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Microalbuminuria and hyperuricemia management are crucial for the integrated management of hypertensive patients. This retrospective post hoc analysis aims to evaluate the optimal allisartan‐isoproxil‐based combination regimen for hypertensive patients with microalbuminuria or hyperuricemia. A total of 460 hypertensive patients with microalbuminuria and 486 hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia were included in this study. All patients were initially treated with allisartan‐isoproxil for 4 weeks. Thereafter, patients with blood pressure (BP) < 140/90 mmHg continued the monotherapy for 8 weeks; patients with BP ≥140/90 mmHg were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive allisartan‐isoproxil + amlodipine (Group A + C) or allisartan‐isoproxil + indapamide (Group A + D) for 8 weeks. The changes of BP, urinary albumin and serum uric acid (UA) were measured. In patients with microalbuminuria, the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) significantly decreased by 10.4 mg/g in Group A + C (vs. baseline p =.0035) and 24.2 mg/g in Group A + D (vs baseline p <.0001), intergroup p = NS. In patients with hyperuricemia, serum UA level decreased by 44.5 µmol/L in Group A + C (vs. baseline p =.0003), but increased by 27.2 µmol/L in Group A + D (vs. baseline p =.0167), intergroup p <.0001. The results suggest that for hypertensive patients with microalbuminuria, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) + calcium channel blocker (CCB) or ARB+ diuretic both are good choices based on their improvement of microalbuminuria and BP. But for patients with hyperuricemia, ARB + diuretic may further increase the level of UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with common monoanionic high entropy ceramics, polyanionic high entropy ceramics, with better performance, are more difficult to prepare. Since transition metal carbides have high hardness and transition metal nitrides have good toughness, it is hoped that high entropy carbonitride ceramics can combine the advantages of the two. In this paper, a series of novel (Ti 0.25 Nb 0.25 Hf 0.25 Ta 0.25)C x N 1–x (x = 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7) high entropy ceramics were successfully synthesized for the first time using spark plasma sintering at 1850 °C with metal carbides and metal nitrides as raw materials. The phase evolution, microstructure, hardness and fracture toughness of high carbonitride entropy ceramics were investigated. X-ray diffraction indicates the ceramics with the single-phase face-centered cubic structure were successfully prepared. It was found that the high entropy ceramics sintered at 1850 °C with four cationic components have excellent performance on fracture toughness (KIC = 7.1746 MPa m1/2). With the increase of carbide proportion, the hardness of the ceramics increased, but the fracture toughness and bending strength decreased slightly. And it was found that the differences of grain size and porosity content were the main reasons for the mechanical properties difference. The excellent hardness properties, good bending strength and outstanding fracture toughness of the high entropy ceramics provide the possibility for the application of high entropy ceramics in aerospace and other applications requiring high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) has been widely used in minimally invasive treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) but is difficult to perform because of the narrow interlaminar window and painful for the patient. Therefore, further research is needed to find a safe and effective method to facilitate the development of PEID. Seventy-one consecutive patients with LDH who underwent PEID using a laminotomy technique with modified stepwise local anesthesia between July 2017 and June 2020. All patients were followed up for at least 6 months. Preoperative patient demographics, perioperative outcomes, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and Macnab criteria were used to assess clinical results. All patients underwent successful surgery under local anesthesia with no conversions to open surgery. The mean operation time was 79.56 ± 32.78 minutes and the average hospital stay was 6.44 ± 2.98 nights. Before surgery, the mean VAS score was 5.66 ± 1.206 and the mean ODI score was 68.41 ± 6.634; the respective scores were decreased to 0.65 ± 0.635 and 7.06 ± 1.594 after 4 weeks of follow-up (P < 0.001) and to 0.56 ± 0.691 and 7.11 ± 0.176 after 6 months (P < 0.001). According to the MacNab criteria, the outcome was excellent in 60 cases and good in the remaining 11 cases. PEID via a laminotomy technique with stepwise local anesthesia is safe and effective for L4-5 and L5-S1 LDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON), as an intermediate layer, can address the poor compatibility that exists between the LiCoO2 cathode and the polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolyte. At the cut-off voltage of 4.5 V, the as-assembled all-solid-state Li battery with the inorganic/polymer bilayer electrolyte delivers an initial discharge capacity of 173 mA h g−1 and 87% capacity retention rate after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An early warning method of compressor valve fault based on multi-parameter signals (vibration, pressure, and temperature) is presented in this work. Due to the complexity working condition, the run data of the compressor are of problems like noise and feature aliasing, which makes it difficult to extract useful features and find out the running law from the original signals. In this work, an improved deep learning network Multi-Level Fusion long short-term memory based on Component Evaluating Empirical Mode Decomposition and Fuzzy C-Means (CEEMD-FCM & MLF-LSTM) for parameter prediction of reciprocating compressor and an information fusion strategy is proposed for compressor valve fault warning. The CEEMD-FCM & MLF-LSTM network consists of data processing block, information learning block, and prediction output block, which is mainly responsible for parameter prediction. In the data processing block, the CEEMD-FCM algorithm is used for parameter decomposition, noise removal, and fuzzy mode (FM) reconstruction, which generates the input for the information learning block to ensure the predicting accuracy and reduce model complexity. MLF-LSTM is constructed to predict the parameter in the future by learning the temporal and spatial characteristics of FMs of the run data. Then, an early warning strategy for compressor valve fault based on multi-source information fusion is developed. Experimental results have verified that the proposed CEEMD-FCM & MLF-LSTM model and early warning strategy could realize early warning of compressor valve fault effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The novel SCAN is proposed to address the cell detection challenge in scene table structure recognition. • A segmentation collaboration module is developed to combine the positional and structural information of cells. • An alignment module is proposed to align the cell segmentation maps to restore the distorted table structure. • The proposed SCAN achieves state-of-the-art results on the S-TSR datasets WTW and TAL_OCR_TABLE. This study addresses the challenge of scene table structure recognition (S-TSR). In contrast to the well-aligned tables in PDF documents or screenshots, natural scene tables tend to be inclined, rotated, and curved, thereby damaging the structure of the table. Consequently, many state-of-the-art methods cannot operate effectively owing to a lack of well-aligned priors. We propose a novel segmentation collaboration and alignment network (SCAN) to address the problem of table structure recognition in natural scenarios. Our SCAN combines the location and logical information of table cells through the segmentation collaboration module to segment the cell region accurately. The proposed cell alignment module aligns the segmentation result to restore the distorted table structure. The experimental results demonstrate that our method is robust