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Metallic nickel dense hollow fiber membranes were fabricated by a combined spinning and high-temperature sintering technique. Hydrogen permeation through the nickel hollow fiber membranes was measured at high temperatures up to 1000 °C using H 2 -containing gas mixtures fed on the shell side and N 2 as the sweep gas in the fiber lumen. The experimental results indicated the sintering should be carried out at around 1400 °C for 3 h, under a hydrogen-containing atmosphere so as to reach the required densification of the nickel hollow fiber membranes. Hydrogen permeation through the dense nickel hollow fiber membranes is controlled by H-atom diffusion through the membrane bulk, and can be well described by the Sieverts’ equation with the activation energy of 51.07 kJ mol −1 . For the hollow fiber with wall thickness of 256 μm, the hydrogen permeation flux value reached up to 7.66×10 −3 mol m −2 s −1 at 1000 °C with 100% H 2 -permselectivity. The Ni hollow membrane exhibits high stability in CO 2 , CO or steam containing atmospheres, and demonstrates a potential use in hydrogen production by high temperature hydrocarbon reforming reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the use of the non-linear model predictive control (NMPC) strategy for a kinematically redundant space robot to approach an un-cooperative target in complex space environment. Collision avoidance, traditionally treated as a high level planning problem, can be effectively translated into control constraints as part of the NMPC. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the predictive controller in a constrained workspace and to investigate the feasibility of imposing additional constraints into the NMPC. In this paper, we reformulated the issue of the space robot motion control by using NMPC with predefined objectives under input, output and obstacle constraints over a receding horizon. An on-line quadratic programming (QP) procedure is employed to obtain the constrained optimal control decisions in real-time. This study has been implemented for a 7 degree-of-freedom (DOF) kinematically redundant manipulator mounted on a 6 DOF free-floating spacecraft via simulation studies. Real-time trajectory tracking and collision avoidance particularly demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed NMPC strategy for the space robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia preconditioning (HPC) could protect cells, tissues, organs and systems from hypoxia injury, but the molecular mechanism still remained unclear. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) based metabolomics method was utilized to explore the key endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways related to HPC. Our results clearly showed that the HPC mice model was established and refined, suggesting that there were significant differences between the control group and 6 × HPC group at the molecular levels. A serious of statistical analyses, including univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, were performed by the Progenesis QI software package and MetaboAnalyst web-server. The sphingolipid metabolic pathways were noticed due to the low p -value and high pathway impact calculated by the MetaboAnalyst and the pathways were altered under HPC condition. Especially, the sphingolipid compound sphingomyelin, ceramide, glucosylceramide, galactosylceramide and lactosylceramide were mapping in this metabolic pathway. Interestingly, these sphingolipid metabolites with olefinic bond in the long fatty chain were up-regulated, while those sphingolipids without olefinic bond were down-regulated. The results indicated that C24:1-Cers played a critical role in HPC and had potential in endogenous protective mechanism. Our data provided an insight to further reveal the protection mechanism of HPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-tubular protonic ceramic fuel cells (MT-PCFCs) exhibit substantial advantages such as high energy conversion efficiency, large volumetric power density, and intermediate operating temperature. The performance of MT-PCFCs is highly dependent on the microstructure of the microtubes. In this study, BaCe 0.7 Zr 0.1 Y 0.2 O 3-δ (BCZY)/Ni-BCZY (electrolyte/anode) dual-layer hollow fibers (DLHFs) are fabricated in a single step by co-spinning/co-sintering technique, which significantly reduces manufacturing time and cost. The relationship between the MT-PCFCs performance and the microstructure of the DLHFs is investigated. By adjusting the cermet powder content and the spinning rate, the microstructure of DLHFs is tailored and optimized to achieve the best performance for the MT-PCFCs. Experimental results indicate that the anode structure with thick finger-like voids inside and thin sponge-like interlayer closely attached to the thin electrolyte film is favorable to obtain high performance MT-PCFCs. A maximum power density of 554.5 mW cm-2 for the optimal MT-PCFC is achieved at 700 ℃. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the robotic capturing of a space tumbling object requires a rapidly accurate prediction of the object motion, this paper addresses the nonlinear multi-step motion prediction issue of the object based on machine learning theory and proposes a novel prediction approach, in which the prediction efficiency and the prediction accuracy are main focuses. To improve the prediction efficiency, sparse Gaussian processes are employed for the multi-step motion prediction, only providing the historical data of the object motion states. The sparse pseudo training data continuously optimized from real historical data makes it feasible for real-time predictions. To improve the prediction accuracy, a heuristic optimizer, Markov chain Monte Carlo, is integrated within sparse Gaussian processes to overcome the sensitivity problem caused by random initializations during the training process, thus avoids the local optimal training results. Then, a high-quality sparse pseudo training data is obtained to construct the predictive distributions during the testing process. The benchmark example and comparisons of several motion prediction applications illustrate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the experimental validation demonstrates its real-world potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly-asymmetric metallic Ni hollow fiber membranes (NHFMs) with a dense inner skin layer and an outer porous substrate were fabricated by a modified phase inversion and sintering technique. A triple-orifice spinneret was used for spinning the hollow fiber precursors with water as the internal coagulant and a solvent-ethanol mixture as the temporary external coagulant. The hollow fiber precursors were sintered in a H 2 -containing atmosphere at 1100–1400 °C to form dense metallic membranes. Effects of the external coagulant composition and air gap length as well as the sintering temperatures on the morphology of the resultant hollow fiber membranes were systematically investigated. Results indicate that the hollow fiber with an optimal microstructure has achieved a maximum hydrogen flux of 73.17 mmol m−2 s−1 (9.83 mL cm−2 min−1) at 1000 °C, which is about 8 times higher than that obtained from the traditional hollow fiber membrane. The preparation flow chart, schematic diagram, and SEM images of externally self-supported metallic nickel hollow fiber membranes. [Display omitted] • Externally self-supported Ni hollow fiber membranes were successfully fabricated. • Effects of spinning and sintering conditions on membrane morphology were studied. • H 2 flux has increased significantly, 8 times higher than the reported value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Synergistic interaction of Sm and Fe enhanced Pb-resistance of Mn-Ce/AC catalyst. • Sm and Fe co-doping alleviated the damage of Pb species to catalyst structure. • Surface acidity and redox ability of Mn-Ce/AC catalyst were protected by Sm and Fe from lead. • NH 3 -SCR reaction on catalysts after Pb poisoning followed L-H and E-R mechanism. A novel anti-Pb poisoning Sm and Fe co-doped Mn-Ce/AC catalyst was prepared by impregnation method for low-temperature NH 3 -SCR of NO reaction. Maintaining the excellent low-temperature activity of Mn-Ce/AC catalyst, Sm and Fe co-doping remarkably enhanced the catalyst's Pb-resistance with NO conversion up to 77%. Sm and Fe co-doped poisoning-catalysts exhibited large specific surface area and pore volume, and the crystallinity of the MnO x and CeO x reduced. The redox properties and surface acidity of the lead poisoned SmFeMnCe/AC catalyst were