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Background Aim Study Design Results Conclusions Relevance to Clinical Practice The surge in critically ill COVID‐19 patients caused a shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. Some hospitals temporarily transformed general wards into ICUs to meet this pressing health care demand.This study aims to evaluate and analyse the risk factors in temporary ICU from the perspective of nurses. By identifying these factors, the goal is to provide actionable insights and recommendations for effectively establishing and managing temporary ICUs in similar crisis scenarios in the future.The study was conducted in China within a public hospital. Specifically, it focused on examining 62 nurses working in a temporary ICU that was converted from an infectious disease ward. The research utilized the Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) scoring method to identify potential threats, evaluate their probability, estimate their impact on specific organizations or regions and calculate the relative risk associated with such occurrences.Staff demonstrated the highest risk percentage (32.74%), with Stuff (16.11%), Space (15.19%) and System (11.30%) following suit. The most critical risk factors included insufficient knowledge and decision‐making competence in critical care (56.14%), lacking decision‐making abilities and skills in renal replacement therapy care (55.37%), inadequate decision‐making capacity and relevant skills in respiratory support care (50.64%), limited decision‐making capability in circulatory support care (45.73%) and unfamiliarity with work procedures or systems (42.09%).Urgent implementation of tailored training and support for temporary ICU nurses is paramount. Addressing capability and skill‐related issues among these nurses supersedes resource availability, infrastructure, equipment and system considerations. Essential interventions must target challenges encompassing nurses' inability to perform critical treatment techniques autonomously and ensure standardized care. These measures are designed to heighten patient safety and elevate care quality during emergencies. These findings offer a viable avenue to mitigate potential moral distress, anxiety and depression among nurses, particularly those transitioning from non‐critical care backgrounds. These nurses swiftly assimilate into temporary ICUs, and the study's insights offer practical guidance to alleviate their specific challenges.The study on risk factors for converting traditional wards into temporary ICU during the COVID‐19 pandemic, especially from the perspective of nurses, provides crucial insights into the challenges and requirements for effectively establishing and managing these emergency settings. The findings highlight several key areas of concern and opportunities for improvement directly related to clinical practice, particularly in situations where there is a rapid need to adapt to increased demands for critical care. By addressing the identified risk factors through enhanced training, support systems, resource management, process improvements and cultivating a culture of adaptability, not only can the quality of care in temporary ICUs be improved, but also can the health care system be better prepared for future emergencies. These actions will help mitigate the risks associated with such conversions, ultimately benefiting patient safety, staff well‐being and the overall effectiveness of health care services in crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kernel weight is a critical agronomic trait in maize production. Many genes are related to kernel weight but only a few of them have been applied to maize breeding and cultivation. Here, we identify a novel function of maize mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (ZmMPK6) in the regulation of maize kernel weight. Kernel weight was reduced in zmmpk6 mutants and increased in ZmMPK6 -overexpressing lines. In addition, starch granules, starch content, protein content, and grain-filling characteristics were also affected by the ZmMPK6 expression level. ZmMPK6 is mainly localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm, widely distributed across various tissues, and is expressed during kernel development, which is consistent with its role in kernel weight. Thus, these results provide new insights into the role of ZmMPK6, a mitogen-activated protein kinase, in maize kernel weight, and could be applied to further molecular breeding for kernel quality and yield in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Culex pipiens pallens and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus are the dominant species of Culex mosquitoes in China and important disease vectors. Long-term use of insecticides can cause mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (vgsc) gene of mosquitoes, but little is known about the current status and evolutionary origins of vgsc gene in different geographic populations. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the current status of vgsc genes in Cx. p. pallens and Cx. p. quinquefasciatus in China and to investigate the evolutionary inheritance of neighboring downstream introns of the vgsc gene to determine the impact of insecticides on long-term evolution. Methods: Sampling was conducted from July to September 2021 in representative habitats of 22 provincial-level administrative divisions in China. Genomic DNA was extracted from 1308 mosquitoes, the IIS6 fragment of the vgsc gene on the nerve cell membrane was amplified using polymerase chain reaction, and the sequence was used to evaluate allele frequency and knockdown resistance (kdr) frequency. MEGA 11 was used to construct neighbor-joining (NJ) tree. PopART was used to build a TCS network. Results: There were 6 alleles and 6 genotypes at the L1014 locus, which included the wild-type alleles TTA/L and CTA/L and the mutant alleles TTT/F, TTC/F, TCT/S and TCA/S. The geographic populations with a kdr frequency less than 20.00% were mainly concentrated in the regions north of 38° N, and the geographic populations with a kdr frequency greater than 80.00% were concentrated in the regions south of 30° N. kdr frequency increased with decreasing latitude. And within the same latitude, the frequency of kdr in large cities is relatively high. Mutations were correlated with the number of introns. The mutant allele TCA/S has only one intron, the mutant allele TTT/F has three introns, and the wild-type allele TTA/L has 17 introns. Conclusions: Cx. p. pallens and Cx. p. quinquefasciatus have developed resistance to insecticides in most regions of China. The neighboring downstream introns of the vgsc gene gradually decreased to one intron with the mutation of the vgsc gene. Mutations may originate from multiple mutation events rather than from a single origin, and populations lacking mutations may be genetically isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that the synergistic effects during co-gasification process of coal and biomass are caused by the inherent alkali/alkaline earth metals (AAEM). However, the compositions of biomass and coal are complex, with main components being not only AAEM, but also aromatic, aliphatic, and heteroatom-containing compounds. Therefore, whether these organic components can also result in synergistic effects during co-gasification is necessary to be investigated. In this work, to reveal the reaction characteristics of organic components in co-gasification process, two raw materials with little content of ash were selected. The gasification behaviors of coal and biomass were studied and the influences of blending ratio and gasification temperature were mainly examined. The results showed that gasification reactivity of pure biomass was the strongest and its carbon conversion reached 100% within 33 min. With the increase of biomass ratio, gasification reactivity of mixtures was gradually enhanced, which could be ascribed to active functional groups, porous structures, and incompact macromolecular structures of biomass. At high temperature, the gasification reactivity difference was lessened among different samples. As for coal, the reactivity index at 800°C was 0.012. With the increase of biomass blending ratio from 25% to 100%, the reactivity index slowly went up to 0.023 at maximum. When temperature rose to 900°C, the reactivity index was enlarged nearly eight times compared with that of 800°C. At temperatures tested, the shrinking core mode was appropriate to describe gasification process, especially for coal and coal/biomass mixtures. Kinetic analysis showed the theoretical activation energies were all higher than the experimental values, indicating that the interaction between coal and biomass diminished activation energy. The synergy index suggested that gasification reactivity of coal was indeed enhanced during co-gasification process. However, a high-temperature environment