Search

Abstract Background The efficacy of subsequent therapy after poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor maintenance treatment has raised concerns. Retrospective studies show worse outcomes for platinum-based chemotherapy after progression of PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy, especially in BRCA-mutant patients. We aimed to describe subsequent therapy in ovarian cancer patients after PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy and evaluate their response to treatment. We focused on chemotherapy for patients with a progression-free interval (PFI) of ≥ 6 months after prior platinum treatment, based on BRCA status. Methods We analyzed real-world data from Peking University Cancer Hospital, subsequent therapy after progression to PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer between January 2016 and December 2022. Clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes were extracted from medical records. The last follow-up was in May 2023. Results A total of 102 patients were included, of which 29 (28.4%) had a germline BRCA1/2 mutation and 73 (71.6%) exhibited BRCA1/2 wild-type mutations. The PARP inhibitors used were Olaparib (n = 62, 60.8%), Niraparib (n = 35, 34.3%), and others (n = 5, 4.9%). The overall response rate (ORR) was 41.2%, and the median time to second progression (mTTSP) was 8.1 months (95%CI 5.8–10.2). Of 91 platinum-sensitive patients (PFI ≥ 6 months) after progression to PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy, 65 patients subsequently received platinum regimens. Among them, 30 had received one line of chemotherapy before PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy. Analysis of these 30 patients by BRCA status showed an ORR of 16.7% versus 33.3% and mTTSP of 7.1 (95% CI 4.9–9.1) versus 6.2 months (95% CI 3.7–8.3, P = 0.550), for BRCA-mutant and wild-type patients, respectively. For the remaining 35 patients who had received two or more lines of chemotherapy before PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy, ORR was 57.1% versus 42.9%, and mTTSP was 18.0 (95% CI 5.0–31.0) versus 8.0 months (95% CI 4.9–11.1, P = 0.199), for BRCA-mutant and wild-type patients, respectively. Conclusion No differences in survival outcomes were observed among patients with different BRCA statuses. Furthermore, for patients who had undergone two or more lines of chemotherapy before PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy, no negative effects of PARP inhibitors on subsequent treatment were found, regardless of BRCA status.

Abstract Background Undertreatment of ovarian cancer is common among older women. We aimed to evaluate the treatment modalities offered to older patients and their impact on overall survival (OS). Methods The study identified 5,055 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer and 3584 patients with advanced stage (IIIC + IV) disease from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2017. We performed comparisons of OS and ovarian cancer-specific survival (OCSS) across age groups using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results Very elderly patients (≥ 75 years old) received treatment with significantly less surgical complexity, such as no lymphadenectomy (59.7% vs. 48.6%; p

Metal nanoclusters (MNCs) are emerging as a novel class of luminescent nanomaterials with unique properties, bridging the gap between individual atoms and nanoparticles. Among these, DNA-templated MNCs have gained significant attention due to the synergistic combination of MNCs’ properties (such as exceptional resistance to photostability, size-tunable emission, and excellent optical characteristics) with the inherent advantages of DNA, including programmability, functional modification, molecular recognition, biocompatibility, and water solubility. The programmability and biocompatibility of DNA offer precise control over the size, shape, and composition of MNCs, leading to tunable optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. This review delves into the complex relationship between DNA sequence, structure, and the resulting MNC properties. By adjusting parameters such as DNA sequence, length, and conformation, the size, morphology, and composition of the corresponding MNCs can be fine-tuned, enabling insights into how DNA structure influences the optical, electrical, and magnetic properties of MNCs. Finally, this review highlights the remarkable versatility and latest advancements of DNA-templated MNCs, particularly in biosensing and imaging, and explores their future potential to revolutionize biomedical applications.

