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The inconsistency of the battery pack will cause the "barrel effect" when the battery pack is working. The battery with lower power will first reach the discharge cut-off condition, resulting in the battery pack not being fully discharged, reducing the battery utilization rate. This paper uses the state of charge (SOC) as an equilibrium variable and the forgetting factor recursive least square–extended Kalman filter (FFRLS-EKF) method to estimate the SOC. Using a balanced topology based on a bidirectional impact direct current (DC) converter, the energy transfer can occur between any battery and only between batteries that need to be balanced, increasing energy utilization and the effect of equalization. The equalization system is simulated under various conditions, which proves the effectiveness of the equalization control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the construction of national e-commerce demonstration pilot cities as a quasi-natural experiment, adopts a multi-period difference-in-differences model to empirically test the impact of the National E-Commerce Demonstration City Pilot Po licy (NEDCPP) on urban entrepreneurial activity with a sample from the developing country of China, and further reveals the underlying mechanism and heterogeneity. The empirical results are as follows. (1) The NEDCPP can significantly improve urban entrepreneurial activity, which is 39.4% higher in demonstration cities than in non-demonstration cities. (2) The heterogeneity tests indicate that NEDCPP implementation can increase the number of new ventures in wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering, information transmission, software and information technology services, and financial industries. The effect is stronger for cities with high Internet penetration rates but does not appear in cities with low levels of digital financial inclusion and human capital. (3) The results of the mechanism test show that attracting venture capital and promoting technology innovation are the inherent mechanisms by which the NEDCPP activates entrepreneurial activity. Related research conclusions provide policy guidance for optimizing e-commerce development, enhancing urban entrepreneurial activity, solving structural employment contradictions, and promoting high-quality economic development. • We incorporate the NEDCPP into the framework of the entrepreneurial process model to analyze the impact of the NEDCPP on urban entrepreneurial activity • The NEDCPP can significantly improve urban entrepreneurial activity • The NEDCPP promotes urban entrepreneurship activity by exerting financing and innovation effects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By applying the PDCA model to the care of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura, the nursing process can be divided into four stages: planning, execution, inspection, and treatment. According to the age characteristics and disease progression of pediatric patients, a complete nursing plan is formulated to efficiently implement the nursing content and improve the nursing effect. This paper studies the application of the PDCA nursing model in the nursing of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura and statistically analyzes the disappearance of skin rash, joint pain relief, disappearance of urine protein, disappearance of gastrointestinal symptoms, etc. Finally, this paper combines the experiment to evaluate the intervention effect of this nursing model and provides reference for the follow-up care of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura. From the results of experimental research, it can be known that PDCA nursing can improve the comfort of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura, shorten the time for symptom disappearance, and speed up the recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of aromatic sulfonic acids is synthesized by subjecting arenes and NaHSO4·H2O to high-speed ball milling in the presence of P2O5. It is suggested the aromatic sulfonation occurs via in situ generated H2SO4 to give aromatic sulfonic acids. In some cases, formation of diaryl sulfones was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead zirconate titanate-based piezoelectric ceramics (Pb 0·91 La 0·06 (Zr 0·58 Ti 0.42) 0.975 Nb 0·02 O 3 , PLZT) were prepared by water-soluble defatted powder injection molding using bismuth stearate as surfactant. The effects of bismuth stearate surfactant amount on the feed viscosity, water degreasing rate and electrical properties were studied. The results showed that the bismuth stearate coating reduces agglomeration between the PLZT powders and decreases the viscosity of the feed. During sintering, bismuth stearate is decomposed into bismuth oxide, which acts as sintering aid to increase the density of the sintered bismuth stearate-coated PLZT ceramics. Bi3+ dissolves into the perovskite crystal lattice, which increases the tetragonality factor and the content of tetragonal phase, and improves the dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the bismuth stearate-coated PLZT ceramics. This study provides a novel modification method for the production of injection molded ceramics using a water-soluble binder system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-electron capture and loss cross-sections of Ar+–Ne collisions are calculated at absolute energies in the few-keV/a.u. regime. The calculations are performed using a novel inverse collision framework, in the context of a time-dependent density functional theory, combined with molecular dynamics. The extraction of the capture and loss probabilities is based on the particle-number projection technique, originating from nuclear physics, but validly extended to represent many-electron systems. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical data is found, which clearly reveals the non-negligible post-collision decay of the projectile's electrons, providing further evidence for the applicability of the approach to complex many-electron collision systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apatinib has been widely applied for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer since its development; however, available conclusive data regarding its use in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are lacking. Thus, the present meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the use of apatinib plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC. Published studies reporting the treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse events in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with apatinib plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone were searched using the PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, EMBASE, Chongqing VIP Information, Cochrane and Wanfang databases until February 2023. Finally, 18 studies involving 677 patients with NSCLC receiving apatinib plus chemotherapy and 672 patients with NSCLC receiving chemotherapy were included in the present analysis. Apatinib plus chemotherapy was found to increase the objective response rate [relative risk (RR), 1.60; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.38–1.86] and disease control rate (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.21–1.38) compared to chemotherapy alone. Of note, apatinib plus chemotherapy also prolonged PFS compared with chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.35–0.73), while no OS data were retrievable from the included studies. With regard to safety, apatinib plus chemotherapy elevated the risk of developing hypertension (RR, 3.78; 95% CI, 1.81–7.93) and hand-foot syndrome (RR, 6.51; 95% CI, 3.70–11.46) vs. chemotherapy alone; however, no difference was observed between the two regimens in terms of the incidence of other adverse events. Furthermore, the bias was low and the pooled findings were reliable/stable, as indicated by a sensitivity analysis. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that apatinib plus chemotherapy increases the treatment response and PFS vs. chemotherapy alone, while it also elevates the risk of developing hypertension and hand-foot syndrome in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic acid (HA) is extremely important for understanding the geochemical cycle of pollutants in different environments. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) has performed molecular-level analysis of two standard HAs from the Suwannee River (SRHA) and leonardite (LEHA) and HA from Jiufeng forest in Beijing (JFHA), which is impossible for other conventional instruments. Regardless of the source of HA, compounds containing more heteroatoms (such as nitrogen and sulfur) have a higher degree of unsaturation and aromaticity. JFHA, SRHA, and LEHA from soil, river, and leonardite, respectively, are arranged in order from the lowest to highest degree of humification, according to molecular unsaturation and aromaticity of HAs. Soil HA is more labile and contains many large molecular weight compounds with low unsaturation. Regardless of unsaturation, molecules of River HA have a homogeneous molecular mass distribution and contain many plant-derived lignin- and tannin-like compounds, which are more stable than lipid and more labile than condensed aromatics. Leonardite HA with a high degree of humification contains a large number of compounds with high aromaticity and more heteroatoms and has low lability. Our results reveal the diversity of humic acid at molecular level because of different degree of humification and the lability. These conclusions are significant for understanding the role of humic acid from different sources in pollutant transformation and the geochemical cycle at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays 3D bioprinting, due to its high structural reconstruction and low cost, has been a promising technology and gained expectation in the treatment of vascular diseases. Although some studies have reported that 3D printing of large-sized blood vessels in the human body has been achieved, there are still some problems to be solved urgently, such as the unfulfilled microvascular simulation and inferior biocompatibility and mechanical strength of scaffold materials. In this paper, the hybrid bioink prepared with gelatin, sodium alginate and carbon nanotubes were manufactured into cylindrical scaffolds through the collaboration between the vertical directional extrusion of printing nozzle and axial rotation of stepper motor module. Mouse epidermal fibroblasts were inoculated into the inner and outer walls of hollow tubular scaffolds to fabricate engineered blood vessels. The internal diameters of the bionic circular tubes printed in batches were 3 mm with an average wall thickness of 0.5 mm and a length of 7–10 cm. Results demonstrated that the proper doping of carbon nanotubes could effectively increase the mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds. Also, quantitative experiments proved that a small amount of doping of carbon nanotubes had little effect on cytotoxicity, and the constructs could meet the requirements of biomimetic vascular. Schematic illustration of the synthesis and 3D printing of the gelatin-based alginate/carbon nanotubes vessel constructs. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is necessary to understand the molecular composition of fulvic acid (FA), which plays a significant role in the transport and bioavailability of pollutants in the environment. FA collected from Suwannee River in South Georgia (SRFAriver) and Elliott soil in fertile prairie of Illinois (ESFAsoil) are two standard fulvic acid samples of International Humic Substances Society (IHSS). FA collected from Beijing Jiufeng forest soils in China (JFFAsoil) was extracted according to the standard method recommended by IHSS. In this study, the compositions of three FA from two origins (i. e. river and soil) are characterized using negative ion mode electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT‐ICR MS). Compounds possessing higher aromaticity usually contain more nitrogen or sulfur atoms. The aromaticity and humification degree of soil‐derived FA are higher. Soil‐derived FA contains more nitrogen and sulfur elements because compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur atoms are easily absorbed by clay minerals and preserved in aromatic molecules. Comparing the two soil‐derived FA, they differed little in formula and component compositions, but JFFAsoil was slightly more aromatic and less labile than ESFAsoil. These are useful for understanding the difference between the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur element enrichment process in the formation of fulvic acid in river and soil environment at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease that can lead to the loss of cognitive function. The progression of AD is regulated by multiple signaling pathways and their associated targets. Therefore, multitarget strategies theoretically have greater potential for treating AD. In this work, a series of new hybrids were designed and synthesized by the hybridization of tacrine (4, AChE: IC50 = 0.223 μM) with pyrimidone compound 5 (GSK-3β: IC50 = 3 μM) using the cysteamine or cystamine group as the connector. The biological evaluation results demonstrated that most of the compounds exhibited moderate to good inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β). The optimal compound 18a possessed potent dual AChE/GSK-3β inhibition (AChE: IC50 = 0.047 ± 0.002 μM, GSK-3β: IC50 = 0.930 ± 0.080 μM). Further molecular docking and enzymatic kinetic studies revealed that this compound could occupy both the catalytic anionic site and the peripheral anionic site of AChE. The results also showed a lack of toxicity to SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells at concentrations of up to 25 μM. Collectively, this work explored the structure–activity relationships of novel tetrahydroacridin hybrids with sulfur-inserted linkers, providing a reference for the further research and development of new multitarget anti-AD drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A special three-layer TiO 2 nanotube array has been successfully fabricated. The upper and lower porous layers were formed in the same fluoride-containing electrolyte, while the middle barrier layer was formed in fluoride-free electrolyte. By changing the applied voltage of middle barrier layer, the growth process of the lower layer was explored and compared systematically. The results show that at a critical voltage of barrier layer, the lower layer could barely be seen. Below the critical voltage, complete three-layer TiO 2 nanotubes were achieved, but above the critical voltage, the lower layer failed to appear. Furthermore, some cavities inside the barrier layer were obtained under higher voltage of barrier layer and the conventional three-stage current-time curves were transformed into four-stage curves. Based on the oxygen bubble mould and electronic current model, an explanation for the formation of cavities is firstly proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two NRP1-targeted near-infrared fluorescent probes were synthesized for tumor imaging. They can clearly distinguish tumors from normal tissues. [Display omitted] Two neuropilin 1 (NRP1)-targeted near-infrared fluorescence probes for tumor imaging were synthesized via click reaction. These two probes achieve excellent solubility and less aggregation. Importantly, they were able to rapidly target NRP1-overexpressing tumors and had long retention within tumors. Additionally, QS-1 with appropriate hydrophilicity displays higher tumor to muscle (T/M) ratio. And QS-1 can be easily modified with other functional group, and serve as a platform for constructing dual-modal or dual-targeting probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plague is a typical natural focus disease that circulates in different ecology of vectors and reservoir hosts. We conducted genomic population and phylogenetic analyses of the Yersinia pestis collected from the 12 natural plague foci in China with more than 20 kinds of hosts and vectors. Different ecological landscapes with specific hosts, vectors, and habitat which shape various niches for Y. pestis. The phylogeographic diversity of Y. pestis in different kinds plague foci in China showed host niches adaptation. Most natural plague foci strains are region‐and focus‐specific, with one predominant subpopulation; but the isolates from the Qinghai–Tibet plateau harbor a higher genetic diversity than other foci. The Y. pestis from Marmota himalayana plague foci are defined as the ancestors of different populations at the root of the evolutionary tree, suggesting several different evolutionary paths to other foci. It has the largest pan‐genome and widest SNP distances with most accessory genes enriched in mobilome functions (prophages, transposons). Geological barriers play an important role in the maintenance of local Y. pestis species and block the introduction of non‐native strains. This study provides new insights into the control of plague outbreaks and epidemics, deepened the understanding of the evolutionary history of MHPF (M. himalayana plague focus) in China. The population structure and identify clades among different natural foci of China renewed the space cognition of the plague. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved performance of the cold fiber solid phase microextraction (CF-SPME) technique was accomplished with the use of the pressure-balanced procedure. In order to obtain a pressure-balanced state during extraction at 200 °C, 7 mL of air volume was withdrawn from 10 mL commercial vials, while 15 mL was withdrawn from vials where 5 µL of diethylamine was added as a modifier/displacer. The benefits of the balanced system were demonstrated for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from solid matrixes, including sand and certified sediment samples. Results showed the pressure-balanced procedure enhanced the extraction efficiency of the method, especially for high volatility compounds, as the leakage of analytes was mitigated under sample temperature conditions of 200 °C. Analytical precision was also improved, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 4% to 8% for all analytes under study. For the determination of PAHs in certified sediment samples, pressure-balanced CF-SPME yielded more accurate results in comparison to nonpressure-balanced CF-SPME. The proposed methodology provided the additional benefit of improved recoveries at lower pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent the stripping of coating sorbents in headspace solid-phase microextraction, a porous extraction probe with packed sorbent was introduced by using a porous stainless steel needle tube and homemade sol-gel sorbents. The traditional stainless-steel needle tube was punched by a laser to obtain two rows of holes, which supply a passageway for analyte vapor during extraction and desorption. The sorbent was prepared by a traditional sol-gel method with both poly(ethylene glycol) and hydroxy-terminated silicone oil as coating ingredients. Eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and six benzene series compounds were used as illustrative semi-volatile and volatile organic compounds in sequence to verify the extraction performance of this porous headspace solid-phase microextraction probe. It was found that the analysis method combining a headspace solid-phase microextraction probe and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry yielded determination coefficients of no less than 0.985 and relative standard deviations of 4.3-12.4%. The porous headspace solid-phase microextraction probe showed no decrease of extraction ability after 200 uses. These results demonstrate that the packed extraction probe with porous structure can be used for headspace solid-phase microextraction. This novel design may overcome both the stripping and breakage problems of the conventional coating fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient strategy was developed for the synthesis of Pd single-atom catalysts (PdSA/G) by nitric acid vapor-assisted redispersion. The as-prepared PdSA/G displayed robust catalytic performance in the selective hydrogenation reaction of benzaldehyde. This work paves a new way for the design of supported Pd single-atom catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground states of ultracold spin-1 atoms trapped in an optical superlattice in a weak magnetic field with incommensurate filling of three atoms in one double-well are obtained. It is shown that the ground-state diagrams of the reduced double-well model are remarkably different for the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic atoms. These novel spin-states can be controlled easily and exactly by modulating the tunneling parameter and the quadratic Zeeman energy, which may be a tool for the study of spin-entanglement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multifocal metalens with an adjustable intensity has great potential in many applications such as the multi-imaging system, but it is less studied. In this paper, by combining the electro-optic material barium titanate (BTO) with the Pancharatnam-Berry phase, an electrically modulated bifocal metalens in a visible light band is innovatively proposed. Due to the electro-optic effect, we can control the refractive index of the BTO nanofins to vary between 2.4 and 3.07 by applying different voltages (0–60 V). Thus, the method of modulating the intensity ratio of the two focal points is applying an electric field. It is different from using phase change materials or changing the ellipticity of incident light, the strategies proposed in previous studies. Moreover, when the applied voltage is 0 V or 60 V, the bifocal metalens becomes a single focal metalens with different focal lengths, and the full width at half maximum of each focal point is close to the diffraction limit. It has great potential in applications of optical storage, communication and imaging systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical model of the bond stress-slip relationship for splitting failure is proposed. • An improved concrete confinement model is proposed. • A new assumption of circumferential deformation is proposed. • The descending branch of the confinement model is reasonably analyzed. This paper develops a new bond stress-slip relationship for reinforced concrete, which considers the evolution of the concrete confinement capacity due to splitting failure of concrete cover. Considering fracture characteristics of the concrete, the improved thick-walled cylinder model is used to analyze the radial stress and radial deformation at the interface between rebar and concrete for different damage stages. A new assumption of circumferential deformation is proposed to estimate the deformation field of the inner cracked concrete, and the linear crack profile is assumed to calculate the distribution of cohesion on the crack surface. The radial strain is calculated with elastic constitutive relation including the Poisson's effect. The descending branch of the confinement model can be derived with the linear response between the radial stress and radial deformation. The presented concrete confinement model can be transformed into bond stress-slip relationship based on the stress and deformation analysis at the interface. Comparing with experimental results, it is indicated that the results calculated with bond stress-slip relationship proposed in this paper is more reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis is a promising treatment for soil remediation for rapidity and fertility preservation. But it is difficult to establish the relationship between pyrolysis behaviors and soil organic matter (SOM) structures, for SOM is a mixture of heterogeneous compounds. HA sub-fractions from the same soil source may provide a series of promising objects to understand SOM at molecular level and the resulting patterns in SOM pyrolysis. We first propose a novel insight into pyrolysis mechanism response to molecular signatures using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) combined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to study six humic acid (HA) sub-fractions extracted from a forest soil. The findings indicate that decomposition of soil HA occurs systematically due to molecular signatures. The decomposition can be categorized as carboxyl controlled (below 280 °C), lipid-dominated (280–450 °C) and condensed aromatics-dominated processes (450–700 °C). Predominant reaction mechanism of all HA sub-fractions was random nucleation (α > 0.25). Lipid in HA tend to initiate multiple nuclei in thermal degradation, while condensed aromatics tend to initiate and grow centering single random point in higher conversion rate (α > 0.75). Bridging the molecular signature and thermogravimetry reveals that the pyrolysis stage below 350 °C should be divided into two distinct processes related to the