Search

To improve the quality of fused deposition molding (FDM), we introduced ultrasonic vibration into the molding process to enhance the strength of the tensile samples. We used the response surface method to optimize the FDM molding process. We carried out orthogonal experiments to investigate the effects of ultrasonic power and process parameters (extrusion temperature, hotbed temperature, and delamination thickness) on the mechanical properties of fused deposition acrylonitrile butadiene styrene products. We obtained the quadratic regression equations and response surfaces of the data through analysis of variance and significance analysis by software. Last, we received the optimum combination of process parameters for tensile strength as extrusion temperature 233.85 °C, hotbed temperature 93.38 °C, delamination thickness 0.1 mm, and ultrasonic power 43.09 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a novel approach for synthesizing Benzoxazine‐centered Polychiral Polyheterocycles (BPCPHCs) via an innovative asymmetric carbene‐alkyne metathesis‐triggered cascade. Overcoming challenges associated with intricate stereochemistry and multiple chiral centers, the catalytic asymmetric Carbene Alkyne Metathesis‐mediated Cascade (CAMC) is employed using dirhodium catalyst/Brønsted acid co‐catalysis, ensuring precise stereo control as validated by X‐ray crystallography. Systematic substrate scope evaluation establishes exceptional diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities, creating a unique library of BPCPHCs. Pharmacological exploration identifies twelve BPCPHCs as potent Nav ion channel blockers, notably compound 8 g. In vivo studies demonstrate that intrathecal injection of 8 g effectively reverses mechanical hyperalgesia associated with chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), suggesting a promising therapeutic avenue. Electrophysiological investigations unveil the inhibitory effects of 8 g on Nav1.7 currents. Molecular docking, dynamics simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay provide insights into the stable complex formation and favorable binding free energy of 8 g with C5aR1. This research represents a significant advancement in asymmetric CAMC for BPCPHCs and unveils BPCPHC 8 g as a promising, uniquely acting pain blocker, establishing a C5aR1‐Nav1.7 connection in the context of CIPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a novel approach for synthesizing Benzoxazine‐centered Polychiral Polyheterocycles (BPCPHCs) via an innovative asymmetric carbene‐alkyne metathesis‐triggered cascade. Overcoming challenges associated with intricate stereochemistry and multiple chiral centers, the catalytic asymmetric Carbene Alkyne Metathesis‐mediated Cascade (CAMC) is employed using dirhodium catalyst/Brønsted acid co‐catalysis, ensuring precise stereo control as validated by X‐ray crystallography. Systematic substrate scope evaluation establishes exceptional diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities, creating a unique library of BPCPHCs. Pharmacological exploration identifies twelve BPCPHCs as potent Nav ion channel blockers, notably compound 8 g. In vivo studies demonstrate that intrathecal injection of 8 g effectively reverses mechanical hyperalgesia associated with chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), suggesting a promising therapeutic avenue. Electrophysiological investigations unveil the inhibitory effects of 8 g on Nav1.7 currents. Molecular docking, dynamics simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay provide insights into the stable complex formation and favorable binding free energy of 8 g with C5aR1. This research represents a significant advancement in asymmetric CAMC for BPCPHCs and unveils BPCPHC 8 g as a promising, uniquely acting pain blocker, establishing a C5aR1‐Nav1.7 connection in the context of CIPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traveling wave protection of high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines is susceptible to the influence of transition resistance. As a backup protection, current differential protection has absolute selectivity, but usually requires an increase in delay to avoid misoperation caused by distributed capacitance on the line, resulting in a longer action time. Based on this, a two-terminal directional protection method for HVDC transmission lines is proposed based on Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA)-Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and Hilbert phase difference. On the basis of analyzing the directional characteristics of the current fault component at both ends of the rectifier and inverter sides under different faults, SSA is first used to optimize the parameters of VMD. The residual components representing the direction of the current fault component at both ends are extracted through VMD, and then the Hilbert phase difference of the residual components at both ends is calculated to identify faults inside and outside the line area. In addition, fault pole selection can be achieved based on the ratio of the sum of multi-band Hilbert energy of single-terminal voltage fault components at the positive and negative poles. Simulation experiments have shown that the proposed protection scheme can quickly and effectively identify fault and has good tolerance to transition resistance and noise interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study on bioinspired rigid-flexible coupling adaptive compliant motion control of a robot gecko with hybrid actuation for space stations. The biomimetic robot gecko is made of a rigid trunk, four motor-driven active legs with dual-degree-of-freedom shoulder joints, and four pneumatic flexible pleated active attachment–detachment feet. The adaptive impedance model consists of four input parameters: the inertia coefficient, stiffness coefficient, damping coefficient, and segmented expected plantar force. The robot gecko is equipped with four force sensors mounted on its four feet, from which the normal force of each foot can be sensed in real-time. Based on the sensor signal, the variable stiffness characteristics of the feet in different states are analyzed. Furthermore, an adaptive active compliance control strategy with whole-body rigidity–flexibility-force feedback coupling is proposed for the robot gecko. Four sets of experiments are presented, including open-loop motion control, static anti-interference experiment, segmented variable stiffness experiment, and adaptative compliant motion control, both in a microgravity environment. The experiment results indicated that the presented control strategy worked well and the robot gecko demonstrates the capability of stable attachment and compliant detachment, thereby normal impact and microgravity instability are avoided. It achieves position tracking and force tracking while exhibiting strong robustness for external disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in the diversity and systematization of design methods and real-time data have led to a general elevation in spatio-temporal accuracy for regional landslide early-warning (LEW). However, the heterogeneity of the geo-environment and the differences in landslide mechanisms are always neglected in the LEW models, which reduce the precision of LEW systems. This study proposes a slope-unit (SU) based regional LEW model for forecasting the real-time probability of rainfall-induced landslides, combing landslide susceptibility assessment and rainfall threshold modeling, taking Chongqing, China as the study case. The SU is adopted to discretize the study area concerning the concurrent occurrence of rainfall-induced shallow and deep-seated landslides, in view of the limitations of grid cells, which are more appropriate for shallow landslides with homogeneous materials and structures. In addition, four distinct subregions are identified based on the geo-environmental heterogeneity of the study area. For each subregion, specific landslide susceptibility models and rainfall thresholds are developed to account for the different landslide mechanisms. Landslide susceptibility maps (LSM) integrate data-driven methods with the latest 1:50,000 field surveys to achieve accurate predictions of future landslides. Rainfall threshold models are constructed based on a correlation analysis of 2142 landslides and associated historical rainfall events. By using 9-day antecedent rainfall records from 2103 rain gauges and numerical rainfall forecast products for the next 24 h as input data, the LEW model can dynamically release warning information. To validate the performance of the LEW model, the consecutive daily warnings for two rainfall events that induced groups of landslides were retrieved. The results demonstrated an overall satisfactory warning effect, with over 70% of the total rainfall-induced landslides exceeding the yellow alert warning level and a low rate of miss-alarms (<15%). It indicated that the slope unit partition based on the characteristics of rainfall-induced landslides and region division according to geological heterogeneity could effectively contribute to accurate LEW, especially over large areas. Furthermore, the findings revealed that early warnings