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Background: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) cancer susceptibility candidate 9 (CASC9) is reported to be linked to cancers. This research aims to explore the role and possible mechanism of CASC9 in lung injury induced by sepsis. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced human small airway epithelial cells (HSAECs) were established in vitro to mimic sepsis-induced lung injury. The effects of CASC9 and miR-195-5p on HSAECs viability were studied by CCK-8 assay. Interactions between CASC9 and miR-195-5p were determined by bioinformatics analysis, RT-PCR, dual luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) and apoptosis-related molecules including Bcl2 and Bad were detected by western blot. Additionally, sepsis-induced lung injury model in rats was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS in vivo to validate the demonstrations of in vitro studies. Results: CASC9 was markedly down-regulated while miR-195-5p was significantly up-regulated in HSAECs treated by LPS and lung tissues of rats with sepsis. CASC9 interacted with miR-195-5p, and negatively regulated its expression level. Overexpression of CASC9 or transfection of miR-195-5p inhibitors significantly promoted the viability of HSAECs. The transfection of miR-195-5p mimics effected oppositely. For mechanism, miR-195-5p targeted the 3′UTR of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) gene and depressed the protein level, and PDK4 was regulated indirectly by CASC9. Restoration of CASC9 in the lung tissues of rats with sepsis ameliorated lung injury. Conclusion: CASC9 protects lung epithelial cells from sepsis-induced injury via regulating miR-195-5p/PDK4 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A discrete-time MOMILP model for pump scheduling of products pipelines is built. • Various factors about pump operation are considered comprehensively in the model. • A two-stage strategy is adopted to deal with the proposed model. • Two cases from a products pipeline system in China illuminate model's practicability. As one of the major means to link refineries to local markets, pipelines are crucial for refined oil supply chains. Pump scheduling is vital to optimally operate the refined products pipelines. Existing studies mostly quantified the number of pump stop/restart in the form of cost, whereas the cost coefficient was often subjectively selected. The present study built a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MOMILP) model for refined products pipelines to minimize the number of pump stop/restart and reduce the pump running cost simultaneously. In this study, the minimum continuous running time of pumps, changing electricity price (i.e., time-changing electricity price and local electricity) and the pressure limits of special points were considered meticulously, e.g. high-elevation points, low-elevation points and pump stations. In the first stage, the improved augmented ε-constraint method (AUGMECON) was adopted to deal with this model, and obtained a seris of pump operating schemes, acting as a Pareto set. Then the results of the AUGMECON were evaluated by an established evaluation model based on neural network. Finally, two cases from a refined products pipeline system in China were employed to verify the practicability and accuracy of the proposed model. The results of this study can effectively guide the pump scheduling of refined products pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of annexin A5 (ANXA5) was shown to affect the pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). In this study, the effects of two haplotypes, M1 and M2, on the transcription efficiency of ANXA5 promoter were explored. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between the single‐nucleotide polymorphism haplotypes in ANXA5 promoter and the risk of RPL. And a luciferase reporter assay was carried out to study the effects of haplotypes M1 and M2 on the transcription efficiency of the ANXA5 promoter. To study the association between ANXA5 haplotypes and the risk of RPL, real‐time polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry assays were conducted to observe the expressions of ANXA5 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein. Compared to M1 haplotype carriers, M2 haplotype carriers were associated with a higher risk of RPL. Additionally, compared to GATGTC haplotype carriers, GATGGC haplotype carriers were associated with a higher risk of RPL. Compared with RPL cases, the incidences of M2 haplotype were lower in both the population control and parous control cases. Furthermore, M2 carriers showed more significantly decreased activity of ANXA5 promoter compared to the carriers of other haplotypes, indicating that the haplotypes of ANXA5 promoter may be used as a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis of RPL. Moreover, the activity of ANXA5 as well as the mRNA/protein expression of ANXA5 was significantly downregulated in RPL patients, indicating that the M2 haplotype significantly increased the risk of RPL. Therefore, haplotype M2 increased the risk of RPL by inhibiting the expression of ANXA5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the size (weight and volume) of cruise ships are experiencing spectacular increase, coherently with the increase in energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, the regulations about pollutant emissions imposed by the International Maritime Organization are becoming more and more strict. In order to face up to this issue, the energy system of cruise ships is constantly being modified. In this paper, the structure of the cruise ship's energy system with multiple facilities such as an internal combustion engine, gas turbine, dual fuel engine, PV panels, and the wind turbine is pre-established. Then, a multi-objective mathematical programming model is formulated to determine the selection and capacity of facilities with minimal total annual cost and size, while the emissions, energy balance and technical constraints are taken into account. By adopting the augmented ε-constraint method, the design and operation strategies could be obtained. As an illustrated example, the model is applied to a real cruise ship, and the Pareto frontier could provide ship designers with well-balanced solutions based on economic and size priorities, and with the increase in the proportion of size objective, the total annual cost increases and size decreases gradually. Compared with the reference energy system, the optimal energy system could reduce the total annual cost by 12.6% if only the economic objective is considered and reduce the size by 21.1% if only the size objective is considered. In multi-objective condition, the CO, NOx, and SOx emissions could be reduced by 29.1%–61.3%, 42.8%–61.3%, and 42.8%–61.3% per year, respectively. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is conducted, and the result shows that the size and consumption cost of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are more sensitive to the change of the proportion of size objective compared to Heavy fuel oil (HFO) and Marine diesel oil (MDO). • A multi-objective model for the design optimization of cruise ship energy system is developed. • An augmented ε-constraint method is introduced to solve the optimization problem. • The proposed model could obtain the optimal strategies of the cruise ship energy system with minimal total annual cost and size. • The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified through a real cruise ship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to standardize the blood return operation procedure in treatment using DPMAS, we introduce a new DPMAS pipeline installation method utilizing an integrated blood return strategy, which has been successfully deployed in clinical practice. Many commonly used blood purification devices (e.g., Fresenius Multifiltrate and Baxter Prismaflex) do not currently have built-in DPMAS treatment modes and require pipeline modification. The details are as follows: IMPROVED DPMAS PIPELINE INSTALLATION METHOD Original pipeline installation method: the patient's blood passes through a plasma separator to isolate the plasma, and the blood cell components enter the blood return pipeline. [Extracted from the article]

The bathymetry of nearshore coastal environments and lakes is constantly reworking because of the change in the patterns of energy dispersal and related sediment transport pathways. Therefore, updated and accurate bathymetric models are a crucial component in providing necessary information for scientific, managerial, and geographical studies. Recent advances in satellite technology revolutionized the acquisition of bathymetric profiles, offering new vistas in mapping. This contribution analyzed the suitability of Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images for bathymetric mapping of coastal and lake environments. The bathymetric algorithm was developed using an empirical approach and a random forest (RF) model based on the available high-resolution LiDAR bathymetric data for Mobile Bay, Tampa Bay, and Lake Huron regions obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Our results demonstrate that the satellite-derived bathymetry is efficient for retrieving depths up to 10 m for coastal regions and up to 30 m for the lake environment. While using the empirical approach, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) varied between 1.99 m and 4.74 m for the three regions. The RF model, on the other hand, provided an improved bathymetric model with RMSE between 1.13 m and 1.95 m. The comparative assessment suggests that Sentinel-2 has a slight edge over Landsat-8 images while employing the empirical approach. On the other hand, the RF model shows that Landsat-8 retrieves a better bathymetric model than Sentinel-2. Our work demonstrated that the freely available Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 imageries proved to be reliable data for acquiring updated bathymetric information for large areas in a short period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower cell survival and retention in the hostile microenvironment after transplantation has been implicated as a major bottleneck in the advancement of stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction (MI). In this study, we designed a novel self-assembling peptide (SAP) by attaching prosurvival peptide QHREDGS derived from angiopoeitin-1 to the known SAP, RADA16-I. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were harvested from male rats and cytoprotective effect of this designer SAP (DSAP) on cultured MSCs was detected by Hoechst 33342 staining after being exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). The cytoprotective effect of MSCs seeded in DSAP (DSAP-MSCs) on OGD treated cardiomyocytes was examined by TUNEL staining, phosphorylated (p-) protein kinase B (Akt) level, and ELISA. The therapeutic potential of MSC transplantation carried in DSAP was evaluated in a female rat MI model. PBS, MSCs alone, MSCs seeded in SAP (SAP-MSCs), or DSAP-MSCs were transplanted into the border of the infarcted area, respectively. DSAP not only increased the proliferation of MSCs and decreased apoptosis of MSCs after OGD treatment but also promoted the secretion of IGF-1 and HGF in MSCs. Treatment with culture supernatant of DSAP-MSCs markedly reduced the percentage of apoptotic cardiomyocytes and increased the level of p-Akt. Compared with the MSC group and SAP-MSC group, DSAP-MSC injection improved cardiac function and reduced infarct size, collagen content, and cell apoptosis. The number of Y chromosome-positive cells and microvessels in the DSAP-MSC group was higher than those in the MSC group and SAP-MSC group. Moreover, DSAP-MSC transplantation down-regulated the expression of IL-6 and IL-1ß and up-regulated the level of VEGF and HGF. Interestingly, miR-21 was enriched in DSAP-MSC-derived exosomes (DSAP-MSC-Exos) and the protection against cardiomyocyte apoptosis by DSAP-MSC-Exos was inhibited when miR-21 was knocked down. Furthermore, miR-21 contributed to the improvement of cardiac function after DSAP-MSC-Exo injection in a rat model of MI. Additionally, the combination of DSAP and cardiotrophin-1 (Ctf1) pretreatment further improved the survival of MSCs and the efficiency of MSC transplantation. We proposed QHREDGS-modified SAP as an effective cell delivery system and demonstrated that MSC transplantation in this DSAP promoted angiogenesis and paracrine, thereby reducing scar size and cell apoptosis as well as improving cardiac function probably via exosome-mediated miR-21 after MI. Furthermore, for the first time, we proposed that DSAP, especially working together with Ctf1 pretreatment, could be a valuable way to improve the survival of MSCs and the efficiency of MSC transplantation after MI.--Cai, H., Wu, F.-Y., Wang, Q.-L., Xu, P., Mou, F.-F., Shao, S.-J., Luo, Z.-R., Zhu, J., Xuan, S.-S., Lu, R., Guo, H.-D. Self-assembling peptide modified with QHREDGS as a novel delivery system for mesenchymal stem cell transplantation after myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NASICON-structured Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (LAGP) has been a promising solid-state glass-ceramic electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. However, the non-ideal ionic conductivity, non-uniformity of chemical composition, distortion and micro-cracks, etc., have limited its practical application. Considering these issues, in this work, we first of all introduce partial substitution of Al3+ by Ga3+. To avoid segregation of secondary phase, microwave sintering technology to prepare LAGP was used. With the help of microwave irradiation, sintering could be finished in just 30 min, and the size of crystals was homogeneous across the cross-section. No distortion and micro-cracks could be identified. Characterisations such as DTA, XRD, SEM and EIS were used to evaluate the material and electrochemical properties of the Li1.5Al0.5-xGaxGe1.5(PO4)3 (x = 0.1 ~ 0.5) samples. A high bulk conductivity of 6.67 × 10−4 S/cm at room temperature has been achieved when x = 0.1 and the activation energy was about 0.66 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the rise of cruise services, energy consumption and emission of the maritime area are increasing. Due to the negative effect of greenhouse gases, many policies have been issued in the world to save energy and reduce emission. Adhering to the principle of energy conservation and emission reduction, an artificial neural network model with strong nonlinear fitting ability is introduced to explore the dynamic sailing data, and predict the fuel consumption for cruise ships based on automatic identification system data. Considering the constraints of station arrival time and the uncertainty of sailing speed and load during sailing, which can obtain the change rule from the historical voyage data, the objective function is to minimize the fuel consumption of a voyage. The established artificial neural network model is embedded into these four improved particle swarm optimization algorithms (GPSO, LPSO, MCPSO and SIPSO) with global search capability to optimize the sailing speed between stations, achieving the economic and environmental protection of a voyage. This method is applied to a real case study of Norwegian waters. By comparing the optimization results of these four algorithms, the total fuel consumption is potential to reduce from 97.4 t to 86.6 t of a voyage with the help of multi-swarm cooperative particle swarm optimization algorithm when its inertia weight is 0.7. It demonstrates that the method can be used as a tool to plan the sailing speed of cruise ships in advance. Highlights • An ANN model for predicting fuel consumption is established. • The uncertainty of load and speed is considered in the model. • The constraints of station arrival time are taken into consideration. • Four improved PSO algorithms are used for testing and comparison. • A real case of Norwegian waters is studied to show the effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, the effects of pressure on the optical sensor in an on-line particle measurement system were investigated in detail based on the quantum theory and kinetic theory of gas. The results show that pressure alters the divergent light angle by altering the density and refractive index of the gas, so that the focused beam position is offset from the center of the aerosol tube; this causes the intensity per cross-section area of the optical measurement volume (OMV) to change, creating a significant deviation in the measurement result relative to the actual sample. Theoretical and experimental dynamic models were established based on the geometric optics theory and the geometric mathematical relation to analyze these variations. The results show that OMV size increases as pressure and divergent light angle increase. During an actual particle measurement process, the dynamic models proposed here can be used to effectively adjust and reconstruct the optical sensor, which can substantially improve the precision and accuracy of the measurement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence indicates that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) is associated with tumourigenesis in various types of cancer. However, its specific effects on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) are still poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate PVT1 expression in CRC and explore its role in CRC pathogenesis. The reverse transcriptase‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) technique was used to assess PVT1 expression in CRC cell lines. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database analysis and measurement of clinical samples was used to analyse the correlation between PVT1 expression, CRC metastasis and overall survival (OS). In addition, knockdown of PVT1 expression was performed using short interfering RNA (siRNA) and RT‑qPCR, western blotting, CCK‑8 assays, tumour cell clone‑formation and Matrigel invasion assays were used to observe its biological functions in HCT116 cells. The present study demonstrated that the expression of PVT1 in CRC cell lines was higher than that in normal colon mucosal cell lines. Using GEO database analysis and the measurement of clinical samples, it was revealed that CRC patients with high PVT1 expression demonstrated poor OS. Multivariate analysis indicated that high PVT1 expression is an independent risk factor for patients with CRC. In addition, PVT1 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of CRC cells in vitro, which were associated with decreasing vimentin, cyclin D1 and cyclin‑dependent kinase 4 expression and enhanced E‑cadherin expression. The results of the present study suggest that PVT1 may serve a critical role in CRC progression and metastasis and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To decrease the drying time and energy consuming, water migration and water–protein interactions of lamb meat being air-dried at 35°C were investigated. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonanceT2bindicated the water–protein interactions changed during air-drying. Area ofT21(intramyofibrillar water) decreased, meanwhile the area ofT22(extra-myofibrillar water) increased when the moisture content decreased from 55 to 45%, indicating the water migrated from myofibril to extramyofibril. Drying rate (the rate of water migration from meat to air) could be predicted by the area ofT2populations, and the correlation coefficient was 0.990. Change of water binding and hydration in myofibrils was evident by the increase in hydrophobicity and decrease in solubility of myofibrillar protein. Differential scanning calorimetry showed denaturation of myosin in dried meat which might result in water migration from myofibril to extramyofibril space. In conclusion, water–protein interactions changed, and then influenced the drying rate during drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds, which are commonly detectable in cooked meat products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sheep breeds on the formation of HAAs in smoking cooked lamb. The results showed that HAAs in smoked lamb meat products were generally low (2.74-5.42 ng g−1), with most being Harman and Norharman. IQ, MeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, Trp-p-2, PhIP and MeAaC were not detected in smoked lamb meat products in the present study. The total content of HAAs differed between meat products of different sheep breeds, but no difference in the order of magnitude was determined. Smoking altered the content of protein, fat, moisture