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Solar thermal storage ceramic materials use photothermal power generation technology to store heat energy, which is an important way to use clean energy and reduce carbon emissions. In this paper, MgAl2O4 ceramics were prepared by pressureless sintering with fused magnesia and α‐Al2O3 as the primary raw materials and TiO2 as the additive. The phase composition, microstructure, physical properties, thermal shock resistance, and thermal physical properties of MgAl2O4 thermal storage ceramics were studied. The results show that the main crystalline phase of B4 is MgAl2O4 and the secondary crystalline phase is MgTi2O5. Ti4+ is dissolved into MgAl2O4 lattice, which distorts the lattice, reduces activation energy, and promotes sintering. The sample B4 (69.73 wt% α‐Al2O3, 30.27 wt% fused magnesia, and 7 wt% TiO2) sintered at 1510°C had the best comprehensive physical properties, and its bending strength and bulk density were 89.41 MPa and 3.27 g/cm3, respectively. After 30 thermal shock cycles, the bending strength of the sample B4 is slightly lost. The thermal stress generated during the expansion and contraction of the grain volume led to the decrease of the bending strength. From room temperature to 1000°C, the specific heat capacity of sample B4 is.44–1.25 J/(g·K). The heat capacity increases with the increase of temperature, and the heat storage density increases. The heat storage density is 1218.75 kJ/kg (1000°C). Heat capacity increases with temperature due to intensified lattice vibration at high temperatures. Therefore, magnesia alumina spinel ceramics show great potential in solar thermal energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to effectively utilize renewable energy and improve the economic efficiency of microgrid system and its ability to consume renewable energy has become one of the main problems facing China at present. In response to this challenge, this paper establishes a multiobjective capacity optimization model with the minimum levelized cost of energy, the maximum proportion of renewable energy consumption, and the minimum comprehensive system cost. Based on this model, a new improved beluga whale optimization algorithm is proposed to solve the multiobjective optimization problem in the capacity allocation process of wind–solar–storage microgrid system with the goal of ensuring that the microgrid can meet the maximum load demand at different moments throughout the year. In this paper, opposition‐based learning, artificial bee colony, dynamic opposite, and beluga whale optimization are combined to improve the population diversity and convergence accuracy, thereby enhancing the optimization performance of the algorithm. Finally, after finding the optimal Pareto front solution, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution is used to help decision‐makers select the optimal solution. Using real load data and meteorological data, the results of this paper show that the multiobjective capacity allocation optimization method of grid‐connected scenic storage microgrid system based on the improved beluga whale optimization algorithm can improve the economics of the wind–solar–storage microgrid system and promote the photovoltaic consumption simultaneously, providing a solution for the realization of low‐carbon power and regional economic development. The best‐found levelized cost of energy for the wind–solar–storage microgrid system is 0.192 yuan/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconia‐corundum‐mullite composites were prepared from andalusite, ZrO2, and α‐Al2O3 and evaluated for application as solar thermal storage materials in this study. The effects of ZrO2 concentration (0–25 wt%) and sintering temperature(1500–1650°C) on the bending strength, phase composition, microstructure, dimensional stability, and thermal shock resistance of the samples were investigated. The results showed that sample C2 (containing 10 wt% ZrO2) sintered at 1600°C exhibited the best properties. A portion of Y2O3 existed in ZrO2, which excited a small amount of t‐ZrO2 in the sample after sintering, while the other portion of Y2O3 was separated from ZrO2 and participated in the formation of a high‐temperature liquid phase. The liquid phase reduced the dimensional stability of the sample. However, the liquid phase could also promote sintering, reducing the optimal sintering temperature, with lower sintering temperatures increasing the dimensional stability of the sample. Once again, the C2 sample exhibited the highest thermal shock resistance, with a strength loss of 2.76 MPa after 30 thermal shock tests. The thermal storage density(25–1100°C) of C2 was 1121 kJ/kg. In summary, sample C2 exhibits a high degree of dimensional stability and thermal shock resistance and can thus be used as a reliable solar thermal storage material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absorptivity of solar thermal absorber materials affects the heliothermal conversion efficiency of concentrated solar power systems. The solar absorbing ceramics were prepared by the fixed mixture of bauxit, Fe2O3, and TiO2 with adding CuO in different percentages. The absorptivity and thermal shock resistance with the effect of adding CuO in different percentages were studied. Fe2O3 and TiO2 have excellent optical properties, and CuO decreases the material's band gap to boost the electronic transition and increase the material absorptivity. The results showed that the material is sintered at 1380°C with an excellent absorptivity of 94.00% in the spectrum range of 0.3–2.5 μm, and the bending strength is 132.94 MPa. The bending strength was increased by 21.07% after 30 thermal shock cycles (1000°C‐room temperature, air cooling). The liquid phase facilitates the synthesis of hercynite with excellent high temperature properties. The hercynite improves the thermal shock resistance of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Super enhancers (SE) play pivotal roles in cell identity and diseases occur including tumorigenesis. The depletion of SE‐associated lncRNA transcripts, also known as super‐lncRNA, causes the activity of SE to be dysregulated. Methods: We screened and identified an elevated metastasis‐associated SE‐lncRNA SUCLG2‐AS1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using RNA‐sequencing, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and bioinformatics. Western blotting, RT‐qPCR, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP), RNA immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, RNA pull‐down and 3C (chromosome conformation capture assays) were used for mechanistic studies. Results: SUCLG2‐AS1 was correlated with a poor prognosis. SUCLG2‐AS1 promotes NPC cell invasion and metastasis while repressing apoptosis and radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, high SUCLG2‐AS1 expression occurred in an m6A‐dependent manner. SUCLG2‐AS1 was found to be located in the SE region of SOX2, and it regulated the expression of SOX2 via long‐range chromatin loop formation, which via mediating CTCF (transcription