of landslides induced by persistent rainfall over large area are more prone to generate false or miss alarms compared to local concentrated rainstorms. The LEW framework proposed in this study is expected to provide valuable technical support to the local authorities in effective landslide risk mitigation in a time-efficient manner. • Early-warning model accounting for geo-heterogeneity and landslide mechanism. • Slope-unit was employed to embrace rainfall-induced shallow and deep landslides. • Landslide susceptibility and rainfall threshold were defined for heterogenous regions. • The model was validated over a consecutive period and achieved satisfactory effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become a recent trend that large volumes of data are generated, stored, and processed across geographically distributed datacenters. When popular data parallel frameworks, such as MapReduce and Spark, are employed to process such geo-distributed data, optimizing the network transfer in communication stages becomes increasingly crucial to application performance, as the inter-datacenter links have much lower bandwidth than intra-datacenter links. In this article, we focus on exploiting the flexibility of multi-path routing for inter-datacenter flows of data analytic jobs, with the hope of better utilizing inter-datacenter links and thus improve job performance. We design an optimal multi-path routing and scheduling strategy to achieve the best possible network performance for all concurrent jobs, based on our formulation of an optimization problem that can be transformed into an equivalent linear programming (LP) problem to be efficiently solved. As a highlight of this article, we have implemented our proposed algorithm in the controller of an application-layer software-defined inter-datacenter overlay testbed, designed to provide transfer optimization service for Spark jobs. With extensive evaluations of our real-world implementation on Google Cloud, we have shown convincing evidence that our optimal multi-path routing and scheduling strategies have achieved significant improvements in terms of job performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galvanized steel is often used in the food industry due to its durability, strength, and lower cost relative to stainless steel. Herein, we report a coating method for galvanized steel that exhibits superhydrophobicity and antifouling capabilities, effectively inhibiting the attachment of fungi, bacteria, and mud. This coating was fabricated through a two-step process involving the immobilization of silica nanoparticles and subsequent chemisorption of an organosilane layer with low surface energy. The resultant coating yielded a static water contact angle of 157 ± 3.6°. Over a period of seven days, this coating achieved log10 reductions of 2.6 ± 0.1 and 2.9 ± 0.1 in the attachment of the bacterial strains of Salmonella enterica and Listeria innocua , respectively. Additional testing revealed a marked reduction in adherence of Aspergillus niger fungus. Following immersion in mud, coated surfaces showed an evident reduction in mud attachment in comparison to the original steel surfaces. Specifically, when tested with mud with a viscosity of ∼90,000 cP, the mud attachment percentage for the untreated steel surfaces and the coated steel surfaces was quantified as 94.57 ± 1.64% and 6.81 ± 2.43%, respectively. The electrochemical characterization of the coated steel, conducted in the presence of Salmonella enterica , revealed a 60.4 ± 10.4% decrease in the corrosion rate compared to the bare steel. The prospect of implementing the developed coating technology on galvanized steel surfaces—including but not limited to grain storage silos as well as various food-related storage units and containers—presents an opportunity for significant progression within the multidisciplinary fields of food engineering, safety, and processing. [Display omitted] • Novel antifouling/anticorrosion coating was developed for galvanized steel. • Coating exhibited antifouling effect against pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger. • With use of coating, adhesion of Salmonella and Listeria was reduced by >99.5%. • Coated surfaces significantly reduced the corrosion rate induced by microorganisms. • The developed coating is ideal for galvanized steel food-contact surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoirs has seen a boom in the last century, as a means to fulfill the growing energy demand in the world. The fracturing fluid used in the process plays a substantial role in determining the results. Hence, several research and development efforts have been geared towards developing more sustainable, efficient, and improved fracturing fluids. Herein, we present a dynamic binary complex (DBC) solution, with potential to be useful in the hydraulic fracturing domain. It has a supramolecular structure formed by the self-assembly of low molecular weight viscosifiers (LMWVs) oleic acid and diethylenetriamine into an elongated entangled network under alkaline conditions. With less than 2 wt% constituents dispersed in aqueous solution, a viscous gel that exhibits high viscosities even under shear was formed. Key features include responsiveness to pH and salinity, and a zero-shear viscosity that could be tuned by a factor of ~280 by changing the pH. Furthermore, its viscous properties were more pronounced in the presence of salt. Sand settling tests revealed its potential to hold up sand particles for extended periods of time. In conclusion, this DBC solution system has potential to be utilized as a smart salt-responsive, pH-switchable hydraulic fracturing fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Durable superhydrophobic nanodiamond based coating for stainless-steel. • Water contact angle of 156.3 ± 1.9° with 2.3 ± 0.5° contact angle hysteresis. • Surfaces characterized with SEM, AFM, and ATR-FTIR. • 2.3 ± 0.6 log 10 & 2.0 ± 0.9 log 10 reductions in E. coli & L. innocua , respectively. • Resisted fouling from contaminated Romaine lettuce leaves. Increasing concerns revolve around bacterial cross-contamination of leafy green vegetables via food-contact surfaces. Given that stainless-steel is among the commonly used food-contact surfaces, this study reports a coating strategy enhancing its hygiene and microbiological safety through an antifouling approach via superhydrophobicity. The developed method involves growing a nickel-nanodiamond nanocomposite film on 304 stainless-steel via electroplating and sequential functionalization of the outer surface layer with nonpolar organosilane molecules via polydopamine moieties. The resultant superhydrophobic stainless-steel surfaces had a static water contact angle of 156.3 ± 1.9° with only 2.3 ± 0.5° contact angle hysteresis. Application of the coating to stainless-steel was demonstrated to yield 2.3 ± 0.6 log 10 and 2.0 ± 0.9 log 10 reductions in the number of adherent gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 and gram-positive Listeria innocua cells, respectively. These population reductions were shown to be statistically significant (α = 0.05). Coated stainless-steel also resisted fouling when contacted with contaminated romaine lettuce leaves and maintained significant non-wetting character when abraded with sand or contacted with high concentration surfactant solutions. The incorporation of superhydrophobic stainless-steel surfaces into food processing equipment used for washing and packaging leafy green vegetables has the potential to mitigate the transmission of pathogenic bacteria within food production facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated during remediation of contaminated soils in northern China during atypical site management were investigated. After collecting soil and gas samples, VOC concentrations in soil and gas particles were determined. Health risk during remediation of contaminated sites was evaluated using the National Academy of Sciences four guidelines for risk assessment; subsequently, the risk zone of each pollutant for the respiratory exposure pathways was drawn. Our results showed that restoration of VOC-contaminated sites may have serious risks for operating staff with respiratory exposure being the main route of VOC contamination. Regarding respiratory exposure pathways, the greatest noncarcinogenic toxicity was caused by 1,1,2-trichloroethane (noncarcinogenic risk 2.27 E + 03); the maximum carcinogenic toxicity was caused by 1,2-dichloroethane (carcinogenic risk 1.05 E – 01). 