Development of DNDC-BC model to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddy fields under combination of biochar and controlled irrigation management.

Acknowledgments This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China 608 (51879076), SuperG (Nr: 774124; funded under EU Horizon 2020 programme), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (B220203009), the Postgraduate Research & Practice Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX22_0669), the Water Conservancy Science and Technology Project of Jiangxi Province 12 (202124ZDKT09). Thanks to the late Professor Changsheng Li who provided the source code of DNDC and corresponding support. We thank the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for providing a scholarship to Zewei Jiang.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Investigations of Hydrocarbon Species on Solid Catalysts by Inelastic Neutron Scattering

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2020-10-01, registration 2020-10-01, pub-electronic 2020-10-26, online 2020-10-26, pub-print 2021-08Publication status: PublishedFunder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/P011632/1Funder: University of ManchesterAbstract: The status of surface species on solid catalysts during heterogeneous catalysis is often mysterious. Investigations of these surface species are crucial to deconvolute the reaction network and design more efficient catalysts. Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful technique to study the interactions between surface species and the catalysts and infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies have been widely applied to study reaction mechanisms in heterogeneous catalysis. However, IR/Raman spectra are difficult to model computationally and important vibrational modes may be IR-, Raman- (or both) inactive due to restrictions by optical selection rules. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) is another form of vibrational spectroscopy and relies on the scattering of neutrons by the atomic nucleus. A consequence of this is that INS is not subject to any optical selection rules and all vibrations are measurable in principle. INS spectroscopy has been used to investigate surface species on catalysts in a wide range of heterogeneous catalytic reactions. In this mini-review, we focus on applications of INS in two important fields: petrochemical reactions and C1 chemistry. We introduce the basic principles of the INS technique, followed by a discussion of its application in investigating two key catalytic systems: (i) the behaviour of hydrocarbons on metal-oxide and zeolite catalysts and (ii) the formation of hydrocarbonaceous species on methane reforming and Fischer–Tropsch catalysts. The power of INS in studying these important catalytic systems is demonstrated

Description of Clinical Characteristics of VAP Patients in MIMIC Database

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common and serious nosocomial infection of intensive-care units (ICUs). Accurate, timely diagnosis enables early VAP patients to receive appropriate therapies and reduce the occurrence of complication. However, so far clinical datas regarding the epidemiology and mortality of VAP are still limited. Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) database is a free, open and public resource about ICU research database. MIMIC database is a free, open, public database that collects information on more than 40,000 ICU patients who are predominantly white people. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to observe and describe the clinical characteristics of VAP patients in ICU from the MIMIC database.Method: A total of 418 patients were enrolled in the study. General information, ventilator use information, microbiology information, antibiotic use information, and some nursing-related information were extracted to describe and analyze the clinical features of VAP patients.Results: The results of the study showed that patients with one or three pathogens were the most. The main pathogens were YEAST (16.71%), STAPH AUREUS COAG+ (11.63%), Staphylococcus, COAGULASE NEGATIVE (8.68%), GRAM NEGATIVE ROD (S) (6.14%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.73%). Patients using 4 antibiotics were the most. The top five antibiotics in the largest proportion were synthetic antibacterials (24.66%), peptides (20.13%), cephalosporins (19.60%), penicillins (13.54%), and aminoglycosides (5.27%).Conclusion: This study summarizes the common pathogens of VAP and the antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of VAP by describing the clinical information of 418 patients with VAP in the MIMIC database. In clinical treatment, we should pay attention to aseptic operation, develop appropriate antibacterial measures, closely monitor the pathogens of VAP infection, and use antibiotics in a timely manner to control the occurrence and development of VAP

An integrated neuroimaging-omics approach for the gut-brain communication pathways in Alzheimer’s disease

A key role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), has been identified over the past decades. Increasing clinical and preclinical evidence implicates that there is bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system (CNS), which is also known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Nevertheless, current knowledge on the interplay between gut microbiota and the brain remains largely unclear. One of the primary mediating factors by which the gut microbiota interacts with the host is peripheral metabolites, including blood or gut-derived metabolites. However, mechanistic knowledge about the effect of the microbiome and metabolome signaling on the brain is limited. Neuroimaging techniques, such as multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), have the potential to directly elucidate brain structural and functional changes corresponding with alterations of the gut microbiota and peripheral metabolites in vivo. Employing a combination of gut microbiota, metabolome, and advanced neuroimaging techniques provides a future perspective in illustrating the microbiota-gut-brain pathway and further unveiling potential therapeutic targets for AD treatments

Pien Tze Huang Alleviates Relapsing-Remitting Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mice by Regulating Th1 and Th17 Cells

