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A Schiff base compound 6-amino-5-(((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)amino)-2-mercaptopyrimidin-4-ol (AHM) in acetonitrile solvent is found to show "OFF–ON type" mode upon addition of Al3+ ion and successfully applied for selective recognition of Al3+ ion. In this work, the reconsideration of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) has been explored in detail based on density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods. In the absence of Al3+, the lone pair electrons are transferred from –C = N to –OH forming a hydrogen-bonding configuration, and AHM shows weak fluorescence. When AHM is coordinated with metal ion, the TICT state is eliminated, and emission is significantly enhanced. Thus, in this paper, the origination of the non-emissive behavior of AHM has been explained in detail. The frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) and hole-electrons are used to analyze the charge distribution, providing strong evidence for the possibility of ESIPT and TICT processes occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CPF-1 is based on (Mo 6 O 20) n isopolyoxomolybdate chains bonded together with CuO 4 tetrahedra into a 3D inorganic polymer. • CPF-1 has high stability and excellent heterogeneous catalytic activity, the synthesis of alkynes into bromotriazole with ∼99 % yield. • The possible cascade catalytic mechanisms of the click and bromination reactions catalyzed by CPF-1 were also proposed. The selective conversion of alkynes into bromotriazoles over a single-component catalyst is highly desirable but presents significant challenges. In this study, we developed a robust copper-bonded polyoxomolybdates-based framework [Cu 2 (Mo 6 O 20)]·2H 2 O (CPF-1), and it integrates the catalytic ability of Cu(I) site with the multielectron-transfer ability of polyoxometalates. As a result, CPF-1 exhibits favorable bifunctional catalytic activity for click chemistry and achieves 99% yield in the conversion of corresponding products to bromotriazoles. To our knowledge, CPF-1 represents the first heterogeneous catalyst that significantly enhances cascade reaction with excellent efficiency and sustainable recyclability. Additionally, the possible cascade catalytic mechanisms of these two reactions are also proposed. The copper-bonded polyoxomolybdates-based framework (CPF-1) exhibits highly efficient heterogeneous catalytic activities in tandem click and bromination reactions (yields of up to 99 %). Furthermore, CPF-1 can be easily recovered and reused without significant loss of activity after seven reaction cycles. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polar sea ice affects atmospheric and ocean circulation and plays an important role in global climate change. Long time series sea ice concentrations (SIC) are an important parameter for climate research. This study presents an SIC retrieval algorithm based on brightness temperature (Tb) data from the FY3C Microwave Radiation Imager (MWRI) over the polar region. With the Tb data of Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) as a reference, monthly calibration models were established based on time–space matching and linear regression. After calibration, the correlation between the Tb of F17/SSMIS and FY3C/MWRI at different channels was improved. Then, SIC products over the Arctic and Antarctic in 2016–2019 were retrieved with the NASA team (NT) method. Atmospheric effects were reduced using two weather filters and a sea ice mask. A minimum ice concentration array used in the procedure reduced the land-to-ocean spillover effect. Compared with the SIC product of National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the average relative difference of sea ice extent of the Arctic and Antarctic was found to be acceptable, with values of −0.27 ± 1.85 and 0.53 ± 1.50, respectively. To decrease the SIC error with fixed tie points (FTPs), the SIC was retrieved by the NT method with dynamic tie points (DTPs) based on the original Tb of FY3C/MWRI. The different SIC products were evaluated with ship observation data, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sea ice cover products, and the Round Robin Data Package (RRDP). In comparison with the ship observation data, the SIC bias of FY3C with DTP is 4% and is much better than that of FY3C with FTP (9%). Evaluation results with SAR SIC data and closed ice data from RRDP show a similar trend between FY3C SIC with FTPs and FY3C SIC with DTPs. Using DTPs to present the Tb seasonal change of different types of sea ice improved the SIC accuracy, especially for the sea ice melting season. This study lays a foundation for the release of long time series operational SIC products with Chinese FY3 series satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the 4 typical natural plant communities at the coastal waterfront of Jiaozhou Bay. Based on field survey and sampling, laboratory analysis, application of classical statistical methods and the requirements for urban ecological preservation and data restoration in IoT engineering technology, this study investigates the diversity pattern of the 4 natural plant communities, i.e. Phragmitesaustralis , Suaeda salsa , Setariaviridis and Conyzacanadensis , analyzes the characteristics of the petroleum pollution suffered by these 4 natural plant communities and the soil at the coastal waterfront of Jiaozhou Bay. By investigating the impact on the natural regulation ability of the natural ecosystem, species and habitat, this study provides the basis for protection of the natural plant communities in the petroleum polluted area and for the design of plants arrangement in ecological restoration in the site and provides the support for application of IoT technology in urban ecosystem establishment and urban ecological restoration. Findings: (1) During investigation of 30 quadrats of the plant communities in the petroleum polluted area at coastal waterfront of Qingdao, 74 plant species have been discovered.They belong to 12 families, where Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae and Compositae are dominant families and account for 9.09%, 20.45% and 38.63% respectively; Phragmitesaustralis , Suaeda salsa , Conyza canadensis and Setariaviridis communities are all herbosa, their species composition is quite simplex and most of them are in monodominant community patch; (2) The Conyzacanadensis community has the largest Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Patrick richness index and Simpson dominance index, which are 2.115, 1.930 and 1.228 respectively; in terms Pielou evenness index, the rank is Phragmitesaustralis > Conyzacanadensis > Setariaviridis > Suaeda salsa , which are 1.056, 0.907, 0.877 and 0.661; (3) According to the result of data analysis, the petroleum polluted area at coastal waterfront of Jiaozhou Bay has average total salt content 0.626%, average PH 8.067 and average petroleum hydrocarbons content 69.306 mg/kg.According to the result of difference examination of different plant communities, the total salt, PH and petroleum hydrocarbons content in the soil at the coastal waterfront Jiaozhou Bay are the main factors that affect the distribution of plant communities in that area (P < 0.05), and the petroleum hydrocarbons content in the soil has significant impact on the distribution of the communities (P < 0.01).(4) In this study, the petroleum hydrocarbon tolerance degrees of the 4 typical tolerant plant communities are ranked as Conyzacanadensis > Suaeda salsa > Setariaviridis > Phragmitesaustralis.In the soil environment with light (Level Ⅰ) and severe (Level Ⅳ) petroleum hydrocarbon pollution, the indexes of Suaeda salsa and Conyzacanadensis are optimal among the communities; the indexes of Phragmitesaustralis and Setariaviridis are optimal in the soil environment with Level Ⅱ and Level Ⅲ petroleum hydrocarbon pollution and can grow better in that environment. • Oil pollution concentration on the influence of the natural plant community off the coast of the jiaozhou bay has been studied. • This study investigates natural plant communities along the coastal line of Jiaozhou Bay and simulate oil pollution in soil. • Results deal with oil pollution ecological landscape plant configuration mode with popularity and significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel sugar-blowing approach was developed to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (N-CDs) for the first time. • The tremendous fluorescence quenching of N-CDs dispersion was observed by addition of Hg(II), compared to other metal ions. • A high-performance fluorescent sensing platform based on N-CDs for Hg(II) detection was constructed. Fluorescent carbon nanodots (CDs) have been considered as promising materials for fluorescent sensing applications. However, preparation of CDs-based materials by a universal approach with high product yield is highly required. Herein, a novel sugar-blowing approach was reported to facilely synthesize nitrogen-doped CDs (N-CDs) by directly heating the mixture of glucose and dicyandiamide (DCDA) in the absence of any solvents. As a typical blowing agent to trigger sugar-blowing process, DCDA also serves as an ideal nitrogen dopant for N-CDs. For fluorescent sensing applications, a remarkable fluorescence quenching at 441 nm of N-CDs dispersion was observed after introduction of Hg(II). Consequently, as-synthesized N-CDs behaves as a highly sensitive fluorescent probe for Hg(II) detection with low detection limit of 50 nM and good selectivity. More importantly, our proposed approach is universal for synthesize fluorescent N-CDs from a wide