Search

Mechanically flexible ceramic fiber-based electronic skins are attractive materials ascribed to the features of monitoring signals of various physical parameters in a harsh environment, but the inherent brittleness of the ceramic fibers has limited their wide applications in emerging fields, such as fire-protecting clothing. Herein, a strategy to fabricate the flexible stannum(IV)-doped SrTiO

Metal tolerance proteins (MTP) are Me2+/H+(K+) antiporters that play important roles in the transport of divalent cations in plants. However, their functions in peanut are unknown. In the present study, a total of 24 AhMTP genes were identified in peanut, which were divided into seven groups belonging to three substrate-specific clusters (Zn-CDFs, Zn/Fe-CDFs, and Mn-CDFs). All AhMTP genes underwent whole genome or segmental gene duplication events except AhMTP12. Most AhMTP members within the same subfamily or group generally have similar gene and protein structural characteristics. However, some genes, such as AhMTP1.3, AhMTP2.4, and AhMTP12, showed wide divergences. Most of AhMTP genes preferentially expressed in reproductive tissues, suggesting that these genes might play roles in metal transport during the pod and seed development stages. Excess metal exposure induced expressions for most of AhMTP genes in peanut roots depending on cultivars. By contrast, AhMTP genes in the root of Fenghua 1 were more sensitive to excess Fe, Cd, and Zn exposure than that of Silihong. Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the percentage of Fe in shoots significantly and positively correlated with the expression of AhMTP4.1, AhMTP9.1, and AhMTPC4.1, but negatively correlated with that of AhMTPC2.1 and AhMTP12. The expression of AhMTP1.1 showed a significant and negative correlation with the percentage of Mn in shoots. The percentage of Zn in shoots was significantly and positively correlated with the expression of AhMTP2.1 but was negatively correlated with that of AhMTPC2.1. The differential responses of AhMTP genes to metal exposure might be, at least partially, responsible for the different metal translocation from roots to shoots between Fenghua 1 and Silihong.

With the intensification of global warming, rice production is facing new challenges. Field evidence indicates that elevated temperature during rice grain-filling leads to the further deterioration of grain quality. In order to clarify the potential regulatory mechanism of elevated temperature on the formation of rice quality, the DIA mass spectrometry method under the background of field warming was conducted to investigate the regulatory effects of high temperature on grain development and material accumulation pathways. The results showed that a total of 840 differentially expressed proteins were identified during the grain-filling process under elevated temperature. These differentially expressed proteins participated in carbon metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, signal transduction, protein synthesis, and alternately affected the material accumulation of rice grains. The significant up-regulation of PPROL 14E, PSB28, granule-bound starch synthase I, and the significant down-regulation of 26.7 kDa heat shock protein would lead to the component difference in grain starch and storage proteins, and that could be responsible for the degradation of rice quality under elevated temperature. Results suggested that proteins specifically expressed under elevated temperature could be the key candidates for elucidating the potential regulatory mechanism of warming on rice development and quality formation. In-depth study on the metabolism of storage compounds would be contributed in further proposing high-quality cultivation control measures suitable for climate warming.

Global warming will have a negative effect on agricultural production as high temperature (HT) stress can seriously threaten plant growth and reproduction. Male sterility caused by HT may be exploited by the creation of a male-sterile line, which has great potential for application in crop heterosis. Therefore, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of anther abortion induced by HT in wheat, which remain unclear at present. In this study, we performed phenotype improve language in the abstract and comparative transcriptome analysis of the male sterile anthers induced by HT in wheat. Compared with Normal anthers, the cytological analysis indicated that HT-induced male sterile anthers were smaller and had no starch accumulation in pollen grains, which is consistent with the results observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The 9601 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified by transcriptome sequencing compared with the Normal anthers were noticeably involved in the following pathways: starch and sucrose metabolism, phosphatidylinositol (PI) signaling system, peroxidase activity and response to oxidative stress, and heme binding. In addition, TUNEL assays were performed and the results further confirmed the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sterile anthers. Moreover, a total of 38 hub genes were obtained from the protein-protein interaction network analysis of these pathways, including genes, for example, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), thioredoxin-like protein 1, peroxidase (POD), calreticulin, UDP glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase), sucrose synthase, phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-Kinase (PIP5K), cytochrome c, and Cystathionine beta-synthase X6-like (CBSX6-like). These findings provide insights for predicting the functions of the candidate genes, and the comprehensive analysis of our results is helpful for studying the abortive interaction mechanism induced by HT in wheat.

Pulmonary manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are appearing in 4-5% of patients involving lung in almost half of the cases during the disease course.We compared the autoimmune pulmonary inflammation in the lung tissue of mice to determine the association between decreased expression levels of Forkhead Box J1 (FOXJ1) and the activation of the NF-κB pathway in autoimmune pulmonary inflammation of MRL/Lpr mice.The female BALB/c mice (n=6) and MRL/Lpr mice (n=30) were divided into 5 groups including a control group (BALB/c), and five MRL/Lpr mice groups (8W, 12W, 16W, 24W, and 32W). The infiltration of the inflammatory cells was determined in lung tissue by performing histological analysis. The western blotting was used to examine the expression levels of the age-related FOXJ1, and p50 and p65 proteins in the lungs of MRL/Lpr mice. The expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 were determined via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.There were severe infiltrates of lung cells with high levels of tracheal damage, perivascular injury and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration when the MRL/Lpr mice from 16w to 32w comparing to the 8w old healthy MRL/Lpr mice in the control group (p0.05). Moreover, the reduced expression levels of FOXJ1 were associated with the activation of the NF-κB pathway in interstitial lung disease of MRL/Lpr mice via the modulation of p50 and p65. In addition, the expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 pro-inflammation factors increased in the lungs of the MRL/Lpr mice from 16w to 32w.The expression level of FOXJ1 might be an indicator of the degree of lung disease in lupus-prone mice.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) has been recognized as a potentially life-threatening syndrome. This is the first case of acquired HLH caused by dual infections with Candida albicans and reactivated EBV infections, which focuses on the importance of morphological awareness of peripheral blood and bone marrow because sometimes they are the only locations that HLH and fungal microorganisms can be diagnosed. A 29-year-old woman with a history of abdominal distension and 9 months of intermittent fevers ($38.8°C) was admitted to the hematology department with treatment for leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Severe infection of bilateral pulmonary and marked hepatosplenomegaly were detected by computed tomography. EB virus-CA IgG, EB virus-NA IgG and EB virus-CA IgM were positive. Scattered yeast-like fungi were found on peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) smears. BM smears indicated prominent hemophagocytosis. Cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage and BM confirmed the growth of C. albicans. A diagnosis of HLH caused by dual infections with Candida albicans and reactivated EBV infections was established based on the clinical features of the patient because 7 of the 8 diagnostic criteria were met. She was treated with etoposide, dexamethasone for HLH, as well as highly active antifungal and antiviral therapies for the underlying etiology of dual infections. The patient eventually recovered following the effective treatment. A timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial to the prognosis of the dangerous disease.

