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Summary: Numerous guidelines have called for personalized interventions to address childhood obesity. The role of fat mass and obesity‐associated gene (FTO) in the risk of childhood obesity has been summarized. However, it remains unclear whether FTO could influence individual responses to obesity interventions, especially in children. To address this, we systematically reviewed 12,255 records across 10 databases/registers and included 13 lifestyle‐based obesity interventions (3980 children with overweight/obesity) reporting changes in body mass index (BMI) Z‐score, BMI, waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and body fat percentage after interventions. These obesity‐related outcomes were first compared between children carrying different FTO genotypes (rs9939609 or its proxy) and then synthesized by random‐effect meta‐analysis models. The results from single‐group interventions showed no evidence of associations between FTO risk allele and changes in obesity‐related outcomes after interventions (e.g., BMI Z‐score: −0.01; 95% CI: −0.04, 0.01). The results from controlled trials showed that associations between the FTO risk allele and changes in obesity‐related outcomes did not differ by intervention/control group. To conclude, the FTO risk allele might play a minor role in the response to obesity interventions among children. Future studies might pay more attention to the accumulation effect of multiple genes in the intervention process among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Likewise, elevations in stratum corneum (SC) pH can provoke/exacerbate cutaneous inflammation and compromise epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis. Keywords: epidermal permeability barrier; N-palmitoyl serinol; stratum corneum hydration EN epidermal permeability barrier N-palmitoyl serinol stratum corneum hydration 3157 3159 3 07/19/22 20220701 NES 220701 ETHICS STATEMENT This study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University (approval No. 20190578), and carried out in accordance with Helsinki Declaration Principles. Either reductions in stratum corneum (SC) hydration or elevation in transepidermal water loss rate (TEWL) can induce epidermal proliferation and cutaneous inflammation. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture combined with biofeedback on the recovery of fecal incontinence after anus preservation operation for rectal cancer. Methods: From January 1st, 2016 to June 30th, a total of 226 patients with rectal cancer after anus preservation operation admitted in this hospital were selected. Finally, 120 patients with fecal incontinence were randomly divided into control group (n = 40), acupuncture group (n = 40) and observation group (n = 40). All of the three groups received levator ani movement. In addition, the acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment, and the observation group received acupuncture combined with biofeedback treatment, for three months. Cleveland Clinic Florida Fecal Incontinence Scores (CCF-FIS), anorectal pressure, pelvic floor surface electromyography and quality of life were measured before treatment, and at one month, two months and three months after treatment. Results: There were no significant differences in CCF-FIS, anorectal pressure, pelvic floor surface electromyography and quality of life among the three groups before treatment (F < 2.943, P > 0.05). After treatment, CCF-FIS in the three groups decreased. Scores of anorectal pressure, pelvic floor surface electromyography and quality of life in the three groups significantly improved (F > 5.235, P < 0.01). At each time point, all of the indexes in the acupuncture group and observation group were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the observation group was better than the acupuncture group (P < 0.05) at each time point. The curative effect of the observation group was related to the location of the tumor (X2 > 4.405, P < 0.05) one month after treatment. Moreover, the curative effect of the observation group was related to whether pelvic autonomic nerve preservation was performed during the operation (X2 > 4.706, P < 0.05) and whether radiotherapy was added after the operation (X2 > 5.013, P < 0.05) at each time point. At three months of follow-up, the recurrence rate in the observation group (8.6%) was lower than that in the acupuncture group (35.7%) and in the control group (35.0%) (X2 > 5.976, P < 0.05). No complication occurred in all the three groups. Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with biofeedback treatment could improve the symptoms of fecal incontinence and promote the recovery of anal function after anus preservation operation for rectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proactive fault management is an important problem in many areas of data management, including cloud computing, big data, vision, machine learning and especially for the cross-domain research of distributed computing and AI (Artificial Intelligence). Unfortunately, most real-world online failure prediction is facing the problem that the used data are difficult to label although the failure prediction should be a supervised learning problem. We observe that, in many cases, the large-scale unlabeled data can be classified through feature extraction and clustering for available prediction, and thus ideas from their combination can be brought to bear. Based on this, we have proposed an online failure prediction framework approach UDFP (Unlabeled Data based online Failure Prediction). It introduces the clustering analysis method based on the combination of the KNN (k-nearest neighbor) and the modularity idea to achieve prediction modeling. It is shown analytically that UDFP can mitigate a supervised learning problem for failure prediction in our situation to some extent. Experimental results demonstrate that UDFP, as a framework approach, has avoided the manual tagging workload and the huge difficulties, improved the predictive accuracy, and reduced cost of data management in safety-aware distributed cloud data centers while enhancing fault-tolerant capabilities and robustness. • Develop an efficient online failure prediction technique for safety-aware cloud centers. • Propose a novel framework approach UDFP based on k-nearest neighbor and modularity. • Put forward an unlabeled data based method with the idea of time series for failure prediction. • The performance of UDFP has been verified using Ganglia and Tensorflow in real hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Hubble constant H 0 and spatial curvature Ω K have been measured with very high precision, they still suffer from some tensions. In this paper, we propose an improved method to combine the observations of ultracompact structure in radio quasars and strong gravitational lensing with quasars acting as background sources to determine H 0 and Ω K simultaneously. By applying the distance sum rule to the time-delay measurements of seven strong lensing systems and 120 intermediate-luminosity quasars calibrated as standard rulers, we obtain stringent constraints on the Hubble constant (H 0 = 78.3 ± 2.9 km s−1 Mpc−1) and the cosmic curvature (Ω K = 0.49 ± 0.24). On the one hand, in the framework of a flat universe, the measured Hubble constant (⁠|$H_0=73.6^{+1.8}_{-1.6} \mathrm{\,km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$|⁠) is strongly consistent with that derived from the local distance ladder, with a precision of 2 per cent. On the other hand, if we use the local H 0 measurement as a prior, our results are marginally compatible with zero spatial curvature (⁠|$\Omega _K=0.23^{+0.15}_{-0.17}$|⁠) and there is no significant deviation from a flat universe. Finally, we also evaluate whether strongly lensed quasars would produce robust constraints on H 0 and Ω K in the non-flat and flat Λ cold dark matter model, if the compact radio structure measurements are available from very long baseline interferometry observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible-light photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as a powerful tool for the development of new and valuable chemical transformations under mild conditions. Visible-light promoted enantioselective radical transformations of imines and iminium intermediates provide new opportunities for the asymmetric synthesis of amines and the asymmetric β-functionalization of unsaturated carbonyl compounds. In this review, recent advances on the catalytic asymmetric radical functionalization of imines and iminium intermediates are summarized. 1 Introduction 2 Enantioselective Radical Functionalization of Imines 2.1 Asymmetric Reduction 2.2 Asymmetric Cyclization 2.3 Asymmetric Addition 2.4 Asymmetric Radical–Radical Coupling 3 Enantioselective Radical Functionalization of Iminium Ions 3.1 Asymmetric Radical Alkylation 3.2 Asymmetric Radical Acylation 4 Conclusion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although pleurodesis is usually used to reduce the recurrence rate for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in surgery, existing techniques cannot meet the higher requirements of little surgical injury and less relapse. Hence, we developed a new pleurodesis technique and named multipoint pleura cautery. Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness and outcomes of the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery C-shaped pleura cautery in the surgical treatment of PSP. To the best of our knowledge, this is a new surgical technique for pleurodesis and must be of concern. Patients and Methods: The medical records of 20 patients undergoing surgery for C-shaped pleura cautery between 2015 and 2017 were reviewed. The patients were evaluated with regard to age, gender, body mass index, smoking habit, operation time, duration of hospitalization, post-operative pain and follow-up. Results: We have performed a bullectomy combined C-shaped pleura cautery for 20 patients with PSP from January 2016 to December 2017. None of the patients suffered post-operative bleeding and haematothorax complications, and one was ipsilateral relapsed 5 months after surgery. The lung computed tomography showed that recurrence of pneumothorax was due to air leakage in the right lower lung, and there was no air leakage at the site where pleurodesis had been performed. Conclusions: Although this technique requires further investigation, it may be a useful method of pleurodesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good root growth in the early post-germination stages is an important trait for direct seeding in rice, but its genetic control is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the genetic architecture of variation in primary root length using a diverse panel of 178 accessions. Four QTLs for root length (qRL3 , qRL6 , qRL7 , and qRL11) were identified using genome-wide association studies. One candidate gene was validated for the major QTL qRL11 , namely the glucosyltransferase OsIAGLU. Disruption of this gene in Osiaglu mutants reduced the primary root length and the numbers of lateral and crown roots. The natural allelic variations of OsIAGLU contributing to root growth were identified. Functional analysis revealed that OsIAGLU regulates root growth mainly via modulating multiple hormones in the roots, including levels of auxin, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, and cytokinin. OsIAGLU also influences the expression of multiple hormone-related genes associated with root growth. The regulation of root growth through multiple hormone pathways by OsIAGLU makes it a potential target for future rice breeding for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed an efficient method for the preparation of chiral fluorinated compounds by sequential organocatalyzed desymmetrization of 3-substituted glutaric anhydrides and photoredox-catalyzed decarboxylic fluorination. Chiral fluorides can be prepared in yields of up to 58% and with excellent enantioselectivities of up to 98% ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recast a network generating partial differential equation system into a singular limit of a dissipative gradient flow model, which not only identifies the consistent physical boundary conditions but also generates networks. We then develop a set of structure-preserving numerical algorithms for the gradient flow model. Using the energy quadratization (EQ) method, we reformulate the gradient flow system into an equivalent one with a quadratic energy density by introducing auxiliary variables. Subsequently, we devise a series of fully discrete, linear, second order, energy-production-rate preserving, finite difference algorithms to solve the EQ-reformulated PDE system subject to various compatible boundary conditions. We show that the numerical schemes are energy-production-rate preserving for any time steps. Numerical convergence tests are given to validate the accuracy of the fully discrete schemes. Several 2D numerical examples are given to demonstrate the capability of the schemes in predicting network generating phenomena with the gradient flow PDE system, especially, the original network generating PDE model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel scheme for high-efficiency terahertz (THz) wave generation based on optimized cascaded difference frequency generation (OCDFG) with planar waveguide is presented. The phase mismatches of each-order cascaded difference frequency generation (CDFG) are modulated by changing the thickness of the waveguide, resulting in a decrement of phase mismatches in cascaded Stokes processes and an increment of phase mismatches in cascaded anti-Stokes processes simultaneously. The modulated phase mismatches enhance the cascaded Stokes processes and suppress the cascaded anti-Stokes processes simultaneously, yielding energy conversion efficiencies over 25% from optical wave to THz wave at 100 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood glucose level is a key indicator of a patient's health, notably the symptoms associated with diabetes. Painless and continuously monitored interstitial glucose is highly preferable for diabetes management. Microneedle arrays can be used as an effective but minimally invasive technique to break the skin barrier. Simultaneous reverse iontophoresis enables non-invasive interstitial fluid extraction from the intercellular matrix ≤25 mm under the skin's surface. Here, we describe an ion-conductive porous microneedle (PMN)-based glucose sensing device combined with reverse ion electroosmosis, in which glucose extraction can be significantly enhanced. Four novel benefits of ionophoresis are concurrently brought about by the charged PMN: (1) decreased transdermal resistance with the low invasive penetration of highly resistant stratum corneum; (2) a reduction of transdermal resistance through interconnectivity; (3) the movement of larger molecules through linked micropores; and (4) the production of an electroosmotic flow (EOF). The EOF generated by PMN is effectively extracted from the skin interstitial fluid for glucose concentration measurement. And this will likely contribute to the long-term home management of chronic diseases. [Display omitted] • A strategy was developed for transdermal molecule transport through the skin • The novel strategy uses direct current, PMN, and interconnected micropores • The new strategy generated an electroosmotic flow (EOF) from the PMN • The EOF could effectively extract transdermal molecules from agarose gels • This study presents a novel sensor for transcutaneous EOF generation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realgar (As 4 S 4) is an arsenic sulfide mineral, occurring widely in metamorphic-hydrothermal deposits, reductive soil and wetland sediments. The dissolution of realgar releases arsenic, which is toxic to the environment, so the process that causes this problem deserves attention. Native Spirogyra sp. was collected and cultured from a realgar mine area and used to create varying concentrations of algae to investigate the dissolution of realgar using a photosynthesis microcosm. Separately the dynamic adsorption and uptake processes of arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) were investigated. The dissolution rate equation of realgar under Spirogyra sp. is R = 10−6.36[DO]1.84[H+]−0.60. The diurnal growth of Spirogyra sp. increases arsenic release by as much as three times than the control group and significantly changes aqueous arsenic species by varying the dissolved oxygen and pH. The amounts of arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) removed from living Spirogyra sp. were 14605 μg⋅g−1⋅h−1 and 6511 μg⋅g−1⋅h−1. Increasing amounts of –COOH, C O and carbonyl groups from the live Spirogyra sp. also promoted the dissolution of realgar. The results suggest that filament Spirogyra sp. would be an effective method for in situ acceleration of arsenic sulfide dissolution and remediation of arsenic pollution in environments such as paddy soil. • Spirogyra sp. results in variations in arsenic release and species. • Spirogyra sp. accelerates dissolution of realgar. • Rhythmic variations of both pH and DO are reasons for variation of arsenic species. • Dynamic removal rates of arsenic(III) from living Spirogyra sp. is more 2.2 times than arsenic(V). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • (octylthio)aniline and bis(octylthio)benzene are newly introduced as collectors in sulfide flotation. • The flotation performance of (octylthio)aniline was significantly better than PAX. • 2-(octylthio)aniline (2-OA) had a faster reaction rate than PAX. • Novel collectors were adsorbed on the surface of chalcopyrite well with new substance generation. Six novel collectors, 2-(octylthio)aniline (2-OA), 3-(octylthio)aniline (3-OA), 4-(octylthio)aniline (4-OA), 1,2-bis(octylthio)benzene (2-OB), 1,3-bis(octylthio)benzene (3-OB) and 1,4-bis(octylthio)benzene (4-OB) were synthesized and newly introduced as collectors in the flotation of copper sulfide ores. Collector PAX was used as a standard to evaluate the flotation performance of the novel collectors using two kinds of ore samples. The results showed that the novel collectors, especially collector 2-OA, had the strongest flotation capacity, with the highest copper recovery of 95.6% from the chalcopyrite sample at pH 9 and a collector dosage of 100 g/t, while PAX yielded only 66.5% under the same flotation conditions. Likewise in the flotation of copper sulfide ore sample, the flotation performance of the novel collectors was generally improved than that of PAX. The flotation kinetics study showed that the 2-OA novel collector had a faster reaction rate than PAX. The adsorption experiments revealed excellent adsorption characteristics of the novel collectors on the chalcopyrite surface with an adsorption rate of up to 99.3%. UV analysis showed that the novel collectors were more reactive to copper than iron, confirming that the novel collectors enhance the copper recovery in sulfide ore flotation. The infrared spectral analysis exhibited that the novel collectors were adsorbed on the surface of chalcopyrite with the generation of a new substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memory about food and eating is crucial in regulating appetite and eating behaviors. Successfully stopping vivid imagination of delicious food could help reduce food craving and thus reduce the possibility of further intake. Memory inhibition is a cognitive process that involves intentional suppression of certain memories coming to consciousness. Successful memory suppression derives from inhibitory control. Although considerable work has consistently observed the impairment in motor or response inhibitory control among individuals with obesity, there has been a lack of investigation into the influence of bodyweight status on memory inhibitory control. To fill this gap, current study investigated behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of memory suppression in young women. Using Think/No-Think task and event-related potentials among 47 females, we found that participants with higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) showed a tendency towards decreased suppression ability for memories related to food but not memories related to nonfood items. In depth analysis showed that decrease in the differences in P2 amplitudes between suppression vs. retrieval of food-related memories mediated the impairment of suppression ability by high VAT. We then tested whether individual differences in memory suppression ability as well as ERP correlates predicted future BMI or VAT change over 1-year follow-up. Results showed that P2 amplitudes when retrieving food-related memory could predict VAT change at 1-year follow-up among participants with healthy BMI. These observations suggest a hypersensitivity inference hypothesis underlying memory control impairments. To be specific, deficits in memory suppression may be in part resulted from elevated sensitivity to the cues coupling with food-related memory. It extends previous studies of memory suppression with food rewards and provides the first evidence to help understand the relationship between inhibitory control on food-related memory and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To conveniently modulate the degree of local analgesia in response to changes in patients' needs and level of activity, a NIR-activated drug delivery system based on jammed microgels was introduced in the present study to realize on-demand local anesthesia. Chemically cross-linked gelatin microgels (5–15 μm) containing N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), methylallyl polyethylene glycol (APEG) and graphene oxide (GOs) were fabricated through emulsion. After the in situ free radical polymerization, the physical network was formed, producing microgels with double networks (DN microgels). The DN microgels exhibited thermosensitive properties. The copolymerization of APEG resulted in the increase of lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of microgels. The maximum volume shrinkage ratio of DN microgels (NIPAM40 + APEG60) increased with the increase of the content of physical cross-linking network. The DN microgels also exhibited NIR-responsive ability. Under the NIR irradiance of 272 mW/cm2, the temperature of DN microgels with 3 mg/mL GOs reached 40 °C within 60 s, resulting in the volume shrinkage of 14%. Ropivacaine release from DN microgels could be effectively triggered by NIR irradiation in vitro. After centrifugation, a jammed microgels system was produced where microgels packed densely, displaying shear-thinning behavior for achieving injection. The jammed DN microgels carrying ropivacaine were injected subcutaneously into rat footpad. NIR irradiation produced on-demand and repeated infiltration anesthesia in the rat footpad. The jammed DN microgels system thus was beneficial in the management of pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are a group of important secondary metabolites, functioning as colorant in plant organs as well as protective agents against several stresses. Sub-red plant (Rs) cottons, accumulating moderate level of anthocyanins in shoots, had increased photosynthesis efficiency compared to green- (GL) and red-plant (R1) cottons. The present work aimed to clarify the molecular base of anthocyanin regulation in Rs cotton. It was found that GhPAP1A was significantly up-regulated in Rs plants compared to GL cottons, but its expression level is lower than that of GhPAP1D in R1 plants. Virus induced gene silencing of GhPAP1s inhibited the red pigmentation in Rs plants. Comparative cloning revealed a 50-bp tandem repeat in the promoter of GhPAP1A in Rs cotton, which showed stronger activity to drive the expression of downstream genes in petals. Considered that the coding sequence of GhPAP1As from Rs and GL cottons had similar functions to promote anthocyanin biosynthesis in transgenic tobaccos, we attributed moderate anthocyanin accumulation in Rs cotton to increased transcription of GhPAP1A, resulted from varied promoter structure. Our works suggested GhPAP1s as useful tool to manipulate anthocyanin level and several breeding targets, including herbivore- and pathogen- resistance, high photosynthesis efficiency and colored fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) contact model to study all balls' lubrication performance of the ball screw when the multidirectional load is applied. Design/methodology/approach: A new TEHL contact model combining the multidirectional load and the roughness surface texture is established to describe fatigue life of the ball screw. Meanwhile, the authors use the Reynolds equation to study the lubrication performance of the ball screw. Findings: When the multidirectional load is applied, contact load, slide-roll ratio and entrainment velocity of all balls have a periodic shape. The TEHL performance values at the ball-screw contact points including contact stress, shear stress, minimum film thickness and temperature rise are higher than that at the ball-nut contact points. The TEHL performance values increase with the increase of root mean square (RMS) except for the film thickness. In addition, the radial load of the ball screw has a significant effect on the fatigue life. Originality/value: The results of the studies demonstrate the new TEHL contact model that provides the instructive significance to analyze the fatigue life of the ball screw under the multidirectional load. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2020-0097/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While proactive inhibition (PI) frequently occurs in response to novel stimuli due to interference from previously learned information, shifts in semantic category on a preceding trial lead to the attenuation of learning interference effects such as PI, resulting in significantly improved performance on short‐term memory tasks. This study examined how the release from PI also leads to a reduction in semantic inhibition, as measured primarily through an event‐related potential (ERP) electroencephalography (EEG) design. The study used Chinese characters denoting different categories (word nouns for categories such as plants, clothes, and flowers) to test short‐term memory recall in a control group (same category/no PI release) and experimental group (different category/PI release). Both behavioral data (recall accuracy) and ERP responses for the N400 and Late Positive Component (LPC) at frontal, central, and parietal electrode sites were collected. Behaviorally, recall accuracy declined continuously on the initial three consecutive trials, regardless of group, while recall increased significantly on the last trial specifically for the experimental group, due to the shift in semantic category. We reported a significant interaction between group and electrode site for the LPC component, indicating that inhibition effects were still active for both groups at the initial