factor) occupied the SE and promoter region of SOX2, thus regulating the metastasis and radiosensitivity of NPC. Conclusions: Taken together, our data suggest that SUCLG2‐AS1 may serve as a novel intervention target for the clinical treatment of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the performance and feasibility of magnesia‐alumina spinel (MgAl2O4) ceramics for thermal storage in solar thermal power generation, MgAl2O4 was prepared by theoretical composition using α‐Al2O3 as aluminium source, fused magnesia, magnesite, and light burned magnesia as different magnesium sources and kaolin as additive. The effects of magnesium source and the additive on sintering properties, thermal shock resistance and thermal properties of MgAl2O4 ceramics were researched. The results shown sample A1 (with fused magnesia) sintered at 1670°C possessed the optimum comprehensive properties, the bending strength increased by 7.71% after 30 thermal shock times (room temperature‐1000°C, air cooling), the specific heat capacity was 1.05 J/ (g·K). Therefore, the MgAl2O4 ceramics exhibited great potential in high‐temperature thermal storage material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, steel slag foamed ceramics were fabricated by using steel slag, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz as main raw materials, and adding SiC as high‐temperature foaming agent. The effects of steel slag content and SiC particle size on porosity and mechanical properties of foamed ceramics were researched. Results indicate that when content of steel slag is 40 wt%, and particle size of SiC is 20 µm, foamed ceramics exhibited optimized properties: water absorption rate of 2.59%, total porosity of 55.91%, bulk density of 1.33 g·cm−3, and compressive strength of 1.21 MPa. The results show that with the increase of steel slag content, the phase composition of foamed ceramics changes, and foam process is hindered. The increase of steel slag content contributes to the formation of diopside. Fe3+, Fe2+ in liquid phase enter into diopside by solid solution, the amount of liquid phase decreases. Liquid phase mass transfer slows down, and content of SiC in liquid phase decreases, so that the porosity decreases. At the same steel slag content, different SiC particle size affects the difference between pressure inside the closed pore and surface pressure, thereby the porosity changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni−Fe battery is one of prospective aqueous alkaline batteries due to its high safety, eco‐friendliness and cost‐effectiveness. However, the electrochemical performance of Fe‐based anodes is limited due to the particle aggregation and low electric conductivity. In this work, iron powder is used as a precursor in a chemical bath deposition method. By optimizing the concentration of HNO3, a balanced dissolution‐crystallization process is achieved to obtain uniform Fe2O3 nanospheres in size between 60 and 90 nm, which are separately anchored on ultrasonically prepared multilayer graphene (MLG). This composite delivers specific discharge capacities of 191.1 and 160.8 mAh g−1 at the current densities of 2 and 10 A g−1, respectively. A Ni−Fe battery with the as‐prepared Fe2O3/MLG as anode and Ni(OH)2/MLG as cathode exhibits an energy density of 69.5 Wh kg−1 at a high power density of 3931.6 W kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in monthly precipitation are associated with climate extremes having significant socio‐economic and eco‐environmental impacts. Knowledge of monthly precipitation information is therefore valuable for policy making. Extensive research has been conducted on dynamic prediction using state‐of‐the‐art coupled climate models. However, the skilful prediction of monthly precipitation with dynamical models remains a challenge. With the development of machine learning tools, statistical predictions show comparable performance with dynamic models, but they are limited to at‐site monthly prediction, due to the lack of ability for processing spatially connected geophysical data. To improve monthly precipitation forecasting and provide regional forecasts, we propose a model termed UNet‐RegPre based on convolutional neural network and U‐net architecture. The model shows comparable prediction skills with recurrent state‐of‐the‐art dynamic forecasts (CFSv2), and has the capability to capture spatiotemporal patterns of precipitation and reproduce the main process of representative droughts. The key precursors for rainfall development identified by UNet‐RegPre shows that the constructed model can detect the climatic connection between rainfall in eastern China and summer monsoon, showing the potential to advance hydrometeorological understanding with a deep learning‐based model. These results suggest that the proposed model can be a potential tool for precipitation prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the new development philosophy of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, CO2 and O2 in situ leaching (ISL) has been identified as a promising technique for uranium mining in China, not only because it solves carbon dioxide utilization and sequestration, but it also alleviates the environmental burden. However, significant challenges exist in assessment of CO2 footprint and water‐rock interactions, due to complex geochemical processes. Herein this study conducts a three‐dimensional, multicomponent reactive transport model (RTM) of a field‐scale CO2 and O2 ISL process at a typical sandstone‐hosted uranium deposit in Songliao Basin, China. Numerical simulations are performed to provide new insight into quantitative interpretation of the greenhouse gas (CO2) footprint and environmental impact (SO42–) of the CO2 and O2 ISL, considering the potential chemical reaction network for uranium recovery at the field scale. RTM results demonstrate that the fate of the CO2 could be summarized as injected CO2 dissolution, dissolved CO2 mineralization and storage of CO2 as a gas phase during the CO2 and O2 ISL process. Furthermore, compared to acid ISL, CO2 and O2 ISL has a potentially smaller environmental footprint, with 20% of SO42– concentration in the aquifer. The findings improve our fundamental understanding of carbon utilization in a long‐term CO2 and O2 ISL system and provide important environmental implications when considering complex geochemical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a novel tricompartmental hydrazone ligand, a set of trinuclear Dy3 complexes has been isolated and structurally characterized. Complexes Dy3 ⋅ Cl, Dy3 ⋅ Br, and Dy3 ⋅ ClO4 feature a similar overall topology but different anions (Cl−, Br−, or ClO4−) in combination with exogenous OH− and solvent co‐ligands, which is found to translate into very different magnetic properties. Complex Dy3 ⋅ Cl shows a double relaxation process with fast quantum tunneling of the magnetization, probably related to the structural disorder of μ2‐OH− and μ2‐Cl− co‐ligands. Relaxation of the magnetization is slowed down for Dy3 ⋅ Br and Dy3 ⋅ ClO4, which do not show any structural disorder. In particular, fast quantum tunneling is suppressed in case of Dy3 ⋅ ClO4, resulting in an energy barrier of 341 K and magnetic hysteresis up to 3.5 K; this makes Dy3 ⋅ ClO4 one of the most robust air‐stable trinuclear SMMs. Magneto‐structural relationships of the three complexes are analyzed and rationalized with the help of CASSCF/RASSI‐SO calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting suitable ceramic powders for the preparation of UV‐curable ceramic suspensions, which are well suited for printing processes and production of high‐performance ceramic components, is a crucial factor in the practical industrial application of digital light processing (DLP) stereolithography. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of alumina ceramic parts fabricated via DLP stereolithography using a variety of alumina powders with varying sizes and morphologies. Experiments were conducted to examine the rheological response, recoating performance, and curing behavior of UV‐curable alumina suspensions. Additionally, the thermal decomposition behavior of three‐dimensional (3D)‐printed green‐bodies, as well as the physical and mechanical properties of 3D‐printed sintered alumina components were thoroughly investigated. The best physical and mechanical performances were achieved by printing 55 vol% suspensions prepared using near‐spherical AA04 alumina powders (median diameter.4 μm). This study elucidates the effects of ceramic particle size and morphology on the entire technological process of DLP‐based ceramic stereolithography, thereby establishing the guidelines for the fabrication of high‐performance 3D‐printed ceramic objects in industrial and engineering production by selecting appropriate ceramic powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ricin is one of the most toxic proteins known, which has been listed as both chemical and biological warfare agent due to its unique properties. Rapid and sensitive method capable of detecting and distinguishing activity of the whole ricin has very important realistic significance in view of national security and defense. This study reports a reliable surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐based sandwich immunoassay for the detection and differentiation of active ricin from other homologous toxins. In the immunoassay design, magnetic bead conjugated with a monoclonal antibody (mAb) MIL50 that can recognize the ricin in its holotoxin form was used as a capture probe to separate ricin from complex matrix, whereas both Raman reporter molecule Nile blue A (NBA) and ricin‐specific mAb 14C12 were modified on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to form SERS nanoprobes. In the presence of ricin, SERS nanoprobes bound to the antigen‐captured magnetic beads and formed a sandwich immunocomplex to produce specific hot spots and then generated highly sensitive signals. As a result, the whole ricin could be detected as low as 1 and 5 ng/ml in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) and in plasma, respectively. Not only active and inactive ricin can be discriminated distinctly but also ricin from other type II ribosome‐inactivating proteins and their agglutinins. Furthermore, the proposed method made an application to practical samples from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) biotoxin exercise test, proving this SERS‐based sandwich immunoassay a promising assay for timely response of ricin‐related risk assessment in terrorist event and human intoxication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilabel causal feature selection, as a well‐known and effective approach in dealing with high‐dimensional multilabel data, is a popular topic. Amount of causal feature selection algorithms have achieved a great deal of success in classification and prediction tasks. However, the descriptive information of data is collected from different data sources in many practical applications. While few researches focus on the causal variable discovery in multisource environments due to the complex causal relationships. To address these problems, we propose a causal feature selection framework in multisource environments to solve the above problems. Firstly, we mine the causal mechanism with respect to the class attribute under the assumption that only a single data source is included. Secondly, by utilizing the concept of causal invariance in causal inference, we formulate the problem of causal feature selection with multiple data sources as a search problem for an invariant set across data sources. In addition, we give the upper and lower bounds of the causal invariant set. Finally, we design a novel multisource multilabel causal feature selection (MMCFS) algorithm. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, we compare it with 12 feature selection methods on synthetic datasets. Experiment results show that the classification performance of MMCFS achieves highly competitive performance against other comparing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quaternary ammonium oxime reactivators are a class of important reactivators for nerve agents poisoning, and their sensitive and specific analysis in biomedical samples meets many challenges due to their highly polar properties. In present paper, a novel determination method based on surface‐enhanced Raman spectrometry (SERS) was developed for series of quaternary ammonium oxime reactivators. The self‐cleaning effect of iodine anion on the surface of porous shell‐insulated nanoparticles and the electrostatic adsorption effect were proved to be effective to remove the strong interference of protein and other coexisting substances and significantly improve the response intensity and fingerprint feature of Raman peaks. The analysis of five important quaternary ammonium oxime reactivators (PAM‐Cl, TMB‐4, MMB‐4, HI‐6, LüH6) was achieved in biomedical samples, which had the merit of simple sample pretreatment, rapid speed, high sensitivity, and fingerprint peak characteristics. The detection limits reached values of as low as 0.5 ng·mL−1 for dipyridyl quaternary ammonium oxime reactivators. The method has been successfully used for blood concentration monitoring in vivo and evaluation of the liposomes drug delivery ability to penetrate the blood–brain barrier in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrillin‐2 (FBN2) is a major component of tissue microfibrils, and the decrease of FBN2 perturbs the signalling events mediated by transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), thereby playing a role in macular degeneration. However, the association between the retinal degeneration resulting from the abnormality of FBN2 and the activation of TGF‐β signalling has not been fully addressed. In the present study, the mice were divided into a normal control group (NC group), a phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) injection group (PBS group), and an anti‐FBN2 protein injection group (anti‐FBN2 group), and the mice in PBS and anti‐FBN2 groups received the relevant treatment via the intravitreal injection once