might cover up the positive roles of biomass and the synergistic effect was hence weakened. In conclusion, the synergistic effects during co-gasification process could be induced by the organic components in coal and biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sign language (SL) has strong structural features. Various gestures and the complex trajectories of hand movements bring challenges to sign language recognition (SLR). Based on the inherent correlation between gesture and trajectory of SL action, SLR is organically divided into gesture-based recognition and gesture-related movement trajectory recognition. One hundred and twenty commonly used Chinese SL words involving 9 gestures and 8 movement trajectories, are selected as research and test objects. The method based on the amplitude state of surface electromyography (sEMG) signal and acceleration signal is used for vocabulary segmentation. The multi-sensor decision fusion method of coupled hidden Markov model is used to complete the recognition of SL vocabulary, and the average recognition rate is 90.41%. Experiments show that the method of sEMG signal and motion information fusion has good practicability in SLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three types of initial microcracks have been clearly observed in concrete: those that developed around aggregate/coarse sand, those that developed perpendicular to the aggregate, and those that developed in the cement paste. However, the evolution of each of these microcrack types has not yet been separately studied. The variations among these microcrack types and their effect on the microstructures of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and cement paste have not been further investigated. Accordingly, this study presents an experimental and statistical study of the systematic and quantitative analysis of the initial microcrack characteristics of the concrete ITZ and cement paste, focusing on the aforementioned core scientific deficiencies. First, the initial microcracks within concrete are quantitatively and statistically evaluated. This is achieved by developing an image recognition algorithm and interactive algorithm for boundary recognition based on the experimental results of the fluorescent epoxy impregnation method (FEIM). Then, the different behaviors of each microcrack type are identified based on the statistical analysis of the number, area, length, width, and axis orientation of the microcracks. Accordingly, the effect of each type of microcrack on the microstructure and macroproperties of concrete can also be deduced. Finally, the initial microcrack characteristics within the ITZ is examined. The proportion of the total length of microcracks to the corresponding aggregate/coarse sand perimeter (α) and the parameter RL , which can reflect the location distributions of microcracks, is used to evaluate the characteristics of the initial microcracks within the ITZ statistically and quantitatively. The statistical approach employed in this study establishes the experimental and theoretical foundation for evaluating the initial characteristics of microcracks in concrete. Concrete is a three-phase composite material consisting of coarse/fine aggregates, cement paste, and interfacial transition zone. The concept of interfacial transition zone has been widely accepted of concrete technology for many years. An interfacial transition zone is often considered a weak link because its increased microcracks may serve as a path for the ingress of aggressive species and provide preferential and easier pathways for crack growth. Because the interfacial transition zone plays a significant role in the macroproperties of concrete, further investigations focusing on the microcrack evolutions distributed in the interfacial transition zone are urgently needed. In this paper, the fluorescent epoxy impregnation method was used to obtain the real microcrack distributions within concrete. An image recognition algorithm and interactive algorithm for boundary recognition have been developed to evaluate the microcrack characteristics quantitatively. Thus, statistical analysis of microcracks distributed in the interfacial transition zone is conducted. Microcracks developed perpendicular to the aggregate and in cement paste are also analyzed for comparison. The statistical approach establishes the experimental and theoretical foundation for evaluating the microcrack characteristics and its effect on the strength, durability, and service safety of concrete engineering structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Fabry‐Perot micro‐interferometer has been designed based on the conventional single‐mode fiber end fusion method for measuring strain along the fiber. During the splicing process of single‐mode optical fiber, the uniformly coated glycerine on the end face of the fiber is vaporized due to the high temperature of arc discharge to form a spherical air microcavity (Fabry‐Perot cavity). The experimental results show that the proposed sensor can determine the strain during 0–1.2 N with a linear response and the corresponding sensitivity of ~3.25 nm/N. The Fabry‐Perot micro‐interferometer strain probe proposed in this paper is simple to manufacture, compact in structure and easy to integrate. It has the promising potential in exploring the intelligent wearable devices for real‐time monitoring of micro‐strain changes such as pulse, blood pressure, and respiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment supplies water, land, biological resources, and climate resources for people's daily life and development, dramatically affecting the subsistence and development of human beings. Panzhihua City is a representative resource-based industrial city of southwestern China. The abundant mineral resources provide the material basis for the city's development. However, while the overdevelopment of the past decades has provided the preconditions for its rapid economic growth, it has also inevitably had a huge impact on its environmental quality and land use structure. In this study, the landsat remote sensing images, terrain data, socio-economic data, and mining resources exploitation data of Panzhihua were used to extract the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDBSI (Normalized Difference Build and Soil Index) and LST (Land Surface Temperature) of the past 20 years at 5-year intervals. We normalized four indicators by Principal Component Analysis to derive a remote sensing ecological index of each factor and build the Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index evaluation model. This research quantified the changes in environmental quality in the past 20 years through the range method, showing that the environmental quality of Panzhihua City first declined and then increased slowly. This research also analyzed the influence of land use types, terrain, mining area, and socio-economy on the environmental quality of Panzhihua City by grey relational analysis and buffer analysis. It is found that with the influence of its unique topographical factors and economic aspects, the environmental quality of Panzhihua City changed to varying degrees. The results provide a reliable basis for the future environmental planning of Panzhihua City and a reference for the ecological restoration of mining areas with different mineral species accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible and foldable electronic products often contain adhesive layers, and failure generally initiates at the adhesive interfaces. To analyze the interfacial stress accurately, correct constitutive relationship of adhesive layers is necessary. However, soft adhesives used in foldable sandwich plates can show rate-dependent and anisotropic mechanical behaviors, which can hardly be implemented by traditional linear elastic and hyperelastic constitutive models in the folding process simulation. Through experiments in material's principal axes and the strain energy equivalence principle, a transversely isotropic and rate-dependent constitutive relationship of adhesive has been developed in a three-dimensional form. By commercial finite element (FE) software ABAQUS and its user subroutine UMAT, the folding stress of a sandwich plate has been analyzed. The results of FE simulation show that folding time would affect stress distributions significantly due to the anisotropic and rate-dependent properties of adhesive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an ultrawideband radar scattering cross-sectional (RCS) reduction metasurface is proposed combining with absorption and phase cancellation mechanisms. A two-lossy-layer absorber is designed first, which is responsible for low-frequency RCS reduction from 1.3 to 13 GHz (163.6%). The equivalent circuit of the proposed absorber is extracted, proving that the wideband characteristic is due to the occurrence of multiple resonant points. To further improve