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One of the significant challenges in deep-water drilling is calculating BHP during kickoff caused by natural gas hydrate decomposition. In this paper, the heat transport theory, seepage mechanics, and hydrate decomposition kinetics serve as the foundation for the hydrate decomposition and bottom hole pressure model. Research shows 42.8 m3 of gas have entered Well X cumulatively, resulting in a 1.66 MPa pressure decrease and a 6.9-hour-recovery period. The monitoring of high saturation and porosity formations needs to be strengthened, and drilling parameters need to be modified to protect the stability of the wellbore, according to the analysis of formation parameters and drilling parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonum Amplexicaule Radix is a traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, which is often used to treat thrombotic diseases. However, its potential anticoagulant active ingredients have been unexplored. In this study, a method for rapid screening of anticoagulant active ingredients from P. amplexicaule by affinity-ultrafiltration (AUF) and high-performance – tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was established, which using thrombin as an affinity receptor target. 5 potential anti-thrombin active components were screened: gallic acid, procyanidin B2-3''O-gallate, 11-O-galloylbergenin, (-)-epicatechin gallate and di-galloyl-O-bergenin by AUF and HPLC-MS/MS. The inhibitory ability of these active ingredients to thrombin was confirmed by in vitro activity experiments and molecular docking, hence justifying that P. amplexicaule is a traditional Chinese medicine with excellent anticoagulation effects. Meanwhile, it has been shown that AUF-MS could be a way rapid screening for active substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies focused on morphological variation are key for chrono- and biostratigraphy. Morphological variability can be induced by biological and taphonomical biases. Their distinction can become a difficult task due to the lack of population control. Here, we analyse three populations belonging to the genus Protoryctocephalus, two populations from China (P. arcticus and P. balangensis) and a third population of P. arcticus from Greenland. Protoryctocephalus balangensis was collected from the lowermost part of the Kaili Formation where fossils are tectonically deformed while P. arcticus from the 'Tsinghsutung' and Greenland specimens are non-deformed. Geometric morphometrics analysis shows that these three populations indeed belong to the same species. However, the large allometry measured in P. balangensis compared with the 'Tsinghsutung' population and the Greenland population, which is represented by meraspid and early holaspid individuals, suggested that the morphological variation is taphonomically controlled and non-biological. The results suggest that Protoryctocephalus arcticus from the 'Tsinghsutung' Formation is suitable for international correlation, and further studies focus on different aspects such as ontogeny, segment development or fluctuating asymmetry and modularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin, as the only non-petrochemical resource in nature that can provide renewable aromatic-based compounds, has a complex and recalcitrant structure. Photocatalysis has received increasing attention in recent years due to its ability to cleave the C–O and C–C bonds of lignin under mild conditions. Herein, the lignin's composition and structure, lignin photocatalytic depolymerization substrates, multiphase photocatalyst, and photocatalytic selective depolymerization are presented, among which, the focus is on metal oxide, nitride, and sulfide multiphase photocatalysts through heterojunction construction, doping, defect and morphology modulation strategies to improve the performance of photocatalysis. Reaction pathways and reaction mechanisms involved in the photocatalytic process were also further analyzed to facilitate the understanding of the relationship between the photocatalyst composition structure and its performance, to better design high-performance photocatalysts and rational experimental procedures. In addition, certain sulfide photocatalysts can achieve both lignin degradation and H2 generation, to enhance the higher output value of biomass resourcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth traits are the economically important traits of sheep, and screening for genes related to growth and development is helpful for the genetic improvement of ovine growth traits. The fatty acid desaturase 3 (FADS3) is one of the important genes affecting the synthesis and accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in animals. In this study, the expression levels of the FADS3 gene and polymorphism of the FADS3 gene associated with growth traits in Hu sheep were detected using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Sanger sequencing, and KAspar assay. The result showed that the expression levels of the FADS3 gene were widely expressed in all tissues, and the expression level of FADS3 in the lung was significantly higher than in other tissues (p <.05). Then, the polymorphism locus g. 2918 A > C was detected in intron 2 of the FADS3 gene, and associated analysis showed that the mutation in the FADS3 gene was associated significantly with growth traits (including body weight, body height, body length, and chest circumference, p <.05). Therefore, individuals with AA genotype showed significantly better growth traits than those with CC genotype, and FADS3 gene could be a candidate gene for improving growth traits in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a single nucleotide polymorphism of HTR4 (hydroxytryptamine receptor 4) was detected using DNA sequencing and KASPar (Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR) technique with the aim of analyzing its effect on growth traits in 1102 sheep. A synonymous mutation g.101220 C > T located on the fifth intron of the ovis HTR4 gene was detected, and association analysis showed that this mutation was significantly associated with growth traits in sheep (p ＜.05), with TT genotypes having significantly lower body weight, height, length and chest circumference than TC and CC genotypes. It showed that the polymorphism of this locus was significantly associated with growth traits in sheep. In addition, qRT-PCR results showed that HTR4 was expressed in different tissues of sheep. It is highly expressed in the liver, spleen and duodenum. As important metabolic, immune and digestive absorption organs in animals, the above tissues can regulate the excitability of intestinal smooth muscle by participating in the body metabolism and nutrient metabolism of sheep, so that sheep can show better growth characteristics. In conclusion, the polymorphic locus identified in HTR4 gene can be used as candidate molecular marker in sheep breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed efficiency makes up a large part of sheep production, which also has a crucial impact on the economic benefits of producers. This study explores the polymorphism of Adenylyl cyclase 8 gene associated with feed efficiency and detects the expression characteristics of ADCY8 in ten tissues of Hu sheep. The polymorphism of ADCY8 was recognized by using PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing, KASPar technology was used for genotyping subsequently, and the relationship between SNP and RFI is also studied. The results indicated that an intronic mutation g.24799148 C > T (rs 423395741) was identified in ADCY8, and association analysis showed that the SNP g.24799148 C > T (rs 423395741) was significantly associated with RFI at 100–120, 