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The efficacy of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) dicyandiamide (DCD) and 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) varies with soil types. Understanding the microbial mechanisms for this variation may lead to better modelling of NI efficacy and therefore on-farm adoption. This study addressed the response patterns of mineral nitrogen, nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, abundances of N-cycling functional guilds and soil microbiota characteristics, in relation to urea application with or without DCD or DMPP in two arable soils (an alkaline and an acid soil). The inhibition of nitrification rate and N2O emission by NI application occurred by suppressing ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) abundances and increasing the abundances of nosZI-N2O reducers; however, abundances of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were also stimulated with NIs-added in these two arable soils. DMPP generally had stronger inhibition efficiency than DCD, and both NIs' addition decreased Nitrobacter, while increased Nitrospira abundance only in alkaline soil. N2O emissions were positively correlated with AOB and negatively correlated with nosZI in both soils and AOA only in acid soil. Moreover, N2O emissions were also positively correlated with nirK-type denitrifiers in alkaline soil, and clade A comammox in acid soil. Amendment with DCD or DMPP altered soil microbiota community structure, but had minor effect on community composition. These results highlight a crucial role of the niche differentiation among canonical ammonia oxidizers (AOA/AOB), Nitrobacter and Nitrospira, as well as nosZI- and nosZII-N2O reducers in determining the varying efficacies of DCD and DMPP in different arable soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals who want to earn a doctoral degree aim to change or develop their careers. Some potential doctoral students have a clear goal to pursue a doctoral degree, some are uncertain if they can manage the rigor associated with a doctorate program, and others might have already been involved in their program. This article aims to provide insights and strategies for current and future doctoral students in physical education teacher education (PETE) during their doctoral journey. The article provides top ten tips to help current and prospective PETE doctoral students to be successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing person re-recognition (Re-ID) methods usually suffer from poor generalization capability and over-fitting problems caused by insufficient training samples. We find that high-level attributes, semantic information, and part-based local information alignment are useful for person Re-ID networks. In this study, we propose a person re-recognition network with part-based attribute-enhanced features. The model includes a multi-task learning module, local information alignment module, and global information learning module. The ResNet based on non-local and instance batch normalization (IBN) learns more discriminative feature representations. The multi-task module, local module, and global module are used in parallel for feature extraction. To better prevent over-fitting, the local information alignment module transforms pedestrian attitude alignment into local information alignment to assist in attribute recognition. Extensive experiments are carried out on the Market-1501 and DukeMTMC-reID datasets, whose results demonstrate that the effectiveness of the method is superior to most current algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microcosm study was established using three arable soils differing in both physicochemical properties and AOB or AOA dominance of ammonia oxidization. Nitrification and N2O emissions were quantified under 10 Pa C2H2, 1-octyne, or 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), and the community composition and abundance of AOA and AOB were assessed. Amendment of soil with DMPP had a comparable effect to 1-octyne on AOB activities, composition, and N2O emissions across soils. By blocking AOB activity, both DMPP and 1-octyne supported higher rates of AOA growth in both the acid and alkaline soils. Approximately, 50% of ammonia-oxidizing activity in the acid soil was attributed to AOB activity by phylotypes affiliated with Nitrosomonas communis. When AOB were blocked by DMPP or 1-octyne across all soils, recovery of AOA communities was associated with the increased abundance of Nitrososphaera viennesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convention attendance promotes professionals' development and learning. But how does someone make the most out of convention attendance? This article provides tips and tricks for professionals so they can have the best possible convention experience. These tips can be helpful for all convention attendees. The authors provide tips and tricks for before, during, and after conventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mufushan-Jiaoshan fault (MJF) is a hidden active fault located on the north side of the Ningzhen Mountain Range and developed along the Yangtze River in Zhenjiang area, China. In this paper, the structure of MJF is detected and studied using group-velocity ambient noise tomography. In the study area (18 km × 25 km), 47 short-period seismic stations were deployed with the average station spacing of about 3 km and 24 days (from 27 February to 22 March 2019) of continuous ambient-noise recordings were collected. And 510 group velocity dispersion curves in the period band 0.5–5 s were extracted using the vertical component data. And then the three-dimensional shear-wave velocity structure was inverted using group dispersion data by the direct surface-wave tomographic method. Our results are consistent with the geological background of the study area, showing that in the depth range of 0.6–1.5 km, the north side of MJF presents a relatively high velocity, and the south side presents a distribution pattern of high and low velocity. While in the depth range of 1.5–2.0 km, the shear-wave velocity (Vs) model is relatively simple with relatively low velocity on the north side and relatively high velocity on the south side. And the gradient zone of Vs may be the location of the main fracture surface of MJF. The good correspondence between the Vs model and the fault structure indicates that the ambient noise tomography method can be used as an effective method for detecting hidden faults in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) can alleviate salt stress by decreasing Na+ bypass flow in rice (Oryza sativa L.), however, the mechanisms underpinning remain veiled. In this study, we investigated the roles of OsLsi1 and OsLsi2 in Si-induced reduction of bypass flow and its resultant alleviation of salt stress by using lsi1 and lsi2 mutants (defective in OsLsi1 and OsLsi2, respectively) and their wild types (WTs). Under salt stress, Si promoted plant growth and decreased root-to-shoot Na+ translocation in WTs, but not in mutants. Simultaneously, quantitative estimation and fluorescent visualization of trisodium-8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonic (PTS, an apoplastic tracer) showed Si reduced bypass flow in WTs, but not in mutants. Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) showed Si was deposited at root endodermis in WTs, but not in mutants. Moreover, results obtained from root split experiment using lsi1 WT showed down-regulated expression of Si transport genes (OsLsi1 and OsLsi2) in root accelerated Si deposition at root endodermis. In summary, our results reveal that Si deposition at root endodermis and its resultant reduction of Na+ bypass flow is modulated by OsLsi1 and OsLsi2 and regulated by the expression of OsLsi1 and OsLsi2 , implying that root Si deposition could be an active and physiologically-regulated process in rice. • Si deposition at root endodermis reduces Na+ bypass flow and alleviates salt stress. • Root Si deposition is modulated by OsLsi1 and OsLsi2. • Down-regulated OsLsi1 and OsLsi2 accelerated endodermis Si deposition. • Si deposition in root could be an active and physiologically-regulated process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship of friends in social networks can be strong or weak. Some research works have shown that a close relationship between friends conducts good community structure. Based on this result, we propose an effective method in detecting community structure in social networks based on the closeness of relations among neighbors. This method calculates the gravity between each neighbor node to core nodes, then makes judgement if the node should be classified in the community or not, and finally form the process of community detection. The experimental results show that the proposed method can mine the social structure efficiently with a low computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the problem of formation control for second-order multiagent systems. We propose a distributed nonlinear formation controller where the control input of each follower can be expressed as a product of a nonlinear term that relies on the distance errors under the leader–follower structure. In the leader–follower structure, a small number of agents are assumed to be the leaders, and they are responsible for steering a group of agents to the specific destination, while the rest of the agents are called followers. The stability of the proposed control laws is demonstrated by utilizing the Lyapunov function candidate. To solve the obstacle avoidance problem, the artificial potential approach is employed, and the agents can avoid each possible obstacle successfully without getting stuck in any local minimum point. The control problem of multiagent systems in the presence of unknown constant disturbances is also considered. To attenuate such disturbances, the integral term is introduced, and the static error is eliminated through the proposed PI controller, which makes the system stable; the adaptive controller is designed to reduce the effect of time-varying disturbances. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to support the obtained theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The nitrification inhibitor, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), can be used to reduce N 2 O emissions from agricultural ecosystems. However, the effectiveness of DMPP varies among soils, and this is due to both abiotic (e.g. soil properties) and biotic factors (e.g. ammonia oxidizers and denitrifier communities). Understanding the nature of these effects is necessary to improve the efficacy of DMPP, therefore encouraging wider adoption and environmental benefits. In particular, soil microbial properties associated with variation in efficacy remain largely unknown. In this study four contrasting arable soils (a grey desert soil, an alluvial paddy soil, a loess-formed paddy soil, and a red soil), were characterized based on DMPP inhibition of N 2 O emissions and associated microbial functional guilds. DMPP significantly inhibited nitrification and N 2 O emissions, with an average inhibitory rate ranging from 41.7% in a red soil to 90.0% in a grey desert soil. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) exhibited contrasting response patterns to DMPP addition. Notably, suppression of N 2 O emissions by DMPP only occurred alongside fluctuations in AOB abundance. However, when AOB were inhibited, AOA abundance increased. Soil-dependent response patterns to DMPP were observed for ammonia oxidizers and denitrifiers in terms of community structure. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) found that abiotic factors, particularly pH, and biological factors such as ammonia oxidizer communities, were closely linked to N 2 O emissions. Our findings provide evidence that: (i) DMPP effectively inhibits nitrification through inhibiting the abundance of AOB across soil types; (ii) releasing AOA from the competition with AOB allows AOA to efficiently grow and multiply, even under high ammonium conditions; and (iii) abiotic factors play a more important role than biotic factors in soil N 2 O emissions. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Reduction of N 2 O emissions by DMPP was attributed to AOB growth inhibition. • Inhibition of AOB grown by DMPP resulted in increased AOA abundance. • Release of AOA from competition with AOB allowed AOA growth in high N conditions. • Soil properties played a more important role in N 2 O emissions than microbial factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urease inhibitor, N -( n -butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), has been proposed to reduce synthetic fertilizer-N losses, including nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from agricultural soils. However, the response of N 2 O emission to NBPT amendment is inconsistent across soils and associated microbial mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we performed a meta-analysis of the effects of NBPT on N 2 O emissions and found NBPT significantly reduced N 2 O emissions in alkaline soils whereas no obvious effects exhibited in acid soils. Based on the finding of meta-analysis that pH was a key modifier in regulating the effect of NBPT on N 2 O emissions, we selected two arable soils differing in pH and conducted a microcosm study. In conjunction with measurement of N 2 O emission, community structure and abundance of functional guilds were assessed using T-RFLP and qPCR. Our results showed NBPT retarded urea hydrolysis and inhibited nitrification, but stimulated N 2 O emission in alkaline soil, whereas it exhibited no remarkable effects in acid soil, thereby only partly confirming the results of meta-analysis. Abundances of AOB and ureC -containing bacteria decreased, while abundance of AOA increased in both soils with NBPT addition. For acid soil, N 2 O emissions were significantly correlated with both abundances and community structures of AOA and ureC -containing bacteria, as well as abundance of AOB; for alkaline soil, abundances and community structures of AOB were correlated with N 2 O emission, as well as community structures of ureC -containing bacteria and archaea, indicating an inconsistent response pattern of community traits of N 2 O emissions-related functional guilds to NBPT between alkaline soil and acid soil. Our findings suggest that (i) efficacy of NBPT in N 2 O emission was mainly influenced by soil pH and (ii) variable effects of NBPT on N 2 O emission might originate not only from the direct effect of NBPT on community traits of urease-positive microbes, but from the indirect effect on ammonia oxidizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problems of similarity calculation in the traditional recommendation algorithms of nearest neighbor collaborative filtering, especially the failure in describing dynamic user preference. Proceeding from the perspective of solving the problem of user interest drift, a new hybrid similarity calculation model is proposed in this paper. This model consists of two parts, on the one hand the model uses the function fitting to describe users’ rating behaviors and their rating preferences, and on the other hand it employs the Random Forest algorithm to take user attribute features into account. Furthermore, the paper combines the two parts to build a new hybrid similarity calculation model for user recommendation. Experimental results show that, for data sets of different size, the model’s prediction precision is higher than the traditional recommendation algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The percentage of individuals frequently using their smartphones in work and life is increasing steadily. The interactions between individuals and their smartphones can produce large amounts of usage data, which contain rich information about smartphone owners’ usage habits and their daily life. In this paper, a personal visual analytic tool is proposed to develop insights and discover knowledge of personal life in smartphone usage data. Four cooperated visualization views and many interactions are provided in this tool to visually explore the temporal features of various interactive events between smartphones and their users, the hierarchical associations among event types, and the detailed distributions of massive event sequences. In the case study, plenty of interesting patterns are discovered by analyzing the data of two smartphone users with different usage styles. We also conduct a one-month user study on several invited volunteers from our laboratory and acquaintance circle to improve our prototype system based on their feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding of naturally colored cotton fiber has been hampered by the limited germplasm, an alternative way is to use transgenic