the RCS reduction bandwidth, the absorber unit cells are arranged with three different heights. The proposed metasurface consists of 3 $\times $ 3 lattice and each lattice has $5\times $ 5 absorber unit cells. The reflection phase cancellation can be achieved owing to the wave path difference by introducing a certain height difference among subregions. Resultantly, high-frequency RCS reduction from 13 to 40 GHz can be realized since the backward scattering can be canceled effectively. Finally, an extraordinary ultrawideband RCS reduction from 1.5 to 40 GHz (185.5%) can be acquired successfully. A prototype with the thickness of 0.104 $\lambda _{L}$ (the wavelength of the lowest working frequency) is fabricated and measured for demonstration. The measured results prove that the proposed design has numerous advantages including minimization, ultrawideband RCS reduction, wide angle stability, and polarization insensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a low-profile, double-layer absorber with ultra-broadband absorption and large-angle stability is proposed. In order to improve the angular stability, the square ring with concave–convex deformation is designed. It can expand the current path to realize the miniaturization of the absorber, which decreases the influence of oblique incident on absorption. The equivalent circuit model provides detailed resonance and admittance analysis, showing the existence of three resonances working together to achieve broadband absorption. The simulated results illustrate that the designed unit can achieve above 80% absorption within 2.09–18.1 GHz. The angular stability is up to 50° under TE/TM polarization with a period of 0.07 λL (the wavelength of the lowest operating frequency). The 300 mm × 300 mm prototype absorbers were fabricated for demonstration, with a total thickness of 0.096 λL. The measurement results are consistent with the simulated results, which shows that the designed absorber unit can achieve ultra-broadband and large-angle absorption. The performance of devices can be widely applied in infrared detection, radiation refrigeration, and stealth technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better investigate the geological research, a tilt photogrammetry technology based on the unmanned aerial vehicle is proposed. This paper makes use of UAV tilt photogrammetry technology to make geological macroscopic analysis and establishes 3d color digital ground model, forming a set of technical methods for geological survey assisted by UAV. The experimental results show that the coordinate calculation is significantly improved, and the root mean square error of plane coordinates reaches 0.2 m, which can meet the requirements of later cartography and spatial measurement. The feasibility and efficiency of carrying out a geological survey based on the unmanned aerial vehicle are verified by the practical application in landslide hazard geological survey. It is proved that DEM and DOM data obtained based on oblique photogrammetry data can form various thematic maps by superimposing them with vector GIS data, which will provide a basic data model for subsequent engineering investigation, site management, and image display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To analyze the possible factors causing fatty liver in children based on ultrasound data of children in south Texas, and to establish machine learning models of fatty liver in children to provide ideas for the prevention and treatment of fatty liver in children.Methods: The binary classification model of fatty liver problem in obese children in Texas was established under the multiple model. First, we selected important features using the CatBoost algorithm. Second, the best parameters of the algorithm were selected on the training set and the validation set by using the grid search method, and all six models were tested on the test set. The six models then were compared by area under the curve value, precision, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score in a model evaluation. Then, two algorithms, logic regression and CatBoost, were selected to establish prediction models of fatty liver disease in children.Results: We selected body mass index, height, liver size, kidney volume, glomerular filtration rate, and liver diameter as the features used in the machine learning model. The prediction models we chose showed that children with higher body mass index at the same age tended to have a greater probability of fatty liver.Conclusions: Based on the analysis of the results of the two prediction models established by logistic regression and CatBoost, we determined that the mean probability of fatty liver in severely obese children was between 74.47% and 92.22%, 73.45% and 85.41% in obese children, and slightly higher in boys than in girls, with a mean difference of 3.00% to 3.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salient object refers to the conspicuous objects or regions within an image that stand out prominently from its surroundings. Depth maps are commonly utilized as supplementary inputs for salient object detection, referred to as RGB-D SOD. Due to the diverse acquisition sensors, such as infrared detectors and stereo cameras, the quality of acquired depth maps varies considerably. The low-quality depth introduces noise that seriously reduces detection accuracy. To tackle this problem, a triple attention architecture based on a 3D convolutional neural network tailored for quality-aware salient object detection is proposed in this paper, which capitalizes on the strengths across modality, channel, and spatial dimensions. The modality attention learns the quality factors based on the overall modal features. The channel attention highlights features in the dimension of channels, and the patch-level spatial attention establishes long-range dependencies. Thus, the quality factors, channel differences, and spatial contrast are combined to achieve global and local fusion. To enable the evaluations on low-quality depth maps, an assessment criterion is further introduced to categorize the RGB-D datasets. Experimental results of state-of-the-art methods on different quality levels demonstrate the proposed method's effectiveness, especially for the low-quality depth. • A triple attention framework for quality-aware salient object detection. • Modality, channel, and patch-level spatial attention are effective for saliency detection. • A novel quality assessment criterion for depth maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report designed a Pt/LaCoO3 composite electrocatalyst for electrochemical water splitting: LaCo0.94Pt0.06O3 was prepared via the sol-gel method and then dealt with a heat treatment in 10% H2/Ar atmosphere at 350 °C. The XRD, HRTEM, SEM and XPS results show that the Pt nanoparticles (NPs) exsolve from the perovskite lattice and are homogeneously distributed on the surface. The HER and OER performance of the samples was tested in 1 mol·L-1 KOH solution and the findings illustrate that compared with LaCo0.94Pt0.06O3, Pt/LaCoO3 owes better OER and HER performance. The improved performance could be up to the higher ratio of oxygen vacancies and improved charge transfer. Furthermore, the synergistic effect between Pt NPs and the LaCoO3 matrix may also take a leading part in the future. Figure SEM images of the samples: (a) LaCo0.94Pt0.06O3; (b) Pt/LaCoO3. After the exsolution, the Pt/LaCoO3 is well-developed with smooth surface and some nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed on the surface of the samples. The exsolved Pt nanoparticles can accelerate the electron exchange process between the matrix and its adsorbed intermediates, and ultimately promote the electrochemical reaction kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Artificial intelligence, which simulates the behavior of the human brain with a computer, including learning, reasoning, decision‐making and prediction, association, and other aspects, with the help of artificial intelligence technology to help visual communication designers complete high‐quality, efficient, and high‐volume design output, has become a trend. However, there are many defects in the existing visual design and creation system under the intelligent human–computer cooperation. Therefore, based on 5G virtual reality, this paper proposes the framework of visual design and creation system under intelligent human–computer cooperation research that has been carried out. This paper uses the method of literature analysis and other methods to study. In the research process, based on 5G virtual reality, this paper builds the framework of visual design and creation system under the intelligent human–computer cooperation of virtual reality and tests the visual design creation system based on 5G virtual reality from the aspects of response time, visual design completion time, and visual presentation effect; the system is