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Abstract Objective To analyze the influencing factors of postoperative thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients with heart disease and construct a nomogram prediction model. Methods From October 2022 to October 2023, 319 critically ill patients with heart disease who visited our hospital were collected and separated into postoperative thrombocytopenia group (n = 142) and no postoperative thrombocytopenia group (n = 177) based on their postoperative thrombocytopenia, Logistic regression analysis was applied to screen risk factors for postoperative thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients with heart disease; R software was applied to construct a nomogram for predicting postoperative thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients with heart disease, and ROC curves, calibration curves, and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit tests were applied to evaluate nomogram. Results A total of 142 out of 319 critically ill patients had postoperative thrombocytopenia, accounting for 44.51%. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender (95% CI 1.607–4.402, P = 0.000), age ≥ 60 years (95% CI 1.380–3.697, P = 0.001), preoperative antiplatelet therapy (95% CI 1.254–3.420, P = 0.004), and extracorporeal circulation time > 120 min (95% CI 1.681–4.652, P = 0.000) were independent risk factors for postoperative thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients with heart disease. The area under the ROC curve was 0.719 (95% CI: 0.663–0.774). The slope of the calibration curve was close to 1, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test was χ 2 = 6.422, P = 0.491. Conclusion Postoperative thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients with heart disease is influenced by gender, age ≥ 60 years, preoperative antiplatelet therapy, and extracorporeal circulation time > 120 min. A nomogram established based on above multiple independent risk factors provides a method for clinical prediction of the risk of postoperative thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients with heart disease.

Weaving sections on roads are crucial areas with high concentrations of mandatory lane changes, which can increase the likelihood of traffic accidents. Speed is a key factor in determining traffic safety, and the development of an accurate speed prediction method is essential for improving safety in weaving sections. While current methods are effective in predicting speeds in straightforward situations, they face challenges in more complex scenarios such as weaving sections. This study presents a refined traffic speed prediction approach specifically designed for weaving sections in order to tackle the aforementioned issue. Initially, novel variables were formulated to capture the unique traffic flow attributes present in weaving sections, which distinguish them from standard road segments. Subsequently, supplementary empirical variables that are known to impact speed were incorporated. We conducted a variable importance assessment to ascertain the extent and direction of each variable’s contribution. Lastly, variables with significant positive effects were chosen as inputs for three machine learning algorithms: Random Forest (RF), Backpropagation Neural Network optimised with Genetic Algorithm (BPNN-GA) and Support Vector Regression (SVR). This method was evaluated using aerial footage from five distinct weaving sections in China, maintaining an approximately 3 km/h prediction error. In addition, the study also finds that the speed distribution in weaving sections is negatively correlated with the number of lane-changing. Vehicles experience deceleration at both on-ramp and off-ramp, with a more significant deceleration occurring at the on-ramp. Speed is significantly affected by short length, number of lanes and proportion of large vehicles. The proposed method can be embedded into intelligent traffic systems for safe speeds of autonomous vehicles in weaving sections. Reconstructing spatiotemporal patterns of traffic congestion, predicting traffic accidents and implementing active traffic management strategies in weaving sections could be investigated in the future.

Chip seal is widely used for preventive maintenance to mitigate pavement deterioration, but it is prone to aggregate loss during pavement service. To further promote the development and application of chip seals in road engineering in China, the research progress of the adhesion behavior of aggregate and binder in chip seals was reviewed in this paper, focusing on the adhesion mechanism of emulsified asphalt and alkaline aggregate. The Influencing factors and evaluation methodology of chip seals' aggregate adhesion behavior were also discussed. The results demonstrate that the adhesion process between emulsified asphalt and alkaline aggregate is divided into three processes including infiltration, demulsification, and cluster, which is more complicated when compared to hot asphalt. When designing a chip seal, not only the characteristics of single material should be paid attention to, but also the combination of binder and aggregate matters a lot. To form good adhesion between aggregate and asphalt binder, various influencing factors such as material selection, design method, and construction technical index should be considered comprehensively in the whole design, construction, and operation process. Three methods for evaluating adhesion behavior are summarized, including macroscopic adhesion performance tests, image analysis technology, and model prediction. It is not objective to evaluate the aggregate adhesion behavior of chip seal only by a single evaluation method. A comprehensive evaluation based on the micro-macro multi-scale method should be considered in the future.

