Sliding mode-based direct power control of unified power quality conditioner.

The Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) is a promising solution for mitigating multiple Power Quality(PQ) issues in distribution systems, including harmonics, poor power factor, voltage sag/swell and voltage imbalance. The conventional Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) in UPQCs suffers from wide switching frequency variations, chattering problems, and inherent active and reactive power coupling. This study proposes a nonlinear control method, Sliding Mode-based Direct Power Control (SMC-DPC), for the simultaneous regulation of the shunt and series compensators in a UPQC.

Fabrication of Pb-Containing PtAu Nanoflowers via Galvanic Replacement Method for Electrocatalytical Oxidation of Methanol.

A Pb-containing PtAu nanoflower electrocatalyst was deposited on the cathode via galvanic replacement reaction in a double-cabin galvanic cell (DCGC) with a Cu plate as the anode, a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as the cathode, 0.1 M HClO aqueous solution as the anolyte, and Pb-containing Pt salt and Au salt mixed aqueous solution as the catholyte, respectively, and the electrocatalytic performance of the modified electrode toward methanol oxidation in the alkaline medium was investigated. Electrochemical studies reveal that the stripping of bulk Cu can induce underpotential deposition (UPD) of Pb on Pt during the galvanic replacement reaction, which affects the morphology and composition of Pb-containing PtAu nanoparticles.

Soil microbial CO fixation rate disparities with different vegetation at a representative acidic red soil experimental station in China.

Soil acidification poses a significant environmental challenge in China's southern red soil regions, impacting the abundance of soil microbes and their capacity for carbon fixation. The effect of vegetation types on soil's biological and abiotic components under acidification, and their regulatory role on the CO fixation mechanisms of soil autotrophic microorganisms, is difficult to examine. This gap in understanding constrains the assessment of the carbon fixation potential of red soils.

Reprogramming metabolic microenvironment for nerve regeneration via waterborne polylactic acid-polyurethane copolymer scaffolds.

Cell metabolism, as the key driver of inflammation, revascularization and even subsequent tissue regeneration, is controlled by and also conversely influenced by signal transduction. Incorporation of cell metabolism into tissue engineering research holds immense potential for in-situ treatment repair and further understanding of the host-biomaterial cues in body response. In this study, an anti-inflammatory waterborne polyurethane scaffold incorporated with poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) block was served to repair nerve injuries (LAx-WPU).

Correlation between gut microbiota and pancreatitis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization.

Objective: The causative role of gut microbiota in pancreatitis remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate potential causal associations between gut microbiota and pancreatitis, using bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods: We analyzed genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for gut microbiota (211 taxa from gut microbiota, n  = 18 340) and two types of pancreatitis, namely acute pancreatitis (AP, 5509 cases and 301 383 controls) and chronic pancreatitis (CP, 3002 cases and 301 383 controls).

Effectiveness of specialist involvement in case discussion conferences with primary healthcare providers on the management of type 2 diabetes patients: a study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: In supporting primary healthcare in delivering high-quality care for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), previous research emphasized strategies to facilitate communication and collaboration between primary healthcare providers and hospitals. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of case discussion conferences between specialists from hospitals and primary healthcare providers in China on the optimization of diabetes management and the improvement of patient health outcomes.

Methods: This study will be a parallel cluster randomized controlled trial in which primary healthcare institutions in Shouguang city and Shangsi County will be randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups.

Ethylene Glycol (EG)-Derived Chlorine-Resistant Cu/TiO for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Nitrate to N without Sacrificial Agents at Near-Neutral pH Conditions: The Synergistic Effects of Cu and EG Radicals.

The selective photoreduction of nitrate to nontoxic nitrogen gas has emerged as an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly route for nitrate removal. However, the coexisting high-concentration chloride ions in wastewater can exert a significant influence on nitrate reduction due to the competitive adsorption and corrosion of Cl on photocatalysts. Herein, we prepared ethylene glycol-Cu/TiO (EG-Cu/TiO) through a solvothermal reaction of Cu-doped TiO in an EG solution.

In situ imaging of intracellular miRNAs in tumour cells by branched hybridisation chain reaction.

