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Phytochemical investigation on the fruiting bodies of the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lingzhi led to the isolation of a new norsteroid, namely ganonorsterone A (1), together with one known steroid, cyathisterol (2). The structure and absolute configuration of compound 1 were assigned by extensive analysis of MS, NMR data, and quantum-chemical calculations including electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and calculated 13C NMR-DP4+ analysis. Bioassay results showed that compound 1 displayed moderate inhibition on NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionsThe purpose of this study is to determine the variations in the prevalence of self-reported asthma among the adult population in the United States of America (USA), analyzing demographic characteristics, physical indicators, living habits, and sarcopenia.10,566 participants from the 2009 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of the USA who were 20 years of age or older and not pregnant were included in the study.The prevalence of patients with asthma varies by age, gender, and race. The weighted prevalence is 15.5%, estimated to represent 19.36 million people in the USA (95% CI, 14.5% to 16.6%). The prevalence of self-reported asthma decreases with age, with the highest prevalence among young adults aged 20–25 for both males and females. Females were also more susceptible to asthma compared to males. The increase in asthma prevalence attributed to smoking was most pronounced among African American and Caucasian participants (p < 0.05), while its effect on Mexican American and Asian participants was relatively minor. Notably, the prevalence of asthma was significantly higher in African American and Caucasian participants with sarcopenia compared to those without sarcopenia.The prevalence of asthma is associated to varying degrees with factors such as age, gender, smoking, and the presence of sarcopenia. The elevated prevalence of asthma among young people and females warrants attention. Intensifying efforts toward smoking cessation and the scientific management of sarcopenia could be instrumental in reducing the incidence of asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article mainly studies the strong convergence properties for randomly weighted maximum partial sums of arrays of row-wise extended negatively dependent (END, for short) random variables, including the complete moment convergence and complete f-moment convergence. The results obtained in this paper extend the corresponding ones in the literature. As an application, we investigate the complete consistency of the estimators of nonparametric regression models based on END random errors by using the complete convergence that we established. Then we provide comprehensive simulation studies to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical results based on the finite sample performance. Finally, an application to a real data set is illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is a prominent energy resource in China. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately extract the coal-covered areas. Taking Xinjiang's Zhundong mining region as the study area, Landsat 8 OLI data were employed to assess the spectral curves of four typical ground objects, including vegetation, bare land, water body and bare coal. The Normalized Difference Bare Coal Index (NDBCI) and the Normalized Difference Coal Index (NDCI) were developed to extract coal-covered area. Higher-resolution Sentinel-2B data for the same period were used for verification, with extraction accuracy evaluated by five metrics including Kappa coefficient, Overall accuracy, Checking accuracy, Checking completeness and F1-score. The results of extracting coal-covered areas showed that (1) the NDBCI showed 'internal fragmentation' and the NDCI demonstrated 'pixel overflow' during the extraction process. Therefore, we determined the optimal thresholds −0.03 for NDBCI and 0.04 for NDCI. (2) NDBCI distinguished pixels with lower grey-scale values, such as water body, road and gangue. However, some dump zones and shed patches were misclassified. (3) NDCI generated clear boundaries and more complete interiors, and the dump zone and shed could be distinguished. However, some water body parts were misclassified as coal-covered areas. (4) Combined application of NDBCI and NDCI generated a 'complementary' effect better than both individual modes. Kappa coefficient, Overall accuracy and F1-score reached 0.95, 98.76% and 0.75, respectively. This study successfully extracted coal-covered areas by developing a remote sensing index based on spectral traits and a priori knowledge of the study area. The proposed combined extraction mode achieved high accuracy for rapid and reliable identification of coal-covered areas. Highlights: Two new remote sensing indexes for coal-covered area extraction were proposed in this paper. Complementary advantages were found between NDBCI and NDCI in the extraction. Accuracy assessment was performed based on manually deciphered high-precision raster data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this paper, a nonclassical shell model is utilized to investigate the dynamic stability of functionally graded piezoelectric (FGP) nanoshells considering the thermo-electro-mechanical coupling effects. Also, the FGP nanoshells on elastic foundations are subjected to periodic axial loading. The theoretical formulations are derived by implementing the first-order shear deformation (FSD) shell theory into the nonlocal strain gradient theory (NSGT). Hamilton’s principle is utilized to obtain the equations of motion and related boundary conditions of the present nanoshell model. Moreover, the Mathieu-Hill equations determining the instability regions are presented and analyzed based on Bolotin’s method. Results demonstrate that the external electric voltage, the elastic foundations, the temperature rise, the static load factor, the power-law index and the small-scale parameters have significant influences on the dynamic stability responses of FGP