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Objective To explore the curative effect of Quick needling combined with Jingshu Granule on cervical vertigo in patients with blood stasis and qi stagnation pattern. Methods A total of 106 cervical vertigo patients with blood stasis and qi stagnation pattern admitted to the hospital from November 2019 to August 2022 were selected and divided into observation group (n = 53) and control group (n = 53) by random number table method. The control group was treated with Jingshu granule, and the observation group was treated with Quick needling combined with Jingshu granule. The effects of continuous treatment for 8 weeks in both groups were observed. TCM syndrome score, vertigo improvement and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. The improvement of inflammatory factors, vasomotor factors and vertebrobasilar hemodynamics in peripheral blood was compared between the two groups. The occurrence of adverse reactions during treatment was recorded and compared between the two groups. Results The TCM syndrome scores of the main and secondary symptoms of the two groups after treatment were lower than before treatment (P < 0.05), and the TCM syndrome scores of the main and secondary symptoms of the observation group after treatment were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05 ). Dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores of both groups after treatment were lower than before treatment (P < 0.05 ), DHI scores of the observation group were lower than that of the control group after treatment (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05 ). After treatment, the tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in both groups were lower than before treatment (P < 0.05), and the TNF-a, IL-6 and CRP in the observation group were lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) after treatment were lower than before treatment, nitric oxide (NO) was higher than before treatment (P < 0.05), ET-1 and 5-HT in observation group after treatment were lower than those of the control group, and NO was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05 ). The blood flow velocity of left vertebral artery, right vertebral artery and basilar artery in both groups after treatment was higher than before treatment (P < 0.05), and the blood flow velocity of left vertebral artery, right vertebral artery and basilar artery in the observation group after treatment was higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). There was no obvious adverse reaction in both groups during treatment. Conclusion For the treatment of cervical vertigo patients with blood stasis and qi-stagnation pattern, the combination of Quick needling and Jingshu Granule could enhance clinical efficacy, inhibit the synthesis of inflammatory factors in peripheral blood, improve vasomotor factors and vertebrobasilar hemodynamics, with good safety. It has certain clinical application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the interaction between montmorillonite and polyacrylamide (PAM) with different ionic types using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The goal was to understand the effect of ionicity and ionic type on polymer deposition on montmorillonite surfaces. The results of the QCM-D analysis showed that a decrease in pH led to an increase in the adsorption of montmorillonite on the alumina surface. The ranking of adsorption mass on alumina and pre-adsorbed montmorillonite alumina surfaces was found to be cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) > polyacrylamide (NPAM) > anionic polyacrylamide (APAM). The study also found that CPAM had the strongest bridging effect on montmorillonite nanoparticles, followed by NPAM, while APAM had a negligible bridging effect. The MD simulations showed that ionicity had a significant influence on the adsorption of polyacrylamides. The cationic functional group N(CH3)3+ had the strongest attraction interaction with the montmorillonite surface, followed by the hydrogen bonding interaction of the amide functional group CONH2, and the anionic functional group COO- had a repulsive interaction. The results suggest that at high ionicity levels, CPAM can be adsorbed on the montmorillonite surface, while at low ionicity levels, APAM may still be adsorbed with a strong coordination trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the flocculation properties of polyethylene oxide (PEO) on kaolinite and the mechanism of adsorption on kaolinite anisotropic substrates were explored. As revealed by the experimental results, the settling rate and removal rate of kaolinite increased with increasing PEO concentration, but too high PEO concentration would cause the small particles to stabilize and become difficult to settle. Furthermore, to probe deep into the interactions between PEO and kaolinite anisotropic substrates, the morphology of adsorbed PEO, interfacial adsorption structure, and dynamic behavior of water molecules were determined by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The adsorption amount of PEO on different mineral surfaces is in the order of kaolinite > alumina > silica, and the thickness of the adsorption structure formed by alumina is greater than that of silica. As illustrated by the MD simulation results, the adsorption of PEO reduces the concentration of water molecules attached to the kaolinite surface. The PEO forms a double-layer adsorption structure on the 001 surface, while forming a tight monolayer adsorption structure on the 00 1 ¯ surface, weakening the interaction between the surface and the water molecules. The above results demonstrate that the adsorption of PEO effectively weakened the hydration dispersion of kaolinite and promoted the agglomeration of kaolinite particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to identify an environmentally friendly and efficient flocculant that can replace polyacrylamide for the solid–liquid separation of coal wastewater. In this study, to explore whether chitosan can be used as an environmentally friendly and efficient flocculant for the solid–liquid separation of coal wastewater, AlCl3–chitosan was used to conduct flocculation–sedimentation and dewatering tests under different chitosan dosages and shear-strength conditions for the prepared coal wastewater. Focused beam reflectance was measured to dynamically monitor the number of refractory fine particles, and the settled flocs were photographed and analyzed with microscopy to explore the effect of AlCl3–chitosan on the flocculation settlement effect and floc characteristics. The synergistic mechanisms of AlCl3 and chitosan were investigated using quartz crystal dissipative microbalance and zeta potential measurement. The results showed that the addition of chitosan can significantly improve the flocculation–sedimentation and dewatering effects of coal wastewater. A reasonable dosage under a certain shear strength is conducive to the reduction of fine slime particles, which results in a compact floc structure, increases the floc size, and improves the settling effect. The synergistic effect of AlCl3–chitosan improved the electric neutralization and adsorption bridging abilities of the chitosan, and the mixed solution of AlCl3 and chitosan had stronger adsorption on the carbon surface. This study provides a new approach to the selection of flocculants for coal wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The mechanism of action of anionic complex surfactants on coal was investigated by AFM and DFT. • The interaction mechanism between the anionic complex surfactant and the coal surface is electrostatic attraction. • The effect of anionic complex surfactants on the wettability of coal surfaces was investigated. • Anionic complex surfactants exhibit better performance on coal surfaces than any single surfactant. The objective of this study was to elucidate the cooperative modification mechanism of anionic composite pharmaceuticals on coal substrates. Composite pharmaceuticals were synthesized using sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) and sodium polycarboxylate to reduce coal hygroscopicity. The mesoscopic alteration process between the coal surfaces and the compound pharmaceuticals was examined via atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM showed that SHMP was multilayer-adsorbed on coal via electrostatic and hydrogen bonding, while sodium polycarboxylate was single layer-adsorbed at the SHMP layer via electrostatic interactions. Composite pharmaceutical adhesion to coal was lower than that for individual pharmaceuticals, indicating synergistic effects. The mechanism underpinning the microscopic synergistic effect of complex pharmaceuticals on the coal surface was further examined using density functional theory (DFT) at the molecular scale. DFT calculations showed that the adsorption energy of SHMP binding to a sodium polycarboxylate molecule was greater than that of SHMP binding to two identical pharmaceutical molecules. The SHMP portion generally interacted with the aromatic coal nucleus via its ring structure, exposing the sodium polycarboxylate carbon chain to maximize the adsorption energy. Combining DFT and AFM provided insight into the composite pharmaceutical function, and a theoretical framework for coal flotation separation was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clay-rich coal slurries suffer from low yield and high ash content during flotation. In this study, the effective recovery of clay-rich coal slurries was facilitated by pretreatment with sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) and sodium polycarboxylate complex surfactants. Contact angle and adhesion force tests show that complex surfactants reduce the wettability of the coal. