bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling of Cutting Forces in 1-D & 2-D Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Milling of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Rinck Philipp , Gueray Alpcan , Zaeh Michael F.
Published: May 2021

To meet the modern demands for lightweight construction and energy efficiency, hard-to-machine materials such as ceramics, superalloys and fiber-reinforced plastics are being used progressively. These materials can only be machined with great effort using conventional machining processes due to the high cutting forces, poor surface qualities, and the associated tool wear. Vibration-assisted machining has already proven to be an adequate solution in order to achieve extended tool lives, better surface qualities and reduced cutting forces. This paper presents an analytical force model for longitudinal-torsional vibration-assisted milling (LT-VAM), which can predict cutting forces under intermittent and non-intermittent cutting conditions. Under intermittent cutting conditions, the relative contact ratio between the rake face and the sliding chip is utilized for modelling the shearing forces. Ploughing forces and shearing forces under non-intermittent cutting conditions are calculated by using an extended macroscopic friction reduction model, which can predict the reduced frictional forces under parallel and perpendicular vibration superimposition. The force model was implemented in MATLAB and can predict cutting forces without using any experimental vibration-assisted milling (VAM) data input.
Beating Carnot efficiency with periodically driven chiral conductors
Authors: ryu sungguen , Lopez Rosa , Serra L , Sanchez David
Published: May 2021

Classically, the power generated by an ideal thermal machine cannot be larger than the Carnot limit. This profound result is rooted in the second law of thermodynamics. A hot question is whether this bound is still valid for microengines operating far from equilibrium. Here, we demonstrate that
a quantum chiral conductor driven by AC voltage can indeed work with efficiencies much larger than the Carnot bound. The system also extracts work from common temperature baths, violating Kelvin-Planck statement. Nonetheless, with the proper definition, entropy production is always positive and the second law is preserved. The crucial ingredients to obtain efficiencies beyond the Carnot limit are: i) irreversible entropy production by the photoassisted excitation processes due to the AC field and ii) absence of power injection thanks to chirality. Our results are relevant in view of recent developments that use small conductors to test the fundamental limits of thermodynamic engines.
Experimental Study of Carbon Dioxide Absorption by Fe2O3@glutamine/NMP Nanofluid
Authors: Elhambakhsh Abbas , Heidari Samira , Keshavarz Peyman
Published: May 2021

In this study, the magnetic based nanoparticle (NP) of Fe2O3@glutamine (C5H10N2O3) was synthesized to improve the Fe2O3 properties in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) using the base fluid of hydrous N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution (50wt.%), as a physically powerful CO2 absorbent. To do this, several nano-NMP solutions, in different weight percentages of NPs were first prepared. Then, in a batch setup, the nano-NMP solutions were directly exposed to CO2 gaseous (at the pressures of 20, 30, and 40 bar) to clarify the effects of the mass percentage of NPs and initial pressure on CO2 absorption. Results clearly illustrated that Fe2O3 nanofluid was not stable more than 0.025 wt.%. However, Fe2O3@glutamine nanofluid was stable approximately two times more than Fe2O3 nanofluid due to the presence of glutamine as a hydrophilic agent in the structure of Fe2O3@glutamine. Moreover, in comparison to the base fluid (NMP solution), although Fe2O3 increased CO2 absorption up to 9.14%, Fe2O3@glutamine NPs caused the CO2 absorption to increase up to 19.41%, which can be determined as the chemical reactions of two amino groups in the glutamine structure with CO2 and also higher Stability of Fe2O3@glutamine NPs compared to bare Fe2O3 NPs.
Local adaptation mediated niche expansion in correlation with genetic richness
Authors: Kurokawa Masaomi , Nishimura Issei , Ying Bei-Wen
Published: May 2021

As a central issue in evolution and ecology, the quantitative relationship among the genome, adaptation and the niche was investigated. Local adaptation of five Escherichia coli strains carrying either the wild-type genome or reduced genomes was achieved by experimental evolution. A high-throughput fitness assay of the ancestor and evolved populations across an environmental gradient of eight niches resulted in a total of 80 fitness curves generated from 2,220 growth curves. Further analyses showed that the increases in both local adaptiveness and niche broadness were negatively correlated with genetic richness. Local adaptation caused common niche expansion, whereas niche expansion for generality or speciality was decided by genetic richness. The order of the mutations accumulated stepwise was correlated with the magnitude of the fitness increase attributed to mutation accumulation. Pre-adaptation probably participated in coordination among genetic richness, local adaptation and niche expansion.
Low-Dose Dobutamine Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Segmental Strain Study of Early Phase of Intramyocardial Hemorrhage Rats
Authors: Xia Rui , He Bo , Zhu Tong , Zhang Yu , Chen Yushu , Wang Lei , Zhou Yang , Liao Jichun , Zheng Jie , Li Yongmei , Lv Fajin , Gao Fabao
Published: May 2021