approach to create more germplasm for breeding. Here, we report our effort to engineer anthocyanin production in cotton. The maize Lc gene, under the control of the constitutive 35S promoter, was introduced into cotton through genetic transformation. Our data showed that the expression of the Lc gene alone is sufficient to trigger the accumulation of anthocyanin in a variety of cell types including fiber cells in cotton. However, the accumulation of colored anthocyanin in cotton fibers requires the participation of light signaling. These data indicate that it is feasible to engineer colored fibers through transgenic approach in cotton. Furthermore, we showed that the Lc-transgenic cotton plants are resistant to cotton bollworm. These transgenic plants are, therefore, potentially useful for cotton breeding against cotton bollworm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel procedure to fabricate a nonenzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensor was developed based on a silver-poly (amide amine) dendrimer nanocomposite synthesized by a microwave procedure. The formation of silver nanoparticles functionalized with the poly (amide amine) dendrimer was confirmed by ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electroanalytical properties of a glassy carbon electrode modified with the silver-poly (amide amine) dendrimer nanocomposite were evaluated by the determination of hydrogen peroxide. The electrochemical sensor exhibited rapid response and high sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide with a linear dynamic range from 1.0 × 10–5 to 3.7 × 10–3 molar (r = 0.998) and a limit of detection of 5.06 micromolar. The sensitivity was 30.24 microampere · per millilmolar per square centimeter and the response time was three seconds at a working potential of −0.35 volt. In addition, the sensor was unaffected by the presence of ascorbic acid, citric acid, and oxalic acid. These results indicate that the silver-poly (amide amine) dendrimer nanocomposite based sensor has application for the determination of hydrogen peroxide. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Recent genome-wide association studies ( GWAS) have identified 3 genetic variants that are strongly associated with migraine in Europeans. The effect of these risk variants in other populations is unknown. To further replicate the GWAS findings, we investigated the 3 variants rs2651899 (1p36.32, PRDM16), rs10166942 (2q37.1, TRPM8), and rs11172113 (12q13.3, LRP1) for their association with migraine in the Chinese Han population. Methods We performed a case-control association study. Genomic DNA was collected from 608 unrelated individuals, including 304 migraineurs (41 migraine with aura and 263 migraine without aura) and 304 healthy controls. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs) was performed by ligase detection reaction method. Results We identified the minor allele of rs2651899 located in PRDM16 to be associated with migraine ( P = .005, odds ratio = 1.382, 95% confidence interval = 1.100-1.736), the association remain significant after Bonferroni correction. For the other 2 SNPs (rs10166942 and rs11172113), no statistically significant differences were observed in the allele/genotype frequencies between cases and controls. None of the 3 SNP was associated with specific migraine features. Conclusion Our study confirmed the association of PRDM16 to migraine susceptibility in the Chinese Han population. The results also indicated that replication studies of previous GWAS findings across populations is of importance to validate these associations and to gain a better understanding of migraine susceptibility of potential genetic heterogeneity between populations. Further work is necessary to understand the functional mechanisms underlying these variants identified by GWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will provide readers with some practically relevant tips for successfully engaging in virtual professional development, including how to prepare for the experience, how to engage during the event, and what to do after the professional development session is over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convolutional neural network can easily fall into local minima for insufficient data, and the needed training is unstable. Many current methods are used to solve these problems by adding pedestrian attributes, pedestrian postures, and other auxiliary information, but they require additional collection, which is time-consuming and laborious. Every video sequence frame has a different degree of similarity. In this paper, multi-level fusion temporal–spatial co-attention is adopted to improve person re-identification (reID). For a small dataset, the improved network can better prevent over-fitting and reduce the dataset limit. Specifically, the concept of knowledge evolution is introduced into video-based person re-identification to improve the backbone residual neural network (ResNet). The global branch, local branch, and attention branch are used in parallel for feature extraction. Three high-level features are embedded in the metric learning network to improve the network's generalization ability and the accuracy of video-based person re-identification. Simulation experiments are implemented on small datasets PRID2011 and iLIDS-VID, and the improved network can better prevent over-fitting. Experiments are also implemented on MARS and DukeMTMC-VideoReID, and the proposed method can be used to extract more feature information and improve the network's generalization ability. The results show that our method achieves better performance. The model achieves 90.15% Rank1 and 81.91% mAP on MARS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) of Chinese home-based advanced-stage cancer patients and to evaluate the association between the disclosure of cancer diagnosis and QOL. An interview-based survey was conducted from December 2009 to June 2010 in the home-based hospice of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China. The principal finding of this study demonstrated that patients who did not have knowledge of their diagnosis exhibited better physical and emotional QOL compared with those who had knowledge of their diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A sphere-like carbon-coated Li3V2(PO4)3 composite was synthesized by carbothermal reduction method with two sessions of ball milling followed by spray-drying with the dispersant of polyethylene glycol added. The structure, particle size, and surface morphology of the cathode material were investigated via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Results indicate that the Li3V2(PO4)3/C composite has a sphere-like morphology composed of a large number of carbon-coated ultrafine particles linked together with a monoclinic structure. In the voltage range of 3.0–4.3V, it exhibits the discharge capacities of 130mAhg−1 and 100mAhg−1 at 0.2C and 20C rates, respectively. This behavior indicates that the obtained Li3V2(PO4)3/C material has excellent rate capability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The microlens has been widely applied to improve the sensitivity and to decrease the spatial crosstalk of image sensors. In order to further decrease the pixel size while improve the image quality, the zero gap microlens has been proposed to make high performance image sensors. In this paper, both the traditional microlens and zero gap microlens are fabricated using TOWER and TOPPAN processes. And their performances are compared and evaluated. The results show that the least sensitivity of the zero gap microlens has been significantly improved by more than 45.8% compared to that of the traditional microlens. The use of the zero gap microlens results in an obvious decrease of the crosstalk among blue, green and red lights. For example, the crosstalk of blue light in red light under the green irradiation has been decreases about 1.33%, and the crosstalk of red light in blue light under the blue irradiation has showed about 2.429 times decrease. Overall, the output colour image of the zero gap microlens is brighter and clearer than that of the traditional microlens. Image quality has been significantly improved due to the use of the zero gap microlens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We attempted to measure the regional metabolic rate of glucose (MRglc) in sliced spinal cords in vitro. The thoracic