100–140, 100–160, and 100–180 days (p < 0.05). The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) result showed that ADCY8 was expressed in ten tissues, and the expression of ADCY8 gene in rumen tissue was significantly higher than in the other tested tissues. Therefore, these results indicated that the ADCY8 mutation locus may be used as a candidate molecular marker for evaluating the feed efficiency of Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth traits are important economic characteristics of livestock and poultry. In the present study, the expression features of KLF15 and the relationship between KLF15 gene polymorphisms and growth traits in Hu sheep were investigated by using real-time quantitative PCR technology (qPCR), Sanger sequencing, and Kaspar genotyping technology. The qPCR results showed that the KLF15 gene is expressed widely in the tested tissues of Hu sheep, and the expression level of the KLF15 gene in the heart and the muscle was significantly higher than in other tissues (p < 0.05). Missense mutation c.62565119 A > G was found in KLF15, and an association analysis showed that it was correlated with the growth traits (body weight, body height, and body length) of Hu sheep (p < 0.05). The body weight, body height, and body length of the sheep carrying the AA genotype were remarkably higher than those of the GG and AG genotypes (p < 0.05). These results showed that novel polymorphisms at the KLF15 gene can be used as a genetic marker of growth traits of Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased body growth and feed efficiency are important for breeding due to expensive feed costs. This study estimated the genetic parameters for two feed efficiency traits [the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the residual feed intake (RFI)] and other important economic traits in male Hu sheep using 1642 male Hu lambs. The heritability of the RFI was estimated at 0.31 (±0.10)–0.54 (±0.1) and the heritability of the FCR was 0.05 (±0.07)–0.77 (±0.12). There was a negative genetic correlation between rib-eye muscle area traits and RFI. A positive genetic correlation was found between fat deposition traits and feed efficiency traits. The digestive tract weight decreased with the direction of RFI: however, the FCR showed the opposite: A low FCR was accompanied by a high digestive tract weight. The genetic correlation between feed efficiency (RFI and FCR) and rumen weight was negative. Heritability estimates for feed efficiency generate fluctuations with different experimental intervals. The weight of other traits should be reasonably allocated to avoid losses in production and feed efficiency in the selection of feed efficiency traits. The present study added to our understanding of the genetic parameters of sheep under the condition of house feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of OSMR and GHR genes polymorphisms on growth traits in sheep. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of sheep OSMR and GHR genes were identified by DNA sequencing technology. A total of two intronic mutations g.2443 T > C and g.170196 A > G were identified in OSMR and GHR, respectively. Correlation analysis was carried out between the obtained genotypes and the growth traits of sheep. The results showed that at the OSMR g.2443 T > C locus, the body weight, chest circumference and cannon circumference of the TT genotype sheep were significantly higher than those of the CC genotype sheep (p <.05). At the GHR g.170196 A > G locus, the body weight, body length, chest circumference and cannon circumference of the AA genotype sheep were significantly higher than those of the AG genotype and GG genotype sheep (p <.05). Moreover, the body weight of sheep of combination TTOSMR/AAGHR genotype was significantly higher than that of other combination genotypes (p <.05). Therefore, we believe that the polymorphic sites identified in the OSMR and GHR genes can be used as candidate molecular markers for breeding good traits in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of hypertension (HTN) is higher in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Inflammation is the key link between HTN and NAFLD. Systemic inflammation can be dramatically increased by inflammatory diet intake. However, whether controlling the inflammatory diet intake in NAFLD patients could affect the occurrence of HTN still remains unknown. Our aim here is to evaluate the effect of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) on blood pressure in patients with different grades of hepatic steatosis. The data were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2017-2018). DII was calculated based on the data of 24-h dietary recall interviews. The severity of liver steatosis was assessed by a controlled attenuation parameter. Multivariable logistic regression, multivariable linear regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to determine the association between DII and blood pressure in patients with different degrees of hepatic steatosis. A total of 5449 participants were included in this analysis. In male participants with severe liver steatosis (S3), the highest DII tertile group was more likely to have higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared with the lowest tertile group (Tertile1: 128.31(125.31,131.31), Tertile3: 133.12(129.40,136.85), P for trend =0.03551). DII was positively correlated with SBP and the prevalence of HTN in males with hepatic steatosis grade S3 (≥ 67% steatosis) (SBP: P for trend = 0.011, HTN: P for trend = 0.039). Regarding the association of DII with SBP and HTN, the tests for interaction were significant for hepatic steatosis (SBP: interaction for p = 0.0015, HTN: interaction for p = 0.0202). In the present study, we demonstrated that DII was a risk factor for increased SBP and the prevalence of HTN in males with severe hepatic steatosis S3, indicating that anti-inflammatory dietary management should be considered in these individuals to reduce the risk of developing HTN. Patients in the highest DII tertiles group had a higher SBP and higher rates of HTN compared with patients in the lowest DII tertiles group in male participants with severe hepatic steatosis S3. DII was positively associated with SBP and the prevalence of HTN in males with hepatic steatosis grade S3. The effect of DII on SBP and prevalence of HTN was significantly dependent on the severity of hepatic steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the consistency of heterogeneity degree of erythrocyte volume parameters between the blood automated analyzer Sysmex-XN9000 and the advanced red blood cell software CellaVisionDI-60. 500 blood samples of volunteers were analyzed by Sysmex-XN9000 and CellaVision-DI60. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false positive rate, and false negative rate were evaluated. The consistency of all parameters was tested. Taking the standard RBC group as the control group, the RBC parameters of the macrocytic and the microcytic group were compared. There was a statistical difference between the groups. ROC curve analysis showed that the best cutoff value of microcytic and of macrocytic affecting MCV were 4.1% and 5.7%, respectively. The best cutoff value of anisocytosis was 15.0%. The correlation coefficient between anisocytosis and red blood cell distribution width (RDW-CV) was 0.756. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and coincidence rate of anisocytosis were high. The false negative rate was 10.0%, and the false positive rate was 7.4%. All parameters of the degree of heterogeneity have good accuracy and consistency in the two instruments. Anisocytosis is with higher coincidence rate and positive predictive value. MIC and MAC have a good prediction on the increase or decrease of MCV. Although advanced RBC software's false negative and false positive rates are high, the red blood cell image system is more intuitive and time-saving in observing cells. Consequently, CellaVision-DI60 is suggested to combine with XN-9000 for judging the anisocytosis in daily work comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fully investigate the antecedents of public participation intention, a holistic framework was developed by integrating theory of planned behavior (TPB) and norm activation model (NAM), coupling with corporate social responsibility (CSR), community organizational support (COS), and channel availability (CA). Data was collected from questionnaire surveys conducted with nearby residents of three waste incineration power (WIP) projects in China, and was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that all variables of TPB and NAM, except perceived behavioral control, were validated to positively affect participation intention. Moreover, CSR was found to have a positive effect on participation intention, while CA played a negative role. The positive moderating effect of COS on the relationship between CSR and participation intention was also supported. By comprehending the factors motivating participation in WIP projects, the findings contribute to developing participation intervention policies and addressing Not-In-My-Back-Yard issues of the projects referring to environmental hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small ruminants farming plays an important role in the livelihood of a large part of the population. Herein we aimed to analyze the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in PRKAA2 gene on the growth-related traits of Hu sheep and Dorper sheep. The body weight and body type of 1254 sheep were measured at 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180d, and 37620 phenotypic data were collected. RT-qPCR analysis was performed to test PRKAA2 gene expressed in different tissues of sheep, with the highest expression level in spleen, followed by kidney. In the present study, the PRKAA2 gene sequencing revealed one polymorphism located on Chr1 (Oar_rambouillet_v1.0), termed as chr1:32832382 G > A, and were significantly associated with growth traits of sheep (p < 0.05). The body weight, body length, chest circumference, and cannon circumference of individuals with AA genotype were significantly higher than those with the GG and GA genotypes (p < 0.05). Our findings reveal that PRKAA2 gene could be used as a marker-assisted selection to improve the growth-related traits of sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth traits are economically important traits in sheep. Improving growth rates will increase the profitability of producers. The aim of this study was to identify alleles of CD8B (encoding T-cell surface glycoprotein CD8 beta chain) that are aberrantly expressed in different tissues and to assess the effects and associations of its different genotypes on weight and size traits in sheep. Using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR arrays, expression profiling of CD8B was performed in various organs and tissues. CD8B was ubiquitously expressed, with very high expression in the lung, spleen, lymph, duodenum, and liver. One intronic mutation (chr3:62,718,030 (Oar_rambouillet_v1.0, same below) G > A) was identified using pooled DNA sequencing. Subsequently, the variants (AA, AG, and GG) were genotyped using the KASPar® PCR single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping system. The results of association analysis with body weight and body size traits in 1304 sheep showed that increases in multiple phenotypic traits correlated with the AA genotype (body weight, p < 0.05; body length, p < 0.05). Thus, SNP chr3:62,718,030 G > A is a promising molecular marker for marker-assisted selection in sheep breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the effects of polymorphisms in GP5 on blood physiological indices of 1065 sheep. The coefficients of variation of the red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), mean platelet volume (MPV), mean erythrocyte hemoglobin content (MCH), and red blood cell distribution-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) were greater than 10%, and there was a very significant correlation between the main indices such as RBC, white blood cell, and platelet count (PLT) and most other indices (p < 0.01). qRT-PCR showed that GP5 was expressed in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, rumen, duodenum, muscle, tail fat, and lymph tissue, with significantly higher expression in the lymph. Subsequently, we detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GP5 from group, which identified synonymous mutation g.657 T > C in the first exon of GP5. Association analysis showed significant correlations between the SNP and the physiological traits (p < 0.05), in which the RBC, neutrophilic granulocyte (NEUT) and RDW-CV values in sheep with the TC genotype and TT genotype were markedly lower than those in the CC genotype (p < 0.05). Thus, GP5 polymorphisms could be candidate biomarkers to screen blood physiological indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hu sheep is an excellent short fat-tailed breed in China. Fat deposition in Hu sheep tail affects carcass quality and consumes a lot of energy, leading to an increase in feed cost. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of HMGA1 polymorphism on tail fat weight in Hu sheep. Partial coding and non-coding sequences of HMGA1 were amplified with PCR and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of HMGA1 in 1163 Hu sheep were detected using DNA sequencing and KASPar technology. RT-qPCR analysis was performed to test HMGA1 expression in different tissues. The results showed that the expression of HMGA1 was higher in the duodenum, liver, spleen, kidney, and lung than in the heart, muscle, rumen, tail fat, and lymph. A mutation, g.5312 C > T, was detected in HMGA1; g.5312 C > T was significantly associated with tail fat weight, relative weight of tail fat (body weight), and relative weight of tail fat (carcass) (p < 0.05). The tail fat weight of the TT genotype was remarkably higher than that of the CC and TC genotypes. Therefore, HMGA1 can be used as a genetic marker for marker-assisted selection of tail fat weight in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the coordination efficiency of vehicle routing problem, a multi-level stochastic demand in ventory routing problem was established in this paper, which minimizes the total cost of the system by determining the relation among inventory of distribution center, fleets, and customer needs. Solving the Lagrangian dual problem by the traditional subgradient Lagrangian relaxation algorithm may easily cause oscillation and then slow down the solving speed. To tackle the problem, an improved subgradient Lagrangian relaxation algorithm was proposed. Compared with the traditional subgradient algorithm , the proposed method is faster and improves the quality of the approximate solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between growth performance, body composition, and fat deposition factors, and feed efficiency in growing lambs. We measured average daily feed intake (ADFI) and body weight (BW) from 653 Hu sheep that were fed a pellet diet. The residual feed intake (RFI) not significantly genetic and phenotypic correlated with the metabolic body weight (MBW) and average daily gain (ADG), but it was significantly genetic and phenotypic correlated with ADFI and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.01). However, the FCR was significantly associated with growth traits (p < 0.01). With the same