Novel Superhydrophobic Copper Mesh-Based Centrifugal Device for Edible Oil-Water Separation.

Edible oil is essential for people's daily life but also results in a large amount of oily wastewater simultaneously. Oil-water separation is a practical route that can not only purify wastewater but also recycle valuable edible oil. In this study, the superhydrophobic copper mesh (SCM) was prepared by chemical etching, and a novel oil-water centrifugal device was designed for high-efficiency separation of edible oil wastewater. The kernel is a self-prepared SCM, which has a water contact angle (WCA) of 155.1 ± 1.8° and an oil contact angle (OCA) of 0°. Besides, the separation performance of the SCM for edible oil-water mixtures was studied in this study. The results showed that the SCM exhibited excellent oil/water separation performance, with a separation efficiency of up to 96.7% for sunflower seed oil-water wastewater, 93.3% for corn oil-water wastewater, and 98.3% for peanut oil-water wastewater, respectively. Moreover, the separation efficiency was still over 90% after 18 cycles. A model was established to analyze the oil-water separation mechanism via centrifugation. The oil-water centrifugal separation device has great potential for scale-up applications.

Physical Graph-Based Spatiotemporal Fusion Approach for Process Fault Diagnosis.

The rapid development of big data technology and machine learning has increasingly focused attention on fault diagnosis in complex chemical processes. However, data-driven approaches often overlook the inherent physical correlations within the system and lack a robust mechanism for providing trusted explanations for fault diagnosis. To address this challenge, a graph-based fault diagnosis model framework is proposed along with a dependable fault node diagnosis analysis method. In order to enhance the extraction of chemical process features from a spatial perspective, a graph convolution network (GCN)-based node spatial encoding module is integrated. The construction of the adjacency matrix involves combining a priori knowledge of chemical processes with Pearson correlation, thereby incorporating the physical correlations between nodes. Simultaneously, to capture temporal dependencies in fault data, a spatiotemporal feature fusion module based on the long short-term memory network (LSTM) is employed. In terms of model training, a dual-supervision strategy is adopted to ensure stable convergence of the multiclass fault diagnosis model. For model inference, a multi-model voting strategy is designed to mitigate accuracy degradation resulting from model prediction bias. To tackle the interpretability challenge, a fault diagnosis analysis method based on node masking is designed, effectively identifying critical nodes contributing to system faults. Experimental validation on the Tennessee Eastman process demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed model, achieving high accuracy in fault diagnosis. The average fault diagnosis rate for all fault types reaches 0.9844, showcasing state-of-the-art performance in fault diagnosis.

Animal study: Basic mechanism of vocal cord paralysis caused by button battery ingestion in children.

PURPOSE: Vocal cord paralysis has been reported as a common complication of button battery (BB) ingestion, and there is a need to confirm the mechanism of vocal cord paralysis for the development of a standardized treatment. METHODS: A new CR2032 BB and artificial saliva were placed in a fresh pig esophagus with the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN); the negative electrode faced the nerve in the experimental group, while the positive electrode faced the nerve in the control group. The pH values of the intra- and extraesophageal walls were measured simultaneously. Pathological examination was performed after the esophagus and nerves were damaged. RESULTS: After BB ingestion, the pH near the intraesophageal negative electrode increased rapidly, reaching 11.5 at 30 min and over 14 at 6 h, while the extraesophageal pH did not change at 1 h and began to accelerate after 2 h, reaching 10 at 6 h. After 6 h of exposure, the pathological section showed that the structure of the mucosa, submucosa, and muscle layer were destroyed; chromatin in the nucleus faded, and part of the nerve bundle in the adventitia had liquefaction necrosis. CONCLUSION: The basic mechanism of vocal cord paralysis caused by BB ingestion is that the OH- generated by the electrolytic reaction of the negative electrode penetrates the esophageal wall and corrodes the RLN, which may be the cause of vocal cord paralysis caused by BB ingestion without esophageal perforation.