spinal cord of a mature Wister rat was cut into 400-μm slices in oxygenated and cooled (1–4°C) Krebs-Ringer solution. After at least 60 min of preincubation, the spinal cord slices were transferred into double polystyrene chambers and incubated in Krebs-Ringer solution at 36°C, bubbled with 5% O2/5% CO2 gas. To measure MRglc, we used the dynamic positron autoradiography technique (dPAT) with F-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) and the net influx constant of [18F]FDG as an index. Uptake curves of [18F]FDG were well fitted by straight lines for more than 7 h after the slicing of the spinal cord (linear regression coefficient, r=0.99), indicating a constant uptake of glucose by the spinal cord tissue. The slope (K), which denotes MRglc, is affected by tetrodotoxin, and high K+ (50 mM) or Ca2+-free, high Mg2+ solution. After 10 min of hypoxia, the K value following reoxygenation was similar to the unloaded control value, but after 45 min of hypoxia, the K value was markedly lower than the unloaded control value, and after >90 min of reoxygenation it was nearly 0. Our results indicate that the living spinal cord slices used retained an activity-dependent metabolism to some extent. This technique may provide a new approach for measuring MRglc in sliced living spinal cord tissue in vitro and for quantifying the dynamic changes in MRglc in response to various interventions such as hypoxia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Concentrated sulfuric acid is used as separation and leaching agent during recycling of spent LIBs. • Separation of Al foils and complete leaching of Li are achieved simultaneously. • Consumption of H 2 SO 4 is less than that of traditional acid leaching process. • Concentrated sulfuric acid destroys structure of PVDF but prevent Al dissolution. • LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 with excellent electrochemical performance is regenerated. ga1 Recycling of spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is an urgent task in the view of environmental protection, resources reuse and sustainable development of battery industry. Our work presents a new method for recovery of Al foils and cathode materials from LIBs via a simple process. The concentrated sulfuric acid (18.4 M H 2 SO 4) solution are used as both separation and leaching agent. The complete separation of cathode materials from Al foils and the complete leaching of Li are achieved simultaneously after leaching for 1 h at 80 °C and solid/liquid ratio of 800 g L−1. Under these conditions, the leaching efficiencies of Ni, Co and Mn reached 25.6%, 23.2% and 18.3%, respectively, and the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder is partially decomposed. The concentrated sulfuric acid destroys the structures of cathode materials and PVDF but prevents the Al dissolution by formation of the passivation film, which contributes to the separation of cathode materials from Al foils and no loss of Al foil. After removal of Al foils and adding the 4.5 vol% H 2 O 2 solution to further leach the remaining suspension for 70 min at 70 °C, and the metals of Ni, Co and Mn in the cathode materials are totally leached into the solution. The amount of H 2 SO 4 consumed by leaching 1 kg cathode pieces was 23 mol, which is less than the required acid consumption for the traditional acid leaching process. The leaching solution is precipitated step by step to obtain high purity Ni 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 (OH) 2 and Li 2 CO 3. The obtained Ni 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 (OH) 2 and Li 2 CO 3 are regenerated to LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 materials with excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide in the spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs) contains a lot of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. However, how to effectively recover these valuable metals under the premise of reducing environmental pollution is still a challenge. In this work, a green, efficient, closed-loop direct regeneration technology is proposed to reconstruct LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 (NCM523) cathode materials from spent LIBs. Firstly, the failure mechanism of NCM523 cathode materials in the spent LIBs is analyzed deeply. It is found that the spent NCM523 material has problems such as the dissolution of lithium and transition metals, surface interface failure and structural transformation, resulting in serious deterioration of electrochemical performance. Then NCM523 material was directly regenerated by supplementing metal ions, granulation, ion doping and heat treatment. Meanwhile, PO 4 3− polyanions were doped into the regenerated NCM material in the recovery process, showing excellent electrochemical performance with discharge capacity of 189.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. The recovery process proposed in this study puts forward a new strategy for the recovery various lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (e.g., LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 , LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 , LiNi 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 O 2 and LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2) and accelerates the industrialization of spent lithium ion battery recycling. [Display omitted] • A direct regeneration technology is proposed to reconstruct NCM523 cathode materials from spent LIBs. • The failure behaviors of the LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 of spent LIBs were analyzed in depth. • The specific discharge capacity of the reconstructed RNCMP-2 material is as high as 189.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L5003 --> Objective: To analyze the distribution and drug resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii infection in neurosurgical care unit, and to provide basis for rational control of nosocomial infection and use of antibiotics. Methods: The infection distribution and drug resistance of 150 Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from blood, sputum, cerebrospinal fluid and surgical wound sites in the neurosurgical care unit of the 11th Clinical College of Shanxi Medical University from January 2018 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The infection rate of Acinetobacter baumannii was 74.16% in respiratory tract, 15.00% in intracranial and 13.40% in surgical wound in the neurosurgical care unit. The drug resistance rate of Acinetobacter baumannii to amtronem was the highest (90.00%), followed by piperacillin (88.10%), polymyxin E was the lowest (2.38%), followed by ampicillin/sulbactam (57.14%). Conclusion: Acinetobacter baumannii infection is mainly distributed in the lower respiratory tract, intracranial and surgical wounds in neurosurgical care units, and the drug resistance rate of Acinetobacter baumannii to aminotronem and piperacillin is high. Clinical application of antibiotics should be rational, and the types and doses of antibiotics need to be adjusted dynamically in order to further strengthen the control of nosocomial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