of sugar precursors (glucose, fructose, maltose and lactose) and blowing agents (DCDA, melamine, urea, hexamethylenetetramine). The strategy demonstrated here provides insights into the rational design and synthesis of CDs-based functional materials for large-scale applications in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hydrophobic functionalized nanosilicas with different alkyl chains were synthesized. • Synergy between HAHPAM and CMNP on thickening was found at high salinity. • The CMNPs markedly facilitate the cross-links among HAHPAM molecules. • The oil displacement mechanisms of the HAHPAM/CMNP hybrid were proposed. • The hydrophobic effect effectively improves the salt tolerance of HAHPAM/CMNP hybrids. The study aims to improve the rheological behaviors and oil recovery of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) at high salinity by introducing nanosilicas. It was found that the combination of hydrophobically associating polyacrylamide (HAHPAM) and cetyl-modified nanoparticles (CMNPs) has a more substantial synergy for improving rheological behaviors of hybrid dispersions at high salinity, comparing with other HPAM/NP hybrids. The CMNPs markedly facilitate the cross-links among clumpy molecular aggregates of HAHPAM and made the hybrids more elastic. At a given HAHPAM concentration, there exists an optimal CMNP concentration at which the adsorption of nanosilicas on the polymer molecular chains is maximized. Under reservoir conditions, the HAHPAM/CMNP hybrid is more efficient than the HAHPAM/NP hybrid for enhanced oil recovery. The oil displacement mechanism of the HAHPAM/CMNP hybrid is attributed to the synergistic thickening and wettability change. The hydrophobic effect between HAHPAM and the CMNPs effectively improves the salt tolerance of the hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wireless sensor networks, the reliability of communication can be greatly improved by applying low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. Algorithms based on progressive-edge-growth (PEG) pattern and quasi-cyclic (QC) pattern are the mainstream approaches to constructing LDPC codes with good performance. However, these algorithms are not guaranteed to remove all short cycles to achieve the desired girth, and their excellent inputs are difficult to obtain. Herein, we propose an algorithm, which must be able to construct LDPC codes with the girth desired. In addition, the optimal input to the proposed algorithm is easy to find. Theoretical and experimental evidence of this study shows that the LDPC codes we construct have better decoding performance and less power consumption than the PEG-based and QC-based codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenced by paleoclimate, paleogeography and hydrogeology, groundwater with different total dissolved solids (TDS) levels, such as freshwater, brackish water, saline water and brine, widely occurs across southern Laizhou Bay (SLB). Due to groundwater overexploitation, several groundwater depression cones have gradually formed since the 1970s, resulting in saline water intrusion. In this study, the multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) approach was adopted to identify the hydrochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater (SG) and deep groundwater (DG) in the SLB. Moreover, we applied Gibbs diagrams, hydrochemical facies evolution diagrams (HFE-Diagram) and ion proportion relations to analyze the factors influencing the hydrochemical characteristics. The results showed that hydrochemical zonation of the various water types (ranging from Ca-HCO 3 to Na-Cl) from south to north was mainly controlled by migration and mixing of saline water with regional groundwater. Based on the MSA results and hydrochemical characteristics, SG functional areas were divided into the groundwater flow zone, intense groundwater mixing zone and groundwater-seawater interaction zone, and DG functional areas were divided into the groundwater flow zone, groundwater mixing zone and underground brine storage zone. Finally, SG and DG groundwater flow evolution models were developed. The comprehensive method proposed in this study combines the MSA approach with regional geological characteristics and provides a reference for the evaluation of complex multiaquifer systems and analysis of the groundwater evolution characteristics in other regions. Image 1 • Using MSA to identify the hydrochemistry characteristics and evolution processes of SG and DG in SLB. • SG function areas are divided into groundwater flow zone, intense groundwater mixing zone and groundwater-seawater interaction zone, and DG function areas are divided into groundwater flow zone, groundwater mixing zone and underground brine storage zone, respectively. • Groundwater flow evolution model of SG and DG is summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To control part quality, it is critical to analyze pore generation mechanisms, laying theoretical foundation for future porosity control. Current porosity analysis models use machine setting parameters, such as laser angle and part pose. However, these setting-based models are machine dependent; hence, they often do not transfer to analysis of porosity for a different machine. To address the first problem, a physics-informed, data-driven model (PIM) is used, which instead of directly using machine setting parameters to predict porosity levels of printed parts, first interprets machine settings into physical effects, such as laser energy density and laser radiation pressure. Then, these physical, machine-independent effects are used to predict porosity levels according to “pass,” “flag,” and “fail” categories instead of focusing on quantitative pore size prediction. With six learning methods’ evaluation, PIM proved to achieve good performances with prediction error of 10∼\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$\sim $\end{document}26%. Finally, pore-encouraging influence and pore-suppressing influence were analyzed for quality analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SnO 2 /Co 3 O 4 n-p heterojunctions was prepared by an organometallic chemistry-assisted approach. • Surface oxygen-containing species could be regulated by changing (CH 3) 2 SnCl 2. • This work provides an effective approach for construction of heterojunctions. SnO 2 /Co 3 O 4 n-p heterojunctions have been prepared by organometallic chemistry-assisted approach, where holy Co 3 O 4 nanosheets and (CH 3) 2 SnCl 2 were used as precursors. It is found that the surface oxygen-containing species could be regulated by changing the ratio of Co 3 O 4 precursors and Sn-containing organic compound. Our present work is of importance because it provides a new and effective approach for construction of heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant community is the basic landscape unit of the coastal green space. The study of the oil-contaminated coastal green space plant community has an important role in improving the landscape quality and aesthetics of the coastal green space. This article takes the oil pollution shoreline of Jiaozhou Bay as an entry point to build a plant community landscape evaluation model, analyzes and evaluates the most scenic plant community types in the coastal area of Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay in order to provide scientific basis for the plant community landscape configuration along the oil polluted coastline of Jiaozhou Bay, and provide reference for the evaluation and construction of plant community landscape in other cities. • The plant community is the basic landscape unit of the coastal green space. • Oil-contaminated coastal green space plant community has an important role in improving the landscape quality. • The configuration has significance for landscape evaluation and construction of plant communities in coastal green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient approachs to synthesize nitrogen-doped graphene materials is significantly important. Herein, it is reported that nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) had been successfully prepared by pyrolysis of poly(p -phenylenediamine)-rGO (P p PD-rGO) hybrids. The combined characterizations of Infrared (IR) spectra, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the structure of N-rGO. Most importantly, such N-rGO shows good sensing performances for simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA). The linear ranges of the sensors for AA, DA, and UA are 0.1 mM–4 mM, 1 μM–60 μM and 1 μM–30 μM. The detection limit for detection of AA, DA and UA are 9.6 μM, 0.1 μM and 0.2 μM, respectively. This work provides a highly effective approach for preparation of graphene-based materials for electrochemical sensing applications. • Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) had been prepared by pyrolysis of poly(p -phenylenediamine)-rGO (P p PD-rGO) hybrids. • The N-rGO shows good sensing performances for simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid, dopamine and uric acid. • This work provides a highly effective approach for preparation of graphene-based materials for electrochemical sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stable laminar plasma jet with a jet length of above 600 mm was adopted to deposit molybdenum coatings to investigate the behavior of high-melting point metal, molybdenum, and particles during laminar plasma spraying process. The temperature, velocity, and species distribution of the plasma jet were calculated by numerical simulation. In the experiment, the temperature and velocity distribution of the in-flight particles were measured, and the