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The relationship between pregnancy loss and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains a matter of debate. Our intention in conducting this meta -analysis was to analyze the relationship between miscarriage and stillbirth and risk of CVDs. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched up to May 30, 2023 for all relevant studies. The random-effects model was applied to estimate the pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We evaluated RR estimates for the risk of CVDs with each additional miscarriage and stillbirth through generalized least squares regression. Twenty-three articles were incorporated into the meta -analysis. For women with a history of miscarriage, the pooled RRs for the risk of total CVDs, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and total CVD deaths were 1.16 (95 % CI 1.10–1.22), 1.26 (1.12–1.41), 1.13 (1.03–1.24), and 1.20 (1.01–1.42), respectively. For women with a history of stillbirth, the pooled RRs for the risk of total CVDs, CHD, stroke, and total CVD deaths were 1.60 (1.34–1.89), 1.30 (1.12–1.50), 1.37 (1.06–1.78), and 1.95 (1.05–3.63), respectively. With each additional miscarriage, the risk increased for total CVDs (1.08, 1.04–1.13), CHD (1.08, 1.04–1.13), and stroke (1.05, 1.00–1.10). With each additional stillbirth, the risk increased for total CVDs (1.11, 1.03–1.21) and CHD (1.13, 1.07–1.19). This meta -analysis indicates that both miscarriages and stillbirths are related to a higher risk of total CVDs, CHD, stroke, and total CVD deaths. The risk of total CVDs and CHD increased with the number of miscarriages or stillbirths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In holometabolous insects, such as Drosophila and Bombyx, prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) is well established to be critical in controlling developmental transitions and metamorphosis by stimulating the biosynthesis of ecdysone in the prothoracic glands (PGs). However, the physiological role of PTTH and the receptor Torso in hemimetabolous insects remains largely unexplored. In this study, homozygous PTTH- and Torso-null mutants of the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, were successfully generated by employing clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9 (CRISPR–Cas9). Further characterization showed that both NlPTTH−/− and NlTorso−/− mutants exhibited prolonged nymphal duration and increased final adult size. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that NlPTTH−/− and NlTorso−/− mutants exhibited a significant reduction in 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in fifth-instar nymphs at 48 h post-ecdysis compared to Wt controls. Furthermore, our results indicated that both NlPTTH−/− and NlTorso−/− mutants had shortened lifespan, reduced female fecundity, and reduced egg hatching rates in adults. These findings suggest a conserved role for the PTTH–Torso signaling system in the regulation of developmental transitions by stimulating ecdysone biosynthesis in hemimetabolous insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on the development of a novel venturi-based self-excited oscillation mixer that effectively utilizes the venturi effect to facilitate efficient abrasive intake while simultaneously ensuring effective prevention of backflow through the utilization of the systolic section within the venturi tube. It not only ensures uniform mixing of water and abrasive but also transforms the continuous jet into a pulsed one, thereby significantly enhancing exit velocity. The orthogonal experimental design method and single factor experiment method were employed to investigate the effects of inlet water pressure, water nozzle diameter, abrasive inlet angle, aspect ratio of the self-excited oscillation mixer, and abrasive pipe inlet diameter on the inlet pressure of the abrasive pipe and the velocity of the jet exit in the new mixing device. Approximate response surface models for these parameters were constructed using lsight optimization software, combining the results of orthogonal experimental simulation. By employing a multi-island genetic algorithm, we have globally optimized this innovative mixing device to determine its optimal performance parameters. Subsequently, comparative experiments were conducted to validate the performance of different mixing devices in descaling applications. Through experimental verification, it was found that the venturi-self-excited oscillation mixer exhibits excellent rust removal capabilities in steel plate tests compared to traditional self-excited oscillation mixers. These findings provide valuable guidance for the subsequent design and enhancement of abrasive water jet mixers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This meta‐analysis evaluated the relationship between overweight/obesity and depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Methods: We examined the databases of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for pertinent observational studies released up until 20 February 2022. The pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of obesity and overweight with depressive disorder were calculated by means of random‐effects models. The Newcastle‐Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale were adopted to evaluate the study quality. Results: Finally, for this meta‐analysis, we evaluated 22 observational publications covering 175 135 participants (5 cohort study articles, 1 case–control study article and 16 cross‐sectional study articles). A significant positive association was found between obesity and the risk of depression (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09–1.60, I2 = 79.90%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001) and in the association between obesity and depressive symptoms (RR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.00–1.35, I2 = 25.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.247). On sensitivity analysis, the pooled RRs remained robust. Subgroup analysis indicated that obese children and teenagers in western countries were more prone to depression. Conclusion: Evidence from this meta‐analysis, based on observational studies, supported the idea that obese children and adolescents are more likely to experience depression and depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, healthcare data from various sources such as clinical institutions, patients, and pharmaceutical industries have become increasingly abundant. However, due to the complex healthcare system and data privacy concerns, aggregating and utilizing these data in a centralized manner can be challenging. Federated learning (FL) has emerged as a promising solution for distributed training in edge computing scenarios, utilizing on-device user data while reducing server costs. In traditional FL, a central server trains a global model sampled client data randomly, and the server combines the collected model from different clients into one global model. However, for not independent and identically distributed (non-i.i.d.) datasets, randomly selecting users to train server is not an optimal choice and can lead to poor model training performance. To address this limitation, we propose the Federated Multi-Center Clustering algorithm (FedMCC) to enhance the robustness and accuracy for all clients. FedMCC leverages the Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML) algorithm, focusing on training a robust base model during the initial training phase and better capturing features from different users. Subsequently, clustering methods are used to ensure that features among users within each cluster are similar, approximating an i.i.d. training process in each round, resulting in more effective training of the global model. We validate the effectiveness and generalizability of FedMCC through extensive experiments on public healthcare datasets. The results demonstrate that FedMCC achieves improved performance and accuracy for all clients while maintaining data privacy and security, showcasing its potential for various healthcare applications. • Federated Multi-Center Clustering Algorithm addresses the heterogeneous problem. • The server aggregate by sampling from each training group. • Performance of improved MAML remains robust in unbalanced data distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantitatively evaluated the dose-response association of low and normal ankle brachial index (ABI) with the risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for cohort studies. Random effects or fixed effects models were used to estimate the pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Generalized least squares regression was used to assess study-specific dose-response associations per 0.1 ABI decrease. Restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate linear or nonlinear trends. Twelve cohort studies (57 031 participants) were included in this meta-analysis. For low vs normal ABI levels, the pooled RRs were 2.03 (95% CI, 1.72–2.41; I 2 = 52.9%; pheterogeneity=0.030) and 2.29 (95% CI, 1.98–2.64; I 2 = 39.5%; pheterogeneity =0.158) for CVD morbidity and CVD mortality, respectively. For per 0.1 ABI decrease from 1.40 the risk for CVD morbidity and CVD mortality increased by 8% (1.08, 95% CI 1.04–1.11) and 11% (1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.15), respectively. Restricted cubic splines showed inverse linear associations for CVD morbidity and CVD mortality. As a non-invasive index, lower ABI was significantly associated with the increased risk of morbidity and mortality from CVDs in an inverse linear manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depressive symptoms are the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, despite being common, no definite consensus recommendations exist for the management of depression in AD. Objective: To assess the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the alleviation of depressive symptoms in patients with AD. Material and methods: Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PsychINFO were electronically searched from inception until October 2022. Response to therapy and mean depression scores between the treatment (or before) and placebo (or after) groups were the primary outcomes. For depression scores, the standard mean deviation and accompanying 95% confidence interval were determined. The risk of bias was determined using the funnel plot, trim and fill, Egger's and Begg's analyses. Results: SSRIs attenuated depressive symptoms in patients with AD (0.905 SMD, 95%CI, 0.689 to 1.121, p < 0.000). At individual SSRI level, escitalopram, paroxetine, and sertraline significantly alleviated depressive symptoms in AD patients (0.813 SMD, 95%CI, 0.207 to 1.419, p = 0.009, 1.244 SMD, 95%CI, 0.939 to 1.548, p < 0.000, and 0.818 SMD, 95%CI, 0.274 to 1.362, p < 0.000). The funnel plot, trim and fill, Begg's test (p = 0.052), and Egger's test (p = 0.148), showed no significant risk of publication bias. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis supports the use of SSRIs for the alleviation of depression in patients with AD. However, we recommend larger randomized clinical trials that would compare the efficacy of different SSRIs in AD patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarized Raman spectroscopy is a useful technique in studying orientation of molecular vibrations of crystals, which, however, has been applied insufficiently in crystallography, mineralogy, or geology. This present study is devoted to measure the transversal orientation of high‐quality cultivated pearls using polarized Raman spectroscopy. The pearls were cultivated by Pinctada fucata in Japan, consisting of aragonite dominantly. On the pearl surface, the aragonite micro‐crystals show irregularly hexagonal and pentagonal shapes, orienting their c axes towards the pearl surface. A number of aragonite micro‐crystals makes up a lamina with a noncircular contour, and a batch of laminae stacks up with a decreasing area from bottom to top to form a target pattern. So there is an abundant of target patterns spreading over the pearl surface. Using a marker on the pearl surface as a reference, angular variation of aragonite is quantifiable by measuring mode intensities of aragonite and depolarization ratio. Polarized Raman images are collected on the pearl surface, which show spatial differences in orientation of aragonite micro‐crystals on the mesoscopic scale. This transversal heterogeneity exists not only between different laminae but also between aragonite micro‐crystals on the same lamina. We suggest that the development of the stress around the aragonite micro‐grains lead to the angular variations of aragonite. The orientation of biominerals has been studied using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron back‐scattered diffraction (EBSD). The present study indicates another sensitive technique of polarized Raman spectroscopy to evaluate molecular orientation in biominerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Oxidative stress is an important cause of liver disease and atherosclerosis. Natural substances with antioxidant activity are good drugs for treating liver disease and atherosclerosis. Trichosanthes kirilowii Peel Polysaccharide (TKPP) can remove DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals in vitro, which shows antioxidant activity. Therefore, it is speculated that it can protect human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) and umbilical artery smooth muscle cell (HUASMC) against oxidative damage by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Methods. Oxidative damage cell models of HepG2 and HUASMC were induced by H2O2. HepG2 and HUASMC were divided into blank group, H2O2 injury group, TKPP treatment group, and glutathione (GSH) positive control group. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect cell viability. The level of total GSH and the amount of Nitric oxide (NO) secreted by cells were detected by specific kits. The gene and protein expressions of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western Blot. Results. In these two kinds of cells, compared with the control group, the survival rate, total GSH level, and NO secretion, CAT and SOD gene and protein expressions were significantly decreased in the H2O2 damaged group. In the TKPP treatment group, the cell survival rate was significantly elevated with the increase of the polysaccharide concentration, and the total GSH level, NO secretion, CAT and SOD gene expression, and protein expression levels were also significantly increased. Conclusion. TKPP can improve the activities of HepG2 and HUASMC cells damaged by H2O2 and protect the cellular antioxidant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of open surgery (OS), endovascular interventions (EIs), and ultrasound‐guided thrombin injection (UGTI) for the treatment of peripheral arterial pseudoaneurysms (PAs). Methods: From January 1, 2001, to February 10, 2021, 38 patients diagnosed with traumatic and iatrogenic PAs treated with OS, EI, and UGTI were retrospectively analyzed. There were 18 females and 20 males, with an age of 56.47 ± 14.08 years (range,17–87 years). Anesthesia modality, operation duration, blood transfusion, duration of hospital stay, primary and secondary success rates, and complication rate were used to evaluate the surgical outcomes. Results: There were 11 cases under regional anesthesia and 4 under general anesthesia in OS group, 9 under regional anesthesia and 1 under general anesthesia in EI group, and no regional or general anesthesia was required in UGTI group. There was no significant differences between any two groups (χ2 = 39.80, p < 0.05). The blood tranfusion amount (units) were 3.6 ± 6.0, 0.8 ± 2.5, 0.0 ± 0.0 for OS, EI, and UGTI groups, respectively, with significant difference between OS and UGTI groups (F = 3.03, p < 0.05). The operation duration (minutes) of OS, EI, and UGTI groups were 80.0 ± 41.9, 56.0 ± 8.4, and 22.7 ± 5.3, respectively, with significant difference between any two groups (F = 15.69, p < 0.05). The duration of hospital stay (days) were 47.7 ± 39.0, 31.5 ± 17.6, and 16.3 ± 9.5, repectively, with significant difference between any two groups (F = 47.73, p < 0.05). The primary clinical success rates were 80% (12/15), 90% (9/10), and 92.3% (12/13) in OS,EI, and UGTI groups, respectively, with no significant difference between any two groups (χ2 = 0.34, p > 0.05). The secondary clinical success rates were 100% for all three groups. The overall complication rates of OS, EI, and UGTI groups were 20% (3/15), 10% (1/10), and 7.7% (1/13), respectively, with no significant difference between any two groups (χ2 = 1.00, p > 0.05). The infection rates were 13.3% (2/15), 10% (1/10), and 0% (0/13) in OS, EI, and UGTI groups respectively, with no significant difference between any two groups (χ2 = 1.80, p > 0.05). The reintervention rates were 6.7% (1/15), 0% (0/10), 7.7% (1/13) in OS, EI, and UGTI