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During boreal summer, the patterns of precipitation anomalies in East Asia have notable month‐to‐month variations, which may induce alternated wet and dry conditions in different regions of East Asia during summer. In this study, based on observation and reanalysis data, the dynamic processes of monthly precipitation anomalies in three sub‐regions of East Asia (South China, the Yangtze River valley and northern–northeastern China) are investigated, which are associated with different combined effects of tropical air–sea interaction and mid‐to‐high latitude Rossby waves during different months. These dynamic processes dominate the leading modes of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during summer. To understand what dynamic processes are the key sources of the predictability of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during summer, a method of spatially running pattern correlation coefficient (SR_PCC) is applied to examine the differences in prediction skill of geopotential height anomalies, sea‐level pressure anomalies and sea surface temperature anomalies between the years of well and poorly predicted precipitation anomalies. Based on the results of CFSv2 hindcast and CMIP6‐AMIP experiments, both the air–sea interaction over tropical Indo–Pacific region and the mid‐to‐high latitude Rossby waves over the Eurasian continent are key sources of predictability of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during boreal summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of blue perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) in air conditions promises to liberate the manipulation procedures from the protection of inert atmosphere in the glovebox, which will remarkably promote the commercialization proceeding of perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices in display applications. However, achieving air‐processed blue PeLEDs in the interference of moisture meets great challenges in crystallization kinetics control. Herein, it is proposed that substrate‐adsorbed moisture dominates the perovskite crystallization kinetics during the fabrication in air, and the limited moisture from nonhygroscopic substrate inhibits the nucleation of the large‐n phase and allows the growth of the small‐n phase, thus yielding blue quasi‐2D perovskite films in a wide moisture range of 10–50% relative humidity. Then, air‐processed blue PeLEDs are successfully achieved for the first time, showing a brightness of 968 cd m−2, external quantum efficiency of 2.54% at stable peak emission of 483 nm, as well as an outstanding operating stability of 546 s at a peak brightness of 45 cd m−2, which are favorably competitive with PeLEDs fabricated in the glovebox. This work provides a guideline for air‐processed blue PeLEDs fabrication, which paves the way for air‐processed PeLEDs in further application of commercialization display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sentence-level sentiment classification is a classic topic of natural language processing, which aims to decide the sentiment tendency toward a sentence. However, previous studies ignore the significant role of words with sentimental tendencies in sentiment classification. In this paper, a sentiment information convolutional neural network (SI-CNN) model is proposed to break through this bottleneck problem. SI-CNN model contains three channels, where the first extracts original features from sentences, the second focuses on the words with sentiment tendencies, and the third is responsible for the categories and locations of the words with sentimental tendencies. We evaluate our model on three large-scale datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed SI-CNN outperforms other state-of-the-art deep neural networks and the introduction of sentiment information can improve the accuracy of sentiment classification. We also implement a series of exploratory experiments to prove the rationality of SI-CNN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial loss arising from defect trapping, contact barrier, and energy level alignment in the emerged perovskite solar cells (PSCs), is one of the most important issues to address for both improved photoconversion efficiency and long‐term operational stability. The recent endeavors on the interfacial embedding of nanocrystals (NCs) in desired locations of PSCs have shown great success in terms of eliminating the interfacial loss in PSCs, while there is a lack of review to summarize the advances of NCs embedding for improved carrier dynamics and inhibited environmental degradation. Present study systematically analyzes the recent achievements on the embedding of a series of NCs including carbon dots, perovskite NCs, II‐VI semiconductor NCs, metal/alloy NCs, which are intentionally introduced in desired layers/interfaces of PSCs. The specific functionality of the NCs embedding including carrier dynamic modulation, crystallinity enhancement, defect passivation, light trapping, and stability enhancement are sorted out, according to the requirement of each layer in PSCs. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives of NCs embedding for perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices is outlook. The present study provides a guide for developing NCs‐based additives for high‐performance PSCs is believed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present work demonstrate an efficient strategy of regulating the molecular conformation in PEDOT:PSS for ordered PEDOT domains and favorable band alignment, leading to the formation of true-blue PeLEDs with peak EQE up to 6.86% and maximum luminance of 854.10cd/m2 at wavelength of 478 nm. And we achieved the success of air-processed blue PeLEDs based on PFOA modified PEDOT:PSS. [Display omitted] • PFOA regulates the molecular conformation of PEDOT:PSS, improving carrier transport and alignment with the perovskite layer. • The PeLEDs with PFOA reach a peak external quantum efficiency of 6.86 % and a maximum luminance of 854.10 cd/m2 at a wavelength of 478 nm, which are the record values for the pure-bromide quasi-2D PeLEDs in the true-blue region. • The blue PeLEDs were successfully fabricated under ambient conditions (≈25 % RH and 20 °C), owing to the hydrophobic fluorine-carbon (C-F) chains of PFOA. The pure-bromide quasi-2D perovskite has shown advantages in fabrication of blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) due to its relatively good color stability and capability of moisture resistance. However, the performances of efficiency and luminance of pure-bromide quasi-2D PeLEDs with true-blue (470 nm−480 nm) emission are still inferior. Here, we show a interfacial modification strategy of involving perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to a hole transport layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), to improve the performances of the true-blue PeLEDs. The PFOA regulates the molecular conformation of PEDOT:PSS, forming ordered PEDOT domains that improves the carrier transport and a more favorable band alignment with the perovskite emissive layers. The achieved true-blue PeLEDs show peak EQE of 6.86 % and maximum luminance of 854.10 cd/m2 at wavelength of 478 nm, which are the record values for the pure-bromide quasi-2D PeLEDs in true-blue region. Moreover, owing to the hydrophobic fluorine-carbon (C-F) chains of PFOA, we successfully fabricate the blue PeLEDs in air condition without inert gas protection. This work paves the way for commercial applications in next-generation display technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To study the clinical efficacy and quality of life of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with breast-conserving surgery in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 100 patients with triple-negative breast cancer was performed from May 2012 to April 2017. The patients were divided into an observation group and a control group according to different treatment methods, with 50 cases in each group. The control group received AC-T sequential chemotherapy after breast-conserving surgery, and the observation group received AC-T sequential chemotherapy before breast-conserving surgery (neoadjuvant). The operation time, postoperative immune function, postoperative tumor markers, postoperative efficacy, and postoperative complications of the two groups of patients were statistically analyzed, and the quality of life of the two groups of patients 1 year after the operation was compared. Results. Compared with the control group, the operation time and blood loss of the observation group were significantly reduced, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The observation group produced significantly higher total effective rate after treatment (82.00% vs. 56.00%) (P < 0.05). The observation group exhibited superior immune function indexes CD3, CD4, and CD8 after operation when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum tumor marker levels between the two groups before surgery and after surgery (both P > 0.05). Three days after operation, the levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and TNF-α in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, and 3-year survival rate between the two groups (P > 0.05); however, the postoperative complication rate of the observation group was 6.00%, which was significantly lower than that of the control group (30%) (P < 0.05). The overall health, physiological function, physiological function, and body pain of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with breast-conserving surgery for triple-negative breast cancer can not only improve the therapeutic effect of patients and reduce the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions but also significantly improve the quality of life of patients after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To study the clinical effect of Zhengyuan capsule combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods. From September 2014 to September 2017, 120 TNBC patients who underwent radical mastectomy in our hospital were randomly divided into control group (n = 60) and observation group (n = 60). The short-term curative effect, the incidence of toxicity and side effects, and the score of quality of life of the patients were compared. Both recurrence and metastasis rates were also