to different challenging S-TSR sub-scenarios and achieves new state-of-the-art performance, with TEDS scores of 90.7 and 98.5 on the S-TSR benchmarks WTW and TAL_OCR_TABLE, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayesian optimization (BO) is popular for a analog circuit sizing problem recently. However, BO can only work well in small-scale circuit. Scaling BO to common circuit optimization (typically dimension > 10) is difficult due to the curse of dimensionality. In this article, we proposed a new BO algorithm (cBO), which can scale BO to more larger scale circuit and improve the optimization result. First, according to the fact that a specification of the analog integrated circuit is mainly determined by a few transistors, dropout strategy is adopted in our algorithm. At each iteration, only a subset of selected variables to be optimized. A variables selection strategy based on mutual information analysis and a new fill-in strategy are proposed. Second, the $g_{m}/I_{D}$ methodology-based optimization strategy is proposed. Optimization variables are not width and the length of transistors, but $g_{m}/I_{D}$ , $I_{D}$ and length. $g_{m}$ , $I_{D}$ and $g_{m}/I_{D}$ have a direct relationship to circuit performance. This is equivalent to search in circuit feature space, which could achieve better performance and handle constraints more easily. Four commonly used circuits, including low dropout regulator, two stage amplifiers, Bandgap voltage reference (VR), and VR are used for validation. Compared with other high-dimensional BO, common BO, and commercial tools (Cadence ADE_GXL), the proposed algorithm is found to produce the best optimization result and best stability. And, the ablation study shows the effectiveness and efficiency of two ingredients of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common degenerative disease of the central nervous system among the elderly. Istradefylline, an FDA‐approved adenosine A2A receptor antagonist (anti‐PD drug), has good efficacy. However, it has been reported that the double bond of istradefylline is easily converted into cis‐configuration when exposed to an indoor environment or direct light in a dilute solution. In order to find more stable adenosine A2A receptor antagonists with similar pharmacological efficacy to istradefylline, the compounds series I‐1 (12 compounds) was designed by maintaining the xanthine skeleton of istradefylline unchanged and replacing the trans‐double bond with thiazole or benzothiazole and other biologically active heterocyclic compounds. These compounds were synthesized via multi‐step experiment and successfully confirmed through different characterization techniques for their ability to inhibit cAMP formation in A2AAR overexpressing cells. The thiazole derivative of istradefylline (Compound I‐1‐11, I‐1‐12) exhibited significant activity (IC50 = 16.74 ± 4.11 μM, 10.36 ± 3.09 μM), as compared to istradefylline (IC50 = 5.05 ± 1.32 μM). In addition, the molecular docking of benzothiazole derivatives I‐1‐11 and thiazole derivatives I‐1‐12 with higher inhibition rate were carried out and compared with istradefylline. The molecular docking results showed that I‐1‐11 and I‐1‐12 anchored in the same site as that of XAC (3REY) with predicted affinity binding energy −6.63 kcal/mol and − 6.75 kcal/mol, respectively. Validation through dynamics simulation also showed stable interactions, with fluctuations <3 Å and MM/GBSA energy <−20 kcal/mol. Hence, this study could provide a basis for the rational design of adenosine A2A receptor antagonists with better potency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Oxidation of organic sulfides is a significant reaction due to its application in many fields. Herein, we have developed a novel catalyst-free oxidation of organic sulfides by O2 under relatively mild conditions. The choice of the procedure was based on the well-acknowledged reactivity of the active C(sp3)-H bond of organic compounds to form the corresponding alkyl carbon free radicals (R•) in the presence of O2. The results showed that hydrocarbons such as tetrahydronaphthalene (THN) and cumene possessing the active C(sp3)-H bonds due to their lower bond dissociation energy (BDE), as a solvent, markedly promoted this catalyst-free sulfoxidation. It has been proved that reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this reaction are alkyl-peroxide radicals that are produced from R•, which is derived from the homolytic cleavage of the active C(sp3)-H bond with the help of heating and dioxygen, and further its activation of molecular oxygen. On this basis, combined with the DFT calculation of the activation energy of two reaction pathways, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed. The work provided a green synthesis approach of sulfoxide and sulfone compounds, and a scientific basis for a green process of ultra-deep desulfurization of fuel oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aspects of material research: material synthesis, material structure, and material properties, are interrelated. Acquiring atomic structure information of electron beam sensitive materials by electron microscope, such as porous zeolites, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites, metal-organic frameworks, is an important and challenging task. The difficulties in characterization of the structures will inevitably limit the optimization of their synthesis methods and further improve their performance. The emergence of integrated differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (iDPC-STEM), a STEM characterization technique capable of obtaining images with high signal-to-noise ratio under lower doses, has made great breakthroughs in the atomic structure characterization of these materials. This article reviews the developments and applications of iDPC-STEM in electron beam sensitive materials, and provides an outlook on its capabilities and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma segmentation based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) has recently attracted extensive attention. However, the features captured by CNN are always local that result in discontinuous feature extraction. To solve this problem, we propose a novel multiscale feature fusion network (MSFA-Net). MSFA-Net can extract feature information at different scales through a multiscale feature fusion structure (MSF) in the network and then calibrate and restore the extracted information to achieve the purpose of melanoma segmentation. Specifically, based on the popular encoder-decoder structure, we designed three functional modules, namely MSF, asymmetric skip connection structure (ASCS), and calibration decoder (Decoder). In addition, a weighted cross-entropy loss and two-stage learning rate optimization strategy are designed to train the network more effectively. Compared qualitatively and quantitatively with the representative neural network methods with encoder-decoder structure, such as U-Net, the proposed method can achieve advanced performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sublevel caving method without sill pillar is used to improve the cost of mining. The analysis is performed according to unique geographical environment and the current mining technology of the mine. The wireless communication network is used to budget and control the work cost of mining. Simulation operation about unit explosive dosage, fan-shaped deep hole interval, hole bottom distance, and collapse step distance is performed. Experiments have shown that budget and control of the cost of mining workers with wireless communication technology can manage mining data and guide the design of mining data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the mechanical damages of limestone under the coupled mechanical(M)-hydrological(H)-chemical(C) effects, we performed uniaxial compression experiments and dissolution kinetics experiments on limestone in flowing and static solutions for different lengths of time. Through experiments, the peak strengths of the limestone under coupled MHC effects for different time lengths and the major ion