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy shows that the ring structure of SHMP leads to P-Π stacking with the benzene ring structure on the coal and hydrogen bonding with the oxygen-containing functional groups. Sodium polycarboxylate can combine with the hydroxyl groups on the coal and the oxygen-containing functional groups exposed after multipoint diffusion coverage of SHMP by the multihydroxyl structure on the chain. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) tests show that the complex surfactant is adsorbed on the coal surface by hydrophobic and electrostatic attraction. Adsorption occurs in the form of single- and double-layer adsorption. Zeta potential measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that the addition of a complex surfactant attenuates slime entrainment. Flotation tests show that after pretreatment with the surfactant complex, the cleaning coal yield is increased by 45.14% and the ash content is decreased by 7.92% compared with froth flotation. The flotation effect shows an obvious improvement. The above results help to elucidate the mechanism for composite surfactants to improve the flotation separation effect based on mesoscopic and microscopic aspects and strive to provide theoretical support for efficient flotation. [Display omitted] • The efficient mixture of SHMP and sodium polycarboxylate exhibited superior modification properties. • After the modification, the adhesion and wettability of the coal is significantly reduced. • At the ratio of 5:3 of the complex surfactants, SHMP provided the best adsorption site for sodium polycarboxylate. • The mechanism of the interfacial action of the composite surfactant on the coal slurry was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate estimation and measurement of coal ash are crucial for fuel selection, combustion efficiency assessment and quality control. However, the most widely used ash measurement method is combustion; this method is highly accurate but has a certain lag; additionally, an older radiation measurement method has a certain error. In this regard, in this study, a detection model and measurement method are proposed based on the combination of dual-energy X-ray measurement results and artificial intelligence algorithms, i.e. a coal ash detection model based on a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network. A model training database was created, and 6468 raw data points were measured with an experimental apparatus and organized. The results showed that the root-mean-square error between the predicted value and the true value of the trained model was 0.0857. By comparing several indices with the traditional backpropagation (BP) neural network, the root-mean-square error was reduced by 1.27%, and the model’s errors in different predicted output values were uniformly distributed without evident systematic deviation; these results demonstrated and confirmed that our proposed ash prediction model achieved high estimation accuracy and had strong robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomolecules-mediated biomimetic mineralization has been extensively investigated and applied to fabricate nano-assemblies with unique hierarchical architectures and salient properties. The confined-source ion diffusion plays a key role in the biomineralization process, but little investigative efforts have focused on it. Here, we developed a simple method to mimic the in vivo condition by a confined diffusion method, and hydroxyapatite nanoflower assemblies (HNAs) with exquisite hierarchical architectures were obtained. The HNAs were assembled from needle-like hybrid nanocrystals of hydroxyapatite and hyaluronan. The results revealed that the strong interactions between ions and hyaluronan led to the nucleation of hydroxyapatite and the following aggregation. The combination of the external diffusion field and the internal multiple interactions induced the self-assembling processes. Additionally, HNAs with colloid stability and excellent biocompatibility were proved to be a promising cargo carrier for intranuclear delivery. This work presents a novel biomimetic mineralization strategy based on confined diffusion system for fabricating delicate hydroxyapatite, which offers a new perspective for the development of biomimetic strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CPAM still played its role as a polymer flocculant, the addition of α-HH promoting the formation of flocs. • In the CPAM system, the hydration reaction of α-HH could be accelerated to produce many CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O crystals. The CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O crystals could effectively play the role of skeleton support in the filter cake. • The CPAM and α-HH synergistic regulation effectively improves the dewatering performance of coal slurry. • The whole dewatering process was divided into four stages, and the filtering performance of filter aids was analyzed from the point of view of cake compressibility. • The conditioned coal slime dewatering effect was measured using a newly designed pressurized dewatering device. To improve the filter cake structure and efficiently dewater coal slime, CPAM and α-HH were designed for combined use in filtration experiments. The conditioned coal slime dewatering effect was measured using a newly designed pressurized dewatering device; the auxiliary mechanisms were analyzed from various perspectives, including hydrophobicity, electrostatic repulsion, coal slime composition and filter cake structure. A CCD experiment indicated that the optimal concentrations of the two additives in combination were 205.90 g/t CPAM and 56.25 mg/g α-HH. Under these conditions, the coal slime water CST decreased to 31.6 s, the filtration rate increased to 177.01 mL/(s·m2), the filter cake moisture content decreased to 16.46%. CPAM still acted as a polymer flocculant, causing the coal slime particles to form large flocs, while the addition of α-HH reduced the absolute zeta potential of the filtrate to 1.36 mV, thus decreasing the static repulsive forces between coal slime particles, promoting floc formation and increasing the floc chord length to 83–185 μm. These effects enhanced the CPAM flocculation effect. In the CPAM system, these phenomena accelerated the hydration reaction of α-HH and produced many CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O crystals. These crystals formed an interwoven skeleton in the coal slime flocs, increasing the CDI increased to 1650.04, and increasing the filter cake porosity from 13.26% to 16.45% and effectively improving the filter cake pore connectivity and permeability, which improved the filtration effect. This study could provide a new method and perspective for the efficient pressurized dewatering of coal slime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims An increase in root hair length and density and the development of arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis are two alternative strategies of most plants to increase the root–soil surface area under phosphorus (P) deficiency. Across many plant species, root hair length and mycorrhization density are inversely correlated. Root architecture, rooting density and physiology also differ between species. This study aims to understand the relationship among root hairs, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, plant growth, P acquisition and mycorrhizal-specific Pi transporter gene expression in maize. Methods Using nearly isogenic maize lines, the B73 wild type and the rth3 root hairless mutant, we quantified the effect of root hairs and AMF infection in a calcareous soil under P deficiency through a combined analysis of morphological, physiological and molecular factors. Key Results Wild-type root hairs extended the rhizosphere for acid phosphatase activity by 0.5 mm compared with the rth 3 hairless mutant, as measured by in situ zymography. Total root length of the wild type was longer than that of rth3 under P deficiency. Higher AMF colonization and mycorrhiza-induced phosphate transporter gene expression were identified in the mutant under P deficiency, but plant growth and P acquisition were similar between mutant and the wild type. The mycorrhizal dependency of maize was 33 % higher than the root hair dependency. Conclusions The results identified larger mycorrhizal dependency than root hair dependency under P deficiency in maize. Root hairs and AMF inoculation are two alternative ways to increase Pi acquisition under P deficiency, but these two strategies compete with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NOD1 is an innate immune sensor playing an important role in fighting against infection. However, its role in cancer is far from being clarified, and whether NOD1 plays a role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has never been reported. Here, we found that NOD1 expression was significantly decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and overexpression of NOD1 significantly inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo. In vitro experiments demonstrated that NOD1 inhibited proliferation of HCC cells by directly targeting proto-oncogene SRC and inducing cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Further investigation showed that NOD1 exerted its antitumor effect by inhibiting