groups, respectively, with no significant difference between two groups (χ2 = 0.95, p > 0.05). Neuralgia was relieved in all patients. Conclusions: OS, EI, and UGTI are efficacious and safe options for the treatment of appropriate patients with traumatic and iatrogenic PAs. UGTI would be considered as a first‐line therapy for this condotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chip test escapes can pass the complete test procedure but fail prematurely in system applications. Statistical testing methods can screen chip test escapes by analyzing test data without additional physical measurements. This paper proposes a screening method to reduce chip test escapes using multi-correlation analysis of parameters. This method takes the strength of locational correlation or structural correlation as criterion information. The main steps of the method are as follows: first, quantifying the strength of locational correlation or structural correlation of the chip parameters, then verifying the statistical distribution of the characterization and setting the screening limit, and finally, screening the chip test escapes. Silicon carbide junction barrier Schottky diode (JBS) measurement data are used to verify the method. The results show that when the location information of the chip on the wafer is known, the screening effect based on locational correlation is significantly better than the method specified in AEC Q101. Without additional physical measurements, screening methods based on structural correlation can further identify the remaining chip test escapes in single-parameter screening. This screening method can be used to supplement the existing measurement technology to reduce the cost of packaging, testing, and aging testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining millimeter wave (mmWave) with abundant spectral resources and advanced directional beamforming technology, mmWave aerial base stations (mAeBSs) can provide high-speed services to users on the ground while reducing interference to existing terrestrial networks. Due to the mobility of users and the corresponding changes of other environmental factors, the beam misalignment between mAeBSs and users will pose a serious challenge to the stability and quality of communication link. Consequently, we propose schemes based on deep learning for beam prediction tracking in this paper. On the basis of received signals from both the present and previous beam training, we apply long short term memory (LSTM) module to realize the beam prediction. In order to enhance performance of LSTM scheme, cascaded LSTMs are designed in the model. Furthermore, we attain the derivative of implicit state function of the beam changes to formulate an ordinary differential equation (ODE) problem and construct the LSTM_ODE model for beam prediction. Simulations demonstrate that, in comparison to existing other schemes, our proposed approaches attain greater beamforming gain while incurring less overhead during beam training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Trastuzumab (TZM) is a monoclonal antibody drug for HER2-positive breast cancer by targeting epidermal growth factor 2, but it has significant cardiotoxicity. Ginsenoside Rg2 has shown a variety of biological activities. This study was aimed at investigating whether Rg2 attenuates TZM-induced cardiotoxicity. Methods. A model of TZM-induced cardiotoxicity was established in Wistar rats, and the rats were pretreated with Rg2. After echocardiography analysis, the rats were killed and the hearts were dissected for RNAseq analysis. Primary human cardiomyocytes (HCMs) were treated with TZM with or without pretreatment with Rg2 and then subjected to a colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis, and Western blot analysis for the detection of caspase-3, caspase-9, and BAX. Results. TZM induced LV dysfunction in rats, but Rg2 could attenuate TZM-induced LV dysfunction. The mRNA levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, and BAX were significantly higher in TZM-treated rats. The colony formation ability of HCMs was significantly lower in TZM-treated cells but was recovered after pretreatment with Rg2. The apoptosis rate of HCMs was significantly higher in TZM-treated cells but was significantly lower after pretreatment with Rg2. Moreover, protein levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, and BAX were significantly higher in TZM-treated cells but were significantly lower after pretreatment with Rg2. Conclusion. Ginsenoside Rg2 inhibited TZM-induced cardiotoxicity, and the mechanism may be related to the downregulation of the expression of proapoptotic proteins caspase-3, caspase-9, and BAX and the inhibition of TZM-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Ginsenoside Rg2 has a potential to be applied in patients with breast cancer to prevent TZM-induced cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the aggregation and nucleation of proteins in the presence of organic molecules is helpful for disclosing the mechanisms of protein crystallization. In this work, taking into account the hydrophobicity of trifluoro-containing molecules, the effects of two pesticides, chlorfenapyr (CHL) and picoxystrobin (PIC), on the aggregation and crystallization of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) were studied via the hanging-drop method. Upon characterization via dynamic light scattering (DLS), Raman studies, PXRD, etc., the results indicate that in the presence of low levels of CHL or PIC (30 μM), the nucleation of HEWL is enhanced; whereas at high additive levels (100 μM), both crystalline and amorphous phases are generated. The sizes of the protein aggregates increase almost linearly during the first 30 min of crystallization time. Without pesticide additives, the size growth rate is about 81.3 ± 11.1 nm min−1, while in the presence of 30 μM CHL or PIC, the size growth rate rises to 94.2 ± 16.5 or 88.1 ± 18.8 nm min−1, respectively. UV-vis, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectroscopy studies were employed to disclose the binding mode and conformation changes of the HEWL–CHL and HEWL–PIC complexes, in combination with DFT calculations. Molecular simulations confirm that HEWL–CHL is dominated by non-polar interactions, resulting in protein molecules with larger hydrophobic surface areas, while HEWL–PIC forms more stable hydrogen bonds. These results suggest that the presence of small amounts of pesticides can lead to interactions strong enough to influence the aggregation and nucleation of the protein, which will affect the formation of protein crystals in competition with the amorphous fiber-like precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient approach to quinazolin-4(3H)-ones was developed by a one-pot intermolecular annulation reaction of o-amino benzamides and thiols. This method has the features of good functional group tolerance, being transition metal and external oxidant free, and easy operation. Varieties of 2-aryl (heteroaryl) quinazolin-4(3H)-one, 2-phenyl-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one and 3-phenyl-2H-1,2,4-benzo thiadiazine-1,1-dioxide derivatives were obtained with a yield of up to 98%. The control experiment revealed that the thiol substrate could promote the dehydroaromatization step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic matter within clay soil is one of the important factors affecting its engineering characteristics. In this study, the influence of organic matter on the strength evolution of cement-stabilized marine soft clay is evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing. The experimental results show that the after-curing clay water content of the specimens increased with the organic matter content. However, the after-curing unit weight decreased with the organic matter content. The strength decreased with the increase in the amount of organic matter. The strength loss (SL) increased with the organic matter content. A new mathematical model was determined and then used to quantitatively analyze the strength of the investigated samples. A relationship between the strength and organic matter content was established. The evaluation of the accuracy of this new strength model was carried out by comparing the predicted values and measured values, and the results indicated that the deviation was mostly within 10%. Finally, the microscopic changes of the sample surface and influencing mechanism of the organic matter were revealed through SEM. A high