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The influence of microstructure on the response of energetic structural materials (ESMs) under shock conditions remains inadequately quantified, and the energy release process is not thoroughly understood. In this work, taking the classical Ni/Al ESM as an example, the shock response was investigated by the shock compression theory with the microstructure-based chemical reaction kinetics model. This theory mainly refers to the equation of the state of multi-component materials with mixture rule, and the reaction at the particle contact interface is built to form the multiscale thermodynamics model. The physical states of material after shock, including relative volume, temperature, and extent of reaction, were analyzed. The results revealed the effect of the burn velocity, particle size and molar ratio on the shock response. Furthermore, the model facilitates a comprehensive understanding of energy release, the extent of the intermetallic reaction, and the oxidation reaction. Despite the involvement of only a small portion of materials in the oxidation reaction, the energy release proportion was comparable to that of the intermetallic reaction. Additionally, insights into the effect of the microstructure on the energy release revealed by the model matched the tests well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including healthy adults in Sui County, Henan Province, China. Ninety-six adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups (high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose) at a 3:1 ratio to receive one vaccine dose or placebo. Adverse events up to 28 days after each dose and serious adverse events up to 6 months after all doses were reported. Geometric mean titers and seroconversion rates were measured for anti-rotavirus neutralizing antibodies using microneutralization tests. The rates of total adverse events in the placebo group, low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group were 29.17 % (12.62 %–51.09 %), 12.50 % (2.66 %–32.36 %), 50.00 % (29.12 %–70.88 %), and 41.67 % (22.11 %–63.36 %), respectively, with no significant difference in the experimental groups compared with the placebo group. The results of the neutralizing antibody assay showed that in the adult group, the neutralizing antibody geometric mean titer at 28 days after full immunization in the low-dose group was 583.01 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 447.12–760.20), that in the medium-dose group was 899.34 (95 % CI: 601.73–1344.14), and that in the high-dose group was 1055.24 (95 % CI: 876.28–1270.75). The GMT of serum-specific IgG at 28 days after full immunization in the low-dose group was 3444.26 (95 % CI: 2292.35–5175.02), that in the medium-dose group was 6888.55 (95 % CI: 4426.67–10719.6), and that in the high-dose group was 7511.99 (95 % CI: 3988.27–14149.0). The GMT of serum-specific IgA at 28 days after full immunization in the low-dose group was 2332.14 (95 % CI: 1538.82–3534.45), that in the medium-dose group was 4800.98 (95 % CI: 2986.64–7717.50), and that in the high-dose group was 3204.30 (95 % CI: 2175.66–4719.27). In terms of safety, adverse events were mainly Grades 1 and 2, indicating that the safety of the vaccine is within the acceptable range in the healthy adult population. Considering the GMT and positive transfer rate of neutralizing antibodies for the main immunogenicity endpoints in the experimental groups, it was initially observed that the high-dose group had higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than the medium- and low-dose groups in adults aged 18–49 years. This novel inactivated rotavirus vaccine was generally well-tolerated in adults, and the vaccine was immunogenic in adults (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04626856). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous potassium‐ion batteries with inherent safety, high abundance, and competitive hydrated ion‐radius point to future availability in energy storage. However, the extensively studied electrodes (metal‐oxides, Prussian‐blue‐analogues, etc.) typically suffer from undesirable capacities and sluggish kinetics owing to overwhelming ion diffusion barriers. Herein, for the first time, the metal chalcogenide bismuth selenide reinforced by iodine‐doping (I‐Bi2Se3) is implemented for high‐performance aqueous potassium‐ion storage. The co‐intercalation mechanism of potassium‐ion with proton in I‐Bi2Se3 is entirely revealed by operando synchrotron X‐ray diffraction and substantial ex‐situ analysis, and the excellent interlayer diffusion kinetics in the high‐conductive host are further enhanced by iodine‐doping, as proposed by theoretic calculations. Therefore, the resulting high diffusion coefficient and low interfacial transfer resistance endow I‐Bi2Se3 with superior rate performance (109.2 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and cycling stability (91% capacity retention after 1200 cycles). Employing in hybrid‐ion batteries matching zinc metal, the highest reversible aqueous potassium‐ion storage to date of 316.8 mAh g−1 is demonstrated, permitting the establishment of reliable performance pouch cells. The promising aqueous potassium intercalation chemistry built in the improved metal chalcogenide is proven to be extendable to other hybrid‐ion devices, offering novel mechanistic insights and material practices for aqueous energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, the precipitation trend over the past few decades in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) exhibits a "Dry‐West Wet‐East" pattern; this is manifested by recent droughts/floods in the western/eastern US. However, it remains elusive what atmospheric phenomenon has potentially driven such a remarkable, and impactful precipitation pattern. Here we found that a coupled climate mode—the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) exerted strong impacts on the precipitation pattern over the CONUS during the summer season. We discovered a significant association between the PMM index and precipitation across the majority of the CONUS; this was manifested as a zonal dipole pattern—negative correlations in the western U.S. along with positive correlations in the eastern and central U.S. Overall, the physical mechanisms based on observations were supported by using Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project simulations available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. Plain Language Summary: Historically, the Contiguous United States (CONUS) was parched in the West and soaked in the East. Despite the importance of this distinct spatial pattern of precipitation variability, the drivers of this hydroclimatic phenomenon remain elusive. Therefore, there is big knowledge gap in understanding the zonal precipitation pattern during the historical period. Here we find that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) can exert strong impacts on the zonal precipitation pattern over the CONUS during the summer season. We discovered a significant association between the PMM index and the precipitation across the majority of the CONUS; this was manifested as a zonal dipole pattern—negative correlations in the western U.S. along with positive correlations in the eastern and central U.S. Overall, the physical mechanisms based on observations were supported by the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project experiments of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (Phase 6). Our research results explain in large part the zonal precipitation pattern ("Dry‐West Wet‐East") in the CONUS, and perhaps more importantly, the viability of the PMM being used as a potential predictor/indicator for summertime precipitation over the U.S. Key Points: The Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) exerted strong impacts on the precipitation pattern over the CONUS during the summer seasonThe modulation on precipitation is manifested as a zonal dipole pattern, tied to teleconnections associated PMM sea‐surface temperature anomaliesThe physical mechanisms based on observations were supported by CMIP6 climate model simulations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) into thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters holds great promise for the advancement of highly efficient organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Despite recent advancements, a thorough comprehension of the underlying mechanisms remains imperative for the practical application of such materials. In this work, we introduce a novel approach aimed at modulating the TADF process by manipulating dynamic processes in excited states through aggregation effect. Our findings reveal that aggregation not only enhances both prompt and delayed fluorescence simultaneously but also imposes constraints on molecular reorientation. This constraint reinforces spin‐orbit coupling and reduces the energy gap between singlets and triplets. These insights deepen our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing the aggregation effect on TADF materials and provide valuable guidance for the design of high‐efficiency photoluminescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) into thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters holds great promise for the advancement of highly efficient organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Despite recent advancements, a thorough comprehension of the underlying mechanisms remains imperative for the practical application of such materials. In this work, we introduce a novel approach aimed at modulating the TADF process by manipulating dynamic processes in excited states through aggregation effect. Our findings reveal that aggregation not only enhances both prompt and delayed fluorescence simultaneously but also imposes constraints on molecular reorientation. This constraint reinforces spin‐orbit coupling and reduces the energy gap between singlets and triplets. These insights deepen our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing the aggregation effect on TADF materials and provide valuable guidance for the design of high‐efficiency photoluminescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Known as thin residually connected incidence geometry, hypertopes extend the framework of abstract polytopes, and can be built from Coxeter groups (not necessarily with linear diagrams). A regular hypertope is a flag-transitive hypertope. In this paper, we present infinite families of regular hypertopes of ranks 5, 6 and 7, in terms of a certain group covering approach (analogous to a method introduced by Conder and the author in an earlier paper on abstract chiral polytopes, but with wider adaptation). Although the illustrative examples within these families are derived from Coxeter groups exhibiting Y-shaped diagrams, this approach is applicable to obtaining regular hypertopes from Coxeter groups with other diagrams, such that the size of the family members grows linearly with entries of their types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract.Spearman’s footrule is a widely used tool to discover the relationship between two continuous random variables, mainly because of its robustness, natural interpretation, and simplicity of calculation. In this article, we propose a new test statistic based on the sum of squares of pairwise Spearman’s footrule, to test the mutual independence of a high dimensional random vector. The large sample properties of the proposed test method are established. Simulation results show that the new test has higher power than existing test methods under some circumstances. An example with real life data is discussed to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed test statistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary This paper proposes a command filter‐based decentralized adaptive backstepping practical prescribed‐time (PPT) tracking control scheme for a class of non‐strict feedback interconnected systems with time varying parameters, unknown control coefficients, unmodeled dynamics, input deadzone and saturation. By the aid of the characteristics of Gaussian functions, the obstacles arising from the non‐strict feedback terms are successfully solved. By constructing a novel time‐varying scaling function and utilizing nonlinear mapping, the PPT tracking control is developed. The estimations of dynamical uncertainties resulting from unmodeled dynamics are accomplished by employing auxiliary signals, while the unknown continuous terms are characterized by the aid of radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs). A superposition of two hyperbolic tangent functions is utilized to approximate input nonlinearity. Utilizing the compact set defined in the command filtered backstepping technique, the problem of unknown control direction is solved without using the Nussbaum gain technique. All the signals involved are proved to be semi‐global uniform ultimate bounded, and the tracking error can enter the pre‐specified convergence region within a pre‐specified time. Simulation results are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic electrochemical actuators, which convert electrical energy into mechanical energy through electrochemical‐induced ion migration, show great potential in biomimetic soft robots. However, their applications are still limited due to the influence of the electrode materials and actuator performance. Here, an MXene/carbon nanotube (CNT) heterostructural electrode‐based ionic actuator is developed and realizes dexterous touch manipulation mimicking humans. In this MXene/CNT heterostructure, one‐dimensional CNTs are chemically interconnected into layered two‐dimensional MXene nanosheets, increasing their interlayer spacing, promoting mechanical stability, and enhancing specific surface area, which facilitates the ion migration and storage as well as electrochemical actuation. Accordingly, the MXene/CNT actuator can output excellent mechanical deformation under 2.5 V voltage, including large peak‐to‐peak deformation (displacement 24 mm, strain 1.54%), wide frequency response (0.1–15 Hz), large force (5 mN) and good cycling stability. The actuators can be used to construct artificial fingers to achieve gentle, multi‐point, variable frequency, and synergistic touching on fragile smartphone screens, including pressing a phone number to make a call and tapping an electronic drum. Especially, this finger can tap the drum at a high frequency (13 Hz), exceeding the tapping frequency that real human fingers can reach, which demonstrates its prospect in human‐computer interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor neurological recovery in patients after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion has been frequently reported; however, no study has analyzed the preoperative imaging characteristics of patients to investigate the factors affecting surgical prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that affect the preoperative imaging characteristics of patients and their influence on poor neurologic recovery after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 89 patients who met the criteria for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of single-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy and evaluated the patients' neurological recovery based on the recovery rate of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores at the time of the final follow-up visit. Patients were categorized into the "good" and "poor" groups based on the JOA recovery rates of ≥ 50% and < 50%, respectively. Clinical information (age, gender, body mass index, duration of symptoms, preoperative JOA score, and JOA score at the final follow-up) and imaging characteristics (cervical kyphosis, cervical instability, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), calcification of herniated intervertebral discs, increased signal intensity (ISI) of the spinal cord on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), and degree of degeneration of the discs adjacent to the fused levels (cranial and caudal) were collected from the patients. Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for poor neurologic recovery. Results: The mean age of the patients was 52.56 ± 11.18 years, and the mean follow-up was 26.89 ± 11.14 months. Twenty patients (22.5%) had poor neurological recovery. Univariate analysis showed that significant predictors of poor neurological recovery were age (p = 0.019), concomitant OPLL (p = 0.019), concomitant calcification of herniated intervertebral discs (p = 0.019), ISI of the spinal cord on T2WI (p <0.05), a high grade of degeneration of the discs of the cranial neighboring levels (p <0.05), and a high grade of discs of the caudal neighboring levels (p <0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ISI of the spinal cord on T2WI (p = 0.001 OR = 24.947) and high degree of degeneration of adjacent discs on the cranial side (p = 0.040 OR = 6.260) were independent risk factors for poor neurological prognosis. Conclusion: ISI of the spinal cord on T2WI and high degree of cranial adjacent disc degeneration are independent risk factors for poor neurological recovery after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. A comprehensive analysis of the patients' preoperative imaging characteristics can help in the development of surgical protocols and the management of patients' surgical expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By applying a high projection rate, the binary defocusing technique can dramatically increase 3D imaging speed. However, existing methods are sensitive to the varied defocusing degree, and have limited depth of field (DoF). To this end, a time–domain Gaussian fitting method is proposed in this paper. The concept of a time–domain Gaussian curve is firstly put forward, and the procedure of determining projector coordinates with a time–domain Gaussian curve is illustrated in detail. The neural network technique is applied to rapidly compute peak positions of time-domain Gaussian curves. Relying on the computing power of the neural network, the proposed method can reduce the computing time greatly. The binary defocusing technique can be combined with the neural network, and fast 3D profilometry with a large depth of field is achieved. Moreover, because the time–domain