compared with other intelligent human–computer cooperation visual design creation systems. The results show that the clarity score of this system is 96.5, the visual presentation quality score is 95.8, the clarity score of other systems is 87.6, and the visual presentation quality score is 86.3. Therefore, this system has very high superiority compared with other intelligent human–computer cooperation visual design and creation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The pore size can be controlled in situ by adjusting the HCl ratio. • The addition sequence of raw material influence material's crystallinity. • The material has a large maximum adsorption capacity (423 mg/g). • The material displays remarkable resilience to anionic interference. In this study, a transformative shift from amorphous to crystalline MOFs was achieved by altering the input sequence of organic ligands, metal sources, and HCl while minimizing the usage of HCl. By adjusting the ratio of HCl, various degrees of ligand and cluster deletions occurred, facilitating precise control over mesopore size from range of 2–5 to 18–31 nm. The experiments demonstrate that the synthesized materials exhibit outstanding pH adsorption capabilities within the range of pH 1 to 10. Particularly noteworthy is the performance of Zr-PDC-20, which displayed excellent equilibrium and maximum adsorption capacities, measuring 210 mg/g and 423 mg/g respectively at pH 7. Importantly, even in solutions containing diverse anions such as NO 3 -, SO 4 2-, COOH–, Cl−, and CO 3 2-, the material exhibited exceptional anti-interference capacities. Consequently, these adsorbents have good adsorption capacity, selectivity, and a broad pH range, enabling the effective and rapid removal of Gly from complex water environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns have recently arisen regarding the formation of carcinogenic and genotoxic iodinated haloacetic acids (HAAs), such as monoiodoacetic acid (MIAA), during the disinfection of iodine-containing water with chloramine. Existing detection methods for MIAA rely on either labor-intensive derivatization operations or expensive instruments, making analysis challenging. To bypass these issues, this study proposed a novel two-step liquid-liquid extraction strategy to enrich MIAA and then pioneered the integration of common ion chromatography (IC) with an ultraviolet detector to measure trace MIAA precisely. This novel approach achieved a remarkable 155.6-fold enrichment of MIAA and significantly reduced the need for water and chemicals, hence enhancing its efficiency and environmental friendliness. Besides, this method effectively removed coexisting anions and separated MIAA from other interferents by adjusting IC column and eluent conditions. The method detection limit of MIAA is an impressive 21.44 ng/L, and the recoveries in synthetic and real water samples ranged from 85 to 113%, with maximum deviations of 7.59%. We validated the reliability of our approach by comparing it with the USEPA 552.3 method. In conclusion, this IC-based method proves to be a robust and environment-benign solution for detecting trace MIAA in complex water components. [Display omitted] • A novel two-step liquid-liquid extraction method was proposed to enrich trace MIAA. • Ion chromatography-ultraviolet was used for the first time to identify MIAA selectively. • This proposed method is able to detect MIAA at ng/L level after enriching 156 times. • The method removed coexisting and interfering anions and organics successfully. • The method reduced the needs for sample-derivatization, making it easy and cheap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haloacetic acids (HAAs), which are the second largest group of halogenated disinfection byproducts, raise great analytical challenges because of their hydrophilicity, non-volatility, and acidity. To determine HAAs in drinking water, many pretreatment methods (such as extraction and derivatization) have been proposed since 2000. These methods vary significantly in principles and performance, each carrying inherent analytical errors. This review critically compared typical pretreatment, separation, and detection techniques in terms of advantages and disadvantages, aiming to enable an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of HAAs analysis and help researchers meet analytical requirements. Accordingly, we also identified several analytical error sources less considered before, which may alert later method developers. Finally, we proposed several research prospects, such as analyzing trace amounts of multiple HAAs in their native chemical form, especially for iodoacetic acids at ng/L levels, under mild conditions, e.g., free of reagents, ambient temperature, and neutral pH conditions. • HAAs analysis is challenging since they are hydrophilic, non-volatile, and ionic. • Novel GC, LC, IC, and CE methods are developed for HAAs analysis since 2000. • Pretreatment, separation, and detection techniques are necessary for HAAs analysis. • Proper use of each method should first have a good understanding of error sources. • Next-generation HAAs analytical methods should be handy, cheap, and sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, satellite microwave sounding data are often utilized for retrieving the thermal structure of tropical cyclones (TCs). However, the spatial resolutions and scan pattern of the instruments vary from one to another and can affect the retrievals of TC structures. In this study, Backus-Gilbert Inversion (BGI), ATOVS and AVHRR Pre-processing Package (AAPP) filter and N × N field-of-views (FOVs) average algorithms are utilized to resample the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) data and the impacts from different resampling algorithms on brightness temperature structures and retrieved atmospheric temperature are analyzed. It is shown that for ATMS channel 1 to 2, the larger differences between original and resampled brightness temperatures are found in cloudy areas and at the land-ocean boundary. When ATMS channels 1–16 data are resampled to the AMSU-like resolution, the brightness temperatures become less noisy at channel 3 to 16 and can lead to a higher convergence rate in the one-dimension variational (1DVAR) algorithm. Furthermore, the warm core intensity of a tropical storm of Nanmadol is reduced by about 2.5 K and its size becomes smaller after the ATMS data is resampled to the AMSU resolution. • Utilization of different algorithms for resampling ATMS data • Impact of resampling on brightness temperature structures • Effect of resampling on the retrieval of temperature profiles in tropical cyclones [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to screen prognosis-related S100 protein family members in human paxpillomaviruses (HPV)-negative oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and their molecular regulations.Methods: Bioinformatic screening was conducted based on single-cell RNA-seq data from Puram 2017 dataset and bulk-seq data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). HPV-negative OSCC cell lines CAL-27 and SCC-4 were used as in vitro cell models.Results: Among 21 S100 protein family member genes, S100A13 upregulation was associated with unfavorable progression-free survival and disease-specific survival of OSCC patients. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that the higher S100A13 expression group had elevated genes enriched in DNA repair and oxidative phosphorylation. S100A13 knockdown increased cisplatin sensitivity, while its overexpression decreased the sensitivity of CAL-27 and SCC-4 cells. S100A13 gene had complex alternative transcription patterns. ENST00000440685 is one of the major protein-coding transcripts and was the only transcript elevated in the tumor group. TEAD4 could bind to the promoter of ENST00000440685 and increase its transcription. TEAD4 overexpression alleviated the tumor-suppressive effect of cisplatin in terms of colony formation, the expression of apoptotic proteins, and DNA damage. However, S100A13 knockdown partly abrogated the protective effects of TEAD4 overexpression.Conclusion: This study revealed a novel TEAD4-S100A13 axis that might modulate cisplatin sensitivity of OSCC tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the expression, functions, and the possible mechanisms of cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1 (CRIP1) in epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods. Using open microarray datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we identified the tumorigenic genes in ovarian cancer. Then, we detected CRIP1 expression in 26 pairs of epithelial ovarian cancer tissue samples by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and performed a correlation analysis between CRIP1 and the clinicopathological features. In addition, epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines A2780 and OVCAR3 were