Search

With the development of technology and methodologies, Raman spectrometers are becoming efficient candidate payloads for planetary materials characterizations in deep space exploration missions. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) already deployed two Raman instruments, Super Cam and SHERLOC, onboard the Perseverance Rover in the Mars 2020 mission. In the ground test, the SHERLOC team found an axial offset (~720 μm) between the ACI (Autofocus Context Imager) and the spectrometer focus, which would obviously affect the acquired Raman intensity if not corrected. To eliminate this error and, more importantly, simplify the application of Raman instruments in deep space exploration missions, we propose an automatic focusing method wherein Raman signals are optimized during spectrum collection. We put forward a novel method that is realized by evaluating focus conditions numerically and searching for the extremum point as the final focal point. To verify the effectiveness of this method, we developed an Auto-focus Raman Probe (SDU-ARP) in our laboratory. This method provides a research direction for scenarios in which spectrometers cannot focus on a target using any other criterion. The utilization of this auto-focusing method can offer better spectra and fewer acquisitions in focusing procedure, and the spectrometer payload can be deployed in light-weight bodies (e.g., asteroids) or in poor illumination conditions (e.g., the permanently shadowed region in the Lunar south polar area) in deep space exploration missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial geothermal ecosystems are hostile habitats, characterized by large emissions of environmentally relevant gases such as CO2, CH4, H2S and H2. These conditions provide a niche for chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. Methanotrophs of the phylum Verrucomicrobia, which inhabit these ecosystems, can utilize these gases and grow at pH levels below 1 and temperatures up to 65°C. In contrast, methanotrophs of the phylum Proteobacteria are primarily found in various moderate environments. Previously, novel verrucomicrobial methanotrophs were detected and isolated from the geothermal soil of the Favara Grande on the island of Pantelleria, Italy. The detection of pmoA genes, specific for verrucomicrobial and proteobacterial methanotrophs in this environment, and the partially overlapping pH and temperature growth ranges of these isolates suggest that these distinct phylogenetic groups could coexist in the environment. In this report, we present the isolation and characterization of a thermophilic and acid‐tolerant gammaproteobacterial methanotroph (family Methylococcaceae) from the Favara Grande. This isolate grows at pH values ranging from 3.5 to 7.0 and temperatures from 35°C to 55°C, and diazotrophic growth was demonstrated. Its genome contains genes encoding particulate and soluble methane monooxygenases, XoxF‐ and MxaFI‐type methanol dehydrogenases, and all enzymes of the Calvin cycle. For this novel genus and species, we propose the name 'Candidatus Methylocalor cossyra' CH1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Pristine organic phase change materials (PCMs) are difficult to complete photothermal conversion and storage. To upgrade their photothermal conversion and storage capacity, we developed Fe-MOF (metal-organic framework) derived Fe 3 O 4 /C-decorated graphene (GP) based composite PCMs toward solar energy harvesting. Graphene is an excellent phonon conductor, and Fe 3 O 4 /C-GP as a photon capturer exhibits strong full-spectrum absorption. Additionally, Fe-MOF derived Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are anchored on graphene nanosheets to reduce interfacial thermal resistance, shorten thermal diffusion path, and accelerate phonon transport. After the encapsulation of octadecanol (ODA) in Fe 3 O 4 /C-GP, ODA@Fe 3 O 4 /C-GP composite PCMs yield a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 88.18 % under 0.12 W/cm2 benefiting from the synergistic effect of 3D interconnected graphene framework and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles with localized surface plasmon resonance effect. Moreover, ODA@Fe 3 O 4 /C-GP composite PCMs exhibit excellent latent heat storage stability, photothermal conversion stability and durable reliability after undergoing multiple cycle evaluation, boosting high-efficiency utilization of solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important elemental analysis method, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) enables the qualitative and quantitative determination of the compositions of geological targets on Mars. In order to analyze the chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils at Gale crater, the ChemCam team built a LIBS spectral library of 408 geological standards using a ChemCam's ground replica under a simulated Martian atmosphere. However, the lack of spectra data with component labels makes it difficult to establish a composition inversion model for predicting the collected spectra. The Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe) carried by China's Mars rover, Zhurong, also employs LIBS technology and has successfully conducted related composition detection work. Therefore, this paper proposes a domain-adaptive fully connected neural network (DAFCN) capable of transferring prior knowledge between ChemCam and SDU-LIBS (a LIBS system developed by Shandong University). The model extracts the features of the source domain and target domain through a three-layer fully connected network and uses a domain adaptation function to reduce the difference in feature distribution between the source domain and target domain. Experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to the traditional method without migration. Further, we tried this method to establish the connection between MarSCoDe and other LIBS devices, and then quantitatively analyzed the spectra collected by MarSCoDe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien insects directly or indirectly driven by climate change threaten crop production and increase economic costs worldwide. Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller) is a highly reproductive invasive crop insect that can severely damage fruit commodities and cause significant economic losses globally. Estimating the global potentially suitable habitats (PSH) of E. ceratoniae is an important aspect of its invasive risk assessment and early warning. Here, we constructed an optimized MaxEnt model based on the global distribution records of E. ceratoniae, and nine environmental variables (EVs), to predict its global PSH under current and future climates. Our results showed that the RM value was 2.0 and the mean area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value was 0.972, indicating the high accuracy of the optimal MaxEnt model. The mean temperature of driest quarter (bio9, 50.2%), mean temperature of wettest quarter (bio8, 16.9%), temperature seasonality (bio4, 9.7%), and precipitation of coldest quarter (bio19, 9.1%) were the significant EVs affecting its distribution patterns. The global PSH of E. ceratoniae are mainly located in western Asia under current climate scenarios (687.57 × 104 km2), which showed an increasing trend under future climate scenarios. The PSH of E. ceratoniae achieved the maximum under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 1–2.6 in the 2030s and under the SSP2-4.5 in the 2050s. The increased PSH of E. ceratoniae are mainly located in southwestern Asia, northwestern Europe, northwestern South America, northwestern North America, southern Oceania, and northwestern Africa. Our findings suggest that quarantine officials and governmental departments in the above high-risk invasion areas should strengthen monitoring and early warning to control E. ceratoniae; in particular, cultural measures should be taken in areas where its further expansion is expected in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rates that seriously affects human health worldwide. Although surgery is currently the preferred clinical treatment for GC, chemotherapy remains the first choice for perioperative treatment, adjuvant therapy, and palliative care for patients with advanced GC. Cisplatin (DDP) is an antineoplastic agent that has been used clinically for decades, and it is the first-line chemotherapy for many solid tumors. However, the therapeutic efficacy of DDP is often limited by resistance and the complexity of its resistance mechanisms, which involve multiple proteins and signaling pathways. It is well documented that a variety of microRNAs (miRNAs) differentially expressed in DDP-resistant GC cells play