Background: This study investigates the segmental myocardial strain of the early phase of intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) caused by reperfused myocardial infarction (MI) in rats by low-dose dobutamine (LDD) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) feature-tracking. Methods: Nine sham rats and nine rats with 60-min myocardial ischemia followed by 48-h reperfusion were investigated using CMR, including T2*-mapping sequence and fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP)–cine sequence. Another FISP–cine sequence was acquired after 2 min of dobutamine injection; the MI, IMH, and Non-MI (NMI) areas were identified. The values of peak radial strains (PRS) and peak circumferential strains (PCS) of the MI, IMH and NMI segments were acquired. The efficiency of PRS and PCS (EPRS and EPCS, respectively) were calculated on the basis of the time of every single heartbeat. Results: The PRS, PCS, EPRS, and EPCS of the sham group increased after LDD injection. However, the PRS, PCS, EPRS, and EPCS of the IMH segment did not increase. Moreover, the PRS and PCS of the MI and NMI segments did not increase, but the EPRS and EPCS of these segments increased. The PRS, PCS, EPRS, and EPCS of the IMH segment were lower than those of the MI and NMI segments before and after LDD injection, but without a significant difference between MI segment and NMI segment before and after LDD injection. Conclusions: LDD could help assess dysfunctions in segments with IMH, especially using the efficiency of strain. IMH was a crucial factor that decreased segmental movement and reserved function.
Vegetative Community Diversity Assessment of a Beneficial Use Salt Marsh Restoration
Authors: Murphy Nickolas , Biber Patrick
Published: May 2021

Restoration of lost marsh platforms can include de-novo construction using dredged sediments. Two restoration projects constructed with beneficial use material in 2004 and 2015 were planted with native vegetation in the anticipation they would function similarly to adjacent Juncus roemerianus (Black needlerush) dominated salt marshes. Planted J. roemerianus, however, failed to establish and exists sparsely in the restored marsh. To better understand potential sources of failure, this study assessed vascular plant diversity in Spring and Fall of 2017 through 2019 and demonstrated establishment of both planted and naturally recruited vegetation. The two constructed sites were found to have higher species richness and plant diversity (Shannon-Wiener H’, and Simpson’s D) than the natural reference marsh, in part due to the higher elevations of the two constructed sites. The plant diversity metrics indicated the two beneficial use restorations did not meet the species composition of the reference marsh. Further monitoring should be conducted to observe the species development over the long term with considerations given to the potential future marsh change.
Utility Values in Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Chemotherapy
Authors: Atfannezhad Majid , Sharifi Mehran , Yousefi Mahmood , Madadizadeh Farzan , Ameri Hosein
Published: May 2021

PurposeThe purpose of present study was to calculate utility values in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients by EQ-5D-5L and cTTO.MethodsThe EQ-5D-5L and cTTO were used to calculate utility values in the patients. A total of 105 patients with CRC were consecutively selected from chemotherapy ward of the Oncology Center of Omid in the second most population province, Isfahan, in Iran. The difference between mean utility values in each factor examined by the t-test and ANOWA. Finally, The BetaMix was used to identify predictors of the utility.ResultsThe mean EQ-5D-5L index and cTTO values were 0.45 ±0.03 and 0.51±0.02, respectively. The anxiety and pain were the most common problems reported by the patients. Univariate analyses showed that the difference between the mean EQ-5D-5L index values were significant for age, education status, income level, stage of cancer, and comorbidity number; also, showed that the difference between the mean cTTO values were significant for age, income level, employment status, stage of cancer, and comorbidity number. The BetaMix showed that lower mean utility values were significantly associated with female, aging, a low level of income, a greater number of comorbidities and advanced stage of cancer.ConclusionThe factors of female, aging, a low level of income, advanced stage of cancer, and a greater number of comorbidities should be considered for improving values of utility. In addition, focusing on anxiety/depression through financial and social supports can be critical for the improvement in the quality of life in the patients.
Study on Dynamic Changes of Soil Erosion in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou
Authors: Zhang Hua , Lei Jinping , Xu Cungang , Yin Yuxin
Published: May 2021

This study takes the north and south mountains of Lanzhou as the study area, calculates the soil erosion modulus of the north and south mountains of Lanzhou based on the five major soil erosion factors in the RUSLE model and analyzes the temporal and spatial dynamic changes of soil erosion and the characteristics of soil erosion under different environmental factors. The results show that the soil erosion intensity of the north and south mountains of Lanzhou is mainly micro erosion in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018. They are distributed in the northwest and southeast of the north and south mountains. Under different environmental factors, the soil erosion modulus first increased and then decreased with the increase of altitude; the soil erosion modulus increased with the increase of slope; the average soil erosion modulus of grassland and woodland was larger, and the average soil erosion modulus of water area was the smallest; except for bare land, the average soil erosion modulus decreased with the increase of vegetation coverage. The soil erosion modulus in the greening range is lower than that outside the greening scope, mainly the result of the joint influence of precipitation, soil and vegetation.
Efficacy-enhanced and cytokine release syndrome-attenuated anti-CD7 universal chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory CD7-positive hematological malignancies: A phase I clinical study
Authors: Huang He , Hu Yongxian , Zhou Yali , Zhang Mingming , Zhao Houli , Wei Guoqing , Ge Wengang , Chen Gong , Han Lu , Guo Tingting , Cui Jiazhen , Jiang Xiaoyan , Zheng Xiujun , Yu Shuhui , Li Xiaolong , Zhang Xingwang , Chen Mingxi , Li Xiuju , Gao Ming , Wang Kang , He Xiaohong , Wang Yanbin , Ren Jiangtao
Published: May 2021