389 teleseismic events recorded by 126 seismic stations were used to study the upper mantle velocity structure of the central-southern segment of the Tan-Lu fault zone (TLF). Results show that (1) the upper mantle velocity presents strong lateral heterogeneity. The TLF is a velocity gradient zone with a depth of 40–120 km, and with a high-velocity anomaly on its west and a low-velocity anomaly on its east. However, at a depth of 300–400 km, the velocity anomalies on both side of the TLF have changed, with a low-velocity anomaly on its west and a high-velocity anomaly on its east. At a depth of 500–600 km, high velocity anomalies are observed on both sides of the TLF, (2) the high velocity anomalies H1 and H2 are located beneath the Dabie fault-fold belt and Lower Yangtze fault block, respectively. The H1 may be the delaminated lithosphere, while the H2 may represent the subduction of the Paleo- Pacific plate. The upper mantle velocity anomalies on both sides of the TLF may reveal the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate and the backarc retreat movements. • Upper mantle velocity in the middle-south segment of Tan-Lu Fault Zone is obtained. • Tan-Lu Fault Zone may extend to the top area of the upper mantle. • The evolution of Tan-Lu Fault Zone may be related to the Paleo-Pacific plate. • The westward subduction of the Pacific plate may form Tan-Lu Fault Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under salt stress, plants suffer from potassium (K) deficiency caused by excess salts in growth substrate. Silicon (Si) can promote K status in many plant species under salt stress, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we assessed the effects of Si on K homeostasis in rice under salt stress and investigated the mechanisms behind using two low-Si rice mutants (lsi1 and lsi2) and their wild types (WTs). After five days' treatment with Si, plant growth was improved and salt stress-induced K deficiency was alleviated in WTs but not in mutants. Simultaneously, Si significantly enhanced K accumulation content, K uptake index and shoot K distribution rate in WTs but not in mutants. Besides, Si enhanced K concentration in xylem sap in WTs but not in mutants. Scanning ion-selected electrode technique (SIET) analysis showed net K influx rate was raised by Si addition under salt stress in WTs but not in mutants. Moreover, Si up-regulated the expression of genes responsible for K uptake (OsAKT1 and OsHAK1) and xylem loading (OsSKOR) in WTs but not in mutants. Overall, our results strongly indicate that Si can improve K uptake and translocation by up-regulating the expression of relevant genes, thereby promoting K status and alleviating salt stress in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The porous flower-like structure of N-MoS 2 was prepared via a facile two-step procedure. • The doping of N atoms induce Mo-N bonds and a large number of sulfur vacancy to enhance the catalytic activity for ORR and OER of MoS 2. • The Li-O 2 battery with N-MoS 2 as the cathode catalyst exhibits an excellent cycling stability of 224 cycles. Defect engineering has been an efficient means to govern the electrocatalytic performances of oxygen electrode in Li-O 2 batteries. Herein, we introduce N atoms into MoS 2 for manufacturing sulfur vacancies to improve the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics of rechargeable Li-O 2 batteries. The obtained results show that N doping opened the crystal distance space of N-MoS 2 , reduced the charge transfer resistance and simultaneously induces Mo-N bonds and a large number of sulfur vacancies. The assembled Li-O 2 batteries with N-MoS 2 as the cathode electrocatalyst deliver discharge specific capacity of 5205.5 mAh g−1 at the current density of 100 mA g−1, which is much higher than the MoS 2 (2600.3 mAh g−1). It also shows excellent cyclic performance with 224 cycles at the current density of 200 mA g−1 within a capacity limitation of 1000 mAh g−1. Overall, the as-developed N-MoS 2 could be regarded as a promising cathode electrocatalyst for Li-O 2 batteries. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) accumulation in croplands resulting from ever-increasing input of P fertilizer strongly influences soil microbial growth and activities, which is expected to alter the soil priming effect (PE) induced by plant residue. However, the effect of P availability on the magnitude and direction of PE remains largely unexplored and the underlying microbial mechanisms are still unclear. Therefore, a 40-day incubation experiment was established by adding C4-maize straw to C3-soils with or without long-term P fertilizer inputs to investigate PE and accompanied dynamics of microbiota. The results revealed that in both soils, straw application caused positive real PEs via a "microbial co-metabolism" mechanism, accompanied by a microbial succession from the dominance of r- and K-strategists to K-strategists (mainly fungi). In addition, long-term amendment with P increased PE by 83.2% compared with no P fertilization control, which was mainly mediated by K-strategists, especially the fungal families Chaetomiaceae and Myrmecridiaceae. The increased PE was accompanied by enhanced microbial biomass carbon, extracellular enzyme activities, and bacterial gene abundance, confirming the "stoichiometric decomposition" theory. Meanwhile, deviating from the conventional paradigm, higher phosphatase activity and lower enzymatic stoichiometry of carbon (C)-to-P ratios in high-P soil compared with that in low-P soil suggested stronger "P mining" with high-P availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangsu-South Yellow Sea area is located on the East Asian Continental Margin and at the junction of South and North China. It is one of the high seismicity areas in eastern China. To enhance our understanding of the relationship between disastrous earthquakes and the geophysical properties of Earth materials, P- and S-wave travel-time data over the past 20 years are inverted to image the 3D distributions of seismic velocity (VP and Vs) and Poisson's ratio (σ). The results show that the velocity and Poisson's ratio demonstrate congruence with the prominent geological formations present within the study area. Specifically, the velocity models for the upper crust at depths of 5, 10, and 15 km. We found that within the total study area, 70% ± 7.2% of M5+ earthquakes that occurred during the past decades initiated in the VP tomographic edge zones (TEZ). Moreover, the distribution patterns of M5+ earthquakes in the offshore sea region exhibit significant differences when compared to those in the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt. In the offshore sea region, about 66.7% ± 8% of M5+ earthquakes initiated in the velocity and Poisson's ratio TEZ. The presence of comparatively low Vs and high Poisson's ratio anomalies in the Wunansha Uplift suggest the potential existence of fluids. The triggering mechanism for these earthquakes can likely be ascribed to the presence of hydrothermal fluids and the reactivation of preexisting strike-slip faults, influenced by the subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea Plates, as well as the collision between the India and Eurasia Plates. In contrast, within the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt, M5+ earthquakes predominantly initiated in the high-velocity and low Poisson's ratio perturbation zones. The primary factor contributing to seismotectonic features disparities are likely the variation in fluid content. We infer the rock matrix in the vicinity of the source region of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt is presumed to be drier, more brittle, and possess greater mechanical strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality supervision is essential for preservice teachers' (PSTs) development of teaching effectiveness, because it purposefully structures PSTs' learning experiences in a systematic and developmentally appropriate manner, provides specific feedback, includes formal and informal assessment of PSTs' teaching, and facilitates opportunities for PSTs to reflect on and adapt their teaching. However, with the increasing challenges and demands of supervision in school settings, supervisors often find themselves frustrated and less supported. This article aims to address these issues by presenting four valuable strategies and their associated practices that physical education teacher education (PETE) programs and supervisors, particularly university supervisors, can employ while supervising PSTs. These strategies are: (a) establishing a supervision structure, (b) refining the evaluation system, (c) varying supervisory approaches, and (d) integrating educational technology. Associated practices within each strategy and resources are included as well. By actively adopting these practices, PETE programs can elevate their supervision quality, with a positive effect on the teaching effectiveness of their PSTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 28-day microcosm experiment was conducted using three paddy soils (an alluvial paddy soil, a loess-formed paddy soil, and a yellow clayey paddy soil) to investigate the impact of procyanidin on N2O emissions and associated microbial mechanisms. The efficacy of procyanidin on N2O emissions varied among the paddy soils tested, with an average inhibition rate ranging from 2.7% in the alluvial paddy soil to 57.1% in the loess-formed paddy soil. Furthermore, suppression of N2O emissions by procyanidin occurred alongside fluctuations in nitrate reductase activity and nirS- and nirK-type denitrifiers abundance. The correlation analysis indicates that nitrate reductase, clade I