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To understand the characteristics of longitudinal grouting quality, this paper developed a stress wave-based active sensing method using piezoceramic transducers to detect longitudinal grouting quality of the prestressed curved tendon ducts. There were four lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers installed in the same longitudinal plane. One of them, mounted on the bottom of the curved tendon duct, was called as an actuator for generating stress waves. The other three, pasted on the top of the curved tendon duct, were called as sensors for detecting the wave responses. The experimental process was divided into five states during the grouting, which included 0%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% grouting. The voltage signals, power spectral density (PSD) energy and wavelet packet energy were adopted in this research. Experimental results showed that all the amplitudes of the above analysis indicators were small before the grouting reached 90%. Only when the grouting degree reached the 100% grouting, these parameters increased significantly. The results of different longitudinal PZT sensors were mainly determined by the distance from the generator, the position of grouting holes, and the fluidity of grouting materials. These results showed the longitudinal grouting quality can be effectively evaluated by analyzing the difference between the signals received by the PZT transducers in the curved tendon duct. The devised method has certain application value in detecting the longitudinal grouting quality of prestressed curved tendon duct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new metal-organic frameworks {[Ni 0.5 (DTA) 0.5 (H 2 O)]‧H 2 O} n (1) and [Ni(DTA)] n (2), where H 2 DTA = 2,5-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)terephthalic acid, were constructed from the same reaction system at 120 °C and 180 °C, respectively. Different reaction temperatures were found to trigger different assembly processes and final structures. Single-crystal X-ray analyses show that compound 1 exhibits a 2D layered structure, further forming a 3D supramolecular by hydrogen bonding, while compound 2 shows 2-fold interpenetrating 3D framework with PtS topology. Compounds 1 – 2 have been evaluated as electrode materials for supercapacitors. The results show that compound 1 exhibits better electrochemical performance than 2. It may be ascribed to 2D layered structures facilitating electron transport and sufficient interlayer spaces available for the storage. Image 1 • Two Ni-based MOFs were synthesized and structurally characterized. • Different reaction temperatures were found to trigger diverse assembly processes. • Ni-DTA-2D exhibits better superior electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effect of inhaled mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide (CO) on neuroethology. Fifty 6-week-old male Kunming mice were exposed in five similar static chambers; zero (control) and four different doses of VOC and CO mixtures (G1–G4) for 10 consecutive days and 2 h/day. The compounds and concentrations were as follows: formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, and CO as 0.10 + 0.11 + 0.20 + 0.20 + 10.00 mg/m3, 0.20 + 0.22 + 0.40 + 0.40 + 20.00 mg/m3, 1.00 + 1.10 + 2.00 + 2.00 + 100.00 mg/m3, and 5.00 + 5.50 + 10.00 + 10.00 + 500.00 mg/m3, respectively, which corresponded to 1, 2, 10, and 50 times the indoor air quality standard in China. Morris water maze and grip strength tests were performed during the exposure experiment. One day following the final exposure, oxidative damage levels, monoamine neurotransmitters, monoamine oxidase (MAO), and morphology of mice brain were analyzed. Escape latency, dopamine, norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin decreased significantly, while total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, and MAO increased significantly in G3 and G4. In addition, there were morphological changes and degeneration of neurons in the dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus in G4. Results showed that the inhaled mixtures of VOCs and CO affected learning and memory of mice. The impairment of monoamine neurotransmitter associated with MAO may be one of the mechanisms of learning and memory impairment of the mice induced by the mixtures of VOCs and CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enantioseparation of five flavanone glycosides was first performed on the cellulose tris-(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate). • The influence of acid additives, the type and proportion of organic modifiers, and column temperature has been studied. • Molecular docking of CDCPC with five pairs of enantiomers was firstly carried out. • The structure–property relationships between analyte's structure and chiral separation parameters were summarized. In this study, the chiral separation of five flavanone