Search

Abstract Utilizing ultrafast light-matter interaction to manipulate electronic states of quantum materials is an emerging area of research in condensed matter physics. It has significant implications for the development of future ultrafast electronic devices. However, the ability to induce long-lasting metastable electronic states in a fully reversible manner is a long-standing challenge. Here, by using ultrafast laser excitations, we demonstrate the capability to manipulate the electronic polar states in the charge-density-wave material EuTe4 in a non-volatile manner. The process is completely reversible and is achieved at room temperature with an all-optical approach. Each induced non-volatile state brings about modifications to the electrical resistance and second harmonic generation intensity. The results point to layer-specific phase inversion dynamics by which photoexcitation mediates the stacking polar order of the system. Our findings extend the scope of non-volatile all-optical control of electronic states to ambient conditions, and highlight a distinct role of layer-dependent phase manipulation in quasi-two-dimensional systems with inherent sublayer stacking orders.

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as a significant food‐related risk factor, posing potential threats to human health through dietary intake and the food chain. This review comprehensively analyses the impact of MPs as a novel food safety risk factor on human health (in particular on the gastrointestinal route). Furthermore, we explore the potential mechanisms by which dietary fibers (DFs) may alleviate the health risks associated with MPs. The impact of DFs on human health is intricately linked to factors such as their size, concentration, and composition. We characterize current knowledge and highlight gaps. Although DFs may be a potential strategy to reduce the impact of MPs on organism health, more in‐depth studies are needed to determine their practical effects and application prospects. In particular, research on MPs that actively reduce intake in vivo remains relatively limited and needs to receive more attention from the scientific community.

Abstract Proximity barcoding assay, a high-throughput method for single-exosome analysis, was employed to profile surface proteins on individual exosomes of SCZ patients. This analysis identified five differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between SCZ patients and healthy controls (HC) and six DEPs between antipsychotic responders and non-responders. Furthermore, two exosome clusters were found to be associated with SCZ, and certain DEPs were correlated with cognitive functions.

Aeromonas salmonicida is a common pathogen of salmonid fishes that poses a significant threat to the fresh water and marine culture industry, potentially resulting in huge economic losses. To prevent and control fish diseases caused by A. salmonicida, rapid and effective diagnostic approaches must be developed, and which are important for routine monitoring and clinical care. By combining recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technology with a visible lateral flow strip (RPA-LF), we have enhanced both the precision of RPA detection and the convenience of real-time monitoring. In this study, we introduce a robust method for detecting A. salmonicida using RPA-LF. This assay specifically targets the ASA_1441 gene of A. salmonicida, ensuring high specificity, without cross-reactivity with other prevalent fresh water or marine pathogens. The optimal amplification temperature of the RPA assay was 39 ​°C. Its sensitivity extends to as low as 100 ​fg of purified DNA, representing more than 1000-fold higher sensitivity than conventional PCR methods. Furthermore, to enhance the usability of the RPA-LF assay, we developed a rapid sample preparation method using cellulose dipsticks for nucleic acid extraction. This method achieves a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1.67 ​CFU/μL and completes the entire process within 20 ​min. In conclusion, our findings present a rapid and precise tool for monitoring A. salmonicida infection in aquaculture and marine culture. This advancement offers valuable insights for effective disease prevention and control strategies.

In this work, the electron irradiation effects and post-irradiation annealing (PIA) response on SiC MOSFETs were investigated and analyzed in terms of the evolution of oxide- and interface-trap charges after irradiation and PIA. It is found that the electron irradiation leads to the significant decrease of Ron, degraded blocking characteristics, and negative shift of capacitance characteristics, which can be ascribed to the promoted generation of positively charged oxide and interface traps by irradiation. Interestingly, these degraded electrical properties can be partly or completely recovered by room-temperature (RT) anneal, which is associated with the difference in the sensitivity to the oxide/interface charge variations in the channel, JFET, and termination region. Surprisingly, the positive charge in the oxide presents an incomplete recovery, which is suggested to result from the tunneling electrons from SiC and thus the subsequent electron capture by positively charged oxygen vacancy in the oxide. Whereas, the irradiation-induced interface-trap charges are fully eliminated even after RT anneal for 15 days. Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) characterizations shows that the interface defects with the energy band from EC − 0.14 eV to EC − 0.7 eV are enhanced by irradiation and exhibits similar dependence on the filling pulse as the near-interface traps. However, the irradiation-induced interface state density (Dit) distributions show a recovery behavior after RT storage, which is suggested to be resulted from the change in the charge states of interface defects from the electron trapping.

“The article investigates the macro-cell corrosion behavior and corrosion resistance when the alloyed steel and the carbon steel are used together because the traditional carbon steel is difficult to meet the corrosion resistance and durability of the steel structure of the transmission line in the marine environment.” In this paper, a new type of Cr-alloyed corrosion-resistant steel (00Cr10MoV) is used to partially replace carbon structural steel in order to meet the actual needs of corrosion resistance and service life improvement of steel structures for offshore transmission lines. It is important to systematically study the macro-cell corrosion behavior of combinations of the same type of steel and dissimilar steel, induced by the chloride concentration difference in simulated concrete solutions, and employ electrochemical testing methods to scientifically evaluate the corrosion resistance of steel after macro-cell corrosion. The aim is to study and evaluate the macro-cell corrosion behavior of alloyed corrosion-resistant steel and to lay a foundation for its combined use with carbon steel in a chloride corrosion environment to improve the overall corrosion resistance and service life. Under the same concentration difference, the macro-cell corrosion of the alloyed steel combination is milder compared with the carbon steel combination. The corrosion current of the alloyed steel combination at 29 times the concentration difference is only 1/10 of the carbon steel combination. Moreover, at 29 times the concentration difference, the macro-cell corrosion potential of dissimilar steel is only 1/6 of the combined potential of carbon steel combination under the same concentration difference, and the corrosion current is only 1/10 of that of the carbon steel combination.