nanoshells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the seven equivalent conditions of complete moment convergence and complete integral convergence for m -asymptotic negatively associated ( m -ANA, for short) random variables are established. The results obtained in the paper extend and improve some corresponding ones for negatively associated (NA, for short) random variables and negatively orthant dependent (NOD, for short) random variables. As an application of our main results, we present a result on complete consistency for the weighted estimator in a nonparametric regression model based on m-ANA errors. We perform a numerical simulation to verify the validity of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of China Tourism Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Direct aging of water-quenched metastable β-titanium alloys usually follows the sequence: rapid growth of ωiso and then slow transformation into α. To inhibit ωiso growth and promote α nucleation, 6% pre-deformation was introduced in Ti-10V-6Cu alloy before 500°C/60s aging. An ultrafast α-formation and a few α-free kink-bands are observed, indicating the alteration of the precipitation sequence. For α-nucleation without ωiso as the sites, it shows that O' nanodomains induced by stress accumulation around slip bands mediate the ultrafast nucleation of hcp-α structure, while dislocation pipe diffusion accelerates the necessary phase separation. This provides new insights into regulating precipitation kinetics of age-hardenable β-titanium alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the complete f-moment convergence for weighted sums of sequences of extended negatively dependent random variables is investigated. As a result, we not only extend and generalize some results on complete convergence obtained by Wu and Zhai (Journal of Mathematical Inequalities, 13(1): 251-260, 2019), but also get some results on the complete consistency for the estimator of nonparametric regression models and provide some simulations to assess the validity of our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the mechanical performance of multi-cell thin-walled tubes with small aspect ratio and diameter thickness ratio and the same weight was studied theoretically, numerically and experimentally. The lightweight devices impact test was designed to get a higher velocity than the drop-weight crashing test or impacting trolley test and the experimental tests were carried out under static and dynamic axial loading. The theoretical mean crushing force (MCF) was obtained according to the simplified super folding element (SSFE) theory, and structural coefficient of the homoeomorphic structure was obtained. Then the numerical models were conducted to investigate the strain hardening on the matrix material. The results showed that the dynamic amplification factor (DAF) for the multi-cell tube to predict the MCF precisely could be ignored at or below the impact velocity 50 m/s. In addition, the experimental results indicated the initial peak forces (IPF) of the tubes were sensitive to the total length of all flanges of the cross-section. The multi-cell partitioning could improve the energy absorption of the thin-walled structures and relieve the increment of the dynamic axial loads. The energy absorption efficiency of multi-cell structure with circular tube is higher than that of multi-cell structure with square tube. The numerical model indicated the dynamic axial impact could lead to the strain hardening of the matrix material. The significant strain hardening could lead to more increment of the force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate some convergence properties, such as complete convergence, complete moment convergence, complete f-moment convergence and strong law of large numbers, for partial sums of randomly weighted sums of ρ-mixing sequences by using the moment inequality, which extend and improve the corresponding ones in the literature. As applications, we obtain the complete consistency for the randomly weighted estimator in a nonparametric regression models and the estimators for the unknown parameters in the simple linear errors-in-variables regression models based on ρ-mixing errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the complete f-moment convergence for weighted sums of asymptotically almost negatively associated (AANA, for short) random variables. Our results improve and generalize the corresponding ones of [M.M. Xi, X. Deng, X.J. Wang, and Z.Y. Cheng, L p convergence and complete convergence for weighted sums of AANA random variables, Commun. Stat. Theory Methods 47(22) (2018), pp. 5604–5613]. As an application of our main results, some results on the complete consistency for the estimator in semiparametric regression models are obtained and a simulation study is provided to assess the finite sample performance of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical composition of sub-10 nm particles is crucial for understanding the atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) and subsequent particle growth. However, very limited chemical information is available in this diameter range due to the high technical requirements. In this work, we proposed a new operation mode of water-based condensation particle counter, which was termed as Scanning Flow Condensation Particle Counter (SFCPC). By altering the aerosol flow rate (Qa), this method could change supersaturation (S) rapidly. The inner S of SFCPC was evaluated by ammonium sulfate (AS) and tungsten oxide particles. It decreased more and more sharp when Qa varied from 400 to 80 cm3 min−1, corresponding to the S in the range of 14.02%–26.39%, which could activate AS in 3.6–5.4 nm. Hygroscopicity parameter κ was obtained directly from the selected particle diameter and measured counting efficiency. For AS-levoglucosan/sucrose mixtures, linear relationship between κ and organic mass fraction forg was successfully established down to 3.5 nm. We also measured κ of several NPF relevant organics in 5–8 nm (0.121 ± 0.055, 0.123 ± 0.035, 0.132 ± 0.032, 0.129 ± 0.023 and 0.142 ± 0.023 for cis-pinonic acid, benzoic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, and glutaric acid, respectively). This new method has been evaluated in lab for the capability of measuring κ. The size-resolved linear relationship indicated that SFCPC could be used to infer forg. The rapid S change and activated diameter range make this method suitable for field measurements. The provided κ and forg of sub-10 nm particles is an important complement for the understanding of new particle formation. Copyright © 2023 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the weak convergence and convergence rate in the weak law of large numbers for weighted sums of a class of random variables satisfying the Rosenthal type inequality. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence rates in the weak law of large numbers under some mild conditions are provided. Moreover, the main results that we established are applied to simple linear errors-in-variables regression models and nonparametric regression models based on a class of random errors. Finally, we present some numerical simulations to assess the finite sample performance of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the dynamic crack propagation behaviour in the fracture zone and the damage characteristics of the rock mass around the blasthole during eccentric uncoupled blasting of a deep-level rock mass, theoretical analysis, model experiments and numerical simulation studies have been described in this paper. Firstly, the stress state of the crack and the stress distribution state and failure mechanism of the rock mass around the blasthole under the influence of the in-situ stress, and the pressure distribution of blast shock wave on the blasthole were analysed. Secondly, with the help of a new digital laser caustics experimental system, the eccentric uncoupled blasting model experiment under the action of the in-situ stress was carried out. The fractal damage theory is used to quantitatively evaluate the damage degree of the rock mass in different areas around the blasthole, and the blast-induced crack propagation mechanical behaviour characteristics in the fracture zone are analyzed from the perspective of dynamics. Then, based on the LS-DYNA software, a numerical simulation study was conducted on the eccentric blasting of deep rock mass. Finally, some discussions and suggestions are provided for the analysis of blasting mechanisms in a deep-level rock mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the complete f-moment convergence for arrays of rowwise m-negatively associated random variables under some general conditions. The results obtained in the paper extend and improve some previous known ones. As an application of the main results, we present the complete consistency for the estimator in a semiparametric regression model based on m-negatively associated errors. We perform some numerical simulations to verify the validity of the theoretical results based on finite samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of photosynthetic vegetation (PV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) is critical for the study of vegetation in arid and semiarid regions. However, the evaluation of the fractional cover of PV (fPV) and NPV (fNPV) in Xinjiang has received very little attention. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of PV and NPV and their responses to precipitation and temperature in Xinjiang from 2001 to 2020. The results showed that the overall stability of fPV and fNPV were of the low fluctuation and high fluctuation types, respectively. A significant increase trend of fPV was found in most regions (P < 0.01), while fNPV showed an insignificant increase trend in general, except for eastern Xinjiang (P > 0.05). The comparison of fPV and fNPV shows that the vegetation of Xinjiang has improved over time, except for the Yili region, showing the need to strengthen the environmental protection of this region. Through the spatial analysis, some agricultural oasis areas experienced an expansion in the distribution of vegetation, while some sparse vegetation distribution area has not improved. From the climate perspective, the response degree of fPV and fNPV with precipitation is higher than that of temperature. The responses of fPV and fNPV to precipitation are greater in the summer and spring phases, respectively. Whereas, the responses of both fPV and fNPV to temperature are greater in the autumn phase. In the time phase, precipitation mainly promotes the distribution of PV and NPV, while temperature mainly inhibits their distribution. This study provides a theoretical basis for ecological restoration and conservation in Xinjiang and other arid and semiarid regions worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric elastomer actuators have attracted growing interest for soft robot due to their large deformation and fast response. However, continuous high-voltage loading tends to cause the electric breakdown of the actuator due to heat accumulation, and viscoelasticity complicates precise control. The snap-through bistability of the Venus flytrap is one of the essential inspirations for bionic structure, which can be adopted to improve the shortcoming of dielectric elastomer actuators and develop a new actuation structure with low energy consumption, variable configuration, and multi-mode actuation. Hence, in this paper, the structural design principles of electroactive bistable actuators are first presented based on the total potential energy of the structure. Following that, a feasible design parameter region is provided, the influence of crucial parameters on the actuation stroke, trigger voltage, and actuation charge are discussed. Finally, according to the coupling relationship between the bending stiffness and the bistable property of the actuator, the adjusting methods of bistable actuation are explored. A qualitative experiment was performed to verify the feasibility and correctness of the bistable design methodology and the actuation regulation strategy. This study provides significant theoretical guidance and technical support for developing and applying dielectric elastomer actuators with multi-mode, high-performance, and long-life characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and accurate assessments of soil salinity information surrounding saline lakes are crucial for agricultural development and ecological security in arid regions. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm is currently utilized to derive the relationship between environmental covariates and soil salinity to perform remote sensing inversion of regional soil salinity; however, there is still potential for improvement in the existing SVM algorithm. Therefore, this study aims to improve the remote sensing-based soil salinity content (SSC) extraction from the Landsat 8, DEM and HJ-1A CCD satellite data using the Cuckoo Search Algorithms-Support Vector Machines (CS-SVM) model. In addition, the correlation and principal component analysis were conducted to determine the principal components of environmental covariates. The results show that the differential transformation effectively separates the land and water, which helps to reduce the noise in the raw remote sensing image. The analysis of soil and vegetation factors shows that the first three principal components cumulative variance contributed 99.69% on the raw remote sensing image, while the first two principal components cumulative variance contributed 88.01% and 85.28% on the first- and second-order differential transformation remote sensing images, respectively. Interestingly, L-S2 is the only factor correlated with SSC in the third order differential transform remote sensing image, with the R value of 0.325. The slope direction and plane curvature under the topographic factors had negative correlations with SSC, with the R values of −0.521 and −0.325, respectively. Finally, the SSC inversion model was developed using the first order differential transformation remote sensing images, which has high accuracy and good stability (R2 = 0.68 and RMSE = 3.80 g−1). The cuckoo algorithm is helpful for determining the best support vector machine parameters and offers new perspectives in improving the reliability of remote sensing-based soil salinity inversion in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the condition of high-stress abrasive wear, the strength at the interface of the WC/Fe matrix composites is significantly low, it is very easy to become the source of the overall damage to the material. In this study, the mechanical properties and interfacial organization of the WC/Fe matrix composites were analyzed by adding a binder and using a combination of powder metallurgy and gravity casting infiltration. The results showed that upon the addition of an adhesive, the width of the interface became twice as large as that without additives. Moreover, adding an adhesive also reduced the plastic deformation at the interface by more than three times. The best bonding agent was borax + sodium carbonate, which significantly increased the diffusion rate of atoms at the interface compared to sodium silicate and polyvinyl alcohol and also enhanced the interfacial mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air injection is an effective method to eliminate flow separation and improve blade loading in compressors. In existing studies on unsteady air injection, achieving a better control effect than steady injection with lower injection consumption is a major difficulty and challenge. In this work, pulsed endwall air injection (PEAI) was carried out numerically in a highly loaded compressor cascade under different injection frequencies and injection amplitudes. The mechanism through which PEAI influences corner separation and vortical flow, especially the effect of initial injection phase on the flow field of compressor cascade, was revealed. The results showed that PEAI effectively suppressed the corner separation with lower injection mass flow rate compared with steady endwall air injection (SEAI). The time-averaged overall loss coefficient and endwall loss coefficient were reduced by 10.5% and 28.7%, respectively, under the optimal PEAI scheme. Higher injection amplitude exhibited a more effectively controlled range in the suction corner, which led to a decrease in corner separation and deterioration of the mid-span flow field. The interaction between trailing edge separation and low-momentum fluid at mid-span led to the formation of an injection vortex. When conducting PEAI, the effect of inertia was observed for flow in the injection hole, which was derived from the interactions between injection fluid at different velocities and will increase with the improvement of injection frequency. The effects of injection location and diameter of the injection hole were also investigated. The injection location of PEAI affected the flow field by changing the effect region of the injection and low-momentum fluid near the endwall. The injection hole diameter had a significant impact on the intensity of the passage vortex and mid-span flow field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) ladar is a useful sensor for remote sensing applications and has been widely used in both the military and civilian fields for precise geospatial data acquisition. Typically, the FMCW-ladar signal is collected by use of the heterodyne detection through the dechirping so as to decrease the sampling rate commensurate with the bandwidth. In this manuscript, we proposed a novel scheme for processing the FMCW-ladar signal acquired through the simplified heterodyne detection, and the sampling rate was the same as that in the dechirp detection. Based on the time–frequency relation of the FMCW-ladar signal, two algorithms were proposed to post-process the echo acquired by the simplified heterodyne detection with the sub-Nyquist sampling rate. For the FMCW-ladar echo data acquired by the simplified heterodyne detection with the same sampling rate as in the traditional dechirp detection, the algorithms can achieve the unambiguous range image retaining the range resolution commensurate with the transmitted chirp bandwidth. The effectiveness of the scheme was validated by simulation and real data processing experiments. The capability of the proposed scheme