Abstract In the ongoing effort to discover treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there has been considerable focus on investigating the use of repurposed drug candidates. Mining of electronic health record data has the potential to identify novel correlated effects between commonly used drugs and AD. In this study, claims from members with commercial health insurance coverage were analyzed to determine the correlation between the use of various drugs on AD incidence and claim frequency. We found that, within the insured population, several medications for psychotic and mental illnesses were associated with higher disease incidence and frequency, while, to a lesser extent, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs were associated with lower AD incidence rates. The observations thus provide a general overview of the prescription and claim relationships between various drug types and Alzheimer’s disease, with insights into which drugs have possible implications on resulting AD diagnosis.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology provides a new way for integral forming and rapid manufacturing of complex components of Hastelloy X, but the parts fabricated by LPBF (LPBFed) inevitably have defects such as micropores, micro-cracks, and residual stress. To eliminate the above defects and further enhance the material properties of the Hastelloy X, solution heat treatment (SHT) was performed on the LPBFed parts. Although SHT can improve material properties, there are many limitations in using traditional machining because of the high hardness of Hastelloy X. So, electrochemical machining (ECM) is used to process LPBFed Hastelloy X parts and has a wide range of applications. Firstly, the optimal SHT process parameters with good comprehensive mechanical properties were obtained by orthogonal experiment, and the influence of the selection of SHT process parameters on the properties of LPBFed samples was discussed. Then, after SHT with optimized process parameters, the elongation after fracture (EAF) increases from 30.0% to 51.3%, and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) reduces from 798.7 MPa to 732.6 MPa merely. Next, its micro-morphology was observed and analyzed. It can be seen that After the SHT, the grain size increases, and the low-angle grain boundary decreases in the XOY direction, resulting in the decrease of the intergranular area and dislocation densities to reduce the tensile strength. After the SHT, the molten pool boundary disappears in any direction, which greatly improves the plasticity of the part. and the microstructure explains the results of tensile tests. The experimental results show that the material properties of Hastelloy X can be greatly improved by this SHT process, which has great development potential and broad application prospects. Finally, to apply Hastelloy X to the Electrochemical machining (ECM) process, an experimental analysis of the electrochemical passivation performance of LPBFed samples after SHT with optimal parameters was carried out. The experimental results show that after SHT the denseness of the passivation film is improved, the corrosion resistance is enhanced, and the anisotropy of corrosion resistance is reduced. By observing the microscopic morphology of the passivation film, it can be seen that the corrosion products reduced and the number of corrosion pits decreased. This means LPBFed Hastelloy X parts after SHT is significantly improved and meets the ECM processing requirements.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the pattern, compliance, efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in Chinese ovarian cancer patients. Methods We reviewed the clinicopathological data of patients with histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma, who were diagnosed and treated at the Department of Gynecologic Oncology of Peking University Cancer Hospital between May 2012 and January 2022. Results A total of 155 patients were eventually enrolled in this study, with 77 as first-line chemotherapy (FL) and 78 as recurrence therapy (RT) among which 37 patients were platinum sensitive and 41 were platinum resistant. Among the 77 patients in the FL group, 35 received bevacizumab during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) alone (NT), 23 received bevacizumab during both neoadjuvant and first-line chemotherapy (NT + FL) and 19 received bevacizumab during first-line chemotherapy alone (FLA). Among the 43 patients of NT and NT + FL groups undergoing interval debulking surgery (IDS), 38(88.4%) patients achieved optimally debulking and 24 (55.8%) patients had no residual disease after IDS. The patients in the FL group had a median progression free survival (PFS) of 15(95%CI: 9.951–20.049) months, and the 12-month PFS was 61.7%. In the RT group, the overall response rate (ORR) was 53.8%. According to multivariate analysis, the patients' platinum sensitivity had a significant impact on the PFS in the RT group. 13(8.4%) patients discontinued bevacizumab due to toxicity. Seven patients were in the FL group while 4 patients were in the RT group. The most common adverse event associated with bevacizumab therapy was hypertension. Conclusion Bevacizumab is effective and well-tolerated in the real world setting of ovarian cancer treatment. Adding bevacizumab to NACT is feasible and tolerable. Receiving the regimen containing bevacizumab in the last preoperative chemotherapy did not result in increased intraoperative bleeding of IDS. Platinum sensitivity is the most important factor affecting the effectiveness of bevacizumab in recurrent patients.

