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Passive radiative cooling is a zero‐energy consumption approach, which can dissipate heat to outer space by emitting infrared radiation through the transparency window. Traditional cooling materials, such as photonic films, metafabrics, and polymer foams, still suffer from complex preparation processes and high costs. In this work, it is reported that natural cellulose can be converted into a “green” optical metamaterial by rational structure reconfiguration at the micro/nano level via scalable ball milling technology for efficient daytime radiative cooling. Specifically, fine‐tuning the shearing kinetics in the mechanochemistry process, cellulosic optical metamaterial (COM) with ≈98% solar reflectivity and ≈0.97 infrared emissivity has been successfully achieved, which can break through the theoretical value of photonic crystals as well as the conventional synthetic optical materials. The COMSOL simulation reveals that the excellent optical properties of the cellulose metamaterial are explained by the “confined scattering” effect caused by the rearranged heterostructure at the micro/nano level. Outdoor tests demonstrat that the COM‐based coating exhibits a daytime radiative cooling efficiency of 5.7 °C in hot Nanjing. Meanwhile, the COM can be produced into different scattering materials via spray coating, freeze casting, and solution casting technology. This study will facilitate the development of scalable and sustainable optical metamaterials for mitigating energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of four different doses of verapamil on the mechanical behaviors of solid and the characteristics of fluid flow in cancellous bone of distal femur of type 2 diabetes rats under dynamic external load. Methods: Based on the micro-CT images, the finite element models of cancellous bones and fluids at distal femurs of rats in control group, diabetes group, treatment groups VER 4, VER 12, VER 24, and VER 48 (verapamil doses of 4, 12, 24, and 48 mg/kg/day, respectively) were constructed. A sinusoidal time-varying displacement load with an amplitude of 0.8 μm and a period of 1s was applied to the upper surface of the solid region. Then, fluid-solid coupling numerical simulation method was used to analyze the magnitudes and distributions of von Mises stress, flow velocity, and fluid shear stress of cancellous bone models in each group. Results: The results for mean values of von Mises stress, flow velocity and FSS (t = 0.25s) were as follows: their values in control group were lower than those in diabetes group; the three parameters varied with the dose of verapamil; in the four treatment groups, the values of VER 48 group were the lowest, they were the closest to control group, and they were smaller than diabetes group. Among the four treatment groups, VER 48 group had the highest proportion of the nodes with FSS = 1-3 Pa on the surface of cancellous bone, and more areas in VER 48 group were subjected to fluid shear stress of 1-3 Pa for more than half of the time. Conclusion: It could be seen that among the four treatment groups, osteoblasts on the cancellous bone surface in the highest dose group (VER 48 group) were more easily activated by mechanical loading, and the treatment effect was the best. This study might help in understanding the mechanism of verapamil's effect on the bone of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and provide theoretical guidance for the selection of verapamil dose in the clinical treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ measurements from sparsely distributed networks worldwide are a critical source of reference data for validating or correcting biases in satellite products. However, due to the substantial difference in spatial scales between in situ and satellite measurements, the two cannot be compared except for the fact that the underlying surface of in situ sites is absolutely homogeneous. Instead, the in situ measurements needed to be upscaled to be matched with the satellite pixels. Based on the upscaling model, we also proposed the consideration that in situ observation generally lacks spatial representativeness due to the widely distributed spatial heterogeneity, and we have developed a coarse pixel-scale ground "truth" dataset based on ground measurements of 416 in situ sites from the sparsely distributed observation networks. Furthermore, we thoroughly assessed the effectiveness of the dataset at sites with different degrees of spatial representativeness. The results demonstrate that using this dataset in validation outperforms the direct comparison between satellite and in situ site measurements over heterogeneous surfaces when in situ measurement footprints are less than satellite pixel size. The accuracy of the reference data employed for validation or bias correction can be boosted by 17.09 % over the regions with strong spatial heterogeneity. However, the degree of improvement with this dataset displays a decreasing trend with the reduction in spatial heterogeneity. At a global scale, the pixel-scale ground "truth" dataset enhances the accuracy of pixel-scale reference data in general, with the overall relative root-mean-square error (RRMSE) decreasing by 6.04 % compared to in situ single-site measurements. Our results suggest that in situ single-site measurements are limited in their ability to capture surface spatial variability information at a coarse pixel scale (i.e., the kilometer scale). The dataset we provided, which merges temporal information from ground-based observations and spatial information from high-resolution data, represents a valuable resource for validating and correcting worldwide surface albedo products over heterogeneous surfaces. To the best of our knowledge, this dataset is unique in providing a coarse pixel-scale ground "truth" with the widest spatial distribution and longest time series. The dataset is publicly available through 10.5281/zenodo.8008454 (Pan et al., 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation growth and carbon fixation in terrestrial ecosystems are seriously affected by climate. It is especially true in the Arctic due to the amplifying climate warming. This study aims to comprehend the response mechanism of the Arctic gross primary productivity (GPP) to different climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and fractional snow cover (FSC). First, the distribution and interannual variation of meteorological factors in the past two decades were investigated. Then, their contributions to GPP variation and dependence on elevation, latitude, and vegetation types were analyzed at different temporal scales. Finally, the time-lag effects of GPP response to meteorological factors were also explored on a monthly scale. The results show that temperature has the strongest impact on GPP, FSC follows, and precipitation ranks last. The positive response of GPP to temperature does not show time lag effects in most areas, and the negative response to precipitation displays time lags in approximately half of the Arctic regions. For FSC, the positive effects on GPP present more than 2 months lags, while the negative effects show at most a 1-month lag. The response of GPP to meteorological factors shows dependence on temporal scales. The change of GPP on the monthly scale mainly depends on the spatial distribution of these meteorological factors. On the annual scale, GPP is also affected by the interannual change of these meteorological factors. This study holds important significance in enhancing our understanding of how the carbon cycle within the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem responds to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer recurrence and metastasis after surgical resection is a vital reason of treatment failure. The modification of immune cells through implanted biomaterials is a promising postoperative immunotherapy. Herein, an injectable hydrogel scaffold loaded with engineered exosome mimetics that in vivo recruits and programs endogenous macrophages into M1 binding with anti‐CD47 antibody (M1‐aCD47 macrophages) for postoperative cancer immunotherapy is developed. Briefly, M1 macrophages‐derived exosome mimetics co‐modified with vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV‐G) and aCD47 (V‐M1EM‐aCD47) are encapsulated in injectable chitosan hydrogel. Such hydrogel recruits inherent macrophages in situ and releases V‐M1EM‐aCD47 that programs M2 to M1‐aCD47 macrophages. M1‐aCD47 macrophages own dual‐functions of tumor‐homing and enhanced phagocytosis. They can actively target to tumor cells for delivery of aCD47 that blocks the "don't eat me" signal, thereby promoting phagocytosis of macrophages to cancer cells. Furthermore, V‐M1EM‐aCD47 hydrogel implanted into resection site of 4T1 breast tumor inhibits tumor recurrence and metastasis by phagocytosis of M1‐aCD47 macrophages and T cell‐mediated immune responses. The findings demonstrate that biomaterials can be designed in vivo to program inherent macrophages, thereby activating the innate and adaptive immune systems for prevention of postoperative tumor recurrence and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During immunotherapy treatment and survival, identifying symptoms requires a standardized and validated assessment tool. The aim of this study was to translate, validate and use the Chinese version of the Immunotherapy of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory for Early-Phase Trials module (MDASI-Immunotherapy EPT) to assess the symptom burden of cancer patients receiving immunotherapy in China. Methods: The MDASI-Immunotherapy EPT was translated into Chinese using Brislin’s translation model and the back-translation method. In total, 312 Chinese-speaking colorectal cancer patients receiving immunotherapy were enrolled in the trial from August 2021 to July 2022 after receiving definitive diagnoses in our cancer center. The reliability and validity of the translated version was evaluated. Results: Cronbach’s α values were 0.964 and 0.935 for the symptom severity and interference scales, respectively. Significant correlations were found between the MDASI-Immunotherapy EPT-C and FACT-G scores (-0.617–0.732, P < 0.001). Known-group validity was supported