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Atmospheric ice nucleation particles (INPs) play a crucial role in influencing cloud formation and microphysical properties, which in turn impact precipitation and Earth's radiation budget. However, the influence of anthropogenic activities on the properties and concentrations of INPs remains an area of significant uncertainty. This study investigated the physical and chemical characteristics of atmospheric ice nucleation particles in Huangshan, China during the May Day labor holiday period (spanning 8 days, from April 27th to May 5th). INP concentrations were measured at temperatures from −17 °C to −26 °C and relative humidities (RHw) from 95% to 101%. Average INP concentrations reached 13.7 L−1 at −26 °C and 101% RH, 137 times higher than at −17 °C and 95% RH. INP concentrations showed exponential increases with decreasing temperature and exponential increases with increasing RH. Concentration fluctuations were observed over time, with a peak of ~30 L−1 (t = −26 °C, RHw = 101%) around the start and end of the holiday period. Aerosol number concentrations were monitored simultaneously. The peak in aerosols larger than 0.5 μm aligned with the peak in INP concentrations, suggesting a link between aerosol levels and INPs. Chemical composition analysis using SEM–EDX revealed the distinct elemental makeup of INPs based on the activation temperature. INPs active at warmer temperatures contained N, Na, and Cl, indicating possible biomass and sea salt origins, while those active at colder temperatures contained crustal elements like Al and Ca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease is neurodegenerative and characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. Synaptic dysfunction appears in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease and is significantly correlated with cognitive impairment. However, the specific regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we found the transcription factor Maf1 to be upregulated in Alzheimer's disease and determined that conditional knockout of Maf1 in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease restored learning and memory function; the downregulation of Maf1 reduced the intraneuronal calcium concentration and restored neuronal synaptic morphology. We also demonstrated that Maf1 regulated the expression of NMDAR1 by binding to the promoter region of Grin1 , further regulating calcium homeostasis and synaptic remodelling in neurons. Our results clarify the important role and mechanism of the Maf1-NMDAR1 signalling pathway in stabilizing synaptic structure, neuronal function and behaviour during Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. This therefore serves as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for the early stage of Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) is a complication in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Osteogenic phenotype switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a critical role in diabetes-related VC. Mitophagy can inhibit phenotype switching in VSMCs. This study aimed to investigate the role of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist exendin 4 (EX4) in mitophagy-induced phenotype switching. Materials and methods: The status of VC in T2DM mice was monitored using Von Kossa and Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining in mouse aortic tissue. Human aortic smooth muscle cells were cultured in high glucose (HG) and β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) conditioned medium. Accumulation of LC3B and p62 was detected in the mitochondrial fraction. The effect of EX4 in vitro and in vivo was investigated by knocking down AMPKα1. Results: In diabetic VC mice, EX4 decreased the percentage of von Kossa/ARS positive area. EX4 inhibited osteogenic differentiation of HG/β-GP-induced VSMCs. In HG/β-GP-induced VSMCs, the number of mitophagosomes was increased, whereas the addition of EX4 restored mitochondrial function, increased the number of mitophagosome-lysosome fusions, and reduced p62 in mitochondrial frictions. EX4 increased the phosphorylation of AMPKα (Thr172) and ULK1 (Ser555) in HG/β-GP-induced VSMCs. After knockdown of AMPKα1, ULK1 could not be activated by EX4. The accumulation of LC3B and p62 could not be reduced after AMPKα1 knockdown. Knockdown of AMPKα1 negated the therapeutic effects of EX4 on VC of diabetic mice. Conclusion: EX4 could promote mitophagy by activating the AMPK signaling pathway, attenuate insufficient mitophagy, and thus inhibit the osteogenic phenotype switching of VSMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–ion batteries are key elements of electric vehicles and energy storage systems, and their accurate State of Charge (SOC) estimation is momentous for battery energy management, safe operation, and extended service life. In this paper, the Multi-Kernel Relevance Vector Machine (MKRVM) and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) are used to estimate the SOC of lithium–ion batteries under different operating conditions. In order to better learn and estimate the battery SOC, MKRVM is used to establish a model to estimate lithium–ion battery SOC. WOA is used to automatically adjust and optimize weights and kernel parameters of MKRVM to improve estimation accuracy. The proposed model is validated with three lithium–ion batteries under different operating conditions. In contrast to other optimization algorithms, WOA has a better optimization effect and can estimate the SOC more accurately. In contrast to the single kernel function, the proposed multi-kernel function greatly improves the precision of the SOC estimation model. In contrast to the traditional method, the WOA-MKRVM has a higher precision of SOC estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head pose estimation serves various applications, such as gaze estimation, fatigue-driven detection, and virtual reality. Nonetheless, achieving precise and efficient predictions remains challenging owing to the reliance on singular data sources. Therefore, this study introduces a technique involving multimodal feature fusion to elevate head pose estimation accuracy. The proposed method amalgamates data derived from diverse sources, including RGB and depth images, to construct a comprehensive three-dimensional representation of the head, commonly referred to as a point cloud. The noteworthy innovations of this method encompass a residual multilayer perceptron structure within PointNet, designed to tackle gradient-related challenges, along with spatial self-attention mechanisms aimed at noise reduction. The enhanced PointNet and ResNet networks are utilized to extract features from both point clouds and images. These extracted features undergo fusion. Furthermore, the incorporation of a scoring module strengthens robustness, particularly in scenarios involving facial occlusion. This is achieved by preserving features from the highest-scoring point cloud. Additionally, a prediction module is employed, combining classification and regression methodologies to accurately estimate head poses. The proposed method improves the accuracy and robustness of head pose estimation, especially in cases involving facial obstructions. These advancements are substantiated by experiments conducted using the BIWI dataset, demonstrating the superiority of this method over existing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of unexpected solvent is inevitable in the crystallization process of rifampicin in industry, which could lead to products with different morphologies. Therefore, the study of crystal habit is needed for preparing rifampicin with better performance. In this work, an unreported solvate of rifampicin was prepared in n-butanol/acetone solvent. The interactions among solutes were analyzed through Hirshfeld surfaces and population fingerprints. The crystal morphology of the solvate in a vacuum was predicted by employing the attachment energy (AE) model, acquiring six habit faces. Surface structures of the faces were studied. Molecular electrostatic potentials (ESPs), concentration distribution and mean squared distribution (MSD) were then used to analyze the crystal face–solvent interface. By using the modified attachment energy (MAE) model, the morphology of rifampicin in n-butanol/acetone was finally obtained through calculations. The results show that the intermolecular interactions