Search

In order to effectively improve safety and stability during transportation, a shock absorber with buffering and self-locking functions was designed. Based on the rigid flexible coupling technology, the working state and dynamic response of the shock absorber were simulated and analyzed. The linear spring was treated as a flexible body, and the cam button, guide pillar, and base were treated as rigid bodies. The modal neutral files required for the rigid flexible coupling dynamic analysis were generated. Based on ADAMS, a dynamic simulation model was established, replacing a part of the rigid model with a flexible model and conducting load response analysis on it. To further improve the vibration reduction effect, the performance of the contact material of the shock absorber was analyzed. Through the calculation of dynamic characteristics, it could be known that the self-locking mechanism had no dead points, and the vibration reduction force response stability was high, meeting the working requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure good stability and safety of the tower crane under long-term heavy load conditions, modal analysis and fatigue analysis were conducted on its key components, including standard section and frame section. The connection points of each truss structure were regarded as indivisible common nodes, and the model was simplified and parameterized, resulting in improved mesh quality and computational efficiency. Based on Pro/E, standard section and frame section models were established and imported into Workbench through intermediate data formats for simulation calculations in modal and static structural modules. By calculation, the natural frequency and modal shape of the standard section, as well as the lifespan, damage, and safety factor of the frame section, were obtained. It can be seen that the standard section has good structural stability and can maintain relative balance under excitation in different directions and degrees of freedom. If the safety factor of the web components is high and the service life is improved from a structural perspective, it can be considered to increase the thickness of the chord members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorafenib is a first-line drug for liver cancer treatment, but its clinical efficacy is still limited by drawbacks such as drug tolerance, toxic effects, and low bioavailability. Therefore, it is urgent to find efficient ways to synergize sorafenib with other agents and increase its bioavailability in order to enhance its clinical efficacy. Herein, we report the successful development of a carrier-free nanoplatform of an artesunate prodrug to potentiate the efficacy of sorafenib against hepatocellular carcinoma. The artesunate prodrug was synthesized by conjugating artesunate and linoleic acid through a thioketone (TK) bond. This prodrug can self-assemble in an aqueous solution via a one-step precipitation method. Furthermore, the inclusion of sorafenib during the self-assembly process results in a carrier-free artesunate/sorafenib mixed nanomedicine (SA@NPs) with a uniform and stable particle size. In addition, SA@NPs possess ROS-responsive drug-releasing ability by breaking up thioketone bonds under high H2O2 levels in tumors. The synergistic anticancer effects of SA@NPs have been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro. SA@NPs can achieve significantly enhanced synergetic ferroptosis of tumor cells and show potentiated sorafenib efficacy against hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, SA@NPs have a tumor inhibition rate of 84.2%, which is 1.63-, 4.22-, and 1.29-fold higher than that in the experimental groups treated with free sorafenib, artesunate, and the simplified combined medication of sorafenib/artesunate, respectively. Overall, this work presents a significant advancement in the clinical chemotherapy of liver cancer and may pave the way for promising developments in the compatibility and clinical combination application of traditional Chinese medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordinated metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic remodeling are critical for modulating T cell function and differentiation. However, how the epigenetic modification controls Th17/Treg cell balance via metabolic reprogramming remains obscure. Here, we find that Setd2, a histone H3K36 trimethyltransferase, suppresses Th17 development but promotes iTreg cell polarization via phospholipid remodeling. Mechanistically, Setd2 up-regulates transcriptional expression of lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 4 (Lpcat4) via directly catalyzing H3K36me3 of Lpcat4 gene promoter in T cells. Lpcat4-mediated phosphatidylcholine PC(16:0,18:2) generation in turn limits endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress. These changes decrease HIF-1a transcriptional activity and thus suppress Th17 but enhance Treg development. Consistent with this regulatory paradigm, T cell deficiency of Setd2 aggravates neuroinflammation and demyelination in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis due to imbalanced Th17/Treg cell differentiation. Overall, our data reveal that Setd2 acts as an epigenetic brake for T cell-mediated autoimmunity through phospholipid remodeling, suggesting potential targets for treating neuroinflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous alumina fiber-reinforced alumina matrix composites (Al 2 O 3f /Al 2 O 3 composites) were produced via sol-gel process, the structure, micromorphology, and matrix properties of the composites were characterized, and then the damage mechanism was investigated using acoustic emission (AE) technology. The results showed that the composites were mainly composed of α-Al 2 O 3. When the load first increased with time in the tensile test, the composites showed low AE signal energy, and cracks started and expanded in Al 2 O 3 matrix. When the load reached its peak and abruptly declined, the number of AE signal events and accumulated energy increased dramatically. The proportion of AE signal events in the Al 2 O 3f /Al 2 O 3 composites was 0.37, and the proportion of accumulated energy was as high as 0.79, indicating that most of the fibers and the matrix were destroyed at this time. During the short-beam shear test, almost no AE signal was generated when the load rise reached the peak, and the crack instability expanded along the interlayer, resulting in delamination failure. After the initial load decreased, numerous high-energy AE signals were generated with increasing specimen deformation, and many fibers in Al 2 O 3f /Al 2 O 3 composites were crushed synchronously with the matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in plant defense responses, although such roles have not been identified in cotton in response to the plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. In this study, the functions of miR398b and its target genes in cotton-V. dahliae interaction were investigated. The transcript levels of miR398b were down-regulated by V. dahliae infection and miR398b overexpression in cotton made the plants more susceptible to V. dahliae. The results suggest that miR398b negatively regulates cotton resistance to V. dahliae. This may occur by miR398b repression of some CC-NBS-LRR genes via translational