Chimeric antigen receptor-T cell (CAR-T) therapy in T cell malignancies faces fratricide, T cell aplasia, and product contamination. Here, we successfully developed a universal anti-CD7 CAR-T product (RD13-01). RD13-01 contains a bbzg-CAR comprising an anti-CD7 single-chain variable fragment, a 4-1BB costimulatory domain, a CD3ζ signaling domain, the intracellular domain of the common γ chain, and a natural killer cell inhibitory molecule (E-cadherin). TRAC, CD7 and HLA-II were disrupted to avoid graft versus host disease (GvHD), fratricide and rejection. Bbzg-CAR-T exerted antitumor effects superior to those of conventional CAR-T, while exhibiting reduced cytokine production. Among 11 evaluable relapsed/refractory (r/r) patients, no dose-limited toxicity, GvHD, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity or severe cytokine release syndrome (grade≥3) occurred. Nine (82%) showed objective response. For r/r leukemia and NHL, complete response rates were 75% and 33.3% respectively. Outstanding safety and efficacy of this universal CAR-T product was achieved in CD7+ T cell malignancies.
Beet Seedling and Weed Recognition Based on Convolutional Neural Network and Multi-modality Images
Authors: Sun Jun , Yang Yu , He Xiaofei , Wang Long , Wu Xiaohong , Shen Jifeng
Published: May 2021

Background: Difficulties in the recognition of beet seedlings and weeds can arise from a complex background in the natural environment and a lack of light at night. In the current study, a novel depth fusion algorithm was proposed based on visible and near-infrared imagery. Results: Visible (RGB) and near-infrared images were superimposed at the pixel-level via a depth fusion algorithm and were subsequently fused into three-channel multi-modality images in order to characterize the edge details of beets and weeds. Moreover, an improved region-based fully convolutional network (R-FCN) model was applied in order to overcome the geometric modeling restriction of traditional convolutional kernels. More specifically, for the convolutional feature extraction layers, deformable convolution was adopted to replace the traditional convolutional kernel, allowing for the entire network to extract more precise features. In addition, online hard example mining was introduced to excavate the hard negative samples in the detection process for the retraining of misidentified samples. A total of four models were established via the aforementioned improved methods. Results demonstrate that the average precision of the improved optimal model for beets and weeds were 84.8% and 93.2%, respectively, while the mean average precision was improved to 89.0%. Conclusion: Compared with the classical R-FCN model, the performance of the optimal model was not only greatly improved, but the parameters were also not significantly expanded. Our study can provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent development of intelligent weed control robots.
Favorable Impact of a Multidisciplinary Team Approach on Heart Transplantation Outcomes: A 14-Year Experience in a Mid-Volume Center
Authors: Lee Jun Ho , Kim Joo Yeon , Park Ilkun , Sung Kiick , Kim Wook Sung , Kim Darae , Yang Jeong Hoon , Jeon Eun-Seok , Choi Jin-Oh , Cho Yang Hyun
Published: May 2021

Although a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach is recommended in advanced heart failure and heart transplantation (HTx), no studies have discussed the impact of the team approach on the clinical outcomes of HTx. In 2014, we established an MDT approach in our HTx program with active involvement of teams for critical care and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) using a real-time online information sharing system. We hypothesized that this MDT approach improved the survival of patients who have undergone HTx. In this study, we enrolled 250 adult patients who underwent HTx between December 2003 and June 2018; they were divided into non-MDT (n = 120; before 2014) and MDT (n = 130; since 2014) groups, with the primary outcome being overall mortality. The mean age of HTx recipients was 51.0 ± 13.7 years, and 77 recipients (30.8%) were female. The MDT group had more high-risk patients in terms of age of donors, diabetes, dialysis, ECLS, and waiting time. Various multivariable analytic methods, including inverse-probability-of-treatment-weighting analysis, revealed that the MDT approach was an independent predictor of overall survival. Therefore, collaboration of an HF team, a critical care team, and an ECLS team may improve survival after HTx.
Differences in Socio-demographics Status, Risk Behaviours, Healthcare Uptake and HIV/STIs Between Brothel-based and Street-based Female Sex Workers in Yunnan, China
Authors: Cai Guoxi , Liu Yufen , Zhuang Jinman , Lu Yixiao , Wu Jiwen , Hu Zhijian , Zhang Jianping , He Fei
Published: May 2021