important roles in regulating or reversing DDP resistance via various pathways. In this review, we first provide an introduction to the cytotoxicity and major resistance mechanisms of DDP in GC and then discuss the role and mechanism of miRNAs in regulating the DDP resistance process in GC cells. This work demonstrates the potential of relevant miRNAs to become diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for gastric cancer and targets of action to enhance chemosensitivity and provides directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tyrosine kinase Fyn is a member of the Src family of kinases. In addition to the wild type, three mRNA splice isoforms of Fyn have been identified; Fyn-B, Fyn-T, and Fyn-C. Fyn-T is highly expressed in T lymphocytes, and its expression level is significantly higher in mature T cells than in immature T cells. The abnormal expression of Fyn is closely related to the metabolism, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells. Recent studies have shown that Fyn is expressed in a variety of tumor tissues, and its expression and function vary among different tumors. In some tumors, Fyn acts as a pro-oncogene to promote tumor proliferation and metastasis. Moreover, Fyn mutations have been detected in many hematological tumors in recent years, suggesting a critical regulatory role of Fyn in the development of malignancies. Methods: This review analyzed the relevant literature in PubMed and other databases. Purpose: The aim of this study was to systemically review recent research findings on various aspects of Fyn in the pathogenesis and treatment of different types of hematological malignancies and suggests possible future research directions for targeted tumor therapy. Conclusion: Fyn could be a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target. Treatment option targeting Fyn might be beneficial for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of circRNAs is associated with human cancer progression, but its expression pattern and function in cancer are not fully understood. The aim of our study is to investigate the effects of circ_0001821 on colorectal cancer (CRC) proliferation, migration, invasion, and stemness. The expression level of circ_0001821 in CRC tissues and cells was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The effects of circ_0001821 silencing on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells were examined by cell counting kit-8, 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine, transwell, sphere formation, and western blot assays. Bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay were used to verify the relationship between circ_0001821 and miR-339-3p, miR-339-3p and CST1 in CRC cells. Circ_0001821 was highly expressed in CRC tissues and cells. Circ_0001821 silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells, and transfection of miR-339-3p inhibitor partly attenuated this effect. In addition, circ_0001821 can bind miR-339-3p to regulate CST1 expression. Circ_0001821 silencing also curbed tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0001821 promoted CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and stemness by regulating the miR-339-3p/CST1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial lipoproteins are characterized by the presence of a conserved N-terminal lipid-modified cysteine residue that allows the hydrophilic protein to anchor into bacterial cell membranes. These lipoproteins play essential roles in a wide variety of physiological processes. Based on transcriptome analysis of the verrucomicrobial methanotroph Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV, we identified a highly expressed lipoprotein, WP_009060351 (139 amino acids), in its genome. The first 86 amino acids are specific for the methanotrophic genera Methylacidiphilum and Methylacidmicrobium, while the last 53 amino acids are present only in lipoproteins of members from the phylum Verrucomicrobiota (Hedlund). Heterologous expression of WP_009060351 in Escherichia coli revealed a 25-kDa dimeric protein and a 60-kDa tetrameric protein. Immunoblotting showed that WP_009060351 was present in the total membrane protein and peptidoglycan fractions of M. fumariolicum SolV. The results suggest an involvement of lipoprotein WP_009060351 in the linkage between the outer membrane and the peptidoglycan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystal facets engineering has been demonstrated to be an effective way to enhance the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalysts. Herein, the dendrite Zn 0·2 Cd 0·8 S photocatalyst was prepared by one-pot hydrothermal method with hydrofluoric acid (HF) as a morphology regulating agent to promote the formation of {002} crystal facets. The Zn 0·2 Cd 0·8 S photocatalyst (ZCS-0.8) with a high specific surface area added with 0.8 mL of HF has a highly efficient photocatalytic activity and cycle stability. The hydrogen evolution rate of ZCS-0.8 reaches 3100.3 μmol h−1 g−1, which is 7 times higher than that of ZCS without HF. The result indicates the superiority of {002} facets in ZCS photocatalyst, and the controllable exposure of the active surface can be achieved by adding the appropriate amount of HF, thereby upgrading subsequent hydrogen evolution performance. This work demonstrate that the dendritic ZCS-0.8 has a good application prospect in hydrogen production by water splitting, and provides a new strategy for the design and development of high-performance photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • A dendritic Zn 0·2 Cd 0·8 S synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. • The exposed {002} crystal facets with HF as the morphology control agent. • The photocatalytic performance of ZCS-0.8 remained at 96.8% after three cycles. • Exposure of active crystal facets improves hydrogen production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts is an ideal strategy for solving environmental problems by providing inexhaustible solar energy. A direct Z-scheme anatase TiO2/rutile TiO2 heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared using a facile B-doping strategy. The band structure and oxygen-vacancy content can be successfully tailored by controlling the amount of B-dopant. The photocatalytic performance was enhanced via the Z-scheme transfer path formed between the B doped anatase-TiO2 and rutile-TiO2, optimized band structure with markedly positively shifted band potentials, and the synergistically-mediated oxygen vacancy contents. Moreover, the optimization study indicated that 10% B-doping with the R-TiO2 to A-TiO2 weight ratio of 0.04 could achieve the highest photocatalytic performance. This work may provide an effective approach to synthesize nonmetal-doped semiconductor photocatalysts with tunable-energy structures and promote the efficiency of charge separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This retrospective cohort study investigated the clinical characteristics and seizure outcomes of patients aged 1–14 years with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who were treated by different typologies of therapy. Methods: Four hundred and eighteen children with DRE were recruited from Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University from April 2008 to February 2015. The patients were divided into three groups: medication (n = 134, 32.06%), resection surgery (n = 185, 44.26%), and palliative surgery (n = 99, 23.68%) groups. Demographic characteristics were attained from medical records. All patients were followed up for at least 5 years, with seizure outcomes classified according to International League Against Epilepsy criteria. The psychological outcome was evaluated with the development quotient and Wechsler Intelligence Quotient Scale for children (Chinese version). Results: The most frequent seizure type was generalized tonic seizure in 53.83% of patients. Age at seizure onset in 54.55% of patients was <3 years. The most frequent etiologies were focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). West syndrome was the most common epilepsy syndrome. Favorable seizure outcomes at the 5-year follow-up in the medication, resection surgery, and palliative surgery groups were 5.22%, 77.30%, and 14.14%, respectively. The patients showed varying degrees of improvement in terms of developmental and intellectual outcomes post-treatment. Conclusions: Pediatric patients with DRE were characterized by frequent seizures, a variety of seizure types, and complex etiology. Recurrent seizures severely affected the cognitive function and development of children. Early surgical intervention would be beneficial for seizure control and prevention of mental