC. Methods: First, we synthesized expert consensuses, systematic reviews, and guidelines related to GC patients who had undergone surgery, based on a review of the literature and expert meetings. Subsequently, after carefully evaluating and selecting relevant EN management data, we created a preliminary draft of a perioperative EN program. Following Delphi expert consultations, the final version of the perioperative EN program was constructed after revision. Results: After two rounds of consultation, the expert opinions tended to be consistent. The expert positive coefficient was 1.00, and the expert authority coefficient was 0.90. After the second round of consultation, the coefficient of variation of the importance score ranged from 0.05 to 0.20, and the coefficient of variation of the feasibility score ranged from 0.09 to 0.23. The Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.338 and 0.392, and the difference between them was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The final practice plan includes 4 first-level, 16 s-level, and 64 third-level items. Conclusions: The perioperative EN program constructed in this study is comprehensive in content, feasible, and evidence-based, and can provide insights for clinical improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boiler equipment should be able to adapt to the load requirements and overcome the interference of various external conditions. By establishing a one-dimensional single-channel general numerical calculation model suitable for flow instability analysis of ultra-supercritical boilers at 700 °C, the rules of flow in the tubes are calculated. The 7th loop and the 22nd loop of the boiler water wall are selected as typical loops, and the dynamic characteristics of the two loops are calculated. The results show that after applying different multiples of heat flux disturbance, regardless of whether metal heat storage is considered, the inlet and outlet mass flow rates of the two circuits show inverse dynamic responses and eventually return to a steady state. When considering heat storage, it takes about 63 s for the 7th loop to return to stability. The recovery and stabilization time of the 22nd loop is about 60 s. Metal thermal storage has a positive effect on the settling time of the pipe section after heat flux disturbance. And when the maximum heat flux disturbance is applied, the maximum wall temperatures of the two loops are 443.9 °C and 446.5 °C, and the boiler can operate safely and stably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CAR-T is emerging as an effective treatment strategy for hematologic malignancies, however its effectiveness for treating solid tumors, such as Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is limited. Here, we screened a variety of CAR-T cells that target c-Met to investigate their potential to induce HCC cell death in vitro. Human T cells were transduced to express CARs by lentiviral vector transfection. c-Met expression in human HCC cell lines and CARs expression were monitored by flow cytometry. Tumor cell killing was evaluated by Luciferase Assay System Kit. The concentrations of cytokine were tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Knock down and overexpression studies targeting c-Met were conducted to assess the targeting specificity of CARs. We found that CAR T cells expressing a minimal amino-terminal polypeptide sequence comprising the first kringle (kringle 1) domain (denoted as NK1 CAR-T cells), efficiently killed HCC cell lines that expressed high levels of the HGF receptor c-Met. Furthermore, we report that while NK1 CAR-T cells were efficient at targeting SMMC7221 cells for destruction, and its potency was significantly attenuated in parallel experiments with cells stably expressing short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that suppressed c-Met expression. Correspondingly, overexpression of c-Met in the embryonic kidney cell line HEK293T led to their enhanced killing by NK1 CAR-T cells. Our studies demonstrate that a minimal amino-terminal polypeptide sequence comprising the kirngle1 domain of HGF is highly relevant to the design of effective CAR-T cell therapies that kill HCC cells expressing high levels of c-Met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sequenced a chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseRattus norvegicusC57CE strain mitochondrial genome for the first time (GenBank Accession No. KM114607). Its mitogenome was 16,307 bp and coding 13 protein–coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes. This genome will provide definite information for genetic perspective into this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the event-triggered exponential filtering problem is addressed for a class of networked linear switched systems via mode-dependent average dwell time (MDADT) technique. An event-triggered communication mechanism is designed to enhance the resource utilisation in transmission and save the communication cost of systems as well. Then, the filtering error system is reconstructed as a switched time-delay system with bounded disturbance by virtue of the input delay system approach. By applying the mode-dependent Lyapunov functional approach, some interesting results with MDADT technique are derived to ensure the exponential stability and a prescribed disturbance rejection level. Further, some sufficient conditions for switched systems with average dwell time (ADT) are also presented as byproduct. An event-triggered exponential filter is presented by solving some convex optimisation problems. The efficiency of the presented results is verified through a numerical example and a PWM-driven boost converter systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tayuan plutons located at the boundary of the Erguna and Xing'an blocks expose a coexisting mafic-felsic association that is made of monzogranite and gabbro-monzodiorite as well as subordinate quartz monzonite. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating revealed a synchronous emplacement of the monzogranite (314-317 Ma), gabbro (308-315 Ma), and quartz monzonite (310 ± 3 Ma). The majority of these intrusions are characterized by an enrichment in light rare earth elements relative to heavy rare earth elements and a depletion of high strength field elements (e.g. Nb, Ta, Ti). Zircons from the gabbro and monzogranite have εHf(t) values of 1.1-9.6 and −3.0-3.3, respectively. Geochemical data show that the gabbro-monzodiorite may have been generated by the melting of a fluid-metasomatized lithospheric mantle, while the monzogranite may have been formed by a partial melting of the Mesoproterozoic crust. The quartz monzonite has similar whole-rock geochemical and Hf isotopic compositions to those of the gabbros and could have been produced from the same mantle source as that from which the gabbros were extracted. The Tayuan plutonic rocks have high contents of K2O and total alkalis and show a northwestward polarity like that of the continental margin plutonic rocks along the Hegenshan-Heihe suture zone. Combined with data from published studies, our data indicate that the Tayuan intrusive rocks were generated by the northwestward subduction of the Hegenshan-Heihe Oceanic plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationships between the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and ascites fluid lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and prognosis in patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM). Methods: A total of 125 patients with MPeM were selected for the study using a pathological screening method. Once the diagnosis is established, before the treatment their clinical characteristics and nutritional evaluations were recorded including CONUT score and ascites LDH level. The associations between CONUT, ascites LDH, and other clinicopathological features including body mass index, asbestos exposure, pathological type, and treatment method were analyzed. Prognostic parameters predicting overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Cox regression. Results: High CONUT score, high ascites LDH level were positively associated with poor prognosis in patients with MPeM according to univariate analyses (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively), and CONUT score and ascites LDH were independent predictors of a poor prognosis according to multivariate analysis. When the CONUT score is greater than 3 and the ascites LHD is greater than 474 IU/l, it indicates a poor prognosis. Conclusions: CONUT score and ascites LDH are important factors influencing the prognosis of MPeM patients and should thus be considered in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the degradation activity of the manganese ABC transporter, vegetative catalase 1 and acetoin dehydrogenase E1 from Bacillus subtilis YB1, the proteins were prokaryotically expressed and purified. Assay results showed that the three enzymes were able to degrade nicosulfuron (2- (4,6-dimethoxypyrimidine-2-pyrimidinylcarbamoylaminosulfonyl) -N,N-dimethylnicotinamide), with vegetative catalase 1 exhibiting the highest activity. To further examine the degradation pathway, the degradation products of the three enzymes and the YB1 strain were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS). The nicosulfuron degradation products of the three enzymes were consistent with those of the YB1 strain, indicating the presence of two pathways: one due to cleavage of sulfonylurea bridges and ring-opening of 1-(4,6-dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yl)-3-(2-methyliminomethanesulfonyl-acetyl)-ureaas the pyrimidine ring, yielding the product; and the another due to cleavage of a sulfonylurea bridge, yielding 4,6-dihydroxy pyrimidine (111 m/z), 2-ylamine −4,6-dimethoxy pyrimidine and ((4-(dimethycarbamoyl)pyridine-2-yl)sulfonyl)carbamic acid as products, which were further degraded to 4,6-dihydroxy pyrimidine and N,N-dimethyl-2-sulfamoyl-isonicotinamide. The above results reveal a major contribution of extracellular enzymes to the degradation of nicosulfuron by the YB1 strain. Our data help in elucidation of the mechanism of nicosulfuron bio-degradation and may facilitate the construction of engineered strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has been continuously implementing the open-door policy for past 15 years ever since it joined the World Trade Organization, which escalated international trade and demand for shipping. Compared with the other major importing countries in the world, China’s importing tariff is relatively low. Under the Belt and Road initiatives, more Free Trade Agreements to be concluded and more Free Trade Zones to be established, it is expected that the effective import tariff rate may continue to decrease in the future. This study analyses the impact of further reduction in Chinese import tariff rate on major economic indicators using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model and based on the Chinese macro-economic data of 2012. The model results show that, with a balanced international payment, such a reduction can increase GDP, resident consumption, both imports and exports, and reduce GDP price, trade surplus, and government revenue. The results ease the concern that further import tariff reduction may harm the domestic production. Rather, it points out that there are still rooms to improve national economy and increase the consumer utility by trade liberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency cesarean section is one of the most critical methods in the treatment of high-risk emergency obstetric cases. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical effect of constructing a Rapid Response Team (RRT) in emergency cesarean section. This is a pre- and post-implementation study. The patients who underwent emergency cesarean section were retrospectively analyzed and divided into an experimental group and a control group. There were 52 patients (June–December 2020) in the control group who underwent routine emergency cesarean section without an RRT, and 51 patients (January–June 2021) in the experimental group who underwent emergency cesarean section with an RRT. The operation time indexes (DOI, decision-to-operating room interval; O-I, operating room-to-incision interval; DII, decision-to-incision interval; I-D, incision-to-delivery interval; DDI, decision-to-delivery interval), DDI pass rate, neonatal Apgar score and maternal complications in the two groups were compared. Moreover, the management time trends (DOI, DII, and DDI) in the experimental group were analyzed. The DDI, DII, DOI, and O-I of the experimental group were shorter than those of the control group, and the differences were significant (p < 0.05). The DDI pass rate in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was significant (p < 0.01). The 1-min Apgar score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The key intervals of emergency cesarean section in the experimental group leveled off after approximately 3 to 4 months. In the face of emergency situations, the implementation of an emergency cesarean section RRT can improve delivery intervals for emergency cesarean and would be conducive to maternal and infant safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce CO2 emissions from shipping activities to, from, and within the European Union (EU) area, a system of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of CO2 emissions from ships are implemented in 2015 by the EU. Although the MRV records in 2018 and 2019 have been published, there are scarce studies on the MRV system especially from a quantitative perspective, which restrains the potential of the MRV. To bridge this gap, this paper first analyzes and compares MRV records in 2018 and 2019, and then develops machine learning models for annual average fuel consumption prediction for each ship type combining ship features from an external database. The performance of the prediction models is accurate, with the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) on the test set no more than 12% and the average R-squared of all the models at 0.78. Based on the analysis and prediction results, model meanings, implications, and extensions are thoroughly discussed. This study is a pioneer to analyze the emission reports in the MRV system from a quantitative perspective. It also develops the first fuel consumption prediction models from a macro perspective using the MRV data. It can contribute to the promotion of green shipping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliphatic hydroxamic acids (HA) with varying numbers of carbon atoms, C2, C6, C8, C10, C12 and C17, and corresponding Fe(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by various methods, including structural determination by single crystal X-ray diffraction and theoretical calculations. The biological activities of HA and their complexes have been assessed on a panel of pathogens, including eight bacteria strains and one fungus. The C12 aliphatic HA displayed the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) towards several microbial strains and a selective antifungal activity. This antifungal selectivity was further improved considering the Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of C12 HA showed higher IC50 values, thus less impact on the SiHa human cell line viability. This work warrants further investigation to understand the underlying mechanism of action and potential biological applications of HA and the derived metal complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Yi-Qi Cong-Ming (YQCM) decoction has been widely used to prevent age-related hearing loss (ARHL), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. Objective: To explore the mechanism of YQCM decoction in the treatment of ARHL. Materials and methods: The chemical constituents of YQCM were screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database. Potential targets of YQCM against ARHL were predicted by DrugBank, GeneCards, and OMIM database. Protein-protein network and enrichment analysis were used for exploring possible molecular mechanisms. Molecular docking and an in vitro model of ARHL by exposing auditory cells with 100 μM H2O2 for 3 h were applied. Cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨM) were detected by CCK-8 and high-content analysis. γH2AX and cleaved caspase-3 were detected by Western blot. Results: The main compounds have good affinities with hub targets, especially