ADG, body fat deposition was greater in animals with low feed efficiency compared with high feed efficiency. Therefore, excessive fat deposition can affect the feed efficiency of the body, and organ weight and gut-weight have a greater impact on the feed efficiency of lambs. The reticulum stomach and jejunum of lambs with a low RFI were smaller compared with that in the high RFI, indicating that lambs with a low RFI have less intake and a higher absorption rate. Small organs, such as the liver, of lambs with high FE might be associated with low energy expenditure and slow metabolism. This study provides a new perspective to study the biological processes responsible for feed efficiency variation in lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral separation has attracted much attention for basic research and industrial applications in analytical chemistry. Generally, chiral separations use natural or artificial chiral-based materials as adsorbents. To improve the precision and efficiency of chiral separation, focus has shifted from natural and synthetic adsorbents to binary combinations of materials. This review specifically summarizes the significant advancements made in natural and artificial chiral adsorbents as promising candidates for diverse drug and biomolecule separation applications as well as the remaining drawbacks and challenges for research on chiral separations. The mechanisms of chiral-based recognition and separation and history and development of natural and artificial chiral-based systems are the focus of this review. Future directions in natural and artificial chiral-based systems for practical separations and other applications are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nutritional values of the protein are related to its amino acid content, and its physicochemical properties. We aimed to determine the relationship between the variation of protein digestibility or the releasing coefficient of amino acids with the physicochemical properties of different feedstuffs. We analysed the secondary protein structure and solubility of 10 protein-rich feed ingredients, including soybean, soybean meal, dehulled soybean meal, fermented soybean meal, distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), feather meal, fish meal, rapeseed meal, corn gluten meal, and corn germ meal. The results showed that the soybeans and their products had greater protein solubility than the other dietary protein (p <.001). Fish meal, rapeseed meal and all soybean sources had the higher protein digestibility and releasing coefficient of amino acids, also reached different peaks in shorter times. But corn germ meal, corn gluten meal, and feather meal exhibited lower releasing coefficient of amino acids and weaker solubility (p <.001). The in-vitro protein digestibility or releasing coefficient of total amino acid had positive regression coefficients with α-helix, α-helix/β-sheet, and solubility; and a negative regression coefficient with β-sheet. Feedstuffs with faster amino acid releasing rate had higher α-helix, α-helix/β-sheet and solubility and lower β-sheet. Therefore, the physicochemical properties of the dietary protein could be used as predictors for the amino acids' digestibility and amino acid bioavailability. We evaluated the protein solubility, protein digestibility, and releasing coefficient of amino acids among the most common feedstuffs for monogastric animals The physicochemical properties of dietary protein could be used as predictors for the digestibility or releasing rate of amino acids in monogastric. The feed industry formulation might be reconsidered since the most common feedstuffs possess novel concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-temperature solid-solution is indispensable for bake-hardenable dilute Mg alloys, which generally induces grain coarsening. Herein, we report extraordinary thermal stability in a bake-hardenable dilute Mg-1.61Zn-0.57Mn-0.54Ca-0.46Al (wt. %, ZMXA2110) alloy, maintaining fine-grained structure at 450 °C. The thermal stability is stemmed from the Zener pinning effect of dense fine (∼15.0 nm) core–shell β-Mn particles and co-segregation of Zn and Ca at grain boundaries. The fine-grained (∼3.2 μm) dilute alloy exhibits high room-temperature formability in solid-solution condition with an Index Erichsen value of ∼6.0 mm, and impressive yield strength of ∼293 MPa with an evident increment of ∼60 MPa by bake-hardening treatment. By achieving extraordinary fine-grain thermal stability under high-temperature solid-solution treatment, appreciable bake-hardenability along with fine-grained structure are obtained simultaneously to ensure the development of dilute Mg alloys with high strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the performance of active, global real estate mutual funds (GREMFs), both at sector and individual fund levels. We apply a bootstrap procedure to separate genuine skills from luck. We find no evidence of skills, but find evidence of lack of skills in the bottom 10% of funds. We find that outsourcing has a positive effect on GREMFs but a negative effect on global mutual funds overall. We also find no evidence of skills in timing or in stock selection. Overall, our results suggest that there is no benefit to a U.S. domestic investor from investing in GREMFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale gas is a crucial unconventional natural gas; carbon dioxide is a serious greenhouse gas. Therefore, using supercritical carbon dioxide as a fracturing fluid can fracture shale reservoirs and exploit shale gas as well as store carbon dioxide to slow the greenhouse effect. In this study, supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing experiments were conducted at different drilling depths. They showed that structural failure pressure decreased with the increase in borehole and sealing lengths owing to the larger excavation damage zone induced by borehole drilling. During the fracturing process, acoustic emission signals were recorded, which exhibited similar development tendencies, and this process could be divided into four parts based on the acoustic emission characteristic. The saltation of fluid pressure was due to the saltation of isothermal compression and expansion occurring in phase change processes. Moreover, crack morphology before and after the fracturing were scanned and rebuilt by computed tomography instruments, which displayed that an effective fracturing crack could be generated by supercritical carbon dioxide. Although the cark morphology was relatively simple, a complex crack could be formed at a deep drilling depth as revealed by the comparisons of the box dimension, crack perimeter, and crack area at different drilling depths. Based on the acoustic emission accumulation counts, a damage variable was introduced to describe failure degree. Furthermore, based on a previous work and the damage characteristic and fluid pressure features, the entire process of supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing could be divided into five main stages. In addition, the chemical reaction between the shale matrix and the fracturing fluid was analyzed. The supercritical fracturing fluid could dissolve and remove substances, improving the shale porosity and connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to analyze the effects of PPARGC1B and ZEB2 polymorphisms on the body weight of Hu sheep. DNA sequencing and KASPar technologies were used to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the PPARGC1B and ZEB2 genes of Hu sheep (n = 207). Two synonymous mutations, g.300 G > A and g.645 C > T, were detected in PPARGC1B and ZEB2, respectively. The body weights of sheep were recorded at 