of solvate molecules were dominantly H⋯H and H⋯O/O⋯H contacts. Six morphologically important faces were found in the solvate crystal simulated in a vacuum, and among them, the (0 −2 0), (0 2 0), (0 0 1) and (1 0 0) faces were morphologically more important. It was found that the diffusion ability, surface structure and ESP were all important to the inhibitory effect. The morphology of the solvate was largely altered in the presence of n-butanol/acetone solvent and was consistent with the experiment result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) composition of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was measured in the northern Nanjing city from 2015 to 2021. NH4+, NO3− and SO42− concentrations dominated in total WSIIs (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42−), accounting for 87.8%. The nitrate with highest average concentration among all ions was 11.0 μg·m−3. Total WSIIs concentrations were higher in winter and lower in summer, with the highest levels in December (45.6 μg·m−3) and the lowest levels in August (15.1 μg·m−3). NO3−/SO42− was higher than 1, indicating the important contribution of mobile sources. The aerosols exhibited a weak acidic by the molar ratio of water-soluble anions and cations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis results showed that secondary nitrate and sulfate were the major pollution sources in December 2016 and 2020. The contribution of secondary nitrate in 2020 increased by 47.6% compared to 2016, while that of secondary sulfate decreased by 42.4%. The potential source contribution results demonstrated that for secondary aerosol concentrations, the contribution of regional transport from north of Anhui increased, while the contribution of local emissions decreased. The results from this study could contribute to the better prevention and control of regional air pollution in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple stimuli‐responsive molecular crystals are attracting extensive attentions due to their potential as smart materials, such as molecular machines, actuators, and sensors. However, the task of giving a single crystal multiple stimuli‐responsive properties remains extremely challenging. Herein, we found two polymorphs (Form O and Form R) of a Schiff base compound, which could respond to multiple stimuli (external force, acid, heat). Form O and Form R have different elastic deformability, which can be attributed to the differences in the molecular conformation, structural packing and intermolecular interactions. Moreover, both polymorphs exhibit reversible bending driven by volatile acid vapor, which we hypothesize is caused by reversible protonation reaction of imines with formic acid. In addition, jumping can be triggered by heating due to the significant anisotropic expansion. The integration of reversible bending and jumping into one single crystal expands the application scope of stimuli‐responsive crystalline materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of (K, Na)NbO 3 (KNN)-based lead-free materials with excellent piezoelectric properties has become an vital aspects in recent years, based on the environmental friendliness and potential for device. As the typical electromechanical property, the electrostrictive effect is tightly linked to piezoelectric response, which is dominating the market of high-precision actuators. However, the electrostriction behaviors of KNN-based piezoelectric materials have been little studied as yet, evoking the exploration for the electrostrictive effect potential urgently. Here, a typical KNN-based piezoelectric material of (1- x)K 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO 3 - x Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 ZrO 3 (KNN- x BNZ, x = 0.09, 0.10, 0.11) has been concentrated on the enhanced relaxor characteristic due to destroyed ferroelectric long-range orders via introducing high content of BNZ, aiming to strengthen the electrostriction. A giant electrostrictive coefficient (Q 33 ∼ 0.067 m4/C2) is achieved in KNN-0.1BNZ materials, nearly three times higher than that of reported Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 -based materials, and comparable to some typical BaTiO 3 -based materials. The optimization of Q 33 roots in the co-doped appropriate of Bi3+ and Zr4+ at A or B site, which induces the heterogeneous structure and then limits the range of movement for ions on B site. Significantly, a pretty frequency stability of the remarkable Q 33 (>0.054 m4/C2 under the frequency of 1–100 Hz) is revealed, benefiting to application for some commercial fuel injectors' actuators. This research provides a high-performance electrostrictive material, promoting the research of eco-friendly piezoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remaining useful life prediction is an important way to improve the durability and reduce the cost of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. This paper presents a novel method to predict the remaining useful life of proton exchange membrane fuel cell under different load currents based on support vector regression and grey wolf optimizer algorithm. The proposed method considers the influence of 17 operating conditions and historical voltage. Firstly, the measured data are reconstructed through robust locally weighted smoothing method to reduce the calculation amount and filter disturbances. Then, support vector regression with fewer hyperparameters is used to establish the degradation model. Finally, the hyperparameters of support vector regression are optimized through grey wolf optimizer algorithm to improve the accuracy of degradation prediction. The proposed method is validated by two degradation experiments under different load currents. The test results show that grey wolf optimizer algorithm can effectively improve the accuracy of degradation prediction based on support vector regression. Compared with other methods, the proposed method has the highest accuracy. The proposed method can predict the fuel cell degradation with a mean absolute percentage error of less than 0.3%. The proposed method can predict the remaining useful life of 492 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Pulmonary fibrosis is difficult to treat. Early diagnosis and finding potential drug therapy targets of pulmonary fibrosis are particularly important. There were still various problems with existing pulmonary fibrosis markers, so it is particularly important to find new biomarkers and drug treatment targets. m6A (N6,2′-O-dimethyladenosine) RNA methylation was the cause of many diseases, and it is regulated by m6A methylation regulators. So, whether RNA methylation regulators can be a diagnostic marker and potential drug therapy target of early pulmonary fibrosis needs to be explored. Materials and Methods. Using GSE110147 and GSE33566 in the GEO database to predict the m6A methylation regulators that may be related to the development of pulmonary fibrosis, we used 10 mg/ml bleomycin to induce mouse pulmonary fibrosis models and human pulmonary fibrosis samples, to confirm whether this indicator can be an early diagnostic marker of pulmonary fibrosis. Results. According to the database prediction results, METTL3 can predict the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis, and the results of MASSON and HE staining show that the fibrosis model of mice is successful, and the fibrosis of human samples is obvious. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of METTL3 was significantly reduced in pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions. The m6A methylation regulator METTL3 can be considered as an important biomarker for diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis occurrence, furthermore it could be considered as a drug target because of its low expression in pulmonary fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoreduction of CO2 without photosensitizers and scavengers runs into the development bottleneck for lack of excellent photocatalysts and ambiguous reduction mechanism. Herein, an ultrathin CoO layer containing Zn‐dopants and O‐vacancies (Vo‐Zn‐CoO) is designed as an archetype to explore the influence mechanism of Zn on O‐vacancies in ultrathin nanolayer for CO2 photoreduction. DFT calculations illustrate that Zn‐dopants not only reduce formation barriers of *COOH and *CO intermediates, but also form π‐back‐bonding with *CO stimulating CH4 evolution. Finally, Vo‐Zn‐CoO layer significantly enhances CO2 photoreduction efficiency and CH4 selectivity with 26.8 µmol g−1 h−1 (63.8%) compared to 7.2 µmol g−1 h−1 (23.6%) for CoO layer with O‐vacancies. Moreover, the synergistic effect of Zn and O‐vacancies benefits the stability of O‐vacancies in photocatalysts, achieving durable photocatalytic performance of Vo‐Zn‐CoO layer. This work manifests that the strategy of metal atoms synergistic O‐vacancies is effective to optimize CO2 photocatalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability of photocatalyst with O‐vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil discharged from slurry shield tunnel construction has put great pressure on the environment and construction cost because of the increasing number of shield tunnel projects in cities. This paper aims to investigate the possibility of reusing the soil from slurry shield tunnels as a synchronous grouting material in the construction of the Wangjiang Road tunnel in Hangzhou, China. Laboratory tests were carried out with Uniform Design Tables U15* (154) by varying the water dosage to binder (i.e., cement and fly flash) ratio (w/b), the binder to river sand ratio (b/s), the slurry shield discharged soil to water ratio (sw/w), and the fly ash to cement ratio (f/c) in the ranges commonly used in engineering practice. Moreover, the response surface method (RSM) optimization approach is introduced to determine the optimum w/b , b/s , sw/w , and f/c ratios to fulfill field demands. The tests results show that slurry shield discharged soil can replace the bentonite as part of synchronous grouting raw material, and its optimal performance is highly dependent on the proportional relationships between w/b , b/s , sw/w , and f/c. The presented guiding framework for recycling the discharged soil from slurry shield tunnel construction for synchronous grouting not only can dramatically reduce the purchase costs of raw material but also eliminates transport and treatment costs of the discharged soil, as well as enhance a portion of the environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the degradation prognosis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) operated under several conditions based on the combination of two types of data: data from postal fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles equipped with PEMFC and carrying out their postal delivery missions and PEMFC degradation data from laboratory. The prognosis is based on wavelet analysis and Nonlinear Autoregressive Exogenous Neural Network (NARX). The influences of historical state, operating conditions (load current, relative humidity, temperature, and hydrogen pressure), global degradation trend, and recovery phenomena on the degradation prognosis of PEMFC are considered. Firstly, the raw voltage degraded waveform of PEMFC is decomposed into multiple sub-waveforms by the wavelet analysis. Then, the degradation prognosis of each sub-waveform is made by NARX. Finally, the overall degradation prognosis of PEMFC is gotten by combing the degradation prognosis of each sub-waveform. Experimental results have shown that the novel prognosis method which exploits the two types of data results in a reliable model that covers PEMFC degradation over a wide range of operating conditions. The proposed prognosis method not only can make an accurate degradation prognosis of PEMFC with less learning data but also can use directly the raw experimental data with large fluctuation. • A degradation prognosis method of PEMFC under different applications is proposed. • Proposed method makes degradation prediction of PEMFC based raw experimental data. • Nonlinear autoregressive exogenous neural network combines with wavelet analysis. • The historical state, operating conditions, and recovery phenomena are considered. • Method is validated by 3 durability tests of PEMFC under different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploiting cost-effective, highly efficient and stable alkaline electrocatalysts is a great challenge for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, NiMoO4 and CoFe layered double hydroxide (CoFe LDH) with poor crystallinity were successively deposited on Cu nanowire (Cu NW) grown on Cu foam by a two-step electrodeposition process, which was verified by XRD, Raman, ATR-FTIR, XPS, SEM, TEM and HRTEM characterizations. The HER performance measurement in 1.0 M KOH solution showed the optimal CoFe LDH-60 s/NiMoO4/Cu NW/Cu foam sample demonstrated prominent alkaline HER activity and long-term durability with an ultralow overpotential of 45 mV at −10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 94.0 mV dec−1, superior to the recently reported transition metal-based electrocatalysts. Further study clarified that the remarkable alkaline HER performance could be attributed to the strong synergistic effect between CoFe LDH-60 s and NiMoO4 in favor of water adsorption/activation and optimizing hydrogen adsorption, and providing plentiful exposed active sites as well as an enhanced electron transfer process offered by the unique 1D nanostructure with Cu nanowire as the core. This work can provide a guidance for designing a highly active and stable electrocatalyst for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perturbations of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) were found to be the main cause of cancer. Previous PPI prediction methods which were trained with non-disease general PPI data were not compatible to map the PPI network in cancer. Therefore, we established a novel cancer specific PPI prediction method dubbed NECARE, which was based on relational graph convolutional network (R-GCN) with knowledge-based features. It achieved the best performance with a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) = 0.84±0.03 and an F1 = 91±2% compared with other methods. With NECARE, we mapped the cancer interactome atlas and revealed that the perturbations of PPIs were enriched on 1362 genes, which were named cancer hub genes. Those genes were found to over-represent with mutations occurring at protein-macromolecules binding interfaces. Furthermore, over 56% of cancer treatment-related genes belonged to hub genes and they were significantly related to the prognosis of 32 types of cancers. Finally, by coimmunoprecipitation, we confirmed that the NECARE prediction method was highly reliable with a 90% accuracy. Overall, we provided the novel network-based cancer protein-protein interaction prediction method and mapped the perturbation of cancer interactome. NECARE is available at: https://github.com/JiajunQiu/NECARE. Author summary: Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network is the biological foundation for the normal function of cells, while the perturbation of this network can result in the pathological state, such as cancer. Notably, the perturbation of PPI network in cancer not only involves in the destruction of old PPI, but also the reconstruction of new PPIs. However, due to the limit of tools, instead of the real physical interaction between proteins, previous cancer network researches only focus on the co-expression relationships. Now, with the development of computational biology, we established a novel cancer specific physical PPI prediction method dubbed NECARE, which was based on relational graph convolutional network (R-GCN) with knowledge-based features. It can infer the PPI in cancer from a general network. And we reveal the cancer PPI interactome by doing high-throughput analysis with NECARE. Also, many cancer hub genes were identified during the analysis, which were enriched for cancer network perturbations. Future studies can benefit from both our method itself and the results of our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular biomarkers and potential mechanisms of major depressive disorder (MDD), from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we first obtained mRNA expression profiles and identified 585 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through the R software, including 263 upregulated genes and 322 downregulated genes. Then, through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genome and Genome (KEGG) pathway and biological process (BP) analysis, we found that the upregulated and downregulated DEGs were abundant in different pathways, respectively. It was noteworthy that upregulated DEGs were the most significantly enriched in the