provides an alternative for the FMCW-ladar system without use of the dechirp detection, which can benefit the future FMCW-ladar and microwave photonics radar applications in the remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we mainly investigate the consistency and strong convergence rate for the nearest neighbor density estimator based on φ -mixing random samples. The weak consistency, complete consistency, the rates of complete consistency and strong consistency for the nearest neighbor estimator of density function based on φ -mixing random samples are established. The results obtained in the article extend some corresponding ones for independent samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vibration test was performed on large-diameter steel cylinders that comprise the wall surrounding the artificial islands of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge. The dynamic strain and stress endured by the following components, auxiliary cells of three different thicknesses, large and small mortises, and steel pipe piles, were analyzed. The results showed that the steel section at the monitored points of the auxiliary cell, mortise, and steel pipe pile did not yield during vibration. The extreme values of dynamic stress and strain of the auxiliary cell appeared near the bottom and increased with increasing auxiliary cell thickness. Meanwhile, the extreme values of dynamic stress and strain of mortises and steel pipe piles mostly appeared at the top. Our research results can provide a reference for the rationality of the auxiliary cell structure design and its safety evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) family members control histone acetylation levels to regulate gene expression and play significant roles in microbe interactions and abioticstress responses. However, the HAT and HDAC family members in citrus have not yet been identified, and their responses to drought (abiotic stress) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, remain unknown. In the present study, HAT and HDAC family genes were characterized in the citrus genome. A total of 14 CsHATs and 11 CsHDACs were identified in the citrus genome, of which 8 CsHATs and 7 CsHDACs showed syntenic relationships with Arabidopsis HATs and HDACs, respectively. Furthermore, the 14 CsHATs were classified into GNAT-MYST, TAFII250, MYST, CBP, and one citrus-unique family. The 11 CsHDACs were classified into SIR2, HD2, and RPD3/HDA1. Gene expression analysis showed AMF colonizationor drought induced the expression of CsHAT1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 14, and repressed CsHDAC1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 10. The regulation of HAT and HDAC expression was not always consistent with the cis-elements identified in their promoters. The present study offers useful insights into the citrus HAT and HDAC gene families and their expression in response to AMF colonization and drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanical properties of fiber nano-modified rubber concrete in high temperature. In this study, ordinary C30 concrete was used as the test benchmark, and 10% by volume of five kinds of rubber particles were used to replace fine aggregate to prepare rubber concrete (RC). On this basis, steel fibers with a volume ratio of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% were added to make fully mixed steel fiber rubber concrete (SFRRC), according to the completely mixed steel fiber rubber concrete (SFRRC) Compression test, split tensile test, 4-point bending test, and fatigue test of steel fiber rubber concrete (SFRRC) with three stress levels, studied the fully mixed steel fiber rubber concrete (SFRRC) machinery of various steel fiber mixed materials Properties and the effects on the fatigue life, fatigue probability distribution law and damage progression law of steel fiber rubber concrete. The test results show that the combination of steel fiber and nano-silica can increase the crack resistance of 600-degree high-temperature concrete to 57.19% and the maximum separation tensile strength to 269.09%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blank holders play an important role in non-isothermal stamping, and blank holder optimization is thus investigated in this article. A kriging-interpolated level-set method based on a parallel infilling strategy is proposed. First, a new method is used to discretize the design domain of a blank holder. The first-stage kriging model between the nodes and level-set values is developed, and a new blank holder structure can be determined according to a level-set threshold. The second-stage kriging model between the level sets and forming quality is then developed. The second-stage kriging model is updated based on a parallel infilling strategy. The best level-set values are obtained via an improved particle swarm optimization, and the optimal blank holder structure is determined. The proposed method is validated using a cross-shaped part. The results show that the optimized blank holder mass is reduced by 28%, and the forming quality is improved significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a water-soluble polymer, is widely used in the disposable textile industry and, in particular, in the manufacture of one-off work clothes that cannot be effectively treated by biological processes. The present study investigated the effect of the initial PVA concentration, reaction temperature, ozone penetration rate and initial pH value on the degradation rate of PVA. Additionally, the PVA degradation reaction mechanism was preliminarily explored. Initially, we identified the optional operative conditions: an initial PVA concentration of 20 g/L, an aqueous solution temperatureof 20 °C, an ozone penetration rate of 18 g/h and an initial pH value of 9. Subsequently we demonstrated that the PVA concentration of sample could decrease from 20 g/L to 0.286 mg/L with a degradation rate of PVA of almost 100%. Furthermore, in absence of ozone, almost no PVA polymer degradation was achieved. This study also proved that the feeding strategy of ozone could have a significant impact on