Alveolar epithelial cell damage is an important determinant of the severity of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). However, the molecular mechanisms of alveolar epithelial death during the development of ALI/ARDS remain unclear. In this study, we explore the role of miR-29a-3p in ALI/ARDS and its molecular mechanism. Plasma samples were collected from healthy controls and ARDS patients. Mice were intratracheally instilled with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish acute lung injury. N6-adenosine (m6A) quantification, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, cell viability assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting were performed. We found that miR-29a-3p was down-regulated in plasma of ARDS patients and lung tissue of ALI model mice, and miR-29a-3p agomir injection down-regulated the levels of the inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the lungs, reducing alveolar epithelial cell PANoptosis as evaluated by the downregulation of Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1), gasdermin D (GSDMD), caspase-3, caspase-8, and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), ultimately improving lung injury in the ALI model mice. Mechanism studies demonstrated that the knockout of methyltransferase 3 (N6-adenosine-methyltransferase complex catalytic subunit) removed the m6A modification of miR-29a-3p and reduced miR-29a-3p expression. Our findings suggest that miR-29a-3p is a potential target that can be manipulated for ALI/ARDS.

Our previous study has shown that nitrogen plays an important role in dealing with significantly increased chalkiness caused by elevated temperature. However, the role of nitrogen metabolites has not been given sufficient attention, and its regulatory mechanism is not clear. This study investigated the effects of high temperature and nitrogen fertilizer on the synthesis of grain storage protein and further explored the quality mechanism under the actual scenario of field warming. Results showed that increased temperature and nitrogen fertilizer could affect the activities of nitrogen metabolism enzymes, namely, glutamate synthetase, glutamine synthetase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and the expressions of storage protein synthesis factor genes, namely, GluA and GluB, and subfamily genes, namely, pro14, BiP1, and PDIL1, which co-induced the changes of storage protein synthesis in rice grains. Furthermore, the increased temperature changed the balance of grain storage substances which may lead to the significantly increased chalky rate (197.67%) and chalkiness (532.92%). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between prolamin content and chalkiness, indicating that nitrogen fertilizer might regulate the formation of chalkiness by affecting the synthesis of prolamin. Results suggested that nitrogen application could regulate the related core factors involved in nitrogen metabolism pathways, which, in turn, affects the changes in the storage protein components in the grain and further affects quality. Therefore, as a conventional cultivation measure, nitrogen application would have a certain value in future rice production in response to climate warming.

Purpose We aimed to assess the current status of depressive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) among rural elderly in central China (Anhui Province) and explore their correlation and associated factors for depressive symptoms. Methods A multi-stage random sampling method was used to obtain 3349 participants (aged ≥60): 1206 poor and 2143 non-poor. The 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30) and five-dimensional European quality of health scale (EQ-5D) were employed to evaluate depressive symptoms and QoL, respectively. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 52.9%, and that in the poor group (62.3%) was significantly higher than the non-poor group (47.6%). The GDS-30 score was 12.40 ± 7.089, and the poor group scored significantly higher (14.045 ± 6.929) than the non-poor group (11.472 ± 7.011). The EQ-5D score was 0.713 ± 0.186, and the poor group (0.668 ± 0.192) scored significantly lower than the non-poor group (0.738 ± 0.178). There was a significant negative correlation between depressive symptoms and QoL (r = -0.400, P-value

Paeonia ostii seeds have recently been identified as a new source of α-linolenic acid in China. Studying the gene expression patterns of unsaturated fatty acid-related genes would be helpful for understanding the mechanism of α-linolenic acid accumulation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a useful method for reliably evaluating gene expression, and it is necessary to select reliable reference genes for data normalization in qRT-PCR analysis. In this study, we evaluated the expression stability of 12 candidate reference genes using four mathematical algorithms (∆Ct, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and geNorm). The web-based tool RefFinder was used to integrate the results and to provide a comprehensive ranking order. The expression stability ranking orders of reference genes were different caculated by these four algorithms, and the ranking order analyzed by the RefFinder was UBQ > Tip41 > UCE > EF-1α > α-TUB > PP2A > ACT > GAPDH > SAM > CYP > β-TUB > 18S at the different seed development stages, and UBQ > Tip41 > EF-1α > α-TUB > PP2A > UCE > GAPDH > SAM > ACT > CYP > 18S > β-TUB in P. ostii tissues. UBQ and Tip41 are the two most stable whereas 18S and β-TUB are the two least stable reference genes for gene expression in various tissues and seeds at different developmental stages in P. ostii.