Gaussian curve is extracted from individual image pixel, it will not deform according to a complex surface, so the proposed method is also suitable for measuring a complex surface. It is demonstrated by the experiment results that our proposed method can extends the system DoF by five times, and both the data acquisition time and computing time can be reduced to less than 35 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the accuracy of rockburst warning, it is necessary to accurately interpret the microseismic (MS) information obtained during the rockburst development process. However, the MS source location is very important for the interpretation of MS information, and the MS location method has an important impact on the location accuracy. To improve the location accuracy of MS sources, a location method considering diffraction in tunnel engineering is proposed. In this method, the shortest path length between the MS source and a sensor that does not cross the empty area of the excavated tunnel section replaces the straight path length between the MS source and the sensor for the location calculation, which can reduce the location error caused by propagation path length inaccuracy. To analyse the performance of this location method, a virtual MS source location simulation test and an in situ blasting point location test were carried out based on a tunnel project. The results show that the location method can well characterize the propagation path of MS source waves in a rock mass, thus making the location error smaller. During the in situ blasting point location test, the average absolute location error of point sources is approximately 8 m, and the average relative location error is approximately 6.72%. The location results can well meet the requirements of rockburst MS monitoring for location accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target to reduce lipids. In 2020, we reported a chimeric camelid-human heavy chain antibody VHH-B11-Fc targeting PCSK9. Recently, it was verified that VHH-B11 binds one linear epitope in the PCSK9 hinge region. To enhance its druggability, we have developed a novel biparatopic B11-H2-Fc Ab herein. Thereinto, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) confirmed the epitope differences in binding-PCSK9 among VHH-B11, VHH-H2 and the approved Repatha. Additionally, SPR revealed the B11-H2-Fc exhibits an avidity of approximately 0.036 nM for PCSK9, representing a considerable increase compared to VHH-B11-Fc (~ 0.69 nM). Moreover, we found the Repatha and B11-H2-Fc exhibited > 95% PCSK9 inhibition efficiency compared to approximately 48% for the VHH-Fc at 7.4 nM (P < 0.0005). Further, we verified its biological activity using the human hepatoma cells G2 model, where the B11-H2-Fc exhibited almost 100% efficiency in PCSK9 inhibition at only 0.75 μM. The immunoblotting results of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) uptake assay also demonstrated the excellent performance of B11-H2-Fc on recovering the LDL-c receptor (LDLR), as strong as the Repatha (P > 0.05). These findings provide the first evidence of the efficacy of a novel Ab targeting PCSK9 in the field of lipid-lowering drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tongbai complex plays an important role in the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Tongbai‐Dabie orogenic belt. By detailed structural analysis, new zircon U–Pb dating, zircon Lu–Hf analysis and whole‐rock elements for the rocks in the Tongbai complex and the wrapped shear zones, we suggested that the Tongbai complex was derived from the partial melting of the basement of Yangtze Block and experienced a uniform orogen‐parallel extension with a top‐to‐NW shearing at 142–133 Ma. The migmatites yield a migmatization age of 116 ± 2 Ma and are identical to the metamorphic age of 115–111 Ma from the L and LS tectonites in the Tongbai complex. The late Early Cretaceous migmatization may give rise to the severance of the uniform top‐to‐NW shear zone and lead to an antiform folding of the Tongbai complex. The similar deformation and migmatization of the complexes in both the Tongbai and Dabie orogenic belts suggest that the Tongbai‐Dabie orogenic belt is likely to have a similar tectonic transformation from orogen‐parallel to orogen‐perpendicular extension in the Early Cretaceous, namely a uniform orogen‐parallel extension of the ductile lithosphere during the early Early Cretaceous and a widespread migmatization during the late Early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bandwidth-tunable balanced filter (BTBF) is proposed, which utilizes the quarter-wavelength coupled lines with multi-point loaded varactors and half-wavelength transmission lines. The varactor-loaded coupled lines combined with the pair of the half-wavelength transmission lines provide the basic wideband differential-mode (DM) passband and common-mode (CM) suppression, and the loaded varactors can tune the lower edge, the upper edge and the impedance matching (IM) of the passband. Thus, tunable bandwidth with almost constant center frequency can be achieved by controlling the bridged varactor Cv1 and the series varactors Cv2 and Cv3. Compared to the state-of-the-art designs, the proposed design offers significant advantages of broad tuning range of DM bandwidth, wide minimum DM bandwidth, low insertion loss, and simple structure. For demonstration, a prototype is designed with the DM bandwidth tuning range of 24.7%, the minimum DM fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 46.5%, the maximum insertion loss inside the IM bandwidth of 2.3 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furfural is a 5‐membered heterocyclic compound derived from biomass and can be converted into various chemicals and biofuels through hydrogenation. Furfural conversion invariably requires the involvement of catalysts. The performance of these catalysts predominantly hinges on the characteristics of the metal active sites, the properties of the support, and the regulation of reaction conditions. Therefore, the selection of metals and supports, the preparation methods of catalysts, as well as the determination of reaction solvents, temperature, pressure, and catalyst dosage are the factors that researchers need to consider. Based on this, this present review focuses on the production process and heterogeneous catalytic system selection of furfural hydrogenation to prepare downstream products since 2018. It provides a brief introduction to the corresponding catalytic reaction mechanisms, focuses on the effects of different metals and supports on catalytic performance, and provides an outlook on this research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ex vivo red blood cell (RBC) production generates unsatisfactory erythroid cells. A deep exploration into terminally differentiated cells is required to understand the impairments for RBC generation and the underlying mechanisms. Here, we mapped an atlas of terminally differentiated cells from umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (UCBMN) and pluripotent stem cells (PSC) and observed their dynamic regulation of erythropoiesis at single‐cell resolution. Interestingly, we detected a few progenitor cells and non‐erythroid cells from both origins. In PSC‐derived erythropoiesis (PSCE), the expression of haemoglobin switch regulators (BCL11A and ZBTB7A) were significantly absent, which could be the restraint for its adult globin expression. We also found that PSCE were less active in stress erythropoiesis than in UCBMN‐derived erythropoiesis (UCBE), and explored an agonist of stress erythropoiesis gene, TRIB3, could enhance the expression of adult globin in PSCE. Compared with UCBE, there was a lower expression of epigenetic‐related proteins (e.g., CASPASE 3 and UBE2O) and transcription factors (e.g., FOXO3 and TAL1) in PSCE, which might restrict PSCE's enucleation. Moreover, we characterized a subpopulation with high proliferation capacity marked by CD99high in colony‐forming unit‐erythroid cells. Inhibition of CD99 reduced the proliferation of PSC‐derived cells and facilitated erythroid maturation. Furthermore, CD99–CD99 mediated the interaction between macrophages and erythroid cells, illustrating a mechanism by which macrophages participate in erythropoiesis. This study provided a reference for improving ex vivo RBC generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunohistochemical analysis of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFR-α) was performed on human skin wounds obtained from forensic autopsy cases. Thirty human skin wounds were collected at different post-infliction intervals as follows: Group I, 4 h to 3 days (n = 16); Group II, 4 to 7 days (n = 7); Group III, 9 to 10 days (n = 3); and Group IV, 14 to 20 days (n = 4). Immunopositive reactions for PDGFR-α were not observed in the uninjured human skin specimens. In a semi-quantitative morphometrical analysis, the number of PDGFR-α-positive cells was observed increased in Group II, with the average number of PDGFR-α-positive cells being the highest in Group II. Additionally, in Group II, all specimens showed PDGFR-α-positive cells, with an average number of > 200 cells in five