analyzed. Results. The combined treatment of Zhengyuan capsule with neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved the objective remission rate (70.00% in the observation group versus 40.00% in the control group) (P < 0.05). Moreover, this combined treatment significantly decreased the total incidence of side effects (35.00% versus 75.00%). Accordingly, the score of quality of life was also increased in patients treated with Zhengyuan capsule plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Furthermore, supplementation of Zhengyuan capsule can significantly suppress both the recurrence and metastasis rate of TNBC in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy after radical mastectomy in following 3 years (30.00% versus 10.00%, P < 0.05). Conclusion. Zhengyuan capsule effectively improves the short-term curative effect, reduces the side effects of chemotherapy, and improves the quality of life of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy after radical mastectomy. More importantly, this combined treatment can also reduce the long-term recurrence and metastasis of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglial activation and inflammatory response play a critical role in spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury (SCIRI). This study aimed to investigate whether lidocaine relieves SCIRI via modulating myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT)-mediated Notch1 downregulation. Mouse SCIRI was induced by the obstruction of the aortic arch. Lidocaine was injected after reperfusion. Microglial activation and inflammatory response were assessed by Iba1, interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. The interaction between MIAT and Notch1 was assessed by RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Lidocaine treatment relieved SCIRI by reducing Iba1 and serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels. After lidocaine treatment, MIAT expression was elevated in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 cells. The interference of MIAT and the overexpression of MIAT and Notch1 restored TNF-α and IL-1β levels in supernatants. Notch1 protein was existent in MIAT-pull-down compounds, and the expression of MIAT was markedly elevated in Notch1-immunoprecipitants. The overexpression of MIAT markedly promoted the degradation of Notch1 and increased the level of ubiquitin-bound Notch1 complex. The therapeutic effect of lidocaine on SCIRI mice could be reversed by adeno-associated virus-mediated MIAT knockdown. In conclusion, lidocaine treatment relieved SCIRI via inhibiting microglial activation and reducing the inflammatory response. The molecular mechanism was partly through MIAT-mediated Notch1 downregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Copper ion is widespread in wastewater and threatens the condition and human health. Micro‐organisms have unique advantages to remove heavy‐metal ions from water, but are rarely reported in the removal of copper ion. This aims to develop micro‐organisms that can remove copper ion in water, characterize their properties and analyse their potential application in practice. Methods and Results: Sewage sludge was used as the source to isolate wild bacteria that can remove copper ion in water. The most efficient strain was screened out from 23 obtained isolates, identified as Bacillus pseudomycoides and coded as C6. The properties of C6 in the removal of copper ion in water were investigated in the aspects of reaction conditions, reaction groups, reaction dynamic and the application in oat planting. The reaction at pH 7 within 10 min yielded the highest removal rate of copper ion, 83%. The presence of lead ion in the reaction system could promote the removal rate of copper ion. Carboxyl groups and amidogen of C6 biomass were mainly involved in the removal of copper ion. The removal of copper ion was in accord with single‐layer adsorption and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. In application, C6 biomass reduced the copper content in the oat seedlings grown in copper ion containing water by more than seven times. Conclusions: B. pseudomycoides C6 can efficiently remove copper ion in water and inhibit it from entering plants. Significance and Impact of Study: This is the first time to report the capability of B. pseudomycoides to remove copper ion in water, which is also more efficient than the currently reported chemical and biological methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Eu: Cs dots were used as ECL tags with ideal luminescence properties and ECL performance. • Dendritic Ag nanostructure/conductive gel as sensing interface to enhance the ECL signal. • BRAF in thyroid cancer exosome was detected for the diagnosis of lymphatic metastasis. In this work, a novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor has been constructed with Eu-doped chitosan carbon dot (Eu: Cs dot) and dendritic silver nanostructure. Firstly, Eu: Cs dots were synthesized as ECL tags, which not only possessed exceptional electrochemical characters and intense luminescence, but also can reacted with H 2 O 2 as co-reactant to generate ECL signal. Furthermore, dendritic silver nanostructure with conductive gel was successfully prepared as sensing interface. The dendritic silver nanostructure with conductive gel displayed the ideal conductivity, good electrochemical stability, which can enhance the ECL intensity of Eu: CS dots. Finally, BRAF V600E from thyroid cancer exosome in the clinic eluate can be captured and detected. The results indicated the relative association between BRAF V600E mutation and lymphatic metastasis, which can be used in assessing thyroid cancer progression for advancing clinical diagnosis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, an increase in the frequency of extreme events in early spring across Eurasia has resulted in significant impacts on crop yields and socio-economic development. However, the variations of March surface air temperature (SAT) over Eurasia and mechanisms are still unclear. This study aims to investigate the dominant mode of the March surface air temperature (SAT) over Eurasia during 1979–2022, and its relationship with sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice concentration (SIC). The results reveal the prevalence of a dipole mode of the Eurasian SAT anomalies (SATAs) in March characterized by positive SATAs in northern (50°N–80°N) Eurasia and negative ones in southern (10°N–45°N) region. Further analyses demonstrate that this dipole mode of Eurasian SATAs shows significant relationships with a positive phase of the North Atlantic tripole SST anomalies (NAT SSTAs), as well as with the decline of Barents Sea SIC anomalies (SICAs). Associated with the NAT SSTAs and the Barents Sea SICAs during March, two Rossby wave trains propagate towards Eurasia through different ways, one is propagating eastwards from the mid-latitude of the North Atlantic to Eurasia, and another one spreads from the polar region to Eurasia. Modulated by these two wave trains, anomalous near-surface southwesterly (northeasterly) wind induces more (less) warm air towards northern Eurasia, while more (less) cloud emerges in southern Eurasia and causes less (more) solar radiation reaching southern Eurasia, leading to the dipole mode of the Eurasian SATAs in March. These results are further confirmed by numerical experiments from the version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model forced by the above mentioned SSTAs and SICAs. • The main mode of March surface air temperature (SAT) distribution in Eurasia displays a north-south dipole pattern. • Two wave trains generated from mid-latitude and polar region respectively are closely related to this dipole SAT pattern. • The anomalies of the North Atlantic SST and the Barents Sea SIC can excite different wave trains modulating the Eurasian SAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A synthetic Schlieren method is developed to measure the density field of a stratified fluid. A transparent sheet of background markers is attached on one side of a tank which is made of acrylic plates, and a camera is positioned on the opposite side of the tank. The markers are virtually displaced due to light refraction in the stratified fluid in the tank, in reference to those from the water tank. The governing equation is derived based on the observation that the marker displacements depend on the light refraction at the interface of media, the refractive indices of the transparent liquids and their spatial gradient. The density of the fluid is associated with the refractive index via the relationship obtained in a calibration process. We solve this governing equation, an over-determined system with only the target variable unknown, using the optimization method. We examine the present method by performing laboratory experiments for two cases of the density stratification, i.e., a linear stratification and a pycnocline. We also carry out ray tracing simulations of three characteristic density profiles (i.e., a linear stratification, a nonlinear stratification and a pycnocline). The present method is compared with the method of solving the Poisson equation in detail, emphasizing the difference between the two methods. Measurement uncertainty is discussed at last. • A synthetic Schlieren method is developed to measure the density of a stratified fluid. • The over-determined governing equations are solved by the optimization method. • The present method is verified by laboratory experiments and simulations. • The comparison with the Poisson-equation method is discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taurine (3S) inhibits heat-induced Ostwald ripening by binding to perovskite. 