microstructure and properties of the coatings were analyzed. Combining the results of the simulation and experimental results, the deposition behavior and oxidation mechanism of the coatings prepared at the spray distance from 200 mm to 400 mm were discussed. The results indicate that both the laminar plasma jet and injected particles exhibit high temperature and low velocity, and low temperature and velocity gradients. The microstructure of the coatings shows a high similarity and hardly changes when the spray distance exceeds 250 mm. When the spray distance is 200 mm, post-deposition oxidation occurs due to the heating effect of the long plasma jet on the substrate. In contrast, when the spray distance is longer, the particles undergo severe in-flight oxidation, and the oxide formed is uniformly distributed in the coating improving the hardness from 500 HV 0.3 to 700 HV 0.3. • A stable laminar plasma jet with length over 600 mm was adopted. • A super long spray distance of 400 mm was realized in atmospheric environment. • The microstructure and properties of coatings show insensitivity on spray distance. • Particles mainly endure inflight oxidation enhancing the hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the rapid development and application of blockchain technology, this paper considers a secondary supply chain system consisting of a single upstream supplier and a downstream e-tailer that implements blockchain technology and a traditional e-tailer that does not implement blockchain technology. We establish the demand function of two channels based on consumers' sensitivity to the blockchain and use the Stackelberg game model to compare and analyse the e-tailers' profits from the two channels. For the basic properties, interestingly, we find that there exists a critical threshold on the cost sensitivity to effort that helps each e-tailer decide whether to implement effort. If the cost sensitivity to effort is high, the two-sided e-tailers will reduce their effort as much as possible to obtain greater profits. Conversely, if the cost sensitivity to effort is low, they will increase their effort to obtain more benefits. We also discuss the role of blockchain technology in competition between e-tailers and analyse the impact of the product brand effect brought by the traceability characteristic of blockchain on the competition between e-tailers. To check the robustness of the core results and to investigate different forms of supply chain configurations, this paper further develops the analysis of the supplier entering agency agreements with two-sided e-tailers. Under this scenario, the supplier sells their products directly to consumers through two-sided e-platforms and shares revenue with e-tailers as platform agency fees. These core ideas remain valid in the extended model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixing the greenhouse gas CO2 through epoxide helps to mitigate worldwide ecological troubles. The applications of metal‐free and solvent‐free catalysts remain a challenge for CO2 catalytic conversion. In this work, an array of quaternary ammonium salts derived from polyethyleneimine with hydroxyl groups ([PEI‐GDMAB‐Cn]Br) were constructed by the reaction of branched PEI with a molecular weight of 10000 and glycidyl alkyl dimethylammonium bromide. A range of experiments were designed to demonstrate that [PEI‐GDMAB‐Cn]Br can be considered as a valid metal‐free and solvent‐free homogeneous catalyst for the CO2‐epoxide cycloaddition reaction. Among of [PEI‐GDMAB‐Cn]Br, [PEI‐GDMAB‐C18]Br catalyzed the model reaction of CO2 and epichlorohydrin under optimized reaction conditions (T=80 °C, 1.0 atm CO2, catalyst 1 mol%, ECH 15 mmol, 16 h) and the conversion achieved at 97.5 %. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited stable reusability and broad substrate applicability, which was used in the following cycle succinctly, because of self‐separated properties by temperature control. The [PEI‐GDMAB‐C18]Br catalyzed reaction process was detected as a pseudo‐first‐order reaction after kinetic studies and an Ea was calculated to be 50.65 kJ/mol. A combinatorial catalytic mechanism of hydrogen bonding and bromide ions is suggested to explain the remarkable catalytic performance of this bifunctional catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients who underwent knee joint arthroplasty were at risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs), however, less studies were conducted to demonstrate the epidemiology and risk factors of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Objective of this study was to explore the incidence and prognostic factors of DVT after UKA. Methods: Patients who underwent primary UKA from December 2018 to June 2022 were recruited in this study. Demographic characteristics, operation related variables and laboratory index were extracted and analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to detect the optimum cut-off value for variables of interest. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to identify risk factors of DVT. Results: 351 UKAs with a mean age of 65.4 ± 7.1 years were reviewed. After 12.9 ± 11.2 months follow-up, 35 DVTs were confirmed which indicating an incidence of 9.9%. The results showed that occupation (agricultural laborer) (P = 0.008), disease duration > 8.5 years (P = 0.035), operation time > 169 min (P = 0.003), intraoperative blood loss > 102 ml (P < 0.001), BMI > 26.8 kg/m 2 (P = 0.001), preoperative D-dimer > 0.29 mg/L (P = 0.001), prothrombin time < 10.7 s (P = 0.033) and INR < 0.98 (P = 0.032) between DVT and Non-DVT group were significantly different. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed intraoperative blood loss > 102 ml (OR, 3.707; P, 0.001), BMI > 26.8 kg/m 2 (OR, 4.664; P, 0.004) and D-dimer > 0.29 mg/L (OR, 2.882; P, 0.009) were independent risk factors of DVT after UKA. Conclusion: The incidence of DVT in the present study was 9.9%, extensive intraoperative blood loss, advanced BMI and high level of D-dimer would increase the risk of lower extremity thrombosis by 2–4 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian water plantain, Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep, is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. The dried tubers of the Alisma orientale, commonly referred to as Alismatis rhizome (AR), have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of diseases. Soil properties and the soil microbial composition are known to affect the quality and bioactivity of plants. Here, we sought to identify variations in soil fungal communities and soil properties to determine which would be optimal for cultivation of A. orietale. Soil properties, heavy metal content, and pesticide residues were determined from soils derived from four different agricultural regions around Shaowu City, Fujian, China, that had previously been cultivated with various crops, namely, Shui Dao Tu (SDT, rice), Guo Shu Tu (GST, pecan), Cha Shu Tu (CST, tea trees), and Sang Shen Tu (SST, mulberry). As fungi can either positively or negatively impact plant growth, the fungal communities in the different soils were characterized using long-read PacBio sequencing. Finally, we examined the quality of A. orientale grown in the different soils. Our results show that fungal community diversity of the GST soil was the highest with saprotrophs the main functional modes in these and SDT soils. Our data show that GST and SDT soils were most suitable for A. orientale growth, with the quality of the AR tubers harvested from GST soil being the highest. These data provide a systematic approach at soil properties of agricultural lands in need of replacement and/or rotating crops. Based on our findings, GST was identified as the optimal soil for planting A. orientale, providing a new resource for local farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hibernation, a survival strategy in mammals for extreme climates, induces physiological phenomena such as ischemia–reperfusion and metabolic shifts that hold great potential for advancements in modern medicine. Despite this, the molecular mechanisms underpinning hibernation remain largely unclear. This study used RNA‐seq and Iso‐seq techniques to investigate the changes in liver transcriptome expression of Rhinolophus pusillus during hibernation and active periods, as well as under different microhabitat temperatures. We identified 11 457 differentially expressed genes during hibernation and active periods, of which 395 showed significant differential expression. Genes associated with fatty acid catabolism were significantly upregulated during hibernation, whereas genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and glycogen synthesis were downregulated. Conversely, immune‐related genes displayed differential expression patterns: genes tied to innate immunity were significantly upregulated, while those linked to adaptive immunity and inflammatory response were downregulated. The analysis of transcriptomic data obtained from different microhabitat temperatures revealed that R. pusillus exhibited an upregulation of genes associated with lipid metabolism in lower microhabitat temperature. This upregulation facilitated an enhanced utilization rate of triglyceride, ultimately resulting in increased energy provision for the organism. Additionally, R. pusillus upregulated gluconeogenesis‐related genes regardless of the microhabitat temperature, demonstrating the importance of maintaining blood glucose levels during hibernation. Our transcriptomic data reveal that these changes in liver gene expression optimize energy allocation during hibernation, suggesting