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180-days, and associations between these polymorphisms and body weight changes were analyzed. Association analysis demonstrated that the polymorphisms in PPARGC1B and ZEB2 significantly associated with body weight (p < 0.05). At the g.300 G > A locus, individuals with the GG genotype had significantly higher body weight than those with the AA genotype, and at the g.645 C > T locus, individuals with the TT genotype had significantly higher body weight than those with the TC genotype. Individuals with both polymorphisms exhibited significantly different growth (p < 0.05). These data suggest that polymorphisms in the PPARGC1B and ZEB2 genes can be used as candidate molecular markers for the breeding of desirable growth traits in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving appreciable strain-aging hardening coupling with fine-grain strengthening remains a critical challenge in dilute Mg alloys, as high-temperature solid-solution, utilized to impart high-level solutes for strain-aging, inevitably causes grain coarsening and great strength loss. Herein, we report a rapid dislocation-mediated solute repartitioning behavior upon aging in a low-temperature annealed Mg–1.0Zn–0.45Ca–0.33Sn–0.2Mn (wt.%) alloy. Thereby, appreciable strain-aging hardening (YS increment of ∼30 MPa) coupling with fine-grain (grain size of ∼2.5 µm) strengthening accounts for a high yield strength (∼297 MPa) and ductility (∼20%). It suggests a feasible avenue to develop strong dilute Mg alloys by combining strain-aging hardening and fine-grain strengthening. By manipulating solute distribution while keeping a fine-grain structure, appreciable strain-aging hardening response coupling with fine-grain strengthening guarantees the development of strong dilute Mg alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare the functional characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from a sheep model of traumatic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) fibrous and bony ankylosis. A sheep model of bilateral TMJ trauma-induced fibrous ankylosis on one side and bony ankylosis on the contralateral side was used. MSCs from fibrous ankylosed callus (FA-MSCs) or bony ankylosed callus (BA-MSCs) at weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8 after surgery were isolated and cultured. MSCs derived from the bone marrow of the mandibular condyle (BM-MSCs) were used as controls. The MSCs from the different sources were characterized morphologically, phenotypically, and functionally. Adherence and trilineage differentiation potential were presented in the ovine MSCs. These cell populations highly positively expressed MSC-associated specific markers, namely CD29, CD44, and CD166, but lacked CD31 and CD45 expressions. The BA-MSCs had higher clonogenic and proliferative potentials than the FA-MSCs. The BA-MSCs also showed higher osteogenic and chondrogenic potentials, but lower adipogenic capacity than the FA-MSCs. In addition, the BA-MSCs demonstrated higher chondrogenic, but lower osteogenic capacity than the BM-MSCs. Our study suggests that inhibition of the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiations of MSCs might be a promising strategy for preventing bony ankylosis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt is a widespread disease causing serious production losses in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.). Accordingly, control agents to manage this disease should be developed to ensure the sustainability of watermelon cultivation. In this study, inactivated Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON) mycelia were used as a decoy inoculation agent, and the effects of this treatment on Fusarium wilt and its possible underlying mechanisms were investigated. Inoculation with inactivated FON mycelia significantly decreased rhizosphere FON number and Fusarium wilt disease severity, and this might be closely related to the observed improved abundances and community structures of native beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms. In addition, inactivated FON mycelia inoculation significantly enhanced soil enzyme activity levels and plant systemic resistance, which promoted resistance to Fusarium wilt and thus watermelon growth. These results demonstrated that inactivated FON mycelia could be used as a novel biocontrol agent to alleviate Fusarium wilt and increase yields in watermelon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morchella is a genus of fungi with the ability to concentrate Cd both in the fruit-body and mycelium. However, the molecular mechanisms conferring resistance to Cd stress in Morchella are unknown. Here, RNA-based transcriptomic sequencing was used to identify the genes and pathways involved in Cd tolerance in Morchella spongiola. 7444 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by cultivating M. spongiola in media containing 0.15, 0.90, or 1.50mg/L Cd2+. The DEGs were divided into six sub-clusters based on their global expression profiles. GO enrichment analysis indicated that numerous DEGs were associated with catalytic activity, cell cycle control, and the ribosome. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways under Cd stress were MAPK signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, pyruvate metabolism, and propanoate metabolism. In addition, several DEGs encoding ion transporters, enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidants, and transcription factors were identified. Based on these results, a preliminary gene regulatory network was firstly proposed to illustrate the molecular mechanisms of Cd detoxification in M. spongiola. These results provide valuable insights into the Cd tolerance mechanism of M. spongiola and constitute a robust foundation for further studies on detoxification mechanisms in macrofungi that could potentially lead to the development of new and improved fungal bioremediation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In integrated cyber-physical power systems (CPPS), the malfunctions of cyber system deeply affect the dispatcher's remedial action scheme, and thus have a significant impact on the reliability of the physical power system. The random failures of electrical devices in physical power system and the random outages of measurement and remote control in cyber system are both considered for the CPPS reliability evaluation in this paper. Firstly, the component outage models in physical, access, backbone and application layers are presented. Then, a linearized DC state estimation (SE) model is introduced and the SE errors incurred by measurement failures, i.e. bad and lost measurements, are interpreted. Moreover, the impact of SE errors and remote control failures on the corrective action scheme of the control center during the fault recovery process is simulated by a novel modification of the classical optimal load shedding (OLS) model. Finally, to verify the effectiveness and validity of the proposed CPPS reliability evaluation method, the communication network topologies of the cyber system for the RBTS and IEEE-RTS96 are designed, and then the reliability evaluation based on the presented component outage models and the novel modified OLS model are conducted by the non-sequential Monte Carlo simulation (NMCS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aims of this study were to determine the relationships between changes inlatency and amplitude of the P300 event-related potential component and cognitive impairmentsin patients after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a minor stroke and to assess thesuitability of the P300 for screening for cognitive impairments. Material and Method Sixty-five TIA or minor stroke patients diagnosed at the