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Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has brought new reconstruction opportunities for the intelligence of the advertisement industry through the help of AI technologies such as machine learning and deep learning. First, the relationship between AI and the attractiveness of green advertisements is investigated, and the influence of different AI technologies in green advertisements on consumers' perception of the attractiveness of green advertisements is summarized. Second, based on the green advertisement dissemination rate data set, the data visualization exploration is carried out, and the data deletion and coding processing are carried out aiming at different characteristic variables. Finally, according to the problems existing in the current green advertisement communication and the high‐dimensional and sparse characteristics of the communication rate data set. In this paper, based on Deep FM (Factorization Machine), Gradient Boost Decision Tree (GBDT) is added to assist the experiment, and the prediction performance of green advertising communication is tested. The results are as follows. (1) Different AI expressions in green advertisements will affect consumers' perception of the attractiveness of green advertisements. (2) The prediction ability of Deep FM model after feature engineering is better than that of data cleaning only. The prediction effect of the model is obviously improved. The purpose of this paper is to integrate green advertising media communication into the ecological concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, strengthen the political belief of ecological civilization construction, and conform to the communication trend of today's severe ecological situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to explore the frequency and influencing factors of asymptomatic spinal lesions (ASLs) and their impact on subsequent relapses in patients with AQP4‐IgG‐positive NMOSD (AQP4‐NMOSD) in a real‐world setting. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical information and spinal MRI data from AQP4‐NMOSD patients who had at least one spinal cord MRI during their follow‐ups. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were employed to ascertain potential predictors of remission ASLs and to investigate factors associated with subsequent relapses. Results: In this study, we included 129 patients with AQP4‐NMOSD and reviewed 173 spinal MRIs during attacks and 89 spinal MRIs during remission. Among these, 6 ASLs (3.5%) were identified during acute attacks, while 8 ASLs (9%) were found during remission. Remission ASLs were linked to the use of immunosuppressive agents, particularly conventional ones, whereas no patients using rituximab developed ASLs (p = 0.005). Kaplan–Meier curve analysis indicated that patients with ASLs had a significantly higher relapse risk (HR = 4.658, 95% CI: 1.519–14.285, p = 0.007) compared to those without. Additionally, the use of mycophenolate mofetil (HR = 0.027, 95% CI: 0.003–0.260, p = 0.002) and rituximab (HR = 0.035, 95% CI: 0.006–0.203, p < 0.001) significantly reduced the relapse risk. However, after accounting for other factors, the presence of ASLs did not exhibit a significant impact on subsequent relapses (HR = 2.297, 95% CI: 0.652–8.085, p = 0.195). Interpretation: ASLs may be observed in patients with AQP4‐NMOSD. The presence of ASLs may signify an underlying inflammatory activity due to insufficient immunotherapy. The administration of immunosuppressive agents plays a key role in the presence of remission ASLs and the likelihood of subsequent relapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a letter published in the journal Neurological Sciences. The authors conducted a study using Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the causal relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the risk of developing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). They used genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on NMOSD and 25(OH)D levels to analyze the genetic variations and their effects on the disease. The results showed no strong evidence of a causal association between 25(OH)D levels and NMOSD risk in a population of European ancestry. However, a causal relationship was observed between genetically predicted 25(OH)D levels and AQP4-ab-positive NMOSD risk. The study suggests that low vitamin D levels may be a risk factor for AQP4-ab-positive NMOSD and highlights the importance of further research in this area. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Enlarged perivascular spaces; Glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy; Magnetic resonance imaging EN Enlarged perivascular spaces Glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy Magnetic resonance imaging 3751 3754 4 09/13/23 20231001 NES 231001 Shugang Cao and Yunfei Zhu contributed equally to this work. 1K, L) were noted on brain MRI; spinal MRI showed a significant reduction in spinal cord lesions (Fig. Non-enhanced brain MRI in 2020 suggested marked progression of paraventricular lesions with EPVSs (E, F) and contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrated linear perivascular radial gadolinium enhancement (G, H thick arrows). [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • Highly active and multifunctional ZnO was largely synthesized with a green and recycled water bath method. • ZnO with 86.13% yield can be obtained by rapid reaction of concentrated NaOH and zinc ions, and only the by-product is crude Na 2 SO 4. • The ZnO sensor response to 100 ppm NO 2 after Xe irradiation was 653.12, which is 2.40 times higher than untreated. • The ZnO-treated cotton fabric has excellent UV protection in the 290–380 nm range, and the UV protection factor is increased from 4 to 33. Highly active and multifunctional zinc oxide (ZnO) was synthesized using the water bath method. The concentrated NaOH solution rapidly converted zinc ions to ZnO. The solvent was then recycled multiple times after separating from the ZnO product, and the crude sodium sulfate by-product was precipitated through crystallization at room temperature. The entire recycling process produces no pollutant emissions and yields an average of 86.13 % zinc, achieving a green and efficient synthesis of ZnO. Xenon (Xe) radiation increases oxygen vacancies in ZnO, enhancing gas sensing. The sample S 3 of ZnO sensors was obtained by xenon lamp irradiation for 9 h showing a 2.4 times higher response to 100 ppm NO 2 at 90 ℃ (653.12) compared to the sample S 0 of ZnO sensors without xenon lamp irradiation. Moreover, ZnO has excellent UV absorption in the wavelength range of 290–380 nm. By impregnating cotton fabrics with ZnO materials, the UV protection factor (UPF) of cotton textiles was increased from 4 to 33. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2003, Tuan showed a finiteness theorem for block-transitive point-imprimitive 3- (k (k − 1) 2 + 1 , k , λ) designs. As a generalization of this result, we consider the block-transitive point-imprimitive 3- (v , k , λ) designs with v < k (k − 1) 2 + 1. Let D = (P , B) be a 3- (v , k , λ) design admitting G as a block-transitive point-imprimitive automorphism group, and G preserve a partition C of the points into d imprimitivity classes of size c , here v = w k (k − 1) s + 1 , s , w are two positive integers with g c d (s , w) = 1 and 2 w < s. We prove that, for a given positive integer s , there are only finitely many numbers v such that there exist nontrivial block-transitive point-imprimitive 3- (v , k , λ) designs with c , d ≥ 3. Moreover, we obtain the classification for this type of designs when s ≤ 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic photochromic luminescent materials hold immense promise as potential candidates for optical information storage applications. Unfortunately, static and single reading mode of photochromic luminescent materials in bright and dark environments pose a security threat to the stored information. Here, a novel material La2MgSnO6:Er3+,Fe3+ is developed, possessing both reversible photochromic and adjustable upconversion/downconversion photoluminescent (PL) properties. Upon exposure to 275 nm ultraviolet (UV) light, the sample changes in color from white to brown. And this transformation rapidly reverses when exposed to 365 nm UV light, resulting in a corresponding alteration in luminescence intensity. Notably, when combined with photochromic, the 980 nm excited upconversion PL maintains stable luminescence, while the 365 nm excited downconversion PL exhibits significant intensity changes. Inspired by this unique feature, a dark‐field selective dual‐mode reading is proposed that depends on the excitation wavelength, including static decrypt in long‐time cases and dynamic reading in time‐limited situations. These findings have the potential to revolutionize high‐security data storage applications and drive advancements in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, (1-x)(Pb0.97La0.02)(Zr0.5Sn0.44Ti0.06)O3-x BiNbO4 (x = 0–0.15) ceramics ((1-x)PLZST-xBiNbO4) were prepared by solid state reaction method. By changing the content of BiNbO4, the phase evolution, dielectric properties and energy storage properties were studied comprehensively. It is found that with the increase of BiNbO4 content, there are two peaks of dielectric constant. The mild BiNbO4 doping first destroyed the relaxation behavior of PLZST. Then with the increase in BiNbO4, the local defect dipole forms another weak coupling and reduce the antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition field (EAFE-FE). When x = 0.05, the maximum energy density is 0.82 J/cm3, and the energy efficiency is 88%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane-air explosions are the most fatal accidents in underground coalmines. To understand its destruction, a worst-case full-scale methane-air explosion at a longwall coalface was simulated and analyzed based on accident investigations. It was found the flame covers a short length with an expansion ratio of about 6.67 at the longwall coalface, and crosscuts reduce the ratio to 3.67. Bifurcation reduces the peak overpressure by 25%–32% and the peak velocity of blast waves by 18.5%–23.5%. Corners have a significant effect on mitigating the peak overpressure but have a negligible impact on the blast velocity. In a long straight tunnel, the peak overpressure and blast velocity decay slowly and linearly by just 18.5% and 17.3%. A high-speed blast wave with debris and toxic and anoxic airflows at a velocity higher than 100 m/s were obtained from the accident investigations and in most of the simulation domain, it is the biggest challenge to evacuation and the most destructive force at the far-field disaster areas of methane-air explosions in underground coalmines. Thus, crosscuts, corners and blast velocity retarding methods should be more adopted to mitigate explosions and improve the rescue and evacuation safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the overpressure of methane-air explosions in straight large-scale tunnels, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code of Flame Accelerator Simulator (FLACS) was used and validated against experiments conducted at three different scales, and the effects of the volume concentration of methane in air, the blockage ratio (BR), the tunnel length, and the cross-section were studied. When analysed using the GaussAmp mathematical model, the maximum peak overpressure appears at a volume concentration of 10.30 % of methane in air. Blockage ratios (BR) of 0.15 and 0.3 resulted in the combustion of methane-air mixtures with the volume concentration of 6.5 % and 14.0 % of methane in air, producing a fatal overpressure of 21 kPa. When the BR increases up to 0.75, both the lean and rich mixtures cause a peak overpressure of over 60 kPa. Combustion of the same methane-air mixture produces the same overpressure, which decays approximately linearly at the same slope owing to a smooth wall roughness before travelling near the outlet, independent of the specific tunnel length. A method to characterise the cross-sections was proposed, and the maximum peak overpressure of different lengths of methane-air mixtures in different cross-sectional tunnels was found, presenting various regimes from a hump shape to a wave-like uplift and bowl shape. The cross-section parameters determine the degree of confinement and further control the maximum peak overpressure in the modelled tunnels. An exponential asymptotic model can be used to conveniently obtain the maximum peak overpressure. These phenomena indicate that approximately square-shaped cross-sections should be selected to avoid an extremely high overpressure in large-scale tunnels with the potentially significant accumulation of methane-air mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycine betaine is one of the most effective compatible solutes of the halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophilus, the transportation of which is essential for its survival under salinity stress condition. In the current study, we attempted to define a glycine betaine ABC transporter system of T. halophilus, busATha, which plays an important role in adapting to salinity condition. The expression of busATha enhanced the growth of the recombinant strain under high salinity. BusRTha, a transcription regulator that represses the expression of busATha, was characterized, and the repression was abrogated under high salinity. The binding of the regulator was demonstrated through electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and