effectively retained, which could promote NO oxidation and NH 3 activation, further benefiting the SCR reaction. In situ DRTFTS results indicated that the low-temperature NH 3 -SCR mechanism of all poisoned catalysts followed both L-H mechanism and E-R mechanism, and the L-H mechanism was dominated. On the one hand, the extraordinary lead resistance of Sm weakened the damage of lead species on the physicochemical properties of the catalyst; on the other hand, the high oxidation properties and surface acidity of Fe enhanced the catalytic activity of the poisoned catalyst. Finally, a possible synergistic mechanism model of Sm and Fe co-doping on Mn-Ce/AC catalyst against Pb-poisoning was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing Cenozoic Indo-Asia continental collision not only formed the highly elevated Tibetan Plateau but also reactivated the crustal deformation in adjacent Paleozoic-Mesozoic orogens. This includes the renewed phase of deformation in the Qinling Orogen, northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, which was formed initially by Paleozoic closure of the Paleo-Tethys and subsequent early Triassic continental collision between the North and South China blocks. Debates continue as to when and how the reactivation initiated. To investigate this question, this study reports a vertical profile of apatite and zircon (U Th)/He thermochronometric ages from the Guangtoushan Granite to estimate the exhumation history of the central Qinling Orogen, where previous models for the growth of the Tibetan Plateau inferred late Cenozoic northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau by outward flow of the lower crust from the plateau interior. Age-elevation relationship and thermal history modelling suggest two phases of relatively rapid exhumation during the early Cretaceous (~130–110 Ma) and the latest Cretaceous – early Paleocene (~70–50 Ma), respectively. The early Cretaceous exhumation coincided with the time of the Lhasa-Qiangtang collision, whose far field effects have been widely reported in regions of the central-northern Tibetan Plateau. In the southern and central Qinling, our finding of an early Paleocene (~70–50 Ma) increase in exhumation rate followed by minimal exhumation during the late Cenozoic suggests negligible impact of the lower crust flow from the expanding Tibetan Plateau on the rock exhumation of the Qinling. Instead, our study suggests instant strain migrations from the Lhasa-Qiangtang and Indo-Asia collision zones to the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau during the early Cretaceous and the early Paleocene, respectively, supporting the models highlighting the importance of rigid blocks in facilitating intracontinental strain migration. • This study suggests episodic early Cretaceous and latest Cretaceous – early Paleocene rock exhumation in the Qinling orogen. • Rock exhumation in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau responded instantly to the Lhasa-Qiangtang and Indo-Asia collisions. • These results support models highlighting the importance of rigid blocks in facilitating intracontinental strain migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban-scale energy model can be a crucial tool for evaluating and in turn propelling the implementation of energy efficiency and low carbon programs for buildings and cites. A variety of disputes on integrity and correctness lie in basic statistical data of China's building energy use. Inadequate information and performance gap caused by input uncertainties are the common obstacles to produce reliable energy modelling results. This paper develops a bottom-up approach to depict energy use intensity (EUI) for space heating of building in the urban level accurately, even if the data resource is inadequate and imprecise or the data are influenced by uncertain issues. A hybrid probability model is developed and the model parameters are calibrated by Bayesian inference and Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation using data set of meter reading from 2062 stochastic-sampled heating substations in Beijing. Preparation and simulation efforts of using this energy model are discussed, following this framework and adjusting according to local climate conditions, typological building characteristics and morphological urban-scale parameters. The results show that the approach is reliable and efficient to calibrate parameters in building energy models. The urban-scale benchmarks of EUI for space heating in Beijing is successfully performed to demonstrate the proposed methodology. • Reliability of top-down and bottom-up approach are discussed in urban-scale modelling. • An urban-scale energy model is proposed even if the data are affected by uncertainty. • The framework of selection, calibration and validation of modelling are presented. • Study on urban-scale Benchmark for heating in Beijing shows how well the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the application of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) strategy to trajectory planning of the kinematically redundant space robot in free-floating mode. Due to the path dependent dynamic singularities, the volume of available workspace of the space robot is limited and enormous joint velocities are required when such singularities are met. In order to overcome this effect, the direct kinematics equations in conjunction with PSO are employed for trajectory planning of free-floating space robot. The joint trajectories are parametrized with the Bézier curve to simplify the calculation. Constrained PSO scheme with adaptive inertia weight is implemented to find the optimal solution of joint trajectories while specific objectives and imposed constraints are satisfied. The proposed method is not sensitive to the singularity issue due to the application of forward kinematic equations. Simulation results are presented for trajectory planning of 7 degree-of-freedom (DOF) redundant manipulator mounted on a free-floating spacecraft and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus cellobiose 2-epimerase (CsCE) catalyses the single substrate lactose into lactulose and is the most efficient enzyme ever found for the enzymatic synthesis of lactulose. Ethanol- permeabilised Escherichia coli cells containing CsCE were used as biocatalysts for lactulose production. The reaction conditions for maximum lactulose production were optimised to be 600 g L-1 lactose, pH 7.5, 80 °C and 12.5 U mL-1 of whole-cell biocatalyst. After incubated at Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4 buffer for 2 h, approximately 390.59 g L-1 lactulose was obtained with a conversion yield of 65.1%. The lowest production and conversion yield of epilactose were also found in Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4 buffer with a final concentration of 11.7 g L-1 and a conversion yield <2%. The results represent a promising technology to attain high production and conversion yield of lactulose with a high purity on industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at achieving the fast recovery from concurrent link failures, this paper proposed a method based on optimization of colored trees by utilizing improved artificial fish swarm algorithm. Firstly, it analyzed the overall design in terms of three aspects including backups topology construction, colored trees generation and packet forwarding. On this basis, in order to improve performance of the design, it modeled the colored trees and optimized the colored trees by using AFSA. Meanwhile, the mutation operator solved the problem of AFSA easily falling into local optimum efficiently. The experimental result shows that this method can not only improve the recovery performance for concurrent link failures, but also has more excellent path and backups route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk quantities of molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO 3 ) nanobelts were synthesized via hot wire chemical vapor deposition on the surface of the MoSi 2 rod electric heater at 600 °C under air atmosphere. The MoO 3 nanobelts grown on each MoSi 2 rod were up to 20 g in weight. The possible vapor–solid growth mechanism was discussed. Before the growth of MoO 3 nanobelts, SiO 2 protective layers of MoSi 2 rod electric heater were deoxidized by the carbothermal reduction reaction, and Mo 2 C was formed on the surface of the MoSi 2 rods. When Mo 2 C was oxidized under air atmosphere, Mo O vapor was deposited on the hot MoSi 2 rod surface to form yellow MoO 3 nanobelts. The hot wire chemical vapor deposition technique is desirable for the large-scale production