Advances in the Preparation, Stability, Metabolism, and Physiological Roles of Anthocyanins: A Review.

Anthocyanins are natural flavonoid polyphenolic compounds widely found in fruits and vegetables. They exhibit antioxidant properties and prophylactic effects in the immune and cardiovascular systems, confer protection against cancer, and contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, their incorporation into functional foods, pharmaceuticals, supplements, and cosmetic formulations aims at promoting human well-being. This review comprehensively outlined the structural attributes of anthocyanins, expanding upon diverse methodologies employed for their extraction and production. Additionally, the stability, metabolic pathways, and manifold physiological functions of anthocyanins were discussed. However, their constrained fat solubility, susceptibility to instability, and restricted bioavailability collectively curtail their applicability and therapeutic efficacy. Consequently, a multidimensional approach was imperative, necessitating the exploration of innovative pathways to surmount these limitations, thereby amplifying the utilitarian significance of anthocyanins and furnishing pivotal support for their continual advancement and broader application.

Substance P is overexpressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and promoted proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer cells in vitro.

This study aimed to investigate the expression and function of substance P in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 20 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma in our hospital were collected. The expression of substance P was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Cervical squamous cell carcinoma line SiHa was treated with different concentrations of substance P. The proliferation of SiHa cells was detected by EdU assay, and the invasion ability of SiHa cells was detected by transwell assay. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the expression of MMP9 were detected by Western blot analysis. The results showed that substance P was expressed in the cytoplasm and some cell membranes of cervical squamous cell carcinoma cells. The expression of substance P in cervical cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues. Compared with the control group, substance P significantly promoted the proliferation and invasion of SiHa cells in a concentration dependent manner and activated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and upregulated the expression of MMP9 in SiHa cells. In conclusion, substance P is highly expressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and can promote cervical cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The mechanism is related to the activation of ERK1/2 pathway to upregulate MMP9.

WIF1 was downregulated in cervical cancer due to promoter methylation.

Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1) is frequently downregulated in a variety of cancer due to promoter methylation. However, the methylation status of the WIF1 promoter in cervical cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which WIF1 promoter methylation contributes to cervical cancer development. The expression of WIF1 in cervical cancer tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry. The methylation status of the WIF1 promoter in cervical cancer cells was detected by methylation specific PCR. WIF1 mRNA levels and protein levels were detected by PCR and Western blot analysis. We found that WIF1 expression was low in cervical cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal cervical tissues. The WIF1 promoter was methylated in the cervical cancer SiHa cell line but not in the normal cervical epithelial cell line Ect1. Correspondingly, WIF1 mRNA levels and protein levels were significantly lower in SiHa cells than in Ect1 cells. Treatment with 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (AZA) led to the upregulation of WIF1 mRNA and protein levels in SiHa cells, but the effects were abrogated by treatment with WIF1 siRNA. In addition, AZA treatment induced apoptosis and inhibited the invasion of SiHa cells, and the effects were abrogated by WIF1 siRNA. The protein levels of survivin, c-myc and cyclinD1 were significantly lower in SiHa cells treated with AZA, but their levels were upregulated after treatment with WIF1 siRNA. In conclusion, the methylation of the WIF1 promoter leads to the downregulation of WIF1 and the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in cervical cancer cells. WIF1 is a tumor suppressor that is inactivated in cervical cancer.

CT and MRI Features of Hairy Polyps in Neonates and Infants: A Retrospective Study of 14 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The typical imaging findings of hairy polyps have been described mostly in case reports. This study was conducted to describe the CT and MRI features of hairy polyps and their common associated abnormalities. METHODS: Medical records of 14 patients with pathological diagnosis of hairy polyps were collected for this study. For each patient, the medical records, including demographics, clinical manifestations, and imaging findings were reviewed. RESULTS: The female-to-male ratio was 3.7:1. The age at first episode varied from birth to 2.7 years. The masses were derived from the back side of the soft palate in seven (50.0%) cases, from the lateral pharyngeal wall in four (28.6%) cases, from the soft palate in one (7.1%) case, from the nasal vestibule in one (7.1%) case, and from the parapharyngeal space in one (7.1%) case. A total of 11 (78.6%) cases presented with pedicled masses containing fat and a central core of soft tissue, there were 3 (21.4%) cases whose imaging findings were atypical, and there were 6 (42.9%) patients who had other pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: Hairy polyps typically presented as pedicled masses containing fat and a central core of soft tissue, but sometimes their imaging findings can be atypical and they can be associated with other congenital abnormalities. CT and MRI are reliable methods for the diagnosis of hairy polyps and their associated abnormalities.