concentrations in solutions were obtained. By analyzing the strength damage and chemical dissolution kinetic characteristics, we achieved the strength damage equations and chemical dissolution kinetic equations. Results show that when the solution shifted from the static state to the flowing state, and as its acidity increased, the peak strength loss of the limestone rose as well. The solution mobility had a more significant impact on the peak strength loss than the solution pH value. The limestone dissolution in flowing water was higher than in static water, indicating that solution mobility would promote the limestone dissolution. Among the contributing factors to limestone dissolution, the solution pH value showed the strongest impact, followed by the common-ion effect and then the salt effect. The research result is expected to provide a theoretical basis for maintaining the stability of rocks in geotechnical engineering practice and protection of stone cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultimate goal of listed companies is to maximize shareholders' wealth. With the increasingly fierce market competition, enterprise managers are constantly exploring the key indicators that have an important impact on the financial performance (FP) of enterprises, and achieve the expected FP of shareholders by improving these key indicators. On the basis of the existing enterprise performance measurement system and index research, through expert scoring to determine the secondary indicators, this paper selects 87 small and medium-sized board listed companies which officially announced the implementation of equity incentive from 2009 to 2012 as the sample, takes the financial information disclosed in 2013 as the empirical data, and analyzes the traditional multiple linear regression analysis (MLR) When dealing with big data, especially the data with hierarchical structure, this paper proposes a partial regression coefficient calculation model based on hierarchical data, constructs a multiple nonlinear regression model, and concludes through empirical analysis that there is a nonlinear correlation between equity incentive ratio and corporate performance, and that there is an interval effect between equity incentive ratio and corporate performance. We also present Fuzzy based financial performance prediction of listed companies. Finally, we demonstrate Comparative analysis for financial prediction in term of accuracy between multiple regression model and fuzzy logic system and result deduce that fuzzy logic gives better accuracy than regression model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective biomedical strategy to prevent transmission of HIV infection, although medication adherence remains a challenge. We present the protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial to measure the effectiveness of a real-time monitoring and just-in-time intervention on medication adherence among PrEP users in China.Methods: Study participants will include 1000 men who have sex with men (MSM) from four cites in China (Shenyang, Beijing, Chongqing and Shenzhen) attending a tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) PrEP project as part of a real-world, prospective multicentre cohort study (CROPrEP). Participants will be randomised into the intervention and control arms in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the intervention arm will be provided with remote real-time monitoring equipment that triggers twice just-in-time SMS (Short Messaging Service) medication reminders to PrEP users every half an hour when a scheduled dosage is missed, and followed with just-in-time SMS medication reminders to clinicians half an hour when there is no supplement after the second just-in-time SMS reminder to PrEP users. Clinicians will initiate individualised telephone intervention as soon as possible upon receipt of the just-in-time SMS missed dose alert. Those in the control arm will only receive generic weekly SMS reminders. The study will last 6 months. Participants will be seen at follow-up visits at three and 6 months. Trial outcomes to be measured include self-reported adherence assessed via questionnaire and pill counts, as well as drug concentration test results.Discussion: Medication adherence is critical to achieve optimal benefits from PrEP. This study will be the first individualised behaviour intervention using real-time technology to increase adherence among MSM PrEP users globally. If found effective, a real-time monitoring and just-in-time intervention system may be utilized for improving adherence and thus effectiveness of global PrEP application.Trial Registration: This study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( ChiCTR1900025604 ) on September 2, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite state automata are widely used in firewalls, data detection and content audit systems to match complex sets of regular expressions in network packets. However, with the continuous increase in the types of network contents and network traffics in recent years, the deep packet inspection systems based on finite state automata also require regular engines for less memory consumption and higher operating speed. This paper analyzes the feature and problem of finite state automata and improves non-deterministic finite automata by reducing the conversion edge to reduce the memory usage. The experiment results which are made by real-world dataset show that the memory usage is reduced more than half. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electromagnetic detection method is the main method of marine oil and gas resource exploration, and the marine electromagnetic transmitter is the key equipment of marine electromagnetic detection systems. At present, the power factor of the controllable source circuit of the electromagnetic transmitter is low, energy cannot be fed back, and the capacitance of the filter capacitor is large, which results in a large volume of the electromagnetic transmitter and high maintenance costs. Thus, a cascaded H-bridge controllable source circuit combined with active power decoupling technology is introduced in this paper. First, the topological structure and working principle of the controllable source circuit of the electromagnetic transmitter are analyzed, and an improvement plan is proposed for the existing problems of the controllable source circuit. Second, the working principle of the improved controllable source circuit is analyzed, and the advantages of the improved scheme are expounded. Then a control strategy based on linear active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) is proposed, and a linear ADRC controller is designed. Simulation results show that the improved controllable source circuit reduces the capacitance value, improves the power factor, reduces the volume of the underwater towing body, and reduces the maintenance cost of the system. The proposed control strategy makes the DC voltage have better anti-disturbance performance, and improves the reliability of the electromagnetic transmitter in deep sea exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • UV/PMS simultaneously controlled in-situ-formed NDMA during the degradation of TMDS. • Multiple-path degradation of TMDS involved SO 4 −, HO , UV and PMS oxidation. • NDMA formation was related to the electron transfer between SO 4 − or PMS and TMDS. • UV may coordinate HO and SO 4 − to overcome the energy barriers for NDMA control. • UV/PMS is safe for degrading TMDS based on the zebrafish embryo toxicity evaluation. In this study, the ultraviolet/peroxymonosulfate (UV/PMS) process was found to be an efficient and safe strategy for simultaneously controlling NDMA during the degradation of N,N-dimethylhydrazine compounds, such as 1,1,1′,1′-Tetramethyl-4,4′-(methylene-di-p-phenylene) disemicarbazide (TMDS). The distinct roles of sulfate radicals (SO 4 −), hydroxyl radicals (HO), PMS, and UV in TMDS degradation as well as NDMA formation and elimination, have been elucidated, involving the kinetics and multiple-path transformation mechanisms. Moreover, to assess the feasibility of this