soil strength is mainly due to a relatively low porosity, a dense microstructure and the formation of hydration products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer to increase rice production is essential for food security in China. However, the high-input of chemical nitrogen fertilizer has also resulted in soil N losses and environmental pollution. Here we investigated the possibility of using biofertilizer to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use via partial substitution of chemical nitrogen fertilizer (NF) with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (NFC) in red soil. The effects of 100% NF (N10C0) and different substitution rates of NF with NFC (70%, 50%, 30%, and 0% NF plus 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% N obtained through NFC, labeled as N7C3, N5C5, N3C7, and N0C10, respectively) on rice yield and soil properties were assessed in a double-rice system in greenhouse (six treatments) and field experiments (four treatments) from 2018 to 2019. The N10C0 and N7C3 treatments had no significant effect on grain and straw yields and the nutrient uptake in the greenhouse experiment. The higher substitution treatments could not sustain stable rice yields and the nutrient uptake in either greenhouse or field experiments, which indicated that 30% substitution was appropriate to sustain rice yields. For rice growth traits, higher substitution rates (70–100%) significantly decreased the number of tillers/plant and panicles/plant. In general, soil TN and TP contents in the 0–15 cm layer increased with increasing substitution rate during the early and late rice seasons. Compared to the N7C3 and N5C5 treatments, there were no significant differences in NH4+-N and NO3−-N contents under the N10C0 treatment. Compared to the application of NF as the sole nitrogen source, 30% substitution with NFC could result in monetary savings of approximately 5.77 US$ ha−1. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that substituting NF with an appropriate amount of NFC is beneficial for improving the productivity and sustainability of paddy fields under the double-rice cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted three-dimensional finite element analysis of the uplift bearing capacity of rock-socketed piles using ABAQUS FE software. After verifying the reliability of the numerical model, a large number of numerical calculations were performed by varying parameters including rock-socketed depth, pile length, pile diameter, and elastic modulus of the pile shaft to analyze their effect on the uplift bearing capacity. The results show that the relationship between uplift load and displacement of a rock-socketed pile consists of three stages: an elastic deformation stage, an elastoplastic deformation stage, and a plastic failure stage. The uplift bearing capacity increases with increasing rock-socketed depth, pile length, and pile diameter. As rock-socketed depth increases, the proportion of frictional resistance to uplift load increases nonlinearly. With increasing of elastic modulus of the pile shaft, the ultimate uplift bearing capacity of a rock-socketed pile increases, whereas the pile-top displacement decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein Pd nanocatalysts for transfer hydrogenation were synthesized by using hyaluronic acid (HA) as both the reductant and the stabilizer. The effects of molecular weight of HA, molar ratio of [HA]/[Na2PdCl4] and reduction temperature, were evaluated in Pd-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol. The most active Pd NPs show the TOF value of 131.07 h−1 at 50 °C with the equimolar mixture of formic acid and sodium formate. Further, uniformly distributed Pd NPs were successfully synthesized through the reduction of Pd (II) precursors on HA-modified magnetic NPs, which were constructed through electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly. The hybrid catalysts also exhibit high activity with the mixed hydrogen source. This work paves a promising way to construct highly active hybrid catalysts through the combination of in-situ reduction and electrostatic layer-by-layer methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pb(II) leakage from batteries, dyes, construction materials, and gasoline threaten human health and environmental safety, and suitable adsorption materials are vitally important for Pb(II) removal. Bone char is an outstanding adsorbent material for water treatment, and the effectiveness in Pb(II) removing need to be verified. In this paper, the transport characteristics of Pb(II) in columns filled with a sand and bone char mixture were studied at the laboratory scale, and the influences of the initial concentration, column height, inlet flow rate, and competing ion Cu(II) on Pb(II) adsorption and transport were analyzed. The Thomas and Dose-Response models were used to predict the test results, and the mechanisms of Pb(II) adsorption on bone char were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of the bone char increased with increasing column height and decreased with increasing initial Pb(II) concentration, flow rate, and Cu(II) concentration. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 38.466 mg/g and the saturation rate was 95.8% at an initial Pb(II) concentration of 200 mg/L, inlet flow rate of 4 mL/min, and column height of 30 cm. In the competitive binary system, the higher the Cu(II) concentration was, the greater the decreases in the breakthrough and termination times, and the faster the decrease in the Pb(II) adsorption capacity of the bone char. The predicted results of the Dose-Response model agreed well with the experimental results and were significantly better than those of the Thomas model. The main mechanisms of Pb(II) adsorption on bone char include a surface complexation reaction and the decomposition-replacement-precipitation of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA). Based on selectivity, sensitivity, and cost analyses, it can be concluded that bone char is a potential adsorbent for Pb(II)-containing wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A functional wheat bran (FWB) was obtained from wheat grains that were rich in wheat aleurone. The effects of the microwave (MW) power (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 kW) and treatment time (15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 s) on the moisture and free fatty acid (FFA) content, lipase activity, and antioxidant activity of the FWB were investigated. The purpose of this study is to stabilize the FWB against lipid oxidation and rancidity and as much as possible to retain its antioxidant activities. MW treatment significantly decreased the FFA content, moisture content, and lipase activity of the FWB. Moreover, MW treatment significantly increased the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the FWB without drastically altering its color. MW treatment at 7.5 kW and 120 s was found to be optimal for stabilizing the FWB and increasing its antioxidant activity. The stabilized FWB was proven to be far more stable than the control FWB during storage. Thus, MW treatment is an effective stabilization method for the storage and utilization of FWB. Additional research is needed for the exact mechanism of the decrease of FFA content and increase of antioxidant activity of FWB induced by MW treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine soft clay with a high salt concentration is widely distributed in coastal areas. In this study, cement-based composites consisting of cement, silica fume, plant ash and NaOH were used as a substitute for ordinary Portland cement, and the effect of salt (sodium chloride) on the strength development of clay was investigated by unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With the addition of sodium chloride (NaCl), the amount of cementitious materials decreased, and the salt (sodium chloride) was considered to consume the cement-based composites. The consumption effect could be quantitatively evaluated by the consumption index of salt (CIS) and the clay-water/cement ratio hypothesis. The relationship between the CIS and curing period and an UCS prediction model of clay stabilized with cement-based composites with different salt contents and curing times were established. The CIS gradually decreased with increasing curing time and cement-based composites content. The accuracy of the prediction model was evaluated by a comparative analysis between the measured strengths and