the degradation of PVA molecules in the ozone oxidation process. We, therefore, provided new insights into the degradation process of PVA in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs, also termed CPKs) are a large, diverse protein family that play significant roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. However, CDPKs in citrus are relatively unknown, as are their responses to drought stress (abiotic stress) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization. In this study, the citrus CDPKs were characterized by analyzing the presence of EF-hand and Pkinase domains and searching the citrus genome. Twenty-nine Citrus sinensis CDPKs (CsCDPKs) were identified on at least nine chromosomes in the citrus genome. Three clusters were found on chromosome 4 with three or two CsCDPKs, and 17 CsCDPKs showed syntenic relationships with Arabidopsis thaliana CPKs (AtCPKs). Twenty-nine CsCDPKs were expressed in the roots, and the regulation of the CsCDPKs was not always consistent with the cis-elements in their promoters. CsCDPK1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 29 were upregulated by AMF colonization, and CsCDPK3, 7 and 28 were downregulated. Drought-repressed expression of CsCDPK10, 11, 12, 15 and 16 induced CsCDPK20 and 22. Furthermore, AMF colonization and drought stress exerted synergistic effects; the expression levels of CsCDPK20 and CsCDPK22 were repressed in W_AMF treatment (well-watered with AMF) but induced in D_AMF treatment (drought stress with AMF). Together, these results provide a basis for further functional studies of the CsCDPK proteins and their responses to AMF and drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, have retracted the following article: Shuyu Jia, Ximei Yang, Xirong Yang & Fei Zhang. (2020). MicroRNA-210 protects against periodontitis through targeting HIF-3α and inhibiting p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 48(1), 129–136, DOI: Since publication, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data in the article. When approached for an explanation, the authors have been unable to provide their original data. The authors have agreed to the retraction of the article. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as 'Retracted'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven compounds were isolated from a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. ZF-79, including three new polyketides (1–3), named asperochrins D-F, along with four known compounds 4–7. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods. All the compounds were tested for quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 exhibited QSI activity against Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 with MIC values of 50, 100, 50, 50, and 6.25 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

KTa0.63Nb0.37O3 (KTN) and Fe doped KTa0.63Nb0.37O3 particles have been synthesized by the mixed solvothermal method at 200 °C for 24 h. The influence of Fe-doping on the phase structure and micro-morphology of KTN was investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The obtained samples are cubic phase KTN nanocrystallines with high-purity and well-crystallized. The grain size of Fe doped KTN increases and the lattice parameters change slightly. Moreover, the particle separation becomes to be better and the particle distribution becomes more homogeneous after Fe-doping. The Fe-doping content is better to be controlled under 1.8 mol% to prevent impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new compounds, namely massonside C (1), massonianoside F (2), and 3, 8-dimethyl- herbacetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), together with five known compounds (4–8), were isolated from the fresh needles of Pinus massoniana. Their structures were established by 1D, 2D NMR, HRMS and comparison with the literature data. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by a combination of X-ray single crystal analysis. All isolated compounds were evaluated for the protective effect of human umbilical vein endothelial cells against oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, some results on the complete moment convergence, complete convergence, complete integral convergence, and strong law of large numbers for weighted sums of weakly dependent random vectors in Hilbert spaces are established. The results obtained in this paper improve and extend the corresponding ones of Sung [Complete convergence for weighted sums of ρ ∗ -mixing random variables, Discrete Dyn. Nat. Soc. 2010 (2010), Article ID 630608, 13 pages], Huan [Baum-Katz type theorems for coordinatewise negatively associated random vectors in Hilbert spaces, Acta Math. Hungar. 144(1) (2014), pp. 132–149], Huan [On complete convergence for sequences of random vectors in Hilbert spaces, Acta Math. Hungar. 147(1) (2015), pp. 205–219], and Ko [The complete moment convergence for CNA random vectors in Hilbert spaces, J. Inequal. Appl. 2017 (2017), Article ID 290, 11 pages]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bentonite-water slurry trenches are utilised not only in underground excavations, but also in geo-environmental protections. Slurry trench can be used to prevent leaks and spills of the contaminant from landfills. This paper presented a procedure for evaluation of the impact of possible tension crack on stability of slurry trench in clay. The procedure is based on variational limiting equilibrium approach to slope stability. A straight extension was made to assess the safety of slurry trenches with cracks. Closed-form solutions were derived for the factor of safety and the potential crack depth for undrained total stress and drained effective stress conditions. Using normalisation presented the derived results in the form of stability chart. These charts provide a convenient tool for selection of the preliminary parameters for the slurry trench and determination of the potential crack depth. The results demonstrate the overestimation on the stability of slurry trenches when neglecting the tension crack, especially for undrained conditions. As the groundwater level increases or slurry