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In the context of the expanding local food market, grasping the evolutionary trajectory of consumer purchasing behavior is crucial for understanding market dynamics. This study adopts a cross-generational perspective to delve into and elucidate the similarities and differences in local food consumption behaviors between Gen Z and Gen Y. Through the analysis of online survey data from 251 individuals of Gen Z and 319 of Gen Y and utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework, and the study identifies eight key variables. The findings reveal that while Gen Z and Gen Y exhibit a range of common characteristics in their choice of local food,including attention to word of mouth, health consciousness, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitude.there is a significant divergence in their motivating factors for purchasing. Specifically, convenience is the primary driver for Gen Z when selecting local food; conversely, price is the decisive factor in the decision-making process of Gen Y. By unveiling these significant differences and similarities, the research offers significant understanding beneficial to the food sector, particularly in formulating market strategies targeted at different generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural wind velocities in tunnels under different natural conditions are distinct, and the longitudinal ventilation velocity significantly impacts the evacuation environment. This paper examines the evacuation conditions and strategies under varying wind velocities in bifurcated tunnels. Using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) and Pathfinder software, the fire development and evacuation of three distinct longitudinal positions in a bifurcated tunnel are simulated. The simulation results demonstrate that the evacuation conditions for disparate fire sources at varying wind velocities are markedly disparate. In consideration of the construction cost and the maximization of evacuation capacity, the width of the evacuation doors at the three locations should be set to 2 m, 1.5 m, and 1.5 m, respectively. Furthermore, an analysis of the safety of individual personnel through Fractional Effective Dose (FED) revealed that directing evacuees towards the upstream of the fire after the fire is detected can significantly reduce individual personnel injuries while ensuring the overall success of the evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockbursts are hazardous phenomena of sudden and violent rock failure in deep underground excavations under high geostress conditions, which poses a serious threat to geotechnical engineering. The occurrence of rockbursts is influenced by a combination of factors. Therefore, it is necessary to find an efficient method to assess rockburst grades. In this paper, we propose a novel method that enhances the VIKOR method using a novel combination of weight and generalized weighted Mahalanobis distance. The combination weights of the evaluation indicators were calculated using game theory by combining subjective experience and objective data statistical characteristics. By introducing the generalized weighted Mahalanobis distance, the VIKOR method is improved to address the issues of inconsistent dimensions, different importance, and inconsistent correlation among indicators. The proposed method can deal with the complexity of the impact factors of rockburst evaluation and classify the rockburst intensity level. The results show that the accuracy of the improved VIKOR method with the distance formula is higher than that of the unimproved VIKOR method; the evaluation accuracy of the improved VIKOR method with the generalized weighted Mahalanobis distance is 91.67%, which outperforms the improved VIKOR methods with the Euclidean and Canberra distances. This assessment method can be easily implemented and does not depend on the discussion of the rockburst occurrence mechanism, making it widely applicable for engineering rockburst evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a multi-point geostatistical (MPS) method based on variational function partition simulation is proposed to solve the key problem of MPS 3D modeling using 2D training images. The new method uses the FILTERSIM algorithm framework, and the variational function is used to construct simulation partitions and training image sequences, and only a small number of training images close to the unknown nodes are used in the partition simulation to participate in the MPS simulation. To enhance the reliability, a new covariance filter is also designed to capture the diverse features of the training patterns and allow the filter to downsize the training patterns from any direction; in addition, an information entropy method is used to reconstruct the whole 3D space by selecting the global optimal solution from several locally similar training patterns. The stability and applicability of the new method in complex geological modeling are demonstrated by analyzing the parameter sensitivity and algorithm performance. A geological model of a uranium deposit is simulated to test the pumping of five reserved drill holes, and the results show that the accuracy of the simulation results of the new method is improved by 11.36% compared with the traditional MPS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of urbanization has led to increasing uncertainties related to urban safety risks, which has brought certain challenges to the sustainable development of cities. The concept of urban resilience has found a new way to improve the ability of a city to absorb and resolve risks. However, the existing literature on the evaluation of urban resilience is mostly developed from a static perspective, lacking a systematic and dynamic understanding of the level of urban resilience. Therefore, this paper takes Hunan Province as the research object, determines the resilience evaluation indicators, collects the data of each indicator by using the observation method and the literature method, then chooses the comprehensive index method and other methods to measure the urban resilience level of Hunan Province in the years of 2010–2021, and observes the dynamic changes in the resilience level. And, we use the GeoDetector model to detect the dominant factors affecting the urban resilience level and the interaction between these factors. The results of this study show that: (1) The level of urban resilience in Hunan Province shows a steady upward trend from 2010 to 2021, but cities with low resilience levels hold a dominant position. Among all subsystems, the level of urban economic resilience is the highest. (2) From 2010 to 2021, the level of urban resilience in Hunan Province indicates a stepwise spatial structure in the spatial pattern, gradually decreasing from east to west. (3) The urban resilience of Hunan Province from 2010 to 2021 has a significant spatial agglomeration effect, mainly manifested as "L-H type" agglomeration and "L-L type" agglomeration. (4) The spatio-temporal differentiation of urban resilience is mainly caused by economic and social factors, while ecological, institutional, and infrastructure factors have a relatively small influence on the level of urban resilience. The interaction of impact factors will have a more significant influence on urban resilience. The research results of this article are of great significance for urban resilience construction in Hunan Province and even the whole country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rockburst is a geological disaster that occurs in resource development or engineering construction. In order to reduce the harm caused by rockburst, this paper proposes a prediction study of rockburst propensity based on the intuitionistic fuzzy set-multisource combined weights-improved attribute measurement model. From the perspective of rock mechanics, the uniaxial compressive strength σ c , tensile stress σ t , shear stress σ θ , compression/tension ratio σ c / σ t , shear/compression ratio σ θ / σ c , and elastic deformation coefficient W e t were selected as the indicators for predicting the propensity of rockburst, and the corresponding attribute classification set was established. Constructing a model framework based on an intuitionistic fuzzy set–improved attribute measurement includes transforming the vagueness of rockburst indicators with an intuitionistic fuzzy set and controlling the uncertainty in the results of the attribute measurements, as well as improving the accuracy of the model using the Euclidean distance method to improve the attribute identification method. To further transform the vagueness of rockburst indicators, the multisource system for combined weights of rockburst propensity indicators was constructed using the minimum entropy combined weighting method, the game theory combined weighting method, and the multiplicative synthetic normalization