predicted strengths; the deviation was mostly within 10%. SEM analyses were employed to describe the changes in the microstructure of the specimens and the influencing mechanism of salt on clay stabilized with cement-based composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We take full advantage of disease-RNA networks fusing with meta paths. • We apply GCN integrating with attention mechanism. • We propose a novel adversarial regularized graph attention network model. • We conduct extensive experiments for the comparison of our model and recent models. Identifying complex human diseases at molecular level is very helpful, especially in diseases diagnosis, therapy, prognosis and monitoring. Accumulating evidences demonstrated that RNAs are playing important roles in identifying various complex human diseases. However, the amount of verified disease-related RNAs is still little while many of their biological experiments are very time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, researchers have instead been seeking to develop effective computational algorithms to predict associations between diseases and RNAs. In this paper, we propose a novel model called Graph Attention Adversarial Network (GAAN) for the potential disease-RNA association prediction. To our best knowledge, we are among the pioneers to integrate successfully both the state-of-the-art graph convolutional networks (GCNs) and attention mechanism in our model for the prediction of disease-RNA associations. Comparing to other disease-RNA association prediction methods, GAAN is novel in conducting the computations from the aspect of global structure of disease-RNA network with graph embedding while integrating features of local neighborhoods with the attention mechanism. Moreover, GAAN uses adversarial regularization to further discover feature representation distribution of the latent nodes in disease-RNA networks. GAAN also benefits from the efficiency of deep model for the computation of big associations networks. To evaluate the performance of GAAN, we conduct experiments on networks of diseases associating with two different RNAs: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Comparisons of GAAN with several popular baseline methods on disease-RNA networks show that our novel model outperforms others by a wide margin in predicting potential disease-RNAs associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We implement a broadly tunable phase shifter for microwaves based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and study it both experimentally and theoretically. At different frequencies, a unit transmission coefficient, |S21| = 1, can be theoretically achieved along a curve where the phase shift is controllable by the magnetic flux. The fabricated device consists of three equidistant SQUIDs interrupting a transmission line. We model each SQUID embedded at different positions along the transmission line with two parameters, capacitance and inductance, the values of which we extract from the experiments. In our experiments, the tunability of the phase shift varies from 0.07 × π to 0.14 × π radians along the full-transmission curve with the input frequency ranging from 6.00 GHz to 6.28 GHz. The reported measurements are in good agreement with simulations, which is promising for future design work of phase shifters for different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heparin was employed as the stabilizing agent in the synthesis of peroxidase-mimicking Pd nanoparticles. The heparin-capped Pd nanozyme can act as both the signal amplifier and the selective binder of protamine. The most efficient nanozyme with the mean size of 3.5 nm consists of 70.8% metallic Pd0 and 29.2% Pd2+ species. Enzyme kinetic studies show that the Km values are 0.036 mM for 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine and 78 mM for H2O2. Protamine shows strong affinity to the heparin-capped Pd nanozyme, and induces an apparent aggregation of the nanoparticles. This results in a significant inhibition of the peroxidase-mimicking activities. Hence, the oxidation of TMB by H2O2 to a blue product with a maximum absorption at 652 nm is suppressed. Based on this finding, a photometric assay is developed for the determination of protamine. The linear response is in the concentration range 0.02 ~ 0.8 μg mL−1, and the limit of detection is 0.014 μg mL−1. This assay presents high selectivity toward other biological substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is an important member of the epigenetic regulatory factor polycomb group proteins (PcG) and is abnormally expressed in a wide variety of tumors, including osteosarcoma. Scientists consider EZH2 as an attractive target for the treatment of osteosarcoma and have found many potential EZH inhibitors, such as GlaxoSmithKline 343 (GSK343). It has been reported that GSK343 can be used as an inhibitor in different types of cancer. This study demonstrated that GSK343 not only induced apoptosis by increasing cleaved Casp-3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) expression, but also induced autophagic cell death by inhibiting p62 expression. Apoptosis and autophagic cell death induced by GSK343 were confirmed by the high expression of cleaved caspase-3, LC3-II and transmission electron microscopy. GSK343 inhibited the expression of EZH2 and c-Myc. Additionally, GSK343 inhibited the expression of FUSE binding protein 1 (FBP1), which was identified by its regulatory effects on c-Myc expression. Since c-Myc is a common target of EZH2 and FBP1, and GSK343 inhibited the expression of these proliferation-promoting proteins, a mutual regulatory mechanism between EZH2 and FBP1 was proposed. The knockdown of EZH2 suppressed the expression of FBP1; similarly, the knockdown of FBP1 suppressed the expression of EZH2. These results suggest the mutual regulatory association between EZH2 and FBP1. The knockdown of either EZH2 or FBP1 accelerated the sensitivity of osteosarcoma cells to GSK343. Based on these results, this study clarified that GSK343, an EZH2 inhibitor, may have potential for use in the treatment of osteosarcoma. The underlying mechanisms of the effects of GSK343 are partly mediated by its inhibitory activity against c-Myc and its regulators (EZH2 and FBP1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compact microstrip quad‐channel diplexer using quad‐mode square ring resonators (QMSRRs) is proposed. The quad‐channel diplexer is composed of two QMSRRs. A structure consists of two QMSRRs together with one common input and two output coupling lines is proposed, which can remove the matching network and therefore reduce the absolute size of the diplexer. The proposed QMSRR has two transmission zeros at the frequencies between the four resonant frequencies, which can be controlled by changing the length and impedance ratio of the QMSRR. Simulation and measurement results show that the resultant diplexer is of a small circuit size and a high isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

His-CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized under urea hydrolysis conditions using histidine as the growth-directing agent. Characterization by transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicated that the His-CeO2 nanoparticles, which had a particle size of 12.2 nm, possessed a higher content of Ce3+ species and oxygen vacancies than bare CeO2 nanoparticles. Pt/His-CeO2-C electrocatalysts were constructed by using His-CeO2 nanoparticles as co-catalysts and exhibited enhanced catalytic performance in the methanol oxidation reaction. Because His-CeO2 co-catalysts supply sufficient OHads sites and show strong interactions with Pt species, Pt/His-CeO2-C had better antipoisoning properties than Pt/CeO2-C. In cyclic voltammetry tests, the mass activity for Pt/His-CeO2-C was up to 1116.9 A g−1, which is approximately 2.9 and 2.2 times greater than that of Pt/C-Z and commercial Pt/C-JM, respectively. These results pave the way for manufacturing Pt-based electrocatalysts for methanol electrooxidation with biomolecule-mediated modulation of the synergistic effects between the Pt species and metal oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth most common malignancy in women, with a 5-year mortality of >70% in North America. As the symptoms are often not observed until the cancer has spread extensively, few women are diagnosed at an early stage of disease. Large-scale gene expression analyses have identified molecular subtypes within