of MoO 3 nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic water splitting reaction of platinum nanoparticle-decorated SiC nanowire photocatalyst was investigated under the simulated sunlight irradiation. The Pt/SiC catalyst shows an enhanced photocatalytic activity for water splitting, and its average H 2 evolution rate has been up to 4572 μL g −1 h −1 . The average H 2 production rate over the Pt/SiC catalyst is 88% higher than that of SiC nanowires without Pt nanoparticle-decoration. The XPS spectra exhibit that the surrounding electrons of C atoms can be rapidly transferred to Si and Pt active sites for water splitting. The photoluminescence spectra show that the platinum acts as an acceptor of photoelectrons to effectively restrain the electron–hole pair recombination of SiC nanowires. The novel Pt/SiC has great potential of being a low-cost, environmentally friendly solar-hydrogen production photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dendrimers have shown great promise in the design of high efficient and low cytotoxic gene vectors. In this study, we synthesized a list of fluorobenzoic acid-modified dendrimers by a facile synthetic route and explored their potential applications as non-viral gene vectors. Fluorination on the aromatic rings significantly improves the transfection efficacy of benzoic acid-modified dendrimers. The transfection efficacy increases with increasing number of fluorine atoms on the aromatic rings of the conjugated benzoic acid. The most efficient conjugate shows superior efficacy to polymer-based commercial reagents such as SuperFect and PolyFect, and comparable efficacy to lipid-based commercial reagents such as Lipofectamine 2000. In addition, the fluorobenzoic acid-modified dendrimers show low cytotoxicity on the transfected cells. The improved transfection efficacy of fluorobenzoic acid-modified dendrimers is due to enhanced cellular uptake and/or easier DNA unpacking behavior compared to non-modified dendrimers. These results provide a new fluorination strategy to generate a library of highly efficient and non-cytotoxic polymeric gene vectors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The trajectory planning of space robot for capturing space tumbling targets still faces challenging technical problems due to the moving targets, which requires the robot to precisely pinpoint the target in a reliable, safe way. Hard-capture strategy that only cares about the precise pinpoint of the final capturing states cannot ensure a reliable capture due to its lack of a thoughtful approaching strategy. To this end, this paper proposes a soft-capture planning method based on the imitation learning theory for the space robot, considering the robotic approaching strategy by imitating the target's motion. The most frequently used imitation learning algorithm, named dynamical movement primitives (DMPs), are employed to plan both the positions and orientations of the robot end-effectors in Cartesian space to capture grapple fixtures fixed on the target, in which the pose DMPs are specially formulated to capture such a moving target. To imitate the target's motion, the soft-capture approaching strategy directly generalizes the motion skill from the target to the robot by learning the weight vectors of the pose DMPs for the robot from the demonstrated target's pose trajectories. Moreover, the final capturing time, poses, and velocities/angular velocities are considerately optimized to ensure good robot kinematic manipulability. Numerical simulations implemented on a dual-arm space robot validate the effectiveness and generalization of the proposed soft-capture planning method, which shows a longer imitated tracking process for about 4 sec before capturing than that of the hard-capture strategy for less than 1 s The longer imitated tracking process leads to more time for the robot capturing adaptations, which is more reliable for the space capturing tasks. • Imitation learning method is proposed for trajectory planning of space robot. • Dynamical movement primitives are used for planning the robot end-effectors. • Both positions and orientations are planned by DMPs. • Soft-capture strategy is proposed for capturing the space tumbling target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the 2008 Wenchuan M8 earthquake, the seismic risk of the northeastern section of the Longmenshan fault zone and the adjacent Hanzhong basin has become an issue that receives much concern. It is facing, however, the problem of a lack of sufficient data because of little previous work in these regions. The northeastern section of the Longmenshan fault zone includes three major faults: the Qingchuan fault, Chaba-Lin'ansi fault, and Liangshan south margin fault, with the Hanzhong basin at the northern end. This paper presents investigations of the geometry, motion nature, and activity ages of these three faults, and reveals that they are strike slip with normal faulting, with latest activity in the Late Pleistocene. It implies that this section of the Longmenshan fault zone has been in an extensional setting, probably associated with the influence of the Hanzhong basin. Through analysis of the tectonic relationship between the Longmenshan fault zone and the Hanzhong basin, this work verifies that the Qingchuan fault played an important role in the evolution of the Hanzhong basin, and further studies the evolution model of this basin. Finally, with consideration of the tectonic setting of the Longmenshan fault zone and the Hanzhong basin as well as seismicity of surrounding areas, this work suggests that this region has no tectonic conditions for great earthquakes and only potential strong events in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Divergent responses of SOC dynamics to organic amendment (OA) inputs. • Additional OA inputs alter the decay of SOC pools and their physical accessibility. • Efficiency of OA inputs for SOC sequestration depends on baseline SOC content. • OA-induced changes in SOC turnover must be considered for carbon sequestration. Increasing carbon input (CI) to soil has been widely recommended (e.g., residue retention and manure application) to sequester more carbon in agricultural soils thereby mitigating climate change and improving soil quality. However, carbon sequestration may not respond linearly to additional CI due to their active interactions with the turnover of native soil organic carbon (SOC) via such as the priming effect and mediating SOC accessibility to decomposition. In this study, we collected SOC measurements from 22 long-term paired trials (12–142 years) with two levels of CI [i.e., a treatment with carbon input (+CI) and another treatment with less carbon input (-CI) compared with + CI] across the globe. We used these observed SOC to constrain a carbon model and analyse SOC turnover processes as impacted by CI to the soil. The results show that there are divergent responses of SOC turnover processes to CI, indicated by large variability of changes in decay rates of carbon pools, transfer coefficient of carbon flow from fast to slow pools, and physical accessibility to decomposition. Initial SOC at the start of the trial, the average amount of CI during the experiment, and soil bulk density are the three most important variables underlying such divergent responses. Simulation experiments suggest that these discrepancies in SOC turnover processes induced by CI have significant consequences on the efficiency of increasing carbon inputs for SOC sequestration. Ignoring the effect of additional CI leads to overestimation or underestimation of CI required to achieve typical SOC sequestration targets depending on baseline SOC content and temperature. Our results demonstrate the vital role of CI in regulating SOC turnover processes, which have site-specific consequences on the management of carbon inputs to sequester SOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchically structured protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers hold promise for efficient enzyme immobilization. Herein, a facile and rapid method to synthesize efficient lactulose-producing enzyme-metal hybrid biocatalyst was developed by using mutant E161D/N365P (EDNP) as the organic component and cobalt phosphate as the inorganic component. The synthesis conditions and stepwise formation of the EDNP@Co 3 (PO 4) 2 biocatalyst were systematically investigated. With the characterization of surface morphologies, chemical bonding states, and element compositions analysis, a possible growth mechanism has been proposed based on the affinity interaction between Co2+ and his-tagged EDNP, and the