nirS-denitrifiers, clade I or II, and clade III nirK-denitrifiers were closely linked to N2O emissions. These findings provide evidence that procyanidin is capable of limiting N2O emissions in paddy soils by inhibiting nitrate reductase and different clades of nirS-/nirK-denitrifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of a graduate educational ethnography course created pandemic poetry. The instructor was pedagogically stretched in translating what had always been an in-person research poetry creation experience to a virtual setting, but the students responded with powerful poetic renditions. In this article, course members' poetry is featured, and a brief review of the course materials used and guidance provided to the class, along with a methodological reflection, are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent researches on migration focus on computational efficiency and imaging accuracy. Modeling is at the heart of the reverse time migration (RTM), a powerful tool for imaging geologically complex structures, and controls its efficiency and accuracy. Finite-difference (FD) method is widely used in modeling. Though the rhombus stencil FD scheme has high accuracy, it is expensive and only applicable to square grids. In order to make the high-accuracy FD scheme more efficient and flexible, we develop a rectangle-grid cross and rhombus stencils FD scheme (RCR). To further improve accuracy, the optimal FD method based on least squares (LS) is introduced into the RCR. Correspondingly, the absorbing boundary condition (ABC) should be extended to rectangular grids for suppressing the boundary reflections of modeling, we therefore develop the rectangular-grid hybrid ABC. To obtain high-efficiency and high-accuracy RTM images, the adaptive variable-length spatial operators scheme is combined with the LS-based RCR when implementing the wavefield extrapolation, and the efficient boundary condition is adopted when performed on GPU card. By comparing the RCR with the rectangular-grid on cross stencil FD scheme (RC) in terms of their phase dispersion, stability and snapshot, we demonstrate the superiority of the LS-based RCR. We have also proven the effectiveness of the rectangular-grid hybrid ABC on absorption, and shown that under the similar accuracy, the RCR-based RTM can achieve higher efficiency than the RC-based one by adopting a larger time interval. Finally, the RCR-based RTM obtains a well-imaged profile for field data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of low tube voltage (100 kV) combined with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) on the visualization and image quality of the Adamkiewicz artery (AKA). Methods: One hundred patients were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned into two groups (both n = 50). Group A (100 kV) was reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) and ASIR-V from 10% to 100% with 10% intervals. Group B (120 kV) was only reconstructed with FBP. The objective image quality was evaluated by using CT values of the aorta (CTAorta), background noise, signal-to-noise ratio of the descending aorta (SNRAorta), and contrast-to-noise ratio of the spinal cord (CNRSpinal cord). The subjective image quality and visualization scores of the AKA were assessed on a 5-point scale. Results: CTAorta was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p < 0.001). When ASIR-V weights were ≥60%, significant differences were found in the background noise, SNRAorta, and CNRSpinal cord between the two groups (all p < 0.05). In Group A, compared with FBP, the subjective score gradually increased as ASIR-V increased to 80%, which decreased when ASIR-V exceeded 80%. The visualization scores of the AKA (≥60%) and the ability to detect vessel continuity (≥80%) gradually increased as the ASIR-V weights increased (p < 0.05). The effective radiation dose was reduced by about 40.36% in Group A compared to Group B. Conclusions: compared with conventional scanning protocol, using a combination of low tube voltage (100 kV) and 80% ASIR-V protocol could not only increase the visualization of the AKA, but also improve image quality and reduce the radiation doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Acute type A aortic dissection involving the aortic sinus is often combined with varying degrees of aortic regurgitation, while the structure of the aortic valve is often undamaged. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effects of reconstruction of the aortic sinus using patches in patients with acute type A aortic dissection. Methods: From January 2016 to December 2019, 52 patients with acute type A aortic dissection involving the aortic sinus were treated with aortic sinus reconstruction using pericardial or artificial vascular patches. The clinical and follow‐up data were summarized. Results: Bovine pericardial patches were used in 31 cases and artificial vascular patches were used in 21 cases for aortic sinus reconstruction. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was (250.4 ± 65.7) min, aortic cross clamp time was (143.7 ± 42.3) min, and hypothermic circulatory arrest time was (9.6 ± 8.1) min. Three patients died in hospital, with a mortality rate of 5.8%. Fifteen patients (28.8%) had mild postoperative aortic regurgitation. The follow‐up duration was 40 ± 12 (range, 21−66) months. Five patients (10.2%) developed moderate to severe aortic regurgitation and 3 (6.1%) died during the follow‐up period. Conclusions: The application of patches for aortic sinus reconstruction is a relatively easy method in aortic valve‐sparing root reconstruction for acute type A aortic dissection involving the aortic sinus. The clinical and follow‐up results are favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The crosstalk of purine biosynthesis and metabolism exists to balance the cell energy production, proliferation, survival and cytoplasmic environment stability, but disorganized mechanics of with respect to developing heart failure (HF) is currently unknown.Methods: We conducted a multi-omics wide analysis, including microarray-based transcriptomes, and full spectrum metabolomics with respect to chronic HF. Based on expression profiling by array, we applied a bioinformatics platform of quantifiable metabolic pathway changes based on gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene set variation analysis (GSVA), Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), and Xtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithms to comprehensively analyze the dynamic changes of metabolic pathways and circular network in the HF development. Additionally, left ventricular tissue from patients undergoing myocardial biopsy and transplantation were collected to perform the protein and full spectrum metabolic mass spectrometry.Results: Systematic bioinformatics analysis showed the purine metabolism reprogramming was significantly detected in dilated cardiomyopathy. In addition, this result was also demonstrated in metabolomic mass spectrometry. And the differentially expressed metabolites analysis showing the guanine, urea, and xanthine were significantly detected. Hub markers, includes IMPDH1, ENTPD2, AK7, AK2, and CANT1, also significantly identified based on XGBoost, SHAP model and PPI network.Conclusion: The crosstalk in the reactions involved in purine metabolism may involving in DCM metabolism reprogramming, and as coregulators of development of HF, which may identify as potential therapeutic targets. And the markers of IMPDH1, ENTPD2, AK7, AK2, and CANT1, and metabolites involved in purine metabolism shown an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DNA-PKcs inhibition attenuates sepsis-related MODS by preserving mitochondrial function and homeostasis. • Organ-specific deletion of DNA-PKcs sustained myocardial contraction, liver function, and kidney performance in LPS-challenged mice. • DNA-PKcs deficiency supported cardiomyocyte function through improving mitochondrial respiration. • DNA-PKcs deficiency alleviated liver dysfunction by inhibiting LPS-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and apoptosis. • DNA-PKcs deficiency attenuated kidney dysfunction by normalizing mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis, as well as mitophagy. Multiple organ failure is the commonest cause of death in septic patients. This study was undertaken in an attempt to elucidate the functional importance of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) on