by significant differences in the scores of the four scales grouped by ECOG PS (all P < 0.01). The overall mean subscale scores for the core and interference subscales were 1.92 ± 1.75 and 1.46 ± 1.87, respectively. Fatigue, numbness/tingling, and disturbed sleep had the highest scores for the most serious symptoms. Conclusion: The MDASI-Immunotherapy EPT-C showed adequate reliability and validity for measuring symptoms among Chinese-speaking colorectal cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. The tool could be used in clinical practice and clinical trials to gather patients’ health and quality of life data and manage their symptoms in a timely manner in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite data have been extensively used to characterize the trends in environmental and ecological parameters in response to climate change and anthropogenic activities due to the long-term and continuous data record from a global perspective. Nevertheless, trends estimated from different satellite data can be different and even contradict to each other, resulting in inconsistent scientific conclusions about Earth system dynamics. Previous studies were mainly focused on detecting trends or their spatial distribution characteristics, with much less attention to the factors leading up to uncertainties in the results. To address this problem, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the main factors leading up to the uncertainty of results. The spatial-scale, temporal-scale, platform/sensor-related characteristics, and trend detection algorithms were considered. Their effects as well as the causes of such effects were discussed. And the way to minimize these effects was also suggested. Based upon above, the future development direction was pointed out to obtain more reliable trend estimates from satellite observations. This paper aims to deepen the consciousness and understanding of the detected trends which are not related to actual changes of the Earth surface but caused by perspectives taken for data selection and analysis. Although our discussion on these factors is very preliminary, efforts made here shall provide a first-step guideline that future work can be built up on, with the overarching aim of capturing the real trend of environmental changes using satellite remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence about the relationship between triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and prediabetes (Pre-DM) in Chinese non-obese people with a normal range of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) is limited. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore the link of the TG/HDL-C ratio on Pre-DM among non-obese Chinese population with a normal range of LDL-c.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 153163 non-obese individuals with a normal range of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in a Chinese hospital from January 2010 to December 2014. Logistic regression model, generalized additive model (GAM), smooth curve fitting and a series of sensitivity analyses was used to evaluate the association between TG/HDL-C ratio and Pre-DM.Result: The prevalence of Pre-DM was 9.77%.The median TG/HDL-C ratio was 0.671 (interquartile range, 0.468-1.010). After adjusting covariates, the results showed that TG/HDL-C ratio was positively associated with Pre-DM ((OR = 1.185, 95%CI 1.145-1.226). In addition, the TG/HDL-C ratio level has a non-linear relationship with the incidence of Pre-DM, in which the inflection point was 1.617. The effect sizes (OR) on the left and right sides of the inflection point were 1.312 (95%CI 1.242-1.386) and 0.980 (95%CI 0.898-1.070), respectively. And the sensitive analysis demonstrated the robustness of the results. Subgroup analysis showed a stronger association between TG/HDL-C ratio and Pre-DM in females and the population with 30 years  < age  < 40 years, 18.5 kg/m2 < body mass index  < 24 kg/m2, and ALT < 40U/L.Conclusion: This study demonstrates a positive and non-linear relationship between TG/HDL-C ratio and Pre-DM in Chinese non-obese people with a normal range of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. TG/HDL-C ratio is strongly related to Pre-DM when TG/HDL-C ratio is less than 1.617. It makes sense to reduce the TG/HDL-C ratio level below the inflection point from a treatment perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid present only in Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc seed oil. In order to solve the structural instability problem of polyunsaturated fatty acids, pinolenic acid of P. koraiensis seed oil was effectively isolated and purified by the integrated strategy of ethyl esterification followed by urea inclusion for the first time. Under the optimal conditions after the Box-Benhnken Design experimental, ethyl pinolenate with high purity 94.95% could be obtained, and the average content of PNAEE can still reach 86.18%. Then ethyl pinolenate was characterized by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared, and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, results showed that ethyl pinolenate was successfully prepared. In addition, the hypolipidemic activity of ethyl pinolenate had been tested in vivo and showed that ethyl pinolenate had obvious hypolipidemic activity. The new strategy for high purity ethyl pinolenate production from P. koraiensis seed oil possesses great potential in food healthy field in the future. Diagram 1. The schematic synthesis process of PNAEE and its hypolipidemic activity evaluation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a group of green biocatalysts, fungal laccases have aroused great interest in diverse biotechnological fields. Therein, yellow laccase has advantages over blue laccase in catalytic performance, but it is not common in the reported fungal laccases. Here, we report a yellow laccase from white-rot fungus Coriolopsis gallica NCULAC F1 about its production, purification, characterization, and application. Laccase production in the co-fermentation of pomelo peel and wheat bran reached the enzyme activity by 10,690 U/L after 5 days with a 13.58-time increase. After three steps of purification, laccase increased the specific activity from 30.78 to 188.79 U/mg protein with an activity recovery of 45.64%. The purified C. gallica laccase (CGLac) showed a molecular mass of about 57 kDa. CGLac had a yellow color and no absorption peaks at 610 nm and 330 nm, suggesting that it's a yellow laccase. CGLac exhibited stability towards temperature (40–60 °C) and neutral pH (6.0–8.0). Fe3+ and Mn2+ strongly stimulated CGLac activity by 162.56% and 226.05%, respectively. CGLac remained high activities when exposed to organic reagents and putative inhibitors. Additionally, CGLac contributed to 90.78%, 93.26%, and 99.66% removal of phenol, p-chlorophenol and bisphenol A after 120 min, respectively. In conclusion, a green efficient production strategy was introduced for fungal laccase, and the obtained CGLac presented great enzymatic properties and catalytic potential in the removal of phenolic pollutants. Key points: Pomelo peels and wheat bran are great nutritional sources and laccase inducers. CGLac showed the spectral characteristic of yellow laccase. CGLac had great stability and catalytic ability for phenolic pollutants removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetobacter pasteurianus is an excellent cell factory for production of highly-strength acetic acid, and attracts an increasing attention in metabolic engineering. However, the available well-characterized constitutive and inducible promoters are rather limited to adjust metabolic fluxes in A. pasteurianus. In this study, we screened a panel of constitutive and acid stress-driven promoters based on time-series of RNA-seq data and characterized in A. pasteurianus and Escherichia coli. Nine constitutive promoters ranged in strength from 1.7-fold to 100-fold that of the well-known strong promoter P adh under non-acetic acid environment. Subsequently, an acetic acid-stable red fluorescent visual reporting system was established and applied to evaluate acid stress-driven promoter in A. pasteurianus during highly-acidic fermentation environment. P groES was identified as acid stress-driven strong promoters, with expression outputs varied from 100% to 200% when acetic acid treatment. To assess their application potential, ultra-strong constitutive promoter P tuf and acid stress-driven strong promoter P groES were selected to overexpress acetyl-CoA synthase and greatly improved acetic acid tolerance. Notably, the acid stress-driven promoter displayed more favorable for regulating strain robustness against acid stress by overexpressing tolerance gene. In summary, this is the first well-characterized constitutive and acid stress-driven promoter library from A. pasteurianus , which could be used as a promising toolbox for metabolic engineering in acetic acid bacteria and other gram-negative bacteria. [Display omitted] ● A panel of strong constitutive and acid stress-driven promoter is firstly identified in A. pasteurianus. ● A red fluorescent protein mRFP1 with low pKa value is more suitable as visual reporter under acetic acid environment. ● Stress-driven promoter is more favorable for regulating acetic acid tolerance by overexpressing tolerance gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Verapamil was mainly used to treat hypertension, cardiovascular disease, inflammation and improve blood glucose in patients with diabetes, but its effects on bone mass, microstructure and mechanical properties were unclear. This study described the effects of verapamil on bone mass, microstructure, macro and nano mechanical properties in type 2 diabetic rats.Methods: Rat models of type 2 diabetes were treated with verapamil at doses of 4, 12, 24 and 48 mg/kg/day by gavage respectively, twice a day. After 12 weeks, all rats were sacrificed under general anesthesia. Blood glucose, blood lipid, renal function and biochemical markers of bone metabolism were obtained by serum analysis, Micro-CT scanning was used to assess the microstructure parameters of cancellous bone of femoral head, three-point bending test was used to measure maximum load and elastic modulus of femoral shaft, and