1,2-Dichloroethane posed the greatest noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks when exposure was via particulate matter inhalation, showing risk of 3.52 E – 04 and 2.23 E – 08, respectively. Regarding skin contact exposure pathways, carbon tetrachloride was the most significant noncarcinogenic risk (2.68 E – 07) and 1,1-dichloroethylene was associated with the maximum carcinogenic risk (4.31 E – 11). Based on the regional risk map of pollutants, higher health risk was determined at a certain distance from the excavation site of the contaminated location in the downwind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As a result of frequent outbreaks occurring due to poor hygiene and improper sanitation of processing environments, there has been an increasing demand for the development of food-contact surface materials that intrinsically inhibit and reduce likelihood of potential microbial adherence and biofilm formation. Herein, we report the synergistic utilization of surface nanotexturing and chemical modifications with nonpolar functional groups on aluminum surfaces to produce coatings having bacterial super-repellant and mud anti-fouling characteristics. Using these coatings, the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Listeria innocua as pathogen surrogates was reduced more than 99.0%, compared to the bare aluminum surfaces. In addition, the coating strongly resisted the adhesion of mud, showing a 10-fold reduction in the area of mud adhesion upon submerging in mud solution. Moreover, this method is both versatile and scalable, involving inert and biocompatible building blocks. Overall, this study contributes to the field of food safety through the design and development of novel coatings for achieving improved food safety and hygiene. Highlights • Biocompatible silica-based superhydrophobically-modified aluminum surfaces were developed. • Attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Listeria innocua was reduced by >99.0%. • Superhydrophobically-modified aluminum surfaces exhibited excellent mud-repelling activity. • Bacterial anti-adhesion properties are attributed to weak intermolecular interactions. • The proposed surface modification method can be applied to metal food-contact surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsequent commutation failure in high-voltage DC transmission systems seriously emphasizes the safe and stable operation of power systems. Via analyzing the mechanism of commutation failure and the principle of voltage-dependent current order limiter (VDCOL), this paper proposes a dynamic nonlinear VDCOL control strategy based on the Taylor expansion of DC voltage for suppressing subsequent commutation failure. To solve the problem of fluctuating DC current command value caused by a large drop in DC voltage, this paper constructs a nonlinear VDCOL control that can be dynamically adjusted according to the AC bus voltage level, and Taylor expansion of DC voltage is used to obtain its first-order and second-order differential components. Different scales of differential elements are chosen to predict the DC voltage compensation value while balancing sensitivity and accuracy. The compensated DC voltage, used as the starting voltage of VDCOL, is input to the VDCOL control constructed in this paper to suppress the subsequent commutation failure of the transmission system by reducing the fluctuation of the current command value. Finally, the standard test model of HVDC is established based on the actual parameters, and the simulation results show that the Method proposed in this paper has an effective suppressing effect in the case of single-phase or three-phase faults of different severity and is conducive to the restoration of the system power transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges of species distribution models (SDMs) is incorporating the influence of prey on the predator. An ensemble modeling approach, the prey-predator species distributabion model (PPSDM), uses environmental variables (sea surface temperature, bathymetry, sea surface salinity, and sea surface current) and a biotic variable (predicted prey distribution: Japanese anchovy) to predict a piscivorous fish (Japanese Spanish mackerel) habitat in the China Seas. PPSDM comprised selected preferable single algorithms from nine algorithms, including tree-based models, machine learning models, regression models, an envelope-style method, and a classification model. Compared with that obtained when using habitat without the Japanese anchovy distribution, the regression models, machine learning models and a classification model have significant improvements. However, tree-based models have only slightly improved. The PPSDM results well reflected the ontogenetic migration of Japanese Spanish mackerel. We found that the wintering ground was distributed in regions with temperatures between 11 and 17 °C and salinities between 33.6 and 34.1. The bottom topography was also closely correlated with Japanese Spanish mackerel, and the suitable habitat was at 50–100 m isobaths as topography determined the position of isotherms (11, 17 °C), salinity isolines (33.6, 34.1), and fronts (temperature, salinity) in winter. The relationships among different climatic indices, temperature, and Japanese Spanish mackerel were analyzed. We found that the East Asian monsoon significantly influenced the Japanese Spanish mackerel habitat by affecting temperature variation. In the future, the suitable habitat of Japanese Spanish mackerel is projected to decrease by 21%, 28%, 36%, and 42% under RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5, respectively. The Japanese Spanish mackerel in the northern Yellow Sea is projected to experience the 'cul de sac' effect, which would drive this species toward local extinction. The Japanese Spanish mackerel in the China Seas will probably shift northeastward through the Tsushima Strait, and the Sea of Japan may form the main habitat at the end of the century. • Prey-predator species distribution model (PPSDM) was developed by an ensemble model. • The prediction accuracy of predator distribution was improved by PPSDM with prey. • Spanish mackerel is closely related with temperature and salinity isolines in winter. • Spanish mackerel experience a 'cul de sac' effect in the northern Yellow Sea. • Spanish mackerel suitable habitat was projected to shrink by 21–42% in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A pH-responsive system was developed by complexing an amino-amide and maleic acid. • The static viscosity of binary complexes could be adjusted ∼ 300-fold by varying pH. • The complexes showed a lower thermal sensitivity than the standard, CTAB/NaSal. • Hollow tubular nanostructure was responsible for the observed properties. • Using the binary complex, proppant stability was significantly improved. Recently, the interest in stimuli-responsive and adaptable materials has continuously grown in various fields and applications. For such responsive systems, different triggers, including pH, light, pressure, temperature, and electric field, have been utilized to control dynamics and assembly. Among these, pH is one of the most convenient, energy-efficient, and economic modalities. Besides, plenty of traditional materials have poor thermal and salt stability, limiting their applications. Herein, we report a new design of a pH-responsive viscoelastic supramolecular complex (VSC) based on commplexation of a new long-chain amino-amide and maleic acid. The system demonstrated a sol–gel-sol transition from pH 2 to 10, with the largest static viscosity occurring at pH 6 (∼1000 Pa·s) and the smallest viscosity at pH 4 (∼3.3 Pa·s), indicating ∼ 300-fold control over the viscosity. For a given concentration, the static viscosity of VSC was about 15 times larger than that of CTAB/NaSal, a well-established dynamic viscoelastic system, and no pH-responsiveness was observed for the traditional system. In addition, the VSC demonstrated a superior temperature tolerance and lower temperature dependence. The potential of these intriguing dynamics viscoelastic systems was evaluated for hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery applications. Proppant settling velocity of DMAA/MA was 500 ∼ 1000 times lower than that of CTAB/NaSal and common traditional polymers. Likewise, the oil recovery percentage could be significantly improved with the utilization of DMAA/MA compared to the CTAB/NaSal (86 % vs 52 %). Aside from applications in hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery, we anticipate that the intriguing rheological properties of this viscoelastic system can be beneficial for other chemical engineering applications including personal care products, cosmetics, lubricants, and biomedical gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IV-VI monochalcogenide SnSe or SnS has recently been proposed as a promising two-dimensional (2D) material for valleytronics and thermoelectrics. We report the synthesis of SnSe nanoflakes and nanostructured thin films with chemical vapor deposition method and their thermoelectric properties. As grown SnSe nanostructures are found to be intrinsically p-type and the single SnSe nanoflake field effect transistor was fabricated. By Ag doping, the power factor of SnSe nanostructured thin films can be improved by up to one order of magnitude compared to the “intrinsic” as grown materials. Our work provides an initial step in the pursuit of IV-VI monochalcogenides as novel 2D semiconductors for electronics and thermoelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyridine and its derivatives are widely consumed and detected in the environment persistently, which can cause potential adverse impacts on environment and human health. Considering the fact that pyridine could absorb UV light at 254 nm to generate excited one, which could react with reductive radicals, promoting its structural changes, we proposed that one typical