SRC activation and further suppressing SRC/MAPK axis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Moreover, NOD1 dramatically enhanced the response of HCC cells to chemotherapy via inhibition of SRC-MAPK axis both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data indicated that NOD1 suppressed proliferation and enhanced response to sorafenib or 5-FU treatment through inhibiting SRC-MAPK axis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Key messages: NOD1 significantly inhibited tumorigenesis of HCC in cellular and animal models. NOD1 inhibited proliferation of HCC cells by inducing cell cycle arrest. NOD1 exerted its antitumor effect on HCC by directly interacting with SRC and inhibiting SRC-MAPK axis. NOD1 significantly enhanced the chemosensitivity of HCC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO 2 injection into shale reservoirs has been recently proposed as a promising method that can be used to enhance hydrocarbon recovery from shale reservoirs. Adsorption behavior of hydrocarbon(s)/CO 2 mixtures under shale-reservoir conditions plays an important role in affecting the efficiency of CO 2 -enhanced hydrocarbon recovery from shale. In organic pores residing in shale reservoirs, the adsorption behavior of hydrocarbon(s)/CO 2 mixtures can be significantly affected by the strong fluid/pore-wall interactions. In this work, a double-nanopore system comprising of two pores with sizes of 1 nm and 3 nm is built; then the competitive adsorption behavior of hydrocarbon(s)/CO 2 mixtures (i.e., C 1 / n C 4 , C 1 /CO 2 , n C 4 /CO 2 , and C 1 / n C 4 /CO 2 mixtures) is investigated in this double-nanopore system using the molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. Firstly, the competitive adsorption behavior of C 1 / n C 4 mixture in double-nanopore system is studied with a depressurization manner. The effects of pressure and pore size distribution on competitive adsorption between hydrocarbons and CO 2 are discussed. To investigate the efficiency of CO 2 in replacing C 1 or n C 4 molecules from organic pores, dynamic distribution characteristics of C 1 /CO 2 , n C 4 /CO 2 , and C 1 / n C 4 /CO 2 mixtures in the double-nanopore system are further investigated. The competitive adsorption behavior of C 1 / n C 4 mixture indicates that, in both nanopores, as pressure decreases, adsorption of lighter hydrocarbon (i.e., C 1) decreases significantly, but adsorption of heavier component (i.e., n C 4) increases slightly. It suggests that as pressure decreases, the lighter hydrocarbons can be easily extracted from nanopores, while the heavier hydrocarbons may not be readily produced. Adsorption behavior of C 1 /CO 2 indicates that CO 2 can help the C 1 recovery from nanopores; meanwhile, the recovery efficiency in the larger pore, (i.e., 3 nm), is much higher than that in the smaller pore (i.e., 1 nm). On the contrary, as pressure decreases, adsorption of n C 4 in n C 4 /CO 2 mixtures in both nanopores is becoming stronger with the presence of CO 2 ; the same behavior is also observed for C 1 / n C 4 /CO 2 mixture. This implies that, although CO 2 injection may help the recovery of lighter hydrocarbons (e.g., C 1), but may not be an efficient agent for the recovery of heavier hydrocarbons (e.g., n C 4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) availability affects the spatial and temporal distribution of phosphatase activity and acidification in the rhizosphere: two strongly interactive key strategies of nutrient acquisition by roots. Zymography was coupled with pH planar optode mapping to reveal the effects of P-availability (P deficiency, or with phytate or Ca(H 2 PO 4) 2 amendment) on the spatial distribution of phosphatase activity, pH and rhizosphere extent around the taproot of lupine before and after cluster root formation. Before cluster root formation, phosphorus deficiency increased acid phosphatase activities by 20%, decreased pH by 0.8 units and broadened the rhizosphere extent by 0.4 mm across the taproot. Phytate (80 mg kg−1) addition dampened these changes before cluster root formations. In contrast, the rhizosphere extent of phosphatase activity after cluster root formation was 0.2 mm narrower under P-deficiency than with Ca(H 2 PO 4) 2 amendment. Due to cluster root formation, the hotspot areas of alkaline phosphatase activity were 40% larger for lupine grown under P-deficiency than amended with Ca(H 2 PO 4) 2. Lupine rhizosphere strategies shifted during growth: increasing phosphatase activity, acidifying soil and broadening the rhizosphere around the taproot are dominant mechanisms before cluster root formation. After cluster root development, the main mechanism is increasing the area of phosphatase activity hotspots around cluster roots to enlarge the exploited soil volume. Image 1 • P deficiency increased phosphatase activity, decreased pH across the taproot before cluster root formation. • Phytate amendment reduced phosphatase activity and soil acidification. • PH increased and its rhizosphere extent narrowed around taproot after cluster root development. • Phosphatase activity hotspots area increased after cluster root development under P deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfine low-rank coals are subject to metamorphic changes that hinder their floatability, impeding their clean and efficient utilization. The objective of this study was to refine the jet-slurry technique to enhance the floatability of microfine low-rank coals. Furthermore, advanced methods including Focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM), high-sensitivity microelectromechanical balancer (DCAT), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were employed to dissect the physicochemical effects of jet slurring on microfine low-rank coal particles. The study found that as the concentration of microfine coal particles increased, surface reagent adsorption initially rose and then fell with greater feed volumes. In contrast, adhesion forces displayed an inverse trend. Optimal results were achieved with a feed volume set at 25 L/min. This phenomenon is attributable to multiple regulatory factors. Within certain limits, intensifying conditioning promotes particle agglomeration, curtails fine gangue mineral coverage, boosts sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) adsorption, diminishes microfine coal wettability, and better kerosene-coal particle mixing. However, at excessive jet speeds (30 L/min), substantial physical pressure variances and mechanical dispersion forces arise, undermining SDS or kerosene’s chemical adsorption to coal or modified coal, thus reducing reagent attachment. The aforementioned study demonstrates that within certain parameters, jet slurring significantly betters coal-gangue separation, thereby amplifying the flotation efficacy of microfine low-rank coals. This research offers strategic insights into microfine low-rank coal flotation processes and lays a theoretical groundwork for the selection of suitable techniques and reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) addition influences fine root growth and mycorrhizal symbiosis formation, the two dominant strategies for tree nutrient acquisition. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and ectomycorrhizae (ECM) are the two dominant types of mycorrhizal fungi that form symbioses with the roots of most trees. To reveal the divergent adaptive mechanisms and nutrient acquisition strategies of AM and ECM trees under N addition, we investigated the growth and nutrient acquisition of three dominant tree species in a subtropical forest with contrasting fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi symbioses. Castanopsis hystrix with thin fine roots forms associations with ECM. Michelia macclurei and Phoebe bournei with relatively thick fine roots form associations with AM. N addition facilitates the growth of AM trees more obvious than that of the EMC tree. Acid phosphatase activity was increased to overcome N addition-induced P deficiency. The increase in acid phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere of the ECM tree was greater than in AM trees. N addition decreased fine root length and mycorrhizal fungi colonization in all three tree species. The responses of fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi to N addition were species-specific: fine roots were more sensitive than mycorrhizal fungi for C. hystrix and P. bournei , while the opposite pattern (sensitivity of mycorrhiza > roots) was observed for M. macclurei. The divergent sensitivity of the two dominant nutrient acquisition strategies among tree species may facilitate ecological niche partitioning and inter-specific coexistence under limited nutrient availability. [Display omitted] • Nitrogen addition suppressed the activity of enzymes involved in N cycles. • Acid phosphatase activity increased in response to N addition and induced P deficiency. • The increase in phosphatase activity was stronger in an ECM tree than in AM trees. • Nitrogen addition facilitated the growth of AM trees more than an EMC tree. • The responses of fine root and mycorrhiza to N addition were species-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DFT-D predicts bulk and surface properties of gypsum accurately. • The INTERFACE force field results in a good agreement with DFT-D and experiment. • Changing partial charges of CLAYFF to those of the INTERFACE improves its performance. A crucial step in atomistic simulations of interfacial phenomena is confirming the thermodynamic consistency of the force field. This can be