Exploring NK-Cell molecules that impact the immune response and microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

NK cells play a role in various cancers, but their role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) still needs to be explored. All public data are obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database. All analysis was performed using specific packages in R software. In our study, we quantified the immune microenvironment of HNSCC through multiple algorithms. Next, we identified NK cell-associated genes by quantifying NK cells, including SSNA1, TRIR, PAXX, DPP7, WDR34, EZR, PHLDA1 and ELOVL1. Then, we explored the single-cell expression pattern of these genes in the HNSCC microenvironment. Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the EZR, PHLDA1 and ELOVL1 were related to the prognosis of HNSCC patients. Following this, we selected EZR for further analysis. Our results showed that the patients with high EZR expression might have a poor prognosis and worse clinical features. Biological enrichment analysis showed that EZR is associated with many oncogenic pathways and a higher tumour stemness index. Meanwhile, we found that EZR can remodel the immune microenvironment of HNSCC. Moreover, we noticed that EZR could affect the immunotherapy and specific drug sensitivity, making it an underlying clinical target. In summary, our results can improve the understanding of NK cell in HNSCC. Meanwhile, we identified EZR as the underlying clinical target of HNSCC.

Extended characterization of IL-33/ST2 as a predictor for wound age determination in skin wound tissue samples of humans and mice.

Interleukin (IL)-33, an important inflammatory cytokine, is highly expressed in skin wound tissue and serum of humans and mice, and plays an essential role in the process of skin wound healing (SWH) dependent on the IL-33/suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) pathway. However, whether IL-33 and ST2 themselves, as well as their interaction, can be applied for skin wound age determination in forensic practice remains incompletely characterized. Human skin samples with injured intervals of a few minutes to 24 hours (hs) and mouse skin samples with injured intervals of 1 h to 14 days (ds) were collected. Herein, the results demonstrated that IL-33 and ST2 are increased in the human skin wounds, and that in mice skin wounds, there is an increase over time, with IL-33 expression peaking at 24 hs and 10 ds, and ST2 expression peaking at 12 hs and 7 ds. Notably, the relative quantity of IL-33 and ST2 proteins < 0.35 suggested a wound age of 3 hs; their relative quantity > 1.0 suggested a wound age of 24 hs post-mouse skin wounds. In addition, immunofluorescent staining results showed that IL-33 and ST2 were consistently expressed in the cytoplasm of F4/80-positive macrophages and CD31-positive vascular endothelial cells with or without skin wounds, whereas nuclear localization of IL-33 was absent in α-SMA-positive myofibroblasts with skin wounds. Interestingly, IL-33 administration facilitated the wound area closure by increasing the proliferation of cytokeratin (K) 14 -positive keratinocytes and vimentin-positive fibroblasts. In contrast, treating with its antagonist (i.e., anti-IL-33) or receptor antagonist (e.g., anti-ST2) exacerbated the aforementioned pathological changes. Moreover, treatment with IL-33 combined with anti-IL-33 or anti-ST2 reversed the effect of IL-33 on facilitating skin wound closure, suggesting that IL-33 administration facilitated skin wound closure through the IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings indicate that the detection of IL-33/ST2 might be a reliable biomarker for the determination of skin wound age in forensic practice.

Ultrafast short-range catalytic pathway modified peroxymonosulfate activation over CuO with surface oxygen defects for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation.

The presence of antibiotics in water bodies seriously threatens the ecosystem and human health. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on peroxymonosulfate (PMS), an effective method to remove antibiotics, have a bottleneck problem that the low oxidant utilization is attributed to the hindered electron transfer between metal oxides and peroxides. Here, CuO with rich oxygen vacancies (OVs), MSCuO-300, was synthesized to efficiently degrade tetracycline hydrochloride (TTCH) (k = 0.095 min-1). The dominant role of direct adsorption and activation of OVs and its regulated Cu-O, rather than surface hydroxyl adsorption, mediated a short-range catalytic pathway. The shortened catalytic pathway between active sites and PMS accelerated the charge transfer at the interface, which promoted PMS activation. Compared with CuxO-500 and Commercial CuO, the activation rate of PMS was increased by 11.97, and 12.64 times, respectively. OVs contributed to the production of 1O2 and O2•-, the main active species. In addition, MSCuO-300/PMS showed excellent adaptability to real water parameters, such as pH (3-11), anions, and continuous reactor maintained for 168 h. This study provides a successful case for the purification of antibiotic-containing wastewater in the design of efficient catalysts by oxygen defect strategies.