process, a comprehensive toxicity assessment of treated water for zebrafish embryos was conducted. Mineralization analysis and an assessment of electrical energy per order (EE/O) were performed on actual water samples. The results indicate that SO 4 −, HO , PMS, and UV together degraded TMDS, but only SO 4 − and PMS led to NDMA formation. UV irradiation may coordinate SO 4 − and HO to overcome the energy barriers of NDMA elimination by providing continuous energy. The degradation of TMDS involved hydroxylation, radical addition, bond cleavage and nitrosation. Notably, NDMA formation may be closely related to the electron transfer between SO 4 − or PMS and TMDS. Subsequently, the generated NDMA was controlled through photocleavage, radical addition, and hydroxylation. Additionally, the results of toxicity evaluation and EE/O analysis suggest UV/PMS is safe and has the potential for treating N,N-dimethylhydrazine compounds-containing water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In order to reconstruct the 3D bubble flow field quickly and accurately, a Bi-Direction Filtering Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (BDF-MLEM) algorithm is proposed based on multi-view images. The BDF-MLEM algorithm improves the reconstruction accuracy and computation speed of 3D reconstruction for bubble flow field. • The main highlights of this work are as follows. • A multi-camera calibration method was proposed in this work. • A BDF-MLEM algorithm for 3Dreconstruction of bubble flow field is proposed. • The effectiveness of BDF-MLEM algorithm is verified by experiments. Aiming at the problem of the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of bubble flow field, a Bi-Direction Filtering Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (BDF-MLEM) algorithm based on multi-view bubble images was proposed in this work. The calibration method for the multi-view was studied to unify the world coordinate systems and obtain the mapping relationship between the 3D world and the projection images. Combined with the calibration results, a 3D reconstruction algorithm of BDF-MLEM for bubble flow field was developed from MLEM. In BDF-MLEM, the setting method of iterative initial value was optimized and the projection and back projection methods in the iterative process was improved based on bi-direction filtering. The experimental results have shown that, compared with SART algorithm and MLEM algorithm, both the reconstruction speed and reconstruction accuracy of the proposed BDF-MLEM algorithm were greatly improved. In addition, the reconstruction results of overlapped bubbles have been improved to some extent by using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown strong cross-cultural agreement in facial attractiveness judgments. However, these studies all used a theory-driven approach in which responses to specific facial characteristics are compared between cultures. This approach is constrained by the predictions that can be derived from existing theories and can therefore bias impressions of the extent of cross-cultural agreement in face preferences. We directly addressed this problem by using a data-driven, rather than theory-driven, approach to compare facial attractiveness judgments made by Chinese-born participants who were resident in China, Chinese-born participants currently resident in the UK, and UK-born and UK-resident White participants. Analyses of the principal components along which faces naturally varied suggested that Chinese and White UK participants used face information in different ways, at least when judging women's facial attractiveness. In other words, the data-driven approach used in this study revealed some cross-cultural differences in face preferences that were not apparent in studies using theory-driven approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the China-Africa cooperation model. Topics discussed include development history of China-Africa Joint Industrial Parks, policies to enable environment for investment cooperation and protecting lawful rights and interests of investors from both nations and eight major initiatives taken by China in collaboration with Africa for industrial promotion.

Social judgments of faces made by Western participants are thought to be underpinned by two dimensions: valence and dominance. Because some research suggests that Western and Eastern participants process faces differently, the two-dimensional model of face evaluation may not necessarily apply to judgments of faces by Eastern participants. Here we used a data-driven approach to investigate the components underlying social judgments of Chinese faces by Chinese participants. Analyses showed that social judgments of Chinese faces by Chinese participants are partly underpinned by a general approachability dimension similar to the valence dimension previously found to underpin Western participants’ evaluations of White faces. However, we found that a general capability dimension, rather than a dominance dimension, contributed to Chinese participants’ evaluations of Chinese faces. Thus, our findings present evidence for both cultural similarities and cultural differences in social evaluations of faces. Importantly, the dimension that explained most of the variance in Chinese participants’ social judgments of faces was strikingly similar to the valence dimension previously reported for Western participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Recent research on the signal value of masculine physical characteristics in men has focused on the possibility that such characteristics are valid cues of physical strength. However, evidence that sexually dimorphic vocal characteristics are correlated with physical strength is equivocal. Consequently, we undertook a further test for possible relationships between physical strength and masculine vocal characteristics. Methods: We tested the putative relationships between White UK (N = 115) and Chinese (N = 106) participants' handgrip strength (a widely used proxy for general upper‐body strength) and five sexually dimorphic acoustic properties of voices: fundamental frequency (F0), fundamental frequency's SD (F0‐SD), formant dispersion (Df), formant position (Pf), and estimated vocal‐tract length (VTL). Results: Analyses revealed no clear evidence that stronger individuals had more masculine voices. Conclusions: Our results do not support the hypothesis that masculine vocal characteristics are a valid cue of physical strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the challenges facing national security in Africa and its implications for the cooperation between China and Africa. Most African countries are reportedly facing increased terrorist activities and military conflicts despite the stabilization of the political situation. Topics include the civil wars in several African countries, the factors contributing to military conflicts, and acute public health safety issues and natural disasters.