Purpose Although a dominant marketing concept, value co-creation (VCC) is not without controversy. Inspired by value co-destruction (VCD), the purpose of this paper is to review the scattered literature on the uncertainties in collaborative value formation, synthesising contingency factors of value outcomes in VCC. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an examination of 84 peer-reviewed journal articles. Recognising the drawbacks of the macroscopic abstraction in existing the VCC literature, the authors adopt a zooming-in approach to identify distinct patterns of contingency factors in the collaborative value-formation process. Findings From a macro-social perspective, VCC may connote a sense of exploitation of “consumers” and a need for consumer control of “producers”, impeding harmonious value formation. Zooming into actor-to-actor interactions, the collaborative relationship is found to be a source of uncertainties in value formation, which is further complicated by differences in the knowledge intensities of services. Finally, reviewing the individual consumer reveals a most nuanced picture that demonstrates heterogeneities of consumers’ VCC involvement and complexities in their perceptions and behaviours. Five propositions and a contingency framework are proposed. Research limitations/implications Six value formation mechanisms are proposed based on interconnected and multi-level perspectives, providing implications for managers and future researchers. Originality/value This paper contributes to rebalancing VCC research by synthesising insights on the potential contingencies, which are relatively under-explored yet vital to keep the controversy alive and relevant, and re-invigorating business processes.

Managing sustainability is a topical issue faced by shipping companies. Rooted on resource theories, the objective of this study is to design a taxonomy of resources that improves sustainable shipping management and examine their interrelationships and effects on sustainable shipping management and business performance. Survey and financial data were collected from 162 shipping companies and analysed using structural equation modelling. The results reveal the following three categories of resources that enhance sustainable shipping management and, subsequently, business performance: (1) intrafirm resources, (2) interfirm relationship management resources and (3) organisational learning resources. Theoretical and managerial implications of our findings are discussed.

Objectives To explore the effects of acupuncture (manual acupuncture or electroacupuncture) combined with SSRIs for moderate to severe depression improving major clinical symptoms and life quality of the patients on secondary outcomes. Design Pragmatic, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Setting 6 hospitals in China. Interventions 6 weeks of manual acupuncture (MA)+selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), electroacupuncture (EA)+SSRIs, and SSRIs alone. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was response rate of 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) total score at 6th week. The secondary outcomes reported in this analysis were HAMD-17 factor scores at 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 10th week and WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scores at 6th week. Results 477 patients were randomly assigned into MA + SSRIs (n = 161), EA + SSRIs (n = 160), or SSRIs alone (n = 156) groups. For HAMD-17 (at 6th week), the MA + SSRIs group was significantly better than the SSRIs alone group in retardation factor (p = 0.008), while the EA+SSRIs group was significantly better than the SSRIs alone group in anxiety/somatization factor (p Conclusions Either MA or EA combined SSRIs treatment could improve symptoms and quality of life for patients with moderate to severe depression. The main limitation of this trial was not using a sham control therefore the placebo effect could not be excluded.

Background The lack of effective treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is of momentous societal concern. Synaptic loss is the hallmark of AD that correlates best with impaired memory and occurs early in the disease process, before the onset of clinical symptoms. We have developed a small-molecule, pyridazine-based series that enhances the structure and function of both the glial processes and the synaptic boutons that form the tripartite synapse. Previously, we have shown that these pyridazine derivatives exhibit profound efficacy in an amyloid precursor protein AD model. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of an advanced compound, LDN/OSU-0215111, in rTg4510 mice—an aggressive tauopathy model. Methods rTg4510 mice were treated orally with vehicle or LDN/OSU-0215111 (10 mg/kg) daily from the early symptomatic stage (2 months old) to moderate (4 months old) and severe (8 months old) disease stages. At each time point, mice were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests to assess the activity levels and cognition. Also, tissue collections were performed on a subset of mice to analyze the tripartite synaptic changes, neurodegeneration, gliosis, and tau phosphorylation as assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. At 8 months of age, a subset of rTg4510 mice treated with compound was switched to vehicle treatment and analyzed behaviorally and biochemically 30 days after treatment cessation. Results At both the moderate and severe disease stages, compound treatment normalized cognition and behavior as well as reduced synaptic loss, neurodegeneration, tau hyperphosporylation, and neuroinflammation. Importantly, after 30 days of treatment cessation, the benefits of compound treatment were sustained, indicating disease modification. We also found that compound treatment rapidly and robustly reduced tau hyperphosphorylation/deposition possibly via the inhibition of GSK3β. Conclusions The results show that LDN/OSU-0215111 provides benefits for multiple aspects of tauopathy-dependent pathology found in Alzheimer’s disease including tripartite synapse normalization and reduction of toxic tau burden, which, in turn, likely accounted for normalized cognition and activity levels in compound-treated rTg4510 mice. This study, in combination with our previous work regarding the benefit of pyridazine derivatives against amyloid-dependent pathology, strongly supports pyridazine derivatives as a viable, clinically relevant, and disease-modifying treatment for many of the facets of Alzheimer’s disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13195-019-0530-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Silica aerogels are attractive for thermal insulation due to their low thermal conductivity and good heat resistance performance. However, the fabrication of silica aerogels with temperature-invariant superelasticity and ultralow thermal conductivity has remained extremely challenging. Herein, we designed and synthesized a hierarchical cellular structured silica nanofibrous aerogel by using electrospun SiO2 nanofibers (SNFs) and SiO2 nanoparticle aerogels (SNAs) as the matrix and SiO2 sol as the high-temperature nanoglue. This pathway leads to the intrinsically random deposited SNFs assembling into a fibrous cellular structure, and the SNAs are evenly distributed on the fibrous cell wall. The unique hierarchical cellular structure of the ceramic nanofibrous aerogels endows it with integrated performances of the ultralow density of ∼0.2 mg cm-3, negative Poisson's ratio, ultralow thermal conductivity (23.27 mW m-1 K-1), temperature-invariant superelasticity from -196 to 1100 °C, and editable shapes on a large scale. These favorable multifeatures present the aerogels ideal for thermal insulation in industrial, aerospace, and even extreme environmental conditions.