level decreases, the depth of tension crack increases. To avoid the water-filled crack occurred, the groundwater level is suggested to be decreased by 10% of the trench depth below the ground surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originally described from a sample collected in the Pamir Mountains at the end of the nineteenth century, Cyclotella lacunarum Hustedt is a centric diatom species that is not-well defined and seldom reported in the scientific literature. Our investigations revealed that the type locality of this taxon, now referred to as Lindavia lacunarum (Hustedt) Nakov et al., is actually in western China and not in Tajikistan, as wrongly assumed previously. Light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of the type material and of modern material collected at the type locality allowed us to emend the description of this species. Its most remarkable character is that it possesses central fultoportulae with only two satellite pores instead of three as generally reported for similar species of Lindavia. Lindavia lacunarum was then compared to two similar populations of Lindavia collected from high elevation lakes in Tajikistan and Nepal. These two populations were originally identified as Cyclotella/Lindavia lacunarum and represent the only reported occurrences of this taxon outside its type locality. The population from Tajikistan differs from L. lacunarum by having cells of smaller size, with an almost flat valve face and has been described as a new variety Lindavia lacunarum var. karakulensis var. nov. The Nepalese population is more clearly differentiated from L. lacunarum by having a different type of colliculate pattern in the central area and significantly lower density of central fultoportulae and is therefore described as a new species, Lindavia nepalensis sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remote sensing information on the extraction method is of great importance to improve the accuracy and efficiency of soil salinization information. The objective of this study is to develop remote sensing extraction techniques to improve soil salinization maps. The following procedures were used in this study: (1) developed a fractional-order algorithm-based methodology of filter from high-resolution remote sensing imagery (Sentinel-2 MSI); (2) investigated the changing trend of image under different order filters; and (3) used a grid-search algorithm-support vector machines (GS-SVM) classification to employ extraction information of soil salinization. The results showed that the Fractional-order filter method outperformed the integer derivative in extracted information of soil salinization. In comparison of the classification accuracy between fractional-order processing algorithm and integer-order image processing algorithm, the fractional order has improved remarkably. The optimal classification model was 0.6 order, 0.8 order, 1.4 order, 1.6 order, and 1.8 order models. The overall accuracy and kappa coefficient (κ) of these models are 91.90% and 0.90, respectively. Analysing and comparing between soil salt index and filtering algorithm (1.2 order), the researchers found that the classification results of the two methods are similar. In general, this method can successfully extract soil salinization information in dry regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pot experiment was used to evaluate the effects of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Funneliformis mosseae on plant growth performance, root-hair growth, and root hormone levels in trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings under well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS). A 9-week mild DS treatment significantly reduced mycorrhizal colonization of 2nd- and 3rd-order lateral roots. Root mycorrhizal colonization was relatively higher in the 2nd- and 3rd-order lateral roots than in the taproot and the 1st-order lateral root under WW and DS. AMF seedlings exhibited significantly higher root-hair density, length (except for the taproot) and diameter in taproot and 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-order lateral roots under WW, and considerably higher root-hair density (except for 1st-order lateral root), length (except for 2nd-order lateral root) and diameter under DS. Mycorrhizal inoculation remarkably increased root abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), methyl jasmonate, and brassinosteroids (BRs) concentrations under DS, in company with the decrease in root zeatin riboside and gibberellins levels and root IAA effluxes. Root-hair traits were significantly positively correlated with root colonization and root ABA and BRs levels. It is concluded that mycorrhizal plants possessed better root-hair growth to adapt mild DS, which is associated with mycorrhizal colonization and endogenous hormone changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lakes are important for ensuring the development of the regional economy and ecological security. Based on MODIS and Landsat TM/OLI remote sensing images captured in 2005-2015 and a Combined Water Index (CWI), this paper extracted information on changes in the temporal and spatial characteristics and driving forces for lake areas in Xinjiang during past 11 years in different seasons (April, July and September). The results showed that over this time period, the area of the lakes exhibited an increasing trend. The largest surface area usually occurred in April, and the lowest value was measured in September. The lake shrinkage area in Xinjiang occurred mainly in Northern Xinjiang and the northeastern region of Southern Xinjiang, whereas the lake expansion area was concentrated in Eastern Xinjiang. Seasonal changes in Manas, Kanas, Barkol, Arkatag, Arik and Ebinur Lakes showed higher trends. Extracted the lake area based on the MODIS and TM/OLI image were analyzed, and both had a good corresponding relationship. The minimum R2 was 0.548, and maximum RMSE was 44.1km2. Therefore, it was feasible to use MODIS to extract lake area. These changes in lake area resulted from both natural factors and human activities, and coupled effects greatly