achieved by investigating the ability of the force field in predicting the bulk and surface properties of all components in the system. In this work, our focus is on the interfacial properties of gypsum, the calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O), which is the most abundant calcium sulfate in the earth crust. The performance of classical force fields was tested by comparing their results with those calculated with dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) method as well as experimentally reported data. The DFT-D method implemented to study gypsum and showed a promising performance by reproducing experimentally reported bulk and surface properties. We showed that properties calculated using classical force fields are highly dependent on ionic partial charges. Substituting the original ionic partial charges in the CLAYFF force field with those of the INTERFACE force field improved the calculated bulk and surface properties significantly. CLAYFF with augmented partial charges and INTERFACE force fields showed the best overall performance in reproducing bulk and surface properties of gypsum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Blast response of gradient honeycomb sandwich panels were examined. • Influence of core arrangement on the blast response were investigated. • The energy absorption of gradient cores was calculated. • The use of basalt FMLs can enhance the blast resistance of sandwich panels. Abstract In this paper, the blast responses of fiber metal laminates (FMLs) and gradient aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels with FML as skins were experimentally investigated. The woven basalt fabric was chosen as the composite reinforcement in FMLs due to its excellent mechanical and eco-friendly properties. Five different core layer arrangements were considered for sandwich panels in the experiments by arranging honeycomb core layers with different cell geometric dimensions. The deformation/failure modes of sandwich panels were obtained in the experiments, in terms of FML face-sheets and gradient honeycomb cores. The energy absorption of gradient honeycomb cores was quantitatively analyzed by digitizing the deformation/failure region of cores. The results showed that the use of basalt FMLs as face sheets can greatly enhance the blast resistance of sandwich panels compared with that with aluminum sheets as skins. The blast resistance of gradient sandwich panels not only depends on the geometric dimensions and arrangements of core layers, but also related to the intensity of target load which will cause different deformation/failure mechanism of panels. Thus, in order to obtain the best blast resistance, a well-design gradient sandwich panel should have suitable core layer arrangements and geometry to satisfy the intensity of target blast load. The results obtained from current study can give valuable reference to the using of sandwich panels in engineering protection field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lentil and lupine, having contrasting root morphologies, were chosen to investigate the effects of plant growth and root morphology on the spatial distribution of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, leucine aminopeptidase, and acid phosphomonoesterase activities. Lentil kept as vegetative growth and the rhizosphere extent was constant, while the enzyme activities at the root surface kept increasing. Lupine entered reproductive growth in the seventh week after planting, the rhizosphere extent was broader in the eighth week than in the first and fourth weeks. However, enzyme activity at the root surface of lupine decreased by 10-50% in comparison to the preceding vegetative stage (first and fourth weeks). Lupine lateral roots accounted for 1.5-3.5 times more rhizosphere volume per root length than taproots, with 6-14-fold higher enzyme activity per root surface area. Therefore, we conclude that plant growth and root morphology influenced enzyme activity and shape the rhizosphere as follows: the enzyme activity in the rhizosphere increased with plant growth until reproductive stage; lateral roots have much larger rhizosphere volume per unit root length and higher enzyme activity per root surface area than the taproots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The differences of sodium polycarboxylate on carbon and kaolinite were studied. • Increased clean coal yield and reduced clean coal ash through sodium polycarboxylate flotation pretreatment. • The addition of sodium polycarboxylate significantly enhanced the hydrophobicity of carbon and the hydrophilicity of kaolinite. • The addition of sodium polycarboxylate enhanced the separation of useful and veinstone minerals. Kaolinite-rich coal slurries suffer from a low yield and high ash content owing to the easy mudification of kaolinite in water during flotation. This study investigates the efficient recycling of a kaolinite-rich coal slurry using sodium polycarboxylate flotation pretreatment. The differences in the mechanism of action of sodium polycarboxylate on coal and kaolinite were investigated using high-sensitivity microelectromechanical balancer (DCAT), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that sodium polycarboxylate reduces the adhesion of the coal slurry and increases the adhesion of kaolinite. Sodium polycarboxylate can cover the hydrophilic groups of –OH by binding to the hydroxyl groups on the coal surface at multiple points via the polyhydroxy structure on the molecular chain. Covering the hydrophobic potential of kaolinite increases the percentages of hydrophilic groups such as Si-O and OH in FTIR. The above findings help to elucidate the separation mechanism of sodium polycarboxylate on carbon ash and improve the flotation separation effect. The optimum dosage of sodium polycarboxylate is 4 kg/t, kerosene, and 2-octanol are 10 kg/t and 12 kg/t, respectively. The yield of clean coal is 70.43 %, ash content of clean coal is 12.62 %, which increases the yield of clean coal by 40.89 % and decreases the ash content of clean coal by 8.56 % compared to the optimum dosage of froth flotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid magnetic nanocomposites based on Cu-MOFs, graphene oxide (GO), and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via chemical bonding approach, which GO were used as platforms to load nanostructured Cu-MOFs and Fe 3 O 4 NPs. The composite features both magnetic separation characteristics and high MOFs porosity, making it an excellent adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The as-synthesized nanocomposites are characterized by XRD, TGA, SEM, TEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The composites are used in MSPE of six aromatic insecticides from various real samples prior to their quantification by HPLC. Amount of adsorbent, extraction times, extraction temperature, desorption times and oscillation rate are optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the method has a relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.9–2.7%, and good linearity (correlation coefficients higher than 0.9931). The low LOD and LOQ for six insecticides are found to be 0.30–1.58 μg L -1 and 1.0–5.2 μg L -1 , respectively. The RSDs of within batch extraction are 1.6–9.5% and 3.9–12% for batch to batch extraction. The experimental results suggest that the nanocomposites have potential application for removal of hazardous pollutants from effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of root hairs and root radius for exudation and nutrient acquisition by plants is known mainly from nutrient solution studies. The in situ effects of root hairs and root radius on the spatial distribution of enzyme activity in the rhizosphere of various plants are unknown. Four plants with contrasting root morphology (maize, wheat, lentil and lupine) were chosen to test the effects of root hairs and root radius on the spatial distribution of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, leucine aminopeptidase and acid phosphatase. We combined zymography with enzyme kinetics to evaluate the effects of root hairs on the rhizosphere extent and on substrate turnover. The extent of enzyme activity in the rhizosphere of four plants ranged from 0.55 to 2 mm. The extent of β-glucosidase was 1.5 times broader (1.2 mm versus 0.8 mm) and the substrate turnover was 2-fold faster around wheat root regions with hairs than hairless locations. The rhizosphere extent relative to root radius and the enzyme activity per root surface area were plant and enzyme specific: the rhizosphere extent was 1.5–2 times broader and the enzyme activity was 2–8-fold higher in wheat (with thin roots and long root hairs) compared to maize, lentil and lupine. The rhizosphere extent of acid phosphatase (1.1–2.0 mm) was 1.5–2-fold broader than that of other enzymes (0.5–1.0 mm). For the first time, we showed that the rhizosphere extent relative to root radius was 20–100% broader and enzyme activity per surface area was 4–7-fold higher around thin roots (wheat) than around thick roots (maize). Moreover, the rhizosphere extent relative to root radius was 10–30% broader and enzyme activity per root area was 2–7 times higher around roots with long and dense hairs (lupine) than around roots with short and sparse hairs (lentil). We conclude that root hairs and root radius shape the rhizosphere: root hairs contributed mainly to the rhizosphere extent, while root radius more strongly affected the enzyme activity per root surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe a zinc(II) benzenetricarboxylate (Zn-BTC) based metal-organic framework (MOF) with chrysanthemum-like structure, and its application to the adsorption of pesticides from real water samples. The Zn-BTC MOF was characterized by XRD, TGA, SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The MOF was used in dispersive solid-phase extraction of six aromatic pesticides from various wastewater samples prior to their quantification by HPLC. Extraction times, extraction temperature, amount of adsorbent, and oscillation rate were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the method has relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 6.1-10.1%, and good linearity (correlation coefficients higher than 0.9974). The LODs and LOQs for seven pesticides are found to be 0.20-1.60 μg·L and 0.66-5.28 μg·L, respectively. The RSDs of within batch extraction are 1.6-9.5% and 3.9-12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature effects on enzyme kinetics and on the spatial distribution of microbial hotspots are important because they are crucial to soil organic matter decomposition. We used soil zymography ( in situ method for the two dimensional quantification of enzyme activities) to study the spatial distributions of enzymes responsible for P (phosphatase), C (cellobiohydrolase) and N (leucine-aminopeptidase) cycles in the rhizosphere (living roots of maize) and root-detritusphere (7 and 14 days after cutting shoots). Soil zymography was coupled with enzyme kinetics to test temperature effects (10, 20, 30 and 40 °C) on the dynamics and localization of these three enzymes in the root-detritusphere. The percentage area of enzyme activity hotspots was 1.9–7.9 times larger and their extension was broader in the root-detritusphere compared to rhizosphere. From 10 to 30 °C, the hotspot areas enlarged by a factor of 2–24 and V max increased by 1.5–6.6 times; both, however, decreased at 40 °C. For the first time, we found a close positive correlation between V max and the areas of enzyme activity hotspots, indicating that maximum reaction rate is coupled with hotspot formation. The substrate turnover time at 30 °C were 1.7–6.7-fold faster than at 10 °C. The K m of cellobiohydrolase and phosphatase significantly increased at 30 and 40 °C, indicating low affinity between enzyme and substrate at warm temperatures. We conclude that soil warming (at least up to 30 °C) increases hotspot areas of enzyme activity and the maximum reaction rate (V max ) in the root-detritusphere. This, in turn, leads to faster substrate exhaustion and shortens the duration of hot moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a traffic jam or dense vehicle environment, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) cannot meet the safety requirement due to serious packet collisions. The traditional cellular network solves packet collisions but suffers from long end-to-end delay. Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) overcomes both drawbacks; thus, it may be used, instead of VANETs, in some extreme environments. We use Markov models with dynamic scheduling and semipersistent scheduling (SPS) to evaluate how many idle resources of LTE can be provided for safety services and how safety applications impact LTE traditional users. Based on the analysis, we propose to reserve the idle radio resources in LTE for vehicular safety services (LTE-V). Additionally, we propose the weighted-fair-queuing (WFQ) algorithm to schedule beacons for safety services using the LTE reserved resources. Numerical results verify that the proposed mechanism can significantly improve the reliability of safety applications by borrowing limited LTE bandwidth. We also build an NS3 simulation platform to verify the effectiveness of the proposed Markov models. Finally, the reliability of applications, including cooperation collision warning (CCW), slow vehicle indication (SVI), and rear-end collision warning (RCW), using dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) with LTE-V, are evaluated. The simulation results demonstrate that the stringent quality-of-service (QoS) requirement of the aforementioned three applications can be satisfied, even under heavy traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The hydration and ion adsorption of kaolinite, which is the most common clay mineral, play crucial roles in engineering geology and environmental applications. To investigate the effects of different valence metal cation solutions on the hydration of kaolinite, we used microcalorimetry, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to measure the hydration heat and adsorption behaviors between kaolinite and different concentrations of NaCl, MgCl 2 , and AlCl 3 solutions. Based on the results obtained from microcalorimetry, the heat generated by the mixing of kaolinite with different ionic solutions increases with increasing metal cation valence and ion concentration. The QCM-D shows that the increase in the ion concentration leads to an increase in the adsorption volume of metal ions on the kaolinite surface. The adsorption priority of the metal ions on the kaolinite surface can be ranked as Al3+ > Mg2+ > Na+. The results of MD simulations show that the ability of hydrated ions to destroy the hydrated films on the kaolinite surface increases with the increase of the metal cation valence, while a new thicker and more dilute ion hydration structure can be easily formed. The adsorption of ions on the kaolinite surface is controlled by the crystal structure of kaolinite. [Display omitted] • The adsorption of metal ions increases with the ion concentration. • The adsorption can be ranked from high to low as follows: Al3+ > Mg2+ > Na+ • The ion hydration adsorption is affected by the crystal structure of kaolinite. • The metal cation adsorption capacity of kaolinite is higher than that of Cl-. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The membranes for gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) for lithium-ion batteries were prepared by electrospinning a blend of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) with cellulose acetate (CA). The performances of the prepared membranes and the resulted GPEs were investigated, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), porosity, hydrophilicity, electrolyte uptake, mechanical property, thermal stability, AC impedance measurements, linear sweep voltammetry, and charge-discharge cycle tests. The effect of the ratio of CA to PVdF on the performance of the prepared membranes was considered. It is found that the GPE based on the blended polymer with CA:PVdF =2:8 (in weight) has an outstanding combination property-strength (11.1 MPa), electrolyte uptake (768.2 %), thermal stability (no shrinkage under 80 °C without tension), and ionic conductivity (2.61 × 10 S cm). The Li/GPE/LiCoO battery using this GPE exhibits superior cyclic stability and storage performance at room temperature. Its specific capacity reaches up to 204.15 mAh g, with embedded lithium capacity utilization rate of 74.94 %, which is higher than the other lithium-ion batteries with the same cathode material LiCoO (about 50 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Klebsiella pneumoniae is a critical environmental pathogen causing bovine mastitis. • Klebsiella pneumoniae could induce the injury in bovine mammary epithelial cells by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibiting the Nrf2 signaling pathway. • Selenomethionine could inhibit the inflammation and oxidative stress via regulating the NF-κB and the Nrf2 signaling pathways in the infection by the Klebsiella pneumonia. Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is one of the main environmental pathogens causing bovine mastitis. The incidence of bovine mastitis caused by K. pneumoniae is increasing worldwide. Selenium is an essential trace element that has multiple physiological functions, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, this study aimed to verify whether selenomethionine (SeMet) could contribute to alleviating the inflammatory injury and oxidative damage induced by K. pneumonia e. Bovine mammary epithelial cells were cultured in vitro and pretreated with 4 μM SeMet before being infected with K. pneumoniae. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of the related proteins in the NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways. The gene expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, Nrf2, Keap1, NQO-1 and HO-1 were detected using RT–qPCR. The levels of MDA, GSH-PX, SOD, CAT and T-AOC were detected by commercial assay kits. Flow cytometry was used to determine the level of intracellular ROS, and immunofluorescence was used to detect the nuclear localization of Nrf2 protein. Briefly, SeMet downregulated the phosphorylation levels of IκBα and p65 proteins and the gene expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were also decreased. Moreover, the protein and gene expression levels of Nrf2, NQO-1 and HO-1 were upregulated, and the nuclear expression of Nrf2 protein was also promoted, which enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, SeMet protected BMECs from inflammatory injury and oxidative stress induced by K. pneumoniae by inhibiting the NF-κB and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed following a cancer‐negative colonoscopy is termed as post‐colonoscopy CRC (PCCRC). The World Endoscopy Organization has recently standardized the definition of PCCRC‐3Y (CRC developing within 3 years of a cancer‐negative colonoscopy). In the present study, we sought to assess PCCRC‐3Y rate, perform root‐cause analyses, and identify factors associated with development of PCCRC at a tertiary referral hospital in Australia. Methods: All patients undergoing colonoscopy from 2011 to 2018 were matched to a population‐based cancer register. PCCRC‐3Y rate was assessed for years 2011–2015. All PCCRC cases that developed within 6–48 months after a cancer‐negative colonoscopy underwent root‐cause analyses. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Results: Among 17 828 patients undergoing colonoscopy, 367 CRC cases were diagnosed during the study period. This included nine PCCRC cases, which developed at a median of 14 months (range 7–34 months) after cancer‐negative colonoscopy. The PCCRC‐3Y rate for years 2011–2015 was 2.16% (95% CI 0.91–5.15). All nine PCCRC cases were moderately or poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas; seven of nine were early‐stage CRC (stages I and II) and six of nine probably represented missed lesions at index colonoscopy despite an apparently adequate examination. History of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (odds ratio [OR] 21.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.6–103.7, P < 0.001) and diverticulosis (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.4–20.5, P = 0.01) were significantly associated with development of missed CRC. Conclusions: In our tertiary referral colonoscopy cohort, PCCRC‐3Y rate was 2.16% (95% CI 0.91–5.15). IBD and diverticulosis were significantly associated with risk of PCCRC. The majority of PCCRC lesions were likely missed at index colonoscopy, despite an apparently adequate examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discusses articles within the issue on topics including the bi-quadrature physical-layer network coding (BQPNC), the selection of wireless internet service provider (WISP) among consumers, and the data cleansing approach for robust localization.

Image alignment and stitching is a popular application on many smart phones, but it is time consuming and creates a critical bottle neck in the course of implementation. In this paper, a fast and high-quality image stitching method is proposed. First, a series of simulated images is obtained by simulating the latitude and longitude angles of a raw image; second, FAST detector is used to detect the features of all the simulated images and described by Fast Retina Key-point (FREAK) before all the feature information is projected to the raw image; third, Hamming distance is used as a feature similarity metric and all the features are matched directly instead of using the repetitive projection in Affine-SIFT (ASIFT). RANSAC is then used to achieve the optimal affine-transformations, and lastly, a weighted average bending algorithm is used to smooth the intensities of the overlapping regions. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed image stitching method greatly increases the speed of the image alignment process and produces a satisfactory result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IEEE 1609.4 protocol defines a channel switching mechanism to enable a single radio operating efficiently on multiple channels to support both safety and non-safety services. Basic safety message (BSM) is transmitted only through the control channel at regular intervals. In this paper, we propose an analytic model based on interacting semi-Markov process (SMP) to evaluate both Medium Access Control (MAC) and application level performance and reliability of safety message broadcasting incorporating the impact of multi-channel operations. Message service time distribution is derived using Laplace-Stieltjes transform based on the proposed model. Due to the cyclic interactions between the SMP models for vehicles contending the same channel, fixed-point iteration is used to obtain converged solutions. Subsequently, MAC and application-level performance and reliability metrics are derived based on the converged solutions. Channel fading with path loss is taken into consideration in this derivation. The analytic models are validated through extensive simulations in NS2 to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of our proposed fixed-point iteration based model decomposition. The effects of channel switching mechanism and channel fading are also evaluated by comparing with other analytic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of soil quality can provide new insights into the sustainable management of forests. This study investigated the effects of three types of forest management intensities (non-management (CK), extensive management (EM), and intensive management (IM)), and five management durations (0, 3, 8, 15, and 20 years) on the soil quality of a Carya dabieshanensis forest. Further, minimum data sets (MDS) and optimized minimum data sets (OMDS) were established to evaluate the soil quality index (SQI). A total of 20 soil indicators representing its physical, chemical, and biological properties were measured for the 0–30 cm layer. Using one-way ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA), the total data set (TDS), the minimum data set (MDS), and optimized minimum data set (OMDS) were established. The MDS and OMDS contained three (alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN), and pH) and four (total phosphorus (TP), soil organic carbon (SOC), AN, and bulk density (BD)) soil indicators, respectively. The SQI derived from the OMDS and TDS exhibited a stronger correlation (r = 0.94, p < 0.01), which was suitable for evaluating the soil quality of the C. dabieshanensis forest. The evaluation results revealed that the soil quality was highest during the early stage of intensive management (IM-3), and the SQI of each soil layer was 0.81 ± 0.13, 0.47 ± 0.11, and 0.38 ± 0.07, respectively. With extended management times, the degree of soil acidification increased, and the nutrient content decreased. Compared with the untreated forest land the soil pH, SOC, and TP decreased by 2.64–6.24%, 29.43–33.04%, and 43.63–47.27%, respectively, following 20 years of management, while the SQI of each soil layer decreased to 0.35 ± 0.09, 0.16 ± 0.02 and 0.12 ± 0.06, respectively. In contrast to extensive management, the soil quality deteriorated more rapidly under longer management and intensive supervision. The OMDS established in this study provides a reference for the assessment of soil quality in C. dabieshanensis forests. In addition, it is suggested that the managers of C. dabieshanensis forests should implement measures such as increasing the amount of P-rich organic fertilizer and restoring vegetation to increase soil nutrient resources for the gradual restoration of soil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flocculation that takes place in the central feedwell of the thickener plays a crucial role in the coal-slurry thickening process, which is not only complex but also largely influenced by the flow characteristics. A coupled computational fluid dynamics–population balance model (CFD–PBM) was used to model the complex flocculation-thickening behaviour in an industrial-scale gravity thickener. The initialisation parameters of the inlet flow were obtained through self-designed image-recognition experiments, and then the effects of different types of conical deflectors on the floc distribution were simulated and analysed using them. The results showed that, under the condition that the angle of the conical deflector's sides in the vertical plane was known, a reasonable increase in the height of the bottom surface could reduce the annular spanwise vortices at the underflow of the feedwell, thereby avoiding the erosion of the inlet flow and the annular spanwise vortex on the floc deposition layer. However, excessive height on the part of the conical deflector could affect the flocculation effect of solid particles. For the same central feedwell size of the thickener as in the simulation, the best flocculation effect was achieved at an angle of α = 24° in the vertical plane of the conical deflector. Turbulence regulation of the conical deflector promotes the aggregation of fine particles in the fluid of the feedwell, providing a new method for the intensification of the flocculation-concentration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including spectrum sensing based on energy harvesting in cognitive radio network, power control scheme for cellular railway network, and resource allocation scheme for long-term evolution (LTE).

