Search

Abstract: The effects of modification by HNO3 oxidization on the physico-chemical properties of activated carbon fiber (ACF), the adsorption of aniline, pyridine and phenol on ACF and modified ACF, as well as the influence of textural properties on adsorption by comparing ACF with an activated carbon are investigated. The adsorbents are characterized using N2 adsorption, Boehm titration, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed desorption. The pore properties of ACF are not significantly changed by the modification; however, it increases greatly the oxygenated acidic groups on the surface of ACF. The uptake for each aromatic compound by the modified ACF is lower than on ACF. This is mainly due to the decrease of dispersive interaction, more water cluster formed to block entry of compounds into micropores or competition between water and compounds adsorbed onto the surface of ACF because of hydrophilic increase of ACF. The maximum uptake for the aromatic compounds decreases with the increase in aqueous solubility of the adsorbates. K, a Langmuir parameter, is indirectly associated with the surface chemistry of ACF. For the aromatic compounds mentioned, the uptake increases with the micropore volume of carbon materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Zintl compounds Ba2Cd2As3and Ba2Cd2Sb3have been synthesized and structurally characterized. They crystallize in a novel monoclinic structure type with the space group C2/m(no. 12), featuring polyanionic layers made of CdPn4tetrahedra (Pn= As, Sb) and homoatomic Pn–Pnbonds. The topological relationships between the structure of Ba2Cd2Sb3and those of BaCd2Sb2(CaAl2Si2type) and Ba3Cd2Sb4(own type) are discussed as well. Based on electronic structures calculations, carried out by the density-functional method, and resistivity measurements, pure Ba2Cd2As3is shown to be a small-gap semiconductor and pure Ba2Cd2Sb3to be a poor metal. The structures of the title compounds are amenable to doping on both cation and pnicogen sites, which could enable fine-tuning the transport properties, and make them promising materials for thermoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether fetal ultrasound could determine bronchial isomerism and distinguish left isomerism from right isomerism. Methods: We identified 110 healthy fetuses and 28 fetuses with isomerism. The outer angle between the tracheal midline and the inner margin of the bronchus is measured. The bronchial angles and the ratio of left/right bronchial angle were used to differentiate bronchial morphology and confirm the presence of bronchial isomerism in pathological cases. Results: The normal angles of the left and right bronchi were 146.98° (95% CI, 145.15–147.81°) and 167.37° (95% CI, 166.30–168.44°), separately. The cutoff bronchial angle of 156.5° was used to distinguish left bronchus from right bronchus. The bronchial isomerism could be identified in all pathological cases by autopsy and bronchial-atrial concordance occurred in 27 pathological cases (96.4%). In 21 pathological cases, the bilateral bronchial angle was <156.5 versus >156.5 differentiated left from right isomerism, respectively. The ratio of the left/right bronchial angle of >0.935 identified 92.9% (26/28) of all pathological cases, with a sensitivity of 89.7%. Conclusions: Fetal ultrasound can detect the bronchial morphology and the presence of bronchial isomerism in fetuses with isomerism according to bronchial angles and the ratio of left/right bronchial angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raoultella ornithinolytica is a poorly understood opportunistic pathogen, and the underlying mechanisms of its multidrug resistance and pathogenicity have not yet been comprehensively investigated. The multidrug‐resistant (MDR) strain WM1 was isolated from the blood of a male patient in Tianjin, China, in 2018. Here, we describe the complete genome and provide a genomic analysis of R. ornithinolytica WM1. The isolate was resistant to all tested antimicrobials except amikacin, tobramycin, and tigecycline. Two plasmids, pWM1‐1 (IncHI5) and pWM1‐2 (IncR), carried multidrug‐resistance regions. A large antimicrobial resistance island region resided on pWM1‐1 and exhibited mosaic structures resulting from the acquisition of complex integrations of variable regions, including genes conferring resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobials. Moreover, WM1 possessed virulence‐related elements that encode several virulence factors, including type I fimbriae, Escherichia coli common pilus, type II and VI secretion systems, yersiniabactin, enterobactin, and surface polysaccharide, indicating pathogenic potential. Furthermore, the core genome phylogeny and pan‐genome analyses revealed extensive genetic diversity. Our analysis indicates the need for stringent infection control, antimicrobial stewardship, periodic resistance monitoring, and rational medication to address potential threats posed by MDR R. ornithinolytica strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halogenated methyl sulfonic acid (HMSAs) is a new type of disinfection by-product recently reported, and there are few relevant studies, so its source and harm are still unclear. This study mainly discusses the source of halogenated methyl sulfonic acid from the macroscopic