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In this study, the moist buffering halo region of shallow maritime cumulus clouds is systematically investigated using large eddy simulations with various grid resolutions and numerical choices. Autocorrelation analyses of cloud liquid water and relative humidity suggest a converged size of 200–300 m for moist patches outside clouds when the model resolution is below 50 m, but may overestimate this size due to noncloudy moist regions. Based on a composite analysis, the structure of the moist halo immediately outside individual clouds is examined. It is found that, regardless of model resolution, the distribution of relative humidity in the halo region does not depend on cloud size, but on the real distance away from the cloud boundary, indicating some size‐independent length scales are responsible for the halo formation. The relative humidity decays with distance more quickly with finer horizontal resolution, which is possibly related to the model resolution dependence of the cloud spectrum. The halo size near the cloud base is larger than that within the cloud layer and this feature is robust across all simulations. Further analyses of backward and forward Lagrangian trajectories originating from the moist halo region reveal the possible role for subcloud coherent structures in cloud‐base halo formation. Possible mechanisms explaining cloud halo sizes and associated length scales are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent clinical trials of anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) have produced encouraging cognitive and clinical results. The purpose of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to compare and rank mAb drugs according to their efficacy and safety. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials testing various mAbs for the treatment of cognitive decline in patients with AD, up to March 31, 2023. R software (version 4.2.3) along with JAGS and STATA software (version 15.0) were used for statistical analysis. Odds ratio (OR) for binary variables, mean difference (MD) for continuous variables, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were utilized to estimate treatment effects and rank probabilities for each mAb in terms of safety and efficacy outcomes. We calculated the surface under the cumulative ranking area (SUCRA) to evaluate each mAb, with higher SUCRA values indicating better efficacy or lower likelihood of adverse events. Results: Thirty-three randomized controlled trials with a total of 21,087 patients were included in the current NMA, involving eight different mAbs. SUCRA values showed that aducanumab (87.01% and 99.37%, respectively) was the most likely to achieve the best therapeutic effect based on the changes of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) scores. Donanemab (88.50% and 99.00%, respectively) performed better than other therapies for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and Positron Emission Tomography-Standardized Uptake Value ratio (PET-SUVr). Lecanemab (87.24%) may be the most promising way to slow down the decrease of Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study–Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) score. In the analysis of the incidence of adverse events (subjects with any treatment-emergent adverse event), gantenerumab (89.12%) had the least potential for adverse events, while lecanemab (0.79%) may cause more adverse events. Solanezumab (95.75% and 80.38%, respectively) had the lowest incidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities characterized by edema and effusion (ARIA-E) and by cerebral microhemorrhages (ARIA-H) of the included immunotherapies. While SUCRA values provided a comprehensive measure of treatment efficacy, the inherent statistical uncertainty required careful analysis in clinical application. Conclusion: Despite immunotherapies significantly increasing the risks of adverse events and ARIA, the data suggest that mAbs can effectively improve the cognitive function of patients with mild and moderate AD. According to the NMA, aducanumab was the most likely to achieve significant improvements in different cognitive and clinical assessments (statistically improved MMSE and CDR-SB), followed by donanemab (statistically improved ADAS-Cog, and PET-SUVr) and lecanemab (statistically improved ADCS-ADL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform symmetric bodies can be observed floating asymmetrically under certain circumstances. Previous explanations of this are mostly abstract and lack experimental verification, making their understanding and application difficult. This article presents in detail alternative insights into the floating equilibria of uniform prisms and parabolic cylinders. The intrinsic characteristics of the equilibrium curves are investigated, and several equilibria different from those in the literature are found. The inflection points in the equilibrium curves are analyzed quantitatively due to their significance for floating states. Furthermore, experiments have been conducted for the square prism which validate the derived equilibrium curve, and provide a practical impression of the asymmetric floating phenomenon of symmetric bodies. These results have the potential to be applied in naval and ocean engineering, such as in the design of vessels and floating offshore structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, coal mine has applied shield tunneling machines to roadway excavation to improve production efficiency. Geological condition is an important factor that determines the efficiency of shield machines. The shield machine is most favorable for medium to hard surrounding rocks such as limestone and sandstone. Therefore, the lithology prediction of the location of a planned excavation roadway becomes the core issue in improving the efficiency of the shield machine. At present, seismic inversion is an essential method for lithology prediction. However, in Yangquan Xinjing area, missing P-wave logging curves affects the impedance inversion. Therefore, using existing logging curves to generate missing P-wave logging curves and using sandstone exposure data to continuously update lithology distribution prediction results are of great interest. In this study, logging curves were first pretreated by standardization to ensure the inversion effect. Because of the missing acoustic logging curves, the random forest regression algorithm was introduced using density, natural gamma, apparent resistivity, and spontaneous potential curves as characteristic variables to establish a curve regression prediction model. Then, P-wave logging curves were acquired. After a full analysis of the principles of acoustic and gamma curves, a quasi-acoustic curve is constructed, and a quasi-acoustic inversion was performed. The top and bottom interfaces of the K7 sandstone were interpreted on the inversion data body. The interpreted horizon information was converted from the time domain to the depth domain. The predicted results agreed well with the exposed data. At the same time, combined with the lithology exposure data from the shield tunneling machine, the distribution prediction of the K7 sand body in the target roadway section was updated and iterated many times, which provided effective guidance for the optimization of the tunneling route of the shield tunneling machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal antenatal depression (AD) is a nonpsychotic depressive episode during pregnancy that can harm both the pregnant woman and the fetus. This study aimed to investigate the intrinsic interrelationships between AD and its influencing factors by constructing a path model. This survey-based cross-sectional study included 1071 pregnant women who underwent pregnancy examinations in three hospitals in Nantong City, China, between February and June 2023. General information and information regarding maternal AD, pregnancy stress, prenatal anxiety, social support, marital satisfaction, sleep quality, and resilience were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS 25.0 was employed to determine the factors influencing pregnancy depression, and Amos25.0 was used to construct a structural equation model. AD incidence was 19.4% (208/1071). The independent risk factors affecting AD in pregnant women have been integrated into the established path analysis model. The model demonstrated a good fit (χ2/DF = 1.238, comparative fit index = 0.999, goodness-of-fit index = 0.998, normed fit index = 0.996, adjusted goodness-of-fit index = 0.990, incremental fit index = 0.999, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.015). While prenatal anxiety (0.230) and hyperthyroidism (0.048) only had direct effects on AD, mental resilience was the biggest factor affecting AD, followed by pregnancy stress, marital satisfaction, prenatal anxiety, sleep quality, social support, and hyperthyroidism. Improved mental resilience, social support, sleep quality, and marital satisfaction; reduced pregnancy stress and prenatal anxiety; and effective hyperthyroidism treatment might reduce AD. This study underscored the significance of delivering actionable strategies and tangible assistance to pregnant women to reduce AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermomechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites (Cf/SiC CMCs) were studied up to 2000 °C using high-temperature in situ flexural testing in argon. The CMC specimens were fabricated using an ultrahigh concentration (66 vol%) aqueous slurry containing nano-sized silicon carbide powder. The SiC