carboxylic group and lipid compounds, although this stage has conventionally been considered as a single process. The N element of HA was mostly preserved in the condensed aromatics which was mainly pyrolyzed above 450 °C, suggesting that pyrolysis below 450 °C is a preferable remediation treatment considering nitrogen fertility preservation. The observed molecular-level pyrolysis patterns can be applied as a targeted remediation procedure for contaminated soils and can improve the understanding of SOM thermal behaviors at the molecular level. Unlabelled Image • Novel insight into HA thermal degradation is provided by fractionation and FT-ICR MS. • The thermal behavior of HA sub-fractions is connected with molecular signatures. • Pyrolysis below 350 °C should be divided into carboxyl and lipid-controlled stages. • Organic N is incorporated into the polyaromatic core during the humification. • Polyaromatics pyrolysis initiate single point while lipid initiate multiple nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A deep neural network is proposed to perform the self-shielding calculations. • The deep neural network is trained by the ESSM calculation scheme. • The new method is validated by practical PWR problem. In this paper, the deep learning based on the artificial neural network (ANN), which is referred to as the deep neural network (DNN), is adopted to build a new model for the generation of the resonance self-shielded cross-sections (XSs). In this model, using the dataset generated from the pin-based ultra-fine-group (UFG) calculations under a multi-dimensional parameter table, the multi-layer DNN is trained to learn the underlying relationship between resonance self-shielded XSs and correlated parameters. Then the trained DNN is used for further practical calculations, which takes a negligible computing time. The computing accuracy of this model is tested through the generated datasets and practical PWR problems, and numerical results show that the new model is a promising approach for the generation of the resonance self-shielded XSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A depolarizer, a kind of optical element that converts polarized light to unpolarized light, has been found massive applications in classical optics. However, depolarizers based on metasurface which can be applied in integrated optics have rarely been proposed. In this paper, an electronically controlled metasurface depolarizer is demonstrated based on the time-domain integral average method and nano-material barium titanate. It obtains emergent light with a degree of polarization reduced to 2.5% when hit by linearly polarized light at 633 nm, and has a transmission efficiency greater than 72%. This depolarizing metasurface can be designed on-demand, immunizing the degree of the emergent light from its size, and has the simple electronic control with high-speed response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic stroke is a common cerebrovascular disease and recovering blood flow as early as possible is essential to reduce ischemic damage and maintain neuronal viability, but the reperfusion process usually causes additional damage to the brain tissue in the ischemic area, namely ischemia reperfusion injury. The accumulated studies have revealed that transplantation of exogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) is an ideal choice for the treatment of ischemia reperfusion injury. At present, the source and efficacy of exogenous NSCs after transplantation is still one of the key issues that need to be resolved. In this study, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) were obtained and induced into NSCs byadding growth factor and neuregulin1β (NRG1β) was introduced during the differentiation process of NSCs. Then, the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) models were established, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated among groups treated by NRG1β, NSCs and NSCs pretreated with 10 nM NRG1β (NSCs-10 nM NRG1β) achieved through intra-arterial injection. Our data show that the NSCs-10 nM NRG1β group significantly improves neurobehavioral function and infarct volume after MCAO/R, as well as cerebral cortical neuron injury, ferroptosis-related indexes and mitochondrial injury. Additionally, NSCs-10 nM NRG1β intervention may function through regulating the p53/GPX4/SLC7A11 pathway, and reducing the level of ferroptosis in cells, further enhance the neuroprotective effect on injured cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A fitting-based method is proposed to perform the self-shielding calculations. • A distributed parameter approach is developed to treat the intra-pin radial effect. • The new method is more efficient than the online UFG methods in depletion. A fitting-based resonance database method is proposed to perform self-shielding calculation for large-scale problems. The intra-pin radial effects are also treated by this method. The new method is mainly divided into two steps. First, the operating conditions of different pin-cells existing in the target problem are simulated by the adjustments of the parameters of single pin-cell cases. The ultra-fine-group slowing-down solving process is performed for these pin-cells and the resonance database for the target problem is fitted using the obtained results. Second, the target problem is calculated using the resonance database generated. Transport calculations are performed at both steps to establish the equivalence relationship between the target problems and the single pin-cell cases. Several techniques are adopted to evaluate the resonance interference and radial effects. Numerical tests prove that the method is capable to give the accurate prediction for the spatial-dependent resonance self-shielded cross-sections in an efficient way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of engineering education accreditation in China, its concept has had a profound impact on the reform of various majors in higher education. Using the idea of engineering education accreditation, this paper discusses the main problems in the implementation of embedded experimental courses of electronic information majors and proposes related education reform programs. Taking the embedded system experiment course of the automation major and embedded system major of Zhengzhou University as examples, the course has carried out research on the aspects of teaching model, experimental course content, scientific assessment method, etc., and proposed corresponding improvement methods to achieve better effect. The practical operation result has proved that the embedded system experiment course of the automation major and embedded system major improved the students’ ability and met the requirements of professional accreditation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of sulfones. • 3CdSO 4 ·xH 2 O as the alterative reagent instead of sulfonic acid. • Facile, safe, and eco-friendly method with high yield. A variety of substituted diarylsulfones could be synthesized by simple arenes and 3CdSO 4 ·xH 2 O in the presence of P 2 O 5 under high-speed ball milling. It was suggest the aromatic sulfonation was performed by arene and in situ generated H 2 SO 4 , following-up by electrophilic substitution with another arene to give diarylsulfone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To put forward a method for earlier diagnosis of surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal surgery and identify the best cut-offs of the selective signs. Methods: Ninety cases were prospectively collected in consecutive patients who underwent spinal surgery. The patients were divided into the SSI group and the normal group. White blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocyte count, serum amyloid A (SAA), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected pre-operatively and at three andsix days post-operatively. Erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) were acquired pre-operatively and at six days post-operatively. Body temperature (BT) was measured every day during hospitalisation. The conditions of the surgical sites were recorded at three and six days post-operatively. Differences of BT, the conditions of the wound and the values of the inflammatory markers between the two groups were studied. Finally, we used the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) to