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Background: Arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) is a chronic arterial disease that can lead to critical limb ischemia. Endovascular therapy is increasingly used for limb salvage in ASO patients, but the outcomes vary. The development of prediction models using unsupervised machine learning may lead to the identification of novel subtypes to guide patient prognosis and treatment. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed clinical data from 448 patients with ASOs who underwent endovascular therapy. Unsupervised machine learning algorithms were employed to identify subgroups. To validate the precision of the clustering outcomes, an analysis of the postoperative results of the clusters was conducted. A prediction model was constructed using binary logistic regression. Results: Two distinct subgroups were identified by unsupervised machine learning and characterized by differing patterns of clinical features. Patients in Cluster 2 had significantly worse conditions and prognoses than those in Cluster 1. For the novel ASO subtypes, a nomogram was developed using six predictive factors, namely, platelet count, ankle brachial index, Rutherford category, operation method, hypertension, and diabetes status. The nomogram achieved excellent discrimination for predicting membership in the two identified clusters, with an area under the curve of 0.96 and 0.95 in training cohort and internal test cohort. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that unsupervised machine learning can reveal novel phenotypic subgroups of patients with varying prognostic risk who underwent endovascular therapy. The prediction model developed could support clinical decision-making and risk counseling for this complex patient population. Further external validation is warranted to assess the generalizability of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germanium (Ge) is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its large theoretical specific capacity, good electrical conductivity, and fast lithium-ion diffusivity. However, Ge still suffers from huge volume expansion during the delithiation/lithiation process. Herein, using "Mg" as a soft template, a honeycomb-like porous Ge (hp-Ge) anode was successfully synthesized via a facile thermal nitridation of Mg2Ge in N2, followed by an acid-etching process. The obtained hp-Ge presents a typical void-containing micro-/nano-hierarchical porous architecture, which can effectively alleviate the volume expansion of the host Ge. The formation of uniformly distributed voids in hp-Ge is closely related to the etching of Mg3N2, which is the by-product of the reaction between Mg2Ge and N2. Benefiting from the fascinating micro-/nano-hierarchical porous structure, the resulting hp-Ge anode without employing any complex surface modification techniques demonstrated a high specific capacity of 1534.70 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 85.0%, and a high capacity of 483.9 mAh g−1 at 8 A g−1. The hp-Ge anode also possesses excellent cyclability and can deliver a satisfying reversible specific capacity of 1375.40 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 200 cycles with a high capacity retention of 96.8%. The proposed facile and scalable void-introducing strategy in this study also provides an alternative route for designing advanced micro-/nano-hierarchical porous materials, especially for anodes with large volume expansion during the lithiation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural interfaces for stable access to the spinal cord (SC) electrical activity can benefit patients with motor dysfunctions. Invasive high‐density electrodes can directly extract signals from SC neuronal populations that can be used for the facilitation, adjustment, and reconstruction of motor actions. However, developing neural interfaces that can achieve high channel counts and long‐term intraspinal recording remains technically challenging. Here, a biocompatible SC hyperflexible electrode array (SHEA) with an ultrathin structure that minimizes mechanical mismatch between the interface and SC tissue and enables stable single‐unit recording for more than 2 months in mice is demonstrated. These results show that SHEA maintains stable impedance, signal‐to‐noise ratio, single‐unit yield, and spike amplitude after implantation into mouse SC. Gait analysis and histology show that SHEA implantation induces negligible behavioral effects and Inflammation. Additionally, multi‐unit signals recorded from the SC ventral horn can predict the mouse's movement trajectory with a high decoding coefficient of up to 0.95. Moreover, during step cycles, it is found that the neural trajectory of spikes and low‐frequency local field potential (LFP) signal exhibits periodic geometry patterns. Thus, SHEA can offer an efficient and reliable SC neural interface for monitoring and potentially modulating SC neuronal activity associated with motor dysfunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydantoin based epoxy resins are a kind of special epoxy resin with nitrogen‐containing five‐membered heterocycle structure but less intensively studied than the common bisphenol A type epoxy resins. Besides, only 5,5‐dimethylhydantoin epoxy resin (DMHR) was paid enough attention among hydantoin based epoxy resins. To understand the reasons behind the above background, in this work, three hydantoin based epoxy resins with different structures but similar epoxy values (0.37–0.40 mol/100 g), including hydantoin epoxy resin (HR), 5,5‐dimethylhydantoin epoxy resin (DMHR), 1,3‐dihydroxymethyl‐5,5‐dimethylhydantoin epoxy resin (DHMDMHR), were synthesized first, their non‐isothermal curing kinetics, thermal and mechanical properties and adhesion performance of the cured products were then investigated and compared with bisphenol A epoxy resin E44. The apparent activation energies of the three hydantoin based epoxy resin/diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) systems were in the range of 55–59 kJ/mol, slightly higher than that of E44/DDM system (47.1 kJ/mol). The properties of the three cured hydantoin based epoxy resins, such as glass transition temperature, thermal stability, tensile strength and storage modulus, declined with decreasing content of the hydantoin cycles. 5,5‐dimethylhydantoin epoxy resin (DMHR) had the highest adhesion strength (5.6 MPa) among the three hydantoin based epoxy resins, but nearly 60 % lower than that of bisphenol A type E44 epoxy resin (13.2 MPa) when a polyether amine was used as the curing agent. The cured product of E44 epoxy resin was stronger, tougher and thermally more stable than the cured products of the three hydantoin based epoxy resins. While, hydantoin based epoxy resins exhibited superior damping performance than E44 epoxy resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a simple and fast online algorithm for solving a class of binary integer linear programs (LPs) arisen in general resource allocation problem. The algorithm requires only one single pass through the input data and is free of matrix inversion. It can be viewed as both an approximate algorithm for solving binary integer LPs and a fast algorithm for solving online LP problems. The algorithm is inspired by an equivalent form of the dual problem of the relaxed LP and it essentially performs (one-pass) projected stochastic subgradient descent in the dual space. We analyze the algorithm in two different models, stochastic input and random permutation, with minimal technical assumptions on the input data. The algorithm achieves O m n expected regret under the stochastic input model and O (m + log n) n expected regret under the random permutation model, and it achieves O (m n) expected constraint violation under both models, where n is the number of decision variables and m is the number of constraints. The algorithm enjoys the same performance guarantee when generalized to a multi-dimensional LP setting which covers a wider range of applications. In addition, we employ the notion of the permutational Rademacher complexity and derive regret bounds for two earlier online LP algorithms for comparison. Both algorithms improve the regret bound by a factor of m by paying more computational cost. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to convert the possibly infeasible solution to a feasible one through a randomized procedure. Numerical experiments illustrate the general applicability and effectiveness of the algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dec@PLGA@aMM could enhance the tumor suppression through restoration of TSGs. • The Dec@PLGA@aMM group showed the higher CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, indicating the enhanced immunotherapy. • The decitabine could enhance aPD-L1-mediated immunotherapy of HCC via epigenetic alteration. • This novel targeted PLGA NPs are aimed to treat HCC by decreasing DNA methylation and blocking PD-L1. DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor represents the first clinical breakthrough via targeting aberrant cancer epigenomes. Demethylation drugs such as decitabine can restore tumor suppressor gene (TSG) expression and function to achieve anti-tumor effect. Despite DNMT inhibitors have shown significant efficacy for treating leukemia, their application in solid tumor such as HCC is limited due to short in vivo half-lives. In this study, the DNMT1 inhibitor decitabine was first loaded into the Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) spherical nanoparticles (Dec@PLGA). The vesicle of PD-L1 antibody and macrophage membrane (aMM) was further coated onto the surface of Dec@PLGA to finally synthesize Dec@PLGA@aMM. Dec@PLGA@aMM was in uniformed spherical structure with hydrodynamic particle size of 95.7 ± 9.1 nm and surface zeta potential of −15.1 ± 3.3 mV. Dec@PLGA@aMM significantly increased the expression of both p14 and p16 in a concentration-dependent manner. Dec@PLGA@aMM could enhance the tumor suppression through restoration of TSGs, which were epigenetically silenced by DNA hypermethylation. The Dec@PLGA@aMM group showed significantly (P < 0.05) less tumor volume than PBS group, PLGA@MM group, aPD-L1 group, PLGA@aMM group, decitabine group, Dec + aPD-L1 group, and Dec@PLGA@MM group. The decitabine could enhance aPD-L1-mediated immunotherapy of HCC via epigenetic alteration. This novel targeted PLGA NPs are aimed to treat HCC by decreasing DNA methylation and blocking PD-L1, thus providing new ideas for effective treatments via epigenetic alteration for HCC patients clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oblique incident phase-shifting interferometric measurement method is an effective technique for assessing gear tooth form deviation. In the measurement process, the tooth flank incident angle is a crucial factor determining the quality of interferograms. Addressing the challenge in traditional optical path design, where the selection of the tooth flank incident angle encounters a trade-off among quality features such as measurable tooth area (MTA), interference fringe density (IFD) and interferogram compression ratio (ICR), this paper proposes an optimized method for the tooth flank incident angle. Firstly, a comprehensive evaluation model is established to calculate and analyze the MTA, IFD and ICR of the helical gear. Secondly, by integrating BP neural network and Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm, a tooth flank incident angle optimization method is devised to simultaneously optimize the measurement light incident angle γ and the rotation angle of the gear axis β. Finally, simulation analyses and physical experiments are employed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, compared to before optimization, the pseudocorrelation (PSD) value has increased by an average of 34%, and the residual points have decreased by an average of 80%, confirming its capability to improve quality interferogram and measurement accuracy. • A multi-objective optimization method based on BP-MOPSO is proposed to solve the problem of multiple conflicting quality features in the tooth flank incident angle design. • A comprehensive evaluation model is established to calculate and analyze the conflicting targets of the interferogram. • The optimized measuring optical path improves the interferograms quality effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a global issue to set up a practical, sensitive, and useful model to eradicate or mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Taking Central China's Hubei Province for example, three models were established. Firstly, a susceptible-probable-infectious-recovered (SPIR) model was proposed to predict the monthly number of confirmed and susceptible cases in each city. Next, an epidemic prefecture clustering model was set up to find proper vaccine delivery sites, according to the distance of each city. Finally, a dynamic material delivery optimization model was established for multiple epidemic prefectures, aiming to speed up vaccine production and storage in each delivery site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tear failure is an essential issue for membrane structures, but always ignored in the current design specifications or codes. This paper presents the central tearing behaviors of PVDF coated fabrics with initial notches. Then, the influence of notches number, notches length, and notches orientation were considered. Finally, the tearing mechanisms under multiple initial notches were systematically studied. The results show that the strength of PVDF coated fabrics is significantly affected by the parameters of initial notches, which is significantly related to the failure modes. Among all the factors, the initial notches' length has the greatest influence on specimens' failure strength. With the initial notch length increases, the tear strength decreases, and the elongation at break remains almost unchanged. As the distance between multiple notches increases, the tear strength decreases, and the elongation at break increases. As the notch angle of inclination increases, the tear strength increases, and the elongation at break increases. It can provide important references to the design and analysis of membrane structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huge π-conjugated system of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) endows the two-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials with special affinity towards aromatic organic compounds such as asphaltenes. Based on the special bonding structure, functional CNTs was designed and used for demulsification of crude oil/water emulsion and the treatment of emulsified oily wastewater in our previous study. Despite the macro bottle tests and micro-scale polarizing microscope were used to observe the separation process, the nanoscale or molecular scale demulsification mechanism was still not well understood. Therefore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study the adsorption and separation behaviors of crude oil/water emulsion on the CNT surface. It was interesting to found that the oil and water was gradiently separated on the CNT surface due to their different spreading velocity resulted from the different affinity and interaction energy between various molecules (water, heptane and asphaltenes) and the CNT material. The demulsification mechanism of CNT was put forward as follows: when oil droplets approach the CNT surface, the water molecules rapidly spread and flow over the CNT surface, while the saturates slowly spread along CNT surface and the molecules with π-conjugated system (such as asphaltenes) were restricted due to their strong interaction with the CNT material. Because of their enormous difference of spreading velocity and time on CNT surface, the oil molecules were stayed and accumulated on CNT surface and thereby separated from the water molecules. The results obtained in this work provides a deep insight into the oil-water separation behaviors when using carbon-based nanomaterials to demulsify the crude oil-water emulsion and the treatment emulsified oily wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liposomes have been widely used as drug carriers in both biomedical research and for clinical applications, allowing the stabilisation of therapeutic compounds and overcoming obstacles to cellular and tissue uptake. However, liposomes still have low targeting efficiency, resulting in insufficient killing of tumour cells and unnecessary damage to normal cells. In this study, glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) were used as ligands to prepare dual-ligand-modified doxorubicin-loaded liposomes (DOX-GA/PNA-Lips) to enhance the targeting accuracy and efficacy of drug delivery against malignant liver cancer. PNA and GA modification enhanced the binding ability of liposomes to liver cancer cells, leading to excellent tissue and cell targeting of DOX-GA/PNA-Lips. DOX-GA/PNA-Lips showed an effective anti-tumour effect in vivo and in vitro, with its targeted delivery facilitating attenuation of the toxic side effects of DOX. These results demonstrated that dual-ligand-modified liposomes may provide an effective strategy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling bearing is widely used in rotating machinery and, at the same time, it is easy to be damaged due to harsh operating environments and conditions. As a result, rolling bearing is critical to the safe operation of the machinery devices. Compound fault of rolling bearing is not a simple superimposition of multiple single faults, but the coupling of multiple fault features, making the vibration signal, becomes complicated. In our study, sparsity-oriented nonconvex nonseparable regularization (SONNR) method is proposed to rolling bearing compound fault diagnosis under noisy environment. Firstly, a theoretical model of rolling bearing compound fault is established, and the vibration characteristics of rolling bearing compound fault are analyzed. Secondly, four-layer structure of the SONNR method is proposed: input layer, nonconvex sparse regularization layer, signal reconstruction layer, and compound faults isolation layer. Finally, the validity of the method is verified by simulation data and actual data, and it is compared with the traditional time domain diagnostic methods and artificial intelligence methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) is involved in a variety of malignant tumors, and leads to malignant tumor development and poor prognosis. However, the association between HDAC9 expression, and the prognosis and clinicopathological features of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. The present study used reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression level of HDAC9 in PDAC tumors and cell lines. The Kaplan-Meier method and Pearson's χ2 test were applied to evaluate the prognostic impact of HDAC9. The present study investigated the effect of HDAC9 on the biological function of PDAC cells. The present results indicated that HDAC9 was highly expressed in PDAC tissue and PDAC cell lines (P<0.05). HDAC9 expression level in tumor tissues was negatively associated with tumor size (P=0.026), T stage (P=0.014) and N stage (P=0.004). Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients with high HDAC9 had shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS; P=0.017) and disease-specific survival (DSS; P=0.022). Moreover, the present results suggested that T stage, N stage and HDAC9 expression level were independent predictive factors for RFS and DSS in patients with PDAC. In addition, silencing HDAC9 significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of PDAC cells. The present results indicated that high expression levels of HDAC9 were associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis; thus, HDAC9 may serve as a prognostic predictor of PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling element bearings are widely used in rotating machinery and, at the same time, they are easily damaged due to harsh operating environments and conditions. As a result, rolling element bearings are critical to the safe operation of the mechanical devices. The incipient fault information extraction of rolling bearings mainly faces the following difficulties: (1) The fault signal is too weak. (2) The fault mechanism and the dynamic model of the rolling bearing system are complex. (3) The oscillations caused by the fault shocks are overlapped due to the smaller impact between two adjacent faults. (4) The impact interval of the fault will change randomly. To overcome the aforementioned difficulties, a connection network constructed by resonance-based sparse signal decomposition (RSSD) and broad learning system (BLS) without the need for deep architecture, namely RSSD-BLS, is proposed for intelligent fault diagnosis. We construct RSSD-BLS by input layer, RSSD decomposition layer, feature layer and output layer. So, when the observed vibration signals are the input layer, the network first uses RSSD to decompose the raw vibration signal into high resonance components and low resonance components. Then, the network obtains energy spectrum features of high resonance components which decomposed by RSSD to extract the unique features in the feature. Finally, the network recognizes different fault conditions in the output layer. Through comparing with commonly used intelligent network diagnosis method, the superiority of the proposed RSSD-BLS is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation is an effective way to study roof strata movement induced by progressive excavation in longwall mining. However, establishing an effective and plausible numerical model is still of great difficulty, as the roof strata movement involves a complex geomechanical process. In this study, we develop a numerical tool based on the material point method (MPM) and strain softening constitutive model. Using this tool, numerical examples are conducted to demonstrate the capability of the numerical tool to simulate the roof strata movement. According to the numerical results, we obtain the following conclusion: 1) through comparison of the physical simulation experiment, the developed numerical tool is proved to be capable to simulate the complex physic processes involved in the roof strata movement, including roof deformation, shear and tensile fracture initiation and arbitrary propagation, roof fragmentation, caving and collapse, roof subsidence and contact with gob fragmentation; 2) the developed numerical tool can simulate the extremely large deformation (plastic flow) of the backfill under the same numerical framework, which is advantageous to study the mechanical interaction between the large deformation of the backfill and the roof subsidence; 3) both cross joints and layer interfaces have a significant effect on the extent of the roof collapse. The caving height is mainly affected by the layer thickness, while the vertical cross joints have a certain influence on the roof collapse in the horizontal direction. According to this study, we believe that the developed numerical tool is also beneficial for studying other excavation problems in underground, e.g., various mining methods, tunneling, cave construction, etc. Extending the numerical tool to 3D is straightforward. However, the computational efficiency should be enhanced. • A numerical tool was developed based on the material point method and strain softening model. • The numerical tool can effectively simulate the complex roof strata movement. • The numerical tool is capable to model the extremely large deformation of the backfill. • The numerical simulated roof strata movement shows a good agreement with the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic impact of the lymph node ratio (LNR) versus positive lymph node count (PLNC) in patients who had undergone resection for distal cholangiocarcinoma. Methods We identified 448 patients with resected distal cholangiocarcinoma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The X-Tile program was used to calculate the cutoff values for the LNR and PLNC that discriminate survival. The overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates were calculated. Relationships between clinicopathological factors and patient survival were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results The optimal cutoff values for the LNR and PLNC were 0.45 and 3, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size, the American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, T stage, the LNR and PLNC were significantly associated with prognosis (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the LNR, T stage, and tumor size were independent prognostic factors for cancer-specific and overall survival, whereas PLNC was not. In the subgroup of patients with positive lymph nodes, patients with an LNR of greater than 0.45 had significantly worse cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio, 2.418; 95% confidence interval, 1.588 to 3.682; P < 0.001) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.149; 95% CI, 1.421 to 3.249; P < 0.001) than those with an LNR of 0.45 or less. Conclusions The LNR was a better predictor of long-term prognosis than PLNC in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study compared the impact of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and adjuvant RT on survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Patients with HCC were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The Kaplan–Meier method and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to compare the impact of neoadjuvant RT on survival with adjuvant RT. Subsequently, a propensity score‐matched analysis was performed to confirm the result. Results: A total of 244 patients with HCC identified from the SEER database (2004–2014) received preoperative or post‐operative radiation. A total of 151 patients received post‐operative RT and 93 patients received preoperative RT. Preoperative RT had a clear superiority in terms of unadjusted overall survival and cancer‐specific survival (P < 0.001 for log‐rank test). After adjusting for confounding variables, hazard ratios (HRs) for all‐cause (HR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.19–0.53, P < 0.001) and cancer‐specific (HR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.19–0.53, P < 0.001) mortality risks in preoperative RT group were significantly lower than that of post‐operative RT group. Subsequently, a propensity score‐matched analysis was performed to confirm this result. Further univariate and multivariate survival analyses revealed that there was a persistent superiority of overall survival and cancer‐specific survival in patients who received preoperative radiation than patients without RT. Conclusion: We found that neoadjuvant RT was associated with improved long‐term survival for patients with HCC versus adjuvant RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies (PR) is an acute and severe infectious disease caused by pseudorabies virus (PRV). Once the virus infects pigs, it is difficult to eliminate, resulting in major economic losses to the global pig industry. In addition, reports of human infection with PRV suggest that the virus is a potential threat to human health; thus, its significance to public health should be considered. In this paper, the anti-PRV activities of emodin in vitro and in vivo, and its mechanism of action were studied. The results showed that emodin inhibited the proliferation of PRV in PK15 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 0.127 mg/mL and a selection index of 5.52. The addition of emodin at different stages of viral infection showed that emodin inhibited intracellular replication. Emodin significantly inhibited the expression of the IE180, EP0, UL29, UL44, US6, and UL27 genes of PRV within 48 h. Emodin also significantly inhibited the expression of PRV gB and gD proteins. The molecular docking results suggested that emodin might form hydrogen bonds with PRV gB and gD proteins and affect the structure of viral proteins. Emodin effectively inhibited the apoptosis induced by PRV infection. Moreover, emodin showed a good protective effect on PRV-infected mice. During the experimental period, all the control PRV-infected mice died resulting in a survival rate of 0%, while the survival rate of emodin-treated mice was 28.5%. Emodin also significantly inhibited the replication of PRV in the heart, liver, brain, kidneys