nano-indentation tests were used to measure indentation moduli and hardnesses of longitudinal cortical bone in femoral shaft, longitudinal and transverse cancellous bones in femoral head.Results: Compared with T2DM group, transverse indentation moduli of cancellous bones in VER 24 group, longitudinal and transverse indentation moduli and hardnesses of cancellous bones in VER 48 group were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effects of verapamil on blood glucoses, microstructures and mechanical properties in type 2 diabetic rats were dependent on drug dose. Starting from verapamil dose of 12 mg/kg/day, with dose increasing, the concentrations of P1NP, BMD, BV/TV, Tb. Th, Tb. N, maximum loads, elastic moduli, indentation moduli and hardnesses of femurs in rats in treatment group increased gradually, the concentrations of CTX-1 decreased gradually, but these parameters did not return to the level of the corresponding parameters of normal rats. Verapamil (48 mg/kg/day) had the best therapeutic effect.Conclusion: Verapamil treatment (24, 48 mg/kg/day) significantly affected nano mechanical properties of the femurs, and tended to improve bone microstructures and macro mechanical properties of the femurs, which provided guidance for the selection of verapamil dose in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feathers are regarded as important nondestructive biomonitoring tools for bird pollutants. However, external contamination of feathers by different pollutants in different bird species remains unclear. In the present study, the feathers of 16 bird species, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine birds, were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Bird feathers from an abandoned e-waste recycling site had higher POP concentrations and were more correlated with the POP muscle concentrations than those from the less polluted areas. The significant and positive POP correlations between the feathers and muscles of different species indicate that feathers are a good indicator of inter-species and spatial pollution. For individual species, the most hydrophobic POPs in feathers, such as hepta- to deca-polybrominated diphenyl ethers, had higher proportions than in muscles and worse correlations with muscle POPs compared with other POPs. Results of the chemical mass balance (CMB) model revealed that the gaseous phase, internal pollution, and atmospheric particle phase were the main contributors to low-, medium-, and high-hydrophobicity POPs in feathers, respectively. Overall, this study provides a preliminary but meaningful framework for distinguishing between internal and external contamination in feathers and gives information concerning the fitness of feathers as POP indicators with specific physicochemical properties. [Display omitted] • Bird feathers from the e-waste recycling area were more polluted. • Feathers had higher proportions of most hydrophobic POPs than muscles. • Feathers can be as a good indicator for inter-species and spatial pollution. • Dominant pollutants from each pollution source constituted the pollution in feathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, hydrophobic sodium alginate/anthocyanin/cellulose nanocrystal indicator films were fabricated by incorporating nanosilica (NS) as a waterproofing layer. The concentrations and formation methods (spraying (S), coating (C), and impregnation (I)) of the NS layer (denoted as NSS, NSC, NSI, respectively) were optimized. The results indicated that the optimum concentration of the NS layer was 5 % at a water contact angle (WCA) 110.5°. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectra showed the presence of Si O Si and Si CH 3 groups in the NSS, NSC, and NSI films, and X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that original structures of these films were disordered. Moreover, the surface morphology, mechanical properties, and light transmission were affected by the NS layer, and the optimal layer was found to be NSI. After 10 days of storage at 100 % humidity, the NSI film exhibited low water vapor adsorption (37.22 g) and permeability (0.1484 g/m·s·Pa·10−11) and a high WCA (110.2°). In addition, the NSI film exhibited a visible color shift with an increasing pH of the buffer solution. A monitoring test of fish freshness showed that the NSI film displayed a distinctive color change corresponding to fish spoilage during 14 days of storage. This indicates that NSI has high potential in indicator film applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A dual-mode ratiometric fluorescence intelligent sensing platform was developed. • The fluorescence sensor enabled simultaneous determination of Fe3 + and DOX in different scenarios. • The sensor exhibited triple-emission for DOX and dual-emission for Fe3 + detection. • Smartphone sensing platform offers simplicity, portability and rapidness. Exploring a rapid, sensitive, low-cost, in-situ intelligent monitoring multi-target fluorescence detection platform is important for food safety and environmental monitoring. A dual-mode ratiometric fluorescence sensing system integrated with a smartphone based on a luminescent metal–organic framework (NH 2 -MIL-53) and CdTe/Eu was developed for visual, in-situ analysis of Fe3+ and doxycycline (DOX) in this paper. Interestingly, with increasing Fe3+ concentration, the fluorescence sensing system exhibits dual-emission with CdTe QDs at 540 nM as the response signal and NH 2 -MIL-53 at 438 nm as the reference signal, resulting in a significant color shift of fluorescence color from blue-green to blue, with a linear range of 5––1550 nM and a detection limit of 1.08 nM. In the presence of DOX, the blue fluorescence of NH 2 -MIL-53 and the green fluorescence of CdTe QDs were quenched respectively by the internal filtering effect and the photoelectron transfer effect. While DOX enhances the red fluorescence of Eu3+ by the antenna effect, forming a triple-emission fluorescence sensor. The visual color of this fluorescent sensor shifted from blue green to grey to pink-white to pink to fuchsia to red as the DOX concentration increased with a detection limit of 0.11 nM. Furthermore, the developed intelligent sensing platform achieved real-time in-situ detection of Fe3+ and DOX with detection limit of 1.47 nM and 6.43 nM, respectively. The platform was applied to detection actual samples with satisfactory results, which proved a promising application for real-time on-site food safety monitoring and human health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Validation of satellite albedo products is an essential step because their quantitative application lie in their ability to record the real state of the earth surface. Upscaling in situ measurements to the corresponding pixel scale is necessary due to the spatial scale mismatch between in situ and satellite measurements. Machine learning-based models have been increasingly used for upscaling because they can yield more reliable results than traditional methods. Nevertheless, the main controlling factors on upscaled results have rarely been discussed. This article explores the control factors that bring uncertainties to the upscaled results based on machine learning models. Three machine learning models, including random forest (RF), $k$ -nearest neighbor (KNN), and Cubist models, were selected to upscale single site in situ-based albedo to the coarse pixel scale. The upscaled results were carefully assessed through comparison with pixel scale albedo reference. The results indicate that the accuracy of upscaled results depends on the machine learning models, the inclusion of key variables related to albedo, the dataset selection of these variables, the amount of training data, and the sensitivity of machine learning models to these factors. Despite the dependence on control factors, the machine learning-based upscaling methods generally have excellent applicability across different spatial scales and over other untrained areas. Therefore, they open the door to generating a time series of globally, spatially continuous distributed reference datasets with sufficient length, consistency, and continuity to adequately fulfill the requirement of a comprehensive validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicines or drugs have unique characteristics of short life cycle, small size, light weight, restrictive distribution time and the need of temperature and humidity control (selected items only). Thus, logistics companies often use different types of vehicles with different carrying capacities, and considering fixed and variable costs in service delivery, which make the vehicle assignment and route optimization more complicated. In this study, we formulate the problem to a multi-type vehicle assignment and mixed integer programming route optimization model with fixed fleet size under the constraints of distribution time and carrying capacity. Given non-deterministic polynomial hard and optimal algorithm can only be used to solve small-size problem, a hybrid particle swarm intelligence (PSI) heuristic approach, which adopts the crossover and mutation operators from genetic algorithm and 2-opt local search strategy, is proposed to solve the problem. We also adapt a principle based on cost network and Dijkstra's algorithm for vehicle scheduling to balance the distribution time limit and the high loading rate. We verify the relative performance of the proposed method against several known optimal or heuristic solutions using a standard data set for heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem. Additionally, we compare the relative performance of our proposed Hybrid PSI algorithm with two intelligent-based algorithms, Hybrid Population Heuristic algorithm and Improved Genetic Algorithm, using a real-world data set to illustrate the practical and validity of the model and algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the spatial heterogeneity and the spatial scale mismatch between in situ and satellite-based measurements, optimal ground sampling should be made to increase the representativeness of in situ observations. Therefore, many ground sampling strategies have been proposed, but their performance within the coarse pixel has not been evaluated. Hence, this study