Introduction: Evidence on the willingness of men who have sex with men (MSM) with oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) experience, especially those with suboptimal adherence, to take long-acting injectable PrEP (LAI-PrEP) is critical to guide future LAI-PrEP implementation. Objective: The objective was to assess the willingness of MSM with oral PrEP experience to take LAI-PrEP. Methods: MSM who participated in the China Real-world Study of Oral PrEP (CROPrEP) were enrolled in this study. Information on the willingness of MSM to take LAI-PrEP and potential correlates was collected using a structured online questionnaire. The main outcomes were the willingness of MSM to take LAI-PrEP and its association with HIV-related behaviours, sexually transmitted infections, and oral PrEP history. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of the willingness of MSM to take LAI-PrEP. Results: A total of 612 former CROPrEP participants (FCPs) were included in this study. There were 315 (51.5%) daily oral PrEP (D-PrEP) users and 297 (48.5%) event-driven oral PrEP (ED-PrEP) users at the last follow-up. Most FCPs (77.8%) were willing to take free LAI-PrEP. FCPs with no less than two sexual male partners (aOR = 1.54, [95% CI: 1.04, 2.29], P = 0.031), those with male partners with unknown HIV statuses (aOR = 2.04, [95% CI: 1.31, 3.18], P = 0.002), those with recreational drug use (aOR = 1.58, [95% CI: 1.05, 2.40], P = 0.030), and those with HSV-2 positivity (aOR = 2.15, [95% CI: 1.30, 3.57], P = 0.003) were more willing to take LAI-PrEP, while ED-PrEP users (aOR = 0.66, [95% CI: 0.45, 0.98], P = 0.037) and FCPs with suboptimal oral PrEP adherence (aOR = 0.58, [95% CI: 0.36, 0.94], P = 0.026) were less willing to take LAI-PrEP. Conclusion: LAI-PrEP has good prospects for expanding PrEP coverage. However, FCPs with suboptimal oral PrEP adherence are less likely to take LAI-PrEP. Further intervention and implementation efforts are needed to improve the willingness of MSM to use LAI-PrEP, and sexual health should be considered during the discussion about PrEP initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social judgments of faces are thought to be underpinned by two perceptual components: valence and dominance. Recent work using a standard key-press task to assess reward value found that these valence and dominance components were both positively related to the reward value of faces. Although bodies play an important role in human social interaction, the perceptual dimensions that underpin social judgments of bodies and their relationship to the reward value of bodies are not yet known. The current study investigated these issues. We replicated previous studies showing that valence and dominance underpin social judgments of faces and that both components are positively related to the reward value of faces. By contrast, social judgments of bodies were underpinned by a single component that reflected aspects of both perceived valence and perceived dominance and was positively correlated with the reward value of bodies. These results highlight differences in how observers process faces and bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PAN nanofibers enhance mechanical performance of PEO-succinonitrile electrolyte. • Composite electrolyte shows enhanced electrochemical performance. • Li-Sn alloy layer coted on Li anode can offer a passivated surface. • Electrolyte/anode interface is optimized by the synergistic effect. • Room-temperature solid-state battery can cycle 2400 h in symmetric configuration. Poly(ethylene oxide) polymer electrolyte composited with high content of succinonitrile organic plasticizer has excellent ionic conductivity at room temperature. Unfortunately, the poor interface stability between this novel solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) and Li metal anode leads to limited cycling performance, which seriously hinders its commercial applications. Herein, the electrospun nanofibers framework of polyacrynitrile (PAN) is introduced as a three-dimensional polymer filler, which can not only provide a robust skeleton for improved mechanical stability, but also inhibit the growth of Li dendrites with increased Li ion transference number from 0.28 to 0.41. Meanwhile, the Li anode is modified via constructing a dense Li-Sn alloy layer, offering a perfectly passivated anode surface and eliminating the side reaction between metallic Li and SPE efficiently. Hence, the interface compatibility and structure stability between the anode and the polymer electrolyte are greatly improved in the prolongated cyclic testing due to the synergistic effect of PAN reinforced SPE and Li-Sn alloy layer coated Li. As a result, the symmetrical battery can cycle stably for 2400 h at 25 °C under 0.1 mA cm−2 and 0.1 mAh cm−2, while the LiFePO 4 based full battery can keep a good capacity retention of 85 % even after 500 cycles at 0.5 C. This work demonstrates that the combination of modifying SPE and building advanced interface layer on the Li anode is an effective measure to optimize the room temperature cycling performance of polymer solid-state Li battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Checkerboard corner extraction is a crucial step in camera calibration. However, most existing algorithms are not good enough if the lens distortion is too large. This study aims to propose a checkerboard corner detection algorithm based on adaptive filters to address this problem. First, adaptive filters based on local image features are used to generate response maps of checkerboard images. Next, a non-max suppression and a scoring system are applied for further screening. Finally, the whole checkerboard structure is restored via inertia growth. The algorithm proposed is subject to rigorous experimental validation using synthetic and real images. Compared with several state of the art methods, our algorithm has the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both behavioral and neural measures of the motivational salience of faces are positively correlated with their physical attractiveness. Whether physical characteristics other than attractiveness contribute to the motivational salience of faces is not known, however. Research with male macaques recently showed that more dominant macaques’ faces hold greater motivational salience. Here we investigated whether dominance also contributes to the motivational salience of faces in human participants. Principal component analysis of third-party ratings of faces for multiple traits revealed two orthogonal components. The first component (“valence”) was highly correlated with rated trustworthiness and attractiveness. The second component (“dominance”) was highly correlated with rated dominance and aggressiveness. Importantly, both components were positively and independently related to the motivational salience of faces, as assessed from responses on a standard key-press task. These results show that at least two dissociable components underpin the motivational salience of faces in humans and present new evidence for similarities in how humans and non-human primates respond to facial cues of dominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romantic relationships can have positive effects on health and reproductive fitness. Given that attractive potential alternative mates can pose a threat to romantic relationships, some researchers have proposed that partnered individuals discriminate opposite-sex individuals less along the physical attractiveness dimension than do unpartnered individuals. This effect is proposed to devalue attractive (i.e., high quality) alternative mates and help maintain romantic relationships. Here we investigated this issue by comparing the effects of men's attractiveness on partnered and unpartnered women's performance on two response measures for which attractiveness is known to be important: memory for face photographs (Study 1) and the reward value of faces (Study 2). Consistent with previous research, women's memory was poorer for face photographs of more attractive men (Study 1) and more attractive men's faces were more rewarding (Study 2). However, in neither study were these effects of attractiveness modulated by women's partnership status or partnered women's reported commitment to or happiness with their romantic relationship. These results do not support the proposal that partnered women discriminate potential alternative mates along the physical attractiveness dimension less than do unpartnered women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates a self-powered Maximum Power Direction Tracking (MPDT) system capable of maximizing the energy harvesting by automatically adjusting the angle of the solar panel. The whole system is powered by a solar panel so no extra power supply is needed. The entire system consists of a solar panel, a motor, and a CMOS chip. A novel light direction sensor and the needed circuit are integrated in a single chip which is fabricated by a standard 0.5 μm CMOS process. So it is small-size and low-cost. The system was tested to verify performance with different light direction and intensity. The results show that the system has good sensitivity to the incident angle and achieve tracking accuracy of ± 1.8 ° over a optical power range of 30–110 