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Scale effects of flame stabilization in scramjet combustors at Mach 2.52 are investigated through experiments and numerical simulations based on two geometrically similar combustors. As the equivalence ratio increases, the combustion mode will change from Scram to Dual to Ram. However, the larger combustor has a delayed mode transition. The scale effects of flame stabilization are also reflected in the changes of heat release, precombustion shock train length, jet penetration depth, and reaction zone location. The combustion flowfields of different-scale combustors exhibit numerous differences under different combustion modes. However, after shortening the isolator of the proportionally scaled small-scale combustor, the combustion flowfield is closer to that of the large-scale combustor. Further analysis reveals the reason for the inconsistent scale effects of flame stabilization under different combustion modes. The probable reason is that the boundary layer, which does not change proportionally with the combustor scale, has different effects on the combustion under the three modes. Compared with the Scram and Ram modes, the scale effect in the Dual mode is the most significant because the strong interaction between heat release and the boundary layer amplifies the slight difference in the relative thickness of the boundary layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy oil is an important resource in current petroleum exploitation, and the chemical composition information of heavy oil is crucial for revealing its viscosity-inducing mechanism and solving practical exploitation issues. In this study, the techniques of high-temperature gas chromatography and highresolution mass spectrometry equipped with an electrospray ionization source were applied to reveal the chemical composition of typical heavy oils from western, central, and eastern China. The results indicate that these heavy oils display significant variations in their bulk properties, with initial boiling points all above 200 °C. Utilizing pre-treatment and ESI high-resolution mass spectrometry, an analysis of the molecular composition of saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, acidic oxygen compounds, sulfur compounds, basic nitrogen compounds, and neutral nitrogen compounds within the heavy oil was conducted. Ultimately, a semi-quantitative analysis of the molecular composition of the heavy oil was achieved by integrating the elemental content. The semi-quantitative analysis results of Shengli-J8 heavy oil and a conventional Shengli crude oil show that Shengli-J8 heavy oil lacks alkanes and low molecular weight aromatic hydrocarbons, which contributes to its high viscosity. Additionally, characteristic molecular sets for different heavy oils were identified based on the semi-quantitative analysis of molecular composition. The semi-quantitative analysis of molecular composition in heavy oils may provide valuable reference data for establishing theoretical models on the viscosity-inducing mechanism in heavy oils and designing viscosity-reducing agents for heavy oil exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rifaximin and rifampicin are good broad-spectrum antimicrobials. The irrational use of antimicrobial drugs in veterinary clinics could threaten public health and food safety. It is necessary to develop a reliable detection method of the residue for enhancing the rational supervision of the use of such drugs, reducing and slowing down the generation of bacterial resistance, and promoting animal food safety and human health. So, this study developed an LC-MS/MS method for the detection of rifaximin and rifampicin residues in animal-origin foods. The residual rifaximin and rifampicin of homogenized test materials were extracted with acetonitrile-dichloromethane solution or acetonitrile in the presence of anhydrous sodium sulfate and vitamin C, purified by dispersible solid phase extraction, determined by LC-MS/MS, and quantified by the internal standard method. The specificity, sensitivity, matrix effect, accuracy, and precision of the method were investigated in the edible tissues of cattle, swine, or chicken. In addition, the stability of the standard stock solution and the standard working solution was also investigated. The method was suitable for the muscle, liver, kidney, fat, milk, and eggs of cattle, swine, or chicken, as well as fish and shrimp. The specificity of the method was good, and the detection of the analytes was not affected by different matrices. Both the LOD and LOQ of the two analytes were 5 μg/kg and 10 μg/kg, respectively. The results of matrix effects in each tissue were in the range of 80–120%; there were no significant matrix effects. The average accuracy of rifaximin and rifampicin in different foodstuffs of animal origin was between 80% and 120%, and the method precision was below 20% (RSD). The proposed method showed good performance for determination, which could be employed for the extraction, purification, and detection of residual rifaximin and rifampicin in edible animal tissues. The pretreatment procedure of tissue samples was simple and feasible. The method was highly specific, stable, reliable, and with high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision, which met the requirements of