electrostatic interaction between Co2+ and PO 4 3-. The resulting EDNP@Co 3 (PO 4) 2 showed effective encapsulation yield (39.70–57.22%) and promising activity recovery (43.08–62.88%). Interestingly, the specific activity expression of the EDNP@Co 3 (PO 4) 2 was about 1.1-fold higher than that of the free EDNP. The immobilized biocatalyst also exhibited greatly improved catalytic activity and stability towards pH (pH 5–9) and a broad range of temperatures (40–75 °C). More importantly, a second hybridization process was first applied to further improve the total encapsulation yield up to ~70%. Furthermore, the unique flower-like nanostructure enabled enhanced kinetic characteristics. Over 70% of enzyme activity was retained after eight catalytic cycles. All those results suggested that the prepared EDNP@Co 3 (PO 4) 2 has great potential in industrially lactulose bioproduction. Synopsis A facile and rapid (<12 h) one-pot method for the highly efficient synthesis of a flowerlike cobalt-EDNP hybrid biocatalyst with enhanced enzymatic properties. [Display omitted] • Mutant Cellobiose 2-epimerase was immobilized as a protein-metal hybrid nanoflower. • A second hybridization process was applied with encapsulation yield improved to 70%. • Formation mechanism of the cobalt-based hybrid nanoflower is illustrated in detail. • The prepared biocatalyst exhibits much enhanced enzymatic performance. • The biocatalyst shows potential application in lactulose production with ~55% yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY On the basis of the similitude law, Emulation Concrete, which meets the similitude requirements, was used for small-scaled dam model test. For the dynamic failure mechanism of concrete gravity dam during earthquake to be studied, the dynamic model test on the shaking table was conducted for a powerhouse dam section. The reservoir and rigid foundation systems were considered in the test. The whole process of concrete gravity dam from elastic deformation, damage, to failure in various levels of Peak Ground Acceleration is studied through the tests. The failure mode of gravity dam is simulated, and the influencing factors are then analyzed by numerical method, which is based on concrete nonlinear elasto-plastic model of damage mechanics. The analytical results are compared with experimental results. The damage patterns obtained from the numerical model are in good agreement with those obtained from shaking table tests including water reservoir effect and rigid foundation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and stability upon idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) patients with duration of onset more than 3 months. Twenty-eight patients diagnosed as ISSNHL were treated by intravenous injection and another 26 by oral medication. Pure tone tests were undertaken at pre-therapy, the 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th day of post-treatment, and 1 and 2 months of follow-up respectively. A total of 54 ISSNHL patients with duration of onset ranged from 3 months to 19 years were concerned. In the group administrated by intravenous injection, the total effective rate was 64.29 % including 2 cases total recovery, 3 excellent and 13 partial recovery. In the oral administration group, there was no recovery or excellence case, and 8 (30.77 %) showed partial recovery. There was significant difference between the two groups in total effective rates ( P < 0.05). The treatment efficacy were stable in both two groups, and the difference in stability was no statistical significance ( P = 0.397). There was therapeutic value for ISSNHL duration of onset more than 3 months, especially for patients with mild and moderate hearing loss. The administration by intravenous injection should be the optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overgrazing in semiarid grassland is a major cause of vegetation degradation. Understanding the changes in seedling patterns driven by grazing is crucial to unveiling mechanisms of plant community regeneration and succession in grazed grassland. However, the dynamics of seedling emergence and species diversity under grazing are rarely studied. This study used periodical field investigation to examine the variation in seedling emergence, plant diversity, species composition, and seedling survival of herbaceous plants under four grazing intensities, including light (LG), moderate (MG), heavy (HG), and non‐grazed (NG), in a semiarid sandy grassland. The results showed that seedling number and density were significantly higher in HG plots, while the seedling survival rate was significantly lower in HG, and that seedling emergence dynamics varied with grazing. Seventy‐five percent of the seedlings in HG emerged during early spring in April, while approximately 50% of the seedlings in LG, MG, and NG emerged in May. Differences in species richness and diversity varied with growth stages and the diversity was always higher in LG than in other grazing habitats during the main growing season. Annual forb seedlings increased while annual grass seedlings decreased after grazing with no perennial grass seedlings in HG. Our study suggests that high seedling emergence but low seedling survival rate, and simple species composition especially the disappearance of perennial plants caused by HG may be an important factor leading to vegetation degradation in the semiarid grazed grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of automated software (iStroke) on magnetic resonance (MR) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) against ground truth in assessing infarct core, and compare the hypoperfusion volume and mismatch volume on iStroke with those on Food and Drug Administration-approved software (RAPID) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We used the single-volume decomposition method to develop the iStroke (iStroke; Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China) software. Patients with ischemic stroke were collected from two educational hospitals in China with MR-PWI performed in the emergency department within 24 h of symptom onset. Infarct core volume was defined as ADC < 620 × 10−6 mm2/s and hypoperfusion volume was defined as Tmax > 6 s. We compared the accuracy of infarct core volume using iStroke and RAPID (iSchema View Inc, Menlo Park, CA) software with ground truth. Results: We included 405 patients with acute ischemic stroke with MR ADC and PWI sequences. The infarct core volume on iStroke (median 2.43 ml, interquartile range [IQR] 0.60–10.32 ml) was not significantly different from the ground truth (median 2.89 ml, IQR 0.77–9.17 ml) (P = 0.07); Bland–Altman curves showed that the core volume of iStroke and RAPID software were comparable with each other on individual agreement with ground truth. The hypoperfusion volume and mismatch volume on iStroke were not statistically different from those on the RAPID software, respectively. In patients with large vessel occlusion (n = 74), the agreement between iStroke and RAPID was substantial (kappa = 0.76) according to DEFUSE 3 criteria (infarct core < 70 ml, mismatch volume ≥ 15 ml, and mismatch ratio ≥ 1.8). Conclusions: The iStroke automatic processing of ADC and PWI is a reliable software for the identification of diffusion–perfusion mismatch in acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Whether navigated total knee arthroplasty can improve the limb and component alignment is a matter of debate. This systematic literature review analyzed the differences on alignment outcomes between navigated total knee arthroplasty and conventional total knee arthroplasty. Methods: Multiple databases, online registers of randomized controlled trials were searched. Published and unpublished randomized controlled trials were included, and data on methodological quality, population, intervention, and outcomes were abstracted in duplicate. Data were pooled across studies, and odds ratios for categorical outcomes were calculated according to study sample size. Results: Twenty-one randomized controlled trials of varying methodological quality involving 2,414 patients were included. Statistically significant differences were observed between navigated group and conventional group in mechanical axis malalignment of >3° (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.38) and mechanical axis malalignment of >2° (odds ratio, 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.42). Navigated group had a lower risk of malalignment for both coronal femoral component and coronal tibial component of >3° and >2°. Both sagittal femoral component alignment and tibial slope showed statistical significance in favor of navigated arthroplasty at >2° and 3° malalignment. Conclusion: Meta-analysis indicates significant improvement in alignment of the limb and the component position with use of computer navigation system. Its clinical benefits are unclear and remain to be defined on a larger scale randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up. Level of evidence: Therapeutic study (Systematic review of Level-I studies with inconsistent results), Level II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-dimensional (1D) chain coordination polymer [Cd2L4(DMF)2]n (HL = C16H14N2O2) has been synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods, cyclic voltammetry and single crystal X-ray structure analysis. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system, and each Cd(II) of the complex is a six-coordinate with a distorted octahedral geometry. Cinnamaldehyde salicylhydrazone, C16H14N2O2 as bridging ligands, links the neighboring Cd(II) atoms in a head-to-tail mode. They construct an infinite zigzag chain along the c axis. Cyclic voltammetry shows that the complex has a weak reductive centered at −0.328 V and an oxidative peak at 0.410 V. Fluorescence spectra indicate that the band of complex at 285 nm has a 30 nm red-shift compared with HL. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present study, we focus on the interactions between poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimer and 18 of the 20 common amino acids by severalNMR techniques, including NMR titrations and NOESY analysis. Surfaceionic interactions and interior encapsulations were observed, andthe binding behavior of amino acids with PPI dendrimer depends muchon the side-chain properties of the amino acid, such as charge andhydrophobic/hydrophilic properties. The 1H NMR titrationresults show that the formation of PPI dendrimer–amino acidcomplexes are driven mainly by ionic interactions for all the aminoacids except tryptophan, which is involved in strong hydrophobic interactionswith the interior pockets of PPI. The hydrophobic encapsulation oftryptophan in PPI pockets is confirmed by NOESY analysis. Amino acidswith negatively charged residues much more easily saturate the surfacecharges on PPI than amino acids with uncharged residues, whereas aminoacids with positively charged residues are the most difficult to bindwith the surface amine groups on the PPI dendrimer. A simultaneousoccurrence of interior encapsulation (hydrophobic, hydrogen bond,or ionic interactions) and surface binding (ionic interactions) wasobserved for tryptophan, phenylalanine, arginine, lysine, histidine,cysteine, and asparagine, and a preferential surface ionic bindingon the PPI surface rather than encapsulations in the interior wasobtained for the other amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have attracted multidisciplinary study because of their unique physicochemical properties. Herein, the sorption of U(VI) from aqueous solution to oxidized MWCNTs was investigated as a function of contact time, pH and ionic strength. The results indicate that U(VI) sorption on oxidized MWCNTs is strongly dependent on pH and ionic strength. The sorption of U(VI) is mainly dominated by surface complexation and cation exchange. The sorption of U(VI) on oxidized MWCNTs is quickly to achieve the sorption equilibrium. The sorption capacity calculated from sorption isotherms suggests that oxidized MWCNTs are suitable material in the preconcentration and solidification of U(VI) from large volumes of aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were characterized by SEM and FTIR. The sorption of Th(IV) on MWCNTs was studied as a function of contact time, pH, ionic strength, Th(IV) concentration and temperature. The results indicate that the sorption of Th(IV) on MWCNTs is strongly dependent on pH and weakly dependent on ionic strength. The sorption thermodynamics of Th(IV) on MWCNTs was carried out at 293.15, 313.15 and 333.15 K, respectively, and the thermodynamic parameters (standard free energy changes (Δ G), standard enthalpy change (Δ H) and standard entropy change (Δ S)) were calculated from the temperature dependent sorption isotherms. The sorption of Th(IV) on MWCNTs is a spontaneous and endothermic process. The oxidized MWCNTs may be a promising candidate for the preconcentration and solidification of Th(IV), or its analogue actinides from large volumes of aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the author's examination to the relationships between anthropology and ethnic research in China. The author mentions the historical rise and fall of the conceptual force of the anthropological and ethnological nomenclature. He then follows the thinking of Fei Xiaotong with regard to plural oneness and his discussions on the history of ethnic group formation to investigate the genesis of ethnic setup in the Chinese history.

Abstract: Tanshinone I and its analogue dihydrotanshinone I are the major active components isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Salvia Przewalskii Maxim. These compounds have been found to possess significant antibacterial, anti-dermatophytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. Fifteen phase I metabolites and two phase II metabolites of tanshinone I and dihydrotanshinone I in rat bile were elucidated and identified by a sensitive HPLC–ESI-MS n method. The molecular structures of the metabolites are presented on the basis of the characteristics of their precursor ions, product ions and chromatographic retention times. The results indicate that the phase I metabolites are biotransformed through four main pathways: dehydrogenation, hydroxylation, furan ring cleavage and oxidation metabolism. Phase II metabolites were mainly identified as the sulfated conjugates which showed a characteristic neutral loss of 80Da. The biotransformed pathways of tanshinone I and dihydrotanshinone I were proposed on the basis of the investigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conclusions: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in children with hypoxemia might influence the nocturnal secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) that is associated with polyuria, even nocturia. Objective: The impact of OSAHS on the secretion levels of ADH was studied in pediatric patients with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Subjects and methods: Forty-eight children (28 with OSAHS, 20 as normal controls) were recruited in this study. Respiratory indexes of all subjects were monitored by polysomnography and 12-h urinary volume was recorded during sleep. Vein blood was sampled to detect the levels of ADH in serum using a radioimmunoassay technique, both before and after adenotonsillectomy. Results: After surgery for OSAHS, the mean value of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) decreased (from 17.36±2.61 to 3.32±1.41, p<0.001), lowest arterial oxygen saturation (LSaO2) increased (from 78.34±13.44 to 95.35±6.24, p<0.001), urine volume (UV) in nocturnal 12 h reduced (from 492±90 to 332±56, p<0.001), and ADH level increased (from 63.08±35.15 to 83.10±21.05, p<0.05). The differences in UV and ADH between postoperative children and healthy controls were not statistically significant (both p>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structural elucidation of the in vivo and in vitro metabolites of cryptotanshinone which was the major active component isolated from rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and possessed significant antibacterial, anti-dermatophytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities was described. Nineteen phase I metabolites and six phase II metabolites of cryptotanshinone were elucidated and identified by a sensitive LC–DAD–ESI–MS n method, and their molecular structures were proposed on the basis of the characteristics of their precursor ions, product ions, chromatographic retention time and ultraviolet spectra. The in vivo and in vitro phase I metabolites were mainly biotransformed by four main routes, which were dehydrogenation, hydroxylation, furan ring cleavage and oxidation metabolism, and among these phase I reactions, dehydrogenation was the predominant metabolic pathway. Six in vivo phase II metabolites were identified as the glucuronided and the sulfated conjugates which showed a neutral loss of 176 and 80Da, respectively. The biotransformation pathways of cryptotanshinone were proposed on the basis of this research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Acupoint embedding therapy is a treatment that embeds absorbable thread into target acupoints, so as to provide continuous stimulation