Purpose Service conveniences (SCs) play a deterministic role in motivating consumers’ participation in self-collection (via attended pickup points or unattended automated locker systems). Accordingly, the SERVCON model provides a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of SCs, whereas the Kano model explains consumers’ satisfaction formation in response to multi-dimensional service attributes. Anchored on synthesised insights of both models, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to qualitatively apply the SC concept to develop specific service attributes of self-collection; and second, to quantitatively examine these attributes in relation to consumers’ satisfaction formation. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative Kano model is adopted for survey questionnaire design and data analysis, and 500 valid responses are obtained from an online panel of respondents in Singapore. Findings SCs are decomposed into 11 service attributes reflecting access, benefit, transaction and post-benefit conveniences of self-collection services. Distinctive patterns of satisfaction formation are revealed in response to specific service attributes; for example, consumers are most responsive to improvement in transaction convenience. Furthermore, as service performance level increases, benefits of spatial accessibility diminish, whereas those of temporal accessibility increase. Practical implications This study reveals key service attributes influencing the self-collection services’ convenience and impact on consumers’ satisfaction. Guidelines are presented for designing an optimal resource allocation strategy for logistics service providers to promote self-collection services. Originality/value This study synthesises diverse logistics literature on self-collection services under the central theme of SCs, thus enriching the conceptual development of SCs with a decomposed framework of logistics service attributes.

An environmentally synchronized circadian clock is important for plant growth and developments. In the genus Hemerocallis, plants can be divided into diurnal (open between 3:00-15:00) and nocturnal (open between 15:00-3:00) flowering. The duration of each single flower is no more than 24 h. Hybrids obtained through crossing between diurnal and nocturnal flowers are fertile and show different daily flowering rhythms from their parents. Therefore, to enhance our understanding of daily circadian flowering rhythms in Hemerocallis, we studied inheritance by observing flowering processes among species, cultivars and F1 hybrids. Daily flowering rhythm was a relatively stable character that could be influenced through a breeding program. In F1 generations of crosses between daylilies and nightlilies, there was an obvious tendency toward nocturnal opening. Opening times showed a negatively skewed and leptokurtic distribution with a single peak. Closure times showed a normal distribution (peak times were 12:41–13:53, almost the mid-parent value). Variation increased when cultivars were used as parents, especially in closure times. Observations over 4 years showed subtle differences with a similar trend. Our results suggest that in Hemerocallis, opening is characterized by mixed major loci and polygenic inheritance, with dominant nocturnal opening. Closure was controlled by multiple genetic loci. Inheritance of opening and closure is controlled by different nuclear circadian clock genes and perhaps photoreceptor-binding motifs. By manipulating cultivar diversity, single flower duration could be prolonged effectively through hybridization. In addition, it was assumed that daily flowering rhythm was not a completely conserved character, and could be partly affected by environment.

A direct impregnation technique was adopted to prepare a series of CdO-TiO2 nanotubes. Self-organized TiO2 nanotubes were prepared using an optimized two-step anodization process. The morphology, crystallinity, elemental composition, and photoelectrochemical properties of the CdO-TiO2 nanotubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectra (UV–Vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoelectric cell (PEC) measurements. At lower Cd(NO3)2 concentration, no obvious CdO crystalline particle formed on the TiO2 NTbs surface, while the EDS and XPS measurements shows the increasing doping amount of CdO as the Cd(NO3)2 concentration increasing. At a relatively high precursor concentration (800 mM), the formation of particle clusters and nanocrystals on the surface of the TiO2 nanotubes could be easily detected, and the sample presented XRD diffraction peaks indicative of CdTiO3. Meanwhile, the Ti 2p XPS spectra displayed an obvious shift (∼0.3 eV), which could be attributed to the change in the lattice structure. A negative shift in the flatband potential (Vfb) and a decrease in charge carrier density were observed after doping. The maximum incident photon to charge carrier efficiency (IPCE) value calculated for the CdO-TiO2 nanotubes was 10.16%, much higher than that of pure TiO2 nanotubes.

The container shipping industry is receiving growing attention in driving the performance of global supply chains. This phenomenon has accelerated supply chain integration (SCI) within the industry...

PurposeIncreasingly, the logistics industry offers innovative solutions that interact with end-consumers directly. The purpose of this paper is to examine the consumer participation behaviour in co-creating logistics service values, using self-collection via automated parcel station as an example. Built on the synthesised insights from logistics studies and behavioural theories on consumers’ attitude and affect, the effect of cognitions (what consumers think) and affects (what consumers feel) are investigated.Design/methodology/approachA total of 500 valid responses are collected from an online panel of respondents and the data are analysed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.FindingsConsumers’ affects towards participation are stronger motivations that not only intrinsically motivate consumers to participate but also exert an indirect influence via consumers’ cognitions.Practical implicationsTo elicit consumers’ affections, it is critical to create enjoyable (enjoyment), assuring (assurance) and secure (security) service experiences. On the other hand, an overly straightforward service offering (in terms of cognitive functionality), void of the aforementioned experiences, may discourage consumers from participation.Originality/valueThis research unveils consumer participation in co-creating logistics service values, contributing to studies on the emerging phenomenon of consumer logistics. A rebalancing of the logistics research from a utility-creation perspective to an experience-creation perspective has been advocated.

CGA-N9 is a peptide derived from the N-terminus of human chromogranin A comprising amino acids 47–55. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays showed that CGA-N9 had antimicrobial activity and exhibited time-dependent inhibition activity against Candida tropicalis, with high safety in human red blood cells (HRBCs) and mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3). According to the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, CGA-N9 accumulated in cells without destroying the integrity of the cell membrane; the peptide was initially localized to the cell membrane and subsequently internalized into the cytosol. An investigation of the cellular internalization mechanism revealed that most CGA-N9 molecules entered the yeast cells, even at 4°C and in the presence of sodium azide (NaN3), both of which block all energy-dependent transport mechanisms. In addition, peptide internalization was affected by the endocytic inhibitors 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)-amiloride (EIPA), cytochalasin D (CyD) and heparin; chlorpromazine (CPZ) also had some effect on CGA-N9 internalization. Similar results were obtained in the MIC assays, whereby the anticandidal activity of CGA-N9 was blocked to different degrees in the presence of EIPA, CyD, heparin or CPZ. Therefore, most CGA-N9 passes through the C. tropicalis cell membrane via direct cell penetration, whereas the remainder enters through macropinocytosis and sulfate proteoglycan-mediated endocytosis, with a slight contribution from clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