level and evaluates the harm to human health. This study clarified that chlorine disinfection is one of the main ways of generating halogenated methyl sulfonic acids (HMSAs) in drinking water. The macroscopic properties of HMSA precursors were analyzed through liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), 3D fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The results showed that polar and positively charged organic compounds with molecular weights of >3 KDa or <0.5 KDa can readily generate HMSAs. By analyzing the main components of natural organic compounds in water and comparing them with the characteristics of organic compounds such as dimethyl sulfoxide and ethyl mercaptan, it meant that natural organic compounds are easily degraded. Humic and fulvic acids contribute the most to HMSA generation. This study lasted for three years and collected water samples from 102 waterworks in 24 cities in China, and the existence of HMSAs in drinking water in different cities was analyzed. The potential health risks associated with HMSAs were used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) health risk assessment model. The average and maximum concentrations of HMSAs in tap water from key cities in China were taken as evaluation objects. The results showed that the carcinogenic risk coefficient (R) value of both concentrations was far lower than the lowest acceptable carcinogenic risk (1.0 × 10−6) provided by U.S. EPA. Therefore, HMSAs in drinking water in China currently pose no human health risks. • Chlorine disinfection is one of the reasons for the production of halogenated methyl sulfonic acid (HMSAs) in drinking water. • The natural organic matter easy to degrade in water is macro precursor of HMSAs. • Humic acid and fulvic acid are the main factors of HMSAs produced by chlorine disinfection. • HMSAs in drinking water in China has little impact on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The balance patch is an important but not well studied area to maintain game fairness and improve player entertainment. In this paper, we examine the effect of balance patch on player's character preference and further explore the moderating effect of psychological distance and character selection pattern. Design/methodology/approach: In study 1, a web crawler was used to get server-side data of 40, 974 multi-player online battle arena (MOBA) players through official application programming interfaces (APIs). A paired-T test and a stepwise regression were performed to verify the hypothesis. In study 2, a 2-patch type (buff vs nerf) × 2 psychological distance (near vs distant) × 2 character selection pattern (stable vs variable) between-subjects design was adopted to confirm the empirical conclusions through questionnaire survey design and further explored the mediating effect of patch adjustment perception. Findings: The analyzed results showed that the buff patch led to an increase in players' character preference, while the nerf patch led to a decrease in players' character preference. Moreover, the main effect was mediated by patch adjustment perception. Furthermore, psychological distance and character selection pattern both moderated the relationship between balance patch and character preference changes. The character preference of the near psychological distance increased more significantly elicited by buff patches and decreased more significantly in an adverse situation. Similarly, players with variable selection pattern of characters were more sensitive to the stimuli, and the character preference of the variable group changed more significantly than that of the stable group caused by balance patch release. Originality/value: This paper studies the influence of a patch on the balance of character strength on player preference, which expands the research on game balance and fairness. The present results contribute to the theoretical research on consumer behavior of psychological distance and character selection pattern elicited by balance patches. Meanwhile, the results indicate that psychological distance theory can apply to the study of the relationship between players and virtual characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bio-neural systems, ionic fluxes dominate the regulation of neuroplasticity. Inspired by such biological strategies, indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) transistors gated by nanogranular SiO 2 electrolyte films were proposed for synaptic behavior emulations. Due to the strong proton/electron coupling effect, the carrier density of IZO channel layer can be effectively tuned by a pH buffer solution on the SiO 2 electrolyte dielectrics. The pH-dependent synaptic responses, such as excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) and paired pulse facilitation (PPF), were discussed in detail based on the surface charging effect. Most importantly, an enhanced pH sensitivity in terms of the relative gain of EPSC amplitude between pH = 4 and pH = 10 was demonstrated by multi-spike trains. Such IZO-based synaptic transistors are promising for low-power neuromorphic sensing systems. Unlabelled Image • Indium-zinc-oxide synaptic transistors gated by SiO 2 electrolyte films were proposed for synaptic behavior emulations. • The pH-dependent synaptic responses were discussed