Abstract Silicon Carbide (SiC) Gate Turn‐off (GTO) thyristor is regarded as a promising option for pulsed power applications; however, the formation of high di/dt has been constrained by the slow current rise transient phase and the turn‐on current heterogeneity over the chip device. In this paper, a practical integrated multi‐cell simulation is performed to physically characterize the turn‐on transient of SiC GTO thyristor. Through examining electrical coupling between adjacent cells caused by both parasitics of electrode metallization and carrier travelling via SiC, the current distributions are observed, and the carrier transport dynamics are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, physical mechanisms dominating the current heterogeneity among multi‐cells are discovered in depth. It is revealed that the current heterogeneity during the turn‐on transient is primarily resulted from the Gate signal delay caused by the Gate Runner metallization, and the lateral interaction from adjacent semiconductor regions adds to this inhomogeneity; however, this situation can be improved once the electrical distance between each Anode contact and the Anode electrode gets lowered. Design method for turn‐on performance improvement is also proposed accordingly. Besides, based on the analysis conducted on the multi‐cell simulation results, the possible reason of the extremely slow current rise transient phase is speculated and experimentally verified. The improvement in the comprehension of SiC GTO's turn‐on transient, which cannot be obtained from the traditional investigation from the viewpoint of one elementary cell, will provide guiding principles helping in directing future efforts to advance the improvement of device design technology.

Introduction: The high incidence of wasp stings have been causing a variety of injuries in China, but systemic complications are rarely reported. Case presentation: A 59-year-old man was severely attacked by wasps. He developed an acute onset of right hemiplegia and chest distress and was admitted to our emergency department 13 hours after being attacked. Various abnormal signals were found by biochemical tests. Magnetic resonance venography of head demonstrated that the superior sagittal sinus was not visible, indicating cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal signals in the left frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and thalamus, indicating venous cerebral infarction and hemorrhage, coupled with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient was diagnosed with a rare combination of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, cerebral venous infarction, and multi-organ dysfunction following hornet stings. After undergoing systematic treatment including blood perfusion, blood dialysis, anti-inflammatory hormone therapy, antiallergic medication, antibiotic use, and anticoagulation treatment, the patient showed significant improvement in limb muscle strength and dizziness symptoms. However, the patient developed irreversible kidney damage and is currently dependent on renal replacement therapy. Conclusions: This case highlights the serious systemic consequences that can occur following multiple wasp stings, including rare complications such as venous sinus thrombosis leading to cerebral infarction and renal failure. Early intervention with blood perfusion, hemodialysis, and plasmapheresis, in addition to general treatment, may help prevent permanent organ damage in patients with a large number of wasp stings.

The Si/SiC Cascode device has been widely accepted in various applications, however, its reliability issue still remains a major concern and needs to be extensively investigated. In this paper, the degradation of a 750 V Si/SiC Cascode device under repetitive short-circuit (SC) tests is investigated at 400 V DC-link voltage. Static and dynamic characteristics are measured before and after the repetitive SC cycles. As the SC cycle increases, the degradation of the device becomes gradually significant. By linking changes in electrical properties to metallization degradation, the physical mechanism of device degradation has been uncovered in depth. Experimental results show that the continuous stress under repetitive SC cycle leads to an increase in the on-state resistance of Si/SiC Cascode device. Finite-element-model (FEM) simulations show that due to the pad current crowding in the source region, the source Al metallization temperature of the SiC JFET rapidly increases to the melting point and undergoes reconstruction, resulting in a significant increase in the source Al metallization resistance. In addition, it is found by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that the gate metal aluminum of SiC JFET chip also undergoes reconstruction, which is the reason for the degradation of the dynamic characteristics. The research in this paper will provide useful evidences for device manufactures to design Si/SiC Cascode device with high reliability.

Collective cell migration is a coordinated movement of multi-cell systems essential for various processes throughout life. The collective motions often occur under spatial restrictions, hallmarked by the collective rotation of epithelial cells confined in circular substrates. Here, we aim to explore how geometric shapes of confinement regulate this collective cell movement. We develop quantitative methods for cell velocity orientation analysis, and find that boundary cells exhibit stronger tangential ordering migration than inner cells in circular pattern. Furthermore, decreased tangential ordering movement capability of collective cells in triangular and square patterns are observed, due to the disturbance of cell motion at unsmooth corners of these patterns. On the other hand, the collective cell rotation is slightly affected by a convex defect of the circular pattern, while almost hindered with a concave defect, also resulting from different smoothness features of their boundaries. Numerical simulations employing cell Potts model well reproduce and extend experimental observations. Together, our results highlight the importance of boundary smoothness in the regulation of collective cell tangential ordering migration.