This study aimed to explore the potential antioxidant activity and mechanism of oligopeptides from sauce-aroma Baijiu. The oligopeptides of Val-Leu-Pro-Phe (VLPF), Pro-Leu-Phe (PLF), Val-Gly-Phe-Cys (VGFC), Leu-Tyr-Pro (LYP), Leu-Pro-Phe (LPF), and Phe-Thr-Phe (FTF) were identified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) from the mixed-distillate of Baijiu fermented grains and soy sauce residue (MDFS). The antioxidant mechanism of these oligopeptides on scavenging DPPH•, ABTS•+, and hydroxide radicals was investigated, respectively. Among them, VGFC had the strongest potential antioxidant activity, which was responsible for its hydrogen bonds with these radicals with high affinity. The binding energies between VGFC and these radicals were −1.26 kcal/mol, −1.33 kcal/mol, and −1.93 kcal/mol, respectively. Additionally, free radicals prefer to bind the oligopeptide composed of hydrophobic amino acid residues such as Leu, Val, Phe, and Pro, thus being scavenged for exerting antioxidant activity. It provided a new idea for the development and utilization of bioactive oligopeptides in sauce-aroma Baijiu.

In this paper, the passivation behavior and corrosion resistance of a novel Cr-alloyed steel rebar in carbonized concrete environments were systematically studied, and its passivation mechanism was also revealed in view of the intrinsic relationship between the concrete alkalinity and the microstructure characteristic of the passive film. The electrochemical test results show that the alloyed rebar has excellent passivation performance under all carbonization conditions. Meanwhile, its passivation performance shows a trend of first strengthening and then slightly decreasing with the gradual intensification of carbonization, presenting better passivation performance in the mildly carbonized concrete (pH = 11) than in the non-carbonization (pH = 12.6) situation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mott–Schottky tests indicate that the alloyed steel rebar has formed an n-p type semiconductor structure composite passive film, which was composed of Cr and Fe oxides/hydroxides under all conditions. The high passivation performance of the alloyed rebar is dominated by the excellent corrosion resistance of Cr oxide/hydroxide, which does not depend on the concrete alkalinity. On the contrary, the high alkalinity will inhibit the formation of Cr oxide to some extent and weaken the passivation performance of the rebar.

We show that the properties of photoelectronic synaptic transistors based on films with aligned P3HT polymer chains can be tuned by varying the orientations of the polymer chains with respect to the electrodes. The electrical responses corresponding to displays of synaptic plasticity are studied using a range of electrical and optical stimulation. It is shown that the orientation significantly modulates the properties, demonstrating that the orientation of the polymer film with respect to the electrodes enables a tuning of the synaptic plasticity.

Memristors have unique non-volatile characteristics that potentially can emulate biological synapses for applications in neural computing systems. However, the random formation of conductive filaments in these devices can cause various unreliability problems. In this work, films of a composite of ZnO nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes were prepared as functional layers for memristors by an in-situ growing strategy (ZnO@CNT-IS) using a straightforward high-temperature annealing treatment. This approach allowed for the formation of a high-quality films with uniform loading of ZnO nanoparticles on the carbon nanotubes, which contributed to a lower formation energy for oxygen vacancies and increased electron transfer rate. As a result, the memristors exhibited faster switching response speed, lower power consumption, and a stabilised switching ratio even after 2000 switching cycles. Based on the analog switching behaviour, the ZnO@CNT-IS-based devices showed significant biological synapse functions and plasticity, indicating their potential for high-density storage and neuromorphic computing.

The addition of oat at varying percentages (26%, 32%, 38%, 44% and 50%) was used to evaluate the structural, microstructural, and physicochemical changes in instant-extruded rice (IER). A mixture of broken rice and oat flour was extruded in a twin-screw extruder. It was found that when adding 44% oats, the gelatinization degree of the mixed powder was the lowest (89.086 ± 1.966%). The dietary fiber content increased correspondingly with the increase in oat addition. Analyses of texture properties revealed that the hardness, adhesive, and resilience values increased and then decreased with oat addition. Compared with other common instant rice (IR), the advantages of IER were evaluated in terms of microstructure, digestive performance, and flavor. IER with 44% oat addition obtained in this study had higher hardness, adhesiveness, rehydration time, and sensory score, and the content of resistant starch (RS) reached 6.06%. The electronic nose and electronic tongue analyses could distinguish the flavor of different IR efficiently. This study showed the feasibility of preparing fiber-enriched IER. The results demonstrated the potential for the development and utilization of broken rice, providing a reference for the development of IER.