a week for three consecutive weeks. One week later after injection, the retinal morphology and visual function of the fundus were detected. Further, the expression of FBN2, TGF‐β1, TGF‐β2 and TGF‐β3 in retina was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. As a result, fundus examination suggests that after intravitreous injection of anti‐FBN2 protein, there were a large patchy yellow white degeneration region and numerous pigmentations in the retina in anti‐FBN2‐treated mice; by contrast, there was no apparent change in mice from the NC and PBS groups. The retina suffered markedly damage, and the thickness of whole retina and outer nuclear layer markedly thinned. The expression of FBN2 was decreased whereas the levels of TGF‐β1, TGF‐β2 and TGF‐β3 were upregulated. Together, our findings indicate that the intravitreous delivery of anti‐FBN2 protein could induce retina degeneration in mice, accompanied by the higher activated TGF‐β. The retinal degeneration mouse model established will provide a platform for the investigation of the retinal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2 was employed to develop cordierite glass–ceramics for thermal transmission pipeline binders by a melt‐quenching method. The effects of TiO2 on the phase composition, microstructure, and physical properties of glass–ceramics were studied. In addition, the thermal shock resistance of the glass–ceramics based binder was investigated. The results showed the formation of α cordierite could be increased by adding 1.0 wt% TiO2, thereby improving bending strength and decreasing the coefficient of thermal expansion. However, a 3‐5 wt% TiO2 additive resulted in massive generation of µ cordierite, which exhibited a negative effect on the above performances. After crystallization at 1000°C for 2 h, sample B1 (1 wt% TiO2 additional) displayed the best overall properties. It was demonstrated that cordierite glass–ceramics were satisfactory materials as heat transmission pipeline binders when the C2 binder (40 wt% frit, 60 wt% as‐prepared sample B1) was applied, which had a good thermal shock resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Myeloid differentiation protein 1 (MD1) was shown to ameliorate pressure overload‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by negatively regulating the MEK–ERK1/2 and NF‐κB pathways. However, whether MD1 modulates cardiac function and whether the Akt pathway mediates the benefits of MD1 in pressure overload‐induced cardiac remodelling remain unclear. Methods and Results: Male cardiac‐specific transgenic MD1 (MD1‐TG) mice, MD1‐knockout (KO) mice and wild‐type (WT) littermates aged 8–10 weeks were subjected to sham operation and aortic banding (AB) for 4 weeks. Then, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, fibrosis and function of the mice were assessed. When compared with WT‐AB mice, MD1‐TGs showed decreased cross‐sectional area (CSA) of cardiomyocytes (P < 0.001), mRNA expression of β‐myosin heavy chain (β‐MHC) (P < 0.02), ratios of heart weight/body weight and heart weight/tibia length (P < 0.04) and collagen volume fraction (P < 0.001). The LV end‐diastolic diameter was reduced, and LV ejection fraction and fractional shortening were improved in MD1‐TG‐AB mice than in WT‐AB mice (P < 0.05). In cultured H9C2 cells, adenovirus vector‐mediated MD1 overexpression decreased angiotensin II‐induced mRNA expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and β‐MHC and cell CSA (P < 0.002), whereas knockdown of MD1 by shRNA exhibited opposite effects (P < 0.04). Mechanistically, MD1 suppressed pathological cardiac remodelling at least partly by blocking Akt pathway. Akt inactivation by MK2206 largely offset the pro‐hypertrophic effects of MD1 deficiency in angiotensin II‐stimulated cardiomyocytes. Conclusions: The Akt pathway mediates the protective effects of MD1 in pressure overload‐induced cardiac remodelling in mice. Targeting MD1 may provide therapeutic strategy for the treatment of pathological cardiac remodelling and heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: At present, with total building energy consumption accounts for about 21.33% of the energy consumption of social terminals, the building energy consumption has a tendency to continue to grow. According to the geographical location of users and the local weather conditions, we analyze the energy resources available to users and design a multienergy complementary coupling system. We have taken full account of the use of renewable energy and recovery of waste heat resources. Large‐scale increase of electrical equipment, a large number of charging load access to the grid, the power system planning, operation and operation of the electricity market will have a profound impact. The current mode of the supercapacitor and the DC bus determines the mode of operation of the converter. Based on a detailed analysis of each working mode, we design a corresponding control scheme and achieve a smooth transition and switching between modes. Simulation and experiment verify the correctness and effectiveness of the converter and hybrid energy storage control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice reserve estimates is a fundamental prerequisite for water resources management. We selected the UIB (upper Indus river basin) as study area because it contains the most abundant mid‐latitude glaciers outside the polar region, however, the ice reserve estimates remain unclear due to the harsh topography. In this study, we validated the parameters of the GlabTop2 model (Glacier Bed Topography version 2) using the ice thickness measured by GPR (ground‐penetrating radar) and compared the "GPR‐measured ice thickness and ice bed elevation" versus "the estimated results obtained from GlabTop2." Integrated with IDW (inverse distance weighted) interpolated results of glaciers of various sizes, a reasonable parametric scheme (τ = 120 kPa and f = 0.8) of GlabTop2 was applied on vast amounts of glaciers in the UIB region. The GlabTop2 estimates indicated that the ice thickness of the UIB varied from 0 to 736.0 ± 110.0 m, with an average value of 74.5 ± 11.2 m. A significant spatial heterogeneity exists in the sub‐basins. The Shyok, Shigar and Hunza that contain the most abundant ice reserve. Lesser quantities are stored in the Western Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges, which account for 11.3 % and 6.7 % of the total ice reserve in the UIB, respectively. A total volume of 1162.4 ± 175.1 km3 of glacier can be converted to 1046.2 ± 157.6 Gt ice reserve; this is 13.6 times the annual average discharge obtained from the outlet of the Besham hydrological station. We aim to present estimates that can provide the baseline information for glaciology study of the Indus river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hickory nuts (Carya cathayensis Sarg, CCS), a well‐known Chinese medicinal nut, is thought to improve memory in Chinese folks. However, functional constituents have not been scientifically identified. In this study, human SH‐SY5Y cells, combined with Q‐TOF mass spectrometry (Q‐TOF‐MS) and standard substances, were used to evaluate the function in neuronal development and to identify constituents of CCS hydrophobic extracts (CCS‐HE). Data showed that CCS‐HE but not the control induced neurite outgrowth of SH‐SY5Y cells in a dose‐dependent manner, supported by which CCS‐HE induced the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF), neurofilament 160 (NF160), and neuronal peptide Y (NPY) mRNA. Q‐TOF‐MS analysis with standard substances indicated that linolenic acid (LNA), linoleic acid (LA), and oleic acid (OA) were the main constituents in CCS‐HE. Furthermore, mixtures of these unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) at the natural ratio (1:8:16) significantly induced neurite outgrowth and gene expression of NGF, NF160, and NPY in a dose‐dependent manner. However, the individual and alternative ratios were not effective to induce the neurite outgrowth and gene expression of NGF, NF160, and NPY. These data implicate that an appropriate ratio of UFAs is the main constituent for the neurite outgrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and toxicity of raltitrexed (Saiweijian®) plus cisplatin (SP regimen) and 5‐fluorouracil plus cisplatin (FP regimen) as concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA‐NPC). Methods: Eligible patients (N = 135) were allocated randomly in a ratio of 1:1 to receive CCRT with either SP or FP. At least 2 cycles of chemotherapy was administrated during radiotherapy. Progression free survival (PFS) was primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), loco‐regional relapse free survival (LRRFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS) and toxicity. Results: In this study, 68 patients received SP as CCRT, and 67 received FP. Objective responses were noted in 97.1% of the patients in the SP group and in 97.0% of the patients in the FP group (P = 1.00). At the end of a median 36 months follow‐up period, the estimated 3‐year PFS rates were 70.1% for SP and 66.6% for FP, respectively. The 3‐year LRRFS, DMFS and OS rates were 88.9%, 74.7% and 84.0%, respectively, for the SP group, and 92.3%, 71.0% and 73.7%, respectively, for the FP group. Overall, there was no difference between treatment groups with regard to response or survival. The most frequent acute toxicities monitored in both groups were bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal side effects and oral mucositis (OM). The overall incidence of grade 3‐4 OM in the FP group (47.8%) was higher than in the SP group (11.8%). However, the incidence of other adverse effects observed in both groups was similar (P >.05). Conclusions: These data indicate that SP and FP therapies have similar efficacy in treating LA‐NPC. The SP regimen showed a tolerable safety profile along with a lower frequency of severe OM and therefore, an improved life quality. In conclusion, SP was a well tolerated, effective, regimen for LA‐NPC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Choline receptor blocker succinylcholine (suxamethonium [SUX]) is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent to relax muscles. It is often used in clinic to conduct auxiliary endotracheal intubation as a surgical anesthetic inducer, which can cause respiratory depression and cardiac arrest. In recent years, SUX was occasionally used for theft and crime by daubing on darts, resulting in intoxication or even death. Regarding the rapid detection demand of SUX in first aid and emergency response, a bit of challenges still existed, especially towards biomedical samples due to its properties of high hydrophilic, alkali‐liable, low onset concentration, and susceptibility to cholinesterase. In this report, we described an on‐site surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method on SUX in the first time. We found that key parameters facilitated this SERS method including MgI2‐induced appropriate aggregation and higher pH, in which enhanced electrostatic interaction between analyte and AuNPs occurred, and larger adsorption capacity of AuNPs, which makes the sensitive measurement of alkali‐liable SUX become possible. Coupled with simple and optimized pretreatment procedures, successful measurement of SUX in plasma and urine samples was also achieved. The limit of detection reached 1 μg/L in plasma and 10 μg/L in urine. We regarded acids for precipitating abundant proteins and inhibited cholinesterase activity in plasma and proteins for assisting antiagglomeration of AuNPs when coexisted with plenty of inorganic salts in urine, as the critical parameters in sample pretreatment. We hope this method can find its great potential in forensic and clinical diagnosis in case of SUX poisoning or intoxication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) for groundwater modeling are challenging because of the model complexity and significant computational requirements. To reduce the massive computational cost, a cheap‐to‐evaluate surrogate model is usually constructed to approximate and replace the expensive groundwater models in the GSA and UQ. Constructing an accurate surrogate requires actual model simulations on a number of parameter samples. Thus, a robust experimental design strategy is desired to locate informative samples so as to reduce the computational cost in surrogate construction and consequently to improve the efficiency in the GSA and UQ. In this study, we develop a Taylor expansion‐based adaptive design (TEAD) that aims to build an accurate global surrogate model with a small training sample size. TEAD defines a novel hybrid score function to search informative samples, and a robust stopping criterion to terminate the sample search that guarantees the resulted approximation errors satisfy the desired accuracy. The good performance of TEAD in building global surrogate models is demonstrated in seven analytical functions with different dimensionality and complexity in comparison to two widely used experimental design methods. The application of the TEAD‐based surrogate method in two groundwater models shows that the TEAD design can effectively improve the computational efficiency of GSA and UQ for groundwater modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new multiobjective evolutionary algorithm ( MOEA), the elitist multiobjective tabu search ( EMOTS), and incorporates it with MODFLOW/ MT3DMS to develop a groundwater simulation-optimization ( SO) framework based on modular design for optimal design of groundwater remediation systems using pump-and-treat ( PAT) technique. The most notable improvement of EMOTS over the original multiple objective tabu search ( MOTS) lies in the elitist strategy, selection strategy, and neighborhood move rule. The elitist strategy is to maintain all nondominated solutions within later search process for better converging to the true Pareto front. The elitism-based selection operator is modified to choose two most remote solutions from current candidate list as seed solutions to increase the diversity of searching space. Moreover, neighborhood solutions are uniformly generated using the Latin hypercube