evaluated four typical methods regarding their ability to obtain pixel scale ground 'truth'. Random combination (RC) performs best, with the always fewest samples to satisfy representativeness errors (REs) of 3% in the case of a small number of samples. When the goal of sampling is to obtain in situ measurements with REs close to 0 at the expense of increasing the number of samples, cumulative representativeness sampling (CRS) is more effective than RC in less heterogeneous areas. Geo-statistical model-based sampling (GSS) does not work well because the number of samples within the coarse pixel scale cannot support a robust semi-variogram model. Stratified sampling (SS) is highly dependent on spatial heterogeneity and does not work well in the case of small sample sizes. This study gives important guidance for ground sample deployment within the coarse pixel for validation of coarse-resolution satellite albedo products over a heterogeneous surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty in trend estimates caused by temporal scale effect has rarely been studied. In response to this challenge, this study aims to explore temporal scale effects on trend detection based on in situ measurements throughout China given that they provide full temporal details of surface elements. Three common temporal scales (daily, monthly, and yearly) were used to present findings. Two different trend detection methods (i.e., simple linear regression and breaks for additive seasonal and trend) were employed to check the dependence of temporal scale effects on methods. It was found that temporal scale effects were dependent on the type of elements, the time span of datasets, and trend detection methods. They are more significant for elements with fast changes (e.g., snow depth) compared to those with gradual changes (e.g., albedo, air temperature). And temporal scale effects from daily to monthly scale are generally larger than those from monthly to yearly scale. The former is almost independent of trend detection methods, while the latter shows a clear dependence (i.e., dealing with seasonality or not). Trend estimates of surface albedo and longwave net radiation are mainly affected by temporal scale effects, while those of snow depth, shortwave net radiation, and air temperature are affected by both temporal scale effects and the choice of trend detection methods. The feedbacks between these elements show a clear dependence on temporal scale, which are generally stronger on monthly scale but weaker on yearly scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term monitoring of snow cover is crucial for climatic and hydrological studies. The utility of long-term snow-cover products lies in their ability to record the real states of the earth's surface. Although a long-term, consistent snow product derived from the ESA CCI + (Climate Change Initiative) AVHRR GAC (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer global area coverage) dataset dating back to the 1980s has been generated and released, its accuracy and consistency have not been extensively evaluated. Here, we extensively validate the AVHRR GAC snow-cover extent dataset for the mountainous Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region due to its high importance for climate change impact and adaptation studies. The sensor-to-sensor consistency was first investigated using a snow dataset based on long-term in situ stations (1982–2013). Also, this includes a study on the dependence of AVHRR snow-cover accuracy related to snow depth. Furthermore, in order to increase the spatial coverage of validation and explore the influences of land-cover type, elevation, slope, aspect, and topographical variability in the accuracy of AVHRR snow extent, a comparison with Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data was included. Finally, the performance of the AVHRR GAC snow-cover dataset was also compared to the MODIS (MOD10A1 V006) product. Our analysis shows an overall accuracy of 94 % in comparison with in situ station data, which is the same with MOD10A1 V006. Using a ±3 d temporal filter caused a slight decrease in accuracy (from 94 % to 92 %). Validation against Landsat TM data over the area with a wide range of conditions (i.e., elevation, topography, and land cover) indicated overall root mean square errors (RMSEs) of about 13.27 % and 16 % and overall biases of about -5.83 % and -7.13 % for the AVHRR GAC raw and gap-filled snow datasets, respectively. It can be concluded that the here validated AVHRR GAC snow-cover climatology is a highly valuable and powerful dataset to assess environmental changes in the HKH region due to its good quality, unique temporal coverage (1982–2019), and inter-sensor/satellite consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the high biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity of functionalized carbon dots (N-CDs) was synthesized by microwave method. The corrosion inhibition behavior of N-CDs for N80 steel in 3% saturated CO2 saline solution was systematically investigated by weight loss, electrochemical measurements, corrosion morphology and microscopic morphology and element analysis. Results revealed the suppression performance was improved significantly after adding N-CDs and the inhibition efficiency reached up to 83.5% at 600 mg/L of N-CDs. The electrochemical results demonstrated that as-prepared N-CDs was a mixed corrosion inhibitor dominated by the control anode. In addition, SEM results manifested that the addition of corrosion inhibitor N-CDs slowed down the corrosion of N80 carbon steel surface, which was attributed to the formation of adsorption film of corrosion inhibitor molecules on carbon steel. The purpose of this work is to explore the inhibitory effect of the environmentally friendly and efficient corrosion inhibitor nanomaterials used in the protection of N80 carbon steel metal in saline solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microcrystalline cellulose-based temperature sensitivity paclitaxel molecular imprinted hydrogel (MCC-TSMIHs-PTX) was successfully prepared by temperature-sensitive monomer N-isopropylacrylamide, functional monomer 4-vinylpyridine, cross-linking agent N , N ′-methylenebisacrylamide and microcrystalline cellulose. They showed imprinting effective responses to the temperature changes. The results of adsorption kinetics, adsorption equilibrium, thermodynamics, selectivity and reusability showed the successful formation of a grafting thermosensitivity hydrogel with higher adsorption capacity and specific recognition. When the temperature reached 308 K, imprinting effect of hydrogel cavities would be most effective and conducive to capture template molecules. When the temperature reached 288 K, the lowest imprinting effect would facilitate the desorption of PTX. Finally, the MCC-TSMIHs-PTX was applied to enrich the paclitaxel in Taxus × media extracts samples, the relative contents of PTX in the samples were increased greatly from 7.23% to 78.32%, indicating the MCC-TSMIHs-PTX was a stable adsorption capacity for efficient separation and enrichment of PTX in Taxus × media extracts. • A cellulose-based molecular imprinted hydrogel was prepared successfully. • Template–functional monomer complex was designed by RHF method • The MCC@CMGs-PTX showed remarkable temperature sensitivity. • The MCC@CMGs-PTX was used for paclitaxel enrichment in Taxus × media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe Chinese Lynch syndrome‐associated colorectal cancer patients' self‐concept and adherence to surveillance and explore the factors influencing patients' adherence to surveillance. Methods: This was a cross‐sectional quantitative study of a group of 83 Lynch syndrome‐associated colorectal cancer patients, using the Lynch syndrome self‐concept scale and medical records. IBM SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Patients' adherence to surveillance, for colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and small intestinal cancer, endometrial and ovarian cancer, they were 93.2%, 41.8% and 56.7% respectively. Older patients had lower surveillance adherence of colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and small intestinal cancer than younger patients (p < 0.05). Occupation was the major factor influencing their surveillance adherence of endometrial and ovarian cancer (p < 0.05). The score for Lynch syndrome self‐concept was 72.23 ± 25.65. Conclusion: The surveillance adherence of patients is high for colorectal cancer but low for extracolorectal cancers. Low surveillance adherence is associated with old age, living with family members and less secure employment. Chinese patients' self‐concept scores were slightly higher than foreign patients. Nurses should pay more attention to the surveillance adherence and self‐concept of Lynch syndrome‐associated colorectal cancer patients and develop effective interventions to improve their surveillance adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The very high concentrations required for industrial production of free acetic acid create toxicity and low pH values, which usually conflict with the host cell growth, leading to a poor productivity. Achieving a balance between cell fitness and product synthesis is the key challenge to improving acetic acid production efficiency in metabolic engineering. Here, we show that the synergistic regulation of alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase expression and cofactor PQQ level could not only efficiently relieve conflict between increased acetic acid production and compromised cell fitness, but also greatly enhance acetic acid tolerance of Acetobacter pasteurianus to a high initial concentration (3% v/v) of acetic acid. Combinatorial expression of adhA and pqqABCDE greatly shortens the duration of starting‐up process from 116 to 99 h, leading to a yield of 69 g l‐1 acetic acid in semi‐continuous fermentation. As a final result, average acetic acid productivity has been raised to 0.99 g l‐1 h‐1, which was 32% higher than the parental A. pasteurianus. This study is of great significance for decreasing cost of semi‐continuous fermentation for producing high‐strength acetic acid industrially. We envisioned that this strategy will be useful for production of many