high-grade ovarian cancer with variable survival rates and drug resistance. The understanding of gene expression, the mechanisms underlying cancer processes and drug resistances have facilitated the development of targeted therapies. The far-upstream element (Fuse)-binding protein 1 (FBP1) is overexpressed in a number of malignancies such as hepatocellular carcinoma, and has been identified as an oncoprotein. In our early studies, FBP1 was demonstrated to physically interact with p53 and suppresses p53 transcription activity. In the present study, FBP1 expression increased as ovarian cancer developed. Among ovarian normal, adenoma and carcinoma tissues, the highest FBP1 expression was identified in carcinoma tissues. Furthermore FBP1 did not influence the apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma cells, yet enhanced cell cycle transition and metastasis. Therefore, it was hypothesized that FBP1 promotes ovarian cancer development through the acceleration of cell cycle transition and metastasis, and FBP1 is a novel potential biological marker for epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported a novel in situ synthesis of ZIF-8 following carbonization route to modulate the morphology of spherical activated carbon (SAC). It is illustrated that the highly dispersed nanoparticles with the average size about 10.50 nm and bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes (B-CNTs) with the average diameter of 40-80 nm were appeared on the surface of the modified SAC. Such modified SAC showed superior catalytic performance toward acetylene hydrochlorination, with the highest acetylene conversion of 81% and the selectivity to VCM above 99%. The enhanced catalytic performance is attributed that the highly dispersed ZIF-8-derived nanoparticles can easily generate more active sites, which can efficiently access to the reactants of hydrogen chloride and acetylene in acetylene hydrochlorination. Additionally, B-CNTs change the porosity of the materials, which inhibits the formation of coke deposition. TPD and TGA analysis results also prove that the optimal 17% ZIF-8/SAC catalyst can not only enhance the adsorption of reactants, but also inhibit the adsorption of product, resulting in the decrease in the amount of coking deposition. Such synthetic approach is promising to be applied in morphological modulation of other porous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic acid profiles and antioxidant activities of outer bran, coarse bran, and shorts from blue, black, and purple wheat were analyzed. Phenolic acids were mainly in the bound form in pigmented wheat bran fractions. Phenolic acid content decreased in the order of outer bran, coarse bran, and shorts for the three pigmented wheat varieties. HPLC analysis of phenolic extracts demonstrated that the bound form of phenolic acids contained more ferulic, isoferulic, and p-coumaric acids compared to their free counterparts. Among the three pigmented wheat varieties, the bran fractions from blue wheat contained higher bound phenolic acids than the other two pigmented wheat bran fractions, except for purple coarse bran. The blue wheat outer bran had the highest total bound phenolic acid of 3458.71 μg/g while the purple wheat shorts had the lowest of 1730.71 μg/g. The contribution of bound phenolic acids to the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity was significantly higher than that of free phenolic acids. Blue wheat bran fractions had the highest radical scavenging activity against DPPH∙ while those of purple wheat gained the highest ABTS∙+ scavenging activity. High correlations were observed between TPC and radical scavenging capacities for DPPH and ABTS (R2>0.85, P<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We synthesized highly dispersive Pt nanoparticles on graphene nanoplates (GNPs) under the orientation of different biothiols templates. Through the characterizations of FT-IR, ITC, HRTEM, EELS, XPS, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, it is demonstrated that the catalytic performance of GNPs-supported Pt NPs is greatly associated with thiol-containing groups, particle sizes as well as morphologies. There is a synergetic effect between biothiols and GNPs to modulate the dispersity and the distribution of Pt NPs. The biothiol-templated non-spherical Pt NPs on GNPs show higher activity and better stability in methanol oxidation reaction, comparing with those spherical Pt NPs formed in the solution and commercial Pt/C. Particularly for adopting cysteine as the biotemplate, Pt NPs show the highest catalytic activities as well as the enhanced antipoisoning property, with the mean width of 3 nm and the length ranging in 3-13 nm. These results pave a new way to manufacture hybrid nanocatalysts on the basis of facile modulation by biothiols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the influence of organically modified montmorillonites (OMts) with different modification extents on starch/OMt nanocomposites was investigated. The nanostructures of OMts and their dispersion in starch films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The modifier content in the OMts increased with an increase in the added amount and molecular weight of the modifiers. The highest d-spacing of 3.71 nm was achieved for the OMt modified with 30% dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC). Intercalated nanostructures were formed between starch and the OMts modified with DDAC, whereas exfoliated nanostructures were formed between starch and the OMts modified with octadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (OAC) and octadecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (ODBAC). The films with the OMt modified with 50% DDAC exhibited the highest tensile strength of 6.22 MPa. The water vapor permeability (WVP) of the film with the OMt modified with 30% DDAC exhibited a minimum value of 1.63 × 10−10 g · m/m2 · s · Pa. The amount and types of the modifiers in the OMts significantly influenced the structure and properties of the starch/clay nanocomposites. For a given polymer, the modification extent of Mt should be optimized to achieve high-performance nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeolian sand flow is identified as the main factor in the formation of sandstorms. However, conventional sand fixation methods cannot meet the current development requirements of environmental protection. In this paper, the method using Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) combined with basalt fiber reinforcement (BFR) was adopted to solidify the aeolian sand. Consolidated undrained triaxial shear tests were carried out to analyze the influence of fiber content, fiber length, confining pressure, and other factors on stress–strain characteristics, peak strength, brittleness index, and shear strength of aeolian sand. A shear strength model of aeolian sand solidification using MICP-BFR and considering the effect of fiber length and fiber content is established according to the test results. The results show that the peak strength of aeolian sand solidified by MICP-BFR is remarkably higher than that of aeolian sand solidified by MICP alone, and the peak strength rises with the increasing fiber length, fiber content, and confining pressure. The application of fiber can effectively reduce the brittleness index of aeolian sand solidified by MICP and improve the sample ductility. As fiber content and fiber length increase, the cohesion of solidified aeolian sand increases while the internal friction angle changes relatively little. In the limited range set by the test, the fiber length of 12 mm and the fiber content of 1.0% constitute the optimum reinforcement condition. The test results coincide with the model prediction results, indicating that the new model is fitting for predicting the shear strength of aeolian sand solidified by MICP-BFR. The research results provide an important reference value for guiding the practice of wind prevention and sand fixation in desert areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aragonite CaCO3 nanoparticles were prepared in an in-line high shear mixer (HSM)-aided crystallizer involving the gas-liquid-solid (G-L-S) multiphase reactive crystallization between CO2 gas and the aqueous slurry of Ca(OH)2. High crystalline purity aragonite CaCO3 with the average width of 50 nm and the length/width ratio of 10 were prepared in the HSM-aided crystallizer. Major factors including temperature, CO2 flow rate and high shear rates had been studied to adjust the polymorph and the morphology of CaCO3 nanoparticles. The results indicate that the high rotor rates of HSM generate sufficient micro-mixing level in the reactive crystallization, beneficial to the formation of metastable crystal CaCO3. Such HSM-aided crystallizer is superior to adjust the micro-mixing environment in the multiphase reactive crystallization, providing a facile pathway to modulate the morphology and crystal growth of metastable crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic bacterial strain, designated Y21, was isolated from surface lake water in Xiamen, Fujian Province of China. Growth was observed at temperatures from 4 to 37 °C, at salinities from 0 to 7.0 % and at pH from 6.0 to 10.0. Optimum growth was observed at 28 °C, at pH 7.0 and with 1.5-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The highest similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequence between strain Y21 and the other strains was 96.9 %. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the strain was a member of the genus Rhizobium, forming a distinct lineage with R. subbaraonis KCTC 23614. The dominant fatty acids were summed feature 8 (comprising C ω7 c and/or C ω6 c), C ω7 c 11-methyl, which accounted for 78.1 %. The G+C content of the chromosomal DNA was 60.9 mol%. The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipids of strain Y21 were found to consist of five unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified aminolipids. According to its morphology, physiology, fatty acid composition and 16S rRNA sequence data, strain Y21 should be regarded as a new species of the genus Rhizobium, for which Rhizobium albus sp. nov. is proposed (type strain Y21 = MCCC 1F01210 = KCTC 42252). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protective effects of whole wheat flour steamed bread (WWF) and aleurone-enriched wheat flour steamed bread (AWF) on gut microbiota and metabolomic disorders were investigated in long-term high-fat diet (HFD) mice. The results showed that AWF and WWF significantly ameliorated dyslipidemia, hepatic oxidative stress, and damage in HFD-fed mice. The fecal microbiome analysis showed that AWF and WWF significantly increased diversity in the gut microbiota and altered the structure of the gut microbiota. An increase in Bacteroidetes (by 31% and 34%) and decrease in Firmicutes (by 17% and 17%) were observed in the AWF and WWF groups, respectively. Liver metabolomics demonstrated that AWF and WWF upregulated carboxylic acids and derivatives and organooxygen compounds, and downregulated fatty acyl compounds. Moreover, WWF significantly modulated the concentrations of steroids and steroid derivatives, and glycerophospholipids. Overall, our findings suggest that AWF and WWF dramatically altered hepatic metabolism concurrent with shifts in specific gut bacteria in C57BL/6J mice, exhibiting potential as functional foods for the prevention of metabolic disorders induced by a long-term HFD. Despite some differences, the AWF is generally able to achieve the same level of health benefits as the WWF. [Display omitted] • Aleurone-enriched wheat flour could achieve the similar effects as whole wheat. • AWF and WWF alleviates dyslipidemia, hepatic oxidative stress, and damage in HFD mice. • The diversity of microbiota in AWF and WWF groups increased, and F/B ratio decreased. • AWF and WWF down-regulated fatty acyl and improved lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane was prepared by the interfacial polymerization of 1,2,4,5-benzene tetracarbonyl chloride (BTC) on the cross-linked poly(ether imide) (PEI) support via the mixed amines of the linear ethylenediamine (EDA) and the hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) (HPEI). Characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), etc.; it is indicated that the TFC NF membrane is synthesized through the interfacial polymerization between BTC and the terminal amine groups on the EDA-HPEI cross-linked PEI support. The optimal TFC NF membrane exhibited the methanol permeance of 14.2 L m −2 h −1 MPa −1 and a RB rejection of 100%. After the solvent activation of dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), the TFC NF membrane exhibited the methanol permeance of 30.4 L m −2 h −1 MPa −1 and 51.5 L m −2 h −1 MPa −1 with the RB rejection of 90.4% and 74.4%, respectively. Characterized by ATR-FTIR, SEM and Doppler broadening energy spectroscopy (DBES), the effects of solvent activation via DMF and DMSO respectively were investigated on the PEI-based TFC NF membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a heuristic rule-based method for the design of distributed wastewater treatment networks of multiple contaminants with maximum inlet concentration constraints, based on the insight that one of the important essences of distributed wastewater system integration is to reduce the total treatment flow rate by minimizing unnecessary mixing amount of streams. The design procedure includes the following main steps: (1) selecting treatment processes; (2) determining the precedence order of the selected processes; (3) developing initial network structure(s) and identifying key contaminant(s); (4) obtaining the final design by considering maximum inlet concentration constraints, contaminant mass load balances, and identification of the pinch point simultaneously. To meet maximum inlet concentration constraints or environmental regulations, some treatment process(es) might take recycling structure. The results of three literature examples demonstrate that the designs obtained with the proposed method are comparable to those obtained with mathematical programming approach. It is shown that the proposed method is simple and of clear physical insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of ruthenium-based catalysts were prepared using spherical activated carbon as a support with the treatment of oxidation or reduction. The catalytic performances of the prepared catalysts were assessed in the hydrochlorination of acetylene based on their characterisation by BET, TG, TEM, TPR, Raman, and XPS. The best catalytic performance was achieved with the oxidised catalyst Ru/SAC-C300, which exhibited a stable acetylene conversion at 96.5% in 48 h at 170 °C and a GHSV (C 2 H 2 ) of 180 h −1 . It is proposed that there exist three major active sites on the surface of Ru-based catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination, i.e., the oxidised site (RuO 2 ), the reduced state (metallic Ru) and the complexes of Ru/RuOy. Compared with the active ingredient of metallic Ru and Ru/RuOy through the reductive treatment, the active ingredient of RuO 2 is key for improving the catalytic performance of Ru-based catalysts through the oxidative treatment, which provides a promising route to explore high efficient non-mercuric catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nd(bfa)3(TPPO)2, Nd(tta)3(TPPO)2 and Nd(β-nta)3(TPPO)2 (bfa: 4,4,4-Trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione, tta: 4,4,4-Trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedione, β-nta: 4,4,4-Trifluoro-1-naphthyl-1,3-butanedione, TPPO: triphenylphosphine oxide), three kinds of Nd(III) ternary complexes, were synthesized using β-diketonates and triphenylphosphine oxide as ligands. Fluorescence properties (including excitation spectra, emission spectra, emission lifetime, quantum yield, etc.) and thermal stabilities of the complexes were studied. Nd(tta)3(TPPO)2 having the sharpest emission band, highest relative emission intensity and shortest fluorescence lifetime shows that it will be a kind of promising material for applications in near infrared immunoassay, laser active medium and optical fibers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Amentoflavone (8-[5-(5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxo-chromen-2-yl)-2-hydroxy-phenyl]-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) chromen-4-one; AF) is a biflavonoid derived from the extracts of Selaginella tamariscina. It has been shown that AF has diverse biological effects such as antitumour, etc. It is well known that high cell proliferation, viability, angiogenesis and low apoptosis are key factors in hypertrophic scar formation. In this study, we report that AF inhibited viability and stimulated apoptosis in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (HSFBs). Incubation of HSFBs with AF showed its inhibitory effect on cell viability and the exhibition of a series of cellular changes that