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by infiltrating inflammatory cells and demyelinating lesions, and T helper (Th) cells play critical roles in the pathogenesis of MS. There is still lack of effective treatments currently. Pien Tze Huang (PZH), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been proved to have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and immunoregulatory effects. However, whether PZH can be used to treat MS is still obscure. This study aimed to investigate the possible therapeutic effect and the underlying action mechanism of PZH in relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (RR-EAE) mice. Female SJL/J mice were immunized with myelin proteolipid protein 139–151 (PLP139−151) and pertussis toxin to establish RR-EAE model. Mice were then randomly divided into normal group, model group, PZH group and positive control group (fingolimod, FTY-720), and drugs were orally administered for 60 days from the day 10 after immunization. Sera of mice were collected for ELISA detection. Tissues of CNS were harvested for hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) and luxol fast blue (LFB) staining. Furthermore, Th1, Th17 cells and their related cytokines in the CNS were detected by flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. Proteins involved in STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways were detected by western blot. The results showed that PZH-treated mice displayed mild or moderate clinical symptoms compared with untreated EAE mice that exhibited severe clinical symptoms. PZH remarkably reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and myelin damage in the CNS of EAE mice. It markedly down-regulated the levels of IFN-γ and IL-17A in sera of EAE mice. Moreover, PZH could reduce the percentages of Th1 and Th17 cells. It also suppressed the production of transcription factors ROR-γt and T-bet as well as the mRNA levels of their downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-γ and IL-17A. Furthermore, PZH could inhibit the phosphorylation of some key proteins in the STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that PZH had a therapeutic effect on RR-EAE mice, which was associated with the modulation effect on Th1 and Th17 cells

Switchable metasurface absorber used for enabling reconfigurable power angular spectrum in reverberation chamber

Abstract The reverberation chamber (RC) provides a fast and repeatable method for over-the-air (OTA) testing of wireless devices. Moreover, the RC-based method can reduce the OTA testing cost to a great extent. But the defect of the RC is also obvious. Compared to a multi-probe anechoic chamber, the channel spatial characteristics in RC are uncontrollable. The device under test in an RC usually sees a statistically isotropic channel and there is a strong impediment to control the channel in RC, which constrains the RC’s OTA applications. In this paper, we propose a method to realize reconfigurable RC enabling arbitrary channel power angular spectrum (PAS) by using a switchable metasurface absorber. Specifically, the unit cell of the metasurface can be switched between the reflection and absorption states by providing different bias voltages. By mounting the switchable metasurface absorber on the RC’s inside walls, the boundary conditions of the RC in the covered area could be switched electronically. Consequently, the channel’s PAS can be controlled by changing the local states of the switchable metasurface absorber. As a proof of concept, a prototype of the switchable metasurface absorber is made and comprehensive experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the switchable metasurface applied to enable reconfigurable PAS in RC.</jats:p

Subthalamic nucleus dynamics track microlesion effect in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized by the temporary alleviation of motor symptoms following electrode implantation (or nucleus destruction), known as the microlesion effect (MLE). Electrophysiological studies have explored different PD stages, but understanding electrophysiological characteristics during the MLE period remains unclear. The objective was to examine the characteristics of local field potential (LFP) signals in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) during the hyperacute period following implantation (within 2 days) and 1 month post-implantation. 15 patients diagnosed with PD were enrolled in this observational study, with seven simultaneous recordings of bilateral STN-LFP signals using wireless sensing technology from an implantable pulse generator. Recordings were made in both on and off medication states over 1 month after implantation. We used a method to parameterize the neuronal power spectrum to separate periodic oscillatory and aperiodic components effectively. Our results showed that beta power exhibited a significant increase in the off medication state 1 month after implantation, compared to the postoperative hyperacute period. Notably, this elevation was effectively attenuated by levodopa administration. Furthermore, both the exponents and offsets displayed a decrease at 1 month postoperatively when compared to the hyperacute postoperative period. Remarkably, levodopa medication exerted a modulatory effect on these aperiodic parameters, restoring them back to levels observed during the hyperacute period. Our findings suggest that both periodic and aperiodic components partially capture distinct electrophysiological characteristics during the MLE. It is crucial to adequately evaluate such discrepancies when exploring the mechanisms of MLE and optimizing adaptive stimulus protocols

Graphene-Based Nanocomposites for Energy Storage

Since the first report of using micromechanical cleavage method to produce graphene sheets in 2004, graphene/graphene-based nanocomposites have attracted wide attention both for fundamental aspects as well as applications in advanced energy storage and conversion systems. In comparison to other materials, graphene-based nanostructured materials have unique 2D structure, high electronic mobility, exceptional electronic and thermal conductivities, excellent optical transmittance, good mechanical strength, and ultrahigh surface area. Therefore, they are considered as attractive materials for hydrogen (H2) storage and high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors, rechargeable lithium (Li)-ion batteries, Li–sulfur batteries, Li–air batteries, sodium (Na)-ion batteries, Na–air batteries, zinc (Zn)–air batteries, and vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB), etc., as they can improve the efficiency, capacity, gravimetric energy/power densities, and cycle life of these energy storage devices. In this article, recent progress reported on the synthesis and fabrication of graphene nanocomposite materials for applications in these aforementioned various energy storage systems is reviewed. Importantly, the prospects and future challenges in both scalable manufacturing and more energy storage-related applications are discussed