Mechanisms behind elevated serum levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration(FTLD)is a form of progressive dementia characterized by degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.This pathology involves a series of cognitive,behavioral,and neurological symptoms that influence personality,decision-making ability,and language.

Sc元素添加对双辊铸轧Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zr基合金热处理的影响

提出制备含Sc的Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zr基合金带材的工艺方案。即先采用双辊铸轧技术制备近净形状的3 mm厚带材,再对其进行均匀化/固溶处理。研究两种Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zr基双辊铸轧合金,其中一种添加质量分数为0.17%的Sc,另一种未添加Sc。两种合金均先在300℃下退火30 min,然后在450℃下退火30 min以及530℃下退火30 min,随后进行室温水淬。前两段退火后组织中生成了细小、弥散的Al_(3)Zr/Al_(3)(Sc,Zr)颗粒。最后的退火步骤起到了均匀化/固溶处理的作用。双辊铸轧材料的细小晶粒结构使含有主要合金元素的原始颗粒在较短的退火时间内溶解。缩短保温时间可以限制表面层中Li的耗尽和Al_(3)Zr/Al_(3)(Sc,Zr)弥散相的明显粗化。铸态含Sc材料已经具有明显细小的晶粒结构,而经均匀化/固溶处理后生成的Al_(3)(Sc,Zr)弥散相抑制了晶粒在高温下发生粗化。在后续180℃下时效处理后,形成了θʹ(Al_(2)Cu)、T1(Al_(2)CuLi)和S'(Al_(2)CuMg)强化相。在峰值时效状态下,屈服强度提高了200 MPa,这一数值与类似直接冷却铸造材料的相当,从而证实了所提方案的合理性。

In vivo and in vitro study of resorbable magnesium wires for medical implants:Mg purity,surface quality,Zn alloying and polymer coating

Magnesium is an excellent material in terms of biocompatibility and its corrosion products can serve as an active source for new bone formation.However,localized corrosion and H_(2)generation limit the potential of Mg-based implants.Utilizing low-alloyed Mg-Zn wires can strongly reduce problems with large H_(2)bubbles and improve the mechanical properties considerably while maintaining excellent long-term biocompatibility.Acidic pickling and a polymer coating can be effectively used to lower the rate of in vivo degradation.In this work,microstructural,mechanical,and in vitro characterization of 250μm and 300μm extruded wires made from ultra-pure Mg,commercially pure Mg,Mg-0.15Zn,Mg-0.4Zn and Mg-1Zn was performed.Additionally,Mg-0.4Zn wires together with a variant coated with a copolymer of L-lactide andε-caprolactone were tested in vivo on artificially damaged Wistar rat femurs.Based on the observed Mg-induced osteogenesis,polymer-coated Mg wires with a small addition of Zn are a perspective material for bone-support applications,such as cerclage and fixation wires.

Comparative analysis of microstructure,mechanical,and corrosion properties of biodegradable Mg-3Y alloy prepared by selective laser melting and spark plasma sintering

This work explored possibilities of biodegradable magnesium alloy Mg-3Y preparation by two modern powder metallurgy techniques–spark plasma sintering(SPS)and selective laser melting(SLM).The powder material was consolidated by both methods utilising optimised parameters,which led to very low porosity(∼0.3%)in the SLM material and unmeasurably low porosity in the SPS material.The main aim of the study was the thorough microstructure characterisation and interrelation between the microstructure and the functional properties,such as mechanical strength,deformability,and corrosion resistance.Both materials showed comparable strength of∼110 MPa in tension and compression and relatively good deformability of∼9%and∼21%for the SLM and SPS materials,respectively.The corrosion resistance of the SPS material in 0.1 M NaCl solution was superior to the SLM one and comparable to the conventional extruded material.The digital image correlation during loading and the cross-section analysis of the corrosion layers revealed that the residual porosity and large strained grains have the dominant negative effect on the functional properties of the SLM material.On the other hand,one of the primary outcomes of this study is that the SPS consolidation method is very effective in the preparation of the W3 biodegradable alloy,resulting in material with convenient mechanical and degradation properties that might find practical applications.