In order to find out the effect of salt concentration on fermented rape stalks, the physicochemical quality and volatile components was investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–MS). The results showed that there were abundant kinds of free amino acids (FAAs) in all samples, mainly presenting sweet, umami and bitter taste. Through taste activity value (TAV), His, Glu, and Ala contributed significantly to the taste of the sample. 51 volatile components were identified, of which the relative contents of ketones and alcohols were high. By the relative odor activity value (ROAV) analysis, the main components that had a great impact on the flavor were phenylacetaldehyde, β-Ionone, ethyl palmitate and furanone. Adjusting the appropriate salt concentration for fermentation could improve the comprehensive quality of fermented rape stalks and promote the development and utilization of rape products.

BackgroundThis study aimed to observe the correlation between renal cortical blood perfusion (CBP) parameters and BP response in patients with severe renal artery stenosis (RAS) who underwent stenting.MethodsThis was a single-center retrospective cohort study. A total of 164 patients with unilateral severe RAS after successful percutaneous transluminal renal artery stenting in Beijing Hospital from October 2017 to December 2020 were included. According to the results of BP evaluated at 12 months, all patients were divided into the BP response group (n = 98) and BP nonresponse group (n = 66). The baseline clinical and imaging characteristics and follow-up data about 24 h ABPM and CBP were recorded and analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between CBP parameters and 24 h average SBP. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for BP response.ResultsAmong 164 patients with severe RAS, there were 100 males (61.0%), aged 37–75 years, with an average of 56.8 ± 18.4 years, and average artery stenosis of 84.0 ± 12.5%. The BP nonresponse patients had a longer duration of hypertension, more current smoking subjects and diabetic patients, lower eGFR, increased number of hypertensive agents, and rate of insulin compared with the BP response group (P < 0.05). After PTRAS, patients in the BP response group were associated with significantly lower BP and improved CPB, characterized by increased levels of maximum intensity (IMAX), area under ascending curve (AUC1), area under the descending curve (AUC2), shortened rising time (RT), mean transit time (mTT), and prolonged time to peak intensity (TTP; P < 0.05). However, the BP nonresponse group was only associated with significantly reduced RT (P < 0.05) compared with baseline data. During an average follow-up of 11.5 ± 1.7 months, the BP response group was associated with significantly lower levels of SBP, DBP, 24 h average SBP, and 24 h average DBP compared with the nonresponse group (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the the pre-operative CBP parameters, including IMAX (r = 0.317), RT (r = 0.249), AUC1 (r = 0.614), AUC2 (r = 0.558), and postoperative CBP parameters, including RT (r = 0.283), AUC1 (r = 0.659), and AUC2 (r = 0.674) were significantly positively correlated with the 24 h average SBP, while the postoperative TTP (r = −0.413) and mTT (r = −0.472) were negatively correlated with 24 h average SBP (P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis found that diabetes (OR = 1.294), NT-proBNP (OR = 1.395), number of antihypertensive agents (OR = 2.135), pre-operation IMAX (OR = 1.534), post-operation AUC2 (OR = 2.417), and baseline dDBP (OR = 2.038) were related factors for BP response (all P < 0.05).ConclusionPatients in the BP nonresponse group often have diabetes, a longer duration of hypertension, significantly reduced glomerular filtration rate, and heavier renal artery stenosis. CBP parameters are closely related to 24 h average SBP, and pre-operation IMAX and post-operation AUC2 are markers for a positive BP response.

Edwardsiella piscicida is one of the important pathogens in aquaculture, which takes huge losses to the economic benefits of turbot industry. Thus, a simple, rapid and accurate diagnostic assay of E. piscicida becomes an urgent need. In the present study, a detection method of E. piscicida based on recombinase polymerase amplification combined with lateral flow strip (RPA-LF) was established. The RPA-LF assay targeted E. piscicida evpP gene and could detect as low as 10 fg DNA of E. piscicida, which was approximately 1000 times more sensitive than conventional PCR assay. Meanwhile, the RPA-LF assay showed no cross-reactivity with DNA from other major bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. Besides, to improve the convenience of RPA-LF assay, a rapid on-the-spot sample preparation using nucleic acid extraction by cellulose dipsticks was established. Results indicated that bacteria could be detected as low as 1 copy and completed within 30 min. Moreover, this modified RPA-LF assay could be used to monitor E. piscicida infection in turbot industry.

This study aimed to elaborate on the role of salt concentration on pickled Brassica napus leaf and stem (BLS); it also contributed to the development of low-salt and healthy Brassica napus products in the harvest period. Five sets of pickled BLS samples were prepared, and the physicochemical parameters, free amino acids (FAAs), and the volatile flavor components (VFCs) were analyzed after fermentation. Results showed that some antioxidants, FAAs, and VFCs underwent dynamic changes during fermentation. Nitrite increased with an increase in the salt concentration used for fermentation. Pickled BLS contained a wide range of FAAs; a total of 23 were detected, which might be used as a source of amino acid supplementation. The VFCs were analyzed via headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 51 VFCs were tentatively identified. The contribution to flavor could be expressed by the relative odor activity value (ROAV). Salt is one of the important factors affecting the quality of vegetable fermentation. Therefore, for large-scale pickled BLS production, a key issue is to balance the low salt concentration and high fermentation quality. Under the action of salt and microorganisms, the fresh BLS fermented via dry pickling, which not only improved its FAAs and VFCs, endowed the production with a unique flavor, but also prolonged the shelf life.