fields of view, suggesting a wound age of 4 to 7 days. Taken together, the immunohistochemical detection of PDGFR-α in human skin wounds can be a useful tool for wound age determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial policy, as one of the most potent weapons employed by governments, is recommended to adhere to the principles of high relatedness and high economic complexity, which can minimize risks and maximize returns. However, this approach may not be optimal in developing countries with poor industrial bases, limited innovative capabilities and weak institutional frameworks. Based on relatedness and economic complexity, this study illustrates the evolution paths of industrial policy in China and identifies underlying influencing factors deciding the patterns of policymaking. Different from developed countries, it takes several steps for developing countries to reach the final target, the smart specialization approach, instead of one‐step jumping. Moreover, industrial policy is not always the panacea, and the effects of industrial policy vary depending on local contexts. In sum, this study extends research towards the complex co‐evolution process of policy and industries in developing countries and provides more insights for policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association between the preoperative Bioenergetic Health Index (BHI) of platelets and the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients. Methods: Elderly patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were included. The presence of POD was assessed within the 3 days after surgery. Seahorse XF analysis and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to evaluate the mitochondrial metabolism and morphology of platelets. Results: A total of 20 out of 162 participants developed POD. Participants with POD showed lower preoperative Mini‐Mental State Examination scores and total protein levels, fewer educational years, longer surgery duration, higher mean platelet volume, and lower platelet BHI compared with those without POD. Damaged mitochondria with swollen appearance and distorted cristae was detected in platelets from participants with POD. Preoperative platelet BHI was independently associated with the occurrence of POD after adjusting for age, education, preoperative Mini‐Mental State Examination score, preoperative mean platelet volume and total protein levels, surgical type and duration, and lymphocyte counts on the first postoperative day (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.03–0.37, p < 0.001). The areas under the receiver operating curves for predicting POD were 0.83 (95% CI 0.76–0.88) for platelet BHI. It showed a sensitivity of 85.00% and specificity of 73.24%, with an optimal cutoff value of 1.61. Using a serial combination (mean platelet volume followed by BHI) yielded a sensitivity of 80.00% and specificity of 82.39%. Interpretation: Preoperative platelet BHI was independently associated with the occurrence of POD in elderly patients and has the potential as a screening biomarker for POD risk. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:74–86 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this brief, two novel wideband bandpass filter (BPF) chips with independently controllable transmission zeros are proposed. BPF I uses bridge T-type highpass and lowpass structures cascaded to achieve wideband filtering. On this basis, BPF II adds three pairs of LC resonant circuits to add additional transmission zeros while retaining the lowpass structures. The analytical methods of odd-even mode and ABCD matrix to S-parameter matrix are used to analyze and calculate two designs. For validation, two prototypes of proposed BPFs in integrated passive device (IPD) have been designed, fabricated, and measured. One prototype operates at 5.3 GHz, providing a 3-dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 46.9%, while the other prototype operates at 4.7 GHz, providing a 3-dB FBW of 57.6%. Moreover, the two chips exhibit minimum insertion losses of 1.55 dB and 1.5 dB, respectively, while occupying compact sizes of 2.27 mm × 0.83 mm and 1.7 mm × 0.88 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea is a devastating disease responsible for large losses to agricultural production, and B. cinerea is a necrotrophic model fungal plant pathogen. Membrane proteins are important targets of fungicides and hotspots in the research and development of fungicide products. Wuyiencin affects the permeability and pathogenicity of B. cinerea, parallel reaction monitoring revealed the association of membrane protein Bcsdr2, and the bacteriostatic mechanism of wuyiencin was elucidated. In the present work, we generated and characterised ΔBcsdr2 deletion and complemented mutant B. cinerea strains. The ΔBcsdr2 deletion mutants exhibited biofilm loss and dissolution, and their functional activity was illustrated by reduced necrotic colonisation on strawberry and grape fruits. Targeted deletion of Bcsdr2 also blocked several phenotypic defects in aspects of mycelial growth, conidiation and virulence. All phenotypic defects were restored by targeted gene complementation. The roles of Bcsdr2 in biofilms and pathogenicity were also supported by quantitative real-time RT-PCR results showing that phosphatidylserine decarboxylase synthesis gene Bcpsd and chitin synthase gene BcCHSVII were downregulated in the early stages of infection for the ΔBcsdr2 strain. The results suggest that Bcsdr2 plays important roles in regulating various cellular processes in B. cinerea. Key points: • The mechanism of wuyiencin inhibits B. cinerea is closely associated with membrane proteins. • Wuyiencin can downregulate the expression of the membrane protein Bcsdr2 in B. cinerea. • Bcsdr2 is involved in regulating B. cinerea virulence, growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The white emissions based on lead‐free perovskites with broadband emission due to self‐trapped excitons (STEs) are considered as an ideal candidate for next‐generation white light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs). Recently, copper‐based halide perovskites Cs3Cu2I5@CsCu2I3 composites films with a high color‐rendering index (CRI) have been developed for WLEDs. However, the Cs3Cu2I5@CsCu2I3 composites generally exhibit a relatively low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Herein, a high PLQY up to 86.75% copper‐based perovskite Gua3Cu2I5 (Gua = guanidine) films with a broadband strong yellow STEs emission centered at 544 nm is synthesized. By combining with efficient blue STEs emission Cs3Cu2I5 component via composition engineering of Cs3Cu2I5@Gua3Cu2I5, a high PLQY of up to 96.1% is achieved on the white emission composites films. Moreover, a high CRI of 93 WLEDs is achieved by integrating Cs3Cu2I5@Gua3Cu2I5 composites film onto a UV LED chip. These findings provide a simple and effective strategy for designing highly efficient white light‐emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of c-differential uniformity was proposed by Ellingsen et al., which generalizes the classical differential uniformity measuring the resistance against differential cryptanalysis. Since then, the research of functions with low c-differential uniformity over finite fields attracted many researchers’ attention. However, it seems that there is no study of function with low c-differential uniformity over integer rings modulo n. In this paper, we give an extension of the c-differential uniformity concept to rings of integers module some n > 0, and we present several perfect c-nonlinear polynomial functions on the integer ring ℤn for the different integer n. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin Bi films, especially noncentrosymmetric α-phase Bi films (α-Bi), have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to their intriguing physical properties such as ferroelectricity, nonlinear optical response, and coherent spin transport. However, the current experimental preparation of α-Bi films still presents substantial challenges, resulting in only isolated α-Bi islands being achieved. In this study, α-Bi/SrTiO3 (α-Bi/STO) was synthesized from a Bi2O2Se/STO (BOS/STO) heterostructure by depositing a Eu layer and reducing a BOS film. The so-formed α-Bi/STO interface features metallic conductivity with electron mobility of 7.7 × 104 cm2/V s and ultralow resistivity of 1 nΩ cm at 2 K, as well as high residual resistance ratios R300 K/R2 K up to 2353. Furthermore, we observed a complex weak antilocalization–weak localization–weak antilocalization crossover with increasing magnetic field at temperatures below 10 K. Our work presents the synthesis of α-Bi films, which could potentially serve as a valuable platform for experimental validation of diverse theoretical predictions associated with α-Bi heterostructures. Furthermore, this special synthesis method provides valuable insights into the preparation of other metastable films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The transcription factor GATA2 has a pivotal role in haematopoiesis. Heterozygous germline GATA2 mutations result in a syndrome characterized by immunodeficiency, bone marrow failure and predispositions