AKT1, PTGS2, and CASP3. GO and KEGG analysis showed that the main biological process and key targets were related to negative regulation of the apoptotic process. H2O2 treatment could reduce the cell viability by 68% and impaired ΔΨM, while 90 μg/mL YQCM pre-treatment could restore the cell viability by 97.45% and increase ΔΨM (2-fold higher). YQCM pre-treatment also reduced γH2AX and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels. Conclusions: Our study suggested that YQCM prevents ARHL by modulating the apoptosis process in auditory hair cells. Moreover, this study proved that bioinformatics analysis combined with molecular docking and cell model is a promising method to explore other possible pharmacological interventions of ARHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one on an approach to combine objectivity with modeling process to monitor the frequency behavior of item-sets and another on a model fitness evaluation method to identify positive and negative instances effectively.

A numerical study is conducted to investigate heat transfer characteristics of supercritical water flowing upward in an inclined smooth tube under uniform heating conditions. In this study, model verification was performed under the conditions of low heat flux and high heat flux to ensure the accuracy of experimental data. Inner wall temperature and heat flux distribute non-uniformly on the circumference due to the influence of natural convection. The increase of heat flux enhances the non-uniform circumferential distribution, while the increase of mass flux reduces the non-uniform circumferential distribution. Heat transfer of upward vertical and inclined flows is compared under low and high heat flux conditions. Radial distributions of fluid temperature, density, specific heat capacity, velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy are presented and analyzed. The analysis shows that the increase of heat flux reduces radial turbulence and heat-absorbing capacity of the boundary fluid, while increases radial temperature and density gradient. Three dimensionless buoyancy parameters are used to evaluate the buoyancy effect of inclined flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the problem of the input-to-state practical stability for switched affine systems with time-varying delay and essentially bounded exogenous disturbance. The presence of affine terms makes switched systems have multiple switched equilibria and brings further difficulties in the stability analysis, control synthesis and avoiding Zeno behaviours compared with the non-affine switched systems. To overcome these difficulties, first, a convex combination approach is employed to acquire a set of attainable equilibria limited by the system matrix, the delay term matrix, and affine terms. Second, a mode-dependent event-triggered mechanism with sampled-data information is established, which not only ignores Zeno behaviour but also effectively reduces network resource waste. An input-to-state practical stability criterion is proposed for the closed-loop system by converting the event-triggered control system into a time-delay system and introducing a less conservative time-dependent Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. Moreover, a sampled-data switching law and a set of executable controllers are also co-designed. Finally, an application example of the flyback DC–DC converter demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Few data are available on the influence of a colonoscope length for trainees, which could affect both the duration of training and colonoscopy quality. We conducted this study to validate which scope needs more duration for training to reach technical competence and to shows better quality indicators during diagnostic colonoscopy. Materials and methods. We conducted a prospective randomly assigned study from April 2010 to February 2011 at Asan Medical Center. Among the 1329 patients enrolled, 1200 colonoscopies were analyzed. We compared cecal intubation rate, adenoma detection rate, cecal intubation time (<20 min), and withdrawal time between the trainees using the intermediate-length colonoscope and those using long-length colonoscope. Results. Trainees who used the long-length colonoscope showed a higher overall cecal intubation rate (88.2% vs. 81.0%, p = 0.001) and adenoma detection rate (49.7% vs. 34.2%, p < 0.001) than those using the intermediate-length colonoscope. The successful cecal intubation rate improved significantly and reached the requisite standard of competence (>90%) after 90 procedures in the long-length colonoscope group. However, the trainees using the intermediate-length colonoscope reached the requisite standard of competence after 150 procedures. Logistic regression analysis revealed that prolonged cecal intubation was associated with the use of the intermediate-length colonoscope, poor colon preparation, a small number of esophagastroduodenoscopy or sigmoidoscopy procedures conducted, and pain during procedures. Conclusions. During the same training period, use of the long-length colonoscope in trainee was better in terms of reaching competency and quality indicators, and was less painful for the patients during colonoscopic procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active lateral suspension (ALS) of a train consists of either active or semi-active technologies. However, such an active system on a real railway vehicle is not easy to test because of cost and time. In this study, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) system is developed to test the ALS. To this end, the dynamic model of a railway vehicle is equipped with the actuator, two bogies and four-wheel sets, and the ALS is used. The proposed HILS system consists of an alternating current servo motor connected to a ball-screw mechanism and a digital control system. The digital control system implements the dynamic model and the control algorithm. The design and manufacture of the HILS system are explained in detail. Both the passive damper and the magneto-rheological (MR) fluid damper are tested using the HILS system, where the sky-hook control algorithm was applied for the MR fluid damper. Experimental results show that the proposed HILS system can be effectively used for the performance estimation of the ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the changes in amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and S100B in neonates with brain injury induced by neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB). 67 neonates with brain injury induced by NHB admitted to our hospital from March 2016 to October 2018 were included in a brain injury group (BIG), and 82 neonates with NHB but without brain injury in our hospital during the same period were included in a non-BIG. The two groups were compared regarding the rates of normal and abnormal aEEG results. The proportion of normal aEEG results in the BIG was significantly lower than that in the non-BIG, and the proportion of moderately and severely abnormal aEEG results in the BIG were both significantly higher than those in the non-BIG. The BIG showed significantly higher NSE and S100B levels than those of the non-BIG. The ROC curve for predicting prognosis showed that the AUC of aEEG, NSE, S100B, and the combined detection are 0.780, 0.754, 0.743, 0.788. The AUC > 0.700 indicated a good predictive value for the prognosis. The combination of aEEG, NSE, and S100B has good value in diagnosing injury induced by NHB and can predict prognosis moderately well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence indicates that nocturnal blood pressure level and/or loss of nocturnal blood pressure dips are sensitive markers of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Several studies have suggested that blunted heart rate variability and nocturnal decline in heart rate are also associated with target organ damage. These phenomena occur relatively commonly in patients with Parkinson disease (PD); however, few studies have assessed the consequences of these abnormalities in patients with PD. We investigated the influence of circadian changes in blood pressure and heart rate on white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in patients with PD. The presence of nocturnal hypertension was associated with increased WMH score, and nighttime systolic pressure was closely related with white matter changes. Blunted heart rate variability and nocturnal decline in heart rate were also related to increasing WMH scores. The non-dipping phenomenon did not influence WMHs. These findings suggest that white matter changes are related to circadian autonomic dysfunction, particularly nocturnal hypertension in patients with PD. Therefore, it is important to monitor nocturnal blood pressure status, because modifying these circadian regulatory disturbances can be beneficial to protect against vascular brain damage in patients with PD. (Author correspondence: neuronet@catholic.ac.kr) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims. Molecular authentication of Korean ginseng cultivars was investigated using the mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase subunit 7 ( nad7) intron 3 region. Materials and methods. A mutation site specific to Panax ginseng ''Gumpoong'' and ''Chungsun'' cultivars was detected within the sequence data. Based on this mutation site and the ''Gumpoong''-specific single nucleotide polymorphism site reported in 26S rDNA, two modified allele-specific primer pairs were designed and a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (MARMS) was applied to identify ''Gumpoong'' and ''Chungsun.'' Results. The results showed that ''Gumpoong'' and ''Chungsun'' can be clearly discriminated from the other Korean ginseng cultivars by simultaneously identifying the haplotype of ''Gumpoong'' and the specific allele of ''Chungsun'' by applying the MARMS. Conclusion. This study, therefore, provides a simple and reliable method for simultaneous authentication of ''Gumpoong'' and ''Chungsun'' cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weisiensin B, a new ent-kaurane diterpenoid, was isolated from traditional Chinese herb Rabdosia weisiensis C.Y. Wu. In this study, cytotoxicity of weisiensin B was tested on four different tumor cell lines and the effect of growth inhibition and apoptosis in BEL-7402 cell line were investigated in vitro. The results indicated that weisiensin B had significant antiproliferation activity on the four cell lines. Further study on BEL-7402 cells involving Hoechst 33258 stain and DNA fragmentation assay revealed the characteristic apoptotic features of nuclear and DNA ladder formation. Flow cytometric (FCM) analysis with propidium iodide (PI) staining demonstrated that BEL-7402 cells treated with weisiensin B were arrested in G2/M phase. The results demonstrated that a significant fraction of weisiensin B-treated cells died by an apoptotic pathway in BEL-7402 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]