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is an important fungal disease of rice. In China, Methyl Benzimidazole Carbamates (MBCs), including carbendazim, are common fungicides used to control RFS and other rice diseases. In this study, resistance of U. virens to carbendazim was monitored for three consecutive years during 2018 to 2020. A total of 321 U. virens isolates collected from Jiangsu Province of China were tested for their sensitivity to carbendazim on PSA. The concentration at which mycelial growth is inhibited by 50% (EC50) of the carbendazim-sensitive isolates was 0.11 to 1.38 µg/mL, with a mean EC50 value of 0.66 μg/mL. High level of resistance to carbendazim was detected in 14 out of 321 isolates. The resistance was stable but associated with a fitness penalty. There was a statistically significant and moderate negative correlation (r= −0.74, p < 0.001) in sensitivity between carbendazim and diethofencarb. Analysis of the U. virens genome revealed two potential MBC targets, Uvβ1Tub and Uvβ2Tub, that putatively encode β-tubulin gene. The two β-tubulin genes in U. virens share 78% amino acid sequence identity, but their function in MBC sensitivity has been unclear. Both genes were identified and sequenced from U. virens sensitive and resistant isolates. It is known that mutations in the β2-tubulin gene have been shown to confer resistance to carbendazim in other fungi. However, no mutation was found in the Uvβ2Tub gene in either resistant or sensitive isolates. Variations including point mutations, non-sense mutations, codon mutations, and frameshift mutations were found in the Uvβ1Tub gene from the 14 carbendazim-resistant isolates, which have not been reported in other fungi before. Thus, these results indicated that variations of Uvβ1Tub result in the resistance to carbendazim in field isolates of Ustilaginoidea virens.

Rice false smut (RFS) caused by Ustilaginoidea virens has been one of the most severe rice diseases. Fungicide-based chemical control is a significant measure to control RFS. In the sensitivity determination of quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide in vitro, salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) has been commonly added to artificial culture media in order to inhibit alternative oxidase of phytopathogenic fungi. However, some studies showed that artificial media should not include SHAM due to its toxicity. Whether SHAM should be added in the assay of U. virens sensitivity to QoI fungicide remains unknown. In this study, two appropriate media, potato sucrose agar (PSA) and minimal medium (MM), were selected to test SHAM toxicity and sensitivity of U. virens to azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin. The mycelial growth and sensitivity to azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin had no significant difference between on PSA and MM. SHAM could significantly inhibit mycelial growth, conidial germination, peroxidase (POD) and esterase activity of U. virens. Average effective concentration for inhibiting 50% (EC50) values of SHAM against mycelial growth of ten U. virens were 27.41 and 12.75 μg/mL on PSA and MM, respectively. The EC50 values of SHAM against conidial germination of isolates HWD and JS60 were 70.36 and 44.69 μg/mL, respectively. SHAM at 30 μg/mL significantly inhibited POD and esterase activity of isolates HWD and JS60, and even SHAM at 10 μg/mL significantly inhibited POD activity of isolate HWD. In addition, SHAM significantly reduced EC50 values and EC90 values of azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin on both PSA and MM. Even in the presence of SHAM at 10 μg/mL, average EC50 values of ten U. virens isolates for azoxystrobin decreased 1.7-fold on PSA and 4.8-fold on MM, and for pyraclostrobin that decreased 2.8-fold on PSA and 4.8-fold on MM. Therefore, these results suggest that SHAM should not be included in artificial media in the assay of U. virens sensitivity to QoI fungicides.

The objective of this work is to construct a nanosuspension drug delivery system of probucol, a BCS II drug, in order to improve its dissolution and oral bioavailability. The wet milling procedure using planetary beads-milling equipment was utilized to grind the raw probucol to ultrafine nanoparticle/nanocrystal aqueous suspension that was further solidified by freeze-drying process. Cellulose derivatives of different substitution groups and molecular weights, including HPMC, HPC, and MC, were evaluated as the primary stabilizer of probucol nanosuspension. Ternary stabilizers system composed of a primary stabilizer (cellulose derivative, i.e. HPC), a nonionic surfactant (Pluronic® F68), and an anionic surfactant (SDS) was employed to obtain probucol nanosuspension of finer particle size and enhanced dissolution in aqueous media. The probucol nanosuspension with good physical stability showed no obvious change of particle size even after storing over 7 d at 4 °C or 25 °C. The solidified probucol nanosuspension with trehalose as the cryoprotectant showed the highest dissolution rate (> 60% at 2 h) compared to other cryoprotectant. The in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation indicated about 15-folds higher AUC value of the probucol nanosuspension compared to that of coarse probucol suspension after oral administration to rats. The probucol nanosuspension prepared by wet-milling and ternary stabilizers system may find wide applications for improving the dissolution and oral absorption of water-insoluble drugs. Keywords: Probucol, Nanosuspension, Ternary stabilizers systems, Planetary beads-milling, Bioavailability

Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of rice worldwide. Stimulatory effects of low doses of fungicides on pathogens are closely relevant to disease management. In the present study, in potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with carbendazim at a dose range from 0.003 to 0.3 μg/mL, stimulatory effects on the mycelial growth of three isolates sensitive to carbendazim were tested. Carbendazim at concentrations from 0.003 to 0.1 µg/mL showed stimulatory effects on mycelial growth of isolates Guy11 and H08-1a, while carbendazim at concentrations from 0.003 to 0.03 µg/mL stimulated the growth of isolate P131. The maximum stimulation magnitudes were 11.84% for the three isolates tested. Mycelial colonies grown on PDA amended with different concentrations of carbendazim were incubated at 28 °C in darkness for 7 days as the pretreatment. Pretreatment mycelia were inoculated on fresh fungicide-free PDA and subsequent mycelia growth stimulations were still observed, and the maximum stimulation magnitudes were 9.15% for the three isolates tested. Pretreatment mycelia did not significantly change the tolerance to H2O2 and NaCl, except that the tolerance to H2O2 was increased significantly (p < 0.05) when the carbendazim was at 0.3 µg/mL. After five generations of mycelial transference on fungicide-free PDA, the transgenerational hormesis of mycelial were exhibited when transferred onto PDA supplemented with carbendazim at 0.3 µg/mL, and the maximum percent stimulation was 51.28%. The time course of infection indicated that the visible initial necrotic symptoms could be detected at 2 DPI on leaves treated with carbendazim at 0.03 µg/mL, whereas no necrotic symptom could be discerned for the control. Statistical results of lesion area and lesion type at 7 DPI showed that there was a significant stimulation (p < 0.05) on aggressiveness of M. oryzae isolate Guy11 on detached rice leaves at 0.03 µg/mL carbendazim. These results will advance our understanding of hormetic effects of fungicides and provide valuable information for judicious application of fungicides.

Although some investigations have been performed to determine the effects of transfusion load and suction pressure on renal function during intraoperative salvage autotransfusion, the precise threshold is still undetermined. A total of 625 patients undergoing surgery with the Continuous AutoTransfusion System (CATSplus) were enrolled and divided into groups according to the utilized suction pressure and transfusion volume. Plasma free hemoglobin (FHB) and creatinine clearance (CCr) were assayed to indicate the renal function. Both 0.03 MPa suction (≥4-unit load) and >5 units transfusion changed the levels of FHB and CCr significantly when measured 24 h post-operation compared to pre-operation. Under 0.02 MPa suction (≥4-unit load), the alteration of FHB and CCr returned to normal after 24 h. Under 3 units transfusion, the levels of FHB and CCr at 6 and 12 h post-operation changed significantly compared to pre-operation (P

A real-world driving experiment was performed in the Wen-Ma section of the G4217 Rong-Chang Freeway situated in the Sichuan Province to investigate the impact law of the pupil diameter of drivers in tunnel groups on the mountainous freeway. The eye-movement data of drivers were collected, and the percentage of pupil diameter variable (PPDV) was used as a visual characteristic index. The analysis of the overall change in the PPDV of drivers in the experimental sections demonstrated that the PPDV in tunnel groups differed significantly between the nontunnel sections and single tunnel sections. Subsequently, a related model for the PPDV of drivers and the length of the connecting zone between tunnels was established, its reliability evaluated, and the smooth mutation value obtained on the basis of the mutation theory. Thereafter, a tunnel group definition standard based on the visual effect of drivers was developed. A six-zone approach was devised for the analysis of tunnel groups, and the result revealed that the different zones in the tunnel group have different impact on PPDV of drivers. The results revealed that the different zones of tunnel group have different impact on PPDV of drivers. Furthermore, lighting transition facilities should be set in the exit section of tunnel. The PPDV of drivers was negatively correlated with the length of the connecting zone of tunnel groups, and 100 m is the recommended safety length threshold for the connecting zone of tunnel groups.

With the unprecedented growth of the shipping transportation demand, substantial vessels have been built and delivered to the market. This has led to oversupply after the financial crisis in 2008 because of the abrupt decrease in transportation demand. Notwithstanding the importance of shipping market studies in the investment decision-making, there are relatively few empirical studies modelling the impacts on the structural changes of the fleet supply variables. By considering new orders, current fleet size, and demolitions in ship capacity supply, this study develops a systematic model in both bulker and container markets. The three-stage least squares method is employed to estimate the model to avoid endogenous issues. The primary finding suggests the significant impact of market, cost, and operational factors on fleet capacity supply. It also reveals the relatively rational activities in ordering new vessels and cautious in demolition decisions in the container market because of the large capital investment required. These are relevant to investment and demolition decisions in both the bulker and container markets.

Spatial encoding in the hippocampus is based on a range of different input sources. To generate spatial representations, reliable sensory cues from the external environment are integrated with idiothetic cues, derived from self-movement, that enable path integration and directional perception. In this study, we examined to what extent idiothetic cues significantly contribute to spatial representations and navigation: we recorded place cells while rodents navigated towards two visually identical chambers in 180° orientation via two different paths in darkness and in the absence of reliable auditory or olfactory cues. Our goal was to generate a conflict between local visual and direction-specific information, and then to assess which strategy was prioritized in different learning phases. We observed that, in the absence of distal cues, place fields are initially controlled by local visual cues that override idiothetic cues, but that with multiple exposures to the paradigm, spaced at intervals of days, idiothetic cues become increasingly implemented in generating an accurate spatial representation. Taken together, these data support that, in the absence of distal cues, local visual cues are prioritized in the generation of context-specific spatial representations through place cells, whereby idiothetic cues are deemed unreliable. With cumulative exposures to the environments, the animal learns to attend to subtle idiothetic cues to resolve the conflict between visual and direction-specific information.