powder compacts were obtained by drying the slurry and were densified using the precursor impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP) method with field assisted sintering technology/spark plasma sintering (FAST/SPS). The high relative density of the SiC green body (77.6%) enabled densification within 2.5 days using four PIP cycles. In contrast, conventional PIP processes take over 7 days. The in situ flexural strength of the Cf/SiC CMC was 434 MPa at 1750 °C, which was 84% higher than the room temperature value. The value further increased to 542 MPa at 2000 °C. Possible mechanisms to explain the excellent strength of the CMC at elevated temperatures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prenatal stress is a highly prevalent mental disorder experienced by pregnant women. This study assessed the prevalence and influencing factors of prenatal stress and investigated the mediating role of social support and resilience between self-efficacy and prenatal stress among pregnant women in China. Methods: A convenience sample comprising 1071 pregnant women from three hospitals in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, was recruited between February and June 2023. These participants completed a set of general survey questionnaires and were assessed using the Pregnancy Pressure Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, the 10-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Chinese version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Furthermore, a hierarchical multiple regression model was employed to investigate the relevant factors and mediators of prenatal stress symptoms. A structural equation model was used to examine the mediating role of social support and resilience in the relationship between self-efficacy and prenatal stress. Results: The results of the multivariate regression analysis indicated significant associations between prenatal stress and parity, self-efficacy, social support, and resilience (P < 0.001). Self-efficacy accounted for 35.33% of the total effect, with a direct effect of -2.5306 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.0309 to -1,0303). Further examination through mediation analysis revealed the mediating roles of social support and resilience in the relationship between self-efficacy and prenatal stress. The mediating effect of social support was − 1.5933 (95% CI: -2.2907 to -0.9496), accounting for 22.24% of the total effect. Similarly, resilience exhibited a mediating effect of -3.0388 (95% CI: -4.3844 to -1.7135), accounting for 42.43% of the total effect. Conclusion: The mediation analysis revealed that among pregnant women in China, the influence of self-efficacy on prenatal stress is channelled through social support and resilience. Therefore, enhancing social support, resilience, and self-efficacy might alleviate prenatal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple factors may be responsible for the development of postpartum stress, including perceived social support, marital satisfaction, and maternal postnatal attachment. However, the underlying mediation mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the complex relationships between perceived social support and postpartum stress among Chinese women. Methods: A convenience sample comprising 406 postpartum women was recruited from six hospitals in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China. The participants completed general survey questionnaires and were evaluated using the Maternal Postpartum Stress Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale, and the Marital Satisfaction Scale. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between postpartum stress and the various influencing factors by performing a multiple linear regression analysis. The potential mediating roles of marital satisfaction and maternal and infant attachment in the association between perceived social support and postpartum stress were explored by performing a mediation analysis. Results: According to the multivariate regression analysis, perceived social support, marital satisfaction, and maternal postnatal attachment contributed to postpartum stress levels (P < 0.05). The mediation analysis revealed that marital satisfaction and maternal postnatal attachment played parallel mediating roles in the association between perceived social support and postpartum stress, and the mediating effect of marital satisfaction was − 0.1125 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.1784 to -0.0520), accounting for 33.20% of the total effect, and the mediating effect of maternal postnatal attachment was − 0.0847 (95% CI: -0.1304 to -0.0438), accounting for 25.00% of the total effect. Conclusion: Our study revealed that perceived social support could influence postpartum stress not only through direct effect (41.80% of the total effect), but also through the indirect effect (mediation effect) of marital satisfaction and maternal postnatal attachment (58.20% of the total effect), suggesting that improving postpartum women's social support, enhancing maternal and infant attachment, and improving their marital satisfaction could help lower postpartum stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A record-breaking precipitation event occurred in the Henan province of China in July 2021 (217HP). To identify the moisture source of the event, ensemble experiments with 120 members were conducted in this study. Results show that the precipitable water during this extreme event was primarily contributed by the low-level southeasterly (LLSE) water vapor transport. The LLSE was largely enhanced by the pressure gradient force maintained by the western Pacific subtropical high and further amplified by the latent heat release in the rainfall system over Henan. The positive moisture advection by the LLSE and evaporative water occurred below 950 hPa and was redistributed into higher levels by the LLSE jet-enhanced subgrid vertical turbulent transport. As a result, the combination of the enhanced LLSE centered around 950 hPa and the increase of moisture below 850 hPa were the main drivers for the continuous strengthening of LLSE moisture transport, with the former playing the dominant role. It is also found that not only the presence but also the intensity of the LLSE jet were important for reproducing the extreme rainfall. The impact of binary tropical cyclones In-Fa and Cempaka on the low-level moisture transport was also examined. We found that In-Fa (2021) presented an uncertain impact on 217HP, while Cempaka (2021) was found to be unfavorable for 217HP. Different from the LLSE water vapor transport, Cempaka mainly acted to weaken the southwesterly wind to the southwest of Henan by reducing the pressure gradient and impeding the water vapor transport toward Henan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The innate immune system of insects can recognize various pathogens that invade insects and make rapid immune responses. However, excessive immune activation is detrimental to the survival of insects. Nub gene of the OCT/POU family plays an important role in regulating the intestinal IMD pathway. In this study, an important horticultural pest, Bactrocera dorsalis, was adopted to study its high adaptability in complex habitats. Through NCBI database analysis, we found that the BdNub gene of B. dorsalis produced two transcription isoforms, BdNubX1 and BdNubX2. After Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli with system infection, the immunoeffector genes of Imd signaling pathway, antimicrobial peptides Diptcin (Dpt), Cecropin (Cec), AttcinA (AttA), AttcinB (AttB) and AttcinC (AttC) were significantly up-regulated. The expression levels of antimicrobial peptide genes Dpt, Cec, AttA, AttB, and AttC were significantly up-regulated at 6 h and 9 h after intestinal infection with the Gram-negative bacterium Providencia rettgeri. RNAi showed that the silencing of the BdNubX1 and BdNubX2 genes could make the gut more sensitive to Providencia rettgeri infection, reduce the survival rate significantly, and cause changes in the gut microbiota's structure. These results suggest that the maintenance of immune balance plays an important role in B. dorsalis high invasiveness. Insects face immune challenges posed by invading and indigenous bacteria. They rely on the immune system to clear these microorganisms. However, the immune response can be harmful to the host. Therefore, fine-tuning the immune response to maintain tissue homeostasis is of great importance to the survival of insects. The Nub gene of the OCT/POU family regulates the intestinal IMD pathway. However, the role of the Nub gene in regulating host microbiota remains unstudied. Here, a combination of bioinformatic tools, RNA interference, and qPCR methods were adopted to study BdNub gene function in Bactrocera dorsalis gut immune system. It's found that BdNubX1, BdNubX2, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including Diptcin (Dpt), Cecropin (Cec), AttcinA (Att A), AttcinB (Att B) and AttcinC (Att C) are significantly up-regulated in Tephritidae fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis after gut infection. Silencing BdNubX1 leads to down-regulated AMPs expression, while BdNubX2 RNAi leads to increased expression of AMPs. These results indicate that BdNubX1 is a positive regulatory gene of the IMD pathway, while BdNubX2 negatively regulates IMD pathway activity. Further studies also revealed that BdNubX1 and BdNubX2 are associated with gut microbiota composition, possibly through regulation of IMD pathway activity. Our results prove that the Nub gene is evolutionarily