determine the best cut-offs of the selected signs. Results: Of the 90 patients, SSI occurred in seven and five of them reached a definite diagnosis of SSI as their bacterial cultures were positive. Significant differences were found in CRP levels at three and six days post-operatively with a cut-off of > 59.4 mg/L and > 34.9 mg/L, respectively; ESR level at six days post-operatively with a cut-off of > 51.5 mm/h; PCT at three days post-operatively with a cut-off of > 0.11 ng/mL; and BT at three days post-operatively with a cut-off of > 37 °C. Also, examination of the wound is also an important sign of SSI. Conclusion: CRP, ESR and PCT are considered useful markers for earlier diagnosis of SSI. Combining the above markers with BT and the wound condition yields more accurate results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bacteremia due to Lysinibacillus sphaericus in a person living with HIV is rare. • L. sphaericus mainly infects immunocompromised individuals. • L. sphaericus observed in this case was resistant to linezolid and penicillin. • L. sphaericus and L. fusiformis are not easily distinguished. Lysinibacillus sphaericus , as an insect pathogen, is a ubiquitous Gram-positive bacterium present in the environment. It is often considered to be contaminating bacteria. L. sphaericus has been reported to cause infectious diseases in humans relatively rarely. We report a rare case of bacteremia due to L. sphaericus in a person living with HIV, which is also the first reported case of bacteremia caused by L. sphaericus in China. L. sphaericus easily causes infection in immunocompromised individuals. We found that L. sphaericus and Lysinibacillus fusiformis could not be distinguished by their 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the isolated strains of this case and predicted the virulence factors. Finally, L. sphaericus was confirmed. According to antimicrobial susceptibility test, the strain was found to be sensitive to levofloxacin and vancomycin but resistant to penicillin. Greater attention to L. sphaericus infection should be paid and immunocompromised populations should be protected from L. sphaericus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The organic silicon defoamer has best initial foam reduction efficiency (IFR, 77%) • The polyether defoamer reduced methane production by 18.4–22.6% • Corn oil has high IFR but low foam reduction efficiency (<20%) after long-term use. • Foam reduction efficiency was greater than 98% with long-term use of the organic silicone defoamer. • Efficient defoamers have a low entry barrier and rely on several defoaming mechanisms. The defoaming effects of organic silicone defoamer S-559 (OSD), polyether defoamer S-717 (PD), polyether-polysiloxane defoamer S-722 (PPD), high-carbon alcohol defoamer S-714 (HCD), corn oil (CO), and biochar derived from biogas residue (BBR) were investigated based on the foaming potential test, biotoxicity test, and long-term semi-continuous test. Foaming potential experiments showed that the OSD, PD, PPD, and CO had the best initial and continuous defoaming efficiency. However, PD was biotoxic. The cumulative methane production of food waste from the batch anaerobic digesters decreased by 18.4% and 22.6% after adding 0.1% (v/v) and 0.5% (v/v) PD, respectively. After the OSD was used several times in semi-continuous experiments, the foam reduction efficiency of the OSD increased to more than 98% and the foam recurrence efficiency of the reactor decreased to <21%. In contrast, the foam reduction efficiency of the CO decreased to<18% after long-term use, and the foam recurrence efficiency increased to more than 120%. The reason for the difference in defoaming performance is that the OSD was composed of solid hydrophobic particles with sharp edges, and the liquid phase had good spread ability and low surface tension. Thus, OSD relied on the bridging-stretching mechanism, the bridging-dewetting mechanism, and the spreading effect for defoaming. CO is a liquid defoamer with low surface tension, which may only rely on the bridging-stretching mechanism for defoaming. These results provide a reference for selecting a defoamer for a food waste anaerobic digestion system, and provide insight for the development of new defoamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A Chemo-PDT agent (TTC) can be activated by Cerenkov radiation (CR). • TTC can kill tumor cells through synergetic effect of chemotherapy and PDT. • Using Chemo-PDT agent can enhance the effectiveness of CR-induced PDT. Traditional photodynamic therapy (PDT) suffers from poor tissue penetration due to using external light as excitation source. Cerenkov radiation (CR) from radionuclides can serve as an internal light source to activate photosensitizers inside lesion tissues. Using CR instead of external light in PDT is thought to be an effective way to overcome the shortcoming of traditional PDT. However, the weakness of CR emission limits the outcomes of CR-induced PDT (CR-PDT). We anticipated that CR-induced combined therapy could effectively enhance the therapeutic outcome of CR-PDT. Herein, a ROS-responsive Chemo-PDT agent (TTC) was synthesized by conjugation of tetraphenylporphyrin (photosensitizer) with camptothecin (chemotherapeutic drug) through a ROS-cleavable thioketal linker. Under activation by CR emission from gallium-68 (68Ga), the porphyrin moiety could generate ROS, which then cleaves the thioketal linker to induce the subsequent release of CPT. Using [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-Nb109 as an intracellular CR emitter, in comparison with its non-cleavable analogue (TUC) only displaying phototoxicity, TTC exhibited much higher cytotoxicity toward A375-hPD-L1 cells due to its combined effect of PDT and chemotherapy. Our work presents a new strategy to use ROS-responsive Chemo-PDT agent to improve the outcomes of CR-PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multifunctional platform for imaging and therapy. • RT-H 2 displays high tumor selectivity and long tumor retention time. • [131I]I-RT-H 2 could effectively supress the tumor proliferation. Biotin receptor (BR) is overexpressed in several human tumor cell lines and has become an important biomarker for tumor diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, much attention has been attracted in the field of developing BR-targeting agents. In clinical practice, a multifunctional platform that can be used for both diagnosis and treatment is much desirable. In this study, to improve diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of BR-positive tumors, we developed a multifunctional platform RT-H 2 to combine with the cyanine scaffold for near infrared (NIR) imaging and the radioisotope 131I for targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT). In vitro experiments showed that RT-H 2 possessed favorable NIR properties and could selectively accumulate in BR-positive HeLa cells. In vivo NIR imaging of HeLa tumor-bearing mice exhibited high accumulation and long retention time (72 h) of RT-H 2 in the tumor. Furthermore, RT-H 2 was also employed as a carrier to develop 131I-labeled TRT agent due to its favorable properties in vivo. The radiolabeling conditions were optimized and the optimal conditions determined to be 1.2 equiv of Idogen, reaction time 4 min and room temperature, yielding the radiotracer [131I]I-RT-H 2 with the radiochemical purity (RCP) of > 95% after a simple purification by a C18 column. In vitro cell experiments indicated that [131I]I-RT-H 2 could specifically target Hela cells and displayed dose-dependent antitumor effect. In vivo experiments demonstrated that [131I]I-RT-H 2 obviously inhibited the tumor proliferation in HeLa tumor-bearing mice within 4 weeks. All these results indicate that RT-H 2 has the potential to serve as a multifunctional platform for tumor diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline fuel cells can permit the adoption of platinum group metal‐free (PGM‐free) catalysts and cheap bipolar plates, thus further lowering the cost. With the exploration of PGM‐free hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) catalysts, nickel‐based compounds have been considered as the most promising HOR catalysts in alkali. Here we report an interfacial engineering through the formation of nickel‐vanadium oxide (Ni/V2O3) heterostructures to activate Ni for efficient HOR catalysis in alkali. The strong electron transfer from Ni to V2O3 could modulate the electronic structure of Ni sites. The optimal Ni/V2O3 catalyst exhibits a high intrinsic activity of 0.038 mA cm−2 and outstanding stability. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that Ni/V2O3 interface as the active sites can enable to optimize the hydrogen and hydroxyl bindings, as well as protect metallic Ni from extensive oxidation, thus achieving the notable activity and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline fuel cells can permit the adoption of platinum group metal‐free (PGM‐free) catalysts and cheap bipolar plates, thus further lowering the cost. With the exploration of PGM‐free hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) catalysts, nickel‐based compounds have been considered as the most promising HOR catalysts in alkali. Here we report an interfacial engineering through the formation of nickel‐vanadium oxide (Ni/V2O3) heterostructures to activate Ni for efficient HOR catalysis in alkali. The strong electron transfer from Ni to V2O3 could modulate the electronic structure of Ni sites. The optimal Ni/V2O3 catalyst exhibits a high intrinsic activity of 0.038 mA cm−2 and outstanding stability. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that Ni/V2O3 interface as the active sites can enable to optimize the hydrogen and hydroxyl bindings, as well as protect metallic Ni from extensive oxidation, thus achieving the notable activity and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton conducting electrolyte materials operational in the intermediate temperature range of 200–400 °C are of special interest for applications in fuel cells and water electrolysers. Bismuth phosphates in forms of polycrystalline powders and amorphous glasses are synthesized and investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis and AC impedance. Under dry atmosphere the pure crystalline and amorphous phosphates exhibit an intrinsic conductivity of up to 10−5 S cm−1 at 250 °C. In the presence of atmospheric humidity the conductivity of both types of phosphates is significantly enhanced, reaching about 10−2 S cm−1 at a water vapor partial pressure above 0.5 atm. During a period of more than 100 h with four humidity cycles from zero to 0.58 atm of the water vapor partial pressure, the phosphates show good stability, suggesting the potential as an intermediate temperature electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst is commercially adopted in fuel cells but it undergoes formidable active‐site poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO). In particular, given the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in anion‐exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), the issues of Pt poisoning and slow rate would combine mutually, notably worsening the device performances. Here we overcome these challenges through incorporating cobalt (Co) into molybdenum‐nickel alloy (MoNi4), termed Co‐MoNi4, which not only shows superior HOR activity over the Pt/C catalyst in alkali, but more intriguingly exhibits excellent CO tolerance with only small activity decay after 10 000 cycles in the presence of 500 parts per million (ppm) CO. When feeding with CO (250 ppm)/H2, the AEMFC assembled by this catalyst yields a peak power density of 394 mW cm−2, far exceeding the Pt/C catalyst. Experimental and computational studies reveal that weakened CO chemisorption originates from the electron‐deficient Ni sites after Co incorporation that suppresses d→CO 2π* back‐donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst is commercially adopted in fuel cells but it undergoes formidable active‐site poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO). In particular, given the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in anion‐exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), the issues of Pt poisoning and slow rate would combine mutually, notably worsening the device performances. Here we overcome these challenges through incorporating cobalt (Co) into molybdenum‐nickel alloy (MoNi4), termed Co‐MoNi4, which not only shows superior HOR activity over the Pt/C catalyst in alkali, but more intriguingly exhibits excellent CO tolerance with only small activity decay after 10 000 cycles in the presence of 500 parts per million (ppm) CO. When feeding with CO (250 ppm)/H2, the AEMFC assembled by this catalyst yields a peak power density of 394 mW cm−2, far exceeding the Pt/C catalyst. Experimental and computational studies reveal that weakened CO chemisorption originates from the electron‐deficient Ni sites after Co incorporation that suppresses d→CO 2π* back‐donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2021, a plague outbreak was identified within one Marmota himalayana family shortly after emerging from hibernation, during plague surveillance in the M. himalayana plague foci of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of five marmots were found dead of Yersinia pestis near the same burrow; one live marmot was positive of Y. pestis fraction 1 (F1) antibody. Comparative genome analysis shows that few single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected among the nine strains, indicating the same origin of the outbreak. The survived marmot shows a high titer of F1 antibody, higher than the mean titer of all marmots during the 2021 monitoring period (W = 391.00, Z = 2.81, p < 0.01). Marmots live with Y. pestis during hibernation when the pathogen is inhibited by hypothermia. But they wake up during or just after hibernation with body temperature rising to 37°C, when Y. pestis goes through optimal growth temperature, increases virulence, and causes death in marmots. A previous report has shown human plague cases caused by excavating marmots during winter; combined, this study shows the high risk of hibernation marmot carrying Y. pestis. This analysis provides new insights into the transmission of the highly virulent Y. pestis in M. himalayana plague foci and drives further effort upon plague control during hibernation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reasonable layout of subsurface drainage systems is considered essential for maximizing its drainage and salt control effectiveness. In the saline-alkali farmland of arid regions in Northwest China, low-permeability interlayers (clay, clay-loam or silty-loam) within the soils are common. However, the influence of the low-permeability interlayers on the layout of the subsurface drainage has not been extensively considered in the literature. This study investigated the process of subsurface drainage and salt discharge in salt-affected fields with silty-loam interlayers using field experiments and numerical simulations. Four field experiments were conducted, considering three different relative positions between the drainage pipes and silty-loam interlayers. The results showed that the silty-loam interlayers hindered water infiltration, and the distribution of soil salinity in the soil profile varied with the buried depth of drainage pipes at different positions relative to the silty-loam interlayer. When the buried depth of drainage pipes increased, the amount of water and salt discharged from drainage pipes increased, and the increase rate in salt discharge was greater than water drainage. A numerical model was calibrated and validated using the field experiment data, and 25 orthogonal numerical experiments were conducted to investigate the soil desalination effects of buried depth of drainage pipes, spacing between the pipes, saturated hydraulic conductivity of the interlayer, and position of the low-permeability interlayer. The results showed that the drainage pipe buried depth, spacing, and saturated hydraulic conductivity of the low-permeability interlayer had significant effects on the desalination rate (P < 0.01), while the position of the low-permeability interlayer had no significant effect (P > 0.05). Subsurface drainage pipes should be placed below the low-permeability interlayer. The desalination rate linearly increased with the buried depth of drainage pipe and saturated hydraulic conductivity of the interlayer, and it increased exponentially with decreased spacing. An empirical formula for soil desalination rate considering interlayer and subsurface drainage pipe layout parameters was fabricated and used