Curcumin, a major yellow pigment and spice in turmeric and curry, is a powerful anti-cancer agent. The anti-tumor activities of curcumin include inhibition of tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, induction of tumor apoptosis, increase of chemotherapy sensitivity, and regulation of cell cycle and cancer stem cell, indicating that curcumin maybe a strong therapeutic potential through modulating various cancer progression. It has been reported that microRNAs as small noncoding RNA molecules are related to cancer progression, which can be regulated by curcumin. Dysregulated microRNAs play vital roles in tumor biology via regulating expressions of target genes and then influencing multiple cancer-related signaling pathways. In this review, we focused on the inhibition effect of curcumin on various cancer progression by regulating expression of multiple microRNAs. Curcumin-induced dysregulation of microRNAs may activate or inactivate a set of signaling pathways, such as Akt, Bcl-2, PTEN, p53, Notch, and Erbb signaling pathways. A better understanding of the relation between curcumin and microRNAs may provide a potential therapeutic target for various cancers.

The role of nurse participation (NP) in colonoscopy observation for polyp and adenoma detection is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether nurse participation can improve polyp and adenoma detection. Patients and Methods. The PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. The outcome measurements included (1) the polyp and adenoma detection rate (PDR and ADR); (2) the advanced lesions detection rate; and (3) the mean polyp and adenoma detection rate per colonoscopy. Results. Three RCTs with a total of 1676 patients were included. The pooled data showed a significantly higher ADR in the NP group than colonoscopist alone (CA) (45.7% versus 39.3%; RR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04–1.30). And it showed no significant difference in the PDR and advanced lesions detection rate between the two groups (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.95–1.37; RR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.91–2.00; resp.). Conclusions. Nurse participation during a colonoscopy can improve the ADR, whereas no benefit for the PDR and advanced lesions detection rate was observed. All RCTs included in the meta-analysis had high risk of bias. Thus, there is a need for new research that uses sound methodology to definitively address the research question under study.

Thin film strain gauges (TFSGs) are crucial in the monitoring of industrial components. The industrial critical components usually operate in variable temperature environments and temperature disturbances can significantly affect the reliability of strain detection. To improve the accuracy of strain measurement in micro-strain, in situ prepared TFSGs with near-zero temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) are expected to be fabricated. In this study, a functional ink consisting of AgNPs and nano-SiO2 particles was developed. Utilizing direct ink writing (DIW) technology, the nano-SiO2/AgNP TFSGs with a TCR of 30 ppm per 1C were successfully fabricated. These conductive composites complement the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of metallic transport with the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) of electron hopping transport, achieving the temperature self-compensation of the TFSGs. The nano-SiO2/ AgNP TFSGs exhibited a high sensitivity, stability, durability and anti-interference toward temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ultraviolet C (UV-C) radiation on the physicochemical properties and the bacterial diversity of fresh-cut cabbage was investigated over 12 days of storage at 5 °C. The color index (L*, a* and b*), decrease in weight, and content of soluble sugar, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, total phenol, and malondialdehyde were measured. The structure of the bacterial community was also clarified by high-throughput sequencing analysis. After irradiation, the weight loss of fresh-cut cabbage during storage was reduced, and the content of antioxidant-related components, such as total phenols, ascorbic acid, and malondialdehyde, was increased. The results showed that the dominant phylum of bacteria in fresh-cut cabbage was Proteobacteria, and the dominant genus was Pseudomonas. A β-diversity analysis showed that the composition of the bacterial community of the irradiated and control treatments was different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic study on using the burst mode ablation to limit the heat-affected zone (HAZ) while maintaining a high ablation efficiency using a high-power industrial picosecond laser with burst fluence larger than 10 J/cm2. An extended three-dimensional two-temperature model (3D-TTM) was employed to study the mechanism of the HAZ development and to predict the ablation efficiency with experimental validation. The essentiality of including the lattice heat conduction to predict accurate HAZ was discussed. The effect of the number of pulses per burst and pulse-to-pulse separation time was investigated. The optimal number of pulses per burst was obtained by using the 3D-TTM for copper and stainless steel. The 3D-TTM suggested that by using the optimal number of pulses per burst, a maximum reduction of 77% and 61% in HAZ could be achieved for copper and stainless steel respectively. And the corresponding ablation efficiency will be increased by 24% and 163% for copper and stainless steel at the same time. This study showed that burst mode laser machining at high fluence is an effective way of increasing efficiency while limiting the HAZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice false smut, a devastating grain disease in rice, is a great challenge to global food security. Rice–crayfish coculture (RC) has been widely used in recent years because it increases farmers' income, stabilizes rice yield, and reduces the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Currently, rice false smut is becoming a threat to the stability of RC systems. A field experiment demonstrated that rice false smut in RC was much more serious than the disease in rice monoculture (RM) among most rice varieties in both 2019 and 2020. The fold change (RC vs. RM) range of the disease index of different rice varieties ranged from 1.23 to 19.35. Some varieties displayed resistance to rice false smut in RM, but were susceptible in RC, suggesting that the RC system that utilizes deep water irrigation is a better model than the RM to evaluate the resistance of rice varieties to false smut. Under the RC system, varieties YG 16, GBYJZ, and HD 5 displayed good natural resistance to rice false smut. A three‐way ANOVA with year, rice varieties, and culture types as factors showed that each factor had highly significant effects on the disease index. To identify the main factors causing differences between the RC and RM systems, we recorded the field microclimate around rice panicles. In comparison with RM, RC showed higher relative humidity (RH) and more moderate temperatures from the rice booting stage to early filling stage. Under simulated conditions of RC and RM, the germination rate of U. virens conidia under RC was significantly higher than that under RM. These findings indicate that higher RH and more moderate temperatures increase the severity of rice false smut disease in the RC system, and this provides unique insights into how to manage the threat of rice false smut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The present study investigated the feasibility of preparing high-purity shikimic acid (SA) from the chromatography wash effluent of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract by macroporous resin. Methods First, static/dynamic adsorption and desorption were conducted to screen out the optimal resin. Second, the key parameters of the chromatographic process were optimised with face-centred central composite design (CCD). Third, wash effluent indices were measured, different batches of wash effluent were used to prepare SA under the optimised parameters, and the effect of varying feed solution compositions on final products was investigated. Key findings It was found that the final purity and recovery rate of SA prepared with ADS-21 resin were not lower than 70 and 60%, respectively, when the purity of SA in the wash effluent was higher than 21.4%. The quality of the final product can be predicted based on the properties of wash effluent. Conclusions The proposed method could not only provide a simple, green and promising approach for the large-scale purification of SA from wash effluent but also be used to develop process intermediate quality standards for other natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rate equation approach is employed to determine the intersystem crossing rate constant for the aluminum tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) compound. The rate constant is shown to highly increase by the presence of a magnetic field.