efficient advanced reduction process (ARP) which combines UV irradiation with sulfite could be used to eliminate pyridine quickly. Sulfite/UV process showed a higher pyridine removal rate with a pseudo-first-order reaction rate constant of 0.1439 min−1, which was 3 times of that in UV irradiation and 1.3 times in UV/H 2 O 2 process. This was primarily due to reductive radicals (e aq –, H• and SO 3 •–) produced by UV irradiation. The removal rate of pyridine was highest in slightly alkaline environment. And the presence of oxygen, as well as certain concentration of humid acid just showed slight inhibition, indicating the possibility of application in practical environment. A positive impact was observed with increasing sulfite dosage, but it was gradually inhabited when the dosage was over 5 mM. The present study may provide an alternative efficient technology for the degradation of pyridine ring-containing substances. [Display omitted] • Direct UV irradiation and reductive radicals enhanced the degradation of pyridine. • Sulfite/UV process showed a higher degradation efficiency of pyridine. • The removal rate was highest in the environment of pH 8.2 with 2.5 mM sulfite. • The presence of oxygen or HA just showed slight inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power network has a long transmission span and passes through wide areas with complex topography setting and various human engineering activities. They lead to frequent landslide hazards, which cause serious threats to the safe operation of the power transmission system. Thus, it is of great significance to carry out landslide susceptibility assessment for disaster prevention and mitigation of power network. We, therefore, undertake an extensive analysis and comparison study between different data-driven methods using a case study from China. Several susceptibility mapping results were generated by applying a multivariate statistical method (logistic regression (LR)) and a machine learning technique (random forest (RF)) separately with two different mapping-units and predictor sets of differing configurations. The models' accuracies, advantages and limitations are summarized and discussed using a range of evaluation criteria, including the confusion matrix, statistical indexes, and the estimation of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The outcome showed that machine learning method is well suitable for the landslide susceptibility assessment along transmission network over grid cell units, and the accuracy of susceptibility models is evolving rapidly from statistical-based models toward machine learning techniques. However, the multivariate statistical logistic regression methods perform better when computed over heterogeneous slope terrain units, probably because the number of units is significantly reduced. Besides, the high model predictive performances cannot guarantee a high plausibility and applicability of subsequent landslide susceptibility maps. The selection of mapping unit can produce greater differences on the generated susceptibility maps than that resulting from the selection of modeling methods. The study also provided a practical example for landslide susceptibility assessment along the power transmission network and its potential application in hazard early warning, prevention, and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne illness outbreaks caused by bacterial pathogens may take place on a large scale and result in millions of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths every year throughout the world. One key strategy for dealing with this global issue is the design of smart surfaces and coatings which inhibit and reduce bacterial attachment. This can mitigate contamination and cross-contamination during farm-to-table food processing, promoting food safety, and hygiene. Herein, we reported a durable superhydrophobic coating on aluminum surfaces fabricated by sequential deposition of ultrahard nanodiamond, self-assembly of l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l -dopamine), and chemical modification with an organoflurosilane. This coating achieved static, advancing, and receding water contact angles of 159.0 ± 2.5°,154.0 ± 2.4°; and 153.7 ± 1.7°, respectively, representing water super-repellency with a low overall root mean square (rms) roughness of 173.5 ± 69.6 nm. In comparison to the bare, unmodified aluminum, the coated aluminum surfaces prevented the attachment of 99.5% of applied Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E.coli O157:H7) and 99.0% of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) cells. In addition, due to the presence of nanodiamond building blocks, the coated surfaces demonstrated a high mechanical resistance against scratching and endured at least 10,000 shearing/rubbing cycles with a nylon surface. Overall, we anticipate that implementation of this coating could improve safety and hygiene of food-contact surfaces that require harsher mechanical operational conditions. • Development of biocompatible nanodiamond-based superhydrophobic coating on aluminum surfaces. • Attachment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus was reduced by >99.0%. • Superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces exhibited excellent mechanical resistance against polymer scratching. • Bacterial antiadhesion properties are based on the minimized contact area and weak intermolecular interactions. • The proposed superhydrophobic coating can be applied on metal food-contact surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violet phosphorus quantum dots (VPQDs) have been recently produced to give intense green photoluminescence with excellent stability. Quantum dots are promising temperature sensors. However, the temperature-dependent photoluminescence of VPQDs is still unexplored. Herein, both the steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence of VPQDs have been investigated at 263–353 K. With increasing temperature, the photoluminescence of VPQDs has been demonstrated to have decreasing intensity, blue shifts, and broaden bandwidth with excellent temperature reversibility. The non-radiative heat escape was found to cause the intensity to decrease. The blue shift was deduced to be due to the interplay between the electron–phonon renormalization and the thermal expansion. The enhanced exciton–phonon coupling was found to be the main cause of broaden bandwidth. The photoluminescence lifetime of VPQDs was measured to be stable at different temperatures. The non-radiation recombination processes have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the photoluminescence by linking static and dynamic processes to calculate the radiative rate and non-radiative rate variation with temperature. The activation energy of VPQDs was deduced to be 90.25 meV, which is suitable for temperature sensing. The linear correlation of photoluminescence intensity and peak position to temperature gives more accurate dual mode sensing for a wide-range of ratiometric temperature sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effects of different structures (solid/hollow) and pore diameters (300/600 μm) on bone ingrowth. Methods: Porous titanium alloy scaffolds (3.2 * 10.5 mm) were printed using electron beam melting. The implants were divided into either Hollow or Solid Group. The upper half of each implant was printed with a pore diameter of 600 μm while the bottom half was printed with a pore diameter of 300 μm. Visualization of the structural morphology was done using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Cell proliferation was evaluated with the cell counting kit-8 assay and live/dead staining assay. The different lateral femoral condyles of 15 New Zealand rabbits were implanted with different groups of scaffolds. The rabbits were randomly sacrificed at the 4th, 8th, and 12th week postoperatively. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume fraction (BV/TV) evaluation was completed by quantitative Micro-Computed Tomography (Micro-CT). Tissue histology were stained with toluidine blue to observe bone ingrowth under an optical microscope, and the percentage of new bone area were calculated using Image Pro-Plus 6.0. Results: SEM images showed a significant decrease in residual powder in the hollow implant and cell studies showed no obvious cytotoxicity for the Ti6Al4V scaffolds. Micro-CT reconstruction revealed high levels of new bone formation around the scaffolds. The trabeculae around the implants showed a gradual increase with each week, and new bone filled the scaffold pores gradually. BMD, BV/TV, and tissue histology revealed the 300 μm pore diameter is more conducive to bone ingrowth than the 600 μm (p <.05). Conclusion: Our study revealed that Ti6Al4V implants with hollow structure could reduce the residual metal powder and implants with 300 μm pore diameter were more effective on bone formation than a 600 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe interfacially-assembled [7]helicene films that were deposited on graphene monolayer using the Langmuir-Schaefer deposition by utilizing the interactions of nonplanar (helicene) and planar (graphene) π–π interactions as functional antifouling coatings. Bacterial adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus on helicene—graphene films was noticeably lower than that on bare graphene, up to 96.8% reductions in bacterial adhesion. The promising bacterial antifouling characteristics of helicene films was attributed to the unique molecular geometry of helicene, i.e., nano-helix, which can hinder the nanoscale bacterial docking processes on a surface. We envision that helicene—graphene films may eventually be used as protective coatings against bacterial antifouling on the electronic components of clinical and biomedical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Silicon-modified biomaterials have been extensively studied in bone tissue engineering. In recent years, the toxicity of silicon-doped biomaterials has gradually attracted attention but requires further elucidation. This study was designed to explore whether high-dose silicate can induce a cytotoxicity effect in bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the role of autophagy in its cytotoxicity and mechanism. Methods: Morphologic changes and cell viability of BMSCs were detected after different doses of silicate exposure. Autophagic proteins (LC3, p62), LC3 turnover assay, and RFP-GFP-LC3 assay were applied to detect the changes of autophagic flux following silicate treatment. Furthermore, to identify the potential mechanism of autophagic dysfunction, we tested the acetyl-α-tubulin protein level and histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) activity after high-dose silicate exposure as well as the changes in microtubule and autophagic activity after HDAC6 siRNA was applied. Results: It was found that a high dose of silicate could induce a decrease in cell viability; LC3-II and p62 simultaneously increased after high-dose silicate exposure. A high concentration of silicate could induce autophagic dysfunction and cause autophagosomes to accumulate via microtubule destabilization. Results showed that acetyl-α-tubulin decreased significantly with high-dose silicate treatment, and inhibition of HDAC6 activity can restore microtubule structure and autophagic flux. Conclusions: Microtubule destabilization caused by a high concentration of silicate via HDAC6 activation contributed to autophagic dysfunction in BMSCs, and inhibition of HDAC6 exerted a cytoprotection effect through restoration of the microtubule structure and autophagic flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of solutionizing treatments on the mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of the Mg-10.93Li-5.45Al-0.08Er (LA116) alloy. The as-cast LA116 alloy is primarily composed of a single β phase along with AlLi and MgLiAl 2 phases. Results demonstrate that the mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of the alloy experience considerable improvement after solutionizing treatments due to the synergistic effect of phase compositions and solid solution strengthening. Specifically, at 400 °C, the mechanical properties of the alloy witness a significant improvement due to the coordination of solid solution strengthening and the dissolution of the second phase. In contrast, the best corrosion resistance is observed at 250 °C due to the decomposition and uniform distribution of the AlLi phase. • The influence of solutionizing treatments on the mechanical properties was studied. • The influence of solutionizing treatments on the corrosion resistance properties was studied. • The mechanism of solutionizing treatments on the mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of the LA116 alloy was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-assembly process, where molecules form complex structures through interaction forces, has broad applications in various fields. However, controlling the dynamics of self-assembling molecules presents challenges, such as kinetic trapping, and the stochastic and nonlinear nature of governing equations. Recent studies have used Markov decision processes to control self-assemblies, but this approach may not be suitable for more complex systems and may result in disassembly or irreversible changes. To address these limitations, a novel integrated framework for the systematic development of control schemes for self-assembling systems is proposed. The framework uses a dissipative particle dynamics model to accurately capture self-assembly and generate a high-fidelity representation of relevant nanostructures. The probabilities of transitioning between states are calculated, which enables the formulation of a stochastic optimal control problem. To solve this problem, dynamic programming is employed. The framework is applied to a case study involving dynamic binary complexes with multiple unwanted metastable states, which serves to experimentally demonstrate the efficacy of the controller in driving the system towards desired morphologies. Finally, the closed-loop simulation results highlight that the proposed framework can drive the system of thermosensitive DBCs towards target morphologies while avoiding kinetic traps. [Display omitted] • A modeling and control framework is proposed for self-assembling systems. • Dissipative Particle Dynamics is used to model self-assembly at the mesoscale. • Markov state models are employed for dimensionality reduction. • A stochastic control problem is formulated and solved with dynamic programming. • The controller drives the system to the target morphology, avoiding kinetic traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a primary etiology of disability, currently, there are exist limited viable therapies modalities. Acquiring comprehension of the diverse pathways that drive mitochondrial aberration may facilitate the identification of noteworthy targets for ameliorating the deleterious consequences precipitated by SCI. Our objective was to determine the efficiency of exosomes produced from Schwann cells (SCDEs) in protecting against mitochondrial dysfunction. This evaluation was conducted using a rat model of compressed SCI and in vitro experiments involving rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12) exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). The conducted experiments yielded evidence that SCDEs effectively mitigated oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation subsequent to SCI, while concurrently diminishing necroptosis. Subsequent in vitro inquiry assessed the impact of SCDEs on PC12, with a specific emphasis on mitochondrial functionality, necrotic cell prevalence, and mitophagy. The study findings revealed that SCDEs enhanced mitophagy in PC12 cells, leading to a decrease in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory cytokines (CK) provoked by OGD-induced injury. This, in turn, mitigated mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis. Mechanistically, SCDEs facilitated cellular mitophagy through activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our data strongly support the notion that SCDEs hold considerable promise as a therapeutic approach for managing SCI. Furthermore, our investigation serves to elucidate the pivotal role of AMPK-mediated mitophagy in reducing cell damage, thereby unveiling novel prospects for enhancing neuro-pathological outcomes following SCI. [Display omitted] • SCDEs can alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation. • SCDEs enhance mitophagy in primary PC12. • AMPK signaling pathway is involved in mitophagy. • SCDEs mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis. • SCDEs can alleviate SCI and OGD-induced injury in PC12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES) is known to cause severe psychiatric symptoms but is also a very rare clinical disease in which the specific aetiology is unknown. According to current reports, there are major causes of the disease, including viral or bacterial infection, epilepsy, anti-epileptic drug withdrawal, high-altitude cerebral oedema, and metabolic disorders such as hypoglycaemia and hypernatraemia. In this article, we report a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) who presented with RESLES.Case Presentation: A 34-year-old female patient who presented with fever and progression of disorder of consciousness was eventually diagnosed with RESLES based on brain imaging. Moreover, clinical features and peripheral smears demonstrating schistocytes and thrombocytopenia confirmed a diagnosis of TTP. RESLES can be improved by plasma exchange therapy.Conclusion: This rare case highlights the occurrence of RESLES as a presenting feature of the expanding list of unusual neurological manifestations of TTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its successor GRACE Follow-On mission have been estimating temporal gravity field models for various geoscience applications since 2002. While the errors in atmospheric and oceanic de-aliasing (AOD) model are still the key limitation for GRACE-type missions especially taking advantages of improved laser ranging interferometer (LRI), this paper explores the realistic assumption of continuously reducing AOD model error in global scale and regional scale (e.g. ocean, Greenland, Qinghai-Tibet plateau and South America) in the anticipated future. For this, using a realistic orbit scenario and error assumptions