retardation. Palliative surgery was also a reasonable option for patients who were not suitable candidates for resection surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaetominine (CHA), an alkaloid with a biological activity obtained from Aspergillus fumigatus CY018, has strong anticancer activity against the human leukemia cells. However, its physiological and biochemical research is limited by CHA yield in the liquid‐state fermentation, which is a problem that urgently needs effective biological solution. In this work, Ca2+ and Al3+ were found to have a strong promoting effect on CHA production after multiple metal ions screening. Then, the addition condition of Ca2+ and Al3+ was, respectively, optimized CHA production and dry cell weight. The intermediate metabolites were increased with coaddition of Ca2+ and Al3+. The activities of key enzymes of DAHPs, AroAs, and TrpCs in the CHA biosynthesis pathway were improved by 3.58‐, 3.60‐, and 3.34‐fold, respectively. Meanwhile, the transcription level of laeA, dahp, cs, and trpC was upregulated by 3.22‐, 12.65‐, 5.58‐, and 6.99‐fold, respectively, by coaddition of Ca2+ and Al3+. Additionally, the fermentation strategy was successfully scaled up to a 5‐L bioreactor, in which CHA production could attain 75.6 mg/L at 336 h. This work demonstrated that Ca2+ and Al3+ coaddition was an effective strategy for increasing CHA production, and the information obtained might be useful in the fermentation of filamentous fungi with the addition of metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a variety of amino acids and polysaccharides contained in Pleurotus eryngii that can improve immunity and prevent cancer in humans. The purpose of this research was to investigate the improved quality hypha of P. eryngii-3, which could shorten the ripening cycle of the hypha and increase economic benefits to industries. In this paper, the quality hypha of P. eryngii-3 was investigated for the DCW, total protein, polysaccharides, laccase activity, and so on. The medium was screened and carbon and nitrogen sources were screened and optimized as 40 g/L of corn flour and soybean meal by P. eryngii-3. Then, the effects of pH, temperature, volume, and rotation speed were investigated, in which the suitable fermentation conditions were, respectively, pH = 6, a temperature of 27 °C, 90 mL of fermentation broth, and a 150 r/min rotation speed. Meanwhile, the transcription levels of Lcc1, Lcc5, Lcc8, and Lcc12 were upregulated by 10.25-, 3.32-, 2.33-, and 6.29-fold, respectively, after the optimization. In addition, the response surface method of the BBD was utilized for further improvements to the DCW by P. eryngii-3, in which the optimized DCW reached 17.2345 ± 0.7845 g/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under active icing conditions, the heat transfer performance of the CPHE has a significant impact on the system's efficiency and energy consumption. Using the enthalpy-porosity method for describing the solidification process of liquids, the simulation and analysis of the effects of different parameter changes on the CPHE heat transfer performance were conducted to clarify the effects of the changes in the intermediary side inlet water temperature, intermediate water flow rate, and cold water flow rate on the heat transfer process in the CPHE. According to our results, changing the intermediary inlet water temperature has a greater impact on the heat transfer process in the cold-water phase-change heat exchangers. For every decrease of 0.5 °C in the intermediary side inlet water temperature, the average heat transfer coefficient increases by approximately 50 W/m2-K. Changes in the intermediary water flow rate affect the cold water phase-change heat exchanger's heat transfer process. By increasing the intermediary water flow rate, the average heat transfer coefficient of a cold water phase-change heat exchanger can be improved, but the growth decreases, and the maximum flow rate of the intermediary water should not exceed 0.5 m per second. A change in the cold water flow rate in the cold water phase-change heat exchanger's heat transfer process has a small impact on the cold water flow rate, increasing by 0.02 m/s each, with the average heat transfer coefficient increasing by 20 W/m2-K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's first Mars exploration mission, named Tianwen-1, landed on Mars on 15 May 2021. The Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe) payload onboard the Zhurong rover applied the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique to acquire chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils. The quantitative interpretation of MarSCoDe-LIBS spectra needs to establish a LIBS spectral database that requires plenty of terrestrial geological standards. In this work, we selected 316 terrestrial standards including igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, and ores, whose chemical compositions, rock types, and chemical weathering characteristics were comparable to those of Martian materials from previous orbital and in situ detections. These rocks were crushed, ground, and sieved into powders less than <38 μm and pressed into pellets to minimize heterogeneity at the scale of laser spot. The chemical compositions of these standards were independently measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Subsequently, the LIBS spectra of MAL standards were acquired using an established LIBS system at Shandong University (SDU-LIBS). In order to evaluate the performance of these standards in LIBS spectral interpretation, we established multivariate models using partial least squares (PLS) and least absolute shrinkage and selection (LASSO) algorithms to predict the abundance of major elements based on SDU-LIBS spectra. The root mean squared error (RMSE) values of these models are comparable to those of the published models for MarSCoDe, ChemCam, and SuperCam, suggesting these PLS and LASSO models work well. From our research, we can conclude that these 316 MAL targets are good candidates to acquire geochemistry information based on the LIBS technique. These targets could be regarded as geological standards to build a LIBS database using a prototype of MarSCoDe in the near future, which is critical to obtain accurate chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils based on MarSCoDe-LIBS spectral data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the optical appearance of a thin accretion disk around a Schwarzschild black hole pierced by a cosmic string with a semi-analytic method of Luminet [Astron. Astrophys. 75 (1979) 228]. Direct and secondary images with different parameters observed by a distant observer are plotted. The cosmic string parameter s can modify the shape and size of the thin disk image. We calculate and plot the distribution of both redshift and observed flux as seen by distant observers at different inclination angles. Those distributions are dependent on the inclination angle of the observer and cosmic string parameter s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the problem of the estimation of state when heterogeneous multiagent systems are affected by homologous unknown inputs (UIs). Homologous UIs refer to identical UIs affecting different agents. An improved semidistributed filter based on previous research is proposed. The improved filter uses neighbors’ information for UI estimation but not state estimation. A necessary and sufficient condition for the proposed filter to achieve minimum-variance unbiased estimation is presented and proven. Moreover, the asymptotic stability of the filter is analyzed. A sufficient condition of the asymptotic stability is presented and proven. The theoretical and numerical analyses indicate that the proposed filter has less communication pressure, fewer calculation requirements, and better estimation performance compared with the existing solutions. Note to Practitioners—In the industry, homologous unknown inputs (UIs) exist in many different systems. For example, the same ambient temperature affects the performance of every battery in a battery pack. Similarly, the same wind power can affect different aircrafts flying in the same region. Temperature and wind power can be considered the homologous UIs of a multiagent system. Estimation of homologous UIs is important because of the latter’s massive impact on the system. In this study, data transmission delay and packet loss are ignored. Hence, the study is limited to low-rate systems. Moreover, nonlinear filters must be studied further in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiC nanowires (SiCnws) having different morphologies can be applied to reinforce ceramic