inhibition, interfering with defense responses and leading to cotton susceptibility to V. dahliae. Alternatively, miR398b may guide the cleavage of the mRNAs of GhCSD1, GhCSD2 and GhCCS, each of which functions in reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation and homeostasis, thereby causing excessive ROS accumulation in miR398b-overexpressing plants in response to V. dahliae infection. This study suggests conserved and novel roles of miR398b in the cotton-V. dahliae interaction. These discoveries may be coupled with new strategies in cotton breeding programs to improve resistance to V. dahliae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper expounded the current situation and genetic mechanisms of short-vine watermelon breeding from the aspects of material sources, breeding process and genetic characteristics of F1, hoping to provide a theoretical basis for short-vine watermelon breeding, and breeding materials for watermelon planting innovation, as well as new opportunities for high-quality and high-yield watermelon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family plays pivotal roles in the detoxification process in plants, while no information has been provided for this gene family in melon (Cucumis melo L.) thus far, limiting our understanding of its functions in melon acclimation to stressful environments. In this study, a total of 39 MATEs (CmMATE1-CmMATE39) were observed in the melon genome; these were unevenly distributed in all chromosomes, with the most on Chromosome 1. Based on their orthologous relationship with those from Arabidopsis, rice, and sorghum, melon MATEs were clustered into three subfamilies of Clades I, II, and III, wherein 23, 9, and 7 members were included, respectively. Variable exon number was observed in CmMATEs, and the most were harbored by CmMATE8. Gene ontology (GO) term and cis-regulatory element (CRE) analyses pointed to the potential roles of CmMATEs in both the regulation of melon development and acclimation to various abiotic and biotic stressors. The RNA-seq and qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) results demonstrated that under normal growth conditions, CmMATEs were expressed in a tissue- and development-specific manner, while their abundance apparently varied in a stress-dependent manner when melon plants were exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions. Altogether, these observations could expand our knowledge about the plant MATE family and benefit functional genomics analysis for CmMATEs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The rapid ultrasound in shock examination (RUSH process) is an assessment of patient’s heart function, volume status, and vasculature, which can help anesthesiologist understand the patient’s physical condition. In this study, the RUSH process was applied to elderly emergency surgery patients to evaluate whether it is beneficial to maintain the patient’s vital signs stable during the operation. Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical study one hundred elderly patients who needed general anesthesia and emergency surgery from January 2021 to July 2021 were randomly divided into RUSH group (Group-A, n=52) and control group (Group-B, n=48). The main result include the area under the intraoperative blood pressure curve (AUC), liquid input, urine output, lactic acid levels, number of vasoactive drugs used. Results: There were no significant differences in patients’ basic information, preoperative blood pressure, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluid input, intraoperative blood transfusion, and urine output. Intraoperative systolic blood pressure less than 90mmHg AUC of Group-A is less than Group-B(P<0.05), diastolic blood pressure less than 60mmHg AUC of Group-A is less than Group-B(P<0.05). After the operation, the blood gas analysis lactic acid level in Group-A was lower than that in Group-B(P<0.05). Group-A used more vasoactive drugs than Group-B(P<0.05). Conclusion: The bedside ultrasound RUSH process is of great significance for anesthesiologist to understand the preoperative physical condition of elderly emergency surgery patients, and is beneficial to maintain the stability of intraoperative vital signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general visible-light-induced catalyst-/additive-free strategy was developed for the construction of various aroylated heterocycles (55 examples, up to 95% yield, including modification of pharmaceuticals and natural products) such as thioflavones, benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-ones, indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)ones, quaternary 3,3-dialkyl 2-oxindoles, quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones, and benzo[e][1,2,3]oxathiazine 2,2-dioxides in a green solvent (dimethyl carbonate) under air and room temperature conditions. This practical acylation process was achieved using 4-acyl-1,4-dihydropyridines (acyl-DHPs) as acylating reagents under mild conditions, avoiding the use of catalysts, bases, additional oxidants, and traditional organic solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparse factorization of a large matrix is fundamental in modern statistical learning. In particular, the sparse singular value decomposition has been utilized in many multivariate regression methods. The appeal of this factorization is owing to its power in discovering a highly-interpretable latent association network. However, many existing methods are either ad hoc without a general performance guarantee, or are computationally intensive. We formulate the statistical problem as a sparse factor regression and tackle it with a two-stage "deation + stagewise learning" approach. In the first stage, we consider both sequential and parallel approaches for simplifying the task into a set of co-sparse unit-rank estimation (CURE) problems, and establish the statistical underpinnings of these commonly-adopted and yet poorly understood deation methods. In the second stage, we innovate a contended stagewise learning technique, consisting of a sequence of simple incremental updates, to efficiently trace out the whole solution paths of CURE. Our algorithm achieves a much lower computational complexity than alternating convex search, and it enables a exible and principled tradeoff between statistical accuracy and computational efficiency. Our work is among the first to enable stagewise learning for non-convex problems, and the idea can be applicable in many multi-convex problems. Extensive simulation studies and an application in genetics demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The abuse and improper disposal of antibiotics including metronidazole (MNZ) result in serious contamination in aquatic environments. In this study, pyrite, which was not reactive for MNZ removal, was simply mixed with zero valent iron (ZVI) to efficiently remove MNZ in anaerobic aqueous solutions. A dual ZVI/pyrite system consisting of ZVI (1.0 g/L) and pyrite (4.0 g/L) removed MNZ completely in 360 min within a broad pH 0 range (5.0–9.0), and it still maintained a high removal efficiency (~80%) even at a high pH 0 of 10.0. By contrast, single ZVI (1.0 g/L) showed much lower efficiency (4.8%–22.0%) within the same pH 0 range (5.0–10.0). On investigating the mechanism of MNZ removal, the cooperation between ZVI