the binding sites were characterized as 5′-AAA(T/G)TGAC(C/A)(G/A)T(C/A)C-3′. This is the first studied transcription regulator of T. halophilus, and our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism of halophilic life and tools for further application of halophiles as chassis in industrial biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the gas explosion occurs in a coal mine, the pressure wave will induce coal dust (CD) to participate in the explosion reaction, which will further expand the accident and eventually cause more serious casualties. Based on this hazard, experiments were performed on three representative types of CD with the aid of a self-built experimental pipeline for gas/CD explosion. The explosion characteristics under the condition that pressure waves entrain different CD to participate in the explosion were studied. Furthermore, the influence of volatile content in CD on the compound explosion was analyzed from a microscopic perspective. The following beneficial conclusions were obtained: The overpressure peak value and the flame propagation velocity in the compound explosion are positively correlated with the volatile content in CD. Under those three conditions, the maximum overpressure is obtained at P2 position, and obvious stratification occurs in the process of flame propagation. However, compared with the other two working conditions, the average flame propagation speed of the composite explosion system with anthracite decreased by 51.2% and 52.6%, respectively, and flame surface breaks and becomes discontinuous earlier. After the explosion, the volatile content of three kinds of CD is significantly reduced, and the volatile content of lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite is 75.6%, 75.7% and 44.7% of the industrial analysis value of raw coal, respectively. With reference to the analysis on the microscopic test results, the amount of volatile gas decomposed from volatiles determines the intensity of the homogeneous reaction in the whole combustion process, while the coke formed after the reaction determines the intensity of the non-homogeneous reaction. Therefore, the volatile content in CD is a key factor affecting CD explosion. The research results provide an important scientific and theoretical basis for the prevention, control and reduction of CD explosion disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a major type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is characterized by diffuse inflammation of the mucosa of the colon and rectum. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and hematochezia are UC's main clinical manifestations. Pathogenesis of UC has not yet been clearly elucidated, but it is considered to result from dysregulated expressions of molecules engaged in proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes. CXCL8 is one of the most important proinflammatory factors which play a vital role in many inflammatory diseases including UC. The CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis participates in the pathogenesis of UC through multiple signaling pathways, including PI3k/Akt, MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. Meanwhile, more and more studies in recent years have shown that UC patients have specific non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression profiles, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of inflammation. In this article, we analyzed the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis related signaling pathways and ncRNAs in UC, as well as recent advances in our understanding of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis inhibition as a therapeutic strategy against UC. [Display omitted] • CXCL8 plays a vital role in the pathophysiological mechanism of ulcerative colitis. • 3 pathways (PI3K/Akt, MAPKs, NF-κB) are found to be related to CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis in ulcerative colitis. • Some non-coding RNAs affect the expression of CXCL8 in ulcerative colitis. • CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis is expected to become a promising therapeutic target for ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FLACS code was verified well predict the overpressure and flame coverage. • The maximum pressures were obtained as about 150–1400 kPa. • Congestion affects the competing of confinement and flammable gas volume. To investigate the characteristics of methane-air explosions in large-scale tunnels with different structures, the CFD code for gas explosion modelling of FLACS was validated and used to model the explosions in tunnelling faces, coalfaces and crosscuts, where explosions mostly occurred in coalmines. The maximum overpressures were obtained as about 150–1400 kPa but varied for places with different cross-sections. The confinement degree and combustible mixture volume compete for controlling the overpressures, the space congestion degree influences the competition. For the tunnelling faces and crosscuts with low congestions, the increase of confinement degree caused by reducing cross-sections takes the dominant effect, which makes the overpressure in 3 m × 2 m cross-section tunnels higher. However, the 6 m × 4 m coalface produces the largest overpressure as the highly congested coalface strengthens the effect of increasing the mixture volume on pressure rise. Since the pressure reflection results from space constraints, a higher confinement degree causes a greater reflection. In crosscuts with both ends closed, the delayed combustion of the unburnt rich mixture after the seal's failure generates a high pressure than assumed. Because of containing the same volume combustible mixtures in the crosscut modelling with the same cross-section, little difference exists in the overpressure regardless of sealing conditions. The flame is more inclined to propagate towards free spaces, and the flame of a larger volume combustible mixture fills a longer tunnel more comprehensively. In straight tunnelling faces, the flame length can be calculated as the product of the equivalent side length of the cross-section and its corresponding simulated constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible electrodes have been extensively investigated to fulfill the development of highly advanced human interaction electronics. It's still a challenge to develop the conductive film for the scalable device with low resistance under large deformation. In this work, we reported a stretchable conductive layer on elastomer substrates assembled by few-layer graphene, which was exfoliated in the low-boiling organic solvent with assistance of hyperbranched copolymer as stabilizer that was adsorbed on the nanosheets via CH-π non-covalent connections. The relative resistance change of graphene film is 117% as the mechanical strain