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• Gridded daily data underestimates rainfall erosivity due to scaling differences. • Bias-correction factors: medians of 0.80 (R-factor) and 0.66 (10-year storm EI). • Future china is expected to experience rising rainfall erosivity by 14% ∼ 47%. • Increasing erosivity mainly due to the rising probability of extreme precipitation. This study focuses on improving the accuracy of projections for future rainfall erosivity by selecting five CMIP6-based and bias-adjusted Global Climate Models (GCMs) in China. These models provide more precise estimations of rainfall erosivity under two future periods (2041–2065 and 2076–2100) and two emission scenarios (SSP1-RCP2.6 and SSP5-RCP8.5). The evaluation of the models' performance involved comparing their estimations of two erosivity indices, namely the annual average rainfall erosivity (R-factor) and the extreme storm EI 30 with a 10-year return period (10-year storm EI), with reference erosivity maps of China interpolated from hourly observations at 2381 stations. The results indicate that three models, GFDL-ESM4, IPSL-CM6A-LR, and UKESM1-0-LL, outperform the others in terms of higher Nash-Sutcliffe efficiencies and better spatial correlation, especially in regions prone to water erosion. However, it was observed that the R-factor and 10-year storm EI estimated using Multi-Model Ensembles (MMEs) were significantly underestimated for the historical period due to scaling differences. To address this issue, bias-correction factors were determined for each grid cell to improve future projections. The medians of these correction factors were found to be 0.80 for the R-factor and 0.66 for the 10-year storm EI. Overall, the study projects an increase in rainfall erosivity for most regions in China. Under the SSP1-RCP2.6 and SSP5-RCP8.5 scenarios, the R-factor is expected to rise by 18.9% and 19.8% for the near-term and 26.0% and 46.5% for the long-term, respectively. Similarly, the 10-year storm EI is projected to increase by 14.2% and 17.4% for the near-term and 14.9% and 45.0% for the long-term, respectively. These projected increases are primarily attributed to the elevated probability of extreme precipitation events, highlighting the need for enhanced soil and water conservation measures in China to mitigate the challenges posed by global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is defined as an extrahepatic adenocarcinoma with hepatocyte differentiation, characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis. Herein, we report the diagnosis, treatment and survival of a patient with pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma who had received radiotherapy only. The patient was a 41-year-old man diagnosed with local advanced lung cancer (T3N3M0, stage IIIC). He had an intrahepatic hemangioma and abnormal serum liver enzymes. The patient developed intermittent fever with increased white blood cells and granulocytes during radiotherapy. After 38Gy/19 fractions of radiotherapy, the blood routine results returned to normal levels. After 50Gy/25 fractions of radiotherapy, the patient's tumor was significantly shrank in imaging. Although the patient refused to receive any treatment after radiotherapy and died 12 months after diagnosis, the data presented here represent a valuable resource for understanding the survival benefits of pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a quantitative and non-invasive approach to examine airway inflammation, which is a powerful aid in diagnosing chronic disorders of airways like asthma. Diagnostic value of FeNO and relevant indices on pulmonary function in the patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was evaluated. A total of 164 patients [58 asthma, 49 COPD and 57 asthma-COPD overlap (ACO)] were randomly recruited. FeNO, pulmonary ventilation function, and bronchial diastolic function were performed. Eight indicators including FeNO, vital capacity percentage (VC%), forced vital capacity percentage (FVC%), forced expiratory volume in one second percentage (FEV1%), forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity percentage (FEV1/FVC%), maximum independent ventilation volume percentage (MVV%), the increased percentage of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test, the increased absolute value of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test were examined. Significant difference in VC%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC%, MVV%, the increased absolute value of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test and FeNO were significantly different between patients with asthma and patients with COPD (P<0.05). There were significant differences of VC%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC%, MVV% and the increased percentage of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test in cases of patients with asthma compared to ACO patients (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance on VC%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC%, MVV% between COPD patients and ACO patients (P>0.05). However, more importantly, the increased percentage of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test, the increased absolute value of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test and the alterations on FeNO were found significantly different in ACO group compared with COPD alone (P<0.05). We compared the results from pulmonary ventilation function, bronchial diastolic function examination as well as FeNO detection among 3 groups of asthma, COPD and ACO. The examination of pulmonary ventilation function and bronchial diastolic function combined with FeNO detection is helpful in the early screening of ACO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a method for measuring undercut etching based on contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM). Suspended undercut structures were fabricated through isotropic wet etching on a patterned SiNx/Si architecture. The materials beneath the SiNx masks with circular and rectangular shapes were partially etched to form center-supported thin plates. A clear contrast was observed between the supported and suspended regions by CR-AFM amplitude imaging, enabling accurate determination of the undercut boundary and the corresponding etched length. CR-spectroscopy measurements of the undercut dimensions were also applied by acquiring the contact stiffness distribution and by further fitting with models of analyzing the plate deflection. The etching rates given by both the imaging and spectroscopy measurements were in close accordance. The theoretical measurement error induced by finite CR-frequency to stiffness sensitivity was evaluated to be around 5% under our experimental settings. This work paves the way for in situ and real-time detection of undercut etching at the nanoscale and benefits relevant micro- and nano-fabrications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies using mouse liver tumor models have indicated that coexpression of CD38 and CD101 in programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)+CD8+ T cells may reflect fixed dysregulation of CD8+ T cells and thus indicate a poor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. However, whether CD38 and CD101 expression in PD-1+CD8+ T cells can predict the clinical status and efficacy of chemotherapy for various cancer types, including ovarian cancer (OC), remains unclear. In the present study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation from 96 fresh samples from healthy adult volunteers and patients with epithelial OC, aged 55.21±9.91 years. Additionally, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were separated using a combination of mechanical, chemical and enzymatic digestion from fresh surgically removed tumor tissues from 15 patients with epithelial OC. The expression of CD38 and CD101 in PD-1+CD8+ T cells or TILs was detected by flow cytometry or immunofluorescence (IF) staining, respectively. The association between the level of CD38/CD101 expression and clinicopathological parameters or postoperative chemotherapy in patients with OC was statistically analyzed. The levels of CD38/CD101-coexpressing PD-1+CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in PBMCs and TILs of patients with OC compared with those of healthy volunteers. The frequency of PD-1+CD38+CD101+CD8+ T cells among the total PD-1+CD8+ T cell subpopulation was negatively associated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and postoperative chemotherapy prognosis in patients with OC. Furthermore, IF staining confirmed colocalization of CD38 and CD101 on the majority of TILs in OC tissues. Thus, the present study suggests that coexpression of CD38 and CD101 in peripheral PD-1+CD8+ T cells and TILs may serve as a new indicator for diagnosis and treatment efficacy in patients with epithelial OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the associations between late-gestational dyslipidemia, expressed as the ratio between triglycerides (TGs) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and the risk of macrosomia among nondiabetic pregnant women. Methods. In this case-control study, 171 pregnant women who delivered macrosomia newborns were recruited from a total of 1856 nondiabetic pregnant women who delivered a singleton, nonanomalous newborn. A total of 684 normal controls were one-to-four matched by age. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between the TG/HDL ratio and the neonatal body weight as well as the risk of macrosomia. Results. The maternal serum TG and TG/HDL levels were much higher in the macrosomia group, while the maternal serum HDL-C levels were much lower in the macrosomia group than those in the control group. However, the serum total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C levels were not significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, maternal TG/HDL levels were positively associated with neonatal body weight. The confounding factors including maternal age, maternal height, gestational age, maternal body mass index (BMI), FPG, SBP, and neonatal sex were adjusted. A positive association between TG/HDL and neonatal body weight was still found. Moreover, the prevalence of macrosomia increased markedly in a dose-dependent manner as with maternal TG/HDL levels increased. Conclusions. Maternal serum TG/HDL levels at late gestation are positively associated with neonatal body weight and the risk of macrosomia in women without DM. Maintaining maternal lipid levels in an appropriate range is important in the context of fetal overgrowth and primary prevention of macrosomia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inference of the Milky Way halo mass requires modelling the phase space structure of dynamical tracers, with different tracers following different models and having different levels of sensitivity to the halo mass. For steady-state models, deviations from steady-state in the tracer distribution lead to an irreducible stochastic bias. This bias is small for satellite galaxies and dark matter particles, but as large as a factor of 2 for halo stars. This is consistent with the picture that satellite galaxies closely trace the underlying phase space distribution of dark matter particles, while halo stars are less phase-mixed. As a result, the use of only ~100 satellite galaxies can achieve a significantly higher accuracy than that achievable with a much larger sample of halo stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement of contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) frequency sensitivity at a high contact stiffness condition and subsequent enhancement of its subsurface imaging capability were demonstrated by adding an additional mass on the cantilever backside near the free end. The influence of mass and its position on the CR-AFM performances was analytically investigated by using a simplified cantilever vibration model and further compared with finite element analysis. Theoretical results and FEA simulations showed good agreement and they could provide a general guide on the cantilever's modification by attaching a proper mass to improve the CR-AFM capability. As a prototype, a Pt micro-disc with precisely controlled size and position on the cantilever, which served as the attached mass, was deposited by utilizing focused ion beam. The improvement of frequency sensitivity was verified through CR spectroscopy and subsurface imaging on cavities having pre-determined diameters and covered with highly oriented pyrolytic graphite flakes. Compared with the original unmodified cantilever, obvious enhancement of CR-AFM subsurface nano-imaging was obtained. The mass-attached cantilever can benefit characterizing sample's mechanical properties and enhancing subsurface imaging based on tip-generated stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance concrete (HPC) has been used extensively due to its good workability, lasting durability and high strength. However, the low water/cement ratio in HPC generally induces rather high autogenous shrinkage, resulting in high early-age cracking potential. Fly ash (FA) is an effective mineral admixture used to strengthen early-age concrete performance and lower the cracking potential. Although the early mechanical properties of concrete containing FA have been studied, literature on the cracking potential of FA HPC under adiabatic conditions and constant uniaxial restraint is limited. The influence of FA as a partial replacement of cement on the temperature, autogenous shrinkage, restrained stress, tensile creep and cracking potential of HPC was simultaneously investigated in this study. Three groups of large prismatic specimens with different FA replacement ratios (0, 20 and 50%) were tested using a temperature–stress test machine under adiabatic conditions at full restraint. The test results indicated that: autogenous shrinkage, cracking stress and restrained tensile stress rate of the HPC decreased with an increase in FA content; the use of FA as partial replacement of cement increased the ratio of cracking stress to axial tensile strength and the cracking age of the HPC; the specific tensile creep of mixtures with 20% (FA20) and 50% (FA50) replacement with FA was 0·96 and 1·16 times that of the mixture with 0% replacement (FA00), respectively; the integrated criterion used to evaluate the cracking potential decreased with an increase in FA content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the faint stellar halo of isolated central galaxies, by stacking galaxy images in the HSC survey and accounting for the residual sky background sampled with random points. The surface brightness profiles in HSC r band are measured for a wide range of galaxy stellar masses (9.2 < log10 M ∗/M⊙ < 11.4) and out to 120 kpc. Failing to account for the stellar halo below the noise level of individual images will lead to underestimates of the total luminosity by ≤15%. Splitting galaxies according to the concentration parameter of their light distributions, we find that the surface brightness profiles of low-concentration galaxies drop faster between 20 and 100 kpc than those of high-concentration galaxies. Albeit the large galaxy-to-galaxy scatter, we find a strong self-similarity of the stellar halo profiles. They show unified forms once the projected distance is scaled by the halo virial radius. The colour of galaxies is redder in the centre and bluer outside, with high-concentration galaxies having redder and more flattened colour profiles. There are indications of a colour minimum, beyond which the colour of the outer stellar halo turns red again. This colour minimum, however, is very sensitive to the completeness in masking satellite galaxies. We also examine the effect of the extended PSF in the measurement of the stellar halo, which is particularly important for low-mass or low-concentration galaxies. The PSF-corrected surface brightness profile can be measured down to ∼31  |$\mathrm{mag}\, \mathrm{arcsec}^{-2}$| at 3σ significance. PSF also slightly flattens the measured colour profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echo state networks (ESNs), a special class of recurrent neural networks (RNNs), have attracted extensive attention in time series prediction problems. Nevertheless, the memory ability of ESNs is contradictory to nonlinear mapping, which limits the prediction performance of the network on complex time series. To balance the memory ability and the nonlinear mapping, an improved ESN model is proposed, named memory augmented echo state network (MA-ESN). When designing MA-ESN, both linear memory modules and nonlinear mapping modules are introduced into the reservoir in a new way of combination. The linear memory module improves the memory ability, while the nonlinear mapping module retains the nonlinear mapping of the network. Meanwhile, the echo state property of MA-ESN has been analyzed in theory. Finally, we have evaluated the memory ability and prediction performance of the proposed MA-ESN on benchmark time series data sets. The related experimental results demonstrate that the MA-ESN model outperforms some similar ESN models with a special memory mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has significant potential for various applications and holds clinical value in regenerative medicine. Cryopreservation is used to extend the preservation period of PRP, facilitating its clinical application. However, the potential negative effects of long-term cryopreservation on platelet storage lesion are still uncertain. In this study, PRP was stored at − 30 °C or − 80 °C. Platelet count, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, and CD62P expression were assessed on the 14th and 28th days. The study also evaluated platelet mitochondria morphology and function, serotonin (5-HT) secretion by platelets, and the inflammatory activating effect of cryopreserved platelets in PRP. The results showed that there were no significant differences in platelet count, the content of 5-HT, and inflammatory effects between fresh PRP and PRP cryopreserved at both − 30 °C and − 80 °C. However, there was an increase in ROS level, apoptosis, and CD62P level after cryopreservation at both temperatures. Additionally, the levels of ROS, apoptosis, and CD62P in platelets were similar after storage at − 30 °C and − 80 °C. The main difference observed was that the morphology and function of mitochondria were severely damaged after storage at − 30 °C, while they were less affected at − 80 °C. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that storing PRP at − 80 °C is more suitable for achieving a better therapeutic effect in clinical applications, but cryopreservation could not replace the current standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combination of indicator system and Info-DAGMM realizes warning of collusion. • Mutual information adding in Info-DAGMM obtains a distinguishable talent space. • CSI is more objective in determining collusion than manually setting thresholds. The collusion of Generating Companies (GenCos) in the domestic power spot market not only damage the fairness of the market, but also seriously affect the healthy development of GenCos. Aiming at the problem of low real-time performance of the current identification methods of collusion behaviors of GenCos, this paper combines the collusion index system and the unsupervised Information Deep Autoencoding Gaussian Mixture Model (Info-DAGMM) to realize intelligent real-time early-warning of collusion of GenCos in the market. Firstly, a comprehensive collusion indicator system for GenCos is constructed and the Info-DAGMM is proposed based on the data characteristics of imbalanced positive and negative samples. Secondly, the mutual information of original input and latent variable is added to the loss function, so that the expression network can obtain a more discernible low-dimensional space, which is conducive to the work of the estimator GMM. Finally, a new evaluation index, Collusion Suspicion Index (CSI), is proposed to identify GenCos in which conspiracy occurs. Case study shows that, compared with traditional anomaly detection methods, the Info-DAGMM network proposed in this paper is more suitable for electricity market data and can provide early-warning of collusion for GenCos precisely and quickly, with an accuracy rate of more than 80%. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We wish to determine the distribution of dark matter halo masses as a function of the stellar mass and the stellar mass profile for massive galaxies in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) constant-mass (CMASS) sample. Methods. We used grizy photometry from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) to obtain Sérsic fits and stellar masses of CMASS galaxies for which HSC weak-lensing data are available. This sample was visually selected to have spheroidal morphology. We applied a cut in stellar mass, log M*/M⊙ >  11.0, and selected ∼10 000 objects thus. Using a Bayesian hierarchical inference method, we first investigated the distribution of Sérsic index and size as a function of stellar mass. Then, making use of shear measurements from HSC, we measured the distribution of halo mass as a function of stellar mass, size, and Sérsic index. Results. Our data reveal a steep stellar mass-size relation Re ∝ M*βR R e ∝ M * β R $ {R_{\rm{e}}} \propto M_*^{{\beta _{\rm{R}}}} $ , with βR larger than unity, and a positive correlation between Sérsic index and stellar mass: n ∝ M*0.46 n   ∝ M * 0.46 $ n\, \propto M_*^{0.46} $. The halo mass scales approximately with the 1.7 power of the stellar mass. We do not find evidence for an additional dependence of halo mass on size or Sérsic index at fixed stellar mass. Conclusions. Our results disfavour galaxy evolution models that predict significant differences in the size growth efficiency of galaxies living in low- and high-mass halos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water holding capacity, texture characteristics, and qualitative structural properties had been mainly focused on heat-induced gelation of myofibrillar proteins; however, the quantitative analysis to ultrastructure of the proteins and heat-induced gel was rarely reported in the previous study. The objective of this study was to investigate quantitatively the effects of different pH values and ion concentrations on the ultrastructure of myofibrillar proteins and thermal-induced gel from swine longissimus dorsi using atomic force microscopy. Protein and gel groups in different conditions were set up, respectively, for the comparative study. The proteins of the gel group were treated first by water and 0.1 M, 0.3 M, 0.6 M NaCl solutions separately at pH 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, and then heated in the water bath. However, protein group were treated without the water bath but directly dried in the air at room temperature. Image roughness Rq were used as an index for quantitative analysis. Atomic force microscopy and related offline analysis software were used to collect the height images and determine the roughness of the myofibrillar proteins and heat-induced gel, respectively. It had been indicated that pH values and ionic concentrations had shown a significant effect on the roughness of heat-induced gel and myofibrillar proteins according to the atomic force microscopy (AFM) height images. The roughness of the gel is minimal while the myofibrillar proteins were treated by 0.6 M NaCl at pH 7.5. It is suggested that roughness of AFM height images could be used as an index to determine the gelling conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims We previously found that miR-10b inhibits cholesterol efflux from thioglycollate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages through repressing ATP binding cassette transporter (ABCA1). Herein, we deciphered the mechanism underlying macrophage miR-10b expression and the role of miR-10b in atherosclerosis. Methods and results MiR-10b expression was increased in the arteries with advanced but not early atherosclerotic plaques of ApoE −/− mice. Free cholesterol-induced macrophage apoptotic cells (FC-AM) promoted miR-10b expression in mouse resident peritoneal macrophages (RPM) by up-regulation of Twist1/2 in a Mer receptor tyrosine kinase dependent manner. Surprisingly, antagomiR-10b de-repressed ABCA1 in RPM engulfing FC-AM but not in RPM alone or RPM-derived foam cells; systemic delivery of antagomiR-10b enhanced reverse cholesterol transport from RPM engulfing FC-AM but not from RPM or the foam cells in ApoE −/− mice. Mechanistically, RPM engulfing FC-AM possessed sufficient miR-10b functionally repressing ABCA1 expression, whereas RPM and foam cells had little miR-10b incompetently repressing ABCA1 expression. Notably, antagomiR-10b administration reduced advanced plaque size and also enhanced plaque stability in ApoE −/− mice, which were associated with increased plaque macrophage ABCA1 expression and reduced plaque apoptosis and inflammation. However, antagomiR-10b administration did not affect early atherosclerotic plaque formation in ApoE −/− mice. Conclusion These data suggest that apoptotic cell induction of miR-10b in macrophages is important in advanced atherosclerosis progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The cracking potential of HPC reinforced with Barchip fiber was studied by TSTM. • Barchip fibers reduced autogenous shrinkage and restrained tensile stress rate. • Barchip fibers increased cracking age and specific tensile creep. • The addition of Barchip fibers reduced the early-age cracking potential of HPC. Abstract High performance concrete (HPC), which is a new-tech concrete, has been widely applied for its good workability, lasting durability, low permeability, and high strength. However, the high temperature rise and high autogenous shrinkage induced by the low water-to-cement (w/c) ratio would increase the early-age cracking potential in HPC. In order to reduce the cracking potential of HPC, Barchip fibers are applied to strengthen the early-age properties. Although the influence of Barchip fibers on the mechanical properties of concrete has been studied, investigations on the influence of Barchip fibers on the early-age cracking potential of HPC under adiabatic condition at uniaxial constant restraint degree are still lacking. The early-age cracking