Search

Background: Local lateral recurrence (LLR) in rectal cancer is increasingly becoming a significant clinical issue. Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and lateral lymph node dissection (LLND)—when each approach is separately executed—cannot cure lateral lymph node metastasis (LLNM). Here, we performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the efficacy of nCRT plus total mesorectal excision (TME) vs TME plus LLND after nCRT for rectal cancer. Methods: Standard databases (PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were searched to identify all relevant studies comparing nCRT+TME and nCRT+TME+LLND. Data in the included studies were extracted, and intraoperative outcomes, postoperative complications, and oncological outcomes were evaluated. Results: Eight studies representing 1,896 patients (1,461 nCRT+TME vs 435 nCRT+TME+LLND) were included. We found that for patients with clinically suspected LLNM, the incidence of pathological LLNM was 27.8%, even after nCRT. LLND after nCRT was significantly associated with lower LLR (P =.02). Additional LLND yielded a longer operative time (P <.01) and increased the risk of urinary dysfunction (P <.01). Concerning other outcomes, no significant differences were identified between the two groups. Conclusion: This is the first meta‐analysis and systematic review of studies comparing nCRT+TME and nCRT+TME+LLND for rectal cancer patients. Although increasing operative time and the risk of urinary dysfunction (which might be ameliorated by minimally invasive procedures), the pooled results support the use of LLND after nCRT and TME for reducing LLR in patients with clinically suspected LLNM and provide another treatment option for high‐risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pore size distribution (PSD) is an important property of the porous materials, but an accurate and reliable PSD is very difficult to obtain. Quenched Solid Density Functional Theory (QSDFT) is widely used to analyze the pore size distribution. Here, a series of unclosed and closed isotherms of activated carbon were measured and compared. The experimental results revealed the appearance of an artefact peak in the PSD for the unclosed isotherms by employing QSDFT equilibrium model. Moreover, the location of the artificial peak is highly related to the end point of the desorption branch. In addition, tensile strength effect (TSE) illustrates the limit of mechanical stability of liquids in pores, and subsequent cavitation generates an artefact peak at around 2.8 nm. Interestingly, it was found that isotherm data associated with TSE can be used to calculate the total pore volume of all large cavities in which cavitation occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To compare IOP and ocular hypotensive medication reduction of using one trabecular microbypass stent versus two in patients with open-angle glaucoma. Setting. Palo Alto Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital and the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA. Design. Retrospective case series. Methods. A chart review included patients who underwent trabecular microbypass implantation with cataract surgery in 2015-2017, with at least one-year follow-up. Subjects were divided into two groups by location (always one stent at Stanford versus two stents at the VA). Primary outcome measures included IOP and medication reduction at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Results. 132 subjects (166 eyes) were included. The preoperative IOP was 16.3 ± 3.4 mmHg on 2.6 ± 1.1 medications in the one-stent group (N = 85) and 17.5 ± 3.1 mmHg on 2.7 ± 0.6 medications in the two-stent group (N = 81). There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.06). At the 12-month visit, there was a 13.37 % ± 2.93 reduction in IOP in the 1-stent group (p ≤ 0.001) and 13.49 % ± 2.69 in the 2-stent group (p ≤ 0.001); both were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.074). At 12 months, there was also a 14.5% reduction in medication use for the 1-stent group and 15.3% reduction in the 2-stent group, both statistically significant from baseline, (p = 0.022 and p = 0.037 , respectively). Conclusions. Implantation with either one or two stents during cataract surgery in patients with glaucoma demonstrated similar IOP and med reduction in both groups between the two sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estragole, naturally occurring in a variety of herbs and spices, can form DNA adducts after bioactivation. Estragole DNA adduct formation and repair was studied in in vitro liver cell models, and a molecular dynamics simulation was used to investigate the conformation dependent (in)efficiency of N2-(trans-isoestragol-3′-yl)-2′-deoxyguanosine (E-3′-N2-dG) DNA adduct repair. HepG2, HepaRG cells, primary rat hepatocytes and CHO cells (including CHO wild-type and three NER-deficient mutants) were exposed to 50 μM estragole or 1′-hydroxyestragole and DNA adduct formation was quantified by LC–MS immediately following exposure and after a period of repair. Results obtained from CHO cell lines indicated that NER plays a role in repair of E-3′-N2-dG adducts, however, with limited efficiency since in the CHO wt cells 80% DNA adducts remained upon 24 h repair. Inefficiency of DNA repair was also found in HepaRG cells and primary rat hepatocytes. Changes in DNA structure resulting from E-3′-N2-dG adduct formation were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Results from molecular dynamics simulations revealed that conformational changes in double-stranded DNA by E-3′-N2-dG adduct formation are small, providing a possible explanation for the restrained repair, which may require larger distortions in the DNA structure. NER-mediated enzymatic repair of E-3′-N2-dG DNA adducts upon exposure to estragole will be limited, providing opportunities for accumulation of damage upon repeated daily exposure. The inability of this enzymatic repair is likely due to a limited distortion of the DNA double-stranded helix resulting in inefficient activation of nucleotide excision repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) serves an important role in tumor migration and invasion. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), which is the main component of the traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus membranaceus, has been identified to display an antitumor effect. However, the effects and mechanisms of APS during breast cancer migration and invasion are not completely understood. The present study investigated whether APS inhibited breast cancer migration and invasion by modulating the EMT pathway. An MTT assay and a Ki67 immunofluorescence staining assay demonstrated that APS inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells. The results of the wound healing and Transwell Matrigel invasion assays suggested that APS decreased the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. The western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses further demonstrated that APS had a regulatory effect on EMT-related molecules. APS decreased the expression levels of Snail and vimentin, but increased E-cadherin expression. APS also downregulated Wnt1, β-catenin and downstream target expression. Additionally, the present results suggested that APS decreased the proliferation, and EMT-mediated migration and invasion of cells by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The present study suggested that APS may serve as a promising therapeutic agent for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sorafenib has revolutionized treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its efficacy is limited by drug resistance. Autophagy is the process by which cellular components are transported to lysosomes for degradation, which promotes energy production and production of macromolecular precursors. Studies have suggested that the cytoprotective function of autophagy may contribute to chemoresistance or targeted drug resistance in cancer cells. We investigated the effects of miR-375 and autophagy-related protein 14, and their interrelationships, on sorafenib efficacy. Methods: Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay, and apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry. Colony formation assay was performed to determine changes in cell number. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to quantify the expression of key genes and proteins. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect autophagy. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to verify a direct target. Results: We characterized the relationship between sorafenib and autophagy. We showed that inhibition of autophagy enhanced sensitivity of HCC to sorafenib and showed that miR-375 was important in this process. Finally, we showed that miR-375 affected sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib through regulation of ATG14. Conclusion: We showed that miR-375 sensitized HCC cells to sorafenib by blocking sorafenib-induced autophagy. We also showed that ATG14 was a direct autophagy-related target of miR-375. These findings indicated that miR-375-ATG14 was important in the development of sorafenib resistance in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Abdominal wall weakness occurs when the strength of muscle decreases due to physiological reason or iatrogenic injury. However, the treatment of this disease is complicated. Aim. To study the therapeutic effect of acellular tissue matrix (ACTM), compared with the polypropylene mesh. Methods. An abdominal wall weakness model was established in rabbits through motor nerves cutting. The polypropylene mesh and ACTM were implanted in the left and right abdomen sides, respectively. Mechanical testing of abdominal wall muscle and histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation of abdominal tissue explants were performed. Results. In animal model establishment, the abdominal length of healthy and weakened abdominal wall was 17.0 ± 0.7 cm and 19.0 ± 1.2 cm, respectively (P = 0.022), and the weak abdominal wall group showed a significant decrease of 1.116 ± 0.221 MPa in tensile stress (P < 0.001) and 9.126 ± 2.073% in tensile strain (P < 0.001). In materials implantation experiment, compared with polypropylene group, ACTM group decreased 2.409 ± 0.806 MPa after 24 weeks (P < 0.001) and 2.319 ± 0.486 MPa after 48 weeks (P < 0.001) in tensile stress and increased 15.259% after 24 weeks (P < 0.001) and 15.845% after 48 weeks (P < 0.001) remarkably in tensile strain. Conclusion. The abdominal wall weakness model in rabbits was successfully established. ACTM is a promising biological material to be possibly further applied in clinical surgery in patients with abdominal wall weakness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the carrier dynamics of a π-conjugated polymer is monitored by voltage-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is employed as a metal-free SERS substrate. Under different voltage conditions, the SERS performance of the semiconductors' rectification characteristic is discussed. Our results open an unprecedented regime for conducting polymer-based SERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Uncommon EGFR mutation associated with lower incidence of acquired T790M mutation. • Subsequent osimertinib treatment showed inferior efficacy in uncommon EGFR mutation. • 19del associated with higher incidence of acquired T790M mutation than L858R. Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring non-resistant uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations have stepped into the era of targeted therapy. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of acquired T790M mutation and their outcome to subsequent osimertinib in patients of advanced NSCLC harboring uncommon EGFR mutations. Patients with EGFR mutation and performed re-biopsy after progression on prior EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were reviewed and analyzed. Those with T790M mutation and received subsequent osimertinib treatment were further collected for survival analysis. Finally, 754 patients, including 48 with uncommon mutation, 362 with 19del and 344 with L858R were enrolled. T790M mutation was identified in 341 patients (341/754, 45.2 %). The incidence of T790M mutation was 27.1 % in patients harboring uncommon mutations, significantly lower than 55.2 % and 37.2 % of 19del and L858R (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis further found uncommon mutation associated with significantly lower probability of developing T790M (odds ratio [OR] = 0.32, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.16–0.64). Among 236 patients received subsequent osimertinib treatment (including 12 uncommon mutation, 145 19del and 79 L858R), patients harboring uncommon mutations showed significantly shorter progression free survival (PFS) (median: 4.6 vs. 11.6 vs. 12.1 months, p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (median: 8.1 vs. 35.4 vs. 24.9 months, p = 0.001) compared with 19del and L858R, also associated with numerically lower objective response rate (ORR) (p = 0.085) and lower disease control rate (DCR) (p = 0.074). Multivariate analysis further found that uncommon mutation was the only one significantly associated with both PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.44, 95 %CI 1.79–6.58) and OS (HR = 3.64, 95 %CI 1.66–7.99). Uncommon EGFR mutation showed a significantly lower incidence of acquired T790M mutation and benefited significantly less from subsequent osimertinib treatment than common EGFR mutations in patients with advanced NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the coal seam permeability is an important measure for increasing the coal bed methane (CBM) production and preventing gas disasters. Hydraulic technologies are effective ways of improving coal seam permeability. However, hydraulic technologies can also cause water to enter the coal seam, allowing the coal seam to soak for a long time. In this study, to obtain the influence of water soaking on the microscopic characteristics of coal, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), free swelling ratio tests, and low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption tests (LT‐NATs) were conducted. The mineral compositions of raw coal samples, the variation regularities of micromorphologies, and pore characteristics of the samples with different soaking times were obtained. The results showed that the coal samples contained about 8.5% clay minerals, of which 71% were illite/smectite mixed‐layer. Expansions of different sizes in the areas where the surface of the soaked coal samples contained clay minerals were observed, and the swelling was also observed macroscopically. The swelling not only led to an increase in the coal sample volume but also led to a decrease in pore volume. This change was magnified with the increase in soaking time (within 30 days). The cumulative pore volume of the samples soaked for 30 days was 0.00681 cm3/g. This was a reduction of 29.9% compared to the unsoaked samples. Moreover, the pore volumes show a logarithmic dependence on soaking time. This study provides evidence that the coal containing clay minerals will swell obviously when soaked in water, and the hydration swelling of clay minerals has a great influence on the swelling of coal. This swelling would lead to a decrease in the pore volume and the efficiency of CBM transport, thus affecting the effect of hydraulic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DLC/CN x multilayer films with different CN x sublayer thicknesses were deposited on Si wafer by using magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructure and properties of the films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, nano-indentation, scratch tests and a ball-on-disc tribometer. All the DLC/CN x films were amorphous and compact with low internal stresses and strong reinforcement effects. The content of sp 3 bonds in CN x sublayer, the hardness and adhesion of the overall films decreased while the wear rate of the multilayer films increased with increasing the CN x sublayer thickness. The friction states of the multilayer films in vacuum and air were very stable. The friction coefficients of the DLC/CN x films were ~0.16 in vacuum and ~0.20 in air, and they were independent of CN x sublayer thickness. The multilayer film with CN x sublayer thickness of 0.5 nm was of a hardness of 36.9 GPa and interface adhesion of 27 N, which exhibited excellent tribological properties in vacuum and in air. • DLC/CN x multilayers with thin CN x sublayer were prepared. • A strong interface strengthening effect was observed in the films. • Microstructure of CN x sublayer was related to its thickness. • Multilayers exhibited better tribological properties than DLC in vacuum and in air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although built environment effects on travel behavior have become a popular research topic globally, studies on the subject have rarely examined how built environment effects may differ between household members. The distinction between household members may be especially important in countries like China where the household registration system and the culture encourage a clear designation of the household head. Using data from Nanjing, China, this paper applies a cluster analysis method to characterize three distinct types of residential built environment and applies the propensity score technique to control for self-selection when examining the travel behavior effects of the three built environment types. Results show that, after controlling for self-selection, built environment effects on travel behavior differ significantly between the household head and other household members. Changes in the built environment do not affect car travel duration or car trip frequency of the household head, but affect significantly car travel behavior of other household members. Moving from the outer area to core or inner urban area is associated with an increased number of leisure trips for the household head, an increased number of maintenance trips for other household members, and increased walking and bicycling travel for both the household head and other household members. The study provides unique evidence on intra-household differences when it comes to the built environment and travel behavior connection. Overlooking intra-household differences may lead to inequitable and/or inefficient urban planning and transportation policy decisions in the context of Chinese cities. • Built environment (BE) effects on travel behavior differ between household members. • BE does not affect car travel of the household head but other household members. • BE affects active travel of both the household head and other household members. • Self-selection leads to overestimation of BE effects for the household head. • Self-selection leads to underestimation of BE effects for other household members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction and pyroptosis play an important role during chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. Neferine, which is an alkaloid ingredient from the lotus seed embryo, has many