and pyrite enhanced the surface corrosion of ZVI and facilitated the redox cycle of Fe(III)/Fe(II) to generate more sorbed Fe(II), which was a dominant reactive species for MNZ removal. Pyrite also activated the ZVI surface to form FeS@Fe in situ , accelerating the electron transfer from Fe0 core to the surface-enriched MNZ, and stimulated the formation of green rust sulfate on the ZVI surface to further promote MNZ removal. LC-MS analysis confirmed ZVI/pyrite reductively transformed MNZ into readily biodegradable products by denitration and cleavage of hydroxyethyl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al2O3f/SiO2 composites were fabricated by sol–gel process, with a density of 2.22 g/cm3, pyro carbon coating prepared via chemical vapor deposition. The interfacial bonding strength between the fiber and matrix was weakened, and the brittle fracture characteristics of the fiber under a high‐temperature environment were improved, ensuring the integrity and reliability of the structure. The mechanical property and failure mechanism of the composites were investigated using acoustic emission technology (AE). In the tensile test, microcracks first appeared in the sample matrix, followed by matrix damage, fiber matrix debonding, and partial fiber fracture near the peak load. It was worth noting that many fibers remained undamaged when the load suddenly declined. As the loading continued, these fibers were fully pulled out and consequently loaded until they gradually broke. In the shear test, the load increased to its peak and decreased rapidly, and the proportion of the AE signal generated was extremely small (≤.01). Owing to the brittleness of the matrix under shear force, the crack easily expanded along the interlayer instability such that the sample first showed significant interlayer damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study tested the optimal time point for left intra-carotid arterial (LICA) administration of circulatory-derived autologous endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) for improving the outcome in rat after acute ischemic stroke (IS). Methods and results: Adult male SD rats (n = 70) were equally categorized into group 1 (sham-operated control), group 2 (IS), group 3 (IS+EPCs/1.2 × 106 cells/by LICA administration 3 h after IS), group 4 (IS+EPCs/LICA administration post-day-3 IS), group 5 (IS+EPCs/LICA administration post-day-7 IS), group 6 (IS+EPCs/LICA administration post-day-14 IS), and group 7 (IS+EPCs/LICA administration post-day-28 IS). The brain infarct volume (BIV) (at day 60/MRI) was lowest in group 1, highest in group 2, and significantly progressively increased from groups 3 to 7, whereas among the IS animals, the neurological function was significantly preserved in groups 3 to 6 than in groups 2 and 7 post-day-60 IS (all P < 0.0001). By day 60, the endothelial cell markers at protein and cellular levels and number of small vessels exhibited an opposite pattern of BIV among the groups (all P < 0.0001). The protein and cellular levels of inflammation, and protein levels of oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis were highest in group 2, lowest in group 1, and progressively increased from groups 3 to 7 (all P < 0.0001). The angiogenesis biomarkers at protein and cellular levels were significantly progressively increased from groups 1 to 3, then significantly progressively decreased from groups 4 to 7 (all P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Early EPC administration provided better benefits on improving functional/image/molecular-cellular outcomes after acute IS in rat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). The present study aimed to investigate the potential function of miR-122 in the development of OA and its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: The expression of miR-122, silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1), collagen II, aggrecan, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 13 (MMP13) and ADAMTS4 in OA cartilage was detected by RT-qPCR. Target gene prediction and screening, luciferase reporter assay were used to verify downstream target genes of miR-122. Results: Compared with osteonecrosis, the expression of miR-122 was significantly increased in OA cartilage, while the expression of SIRT1 was significantly decreased. Overexpression of miR-122 increased the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) catabolic factors, for example disintegrins, MMPs and metalloproteinases with platelet reaction protein motifs, and inhibited the expression of synthetic metabolic genes such as collagen II and aggregating proteoglycan. Inhibition of miR-122 expression had the opposite effect. Furthermore, SIRT1 was identified as a direct target of miR-122. SIRT1 was significantly inhibited by miR-122 overexpression. Knockdown of SIRT1 reversed the degradation of chondrocyte ECM by miR-122 inhibitors. Conclusion: The miR-122/SIRT1 axis can regulate the degradation of ECM in OA, thus providing new insights into the treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study mainly aimed to make 3D printing technologies serve as the guidelines for the development of technology-oriented industries. The most important one was tasked to establish modeling technology applicable to 3D printing in view of technological development. For the substrate material of 3D printers, aside from commonly usable plastic, new carbon fiber composite substrates have been proposed. Substrates were selected for manufacturing dependent on different object characteristics. The components were manufactured mainly by focusing on small-sized aircraft components. Additionally, potential problems encountered during 3D printing were explored with feasible suggested solutions. In the aerospace industry, because of the extreme requirements for the weight reduction of aircraft components, in the past, this was limited by manufacturing difficulties. If specific shapes were required, it was highly difficult to produce a component in a single-cast production or cut from a single metal piece. Component manufacturing often had to be divided into several planning blocks, and then welding, assembly, or rivet connection was conducted. This situation was not only flawed with structural weaknesses but also extra weight. If metal powder was operable with 3D printing for integral molding, the above disadvantages could be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss-of-function mutations in the Wnt inhibitor secreted frizzled receptor protein 4 (SFRP4) cause Pyle's disease (OMIM 265900), a rare skeletal disorder characterized by wide metaphyses, significant thinning of cortical bone, and fragility fractures. In mice, we have shown that the cortical thinning seen in the absence of Sfrp4 is associated with decreased periosteal and endosteal bone formation and increased endocortical resorption. While the increase in Rankl/Opg in cortical bone of mice lacking Sfrp4 suggests an osteoblast-dependent effect on endocortical osteoclast (OC) activity, whether Sfrp4 can cellautonomously affect OCs is not known. We found that Sfrp4 is expressed during bone marrow macrophage OC differentiation and that Sfrp4 significantly suppresses the ability of early and late OC precursors to respond to Rankl-induced OC differentiation. Sfrp4 deletion in OCs resulted in activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin and noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk signaling cascades. However, while inhibition of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling did not alter the effect of Sfrp4 on OCgenesis, blocking the noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk cascade markedly suppressed its regulation of OC differentiation in vitro. Importantly, we report that deletion of Ror2 exclusively in OCs (CtskCreRor2fl/fl) in Sfrp4 null mice significantly reversed the increased number of endosteal OCs seen in these mice and reduced their cortical thinning. Altogether, these data show autocrine and paracrine effects of Sfrp4 in regulating OCgenesis and demonstrate that the increase in endosteal OCs seen in Sfrp4−/− mice is a consequence of noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk signaling activation in OCs overriding the negative effect that activation of canonicalWnt/β-catenin signaling has on OCgenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune liver disease occurring predominantly in women, is characterized by high titers of serum anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) and progressive intrahepatic cholestasis. The immune system plays a critical role in PBC pathogenesis and a variety of immune cell subsets have been shown to infiltrate the portal tract areas of patients with PBC. Amongst the participating immune cells, CD4 T cells are important cytokine-producing cells that foster an inflammatory microenvironment. Specifically, these cells orchestrate activation of other immune cells, including autoreactive effector CD8 T cells that cause biliary epithelial cell (BEC) injury and B cells that produce large quantities of AMAs. Meanwhile, other immune cells, including dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer (NK) cells, NKT cells, monocytes, and macrophages are also important in PBC pathogenesis. Activation of these cells initiates and perpetuates bile duct damage in PBC patients, leading to intrahepatic cholestasis, hepatic damage, liver fibrosis, and eventually cirrhosis or even liver failure. Taken together, the body of accumulated clinical and experimental evidence has enhanced our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of PBC and suggests that immunotherapy may be a promising treatment option. Herein, we summarize current knowledge regarding immunological abnormalities of PBC patients, with emphasis on underlying pathogenic mechanisms. The differential immune response which occurs over decades of disease activity suggests that different therapies may be needed at different stages of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested the hypothesis that shock wave therapy (SW) enhances mitochondrial uptake into the lung epithelial and parenchymal cells to attenuate lung injury from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS was induced in rats through continuous inhalation of 100% oxygen for 48 h, while SW entailed application 0.15 mJ/mm2 for 200 impulses at 6 Hz per left/right lung field. In vitro and ex vivo studies showed that SW enhances mitochondrial uptake into lung epithelial and parenchyma cells (all p<0.001). Flow cytometry demonstrated that albumin levels and numbers of inflammatory cells (Ly6G+/CD14+/CD68+/CD11b/c+) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were the highest in untreated ARDS, were progressively reduced across SW, Mito, and SW + Mito (all p<0.0001), and were the lowest in sham controls. The same profile was also seen for fibrosis/collagen deposition, levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress (NOX-1/NOX-2/oxidized protein), inflammation (MMP-9/TNF-α/NF-κB/IL-1β/ICAM-1), apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3/PARP), fibrosis (Smad3/TGF-β), mitochondrial damage (cytosolic cytochrome c) (all p<0.0001), and DNA damage (γ-H2AX+), and numbers of parenchymal inflammatory cells (CD11+/CD14+/CD40L+/F4/80+) (p<0.0001). These results suggest that SW-assisted Mito therapy effectively protects the lung parenchyma from ARDS-induced injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under repeated loading, the residual stresses within the subgrade and subsoil can accelerate the deformation of the road structures. In this paper, a series of laboratory cyclic loading model tests and small-scale model tests were conducted to investigate the dynamic stress response within soils under different loading conditions. The experimental results showed that a dynamic stress accumulation effect occurred if the soil showed cumulative deformation: (1) the residual stress increased and accumulated with an increasing number of loading cycles, and (2) the residual stress was superimposed on the stress response of the subsequent loading cycles, inducing a greater peak stress response. There are two conditions that must be met for the dynamic stress accumulation effect to occur. A threshold state exists only if the external load exceeds the cyclic threshold stress. Then, the stress accumulation effect occurs. A higher loading frequency results in a higher rate of increase for the residual stress. In addition to the superposition of the increasing residual stress, soil densification might contribute to the increasing peak stress during cyclic loading. An increase in soil stiffiiess and a decrease in dissipative energy induce a greater stress transmission within the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a kinetic study of fuel grade ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation from Fe(II)-catalyzed cornstalks. The study observed the optimal conditions of ethanol production as: inoculation proportion (ratio of Pachysolen tannophilus to Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 2:1, fermentation temperature 32 °C, inoculation quantity 20%, addition amount of Fe2+ 4 mg/g (substrate), and cellulase dosage 30 U/g (substrate). An ethanol yield of 0.335 mg/g was obtained from cornstalks pretreated using liquefaction under optimum conditions. A 30.4% increase in the yield was observed when compared with the control group without the addition of Fe2+. The relationship between ethanol yield and fermentation time could be described through a Langmuir isotherm model. The findings of this study will help researchers better understand and describe the complex characteristics of ethanol production from cornstalks with Fe2+ promoter, which will be very useful in improving production yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected regioselective I2/TBHP-mediated 1,2-iodo-oxygenation of alkenes with N-hydroxylamines is described. The reaction proceeds through a radical coupling mechanism or a iodonium mechanism, which is controlled by the structures of both N-hydroxyl-amines and alkenes, to form vicinal iodo-substituted N-alkoxyamines regioselectively. Both the iodo and alkoxyamine group of the resulting products offer rich possibilities of synthetic manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a kinetic study of ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) from Mn(II)- catalyzed cornstalks. The optimal conditions of ethanol production were as follows: 1:2 inoculation proportion (ratio of Pachysolen tannophilus to Saccharomyces cerevisiae), 30 °C fermentation temperature, 15% inoculation quantity, 4 mg/g addition