potential of HPC reinforced with different amounts of Barchip fibers (0, 4, 8, and 12 kg/m3) was tested by Temperature Stress Test Machine under adiabatic condition at full restraint degree in present study. Test results and corresponding analysis indicated that (1) the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength were enhanced by the addition of Barchip fibers in HPC; (2) Barchip fibers reduced autogenous shrinkage, restrained tensile stress rate and increased cracking age, specific tensile creep of early-age HPC; (3) the integrated criterion utilized to evaluate the cracking potential decreased first and then increased with increasing amount of Barchip fibers; (4) the optimal Barchip fiber amount of 8 kg/m3 was recommended for that poor dispersion and fiber clumping may occur in HPC with excessive addition of Barchip fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Research question Can seminal plasma markers for oligoasthenozoospermia be identified by comparison of the human seminal plasma proteome in men with oligoasthenozoospermia and normozoospermia? Design An in-depth quantitative proteome analysis was conducted using a high-throughput method named isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification. A total of 734 seminal plasma proteins were quantified by mass spectrometry. Results Compared with the seminal plasma from men with normozoospermia, 22 upregulated proteins and 20 downregulated proteins were identified in the oligoasthenozoospermic seminal plasma. These differential seminal plasma proteins were involved in various physiological processes, including metabolism, transport, antioxidation and immune response. The confidence of some proteome data was further verified by western blot of (prostate-specific antigen [KLK3], lactotransferrin [LTF], alpha-1-antitrypsin [SERPINA1] and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH]). Additionally, 38% of the seminal plasma proteins identified in this study have not been reported in previously published studies on seminal plasma proteome, and 53% of our seminal plasma proteins were shared with published studies on human plasma proteome. Conclusions Our seminal plasma proteome research provides new complementary high-confidence data, and also enhances understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms in oligoasthenozoospermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The applicability of the uncalibrated CLIGEN (CLImate GENerator) model was assessed using long-term precipitation data at 1-min interval from 18 sites in eastern and central China. The model performance was evaluated in terms of daily precipitation depth, storm duration and peak intensities of 1-min (I 1 ), 5-min (I 5 ) and 30-min (I 30 ) for all storms and four categories grouped by daily precipitation depth: light (<10 mm), moderate (10–25 mm), heavy (25–50 mm), and intense (≥50 mm) storms. Additionally, the applicability of CLIGEN in generating climate inputs for the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in China and calculating the intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) values for a series of storm duration (5-min to 24-h) and return periods (2 to 100-years) were assessed. Results showed that CLIGEN was able to accurately reproduce the statistics and probability distributions of daily precipitation depth for all storms and the four categories. The mean storm duration was underestimated for 3 of the 4 storm categories but was overestimated for light storms. CLIGEN underestimated I 1 and overestimated I 30 in general, whereas no obvious bias was observed in I 5 for these 18 sites. In addition, the relative error in the generated duration and peak intensity increased as the magnitude of precipitation increased from moderate to intense storms, which implies that the model does not perform as well for intense storms as other storms. Rainfall erosivity generated with CLIGEN outputs was systematically larger than, but well correlated with, the measured erosivity values (slope = 0.547, R 2  = 0.96 for the R-factor; slope = 0.576, R 2  = 0.81 for the 10-year storm erosivity). Extreme intensities for given duration and return periods were systematically over-predicted using the output from CLIGEN, and the bias between measured and CLIGEN generated intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) values varied with duration intervals. The average of the regression slopes for the six return periods (2-year to 100-year) between measured (X) and generated (Y) intensities (Y =  b X) increased from 1.19 (5-min) to 1.43 (1-h), then decreased to 1.01 (12-h) and 0.96 (24-h). As a stochastic weather generator, CLIGEN is able to reproduce daily precipitation very well, but its capacity to simulate storm duration and the peak intensity for a given time interval needs to be improved, especially for heavy and intense storms, based on this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the past, exosomes have been thought of as cellular dust. Today, they are thought to be carriers of real biomarkers and intercellular biological information. The composition of exosomes differs according to their source, and the subsequent information they carry, such as protein, microRNA or mRNA, may also be different. Recent studies have demonstrated that exosomes in ischemic diseases can help to make an early diagnosis, and in cellular experiments and animal models, exosomes promote angiogenesis, restrain cell apoptosis and reduce inflammation, among other actions, to protect ischemic organs. There is evidence that these protective effects are related to microRNAs in exosomes. In this review, we discuss the use of exosomes for early diagnosis of ischemic diseases and recent advances in the therapeutic use of exosomes in cell and mammalian models of ischemic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and distribution of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) were investigated in freshwater, sediment, and selected crucian carp ( Carassius carassius ) tissues (muscle, liver, egg, and blood) to evaluate the potential for HBCDs bioaccumulation. The HBCDs concentration ranged from not detected to 0.35 ng/L in freshwater, and from 0.037 to 35.4 ng/g-dw in sediment. The highest HBCDs concentration was detected in crucian carp liver (5.14 ± 8.15 ng/g-ww), followed by egg (3.88 ± 10.1 ng/g-ww), blood (0.61 ± 0.63 ng/mL), and muscle (0.38 ± 0.70 ng/g-ww). In all crucian carp tissues, α-HBCD was the predominant stereoisomer, and the fraction of α-HBCD as a proportion of the total HBCDs in liver tissue (96%) was higher than that in egg tissue (79%). There was a positive correlation between the HBCDs concentration in crucian carp muscle and body size ( p < 0.01, Spearman). The biota–sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) (0.14) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) (137,000 L/kg) values were estimated in crucian carp muscle using field-based data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cu-doped Na 3+2x Zr 2−x Cu x Si 2 PO 12 solid electrolyte was synthesized via solid state reaction. • The sintering temperature of Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 solid electrolyte was reduced by Cu doping. • Cu doping can reduce the grain boundaries in Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 solid electrolyte. • The solid-state Na-ion batteries exhibit high capacity retention and rate capability. Na-ion batteries using traditional liquid electrolytes face comparable challenges due to the instability and unsafety of liquid electrolytes. NASICON-type of solid electrolytes (NZSP) are promising for replacing the liquid electrolytes because of their outstanding ionic conductivity and high thermal stability. Nevertheless, the required high sintering temperature (1200 ∼ 1300 oC) with long duration in solid-state synthesis may arouse the abnormal grain growth and the volatilization of materials at the grain boundaries in NZSP. Herein, novel Cu-doped Na 3+2x Zr 2−x Cu x Si 2 PO 12 (xCu-NZSP, x = 0.02–0.1) solid electrolytes are designed and synthesized via solid state reaction. The Cu doping can increase the concentration of Na+ carriers in the crystalline structure and reduce the sintering temperature, which results in enhanced ionic conductivity and decreased grain boundaries. The optimal 0.06Cu-NZSP possesses the highest ionic conductivity, wide electrochemical window, and stable polarization voltage due to its enhanced densification and regulated the grain size. Furthermore, the interface state between 0.06Cu-NZSP and Na metal was analyzed by the X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The solid-state Na|0.06Cu-NZSP|Na 0.67 Mn 0.47 Ni 0.33 Ti 0.2 O 2 Na-ion batteries remains a high capacity retention of 98.76% at 0.5 C after 100 cycles at 60 oC, indicating great potential of the novel 0.06Cu-NZSP in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A SiO particle was prepared with different alkali sources, and then lamellar-stacked TS-1 catalysts were hydrothermally synthesized using the SiO particle as a silica source. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and UV-vis absorption spectra were used to characterize the TS-1 catalysts. The effect of the alkali source during the preparation of the SiO particle on the textural properties and catalytic performance of the TS-1 catalyst was thoroughly investigated. The TS-1 catalyst that was prepared with a SiO particle using tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) as an alkali source (TS-1-TPAOH) possessed more meso- and macro-pores and a higher framework Ti content than the catalyst that was prepared with a SiO particle using NH·HO as an alkali source (TS-1-NH·HO). As a result, the TS-1-TPAOH catalyst had a better catalytic performance for butanone ammoximation with HO than conventional TS-1 and TS-1-NH·HO catalysts. Furthermore, the influences of reaction conditions, including reaction temperature, reaction time, the amount of catalyst and the molar ratio between HO and butyl ketone oxime on the catalytic performance of the TS-1-TPAOH catalyst were evaluated. The unique structure of the lamellar-stacked TS-1 catalyst can effectively avoid the diffusing of large reactant molecules into zeolite channels and has potential applications in other oxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LaCl3 doped polycrystalline SnSe was synthesized by combining mechanical alloying (MA) process with spark plasma sintering (SPS). It is found that the electrical conductivity is enhanced after doping due to the increased carrier concentration and carrier mobility, resulting in optimization of the power factor at 750 K combing with a large Seebeck coefficient over 300 Μvk−1. Meanwhile, all the samples exhibit lower thermal conductivity below 1.0 W/mK in the whole measured temperature. The lattice thermal conductivity for the doped samples was reduced, which effectively suppressed the increscent of the total thermal conductivity because of the improved electrical conductivity. As a result, a ZT value of 0.55 has been achieved for the composition of SnSe-1.0 wt % LaCl3 at 750 K, which is nearly four times higher than the undoped one and reveals that rare earth element is an effective dopant for optimization of the thermoelectric properties of SnSe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To determine the effects of low-flow oxygen therapy with humidified or non-humidified oxygen in adult patients. Background Although non-humidified oxygen in low-flow oxygen therapy is recommended by many guidelines, humidifying oxygen regardless of oxygen flow has been routinely performed in China and Japan and further studies are needed to evaluate the evidence. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis that comply with the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration were conducted. Data sources Studies (1980-2016) were identified by searching PUBMED, EMBASE, Science Direct, Cochrane library, CNKI and Wanfang Database. Methods We performed a comprehensive, systematic meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of humidified and non-humidified low-flow oxygen therapy. Summary risk ratios or weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a fixed- or random-effects model. Results Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials with a total number of 8,876 patients were included. Non-humidified oxygen offers more benefits in reducing the bacterial contamination of humidifier bottles, as shown by the mean operating time for oxygen administration and the respiratory infections compared with humidified oxygen therapy. No significant differences were found in dry nose, dry nose and throat, nosebleed, chest discomfort, the smell of oxygen and SpO2 changes. Conclusions The routine humidification of oxygen in low-flow oxygen therapy is not justifiable and non-humidified oxygen tends to be more beneficial. However, considering that the quality of most included studies is poor, rigorously designed, large-scale randomized controlled trials are still needed to identify the role of non-humidified oxygen therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of chewing gum in intestinal function recovery after colorectal cancer surgery. Methods. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, and Cochrane library for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until April 2017. Summary risk ratios or weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were used for continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively. Results. 17 RCTs with a total number of 1845 patients were included. Gum chewing following colorectal cancer surgery significantly reduced the time to first passage of flatus (WMD −0.55; 95% CI −0.94 to −0.16; P=0.006), first bowel movement (WMD −0.60; 95% CI −0.87 to −0.33; P<0.0001), start feeding (WMD −1.32; 95% CI −2.18 to −0.46; P=0.003), and the length of postoperative hospital stay (WMD −0.88; 95% CI −1.59 to −0.17; P=0.01), but no obvious differences were found in postoperative nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention, pneumonia, and mortality, which were consistent with the findings of intention to treat analysis. Conclusions. Chewing gum could accelerate the recovery of intestinal function after colorectal cancer surgery. However, it confers no advantage in postoperative clinical complications. Further large-scale and high-quality RCTs should be conducted to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil health is the foundation for the maintenance of ecosystem stability and multifunctionality. It is necessary to identify the key indicators of soil health that indicate ecosystem multifunctionality against anthropogenic disturbances such as land use change. Many studies have shown the pivotal role of soil biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality. However, the key role of soil multidiversity (including different body size soil organisms across multitrophic levels) in affecting ecosystem functions is poorly understood. We have implemented a multitrophic perspective to study soil multidiversity by including bacteria, fungi, nematodes (5 feeding types), and arthropods (thripidae, poduridae, and others). Here we show that a multitrophic approach for soil biodiversity assessment is important to highlight trophic interactions and their subsequent effects on the soil multidiversity-ecosystem multifunctionality (MEF) relationship. We postulate that soil multidiversity promotes soil health and thus drives the MEF relationship. We assessed soil multidiversity, 11 variables for ecosystem functions, and ecological network stability (reflected by co-occurrence network patterns) in rubber plantations differing in land-use intensity represented by monoculture (MRP), high (RHD) and low (RLD) diversity of other plant species. We also included tropical rainforest (TRF) as a reference system to compare our results. Results showed that soil multidiversity, multifunctionality, and soil network stability significantly improved in RHD as compared to MRP. Soil multidiversity rather than single diversity component had strong positive effects on multifunctionality. More specifically, we found that the relationship between soil multidiversity and multifunctionality was seasonally dependent on the soil attributes and the body size of soil organisms. We observed a negative correlation between large body size organisms and soil nutrients content in the dry season while a positive correlation between small body size soil organisms and enzymatic activities in the rain season. Particularly, we emphasized the role of soil multidiversity in enhancing ecosystem multifunctionality and stability via its prominent impacts on soil health. Our study elucidates that accurate identification of soil health indicators is an important approach to imply remedial management strategies to maintain soil health and MEF relationship in managed ecosystems such as rubber plantations. [Display omitted] • Soil multidiveristy is key indicator of soil health in rubber plantations. • High plant diversity improves multidiversity and multifunctionality. • Seasonal difference in multidiversity-multifunctionality relationship depends on body size of soil organisms. • Large size soil organisms contribute to multifunctionality significantly in dry season. • Rain season facilitates microbial activities and positively affects multidiversity-multifunctionality relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although in vitro studies have shown that flavonoids are metabolized into phenolic acids by the gut microbiota, the biotransformation of flavonoids