Neurokinin-1 receptor is highly expressed in cervical cancer and its antagonist induces cervical cancer cell apoptosis.

Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) belongs to tachykinin receptor family. Recent studies have suggested that NK1R was upregulated in cancer tissues including breast cancer, glioma and melanoma. Furthermore, NK1R antagonists have been employed to exert anti-tumor effect and promote cancer cell apoptosis. However, the role of NK1R in cervical cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to detect the expression of NK1R in cervical cancer and evaluate the anti-tumor effects of NK1R antagonist on cervical cancer cells. We found that NK1R was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues than in adjacent normal cervical tissues. Furthermore, by using NK1R antagonist we demonstrated that NK1R antagonist inhibited the viability and induced the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ERK activation and the regulation of apoptosis proteins Bcl-2 and BAX. In conclusion, these findings suggest that NK1R plays an oncogenic role in cervical cancer and is a promising target for cervical cancer therapy.

A review of the risk factors associated with juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: genetic, immune and clinical aspects.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JoRRP) is one of the most common benign lesions of hyperplastic respiratory epithelial tissue in children and is predominantly caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) 6 and 11. The clinical course of the disease is variable, and some patients even develop a malignancy. The purpose of this review was to summarize the related factors affecting the disease course in patients with JoRRP. DATA SOURCES: We used databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, to search for publications on factors associated with the genetic, immune, and clinical aspects of JoRRP. The most relevant articles to the scope of this review were chosen for analysis. RESULTS: Mother-to-child transmission is the most important mode of disease transmission; other factors, such as immune condition or genetic susceptibility, may be important determinants of JoRRP occurrence. Genetically, the presence of DRB1*0301 and HPV 6/11 E6/E7 is associated with a more severe disease. Immunewise, patients have an enhanced T helper 2-like response. In addition, regulatory T cells are enriched in tumors and may become one of the effective prognostic indicators. For clinical characteristics, patients infected with HPV-11 have more aggressive disease. However, compared with HPV type, age at first onset is a more important factor related to the aggressiveness of JoRRP. Furthermore, socioeconomic status may also affect the course. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic, immune, and some clinical factors have been noted to play an important role in the course of JoRRP. Exploring definite influencing factors will be an important direction of research in the future.

Insight into degradation mechanism of sulfamethoxazole by metal-organic framework derived novel magnetic Fe@C composite activated persulfate.

Novel Fe@C composites derived from metal-organic framework (MOF) were synthesized. Being subject to pyrolysis under different temperatures endows these Fe@Cs diverse physical-chemical properties, including morphology, crystal structure, defect level, magnetism, and most importantly, iron phase composition. Fe@C-800 consists mainly of Fe3C and α-Fe, thus possesses strong ferromagnetic properties, which imparts the ability to be separated and recycled. Its catalytic activity towards the activation of persulfate (PS) and the decomposition of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was found to be the best among all the Fe@Cs, and this activity can be regenerated by simple heat treatment. Given the mixed form of iron and N-doped carbon, α-Fe/Fe3C species provide electrons for PS to decompose and generate sulfate radical (SO4·-), hydroxyl radical (·OH), and superoxide radical (O2·-), initiating the radical pathway for partial SMX degradation. The positively charged C atoms on PS bonded Fe@C, as well as the conversion of O2·- give rise to the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2), which was responsible for the non-radical pathway for SMX degradation. As a consequence, SMX was degraded to intermediates through five degradation pathways, and finally mineralized to inorganic molecules. The results indicate that Fe@C-800 has great potential to serve as a promising activator for persulfate-mediated environmental remediation.