sampling ( LHS) in the bounded neighborhood space around each seed solution. To demonstrate the performance of the EMOTS, we consider a synthetic groundwater remediation example. Problem formulations consist of two objective functions with continuous decision variables of pumping rates while meeting water quality requirements. Especially, sensitivity analysis is evaluated through the synthetic case for determination of optimal combination of the heuristic parameters. Furthermore, the EMOTS is successfully applied to evaluate remediation options at the field site of the Massachusetts Military Reservation ( MMR) in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. With both the hypothetical and the large-scale field remediation sites, the EMOTS-based SO framework is demonstrated to outperform the original MOTS in achieving the performance metrics of optimality and diversity of nondominated frontiers with desirable stability and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation, characterization of CaO and its application in the catalytic ozonation of cinnamaldehyde to benzaldehyde were studied. The calcination temperature greatly affected the physicochemical properties of CaO, and the CaO calcined at 900°C exhibited the optimal ozone utilization efficiency. When using 0.20 g CaO calcined at 900°C, 750 mL·min−1 oxygen flow rate for generating O3, and reacted at 0°C for 210 min, the cinnamaldehyde conversion reached 97.77%, as well as the benzaldehyde yield was 59.51%. And the cinnamaldehyde conversion in a catalytic ozonation on CaO catalyst maintained above 90% for four used cycles, which exhibited reasonable catalyst stability. The electron donating process of surface O2- on the catalyst is the key to improve the benzaldehyde yield, and based on the intrinsic kinetic study, the Eley-Rideal kinetic model with cinnamaldehyde being adsorbed was the appropriate model for the catalytic ozonation of cinnamaldehyde on CaO. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 4403-4417, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Helicobacter pylori infection has been consistently associated with lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation, but no studies have demonstrated that the transmission of viable but nonculturable ( VBNC) H. pylori can occur from drinking contaminated water. In this study, we used a laboratory mouse model to test whether waterborne VBNC H. pylori could cause gastric infection. Materials and Methods We performed five mouse experiments to assess the infectivity of VBNC H. pylori in various exposure scenarios. VBNC viability was examined using Live/Dead staining and Biolog phenotype metabolism arrays. High doses of VBNC H. pylori in water were chosen to test the 'worst-case' scenario for different periods of time. One experiment also investigated the infectious capabilities of VBNC SS1 using gavage. Further, immunocompromised mice were exposed to examine infectivity among potentially vulnerable groups. After exposure, mice were euthanized and their stomachs were examined for H. pylori infection using culture and PCR methodology. Results VBNC cells were membrane intact and retained metabolic activity. Mice exposed to VBNC H. pylori via drinking water and gavage were not infected, despite the various exposure scenarios (immunocompromised, high doses) that might have permitted infection with VBNC H. pylori. The positive controls exposed to viable, culturable H. pylori did become infected. Conclusions While other studies that have used viable, culturable SS1 via gavage or drinking water exposures to successfully infect mice, in our study, waterborne VBNC SS1 failed to colonize mice under all test conditions. Future studies could examine different H. pylori strains in similar exposure scenarios to compare the relative infectivity of the VBNC vs the viable, culturable state, which would help inform future risk assessments of H. pylori in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiphase and multicomponent mass transfer model of CO2 absorbed in aqueous N-methyldiethanolamine and piperazine (PZ) was built in the study. In the model, a simple method of mass transfer between phases was proposed. Besides, the hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and complex reversible chemical reaction were considered simultaneously. The model was validated by comparing with the previous experimental data which showed that simulated results can represent the experimental data with reasonable accuracy. Based on the model, the effects of gas velocity, liquid load and CO2 loading on the absorption rate, and enhancement factor were analyzed. Model results showed that the enhancement factor increased with a rising gas velocity while decreased with a rising liquid load or CO2 loading. The change of enhancement factor with CO2 loading was similar to that of equilibrium concentration of PZ which indicated that PZ was significant to the absorption process. Furthermore, the distributions of specie concentrations were discussed in detail. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 2386-2393, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intention of the present study was to develop an alternative composition for making porcelain material using diopside as the main raw material. Particle size distribution, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, and field emission scanning electron microscope were carried out to characterize the body. Alfa-quartz, diopside, anorthite, and clinoenstatite were major phases of fired sample. The flexural strength, 131.54 MPa, was two times higher than that of conventional porcelains. During firing, iron ions were diffused into diopside crystal lattice giving the porcelain body a favorable whiteness. It is applicable in preparation of porcelain material using diopside as the main raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The employment of solar energy in recent years has reached a remarkable edge. It has become even more popular as the cost of fossil fuel continues to rise. Energy storage system improves an adjustability and marketability of solar thermal and allowing it to produce electricity in demand. This study attempted to prepare cordierite/mullite composite ceramics used as solar thermal storage material from calcined bauxite, talcum, soda feldspar, potassium feldspar, quartz, and mullite. The thermal physical performances were evaluated and characterized by XRD, SEM, EPMA, and EDS. It was found that the optimum sintering temperature was 1280°C for preparing, and the corresponding water adsorption was 11.25%, apparent porosity was 23.59%, bulk density was 2.10 mg·cm−3, bending strength was 88.52 MPa. The residual bending strength of specimen sintered at 1280°C after thermal shock of 30 times decreased to be 57 MPa that was 36% lower than that before. The thermal conductivity of samples sintered at 1280°C was tested to be 2.20 W·(m·K)−1 (26°C), and after wrapped a PCM (phase change materials) of K2SO4, the thermal storage density was 933 kJ·kg−1 with the temperature difference (Δ T) ranged in 0-800°C. The