both for instrument and background model errors, the 5-yr full-scale simulations are implemented in the context of 26 scenarios with different AOD model errors. Our overall simulation results demonstrate that: (1) when the AOD model errors are reduced in the global scale, the corresponding gain in temporal gravity field determination is significant, with the cumulative geoid height error decrease from 11.28 to 6.25 mm in spectral domain, as well as 26.3–65.2 per cent noise reduction in terms of mean RMS residuals over ocean in spatial domain. (2) When the AOD model errors are reduced in the regional scale, the improvements of temporal gravity field estimations are diverse in different simulation scenarios. The most notable noise reduction, with 22.9–43.9 per cent noise reduction in spatial domain, is observed when the AOD model error decreases in ocean. The limited noise reductions (0.1 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively in spectral and spatial domain) are observed in the temporal gravity field estimations if the AOD model is refined in other typical regions such as the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the Greenland and the South America. (3) However, when the satellites passing over the AOD model refined regions, the along-orbit range rate analysis indicates that, there are visible differences by about 50.0 nm s−1 in terms of range rate residuals as well as 11.0–48.5 nm s−1 in terms of the mean RMS of range rate residuals. These results reflect the benefits of reducing AOD model error in both global and regional scale for improving GRACE-type temporal gravity estimation, especially considering the development of LRI technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors between ipsilateral and contralateral reherniation and to compare the effectiveness of miniopen transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with unilateral fixation for each group. From November 2007 to December 2014, clinical and radiographic data of each group (ipsilateral or contralateral reherniation) were collected and compared. Functional assessment (Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA)) and radiographic evaluation (fusion status, disc height, lumbar lordosis (LL), and functional spine unit (FSU) angle) were applied to compare surgical effect for each group preoperatively and at final followup. MacNab questionnaire was applied to further evaluate the satisfactory rate after the discectomy and fusion. No difference except pain-free interval was found between ipsilateral and contralateral groups. There was a significant difference in operative time between two groups. No differences were found in clinical and radiographic data for assessment of surgical effect between two groups. The satisfactory rate was decreasing in both groups with time passing after discectomy. Difference in pain-free interval may be a distinction for ipsilateral and contralateral reherniation. Miniopen TLIF with unilateral pedicle screw fixation can be a recommendable way for single level reherniation regardless of ipsilateral or contralateral reherniation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular aqueous complexes of a synthesized zwitterionic surfactant, 2-(dimethyl(octadecyl)ammonio)acetate (stearyl betaine) and diethylenetriamine, have been found to display pH-tunable rheological properties without the need for a co-surfactant. For this supramolecular system, the dynamically changing interplay among the constituents is responsible for the rich phase behavior including hollow nanotubules, bilayers, and vesicles. A further hypothesis is that hollow nanotubular structure is highly desirable for achieving chain entanglement geometries with reduced mesh size. The rheological properties of the suspension were measured using a rotational rheometer. An analysis using zero-shear viscosities at various temperatures as well as differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) helped shed light on thermodynamic and phase transitions taking place. The morphology of the suspension was analyzed by using a combination of small angle x-ray scattering(SAXS) and atomic force microscopy(AFM). Large steady-shear viscosities (up to ∼160 Pa.s) and viscoelastic behavior was observed in acidic conditions which diminished upon increasing the pH. A novel analysis consisting of measured thermodynamic quantities such as activation energy(E a) and enthalpy of transition(Δ H T) further allude to the rich pH-sensitive nanoarchitecture of the system. Rather than commonly observed wormlike micelles, hollow nanotubules, as long as 1.6 µm were observed at pH 4 which disintegrated to bilayer sheets and vesicles upon increasing pH. Gaining a comprehensive understanding from all the results, a transition mechanism between different suspension architectures was proposed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for hip arthroplasties and other joint replacement orthopedic surgeries is on the rise. Combined with the emergence of antibiotic drug resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria, there is an increasing need for the development of bacterial antifouling surface treatment technologies which can be applied to titanium alloy medical devices. Herein is reported the development of a durable, fluorine-free superhydrophobic surface treatment for Ti6Al4V, fabricated through facile means without the use of HF or fluoropolymers, utilizing safe reagents under mild reaction conditions. Nanoscale texturing was created with an alkaline hydrothermal process. An alkyl surface chemistry was imparted via the deposition of an alkyl self-assembled monolayer to achieve superhydrophobic, non-wetting behavior. This superhydrophobic surface is capable of imposing 1.55 ± 0.13 and 1.72 ± 0.23 log 10 reductions in the adherent populations of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacteria, respectively. This represents a safe route to a significant potential mitigation in the costs and dangers arising from medical device associated infections. [Display omitted] • Titanium alloy implant devices are prone to perioperative bacterial infection. • Superhydrophobic titanium surfaces are readily prepared without dangerous fluorine. • Modified, durable surfaces resist attachment of pathogenic bacterial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconducting layered violet phosphorus, the most stable phosphorus allotrope, has recently been successfully produced with large single crystal sizes and high yields. A promising anisotropy is expected by the reduced symmetry of violet phosphorus in various properties. The in‐plane crystallographic anisotropy and cleavage edge orientation are especially important to the exfoliated 2D structures for their electronic, photonic, magnetic, and mechanic applications. However, the anisotropy of violet phosphorus has not been studied. Here, a fast and nondestructive way is reported to identify the crystallographic orientation of 2D violet phosphorus nanoflakes by a single polarized Raman spectrum. The 2D violet phosphorus nanoflakes have been found to have preferred in‐plane cleavage edges along ‐[P2][P8][P2][P9]‐ tubular strands with <1, 1, 0> edge alignment. The b‐axis (a‐axis) direction has been demonstrated to be easily identified that forms an angle of 45° or 135° from the cleavage edge by the intensity of Ag mode, especially the appearance or disappearance of 491 cm–1, under parallel configuration using polarized Raman scattering. A simple and fast method has been developed to identify the crystallographic orientation of violet phosphorus nanoflakes by a single Raman spectrum to obtain the corresponding a‐axis and b‐axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Twinning intersection is found during the microstructure evolution of CrMnFeCoNi HEA. • Slip plane and direction of the alloy are {111} and< 110 > , respectively. • CR-PDA process improves the comprehensive mechanical and corrosion properties of the alloy. The effects of cold rolling and post deformation annealing (CR‐PDA) process on the comprehensive mechanical and corrosion properties of CrMnFeCoNi high entropy alloy (HEA) were investigated. The results indicate that the grain size was obviously refined from 207.5 µm to 4.6 µm. Moreover, the microhardness, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased by 28%, 68% and 24%, respectively. However, the elongation decreased from 59.3% to 43.8%. The strengthening mechanisms are mainly fine grain and dislocation density strengthening. Furthermore, the corrosion potential increased and the corrosion current density decreased after the CR-PDA process, indicating that the corrosion resistance of the alloy was improved, possibly because of the grain refinement and residual compressive stress. In conclusion, the CR-PDA process improves the comprehensive mechanical and corrosion properties of CrMnFeCoNi HEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns arising from accidental and occasional releases of novel industrial nanomaterials to the environment and waterbodies are rapidly increasing as the production and utilization levels of nanomaterials increase every day. In particular, two-dimensional nanosheets are one of the most significant emerging