NeurologyDepartment of Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2015 toDecember 2016 and 30 healthy people evaluated in the same period were included. Allpatients were examing neuropsychological scales and event-related potentials within7 ± 3 days of onset of the disease. The TIA/minor stroke group was divided into normal cognition group(NC) and cognitive impairment group. The cognitive impairment group was further divided into vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia(VCIND) group and vascular dementia (VD) group to analyze the relationship between P300 latency. Results The P300 latency at each recording electrode was longer in the NC and VCIND groups than healthy control group (P < 0.001), the P300 latency of VCIND group longer than NC group (P < 0.001). When the P300-Fz latency cut-off value was 358.6 ms,the sensitivity for diagnosing cognitive impairment in patients after TIA/minor stroke was 0.875 and the specificity was 0.765. Conclusions The P300 latency delay can be used to detect cognitive impairments in patients after TIA/minor stroke and the P300-Fz latency is more sensitive for diagnosing cognitiveimpairments in TIA/minor stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cirrhosis is the primary driver of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Blocking the deterioration of cirrhosis into HCC would be of benefit for long–term survival. We applied a series of bioinformatic online databases to select and analyze the hub genes concerning cirrhosis and HCC, and identified UBE2T and CYP3A4 as hub genes for cirrhosis-HCC transformation. An elevated UBE2T and a decreased CYP3A4 were expressed in HCC compared with cirrhosis, which have been confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), Western Blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The specificity (89.9%) and sensitivity (74.1%) on the combination of UBE2T and CYP3A4 for predicting HCC development in cirrhosis patients were better than that of UBE2T or CYP3A4 alone, or alpha-fetoprotein. The effectiveness of the combination of UBE2T and CYP3A4 was further verified by 15 paired HCC and paracancerous cirrhosis samples using RT–PCR, with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 80%. HCC patients with elevated UBE2T and decreased CYP3A4 expression demonstrated a poorer overall survival rate (P = 0.0016, 0.019) and disease-free survival rate (P = 0.0013, 0.041). In conclusion, UBE2T and CYP3A4 could be a new combination of biomarkers for the carcinogenesis and progression of cirrhosis into HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microscopic transsphenoidal surgery (MTS) has been considered as the gold standard for transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, but nowadays endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETS) has become popular due to its wide view and improved lighting. Material and methods: The electronic databases were systematically searched, and the meta-analyses of the eligible studies that evaluated endoscopic versus microscopic methods in patients with pituitary surgery were conducted with Review Manager 5.0. The primary outcomes included visual improvement, gross tumor removal (GTR), cerebrospinal fluid (CFS) leak, diabetes insipidus (DI), other complications, and length of hospital stay. The Egger's test was conducted to estimate possible publication bias. Results: In total, 13 articles eventually met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analyses suggested that the differences with regard to visual improvement, overall complication rate, GTR, CSF leak, diabetes insipidus (DI), meningitis, visual impairment, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), new onset hypopituitarism, and hypothyroidism between the endoscopic and microscopic groups were not statistically significant. The length of hospital stay was much longer with the microscopic approach when compared with the endoscopic method. Conclusion: The endoscopic and microscopic approaches show similar effects and complication rates. The endoscopic technique could be adopted as a reasonable alternative in pituitary surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The −50 (G>A) (HBB: c.-100G>A) mutation was first reported as a β-thalassemia (β-thal) allele in a Chinese family. However, the hematological features of carriers with this variant are not available. In this study, we present the hematological data associated with −50 (G>A) to determine its phenotype. During a 4-year period, eight simple heterozygotes and three double heterozygotes for the −50 mutation and α-thalassemia (α-thal) were included. The simple heterozygotes had normal hematological parameters. The double heterozygotes had the hematological findings of simple α-thal heterozygotes. Two subjects with a compound heterozygosity for −50 and β-thal were also found, and both had typical hematological parameters of β-thal trait. Therefore, we present evidence that −50 (G>A) is likely a silent β-thal allele. Compound heterozygotes for −50/β-thal had no phenotype of severe β-thal. This information might be helpful in genetic counseling for couples in thalassemia high-prevalence areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simplex regression model is often employed to analyze continuous proportion data in many studies. In this paper, we extend the assumption of a constant dispersion parameter (homogeneity) to varying dispersion parameter (heterogeneity) in Simplex regression model, and present the B-spline to approximate the smoothing unknown function within the Bayesian framework. A hybrid algorithm combining the block Gibbs sampler and the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm is presented for sampling observations from the posterior distribution. The procedures for computing model comparison criteria such as conditional predictive ordinate statistic, deviance information criterion, and averaged mean squared error are presented. Also, we develop a computationally feasible Bayesian case-deletion influence measure based on the Kullback-Leibler divergence. Several simulation studies and a real example are employed to illustrate the proposed methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia rostrata S. X. Yang & S. F. Chai is a recently described yellow camellia species from Guangxi, China. It is a critically endangered species according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Here, we report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome based on next-generation sequencing technology. The complete cp genome of C. rostrata is 156,547 bp in length and consists of a large single-copy (LSC, 86,199 bp) region, a small single-copy (SSC, 18,204 bp) region, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 26,072 bp). The genome contains 135 genes including 40 tRNA, eight rRNA, and 87 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis resolved C. rostrata in a clade containing C. huana and C. impressinervis, both of which are classified to Camellia sect. Archecamellia. Our findings support the placement of C. rostrata in C. sect. Archecamellia as proposed by a previous study. The cp genome of C. rostrata provides valuable bioinformatic resources for the protection and utilization of this yellow camellia species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early postnatal hypotension in premature infants is treated with escalating doses of vasopressor-inotropes (VI), followed by hydrocortisone if VI therapy fails. The adverse effects of this standard clinical practice have not been well reported. In a retrospective case-control study, we compared the complications associated with VI and hydrocortisone (HCVI) treatments in extremely low-birth-weight infants (≤1000 g) with contemporaneous