Background Heterosexual contact is the primary mode of HIV transmission in China and commercial sex is thought to play a crucial role in China’s epidemic. Female sex works (FSWs) in China tend to be either brothel-based (BSWs) or street-based (SSWs), but few studies have investigated the differences between these important segments of this difficult-to-reach, high-risk population. Our aim was to explore these differences. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Yunnan Province of China in partnership with a local FSW-friendly non-governmental organization. Face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, sex work history, sexual behaviours, HIV/STI-related knowledge, HIV testing history, and healthcare services uptake. Blood samples were taken for HIV and syphilis testing, and urine samples for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate differences between SSWs and BSWs. Results A total of 185 BSWs and 129 SSWs were included in the study. SSWs were older and less educated, had more dependents and more clients, accessed fewer healthcare services, and had higher prevalence of HIV/STIs. SSWs also had similar but higher rates of consistent condom use with clients.Conclusions Our study provides evidence that confirms the disproportionately high vulnerability of SSWs to HIV and other STIs, underscoring the urgent need for the Chinese health and public health sectors to prioritize outreach to SSWs. Awareness and educational programs, condom distribution, testing and health check-ups should be included in a comprehensive strategy for HIV/STI prevention in this high-risk population.
Emergence of a noncollinear magnetic state in twisted bilayer CrI3
Authors: Xu Yang , Ray Ariana , Shao Yu-Tsun , Jiang Shengwei , Weber Daniel , Goldberger Joshua , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Muller David , Mak Kin Fai , Shan Jie
Published: May 2021

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic crystals and moiré engineering of van der Waals materials has opened the door for devising new magnetic ground states via competing interactions in moiré superlattices. Although a suite of interesting phenomena, including multi-flavor magnetic states, noncollinear magnetic states, moiré magnon bands and magnon networks, has been predicted in twisted bilayer magnetic crystals, nontrivial magnetic ground states have yet to be realized. Here, by utilizing the stacking-dependent interlayer exchange interactions in CrI3, we demonstrate in small-twist-angle CrI3 bilayers a noncollinear magnetic ground state. It consists of antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferromagnetic (FM) domains and is a result of the competing interlayer AF coupling in the monoclinic stacking regions of the moiré superlattice and the energy cost for forming AF-FM domain walls. Above a critical twist angle of ~ 3°, the noncollinear state transitions to a collinear FM ground state. We further show that the noncollinear magnetic state can be controlled by electrical gating through the doping-dependent interlayer AF interaction. Our results demonstrate the possibility of engineering new magnetic ground states in twisted bilayer magnetic crystals, as well as gate-voltage-controllable high-density magnetic memory storage.
Zootherapy as a Potential Pathway for Zoonotic Spillover: a Mixed-methods Study of the Use of Animal Products in Medicinal and Cultural Practices in Nigeria
Authors: Friant Sagan , Bonwitt Jesse , Ayambem Wilfred A , Ifebueme Nzube M , Alobi Alobi O , Otukpa Oshama M , Bennett Andrew J , Shea Corrigan , Rothman Jessica M , Goldberg Tony L , Jacka Jerry K
Published: May 2021

Background: Understanding how and why people interact with animals is important for prevention and control of zoonoses. To date, studies have primarily focused on the most visible forms of human-animal contact (e.g., hunting and consumption), thereby blinding One Health researchers and practitioners to the broad range of human-animal interactions that can serve as neglected sources of zoonotic diseases. Zootherapy, the use of animal products for traditional medicine and cultural practices, is widespread and can generate opportunities for human exposure to zoonoses. Still, existing research examining zootherapies omits details necessary to adequately assess potential zoonotic risks. Methods: We used a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires, key informant interviews, and field notes to examine the use of zootherapy in nine villages engaged in wildlife hunting, consumption, and trade in Nigeria. We analyzed medicinal and cultural practices involving animals from a zoonotic disease perspective, by including details of animal use that may generate pathways for transmission of animal-borne infections. We also examined the sociodemographic and cultural contexts of zootherapeutic practices that can further shape the nature and frequency of human-animal interactions. Results: Within our study population, people reported using 44 different animal species for zootherapeutic practices, including “high risk” taxonomic groups. Variation in use of animal parts, preparation norms, and administration practices generated a highly diverse set of zootherapeutic practices (n = 292) and variation in associated zoonotic exposure risks. Use of zootherapy was patterned by demographic and environmental contexts, with zootherapy more commonly practiced by hunting households (OR=2.47, p<0.01), and prescriptions that were gender and age specific (e.g., maternal or pediatric care) or highly seasonal (e.g., associated with annual festivals and seasonal illnesses). Specific practices were informed by different theories of healing (i.e., “like cures like” theory of healing and sympathetic healing and magic) that further shaped the nature of human-animal interactions via zootherapy. Conclusions: Epidemiological investigations of zoonoses and public health interventions that aim to reduce zoonotic exposures should explicitly consider zootherapy as a potential pathway for disease transmission and consider the sociocultural contexts of their use in health messaging and interventions.
Experimental and Scale-span Numerical Investigations in Conventional and Longitudinal Torsional Coupled Rotary Ultrasonic Assisted Drilling of CFRPs
Authors: Liu Yong , Li Qiannan , Qi Zhenchao , Chen Wenliang
Published: May 2021