Strategies to improve the adsorption properties of graphene-based adsorbent towards heavy metal ions and their compound pollutants: A review.

Heavy metal-containing wastewater can be treated by adsorption technology to obtain ultra-low concentration or high-quality treated effluent. Due to the constraints of the specific surface area, surface electrical structure and spatial effect of conventional adsorbents, it is often difficult to obtain adsorbents within high adsorption capacity. Graphene has characteristics of large specific surface area, small particle size, and high adsorption efficiency. It is considered as one of the research hotspots in recent years. However, despite graphene's unique properties, graphene-based adsorbents still have some drawbacks, i.e. graphene nanosheets are easier to be stacked with each other via π-π stacking and van der Waals interactions, which affect the site exposure, impede the rapid mass transport and limit its adsorption performance. Special strategy is needed to overcome its drawbacks. This work summarizes recent literatures on utilization of three strategies-surface functionalization regulation, morphology and structure control and material composite, to improve the adsorption properties of graphene-based adsorbent towards heavy metal removal. A brief summary, perspective on strategies to improving adsorption properties of graphene-based materials for heavy metal adsorption are also presented. Certainly, this review will be useful for designing and manufacturing of graphene-based nanomaterials for water treatment.

Vocal cord paralysis following lithium button battery ingestion in children.

This study reports on vocal cord paralysis caused by esophageal button battery (BB) ingestion in children. Medical records of children with vocal cord paralysis and esophageal BB ingestion treated at a tertiary referral institute between January 2016 and March 2020 were reviewed. Five patients aged 9-58 months were identified; three were male. Each patient had accidentally swallowed a 20-mm-diameter lithium battery (3 CR2032 type and 2 CR2025 type). One battery was removed within 4 h after ingestion, and three batteries were removed within 12 h. Removal of the battery was achieved with rigid esophagoscopy in four patients and direct laryngoscopy in one patient. Four patients had bilateral, and one had unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Three patients underwent tracheotomy; two were tracheotomy-dependent until follow-up, while the third patient died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome a month after surgery. The two cases without tracheotomy remain under close follow-up.Conclusion: Accidentally ingested button batteries should be removed promptly to avoid severe complications. Respiratory support and neurotrophic treatment in the early stage of vocal cord paralysis may be beneficial for recovery of vocal cord movement. What is Known: • Button battery ingestion in children is extremely harmful, especially when the diameter of the button battery exceeds 20 mm. • Esophageal button battery impaction can cause serious complications such as esophageal perforation, mediastinal infection, tracheoesophageal fistula, vocal cord paralysis, and life-threatening bleeding. What is New: • Vocal cord paralysis in children with button battery ingestion plays an early warning role for identifying the severity of the disease. • Early neurotrophic drugs and glucocorticoid therapy may be helpful for the recovery of vocal cord movement, thereby avoiding tracheotomy.

Minimally invasive procedure for diagnosis and treatment of vallecular cysts in children: review of 156 cases.

PURPOSE: Vallecular cyst is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening disease. The aim of this study was to review the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of vallecular cysts in children. METHODS: Medical records of 156 patients treated for vallecular cysts between 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into four age groups for comparison of clinical data: A, < 1 month; B, 1-6 months; C, 7-12 months; and D, > 1 year. RESULTS: The median age of all patients (98 males and 58 females) was 12.1 months (range 1 day-11 years), including 21, 86, 21, and 28 patients in group A, B, C, and D, respectively. A diagnosis of vallecular cysts was made for 135 patients using a combination of flexible laryngoscopy and ultrasound, and ten patients (all in group A) required pre-surgery ventilation support. The most common symptoms were wheezing (59.6%) and stridor (36.5%). Ten patients experienced difficulty with intubation. Endoscopic-assisted transoral coblation marsupialization was performed for all patients, combined with supraglottoplasty for 41 out of 68 patients with concurrent laryngomalacia. Patients in group D had a longer operation time and higher incidence of intraoperative bleeding, two of whom experienced post-operation recurrence, and symptoms resolved after a second operation in both cases. CONCLUSIONS: Flexible laryngoscopy and ultrasound are recommended for a diagnosis in suspected cases of vallecular cysts. Coblation marsupialization has advantages of minor damage, low recurrence rate, and suitability for all age groups.