used to examine CRIP1 expression by western blot and qRT-PCR. Various cell function experiments related to tumorigenesis were performed including the CCK8 assay, EdU, Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis assay, wound healing, and Transwell assay. In addition, the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was detected by western blot to illustrate the relationship between CRIP1 and EMT. Furthermore, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and western blot were conducted to reveal the signaling pathways in which CRIP1 is involved in ovarian cancer pathogenesis. Results. CRIP1 was identified as an oncogene from the TCGA database. The IHC score demonstrated that the CRIP1 protein was expressed at a higher level in tumours than in tumour-adjacent tissues and was associated with a higher pathological stage, grade, and positive lymphatic metastasis. In cell models, CRIP1 was overexpressed in serous epithelial ovarian cancer. Cell function experiments showed that the knockdown of CRIP1 did not significantly affect cell proliferation or apoptosis but could exert an inhibitory effect on cell migration and invasion, and also induce changes in EMT markers. Furthermore, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and western blot showed that CRIP1 could induce ovarian cancer cell metastasis through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Conclusion. This study is the first to demonstrate that CRIP1 acts as an oncogene and may promote tumour metastasis by regulating the EMT-related Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that CRIP1 may be an important biomarker for ovarian cancer metastasis and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terahertz (THz) vortex beam generators are designed and theoretically investigated based on single-layer ultra-thin transmission metasurfaces. Noncontinuous phase changes of metasurfaces are obtained by utilizing Pancharatnam–Berry phase elements, which possess different rotation angles and are arranged on two concentric rings centered on the origin. The circularly polarized incident THz beam could be turned into a cross-polarization transmission wave, and the orbital angular momentum (OAM) varies in value by lℏ. The l values change from ± 1 to ± 5, and the maximal cross-polarization conversion efficiency that could be achieved is 23%, which nearly reaches the theoretical limit of a single-layer structure. The frequency range of the designed vortex generator is from 1.2 THz to 1.9 THz, and the generated THz vortex beam could keep a high fidelity in the operating bandwidth. The propagation behavior of the emerged THz vortex beam is analyzed in detail. Our work offers a novel way of designing ultra-thin and single-layer vortex beam generators, which have low process complexity, high conversion efficiency and broad bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Kernel weight is a critical factor that essentially affects maize (Zea mays) yield. In natural inbred lines, popcorn kernels exhibit overtly smaller sizes compared to dent corn kernels, and kernel weight, which is controlled by multiple genetic loci, varies widely. Here, we characterized a major quantitative trait locus on chromosome 1, responsible for controlling kernel weight (qKW1) and size. The qKW1 locus encodes a protein containing a seven in absentia domain with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, expressed prominently from the top to the middle region of the endosperm. The presence and function of qKW1 were confirmed through ZmKW1 gene editing, where the mutations in ZmKW1 within dent corn significantly increased kernel weight, consistent with alterations in kernel size, while overexpression of ZmKW1 had the opposite effect. ZmKW1 acts as a negative regulator of kernel weight and size by reducing both the number and size of the endosperm cells and impacting endosperm filling. Notably, the popcorn allele qKW1N and the dent corn allele qKW1D encode identical proteins; however, the differences in promoter activity arise due to the insertion of an Indel‐1346 sequence in the qKW1N promoter, resulting in higher expression levels compared to qKW1D, thus contributing to the variation in kernel weight and size between popcorn and dent corn kernels. Linkage disequilibrium analysis of the 2.8 kb promoter region of ZmKW1 in a dataset comprising 111 maize association panels identified two distinct haplotypes. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms underlying kernel development and yield regulation in dent corn and popcorn, with a specific focus on the role of the ubiquitination system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are a group of toxic substances specific to tobacco. 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) is a tobacco-specific nitrosamine measurable in urine with a much longer half-life than cotinine. We aimed to examine the association between urinary tobacco-specific NNAL and HPV infection among American women. We used cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2014 to collect details on their urinary NNAL, HPV infection status, and other essential variables. The association between dietary urinary NNAL and HPV infection status was analyzed by using a weighted multivariate logistic regression model, and stratified subgroup analysis. In total, 5197 participants aged 18–59 years were identified, with overall prevalence of high-risk and low-risk HPV infection of 22.0% and 19.1%, respectively. The highest quartile of NNAL(Q4) was more positively associated with low-risk HPV infection than the lowest quartile of NNAL(Q1) (OR = 1.83 (1.35,2.50), p<0.001). the highest quartile of NNAL(Q4) was more positively associated with high-risk HPV infection than the lowest quartile of NNAL(Q1) (OR = 2.20 (1.57,3.08), p < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, the positive correlation between urinary NNAL levels and low-risk HPV infection status was inconsistent in marital status and BMI (interaction p < 0.05). The positive association of urinary NNAL levels with high-risk HPV infection status was inconsistent in smoking and BMI. (interaction p < 0.05). Tobacco-specific NNAL levels positively correlate with high- and low-risk HPV. Future well-designed longitudinal studies are still needed to validate the effect of tobacco exposure on HPV infection by NNAL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study addresses the title question by taking a detailed mechanism of a concrete combustion system, syngas ignition, deriving from it three reduced models with different levels of accuracy, and comparing propagation of uncertainty by the reduced and detailed models. Two reduced models were developed by the method of Detained Reduction and the third one was adopted from recent literature. The uncertainty quantification was carried out through the deterministic framework of Bound-to-Bound Data Collaboration (B2BDC). The numerical results demonstrate that assessment of the quality of a reduced model without considering parameter uncertainty may be misleading. By including parameter uncertainty, several numerical measures can be developed to quantify the reduced model performance and those tested in the present study showed mutually consistent and qualitatively similar outcomes. One of such measures, built on the B2BDC methodology, offers a numerically-efficient approach to quantifying the propagation of uncertainty and its sensitivity measures for models having time-demanding evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The DRGEP and the contribution to species production/consumption screening method were used sequentially to reduce a model. • A noticeable reduction in number of species (from 37 to 25) and in number of reactions (from 237 to 108) was achieved. • The reduced model maintains comparable performance compared to the detailed model, reproducing the experimental data well. Ammonia/hydrogen receives increasing interest as a carbon-free fuel in novel combustion techniques. Simulation aided design often requires coupling of flow field and chemical kinetics, whose feasibility relies essentially on an affordable (reduced) reaction model. However, existing ammonia/hydrogen reduced models are scarce and cannot reasonably reproduce available experimental data over a comprehensive set of conditions. Hence, a reduced ammonia/hydrogen model was developed in the present work using a combined method: the directed relation graph with error propagation method was applied first followed by a contribution to species production/consumption screening method. The model reduction method substantially reduces the size of the model, from 37 species and 237 reactions to 25 species and 108 reactions. The reduced model was compared to available reduced models over a comprehensive set of experimental data, including ignition delay time measurements in shock-tube and rapid compression machine, laminar flame speed