Objectives: This retrospective study aims to evaluate the long term clinical performance of two-unit cantilevered resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) relating to their retention, success and survival rate. Materials and methods: Prostheses that were placed at least four years previously were clinically reviewed to evaluate retention, success and survival rate. Additional information was also collected, including patient's gender, age and satisfaction on their prosthesis, operator's experience, prosthesis service life, root canal therapy if performed, abutment mobility, bone support, the presence of shim-stock contacts on the abutment or pontic in intercuspal position, and the presence of proximal axial contacts adjacent to the prosthesis. The date of any debonding with subsequent treatment was also recorded. Results: A total of 211 two-unit RBFPDs were placed in 153 patients, with a mean service life of 113.2 33.5 months. Twenty-eight prostheses debonded, resulting in a retention rate of 86.7 percent, and another five teeth were extracted with the prostheses, resulting in a success rate of 84.4 percent. 90.0 percent prostheses were functioning (survival rate) by means of rebonding at the time of review. The location of the replaced tooth had a significant effect on the retention of RBFPDs with posterior RBFPDs lower than anterior ( p = 0.020). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed 5-, 10- and 15-year cumulative probability of surviving was 0.97, 0.91 and 0.84, respectively. Conclusions: 211 two-unit RBFPDs were observed to have a success, retention and survival rate of 84.4, 86.7 and 90.0 percent, respectively, with a mean service life of 9.4 years. Clinical Significance: Based on the clinical results, two-unit RBFPD are shown to be a durable prosthesis over the long term with high patient satisfaction. The posterior prostheses, particularly in the lower arch appeared to have a higher failure rate, and improved design features should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global increase in nitrogen (N) deposition influences the belowground allocation of plant photosynthates and the formation of roots and rhizosphere-associated symbionts as well as soil nutrient availability, thereby affecting the nutrient acquisition by trees. Trees obtain nutrients primarily through fine root growth or mycorrhizal symbioses. These two mechanisms have an antagonistic relationship, but how they are modified by N deposition remains unknown. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and ectomycorrhizae (EM) are the two dominant types of mycorrhizal fungi that form symbioses with the roots of most trees. However, the divergent adaptive mechanisms and nutrient acquisition strategies of trees with a symbiotic relationship with AM (AM trees) or with EM (EM trees) in response to N deposition are unclear. To clarify these points, we conducted a meta-analysis of 116 studies on global forest ecosystems. Following prolonged (>2 years) or high-load (>140 kg ha−1 y−1) N addition, both AM and EM trees decrease the amount of energy allocated to mycorrhizal symbioses and increasingly rely on fine roots to obtain nutrients. The faster growth of AM trees than of EM trees under N deposition is partly attributed to their divergent nutrient acquisition strategies: the fine root biomass and length decreased significantly in EM trees (−13% and −17%, respectively), but not in AM trees. Furthermore, the acid phosphatase activity increased more for the AM trees than for the EM trees (28% and 4%, respectively), indicative of a greater abundance of available P for the AM trees than for the EM trees after N addition. Consequently, AM trees have advantages in terms of root morphology and phosphatase activity over EM trees, suggesting they are better adapted to high N deposition. • Trees shifted from mycorrhizal fungi to fine roots for nutrient acquisition under N addition. • Fine root biomass and length significantly decreased for ECM not for AM trees. • AM trees increased acid phosphatase activity 7-fold compared with that of ECM trees. • N deposition can influence belowground traits and plant nutrient acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an efficient affine-invariant feature image matching method, especially when there are wide viewing angles. In previous studies, all the AKAZE-based algorithms are built on nonlinear scale-space by using Fast Explicit Diffusion (FED) scheme, which has the advantage of high computational efficiency. But all of them do not have affine invariance and cannot favor the image matching when the image views are too different. Unlike AKAZE features, AFREAK features are extracted from the simulated images obtained by sampling the latitude and longitude angles of an original image, which have good robustness for viewpoint changes. Therefore, we combine the idea of simulating an affine transformation with the construction of a nonlinear scale-space to build an affine-invariant nonlinear scale-space. Then, in order to reduce the redundancy information, we optimize the sampling of longitude angles and simplify the FREAK descriptor. Moreover, a coarse-to-fine matching strategy based on Vector Field Consistency (VFC) and Progressive Sampling Consensus (PROSAC) is developed to further improve the rapidity and correct matching rate. Experimental results on various benchmark image datasets demonstrate that the proposed method is computationally efficient for image matching while has the fully affine invariance. • Affine-invariant nonlinear scale-space is faster and robust for viewpoint changes. • Optimized sampling step of longitude angle is computationally efficient. • Simplified descriptor with less redundancy information reduces the construction cost. • Coarse-to-fine matching improves the correct matching rate and rapidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel composite comprising two laminae, each integrating fiber and metal within a single layer, is established, with the objective of addressing the common problem of structural degradation via debonding between composite and metals in conventional Fiber-Metal Laminates (FMLs). Each lamina consists of an aluminium sheet with rectangular perforations punched out in a grid-like pattern; basalt roving is then "woven" into the sheet by running parallel strips of roving in one direction through the perforations, alternating above and below of metal segments. This results in interlocking of the roving and metal constituents, and the lamina can be considered an assembly of many small metal-composite interface (MCI) units, where the roving and metal are in mutual contact. Two such laminae are stacked together, and epoxy is infused into them to create a bi-layer composite. Specimens are then subjected to quasi-static and projectile impact tests, to examine the deformation and failure induced. Examination of post-test samples show failure and debonding within only a limited number of MCI units in a lamina, because of the intimate integration and interlocking between the fiber and metal components. Moreover, no debonding between the two adjacent laminae is observed. This indicates that the novel architecture of the composite, endows it with excellent resistance against crack propagation, not only within MCI units, but also within the basalt-reinforced epoxy component. It is envisaged that with appropriate optimization, the mechanical properties of these new fiber-metal composites can be further enhanced and implemented in applications where conventional FMLs encounter limitations. [Display omitted] • A novel fiber-metal hybrid lamina composite (FM-HLC) was designed. • FM-HLCs have interlocking structure and discrete metal composite interface units. • Metal composite interface failure in FM-HLCs is confined in localized region. • FM-HLCs provide flexibility to the optimization of fiber-metal composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increase of phosphatase activity and rhizosphere acidification are two main physiological mechanisms of phosphorus mobilization by plants. To understand plant P-acquisition strategies, the spatial distribution of phosphatase activity and pH in the rhizosphere in response to P availability between legumes and cereals and along individual roots were investigated. Zymography of acid and alkaline phosphatase activities visualizing P hydrolysis potential was combined with planar optodes to localize pH changes in maize and lupine rhizosphere. Lupine was more adapted to P-deficiency than maize by increasing phosphatase activity (up to 30%), decreasing pH for 0.8 units in the rhizosphere and having larger hotspot areas compared to P addition. The P deficiency-induced increases of phosphatase activities and acidification were position-specific along taproot of lupine: acid phosphatase was highest while alkaline phosphatase was least at apical parts; pH was 1.7 units lower at the apical than at the basal part. The phosphatase activities and pH along lateral roots of lupine were independent on P availability but had specific distribution patterns: acid phosphatase activity declined from the root tips toward basal part, while the alkaline phosphatase activity was slightly increased from root tips; the pH was highest at the root tips (first 5 mm) and declined thereafter until stabilized after 20 mm. We conclude that 1) lupine is better adapted to P deficiency than maize by a stronger increase of phosphatase activities and facilitation of rhizosphere acidification; 2) The organic P mobilization by phosphatases and mineral P solubilization by acidification along individual roots were dependent on the root zone. • Lupine is better adapted to P deficiency than maize. • The P mobilization pattern along lupine lateral root was position-specific. • The P deficiency-induced acidification was stronger at basal part of lupine taproot [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an analytic model is proposed for the performance evaluation of vehicular safety related services in the dedicated short range communications (DSRC) system on highways. The generation and service of safety messages in each vehicle is modeled by a generalized M/G/1 queue. The overall model is a set of interacting M/G/1 queues, one queue for each vehicle. The interaction is that the server is shared as it is the contention medium. To make the model scalable, we use semi-Markov process (SMP) model to capture the shared server's behavior from one tagged vehicle's perspective, where the medium contention and back off behavior for this vehicle and influences from other vehicles are considered. Furthermore, this SMP interacts with the tagged vehicle's own M/G/1 queue through fixed-point iteration. The proof for the existence, uniqueness and convergence of the fixed point is provided. Based on the fixed-point solution, performance indices including mean transmission delay, packet delivery ratio (PDR), and packet reception ratio (PRR) are derived. Analytic-numeric results are verified through extensive simulations under various network parameters. Compared with the existing models, the proposed SMP model facilitates the impact analysis of hidden terminal problem on the PDR and PRR computation in a more precise manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on quantitative 1H NMR and 2H NMR techniques, a quantitative method of direct determination of deuterium concentration in water was proposed and validated. This is a simple, rapid, and sensitive method, with minimum sample preparation. The detection range of the proposed method was from natural abundance to nearly 100%, thus satisfying multiple analysis requirements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