Versatile techniques based on the Thermionic Vacuum Arc(TVA)and laser-induced TVA methods for Mg/Mg:X thin films deposition-A review

Magnesium and magnesium thin alloy films were deposited using a thermionic vacuum arc(TVA),which has multiple applications in the field of metallic electrodes for diodes and batteries or active corrosion protection.An improved laser-induced TVA(LTVA)method favors the crystallization processes of the deposited magnesium-based films because the interaction between laser and plasma discharge changes the thermal energy during photonic processes due to the local temperature variation.Plasma diagnosis based on current discharge measurements suggests an inelastic collision between the laser beam and the atoms from the plasma discharge.The morphology and surface properties of the obtained thin films differ between these two methods.While the amorphous character is dominant for TVA thin films,enabling a smooth surface,the LTVA method produces rough surfaces with prominent crystallinity,less hydrophobic character and lower surface energy.The smooth surfaces obtained by the TVA methods produce metallic electrodes with good electrical contact,ensuring better diodes and battery charge transport.Both methods allow uniform magnesium alloys to be obtained,but the laser used in the LTVA on the discharge plasma controls the added metal or element ratio.

In-situ study of the microstructure evolution during tension of a Mg-Y-Zn-Al alloy processed by rapidly solidified ribbon consolidation technique

Mg-Y-Zn-Al alloys processed by rapidly solidified ribbon consolidation(RSRC)technique exhibit an exceptional mechanical performance indicating promising application potential.This material has a bimodal microstructure consisting of fine recrystallized and coarse non-recrystallized grains with solute-rich stacking faults forming cluster arranged layers(CALs)and nanoplates(CANaPs),or complete long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase.In order to reveal the deformation mechanisms,in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction line profile analysis was employed for a detailed study of the dislocation arrangement created during tension in Mg-0.9%Zn-2.05%Y-0.15%Al(at%)alloy.For uncovering the effect of the initial microstructure on the mechanical performance,additional samples were obtained by annealing of the as-consolidated specimen at 300 and 400℃ for 2 h.The heat treatment at 300℃ had no significant effect on the initial microstructure,its evolution during tension and,thus,the overall deformation behavior under tensile loading.On the other hand,annealing at 400℃ resulted in a significant increase of the recrystallized grains fraction and a decrease of the dislocation density,leading to only minor degradation of the mechanical strength.The maximum dislocation density at the failure of the samples corresponding to the plastic strain of 10-25% was estimated to be about 16-20×10^(14)m^(-2).The diffraction profile analysis indicated that most dislocations formed during tension were of non-basal and pyramidal types,what was also in agreement with the Schmid factor values revealed independently from orientation maps.It was also shown that the dislocation-induced Taylor hardening was much lower below the plastic strain of 3% than above this value,which was explained by a model of the interaction between prismatic dislocations and CANaPs/LPSO plates.

Rational design of MXene-based vacancy-confined single-atom catalyst for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides(MXenes) have been demonstrated to be promising supports for single-atom catalysts(SACs) to enable efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER).However,the rational design of MXene-based SACs depends on an experimental trial-and-error approach.A theoretical guidance principle is highly expected for the efficient evaluation of MXene-based SACs.Herein,highthroughput screening was performed through first-principles calculations and machine learning techniques.Ti_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),V_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Zr_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Nb_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Hf_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),Ta_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x),and W_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x) were screened out based on their excellent stability.Zn,Pd,Ag,Cd,Au,and Hg were proposed to be promising single atoms anchored in MXenes based on cohesive energy analysis.Hf_(3)C_(2)(OH)_(x) with a Pd single atom delivers a theoretical overpotential of 81 mV.Both moderate electron-deficient state and high covalency of metal-carbon bonds were critical features for the high OER reactivity.This principle is expected to be a promising approach to the rational design of OER catalysts for metal-air batteries,fuel cells,and other OER-based energy storage devices.

Ferroelectricity Induced by Oxygen Vacancies in Rhombohedral ZrO_(2) Thin Films

Rhombohedral phase Hf_(x)Zr_(1.x)O_(2)(HZO,x from 0 to 1)films are promising for achieving robust ferroelectric polarization without the need for an initial wake-up pre-cycling,as is normally the case for the more commonly studied orthorhombic phase.However,a large spontaneous polarization observed in rhombohedral films is not fully understood,and there are also large discrepancies between experimental and theoretical predictions.In this work,in rhombohedral ZrO_(2)thin films,we show that oxygen vacancies are not only a key factor for stabilizing the phase,but they are also a source of ferroelectric polarization in the films.This is shown experimentally through the investigation of the structural properties,chemical composition and the ferroelectric properties of the films before and after an annealing at moderate temperature(400℃)in an oxygen environment to reduce the V_(o)concentration compared.The experimental work is supported by density functional theory(DFT)calculations which show that the rhombohedral phase is the most stable one in highly oxygen defective ZrO_(2)films.The DFT calculations also show that V_(o)contribute to the ferroelectric polarization.Our findings reveal the importance of V_(o)for stabilizing rhombohedral ZrO_(2)thin films with superior ferroelectric properties.

