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Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network analysis benefits from precise point positioning with undifferenced (UD) or double differenced (DD) integer ambiguity resolution (IAR). Position time series with UD-IAR and a practical DD-IAR are compared for a mixture network consisting of 57 global and 82 regional stations with 4-year observations. The sparse global stations are more affected by different IAR methods than the regional stations of Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC). The most significant differences between UD-IAR and the practical DD-IAR are observed in velocity estimations, with averages of 0.15 and 0.30 mm/yr for the horizontal and vertical components, respectively. UD-IAR can achieve smaller root mean square at 70–83 % of the daily solutions than the practical DD-IAR for global stations. Nevertheless, moderate differences of frame parameters and annual variations are introduced by different IAR methods. The IAR is also proved to be one of the potential origins for Global Positioning System (GPS) draconitic signals and white noise at high frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrate formation in foam drainage gas recovery wells and the shut in accidents caused by plugging have become an important problem that restricts the safe production of natural gas. The blockage and accumulation of hydrates is a gradual problem. This research goes beyond predicting the formation of hydrates and delves deeper into examining the rate of hydrate formation and the degree of pipeline blockage at different wellbore locations. First, the temperature model, pressure model, multiphase flow model, and hydrate plugging model of hydrate formation process are established from the equations of mass conservation, energy conservation, and momentum conservation. Second, an iterative approach is employed to solve the model, with a maximum error of 6.86% in model validation. Finally, sensitivity analysis shows that wellhead temperature, wellhead pressure, and foam viscosity have different effects on hydrate formation, maximum plugging position, and plugging degree. At the same time, combined with the actual drainage and gas production process, and the characteristics of hydrate blockage, proposed hydrate prevention measures can be taken to achieve safe production of natural gas. The research results indicate that a decrease in temperature signifies an increase in undercooling, resulting in an accelerated rate of hydrate formation and an elevated risk of hydrate blockage. The decrease in wellhead pressure leads to a decrease in the rate of hydrate formation and an increase in production, which is beneficial for the hydrate prevention. However, larger pressure differences and gas production rates will put higher requirements on equipment such as well control devices. An increase in foam viscosity will lead to increased pressure, foam compression, reduced drainage capacity, and intensified hydrate generation. Therefore, foam viscosity should be kept as small as possible to keep the foam stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of edible packaging films to delay food spoilage has attracted widespread attention. In this study, partridge tea extract (PTE) was added to cassia gum (CG) to prepare CG/PTE films. The microstructure, optical, mechanical, barrier, and antioxidant properties of CG/PTE films were investigated, and the effect of PTE on CG films was shown. The films had high transparency and smooth surface structure. Additionally, PTE significantly improved the elongation at break and antioxidant activity of films. At 2.5% of PTE, the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging rate of the film was 46.88% after diluting 50 times, indicating excellent antioxidant property, which could be applied to food preservation. After 9 days of storage, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values (TBARS) of chicken jerk packaged with films containing 0% and 2.5% PTE increased from 0.12% to 1.04% and 0.11% to 0.40%, respectively. This study suggests that CG/PTE films can be used to preserve cooked meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SnZn defect passivation and heterojunction interface energetics‐modification are crucial for further improvement of open‐circuit voltage (Voc) and efficiency of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells. Herein, a simple but effective cation substitution strategy is reported to promote the performance of CZTSSe devices by simultaneously modifying the absorber and heterojunction interface. This is achieved by introducing the organic silicon salt C8H20O4Si into CZTSSe precursor solution as a source of silicon to partially substitute Sn with Si. Systematic studies reveal that there are two mechanisms synergistically contributing to the increase of efficiency: 1) This strategy can passivate the undesired SnZn defect in CZTSSe absorber more efficiently, leading to at least one order of magnitude lower SnZn defect density and beneficial carrier transport properties; 2) After Si incorporation, the conduction band minimum of the CZTSSe is upshifted, thus enlarging the bandgap, which ultimately optimizes the energy level structure at the CdS/CZTSSe interface and reduces interfacial energy loss by decreasing the carrier transport barrier. Consequently, the CZTSSe device with 7% Si substitution delivers a satisfactory efficiency of 13.02% owing to an increase in Voc. It is hoped the Si substitution strategy reported here can provide inspiration for developing advanced CZTSSe devices with broad application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guaranteed cost finite-time stability of positive switched fractional-order systems (PSFS) with D-disturbance and impulse is studied based on the Φ -dependent average dwell time (Φ DADT) strategy. Firstly, the finite-time stability of the studied system is proved by constructing a linear co-positive Lyapunov function. Secondly, the system's guaranteed cost analysis is given with the estimated upper bound of the cost. In addition, the finite-time certain and robust controllers are designed to ensure the system's stabilization. A numerical example is finally given to signify the validity of the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Interfacial solar steam generation using aerogels holds great promise for seawater desalination and wastewater treatment. However, to achieve aerogels with both durable, high-efficiency evaporation performance and excellent salt resistance remains challenging. Here, a molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2) and MXene composite aerogel with vertical pore channels is reported, which has outstanding advantages in mechanical properties, water transportation, photothermal conversion, and recycling stability. Benefiting from the plasmon resonance effect of MXene and the excellent photothermal conversion performance of MoS 2 , the aerogel exhibits excellent light absorption (96.58 %). The aerogel is resistant to deformation and able to rebound after water absorption, because of the support of an ordered vertical structure. Moreover, combined with the low water evaporation enthalpy, low thermal conductivity, and super hydrophilicity, the aerogel achieves an efficient and stable evaporation rate of about 2.75 kg m−2h−1 under one sun and exhibits excellent self-cleaning ability. Notably, the evaporator achieves removal rates of 99.9 % for heavy metal ions and 100 % for organic dyes, which has great potential in applications including seawater desalination and wastewater purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinator sharing often leads to receipt of heterospecific pollen (HP) along with conspecific pollen. As a result, flowering plants can accumulate diverse communities of HP on stigmas. While variation in HP diversity is an important selective force contributing to flowering plant fitness, evolution and community assembly, our understanding of the extent and drivers of heterogeneity of HP diversity is limited.In this study, we examined the species compositions and abundances of ~1000 HP communities across 59 co‐flowering plant species in three serpentine seep communities in California, USA. We evaluated the variation in HP diversity (γ diversity) across plant species in each seep and asked whether the variation in HP γ diversity was caused by variation in HP diversity within stigmas (α diversity) or HP compositional variation among stigmas (β diversity) due to the replacement of HP species (turnover) or their loss (nestedness) from one stigma to another. We further evaluated the potential drivers of variation in HP α and β diversity using phylogenetic structural equation models.We found that variation in HP γ diversity across plant species was driven strongly by differences among species in HP α diversity and to a lesser extent by HP β diversity. HP community turnover contributed more to HP β diversity than nestedness consistently across plant species and seeps, suggesting a general pattern of HP compositional heterogeneity from stigma to stigma. The phylogenetic structural equation models further revealed that floral traits (e.g., stigma area, stigma‐anther distance, stigma exposure) and floral abundance were key in determining HP α diversity by influencing HP abundance (load size), while floral traits and abundance showed variable impact on HP β diversity (turnover and nestedness). Pollination generalism contributed relatively less to HP‐α and β diversity.These findings disentangle the heterogeneity in HP diversity at different levels, which is essential for understanding the process underlying patterns of HP receipt in plant communities. That floral traits drive the heterogeneity in HP diversity points to additional avenues by which HP receipt may contribute to plant evolution. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C32H48CoMo2N16O7, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a = 10.425(2) Å, b = 10.517(2) Å, c = 11.187(2) Å, α = 94.671(7)°, β = 112.270(6)°, γ = 104.108(7)°, V = 1080.0(3) Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.0407, wRref(F2) = 0.1015, T = 273 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: The alkenylzincation of internal alkynes is an effective method for the synthesis of multi‐substituted conjugated dienes; however, the current catalytic systems for this reaction are limited in terms of substrate scope and selectivity control, which restricts its practical applications. Herein, we report the first iron‐catalyzed alkenylzincation of internal alkynes, which features mild conditions, simple operation, broad substrate scope (including aryl/alkyl, diaryl, and dialkyl acetylenes), excellent functional group tolerance (tolerating highly active functional groups such as ester, methylthio, amide, sulfonyl, cyano, etc.), and high activity (with a turnover number of up to 11500, the highest record for carbometallation reactions). Notably, the catalytic system described in this article also realized the highly selective vinylzincation of unfunctionalized internal alkynes as well as the alkenylzincation of unsymmetrical diarylacetylenes and dialkyl acetylenes, which have not been achieved with other catalytic systems reported in the literatures. The current study provides a highly selective access to synthetically important multi‐substituted conjugated dienes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of economy and society, the consumption of fossil energy is gradually increasing. In order to solve the current energy dilemma, Natural gas hydrate (NGH) is considered as an ideal alternative energy. At the same time, solid fluidization exploitation is an ideal method. However, in the process of that, sand and hydrate ore bodies enter the closed pipeline together, which will block the pipeline and increase the difficulty of exploitation. Therefore, the pre-separation of sand by hydrocyclone plays an important role in solid fluidization exploitation. In this study, the numerical simulation method was used to study the internal flow field characteristics of the hydrocyclone, and the effects of different flow rate, different flow ratio, different sand content and different particle diameter on the phase distribution were investigated. The results show that: at the same axial position, the increase of flow rate and sand content makes the sand phase more distributed at the edge of the flow field. Under the same working conditions, the sand gradually migrates to the center of the flow field with the increase of the axial distance. By calculation, it is obtained that under the optimum working condition of the flow rate is 4.83m3/h, the flow ratio is 20%, the sand content is 20%, and sand diameter is 80μm, the maximum Es is 22.1% and the minimum is 86.1%. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the hydrocyclone in this study shows that this hydrocyclone is only applicable to rough pre-separation of sand in the process of solid fluidization exploitation. Through the study of the internal flow field characteristics and phase distribution law of the hydrocyclone, this study provides a reference for the practical engineering application of sand phase pre-separation in the solid fluidization exploitation of NGH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schisandrin B (Sch B), an active ingredient from Schisandrae chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (Schisandraceae) Fructus, possesses diverse pharmacological activities including antitumor, anti-inflammation, and hepatoprotection. To explore the effect of Sch B on activated HSCs senescence in hepatic fibrosis and the mechanisms implicated. ICR mice with CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis were supplemented with Sch B (40 mg/kg) for 30 d and LX2 cells were treated with Sch B (5, 10 and 20 μM) for 24 h. Cellular senescence was assessed by senescence-related indicators senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity and the expression of p16, p21, p53, γ-H2AX, H3K9me3, TERT, TRF1, and TRF2. Ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) and NCOA4 siRNA were used to evaluate the mechanisms underlying Sch B's regulation of cellular senescence. Sch B (40 mg/kg) reduced serum levels of AST and ALT (53.2% and 63.6%), alleviated hepatic collagen deposition, and promoted activated HSCs senescence in mice. Treatment with Sch B (20 μM) decreased cell viability to 80.38 ± 4.87% and elevated SA-β-gal activity, with the levels of p16, p21 and p53 increased by 4.5-, 2.9-, and 3.5-fold and the levels of TERT, TRF1 and TRF2 decreased by 2.4-, 2.7-, and 2.6-fold in LX2 cells. FAC (400 μM) enhanced Sch B's effect mentioned above. NCOA4 siRNA weakened the effects of Sch B on iron deposition and HSCs senescence. Sch B could ameliorate hepatic fibrosis through the promotion of activated HSCs senescence, which might be attributed to its induction of NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy and subsequent iron overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Positioning System technique has been widely used to estimate ocean tide loading displacements, but classical harmonic analysis with satellite modulation typically disregards the effects of hundreds of minor tides within the same tidal species of major tides. We present an improved harmonic analysis of eight major tidal constituents (M2, S2, N2, K2, K1, O1, P1 and Q1) that are adjusted by more adjacent minor tides in semidiurnal and diurnal species than the usual satellite modulation approach, through the tidal admittance interpolation. Our results show that this approach allows for a more reliable determination of GPS-observed N2, Q1, P1 and S2 constituents in the northwest European shelf than the classical method, as demonstrated by a comparison with FES2014b and TPXO9-Atlas ocean tide model predictions. The advantages of our method are more pronounced in the harmonic analysis of GPS time series of short duration (1–2 years) than long duration. These improvements mainly depend on some inferred minor tides with larger equilibrium amplitudes, which provide effective admittance constraints to major tidal estimation. Among the major tidal estimates, the most significant improvement is seen for the N2 constituent (with the maximum improvement of 9.9%, 9.0% and 9.7% for the up, east and north components in terms of agreement with FES2014b model predictions), particularly along the Wadden Sea coast where significant satellite modulation deviations occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We aimed to investigate the association of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) spectrum with 1‐year clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods: In a prospective registry for the Third China National Stroke Registry (CNSR‐III), AIS or TIA patients with echocardiography records during hospitalization were recruited. All LVEFs were categorized into intervals of 5% in width. The lowest and highest intervals are ≤40% and >70%, respectively. The primary outcome was all‐cause death at 1 year. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between baseline LVEF and clinical outcomes. Results: This analysis included a total of 14,053 patients. In total, 418 patients died during 1‐year follow‐up. Overall, LVEF ≤60% was associated with a higher risk of all‐cause death compared to LVEF >60%, independent of demographic and clinical characteristics (aHR 1.29 [95% CI 1.06–1.58]; p = 0.01). The cumulative incidence of all‐cause death was significantly different among the eight LVEF groups that survival declined successively with the decrease of LVEF (log‐rank p ≤ 0.0001). Conclusions: Patients with AIS or TIA with decreased LVEF (≤60%) had a lower 1‐year survival rate after onset. LVEF 50%–60% even within the normal range, may still contribute to poor outcomes in AIS or TIA. Comprehensive evaluation of cardiac function after acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand how microbiota influence plant populations in nature, it is important to examine the biogeographic distribution of plant-associated microbiomes and the underlying mechanisms. However, we currently lack a fundamental understanding of the biogeography of plant microbiomes across populations and the environmental and host genetic factors that shape their distribution. Leveraging the broad distribution and extensive genetic variation in duckweeds (the Lemna species complex), we identified key factors that governed plant microbiome diversity and compositional variation geographically. In line with the microbial biogeography of free-living microbiomes, we observed higher bacterial richness in temperate regions relative to lower latitudes in duckweed microbiomes (with 10% higher in temperate populations). Our analyses revealed that higher temperature and sodium concentration in aquatic environments showed a negative impact on duckweed bacterial richness, whereas temperature, precipitation, pH, and concentrations of phosphorus and calcium, along with duckweed genetic variation, influenced the biogeographic variation of duckweed bacterial community composition. Analyses of plant microbiome assembly processes further revealed that niche-based selection played an important role (26%) in driving the biogeographic variation of duckweed bacterial communities, alongside the contributions of dispersal limitation (33%) and drift (39%). These findings add significantly to our understanding of host-associated microbial biogeography and provide important insights for predicting plant microbiome vulnerability and resilience under changing climates and intensifying anthropogenic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of ultra-precision polishing of the bore surface of the elbow, a new ultra-precision polishing instrument is designed, which is suitable for the inner hole finishing and finishing of the elbow, and is placed in the cavity of the work piece, the flexible line connecting spherically spraying ultra-precision polishing instrument. And the simulation analysis of the polishing process in the elbow is carried out by ANSYS 11.0 finite element analysis software. It is verified that the polishing instrument can finish the ultra-precision polishing of the internal surface of the elbow, and achieve the purpose of the internal surface roughness reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of y-SiQDs and their application to image H 2 S in cells and onion tissue. [Display omitted] Yellow fluorescent silicon quantum dots (y-SiQDs) with 22.2% fluorescence quantum yield were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method using 3-glycidoxypropyl triethoxysilane (GOTS) and m-aminophenol. The excitation wavelength is 550 nm with an emission wavelength of 574 nm, which effectively avoids the interference of biological autofluorescence. Notably, the synthesis approach does not require any post-modification and the y-SiQDs can be directly used for hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) quantification due to static quenching. It exhibits high sensitivity and excellent selectivity for H 2 S with a 0.2-10 μM (R2 = 0.9953) linear range and detection limit of 54 nM. y-SiQDs have excellent stability and biocompatibility and can be used for H 2 S imaging in living cells and onion tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competitive interactions drive critical ecological processes in plant communities. Yet, how competitive interactions are influenced by polyploidy that has a widespread incidence in plants remains largely unknown.To evaluate the hypothesis of competitive asymmetry between polyploids and diploids, we competed tetraploid and diploid plants of perennial herbaceous Chrysanthemum indicum L. (Asteraceae) at different relative frequencies under contrasting soil water contents. We quantified the interaction intensity between competing plants of the same (intraploidy) and different ploidy levels (interploidy), and measured functional traits related to gas exchange and plant water use to understand the underlying mechanisms.The stronger competitive effect of tetraploids on diploids than that of diploids on tetraploids provided evidence for the competitive asymmetry. As a stronger competitor, tetraploids were limited more by individuals of their own than by diploids. Such competitive asymmetry was not only maintained under reduced soil water content, but also translated into higher above‐ground biomass of tetraploids. Tetraploids showed more resource‐acquisitive traits than diploids under high soil water content and more resource‐conservative traits under reduced soil water content. As such, the higher trait plasticity in tetraploids than diploids likely explained the competitive asymmetry.Synthesis. These results elucidate the nature and magnitude of species interactions between polyploid and diploid plants under changing environments and the underlying mechanisms, and provide important insights into the prevalence and persistence of polyploid plants under a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the difference of application of core needle biopsy histology and fine needle aspiration cytology in cervical lymphadenopathy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on 80 patients with cervical lymphadenopathy admitted to Baoding No.1 Central Hospital from to October 2018 to February 2020, and they were randomly divided into two groups: core needle group and fine needle group. Patients in the core needle group were given core needle biopsy histology, while those in the fine needle group were given fine needle aspiration cytology, and the puncture results and surgical complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The accuracy rates of the core needle group and the fine needle group in the diagnosis of malignant cervical lymph nodes were 95.83% and 72.22% respectively, with a statistically significant difference (χ²=4.683, p=0.030). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the core needle group were 100.00%, 93.75%, 95.83% and 100.00% respectively, while those of the fine needle group were 86.67%, 90.00%, 86.67% and 90.00% respectively, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05). The complication rate in the core needle group was 22.50%, which was higher than the 5.00% in the fine needle group (χ²=5.165, p=0.023). Conclusions: No significant difference was observed between core needle biopsy histology and fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosing cervical lymphadenopathy, but the former has a high complication rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between gastric cancer and its precancerous lesions and gastric xanthoma. Methods: Medical records of 47 736 patients who underwent gastroscopy in our center from January 2020 to December 2021 were reviewed. Patients' age, sex, endoscopic and histopathological findings, and the presence, number and location of gastric xanthoma were recorded. To investigate the detection rate of gastric xanthoma at different stages of gastric lesions, the participants were further divided into the chronic gastritis group (n = 42 758), the precancerous lesion group (n = 3672), and the gastric cancer group (n = 1306), respectively. Results: The overall detection rate of gastric xanthoma was 2.85%, and it was most commonly observed in the gastric antrum (52.50%). In addition, gastric xanthoma was more common in men and more likely to be single lesion. It was most detected in the precancerous lesion group (8.39%), followed by the gastric cancer group (5.44%), and least in the chronic gastritis group (2.29%). Multivariate analysis showed that gastric xanthoma was closely related to precancerous lesions (odds ratio [OR] 3.197, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.791–3.662, P < 0.001) and gastric cancer (OR 1.794, 95% CI 1.394–2.309, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Gastric xanthoma is closely related to gastric precancerous lesions and gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of nanozyme-based electrochemical sensor with excellent analytical properties is urgently needed for non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of glucose. In this work, we embed PtCu alloy nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon nanospheres (PtCu/MCNs) as nanozyme by strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) method combined with high-temperature reduction for glucose detection. Characterization results show that PtCu alloy nanoparticles with average diameter of 3.7 nm are homogeneously embedded on MCNs. The formation mechanism of PtCu/MCNs was put forward based on strong electrostatic interaction. PtCu/MCNs(1:1) shows the highest electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation compared with other PtCu/MCNs. PtCu/MCNs(1:1)-based sensor displays low detection limit (0.0005 μM), high sensitivity (574.1 μA mM−1 cm−2), wide linear range (1 μM–5 mM), high selectivity and anti-interference for glucose analysis. Moreover, the as-constructed sensor has excellent reusability and stability. The above superior properties could be attributed to the homodisperse and firm combination with MCNs of small PtCu alloy nanoparticles, and the cooperative effect of Pt with Cu. The PtCu/MCNs(1:1)-based sensor exhibits satisfactory properties for the detection of glucose in beverages, indicating the application prospects of PtCu/MCNs for glucose determination in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of magnetic nanomaterial with Fe3O4 as the core and organic polymer as the shell was synthesized by seed emulsion polymerization. This material not only overcomes the problem of insufficient mechanical strength of the organic polymer, it also solves the problem that Fe3O4 is prone to oxidation and agglomeration. In order to make the particle size of Fe3O4 meet the requirement of the seed, the solvothermal method was used to prepare Fe3O4. The effects of the reaction time, amount of solvent, pH value, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the particle size of Fe3O4 were investigated. In addition, in order to accelerate the reaction rate, the feasibility of preparing Fe3O4 by microwave was studied. The results showed that under the optimum conditions, the particle size of Fe3O4 could reach 400 nm and had good magnetic properties. After three stages of oleic acid coating, seed emulsion polymerization, and C18 modification, the obtained C18-functionalized magnetic nanomaterials were used for the preparation of the chromatographic column. Under optimal conditions, stepwise elution significantly shortened the elution time of sulfamethyldiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine, and sulfamethoxazole while still achieving a baseline separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are few studies on the earth pressure of anchored-frame structures with consideration to prestresses. Based on previous research, this study determined the potential slip angle of the slope with consideration to prestresses under the assumption of a smooth surface and extreme value of the anti-slip coefficient. The horizontal layer method was used to solve the active earth pressure of the supported structures with prestressed anchors. On the basis of the above-mentioned investigation, the effect of prestresses on the earth pressure was analyzed and compared through theoretical calculation and finite element simulation. The factors influencing the earth pressure were analyzed with consideration to the prestresses. The results reveal that, after considering the effect of prestresses, the earth pressure on the supported structures increases, and the influence of the soil strength parameters on the earth pressure weakens under the influence of prestresses. The effect of changing the anchor spacing on the earth pressure is the same as the effect of changing the prestresses on the earth pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combinational therapy such as taking tranexamic acid while using laser treatment has been proved potential efficacy by many experiments. However, there is few research which contains large samples and consistent observations. Objective: We evaluated clinical efficacy and safety of a new systemic treatment of drug‐laser‐photon therapy. Methods: Retrospective and randomized investigator‐blinded study of 75 patients with mixed type melasma was analyzed. At each visit, standardized photographs were taken using VISIA. Modified melasma area and severity index (mMASI) scores were marked using photographs by two dermatologists. Results: The mMASI score decreased significantly from 6.92 to 3.84 after the treatment. The VISIA analyze right cheek data shows: Spots (from 49.67 ± 3.43 to 56.09 ± 3.31), UV spots (from 41.39 ± 24.45 to 44.56 ± 25.86), and Brown spots (from 23.97 ± 17.89 to 28.16 ± 21.28) are statistically increased (p = 0.035, p = 0.018, p = 0.07). All patients feel varying degrees of improvement, about 10.17% felt very much improved, 30.51% felt much improved (51%–75%), 45.76% felt moderately improved (26%–50%), and 13.56% felt little improved (1%–25%). Limitations: This study was no control group. Conclusion: The efficacy and safety profile of the combination of drug‐laser‐photon therapy systemic treatment in melasma patients has been proved. It has potential possibility to become a new, reliable, widely suitable therapy strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the trial production of marine gas hydrate in the former Soviet Union, Canada, North Slope of Alaska, South Sea Trough of Japan and Shenhu Sea of South China Sea, the problem of sand and water production cannot be avoided. The problems of sand production and water production in the process of natural gas hydrate depressurization exploitation have seriously restricted the exploitation efficiency and production of natural gas hydrate. The problems of sand production and water production are some of the main factors that prevent natural gas hydrate being commercially exploited. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out useful, relevant and cutting-edge research on the efficient drainage of sand and water from the wellbore in the process of natural gas hydrate mining. This paper innovatively proposes liquid-carrying and solid-carrying technology under foam circulation purging to address the existing problems of sand removal and drainage technology in hydrate mining. At present, no scholar has used this technology to solve the problem of sand removal and drainage in hydrate mining. Therefore, the research on efficient drainage is imperative. In this paper, We mainly studied the liquid-carrying and solid-carrying of vertical wellbore under the condition of foam cycle purging. We have revealed the relevant the liquid-carrying law and solid-carrying law through the above research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; mainly ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) is associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) referred to as colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). In inflammatory flares of IBD, the production of luminal nitric oxide (NO) increases due to the increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity in inflamed tissue. It is believed that iNOS parallels pro-inflammatory interleukin-1β (IL-1β). How these biomarkers relate to CAC pathogenesis or survival is unknown. Aim: The primary aim of this study was to investigate iNOS and IL-1β immunoreactivity in CAC tumors in comparison with CRC and normal colonic mucosa, and the secondary aim was to determine if immunoreactivity correlates with 5-year survival of CAC. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue sections as follows: CAC (n = 59); sporadic CRC (sCRC) (n = 12); colonic mucosa >2 cm outside sCRC margin (normal mucosa) (n = 22); paracancerous IBD (pIBD) (n = 12). The expression of iNOS and IL-1β was quantified separately for epithelium and stroma. Data were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U-test and the log-rank test for 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results were compared with online mRNA databases. Results: Immunoreactivity occurred predominantly in epithelial cells and to lesser extent in stroma. Compared with normal mucosa, immunoreactivity for iNOS (P < 0.01) and IL-1β (P < 0.005) was higher in CAC epithelium. In CAC stroma, iNOS immunoreactivity was lower than normal mucosa (P < 0.001), whereas IL-1β was higher (P < 0.05). Immunoreactivity differences of iNOS or IL-1β among CAC patients failed to correlate with 5-year survival. These findings were supported by online mRNA databases. Conclusion: Consistent with high NO production in IBD, there is more iNOS in CAC epithelium, albeit not in stroma. This immunoreactivity difference exists for IL-1β in both epithelium and stroma. The intervention of arginine or iNOS activity for CAC chemotherapy is not straightforward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recruitment of a sufficient number of immune cells to induce an inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME) is a prerequisite for effective response to cancer immunotherapy. The immunological phenotypes in the TME of EGFR–mutated lung cancer were characterized as non-inflamed, for which immunotherapy is largely ineffective. Methods: Global proteomic and phosphoproteomic data from lung cancer tissues were analyzed aiming to map proteins related to non-inflamed TME. The ex vivo and in vivo studies were carried out to evaluate the anti-tumor effect. Proteomics was applied to identify the potential target and signaling pathways. CRISPR-Cas9 was used to knock out target genes. The changes of immune cells were monitored by flow cytometry. The correlation between PKCδ and PD-L1 was verified by clinical samples. Results: We proposed that PKCδ, a gatekeeper of immune homeostasis with kinase activity, is responsible for the un-inflamed phenotype in EGFR-mutated lung tumors. It promotes tumor progression by stimulating extracellular matrix (ECM) and PD-L1 expression which leads to immune exclusion and assists cancer cell escape from T cell surveillance. Ablation of PKCδ enhances the intratumoral penetration of T cells and suppresses the growth of tumors. Furthermore, blocking PKCδ significantly sensitizes the tumor to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy (αPD-1) in vitro and in vivo model. Conclusions: These findings revealed that PKCδ is a critical switch to induce inflamed tumors and consequently enhances the efficacy of ICB therapy in EGFR-mutated lung cancer. This opens a new avenue for applying immunotherapy against recalcitrant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tendency in tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall is of great concern due to its remarkable contribution to global precipitation and extreme rainfall events. This study finds a decreasing trend in TC inner‐core rain rate over the western North Pacific (WNP) from 1998 to 2019. This basinwide trend is mainly induced by the decreasing TC inner‐core rain rates over the region west of 150°E, while it is seldom linked to the changes in the distribution of TC occurrence. The maximum decreases in TC inner‐core rain rate are observed over the offshore areas along the coastlines of East Asia. Further analysis reveals that the change in atmospheric stability, referred to as a dominant environmental contributor to basinwide TC inner‐core rain rate decreases shown in previous studies, only has a primary impact over the northern South China Sea. By comparison, there is a positive correlation between the variations of the aerosol optical depth and TC inner‐core rain rate over the mid‐latitude regions extending from the East China Sea to Japan. Our result highlights the linkage of the recent decreasing trends in aerosol optical depth and TC inner‐core rain rate over the WNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the observer-based guaranteed cost control method is investigated for the networked control systems (NCSs) with packet dropout and nonlinear disturbance involving event-triggered mechanism (ETM). The packet dropout processes, which appear in both the sensor-to-controller and the controller-to-actuator links, are represented by two mutually independent Bernoulli distributions, and the nonlinear disturbance is supposed to satisfy the Lipschitz condition. Since the systems states are unmeasurable, a state observer is designed to estimate the values of system state. The sufficient condition for the stability of the closed-loop system is addressed by applying the Lyapunov theorem, and a guaranteed cost controller is obtained based on the stability condition with the satisfaction of some given specified value of cost function. Furthermore, the controller design issue can be formulated as a convex optimization problem that is addressed by the linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique using the cone complementarity linearization algorithm. Finally, the availability of above method is proved by a simulation example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are some problems in the network public opinion monitoring, such as long monitoring time, low monitoring accuracy and so on. The network public opinion information of colleges and universities is collected through the public opinion information collection module; the collected network public opinion information is cleaned, filled, corrected and de noised by the public opinion information preprocessing module, and the network public opinion text is processed in parallel based on the parallel computing framework. To obtain the formatted data and extract the text feature items; through the network public opinion analysis module, the machine learning method is used to collect and cluster a large number of documents of the same event, identify the main theme of the document, track and evaluate the public opinion theme; through the network public opinion monitoring module, the probabilistic neural network is used to monitor the abnormal behavior of the university network public opinion data. The simulation results show that the dynamic monitoring system model of university network public opinion constructed in the big data environment has short monitoring time and high monitoring accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite glial cells (SGCs) tightly surround neurons and modulate sensory transmission in dorsal root ganglion (DRG). At present, the biological property of primary SGCs in culture deserves further investigation. To reveal the key factor for SGCs growth and survival, we examined the effects of different culture supplementations containing Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM)/F12, DMEM high glucose (HG) or Neurobasal-A (NB). CCK-8 proliferation assay showed an increased proliferation of SGCs in DMEM/F12 and DMEM/HG, but not in NB medium. Bax, AnnexinV, and propidium iodide (PI) staining results showed that NB medium caused cell death and apoptosis. We showed that glutamine was over 2.5 mM in DMEM/F12 and DMEM/HG, whereas it was absence in NB medium. Interestingly, exogenous glutamine application significantly reversed the poor proliferation and cell death of SGCs in NB medium. These findings demonstrated that DMEM/F12 medium was optimal to get high-purity SGCs. Glutamine was the key molecule to maintain SGCs growth and survival in culture. Here, we provided a novel approach to get high-purity SGCs by changing the key component of culture medium. Our study shed a new light on understanding the biological property and modulation of glial cells of primary sensory ganglia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important forage legume with high values in feed and medicine, Melilotus albus has been widely cultivated. The AP2/ERF transcription factor has been shown to play an important regulatory role in plant drought resistance, but it has not been reported in the legume forage crop M. albus. To digger the genes of M. albus in response to drought stress, we identified and analyzed the ERF gene family of M. albus at the genome-wide level. A total of 100 MaERF genes containing a single AP2 domain sequence were identified in this study, named MaERF001 to MaERF100, and bioinformatics analysis was performed. Collinearity analysis indicated that segmental duplication may play a key role in the expansion of the M. albus ERF gene family. Cis-acting element predictions suggest that MaERF genes are involved in various hormonal responses and abiotic stresses. The expression patterns indicated that MaERFs responded to drought stress to varying degrees. Furthermore, four up-regulated ERFs (MaERF008, MaERF037, MaERF054 and MaERF058) under drought stress were overexpressed in yeast and indicated their biological functions to confer the tolerance to drought. This work will advance the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the drought response in M. albus. Further study of the promising potential candidate genes identified in this study will provide a valuable resource as the next step in functional genomics studies and improve the possibility of improving drought tolerance in M. albus by transgenic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oils from the stem of Etlingera velutina was obtained