BackgroundSome recent studies examined the effect of ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution on depression and suicide. However, the results have been inconclusive.AimsTo determine the overall relationship between PM exposure and depression/suicide in the general population.MethodWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-crossover and cohort studies to assess the association between PM2.5 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 µm or less) or PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10 µm) exposure and depression/suicide.ResultsA total of 14 articles (7 for depression and 7 for suicide) with data from 684 859 participants were included in the meta-analysis. With a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 we found a 19% (odds ratio [95% CI] 1.19 [1.07, 1.33]) increased risk of depression and a marginally increased risk of suicide (odds ratio [95% CI] 1.05 [0.99, 1.11]) in the general population. We did not observe any significant associations between increasing exposure to PM10 and depression/suicide. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were used to determine the robustness of results. The strongest estimated effect of depression associated with PM2.5 appeared in a long-term lag pattern (odds ratio [95% CI] 1.25 [1.07, 1.45], P < 0.01) and cumulative lag pattern (odds ratio [95% CI] 1.26 [1.07, 1.48], P < 0.01).ConclusionsThe meta-analysis suggested that an increase in ambient PM2.5 concentration was strongly associated with increased depression risk in the general population, and the association appeared stronger at long-term lag and cumulative lag patterns, suggesting a potential cumulative exposure effect over time.Declaration of interestNone.

Dynamic tuning upconversion color is the most convenient approach through modulation of pump power density and NIR wavelength for anti-counterfeiting. However, most of bulk upconversion systems suffer from the insensitive response to excitation power and NIR wavelength (980 nm and 1550 nm). Herein, we demonstrate that the excitation power density sensitivity and NIR wavelength sensitivity of bulk microcrystals could be improved via co-doping Li+/Lu3+ ions. More interestingly, co-doping ions with different valences affect the emission color tendency at 1550 nm excitation, which is contrary to previous reports. The emission color of bulk NaYF4:Er/Yb/Li/Lu microcrystals transform from yellow to bright green color through adjusting pump power density and pump wavelength (980 nm and 1550 nm). Moreover, the mechanism of the results has been systematically discussed. The tunable emission colors of bulk NaYF4:Er/Yb/Li/Lu microcrystals can be easily distinguished with naked eyes and difficultly counterfeited. Therefore, the upconversion materials have a promising application in transparent anti-fake printing.

Low-density nanofibrous aerogels enable various applications but are often hindered by their fragile bendability and poor tensile strength. Herein, we report a strategy to design nanofibrous aerogels with robust bendability and superelastic property, which has been achieved by fabricating bamboo lashing-like structures through a freeze-drying method. The obtained reinforced nanofibrous aerogels (RNFAs) can maintain their structural integrity after 100 bending-recovery cycles at a bending angle of about 100°. Particularly, the RNFAs can completely revive from large deformation with a fast recovery speed (∼834 mm s-1). Significantly, the internal hierarchical porous structures and hydrophobicity of the materials provide them with ultralight properties (density

First-trimester cervical length for the prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery remains controversial. A better method for the measurement of the first-trimester cervical length and additional cervical ultrasound parameters for the identification of women at high risk for spontaneous preterm delivery are needed.This study aimed to compare the predictive value of cervical length measured by 2 different methods in the first trimester of pregnancy to predict spontaneous preterm delivery and to explore the potential value of first-trimester cervical shear-wave elastography for the prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery.This was a prospective study in unselected singleton pregnancies at 11Among a total of 2316 included pregnancies, spontaneous delivery at37 and34 weeks' gestation occurred in 111 cases (4.8%) and 20 cases (0.9%), respectively. In the total study population, when compared with the term delivery group, the median cervical length-t was shorter in women with spontaneous delivery at34 weeks' gestation (36.9 mm vs 35.1 mm; P=.015), but there was no clear correlation for cervical length-s. Receiver operating characteristics curves demonstrated that cervical length-t achieved better performance in predicting spontaneous delivery at34 weeks' gestation (area under the curve, 0.658 vs 0.573; P.01) than cervical length-s. The best combined model to predict spontaneous delivery at34 weeks' gestation was provided by cervical length-t and history of preterm delivery (area under the curve, 0.692). In the substudy, a soft cervix with a mean elastography scores multiple of median10th percentile had a relative risk of 7.8 (95% confidence interval, 2.1-28.6) for spontaneous delivery at34 weeks' gestation; the detection rate was 44.4% at a false-positive rate of 9.0%.The 2-line approach provides a better estimate of the actual first-trimester cervical length and achieves better performance as a screening tool for spontaneous preterm delivery at34 weeks' gestation than the conventional measurement. A soft cervix as determined by shear-wave elastograpthy in the first trimester is associated with an increased risk for subsequent spontaneous preterm delivery.

A massive amount of research has been conducted to examine the pandemic-driven consumer behaviours, yet one may notice the fragmented nature of the research outcomes. This study conducts a synthesised review that aims to (1) identify the principal categories of pandemic-driven consumer behaviours, and (2) unveil the key streams of theoretical insights applied to address those behaviours. The review findings reveal six categories of consumer behaviours in response to the pandemic: health-related behaviours, abnormal buying behaviours, technology-related behaviours, information-related behaviours, leisure-related behaviours and prosocial behaviours. Our review suggests that theories addressing three distinctive human needs (i.e. basic, cognitive and affective needs) are applied to the pandemic context. We proposed a unified framework and five research propositions, capturing the major research trends and future research directions. This study contributes to the literature with a unified theoretical framework by pinpointing specific theories that are mostly relevant in predicting consumer behaviours under the COVID-19 context.