mW / cm 2 . The presented system obtains an average output power gain of 18.4% over the fixed southwards mounted system under real weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical attractiveness of faces is positively correlated with both behavioral and neural measures of their motivational salience. Although previous work suggests that hormone levels modulate women's perceptions of others’ facial attractiveness, studies have not yet investigated whether hormone levels also modulate the motivational salience of facial characteristics. To address this issue, we investigated the relationships between within-subject changes in women's salivary hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol-to-progesterone ratio) and within-subject changes in the motivational salience of attractiveness and sexual dimorphism in male and female faces. The motivational salience of physically attractive faces in general and feminine female faces, but not masculine male faces, was greater in test sessions where women had high testosterone levels. Additionally, the reward value of sexually dimorphic faces in general and attractive female faces, but not attractive male faces, was greater in test sessions where women had high estradiol-to-progesterone ratios. These results provide the first evidence that the motivational salience of facial attractiveness and sexual dimorphism is modulated by within-woman changes in hormone levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosocial behavior is central to functional societies. While studies have shown that the administration of exogenous hormones modulates prosocial propensities, it remains unclear whether natural hormonal fluctuations track women's prosocial behavior. In this study, we investigated the relationships between women's natural salivary steroid hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) and their prosociality in a variety of contexts, as measured by three behavioral tasks (Charitable Donation, Social Value Orientation, and Social Discounting tasks) and one self-reported questionnaire (the Prosocial Tendencies Measure). Participants completed five weekly laboratory tests to obtain within-subject hormonal fluctuation data and prosociality measurements. In a pre-registered analysis, we found little evidence supporting the hypotheses that women's prosociality tracked natural changes in salivary estradiol, progesterone, estradiol-to-progesterone ratio, or testosterone. Our results demonstrate the importance of performing within-subject analyses when examining the relationships between hormonal levels and social behavior. • Measures of prosociality are moderately correlated. • Within-subject natural hormonal fluctuations are not associated with variations in prosociality. • Natural fluctuations and exogenous hormone administration may function differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape design and greening quality of the median strip on multi-lane highway are the most important parts of the visual impact factor. Using ornamental plants to create a comfortable greening scene on the median strip, can effectively prevent glare and improve the road driving environment. The paper studied and analysed the median strip greening status and the driving environment problems of Suibei highway in north China. On the basis of local environmental conditions, the research selected suitable landscape species to form well-proportioned landscape scenes for this highway median strip. Three sets of reference landscape configuration modes were designed for improving the median strip of Suibei highway based on the recommended landscaping plants in this papet [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unbalanced traffic demands of different data center applications are an important issue in designing data center networks (DCN). In this paper, we present our exploratory investigation on a hybrid DCN solution of utilizing wireless transmissions in DCNs. Our work aims to solve the congestion problem caused by a few hot nodes to improve the global performance. We model the wireless transmissions in DCN by considering both the wireless interference and the adaptive transmission rate. Besides, both throughput and job completion time are considered to measure the impact of wireless transmissions on the global performance. Based on the model, we formulate the problem of channel allocation as an optimization problem. We also design an approximation algorithm with an approximation bound of 1/2 and a genetic algorithm to address the scheduling problem. A series of simulations are performed to evaluate and demonstrate the effectiveness of our wireless DCN scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Uniform material removal affects the profile accuracy and surface quality of the optical surface in polishing. In general, polishing path planning and material removal optimization are studied separately. In this paper, the research combining these two aspects is employed to better ensure material removal uniformity and polishing efficiency. Two common polishing paths are covered: the scanning path and the concentric circle path. The scanning path is divided into the inner area and edge area, and the concentric circle path is divided into the peripheral area and central area, respectively. Material removal caused by the polishing path is analyzed by the simulation of the material removal map. For the scanning path, the spacing range is defined according to the number of superimposed removal profiles on the cross-section of the path, and the optimal spacing value in each spacing range is determined by using the numerical method. Then, the feed velocity is optimized to control the material removal thickness in the inner area, eliminate the over-polishing in the edge area, and ensure the polishing efficiency. For the concentric circle path, in the peripheral area, the influence of the path curvature on the removal profile is eliminated by optimizing the inclination angle and feed velocity, so that the spacing law of the scanning path can be applied to the concentric circle path. Furthermore, the over-polishing in the central area is eliminated by optimizing the radius of the central path, inclination angle, and feed velocity. Simulations and experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can effectively improve the material removal uniformity, control the material removal thickness, and ensure the polishing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug development pipeline involves several stages including in vitro assays, in vivo assays, and clinical trials. For candidate selection, it is important to consider that a compound will successfully pass through these stages. Using graph neural networks, we developed three subdivisional models to individually predict the capacity of a compound to enter in vivo testing, clinical trials, and market approval stages. Furthermore, we proposed a strategy combing both active learning and ensemble learning to improve the quality of the models. The models achieved satisfactory performance in the internal test datasets and four self-collected external test datasets. We also employed the models as a general index to make an evaluation on a widely known benchmark dataset DEKOIS 2.0, and surprisingly found a powerful ability on virtual screening tasks. Our model system (termed as miDruglikeness) provides a comprehensive drug-likeness prediction tool for drug discovery and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The saponin monomer 13 of dwarf lilyturf tuber (DT-13), one of the saponin monomers of dwarf lilyturf tuber, has been found to have potent cardioprotective effects. In order to investigate the effects of DT-13 on L-type calcium currents (I Ca,L), exploring the mechanisms of DT-13''s cardioprotective effects in the condition of pathophysiology, we directly measured the I Ca,L during hypoxia in the adult rat cardiac myocytes exposed to DT-13 using standard whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique. Our previous results showed that DT-13 exerted decreasing effects on the I Ca,L of the single adult rat