in detail based on the surface charging effect. • The pH sensitivity in terms of relative amplitude gain between pH = 4 and pH = 10 can be enhanced by multi-spike trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Microbial precipitated calcite was prepared in the absence/presence of Cd. • Calcite was converted to hydroxyapatite (HAP) under mild hydrothermal condition. • The morphology of HAP was controlled by the presence of Cd. • The calcite-HAP conversion significantly enhanced the stability of Cd in solid. Abstract As one of the most toxic heavy elements, humans are mainly exposed to cadmium (Cd) via daily diets and smoking. Calcite can be used as an amendment directly or precipitated in situ based on microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology to immobilize Cd in soil with potential release of Cd due to calcite dissolution. Therefore, we converted microbial-induced calcite to less soluble hydroxyapatite and investigated the phase and morphology evolutions of the solids, as well as the immobilized efficiency, distribution and release of Cd. The results showed that the conversion of calcite to hydroxyapatite enhanced Cd removal efficiency up to 1.67% and 33.14% compared to the MICP process and adsorption by calcite, respectively. Accordingly, the released Cd decreased up to 94.10% and 99.96%, respectively. Our findings demonstrated that the conversion of calcite to hydroxyapatite might control the environmental behavior of heavy metals like Cd and can potentially be applied for soil remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the correlations between the enhancement pattern of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and clinicopathologic findings and prognosis, a retrospective study was performed on 197 patients with mass-forming ICC who underwent pre-operative CEUS and surgical resection. The contrast medium we employed in CEUS was SonoVue, which contains microbubbles consisting of sulfur hexafluoride bubbles within a phospholipid shell. This study was approved by the institutional review board with informed consent waived. Patients were classified into an arterial rim-like enhancement group or an arterial non-rim-like enhancement group, and arterial enhancement patterns were correlated with clinicopathologic factors. Overall survival (OS) times were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between groups were compared with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models for OS were used to evaluate the independent prognostic factors. The mean and range of ICC tumor size of the arterial rim-like group (59.41 ± 22.09 mm, 20-100 mm) were similar to those of the arterial non-rim-like group (59.82 ± 30.35 mm, 14-162 mm, p = 0.914). Arterial enhancement patterns were correlated with chronic viral hepatitis or cirrhosis, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and single/multiple tumors. A total of 78 patients (39.6%) exhibited arterial rim-like enhancement, and the other 119 patients (60.4%) exhibited arterial non-rim-like enhancement. Arterial enhancement pattern (p = 0.045), vascular invasion (p = 0.005), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000) and number of tumors (p = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS. The arterial non-rim-like enhancement pattern of ICC on CEUS is an independent prognostic factor for better OS and may offer new information for predicting the prognosis of ICC patients before surgical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to research the effect of uncertain rewards on the recommendation intention in referral reward programs (RRPs) and investigate the interaction of tie strength and reward type on the recommendation intention.Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a quantitative exploratory approach through the use of experiments. Study 1 adopted a 2×2 between-participants design ((reward type: certain reward vs uncertain reward)×(tie strength: strong tie vs weak tie)). Respectively, by manipulating uncertain probabilities and expected value, Studies 2 and 3 further explore the effect of uncertain rewards and tie strength on customers’ referral intention.Findings This paper finds the following: compared to certain rewards, customers’ referral intention under uncertain rewards is higher and positive experience has a mediating effect between reward type and recommendation intention; when only the recommender is rewarded, the tie strength between the recommender and the receiver moderates the effect of reward type on the recommendation intention; for strong ties, customers’ recommendation intention is higher in uncertain reward condition, but for weak ties, customers’ willingness to recommend is almost the same in both reward types; when both the recommender and the receiver are rewarded, although certain rewards have a higher expected value than uncertain and random rewards, for strong ties, the participants have a higher referral intention under random rewards than that under uncertain rewards, which have a higher referral willingness than that under certain rewards. Additionally, for weak ties, the reverse is true.Originality/value The research has both theoretical implications for research on uncertain rewards and tie strength and practical implications for marketing managers designing