combined weighting method integrated with intuitionistic fuzzy sets, and the single-valued data of the indicators were changed into intervalized data on the basis of subjective weights based on the analytic hierarchy process and objective weights, further based on the coefficient of variation method. Choosing 30 groups of typical rockburst cases, the indicator weights and propensity prediction results were calculated and analyzed through this paper's model. Firstly, comparing the prediction results of this paper's model with the results of the other three single-combination weighting models for attribute measurement, the accuracy of the prediction results of this paper's model is 86.7%, which is higher than that of the other model results that were the least in addition to the number of uncertain cases, indicating that the uncertainty of attribute measurement has been effectively dealt with; secondly, the rationality of the multiple sources system for combined weights is verified, and the vagueness of the indicators is controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread dissemination of rumors (fake information) on online social media has had a detrimental impact on public opinion and the social environment. This necessitates the urgent need for efficient rumor detection methods. In recent years, deep learning techniques, including graph neural networks (GNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), have been employed to capture the spatiotemporal features of rumors. However, existing research has largely overlooked the limitations of traditional GNNs based on message-passing frameworks when dealing with rumor propagation graphs. In fact, due to the issues of excessive smoothing and gradient vanishing, traditional GNNs struggle to capture the interactive information among high-order neighbors when handling deep graphs, such as those in rumor propagation scenarios. Furthermore, previous methods used for learning the temporal features of rumors, whether based on dynamic graphs or time series, have overlooked the importance of differential temporal information. To address the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a rumor detection model based on multi-hop graphs and differential time series. Specifically, this model consists of two components: the structural feature extraction module and the temporal feature extraction module. The former utilizes a multi-hop graph and the enhanced message passing framework to learn the high-order structural features of rumor propagation graphs. The latter explicitly models the differential time series to learn the temporal features of rumors. Extensive experiments conducted on multiple real-world datasets demonstrate that our proposed model outperforms the previous state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for autonomous exploration and mapping of underground environments has significantly increased in recent years. However, accurately localizing and mapping robots in subterranean settings presents notable challenges. This paper presents a tightly coupled LiDAR-Inertial odometry system that combines the NanoGICP point cloud registration method with IMU pre-integration using incremental smoothing and mapping. Specifically, a point cloud affected by dust particles is first filtered out and separated into ground and non-ground point clouds (for ground vehicles). To maintain accuracy in environments with spatial variations, an adaptive voxel filter is employed, which reduces computation time while preserving accuracy. The estimated motion derived from IMU pre-integration is utilized to correct point cloud distortion and provide an initial estimation for LiDAR odometry. Subsequently, a scan-to-map point cloud registration is executed using NanoGICP to obtain a more refined pose estimation. The resulting LiDAR odometry is then employed to estimate the bias of the IMU. We comprehensively evaluated our system on established subterranean datasets. These datasets were collected by two separate teams using different platforms during the DARPA Subterranean (SubT) Challenge. The experimental results demonstrate that our system achieved performance enhancements as high as 50–60% in terms of root mean square error (RMSE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate forecasting of metal prices is of great importance to industrial producers as the supply of metal raw materials is a very important part of industrial production. The futures market is subject to many factors, and metal prices are highly volatile. In the past, most of the relevant research has focused only on deterministic point forecasting, with less research performed on interval uncertainty forecasting. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel forecasting model that combines point forecasting and interval forecasting. First, a novel hybrid price point forecasting model was established using Variational Modal Decomposition (VMD) and a Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network (LSTM) based on Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) optimization. Then, five distribution functions based on the optimization algorithm were used to fit the time series data patterns and analyze the metal price characteristics, Finally, based on the optimal distribution function and point forecasting results, the forecasting range and confidence level were set to determine the interval forecasting model. The interval forecasting model was validated by inputting the price data of copper and aluminum into the model and obtaining the interval forecasting results. The validation results show that the proposed hybrid forecasting model not only outperforms other comparative models in terms of forecasting accuracy, but also has a better performance in forecasting sharp fluctuations and data peaks, which can provide a more valuable reference for producers and investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disadvantaged socioeconomic position (SEP), including lower educational attainment and household income, may influence cancer risk and outcomes. We hypothesized that DNA methylation could function as an intermediary epigenetic mechanism that internalizes and reflects the biological impact of SEP. Methods: Based on tumor DNA methylation data from the Illumina 450 K array from 694 breast cancer patients in the Women's Circle of Health Study, we conducted an epigenome-wide analysis in relation to educational attainment and household income. Functional impact of the identified CpG sites was explored in silico using data from publicly available databases. Results: We identified 25 CpG sites associated with household income at an array-wide significance level, but none with educational attainment. Two of the top CpG sites, cg00452016 and cg01667837, were in promoter regions of NNT and GPR37, respectively, with multiple epigenetic regulatory features identified in each region. NNT is involved in β-adrenergic stress signaling and inflammatory responses, whereas GPR37 is involved in neurological and immune responses. For both loci, gene expression was inversely correlated to the levels of DNA methylation. The associations were consistent between Black and White women and did not differ by tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status. Conclusions: In a large breast cancer patient population, we discovered evidence of the significant biological impact of household income on the tumor DNA methylome, including genes in the β-adrenergic stress and immune response pathways. Our findings support biological effects of socioeconomic status on tumor tissues, which might be relevant to cancer development and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rockburst is a dynamic disaster that may result in considerable damage to mines and pose a threat to personnel safety. Accurately predicting rockburst intensity is critical for ensuring mine safety and reducing economic losses. First, based on the primary parameters that impact rockburst occurrence, the uniaxial compressive strength ( σ c ), shear–compression ratio ( σ θ / σ c ), compression–tension ratio ( σ c / σ t ), elastic deformation coefficient ( W et ), and integrity coefficient of the rock ( K V ) were selected as the evaluation indicators. Second, an improved game theory weighting method was introduced to address the problem that the combination coefficients calculated using the traditional game theory weighting method may result in negative values. The combination of indicator weights obtained using the analytic hierarchy process, the entropy method, and the coefficient of variation method were also optimized using improved game theory. Third, to address the problem of subjectivity in the traditional unascertained measurement using the confidence identification criterion, the distance discrimination idea of the Minkowski distance was used to optimize the identification criteria of the attributes in an unascertained measurement and was applied to rockburst prediction, and the obtained results were compared with the original confidence identification criterion and the original distance discrimination. The results show that the improved game theory weighting method used in this model makes the weight distribution more reasonable and reliable, which can provide a feasible reference for the weight determination method of rockburst prediction. When the Minkowski distance formula was introduced into the unascertained measurement for distance discrimination, the same rockburst predictions were obtained when the distance parameter (p) was equal to 1, 2, 3, and 4. The improved model was used to predict and analyze 40 groups of rockburst data with an accuracy of 92.5% and could determine the rockburst intensity class intuitively, providing a new way to analyze the rockburst intensity class rationally and quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Studies concerning the impact of air temperature on esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) have yielded conflicting results. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation between air temperature and EGVB. Methods: A time-stratified case-crossover study design was performed. Patients received emergency gastroscopic hemostasis for upper gastrointestinal bleeding between Jan 1, 2014, and Dec 31, 2018 in the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital were enrolled. Conditional logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the association between air temperature and EGVB for different lag structures. Results: A total of 4204 cirrhotic patients diagnosed with EGVB and received emergency gastroscopic hemostasis were enrolled. The mean number of daily EGVB cases peaked in October (2.65 ± 1.69) and fell to the lowest level in July (1.86 ± 1.38), and was 2.38 ± 1.58 in spring, 2.00 ± 1.46 in summer, 2.37 ± 1.58 in autumn, and 2.45 ± 1.58 in winter, respectively (P < 0.0001). In conditional logistic regression analysis, no significant correlations between air temperature and EGVB were observed and no significant difference were found when stratified by age, sex, etiology, liver cancer status, and grade of varices. Conclusion: Emergency admission for EGVB showed significant monthly and seasonal fluctuations, while in conditional logistic regression analysis, no association between minimum temperature and emergency admission for EGVB were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that the state transfer rules between nodes in existing rumor propagation models are mostly based on a single propagation mechanism, and most of the models have a single way of refuting rumors, in this paper, a new SEIOR rumor propagation model (ignorant (S), hesitators (E), spreaders (I), rumor debunkers (O), immunizers (R)) is proposed by introducing hesitators and rumor debunkers and combining different rumor-refuting ways of rumor debunkers. Firstly, the dynamics process of the propagation model is described by using the mean-field equations. Secondly, the equilibrium point and the basic regeneration number of the model are solved, and the existence and stability of the equilibrium point are discussed. Then, numerical simulations are used to analyze the effects of different factors on rumor propagation patterns. The results show that the rumor-spreading rate α 2 has the greatest effect on rumor propagation. With the increase in α 2 , the degree of influence of the hesitator-converting rate α 1 on the scale of rumor propagation first increases and then decreases. Different rumor-refuting ways have different inhibiting effects on the spread of rumors. Finally, based on the results of the theoretical proving and numerical analysis, some targeted measures to control the spread of rumors are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many real-world engineering problems need to balance different objectives and can be formatted as multi-objective optimization problem. An effective multi-objective algorithm can achieve a set of optimal solutions that can make a tradeoff between different objectives, which is valuable to further explore and design. In this paper, an improved multi-objective differential evolution algorithm (MOEA/D/DEM) based on a decomposition strategy is proposed to improve the performance of differential evolution algorithm for practical multi-objective nutrition decision problems. Firstly, considering the neighborhood characteristic, a neighbor intimacy factor is designed in the search process for enhancing the diversity of the population, then a new Gaussian mutation strategy with variable step size is proposed to reduce the probability of escaping local optimum area and improve the local search ability. Finally, the proposed algorithm is tested by classic test problems (DTLZ1-7 and WFG1-9) and applied to the multi-objective nutrition decision problems, compared to the other reported multi-objective algorithms, the proposed algorithm has a better search capability and obtained competitive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: In recent years, electric vehicle fire accidents have occurred frequently. Studying the risk factors leading to electric vehicle fire can take corresponding safety measures to reduce the occurrence of electric vehicle fire accidents. (2) Methods: The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) was constructed to decompose the electric vehicle system, the Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) was constructed to decompose the risk of electric vehicle fire accidents, a WBS-RBS coupling matrix was built to identify the risk factors that lead to electric vehicle fire accidents in the electric vehicle system, and the fuzzy Bayesian network was used to evaluate the risk of electric vehicle fire accidents. (3) Results: In this study, the electric vehicle was divided into four systems, and 15 risk factors leading to electric vehicle fire were found. The first risk factor was external collision ignition, followed by battery failure, artificial modification, battery-pack flooding, and charging equipment failure, and safety measures were proposed; (4) Conclusions: The results show that the WBS-RBS and fuzzy BN coupling research method can identify the risk factors leading to an electric vehicle fire, and the risk factors were ranked, providing a reference for the safety protection of electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues has become a common practice in clinical and epidemiologic genetic research. Simultaneous extraction of DNA and RNA from FFPE tissues is appealing but can be practically challenging. Here we report our results and lessons learned from processing FFPE breast tumor tissues for a large epidemiologic study. Methods: Qiagen AllPrep DNA/RNA FFPE kit was adapted for dual extraction using tissue punches or sections from breast tumor tissues. The yield was quantified using Qubit and fragmentation analysis by Agilent Bioanalyzer. A subset of the DNA samples were used for genome-wide DNA methylation assays and RNA samples for sequencing. The QC metrices and performance of the assays were analyzed with pre-analytical variables. Results: A total of 1859 FFPE breast tumor tissues were processed. We found it critical to adjust proteinase K digestion time based on tissue volume to achieve balanced yields of DNA and RNA. Tissue punches taken from tumor-enriched regions provided the most reliable output. A median of 1475 ng DNA and 1786 ng RNA per sample was generated. The median DNA integrity number (DIN) was 3.8 and median DV200 for RNA was 33.2. Of 1294 DNA samples used in DNA methylation assays, 97% passed quality check by qPCR and 92% generated data deemed high quality. Of the 130 RNA samples with DV200 ≥ 20% used in RNA-sequencing, all but 5 generated usable transcriptomic data with a mapping rate ≥ 60%. Conclusions: Dual DNA/RNA purification using Qiagen AllPrep FFPE extraction protocol is feasible for clinical and epidemiologic studies. We recommend tissue punches as a reliable source material and fine tuning of proteinase K digestion time based on tissue volume. Impact: Our protocol and recommendations may be adapted by future studies for successful extraction of archived tumor tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the accuracy of predicting rockburst intensity, game theory and an improved maximum entropy-attribute measure interval model were established. First, by studying the mechanism of rockburst and typical cases, rock uniaxial compressive strength σ c , rock compression-tension ratio σ c / σ t , rock shear compression ratio σ θ / σ c , rock elastic deformation coefficient W e t , and rock integrity coefficient K v were selected as indexes for predicting rockburst intensity. Second, by combining the maximum entropy principle with the attribute measure interval and using the minimum distance D i − k between sample and class as the guide, the entropy solution of