The use of implanted muons to probe the spin dynamics and electronic excitations in organic materials is reviewed. At first, a brief introduction to the historical context and background of the muon technique is given, followed by an outline of some of the underlying theoretical models needed to quantitatively interpret data taken on organic molecules. Caution is advised when using certain theoretical models for the interpretation of low-field spin relaxation data. The next section deals with spin dynamics in soft materials, and starts with discussing many of the key results in thin films, followed by a review of bulk measurements in three different materials classes--polymers, biologically active molecules, and small molecules. Finally, we present a detailed discussion of the density functional theory methodology when applied to μSR, and present the common issues encountered when trying to perform these calculations to support muon experiments. In particular, we discuss a method for benchmarking to manage the approximations inherent to the technique and common sources of errors that can sometimes fortuitously cancel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of construction, indoor localization of mobile construction resources remains a universal challenge. Although discussions have focused on the tracking accuracy and affordability of indoor localization technologies, few efforts have focused on practical criteria such as ease of use, latency, and data visualization and remote sharing. To close this gap in knowledge, this study introduces a building information modeling (BIM) and cloud-enabled radio-frequency identification (RFID) localization system. The system consists of three main components: the passive RFID localization system, the BIM visualization system, and the cloud computing system. The proposed system is tested in a full-scale implementation on an actual construction site. The test was designed and conducted to evaluate the localization accuracy, data latency, and real-time data processing and visualization for remote monitoring. A comprehensive analysis is made of various practical issues based on the test results and panel discussion. The findings in this study indicate that the BIM and cloud-enable RFID indoor localization solution has a great potential in practical applications such as site security control, safety management, asset management, and productivity monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the oxidation characteristics of synthetic sewage wastewater in supercritical water were investigated by using batch reactor with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant over the temperature range of 663 K-703 K, oxidizer stoichiometry of 100%, 150%, and 250%, and reaction time of 1, 3, 5, and 10 mins. The liquids before and after reaction, which became odorless during the treatment, were analyzed to determine the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in accordance with HACH method 8000. Effects of reaction parameters including oxidant amount, reaction time, and temperature were examined. It was shown that a COD removal rate of 99.81% could be reached in 10min at 703 K with 150% O2 excess. Under the experimental conditions set up in this study, at any given temperature, the addition of more oxygen and the extension of reaction time could significantly improve the COD destruction efficiency. In line with the findings of many other research works into supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) of wastes, COD removal rate also increased as the temperature rose. The purpose of this work was to decide the optimal operating parameter values for SCWO of synthetic wastewater, based on which the most efficient operating conditions for municipal sewage destruction via SCWO could be estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) has been recognized as one of the most promising technologies for the decomposition of a variety of wastes. It utilizes the unique characteristics of water above its critical point (374.15_C, 22.12 MPa) and the whole process and final products are environmentally innocuous. Kinetic analysis of waste destruction in SCWO is important to properly design the process and reactor. In this paper we focused on the treatment of synthetic sewage wastewater by SCWO. A batch reactor was employed to carry out the experiments at 663 K, 683 K, and 703 K and 35 wt.% hydrogen peroxide was used as an oxidant. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) measurement was performed on both initial feed and liquidphase products. The activation energy was determined to be 57.335 kJ mol-1 for the reduction of COD, when analyzed by nonlinear least squares technique. The comparison made between observed conversions and calculated values demonstrated favorable fit of the data provided by the estimated parameters. The proposed model was compared with those of other works treating municipal sewage with SCWO. It was found that the activation energy obtained by our experimental results is close to those reported by other studies. Differences in some parameters were possibly due to the different reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic field effects on the electroluminescence of aluminium tris-(8-hydroxyqinoline) (Alq3) based organic light emitting diodes have been investigated by varying the electron/hole ratio in the emissive layer. Experimental results reveal that a negative high field effect in the magnetoelectroluminescence (MEL) can be found in devices with very low triplet exciton concentration at room temperature. This suggests triplet-triplet annihilation cannot be used to explain the negative high field MEL in the Alq3 system. Our results suggest that hole-exciton interaction may be the origin of the negative high field MEL and also, in parallel with this interaction, there is also the more common positive high field process occurring which has been tentatively attributed to electronexciton interactions. The competition between these different processes decides the final shape of the MEL at high fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective spatial navigation is enabled by reliable reference cues that derive from sensory information from the external environment, as well as from internal sources such as the vestibular system. The integration of information from these sources enables dead reckoning in the form of path integration. Navigation in the dark is associated with the accumulation of errors in terms of perception of allocentric position and this may relate to error accumulation in path integration. We assessed this by recording from place cells in the dark under circumstances where spatial sensory cues were suppressed. Spatial information