and lungs of mice and alleviated tissue and organ damage caused by PRV infection. Emodin was able to combat viral infection by regulating the levels of the cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-4 in the sera of infected mice. These results indicate that emodin has good anti-PRV activity in vitro and in vivo, and is expected to be a new agent for the prevention and control of PRV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica serovar ( S. enteritidis ) is a pathogenic bacterium that can cause symptoms of food poisoning, leading to death of poultry, resulting in serious economic losses. The MyD88 and TRIF signalling pathways play important roles in activating innate and adaptive immunity in chickens infected with S. enteritidis . The objective of the present study was to characterize in vivo mRNA expressions, protein levels and methylation levels of genes in the above two pathways in both Tibetan chickens and DaHeng S03 chickens infected with S. enteritidis . MyD88-dependent and TRIF-dependent signalling pathway were activated by infection, and the MyD88 signalling pathway induced cytokines LITAF and IL-8 played important roles in fighting against the S. enteritidis infection in vivo . The TLR4 methylation might alter expression of genes involved in the MyD88 signalling pathway, and thus different breeds of chickens might show differences in susceptibility to the S. enteritidis . The increased expression of INF β was activated by S. enteritidis , but its expressions were different in levels of mRNA and protein in Tibetan chickens and DaHeng chickens, suggesting its functions on the resistance to S. enteritidis infection in chickens. This study contributes to the understanding of two pathways activated in response to S. enteritidis infection, and gives indications on the mechanisms underlying resistance of Tibetan chickens and DaHeng chickens to S. enteritidis . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid separation of emulsified oil from oily wastewater is one of the most serious challenges faced in the petroleum industry. In this study, a rapid and efficient demulsifier, functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs), was prepared and used to separate the emulsified oil from oily wastewater. Demulsification test showed that the oil removal efficiency could attain as high as 99.8% at an optimal condition within a few minutes. The micro-morphology of the oil–water mixture before and after demulsification was observed using a polarizing microscope. It was found that the fine oil droplets experienced a rapid coalescence to form oil phase floating on the water surface. Mechanism of the demulsification process was discussed. The introduction of the functional groups (such as ‒OH and ‒COOH) on the surfaces of F-MWCNTs enable them good amphiphilicity and therefore easily arriving at the oil/water interface to destroy the interfacial protective film mainly composed of asphaltenes and resins. The findings in this work showed that the F-MWCNT is an efficient nanomaterial to remove emulsified oil from the oily wastewater and might have wide application prospects in the petroleum industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the modulation of various metabolic processes in the liver, yet little is known about the liver microRNAome (miRNAome) of the Tibetan pig. Here we used the Yorkshire pig as a control to analyze the Tibetan pig-specific liver miRNAome, and for preliminary investigation of differentially expressed miRNAs participating in metabolism. A comprehensive analysis of Tibetan and Yorkshire pig liver miRNAomes by small RNA sequencing identified 362 unique miRNAs. Among these, 304 were co-expressed in both libraries, and 10 and 48 miRNAs were specifically expressed. Differential expression analysis of miRNAs, miRNA target prediction and KEGG analysis revealed that differentially expressed miRNAs were associated mainly with the metabolism of glucose, lipid and protein. Six differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-326, miR-1, miR-335, miR-185 and miR-378) participating in the metabolism of glucose and lipid were identified. Additionally, qPCR results revealed that a lower expression of miR-34a in Tibetan pig liver may promote gluconeogenesis by increasing the expression of Sirtuin type 1 (Sirt1); a lower expression of miR-1 in Tibetan pig liver may promote the synthesis and accumulation of lipid by increasing the expression of Liver X receptor α (LXRα); and a lower expression of miR-185 in Tibetan pig liver may promote the uptake of cholesterol from blood and secretion of bile by increasing the expression of the scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI). Our results provide new information and understanding of porcine miRNA profiles, which may help explain the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in the metabolic functions of Tibetan pig liver, and provide new biomarkers to assist in the development of Tibetan pig breeding characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new GFA & GS tetrahedron is constructed from pseudo-four characteristic parameters. • A modified GFA & GS criterion is derived: G-FAS m = T x / T l +((T x - T g)/(T l - T g))0.3. • Unification of criteria from vertices, edges, faces and the entire body of the T-FAS. • Criteria expressions are unified by two complex temperatures parameters T rg and T xg. The various criteria of glass-forming ability and stability (GFA & GS) based on the three characteristic temperatures (glass transition temperature T g , the onset crystallization temperature T x and the liquid temperature T l) are uneven and inconsistent, and even contradictory. It is urgent to find a new method that comprehensively considers the GFA from cooling process and the GS from heating process, and unifies the GFA & GS criteria. In this paper, based on T g , the tetrahedron for evaluating GFA & GS (T-FAS) with pseudo-four characteristic parameters as vertexes is constructed from four aspects (1. The onset crystallization temperature T x : resistance to crystallization; 2. The liquid temperature T l : high temperature liquid stability; 3. The supercooled liquid region of glass (SLR glass) Δ T x = T x - T g (or the ratio of T x to T g , i.e., crystallization-vitrification ratio T x / T g): stability of SLR glass ; 4. The supercooled liquid region of melt (SLR melt) Δ T g = T l - T g (or the reduced glass transition temperature T rg): glass-forming ability/tendency of glass itself) involved two processes of GFA in cooling process and GS in heating process, from which the G-FAS criterion is derived and modified, and its wide applicability is compared and evaluated with other criteria. Finally, the existing characteristic temperature-based GFA & GS criteria are unified from the vertices, edges, faces and the entire body of the T-FAS, and the expressions are also unified by GFA & GS reflected by T g (i.e., two complex characteristic temperatures parameters T g / T l and T x / T g). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To research the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) characteristics of a micro-alloyed plastic mold steel (MnCrNb, SDP1®), a series of hot compression tests using Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical physical simulator are implemented under different temperatures and strain rates. In addition, the microstructure of specimens after hot compression tests are also observed by optical microscope. Combined Estrin and Mecking mathematic model (EM) with Avrami equation, the important material genome data of SDP1, such as DRX kinetic model, dynamic recovery (DRV) kinetic model and grain size evolution model, is established by the inverse analysis of flow stress curves to estimate the microstructure evolution during hot deformation. Furthermore, combined with the obtained material kinetic model, an elastic–plastic finite element (FE) model is built to simulate the microstructure evolution of SDP1 during the single-pass hot compression and compare with the experimental results. The results indicate that the simulation results agree well with the experimental ones, which verifies the availability of obtained material genome data. The finite element method (FEM) is an effective approach to analyze the hot compression process, which can provide a theoretical guidance and optimization scheme for making the more reasonable hot working procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Supercapacitor, known as an important energy storage device, is also a critical component for next generation of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In this study, we report a novel route for synthesis of three-dimensional Ni(OH)2/graphene/nickel foam electrode by electrochemical depositing Ni(OH)2 nanoflakes on graphene network grown on nickel foam current collector and explore its applications in supercapacitors. The resulting binder-free Ni(OH)2/graphene/nickel foam electrode exhibits excellent supercapacitor performance with a specific capacitance of 2161 F/g at a current density of 3 A/g. Even as the current density reaches up to 60 A/g, it still remains a high capacitance of 1520 F/g, which is much higher than that of Ni(OH)2/nickel foam electrode. The enhanced rate capability performance of Ni(OH)2/graphene/nickel foam electrode is closely related to the presence of highly conductive graphene layer on nickel foam, which can remarkably boost the charge-transfer process at electrolyte–electrode interface. The