3, 3-diphenylpropylamine (DPPA) improves hydrophobicity to suppresses moisture-induced phase disproportionation. As a result, perovskite films with 3S and DPPA maintain stability for over 200h at 70 °C and over 310 h at 20% relative humidity, achieving the most stable blue quasi-2D perovskite emitters. [Display omitted] • Studying the optical property evolution of blue perovskite under stimuli of moisture and heat. • Proposing a strategy to curb Ostwald ripening and phase disproportionation in blue perovskite. • Achieving one of the most stable blue perovskite films under stimuli of moisture and heat. Quasi-2D metal halide perovskite is rising for efficient blue light-emitting diodes due to strong quantum confinement and tunable emission, while a challenge remains in its poor stability of n -phase distribution under external stresses. Herein, the stable blue quasi-2D perovskite under heat and moisture conditions is achieved by dual ligand engineering. The Lewis base moieties − SO 3 − from taurine (3S) bind tightly with perovskite edges, inhibiting Ostwald ripening of the perovskite phase caused by the heat, and 3, 3-diphenylpropylamine (DPPA) provides a strong hydrophobicity to the perovskite film, suppressing phase disproportionation induced by the moisture. Accordingly, the blue perovskite film, modified synergistically by the 3S and DPPA dual ligands, maintains its initial photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) after over 200 h with 70 °C heating, and only exhibiting a redshift in PL peak wavelength less than 10 nm. Exposing under environment condition of 20 % relative humidity for 300 h, the blue perovskite film still retains its initial PL peak wavelength with PLQY exceeding 50 % of the initial value. This achievement establishes a notable strategy for enhancing both the thermal and moisture stability of blue quasi-2D perovskite. Furthermore, the light-emitting diodes based on the perovskite films display the enhanced operating stability. This work offers an efficient strategy for stabilizing blue quasi-2D perovskite and the corresponding devices for the display application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) serves as a prevalent and mortal malignancy among female globally. Ferroptosis, as an oxidative cell death that characterized by abnormal iron accumulation, plays critical role in cancer development. Ketamine is a rapid-acting anesthetic agent and has presented potential anti-tumor properties. However, the effect of Ketamine on breast cancer is still obscure. Here, we aimed to explore the function of Ketamine in the modulation of proliferation and ferroptosis of breast cancer cells. The cell viability of breast cancer cells was repressed by the treatment of Ketamine, while ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin 1 and apoptosis inhibitor ZVAD-FMK could restore the cell viability. The treatment of Ketamine significantly decreased the Edu-positive breast cancer cells and the colony formation numbers, and the treatment of ferrostatin 1 reversed the effect of Ketamine. We observed that the levels of ferroptosis markers, such as MDA, lipid ROS, and Fe2+ were increased by the treatment of Ketamine in breast cancer cells. Regarding to the mechanism, we found that Ketamine inhibited the expression of GPX4, an anti-ferroptosis factor, by attenuating KAT5 on the promoter region of GPX4, repressing the enrichment of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) and RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II). The treatment of Ketamine reduced the cell viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells, in which the overexpression of KAT5 or GPX4 was able to restore the phenotypes. The treatment of Ketamine induced the levels of MDA, lipid ROS, and Fe2+, while KAT5 or GPX4 overexpression could reverse this effect in breast cancer cells. Thus, we concluded that Ketamine suppressed proliferation and induced ferroptosis of breast cancer cells by targeting KAT5/GPX4 axis. Ketamine may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. • Breast cancer serves as a prevalent and mortal malignancy among female globally. • To explore the function of Ketamine in the modulation of proliferation and ferroptosis of BC cells. • Ketamine may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-camera synthetic Schlieren method is introduced to measure the height of a dynamic free liquid surface in a container with a flat bottom. Markers placed on the bottom, seen through the free surface, are virtually displaced due to light refraction at the surface. According to Snell's law, the marker displacements depend on the refractive indices of the transparent liquid and the air, and on the surface height and its spatial gradients. We solve the resulting governing nonlinear equation with the Newton–Raphson method to obtain the surface height. Our method does not require a reference surface height, which allows the measurement of surfaces topography in situations where the liquid depth is unknown. We demonstrate the accuracy of the method by performing experiments of surface ripples and dam-break flows and discuss the measurement uncertainty, errors and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the effects and molecular mechanisms of naringenin (Nar) on the proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis of keloid fibroblasts (KFs) . Methods KFs were divided into control group and Nar group treated with Nar at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 150 µmol/L, and the effects of Nar on the proliferation of KFs were analyzed using CCK- 8 assay. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of Nar on the expression levels of Col-1, FN, α-SMA, and MMP9, and the expression levels of Smad2/3 and p-Smad2/3 in KFs pretreated with TGF-β1. Results Compared with the control group, the proliferation ability of KFs was significantly inhibited by Nar at a concentration of ≥50 µmol /L (P <0. 05) . Similarly, the migration ability of KFs was significantly inhibited by 50 µmol/L of Nar (P <0. 01) . Nar down-regulated the expression levels of Col-1, FN, α-SMA and MMPP proteins in KFs, and p-Smad2/3 proteins in TGF-β1-treated KFs (all P < 0. 05). Conclusion Nar may inhibit the proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis of KFs by down-regulating the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content, composition and molecular signatures of soil organic matter (SOM) have important influences on the cycle of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil. Seventy-nine soil samples from farmland, forest and urban areas were collected in Shenyang, China to investigate black carbon (BC) content, SOM molecular signatures varied with land use patterns, as well as the relationship with PAHs. The content of BC in urban soils was significantly higher than that of farmland and forest. BC was a key contributor of urban SOM which accounted for 0.35 ± 0.31 of SOC in urban soil. Based on BC/SOC ratio, the main sources of BC were identified as fossil fuel combustion for urban soils, while for farmland and forest soils, it is the mixed results of fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning. All categories of PAHs in urban soils showed the highest level compared to farmland and forest soils. Pearson's correlation analysis results showed there were significant positive correlations between BC and PAHs categories in urban soils, indicating the important role of BC in the accumulation of PAHs in soil. SOM from each of the two different land use patterns can be distinguished by molecular signatures. Urban SOM had abundant molecular markers derived from condensed organic carbon inputs, which was consistent with the BC/SOC value. Farmland SOM had abundant carbon from vegetation and microorganisms, and forest SOM was rich in organic carbon from fresh plant materials. The markers enriched in urban SOM showed significant correlations with most PAHs categories, highlighting the affinity of urban SOM for PAHs at the molecular level. This study contributed to understanding the impact of land management methods on SOM molecular composition signatures and its influence on PAHs occurrence in soil, providing a theoretical basis for regional soil pollution management. [Display omitted] • Urban soils had high levels of BC and PAHs. • PAHs show significant positive correlations with BC and SOC in urban soils. • Molecular signatures of SOM vary significantly with land use in Shenyang. • SOM molecular signatures affect PAHs accumulation in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a synthetic Schlieren method of measuring the height of a dynamic free liquid surface, the smallest wavelength of the measured surface topography is determined by the spatial resolution of the displacement field of markers. Currently, a displacement vector is obtained for each interrogation window, including a few markers, with a cross-correlation algorithm. In this study, the measurement resolution is extended by obtaining the displacement of individual markers. This simple and rational change, however, brings technical difficulties in numerically solving the governing equation over spatially randomly distributed markers. For this, the governing equation, which associates the surface height to be measured with the virtual displacements of the markers, is solved by the finite-volume scheme for the unstructured meshes, where a marker locates at the center of each triangular mesh face. The present method is examined with the synthetic generated data, in laboratory experiments of a transparent solid carved with a sinusoidal surface, and in experiments of water ripples. The measurement uncertainty is discussed. • The finite-volume scheme is used in synthetic Schlieren to measure free surfaces. • Our method takes advantage of using marker-marker resolution in the pattern. • The present method may resolve smaller topographic structures of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobic/oleophilic filters have great potential for application in oil/water separation. Herein, we describe the successful preparation of environment friendly superhydrophobic cellulosic fiber filter to remove water from diesel. The modified TiO2 particles were used to fabricate the rough structure of superhydrophobic filter paper via a dip-coating method with epoxy resin as a binder. With the further dipping modification by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), the filter paper obtained excellent water-resistance with water contact angle (WCA) ranging from 126.0° to 151.8°, and strong stability against acid, alkali and UV lights. In this work, it was found that the WCA was proportional to the surface roughness. The obtained hydrophobic filter papers could selectively absorb oil from water-containing fuel oil and could separate water/fuel oil mixture very efficiently with separation efficiency higher than 99%. This simple and mild strategy would inspire the large-scale fabrication of multifunctional surfaces for practical applications in water/oil separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the