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A total of 265 Salmonella Enteritidis isolates collected from retail markets and children's hospitals in Shanghai were used to investigate the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of plasmid-mediated fosfomycin resistance genes. Nine of the isolates—7 from the 146 (4.79%) retail chicken-related samples and 2 from the 119 (1.68%) samples from clinical children—were fosfomycin-resistant (FosR). The fosA3 gene was detected in all of the nine FosR isolates, which were located on Inc F-type (8/9, 88.9%) and unknown-type (1/9, 11.1%) transferable plasmids. In total, five plasmid types, namely Inc HI2 (1/9, 11.1%), Inc I1 (3/9, 33.3%), Inc X (8/9, 88.9%), Inc FIIs (9/9, 100%), and Inc FIB (9/9, 100%), were detected in these FosR isolates, which possessed five S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE) profiles. The extended-spectrum β-lactamase determinant blaCTX-M-14 subtype was identified in one FosR S. Enteritidis isolate, which was located in a transferable unknown-type plasmid co-carrying fosA3 and tetR genes. Sequence homology analysis showed that this plasmid possessed high sequence similarity to previously reported blaCTX-M-14- and fosA3-positive plasmids from E. coli strains, implying that plasmids carrying the fosA3 gene might be disseminated among Enterobacterales. These findings highlight further challenges in the prevention and treatment of Enterobacteriaceae infections caused by plasmids containing fosA3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a new type of CsPbI3‐based 2D Dion–Jacobson (DJ) perovskites is reported, featuring a general formula of (PDMA)Csn−1PbnI3n+1 (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) with 1,4‐phenylenedimethanammonium (PDMA) as the organic spacer cation. The crystal structure, optical and electric properties, and surface morphology of the perovskite films are fully surveyed. The solar cell device based on the n = 4 film delivers a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.27%, further improved to 12.61% by treating with the PDMA molecules. The PDMA passivation suppresses non‐radiative recombination, extends charge‐carrier lifetime, and reduces open‐circuit voltage loss. A gradient energy level near the film surface facilitates electron extraction, alleviating charge accumulation. The PDMA molecules form a protective layer, inhibiting water infiltration and enhancing stability. The optimized device exhibits excellent shelf stability with no PCE decay after 110 days. In this study, a dual‐functional molecule is introduced as a new DJ‐type spacer and an effective passivation agent for efficient and stable CsPbI3‐based 2D perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution poses significant health and economic challenges globally and specifically affecting China. Although air pollution has been associated with decreased productivity and biases in decision-making, its effect on the development of digital finance has received limited attention in the literature. By employing city-level data from China covering the period from 2013 to 2020, this research examines the impact of air pollution on digital finance. The results show that deteriorating air quality has a negligible impact on digitalization, whereas it has a negative impact on financial inclusion, measured by usage and coverage metrics. The negative impact on financial inclusion is more noticeable in economically weaker and less developed urban areas and low R&D than in developed areas and economically robust cities. The mechanism analysis shows that air pollution reduces human capital quality, resulting in a decline in financial inclusivity. These findings have significant policy implications, underscoring the necessity for approaches that simultaneously tackle air pollution and foster financial innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare‐earth oxides are intrinsically hydrophobic, and this characteristic opens new horizons for their design and diverse applications as robust hydrophobic surfaces. Here, we discover some rare‐earth (RE) monosilicates (RE2SiO5) that are hydrophobic under ambient conditions. Their hydrophobicity is positively correlated with their hot‐steam corrosion at 1400°C. RE3+ in RE2SiO5 is further found to be a hydration prohibitor, and its species can regulate hydration and volatilization at very high temperatures. These results may provide basis for innovative designs of RE silicates in harsh hot‐steam environments for robust environmental barrier coatings (EBC) or as ceramic components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Nitrogen, sterilization and tallow origin impact leaf