and free amino acids in lamb meat products, which was probably mostly contributed by the reduction in meat moisture. Free tryptophan decreased in all breeds after smoking, which was probably used to synthesise HAAs. In summary, HAAs were low in smoked lamb meat products of all sheep breeds; thus, consumption of smoked lamb meat products should contribute very limited intake of HAAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the essential role of public railway transport in urban planning and development, it is crucial to understand railway travel behavior. With data and survey cost limitations, the railway travel behavior considered in previous studies suffers from a lack of comprehensiveness. Based on millions of GPS records, we analyzed railway usage behavior and then classified 36 stations on the JR Yamanote and JR Chuo lines in Tokyo based on railway usage behavior. To explore the built environment characteristics of each classification and the relationship between railway usage behavior and the built environment, we generated a series of built environment indicators based on the functional attributes around stations. The results show that railway usage behavior in non-secondary catchment areas correlates strongly with the commercial and functional attributes of stations. For non-core catchment areas around stations, consumption level, housing price, and passenger load are the main influencing indicators. Beyond these analysis results, we also present a policy discussion on railway station construction. We found that GPS records constitute valuable information for assessing station usage and neighborhood construction. These fundings can assist urban planners in performing better land use planning and development assessments for future cities. • Three railway usage behavior patterns are mined based on GPS records. • This study reveals the difference in the usage behavior patterns and uneven development of each station type. • Employ canonical correlation analysis to explore the relationship between railway usage behavior and built environment. • Commercial and transportation attributes mainly influence railway usage behavior in non-secondary areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a novel approach to fabricate dense zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics with excellent properties via an additive manufacturing process based on stereolithography. The XRD patterns show the ZTA sample consists of α-Al 2 O 3 and t-ZrO 2 with the dominance of α-Al 2 O 3 . The zirconia grain with the average size of 0.35 µm is small enough to trigger the toughening behavior of zirconia in the ZTA. The prepared ceramics showed a density, Vickers hardness, bending strength, and fracture toughness of 4.26 g/cm 3 , 17.76 GPa, 530.25 MPa, and 5.72 MPa m 1/2 , respectively. These properties are comparable to those for ceramics obtained through conventional ceramic processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Al 2 O 3 ceramics were printed by stereolithography from particles with different particle size distributions, which are the micro-sized Al 2 O 3 , nano-sized Al 2 O 3 , and a mixture of both. The influence of the particle size and the debinding method on the density and morphology of the sintered bodies were investigated. The density of the samples containing both micro-sized and nano-sized alumina particles is highest among the three samples. Furthermore, the samples subjected to the vacuum debinding showed a higher density compared with the samples subjected to the traditional thermal debinding. The results suggest that the combination of a powder with a bimodal particle size distribution and the vacuum debinding process offers an effective way to print 3D ceramics with a good performance through stereolithography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a novel approach, integrating stereolithography and liquid precursor infiltration techniques, to fabricate fine-grained alumina ceramics. The XRD patterns of the sample immersed with Zr 4+ or Zr 4+ (Y 3+ ) show that the sintered body contains Al 2 O 3 and t-ZrO 2 as the major phase and minor phase, respectively. Moreover, the t-ZrO 2 phase in the sample immersed with Zr 4+ (Y 3+ ) shows intense peaks compared to the composite immersed with Zr 4+ . On the other hand, the sample immersed with Mg 2+ contained Al 2 O 3 and MgAl 2 O 4 as the major phase and minor phase, respectively. The microstructure of the sample immersed with Zr 4+ shows that ZrO 2 particles are homogeneously distributed in the Al 2 O 3 matrix, thus inhibiting the grain growth of alumina particles. Moreover, the sample immersed with Mg 2+ shows a more dense and fine-grained structure. Compared to the non-infiltrated sample, the average grain size of the alumina sample immersed with Zr 4+ or Mg 2+ decreased. The sample infiltrated with Zr 4+ (Y 3+ ) had the smallest alumina average grain size of 1.14 µm. The ceramics prepared by infiltration showed a higher hardness (19.54 GPa), but a slightly lower fracture toughness (4.02 MPa m 1/2 ) compared to the samples (17.2 GPa, 4.13 MPa m 1/2 ) without infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dense defect-free alumina cutting tool was fabricated via stereolithography process. Different drying processes and debinding profiles were then tested and compared to find the optimal way for the preparation of the sintered body. The experimental results showed that using PEG400 as a liquid desiccant results in a lower deformation of the body compared to the natural drying process. Compared with vacuum debinding or air debinding, a two-step debinding process, which consisted of both a vacuum pyrolysis step and the following air debinding, is allowed to control the pyrolysis rate while suppressing the formation of defects in the alumina body. After optimization of the postprocessing, the relative density of the sample as high as 99.3%, and the Vickers hardness ∼17.5 GPa. These properties are similar to the properties of alumina bodies prepared via the conventional shaping method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The thermolysis/burning behavior of wood under different oxygen concentrations is studied. • The oxygen concentrations affect the wood thermolysis and then influence the release of combustible fuels. • A controlled atmosphere smoke chamber (CASC) is constructed to analyze the heat and smoke release. • The higher the oxygen concentration, the more fully the wood burns and the higher the heat release. • The effect of variable oxygen concentration during wood-burning processes is revealed. Revealing the effect of variable oxygen concentrations during wood-burning processes, have great importance for understanding the wood-burning behavior and drawing attention to the properties of burning lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, we focus on the thermal decomposition and burning behavior of wood in a variable oxygen atmosphere. The thermal-decomposition products and the kinetic analysis are verified combining the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), TGA-FTIR, and TGA-MS. Although the main thermolysis products are similar at different oxygen atmospheres, the thermal-decomposition follow different reaction mechanisms, obtained by the calculated kinetic parameters. The combustibility is explored by the micro-scale combustion calorimeter that analyzes the heat release capacity, peak heat release rate, and total heat release. The oxygen concentrations affect the thermal-decomposition of woods and then influence the release of combustible fuels. Further, we construct a controlled atmosphere smoke chamber (CASC) to analyze the heat and smoke release during the burning of variable oxygen concentrations. The oxygen concentrations exhibit competition between inhibiting and promoting combustion, thus leading to the max smoke release at 19 vol% oxygen concentration. Overall, the combustion parameters at different oxygen concentrations obtained in our study reveal the role of oxygen concentration in the wood-burning processes and have positive implications for understanding the wood-burning behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to excessive ambient light at night (ALAN) has been proved to have a statistical association with human diseases. But current studies on ALAN exposure inequity have likely underestimated exposure levels due to the neglect of personal mobility. Based on mobile phone positioning big data and night-light satellite imagery, we conducted an empirical study on the inequity of ALAN exposure in Tokyo, Japan. We quantified the intensity of ALAN on the grid of mobile phone positioning data. Then we used the Gini coefficient and population-weighted mean exposure to evaluate the inequity of ALAN exposure among individuals and between different population groups. As a result, we found evidence of the inequity of ALAN exposure in Tokyo. For age inequity, younger people suffer higher exposure to light pollution at night, but children are an exception. For gender inequity, there is almost no inequity between men and women. For residence inequity, the average ALAN exposure of non-residents can reach up to about twice that of residents. At time and space nodes where there are more travel behaviors, such as central Tokyo during 18:00–24:00, we have detected higher exposure and stronger inequity, indicating that ignoring personal mobility will cause underestimation. • Based on night-light satellite imagery and dynamic population data • Assessed the exposure to ALAN and the inequity in it for individuals and demographic groups • Revealed the impact of travel behavior on ALAN exposure and its inequity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human long interspersed elements 1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the only autonomous non-LTR retroelement in humans and has been associated with genome instability, inherited genetic diseases, and the development of cancer. Certain human APOBEC3 family proteins are known to have LINE-1 restriction activity. The mechanisms by which APOBEC3 affects LINE-1 retrotransposition are not all well characterized; here, we confirm that both A3B and A3DE have a strong ability to inhibit LINE-1 retrotransposition. A3DE interacts with LINE-1 ORF1p to target LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particles in an RNA-dependent manner. Moreover, A3DE binds to LINE-1 RNA and ORF1 protein in cell culture system. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that A3DE co-localizes with ORF1p in cytoplasm. Furthermore, A3DE inhibits LINE-1 reverse transcriptase activity in LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particles in a cytidine deaminase-independent manner. In contrast, A3B has less inhibitory effects on LINE-1 reverse transcriptase activity despite its strong inhibition of LINE-1 retrotransposition. This study demonstrates that different A3 proteins have been evolved to inhibit LINE-1 activity through distinct mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research aimed to address the inconsistent findings regarding cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults by differentiating the effects of personal and cultural values. In Study 1, we used data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey to examine attitudes toward older adults across cultures, and how different personal values (i.e., communal vs. agentic) and cultural values (i.e., individualism) predicted these attitudes. The results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed that after controlling for potential covariates, personal communal values positively correlated with positive attitudes toward older adults; however, cultural individualistic values did not. To further examine the causal effects of personal values (vs. cultural values), we conducted an experimental study and confirmed that priming personal values rather than cultural values had significant effects on ageism attitudes. The present studies help to reconcile conflicting results on cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Drosophila , TAB2, an important intermediate in the IMD signaling pathway, plays critical roles in the innate immune response in response to bacterial and viral infection. However, the role of TAB-related proteins in the immune response of shrimp has not yet been established. Here, we reported the identification of a TAB2-like gene in Litopenaeus vannamei designated as LvTAB2. The full-length cDNA of LvTAB2 was 2160 bp with an open reading frame of 1827 bp, which encoded a putative protein of 608 amino acids including a ubiquitin binding domain (CUE) at the N-terminal and a Zinc Finger domain (ZnF) at the C-terminus. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that LvTAB2 was expressed in all tested tissues and the expression levels of LvTAB2 in gills and hemocytes were positively induced in response to LPS, Vibrio parahemolyticus and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) challenges. Dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that LvTAB2 was able to induce the expression of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes, including Drosophila Attacin A and shrimp Penaeidins. Interestingly, over-expression of LvTAB2 could up-regulate the promoter activities of L. vannamei Vago1, Vago3 and Vago4 genes in S2 cells. To our knowledge, it was the first report that TAB2 participated in innate immune signaling to regulate the expression of Vago genes in invertebrates. Moreover, RNAi-mediated knockdown of LvTAB2 enhanced sensitivity of L. vannamei to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection and caused elevated virus loads after WSSV infection. We suggested that the LvTAB2 may play important roles in the shrimp innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicates that activator protein-1 (AP-1) plays a major role in stimulating the transcription of immune effector molecules in cellular response to an incredible array of stimuli, including growth factors, cytokines, cellular stresses and bacterial and viral infection. Here, we reported the isolation and characterization of a cDNA from Litopenaeus vannamei encoding the full-length c-Fos protein (named as Lvc-Fos). The predicted amino acid sequences of Lvc-Fos contained a basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) domain, which was characteristic of members of the AP-1 family. Immunoprecipitation and native-PAGE assays determined that Lvc-Fos could interact with the Lvc-Jun, a homolog of c-Jun family in L. vannamei , in a heterodimer manner. Further investigation demonstrated that Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun were expressed in all tested tissues and located in the nucleus. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed both Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun in gills were up-regulated during Vibrio parahaemolyticus and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenges. In addition, reporter gene assays indicated Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun could activate the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of Drosophila and shrimp, as well as WSSV immediate early (IE) genes wsv069 and wsv249 , in a different manner. Knockdown of Lvc-Fos or Lvc-Jun by RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in higher mortalities of L. vannamei after infection with V. parahaemolyticus , suggesting that Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun might play protective roles in bacterial infection. However, silencing of Lvc-Fos or Lvc-Jun in shrimp caused lower mortalities and virus loads under WSSV infection, suggesting that Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun could be engaged for WSSV replication and pathogenesis. In conclusion, our results provided experimental evidence and novel insight into the roles of L. vannamei AP-1 in bacterial and viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper introduces a case study of locating the priority to constructing hydrogen facilities in Tokyo based on a multiple dataset fusion method. • The adopted method considers the effect of land use planning and policy regulation on the practice of facility construction. • The complex network theory and massive GPS trajectory records in the capital region of Japan is adopted for computation. • The rationality and feasibility of result is proved and it also provides detailed analysis and guideline for the future scenarios of hydrogen facility locations. Hydrogen socialization has become a promising target in future energy development. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is gradually becoming a considerable substitute for fossil fuel vehicles in many countries. As for the promotion of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, The construction of facilities like hydrogen refueling stations and depots should be strengthened. The research provides a case study of locating the priority of the construction of hydrogenation facilities, based on policy regulation, massive GPS trajectory records, geographical land use data, road network and, POI data. The PageRank value in the complex network theory is employed to estimate the priority of the Land use Unit and policies regulation is referred to to ensure the feasibility of construction. Among 24,595 Land Use Units in sum, 59.78% of them are allowed to build hydrogen facilities. The results show that the available location of hydrogen refueling stations with high priority (we pick the first 100 for analysis) and feasibility in policy are geographically clustered around the city centers and sub-centers. The place with the highest PageRank value of 0.0033 is Haneda airport, which is an important transportation hub. The PageRank values of most of the other first 100 ranked Land Use Units are under 0.001. This indicates that the vehicle transportation network is highly centralized. There is an obvious sequence of priority of hydrogen refueling stations. We furtherly provide sensitivity analysis and it shows that higher-ranked places are spatially clustered. The best hydrogen depot is located near Tokyo Bay with the advantage of low transportation cost of liquid hydrogen, convenient transportation conditions, strong safety assurance. After verification, the results showed consistency with the current hydrogenation facility construction process and demonstrated the potential for future hydrogenation facility construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the potentiality of certainty factor models (CF) for the best suitable causative factors extraction for landslide susceptibility mapping in the Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. To test the applicability of CF, a landslide inventory map provided by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) was split into two subsets: (i) 70% of the landslides in the inventory to be used for building the CF based model; (ii) 30% of the landslides to be used for the validation purpose. A spatial database with fifteen landslide causative factors was then constructed by processing ALOS satellite images, aerial photos, topographical and geological maps. CF model was then applied to select the best subset from the fifteen factors. Using all fifteen factors and the best subset factors, landslide susceptibility maps were produced using statistical index (SI) and logistic regression (LR) models. The susceptibility maps were validated and compared using landslide locations in the validation data. The prediction performance of two susceptibility maps was estimated using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC). The result shows that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the LR model (AUC = 0.817) is slightly higher than those obtained from the SI model (AUC = 0.801). Further, it is noted that the SI and LR models using the best subset outperform the models using the fifteen original factors. Therefore, we conclude that the optimized factor model using CF is more accurate in predicting landslide susceptibility and obtaining a more homogeneous classification map. Our findings acknowledge that in the mountainous regions suffering from data scarcity, it is possible to select key factors related to landslide occurrence based on the CF models in a GIS platform. Hence, the development of a scenario for future planning of risk mitigation is achieved in an efficient manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phagocytosis is an evolutionarily conserved process to ingest the invading microbes and apoptotic or necrotic corpses, playing vital roles in defensing invaders and maintenance of normal physiological conditions. In the present study, a new Nimrod family phagocytic receptor