other desired organic acids, especially those involving cofactor reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A SeO 3 2−-based strategy is developed for ROS/RNS burst and NADPH depletion. • An injectable Alg@SLGA hydrogel achieves synergistic therapy for breast cancer. • Alg@SLGA hydrogel triggers ROS/RNS generation and NADPH exhaustion. • Alg@SLGA hydrogel acts as an ICD inducer to boost systemic anti-tumor immunity. The anti-cancer effect of selenite (SeO 3 2−) is limited by its short half-life and narrow therapeutic window. Peroxynitrite (ONOO−), the most active reactive nitrogen species (RNS) derived from nitric oxide (NO) reacting with superoxide anion (O 2 •−), is still not fully exploited in the combination therapy against cancers. Herein, an injectable hydrogel is developed to trigger intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)/RNS bursts and disrupt nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) homeostasis via an innovative SeO 3 2−-based strategy. Calcium selenite/ L -Arginine (L -Arg) nanospheres (SL NPs) are synthesized as the donor of NO and SeO 3 2−. The injectable Alg@SLGA sol composed of SL NPs, glucose oxidase (GOx), 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN, an inhibitor of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)), and sodium alginate (Alg) can convert to gel in a physiological environment. Peritumoral injection of Alg@SLGA hydrogel is performed for safe and targeted treatment. The loaded GOx catalyzes glucose oxidation to produce acidic H 2 O 2 , initiating the release of NO and SeO 3 2− from Alg@SLGA. SeO 3 2− reacts with intracellular GSH and H 2 O 2 to generate •OH and O 2 •−, which further interacts with NO to form ONOO−. The SeO 3 2− and 6-AN synergistically trigger intracellular NADPH exhaustion by promoting cystine metabolism-mediated NADPH consumption and inhibiting NADPH generation, respectively. Moreover, Alg@SLGA effectively induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells, further provoking systemic antitumor immune responses. As a consequence, the injectable Alg@SLGA hydrogel achieves enhanced ROS/RNS-mediated combination therapy by synergistically disrupting NADPH homeostasis and improving antitumor immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal ions' high toxicity, carcinogenicity, and non-degradability have been identified as the most severe environmental concerns. Therefore, in this study, a new type of cellulose-based ionic imprinting adsorbent (p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP) with a three-dimensional pore structure was developed to selectively adsorb cobalt (II) using a simple ion-cross-linking technique. In this experiment, p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP were prepared by modifying cellulose microspheres (p-CMs) with epichlorohydrin (EPI), polyethyleneimine (PEI) and L-cysteine (L-Cys). The p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP was found to be able to selectively adsorb Co (II), and it was well characterized with FT-IR, SEM, TGA, and XRD. The system adsorption experiment proved that the maximum adsorption capacity reached 158.93 mg g-1, below the pH 7. After five cycles, the adsorption capacity of p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP still remained above 90%. The results of selectivity experiments indicated that p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP has preferential selectivity for Co (II). The adsorption isotherm and kinetic experiment of Co (II) conformed to the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetic, respectively. The adsorption process of Co (II) on p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP was also affected by the intra-particle diffusion model. Due to its simple preparation method and good adsorption performance, p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys-IIP would have a good application prospect in the selective removal of Co (II) for water treatment. The schematic synthesis process of p-CMs and p-CMs@EPI@PEI@Cys. [Display omitted] • Cellulose-based ion-imprinted adsorbents were prepared using absorbent cotton. • Cellulose-based ion-imprinted adsorbents can selectively adsorb Co (II). • Cellulose-based ion-imprinted adsorbent can adsorb 158.93 mg g−1. • Cellulose-based ion-imprinted adsorbents have reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An oleanolic acid (OA) surface molecularly imprinted polymer silylated porous composite aerogels (OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels) adsorbent material was successfully prepared and characterized. The material not only has a great selectivity for the target molecule OA but also has other noteworthy qualities including high stability, excellent repeatability, and a sizable adsorption capacity. via cellulose and sodium alginate as the main materials, the carrier Si-PC-aerogels were made through ionic cross-linking, chemical cross-linking, and silylation procedures. By adopting a surface molecular imprinting approach on Si-PC-aerogels, OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels were effectively created utilizing OA as the template molecule and MAA as the functional monomer. Due to the presence of a specific imprinted layer on the aerogel surface, the adsorption capacity of OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels for OA could reach 66.20 mg g−1. OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels could achieve a 68.86% yield of OA from the extracts of lingonberry (Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea L.). The adsorption capacity remained at 90% after five consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. HepG2 cells were exposed to OA that was effectively enriched with OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels in lingonberry (Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea L.) fruit homogenates. This OA significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in vitro. It further demonstrated that OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels could efficiently target OA enrichment and separation with good recovery. [Display omitted] • Silanized porous composite aerogel (Si-PC-aerogels) were preparaed successfully. • OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels with stable recyclability is green, economic and low-toxic. • Application of OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels in efficient targeted extraction of oleanolic acid. • Oleanolic acid extracted from OA-MIP@Si-PC-aerogels inhibits the growth of HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted separation of active phytochemicals is urgently needed in the natural medicine field. In this paper, due to the natural porosity and high biocompatibility of cellulose, a nanocellulose membrane combined with surface molecular imprinting was successfully prepared; the efficient nanocellulose-based molecular imprinted membrane (NC-MIM) provided good adsorption for the targeted separation of phytochemicals such as 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB), an essential intermediate in the synthesis of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. Through a series of characterization and adsorption experiments, the adsorption mechanism of NC-MIM was determined. At pH 8.0 and temperatures of 20 °C–40 °C, the maximum capacity of NC-MIM for adsorption of 10-DAB reached 66.90 mg g − 1, and the content of 10-DAB was dramatically increased 17.5-fold after adsorption. The specific adsorption results showed that NC-MIM had excellent capacity for targeted separation of 10-DAB from among taxane structural analogues. Even after ten cycles, NC-MIM demonstrated a remarkable adsorption capacity of 86.43%, thereby indicating exceptional selectivity and stability. The successful implementation of NC-MIM for green, safe, and efficient enrichment of phytochemicals from plants provides a promising new approach and valuable insights into its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted separation of active phytochemicals is urgently needed in the natural medicine field. In this paper, due to the natural porosity and high biocompatibility of cellulose, a nanocellulose membrane combined with surface molecular imprinting was successfully prepared; the efficient nanocellulose-based molecular imprinted membrane (NC-MIM) provided good adsorption for the targeted separation of phytochemicals such as 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB), an essential intermediate in the synthesis of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. Through a series of characterization and adsorption experiments, the adsorption mechanism of NC-MIM was determined. At pH 8.0 and temperatures of 20 °C–40 °C, the maximum capacity of NC-MIM for adsorption of 10-DAB reached 66.90 mg g − 1, and the content of 10-DAB was dramatically increased 17.5-fold after adsorption. The specific adsorption results showed that NC-MIM had excellent capacity for targeted separation of 10-DAB from among taxane structural analogues. Even after ten cycles, NC-MIM demonstrated a remarkable adsorption capacity of 86.43%, thereby indicating exceptional selectivity and stability. The successful implementation of NC-MIM for green, safe, and efficient enrichment of phytochemicals from plants provides a promising new approach and valuable insights into its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and green targeted enrichment of phytochemicals is crucial for healthy food and medicine products. In this paper, nano-cellulose aerogels with rich network pore structure and high comparative area were combined with molecular imprinting polymer technology to innovatively prepare nano-cellulose molecularly imprinted aerogels (NCAG-MIP) for targeted enrichment of phytochemicals, NCAG-MIP could be designable by changing the different template molecules. Herein, NCAG-BacMIP was prepared for the taxanes compound baccatin III as a template molecule. Through a series of characterization and adsorption experiments, the adsorption mechanism of NCAG-BacMIP on baccatin III was analyzed, which was consistent with the adsorption pseudo-second model and the Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption capacity of NCAG-BacMIP for targeted baccatin III reached 