In recent years, the emergence of non-toxic but catalytically active inorganic nanoparticles has attracted great attention for cancer treatment, but the therapeutic effect has been affected by the limited reactive oxygen species in tumors. Therefore, the combination of chemotherapy and chemodynamic therapy is regarded as a promising therapeutic strategy. In this paper, we reported the preparation and bioactivity evaluation of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) grafted-γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with dual response of endogenous peroxidase and catalase like activities. Our hypothesis is that PLGAgrafted γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles could be used as a drug delivery system for the anti-tumor drug doxorubicin to inhibit the growth of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells; meanwhile, based on its mimic enzyme properties, this kind of nanoparticles could be combined with doxorubicin in the treatment of A549 cells. Our experimental results showed that the PLGAgrafted γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles could simulate the activity of catalase and decompose hydrogen peroxide into H2O and oxygen in neutral tumor microenvironment, thus reducing the oxidative damage caused by hydrogenperoxide to lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. In acidic microenvironment, PLGA grafted γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles could simulate the activity of peroxidase and effectively catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to generate highly toxic hydroxyl radicals, which could cause the death of A549 cells. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of peroxidase-like activity of PLGA-grafted γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and doxorubicin could accelerate the apoptosisand destruction of A549 cells, thus enhancing the antitumor effect of doxorubicin-loaded PLGA-grafted γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Therefore, this study provides an effective nanoplatform based on dual inorganic biomimetic nanozymes for the treatment of lung cancer.

In recent years, 2, 5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has attracted much attention as the precursor of bio-polyester materials. A coupled process of ultrasonic-assisted dilute acid pretreatment and MnO2 was designed in this study to directly produce FDCA from lignocellulosic biomass, which is different from the traditional preparation process. Moreover, the critical parameters in the process were analyzed and optimized by the response surface method. The yield of FDCA could reach 52.1% under the optimal conditions. The reaction mechanism indicated that heavy metal elements in lignocellulosic biomass could play the role of the Lewis acid catalyst to promote the formation of FDCA to a certain extent. With the increase of temperature, the heavy metals transfer in biomass from the solid phase to the liquid phase increased, but most of them remain in the former. Therefore, further purification and treatment measures are worthy of attention.

The sugar transporter protein (STP) plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth and stress tolerance. We performed genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the STP gene family to investigate the STPSs’ potential roles in the growth of wheat seedlings under stress. Here, a total of 81 TaSTP genes containing the Sugar_tr conserved motif were identified within the wheat genome. Bioinformatic studies including phylogenetic tree, chromosome position, and tandem repeat were performed to analyze the identified genes. The 81 TaSTP genes can be classified into five main groups according to their structural and phylogenetic features, with several subgroups, which were located separately on chromosomes A, B, and D. Moreover, six gene clusters were formed with more than three genes each. The results of three comparative syntenic maps of wheat associated with three representative species suggested that STP genes have strong relationships in monocots. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed that most TaSTP genes displayed different expression profiles after seedlings were subjected to six days of different stress (10% PEG6000, 150 mM NaCl, and their combination, respectively), suggesting that these genes may be involved in regulating plant growth and stress tolerance. In conclusion, 81 TaSTP genes were identified and their expressions changed under stress, indicating TaSTP’s potential roles in wheat growth monosaccharide distribution is regulated.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a vision-loss complication caused by diabetes with high prevalence. During DR, the retinal microvascular injury and neurodegeneration derived from chronic hyperglycemia have attracted global attention to retinal Muller cells (RMCs), the major macroglia in the retina contributes to neuroprotection. Protein Phosphatase 1 Catalytic Subunit Alpha (PPP1CA) dephosphorylates the transcriptional coactivator Yes-associated protein (YAP) to promote the transcription of glutamine synthetase (GS). GS catalyzes the transformation of neurotoxic glutamate (Glu) into nontoxic glutamine (Gln) to activate the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which promotes the activation of RMCs. In this study, in vitro MIO-M1 cell and in vivo mouse high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic model to explore the role of the PPP1CA/YAP/GS/Gln/mTORC1 pathway on the activation of MRCs during DR. Results showed that PPP1CA promoted the dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of YAP in high glucose (HG)-exposed MIO-M1 cells. YAP transcribed GS in HG-exposed MIO-M1 cells in a TEAD1-dependent and PPP1CA-dependent way. GS promoted the biosynthesis of Gln in HG-exposed MIO-M1 cells. Gln activated mTORC1 instead of mTORC2 in HG-exposed MIO-M1 cells. The proliferation and activation of HG-exposed MIO-M1 cells were PPP1CA/YAP/GS/Gln/mTORC1-dependent. Finally, RMC proliferation and activation during DR were inhibited by the PPP1CA/YAP/GS/Gln/mTORC1 blockade. The findings supplied a potential idea to protect RMCs and alleviate the development of DR.

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) is an immunosuppressive virus which has caused heavy losses to the poultry breeding industry. Currently, there is no effective medicine to treat this virus. In our previous experiments, the low-molecular-weight Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharide (SFP) was proven to possess antiviral activity against ALV-J, but its function was limited to the virus adsorption stage. In order to improve the antiviral activity of the SFP, in this study, three new SFP long-chain alkyl group nanomicelles (SFP-C12M, SFP-C14M and SFP-C16M) were prepared. The nanomicelles were characterized according to their physical and chemical properties. The nanomicelles were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, critical micelle concentration and morphology. The results showed the particle sizes of the three nanomicelles were all approximately 200 nm and SFP-C14M and SFP-C16M were more stable than SFP-C12M. The newly prepared nanomicelles exhibited a better anti-ALV-J activity than the SFP, with SFP-C16M exhibiting the best antiviral effects in both the virus adsorption stage and the replication stage. The results of the giant unilamellar vesicle exposure experiment demonstrated that the new virucidal effect of the nanomicelles might be caused by damage to the phospholipid membrane of ALV-J. This study provides a potential idea for ALV-J prevention and development of other antiviral drugs.