area, total biomass and SPAD. • Invasive tallow populations were higher in Y (II) than natives in sterilized soil. • Native tallow populations were higher in F v / F m than invasives in sterilized soil. • Leaf area of invasive tallow was higher with N and sterilization treatment. • Y (II) of both origins was lower with UV-B and soil sterilization treatment. Abstract Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) is native to China but is aggressively invading plant species in southeastern USA Growth of invasive T. sebifera has been shown to be promoted by N deposition and inhibited by UV-B radiation, and outperform that of the native origin, which indicate higher photosynthesis ability of the invasive origin. In T. sebifera 's native range, soil sterilization could increase its performance by suppression of soil pathogens. However, the interactive effects among these factors on photosynthetic characteristics of both native and invasive T. sebifera are still not understood. Here, we conducted a pot-experiment with both native and invasive populations of T. sebifera to test how N deposition, UV-B radiation and soil sterilization affect T. sebifera performance with respect to biomass and photosynthetic ability. Total biomass and the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Y (II), correlates to plant CO 2 assimilation) of invasive populations were higher, but the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (F v / F m , a stress indicator) was lower than that of the native populations in sterilized soil. Leaf biomass and leaf area of invasive populations were higher than that of the native populations. Leaf area of both native and invasive populations, total biomass of native populations and relative chlorophyll content of invasive populations were increased by N deposition. Leaf area of invasive populations was increased but that of the native populations was not affected by N deposition in sterilized soil. Y (II) was reduced by UV-B radiation and soil sterilization. These results suggest invasive T. sebifera populations were higher in CO 2 assimilation rate and lower in resistance to environmental stress. The stronger performance of T. sebifera from the invasive range could have been facilitated by N deposition via increased leaf area in sterilized soil even though no significant differences were observed by N deposition in active soil. The photosynthesis response of invasive plants to current global change factors should be considered in future studies determining differences in plant performance between the native and the invasive range and efficient management of invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endophthalmitis is a rare but severe complication following PPV. The incidence of endophthalmitis varies between 20-gauge, 23-gauge, and 25-gauge incisions. The incidence and clinical features of endophthalmitis after 23-gauge PPV in an eye hospital in China was reported in this study.Methods: Data of the eyes that underwent 23-gauge PPV from January 2011 to December 2014 at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University was retrospectively collected. All the information was obtained from the electronic medical system. The exclusion criteria included: (1) preoperative diagnosis of endophthalmitis; (2) history of vitrectomy; (3) intraocular surgery within 6 months; (4) history of ocular penetrating trauma; (5) sutures for any of the 3 sclerotomy incisions; (6) patients with cancer, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or taking drugs that may influence the immune system. The diagnosis of endophthalmitis was based on clinical characteristics and/or culture results from an operative sample.Results: Three thousand nine hundred seventy nine eyes that underwent 23-gauge PPV surgery were included in this study. Among these eyes, 3 eyes developed endophthalmitis after surgery, giving an incidence of 0.075% (3/3979). The period in which endophthalmitis developed ranged from 1 to 5 days post-operation. The visual acuity decreased to hand motions or light perception postoperatively. The culture of aqueous and vitreous of the 2 eyes revealed Staphylococcus epidermidis and enterococcus faecalis respectively, however was negative for the third eye. All 3 eyes had a favorable response to the treatment of vitreous tap and intravitreal antibiotics injection. Two eyes gained visual acuity of 0.05 and 0.5, respectively at the final visit.Conclusions: Endophthalmitis is a rare but sight-threatening complication after 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy. The peak duration of onset was within 5 days post-operation, with gram positive cocci being the common pathogenic