to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia. Clinical symptoms in these patients are diverse and mechanisms driving GATA2‐related phenotypes are largely unknown. To explore the impact of GATA2 haploinsufficiency on haematopoiesis, we generated a zebrafish model carrying a heterozygous mutation of gata2b (gata2b+/−), an orthologue of GATA2. Morphological analysis revealed myeloid and erythroid dysplasia in gata2b+/− kidney marrow. Because Gata2b could affect both transcription and chromatin accessibility during lineage differentiation, this was assessed by single‐cell (sc) RNA‐seq and single‐nucleus (sn) ATAC‐seq. Sn‐ATAC‐seq showed that the co‐accessibility between the transcription start site (TSS) and a −3.5–4.1 kb putative enhancer was more robust in gata2b+/− zebrafish HSPCs compared to wild type, increasing gata2b expression and resulting in higher genome‐wide Gata2b motif use in HSPCs. As a result of increased accessibility of the gata2b locus, gata2b+/− chromatin was also more accessible during lineage differentiation. scRNA‐seq data revealed myeloid differentiation defects, that is, impaired cell cycle progression, reduced expression of cebpa and cebpb and increased signatures of ribosome biogenesis. These data also revealed a differentiation delay in erythroid progenitors, aberrant proliferative signatures and down‐regulation of Gata1a, a master regulator of erythropoiesis, which worsened with age. These findings suggest that cell‐intrinsic compensatory mechanisms, needed to obtain normal levels of Gata2b in heterozygous HSPCs to maintain their integrity, result in aberrant lineage differentiation, thereby representing a critical step in the predisposition to MDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model built theoretically and simulated numerically for an unsymmetric bistable laminate is elucidated, elaborating the dynamic regimes. Peak-to-peak amplitude diagrams being amplitude-frequency and amplitude-force response curves are derived. The single-well vibrations, the limit-cycle oscillations, the multiple-period dynamic snap-through, the chaotic dynamic snap-through and the intermittency dynamic snap-through can be detected. The amplitude-frequency response curves exhibit the softening stiffness effect. The dynamic regimes are correlated with the excitation amplitude and the modal frequencies. Deploying the high-level excitation amplitude and the low-level modal frequency leads to the limit-cycle oscillations. Besides, the single-well vibrations are characterized by the period-doubling bifurcation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective: To identify lncRNAs in the peripheral blood as potential diagnostic biomarkers for amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Methods: In the discovery group, a microarray was used to screen for significant differences in lncRNA expression between patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) caused by AD and normal controls (NCs) (n = 10; MCI, 5; NC, 5). Furthermore, two analytic groups were assessed (analytic group 1: n = 10; amnestic MCI (aMCI), 5; NC, 5; analytic group 2: n = 30; AD, 10; aMCI, 10; NC, 10) and finalized in the validation group (n = 150; AD, 50; aMCI, 50; NC, 50). In the analytic and validation groups, real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs between the aMCI and NC groups. Results: We identified 67 upregulated and 220 downregulated lncRNAs among the expression profiles. The panel with lncRNAs T324988, NR_024049, ENST00000567919, and ENST00000549762 displayed the highest discrimination ability between patients with aMCI and NCs. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of this combined model was 0.941, with a sensitivity of 92.00% and specificity of 84.00%. Conclusions: This study reports on a panel of four lncRNAs as promising biomarkers to diagnose aMCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the evolving landscape of reduction in carbon emissions and integration of renewable energy, this study uses system dynamics (SD) modeling to explore the interconnected dynamics of carbon trading (CT), tradable green certificate (TGC) trading, and electricity markets. Using differential equations with time delays, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of structural relationships and feedback mechanisms within and between these markets. Key findings reveal the intricate interplay between carbon prices, green certificate prices, and electricity prices under various coupling mechanisms. For example, under the three-market coupling mechanism, carbon trading prices stabilize around 150 Yuan/ton, while green certificate prices reach a peak of 0.45 Yuan/KWH, impacting electricity prices, which fluctuate between 0.33 and 1.09 Yuan / KWH during the simulation period. These quantitative results shed light on nuanced fluctuations in market prices and the dynamics of anticipated purchases and sales volumes within each market. The insights gleaned from this study offer valuable implications for policy makers and market stakeholders in navigating the complexities of carbon emission reduction strategies, the integration of renewable energy and market equilibrium. By understanding the dynamics of multi-market coupling, stakeholders can better formulate policies and strategies to achieve sustainable energy transitions and mitigate impacts of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between serum copper and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) lacks definitive conclusions, and the intricate interactions with in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle characteristics in infertility remain insufficiently explored. This retrospective study included 560 patients with tubal infertility (no‐PCOS) and 266 patients with PCOS undergoing IVF at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022. Patients' basic characteristics, hormonal and metabolic parameters, essential trace elements, and IVF cycle characteristics were measured and analyzed. The results revealed a significantly elevated serum copper level in the PCOS group compared to the control group [17.27 (15.54, 19.67) vs 15.4 (13.87, 17.35), μmol/L; p < .001]. Spearman correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between serum copper concentration and body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose (FG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) in the no‐PCOS group. Additionally, a notable negative correlation with high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) was observed (r = −.184, p < .001). Within the PCOS group, serum copper concentration correlated significantly with BMI (r = .198, p = .004) and TG (r = .214, p = .002). The linear trend analysis indicated no significant relationship between serum copper concentration and ovarian response as well as preimplantation outcomes in both groups after adjusting for confounding factors. Our study provided evidence of elevated serum copper concentration in PCOS patients, closely associated with lipid metabolism but showing no correlation with IVF outcomes. These findings provide valuable real‐world data, enriching our nuanced understanding of the role of copper in female fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite accumulating evidence linking defective lysosome function with autoimmune diseases, how the catabolic machinery is regulated to maintain immune homeostasis remains unknown. Late endosomal/lysosomal adaptor, MAPK and mTOR activator 5 (Lamtor5) is a subunit of the Ragulator mediating mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation in response to amino acids, but its action mode and physiological role are still unclear. Here it is demonstrated that Lamtor5 level is markedly decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In parallel, the mice with myeloid Lamtor5 ablation developed SLE‐like manifestation. Impaired lysosomal function and aberrant activation of mTORC1 are evidenced in Lamtor5 deficient macrophages and PBMCs of SLE patients, accompanied by blunted autolysosomal pathway and undesirable inflammatory responses. Mechanistically, it is shown that Lamtor5 is physically associated with ATP6V1A, an essential subunit of vacuolar H+‐ATPase (v‐ATPase), and promoted the V0/V1 holoenzyme assembly to facilitate lysosome acidification. The binding of Lamtor5 to v‐ATPase affected the lysosomal tethering of Rag GTPase and weakened its interaction with mTORC1 for activation. Overall, Lamtor5 is identified as a critical factor for immune homeostasis by intergrading v‐ATPase activity, lysosome function, and mTOR pathway. The findings provide a potential therapeutic target for SLE and/or other autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionsThis study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess the health literacy of parents of children with asthma in a Chinese context.The preliminary Parental Health Literacy Scale for Children with Asthma (PHLSCA) was developed based on a literature review and refined to 45 items through two rounds of expert consultation using the Delphi method. A total of 481 parents of children with asthma were recruited from seven hospitals across four provinces in China between February and April 2019. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to evaluate the structural and construct validity of the scale.The development and validation processes led to a 38 items scale comprising three subscales, namely: Health Knowledge (11 items), Health Skills (19 items) and Health Behavior (8 items). The scale demonstrated good reliability, with an internal consistency of Cronbach’s α = 0.956 and a split-half reliability of r = 0.887 (p < 0.01). The Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.81 to 1.00, and the Scale-CVI was 0.842. The correlation coefficients and factor analysis results indicated good construct validity, with the factors explaining 59.33% to 62.90% of the variance in each subscale.The final version of the questionnaire (PHLSCA) has been demonstrated to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing the health literacy of parents of Chinese children with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing single‐component fluorochromic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with multiple stages presents a significant challenge in the field of functional and smart MOFs. In this study, this challenge is successfully addressed by designing and synthesizing a novel ligand called cyclooctatetrathiophene‐tetrapyridine (COTTTP), and incorporating it into 3D MOFs known as Zn/Cd‐COTTTP. By exploiting the intrinsic properties of COTTTP, specifically its ability to undergo geometry changes from a bent form to a more planar form, both COTTTP as an individual molecule and the resulting Zn/Cd‐COTTTP MOFs exhibit similar fluorochromic behavior. This behavior manifests as a color change from yellow to orange to red. Characterization techniques such as single crystal X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid‐state UV–vis and near‐infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy are employed to investigate and confirm the geometry change of COTTTP within the MOF structures. Furthermore, the introduction of an auxiliary rigid ligand to the system is explored, which effectively restricts the geometry change of COTTTP and subsequently diminishes the fluorochromic behavior. This work sheds new light on the design and application of smart porous materials, particularly in the realm of single‐component fluorochromic MOFs. The successful incorporation of COTTTP and the understanding of its geometry change provide insights into the development of functional and responsive MOFs for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Ghost introgression, or the transfer of genetic material from extinct or unsampled lineages to sampled species, has attracted much attention. However, conclusive evidence for ghost introgression, especially in plant species, remains scarce. Here, we newly assembled chromosome‐level genomes for both Carya sinensis and Carya cathayensis, and additionally re‐sequenced the whole genomes of 43 C. sinensis individuals as well as 11 individuals representing 11 diploid hickory species. These genomic datasets were used to investigate the reticulation and bifurcation patterns within the genus Carya (Juglandaceae), with a particular focus on the beaked hickory C. sinensis. By combining the D‐statistic and BPP methods, we obtained compelling evidence that supports the occurrence of ghost introgression in C. sinensis from an extinct ancestral hickory lineage. This conclusion was reinforced through the phylogenetic network analysis and a genome scan method VolcanoFinder, the latter of which can detect signatures of adaptive introgression from unknown donors. Our results not only dispel certain misconceptions about the phylogenetic history of C. sinensis but also further refine our understanding of Carya's biogeography via divergence estimates. Moreover, the successful integration of the D‐statistic and BPP methods demonstrates their efficacy in facilitating a more precise identification of introgression types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical resonators are indispensable tools in optical metrology that usually benefit from an evacuated and highly-isolated environment to achieve peak performance. Even in the more sophisticated design of Fabry-Perot (FP) cavities, the material choice limits the achievable quality factors. For this reason, monolithic resonators are emerging as promising alternative to traditional designs, but their design is still at preliminary stage and far from being optimized. Here, we demonstrate a monolithic FP resonator with 4.5 cm3 volume and 2 × 105 finesse. In the ambient environment, we achieve 18 Hz integrated laser linewidth and 7 × 10−14 frequency stability measured from 0.08 s to 0.3 s averaging time, the highest spectral purity and stability demonstrated to date in the context of monolithic reference resonators. By locking two separate lasers to distinct modes of the same resonator, a 96 GHz microwave signals is generated with phase noise -100 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz frequency offset, achieving orders of magnitude improvement in the approach of photonic heterodyne synthesis. The compact monolithic FP resonator is promising for applications in spectrally-pure, high-frequency microwave photonic references as well as optical clocks and other metrological devices. ©2024. All rights reserved. Optical resonators are essential tools for high precision metrology and applications where the spectral purity is highly demanded. Here, the authors demonstrate a monolithic resonator made of fused silica to support 18 Hz integrated laser linewidth in the ambient environment, and W-band microwave generation with low phase noise of -100 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz frequency offset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binary transition metal selenides (BTMSs) are more promising than single transition metal selenides (TMS) as anode materials of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, it is still very challenging to prepare high-performance BTMSs in the pure phase, instead of a mixture of two TMSs. In this study, a binary metal center-based MOF derived selenization strategy was developed to prepare iron–cobalt selenide (Fe2CoSe4@NC) and iron–nickel selenide (Fe2NiSe4@NC) nanocomposites in the single phase and when wrapped with carbon layers. As the anode material of SIBs, Fe2CoSe4@NC exhibits higher long-term cycling performance than Fe2NiSe4@NC, maintaining a capacity of 352 mAh g−1 after 2100 cycles at 1.0 A g−1, which is ascribed to the higher percentage of the nanopores, larger lattice spacing, and faster Na+ diffusion rate in the electrode materials of the former rather than the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The causes and triggering factors of epilepsy are still unknown. The results of genome‐wide association studies can be utilized for a phenome‐wide association study using Mendelian randomization (MR) to identify potential risk factors for epilepsy. Methods: This study utilizes two‐sample MR analysis to investigate whether 316 phenotypes, including lifestyle, environmental factors, blood biomarker, and more, are causally associated with the occurrence of epilepsy. The primary analysis employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) model, while complementary MR analysis methods (MR Egger, Wald ratio) were also employed. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to evaluate heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Results: There was no evidence of a statistically significant causal association between the examined phenotypes and epilepsy following Bonferroni correction (p < 1.58 × 10−4) or false discovery rate correction. The results of the MR analysis indicate that the frequency of tiredness or lethargy in the last 2 weeks (p = 0.042), blood uridine (p = 0.003), blood propionylcarnitine (p = 0.041), and free cholesterol (p = 0.044) are suggestive causal risks for epilepsy. Lifestyle choices, such as sleep duration and alcohol consumption, as well as biomarkers including steroid hormone levels, hippocampal volume, and amygdala volume were not identified as causal factors for developing epilepsy (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Our study provides additional insights into the underlying causes of epilepsy, which will serve as evidence for the prevention and control of epilepsy. The associations observed in epidemiological studies may be partially attributed to shared biological factors or lifestyle confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In property insurance claims triage, insurers often use static information to assess the severity of a claim and to identify the subsequent actions. We hypothesize that the pattern of weather conditions throughout the course of a loss event is predictive of the insured losses, and hence appropriate use of weather dynamics improves the operation of insurers' claim management. To test this hypothesis, we propose a deep learning method to incorporate dynamic weather information in the predictive modeling of the insured losses for reported claims. The proposed method features a hierarchical network architecture to address the challenges in claims triage due to the nature of weather dynamics. In the empirical analysis, we examine a portfolio of hail damage property insurance claims obtained from a major U.S. insurance carrier. When supplemented by dynamic weather information, the deep learning method exhibits substantial improvement in the hold-out predictive performance. We further design a cost-conscious decision strategy for triaging claims using the probabilistic forecasts of the insurance claim amounts. We show that leveraging weather dynamics in claims triage leads to a reduction of up to 9% and 6% in operational costs compared to when the triaging decision is based on forecasts without any weather information and with only static weather information, respectively. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study subjected nuclear-grade 20# pipeline steel to cyclic freeze–thaw ice plugging tests, simulating the plastic deformation experienced by pipes during ice plug removal procedures. Subsequently, the dislocation morphology and mechanical properties of the specimens post cyclic ice plugging were examined. The cyclic ice plugging process led to an increase in the dislocation density within the specimens. After 20 and 40 cycles of ice plugging, the internal dislocation structures evolved from individual dislocation lines and dislocation tangles to high-density dislocation walls and dislocation cells. These high-density dislocation walls and cells hindered dislocation motion, giving rise to strain hardening phenomena, thereby resulting in increased strength and hardness of the specimens with an increasing number of ice plugging cycles. In addition, a large stress field was generated around the dislocation buildup, which reduced the pipe material's plastic toughness. The findings elucidate the effects of cyclic ice plugging on the microstructure and properties of nuclear-grade 20# pipeline steel, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the safe and stable application of ice plugging technology in nuclear piping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistically significant increases in ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality with cumulative occupational external radiation dose were observed in the National Registry for Radiation Workers (NRRW) cohort. There were 174 541 subjects in the NRRW cohort. The start of follow up was 1955, and the end of the follow-up for each worker was chosen as the earliest date of death or emigration, their 85th birthday or 31 December 2011. The dose-response relationship showed a downward curvature at a higher dose level >0.4 Sv with the overall shape of the dose-response relationship best described by a linear-quadratic model. The smaller risk at dose >0.4 Sv appears to be primarily associated with workers who started employment at a younger age (<30 years old) and those who were employed for more than 30 years. We modelled the dose response by age-at-first exposure. For the age-at-first exposure of 30+ years old, a linear dose-response was the best fit. For age-at-first exposure <30 years old, there was no evidence of excess risk of IHD mortality for radiation doses below 0.1 Sv or above 0.4 Sv, excess risk was only observed for doses between 0.1–0.4 Sv. For this age-at-first exposure group, it was also found that the doses they received when they were less than 35 years old or greater than 50 years old did not contribute to any increased IHD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The small-molecule glucosyltransferase loss-of-function mutant ugt76b1 exhibits both SID2- or NPR1-dependent and independent facets of enhanced plant immunity, whereupon FMO1 is required for the SID2 and NPR1 independence. The small-molecule glucosyltransferase UGT76B1 inactivates salicylic acid (SA), isoleucic acid (ILA), and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP). ugt76b1 loss-of-function plants manifest an enhanced defense status. Thus, we were interested how UGT76B1 genetically integrates in defense pathways and whether all impacts depend on SA and NHP. We study the integration of UGT76B1 by transcriptome analyses of ugt76b1. The comparison of transcripts altered by the loss of UGT76B1 with public transcriptome data reveals both SA-responsive, ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE 1/SALICYLIC ACID INDUCTION DEFICIENT 2 (ICS1/SID2)- and NON EXPRESSOR OF PR GENES 1 (NPR1)-dependent, consistent with the role of UGT76B1 in glucosylating SA, and SA-non-responsive, SID2/NPR1-independent genes. We also discovered that UGT76B1 impacts on a group of genes showing non-SA-responsiveness and regulation by infections independent from SID2/NPR1. Enhanced resistance of ugt76b1 against Pseudomonas syringae is partially independent from SID2 and NPR1. In contrast, the ugt76b1-activated resistance is completely dependent on FMO1 encoding the NHP-synthesizing FLAVIN-DEPENDENT MONOOXYGENASE 1). Moreover, FMO1 ranks top among the ugt76b1-induced SID2- and NPR1-independent pathogen responsive genes, suggesting that FMO1 determines the SID2- and NPR1-independent effect of ugt76b1. Furthermore, the genetic study revealed that FMO1, ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1 (EDS1), SID2, and NPR1 are required for the SA–JA crosstalk and senescence development of ugt76b1, indicating that EDS1 and FMO1 have a similar effect like stress-induced SA biosynthesis (SID2) or the key SA signaling regulator NPR1. Thus, UGT76B1 influences both SID2/NPR1-dependent and independent plant immunity, and the SID2/NPR1 independence is relying on FMO1 and its product NHP, another substrate of UGT76B1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a hot extrusion forming process for magnesium (Mg) alloy square tubes, namely, tube-extrusion-continuous expending shear (TECES), was proposed. The thin-walled hollow square tube of Mg alloy with a thickness of 3 mm was successfully prepared by hot extrusion experiment. The evolution rules of effective stress, effective strain, and flow velocity in the process of tube forming were analyzed by numerical simulation, and the influence of different expanding ratios on tube forming was compared. The results show that the effective stress distribution of the tube is not uniform during the forming process, and the maximum stress appears at the first shear corner. In the shear deformation (SD) zone, there is a high strain zone at the corner of the square tube and outside the tube wall. As the tube is extruded, the uniformity of strain distribution in the deformation zone is improved. In the whole forming process, the flow rate of the tube increases first and then decreases, and the whole remains stable. As the expansion ratio increases when the expansion ratio is greater than 1.6, the resistance of plastic deformation increases, the fluidity of the metal becomes worse, and the formed tube cracks at the corner or is difficult to fill. When the expansion ratio is less than 1.6, the damage value area appears on the inner side of the tube wall, and the distribution uniformity is poor, which may lead to cracks or uneven thickness of the tube wall. The microstructure characterization of different deformation zones of the tube was carried out, and the results show that the TECES process can effectively refine the grain, and the average grain size of the formed tube is 10.1 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is daunting pathology with remarkable breadth and scope, spanning genetics, epigenetics, proteomics, metalobomics and cell biology. Cellular senescence represents a stress-induced and essentially irreversible cell fate associated with aging and various age-related diseases, including malignancies. Senescent cells are characterized of morphologic alterations and metabolic reprogramming, and develop a highly active secretome termed as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Since the first discovery, senescence has been understood as an important barrier to tumor progression, as its induction in pre-neoplastic cells limits carcinogenesis. Paradoxically, senescent cells arising in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to tumor progression, including augmented therapeutic resistance. In this article, we define typical forms of senescent cells commonly observed within the TME and how senescent cells functionally remodel their surrounding niche, affect immune responses and promote cancer evolution. Furthermore, we highlight the recently emerging pipelines of senotherapies particularly senolytics, which can selectively deplete senescent cells from affected organs in vivo and impede tumor progression by restoring therapeutic responses and securing anticancer efficacies. Together, co-targeting cancer cells and their normal but senescent counterparts in the TME holds the potential to achieve increased therapeutic benefits and restrained disease relapse in future clinical oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly reliable software systems rarely fail during tests because they are usually designed with fault-tolerant mechanisms and tested comprehensively. It is usually difficult to obtain sufficient failure data to carry out reliability measurements by using traditional software reliability models. These