content, spatial coherence, place field size, and peak and infield firing rates decreased whereas sparsity increased following exploration in the dark compared to the light. Nonetheless it was observed that place field stability in darkness was sustained by border information in a subset of place cells. To examine the impact of encountering the environment's border on navigation, we analyzed the trajectory and spiking data gathered during navigation in the dark. Our data suggest that although error accumulation in path integration drives place field drift in darkness, under circumstances where border contact is possible, this information is integrated to enable retention of spatial representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change in current through an organic light emitting diode (OLED) when it is placed in a magnetic field has been dubbed organic magnetoresistance and provides a means to understand the spin interactions that are occurring in working devices. Whilst there are a wide range of interactions that have been proposed to be the cause of the measured effects, there is still a need to identify their individual roles and in particular how they respond to an applied magnetic field. In this work, we investigate the effect of changing the balance of electron and hole injection in a simple aluminium tris(8-hydroxyqinoline) based OLED and demonstrate that the triplet polaron interaction appears to be much stronger for electrons than for holes in this material [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are prevalently transcribed in the genome yet their potential roles in human cancers are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to determine the lncRNA expression profile in gastric cancer and its potential clinical value. Methods: The global lncRNA expression profile in gastric cancer was measured by lncRNA microarray. Levels of two representative lncRNAs, H19 and uc001lsz, were confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The relationship between their levels and clinicopathological factors of patients with gastric cancer was explored. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed for differentiating gastric cancer from benign gastric diseases. Results: Total of 135 lncRNAs, which differential expression levels between tumor and non-tumorous tissues were more than twofold, were found (GEO No. GSE47850). The most down-regulated lncRNAs in gastric cancer tissues were FER1L4, uc001lsz, BG491697, AF131784, uc009ycs, BG981369, AF147447, HMlincRNA1600, and AK054588; while the most up-regulated ones were H19, HMlincRNA717, BM709340, BQ213083, AK054978, and DB077273. H19 was found highly expressed in stomach and liver cancer cell lines, while lowly expressed in lung cancer and prostate cancer cell lines. Uc001lsz was lowly expressed in gastric, lung and liver cancer cell lines, while highly expressed in prostate cancer. The areas under ROC curves were up to 0.613, 0.751, and 0.761 for H19, uc001lsz, and the combination, respectively. Conclusions: The lncRNA expression profile in gastric cancer suggests the potential roles of lncRNAs in gastric cancer occurrence and development. The overexpression of H19 in gastric cancer suggests that H19 may be participated in gastric cancer. The reduced expression of uc001lsz in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues, its associations with TNM stage, and its dysregulation in early cancer and precancerous lesions suggest that uc001lsz may be a potential marker for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Diabetes mellitus has been a major concern as a common risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) variability is an indicator of long-term blood glucose fluctuation. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to explore the correlation between HbA1c variability and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in diabetic patients combined with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) . Objective To investigate the correlation between HbA1c variability and new onset AF in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients combined with HFpEF. Methods The clinical data of 317 T2DM patients combined with HFpEF diagnosed in the Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The follow-up was performed until February 2022, with a mean follow-up time of 3.4 years. The included patients were divided into the AF group (34 cases) and non-AF group (283 cases) based on the presence of new-onset AF during the follow-up period. The HbA1c variability was expressed as standard deviation of HbA1c measurement (HbA1c-SD) and HbA1c coefficient of variation (HbA1c-CV). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to explore the correlation between HbA1c variability and new-onset AF in T2DM patients combined with HFpEF. The survival curves were plotted by the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of HbA1c variability predicting new-onset AF in T2DM patients combined with HFpEF was plotted. Results The HbA1c-SD and HbA1c-CV of patients in the AF group were higher than those in the non-AF group (P0.34%, HbA1c-CV>4.74%) groups according to the median of HbA1c variability. Log-rank test results showed higher incidence of new-onset AF in patients with high HbA1c variability (PHbA1c-SD0.34%, HbA1c-CV>4.74%) is independently associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF in T2DM patients combined with HFpEF, with significant clinical value in predicting AF.

The organic magnetoresistance of aluminium tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) based organic light-emitting diodes has been modeled using the triplet polaron interaction coupled with exciton dissociation. We have demonstrated that each of the processes is proportional to the exciton concentration over a wide range of operating conditions for a number of devices with a wide range of layer thicknesses. This work demonstrates that using a magnetic field to perturb the operation of a working organic device is particularly valuable in that it provides a new technique for studying a range of processes affecting current transport such as polaron trapping, triplet-polaron interactions, and exciton dissociation in fully working devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on study which shows that incident illuminations can induce significant changes in electronic properties of 1TTaS2, a two-dimensional (2D) charge density wave (CDW) compound, making it a superior system for realizing high-sensitive photoelectronics in ultrabroadband range from visible (Vis) to infrared (IR). It mentions that 1T-TaS2 has a crystalline structure consisting of planes of hexagonally arranged tantalum atoms sandwiched by two layers of sulfur atoms.