three-dimensional graphene/nickel foam substrate also significantly improves the electrochemical cycling stability of the electrodeposited Ni(OH)2 film because of the strong adhesion between graphene film and electrodeposited Ni(OH)2 nanoflakes. Results of this study provide an alternative pathway to improve the rate capability and cycling stability of Ni(OH)2 nanostructure electrode and offer a great promise for its applications in supercapacitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Large-area periodically aligned Si nanowire (PASiNW) arrays have been fabricated on Si substrates via a templated catalytic chemical etching process. The diameter, length, packing density, and even the shape of Si nanowires (SiNWs) could be precisely controlled and tuned. A local coupling redox mechanism involving the reduction of H2O2 on silver particles and the dissolution of Si is responsible for formation of SiNWs. With the as-prepared SiNWs as templates, three kinds of PASiNW radial pn junction structures were fabricated on Si substrates via a solid-state phosphorous diffusion strategy and their applications in solar cells were also explored. The PASiNW radial pn junction-based solar cell with big diameter and interspace shows the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.10% among the three kinds of devices. Further optimization, including surface passivation and electrode contact, is still needed for the higher efficiency PASiNW radial pn junction-based solar cells in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A pyramid/nanowire binary structure is fabricated on the silicon surface via a NaOH anisotropic etching technique followed by a silver-catalyzed chemical etching process. The silicon surface shows a stable superhydrophobicity with high contact angle of 162° and small sliding angle less than 2° after being modified with octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS). The binary roughness of pyramid/nanowire structure presents a stable composite interface of silicon–air–water and responsible for the superhydrophobicity of silicon surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The tribological behaviors and phase transformation of single crystal silicon against Si3N4, Ruby and steel were investigated in this study. It was found that the strong chemical action between silicon and Fe was the key factor to the tribological behavior of silicon as slid against steel. SEM and Raman spectroscopy indicated that phase transformation of single crystal silicon occurred during the running-in period at low sliding velocity as slid against Si3N4 and Ruby, and gave birth to single or a mixture phase of Si-III, Si-XII and amorphous silicon. The high hardness of counterpart and the absence of chemical action between silicon and counterpart facilitated the phase transformation of single crystal silicon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The tribological behaviors and phase transformations of single-crystal silicon against Si3N4 with different sliding velocities and durations under low contact stress at room temperature were investigated. SEM and Raman analysis indicate that phase transformation was involved and characterized by plastically deformed area which consists of Si-III, Si-XII, and a-Si, especially in the early stage at the low sliding velocity. The plastically deformed layer was wiped off at high-velocity or long sliding duration. TEM analysis indicated that the wear debris consists of amorphous silicon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Scratch tests on single crystal silicon under dry sliding and pentadecane lubrication are performed on a commercially available nano-scratch tester. Loads range of elastic, elasto-plastic deformation and fracture are classified according to depth-load curves. A fully plastic removal of single crystal silicon below critical load for fracture is observed under pentadecane lubrication, which is quite different from that under dry sliding. Raman micro-spectra indicate that the phase compositions of the scratched track under dry sliding consist of a number of phases, including Si-I, Si-III, Si-XII and a-Si, while the phase composition of the track under pentadecane lubrication consists of single a-Si. Based on the results obtained, a simple approach to fabricate amorphous silicon pattern on single crystal silicon is introduced and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A quadrilateral with pseudo-four characteristic temperatures as vertices is established based on four aspects (1. The onset crystallization temperature T x : resistance to crystallization; 2. The liquid temperature T l : liquid stability; 3. The supercooled liquid region of glass (SLR glass) ΔT x = T x -T g , where T g is the glass transition temperature: stability of SLR glass ; 4. The supercooled liquid region of melt (SLR melt) ΔT g = T l -T g : glass-forming ability/tendency of glass itself) from two perspectives of the glass-forming ability (GFA) in cooling process and glass stability (GS) in heating process. According to pseudo-four characteristic temperatures, a glass-forming ability and stability criterion (G-FAS criterion) is derived and modified: G-FAS = T x /T l +(T x -T g)/(T l -T g) and G-FAS m = T x /T l +(T x -T g)/(1.5T x -T g). The validity and feasibility of the newly proposed criterion are elaborated and discussed through evaluating the correlation between criterion and R c and the consistency with the boundary conditions. Comparison with other currently existing 23 characteristic temperature-based criteria shows that the presently proposed criterion has excellent performance both correlation with R c and consistency with boundary conditions. • Pseudo-four characteristic temperatures (CTs) T x , T l , T x -T g and T l -T g evaluating GFA & GS are derived from three CTs. • A quadrilateral of GFA & GS is established. • A new G-FAS criterion is derived and modified: G-FAS = T x /T l +(T x -T g)/(T l -T g) and G-FAS m = T x /T l +(T x -T g)/(1.5T x -T g). • In criterion, the CTs T x , T l and T g appear the same times, indicating that the contribution of each CT is equal without bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal carbides or nitride (MXene) have attracted wide attention due to their unique properties and promising applications in batteries, sensors, and catalysis. Due to its good hydrophilicity and abundant groups, it is also favored in environmental remediation. In this work, a cage-like octa(aminopropyl) silsesquioxane (POSS-NH 2) was chosen as the modifier to decorate the Ti 3 C 2 T x and an amino-rich lamellar material, Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 , was prepared successfully via a dehydration condensation reaction. Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 shows excellent adsorption capability toward Pb (II) ions within a wide pH range with an optimal adsorption capacity of 552.31 mg·g–1 at the pH value of 6. Even at strong acidic conditions (pH=2), the value is still as high as 283.65 mg·g–1. The Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 also shows preferential selectivity for lead ions in lead-containing wastewaters containing Cu (II), Zn (II), Fe (II) and Mg (II) ions. The kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamic analyses were also studied. It is found that the adsorption process is an endothermic one and complies with the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. The experimental data of Pb (II） ions adsorption by Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 can be well simulated with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. XPS and FTIR results showed that the Pb (II) ions were captured by a synergistic effect of coordination of -NH 2 on the Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 surface and the oxidation of oxygenated moieties in the layered structure of Ti 3 C 2 T x. The excellent properties of Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 allow it to occupy an important position in the treatment of lead-containing wastewater. [Display omitted] • A novel 2D materials Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 was prepared. • The maximum adsorption capacity of the material for Pb (II) ions is 552.31 mg·g–1. • The adsorption capacity of the material can reach 283.65 mg·g–1 at pH of 2. • The material will preferentially adsorb Pb (II) ions. • The adsorption of Pb (II) ions is dominated by a synergistic effect of coordination of-NH 2 on the Ti 3 C 2 T x /POSS-NH 2 surface and the oxidation of oxygenated moieties in the layered structure of Ti 3 C 2 T x [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current investigation, X70 pipeline steel plate was welded using submerged-arc welding. Thereafter, a (Fe0.5Ni0.2)61Cr9Co6Si1.5B17.5Nb5 amorphous alloy coating with a thickness of 400 ± 30 μm was successfully deposited on the surface of welded X70 pipeline steel by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF). The corrosion resistance of the substrate and coating in acidic environments was discussed, and the corrosion mechanisms were analyzed. The results show that the coating is completely amorphous with a dense microstructure, showing a typical thermal spray laminar flow-like structure. The corrosion potential (Ecorr) and self-corrosion current density (Icorr) are − 396 mV and 2.061 × 10−6 A/cm2, respectively. The Ecorr of all coatings is better than that of substrate. The coating A, where the BM zone is located, has the largest capacitance resistance arc radius and the