the attribute measure was obtained, which eliminates the greyness and ambiguity of the rockburst indexes to the maximum extent. Third, using the compromise coefficient to integrate the comprehensive attribute measure, which avoids the ambiguity about the number of attribute measure intervals. Fourth, from the essence of measurement theory, the Euclidean distance formula was used to improve the attribute identification mode, which overcomes the effect of the confidence coefficient taking on the results. Moreover, in order to balance the shortcomings of the subjective weights of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the objective weights of the CRITIC method, game theory was used for the combined weights, which balances experts' experience and the amount of data information. Finally, 20 sets of typical cases for rockburst in the world were selected as samples. On the one hand, the reasonableness of the combined weights of indexes was analyzed; on the other hand, the results of this paper's model were compared with the three analytical models for predicting rockburst, and this paper's model had the lowest number of misjudged samples and an accuracy rate of 80%, which was better than other models, verifying the accuracy and applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mine extraction planning has a far-reaching impact on the production management and overall economic efficiency of the mining enterprise. The traditional method of preparing underground mine production planning is complicated and tedious, and reaching the optimum calculation results is difficult. Firstly, the theory and method of multi-objective optimization are used to establish a multi-objective planning model with the objective of the best economic efficiency, grade, and ore quantity, taking into account the constraints of ore grade fluctuation, ore output from the mine, production capacity of mining enterprises, and mineral resources utilization. Second, an improved particle swarm algorithm is applied to solve the model, a nonlinear dynamic decreasing weight strategy is proposed for the inertia weights, the variation probability of each generation of particles is dynamically adjusted by the aggregation degree, and this variation probability is used to perform a mixed Gaussian and Cauchy mutation for the global optimal position and an adaptive wavelet variation for the worst individual optimal position. This improved strategy can greatly increase the diversity of the population, improve the global convergence speed of the algorithm, and avoid the premature convergence of the solution. Finally, taking a large polymetallic underground mine in China as a case, the example calculation proves that the algorithm solution result is 10.98% higher than the mine plan index in terms of ore volume and 41.88% higher in terms of economic efficiency, the algorithm solution speed is 29.25% higher, and the model and optimization algorithm meet the requirements of a mining industry extraction production plan, which can effectively optimize the mine's extraction plan and provide a basis for mine operation decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Hot social events contain a large amount of public opinion information, and a more detailed analysis of this information will help the relevant parts to formulate more targeted supervision strategies at different stages and for the public opinion publishers involved in the event discussions, so as to achieve efficient management of public opinion; (2) Methods:Based on stakeholder theory and life cycle theory, this study constructs stakeholder classification system by using keyword identification method; adopts LDA model to complete topic clustering; analyzes and summarizes topic evolution pattern by calculating topic similarity; (3) Results: The study divided the stakeholders involved in the Jiang Ge case into 10 categories, and the results of topic clustering were divided into two categories according to the content of the topics, which were based on the case itself and on the parties involved in the case; it was found that each stakeholder focused on a different topic with different emphasis, no matter the topic of public opinion or the different life cycle stages of public opinion. Based on the differences in topic similarity between adjacent stages, the topic evolution patterns of different stakeholders were categorized into three types; (4) Conclusions: Example verification shows that the method presented in this paper can dig out the topic focus and evolution path of stakeholders in the field of public opinion, and provide a horizontal and vertical comparative analysis between stakeholders and different life cycle stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a W‐band slot array antenna based on ridge gap waveguide (RGW) with low sidelobe and high‐gain characteristics has been proposed. It adopts a series and parallel hybrid feeding network to realize low sidelobe levels in E‐ and H‐plane, respectively. The tunable pins and large power ratio dividers are introduced in the distribution network, which improves the phase consistency and brings flexibility to amplitude‐tapering. The proposed antenna overcomes the shortcomings of grating lobes caused by quasi‐Taylor distribution of conventional slot array with backed cavities. The prototype of a 16 × 18 slot array is fabricated and measured. The measured impedance bandwidth is from 81.2 to 86 GHz, and the peak gain is higher than 29.4 dBi with the sidelobe levels (SLLs) of −19.7 dB and −30 dB on E‐ and H‐plane, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel methodology to create metallic waveguides with multilayer integrated vertical-electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure is proposed in this article, and the structure realizes low-cost millimeter-wave (mmWave) slot array antennas. A multilayer stack of easy-to-process thin metallic etching plates is introduced to design mmWave waveguide using compression fit instead of diffusion bonding and welding assembly process. The electromagnetic (EM) wave leakage from the gaps between the metallic plates is suppressed using the vertical-EBG structure and antiphasing feeding. The dispersion diagrams of the vertical-EBG unit cell are investigated to illustrate the suppression of leakage. Another leakage wave intercepting methodology is adopted by antiphase feeding to prevent leakage wave from the adjacent slot subarrays. Finally, two examples of 2 $\times $ 8 and 8 $\times $ 8 slot array antennas are presented to verify our design concept. The measured impedance bandwidths of the two antennas are 77.1–84.6 GHz (9.3%) and 78.6–84.9 GHz (7.7%). In addition, the 3 dB broadside gain bandwidths are 73.1–85.3 GHz (15.1%) and 76.8–84.4 GHz (9.4%). The results show the aperture efficiencies up to 56.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic two-dimensional (2D) metal–organic framework (MOF) materials display excellent electrocatalytic performance due to the synergistic effect between metals and the advantage of the 2D structure. In this work, Cu was introduced into the 2D Co-MOF structure, and a 2D book-like CuCo-MOF structure was fixed on carbon fiber paper (CFP) for direct electrochemical glucose detection and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The materials showed good electrocatalytic glucose detection performance with a sensitivity as high as 6.861 mA mM−1 cm−2 and a detection limit as low as 0.12 μM. For the OER, when the current density is 10 mA cm−2, the overpotential (η) is 340 mV, and good stability is maintained for about 10 h without current attenuation. This work not only exploits a new 2D MOF structure containing Cu, but also expands the potential of Cu-containing MOF materials in the electrocatalytic OER, making a contribution to the field of energy conversion and biomolecular sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive high-grade, estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer is more common among American women of African ancestry (AA) than those of European ancestry (EA). Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation and altered microRNA (miRNA) expression, may contribute to racial differences in breast cancer. However, few studies have specifically characterized genome-wide DNA methylation-based modifications at the miRNA level in relation to ER+ and ER- subtype, and their functional role in the regulation of miRNA expression, especially among high risk AA women. In this study, we evaluated DNA methylation patterns of miRNA encoding genes and their effect on expression in breast tumors from both AA and EA women. The genome-wide methylation screen identified a total of 7,191 unique CpGs mapped to 1,292 miRNA genes, corresponding to 2,035 unique mature miRNAs. We identified differentially methylated loci (DMLs: (|delta β|)>0.10, FDR<0.05) between ER- and ER+ tumor subtypes, including 290 DMLs shared in both races, 317 and 136 were specific to AA and EA women, respectively. Integrated analysis identified certain DMLs whose methylation levels were significantly correlated with the expression of relevant miRNAs, such as multiple CpGs within miR-190b and miR-135b highly negatively correlated with their expression. These results were then validated in the TCGA dataset. Target prediction and pathway analysis showed that these DNA methylation-dysregulated miRNAs are involved in multiple cancer-related pathways, including cell cycle G1-S growth factor regulation, cytoskeleton remodeling, angiogenesis, EMT, and ESR1-mediated signaling pathways. In summary, our results suggest that DNA methylation changes within miRNA genes are associated with altered miRNA expression, which may contribute to the network of subtype- and race-related tumor biological differences in breast cancer. These findings support the involvement of epigenetic regulation of miRNA expression and provide insights into the relations of clinical-relevant miRNAs to their target genes, which may serve as potential preventative and therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursor, Barrett's esophagus (BE), have uncovered significant genetic components of risk, but most heritability remains unexplained. Targeted assessment of genetic variation in biologically relevant pathways using novel analytical approaches may identify missed susceptibility signals. Central obesity, a key BE/EAC risk factor, is linked to systemic inflammation, altered hormonal signaling and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis dysfunction. Here, we assessed IGF-related genetic variation and risk of BE and EAC. Principal component analysis was employed to evaluate pathway-level and gene-level associations with BE/EAC, using genotypes for 270 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in or near 12 IGF-related genes, ascertained from 3295 BE cases, 2515 EAC cases and 3207 controls in the Barrett's and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium (BEACON) GWAS. Gene-level signals were assessed using Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation (MAGMA) and SNP summary statistics from BEACON and an expanded GWAS meta-analysis (6167 BE cases, 4112 EAC cases, 17 159 controls). Global variation in the IGF pathway was associated with risk of BE (P = 0.0015). Gene-level associations with BE were observed for GHR (growth hormone receptor; P = 0.00046, false discovery rate q = 0.0056) and IGF1R (IGF1 receptor; P = 0.0090, q = 0.0542). These gene-level signals remained significant at q < 0.1 when assessed using data from the largest available BE/EAC GWAS meta-analysis. No significant associations were observed for EAC. This study represents the most comprehensive evaluation to date of inherited genetic variation in the IGF pathway and BE/EAC risk, providing novel evidence that variation in two genes encoding cell-surface receptors, GHR and IGF1R , may influence risk of BE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of non-noble oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with low energy consumption and cost is imperative to produce hydrogen energy from water splitting and enlarge its application. Two-dimensional (2D) metal organic frameworks (MOF) and their derivatives are widely regarded as promising electrocatalysts (EC) for OER due to its unique structural characteristics. Here, by optimizing the molar ratio of Ni to Co, bimetal 2-methylimidazole based 2D-MOF is synthesized and its derivatives are also obtained by phosphorization or oxidation. OER measurements prove that the original MOF structure with 5% Ni/Co molar ratio shows excellent activity with 310 mV overpotential (ƞ) at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH solution for OER, as well as a fairly good electrochemical stability rather than their oxidation or phosphorus derivatives. This work introduces a facile method to prepare bimetal imidazole-based 2D-MOF directly applied in energy conversion field without transformation, making a contribution for opening a new window of widely application of 2D-MOF and improving the hydrogen production efficiency from water splitting. Through a simple one-step solvothermal reaction, adding different amounts of nickel to ZIF-67, NiCo-MOFs were formed with a uniform two-dimensional structure, and electrocatalytic performance for 5% molar ratio Ni/Co MOF was better than other derivatives. Image 1 • A new bimetallic NiCo-MOF material was synthesized. • The introduction of Ni made the two-dimensional structure more uniform. • The oxygen evolution performance of 5% NiCo-MOF was better than MOF derivatives. • The superior electrocatalytic result for 5% NiCo-MOF was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The success of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus is a major breakthrough in hepatology. Previous studies have shown that chitinase 3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) was a marker for staging of liver fibrosis caused by HCV. In this investigation, we used CHI3L1 as a surrogate marker to compare dynamic hepatic fibrosis variations following the elimination of HCV among cases receiving sofosbuvir (SOF)-based regimens and pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PR) treatments. Methods. The study enrolled 105 patients, including 46 SOF-based regimens treated patients, 34 PR-experienced patients, and 25 untreated patients. Serum samples and clinical data were obtained at the baseline, the end of treatment, and at weeks 24 and 48 after treatments. Results. First, we found that serum level of CHI3L1 correlated moderately but significantly with LSM (r = 0.615 , P < 0.001) at the baseline, and diagnosed liver cirrhosis at baseline with high accuracy (AUC = 0.939) by ROC analysis. So we explored CHI3L1 as a sensitive biomarker to monitor the regression of liver fibrosis after HCV eradication. We found that the serum CHI3L1 level of CHC cases receiving SOF-based regimen treatments was markedly reduced immediately after treatment compared with that at the baseline (123.79 (118.55) vs. 118.20 (103.68), P = 0.001). For cases undergoing PR treatment, the serum CHI3L1 decreased significantly at week 24 posttreatment compared with that at the baseline (69.98 (51.44) vs 89.15 (110.59), P = 0.016). For the untreated cirrhotic patients, CHI3L1 levels increased at week 96 follow-up compared with that at the baseline (194.73 (172.46) vs. 89.50 (242.97), P = 0.048), reflecting continued worsening of liver fibrosis. Conclusion. CHI3L1 is suggested to be the sensitive marker to monitor fibrosis variations in weeks during treatments and after achieving SVR. It has the potential to allow the identification of early treatment failure for a timely switch to alternative treatment and to allow monitoring progression of fibrosis as a risk factor for liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curved liquid crystal display (LCD) suffers from an issue of uneven brightness among the vertical‐alignment LCD panels based on thin glass substrates. In this work, we investigated its origin through optical simulation and successfully realized uniform brilliance for 27‐inch curved LCD panels. The optical simulation revealed that the dark areas on the bending sides of the curved LCD panel originated from the reduced azimuth angle of the liquid crystals (LC) next to the ITO trunk. This issue could be resolved by decreasing the pretilt angle of the LC on the color filter side. Through developing pretilt angle tuning technologies, we experimentally verified that the uniform brilliance could be achieved for 27‐inch curved LCD panels with 900‐mm curvature on thin glass substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile urea-hydrolysis calcination process for the preparation of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and α-Fe2O3 nanorods was introduced. The effects of hydrolysis temperature, Fe3+ concentration, and the molar ratio of urea and Fe3+ on nanorod-like precursors and α-Fe2O3 nanomaterials were investigated. The average length and diameter of the nanorod precursors increased with the increasing hydrolysis temperature, Fe3+ concentration, and molar ratio of urea and Fe3+. When the molar ratio of urea and Fe3+ was not less than 5, the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were produced. However, when the molar ratio was not greater than 4, the α-Fe2O3 nanorods could be obtained. In addition, the average diameter of the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles was the largest when the hydrolysis temperature was 85 °C. With the increase in Fe3+ concentration, the average diameter of the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles was enlarged. The average length and diameter of the α-Fe2O3 nanorods increased with the increase in hydrolysis temperature and Fe3+ concentration. All the results suggested that the rod-like structure of the precursors provided a possibility