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Abstract: Mg/Al–CO3 hydrotalcites with a Mg/Al molar ratio of 4.0 were prepared using urea method. The microstructures and catalytic activities of the samples for the transesterification of microalgae oil with methanol were studied as compared with those prepared by co-precipitation. The as-synthesized and reconstructed hydrotalcites including their corresponding mixed oxides had been characterized by XRD, FT-IR, DSC and SEM analyses as well as the Hammett titration method. All the hydrotalcites possessed the hydrotalcite-like layered structure containing carbonate ions. Crystal sizes of reconstructed hydrotalcites were smaller than those of the as-synthesized ones, and the hydrotalcites prepared using urea method had larger crystal sizes than those by co-precipitation. The activity of the catalyst was closely correlated with its surface basicity, in which more basic sites displayed a higher catalytic activity. Again, the reconstruction of the hydrotalcites, the “memory effect”, had a significant influence on its surface basicity. The first calcination mixed oxide from the as-synthesized hydrotalcite using urea method had the highest catalytic activity with about 90.3% ester conversion. Furthermore, the Box–Behnken design, an experimental design for response surface methodology, was used to study the relationships of reaction temperature, methanol to oil molar ratio, and catalyst amount to the ester conversion. The results showed that it was a good agreement with the experimental data, demonstrating that the methodology may be useful for industrial process optimization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple, rapid and effective method for the determination of copper (II) in water on a PDMS microfluidic chip with chemiluminescence (CL) detection is presented. The CL reaction was based on oxidation of 1,10-phenanthroline by hydrogen peroxide in basic aqueous solution. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was chosen as material for fabricating the microfluidic chip with two steps lithography method. Optimized reagents conditions were found to be 6.0 × 10 mol/L 1,10-phenanthroline, 1.2 × 10 mol/L hydrogen peroxide, 6.5 × 10 mol/L sodium hydroxide and 2.0 × 10 mol/L Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium Bromide (CTMAB). In the continuous flow injection mode the system can perform fully automated detection with a reagent consumption of only 3.4 μL each time. The linear range of the Cu (II) ions concentration was 1.0 × 10 mol/L to 1.0 × 10 mol/L, and the detection limit was 9.2 × 10 mol/L with the S/N ratio of 3. The relative standard deviation was 2.8 % for 1.0 × 10 mol/L Cu (II) ions (n = 8). The most notable features of the detection method are simple operation, rapid detection and easy fabrication of the microfluidic chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyze the ultrasonic elastography features of phyllodes tumors of the breast comparing with fibroadenomas. A retrospective database was queried for the patients diagnosed as phyllodes tumors and fibroadenomas at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from January 2008 to August 2012. Three hundred and fifty lesions from 323 consecutive patients were included in the study. All the cases were examined by conventional ultrasonography and ultrasound elastography. Ultrasound elastography was used to calculate strain ratio of the lesions with bilateral breast tissue at the same depth as reference. There were 36 phyllodes tumors (27 benign, 8 borderline, 1 malignant) and 314 fibroadenomas (158 the pericanalicular type, 103 the intracanalicular type, 53 other special types). The strain ratio for phyllodes tumors (3.19±2.33) was significantly higher than for fibroadenomas (1.69±0.88) (p<0.05). The Spearman.s correlation coefficient between strain ratio of ultrasound elastography and pathological groups was significant, with a value of 0.17 (p<0.05). Ultrasound elastography could provide additional information to differentiate phyllodes tumors from fibroadenoma in breast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the blood compatibility and adhesion of collagen/heparin multilayers coated on cp-Ti substrates with a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. Two surface polishing processes were used for the titanium samples: one was mechanical polishing (MP) and the other, electropolishing (EP). These samples were pretreated by being immersed in NaOH solution to obtain a negatively charged surface with hydroxyl groups and then positively charged in poly-l-lysine solution. The repeated treatment of the samples by applying heparin and collagen alternately determined the number and thickness of the multilayers. The surface topography, chemical composition, and hydrophilicity of the films were investigated by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurement. The study of the adhesion of the multilayer was conducted by a nano-scratch test. The blood compatibility was evaluated by measuring the hemolysis ratio and platelet-covered area in vitro. The uncoated titanium surface was used as the benchmark. The results indicated that the anticoagulation performance of collagen/heparin multilayers on the titanium surface was superior to that of the uncoated titanium surface. The hemolysis ratios of samples with an EP Ti substrate, a relatively rougher one, were essentially lower than those of samples with an MP substrate. The increase in the multilayers' thickness enhanced their adhesion to the Ti substrate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, the pressureless sintering behavior of boron carbide (B4C) ceramics with 5–10wt.% Al–Si binary additives was studied, while separate addition of individual elemental Al and Si was also investigated for comparison. Near fully-dense B4C ceramics can be prepared at 2150–2250°C when 5–7wt.% of Al–Si with molar ratio of 9:1 is added. In contrast to individual Al and Si, the use of the binary Al–Si additives in B4C ceramics results in a refined microstructure and increasing the Al–Si molar ratio from 1:1 to 9:1 promotes the densification of the B4C ceramics. Energy dispersion spectrum (EDS) analysis demonstrates the formation of SiC at the B4C grain boundaries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We experimentally constructed a three-dimensional flute-model meta-molecule structure acoustic metamaterial (AM) from a periodic array of perforated hollow steel tubes (PHSTs) and investigated its transmission and reflection behaviors in an impedance tube system. The AM exhibited a peak and dip, and an inverse phase, thus exhibiting the local resonance of the PHSTs. Based on the homogeneous media theory, the effective bulk modulus and mass density of the AM were calculated to be simultaneously negative; the refractive index was also negative. PHST AM slab focusing experiments showed that the medium with a resonant structure exhibited a distinct metamaterial property. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Carbon quantum dots (CDs) with favorable luminescent features for biphotonic applications have attracted much interest in modulating their photoluminescence (PL) efficiency. A surface state with various defects is believed to play a key role in the emissive intensity. Here, pressure-induced quenching of PL is observed in red emissive CDs (R-CDs) and is ascribed to defects in carbon cores upon compression. In the power-law fitting to the excitation power-dependent PL of R-CDs at high pressure, the coefficient k parameter related to the emissive mechanism decreases from 1 under ambient pressure to much less than 1 under the application of pressure, suggesting a transition from single exciton recombination to defect-related emission. With the k parameter decreasing to 0.69 at 1.6 GPa, the pressure-induced defects reduce the PL intensity by approximately one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the attenuation and broadening of the G band characterizing the sp2 hybrid structure of carbon cores in the Raman spectra for R-CDs at high pressure support that the pressure-induced lattice relaxation impairs the crystalline symmetry of the carbon core and results in the dramatic quenching of PL. Our results highlight the importance of the well-crystallized carbon core in designing CDs with high quantum yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate pathological diagnosis of invasion depth and histologic grade is key for clinical management in patients with bladder cancer (BCa), but it is labour-intensive, experience-dependent and subject to interobserver variability. Here, we aimed to develop a pathological artificial intelligence diagnostic model (PAIDM) for BCa diagnosis. Methods: A total of 854 whole slide images (WSIs) from 692 patients were included and divided into training and validation sets. The PAIDM was developed using the training set based on the deep learning algorithm ScanNet, and the performance was verified at the patch level in validation set 1 and at the WSI level in validation set 2. An independent validation cohort (validation set 3) was employed to compare the PAIDM and pathologists. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Results: The AUCs of the PAIDM were 0.878 (95% CI 0.875–0.881) at the patch level in validation set 1 and 0.870 (95% CI 0.805–0.923) at the WSI level in validation set 2. In comparing the PAIDM and pathologists, the PAIDM achieved an AUC of 0.847 (95% CI 0.779–0.905), which was non-inferior to the average diagnostic level of pathologists. There was high consistency between the model-predicted and manually annotated areas, improving the PAIDM's interpretability. Conclusions: We reported an artificial intelligence-based diagnostic model for BCa that performed well in identifying invasion depth and histologic grade. Importantly, the PAIDM performed admirably in patch-level recognition, with a promising application for transurethral resection specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-saving is one of the most important problems in agricultural development, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The effects of polyaspartic acid (PASP) on soil water storage, soil microbial community, soil physiochemical properties, cotton yield and fiber quality were studied to find water-saving material utilized in cotton field. The experiment was divided into two parts, the first part concerned the direct application of three different amounts of PASP under field conditions. In the second part, PASP was mixed with soil in different proportions and the mixtures were put into bottles, which were then buried in the cotton field. The application of PASP improved the water-holding capacity and thus increased water content available to the cotton root system in the cotton field for a long time, and significantly (p < 0.05) increased the content of soil organic matter, available P and ammonium-N. Relative abundances of Methylophaga, Sphingomonas, Cupriavidus, Pseudeurotium, Fusarium and Nectria were significantly affected by applying PASP. Compared to the control group, 15, 75 and 150 kg ha−1 of PASP increased seed cotton yield by 3.94, 8.31 and 7.71%, respectively. The application of PASP also increased the reflectance degree, Micronaire and short fiber index of cotton. These results suggested that 75 kg ha−1 of PASP can be appropriate to alleviate drought stress in arid and semi-arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further exert the technical advantages of face gears, high-end equipment puts forward the need for the long-life mass-machining of face gears. However, the commonly used technique of hard honing is more sensitive to installation errors and impact loads, and soft honing has insufficient removal ability to the margin, so the quality of the gear's life is difficult to guarantee. To solve this contradiction, this paper introduces a damper to honing and proposes a flexible honing method for face gears. First, to reveal the flexible honing mechanism, the tooth-surface model of face-gear honing is derived, and the mathematical model for face-gear flexible honing is established. Second, to clarify the influence of flexible honing parameters on the quality of the tooth surface, a roughness model of the honing surface is established, and the influence of flexible honing parameters on roughness is analyzed. Third, by analyzing the influence of roughness under the action of honing parameters on the stress of the tooth surface, the parameters for flexible honing are determined. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified by flexible honing machining and testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag-Ag2O-decorated multiwall carbon nanotube/NiCoAl-hydrotalcite (CNT/LDH-Ag) composites were designed and synthesized for nitrite quantification. The materials were characterized by various techniques, and their electrochemical NO2− detection performances investigated using amperometric and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. The Ag-Ag2O nanoparticles (NPs) were anchored on the surface of the CNT/LDH-Ag composites. At a suitable amount of the Ag-Ag2O loading, the Ag-Ag2O NPs with small particle size were distributed evenly on the CNT/LDH surface, increasing the surface area of the composites. The optimal CNT/LDH-Ag3 composite exhibited a high electrochemical activity for NO2− oxidation in pH 7.0. Furthermore, the optimal CNT/LDH-Ag3 composite was fabricated for trace NO2− quantification. The proposed sensor displayed a high sensitivity (0.0960 μA·μM−1·cm−2) and fast response (< 3 s) toward NO2− in a wide linear range from 0.250 μmol·L−1 to 4.00 mmol·L−1 with a low detection limit of 0.0590 μmol·L−1(S/N = 3). The sensor provided an outstanding analytical performance with a desirable recovery (95.3 ~ 107%, RSD < 1.05%) in real sample. As a result, the proposed sensor can be used for the real-time quantification of trace NO2− in the biological, food, and environmental fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Protein composition, amino acid profile and nutritional value of the lotus seed and its Osborne fractions were investigated. The seed was rich in protein with 19.85%, and showed well balanced amino acid composition compared with FAO/WHO pattern, Its nutritive properties were similar to those observed in the reference soybean protein. Phenylalanine, tyrosine, leucine and lysine were the limiting amino acids in the seed proteins. The albumin and globulin were the main protein fraction, the amino acid profile and nutritional value were close to the seed protein. RESULTS: Changes in transition temperature and thermal stability were observed through different solvent extractions. Albumin possessed the predominant thermal stability (81.4 °C) followed by globulin (74.49 °C), prolamin (69 °C) and glutelin (65.6 °C). So, solvent compositions influence the profile of AAs and their nutritive value, and aqueous solvent with 0.1 mol L−1 NaCl was an efficient protein solubiliser. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the extraction processes influenced the lotus seed protein quality and thermal stability. Overall, the study revealed that the lotus seed protein was nutritionally well-balanced protein and might be of significant importance in the formulation of diets for humans. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The electrical resistivity of the as-consolidated and coarse-grained bulk gadolinium (Gd) metals was studied in the temperature range of 3–315K. The experimental results showed that with decrease in the grain size of Gd grains from micrometer to nanometer range, the room temperature electrical resistivity increased from 209.7 to 333.0μΩ cm, while the electrical resistivity at the low temperature of 3K was found to increase surprisingly from 16.5 to 126.3μΩcm. The room temperature coefficient resistivity (TCR) values were obtained as 39.2×10–3, 5.51×10–3 and 33.7×10–3 K−1. The ratios of room temperature to residual resistivity [RRR=ρ(300K)/ρ(3K)] are 2.64, 11.0, respectively, for the as-consolidated samples at 280°C and 700°C with respect to that of the coarse-grained sample. All results indicate the remarkable influence of the nanostructure on the electrical resistivity of Gd due to the finite size effect and large fraction of grain boundaries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We herein report a rare case of collision lymph node metastases of breast and thyroid carcinomas. A 49-year-old female had undergone an extensively radical mastectomy of the right breast for inflammatory breast cancer at our hospital. Eleven months later, she presented with enlarged lymph nodes in her right lateral neck and multiple nodules in bilateral thyroid lobes. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and radical dissection of the bilateral cervical lymph nodes. A histological examination showed multiple foci of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the bilateral lobes. Surprisingly, concurrent metastases of breast carcinoma and PTC were shown in one of the lymph nodes from the right jugular region. This rare case of collision metastasis and the related literature are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Xenorhabdus budapestensis can produce a variety of proteins that help this bacterium and its mutualistic nematode vector kill the host insect. In this report, we purified one protein fraction from the intracellular extract of X. budapestensis D43, which was designated HIP57. By injection, HIP57 caused Galleria mellonella larval bodies to blacken and die with an LD50 of 206.81ng/larva. Analyzes of HIP57 by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that this protein was a single spot on the gel with a molecular weight of 57kDa and a pI of ∼5. Sequencing and bioinformatic analysis suggested that the HIP57 toxin was homologous to GroEL. GroEL has been accepted as molecule chaperon; however, our research revealed that HIP57 (GroEL) possesses another novel function as an insecticide. A GroEL phylogenetic tree defined the relationship among the related species of mutualistic bacteria (Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus) from the entomopathogenic nematodes and the evolution within the family Enterobacteriaceae. Thus, GroEL could be a complement to 16S rDNA for studying the molecular phylogenies of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Phenoloxidase (PO) activity analysis of G. mellonella larvae injected with HIP57 suggested that the toxin activates the PO cascade, which provides an extensive defense reaction that potentially responsible for G. mellonella larval death. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Direct measurements of the magneto-caloric effect of GdSiGe alloys under heat treatment conditions are investigated by measuring adiabatic temperature change (Δ T) in a magnetic field of 1.5 T using a homemade magnetocaloric effect measuring apparatus. The crystal structure, microstructure as well as the chemical composition of the alloys are measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray Detector (EDX). It is found that the microstructure of the alloys could be fully homogenized and the impurities in the alloys could be remarkably removed via appropriate heat treatment. As a result, the maximum adiabatic temperature change (Δ T) of the alloy annealed at 1573 K increases by 105% from 1.9 to 3.9 K for a magnetic field change from 0 to 15 kOe when compared to the as arc-melted material, while the magnetic ordering temperature slightly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck cancer is the sixthmost common type of Cancer worldwide. Since conventional treatment regimens are nonselective and are associated with systemic toxicities, intense investigations focus on molecular targeted therapy with high selectivity and low adverse effects. mTOR signaling pathway has been found to be activated in head and neck cancer, making it attractive for targeted therapy. In addition, expression levels of mTOR and downstream targets eIF4E, 4EBP1, S6K1, and S6 are potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for head and neck cancer. mTOR inhibitors, such as rapamycin and its derivatives temsirolimus and everolimus, exhibit inhibitory effects on head and neck cancer in both in vitro cell line model and in vivo xenograft model. A large number of clinical trials have been initiated to evaluate the therapeutic effects of mTOR inhibitors on patients with head and neck cancer. mTOR inhibitor has potential as a single therapeutic agent or in combination with radiation, chemotherapeutic agents, or other targeted therapeutic agents to obtain synergistic repression on head and neck cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Protein fractionation of lotus seed was carried out and the structures of the protein fractions were studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) was used to investigate changes in molecular structures of the protein fractions. FTIR and UV–vis spectra showed the protein fractions had different protein molecular structures. FTIR spectra showed β-sheets and β-turns as the major secondary structures in the individual protein fractions, while the amounts of α-helix and random coil structures among the different fractions did not significantly change. The amounts of β-sheet structures of albumin and globulin were significantly higher than ones of prolamin and glutelin, implying albumin and globulin had high stabilities because of the high content in β-sheet structures. The observed similarity in the amounts of α-helix, random coil, β-sheet and β-turn structures shared by albumin and globulin indicated that their interior conformations were similar. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The magnetocaloric effect of GdSiGe alloys under heat treatment conditions are investigated in low magnetic fields. The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is studied by measuring magnetic entropy change (Δ S) and adiabatic temperature change (Δ T) in a magnetic field of 1·5 T using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and a home-made magnetocaloric effect measuring apparatus, respectively. The maximum Δ S of the alloys increases by 200% from 4·38 to 13·32 J kg K, the maximum · T increases by 105% from 1·9 to 3·9 K when compared to the as-cast due to the homogeneous composition distribution and microstructure, while the magnetic ordering temperature is slightly reduced. These results indicate that the annealed GdSiGe compounds are promising as high-performance magnetic refrigerants working room temperature in relatively low magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the problem of stability of neural networks with time-varying delays. A novel Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional decomposing the delays in all integral terms is proposed. By exploiting all possible information and considering independent upper bounds of the delay derivative in various delay intervals, some new generalized delay-dependent stability criteria are established, which are different from the existing ones and improve upon previous results. Numerical examples are finally given to demonstrate the effectiveness and the merits of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper deals with the problem of passivity analysis for neural networks with both time-varying delay and norm-bounded parameter uncertainties by employing an improved free-weighting matrix approach. Some useful terms have been retained, which were used to be ignored in the derivative of Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. Furthermore, the relationship among the time-varying delay, its upper bound and their difference is taken into account. As a result, for two types of time-varying delays, less conservative delay-dependent passivity conditions are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), respectively. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel reaction in-situ synthesis technique was developed for preparing pure bulk polycrystalline Gd dihydride materials by combination of the hydrogen plasma metal reaction (HPMR) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The nanoparticles of Gd hydrides were firstly prepared by HPMR. SPS process was then introduced to synthesize the bulk GdH2 materials from the nanoparticles. The pure consolidated bulk GdH2 materials were achieved after sintering at temperature 750–900°C with a pressure of 50MPa in a vacuum atmosphere. The GdH2 phase with face centered cubic (FCC) and GdH3 phase with hexagonal condensed packed (HCP) exist in the nanoparticles, and the consolidated bulk, however, is a single phase GdH2 with FCC. Subsequent annealing process can make the bulk GdH2 material transform back to pure HCP Gd. Microstructure analysis reveals that the consolidated bulk material exhibits a good microstructure. These results indicate that the HPMR–SPS process is an effective method for the synthesizing bulk GdH2 materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we study the entanglement dynamics of two-spin Heisenberg XYZ model with the Dzialoshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction. The system is initially prepared in the Werner state. The effects of purity of the initial state and DM coupling parameter on the evolution of entanglement are investigated. The necessary and sufficient condition for the appearance of the entanglement sudden death (ESD) phenomenon has been deduced. The result shows that the ESD always occurs if the initial state is sufficiently impure for the given coupling parameter or the DM interaction is sufficiently strong for the given initial state. Moreover, the critical values of them are calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lipase by physical adsorption on Mg–Al hydrotalcite with a Mg/Al molar ratio of 4.0 led to a markedly improved performance of the enzyme. The immobilized lipase retained activity over wider ranges of temperature and pH than those of the free lipase. The immobilized lipase retained more than 95% relative activity at 50°C, while the free lipase retained about 88%. The kinetic constants of the immobilized and free lipases were also determined. The apparent activation energies (E a) of the free and immobilized lipases were estimated to be 6.96 and 2.42kJmol−1, while the apparent inactivation energies (E d) of free and immobilized lipases were 6.51 and 6.27kJmol−1, respectively. So the stability of the immobilized lipase was higher than that of free lipase. The water content of the oil must be kept below 2.0wt% and free fatty acid content of the oil must be kept below 3.5mgKOHg[oil]−1 in order to get the best conversion. This immobilization method was found to be satisfactory to produce a stable and functioning biocatalyst which could maintain high reactivity for repeating 10 batches with ester conversion above 81.3%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the wide applications of Gaussian mixture clustering, e.g., in semantic video classification [H. Luo, J. Fan, J. Xiao, X. Zhu, Semantic principal video shot classification via mixture Gaussian, in: Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Multimedia and Expo, vol. 2, 2003, pp. 189–192], it is a nontrivial task to select the useful features in Gaussian mixture clustering without class labels. This paper, therefore, proposes a new feature selection method, through which not only the most relevant features are identified, but the redundant features are also eliminated so that the smallest relevant feature subset can be found. We integrate this method with our recently proposed Gaussian mixture clustering approach, namely rival penalized expectation-maximization (RPEM) algorithm [Y.M. Cheung, A rival penalized EM algorithm towards maximizing weighted likelihood for density mixture clustering with automatic model selection, in: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Pattern Recognition, 2004, pp. 633–636; Y.M. Cheung, Maximum weighted likelihood via rival penalized EM for density mixture clustering with automatic model selection, IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng. 17(6) (2005) 750–761], which is able to determine the number of components (i.e., the model order selection) in a Gaussian mixture automatically. Subsequently, the data clustering, model selection, and the feature selection are all performed in a single learning process. Experimental results have shown the efficacy of the proposed approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mg–Al hydrotalcites with different Mg/Al molar ratios were prepared and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR), thermogravimetric apparatus and differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) and scanning electron micrograph (SEM). It was confirmed by XRD that the materials had hydrotalcite structure. The hydrotalcite catalyst calcined at 773K with Mg/Al molar ratio of 3.0 exhibited the highest catalytic activity in the transesterification. In addition, a study for optimizing the transesterification reaction conditions such as molar ratio of the methanol to oil, the reaction temperature, the reaction time, the stirring speed and the amount of catalyst, was performed. The optimized parameters, 6:1 methanol/oil molar ratio with 1.5% catalyst (w/w of oil) reacted under stirring speed 300rpm at 65°C for 4h reaction, gave a maximum ester conversion of 90.5%. Moreover, the solid catalyst could be easily separated and possibly reused. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Unit-cell volume of La 2 Ni 7 phase for the melt-spun alloy is the smallest. • CRR improvement of the melt-spun alloy at 248 K is more significant than that at 298 K. • High discharge potential is the main factor for resulting in reversible self-discharge. • Optimal self-discharge performance of melt-spun alloy lies in its recoverable reversible process. The microstructure and self-discharge properties of Ce 2 Ni 7 -type La 0.65 Ce 0.1 Mg 0.25 Ni 3 Co 0.5 hydrogen storage alloy produced by conventional casting, annealing and melt-spinning methods are studied. A melt-spun processing is greatly effective for improving the self-discharge properties by changing the microstructural evolution. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that all three samples contain the major phase of (La, Mg) 2 Ni 7 which belongs to the space group of P63/mmc, but the unit-cell volume of (La, Mg) 2 Ni 7 phase for the melt-spun alloy is the smallest. The improvement of charge retention rate (CRR) for the three samples at 248 K is more significant than that at 298 K, especially for the melt-spun alloy. An increase of discharge-potential plateau leads to more reversible self-discharge of the alloy electrodes, corresponding to the corrosion degrees. Thus, the melt-spun alloy has the optimal self-discharge performance which is dominated by the reversible self-discharge process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pineapple flower-like hierarchical Co 3 O 4 @CoAl-layered double hydroxides (Co 3 O 4 @ CoAl-LDH) with 3D mesoporous network structure were designed and in-situ synthesized on nickel foam (NF) through a facile two-step hydrothermal route for supercapacitors. The Co 3 O 4 @CoAl-LDH displayed a greater specific capacitance of 949.7C g−1 (1899.4 F g−1) at 1.0 A g−1, better rate capability and higher cycle stability comparing with the pristine Co 3 O 4 and CoAl-LDH on NF. At the same time, the as-fabricated Co 3 O 4 @CoAl-LDH//activated carbon (Co 3 O 4 @CoAl-LDH//AC) device delivered outstanding energy densities of 77.58 and 36.03 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 754.83 and 7813.73 W kg−1, respectively, and excellent rate capability and outstanding long-term cycle stability (84.99% retention of the initial value at 5 A g−1 after 20,000 cycles). The superior electrochemical performances showed that the Co 3 O 4 @CoAl-LDH was a promising candidate as electrode materials for high-performance energy storage devices. [Display omitted] • The hierarchical Co 3 O 4 @LDH grown on nickel