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We developed a three-dimensional biointerface of graphene-based electrical impedance sensor for metastatic cancer diagnosis at single-cell resolution. Compared with traditional impedance sensor with two-dimensional interface, the graphene biointerface mimiced the topography and somatotype features of cancer cells, achieving more comprehensive and thorough single cell signals in the three-dimensional space. At the nodes of physiological behavior change of single cell, namely cell capture, adhesion, migration and proliferation, the collected electrical signals from graphene biointerface were about two times stronger than those from the two-dimensional gold interface due to the substantial increase in contact area and significant improvement of topographical interaction between cells and graphene electrode. Simultaneous CCD recording and electrical signal extraction from the entrapped single cell on the graphene biointerface enabled to investigate multidimensional cell-electrode interactions and predict cancerous stage and pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software-defined networking separates the control and forwarding planes of a network to make it more programmable and application- aware. As one of the initial implementations of SDN, OpenFlow abstracts a forwarding device as a flow table and realizes flow processing by applying the "match-and-act" principle. However, the protocol-dependent nature of OpenFlow still limits the programmability of the forwarding plane. Hence, in this article, we discuss how to leverage protocol-oblivious forwarding (POF) to further enhance the network programmability such that the forwarding plane becomes protocol-independent and can be dynamically reprogrammed to support new protocol stacks seamlessly. We first review the development of OpenFlow and explain the motivations for introducing POF. Then we explain the working principle of POF, discuss our efforts on realizing the POF development ecosystem, and show our implementation of POF-based source routing as a novel use case. Finally, we elaborate on the first WAN-based POF network testbed that includes POF switches located in two cities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Identifying the sanitation efficacy of reducing fecal contaminations in the environment is important for evaluating health risks of the public and developing future management strategies to improve sanitation conditions. In this study, we estimated the fecal coliforms (FC) entering into the environment in 31 provinces in China under three sanitation scenarios. Our calculation results indicated that, the current FC release is disparate among regions, and the human releases in the rural regions were dominant, accounting for over 90% of the total human releases. Compared with the human release, the FC release from the livestock was of similar magnitude, but has a quite different spatial distribution. In China Women's Development Program, the Chinese government set the target to make over 85% of the population in the rural access to the toilets in 2020. If the target set by the Chinese government is achieved, a decrease of 34% (12–54%) in the FC releases would be anticipated. In the future, the improvement in sanitation and accesses to the safe drinking water in the less developed regions, such as Tibet, Qinghai, and Ningxia, should be considered as a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new class of multi-stress acceleration models with interaction effects is designed. • A multi-stress accelerated degradation model is further developed by incorporating a generalized Wiener process. • Simulation and a real-world case are performed to validate the effectiveness and practical values of the proposed model. Most products operate under multiple stresses. The influences of multi-stress factors on products are commonly not independent and promote a more violent degradation through interactions, referred to as stress interaction effects. However, few studies consider such effects in multi-stress acceleration models, which may reduce the extrapolation precision and further lead to an inaccurate reliability assessment. In this paper, a new class of multi-stress acceleration models with interaction effects is designed to extrapolate more accurate reliability metrics under multi-stress operating conditions. The main stress effect terms are determined by two criteria: physical stress-based ageing law and statistical correlation. The interaction effects are interpreted as the influences of other stress variables on the main stress effects. In particular, the explicit functions of interaction effects are alternative, which can be identified by adaptive optimization using the maximum likelihood criterion. Furthermore, this multi-stress acceleration model is extended to an accelerated degradation model by integrating a generalized Wiener process with nonlinear time scale functions and random effects. The acceleration factor constant principle is utilized to identify the stress-dependent parameters, facilitating a more appropriate model development. Finally, simulation and a real-world case are performed to validate the effectiveness and practical values of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sternum is one of the most important components of the