Assessing the potential of underground storage of flood water:A case study from Southern Punjab Region in Pakistan

An intensively irrigated area in southern part of Punjab Province,Pakistan,has been selected by the Punjab Irrigation Department(PID)to implement a Managed Aquifer Recharge(MAR)project.This project involves diverting floodwater from the Islam Headwork on Sutlej River into the abandoned Mailsi Canal.Utilizing various structures such as depressions,abandoned canals,flood channels,open fields,and deserts for MAR can reduce the flood intensity while recharging aquifer and wetlands.The study area,known for its fertile lands and serving as a food basket for the Punjab Province,is experiencing groundwa-ter depletion at the rate of 0.30 m to 0.70 m per year,significantly increasing pumping costs.This study aims to evaluate the suitability of the sites for the MAR project and assess the storage capacity of the aquifer for floodwater retention.Historical groundwater level data from 25 observation wells across an area of 1,522 km^(2)were analysed,with the study area divided in to 25 polygons using ArcMap10.6 software.Specific yield method was employed to assess the available storage capacity of the aquifer.Results indicate that the site is suitable for MAR and has the potential to store approximately 1.88 km3 of floodwater as of 2020,thereby reducing flood intensity and enhancing eco-hydrogeological conditions.MAR is identified as a Nature-Based Solution(NBS)for both flood mitigation and groundwater sustainability.

Brain Research on Mental Disorders: A Criticism

Objective: To expose the problems and inherent limitations of neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders. Method: Discussion of the theory underlying brain research on mental disorders, followed by a systematic evaluation of typical studies. Results: The fundamental problem is that brain researchers fail to differentiate between biological mental disorders in which brain processes cause the disorder (notably schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and melancholic depression) and learned mental disorders in which brain processes mediate but do not cause the disorder (which is the case with reactive depression, reactive anxiety, OCD, and PTSD). Researchers have been unsuccessful in identifying mechanisms in the brain that cause biological mental disorders, and will never be able to locate the innumerable specific neural connections that mediate learned mental disorders. Moreover, the author’s review of typical studies in this field shows that they have serious problems with theory, measurement, and data analysis, and that their findings cannot be trusted. Conclusions: Neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders, unlike other neurological research, has been an expensive failure and it is not worth continuing.

Participatory Technique Supporting Environmental Management: A Systematic and Bibliometric Review

The increasing need to manage natural resources sustainably, driven by population growth, requires the simultaneous use of Participatory Techniques (PT) and landscape planning for structured decision-making. We conducted a bibliometric and systematic review to provide an overview of PT usage, identifying evolution in scientific production. We considered the number of publications and citations, prominent journals, and highly cited articles on scientific papers published in the Web of Science database between 1993 and 2023. A total of 415 articles related to PT were identified. After content evaluation, 19 critical articles were selected that underpin the growing combined use of models and indices with PT, enhancing the robustness and credibility of decision-making processes.

Features of effective feedback

Effective feedback is an essential part of completing and succeeding in education.It is a significant aid to the training of professionals and is increasingly becoming an integral part of any training.The purpose of this document is to describe the characteristics of good feedback.The pedagogical concept of feedback requires it to be non-judgmental and as neutral as possible.This is“specific information that compares the learner’s observed performance to a given standard to improve their future performance”.Understanding the difference between summative evaluation and feedback is essential.While evaluation is based on judgment and a final decision of success or failure,feedback is a positive and constructive action process.Through feedback,the learner will understand if they have achieved their learning goals and how they can achieve them.The role of the teacher is to provide explicit and meaningful information,identify specific areas for improvement,and provide appropriate strategies to achieve this,focusing on the learner’s performance and not on the individual.The six characteristics of feedback include source,connotation,focus level,number of feedback,timing,and determination.The key points of a successful feedback session depend on three main areas:structure,format,and content.Thus,the use of feedback is essential to the learner autonomy and has a major impact on their learning,behaviors,and well-being.Clearly stated,constructive and regular feedback leads changes that are perceived as positive and,in addition,increases the level of engagement of individuals in the organization.Any curriculum should include systematic feedback for every learning session.