long-term reanalysis datasets and the multivariate copula method, this study reveals that the frequency of summer hot drought events (SHDEs) over northeastern China (NEC) shows interdecadal variations during 1925–2010. It is revealed that the summer sea surface temperature (SST) over the North Atlantic has a significant positive correlation with the frequency of SHDEs over NEC on the decadal time scale, indicating a potential influence of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO). Further analyses indicate that during the positive phases of the AMO, the warming SST over the North Atlantic can trigger a stationary Rossby wave originating from the North Atlantic, which splits into two wave trains propagating along two different routes. One is a zonally orientated wave train that resembles the Silk Road pattern, whereas the other is an arching wave train that resembles the polar–Eurasian pattern. A negative (positive) phase of the Silk Road pattern (polar–Eurasian pattern) may result in the weakened westerly wind along the jet stream, the downward vertical motion, and the anomalous positive geopotential center over NEC, providing favorable conditions for precipitation deficiency and high temperature and resulting in increased SHDEs. Thus, the Silk Road pattern and the polar–Eurasian pattern serve as linkages between the AMO and SHDEs over northeastern China in summer on the interdecadal time scale. Model simulations from CAM4 perturbed with warmer SST in the North Atlantic show precipitation deficiency and high temperature conditions over northeastern China in summer, supporting the potential impacts of the North Atlantic SST on SHDEs over northeastern China. The results suggest that the phase of the AMO should be taken into account in the decadal prediction of SHDEs over northeastern China in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of global renewable energy, DC transmission and DC power distribution technology have been applied on a large scale, and the requirements for DC power quality (PQ) are more stringent. Evaluating DC PQ reasonably and effectively has become a research hotspot at this stage. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis for various indexes of DC PQ is conducted to obtain a unified parameter for describing the characteristics of PQ from an overall perspective. First, weight values of PQ indexes are calculated by combining fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the improved entropy weight method. FAHP can satisfy the consistency without the consistency test, and the improved entropy weight method is an objective weighting method that can effectively avoid the preference of subjective weighting method. Then, based on a triangular fuzzy function, the membership degree is obtained. Finally, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is made. An example analysis is carried out with the data provided by the Gree photovoltaic direct‐driven inverter multi‐variable refrigerant flow system to show the validity of the proposed method for evaluating DC PQ. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation (LT) is controversial because of its high recurrence rate and low survival rate. Here, we report a case of early diffuse bilateral lung metastasis after LT beyond the Milan transplantation criteria (d = 18 cm, α-fetoprotein >24,000 ng/mL) that successfully achieved 1-year tumor-free remission survival with sirolimus combined with regorafenib. The donor source of the liver is legal, and this study followed the guidelines of the Helsinki Congress in this LT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of regorafenib as a first-line agent combined with sirolimus to treat recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after LT, and this case expands the indications for LT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents an interdecadal variation in the pattern of Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) of sea surface temperature (SST) during boreal summer, where the center of action in the IOBM shifted towards the Arabian Sea after the late 1970s. Correspondingly, the influences of an interannual warming in the tropical Indian Ocean on the Asian summer climate became more significant after the late 1970s due to the Arabian Sea center of action, which are characterized by anomalous subsidence and anticyclones over the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. These atmospheric anomalies may result in surface temperature and precipitation anomalies in a wide area of Asia. Numerical experiments demonstrate the different influences of different IOBM patterns on the Asian summer climate. Statistical analysis and numerical experiments indicate a minor role of the different tropical Pacific SSTs concurrent with the different IOBMs in causing the different Asian summer climate anomalies. Plain Language Summary: The year‐to‐year warming/cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean can notably influence the atmospheric circulation over Asia via air‐sea interaction and atmospheric dynamic process. The current study reveals a shift of the center of action in the year‐to‐year warming/cooling of tropical Indian Ocean during boreal summer after the late 1970s, where this center of action was mainly situated in the southern tropical Indian Ocean during 1951–1979 and this center of action shifted towards the Arabian Sea during 1981–2016. Our results suggest that this shift of center of action in the year‐to‐year warming/cooling of tropical Indian Ocean may exert an important impact on the Asian summer climate. In comparison to 1951–1979, during 1981–2016, more significant surface temperature and precipitation anomalies occurred in Asia corresponding to a year‐to‐year warming/cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean due to the Arabian Sea center of action. Numerical experiments show similar results. The findings of this study indicate that different patterns of tropical Indian Ocean warming/cooling may result in different climate anomalies in Asia, which provides a better understanding of the complex mechanism of the interaction between the tropical Indian Ocean and the Asian climate. Key Points: The center of action in the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) shifted towards the Arabian Sea during boreal summer after the late 1970sThe Asian summer climate is more significantly affected by the IOBM after the late 1970s due to the Arabian Sea center of actionThe concurrent tropical Pacific SSTs have less impact on the shift of Asian summer climate anomalies associated with the shift of IOBM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Herein, a schematic model was established to assess the combined effect of deposited CaCO 3 and thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), at high CO 2 and low O 2 dissolution levels on the corrosion behavior and growth of corrosion scale on X65 pipeline carbon steel. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, confocal laser scanning microscopy, open circuit potential, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the corrosion pattern of water injection pipe. The results showed that a synergistic effect exists between CaCO 3 and thermophilic SRB, both uniform and localized corrosion of CaCO 3 -coated X65 steel were promoted when inoculated with SRB. The corrosion process was comprised of three stages depending on the metabolism of SRB. Highlights • A synergistic effect exists between deposited CaCO 3 and thermophilic SRB. • Both uniform and localized corrosion were promoted when CaCO 3 and SRB coexisted. • The development of corrosion comprises three stages depending on the metabolism of SRB. • A schematic model was proposed to describe the corrosion development. • Corrosion would be further promoted with the continuous injection of SRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to characterize future changes in precipitation extremes over China based on regional climate models (RCMs) participating in the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX)-East Asia project. The results of five RCMs involved in CORDEX-East Asia project that driven by HadGEM2-AO are compared with the simulation of CMA-RegCM driven by BCC-CSM1.1. Eleven precipitation extreme indices that developed by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices are employed to evaluate precipitation extreme changes over China. Generally, RCMs can reproduce their spatiotemporal characteristics over China in comparison with observations. For future climate projections, RCMs indicate that both the occurrence and intensity of precipitation extremes in most regions of China will increase when the global temperature increases by 1.5/2.0 °C. The yearly maximum five-day precipitation (RX5D) averaged over China is reported to increase by 4.4% via the CMA-RegCM under the 1.5 °C warming in comparison with the baseline period (1986–2005); however, a relatively large increase of 11.1% is reported by the multi-model ensemble median (MME) when using the other five models. Furthermore, the reoccurring risks of precipitation extremes over most regions of China will further increase due to the additional 0.5 °C warming. For example, RX5D will further increase by approximately 8.9% over NWC, 3.8% over NC, 2.3% over SC, and approximately 1.0% over China. Extremes, such as the historical 20-year return period event of yearly maximum one-day precipitation (RX1D) and RX5D, will become more frequent, with occurrences happening once every 8.8 years (RX1D) and 11.5 years (RX5D) under the 1.5 °C warming target, and there will be two fewer years due to the additional 0.5 °C warming. In addition, the intensity of these events will increase by approximately 9.2% (8.5%) under the 1.5 °C warming target and 12.6% (11.0%) under the 2.0 °C warming target for RX1D (RX5D). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, multi-access edge computing (MEC) has been widely recognized as a promising technology that can support a wide range of new applications for the Internet of Things (IoT). In dynamic MEC networks, the heterogeneous computation capacities of the edge servers and the diversified requirements of the IoT applications are both asymmetric, where and when to offload and schedule the time-dependent tasks of IoT applications remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose a flexible offloading and task scheduling scheme (FLOATS) to adaptively optimize the computation of offloading decisions and scheduling priority sequences for time-dependent tasks in dynamic networks. We model the dynamic optimization problem as a multi-objective combinatorial optimization problem in an infinite time horizon, which is intractable to solve. To address this, a rolling-horizon-based optimization mechanism is designed to decompose the dynamic optimization problem into a series of static sub-problems. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based computation offloading and task scheduling algorithm is proposed for each static sub-problem. This algorithm encodes feasible solutions into two-layer chromosomes, and the optimal solution can be obtained through chromosome selection, crossover and mutation operations. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can effectively reduce network costs in comparison to other reference schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a gammacoronavirus within the Coronaviridae family, is an economically important etiological disease agent in chickens. Both early diagnosis and determination of the immune status of chickens are important for controlling IBV outbreaks in chicken flocks. The N protein is the most abundantly expressed virus-derived protein during IBV infection and can induce a strong immune response by producing antibodies during early infection or immunization. In this study, we found that the amino acid sequences of the N protein between CK/CH/LJL/04I and the other 22 IBVs were conserved, especially in the 1–160 amino acid region. Based on the sequence similarities, the three recombinant proteins, rN160 (amino acid positions 1–160), rN266 (144–409), and rN409 (1–409), were expressed using the Escherichia coli system and subsequently purified. The results demonstrated that the antigenicity and reactivity of rN160 were better than those of rN266 and rN409. As a result, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (rN160 ELISA) was developed to detect the IBV antibody based on the rN160 protein. Using 1,500 clinical field serum samples, the relative sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the rN160 ELISA were 98.97%, 92.34%, and 97.93%, respectively, compared to those of a commercial ELISA kit (IDEXX), indicating a strong positive correlation between the two methods. Taken together, these results reveal that the rN160 ELISA is a rapid, simple, and sensitive method for detecting group-specific IBV antibodies for epidemiological investigation and antibody-level monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stable velocity field distribution of antisolvent flow enables the synthesis of efficient FAPbI 3 perovskite NCs with achieved ∼100 % PLQY and low defect density (∼0.2 cm−3 per NCs) without applying functional additives or further encapsulation. The NCs show incredible reproducibility and remarkable stability of maintaining over 80 % PLQY in an ultra-diluted concentration of 9.3×10-6 mg/mL. [Display omitted] Achieving highly stable and efficient perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) without applying functional additives or encapsulation, particularly sustaining the stability in ultra-dilute solution, is still a formidable challenge. Here, we show the FAPbI 3 perovskite NCs with achieved ∼100 % photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and low defect density (∼0.2 cm−3 per NCs), which is obtained by controlling the velocity field distribution of antisolvent flow in ligand-assisted reprecipitation process. The NCs show incredible reproducibility with narrow deviation of PLQY and linewidth between batch by batch, as well as remarkable stability of maintaining over 80 % PLQY, either in an ultra-diluted solution (9.3 × 10-6 mg/mL), or storing in ambient condition after 90 days with concentration of 0.09 mg/mL. The results in this work demonstrate the interplay of fluid mechanics and crystallization kinetics of perovskite, which pioneers a novel and unprecedent understanding for improving the stability of perovskite NCs for efficient quantum light source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future space missions are considering the use of green space propulsion, and H 2 O 2 /kerosene bipropellant is one of effective alternatives for rocket propellant. In addition, for a 100-N-class thruster of H 2 O 2 /kerosene, it is important to design the proper injector. In this study, according to different values of the geometric constant A which determines the initial swirl intensity of the injected fluid, five coaxial swirl injectors are designed to check the thruster's performance. From the test and experiment results, it is found that with an increase in A , coaxial-swirl injectors can aid in the mixing of oxidant and fuel but increase the average temperature of faceplate, thus significantly reducing the flame length. However, a large or small value of A is not conductive to improve the combustion efficiency. In addition, the pressure oscillation ( P ins ) inside of the chamber gradually becomes intense. Among all cases, Case 3 ( A = 3.0 ), exhibits optimal performance for a 100-N-class H 2 O 2 /kerosene thruster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin-dependent transport via flat-band states in organic-ferromagnetic devices with spin radicals is investigated theoretically. A spin-resolved negative differential resistance phenomenon is observed together with a spin-filtering effect. A new mechanism as bias-induced distinct localization of the spin-split flat-band states is proposed, which originates from the weaker hybridization of the flat-band states rather than the π -conjugated orbitals. The peak-to-valley ratio increases with the interaction strength between the main chain and radicals. This work explores the unique transport property of flat-band states and their intriguing prospect in designing high-performed organic spintronic devices. • Spin-resolved negative differential resistance is observed in organic-ferromagnetic devices with spin radicals. • A new mechanism as bias-induced distinct localization of the spin-split flat-band states is proposed. • The peak-to-valley ratio increases with the interaction strength between the main chain and radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since July in 2015, an emerging infectious disease of Hepatitis-Hydropericardium syndrome (HHS) was prevalent in chicken flocks in China. To confirm the causative agent and investigate the epidemiology of the disease, a total of 38 chicken flocks including 187 samples from Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangxi, Xinjiang, Shandong and Hunan provinces in China were collected and determined by PCR detection, sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and virus isolation. 81 samples (positive rate of samples, 81/187, 43.3%) distributed in 33 chicken flocks (positive rate of chicken flocks, 33/38, 86.8%) were detected to be positive for fowl adenovirus (FAdV) by PCR method, of which 30 were determined as FAdV species C, 41 were species D, 9 were species E and 1 was uncertain for the viral species by phylogenetic analysis, implicating that at least three species (C, D and E) of FAdVs were prevalent in China and the species C and D were predominantly the prevalent viral strains. Interestingly, our results indicated that two types of FAdVs (C and D) co-existed in one flock, resulting in complex condition for the prevalence of the disease. In addition, 13 viral strains of FAdV-C were isolated from different geographic areas and one of the isolates from Henan province, designated HN/151025 strain, was inoculated into 40-day-old specific pathogen free chickens via intramuscular or oral route to evaluate the pathogenicity. It was found that 90% (9/10) chickens died in the intramuscular injection group and 30% (3/10) birds died in the oral route infection group after challenge. Histopathology examination displayed that the pathology confined to liver, kidney, spleen, and heart. These results indicated that the virus was a highly virulent strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hierarchical porous iron–nitrogen-carbon electrocatalysts were successfully synthesized using conjugated microporous polytriphenylamine network with the impregnation of FeCl 3. • The Fe doping content and pyrolysis temperature can be used to tailor the structure and electrocatalytic performance of electrocatalyst. • The optimized electrocatalyst showed an enhanced ORR performance and methanol tolerance compared to Pt/C catalyst. Iron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts are promising non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) used in fuel cells. However, the rational design and fabrication of iron–nitrogen-carbon catalysts with tunable ORR activity remain challenging. Herein, iron–nitrogen-enriched carbon materials (FeNCs) were produced using the precursor of pyridyl conjugated microporous polytriphenylamine with the impregnation of FeCl 3 via two cycles of high-temperature pyrolysis with acid leaching in-between. The Fe doping content and pyrolysis temperature were varied to manipulate the state of active sites, the degree of graphitization and electrocatalytic performance. The optimized FeNCs exhibit enhanced stability, methanol tolerance and superior ORR activity in alkaline media with a higher onset potential (0.990 V vs RHE), half-wave potential (0.878 V vs RHE) and diffusion current density J L (5.95 mA cm−2) compared to commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.974 V, 0.860 V, 5.10 mA cm−2). The excellent electrocatalytic performance is ascribed to the co-existing highly active sites of Fe 4 N and Fe 3 C, the hierarchical porous structures for full action of active sites and a high surface area (1397 m2 g−1) with defect engineered graphitic and amorphous carbon for efficient electron conduction of ORR. Accordingly, the high-performance FeNCs can become an alternative low-cost catalyst to precious Pt/C catalyst for fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic fouling caused by dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a critical challenge for membrane technologies. In this study, prediction models for the fouling of commercial polyether sulfone (PES) and regenerated cellulose (RC) ultrafiltration membranes by DOM were established based on the hydrophobicity of