Autophagy inhibition facilitates wound closure partially dependent on the YAP/IL-33 signaling in a mouse model of skin wound healing.

Autophagy is a self-phagocytic and highly evolutionarily conserved intracellular lysosomal catabolic system, which plays a vital role in a variety of trauma models, including skin wound healing (SWH). However, the roles and potential mechanisms of autophagy in SWH are still controversial. We firstly investigated the role of autophagy in SWH-induced wound closure rate, inflammatory response, and histopathology, utilizing an inhibitor of autophagy 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and its agonist rapamycin (RAP). As expected, we found 3-MA treatment remarkably increased the wound closure rate, combated inflammation response, and mitigated histopathological changes, while RAP delivery aggravated SWH-induced pathological damage. To further exploit the underlying mechanism of autophagy regulating inflammation, the specific inhibitors of yes-associated protein (YAP), Verteporfin, and Anti-IL-33 were applied. Herein, treating with 3-MA markedly suppressed the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1ß, and IL-6, promoted that of IL-10, IL-33, and ST2, while RAP administration reverted SWH-induced the up-regulation of these inflammatory cytokines mentioned above. Importantly, Verteporfin administration not only down-regulated the expression levels of YAP, TNF-α, and IL-6 but also up-regulated that of IL-33 and IL-10. Unexpectedly, 3-MA or RAP retreatment did not have any impact on the changes in IL-33 among these inflammatory indicators. Furthermore, elevated expression of IL-33 promoted wound closure and alleviated the pathological damage, whereas, its antagonist Anti-IL-33 treatment overtly reversed the above-mentioned effects of IL-33. Moreover, 3-MA in combination with anti-IL-33 treatment reversed the role of 3-MA alone in mitigated pathological changes, but they failed to revert the effect of anti-IL-33 alone on worsening pathological damage. In sum, emerging data support the novel contribution of the YAP/IL-33 pathway in autophagy inhibition against SWH-induced pathological damage, and highlight that the autophagy/YAP/IL-33 signal axis is expected to become a new therapeutic target for SWH.

Should blastocyst transfer be performed in patients with 1-3 embryos available on day 3?

RESEARCH QUESTION: In patients with 1-3 embryos available on day 3, does blastocyst transfer reduce the chances of a clinical pregnancy by cancelling transfer cycles compared with cleavage transfer? DESIGN: This retrospective observational study included 423 IVF cycles performed from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020 at the Center for Reproduction and Fertility of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University. Cleavage transfer was performed in 267 cycles and blastocyst transfer was performed in 156 cycles. The primary outcome was the ongoing pregnancy rate, and the secondary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate and embryo cessation rate. Univariate analysis was performed to compare outcomes. A logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between transfer stage and ongoing pregnancy rate. RESULTS: No differences were observed in the ongoing pregnancy rate (25.84% versus 26.92%; odds ratio [OR] 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-1.50; P = 0.82) and embryo cessation rate (83.48% versus 85.75%; OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.82-1.75; P = 0.40) between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed no association between transfer stage and ongoing pregnancy rate (OR 1.06; 95% CI 0.64-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Blastocyst transfer does not reduce the chances of a clinical pregnancy. These results support the proposal of blastocyst transfer in patients with 1-3 embryos available on day 3.

Establishment and characterization of a novel 'double-hit' follicular lymphoma cell line, FL-SJC.