amount of Mn2+, and 10 U/g cellulase dosage. An optimal ethanol yield of 0.359 g/g was obtained from cornstalks under optimum conditions. A 38.5% increase in the yield was observed compared with the control group without the addition of Mn2+. The relationship between ethanol yield and fermentation time followed a Langmuir isotherm model. The relationship between the rate constant and fermentation time in the conversion of cornstalks to ethanol was fractal like. The findings elucidate the complex characteristics of ethanol production from cornstalks with Mn2+ catalysis and will be useful in improving production yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social influence has a great impact on human behavior, which has been widely investigated in various research fields. Even so, it has rarely been investigated in the online health community. In this paper, we focus on the multichannel access in online health communities, defining social influence as the average degree of multichannel access to a physician's colleagues. Based on the multinomial logistic regression model, we examined the direct effects of social influence and patients' rating to multichannel access. In addition, we explored the moderating effect of social influence on the relationship between patients' rating and multichannel access in online health communities. The results of the experiment and robustness testing support the propositions that social influence and patients' rating significantly and positively affect multichannel access in an online health community. The moderating effect of social influence is negative and significantly influences the accessible channels provided by the focal physician. This research contributes to the literature concerning online health communities, social influence, and multichannel access; it also has practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the regularity of stationary solutions to the linearized Boltzmann equations in bounded C¹ convex domains in R³ for gases with cutoff hard potential and cutoff Maxwellian gases. Suppose that a solution has a bounded weighted L² norm in space and velocity with the weight of collision frequency, which is a typical norm for existence results for boundary value problems [R. Esposito et al., Comm. Math. Phys., 323 (2013), pp. 177-239; J. P. Guiraud, J. Mécanique, 9 (1970), pp. 443-490]. We prove that this solution is Hölder continuous with order 1/2- away from the boundary provided the incoming data have the same regularity and are uniformly bounded by a fixed function in velocity with finite weighted L² norm with the weight of collision frequency. The key observation is that the regularity in velocity obtained by collision can be transferred to space by transport and collision. An interplay between velocity and space is introduced in order to realize this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wich risks becoming more complex and diverse in natural gas purification plant (NGPP), safety evaluation approaches are required to quickly identify hazards, and effectively assess safety levels. NGPP-safety evaluation represents an essential analytic Step in preventing caiastrophic accidents and reducing losses. This paper presents a safety evaluation model for NGPP based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and improved analytic hierarchy pro-cess (F-1AHP). The assessment model is established based on the authors' years of work experience in this field. To correct the subjectivity of the traditional weighting method, a new method used to determine the relative weight is adopted, and an evaluating index System was established for NGPP. Then the F-IAHP methods were combined to validate the safety levels of 3 representative enterprises. The results show that three NGPP plants at Moxi, Wanzhou and Zhongxian have very low risk, low risk and medium risk, respectively. These results reflect the actual safety Situation of the facility. The application of this work can make the evaluation easy, effective and reliable. 1t is expected that this work may serve as an assistance tool for managers of enteiprise in improving NGPP-safety level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With risks becoming more complex and diverse in natural gas purification plant (NGPP), safety evaluation approaches are required to quickly identify hazards and effectively a ssess safety levels. NGPP-safety evaluation represents anessential analytic step in preventing catastrophic accidents and reducing losses. This paper presents a safety evaluation model for NGPP ba sed on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and improved analytic hierarchy process (F-IAHP). The assessment model is established ba sed on the author's years of w ork experience in this field. To correct th e subjectivity of the traditional weighting method, a new method used to determine th e relative w eight is adopted and an evaluating index system was established for NGPP. Then the F-IAHP methods were combined to validate the safety levels of 3 representative enterprises. The results show that three NGPP plants at Moxi, Wanzhou and Zhongxian have very low risk, low risk and medium risk, respectively. These results reflect the actual safety situation of the facility. The application of this work can make the evaluation easy, effective and reliable. It is expected that this work may serve as an assistance tool for managers of enter prise in improving NGPP-safety level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor Imagery (MI) electroencephalography (EEG) is widely studied for its non-invasiveness, easy availability, portability, and high temporal resolution. As forMI EEG signal processing, the high dimensions of features represent a research challenge. It is necessary to eliminate redundant features, which not only create an additional overhead of managing the space complexity, but also might include outliers, thereby reducing classification accuracy. The firefly algorithm (FA) can adaptively select the best subset of features, and improve classification accuracy. However, the FA is easily entrapped in a local optimum. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a method of combining the firefly algorithm and learning automata (LA) to optimize feature selection for motor imagery EEG.We employed a method of combining common spatial pattern (CSP) and local characteristic-scale decomposition (LCD) algorithms to obtain a high dimensional feature set, and classified it by using the spectral regression discriminant analysis (SRDA) classifier. Both the fourth brain-computer interface competition data and real-time data acquired in our designed experiments were used to verify the validation of the proposed method. Compared with genetic and adaptive weight particle swarm optimization algorithms, the experimental results show that our proposed method effectively eliminates redundant features, and improves the classification accuracy ofMI EEG signals. In addition, a real-time brain-computer interface system was implemented to verify the feasibility of our proposed methods being applied in practical brain-computer interface systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a finely quality of service (QoS)-guaranteed algorithm to jointly optimise the throughput and energy efficiency in MU-multiple-input multiple-output