DOM. The organic fouling behavior of 40 natural water samples collected from Lake Taihu was investigated. The fouling propensity of water samples on ultrafiltration membranes was evaluated using the fouling index (FI). The hydrophobicity of DOM in water samples was quantified by its partition coefficient in an aqueous two-phase system (K ATPS). The FI of water samples on RC membranes was lower than that on PES membranes due to stronger repulsive Lewis acid-base interactions, which reduced DOM-membrane interactions. A significant positive correlation was found between K ATPS and FI, suggesting the important role of DOM hydrophobicity in the organic fouling of ultrafiltration membranes. FI prediction models using K ATPS as the variable were established using a training group containing 20 water samples for PES and RC membranes, respectively. The resulting models were then validated using the additional 20 water samples, which suggested good prediction power (RMSE = 1.65). The pH effect on the organic fouling can be adequately predicted by the same model with K ATPS values measured at given pH. The results suggest that K ATPS can be used as a convenient index for assessing the initial organic fouling of ultrafiltration membranes by freshwater DOM. [Display omitted] • Partition coefficient of DOM in ATPS (K ATPS) was used to scale its hydrophobicity. • K ATPS significantly correlates with the fouling index of DOM on UF membranes. • DOM hydrophobicity plays an important role in the organic fouling of UF membranes. • Prediction models were established and validated for organic fouling of UF membranes. • The pH effect on the organic fouling can be explained using these prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A probability-based index is calculated to represent concurrent heatwaves and droughts. • Physical mechanisms of concurrent heatwaves and droughts are recognized. • Independent predictors are used to construct a physical-empirical prediction model. Concurrent heatwaves and droughts that occur over northeastern China (NEC) bring severe threats to human lives and crop production. Despite the great efforts taken in previous studies, realistic prediction of these concurrent extreme events remains a challenge. In the present study, a probability-based index that simultaneously considers precipitation deficiency and high temperature is calculated to represent concurrent heatwaves and droughts in July–August over NEC. Based on this index, the characteristics of concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC in July–August are investigated using the year-to-year increment approach. The results indicate that the occurrence of concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC is closely related to the Polar-Eurasian teleconnection pattern and the Pacific-Japan teleconnection pattern. Further analyses indicate that the sea ice content in the Barents Sea in March ( SICBS ), the La Niña-like sea surface temperature (SST) in February ( SST-PC1 ), and the northwestern Siberia soil moisture in April ( SM ) are coincidently linked to the two teleconnection patterns mentioned above. Based on their corresponding physical mechanisms, these three independent predictors are chosen to construct a physical-empirical prediction model for the prediction of concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC. Results suggest that this physical-empirical prediction model performs well with a high correlation coefficient and a low root mean squared error between the observed and predicted concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC during the period of 1979–2018. Moreover, the cross-validation test and independent hindcasts both suggest that the physical-empirical model proposed in the present study with the three independent predictors has good prediction skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acidic electrolysed water (AEW) combined with levulinic acid were applied. • The combined approach inactivated E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella effectively. • Additional antimicrobial effects on natural microbiota were achieved as well. • Most physicochemical qualities and nutrition indices were maintained well. • Pectin structure and dimension were maintained well after the treatment. This study aimed to better understand the effects of acidic electrolysed water (AEW, 4 mg/L) and levulinic acid (LA, food grade, 2%) combination on organic strawberry over 7 days. This combined method reduced the population of strawberry's natural microbiota by 1–2 log CFU/g and kept the level of inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella below the detection limit (2 log CFU/g) during the whole storage period. Meanwhile, AEW + LA did not affect the physicochemical qualities of strawberries significantly, maintaining most texture and biochemical attributes at an acceptable level (e.g., firmness, colour, soluble solids content and organic acid content). Atomic force microscopy further revealed that the treatment containing LA preserved the sodium carbonate soluble pectin (SSP) nanostructure best by maintaining their length and height, and slowed the breakdown of SSP chains by promoting acid-induced bonding and soluble pectin precipitation. These results demonstrated that low concentration AEW and LA combination is a promising sanitising approach for organic strawberry preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A probability-based index is calculated to represent concurrent heatwaves and droughts. • Physical mechanisms of concurrent heatwaves and droughts are recognized. • Independent predictors are used to construct a physical-empirical prediction model. Concurrent heatwaves and droughts that occur over northeastern China (NEC) bring severe threats to human lives and crop production. Despite the great efforts taken in previous studies, realistic prediction of these concurrent extreme events remains a challenge. In the present study, a probability-based index that simultaneously considers precipitation deficiency and high temperature is calculated to represent concurrent heatwaves and droughts in July–August over NEC. Based on this index, the characteristics of concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC in July–August are investigated using the year-to-year increment approach. The results indicate that the occurrence of concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC is closely related to the Polar-Eurasian teleconnection pattern and the Pacific-Japan teleconnection pattern. Further analyses indicate that the sea ice content in the Barents Sea in March ( SICBS ), the La Niña-like sea surface temperature (SST) in February ( SST-PC1 ), and the northwestern Siberia soil moisture in April ( SM ) are coincidently linked to the two teleconnection patterns mentioned above. Based on their corresponding physical mechanisms, these three independent predictors are chosen to construct a physical-empirical prediction model for the prediction of concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC. Results suggest that this physical-empirical prediction model performs well with a high correlation coefficient and a low root mean squared error between the observed and predicted concurrent heatwaves and droughts over NEC during the period of 1979–2018. Moreover, the cross-validation test and independent hindcasts both suggest that the physical-empirical model proposed in the present study with the three independent predictors has good prediction skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhomogeneous refractive index fields lead to errors in optical flow velocity measurements. Former respective studies are mostly in quasi two-dimensional flows, and attribute the measurement errors to spatial gradients in the refractive index field, while less attention has been paid to flows with three-dimensional refractive index fields which usually change in space and in time. In this study, ray tracing simulations were carried out in a three-dimensional flow, which is from a direct numerical simulation of single-phase turbulent mixing of two fluids. Given the data of the numerical simulation as reference, the ray tracing simulation is used to quantify the measurement errors of the flow velocity and flow acceleration for tracer-based velocimetry, i.e. particle tracking velocimetry in this study. The errors of both flow velocity and flow acceleration are attributed to the spatial and the spatio-temporal gradients of the refractive indices, respectively, which are closely inherited from flow characteristics. While the dominant type of error depends on the studied flow, the main measurement error for the considered turbulent mixing flow is caused by the random error. When the maximum spatial difference of the refractive indices is about 1 0 − 6 , the relative random measurement error is about 1 % in velocity and about 200 % in acceleration, respectively. When the maximum index difference is about 1 0 − 2 (water), the relative random measurement errors of velocity and acceleration are 2000 % and 1 0 5 %, respectively, for the flow considered in this study. [Display omitted] • Ray tracing simulations were carried out to quantify PTV measurement errors. • The refractive index field was obtained from the density data of a DNS dataset. • The maximum spatial difference of refractive indices ranges from 1 0 − 6 to 1 0 − 2 . • The random error is the dominant for the velocity and acceleration for the studied flows. • The velocity error is associated with spatio-temporal gradients of refractive indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have documented that the summer precipitation over South China (SC) has experienced a prominent inter-decadal increase in 1992/1993, and the possible mechanism has been well revealed. The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in extreme precipitation and clustered extreme precipitation events in recent decades using station observations and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis data. The results indicate that extreme precipitation also experienced a significant inter-decadal increase around 1992/1993. Significant changes can also be found in the associated atmospheric circulations, such as the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) and the westerly jet stream over East Asia. In addition, the water vapour transport (WVT) related to extreme precipitation differed from mean conditions. For extreme precipitation events, the WVT from the Northwest Pacific and Indian Oceans was much stronger when compared with mean precipitation. When extreme precipitation events were clustered, the increased WVT mainly originated from the South China Sea and Northwest Pacific Ocean. Further analysis indicates that the WVT increased from the Indian Ocean but decreased from the Northwest Pacific after 1992/1993; this inding explains the significant increase in the clustered extreme precipitation events over SC after 1992/1993. In addition, the atmospheric stratification has become more unstable since 1992/1993. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To design an alternative vaccine for control of infectious bronchitis in chickens, three recombinant duck enteritis viruses (rDEVs) expressing the N, S, or S1 protein of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were constructed using conventional homologous recombination methods, and were designated as rDEV-N, rDEV-S, and rDEV-S1, respectively. Chickens were divided into five vaccinated groups, which were each immunized with one of the rDEVs, covalent vaccination with rDEV-N & rDEV-S, or covalent vaccination with rDEV-N & rDEV-S1, and a control group. An antibody response against IBV was detectable and the ratio of CD4 + /CD8 + T-lymphocytes decreased at 7 days post-vaccination in each vaccinated group, suggesting that humoral and cellular responses were elicited in each group as early as 7 days post-immunization. After challenge with a homologous virulent IBV strain at 21 days post-immunization, vaccinated groups showed significant differences in the percentage of birds with clinical signs, as compared to the control group ( p < 0.01), as the two covalent-vaccination groups and the rDEV-S group provided better protection than the rDEV-N- or rDEV-S1-vaccinated group. There was less viral shedding in the rDEV-N & rDEV-S- (2/10) and rDEV-N & rDEV-S1- (2/10) vaccinated groups than the other three vaccinated groups. Based on the clinical signs, viral shedding, and mortality rates, rDEV-N & rDEV-S1 covalent vaccination conferred better protection than use of any of the single rDEVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impacts of meteorological factors on giant pandas is necessary for future conservation measures in response to global climate change. We integrated temperature data with three main habitat parameters (elevation, vegetation type, and bamboo species) to evaluate the influence of climate change on giant panda habitat in the northern Minshan Mountains using a habitat assessment model. Our study shows that temperature (relative importance = 25.1%) was the second most important variable influencing giant panda habitat excepting the elevation. There was a significant negative correlation between temperature and panda presence ( ρ = −0.133, P < 0.05), and the temperature range preferred by giant pandas within the study area was 18-21°C, followed by 15-17°C and 22-24°C. The overall suitability of giant panda habitats will increase by 2.7%, however, it showed a opposite variation patterns between the eastern and northwestern region of the study area. Suitable and subsuitable habitats in the northwestern region of the study area, which is characterized by higher elevation and latitude, will increase by 18007.8 hm2 (9.8% habitat suitability), while the eastern region will suffer a decrease of 9543.5 hm2 (7.1% habitat suitability). Our results suggest that increasing areas of suitable giant panda habitat will support future giant panda expansion, and food shortage and insufficient living space will not arise as problems in the northwest Minshan Mountains, which means that giant pandas can adapt to climate change, and therefore may be resilient to climate change. Thus, for the safety and survival of giant pandas in the Baishuijiang Reserve, we propose strengthening the giant panda monitoring program in the west and improving the integrity of habitats to promote population dispersal with adjacent populations in the east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unidirectional barbed suture (UBS) has been widely used for surgery in recent years, especially for urethrovesical anastomosis (UVA) during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). However, the efficacy and safety comparing it with conventional non-barbed suture (CS) for UVA is still controversial. Aims: The objective of this study is to assess the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of UBS compared with CS for UVA during RARP. Methods: We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, SinoMed (Chinese) and other databases on Oct. 9, 2014 to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other comparative studies evaluating these two types of suture. The outcome measures included anastomosis time operative time, posterior reconstruction (PR) time, postoperative leakage (PL) rate and continence rates at different time points (4-6 weeks, 3 months, 6-12 months) after surgery. Secondary outcomes included estimated blood loss (EBL) and length of catheterization (LOC). Results: Three RCTs and six observational studies including 786 cases were identified. Meta-analysis of extractable data showed that use of UBS could significantly reduce anastomosis time (weighted mean difference [WMD]:-3.98min; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.02 -1.95; p = 0.0001), operative time (WMD:-10.06min; 95% CI, -15.45–-4.67; p = 0.0003) and PR time (WMD:-0.93min; 95% CI, -1.52–-0.34; p = 0.002). No significant difference was found in PL rate, EBL, LOC, or continence rates at 4-6 weeks, 3 months and 6–12 months after surgery. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis indicates that UBS appears to be safe and efficient as CS for UVA during RARP with not only shorter anastomosis time, operative time, PR time, but also equivalent PL rate, EBL, LOC, and continence rates at 4-6 weeks, 3 months and 6-12 months after surgery. For the inherent limitations of the eligible studies, future more persuasive RCTs are needed to confirm and update our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a main factor of neonatal death and permanent neurologic deficit. This study sought to investigate the functional role of hsa_circ_0007706 (circ_0007706) in modulating neonatal HIE. In vitro HIE cell model was established in hBMVECs under the condition of oxygen‑glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) treatment. qRT-PCR analysis was utilized for detecting the level of circ_0007706, microRNA-579–3p (miR-579–3p) and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). RNase R treatment and Oligo (dT) 18 primers were employed to verify the features of circ_0007706, and nucleocytoplasmic separation was conducted for determining the location of circ_0007706. CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, and flow cytometry were carried out to measure cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. The protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and TRAF6 was detected using western blot. Meanwhile, the levels of the pro-inflammatory factors were determined via ELISA. SOD activity and MDA level were assessed via the respective kits. Besides, dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down were used to identify the association between miR-579–3p and circ_0007706 or TRAF6. Circ_0007706 was elevated in HIE newborns and OGD/R cell model. Knockdown of circ_0007706 greatly alleviated OGD/R-induced injury, inflammatory response and oxidative stress. We found that miR-579–3p was a direct target of circ_0007706, and miR-579–3p inhibitor could reverse the impact of circ_0007706 knockdown on OGD/R-caused cell damage in hBMVECs. In addition, miR-579–3p directly interacted with TRAF6, and the protective effects of miR-579–3p on OGD/R-induced injury in hBMVECs were harbored by TRAF6 overexpression. Our data indicated that circ_0007706 knockdown could downregulate the expression of TRAF6 by sponging miR-579–3p in OGD/R-treated hBMVECs. This study demonstrated that circ_0007706 knockdown assuaged HIE-induced injury by decreasing TRAF6 expression via targeting miR-579–3p. • Circ_0007706 was upregulated in HIE newborns and OGD/R-induced hBMVECs. • Circ_0007706 downregulation alleviated OGD/R-induced damage in hBMVECs. • Circ_0007706 downregulation mitigated OGD/R-induced damage via targeting miR-579–3p to regulate TRAF6 expression in hBMVECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous carbon materials are important in electrochemical applications due to their unique nanostructures and remarkable physicochemical stability. In this work, nitrogen-doped porous carbons were fabricated using the self-templating networks of pyridyl conjugated microporous polytriphenylamine. The prepared nitrogen-doped porous carbons show a high content of nitrogen (4.6–11.5 wt%) with fine performance of CO 2 capture (store 14.0–17.0 wt% at 273 K and 1 bar) and high specific surface area up to 1059 m2 g−1 that surpasses materials prepared using other polymer networks. More importantly, the nitrogen-doped porous carbons exhibit great potentialities as electrode materials of supercapacitors with a specific capacitance of up to 238 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 that retained almost 100% after 1000 cycles (three-electrode supercapacitors). The prepared nitrogen-doped porous carbons underwent electrochemical activation during cycling measurement, which exhibits a high energy density (27.7 Wh kg−1) and power density (7000 W kg−1) in symmetric two-electrodes supercapacitors assembled using nitrogen-doped porous carbons after 10,000 cycles. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are continuously activated and are one of the most important cellular components of the tumor matrix. The role of CAFs in the tumor microenvironment has been widely recognized. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which CAFs promote tumor characteristics in breast cancer (BC) remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential mechanisms and the possible pathways of collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BC cells. The level of CTHRC1 in BC tissues was found to be higher than that in adjacent-normal tissues. CAFs isolated from BC tissues secreted significantly greater amounts of CTHRC1 than normal fibroblasts. Furthermore, CAFs promoted the migration, invasiveness and EMT of BC cells by secreting CTHRC1, which activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, the use of neutralizing antibodies towards CTHRC1, or the specific inhibitor Dickkopf-1, to inhibit the Wnt/β catenin pathway significantly alleviated the CAF-induced malignant phenotypes of BC cells. Collectively, the data indicate that CAFs in the tumor microenvironment promote BC cell malignant behaviors via the CTHRC1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, weakening CAF-BC cell communication by suppressing CTHRC1 expression may be a novel strategy for treating BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspect-based sentiment analysis has been a popular topic in natural language processing in recent years that aims to determine the sentiment polarity of a specific aspect in one context. However, most existing models only focus on feature extraction and ignore the significant role of words with sentiment tendency (e.g. good, terrible), which results in low classification accuracy. In this paper, a sentiment knowledge-based bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (SK-BERT) is proposed to overcome this shortcoming. To introduce sentiment knowledge, SK-BERT first integrates sentiment knowledge words into independent sequences and then encodes the sequence and context into static and dynamic vectors with the BERT pretrained models, respectively. All vectors are sent to the sentiment centre to generate different dimension representations for classification. We evaluate our model on three widely used datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed SK-BERT model outperforms other state-of-the-art models. Furthermore, visualization experiments are implemented to prove the rationality of SK-BERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Probiotics are primarily made into microecologic products for use in the food and feed industries. The freeze‐drying technique is widely used in their preparation to maintain their high level of bioactivity. This causes high costs in terms of the energy and time needed. In this study, we developed a method to produce a highly active microecologic product from Lactobacillus rhamnosus using heating and silica. Results: A microecologic product was made successfully from L. rhamnosus using the whole bacterial culture broth, without waste, and using food‐grade silica (4.5 mL g−1) to absorb water before drying at 37 °C for 8 h. The activity of L. rhamnosus cells was increased significantly by adding water extracts of green tea to the culture medium. The viable amount of L. rhamnosus in the obtained microecologic product was 9.80 × 1010 cfu g−1 with a survival rate of 224.67% in simulated gastric juice for 3 h and 68.2% in simulated intestinal juice for 3 h. The microecologic product treated an intestinal infection by multi‐drug‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in mice very efficiently. Conclusion: The study developed an economic, eco‐friendly, and efficient method for preparing highly active microecologic agents using heating and without waste. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The growth kinetics of colloidal Al(III)-containing particles (), nucleated in optically clear, supersaturated sodium aluminate solutions as a precursor to Al(OH)3 crystals, has been studied using dynamic light scattering. Two series of solutions were examined at 22 °C to determine the influence of Al(III) supersaturation and NaOH concentration on the initial particle growth behavior. One solution series consisted of solutions with constant Al(III) absolute supersaturation (ΔC) of 1.48 M and [NaOH] range 1.83–4.00 M and Al(III) relative supersaturation . The other solution series had a constant σ of 7.55 and [NaOH] range of 1.50–4.27 M and . The correlation between the initial particle growth rates and supersaturation (ΔC or σ) revealed marked anomalies over the entire supersaturation range studied. The growth rate remained substantially constant in the ΔC range 0.86–2.55 M (for the constant σ solution series), before increasing sharply upon a further increase of ΔC beyond 2.55 M. The variation of the growth rate with σ in the range 3.86–9.00 (for the constant ΔC solution series) was remarkably weak, contrary to expectation. At higher σ (>9.00), however, a marked increase in growth rate with increasing σ was displayed. At constant ΔC or σ, the growth rate showed a strong variation with NaOH concentration, indicating that Na+ and OH- species play a pivotal role in the Al(OH) precursor particles (nuclei) growth process. Furthermore, the kinetics of growth displayed by these nanosized particles are an order of magnitude slower than those observed for macroscopic gibbsite (γ-Al(OH)3) crystals at similar supersaturations and temperature. The difference may be rationalized in terms of particle size and Al(OH)3 dimorphic phase dependent solubility effects. An empirically adequate growth kinetics modeling was achieved when the growth rates were correlated with the Al(III) supersaturation (ΔC or σ) and the excess (free) NaOH concentration, rather than the former alone, as is commonly the case. A critical [NaOH]/[Al(III)] molar ratio of 1.27–1.35, below which the particle growth rate increased markedly and above which the rate was significantly reduced, was observed. This behavior is believed to be linked to solution speciation change that occurs at certain Al(III) and NaOH compositions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The crystallization mechanisms of colloidal Al(OH)3 from dilute ([NaOH]⩽1.00M, [Al(III)]⩽0.82M), intermediate (1.00–2.50M NaOH, 0.82–2.05M Al(III)) and concentrated ([NaOH]>2.50M, [Al(III)]>2.05M) sodium aluminate solutions have been investigated. Bayerite (-Al(OH)3) crystallization predominates from dilute sodium aluminate solutions, whilst for concentrated solutions the precipitated phase is predominately gibbsite (-Al(OH)3). Solutions with an intermediate NaOH concentration gave rise to a dimorphic phase mixture. Particle size distribution (PSD) analysis of dynamic light scattering (DLS) in the particle size range of 0.05–1.0μm shows that in a solution of intermediate concentration (i.e. 1.50M NaOH, 0.97M Al(III)) progressive, uni-modal nuclei growth occurs up to an average diameter of ≈300nm. Thereafter, the PSD broadens with time due to aggregation until the limit of sizing by DLS is reached. In contrast, particle size enlargement in a concentrated solution (i.e. 4.00M NaOH, 3.28M Al(III)) was primarily via aggregation. Distinctly bi-and tri-modal particle size distributions are observed for in the concentrated solution, indicating the existence of secondary nucleation. This is not observed in the dilute solution. The average particle size enlargement rate is nearly an order of magnitude slower in the solution of intermediate concentration comprising mixed bayerite–gibbsite precursor particles than the concentrated solution containing predominantly gibbsite nuclei. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The nature of Al(III)-containing solution species as a function of solution NaOH and Al(III) concentrations, prior to Al(OH)3 nuclei formation and growth, has been investigated using light scattering. Three types of solution series were analysed, constant [Al(III)] (0.82 M and 4.10 M) with varying [NaOH] (1.00–6.00 M and 5.00–7.00 M), constant [NaOH] (1.00 M and 5.00 M) with varying [Al (III)] (0.14–0.82 M, 0.40–4.10 M) and constant [NaOH]/[Al] of 1.22 ([NaOH] 0.31–6.00 M). It is found that NaOH concentration determines the nature of the initial speciation. At [NaOH]<1.00 M, a high phase contrast between the scattering species and background solvent is observed. The species appear to be relatively large, Al(III)-polycondensed structures, commensurate with the presence of Keggin ions. A significant decrease in light scattering is observed between 1.00 M and 2.5 M NaOH. This is believed to be due to the presence of species with lower order or density than the Keggin ion. Further increase in NaOH concentration to 7.00 M did not have any significant effect on the light scattering of the species regardless of Al(III) concentration. This indicates that the Al(III) containing species formed have less structure or are small, consistent with predominantly Al(OH)4− monomers, and effectively form part of the solvent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anthropogenic land use is threatening global biodiversity. As one of the most abundant animals on Earth, nematodes occupy several key positions in belowground food webs and contribute to many ecosystem functions and services. However, the effects of land use on nematode abundance and its determinants remain poorly understood at a global scale.To characterize nematodes' responses to land use across trophic groups, we used a dataset of 6,825 soil samples globally to assess how nematode abundance varies among regional land‐use types (i.e. primary vegetation, secondary vegetation, pasture, cropland and urban) and local land‐use intensities (i.e. human‐managed or not). We also quantified the interactive effects of land use and environmental predictors (i.e. mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, soil organic carbon, soil pH, global vegetation biomass and global vegetation productivity) on nematode abundance.We found that total nematode abundance and the abundance of bacterivores, fungivores, herbivores, omnivores and predators generally increased or were not affected under management across land‐use types. Specifically, the most numerically abundant bacterivores were higher in managed than in unmanaged secondary vegetation habitats and urban areas, and herbivores were more abundant in managed than in unmanaged primary and secondary vegetation habitats. Furthermore, the numbers of significant environmental predictors of nematode abundance were reduced and the magnitude and the direction of the predictors were changed under management. We also found that nematode abundance was more variable and less determined by environmental factors in urban than in other land‐use types.These findings challenge the view that human land use decreases animal abundance across trophic groups, but highlight that land use is altering the trophic composition of soil nematodes and its relationships with the environment at the global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]