66.54 mg g−1 at an adsorption temperature of 30 °C and pH of 5. The selectivity coefficients were 6.66, 6.19, and 7.19 for the structural analogs paclitaxel, 10 deacetylbaccatin III, and 7-xylose-10-deacetyl-paclitaxel, respectively. In the application of baccatin III enrichment from Taxus × media Rehde extracts, the content of baccatin III increased 11.6-fold after NCAG-BacMIP treatment. The novel NCAG-BacMIP blotting different template molecules would have good potential in the selective separation of phytochemicals from plant extracts. ● Nanocellulose molecularly imprinted aerogels (NCAG-MIP) were prepared. ● NCAG-MIP was used for the targeted enrichment of phytochemicals. ● NCAG-MIP could be desiganable by changing the different template molecules. ● NCAG-BacMIP was prepapred for taxanes compound baccatin III as template molecule. ● NCAG-BacMIP can enrich the baccatin III in Taxus × media Rehde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), stable isotope ratio of organic carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) in 31 surface sediments were examined to quantitatively discriminate the source and burial of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in the East China Sea (ECS). Results show that high content of TOC and TN occurred in the southern inner shelf and the northeast area due to the transport of organic matter (OM) from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River southwards by the Zhejiang Fujian Coastal Current (ZFCC) and the delivery from the old Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary by the Subei Coastal Current (SbCC), respectively. The significant relationship of TOC to clay provided evidence that the fine-grained sediment was the primary carrier for SOM from the inner shelf to open sea. The TN varied proportionally to the TOC with the neglected intercept, suggesting that most of nitrogen measured was related to the SOM and the influence of the sorption of inorganic nitrogen was insignificant. The seaward enrichment of δ13C and seaward depletion of C/N and δ15N illustrated the decrease of terrestrial OM (TOM) and the increase of marine OM (MOM). The close of average C/N ratio to the Redfield ratio indicated the minor role of terrestrial plant debris in the SOM. Distribution of bulk OM properties was ascribed to the terrestrial and marine input by the shelf circulation and phytoplankton with the contributions of 76.1% MOM and 23.9% TOM to SOM, respectively. The burial flux of OC ranged within 0.34–7.56 mg/(cm2·a) (averaged 2.80 mg/(cm2·a)) and enriched along the shore and in the fine-grained area, manifesting the significant input of the land-based sources and the effect of shelf mud depositional process on the fate of SOM. The sharp seaward decrease of burial fluxes of terrestrial and marine OC gave evidences that the majority of organic carbon were settled in the inner shelf with the small fraction of them further transported eastwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrence analysis is a powerful tool to appraise the nonlinear dynamics of complex systems and delineate the inherent laminar, divergent, or transient behaviors. Oftentimes, the effectiveness of recurrence quantification hinges upon the accurate reconstruction of the state space from a univariate time series with a uniform sampling rate. Few, if any, existing approaches quantify the recurrence properties from a short-term time series, particularly those sampled at a non-uniform rate, which are fairly ubiquitous in studies of rare or extreme events. This paper presents a novel intrinsic recurrence quantification analysis to portray the recurrence behaviors in complex dynamical systems with only short-term observations. As opposed to the traditional recurrence analysis, the proposed approach represents recurrence dynamics of a short-term time series in an intrinsic state space formed by proper rotations, attained from intrinsic time-scale decomposition (ITD) of the short time series. It is shown that intrinsic recurrence quantification analysis (iRQA), patterns harnessed from the corresponding recurrence plot, captures the underlying nonlinear and nonstationary dynamics of those short time series. In addition, as ITD does not require uniform sampling of the time series, iRQA is also applicable to unevenly spaced temporal data. Our findings are corroborated in two case studies: change detection in the Lorenz time series and early-stage identification of atrial fibrillation using short-term electrocardiogram signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the high tolerance for acetic acid and abundant multifunctional enzymes, acetic acid bacteria (AAB), as valuable biocatalysts, exhibit great advantages during industrial acetic acid production and value‐added chemical fermentation. However, low biomass and a low production rates arising from acid stress remains major hurdles in industrial processes. Engineering AAB with excellent properties is expected to obtain economically viable production and facilitates their biotechnological applications. Here, the investigation of acetic acid-tolerance mechanisms and metabolic features is discussed, and effective targets are provided for the metabolic engineering of AAB. Next, we review the advances in improving AAB and compare these advances with improvement to other model acid-tolerant microorganisms. Furthermore, future directions involving the combination of systems biology and synthetic biology to achieve efficient biomanufacturing in AAB are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in situ measurements from globally distributed sparse networks provide a valuable data source for the validation of satellite products. However, the representativeness errors resulting from the spatial scale mismatch between in situ-satellite measurements and surface heterogeneity have generally limited past validation to only very few spatially representative sites, which cannot meet the requirement of a comprehensive validation. In response to this challenge, this article offers a strategy for upscaling sparse in situ measurements and removing the impact of representativeness errors on the evaluation of coarse-pixel albedo products. The main idea of the upscaling method is to establish the correspondence relationship between each subpixel albedo time series within a coarse pixel and in situ albedo time series by using high-resolution albedo maps as the prior knowledge. Furthermore, the performance of the upscaling method is carefully evaluated over the sites featured by different degrees of spatial representativeness. The results indicate that the upscaling method improves the representativeness of single-site measurements with respect to a coarse pixel, and the improvement is most significant over the sites with relatively low representativeness. Therefore, the upscaling method is particularly useful for the validation at heterogeneous sites in strengthening the reliability of validation results. It is expected to open the door to maximizing the use of existing sparse networks and generating a time series of globally distributed reference data sets with sufficient length, consistency, and continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AVHRR Global Area Coverage (GAC) data provide daily global coverage of the Earth, which are widely used for global environmental and climate studies. However, their geolocation accuracy has not been comprehensively evaluated due to the difficulty caused by onboard resampling and the resulting coarse resolution, which hampers their usefulness in various applications. In this study, a correlation-based patch matching method (CPMM) was proposed to characterize and quantify the geo-location accuracy at the sub-pixel level for satellite data with coarse resolution, such as the AVHRR GAC dataset. This method is neither limited to landmarks nor suffers from errors caused by false detection due to the effect of mixed pixels caused by a coarse spatial resolution, and it thus enables a more robust and comprehensive geometric assessment than existing approaches. Data of NOAA-17, MetOp-A and MetOp-B satellites were selected to test the geocoding accuracy. The three satellites predominately present west shifts in the across-track direction, with average values of -1.69 , -1.9 , -2.56 km and standard deviations of 1.32, 1.1, 2.19 km for NOAA-17, MetOp-A, and MetOp-B, respectively. The large shifts and uncertainties are partly induced by the larger satellite zenith angles (SatZs) and partly due to the terrain effect, which is related to SatZ and becomes apparent in the case of large SatZs. It is thus suggested that GAC data with SatZs less than 40 ∘ should be preferred in applications. The along-track geolocation accuracy is clearly improved compared to the across-track direction, with average shifts of -0.7 , -0.02 and 0.96 km and standard deviations of 1.01, 0.79 and 1.70 km for NOAA-17, MetOp-A and MetOp-B, respectively. The data can be accessed from 10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/AVHRR-AM/V002 (Stengel et al., 2017) and 10.5067/MODIS/MOD13A1.006 (Didan, 2015). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Validation of remote sensing albedo products involves comparisons between point-scale in situ observations and footprint-scale satellite retrievals. However, the observed differences between product and in situ observations are not only attributable to intrinsic errors of satellite products but also to inadequate spatial representativeness of in situ observations. Here, representativeness errors of in situ observations and their effects on validation results were quantitatively explored. Furthermore, the contributors and their influences on representativeness errors were quantified. In the case of large representativeness errors, validation result errors are mainly controlled by representativeness errors. When representativeness errors are small, validation result errors are likely affected by other factors and can be so large that cannot be ignored. Surface heterogeneity is most positively related to representativeness errors, followed by the deviation distance of in situ site from the pixel center. The representative area surrounding in situ sites only shows a weak negative correlation with representativeness errors. The range seems to be not a good indicator of spatial representativeness of in situ sites since there is almost no relationship between them. When these factors are combined, surface heterogeneity contributes more to representativeness errors on the 500-m pixel scale, while quantitative impacts of the representative area and location deviation of in situ sites are not fully understood because magnitudes of these effects are dependent on the choice of high-resolution data set. These findings enhance our understanding about spatial representativeness of in situ observations and improve the quality of validation results based on single in situ observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Successful preparation of smart temperature-responsive aerogel reactors for target recognition of UA. • ITR&AR(G570)&UA-MIP for intelligent response to absorption and desorption of UA under specific temperature conditions. • The prepared aerogel reactor was used for the extraction of UA from lingonberry. • The developed adsorbent exhibited good extraction efficiency and selectivity. In this article, thermosensitive molecularly imprinted polymer and composite aerogel were combined for the first time to create an intelligent temperature-responsive aerogel reactor to effectively enrich ursolic acid (UA). Because aerogel carrier had a higher specific surface area and higher porosity compared to other carriers, the ursolic acid molecularly imprinted intelligent temperature responsive aerogel reactor (ITR&AR(G570)&UA-MIP) demonstrated a higher adsorption capacity for UA. More notably, ITR&AR(G570)&UA-MIP have the extraordinary capacity to spontaneously adsorb-desorb target molecule UA by regulating the reaction temperature. The ratio of the target molecule UA to the functional monomer and crosslinker in the grafting process and external influences had a major impact on how ITR&AR(G570)&UA-MIP were prepared overall. When the molar ratio of UA to 4-VP was 1:8, the weight ratio between ITR&AR(G570)&UA-MIP and EGDMA/DVB was 1:2:10, the reaction temperature was 60 °C, and the ambient pH = 6, the material showed the best adsorption capacity, reaching a peak of about 70 mg g−1. After researching the appropriate synthesis conditions, ITR&AR(G570)&UA-MIP were applied to lingonberry (Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea L.) berry extracts in this work. The outcomes show that this technique provides a new, intelligent, temperature-controlled adsorption material for the solid-phase extraction of triterpenoid acids in natural products, with good specific adsorption performance for the target molecule UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SNP rs3753581 in human NPPB locus is associated with pulse pressure hypertension. • NPPB rs3753581 promoter (-1299G) may be the key factor in the regulation of NT-proBNP/RAAS. • NPPB rs3753581 promoter (-1299G) may influence the binding of promoter regions to transcription factors including IRF1, PRDM1, and ZNF263. To investigate the correlation between NPPB gene variants and pulse pressure hypertension and the underlying regulatory mechanisms and try to confirm that NPPB may be a potential molecular target of gene therapy for pulse pressure hypertension. A total of 898 participants were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University and the plasmids with differential expression of NPPB were constructed. Genotype distribution of NPPB (rs3753581, rs198388, and rs198389)was analyzed and the expression of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) and renin-angiotensin -aldosterone system(RAAS) related indicators were identified in the groups studied. According to a genotype analysis, there was a significant difference in the genotype distribution of NPPB rs3753581 among the groups (P = 0.034). In logistic regression analysis, NPPB rs3753581 TT was associated with a 1.8-fold greater risk of pulse pressure hypertension than NPPB rs3753581 GG (odds ratio = 1.801; 95% confidence interval: 1.070–3.032; P = 0.027). The expression of NT-proBNP and RAAS related indicators in clinical and laboratory samples showed striking differences. The activity of firefly and Renilla luciferase in pGL-3- NPPB -luc (-1299G) was higher than pGL-3- NPPB mut-luc(-1299 T)(P < 0.05). The binding of NPPB gene promoter rs3753581 (-1299G) with transcription factors IRF1, PRDM1, and ZNF263 was predicted and validated by the bioinformatics software TESS and chromatin immunoprecipitation(P < 0.05). NPPB rs3753581 was correlated with genetic susceptibility to pulse pressure hypertension and the transcription factors IRF1, PRDM1, and ZNF263 may be involved in the regulation of NPPB rs3753581 promoter (-1299G) on the expression of NT-proBNP/RAAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tension between competition and cooperation is common in space activities. China's role in spearheading the International Lunar Research Station, in direct opposition to the US-led Artemis program, demonstrates its strong determination to upgrade its space cooperation. The configuration discourse on the International Lunar Research Station and the Artemis program is clearing a path for a new mixture structure and the interplay of competition and cooperation among space powers. The evolution of China's approach to space cooperation––from an emphasis on national independence to initiating multilateral cooperative platforms––provides insights into understanding the dynamics between techno-nationalism and external constraints, as well as the motivation to increase and an approach towards actually increasing soft power, alongside the development of hard power. This decade-lasting dynamics determines that openness and neutrality are viable means to guarantee the international prospect of China's lunar cooperation platform. Well-designed and targeted engagement measures and overall neutral strategies are needed to realise openness and promote neutrality. To compensate for China's 'leadership deficit' in international cooperation, a practical way forward is taking the Artemis program as a point of reference and transplanting the successful American experience while also differentiating from the Artemis program. The interplay of competition and cooperation challenges, forces compromise in, and maintains and develops the space order. Leading an international cooperation venture will accrue the soft power China needs to sustain its hard power and bring new positive energy to the space order. China's unique dual identity as a space power and a developing country could contribute to solving the dilemma of democratisation and decentralisation in the development of international space law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel method to improve the performance of CT image's lesion recognition is designed. • The Lagrangian labeled particles are calculated to reconstruct the embedded interface. • The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by simulation experiments. In order to improve the performance of CT image's lesion recognition algorithm and improve the diagnosis accuracy of doctors, a CT lesion recognition algorithm based on improved particle reseeding method is proposed. First of all, aiming at the non- uniformity of topography, the Lagrangian labeled particles are calculated before the level set formula is calculated to reconstruct the embedded interface, thus improving the quality conservation characteristics of the level set algorithm. Secondly, in view of the uncertainty of the traditional particle method in dealing with interface singularity and complex geometry- related problems, the convergence of velocity fields at singular points and topological change points is promoted by adding velocity vectors and unit normal vectors. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by simulation experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An edible fungi-assisted harvesting system for efficient microalgae bio-flocculation was developed. • Maximum recovery efficiency of 64.86% was achieved in 150 min. • This system is suitable for flocculent-free harvesting of microalgae as feedstock for feed or food production. Abstract Conventional flocculants, commonly used to improve harvesting efficiency, can contaminate the broth and cause microalgae not suitable for food or feed production. In the present study, Pleurotus ostreatus , an edible fungal strain, was developed to improve the harvesting efficiency of microalgae. The results show that Pleurotus ostreatus pellets cultured under 100 rpm agitation resulted in higher harvesting efficiency than pellets cultured under 0 rpm and 150 rpm agitation. Lower pH of the Chlorella sp. suspension resulted in higher harvesting efficiency. The maximum recovery efficiency reached 64.86% in 150 mins. The above process could be used to achieve low cost, flocculant-free harvesting of microalgae as feedstock for feed or food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Ammonia toxicity was related to ammonium concentration, carbon/nitrogen ratio and pH. • Ammonium concentration greatly affected cell viability. • NH 4 +-N removal efficiency was increased by 96% in response to glycerol addition. • Strategies for alleviating ammonia toxicity were developed. Abstract Ammonia toxicity is a major disadvantage of microalgal growth when high-strength ammonium wastewaters like manure-free piggery wastewater (MFPW) were used as microalgal growth medium. In the present study, the effect of ammonium concentration, carbon/nitrogen ratio, and pH on ammonia toxicity of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in the MFPW and nutrients removal was investigated. The three important parameters affected ammonia toxicity of C. vulgaris and nutrients removal of the MFPW significantly. The ammonium concentration of the MFPW could be decreased by air stripping. Microalga grew best at a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 25:1 with the maximum biomass concentration of 3.83 g L−1, the highest cell viability of 97%, and the removal of 100% ammonia, 95% of total phosphorus, and 99% of chemical oxygen demand. Ammonia toxicity was alleviated by pH control. The application of the established strategies can enhance nutrients removal of the MFPW while mitigating ammonia