normotensive medication-naïve controls via standard univariate and multivariate analyses. Birth weight, gestational age, and receipt of antenatal steroids did not differ between VI (n = 74) and control (n = 124) groups, while the occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus and risks for patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular-periventricular hemorrhage, spontaneous intestinal perforation, ventriculomegaly, and bronchopulmonary dsyplasia were higher in VI. Infants in the HCVI group (n = 69) had lower birth weight, gestational age, and receipt of antenatal steroids and higher risks for intraventricular-periventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, air leaks, and patent ductus arteriosus than controls. Whereas the occurrences of spontaneous intestinal perforation, ventriculomegaly, and maternal diabetes mellitus did not differ, that of maternal hypertension trended to be lower in HCVI recipients (P = 0.06). In conclusion, hypotensive extremely low-birth-weight infants treated with VI or with HCVI are susceptible to intraventricular-periventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and patent ductus arteriosus. Furthermore, those who receive inotropes are at risk for spontaneous intestinal perforation and ventriculomegaly. Maternal diabetes mellitus increases the occurrence of hypotension, which responds to VI. Maternal hypertension does not contribute to VI responsive and tends to decrease the occurrence of VI-refractory hypotension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations play crucial roles in the pathogenesis and progression of human malignancies. However, studies reporting associations between mitochondrial DNA mutations and risks of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) have seldom been reported. In this study, we sequenced 22 cancer tissues and the corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues collected from 11 ESCC patients. The mtDNA sequence length ranged from 16,568–16,579 bp. The results indicated that there are several sensitive sites in the 22 mtDNAs, especially in the control region (CR) and protein-coding genes (PCGs). The 22 mtDNA sequences were classified into haplogroups B, D, G, M, and Z; haplogroup D and haplogroup M were shared within a wider distribution, but haplotype G was found only in two samples and all the patients showed the southern of East Asia or Northern East Asian haplogroups, the number and ratio of patients showed the southern of East Asia or Southeast Asia characters are equal. Our findings suggest that mtDNA haplogroups D and M might be potential risks for ESCC. In addition, our results suggest that mtDNA haplogroups and some sensitive sites confer genetic susceptibility to ESCC and they can serve as potential biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shiitake mushrooms are mostly used in the forms of dried products, and the pretreatments could help to improve the product quality. The effects of ultrasound pretreatment on water diffusion during short- and medium-wave infrared drying and overall product quality of shiitake mushroom were investigated. Shiitake mushroom slices were pretreated with ultrasonic wave at 28 kHz and 600 W for 15 min and then conducted infrared dried at 1350 W and 60°C. The results demonstrated that the drying time of the samples previously subjected to ultrasound pretreatment was remarkably reduced by 21.43%, as compared to the samples without pretreatment. Moreover, homogenous porous microstructure was obtained by dried mushrooms pretreated by ultrasound. In addition, the honeycomb-like microstructure pointed to superior texture, which also lead to reduce hardness and increase crispness of dried products. Furthermore, the dried products exhibited higher lightness (78.46) and better shape than those of the other pretreatment samples. In conclusion, ultrasound pretreatment coupled with infrared drying might be a potential method to produce high-quality dried shiitake mushrooms slices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In treating patients diagnosed with early Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), doctors must choose surgery alone, Adjuvant Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy (ACT) alone or both. For patients with resected stages IB to IIIA, clinical trials have shown a survival advantage from 4-15% with the adoption of ACT. However, due to the inherent toxicity of chemotherapy, it is necessary for doctors to identify patients whose chance of success with ACT is sufficient to justify the risks. This research seeks to use gene expression profiling in the development of a statistical decision-making algorithm to identify patients whose survival rates will improve from ACT treatment. Using the data from the National Cancer Institute, the lasso method in the Cox-Proportional-Hazards regression model is used as the main method to determine a feasible number of genes that are strongly associated with the treatment-related patient survival. Considering treatment groups separately, the patients are assigned a risk category based on the estimation of survival times. These risk categories are used to develop a Random Forests classification model to identify patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy treatment. This model allows the prediction of a new patient’s prognosis and the likelihood of survival benefit from ACT treatment based on a feasible number of genomic biomarkers. The proposed methods are evaluated using a simulation study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As novel materials for food contact packaging, inorganic silicon oxide (SiOx) films are high barrier property materials that have been developed rapidly and have attracted the attention of many manufacturers. For the safe use of SiOxfilms for food packaging it is vital to study the interaction between SiOxlayers and food contaminants, as well as the function of a SiOxbarrier layer in antioxidant migration resistance. In this study, we deposited a SiOxlayer on polylactic acid (PLA)-based films to prepare SiOx/PLA coated films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Additionally, we compared PLA-based films and SiOx/PLA coated films in terms of the migration of different antioxidants (e.g.t-butylhydroquinone [TBHQ], butylated hydroxyanisole [BHA], and butylated hydroxytoluene [BHT]) via specific migration experiments and then investigated the effects of a SiOxlayer on antioxidant migration under different conditions. The results indicate that antioxidant migration from SiOx/PLA coated films is similar to that for PLA-based films: with increase of temperature, decrease of food simulant polarity, and increase of single-sided contact time, the antioxidant migration rate and amount in SiOx/PLA coated films increase. The SiOxbarrier layer significantly reduced the amount of migration of antioxidants with small and similar molecular weights and similar physical and chemical properties, while the degree of migration blocking was not significantly different among the studied antioxidants. However, the migration was affected by temperature and food simulant. Depending on the food simulants considered, the migration amount in SiOx/PLA coated films was reduced compared with that in PLA-based films by 42–46%, 44–47%, and 44–46% for TBHQ, BHA, and BHT, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Relationships of toxicities from intravenous (i.v.), intraperitoneal (i.p.), subcutaneous (s.c.) and intragastric (i.g.) exposure routes to mice were investigated. Regression analysis showed that the toxicities from i.v. route is strongly correlated with i.p. and s.c. routes, but poorly with i.g. route. Close toxicities from different routes for some