organism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RE 2 Si 2 O 7 disilicates are promising candidates for oxidation resistant interfacial phase in SiC fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites due to their good damage tolerance, good phase stability and compatible thermal expansion coefficients with SiC. We herein investigate the capacity and mechanisms of plastic deformation in β-Lu 2 Si 2 O 7 by a combination of Hertzian indentation experiment and transmission electron microscopy observation. A large amount of (1 1 0) deformation twinning, dislocations and slip bands are observed. For the common twinning mode, fewer atomic shuffle types, small shear strain, and low shear modulus in the twinning direction help explain the prevalence of this mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement manufacture is one of the major contributors (7–10%) to global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been identified as a vital technology for decarbonising the sector. Oxy-fuel combustion, involving burning fuel in a mixture of recycled CO2 and pure O2 instead of air, makes CO2 capture much easier. Since it combines a theoretically lower energy penalty with an increase in production, it is attractive as a CCS technology in cement plants. However, it is necessary to demonstrate that changes in the clinkering atmosphere do not reduce the quality of the clinker produced. Clinkers were successfully produced in an oxy-fuel atmosphere using only pure oxides as raw materials as well as a mixture of oxides and clay. Then, CEM I cements were prepared by the addition of 5 wt% gypsum to the clinkers. Quantitative XRD and XRF were used to obtain the phase and elemental compositions of the clinkers. The particle size distribution and compressive strength of the cements at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days' ages were tested, and the effect of the particle size distribution on the compressive strength was investigated. Additionally, the compressive strength of the cements produced in oxy-fuel atmospheres was compared with those of the cement produced in air and commercially available CEMEX CEM I. The results show that good-quality cement can be successfully produced in an oxy-fuel atmosphere and it has similar phase and chemical compositions to CEM I. Additionally, it has a comparable compressive strength to the cement produced in air and to commercially available CEMEX CEM I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Yb2Si2O7 is a promising environmental barrier coating ( EBC) material and recently attracted attention for its damage tolerance. To investigate the mechanisms of its damage tolerance and possible plasticity, dense β-Yb2Si2O7 sample was synthesized by in situ reaction/hot-pressing method, and its mechanical properties were measured from room to high temperatures. The low magnitudes of hardness to Young's modulus ratio HV /E, shear modulus to bulk modulus ratio G/B, and high fracture toughness to strength ratio KIC /σ provide evidences of damage tolerance of β-Yb2Si2O7. β-Yb2Si2O7 exhibits extensive plastic deformation in Hertzian contact tests at both room and high temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy ( TEM) observations show that the deformation mechanisms are different at low and high temperatures. Deformation twinning and parallel dislocation arrangement occur in plastic deformation at room temperature. Above the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature (between 1200°C and 1300°C), plastic deformation brings out extensive slip and climb of dislocations, while twinning is seldom observed. Measurement of temperature-dependent dynamic Young's modulus demonstrates excellent elastic stiffness retention up to 1300°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niobium aluminum carbide ( Nb4 AlC3), as a member of the MAX phases, can retain its stiffness and strength up to over 1400°C. However, its applications are limited due to its poor oxidation resistance at high temperatures. In this work, silicon pack cementation has been applied to improve the oxidation resistance of Nb4 AlC3. After Si pack cementation at 1200°C for 6 h, a dense and uniform silicide coating which was mainly composed of NbSi2 and SiC and well bonded to the matrix was successfully formed on the surface of Nb4 AlC3. The Si pack cemented Nb4 AlC3 shows excellent oxidation resistance up to 1200°C due to the formation of protective Al2 O3 layer. The oxidation kinetics of the cemented Nb4 AlC3 obey parabolic law all the way to up to 1200°C, and the parabolic rate constants of cemented Nb4 AlC3 are in the same order of magnitude as those of Ti3 AlC2 in the temperature range 