by a Clevenger-apparatus and the chemical composition of the volatile oil was identified using GC-FID and GC-MS methods. the oil consists of sesquiterpene hydrocarbon. α-Cubebene (29.98%) and 2-undecanone (20.04%) were the main components for the rhizome oil. In the cellular and molecular part of this study, the MTT assay was run to treat of the cell lines by EO for evaluation of the cytotoxicity and anti-human gastric cancer properties of EO. The results revealed a dose-dependently on the viability of malignant gastric cell line. The IC50 of EO were 376 and 371 μg/mL against NCI-N87 and MKN45 cell lines, respectively. For antioxidant analysis, the IC50 of 192 μg/mL was obtained for radical scavenging activity of EO against DPPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing demand for energy, the importance of oil as a major energy resource is increasingly evident, and trade has become the key to balancing energy supply and demand. We construct the evolving international oil trade network (iOTN) and analyze the structure and evolution characteristics of the network. Meanwhile, we identify different oil market states by applying the sequential clustering method, combined with relevant network indicators. We find an increase in bilateral cooperation among economies in the oil market, closer trade ties and an upward trend in network reciprocity. The iOTN is heterogeneous, and economies with widely differing trade positions are more likely to cooperate. Trade cooperation with significant trade volumes is more irreplaceable and stable. The changes of oil market state in 1990, 2004 and 2014 indicate that major international events significantly impact the structure of energy systems and trade networks. The division of the oil trade market state by sequential clustering can reflect the reality. Our study clarifies the structural attributes of the iOTN, explores the evolution of the oil trade pattern from the network level, and accurately identifies the state changes in the international oil market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfhydryl functionalized silicon quantum dots (S-SiQDs) with a fluorescence quantum yield of 38.5% were synthesized using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and m-phenylenediamine by a simple one-pot method. It is worth noting that by oxidizing the surface sulfhydryl groups and statically quenching, the fluorescence of S-SiQDs at 492 nm (excitation at 383 nm) can be selectively quenched by hypochlorite (ClO-) in a linear range of 0.05 to 1.8 μM with a low detection limit of 13 nM. The reaction was completed in 10 s with no interference from other ROS, metal ions, anions and reducing species. The silicon source containing sulfhydryl groups was used to synthesize silicon quantum dots for the first time, and the surface of the S-SiQDs was provided with sulfhydryl groups and reacted rapidly and sensitively with ClO-. The S-SiQDs have good photostability and biocompatibility, and can be further used for ClO- imaging in MCF-7 cells and zebrafish, showing great promise in biological imaging. The proposed assay demonstrates that 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane is a good choice to obtain a functionalized fluorescent nanoprobe for redox species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a hematological cancer characterized by heterogeneous hematopoietic cells. Through the use of multidimensional sequencing technologies, we previously identified a distinct myeloblast population, CD34+CD117dim, the proportion of which was strongly associated with the clinical outcome in t (8;21) AML. In this study, we explored the potential value of the CD34+CD117dim population signature (117DPS) in AML stratification.Methods: Based on the CD34+CD117dim gene signature, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis was performed to construct the 117DPS model using the gene expression data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE37642-GPL96 was used as training cohort; GSE37642-GPL570, GSE12417-GPL96, GSE12417-GPL570 and GSE106291 were used as validation cohorts). In addition, the RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LAML and Beat AML projects of de-novo AML patients were also analyzed as validation cohorts. The differences of clinical features and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were further explored between the high-risk score group and low-risk score group.Results: The high-risk group of the 117DPS model exhibited worse overall survival than the low-risk group in both training and validation cohorts. Immune signaling pathways were significantly activated in the high-risk group. Patients with high-risk score had a distinct pattern of infiltrating immune cells, which were closely related to clinical outcome.Conclusion: The 117DPS model established in our study may serve as a potentially valuable tool for predicting clinical outcome of patients with AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the following nonlinear elliptic equations − Δ u + u + λ ϕ (x) | u | r − 2 u = | u | p − 1 u , x ∈ Ω , − Δ ϕ (x) = | u | q , x ∈ Ω , ϕ (x) = u (x) = 0 , x ∈ ∂ Ω , (P) where p , q , r > 1 , λ is a parameter and Ω ⊂ R 3 is a bounded domain. For q = r = 2 , the equations reduce to the Schrödinger–Poisson equations. Without the need of imposing constraint that q must be equal to r , we establish a priori estimates, the nonexistence and existence of solutions for problem (P). Our results extend previous work for the case q = r to more general case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix-free room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have generated considerable interest in sensing, anti-counterfeiting and bioimaging due to long lifetime and large Stokes shift. However, spin-forbidden transition and non-radiative transition make RTP challenging to implement. In this work, matrix-free RTP carbon dots (CDs) co-doped with boron and nitrogen were prepared through the microwave-assisted strategy. The CDs realize RTP without any protective matrix. This may be attributed to the stable and rigid structure formed during the heating polymerization process, which can protect the triplet excited state from being quenched by oxygen and water in the air environment. The fluorescence and phosphorescence emission wavelength of the as-prepared CDs were observed at 532 nm and 596 nm with the excitation wavelength of 476 nm and 514 nm, respectively, showing a long afterglow lifetime of 735.3 ms. Nitrogen doping has a crucial effect on the luminescence of RTP, and the increase of nitrogen content facilitates the n-π* transition and improve the efficiency of intersystem crossing (ISC). Importantly, the ratiometric fluorescence method for determining riboflavin has been established based on the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the CDs (Donor) and riboflavin (Acceptor), with a linear relationship in the range of 9.52–85.71 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) of 19.9 nM. Additionally, the phosphorescent property of the CDs was exploited to demonstrate the potential applications in the field of information encryption. [Display omitted] • The CDs exhibited blue fluorescence and green phosphorescence. • The ratiometric fluorescence method for riboflavin was established. • The CDs showed the potentiality of information encryption. • The CDs have a long phosphorescence lifetime of 735.3 ms at 596 nm. • The fluorescence and phosphorescence mechanisms were explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are often prescribed to prevent or treat gastrointestinal disease. Whether the combination of systemic anti‐tumour therapy and PPIs leads to poor outcomes in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. This systematic review explored the relationship between PPIs and survival outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC who are receiving systemic anti‐tumour therapy. Methods: We searched studies reporting the overall survival (OS) and/or progression‐free survival (PFS) of advanced NSCLC patients who are receiving systemic anti‐tumour therapy with or without PPIs on PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for literature published prior to 31 August 2021. The meta‐analysis used a random effects model to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and I2 to assess statistical heterogeneity. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were performed. Results: Fourteen retrospective studies comprising 13 709 advanced NSCLC patients were identified. Subgroup analyses showed that the use of PPI was correlated with the OS or PFS of patients receiving chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy (PPI users' group vs non‐users' group: HR for OS = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.21–1.51, P <.00001; HR for PFS = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.25–1.80, P <.0001). Publication bias and sensitivity analyses confirmed that the results were robust. Conclusion: Meta‐analysis demonstrated that PPI use in advanced NSCLC patients who were undergoing systemic anti‐tumour therapy was correlated with increased mortality risk. Until results are further confirmed, caution should be applied when administering PPIs and systemic anti‐tumour therapy to advanced NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circular RNA plays a critical role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and autophagy. However, the role and mechanism of circRNA in preeclampsia is yet to be clarified. The present study investigated the function and mechanism of circ‐0002814 in preeclampsia. Methods: The expression level of circ‐0002814, microRNA 210 (miR210), Notch receptor 1 (Notch1), or cytoplasmic polyadenylation element‐binding protein 2 (CPEB2) was investigated by Reverse transcription Real‐time Quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR). The level of Notch1, CPEB2, and FUS (FUS RNA‐binding protein) proteins was detected by western blot. The localization of circ‐0002814 and miR‐210 was determined by FISH assay. Cell proliferation and invasion were detected by EdU and transwell assays, respectively. The interaction between circ‐0002814 and FUS protein was detected by RNA pulldown assay, while that between circ‐0002814 and miR‐210 was detected by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. Results: The expression of circ‐0002814 was decreased in the placenta and plasma of patients with preeclampsia. The ectopic expression of circ‐0002814 promoted the invasion and proliferation of HTR8 cells compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Silencing circ‐0002814 suppressed the invasion and proliferation of JEG3 cells compared to the control group (p < 0.05). circ_0002814‐regulated Notch1 and CPEB2 by interaction with miR‐210 and also regulated FUS/VEGF axis in HTR8 and JEG3 cells. Conclusion: A low expression of circ‐0002814 was detected in the plasma and placental tissue in preeclampsia patients. circ‐0002814 participated in the proliferation and invasion of HTR8 and JEG3 cells. Thus, circ‐0002814 may be considered as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic efficacy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (CNB) for metastatic lymph nodes guided by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and to provide reference for clinical selection of puncture methods. Methods: A total of 168 patients who were admitted to Baoding No.1 Central Hospital from June 2020 to January 2021 and required puncture of the diseased lymph nodes were included. Seventy six patients were guided by conventional ultrasound, of which 37 received FNA and 39 received CNB. 92 patients were guided by CEUS, of which 41 received FNA and 51 received CNB. The diagnostic accuracy of FNA and CNB guided by conventional ultrasound and CEUS was compared, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNA and CNB in the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes guided by CEUS were further compared. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of FNA and CNB guided by CEUS were higher than that guided by conventional ultrasound, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNA and CNB in the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes were 95.0%, 95.2%, 95.0%, 95.2%, 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P>0.05). Conclusion: CEUS can guide puncture and improve diagnosis accuracy. No statistical difference can be seen in the diagnostic efficacy of CNB and FNA for metastatic lymph nodes, CNB can provide more diagnostic information, while FNA can replace CNB for metastatic lymph nodes adjacent to blood vessels and difficult to operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance ambipolar charge transport materials can reduce the manufacturing cost of OFET and OPV devices, and simplify circuit design and device structure. In order to obtain ambipolar donor-acceptor (D-A) polymer, many efforts have been made through different donor and acceptor combination, halogenation or heteroatom substitution. However, the influencing factor for charge transport polarity is still much complicated. Based on intra-chain super-exchange mechanism for D-A polymer, we found that the energy alignment of donor and acceptor moiety has large impact on charge transport polarity. When the HOMO-LUMO (H-L) gap of the acceptor moiety is narrow, its HOMO/LUMO energy level both lie between the HOMO and LUMO of the donor moiety (sandwich-type energy alignment), and the corresponding D-A copolymers will be more likely ambipolar transport. And thus, take a narrow H-L gap thiazoleisoindigo (TzIID) acceptor as an example, we demonstrated that a series of TzIID based copolymers combined with wide H-L gap donor moieties can reveal ambipolar transport. We further predict several high performance ambipolar D-A copolymers (TzIID-TT etc.) with balanced electron and hole transport, whose effective mass (me*=0.146 and mh*=0.128) is one of the smallest effective masses among ambipolar materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal deformation related to mass redistribution on the Earth’s surface can be recorded by continuous global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and simulated by surface loading models. It has been reported that obvious discrepancies exist in the seasonal deformation between GNSS estimates and modeled loading displacements, especially in the horizontal components. The three-dimensional seasonal deformation of 900 GNSS stations derived from the International GNSS Service (IGS) second reprocessing are compared with those obtained from geophysical loading models. The reduction ratio of the weighted mean amplitude of GNSS seasonal signals induced by loading deformation correction is adopted to evaluate the consistency of seasonal deformation between them. Results demonstrate that about 43% of GNSS-derived vertical annual deformation can be explained by the loading models, while in the horizontal components, it is less than 20%. To explore the remaining GNSS seasonal variations unexplained by loading models, the potential contributions from Inter-AC disagreement, GNSS draconitic errors, regional/local-scale loading and loading model errors are investigated also using the reduction ratio metric. Comparison of GNSS annual signals between each IGS analysis center (AC) and the IGS combined solutions indicate that more than 25% (horizontal) and 10% (vertical) of the annual discrepancies between GNSS and loading models can be attributed to Inter-AC disagreement caused by different data processing software implementations and/or choices of the analysis strategies. Removing the draconitic errors shows an improvement of about ~ 3% in the annual vertical reduction ratio for the stations with more than fifteen years observations. Moreover, significant horizontal discrepancies between GNSS and loading models are found for the stations located in Continental Europe, which may be dominated by the regional/local-scale loading. The loading model errors can explain at least 6% of the remaining GNSS annual variations in the East and Up components. It has been verified that the contribution of thermoelastic deformation to the GNSS seasonal variations is about 9% and 7% for the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. Apart from these contributors, there are still ~ 50% (horizontal) and ~ 30% (vertical) of the GNSS annual variations that need to be explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new triterpenoids (1, 2) were isolated from the fresh bark of Ailanthus altissima. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including 1D and 2D NMR techniques and high-resolution mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sialyl‐Lewisx (SLex) is involved in immune regulation, human fertilization, cancer, and bacterial and viral diseases. The influence of the complex glycan structures, which can present SLex epitopes, on binding is largely unknown. We report here a chemoenzymatic strategy for the preparation of a panel of twenty‐two isomeric asymmetrical tri‐antennary N‐glycans presenting SLex‐Lex epitopes on either the MGAT4 or MGAT5 arm that include putative high‐affinity ligands for E‐selectin. The N‐glycans were prepared starting from a sialoglycopeptide isolated from egg yolk powder and took advantage of inherent substrate preferences of glycosyltransferases and the use of 5′‐diphospho‐N‐trifluoracetylglucosamine (UDP‐GlcNHTFA) that can be transferred by branching N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferases to give, after base treatment, GlcNH2‐containing glycans that temporarily disable an antenna from enzymatic modification. Glycan microarray binding studies showed that E‐selectin bound equally well to linear glycans and tri‐antennary N‐glycans presenting SLex‐Lex. On the other hand, it was found that hemagglutinins (HA) of H5 influenza A viruses (IAV) preferentially bound the tri‐antennary N‐glycans. Furthermore, several H5 HAs preferentially bound to N‐glycan presenting SLex on the MGAT4 arm. SLex is displayed in the respiratory tract of several avian species, demonstrating the relevance of investigating the binding of, among others IAVs, to complex N‐glycans presenting SLex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Verrucas that occur on the soles of the feet are called plantar warts, most of which can recur repeatedly and are difficult to eradicate. Hypertrophic and refractory plantar warts are often accompanied by pain and discomfort, which cause many inconveniences in patients' daily lives. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the therapeutic effect of superficial radiotherapy (SRT‐100) on refractory plantar warts and further create favorable conditions for the subsequent treatment of this disease with a high recurrence rate. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for refractory plantar warts treated with superficial radiotherapy in our outpatient department from January to June 2023. Results: A total of 30 patients were included in our study (median age, 33 years). The female‐to‐male ratio was 1:3.29. Two to six months after radiotherapy, all of the warts subsided in 23 (76.67%) patients, most of the warts subsided in 4 (13.33%) patients, 3 (10%) patients did not respond to treatment, and 7 (23.33%) patients had recurrent or new warts after their warts subsided. Conclusions: Most patients with refractory plantar warts improved after superficial radiotherapy. Our study presented that men are more susceptible to plantar warts than women, and young and middle‐aged people are the main population affected by the disease. Superficial radiotherapy is an effective treatment for refractory plantar warts, which can quickly remove the warts in a short period. It is safe and noninvasive, with minimal adverse reactions. Some patients relapse after the lesion is clear, and superficial radiotherapy can create favorable conditions for the subsequent treatment of viral warts in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of high energy densities propels the design of next‐generation nickel‐based layered oxide cathodes. The utilization of low‐cobalt, ultrahigh‐nickel layered oxide cathodes, and the extension of operating voltages promise enhanced energy density. However, stability and safety face challenges associated with nickel content, including structural degradation, lattice oxygen evolution, and thermal instability. In this study, a promising strategy of Al and Nb dual‐bulk‐doping is presented in high‐Ni cathode materials of LiNi0.96Co0.04O2 (NC) to stabilize the bulk structure, suppress oxygen release, and attain superior electrochemical performance at high voltages. The introduction of Al and Nb effectively raises the migration energy of Ni2+ into Li sites and stabilizes lattice oxygen through strengthened Al─O and Nb─O bonds. Furthermore, the substitution of high‐valence Nb ions reduces the charge depletion of lattice oxygen and induces an ordered microstructure. The Al and Nb dual‐bulk‐doping strategy mitigates strain and stress associated with the H2↔H3 phase transition, reducing the generation and propagation of microcracks. The resulting Li(Ni0.96Co0.04)0.985Al0.01Nb0.005O2 (NCAN) cathode exhibits superior cycling stability, with a capacity retention of 77.8% after 300 cycles, even when operating at a high‐voltage of 4.4 V, outperforming the NC (48.5%). This work provides a promising perspective for developing high‐voltage and high‐Ni cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosorption mediated by peptides or proteins has emerged as an efficient and sustainable alternative for selective rare earth element (REE) recovery from waste streams, and will diversify REE supply while reducing the environmental burden. REE-binding peptides/proteins can be created and identified by using the state-of-the-art approaches, including phage display, rational design, proteomics, and homology modeling, and can be optimized by protein engineering for improved functionality and desirable properties. The activity of REE-binding peptides and proteins can be harnessed by engineering robust and reusable biomaterials for the selective recovery of REEs. The escalating global demand for rare earth elements (REEs) and the overabundance of REE-containing waste require innovative technologies for REE recovery from waste to achieve a sustainable supply of REEs while reducing the environmental burden. Biosorption mediated by peptides or proteins has emerged as a promising approach for selective REE recovery. To date, multiple peptides and proteins with high REE-binding affinity and selectivity have been discovered, and various strategies are being exploited to engineer robust and reusable biosorptive materials for selective REE recovery. This review highlights recent advances in discovering and engineering peptides and proteins for REE recovery. Future research prospects and challenges are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, the normal growth, development, and quality of plants are significantly affected by many abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, low temperature, and heavy metals. Among heavy metals, copper is an essential element for plant growth and development but also has a toxic effect on plants when its concentration is excessive. Therefore, plants have evolved a complex regulatory network to regulate the balance of copper ions in cells. Heavy metal ATPases (HMAs), which transport heavy metals to intracellular compartments or detoxify heavy metals present at excessive concentrations, have been extensively studied in model plant species. However, no comprehensive and systematic surveys of members of the HMA gene family have been conducted in the model legume species Medicago truncatula. Here, nine putative MtHMA s were identified in the M. truncatula genome. These MtHMA s were phylogenetically divided into two distinct groups. The members in each group had a relatively conserved gene structure and motif composition. The number of introns in the MtHMA s varied from 5 to 16, with the majority of these genes containing 8 introns. The expression patterns showed that MtHMA s exhibit preferential or distinct expression patterns among different tissues. Finally, the expression patterns of the members of this gene family were verified in the leaves and roots of plants under Cu stress. Our findings will be valuable for the functional investigation and application of members of this gene family in M. truncatula and other related legume species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, several treatments, including modified quenching and tempering (QT) treatment, ultrafast cooling and tempering (UFC‐T) treatment, and ultrafast cooling, intercritical quenching, and tempering (UFC‐LT) treatment, are used to prepare low‐Ni steels and compared with conventional QT treatment. All the three treatments enable low‐Ni steel to achieve equivalent or better cryogenic toughness than 9% Ni steel. The toughening effect of modified QT treatment is better than that of UFC‐T treatment, which is attributed to the increase in density of high‐angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). For modified QT treatment, fine equiaxed prior austenite grains and weak variant selection of martensite transformation lead to higher density HAGBs. Although the coarse elongated prior austenite grains in UFC‐T treatment are beneficial to Bain grouping and not conducive to matrix refinement, the intercritical quenching step in UFC‐LT treatment further increases the density of HAGBs due to the jagged prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGBs) and fresh martensite formed along PAGBs. Therefore, UFC‐LT treatment achieves high‐density HAGBs and excellent cryogenic toughness similar to modified QT treatment. Due to the wider tempering temperature process window, UFC‐LT treatment is the optimal process route for low‐Ni liquefied natural gas tank steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]