reaches 35%, which retains high conductivity under tensile operation. The resistance of the graphene electrode is dependent on the overlapping of the nanosheets during the deformation, in which the slipping of nanosheets is due to the lubricant effect of the hyperbranched segments acting as dynamic CH-π interactions. This work highlights a general strategy of the stretchable conductive film for the flexible electronics, and sheds a light on the conduction mechanism for the graphene film during large deformation. Here we reported a stretchable conductive layer on elastomer substrates assembled by few-layer graphene, which was exfoliated in the low-boiling organic solvent with assistance of hyperbranched copolymer as stabilizer that was adsorbed on the nanosheets via CH-π non-covalent connections. The relative resistance change of graphene film is 117% as the mechanical strain reaches 35%, which retains high conductivity under tensile operation. The resistance of the graphene electrode is dependent on the overlapping of the nanosheets during the deformation, in which the slipping of nanosheets is due to the lubricant effect of the hyperbranched segments acting as dynamic CH-π interactions. Image 1 • The stretchable conductive layer on elastomer substrate is assembled by few-layer graphene. • Graphene is exfoliated with assistance of hyperbranched polymer as stabilizer via CH-π connection. • The relative resistance change of graphene film is 117% as the mechanical strain reaches 35%. • The conductivity of graphene electrode during deformation is due to lubricant effect of hyperbranched polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MG patients were accompanied by cognitive decline. • MG patients have a combination of abnormal brain function and neurometabolites. • First study of investigating neurometabolites in vivo in patients with MG. Whether patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) exhibit cognitive impairment is controversial. Also the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We aimed to investigate alterations in cognitive function, neurometabolite levels, and brain function in patients with MG and to explore the associations between abnormal regional brain functional activity, neurometabolite concentrations in the MPFC and left thalamus, and cognitive activity in patients with MG. Neuropsychological tests, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed on 41 patients with MG and 45 race-, sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs). The results suggest that MG is accompanied by cognitive decline, as indicated by global cognitive function, visual-spatial function, language, memory, abnormalities in regional brain functional activity, and neurometabolite alterations (including GABA, NAA, and Cho) in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and left thalamus. Cognitive impairment in patients with MG may be related to abnormal regional brain functional activity and changes in neurometabolites, and regional brain functional activity may be modulated by specific neurometabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of water as an extractant, the two‐feed and three‐feed reactive distillation production processes of methylal are synthesized and analyzed. The effects of water on the methylal reactive distillation (RD) production is investigated. Thermally coupled two‐feed and three‐feed reactive dividing‐wall columns are proposed and analyzed. The two‐feed and three‐feed RD processes are compared. The three‐feed thermally coupled reactive dividing‐wall column (DWC) exhibits an outstanding ability of energy and cost savings. Results from this work could be helpful for further development and application of RD or reactive DWC in methylal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity and concealment of the goaf environment hinder the understanding of the types of ignition sources in goaf gas explosions. Therefore, this study constructed a mechanical-electrical test system for rocks; the generation of pressure stimulated currents (PSCs) and its discharge-induced ignition mechanism of roof sandstone under uniaxial compression were explored, and the real ignition source of the gas explosion accident in Babao Coal Mine was revealed. The experimental results reveal that the intensity of PSCs of sandstone is higher than that of marble in the loading stage because the piezoelectric effect of quartz in sandstone enhances its mechanical-electrical sensitivity and leads to an increase in the discharge intensity. During the whole loading stage, the PSCs signals generated by sandstone are mainly attributable to the piezoelectric effect of quartz, while the PSCs of marble are mainly caused by the sliding friction between mineral particles. When the samples are in the compaction and elastic stages, PSCs are proportional to strain rate and stress rate respectively; when the samples enter the stage of plastic deformation and failure, the peak values of PSCs are positively correlated with the uniaxial compressive strength. Sparks can be seen in sandstone during the failure stage, which mainly results from electron avalanche caused by the damage of quartz grains under loading. The ignition source of the gas explosion accident in Babao Coal Mine is more likely to be sparks generated by the combined discharge of the extrusion friction and piezoelectric effect of roof sandstone, rather than coal spontaneous combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, cement based on fused silica powder @ polyurethane urea (FSP@PUU) with a micro constrained damping structure was studied. Firstly, FSP@PUU core-shell particles were prepared by heterogeneous stepwise addition polymerization method and added into cement paste as damping filler to form a micro-constrained damping structure inside cement paste. The mechanical property and damping performance of cement-based composites were characterized by compressive strength, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test and modal vibration test. The results showed that the damping performance of FSP @ PUU cement-based composites was affected by temperature, and the loss tangent of cement with 6wt% FSP@PUU increased to about 0.057 at −35 °C to 35 °C, which was 1.5 times cement paste within the glass transition temperature. With 6 wt% FSP@PUU, the damping ratio of cement-based composites increased by 58% compared with cement paste in the frequency range of 175–300 Hz, while the compressive strength decreased by only 5%. The cement with suitable FSP@PUU possesses excellent damping performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mebendazole (MBZ) is a synthetic benzimidazole known for its antiparasitic properties. In recent years, growing evidence showed that MBZ was also used as an anti-tumor agent. However, whether (and to what