accelerated local environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the discrete right definite Sturm-Liouville problems with nonlinear eigenparameter dependent boundary conditions , where T > 1 is an integer and λ is the spectrum parameter. We obtain the existence of the eigenvalues, the oscillation properties of the eigenfunctions and the interlacing results of the eigenvalues of the above problem with the eigenvalues of the Dirichlet problem and the Neumann problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed information pertaining to soil erosion is required to ensure eco-environment protection and economic development for Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and remote sensing and geographical information system technologies are adopted to obtain an accurate distribution of soil erosion. An improved estimation method for wind erosion is developed, which proves to be effective with an overall precision of 87.24%. The proposed model uses six critical factors: number of snow cover days, soil erodibility, aridity index, vegetation fraction, soil crust index, and wind field intensity. Results show that soil wind erosion is widely distributed throughout the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The average erosion intensity is 0.50, which is determined to be a moderate erosion level. The wind erosion intensity increases from a slight level in the western part to a severe level in the mid-eastern part. The mean intensity of soil wind erosion for varying land use types is ranked in descending magnitude of barren or sparse vegetation, open shrubland, grassland, cropland, evergreen coniferous forest, and mixed forest. There are large differences in soil wind erosion intensities among soil types; grassland has severe wind erosion and Luvic Arenosols has the lowest erosion intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent doping of residual carbon during the preparation of Y2BaCuO5(Y211) inclusions would degrade the physical and mechanical performance of the Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x(Y123) superconducting matrix. Y211 precursor powders were prepared by the oxalate coprecipitation process in this study. Residual carbon contents of Y211 powders under different heat treatment processes were studied by the high-frequency combustion infrared absorption method. The residual carbon content of Y211 reached the current best level ∼0.012% when calcined in O2flow at 950°C for 20 h. Y211 powders with the lowest carbon content were used to prepare a small batch of melt-textured Y123/Y211 composites. All samples were single-domain crystals without macro defects, which were usually caused by the emission of CO2. Among them, one sample (Ø27 mm × 14 mm) has a maximum levitation force of 71 N (77 K, 0.5 T), with critical current densityJcof 3.2 × 108A/m2(77 K, 0 T). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To investigate the effect and mechanism of nebivolol on aortic remodeling inN-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME)-induced hypertension.Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with equal volumes of drinking water orl-NAME (60 mg/kg/day), alone or in combination with nebivolol (8 mg/kg/day) or atenolol (80 mg/kg/day) by gavage for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), aortic morphometry, plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, and relaxation of aorta to acetylcholine were determined. Protein expression of endothelial NOS (eNOS), Akt, and NADPH oxidase (Nox) was evaluated.Results:l-NAME-treated rats showed an elevated SBP associated with aortic remodeling.l-NAME-treated rats showed reduced plasma NO levels and NOS activity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). Protein expression of eNOS, eNOS phosphorylated at Ser1177(p-eNOS), Akt, and Akt phosphorylated at Ser473(p-Akt) decreased, whereas that of Nox2, Nox4, and p22phoxincreased in the aortas froml-NAME-treated rats. Nebivolol treatment reduced SBP and ameliorated aortic remodeling. The effects of nebivolol were accompanied by increasing NO levels, NOS activity, and expression of eNOS, p-eNOS, Akt, and p-Akt, as well as reduction of ROS generation and Nox2, Nox4, and p22phoxexpression. These effects of nebivolol were not reproduced by atenolol.Conclusion: Our data indicate a protective role of nebivolol on the high blood pressure and vascular remodeling induced byl-NAME. The beneficial vascular effect of nebivolol is mediated by the upregulation of eNOS and inhibition of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We consider the spectrum of discrete left definite Sturm–Liouville problems whereis an integer,,r(t) changes its sign on. We obtain the existence of eigenvalues, the oscillation properties of the eigenfunctions, and the interlacing results of eigenvalues of this problem with the eigenvalues of the Dirichlet problem and the Neumann problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient SO2capture system was developed. The system consisted of equimolar ethanediamine (EDA) and ethylene glycol (EG), and could chemically transform SO2into a novel solid material, denoted as SO2SM, under mild condition. This system showed a considerable SO2storage capacity up to 0.7696 g/g (EDA + EG). Furthermore, the aqueous solution of SO2SM was used to prepare BaSO3micro-particles. During the reaction, EDA and EG were released from the SO2SM and served as a directing agent and dispersant in making BaSO3crystals that had a porous structure. Thus, the combined process enabled the comprehensive utilisation of SO2and could convert SO2into a value-added chemical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new araphid diatom,Diatoma kalakulensissp. nov., was discovered in Lake Kalakul, located in the Pamir Mountains in north-western China. The morphology and ultrastructure of this new species are described on the basis of observations made under light and electron microscopy. Compared toDiatoma tenuis,Diatoma kalakulensisis characterized by longer valves, higher stria density, wider apical ends and the position of its rimoportula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]