measurements and species profile data measured in jet stirred reactor and burner stabilized flame. The obtained model maintains comparable prediction accuracy compared to the detailed model and is superior to the other reduced models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulations safeguard public health and the environment by curbing industrial pollution through the restriction of harmful industrial activities. These regulations impose restrictions and strict assessments on the amount of pollutants discharged into the environment, motivating firms to invest in pollutant purification facilities. This study aims to examine the impacts of environmental regulations on firms' investment in such facilities. Using data from publicly listed firms in China's secondary industry from 2010 to 2020, statistical models (i.e., static non-linear, non-linear dynamic, and threshold) are created to examine the impact of various environmental regulations on firms' investments in pollutant purification facilities. The study's empirical analysis reveals several important insights. Firstly, the effects of the various types of environmental regulations on pollutant purification investments exhibit significant variability across firms. Secondly, the impact of environmental constraints, command-and-control policies, and market-based strategies follows a positive "U" shape, while public participation policies demonstrate an inverted "U" shape. Thirdly, the interaction between firm characteristics and the impact of different regulations is notable. Lastly, command-and-control policies exhibit a threshold effect on investment decisions, setting them apart from other regulatory approaches. This study advances current understanding of how environmental regulations shape the investment strategies of Chinese firms in pollutant purification facilities. These findings hold relevance for nations seeking to harness environmental regulations as a potent instrument for enhancing firms' environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Super plasticity of bulk metallic glasses at room temperature was investigated. • The deformation of brittle BMGs strongly depends on the applied stress conditions. • The super plasticity of BMGs results from the shear planes friction self-locking. This study examines the compressive deformation and fracture characteristics of Fe 74 Mo 6 P 13 C 7 bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with aspect ratios ranging from 1.0 to 2.5. The compressive plastic strain of BMGs exhibits a consistent upward trend as the aspect ratio decreases. As the aspect ratio decreases, the influence of the surrounding friction becomes increasingly pronounced. The finding was made that the exceptional ability of BMGs to exhibit super plasticity at ambient temperature is attributed to the phenomenon of friction self-locking occurring within the shear planes. The deformation behavior of brittle BMGs is significantly influenced by the applied stress conditions. However, it is worth noting that even brittle BMGs can display ductile characteristics when subjected to multiaxial constraints. This finding is not only essential for comprehending the deformation and fracture of amorphous materials, but it can also serve as a valuable reference for rock mass control, structural stability, earthquake mitigation, and disaster reduction engineering. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2019, massive mortalities of cultured Hyriopsis cumingii occurred in a local shellfish breeding experimental base in Chongqing, China. In this report, we identified 14 isolates from cultured mussels in mortality events and demonstrated that these strains caused mortality from 9% to 97%. Significant mussel mortality (p <.05) was observed in association with most isolates after bacterial challenge; however, considerable variation in the virulence of different isolates was noted, with survival ranging from 3% to 88% after 7 days. The most virulent strains (HOP3 and GL1) in haemolymph and tissues were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Aeromonas veronii based on biochemical and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The LD50 values of HOP3 and GL1 were found to be 2.45 × 106 CFU/g (body weight) and 2.24 × 105 CFU/g (body weight) respectively. Histopathology of H. cumingii infected with S. maltophilia and A. veronii displayed degeneration of muscle fibres and gill necrosis. We tested the antibiotic susceptibility of the two isolates and found that HOP3 was multidrug‐resistant. Growth optimization study revealed that both isolates remained surviving across wide environmental ranges. Our data lay the foundation for the pathogenic mechanism of mussel bacterial diseases, and they also suggest that effective control measures are worth further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate amino acids as glucagon receptor (GCGR)‐specific biomarkers in rodents and cynomolgus monkeys in the presence of agonism of both glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor (GLP1R) and GCGR with a variety of dual agonist compounds. Materials and methods: Primary hepatocytes, rodents (normal, diet‐induced obese and GLP1R knockout) and cynomolgus monkeys were treated with insulin (hepatocytes only), glucagon (hepatocytes and cynomolgus monkeys), the GLP1R agonist, dulaglutide, or a variety of dual agonists with varying GCGR potencies. Results: A long‐acting dual agonist, Compound 2, significantly decreased amino acids in both wild‐type and GLP1R knockout mice in the absence of changes in food intake, body weight, glucose or insulin, and increased expression of hepatic amino acid transporters. Dulaglutide, or a variant of Compound 2 lacking GCGR agonism, had no effect on amino acids. A third variant with ~31‐fold less GCGR potency than Compound 2 significantly decreased amino acids, albeit to a significantly lesser extent than Compound 2. Dulaglutide (with saline infusion) had no effect on amino acids, but an infusion of glucagon dose‐dependently decreased amino acids on the background of GLP1R engagement (dulaglutide) in cynomolgus monkeys, as did Compound 2. Conclusions: These results show that amino acids are sensitive and translatable GCGR‐specific biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in information technology have suggested the potential possibility to assess an individual's personality automatically. The present study proposed and implemented an EEG-based personality assessment method for quantitative evaluation of people's Big Five personality. EEG data were collected from 66 participants, while they watched a total number of 28 video clips covering 9 typical emotion categories of amusement, joy, inspiration, tenderness, anger, disgust, fear, sadness and neutral. Regression analyses were performed to predict the participants' Big Five personality trait scores using the EEG responses to these emotional video clips. A nested leave-one-out cross-validation procedure was employed with a sparse feature selection strategy to evaluate the out-of-sample personality assessment performance. The established EEG-based regression models could effectively predict the participants' self-reported personality trait scores. The prediction accuracies, measured as the correlations between the EEG-predicted personality trait scores and the self-reported scores, were 0.71, 0.72, 0.86, 0.71, and 0.82 for agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness and extraversion, respectively. A series of tests from both the internal and external validity perspective further showed that a good reliability of the obtained results. These results suggest the proposed method as a promising alternative to conventional personality questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococcus faecalis is a common pathogen causing refractory periapical periodontitis and secondary intraradicular infections. In this study, E. faecalis YN771 isolated from a re-treated root canal at a stomatology department was used as the host bacterium and was co-cultured with wastewater from the same department and patient samples to isolate a phage that lyses E. faecalis. We studied the biological and genomic characteristics of this phage. Transmission electron microscopy showed that this phage's head is icosahedral in structure, with a head diameter of around 98.4 nm, and a contractile tail of around 228.5 nm in length and a diameter of 17.3 nm. The phage was identified as a member of the Myoviridae family and named PEf771. It is sensitive to proteinase K but resistant to chloroform and Triton X-100. Its lytic cycle is 45 min, burst size is 78, optimal multiplicity of infection is 0.1, lysis spectrum is narrow, and host strain specificity is strong. Its optimal growth temperature is 37 °C, most suitable pH is 6.0, and is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. Whole-genome sequencing of PEf771 indicated it has a genome size of 151 