models are typically based on probabilistic statistics, and the measurement accuracy cannot be guaranteed with insufficient failure data. We propose a nonparametric bootstrap (NBP) resampling method and six parametric bootstrap (PB) resampling methods to construct software reliability models for small sample conditions based on commonly used models, i.e., the Jelinski–Moranda (J–M), Goel–Okumoto (G–O), Musa–Okumoto (M–O), Schneidewind, Duane and Littlewood-Verrall models. The bootstrap is a statistical procedure that resamples a single dataset to create many simulated samples. Our experimental results on fourteen failure datasets collected from industry and academia show that the proposed models improve by 10.2–18.0% failure time prediction accuracy, 24.7–30.7% curve fitting accuracy, and 7.7–42.9% reliability measurement accuracy compared with the original models. Furthermore, our approaches achieve 58.3–91.1% better failure time prediction accuracy in the case of small sample conditions compared to state-of-the-art machine learning and neural network-based methods. Overall, our approaches can perform more accurate reliability measurements than the original models even in scenarios with limited failure data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionCerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) is still a complicated disease with high fatality rates worldwide. Transmembrane Protein 79 (TMEM79) regulates inflammation and oxidative stress in some other diseases.CIRI mouse model was established using C57BL/6J mice through middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R), and BV2 cells were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) to simulate CIRI. Brain tissue or BV2 cells were transfected or injected with lentivirus-carried TMEM79 overexpression vector. The impact of TMEM79 on CIRI-triggered oxidative stress was ascertained by dihydroethidium (DHE) staining and examination of oxidative stress indicators. Regulation of TMEM79 in neuronal apoptosis and inflammation was determined using TUNEL staining and ELISA.TMEM79 overexpression mitigated neurological deficit induced by MCAO/R and decreased the extent of cerebral infarct. TMEM79 prevented neuronal death in brain tissue of MCAO/R mouse model and suppressed inflammatory response by reducing inflammatory cytokines levels. Moreover, TMEM79 significantly attenuated inflammation and oxidative stress caused by OGD/R in BV2 cells. TMEM79 facilitated the activation of Nrf2 and inhibited NLRP3 and caspase-1 expressions. Rescue experiments indicated that the Nrf2/NLRP3 signaling pathway mediated the mitigative effect of TMEM79 on CIRI in vivo and in vitro.Overall, TMEM79 was confirmed to attenuate CIRI via regulating the Nrf2/NLRP3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is a serious threat to women's health with high morbidity and mortality. The development of more effective therapies for the treatment of breast cancer is strongly warranted. Growing evidence suggests that targeting glucose metabolism may be a promising cancer treatment strategy. We previously identified a new glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inhibitor, DC-5163, which shows great potential in inhibiting tumor growth. Here, we evaluated the anticancer potential of DC-5163 in breast cancer cells. Methods: The effects of DC-5163 on breast cancer cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Seahorse, glucose uptake, lactate production, and cellular ATP content assays were performed to examine the impact of DC-5163 on cellular glycolysis. Cell viability, colony-forming ability, cell cycle, and apoptosis were assessed by CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting respectively. The anticancer activity of DC-5163 in vivo was evaluated in a mouse breast cancer xenograft model. Results: DC-5163 suppressed aerobic glycolysis and reduced energy supply of breast cancer cells, thereby inhibiting breast cancer cell growth, inducing cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, and increasing apoptosis. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed using a breast cancer xenograft mouse model. DC-5163 treatment markedly suppressed tumor growth in vivo without inducing evident systemic toxicity. Micro-PET/CT scans revealed a notable reduction in tumor 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT uptake in the DC-5163 treatment group compared to the DMSO control group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that DC-5163 is a promising GAPDH inhibitor for suppressing breast cancer growth without obvious side effects. 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT PET/CT can noninvasively assess the levels of glycolysis and proliferation in tumors following treatment with DC-5163. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: WHO stated the environment is an important factor affecting the development of hospice care. The environment is the sum of factors affecting behavior besides the individual factors. Currently, a scale to comprehensively assess the hospice environment of nurse is still lacking. This study aimed to develop an instrument to investigate the environmental factors affecting hospice care of nurses. Methods: Literature review and a semi-structured interview were conducted to form the items pool of the Hospice Care Environment Scale. Two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were conducted by 16 experts to revise the scale dimensions and entries to form the Hospice Care Environment Scale. A psychometric evaluation was then performed among 530 oncology nurses in a large tertiary oncology hospital in Hubei Province. The 500 valid questionnaires were randomly divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio, sample 1 (n1 = 250) for item screening and sample 2 (n2 = 250) for quality evaluation of the resulting scale. Item analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis and acceptability analysis were performed. Result: The Hospice Care Environment Scale consists of two dimensions and 13 entries. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the Hospice Care Environment Scale was 0.970, and the Cronbach's α coefficient of the two dimensions were 0.952 and 0.969, respectively, with the Item-content validity index and average Scale- content validity index of the scale was both 1.000. The validation factor analysis showed the standardized path coefficients of each item were basically above 0.5, and the factor structure model was stable and suitable. The average completion time of the scale was about 3 min, which had good feasibility. Conclusion: The Hospice Care Environment Scale to assess the environment of hospice care services, has good content and construct validity and reliability. This scale can provide guidance to evaluate the hospice care environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB), the agency that regulates the prices of patented medicines in Canada, published proposed amendments to the regulatory framework in December 2017. Because of a series of changes and delays, the revised policy has not yet been finalized. We sought to evaluate the potential early impact of the uncertainty about the PMPRB policy on patented-medicine launches. Methods: We developed a retrospective cohort of patented medicines (molecules) sold in Canada and the 13 countries that the PMPRB currently uses or has proposed to use as price comparators, from sales data from the IQVIA MIDAS database for 2012–2021. The outcome was whether a molecule was launched (i.e., sold) in a specific country within 2 years of its global first launch (2-yr launch). We compared the change of 2-year launch before (2012–2017) and after the proposed amendments were published ("uncertain period," 2018–2021) in Canada with the change in the United States and the other 12 countries as a group ("other-countries group"), using interrupted time series and logistic regressions, respectively. We further conducted analyses for each individual country and subgroups by molecule characteristics, such as therapeutic benefit, separately. Results: We included 242 and 107 new molecules launched before publication of the proposed amendments and during the uncertain period, respectively. The corresponding 2-year launch proportions were 45.0% and 30.8% in Canada, 81.4% and 82.2% in the US, and 83.9% and 70.1% in the other-countries group. All analyses showed changes in 2-year launch during the uncertain period in the US and in the other-countries group that were similar to the changes in Canada. Greater decreases were observed in Norway and Sweden than in Canada. The 2-year launch proportion for molecules with major therapeutic benefit decreased from 45.8% to 31.3% in Canada during the uncertain period and from 87.5% to 62.5% in the other-countries group, but increased from 91.7% to 100% in the US. Interpretation: No negative impact of the PMPRB-policy uncertainty on molecule launches was observed when comparing Canada with price-comparator countries, except for molecules with major therapeutic benefit. The reduction in launches of medicines with major therapeutic benefit in Canada requires continuing investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]