materials. However, the in-situ synthesis of SiCnws in ceramic powders, which is critical to ensure satisfactory reinforcement effects, is challenging. To facilitate the reinforcement of ZrB 2 –ZrC composites, this study proposes a simple method for in-situ fabrication of SiCnws with various morphologies in nanosized ZrB 2 –ZrC powders by pyrolyzing ZrB 2 –ZrC–SiC gel precursors. The prepared ZrB 2 –ZrC ceramic powders had a mean diameter of approximately 100 nm, with uniformly distributed SiCnws having nanocylider, bead-like, bamboo-shape with tuneable nodes, chain-like, and hexagonal prism morphologies prepared by optimizing the preparation process. Moreover, the SiCnws had diameters ranging from 100 to 400 nm, and the length was controlled from tens to hundreds of microns. The generation of ZrB 2 /ZrC influences the formation of SiCnws with specific morphologies through the production of CO gas, which influences the local supersaturation of the SiO and CO vapours. The findings can provide a basis for fabricating SiCnw-reinforced ceramic materials with an enhanced strengthening effect while ensuring a reasonable fabrication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Allophane is found to be the major secondary phase at the Tianwen-1 landing site. • Mineral mixture experiments provide a constraint of allophane content (∼18 wt%). • Zhurong's observation suggests short-term liquid water occurred in Utopia Planitia. The Short-Wave Infrared Spectrometer (SWIR) in the Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe) package onboard the Zhurong rover revealed the presence of hydrated phases. However, the exact types of phases are ambiguous and should be further constrained using laboratory spectroscopic studies. Therefore, we build a spectral dataset of binary mixtures by mixing pyroxene and potential hydrated phases (allophane and gypsum) in the laboratory to match the SWIR spectra and calculate the hydrated phase content. We find that the primary hydrated phase may be allophane according to the spectral similarity between the laboratory dataset and SWIR spectra. The relative abundance of pyroxene (∼82 wt%) and allophane (∼18 wt%) is determined using the models built by the integrated band depth (IBD) of binary mixture spectra. When the content of pyroxene is normalized to its content in Martian soil (∼30 wt%), the content of allophane is ∼7 wt%. The allophane may come from short-term fluid-rock interactions under cold climate involving ice and snow melt, and the content of allophane (∼7 wt%) represents a low-moderate degree of weathering at the Tianwen-1 landing site. We propose possible geological evolution scenarios of the Tianwen-1 landing site, i.e., the process of rapid aqueous alteration of volcanic materials under low-temperature conditions due to environmental changes, to explain the geomorphic features and widespread allophane observed by the Zhurong rover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious obstetric complication. Recent studies point out that the functions of long intergenic noncoding RNA 00473 (linc00473), miR‐424‐5p, and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway were involved in the invasion and migration of extravillous trophoblast. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of linc00473 in HTR‐8/SVneo trophoblastic cell line and its role in PE. Method: The expression levels of linc00473 and miR‐424‐5p in placental tissues and the transfection efficiency of miR‐424‐5p were detected by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). HTR‐8/SVneo cell invasion and proliferation were determined by transwell and Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assays. The protein expressions of wnt3a, p‐GSK3β, GSK3β, active β‐catenin, and total β‐catenin were detected by Western blot. The apoptosis and migration of HTR‐8/SVneo cells were detected by flow cytometry and wound healing assays. The targeting relationships between linc00473, miR‐424‐5p, and wnt3a were predicted by ENCORI database and TargetScan V7.2 and were determined using dual‐luciferase reporter assay. Results: The expression level of linc00473 was low and miR‐424‐5p was high in placenta of PE patients. Linc00473 can target miR‐424‐5p, while miR‐424‐5p target wnt3a. High expression of linc00473 and wnt3a promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. However, miR‐424‐5p mimic inhibited HTR‐8/SVneo cells proliferation, migration, invasion, while promoted cell apoptosis, partially reversed the effect of linc00473, while wnt3a overexpression partially counteracted the effect of miR‐424‐5p mimic. Conclusion: Linc00473 mediates the regulation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway by miR‐424‐5p to affect the invasion and migration ability of trophoblastic cell line HTR‐8/SVneo. It indicated that linc00473 is involved in PE and could be a therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As major primary producers in aquatic systems, the diversity and community composition dynamics of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) have been investigated in recent years. Here, we explored the 3-day diurnal succession of the PPE community in a highly eutrophic lake in early spring using a combination of flow cytometric sorting and high-throughput sequencing. Our results showed that the PPEs were the dominant group of autotrophic picophytoplankton, although they had relatively low diversity and were dominated by the Stephanodiscaceae family in early spring in Lake Taihu. Furthermore, PPE abundance was significantly higher at night than during the day, probably due to their high specific rate of carbon uptake during the day and rapid proliferation at night. Several environmental variables had a significant influence on the PPE community composition, and the daily effect was more important than the diurnal effect when shaping the PPE community in Lake Taihu at a temporal scale of 3 days. Furthermore, based on the variation partitioning analysis (VPA), the relative importance of abiotic factors (deterministic processes) to short-term succession was low, explaining only 20.44% of the PPE community variation. We therefore conclude that stochastic processes determined PPE community assembly over a short temporal scale based on a neutral community model (NCM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effects of cold atmospheric‐pressure plasma (CAP) on glioblastoma are evaluated comprehensively. After CAP treatment, U251 cell viability, migration, and invasion functions were inhibited, while an appropriate dose of CAP had no inhibitory effect on human brain glial cell line cells. Western blots indicated that expression of caspase‐3 was upregulated with ki‐67 expression downregulated. Moreover, mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, and energy metabolisms of U251 cells were influenced afterward. TUNEL assays and comet assays suggested the DNA damage of U251 cells after CAP treatment. Furthermore, as one of the DNA damage responses associated pathways, the AKT (AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog) signaling pathway was also indicated in the work. The findings raise great promise for clinical applications of CAP in glioblastoma treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anisotropic heat transfer properties of two-dimensional materials play an important role in controlled heat transfer and intelligent heat management. At present, there are many references on anisotropic heat transfer of two-dimensional materials, but less systematic review of their development status, problems, and future directions. In this paper, intrinsic anisotropic heat transfer of two-dimensional materials, influencing factors and control means are introduced. The preparation methods of thin film with two-dimensional material and the influence factors of macroscopic anisotropic thermal properties are summarized. The technology of two-dimensional material oriented arrangement in matrix and the influence factors of macroscopic anisotropic thermal properties of the composite are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reversed A2O (anoxic/anaerobic/aerobic) process is efficient in nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater, while phosphorus removal performance needs further optimization. In this study, the effects of influent VFAs/COD and anaerobic duration on anoxic/anaerobic phosphorus release and aerobic phosphorus uptake were investigated in the reversed A2O process. The results indicated that the maximum anoxic P release rate of 37.6 mg P/(L·h) was achieved in synthetic wastewater with influent VFAs/COD of 100%. With increasing VFAs/COD from 15% to 100%, the aerobic phosphorus uptake rate increased by 2.8–3.7 times. Proper extension of the anaerobic duration can marginally enhance the phosphorus uptake rate and aerobic microbial activity, thus resulting in higher phosphorus removal efficiency. As a consequence, the optimal anaerobic duration for domestic wastewater was confirmed to be 4 h. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between phosphorus removal related indicators of substances metabolism and microbial activity in synthetic wastewater. However, poor correlation between the indicators of phosphorus metabolism and microbial activities was observed in domestic wastewater, mainly due to the coexistence of other competitive biological reactions. [Display omitted] • Biological P removal was enhanced in reversed A2O process. • The maximum anoxic P release rate of 37.6 mg P/(L·h) was achieved with VFAs/COD = 100%. • Aerobic P uptake rate increased by 2.8–3.7 times by increasing VFAs/COD from 15% to 100%. • The optimal anaerobic duration for domestic wastewater was 4 h. • Microbial activity indicators were corelated with biological P metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jarosite is an indicator of ephemeral, acidic fluids in Martian history, which often occurs with some other secondary minerals based on Mars in situ and remote sensing detections. However, detailed Raman and visible and near‐infrared (VNIR) spectroscopic studies of jarosite and other secondary mineral mixtures relevant to Mars still lack, which are essential for jarosite identifications and hence a better understanding of Martian aqueous history. In this study, we prepared 44 binary mixtures of jarosite with four other secondary minerals (alunite, gypsum, kaolinite, and montmorillonite), and characterized their detailed Raman and VNIR spectral features. We find the Raman spectral patterns of jarosite, alunite and gypsum are distinctive and ready for their identification in mixtures, although mixtures with montmorillonite and kaolinite show high fluorescence background and their Raman spectral features are obscured by strong and sharp peaks of jarosite. The normalizing strengths of their characteristic Raman spectral features (e.g., ν1 for jarosite) change with jarosite mass fractions, and mineral distribution maps and volume percentages of endmembers are acquired using Raman imaging method. The band depths of absorption features in VNIR spectra are also correlated with jarosite mass proportions, and four models are proposed to evaluate jarosite mass fractions in the mixtures using a partial least squares algorithm. These detailed spectral properties of mixtures and models would provide valuable information for in situ Raman investigations on Mars (e.g., ExoMars and Mars 2020) and orbital VNIR remote sensing detections (e.g., Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 -based heterostructures, Z-scheme/Ⅱ-type rutile TiO 2 (R)/anatase TiO 2 (A)/ZrTiO 4 ternary heterojunction photocatalyst was designed and prepared via a facile one-step calcining strategy. Phase interface and band structure of the materials were controlled and optimized by regulating R–TiO 2 /A–TiO 2 mass ratio in the TiO 2 (A, R)/ZrTiO 4 structures using boron doping. The highest photocatalytic performance and excellent catalytic stability of Rhodamine B removal was observed from the heterojunction with a low R–TiO 2 /A–TiO 2 mass ratio of 0.066, even after five testing cycles, accompanying with low photoluminescence intensity and electrochemical impedance, high photocurrent and charge carrier density (5.12 × 1022 cm−3), and a positive shift of valence band position (from +2.06 to + 2.16 eV). The increased photodegradation behaviour was due to the remarkably enhanced separation efficiency and improved redox ability of the photo-induced charge carriers as a result of the high content of oxygen vacancies and the formed anatase TiO 2 /rutile TiO 2 Z-scheme heterojunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Picophytoplankton are abundant and can contribute greatly to primary production in eutrophic lakes. Mychonastes species are among the common eukaryotic picophytoplankton in eutrophic lakes. We used third-generation sequencing technology to sequence the whole genome of Mychonastes homosphaera isolated from Lake Chaohu, a eutrophic freshwater lake in China. Result: The 24.23 Mbp nuclear genome of M.homosphaera, harboring 6649 protein-coding genes, is more compact than the genomes of the closely related Sphaeropleales species. This genome streamlining may be caused by a reduction in gene family number, intergenic size and introns. The genome sequence of M.homosphaera reveals the strategies adopted by this organism for environmental adaptation in the eutrophic lake. Analysis of cultures and the protein complement highlight the metabolic flexibility of M.homosphaera, the genome of which encodes genes involved in light harvesting, carbohydrate metabolism, and nitrogen and microelement metabolism, many of which form functional gene clusters. Reconstruction of the bioenergetic metabolic pathways of M.homosphaera, such as the lipid, starch and isoprenoid pathways, reveals characteristics that make this species suitable for biofuel production. Conclusion: The analysis of the whole genome of M. homosphaera provides insights into the genome streamlining, the high lipid yield, the environmental adaptation and phytoplankton evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is the 4th most common malignant tumor type affecting women worldwide; however, its molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Previous studies have indicated that microRNAs (miRs) serve crucial roles in the cellular functions of tumors. miR-96 is involved in the tumorigenesis of many cancer types. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role and mechanism of miR-96 in the progression of cervical cancer. The present results suggested that overexpression of miR-96 significantly enhanced the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of cervical cancer cells, while inhibiting miR-96 had the opposite effects. Additionally, activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was enhanced by miR-96 overexpression, while it was inhibited by the miR-96 inhibitor. Moreover, it was identified that miR-96 may directly target caveolin-1 (CAV-1) to decrease its expression level. Furthermore, overexpression of CAV-1 could reverse the increase in cell proliferation, migration and invasion induced by miR-96, as well as the upregulation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, the present results suggested that miR-96 may have an oncogenic role in the progression of cervical cancer by targeting CAV-1. Therefore, miR-96 may be a potential target for cervical cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of flow cytometric sorting and high-throughput sequencing revealed the broad existence of photosynthetic picoeukaryote attached fungi (PPE-attached fungi) in Lake Chaohu. The relative sequence abundance of attached fungi was negatively correlated with that of the photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs). PPE-attached fungal communities were mainly composed of Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota and Ascomycota. Temperature, Si and PPE community structure are the most important driving factors for the temporal succession of PPE-attached fungal communities. In particular, PPE-attached fungi can be divided into three groups from high to low temperatures. Phylogenetic molecular ecological network results indicated that the connectivity and the total number of links in the network of the high-temperature group (> 21.82°C) are higher than those in the other two temperature groups (between  9.67 and  21.82°C, and < 9.67°C, respectively). Moreover, the interaction between PPE-attached fungi and the PPEs changed from antagonistic to cooperative, with the decline in temperature. The most abundant operational taxonomic units of PPE-attached fungi were affiliated with the Cladosporium , the most common saprophytic fungus, whereas most fungal hub taxa were Chytridiomycota, the main parasite fungi of phytoplankton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the correlation between intra-procedural left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and the development of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A single center retrospective observational study compared clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of patients who developed post-PCI CI-AKI with those did not. CI-AKI was defined as an absolute increase in serum creatinine ≥0.5 mg/dl or an increase ≥25% from baseline 48–72 h after the administration of contrast medium. Among 1301 consecutive patients who