with three EGF-like domains was identified in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (designated Cg NimC). Cg NimC shared homology with other identified multiple EGF-like domain containing proteins. The mRNA transcripts of Cg NimC were mainly distributed in mantle and hemocytes. Its relative expression level in hemocytes was significantly ( P < 0.01) up-regulated after the injection of bacteria Vibrio anguillarum . Different to the NimC in Drosophila and Anopheles gambiae , the recombinant protein of Cg NimC (r Cg NimC) could bind directly to two gram-negative bacteria V . anguillarum and Vibrio splendidus , but not to gram-positive bacteria Staphylococci aureus , Micrococcus luteus or fungi Yarrowia lipolytica and Pichia pastoris . The affinity of r Cg NimC toward M . luteus and Y . lipolytica was enhanced when the microorganisms were pre-incubated with the cell free hemolymph. r Cg NimC exhibited higher affinity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and relatively lower affinity to peptidoglycan (PGN), while no affinity to glucan (GLU). After the Cg NimC receptor was blocked by anti-r Cg NimC antibody in vitro , the phagocytic rate of hemocytes toward two gram-negative bacteria V . anguillarum and V . splendidus was reduced significantly ( P < 0.05), but no significant change of phagocytic rate was observed toward M . luteus and Y . lipolytica . All these results implied that Cg NimC, with significant binding capability to LPS and gram-negative bacteria, was a novel phagocytic receptor involved in immune response of Pacific oyster. Further, it was speculated that receptors of Nimrod family might function as a phagocytic receptor to recognize PAMPs on the invaders and its recognition could be promoted by opsonization of molecules in hemolymph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lockdown measures have been a "panacea" for pandemic control but also a violent "poison" for economies. Lockdown policies strongly restrict human mobility but mobility reduce does harm to economics. Governments meet a thorny problem in balancing the pros and cons of lockdown policies, but lack comprehensive and quantified guides. Based on millions of financial transaction records, and billions of mobility data, we tracked spatio-temporal business networks and human daily mobility, then proposed a high-resolution two-sided framework to assess the epidemiological performance and economic damage of different lockdown policies. We found that the pandemic duration under the strictest lockdown is less about two months than that under the lightest lockdown, which makes the strictest lockdown characterize both epidemiologically and economically efficient. Moreover, based on the two-sided model, we explored the spatial lockdown strategy. We argue that cutting off intercity commuting is significant in both epidemiological and economical aspects, and finally helped governments figure out the Pareto optimal solution set of lockdown strategy. • Employed millions of financial transaction records and billions of human trajectory records. • Proposed a two-sided model, taking mobility as the bridge to connect epidemics and economics. • Assess the epidemiological performance and economic damage by different lockdown policies. • Found that the strictest lockdown characterize both epidemiologically and economically efficient. • Figured out a Pareto optimal solution set of lockdown strategy, taking Tokyo Metropolis as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mobility is attracting more attention in public health research; however, the existing paradigms typically lack a universal indicator to reveal the underlying mechanism for both urban and rural cases. Based on the large-scale datasets, including national survey, census, and billions of GPS trajectories, we found that the preference for choosing vehicles for travel can be a powerful and universal indicator for regional health levels. Firstly, we showed reliable evidence on the correlation among travel environment, travel behaviors, and health level. Then, we proposed a new travel inverse preference index that is a reliable measurement of unhealthy lifestyle levels and the age-corrected mortality rates within a particular region. The result further showed that multiple spatial environment factors, such as urbanization level, climates, and local walkability, are also strongly related to the indicator. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive spatial analysis to develop strategic policies that the government could adopt for potential social improvement. • Based on billions of GPS trajectories, we found vehicle travel preference is a universal indicator for regional health level. • The relationship between travel preference and unhealthy lifestyle level is the key to connect human mobility and health. • Travel inverse preference index is proven to be a better indicator to represent the social trend of travel mode preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cephalopods, embedded printing, smart skin, texture modulation, twisted spiral artificial muscles Cephalopod-Inspired Stretchable Self-Morphing Skin Via Embedded Printing and Twisted Spiral Artificial Muscles (Adv. Funct. Keywords: cephalopods; embedded printing; smart skin; texture modulation; twisted spiral artificial muscles EN cephalopods embedded printing smart skin texture modulation twisted spiral artificial muscles 1 1 1 11/12/21 20211110 NES 211110 B Smart Skin b Cephalopods are often known as masters of camouflage. [Extracted from the article]

Diphenyl difluoroketone (EF24), a molecule having structural similarity to curcumin, was recently reported to inhibit proliferation of various cancer cells significantly. Here we try to determine the effect and mechanism of EF24 on hepatocellular carcinoma. 2 mM EF24 was found to inhibit the proliferation of PLC/PRF/5, Hep3B, HepG2, SK-HEP-1 and Huh 7 cell lines. However, even 8 mM EF24 treatment did not affect the proliferation of normal liver LO2 cells. Accordingly, 20 mg/kg/d EF24 inhibited the growth of the tumor xenografts conspicuously while causing no apparent change in liver, spleen or body weight. In addition, significant apoptosis and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest were found using flow cytometry. Besides, caspases and PARP activation and features typical of apoptosis including fragmented nuclei with condensed chromatin were also observed. Furthermore, the mechanism was targeted at the reduction of nuclear factor kappa b (NFkB) pathway and the NF-kB-regulated gene products Bcl-2, COX-2, Cyclin B1. Our study has offered a strategy that EF24 being a therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutlin-3, a selective small-molecule inhibitor of the p53-MDM2 interaction, has been shown to have antitumor activities in various tumors with wild-type p53. However, its effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with different types of p53 remains unclear. This study is designed to determine nutlin-3′s antitumor efficacy and underlying mechanisms of action in human HCC cells. Cell viability assay, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, western blot, co- immunoprecipitation and siRNA experiments were analyzed in three human HCC cells. Anti-tumoral effects of nutlin-3 targeting the p53 and p73 pathways were evaluated in HCC cell lines. Nutlin-3 exerted the greatest anti-tumoral effect to three human HCC cells with wild-type p53, mutant p53 and p53-null. Nutlin-3 not only upregulated p53 in HepG2 cells, but also p73 in Huh7 and Hep3B cells, and disrupted p53-MDM2 and p73-MDM2 complexes in HCC cells. The compound inhibited cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 phase arrest, decreased the levels of CyclinD1, CyclinE, CDK2, CDK4, PCNA and E2F-1, and increased the levels of p21 and p27. It also induced apoptosis, increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, then activated caspase-9 and caspase-3. Nutlin-3 has significant anticancer effects against human HCC cells, regardless of p53 status, indicating that it is a promising therapy for human hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GHGs and GWP were quantified under different crop type and fertilization treatments. • C sequestration effect mainly depended on external inputs in arid cropland regions. • CO 2 equivalent from GHGs could be potentially offset by SOC increments. • Relatively low GHGs and net field-GWP existed in arid cropping systems. With the intensification of food production pressure, arid areas have increasingly become one of the key areas for cropland reclamation. However, due to the relatively low indigenous soil organic matter (SOM), it is worth pondering whether the introduction of integrated cropland management measures will affect the soil organic carbon (SOC), greenhouse gases (GHGs) and global warming potential (GWP) in the arid areas. Based on these, a long-term fertilization experiment was used for a three-year GHG study to gain insights into the GHGs and field-GWP accounting in the western arid region of China. Five treatments, including no fertilizer (CK), inorganic fertilizer (NPK), inorganic fertilizer and straw (NPKS) and two combinations of inorganic fertilizer and manure (NPKM and NPKM+) were selected. Moreover, three crops of cotton, wheat and maize were grown over the three-year period, respectively. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4) concentrations were measured using the static chamber method from April 2012 to July 2014. The results revealed that the SOC of all fertilizer treatments in topsoil (0−20 cm) increased from approximately 27 Mg C ha−1 in 1990 to 25.5–66 Mg C ha-1 in 2014; furthermore, the SOCSR (SOC sequestration rate) values were from -0.035 to 1.70 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the 25 year experiment. The N 2 O and CH 4 emissions across treatments, crops, and years ranged from 0.2 to 3.8 kg N 2 O-N ha−1 yr−1 and −2.3 to 13.0 kg CH 4 -C ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and the emission factor of CH 4 and N 2 O ranged from −0.1 % to 1.3 % and 0.5 % to 1.0 %, respectively, displaying relatively low GHGs emissions compared with other cropping systems in China. Based on the GHGs and SOCSR results, we found relatively low net field-GWP existed in arid and extremely arid cropping system, especially for the manure amendment treatments, implying the sustainability of certain existing managements in the arid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microporous electrospun membranes have certain advantages of higher porosities and electrolyte wettability owing to their high specific surface areas, but these materials suffer from insufficient mechanical strength and dimensional stability when they are employed in advanced lithium batteries. In order to improve the material characteristics and electrochemical performance of these materials, we report the fabrication of silsesquioxane modified electrospun hybrid poly(vinylidene fluoride- co -hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF(HFP)) membranes via the combination of concurrent electrospinning/electrospraying techniques and a UV-initiated grafting polymerization method. The fabricated electrospun hybrid membranes were systematically characterized via various techniques, including thermal characterization, morphology observation, dimensional and mechanical property tests, as well as electrochemical measurements. Silsesquioxanes were covalently integrated onto the surface of electrospun fibers to obtain rigid sheath-like hybrid shell architectures and enhanced cross-linked networks, thus imparting these electrospun hybrid membranes with superior mechanical properties, thermal and dimensional stabilities, as well as remarkable electrochemical performance. Through an in-depth investigation into the electrochemical performance differential of separator prepared by different molecular-topological silsesquioxanes, we discovered that octa-silsesquioxanes (SQ-T 8) decorated separators offered superior cycling performance while deca-silsesquioxanes (SQ-T 10) exhibited a higher capacity. Through these investigations, we hypothesized that SQ-T 8 and SQ-T 10 assembled into different configurations via intermolecular stacking arrangements as they were grafted onto electrospun fibers. On the basis of these promising results, these electrospun hybrid membranes could find practical applications in advanced lithium batteries. • We fabricated a novel silsesquioxane-grafted hybrid electrospun membranes that featured silsesquioxane-based sheath-like protective shells covalently bonded onto electrospun fibers. • Theses silsesquioxane-grafted hybrid membranes were successfully prepared via UV-initiated grafting cross-linking reaction that is combined with simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying methods. • Remarkably enhanced mechanical strength and dimensional stabilities of the membranes that is benefiting from the coated silsesquioxane-based protective shell and the formed cross-liked network. • Highly improved electrochemical performance, including higher conductivity, lower electrochemical impedance, superior electrochemical stability as well as improved charge-discharge properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of the ride-hailing service over the world, many scholars still argue whether ride-hailing is an effective travel mode for emission reduction. Since rider-hailing is a crowdsourcing system, the user scale can have a great impact on the emission performance of the system. A clearer pattern of the impact of user scale on emission performance of the ride-hailing system should be provided for better local market development and policymaking. In this study, based on massive Didi GPS records, we proposed a cross simulation model to evaluate the impact of user scale on the emission performance of the ride-hailing system and adapted the Gibbs sampling for a comprehensive computation. The result shows a strong impact of user scale on the emission performance. The mean of void cruising distance proportion varies from 2.12% to 44.58% under all situation simulation. Moreover, according to the simulation results under different day conditions, the relationship between the user scale and emission performance is not concerned with the day condition but the local regular travel pattern. Based on this relationship, we provided approximate user scales under expected thresholds of the emission and efficiency performance of ride-hailing. This work can be a foundation and guideline for future decision making on ride-hailing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar PV has seen a spectacular market development in recent years and has become a cost competitive source of electricity in many parts of the world. Yet, prospective observations show that the coronavirus pandemic could impact renewable energy projects, especially in the distributed market. Tracking and attributing the economic footprint of COVID-19 lockdowns in the photovoltaic sector poses a significant research challenge. Based on millions of financial transaction records and 44 thousand photovoltaic installation records, we tracked the spatio-temporal sale network of the distributed photovoltaic market and explored the extent of market slowdown. We found that a two-month lockdown duration can be assessed as a high-risk threshold value. When the lockdown duration exceeds the threshold value, the monthly value-added loss reaches 67.7%, and emission reduction capacity is cut by 64.2% over the whole year. We show that risks of a slowdown in PV deployment due to COVID-19 lockdowns can be mitigated by comprehensive incentive strategies for the distributed PV market amid market uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online ride-hailing as an innovative travel mode becomes increasingly popular in cities around the world. To improve the efficiency of dispatching system of ride-hailing, many ride-hailing demand prediction models based on deep learning architecture have been proposed to reduce the gross travel distance between drivers and passengers. However, in most of these prediction models, only the error metrics are used for performance evaluation. There is scarce evidence on how much the demand prediction model reduces the unnecessary travel distance in reality. In this study, a multi-scenario-based method is proposed to evaluate technical potentials of the ride-hailing demand prediction model in ride-hailing dispatching system simulation. The ride-hailing dispatching is simulated in three scenarios: traditional dispatching system, prediction model-based dispatching system, and perfect prediction model-based dispatching system. One-month data of Didi Express service provided by Didi Chuxing GAIA Initiative in Chengdu is employed to support the simulation. Two terms, empty distance and relative performance, are introduced as the criteria of prediction model performance measurement. Simulation results reveal that the total empty distance reduced 1,164 km per day by using the prediction model compared with the traditional dispatching system. The relative performance is only 58.9% compared with the perfect prediction model-based dispatching system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposing a framework to analyze emission patterns of buses and changes in post-COVID-19. • 2056 buses with 1.5 million ridership and 7589 taxis with 0.2 million trips are used for analysis. • 224 social surveys are collected and show a 56.3% ridership reduction in post-COVID-19. • We find buses cannot be "greener" travel modal than cars if ridership reduces by more than 40%. Emission benefits of transit buses depend on ridership. Declines in ridership caused by COVID-19 leads uncertainty about the emission reduction capacity of buses. This paper provides a method framework for analyzing spatio-temporal emission patterns of buses in combination with real-time ridership and potential emission changes in the post-COVID-19 future. Based on GPS trajectory and Smart Card data of 2056 buses from 278 routes covering 1.5 million ridership in Qingdao, China, spatio-temporal emissions characteristics of buses are studied. 7589 taxis with 0.2 million passengers' trips are used for acquiring private cars' emissions to evaluate the emissions difference between buses and cars. Empirical results show that the average difference between buses and cars with 2 persons can reach up to 117 g/km-person during 7:00–8:59 and 115 g/km-person during 17:00–18:59. However, buses have various emission benefits around the city at different periods. A double increase in emissions during non-rush hours can be observed compared with rush hours. 224 online survey data are used to study the potential ridership reduction trend in post-COVID-19. Results show that 56.3% of respondents would decrease the usage of buses in the post-COVID-19 future. Based on this figure, our analysis shows that per kilometer-person emissions of buses are higher than cars during non-rush hours, however, still lower than cars during rush hours. We conclude that when ridership reduces by more than 40%, buses cannot be "greener" travel modal than cars as before. Finally, several feasible policies are suggested for this potential challenge. Our study provides convincing evidence for understanding the emission patterns of buses, to support better buses investment decisions and promotion on eco-friendly public transport service in the post-COVID-19 future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitrimers with dynamic imine bonds generally show low mechanical properties and water resistance. Here, we report a bio-based vitrimers with dynamic imine bonds synthesized from vanillin, m -xylylenediamine and DGEBA. Among them, the imine metathesis reaction of the dynamic imine bond makes the bio-based vitrimers have rapid stress relaxation behavior, self-healing, remoldability and weldability. In addition, the materials also exhibited high mechanical properties (79.1 MPa) and excellent water insensitivity. Even after being immersed in water for 15 days, the materials still showed a tensile strength of 70.5 MPa and a Young's modulus of 2.32 GPa at a breaking elongation of 6.67%. Importantly, due to the hydrolysis of dynamic imine bonds, the materials also exhibited degradation and ecofriendly recycling capabilities under mildly acidic conditions. We envision that this vitrimers with simple process, excellent comprehensive properties and ecofriendly recyclability will make it a potential candidate for applications in sustainable structural materials. Image 1 • Bio-based vitrimers exhibit rapid stress relaxation effects, self-healing, replasticity and solderability due to the successful introduction