Longitudinal torsional coupled rotary ultrasonic assisted drilling (LTC-RUAD) technology is introduced to improve the surface roughness of the hole wall and solve the tear, burr and delamination of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) induced by large thrust force and torque during conventional drilling (CD). An experiment and scale-span numerical investigation of drilling CFRPs was presented for both CD and LTC-RUAD process in this study. A drilling experimental platform using LTC-RUAD was built via a novel independently designed and manufactured LTC-RUAD vibration actuator, while the drilling experiments involving T700S-12K/YP-H26 CFRPs specimens with different process parameters were carried out by adopting the different ultrasonic vibration amplitude (UVA) in the longitudinal and torsional directions. Then, a three-dimensional (3D) scale-span FE simulation model of CD and LTC-RUAD which applied the different UVA using tapered drill-reamer (TDR) are developed to find more details about the effects of machining quality of the holes. Experimental and simulation results revealed that the maximum average thrust force reduction is observed to be as high as 30% under certain drilling conditions, and the maximum average thrust force and the delamination factor of the drilled hole shows a "concave" trend with the increase of the UVA. The quality at the exit of the drilled hole is the best when adopting Sr=2000rpm, Sf=0.01mm/rev, Alon=7.02μm and Ator=9.29μm in LTC-RUAD. The delamination factor is only 0.054. The damage factors are reduced by 69.67% compared with CD.
Theoretical and Experimental Investigation Into Machining Characteristics of VHF Micro-EDM
Authors: Jing Qi , Zhang Yongbin , Kong Lingbao , Xu Min , Ji Fang
Published: May 2021

To further explore the machining characteristics of very high-frequency micro-electrical discharge machining (VHF micro-EDM), the range of radio-frequency (RF) power amplifier was expanded to 110 MHz, and the power of the RF power amplifier was also greatly increased up to 91 W. The principle of the VHF pulse generator was discussed in detail, and an electro-thermal model suitable for VHF micro-EDM was established to determine the diameter of the plasma channel and the energy distribution ratio. Experimental studies for VHF micro-EDM were also carried out, and the effects of power and frequency on machining characteristics were then analysed and discussed. The results show that at the same frequency, the higher the power is, the higher the material removal rate (MRR) and the larger the number of discharge craters. At the same power, the MRR and the size of discharge craters both first increase and then decrease with increasing frequency and reach the maximum value at 65 MHz. For the copper workpiece, when the frequency is 110 MHz and the total power of the power amplifier is 8.0 W, 5.6% of the energy is used for the material removal of the workpiece, and the finest processing surface is obtained with the surface roughness Ra=12 nm. The average diameter of the discharge craters is as small as 0.268 μm, and the diameter of the plasma channel is only 0.350 μm. In addition, the effects of different workpiece materials and dielectric fluids are also analysed in this paper.
Mkx Mediates Tenogenic Differentiation But Incompletely Inhibits The Proliferation of Hypoxic MSCs
Authors: Chen Guanyin , Fan Dong , Zhang Wangqian , Wang Shuning , Gu Jintao , Gao Yuan , He Lei , Li Weina , Zhang Cun , Li Meng , Zhang Yingqi , Liu Zhaohui , Hao Qiang
Published: May 2021

Background: Hypoxia has been shown to be able to induce tenogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) which lead hypoxia-induced MSCs to be a potential treatment for tendon injury. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the tenogenic differentiation process of hypoxic MSCs, which limited the application of differentiation-inducing therapies in tendon repair. This study was designed to investigate the role of Mohawk homeobox (Mkx) in tenogenic differentiation and proliferation of hypoxic MSCs.Methods: Adipose-derived MSCs (AMSCs) and bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs) were isolated, identified and cultured as our previous study. qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to evaluate the expression of Mkx and other tendon-associated markers in AMSCs and BMSCs under hypoxia condition. Small interfering RNA technique was applied to observe the effect of Mkx levels on the expression of tendon-associated markers in normoxic and hypoxic BMSCs. Hypoxic BMSCs infected with Mkx-specific short hair RNA (shRNA) or scramble were implanted into the wound gaps of injured patellar tendons to assess the effect of Mkx levels on tendon repair. In addition, cell counting kit‑8 and colony formation unit assays were adopted to determine the proliferation capacity of normoxic or hypoxic BMSCs infected with or without Mkx-specific shRNA.Results: Our data showed that the expression of Mkx significantly increased in hypoxic AMSCs, and increased much more in hypoxic BMSCs. Our results also detected that the expression of tenogenic differentiation markers after down-regulation of Mkx were significantly decreased not only in normoxic BMSCs, but also in hypoxic BMSCs which paralleled the inferior histological evidences, worse biomechanical properties and smaller diameters of collagen fibrils in vivo. In addition, our in vitro data demonstrated that the optical density values and the clone numbers of both normoxic and hypoxic BMSCs were significantly increased after knockdown of Mkx, and were also significantly enhanced in both AMSCs and BMSCs in hypoxia condition under which the expression of Mkx was up-regulated.Conclusions: These findings strongly suggested that Mkx mediated hypoxia-induced tenogenic differentiation of MSCs, but could not completely repress the proliferation of hypoxic MSCs.
The contribution of Galactic TeV pulsar wind nebulae to Fermi-LAT diffuse emission
Authors: Vecchiotti Vittoria , Pagliaroli Giulia , Villante Francesco
Published: May 2021