to determine the appropriate layout parameters. • Field experiment with a silty-loam interlayer and different drain depth pipes was conducted. • The soil desalination rate was significantly influenced by the K s of the interlayer. • The effects of subsurface pipe layout parameters and interlayer on N were analyzed. • A formula considering the interlayer and subsurface pipe layout parameters was built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of intercropping and phytoremediation in the remediation of cadmium contaminated soil is an emerging model in recent years, but the results of previous studies are inconsistent. In the field experiment, eggplant was intercropped with hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance (inoculated or not inoculated with endophytic bacteria) to study the effects of intercropping on vegetable safety production, phytoremediation efficiency of hyperaccumulator and variation of soil available nutrients. The results showed that the intercropping treatment had a negative effect on the growth of eggplant and Sedum, but endophyte SaMR12 alleviated the inhibition of intercropping on plant growth. Intercropping treatment increases the Cd concentration in edible part of eggplant to 1.34 mg/kg compared with eggplant monoculture (1.19 mg/kg). While the application of SaMR12 reduces the Cd concentration of eggplant fruit to 0.95 mg/kg and significantly promotes the Cd uptake by Sedum. What's more surprising is that compared with eggplant monocropping, the content of soil available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the treatment of intercropping with inoculated Sedum increased significantly. And according to the correlation analysis of various indexes of plants and soil, the Cd content of eggplant is negatively correlated with the available phosphorus and potassium in the soil, while the Cd content of Sedum is positively correlated with it, which suggested that the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in this experimental site was beneficial to reduce Cd content in eggplant and improve Cd phytoextraction of Sedum. Therefore, in the daily production of moderately Cd-contaminated soil, intercropping eggplant with Sedum inoculated with endophytic bacteria is an excellent Phytoextraction Coupled with Agro-safe-production (PCA) pattern. • Intercropping inhibited plant growth, while SaMR12 alleviated this inhibition. • Intercropping increased Cd concentration of the two plants. • SaMR12 promoted Cd phytoextraction efficiency of hyperaccumulator. • SaMR12 reduced Cd accumulation in eggplant fruit. [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human granulocytic anaplasmosis is a tick-borne zoonotic disease caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Coinfections with A. phagocytophilum and other tick-borne pathogens are reported frequently, whereas the relationship between A. phagocytophilum and flea-borne Yersnia pestis is rarely concerned. Results: A. phagocytophilum and Yersnia pestis were discovered within a Marmota himalayana found dead in the environment, as determined by 16S ribosomal rRNA sequencing. Comparative genomic analyses of marmot-derived A. phagocytophilum isolate demonstrated its similarities and a geographic isolation from other global strains. The 16S rRNA gene and GroEL amino acid sequence identity rates between marmot-derived A. phagocytophilum (JAHLEX000000000) and reference strain HZ (CP000235.1) are 99.73% (1490/1494) and 99.82% (549/550), respectively. 16S rRNA and groESL gene screenings show that A. phagocytophilum is widely distributed in marmots; the bacterium was more common in marmots found dead (24.59%, 15/61) than in captured marmots (19.21%, 29/151). We found a higher Y. pestis isolation rate in dead marmots harboring A. phagocytophilum than in those without it (2 = 4.047, p < 0.05). Marmot-derived A. phagocytophilum was able to live in L929 cells and BALB/c mice but did not propagate well. Conclusions: In this study, A. phagocytophilum was identified for the first time in Marmota himalayana, a predominant Yersinia pestis host. Our results provide initial evidence for M. himalayana being a reservoir for A. phagocytophilum; moreover, we found with the presence of A. phagocytophilum, marmots may be more vulnerable to plague. Humans are at risk for co-infection with both pathogens by exposure to such marmots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alendronate (ALE) is a conventional drug used to treat osteoporosis. Low-magnitude whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise has been developed as a potential treatment for osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether low-magnitude WBV could enhance the protective effect of ALE on bone properties in ovariectomized rats. Methods: A total of 128 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (SHAM, OVX+VEH, OVX+WBV, OVX + ALE, OVX+WBV+ALE). The level of WBV applied was 0.3 g at 45–55 Hz for 20 min/day, 5 day/week and for 3 months. ALE was administered in dose of 1 mg/Kg once a week. Every four weeks eight rats from each group were sacrificed and their blood and both tibiae were harvested. The expression of osteocalcin and CTX in serum was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the tibiae were subjected to metaphyseal three-point bending and μCT analysis. Results: Osteocalcin rose after ovariectomy and was not appreciably changed by either alendronate or WBV alone or in combination. Alendronate treatment significantly prevented an increase in CTX. WBV alone treatment did not alter this effect. Compared with the OVX+WBV group, nearly all tested indices such as the BV/TV, TV apparent, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Conn.D were higher in the OVX+ALE group at week 12.Compared with the OVX+WBV group, certain tested indices such as BV/TV, TV apparent, Tb.N, and Con.D, were higher in the OVX+WBV+ALE group at week 12. At week 12, tibiae treated with WBV+ALE exhibited a significantly higher Fmax compared to the OVX+VEH group, and a significant difference was also found in energy absorption between the OVX+WBV+ALE and OVX+VEH groups. Conclusions: Compared with the WBV, ALE was more effective at preventing bone loss and improved the trabecular architecture. However, WBV enhanced the effect of alendronate in ovariectomized rats by inducing further improvements in trabecular architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), a marker of oxidative stress, are prevalent in many kinds of disorders. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), mainly resulting from the dysfunction of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), is related to oxidative stress. Although the increased levels of AOPPs in RA patients were reported, the effect of AOPPs on FLSs function still remains unclear. Therefore, our study aims to investigate whether AOPPs have an effect on the inflammatory response of FLSs in vitro. Methods: FLSs obtained from both knees of rats were treated with or without AOPPs-modified rat serum albumin (AOPPs-RSA) in vitro. The mRNA and protein expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-1β, matrix metalloproteinases(MMP)-3, MMP-13 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was detected by fluorescent microscope and fluorescence microplate reader. Immunoprecipitation, Co-Immunoprecipitation and western blot were performed to examine the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Results: Exposure of FLSs to AOPPs upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, MMP-3, MMP-13 and VEGF in a concentration dependent manner. AOPPs treatment triggered ROS production in FLSs, which was significantly abolished by ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), NADPH oxidase inhibitors diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) and apocynin. Challenged AOPPs induced phosphorylation of p47phox, triggered an interaction between p47phox, p22phox and gp91phox, and significantly upregulated expression of NADPH oxidase subunits p47phox, p22phox and gp91phox. IκB degradation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 induced by AOPPs were significantly blocked by SOD, NAC, DPI and apocynin. Conclusions: These data indicate that AOPPs induce inflammatory response in FLSs is medicated through NADPH oxidase-dependent activation of NF-κB. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately assessing the clogging risk of the drainage pipe envelopes is a prerequisite for the reasonable design and proper management of subsurface drainage. However, the current assessment of clogging risk for subsurface drainage envelopes in arid areas mainly focuses on the impacts of single factors such as physical or chemical factors, with less attention given to combined physical–chemical clogging, which is more likely to occur and causes significant harm. Based on the evaluation indicators for physical and chemical clogging risks, this study utilized the entropy weight method to determine the weights of physical and chemical clogging risks, then proposed evaluation indicators for combined clogging risks and generated risk maps of physical, chemical, and combined clogging within the Xinjiang watershed. Furthermore, field excavation and sampling of subsurface drainage pipes were conducted to apply the proposed evaluation indicators for combined clogging risks and analyze the influencing factors. The results show that the combined clogging risk map based on the proposed combined clogging evaluation indicators is consistent with the actual clogging situation in the subsurface drainage system. Both physical and chemical clogging coexisted in the subsurface drainage system in Xinjiang, with a higher mass content of SiO 2 than CaCO 3 in the clogging substances. The combined clogging risk increased with rises in the drainage temperature and salinity. Under current conditions, the proportions of high, moderate, and low-risk areas of combined clogging risk are 22.10%, 30.37%, and 47.53%, respectively. The high-risk areas are mainly concentrated in Southern Xinjiang, which accounts for 91.7% of the high-risk area. This study can provide technical support for the prevention and control of clogging in subsurface drainage systems for saline-alkali farmland in arid areas. • Risk evaluation indicators for combined clogging of subsurface drainage were proposed. • Risk maps of physical, chemical, and combined clogging in Xinjiang were generated. • The combined clogging risk increased with rises of drainage temperature and salinity.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model to predict permeability in calcite precipitation porous media is developed. • Effects of solution velocity and concentration on precipitation are analyzed. • The main factors of calcite precipitation influencing permeability are quantified. The effects of the concentration and flow velocity of the solution on calcite precipitation process in porous media and its permeability were investigated with a combined experimental and modeling approach. In the column precipitation experiments, calcite precipitation was mainly distributed at the inlet of experimental column and quickly decreases along the flow direction, and precipitates completely wrapped the quartz sands at the inlet, and the gaps between the quartz sands were filled. The permeability coefficient of experimental column decreases quickly in the early stage and then decreases slowly. The calcite precipitates in the experimental column increased with the saturation index and gradually stretched along the flow direction with the flow velocity increase. The precipitates were distributed within 1.0 cm of the experimental column inlet. In the model, based on the classical Kozeny-Carman equation and the principle of series superposition, a coupled model of mineral precipitation and permeability coefficient in porous media was developed, the model was verified, and the parameter sensitivity was analyzed. It revealed that the mineral precipitation at the inlet interface of experimental column was the dominant factor determining the permeability coefficient of porous media. When considering solution conditions, the saturation indices SI and flow velocity V were the main factors affecting calcite precipitation and permeability coefficient in porous media. When the solution conditions were not considered, the quartz sand diameter d s , the length of quartz sand column L and porosity φ aiming at mineral precipitation had higher sensitivity, and the porosity ϕ aiming at permeability coefficient had higher sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the acidic environment could largely prevent its decomposition to water, but efficient catalysts that constitute entirely earth‐abundant elements are lacking. Here we report the experimental demonstration of narrowing the interlayer gap of metallic cobalt diselenide (CoSe2), which creates high‐performance catalyst to selectively drive two‐electron oxygen reduction toward H2O2 in an acidic electrolyte. The enhancement of the interlayer coupling between CoSe2 atomic layers offers a favorable surface electronic structure that weakens the critical *OOH adsorption, promoting the energetics for H2O2 production. Consequently, on the strongly coupled CoSe2 catalyst, we achieved Faradaic efficiency of 96.7 %, current density of 50.04 milliamperes per square centimeter, and product rate of 30.60 mg cm−2 h−1. Moreover, this catalyst shows no sign of degradation when operating at −63 milliamperes per square centimeter over 100 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the acidic environment could largely prevent its decomposition to water, but efficient catalysts that constitute entirely earth‐abundant elements are lacking. Here we report the experimental demonstration of narrowing the interlayer gap of metallic cobalt diselenide (CoSe2), which creates high‐performance catalyst to selectively drive two‐electron oxygen reduction toward H2O2 in an acidic electrolyte. The enhancement of the interlayer coupling between CoSe2 atomic layers offers a favorable surface electronic structure that weakens the critical *OOH adsorption, promoting the energetics for H2O2 production. Consequently, on the strongly coupled CoSe2 catalyst, we achieved Faradaic efficiency of 96.7 %, current density of 50.04 milliamperes per square centimeter, and product rate of 30.60 mg cm−2 h−1. Moreover, this catalyst shows no sign of degradation when operating at −63 milliamperes per square centimeter over 100 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China is vulnerable to zoonotic disease transmission due to a large agricultural work force, sizable domestic livestock population, and a highly biodiverse ecology. To better address this threat, representatives from the human, animal, and environmental health sectors in China held a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) workshop in May 2019 to develop a list of priority zoonotic diseases for multisectoral, One Health collaboration. Methods: Representatives used the OHZDP Process, developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), to prioritize zoonotic diseases for China. Representatives defined the criteria used for prioritization and determined questions and weights for each individual criterion. A review of English and Chinese literature was conducted prior to the workshop to collect disease specific information on prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from China and the Western Pacific Region for zoonotic diseases considered for prioritization. Results: Thirty zoonotic diseases were evaluated for prioritization. Criteria selected included: 1) disease hazard/severity (case fatality rate) in humans, 2) epidemic scale and intensity (in humans and animals) in China, 3) economic impact, 4) prevention and control, and 5) social impact. Disease specific information was obtained from 792 articles (637 in English and 155 in Chinese) and subject matter experts for the prioritization process. Following discussion of the OHZDP Tool output among disease experts, five priority zoonotic diseases were identified for China: avian influenza, echinococcosis, rabies, plague, and brucellosis. Conclusion: Representatives agreed on a list of five priority zoonotic diseases that can serve as a foundation to strengthen One Health collaboration for disease prevention and control in China; this list was developed prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Next steps focused on establishing a multisectoral, One Health coordination mechanism, improving multisectoral linkages in laboratory testing and surveillance platforms, creating multisectoral preparedness and response plans, and increasing workforce capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]