cardiac myocytes. In the condition of hypoxia, the current density was inhibited by about 29% after exposure of the cells to DT-13 (0.1 μmol L−1) for 10 min, from 6.96±1.05 pA/pF to 4.38±0.35 pA/pF (n =5, P <0.05). This I Ca,L-inhibiting action of DT-13 was concentration-dependent and showed no frequency-dependence. DT-13 up-shifted the current–voltage (I–V) curve. Steady-state activation of I Ca,L was not affected markedly, and the half activation potential (V 0.5) in the presence of DT-13 (0.1 μmol L−1) was also not significantly different. DT-13 at 0.1 μmol L−1 markedly accelerated the voltage-dependent steady-state inactivation of calcium current and shifted the steady-state inactivation curve of I Ca,L to the left. In combination with previous reports, these results suggest that there might be a close relationship between the cardioprotective effects of DT-13 and L-type calcium channels in the condition of hypoxia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The saponin monomer 13 of dwarf lilyturf tuber (DT-13), one of the saponin monomers of dwarf lilyturf tuber, has been found to have potent cardioprotective effects. In order to investigate the effect of DT-13 on L-type calcium currents (ICa,L), exploring the mechanisms of DT-13's cardioprotective effects, we directly measured the ICa,L in the adult rat cardiac myocytes exposed to DT-13 using standard whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique. Our results showed that DT-13 exerted inhibitory effects on the ICa,L of the single adult rat cardiac myocytes. The current density was reduced by about 38% after exposure of the cells to DT-13 (0.1 μM) for 10 minutes, from the control value of 7.46 ± 1.31 pA/pF to 4.25 ± 0.35 pA/pF (n = 6, p < 0.05). This ICa,L-inhibiting action of DT-13 was concentration-dependent. DT-13 up-shifted the current-voltage (I-V) curve, but did not significantly affect the half activation potential (V0.5). V0.5 was from -11.8 ± 0.9 mV in the control to -12.6 ± 1.9 mV in the presence of DT-13 at 0.1 μmol/L. DT-13 at 0.1 μM did not markedly affect the activation of ICa,L, but shifted the inactivation curve of ICa,L to the left. In combination with previous reports, these results suggest that there might be a close relationship between the cardioprotective effects of dwarf lilyturf tuber and the inhibitory effects of DT-13 on L-type calcium currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of compounds, o-bromomethylbenzylidene-malononitrile (1), dimethyl o-bromomethyl-benzylidenemalonate (2) and methyl α-cyano-o-bromomethylcinnamate (3) were reduced in the dark and under irradiation by an NAD(P)H model, 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH). Two different mechanisms were found, i.e. one-step hydride transfer (polar pathway) and multi-step sequence initiated by single electron transfer (SET pathway). The effect of electron-withdrawing groups on the reactivity of the substrates were discussed in terms of Hammett substituent constants, 13C NMR chemical shift values and cyclic voltammetric redox potentials, and their correlations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel biomass-based magnetic nanoparticle (Fe3O4-P-CMC/PAMAM) was synthesized by crosslinking carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM), followed by phosphorylation with the incorporation of magnetic ferric oxide nanoparticles. The characterization results verified the successful functionalization and structural integrity of the adsorbents with a surface area of ca. 43 m2/g. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that the adsorbent exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 1513.47 mg·g−1 for U(VI) at pH 5.5 and 298.15 K, with Fe3O4-P-CMC/G1.5-2 showing the highest affinity among the series. The adsorption kinetics adhered to a pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.99, qe,exp = 463.81 mg·g−1, k2 = 2.15×10−2 g·mg−1·min−1), indicating a chemically driven process. Thermodynamic analysis suggested that the adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous (ΔH° = 14.71 kJ·mol−1, ΔG° = −50.63 kJ·mol−1, 298. 15 K), with increasing adsorption capacity at higher temperatures. The adsorbent demonstrated significant selectivity for U(VI) in the presence of competing cations, with Fe3O4-P-CMC/G1.5-2 showing a high selectivity coefficient. The performed desorption and reusability tests indicated that the adsorbent could be effectively regenerated using 1M HCl, maintaining its adsorption capacity after five cycles. XPS analysis highlighted the role of phosphonate and amino groups in the complexation with uranyl ions, and validated the existence of bimodal U4f peaks at 380.1 eV and 390.1 eV belonging to U 4f7/2 and U 4f5/2. The results of this study underscore the promise of the developed adsorbent as an effective and selective material for the treatment of uranium-contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the use of two-dimensional spatial smoothing (SS) to increase channel capacity of wireless communications system. Evidence of conditions on array configuration for applying SS to multiple signal classification (MUSIC); Causes of ambiguities in a multipath environment; Identification of several higher order ambiguity situations.

The uniformity of material removal can affect the profile accuracy and surface quality of the polished curved surface. In the aspheric surface polishing, the Archimedes spiral path may result in poor consistency of material removal due to the changes of the surface curvature and the projection path interval. Firstly, under the constant process parameters, the material removal characteristic is inconsistent throughout the aspheric surface due to the curvature change characteristics of the surface. Secondly, the projection path interval variations on the surface may lead to the inconsistency of the adjacent paths overlapping. In this study, a new path called optimized Archimedes spiral path is proposed to ensure the uniform material removal depth in aspheric surface polishing. The path generation method takes into account the effect of the surface curvature variations on material removal and the effect of the path interval on the adjacent paths overlapping. First, the model of material removal profile is proposed based on the Preston equation. Subsequently, a path interval search algorithm based on material removal profile is developed to generate the optimized Archimedes spiral path. Lastly, a group of comparative experiments between the traditional path and the optimized path was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed path generation method. Compared with the traditional path, the fluctuation of the material removal depth attributed to the optimized path is reduced by 49.7%. It indicates that the proposed path generation method is effective for improving the uniformity and consistency of material removal depth in aspheric surface polishing. Furthermore, the surface roughnesses of the two workpieces polished by the traditional path and optimized path are 0.9493 μm and 0.8893 μm, respectively. The reduction in surface roughness indicates that the uniform material removal depth can improve surface quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of achieving integration of lightweight, high strength, high‐temperature resistant, and satisfactory electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption was successfully accomplished in the present study by synthesizing TiC–TiB2 fibers reinforced Si3N4 composites, which were pressureless sintered at 1650°C for 2 h. The preparation of TiC–TiB2 fibers was conducted through a chloride‐assisted carbothermic method. This work focused on investigating the effects of incorporating TiC–TiB2 fibers on the mechanical properties and EM wave absorption characteristics of the composites. The 30 wt% TiC–TiB2/Si3N4 composite displayed the bulk density of 1.89 g/cm3, bending strength of 93.11 ± 3.91 MPa, fracture toughness of 1.81 ± 0.10 MPa m1/2, minimum reflection loss of −38.87 dB, and effective absorption bandwidth of 1.43 GHz in the Ku‐band, respectively. The as‐synthesized TiC–TiB2/Si3N4 composites