biological actions such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant. However, the role of neferine in endothelial cell pyroptosis and the involved mechanism remain obscure. The aim is to probe the protective effects of neferine on cell pyroptosis and the involved underlying mechanism. Methods: After the HUVECs were primed with neferine treatment for 2 h prior to LPS and ATP exposure for 24 h, the cell proliferation was determined by BrdU; the cell LDH release was detected by LDH kits; the levels of intracellular ROS, MDA and SOD were tested by detection kits; Caspase-1 activity kit was used to determine caspase-1 activity; the contents of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18 and GSDMD were tested by RT-PCR and western blot. Results: We found that neferine could inhibit LPS-ATP-induced oxidative stress and the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, and increased the endothelial cell viability and SOD production. siRNA which mediated the knockdown of NLRP3 promoted the neferine-induced inhibition effects of cell pyroptosis. Furthermore, these neferine-induced effects were reversed by the over-expression of NLRP3. Conclusions: Our findings indicated neferine may reduce ROS by anti-oxidation and inhibit LPS-ATP-induced endothelial cell pyroptosis via blocking ROS/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway, which provides the evidence for therapeutic effect in CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of intradiskal pressure on the upper segment resulting from intervertebral distraction after lumbar intervertebral fusion decreases intervertebral height and aggravates degeneration. However, the incidence rate and risk factors of the adjacent intervertebral disk height decrease phenomenon have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence rate and risk factors of the adjacent intervertebral disk height decrease phenomenon after single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) of the lumbar spine. A retrospection of 68 patients who underwent L4-5 TLIF. Patient age, sex, and body mass index were collected. Lumbar lordosis, facet sagittalization, Pfirrmann classification, L4-5 distraction height, and L3-4 reduction height were evaluated by radiologic image. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether their L3-4 intervertebral height decreased. Forty of 68 patients (58.8%) had L3-4 intervertebral height decrease. The patients' mean age was 62.05 ± 10.90 years in the L3-4 intervertebral height decrease positive (IHDP) group, significantly higher than the 56.14 ± 12.06 years in the L3-4 intervertebral height decrease negative (IHDN) group (P = 0.039). The mean facet sagittalization angle in the IHDP group was 67.5° ± 20.36°, significantly larger than the 55.43° ± 14.97° in the IHDN group (P = 0.010). The preoperative lumbar lordosis was significantly higher in the IHDP group (P = 0.049). No significant effects of other factors on L3-4 height decrease were observed (P > 0.05). Distraction of the L4-5 intervertebral space by cage insertion leads to a reduced height on the adjacent L3-4 segment in some patients. In addition, the decrease in L3-4 intervertebral height resulting from L4-5 distraction was correlated with age, preoperative lumbar lordosis, and facet joint sagittalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent foodborne pathogen causing Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) in dairy products. This study estimated S. aureus growth and thermal inactivation kinetic parameters and variability in various dairy products by conducting a meta‐analysis. Cheese exhibited a lower theoretical minimum temperature (Tmin), indicating favourable conditions for S. aureus growth even at lower temperatures. Tmin values for other matrices ranged from 5.0 to 7.2 °C, providing insights for production parameter formulation. Meanwhile, significant variations in the maximum population density (Ymax) are among dairy products at the same temperature. Keeping temperatures below 0 °C in pasteurised milk, raw milk and cheese limited Ymax to approximately 102–4 CFU mL−1, below the international toxicity threshold. Factors influencing D values were smaller than strain variability, and NaCl concentration emerged as a significant factor affecting S. aureus growth. These parameters can serve as references for quality control, safety and production optimisation in dairy product processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] We report zinc cobalt-layered double hydroxides (ZnCo-LDH) as the active cathode materials for the development of high-performance Zn-ZnCo batteries. Electrochemical investigations show the battery's capacity increases linearly with increasing the ZnCo-LDH loading (up to 60 mg cm−2). The resulting Zn-ZnCo battery exhibits excellent rate performance and cycle stability, retaining 86% of its capacity even after 5000 cycles of testing. By incorporating ZnCo-LDH with a Pt/C-coated gas diffusion layer to form an integrated multifunctional air-cathode, we demonstrate a hybrid Zn battery, which combines the merits of Zn-ZnCo and Zn-air batteries to show a characteristic two-stage charge-discharge voltage profile. The current work demonstrates the linear relationship between the battery capacity and the active material loading. The results also highlight that a greater battery capacity requires further increasing of loading though very challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing a reliable control of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is challenging but essential for the full utilization of rare‐earth iron garnets in spintronic devices. In this study, a feasible approach to enhance the PMA of ferrimagnetic thulium iron garnet (TmIG) films is presented. This approach involves precise adjustments in cation stoichiometry and epitaxial strain state. By fine‐tuning the pre‐ablation process and oxygen partial pressure during pulsed laser deposition, a series of high‐quality TmIG films can grow with variable cation stoichiometry, i.e., the Tm/Fe molar ratio. The finding reveals that cation stoichiometry plays a crucial role in determining the magnetic properties of the TmIG films. Particularly, the stoichiometric TmIG film has the strongest PMA due to the maximized magnetostriction coefficient. Combining this stoichiometry optimization and strain engineering, an unprecedented PMA strength of ≈30 kJ m−3 for TmIG is achieved. This achievement demonstrates a simple and effective method for harnessing the magnetic properties of rare‐earth iron garnet films, paving the way for their advanced applications in next‐generation spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an integrated methodology to enhance the efficiency of patch panel assembly lines by harnessing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The primary objective is to minimise the total completion time of patch panels, a pivotal metric for manufacturing efficiency. The study employs the Assembly Line Production Optimisation (ALPO) model to analyze and enhance the production capacity of the bottleneck station. Existing challenges related to patch panel assembly line task distribution, process content, and tooling layout are scrutinised against production process standards for operational measurements. To achieve improvement, Deep Neural Network (DNN) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models are employed in hidden layers, supplemented by deep feed-forward (DFF) layers for output, in adherence to engineering design principles. The bottleneck station's load rate is successfully reduced to below 80%, contributing to an overall balance rate increase from 73% to 88%. These outcomes signify a notable enhancement in production efficiency and employee satisfaction. The research utilises a dataset derived from the Microsoft Azure AI-based PdM dataset. The paper illustrates how AI techniques offer a comprehensive solution to address the inherent complexities in patch panel assembly line optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although the treatment of abdominal wall desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) has evolved over the past decades, surgical treatment remains an important approach. Previously, surgeries for abdominal DF were mostly performed by laparotomy, which involves massive dissection and significant trauma. Here, we report our single-center experience of the laparoscopic management of abdominal wall DF in young female patients. Methods: The clinical data of nine patients diagnosed with abdominal wall DF during January 2020–April 2022 at the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent laparoscopic resection of abdominal wall DF and immediate abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) with mesh augmentation via the intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) technique. Results: Laparoscopic DF resection and AWR were successfully performed in all patients. The mean operation time was 175.56 ± 46.20 min. The width of abdominal wall defect was 8.61 ± 3.30 cm. Full- and partial-thickness myofascial closure and reapproximation were performed in five, two, and two patients, respectively. The average mesh size was 253.33 ± 71.01 cm2. The total and postoperative lengths of hospital stay were 11.00 ± 3.46 and 4.89 ± 2.03 days, respectively. Tumor recurred in one patient after 20 months of the resection. Nonetheless, death, herniation, or bulging were not observed in any patient during a mean follow-up of 16.11 ± 8.43 months. Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection of abdominal wall DF and immediate AWR with IPOM mesh reinforcement is safe and reliable for young female patients. Management of such patients should be decided according to the biological behavior, size, and location of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irradiated bacterial cellulose (mBC) was used to enhance the properties of collagen fiber (CF)-based food packaging films to gradually replace plastic packaging materials. The structural differences between bacterial cellulose (BC) and irradiated bacterial cellulose (mBC) were analyzed, and the heat sealing properties, mechanical properties and barrier properties of CF-mBC composite films were investigated and analyzed. FTIR and XPS results showed that CF and mBC mainly have hydrogen bonding and amide bond formation. The addition of mBC improved the thermal stability of the CF film and increased the heat seal performance, optical properties and mechanical properties from 1 N/15 mm to 8.53 N/15 mm, 82.45 % to 85.02 % and 44.54 MPa to 58.56 MPa, respectively. In addition, the good barrier property of this composite film makes it achieve grade 12 oil-proof under − 9 ℃ to 100 ℃ oil temperature. Therefore, mBC reinforced CF film has a broad application prospect in the food packaging field. • Irradiated bacterial cellulose active sites increased and crystallinity decreased. • Bacterial cellulose is used as a reinforcing agent to improve film properties. • The heat sealability of this bio-based film enhances its application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the interaction between primary/secondary PE MPs and soil – microbiome - crop complex system and PE MPs enrichment behavior in crops were studied by using the self-developed quantitative characterization method of Eu-MPs and in situ zymography. The results demonstrated for the first time the enrichment effect of micron-sized PE (> 10 µm) in crops, manifested as roots>leaves>stems. Primary PE MPs significantly increased soil TN, TC, SOM and β-glu activity and inhibited Phos activity. Age-PE MPs significantly reduced soil TN, TP, β-glu and Phos activities and also have significant inhibitory effects on plant height, stem diameter, and leaf dry weight of maize. Age-PE MPs significantly affected soil microbial diversity, mainly caused by bacterial genera such as UTCFX1, Sphingomonas, Subgroup-6 and Gemmatimonas. Age-PE MPs also affected some metabolism related to microbial community composition and maize growth, including Glycerolipid, Citrate cycle (TCA cycle), C5-Branched dibasic acid, Arginine and proline, Tyrosine metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, Valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis. These research results indicated that the PE MPs, which are widely present in farmland soils, can affect crop growth, soil microbial community and metabolic function after aging, thus affecting agroecosystems and terrestrial biodiversity. [Display omitted] • PE with a particle size of 10 µm can enter maize roots. • The accumulation regular of PE in maize tissue was: root>leaf>stem. • Exposure to PE leaded to increase levels of ROS in maize roots. • 1% Age-PE significantly inhibited the growth of maize and enzyme activities. • The aging effect of PE affected soil properties, microbiome and metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Both CMA-ES and the ES-LM perform well for low dimensionality of unknown parameters. • ES-LM can underestimate uncertainty with small ensemble size. • CMA-ES is more computational demanding than ES-LM for high-dimensionality problems. • ES-LM outperforms the CMA-ES in calibrating high-resolution groundwater model. Parameter estimation is an inverse problem which is crucial to reliable groundwater model predictions and management. Numerous techniques have been developed to address this challenging problem. This study aims to compare the performance of a stochastic optimization method, covariance matrix adaptation-evolution strategy (CMA-ES), and a data assimilation method, Levenberg-Marquardt based iterative ensemble smoother (ES-LM), on solving inverse problems in groundwater modeling. This study also presents a parallelization strategy to accelerate their implementation. The comparative analysis involves synthetic inverse problems and a real-world case study of calibrating a high-resolution groundwater model. Results from the synthetic problems suggest that both the CMA-ES and the ES-LM are able to achieve desirable data fitting, but the ES-LM generally exhibits greater efficiency than the CMA-ES. Also, with appropriate stopping criteria, both methods can perform well on propagating uncertainty of model predictions. However, both methods can underestimate the uncertainty of model parameters derived from Bayesian posterior. The underestimation is particularly pronounced by the ES-LM when using a small ensemble size, whereas uncertainty quantification by the CMA-ES is less affected by population size. Moreover, calibration of the highly parameterized groundwater model in Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi indicates that the ES-LM can outperform the CMA-ES for high-dimensional inverse problems regarding both data match and computational costs. With proper ensemble size, the two methods can produce comparable uncertainty of model parameters and predictions. This study contributes to the scientific understanding and efficient application of the CMA-ES and the ES-LM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High burnup structure model is established considering random overpressure pores. • Pore pressure is calculated based on the variation of pore radius with local burnup. • A fuel cracking strength model based on the first strength criterion is established. • The mechanism of pore coarsening considering fuel stress field is analyzed. • The effects of pore distribution, local burnup and temperature on fuel are studied. Advanced nuclear reactors are currently moving toward long fuel cycles and high burnup level. In the case of high burnup, plenty of fission gas will be produced, which promotes creation of overpressure pores and fracture in the fuel. The aim of this paper is to establish the cracking strength evaluation model of UO 2 fuel and to obtain the stress field of high burnup UO 2 fuel. And the non-uniform distribution of pore size, non-uniform distribution of pore location and the pore pressure model in rod-type dispersion fuel are considered. Firstly, Weibull distribution is used to describe the pore size distribution. With the aid of the relationship between local burnup and mean pore radius, geometrical models of the UO 2 high burnup structure under different burnup conditions are established. Secondly, a pore pressure model taking into account pore size distribution, the relationship between local burnup and mean pore radius and Ronchi's equation of state is established. Based on literature data, this work further verifies the rationality of using Weibull distribution to describe pore size distribution. Finally, the effects of pore distribution, local burnup and temperature on the pore pressure and maximum tension stress in the fuel are analyzed, and the stress-dominated pore coarsening mechanism is studied by finite element method. The conclusion can be drawn that the large size pores are mainly formed by the continuous coalescence of the small size pores with the surrounding pores. The fuel is not easy to crack when the pore size and location distribution is uniform. Both burnup and temperature increase contribute to fuel cracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a set of general constraint conditions of 3 port power divider is newly established for arbitrary power ratio and arbitrary phase difference, where, the relationship between power ratio and phase difference can be newly summarized as a very simple equation. To verify this theory, a novel power divider with three standard 50 Ω ports is presented, and it consists of an isolation resistor and seven transmission lines. From the design charts and several design examples, the proposed power divider could not only provide arbitrary power ratio and arbitrary phase difference, but also independently control their fractional bandwidths (FBW S 11 or FBW S 32) under various combinations of power ratio and phase difference. In final, two prototypes are fabricated, and the measured results matched very well with simulated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a severe medical condition that, if left untreated, can cause permanent nerve and muscle damage, and may even require amputation. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with the development of ACS in patients with both-bone fractures of the forearm. Between November 2013 and January 2021, a retrospective data collection was conducted on 611 individuals who experienced both-bone forearm fractures at a level 1 trauma center. Among these patients, 78 patients were diagnosed with ACS, while the remaining 533 patients did not have ACS. Based on this division, the patients were categorized into two groups: the ACS group and the non-ACS group. Demographics (including factors such as age, gender, body mass index, crush injury, etc.), comorbidities (including conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, anemia, etc.), and admission lab results (including complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, and coagulation profiles, etc.) were analyzed using univariate analysis, logistic regression, and ROC curve analysis. Predictors of ACS were identified through the final multivariable logistic regression analysis, which revealed that crush injury (p < 0.001, OR = 10.930), the levels of neutrophils (NEU) (p < 0.001, OR = 1.338) and the levels of creatine kinase (CK) (p < 0.001, OR = 1.001) were significant risk factors. Additionally, age (p = 0.045, OR = 0.978) and albumin (ALB) level (p < 0.001, OR = 0.798) were found to provide protective effects against ACS. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined cut-off values for NEU and CK to predict ACS: 7.01/L and 669.1 U/L respectively. Our study identified crush injury, NEU, and CK as significant risk factors for ACS in patients with both-bone forearm fractures. We also determined the cut-off values of NEU and CK, allowing for the individualized evaluation of ACS risk and the implementation of early targeted treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescent sensor technology is used in food safety to monitor seafood spoilage with the naked eye in real time due to its ease of operation, low cost and high degree of visualisation. Therefore, in this work, carbon quantum dots (CDs) as pH indicators and protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) as an internal reference were covalently grafted onto collagen fibres (CF) to design collagen fibre-based ratiometric fluorescent aerogels (CF-CP) with excellent amine response. As the alkaline environment causes a molecular conformational change in CDs and a decrease in fluorescence intensity, PpIX is unaffected, increasing its CF-CP colour response from blue to deep red with increasing ammonia concentration, with detection limits as low as 1.0 × 10−6 mg/L. CF-CP responds well to a wide range of biogenic amines (BAs), with the best selectivity for tyramine. In addition, the aerogel is biocompatible, degradable and colour responsive. The development of this smart fluorescent aerogel label provides a new platform for food quality monitoring and has wide application prospects in the field of food safety. [Display omitted] • Ratio fluorescent sensor improves visualisation of spoilage gas detection. • The aerogel improves detection sensitivity and reduces detection limits. • Water absorption and swelling of collagen fibres improves degradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor models have created new avenues for personalized medicine and drug development. A new culture model derived from a three-dimensional system, the tumor organoid, is gradually being used in many fields. An organoid can simulate the physiological structure and function of tissue in situ and maintain the characteristics of tumor cells in vivo, overcoming the disadvantages of traditional experimental tumor models. Organoids can mimic pathological features of tumors and maintain genetic stability, making them suitable for both molecular mechanism studies and pharmacological experiments of clinical transformation. In addition, the application of tumor organoids combined with other technologies, such as liquid biopsy technology, microraft array (MRA), and high-content screening (HCS), for the development of personalized diagnosis and cancer treatment has a promising future. In this review, we introduce the evolution of organoids and discuss their specific application and advantages. We also summarize the characteristics of several tumor organoids culture systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An automatic reconstruction method for high-contrast panoramic image from dental CBCT data is proposed. • The thickness detection of the dental arch effectively overcomes the inaccuracy of the manual setting and reduces the non-interesting tissues in panoramic image reconstruction. • The method proposes a new synthesis algorithm that can effectively improve the contrast of panoramic images. • An image enhancement algorithm is applied to improve the detail contrast of the final panoramic image. • The method could automatically and reliably improve the global and detail contrast of the panoramic image generated from dental CBCT data. Panoramic images reconstructed from dental cone beam CT (CBCT) data have been effectively used in dental clinics for disease diagnosis. Panoramic images generally have low contrast because excessive non-interest tissues participate in the reconstruction, which may affect the diagnosis. In this study, we developed a fully automatic reconstruction method to improve the global and detail contrast of panoramic images. The proposed method consists of dental arch thickness detection, image synthesis, and image enhancement. First, the dental arch thickness is detected from an axial maximum intensity projection (MIP) image generated from the axial slices containing the teeth to reduce non-interest tissues in panoramic image reconstruction. Then, a new synthesis algorithm is proposed at image synthesis stage to reduce the effect of non-interest tissues on image contrast. Finally, an image enhancement algorithm is applied to the synthesized image to improve the detail contrast of the final panoramic image. A total of 129 real clinical dental CBCT data sets were used to test the proposed method. The panoramic images generated by three methods were subjectively scored by three experienced dentists who were blinded to the generated method. The evaluation of image contrast included the maxillary, mandible, teeth, and particular region (root canal, crown reconstruction, implants, and metal brackets). The overall image contrast score revealed that the proposed method scored the highest of 11.03 ± 2.46, followed by the ray sum and x-ray methods with corresponding scores of 6.4 ± 1.65 and 5.35 ± 1.56. The results of expert subjective scoring indicated that the image contrast of the panoramic image generated by the proposed method is higher than those of existing methods. The proposed method provides a quick, effective and robust solution to improve the global and detail contrast of the panoramic image generated from dental CBCT data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advances in molecular laboratory techniques are changing the prospects for the diagnosis of viral infectious diseases. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay (multiplex-PCR) can detect dozens of pathogens simultaneously, greatly reducing turnaround time (TAT) and improving detection sensitivity. But as a double-edged sword, due to the high sensitivity of PCR, the type of respiratory specimens is critical to diagnosis. In this work, we performed a head-to-head comparison to evaluate the multiplex-PCR yields between two samples, sputum and flocked oropharyngeal swabs (OPS). Methods: Eleven common respiratory pathogens were tested in hospitalized children< 13 years of age who met the criteria for lower respiratory tract infection by GeXP-based multiplex-PCR of paired OPS and sputum. Results: From January to June 2018, 440 children with paired OPS and sputum were tested. The positive rate was 84% (369/440) for OPS and 88% (386/440) for sputum (p =.007). The frequency of detection of HRV, RSV, Influenza A virus, HMPV, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, M. pneumoniae, coronavirus, bocavirus and C. pneumoniae in sputa was higher than that of OPSs (all p <.001). Both types of specimens had similarly very good kappa values for most of pathogens, except for Mycoplasma pneumonia (κ = 0.61) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (κ = 0.24). Additionally, 79.3% (349/440) of cases showed consistent results between the two types of samples, and they were significantly younger than patients with inconsistent results (p =.002). Conclusions: Flocked oropharyngeal swabs and sputum performed similarly for the detection of common respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children by multiplex-PCR, except for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Young patients are likely to have consistent results between the two specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Significant publications are available about the use of enzymes in dissolving pulp. • Cellulase and xylanase are main enzymes studied to improve the dissolving pulp quality. • The enzyme efficiency is improved by the combination with other methods. • The enzymes can decrease cost, save chemicals and lower environment impact. Abstract Recently, the worldwide production of dissolving pulp has grown rapidly. Enzymatic technologies play an important role in producing high-quality dissolving pulp, due to their green, mild conditions, high specificity and efficiency. In this review, the relevant publications regarding enzyme applications for dissolving pulp are summarized. Cellulase and xylanase are two major enzymes used for this purpose. Cellulase can improve the quality of dissolving pulp, such as improving the reactivity/accessibility, controlling the intrinsic viscosity and adjusting the molecular weight. Xylanase is mainly used to increase the purity of the dissolving pulp and improve the pulp brightness. Furthermore, in order to increase the enzymatic treatment efficiency, the enzymatic technology can be combined with other techniques, including mechanical refining, fiber fractionations, alkali treatment and use of additives. The advantages, disadvantages and practical implications are analyzed. Also, the potential of other enzymes (such as laccase, mannanase) are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of berberine (BBR) on the Cell viability, lipid accumulation, apoptosis, cytochrome c , caspase-9 and caspase-3 in lipid accumulation-hepatocytes induced by sodium palmitate in vitro. The lipid accumulation-hepatocytes (induced by 0.5 mM sodium palmitate for 24 h) were treated with 5 μM berberine for 12 h. Then, the Cell viability, intracellular triglyceride (TG) content, lipid peroxide (LPO), malonaldehyde (MDA) content, cytochrome c , caspase-9, caspase-3 and apoptosis were detected. Sodium palmitate decreased Cell viability and increased intracellular TG content, lipid droplet accumulation, LPO and MDA concentrations, caused caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, then led to apoptosis accompanied by cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Beberine could improve intracellular lipid droplet accumulation and oxidative stress, while reduce apoptosis induced by sodium palmitate. Highlights • Hepatocytes lipid accumulation. • Berberine improves oxidative stress. • Apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cellular changes during cold-pressed extraction of 'J5' olives (Olea europaea L.) were investigated to better understand factors that affect oil release and recovery. Electrical impedance, electrical conductivity, rheological flow properties and light microscopy were used to monitor flesh or pulp structure at defined steps during the extraction process (grinding, malaxing and decanting). Light microscopy revealed most parenchyma cells in the flesh were ruptured in the grinding step. A significant reduction in electrical impedance concurrent with an increase in conductivity of tissue that occurred when cells were ruptured during the grinding process. Malaxing assisted aggregation of oil into larger droplets, observed by microscopy. Increasing malaxing time resulted in a decrease in the storage modulus (G′) of olive pulp, which correlated with the oil droplets in the olive paste coalescing together and becoming larger. The extraction process can be monitored with different techniques to assist with improved extraction yields. Highlights • Grinding breaks parenchyma cells to release oil. • Malaxing promotes aggregation of oil droplets to increase oil recovery. • Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and rheology are useful tools for monitoring fruit microstructural changes during the oil extraction process. • This is the first demonstration of the use of EIS in the cold-pressed olive oil extraction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nongradient SDEs with small white noise often arise when modeling biological and ecological time-irreversible processes. If the governing SDE were gradient, the maximum likelihood transition paths, transition rates, expected exit times, and the invariant probability distribution would be given in terms of its potential function. The quasipotential plays a similar role for nongradient SDEs. Unfortunately, the quasipotential is the solution of a functional minimization problem that can be obtained analytically only in some special cases. We propose a Dijkstra-like solver for computing the quasipotential on regular rectangular meshes in 3D. This solver results from a promotion and an upgrade of the previously introduced ordered line integral method with the midpoint quadrature rule for 2D SDEs. The key innovations that have allowed us to keep the CPU times reasonable while maintaining good accuracy are (i) a new hierarchical update strategy, (i i) the use of Karush–Kuhn–Tucker theory for rejecting unnecessary simplex updates, and (i i i) pruning the number of admissible simplexes and a fast search for them. An extensive numerical study is conducted on a series of linear and nonlinear examples where the quasipotential is analytically available or can be found at transition states by other methods. In particular, the proposed solver is applied to Tao's examples where the transition states are hyperbolic periodic orbits, and to a genetic switch model by Lv et al. (2014) [21]. The C source code implementing the proposed algorithm is available at M. Cameron's web page. Highlights • Ordered line integral method with midpoint rule for finding the quasipotential in 3D. • Using the KKT theory to reject unnecessary simplex updates. • An upgraded hierarchical update strategy to reduce the number of simplex updates. • Pruning the number of admissible simplexes and a fast search for them. • Testing the solver on a genetic switch model by Lv et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Fast and accurate vehicle logo detection in complex scenes. • A novel VLD-30 dataset is constructed. • A CNN model is exploited to conduct feature extraction for small objects. • A supervised pre-training method is used to improve the model's representation ability. Abstract Vehicle logo detection has received considerable attention due to its many applications, such as brand reputation measurement and vehicle monitoring. Deep-learning algorithms, such as you only look once (YOLO) and faster-regional convolutional neural network, have obtained excellent performance for object detection. However, it is not easy to exploit these methods to detect small objects. This work presents a novel method for fast and accurate vehicle logo detection (VLD) in complex scenes. First, we modify the original YOLOv3 model for the VLD task and solve the small object detection problem by hard example training. Second, we construct a new VLD dataset known as VLD-30, which encourages us to develop a data-driven training method and improve the detection accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed data-training method is useful and the modified YOLOv3 is effective for fast and accurate vehicle logo detection in complex scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We explored the factors affecting the surgical outcomes of Hirayama disease (HD). Methods We enrolled 40 patients with a diagnosis of HD in the present study. Cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed before surgery with the neck in the cervical neutral and flexion positions. Fusion surgery was performed at the most severely compressed 2 levels according to the flexion sagittal MRI findings. The patients were divided into improvement and no-improvement groups according to Odom's scale 6 months after surgery. The axial MRI parameters in the neutral and flexion positions at the most severely compressed segment were measured. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results The average age was 18.4 ± 2.27 years, and the average disease duration was 1.8 ± 1.2 years. The main symptomatic side of HD statistically matched the atrophied side of the spinal cord (P < 0.001). Based on the pathophysiology of spinal cord flattening with flexion, the parameters indicating atrophy of the spinal cord and the ability of the spinal cord to recover from flattening were significantly larger in the improvement group (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed good prognostic capacity for these parameters (P < 0.05). Conclusions The main side of the symptoms in patients with HD corresponded with ipsilateral spinal cord atrophy found on MRI. Also, atrophy of the spinal cord in the neutral position MRI study and the ability of the spinal cord to recover were significantly related to the surgical outcome. These factors might be used as potential indications for surgery of HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A composite inorganic coagulant PFASC was prepared using steel mill waste pickling liquor to treat the paper mill wastewater. • PFASC is effective in decreasing the COD and Chroma of paper mill wastewater. • The cost-effective technology has been implemented in a recycled fiber paper mill. Abstract In this study, a waste pickling liquor from a steel mill, which is rich in iron and acid, was used as the main raw material to prepare a composite coagulant: polymeric ferric aluminum sulfate chloride (PFASC). The as-prepared PFASC was used, together with PAM, for the tertiary treatment of papermaking wastewater to decrease its COD and Chroma. The Results from FT-IR and XRD of PFASC, supported the conclusion that polymeric ferric aluminum hydroxide hydrates compounds/ complexes are formed in the synthesized PFASC. When applied to a waste water sample from a paper mill, PFASC, together PAM, leads to decreases in COD and Chroma by 65.3% and 71.2%, respectively (initial pH 7.5, 1 ml/L PFASC, 1.0 ppm PAM). The technology has been implemented at a paper mill, and the obtained results are consistent with those from the laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • An effective, simple, and readily implementable process to enhance pulp refining efficiency. • Low molecular weight PDADMAC is more effective for improving cellulase efficiency than high molecular weight PDADMAC. • This novel process saves cellulase dosage and energy consumption. Abstract The use of poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) as an additive in the cellulase pretreatment process (the PDADMAC-assisted cellulase pretreatment process) prior to pulp refining, was investigated, with the objective of decreasing the energy consumption and/or cellulase dosage in the pulp refining process. Results showed that PDADMAC significantly improved the cellulase adsorption onto pulp fibers, which is responsible for enhancement in the cellulase treatment efficiency. The low molecular weight PDADMAC is more effective than the high molecular weight counterpart, because it is capable of infiltrating into the fiber pores to attack the fiber internal structure, while the high molecular weight PDADMAC just stays on the fiber surfaces. The developed pretreatment process facilitates the subsequent pulp refining process. The addition of PDADMAC has negligible effect on the strength properties of pulp while reducing the energy consumption with less cellulase dosage. One version of this process concept is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Shale gas has been successfully explored in the Sichuan Basin of China, and the marine Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale is the main gas-bearing target layer. However, economic shale gas production from continental shale layers within the Sichuan Basin is still minimal, and its potential requires further investigation. This study focuses on the pore structure and spontaneous imbibition behaviors of continental Jurassic Ziliujing Formation shale samples from northeastern Sichuan Basin. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was used to obtain the pore-throat size distribution information and field emission-scanning electronic microscope (FE-SEM) was conducted to observe the pore structure directly. The slopes of spontaneous imbibition curves were used to indicate the oil-wet or water-wet pore connectivity, and the wettability of our shale samples was investigated qualitatively by contact angle measurements and by comparing the directional spontaneous imbibition behaviors. The effects of shale composition and pore structure on spontaneous imbibition behaviors were also investigated in this study. Our results show that organic matter (OM) pores and OM-clay interparticle pores are quite developed in Ziliujing shale samples. The protection of pore spaces by rigid minerals is also observed for these samples. The oil-wet pore connectivity is generally better than water-wet pore connectivity, which could be indicated from the higher n-decane imbibition slopes compared with water imbibition slopes. The wettability of our shale samples can be classified into "weakly more oil-wet", "more oil-wet" and "more water-wet" according to the directional spontaneous imbibition results. The well-connected oil-wet pores could also be confirmed by the fast spreading of n-decane on the sample surfaces during contact angle measurements. In summary, the continental Jurassic Ziliujing Formation shale samples used in this study contain numerous OM pores and OM-clay interparticle pores, which provide both storage spaces and adsorption sites for shale gas and contribute to the better oil-wet pore connectivity. Highlights • The wettability information was indicated from directional SI experiments. • The relationship between SI behaviors and shale pore structure was discussed. • Contact angle with imbibed volume could be used to evaluate the shale wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hyperspectral image target detection is an important application for both of its civil and military uses. Traditional hyperspectral image target detection algorithms are usually designed based on the second-order statistics of the data where it is assumed that the target follows a Gaussian distribution. However, due to the low spatial resolution of the hyperspectral sensor, sometimes the targets of interest only occupy a few pixels. In this case, targets are more suitable to be described by high-order statistics. In this paper, we propose a fast high-order matched filter (FHMF) algorithm which describes the essence of the data more properly and then formulate the detection problem as an optimization problem. To solve the optimization problem efficiently, a fixed-point algorithm is proposed inspired by the FastICA algorithm of the signal processing field. The experiments are conducted with a synthetic hyperspectral image and a real hyperspectral image. The experiment results show that FHMF has better detection performance than other classical detection algorithms. In addition, the fast convergence speed also demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed fixed-point algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through high-speed camera and the self-developed software package for interface recognition, the space-time evolution of free surface has been investigated for non-isothermal liquid bridge with shear airflow, and the dynamic response of free surface to the shear airflow has also been analyzed. When the shear airflow is induced from the upper disk ( u  < 0), the convex part of free surface is oppressed downward to the gas side by the shear airflow, which increases the curvature of concave part on the free surface. Under the condition of u  > 0, the convex part of free surface is pulled upward to the gas side by the shear airflow, which also exacerbates the curvature of concave part on the free surface. The experimental results show that the shear airflow is introduced from upper disk increasing the probability of dam break for the liquid bridge. The deformation of free surface is intensified with the accelerated shear airflow. Due to the different initial free surface shapes (different volume ratios), the direction and intensity of shear stress vary at the different positions of free surface, and the dynamic response law of the free surface deformation is also different. For a liquid bridge with the volume ratio less than 1 ( V  = 0.802, V  = 0.899), the deformation of free surface presents a certain sinusoidal rule. When the volume ratio of liquid bridge is larger than 1 ( V  = 1.071), under shear airflow induced from upper disk, the deformation of free surface is still presents sinusoidal rule. When the velocity of shear airflow is u  > 0 ( u  = 1 m/s, u  = 1.5 m/s, u  = 2.0 m/s), the convex part of free surface moves up by the lifting action of shear airflow, and the shape of free surface presents multi-peak structure. For the liquid bridge with the large aspect ratio (Γ = 1.4), the convex region occupies most part of the interface, and there is no change for the free surface shape under the effect of shear airflow. The free surface shape still presents upper concave and lower convex. With the decreasing aspect ratio (Γ = 1.2), the deformation of free surface is intensified, and the shear airflow can excite obvious fluctuation on the free surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF) is an emerging class of functional materials with promising nanostructures and applications in biomedicine and materials science. Herein we present a dynamic protective coating system with self-healing anticorrosion function, based on pH-responsive ZIF nanoparticles. Due to the advantage of high content of corrosion inhibitor in the ZIF-7 nanoparticles and its nature of pH-sensitivity, the ZIF-7 nanoparticles could quickly respond to the surrounding acid environment and release the linker as healing agent, led to a new barrier on scratched metal surfaces. The embedding and homogeneous distribution of the ZIF-7 nanoparticles in polymer coating system improved the corrosion resistance of carbon steel in 0.1 M hydrochloric acid solution in comparison to the control samples, as determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The self-healing anticorrosion property of dynamic polymer system was characterized during a simulated corrosion process by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The concentration of the embedded ZIF-7 nanoparticles was varied (0.5 − 7 wt %) to ascertain the optimum conditions for anticorrosion performance. The important effect of particle size and shape of ZIF-7 nanoparticles is discussed as well. The ZIF-7 based on dynamic protective polymer systems can interact with and adapt to the surrounding acid environment, leading to a new healed barrier on metal surfaces with anticorrosion functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Several earthquakes over the past two decades have demonstrated that bridges crossing fault rupture zones may suffer significant damage due to the combined effects of ground shaking and surface rupture. Although it is widely recommended to avoid building a bridge across a fault, it is not always possible to achieve this objective, especially in regions with a dense network of active faults. This review begins by compiling two databases: one of fault-crossing bridges damaged in past earthquakes and another of bridges crossing potentially active fault rupture zones. The article then continues to review findings of experimental, analytical and numerical studies, and to summarize seismic design provisions and recommendations related to fault-crossing bridges. The review ends with suggestions for future research directions in this area. Highlights • Information about fault-crossing bridges damaged in past earthquakes is collected. • A database of well-documented cases of bridges crossing potentially active faults is compiled. • Small- and large-scale experimental studies of fault-crossing bridges are reviewed. • Analytical and numerical studies of bridges crossing fault rupture zones are summarized. • Seismic design provisions and recommendations for fault-crossing bridges are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of lithium chloride in endotoxin-induced uveitis.Methods: A total of 200 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: a control group; EIU group; LiCl-treated control group; and LiCl-treated lipopolysaccharide group. Clinical score, slit-lamp photography, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining were used to determine the degree of inflammatory reaction. Level of glycogen synthase kinase3-beta and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 in iris-ciliary body was examined by western blot and RT-PCR. Cytokines in aqueous humor were detected by ELISA.Results: Pretreatment with LiCl produced an anti-inflammatory effect during endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). With LiCl treatment, the level of P-GSK3-β in iris-ciliary body was upregulated and the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly suppressed during EIU.Conclusions: LiCl pretreatment can suppress intraocular inflammatory responses in EIU rats. Mechanistically, this anti-inflammatory effect may be related to the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3-β. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNA-17-5p (miR-17-5p) was indicated to suppress the formation of blood vessels, which is associated with cardiac function after myocardial infarction. In this study, the relationship between miR-17-5p and cardiac function was researched. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were infected with adenoviruses. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin V-7AAD/PI. Real-time RT-PCR was used to evaluate miR-17-5p and ERK levels. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of ERK, the anti-apoptosis protein bcl-2 and apoptosis proteins, including bax, caspase 3, and caspase 9. An in vivo acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model was established in SD male rats. Heart function was evaluated by echocardiography prior to inducing AMI and after 7 and 28 days later. The heart was removed to perform histological examination, real-time RT-PCR, and western blotting, as described above. The result indicated that the ERK pathway was activated by miR-17-5p downregulation and an increase in the level of the anti-apoptosis protein bcl-2; however, the levels of apoptosis proteins (bax/caspase 3/caspase 9) were decreased. The results were completely reversed when miR-17-5p was up-regulated. At 7 and 28 days after the induction of AMI, in the miR-17-5p inhibition group, the infarction areas and collagen fibers were decreased, apoptosis in cardiac tissues was inhibited, and the endothelial growth process was promoted. Therefore, MiR-17-5p silencing protects heart function after AMI through decreasing the rate of apoptosis and repairing vascular injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) for face detection leveraging on facial attributes based supervision. We observe a phenomenon that part detectors emerge within CNN trained to classify attributes from uncropped face images, without any explicit part supervision. The observation motivates a new method for finding faces through scoring facial parts responses by their spatial structure and arrangement. The scoring mechanism is data-driven, and carefully formulated considering challenging cases where faces are only partially visible. This consideration allows our network to detect faces under severe occlusion and unconstrained pose variations. Our method achieves promising performance on popular benchmarks including FDDB, PASCAL Faces, AFW, and WIDER FACE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polypyrrole/montmorillonite-polyvinylidenedifluoride/polymethyl methacrylate (PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA) composite film was prepared by a solvent casting technique. The surface morphology and cross-sectional structure of the 12 wt.% PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA composite film exhibited porosity with high specific surface area and good adsorption capacity. The 12 wt.% PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA composite film shows good electrolyte uptake (241%) and electrochemical stability. The ionic conductivity of the 12 wt.% PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA composite film with LiPF 6 organic electrolyte reaches 2.45 × 10 −3 S cm −1 at 20 °C. The Li/LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 cell assembled with the 12 wt.% PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA composite film and LiPF 6 organic electrolyte exhibits good capacity retention and cycling performance at 1 C and 60 °C. At the same time, the nucleophilic substitution reacts with the PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA composite film and HF from hydrolysis by trace moisture of LiPF 6 in the electrolyte solution, which can inhibit the disproportionation of Mn 3+ in the LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 electrode material and decrease the internal resistance of the cell at high temperature. In conclusion, the PPy/MMT-PVDF/PMMA composite film can be employed in Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most crucial evaluation metrics for the performance of particle sink purification technology is the time-dependent mass transfer coefficient (TDMTC). Therefore, it is very helpful for designers and developers to accurately describe the functional relationship between different influence parameters and the TDMTC. In this paper, four influence parameters (the applied voltage (V), interelectrode distance (d c), porosity (P), and shape (n) of the collecting electrode) were considered, and then non-linear multiple regression (NLMR) and multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) methods were used to establish prediction models of the TDMTC. Results showed that V and n were the most significant factors, followed by d c and P. Both multi-factor models could accurately predict the TDMTC under the sink effect with a maximum prediction error of 20% and 15%, respectively. Moreover, for particulate matter (PM) with different size fractions, MGGP models could improve the prediction accuracy by 5–10% compared to NLMR models. [Display omitted] • The impact mechanism of relevant parameters on the PM removal effect was revealed. • V and n parameters were the most significant factors, followed by d c and P. • The maximum prediction errors of multi-factor models were 20% and 15%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-by-point (PbP) cross-axis Bragg gratings in a step-index two-mode fiber are fabricated by tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses. The grating is formed by inscribing a line of periodic damage points crossing the fiber axis at a certain tilting angle. We experimentally show that the cross-axis structure can introduce multiple mainband resonances associated with the higher-order modes, with wavelength spacing proportional to the tilting angle. We also develop a numerical model for the PbP-inscribed gratings based on pulse-wave approximation and the standard coupled-mode theory, the resulting simulation exhibits a good agreement with the experimental findings. This work suggests the higher-order fiber modes, synergizing with the PbP technique, has the potential to add a new dimension to designing gratings with desired spectral spacing; such an inverse problem of PbP gratings can be assisted by the numerical modal we developed. • Multi-wavelength FBGs based on few-mode fibers and point-by-point inscription. • Multi-mainband resonances introduced by the cross-axis structure. • Demonstrated an extra dimension of FBG spectral tailoring leveraging HOMs. • Developed a numerical model for point-by-point FBGs with complex structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A universal in situ lattice sulfidation synthesis method of MS x /TiO 2 was developed. • 8 kinds of MS x /TiO 2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd) were prepared by the method. • Mn+ in MTiO 2 lattice reacted with S species to generate MS x in situ on TiO 2 surface. • CdS combined tightly with TiO 2 through chemical bonds rather than physical contact. • The tightly bonded heterostructure enhanced the photocatalytic activity dramatically. It is a challenge to synthesize well-defined metal sulfides/TiO 2 (MS x /TiO 2) heterostructures because of the lattice mismatch between MS x and TiO 2. In this work, an in situ lattice sulfidation synthesis method of MS x /TiO 2 was developed. Under hydrothermal conditions, metal atoms in metal-doped TiO 2 (MTiO 2) reacted with S species to generate MS x in situ on TiO 2 surface. This method is a universal preparation method and 8 kinds of MS x /TiO 2 heterostructures (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo and Cd) were synthesized. And taking CdS/TiO 2 as an example due to its highest photocatalytic activity, we can conclude that CdS grew tightly and dispersed uniformly on TiO 2 surface. The combination with CdS improved the photocatalytic NO removal ratio of TiO 2 greatly (>510 nm, from 2% to 34%; >400 nm, from 10% to 39%), which was high compared with other works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing environmental and public health issues, efficient recognition and detection approaches for pesticides has attracted concerns worldwide. Herein, luminescent lanthanide coordination polymers (Ln-CPs) with tunable emissive centers are synthesized by simultaneously doping controlled amounts of Eu3+, Tb3+ and Gd3+ into the same framework. An optimized version of the multicenter Ln-CP (Eu 0.048 Tb 0.052 Gd 0.9 -CPBA) is prepared for 2D fingerprint recognizing pesticides. Additionally, the special "turn-on" response of ligand-based emission and "turn-off" response of Eu3+/Tb3+-based emission toward glyphosate (GPS) endow Eu 0.048 Tb 0.052 Gd 0.9 -CPBA with highly selective ratiometric sensing capability. The rapid, sensitive, selective and recyclable sensor for GPS provides a facile and adjustable synthetic approach for the development of multicenter ratiometric sensors. The real-time monitoring platform not only improves the sensitivity and selectivity but also holds great environmental significance. [Display omitted] • A water stable ratiometric senor was synthesized through lanthanide ion doping. • Different pesticides in aqueous solution could be effectively recognized. • The sensor is sensitive and selective for glyphosate (GPS) with high recyclablity and low detection limit. • The sensing strategy highlights a new direction method for achieving more facile and efficient sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]