conserved and participates in maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rainfall distribution in a tropical cyclone (TC) is affected by many factors/processes. Most of previous studies have focused on individual TCs. Little is known about the rainfall distribution in binary TCs. This study examines the rainfall distribution in binary TCs over the western North Pacific based on the observational data. When two TCs become nearby, the asymmetric component of rainfall shows an increasing trend with rainfall significantly suppressed in Quadrant IV of the TC located to the west when orienting the two TCs in the west‐east direction. The suppression becomes remarkable once the separation distance between the two TCs is within about 2,050 km. Furthermore, the convective activity in one TC is related to the deep‐layer vertical wind shear (VWS) from its companion. Rainfall is enhanced downshear‐left in a TC, consistent with a single TC embedded in an environmental VWS as found in previous studies. Plain Language Summary: The rainfall distribution in each tropical cyclone (TC) of binary‐TC systems may be more complicated than that in a single TC. Whether the rainfalls of binary TCs have some special features has not been studied before. This observational study examines the rainfall distribution in binary TCs over the western North Pacific during 2001–2020. The results show that the asymmetric component of TC rainfalls strengthened with the decreasing of the separation distance between the two TCs. If orient binary TCs in the west‐east direction, the rainfalls of the western TC were distinctly weakened in its Quadrant IV. The suppression effect cannot be neglected within 2,050‐km separation distance between binary TCs. Composite analyses indicate that the asymmetric rainfalls in one of the binary TCs were related to the deep‐layer vertical wind shear induced by its companion. The consistent pattern of rainfall asymmetry indicates a highly predictable component of rainfall distribution at vortex‐scale in binary TCs and can help improve the precipitation forecast of binary TCs. Key Points: The rainfall asymmetry increases with the decreasing separation distance between binary tropical cyclones (TCs)If the two TCs are oriented west‐east and within about 2,050 km, rainfall in the western TC is suppressed in its Quadrant IVThe asymmetric convective activity in one TC can be explained by the deep‐layer vertical wind shear from its companion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiDAR placement and field of view selection play a role in detecting the relative position and pose of vehicles in relocation maps based on high-precision map automatic navigation. When the LiDAR field of view is obscured or the LiDAR position is misplaced, this can easily lead to loss of repositioning or low repositioning accuracy. In this paper, a method of LiDAR layout and field of view selection based on high-precision map normal distribution transformation (NDT) relocation is proposed to solve the problem of large NDT relocation error and position loss when the occlusion field of view is too large. To simulate the real placement environment and the LiDAR obstructed by obstacles, the ROI algorithm is used to cut LiDAR point clouds and to obtain LiDAR point cloud data of different sizes. The cut point cloud data is first downsampled and then relocated. The downsampling points for NDT relocation are recorded as valid matching points. The direction and angle settings of the LiDAR point cloud data are optimized using RMSE values and valid matching points. The results show that in the urban scene with complex road conditions, there are more front and rear matching points than left and right matching points within the unit angle. The more matching points of the NDT relocation algorithm there are, the higher the relocation accuracy. Increasing the front and rear LiDAR field of view prevents the loss of repositioning. The relocation accuracy can be improved by increasing the left and right LiDAR field of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Fe-Cr-B-Al-Ti coatings were fabricated via laser cladding to improve the wear resistance of 2Cr13 steels. The effects of laser scanning rate and Ti content on the microstructural evolutions, dilution rate, microhardness, and wear resistance of Fe-Cr-B-Al-Ti coatings were investigated. The results show that the laser scanning rate and Ti content do not change the types of the matrix (α-(Fe, Cr, Al) solid solution martensite) and the eutectic phases (TiC, M7C3, M2B, and M23(C, B)6) of the coatings. The Fe-Cr-B-Al-Ti coating with a 1.5 wt.% Ti content and laser scanning rate of 4 mm/s (1.5Ti + 4 mm/s) exhibit the highest microhardness and lowest wear rate. This is mainly attributed to the improved synergistic effect of precipitation strengthening, solid solution strengthening, and fine grain strengthening. The wear mechanism of the 2Cr13 substrate is primarily composed of abrasive, adhesive, and oxidation wear, while the 1.5Ti + 4 mm/s Fe-Cr-B-Al-Ti coating mainly exhibits slightly adhesive and oxidation wear due to the best balance of the plasticity and microhardness, suggesting the best wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of high-density plasmas on the surface of porous catalysts is very important for plasma catalysis, as it determines the active surface of the catalyst that is available for the reaction. In this work, we investigate the mechanism of surface and volume plasma streamer formation and propagation near micro-sized pores in dielectric barrier discharges operating in air at atmospheric pressure. A two-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision model is used to model the individual kinetic behavior of plasma species. Our calculations indicate that the surface discharge is enhanced on the surface of the catalyst pores compared with the microdischarge inside the catalyst pores. The reason is that the surface ionization wave induces surface charging along the catalyst pore sidewalls, leading to a strong electric field along the pore sidewalls, which in turn further enhances the surface discharge. Therefore, highly concentrated reactive species occur on the surfaces of the catalyst pores, indicating high-density plasmas on the surface of porous catalysts. Indeed, the maximum electron impact excitation and ionization rates occur on the pore surface, indicating the more pronounced production of excited state and electron-ion pairs on the pore surface than inside the pore, which may profoundly affect the plasma catalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct conversion of diluted CO2 to value-added chemical stocks and fuels with solar energy is an energy-saving approach to relieve global warming and realize a carbon-neutral cycle. The exploration of catalysts with both efficient CO2 adsorption and reduction ability is significant to achieving this goal. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging in the field of low-concentration CO2 reduction due to their highly tunable structure, high porosity, abundant active sites and excellent CO2 adsorption capacity. This highlight outlines the advantages of MOFs for low-pressure CO2 adsorption and the strategies to improve the photocatalytic performance of MOF materials at low CO2 concentrations, including the functionalization of organic ligands, regulation of metal nodes and preparation of MOF composites or derivatives. This paper aims to provide possible avenues for the rational design and development of catalysts with the ability to reduce low-concentration CO2 efficiently for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editorial Board of the Archives of Medical Research after receiving a complaint reporting that the article was based on an unreliable or non-existent statistical method. After analyzing the complaint and carefully reviewing the article, the Editorial Board contacted the corresponding author following due process and received no response. The Editorial Board no longer has confidence in the article and therefore decided to retract the article. Apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the review process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of acupuncture combined with sertraline or paroxetine in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Methods: A total of 150 cases of patients with depression and anxiety from March 2016 to August 2017 were selected and randomly divided into three groups as the sole western medicine group, combined group A and combined group B with 50 cases in each group. Patients in the sole western medicine group were treated with paroxetine. Patients in the combined group A were treated with acupuncture and sertraline. Patients in the combined group B were treated with acupuncture and paroxetine. The scores of Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Adverse Reaction Scale (TESS) before and after treatment, and the clinical therapeutic effects of the three groups were compared and analyzed. Results: After treatment, the scores of HAMA and HAMD of the three groups improved to some extent. The scores of HAMA and HAMD of the combined group A and the combined group B were lower than the sole western medicine group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Moreover, improvement of HAMA and HAMD scores of the combined group A was better than the combined group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). After treatment, the scores of TESS of the combined group A and the combined group B were lower than the sole western medicine group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Moreover, there was no statistical significance between the combined group A and the combined group B in safety (P > 0.05). After treatment, the clinical therapeutic effects of the combined group A and the combined group B were better than the sole western medicine group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Moreover, effective rate of the combined group A was higher than the combined group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: All the therapeutic methods in the three groups can improve clinical symptoms of patients with depression and anxiety. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment combined with sertraline is the best and the safety is higher, and there is strong clinical feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological materials can be shipped off-site for diagnostic, therapeutic and research purposes. They usually are kept in certain environments for their final application during transportation. However, active reagent handling during transportation from a collection site to a laboratory or biorepository has not been reported yet. In this paper, we show the application of a micro-controlled centrifugal microfluidic system inside a shipping container that can add reagent to an actively cultured human blood sample during transportation to ensure a rapid biodosimetry of cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. The newly demonstrated concept could have a significant impact on rapid biodosimetry triage for medical countermeasure in a radiological disaster. It also opens a new capability in accelerated sample processing during transportation for biomedical and healthcare applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐metal (Li) electrode has been regarded as an excellent option to increase the energy density of next‐generation secondary batteries due to its low electrochemical potential and ultrahigh theoretical capacity. However, Li electrodes suffer from poor Coulombic efficiency (CE) and uneven lithium deposition issues during cycling that severely restrain its application. Herein, ammonium perfluoro(2‐methyl‐3‐oxahexanoate) (APFA), a pragmatic anionic surfactant, is introduced as an electrolyte additive to regulate the deposition behavior of lithium. Different from the conventional sacrificial additives that reinforce solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers on Li electrodes, the PFA− anions are mainly adsorbed on the Li surface, which improves the electron transfer step kinetics due to the ψ1 effect. The introduction of APFA in the electrolyte promises homogeneous and highly dense lithium deposition and the LiLi symmetric cell with APFA can operate over 4000 h with excellent stability and low polarization. This work provides a facile and promising strategy for fabricating stable Li anode for high‐energy‐density secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and cyclic oxidation behaviour of Hf and Zr co-doped B2 NiAl single-crystal alloys at 1473 K were investigated. Hf and Zr co-precipitated into one phase during alloy manufacturing. The RE-free single-crystal alloy obtained a double-layered alumina film comprised of outer equiaxed grains and inner columnar grains and exhibited lower oxidation rate than the corresponding poly-crystal alloy, while the co-doped single-crystal alloy displayed higher oxidation rate than the RE-free single-crystal alloy and no synergistic effect was discovered. The effect of Hf and Zr co-doping on the growth behaviour of the alumina film was discussed. It is proposed that the existence of grain boundaries is an important precondition for activating the reactive element effect. The absence of grain boundaries significantly weakened the positive effect of Hf and Zr co-doping and distinctly magnified its negative effect on the cyclic oxidation resistance of the alloy in the meantime. Cyclic oxidation behaviour of Hf and Zr co-doped NiAl single-crystals is compared. The undoped alloy obtains a double-layered alumina film during oxidation. The co-doped alloy shows higher alumina film growth rate than the undoped alloy. The absence of alloy grain boundaries suppresses the reactive element effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No tropical cyclone (TC) formed over the western North Pacific (WNP) in July 2020, which is record‐breaking. Some recent studies suggested that this extreme event was mainly caused by the strong WNP subtropical high (WNPSH) in July 2020, which might not be the only reason. In this study, results from statistical and composite analyses indicate that the strong WNPSH, the strong South Asian high, the westward extended tropical upper‐tropospheric trough, and the weak South Asian summer monsoon are all detrimental to TC genesis over the WNP and might contribute to the absence of TCs in July 2020. Results from sensitivity experiments using a regional atmospheric model that can resolve TCs further demonstrate that it was the collective effect, not any of the individual large‐scale circulation anomalies, that induced the extremely unfavorable conditions for TC genesis and thus led to the record‐breaking inactive TC month. Plain Language Summary: Tropical cyclones (TCs) become more active during the typhoon season (from July to September) over the western North Pacific (WNP). However, it is an exception in the records that no TC formed over the WNP in July 2020. Some recent studies suggest that this extreme event was mainly caused by the strong WNP subtropical high (WNPSH) in July 2020. This study identified four large‐scale circulation anomalies that are detrimental to TC genesis over the WNP and might contribute to this extremely inactive TC event, including the strong WNPSH, the strong South Asian high (SAH), the westward extended tropical upper‐tropospheric trough, and the weak South Asian summer monsoon (SASM). The strong WNPSH reduced the mid‐level moisture and the low‐level vorticity; the strong SAH and the westward shift of the tropical upper‐tropospheric trough increased the deep‐level vertical wind shear; and the weak SASM could not provide sufficient low‐level relative vorticity. It is the combined effect, not any of the individual large‐scale circulation anomalies, that induced the extremely unfavorable conditions for TC genesis and led to the absence of TCs over the WNP in July 2020. Key Points: No tropical cyclone (TC) formed over the western North Pacific (WNP) in July 2020, an extreme month that has never occurred in historyIt is due to the combination of anomalies in the WNP subtropical high, the South Asian high, the South Asian summer monsoon, and the tropical upper‐tropospheric troughTC‐resolving numerical experiments demonstrate the detrimental contributions of all the four large‐scale atmospheric circulations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a shipping container that enables a disruptive logistics for cytogenetic biodosimetry for radiation countermeasures through pre-processing cell culture during transportation. The container showed precise temperature control (< 0.01 °C) with uniform sample temperature (< 0.1 °C) to meet the biodosimetry assay requirements. Using an existing insulated shipping box and long shelf life alkaline batteries makes it ideal for national stockpile. Dose curve of cytogenetic biodosimetry assay using the shipping container showed clear dose response and high linear correlation with the control dose curve using a laboratory incubator (Pearson’s correlation coefficient: 0.992). The container’s ability of pre-processing biological samples during transportation could have a significant impact on radiation countermeasure, as well as potential impacts in other applications such as biobanking, novel molecular or cell-based assays or therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impatiens shangjiangensis Y.Y. Cong & J.Z. Gu, a new species of Balsaminaceae from Lushui County, Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to I. bahanensis, but differs from it in having bigger flowers, a curved-saccate lower sepal, and a reniform dorsal petal. Pollen grains are also different in the two species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel method to address the challenges associated with reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) of a class of problems, namely design of a linear system with random structural parameters subject to stochastic excitation. This method effectively estimates the failure probability as an explicit function of the design variables by representing the failure probability function (FPF) as a weighted average of sample values, which are generated by means of a single reliability analysis. The resulting estimation of the FPF is then used to decouple the target RBDO problem into a deterministic optimization problem, which can be solved by any appropriate deterministic optimization algorithm. In addition, a sequential approximate optimization framework is adopted to iteratively seek the solution of the RBDO problem. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the high accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The normalized distributions of thermodynamic and dynamical variables both within and outside shallow clouds are investigated through a composite algorithm using large‐eddy simulations of oceanic and continental cases. The normalized magnitude is maximum near the cloud centre and decreases outwards. While relative humidity (RH) and cloud liquid water (ql) decrease smoothly to match the environment, the vertical velocity, virtual potential temperature (θv), and potential temperature (θ) perturbations have more complicated behaviour towards the cloud boundary. Below the inversion layer, θv′ becomes negative before the vertical velocity has turned from an updraft to a subsiding shell outside the cloud, indicating the presence of a transition zone where the updraft is negatively buoyant. Due to the downdraft outside the cloud and enhanced horizontal turbulent mixing across the edge, the normalized turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and horizontal turbulent kinetic energy (HTKE) decrease more slowly from the cloud centre outwards than the thermodynamic variables. The distributions all present asymmetric structures in response to the vertical wind shear, with more negatively buoyant air, stronger downdrafts, and larger TKE on the downshear side. We discuss several implications of the distributions for theoretical models and parameterizations. Positive buoyancy near the cloud base is mostly due to the virtual effect of water vapour, emphasizing the role of moisture in triggering. The mean vertical velocity is found to be approximately half the maximum vertical velocity within each cloud, providing a constraint to achieve possible power‐law distributions for some models. Finally, the normalized distributions for different variables are used to estimate the vertical heat and moisture fluxes within clouds. The results suggest that distributions near the cloud edge and variability of maximum perturbations need careful treatment. The fluxes are underestimated in the inversion layer because cloud‐top downdrafts cannot be captured well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SiC green body with ultra-high relative density (76.5 vol%) was fabricated. • SiC p /SiC was fabricated after only 4 PIP cycles by using the dense green body. • The 4 PIP cycles were finished within 2.5 days by the fast pyrolysis using SPS. • The hardness of the SiC p /SiC increased from 21 to 24 GPa after heating at 2000℃. • The composites have high hardness and excellent thermal stability. SiC particulate-reinforced SiC ceramic matrix composites (SiC p /SiC) were fabricated by a modified polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The effects of pyrolysis conditions, green density, and polymer infiltration method on the densification and properties of the SiC p /SiC were investigated. SiC p /SiC with high relative density up to 88.06 % was fabricated after 4 PIP cycles by adopting high green density of SiC pellet (76.5 %) provided from drying the high solid loaded (70 vol. %) SiC slurry and fast SPS pyrolysis. The highest hardness of 21.05 ± 2.4 GPa was achieved for the as-fabricated SiC p /SiC, and the hardness value increased up to 23.99 ± 1.8 GPa after heat treatment at 2000℃. The improvement was attributed to the thermally stable SiC fillers, and partial sintering between the fillers and precursor derived ceramics (PDC) matrix. The excellent mechanical property, thermal stability, and short processing time render the SiC p /SiC composite a challenging candidate for high-temperature application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the role of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation in laparoscopic hepatectomy and investigate if the timing of its administration influences the intraoperative observation. Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were 120 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy; divided into an ICG-FN group (n = 57) and a non-ICG-FN group (n = 63). We analyzed the baseline data and operative data. Results: There were no remarkable differences in baseline data such as demographic characteristics, lesion-related characteristics, and liver function parameters between the groups. Operative time and intraoperative blood loss were significantly lower in the ICG-FN group. The rate of R0 resection of malignant tumors was comparable in the ICG-FN and non-ICG-FN groups, but the wide surgical margin rate was significantly higher in the ICG-FN group. The administration of ICG 0–3 or 4–7 days preoperatively did not affect the intraoperative fluorescence imaging. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and a wide surgical margin correlated with ICG fluorescence navigation. ICG fluorescence navigation helped to minimize intraoperative blood loss and achieve a wide surgical margin. Conclusion: ICG fluorescence navigation is safe and efficient in laparoscopic hepatectomy. It helps to achieve a wide surgical margin, which could result in a better prognosis. The administration of ICG 0–3 days preoperatively is acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the calculation method of the link travel time is firstly analysed in the continuous traffic flow by using the detection data collected when vehicles pass through urban links, and a theoretical derivation formula for estimating link travel time is proposed by considering the typical vehicle travel time and the time headway deviation upstream and downstream of the links as the main parameters. A typical vehicle analysis method based on link travel time similarity is proposed, and the theoretical formula is optimized, respectively. Then, an estimation formula based on maximum travel time similarity and an estimation formula based on maximum travel time confidence interval similarity are proposed, respectively. Finally, when analysing the fitting conditions, the collected data from urban roads in Nanjing are used to verify the proposed travel time estimation method based on the radio frequency identification devices. The results show that time headway deviation converges to zero when the hourly vehicle volume is more than 20 veh/h in the certain flow direction, and there are more positive and negative fluctuations when the hourly vehicle volume is less than 10 veh/h in the certain flow direction. The accuracy of the proposed improved method based on typical vehicle travel time estimation is significantly improved by considering the typical vehicle travel time, and typical vehicles on the road segment mainly exist at the tail of the traffic platoon in the corresponding period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of heating method on the pyrolysis behavior, crystallinity and ceramic yield of a SiC-based precursor-derived ceramic (PDC) were investigated using commercial allylhydrido-polycarbosilane (AHPCS) precursors, spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus and tube furnace. The heating rate of SPS was ten times faster than that of tube furnace. Consequently, the total time of precursor impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP) process decreased distinctly after several PIP cycles. PDCs fabricated by SPS had higher crystallinity than those prepared by tube furnace. The crystallinity of PDCs was 70.4 and 65.1 %, respectively, after the pyrolysis using SPS and tube furnace at 1400℃ for 1h. The highest crystallinity of 82.92 % was achieved after the pyrolysis at 1500℃ for 2h using SPS. The ceramic yield of the precursor was not strongly affected by the heating method. This study provides a promising method for the pyrolysis of ceramic precursors with short processing time and improved thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile method was used to prepare graphene from discarded polyethylene plastic bags in our work. In order to make high-quality graphene, PE plastic bags were ultrasonically cleaned, ball milled and microwave sintered successively. The height of the 2D band was 1.3 times that of the G band, which reveals that the layer number of as-prepared graphene was 1–2. The atomic ratio of C and O for graphene was more than 54, which indicates that it mainly consists of carbon. The size of graphene was within 4–10 μm. Bi-layer sheets were inevitably observed through high resolution imaging of graphene edges. The BET SSA and the electrical conductivity of graphene were 1521.3 m2 g−1 and 4618 S m−1, respectively. This work provides a new approach to large-scale and high-quality synthesis of graphene from waste polluting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking a study area in Jinzhong Basin in Qixian County, Shanxi Province, as an example, this work performs an intelligent interpretation of ground fissures. On the basis of a complete analysis of the regional geological background in the study area, dip-steering cube operation and median filtering of seismic data were performed using fast Fourier transform to improve the continuity of seismic events and eliminate random noise. A total of 200 stratigraphic continuous sample training points and 500 discontinuous training points were obtained from the processed seismic data. Thereafter, a variety of attributes (coherence, curvature, amplitude, frequency, etc.) were extracted as the input for the multilayer perceptron neural network training. During the training period, the training results were traced by normalized root mean square error (RMSE) and misclassification. The training results showed a downward trend during the training period. The misclassification curve was stable at 0.3, and the normalized RMSE curve was stable at 0.68. When the value of the normalized RMSE curve reached the minimum, the training was terminated, and the training results were extended to the whole data volume to obtain the attribute cube of intelligent ground fissure detection. The characteristics of ground fissures were analyzed and identified from the sections and slices. A total of 11 ground fissures were finally interpreted. The interpretation results showed that the dip angles were 60°–85°, the fault throws were 0–43 m, and the extension lengths were 300–1,100 m in the whole area. The strike of 73% of the ground