underwent PCI, 125 patients (9.6%) developed CI-AKI. The CI-AKI group had a higher average LVEDP (18.4 ± 8.7 vs 14.4 ± 6.6 mm Hg; p <.0001) and higher prevalence of elevated LVEDP (≥20 mm Hg) than those without CI-AKI (47.2% vs 23.3%, p <.0001). After adjustments, elevated LVEDP remained independently associated with CI-AKI (OR 2.21; 95% CI 1.40–3.50). LVEDP predicted the development of CI-AKI with a receiver operating characteristic area under curve (AUC) of 0.64. The association between elevated LVEDP and the risk of CI-AKI was stronger in patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF ≤ 40%) (OR = 4.08; 95% CI: 1.68–9.91) than those with preserved EF (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 0.94–3.04) (p value for interaction =.0003). Patients who had LVEDP ≥ 20 mm Hg and LVEF ≤ 40% had a post-PCI incidence rate of developing CI-AKI of 36.5%. Elevated intra-procedural LVEDP (≥20 mm Hg) is independently associated with increased risk of CI-AKI for patients undergoing cardiac catheterization and PCI, especially in the setting of reduced LVEF (≤40%). • Elevated LVEDP is independently associated with increased risk of CI-AKI in patients undergoing PCI. • The association between elevated LVEDP and the risk of CI-AKI is stronger in patients with low LVEF (≤40%). • Currently, patients with elevated LVEDP (≥20 mm Hg) are not recognized and managed as high risk for developing CI-AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZrB 2 –ZrC–SiC nanopowders with uniform phase distribution were prepared from cost-effective ZrOCl 2 ·8H 2 O by a simple sol-gel method. The synthesis route, ceramization mechanism and morphology evolution of the nanopowders were investigated. ZrB 2 –ZrC–SiC ceramic precursor can be successfully obtained through hydrolysis and condensation reactions between the raw materials. Pyrolysis of the precursor was completed at 650 °C, and it produced ZrO 2 , SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 and amorphous carbon with a yield of 39% at 1300 °C. By heat-treated at 1500 °C for 2 h, highly crystallized ZrB 2 –ZrC–SiC ceramics with narrow size distribution were obtained. With the holding time of 2 h, both the crystal size and the particle size can be refined. Further prolonging the holding time can lead to serious particles coarsening. Studies on the microstructure evolution of the generated carbon during the ceramic conversion demonstrates the negative effect of the ceramic formation on the structure order improvement of the carbon, due to the large amount of defects generated in it by the boro/carbothermal reduction reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service-oriented design is used in product development to accommodate diverse customer requirements and provide a profit-making strategy. Existing designs encounter difficulties in assessing design alternatives systematically during conceptual design involving customer heterogeneity and cognition vagueness. To evaluate these alternatives, a new systematic service-oriented design is proposed. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used to handle the subjectivity and uncertainty of expert judgments and customer desires. In addition, the structure of service-oriented design within a mapping information flow is illustrated and then associated with technical characteristics via the results of the House of Quality. A consideration of influential design factors is developed to identify optimal alternative on the basis of the PageRank algorithm. Based on the integrated methods, a priority index is proposed to evaluate these alternatives, which can flexibly handle customer heterogeneity under limited technical conditions. At the same time, a design calculation program of a front axle suspension system was developed based on MATLAB GUI, which shows the design extensibility and robustness of the proposed approach. Overall, the results of the priority index-based method clearly demonstrate the superiority and appropriateness of the technique in selecting the optimal alternative. It also standardizes the design process from the case study of the front axle suspension system, provides rapid reasonable selection of the design scheme, and thereby improving intelligent design capacity from the perspective of product and its services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtain an exact Kerr-like black hole solution by solving the corresponding gravitational field equations in Einstein-bumblebee gravity model where Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously broken once a vector field acquires a vacuum expectation value. Results are presented for the purely radial Lorentz symmetry breaking. In order to study the effects of this breaking, we consider the black hole shadow and find that the radial of the unstable spherical orbit on the equatorial plane r c decreases with the Lorentz breaking constant ℓ > 0 , and increases with ℓ < 0 . These shifts are similar to those of Einstein-aether black hole. The effect of the LV parameter on the black hole shadow is that it accelerates the appearance of shadow distortion, and could be detected by the new generation of gravitational antennas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilayer porous structured TiO 2 –ZrTiO 4 –SiO 2 photocatalyst with built-in TiO 2 /ZrTiO 4 heterojunction and oxygen vacancies was synthesized by sol-gel method combined with template method using colloidal polystyrene spheres as templates. Results show that the multilayer porous structure can be fabricated by controlling the calcination system and the amount of template, and the fabrication of which can also contribute to the generation of oxygen vacancies by creating an anoxic environment. During the photodegradation process, high efficiency of visible light utilization can be achieved due to the slow photon effect of the multilayer porous structure, which can also increase the probability of the contact between Rhodamine B (RhB) with the active sites of the catalyst. Also, the synergistic effect of the generated TiO 2 /ZrTiO 4 heterojunction and built-in oxygen vacancy defects jointly promoted the separation of photogenerated carriers. Thus excellent adsorption rate (75.6%, 60 min) and photodegradation rate (95%, 90 min) of the catalyst were obtained. Furthermore, the up-shifted conduction band and valence band maximum positions are beneficial for the mobility of photogenerated holes and inhibit their reaction with H 2 O to generate ·OH, while the photogenerated electrons can react with O 2 to form ·O 2 −, resulting that the holes and ·O 2 − participated in the photodegradation of RhB over the as-prepared catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated how the N:P ratio can shape the structure of picophytoplankton and Microcystis, which are abundant and widespread in eutrophic lakes. Unialgal culture and coculture batch experiments were conducted to study the growth and interspecific competition of Microcystis and two freshwater picophytoplankton species, Mychonastes and Synechococcus, with varying N:P ratios. The results showed that the Ks values of Mychonastes and Synechococcus were more than two times smaller than those of Microcystis, and their μmax values were much higher than those of Microcystis due to their small size. Our results also revealed that the N:P ratio is important for shaping phytoplankton community structure even under high nutrient conditions. The optimal N:P ratios are 64, 32, and 32 for Mychonastes, Microcystis, and Synechococcus, respectively. Thus, Mychonastes outcompeted Microcystis when the N:P ratio was higher than 64, while Microcystis and Synechococcus grew equally well under all of the N:P ratio levels, since they have the same optimal N:P ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For better synthesis and development of novel WO3-based near infrared absorbing materials for smart-window applications, the structural, electronic, and optical properties of hexagonal Sn0.33WO3 were investigated through the first-principles calculation. The optimized crystal structure parameters agree well with experimental values. The electronic structure shows that when Sn ions are doped in the host hexagonal WO3, Sn0.33WO3 displays a typical n-type electronic conductivity, which leads to an upshift of the Fermi energy to the conduction band. It was found that Sn0.33WO3 exhibits low reflectivity and weak absorption in the visible region, while exhibiting strong reflectivity and absorption in the near infrared light region. Therefore, it significantly reduces the optical transmittance of infrared wavelengths (down to 3.9% for the compacted film and 25.3% for the coated film), while maintaining fair optical