About 5 per cent of follicular lymphoma (FL) cases are double-hit (DH) lymphomas. Double-hit follicular lymphoma (DHFL) cell lines can improve our understanding and drug development on FL. But there are only few DHFL cell lines. Here, we established a new MYC/BCL2 DHFL cell line, FL-SJC. The cells were obtained from the hydrothorax of a patient with MYC/BCL2 DHFL and cultured for 140 passages in vitro. FL-SJC cells demonstrated CD19++ , CD20+ , CD22++ , HLA-DR+ , CD10+ , CD38+ , Lambda+ CD23- , CD5- and Kappa- . The chromosome karyotypic analysis confirmed the co-existence of t(8;22)(q24;q11) and t(14;18)(q32;q21), as well as additional abnormalities involving chromosomes 2 and 3. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) showed IGH/BCL2 fusion gene and the MYC rearrangement. In addition, the FL-SJC cells displayed KMT2D/MLL2 and CREBBP gene mutations. After subcutaneous inoculation of FL-SJC cells, the SCID mice developed solid tumour masses within 6-8 weeks. FL-SJC cells were proven to be free of Epstein-Barr (EB) virus infection and be multidrug-resistant. In a conclusion, the FL-SJC cell line has been identified as a novel MYC/BCL2 double-hit follicular lymphoma that can be used as a potentially available tool for the clinical and basic research, together with the drug development for MYC/BCL2 DHFL.

LINC00641 regulates autophagy and intervertebral disc degeneration by acting as a competitive endogenous RNA of miR-153-3p under nutrition deprivation stress.

Emerging evidence supports the involvement of autophagy in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play fundamental roles in various cellular processes, including autophagy. However, it remains largely unknown as to how autophagy is regulated by miRNAs and lncRNAs in IDD. Biological functions of miR-153-3p and long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 641 (LINC00641) were investigated. Luciferase reporter assays was done to validate miR-153-3p targets. To induce nutritional stress, nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were cultured in the normal nutritional condition and the low nutritional condition. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze miR-153-3p and LINC00641 in response to nutrient deprivation. Autophagic activity was assessed by transmission electron microscopy, western blot analysis and green fluorescent protein-light chain 3 puncta. Pull-down assay and RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization were performed to validate LINC00641 target and the location. MiR-153-3p is downregulated in NP tissues from IDD patients. Further, LINC00641 can affect collagen II and matrix metalloproteinase-3 expressions. Upregulation of LINC00641 and downregulation of miR-153-3p are detected in NP cells under nutritional stress. LINC00641 can regulate autophagic cell death by targeting miR-153-3p and autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5). MiR-153-3p inhibits autophagy and IDD by targeting ATG5. More important, LINC00641 targets miR-153-3p, and thus affects ATG5 expression, autophagic cell death and IDD. These findings uncover a novel regulatory pathway that is composed of LINC00641, miR-153-3p, and ATG5 in IDD. This mechanism may stimulate to a more understanding of IDD pathogenesis and provide new sights for the treatment of this disorder.

MicroRNA-21-5p as a novel therapeutic target for osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Growing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNA) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of OA, and overexpressing or silencing miRNA expression in OA models can contribute to the development of miRNA-based therapeutics. The objective of this study was to determine whether intra-articular injection of miRNA can inhibit OA progression. METHODS: The miRNA expression profile was determined in OA cartilage tissues and controls. Functional analysis of the miRNAs on extracellular matrix degradation was performed after miRNA mimic or inhibitor transfection. Luciferase reporter assays and western blotting were employed to determine miRNA targets. To investigate the functional mechanism of miR-21-5p in OA development, miR-21-5pfl/flCol2a1-CreER and wild-type mice were subject to surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus. Therapeutically, wild-type mice undergoing surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus were treated with intra-articular injection of agomir- and antagomir-21-5p. RESULTS: We found that expression of miR-21-5p was significantly up-regulated in OA cartilage tissues. The articular cartilage degradation of miR-21-5p conditional knockout mice was significantly alleviated compared with that of wild-type mice in spontaneous and destabilization of the medial meniscus models. Through gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, miR-21-5p was shown to significantly affect matrix synthesis genes expression, and chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis. Further, fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) was identified as a target of miR-21-5p. Intra-articular injection of antagomir-21-5p significantly attenuated the severity of experimental OA. Clinically, FGF18 expression level was correlated with miR-21-5p expression and a modified Mankin scale. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal a miRNA functional pathway important for OA development, highlighting miRNA-21-5p silencing as an attractive therapeutic regimen in future clinical trials involving patients with OA.