smallest Icorr (1.427 × 10−7 A/cm2), which provides the best corrosion resistance. The maximum Icorr of the coating (Icorr = 2.320 × 10−7 A/cm2) is one order of magnitude lower than the minimum Icorr of the substrate (Icorr = 2.061 × 10−6 A/cm2), which indicates that the coating has better corrosion resistance than the substrate. The corrosion mechanism of the coating in H2SO4 solution is active dissolution of metal elements in the coating (initial stage) and passivation film protection coating (later stage). This work provides a very valuable idea to solve the problem of corrosion failure of X70 pipeline steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcellular organelles play critical roles in the process of apoptosis. Fluorescent probes that specifically target different organelles during cell death processes to monitor cell viability has important implications. In this work, two D(donor)-π-A(acceptor) configuration molecules (A1 and A2) with considerable two-photon absorption cross section in the near infrared region have been rational designed and synthesized. Of note, the obtained two probes could target different organelles in living and fixed cells, respectively. The reasons for different organelles targeting ability of A1 and A2 are discussed in our work. It provides a promising platform for real-time monitoring of cell mortality under subcellular level. • A1 and A2 exhibited excellent Aggregation-induced-emission behavior. • A1 and A2 respond strongly to pH fluctuation. • A1 and A2 can target different organelles in living and fixed cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Al-Si matrix foam sandwich (AFS) with 6063 Al alloy cover sheets was fabricated by hot rolling combined with melt foaming. A foamable AlSiMg1/SiCp matrix precursor was prepared by the melting route. Hot rolling at 480 °C was carried out to obtain a mechanical bonding interface between the cover sheet and the foamable precursor. Meanwhile, the pore structure of the AFS was deeply affected by the foaming temperature and foaming time during the foaming process. Different pore growth mechanics of the crack-like pore disappearance mechanism (CDM) and pore active expansion mechanism (AEM) were concluded based on the pressure difference in pores inside and outside. Three bending tests were applied to three types of AFSs with different pore structures to evaluate the relation between pore structures and AFS mechanical properties. The bending property of the AFS with fewer layers of pores is like that of a dense material. The bending property of the AFS with a pore size in the range of 0~1 mm presents a typical sandwich shear failure mode. The AFS with a uniform pore structure, in which the shapes of the pores are predominately polygons and the pore diameter is concentrated in the range of 0.5~3 mm, processes a good energy absorption capacity, and the bending stress–strain curve fluctuates greatly after the first stress drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathophysiology of coronasomnia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate changes in white matter (WM) microstructure and inflammatory factors in patients with sleep disorders (SD) characterized by poor sleep quantity, quality, or timing following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in the acute phase (within one month) and whether these changes could be recovered at 3-month follow-up. 29 acute COVID-19 patients with SD (COVID_SD) and 27 acute COVID-19 patients without SD (COVID_NonSD) underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), tested peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines level, and measured Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and matched 30 uninfected healthy controls. Analyzed WM abnormalities between groups in acute phase and explored its changes in COVID_SD at 3-month follow-up by using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Correlations between DTI and clinical data were examined using Spearman partial correlation analysis. Both COVID_SD and COVID_NonSD exhibited widespread WM microstructure abnormalities. The COVID_SD group showed specific WM microstructure changes in right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) (lower fractional anisotropy [FA]/axial diffusivity [AD] and higher radial diffusivity [RD]) and left corticospinal tract (CST) (higher FA and lower RD) and higher interleukin-1β (IL-1β) compared with COVID_NonSD group. These WM abnormalities and IL-1β levels were correlated PSQI score. After 3 months, the IFOF integrity and IL-1β levels tended to return to normal accompanied by symptom improvement in the COVID_SD relative to baseline. Abnormalities in right IFOF and left CST and elevated IL-1β levels were important neurophenotypes correlated with COVID_SD, which might provide new insights into the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation in SD patients induced by COVID-19. • TBSS identified the specific WM changes in right IFOF and left CST at acute phase COVID-19 patients with SD. • Higher IL-1β level was identified in the acute COVID-19 patients with SD. • The right IFOF and IL-1β level tended to return to normal accompanied by sleep symptoms improvement after 3 months in the acute COVID-19 patients with SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Si/C anodes, achieving excellent performance with a simple fabrication process is still an ongoing challenge. Herein, we report a green, facile and scalable approach for the in situ synthesis of Si@C anodes during the electrode manufacturing process by partially carbonizing Si nanoparticles (Si NPs) and dual polymers at a relatively low temperature. Due to the proper mass ratio of the two polymer precursors and proper carbonization temperature, the resultant Si-based anode demonstrates a typical Si@C core–shell structure and has strong mechanical properties with the aid of dual-interfacial bonding between the Si NPs core and carbon shell layer, as well as between the C matrix and the underlying Cu foil. Consequently, the resultant Si@C anode shows a high specific capacity (3458.1 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1), good rate capability (1039 mAh g−1 at 4 A g−1) and excellent cyclability (77.94% of capacity retention at a high current density of 1 A g−1 after 200 cycles). More importantly, the synthesis of the Si@C anode is integrated in situ into the electrode manufacturing process and, thus, significantly decreases the cost of the lithium-ion battery but without sacrificing the electrochemical performance of the Si@C anode. Our results provide a new strategy for designing next-generation, high-capacity and cost-effective batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fermented Chinese herb residues on the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility, serum biochemical indices and microflora of Simmental beef cattle during the fattening period. Twenty-four healthy Simmental beef cattle with an average body weight of 358.54 ± 65.63 kg were randomly divided into four treatment groups, with 6 replicates. The dietary treatments were as follows: I: basal diet; II, III and IV: 10% corn husk in the diet was replaced by Chinese herb residue, enzyme-fermented residue, and enzyme bacteria co-fermented residue, respectively. The experimental period was 49 days. There was no significant difference in the growth performance of beef cattle (p > 0.05). The ether extract (EE) apparent digestibility of groups III and IV was significantly higher than that of group I (p < 0.05); the apparent digestibility values of nitrogen free extract (NFE) and total phosphorus (P) in group IV were significantly lower than those in the other groups (p < 0.05). The maleic dialdehyde (MDA) contents in groups I and II were significantly higher than those in groups III and IV (p < 0.05). The ACE and Chao1 indices of groups I and III were significantly higher than those of groups II and IV (p < 0.05). The Shannon indices of groups I and III were significantly higher than that of group II (p < 0.05). The abundance of Firmicutes in group III was significantly lower than that in group II (p < 0.05). In conclusion, fermented Chinese herb residues could replace 10% corn husk and be used in beef cattle breeding. Dietary replacement of 10% corn husk with Chineseherb residue can improve nutrient digestibility of fattening cattle. Concentrate containing 10% fermented Chinese herb residues as a corn husk replacement can be used for feedlot cattle without adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) is considered an ideal candidate for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries owing to its high specific capacity, low lithiation/delithiation potential, and abundance. However, its extensive volume expansion engenders electrode structure deterioration and cycle life truncation, substantially hindering its practical utility. In this investigation, we fashioned porous silicon via the etching of micron-sized aluminium–silicon alloy, and subsequently, porous silicon@hard carbon (PSi@C) composites were meticulously crafted through a sequence involving high-temperature pyrolysis after methyl acrylate (MA) suspension polymerization coating and a Soxhlet extraction pore-forming procedure. Characterization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the composite material's abundance of pores and the presence of a fish-scale-like carbon framework. This unique architecture adeptly mitigates the stresses stemming from silicon's volumetric expansion, thus