transparency for visible wavelengths. This research indicates that Sn0.33WO3 is a prospective near infrared absorber and it can be used as near infrared shielding filters for smart windows with high transparency for visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the interfacial structural of TiO 2 –ZrTiO 4 heterostructure and their function in improving the catalytic behavior, TiO 2 –ZrTiO 4 –SiO 2 photocatalyst with mesoporous structure, a large surface area (188.54 m2g-1) and an appropriate band gap energy (3.06 eV) was synthesized by in-situ reaction between TiO 2 and ZrO 2 at 800 °C in TiO 2 –ZrO 2 –SiO 2 ternary system. The concomitant effects of loading amount of TiO 2 and calcination temperatures on the interfacial interaction, and the corresponding interfacial effects on the photodegradation performance of the catalyst were investigated. Results show that an optimal amount of TiO 2 is crucial in affecting the degree of interfacial interactions. Photocatalytic activity is significantly enhanced with the strong interfacial interaction between TiO 2 and ZrTiO 4 by forming heterojunction. A higher amount of TiO 2 and calcination temperature will lead to the decrease in BET value, increase in pore size and band gap value, as well as the coarsening and aggregation of particles which exhibit negative influence on the interfacial interaction between TiO 2 and ZrTiO 4. In the photodegradation process, the prepared catalyst with a appropriate TiO 2 molar ratio (Ti:Zr:Si, 5:1:6) exhibited a RhB-adsorption of 60.7% in dark reaction, and a degradation rate of 95% after visible light irradiation for 60 min. In addition, the probable degradation mechanism for the improvement in the degradation efficiency was discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A precursor (PBSZ) for SiC w -ZrC-ZrB 2 hybrid powder was synthesized by chemical reaction of phenol, paraformaldehyde, zirconium oxychloride, boric acid and tetraethylorthosilicate. Results show that zirconium, silicon and boron atoms have been successfully introduced into the branched structure. Decomposition of PBSZ is completed at 800 °C, and it gives amorphous carbon, SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 with a yield of 38% at 1200 °C. During the pyrolysis process, ZrB 2 and SiC form at about 1500 °C, followed by the appearance of ZrC when the amount of B 2 O 3 is limited. Highly crystallized ZrB 2 –ZrC–C powder with ZrB 2 and ZrC grains evenly distributed in the carbon matrix together with randomly distributed SiC whiskers are obtained after heat-treated at 1800 °C. Further heated at 1900 °C, ZrB 2 and ZrC grains grow from 200 to 500 nm, while SiC whiskers show a much smaller diameter size and tend to grow on the ZrB 2 –ZrC–C block surface. The morphology difference is caused by the larger gas supersaturation and accommodation coefficient of the pore channels on the block surface. In addition, defects of the carbon matrix are cumulated to the highest at 1500 °C and the structure-ordered carbon is obtained after heat treated at 1900 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The positive effect of CaCl 2 addition on curvulamine production was firstly studied. • Intracellular Ca2+ controlled fungus morphology to promote curvulamine formation. • Intracellular Ca2+ up-regulated transcriptions and expressions of key biosynthetic genes to improve curvulamine biosynthesis. • CaCl 2 addition strategy was successfully established in 5-L scale fermentation. Curvulamine is a novel framework alkaloid with prominent antibacterial and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities produced by marine fungus, Curvularia sp. IFB-Z10. However, the low yield severely restricts its further pharmaceutical researches and applications. The study was aimed to enhance curvulamine production based on CaCl 2 addition strategy and further clarify the underlying regulation mechanism of Ca2+. In this work, the optimal addition conditions of CaCl 2 were firstly obtained, and curvulamine production achieved 42.96 mg/L under supplying 5 mM CaCl 2 at 0 h, which was 3.33-fold that of control in shake flask. It was further found that cytosolic Ca2+ level was markedly increased through calcium channel under CaCl 2 stimulation. Relatively high intracellular Ca2+ level could induce fungus to principally form pellets with small diameter and compact structure (morphology), and significantly up-regulate the transcriptional and expression levels of key biosynthetic genes, which collectively promoted curvulamine synthesis. Finally, CaCl 2 addition strategy was successfully applied in 5-L bioreactor. This work provided an effective regulation strategy to improve curvulamine production in submerged fermentation of Curvularia sp. and it would facilitate further research on the synthesis regulation of secondary metabolites from other marine filamentous fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Denitrification and DNRA rates were modulated mainly by their gene abundances, followed by the environmental factors. • Denitrification rates significantly increased as further eutrophication, but DNRA rates were not. • Pseudomonas and Anaeromyxobacter was the dominant genus mediated denitrification and DNRA, respectively. Traditional views indicate that eutrophication and subsequent algal blooms favor denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in lake ecosystems. However, lakes tend to show an increasing propensity for inorganic nitrogen (N) limitation as they become more eutrophic. Thus, the influence of further eutrophication on denitrification and DNRA in eutrophic lakes are unclear due to the uncertainty of N availability. To fill this gap, we investigated the genes abundance (AOA, AOB, nirS, nirK and nrfA) and the composition of N-cycling microbes through quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, respectively, in 15 shallow eutrophic lakes of the Yangtze-Huaihe River basin, China. The results indicated that denitrification and DNRA rates could be modulated mainly by their functional gene abundances (nirS, nirK and nrfA), followed by the environmental factors (sediment total organic carbon and nitrogen). Denitrification rates significantly increased from slightly to highly eutrophic lakes, but DNRA rates were not. An explanation is that nitrification provided ample nitrate for denitrification, and this cooperative interaction was indicated by the positive correlation of their gene abundances. In addition, Pseudomonas and Anaeromyxobacter was the dominant genus mediated denitrification and DNRA, showing the potential to perform facultative anaerobic and strict anaerobic nitrate reduction, respectively. High level of dissolved oxygen might favor the facultatively aerobic denitrifiers over the obligately anaerobic fermentative DNRA bacteria in these shallow lakes. Chlorophyll a had a weak but positive effect on the gene abundances for nitrification (AOA and AOB). Further eutrophication had an indirect effect on denitrification and DNRA rates through modulating the genes abundances of N-cycling microbes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the heat transfer properties of the thermal interface materials (TIMs) is the basic way to solve heat dissipation problem of electronic products with high energy density. In this study, the synergistic heat transfer between graphene and irregular particles at low loading is systematically studied; these irregular shaped particles include Ag, Cu, and MgO. When the mass fraction of the irregular shaped particles is <20%, the heat transfer network chain is mainly formed by the fully dispersed graphene. However, when the irregular shaped particle mass fraction reaches 30%, more heat transfer network chain will form between particles. In addition, the interfacial thermal resistance between fillers and matrix is the most crucial factor, and the intrinsic thermal conductivity of irregular particles is a relatively minor factor for the synergistic heat transfer between graphene and irregular particles at low loading. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1294–E1300, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bio-production process of isoprene, an essential chemical used in industry, is strongly limited by isoprene synthase. In our previous work, relatively high isoprene production was observed with isoprene synthase from Ipomoea batatas (IspS ib). In this work the biochemical properties of IspS ib were analyzed and compared with those of isoprene synthase from Populus alba (IspS pa) and other species. Firstly, IspS ib and IspS pa were expressed, purified, and identified by SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis. Secondly, pH and temperature dependence of IspS ib were performed and an optimum pH of 8.6 and an optimum temperature of 42 °C were resulted. Mg2+ with optimum concentration of 56 mM was proved to be needed for enzyme activation. In addition, in vivo and in vitro study of the thermostabilities of IspS ib and IspS pa were performed. The enzyme activity of IspS ib and IspS pa dropped very rapidly after incubation at 30 °C; almost 80% enzyme activity of IspS ib was lost after 20 min of incubation. Moreover, the Michaelis–Menten constant was measured. IspS ib showed a lower K m , 0.2 mM, and a higher k cat , 0.37 s−1, as compared with IspS pa. The high catalytic efficiency, which was reflected by the high k cat / K m ratio, indicates that IspS ib is a good candidate for the bio-isoprene production, while its thermal instability remains as a challenge. Enzyme engineering efforts, such as direction evolution or semi-rational evolution, are planned for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the machining process, cutting forces cause deformation of thin-walled parts and cutting tools because of their low rigidity. Such deformation can lead to undercut and may result in defective parts. Since there are various unexpected factors that affect cutting forces during the machining process, the error compensation of cutting force induced deformation is deemed to be a very difficult issue. In order to address this challenge, this article proposes a novel real time deformation error compensation method based on dynamic features. A dynamic feature model is established for the evaluation of feature rigidity as well as the association between geometric information and real time cutting force information. Then the deformations are calculated based on the dynamic feature model. Eventually, the machining error compensation for elastic deformation is realized based on Function Blocks. A thin-walled feature is used as an example to validate the proposed approach. Machining experiment results show that the errors of calculated deformation with the monitored deformation is less than 10%, and the thickness errors were between −0.05 mm and +0.06 mm, which can well satisfy the accuracy requirement of structural parts by NC (Numerical Control) machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earth-abundant copper nanoparticles were synthesized on glass carbon electrode as SERS substrate by electrochemical deposition method. Both deposition potential and time were used to modulate the microstructure and SERS activity of copper electrodeposits. The aggregation and evolution behaviors of the deposited copper nanoparticles were elucidated. An interesting dependence of SERS activity on the obtained copper deposits was observed. When deposition potential becomes more negative, the SERS activity of the copper deposits obtained at 150 s diminishes gradually until it reaches to a minimum value at −0.8 V, and then dramatically strengthens again. However, the SERS activity of copper deposits obtained at −0.9 V rapidly is enhanced as deposition time increases and reaches to a maximum value at about 150 s, then gradually weakens and even vanishes at 900 s. The SERS performance of Cu nanoparticles depends on their grain size and the intergranular gaps, which are able to offer “hot spots” for Raman enhancement. Especially, the formed peanut-like Cu nanoparticles are advantageous for the reliable and reproducible SERS detection. Owing to their good SERS activity and potential catalytic property, the copper deposits are successfully employed to in situ monitoring of the electrocatalytic reduction process of nitrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a mechanochemical route to promote the adsorption of the precursor of Zn-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) was introduced, in which ZnO and SiO 2 were added to Zn basic carbonate and Al hydroxide that were first dry milled into an activated state as a precursor for a LDH phase. The samples prepared in this way were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The precursors showed a high adsorption rate when added with the oxides. 10% addition of ZnO gave a maximum MO removal efficiency of 96.91% (193.82 mg/g at initial MO concentration of 160 mg/L), 16.46% higher than the sample without addition. Addition of SiO 2 at 25% allowed MO removal efficiency reaching 88.90% (222.25 mg/g, at initial MO concentration of 200 mg/L), 19.26% higher than the no additive sample. The improvement in the adsorption performance could be attributed to the effective dispersion of the precursor's agglomeration phenomenon. Discussion was performed based on the characterized features of the samples and fitting results on several adsorption models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of the number of negative lymph nodes (LNs) on survival in patients with esophageal cancer remains a controversial issue. This study investigated the association between the number of resected LNs and the prognosis of patients with node‐negative esophageal carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the data of 429 patients who underwent esophagectomy with modern two‐field lymphadenectomy for the treatment of esophageal cancer between January 1998 and December 2008. Histopathology showed no LN involvement in the patient sample. The prognostic impact of the number of negative LNs and the clinicopathological factors were analyzed. Results: The overall median survival time and the one, three, and five‐year overall survival rates were 63.0 months and 78.5%, 64.0%, and 51.2%, respectively. Survival analysis confirmed that the number of negative LNs and the depth of tumor invasion were independent prognostic factors. Patients with a high number of negative LNs had a better overall survival rate than patients with a low number of negative LNs (P < 0.001). Patients with dissected LNs > 14 for pT1 tumors (P < 0.001) and > 19 for pT2–3 tumors (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) had better long‐term survival outcomes. Conclusions: The number of negative LNs is an independent prognostic factor for node‐negative esophageal carcinoma. Extended LN dissection is recommended to improve the survival of patients with node‐negative esophageal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobic paper decorated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with a uniform distribution was fabricated in an oil-paper-aqueous triphasic system via a facile in situ interfacial reduction approach. Interestingly, the Ag NPs formed at the paper/aqueous interface could migrate to the oil/paper interface. Moreover, these Ag NPs would not continue to migrate away the paper surface into the oil phase but was completely confined in the solid paper matrix. This phase confinement of migrated Ag NPs in the paper matrix creates abundant 3D hot spots for plasmonic enhancement. The obtained Ag-loaded paper exhibits an excellent SERS activity, reliable reproducibility and autofluorescence suppression effect, which enabling it as a promising platform for qualitative and quantitative SERS study. Due to its condensation effect, the hydrophobic paper surface can be used as a concentrator to enrich water-soluble analytes over the SERS active domains for highly sensitive detection (10 −9 mol/L −1 ). Furthermore, the Ag-loaded paper combined with the feature of chromatography and plamon-enhanced optical signals possesses ability to perform synchronous separation and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of complex samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting tool state recognition plays an important role in ensuring the quality and efficiency of NC machining of complex structural parts, and it is quite especial and challengeable for complex structural parts with single-piece or small-batch production. In order to address this issue, this paper presents a real-time recognition approach of cutting tool state based on machining features. The sensitive parameters of monitored cutting force signals for different machining features are automatically extracted, and are associated with machining features in real time. A K-Means clustering algorithm is used to automatically classify the cutting tool states based on machining features, where the sensitive parameters of the monitoring signals together with the geometric and process information of machining features are used to construct the input vector of the K-Means clustering model. The experiment results show that the accuracy of the approach is above 95% and the approach can solve the real-time recognition of cutting tool states for complex structural parts with single-piece and small-batch production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]