The Stimulatory Effects of Nanochitin Whisker on Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism and on the Enhancement of Grain Yield and Crude Protein of Winter Wheat.

Nanochitin whisker (NC) with a cationic nature could enhance plant photosynthesis, grain yield, and quality of wheat, but have not been systematically studied. This study was designed to investigate the stimulatory effects of NC on dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) accumulation and translocation, and on the metabolism of carbon (C) and N in later growth stages of winter wheat to reveal the enhancement mechanism of grain yield and crude protein concentration. Different parts of NC-treated plants from pot grown experiments were collected at the pre- and post-anthesis stages. The accumulation, translocation, and contributions of DM and N from pre-anthesis vegetation organs to grains, as well as key metabolic enzyme activities, including sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), were examined. The results showed that, at an application rate of 6 mg·kg-1 of NC in the soil, the accumulation of DM and N were significantly enhanced by 16.2% and 38.8% in pre-anthesis, and by 15.4% and 30.0% in post-anthesis, respectively. Translocation of N and DM in the post-anthesis periods were enhanced by 38.4% and 50.9%, respectively. NC could also stimulate enzyme activities, and increased 39.8% and 57.1% in flag leaves, and by 36.0% and 58.8% in spikes, respectively, at anthesis. SPS and PEPC increased by 28.2% and 45.1% in flag leaves, and by 42.2% and 56.5% in spikes, respectively, at 15 days after anthesis. The results indicated that the NC promoted N metabolism more than C metabolism, and resulted in the enhancement of grain yield by 27.56% and of crude protein concentration in grain by 13.26%, respectively.

Upregulation of P63 inhibits chondrocyte autophagy thereby enhancing the malignant progression of osteoarthritis.

Loss of autophagy is suggested to play a key role in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). P63 is a member of the P53 family, which is widely dysregulated in various tumors. However, the specific role of P63 in chondrocyte autophagy has never been fully understood. Here, the expression level of P63 in the articular cartilages of OA patients and chondrocytes treated with 3-MA was explored using western blot. Autophagy was determined using transmission electron microscopy and mRFP-GFP-LC3 assay. Fewer autophagic vesicles were identified in the articular cartilages of OA patients compared with that of normal control. Both the mRNA and protein levels of P63 was markedly increased in the articular cartilages of OA patients compared with that of normal control. MTT assay demonstrated that P63 overexpression markedly reduced chondrocyte viability at 24, 36 and 48 h, while inhibition of P63 inhibited cell viability at 24, 36 and 48 h, respectively. Furthermore, autophagic flux assay showed that transfection of ad-P63 markedly decreased the yellow dots in chondrocytes, while inhibition of P63 induced chondrycyte autophagy. In summary, we first demonstrated that upregulation of P63 in the cartilage tissues of OA patients inhibited chondrocyte autophagy thereby contributing to the malignant progression of OA.

Enhanced ozonation degradation of atrazine in the presence of nano-ZnO: Performance, kinetics and effects.

Enhanced ozonation degradation of atrazine (ATZ) with nano-ZnO (nZnO) as catalyst and the influences of the operational parameters have been investigated through semi-continuous experiments in this study. The results demonstrated that the combination of ozone (O3) and nZnO showed an obvious synergetic effect and the ATZ degradation conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics. An improvement of ATZ degradation efficiency by 41.8% and pseudo-first-order rate constant by more than a factor of four was obtained in the O3/nZnO process after 5min of reaction compared to O3 alone. Meanwhile, the degradation efficiency of ATZ was gradually enhanced with increasing nZnO dosage and initial pH in the range from 3.0 to 8.0, and a higher amount of ATZ was degraded when the initial concentration of ATZ rose from 0.5 to 5mg/L. Additionally, sulfate ion, chloride ion, nitrate ion and low concentrations of humic acid substances led to enhancement of the ATZ degradation. The notable decrease of ATZ removal efficiency observed in the presence of radical scavengers and the results of free radical tests indicated that OH is the dominant active radical species. The mechanism investigation demonstrated that the enhancement effect could be attributed to the introduction of nZnO, which could promote the utilization of O3, enhance the formation of superoxide radical, and further accelerate the production of hydrogen peroxide and the generation of OH/O2-.