Constructing ecological security patterns (ESP) effectively maintains ecosystems' green, healthy, and sustainable development. The InVEST model and Conefor software were utilized in this study to pinpoint ecological sources (eco-sources) through a blend of landscape connectivity and the importance of ecosystem services (IES); the ecological resistance surface was constructed by synthesizing the gravity model and minimum cumulative resistance model (MCRM), extracted ecological corridors (eco-corridors) and nodes. Ultimately, the research in this study built the ESP for Xinjiang. The findings showed that: (1) 14 eco-sources were identified in Xinjiang, spanning an area of 2.13 × 105 km2; 32 eco-corridors were extracted, including 9 important and 23 general eco-corridors, comprising a total length of 1.26 × 104 km; identified 46 ecological nodes(eco-nodes); (2) the size of important and more important patches of ecosystem services in Xinjiang was 2.82 × 105 km2, which accounted for a relatively small size, and the value of ecosystem services was generally average. The overall level of landscape connectivity in the primary eco-sources was high, but the spatial distribution was uneven; (3) the ecological resistance values in Xinjiang vary significantly, with high-level resistance surfaces primarily located in the Junggar Basin and Tarim Basin and low-level resistance covering most of Xinjiang's natural ecological reserves and other areas. The study's findings can provide some references for constructing ESP at the provincial scale and in arid and semiarid regions and for planning spatial ecological restoration in Xinjiang.

ABSTRACT Fusarium sacchari is one of the primary pathogens causing pokkah boeng disease in sugarcane in China. Common fungal extracellular membrane (CFEM) domain-containing proteins only exist in fungi and play a significant role in the interaction of pathogens and plants. However, the CFEM proteins in F. sacchari were not identified and functionally resolved. Of the 20 FsCFEM proteins identified from the genome of F. sacchari, 16 FsCFEM genes were cloned, while 4 FsCFEM proteins (Fs06761, Fs08184, Fs10706, and Fs13617) were identified as effector proteins that could suppress the programmed cell death triggered by BCL2-associated X protein in Nicotiana benthamiana. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that these four effectors could enter plant cells and are mainly located in the cell membrane and nucleus. By the yeast YTK12 secretion system, the signal peptides of four CFEM proteins were functionally verified. The expression levels of these four effector proteins were significantly increased in the F. sacchari-infected sugarcane plants. Through fungal gene knockout, three genes (Fs06761, Fs08184, and Fs13617) were found to be important pathogenic factors for pathogens. Our results support that the FsCFEM effector proteins were virulence effectors and might be involved in regulating plant immunity. IMPORTANCE Common fungal extracellular membrane (CFEM) domain-containing protein has long been considered an essential effector, playing a crucial role in the interaction of pathogens and plant. Strategies aimed at understanding the pathogenicity mechanism of F. sacchari are eagerly anticipated to ultimately end the spread of pokkah boeng disease. Twenty FsCFEM proteins in the genome of F. sacchari have been identified, and four FsCFEM effector proteins have been found to suppress BCL2-associated X protein-triggered programmed cell death in N. benthamiana. These four effector proteins have the ability to enter plant cells and inhibit plant immunity. Furthermore, the expression of these four FsCFEM effector proteins significantly increases during the infection stage, with the three of them playing an essential role in achieving full virulence. These study findings provide a direction toward further exploration of the immune response in sugarcane. By applying these discoveries, we can potentially control the spread of disease through techniques such as host-induced gene silencing.