The ability to visualise microRNA in situ is crucial for studying microRNAs, their microRNA-associated biological functions and disease diagnosis. Traditional fluorescence in situ hybridisation methods based on paraformaldehyde fixation of microRNAs suffer from release of microRNAs from cells, which limits the sensitivity of in situ hybridisation, making them unsuitable for the detection of small, low-abundance microRNAs. To reduce the loss, microRNAs were covalently cross-linked to proteins within cells by combining EDC and paraformaldehyde, and the target microRNA was used as the initiator chain for a branched hybridisation chain reaction to detect microRNA expression levels in situ.

Double-Cabin Galvanic Cell-Synthesizing Nanoporous, Flower-like, Pb-Containing Pd-Au Nanoparticles for Nonenzymatic Formaldehyde Sensor.

In this work, a novel formaldehyde sensor was constructed based on nanoporous, flower-like, Pb-containing Pd-Au nanoparticles deposited on the cathode in a double-cabin galvanic cell (DCGC) with a Cu plate as the anode, a multiwalled carbon nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrode as the cathode, a 0.1 M HClO aqueous solution as the anolyte, and a 3.0 mM PdCl + 1.

Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy combined with omalizumab in children with dust mite-induced asthma.

Objective: To evaluate the benefits of combining omalizumab with specific immunotherapy (SCIT) in the treatment of children with bronchial asthma.

Methods: In this study, 83 children with asthma were treated at the Allergy Department of Qingdao University from January 2019 to February 2020. Participants were divided into three groups: SCIT, combination (omalizumab + SCIT), and control (standard asthma medications).

CircRNA hsa_circ_0069,399 as a potential clinical prognostic marker in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) significantly influence the invasion, metastasis, gene expression, proliferation, and apoptosis of tumor cells. However, the roles of circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain largely unexplored. This study aims to examine circRNA expression patterns in LSCC and adjacent non-tumorous tissues, with the goal of uncovering potential biomarkers for LSCC.

Analysis of mechanical characteristics and permeability of TPMS and Voronoi porous structure for bone scaffold.

Bionic porous structure has been widely used in the field of bone implantation, because it can imitate the topological structure of bone, reduce the elastic modulus of metal bone implantation, and meet the mechanical properties and material transmission characteristics after implantation. This paper mainly studies the effects of different bionic porous structures on the mechanical and material transport properties of bone scaffolds. Firstly, under the same porosity condition, 12 groups of bionic porous structures with different shapes were designed, including G, P, D, I-type three period minimal surface (TPMS) and Voronoi porous structures with different irregularities.

Brain tumor segmentation based on the U-NET+⁣+ network with efficientnet encoder.

Background: Brain tumor is a highly destructive, aggressive, and fatal disease. The presence of brain tumors can disrupt the brain's ability to control body movements, consciousness, sensations, thoughts, speech, and memory. Brain tumors are often accompanied by symptoms like epilepsy, headaches, and sensory loss, leading to varying degrees of cognitive impairment in affected patients.

ARHGAP17 Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Inactivation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

As a member of Rho GAPs family, Rho GTPase-Activating Protein 17 (ARHGAP17) regulates cytoskeletal recombination, cell polarity, cell proliferation and cell migration. ARHGAP17 is identified as a tumor suppressor in numerous cancer types. Current study intends to examine ARHGAP17 expression and its possible influence on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The effect of telephone and short-message follow-ups on compliance and efficacy in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroid: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effect of telephone and short-message follow-ups on compliance and efficacy in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroids.

Methods: A total of 120 children with moderate bronchial asthma who visited the Asthma Outpatient Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled in the study. They were divided randomly into 3 groups based on the type of follow-up given: a combined telephone and short-message service (Tel + SMS) group, a SMS group, and a control group.

Insights into the role of VOCs properties on thermal desorption behaviors of two porous polymeric resins.

Desorption is a critical process in the recovery or post-treatment of adsorbents saturated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, the thermal desorption behaviors for eight VOCs on hypercrosslinked polymeric resin (HPR) and macroporous polymeric resin (MPR) were investigated through isothermal desorption and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Compared with MPR, HPR with more micropores exhibited a lower desorption rate constant, lower desorption efficiency and higher desorption activation energy due to the strong binding energy generated between VOCs molecules and narrow micropores.