prepared cordierite/mullite composite ceramic was proved to be a promising material for solar thermal energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-assembly of three giant hexagonal 3d-4f metallocycles with inner diameters of 16.4, 16.5, and 16.4 Å, is described. Hexagonal metallocycles were stacked along the crystallographic c axis, producing unique hexagonal macroscopic tubular single crystals. The assembly mechanism of the tubular crystals was investigated. Remarkably, all three hexagonal metallocycles show typical single-molecule magnet behavior, benefiting from the ferromagnetic couplings between the 3d and 4f ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-assembly of three giant hexagonal 3d-4f metallocycles with inner diameters of 16.4, 16.5, and 16.4 Å, is described. Hexagonal metallocycles were stacked along the crystallographic c axis, producing unique hexagonal macroscopic tubular single crystals. The assembly mechanism of the tubular crystals was investigated. Remarkably, all three hexagonal metallocycles show typical single-molecule magnet behavior, benefiting from the ferromagnetic couplings between the 3d and 4f ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For lowering sintering temperature of mullite/Al2O3 composite ceramics for solar thermal transmission pipeline, kaolin, potassium feldspar, quartz, and γ-Al2O3 were used as raw materials to in situ synthesize the composite ceramics with pressureless sintering method. Densification, mechanical properties, thermal expansion coefficient, thermal shock resistance, phase composition, and microstructure were investigated. The experiment results demonstrated that the introduction of potassium feldspar and quartz decreased the lowest sintering temperatures greatly to 1300°C. The optimum sample A3 sintered at 1340°C obtained the best performances. The water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density, bending strength, and thermal expansion coefficient of A3 were 0.04%, 0.12%, 2.71 g/cm3, 94.82 MPa, and 5.83 × 10−6/°C, respectively. After 30 thermal shock cycles (wind cooling from 1100°C to room temperature), no cracks were observed on the surfaces of the sample, and the bending strength increased by −7.96%. XRD analysis indicated that the main phases of samples before and after 30 thermal shock cycles were consistently mullite, corundum, and α-cristobalite, while the content of mullite increased after thermal shock. SEM micrographs illustrated that the mullite grains growth and micro-cracks appeared after thermal shock endowed the composite ceramics with excellent thermal shock resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

85% of China's GHG emissions are attributed to urban economic activities, and this share is expected to rise given China's fast urbanization process. This paper provides estimates of city-level industrial CO2 emissions and their growth rates for all 287 Chinese prefecture-level and above cities during the years 1998-2009. We decompose the CO2 emission changes into scale, composition and technique effects. The decomposition results show that these three effects differ significantly across the three tiers of cities in China. The scale effect contributes to rising CO2 emissions, while the technique effect leads to declining CO2 emissions in all cities. The composition effect leads to increasing CO2 emissions in the third-tier cities, while it reduces CO2 emissions in the first and second-tier cities, due to the relocation of energy-intensive industries from the latter to the former type of cities. Based on these decomposition results, we identify the separate channels through which the inflow of FDI and the environmental regulations affect city-level CO2 emissions. The decomposition framework in our paper can help policy makers and scholars to better understand Chinese cities' trade-offs between economic growth and environmental goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosgene and its analogs are greatly harmful to the public health, environmental safety and homeland security as widely used industrial substances with extremely high toxicity. In order to rapidly evaluate the emergency risk caused by these chemicals, a new highly sensitive method based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique for measurement of phosgene agents was developed for the first time. Coupled with a chemical transformation approach, the highly toxic phosgene was conveniently converted to a SERS-sensitive probe, i.e. iodine (I2), with low toxicity or non-toxicity. The characteristic SERS peak in 459 cm−1 was used for quantitation and was presumed as a formation of triiodide anion (I3−), which was induced in an iodide (I−)-aggregation Au NPs system. The total measurement can be completed in ~20 min with the limits of detection of ~60 µg/l (phosgene) and ~30 µg/l (diphosgene), respectively, on a portable Raman spectrometer. This work is the first report of SERS measurement on phosgene and diphosgene in a quantitative level. This method is expected to meet the requirements of on-site detection of phosgene agents, promote emergency responses and raise more opportunities for the portable SERS applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of the rigid polydentate Schiff-base H3L with different dysprosium carboxylates afforded two novel centrosymmetrical dinuclear DyIII compounds, [Dy2(HL)2-(CH3COO)2(DMF)2] (1) and [Dy2(HL)2(PhCOO)2(DMF)2]. 4DMF (2) with differing carboxylate groups. The two differing carboxylate groups affect the magnetic interaction and/or local anisotropy of the Dy ion, and therefore we have two compounds showing dissimilar magnetic behaviour. The acetato bridging groups with a syn-syn η1:η1:μ2 mode in compound 1 lead to the disappearance of slow magnetic relaxation under zero dc field. Nevertheless, typical SMM behaviour is observed for compound 2 with η2-chelating benzoate ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For lowering the sintering temperature of silicon carbide ceramics used for solar thermal energy storage technology, O'-Sialon and silicon nitride were employed as composite phases to construct Sialon-Si3N4-SiC composite ceramics. The composite ceramics were synthesized using SiC, Si3N4, quartz, and different alumina sources as starting materials with noncontact graphite-buried sintering method. Influences of alumina sources on the physical properties and thermal shock resistance of the composites were studied. The results revealed that the employment of O'-Sialon and silicon nitride could decrease the sintering temperature greatly to 1540°C. The optimum formula G2 prepared from mullite as alumina source achieved the best performances: 66.7 MPa of bending strength, 10.0 W/(m·K) of thermal conductivity. The composition parameter x = 0.4 of O'-Sialon decreased to 0.04 after 30 cycles thermal shock, and the bending strength increased with a rate of 11.0% due to the increase of O'-Sialon grain size, and the optimization of microstructure caused by the transformation of O'-Sialon grains and densification within the samples. The good