This study aimed to address the issue of high-temperature challenges in asphalt pavement by developing two types of phase change materials (PCMs) for temperature control. Encapsulated paraffin wax particles (EPWP) and encapsulated myristic acid particles (EMAP) were synthesized using acid-etched ceramsite (AECS) as the carrier, paraffin wax (PW) or myristic acid (MA) as the core material, and a combination of epoxy resin and cement as the encapsulation material. The investigation encompassed leakage tests on PCMs; rutting plate rolling forming tests; SEM, FTIR, XRD, and TG-DSC microscopic tests; as well as heat storage and release tests and temperature control assessments using a light heating device. The study revealed the following key findings. Both types of PCMs exhibited no PCM leakage even under high temperatures and demonstrated low crushing ratios during rut-forming tests. Microscopic evaluations confirmed the chemical stability and phase compatibility of the constituents within the two types of PCMs. Notably, the phase change enthalpies of EPWP and EMAP were relatively high, measuring 133.31 J/g and 138.52 J/g, respectively. The utilization of AECS as the carrier for PCMs led to a substantial 4.61-fold increase in the adsorption rate. Moreover, the PCMs showcased minimal mass loss at 180 °C, rendering them suitable for asphalt pavement applications. The heat storage and release experiments further underscored the PCMs’ capacity to regulate ambient temperatures through heat absorption and release. When subjected to light heating, the maximum temperatures of the two types of phase change Marshall specimens were notably lower by 6.6 °C and 4.8 °C, respectively, compared to standard Marshall specimens. Based on comprehensive testing, EPWP displayed enhanced adaptability and demonstrated substantial potential for practical implementation in asphalt pavements.

【Objective】The study is carried out to explore the accumulation and distribution law of imidacloprid in maize under different nitrogen supply conditions, which will provide a theory foundation for improving imidacloprid utilization rate and rational application of nitrogen fertilizer and imidacloprid.【Method】The seedlings of maize was exposed to imidacloprid in hydroponic solution with different nitrogen treatments (4 mmol/L NO3-, 10 mmol/L NO3-, 4 mmol/L NH4+, 10 mmol/L NH4+). The content of imidacloprid in maize was determined by HPLC.【Result】Leaf was the main part for imidacloprid accumulation in maize, followed by root and stem, and all nitrogen treatments showed similar accumulation law. The imidacloprid accumulation was closely related with nitrogen forms in maize under different imidacloprid concentrations. Under the treatments of 3 imidacloprid concentrations, the content of imidacloprid in the roots, stems and leaves of maize cultured with NO3- as the nitrogen source was significantly higher than that of maize cultured with NH4+. For example, when the imidacloprid concentration was 2.5 mg/L, the contents of imidacloprid in roots of NO3- treatment were 3.09 and 5.15 times those of NH4+ treatment, respectively, 1.90 and 3.04 times those in stems, and 1.70 and 3.22 times those in leaves, respectively. When the imidacloprid concentration was 5.0 mg/L, the TFleaf/stem of imidacloprid in maize seedlings was the highest, and that of NO3- and NH4+ treatments was 7.54, 5.07, 4.19 and 4.13 respectively, indicating that NO3- was more beneficial to imidacloprid transportation from stems to leaves. Compared with NO3- treatments, the TFleaf/stem of imidacloprid in maize seedlings of NH4+ treatments was significantly lower, indicating that NO3- was more beneficial to imidacloprid transportation to leaves under 5.0 mg/L imidacloprid treatment.【Conclusion】The accumulation of imidacloprid in maize seedlings was correlated with addition dose of imidacloprid, the higher the concentration of imidacloprid in culture solution, and higher imidacloprid accumulation in maize. The accumulation of imidacloprid in maize seedlings was influenced by the nitrogen form, and NO3- is more beneficial to the accumulation of imidacloprid in maize.

Melatonin has profound antioxidant activity and numerous functions in humans as well as in livestock and poultry. Additionally, melatonin plays an important role in regulating the biological rhythms of animals. Combining melatonin with scientific breeding management has considerable potential for optimizing animal physiological functions, but this idea still faces significant challenges. In this review, we summarized the beneficial effects of melatonin supplementation on physiology and reproductive processes in cattle, including granulosa cells, oocytes, circadian rhythm, stress, inflammation, testicular function, spermatogenesis, and semen cryopreservation. There is much emerging evidence that melatonin can profoundly affect cattle. In the future, we hope that melatonin can not only be applied to cattle, but can also be used to safely and effectively improve the efficiency of animal husbandry.