memory encoding stage (corresponding to N400), with inhibition release in the experimental group occurring through later LPC processing. These results provide electrophysiological evidence that release from PI can be distinguished from semantic forms of processing through changes in amplitude over the course of learning. As little research at an electrophysiological level has been conducted on release from PI, the current study illustrates how it associated ERP response with Chinese word characters. The results complement previous evidence that release from PI can be distinguished from semantic forms of processing through changes in amplitude over the course of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the hydrodynamics of streamwise and normal vibration wall are studied using the Lattice Boltzmann method. Firstly, based on the two-dimensional flow geometry model, which is made up of flat wall and water fluid, the characters of the fluid near the streamwise and normal vibration wall are simulated under the condition of mutative vibration parameters. By rigorous data treating, some notable results such as the velocity distribution, density distribution curves of the flow field, and the frictional force of the solid-liquid interface are gained. Secondly, the reason of the change of frictional resistance at the solid-liquid interface by wall vibration are studied. And the results are evidence that well drag reduction effect can be obtained by applying appropriate flow vibration parameters to the solid wall. In addition, the reduction in fluid density near the solid-liquid wall is another significant cause behind the frictional drag decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive implantation of porous implants with large volume for in vivo filling proposes high requirements for material preparation. Porous scaffolds based on shape memory polymer (SMP) possess great potential for being delivered as the compact form via minimally invasive surgery. Here, poly (ε-caprolactone)-dienes (PCL-dienes) and crylic acid (AA) were polymerized and cross-linked to fabricate SMP scaffolds, the porous structure of which was created through particle leaching method. Three scaffolds, PAA-PCL20, PAA-PCL50 and PAA-PCL80 were fabricated with different content of PCL-dienes, possessing similar pore size (350 μm) and porosity (85%). PAA-PCL50 scaffold had a Tm of 38 °C, exhibiting shape fixing ability at room temperature and shape recovery ability at body temperature. All scaffolds showed limited interaction with cells. The cell adhesion rate of PAA-PCL50 scaffold was 55%, the highest among the three scaffolds. To promote cellular adhesion, PAA-PCL50 scaffold was mineralized via in situ precipitation, exhibiting CaP particles on the inner surfaces. The mineralized scaffold still exhibited well-performed deformation and shape memory ability, with higher cell adhesion rate (86%) and proliferation rate. In vivo implantation result indicated that the mineralized PAA-PCL50 scaffold better supported tissue invasion, holding a great promise to improve neo-tissue formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nose is the most prominent part of the face and is a crucial factor for facial esthetics as well as facial reconstruction. Although some studies have explored the features of external nose and predicted the relationships between skeletal structures and soft tissues in the nasal region, the reliability and applicability of methods used in previous studies have not been reproduced. In addition, the majority of previous studies have focused on the sagittal direction, whereas the thickness of the soft tissues was rarely analyzed in three dimensions. A few studies have explained the specific characteristics of the nose of Chinese individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the hard nasal structures and soft external nose in three dimensions and to predict the morphology of the nose based on hard-tissue measurements. To eliminate the influence of low resolution of CBCT and increase the accuracy of measurement, three-dimensional (3D) images captured by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and 3dMD photogrammetry system were used in this study. Twenty-six measurements (15 measurements for hard tissue and 11 measurements for soft tissue) based on 5 craniometric and 5 capulometric landmarks of the nose of 120 males and 120 females were obtained. All of the subjects were randomly divided into an experimental group (180 subjects consisting of 90 males and 90 females) and a test group (60 subjects consisting of 30 males and 30 females). Correlation coefficients between hard- and soft-tissue measurements were analyzed, and regression equations were obtained based on the experimental group and served as predictors to estimate nasal morphology in the test group. Most hard- and soft-tissue measurements appeared significantly different between genders. The strongest correlation was found between basis nasi protrusion and nasospinale protrusion (0.499) in males, and nasal height and nTr-nsTr (0.593) in females. For the regression equations, the highest value of R2 was observed in the nasal bridge length in males (0.257) and nasal tip protrusion in females (0.389). The proportion of subjects with predicted errors < 10% was over 86.7% in males and 70.0% in females. Our study proved that a combined CBCT and 3dMD photogrammetry system is a reliable method for nasal morphology estimation. Further research should investigate other influencing factors such as age, skeletal types, facial proportions, or population variance in nasal morphology estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a non-uniform time-stepping convex-splitting numerical algorithm for solving the widely used time-fractional Cahn–Hilliard equation is introduced. The proposed numerical scheme employs the L 1 + formula for discretizing the time-fractional derivative and a second-order convex-splitting technique to deal with the non-linear term semi-implicitly. Then the pseudospectral method is utilized for spatial discretization. As a result, the fully discrete scheme has several advantages: second-order accurate in time, spectrally accurate in space, uniquely solvable, mass preserving, and unconditionally energy stable. Rigorous proofs are given, along with several numerical results to verify the theoretical results, and to show the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Also, some interesting phase separation dynamics of the time-fractional Cahn–Hilliard equation has been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Seed vigour is an important trait for direct seeding in rice. In this study, indole‐3‐acetate beta‐glucosyltransferase OsIAGLU was cloned in rice, and its roles on seed vigour were mainly investigated. Disruption of OsIAGLU resulted in low seed vigour in rice. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis showed that the expressions of OsIAGLU were relatively higher in the late developing and the early germinating seeds and were significantly induced by indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Transcriptome analysis revealed that the IAA‐ and ABA‐related genes were involved in the OsIAGLU regulation of seed vigour in rice. The higher levels of free IAA and ABA were identified in germinating seeds of osiaglu mutants compared to wild‐type (WT) plants. When treated with exogenous IAA and ABA, the osiaglu mutants and WT plants showed sensitivity to ABA while not IAA, but the exogenous IAA amplified ABA‐induced reduction of seed vigour in rice. The continuously higher expressions of ABA‐INSENSITIVE 3 (OsABI3) and OsABI5 occurred in germinating seeds of osiaglu mutants compared to WT plants. The regulation of seed vigour by OsIAGLU might be through modulating IAA and ABA levels to alert OsABIs expression in germinating seeds in rice. Based on analysis of single‐nucleotide polymorphism data of rice accessions, two haplotypes of OsIAGLU that positively correlated with seed vigour were identified in indica accessions. This study provides important insights into the roles of OsIAGLU on seed vigour and facilitates the practical use of OsIAGLU in rice breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen (H 2) production from biomass has attracted the research attention as it is renewable and clean. This work investigates the alkaline pyrolysis (AP) of corn stover digestate (CSD) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to promote the production of H 2 and suppress carbon dioxide (CO 2) at moderate conditions. It is observed that the H 2 production is affected by the mass ratio of CSD to NaOH and reaction temperature. The H 2 yield is enhanced from 1:1 to 1:2 ratio of CSD to NaOH (10.9–25.9 mmol g−1) with the purity of 81.21–84.98% at 500 °C, whereas a slight increase in H 2 production at 1:3 ratio of CSD to NaOH is observed which may attribute to the mass transfer matter. The possible mechanism of AP is identified. Through the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), distributed