chest wall. However, to the best of our knowledge, at present there is no reference value of the sternum length in normal Han Chinese children that has been published in the literature. The aim of the present study was therefore to establish the reference value of sternum length in a normal Han Chinese population of different ages and sex groups. Chest computed tomography scans and three-dimensional reconstruction images of 1,080 individuals who were younger than 18 years old and without congenital or acquired structural anomalies or congenital metabolic diseases were retrospectively reviewed. The length of the sternum was measured for each individual and comparisons of the sternum length according to sex were conducted using the Mann-Whitney test. Age or region group comparisons were performed using the ANOVA test, and the association between the length of the sternum and age was assessed by regression analysis. A significant association between the age (x) of the individual and the length of the sternum (y) was confirmed, although different regression patterns were identified for the sexes (the regression equation for males was y=5.616x+60.408; P<0.001; R2=0.890, whereas that for females was y=-0.134x2+6.543x+56.805; P<0.001, R2=0.890). No significant differences in sternum length were identified between the sexes for subjects aged 1-13 years old, whereas significant differences were observed comparing the sexes of the subjects aged 14-18 years old. In conclusion, the present study revealed that the length of the sternum in normal Han Chinese children can be precisely estimated by the age of the child using our formulae for the different sexes (where the most-fit formulae for the two sexes are different). This knowledge can be applied clinically in chest wall deformity assessment, and in surgery planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The understanding of sequence-specific DNA minor groove interactions has recently made major steps forward and as a result, the goal of development of compounds that target the minor groove is an active research area. In an effort to develop biologically active minor groove agents, we are preparing and exploring the DNA interactions of diverse diamidine derivatives with a 5′-GAATTC-3′ binding site using a powerful array of methods including, biosensor-SPR methods, and X-ray crystallography. The benzimidazole-thiophene module provides an excellent minor groove recognition component. A central thiophene in a benzimidazole-thiophene-phenyl aromatic system provides essentially optimum curvature for matching the shape of the minor groove. Comparison of that structure to one with the benzimidazole replaced with an indole shows that the two structures are very similar, but have some interesting and important differences in electrostatic potential maps, the DNA minor groove binding structure based on x-ray crystallographic analysis, and inhibition of the major groove binding PU.1 transcription factor complex. The binding K D for both compounds is under 10 nM and both form amidine H-bonds to DNA bases. They both have bifurcated H-bonds from the benzimidazole or indole groups to bases at the center of the -AATT- binding site. Analysis of the comparative results provides an excellent understanding of how thiophene compounds recognize the minor groove and can act as transcription factor inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We explored the effects of repeated plateletpheresis on the platelet P-selectin expression and soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) concentrations in platelet donors. Methods Totally 289 platelet donors and 97 first-time whole blood (WB) donors were enrolled from the blood donor registry at the Fujian provincial blood center, China. The accumulative numbers of plateletpheresis in the last 2 y for participants were recorded, and the basal concentrations of platelet count, sP-selectin and total platelet P-selectin (pP-selectin) were determined. Results Platelet donors had significantly higher basal concentrations of sP-selectin compared to WB donors (24.12 ± 7.33 ng/mL vs. 20.74 ± 5.44 ng/mL, P < 0.0001), with no difference in platelet count and pP-selectin concentrations. Increased numbers of platelet donation were correlated with a steady increase of sP-selectin ( r = 0.18, P = 0.002). Multivariate regression analysis identified that the frequency of plateletpheresis is an independent factor for the rise of the sP-selectin concentration (t = 2.64, P = 0.009) while no association was found for pP-selectin and platelet count. Conclusions Repeated plateletpheresis could result in an increased basal concentration of sP-selectin in blood donors whereas not an alteration in the concentrations of total platelet P-selectin. It remains to be determined whether this might be a consequence of endothelial activation or platelet activation or some other phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent genome-wide association studies in Caucasians suggested that an association exists between the ABO gene locus and soluble levels of P-selectin (sP-selectin). However, it is unclear if the relationship corresponds to the phenotypic expression of ABO groups or is present in different ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to verify this observation at both genotypic and phenotypic levels in a