mTOR signaling pathway. Subsequently, through the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, we identified seven hub genes, namely, EXOSC2, CAMK2A, PRIM1, SMC4, TYMS, CDK6, and RPA2. Finally, through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we obtained that hypoxia, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, hedgehog signaling, and reactive oxygen species pathway were the enriched pathways for MDD patients. The above data results would provide a new direction for the treatment of MDD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objectives: The aim was to investigate the association between MMP16 rs60298754 and symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) in southern Chinese. Methods: Seven hundred forty-five PD patients were recruited in this study. All patients were evaluated by Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Hamilton anxiety rating scale and Hamilton depression rating scale, 39-item Parkinson's disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), and MDS—Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Symptoms were also recorded. Results: The difference of BPI and Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) between two groups was showed (BPI: MMP16 wildtypes: 14.73 ± 14.45; MMP16 carriers: 10.95 ± 10.67, p 0.002; PDSS: MMP16 wildtypes: 117.80 ± 21.45; MMP16 carriers: 108.40 ± 23.95, p < 0.001). The association of apathy, nocturia, and sensitive to light were found (apathy: p 0.001, OR: 0.49, 0.32—0.76; nocturia: p < 0.001, OR: 3.57, 1.90—7.26; sensitive to light: p < 0.001, OR: 3.99, 2.01—7.74). Conclusions: MMP16 rs60298754 was associated with the presence of apathy, pain, nocturia, and sensitive to light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, squared eigenfunction symmetry of the differential‐difference modified Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (DΔmKP) hierarchy and its constraint are considered. Under the constraint, the Lax triplets of the DΔmKP hierarchy, together with their adjoint forms, give rise to the positive relativistic Toda (R‐Toda) hierarchy. An invertible transformation is given to connect the positive and negative R‐Toda hierarchies. The positive R‐Toda hierarchy is reduced to the differential‐difference Burgers hierarchy. We also consider another DΔmKP hierarchy and show that its squared eigenfunction symmetry constraint gives rise to the Volterra hierarchy. In addition, we revisit the Ragnisco–Tu hierarchy which is a squared eigenfunction symmetry constraint of the differential‐difference Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (DΔKP) system. It was thought the Ragnisco–Tu hierarchy did not exist one‐field reduction, but here we find a one‐field reduction to reduce the hierarchy to the Volterra hierarchy. Besides, the differential‐difference Burgers hierarchy is also investigated in the Appendix. A multidimensionally consistent three‐point discrete Burgers equation is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe solubility of nicotinohydrazide in two binary solvents were determined by a static weight method from 293.15 to 318.15 K. It found that the solubility of nicotinohydrazide was influenced by temperature, solvent polarity, and solvent composition. Meanwhile, the TG-DSC analysis was used to obtain the weight change and thermal effect of nicotinohydrazide. The XRD analysis indicated that the crystal morphology of nicotinohydrazide was coincident in five different solvents. Furthermore, the models including modified Apelblat equation, Van’t Hoff equation, Jouyban-Acree model, and CNIBS/R-K model were used to fit the experimental data. It was concluded that the four models were reliable in fitting the experimental data. Then the dissolution apparent thermodynamic was obtained, which explained well the dissolution of nicotinohydrazide. This study could help optimize and control the industrial crystallization of nicotinohydrazide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractGlycylglycine (Gly–Gly) is a crucial biochemical reagent widely used in cosmetics, food additives, and medicine. Using the equilibrium method, the solubility data of Gly–Gly in four binary solvents (ethanol/isopropanol/ethanediol/acetone + water) were investigated at temperatures over a range of 288.15–328.15 K under 101.3 kPa, as well as in the binary solvent of acetic acid + water from 293.15 to 333.15 K. The solubility data were correlated by Apelblat-Jouyban Acree, Van’t Hoff-Jouyban Acree, and CNIBS/Redlich-Kister models. Additionally, the radial distribution function was obtained through molecular dynamic simulation. It presented the unusual dissolution behavior of Gly–Gly in acetic acid and water mixture. The apparent thermodynamic properties, including standard enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, and entropy change of dissolution, were obtained accordingly. This article could help the industrial crystallization of Gly–Gly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocaloric (EC) refrigeration materials have seen significant progress recently, with efficient Barium titanate-based (BT-based) lead-free materials particularly promising for microelectronics applications. However, their performance still lags behind their lead-based counterparts, highlighting the need for further improvements. This study employs a novel density adjustment strategy (DAS) to enhance the EC performance of (0.5- x)BCT-BTZ- x BST ceramics by carefully balancing the relationships among density, dielectric breakdown strength (BDS), and Δ T. Although Δ T intuitively decreases with increasing density, enhanced BDS can partially compensate for this decrease. An excellent EC performance with Δ T of 2.21 K and Δ T /Δ E of 0.471 K mm kV−1 is obtained in x = 0.5, together with a broader temperature span of 50.3 °C near room temperature, which surpasses or is comparable to other lead-free or lead-based ones. The results suggest that the DAS provides a promising approach for developing efficient EC, making speediness of application in EC devices. [Display omitted] • Developed innovative density adjustment strategy (DAS) for (0.5- x)BCT-BTZ- x BST ceramics to reconcile ρ and Δ T relationship. • Excellent EC properties (Δ T = 2.21 K, Δ T /Δ E = 0.471 K mm kV−1, T span =50.3 ℃) achieved by balancing ρ, BDS, and Δ T. • Identified physical mechanisms responsible for enhanced EC properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic crystals with flexibility have been a research hotspot due to their huge potential in flexible optoelectronics. However, most organic crystals are brittle, which greatly restricts their application in flexible smart materials. Herein, a flexible crystal with multi-faced elastic bending and plastic twisting was reported. Even after undergoing severe twisting deformation, it could be freely bent in any direction due to the twisted shape, thus achieving the transition to three-dimensional (3D) elastic bending. The mechanisms of multiple flexibilities were investigated by detailed experimental analysis and theoretical calculations. Especially, the mechanism of twistable crystals with elasticity was well revealed by microfocus spectroscopy and theoretical calculation, which has not been reported before. It was found that the twisting of organic crystals can be attributed to the molecular rotation without spatial hindrance, abundant weak intermolecular interactions and different orientations of the intermolecular interactions. Finally, taking advantage of its flexibility, its potential application in flexible active and passive optical waveguides was demonstrated. A flexible organic crystal which can resist bending and twisting deformation for flexible optical waveguides. [Display omitted] • Organic crystals (TPIMM) exhibited multiple flexibilities including 2D elastic bending and plastic twisting. • Twisted TPIMM could be freely bent in any direction, achieving the transition to 3D elastic bending. • The mechanism of twistable crystals was well revealed by microfocus spectroscopy and theoretical calculation. • TPIMM crystals have the potential application in the flexible optical waveguides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-like metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOF) nanoparticles are successfully synthesized and incorporated into cellulose acetate (CA) matrix to prepare CA-based functional nanocomposite films via a simple solution-casting