and the template for the fabrication of α-Fe2O3 nanorods, and the content of Fe3+ in the rod-like precursors played the decisive role in the morphology of the α-Fe2O3 nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockburst is a common dynamic disaster in deep underground engineering. To accurately predict rockburst intensity grade, this study proposes a novel rockburst prediction model based on variable weight and matter-element extension theory. In the proposed model, variable weight theory is used to optimize the weights of prediction indexes. Matter-element extension theory and grade variable method are used to calculate the grade variable interval corresponding to the classification standard of rockburst intensity grade. The rockburst intensity grade of Engineering Rock Mass is predicted by rock burst intensity level variable and the interval. Finally, the model is tested by predicting the rockburst intensity grades of worldwide several projects. The prediction results are compared with the actual rockburst intensity grades and the prediction results of other models. The results indicate that, after using variable weight theory and grade variable method, the correct rate of prediction results of matter-element extension model is improved, and the safety of the prediction results is also enhanced. This study provides a new way to predict rock burst in underground engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Inhibiting terrible interfacial reaction between reinforced SiC fiber and Ni 3 Al matrix has become the primary task for developing SiC fiber reinforced Ni 3 Al composite (SiC f /Ni 3 Al), which is strongly desirable by aerospace vehicles and propulsion systems as promising high-temperature and high-strength structural material. Herein, C single coating and C+Y 2 O 3 duplex coating were respectively introduced into SiC f /Ni 3 Al composites as reaction barrier layers for comparative study on their interfacial reactions, providing micro/nanoscale insight into the formation processes and products distribution of interfacial zones via transmission electron microscope observation. It reveals that C single coating can provide complete hindrance effects on the Al and Si atoms, but just slow down Ni diffusion instead of inhibiting, and thus the diffusion of Ni atoms dominates the formation of interfacial reaction zones; reaction zones can be divided into two sublayers, including Ni-rich sublayer composed of Ni silicides (Ni 3 Si and Ni 2 Si) and tiny graphitic C particles, and Ni-poor sublayer consisted of Ni silicides (Ni 2 Si and Ni 3 Si 2 ) and large graphitic C particles. In contrast to C single coating failing to protect on SiC fiber, unbroken C+Y 2 O 3 duplex barrier coating can perfectly protect the SiC fiber. However, C+Y 2 O 3 duplex barrier coating is not completely inert to Ni 3 Al matrix, evidenced by forming Y 4 Al 2 O 9 product to further hinder Ni atoms diffusion, simultaneously, some nanoscale cracks may be introduced by volume change as diffusion path; they induce the formation of Ni 3 AlC 0.5 nanoclusters in the C coating next to matrix. Accordingly, it suggests that Y 4 Al 2 O 9 should be potential reaction barrier coating in the SiC f /C/Ni 3 Al composite or Ni 3 Al/Si-based ceramic. Highlights • SiC f /Ni 3 Al composites with C single coating and C+Y 2 O 3 duplex coating were prepared. • C coating inhibited the diffusion of Al and Si but slow down inward diffusion of Ni. • C+Y 2 O 3 coating completely protects SiC fiber. • Y 4 Al 2 O 9 as the reaction product can effectively hinder the diffusion of Ni atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) preS/S-gene mutations on occult HBV infection (OBI) is not fully understood. This study characterized multiple novel HBV preS/S-gene mutants obtained from an OBI patient. Methods: PreS/S-gene mutants were analyzed by clonal sequencing. Viral replication and expression were analyzed by transfecting HBV genomic recombinants into HepG2 cells. Results: Twenty-one preS/S-gene mutants were cloned from four sequential serum samples, including 13 mutants that were not previously documented: (1) sI/T126V+sG145R; (2) preS1 nt 3014−3198 deletion; (3) preS1 nt 3046−3177 deletion; (4) preS1 nt 3046−3177 deletion+s115−116 “INGTST” insertion; (5) preS1 nt 3046−3177 deletion+s115−116 “INGTST” insertion+sG145R; (6) preS1 nt 3115−3123 deletion+sQ129N; (7) preS1 nt 3115−3123 deletion+s126−127 “RPCMNCTI” insertion; (8) s115−116 “INGTST” insertion; (9) s115−116 “INGTST” insertion+sG145R; (10) s126−127 “RPCMNCTI” insertion; (11) preS1 nt 2848−2862 deletion+preS2 initiation codon M→I; (12) s122−123 “KSTGLCK” insertion+sQ129N; and (13) preS2 initiation codon M→I+s131−133TSM→NST. The proportion of preS1 nt 3046−3177 deletion and preS2 initiation codon M→I+s131−133TSM→NST mutants increased in the viral pool with prolonged disease. The 13 novel OBI-related mutants showed a 51.2−99.9% decrease in HBsAg levels compared with that of the wild type. Additional N-glycosylation-associated mutations, sQ129N and s131−133TSM→NST, but not s126−127 “RPCMNCTI,” greatly attenuated anti-HBs binding to HBsAg. Compared with the wild type, replication and surface antigen promoter II activity of the preS1 nt 3046−3177 deletion mutant decreased by 43.3% and 97.0%, respectively. Conclusion: PreS/S-gene mutations may play coordinated roles in the presentation of OBI and might be associated with disease progression. This has implications for HBV diagnosis and vaccine improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A good quality of BiVO 4 -coated carbon fibers was successfully prepared at 180 °C for 5 h by a hydrothermal process. The results showed that hydrothermal time and initial pH value as key processing parameters had significant influence on BiVO 4 coating growth on carbon fibers. At 180 °C and pH = 2, fabricating BiVO 4 coatings with a good crystallization would take no less than 3 h. Acidic environment more favored the isotropic growth of BiVO 4 crystallites with a huge particle size, while increasing pH value was beneficial to their anisotropic growth but inhibited their nucleus formation to result in the reduction of BiVO 4 particle numbers. BiVO 4 -coated carbon fibers exhibited a better photocatalytic performance than normal powdery BiVO 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new hybrid data-driven soft measurement modeling method for power plant sensor condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. The method integrates Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Mean Impact Value (MIV), Partial-Least Squares Regression (PLSR) and B-Spline transformation techniques. First, the relevant parameters are obtained from mechanism analysis and a GRNN model is built to assess the average contribution rate of each independent variable and filter out the main modeling parameters by method of MIV. Then, the main modeling parameters are modeled with a PLSR method based on the cubic B-Spline transformation, which is an effective approach to the nonlinear modeling and multicollinearity problems. The final reliable model is completed to monitor and diagnose the sensors. Taking the active power sensor of a combined cycle generator unit of Siemens V94.3A as an example, the computational result shows that this modeling approach to sensor measurement data fits well in both accuracy and generalization ability under different conditions. Through fault signs and fault diagnosis methods analysis, this model could accurately identify sensor fault types. Most importantly, only a few model parameters need to be saved, and the model has low computation cost and strong robustness. Therefore the model is more suitable in solving the online real-time monitoring and diagnosis problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Mn CeO x -based catalysts loaded on modified cotton biochars and commercial activated carbon were studied to investigate the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO at low temperatures. The physicochemical properties of these catalysts were investigated by a variety of characterization methods. The results indicated that the co-activated cotton biochar may be a potential material for use as a low temperature SCR catalytic support instead of the commercial activated carbon (AC). Mn CeO x /biochar by co-activation (COA) exhibited a higher specific surface area, surface acidity and a Mn 4+ /Mn 3+ ratio than the other catalysts. The XRD analysis indicated that Mn CeO x was more dispersed on the surface of the cotton biochar (COA) than the other supports. In addition, there were more adsorbed oxygen species and oxygen functional groups on the surfaces of the Mn CeO x /biochar (COA) catalysts. These properties of Mn CeO x /biochar (COA) assisted the SCR reaction and the N 2 selectivity. Moreover, the rich adsorbed oxygen species and oxygen functional groups on the surfaces of the Mn CeO x /biochar (COA) catalyst promoted the oxidation of