In view of the poor corrosion resistance of 7075 aluminum alloy in marine environment， the microstructure and corrosion resistance of composite oxide coating on the surface of 7075 aluminum alloy obtained by combining magnetron sputtering and micro arc oxidation technologies were investigated. Firstly， the aluminum alloy surface was pre-coated with titanium film by magnetron sputtering technology， and then a composite oxide coating was prepared by micro-arc oxidation technology. The microstructure and phase composition of the composite oxide coating were analyzed by SEM， EDS and XRD. The corrosion resistance of such coating in 3.5% NaCl solution was studied by electrochemical workstation. Results showed that compared with the oxide coating obtained by a direct micro arc oxidation of aluminum alloy， the composite oxide coating formed on the Ti-coated aluminum alloy by micro arc oxidation had lower porosity and higher thickness， presenting better corrosion resistant performance.

Xylanase is the key enzyme responsible for the degradation of hemicellulose and plays an important role in ramie degumming. In this study, an endo-β-1,4-xylanase xyl-1 of GH11 family from Aspergillus terreus HG-52 was cloned and identified for the first time. The protein was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21, then purified and analyzed for its biochemical properties. The optimal temperature and pH of xyl-1 are 45°C and pH 5, respectively, with a specific activity as high as 1505.11 U/mg. The immunofluorescence staining combined in-situ catalysis of ramie slices revealed that xyl-1 could degrade ramie xylan fraction. The scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of ramie fibers treated by xyl-1 showed that the treated fibers were more dispersed, the crystallinity was improved, the absorption peak of hemicellulose functional group was reduced. Residual hemicellulose content reduced from 14.93% to 5.75% and whiteness was reached 45.4, indicating xyl-1 had high-efficiency degumming ability for ramie hemicellulose. This work excavated a promising endo-β-1,4-xylanase for ramie fibers degumming applications and has good potential for commercial application.

Bimetallic coordination polymers (CPs) have two different metal ions as connecting nodes in their polymer structure. The synthesis methods of bimetallic CPs are mainly categorized into the one-pot method and post-synthesis modifications according to various needs. Compared with monometallic CPs, bimetallic CPs have synergistic effects and excellent properties, such as higher gas adsorption rate, more efficient catalytic properties, stronger luminescent properties, and more stable loading platforms, which have been widely applied in the fields of gas adsorption, catalysis, energy storage as well as conversion, and biosensing. In recent years, the study of bimetallic CPs synergized with cancer drugs and functional nanomaterials for the therapy of cancer has increasingly attracted the attention of scientists. This review presents the research progress of bimetallic CPs in biosensing and biomedicine in the last five years and provides a perspective for their future development.

Flax is an economically important fiber crop, however, it requires degumming to yield usable fibers. The degumming process of flax roving is a key step in flax processing and production. In this study, deep eutectic solvent (DES; choline chloride–urea) pretreatment was combined with microbial treatment to develop an ecofriendly and effective degumming method for flax roving. The optimal conditions for DES pretreatment (100°C for 120 min with 90% DES) were obtained through orthogonal tests. DES combine microbial treatment could effectively remove gum from the flax fibers. The flax roving fibers were characterized by chemical analyses, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Compared with fibers treated with microbes alone, flax roving fibers subjected to DES combine microbial treatment showed better breaking tenacity (16.77 cN/tex) and average pectin, hemicellulose, and lignin removal rates of approximately 86.4%, 26.7%, and 55.1%, respectively. NMR revealed that the composition of DES was not damaged during pretreatment, which means the bulk solution could be reused. This research showed that DES combine microbial treatment is feasible and effective method for flax roving degumming.