method. The effect of the incorporation of flower-like Cu-MOF on the morphological, mechanical, thermal, surface wettability, water vapor barrier, cytotoxicity, photostability and UV-shielding properties of CA films is fully investigated. Results reveal that the flower-like Cu-MOF has good compatibility with CA, providing uniform and compact nanocomposite films. The as-prepared nanocomposite films show improved mechanical properties, surface hydrophobicity, water vapor barrier ability compared to neat CA film, and exhibit super UV-shielding capability through the entire UV regions meanwhile retaining a high visible transparency. Moreover, the high transparency and UV-shielding ability of the nanocomposite films can be still maintained even after continuous UV-light (365 nm) irradiation for 12 h. In addition, MTT cytotoxicity assays towards normal human liver cells (HL-7702) reveal high cell viability (over 80%) and good biocompatibility for the CA/Cu-MOF nanocomposite films. These results indicate that the CA/Cu-MOF nanocomposite films with obviously improved physical and functional performances hold significant potential for transparent packaging and UV-protection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Exercise has an integral impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), yet no comprehensive and quantitative analysis has been conducted on the effect of exercise on quality of life (QoL) in these patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise on overall QoL and different domains of QoL in people with PD, as well as investigating the influence of factors such as the exercise type and intervention period. Methods. Databases, such as PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, were searched since inception to August 14, 2018 to identify randomized controlled trials that compare the effect of exercise versus no intervention on QoL in PD patients. Following the subgroup analysis, heterogeneity was further explored. The quality of eligible studies was assessed according to PRISMA guidelines. Results. 20 studies were included with 1,143 participants in total. A meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in QoL after exercise intervention in PD patients (SMD = −0.24, 95% CI = −0.36 to −0.12, P < 0.001). A subgroup analysis of exercise types revealed significant QoL improvement with aerobic exercise, martial arts, and dance, but not anaerobic exercise and combined exercise. Interventions lasting 12 weeks or longer improved QoL significantly. Conclusions. Exercise interventions, especially aerobic exercise, dance, and Tai Chi, significantly improve QoL in PD patients. At least 12 weeks of exercise is needed to bring about significant benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging prognosis model of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) can predict the aging state of PEMFC to develop an effective prognostic maintenance plan. This paper proposes an aging prognosis model of PEMFC in different operating conditions based on the Backpropagation (BP) neural network and evolutionary algorithm. The influence of PEMFC current, hydrogen pressure, temperature, and relative humidity on the aging of PEMFC can be considered by the proposed method. Firstly, the aging prognosis model of PEMFC is built by the BP neural network. Then, the evolutionary algorithm including Mind Evolutionary Algorithm (MEA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to optimize the parameters of the established aging prognosis model of PEMFC. Finally, the accuracy of the proposed aging prognosis model is validated by 3 PEMFC aging experiments in different operating conditions. The results show that MEA, GA, and PSO can greatly improve the accuracy of the aging prognosis model of PEMFC. The MEA improves the accuracy by 10 times, while the computing time increases by 0.085s. The proposed MEA-BP that has a very short computing time can be applied to online applications. Image 1 • Influence of operating conditions on the aging state of fuel cell is considered. • Proposed aging prognosis model is optimized by evolutionary algorithm. • Proposed method can be applied to online aging prognosis application. • Proposed method is validated by 3 fuel cell aging experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a flexible puncture method that can improve the efficiency and safety of robot-assisted central venous catheterization (CVC) surgery systems. Current CVC surgery-assisted manipulators and systems are mainly focused methods for puncture needle insertion into blood vessels. There is no single systematic stratagem for safe high-precision control of the posture of the needle in a blood vessel after needle insertion. However, this type of control stratagem is both necessary and urgently required in surgery to avoid piercing the central vein and to provide a suitable posture for guide wire insertion. Therefore, we propose the remote centre of motion control method to control the needle's posture precisely and safely. Verification experiments were performed in both a simulator and a puncture manipulator. The results indicate that the needle tip trajectory in the simulation is completely accurate and it also agrees well with the theoretical value. The positional and angular errors of the needle tip are smaller than 0.8 mm and 1.8°, respectively, in the real puncture manipulator experiment; these errors are sufficiently small for surgeries. The proposed design is practical and can be used in real puncture manipulators and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The grey neural network model of fuel cell is proposed. • The degradation model of fuel cell is improved by particle swarm optimization. • The degradation prediction with less initial operation data is achieved. • The method can be used in the degradation of fuel cell for different applications. The degradation prediction is an effective tool for the long-lasting operation of the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). In this paper, a novel grey neural network model (GNNM) method combined with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the moving window method is presented to forecast the degradation of PEMFC under different operating conditions. The proposed method considers the influence of load current, inlet temperature, inlet hydrogen pressure, and inlet relative humidity. The degradation prediction model of PEMFC is established by a grey neural network. The initial weight and threshold of established GNNM are optimized by the PSO. The optimized PSO-GNNM is iteratively trained based on the moving window method through several newly measured data. The influence of different moving window sizes on the degradation prediction of the PEMFC under the static load current is investigated. Then, a comparison between the proposed method and the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system method is discussed. Moreover, the influence of the load current on the degradation prediction of PEMFCs in postal fuel cell electric vehicle operating under real conditions is analyzed. Finally, the proposed method is validated using 3 PEMFC aging experiments under different conditions. The results show that the proposed method can precisely forecast the degradation for PEMFC on different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility data of N-acetylglucosamine in five pure solvents (water, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and acetone) and two binary solvents (water + ethanol, water + acetone) were measured by gravimetric method at temperatures from 283.15 to 313.15 K under atmosphere pressure (p = 101 kPa). The solubility data show that the solubility of N-acetylglucosamine in pure solvents increases with the increasing temperature and the solubility in binary solvents is affected by temperature and solvent composition. The solubility data of N-acetylglucosamine in pure solvents were correlated by Van't Hoff model, modified Apelblat model, λh model and the modified Apelblat model has the best performance. Jouyban-Acree model was used to correlate the solubility data of N-acetylglucosamine in binary solvents and the fitting performance was well. The dissolution thermodynamic properties of N-acetylglucosamine in all solvents were also estimated in this work. The experimental data will be helpful for purification process of N-acetylglucosamine in industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is