of dynamic imine bonds. • Among its raw materials, vanillin, as a natural product, can be extracted from the pod orchid. This method of using biomass sources is green, environmentally friendly and meets the requirements of sustainable development. • The results show that, while ensuring high mechanical properties, the materials have water insensitivity, which is not available in some other materials based on dynamic imine bonds. • Due to the hydrolysis of dynamic imine bonds, the materials exhibit degradation and environmental recycling capabilities under mildly acidic conditions. • The proposed strategy provides of promising sustainable capabilities to bio-based vitrimers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customized Bus is a new mode of Internet-supported public transportation. It is regarded as one of the major strategies to reduce the usage of private cars and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from road traffic. For a customized bus system, a dynamic bus line planning system based on the demand can largely improve the performance and promote the public acceptance of customized bus service. This paper introduces a method to generate planning suggestions for bus lines and stops based on massive demand data. A link network is generated from the input to represent the sharing route of the demand. With community detection, the link network is segmented into communities with similar travel routes. By examining the core-peripheral structure and matching the core part of communities with the road network, the customized bus lines are generated. Boarding and alighting hotspots are identified as the suggestion for customized bus stops. The methodology is tested by using mobile phone data in Tokyo. With the input of one-day sample, the algorithm can generate the result in approximately 1 min and extract 29 bus lines. According to the shape and spatial location of the bus lines, three types of bus lines serving different travel patterns are classified: radiation type lines, ring-type lines, and suburban lines. Analyzing the emission reduction potential of the extracted bus lines manifestes that bus line planning of the proposed method has the potential to relieve emission pressure on urban expressways and to reduce approximately 13% of road traffic emission. Image 1 • A data-driven approach is proposed for the systematic planning of customized bus. • 1.4 million car trajectories are used to simulate dynamic input for the method. • Dynamic bus lines are generated from spatial distribution of sharing trajectories. • Suggestion of bus stops are extracted from boarding and alighting hotspots. • Potential demand and emission reduction of customized buses is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a fundamental parameter of the electric grid, obtaining spatial electric load distribution is the premise and basis for numerous studies. As a public, world-wide, and spatialized dataset, NPP/VIIRS night-light satellite image has been long used for socio-economic information estimation, including electric consumption, while little attention has been given to the electric load estimation. Additionally, most of the previous studies were performed at a large spatial scale, which could not reflect the electric information inner a city. Therefore, this paper proposes a method to estimate electric load density at a township-level spatial scale based on NPP/VIIRS night-light satellite data. Firstly, we reveal the different fitting relationships between EC (Electric Consumption)-NLS (Night-Light Sum) and EL (Electric Load)-NLI (Night-Light Intensity). Then, we validated the spatial-scale's influence on the estimation accuracy by experiment via generating a series of simulated datasets. After working out the super-resolution night-light image with the SRCNN (Super-Resolution Convolutional Neural Network) algorithm, we established a finer spatial estimation model. By taking a monthly data of Shanghai as a case study, we validate the model we established. The result shows that estimating electric load at township-level based on night-light satellite data is feasible, and the SRCNN algorithm can improve the performance. • Electric load estimation is conducted based on night-light satellite data. • Fitting relationships between electric Load and night-light intensity is revealed. • The spatial-scale's influence on the estimation model fitting is validated. • A finer electric load estimation method based on the SRCNN algorithm is conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The on-road braking emission has been proved by former studies to account for a considerable part of on-road transportation. To improve cleaner air in urban area, the spatio-temporal analysis on emission performance of on-road braking is necessary as a guideline for decision-making. In this paper, we propose a framework for analysis on the particle matter emission of on-road vehicle braking events on an urban scale. We used massive vehicle trajectories in Tokyo area with short time interval as the database for analysis. From the result, we found that within the in the study area, the average driving distance during braking takes up about 20.60% of total driving distance. The average quantity of PM10 emission from braking for each driving trajectory is 14.09 mg and the one from exhaust emission is 35.36 mg. The emission from braking can averagely occupy 39.85% of exhaust emission. What's more, in our finding, the braking emission from heavy duty vehicle is 2.33 times of light duty vehicle. From the spatial distribution of PM10 braking emission, we found that braking emission usually happened in the city center and popular crowded areas due to the large traffic volume, as well as the main trunk roads of capital expressway or highway. We also found a different spatial pattern between the light duty vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle. In temporal change, we found that rapid peaks during the rush hour on weekday and contrastive stabilization on weekend. We believe our finding can provide a clearer pattern and understanding on the emission behavior of on-road vehicle braking. Image 1 • Proposing a framework to for analysis on the particle matter emission of on-road vehicle braking events on an urban scale. • Proposing a method to detect and mine emission from braking behaviors from GPS trajectory data of vehicle travelling. • Over twenty million historical GPS points of individual vehicle in Tokyo area are employed for analysis. • We found that emission from braking can occupy 39.85% of exhaust emission and HDV emits 2.33 times of LDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash flood is one of the most dangerous natural phenomena because of its high magnitudes and sudden occurrence, resulting in huge damages for people and properties. Our work aims to propose a state-of-the-art model for susceptibility mapping of the flash flood using the decision tree random subspace ensemble optimized by hybrid firefly–particle swarm optimization (HFPS), namely the HFPS-RSTree model. In this work, we used data from a flood inventory map consisting of 1866 polygons derived from Sentinel-1 C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and a field survey conducted in the northwest mountainous area of the Van Ban district, Lao Cai Province in Vietnam. A total of eleven flooding conditioning factors (soil type, geology, rainfall, river density, elevation, slope, aspect, topographic wetness index (TWI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), plant curvature, and profile curvature) were used as explanatory variables. These indicators were compiled from a geological and mineral resources map, soil type map, and topographic map, ALOS PALSAR DEM 30 m, and Landsat-8 imagery. The HFPS-RSTree model was trained and verified using the inventory map and the eleven conditioning variables and then compared with four machine learning algorithms, i.e., the support vector machine (SVM), the random forests (RF), the C4.5 decision trees (C4.5 DT), and the logistic model trees (LMT) models. We employed a range of statistical standard metrics to assess the predictive performance of the proposed model. The results show that the HFPS-RSTree model had the best predictive performance and achieved better results than those of other benchmarks with the ability to predict flash flood, reaching an overall accuracy of over 90%. It can be concluded that the proposed approach provides new insights into flash flood prediction in mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposing a framework to assess the emission reduction potential of ride-sharing from empirical mobility data. • Proposing a deep learning-based method that shows higher performance than traditional simulation method. • Over 1 million historical individual GPS records in Tokyo area are employed for analysis. • We found that averagely 26.97% of traveling distance can be saved and maximally 84.52% of reduction of CO2 emission. Spreading green and low-consumption transportation methods is becoming an urgent priority. Ride-sharing, which refers to the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travel in a car, and prevents the need for others to drive to a location themselves, is a critical solution to this issue. Before being introduced into one place, it needs a potential analysis. However, current studies did this kind of analysis based on home and work locations or social ties between people, which is not precise and straight enough. Few pieces of research departed from real mobility data, but uses time-consuming methodology. In this paper, we proposed an analysis framework to bridge this gap. We chose the case study of Tokyo area with over 1 million GPS travel records and trained a deep learning model to find out this potential. From the computation result, on average, nearly 26.97% of travel distance could be saved by ride-sharing, which told us that there is a significant similarity in the travel pattern of people in Tokyo and there is considerable potential of ride-sharing. Moreover, if half of the original public transit riders in our study case adopt ride-sharing, the quantity of CO 2 is estimated to be reduced by 84.52%; if all of the original public transit riders in our study case adopt ride-sharing, 83.56% of CO 2 emission reduction can be expected with a rebound effect because of