The new staggered story isolated structure is developed according to the base-isolated structure and the mid-story isolated structure. Quantitative calculation and evaluation of seismic damage are very important for structural safety. In this paper, the seismic damage evaluation of a new staggered story isolated structure is studied by numerical simulation and damage index calculation. A new staggered story isolated structure is established, and the effects of different layers and different chassis areas on the seismic response of the structure are studied. When the position of the bottom isolated layer stays the same, the upper isolated layer is set at different layers, which is set to the top of the 3rd, 6th and 9th layers. When the upper isolated layer keeps at the top of the 3rd layer, the chassis area is set at a different area, which is 26 m × 26 m, 36 m × 36 m and 46 m × 46 m. The results show that the new staggered story isolated structure has good isolated effects under the ground motion. For the structure set upper isolation layer is lower, the inter-layer shear force, inter-layer acceleration and inter-layer displacement are reduced. The energy dissipation effect of the structure improves. The core tube is less damaged and the plastic hinge is smaller. With the increase of chassis area, the isolated effect of the part above the upper isolated layer is good, while the shear force and acceleration of the part below the upper isolated layer of the structure increase, the damage at the core tube changed little and the appearance of the plastic hinge increased. Under earthquakes, with the change in position of the upper isolated layer and the area of the chassis of the new staggered story isolated structure, the displacement, tensile stress and compressive stress of the isolated bearing still meet the requirements of the standard.

Agricultural non-point source pollution has emerged as a significant driver of declining global water quality in recent years. Ditch systems hold considerable promise for trapping and purifying pollutants. However, the persistent challenge has been the limited availability of carbon sources in drainage water, which significantly hinders nitrogen (N) removal in ditches. This study investigated the dynamic changes in ammonia (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) levels caused by three cellulosic carbon additions (rice straw, coir, and sawdust) during both winter and summer seasons. Water column devices were used as containers, and the impacts on environmental factors and water denitrification rates were explored. Results demonstrated that the addition of straw exhibited the most effective N removal in winter and summer, and significantly enhanced water denitrification rates in a short timeframe, with the maximum denitrification rate reaching 1482.42 μmol·L−1·h−1. However, there was an observed accumulation of NH4-N and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in summer. Also, the addition of sawdust resulted in a notable increase in greenhouse gas emissions during the summer test. In conclusion, during the cooler seasons of winter and spring when temperatures are not as high, the combined use of various cellulosic carbon sources has the potential to enhance water denitrification and mitigate adverse environmental impacts, offering valuable applications for water quality improvement.

The finite element model of a new staggered story isolated structure is established. Using the time-history analysis method, the dynamic response state of the structure at each time step is calculated by integrating the acceleration time-history data step-by-step. Three different types of seismic waves (ordinary seismic wave, near-fault impulse seismic wave, far-field quasi harmonic and long-period seismic wave) are input respectively for dynamic time history analysis. The result indicates that the new staggered story isolated structure has a good shock absorption effect under the action of three different types of seismic waves. There are certain differences in the shock absorption effect under the three kinds of ground motions. The seismic response under ordinary ground motions is minimal, but the seismic response of the structure increases in response to far-field quasi harmonic and long-period ground motions and the near-field fault pulse ground motions. Meanwhile, the inter-story shear force, inter story acceleration, inter-story displacement, damage, and the energy input are all increasing, However, compared with the aseismic structure, the inter-story shear force is reduced by 48%, the inter-story acceleration is reduced by 23%, the inter-story displacement is reduced by 48%, and the energy dissipation rate of the isolated layer is 65%. In addition, the isolated bearing is in good condition during occasional earthquakes under normal ground motion. However, the bearing exceeds the permissible range during near-fault impulse ground motion and far-field harmonic and long-period earthquakes. Therefore, special consideration should be given to the area where the far-field harmonic and long-period ground motion are involved.

Micro/nanogels are unique materials that exhibit the properties of both colloids and hydrogels, i.e. being colloids they exhibit a large specific surface area, while they are hydrophilic and porous allowing them to swell to a great degree with water. Engineering micro/nanogels, through the rational design of various polymer compositions and/or optical structures, can enable them to respond to a myriad of stimuli, e.g. temperature, pH, biomolecules, CO2, light, and electricity. These multi-responsive micro/nanogels and their assemblies, are capable of recognizing and transducing analyte signals into changes in optical properties observable spectroscopically or via the naked eye, allowing their use as optical sensors. In this review, we have highlighted recent state-of-the-art examples of stimuli-responsive micro/nanogel-based systems for optical sensors.