fissures was consistent with the direction of the regional tectonic settings. Specifically, four ground fissures coincided with the surface disclosed, and the verification rate reached 100%. In conclusion, the intelligent ground fissure detection attribute based on the dip-steering cube is effective in predicting the spatial distribution of ground fissures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study takes the first step to bridge the gap between the pressure drag of a shallow cloud ensemble and that of an individual cloud composed of rising thermals. It is found that the pressure drag for a cloud ensemble is primarily controlled by the dynamical component. The dominance of dynamical pressure drag and its increased magnitude with height are independent of cloud lifetime and are common features of individual clouds except that the total drag of a single cloud over life cycle presents vertical oscillations. These oscillations are associated with successive rising thermals but are further complicated by the evaporation‐driven downdrafts outside the cloud. The horizontal vorticity associated with the vortical structure is amplified as the thermals rise to higher altitudes due to continuous baroclinic vorticity generation. This leads to the increased magnitude of local minima of dynamical pressure perturbation with height and consequently to increased dynamical pressure drag. Plain Language Summary: Shallow cumulus clouds play a crucial role in the Earth's energy budget by vertically redistributing momentum, heat, and moisture from the surface to the free atmosphere, but they cannot be explicitly resolved in current numerical models. Therefore, a reasonable parameterization of vertical velocity of shallow cumulus clouds is critical for improving weather forecast and climate projections. Recent studies suggest that these clouds are composed of sticky rising thermals whose vertical velocity is mainly controlled by the buoyancy source and the drag due to the pressure perturbation. However, little is known about how the pressure drag of thermals can be related to that of a large ensemble of clouds, which is the focus of convection parameterization in climate models. This study finds that the pressure drag of a cloud ensemble increases with height and is dominated by the dynamical component. The pressure drag of individual clouds shares similar features except that there are frequent oscillations in the vertical related with successive rising thermals. The increased pressure drag with height is due to the continuous baroclinic generation of horizontal vorticity along with the rising thermals. These findings could provide useful insights for a reasonable representation of pressure drag in a parameterization. Key Points: The dynamical pressure drag dominates the total pressure drag of a cloud ensemble and increases with heightThe pressure drag of individual clouds shares similar features except for frequent oscillations produced by successive rising thermalsContinuous baroclinic generation of horizontal vorticity associated with rising thermals leads to the increased pressure drag with height [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitis is a dental plaque–induced chronic inflammatory disease. Long-term exposure of the host to periodontal pathogens leads to a hyporesponsive state to the following stimulations, which is described as endotoxin tolerance. Neutrophils are the most abundant innate immune cells in the body. To clarify the roles of endotoxin tolerance in periodontitis, inflammatory responses in Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–tolerized neutrophils were explored in this study. Here, apoptosis and respiratory burst in neutrophils upon single or repeated P. gingivalis LPS stimulations were explored by flow cytometry. Cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10) in tolerized neutrophils or neutrophils co-cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells was determined by ELISA. Phagocytosis of P. gingivalis by tolerized neutrophils was also assayed by flow cytometry. In addition, quality and quantitation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation were detected using immunofluorescence microscope and microplate reader, respectively. The protein expressions of extracellular signal–regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) were examined to identify possible mechanisms for the abovementioned changes. Tolerance induced by P. gingivalis LPS significantly suppressed apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and phagocytosis in neutrophils (p < 0.05). In both neutrophils alone and co-culture system, repeated P. gingivalis LPS stimulations significantly decreased TNF-α production, but increased IL-10 secretion (p < 0.05). Moreover, in tolerized neutrophils, NET formations were strengthened and there were more released extracellular DNA (p < 0.05). In P. gingivalis LPS-tolerized neutrophils, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was suppressed compared with that in non-tolerized cells. Taken together, immune responses in neutrophils were reprogrammed by P. gingivalis LPS-induced tolerance, which might be related with the development of inflammation in periodontal tissues. Moreover, ERK1/2 might play important roles in endotoxin tolerance triggered by P. gingivalis LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the particle swarm optimization algorithm, we conducted an extensive search for the high-pressure stable structure of technetium diboride (TcB2) within the pressure range of 0–400 GPa. At zero pressure, the P63/mmc (hP6-TcB2) structure is considered the ground state configuration. As the pressure increases, a structural transition from hP6-TcB2 to P6/mmm (hP3-TcB2) occurs at approximately 174.9 GPa. We discuss the bonding between the two distinct phases and analyze the contribution of different atomic bonds to maintaining their structural stability. Meanwhile, the temperature–pressure phase diagram of TcB2 was successfully determined for the first time through the quasi-harmonic approximation method. It is predicted that the transition pressure from hP6-TcB2 to hP3-TcB2 can be reduced to about 164 GPa at a room temperature of 300 K. These results provide valuable insights into the behavior of TcB2 under different temperature and pressure conditions and open up new possibilities for exploring its potential applications in a variety of environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early detection of compromised circulation is essential for postoperative monitoring of free flap. Hourly clinical check-ups such as inspection and palpation still result in a delay in detection. Conversely, optical reflection and temperature measurement are useful alternatives for detecting blood circulation. However, conventional methods that verify ischemia and congestion within a short period have not been reported. In this study, we measured short-term changes in optical reflection and temperature in a rat flap using a wearable flexible sensor probe previously developed in our laboratory. Five ischemia and five congestion groin flap models were measured using a sensor probe and reference devices. Curve fitting was performed on transition signals to evaluate changes in signals and their time constants. The optical reflection signal decreased after venous ligation and increased after arterial ligation. The parameters of the fitted curves indicate a significant difference between congestion and ischemia at p < 0.01 (probability value), which was detected within a few minutes after ligation. However, insufficient significance was observed in the temperature signal. Our method gives supporting information to verify ischemia and congestion, and has the potential to rapidly detect compromised circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, bulk mass flux formulations for turbulent fluxes are evaluated for shallow and deep convection using large-eddy simulation data. The bulk mass flux approximation neglects two sources of variability: the interobject variability due to differences between the average properties of different cloud objects, and the intraobject variability due to perturbations within each cloud object. Using a simple cloud-environment decomposition, the interobject and intraobject contributions to the heat flux are comparable in magnitude with that from the bulk mass flux approximation, but do not share a similar vertical distribution, and so cannot be parameterized with a rescaling method. A downgradient assumption is also not appropriate to parameterize the neglected flux contributions because a nonnegligible part is associated with nonlocal buoyant structures. A spectral analysis further suggests the presence of fine structures within the clouds. These points motivate investigations in which the vertical transports are decomposed based on the distribution of vertical velocity. As a result, a "core-cloak" conceptual model is proposed to improve the representation of total vertical fluxes, composed of a strong and a weak draft for both the updrafts and downdrafts. It is shown that the core-cloak representation can well capture the magnitude and vertical distribution of heat and moisture fluxes for both shallow and deep convection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous BaTiO3 (a‐BTO) thin films are deposited on p‐Si(111) substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering without extra substrate heating. The microstructure of a‐BTO thin films is modified by postannealing at low temperatures (260–600 °C) in air. The results show that distorted TiO6 octahedra exist in a‐BTO