Picard-Hayman behavior of derivatives of meromorphic functions

Let $f$ be a transcendental meromorphic function on $\mathbb{ C}$, and $P(z), Q(z)$ be two polynomials with $\deg P(z)>\deg Q(z)$. In this paper, we prove that: if $f(z)=0\Rightarrow f^{\prime}(z)=a$(a nonzero constant), except possibly finitely many, then $f^{\prime}(z)-P(z)/Q(z)$ has infinitely many zeros. Our result extends or improves some previous related results due to Bergweiler–Pang, Pang–Nevo–Zalcman, Wang–Fang, and the author, et. al

Picard-Hayman behavior of derivatives of meromorphic functions

Let $f$ be a transcendental meromorphic function on $\mathbb{ C}$, and $P(z), Q(z)$ be two polynomials with $\deg P(z)>\deg Q(z)$. In this paper, we prove that: if $f(z)=0\Rightarrow f^{\prime}(z)=a$(a nonzero constant), except possibly finitely many, then $f^{\prime}(z)-P(z)/Q(z)$ has infinitely many zeros. Our result extends or improves some previous related results due to Bergweiler–Pang, Pang–Nevo–Zalcman, Wang–Fang, and the author, et. al

Distribution and speciation of dissolved iron in Jiaozhou Bay (Yellow Sea, China)

The distribution of total dissolved iron (DFe) and its chemical speciation were studied in vertical profiles of the shallow and semi-closed Jiaozhou Bay (JZB, China) during two contrasting periods: summer (July 19th, 2011) and spring (May 10th, 2012). Samples collected from the surface, middle and bottom layers were analyzed by competitive ligand exchange-adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE-aCSV). The mean DFe concentration during the summer period (median 18.8 nM ; average 20.7 nM) was higher than in the spring period (median 12.4 nM ; average 16.9 nM), whereas the spatio-temporal variation in spring was larger than in summer. The DFe-values showed distinct regional and seasonal differences, ranging from 5.6 to 107 nM in spring period and 13.4 to 43.4 nM in summer period. In spring, the highest DFe-values were observed in the eastern coastal region, especially near an industrial area (up to 107 nM), whereas the DFe distribution in summer was relatively even. Due to a tide influence, the vertical variations in the DFe and Lt in both seasons were not significant. On average, the Lt concentration (one class of ligand was estimated in all samples), was higher in spring (35.2 ± 23.4 nM) than in summer (31.1 ± 10.3 nM). A statistically significant correlation was found between Lt and DFe concentrations, it was higher for the summer period than for the spring period. The conditional stability constants (logK′) of organic complexes with iron were weaker in spring (11.7 ± 0.3) than in summer (12.3 ± 0.3). The concentrations of Lt were higher in comparison to DFe in all samples: the average [Lt]/[DFe] ratio in the spring and summer samples was 2.4 and 1.5, respectively. Speciation calculations showed that the DFe in the JZB existed predominantly (over 99.99%) in the form of strong organic complexes in both seasons

Dynamic performance of an underground trackless rubber tyred vehicle driven by flameproof diesel engine

Vozilo bez gusjenica s gumenim kotačima (the trackless rubber tyred vehicle - TRTV) važan je dio opreme za prijevoz u podzemnim ugljenokopima na svijetu. Sada se većina TRTV-a pogoni vatrootpornim dizel motorima. Međutim, malo je istraživanja do sada koja su bila usmjerena na njihovu dinamičku učinkovitost. U ovom se radu najprije rezimiraju i razmatraju karakteristični parametri i faktori od utjecaja na dinamičku učinkovitost TRTV-a pogonjenih vatrootpornim dizel motorima. Zatim se postavljaju osnovne dinamičke jednadžbe TRTV-a. Na kraju se ADVISOR-om simuliraju dinamičke performanse TRTV-a tipa WCQ-3B. Razmatraju se simulacijom neki važni parametri dinamičke učinkovitosti kao što su maksimalna brzina, vrijeme ubrzanja i maksimalna sposobnosti vozila u savladavanju uspona (gradabilnost). Uz to se također analiziraju potrošnja goriva i ispuštanje plinova. Pokazano je da dinamičke performanse WCQ-3B tipa TRTV-a mogu zadovoljiti zahtjeve dizajna i uporabe u podzemnim ugljenokopima.The trackless rubber tyred vehicle (TRTV) is an important transporting equipment of underground coal mine auxiliary transportation system in the world. Presently, most TRTVs are driven by flameproof diesel engine. However, few researches were focused on their dynamic performance in the past. In this paper, the characterizing parameters and influencing factors of the dynamic performance of a flameproof diesel engine driven TRTV were summarized and discussed firstly. Then the basic dynamic equations of the TRTV were established. Finally, the dynamic performances of the WCQ-3B type TRTV were simulated by ADVISOR. And some important dynamic performance parameters such as maximum speed, acceleration time and maximum gradability were discussed by simulation. What is more, the fuel economy and emission performance of the vehicle were also analysed. It is shown that the dynamic performance of WCQ-3B type TRTV can satisfy the design and usage requirements of underground coal mine