052 bp, with a GC content of 36.97%, and encodes 197 proteins plus 26 tRNAs. PEf771 is most closely related to E. faecalis phage EFDG1. Phage PEf771 has strong host specificity and lytic ability, so it is important to further characterize this phage and its interaction with E. faecalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, low-temperature magnetic properties and magnetocaloric properties of Fe91−xZr9Cux (x = 0.0, 0.4 and 1.0) amorphous ribbons were investigated. It was found that the Curie temperature (TC) of the ribbons increases with Cu content from 210 (for x = 0) to 218 K (for x = 0.4), and decreases to 214 K with the further of 1.0% Cu. The values of the maximum magnetic entropy change (− ΔSM)max were found to be 2.63, 2.75 and 2.88 J kg−1 K−1 for the Fe91−xZr9Cux (x = 0.0, 0.4 and 1.0) amorphous ribbons, respectively, under the field of 50 kOe. The corresponding refrigeration capacity (RC) values of the Fe91−xZr9Cux (x = 0.0, 0.4 and 1.0) amorphous ribbons are 114, 121 and 120 J kg−1, respectively. These values are comparable to those obtained for the previously studied ternary Fe-based amorphous alloys. These results demonstrate that an appropriate amount of Cu substitution can enhance the (− ΔSM)max and RC of Fe-based amorphous alloys. These Fe-based amorphous alloys are promising for application as low-temperature magnetic refrigerants and multi-functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike the crystalline solids, the atomic arrangements in amorphous solids lack long-range translational and orientational order. Despite intense research activity on their structures, the details of how the atoms are packed in amorphous solids remain mysterious at present. Here, we propose a structure feature like polymers and estimate the nanoscale of short-range order (SRO) and medium-range order (MRO) in this description according to the boson peak in amorphous solids. The result supports the concepts that (a) the low-frequency local vibrations are defined by the characteristic length of nanoscale clusters and (b) a decisive scale correlation of solvent atoms, SRO and MRO is about 1:3:7 in amorphous solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gradient aggregate asymptotical smoothing algorithm is proposed for training fuzzy neural networks (FNNs), which develops the smoothing algorithm (SA) described in Li et al. (2017). By introducing the framework of asymptotical approximation to the algorithm, any degree of approximation for the error function of max–min FNNs can be obtained by an aggregate smoothing function with a variable precision parameter. The algorithm minimizes a sequence of asymptotically approximate functions using the steepest descent algorithm for solving a nondifferentiable max–min optimization problem of max–min FNNs. The proposed update rule on the precision parameter reconciles the conflict between the high-accuracy approximation and the numerical ill-conditioning. The algorithm is globally convergent under Armijo line search. As shown in the simulation results for three artificial examples and a real-world problem in fault diagnosis, compared with SA, the proposed algorithm can efficiently deal with the numerical oscillations and has better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Diagnostic terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) forced by remote sensing observations have been a principal tool for providing benchmarks on global gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET). However, these models often estimate GPP and ET at coarse daily or monthly steps, hindering analysis of ecosystem dynamics at the diurnal (hourly) scales, and prescribe some essential parameters (i.e., the Ball–Berry slope (m) and the maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C (Vcmax25)) as constant, inducing uncertainties in the estimates of GPP and ET. In this study, we present hourly estimations of global GPP and ET datasets at a 0.25° resolution from 2001 to 2020 simulated with a widely used diagnostic TBM – the Biosphere–atmosphere Exchange Process Simulator (BEPS). We employed eddy covariance observations and machine learning approaches to derive and upscale the seasonally varied m and Vcmax25 for carbon and water fluxes. The estimated hourly GPP and ET are validated against flux observations, remote sensing, and machine learning-based estimates across multiple spatial and temporal scales. The correlation coefficients (R2) and slopes between hourly tower-measured and modeled fluxes are R2=0.83 , regression slope =0.92 for GPP, and R2=0.72 , regression slope =1.04 for ET. At the global scale, we estimated a global mean GPP of 137.78±3.22 Pg C yr -1 (mean ± 1 SD) with a positive trend of 0.53 Pg C yr -2 (p<0.001), and an ET of 89.03±0.82×103 km 3 yr -1 with a slight positive trend of 0.10×103 km 3 yr -2 (p<0.001) from 2001 to 2020. The spatial pattern of our estimates agrees well with other products, with R2=0.77 –0.85 and R2=0.74 –0.90 for GPP and ET, respectively. Overall, this new global hourly dataset serves as a "handshake" among process-based models, remote sensing, and the eddy covariance flux network, providing a reliable long-term estimate of global GPP and ET with diurnal patterns and facilitating studies related to ecosystem functional properties, global carbon, and water cycles. The hourly GPP and ET estimates are available at 10.57760/sciencedb.ecodb.00163 (Leng et al., 2023a) and the accumulated daily datasets are available at 10.57760/sciencedb.ecodb.00165 (Leng et al., 2023b). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) on hydration of white-Portland-cement (WPC) are studied by calorimetry, ICP-OES, TOC, TG, XRD and time domain NMR. Strong retardation effect of β-CD has been confirmed in both WPC and pure C 3 S pastes. Much stronger retardation in C 3 S pastes suggests the aluminate phases (C 3 A and ettringite) in WPC pastes mitigates the retardation effect of β-CD on C 3 S hydration, probably by adsorbing β-CD molecules and thus reducing β-CD concentration in the aqueous solution. Together with precipitation experiments of pure CH and C-S-H, it is concluded that β-CD remaining in the aqueous solution of the WPC pastes blocks CH and C-S-H formation and the induction period is remarkably extended as additional time is needed to clean up the aqueous solution by slowly formed hydrates e.g., AFt. NMR results suggest high dosage of β-CD promotes C-S-H precipitation directly in aqueous solution in acceleration period, besides the surface of cement grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ·Trioctyl polyvinyl chloride ammonium (PVCT QAS) was synthesized for the first time. • ·PVCT QAS D has high stability of electrodriven mass transfer. • ·The mass transfer threshold in PVCT QAS D is 22 % QAS. • ·QAS content is the key factor to determining the performance of electrodriven mass transfer of PVCT QAS D. Trioctyl polyvinyl chloride ammonium (PVCT QAS) with quaternary ammonium salt content (QAS) of 25 % was synthesized by a nucleophilic substitution reaction of between polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and trioctylamine (TOA) for the first time. The mass transfer behavior of HCrO 4 −, CdCl 3 −, CoCl 4 2−, FeCl 4 −, and CuCl 4 2− metal complex anions within the plasticized PVCT QAS membrane followed a first-order kinetic rate equation. Taking the Cr(Ⅵ)-PVCT QAS system as a representative, the influences of plasticizer content and membrane thickness on the mass transfer performance were investigated, and the electrodriven mass transfer behavior of Cr(VI) was studied. The results showed that the mass transfer of HCrO 4 − in PVCT QAS D followed a jumping mechanism, with a QAS content threshold of 22 %. In the Cr(VI)-PVCT QAS electrodriven mass transfer system, the PVCT QAS D exhibited uniform electrochemical properties, and the membrane thickness had little influence on the mass transfer rate. The response of HCrO 4 − mass transfer rate to voltage depended on the distribution density of QAS in the membrane. The mass transfer performance of PVCT QAS D with QAS between 15 % and 20 % had a high dependence on the voltage, while the permeability coefficient of Cr(VI)-PVCT QAS system became stable when the voltage exceeded 10 V after surpassing the QAS content threshold. 50 μm QAS 25 % Cr(VI)-PVCT QAS system had a treatment efficiency of 710 mg·m−2·h−1 for HCrO 4 − at 10 V, while maintaining exceptional selectivity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We used all available Landsat imagery to monitor mangrove forest change in China. • We classified mangrove forest by employing Landsat-derived spectral-temporal variability metrics. • The accuracy of classification is high (>90%). • We finished mangrove forest maps of China for six epochs. • We found that the total area of mangrove forest in China has increased by a factor of 2 from 1990 to 2015. Abstract Reliable information of national-level mangrove forest change in China is urgently needed for Chinese government to make appropriate policies of mangrove forest conservation. Yet, employing traditional methods (all based on single-date remotely sensed imagery) to accurately map mangrove forest in China is relatively difficult, given the influence of tide variability on the spectrum of a large proportion of mangrove forest and the spectral similarity between mangrove forest, cropland, and natural terrestrial vegetation. However, the temporal profile of spectrum for mangrove forest is likely to be distinctive, due to the influence of tide variability on mangrove forest spectrum. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the potential of using some robust spectral-temporal variability metrics (quantiles), capturing characteristics of temporal profiles for different land cover types, to reliably separate mangrove forest. We also mapped mangrove forest in China for 6 periods (1986–1992, 1993–1997, 1998–2002, 2003–2007, 2008–2012, and 2013–2017) and analyzed mangrove forest change over past decades using all available Landsat imagery. Producer’s and user’s accuracies of the land cover type “mangrove forest” for all periods are high (>90%), indicating the effectiveness of our method. We found that mangrove forest in China has significantly increased, from 10774 ha in the period 1986–1992 to 19220 ha in the period 2013–2017. There is also a potential for employing our method to map global mangrove forest around 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the ability of effectively observing vegetation at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, remote sensing has been widely used to monitor and understand the change of mangrove forest extent. Yet, a systematic cognition of the unique contribution of remote sensing on studying mangrove forest extent dynamic is lacking, which prevents us from clearly identifying and further overcoming current deficiencies of studying the change of mangrove forest extent with remote sensing. Therefore, in this review, we summarized remotely sensed extraction methods and data related to mangrove forest extent change monitoring and all discoveries from mangrove forest extent change observation and driver analysis. We found that mangrove forest in most of the study areas has declined over the past decades, and the loss rate is accelerating. We also found that remote sensing plays an important role in revealing how the extent of mangrove forest responds to climate change and human impacts. In addition, we identified several recurring limitations from previous studies. This review highlights the role of remote sensing on studying mangrove forest extent change, and is helpful to make better use of remotely sensed data in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxy-fuel combustion techniques are crucial for fossil fuel power plants with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emission. The chemical effect of CO 2 as a reactant/product or a third-body is important in modeling oxy-fuel combustion. Many previous kinetic studies focused on evaluating the rate parameters in relevant reactions, but less attention was paid to CO 2 collision efficiencies. In this study, ignition delay time data were measured in a shock-tube facility for stoichiometric syngas mixtures with 50%, 70% and 90% CO in fuel at 1 and 5 atm, diluted in 85% CO 2 bath gas. Among the chemical effect of CO 2 , the CO 2 collision efficiency in reaction H+O 2 (+M) = HO 2 (+M) shows a dominantly high sensitivity value to model prediction over the present experimental conditions. Therefore, the CO 2 collision efficiency was evaluated using the current data and a recommended value was reported with uncertainty analysis. Moreover, the CO 2 collision efficiencies in reaction H 2 O 2 (+M) = OH+OH(+M), HCO(+M) = H+CO(+M), H 2 +M = H+H+M and O+O+M = O 2 +M were evaluated using ignition delay time data at higher pressures (40 atm to 200 atm) and recommended CO 2 collision efficiency values were reported with uncertainty analysis. The model with recommended CO 2 collision efficiency values significantly improved prediction performance at 5 atm and was validated over a comprehensive set of syngas ignition delay time and laminar flame speed data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cases of atopic dermatitis (AD)‐like rash induced by IL‐17A inhibitor secukinumab treatment (SI‐AD) have been recently reported in psoriasis patients. To identify immune and inflammatory factors expression in SI‐AD. A panel of 15 immune and inflammatory factors in peripheral blood samples from various groups, including patients with patients with SI‐AD, psoriasis with secukinumab (S‐stable), advanced psoriasis patients (Advanced) and healthy controls (HC). Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), IL‐4 and IL‐17A were detected in skin tissue biopsy samples by immunohistochemistry and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The immunoglobulin E levels in the SI‐AD patients exceeded normal values. The IL‐10 levels in SI‐AD patients were higher than those in S‐stable patients, advanced patients and HC. The IL‐4 levels in SI‐AD patients were higher than that in S‐stable patients and HC. The IL‐17A levels in SI‐AD patients were higher than those in advanced psoriasis patients and HC, but no significant differences were observed between SI‐AD patients and S‐stable patients. IL‐10 and IL‐4 levels were higher in AD‐like rashes than in healthy skin, while IL‐17A did not differ significantly between the two. Upon discontinuing secukinumab, and switching to oral cyclosporine, antihistamines, Janus kinase 1 inhibitor and topical glucocorticoids, SI‐AD patients experienced significant improvement in their skin lesions. Upon reexamination, all 15 immune and inflammatory factors returned to normal levels. Immune shift from Th17 towards Th2 may occur in SI‐AD, as indicated by abnormal expression of multiple immune and inflammatory factors observed in peripheral blood and skin tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphor-converted warm white light-emitting diodes (pc-wLEDs) have played a key role in our daily lighting life, but they are difficult to realize without adding red-emitting phosphors. Conventional Eu 3+ doped red phosphors, however, suffer greatly from the intrinsic shortcomings such as low quantum efficiency, limited absorption of UV LED light and chemical and thermal stability. In this work, we design the Eu 3+ doped Na x Ca 1-2x WO 4 :Eu x 3+ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) phosphors, which can exhibit enhanced Eu 3+ red fluorescence and the tunable color at the same time. Phase purity analysis, which was checked by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), shows all samples crystallize in a scheelite structure with the space group of I 4 1/a (No.88). Our findings reveal that increasing the Eu 3+ content gives rise to moving the XRD position to low angle direction and, in the meanwhile, decreasing the charge transfer (CT) intensity of samples. Spectral results show that controlling the charge compensation content and energy transfer efficiency from host to Eu 3+ enables us to achieve the enhanced Eu 3+ red fluorescence and simultaneously the tunable color. Unlike the decrease change in the CT band intensity, the Eu 3+ emission upon excitation at 393 nm and 464 nm exhibits a continuous increase in the emission intensity. Due to the inefficiency energy transfer between host and Eu 3+ dopant, controlling the x value enables tuning the relative photoemission intensity between host and Eu 3+ dopant and therefore the color tuning from blue to red. Our time-resolved PL results indicate that the energy transfer between the CaWO 4 host and Eu 3+ dopant begins to occur at t  = 5 μs. A feasible profile, which bases on the energy transfer, has been also established in the work. This work not only demonstrates simultaneous enhanced Eu 3+ fluorescence and color tuning in CaWO 4 matrix through charge compensation method, but also can provide new insight into improving the PL properties in other phosphors for UV converted pc-wLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Easy-recycle photocatalysts are new materials for water treatment technologies. In order to improve the recyclable ability, we employed Fe 3 O 4 particles, which were functionalized by sodium citrate, to serve as a substrate core to attract the deposition of a shell of TiO 2 particles. When compared to the calcining process for preparing the composite, the TiO 2 distributed homogeneously on the sodium citrate treated Fe 3 O 4 , forming a mesoporous shell layer. Due to the mesoporous structure, this Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 exhibited high photocatalytic degradation activity to Rhodamine B, and it was easily recycled using a magnetic field to recover the catalyst from solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]