mitochondrial dysfunction associated with the development and progression of sepsis-related multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Cardiomyocyte-specific DNA-PKcs knockout (DNA-PKcs CKO) mice, liver-specific DNA-PKcs knockout (DNA-PKcs LKO) mice, and kidney tubular cell-specific DNA-PKcs knockout (DNA-PKcs TKO) mice were used to generate an LPS-induced sepsis model. Echocardiography, serum biochemistry, and tissue microscopy were used to analyze organ damage and morphological changes induced by sepsis. Mitochondrial function and dynamics were determined by qPCR, western blotting, ELISA, and mt-Keima and immunofluorescence assays following siRNA-mediated DNA-PKCs knockdown in cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, and kidney tubular cells. DNA-PKcs deletion attenuated sepsis-mediated myocardial damage through improving mitochondrial metabolism. Loss of DNA-PKcs protected the liver against sepsis through inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis. DNA-PKcs deficiency sustained kidney function upon LPS stress through normalization of mitochondrial fission/fusion events, mitophagy, and biogenesis. We conclude that strategies targeting DNA-PKcs expression or activity may be valuable therapeutic options to prevent or reduce mitochondrial dysfunction and organ damage associated with sepsis-induced MODS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a visual analytics system, MVSec, which helps analysts understand better what information flows under network security datasets. The major contributions of this work include: (1) a data fusion strategy for multiple heterogeneous datasets by using unified event tuple and statistic tuple data structure, which compress large scale datasets and lays the foundation of cooperative visual analysis; (2) multiple coordinated views, which provide analysts with multiple visual perspectives to characterize loud events, dig out subtle events and investigate relations of events in datasets; and (3) a contextual visual analysis with deductive viewpoints, which inspires analysts to explore hypotheses and reason their deductions from visual narratives. In case studies, we demonstrate in detail how the system helps analysts draw an analytical storyline and understand network situations better in VAST Challenge 2013. Additionally, we discuss lessons learned in designing our system and participating in VAST Challenge 2013, which is helpful and applicable not only to similar network security systems but also to other domains facing visual analytics challenges. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disease involving multiple systems, with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) as the most common life-threatening manifestation. Method. A pedigree with TAA was investigated, and peripheral venous blood was extracted from six family members. After whole exome sequencing (WES) and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in these individuals, bioinformatics and inheritance analyses were performed. Result. WES revealed a novel, small, 0.76 Mb microdeletion in 15q21.1, which cosegregated with the disease phenotype in the family and led to the haploinsufficiency of the fibrillin 1 (FBN1) gene, which is associated with MFS. This small copy number variant (CNV) was confirmed by CMA. Conclusion. Our study expands the phenotypic spectrum of the pathogenic CNV associated with MFS, thereby facilitating clinical genetic diagnosis and future genetic counseling for this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vestibular symptoms are frequently reported in patients with chronic migraine (CM). However, whether vestibular symptoms arise through overlapping neurobiology of migraine remains to be elucidated. The neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and CGRP1 receptor play important pathological roles in facilitating central sensitization in CM. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether CGRP1 receptor contributes to vestibular dysfunction after CM by improving synaptic transmission in the vestibular nucleus (VN). Methods: A CM rat model was established by recurrent intermittent administration of nitroglycerin (NTG). Migraine- and vestibular-related behaviors were assessed. CGRP1 receptor specific antagonist, BIBN4096BS, and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine chloride (CHE) were administered intracerebroventricularly. The expressions of CGRP and CGRP1 receptor components, calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR) and receptor activity modifying protein 1 (RAMP1) were evaluated by western blot, immunofluorescent staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in the vestibular nucleus (VN). Synaptic associated proteins and synaptic morphological characteristics were explored by western blot, transmission electron microscope, and Golgi-cox staining. The expressions of PKC, phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (p-ERK), phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein at serine 133 site (p-CREB-S133) and c-Fos were detected using western blot or immunofluorescent staining. Results: The expressions of CGRP, CLR and RAMP1 were significantly upregulated in CM rats. CLR and RAMP1 were expressed mainly in neurons. BIBN4096BS treatment and PKC inhibition alleviated mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia and vestibular dysfunction in CM rats. Additionally, BIBN4096BS treatment and PKC inhibition markedly inhibited the overexpression of synaptic associated proteins and restored the abnormal synaptic structure in VN after CM. Furthermore, BIBN4096BS treatment dysregulated the expression levels of PKC, p-ERK and p-CREB-S133, and attenuated neuronal activation in VN after CM. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that CGRP1 receptor inhibition improved vestibular function after CM by reversing the aberrant synaptic transmission via downregulating PKC/ERK/CREB signaling pathway. Therapeutic interventions by inhibiting CGRP/CGRP1 signaling may be a new target for the treatment of vestibular symptoms in CM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human visual system has a limitation of sensitivity in detecting small distortion in an image/video and the minimum perceptual threshold is so called Just Noticeable Difference (JND). JND modelling is challenging since it highly depends on visual contents and perceptual factors are not fully understood. In this paper, we propose deep learning based JND and perceptual quality prediction models, which are able to predict the Satisfied User Ratio (SUR) and Video Wise JND (VWJND) of compressed videos with different resolutions and coding parameters. Firstly, the SUR prediction is modeled as a regression problem that fits deep learning tools. Then, Video Wise Spatial SUR method (VW-SSUR) is proposed to predict the SUR value for compressed video, which mainly considers the spatial distortion. Thirdly, we further propose Video Wise Spatial-Temporal SUR (VW-STSUR) method to improve the SUR prediction accuracy by considering the spatial and temporal information. Two fusion schemes that fuse the spatial and temporal information in quality score level and in feature level, respectively, are investigated. Finally, key factors including key frame and patch selections, cross resolution prediction and complexity are analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed VW-SSUR method outperforms in both SUR and VWJND prediction as compared with the state-of-the-art schemes. Moreover, the proposed VW-STSUR further improves the accuracy as compared with the VW-SSUR and the conventional JND models, where the mean SUR prediction error is 0.049, and mean VWJND prediction error is 1.69 in quantization parameter and 0.84 dB in peak signal-to-noise ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the spatial distribution of crustal deformation and related geodynamic processes associated with the Tan-Lu Fault Zone (TLFZ) in East China, we measured crustal anisotropy based on the sinusoidal moveout of the P-to-S conversions from the Moho observed on receiver functions. Totally 142 well-defined crustal anisotropy measurements were obtained from the China National Seismic Network and other broadband dense seismic stations, including three stations exhibiting the pattern of a double layered anisotropy structure. The fast orientations observed at stations in the vicinity of the TLFZ were