The large-scale diffuse γ−ray flux observed by Fermi-LAT in the 1-100 GeV energy range, parameterized as ∝ E−Γ, has a spectral index Γ that depends on the distance from the Galactic center. This feature, if attributed to the diffuse emission produced by cosmic rays (CR) interactions with the interstellar gas, can be interpreted as the evidence of a progressive CR spectral hardening towards the Galactic center. This interpretation challenges the standard cosmic rays diffusion paradigm. We report on the implications of TeV Pulsar Wind Nebulae observed by the HESS Galactic Plane Survey in the 1-100 TeV energy range for the interpretation of Fermi-LAT data. We argue that a relevant fraction of this population cannot be resolved by Fermi-LAT in the GeV domain providing a relevant contribution to the large-scale diffuse emission, viz. the 30% of the total diffuse γ-ray emission in the inner Galaxy. This additional component naturally accounts for a large part of the spectral index variation observed by Fermi-LAT, weakening the evidence of CR spectral hardening in the inner Galaxy.
Effects of Different Surfactants to Petroleum Hydrocarbons Degradation of Mixed-bacteria
Authors: Cui Jia-qi , Li Ya-qi , He Qing-sheng , Li Bing-zhi , Yuan Ying-jin , Wen Jianping
Published: May 2021

Surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER) had been widely applied to remove petroleum hydrocarbon (PH) pollutants, but the degradation mechanism that how to affect the hydrocarbon metabolite ability of microorganism under added surfactant is raring. In this work, the combination bacteria and surfactant were selected to remove PH, and the degradation bottleneck concentration of single-bacteria was 10000.00 mg/L according to the PH degradation rate. However, the degradation efficient of mixed-bacteria was further increased in adding surfactant condition.. Among them, the PH degradation rate of Kocuria rosea + Bacillus odyssey and Microbacterium. sp + B. odyssey had been respectively reached to 81.58±6.29% (added tween-80) and 88.35±7.58% (added rhamnolipid) under above bottleneck concentration. Compared with non-added surfactant, the relative abundances of global overmaps, amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism were increased in adding tween-80 condition. However, when added rhamnolipid, the relative abundances of ABC transporters, two-component system, and bacteria chemotaxis had been exhibited enhancement obviously, and aimed to improve of transportation, absorption and degradation of PH. Additionally, the gene abundance of alkB and nah was also significantly increased with above condition. Meanwhile, the gene abundance of alkB and nah was also significantly enhanced by above condition. Sum up, this work offers an important information to insights into the changes of mixed-bacteria function during different systems to degrade PH.
Improving Performance of Laser and Shaped Tube Electrochemical Machining by Using Retracted Hybrid Tubular Tool Electrode
Authors: yang yong , wang yufeng , Gui Yujie , Shao Fuhui , Li Yulei , Zhang Wenwu
Published: May 2021

The coaxial laser has been introduced to shaped tube electrochemical machining (STEM), referred to as Laser-STEM, to enhance the materials removal rate and precision. To address the issue of central residual formation during the Laser-STEM process, which limited the machining stability and feeding rate, the retracted hybrid tubular electrode was applied. The formation mechanisms and effects of the W-shaped central residual were analyzed. Simulation and experiments were conducted to study the impact of the retracted length of the tubular electrode. Simulation results showed that a retracted length of 1-1.5 mm of the inner low-refractive layer could improve the electric current density distribution homogeneity to remove the W-shaped central residual in the machining area. The electric current density distribution homogeneity in the machining zone has been decreased by 38% by utilizing the hybrid tubular electrode with a retracted length of 2.0 mm. With a proper retracted length, the laser coupling efficiency exceeded 74.5%. Hence, the retracted hybrid tubular electrode could act as both the tool electrode and optical waveguide in the Laser-STEM process. Experimental results proved that the machining efficiency and precision of Laser-STEM could be enhanced by utilizing the retracted hybrid tubular electrode. With the retracted length deg rising from 0 mm to 1.5 mm, the maximum feeding speed increased by 373%, and the machining precision was improved by 42.2%. The maximum feeding rate of 4.1 mm/min has been achieved using the retracted hybrid tubular electrode in the Laser-STEM process, which has been improved by 105%, compared with the available maximum feeding rate of the tubular electrode in the STEM process. Finally, the small holes with a diameter of 1.4 mm and an aspect ratio of 15 have been processed by Laser-STEM with the retracted hybrid tubular electrode.
Influence of Environmental Factors on Tree Species Diversity and Composition in the Indian Western Himalaya
Authors: Thakur Shinny , Dhyani Rupesh , Negi Vikram S , Bhatt I D , Yadava A K
Published: May 2021