rectifying the issues associated with silicon's poor electronic conductivity and carbon materials' limited capacity. Simultaneously, it utilizes silicon's high specific capacity and carbon's extended cycle stability. Remarkably, after 300 cycles at 0.5 A g−1, the PSi@C electrode exhibited a capacity retention rate as high as 74.4% (652 mA h g−1). Even under a high current of 2 A g−1, the rate test still revealed a reversible capacity of 465 mA h g−1. These findings indicate exemplary long-cycle and rate performance characteristics, underscoring significant potential for research and application in lithium battery energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe‐based amorphous ribbons with the brand name 1K101 can adsorb methylene blue (MB) solution. The adsorption reaction is multilayer adsorption, in which chemical adsorption plays a major role. There are also some processes like physical adsorption, liquid phase diffusion, and internal diffusion of particles. The adsorption reaction is exothermic and spontaneous, which is more favorable at low temperatures. During the adsorption process, the entropy value decreases, the degree of disorder and freedom of the solution decreases, and the structure also changes. What's more, H2O2, pH, ribbons's dosage, dye's concentration, and temperature affect the degradation performance of 1K101 on MB. Degradation reactions are mainly controlled by surface chemical reactions, including chemical reduction reactions and adsorption. When c(H2O2) is 15 mm, pH is 2, ribbons' dosage is 0.9 g, c(MB) is 20 mg L−1, temperature is 338 K, the degradation effect is the best. The optimal conditions with lowest overall cost obtained under the orthogonal experiment are: c(H2O2) = 20 mm, pH = 2, ribbons's dosage = 0.7 g, c(MB) = 20 mg L−1, and T = 338 K. Overall, 1K101 amorphous ribbon can be utilized to treat MB solution, and its degradation effect is better than adsorption effect, which can provide new ideas for the reuse of waste amorphous ribbon and the treatment of azo dye wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: This paper reports a detailed epidemiological investigation of a large Haff disease outbreak in Nanjing, China, including laboratory analysis of water, river sediment, and fish. Methods: Structured questionnaires were administered to all case-patients. An unmatched case-control study was conducted to identify the factors affecting the incidence of Haff disease. Thirteen samples of crayfish, together with four samples of water and four samples of sediment were collected and sent for laboratory analysis. Results: The disease onset of 494 patients occurred between 2 am on 30 June 2016 and 3 am on 29 August 2016. The median incubation time for onset of symptoms after crayfish ingestion was 7.1 hours (range: 1–20 hours). All patients presented with or developed local or diffuse myalgia. However, no kidney injury was observed. Serum creatinine kinase was elevated in all patients (mean: 4614 U/L, median: 2000 U/L, range: 81–55200 U/L). The average number of crayfish consumed by patients on the day of illness was 20 (2–80). The case-control study revealed that eating a large quantity of crayfish, drinking alcohol, and eating the crayfish head and/or intestines were associated with an increased risk of disease. Chemical analysis of crayfish, river water and sediment did not identify known or novel toxins including anticoccidiosis drugs, niclosamide, organophosphorus pesticides, and microcystins. Conclusion: An outbreak of Haff Disease was associated with consumption of crayfish from the Yangtze River and its surrounding water system. Eating a large quantity of crayfish, eating the head and/or intestines, and consuming alcohol with the crayfish were associated with the development of Haff Disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast volume expansion of the Si anode during the charging process leads to rapid cycling performance fading and limits its applications in lithium-ion batteries. In this study, a unique core–double-shell structured porous Si@graphene@glycerin-Al2O3 (p-Si@G@g-Al2O3) composite is successfully prepared by using a porous Si (p-Si) microsphere as the core and graphene(G)/Al2O3 as the double shell layer via an electrostatic self-assembly strategy and a glycerin-involved sol–gel process. The addition of glycerin can reduce the nucleation growth rate of Al(OH)3 during the sol–gel process and enable more uniform deposition of an ultrathin Al2O3 layer on p-Si@G microspheres. Owing to the crucial role of the lithiated Al2O3 (LiAlO2)/G double shell layer in shielding the inner p-Si microsphere from the electrolyte and consolidating the mechanical structure of the p-Si microsphere, the synthesized p-Si@G@g-Al2O3 shows good cycling stability with a high reversible capacity of 1804.5 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and excellent rate capacity with a capacity of 439 mA h g−1 at 8 A g−1, superior to those of p-Si@G and p-Si electrodes. Moreover, the electrochemical performance of p-Si@G@g-Al2O3 can also be further improved by ∼10% by only adding 5 wt% of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a slurry, due to the good capability of CNTs in building the interconnecting network between p-Si@G@g-Al2O3 microspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets have been experimentally proved to be a highly efficiency, rapid and universal demulsifier to break up the crude oil-in-water emulsion and/or the emulsified oily waste water in our previous study. To recycle the GO nanosheets and avoid the possible contamination of GO for crude oil, in this work, the magnetic graphene oxide (M-GO) was successfully synthesized and used for separating oil/water emulsions. Demulsification tests indicated that M-GO could separate the oil/water emulsions within a few minutes and recycle 6–7 times without losing its demulsification capability. The residual oil content in the separated water was as low as ∼10 mg/L, corresponding to a demulsification efficiency of 99.98% at an optimal dosage. Quantum chemical calculation results indicated that the π-π/σ-π interactions between GO materials and asphaltene molecules are the major driven forces for the high demulsification performance of M-GO nanosheets. This work not only provides a promising demulsifies to demulsify the crude oil-in-water emulsion or the oily wastewater but also give a deep understanding on the intrinsic interaction between demulsifiers and asphaltenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harm of Salmonella typhimurium ( S. typhimurium ) to public health mainly by the consumption of contaminated agricultural products or water stresses an urgent need for rapid detection methods to help control the spread of S. typhimurium . In this work, an intelligently designed sensor system took creative advantage of triple trigger sequences-regenerated strand displacement amplification and self-protective hairpin template-generated-scaffolded silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) for the first time. In the presence of live S. typhimurium , single-stranded trigger sequences were released from aptamer-trigger sequences complex, initiating a branch migration to open the hairpin template I containing complementary scaffolds of AgNCs. Then the first strand displacement amplification was induced to produce numerous scaffolds of AgNCs and reporter strands which initiated a branch migration to open the hairpin template II containing complementary scaffolds of AgNCs. Then the second strand displacement amplification was induced to generate numerous scaffolds of AgNCs and trigger sequences which initiated the third branch migration and strand displacement amplification to produce numerous scaffolds of AgNCs and reporter strands in succession. Cyclically, the reproduction of the trigger sequences and cascade successive production of scaffolds were achieved successfully, forming highly fluorescent AgNCs, thus providing significantly enhanced fluorescent signals to achieve ultrasensitive detection of live S. typhimurium down to 50 CFU/mL with a linear range from 10 2 to 10 7 CFU/mL. It is the first report on a fluorescent biosensor for detecting viable S. typhimurium directly, which can distinguish from heat denatured S. typhimurium . And it develops a new strategy to generate the DNA-scaffolds for forming AgNCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The research object of this paper is waste incineration waste heat boiler, the failure mechanism of superheater tubes was conducted by visual observation, micro-zone analysis, stress calculation, the on-site operation and shutdown of the boiler. • The damge model of of superheater tubes is corrosion thinning, the failure mechanism is including high temperature oxidation corrosion, high temperature sulfide corrosion, high temperature chloride corrosion, low temperature dew point corrosion. The corrosion mechanism is that the corrosive medium, over-temperature operation, severe fouling deposits are simultaneously available. • The innovation is to analyze the failure problem in complex environment by using the idea of mechanical thermophysical joint action, and obtain the damage mode and the alternating corrosion mechanism of sulfur and chlorine, put forward three conditions for corrosion. • These measures which can slow down corrosion thinning are suggested and put forward. The important significance is to prevent the failure of heating surface tube of waste heat boiler and reduce the abnormal shutdown