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Background: Patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after hip fracture in the elderly have worse prognosis. We aimed to describe the characteristics and complications of hip fracture with AIS in the elderly.Methods: This cross-sectional study selected patients with hip fracture (age ≥65 years) from January 2018 to September 2020. The collected data included age, sex, fracture types, comorbidities. In above screened patients, we further collected cerebral infarction related information of AIS patients. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression was performed to identify the strongest predictors of AIS after hip fracture. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to find independent risk factors for AIS after hip fracture.Results: Sixty patients (mean age 79.7 years;female 56.7%) occurred AIS after hip fracture in 1577 cases. The most common infarction type was partial anterior circulation infarction (PACI) (70.0%). The majority of these infarction lesions were single (76.7%) and most infarction lesions(65.0%) were located in the left side. 81.7% of AIS patients had mild (Health stroke scale NIHSS <4) AIS. Older patients with AIS after hip fracture were more frequently complicated by hypertension(73.3%), prior stroke (46.7%), diabetes(35.0%) and were more likely to have hypoproteinemia(68.3%), electrolyte disorders ( 66.7%), anemia (65.0%), deep vein thrombosis (51.6%), pneumonia (46.6%),cardiac complications (45.0%). Combined with hypertension (OR 2.827, 95%CI 1.557-5.131) and male sex(OR 1.865, 95%CI 1.095-3.177) were associated with the increased risk of AIS after hip fracture.Conclusions: Older patients combined with hypertension are more likely to have AIS after hip fracture. For these patients, early preventions should be administered. AIS patients after hip fracture are prone to have multiple complications under traumatic stress, and we should enhance the management of these patients to reduce the stress and avoid occurrence of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Mycorrhizal fungi are key components of soil biodiversity that offer potential to provide sustainable solutions for land management, notably in agriculture and forestry. Several studies conducted in controlled environments show that key functional attributes of common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), which inter‐link different plants, are influenced by management practices. Here, we highlight the need to consider how land management affects the ubiquity and function of CMNs in nature to maximize the role of mycorrhizal fungi in enhancing ecosystem services. We emphasize that CMNs can sometimes negatively affect aspects of plant performance, but there remain major gaps in understanding before explicit consideration of CMN management can be delivered. Summary: Most mycorrhizal fungi have the capacity to develop extensive extraradical mycelium, and thus have the potential to connect multiple plants and form a 'common mycorrhizal network'. Several studies have shown that these networks can influence plant establishment, nutrition, productivity and defense, nutrient distribution and storage, and multitrophic interactions. However, many of these studies have focused on the importance of common mycorrhizal networks in ecological contexts and there has been less emphasis in managed systems, including croplands, grassland, agroforestry and forestry, on which humankind relies. Here we review the evidence of the potential importance of common mycorrhizal networks in managed systems, and provide insight into how these networks could be managed effectively to maximize the functions and outputs from managed systems. We also emphasize possible negative effects of common mycorrhizal networks on plant performance and question popular views that mycorrhizal networks may offer a panacea for enhancing ecosystem services. We highlight the need to gain greater insight into the ubiquity, functioning, and response to management interventions of common mycorrhizal networks and, critically, the need to determine the extent to which these networks can add value to the promotion of mycorrhizal colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to provide an economic and practical method for the purification of columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix extract. In the static adsorption and desorption, the effects of resin type (D101, HP-20, AB-8, GDX-201, and DA201), contact time (10–360 min), and temperature (298–318 K) were assessed on columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside adsorption efficiency in laboratory. GDX-201 resin showed the best adsorption and desorption properties for columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside. The kinetic data revealed that the equilibrium time for columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside adsorption was achieved within 150 min. Moreover, the adsorption kinetic curve was well in accordance with the pseudo-second-order equation (R2 > 0.99). The rate controlling step of the adsorption process was the intraparticle diffusion. The Langmuir isotherm models (R2 > 0.99) could describe the whole adsorption process, which was exothermic and spontaneous according to the result of thermodynamics tests. In the dynamic adsorption and desorption process, the optimum loading flow (4, 5, and 6 BV/h), ethanol concentration (0–60%), and elution volume (10–230 mL) were optimized. Under optimal conditions of 4 BV/h loading flow, 6.7 BV loading volume, 25% ethanol, and 14 BV elution volume, the content of columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside in the product was increased 29.61-fold from 0.45% to 13.32 ± 0.64% with yield of 88.03 ± 2.76% by an experiment of lab-scale enlargement. Then, columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside was further purified by PHPLC and its purity was more than 98%. Additionally, the analgesic activity of the columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside was assessed by hot plate test. The experimental results showed that columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside significantly increased the latency of pain response in mice. This study demonstrated columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside could be as a potentially natural analgesic component. It could be summed up that the established method was successfully applied to purifying columbianetin-β-D-glucopyranoside from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is associated with recalcitrant chronic infection, especially in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). S. aureus infection and biofilms cause poorer postsurgical outcomes. We developed isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN) loaded nanoparticles conjugated with an anti-Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin (anti-S. aureus α-toxin) antibody that could target biofilms and investigated their anti-biofilm effect. Anti-S. aureus α-toxin antibody coupled immunoliposomes were generated. The effect of ISMN immunoliposomes on S. aureus biofilm formation and their anti-biofilm efficacy were examined using the crystal violet method and confocal laser scanning microscopy, respectively. Relative biofilm viability at 24 h was tested using the alamarBlue assay. The biofilm formation inhibitory effect on all concentrations of ISMN immunoliposomes was stronger than that of ISMN liposomes and free ISMN (P<0.05). At concentrations of 45 and 23 mg/ml, the inhibitory effect of ISMN liposomes was stronger than that of free ISMN (P<0.05), while at 11 mg/ml, the inhibitory effect of ISMN liposomes was the same as that of ISMN (P>0.05). At 45 and 23 mg/ml, the inhibitory effect of ISMN immunoliposomes on formed biofilms was greater than that of ISMN liposomes and free ISMN (P<0.05) and the inhibitory effect of ISMN liposomes was stronger than that of free ISMN (P<0.05). At 11 mg/ml, ISMN immunoliposomes, ISMN liposomes, and ISMN had the same effect on formed biofilms (P>0.05). In conclusion, ISMN immunoliposomes nearly completely destroy biofilm structure. ISMN immunoliposomes provide a promising approach for treating infectious diseases caused by S. aureus biofilms, including refractory CRS, chronic skin infection, sepsis, and osteomyelitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An $(n,k,d)$ cooperative regenerating code provides the optimal-bandwidth repair for any $t~(t\!>\!1)$ node failures in a cooperative way. In particular, an MSCR (minimum storage cooperative regenerating) code retains the same storage overhead as an $(n,k)$ MDS code. Suppose each node stores $\alpha $ symbols which indicates the sub-packetization level of the code. A scalar MSCR code attains the minimum sub-packetization, i.e., $\alpha =d-k+t$. By now, all existing constructions of scalar MSCR codes restrict to very special parameters, eg. $d=k$ or $k=2$ , etc. In a recent work, Ye and Barg construct MSCR codes for all $n,k,d,t$ , however, their construction needs $\alpha \approx \text {exp}(n^{t})$ which is almost infeasible in practice. In this paper, we give an explicit construction of scalar MSCR codes for all $d\geq \max \{2k-1-t,k\}$ , which covers all possible parameters except the case of $k\leq d\leq 2k-2-t$ when $k< 2k-1-t$. Moreover, as a complementary result, for $k< d< 2k-2-t$ we prove the nonexistence of linear scalar MSCR codes that have invariant repair spaces. Our construction and most of the previous scalar MSCR codes all have invariant repair spaces and this property is appealing in practice because of convenient repair. In this sense, this work presents an almost full description of usual scalar MSCR codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can establish a life-long latent infection in the host and is associated with various human malignancies, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the most common cancer originated from nasopharynx. EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is the only viral protein absolutely demanded for segregation, replication, transcription and maintenance of EBV viral genome in host cells. Baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid compound purified from the root of Scutellariae baicaleinsis , displays anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and anti-tumor properties. In this study, the therapeutic effects and functional mechanism of baicalein on EBV-positive human NPC were determined. Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and cell formation colony were performed to investigate that baicalein can suppress proliferation of EBV-infected human NPC cells. Flow cytometric and hoechst 33258 staining results indicated that baicalein induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Western blotting results demonstrated that baicalein down-regulates EBNA1 expression but not reduces the stability and half-life of EBNA1 in EBV-infected NPC cells. Additionally, the mRNA level of EBNA1 was examined by real time-PCR, the activity of EBNA1 Q promoter (Qp) was determined by dual luciferase reporter assay. Considering that transcription factor specificity protein 1 (Sp1) can maintain EBNA1 Qp active. Further analyses also elucidated that baicalein inhibits the expression of Sp1 while knock-down Sp1 by specific shRNAs decreases the expression and transcription levels of EBNA1. Therefore, the results suggested that baicalein may decrease EBNA1 expression level in EBV-positive NPC cells via inhibiting the activity of EBNA1 Q-promoter while over-expression of EBNA1 attenuate the inhibitory effect of baicalein. Finally, it was found that baicalein may strongly reduce growth of tumor in the mouse xenograft model of EBV-positive NPC. These results indicated that baicalein inhibits growth of EBV-positive NPC by repressing the activity of EBNA1 Q-promoter. Baicalein may be used as a therapeutic agent to treat EBV-positive NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to determine the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (Cpt1a) in the lung tissue