to acupoints and to replace retained acupuncture. Many types of absorbable threads are available and generally can be divided into natural and synthetic polymers according to the source of material. According to the literature, the threads currently used in acupoint embedding have some limitations, and may cause side effects in clinical practice. Bioactive threads may be used to further reduce side effects and promote application of acupoint embedding. • Acupoint embedding provides sustainable stimulation and replaces retained acupuncture. • Absorbable natural and synthetic polymeric threads are available for embedding. • Catgut, chitosan, PLGA and PDS threads have limitations and may cause side effects. • Bioactive threads may reduce side effects and further researches are granted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structural elucidation of metabolites of penehyclidine in rats, a novel anti-cholinergic drug, by the method of liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with electron impact ion source and stable isotope ion cluster was described. Identification and elucidation of the phase I and phase II metabolites were performed by comparing the daughter ion pairs of stable isotope cluster, changes of the protonated molecular masses, full scan MS n spectra and retention times with those of the parent drug, penehyclidine and penehyclidine deuterium-labeled. Penehyclidine was easily biotransformed by the pathways of oxidative, hydroxylated, methoxylated and phase II conjugated reactions to form several metabolites that retained the some features of the parent molecules. Twelve metabolites (penehyclidine monoxide, hydroxypenehyclidine, penehyclidine dioxide, hydroxypenehyclidine monoxide, dihydroxypenehyclidine, dihydroxypenehyclidine (position isomer), dihydroxypenehyclidine monoxide, trihydroxypenehyclidine, methoxypenehyclidine dioxide, dimethoxypenehyclidine, trihydroxymethoxypenehyclidine and glucuronide conjugated hydroxypenehyclidine) were identified. The results from electrospray ion and electron impact ion data with the stable isotope cluster showed the qualitative differences in the mass spectral patterns, suggesting that these technologies should be used in parallel to ensure comprehensive metabolites detection and characterization. The described method has wide applicability to rapidly screen and provide structural information of metabolites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conclusions. Staphylococcal exotoxins (SEs), acting as superantigens, activate the beta variable chains of T-cell receptors (TCRVβ) with subsequent massive proliferation and corresponding excursion of gene spectra, thereby contributing to the etiology of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Objectives. To demonstrate the presence of SEs in sinonasal mucosa, and determine the effect of superantigens on the T cells expressing the target of superantigen, i.e. TCRVβ in patients with CRSwNP. Materials and methods. Nasal mucosa and sinonasal polyp tissue specimens were obtained from 37 patients with CRS (22 with bilateral nasal polyps, 15 without nasal polyps). Specimens were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for SEs (SEA, SEB, SEC, SED) and toxic shock syndrome toxin type-1 (TSST-1), and analyzed by flow cytometry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively, to determine the expression of TCRVβ repertoire. Results. In the CRSwNP subjects 12 of 22 samples (54.54%) demonstrated reactivity for staphylococcal exotoxins. There was no positive result in the CRS without nasal polyps or normal control group. There was a high percentage of Vβ+ T cells in the superantigen-positive group. The expressional intensity of Vβ3, 14, 15, 17, and 20 was specifically enhanced in SEB-positive subjects, as well as that of Vβ2 and 6.1-3 in specimens that were TSST-1-positive compared with those that were negative for superantigens (all p<0.05). There were no dominantly expressed Vβ fragments in ELISA-negative specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the social anthropology of villages in Taibei country, Taiwan. Relationships among popular authority and social power; Social order, morality and state-society relations; Life history of local popular authorities.

To deal with the threat of urban flooding, it is necessary to assess the flood resilience of urban drainage systems at the planning and design stage. This study proposes a system resilience assessment methodology based on a 'do-nothing' benchmark. In this new benchmark, the number of flooded nodes used in computation of mean flood duration in the system is that observed under a 'do-nothing' scenario (i.e. with no intervention), irrespective of the scenario under evaluation. This methodology is demonstrated using a case study in Chizhou city, China, a simple stormwater drainage network with seven subcatchments. Schemes of interventions (with distributed storage tanks) that aim to mitigate flooding are then produced by zero-one integer programming and schemes sampling. The results show that the proposed method can compute the mean flood duration and system resilience reasonably and helps identify effective intervention schemes. Compared with traditional methods, this resilience assessment method based on a 'do-nothing' scenario can correctly indicate the change in trend of system resilience provided by different schemes, and aids understanding of different interventions to improve system resilience to urban flooding. This study also provides a new way to test different interventions and to explore which provide the greatest improvement in system resilience. • A system resilience assessment methodology based on a 'do-nothing' benchmark is presented. • The number of flooded nodes in the system is determined on a 'do-nothing' basis. • Schemes of interventions are produced by zero-one integer programming and schemes sampling. • The method will help understanding of different interventions and improve system resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity supply quality (ESQ) is critical for healthy economic production, and regional differences in ESQ can widen economic development gaps. To contribute to a more equitable regional development, this study first develops a Gini index of ESQ distribution to measure the inequality among different cities. Then, an econometric model based on the Cobb–Douglas production function is established to quantify the effects of ESQ on regional economy. Finally, we estimate the impacts of ESQ improvement on reducing the economic inequality. The main results show that: (1) Substantial differences exist among the regional ESQ, and the national GDP-based ESQ Gini index was 0.720 in 2018. (2) A GDP-based Lorenz curve has a higher Gini coefficient than the population-based one does, while inequalities in cites are greater than those in rural areas. (3) The ESQ has significant impacts on the regional economic output, and a 1% reduction in the ESQ will, on average, reduce the city-level output by 0.142%. (4) ESQ improvement can significantly narrow the economic gap by up to 24.9%, that is, the ESQ Gini index of GDP distribution will decrease from 0.329 to 0.247 according to our scenario designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The TiO 2 layer deposited by ALD was proven to be an effective protective film for lithium anode. • The TiO 2 layer promoted uniform deposition of Li+ and effectively inhibited the growth of lithium dendrites. • Optimized thickness of TiO 2 with ~5 nm was obtained (ALD 50 cycles). • Battery cycling performance was effectively enhanced with TiO 2 layer assistance. The TiO 2 artificial SEI layer (~5 nm) prepared by low-temperature ALD equipment was demonstrated to be the optimal thickness for achieving Li anode extra-long cycle stability. ga1 Uncontrollable dendrite growth during the repeated plating/stripping of Li ions induces short cycle life and safety issues, which has severely impeded the practical application of lithium metal battery. It is acknowledged that the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is pivotal for Li metal anode stabilization. Here, a lithium metal anode coated with an artificial SEI film as the working electrode is applied. The TiO 2 coating layer is firstly demonstrated for the lithium metal anode protection via atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. Thanks to the ultrathin TiO 2 layer, dendritic growth is suppressed and the cycling lifetime is significantly improved. Additionally, the thickness of TiO 2 protective layer has been further optimized. Comparing with other different thickness TiO 2 layer, 