A comprehensive evaluation method for sludge pyrolysis and adsorption process in the treatment of coking wastewater.

This study proposes a new evaluation method based on expert scoring and data normalization to optimize operational conditions of sludge pyrolysis and assess the comprehensive benefits of the adsorption process in coking wastewater treatment. Pyrolysis temperature, holding time and heating rate were considered as the experimental parameters in sludge pyrolysis. They were optimized by the proposed method, considering raw material cost, net energy consumption, carbon emission and adsorption capacity of sludge-derived bio-char (SB). Two operational modes (cyclic centralized and traditional distributed) were compared to identify a better solution for coking wastewater treatment. The results showed that the optimized operational conditions of coking sludge pyrolysis were that temperature of 550 °C, holding time of 60 min and heating rate of 20 °C/min, using the proposed method. Cyclic centralized mode has been demonstrated as the better mode for wastewater treatment by the proposed method, due to the higher comprehensive score of -0.296. It is a promising technology for sustainable wastewater treatment in terms of sludge recycling, energy saving and carbon emission reduction.

A prospective study of salvational intervention with ICS/LABA for reducing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation under severe air pollution (SIRCAP) in Beijing: protocol of a multi-center randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) not only accelerates the progression of disease, but also causes hospital administration and death events. Epidemiologic studies have shown air pollution is a high risk factor of AECOPD. However, there are rare technics or treatment strategies recommended to reduce severe air pollution related AECOPD. METHODS: This is a multi-center, prospective, randomized and standard treatment parallel control clinical trial. Seven hundred sixty-four stable COPD patients in group B, C and D according to GOLD 2017 will be recruited and equally divided into two parallel groups, salvational intervention (SI group) and control group (CT group). Original treatments for participants include tiotropium (18µg once q.d), budesonide/formoterol (160µg/4.5µg once or twice b.i.d) or budesonide/formoterol (160µg/4.5µg once or twice b.i.d) with tiotropium (18µg once q.d). The savational intervention for SI group is routine treatment plus budesonide/formoterol (160µg/4.5µg once b.i.d) from the first day after severe air pollution (air quality index, AQI ≥200) to the third day after AQI < 200. CT group will maintain the original treatment. The intervention will last for 2 years. Primary outcome is the frequency of AECOPD per year and the secondary outcomes include the incidence of unplanned outpatient visits, emergency visits, hospitalization, medical cost and mortality associated with AECOPD per year. DISCUSSION: The salvational intervention is a novel strategy for COPD management under severe air pollution. Results of the present study will provide reference information to guide clinical practice in reducing the air pollution related exacerbation of COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov (registration identifier: NCT03083067 ) in 17 March, 2017.

Ozonation of aqueous phenol catalyzed by biochar produced from sludge obtained in the treatment of coking wastewater.