foam was successfully prepared. • The Co 3 O 4 @LDH exhibited a high specific capacitance. • The assembled Co 3 O 4 @ LDH//AC device showed excellent performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper studies the stability problem of time-varying delay systems. • New stability criterion is derived based on a delay-product Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional. • A hierarchical negativity condition of quadratic polynomials is presented. • The derived stability criterion is expressed in terms of LMIs by using the presented negativity condition. • Two examples are solved so as to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. This paper studies the stability problem of time-varying delay systems. Firstly, By constructing a delay-product Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, a stability criterion is established, where the advantages of convexity properties are being exploited. This stability criterion in terms of linear matrix inequality (LMI) can be checked exactly using an improved negativity condition of quadratic polynomials. It is demonstrated in the numeric examples that the proposed method can greatly reduce the conservativeness without leading to increase the number of decision variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic Doppler color imaging can provide anatomic information and simultaneously render flow information within blood vessels for diagnostic purpose. Many researchers are currently developing ultrasound image processing algorithms in order to provide physicians with accurate clinical parameters from the images. Because researchers use a variety of computer languages and work on different computer platforms to implement their algorithms, it is difficult for other researchers and physicians to access those programs. A system has been developed using World Wide Web (WWW) technologies and HTTP communication protocols to publish our ultrasonic Angle Independent Doppler Color Image (AIDCI) processing algorithm and several general measurement tools on the Internet, where authorized researchers and physicians can easily access the program using web browsers to carry out remote analysis of their local ultrasonic images or images provided from the database. In order to overcome potential incompatibility between programs and users’ computer platforms, ActiveX technology was used in this project. The technique developed may also be used for other research fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Probing the functional complexity of the human genome will require new gene cloning techniques, not only to discover intraspecies gene homologs and interspecies gene orthologs, but also to identify alternatively spliced gene variants. We report homologous cDNA cloning methods that allow cloning of gene family members, genes from different species, and alternatively spliced gene variants. We cloned human 14-3-3 gene family members using DNA probes with as much as 35% sequence divergence, cloned alternatively spliced gene forms of Rad51D, and cloned a novel splice form of the human 14-3-3 theta gene with a unique expression pattern. Interspecies gene cloning was demonstrated for the mouse Rad51C and mouse β-actin genes using human gene probes. The gene family cloning method is fast, efficient, and free from PCR errors; moreover, it exploits the abilities of RecA protein to pair homologous or partially homologous DNA sequences stably in kinetically trapped, multistranded DNA hybrids that can be used for subsequent gene clone enrichment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents information on a study which demonstrated that sulfur-nitrosoglutathione decomposition by bovine aortic endothelial cells has an absolute dependence on the presence of cystine in the cell culture medium. Materials and methods; Results; Discussion.

Background: Risk factors for temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain remain unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to identify risk factors for TMD pain using a biopsychosocial model and to investigate interactions between potential risk factors—oral behaviours (OBs), psychological factors and sleep quality—and their direct and indirect effects on TMD pain. Methods: This was a cross‐sectional study of 488 patients with TMDs (422 women; 30.8 ± 9.4 years). Pain was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale. Demographic, behavioural, psychological and biomedical data were collected through clinical examination, face‐to‐face interviews and questionnaires. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with TMD pain. Mediation and moderation analysis were used to evaluate interactions between variables. Significant mediation ('0' not included in the 95% confidence interval (CI)) and moderation (p <.05) effects on TMD pain were identified. Results: Marital status, diagnosis subgroup, previous medication use, depression and sleep quality were significant risk factors for TMD pain (p <.05). Significant mediation effects were observed as follows: depression and sleep quality mediated the association between OBs and pain; sleep quality mediated the association between somatization, depression, anxiety and pain; and depression mediated the association between sleep quality and pain (all 95% CI did not contain '0'). Conclusions: (1) Marital status, diagnosis subgroup, previous medication use, depression and sleep quality were associated with TMD pain. (2) OBs can exacerbate pain by promoting depression and reducing sleep quality. Psychological factors and sleep quality can interact to exacerbate pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrinkage porosity is a common issue in nickel-based superalloy 718 turbine blade investment castings, potentially compromising the mechanical properties of the final component. This study utilized finite element simulation to explore the impact of mold dwell time preceding the melt pouring process on the filling, solidification, and shrinkage defects in Inconel 718 superalloy turbine blade investment casting. The simulation results indicate that as the mold dwell time increases from 0 to 420 s, the shell temperature decreases from 1000 to 860 °C, while the total shrinkage volume and frequency rise from 2.6154 to 2.9398 cm3. This phenomenon mainly arises from the decrease in shell temperature and the evolution of solid fraction within the superalloy casting. For mold dwell times of 180 s, 300 s, and 420 s, the shell temperature directly declines to 900–950 °C, 850–940 °C, and 830–890 °C, respectively, before ascending to around 1200 °C during melt pouring. Subsequently, the microstructure of both as-cast and heat-treated superalloy 718 castings underwent observation and comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chestnut postharvest pathogen Neofusicoccum parvum (N. parvum) is an important postharvest pathogen that causes chestnut rot. Chestnut rot in postharvest reduces food quality and causes huge economic losses. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of dill seed essential oil (DSEO) on N. parvum and its mechanism of action. The chemical characterization of DSEO by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed that the main components of DSEO were apiole, carvone, dihydrocarvone, and limonene. DSEO inhibited the growth of mycelium in a dose-dependent manner. The antifungal effects are associated with destroying the fungal cell wall (cytoskeleton) and cell membrane. In addition, DSEO can induce oxidative damage and intracellular redox imbalance to damage cell function. Transcriptomics analysis showed DSEO treatment induced differently expressed genes most related to replication, transcription, translation, and lipid, DNA metabolic process. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that DSEO and DSEO emulsion can inhibit the growth of fungi and prolong the storage period of chestnuts. These results suggest that DSEO can be used as a potential antifungal preservative in food storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ag 3 VO 4 /ZnTi-LDH (Ag 3 VO 4 /LDH) with 3D rosette-like structure were designed and prepared by anchoring Ag 3 VO 4 nanoparticles on the ZnTi-LDH. The as-prepared materials were characterized by various techniques, and their photocatalytic performances for the tetracycline (TC) degradation were also investigated under simulated solar light irradiation. It was found that the Ag 3 VO 4 nanoparticles grew on the surface of the LDH host layers, and the photocatalytic performances depended on the loading amount of the Ag 3 VO 4 nanoparticles. The 15%Ag 3 VO 4 /LDH had uniformly distributed Ag 3 VO 4 nanoparticles and the largest specific surface area (S BET), which increased surficial active sites to improve the photocatalytic activity. The 15%Ag 3 VO 4 /LDH exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity with TC removal rate of 83.1%, which was about 6.3 and 6.8 times higher than those of the Ag 3 VO 4 and ZnTi-LDH, respectively. Especially for the spent 15%Ag 3 VO 4 /LDH, the TC removal rate at the 5 th cycle still kept around 95% at first cycle, and there was little change in morphological structure and surface chemical property, suggesting that the excellent structure and photocatalytic stabilities. At the same time, the probable photocatalytic mechanism was put forward, and the likely TC degradation pathway was also proposed on the basis of the intermediate products detected by GC–MS technique. [Display omitted] • The rosette-like Ag 3 VO 4 /LDH microsphere was prepared by in-site growing method. • A suitable amount of Ag 3 VO 4 conduced the photo-generated electron separation and migration. • The Ag 3 VO 4 /LDH had the excellent photocatalytic and structure stabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among 13 proteases from microbes and plants, bromelain was shown to hydrolyze casein to obtain the highest iron-chelating activity of the hydrolysate. The casein hydrolysate obtained by hydrolysis of casein with bromelain under optimized condition was ultrafiltrated to obtain the casein peptide fraction (CPF, < 1 kDa) with high iron-chelating activity (63.94%). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis of CPF indicated presence of 8 peptides with potential iron-binding glutamic acid, serine, phenylalanine and histidine residues. The casein peptides-iron chelate (CPIC) was prepared by reaction of CPF with ferrous sulfate. Characterization of CPIC in comparison with CPF showed significantly decreased intensity of the diffraction peak at 20° with slight shift to higher diffraction angle (2θ) by X-ray diffraction analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis suggested that carboxyl, carbonyl and amino groups were the main chelating sites for iron ions. Thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated that chelating with iron led to better structural and thermal stability of CPIC. Further iron absorption assay by a Caco-2 cells model indicated less toxicity of CPIC to the cells than that of ferrous sulfate specially at higher concentrations (5, 10 mg/mL), and significantly (p < 0.05) better iron absorption of the cells with CPIC than with ferrous sulfate. Western blot analysis confirmed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of iron transporter proteins such as divalent metal transporter 1 and ferroportin1. The results of this study suggests potential of CPIC as a dietary supplement to improve iron absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate imaging and clinical features of colorectal liver metastases complicated with macroscopic intrabiliary growth, and correlate the unusual pattern of spread with treatment and follow-up.Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical, imaging and follow-up files of all patients with surgically resected colorectal liver metastases from January 2016 to October 2020 was reviewed to identify those with macroscopic intrabiliary growth. Two radiologists evaluated the radiological features of colorectal liver metastasis with macroscopic intrabiliary growth. The histopathological findings and follow-up results were also investigated.Results: A total of 555 patients were included. Colorectal liver metastasis with macroscopic intrabiliary growth was present in 5 patients (0.9 %). Four patients experienced tumor recurrence or progression after surgical treatment (80 %), and recurrent tumors retained propensity for intraductal growth. CT (n = 6) and MR (n = 6) examinations were performed before 8 operations with the pathological examination confirmed macroscopic intrabiliary colorectal metastases. According to the location, intrabiliary colorectal metastases were classified into two categories: peripheral (n = 3) and central involvement (n = 5). The lengths of tumoral extension into the downstream bile duct were more than those of extension into the upstream bile duct (P = 0.029). On CT images, all cases showed dilated bile ducts filled with soft tissue attenuation presenting moderate (n = 4) or obvious (n = 2) enhancement. On MR images, all intra-hepatic and intrabiliary components of the metastases showed restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging, and peritumoral wedge-shaped T1-weighted hyperintensity appeared in the cases with obstruction of intrahepatic bile ducts.Conclusions: The propensity for colorectal liver metastasis with intrabiliary growth to grow longitudinally and extend beyond the intrahepatic tumor edge elevates the risk of high recurrence after operation. Intrabiliary growth of liver metastasis exhibits characteristic MR and CT imaging features, which help to make an accurate diagnosis and improve treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigued driving is one of the main causes of traffic accidents. The electroencephalogram (EEG)-based mental state analysis method is an effective and objective way of detecting fatigue. However, as EEG shows significant differences across subjects, effectively "transfering" the EEG analysis model of the existing subjects to the EEG signals of other subjects is still a challenge. Domain-Adversarial Neural Network (DANN) has excellent performance in transfer learning, especially in the fields of document analysis and image recognition, but has not been applied directly in EEG-based cross-subject fatigue detection. In this paper, we present a DANN-based model, Generative-DANN (GDANN), which combines Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) to enhance the ability by addressing the issue of different distribution of EEG across subjects. The comparative results show that in the analysis of cross-subject tasks, GDANN has a higher average accuracy of 91.63% in fatigue detection across subjects than those of traditional classification models, which is expected to have much broader application prospects in practical brain–computer interaction (BCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is an effective indicator for the detection of driver fatigue. Due to the significant differences in EEG signals across subjects, and difficulty in collecting sufficient EEG samples for analysis during driving, detecting fatigue across subjects through using EEG signals remains a challenge. EasyTL is a kind of transfer-learning model, which has demonstrated better performance in the field of image recognition, but not yet been applied in cross-subject EEG-based applications. In this paper, we propose an improved EasyTL-based classifier, the InstanceEasyTL, to perform EEG-based analysis for cross-subject fatigue mental-state detection. Experimental results show that InstanceEasyTL not only requires less EEG data, but also obtains better performance in accuracy and robustness than EasyTL, as well as existing machine-learning models such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Transfer Component Analysis (TCA), Geodesic Flow Kernel (GFK), and Domain-adversarial Neural Networks (DANN), etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hierarchical core-shell structure CuCo 2 S 4 @NiCoAl-LDH/NF composite with 