healthy Chinese population.Study Design and Methods: The ABO blood groups were determined by both phenotypes and genotypes in 440 healthy Chinese Han volunteers, while P-selectin levels were evaluated for sP-selectin and total platelet P-selectin (pP-selectin).Results: ABO phenotyping and quantitative analysis of individual sP-selectin plasma levels were combined to demonstrate that individuals phenotypically expressing the A antigen have approximately 20% lower sP-selectin plasma levels than those carrying the B or O phenotype (p < 0.0001), but that no difference exists between A and AB and between B and O phenotypes. Genotyping data revealed that the presence of the A gene could be attributed to the observed difference in phenotype comparison, with no difference between A/A, A/B, and A/O genotypes. There were also no associations between ABO blood groups, either phenotypes or genotypes, and pP-selectin levels.Conclusion: This study demonstrated an association between sP-selectin levels and ABO groups in a Chinese Han population, implicating its generalizability to other ethnic groups. This finding will improve the understanding of the mechanism of ABO blood group-associated diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our study discusses health related quality of life (HRQOL) as measured by 36-item Short Form (SF-36) for rural-to-urban migrants in China, and assesses the validity and reliability of the SF-36 for this group.Methods: In 2012,765 rural-to-urban migrant respondents chosen by probability and the non-probability sampling methods have completed the survey in Wuhan, Mid-China. The reliability of SF-36 is analyzed by Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient, split-half coefficient, theta (θ) and omega (Ω) coefficient, the validity is calculated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and known-group methods.Result: Split-half reliability coefficient is 0.717. Cronbach's alpha coefficient is 0.776. Theta and omega coefficient are 0.862 and 0.903 respectively. CFA statistical analysis results are shown as follows: GFI = 0.926, Chi-Square/Df = 2.059, RMSEA = 0.037, CFI = 0.939. Physical and mental component summary (PCS/MCS) scores are tabulated by known-group variables and show a statistical significance.Conclusion: In general, SF-36 is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring HRQOL of rural-to-urban migrants in China. Furthermore, Chinese migrants have lived and worked in a hard environment, their salaries are much lower than that of the counterparts, HRQOL of this group is also a little lower and deserves much attention from society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemoresistance remains a major obstacle to effective treatment in patients with ovarian cancer, and recently increasing evidences suggest that miRNAs are involved in drug-resistance. In this study, we investigated the role of miRNAs in regulating cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cell line and analyzed their possible mechanisms. We profiled miRNAs differentially expressed in cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line A2780/DDP compared with parental A2780 cells using microarray. Four abnormally expressed miRNAs were selected (miR-146a,-130a, -374a and miR-182) for further studies. Their expression were verified by qRT-PCR. MiRNA mimics or inhibitor were transfected into A2780 and A2780/DDP cells and then drug sensitivity was analyzed by MTS array. RT-PCR and Western blot were carried out to examine the alteration of MDR1, PTEN gene expression. A total of 32 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in A2780/DDP cells. Among them, miR-146a was down-regulated and miR-130a,-374a,-182 were upregulated in A2780/DDP cells, which was verified by RT-PCR. MiR-130a and miR-374a mimics decreased the sensitivity of A2780 cells to cisplatin, reversely, their inhibitors could resensitize A2780/DDP cells. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-130a could increase the MDR1 mRNA and P-gp levels in A2780 and A2780/DDP cells, whereas knockdown of miR-130a could inhibit MDR1 gene expression and upregulate the PTEN protein expression .In a conclusion, the deregulation of miR-374a and miR-130a may be involved in the development and regulation of cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells. This role of miR-130a may be achieved by regulating the MDR1 and PTEN gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circulation of rice from contaminated areas could escalate exposure risk from a local problem to a national issue and affect a wider population beyond the region of origin, as confirmed by the 'Poison Rice Incident' in May 2013 in Guangzhou, China. In the present study, the authors established a food chain model based on the aquivalence method to identify major sources of methylmercury (MeHg), estimate the levels of MeHg, and quantify exposure to MeHg via rice and aquatic food consumption. Different types of organism samples from the Haihe River also were collected to verify the calculated values. The MeHg intake in pregnant women was 1529.1 ng/d from the aquatic food chain and as high as 2804.0 ng/d from rice, although the intake varied among scenarios. The maximum possible MeHg concentration in the blood of pregnant women was 5.21 µg/L, higher than the threshold value of MeHg recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (4.4 µg/L), which indicated that pregnant women could face risk from MeHg exposure. The authors also assessed the risk of MeHg exposure in pregnant women and their breastfed infants using a new index, HQEquivalent. In 4 scenarios, the HQEquivalent indices ranged from 0.42 to 1.18 for pregnant women and from 0.29 to 0.83 for breastfed infants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1161-1168. © 2014 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Our study developed Go-PLL complexes as novel modification nanomaterials for BMP-2 delivery. • GO-PLL/BMP-2 nanoparticles controlled BMP-2 release velocity and prolong release period. • GO-PLL/BMP-2 nanoparticles significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and exhibited favorable bone formation ability. The development of bioactive carrier with controlled delivery of Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) is an important part in bone regeneration. Our study fabricated novel modified nanomaterials based on poly-l-lysine functionalized graphene oxide (GO-PLL) and explore its potential applications for BMP-2 delivery. GO-PLL was used to modify BMP-2 encapsulated bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (GO-PLL/BMP-2) by self-assembling technology. The physiochemical and biological properties of GO-PLL modified BSA nanoparticles were investigated in vitro. Additionally, rabbit calvarial bone defects were created to investigate bone formation ability in the presence of GO-PLL/BMP-2 loaded alginate/gelatin scaffolds. The results suggested BSA particles were spatially interacted with GO-PLL complexes by strong electrostatic attraction. When compared with BMP-2 encapsulated BSA nanoparticles, a pronounced decrease in BMP-2 gentle release was observed in the presence of GO-PLL/BMP-2 nanoparticles, and extended to over 14-day release periods. More importantly, GO-PLL/BMP-2 nanoparticles significantly enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and matrix mineralization, and exhibited favorable bone formation ability when loaded into alginate/gelatin scaffolds. These results demonstrated that PLL functionalized GO complexes are considered as appropriate delivery system for BSA modification, and have great potential for BMP-2 delivery in bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the clinic-pathological characteristics of women with cervical cancers in southwestern China and discuss the features and prognosis of young patients. Methods: A retrospective study was performed, which consisted of 1,543 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer and underwent treatment at West China Second University Hospital between November 2005 and December 2010. Among them, 154 young patients with surgical procedures between November 2005 and December 2008 were selected for a 5-year follow-up and prognostic analysis. Results: The proportion of advanced FIGO stage in patients aged over 35 years was higher than in patients aged 35 years or younger (55.1% vs 38.8%, P<0.001), and strong correlation was found between FIGO stages and the postoperative pathological risk factors (P<0.05). 312 patients (20.2%) were under 35 years old in the last 5 years. The proportion of cervical adenocarcinoma remained high in young patients (13.6%), and young women with adenocarcinoma had a higher rate of LN metastases, comparing with those with squamous cell carcinoma (42.9% vs 15.8%, P = 0.004). Young patients with adenocarcinoma had shorter progression-free survival than those who had squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.024). Patients aged 35 years or younger with positive postoperative pathological risk factors had shorter progression-free survival, comparing with those with negative factors (P<0.01). Conclusion: Patients over 35 years were preliminarily diagnosed as advanced FIGO stage and they were more likely to have deep stromal invasion, LVSI, LN metastases, parametrial and surgical margin involvement. Regarding to young patients, cervical adenocarcinoma increased the risk of LN metastases and positive postoperative pathological risk factors could apparently worsen the prognosis. Histological type and LN metastases were independent prognostic factors for young patients in southwestern China. We re-emphasize the importance of health education and regular smear screening for elder women, and more attention should be paid to young patients with adenocarcinoma or LN metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel energy cooperation framework for energy storage and prosumers is proposed. • A bi-level energy trading model considering the network constraints is presented. • A profit-sharing mechanism is designed with the asymmetric Nash bargaining model. • The adaptive alternating direction method of multipliers is applied efficiently. Energy trading between community energy storage systems (CESSs) and prosumers has received much attention recently. But few studies have considered the impact of network constraints on energy trading and how to share profits equitably. To address these issues, this paper proposes an efficient energy cooperation framework for CESSs and prosumers. Firstly, an energy cooperation platform is introduced as a manager to interact with all players and the distribution system operator (DSO), improving the interaction