and implementing RRPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Quartz Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS), due to the strained material and piezoelectric effect of the Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF), the in-plane mode of QTF is generally detected, requiring micron-scale precise and stable optical alignment and convergence. It poses a significant challenge for the use of light sources and has become a bottleneck for practical implementations of QEPAS. In this paper, a ppb-level all-optical off-axis QEPAS gas sensor based on dual-wavelength demodulation of out-of-plane mode is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A dual-wavelength Fabry-Perot (FP) Interferometer with Ellipse Fitting-Differential Cross Multiply (EF-DCM) algorithm is designed and employed to demodulate the out-of-plane mode of off-axis QTF, which is approximately 80 times stronger than the conventional in-plane mode. This work established a novel ultra-sensitive off-axis QEPAS-based hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) sensor with a 1.5 W fiber-amplified near-infrared diode laser. The minimum detection limit and normalized noise equivalent absorption of the developed H 2 S sensor is 74.19 ppb with 1 s integration time and 2.68 × 10−9 W∙cm−1∙Hz−1/2 respectively, beyond previously reported QEPAS-based H 2 S sensors. This technique effectively utilizes the out-of-plane mode of QTF and realizes the simultaneous enhancement of off-axis location and out-of-plane vibration mode detection in QEPAS, allowing a novel approach for the development of ultra-sensitive QEPAS gas sensors with notable practical application prospects. • An out-of-plane vibration mode based QTF was used for off-axis Quartz Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS). • The dual-wavelength FPI demodulation and the EF-DCM algorithm was proposed to detect the QTF surface vibration. • The developed QEPAS system has reduced the requirement of light source, which can match imperfect beam. • The performance of the system was evaluated using a 1.5 W fiber amplified near infrared diode laser. • The one order of magnitude sensitivity improvement was realized compared with traditional off-axis QEPAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical manipulation of charged ions in electrolyte-gated transistors is crucial for enhancing the electric-double-layer (EDL) gating effect, thereby improving their sensing abilities. Here, indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) based thin-film-transistors (TFTs) are fabricated on flexible plastic substrate. Acid doped chitosan-based biopolymer electrolyte is used as the gate dielectric, exhibiting an extremely high EDL capacitance. By regulating the dynamic EDL charging process with special gate potential profiles, the EDL gating effect of the chitosan-gated TFT is enhanced, and then resulting in higher pH sensitivities. An extremely high sensitivity of ∼57.8 mV/pH close to Nernst limit is achieved when the gate bias of the TFT sensor sweeps at a rate of 10 mV/s. Additionally, an enhanced sensitivity of 2630% in terms of current variation with pH range from 11 to 3 is realized when the device is operated in the ion depletion mode with a negative gate bias of −0.7 V. Robust ionic modulation is demonstrated in such chitosan-gated sensors. Efficiently driving the charged ions in the chitosan-gated IZO-TFT provides a new route for ultrasensitive, low voltage, and low-cost biochemical sensing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly luminescent GdVO 4 :Eu3+/carbon dots (CDs) nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal deposition method for the first time. With the use of dialyzed CDs solution as precursor, the synthetized composite shows negligible emission intensity of CDs. On replacing the dialyzed CDs solution with the crude one, highly luminescent composite can be obtained successfully. Based on the analysis of XPS and FT-IR spectra, one can deduce that the existence of a large amount of citrate anions, ethylenediamine cations and polymer-like CDs in the crude CDs solution make it as nutrient solution of CDs, which can not only facilitate growth of CDs on the surface of GVE, but also greatly prevent nitrogen atoms from falling off the particles during the hydrothermal deposition process. For the dialyzed CDs solution, due to the ions and polymer-like CDs being thoroughly dialyzed, the coated CDs are fragile during hydrothermal deposition process. Besides, the effects of different dosages of ammonia on emission intensities of the two composites are studied. Based on the designable patterns for security application, one can think that the highly luminescent composite is one of the most promising candidates in the anti-counterfeiting field. • Highly luminescent GdVO 4 :Eu3+/CDs nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal deposition method. • The hydrothermal deposition method was used to synthesize highly luminescent composite related to CDs for the first time. • The crude CDs solution was used as precursor, which acts as the nutrient solution of N-CDs. • The nutrient solution can not only facilitate growth of CDs on the surface of GVE, but also greatly prevents nitrogen atoms from falling off the particles during hydrothermal deposition