by intestinal microbiota is seldom studied in vivo. In this study, we investigated the impact of the gut microbiota on the biotransformation of 3 subclasses of flavonoids (flavonols, flavones, and flavanones). The ability of intestinal microbiota to convert flavonoids was confirmed with an in vitro fermentation model using mouse gut microflora. Simultaneously, purified flavonoids were administered to control and antibiotic-treated mice by gavage, and the metabolism of these flavonoids was evaluated. p-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, hydrocaffeic acid, coumaric acid, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid were detected in the serum samples from the control mice after flavonoid consumption. The serum flavonoid concentrations were similar in both groups, whereas the phenolic metabolite concentrations were lower in the antibiotic-treated mice than in the control mice. We detected markedly higher flavonoids excretion in the feces and urine of the antibiotic-treated mice compared to the controls. Moreover, phenolic metabolites were upregulated in the control mice. These results suggest that the intestinal microbiota are not necessary for the absorption of flavonoids, but are required for their transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insights into common genetic susceptibility between primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and natural or early menopause have delivered an innovative way of assessing the genetic mechanisms involved in POI. PRIM1 plays a crucial role in DNA replication by synthesizing RNA primers for Okazaki fragments. It is closely associated with age at natural menopause, early menopause and POI in European women. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether mutations in PRIM1 contribute to POI in Chinese women. All exons and exon–intron boundaries of PRIM1 gene were sequenced in 192 Han Chinese women with non-syndromic POI. No plausible mutations were identified. The results suggest that the perturbations in PRIM1 gene are not a common explanation for POI in Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic response of a single-layer spherical lattice shell controlled by restorable sliding isolator is studied under different seismic excitations. The isolation system consists of flat steel-Teflon sliding isolators and superelastic SMA spring restrainers. The NiTi-SMA is used to fabricate helical spring for recentering control of the isolation system. In the first step of this investigation, the configuration scheme and functioning mechanism of a novel SMA spring restrainer are introduced briefly. Then, realistic mechanical behavior of large-scale superelastic NiTi helical spring is studied through a set of cyclic experimental tests. According to the obtained hysteresis loops, a mechanical model combining multilinear model and hysteresis model is developed to simulate the overall response of the SMA-based seismic restrainer. Besides, the sliding isolator is evaluated using a bilinear force-displacement hysteresis model. Finally, a 60 m span single-layer spherical lattice shell with substructure is modeled with finite element program. Nonlinear time history analyses of the controlled and uncontrolled lattice shell are performed considering multidimensional seismic inputs. The study shows that the seismic response of the controlled lattice shell can be effectively reduced by using isolation and control devices. Furthermore, the seismic response of the isolation system such as peak displacement and residual displacement can be effectively controlled by using the developed SMA spring restrainers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intumescent fire-retardant epoxy (IFR-EP) coatings including ammonium polyphosphate (APP), pentaerythritol (PER), melamine (MEL), magnesium hydroxide (MH), epoxy resin (EP) and polyamide resin (PA) were prepared. Thermal decomposition processes of the pure EP-PA, APP, PER, MEL and MH by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique indicate that the decomposition temperature ranges of EP-PA, APP, PER and MEL are properly consistent with the intumescent mechanism of flame retardants. Thermal decomposition of IFR-EP coatings shows that 15 parts per hundred parts of resin MH is more appropriate to be selected in the formulation of IFR-EP coatings. Kinetic analysis of the TGA data based on the Kissinger methods revealed that activation energy could be used as an important parameter to judge the thermal decomposition process. The conversion dependencies of the activation energy plot show the complex effect of MH content on the thermal decomposition process of IFR-EP coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of rainfall intensity on erosion processes for intra-storm variations are extensively investigated based on rainfall simulation experiments. However, there is a distinction between natural and simulated rainfall. Soil loss data from a total of 84 erosive storms from 2006 through 2013 with hyetograph rainfall data were collected from five plots located in Beijing, each with soils from different Chinese zones, to investigate the effects of erosive storm patterns on soil loss under natural rainfall conditions and to detect if this influence was consistent among the five soil types. The storms were divided into four patterns according to the period of the most concentrated rainfall, including advanced, intermediate, delayed, and uniform patterns. The results indicate that 1) the prevalent storm pattern in Beijing is advanced, which accounts for 43% of storms and contributes the most to total soil loss (approximately 55 to 68%). 2) Storm pattern significantly affected soil loss, with the delayed pattern yielding more soil loss than the other three patterns after taking into account EI 30 . 3) The effect of storm patterns on soil loss was consistent between the five soil types. 4) Coefficients for quantifying the effects of storm pattern on soil loss were not significantly different among these five soils, but exhibited significant differences among the storm patterns, e.g., the coefficient for the delayed pattern was 2.07, for the uniform pattern was 0.42, and for the advanced and the intermediate patterns were approximately 1. Rainfall erosivity generated by an erosive storm with a known pattern could be estimated by multiplying the corresponding adjustment coefficient, which would further improve the accuracy of soil erosion prediction, especially for storm level prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HELQ , a member of DNA repair gene family, is an enzyme required for DNA strands cross-links repair and closely related to age at natural menopause. It also possesses a critical role in the germ cell maintenance, and loss of HELQ gene leads to subfertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether mutations in HELQ contribute to premature ovarian failure (POF) in Chinese women. A cohort of 192 patients with POF was enrolled. All exons and exon–intron boundaries of genomic DNA were amplified and sequenced. Six known single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in both POF and control groups, including rs1494961, rs13141136, rs7665103, rs11099600, rs2047210 and rs12645412. No mutation was identified. Our study indicates for the first time that mutations in the coding sequence of the HELQ gene may not be responsible for premature ovarian failure in Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scientific and technological advances have enabled the detection of gravitational waves, autonomous driving, and the proposal of a communications network on the Moon (Lunar Internet or LunaNet). These efforts are based on the measurement of minute displacements and their corresponding force transduction, which enables acceleration, velocity, and position determination for navigation. State‐of‐the‐art accelerometers use capacitive or piezoresistive techniques and micro‐electromechanical systems (MEMS) via integrated circuit (IC) technologies to drive transducers and convert their output for electric readout. In recent years, laser optomechanical transduction and readout have enabled highly sensitive detection of motional displacement. Here the theoretical framework is further examined for the novel mechanical frequency readout technique of optomechanical transduction when the sensor is driven into oscillation mode. Theoretical and physical agreements are demonstrated, and the most relevant performance parameters are characterized by a device with a 1.5 mg Hz−1 acceleration sensitivity, a 2.5 fm Hz−1/2 displacement resolution corresponding to a 17.02 µg Hz−1/2 force‐equivalent acceleration, and a 5.91 Hz nW−1 power sensitivity, at the thermodynamical limits. In addition, a novel technique is presented for dynamic range extension while maintaining