Abstract
The stoichiometric photocatalytic reaction of CO
2
with H
2
O is one of the great challenges in photocatalysis. Here, we construct a Cu
2
O-Pt/SiC/IrO
x
composite by a controlled ...photodeposition and then an artificial photosynthetic system with Nafion membrane as diaphragm separating reduction and oxidation half-reactions. The artificial system exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance for CO
2
reduction to HCOOH and H
2
O oxidation to O
2
under visible light irradiation. The yields of HCOOH and O
2
meet almost stoichiometric ratio and are as high as 896.7 and 440.7 μmol g
−1
h
−1
, respectively. The high efficiencies of CO
2
reduction and H
2
O oxidation in the artificial system are attributed to both the direct Z-scheme electronic structure of Cu
2
O-Pt/SiC/IrO
x
and the indirect Z-scheme spatially separated reduction and oxidation units, which greatly prolong lifetime of photogenerated electrons and holes and prevent the backward reaction of products. This work provides an effective and feasible strategy to increase the efficiency of artificial photosynthesis.
Due to the strong reactivity of alkaline metals and the easy formation of the impurity phase, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of alkaline metals intercalated FeSe is usually limited ...to 45 K. To avoid the formation of impurity and improve the Tc, we intercalate a more chemically inert organic ion (rather than the chemically reactive alkaline metals) into FeSe single crystal in this report. A new FeSe-based superconductor, namely (TBA)0.3FeSe, with Tc of 50 K, is synthesized by intercalating FeSe single crystal with organic ion tetrabutyl ammonium (TBA+) via an electrochemical intercalation method, which has the highest Tc among FeSe-based bulk superconductors. The structure of the organic ion intercalated product consists of the alternate stacking of monolayer FeSe and the organic molecule. The superconductivity of (TBA)0.3FeSe is confirmed by both the magnetic susceptibility and the transport measurement. It is suggested that the chemically inert organic ion should play a key role in the enhancement of Tc by avoiding the formation of impurity and disorder in FeSe plane as possible. We also suggest that the TBA+ intercalated FeSe with well defined shape and higher Tc offer a good playground for further bulk measurement investigation.
Parkinson's disease in the Western Pacific Region Lim, Shen-Yang; Tan, Ai Huey; Ahmad-Annuar, Azlina ...
Lancet neurology,
September 2019, 2019-Sep, 2019-09-00, 20190901, Volume:
18, Issue:
9
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
1·8 billion people of diverse ethnicities and cultures live in the Western Pacific Region. The increasing longevity of populations in this region is a major contributor to the exponential increase in ...Parkinson's disease prevalence worldwide. Differences exist between Parkinson's disease in the Western Pacific Region and in Europe and North America that might provide important insights into our understanding of the disease and approaches to management. For example, some genetic factors (such as LRRK2 mutations or variants) differ, environmental exposures might play differential roles in modulating the risk of Parkinson's disease, and fewer dyskinesias are reported, with some differences in the profile of non-motor symptoms and comorbidities. Gaps in awareness of the disease and inequitable access to treatments pose challenges. Further improvements in infrastructure, clinical governance, and services, and concerted collaborative efforts in training and research, including greater representation of the Western Pacific Region in clinical trials, will improve care of patients with Parkinson's disease in this region and beyond.
We report constraints on the dark photon effective kinetic mixing parameter (κ) with data taken from two p-type point-contact germanium detectors of the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping ...Underground Laboratory. The 90% confidence level upper limits on κ of solar dark photon from 205.4 kg-day exposure are derived, probing new parameter space with masses (m_{V}) from 10 to 300 eV/c^{2} in direct detection experiments. Considering dark photon as the cosmological dark matter, limits at 90% confidence level with m_{V} from 0.1 to 4.0 keV/c^{2} are set from 449.6 kg-day data, with a minimum of κ=1.3×10^{-15} at m_{V}=200 eV/c^{2}.
Microbiota and Food Allergy Shu, Shang-An; Yuen, Agatha W. T.; Woo, Elena ...
Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology,
08/2019, Volume:
57, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Emerging evidence suggests that the increasing prevalence of food allergies is associated with compositional and functional changes in our gut microbiota. Microbiota-host interactions play a key role ...in regulating the immune system. Development of a healthy gut microbiota and immune system occurs early in life and is largely shaped by exposure to maternal microbes through vaginal/natural delivery and breast milk, whereas use of antibiotics can disrupt gut homeostasis and significantly raise the risk of allergic diseases. Thus, changes in the quantity or diversity of gut microbes affect oral toleranace through interations of microbial molecules with pattern recognition receptors on immune cells and confer susceptibility to food allergies. On the other hand, short chain fatty acids which are fermentation end products of insoluble fibers by intestinal micoorganisms have been shown to confer protective effects on food allergy. As a preventive and therapeutic treatment for food allergies, probiotics have gained widespread attention in recent years. Reintroducing certain commensal microbes, such as Clostridia, both in animal models and clinical trials led to the prevention or resolution of allergic symptoms. This review highlights recent progress in our understanding of the gut microbiota’s role in food allergy. However, mechanistic details underlying the anti-allergic effects of probiotics and the interaction between the gut microbiota and the immune system remain circumstantial and are not fully understood. Future studies should address possible factors and underlying mechanisms for microbiota-host interactions and gut immunity, as well as the efficacy, safety, and appropriate use of probiotics in establishing a standard treatment regimen for food allergies.
Consumer resonance is powerful in affecting a user's image of products and, as this resonance expands with iterative enforcement, the user's buying intention can be strongly altered. In order to ...develop consumer resonance, product messages articulated on a social network site (SNS) must be designed with the proper content and delivered through the proper channels. Using uses and gratifications theory, this study built a model to explain user behavior of consumer resonance on SNSs in dimensions of content gratification, social-relation gratification, and self-presentation gratification to drive increased purchase intention. By presenting two selected product articulates on social websites, we collected 392 samples and used modeling with partial least square to analyze the usable data. Meanwhile, a two-step cluster analysis method was applied to partition the sample into two groups and develop managerial implications by comparing them. The study results show that utilitarian value, tie strength, normative influence, information influence, and self-presentation have significant effects on customer resonance, which in turn influences purchase intention for successful consumer-brand relationship. It is hoped that the research findings might enhance our understanding of user resonance behavior and provide insights into social participants' future purchase intentions.
•The study explores consumer behavior for resonance marketing.•Uses and gratifications needs on SNSs are identified.•The mediating role of consume resonance is identified.•The association between consumer resonance and purchase intention is examined.•The findings provide insights into social participants' future purchase intentions.
Based on new insights from crystallography, this study aims to establish the relationship between prior austenite grain size and mechanical properties and enhance our understanding of Hall-Petch ...relationship. The refinement of prior austenite grains was achieved by decreasing the austenitizing temperature (from 920 ℃ to 880 ℃) and quenching. In addition, samples subjected to 880 ℃ heat treatment and quenching produced a significantly higher percentage of martensite. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) used to characterize the crystallographic characteristics indicated that the steel subjected to 920 ℃ heat treatment and quenched had larger prior austenite grains, belonging to the transformation of Bain group. After 880 ℃ heat treatment and quenching, the prior austenite grains were smaller and more uniform, which belonged to the transformation dominated by CP (close-packed plane) group. The transformation from Bain group to CP group was related to transformation driving force, and resulted in increase in the density of high angle grain boundaries (DHAGBs). Using thermal expansion approach to measure the initial martensite transformation temperature (Ms temperature), the samples heat treated and quenched at 920 ℃ and 880 ℃ showed Ms temperature of 400 ℃ and 427 ℃, respectively, implying that the phase transformation driving force was increased by refining the prior austenite grain. Charpy impact energy test at −40 ℃ suggested that after 880 ℃ heat treatment and quenching, the Charpy energy increased from 46 J to 92 J, consistent with the results of EBSD.
Ictal hypoxemia has been reported in small series of cases and may contribute to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). We sought to determine the incidence and severity of ictal hypoxemia in ...patients with localization-related epilepsy undergoing in-patient video-EEG telemetry. We examined whether seizure-associated oxygen desaturation was a consequence of hypoventilation and whether factors such as seizure localization and lateralization, seizure duration, contralateral spread of seizures, patient position at seizure onset and body mass index influenced ictal-related hypoxemia. A total of 304 seizures with accompanying oxygen saturation data were recorded in 56 consecutive patients with intractable localization-related epilepsy; 51 of 304 seizures progressed to generalized convulsions. Pulse oximetry showed oxygen desaturations below 90% in 101 (33.2%) of all seizures with or without secondary generalization, with 31 (10.2%) seizures accompanied by desaturations below 80% and 11 (3.6%) seizures below 70%. The mean duration of desaturation below 90% was 69.2 ± 65.2 s (47; 6–327). The mean oxygen saturation nadir following secondary generalization was 75.4% ± 11.4% (77%; 42–100%). Desaturations below 90% were significantly correlated with seizure localization P = 0.005; odds ratio (OR) of temporal versus extratemporal = 5.202; 95% CI = (1.665, 16.257), seizure lateralization P = 0.001; OR of right versus left = 2.098; 95% CI = (1.078, 4.085), contralateral spread of seizures P = 0.028; OR of contralateral spread versus no spread = 2.591; 95% CI = (1.112, 6.039) and gender P = 0.048; OR of female versus male = 0.422; 95% CI = (0.179, 0.994). In the subset of 253 partial seizures without secondary generalized convulsions, 34.8% of seizures had desaturations below 90%, 31.8% had desaturations below 80% and 12.5% had desaturations below 70%. The degree of desaturation was significantly correlated with seizure duration (P = 0.001) and with electrographic evidence of seizure spread to the contralateral hemisphere (P = 0.003). Central apnoeas or hypopnoeas occurred with 50% of 100 seizures. Mixed or obstructive apnoeas occurred with 9% of these seizures. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) was recorded in seven patients (19 seizures). The mean increase in ETCO2 from preictal baseline was 18.6 ± 17.7 mm Hg (13.2; 2.8–77.8). In these 19 seizures, all oxygen desaturations below 85% were accompanied by an increase in ETCO2. Ictal hypoxemia occurs often in patients with localization-related epilepsy and may be pronounced and prolonged; even with seizures that do not progress to generalized convulsions. Oxygen desaturations are accompanied by increases in ETCO2, supporting the assumption that ictal oxygen desaturation is a consequence of hypoventilation. Ictal hypoxemia and hypercapnia may contribute to SUDEP.