extent) this drug treatment affected the male reproductive system was not well-understood. In this study, male C57BL/6 mice were injected with 40 mg/kg/day of MBZ. The treatment was for 3 and 7 days. Our results showed that the injected mice exhibited an abnormal spermatogenic phase with a significant decrease in sperm. We further detected microtubule disruption and transient functional destruction of the blood–testes barrier (BTB) in the MBZ-injected mice testes (BTB). Our data confirmed that MBZ suppressed the expression of the BTB junction-associated proteins and disrupted the Sertoli cells' function in vivo. Moreover, MBZ-treated mice demonstrated an aberrant caspase-3 signalling pathway, which resulted in the apoptosis of the germ cells. Here, we present our data, indicating that MBZ impairs BTB by reducing the expression of the microtubules' and BTB junction-associated proteins. The last leads to activating the caspase-3 pathway, which triggers extensive germ cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a deep learning radiomics (DLR) model, which integrates multimodal MRI features and clinical information, in diagnosing sacroiliitis related to axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). A total of 485 patients diagnosed with sacroiliitis related to axSpA (n = 288) or non-sacroiliitis (n = 197) by sacroiliac joint (SIJ) MRI between May 2018 and October 2022 were retrospectively included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into training (n = 388) and testing (n = 97) cohorts. Data were collected using three MRI scanners. We applied a convolutional neural network (CNN) called 3D U-Net for automated SIJ segmentation. Additionally, three CNNs (ResNet50, ResNet101, and DenseNet121) were used to diagnose axSpA-related sacroiliitis using a single modality. The prediction results of all the CNN models across different modalities were integrated using a stacking method based on different algorithms to construct ensemble models, and the optimal ensemble model was used as DLR signature. A combined model incorporating DLR signature with clinical factors was developed using multivariable logistic regression. The performance of the models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Automated deep learning-based segmentation and manual delineation showed good correlation. ResNet50, as the optimal basic model, achieved an area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy of 0.839 and 0.804, respectively. The combined model yielded the highest performance in diagnosing axSpA-related sacroiliitis (AUC: 0.910; accuracy: 0.856) and outperformed the best ensemble model (AUC: 0.868; accuracy: 0.825) (all P < 0.05). Moreover, the DCA showed good clinical utility in the combined model. We developed a diagnostic model for axSpA-related sacroiliitis by combining the DLR signature with clinical factors, which resulted in excellent diagnostic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reusability of Ca-alginate beads was significantly improved by CaCl 2 freeze-drying. • The reusability of the Ca-alginate beads improved with decreasing pH. • About 60% of the cells survived after CaCl 2 freeze drying. • Ca-alginate beads were successfully recycled after 30-days of reactor operation. Applications of immobilization technology to wastewater treatment have achieved mixed results, that is, high degradation efficiency or good reusability. In this research, alginate was used as supporting material of immobilized beads to maintain high degradation efficiency. Applying CaCl 2 freeze drying and acidic solutions led to the reusability of the beads. Ca-alginate beads can be reused for more than 21 cycles of repeated CaCl 2 freeze drying and 16 cycles of treatment at pH 3. About 60% of the cells survived after CaCl 2 freeze drying. Scanning electron microscopy images of the reused Ca-alginate beads demonstrated the highly porous carrier of the Ca alginate. Finally, the freeze-dried beads that were hardened first by polyethyleneimine were used for 30 days before the next CaCl 2 freeze drying. The freeze drying frequency decreased from three cycles (about 40 h) to 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The proposed device has a much wider cavitating working range than present jet pumps. • The proposed device can simultaneously work as an adding device and a flow meter. • The adding liquid with different viscosity hardly affect the precision of flow rate measuring. Abstract To increase the operating range for cavitating quantitative mixing devices, a new jet pump is proposed. The distribution of pressure, velocity, turbulent dissipation rate, and vapor bubbles were studied numerically, and the influence of geometric parameters and flow ratio on the operating range were investigated experimentally. The proposed jet pump overlaps the high turbulence and low pressure regions at the nozzle exit, causing significant cavitation. When the cross section near the diffuser inlet is filled with vapor bubbles, the jet pump reaches its operating limit. Since the structure of suction chamber remains the same as conventional jet pumps, increasing secondary flow deforms the axisymmetric cavity cloud, which leads to quick reduction of the critical pressure ratio. Empirical curves are proposed to optimize the area ratio for given flow ratios, based on experimental tests of nine jet pumps. When the critical flow ratio <1.4% for a given optimal area ratio, the critical pressure ratio >0.8, which is significantly higher than current jet pumps. Reliability of the proposed jet pump was examined when operating as quantitative mixing device and flow meter simultaneously. When the flow ratio <4%, changes of area ratio, flow ratio, and viscosity of the working fluid have no effect flow rate measurement accuracy, and flow rate error <3.32% under all test conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve accuracy and stability of mini quantitative liquid adding, a new cavitating venturi device is proposed and investigated experimentally. Cavity cloud initiates at the throat exit where the velocity gradient is the highest and the local pressure is the lowest. Since the suction inlet is set at the throat exit, it is easily covered by the cavity cloud in which the pressure remains at saturation vapor pressure. Once cavity cloud dominates the suction inlet, both working and suction flow rate remains constant and independent of downstream pressure. Therefore, the proposed device can be used as an adding device and a flow meter simultaneously when it is under cavitation condition. The critical pressure ratio exceeds 0.6 when flow ratio is below 2%, which is over 50% higher than present jet pumps. The critical pressure ratio rises with the decreasing of adding ratio, which makes the proposed adding device especially applicable for mini quantitative