dominantly fault-parallel except for the southernmost part of the study area, where the fast orientations were approximately normal to the strike of the fault zone and may primarily be attributed to the NW-SE oriented Dabie Orogenic Belt. In the North China Block, NW-SE fast orientations were found to be consistent with the dominant orientation of the secondary faults. The Lower Yangtze Block showed two dominant fast orientations. The fault-parallel measurements in the west of the Jiangshao Fault Zone were controlled by the N E -trending faults in the Lower Yangtze Block, while the fast orientations in the east and south of the Jiangshao Fault Zone were dominantly E-W, which could be mainly influenced by the regional principal compressive stress. The average delay time of the entire study area was 0.27 ± 0.07 s. In the vicinity of the TLFZ where fault-parallel fast orientations were observed, an approximately 44% increase in delay time was observed, suggesting a well-developed fault zone. • Crustal anisotropy is measured at 142 stations from the provincial seismic networks and dense temporary seismic stations. • Reverberation removal on receiver functions leads to more reliably defined results. • Significant anisotropy in the Tan-Lu Fault Zone is closely related to the degree of crustal deformation. • Contrasting anisotropy measurements are observed in the Lower Yangtze Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced aging evokes unfavorable changes in the heart including cardiac remodeling and contractile dysfunction although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathogenesis of cardiac aging and mechanism involved. Echocardiographic and cardiomyocyte mechanical properties were determined in young (5–6 mo) and aged (26–28 mo) wild-type (WT) and cardiomyocyte-specific ET A receptor knockout (ET A KO) mice. GSEA enrichment identified differentially expressed genes associated with mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial protein processing and mitochondrial depolarization in cardiac aging. Aging elevated plasma levels of ET-1, Ang II and suppressed serum Fe2+, evoked cardiac remodeling (hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis), contractile defects (fractional shortening, ejection fraction, cardiomyocyte peak shortening, maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening and prolonged relengthening) and intracellular Ca2+ mishandling (dampened intracellular Ca2+ release and prolonged decay), the effects with the exception of plasma AngII, ET-1 and Fe2+ were mitigated by ET A KO. Advanced age facilitated O 2 − production, carbonyl protein damage, cardiac hypertrophy (GATA4, ANP, NFATc3), ER stress, ferroptosis, compromised autophagy (LC3B, Beclin-1, Atg7, Atg5 and p62) and mitophagy (parkin and FUNDC1), and deranged intracellular Ca2+ proteins (SERCA2a and phospholamban), the effects of which were reversed by ET A ablation. ET-1 provoked ferroptosis in vitro , the response was nullified by the ET A receptor antagonist BQ123 and mitophagy inducer CsA. ET A but not ET B receptor antagonism reconciled cardiac aging, which was abrogated by inhibition of mitophagy and ferroptosis. These findings collectively denote promises of targeting ET A , mitophagy and ferroptosis in the management of aging-associated cardiac remodeling and contractile defect. • ET A receptor knockout protects against aging-induced cardiac remodeling and contractile dysfunction. • ET A receptor knockout reverses aging-induced mitophagy loss and ferroptosis in the heart. • Targeting ET A , mitophagy and ferroptosis holds promises in the management of cardiac aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for anxiety and depression symptoms in outpatient migraineurs in mainland China. In addition, we evaluated whether the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) provided sufficient validity to screen depression and anxiety. A cross-sectional study was conducted consecutively at our headache clinic. Migraine was diagnosed according to International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition (ICHD-II). Demographic characteristics and clinical features were collected by headache questionnaire. Anxiety and depression symptoms about migraineurs were assessed using HADS. Several questionnaires were simultaneously used to evaluate patients with depressive disorder including the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and HADS. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to test the validity of HADS. 176 outpatients with migraine (81.8 % female) were included. Overall, 17.6 and 38.1 % participants had depression and anxiety, respectively. Possible risk factors for depression in migraineurs included headache intensity of first onset of migraine, migraine with presymptom, migraine with family history and migraine disability. The possible risk factors for anxiety included fixed attack time of headache in one day and poor sleeping, and age represented a protective factor for anxiety. The correlation coefficient of HADS-A and HADS-D with HAMA and HAMD was 0.666 and 0.508, respectively ( P < 0.01). This study demonstrates that depression and anxiety comorbidity in our mainland Chinese migraineurs are also common, and several risk factors were identified that may provide predictive value. These findings can help clinicians to identify and treat anxiety and depression in order to improve migraine management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze and classify the clinical features of headache in neurological outpatients. A cross-sectional study was conducted consecutively from March to May 2010 for headache among general neurological outpatients attending the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Personal interviews were carried out and a questionnaire was used to collect medical records. Diagnosis of headache was according to the International classification of headache disorders, 2nd edition (ICHD-II). Headache patients accounted for 19.5% of the general neurology clinic outpatients. A total of 843 (50.1%) patients were defined as having primary headache, 454 (27%) secondary headache, and 386 (23%) headache not otherwise specified (headache NOS). For primary headache, 401 (23.8%) had migraine, 399 (23.7%) tension-type headache (TTH), 8 (0.5%) cluster headache and 35 (2.1%) other headache types. Overall, migraine patients suffered (1) more severe headache intensity, (2) longer than 6 years of headache history and (3) more common analgesic medications use than TTH ones ( p < 0.001).TTH patients had more frequent episodes of headaches than migraine patients, and typically headache frequency exceeded 15 days/month ( p < 0.001); 22.8% of primary headache patients were defined as chronic daily headache. Almost 20% of outpatient visits to the general neurology department were of headache patients, predominantly primary headache of migraine and TTH. In outpatient headaches, more attention should be given to headache intensity and duration of headache history for migraine patients, while more attention to headache frequency should be given for the TTH ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A spherical carbon-coated nano–micro structured LiFePO4 composite is synthesized for use as a cathode material in high-power lithium-ion batteries. The composites are synthesized through carbothermal reduction with two sessions of ball milling (before and after pre-sintering of precursor) followed by spray-drying with the dispersant of polyethylene glycol added. The structure, particle size, and surface morphology of the cathode active material and the properties of the coated carbon are investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Results indicate that the LiFePO4/C composite has a spherical micro-porous morphology composed of a large number of carbon-coated nano-spheres linked together with an ordered olivine structure. The carbon on the surface of LiFePO4 effectively reduces inter-particle agglomeration of the LiFePO4 particles. A galvanostatic charge–discharge test indicates that the LiFePO4/C composites exhibit initial discharge capacities of 155mAhg−1 and 88mAhg−1 at 0.2C and 20C rates with the end of discharge voltage of 2.5V, respectively. This behavior is ascribed to the unique spherical structure, which shortens lithium ions diffusion length and improves the electric contact between LiFePO4 particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]