This randomized clinical trial (RCT) is aimed at exploring the best nebulizer position for aerosol delivery within the mechanical ventilation (MV) circuitry. This study enrolled 75 intubated and MV patients with respiratory failure and randomly divided them into three groups. The nebulizer position of patients in group A was between the tracheal tube and Y-piece. For group B, the nebulizer was placed at the inspiratory limb near the ventilator water cup (80 cm away from the Y-piece). For group C, the nebulizer was placed between the ventilator inlet and the heated humidifier. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure salbutamol drug concentrations in serum and urine. The serum and urine salbutamol concentrations of the three groups were the highest in group B, followed by group C, and the lowest in group A. Serum and urine salbutamol concentrations significantly differed among the three groups ( P < 0.05 ). It was found that the drug was statistically significant between group differences for groups B and A ( P = 0.001 ; P = 0.002 , respectively) for both serum and urine salbutamol concentrations. There were no significant differences observed among the other groups. It was found that the drug concentrations were the highest when the nebulizer was placed 80 cm away from the Y-piece, while the location between the tracheal tube and the Y-piece with the higher frequency of nebulizer placement was the location with the lowest drug concentration.

Constructing flexible perovskite structured ceramic fibrous materials would potentially facilitate applications of photocatalysis, wearable devices, and energy storage. However, current perovskite structured ceramic fibrous materials were fragile with small deformation resistance, which have limited their wide applications. Herein, flexible zirconium doped strontium titanate (ZSTO) nanofibrous membranes were fabricated via combining sol–gel and electrospinning methods. The microstructures (pore and crystal) of ZSTO nanofibers were affected by zirconium doping contents and closely relevant to flexibility of resultant membranes. The probable mechanism for flexibility of ZSTO nanofibrous membranes was presented. Furthermore, the silver phosphate modified ZSTO (AZSTO) exhibited superior photocatalytic performance towards tetracycline hydrochloride (TCHC) and antibacterial performance towards Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with visible-light irradiation, including 85% degradation towards TCHC within 60 min, >99.99% inhibition rate and > 3 mm inhibition zone against Gram bacteria. Furthermore, the·superoxide free radical (O2–) and holes played significant roles in the degradation of TCHC that verified by radical scavenger experiment. Additionally, the membranes exhibited good reusability over five cycles without tedious recycling operations needed for micro/nanoparticle-based catalysts. The successful fabrication of ZSTO nanofibrous membranes would provide a new insight into photocatalysts, antibacterial materials, and wearable device.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an unmatched level of panic buying globally, a type of herd behavior whereby consumers buy an uncommonly huge amount of products because of a perception of scarcity. Drawing on the health belief model, perceived scarcity, and anticipated regret theories, this paper formulated a theoretical model that linked the determinants of panic buying and analyzed their interrelationships. Subsequently, data were collated from 508 consumers through an online survey questionnaire in Singapore that was conducted during the early stage of the pandemic, before the onset of the circuit breaker in April 2020. Next, an analysis of the results was done through structural equation modeling. It showed that the effect of the health belief model dimensions (i.e., perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, outcome expectation, cues to action, and self-efficacy) on panic buying is partially mediated by the consumers’ perceived scarcity of products. Furthermore, the effect of perceived scarcity on panic buying is partially mediated by consumers’ anticipation of regret. This paper expands on the current theoretical understanding of panic buying behavior, giving insights into the possible measures and solutions that policymakers and relevant stakeholders can uptake to manage panic buying in future a pandemic or health crisis.

Panic buying (PB), a typical consumer behaviour induced by crisis, was observed worldwide in the face of COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Survival Psychology and Maslow's motivation theories, this study introduced a theoretical model to establish the factors affecting consumers' PB and investigate their interrelationships. An online survey was designed and administered to 508 respondents in Singapore. Then, structural equation modelling was implemented to study the survey data. The results indicated that the effects of several constructs namely, normative social influence, observational learning, perceived severity, and perceived scarcity, with mediation by control, impose significant influence on consumers' PB. Analysis of total effects showed that normative social influence has the strongest effect on PB. This is followed by perceived scarcity, control, social trust, observational learning, and perceived severity. Two diverse research paradigms centring on Survival Psychology and Maslow's motivation theories were integrated to offer a logical explanation of the motivation driving PB. By utilising a theory-driven approach, the current study has offered a unique approach to interpreting consumers' PB. Overall, this study enhances current research on consumers' PB, offers new insights into understanding the motivating factors behind consumers' PB, and implicates policies on tackling hoarding situations in the event of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundAt present, there is no effective treatment for premature ovarian failure (POF), and stem cell therapy is considered the most promising treatment. Human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have shown good regenerative ability in a variety of diseases including POI, but the method and dosage of hUC-MSCs to treat POI are not clear. This study aims to explore the treatment options of hUC-MSCs for POF by comparing single injection and multiple injections of hUC-MSCs on the ovarian function repair of POF caused by chemotherapy drugs.MethodsFemale mice were injected intraperitoneally with 30 mg/kg of busulfan and 120 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide to induce POF. In the single hUC-MSCs injection group, 7 days after the mice were injected with cyclophosphamide and busulfan, hUC-MSCs were transplanted into these mice. In the multiple injection group, hUC-MSCs were transplanted 7 days, 14 days and 21 days after the mice were injected with cyclophosphamide and busulfan. We evaluated ovarian morphology, fertility, follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol concentration, and follicle count, evaluated POF model and cell transplantation. In addition, real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, miRNA chip and mRNA chip are used to evaluate the effect of cell therapy.ResultsCompared with the POF group, the ovarian size and primordial follicle count in the hUC-MSC group were significantly improved, and the fertility was also significantly improved. Immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the POF group, the anti-Mullerian hormone and Ki-67 in the ovary of the hUC-MSC group increased significantly, and ovulation was significantly restored. Real-time PCR showed that the expression of follicle stimulating hormone receptor, inhibin and inhibin in the hUC-MSCs group was significantly restored compared with the POF group. The results of mRNA and miRNA chips also showed that hUC-MSC restored ovarian function at the gene level. long-term treatment effect shows that the multiple transplantation hUC-MSCs group is better than the single transplantation hUC-MSCs group. 60 days after the mice were injected with cyclophosphamide and busulfan, the organ coefficient of multiple transplantation of hUC-MSCs increased compared with the POF group, the number of primary follicles increased, and hormone secretion increased. ConclusionThe results show that multiple trasplantation of hUC-MSCs can promote the recovery of ovarian function in POF mice more than a single transplantation. This study provides a basis for the therapeutic dose and therapeutic effect of hUC-MSCs on POF.