of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and its correlation with lung function. An increase in Cpt1a expression improved lung function in patients with COPD by inhibiting apoptosis and the inflammatory response of lung endothelial cells. Lung tissues of 20 patients with COPD and 10 control patients were collected, their Cpt1a expression was determined by western blotting and apoptosis and inflammation were assessed by haematoxylin-eosin staining, TUNEL assay and ELISA. Mice with knockout or overexpression of Cpt1a were constructed by lentivirus in vivo. A COPD model was induced by cigarette smoke and the role of Cpt1a in COPD was determined in vivo and in vitro. Cpt1a expression was positively correlated with lung function and negatively correlated with apoptosis and inflammation. Patients with COPD with higher expression of Cpt1a in lung tissues had improved lung function indices and lung tissue morphology with less apoptosis and decreased inflammatory response. Compared with the control group, COPD mice with Cpt1a knockdown had aggravated lung dysfunction and increased lung inflammation and apoptosis. Overexpression of Cpt1a alleviated lung dysfunction and reduced inflammatory response and apoptosis of lung tissues in COPD mice. Pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells of mice were isolated in vitro and the results were consistent with the findings obtained in vivo. In conclusion, the clinical, in vivo and in vitro data confirmed for the first time that Cpt1a alleviated lung dysfunction of patients with COPD by inhibiting apoptosis of endothelial cells and inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), which takes advantages of CDT agents to selectively induce tumor cells apoptosis via Fenton or Fenton-like reactions, is considered to have great potential for tumor-specific treatment. However, the therapeutic outcome of CDT still faces the challenges of the lack of efficient CDT agents and insufficient supply of endogenous H 2 O 2. Herein, to explore highly efficient CDT agents as well as increase the H 2 O 2 content at tumor sites to enhance the efficiency of CDT, a red blood cell (RBC) membrane encapsulated Nb 2 C quantum dots/lactate oxidase (LOD) nanocatalyst (Nb 2 C QDs/LOD@RBC) was proposed. Nb 2 C quantum dots are quite prospective as efficient CDT agents in CDT application due to the intrinsic merits such as abundant active catalytic sites, satisfactory hydrophilicity, and good biocompatibility. The encapsulation of Nb 2 C QDs and LOD into RBC membrane was to prolong the in vivo circulation time of the nanocatalyst and increase its tumor sites accumulation. The accumulated Nb 2 C QDs/LOD@RBC nanocatalyst could efficiently convert the endogenous H 2 O 2 into ·OH, while the overexpressed lactate could be catalyzed into H 2 O 2 by LOD to replenish the depletion of H 2 O 2. The cascaded reaction between Nb 2 C quantum dots and LOD eventually enhanced the CDT effect of Nb 2 C QDs/LOD@RBC nanocatalyst for tumors growth inhibition. Moreover, the consumption of lactate at tumor sites induced by Nb 2 C QDs/LOD@RBC nanocatalyst leads to the increased infiltration of antitumoral M1 tumor-associated macrophages, which alleviated the immunosuppression of the tumor microenvironment and further maximized the therapeutic outcome of CDT. Taken together, the Nb 2 C QDs/LOD@RBC nanocatalyst provides a promising paradigm for tumor inhibition via catalytic cascaded reaction between Nb 2 C quantum dots and LOD. [Display omitted] • The Nb 2 C QDs/LOD@RBC nanocatalyst has been developed for enhanced CDT. • Enhanced CDT is attribute to the cascaded reaction between Nb 2 C QDs and LOD. • The nanocatalyst consumes lactate to increase the infiltration of M1 macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-robot collaborative (HRC) assembly combines the advantages of robot's operation consistency with human's cognitive ability and adaptivity, which provides an efficient and flexible way for complex assembly tasks. In the process of HRC assembly, the robot needs to understand the operator's intention accurately to assist the collaborative assembly tasks. At present, operator intention recognition considering context information such as assembly objects in a complex environment remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a human-object integrated approach for context-aware assembly intention recognition in the HRC, which integrates the recognition of assembly actions and assembly parts to improve the accuracy of the operator's intention recognition. Specifically, considering the real-time requirements of HRC assembly, spatial-temporal graph convolutional networks (ST-GCN) model based on skeleton features is utilized to recognize the assembly action to reduce unnecessary redundant information. Considering the disorder and occlusion of assembly parts, an improved YOLOX model is proposed to improve the focusing capability of network structure on the assembly parts that are difficult to recognize. Afterwards, taking decelerator assembly tasks as an example, a rule-based reasoning method that contains the recognition information of assembly actions and assembly parts is designed to recognize the current assembly intention. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach for recognizing human intentions are verified. The integration of assembly action recognition and assembly part recognition can facilitate the accurate operator's intention recognition in the complex and flexible HRC assembly environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel 0.25PZN–0.75PLZT ceramic/epoxy resin composite with spiral ceramic structure was fabricated by the roll forming-curling method. The composites were investigated for dielectric and piezoelectric properties, while the volume fraction of ceramic phase and the ratio of width to thickness l w /l t of the ceramic ring were varied. In addition to a high electromechanical coupling coefficient (K t =89%)with a 25% volume fraction and low acoustic impedances, the composite was found to yield optimum figure of merit (FOM) value of 77.1×10−12 m2/N with a 11% volume fraction when the ratio of width to thickness l w /l t of the ceramic ring was 0.4. Furthermore, for a given volume fraction of the ceramic phase, the properties electromechanical coupling coefficient (K t ) and the figure of merit (FOM) were all dependent on the ratio of width to thickness l w /l t of the ceramic ring. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Material requirements planning (MRP) is a kind of medium-term production planning, which aims to plan the end item requirements of the master production schedule over a finite planning horizon. In a smart factory, the customer requirements and the production status are varying in time, which increases the uncertainties in making lot-sizing decisions for MRP. In this study, a hybrid chance-constrained programming (HCCP) model is developed for solving an MRP problem with hybrid uncertainties, in which both randomness and fuzziness exist in a lot-sizing decision process. The objective of the HCCP model is to determine the lot sizes of all items while satisfying the stochastic demands and the fuzzy capacity constraints. The credibility and probability are incorporated into the proposed model to measure the fuzziness and randomness, respectively. In order to solve the model, relevant approaches for converting the probability-based and credibility-based constraints into the equivalent deterministic forms are proposed. Decision makers can set different confidence levels according to their own risk preferences to get different results. Finally, an example is presented to verify that the approach proposed in this paper is feasible for solving MRP problems with hybrid uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gd-doped CsPbBrI 2 NCs were successfully prepared in borosilicate glass matrix. • CsPbBrI 2 NCs@glasses possess superior optical performance through Gd3+ doping. • The water / thermal / light stability of Gd-doped CsPbBrI 2 NCs@glasses are excellent. • High-performance WLEDs was assembled successfully by Gd-doped CsPbBrI 2 NCs@glasses. Here, Gd-doped CsPbBrI 2 nanocrystals (NCs) in borosilicate glass (B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 -ZnO) were successfully synthesized by the traditional melting quenching method. The optical properties of CsPbBrI 2 NCs@glasses at different heat treatment temperatures and the content of Gd3+ were studied. It is found that CsPbBrI 2 NCs@glasses have greatly improved photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) after doping (form 15.3% to 37%) and excellent hydrothermal and light stability. In addition, a white light emitting diode (WLED) was successfully prepared by combining Gd-doped CsPbBrI 2 NCs@glass and Ce3+: YAG phosphors with the blue light emitting diode (LED). After a series of adjustments, the high performance WLED device with a chromaticity coordinate (CIE) of (0.3340, 0.3386), luminous efficiency (LE) of 90.09 lm/W, correlated color temperature (CCT) of 5430 K and the color rendering index (CRI) of 81.4 was fabricated. This work provides a new strategy in the field of metal ion doped perovskite NCs for future reference and has potential applications in LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to concomitant factors like frailty and comorbidity, super elderly (≥90 years) patients with hip fracture differ from patients aged 65-89 years in perioperative complications and mortality. The integrated management bundle referred to bundled application of multiple clinical measures. The aim of this study was to analyze effect of integrated management bundle on 1-year overall survival and perioperative outcomes in super elderly patients with hip fracture, with multidisciplinary management group serving as the control group.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, super elderly patients with hip fracture were included from Jan 2017 to Nov 2020. Patients were retrospectively divided to multidisciplinary management group and integrated management bundle group. The primary outcome was 1- year overall survival, and the secondary outcome was perioperative outcomes. Kaplan-Meier methods was used to compare survival probability. Multivariable Cox's modeling was used to explain the effect of integrated bundle on 1-year overall survival adjusted for confounders. The perioperative outcomes including complications and in-hospital data of two groups were compared. The multivariable logistic regression was used to explain the effect of integrated bundle on the occurrence of perioperative complications adjusted for confounders. Prognostic factors related to survival was identified by multivariable Cox's regression analysis.Results: Ninety-seven patients comprised multidisciplinary management group, and 83 comprised integrated management bundle group. The Kaplan-Meier plots showed that the survival probability of integrated management bundle group was significantly better than multidisciplinary management group (HR:0.435, 95%CI:0.207-0.914, P = 0.039). Multivariable analysis after adjustment for confounders showed a 42.8% lower incidence of mortality integrated management bundle group than multidisciplinary management group (HR:0.428, 95%CI:0.186-0.986, P = 0.046). Incidence of hypoproteinemia, and electrolyte disturbance in integrated management bundle group was significantly lower than multidisciplinary management group (all P < 0.05). In addition, significant reduction was observed in length of stay (P < 0.05) in integrated management bundle group. Multivariable logistic regression showed integrated management bundle was independent protective factor of hypoproteinemia, and electrolyte disturbance. mECM score ≥ 6 and ASA score > 2 were independent risk factors of overall survival (HR: 1.940, 95%CI: 1.067-3.525,P = 0.030; HR: 2.281, 95%CI: 1.113-4.678,P = 0.024).Conclusions: The integrated management bundle improved 1-year overall survival and played positive effects in improving perioperative outcomes. It might be a more suitable management modality for super elderly patients with hip fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licorice has previously been shown to affect gene expression in cells; however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified. We analyzed the microRNA expression profile of serum from mice treated by gavage with licorice decoction, and obtained 11 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs). We also screened differentially expressed genes (DEgenes) based on RNA-Seq data, and 271 common genes were identified by intersection analysis of the predicted target genes of 11 DEmiRNAs and the DEgenes. The miRNA–gene network showed that most of the hub genes were immune-related. KEGG enrichment analysis of the 271 genes identified three significant pathways, and the 21 genes involved in these three pathways, and the 11 DEmiRNAs, were constructed into a miRNA pathway–target gene network, in which mmu-miR-27a-3p stood out. Compared to ImmPort, there were 13 immune genes within the above group of 21 genes, and three intersected with the mmu-miR-27a-3p predicted target genes, Cd28, Grap2 and Cxcl12, of which the expression of Cd28 changed most significantly. We confirmed the regulation of Cd28 by mmu-miR-27a-3p using a dual-luciferase assay, and further confirmed that overexpression of mmu-miR-27a-3p could significantly downregulate the expression of Cd28 in lymphocytes. These results indicate that mmu-miR-27a-3p could be involved in the licorice-mediated regulation of the expression of Cd28 in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multiphase-field model is coupled with crystal plasticity in multicomponent system. • The anisotropy of 12 octahedral slip systems is studied during P-type rafting. • Elements distribution in roof and gable channel are analyzed. • Plastic strain mainly accumulates in gable channels during P-type rafting. During the service process, Ni-based superalloys undergo microstructure evolutions such as rafting, which greatly affect its service performance. In the present study, a multiphase-field model coupled with crystal plasticity was established to simulate the γ / γ' microstructure evolution of Ni-based superalloys during P-type rafting. The anisotropic plasticity considering 12 octahedral slip systems was defined in γ matrix channel. The PanNickel© database was used to calculate thermodynamic and kinetic data for phase transition and diffusion in multicomponent superalloys. First, the model was validated by two benchmarks with and without consideration of external load respectively. Then, the anisotropic of slip systems was analyzed. It was found that eight slip systems A2, A3, B2, B4, C1, C3, D1, D4 were activated in gable channel first when the structure was compressed in [0 0 1] direction. Besides, the elements distribution was studied. It can be seen that Al, Ti, Ta diffused into precipitates while Co, Cr and Mo diffused away the roof channel when the structure was compressed in [0 0 1] direction. Re and W mainly distributed in the γ / γ' interface because their slow diffusion rate. Finally, the P-type raft of CMSX-4 superalloy was simulated, and the plasticity distribution and plastic behavior of the 12 slip systems were discussed. The current model can be used to simulate phase transformation of multicomponent superalloys where plasticity is strongly coupled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a winding condition monitoring scheme for inverter-fed permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) based on high frequency (HF) current injection. By setting specific current references for the HF positive and negative sequence current regulators, HF current can be injected into different phase winding pairs, and then the HF line voltage deviations are extracted for winding condition monitoring. The amplitude of the extracted HF line voltage deviation is defined as the condition indicator to evaluate the condition of phase winding. In the proposed method, the conditions of all phase windings can be separately monitored, where not only inter-turn short-circuit fault (ISF) in one phase but also ISFs in multiple phases can be accurately identified. Simulations and experiments have been carried out to validate the proposed method. It shows that the proposed method has high sensitivity to ISF and negligible sensitivity to the operation conditions of the PMSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In current pig farming, pigs are susceptible to stress-induced adverse emotions. Emotional contagion may propagate these emotions within a herd, potentially affecting overall welfare. Typically, treatments of individual pigs should be conducted separately from the group. Thus, after separation from treatment on an individual pig, the behavioral responses and heart rate changes of the companion pig were recorded to determine if the sensory avoidance was effective. It was found that peers were still affected by the treated pigs after sensory avoidance. Separation from treatment does not eliminate the effects of the treated pig on companion pigs, which can still be affected in post-treatment contact. In the pig farming industry, it is recommended to avoid groups when treating individuals to reduce adverse reactions in the group. However, can this eliminate the adverse effects effectively? Piglets were assigned to the Rewarding Group (RG), the Punishing Group (PG), and the Paired Control Group (PCG). There were six replicates in each group, with two paired piglets per replicate. One piglet of the RG and PG was randomly selected as the Treated pig (TP), treated with food rewards or electric shock, and the other as the Naive pig (NP). The NPs in the RG and PG were unaware of the treatment process, and piglets in the PCG were not treated. The behavior and heart rate changes of all piglets were recorded. Compared to the RG, the NPs in the PG showed longer proximity but less contact behavior, and the TPs in the PG showed more freezing behavior. The percentage change in heart rate of the NPs was synchronized with the TPs. This shows that after sensory avoidance, the untreated pigs could also feel the emotions of their peers and their emotional state was affected by their peers, and the negative emotions in the pigs lasted longer than the positive emotions. The avoidance process does not prevent the transfer of negative emotions to peers via emotional contagion from the stimulated pig. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel wireless power transfer (WPT) system with switch-controlled capacitor (SCC) where variable capacitance and efficiency optimization are realized. The optimum asymmetrical voltage cancellation (OAVC) control is applied to realize wide-ranging soft-switching operation for the active bridge converters. The pulsewidth of the active bridge inverter regulates the output voltage, and the pulsewidth of the active bridge rectifier optimizes power delivery efficiency. The SCCs in the transmitter and the receiver sides are regulated for the zero-voltage switching operation and the resonant condition, respectively. The online estimation of mutual inductance is carried out to adapt the coupling deviations of the WPT system in real time. A 650-W prototype is built to verify the feasibility of the proposed WPT system and the effectiveness of the OAVC control. The experimental results show quite good performance and efficiency improvement for the WPT system at various loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Emotional contagion and social support are common phenomena in animals. The study evaluated whether pigs that did not observe the stimulus process could also perceive the negative emotions of their companions and provide social support. Here, the research compared differences in behavioral responses between treated individuals and naive companions by measuring the frequency/duration and latency of behaviors occurring in pigs under different test conditions to determine whether there were behavioral responses of the companions with emotional contagion to support the treated individuals. Whether or not the companions were aware of the source of the negative emotions of the treated pigs, they were able to respond to it in an appropriate emotional way and provide social support to the treated individual. This study expects to confirm the existence of emotional transmission in pigs from multiple perspectives and to provide theoretical references for improving animal welfare in livestock farming. A group that could directly observe (DO) and a group that could not directly observe (NO) were created based on whether or not their peers observed the treatment process, as the treated pig (TP) was treated with electrical shock and the companion pig (CP) either witnessed the treatment inflicted upon TP or not, and a third group was a control group, in which neither pig was stimulated. The behavioral responses of both the TPs and CPs were recorded to evaluate the emotional reaction. The results found that in both the DO and NO groups, the frequency of TP freezing was significantly higher than that of CP, and CP was significantly higher than that of the control group. Interestingly, although the social interaction responses of the CPs were not similar in the DO and NO groups, there were no significant differences between the behaviors of TPs in the DO and NO groups, except for nose–nose contact and a single approach to the partition, which allowed us to conclude that, whether or not the pigs directly observed the negative treatment, they were able to respond accordingly to fear and provide similar social support to their companions who were treated negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of different micro-sized alumina powders on the hydration products of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) during hydration at 40 °C is studied. The cement hydration at the designated times is terminated by the freeze-vacuum method. The phase development and microstructure evolution during the cement hydration are investigated by XRD and DSC, and SEM, respectively. It is found that 3CaO·Al 2 O 3 ·6H 2 O (C 3 AH 6 ) is the dominant product of the pure CAC after hydration at 40 °C for 3.5 h. But 2CaO·Al 2 O 3 ·8H 2 O (C 2 AH 8 ) is the dominant hydrate and C 3 AH 6 is not found in the mixtures of CAC and micro-sized alumina powder under the same condition. The results indicate that the addition of alumina powders promotes the formation of C 2 AH 8 and retards the conversion of C 2 AH 8 to the C 3 AH 6 phase. Moreover, such phase development with alumina addition is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SPL gene is a plant-specific transcription factor involved in the regulation of plant growth and development, which have been identified in woody plants. The process of floral bud differentiation affects the timing of flowering and fruit set and regulates plant growth, however, the mechanism of regulation of flower development by SPL genes is less studied. In this study, 56 VcSPL genes were identified in the tetraploid blueberry. The VcSPL gene family was classified into six subfamilies, and analysis of cis-elements showed that VcSPL genes were regulated by light, phytohormones (abscisic acid, MeJA), and low temperature. In the evolutionary analysis, segmental replication may play an important role in VcSPL gene amplification. Interestingly, we also studied diploid blueberry (Bilberry), in which 24 SPL genes were identified, and 36 homologous pairs were found, suggesting a high degree of convergence in the syntenic relationship between blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L) and bilberry (Vaccinium darrowii). Based on the expression profile, VcSPL genes were expressed at high levels in flowers, shoots, and roots, indicating a diversity of gene functions. Then we selected 20 differentially-expressed SPL genes to further investigate the role of VcSPL in floral induction and initiation. It showed that the genes VcSPL40, VcSPL35, VcSPL45, and VcSPL53 may play a crucial role in the blueberry floral transition phase (from vegetative growth to flower initiation). These results provided important information for understanding and exploring the role