New Antenna Array Beamforming Techniques Based on Hybrid Convolution/Genetic Algorithm for 5G and Beyond Communications

Side lobe level reduction(SLL)of antenna arrays significantly enhances the signal-to-interference ratio and improves the quality of service(QOS)in recent and future wireless communication systems starting from 5G up to 7G.Furthermore,it improves the array gain and directivity,increasing the detection range and angular resolution of radar systems.This study proposes two highly efficient SLL reduction techniques.These techniques are based on the hybridization between either the single convolution or the double convolution algorithms and the genetic algorithm(GA)to develop the Conv/GA andDConv/GA,respectively.The convolution process determines the element’s excitations while the GA optimizes the element spacing.For M elements linear antenna array(LAA),the convolution of the excitation coefficients vector by itself provides a new vector of excitations of length N=(2M−1).This new vector is divided into three different sets of excitations including the odd excitations,even excitations,and middle excitations of lengths M,M−1,andM,respectively.When the same element spacing as the original LAA is used,it is noticed that the odd and even excitations provide a much lower SLL than that of the LAA but with amuch wider half-power beamwidth(HPBW).While the middle excitations give the same HPBWas the original LAA with a relatively higher SLL.Tomitigate the increased HPBWof the odd and even excitations,the element spacing is optimized using the GA.Thereby,the synthesized arrays have the same HPBW as the original LAA with a two-fold reduction in the SLL.Furthermore,for extreme SLL reduction,the DConv/GA is introduced.In this technique,the same procedure of the aforementioned Conv/GA technique is performed on the resultant even and odd excitation vectors.It provides a relatively wider HPBWthan the original LAA with about quad-fold reduction in the SLL.

Ion emission from warm dense matter produced by irradiation with a soft x-ray free-electron laser

We report on an experiment performed at the FLASH2 free-electron laser(FEL)aimed at producing warm dense matter via soft x-ray isochoric heating.In the experiment,we focus on study of the ions emitted during the soft x-ray ablation process using time-of-flight electron multipliers and a shifted Maxwell–Boltzmann velocity distribution model.We find that most emitted ions are thermal,but that some impurities chemisorbed on the target surface,such as protons,are accelerated by the electrostatic field created in the plasma by escaped electrons.The morphology of the complex crater structure indicates the presence of several ion groups with varying temperatures.We find that the ion sound velocity is controlled by the ion temperature and show how the ion yield depends on the FEL radiation attenuation length in different materials.

Burden of malignant mesothelioma in China during 1990-2019 and the projections through 2029

Objective:To provide the most up-to-date data on the burden of malignant mesothelioma(MM)and the projections through 2029 in China.Methods:Data on patients diagnosed with MM from China during 1990-2019 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2019 database,including annual cases and deaths data and age-standardized rates of incidence,mortality,and disability-adjusted life-years(DALYs)associated with MM among different age groups.Temporal trends during 1990-2019 were analyzed by the Joinpoint regression models using 95%confidence interval(CI),while the projections through 2029 were calculated by the Bayesian age-period-cohort model.Data on the production and consumption of asbestos in China were obtained from the United States Geological Survey on Mineral Commodity Summaries during 1996-2023.Results:We observed a significant elevation in incident new cases and deaths over the last 3 decades,increasing from 1193 in 1990 to 2815 in 2019 for incident cases and from 1134 in 1990 to 2773 in 2019 for death cases.We found a roughly 6%increase in the proportion of incident cases for those aged>70 years(30%in 2019 versus 24%in 1990),while for the proportion of deaths similar elevation for those aged>70 years was found.Additionally,men had significantly higher DALYs due to MM across age groups compared with women.Asbestos consumption in China dramatically dropped since 2012 and reached the bottom in 2017 with 230 kilotons.By 2029,the projected age-standardized rate for incidence and mortality is expected to reach 1.2 per million for both.Conclusion:We found,for the first time using GBD data on the Chinese population,that the burden of MM has been significantly increasing in China over the last three decades and will continue to increase in the upcoming decade,suggesting an urgent need for a complete ban on chrysotile asbestos in China.

显花植物在提高节肢动物天敌控制害虫中的生态功能

由于农业集约化生产引起的非作物生境减少和农业化学品的过量使用减弱了农田生态系统中害虫天敌的自然控制作用。合理而有效地利用显花植物可以为害虫天敌提供食物来源和庇护场所,从而能有效地提高天敌对害虫的自然控制能力、减少化学农药的使用量。本文综述了显花植物对天敌种群的促进作用及其在果园、蔬菜和粮食作物等害虫防治中应用的最新进展,同时对进一步利用显花植物提高农业生态系统稳定性的发展方向进行了讨论。