glycosides was first examined on the cellulose tris-(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate) (CDCPC) chiral stationary phase (CSP) in the normal phase mode. The influence of acid additives, the type and proportion of organic modifiers, and column temperature were systematically evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum chromatographic conditions, hesperidin, eriocitrin, neohesperidin, naringin and narirutin enantiomers were completely or partially separated with resolutions of 2.56, 2.28, 1.84, 2.94 and 0.85. Moreover, to gain a better understanding of the chiral recognition mechanism, detailed computational simulations of CDCPC interacting with five pairs of enantiomers were carried out using molecular docking. The docking result demonstrated that the chiral recognition of analytes on CDCPC was an exothermic process which governed hydrogen bond, hydrophobic and unfavorable interaction. This work hoped to provide some guidance for the subsequent analysis of flavanone glycosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technetium-99m (99mTc) is an important medical radionuclide. Due to the crisis in supply of molybdenum-99 (99Mo), production of 99mTc directly via the 100Mo (p, 2 n) reaction by cyclotron was proposed. In this process, the most critical challenge is to rapidly and efficiently separate 99mTc from high concentration of molybdenum. In this work, a novel ligand, bis(N,N -dibutyldiglycolamide)dibenzo-18-crown-6 (BisDBDGA-DB18C6) was successfully synthesized and used for extraction of TcO 4 - /ReO 4 - from molybdenum. The results demonstrated that BisDBDGA-DB18C6 expressed excellent selectivity for TcO 4 - with a high separation factor of 1.6 × 105 against Mo, a fast extraction kinetic (within 45 s), and a high extraction capacity of 211 mmol ReO 4 - (99TcO 4 -)/per mole of extractant. The extraction mechanism was proposed as a co-interaction of macrocyclic crown ether and N,N -dibutyldiglycolamide group through slope analysis, FT-IR, ESI-MS, 1H NMR titration and theory calculations. Importantly, 99Tc in the organic phase can be quantitatively (> 99%) and easily back-extracted using deionized water, which can be directly used for medical applications. [Display omitted] • A novel ligand BisDBDGA-DB18C6 was first prepared. • The tailored BisDBDGA-DB18C6 exhibits ultrafast extraction kinetic (within 45 s). • Superior extraction performance toward Tc/Re over Mo is confirmed and evaluated. • The solution is stripped with deionized water for direct medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on enzymatic-like reaction mediated etching of gold nanorods (GNRs), an ultrasensitive visual method was developed for on-site detection of urine glucose. With the catalysis of MoO 4 2 − , GNRs were efficiently etched by H 2 O 2 which was generated by glucose-glucose oxidase enzymatic reaction. The etching of GNRs lead to a blue-shift of logitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance of GNRs, accompanied by an obvious color change from blue to red. The peak-shift and the color change can be used for detection of glucose by the spectrophotometer and the naked eyes. Under optimal condition, an excellent sensitivity toward glucose is obtained with a detection limit of 0.1 μM and a visual detection limit of 3 μM in buffer solution. Benefiting from the high sensitivity, the successful colorimetric detection of glucose in original urine samples was achieved, which indicates the practical applicability to the on-site determination of urine glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The wind tunnel adopts an open-circuit, open-jet, and suction style. • The wind tunnel is suitable for studying the self-noise of low-speed axial fans and airfoils. • The turbulence intensity of the free jet in the potential core is measured between 0.15 and 0.22%. • The noise levels of all test models at the frequencies of interest are far over the background noise. A small-scale acoustic wind tunnel has been newly built at Wenzhou University to study the aerodynamic noise generation and suppression for various bodies immersed in a fluid flow, especially for the airfoil and low-speed axial fans. The design principle, the overall layout, and key components of the wind tunnel are presented in this paper. This open-circuit and suction-type wind tunnel has an open-jet test section of 0.5 m × 0.4 m and can achieve a maximum wind speed of 60 m/s, corresponding to the Reynolds number of 1.8 × 106 based on the hydraulic diameter of the tunnel. The acoustic characteristics of the wind tunnel have shown a satisfactory result of low background noise levels comparable to other university wind tunnels worldwide. The turbulence intensity of the free jet in the potential core is measured between 0.15 and 0.22 %. Aeroacoustic measurements have been finally performed on a few benchmark models, including a rectangular cavity, a flat plate with blunt/sharp trailing edges, a