of VcSPLs in flower morphogenesis and plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The prepared multi-color PiGs has a high internal quantum efficiency approaching 90% of original phosphors. • The luminous efficacy of YAG:Ce-PiG reaches 239.3 lm/W, which is almost the best result in WLDs so far. • Kinds of cyan/green/yellow/red phosphors can be composited into an entire PiG frame and full-color emissions from 470 to 700 nm is realized in WLDs. • The ideal white light with a high color rendering index of 94 is obtained in WLDs. Phosphor-in-glass (PiGs) is one of the most important strategies to overcome thermal influence in high-power white light-emitting diodes and laser diodes. By carefully designing the glass composition of Na 2 O-CaO-B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 , the multi-color PiGs are successfully fabricated by a single-step co-sintering strategy at a relative low temperature (850 °C), most of PiGs maintain a high internal quantum efficiency approaching 90% of original phosphors. Under the 450 nm blue laser diodes (LDs) excitation, the luminous efficacy of YAG:Ce-PiG reaches 239.3 lm/W, which is almost the best result in white laser diodes (WLDs) so far. Outstandingly, the designed glass overcomes the oxidation, corrosion and decomposition of commercial nitride red phosphors, and realizes broadband emission from 500 to 700 nm by compositing red/yellow/green phosphors in an entire glass. Correspondingly, this work paves the way to achieve ideal white light with a high color rendering index of 94 in WLDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular multilevel converter (MMC) has been one of the most popular candidates in high-voltage applications. However, reliability is a critical issue due to a large number of power switching devices and capacitors applied in the MMC. To improve the reliability of the MMC, a fast and reliable diagnosis strategy for the open-circuit fault is proposed in this paper, where submodule voltage sensors are relocated to the upper switching device. Furthermore, a voltage observer based on the submodule voltage sensor is established to monitor the capacitor and realize the power control of the MMC under normal operation. A Boolean logic operation based fault indicator is put forward based on the relationship of the operation state and binaried output of voltage sensors, which could detect and locate the open-circuit faults of the MMC very fast. The ratio of the increment of the observed and measured capacitor voltage during the period of positive arm current is applied to monitor the capacitor. The effectiveness of the proposed fault diagnosis strategy and the capacitor monitoring strategy is verified by the experiment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) is an important vacuum switch widely used in generator protection systems and medium-voltage distribution power systems. For observing the vacuum arc behavior variation and analyzing the dielectric recovery characteristics and interrupting capability of VCBs, an experimental platform for a 40.5-kV/31.5-kA/2500-A VCB was established. Under the condition of typical short-circuit current breaking, the short-circuit current breaking test was carried out and the vacuum arc image was collected to obtain the curve of voltage versus current during the breaking process and the arc resistance distribution. By analyzing the variation trend of dynamic arc resistance, a physical and mathematical description of dynamic arc resistance was obtained by the curve fitting method. By comparing and analyzing the experimental data of arc resistance, it is shown that the physical and mathematical description can appropriately describe the spatiotemporal variation of arc resistance in the arcing interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various applications of nanocomposite hydrogels with a single crosslinked network have been largely limited by their poor comprehensive mechanical properties, despite their prominence in certain mechanical properties. Here, we introduce ferric ions into titania-based nanocomposite hydrogels to fabricate robust ionic nanocomposite hydrogels (INC gels) with hierarchically crosslinked networks. The introduction of ion crosslinkers into nanocomposite hydrogels dramatically improves their comprehensive mechanical properties. The mechanical attributes can be changed over wide ranges by adjusting hydrogel components and the optimal INC gel exhibits the super high strength of 13.0 MPa, elastic modulus of 26.8 MPa, and toughness of 34.3 MJ m −3 . In addition, The INC gels show a good mechanical and volume stability in saline solutions due to the unique crosslinked network. The reversible phase separation in gels can be used for the achievement of the shape memory effect without significantly destroying the mechanical properties and enable the mussel shell-like hydrogel to imitate the self-protection behaviour of the mussel to grab the bead underwater. Therefore, these hydrogels will hold a great potential in underwater mechanical catching hands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TLR3 and its adaptor protein TRIF were identified and characterized in largemouth bass. • Both TLR3 and TRIF showed the highest expression in the head kidney. • The histopathological changes in the gills were obviously observed in largemouth bass after infection of F. columnare. • Both TLR3 and TRIF were significantly up-regulated in the gill, spleen and head kidney after F. columnare infection. TLR3 and TRIF (adaptor protein for TLR3) are vital to the MyD88-independent pathway mediated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). In order to identify the role of TLR3 and TRIF in Micropterus salmoides , the Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF (Ms: abbreviation for M. salmoides) were cloned and characterized in this study. The open reading frames (ORFs) of Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF genes were 2736 bp and 1791 bp in length, encoding 911 and 596 amino acids, respectively. The protein structure of Ms _TLR3 includes a signal peptide, 18 LRR-related domains, a low complexity region, a transmembrane region, and a TIR domain. However, only a TIR domain and a coiled coil domain were found in Ms _TRIF. Both Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF showed the highest homology to that of M. dolomieu. Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF showed similar expression patterns in various tissues, with the highest expression level in the head kidney. After stimulation of Flavobacterium columnare , the mRNA expressions of Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF were significantly up-regulated at 1 dpi in the gill, spleen and head kidney, and at 6 hpi in the trunk kidney. Furthermore, morphological changes in the gills of largemouth bass challenged with F. columnare suggested that F. columnare infection can destroy the gill filament. Taken together, Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF are indeed involved in F. columnare infection and the subsequent immune response in largemouth bass. Moreover, Ms _TLR3 and Ms _TRIF might respectively play their potential roles in mucosal (mainly in the gill) and systemic (mainly in the head kidney) immune response to bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel visible-light-responding BiVO 4 –Cu 2 O–TiO 2 ternary heterostructure composite was successfully fabricated via the preparation of BiVO 4 –TiO 2 followed by coupling with Cu 2 O through facile wet chemistry methods based on the strategy of energy gap engineering. The as-fabricated composite was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Benefited from the rational design and construction, BiVO 4 –Cu 2 O–TiO 2 exhibits a significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under the visible-light irradiation as compared with Cu 2 O and Cu 2 O–TiO 2 . Specifically, under the irradiation with an ordinary 9 W energy-saving fluorescent lamp for 8 h, the photocatalytic degradation ratio of RhB for 5 wt%BiVO 4 –40 wt%Cu 2 O–TiO 2 reaches 97.8%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiVO 4 –Cu 2 O–TiO 2 can be ascribed to the matched band edge positions of BiVO 4 , Cu 2 O and TiO 2 , the heterojunction formations among them as well as the lower charge transfer resistance, favoring the separation of the photo-generated electron–hole pairs. A possible mechanism of the visible-light photocatalytic degradation of RhB is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• β-Sialon-PiG have been successfully prepared and hold a good thermal stability. • β-Sialon-PiG has a high internal quantum efficiency of 72% after synthesis. • Under the 450 nm blue laser, higher luminous efficiency of 154 lm/W was obtained. • A high threshold of 363 lm of lumen flux was obtained for the sample under laser. [Display omitted] With the high demand of modern people for lighting quality, higher requirements have been put forward for the lighting technology. Compared with traditional light emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diode (LD)-driven lighting technology has more prominent advantages in the fields of industry, military and life. Here, we report a phosphor-in-glass (PiG) material formed by co-firing commercial β-Sialon:Eu2+ phosphor and SiO 2 -Na 2 CO 3 -H 3 BO 3 -CaO (SNBC) glass. It is found that the powder perfectly dispersed in the glass without obvious interface reaction. Fluorescence intensity of PiG sintered at 800 °C is the strongest, and the position of the luminescence peak is around 540 nm. Then through the analysis of different concentrations of PiG phosphors, it is found that the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) can reach 72%. The specific heat capacity decreases with the increase of temperature, indicating that the heat dissipation effect is fine. Under the blue LD irradiation of 450 nm, the luminous flux of the PiG sample reaches 363 lm and the high luminous efficiency of 154 lm/W. Our research found that the prepared β-Sialon-PiG can provide green light for high-power laser illumination and is a stable and efficient fluorescent conversion material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is widely found in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissue and associated with poor prognosis of patients. EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is expressed in all NPC tumors and plays multiple biological roles in both virus and host cells. Triptolide is a natural product extracted from Tripterygium and shows anti-cancer activities. The goal of this work was to illustrate the anti-cancer effect of triptolide and elucidate a novel anti-apoptotic mechanism of EBNA1 in NPC cells encountered with triptolide. Methods: In the present study, a CCK-8 assay was used to analyze the proliferation of NPC cells treated with triptolide in a dose- and time-dependent ways. Effects of triptolide on NPC cell cycle and apoptosis were investigated by flow cytometric analysis. EBNA1 expression in mRNA and protein levels was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results: Our results showed that triptolide effectively inhibited proliferation of NPC cells. Triptolide arrested NPC cell cycles in S phase and induced apoptosis through a caspase-9-dependent apoptosis pathway. Low-dose of triptolide reduced the half-life of EBNA1 and significantly decreased EBNA1 expression by promoting the process of proteasome-ubiquitin pathway. Over-expression of EBNA1, which was independent from EBV genome, effectively attenuated the apoptosis induced by triptolide. In addition, triptolide significantly inhibited proliferations of tumors induced by EBV-positive cells in vivo. Furthermore, EBNA1 were expressed in all NPC biopsies of Chinese patients. Conclusions: In summary, our study provides the evidence that triptolide induces EBNA1 degradation and stimulates NPC apoptosis through mitochondria apoptotic pathway. In addition, EBNA1 assists NPC cells to resist triptolide-induced apoptosis through inhibiting caspase-9-dependent apoptotic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]