Large-scale genome-wide association studies in the European population have identified 90 risk variants associated with Parkinson disease (PD); however, there are limited studies in the largest ...population worldwide (ie, Asian).
To identify novel genome-wide significant loci for PD in Asian individuals and to compare genetic risk between Asian and European cohorts.
Genome-wide association data generated from PD cases and controls in an Asian population (ie, Singapore/Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, and South Korea) were collected from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018, as part of an ongoing study. Results were combined with inverse variance meta-analysis, and replication of top loci in European and Japanese samples was performed. Discovery samples of 31 575 individuals passing quality control of 35 994 recruited were used, with a greater than 90% participation rate. A replication cohort of 1 926 361 European-ancestry and 3509 Japanese samples was analyzed. Parkinson disease was diagnosed using UK Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Criteria.
Genotypes of common variants, association with disease status, and polygenic risk scores.
Of 31 575 samples identified, 6724 PD cases (mean SD age, 64.3 10 years; age at onset, 58.8 10.6 years; 3472 53.2% men) and 24 851 controls (age, 59.4 11.4 years; 11 030 45.0% men) were analyzed in the discovery study. Eleven genome-wide significant loci were identified; 2 of these loci were novel (SV2C and WBSCR17) and 9 were previously found in Europeans. Replication in European-ancestry and Japanese samples showed robust association for SV2C (rs246814; odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11-1.21; P = 1.17 × 10-10 in meta-analysis of discovery and replication samples) but showed potential genetic heterogeneity at WBSCR17 (rs9638616; I2=67.1%; P = 3.40 × 10-3 for hetereogeneity). Polygenic risk score models including variants at these 11 loci were associated with a significant improvement in area under the curve over the model based on 78 European loci alone (63.1% vs 60.2%; P = 6.81 × 10-12).
This study identified 2 apparently novel gene loci and found 9 previously identified European loci to be associated with PD in this large, meta-genome-wide association study in a worldwide population of Asian individuals and reports similarities and differences in genetic risk factors between Asian and European individuals in the risk for PD. These findings may lead to improved stratification of Asian patients and controls based on polygenic risk scores. Our findings have potential academic and clinical importance for risk stratification and precision medicine in Asia.
•An integrated space-time network for both train rescheduling and passenger routing is developed for an incident of complete blockage.•A two-layer decomposition approach based on alternating ...direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm is developed to solve the integrated model.•The model is tested for case studies of Chinese high-speed railway networks.
Trains normally run as scheduled in a non-disrupted situation. However, due to external and/or internal factors, trains may deviate from their original timetable during daily operations. To this end, the involved dispatchers are required to reschedule disrupted trains to efficiently transport delayed passengers to their destinations as soon as possible. In this study, we focus on train rescheduling in a seriously disrupted situation where a track segment is completely blocked for a relatively long period of time, e.g., two hours. In this situation, trains cannot pass the disrupted segment, meaning that passengers will be unable to travel as scheduled. We simultaneously rescheduled trains and passenger routes from both the operator’s and passengers’ perspectives. This integrated train rescheduling and passenger rerouting problem was formulated with an Integer Linear Programming model based on a space-time network. We decomposed the integrated model into two subproblems, a train rescheduling problem and a passenger routing problem, using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. Both subproblems could be further decomposed into a series of shortest path problems for trains or passengers, and solved by a dynamic programming algorithm. Finally, we tested our models and algorithms on both a small hypothetical railway network and a part of the Chinese high-speed railway network.
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