activation energy model (DAEM) was applied which evidences the catalytic ability of NaOH via the reduced activation energies. • NaOH considerably enhanced H 2 production and suppressed CO 2 as a result of Na 2 CO 3. • High purity (~84%) and yield (~25 mmol g−1) was attained at 500 °C. • The possible reaction pathways of AP were identified. • DAEM was applied to study the kinetics of AP. • Activation energies were considerably declined in the presence of NaOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated optical isolator is a crucial part of photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Existing optical isolators, predominantly based on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform, face challenges in integrating with active devices. We propose a broadband, compact TM mode Mach–Zehnder optical isolator based on InP-on-insulator platforms. We designed two distinct magneto-optical waveguide structures, employing different methods for bonding Ce:YIG and InP, namely O2 plasma surface activation direct wafer bonding and DVS-benzocyclobutene (BCB) adhesive bonding. Detailed calculations and optimizations were conducted to enhance their non-reciprocal phase shift (NRPS). At a wavelength of 1550 nm, the direct-bonded waveguide structure achieved a 30 dB bandwidth of 72 nm with a length difference of 0.256 µm. The effects of waveguide arm length, fabrication accuracy, and dimensional errors on the device performance are discussed. Additionally, manufacturing tolerances for three types of lithographic processes were calculated, serving as references for practical manufacturing purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limestone forests are an unusual habitat for primates, especially fragmented limestone habitats. However, while some research has been conducted on François' langurs (Trachypithecus francois) in these habitats, there is still a need to improve the understanding of their behavioral adaptations to the fragmented limestone habitat. We collected data on the diet of François' langurs in a fragmented limestone habitat in Encheng National Nature Reserve, southwestern Guangxi, China using instantaneous scanning sampling, and their feeding adaptations to the fragmented forest were examined. The results indicated that a total of 101 species of plants were consumed by the langurs. They also fed on two non‐plant components, including cliff minerals and at least one species of insect. The langurs ate a higher number of food species in Encheng when compared with the other geographic populations, and they maintained a high level of food diversity and ate more vines. Moreover, they were highly selective in their use of vegetation in their home range, and fewer plants provided a high‐quality food source. During the season when food resources were scarce, the consumption of fruits and young leaves decreased as their availability decreased. This led to the use of other food components, such as mature leaves and seeds. The findings support that François' langurs adjust their feeding behavior to cope with seasonal and micro‐variations in their dietary requirements and to adapt to their particular environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limestone forests are an unusual habitat for primates, especially fragmented limestone habitats. However, while some research has been conducted on François' langurs (Trachypithecus francois) in these habitats, there is still a need to improve the understanding of their behavioral adaptations to the fragmented limestone habitat. We collected data on the diet of François' langurs in a fragmented limestone habitat in Encheng National Nature Reserve, southwestern Guangxi, China using instantaneous scanning sampling, and their feeding adaptations to the fragmented forest were examined. The results indicated that a total of 101 species of plants were consumed by the langurs. They also fed on two non‐plant components, including cliff minerals and at least one species of insect. The langurs ate a higher number of food species in Encheng when compared with the other geographic populations, and they maintained a high level of food diversity and ate more vines. Moreover, they were highly selective in their use of vegetation in their home range, and fewer plants provided a high‐quality food source. During the season when food resources were scarce, the consumption of fruits and young leaves decreased as their availability decreased. This led to the use of other food components, such as mature leaves and seeds. The findings support that François' langurs adjust their feeding behavior to cope with seasonal and micro‐variations in their dietary requirements and to adapt to their particular environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated optical isolators are important building blocks for photonic integrated chips. Despite significant advances in isolators integrated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platforms, integrated isolators on GaAs-on-insulator platforms are rarely reported. In this paper, two structural designs of optical isolators based on the TM basic mode of GaAs-on-insulator are proposed. The non-reciprocal phase shift (NRPS) of GaAs/Ce:YIG waveguides with different geometric structures are calculated using numerical simulation. The isolators achieve 35 dB isolation bandwidths greater than 53.5 nm and 70 nm at 1550 nm, with total insertion losses of 2.59 dB and 2.25 dB, respectively. A multi-mode interferometric (MMI) coupler suitable for these two structures is proposed. In addition, suitable manufacturing processes are discussed based on the simulated process tolerances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TGF‐β is thought to be involved in the physiological functions of early organ development and pathological changes in substantial organ fibrosis, while studies around adipose tissue function and systemic disorders of glucolipid metabolism are still scarce. In this investigation, two animal models, aP2‐SREBP‐1c mice and ob/ob mice, were used. TGF‐β pathway showed up‐regulated in the inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) of the two models. SB431542, a TGF‐β inhibitor, successfully increased inguinal white adipocyte size by more than 1.5 times and decreased the weight of Peripheral organs including liver, Spleen and Kidney to 73.05%/62.18%/73.23% of pre‐administration weights. The iWAT showed elevated expression of GLUTs and lipases, followed by a recovery of circulation GLU, TG, NEFA, and GLYCEROL to the wild‐type levels in aP2‐SREBP‐1c mice. In contrast, TGF‐β inhibition did not have similar effects on that of ob/ob mice. In vitro, TGF‐β blocker treated mature adipocytes had considerably higher levels of glycerol and triglycerides than the control group, whereas GLUTs and lipases expression levels were unchanged. These findings show that inhibiting the abnormally upregulated TGF‐β pathway will only restore iWAT expansion and ameliorate the global metabolic malfunction of glucose and lipids in lipodystrophy, not obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wilms tumor (WT) is an embryonic malignant tumor, and its related mechanism is still unclear. microRNA (miR), as a short-chain non-coding RNA, has low expression in various tumors. In this study, WT differential miR was screened by multi-chip in GEO database and its mechanism was explored to provide potential therapeutic targets and ideas for clinic. Methods: We logged into GEO database and downloaded GSE57370 and GSE48137 chip matrix files to analyze potential differences in miR. TargetScan, miRDB, miRTarBase and starBase were applied to predict the target genes of miR with significant differences. qRT-PCR was applied to determine the expression of miR-30d and Sox4 in WT tissue and cell line (G401). The interaction of miR-30d with Sox4 was confirmed by qRT-PCR, Western blot and luciferase assay, respectively. CCK-8, Transwell and flow cytometry were applied to determine the proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis of cells. Results: We found that miR-30d was low expressed in two chips. qRT-PCR showed that miR-30d was down-regulated and SOX4 was up-regulated in WT tissues and cells. The online target gene prediction software showed there was a targeted binding site between Sox4 and miR-30d. Sox4 was negatively controlled by miR-30d. Subsequent studies found that over-expression of miR-30d inhibited the proliferation, invasion, migration and induced apoptosis of C64 and WiT49 cells. In addition, Sox4 could reverse the proliferation, invasion and migration of C64 and WiT49 induced by miR-30d and induce apoptosis. Conclusion: miR-30d is poorly expressed in WT and can induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation, invasion and migration by mediating Sox4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While trait emotional intelligence (EI) has been found to be related to young adolescents' affect, the underlying mechanisms need to be further explored. Previous findings