thermal shock resistance makes the composites suitable for the use as thermal storage materials of concentrated solar power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apoptosis of alveolar macrophages (AMs) plays a pathogenic role in acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe type, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising therapeutic cells for preventing apoptosis and eliminating cellular injury. We investigated the effects of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced apoptosis in AMs using transwell experiments, and examined the underlying mechanisms LPS induced AMs apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent fashion, whereas BMSCs reduced AMs apoptosis when co-cultured at appropriate ratios. BMSCs decreased expression of cleaved caspase-3 and the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, whilst increased levels of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, prolonging the lifespan of AMs in vitro. Promotion of AMs survival by BMSCs required down-regulation of p-GSK-3β and β-catenin in AMs. The anti-apoptosis action of BMSCs was reversed by SB216763, a specific inhibitor of GSK-3β that also activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In conclusion, BMSCs can attenuate AM apoptosis partially by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanide is a great threat to public health, environmental safety and homeland security because of its extremely high toxicity and widespread usage in industry. Countering such a threat can be greatly aided by a rapid, sensitive, on-site detection method. Here, a pinhole shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) technique for cyanide sensing has been established, and a limit of detection lower to 1 µg l−1 level in water was achieved on a portable Raman spectrometer, owing to the magnificent local electromagnetic field enhancement generated by the interaction between cyanide anion and the uncovered Au surface inside the pinholes. Meanwhile, the silica shell outside the Au core could significantly improve the stability of the substrate by preventing the dissolution of Au in cyanide solution, thereby making this assay more feasible for practical use. The linear range was from 1 to 100 µg l−1 with excellent selectivity over thiocyanide and other common ions. For applications on complex matrices such as polluted water, beverages etc., a simple online hydrogen generator was designed and successfully coupled with pinhole SHINERS to achieve a good measurement of cyanide. This pinhole SHINERS-based method is rapid, simple, with good stability and feasibility for the in-field detection of cyanide, and we hope that it will further raise more opportunities for portable SERS applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Si3 N4- Si C composite ceramics used for volumetric receivers were fabricated by pressureless sintering of micrometer Si C, Si3 N4, andalusite, and other minor additions powders. Mechanical, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, and thermal shock resistance properties were tested at different sintering temperatures. The best sintering temperature of optimum formula A2 is 1360°C, and the bending strength reaches 79.60 Mpa. And moreover, its thermal expansion coefficient is 6.401 × 10−6/°C, thermal conductivity is 7.83 W/(m K), and no crack occurs even subjected to 30 cycles thermal shock with a bending strength increase rate of 4.72%. X-ray diffraction results show that the phase constituents of the sintered products mainly consist of Si C, Si3 N4, mullite, and quartz. Microstructure that is most appropriate and exhibits maximal thermal shock resistance was detected using SEM. The porosity of Si3 N4- Si C ceramic foam prepared from formula A2 is 95%, which provides a rapid and steady action for the receiver. The evaluation of the present foam shows that Si3 N4- Si C ceramic composite is a good candidate for volumetric receivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients display elevated levels of intraluminal nitric oxide (NO). NO can react with other molecules to form toxic compounds, which has led to the idea that NO may be an important mediator of IBD. However, the cellular source of NO and how its production is regulated in the intestine are unclear. In this study we aimed to determine if intestinal myofibroblasts produce NO in response to the IBD-associated cytokines IL-1β, TNFα, and IFNγ. Intestinal myofibroblasts were isolated from mice and found to express inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA, but not endothelial NOS or neuronal NOS. Individual treatment of myofibroblasts with IL-1β, TNFα, or IFNγ had no effect on NO production, but stimulation with combinations of these cytokines synergistically increased iNOS mRNA and protein expression. Treatment with TNFα or IFNγ increased cell surface expression of IFNγRI or TNFRII, respectively, suggesting that these cytokines act in concert to prime NO production by myofibroblasts. Impairment of NF-κB activity with a small molecule inhibitor was sufficient to prevent increased expression of IFNγRI or TNFRII, and inhibition of Akt, JAK/STAT, or NF-κB blocked nearly all NO production induced by combinatorial cytokine treatment. These data indicate that intestinal myofibroblasts require stimulation by multiple cytokines to produce NO and that these cytokines act through a novel pathway involving reciprocal cytokine receptor regulation and signaling by Akt, JAK/STAT, and NF-κB. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 572-580, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linear tetranuclear 3d-4f Co2Dy2 cluster assembled from a polydentate Schiff base exhibits single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior with an anisotropic barrier of 33.8 K. Due to the presence of diamagnetic cobalt(III) ions, the tetranuclear cluster of 1 behaves magnetically like a dinuclear Dy2 system. However, the diamagnetic segment might efficiently minimize undesirable intermolecular magnetic interactions, thereby improving the performance of the SMM behavior of 1. This discrete complex presents us with a unique opportunity to study the magnetic properties and to probe the dynamics of magnetization in a magnetically isolated Dy2 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary Construction of helicenes by inducing heteroatoms has regarded as an effective strategy to enhance the chiroptical properties. We report a facile synthesis of a multiple helicene based on four indoles with two electron‐rich NBN‐coved edges. The structure of the NBN‐coved multiple helicene was confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, revealing a twisted double [5]helicene motif with a saddle‐shaped skeleton. This NBN‐coved helicene showed strong green fluorescence with good photoluminescence quantum yield. Both theoretical calculations and experimental investigation have been exploited to probe the impact of electron‐rich NBN units on aromaticity and photophysical properties of the helicene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]