The human intestine contains a complex network of innate and adaptive immune cells that provide protective immunity. The dysfunction of this network may cause various chronic diseases. A large number of T cells in the human intestine have been identified as tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). TRM are present in the peripheral tissues, and they do not recirculate through the blood. It is known that TRM provide rapid immune responses at the frontline of pathogen invasion. Recent evidence also suggests that these cells play a role in tumor surveillance and the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In this review, we discuss the general features of intestinal TRM together with their role in intestinal infection, colorectal cancer (CRC), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Abstract Background The role of the microbiota in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is largely unknown. Methods Fifty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to clean air, biomass fuel (BMF), or motor vehicle exhaust (MVE) for 4, 12, and 24 weeks. We performed pulmonary inflammation evaluation, morphometric measurements, and lung function analysis in rat lung at three different times points during exposure. Lung and gut microbial composition was assessed by 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. Serum lipopolysaccharide levels were measured and short-chain fatty acids in colon contents were quantified. Results After a 24-week PM exposure, rats exhibited pulmonary inflammation and pathological changes characteristic of COPD. The control and PM exposure (BMF and MVE) groups showed similar microbial diversity and composition in rat lung. However, the gut microbiota after 24 weeks PM exposure was characterized by decreased microbial richness and diversity, distinct overall microbial composition, lower levels of short-chain fatty acids, and higher serum lipopolysaccharide. Conclusion Chronic exposure to ambient particulate matter induces gut microbial dysbiosis and metabolite shifts in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract Background The recognition of protein interaction sites is of great significance in many biological processes, signaling pathways and drug designs. However, most sites on protein sequences cannot be defined as interface or non-interface sites because only a small part of protein interactions had been identified, which will cause the lack of prediction accuracy and generalization ability of predictors in protein interaction sites prediction. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively improve prediction performance of protein interaction sites using large amounts of unlabeled data together with small amounts of labeled data and background knowledge today. Results In this work, three semi-supervised support vector machine–based methods are proposed to improve the performance in the protein interaction sites prediction, in which the information of unlabeled protein sites can be involved. Herein, five features related with the evolutionary conservation of amino acids are extracted from HSSP database and Consurf Sever, i.e., residue spatial sequence spectrum, residue sequence information entropy and relative entropy, residue sequence conserved weight and residual Base evolution rate, to represent the residues within the protein sequence. Then three predictors are built for identifying the interface residues from protein surface using three types of semi-supervised support vector machine algorithms. Conclusion The experimental results demonstrated that the semi-supervised approaches can effectively improve prediction performance of protein interaction sites when unlabeled information is involved into the predictors and one of them can achieve the best prediction performance, i.e., the accuracy of 70.7%, the sensitivity of 62.67% and the specificity of 78.72%, respectively. With comparison to the existing studies, the semi-supervised models show the improvement of the predication performance.

Polyphosphoric acid (PPA) modifier, which can effectively improve the rheological properties of asphalt, is widely used in pavement engineering. In order to accurately evaluate the low-temperature performance of PPA-modified asphalt, in this study, PPA-modified asphalt and PPA/SBR-modified asphalt were prepared. The modification mechanism was explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Bending Beam Rheology (BBR) test was carried out, and four indexes, including K index, viscous flow (η1), low-temperature integrated flexibility (Jc), and relaxation time (λ), were obtained by combining the Burgers model. The optimal low-temperature performance evaluation index of modified asphalt was determined by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The test results show that PPA addition to asphalt will produce chemical reactions, which can effectively improve the compatibility between SBR and neat asphalt. In the multi-index evaluation based on K, η1, Jc, and λ, the same optimum content of PPA was obtained. AHP analysis further demonstrates that Jc is the optimal evaluation index for laboratory research on the low-temperature performance of PPA-modified asphalt, and λ index is the ideal evaluation index for the low-temperature performance of asphalt in engineering applications.

The microwave plasma jet has the advantage of high plasma density and abundant active particles but fails to produce large-scale microwave plasmas in ambient air which hinders the application of microwave plasma ignition and combustion. We have applied a surface wave resonator (including a Zn-coated iron wire trigger) to produce a large-scale Ar/Zn pulsed microwave plasma jet. The discharge experiment shows that the plasma jet generally presents three discharge modes, namely, filamentous argon discharge (P < 120 W), bright argon plasma filaments covered by Ar/Zn thin plasma layers (120 W ≤ P ≤ 150 W), and bright thick Ar/Zn plasma columns (P ≥ 155 W). The optical emission spectrum indicates that the electron temperature is ∼4000–5000 K, the electron density is on the order of 1015 cm−3, and the plasma has the characteristic of local thermodynamic equilibrium. According to the transient discharge photos and the simulated electric fields, the mechanism of the three discharge modes and their transformations could be attributed to the combined interactions (the mutual resonance enhancement between the surface wave and the plasma jet, the propagation of the ionization wave, and the different particle states in the Ar/Zn pulsed microwave plasma). The results have suggested that the large-scale Ar/Zn pulsed microwave plasma jet can be generated by adding Zn vapor into the Ar microwave plasma jet and the proposed Ar/Zn pulsed microwave plasma jet is suitable for the application of plasma ignition and combustion.