Protective effect of five-flavor sophora flavescens enteric-coated capsules on inflammatory bowel disease and its molecular mechanism

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effect of five-flavor sophora flavescens enteric-coated capsules (FSEC) on TNF-α-induced inflammatory bowel disease and its molecular mechanism. Wistar Rats were divided divided into 6 groups: Normal control group (group A): normal diet, drinking water; Model group (group B): 100 μg/L TNF-α; FSEC high-dose group (group C): 100μg/L TNF-α + FSEC (432 mg/kg); FSEC medium-dose group (group D): 100 μg/L TNF-α + FSEC (216 mg/kg); FSEC low-dose group (group E): 100 μg/L TNF-α + FSEC (108 mg/kg); Positive control group (group F): 100 μg/L TNF-α + 500 mg/kg sulfasalazine (SAZ). Animals in each group were intragastrically administered twice daily for 7 days. Animals were sacrificed 24 hours after the last treatment and colon tissues were collected for subsequent experiments. The results of HE staining showed that the colonic tissue of TNF-α-fed animals appeared damage, while the colonic tissue of animals treated with FSEC was improved to various degrees, and the histological characteristics of colon were basically recovered in the high-dose group, suggesting that FSEC could be used to treat TNF-α-induced colonic tissue damage. According to the results of ELISA and immunohistochemistry, the recovery of colonic tissue structure in rats treated with different doses of FSEC might be related to the decrease of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, TLR-4 and NF-κB proteins expression. According to the results of Western blotting, TNF-α-pretreated IEC-6 cells cultured with medicated serum decreased the expression of TRIF and IFN-γ proteins. These results suggest that FSEC has a protective effect on ulcerative colitis (UC), and the mechanism may be through inhibiting the activation of TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway and preventing the release of related inflammatory factors

15.34% efficiency all-small-molecule organic solar cells with an improved fill factor enabled by a fullerene additive

Solution processed organic solar cells (OSCs) composed of all small molecules (ASM) are promising for production on an industrial scale owing to the properties of small molecules, such as well-defined chemical structures, high purity of materials, and outstanding repeatability from batch to batch synthesis. Remarkably, ASM OSCs with power conversion efficiency (PCE) beyond 13% were achieved by structure improvement of the electron donor and choosingY6as the electron acceptor. However, the fill factor (FF) is an obstacle that limits the further improvement of the PCE for these ASM OSCs. Herein, we focus on the FF improvement of recently reported ASM OSCs withBTR-Cl:Y6as the active layer by miscibility-induced active layer morphology optimization. The incorporation of fullerene derivatives, which have good miscibility with bothBTR-ClandY6, results in reduced bimolecular recombination and thus improved FF. In particular, whenca.5 wt% ofPC(71)BMwas added in the active layer, a FF of 77.11% was achieved without sacrificing the open circuit voltage (V-OC) and the short circuit current density (J(SC)), leading to a record PCE of 15.34% (certified at 14.7%) for ASM OSCs. We found that the optimized device showed comparable charge extraction, longer charge carrier lifetime, and slower bimolecular recombination rate compared with those of the control devices (w/o fullerene). Our results demonstrate that the miscibility driven regulation of active layer morphology by incorporation of a fullerene derivative delicately optimizes the active layer microstructures and improves the device performance, which brings vibrancy to OSC research