Background: The present study was designed to explore whether serum stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) levels were associated with albuminuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and detect which clinical parameters might affect serum SDF-1 levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).Methods: Serum SDF-1 levels were measured by sandwich ELISA. Patients with an eGFR < 60ml/min/1.73m2 and/or a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30mg/g who presented with diabetic retinopathy were identified as having DKD.Results: Serum SDF-1 levels in T2D patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (p < 0.05). Urinary albumin and UACR were positively correlated with serum SDF-1 levels (r = 0.216 and = 0.276, respectively, p < 0.01), and eGFR was inversely related with serum SDF-1 levels (r = -0.368, p < 0.001). Moreover, after adjusting for other clinical covariates by multiple linear regression analyses, the serum SDF-1 levels were independently associated with urinary albumin (β = 0.071, t = 2.185, p < 0.05), UACR (β = 0.071, t = 2.077, p < 0.05) and eGFR (β = -3.975, t = -3.375, p < 0.01). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that the optimal SDF-1 cutoff value for predicting macroalbuminuria was 5.735 ng/mL (its corresponding sensitivity was 50.00% and specificity was 81.46%), for predicting abnormal albuminuria was 4.321 ng/mL (its corresponding sensitivity was 58.46% and specificity was 70.78%) and for predicting DKD was 3.505 ng/mL (its corresponding sensitivity was 83.33% and specificity was 42.86%).Conclusions: The serum SDF-1 levels were positively associated with urinary albumin, UACR and cystatin C, and negatively associated with eGFR, which indicate that SDF-1 may play a critical role in the onset and progression of DKD.

Background The number of cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States has risen sharply since March 2020. A county health ranking and roadmaps program has been established to identify factors associated with disparity in mobility and mortality of COVID-19 in all counties in the United States. The risk factors associated with county-level mortality of COVID-19 with various levels of prevalence are not well understood. Methods Using the data obtained from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps program, this study applied a negative binomial design to the county-level mortality counts of COVID-19 as of August 27, 2020 in the United States. In this design, the infected counties were categorized into three levels of infections using clustering analysis based on time-varying cumulative confirmed cases from March 1 to August 27, 2020. COVID-19 patients were not analyzed individually but were aggregated at the county-level, where the county-level deaths of COVID-19 confirmed by the local health agencies. Clustering analysis and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used in our statistical analysis. Results A total of 3125 infected counties were assigned into three classes corresponding to low, median, and high prevalence levels of infection. Several risk factors were significantly associated with the mortality counts of COVID-19, where higher level of air pollution (0.153, P P P P P P = 0.005) and higher Hispanic population (low and median: 0.020, P P = 0.009) had higher likelihood of risk of the deaths in all infected counties. Conclusions The mortality of COVID-19 depended on sex, race/ethnicity, and outdoor environment. The increasing awareness of the impact of these significant factors may help decision makers, the public health officials, and the general public better control the risk of pandemic, particularly in the reduction in the mortality of COVID-19. Graphic abstract

Panic buying has been observed across many regions during the COVID-19 pandemic which greatly disrupts supply chains and market economies. The determinants of panic buying, upon being identified, can be applied to control the escalation of panic buying behaviour that is highly detrimental to societies. This research aims to synthesise the dual-system theory and stimulus-organism-response framework to investigate into the causes of panic buying. Structural equation modelling is employed to analyse data collected from 508 residents in Singapore. The results reveal that panic buying can be explained as a response to both environmental stimuli and reflective thinking. Specifically, perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of a pandemic event as well as social influence and social norm can stimulate consumers' perceptions of scarcity and affective response, which in turn leads to the impulsive decision of panic buying; meanwhile, a rational reflection which is operationalised by perceived lack of control also influences panic buying. Furthermore, the perceived lack of control positively moderates the effect of affective response on panic buying. Theoretically, this research provides a unique explanation of panic buying. The findings also provide managerial implications on dealing with panic buying in response to disasters such as a health crisis.

Best subset of groups selection (BSGS) is the process of selecting a small part of non-overlapping groups to achieve the best interpretability on the response variable. It has attracted increasing attention and has far-reaching applications in practice. However, due to the computational intractability of BSGS in high-dimensional settings, developing efficient algorithms for solving BSGS remains a research hotspot. In this paper,we propose a group-splicing algorithm that iteratively detects the relevant groups and excludes the irrelevant ones. Moreover, coupled with a novel group information criterion, we develop an adaptive algorithm to determine the optimal model size. Under mild conditions, it is certifiable that our algorithm can identify the optimal subset of groups in polynomial time with high probability. Finally, we demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of our methods by comparing them with several state-of-the-art algorithms on both synthetic and real-world datasets., Comment: 49 pages, 7 figures

A substantial amount of transportation research has been gathered under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), suggesting multi-dimensional impacts of the BRI on the transportation industry. This study identifies research trends in the BRI to elicit key agendas for future research by comprehensively reviewing 58 journal articles and applying combined methods of inductive content analysis and co-occurrence network analysis. Findings indicate that the BRI positively impacts the transportation industry by (1) building logistics capacity (2) strengthening connectivity of transportation network (3) diversifying shipping routes of oil transportation (thus enhancing energy security) (4) promoting intermodal transportation. A unified framework and four observations are presented, illustrating strategic risks and operational challenges associated with the BRI. Principal research agendas and questions are proposed, directing future research towards reconfiguration of transportation networks and healthy competition in transportation service standards. Accepted version