A novel non-centralised dispatch strategy is presented for wake redirection to optimise large-scale offshore wind farms operation, creating a balanced control between power production and fatigue thrust loads evenly among the wind turbines. This approach is founded on a graph sparsification partitioning strategy that takes into account the impact of wake propagation. More specifically, the breadth-first search algorithm is employed to identify the subgraph based on the connectivity of the wake direction graph, while the PageRank centrality computation algorithm is utilised to determine and rank scores for the shared turbines’ affiliation with the subgraphs. By doing so, the wind farm is divided into smaller subsets of partitioned turbines, resulting in decoupling. The objective function is then formulated by incorporating penalty terms, specifically the standard deviation of fatigue thrust loads, into the maximum power equation. Meanwhile, the non-centralisation sequential quadratic programming optimisation algorithm is subsequently employed within each partition to determine the control actions while considering the objectives of the respective controllers. Finally, the simulation results of case studies prove to reduce computational costs and improve wind farm power production by balancing accumulated fatigue thrust loads over the operational lifetime as much as possible.

Flexible and wearable biosensors have received tremendous attention over the past decade owing to their great potential applications in the field of health and medicine. Wearable biosensors serve as an ideal platform for real-time and continuous health monitoring, which exhibit unique properties such as self-powered, lightweight, low cost, high flexibility, detection convenience, and great conformability. This review introduces the recent research progress in wearable biosensors. First of all, the biological fluids often detected by wearable biosensors are proposed. Then, the existing micro-nanofabrication technologies and basic characteristics of wearable biosensors are summarized. Then, their application manners and information processing are also highlighted in the paper. Massive cutting-edge research examples are introduced such as wearable physiological pressure sensors, wearable sweat sensors, and wearable self-powered biosensors. As a significant content, the detection mechanism of these sensors was detailed with examples to help readers understand this area. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are proposed to push this research area forward and expand practical applications in the future.

Selective laser melting (SLM) technology is one of the research hotspots of additive manufacturing technology, and Hastelloy X is a material which is widely used in the aerospace field. However, the forming accuracy and surface quality of Hastelloy X holes printed by SLM often do not meet engineering requirements and need further processing. Therefore, ultrasonic vibration-aided electrochemical drill-grinding technology (UAECDG) was proposed as a method for machining small holes with high quality on SLM-printed Hastelloy X workpieces. Firstly, the electrochemical behavior of SLM-printed Hastelloy X was investigated, and its microstructure and corrosion resistance were studied using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Secondly, numerical simulation of the electrochemical drill-grinding process was performed. Thirdly, a series of experiments was carried out to explore the influence of electrode shape, electrical parameters and ultrasonic vibrations on the quality of the small holes. Finally, the UAECDG method with a hemispherical electrode was successfully used to machine with high precision small holes with a diameter of 1215.0 ± 5 μm, surface roughness of 0.446 μm and a taper of less than 1.5 degrees on a 1.2 mm thick SLM-printed Hastelloy X workpiece. This demonstrated the usefulness of UAECDG technology for machining small holes in a SLM-printed superalloy.

COVID-19 is still a global public health concern, and the SARS-CoV-2 mutations require more effective antiviral agents. In this study, the antiviral entry activity of thirty-one flavonoids was systematically evaluated by a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus model. Twenty-four flavonoids exhibited antiviral entry activity with IC50 values ranging from 10.27 to 172.63 µM and SI values ranging from 2.33 to 48.69. The structure–activity relationship of these flavonoids as SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors was comprehensively summarized. A subsequent biolayer interferometry assay indicated that flavonoids bind to viral spike RBD to block viral interaction with ACE2 receptor, and a molecular docking study also revealed that flavonols could bind to Pocket 3, the non-mutant regions of SARS-CoV-2 variants, suggesting that flavonols might be also active against virus variants. These natural flavonoids showed very low cytotoxic effects on human normal cell lines. Our findings suggested that natural flavonoids might be potential antiviral entry agents against SARS-CoV-2 via inactivating the viral spike. It is hoped that our study will provide some encouraging evidence for the use of natural flavonoids as disinfectants to prevent viral infections.