Polymorphism of MDM2 promoter 309 (rs 2279744) and the risk of PCOS.

This study aimed at evaluating possible association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism (rs 2279744) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). One hundred and twenty-five women with PCOS and two hundred and fifty women without PCOS were collected from the department of reproductive medicine of college hospital in this case-control study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all participants and DNA was extracted, MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism (rs 2279744) was determined from the 125 cases and 250 controls. Women were grouped into PCOS (n = 125) group and control group (n = 250). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism (rs 2279744) and PCOS. The distribution of T allele was significant higher in PCOS cases than controls. MDM2 SNP 309 T allele is associated with PCOS.

Anatomical study of simple landmarks for guiding the quick access to humeral circumflex arteries.

BACKGROUND: The posterior and anterior circumflex humeral artery (PCHA and ACHA) are crucial for the blood supply of humeral head. We aimed to identify simple landmarks for guiding the quick access to PCHA and ACHA, which might help to protect the arteries during the surgical management of proximal humeral fractures. METHODS: Twenty fresh cadavers were dissected to measure the distances from the origins of PCHA and ACHA to the landmarks (the acromion, the coracoid, the infraglenoid tubercle, the midclavicular line) using Vernier calipers. RESULTS: The mean distances from the origin of PCHA to the infraglenoid tubercle, the coracoid, the acromion and the midclavicular line were 27.7 mm, 50.2 mm, 68.4 mm and 75.8 mm. The mean distances from the origin of ACHA to the above landmarks were 26.9 mm, 49.2 mm, 67.0 mm and 74.9 mm. CONCLUSION: Our study provided a practical method for the intraoperative identification as well as quick access of PCHA and ACHA based on a series of anatomical measurements.

Axial Tensile Ultimate Strength of an Unbonded Flexible Riser Based on a Numerical Method.

Unbonded flexible risers consist of several helical and cylindrical layers, which can undergo large bending deformation and can be installed to different configurations to adapt to harsh marine environments, and is a key equipment in transporting oil and gas resources from Ultra Deep Waters (UDWs) to offshore platforms. The helical interlayer of an unbonded flexible riser makes the structural behavior difficult to predict. In this paper, the axial tensile behavior and the axial tensile ultimate strength of an unbonded flexible riser are studied based on a typical 2.5-inch eight-layer unbonded flexible riser model, and verified through a theoretical method considering the contact between adjacent layers. First, the balance equation of separate layers is deduced by a functional principle, and then the overall theoretical model of an unbonded flexible riser is established considering the geometric relationship between adjacent layers. Then, the numerical model considering the detailed geometric properties of an unbonded flexible riser is established to simulate the axial tensile behavior. Finally, after being verified through the experimental results, the axial tensile stiffness and axial tensile strength of an unboned flexible riser considering the elasticity of the tensile armor layer are studied using the proposed two methods. Additionally, the effect of frictional coefficients is conducted. The numerical and theoretical results show good agreement with the test results, and the friction between adjacent layers would increase the axial tensile stiffness of an unbonded flexible riser.

Emerging functions and therapeutic targets of IL-38 in central nervous system diseases.