were consistent with apoptosis. By Western-blot analysis, our data indicated significant increases in the amounts of cleaved caspases 3, 8, 9 and Bax, several apoptotic promoters and a significant decrease in translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP), an apoptotic inhibitor, in HSFBs treated with AF. Furthermore, AF showed significant inhibitions on the viability, migration and tube formation of endothelial cells, which are associated with angiogenesis. In conclusion, this study suggests that AF stimulates apoptosis in HSFBs and inhibits angiogenesis of endothelial cells. Therefore, AF is a promising molecule that can be used in hypertrophic scar treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (NFC) biofertilizers have demonstrated great potential in improving rice yield and soil fertility. However, few studies have systematically evaluated the effects of combined application of NFC biofertilizers and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer on ammonia (NH 3) volatilization and rice N absorption in red soil paddy fields. Therefore, we conducted a 2-year single cropping paddy field study to determine the NH 3 volatilization loss from paddy soil, as well as rice yield and N use efficiency (NUE). The experiment designed five treatments, including one control (CK, no N applied) and four experimental treatments (N100, complete application of chemical N fertilization; RN50, replacing half of chemical N fertilizer with NFC; RN100, complete replacement of chemical N fertilizer with NFC; N50, only half application of chemical N fertilizer) based on different chemical N fertilizer and NFC biofertilizers application ratios. The results showed that the average cumulative NH 3 volatilization losses of RN50 and N50 treatments were reduced by 41.63% and 45.34% than that of N100 treatment, respectively, mainly due to the reduction of ammonium N content in the overlying water and topsoil. The average NUE of RN50 and N50 treatments were 57.85% and 48.49%, which were 43.83% and 20.56% higher than that of N100, respectively. Path analysis results showed that the application of NFC increased the total soil N content and mitigated the volatilization of NH 3 , which increased the residence time of N in the paddy field, thereby increasing the NUE of rice. The average rice yield of RN50 was 5603.85 kg ha−1, which was not significantly different from N100, but 18.62% higher than N50. Although RN100 elevated NUE and reduced NH 3 volatilization, its grain yield was significantly lower than that of N100. These results suggest that the replacement of an appropriate proportion of chemical N fertilizer with NFC could be a promising approach to mitigating NH 3 volatilization, enhancing rice NUE, and maintaining rice yield in red soil paddy fields. • Application of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (NFC) reduced ammonia (NH 3) emissions. • Application of NFC can enhance nitrogen use efficiency in red soil paddy fields. • NFC moderate replacement of chemical nitrogen fertilizer can maintain rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three groups of cobalt mixed oxide catalysts (Mg/Zn–Co, Mg/Zn–Ce–C, K/Na–Mg/Zn–Ce–Co) were prepared by sol–gel or impregnation methods. The synergistic effects of transition metal, rare earth metal and alkali metal on cobalt mixed catalysts for nitrous oxide (N 2 O) decomposing to N 2 and O 2 were investigated. The experimental results revealed that the catalytic activity for N 2 O decomposition was promoted as Co 2 + was replaced partially by Zn 2 + /Mg 2 + , moreover, the characterization analysis by XRD and XPS showed that Zn 2 + /Mg 2 + replaced Co 2 + successfully into the spinel structure of Co 3 O 4 and promoted significantly the catalytic activity. Especially, the addition of CeO 2 and K 2 O/Na 2 O decreased the binding energy and resulted in an increase in the density of the electron cloud around Co and an improvement of the catalytic activity. Of the investigated cobalt mixed catalysts, the best catalytic activity was shown by 2% K–Zn0.5–Ce0.05–Co catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isobaricvapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) data have been measuredat 101.3 kPa for the binary mixtures containing (propyl acetate + n-pentanol), (propyl acetate + 1-methyl-1-butanol), and(propyl acetate + 3-methyl-1-butanol) using an equilibrium still.The thermodynamic consistency of the experimental data was testedby semiempirical methods of Herington and was satisfactory. The activitycoefficients were correlated with the NRTL, Wilson, and UNIQUAC models,and the NRTL model indicates slightly better results than the othertwo models in these three binary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis continues to be a challenge in clinic. The rates of mortality in sepsis patients remain high. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of carbon monoxide-releasing molecules II (CORM-2)-liberated CO on suppressing inflammatory response in sepsis. It was shown that treatment of septic mice with CORM-2 attenuated PMN accumulation, downregulated cytokines production, inhibited expressions of iNOS and NF-κB activity in the lung and liver. In parallel, CORM-2 prevented activation of NF-κB in LPS-stimulated HUVEC. This was accompanied by a decrease in ROS and NO production, expression of ICAM-1 and subsequent PMN adhesion to HUVEC. These findings demonstrated that CORM-released CO attenuates inflammatory responses by interfering with NF-κB activation and therefore decreasing the expression of ICAM-1 and NO production, attenuating the oxidative stress and inflammation in sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Separation of magnetic catalyst particles from the wax stream in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) process is one of the most important challenges for exploring FTS slurry bubble column reactors. In the present work, we studied the separation efficiency of magnetic catalytic particles from FTS wax using high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS), and the three-dimensional mathematical models were established to describe the magnetic field and magnetic force distribution with multi-wires for HGMS. The calculation results indicated that the distributions of magnetic field and magnetic force in HGMS were significantly related to the matrix arrangement patterns and the background uniform external magnetic field strength. The wire interval, the axial distance between matrices, the arrangement angle between matrices and the external magnetic field strength were investigated using the established models. Based on the experimental optimization, the magnetic iron content of the catalyst/wax mixture can be reduced to less than 30ppm through HGMS, with the separation efficiency higher than 99.77% for iron particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The reaction mechanism of coal pyrolysis and hydrogen production in supercritical water (SCW) was investigated using the molecular dynamic simulations via the reactive force field (ReaxFF) method combined with the density functional theory (DFT) method. Our calculations present that the water clusters in SCW weaken the C–C bonds in aromatic rings, thus the C(ring)–C(ring) bond cracking energy decreases as much as 287.3kJ/mol and 94.6kJ/mol compared with that in pure coal pyrolysis and in coal pyrolysis in vapor state, respectively. After the aromatic rings break into small cyclic structures, such as quaternary rings and ternary rings, the water clusters in SCW further weaken their C–C ring bonds to induce the small cyclic rings to open. During this process, the water clusters (without any radicals) in SCW turn into H radical-rich water clusters after providing OH radicals to the cyclic rings. This is the main source for the production of hydrogen molecules in SCW–coal system. The combination of H radicals produced by coal with water clusters in SCW is another pathway which forms H radical-rich water clusters. Under the catalysis of water molecules or clusters, H radical-rich water clusters decompose into H2 and OH radicals. These OH radicals further bind with coal intermediates and result in the breaking of coal intermediates into smaller products. Therefore, the cooperative effects between SCW and coal form a virtuous circle, which greatly enhances the reaction rate of coal gasification, promotes the production of small molecules, and increases the yield of hydrogen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]