Platinum-based chemotherapy is still the standard of care after cytoreductive surgery in the first-line treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer. This study aims to integrate novel biomarkers for predicting platinum sensitivity in EOC after initial cytoreductive surgery precisely. To this end, 60 patients were recruited from September 2014 to October 2019. Based on the duration of progress-free survival, 44 and 16 patients were assigned to platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant group, respectively. Next generation sequencing was performed to dissect the genomic features of ovarian tumors obtained from surgery. Multiple genomic variations were compared between two groups, including single-nucleotide variant, single base or indel signature, loss of heterozygosity (LOH), whole-genome duplication (WGD), and others. The results demonstrated that patients with characteristics including positive SBS10a signature (p < 0.05), or FAM175A LOH (p < 0.01), or negative WGD (p < 0.01) were significantly enriched in platinum-sensitive group. Consistently, patients with positive SBS10a signature (15.8 vs. 10.1 months, p < 0.05), or FAM175A LOH (16.5 vs. 9.2 months, p < 0.05), or negative WGD (16.5 vs. 9.1 months, p < 0.05) have significantly longer PFS than those without these genetic features. By integrating these three biomarkers, a lasso regression model was employed to train and test for all patients, with the AUC value 0.864 in platinum sensitivity prediction. Notably, 388 ovarian cancer patients from TCGA dataset were leveraged as independent validation cohort with AUC value 0.808, suggesting the favorable performance and reliability of this model.

Abstract Background Computational compound repositioning has the potential for identifying new uses for existing drugs, and new algorithms and data source aggregation strategies provide ever-improving results via in silico metrics. However, even with these advances, the number of compounds successfully repositioned via computational screening remains low. New strategies for algorithm evaluation that more accurately reflect the repositioning potential of a compound could provide a better target for future optimizations. Results Using a text-mined database, we applied a previously described network-based computational repositioning algorithm, yielding strong results via cross-validation, averaging 0.95 AUROC on test-set indications. However, to better approximate a real-world scenario, we built a time-resolved evaluation framework. At various time points, we built networks corresponding to prior knowledge for use as a training set, and then predicted on a test set comprised of indications that were subsequently described. This framework showed a marked reduction in performance, peaking in performance metrics with the 1985 network at an AUROC of .797. Examining performance reductions due to removal of specific types of relationships highlighted the importance of drug-drug and disease-disease similarity metrics. Using data from future timepoints, we demonstrate that further acquisition of these kinds of data may help improve computational results. Conclusions Evaluating a repositioning algorithm using indications unknown to input network better tunes its ability to find emerging drug indications, rather than finding those which have been randomly withheld. Focusing efforts on improving algorithmic performance in a time-resolved paradigm may further improve computational repositioning predictions.

The findings from the synthetic mechanism of metal nanoclusters yield the etching chemistry based on coinage metal nanoclusters. The utilization of such chemistry as a tool that can alter the optical properties of metal nanoclusters has inspired the development of a series of emerging luminescent biosensors. Compared with other sensors, the luminescent biosensors have the advantages of being more sensitive, saving time and saving cost. We reviewed topics on the luminescent sensors based on the etching of emissive coinage metal nanoclusters. The molecules possessing varied etching ability towards metal nanoclusters were categorized with discussions of corresponding etching mechanisms. The understanding of etching mechanisms favored the discussions of how to use etching methods to detecting biochemical molecules. The emerging luminescent biosensors via etching chemistry also provided challenges and new opportunities for analytical chemistry and sensors.

Coinage metals, such as Cu, Ag and Au, can form nanoclusters, which, when functionalized with ligands, have unique electronic and optical properties and are widely used in biomedical imaging, remote sensing, labeling, catalytic, etc. The mechanisms, structures and properties of nanocluster assemblies have been well reviewed. However, the collections and analyses of nanocluster assemblies for sensor application are few. This review examines different nanocluster sensor platforms with a focus on the assembly and analysis of the assembly processes and examples of applications.