compounds indicate that distribution rate is the determining step and dictates chemical concentration at the target site(s). On the other hand, the absorption rate is the determining step for many compounds, which lead to different toxicities between exposure routes. The classified compounds characterized as having either absorption or distribution rate determining step were based upon the comparison of toxicities from the different routes. We found that some aliphatic acids and benzoic acids have lower toxicity values from i.g. route compared to an i.v. route because of poor absorption. Many compounds show low toxic effects from i.g. route than those from other routes because of the first-pass metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in the poor relationship for toxicities between i.g. and i.v. or other routes. Stepwise regression analysis showed that physicochemical properties of a compound, such as molecular volume, polarizability and hydrophobicity, significantly affect adsorption rate, which leads to different toxicities based upon exposure routes. Comparison of the toxicities between mice and rats indicate that toxic effect and the toxicokinetic processes in mice are very similar to that in rats. A universal correlation equation has been developed for the toxicities between rats and mice from different exposure routes, which can be applied to predict toxicities across species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One new iridoid glycoside, 6′,10-di-O-(4-hydroxybenzoyl) aucubin (1), together with ten known compounds, including five diterpenoids (2-6), two triterpene glucosides (7-8) and three methoxylated flavonoids (9-11) were isolated from the fruits ofVitex rotundifolia. Compounds (3,4,7,and8) were reported for the first time from this plant. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis and by comparison with literature data. Furthermore, some of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against A549 and HepG-2 cell lines using MTT assay, and only compounds9and10exhibited potent cytotoxic activity with IC50values of 13 ± 4 and 35 ± 10 μM against HepG-2 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Propofol lipid emulsion (PLE) is a nanosized sedative, and it is used with a combination of salted antalgic prodrug, fentanyl citrate (FC). To illustrate the synergistic effect of mixing, we compared the sedation/analgesia resulting from simultaneous and sequential administration in surgically induced abortion (No. ChiCTR-IPC-15006153). Simultaneous group showed lower bispectral index, blood pressure, and heart rate, when cannula was inserted into the uterus. It also showed less frequency of hypertension, sinus tachycardia, movement, pain at the injection site, and additional FC. Therefore, premixing of PLE and FC enhanced the sedation and analgesia; stabilized the hemodynamics; lessened the incidence of movement and injection pain; and reduced the requirement of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of β-thalassemia (β-thal) and a hemoglobin (Hb) variant is not uncommon in regions with a high prevalence of thalassemia. Although most of the β-globin chain variants will not aggravate the β-thal, some can compromise the accurate molecular diagnosis. In this study, we present a rare case of coinheritance of β-thal and Hb Hornchurch [β43(CD2)Glu→Lys;HBB: c.130G>A], that compromises the molecular diagnosis of homozygous β-thal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic risk indices can quantify system risk level but cannot help operators judge system security grade qualitatively. This paper proposes a risk-load relationship–based method for power system static security grading, which can establish the relationship between risk index and security grade and help operators to judge system security grade based on probabilistic risk index. In the proposed method, system risk under other operational modes is converted into the security grade under basic operational mode. Thus, when operational mode changes, the security grade change can reflect the degree of system security change and act as a decision support tool for operators. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by Roy Billinton Test System (RBTS) and reliability test system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes such as urbanization have tremendous impacts on regional climate and environment. Satellite images acquired by fast-developing remote-sensing techniques provide frequent observations of the land surface, thereby allowing for continuous mapping of urbanization activities. In this study, we investigated the annual urbanization activities over the past three decades in Guangzhou, one of the largest metropolises in China. To enhance the efficiency of training sample extraction in long-term land-cover mapping, we developed a three-step method: 1) three spectral indices were derived to extract the candidates of training samples based on decision trees; 2) a spatial filter was used to extract homogenous samples for each land-cover type; and 3) temporal consistency checking was performed for the samples of urban areas. We applied the developed method to time-series Landsat images and produced annual land-cover maps of Guangzhou from 1987 to 2015. We evaluated the produced land-cover maps and found an average overall accuracy of 89.80% for all studied years. Our results show that dramatic urbanization has occurred in the region of the Guangzhou city, where built-up areas have mostly expanded to the northwest, east, and south of the central regions of Guangzhou. The average growth rate of urban areas in Guangzhou from 1987 to 2015 was at 38.72 km2 per year, which was generally consistent with the government survey data. Future studies are required to understand how rapid urbanization in Guangzhou influences social economy and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predictive values of placental histopathologies are compromised by a non-segregation of common anomalies. The effects of isolated pure placental inflammation (PI) and vasculopathy-coagulopathy (PV) were compared with normal (NL) placentas in extremely premature infants (ELBW, birth weight < 1000 g). PI infants required lower peak inspiratory pressure on day 3. More infants in PV were oxygen dependence on day 28. PV had an increased risk of intraventricular–periventricular hemorrhage (IVH, OR 4.9, 95% CI 1–24.7,p= 0.05). NL infants were unexposed to PPROM or maternal hypertension, had highest requirement for surfactant, did not develop IVH and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and none of them were Caucasian. Conclusions: In ELBW infants (1) pure placental vasculopathy-coagulopathy is a risk factor for IVH, (2) a non- pathological intrauterine environment is nonconducive to IVH and PVL, (3) pure placental inflammation is protective for acute pulmonary disease, (4) Caucasian mothers are more susceptible to adverse intrauterine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluorescent sensor (3) based on the 1,3-alternate conformation of the thiacalix[4]arene bearing the coumarin fluorophore, appended via an imino group, has been synthesised. Sensing properties were evaluated in terms of a colorimetric and fluorescence sensor for Zn2+and F−. High selectivity and excellent sensitivity were exhibited, and ‘off-on’ optical behaviour in different media was observed. All changes were visible to the naked eye, whilst the presence of the Zn2+and F−induces fluorescence enhancement and the formation of a 1:1 complex with3. In addition,3exhibits low cytotoxicity and good cell permeability and can readily be employed for assessing the change of intracellular levels of Zn2+and F−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]