1000°C-1200°C. However, the oxidation of the cemented Nb4 AlC3 was accelerated after oxidation at 1300°C for about 15 h due to the formation of NbAlO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystallized Lu- Si- O- N phases were believed to be the grain-boundary ( GB) phases that might provide Si3 N4 with excellent high-temperature mechanical properties. However, little is known about the intrinsic properties, as well as the synthesis, of the Lu- Si- O- N ceramics. This work reveals the reaction paths of heating Lu2 O3, SiO2, and Si3 N4 powder mixtures (with the stoichiometry of 4:0.96:1) from room temperature to 1600°C. Thereafter, dense Lu4 Si2 O7 N2 samples are synthesized by in situ reaction/hot-pressing method, and the mechanical properties at room temperature and elevated temperatures are reported for the first time. The Lu4 Si2 O7 N2 samples show significant high-temperature mechanical properties, such as the elastic stiffness remains 77% from room temperature to 1500°C; and bending strength keeps 93% from room temperature to 1400°C. The present results shine a light on Lu4 Si2 O7 N2 as a promising target GB phase for the optimization of high-temperature mechanical properties of Si3 N4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti3 AlC2 has low density, high elastic modulus, quasi-ductility, and excellent oxidation resistance. However, its relatively low strength needs to be improved. In this study, dense Ti3 AlC2- Y4 Al2 O9 composites (containing 2.5, 5, and 7.5 wt% Y4 Al2 O9) were synthesized by hot pressing/solid-liquid reaction using Ti, Al, C, and Y2 O3 as initial materials. We investigated the in situ formation process of Y4 Al2 O9, and studied the change of microstructure and optimization of mechanical properties of the Ti3 Al C2- Y4 Al2 O9 composites. The grain size and aspect ratio of Ti3 Al C2 grains are significantly reduced in Ti3 Al C2- Y4 Al2 O9 composites, which is the source of higher strength from room temperature to elevated temperatures. The Ti3 Al C2-5 wt% Y4 Al2 O9 composite shows better optimization in its mechanical properties than other studied composites. In addition, there is an improvement in strength without debit in toughness of the composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium diboride ( TiB2) was successfully hot-pressed at 1500°C using titanium aluminum carbide ( Ti3 AlC2) as a sintering aid. The mechanisms for the improved sinterability of TiB2 by the addition of Ti3 AlC2 involve, first, the Al coming from the decomposition of Ti3 AlC2 can eliminate the oxide layer on the surface of TiB2; second, the TiC x (also from the decomposition of Ti3 AlC2) has a positive influence on the densification of TiB2 due to its plasticity at high temperatures. TEM observations reveal that the interface between TiB2 and TiC x is coherent and strong, free of amorphous layers and oxide phases. An optimized composition of TiB2-10 wt% Ti3 AlC2 was obtained with the unique combination of mechanical properties, including the elastic modulus of 567 GPa, the fracture toughness of 4.8 MPa·m1/2, the flexural strength of 711 MPa, and the hardness of 25 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinoblastoma (RB), the most common intraocular malignancy, typically occurs in pediatric patients under the age of 6 years. The present study aimed to explore the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile in RB and identify novel lncRNA biomarkers to facilitate the investigation of molecular mechanisms of RB and improve clinical therapy. Raw microarray data for the comparison of gene expression between three RB and three adjacent normal tissue samples were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (dataset no. GSE111168). After identification of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) in RB, functional enrichment analyses and a DEL-DEM weighted correlation network analysis were performed. A total of 3,915 DELs (1,774 upregulated and 2,141 downregulated) and 3,715 DEMs (1,492 upregulated and 2,223 downregulated) were identified in RB. The DEL-targeted DEMs were highly enriched by genes involved in hexose transport, muscle tissue morphogenesis, the stereocilium membrane, endothelin B receptor binding and γ-filamin/ABP-L, α-actinin and telethonin binding protein of the Z-disc binding. Furthermore, associations of the DELs and DEMs with several pathways were determined, including PI3K/AKT, Hippo and cancer signaling, as well as extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathways. Coexpression network analysis revealed that the top three DELs, lnc-DAZ1-161, lnc-HDAC7-21 and lnc-OR52A1-55, formed coexpression modules with 181, 156 and 210 DEMs, respectively. In