5 nm TiO 2 layer is found to be the optimized parameter toward capacity, cycling stability and rate capability in both symmetric battery system and full-cell system. The TiO 2 layer promoted uniform deposition of Li+ and effectively inhibited the growth of lithium dendrites. Symmetric Li/50TiO 2 ||Li/50TiO 2 battery could cycle stably for more than 1600 h at 1 mA cm−2, and more than 500 h at 3 mA cm−2 and 10 mA cm−2 current density. The Li/50TiO 2 ||NCM622 full-cell exhibited better rate performance and long-cycle performance, which capacity retention was increased by 23.3% compared to bare electrode after 100 cycles at 0.5 C charge-discharge current density. Furthermore, the inherent working mechanism of TiO 2 artificial SEI film has been proposed. This work provides an effective and new alternative method for lithium metal anodes protection, which is critical for the future design of next-generation Li metal batteries under safe operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil carbon (C) is comprised of a continuum of organic compounds with distinct ages (i.e., the time a C atom has experienced in soil since the C atom entered soil). The contribution of different age groups to soil C efflux is critical for understanding soil C stability and persistence, but is poorly understood due to the complexity of soil C pool age structure and potential distinct turnover behaviors of age groups. Here, we build upon the quantification of soil C transit times to infer the age of C atoms in soil C efflux (aefflux) from seven sequential soil layer depths down to 2 m at a global scale, and compare this age with radiocarbon‐inferred ages of C retained in corresponding soil layers (asoil). In the whole 0–2 m soil profile, the mean aefflux is 194211021 (mean with 5%–95% quantiles) year and is just about one‐eighth of asoil (14767172547 year), demonstrating that younger C dominates soil C efflux. With increasing soil depth, both aefflux and asoil are increased, but their disparities are markedly narrowed. That is, the proportional contribution of relatively younger soil C to efflux is decreased in deeper layers, demonstrating that C inputs (new and young) stay longer in deeper layers. Across the globe, we find large spatial variability of the contribution of soil C age groups to C efflux. Especially, in deep soil layers of cold regions (e.g., boreal forests and tundra), aefflux may be older than asoil, suggesting that older C dominates C efflux only under a limited range of conditions. These results imply that most C inputs may not contribute to long‐term soil C storage, particularly in upper layers that hold the majority of new C inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasping force optimization (GFO) is a crucial step in multi-arm manipulation tasks, aiming to suitably distribute the external force applied on the target to manipulators. The problem has not been applied to the field of space robot, which is more complex than ground mechanisms due to the dynamic coupling effect and multiple constraints. This paper presents the GFO method for the dual-arm space robot after capturing target. The problem is formulated as a convex optimization problem, which considers the friction constraints and generalized input constraints synthetically. The input constraints are derived for the space robotic system which contain both kinematic and dynamic characteristics. In order to reduce the dimension of the problem, a convenient method based on the concept of task compatibility is proposed to obtain the initial value and decouple the input constraints from the optimization problem. Meanwhile, the line search method based on eigenvalue analysis is adopted to determine the step size. Finally, simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method for different target motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Top coordination in on-orbit assembly is formulated as allocation over SR and MR tasks among modular robots. • Receding optimization as an important concept in model predictive control is extended to realize dynamic task allocation. • A two-stage ECBBA is developed to satisfy the precedence constraint and the requirements of MR tasks. On-orbit assembly of large infrastructures plays a pivotal role in future space missions. Taking the process of extraction of one assembling object, its transportation and placement by one or several modular robots as a single-robot (SR) or multi-robot (MR) assembling tasks, this paper investigates the problem of designing a task allocation method, so as to realize the adaptive coordination among modular robots. A receding task allocation method is developed to solve this problem in a dynamic and decentralized manner. By proposing the receding-task strategy, the allocation over all tasks is formulated as the allocations at each triggering time over receding tasks to reduce the online computational complexity, where the receding optimization and triggering mechanism based on real-time information can improve the adaptability to a dynamic environment. In order to satisfy the precedence constraints from assembly sequence and the special task requirements about MR tasks, a decentralized algorithm which is an extension of the consensus based bundle algorithm is designed for the allocation of receding tasks, which can reduce the online computational burden of individuals. Numerical simulations are carried out to validate the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense metal membranes are widely studied due to their promising performance in hydrogen separation. In this work, the low-cost dense iron (Fe) hollow fiber membranes (FeHFMs) were developed via the phase inversion and high-temperature sintering method. By tuning the preparation conditions, two typical gas-tight hollow fibers referred to as the sandwich- and honeycomb-structured membranes were successfully synthesized. H 2 permeation behavior was well described by Sieverts equation based on the solution-diffusion mechanism. The sandwich-structured FeHFMs had an H 2 flux of up to 7.51 mmol m−2 s−1 when operated at a temperature of 850 °C. In comparison, the honeycomb-structured FeHFMs further enhanced the H 2 flux by a factor of 3.2 due to the optimized membrane morphology with only one single dense iron layer. The developed FeHFMs showed superior H 2 permeation stability in thermal shock tests (40 h) and long-term stability tests (120 h). This work also expanded the potential application horizons of the FeHFMs, which can be easily tailored into porous or dense structures by tuning the sintering conditions. [Display omitted] • Low-cost Fe hollow fiber membranes are fabricated for H 2 separation. • H 2 flux is improved to ∼24 mmolm−2s−1 by adjusting the morphology of the membrane. • The membrane exhibits excellent stability in hydrogen permeation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no targeted rehabilitation training modalities and assessment tools for patients after transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA). Herein, we develop a new assessment questionnaire and rehabilitation training modality and evaluate its safety and effectiveness. The THYCA-QoL-TOETVA questionnaire was compiled, and reliability and validity analyses were performed. Patients were divided into the new rehabilitation training group (N) or the conventional rehabilitation training group (C), and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed after administering questionnaires to patients in both groups. Cervical range of motion (CROM) data were also measured and collected for statistical analysis. The questionnaire used in this study showed good expert authority, coordination, internal consistency, and questionnaire reliability. A total of 476 patients were included after PSM, and the questionnaire results showed that recovery and quality of life were better in the N group than in the C group (124.55 ± 8.171 vs. 122.94 ± 8.366, p = 0.026). Analysis of cervical spine mobility showed that rehabilitation was better in the N group compared to the C group at postoperative one month (flexion: 1.762°, extension: 4.720°, left lateral bending: 3.912°, right lateral bending: 4.061°, left axial rotation: 5.180°, right axial rotation: 5.199°, p value all of these < 0.001), and at postoperative three months (flexion: 2.866°, extension: 2.904°, left lateral bending: 3.927°, right lateral bending: 3.330°, left axial rotation: 4.395°, right axial rotation: 3.992°, p value all of these < 0.001). The THYCA-QoL-TOETVA provides an appropriate and effective tool for measuring the postoperative quality of life of TOETVA patients. This new rehabilitation training can effectively alleviate the problem of limited neck movement and improve the quality of life of patients after TOETVA surgery. Trial registration: ChiCTR2300069097. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a very common malignancy of the digestive system. Despite a variety of treatments including surgery, chemotherapeutic and targeted drugs, the prognosis for patients with CRC is still unsatisfactory and the mortality remains high. Protein phosphorylation plays an essential role in tumorigenesis and progression and is also crucial for protein to act with proper functions. Ferroptosis is found widely involved in various diseases especially tumors as a newly identified programmed cell death. Methods: In our study, we aimed at PPP2CA as a prospective target which may play a crucial role in CRC progression. In one hand, knockdown of PPP2CA significantly enhanced the malignant phenotype in HCT116. In the other hand, knockdown of PPP2CA significantly enhanced Erastin-induced ferroptosis as well. Results: Specifically, knockdown of PPP2CA in HCT116 significantly increased the relative level of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Fe2+, and decreased GSH/GSSG ratio after the treatment of certain concentration of Erastin. Besides, we found that the inhibition of PPP2CA further led to the suppression of SCD1 expression in CRC cells in a AMPK-dependent way. Conclusion: Ultimately, we conclude that PPP2CA may regulate Erastin-induced ferroptosis through AMPK/SCD1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc–chlorine battery with high discharge voltage and attractive theoretical energy density is expected to become an important technology for large‐scale energy storage. However, the practical application of Zn–Cl2 batteries has been restricted due to the Cl2 cathode with sluggish kinetics and low Coulombic efficiency (CE). Here, an aqueous Zn–Cl2 battery using an inexpensive and effective MnO2 redox adsorbent (referred to Zn‐Cl2@MnO2 battery) to modulate the electrochemical performance of the Cl2 cathode is developed. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the existence of the intermediate state Clads free radical catalyzed by MnO2 on the Cl2 cathode contributes to the charge storage capacity, which is the key to modulate the electrode and improve the electrochemical performance. Further analysis of the Cl2 cathode kinetics discloses the adsorption and catalytic roles of the MnO2 redox adsorbent. The Zn–Cl2@MnO2 battery displays an enhanced discharge voltage of 2.0 V at a current density of 2.5 mA cm−2, and stable 1000 cycles with an average CE of 91.6%, much superior to the conventional Zn–Cl2 battery with an average CE of only 66.8%. The regulation strategy to the Cl2 cathode provides opportunities for the future development of aqueous Zn‐Cl2 batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a type of intestinal cancer that causes more than 600,000 deaths every year. Overcoming the problems of metastasis requires detailed studies to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms. This study aims to reveal the molecular mechanism of CRC metastasis involving non-coding RNA regulation. The expression profile of FTH1P3 was analyzed based on the data of TCGA-COAD patient cohorts. Q-PCR analysis was performed to validate the expression of FTH1P3 in colorectal cancer cells. JASPR was used to screen transcription factors of FTH1P3. q-ChIP analysis was used to validate the target between FTH1P3 and transcription factor. Scratch assay and transwell assay were used to evaluate the migration and invasion ability of colorectal cancer cells. FTH1P3 is highly expressed in CRC patient cohort. FTH1P3 induced migration and invasion of SW480 cell through regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, FTH1P3 is a direct target of SNAI2. SNAI2 promotes the expression of FTH1P3. Both FTH1P3 and SNAI2 were directly targeted and repressed by miR-218-5p. Interestingly, ectopic FTH1P3 caused a decreased miR-218-5p level and an elevated nucleic SNAI2 protein expression level. Of note, only ectopic SNAI2 protein resulted in a repressed miR-218-5p and an increased FTH1P3, whereas SNAI2 3'UTR failed to affect the expression of miR-218-5p and FTH1P3. SNAI2 transcriptionally activates FTH1P3 expression. Both SNAI2 and FTH1P3 are targets of miR-218-5p. SNAI2/FTH1P3/miR-218-5p form a positive feedback loop in the regulation of CRC metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study some noncooperative and cooperative stochastic differential games between two insurers with reinsurance controls. The surplus processes are modeled by diffusion approximation processes and the insurers can purchase reinsurance dynamically (i.e. control the drift and diffusion terms continuously over time). We consider two types of reinsurance: quota-share (QS) reinsurance and excess-of-loss (XL) reinsurance. In the noncooperative game, one insurer tries to minimize the probability that the surplus difference of the two insurers reaches a low target before it hits a high target, while the other aims to maximize the probability. We consider two cases of the game: in the first case, both insurers purchase XL reinsurance; and in the second case, one insurer purchases QS reinsurance while the other purchases XL reinsurance. In some parameter cases, we solve the game by finding the value function and Nash equilibrium strategy explicitly. In some parameter cases, the value function and Nash equilibrium strategy do not exist and we find the sup-value and sub-value functions of the game. We also establish and solve a cooperative game in which both insurers make joint efforts to minimize the probability that the sum of surplus processes reaches a low target before it hits a high target. Numerical examples and economic implications are given to illustrate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of a boronate-affinity based adsorption-assisted isomerization strategy: an innovative and sustainable approach for high-efficiency isomerize and simultaneously isolate of high-purity lactulose with Y Lu ~ 51% and Pu Lu > 95%. • Adsorption-assisted isomerization strategy based on boronate-affinity is provided. • One-step production and isolation of high-purity lactulose is achieved concurrently. • Lactose-to-lactulose isomerization equilibrium was significantly improved up to 51% • A pure (>95%) and 5-folds concentrate lactulose is gained via sequential desorption. • Excellent operational stability of the strategy favors its sustainable applications. The production of lactulose via aldose-to-ketose chemo-catalytic isomerization of lactose exhibits an unfavorable equilibrium with a thermodynamically-limited yield. Isolation of high-purity lactulose from lactose-containing mixtures presents another challenge due to their high structural similarity. Herein, we present an innovative and sustainable adsorption-assisted isomerization strategy based on molecular recognition with phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized adsorbent (PBA-adsorbent) for combined adsorption-assisted isomerization and simultaneous purification of lactulose. The applied macroporous PBA-adsorbent exhibited high lactulose adsorption capacity (~120 mg/g) with excellent lactulose selectivity (>80%), regardless of the lactulose-to-lactose ratio within a practical range (≥1:9). Through a typical pH-controlled two-stage sequential desorption process, the adsorbed lactulose could be recovered in an acidic solution (0.1 M HCl) as a pure (purity > 95%) and concentrated lactulose stream (12.13 g/L), with a recovery ratio of over 90%. To further improve the lactose-to-lactulose isomerization efficiency, the PBA-adsorbent-dominated adsorption-assisted strategy was investigated. Through batch- or in situ selective binding of the newly formed lactulose catalyzed by Na 2 HPO 4 + NaOH, the isomerization equilibrium was significantly improved and the net results showed enhanced lactulose yield of up to ~51% with limited byproduct formation. Notably, both the PBA-adsorbent and the alkaline solution could be reused and recycled, and the structure of the PBA-adsorbent remained unchanged after being regenerated and reused multiple times. A possible mechanism involving pH-responsive activation, selective-competitive binding, and sequential desorption-regeneration is proposed to explain the high-efficiency of adsorption-assisted isomerization. For the first time, our results validate the potential of the applied adsorption-assisted isomerization strategy to simultaneously isomerize and isolate high-purity lactulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]