Understanding patterns and forest communities and its driving factors play a critical role in ecological studies. In view of this, present study attempted to understand the role of environmental and anthropogenic factors in relation to species diversity and composition along the altitudinal gradient (700-4000 m asl) in Indian western Himalaya. A total of 51 tree species (28 families) were recorded; pinaceae (5) and fagaceae (5) were the species rich families. α-diversity indices i.e., Margalef's richness index (R), Shannon index (Hʹ) and Simpson index showed a humped shaped distribution, whereas Evenness index (E) showed an inverted humped shaped distribution along the altitude range. Based on non-metric dimensional scaling (NMDS), four different community types were identified. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed a strong relationship of tree species composition with environmental (41.73% variation) and anthropogenic factors (17.35% variation). RDA further indicated that the bulk density (BD), disturbance index (DI), mean diurnal temperature range (Bio2) and solar radiation (SR) are significantly associated with sub-tropical (below 1200 m) and lower temperate forest (1200-1700 m) types. Likewise, soil organic carbon (SOC), precipitation of the driest quarter (Bio17) and pH were significantly associated with upper temperate (1700-2900 m) and subalpine forest composition (<2900 m). Both NMDS classiﬁcation and RDA ordination clearly demonstrate spatial variability in composition of tree community and environmental properties.
The Diagnostic Criteria of Refeeding Syndrome in Critically Ill Patients from four Chinese Hospitals: A Multicenter Prospective Study
Authors: Lu Kongmiao , Shen Xuping , Zheng Xiangxin , Xu Xin , Xu Zhijun , Xu Yongshan , Hu Yanting , Wu Yunlong , Luo Jinming , Yan Biqing , Han Wei , Chen Xiaomeng , Wan Huqiang , Wang Qianwen , Wang Huijuan , Zhang Hui , Shao Feifei , Tao Jing , Gai Lei , Huang Man
Published: May 2021

Background: Refeeding syndrome (RFS) is a group of metabolic disorders associated with refeeding after starvation. However, the diagnostic criteria of RFS are highly heterogeneous. This study aimed to identify the best diagnostic criteria of RFS in critically ill patients.Methods: A multicenter, parallel, prospective trial enrolled patients (≥18 years) with mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days. RFS, defined as new-onset hypophosphatemia (<0.87mmol/L) within 72h after feeding and a decreased concentration of serum phosphate of more than 30%, from four hospital ICU of Zhejiang provinces in China. The primary endpoint was the 28-day mortality. Results: Between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020, 312 patients were enrolled. Of these, 302 patients were included and completed the trial. Except for APACHE II, there were no significant differences in age, gender, admission type, diagnosis, furosemide application, and hormone application. In the RFS2 and RFS3 groups, the APACHE II score was significantly higher than the non-RFS group (p=0.009 and p=0.01, respectively). In the nutritional baseline data, there were no significant differences between the groups in the PNI index, time to start of nutrition treatment, percentage of start nutrition within 48 hours, parenteral nutrition, feeding intolerance, and caloric intake and protein intake within first week. The NRS2002 score in group 2 and 3 was higher than the non-RFS group (p<0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). Moreover, the BMI index in group 3 was lower than the non-RFS group(p=0.001). Furthermore, the 28-day mortality increased in group 2 compared with the non-RFS group. The length of hospital stay in group 3 was significantly longer than that in the non-RFS group (p=0.008). More importantly, according to the preliminary RFS2 screening criteria, patients were further divided into patients with modified RFS and modified non-RFS. The nosocomial infection rate and 28- or 90-day mortality in the modified RFS group were higher than those of the modified non-RFS group (p=0.006 and p=0.02, respectively).Conclusions: The optimal criterion of RFS was a decrease in serum phosphate level of 0.65mmol/L and below, and a reduction of greater than 0.16 mmol/L within 72 h after starting nutritional support. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov database, NCT04005300. Registered 1 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT04005300
Herbal Formula Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction Attenuates Paclitaxel-related Neurotoxicity via Inhibition of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Lv Zhangming , Shen Jiayun , Gao Xuejiao , Ruan Yonglan , Ling Jinying , Sun Rongwei , Dai Jingya , Fan Haizhen , Cheng Xiaolan , Cao Peng
Published: May 2021

Background: Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) is a challenging clinical problem during chemotherapy. Our previous work found that herbal formula Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction (HGWD) could reduce oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity. However, its effect on PIPN remains unknown. In this study, we aim to investigate the therapeutic effect and the underlying mechanisms of HGWD against PIPN with pharmacological and network pharmacology.Methods: Male Wistar rats were used to establish an animal model of PIPN and treated with different doses of HGWD for 3 weeks. Mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia and body weight were measured to evaluate the therapeutic effect of HGWD on PIPN rats. On the day of the sacrifice, blood, DRGs, sciatic nerve, and hind-paw intra-plantar skins were collected to assess neuroprotective effect of HGWD on PIPN. Next, network pharmacology was performed to decipher the potential active components and molecular mechanisms of HGWD, as were further verified by western blotting analyses in PIPN rats. Finally, the effect of HGWD on the chemotherapeutic activity of paclitaxel was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.Results: In rats with PIPN, HGWD reversed mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, and ameliorated neuronal damage. Moreover, HGWD significantly increased the level of nerve growth factor, dramatically reduced IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α levels and oxidative stress. Network pharmacology analysis revealed 30 active ingredients in HGWD and 158 candidate targets. Integrated pathway analysis identified PI3K/Akt and toll-like receptor as two main pathways responsible for the neuroprotective effect of HGWD. Further experimental validation demonstrated that HGWD expectedly inhibited the protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, IKKα, and p-NF-κB, and promoted PI3K, p-Akt, Nrf2, and HO-1 level in dorsal root ganglia. Last but not least, HGWD did not interfere with the antitumor activity of paclitaxel both in in vitro and in vivo models.Conclusion: These combined data showed that HGWD could inhibit paclitaxel-evoked inflammatory and oxidative responses in peripheral nervous system viaTLR4/NF-κB and PI3K/Akt-Nrf2 pathways involvement. The neuroprotective property of HGWD on PIPN provides fundamental support to the potential application of HGWD for counteracting the side effects of paclitaxel during chemotherapy.
Accommodative relaxation by extending the viewing distance through the simple optical design of a double-mirror system
Authors: Huang Shuan-Yu , YEH SHANG-MIN , SU HUI-RONG
Published: May 2021