IEEE- and ASTM-adopted dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) standards are key enabling technologies for the next generation of vehicular safety communications. Vehicle-safety-related communication services, which require reliable and fast message delivery, usually demand broadcast communications in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). In this paper, we propose and justify a distributive cross-layer scheme for the design of the control channel in DSRC with three levels of broadcast services that are critical to most potential vehicle-safety-related applications. The new scheme for enhancing broadcast reliability includes preemptive priority in safety services, dynamic receiver-oriented packet repetitions for one-hop emergency warning message dissemination, a multifrequency busy tone and minislot within the distributed interframe space (DIFS) in IEEE 802.11, and robust distance-based relay selection for multihop broadcast of emergency notification messages. Compared with a current draft of IEEE 802.11p and other schemes for DSRC safety-related services, the scheme proposed in this paper is more robust and scalable and easy to implement. Additionally, we investigate the reliability and performance of the proposed broadcast scheme for DSRC VANET safety-related services on the highway analytically and by simulations. The analytic model accounts for the impact of the hidden terminal problem, the fading channel conditions, varied message arrival intervals, and the backoff counter process on reliability and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present paper, we study the geometric discrepancy with respect to families of rotated rectangles. The well-known extremal cases are the axis-parallel rectangles (logarithmic discrepancy) and rectangles rotated in all possible directions (polynomial discrepancy). We study several intermediate situations: lacunary sequences of directions, lacunary sets of finite order, and sets with small Minkowski dimension. In each of these cases, extensions of a lemma due to Davenport allow us to construct appropriate rotations of the integer lattice which yield small discrepancy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reliability is an important issue for safety-critical broadcast services in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). So far, most investigations of such broadcast networks focus on multihop connectivity, taking all one-hop links for granted. In this paper, four reliability metrics for one-hop broadcast communication in VANETs, including the packet reception rate (PRR), the packet delivery ratio (PDR), the node successful packet delivery probability (PDP), and the effective range (ER), are introduced and evaluated analytically and by simulations. Expressions of these reliability metrics for one-hop broadcast in IEEE-802.11-based 1-D VANETs are derived with consideration of the IEEE 802.11 distributed coordination function (DCF), the hidden terminal problem, and collisions caused by concurrent transmissions. The impacts of network parameters such as distinct transmission, carrier sensing, and interference ranges; the density of nodes in the networks; the distances of receivers to the senders; the message generation rates; the backoff window sizes; and the channel data rates on the reliability of the broadcast communication in VANETs are investigated and discussed. As an example, the proposed model is applied to the evaluation of the dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) safety-critical message propagation in a highway setting. As a result, some important observations to the design and analysis of such communication systems are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recently, broadcast communications in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) have been deployed in many mission-critical applications. So far, most investigations of such broadcast networks focus on multi-hop connectivity taking all one-hop links for granted. In this paper, the reliability and performance of real-time one-hop broadcast services in IEEE 802.11 based MANETs are investigated analytically and by simulation. Having specified possible applications and the features of IEEE 802.11 broadcast communication in dynamically self-organized networks under harsh communication environment, analyses are conducted to derive closed form expressions of the reliability and performance indices for both one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) broadcast MANETs: packet reception rate ( PRR) and packet transmission delay. The proposed analytical models account for the impact of broadcast hidden terminal problem, message arrival interval, backoff counter process, space distributions of nodes, and fading transmission channel on the reliability and performance of the broadcast MANETs. As an example, the proposed models are applied to the evaluation of safety-related inter-vehicle communication on a highway. From the obtained numerical results under various offered traffic and network parameters, new observations and effective enhancement suggestions are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Six kinds of Ryukyu lacquerwares were analyzed using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine the identity of the lacquer source. 3-Heptylcatechol (MW=208) and 3-heptylphenol (MW=192) due to the pyrolysis product of urushiol were detected in four kinds of lacquer pieces. In the other two lacquer pieces, 3-nonylcatechol (MW=236) and 3-nonylphenol (MW=220) were obtained due to the pyrolysis of laccol, suggesting that the Ryukyu lacquerware was made from Rhus vernicifera and Rhus succedanea, respectively. In addition, the conservation and restoration of valuable ancient lacquerware also is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper investigates an important problem concerning the complexity of three-layer binary neural networks (BNNs) with one hidden layer. The neuron in the studied BNNs employs a hard limiter activation function with only integer weights and an integer threshold. The studies are focused on implementations of arbitrary Boolean functions which map from {0,1}n into {0,1}. A deterministic algorithm called set covering algorithm (SCA) is proposed for the construction of a three-layer BNN to implement an arbitrary Boolean function. The SCA is based on a unit sphere covering (USC) of the Hamming space (HS) which is chosen in advance. It is proved that for the implementation of an arbitrary Boolean function of n-variables (n≥3) by using SCA, ⌊3L/2⌋ hidden neurons are necessary and sufficient, where L is the number of unit spheres contained in the chosen USC of the n-dimensional HS. It is shown that by using SCA, the number of hidden neurons required is much less than that by using a two-parallel hyperplane method. In order to indicate the potential ability of three-layer BNNs, a lower bound on the required number of hidden neurons which is derived by using the method of estimating the Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension is also given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During the thickening process, the dosage of flocculant has a great influence on the overflow concentration and filter cake moisture. The dosage of flocculant cannot be automatically updated according to the feeding situation, especially when the properties of the concentrated feeding material change, and the overflow concentration detection feedback cannot be adjusted in time. To address these problems, a dynamic concentration detection device was designed. In addition, a dosage of flocculant correction model based on dynamic concentration detection was constructed, and a feed-forwards flocculant additioncontrol model based on the ISSA-LSTM neural network was proposed. The results showed that the relationship between the linear slope of the dynamic concentration and the dosage of flocculant was in line with that obtained using the ExpAssoc model. Then, a double-layer LSTMslime water feedforward flocculant addition control model was proposed based on the multistrategy jointly improved Sparrow SearchAlgorithm (SSA). This model can determine the optimal dosage according to the condition of the infeeding during the thickening process. This new method can improve the intelligence of coal preparation plants and reduce the cost of washing. The scientific application of these research results will help to realize intelligent solid – liquid separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]