Self-assembly enables simple structure organic photovoltaics via green-solvent and open-air-printing: Closing the lab-to-fab gap

The ultimate goal of organic solar cells (OSCs) is to deliver cheap, stable, efficient, scalable, and eco-friendly solar-to-power products contributing to the global carbon neutral. However, simultaneously balancing these five critical factors of OSCs toward commercialization is extremely challenging. Herein, a green-solvent-processable and open-air-printable self-assembly strategy is demonstrated to synchronously simplify the device architecture, improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and enhance the shelf, thermal as well as light illumination stability of OSCs. The cathode interlayer (CIL)-free self-assembled OSCs exhibit the PCE of 15.5%, higher than that of traditional inverted OSCs of 13.0%, which is among the top values for both CIL-free self-assembled OSCs and open-air blade-coated bulk-heterojunction OSCs. The remarkable enhancements are mainly ascribed to the finely selfassembly, subtly controlled donor/acceptor aggregation rate, and delicately manipulated vertical morphology. Besides, this strategy enables 13.2% efficiency on device area of 0.98 cm(2), implying its potential for scalability. These findings demonstrate that this strategy can close the lab-to-fab gap of OSCs toward commercialized cheap, stable, efficient, scalable, and eco-friendly OSCs

Alterations of the human gut microbiome in multiple sclerosis

The gut microbiome plays an important role in immune function and has been implicated in several autoimmune disorders. Here we use 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the gut microbiome in subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS, n=60) and healthy controls (n=43). Microbiome alterations in MS include increases in Methanobrevibacter and Akkermansia and decreases in Butyricimonas, and correlate with variations in the expression of genes involved in dendritic cell maturation, interferon signalling and NF-kB signalling pathways in circulating T cells and monocytes. Patients on disease-modifying treatment show increased abundances of Prevotella and Sutterella, and decreased Sarcina, compared with untreated patients. MS patients of a second cohort show elevated breath methane compared with controls, consistent with our observation of increased gut Methanobrevibacter in MS in the first cohort. Further study is required to assess whether the observed alterations in the gut microbiome play a role in, or are a consequence of, MS pathogenesis

Methylprednisolone as Adjunct to Endovascular Thrombectomy for Large-Vessel Occlusion Stroke

Importance It is uncertain whether intravenous methylprednisolone improves outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy. Objective To assess the efficacy and adverse events of adjunctive intravenous low-dose methylprednisolone to endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke secondary to LVO. Design, Setting, and Participants This investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was implemented at 82 hospitals in China, enrolling 1680 patients with stroke and proximal intracranial LVO presenting within 24 hours of time last known to be well. Recruitment took place between February 9, 2022, and June 30, 2023, with a final follow-up on September 30, 2023.InterventionsEligible patients were randomly assigned to intravenous methylprednisolone (n = 839) at 2 mg/kg/d or placebo (n = 841) for 3 days adjunctive to endovascular thrombectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary efficacy outcome was disability level at 90 days as measured by the overall distribution of the modified Rankin Scale scores (range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]). The primary safety outcomes included mortality at 90 days and the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours. Results Among 1680 patients randomized (median age, 69 years; 727 female [43.3%]), 1673 (99.6%) completed the trial. The median 90-day modified Rankin Scale score was 3 (IQR, 1-5) in the methylprednisolone group vs 3 (IQR, 1-6) in the placebo group (adjusted generalized odds ratio for a lower level of disability, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.96-1.25]; P = .17). In the methylprednisolone group, there was a lower mortality rate (23.2% vs 28.5%; adjusted risk ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-0.98]; P = .03) and a lower rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (8.6% vs 11.7%; adjusted risk ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.55-0.99]; P = .04) compared with placebo. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with acute ischemic stroke due to LVO undergoing endovascular thrombectomy, adjunctive methylprednisolone added to endovascular thrombectomy did not significantly improve the degree of overall disability.Trial RegistrationChiCTR.org.cn Identifier: ChiCTR210005172