This paper discusses the accommodative relaxation of myopic adults by using a simple double-mirror design. This optical design can extend the viewing distance to 2.285 m and magnify the image up to 3.79 times, and it results in the accommodative relaxation of a single human eye. We recruited 32 subjects with an average age of 20.8 ± 0.95 years old. After an examination of their refractive status, the disposable contact lenses with a corresponding refractive error were corrected, and the dynamic accommodative response and the change in pupil size were measured by using an open-field auto-refractor. The dynamic accommodative responses and pupil size data were collected under two viewing distance conditions. When the subjects gazed at a real object that was 0.4 m away, or a virtual image that was 2.285 m away, the mean value of the accommodative response was 1.69 ± 0.31D or 0.11 ± 0.05D, and the pupil size was 3.79 ± 0.49 mm or 4.09 ± 0.72 mm, respectively. The accommodative response decreased and the pupil size increased by using the double-mirror system, and therefore, accommodative relaxation can be achieved by using this new optical design. In this study, we first successfully proposed a simple optical design to relax the accommodation, and the fluctuations of the accommodation response were stable, with the extended viewing distance of 2.285 m. This design may be applied for the improvement of visual function, such as the reduction of asthenopia and the control of myopia.
Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Activity of The Cerium Doped Ba2TiMoO6 Double Perovskite.
Authors: Ghrib Taher , Al-Otaibi Athaa , Mahmoud Qasim , Ercan Filiz , Ali Asghar , Manda Abdullah A.
Published: May 2021

In this work, it was highlighted synthesis strategy and fundamental characterization of the pure and Ce doped Ba2TiMoO6 with different Ce concentrations were presented. It was investigated its thermal stability by using the Thermal Gravimetric Analysis and Differential Thermal Analysis. The crystal structures and the purity of the compounds were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The Surface morphology was examined by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and surface area analysis. The optical properties were examined by using the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The prepared Ba2TiMoO6 nanopowders are characterized by band gap of 3.41~3.6 eV and violet emission of 426.67 nm wavelength. The degradation efficiency was found approximately 16% of Methyl Blue (MO) after 120 min duration. Our results will predicate new Perovskites materials, which can be used for future environmental applications.
Risk factors associated with echinococcosis in Chinese general population: a meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: zhang tiantian , Li Bin , Liu Yuying , Liu Shou
Published: May 2021

Background

Echinococcosis is a severe zoonotic disease that imposes a substantial burden on human life. Numerous studies on echinococcosis have involved a variety of risk factors, and it is difficult to evaluate the key risk factors. The objectives of this meta-analysis are to summarize available data on the prevalence of human echinococcosis and identify the key risk factors for echinococcosis.
Methods

Relevant studies were comprehensively searched in the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP Information (VIP), Wanfang and SinoMed databases from database inception until August 22, 2020. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) by integrating the OR values of each risk factor. The I2 and Q statistics were calculated to evaluate the heterogeneity, and potential sources of heterogeneity were identified using sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis. Publication bias was estimated by funnel plots and Egger’s test.
Results

A total of 1026 studies were identified through the database search, of which 26 were eligible for this meta-analysis. In total, 23 and 9 of the 26 studies were cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) studies, respectively (6 papers included both AE and CE). The pooled prevalence of echinococcosis was 5.52% (95% CI: 5.47%-5.58%). Ethnicity (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.81–4.75; I2 = 0), being a herder (OR = 2.66, 95%CI95% CI: 2.25–3.14; I2 = 8%), not washing hands before meals (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.34–4.28; I2 = 82.8%) and being female (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.26–1.66; I2 = 33.9%) were risk factors for AE. The top five risk factors for CE were ethnicity (OR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.55–6.52; I2 = 79.2%), nomadism (OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.65–4.47; I2 = 55.8%), drinking nonboiled water (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.36–4.47; I2 = 85.7), feeding viscera to dogs (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.89–2.91; I2 = 21.5%), and being a herder (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.67–2.86; I2 = 85.1%). The study design-specific subgroup analysis showed that the heterogeneity of CE risk factors decreased to varying degrees.
Conclusions

Specific characteristics (i.e., ethnicity and herder status) and behaviors (i.e., not washing hands before meals and feeding viscera to dogs ) are possible risk factors for echinococcosis. This study provided remarkable insight for future prevention and control of echinococcosis.