NO to NO 2 , which resulted in high SCR activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new kind of titanium pillared clay (Ti-PILC) impregnated by potassium iodine (KI) was synthesized to remove the elemental mercury (Hg 0 ) in the simulated flue gas. The effect of KI loading amount, temperature, flue gas components (O 2 , SO 2 , H 2 O and NO) on Hg 0 removal efficiency was investigated with a bench-scale bed. The techniques of Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), were used to characterize the clays. Compared with the original clay or the KI-impregnated clay, the KI-impregnated Ti-PILC showed an excellent Hg 0 removal ability due to its larger BET surface area and more mesopores of 2–10 nm. O 2 was found to be an important factor for Hg 0 removal. The Hg 0 removal efficiency was enhanced with the rise in temperature. SO 2 had a slight promotion effect while H 2 O greatly inhibited Hg 0 removal. In all these flue gas components, NO was the most effective composition on promoting Hg 0 removal. During the adsorption process, chemisorption occurred between iodine and Hg 0 on the surface of the material in the temperature range of 80–180 °C. The major product was assumed to be HgI 2 . The experiments and kinetic models analysis manifested that both physisorption and chemisorption of Hg 0 occurred on the surface of KI-Ti-PILC, whereas the adsorption process was mainly chemisorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deformation behavior of semi-crystalline polymers is strongly dependent on the morphology formed during processing. In this study, in-situ synchrotron X-ray was firstly used to identify the morphological distributions of injection-molded isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with different concentrations of β-nucleating agent. It was found that under relatively high concentration of β-nucleating agent (i.e., ≥0.03 wt.%), the outer region (skin and shear region) of the iPP was dominated by mainly highly oriented α-phase as well as certain amount γ-phase, while the core region was rich in β-crystals with little if any orientation. The addition of the β-nucleating agent was beneficial for the formation of lamellae with large lamellar stacking distance in the shear layer. Then the synchrotron X-ray was applied to study the structure variation of those morphology-identified samples under tensile deformation. It was found that voids and cavities along the stretching direction existed in the deformed iPP samples and their volume increased with increasing concentration of β-nucleating agent. The increased volume of void and cavity was associated with the β to α phase transition, which mainly occurred at the core region. In addition, upon stretching crystalline fragmentation and rearrangement took place following the formation of thinner lamellae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydration of poly( N-vinylcaprolactam) microgels was investigated by near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy. The thermosensitive microgels were prepared by emulsion polymerization, and turbidity, dynamic light scattering, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements were carried out. In MIR spectra, carbonyl bands consist of three components due to double, single, and zero hydrogen-bonding carbonyl groups as verified by density functional theory calculations. The relative intensities changed critically at the volume phase transition temperature upon heating. In NIR spectra, two absorbance peaks around 5,900 cm were observed, which can be assigned to the first overtone of C-H bands. Both of them undergo red shifts during the phase transition in a similar way to that of fundamental bands in MIR spectra. The result suggests that NIR spectroscopy may be a new general method that can provide new information for research on hydration of thermosensitive microgels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key-insulated cryptography is an important technique to protect private keys in identity-based (IB) cryptosytems. Despite the flurry of recent results on IB key-insulated encryption (IBKIE) and signature (IBKIS), a problem regarding the security and efficiency of practicing IBKIE and IBKIS as a joint IB key-insulated signature/encryption scheme with a common set of parameters and keys remains open. To deal with the above question, we propose an identity-based key-insulated signcryption (IBKISC) scheme. Compared with the Sign-then-Encrypt (StE) and Encrypt-then-Sign (EtS) using IBKIE and IBKIS in the standard model, our proposed IBKISC scheme is the fastest with the shortest ciphertext size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel and simple fluorescent chemosensor based on rhodamine was designed and synthesized to detect Hg2+ with high selectivity. The structure of chemosensor 1 was characterized by IR, 1H NMR, and HRMS spectroscopies. Chemosensor 1 exhibited distinct fluorescent and colorimetric changes toward Hg2+ in an ethanol/water (80/20, v/v) solution, which resulted in the formation of 1/Hg2+ complex with the Hg2+-induced ring opening of the spirolactam ring in rhodamine. The reversibility of chemosensor 1 was verified through its spectral response toward Hg2+ ions and TBAI (tetrabutylammonium iodide) titration experiments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thrombopoietin is a potent cytokine that exerts proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) through its cognate receptor, c-Mpl. Therefore, mimicry of c-Mpl signaling by a receptor recognizing an artificial ligand would be attractive to attain specific expansion of genetically modified HSCs. Here we propose a system enabling selective expansion of genetically modified cells using an antibody/receptor chimera that can be activated by a specific antigen. We constructed an antibody/c-Mpl chimera, in which single-chain Fv (ScFv) of an anti-fluorescein antibody was tethered to the extracellular D2 domain of the erythropoietin receptor and transmembrane/cytoplasmic domains of c-Mpl. When the chimera was expressed in interleukin (IL)-3-dependent pro-B cell line Ba/F3, genetically modified cells were selectively expanded in the presence of fluorescein-conjugated BSA (BSA-FL) as a specific antigen. Furthermore, highly purified mouse HSCs transduced with the retrovirus carrying antibody/c-Mpl chimera gene proliferated in vitro in response to BSA-FL, and the cells retained in vivo long-term repopulating abilities. These results demonstrate that the antibody/c-Mpl chimera is capable of signal transduction that mimics wild-type c-Mpl signaling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rumor-free equilibrium state and rumor-endemic equilibrium state are two symmetric descriptions of the status of a system. The constant spreading of rumors would affect the smooth operation of emergency management procedures and cause unnecessary social and economic loss. To reduce the negative effect of rumor propagation, in this paper, we introduce a compartmental model of rumor propagation, which considers the rumor refutation of public and information feedback. By deriving mean-field equations that describe the dynamics of the model, we use analytical and numerical solutions of these equations to investigate the threshold and dynamics of the model in both the closed system and open system. The results imply that the initial equilibrium point is not stable and there exists a rumor-free equilibrium point; in the open system, there exists a threshold beyond which rumors can spread; the stability of the initial equilibrium point is related to the threshold R0 = (φ*α)/μ, and there exists a rumor-endemic equilibrium point. The development process of rumor propagation can be divided into four stages: latent period, progressive period, intense period, and recession period. Under the influence of population, rumor spreading can exceed the threshold readily because the migration rate μ is usually less than the proportion of ignorants without critical ability φ, and the rumor spreading process in an open system presents a fluctuating development, the rumor would not disappear in this autonomous system. Based on the analysis, we propose some measures, such as providing open and efficient information queries and exchange platforms, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of N, N– disubstituted piperazines and homopiperazines were prepared and evaluated for binding to natural α4β2* and α7* neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) using whole brain membrane. Some compounds exhibited good selectivity for α4β2* nAChRs and did not interact with the α7* nAChRs subtype. The most potent analogs were compounds 8-19 (Ki = 10.4 μM), 8–13 (Ki = 12.0 μM), and 8–24 (Ki = 12.8 μM). Thus, linking together a pyridine π-system and a cyclic amine moiety via a homopiperazine ring affords compounds with low affinity but with good selectivity for α4β2* nAChRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) has been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). We report here on the association between gene coding for CRP and CHD in the ethnic Han population of China. For this purpose two polymorphisms of -717A>G and +2147A>G of the CRP gene were identified by direct sequencing of genomic DNA derived from 48 randomly selected patients and these were further investigated for associations with CHD in 619 male patients and 615 age-matched male normal controls. The frequency of A allele carriers of -717A>G polymorphism was significantly higher in patients than in controls by univariate analysis. After controlling for other risk factors the association between this polymorphism and CHD remained significant by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Individuals carrying the -717A allele had an approx. 