Interleukin (IL)-38 is a newly discovered cytokine of the IL-1 family, which binds various receptors (i.e., IL-36R, IL-1 receptor accessory protein-like 1, and IL-1R1) in the central nervous system (CNS). The hallmark physiological function of IL-38 is competitive binding to IL-36R, as does the IL-36R antagonist. Emerging research has shown that IL-38 is abnormally expressed in the serum and brain tissue of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting that IL-38 may play an important role in neurological diseases. Important advances include that IL-38 alleviates neuromyelitis optica disorder (NMOD) by inhibiting Th17 expression, improves IS by protecting against atherosclerosis via regulating immune cells and inflammation, and reduces IL-1ß and CXCL8 release through inhibiting human microglial activity post-ASD. In contrast, IL-38 mRNA is markedly increased and is mainly expressed in phagocytes in spinal cord injury (SCI). IL-38 ablation attenuated SCI by reducing immune cell infiltration. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of IL-38 in CNS diseases remain inadequately characterized. In this review, we summarize the biological characteristics, pathophysiological role, and potential mechanisms of IL-38 in CNS diseases (e.g., NMOD, Alzheimer's disease, ASD, IS, TBI, and SCI), aiming to explore the therapeutic potential of IL-38 in the prevention and treatment of CNS diseases.

Will the untreated ulnar styloid fracture influence the outcome of unstable distal radial fracture treated with external fixation when the distal radioulnar joint is stable.

BACKGROUND: The ulnar styloid is an important supportive structure for the triangular fibrocartilage complex. However, it remains inconclusive whether or not a fractured ulnar styloid should be fixed in an unstable distal radius fracture (DRF) with a stable distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of an untreated ulnar styloid fracture on the outcome of unstable DRF treated with transarticular external fixation when the DRUJ is stable. METHODS: 106 patients with an unstable DRF and a stable DRUJ were included in this study following external fixation. The patients were divided into the non-fracture, the tip-fracture and the base-fracture groups according to the location of the ulnar styloid fracture at the time of injury. Postoperative evaluation included the range of wrist motion, the radiological index, the grip strength, the PRWE-HK scores, the wrist pain scores, and the instability of DRUJ at the external fixator removal time, three months postoperatively and the final follow-up visit. RESULTS: The patients were followed for 12 to 24 months (15 months in average). Sixty-two of 106 patients (58%) had ulnar styloid fracture and 16 patients (26%) showed radiographic evidence of union of ulnar styloid fractures at the final follow-up visit. No significant difference in the radiological findings, the range of wrist motion, the grip strength, the PRWE-HK scores, and the wrist pain scores among three patient groups was detected at the external fixator removal time, three months postoperatively, or the final follow-up visit. Six of the 106 patients (5.7%) complained of persistent ulnar-side wrist pain during daily activities. One patient (0.9%) showed a positive sign in a stress-test, three patients (2.8%) showed a positive sign in a provocative-test, and five patients (4.7%) showed a positive sign in a press-test. There was no significant difference in the percentages of patients who complained of persistent ulnar-side wrist pain or showed a positive sign in the physical examination of the distal radioulnar joint among the three groups at the final follow-up time points. CONCLUSION: When the DRUJ is stable, an untreated ulnar styloid fracture does not affect the wrist outcome of the patient with an unstable DRF treated with external fixation.

Nanoconfinement-enhanced Fenton-like polymerization via hollow hetero-shell carbon for reducing carbon emissions in organic wastewater purification.

Lower reaction speed and excessive oxidant inputs impede the removal of contaminants from water via the advanced oxidation processes based on peroxymonosulfate. Herein, we report a new confined catalysis paradigm via the hollow hetero-shell structured CN@C (H-CN@C), which permits effective decontamination through polymerization with faster reaction rates and lower oxidant dosage. The confined space structures regulated the CN and CO and electron density of the inner shell, which increased the electron transfer rate and mass transfer rate. As a result, CN in H-CN@C-10 reacted with peroxymonosulfate in preference to CO to generate singlet oxygen, improving the second-order reaction kinetics by 503 times. The identification of oxidation products implied that bisphenol AF could effectively remove by polymerization, which could reduce carbon dioxide emissions. These favorable properties make the nanoconfined catalytic polymerization of contaminants a remarkably promising nanocatalytic water purification technology.

An integrated approach of machine learning and Bayesian spatial Poisson model for large-scale real-time traffic conflict prediction.