efficiency and having better scalability. Secondly, we present a bi-level energy trading model: at the lower level, each prosumer and CESS interact with the platform to determine their shared power profiles; at the upper level, the platform and DSO calibrate the shared scheme from the lower level with network constraints and generate trading adjustments to guide the lower level energy trading. Furthermore, a profit-sharing mechanism based on the asymmetric Nash bargaining model is designed, where the contribution rates are determined by the shared energy of players. More importantly, to avoid players' cheating behavior, the player's revenue before allocation is calculated by the platform. Additionally, the adaptive alternating directional multiplier method (ADMM) is employed for solving energy trading problems, where the penalty parameters can be adaptively adjusted to accelerate the convergence rate. Finally, the case studies verify the feasibility and fairness of the energy cooperation framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An inventory of mercury emissions originating from waste incineration in China, including municipal solid waste, rural household waste and agricultural waste, was calculated for the period of 2004–2010. During this period, mercury emissions from waste incineration increased at an average annual rate of 3.9%, and reached 16.6 t y−1 by the end of 2010. From 2004 to 2010, the mercury emissions from rural household waste incineration accounted for 46.6% of the total waste emissions, followed by agricultural waste (30.7%) and municipal solid waste (22.7%). However, the growth rate of mercury emissions was largest for municipal solid waste incineration, with an annual rate of 37.3%, while the emissions from rural household waste showed a negative growth rate (−5.8%). The mercury emissions from waste combustion is projected to be 18.6 t y−1 by 2015, with the contribution of municipal solid waste, rural household waste and agricultural waste being 46.4%, 27.1% and 26.5%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Citrate is the anticoagulation of choice in apheresis procedures. Citrate anticoagulation results in a short-term increase in serological markers of bone turnover, with uncertain clinical significance. Aim: To understand the effect of calcium supplementation on serological bone turnover markers during an acute citrate load as a mimic of citrate anticoagulation during apheresis procedures. Methods: A placebo-controlled, crossover study was conducted in 22 healthy volunteers. Volunteers received a standardized citrate load at a fixed dose of 1.5mg/kg of body weight/min for 80min for three times and a single placebo infusion as a control. Each intervention was separated by a wash-out interval of 2 to 3weeks. During two citrate infusions, volunteers received an additional calcium supplementation, consisting of either oral administration of calcium carbonate or an i.v. bypass infusion of calcium gluconate. Serial blood samples were collected for the determination of ionized calcium (iCa), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and markers of bone remodeling, C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) and osteocalcin (OC). Results: The infusion of citrate without calcium supplementation resulted in an increase in the bone formation marker OC and the bone resorption marker CTX, in addition to the changes in iPTH and iCa. The administration of calcium by either oral administration or as an i.v. bypass infusion attenuated the observed changes in CTX, but showed no effects on the elevation of the bone formation marker OC. There was no difference in the attenuation of CTX between the two calcium formulations. However, the i.v. application of calcium gluconate had a superior effect in reducing the change of serum iPTH and iCa as compared to the oral administration of calcium carbonate. Conclusions: Calcium supplementation is an effective method in damping the citrate-related transient increase of the serological bone resorption marker CTX. As a mimic for the citrate-based apheresis procedure, our data may enforce the prophylactic application of calcium supplementation to attenuate the short-term elevation of bone resorption related to an acute citrate load. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Given the importance of catalysts in the chemical industry, they have been extensively investigated by experimental and numerical methods. With the development of computational algorithms and computer hardware, large-scale simulations have enabled influential studies with more atomic details reflecting microscopic mechanisms. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent developments in molecular dynamics, including ab initio molecular dynamics and reaction force-field molecular dynamics. Recent research on both approaches to catalyst calculations is reviewed, including growth, dehydrogenation, hydrogenation, oxidation reactions, bias, and recombination of carbon materials that can guide catalyst calculations. Machine learning has attracted increasing interest in recent years, and its combination with the field of catalysts has inspired promising development approaches. Its applications in machine learning potential, catalyst design, performance prediction, structure optimization, and classification have been summarized in detail. This review hopes to shed light and perspective on ML approaches in catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia is a complex microenvironmental condition known to regulate choline kinase α (CHKA) activity and choline transport through transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and, therefore, may confound the uptake of choline radiotracer [18F]fluoromethyl-[1,2-2H4]-choline ([18F]-D4-FCH). The aim of this study was to investigate how hypoxia affects the choline radiotracer dynamics. Three underlying mechanisms by which hypoxia could potentially alter the uptake of the choline radiotracer, [18F]-D4-FCH, were investigated: 18F-D4-FCH import, CHKA phosphorylation activity, and the efflux of [18F]-D4-FCH and its phosphorylated product [18F]-D4-FCHP. The effects of hypoxia on [18F]-D4-FCH uptake were studied in CHKA-overexpressing cell lines of prostate cancer, PC-3, and breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. The mechanisms of radiotracer efflux were assessed by the cell uptake and immunofluorescence in vitro and examined in vivo (n = 24). The mathematical modelling methodology was further developed to verify the efflux hypothesis using [18F]-D4-FCH dynamic PET scans from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (n = 17). We report a novel finding involving the export of phosphorylated [18F]-D4-FCH and [18F]-D4-FCHP via HIF-1α-responsive efflux transporters, including ABCB4, when the HIF-1α level is augmented. This is supported by a graphical analysis of human data with a compartmental model (M2T6k + k5) that accounts for the efflux. Hypoxia/HIF-1α increases the efflux of phosphorylated radiolabelled choline species, thus supporting the consideration of efflux in the modelling of radiotracer dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to discuss the clinicopathological characteristics of endometrial carcinoma in young females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to review the current literature. A total of 9 patients with histopathologically confirmed endometrial cancer in young females with PCOS at the West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University between December 2007 and September 2013 were included. The clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were analyzed. The age range of the patients was 24-38 years (median age, 29), all of the cases had abnormal vaginal bleeding and endometrioid adenocarcinoma was the most common histopathological subtype observed (8 cases, 88.9%). Of the patients, 2 had well-differentiated cases and 7 patients had moderately differentiated cases. None of the patients received regular PCOS treatments and did not turn up for regular check-ups before they were diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma. Additionally, 7 patients received staging laparotomy with a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 1 patient underwent an endometrial resection under hysteroscopy and the final patient received a high-dose of medroxyprogesterone treatment without surgery. In conclusion, doctors should take into consideration that young women with PCOS may also exhibit an endometrial carcinoma, and diagnosing and treating the endometrial carcinoma as early as possible in the young patients with PCOS is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The life-cycle reliability of high-power DC electromagnetic devices due to multi-source heterogeneous uncertainties in the design, manufacturing, loads, degradation and cumulative damages has become increasingly prominent, life-cycle reliability optimization has attracted extensive attention. The design optimization strategy based on reliability, which combines the static/time-independent hypothesis and random theory, is inapplicable to life-cycle design optimization. Therefore, a time-dependent uncertainty analysis and life-cycle quality reliability optimization method are proposed in this study. Based on the information entropy transformation method, the fuzzy uncertainty is transformed into a probability density function of equivalent random variables, and intervals for the random variables are determined in the standard normal space. In this way, the heterogeneous uncertainty is unified as an interval type. Moreover, the time-dependent characteristics of the uncertainty parameters are transformed into a time-dependent of the characteristics through ellipsoidal model process. A life-cycle expression method based on an orthonormal basis is proposed to form a life-cycle time-dependent non-probabilistic convex model process. Therefore, the analytical expression of out-crossing rate in which there are many non-probabilistic convex model process parameters are derived and the corresponding upper and lower bounds of out-crossing rate can be obtained. Then, a life-cycle reliability design optimization model is constructed and the optimal solution is determined from intelligence algorithm. The effectiveness of proposed method was verified by a high-power DC electromagnetic relay in renewable energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bone tissue engineering, an ideal scaffold is required to have favorable physical, chemical (or physicochemical), and biological (or biochemical) properties to promote osteogenesis. Although silk fibroin (SF) and/or soy protein isolate (SPI) scaffolds have been widely used as an alternative to autologous and heterologous bone grafts, the poor mechanical property and insufficient osteoinductive capability has become an obstacle for their in vivo applications. Herein, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles are incorporated into SF/SPI scaffolds simultaneously or individually. Physical and chemical properties of these composite scaffolds are evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Biocompatibility and osteogenesis of the composite scaffolds are evaluated using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). All the composite scaffolds have a complex porous structure with proper pore sizes and porosities. Physicochemical properties of the scaffolds can be significantly increased through the incorporation of β-TCP and GO nanoparticles. Alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and osteogenesis-related gene expression of the BMSCs are significantly enhanced in the presence of β-TCP and GO nanoparticles. Especially, β-TCP and GO nanoparticles have a synergistic effect on promoting osteogenesis. These results suggest that the β-TCP and GO enhanced SF/SPI scaffolds are promising candidates for bone tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microelectrode array (MEA) has recently attracted significant research interest in biomedical applications due to its high sensitivity, mass production and fast response. However, the previous MEA with precious metal-based nanomaterials for electro-catalysis may induce toxicity to cells. In this work, we present a metal-free graphene/graphene oxide (rGO/GO) hybrid MEA for precise and in-situ H 2 O 2 secretion detection. The configuration and size of rGO/GO hybrid MEA can be well designed and controlled by combining the convenient lithography and electrochemistry method, where the GO region with abundant oxygen functionalized groups has good biocompatibility, so as to play as the adhesion and growth agent of pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells). Whereas, the rGO region with higher electro-catalytic activity can favor high sensitive in-situ H 2 O 2 secretion detection that is released from the stimulated PC 12 cells at GO region, but with the cell filopodia extended to the rGO region. Besides, the rGO/GO hybrid MEA presented herein is compatible with the micro-fabrication technique and can be integrated into the lab-on-chip devices, which may shed useful insights for the design and fabrication of high performance biosensors. Image 1 • Metal-free rGO/GO hybrid microelectrode array. • Precise and in-situ H 2 O 2 secretion detection released by stimulated cells. • Configuration and size of rGO/GO hybrid MEA are controlled. • Cell filopodia extended to rGO region with high electro-catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chlorophyll a predicted by statistical machine learning successfully displayed seasonal variations. • Estimated nutrient thresholds were quite variable and higher in summer than in winter. • Reducing TP concentration in these lakes in summer is important to control algal growth. • Seasonal variation in nutrient concentration should be considered when establishing criteria. Eutrophication and subsequent harmful cyanobacteria blooms are global water quality problems, and identifying the key drivers of water eutrophication and estimating nutrient thresholds for it in waterbodies have long been challenges for water quality managers. Data-intensive machine learning models have been shown to be better able to reveal the nonlinear relationships between variables in the study of complex biotic community dynamics than traditional mechanistic models. In this study, we applied random forest models to long-term datasets from nutrient monitoring and meteorological observations to characterize the relationships between algal growth and different environmental drivers in three eutrophic lakes in China. We further attempted to estimate the season-specific nutrient thresholds in these lakes, and assess the potential decreases in chlorophyll a concentrations that could be achieved through nutrient management. In general, chlorophyll a concentrations predicted by the random forest models were consistent with the values observed in the lakes, and successfully displayed the same seasonal variations. The estimated total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) nutrient thresholds were quite variable among months, and were higher in summer than in winter. To maintain chlorophyll a concentrations below 20 μg/L, the estimated TN thresholds in Lakes Taihu, Dianchi, and Chaohu in August were 2145 ± 683, 2372 ± 918 and 1527 ± 71 μg/L (mean ± standard deviation), respectively, and the corresponding TP thresholds were 82 ± 24, 149 ± 22, and 120 ± 22 μg/L. The modelling results indicated that it was more important to control the TP concentrations in these lakes than the TN concentrations to control algal growth in summer. In summary, the strong seasonal variation in the estimated nutrient thresholds suggests that a 'one-size-fits-all' nutrient control target could overprotect these water bodies. Seasonal variation in nutrient concentrations and environmental drivers should thus be considered when establishing nutrient criteria and setting nutrient control targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]