are also limited by common method problems arising from the use of cross-sectional design involving single-wave data capture. Objective: The study aims to clarify the relation between trait EI and young adolescents' positive and negative affect by further exploring the mediating roles of personal resilience, social support, and prosocial behavior. Method: We conducted a three-wave survey among 714 Chinese junior high school students (mean age of 11.11 years) with temporal separations of the research measures to reduce common method variance. Trait EI was measured at the beginning of Grade 6; personal resilience, social support, and prosocial behavior were measured at the end of Grade 6; positive and negative affect were measured at the end of Grade 7. Results: Trait EI at the beginning of Grade 6 was positively related to positive affect and negatively related to negative affect by the end of Grade 7. The influence of trait EI on positive affect was fully mediated by personal resilience, social support, and prosocial behavior at the end of Grade 6. Its influence on negative affect was also fully mediated by social support. Conclusions: The findings clarify the mechanisms underlying the trait EI effect and highlight the importance of future youth programs targeting mediation mechanisms. In particular, we suggest the worth of utilizing trait EI to better facilitate personal and social resources when facing difficulties, and to help others in appropriate and effective ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological processes are hard to accurately simulate and predict because of various natural and human influences. In order to improve the simulation and prediction accuracy of the hydrological process, the firefly algorithm with deep learning (DLFA) was used in this study to optimise the parameters of support vector for regression (SVR) automatically, and a prediction model was established based on DLFA and SVR. The hydrological process of Huangfuchuan in Fugu County, Shanxi Province was taken as the research object to verify the performance of the prediction model, and the results were compared with those by the other six prediction models. The experimental results showed that the proposed prediction model achieved improved prediction performance compared with the other six models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation The results from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on thousands of phenotypes provide an unprecedented opportunity to infer the causal effect of one phenotype (exposure) on another (outcome). Mendelian randomization (MR), an instrumental variable (IV) method, has been introduced for causal inference using GWAS data. Due to the polygenic architecture of complex traits/diseases and the ubiquity of pleiotropy, however, MR has many unique challenges compared to conventional IV methods. Results We propose a Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR) for causal inference to address these challenges. In our BWMR model, the uncertainty of weak effects owing to polygenicity has been taken into account and the violation of IV assumption due to pleiotropy has been addressed through outlier detection by Bayesian weighting. To make the causal inference based on BWMR computationally stable and efficient, we developed a variational expectation-maximization (VEM) algorithm. Moreover, we have also derived an exact closed-form formula to correct the posterior covariance which is often underestimated in variational inference. Through comprehensive simulation studies, we evaluated the performance of BWMR, demonstrating the advantage of BWMR over its competitors. Then we applied BWMR to make causal inference between 130 metabolites and 93 complex human traits, uncovering novel causal relationship between exposure and outcome traits. Availability and implementation The BWMR software is available at https://github.com/jiazhao97/BWMR. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial strains capable of degrading petroleum hydrocarbons were isolated from the Yellow River Delta and screened for bio-surfactant production. The bio-surfactant-producing characteristics of the isolates were evaluated, and all the isolates which could produce bio-surfactant were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that the isolates belong to Bacillus sp. (72%), Ochrobactrum sp. (0.16%), Brevundimonas sp. (0.06%) and Brevibacterium sp. (0.06%). The biodegradability of crude oil, gasoline, diesel oil and other hydrocarbons by microbial strains were studied, among which the biodegrading ability of strain P1 and strain P19 is higher than other strains. Both strains P1 and P19 can degrade n-hexane and n-hexadecane effectively and have wide substrate extensiveness. In addition, Ni promoted the biodegradability of toluene by both strain P1 and strain P19, while Pb inhibited the growth of strain P19 and decreased its ability to biodegrade toluene. The studies revealed that microbes including strain P1 and strain P19 can be utilized in bioremediation of co-contaminated water with petroleum and heavy metals including Ni and Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic materials for hydrogen evolution reaction are crucial in water splitting. Developing low‒cost and highly active catalyst remains an enormous challenge. Herein, we reported a simple approach to synthesize a molybdenum disulfide/micrometer‒scale biomass carbon tube matrix (BCTM) which is derived from available and accessible plant wild celery. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) nanosheet could be well dispersed on the BCTM to form porous structure, while the BCTM can enhance the conductivity of MoS 2 nanosheet. The synergistic effects between the MoS 2 nanosheet and BCTM contribute to high hydrogen evolution reaction activity. MoS 2 /BCTM shows admirable catalytic ability with a low overpotential of 176 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope 51 mV·dec−1, and outstanding stability over 2000 cycles under acidic conditions. This novel strategy provides a low‒cost route to synthesize excellent MoS 2 ‒based catalyst, which may widely apply in the fields of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Entry for the Table of Contents The hexagonal or quasi hexagonal wild celery stem with high content of lignin and cellulose was selected as the biomass carbon source, and an efficient hydrogen evolution catalyst for MoS 2 /BCTM was prepared by in-situ growth of MoS 2 nanosheets on the micrometer scale carbon tube matrix (BCTM, the carbonized wild celery). MoS 2 /BCTM shows admirable catalytic ability with a low overpotential of 176 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope 51 mV·dec −1， and outstanding stability over 2000 cycles under acidic conditions. These results have important potential application value for large-scale hydrogen production. Image 1 • MoS 2 /BCTM for HER. • The catalyst was prepared by in-situ growth. • Low overpotential and small Tafel slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO 2 and amorphous carbon were simultaneously introduced onto the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by a simple and green hydrothermal process followed by heat treatment, finally to obtain the C-SnO 2 -MWCNT absorbent with ternary heterostructure. Subsequently, the C-SnO 2 -MWCNT/silicone rubber wave-absorbing composites were prepared. XRD, Raman, XPS, SEM, TEM and TGA indicated the C-SnO 2 -MWCNT absorbent with ternary heterostructure was fabricated successfully. When the mass fraction of C-SnO 2 -MWCNT was 30 wt% and the thickness was 2.65 mm, the minimum reflection loss (RL min) and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of the C-SnO 2 -MWCNT/silicone rubber wave-absorbing composites could reach −53.5 dB and 3.16 GHz, respectively. Excellent wave-absorbing performance was due to the synergistic effect of multiple interface & dipole polarization and conduction loss. Furthermore, the corresponding heat resistance index (T HRI) of the C-SnO 2 -MWCNT/silicone rubber wave-absorbing composites with 30 wt% C-SnO 2 -MWCNT reached 209.9 °C, higher than that of neat silicone rubber (187.4 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanical triterpene celastrol is a candidate drug for the treatment of obesity, except for concerns over the safety in clinical application. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and toxic activities of celastrol-loaded nanomicelles (nano-celastrol) in diet-induced obese mice. Celastrol was loaded into PEG-PCL nanoparticles, yielding nano-celastrol with optimal size, spherical morphology, good bioavailability, slower peak time and clearance in mice. Nano-celastrol (5 or 7.5 mg/kg/d of celastrol) was administered into diet-induced obese C57BL/6 N male mice for 3 weeks. As result, higher dose nano-celastrol reduced body weight and body fat mass in an equally effective manner as regular celastrol, although lower dose nano-celastrol showed less activity. Similarly, nano-celastrol improved glucose tolerance in mice equally well as regular celastrol, whereas higher dose nano-celastrol improved the response to insulin. As for macrophage M1/M2 polarization in liver, nano-celastrol reduced the expression of macrophage M1 biomarkers (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS) in a dose-dependent manner and marginally increased the expression of macrophage M2 biomarkers (e.g., Arg-1, IL-10). Moreover, celastrol could cause anus irritation and disturb intestinal and colonic integrity, whereas nano-celastrol did not cause any injury to mice. Collectively, nano-celastrol represents a translatable therapeutic opportunity for treating diet-induced obesity in humans. Unlabelled Image • Plant-derived celastrol was loaded into PEG-PCL nanomicelles to yield nano-celastrol. • Nano-celastrol promoted weight loss and reduced fat mass in diet-induced obese mice. • Nano-celastrol ameliorated inflammation and metabolic disorders in obese mice. • Nano-celastrol was accumulated to a higher level in the plasma than celastrol. • Nano-celastrol showed less toxicity to gastrointestinal system and anus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hydronephrosis is a common finding in patients with bladder cancer. The aim of the study was to appraise the prognostic value of preoperative hydronephrosis in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Methods: We conducted a literature search using PubMed and Embase databases in Aug 2018. Summary hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed-effect or random-effects models. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were cancer-specific survival (CSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: Overall, 13 studies published between 2008 and 2018 including 4,820 patients were selected for the meta-analysis. The age of bladder cancer patients ranged from 27 to 90.4 years, and the overall proportion of males was 72.5%. Preoperative hydronephrosis was reported in 27.4% of patients. The pooled HR was statistically significant for OS (HR, 1.36; 95% CI [1.20–1.55]) and CSS (HR, 1.64; 95% CI [1.33–2.02]), with no heterogeneity among the enrolled studies. Patients with bilateral hydronephrosis showed a poorer CSS compared to those with no hydronephrosis (HR 5.43, 95% CI [3.14–9.40]). However, there was no difference in CSS between no hydronephrosis and unilateral hydronephrosis groups (HR 1.35, 95% CI [0.84–2.14]). Despite a tendency towards poorer RFS (HR, 1.27; 95% CI [0.96–1.96]), the results demonstrated no significant association between presence of preoperative hydronephrosis and RFS after radical cystectomy. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that preoperative hydronephrosis is significantly associated with poorer OS and CSS after radical cystectomy for patients with bladder cancer. Preoperative hydronephrosis has a stronger effect on CSS in patients with bilateral hydronephrosis. The presence of preoperative hydronephrosis not only predicts prognosis, but may also help to identify patients who benefit the most from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some previous works, the analytic structure of the spectrum of a quantum graph operator as a function of the vertex conditions and other parameters of the graph were established. However, a specific local coordinate chart on the Grassmannian of all possible vertex conditions was used, thus creating an erroneous impression that something "wrong" can happen at the boundaries of the chart. Here, we show that the analyticity of the corresponding "dispersion relation" holds over the whole Grassmannian, as well as over other parameter spaces. We also address the Dirichlet-to-Neumann technique of relating quantum and discrete graph operators, which allows one to transfer some results from the discrete to the quantum graph case, but which has issues at the Dirichlet spectrum. We conclude that this difficulty, as in the first part of the paper, stems from the use of specific coordinates in a Grassmannian and show how to avoid it to extend some of the consequent results to the general situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The origin of sensitization differences among additive-TiO 2 systems is revealed. • Conjugated and super-conjugated structures of additives are the effective factors. • The smaller E △(LUMO-HOMO) and work function contribute to the bigger E △Fermi (V oc). • Total dipole moment is more suitable for measuring additive sensitization performance. • CH 3 CN is better for MPN/NBB/NMB, general for GNCS and the worst for TBP sensitization. The reliable periodic density functional theory calculations have been carried out to investigate the diverse sensitization effects of five different additives, Guanidinium thiocyanate (GNCS), 3-Methoxypropionitrile (MPN), N -Butylbenzimidazole (NBB), N -Methylbenzimidazole (NMB) and 4- tert -butylpyridine (TBP), on the electronic structures of TiO 2 anatase (1 0 1), (1 0 0) and (0 0 1) surfaces in vacuum and acetonitrile conditions, respectively. The complex microscopic essence of sensitization effect induced by additive can be revealed successfully by an in-depth interpretation on the inherent relations of the open-circuit photovoltage with fundamental electronic properties, i.e. Fermi energy, molecular orbital, dipole moment, electrostatic potential and work function. There is an explicit inverse correlation between the change of energy gap (E △(LUMO-HOMO)) and Fermi energy shift (E △Fermi) through the comparison among different additives adsorption under the same conditions of surface and solvent, namely, the smaller E △(LUMO-HOMO) corresponds to the bigger E △Fermi. The more positive E △Fermi (i.e. negative potential shift) results in the higher open-circuit photovoltage of dye-sensitized solar cells. Moreover, the E △(LUMO-HOMO) is in the order TiO 2 (1 0 1) < (1 0 0) < (0 0 1) for every additive adsorption, exactly opposite to the order of surface stability. Total dipole moment is more suitable than its component normal to the TiO 2 surface for measuring the sensitization performances of different species of additives. The smaller work function contributes to the bigger E △Fermi of the sensitized nanocrystalline TiO 2. The influences of acetonitrile on the sensitization performances of five additives are diversified, better for MPN, NBB and NMB, general for GNCS, and the worst for TBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the Eigenvalue estimates for Laplace operators with anti-Kirchhoff conditions on compact trees. The results include lower estimates for λ k (Γ) involving the edge lengths or diameter of Γ when Γ is a star, and upper estimates for λ k (Γ) involving the average edge length or the diameter of Γ when Γ is a general tree. We get the upper eigenvalue estimates by proving a monotonicity principle for the eigenvalues with respect to the domain (graph). Two geometric versions of the Ambartsumian theorem for − Δ Γ are also proven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-crosslinked bis(imidazolium)-based poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) containing different counterions (P[C 2 DVIM][X], X = BF 4 −, PF 6 −, TfO−, TFSI−) are synthesized and the influence of counterions on electro-responsive electrorheological (ER) effect is studied in order to understand the structure-property relationship of crosslinked PIL-based ER system. It is found that the size and type of counterions have a significant influence on ER effect. As the size increases, the ER effect decreases (i.e. BF 4 − > PF 6 − > TfO− > TFSI−). Different from the linear PIL-based ER system, however, the P[C 2 DVIM]X with inorganic counterions shows stronger ER effect compared to P[C 2 DVIM]X with organic counterions. Meanwhile, the influence of counterions on temperature dependence of ER effect of the crosslinked PIL system is also different from the linear PIL system. By dielectric spectroscopy and X-ray scattering measurements, the mechanism behind the influence is analyzed. It demonstrates that, different from linear PIL system, the ionic aggregation is largely weakened in P[C 2 DVIM]X and the transport of mobile counterions and interfacial polarization are mainly dominated by the mesh size of crosslinking network. This should be responsible for the different dependence of ER effect on the size and type of counterions between self-crosslinked and linear PIL systems. Different from linear poly(ionic liquid), self-crosslinked poly(ionic liquid)s (P[C 2 DVIM]X) with inorganic counterions show stronger ER effect compared to P[C 2 DVIM]X with organic counterions (i.e. BF 4 − > PF 6 − > TfO− > TFSI−). This is related to the fact that, instead of ionic aggregation, the mesh size of crosslinking network dominates the ion transport and interfacial polarization of self-crosslinked poly(ionic liquid)s. Image 1 • Self-crosslinked PILs (P[C2DVIM]X) with different counterions are synthesized. • Influence of counterions on ER effect of P[C 2 DVIM]X differs from linear PILs. • P[C 2 DVIM]X with inorganic counterions show higher ER effect than that with organic counterions. • Mesh size of crosslinking network rather than ionic aggregation dominates polarization and ER effect of P[C 2 DVIM]X. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this letter, we present a novel class of arbitrarily high-order and unconditionally energy-stable algorithms for gradient flow models by combining the energy quadratization (EQ) technique and a specific class of Runge–Kutta (RK) methods, which is named the EQRK schemes. First of all, we introduce auxiliary variables to transform the original model into an equivalent system, with the transformed free energy a quadratic functional with respect to the new variables and the modified energy dissipative law is conserved. Then a special class of RK methods is employed for the reformulated system to arrive at structure-preserving time-discrete schemes. Along with rigorous proofs, numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and unconditionally energy-stability of the EQRK schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital disorders of autophagy are multisystem disorders with significant neurological involvement. Ectopic p-granules protein 5 (EPG5)-associated Vici syndrome is a prototypical congenital disorder of autophagy and presents with the cardinal features of agenesis of the corpus callosum, cataracts, cardiomyopathy, immunodeficiency, and oculocutaneous hypopigmentation. The majority of EPG5 variants leading to Vici syndrome are null alleles with only a few missense variants published to date. Here we report a 3.5-year-old male with compound heterozygous EPG5 variants [NM_020964.2: c.772G > T/c.5943–9_5943–5del]. His clinical presentation deviates notably from classic Vici syndrome with a lack of hypopigmentation, cataracts, immunodeficiency, cardiomyopathy, or failure to thrive. Neurological manifestations within the known disease spectrum include early-onset global developmental delay, hypotonia, and postnatal microcephaly. Seizures, hearing loss, or optic nerve atrophy are absent, however. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrates a thin but fully formed corpus callosum. Based on the ameliorated and primarily neurological phenotype, we hypothesized that the functional impact of the EPG5 variants present would be milder with a higher amount of residual EPG 5 expression. Analyses of EPG5 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the patient and his parents were performed to examine expression level and splicing; mRNA from a healthy control and a patient with classic Vici syndrome was also included. Aberrant splicing due to the intronic mutation was detected, but no loss of expression. In contrast, we observed a 50% reduction in mRNA expression in classic Vici syndrome patient fibroblasts. These results support a model of disease severity, which correlates to the dosage of EPG5 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a quasidistributed fiber sensor for simultaneous measurement of liquid concentration and temperature based on Fresnel reflection. Thin-film filters combined with an arrayed waveguide grating are utilized to achieve wavelength-division-multiplexing distributed sensing. By measuring the Fresnel-reflection signals from the sensing heads, each of which consists of two fiber sensing tips, simultaneous measurement of liquid concentration and temperature is obtained. The experimental results reveal that the sensing system can discriminate the concentration and temperature of a NaCl–H2O liquid with high concentration and temperature accuracies of ±0.07 % and ±0.35 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The β -diketone structure of AA was of vital importance for high-rate photobleaching. • Substituents significantly affected the photochemical activity of AAs. • Electron-donating groups at central carbon enhanced the production of organic radicals. • Electron-withdrawing groups reduced the photobleaching performance of AAs. • Both direct electron transfer and organic radicals-attack were involved in UV/AAs. Acetylacetone (AA), which has two tautomers (diketo and enol), has been found to be a potent photo-activator for wastewater treatment. However, the crucial structural characteristics in the photo-activity remained unclear. Herein, the performance of 16 AA derivatives and structural analogues (AAs) was extensively evaluated for a real dyeing wastewater and a model dye solution under UV irradiation. The results indicate that the straight-chain aliphatic 1,3-diketone structure was crucial in the high-rate photobleaching. Photo-induced direct electron transfer by enolic AAs and indirect electron transfer with free radicals generated from the cleavage of ketone AAs were the two main mechanisms. The substituents affect the keto-enol tautomerization and the charge population, thereby influencing the photochemical activity of AAs. Electron-donating groups (e.g., -CH 3 , -(CH 3) 2 , -CH 2 CH 3) at the central carbon in AAs would increase the content of the diketone form and promote the generation of organic radicals from α -cleavage. By contrast, the presence of electron-withdrawing groups (such as -Cl, -(F) 3 , and -C 2 H 4 Br) might lead to the hydrolysis or hydration of AAs, and consequently depressed the photobleaching rate. The results here are valuable for the design of more efficient and eco-friendlier photo-activators for environmental remediation based on diketone photochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferrate (Fe(VI)) has aroused great research interest in recent years due to its environmental benignancy and lower potential in disinfection by-product generation. However, the inevitable self-decomposition and lower reactivity under alkaline conditions severely restrict the utilization and decontamination efficiency of Fe(VI). Here, we discovered that Ru(III), a representative transition metal, could effectively activate Fe(VI) to degrade organic micropollutants, and its performance on Fe(VI) activation exceeded that of previously reported metal activators. The high-valent metal species (i.e., Fe(IV)/Fe(V) and high-valent Ru species) made a major contribution to SMX removal by Fe(VI)−Ru(III). Density functional theory calculations indicated the function of Ru(III) as a two-electron reductant, leading to the production of Ru(V) and Fe(IV) as the predominant active species. The characterization analyses proved that Ru species was deposited on ferric (hydr)oxides as Ru(III), indicating the possibility of Ru(III) as an electron shuttle with the rapid valence circulation between Ru(V) and Ru(III). This study not only develops an efficient way to activate Fe(VI) but also offers a thorough understanding of Fe(VI) activation induced by transition metals. [Display omitted] • Ru(III) can significantly promote Fe(VI) to degrade SMX. • Enhanced SMX removal was attributed to the generation of high-valent metal species. • Two-electron transfer between Fe(VI) and Ru(III) led to the formation of Fe(IV) and Ru(V) as major reactive species. • Multiple roles of Ru(III) as the Fe(VI) activator, the precursor of reactive species, and the electron shuttle were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic dynamic flow, including pulsatile flow and oscillatory flow, has many applications at the microscopic scale in chemistry, biology, and pharmacy. Conventional devices for periodic flow are either bulky, complicated, or inflexible. Here, we propose a novel on-chip flow generator with multi-pattern outputs possessing the obvious advantages of small size, simple structure, and being easy to be implemented. The fluid flow is synergistically driven by the constant pressure and the alternating pressure in a pair of conical channels. We design and fabricate a simple on-chip prototype following this conical-channel-based constant–alternating (C3A) driving method, and validate its performance through both numerical simulation and flow experiment. The results demonstrate the synergistic effects of the constant and alternating pressures on the fluid flow, and can implement four flow modes, i.e., steady flow, oscillatory flow, pulsatile flow, and complex flow, simply by modulating the input voltage. The proposed flow generator with multi-pattern outputs, simple structure and small footprint can be flexibly integrated with other on-chip devices for various biomedical applications, and the proposed strategy utilizing multiple synchronous sources can also inspire more delicate manipulation in the context of microfluidics. [Display omitted] • A conical-channel-based constant-alternating (C3A) driving method is proposed to drive fluid flow in a microchannel. • A novel on-chip flow generator for multi-pattern periodic dynamic (PD) flow is developed following the proposed C3A driving strategy. • Four flow modes can be implemented using the proposed on-chip prototype. • The proposed flow generator has the advantages of small size, simple structure, and being easy to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]