accompanied frequently by adverse sequelae and psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, leading to a decreased quality of life, social isolation, and poor outcomes in patients. The mechanisms regulating psychiatric disorders post-DAI are not well elucidated, however. Previous studies showed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress functions as a pivotal factor in neurodegeneration disease. In this study, we showed that DAI can trigger ER stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) activation in both the acute and chronic periods, leading to cell death and anxiety disorder. Treatment with 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) is able to inhibit the UPR and cell apoptosis and relieve the anxiety disorder in our DAI model. Later (14 days post-DAI) 4-PBA treatment, however, can restore only the related gene expression of ER stress and UPR but not the psychiatric disorder. Therefore, the early (5 min after DAI) administration of 4-PBA might be a therapeutic approach for blocking the ER stress/UPR-induced cell death and anxiety disorder after DAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, we reported an economical plant-based hydrothermal method for one-pot green synthesis of water-soluble carbon dots (Tea-CDs) by using waste tea extract as a carbon source. The synthesized Tea-CDs were characterized by UV–visible, fluorescence, FT-IR, TEM, XPS and XRD. The Tea-CDs were found to remove hydroxyl and superoxide anion radical in vitro. In addition, the Tea-CDs exhibited bright blue fluorescence under UV-light (λ ex = 365 nm), and the fluorescence could be effectively quenched by CrO 4 2− and Fe3+ ions. Meanwhile, the fluorescence of Tea-CDs-CrO 4 2− and Tea-CDs-Fe3+ systems could be again easily recovered by ascorbic acid (AA) and L-cysteine (L-Cys). As an on-off-on fluorescent nano-sensor of the Tea-CDs, the sensitive detection of CrO 4 2−, Fe3+, AA and L-Cys were all performed, showing that the good linear relationships between fluorescence intensity of Tea-CDs and concentration of all testing samples. Finally, the sensors successfully detected CrO 4 2−, Fe3+, AA and L-Cys in commercially available real samples with satisfactory recovery ranges. The prepared sensors offer distinct advantages including low cost, simple handling, good sensitivity and high selectivity. Graphical Abstract The hydrothermal method based on cheaper waste tea for one-pot green synthesis of water-soluble carbon dots (Tea-CDs) was reported. And the prepared Tea-CDs was an on-off-on fluorescent nano-sensor, showing the sensitive detection of CrO 4 2−, Fe3+, AA and L-Cys in real samples with satisfactory recovery ranges. Unlabelled Image Highlights • The water-soluble carbon dots (Tea-CDs) based on cheaper waste tea was reported. • The Tea-CDs was an on-off-on fluorescent nano-sensor, showing the sensitive detection of CrO 4 2−, Fe3+, AA and L-Cys in real samples. • The Tea-CDs offered distinct advantages including low cost, simple handling, good sensitivity and high selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper presents hodograph transformations between nonlocal short pulse models and the first member in the Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Segur negative hierarchy (AKNS(− 1)). Multi-component cases are also considered. It is shown that the independent variables of the short pulse models and AKNS(− 1) that are connected via hodograph transformations are covariant in nonlocal reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow field in the pilot stage of a jet pipe servo-valve significantly affects the performance of the valve. Cavitation with pressure oscillations occur in the pilot stage and lead to the appearance of high-frequency noise and vibration. To obtain dynamic characteristics of cavitation and study the relationship between the cavitation and inlet pressure, we use large-eddy simulations (LESs) to calculate the unsteady flow field in the pilot stage with a rectangular nozzle. The simulation results show that fixed cavitation and vortex cavitation exist, and travelling cavitation begins to occur when inlet pressure reaches 7MPa. The increment of inlet pressure enhances cavitation and cavitation shedding. The cavitation-shedding process under different inlet pressures is monitored via LES. Different points are studied, which differ in terms of cavitation type and the development of cavitation regions. By applying a fast Fourier transform, we obtain the main frequencies of the pressure oscillations of each cavitation under different inlet pressures. The influences of outlet pressure and wedge length are also studied. When outlet pressure and wedge length increase, cavitation phenomena are weakened effectively. When the wedge length increases, the main frequency of vortex cavitation increases whereas that of travelling cavitation decreases. Upon increasing the wedge length, the volume fraction of vapor phase and the energy ratio at the surface at y= −0.3mm to the exit of the nozzle decrease, and both decrease sharply from 0.03 to 0.04mm. Considering the above characteristics and the ease of the process, the optimal length of the wedge is 0.03mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) health monitoring and management are of critical importance for the performance and cost efficiency of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Prognostics play an important role in improving the lifetime and reducing maintenance costs of PEMFC by predicting the degradation trend. In this paper, the degradation prediction of PEMFC is based on a novel model-driven method which combines the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) algorithm with the proposed voltage degradation model. The experimental data originated from the FCEVs which achieve postal delivery mission in the real road are used for construction and validation of the proposed model-driven prognostic method. At our best knowledge, this is the first application which uses field-based data for FC health prognosis. The influence of different lengths of measured voltage data on degradation prediction of PEMFC, and the degradation prediction performance of PEMFC in different FCEVs are also investigated by the proposed method. Test results show that the proposed model-driven method is able to accurately estimate the voltage degradation trend of PEMFC in the FCEV. When more data are applied to learning the degradation of PEMFC, the mean Relative Error (RE) in the prediction phase will decrease. Especially, when the learning data exceeds 45 h, the mean RE in prediction phase is reduced to 0.68%. Considering that the maximum mean RE in the prediction phase is 2.03% for 3 postal FCEVs, the proposed method can be applied in the degradation trend prediction of PEMFC in FCEV under real conditions. Highlights • Prognostic method prediction of PEMFC based on the Unscented Kalman Filter. • The method is validated using real road data of fuel cell electric vehicles. • The method estimates accurately the voltage degradation trend of PEMFC in FCEV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane modified with polylactic acid microcapsules were fabricated for controlled release of chlorpyrifos (one of the high usage solid phosphorous insecticides) via interfacial polymerisation with diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polyether triol, 1,4-butanediol and polylactic acid as modifier. The structure, morphology and release properties of synthesised microcapsules were characterised by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyser, scanning electron microscope, particle size analyser and high-performance liquid chromatography. More benign solvents, namely ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate were used as replacement for toxic solvents commonly used in the preparation of polyurethane microcapsules, namely xylene. The spherical microcapsules prepared in this study were 1–20 μm in diameter. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy indicated that polylactic acid had successfully participated in the interfacial polymerisation of polyurethane. Encapsulation efficiency of microcapsules can amount up to 71.0% w/w with a loading efficiency of 26.2% w/w. The microcapsules exhibited a sustained release period above 60 days. Combining polylactic acid into the soft segment of polyurethane proves to effectively accelerate the release rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, nonlocal reductions of the Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Suger (AKNS) hierarchy are collected, including the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy, nonlocal modified Korteweg‐de Vries hierarchy, and nonlocal versions of the sine‐Gordon equation in nonpotential form. A reduction technique for solutions is employed, by which exact solutions in double Wronskian form are obtained for these reduced equations from those double Wronskian solutions of the AKNS hierarchy. As examples of dynamics, we illustrate new interaction of two‐soliton solutions of the reverse‐t nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Although as a single soliton, it is stationary that two solitons travel along completely symmetric trajectories in { x , t } plane and their amplitudes are affected by phase parameters. Asymptotic analysis is given as demonstration. The approach and relation described in this paper are systematic and general and can be used to other nonlocal equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter we propose an approach to obtain solutions for the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy from the known ones of the Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Segur hierarchy by reduction. These solutions are presented in terms of double Wronskian and some of them are new. The approach is general and can be used for other systems with double Wronskian solutions which admit local and nonlocal reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) had been successfully synthesized by using an aqueous extract of waste tea as a stabilizing and reducing agent. The green synthesized AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and zeta potential. The work focused on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and ethyl violet (EV) in aqueous solution with AgNPs as catalyst in the absence and presence of H 2 O 2 . The AgNPs exhibit fast, efficient and stable catalytic activity in the degradation of cationic organic dyes, but it is no catalytic degradation of anionic organic dyes at room temperature. The kinetics of dyes degradation with AgNPs follows the pseudo-second-order model. Meanwhile, the AgNPs also show better antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria. The formed highly catalytic active AgNPs can be used as catalyst in industries and water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design for traditional steel rigid connection cannot fulfill the desired seismic requirements. Though beam-column connections with reduced beam end section can approximately realize the concept about 'strong column-weak beam', the local buckling in the weakened zone may be occur in strong earthquake and the capacity is not enough. The filled connection with low yield point steel is proposed base on the concept of earthquake resilient structure. In this connection, the weakened parts in the flange and web plate are filled with low yield point steel, and the low yield point steel firstly yields and dissipates energy sufficiently in earthquake. Hence, the damage of the main parts in the connection is minor and the low yield point steel can be replaced after the earthquake. According to the insufficiency of the existing seismic damage models, the damage model based on differential ratio of elasto-plastic dissipated energy is proposed. Low cycle loading experimental research was carried out on three types of connections which included traditional connection, beam end weakened connection and filled connection. Comprehensive assessments of damping performance are proposed through a variety of performance evaluation parameters. It is proved that the filled connection has excellent bearing capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity. In addition, the proposed energy damage index can represent damage evolution process and damage law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermodynamic properties of sodium gluconate (SG) aqueous solution have been measured over the 303.15–343.15 K temperature range including solubility, density, and viscosity. For proper crystallization of SG, the kinetics of evaporative crystallization with spontaneous nucleation was subsequently investigated in a semi-batch mode. The crystals present a size-dependent growth rate, and the number particle size distribution (PSD) data were well fitted with the MJ2 model. The effects of supersaturation, suspension density, and agitation intensity were carefully analyzed to contribute to a better understanding for the control of crystal size of SG. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Arsanilic acid (ASA) and amprolium hydrochloride (AMP) are widely used as feed additives to control coccidial intestinal parasites and improve feed efficiency, but due to low metabolism most of the drugs are excreted by the animals unchanged and eventually end up in wastewaters. Little is known about the impacts of AMP and ASA on the performance of activate sludge in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) as well as about their fate in wastewater treatment. In this study, the long-term performance of activated sludge in SBRs exposed to ASA and AMP was investigated. The COD removal and nitrification were not affected when the concentration of ASA or AMP was lower than 20 mg L −1 , but were markedly inhibited at 100 mg L −1 of ASA or AMP. The inhibition to of COD removal was reversible whereas the inhibition to nitrification was irreversible. Phosphate removal was not affected by the continuous exposure to ASA or AMP. ASA and AMP were very resistant to be degraded by the activated sludge in SBRs, and only a small quantity of ASA was degraded to inorganic arsenic (no more than 300 μg L −1 ) in the form of As (III) and As (V). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new rock-like resin has been developed after extensive formula research. This resin is completely transparent and low temperature brittle. Its tension-compression ratio can reach 1/6.6 in the −10 to −15 °C temperature range. It can simulate many kinds of engineering rocks. Specimens are made with a single internal crack. The progressive failure processes of specimens under uniaxial and biaxial compressions are investigated. The uniaxial failure process of specimens is divided into four stages. Some forms of secondary cracks, like anti-wing cracks in biaxial test, have never been reported in previous studies. 3-D numerical simulation is carried out using FLAC3D. A new elastic-brittle constitutive model is developed in the simulation. Superfine element division is also required. The uniaxial and biaxial numerical results of the new method possess an excellent consistency with experiment results in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Olfactory dysfunction is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), which is a risk factor in the development of PD. However, a few studies have conflicting results when comparing dysosmia in the patients with iRBD and PD. There is no study investigating the olfactory function in Chinese patients with iRBD. Additionally, the Sniffin’ Sticks screening 12 test (SS-12) contains several odors that are not familiar to people in different cultures. Methods: Odor identification was evaluated in iRBD patients (n = 54), PD patients (n = 54) and healthy controls (n = 54). With the identification data, a brief odor identification test was established and then validated in other subjects. Results: Odor identification scores in iRBD patients were significantly higher than those in PD patients (P<0.001) but lower than those in controls (P<0.001). At the cut-off value of 7.5, the Sniffin’ Sticks clearly differentiated iRBD and PD patients from the controls, and the brief test could increase the specificity in diagnosing PD. Neither the Sniffin’ Sticks nor the brief test could clearly differentiate PD and iRBD patients from each other. Conclusions: Olfaction is more impaired in PD patients than in iRBD patients, possibly due to the heterogeneity of iRBD patients. The Sniffin’ Sticks could be a useful tool for differentiating iRBD patients from the healthy population, and it could be useful for screening people at high-risk of PD in China, especially when combined with polysomnography. To reduce the expense and time required for the Sniffin’ Sticks test, this study shows that a brief test is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Long