adding. Moreover, the working range of the proposed device is hardly changed when sucked water is replaced by high-viscosity foaming agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A two-phase viscosity regulator was synthesized. • It can increase aqueous solution viscosity and emulsify crude oil simultaneously. • The adjustment mechanism of the two-phase viscosity was analyzed and discussed. For enhanced heavy oil recovery, either a conventional polymer for thickening water or a surfactant for emulsifying heavy oil has its limitation when each of two is used alone. The former can not effectively drive oil out while the latter could be inefficient in the low swept area. So, a Polymer surfactant with both good viscoelasticity and emulsification of heavy oil is of great significance. Here, by means of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) grafting with acrylamide (AM) and 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propanesulfonic acid (AMPS), a novel polymeric surfactant PVA-g-P(AM-co-AMPS) was synthesized and the viscosity of PVA-g-P(AM-co-AMPS) aqueous solution can be as much as 27 times more than that of unmodified PVA. The degree of viscosity reduction for the four typical heavy oils can reach to above 85%. The "quasi crosslinking" structure formed by hydrophobic combination with the original hydrophilic groups may be the reason for such a result. The findings of this study can help for better understanding to a construct two-phase viscosity regulator. This polymeric surfactant could be applied in enhanced heavy oil recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] SST5 receptor activation potently inhibits insulin secretion from pancreatic β -cells, and an orally available nonpeptide selective SST5 agonist may be used to effectively manage the blood glucose levels of congenital HI patients to avoid severe hypoglycemia. Our medicinal chemistry efforts have led to the discovery of 4-(3-aminopyrrolidinyl)-3-aryl-5-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-pyridine analogs as potent SST5 agonists. This class of molecules exhibits excellent human SST5 potency and selectivity against SST1, SST2, SST3 and SST4 receptors. Leading compound 3-{4-[(3S)-3-aminopyrrolidin-1-yl]-5-(4-methyl-1H-1,3-benzodiazol-2-yl)pyridin-3-yl-5-fluorobenzonitrile (28, CRN02481) showed limited off-target activity and good pharmacokinetic profiles in both male Sprague Dawley rats and Beagle dogs to advance into further preclinical evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here the boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were exfoliated with assistance of hyperbranched polyethylene (HBPE) as polymer stabilizer via CH-π non-covalent interaction. The nanosheets were incorporated into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixture that was poured into silicon template with etched pillar architecture. The electron irradiation was conducted to evaluate the mechanical property of PDMS composite pillar. The composite pillar exhibits large friction coefficient and high mechanical property due to new network of PDMS segments during irradiation. [Display omitted] • BNNSs were exfoliated with assistance of HBPE as stabilizer via CH-π interaction. • Nanosheets/PDMS pillar architecture was developed. • Irradiated pillar exhibits large friction coefficient and mechanical property. • New network of PDMS segments was yielded during irradiation. Young's modulus and friction force of the gecko-inspired materials are important parameters for the applications of climbing robots and devices. Increasing the friction force of polymer composite pillar with desirable Young's modulus is current research focus to expand the potential applications of bio-inspired materials. Also, the stability of inspired pillar under radiated exposure is essential to be investigated to explore the irradiation effect on patterned composite array. Here the boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) have been exfoliated with assistance of hyperbranched polyethylene (HBPE) as polymer stabilizer via CH-π non-covalent interaction. The nanosheets were incorporated into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixture that was then utilized to prepare composite pillar via plasma etched silicon template. The electron irradiation was conducted to examine the morphology of patterned array and the mechanical property of PDMS composite. The coefficient of friction for PMDS composite decreases slightly after irradiation, and it retains high value around 1.2 for 0.2 wt% composite pillar with comparison to 1.3 for PDMS. The stress for irradiated PDMS decreases from 3.1 MPa to 1.8 MPa with the strain of 281% at accumulating dose of 5 × 1015 rad. During irradiation, the doubling terminating reaction is probably induced by the active radical sites in elastomer. The PDMS pillar exhibits large friction coefficient and high mechanical property due to new crosslinking network of elastomer during irradiation. This work develops polymer composite with pillar architecture by silicon template method, and sheds a light on the electron irradiation effect of composite pillar to pave the path for the application of gecko-inspired material in spacecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The reason for pores in microbial self-healing cementing slurry was explained. • The effect of fabrication on microbial cementing slurry's properties was evaluated. • The correlation between microstructure parameters and macro property was discussed. • The optimal manufacturing parameters were recommended for the practice. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in microbial self-healing technology in the field of well cementation due to its environmentally friendly, high efficiency, low maintenance cost, and intelligent characteristics. Previous studies have proved that the mechanical strength, setting time, and permeability are the fundamental properties of self-healing cementing slurry which determine the quality of well cementation and the recovery of oil and gas. However, limited research was reported on the effect of manufacturing factors on those basic properties of microbial self-healing cementing slurry in the field of well cementation. In the process of preparation, the air is introduced into the microbial self-healing cementing slurry, causing macropores in the cement stone. Besides, the ammonia produced by microorganisms also results in pores with various size in the microbial cement stone. Those pores which are not conducive to the development of mechanical strength of cement stone might develop into cracks, leading to the failure of well cementation, even causing severely fluids channeling in the wellbore. Therefore, it is of great significance for us to explore the cause of pores in microbial cement stone and choose the