process. • The prepared composite is one of the most promising candidates in the anti-counterfeiting field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High O 2 /CO 2 treatment has shown to promote the wound healing of fresh-cut white mushrooms. However, the mechanism of water migration in wound healing under high O 2 /CO 2 treatment is still ambiguous. In this study, the effects of 80% O 2 + 20% CO 2 treatment before or after cutting on the accumulation of phenolic compounds, phenylpropanoid metabolism, as well as the water status and distribution in fresh-cut white mushrooms were evaluated. The results indicate that compared with the control group, both high O 2 /CO 2 treatments before or after cutting increased the content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and lignin. Among the high O 2 /CO 2 treatments, the treatment after cutting stimulated the phenylpropanoid pathway, elevated the levels of individual phenols including protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, p -coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, catechin, and kaempferol. Additionally, with a longer storage time, the results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR) indicate that the amplitude of free water significantly decreased and immobilized while the amplitude of bound water increased in all treatments. The moisture content in fresh-cut white mushroom mainly depends on the free water content. High O 2 /CO 2 treatment after cutting maintained the level of free water inside while decreased the level of free water on the surface of fresh-cut white mushroom. In conclusion, high O 2 /CO 2 treatments after cutting effectively enhanced wound healing by promoting the loss of surface water. Moreover, the wound healing on surface inhibited the water mobility and transformation inside white mushroom slices, this maintaining the quality of fresh-cut white mushrooms. [Display omitted] • High O 2 /CO 2 treatment promotes phyenylpropanoids metabolism and wound healing. • High O 2 /CO 2 treatment increased the accumulation of phenolic compounds. • High O 2 /CO 2 treatment inhibited the water mobility and transformation. • Post-treatment of high O 2 /CO 2 was better in accelerating the secondary metabolism. • The formation of wound healing reduced the water loss in fresh-cut products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal-metal $$\backslash $$ insulator $$\backslash $$ superconductor (NIS) junctions can be used as solid-state refrigerators since the hottest electrons preferentially tunnel from the normal metal into the superconductor. In this paper, we present NIS junctions optimized to cool electrons from a bath temperature of 100 mK. We measure a temperature reduction of the electrons in the refrigerator junctions from 100 to 26 mK which agrees with device models. Independent measurements of the electron temperature using thermometer junctions measure a temperature decrease from 100 to 48 mK. Theories explaining the difference in measured temperatures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aortic coarctation is a life-threatening defect when it occurs with cardiorespiratory failure. Its genetic cause remains unknown. A woman was pregnant twice, both with male fetuses that had partial trisomy 18p, partial monosomy 18q, and aortic coarctation. The syndrome may relate to the aortic coarctation and pulmonary hypoplasia and is life-threatening. ArrayCGH analysis suggested a de novo 17.7Mb deletion of chromosome 18q21.33→qter (58,413,193bp to 76,116,029bp) and a de novo 12.4Mb duplication of chromosome 18pter→p11.21 (1543bp to 12,438,430bp) at the telomeric end of chromosome 18. To the best of our knowledge, the present chromosomal breakpoint with rearrangement has not been previously described. This chromosome aberration may be responsible for this syndrome. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Belief Rule Base (BRB) is an expert system which can handle both qualitative and quantitative information. One of the applications of the BRB is the Rule-base Inference Methodology using the Evidential Reasoning approach (RIMER). Using the BRB, RIMER can handle different types of information under uncertainty. However, there is a combinatorial explosion problem when there are too many attributes and/or too many alternatives for each attribute in the BRB. Most current approaches are designed to reduce the number of the alternatives for each attribute, where the rules are derived from physical systems and redundant in numbers. However, these approaches are not applicable when the rules are given by experts and the BRB should not be oversized. A structure learning approach is proposed using Grey Target (GT), Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), Isomap and Principle Component Analysis (PCA) respectively, named as GT–RIMER, MDS–RIMER, Isomap–RIMER and PCA–RIMER. A case is studied to evaluate the overall capability of an Armored System of Systems. The efficiency of the proposed approach is validated by the case study results: the BRB is downsized using any of the four techniques, and PCA–RIMER has shown excellent performance. Furthermore, the robustness of PCA–RIMER is further verified under different conditions with varied number of attributes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]