The sugarcane woolly aphid is one of the main pests of sugarcane worldwide. The Pinellia pedatisecta agglutinin (PPA) gene has been demonstrated to function towards aphid resistance in other crops. In our study, in order to investigate the PPA function towards aphid control in sugarcane and its underlying mechanism, the PPA gene was overexpressed in a sugarcane Zhongzhe 1 (ZZ1) cultivar in independent transgenic sugarcane lines. It was confirmed in this study that PPA transgenic sugarcane can resist aphids via detecting the aphids’ development and tracing the survival number on PPA−transgenic sugarcane lines as well as PPA negative control lines. The mechanism of PPA lectin−associated defense against aphids was preliminarily explored. Stomatal patterning differences of sugarcane leaves between PPA−transgenic sugarcane lines and negative control lines were found. PPA overexpression led to an increase in stomata number and a decrease in stomata size that might have changed the transpiration status, which is critical for aphids’ passive feeding. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme, sugar, tannin and chlorophyll content in sugarcane leaves before and after aphid infestation was determined. The results indicated that PPA overexpression in sugarcane resulted in an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity and tannin content, as well as a reduction in the decline of certain sugars. These together may improve sugarcane resistance against the sugarcane woolly aphid.

Abstract Background Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. However, few studies have addressed the use of ECT in adolescents with schizophrenia. The aims of our study were to investigate the frequency of ECT, and its relationship with clinical and demographic correlates among adolescents with schizophrenia in China. Methods The study was a retrospective study and conducted in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Beijing Anding Hospital, and adolescents with schizophrenia over a period of 10 years (2007–2016) were enrolled. The demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic chart management system. Results A total of 835 patients were included, 411/835 (49.2%) of the adolescent inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were in ECT group. There were significant differences in the sex, age, high risk for aggression and suicide, family history of psychiatric disorders and concomitant psychotropic medication (antidepressants and benzodiazepines) between the ECT and non-ECT groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that ECT use was independently and positively associated with sex, high risk for suicide. Conclusions In a major psychiatric center in China, the use of ECT was common, and reasons for the high use of ECT for adolescent patients in this hospital should warrant urgent investigations.

Although several studies indicated that the addition of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) and Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) bring a lot of benefits on properties of asphalt binders, high production costs and poor storage stability confine the manufacture of better modified asphalt. To reduce the production costs, polyphosphoric acid (PPA) was applied to prepare better compound modified asphalt binders. In this research, five PPA (0.5%, 0.75%, 1.0%, 1.25% and 1.5%) and two SBR/SBS (4% and 6%) concentrations were selected. Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) tests were performed to evaluate the rheological properties of the compound modified asphalt. Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) test was performed to evaluate the aging properties of the compound modified asphalts. The results indicate that SBS/SBR modified asphalts with the addition of PPA show better high-temperature properties significantly, the ability of asphalt to resist rutting is improved, and the elastic recovery is increased. However, the low-temperature properties of the compound modified asphalts are degraded by increasing the creep stiffness (S) and decreasing the creep rate (m). At the same time, RTFO tests results show that PPA was less prone to oxidation to improve the anti-aging ability of modified asphalts. Overall, the combination of 4% SBS and 0.75–1.0% PPA, the combination of 4% SBR and 0.5–0.75% PPA is recommended based on a comprehensive analysis of the performance of compound modified asphalt, respectively, which can be equivalent to 6% SBS/SBR modified asphalt with high-temperature properties, low-temperature properties, temperature sensitivity and aging properties.