time. In order to further understand the failure mechanism of superheater tubes of waste heat boiler in a complex environment, sample sections cut down from the failed and non-failed tubes had been investigated by using visual observation, micro-zone analysis and Stress calculation check. Results showed that S content of 15MoG slightly exceeded the standard, and the main composition of corrosion products were related to the oxygen, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, potassium, calcium. Ash samples on the failed tube and at the bottom of the furnace were analyzed by EDS and XRD. The on-site operation and shutdown of the boiler were also considered. The failure mechanism was corrosion thinning raised by high temperature oxidation corrosion, sulfide corrosion, chloride corrosion, and dew point corrosion. The prerequisite of corrosion was that corrosive medium, over-temperature operation, severe fouling deposits were present simultaneously. Measures to limit these factors which can alleviate corrosion thinning are suggested and put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Suggests a novel equivalent technique named relative plastic capacity equivalence. • Develops the object of the ODLV system from beams/plates to stiffened plates. • Proposes a similarity law for hetero-directional geometric distortion of stiffened plates. • Ability to flexibly adjust the material yield stress and the number of stiffeners. As a thin-walled structure, it is impractical or uneconomical to scale the thickness of stiffened plate with the same scale factor as the length, which leads to geometric distortion and the failure of traditional similarity laws. In this study, firstly, the common stiffened plate structure in engineering is selected as the object, and a reasonable equivalent technique for transforming stiffened plate into double-plate structure is proposed, which is named relative plastic capacity equivalence. Then, based on the ODLV system, the similarity law of geometric distortion for beam/plate structure is compared, and the Zhao's response number of stiffened plate is derived, from which the similarity law of co-direction geometric distortion for stiffened plate is obtained expanding the object of single thin-walled plates for the ODLV system. The similarity law of hetero-direction geometric distortion for the stiffened plate structure is derived under the premise that the relative plastic capacity K of stiffeners would be constant between the scaled model and the prototype. Satisfying this premise, the yield stress of the stiffener material and the number of stiffeners along x and y directions in the plane can both be adjusted. The similarity laws of co-direction and hetero-direction geometric distortion for stiffened plates are numerically validated through several mass-impacted stiffened plates. The results show that the similarity laws can enable the geometrically distorted stiffened plate model to predict the dynamic responses of the prototype structure, such as displacement, velocity, energy and impact force. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ultra-firm homogeneous COF with ∼7 nm of tetragonal structure layers was prepared on the silicon nanoparticles surface. • The PMDA-NiPc@Si electrode shows only ∼44% of expansion rate, which is only 27.3% of that of the Si electrode. • The reversible capacity of 654 mAh g-1 with retention rate of 80.4% can still be maintained after 2000 cycles at 5 A g-1. • PMDA-NiPc@Si exhibits excellent Li+ conductivity after pre-lithiation, significantly improving initial coulombic efficiency. • The PMDA-NiPc@Si/NCM811 full battery can still preserve 175.8 mAh g-1 and 85.8% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. The enormous volume change of silicon (Si) leads to pulverization of Si electrodes and continuous growth of solid-electrolyte-interphase (SEI) layers on the Si surface, for which we report a new Si anode material (PMDA-NiPc@Si) with a homogeneous and tetragonal covalent organic frameworks (COFs) coating on the surface of nano-Si particles. COFs with tetragonal structures have higher stability than other structures, which helps to increase the long cycle life of the electrodes. The strong constraining buffering effect of the coating layer can fully inhibit and buffer the volume change of Si nanoparticles during charging-discharging, reduce the consumption of electrolytes and form a homogeneous, stable and robust, LiF- and LiN-rich SEI film, and ultimately improve the rate performance and long-cycle performance. The pre-lithiation of PMDA-NiPc@Si shows a superior lithium ion conductivity that can enhance the lithium ion transport kinetics of silicon electrodes and significantly improve the initial coulomb efficiency (ICE). PMDA-NiPc@Si exhibits excellent specific capacity and cycling performance, with a capacity retention rate of 93.8 % after 100 cycles, which is 2.7 times higher than that of nano-Si. It also offers a high reversible capacity of 654 mAh/g and a capacity retention rate of 80.4 % after 2000 cycles at 5 A/g. The assembled full battery with PMDA-NiPc@Si anode and NCM811 cathode displayed a specific capacity of 175.8 mAh/g with a retention rate of 85.8 % after 100 cycles at 0.2C. The PMDA-NiPc@Si electrode shows only about 44 % of the expansion rate (21.6 to 31.1 μm), which is only 27.3 % of that of the Si electrode. PMDA-NiPc@Si anodes show significantly enhanced electrochemical performance, which will provide novel ideas for the development of high-performance Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. We aimed to develop a predictive model constituted with the ALBI grade, the ascites, and tumor burden related parameters in patients with BCLC stage B HCC. Methods. Patients diagnosed as the BCLC stage B HCC were collected from a retrospective database. Construction and validation of the predictive model were performed based on multivariate Cox regression analysis. Predictive accuracy, discrimination (c-index), and fitness performance (calibration curve) of the model were compared with the other eight models. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical utility. Results. A total of 1773 patients diagnosed as BCLC stage B HCC between 2007 and 2016 were included in the present study. The ALBI-AS grade, the AFP level, and the 8-and-14 grade were used for the development of a prognostic prediction model after multivariate analysis. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) for overall survival at 1, 2, and 3 years predicted by the present model were 0.73, 0.69, and 0.67 in the training cohort. The concordance index (c-index) and the Aiken information criterion (AIC) were 0.68 and 6216.3, respectively. In the internal and external validation cohorts, the present model still revealed excellent predictive accuracy, discrimination, and fitness performance. Then the ALBI-AS based model was evaluated to be superior to other prognostic models with the highest AUROC, c-index, and lowest AIC values. Moreover, DCA also demonstrated that the present model was clinically beneficial. Conclusion. The ALBI-AS grade is a novel predictor of survival for patients with BCLC stage B HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Graphene foam (GF) as anode material is attracting attention due to the mass‐scale production and highly conductive porous three‐dimensional (3D) morphology of 2D‐graphene. The stable performance of lithium‐ion battery (LiBs) based on GF‐anode material is one of the challenges to achieve. Herein, the GF is synthesized with the help of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and used as anode material in coin‐cell LiB. A total 250‐charge and discharge cycles of LiB at 0.1 C are observed, and the highest specific capacity ~450 mAh g−1 was detected. The stable performance of LiB is observed from 100th to 250th cycle with a small capacity fading. The rate performance (0.1 C, 1 C, 2 C, 3 C, 4 C each for 10 cycles, and 0.1 C for 100 cycles) indicates a stable performance of LiB. Technologically, stable performance of LiBs is important, and present study can be used as proof of concept for future stable GF‐based practical LiBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous silicon (PSi) has become one of the current hotspots in lithium-ion anode materials research. However, due to their large volume change in the charge and discharge processes, which results in poor electrochemical performance, the material's practical value is significantly impacted. In this study, PSi@poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PSi@PEDOT) composites were prepared by coating porous micron Si etched from the commercial Al–Si alloy with a conductive polymer synthesized via the in situ polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT). The PEDOT shell not only ensures the conductive network in the composite material but also inhibits Si volume expansion. In addition, the pores inside the PSi material's core layer provide space gaps to buffer Si volume expansion, which can effectively improve its cycling stability and rate performance. Electrochemical test results show that the PSi@PEDOT-2 composite with mass ratio of 1.5:1 exhibits the best cycling stability. The initial discharge capacity is 1338.62 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, and the postcapacity retention rate is 70.3% after 200 cycles. Further, the preparation method may be used as an approach for preparing high-performance Si-based anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]