Hydraulic fracturing is a key technology in the development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. With the continuous industrialization and large-scale development of shale gas production in China, the workload of hydraulic fracturing is also increasing rapidly, and the induced seismic events are also increasing gradually, resulting in different degrees of damage to the surrounding ancillary buildings. In order to study the impact of hydraulic fracturing on ancillary buildings, the finite element software ABAQUS was used to establish a three-dimensional model of middle and high-rise isolated structures to simulate the earthquake triggered by hydraulic fracturing. Then, considering the SSI (soil-structure interaction) effect of soil-based structure, the nonlinear dynamic response of the structure under the action of ground motion was analyzed. Through the adoption of different types of soil and the foundation depth, the influence of various parameters is discussed. The study found that in the case of not considering SSI, basal shear force, and displacement between floors of the seismic-isolation structure significantly greater than considering SSI, using hard soil layer, base shear displacement is greater than the soft soil layer and interlayer, shows that due to the effect of hydraulic fracturing, making fluid diffusion in soil, the seismic energy dissipation effect. It is also found that the period, base shear, peak displacement, and interlayer displacement of deep foundation pit are increased compared with shallow foundation pit considering SSI effect.

Some innovative works have been done to probabilistic power flow (PPF) analysis for hybrid HVAC and LCC-VSC HVDC system in this paper. Firstly, a unified method considering precise model of converters is proposed to solve a general deterministic power flow (DPF) calculation including hybrid LCC (Line Current Converter) and VSC (Voltage Source Converter), the pure VSC-MTDC (Voltage Source Converter-Multiple Terminal Direct Current) and pure LCC system. Meanwhile, with a large amount of renewable energy sources integrated to the main grid through DC grids, it will impose a stochastic impact on the secure operation of such hybrid AC/DC grids. Therefore, it becomes necessary to model the probabilistic uncertainties and analyze their effects on the operation of hybrid AC/DC systems under different control modes. Nevertheless, most power flow analysis methods for hybrid AC/DC system are still deterministic in nature. Therefore, a probabilistic method based on the combination of Nataf transformation and Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) is developed and proposed to solve this complex PPF problem in an efficient manner, which considers correlated various probabilistic uncertainties, e.g. wind speeds, solar radiations and loads following different types of probability distribution. Finally, the effectiveness of the unified DPF method is validated in a modified IEEE 14-bus system, while the proposed PPF is verified in a modified IEEE 118-bus system and the effects of uncertainties on the diverse operation modes of hybrid AC/DC grids are discussed as well.

This study reports the characteristics of water in channels of blue-green beryl and its effect on color. An industrial camera was used to measure color in the CIELAB color space. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and silicate rock chemical analysis method were used for analysis. The peaks at 5105 cm−1 and 5269 cm−1 were the combination tone of type II water, which were negatively correlated with b*, and positively correlated with the peak area at 3162 cm−1 (Na–H) and cell parameter a0. The peaks at 7097 cm−1 and 7142 cm−1 were related to the metal ions types in the channels. Part of the water in the channel combined with Fe3+ to form [Fe2(OH)4]2+ and cause a yellow tone, and when the yellow tone combined with the blue tone caused by Fe2+, the beryl has a blue-green colour.

Abstract Callisalignenes G–I (1–3), three new meroterpenoids of β-triketone and monoterpene, along with two known analogues (4 and 5), were isolated from Callistemon salignus. Their structures and absolute configurations were unambiguously established by a combination of NMR and MS analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) evidence. Callisalignenes H (2) and I (3) have a rare sec-butyl moiety at C-7. Meroterpenoids 1–3 exhibited cytotoxicity against HCT116 cells with IC50 values of 8.51 ± 1.8, 9.12 ± 0.3, and 16.33 ± 3.3 μM, respectively. Graphical Abstract Cytotoxic Acylphloroglucinol Derivatives from Callistemon salignus