The use of traffic conflicts in road safety evaluation is gaining considerable popularity as it plays a vital role in developing a proactive safety management strategy and allowing for real-time safety analysis. This study proposes an integrated approach that combines a machine learning (ML) algorithm and a Bayesian spatial Poisson (BSP) model to conduct large-scale real-time traffic conflict prediction by considering traffic states as the explanatory variables. Traffic conflicts are measured by two indicators, the Time to Collision (TTC) and the Post-Encroachment Time (PET). Based on both TTC and PET, traffic conflict severity is classified into five categories. For each conflict severity category, a binary variable (conflict occurrence) and a count variable (conflict frequency) are developed, respectively. In addition to conflict variables, traffic state parameters are extracted from a large-scale high-resolution trajectory dataset. The traffic parameters include volume, density, speed, and the corresponding space-based and space-time-based measures within a 30-second interval. Eight ML-based classifiers are applied to predict conflict occurrence, and the best classifier is selected. A binary logistic regression is developed to explore the potential linkages between traffic states and conflict occurrence. As well, a resampling technique Borderline-SMOTE is used to mitigate the sparsity caused by the predefined short interval. The BSP model is utilized to predict the specific number of conflicts. Further, the BSP model can also explain the relationship between traffic states and conflict frequency, and thus the significant influencing traffic states are identified. The results show that random forest outperforms the other MLs in terms of conflict occurrence prediction accuracy. Further, the proposed integrated approach achieves a high performance of conflict frequency prediction with RMSE values of 0.1384 âˆ¼ 0.1699, MAPE values of 9.25% ∼ 36.99%, and MAE values of 0.0087 âˆ¼ 0.6398. The finding emphasizes the need for separately predicting the occurrence and frequency of conflicts with different severities.

Experimental Research and Numerical Simulation of Laser Welding of 303Cu/440C-Nb Stainless-Steel Thin-Walled Natural-Gas Injector for Vehicles.

This paper presents the results of research on laser lap welding technology of heterogeneous materials and a laser post-heat treatment method to enhance welding performance. The purpose of this study is to reveal the welding principle of austenitic/martensitic dissimilar stainless-steel materials (3030Cu/440C-Nb) and to further obtain welded joints with good mechanical and sealing properties. A natural-gas injector valve is taken as the study case where its valve pipe (303Cu) and valve seat (440C-Nb) are welded. Experiments and numerical simulations were conducted where the welded joints' temperature and stress fields, microstructure, element distribution, and microhardness were studied. The results showed that the residual equivalent stresses and uneven fusion zone tend to concentrate at the joint of two materials within the welded joint. The hardness of the 303Cu side (181.8 HV) is less than the 440C-Nb side (266 HV) in the center of the welded joint. The laser post-heat treatment can reduce the residual equivalent stress in the welded joint and improve the mechanical and sealing properties. The results of the press-off force test and the helium leakage test showed that the press-off force increased from 9640 N to 10,046 N and the helium leakage rate decreased from 3.34 × 10-4 to 3.96 × 10-6.

Regulating Interlayer Confinement FeOCl for Accelerating Polymerization of Pollutants to Reduce Carbon Emission in Water Purification.

The spatial structure regulation of catalysts could optimize the reaction pathway and enhance the mass transfer kinetics, which might realize the efficient and low-consumption removal of pollutants in Fenton-like technology. In this study, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) intercalation was used to adjust the interlayer spacing of FeOCl from 7.90 to 11.84 Å by a simple and rapid intercalation method, thereby enhancing the mass transfer kinetics and altering the catalytic pathway. The removal rate of BPA in the DMF-FeOCl/PS system increased by 8.78 times, showing good resistance to complex water environments (such as pH, humic acid, and anions), especially in 5 g/L high-salt wastewater. The direct electron transfer processes between Fe(IV) and pollutants mediated by interlayer Fe sites generate phenoxy radicals, and the polymerization processes occur, achieving efficient removal of pollutants and low CO2 emissions. This study provides new insight into the efficient and low-carbon treatment of high-salt wastewater.