6.8-fold higher risk of developing CHD (odds ratio 6.84 compared with those not carrying this allele). Haplotype analysis confirmed the results of individual polymorphism analyses. However, the resolution of effect size is poor, which may be due to the deficiency in sample size of this study. Neither polymorphism was observed to have an influence on serum CRP level. Since the frequency difference between CHD cases and controls for the -717A allele carriers is only 2.28%, and homozygosity for -717G occurs in only 1.78% of subjects, -717 A>G polymorphism is not a major determinant of population genetic risk of CHD in the Chinese population. The association of this polymorphism with CHD supports the belief that carriers of -717A allele of the CRP gene are genetically predisposed to CHD in the Chinese Han population, and it remains possible that this polymorphism is in disequilibrium with one as yet unidentified functional polymorphism in the vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to assess the effect of haplotype variation in angiotensin II type I receptor (AGTR1) gene on the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in Chinese males.We used 48 patients to identify the putative functional polymorphisms in AGTR1 gene by direct sequencing. The program tagSNPs was used to identify an optimal set of tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These selected SNPs were then genotyped in 419 male patients with MI and 400 age-matched male controls. The program haplo.stats was used to investigate the relationship between the haplotypes and MI.Sixteen polymorphisms in AGTR1 gene were identified. Based on the linkage disequilibrium pattern among these SNPs, six polymorphisms, SNP1, SNP6-SNP7 and SNP13-SNP15, were selected as haplotype tagging SNPs and further genotyped. Single SNP analyses indicated that the SNP1, SNP6 and SNP13 were significantly associated with MI, adjusted for covariates. Haplotype-based association analyses identified the frequency of haplotype AGATAA was lower in cases than in controls (P = 0.006). In comparison, three haplotypes (AAATAA, TAGCAA and AAACAG) were found to significantly increase the risk of MI with adjusted odds ratio equal to 1.33, 1.75 and 2.64, respectively (P = 0.029, 0.026 and 0.015).Our study suggests that common genetic variations in the AGTR1 gene may affect the risk of MI in Chinese males, and that there might be several functional variants in AGTR1 gene and the combined effect of these variants seemed to have a larger effect on the risk of MI in Chinese males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with damping of power system oscillations using the SSSC. A robust damping controller based on Fuzzy Logic is proposed after its operation principles are fully analyzed. The only input signal for the damping controller is the real power measurement at the location of the SSSC to generate the modulation index for controlling the injected voltage of the VSC while its phase angle is required to remain constant with respect to a local reference voltage vector. Real-time simulations at the switch level are conducted to demonstrate the validity of the proposed damping controller using the RTDS interfaced with an external DSP-based digital control system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A series of N,N-disubstituted piperazines were prepared and evaluated for binding to α4β2&ast; and α7&ast; neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors using rat striatum and whole brain membrane preparations, respectively. This series of compounds exhibited selectivity for α4β2&ast; nAChRs and did not interact with the α7&ast; nAChRs subtype. The most potent analogues were compounds 8b and 8f (Ki=32 μM). Thus, linking together a pyridine π-system and a cyclic amine moiety via a piperazine ring affords compounds with low affinity, but good selectivity for α4β2&ast; nicotinic receptors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soluble bridge plug is a key tool to improve the speed and quality of staged fracturing, which requires system design of pressure-bearing capacity, low manufacturing cost and dissolution rate to achieve different downhole environments. In order to study the application of soluble bridge plugs made in China under real working conditions and put forward improvement measures. In this paper, with the help of field engineering examples, relying on the working steps of “quality experimental detection → application collection → stability study,” the systematic study of soluble bridge plugs from material determination to damage is realized. The results of this study are as follows:The release pressure is 15.6 MPa (converted release value is 19.66t). Matching with the driving force of the hydraulic release tool 23–25t under production conditions.The effective sealing time in various working environments is 24 h.Under the condition of different KCL solution concentrations at 90 °C, the dissolution time is 9–11 days, and 0.19–0.23 kg of cast iron and ceramic residues remain.The next step is to construct different stability research schemes under the premise of long time span, optimize the performance of bridge plug and strengthen the strength of anti-collision ring and spacer ring. At the same time, ensure the perfection of ground equipment in the construction process.The release pressure is 15.6 MPa (converted release value is 19.66t). Matching with the driving force of the hydraulic release tool 23–25t under production conditions.The effective sealing time in various working environments is 24 h.Under the condition of different KCL solution concentrations at 90 °C, the dissolution time is 9–11 days, and 0.19–0.23 kg of cast iron and ceramic residues remain.The next step is to construct different stability research schemes under the premise of long time span, optimize the performance of bridge plug and strengthen the strength of anti-collision ring and spacer ring. At the same time, ensure the perfection of ground equipment in the construction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building nanocrystalline/amorphous biphase nanostructure has recently emerged as a new strengthening-toughening route that can combine the strengthening benefits of nanocrystallinity and amorphization. Therefore, it is required exploring on the strain rate-dependent deformation behavior with above different nanostructure in certain system. Herein, three typical nanostructures: polycrystalline, uniform nanocrystalline/amorphous core-shell nanostructure and amorphous matrix with nanoclusters, have been achieved in the sputtered Ti 2 AlNb films by individually regulating the sputtering bias voltage (U bias). Note that a high U bias can promote formation of Nb–rich amorphous tissues via Al preferential resputtering and Nb segregation. Moreover, microstructural evolution and strain rate-dependent hardness and deformation behavior were further explored. Firstly, at a low U bias (−40 V), Ti 2 AlNb film exhibited polycrystalline character; it yielded a relatively low hardness (~10.0 GPa) but a high strain sensitivity coefficient of 0.1505. Subsequently, the novel nanocrystalline/amorphous core-shell nanostructure consisting of Ti 2 AlNb nanocrystalline cores uniformly encapsulated by thin amorphous shells was achieved at a higher U bias (−120 V); this nanostructure provided a remarkable hardness enhancement (~15.2 GPa) without sacrificing its ductility and intermediate strain sensitivity coefficient of 0.1382. Finally, a transition to amorphous matrix with nanoclusters occurred with further increasing U bias to −200 V, thus yielding slight decrease in hardness (~12.5 GPa) and a minimum strain sensitivity coefficient of 0.0915 when shear-band deformation was activated. • High V b can induce Nb segregation to grain boundaries for triggering amorphization in the Ti 2 AlNb films. • The uniform nanocrystalline-amorphous dual-phase structure achieved at V b = −120 V • Vb induced microstructural evolution and strain rate-dependent hardness (H) and deformation behavior were further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]