thin films, and the degree of distortion decreases when the annealing temperature rises. The concentration of O vacancies in the TiO6 of the thin films remains high when postannealed between 370 and 460 °C, and a built‐in electric field across the a‐BTO/p‐Si heterojunction is established in this annealing temperature range. This built‐in electric field is regulated by controlling the concentration of O vacancies from the TiO6. The tunable C–V characteristic of the Au/a‐BTO/p‐Si metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) capacitor is obtained by modulating the built‐in electric field at the heterojunction, and the flat band voltage of the MOS capacitor shifts from about −3 V to at least −13 V when the postannealing temperature increases from 260 to 420 °C. This kind of tunable built‐in electric field at the a‐BTO/p‐Si heterojunction, controlled by modifying the microstructure of amorphous oxide thin films, has never been observed before, which will be useful for MOS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunction is the leading cause of reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and apoptosis in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Ursodeoxycholyl lysophosphatidylethanolamide (UDCA‐LPE) is a hepatotargeted agent that exerts hepatoprotective roles by regulating lipid metabolism. Our previous studies have shown that UDCA‐LPE improves hepatic I/R injury by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation. However, the role of UDCA‐LPE in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in hepatic I/R remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of UDCA‐LPE in hepatic I/R by focusing on the interface of phospholipid metabolism and mitochondrial homeostasis. Livers from 28‐week‐old mice, primary hepatocytes and HepG2 cells were subjected to in vivo and in vitro I/R, respectively. Analyses of oxidative stress, imaging, ATP generation, genetics, and lipidomics showed that I/R was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and a reduction in phospholipids. UDCA‐LPE alleviated mitochondria‐dependent oxidative stress and apoptosis and prevented the decrease of phospholipid levels. Our study found that cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), a phospholipase that is activated during I/R, hydrolyzed mitochondrial membrane phospholipids and led to mitochondria‐mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis. UDCA‐LPE inhibited the interaction between cPLA2 and mitochondria and reduced phospholipid hydrolysis‐mediated injury. UDCA‐LPE might regulate the crosstalk between the phospholipid metabolism and the mitochondria, restore mitochondrial function and ameliorate I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiC slurry with ultra‐high concentration up to 70 vol% was prepared using oxidized fine and coarse SiC powder mixture, and dense SiC green body with a relative density of 76% was fabricated by drying the slurry at ambient condition. Three approaches were performed to prepare highly concentrated SiC slurry; preparation of SiC powder having good dispersion behavior, optimization of the oxidation condition, and optimization of bi‐modal particle size distribution. An aqueous slurry with the solid loading up to 62 vol% could be prepared using fine (150 nm) SiC powder prepared by the mechanical alloying of Si and carbon. The surface property of the fine and coarse (10 μm) SiC powders was optimized using an oxidation treatment. The maximum solid loading of the fine SiC slurry prepared using oxidized powder was 66 vol%. By optimizing the mixing ratio of the oxidized fine and coarse SiC powder to 75:25, the solid loading of the SiC slurry could increase up to 70 vol%. The relative densities of the green bodies after drying 66, 68, and 70 vol% slurries were 69, 75.7, and 76.1%, respectively, which values were higher than those (58%) prepared by cold isostatic pressing under 200 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) dispersant and pH on the dispersion behavior of aqueous SiC slurry were investigated. High solid loading up to 62 vol% with low viscosity (202 mPa s) was achieved using fine SiC powders prepared by mechanical alloying process with the average diameter of 152 nm. The property analysis of the slurry in terms of zeta potential, particle size, sedimentation, TG-DTA analysis, and rheological measurements indicated that the optimum pH value and dispersant content of the highly concentrated slurry were pH 9 and 0.4 wt%, respectively. A SiC green body with the relative density of 62.9% was made by drying 62 vol% SiC slurry in an drying oven at 80 °C. Crack formation did not occur during drying because of the high solid loading and consequent low shrinkage rate (0.097%). In contrast, those prepared by cold isostatic press (CIP) under 200 MPa had a lower relative density of 58.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the development of system for packaging critical components of the traditional collection kit to make an integrated fingerstick blood collector for self-collecting blood samples of 100 μl or more for radiation countermeasures. A miniaturized vacuum tube system (VacuStor system) has been developed to facilitate liquid reagent storage, simple operation and reduced sample contamination. Vacuum shelf life of the VacuStor tube has been analyzed by the ideal gas law and gas permeation theory, and multiple ways to extend vacuum shelf life beyond one year have been demonstrated, including low temperature storage, Parylene barrier coating and container vacuum bag sealing. Self-collection was also demonstrated by healthy donors without any previous fingerstick collection experience. The collected blood samples showed similar behavior in terms of gene expression and cytogenetic biodosimetry assays comparing to the traditionally collected samples. The integrated collector may alleviate the sample collection bottleneck for radiation countermeasures following a large-scale nuclear event, and may be useful in other applications with its self-collection and liquid reagent sample preprocessing capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug resistance is still a big challenge for cancer patients. We previously demonstrated that inhibiting peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PADI2) enzyme activity with Cl-amine increases the efficacy of docetaxel (Doc) on tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells with PADI2 expression. However, it is not clear whether this effect applies to other tumour cells. Here, we collected four types of tumour cells with different PADIs expression and fully evaluated the inhibitory effect of the combination of PADIs inhibitor (BB-Cla) and Doc in vitro and in vivo on tumour cell growth. Results show that inhibiting PADIs combined with Doc additively inhibits tumour cell growth across the four tumour cells. PADI2-catalysed citrullination of MEK1 Arg 189 exists in the four tumour cells, and blocking the function of MEK1 Cit189 promotes the anti-tumour effect of Doc in these tumour cells. Further analysis shows that inhibiting MEK1 Cit189 decreases the expression of cancer cell stemness factors and helps prevent cancer cell stemness maintenance. Importantly, this combined treatment can partially restore the sensitivity of chemotherapy-resistant cells to docetaxel or cisplatin in tumour cells. Thus, our study provides an experimental basis for the combined therapeutic approaches using docetaxel- and PADIs inhibitors-based strategies in tumour treatment. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'The virtues and vices of protein citrullination'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comb-type perfobond rib shear connector that can be applied to a prefabricated steel and concrete composite bridge is proposed in this paper by arranging perfobond rib shear connectors (hereinafter referred to as PBL shear connectors) at intervals. The mechanical property of shear resistance is investigated through experimental and numerical methods. Push-out tests covering various design variables and a comparison between comb-type and conventional PBL shear connectors are conducted. FEM models are established to simulate the test and for further studying the mechanism during entire loading process. The proposal mechanism of connectors under shear load was developed according to the analysis based on numerical simulation. It was concluded that comb-type connectors exactly performed better in stiffness and shear capacity than conventional ones, and a conceivable reason was given according to the analysis on mechanism. • An innovated shear connector applied to prefabricated concrete and steel composite bridge is proposed. • The bearing of bottom concrete due to the raise in shear resistant of the shear connector. • The mechanical model revealed the entire process of failure under shear load is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute liver injury can result from a number of different diseases. Inflammatory cytokines are known to be involved in the development of this condition; however, their precise roles and effects on liver function remain unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between serum cytokine levels and both the severity of liver damage and recovery in acute liver injury. We enrolled 100 patients with acute liver injury caused by drug application who were hospitalized from September 2012 to September 2017 and measured serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and the cytokines, interleukin (IL)‐2 and IL‐6, before and after clinical therapy. Our results indicate that IL‐2 and IL‐6 levels are