3D mesoporous network structure was designed and prepared, where the NiCoAl hydrotalcite (NiCoAl-LDH) was as shell, and the CuCo 2 S 4 nanotube array on Ni foam (NF) as core. Owing to the unique architecture and integration of respective merits from each component, the core-shell material displayed a large surface area, high conductivity, short ion diffusion path and rapid interfacial charge transmission. So, the CuCo 2 S 4 @NiCoAl-LDH/NF electrode showed superior electrochemical performances with a high specific capacitance of 938C g−1 (1876 F g−1) at 1.0 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability (retention of 91.11% after 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1). The eminent performances suggested that the CuCo 2 S 4 @NiCoAl-LDH/NF with 3D mesoporous network core-shell structure was one of the candidates as electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors. Unlabelled Image • CuCo 2 S 4 @NiCoAl-LDH composite with 3D mesoporous network structure and tunable component was prepared. • CuCo 2 S 4 nanotubes array on Ni foam were as supporting core and NiCoAl-LDH nanosheets with 3D honeycomb porous network as shell. • The as-prepared composite exhibited a high specific capacitance of 937.5C g−1 and satisfactory cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The coal-based sulfides (CoAl-S) were synthesized via a simple two-step hydrothermal method. • The mesoporous interconnected network structure the CoAl-S was related to the S2−/Co2+ molar ratio during the sulfuration, which defined the electrochemical performances. • The CoAl-S 8 sample sulfurized by Na 2 S at S2−/Co2+ molar ratio of 8.0 exhibited excellent specific capacitance and outstanding cycling stability. • The assembled CoAl-S 8 //AC device showed excellent performances of 265.5 c g−1 at 1 A g−1, 55.31 Wh kg−1 at 749.97 W kg−1 and 92.45% retention after 10 000 cycling at 5 A g−1. The transition-metal sulfides (CoAl-S) as supercapacitor electrode materials were fabricated onto Ni foam via a simple and cost-effective two-step hydrothermal route. The sulfidation treatment significantly improved the electrical conductivity and accelerated the ion diffusion rate for the materials. By adjusting the S2−/Co2+ molar ratio during the sulfidation process, it was found that the CoAl-S 8 sulfide with a 3D and loosely interconnected network mesoporous structure on the Ni foam was gained at S2−/Co2+ molar ratio of 8.0, and exhibited the highest specific capacitance. Benefiting from the unique network structural feature to facilitate active sites exposure and facile charge transfer, the optimized CoAl-S 8 material displayed an enhanced specific capacitance of 575.3 C g−1 (1150.6 F g‒1) at 1.0 A g‒1 and cycling stability with 97.8% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles at 5.0 A g‒1 in the three-electrode system. Furthermore, the as-fabricated CoAl-S 8 //AC device delivered outstanding energy densities of 55.31 and 32.91 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 749.97 and 7498.48 W kg−1, respectively, and excellent rate capability and outstanding long-term cycle stability (92.45% of the initial value at 5 A g−1 after 10 000 cycles). This facile synthesis strategy provided a useful clue in designing novel and effective electrode materials for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The guidelines of National Health Service(NHS, the United Kingdom) recommended for use in obstetrics at increased risk of bleeding, requiring two suction devices to reduce amniotic fluid contamination, however, when comes to massive hemorrhage, it is may difficult to operate because the complex operation may delay time. The aim of the study was to detect the effect of amniotic fluid recovery on intraoperative cell salvage in obstetrics and provide evidence for clinical applications.Method: Thirty-four patients undergoing elective cesarean section were randomly divided into two groups. In group 1, the cumulative blood from the operation field, including the amniotic fluid, was collected using a single suction device for processing. In group 2, after suctioning away the amniotic fluid using another suction device for the cumulative blood from the operation field. From each group, four samples were taken, including maternal venous blood (sample I), blood before washing (sample II), blood after washing (sample III) and blood after filtration with a leukocyte filter (sample IV), to detect serum potassium (K +), hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC), fetal hemoglobin (HbF), alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and squamous cell (SC) levels.Results: The AFP, K + and WBC levels of sample III and sample IV were significantly lower than sample I in group 1 and group 2 (P < 0.05). Significantly more SCs were found in sample III than in sample I in group 1 and group 2 (P < 0.05), but SCs of sample IV had no statistical difference compared to sample I in group 1 and group 2 (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the K + , Hb, WBC, AFP and SC levels of sample IV between group 1 and group 2 (P > 0.05). The HbF levels of sample III and sample IV were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (P < 0.05).Conclusion: There is little or no possibility for AF contamination to enter the re-infusion system when used in conjunction with a leucodepletion filter. For maternal with Rh-negative blood, we recommend two suction devices to reduce HbF pollution.Trial Registration: ChiCTR1800015684 , 2018.4.15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt has various medical and functional properties and its flower is widely used as health-care tea to decrease blood glucose and to lower blood lipids. However, the quorum sensing (QS) inhibition activity of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt flower remains unclear. Aim of the study : To assess inhibitory activity against quorum sensing by Chromobacterium violaceum, to identify the chemical composition of the extracts and to disclose the action mechanism of separated compound. Violacein inhibition assays were performed in 96-wells microplates. The compounds extracted from Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt flower were separated and purified by various chromatography techniques. Respectively, thin layer chromatography (TLC, GF254), mass spectrometer (Agilent 1100 Series LC/MSD Trap SL), Medium-pressure automatic purification system (Buscisepacore C 620, Switzerland), High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, Shimadzu LC-20AD, Japan), Liquid preparation Chromatography (Waters2545, USA). The chemical structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR, Bruker AV-500, Germany) technique. The inhibitory mechanism of okanin against C. violaceum quorum sensing was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Quorum sensing regulates production of bacterial virulence factors, thereby making it an intriguing target for attenuating bacterial pathogenicity. In this study, anti-QS activity of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt methanol fraction (CTM) was investigated against C. violaceum ATCC12472. CTM showed an inhibitory effect on the QS-mediated virulence factors production such as violacein in C. violaceum without effect on growth rate. Also, okanin was isolated from CTM and its potential of anti-QS was confirmed after observing a significant reduction of violacein production in C. violaceum. An attempt was made to assess the effect of okanin on vioABCDE expression in C. violaceum to disclose acting mechanisms. The results of this study contribute to validate an inhibitory effect of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt flower on quorum sensing by Chromobacterium violaceum and to determine the compound responsible for inhibition. Also, the inhibitory effect was achieved in tandem with the down-regulation of vio operon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hierarchically core-shell BiOI@Zn/Ti hydrotalcite (LDH) composites with p-n heterostructure