non-coding RNA IGF2AS was initially identified as a cancer regulator in wilm’s tumors. In this study, IGF2AS was investigated of its functions in inducing neural development and protecting local-anesthetic induced neurotoxicity in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in spinal cord. Methods Explant of mouse spinal cord DRG was transfected with IGF2AS specific siRNA. The effect of IGF2AS inhibition on neural development was assessed by neurite growth assay, qRT-PCR and western blot assay, respectively. IGF2AS-downregulated DRG explant was then exposed to local anesthetic agent, lidocaine in vitro . The possible protective effects of IGF2AS inhibition on lidocaine-induced DRG neuron apoptosis and neurite loss were further assessed by TUNEL assay, neurite growth assay, qRT-PCR and western blot assays. Results SiRNA-mediated IGF2AS inhibition promoted neuronal growth, and induced IGF2, BDNF and NT3 upregulations at both gene and protein expressions. In lidocaine-exposed DRG neurons, endogenous IGF2AS inhibition was effective to protect local-anesthetic induced neuronal apoptosis and neurite loss. Further molecular characterization demonstrated that the neuronal protection of IGF2AS inhibition was also associated with upregulations of IGF2, BDNF and NT3 in DRG neurons. Conclusions Inhibiting endogenous IGF2AS may promote neuronal growth and protect local-anesthetic induced neurotoxicity in DRG neurons, possibly through complimentary IGF2 upregulation and autocrine activation neurotrophin genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal phase transformation and crystal growth in calcination of titanyl sulfate with addition of B 2 O 3 , K 2 O and Li 2 O have been studied, and the structure and morphology of TiO 2 product has been characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and size analyzer. It is found that B3+ ions being doped interstitially into crystal lattice of rutile TiO 2 tend to form compound of TiB 0. 024 O 2 with TiO 2 , which leads to increase in unit cell volume and henceforth, an increase in growth rate of the crystal plane (110) or reduction in growth rate of crystal plane (001). Change in growth rate in different crystal planes contributes to development of the plate shape and rod shape microcrystals and improvement in grain sphericity. Doping of K 2 O tends to inhibit the transformation of crystal form and inhibit particle sintering at high temperatures mainly by adsorption of the dopants onto crystal plane (110) and plane (100) of rutile TiO 2. Li 2 O, which is mainly adsorbed on the surface of rutile TiO 2 , is found to have a weak effect on crystal phase transformation. The apparent activation energy for crystal growth of rutile TiO 2 doped with B 2 O 3 , K 2 O and Li 2 O has been calculated to be 73.16 ​kJ/mol, 103.21 ​kJ/mol, and 187.24 ​kJ/mol respectively. The mechanism of B 2 O 3 , K 2 O and Li 2 O as modifiers on TiO 2 crystal transformation and crystallite growth in Calcination. [Display omitted] • Effects of B 2 O 3 , K 2 O and Li 2 O on TiO 2 crystal transition temperature and grain size. • B3+ is doped in the interstice of TiO 2 lattices to forms TiB 0. 024 O 2. • Li 2 O and K 2 O are mainly adsorbed on the rutile TiO 2 crystal plane. • Analysis of apparent activation energy of crystal growth of TiO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To separate spiramycin from the crude sample of bitespiramycin, the optimal extraction conditions in single stage extraction had been obtained as follows: the temperature was 30-40°C, the concentration of phosphate solution was 0.3-0.4 wt.%, and the volumetric ratio of ester/aqueous was 2-3. A three-stage counter-current extraction technique had been utilized to improve extraction efficiency. The removal rate of spiramycin and the retention rate of bitespiramycin were as high as 79.14% and 92.41%, respectively. A theoretical model of three-stage counter-current extraction was introduced to calculate the results of the extraction and fitted the experimental data with satisfactory accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Compared with the traditional steel rigid connection, the beam-column connections with weakened beam end have better ductility, but the local buckling in the weakened zone and the overall lateral deformation may occur in strong earthquake. The replaceable steel connection with low yield point metal is proposed based on the concept of earthquake resilient structure. In this connection, the weakened parts in the flange slab and web plate are filled with low yield point metal, and the metal firstly yields and dissipates energy sufficiently in earthquake; hence, the main parts are intact and the yield point metal can be replaced. The seismic performances of the three types of connections which include traditional connection, beam end weakened connection, and replaceable connection with low yield point steel under low cycle reciprocating load are studied. In addition, the energy dissipation capacity and damage characteristics of different connections are compared. The multiscale finite element models for the steel frames with different connections are analyzed by time-history method; both the computational efficiency and the accuracy are assured. The analysis results approve that the replaceable connection can confine the major damage in the replacement material and have better energy dissipation ability, safety reserves, and resilient ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of visceral obesity on short-term outcomes after laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). a retrospective study on 441 patients who underwent a LA between July 2019 and July 2020. According to the cutoff visceral fat area (VFA) for visceral obesity, the patients were divided into two groups: visceral obesity group (n = 123) and non-visceral obesity group (n = 318). The general information, comorbidities, perioperative monitoring indicators, and postoperative complications of the patients were collected. Compared with the non-visceral obesity group, the proportion of overweight patients (56.10%), preoperative white blood cell count (12.92 (9.99, 15.58)*109mg/dl), postoperative white blood cell count (9.71 ± 3.91*109mg/dl), and hospitalization costs (16,220.93 ± 7038.76¥) in the visceral obesity group were significantly different (all p < 0.05). Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that visceral obesity (2.679, 95%CI: 1.155–5.849, p = 0.027), indwelling drainage tube (7.832, 95%CI: 2.151–27.428, p < 0.001), and perforated appendicitis (3.181, 95%CI: 1.195–7.136, p = 0.025) were identified to be independent risk factors for incision infection after LA. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve value for VFA predicting incisional infection after LA was 0.770. Visceral obesity is one of the independent risk factors for incisional infection after LA, and can be used as one of the reference indicators for prognostic assessment of short-term outcomes after LA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible crystals have attracted extensive attention for their potential as smart materials, such as flexible field-effect transistors, wearable devices and flexible displayers. Developing flexible materials with specific properties still remains challenging because the design standards for flexible organic crystals are still not well established. Herein, we reported two Schiff-based molecules, together with their polymorphs, which exhibit different photophysical behaviors and mechanical properties. It was found that, due to the distinguished molecular stacking arrangements, they exhibit diverse fluorescence properties. MN-I exhibits orange emission at 590 nm, while MN-II shows yellow emission at 579 nm. MO-I shows bright yellow-green fluorescence at 538 nm, while the emission spectrum of MO-II cannot be measured due to the presence of photochromism caused by its distorted molecular conformation. Furthermore, MN-I exhibits better elasticity than MN-II, while MO-I and MO-II are plastic and brittle, respectively. Detailed crystallographic analyses and energy framework calculations were performed to reveal the mechanisms, which suggest that the differences in the strength of intermolecular interactions and the diverse types of intermolecular interactions caused by the differences in molecular conformation lead to flexible properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]