altered significantly following clinical therapy. However, with the exception of an association between IL‐2 and ALT, we found no correlation between the differences in cytokine levels pre‐ and post‐therapy and recovery of liver function. In contrast, we observed that pre‐ vs post‐treatment difference in the IL‐2/IL‐6 ratio negatively correlates with the pre‐ vs post‐treatment difference in ALT and AST values, and positively correlates with ALT and AST at 1‐month post‐discharge. Thus, our data suggest that IL‐2/IL‐6 ratio may represent a novel predictor for the prognosis of liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling of vortex tilt and convection, and their effects on the intensification variability of tropical cyclones (TCs) in directional shear flows, is investigated in this study. The height-dependent vortex tilt controls TC structural differences in clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CC) hodographs during their initial stage of development. Moist convection may enhance the coupling between displaced vortices at different levels and thus reduce the vortex tilt amplitude and enhance precession of the overall vortex tilt during the early stage of development. However, differences in the overall vortex tilt between CW and CC hodographs are further amplified by a feedback from convective heating and therefore result in much higher intensification rates for TCs in CW hodographs than those in CC hodographs. In CW hodographs, convection organization in the left-of-shear region is favored because the low-level vortex tilt is ahead of the overall vortex tilt and the TC moves to the left side of the deep-layer shear. This results in a more humid midtroposphere and stronger surface heat flux on the left side (azimuthally downwind) of the overall vortex tilt, thus providing a positive feedback and supporting continuous precession of the vortex tilt into the upshear-left region. In CC hodographs, convection tends to organize on the right side (azimuthally upwind) of the overall vortex tilt because the low-level vortex tilt is behind the overall vortex tilt and the TC moves to the right side of the deep-layer shear. In addition, convection organizes radially outward near the downshear-right region, which weakens convection within the inner region. These configurations lead to a drier midtroposphere and weaker surface heat flux in the downwind region of the overall vortex tilt and also a broader potential vorticity skirt. As a result, a negative feedback is established that prevents continuous precession of the overall vortex tilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: What is known and objective: Clinical trials have demonstrated that the use of ipilimumab has led to considerable improvements in the clinical outcome in patients with advanced melanoma. We conducted a meta‐analysis to systematically review the efficacy and safety of ipilimumab for advanced melanoma. Study design: The relevant randomized controlled trials in melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab were retrieved, and the systematic evaluation was conducted. EMBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed were searched for articles published till May 2018. Results: A total of 16 reports from 12 trials were available for the meta‐analysis. The meta‐analysis provided evidence that the combination of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) inhibitors and ipilimumab was more effective in improving progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and overall response rate (ORR) than either agent alone. However, ipilimumab was inferior to PD‐1 inhibitors in improving PFS, OS and ORR. The combination of ipilimumab and anticancer therapy was superior to ipilimumab alone in improving ORR and was superior to anticancer therapy alone in improving OS, PFS and ORR. The adverse events associated with ipilimumab therapy were generally manageable. What is new and conclusion: This is the largest and most up‐to‐date meta‐analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of ipilimumab in treating advanced melanoma. The ipilimumab‐containing therapy was efficacious in treating advanced melanoma with a manageable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to identify the network attack elements better, and solve the nonlinear data multi-classification problem of the network attack elements, this paper presents a classification model and training method based on radial basis neural network. The model uses the training sample error to construct the cost function to solve the minimum value of the cost function and improve the classification accuracy. In the training process of the model, the K-mean algorithm is improved by constructing the average difference between the samples, the number of the hidden layer nodes and the initial value of the basis function center are determined, and the influence of the hidden layer structure on the classification accuracy is reduced. The learning rate in the gradient algorithm is optimized by Q learning method, and the interference of the learning rate to the training of the network parameters is reduced. The OLS algorithm is used to adjust the weights of the hidden layer to the output layer to improve the accuracy of the model classification output. The simulation results show that the model can solve the nonlinear classification problem of network attack well, and the average accuracy rate is improved by about 9% compared with the existing classification methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper develops the sliding mode control (SMC) design for N‐coupled reaction‐diffusion parabolic PDEs with boundary input disturbances. In order to reject the disturbances, the backstepping‐based boundary SMC law is constructed to steer the system trajectory to a suitable sliding surface and then maintain sliding motion on the surface thereafter, resulting in the exponential convergence to the zero equilibrium state. The well‐posedness of the closed‐loop system is established based on a detailed spectral analysis and Riesz basis generation. Finally, a simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the SMC design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The graphene nanosheets are synthesized by modified Hummer's method, based on which the dual active metals Ni and Al doped graphene composites are prepared through in-suit reaction and self-assembly with high-temperature reduction process. The molecular structure, morphology and specific surface area of graphene nanosheets are characterized systematically. The phase composition, surface morphology and hydrogen storage properties of dual active metals Ni and Al doped graphene composites are further investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and gas reaction controller. Results show that the graphene nanosheets have typical graphene feature, whose transparent graphene edges can be observed clearly, and the specific surface area is as high as 604.2 m2 g−1. The Ni and Al doped graphene composites are composed with Ni, Al and C phases, which have high hydrogen storage capacity and excellent hydriding/dehydriding stabilities. The maximum hydrogen storage uptake of such composites is up to 5.7 wt% at 473 K, and the dehydriding efficiency is high as 96%∼97% at the dehydriding temperature of 380 K. The hydrogen adsorption and desorption rate control step of the Ni and Al doped graphene composites is complied to the nucleation and two-dimensional growth mechanism. Highlights • The maximum hydrogen storage uptake of the Ni/Al/graphene composites is up to 5.7 wt%. • The Ni/Al/graphene composites have excellent hydriding/dehydriding stabilities. • We first analyze the hydrogen desorption mechanism of Ni/Al/graphene composites. • We use JMA equation to simulate the hydrokinetic and hydrogen release reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • This meta-analysis provided a comprehensive evaluation of diarrhea in patients with cancers receiving EGFR-TKIs. • Participants assigned to treatment with one of EGFR-TKIs daily. • EGFR-TKIs significantly increase the risk of developing diarrhea in cancer patients. • The risk of all-grade and high-grade diarrhea varies significantly within drug type. • The risk of all-grade diarrhea varies significantly according to tumor type. Abstract We performed an meta-analysis to fully investigate the diarrhea of EGFR-TKIs in cancer patients. The relevant studies of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in cancer patients treated with EGFR-TKIs were retrieved and the systematic evaluation was conducted. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed were searched for articles published till August 2017. The relevant RCTs in cancer patients treated with EGFR-TKIs were retrieved and the systematic evaluation was conducted. Twenty-four RCTs and 13,748 patients were included. The current analysis suggested that the use of EGFR-TKIs increased the risk of all-grade diarrhea (RR 3.45; 95%CI, 2.94–4.06; p＜0.00001) and high-grade (≥grade 3) diarrhea (RR 8.22；95%CI, 6.02–11.23; p＜0.00001). On subgroup analysis, the risk of all-grade and high-grade diarrhea varied significantly within drug type. The risk of all-grade diarrhea varied significantly according to cancer type, whereas the risk of high-grade diarrhea did not. The risk of all-grade and high-grade diarrhea did not varied significantly based on treatment line, treatment duration and median age. The available data suggested that the use of EGFR-TKIs is associated with a significantly increased risk of diarrhea in cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]