that liver tissue adaptively responds to the inherent stress of its function during hibernation. This study sheds light on the role of differential gene expression in promoting more efficient energy allocation during hibernation. It contributes to our understanding of how liver tissue adapts to the stressors associated with this state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, by transforming physical devices into innovative items, affects every aspect of our daily lives. It has brought a slew of evolutionary and revolutionary services that were almost impossible to imagine until recently. The numerous services and applications offered by IoT cover numerous fields, such as personal healthcare, urban life, energy management, and manufacturing. A tremendous amount of data is produced to reach valuable information and meet users' needs. In addition, since the number of services and applications is increasing rapidly, an efficient method to fulfill the growing demands in different application domains becomes challenging. To handle the mentioned problems, task scheduling mechanisms have a significant influence. Despite the importance of these methods in the IoT, an in-depth and systematic review of the current works in this area is clearly lacking. Therefore, we aim to overcome this gap by adopting an organized manner. In fact, this paper aims to specify the challenging problems in IoT task scheduling, highlight the effective works, and outline some hints for upcoming studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ (LSCF) is a promising cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Hence, structured LSCF coatings were deposited in this study by atmospheric laminar plasma spraying (ALPS) at the spraying distances from 150 mm to 250 mm. Particles with high temperature were obtained at low plasma arc power of only 15 kW. The microstructural characterization of the coatings showed cluster-like morphologies on the top surfaces and columnar features with large-scale vertical cracks at the cross section. An evolution mechanism of the coatings was proposed based on particle size. The movement of particles during laminar plasma jet depended on particle size, which was studied experimentally and by simulation to explain the selective deposition. The coatings showed lower polarization resistance when compared to LSCF coatings deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) due to large vertical crack densities. The high output performance of the SOFCs with the LSCF cathode also proved this phenomenon. The results suggest that ALPS provides extensive options for SOFCs manufacturing. • LSCF coatings were deposited at the long spraying distances, although at low plasma arc power of only 15 kW. • The selective deposition depended on particle size was proposed to explain various structures of coatings. • Structured coatings with large-scale vertical cracks revealed lower polarization resistances compared to APS coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deficiency of green products from a quality perspective has attracted significant attention from consumers. The recurring explosions of smart cell phone batteries in recent years is why green products are deemed quality-deficient. However, few researchers has paid attention to this issue, and there is no consensus in the previous literature regarding the impact of returning defective products on vertical dual-channel management in closed-loop supply chains. According to past studies, there are two types of product returns: 1) defective item return and 2) waste product return. The model in our study is based on these two types. However, available studies are not based on this model. Second, we examine how closed-loop supply chain members determine the product quality and price in the presence of return on defective items. Based on our results, we design a revenue-sharing contract to motivate retailer's efforts in recycling waste products. Our paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed coordination mechanism in mitigating retail price competitions and enhancing the total profit of dual-channel closed-loop supply chains, compared to non-coordination models. In addition, we also provide a practical managerial insight indicating that it may not be wise to pursue a low return rate for faulty products by making expensive quality improvements, and the increased quality may even worsen the entire supply chain in some scenarios. • A coordination mechanism with revenue-sharing of dual-channel is modeled in CLSC. • Consider two types return including defective product and used product. • All optimal online and offline prices are concave functions with respect to quality. • Optimal profit of CLSC grows as sharing ratio increases under large basic demand. • Relationship between product quality and optimal profit of CLSC is uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient and metal-free protocol for the synthesis of 2-arylthio(seleno)imidazoles from imidazoles and disulfides (diselenides) was developed through the direct thiolation (selenylation) of imidazoles promoted by 0.5 equiv. of iodine. This process is scalable and tolerates a wide spectrum of disulfides (diselenides) to deliver products in high yields. Compared with previous methods, this protocol has the advantages of a simple operation, wide functional group tolerance and good yields, providing an efficient route to 2-arylthio(seleno)imidazoles, which are key structural scaffolds of many natural products. Image 1 • A convenient and metal-free protocol for the synthesis of 2-arylthio(seleno)imidazoles. • This process is scalable and tolerates a wide spectrum of disulfides (diselenides). • This method showed considerable advantages such as simple operation, wide functional group tolerance and good yields. • A plausible mechanistic approach has also been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two types of sterically hindered primary/secondary alkanolamines were studied. • k 0 of eight primary/secondary alkanolamines with CO 2 were measured at 293–313 K. • Brønsted equations were fitted for tested amines with and without steric hindrance. • Mechanisms of steric hindrance effect on reaction kinetics was initially proposed. To figure out the steric hindrance and its magnitude effects on CO 2 absorption performance and Brønsted correlations of primary and secondary alkanolamines, the pKa values and kinetics data (second order reaction rate, k 2) were investigated for nine alkanolamines at 293–313 K using pH meter and stopped-flow technique. The tested amines include monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), 2-methyl-ethynolamine (MAE), 2-ethyl-ethynolamine (EAE), 1-amino-2-propanol (1-AP), 3-amino-1-propanol (3-AP), 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), 2-amino-1-propanol (2-AP) and 3-Amino-1,2-propanediol (3-APD). In addition, the equilibrium solubility of MEA, MAE, EAE, 2-AP and AMP were tested for evaluation of steric hindrance effect on carbamate's stability. The comprehensive analysis of kinetics, solubility and Brønsted correlations indicated that the steric hindrance caused by alkyl group(s) attached to α-C atom has much significant effect on k 2 and solubility than that caused by alkyl group connected to amino group. Moreover, the k 2 and pK a values for sterically unhindered and hindered amines were separately fitted at 293–313 K, giving out an AARD of 5.2% and 16.5% between predicted and experimental k 2 , respectively. Finally, based on molecular structures and experimental results, mechanism of steric hindrance effect on reaction kinetics was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The models of H e C O 2 - M E A / 1 D M A 2 P and α e q were constructed. • Mass transfer performance of MEA/1DMA2P solution was comprehensively investigated. • An integrative K G a v was established by embedding and α e q model. • The effect of y A ⁎ on K G a v was considered based on the H e C O 2 - M E A / 1 D M A 2 P data. • y CO 2 , o u t were correlated by using new K G a v models. In order to establish an integrative mass transfer coefficient (K G a V) model for CO 2 absorption into blended monoethanolamine (MEA)/1-dimethylamino-2-propanol (1DMA2P) solution in packed column, the models of CO 2 Henry's law constants (He CO₂-MEA/1DMA2P) and the equilibrium CO 2 solubility (α eq) were constructed. The experimental produced data can be reasonably analyzed. In this work, the Arrhenius equation was employed to fit the values of He CO₂-MEA/1DMA2P at different temperature with AARD of 4.06%; the Kent-Eisenberg prediction model and empirical polynomial prediction model were used to predict the data of α eq under different CO 2 partial pressures and temperatures with AARDs of 2.64% and 0.83%, respectively; the empirical K G a V model proposed by Li, the empirical K G a V model proposed by Aroonwilas and new K G a V model were used to correlate the average values of K G a V with AARDs of 14.36%, 12.44% and 9.03%, respectively; the model for outlet CO 2 concentration (y CO₂,out) in packed column was developed with AARD of 15.97%. Moreover, the heat of CO 2 absorption in 6 kmol/m3 MEA/1DMA2P solution was estimated by Gibbs-Helmholtz equation which gave a value of −39.8 kJ/mol. The results show that the blended MEA/1DMA2P solution has advantages that make it a potential absorbent for CO 2 capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integrated production and distribution problem for perishable products is presented, which is an NP hard problem where a single machine, multi-customers, and homogenous vehicles with capacity constraints are considered. The objective