Ultrasensitive, Label-Free Voltammetric Detection of Dibutyl Phthalate Based on Poly-l-lysine/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-porous Graphene Nanocomposite and Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.

Development of an efficient technique for accurate and sensitive dibutyl phthalate (DBP) determination is crucial for food safety and environment protection. An ultrasensitive molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) voltammetric sensor was herein engineered for the specific determination of DBP using poly-l-lysine/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/porous graphene nanocomposite (PLL/PEDOT-PG) and poly(o-phenylenediamine)-imprinted film as a label-free and sensing platform. Fabrication of PEDOT-PG nanocomposites was achieved through a simple liquid-liquid interfacial polymerization.

Spatial interfacial heterojunctions of TiO for photocatalytic degradation of toluene: Effects of interface amorphous region and oxygen vacancy.

The catalytic activity of TiO is contingent upon its crystal structure and the optoelectronic properties associated with defects. In this study, a one-step method was used to synthesize TiO with a spatial interface of rutile/anatase phases, and a simple thermal annealing process was applied to optimize the amorphous regions and oxygen vacancies at the interface between the rutile and anatase phases of TiO. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) elucidates the evolution process of the amorphous domain at the interface, skillfully introducing oxygen vacancies at the heterojunction interface by modulating the amorphous domain.

Microplastics inhibit the growth of endosymbiotic Symbiodinium tridacnidorum by altering photosynthesis and bacterial community.

Microplastics, ubiquitous anthropogenic marine pollutants, represent potential threats to coral-Symbiodiniaceae relationships in global reef ecosystems. However, the mechanism underlying the impacts of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on Symbiodiniaceae remains poorly understood. In this study, the cytological, physiological, and microbial responses of Symbiodinium tridacnidorum, a representative Symbiodiniaceae species, to varying concentrations of PS-MPs (0, 5, 50, 100, and 200 mg L) were investigated.

Effects of simulated acid rain on hydrochemical factors and microbial community structure in red soil aquifers.

Acid rain can lower the pH of groundwater and affect its hydrogeochemistry and microbial ecology. However, the effects of acid rain on the hydrogeochemistry and microbial ecology of red soil groundwater systems in southern China are poorly understood. Previous research had mainly investigated the sources and patterns of groundwater acidification, but not the microbial mechanisms that contribute to this process and their associations with hydrochemical factors.

Screening and Identification of ESR1 as a Target of Icaritin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evidence from Bibliometrics and Bioinformatic Analysis.

Background: In 2022, icaritin a Traditional Chinese Medicine with estrogen-like activities was recommended by the CSCO guidelines as a systematic treatment for patients with advanced HCC due to its clinical safety and efficacy. However the mechanism and targets of icaritin are unclear. In this study we aimed to reveal the target of icaritin in HCC.

Diversity in online resources for breast reconstruction: What do patients see?

Background: Online resources are commonly used by patients to obtain information on breast reconstruction. Despite the key role of these resources in patient decision-making, their visual content has not yet been evaluated. This study sought to 1) characterize the presence and content of visual aids in online patient education breast reconstruction resources and 2) determine if the women represented in these visual aids reflect the breast reconstruction patient population in the United States.

High nutrient availability modulates photosynthetic performance and biochemical components of the economically important marine macroalga Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta) in response to ocean acidification.

Increased atmospheric CO concentrations not only change the components of inorganic carbon system in seawater, resulting in ocean acidification, but also lead to decreased seawater pH, resulting in ocean acidification. Consequently, increased inorganic carbon concentrations in seawater provide a sufficient carbon source for macroalgal photosynthesis and growth. Increased domestic sewage and industrial wastewater discharge into coastal areas has led to nutrient accumulation in coastal seawaters.

Willingness to vaccinate against herpes zoster in Chinese urban population: a mixed-methods study.

Objective: Although the herpes zoster vaccine has been available in mainland China since June 2020, residents' knowledge of herpes zoster and the herpes zoster vaccine is poor, and vaccination rates are low, especially among the elderly, who are at high risk for herpes zoster. This study assessed willingness to be vaccinated against herpes zoster and factors associated with vaccination among urban residents in China.

Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted in community health centres from August 2022 to September 2022.