the precision sensing sensitivity. This inertial accelerometer is integrated on‐chip and enabled for packaging, with a laser‐detuning‐enabled approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is primarily concerned with the optimal configuration of multi-energy microgrid in cold climate. Although involving photovoltaic (PV) has been commonplace in works of this sort, one thing that has yet to receive sufficient care is pertained to how exactly PV power output is modeled. Indeed, refined PV modeling has an decisive effect on whether or not the configured microgrid is going to operate as intended in the long run. On this account, physical model chain, a refined way to convert irradiance to PV power output through a series of models, as opposed to the conventional one-equation conversion, is herein emphasized. Then, by adopting the mixed integer linear programming, the configuration of a microgrid with both residential and commercial buildings in cold climate, alongside a rich selection of energy converters and storage devices, is performed. The case study results suggest: (1) configurations based solely on the conventional PV model tend to exaggerate the power production from PV by 10.31%, causing a severe underestimation in total annualized cost by 8.26%; (2) thermoelectric coupling in cold climate favors the inclusion of combined heat and power (CHP) units, which occupy 17% of total capacity; and (3) when heavy carbon emission penalty is invoked, the optimal configuration requires one to double the CHP installation but only add a moderate amount of PV. To support open research, data and Python code used to generate the results are offered as supplementary materials. • A cold-climate microgrid configuration model with refined PV modeling is presented. • Conventional PV modeling underestimates the total annualized cost by 8.26%. • Thermoelectric coupling favors CHP deployment (17% of total capacity) in cold region. • Invoking heavy carbon emission penalty requires doubling the CHP units but only adding a moderate amount of PV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to forecast solar irradiance plays an indispensable role in solar power forecasting, which constitutes an essential step in planning and operating power systems under high penetration of solar power generation. Since solar radiation is an atmospheric process, solar irradiance forecasting, and thus solar power forecasting, can benefit from the participation of atmospheric scientists. In this review, the two fields, namely, atmospheric science and power system engineering are jointly discussed with respect to how solar forecasting plays a part. Firstly, the state of affairs in solar forecasting is elaborated; some common misconceptions are clarified; and salient features of solar irradiance are explained. Next, five technical aspects of solar forecasting: (1) base forecasting methods, (2) post-processing, (3) irradiance-to-power conversion, (4) verification, and (5) grid-side implications, are reviewed. Following that, ten potential research topics for atmospheric scientists are enumerated; they are related to (1) data and tools, (2) numerical weather prediction, (3) forecast downscaling, (4) large eddy simulation, (5) dimming and brightening, (6) aerosols, (7) spatial forecast verification, (8) multivariate probabilistic forecast verification, (9) predictability, and (10) extreme weather events. Last but not least, a pathway towards ultra-high PV penetration is laid out, based on two recently proposed concepts of firm generation and firm forecasting. It is concluded that the collaboration between the atmospheric science community and power engineering community is necessary if we are to further increase the solar penetration while maintaining the stability and reliability of the power grid, and to achieve carbon neutrality in the long run. • Common pitfalls of solar forecasting research are given, with remedies proposed. • Five technical aspects of solar forecasting are discussed, with a special focus on grid-integration implications. • Ten potential research topics for atmospheric scientists are identified. • A pathway towards ultra-high PV penetration is laid out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the angular and kinematic distributions of satellite galaxies around a large sample of bright isolated primaries in the spectroscopic and photometric catalogues of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We detect significant anisotropy in the spatial distribution of satellites. To test whether this anisotropy could be related to the rotating discs of satellites recently found by Ibata et al. in a sample of SDSS galaxies, we repeat and extend their analysis. Ibata et al. found an excess of satellites on opposite sides of their primaries having anticorrelated radial velocities. We find that this excess is sensitive to small changes in the sample selection criteria which can greatly reduce its significance. In addition, we find no evidence for correspondingly correlated velocities for satellites observed on the same side of their primaries, which would be expected for rotating discs of satellites. We conclude that the detection of rotating planes of satellites in the observational sample of Ibata et al. is not robust to changes in the sample selection criteria. We compare our data to the A cold dark matter Millennium simulations populated with galaxies according to the semi-analytic model of Guo et al. We find excellent agreement with the spatial distribution of satellites in the SDSS data and the lack of a strong signal from coherent rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an aptasensor for the determination of dopamine in human serum and with ultrahigh sensitivity and selectivity. The sensor is based on a nanocomposite consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). The PEDOT/rGO interface was prepared by electrochemical polymerization of EDOT using graphene oxide as the dopant which is later electrochemically reduced to form rGO. Subsequent covalent modification of the high surface area composite with a selective aptamer enables highly sensitive and selective detection by differential pulse voltammetry. The calibration plot established at a working voltage of 160 mV displays a linear response in the 1 pM to 160 nM concentration range and an unprecedented detection limit of 78 fM. The sensor is fairly selective in not responding to common interferents, and is reusable after regeneration with a 7 M solution of urea. It was successfully applied to (spiked) serum samples and gave recoveries ranging from 98.3 to 100.7 %. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemical dopamine sensor was developed by electrochemical modification of a carbon paste electrode with a biocomposite made from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) that was doped with double stranded or single stranded DNA. The resulting conducting biocomposite displays excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of dopamine (DA) which is attributed to the presence of the DNA dopant. Under optimum conditions and at a working potential of 300 mV, the modified electrode is capable of detecting DA in the 0.25 to 66 μM concentration range. The detection limit is 74 nM. The sensor is not interfered by uric acid and ascorbic acid. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Significantly enhanced catalytic activity of a nanocomposite composed of conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with graphene oxide (GO) was achieved through a simple electrochemical reduction process. The nanocomposite (PEDOT/GO) was electrodeposited on an electrode and followed by electrochemical reduction, and the obtained reduced nanocomposite (PEDOT/RGO) modified electrode exhibited lowered electrochemical impedance and excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of dopamine. Based on the excellent catalytic property of PEDOT/RGO, an electrochemical sensor capable of sensitive and selective detection of DA was developed. The fabricated sensor can detect DA in a wide linear range from 0.1 to 175μM, with a detection limit of 39nM, and it is free from common interferences such as uric acid and ascorbic acid. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We use the Eighth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS/DR8) galaxy sample to study the radial distribution of satellite galaxies around isolated primaries, comparing to semi-analytic models of galaxy formation based on the Millennium and Millennium-II simulations. SDSS satellites behave differently around high- and low-mass primaries: those orbiting objects with M* > 1011 M⊙ are mostly red and are less concentrated towards their host than the inferred dark matter halo, an effect that is very pronounced for the few blue satellites. On the other hand, less massive primaries have steeper satellite profiles that agree quite well with the expected dark matter distribution and are dominated by blue satellites, even in the inner regions where strong environmental effects are expected. In fact, such effects appear to be strong only for primaries with M* > 1011 M⊙. This behaviour is not reproduced by current semi-analytic simulations, where satellite profiles always parallel those of the dark matter and satellite populations are predominantly red for primaries of all masses. The disagreement with SDSS suggests that environmental effects are too efficient in the models. Modifying the treatment of environmental and star formation processes can substantially increase the fraction of blue satellites, but their radial distribution remains significantly shallower than observed. It seems that most satellites of low-mass primaries can continue to form stars even after orbiting within their joint halo for 5 Gyr or more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnSe/ZnS/Ag composite films were prepared on quartz substrates by magnetron sputtering and spin coating techniques.The morphology of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with different sputtering powers and the dispersion of ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) at different concentrations were observed by SEM and TEM. The linear absorption spectra shows the composite films which modified by Ag NPs had a blue shifted compared with the single ZnSe/ZnS QDs.The Z-scan results showed that the saturated absorption(SA) characteristics of the composite films modified by Ag NPs were significantly enhanced.The SA intensity of the composite films can be adjusted by appropriate increase the concentration of QDs, increasing the sputtering power of Ag NPs and incident laser power.By calculating the nonlinear absorption coefficients of the composite films under different conditions, it is found that increasing the excitation power is the most effective way to improve the SA property of the composite films. Compared with the single ZnSe/ZnS QDs, the β eff value of the composite films is increased by 104 orders of magnitude, which makes the ZnSe/ZnS QDs more widely used in the field of nonlinear optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with the rising threats posed by network attacks, machine learning-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) have been intensively researched. However, there are several issues that need to be addressed. It is difficult to deal with unknown attacks that do not appear in the training set, and as a result, poor detection rates are produced for these unknown attacks. Furthermore, IDSs suffer from high false positive rate. As different models learn data characteristics from different perspectives, in this work we propose a hybrid IDS which leverages both random forest (RF) and autoencoder (AE). The hybrid model operates in two steps. In particular, in the first step, we utilize the probability output of the RF classifier to determine whether a sample belongs to attack. The unknown attacks can be identified with the assistance of the probability output. In the second step, an additional AE is coupled to reduce the false positive rate. To simulate an unknown attack in experiments, we explicitly remove some samples belonging to one attack class from the training set. Compared with various baselines, our suggested technique demonstrates a high detection rate. Furthermore, the additional AE detection module decreases the false positive rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in women with moderate to severe intrauterine adhesion (IUA). A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a reproductive medical center between July 2020 and June 2021 to compare the clinical pregnancy rate of two groups (PRP and non-PRP groups) after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to minimize potential bias. According to our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 133 patients were finally enrolled and divided into the PRP group (n = 48) and non-PRP group (n = 85). In the primary comparison, the clinical pregnancy rate in the PRP group was higher than that in the non-PRP group (41.7% vs. 28.2%, p = 0.114), albeit without statistical significance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, and the results of the adjusted model showed that PRP treatment significantly improved the clinical pregnancy rate (adjusted OR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.22–7.38, p = 0.017). After PSM, the clinical pregnancy rate was higher in the PRP group than that in the non-PRP group (46.2% vs. 20.5%, p = 0.031). Based on the present study, we concluded that intrauterine perfusion of PRP had great potential in improving the clinical pregnancy rate in patients with moderate to severe IUA. Therefore, we recommend the application of PRP in the treatment of IUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods using cell line microarray and drug sensitivity data to predict patients' chemotherapy response are appealing, but groups may be reluctant to release details to preserve intellectual property. Here we describe a case study to validate predictions while treating the methods as a "black box:' Methods Medical Prognosis Institute (MPI) constructed cell-line-derived sensitivity scores (SSs) and combined scores (CSs) that incorporate clinical variables. MD Anderson researchers evaluated their predictions. We searched the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to identify validation datasets, and we performed statistical evaluation of the agreement between prediction and clinical observation. Results We identified 3 suitable datasets: GSE16446 (n = 120; binary outcome), GSE17920 (n = 130; binary outcome), and GSE10255 (n = 161; continuous and time-to-event outcomes). The SS was statistically significantly associ- ated with primary treatment responses for all studies (GSE16446: P= .02; GSE17920: P= .02; GSE10255: P= .02). Dichotomized SSs performed no better than chance for GSE16446 and GSE17920, and categorized SSs did not predict disease-free survival (GSE10255). SSs sometimes improved on predictions using clinical variables (GSE16446: P= .05; GSE17920: P= .31; GSE10255: P= .045), but gains were limited (95% confidence intervals for GSE16446 and GSE17920 include 0).The CS did not predict treatment response for GSE16446 (P= .55), but it did for GSE17920 (P< .001). Coefficients of clinical variables provided by MPI for CSs agree with estimates for GSE17920 better than estimates for GSE16446. Conclusions Model predictions were better than chance in all three datasets. However, these scores added little to existing clinical predictors; statistically significant contributions were likely to be too small to change clinical practice. These findings suggest that discovering better predictors will require both cell line data and a clinical training dataset of patient samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A silver functionalized porous aromatic framework materials derived from Brønsted acidic porous aromatic framework via ion exchange was synthesized. The π complexation between silver ions and ethylene molecules endows it with a stronger affinity to ethylene, and thus makes it a promising porous adsorbent in selective separation of ethylene over ethane. [Display omitted] • A silver functionalized material constructed from Brønsted acidic porous aromatic framework via ion exchange was synthesized. • This material features high surface area and exhibits a higher ethylene adsorption capacity of 4.05 mmol/g than that for ethane (3.10 mmol/g) at 1 bar and 273 K. • Ideal adsorbed solution theory calculations demonstrate that this material is capable of selective adsorption of ethylene over ethane benefiting from the π complexation between silver ions and ethylene molecules. • This material may represent a potential solid porous material in selective separation of ethylene over ethane associated with petrochemistry industry. The development of an efficient ethylene-ethane separation technology is highly necessary and desirable. Selective adsorption of ethylene over ethane using porous aromatic has aroused considerable attention due to their merits of high porosity, excellent stability and tunable structure. We describe the synthesis of a silver functionalized material, PAF-1-PO 3 Ag 2 , using a Brønsted acidic porous aromatic framework via ion exchange. This material offers a higher ethylene capacity of 4.05 mmol/g than that for ethane (3.10 mmol/g). In addition, PAF-1-PO 3 Ag 2 possesses a high C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 selectivity of 4.8 at 298 K and 1 bar, thus making it a promising porous adsorbent in ethylene purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]