is to minimize the total order weighted delivery time to measure the customer service level, by making two interacted decisions, production scheduling and vehicle routing, simultaneously. An integrated mathematical model is built, and the validity is measured by the linear programming software CPLEX by solving the small-size instances. An improved large neighborhood search algorithm is designed to address the problem. Firstly, a two-stage algorithm is constructed to generate the initial solution, which determines the order production sequence according to the given vehicle routing. Secondly, several removal/insertion heuristics are applied to enlarge the search space of neighbor solutions. Then, a local search algorithm is designed to improve the neighbor solutions, which further generates more chances to find the optimal solution. For comparison purposes, a genetic algorithm developed in a related problem is employed to solve this problem. The computational results show that the proposed improved large neighborhood search algorithm can provide higher quality solutions than the genetic algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We have demonstrated an excellent Ti/AlO x /TaO x /Pt analog memristor. The device shows high uniformity and 200 resistance states can be obtained by using potentiation pulses (0.7 V, 25 s) and depression pulses (−1.2 V, 10 s). • The area and temperature dependence of resistance results demonstrate the interface-type resistive switching behaviors, meaning that the device has an attractive prospect in high density and low power consumption applications. • The I – V curves fitting results and elemental analysis demonstrate that the switching behavior in Ti/AlO x /TaO x /Pt device could be dominated by the tunneling barrier modulation induced by oxygen ions migration. • The interface-type resistive devices exhibit great potential for neuromorphic computing, multi-level storage applications. In this letter, the conduction and bipolar switching mechanism of the ultrathin AlO x (3 nm)/TaO x (5 nm) memristor are investigated through the electrical characterization and elemental analysis. The AlO x /TaO x memristor exhibits high uniformity and excellent analog property after initial reset process. The following experiments and analyses demonstrate that the switching behavior could take place over the whole area of TaO x /Pt interface and is dominated by the tunneling barrier modulation induced by oxygen ions migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-to-image translation models have shown remarkable ability on transferring images among different domains. Most of existing work follows the setting that the source domain and target domain keep the same at training and inference phases, which cannot be generalized to the scenarios for translating an image from an unseen domain to another unseen domain. In this work, we propose the Unsupervised Zero-Shot Image-to-image Translation (UZSIT) problem, which aims to learn a model that can translate samples from image domains that are not observed during training. Accordingly, we propose a framework called ZstGAN: By introducing an adversarial training scheme, ZstGAN learns to model each domain with domain-specific feature distribution that is semantically consistent on vision and attribute modalities. Then the domain-invariant features are disentangled with an shared encoder for image generation. We carry out extensive experiments on CUB and FLO datasets, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method on UZSIT task. Moreover, ZstGAN shows significant accuracy improvements over state-of-the-art zero-shot learning methods on CUB and FLO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hip fractures are high risk and high-impact events in the elderly population; despite orthopedic hip surgery, the disability and mortality rate remains significant. The National Health Insurance Agency in Taiwan established a fragility fracture PAC rehabilitation program to provide functional recovery for these patients after the surgery. However, the current literature on PAC rehabilitation is outdated, and there is an urgent need for the re-evaluation of the program.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study that enrolled 159 patients in the PAC rehabilitation program, followed by hip repair surgery. Outcome measures were the differences in participants' pre- and post-PAC scores in 1) Barthel index, 2) Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and 3) Harris Hip Scores (HHS) as surrogate indicators of the functional status, followed by the analysis of subgroups, including sex, age, site of the fracture, type of procedure, and the number of comorbidities.Results: After completing PAC rehabilitation, 86.2% of the patients successfully returned to the community with either home or out-patient rehabilitation. The re-admission rate was 3.1% and 3.8% in 14-days and in 30-days follow up, respectively. The difference in pre- and post-Barthel index, NRS, and HHS showed significant improvement (p<0.001), without significant variations between the subgroups. Additionally, the Barthel index showed a positive correlation to HHS and a negative correlation to NRS.Conclusion: This study revealed that the current form of post-surgery fragility fracture PAC program effectively improves functional status, reduces the re-admission rate, and facilitates the patient transition back to the community. The results should improve patients' and physicians' confidence in such a program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach with a follow up thermal treatment was employed to prepare 1D porous CoO nanowires, which is constructed by numerous high crystallinity nanoparticles. A significant change in crystal structure of the precursor were observed, as position shift and absence of some diffraction peaks, which was induced by the microwave-assistance during hydrothermal process. Moreover, the precursor's purity was also effectively improved. As a result, the as-synthesized CoO annealed from the microwave-assisted precursor exhibited a morphology and phase structure significantly different from that of without microwave involvement. Benefiting from the 'microwave effect', the microwave-assisted as-fabricated porous CoO nanowires showed an enhanced specific capacitance (728.8 versus 503.7 Fg−1 at 1 A g−1), strengthened rate performance (70.0% versus 53.2% maintenance at 15 A g−1), reduced charge transfer resistance (1.06 Ω versus 2.39 Ω), enlarged window voltage (0.85 versus 0.7 V) and enhanced cycle performance (82.3% versus 76.5% retention after 5000 cycles at 15 A g−1), compared with that of sample without microwave assistance. In addition, the corresponding electrochemical properties are also higher than those reported CoO sample prepared by solvothermal method. In conclusion, this work provides a practical way for enhancing electrochemical properties of supercapacitor materials through adjusting the precursor by microwave assistance into hydrothermal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feature selection method based on mutual information and support vector machine (SVM) is proposed in order to eliminate redundant feature and improve classification accuracy. First, local correlation between features and overall correlation is calculated by mutual information. The correlation reflects the information inclusion relationship between features, so the features are evaluated and redundant features are eliminated with analyzing the correlation. Subsequently, the concept of mean impact value (MIV) is defined and the influence degree of input variables on output variables for SVM network based on MIV is calculated. The importance weights of the features described with MIV are sorted by descending order. Finally, the SVM classifier is used to implement feature selection according to the classification accuracy of feature combination which takes MIV order of feature as a reference. The simulation experiments are carried out with three standard data sets of UCI, and the results show that this method can not only effectively reduce the feature dimension and high classification accuracy, but also ensure good robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has reemerged as a major public health concern, causing chikungunya fever with increasing cases and neurological complications. Methods: In the present study, we investigated a low-passage human isolate of the East/ Central/South African (ECSA) lineage of CHIKV strain LK(EH)CH6708, which exhibited a mix of small and large viral plaques. The small and large plaque variants were isolated and designated as CHIKV-SP and CHIKV-BP, respectively. CHIKV-SP and CHIKV-BP were characterized in vitro and in vivo to compare their virus production and virulence. Additionally, whole viral genome analysis and reverse genetics were employed to identify genomic virulence factors. Results: CHIKV-SP demonstrated lower virus production in mammalian cells and attenuated virulence in a murine model. On the other hand, CHIKV-BP induced higher pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, compromised the integrity of the blood–brain barrier, and led to astrocyte infection in mouse brains. Furthermore, the CHIKV-SP variant had limited transmission potential in Aedesalbopictus mosquitoes, likely due to restricted dissemination. Whole viral genome analysis revealed multiple genetic mutations in the CHIKV-SP variant, including a Glycine (G) to Arginine (R) mutation at position 55 in the viral E2 glycoprotein. Reverse genetics experiments confirmed that the E2-G55R mutation alone was sufficient to reduce virus production