was successfully prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembly using a facile hydrothermal method, where the ZnTi-LDH nanoplatelets were coated on the BiOI core to form the flower-like BiOI@ZnTi-LDH microspheres. The morphology, microstructure, surface properties, photoelectric performances and visible-light response of the BiOI@ZnTi-LDH were also investigated in detail. Comparing to the single BiOI and ZnTi-LDH components, the p-n heterostructure BiOI@ZnTi-LDH indicated excellent enhanced photocatalytic activity for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) reduction under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), which was imputed to the efficient combination of the unique 3D hierarchical core-shell structure and p-n heterojunction endowing the photogenerated electronhole pairs with efficient transfer and separation abilities. At the same time, In virtue of spectroscopy, Mott-Schottky and photoelectric techniques, the formation of p-n heterostructure and the charge transfer between BiOI and ZnTi-LDH were determined. So, this work provided a promising approach for the design and construction of smart 3D hierarchical core-shell materials in environmental treatment. Image 1 • Hierarchical BiOI@ZnTi-LDH core-shell material with p-n heterostructure was prepared using a simple hydrothermal method. • ZnTi-LDH nanoplatelets were coated on the BiOI core to form the BiOI@ZnTi-LDH microspheres with unique 3D structure. • The enhanced photoreduction performances were to the formation of p-n heterojunction and unique 3D structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mental health of patients with temporomandibular disorder or other jaw dysfunction is a primary concern in clinical practice, but the extent of these symptoms in this patient subset is not yet well understood. Objectives: This cross‐sectional study aimed to compare the mental health and jaw function between patients with anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDWR) and healthy individuals. Methods: In total, 170 patients with ADDWR and 163 healthy participants enrolled in this study from March 2020 to December 2021. All participants completed a single assessment, including a pain rating and several questionnaires to assess jaw dysfunction, depression, and anxiety. All scores and the grade distribution of somatization, depression and anxiety were analysed between groups. Results: Significant differences were found in measures of pain, jaw function and somatization; the ADDWR group had significantly higher pain and functional jaw limitations than the healthy group. The grade distribution of somatic symptoms also differed between groups: the distribution of patients who reported mild and above scores in the ADDWR group was significantly higher than that of the healthy group. Depression and anxiety scores or grade distributions were not significantly different by group. Conclusion: The jaw function of patients seeking treatment for ADDWR was lower than that of non‐TMD individuals. They did not show high anxiety and depression symptoms, but their somatic symptoms were more apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent disease affecting elderly men, with chronic inflammation being a critical factor in its development. Omentin-1, also known as intelectin-1 (ITLN-1), is an anti-inflammatory protein primarily found in the epithelial cells of the small intestine. This study aimed to investigate the potential of ITLN-1 in mitigating BPH by modulating local inflammation in the prostate gland. Methods: Our investigation involved two in vivo experimental models. Firstly, ITLN-1 knockout mice (Itln-1−/−) were used to study the absence of ITLN-1 in BPH development. Secondly, a testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH mouse model was treated with an ITLN-1 overexpressing adenovirus. We assessed BPH severity using prostate weight index and histological analysis, including H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vitro, the impact of ITLN-1 on BPH-1 cell proliferation and inflammatory response was evaluated using cell proliferation assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: In vivo, Itln-1−/− mice exhibited elevated prostate weight index, enlarged lumen area, and higher TNF-α levels compared to wild-type littermates. In contrast, ITLN-1 overexpression in TP-induced BPH mice resulted in reduced prostate weight index, lumen area, and TNF-α levels. In vitro studies indicated that ITLN-1 suppressed the proliferation of prostate epithelial cells and reduced TNF-α production in macrophages, suggesting a mechanism involving the inhibition of macrophage-mediated inflammation. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that ITLN-1 plays a significant role in inhibiting the development of BPH by reducing local inflammation in the prostate gland. These findings highlight the potential of ITLN-1 as a therapeutic target in the management of BPH. Highlights: ITLN-1 knockout mice presented heavier prostate weights and higher inflammation levels in the prostate than their WT littermates. In a testosterone propionate-induced BPH mouse model, adenovirus-mediated ITLN-1 overexpression led to a reduction in prostate weight and local inflammation. ITLN-1 can inhibit prostate epithelial cell proliferation by suppressing macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses. Targeting ITLN-1 could be an effective therapeutic approach for preventing or treating BPH in elderly men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: It is essential yet highly challenging to preoperatively diagnose variant histologies such as urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation (UC w/SD) from pure UC in patients with muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (MIBC), as their treatment strategy varies significantly. We developed a non-invasive automated machine learning (AutoML) model to preoperatively differentiate UC w/SD from pure UC in patients with MIBC. Methods: A total of 119 MIBC patients who underwent baseline bladder MRI were enrolled in this study, including 38 patients with UC w/SD and 81 patients with pure UC. These patients were randomly assigned to a training set or a test set (3:1). An AutoML model was built from the training set, using 13 selected radiomic features from T2-weighted imaging, semantic features (ADC values), and clinical features (tumor length, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis status), and subsequent ten-fold cross-validation was performed. A test set was used to validate the proposed model. The AUC of the ROC curve was then calculated for the model. Results: This AutoML model enabled robust differentiation of UC w/SD and pure UC in patients with MIBC in both training set (ten-fold cross-validation AUC = 0.955, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.944–0.965) and test set (AUC = 0.932, 95% CI: 0.812–1.000). Conclusion: The presented AutoML model, that incorporates the radiomic, semantic, and clinical features from baseline MRI, could be useful for preoperative differentiation of UC w/SD and pure UC. Clinical relevance statement: This MRI-based automated machine learning (AutoML) study provides a non-invasive and low-cost preoperative prediction tool to identify the muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients with variant histology, which may serve as a useful tool for clinical decision-making. Key Points: • It is important to preoperatively diagnose variant histology from urothelial carcinoma in patients with muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (MIBC), as their treatment strategy varies significantly. • An automated machine learning (AutoML) model based on baseline bladder MRI can identify the variant histology (squamous differentiation) from urothelial carcinoma preoperatively in patients with MIBC. • The developed AutoML model is a non-invasive and low-cost preoperative prediction tool, which may be useful for clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]