classes of nanomaterials used or considered for use in numerous applications and devices. This study deals with the interactions between 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets and beneficial soil bacteria. It was found that the log-reduction in the survival of Gram-positive Bacillus cereus was 2.8 (99.83%) and 4.9 (99.9988%) upon exposure to 16.0 mg/mL bulk MoS2 (macroscale) and 2D MoS2 nanosheets (nanoscale), respectively. For the case of Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the log-reduction values in bacterial survival were 1.9 (98.60%) and 5.4 (99.9996%) for the same concentration of bulk MoS2 and MoS2 nanosheets, respectively. Based on these findings, it is important to consider the potential toxicity of MoS2 nanosheets on beneficial soil bacteria responsible for nitrate reduction and nitrogen fixation, soil formation, decomposition of dead and decayed natural materials, and transformation of toxic compounds into nontoxic compounds to adequately assess the environmental impact of 2D nanosheets and nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antagonists of adenosine receptor are under exploration as potential drug candidates for treatment of neurological disorders, depression, certain cancers and potentially used as a cancer immunotherapy. Herein, we describe design and synthesis of novel scaffold benzo[4,5]imidazo [1,2- a ]pyrazin-1-amine (6) derivatives. All the compounds were evaluated for A 2A AR antagonist activity and displayed encouraging results (IC 50 9–300 nM) of A 2A AR antagonist binding affinity in biochemical assay. Compound 27 exhibits good activity in A 2A AR antagonist cAMP functional assay (IC 50 31 nM) and further this compound shows T-cell activation at the IL-2 production assay (EC 50 165 nM). Molecular docking studies were carried out to rationalize the observed binding affinity of compound 27. Image 1 • Design new benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2- a ]pyrazin-1-amine scaffold • Developed simple protocol for the synthesis of benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2- a ]pyrazin-1-amine scaffold analogues • This new analogues biological evaluated for Adenosine A 2A receptor (A 2A) antagonist activity • cAMP Functional assays of the hA 2A AR in human HEK-293 cells, compound 27 showed nonomolar potency with IC 50 = 31 nM • Compound 27 stimulate IL-2 production by T cell activation with nonomolar potency i.e. EC 50 = 165 nM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is an alternative to conservative therapy in the treatment of cervical spondylopathy. This study evaluated the clinical outcome of ACDF with BMP-2-adsorbed β-tricalcium phosphate granules. Methods: Thirty-two patients with cervical spondylopathy received treatment of ACDF with BMP-2-adsorbed β-tricalcium phosphate granules. The clinical outcomes were evaluated with the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores and Neck Disability Index (NDI). Meanwhile, the cervical curvature and intervertebral heights were obtained through lateral cervical X-ray films pre- and postoperatively at each interval, and the precision of cervical fusion was assessed by three-dimensional computed tomography scan. Results: The follow-up averaged 15.2 months (range 13–18). Average JOA scores significantly increased from a preoperative point (7.4 ± 1.2) to each interval after surgery (P < 0.05). NDI decreased from preoperative point (43.1 ± 9.0) to each interval after surgery (P < 0.05). The angles of cervical curvature and intervertebral heights were improved postoperatively and kept throughout the follow-up period. CT scan demonstrated a fusion rate of 82.9% at 6 months postoperatively and was improved to 100% at 12 months postoperatively. In all cases, no complications appeared and reported due to any lapse in surgical procedure skills throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions: Our preliminary findings suggest that BMP-2-adsorbed β-tricalcium phosphate granules will be an effective alternative to autogenous bone grafting for cervical fusion in treating cervical spondylopathy. Our surgical procedure usingβ-tricalcium phosphate granules could improve neurological function, recover intervertebral height and cervical curvature, and could be potentially exploitable in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electrical muscle stimulation accelerates axon regeneration and functional recovery following nerve injury. • Electrical muscle stimulation promotes autophagy flux in distal nerve segments after nerve injury. • Inhibition of autophagy abolishes the positive effect of electrical muscle stimulation on nerve injury. Electrical muscle stimulation has been demonstrated to facilitate nerve regeneration and functional recovery, but the underlying mechanism remains only partially understood. In this study, we investigated the positive effect of electrical muscle stimulation following nerve injury and its molecular mechanisms of autophagy regulation. The sciatic nerves of Sprague-Dawley rats were transected and immediately repaired. Gastrocnemius muscles were electrically stimulated using surface electrodes. Motor functional recovery was assessed by gait analysis, nerve conduction examination and histological appearance of the target muscle. Axon regeneration was investigated by morphometric analysis. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression of molecular biological changes in distal nerve stump. Ultrastructural features of the nerve were evaluated by transmission electron microscope. We found that axon regeneration and motor functional recovery were improved by electrical muscle stimulation. The number of autophagosomes and the expression of autophagy marker LC3-Ⅱ in distal nerve stump were increased while the level of autophagy substrate protein P62 was decreased following electrical muscle stimulation. Blockage of the autophagy flux by chloroquine (CQ) diminished the positive effect of electrical muscle stimulation on nerve injury. These results illustrated that electrical muscle stimulation accelerates axon regeneration and functional recovery through promoting autophagy flux in distal nerve segments following nerve injury and immediate repair (IR) by a so far unknown mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility mapping is vital for landslide risk management and urban planning. In this study, we used three statistical models [frequency ratio, certainty factor and index of entropy (IOE)] and a machine learning model [random forest (RF)] for landslide susceptibility mapping in Wanzhou County, China. First, a landslide inventory map was prepared using earlier geotechnical investigation reports, aerial images, and field surveys. Then, the redundant factors were excluded from the initial fourteen landslide causal factors via factor correlation analysis. To determine the most effective causal factors, landslide susceptibility evaluations were performed based on four cases with different combinations of factors ("cases"). In the analysis, 465 (70%) landslide locations were randomly selected for model training, and 200 (30%) landslide locations were selected for verification. The results showed that case 3 produced the best performance for the statistical models and that case 2 produced the best performance for the RF model. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to verify the accuracy of each model's results for its respective optimal case. The ROC curve analysis showed that the machine learning model performed better than the other three models, and among the three statistical models, the IOE model with weight coefficients was superior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multifunctional coating combing antibacterial and antiadhesion characteristics was developed through facile and low-cost method. • Mesoporous nanosilica played a dual role in the coating, forming superhydrophobic surface and serving as a carrier for essential oil. • CEO-OTS-MCM coating showed excellent antibacterial and antiadhesion properties with a 99.9% reduction for E. coli and 99.6% for S. aureus. • The multifunctional coating was fluorine-free and metal-free, it also showed good mechanical durability and chemical stability. Bacterial adhesion to material surfaces is a prominent cause of bacterial infections and diseases. Antifouling coatings have garnered increasing attention in recent years as a means to address this significant challenge in surface hygiene and microbiological safety. In this study, a multifunctional antibacterial coating that employs a simultaneous release-inactivation and superhydrophobic antiadhesion strategy is presented. In this context, mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized and chemically modified to provide dual functionality. First, the deposition of nanoparticles establishes a nanotopography with a low surface energy, resulting in a superhydrophobic surface, which minimizes the contact between aqueous bacterial suspensions and the surfaces. Second, periodic nanopores within the nanoparticles could be infused with cinnamon essential oil, which gradually diffuses into the surrounding medium, leading to the inactivation of planktonic bacteria. Quantitatively, the developed coating