are promising candidates for EM wave absorbing load‐bearing materials due to their outstanding mechanical properties and microwave absorption properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a promising and effective tool to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission; however, context-specific data to guide optimal implementation are currently lacking in China. This study aims to systematically collect comprehensive, empirical data to determine effective ways to implement PrEP among at-risk men who have sex with men (MSM) in China.Methods: The CROPrEP project, a real-world study of PrEP use, will recruit 1000 high-risk HIV-negative MSM participants from four cities in China, who will be able to choose between daily or event-driven dosing regimens, according to their preference. Participants will be followed up at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 for PrEP provision, clinical evaluation, laboratory testing (e.g., emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) concentrations, and HIV/sexually transmitted infections), alongside detailed, self-administered online questionnaires regarding sexual behaviors, adherence, and attitudes. Online weekly notes will be used to record pill use and sexual practice. Various measurements will be triangulated to assess adherence, including: self-reported adherence, pill count, and drug concentration. A propensity score matching model will be fitted to examine the effectiveness of PrEP use in HIV seroconversion compared with non-PrEP users selected from a local expanding cohort study of HIV-1-negative MSM at participating research centers. Analyses using a generalized estimating equation model will focus on elucidation of the cascade of PrEP implementation, effectiveness, safety, and possible effects of PrEP use on sexual behaviors. This study will provide a comprehensive assessment of real-world PrEP use among Chinese MSM, to develop guidelines and strategies for PrEP implementation in China.Discussion: The CROPrEP project is the first study of the TDF/FTC combination as PrEP in China, which will provide primary data on PrEP implementation, including: the cascade of PrEP use, "real-world" effectiveness, adherence, and safety. The findings from this study have potential to be vital for promoting the integration of PrEP within the portfolio of HIV prevention interventions and developing guidance on PrEP implementation in China.Trial Registration: ChiCTR-IIN-17013762 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry). Date of registration: 8 December 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The battery sponge possesses a battery structure and superhydrophilic properties. • The battery sponge can efficiently purify various o/w emulsions. • The battery sponge can repeatedly disrupt the stability of emulsions. • The battery sponge possesses high recyclability and stability. • Mechanisms for one/mixed charged superhydrophilic sponge are analyzed. A battery sponge (BS), with the superhydrophilic positive and negative electrode, was modified for demulsifying various oil-in-water emulsions without power device. Two mechanisms of BS, same charge-BS (SC-BS, BS electrode first contact with same charged emulsion) and opposite charge-BS (OC-BS, BS electrode first contact opposite charged emulsion), were explored. The positive electrode PEI@PDA@PU (PPP) and negative electrode OA@PEI@PDA@PU (OPPP) were singularly compared with BS to elucidate the demulsification performance and mechanism. Among them, OC-BS achieved the best effect: it reduced the emulsion zeta potential to below 20 mV (absolute value); separation efficiency exceeded 99.9 %; the demulsified oil droplets coalesced inside the sponge; and residual oil droplet size of filtrate was larger than the original emulsions. Furthermore, OC-BS adapted to various emulsions, can be recycled 30 cycles (separation efficiency ≥ 99.5%), and possessed high stability. The optimally-performing OC-BS was due to the repeated action of synergistic superhydrophilic positive and negative electrodes on the charged oil of emulsion, which were demulsified to the maximum degree inside the superhydrophilic sponge. It was electrostatic action, hydrophobic effect, capillary force, and oil viscosity played the main role in oil–water separation. SC-BS only demulsified the oil droplets twice. PPP was affected by emulsion type. OPPP performance was stable but unremarkable. Meanwhile, positively and negatively charged BS could also attract cationic/anionic dyes in wastewater. The results demonstrated that BS can be effectively utilized as a demulsification material and applied to purify various emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium and potassium intake in hypertensive patients in China is not clear. The authors aimed to investigate the distribution of sodium and potassium intake in hypertensive patients in China, and to analyze the relationship between sodium and potassium intake and blood pressure. The study was performed in 130 hospitals from 23 provinces across China from 2016 to 2019. Finally, 9501 hypertensive patients average aged 54 years were included. 24 h urinary sodium and potassium excretion were measured. Distribution of urinary electrolytes were described according to age, gender and region. The association between urinary electrolytes and blood pressure was analyzed by multivariate linear regression. Hypertensive patients exhibited an average 24 h urinary sodium and potassium excretion of 156.7 ± 81.5 mmol/d and 39.2 ± 20.2 mmol/d (equivalent to sodium chloride of 9.2 g/d, potassium chloride of 2.9 g/d), sodium/potassium ratio (median) of 4.14 (2.92,5.73). Urinary electrolytes were lower in women than men (sodium: 171.1 vs 138.7, p <.05; potassium: 40.3 vs 37.7, p <.05), in the elderly than in the younger (sodium: 168.7 vs 139.9, p <.05; potassium: 39.5 vs. 37.5, p <.05). For every 1 unit of Na/K ratio increase, blood pressure increased by 0.46/0.24 mmHg. Blood pressure was 2.75/1.27 mmHg higher in quartile 4 than quartile 1 of Na/K. It remains high sodium and low potassium for hypertensive patients in China. Decreased sodium, Na/K ratio and increased potassium may help for blood pressure management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hylurgus ligniperda, a major international forestry quarantine pest, was recently found to have invaded and posed a serious threat to the Pinus forests of the Jiaodong Peninsula in China. Continuous monitoring and vigilance of the early population is imperative, and rapid molecular detection technology is urgently needed. We focused on developing a single-gene-based species-specific PCR (SS-PCR) method. Results: We sequenced and assembled the mitochondrial genome of H. ligniperda to identify suitable target genes. We identified three closely related species for detecting the specificity of SS-PCR through phylogenetic analysis based on 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs). Subsequently, we analyzed the evolution of 13 PCGs and selected four mitochondrial genes to represent slow-evolving gene (COI) and faster-evolving genes (e.g. ND2, ND4, and ND5), respectively. We developed four species-specific primers targeting COI, ND2, ND4, and ND5 to rapidly identify H. ligniperda. The results showed that the four species-specific primers exhibited excellent specificity and sensitivity in the PCR assays, with consistent performance across a broader range of species. This method demonstrates the ability to identify beetles promptly, even during their larval stage. The entire detection process can be completed within 2–3 h. Conclusions: This method is suitable for large-scale species detection in laboratory settings. Moreover, the selection of target genes in the SS-PCR method is not affected by the evolutionary rate. SS-PCR can be widely implemented at port and forestry workstations, significantly enhancing early management strategies and quarantine measures against H. ligniperda. This approach will help prevent the spread of the pest and effectively preserve the resources of Chinese pine forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]