increase of participants from public transit. Ride-sharing can not only improve the air quality of these center business districts but also alleviate some city problems like traffic congestion. We believe the analysis of the potential of ride-sharing can provide insight into the decision making of ride-sharing service providers and decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Internet-supported non-dock bicycle-sharing service had emerged and gradually become warmly applauded by the public. In the non-dock bicycle-sharing system planning, the definition of coverage area and the division of sub service areas are highly essential and fundamental, which get little attention in the existing studies. In this paper, we propose a market-oriented methodology for non-dock bicycle-sharing system planning. Firstly, the potential demand of bicycle-sharing use is identified using mobile phone data. Then, a link network is constructed to represent the spatial distribution of potential demand. The algorithm of community detection is applied to the link network to discover the densely connected nodes in the area and define the division of sub service areas. Finally, the potential patterns of bicycle-sharing use, the spatial distribution of the potential demand, and the potential emission reduction are analysed based on the resulting division of sub service areas. The proposed method is tested using a data set of approximately 34 million GPS trajectories obtained in Tokyo. The area of Tokyo is subdivided into 21 sub service areas. Suggestions for bicycle management, infrastructure development, and the bicycle-sharing system planning are given regarding sub service areas with different properties. The potential emission reduction for the introduction of bicycle-sharing system is calculated in the area of Tokyo. Image 1 • A data set of 34 million trajectories is adopted to develop an integrated method. • A method of sub-area division for the bicycle-sharing system is proposed. • Travel pattern of potential bicycle-sharing behavior is described and analyzed. • Potential emission reduction of promoting bicycle-sharing is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a network-of-networks analysis framework of interdependent critical infrastructure systems, with a focus on the co-located road-sewer network. The constructed interdependency considers two types of node dynamics: co-located and multiple-to-one dependency, with different robustness metrics based on their function logic. The objectives of this paper are twofold: (1) to characterize the impact of the interdependency on networks' robustness performance, and (2) to unveil the critical percolation transition threshold of the interdependent road-sewer network. The results show that (1) road and sewer networks are mutually interdependent and are vulnerable to the cascading failures initiated by sewer system disruption; (2) the network robustness decreases as the number of initial failure sources increases in the localized failure scenarios, but the rate declines as the number of failures increase; and (3) the sewer network contains two types of links: zero exposure and severe exposure to liquefaction, and therefore, it leads to a two-phase percolation transition subject to the probabilistic liquefaction-induced failures. This indicates that tiered vulnerability of the liquefaction-prone links will result in multiple percolation transitions. The proposed framework provides a holistic approach to analyze the network robustness under different failure scenarios and can be extended to a larger interdependent system. • A two-phase percolation transition exists in network robustness during probabilistic cascading failure in interdependent road-sewer network. • Road and sewer network are tightly geographically co-located. • Co-located road-sewer network are vulnerable to cascading failures. • Network robustness decreases as the number of initial failure source increases, but the rate declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Long short-term memory is used to predict the multi-region solar power output. • Particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the long short-term memory model. • Sensitivity analysis is done to verify the stability of the method. • Different long short-term memory structures are compared. • A real case is studied to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Solar energy, as a renewable and clean energy source, has developed rapidly and has attracted considerable attention. The integration of solar energy into a power grid requires precise prediction of the power output of solar plants. Accurate solar power output prediction can promote power dispatch, maintaining the normal operation of power systems. However, research on multi-region solar power is still rare. In this study, long short-term memory and a particle swarm optimization algorithm contribute to solar power prediction considering time series. In order to improve the prediction accuracy, particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the parameters of the long short-term memory model. In addition, different long short-term memory structures are illustrated to determine the final prediction model with sensitivity analysis. Experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The mean absolute error and root mean square error of the proposed method is the smallest among the prediction methods in four cases containing different seasons. In terms of prediction accuracy, results indicate that the proposed prediction model outperforms basic long short-term memory, artificial neural network, and extreme gradient boosting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable performance assessment has received extensive attention in the fields of transportation, energy management, and urban planning. Given that transportation has become a leading component of urban greenhouse gas emissions, combining sustainable performance assessment with transportation emissions is crucial to urban sustainability. In this study, pointed at the unbalance between urban development and transportation accessibility among urban central activities zones, a metric named potential traffic attraction is proposed based on improved gravitational model to measure urban sustainable performance. Meanwhile, the correlation between the traffic attraction and the high-emission traffic is generated via GPS trajectories, which could ensure the credibility of high-emission travel mode for the correlation model. Based on the obtained urban sustainable performance, the status of the central activities zones development in Tokyo(Japan) was analyzed, finally, several corresponding strategies in different sustainable development status were proposed. Our study demonstrated that the integration of both urban development and transportation owns tremendous capabilities for reducing vehicle emissions, and it could provide specific guidelines for urban planning and transportation policies on urban sustainable development. • Potential traffic attraction is proposed for urban sustainable performance assessment. • Millions of trajectories data are adopted for vehicle emissions calculation. • Impact of urban sustainable performance on high-emission traffic is confirmed. • Status of central activities zones development is identified for emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal metabolism, including abnormal lipid metabolism, is a hallmark of cancer cells. Some studies have demonstrated that the lipogenic pathway might promote the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of the lipolytic pathway in HCC has not been elucidated. Methods: We compared levels of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in human HCC and healthy liver tissues by real time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. We measured diacylglycerol(DAG) and free fatty acid (FFA) levels in HCC cells driven by the NEAT1-ATGL axis and in HCC tissues. We also assessed the effects of ATGL, DAG, FFA, and NEAT1 on HCC cells proliferation in vitro and in an orthotopic xenograft HCC mouse model. We also performed a luciferase reporter assay to investigate the interaction between NEAT1/ATGL and miR-124-3p. Results: We found that the lipolytic enzyme, ATGL is highly expressed in human HCC tissues and predicts poor prognosis. We also found that high levels of DAG and FFA are present in HCC tissues. Furthermore, the lncRNA-NEAT1 was found to modulate ATGL expression and disrupt lipolysis in HCC cells via ATGL. Notably, ATGL and its products, DAG and FFA, were shown to be responsible for NEAT1-mediated HCC cell growth. NEAT1 regulated ATGL expression by binding miR-124-3p. Additionally, NEAT1 knockdown attenuated HCC cell growth through miR-124-3p/ATGL/DAG+FFA/PPARα signaling. Conclusion: Our results reveal that NEAT1-modulates abnormal lipolysis via ATGL to drive HCC proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α play an important role in liver fibrosis. von Hippel-Lindau protein (VHL), a key mediator of HIF-α, regulates fibrosis in an organ- and cell-specific way. In this study, human liver samples were collected from hepatitis C-, alcoholic-, and cholestatic-associated fibrotic and healthy individuals. Two mouse models of liver fibrosis were established: bile duct ligation and carbon tetrachloride injection. We constructed adenovirus vectors to overexpress VHL, normoxia-active HIF-α, and lentiviral vectors to silence HIF-α. The results showed that liver sections from fibrosis patients had a lower level of VHL and higher levels of HIF-1α and HIF-2α compared with healthy sections, a finding which was confirmed in mice. Overexpression of VHL attenuated liver fibrosis, downregulated fibrogenic genes, and inhibited liver inflammation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Overexpression of VHL was more successful at inhibiting fibrosis compared with silencing HIF-1α plus HIF-2α. Normoxia-active HIF-1α or HIF-2α prevented the inhibitory effect of VHL on liver fibrosis, indicating that attenuating fibrosis via VHL is HIF-1α- and HIF-2α-dependent to some extent. In addition, overexpression of VHL inhibited mouse hepatic stellate cells activation and proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Taken together, VHL may be considered a new target to inhibit liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]