toxicity of C. vulgaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract There is no space law in China meaning the law is disproportionally under-developed in comparison with China's space capabilities and legislation in other nations. A mixture of historical, political, legal, and bureaucratic reasons accounts for this absence. Space law was incorporated into the 5-year legislation plan of National People's Congress in 2013. There has been a growing consensus on the necessity and importance of the enactment of a space law because of the new emphasis on the rule of law and the increasing need to implement international obligations, to improve governance and transparency for international cooperation, and to regulate activities and investment conducted by unconventional actors. The legislation model and its main regulatory regimes have become clear after years of discussion, and the major controversy of this law is whether and how to regulate the military participation in space activities and streamline the governance structure, to which the recent military reformation could provide some clues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A tricolor fluorescence imprinted sensor was synthesized by one-pot method. • Smartphone-based portable sensing platform was designed for real-time on-site detection of HVA. • NH 2 -MIL-88 improved the fluorescence response sensitivity and response speed. • The imprinted sensor realized high sensitivity, good selectivity and wide detection range for intelligent detection HVA. Homovanillic acid (HVA) is one of the main metabolites of catecholamines in the body. Abnormal levels of HVA in urine and serum are associated with neuroblastoma and Parkinson's disease. Herein, a smartphone-assisted tricolor fluorescence imprinted sensor was proposed with one-pot synthesis strategy for the intelligent determination of HVA in serum and urine. In this study, luminescent metal–organic framework was used as reference probe, while green-emitting CdTe and red-emitting CdTe were used as response probes. With increasing HVA concentration, the green-emitting CdTe and red-emitting CdTe fluorescence were gradually quenched, while the blue fluorescence of metal–organic framework remained stability. The tricolor fluorescence imprinted sensor extends the color variations range for visual detection with dynamic detection range (0.05–180 µM). The fluorescence imprinted sensor exhibits a lower detection limit of 15 nM and rapid response within 2 min. Interestingly, a portable smart sensing platform was designed by integrating the tricolor fluorescence imprinted polymer and a smartphone assisted device to achieve on-site accurate analysis HVA with a detection limit of 34 nM. The sensing platform was applied to in situ monitoring of HVA in serum and urine with satisfactory results, providing a new method for visual intelligent detection of HVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness in participants with kidney damage. It is uncertain whether this association is due to eGFR itself or is mediated by the eGFR-associated increases in fasting blood glucose (FBG). Method: The cross-sectional study included 865 Japanese participants with decreased kidney function, whose eGFR was less than 90 mL/min/1.73 m2, and recruited individuals who received medical healthcare. The mediating variable was FBG, with eGFR as the independent variable and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as the dependent variable. A mediation analysis was used to evaluate the mediating effect of FBG on the association between eGFR and arterial stiffness. Results: The mean age of the participants was 51.69 ± 9.25 years old, with 65.90% individuals being male. The mean values for FBG, eGFR, and baPWV were 5.46 ± 0.79 mmol/L, 68.83 ± 10.05 mL/min/1.73 m2, and 1,423.50 ± 247.78 cm/s, respectively. The mediation analysis revealed that eGFR had a significant direct effect on baPWV (β = −25.68 95% CI: −46.42, −7.45), and that FBG played a partial mediating role in the indirect effect of eGFR on baPWV (β = −3.54 95% CI: −11.88, −0.079). Mediation analysis showed that 12.10% of the effect of eGFR on risk of arterial stiffness was mediated through FBG. Conclusion: The study indicated that there is a mediating relationship between eGFR and FBG in people with decreased kidney function, which is associated with the risk of arterial stiffness. Therefore, the importance of FBG as a mediator should be acknowledged and taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study selected 5, 5′-((6-(ethylamino)-1, 3, 5-triazine-2, 4-diyl) bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid (H4EATDIA) as ligand and an amino-functionalized cuprum-based MOF (EA-JUC-1000), successfully synthesized by microwave-assisted method, for proton conduction and dopamine sensing applications. In order to enhance the proton-conducting potential of EA-JUC-1000, the Brönsted acid (BA) encapsulated composites (BA@EA-JUC-1000) are dopped into chitosan (CS) to form a series of hybrid membranes (BA@EA-JUC-1000/CS). The impedance results display that the best proton conductivity of CF3SO3H@EA-JUC-1000/CS-8% reaches up to 1.23 × 10–3 S∙cm−1 at 338 K and ~ 98% RH, 2.6-fold than that of CS. Moreover, the EA-JUC-1000 is in-situ combined with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (rGO/EA-JUC-1000), which makes EA-JUC-1000 have a wide detection range (0.1 ~ 500 μM) and a low limit of detection (50 nM), together with good anti-interference performance, reproducibility and repeatability. In addition, the electrochemical sensing method has been successfully applied to detect DA in bovine serum samples. The dual-functional MOF-based hybrid membrane and composites including proton conduction and DA sensing would provide an example of practical application for MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to examine the relationship between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and severe headaches or migraine in never‐smoking adults verified by serum cotinine. Background: Current evidence about the association between self‐reported SHS exposure and headaches or migraine is limited and contradictory. An important issue lies in the lack of actual SHS exposure assessment through biomarkers. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional study on 4560 never‐smoking adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2004. The SHS exposure was evaluated by measuring serum cotinine concentrations. The information regarding severe headaches or migraine was based on self‐reporting. Results: The overall prevalence rate of severe headaches or migraine was 20% (919/4560). After adjusting for relevant covariates, we found that heavy SHS exposure (serum cotinine at 1 to 10 ng/mL) was positively associated with severe headaches or migraine (OR: 2.02, 95% CI [1.19, 3.43]); however, no significant association was found between low SHS exposure (serum cotinine at 0.05 to 0.99 ng/mL) and severe headaches or migraine (OR: 1.15, 95% CI [0.91, 1.47]). Restricted cubic spline analysis showed that the natural logarithm of serum cotinine had a linear relationship with severe headaches or migraine (p = 0.335 for nonlinearity). Stratified analysis indicated that individuals with a BMI of <25 (p < 0.001 for interaction) and sedentary activity (p = 0.016 for interaction) modified the relationship between SHS exposure and severe headaches and migraine. Even after altering the definition of SHS exposure, excluding drugs that might affect the metabolism of serum cotinine, and multiple imputation, our sensitivity analysis results remained stable. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that heavy SHS exposure (serum cotinine at 1 to 10 ng/mL) had a significant positive association with severe headaches or migraine in never‐smoking adults. Prospective studies are necessary to verify this relationship in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upscaling ground albedo is challenged by the serious discrepancy between the heterogeneity of land surfaces and the small number of ground-based measurements. Conventional ground-based measurements cannot provide sufficient information on the characteristics of surface albedo at the scale of coarse pixels over heterogeneous land surfaces. One method of overcoming this problem is to introduce high-resolution albedo imagery as ancillary information for upscaling. However, due to the low frequency of updating of high-resolution albedo maps, upscaling time series of ground-based albedo measurements is difficult. This paper proposes a method that is based on the idea of conceptual universal scaling methodology for establishing a spatiotemporal trend surface using very few high-resolution images and time series of ground-based measurements for spatial-temporal upscaling of albedo. The construction of the spatiotemporal trend surface incorporates the spatial information provided by auxiliary remote sensing images and the temporal information provided by long time series of ground observations. This approach was illustrated by upscaling ground-based fine-scale albedo measurements to a coarse scale over the core study area in HiWATER. The results indicate that this method can characterize the spatiotemporal variations in surface albedo well, and the overall correlation coefficient was 0.702 during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuity of care has become an important indicator of the quality of healthcare gradually, however, patients are frequently blocked at the present stage in reality due to insufficient capacity at the next stage. Existing papers on such blocking problem assume that patients just wait in the blocking period, while filed survey in hospital prove that patients accept the service of next stage when they are blocked, and the corresponding service time between neighboring stages is related. Under the consideration of continuity of care, a queuing model and a more effective heuristic on estimating blocking probability are designed. Compared with simulation results and previous approaches, new heuristic is more accurate and stable. In addition, expanded applications of the new heuristic prove it's effectiveness in health care performance evaluation and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]