systems. The latency requirements of real-time services are guaranteed by user scheduling in the first stage. The energy efficiency and system throughput are jointly optimised while the required transmission rate is finely guaranteed in the second stage. Simulation results show that the algorithm can achieve a good balance between the energy efficiency and throughput, and is superior to the existing schemes in terms of QoS guarantee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of accurate data-driven quality prediction models for industrial blast furnaces encounters several challenges mainly because the collected data are nonlinear, non-Gaussian, and uneven distributed. A just-in-time correntropy-based local soft sensing approach is presented to predict the silicon content in this work. Without cumbersome efforts for outlier detection, a correntropy support vector regression (CSVR) modeling framework is proposed to deal with the soft sensor development and outlier detection simultaneously. Moreover, with a continuous updating database and a clustering strategy, a just-in-time CSVR (JCSVR) method is developed. Consequently, more accurate prediction and efficient implementations of JCSVR can be achieved. Better prediction performance of JCSVR is validated on the online silicon content prediction, compared with traditional soft sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly selective para C-H amination of unprotected phenols with iminoquinone acetals was realized, giving the functional phenols in good to excellent yields. Overall, this transformation is operationally simple, proceeds with readily available phenols, and has wide substrate scope and low catalyst loading. The biarylamine product is stochastically formed via [5,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement of a mixed acetal species which is generated in situ under the reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the relationship between external auditory canal (EAC) anomaly, temporal bone abnormality, and hearing levels using objective scoring systems in Chinese patients with microtia. The study population consisted of 106 ears of 94 Chinese patients (67 male and 27 female) aged 5 to 45 years (mean: 12.6) with microtia. The EAC abnormalities were classified into 4 types according to Schuknechts criteria: type A, type B, type C, and type D. Developmental anomalies of the temporal bone were evaluated by Jahrsdoerfer computed tomography (CT) scoring system using high-resolution CT scans of the temporal bone. Temporal bone malformation parameters were divided into 4 subgroups: ossicular chain development, windows connected to the cochlea, aeration development of the middle ear, and facial nerve aberration. Hearing levels (air conduction and bone conduction) were examined. Outcomes parameters included correlation coefficients (r) and a number of other variables. The total points (10 points) and subtotal points related to ossicles (4 points), windows (2 points), aeration (2 points), and facial nerve (1 point) correlated inversely with the EAC abnormalities. The hearing levels (air conduction, r = 0.396, p <0.01; bone conduction, r = 0.21, p = 0.03) correlated significantly with the EAC abnormalities of Schuknechts classification. We conclude that the better developed the external auditory canal, the better developed the temporal bone and the better developed the external auditory canal, the better hearing level. The hearing level also can serve as an indicator to determine whether a patient will be suitable for reconstructive surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of 3-ethyl-1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (C2NVP) and N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP), a series of well-defined P(C2NVP-co-NVP) copolymers were synthesized (Mn = ca. 8000 to 16,000 and Mw/Mn <1.5) by using a difunctional chain transfer agent, S-(1-methyl-4-hydroxyethyl acetate) O-ethyl xanthate (MHEX). Copolymerizing kinetics and different monomer ratio in feeds were conducted to study the apparent monomer reaction rate and reactivity ratios of NVP and C2NVP, which indicated similar reaction rates and predominantly ideal random copolymers for the two monomers. The Tgs of the obtaining P(C2NVP-co-NVP) copolymers significantly corresponded to not only molecular weights MWs but also copolymer compositions. These copolymers presented characteristic lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) behavior. We then studied the cloud points (CPs) of the copolymers with varying MWs and compositions. With different MWs, the CPs were linearly decreased from ca. 51 to 45 °C. With different compositions, the CPs of the copolymers decreased from ca. 48 to 29 °C with C2NVP content (i.e., from 60.8 to 89.9 mol %). Fitting the CPs by the theoretical equation, the result illustrated that the introduction of more hydrophobic units of C2NVP suppressed the hydrophilic interaction between the polymer chain and water. We then successfully proceeded the chain extension through the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) to the synthesis of a novel P(C2NVP-co-NVP)-b-PCL amphiphilic block copolymer (Mn,NMR = 14,730 and Mw/Mn = 1.59). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the block copolymer had a value of ca. 1.46 × 10−4 g/L. The block copolymer micelle was traced by dynamic light scattering (DLS), obtaining thermosensitive behaviors with a particle size of ca. 240 nm at 25 °C and ca. 140 nm at 55 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave pulse propagation through a rapidly created plasma and frequency up-conversion has been demonstrated by the particle-in-cell (PIC) method. Compared with the finite-difference timedomain method in which the time-varying plasma is simplified as a dielectric medium, the PIC method considering the interaction and motion of charged particles would be much closer to the experimental values. It is found that the source wave amplitude has a stable range to obtain the stable output. If the source wave amplitude is below 103 V/m with the plasma density of 4 × 1019m-3, the output is mainly the plasma noise. Moreover, the higher amplitude source wave beyond 108 V/m would break the spatial distribution of the plasma so as to have an influence on the conversion efficiency. The stable range of source wave amplitude is affected by the plasma density. The power loss will increase with the increase in the plasma density in the PIC method, and it is more convenient and accurate to discuss the effects of the collision frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear thermal transport in graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heterostructure is investigated by the nonequilibrium molecular dynamics method. It is found that negative differential thermal resistance (NDTR) will appear as the applied temperature difference increases. Detailed phonon spectra analysis reveals that the excited out-of-plane acoustic wave plays an important role in the heat transport across such interface. That is, the mechanical wave results in a significant mismatch between the lattice vibrations of graphene and h-BN domains and hinders interfacial thermal transport. In addition, NDTR can be tuned through the temperature parameter. Interestingly, the regime of NDTR becomes smaller and eventually vanishes with increasing