One of the causative agents of pokkah boeng disease (PBD), which affects sugarcane crops globally, is the fungus Fusarium sacchari. These fungal infections reduce sugar quality and yield, resulting in severe economic losses. Effector proteins play important roles in the interactions between pathogenic fungi and plants. Here, we used bioinformatic prediction approaches to identify 316 candidate secreted effector proteins (CSEPs) in the complete genome of F. sacchari. In total, 95 CSEPs contained known conserved structures, representing 40 superfamilies and 18 domains, while an additional 91 CSEPs contained seven known motifs. Of the 130 CSEPs containing no known domains or motifs, 14 contained one of four novel motifs. A heterogeneous expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana was used to investigate the functions of 163 CSEPs. Seven CSEPs suppressed BAX-triggered programmed cell death in N. benthamiana, while four caused cell death in N. benthamiana. The expression profiles of these eleven CSEPs during F. sacchari infection suggested that they may be involved in sugarcane-F. sacchari interaction. Our results establish a basis for further studies of the role of effector molecules in pathogen–sugarcane interactions, and provide a framework for future predictions of pathogen effector molecules.

Abstract Background Ambient particulate matter exposure has been shown to increase the risks of respiratory diseases. However, the role of the lung microbiome and the immune response to inhaled particulate matter are largely unexplored. We studied the influence of biomass fuel and motor vehicle exhaust particles on the lung microbiome and pulmonary immunologic homeostasis in rats. Methods Fifty-seven Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into clean air (CON), biomass fuel (BMF), and motor vehicle exhaust (MVE) groups. After a 4-week exposure, the microbial composition of the lung was assessed by 16S rRNA pyrosequencing, the structure of the lung tissue was assessed with histological analysis, the phagocytic response of alveolar macrophages to bacteria was determined by flow cytometry, and immunoglobulin concentrations were measured with commercial ELISA kits. Results There was no significant difference in lung morphology between the groups. However, the BMF and MVE groups displayed greater bacterial abundance and diversity. Proteobacteria were present in higher proportions in the MVE group, and 12 bacterial families differed in their relative abundances between the three groups. In addition, particulate matter exposure significantly increased the capacity of alveolar macrophages to phagocytose bacteria and induced changes in immunoglobulin levels. Conclusion We demonstrated that particulate matter exposure can alter the microbial composition and change the pulmonary immunologic homeostasis in the rat lung.

Water-soluble monomer APEG-PG-(OH)n were produced and the Structure of APEG-PG-(OH)5 were identified by 1H-NMR. APEG-PG-(OH)n were copolymerized with maleic anhydride (MA) to synthesize no phosphate and nitrogen free calcium carbonate inhibitor MA/APEG-PG-(OH)n. The structure and thermal property of MA/APEG-PG-(OH)5 were characterized and measured by 1H-NMR, GPC and TGA. The observation shows that the dosage and n value of MA/APEG-PG-(OH)n plays an important role on CaCO3 inhibition. MA/APEG-PG-(OH)5 displays superior ability to inhibit the precipitation of calcium carbonate, with approximately 97% inhibition at a level of 8 mg/L. The effect on formation of CaCO3 was investigated with combination of SEM and XRD analysis.

INTRODUCTION:Child emotional or behavioral problems and insufficient social development has been a heavy burden on family and society. However, currently large-scale studies on emotional and behavioral problems as well as social competence among school children in China are still lacking. This cross-sectional study analyzed the current status and risk factors of behavioral problems and social competences in Beijing students. METHOD:A total of 9,295 students, with ages ranging from 6 to 16 years old, were enrolled in the study. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to screen emotional and behavioral problems, social competences of students. We then assessed significant predictors factors associated with children behavioral problems and social competences. RESULTS:The total detection rate of behavioral problems of this cohort was 16.7%. All kinds of social competence scores of boys were lower than girls (P

In an attempt to control iron(III) scaling in industrial cooling water systems, a maleic anhydride (M)/ammonium allylpolyethoxy sulphate (S) copolymer (MSn, n = 5, 9, 13, 20) was examined as an environmentally friendly dispersant. The synthesized MSn copolymer was characterized by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The ability of MSn to disperse iron(III) increased as the value of n increased from 5 to 13; however, the ethylene oxide chain in MS20 was so long that the molecule readily curled and hence its dispersion capability towards iron(III) decreased. It was also shown that MS13 exhibited the best dispersion activity towards iron(III), with ca. 28% light transmittance being achieved when the dosage of MS13 was 10 mg/ℓ. The proposed dispersion suggests the formation of a core–shell superstructure, with interactions between various kinds of iron ions and the side-chain oxygen atoms of ethylene oxide being the principal means whereby iron(III) may be dispersed in cooling water systems.