in vitro and virulence in mice. Conclusions: These findings highlight the attenuating effects of the E2-G55R mutation on CHIKV pathogenicity and neurovirulence and emphasize the importance of monitoring this mutation in natural infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various industrial fields use gas-liquid separation, but due to the variety of gas-liquid separation technologies, no comprehensive review has been conducted. This paper systematically reviews the separation mechanism, application ranges, research status, and development prospects of various separation techniques. The challenges associated with each gas-liquid separation technology are presented. This review indicates that future research should focus on the droplet-droplet and droplet-gas interaction mechanisms and the formation and breakup mechanisms of liquid films. Future experimental efforts should focus on investigating gas-liquid two-phase flow fields including droplet size distribution, phase distribution, and velocity distribution. A promising development direction is to combine several gas-liquid separation technologies to expand their range of applications. An increased knowledge of the relationship between the flow field and separation performance would guide the standardized design of the gas-liquid separators. [Display omitted] • The technical and application state of gas-liquid separation is systematically reviewed. • Phase separation laws for various separation technologies are summarized. • A promising development exists in combining a variety of gas-liquid separation technologies. • A detailed understanding of the relationship between the flow field and separation performance is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based materials are deemed as promising candidates for fabrication of room-temperature gas sensors, while a tougher challenge is to develop an effective strategy for improving gas responses. Here, a noble metal decoration strategy is developed to enhance NO2 responses of α-Fe2O3/SnO2–rGO hybrids. Noble metal decorated α-Fe2O3/SnO2–rGO hybrids were prepared by depositing noble metals onto α-Fe2O3/SnO2–rGO hybrids through reduction of noble metal ions by NaBH4. Most importantly, Pt modified α-Fe2O3/SnO2–rGO hybrids (designated as Pt-FSR) exhibit the highest response value of 21.3 toward 5 ppm NO2, which is much higher than that of α-Fe2O3/SnO2–rGO (8.8). Combined characterization studies indicate that the enhanced NO2 response of Pt-FSR is attributed to the narrow band gap of Pt-FSR, small particle size and excellent catalytic activity of Pt. The NO2 sensing mechanism is also investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy. The findings proposed in this work not only broaden the study of room-temperature gas sensors, but also provide suggestions for discovering the gas sensing mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known concerning terpenoids produced by members of the fungal order Ophiostomales, with the member Harringtonia lauricola having the unique lifestyle of being a beetle symbiont but potentially devastating tree pathogen. Nine known terpenoids, including six labdane diterpenoids (1–6) and three hopane triterpenes (7–9), were isolated from H. lauricola ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts for the first time. All compounds were tested for various in vitro bioactivities. Six compounds, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9, are described functionally. Compounds 2, 4, 5, and 9 expressed potent antiproliferative activity against the MCF-7, HepG2 and A549 cancer cell lines, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) ~12.54–26.06 μM. Antimicrobial activity bioassays revealed that compounds 4, 5, and 9 exhibited substantial effects against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Ralstonia solanacearum) with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between 3.13 and 12.50 μg/mL. Little activity was seen towards Gram-positive bacteria for any of the compounds, whereas compounds 2, 4, 7, and 9 expressed antifungal activities (Fusarium oxysporum) with MIC values ranging from 6.25 to 25.00 μg/mL. Compounds 4, 5, and 9 also displayed free radical scavenging abilities towards 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide (O2−), with IC50 values of compounds 2, 4, and 6 ~3.45–14.04 μg/mL and 22.87–53.31 μg/mL towards DPPH and O2−, respectively. These data provide an insight into the biopharmaceutical potential of terpenoids from this group of fungal insect symbionts and plant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2-D SWE) has been proven to detect hyperlipidemia-induced elastic abnormality in the corpus cavernosum. This study investigated cytological factors affecting the elasticity of the corpus cavernosum in rabbits with hyperlipidemia using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into a hyperlipidemia group (high-cholesterol diet) and a control group (standard diet). Penile 2-D SWE was performed to detect the elastic abnormality in the corpus cavernosum. ScRNA-seq was performed to observe cellular changes in the corpus cavernosum of rabbits with hyperlipidemia. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and histological examinations were conducted to verify the results of scRNA-seq. Two-dimensional SWE revealed that the Young's modulus of the corpus cavernosum was significantly greater in the hyperlipidemia group than that in the control group (p < 0.001). Histological findings revealed extracellular matrix accumulation within the corpus cavernosum, with stronger staining of collagen types I and Ⅲ. ScRNA-seq revealed that fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells were the major cell types in the corpus cavernosum. A novel subtype of fibroblasts (myofibroblast) was discovered in the hyperlipidemia group, which was verified by immunofluorescence staining and gene ontology analysis. Fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells were three cellular sources for myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts are activated and proliferate and secrete large amounts of collagen fibers in the corpus cavernosum during hyperlipidemia, leading to abnormal Young's modulus detected by 2-D SWE and their recognition as a new factor affecting the hyperlipidemia-induced elastic abnormality of the corpus cavernosum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with significant global morbidity and mortality. Low treatment rates are observed in patients living with HBV; the reasons for this are unclear. This study sought to describe patients' demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics across three continents and their associated treatment need. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional post hoc analysis of real-world data used four large electronic databases from the United States, United Kingdom and China (specifically Hong Kong and Fuzhou). Patients were identified by first evidence of chronic HBV infection in a given year (their index date) and characterized. An algorithm was designed and applied, wherein patients were categorized as treated, untreated but indicated for treatment and untreated and not indicated for treatment based on treatment status and demographic, clinical, biochemical and virological characteristics (age; evidence of fibrosis/cirrhosis; alanine aminotransferase [ALT] levels, HCV/HIV coinfection and HBV virology markers). Results: In total, 12,614 US patients, 503 UK patients, 34,135 patients from Hong Kong and 21,614 from Fuzhou were included. Adults (99.4%) and males (59.0%) predominated. Overall, 34.5% of patients were treated at index (range 15.9–49.6%), with nucleos(t)ide analogue monotherapy most commonly prescribed. The proportion of untreated-but-indicated patients ranged from 12.9% in Hong Kong to 18.2% in the UK; almost two-thirds of these patients (range 61.3–66.7%) had evidence of fibrosis/cirrhosis. A quarter (25.3%) of untreated-but-indicated patients were aged ≥ 65 years. Conclusion: This large real-world dataset demonstrates that chronic hepatitis B infection remains a global health concern; despite the availability of effective suppressive therapy, a considerable proportion of predominantly adult patients apparently indicated for treatment are currently untreated, including many patients with fibrosis/cirrhosis. Causes of disparity in treatment status warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) based on electrochemical sensors is highly attractive in the fields of environmental monitoring and biosensing, however development of non‐precious metal‐based electrocatalysts with high performances remains challenging. Here, a new non‐enzymatic H2O2 sensor has been reported by using Fe2P modified N,P co‐doped carbon (Fe2P/NP‐C) materials as sensing materials. Fe2P/NP‐C materials were synthesized by pyrolysis of polydopamine coating Fe‐based coordination polymer nanoparticles, which were obtained by direct mixing FeCl3 and sodium hexametaphosphate at room temperature. The electrochemical tests display that Fe2P/NP‐C‐based non‐enzymatic H2O2 sensor exhibited detection limit of 60 μM and linear range from 0.1 mM to 1 mM, respectively. This work presents a new avenue to design of non‐precious metal‐based electrocatalysts for chemical sensing and biosensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To summarize the research status on the function and mechanism of circRNAs in regulating the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase.com, and ARVO Abstracts website and reviewed relevant studies. Results: Thousands of circRNAs were found to be aberrantly expressed in DR patients, animal