proper manufacturing parameters for the field application. In this paper. we studied the influence of manufacturing factors including stirring rate, defoamer dosage and curing ages on the mechanical strength and durability of microbial cement stone. Besides, we explored the interaction mechanism between micro pore structure parameters and macro properties such as compressive strength and permeability of microbial cement stone by the computed tomography technology. The results showed that the number of pores in the microbial cementing slurry was increased with the stirring rate, whereas it was reduced with the increase of defoamer dosage and the extension of curing ages. We also found that there was a poor correlation between the pore structure parameters such as porosity, radius of pores and throats, pore throat ratio and mechanical strength, but a positive correlation between the pore throat ratio and permeability. Moreover, the optimal manufacturing parameters were suggested for the possible field application in this paper. These findings provide a theoretical guidance for the fabrication and application of microbial self-healing cementing slurry in the underground construction buildings besides the well cementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical properties of cement are gaining importance for the application in building construction. Polypyrrole (PPy) has been widely applied in most fields because of its excellent conductivity performance, environmental friendliness, easy fabrication, and other specialties. These features made them useful for self-sensing applications. In this work, waterborne polypyrrole (WPPy) was prepared via the chemical oxidative polymerization with three kinds of hydrophilic agents: sodium lignosulfonate (LGS), sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SLS), and then WPPy/cement composites were prepared by mixing cement with it. The contact angle, conductivity, and microstructure of WPPy were characterized by contact angle tester, four-point probes, and SEM. The composition, microstructure, and properties of WPPy/cement composites were characterized by FTIR, TGA, XRD, and SEM. The content of LGS was 40 wt%, WPPy got the optimal comprehensive performance, the conductivity was 15.06 times of the control sample and the contact angle was reduced by 69.95%. SEM analysis showed that hydrophilic agent content had great effect on the particle size of WPPy, the average diameter of WPPy particles decreased from 200 nm to 50 nm with the increase of LGS content. The results also showed that the adding of WPPy in WPPy/cement composites can significantly improve the conductivity and compactness, optimize the microstructure of cement composite. When the content of WPPy was 1.25 wt%, WPPy/cement composite showed the lowest resistivity and saturated water content of cement composite was 8 wt%. In addition, it could also inhibit the formation of Ca(OH)2 in the early hydration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We proposed the discharge owing to the roof deformation and rupture would ignite the premixed gas-air. • An electric spark can be generated and persist for more than 20 ms at the moment of rock fracture under loading. • Goaf roof rock exhibiting instantaneous roof rupture and generating an electric spark, and led to the gas explosion. Electric effects are generated during the deformation and fracture of coal mine roof sandstones. Previous research has mostly focused on the mechanism of electric effect generation and the electromagnetic radiation released. However, few studies have investigated the hazard characteristics of the high-energy electrons released. This study explores the discharge and ignition characteristics of roof indentation fracture to identify the real ignition source of a gas explosion in a coal mine goaf. Theoretical and experimental analyses conclude that the charge of the coal mine roof sandstone will gradually escape from the surface during the loading process. The charge release process of the rock before fracture is related to the loading rate, and an instantaneous high voltage will be formed during fracture of the rock. The compressive strength of the rock plays a key role in this type of instantaneous discharge process. An electric spark can be generated at the moment of rock fracture under loading. The high-energy electrons released by rock deformation and rupture can ionise the air. Moreover, the electric spark can persist for more than 20 ms, which considerably exceeds the induction period for gas ignition. When the quartz content of the roof rock is high and reaches a certain compressive strength, stress mutations can cause the roof to undergo instantaneous rupture and generate electric sparks. The premixed gas air gathered in the area is thus broken down and ionised, igniting the gas and producing a gas explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the foamability of anionic surfactants in hard water is essential to reduce the adding concentration and economic cost of foaming agents for dust control. In this work, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl ether sulfate (SDES) were selected to explore the mechanism of polyethylene oxide (EO) groups improving the foamability of anionic surfactants in hard water by experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. The experimental results show that SDES containing EO groups has better foaming performance in hard water compared with SDS. The simulation results indicate that the presence of EO groups can inhibit the combination of SO 4 − groups and Ca2+ ions at the air/water interface, which makes part of Ca2+ ions migrate from the interface layer to the bulk water. In addition, EO groups attract some Ca2+ ions to distribute around them, thereby further reducing the number of Ca2+ ions combined with SO 4 − groups, which helps to improve the surface activity and foamability of anionic surfactants in hard water. An increase in the number of EO groups can enlarge the interfacial thickness and the number of hydrogen bonds between surfactants and water molecules, enhancing the strength of bubble film. Moreover, the farther the EO group is from the SO 4 − group, the smaller the contribution to the hydration of anionic surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a novel 3 H -pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one series as potent and biased sst2 agonists is described. This class of molecules exhibits excellent sst2 potency and selectivity against sst1, sst3, and sst5 receptors, and they are significantly more potent at inhibiting cAMP production than inducing internalization. The orally bioavailable 6-(3-chloro-5-methylphenyl)-3-(3-fluoro-5-hydroxyphenyl)-5-({methyl[(2 S)-pyrrolidin-2-ylmethyl]amino}methyl)-3 H ,4 H -pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one (36) also suppresses GH secretion in GHRH-challenged rats in a dose-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonpeptide sst2 agonists can provide a new treatment option for patients with acromegaly, carcinoid tumors, and neuroendocrine tumors. Our medicinal chemistry efforts have led to the discovery of novel 3,4-dihydroquinazoline-4-carboxamides as sst2 agonists. This class of molecules exhibits excellent human sst2 potency and selectivity against sst1, sst3, sst4 and sst5 receptors. Leading compound 3-(3-chloro-5-methylphenyl)-6-(3-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-N,7-dimethyl-N-{[(2S)-pyrrolidin-2-yl]methyl}-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-4-carboxamide (28) showed no inhibition of major CYP450 enzymes (2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4) and weak inhibition of the hERG channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa LX exhibited efficient ability to remove inorganic nitrogen. • Simultaneous ammonia and Cr (VI) removal was achieved by strain LX. • More than 80% of ammonia could be removed at 100 mg L−1 NH 4 +-N with the addition of 30 mg L−1 Cr (VI). • A possible pathway of ammonia removal for strain LX was proposed. • Immobilized strain LX could degrade ammonia and reduce Cr (VI) to Cr (Ⅲ) well in SBR. Inorganic nitrogen and Cr (VI) often co-exist in wastewater and have been a major threat to ecological equilibrium and public health. In this work, we successfully isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa LX from activated sludge, which was capable of simultaneously degrading ammonia and reducing Cr (VI). Single factor experiments showed that strain LX exhibited efficient ability to remove inorganic nitrogen and it possessed efficient nitrogen removal ability in presence of multiple nitrogen sources. A possible pathway of ammonia removal for strain LX was proposed and was as follows: NH 4 +-N → NH 2 OH → NO 2 −-N → NO 3 −-N → NO 2 −-N → NO → N 2 O → N 2. Moreover, more than 80% of 100 mg L-1 NH 4 +-N could be removed at 30 mg L-1 Cr (VI) and properly increasing ammonia concentration could promote the reduction of Cr (VI). Additionally, immobilized strain LX could degrade ammonia and reduce Cr (VI) to Cr (Ⅲ) well in sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Therefore, strain LX was a suitable candidate to simultaneously remove Cr (VI) and ammonia nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous foam is widely used in fire extinguishing and dust suppression technologies. Improving the foaming ability is the key to reducing the added concentration of foaming agents as well as the economic cost. In this work, the effect of a water-soluble polymer (polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) on the foaming ability of anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl ether sulfate, SDES) was studied by an experiment and molecular dynamics simulation. The experimental results showed that PVA greatly improves the foaming ability of SDES solutions when the surfactant concentration is less than 0.1%, which is attributed to the fact that the polymer can enhance the stability of bubble films and reduce the bubble rupture rate during the foam generation process. The simulation results indicate that PVA can enhance the hydration of surfactant head groups and contribute to the formation of a three-dimensional hydrogen bond network between surfactants, polymers, and water molecules, thus greatly improving the stability of bubble liquid films. The above results suggest that water-soluble polymers can be used to improve the foaming ability of surfactant solutions by enhancing the bubble film stability, which is beneficial as it reduces the added concentration of foaming agents in aqueous foam applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RbVO 3 luminescent materials have been successfully prepared by solid-state synthesis. The phase, surface morphology and photoluminescence properties of RbVO 3 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and luminescence spectrophotometer, respectively. The band structure, Density of States and optical properties of RbVO 3 have been simulated by Materials Studio software based on density functional theory (DFT). According to the experimental results and the First-principles, the electronic structure and optical properties of RbVO 3 were studied. The results show that RbVO 3 crystal has a direct band gap with a band gap of 2.973 eV. Under ultraviolet excitation in the range of 210–390 nm, and the excitation spectrum peak appears at 340 nm. The emission spectrum of RbVO 3 phosphors ranges from 400 to 700 nm, and its peak emission spectrum is near 507 nm, showing white luminescence emission. • RbVO 3 has been successfully prepared by solid-state synthesis. • The RbVO 3 luminescent material is a high brightness phosphor. • PL measurements on RbVO 3 shows a broad emission centered at 507 nm. • The optical properties of RbVO 3 are studied in detail based on first-principles for the first time. • The band structure, density of States and optical properties of RbVO 3 were calculated to reveal its luminescence mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The cavitating jet pump is simultaneously used as a mixing device and flow meter. • 3D printed foam nozzle and vertical foam generator are designed and tested. • The proposed system reduced the required water inlet pressure to 0.87 MPa. • Dust is successfully suppressed in tunneling face with high ventilation volume. Due to large energy loss, current foam technology for dust suppression requires high inlet water pressure, but performance is poor where ventilation volume is high. This paper proposes modifying key foam device components, including the agent mixing device, foam generator, and nozzle, to address these problems. A cavitating jet pump was simultaneously employed for accurate agent mixing and flow meter, guaranteeing accurate agent flow and low energy loss. A vertical foam generator was designed to increase foam volume and ensure even foam distribution among the foam nozzles. The two-layered foam nozzles were designed and fabricated using 3D printing to ensure even and thick foam impact area on the dust source, effectively blocking dust escape passages. Experiments were performed in the laboratory and on a real heading face. Ventilation volume was 560–570 m3/min for the field experiment with initial total dust concentration 589–679 mg/m3. The proposed system reduced required inlet water pressure to 0.87 MPa, while achieving 86.8% average total dust suppression efficiency and reducing long-term time average respirable dust concentration to 3.9–5.7 mg/m3. This study will help improve performance and expand application fields for foam dust suppression technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]