addition, the top three DEMs, namely EIF1AY, GSTM1 and NLRP11, formed coexpression modules with 33, 50 and 41 DELs, respectively. Validation using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR indicated that the expression of representative lncRNAs (lnc-DAZ1-161 and lnc-HDAC7-21) in RB cells in vitro was consistent with that in RB tissues in the database, while the expression of lnc-OR52A1-55 was not consistent with the database. These results suggested that the aberrant lncRNA expression profile in RB is related to the differential regulation of numerous physiological and pathological processes. The lncRNA and mRNA profiles in RB identified may provide novel targets for the investigation of its molecular mechanisms and thus lead to improvements in clinical therapy for RB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new MAX compounds, ( Cr2/3 Ti1/3)3 AlC2 and ( Cr5/8 Ti3/8)4 AlC3, were successfully synthesized by hot-pressing elemental powders at 1500°C for 1 h under 30 MPa in a flowing argon atmosphere. Their crystal structures were indentified and characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis. ( Cr2/3 Ti1/3)3 AlC2 and ( Cr5/8 Ti3/8)4 AlC3 have the same crystal structures with the well-characterized Ti3 AlC2 and Ti4 AlN3, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the high-temperature strength and stiffness of Ti3 SiC2 is the task of many investigations. However, methods for high-temperature strengthening have not been established although various ways are applicable to enhance the room-temperature mechanical properties of Ti3 SiC2. In this work, we report that significant strengthening was realized at both room and high temperatures by incorporating a small amount of W into Ti3( Si, Al) C2. The onsite temperature for the rapid degradation of stiffness and strength moved more than 150°C upward to over 1200°C. The flexural strength of 5 at.% W-doped Ti3( Si, Al) C2 is 632.9 MPa at RT and 285 MPa at 1200°C, being 176% and 170% of those for baseline material, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compound, Ti5 Al2 C3, is identified in the bulk sample prepared by reactive hot pressing a mixture of Ti, Al and graphite powders with a nominal molar ratio of Ti: Al: C = 5:2.15:2.78 at 1580°C for 1 h. This compound follows the crystal structure of other MAX phases. The lattice parameters are a = 0.3038 nm, c = 3.2261 nm, and the atomic positions are Ti1 at 4 f (1/3, 2/3, 0.0208), Ti2 at 4 f (1/3, 2/3, 0.1778), Ti3 at 2 d (2/3, 1/3, 0.25), Al at 4 e (0, 0, 0.1035), C1 at 2 a (0, 0, 0), and C2 at 4 e (0, 0, 0.2102). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• C. camphora litter removal increase nitrogen cycling functional gene abundance. • Nitrogen addition interacted with C. camphora litter impacting N 2 O emissions. • Nitrogen addition increased CO 2 emission rates only when litter was removed. • Litter removal consistently increased soil N 2 O emission in C. camphora plantations. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) contribute substantially to global climate. Understanding N 2 O and CO 2 emission intensity from forest soil is important for greenhouse gas (GHG) budget and climate change mitigation. Litter decomposition and nitrogen (N) addition are two crucial factors impacting soil GHG production, but magnitude depends on litter characteristics. Cinnamomum camphora is used for leaf-harvesting for essential oil extractions, which may disturb litter input and hence soil GHG emissions. We conducted an in situ study over fourteen months in C. camphora plantations to compare litter removal to litter control, combined with N addition, quantify production of N 2 O and CO 2 in full-factorial complete-randomized design. Soil N 2 O emission rates were significantly influenced by litter and N treatment, while CO 2 emissions were only impacted by interactions between litter and N treatment. Specifically, soil N 2 O emission rates were increased by 681%, while copy number of five functional microbial genes associated with N 2 O productions were increased by 2.8 to 71.4 times following litter removal. C. camphora litter might have released chemicals associated with inhibition of related microbial activities. Soil CO 2 emission rates were 25% higher with litter removed and 34% lower with litter when N was added, further indicating inhibition effects of C. camphora litter on microbial activities. In future management of C. camphora plantations with intensive defoliation management and fertilization practice, litter regimes with more litter input should be considered in mitigation of soil GHG emissions, and hence global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]