models, or cell models. A few circRNAs, such as cPWWP2A, circDNMT3B, circHIPK3, circ_0005015, et al were demonstrated to play an important role in DR by regulating the angiogenesis, proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory response of various cells in the retina. Conclusion: CircRNAs are involved in the development of DR. CircRNAs can not only serve as DR biomarkers, but also become therapeutic targets for DR. The role of plenty of circRNAs in DR is yet to be discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect factors associated with the postoperative dissatisfaction of patients undergoing open-door laminoplasty for cervical OPLL. Methods: In this study, 194 patients, who underwent open-door laminoplasty for cervical OPLL from January 2009 to January 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. The Patient Satisfaction Index (PSI) was collected at discharge, 6 months, 1 year, and the last follow-up. According to the PSI, patients were divided into satisfied group and dissatisfied group. The possible effect factors included demographic variables and surgery-related variables. Results: At discharge, 42 (21.6%) patients were in the dissatisfied group, as compared to the satisfied group, the hospitalization cost, hospital stay, postoperative depression, the axial neck pain, delayed wound healing, and VAS-neck had significant statistical differences. At 6-month follow-up, 25 (12.9%) patients were in the dissatisfied group. The axial neck pain and JOA score had significant statistical differences between the two groups, and no significant differences were found between the two groups in other items. At 1 year with 18 (9.3%) dissatisfied patients and last follow-up with 14 (7.2%) dissatisfied patients, the JOA score and symptom recurrence had significant statistical differences. For further analysis, the dissatisfied patients with axial neck pain at 6 months were significantly higher than that at other terms and the JOA score of the two groups increased gradually with prolonging of restoration years but compared with the dissatisfied group, the JOA scores were obviously better in the satisfied group at the last follow-up. Conclusions: Overall, to patients undergoing open-door laminoplasty for cervical OPLL, hospitalization cost and neck pain might be mainly associated with patient dissatisfaction at the early and middle recovery. Patient dissatisfaction at the long-term treatment outcome might be mainly associated with the low improvement rate of JOA score and symptom recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and risk factors for axial neck pain in patients undergoing multilevel anterior cervical decompression with fusion surgery. Methods: In this study, 88 patients, who underwent multilevel anterior cervical decompression with fusion surgery from January 2012 to January 2017, were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the postoperative axial neck pain, the patients were classified into two groups: axial pain group and no axial pain group. The patients were followed up 3 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after cervical anterior surgery for the early- and long-term clinical evaluation. The possible effect factors included demographic variables (age, sex, BMI, smoking, drinking, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, preoperative kyphosis, preoperative axial neck pain, preoperative JOA scores, and ODI) and surgery-related variables (surgical option, vertebral lesions, spinal canal stenosis rate, superior fusion segment, presence of intramedullary high signal intensity). Results: The prevalence of axial neck pain was 27.3% (24 cases of 88). Our results showed that preoperative axial neck pain (62% vs 23%, P < 0.001) and preoperative kyphosis (42% vs 21.9%, P < 0.001) were risk factors for axial pain after multilevel anterior cervical surgery. Additionally, for patients with preoperative cervical kyphosis, compared to no axial pain group, the axial neck group was significantly more likely to exist a higher preoperative angle of C2–7 (13.31 ± 2.33 vs 7.33 ± 2.56, P < 0.001) and a higher correction range for kyphosis (20.24 ± 4.12 vs 12.34 ± 3.12, P < 0.001). However, for all the patients with postoperative axial symptoms, the improvement rate of axial pain was significantly higher for patients without cervical kyphosis at the early-term follow-up (3 weeks) (P = 0.032), no significant differences were found at the medium-term (P = 0.554) and long-term follow-up (P = 0.902), and improvements of clinical symptom have no obvious difference at the last follow-up. Conclusions: Overall, preoperative axial neck pain and kyphosis could predict axial neck pain for patients undergoing multilevel anterior cervical decompression with fusion surgery, and recovery of cervical kyphosis may contribute to the long-term recovery of neural function, but may also suffer from risk of short-term axial pain, which could be reduced through moderate cervical curvature recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies on the association between macular vessel density (VD) and diabetic retinopathy had conflicting conclusions. This study assessed the alterations of macular VD, as well as other factors, in diabetic patients using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) in a large-scale sample from Chinese communities. Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes without history of ocular treatment were recruited from 2017 to 2018. The average and quadrant parafoveal vessel density (PVD) were obtained with a commercial SS-OCTA device (Triton, Topcon, Japan). The univariate and multivariate linear regression was used to analyse the correlation of PVD with diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic macular edema (DME), HbA1c, and other factors. Results: A total of 919 patients were included in the final statistical analysis. After adjusting for other confounding factors, the DR patients had significantly lower average PVD (β = − 1.062, 95% CI = − 1.424 to − 0.699, P < 0.001) in comparison with those without DR. In addition, the patients with mild DR or vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) also had significantly lower PVD (P < 0.001 for mild DR, and P = 0.008 for VTDR) compared with those without DR. Age and HbA1c were also significantly related to PVD measurements, as shown by multivariable linear regression. Participants with DME had a significantly lower average PVD and temporal PVD than those without DME (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Reduced PVD was independently associated with more severe DR, older age, higher HbA1c level, and the presence of DME. These findings suggested that macular vessel alterations in DR warrant further evaluation in the longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple method to prepare 3D porous rGO-Ag@Ag 3 PO 4 hydrogel photocatalyst. • 3D rGO as a reductant and a supporter can increase the photostability of Ag 3 PO4. • The rGO-Ag@Ag 3 PO 4 hydrogel photocatalyst has the synergistic effect of adsorption photocatalytic degradation. • The rGO-Ag@Ag 3 PO 4 hydrogel photocatalyst has good stability. A novel visible-light driven 3D porous network structure rGO-Ag@Ag 3 PO 4 (RAA) hydrogel composite photocatalyst with a synergistic effect of adsorption enrichment and photocatalysis degradation has been synthesized by a facile method and characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, FTIR, DRS, UV–vis, TG, Raman, and XPS. RAA hydrogel photocatalyst with 3D porous network structure is not only favorable to increasing the absorption property for organic pollutants owing to a larger surface area and π-π conjunction property, but also promotes the separation and transformation of electron-hole pairs due to the good conductivity performance. The RAA hydrogel composite photocatalyst has exhibited the excellent removal capacity of organic pollutants which were about 1.94 and 1.10 times higher than those of bare Ag 3 PO 4 for the removal of MB and 2, 4-CDP in the dynamic system, respectively. The enhancement of removal efficiency was due to a synergistic effect of adsorption enrichment and photocatalysis degradation. The removal rate of RAA hydrogel composite photocatalyst has only a little decrease from 76.04% to 68.51% for 60 h of the photoreaction, showing the relatively good stability. The trapping experiment and ESR showed the main active species were holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green supply chain management (GSCM) is an enterprise's effort to protect the environment and a key way to achieve sustainable environmental development. On the contrary, globalization brings more risks to the supply chain. Resilience has become a critical definition in supply chain management to help enterprises review the disruption and return to normal state. Therefore, choosing a resilient-green supplier to build a supply chain environment with flexibility and greenness under interruption becomes necessary for research works. However, the existing studies tended to focus on only one of the factors with resilience and greenness, and no comprehensive criteria system and performance value is expressed by a crisp number. Therefore, this paper proposes a hybrid method which integrates the Best-Worst method (BWM), Weighted Aggregated Sum-Product Assessment (WASPAS), and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to solve the critical problems. Firstly, BWM is used to weigh the criteria; secondly, intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are introduced into the ranking stage. Then, the integrated WASPAS and TOPSIS are used to rank the alternatives