the heterostructure length. However, NDTR is insensitive to the variation of system width. The work may be useful for nanoscale thermal managements utilizing the graphene/h-BN heterostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordered mesoporous transition metal oxides have attracted considerable research attention due to their unique properties and wide applications. The preparation of these materials has been reported in the literature using soft and hard templating pathways. Compared with soft templating, hard templating, namely, nanocasting, is advantageous for synthesizing rigid mesostructures with high crystallinity and has already been applied to numerous transition metal oxides such as Co3O4, NiO, Fe2O3, and Mn3O4. However, nanocasting is often complicated by the multiple steps involved: first, the preparation of ordered mesoporous silica as the hard template, then infiltration of the metal precursor into the pores, and finally, formation of the metal oxide and removal of the hard template. In this paper, we provide a complete protocol that covers the preparation of most widely used ordered mesoporous silica templates (MCM-41, KIT-6, SBA-15) and the nanocasting process for obtaining ordered mesoporous metal oxides, with emphasizing cobalt oxide as an example. Characterization of the products is presented, and the factors that can potentially affect the process are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All experimental findings related to surface nanobubbles, such as their pronounced stability and the striking differences of macroscopic and apparent nanoscopic contact angles, need to be addressed in any theory or model of surface nanobubbles. In this work we critically test a recent explanation of surface nanobubble stability and their consequences and contrast this with previously proposed models. In particular, we elucidated the effect of surface chemical composition of well-controlled solid-aqueous interfaces of identical roughness and defect density on the apparent nanoscopic contact angles. Expanding on a previous atomic force microscopy (AFM) study on the systematic variation of the macroscopic wettability using binary self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on ultraflat template stripped gold (TSG), we assessed here the effect of different surface chemical composition for macroscopically identical static water contact angles. SAMs on TSG with a constant macroscopic water contact angle of 81 ± 2° were obtained by coadsorption of a methyl-terminated thiol and a second thiol with different terminal functional groups, including hydroxy, amino, and carboxylic acid groups. In addition, surface nanobubbles formed by entrainment of air on SAMs of a bromoisobutyrate-terminated thiol were analyzed by AFM. Despite the widely differing surface potentials and different functionality, such as hydrogen bond acceptor or donor, and different dipole moments and polarizability, the nanoscopic contact angles (measured through the condensed phase and corrected for AFM tip broadening effects) were found to be 145 ± 10° for all surfaces. Hence, different chemical functionalities at identical macroscopic static water contact angle do not noticeably influence the apparent nanoscopic contact angle of surface nanobubbles. This universal contact angle is in agreement with recent models that rely on contact line pinning and the equilibrium of gas outflux due to the Laplace pressure and gas influx due to gas oversaturation in the aqueous medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide exchange is a facile method of adjusting the band gap and optimizing the performance of organometal halide perovskite. During the halide exchange processes, preserving the crystallinity and morphology of highly crystalline materials will be desirable for preparing novel materials with outstanding performance. In this study, the gasous hydrogen halides were used as reactants for halide exchange processes. The mutual conversions among three halides for condense films were realized. Moreover, perovskite inverse opals and perovskite single crystals were also adopted as substrates to illustrate the morphology preservation and crystallinity preservation, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra demonstrated the segregation when smaller ions were substituted by larger ions. Scanning electron microscopy displayed the direct evidence for morphology preservation during the transformation. For the first time, single crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed the single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation from bromide to chloride analogy, which demonstrated that the presented method can preserve the crystalline framework of large-sized perovskite during the halide exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a combined adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADMSC) and ADMSC-derived exosome therapy protected rat kidney from acute ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury (i.e., ligation of both renal arteries for 1 h and reperfusion for 72 h prior to euthanization). Methods and results Adult-male SD rats (n = 40) were equally categorized into group 1 (sham control), group 2 (IR), group 3 [IR + exosome (100 μg)], group 4 [IR + ADMSC (1.2 × 10 6 cells)], and group 5 (IR-exosome-ADMSC). All therapies were performed at 3 h after IR procedure from venous administration. By 72 h, the creatinine level and kidney injury score were the lowest in group 1 and the highest in group 2, significantly higher in group 3 than in groups 4 and 5, and significantly higher in group 4 than in group 5 (all P < 0.0001). The protein expression of inflammatory (TNF-α/NF-κB/IL-1β/MIF/PAI-1/Cox-2), oxidative-stress (NOX-1/NOX-2/oxidized protein), apoptotic (Bax/caspase-3/PARP), and fibrotic (Smad3/TGF-β) biomarkers showed an identical pattern, whereas the anti-apoptotic (Smad1/5, BMP-2) and angiogenesis (CD31/vWF/angiopoietin) biomarkers and mitochondrial cytochrome-C showed an opposite pattern of creatinine level among the five groups (all P < 0.001). The microscopic findings of glomerular-damage (WT-1), renal tubular-damage (KIM-1), DNA-damage (γ-H2AX), inflammation (MPO/MIF/CD68) exhibited an identical pattern, whereas the podocyte components (podocin/p-cadherin/synaptopodin) displayed a reversed pattern of creatinine level (all P < 0.0001). Conclusion Combined exosome–ADMSC therapy was superior to either one for protecting kidney from acute IR injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a point-specific self-calibration method to characterize film thickness distribution by exploiting the multiple detection capability of a home-built full-field ellipsometer. The self-calibration method offers a feasible route for retrieving calibration information from the actual real-time sample measurement in conjunction with the ellipsometric parameters, thus leading to error-free data after the elimination of systematic errors and addressing the problem of high time-consumption. With the help of the multiple detection capability of a full-field ellipsometer, we can further implement self-calibration for every point-specific pixel, termed as pointspecific self-calibration to achieve a high-accuracy film thickness profile. The synthetic thickness distribution composed of structural-anisotropy pixels with tilted surface is utilized to demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach by retrieving the ellipsometric angles and the calibration parameters of every single pixel. A three orders-of-magnitude improvement in the accuracy of thickness determination was achieved in the simulation. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, a SiO2 film deposited on the Si substrate is measured in this work. This approach could be easily extended to implement thickness distribution measurements accurately and rapidly in other rotating-element ellipsometer cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal transport properties of the graphene and boron nitride superlattice (CBNSL) are investigated via nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that a minimum lattice thermal conductivity can be achieved by changing the period length of the superlattice. Additionally, it is found that the period length at the minimum shifts to lower values at higher temperatures, and that the depth of the minimum increases with decreasing temperature. In particular, at 200 K, the thermal conductivities of CBNSLs with certain specific period lengths are nearly equal to the corresponding values at 300 K. A detailed analysis of the phonon spectra shows that this anomalous thermal conductivity behavior is a result of strong phonon wave interference. These observations indicate a promising strategy for manipulation of thermal transport in superlattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galangin, a potent scavenger of free radicals, has been used as an herbal medicine for various ailments for centuries in Asia. With complex pathophysiology, ischemic stroke is one of the most frequent causes of death and disability worldwide. We have reported that galangin provides direct protection against ischemic injury as a potential neuroprotective agent and has potential therapeutic effects on the changes of serum amino acids in ischemic stroke; however, the mechanism of the changes of amino acids in the ischemic brain tissue has not yet been clarified. In this paper, we explored brain tissue amino acid biomarkers in the acute phase of cerebral ischemia and the effect of galangin on those potential biomarkers. Finally, we identified that glutamic acid, alanine and aspartic acid showed significant changes (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) in galangin-treated groups compared with vehicle-treated rats and the four enzymes associated with these three AAs’ metabolic pathways; GLUD1, SLC16A10, SLC1A1 and GPT were identified by multiplex interactions with the three amino acids. By metabolite-protein network analysis and molecular docking, six of 28 proteins were identified and might become potential galangin biomarkers for acute ischemic stroke. The data in our study provides thoughts for exploring the mechanism of disease, discovering new targets for drug candidates and elucidating the related regulatory signal network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120), an adipogenic receptor critical for the differentiation and maturation of adipocytes, plays an important role in controlling obesity in both humans and rodents and, thus, is an attractive target of obesity treatment studies. However, the mechanisms that regulate the expression of porcine GPR120 remain unclear. In this study, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) techniques were used to analyze and identify the binding of C/EBPβ (transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta) to the GPR120 promoter. C/EBPb overexpression and RNA interference studies showed that C/EBPβ regulated GPR120 promoter activity and endogenous GPR120 expression. The binding site of C/EBPb in the GPR120 promoter region from -101 to -87 was identified by promoter deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis. Overexpression of C/EBPb increased endogenous GPR120 expression in pig kidney cells (PK). Furthermore, when endogenous C/EBPβ was knocked down, GPR120 mRNA and protein levels were decreased. The stimulatory effect of C/EBPβ on GPR120 transcription and its ability to bind the transcription factor-binding site were confirmed by luciferase, ChIP, and EMSA. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression levels of C/EBPβ were induced by high fat diet feeding. Taken together, it can be concluded that C/EBPβ plays a vital role in regulating GPR120 transcription and suggests HFD-feeding induces GPR120 transcription by influencing C/EBPβ expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the boundary singularity for stationary solutions to the linearized Boltzmann equation with cutoff hard potential is analyzed. A technique using the Hölder-type continuity of the integral operator to obtain the integrability of the derivatives of the macroscopic variables is developed. We establish the asymptotic approximation for the gradient of the moments. Our analysis indicates the logarithmic singularity of the gradient of the moments. In particular, our theorem holds for the condensation and evaporation problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss how to reveal the massive Goldstone mode, often referred to as the Higgs amplitude mode, near the superfluid-to-insulator quantum critical point (QCP) in a system of two-dimensional ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices. The spectral function of the amplitude response is obtained by analytic continuation of the kinetic energy correlation function calculated by Monte Carlo methods. Our results enable a direct comparison with the recent experiment [M. Endres, T. Fukuhara, D. Pekker, M. Cheneau, P. Schauß, C. Gross, E. Demler, S. Kuhr, and I. Bloch, Nature (London) 487, 454 (2012)] and demonstrate a good agreement for temperature shifts induced by lattice modulation. Based on our numerical analysis, we formulate the necessary conditions in terms of homogeneity, detuning from the QCP and temperature in order to reveal the massive Goldstone resonance peak in spectral functions experimentally. We also propose to apply a local modulation at the trap center to overcome the inhomogeneous broadening caused by the parabolic trap confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mouse models are widely used for studying gastrointestinal (GI) tract-related diseases. It is necessary and important to develop a new set of primers to monitor the mouse gut microbiota. In this study, 16S rRNA gene-targeted group-specific primers for Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Deferribacteres, "Candidatus Saccharibacteria," Verrucomicrobia, Tenericutes, and Proteobacteria were designed and validated for quantification of the predominant bacterial species in mouse feces by real-time PCR. After confirmation of their accuracy and specificity by high-throughput sequencing technologies, these primers were applied to quantify the changes in the fecal samples from a trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis mouse model. Our results showed that this approach efficiently predicted the occurrence of colitis, such as spontaneous chronic inflammatory bowel disease in transgenic mice. The set of primers developed in this study provides a simple and affordable method to monitor changes in the intestinal microbiota at the phylum level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]