Sludge collected from industrial wastewater treatment possesses a threatening effect on environment, and changing it into functional material provides an alternative for its disposal. Biochar synthesized by pyrolysis of sludge obtained from coking wastewater treatment was evaluated for the catalytic ozonation of phenol in aqueous solution. The present work focused on testing the catalytic performance of biochar, deducing the kinetics of phenol removal in various reaction conditions, and finally elucidating the mechanism of biochar-enhanced phenol removal. The results demonstrated that biochars produced at pyrolysis temperatures of 700 and 900 °C revealed highly comparable catalytic activity in phenol ozonation, leading to around 95% phenol removal within 30 min reaction, due to the abundant carbonyl groups on biochar surface. The biochar, however, was suffered from poor stability, which was attributed to biochar loss and changes in surface chemistry. On the basis of examining reaction variables, an empirical kinetic model was developed well matching experimental results. It was found that ozone concentration adsorbed on biochar surface was first increased with a peak (3.8 mg/L for biochar obtained at 700 °C) at reaction time 10 min, after which it decreased along with proceeding reaction. In light of radical scavenging test, superoxide radical (O2-) was identified as main radical species produced from the interaction of ozone with biochar surface, while hydroxyl radical (OH) played negligible role in biochar catalytic ozonation. The promoting mechanism of bicarbonate on phenol ozonation was verified to be the generation of O2- via series reactions of HCO3- with OH and ozone, apart from increase in solution pH. These results provide important implications for future recycling of coking wastewater treatment sludge in environmental remediation.

LncRNA MEG3 enhances 131I sensitivity in thyroid carcinoma via sponging miR-182.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) MEG3 has been demonstrated as a tumor suppressor in various cancers, including thyroid carcinoma (TC). However, the detail functions and possible mechanisms of MEG3 in 131I resistance of TC remain to be uncovered. METHODS: qRT-PCR was performed for the detection of MEG3 and miR-182 levels. 131I-resistant TC cells were constructed by continuous exposure to stepwise increased concentrations of 131I. Western blot assay was used to measure the protein expressions of γ-H2 AX and H2 AX. CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays were carried out for the evaluation of cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. Bioinformatics and dual-luciferse assays were conducted to prove the interaction of MEG3 and miR-182. RESULTS: MEG3 expression was down-regulated in TC tumor tissues, and the cumulative survival rate was decreased in low MEG3 expression group in TC patients under 131I treatment. MEG3 expression appeared a decline and miR-182 expression displayed an increase in 131I-resistant FTC-133 (res-FTC-133) and TPC-1 (res-TPC-1) cells. Moreover, MEG3 overexpression suppressed 131I-resistant cell viability, promoted apoptosis and induced DNA damage. MEG3 was verified as a molecular sponge for miR-182, and inhibition of miR-182 exerted similar functions as MEG3 overexpression. Furthermore, MEG3 knockdown substantially abrogated the anti-cancer functions of anti-miR-182. CONCLUSIONS: MEG3 enhanced the radiosensitivity of 131I in TC cells via sponging miR-182, indicating that MEG3 may act as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for TC patients with 131I resistance.

Solubilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with phenol in coking wastewater treatment system: Interaction and engineering significance.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are accumulated in the sludge collected from the coking wastewater treatment. Phenol with its efficient degradation observed in biological treatment promotes the solubility of PAHs in aqueous phase. The interaction mechanism of phenol and PAHs in aqueous and sludge phases was systematically studied in two full-scale engineering projects composed of anaerobic-oxic-oxic (A-O1-O2) and anaerobic-oxic-hydrolytic-oxic (A-O1-H-O2) sequences. The results showed that reasonable use of phenol facilitates solubilization of PAHs alleviating their emission problems. The ΔPAHs/Δphenol mass ratio in the sludge phase of A-O1-H-O2 system (146.3) exceeded that in A-O1-O2 one (63.80), exhibiting a good solubilization effect on PAHs with their more efficient degradation in the former. The full-scale observations were verified in laboratory solubilization experiments using phenanthrene (Phen), pyrene (Pyr) and benzo[a]pyrene (Bap) as the models of 3-, 4- and 5-ring PAHs, respectively. The binding energies of [phenol-PAHs] complexes were calculated using computational density functional theory showing consistency with the experimentally observed phenol-facilitated solubilization efficiencies in the row of Phen>Pyr>Bap. The results showed the fate and distribution of PAHs in coking wastewater treatment affected by the presence of phenol serving as a cost effective reagent for enhanced solubilization of PAHs from the coking wastewater sludge.