exhibited notable antibacterial and antiadhesion properties, reducing the proliferation of Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus by 99.9% and 99.6%, respectively. It also demonstrated excellent mechanical and chemical durability. With its facile, low-cost, and universal fabrication, as well as its metal-free and fluorine-free properties, we anticipate this coating to have significant potential in mitigating the risk of bacterial contamination in biomedical applications and the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disruption of the blood spinal cord barrier (BSCB) after spinal cord injury (SCI) can trigger secondary tissue damage. Edaravone is likely to protect the BSCB as a free radical scavenger, whereas it has been rarely reported thus far. In this study, the protective effect of edaravone was investigated with the use of compression spinal cord injured rats and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) injury. As indicated by the result of this study, edaravone treatment facilitated functional recovery after rats were subjected to SCI, ameliorated the vascular damage, and up-regulated the expression of BSCB-associated proteins. In vitro results, edaravone improved HBMECs viability, restored intercellular junctions, and promoted cellular angiogenic activities. It is noteworthy that autophagy was activated and RIP1/RIP3/MLKL phosphorylation was notably up-regulated. However, edaravone treatment exhibited the capability of mitigating above-mentioned tendency in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, rapamycin (Rapa) treatment deteriorated the protective effect of edaravone while aggravating the phosphorylation of RIP1/RIP3/MLKL expression. In the model of necrotic activator-induced HBMECs, autophagic expression was increased, whereas edaravone prevented autophagy and phosphorylation of RIP1/RIP3/MLKL. In general, our results suggested that edaravone is capable of reducing the destruction of BSCB and promoting functional recovery after SCI. The possible underlying mechanism is that edaravone is capable of protecting angiogenic activity and improving autophagy and the phosphorylation of RIP1/RIP3/MLKL, as well as their mutual deterioration. Accordingly, edaravone can be a favorable option for the treatment of SCI. [Display omitted] • Edaravone promotes BSCB integrity and functional recovery after SCI. • Edaravone attenuates the expression of necroptosis and autophagy. • Edaravone reduces mutual aggravation between necroptosis and autophagy. • Edaravone increases angiogenic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern stream processing frameworks, such as Spark Streaming, are designed to support a wide variety of stream processing applications, such as real-time data analytics in social networks. As the volume of data to be processed increases rapidly, there is a pressing need for processing them across multiple geo-distributed datacenters. However, these frameworks are not designed to take limited and varying inter-datacenter bandwidth into account, leading to longer query latencies. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of an extended Spark Streaming framework to automatically and optimally schedule tasks, select data flow routes and determine micro-batch sizes across geo-distributed datacenters in wide-area networks. To make these decisions, we propose a sparsity-regularized ADMM algorithm to efficiently solve a nonconvex optimization problem, based on readily measurable operating traces. Toward incremental real-world deployment, we take a non-intrusive approach to support flexible routing of micro-batches by adding a new DStream transformation we have developed to the existing Spark Streaming framework. As a result, our implementation can enforce scheduling decisions by modifying application workflows only. We have deployed our implementation on Amazon EC2 with emulated bandwidth constraints, and our experimental results on various types of queries have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed framework, as compared to the existing Spark Streaming scheduler and other data-locality-based heuristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Niuhuang Shangqing tablet (NHSQT), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine preparation, has been used as an over- the- counter drug for the treatment of headache, dizziness in China. The flavonoids are the main active components in NHSQT, however, there have no reports about their distribution and metabolic fate in vivo after oral administration of NHSQTs so far. An novel UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method combined with in silico approach was applied to identify the flavonoids and metabolites profiling in biological samples following oral administration NHSQTs for the first time. As a result, 127 compounds including 34 original compounds of flavonoids and 93 metabolites were identified. There were 20 flavones, 9 flavonols, 4 flavanones and 1 flavan-3, 4-diol found in biological samples. Rutin, wogonoside, apigenin, baicalein, wogonin, oroxylin A, quercetin and acacetin were considered as the potential flavonoids in NHSQT against brain diseases. The docking-based metabolism models were established and applied to propose the sites of hydroxylation of flavonoids, which indicated baicalin was engaged in dihydroxylation at C2′, C3′, tilianin was engaged in hydroxylation at C3, wogonin and wogonside were engaged in dihydroxylation at C3′, C4′. Some novel metabolic pathways were discovered for oroxylin A, acacetin, diosmetin, tilianin. The metabolic spots and pathways of flavonoids vary as much between flavones, flavonols and flavanones. The results presented here would be helpful for the further study of pharmacokinetics and quality control of NHSQT. Highlights • An novel UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method combined with in silico approach was applied to identify the compounds in vivo. • The docking-based metabolism models were established and applied to propose the sites of hydroxylation of flavonoits. • 127 compounds, including 34 flavonoid prototypes and 93 metabolites in biological samples were identified. • Some novel or unusual metabolites were discovered for oroxylin A, acacetin, diosmetin, tilianin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti‑angiogenic therapy provides transient tumor vascular normalization, which results in a window of opportunity for improvement of radio‑ or chemotherapy. Biomarkers indicating this window are required for rationalizing anti‑angiogenesis. Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2), the majority of which is secreted from tumor cells, is an easily detected plasma protein. In the present study, it was demonstrated that AGR2 could be applied as a biomarker for the supervision of vascular normalization during anti‑angiogenic treatment with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Nude mice inoculated with SW620 human colorectal cancer cells were treated with AuNPs. Vessel density, pericyte coverage, vessel permeability, tumor hypoxia, tumor growth and AGR2 secretion were detected following treatment with AuNPs at days 0, 4, 6, 9 and 14. Tumor volume and vessel density were reduced, whereas pericyte coverage was increased, and hypoxia and vessel permeability were improved between days 6‑9; however, these improvements decreased by day 14, revealing a time frame for tumor vascular normalization, namely days 4‑9, during treatment with AuNPs in mice. AGR2 levels in tumor tissues and plasma were significantly low at day 9, along with vascular normalization; therefore, AGR2 can be used as a potential marker for monitoring tumor vascular normalization during anti‑angiogenic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inner cavities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted much attention for one-dimensional structures and their unique properties. The encapsulation of hetero-structures into CNTs is the foundation for potential applications. Solution and vapor methods have been well adopted for CNTs encapsulations. The solution method is restricted to its low encapsulation yield. Only chemicals with relatively low sublimation points under low pressures and low activity have been demonstrated to be encapsulated into the inner cavities of CNTs by vapor methods. No effective encapsulation method for most metals has been explored so far. Now, a widely applicable metal encapsulation method, micro-current electrochemical deposition, has been demonstrated to encapsulate lithium, sodium and potassium metals into CNTs with high yield. The volumetric encapsulation yields of lithium, sodium and potassium metal have been demonstrated to be higher than 65%. [Display omitted] • A micro-current electrochemical deposition method has been reported to encapsulate metals into MWCNTs. • The encapsulation yields of Li, Na and K have been demonstrated to be about 68%, 74%, and 75%, respectively. • The elemental status of the encapsulated metals was confirmed by elemental maps and hydrolysis reaction to yield hydrogen. • The encapsulation method has been explored to be an effective and widely applicable encapsulation method for metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]