to select the optimal resilient-green supplier. Finally, an illustrative example proves the feasibility of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the ongoing development and improvement of deep learning technology, autonomous vehicles (AVs) have made tremendous progress in recent years. Despite its great potential, AV supported by deep learning technology still faces numerous security threats, which prevent AV from being putting into large-scale practice. Aiming at this challenging situation, in this paper, we would like to exploit two attacks against deep learning algorithms in traffic sign recognition system by leveraging particle swarm optimization. Specifically, we first exploit the PAPSO (poisoning attack with particle swarm optimization) which focuses on the training process of the deep learning algorithms in the traffic sign recognition system, i.e., the attacker injects crafted samples into the training dataset, causing a reduction in classification accuracy of the traffic sign recognition system. Then, we also explore the EAPSO (evasion attack with particle swarm optimization) which on the other hand focuses on the interference process of the deep learning algorithms, i.e., the attacker adds some hardly perceptible perturbations to the targeted test sample, leading to a misclassification on it. Extensive experiments are conducted to shed light on the effectiveness of our attacks, and some corresponding defense strategies are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats play important roles in ecosystems, and are thus considered bioindicators. Libraries of echolocation calls provide huge potential resources for bat species identifications, ecological studies and conservation surveys. Here, the echolocation calls of two morphologically similar bat species (Miniopterus magnater and Miniopterus fuliginosus) were recorded and described in order to characterize vocal signatures for field identification in China. Both M. magnater and M. fuliginosus emitted short frequency modulated echolocation calls with narrow bandwidths. Each call of the former species included two harmonics, with the first harmonic being the strongest, whereas calls of the latter species normally contained one harmonic. Although call durations were similar between the two species, there were significant differences in start, end and peak frequencies between M. magnater and M. fuliginous. The results showed that 92.3% of all calls recorded in China were attributed to the correct species based on spectral features of echolocation calls. We concluded that echolocation calls are valuable characters for the identification of morphologically similar bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to construct a clinically practical model to precisely predict lymph node (LN) metastasis in bladder cancer patients. Methods: Four independent cohorts were included. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression with multivariate logistic regression were applied. The diagnostic efficacy of LN score and CT/MRI was compared by accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC). Results: A total of 606 patients were included to develop a basic prediction model. After multistep gene selection, the LN metastasis prediction model was constructed with 5 genes. The model can accurately predict LN metastasis with an AUC of 0.781. For clinically practical use, we transformed the model into a Fast LN Scoring System using the SYSMH cohort (n = 105). High LN score patients exhibited a 72.2% LN metastasis rate, while low LN score patients showed a 3.4% LN metastasis rate. The LN score achieved a superior accuracy than CT/MRI (0.882 vs. 0.727). Application of LN score can correct the diagnosis of 88% (22/25) patients who were misdiagnosed by CT/MRI. Discussion: The clinically practical LN score can precisely, rapidly, and conveniently predict LN status, which will assist preoperative diagnosis for LN metastasis and guide precise therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HTO has proven to be a cost-effective surgical procedure in the treatment of KOA, but few investigations have studied radiological changes and clinical effectiveness of OWHTO in geriatric patients. 76 patients were recruited in this retrospective study. According to the age, patients were divided into two groups (≤ 60, Group "Young"; > 60, Group "Geriatric"). Demographic data, radiological imaging and postoperative complications were analyzed. Kellgren–Lawrence grade (K–L), weight-bearing line ratio (WBLR); posterior tibial slope angle (PTS); American knee score (AKS); Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and visual analog scale (VAS) were introduced to estimate the clinical outcome of OWHTO. There were 18 male and 58 female patients in the present study with a mean age of 58.5 ± 9.2 years (ranges from 40 to 82 years); the average age was 51.4 ± 4.1 years and 67.3 ± 4.9 years for group Y and G respectively, 44.7% and 31.5% patients were older than 60 and 65 years. BMI for the 76 patients was 26.6 ± 3.2 kg/m2, and geriatric patients were more likely accompanied by one or more comorbidities (70.6 vs. 45.2%). There were 34 and 42 patients in group Geriatric and group Young respectively, and no significant difference of MPTA, WBLR, PTS and WOMAC, VAS, AKS and ROM between the two group (P > 0.05) were found. After more than a two-year follow-up period, postoperative WBLR, AKS, WOMAC and VAS were much more desired than preoperative, and no significant difference of these variables between the young and geriatric group (P > 0.05), however, elderly patients were more likely to suffer from a longer bone union time. OWHTO can avoid geriatric patients from undergoing secondary knee surgery in the short term, however the survival rate of OWHTO in geriatric patients should be ultimately clarified by different studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a facile and economical hybrid additive manufacturing (HAM)technology combining fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing and laser‐activated selective electroless plating (ELP) for fabricating full functional end‐use 3D customized electronics. A functional acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament doped with dicopper hydroxide phosphate (Cu2(OH)PO4) catalysts is developed for FDM 3D printing. The 3D printed structure is selectively laser‐activated to generate CuI plating seeds on the ABS surface and then electrolessly plated. The poor surface finish, especially the layer lines, is an intrinsic defect of extrusion 3D printing, which not only affected the fabrication quality of the 3D substrates but also the electrical performance of the attached circuitry. Herein, a chemical polishing process based on acetone vapor is explored and characterized to significantly improve the surface quality and thereby the electrical performance of the attached copper layer. In this way, highly conductive metallic circuitry can be freeformly deposited and patterned on the 3D structure which is extremely attractive for customized 3D electronics. To show the application potential of this technology, a 3D conformal 555 timer astable oscillator circuit board and a hot‐wire flowmeter are developed as demonstrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Compared with people without diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at higher risk of both subnormal vitamin C status and increased oxidative stress. We aimed to investigate the associations of serum vitamin C concentrations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among adults with and without T2D. Methods: The current analysis included 20,045 adults (2691 people with T2D and 17,354 without T2D) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and NHANES 2003–2006. Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Restricted cubic spline analyses were used to examine the dose–response relationship. Results: After a median follow-up of 17.3 years, 5211 deaths were documented. Individuals with T2D had a lower level of serum vitamin C concentrations compared with those without T2D (the median value: 40.1 vs. 44.9 μmol/L). Furthermore, the dose–response relationship between serum vitamin C and mortality showed different patterns between participants with and without T2D. In individuals without T2D, there was a nonlinear association of serum vitamin C concentrations with all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality, with the lowest risk around a serum vitamin C concentration of 48.0 μmol/L (all Poverall < 0.05, Pnonlinearity < 0.05). In contrast, among those with T2D in the similar concentration range, higher serum vitamin C levels (ranged from 0.46 to 116.26 μmol/L) were linearly associated with lower all-cause and cancer mortality (both Poverall < 0.05, Pnonlinearity > 0.05). Significant additive interaction was observed between diabetes status and serum vitamin C levels with regard to all-cause and cancer mortality (P < 0.001). In addition, C-reactive protein, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and HbA1c explained 14.08, 8.96, and 5.60% of the association between serum vitamin C and all-cause mortality among individuals with T2D, respectively. Conclusions: Higher serum vitamin C concentrations were significantly associated with lower risk of mortality in participants with T2D in a linear dose–response manner, while a nonlinear association was observed in participants without T2D, with an apparent threshold around 48.0 μmol/L. These findings suggest that the optimal vitamin C requirement may differ in individuals with and without T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]