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a significant impact on the operation of enterprises. This study analyzes the production and coordination decisions of closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) by establishing two assumptions of endogenous and exogenous CSR. The results reveal that, for ordinary consumers, CSR is quantified as the parameter of consumer surplus, which has an impact on the patent licensing fee, revenue-sharing ratio, and so on, and which not only increases the sales quantity in CLSC but also creates more value for the manufacturer and the retailer. Considering endogenous CSR, the study found that the manufacturer’s CSR level and the manufacturer’s and the retailer’s profits both increase with the proportion of CSR-sensitive consumers. In the endogenous model, the manufacturer sets a higher wholesale price and lower patent licensing fee than in the exogenous model. Perfect coordination in the two models can be achieved by setting a revenue-sharing ratio related to wholesale price and patent licensing fee. In practice, improving the social responsibility consciousness of consumers and raising enterprises’ CSR level can achieve a win-win situation for revenues and social welfare.

With the rapid development of materials technology, fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are emerging as novel functional materials for diagnostic applications including the detection of biomarkers and bioimaging due to the advantages of their ultra-small size, tunable emissions, size-dependent fluorescence and excellent biocompatibility. In this review, we introduced the synthetic methods, and physical and chemical properties of AuNCs. Subsequently, we described the AuNCs-based design strategies for the detection of biomarkers including small molecules, DNA and proteins. The applications of AuNCs for tumor imaging in vitro and in vivo were also presented. Finally, we discussed the challenges and potential solutions of AuNCs-based nanosensors.

Recent booming advances in luminescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), have prompted the development of novel fluorescent sensors. The luminescent AuNCs possess unique and intriguing physical and chemical properties including responsive photoluminescence and peroxide-like activity, providing abundant potentials for sensing strategy design. As of now, a wide variety of chem-/bio-sensors based on AuNCs have been developed and reviewed according to varied analytes. In this review, from a different point of view, we follow the route of how those sensors realize their functions and focus on the actual roles AuNCs play, in order to hierarchically and logically display the recent progress in the sensing applications of AuNCs. This review not only opens new windows to understand the development of sensors based on AuNCs but can also inspire broader and deeper utilization of luminescent nanomaterials.

This paper proposes a new probabilistic power flow method for the hybrid AC/VSC-MTDC (Voltage Source Control-Multiple Terminal Direct Current) grids, which is based on the combination of ninth-order polynomial normal transformation (NPNT) and inherited Latin hypercube sampling (ILHS) techniques. NPNT is utilized to directly handle historical records of uncertain sources to build the accurate probability model of random inputs, and ILHS is adopted to propagate the randomness from inputs to target outputs. Regardless of whether the underlying probability distribution is known or unknown, the proposed method has the ability to adaptively evaluate the sample size according to a specific operational scenario of the power systems, thus achieving a good balance between computational accuracy and speed. Meanwhile, the frequency histograms, probability distributions, and some more statistics of the results can be accurately and efficiently estimated as well. The modified IEEE 118-bus system, together with the realistic data of wind speeds and diverse consumer behaviors following irregular distributions, is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.

High-throughput experimental methods such as medical sequencing and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify increasingly large numbers of potential relations between genetic variants and diseases. Both biological complexity (millions of potential gene-disease associations) and the accelerating rate of data production necessitate computational approaches to prioritize and rationalize potential gene-disease relations. Here, we use concept profile technology to expose from the biomedical literature both explicitly stated gene-disease relations (the explicitome) and a much larger set of implied gene-disease associations (the implicitome). Implicit relations are largely unknown to, or are even unintended by the original authors, but they vastly extend the reach of existing biomedical knowledge for identification and interpretation of gene-disease associations. The implicitome can be used in conjunction with experimental data resources to rationalize both known and novel associations. We demonstrate the usefulness of the implicitome by rationalizing known and novel gene-disease associations, including those from GWAS. To facilitate the re-use of implicit gene-disease associations, we publish our data in compliance with FAIR Data Publishing recommendations [https://www.force11.org/group/fairgroup] using nanopublications. An online tool (http://knowledge.bio) is available to explore established and potential gene-disease associations in the context of other biomedical relations.