tandem rod-airfoil, and a circular rod. The noise levels of all test models at the frequencies of interest are far in excess of the free-jet background noise, making the wind tunnel well suitable for aerodynamic noise studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we have carefully investigated iodine-mediated etching of gold nanorods (AuNRs) in the presence of iodate and applied this phenomenon to on-site detection of dissolved oxygen (DO). Under given conditions, the quantitative conversion of target analytes DO to iodine leads to the etching of AuNRs along the longitudinal direction with the aid of cetyltrimethylammonium. As a result, the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance shifts to a short wavelength. The peak-shift can be used for quantitative determination of DO and iodate by a spectrophotometer. The satisfactory results from DO detection in different water samples and iodate detection in table salt indicate the feasibility of the proposed methods. Moreover, the as-prepared colorimetric test paper would make the detection more economical and simpler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, a tertiary level hospital in Beijing, China.Methods: We defined HAI using the criteria established by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China. Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted from 2012 to 2014. Inpatients who had been hospitalized for at least 48 h were surveyed. Information on HAI prevalence, isolated pathogens and use of antibiotics were collected. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between HAI and potential risk factors.Results: During three cross-sectional surveys, a total number of 4,029 patients were included (1,233 patients in 2012, 1,220 patients in 2013 and 1,576 patients in 2014). The overall prevalence of patients with HAI was 3.6 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 3.1 %-4.2 %). Respiratory tract infections were the most common type (64.7 %) of HAIs, followed by urinary tract infections (12.6 %) and bloodstream infections (5.4 %). HAI occurrences were significantly associated with male sex (odds ratio (OR) = 2.25, 95 % CI 1.53-3.32), age over 85 years (OR = 4.74, 95 % CI 2.54-8.83), hospitalization in the intensive care units (ICUs) (OR = 2.42, 95 % CI 1.31-4.49), indwelling urinary catheter (OR = 4.21, 95 % CI 2.46-7.20) and mechanical ventilation (OR = 2.31, 95 % CI 1.30-4.09). Gram-negative bacteria were found to be the most isolated pathogens (67.1 %), with gram-positive bacteria and fungi accounted for 20.3 % and 10.5 %, respectively. Antibiotics were administered to 34.3 % of the included patients over the study period.Conclusions: The overall HAI prevalence in our hospital is similar to previous studies that were conducted in other areas of China, and the respiratory tract infection should be the priority in HAI reduction control within China. We should focus HAI reduction efforts on patients with advanced age, hospitalization in the ICU and indwelling devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When exposed to sulfuric acid environments, the service life of concrete structures would be reduced due to the high alkalinity of concrete. The influence of three factors including water/cement ratio, the pH value of the solution, and the chemical composition of the aggregate on the resistance of concrete subjected to sulfuric acid has been widely investigated by previous researchers. This paper aims to investigate the influence of these three factors on the durability evaluation indicators including mass loss and surface fractal dimension through orthogonal experiments, which has been reported rarely in previous research. Four combinations of coarse and fine aggregate including gravel and river sand, gravel and crushed marble sand, crushed marble stone and river sand, and crushed marble stone and marble sand were adopted, and three water/cement ratios including 0.35, 0.45, and 0.55 were selected, and the sulfuric acid solution pH values 0.95, 2, and 4 were chosen in this paper. The results showed that the larger the water/cement ratio, the smaller the mass loss and the surface fractal dimension of the specimens, and with the decrease of the pH value of the sulfuric acid solution, the mass loss and the surface fractal dimension of the specimens would be increased. The concrete specimen containing gravel and river sand had the greatest surface fractal dimension and greatest mass loss, while the concrete specimen containing crushed marble sand had a smaller surface fractal dimension and a smaller mass loss. The dominant and secondary order of three factors on mass loss and surface fractal dimension of concrete subjected to sulfuric acid was the pH value of the solution > the chemical composition of the aggregate > the water/cement ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Research Article Exosomal TUBB3 mRNA expression of metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer patients: Association with patient outcome under abiraterone by Hao Zeng et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.4168. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies indicate that the pattern of shear stress determines the direction of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) differentiation. However, the mechanism remains largely unknown. Herein, we try to identify the role of oscillatory shear stress (OSS) in the transdifferentiation of EPCs into mesenchymal cells and the mechanism involved. OSS was applied to EPCs using the flow chamber system in vitro. Matrigel, Boyden chamber, and healing assay were used to observe the changes in EPCs function. Further, 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) probe and/or western blot were performed to detect the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS), p53 and PKCζ in EPCs. EPCs transduced with Lentivirus carrying Tp53 were implanted into the arterial vessel in the balloon injured rat model, and neointimal thickening was verified by HE staining. OSS enhanced the expression of mesenchymal cell markers alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and smooth muscle 22 alpha (SM22α) on EPCs. In the meantime, OSS time-dependently decreased p53 expression in EPCs, which was partially abolished by treatment with ROS scavenger N -acetylcysteine (NAC) or protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ) inhibitor Go6983. Moreover, the p53 agonist tenovin-1 attenuated the changes of OSS-mediated the mesenchymal cell markers and EPCs function. Besides, we also found that transplanting EPCs transfected with LV-Tp53 significantly inhibited neointimal thickening and promoted reendothelialization in vivo. This study demonstrates OSS-induced EPC transdifferentiation into mesenchymal cells and ROS/PKCζ/p53 pathway play an essential role in it. It may serve as a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease in the future. • Oscillatory shear stress promotes the transition of rat EPCs into mesenchymal cells. • Shear stress-induced EPC endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition is closely related to p53. • Oscillatory shear stress down regulate p53 expression through ROS/PKC ζ pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to uneven development and unbalanced resource endowments within China, ensuring reliable energy, water and food supply is a core challenge to regional socio-economic development. This study makes a first attempt to examine and compare demand-driven energy, water and arable land (E-W-L) resource outsourcings within China based on the latest multi-regional input-output model. Results show that interprovincial trade reallocated 73.4%, 33.9% and 38.1% of the national total E-W-L resource inputs in 2012, respectively. Investment was the dominant final demand category for driving energy requirements, while consumption was the leading final demand category for water and arable land requirements. Important provincial regions and critical transmission sectors for the trade of embodied E-W-L resources are identified. Substantial E-W-L resources were transferred from the central and western regions to the eastern regions. Especially, Inner Mongolia was the top interregional net exporter of embodied energy, while Jiangsu topped the net importer list. Regarding virtual water transfer, Xinjiang and Shandong were the biggest interregional net exporters and net importers, respectively, while Heilongjiang and Guangdong stood out in the net trade of embodied arable land. Owing to the impact of interprovincial trade, the resource occupancy levels of the eastern developed area were much higher than those of the northeastern, central and western areas. The imbalances in the levels of socio-economic development amongst provincial regions are mirrored by their patterns of E-W-L uses and related trade transfer. Understanding the synchronal outsourcings of E-W-L resource requirements provides important implications for targeted resource management in Chinese interprovincial supply chains. • Energy, water and arable land resource outsourcings within China are examined. • Consumption-based accounting contributes to revealing resource inequality issue. • Eastern developed regions induce large amounts of resource transfers via trade. • Regional uneven development leads to the unequal access to resources. • Managing interprovincial supply chains can reduce resource footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly Efficient electrocatalyst was constructed by using template-assisted approach. • Fe nanocrystals, high content of active sites and porous structure contributed to the remarkable ORR performance. • It opens up a general way to design of TM, N-decorated 3D porous electrocatalysts. Rational engineering of simple, economical and durable nonprecious metal electrocatalyst with excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity is crucial for the electrochemical energy conversion devices, such as metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Here, we developed a highly efficient ORR electrocatalyst with rich and well-dispersed Fe-N x active sites and iron nanocrystals decorated three dimension (3D) porous carbonaceous matrix by a rational designed carbonaceous spheres templated strategy. The fabricated electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding ORR activity with onset potential of 1.0 V and half-wave potential of 0.90 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in alkaline media, which is much better than benchmark Pt/C. In addition, it presents particularly better performance in terms of superior stability and excellent methanol tolerance capacity. Experimental studies display that the remarkable ORR activity primarily originates from the synergetic effect of rich Fe-N x active sites, sufficient carbon encapsulated metallic iron nanocrystals and desired meso/microporous structure. What worth to point out is that the facile synthetic technique can be extended to fabricate other low cost highly active transition metal-N-carbon scaffolds ORR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osmotic stress is a major abiotic stress limiting crop production by affecting plant growth and development. Although previous reports discovered that methane (CH4) has a beneficial effect on osmotic stress, the corresponding downstream signal(s) is still elusive. Results: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment progressively stimulated the production of CH4 in germinating mung bean seeds. Exogenous CH4 and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) not only triggered nitric oxide (NO) production in PEG-stressed plants, but also alleviated the inhibition of seed germination. Meanwhile, amylase activity was activated, thus accelerating the formation of reducing sugar and total soluble sugar. Above responses could be impaired by NO scavenger(s), suggesting that CH4-induced stress tolerance was dependent on NO. Subsequent tests showed that CH4 could reestablish redox balance in a NO-dependent fashion. The addition of inhibitors of the nitrate reductase (NR) and NO synthase in mammalian (NOS), suggested that NR and NOS-like protein might be partially involved in CH4-alleviated seed germination inhibition. In vitro and scavenger tests showed that NO-mediated S-nitrosylation might be associated with above CH4 responses. Conclusions: Together, these results indicated an important role of endogenous NO in CH4-enhanced plant tolerance against osmotic stress, and NO-regulated redox homeostasis and S-nitrosylation might be involved in above CH4 action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Not enough is known about the prevalence of overweight and obesity in rural China in the current decade. We aim to update our knowledge of the prevalence of obesity and its associated risk factors and comorbidities in a large population sample in rural Northeast China.Methods: A population-based survey of 11,579 participants aged 35 years and older was conducted in rural areas of Liaoning Province during 2012-2013. Anthropometric measurements, information on health-related variables and blood biochemical indexes were collected by well-trained personnel.Results: The prevalence of general obesity and overweight was found to be 7.8% and 37.2%, respectively. The overall prevalence of abdominal obesity was 15.1%. Female gender, ethnic minority, middle-school education and a family income of 5,000-20,000 CNY per year were found to be risk factors for general obesity, while older age, female gender, ethnic minority and longer sleep duration (>8 h/d) increased the risk of abdominal obesity, after adjusting for confounders. Overweight and obese participants had significantly higher risks to develop prehypertension, hypertension, high LDL-C and low HDL-C compared with normal weight participants, while abdominal obesity was associated with increased risks of diabetes and high TG after adjusted for multiple factors. Compared with participants with a normal BMI and no abdominal obesity, the participants classified as abdominally obese and normal BMI; as abdominally obese and overweight; and abdominally obese and generally obese each had a progressive increase in the odds of hypertension (OR: 1.961, 95% CI: 1.154 to 3.331, OR: 2.744, 95% CI: 2.126 to 3.541, and OR: 8.990, 95% CI: 5.858 to 13.795, respectively) and high TG (OR: 3.165, 95% CI: 2.183 to 4.588, OR: 3.980, 95% CI: 3.332 to 4.755, and OR: 4.340, 95% CI: 3.574 to 5.271, respectively).Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity in rural Northeast China exhibited a remarkably increasing upwards trend. General and abdominal obesity were associated with different subtypes of cardiometabolic comorbidities, the combined effects of which on the comorbidities dramatically increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]