恩施渔塘坝富硒碳质岩中硒的赋存状态

在渔塘坝富硒碳质岩中发现了自然硒及其系列硒矿物的组合。这些硒矿物有自然硒、方硒铜矿、硒铜蓝、水硒铁石、硒银矿、含硒黄铁矿、含硒黄铜矿和难以确定名称的Fe-Se矿物。其中自然硒、方硒铜矿和硒铜蓝的矿物组合主要分布在断层面附近的碳质硅质岩中,自然硒与方硒铜矿的矿物组合主要分布在高碳质泥岩中,水硒铁石及未确定的Fe-Se矿物主要赋存于露头处的富硒碳质岩中。硒矿物中除自然硒较普遍地存在外,其他矿物并不是均匀地分布于富硒碳质岩中,而是局部性地出现。Cu-Se矿物的大量发育表明铜可能在硒的表生迁移转化中起着某种重要的作用。

SPME萃取头对茶油挥发物萃取效果的影响

固相微萃取目前被广泛地用来测定液态、气态,甚至固态物质的挥发组分,不同待测物的性质决定了萃取头的种类选择。采用4种常用的SPME涂层萃取头(100μmPDMS、85μmPA、65μmPDMS/DVB、50/30μm DVB/CAR/PDMS)对茶油挥发物的提取性能进行了比较研究,结果表明:65μmPDMS/DVB萃取头对较高沸点物质如苯甲醛、正辛醛、正辛醇、正壬醛、正壬醇的吸附比50/30μmDVB/CAR/PDMS萃取头要灵敏,但50/30μm DVB/CAR/PDMS萃取头对较低沸点物质的吸咐要灵敏很多。DVB/CAR/PDMS涂层萃取头所得的总峰面积的平均值最大,其余依次是PDMS/DVB、PA、PDMS;DVB/CAR/PDMS、PDMS/DVB、PA、PDMS对挥发物吸咐总峰面积与挥发物总量之间存在有线性关系,其相关系数(R2)分别是0.9939、0.9888、0.9176、0.9917;因此,65μm PDMS/DVB和50/30μm DVB/CAR/PDMS的萃取头较适用于茶油挥发物的提取。

中国北方草原草畜代谢能平衡分析与对策研究

草畜平衡是天然草地可持续利用和放牧家畜高效生产的前提,草畜平衡评估技术是实现草原保护,提高草地畜牧业可持续发展的基础。本研究建立了以代谢能为指标的草畜平衡评价方法,2008年冬以甘肃肃南草原和典型牧户为研究对象,通过草畜代谢能平衡分析了草畜平衡现状,应用研究试验,验证了实现草畜平衡的优化途径和对策。草畜平衡分析结果表明,在牧草生长期(6月-10月)家畜获得的代谢能高于家畜的维持需要,因此,家畜体重增加,生长速度最快;在枯草期(11月-次年5月)代谢能摄入量低于维持需要量,家畜掉膘,体重下降,夏草场的载畜量最大。冬季暖棚舍饲养殖能够降低家畜的代谢能需要,有助于实现草畜平衡。与对照组相比,暖棚养殖绵羊平均产毛量显著提高(P<0.05),提高了0.73kg/只,冷季体重损失减少14.9%,纯收入增加126.25元/只。产羔时间对草畜平衡具显著的影响,适当推迟产羔时间能够有效的改善草畜平衡状况。分别测定了4月和5月所产羔羊的生长发育情况和母羊体况,5月羔羊平均初生重、1月龄、2月龄体重显著高于4月份羔羊(P<0.05),但由于生长期短,5月羔羊出栏重较4月低4～5kg。草畜代谢能平衡是分析研究草畜平衡的科学、合理和准确的方法和技术,草畜代谢能平衡分析模型的准确度高,适用性强,有利于草原管理,所提出的改善草畜平衡的途径和策略可行性高。

牧区绵羊精准管理技术体系建立与草畜平衡研究

选择肃南裕固族自治县3户典型牧户(分别代表低、中、高管理水平)进行甘肃高山细毛羊生产性能测定,结合经济效益数据,应用精准管理模型计算分析并对其中的低管理水平和高管理水平典型牧户实施精准管理技术,将经济效益不良绵羊的个体淘汰,存栏量分别下降了7%和26%,而未实施精准管理技术的中等管理水平典型牧户,存栏量上升了18%。结果表明:优化后低管理水平和高管理水平典型牧户的平均产毛量及总产毛量均有所提高,而中等管理水平的典型牧户虽然总产毛量提高,但平均每只产毛量下降了0.55kg。低管理水平和高管理水平典型牧户存栏母羊的体重较优化前均有提高,收入分别提高了11.39%和4.2%,而中等管理水平的典型牧户成年母羊体重下降,后备母羊体重增加不显著,同时收入降低了7.4%。因此,精准管理技术可有效的应用于指导实践。