quantitative detection of veterinary drug residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet activation is closely related to thrombosis. Aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) is a novel medicinal compound synthesized by esterifying aspirin with eugenol using the pro-drug principle. Pharmacological and pharmacodynamic experiments showed that AEE has excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and inhibitory platelet activation effects, preventing thrombosis. However, the regulatory network and action target of AEE in inhibiting platelet activation remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AEE on platelets of thrombosed rats to reveal its regulatory mechanism via a multi-omics approach. The platelet proteomic results showed that 348 DEPs were identified in the AEE group compared with the model group, of which 87 were up- and 261 down-regulated. The pathways in this result were different from previous results, including mTOR signaling and ADP signaling at P2Y purinoceptor 12. The metabolomics of heart and abdominal aortic tissue results showed that the differential metabolites were mainly involved in steroid biosynthesis, the citric acid cycle, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism. Molecular docking results showed that AEE had a better binding force to both the COX-1 and P2Y12 protein. AEE could effectively inhibit platelet activation by inhibiting COX-1 protein and P2Y12 protein activity, thereby inhibiting platelet aggregation. Therefore, AEE can have a positive effect on inhibiting platelet activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypercholesterolemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and lowering circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) can prevent and reduce cardiovascular events. MicroRNA-181d (miR-181d) can reduce the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol esters in cells. However, it is not known whether miR-181d-5p can lower levels of circulating LDL-C. Here, we generated two animal models of hypercholesterolemia to analyze the potential relationship between miR-181d-5p and LDL-C. In hypercholesterolemia model mice, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated liver-directed overexpression of miR-181d-5p decreased the serum levels of cholesterol and LDL-C and the levels of cholesterol and triglyceride in the liver compared with control mice. Target Scan 8.0 indicated Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) to be a possible target gene of miR-181d-5p, which was confirmed by in vitro experiments. miR-181d-5p could directly interact with both the PCSK9 3′-UTR and promoter to inhibit PCSK9 translation and transcription. Furthermore, Dil-LDL uptake assays in PCSK9 knockdown Huh7 cells demonstrated that miR- 181d-5p promotion of LDL-C absorption was dependent on PCSK9. Collectively, our findings show that miR-181d-5p targets the PCSK9 3′-UTR to inhibit PCSK9 expression and to reduce serum LDL-C. miR-181d-5p is therefore a new therapeutic target for the development of anti-hypercholesterolemia drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments were conducted at Mach 2.52 to investigate the effect of gas addition on the mixing and combustion characteristics of the liquid kerosene in a scramjet combustor. Two different combustion modes (scram mode and ram mode) were achieved by varying the equivalence ratio. Flowfield diagnostic techniques, such as shadow visualization and wall pressure measurement, and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition analysis were employed to investigate the complex supersonic gas-liquid two-phase combustion flowfield. It is found that, compared to the pure high-pressure kerosene, the gas-added kerosene can achieve better combustion performance at low injection pressure. The gas addition increases the fuel-jet penetration depth and promotes flowfield fluctuations. The gas-liquid two-phase instability induces large-scale vortices within the fuel-jet shear layer. The diffusion and mixing of kerosene are enhanced by the large-scale vortices, and the rapid and intense combustion of kerosene is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oocyte meiotic maturation failure and chromosome abnormality is one of the main causes of infertility, abortion, and diseases. The mono-orientation of sister chromatids during the first meiosis is important for ensuring accurate chromosome segregation in oocytes. MEIKIN is a germ cell-specific protein that can regulate the mono-orientation of sister chromatids and the protection of the centromeric cohesin complex during meiosis I. Here we found that MEIKIN is a maternal protein that was highly expressed in mouse oocytes before the metaphase I (MI) stage, but became degraded by the MII stage and dramatically reduced after fertilization. Strikingly, MEIKIN underwent phosphorylation modification after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), indicating its possible function in subsequent cellular event regulation. We further showed that MEIKIN phosphorylation was mediated by PLK1 at its carboxyl terminal region and its C-terminus was its key functional domain. To clarify the biological significance of meikin degradation during later stages of oocyte maturation, exogenous expression of MEIKIN was employed, which showed that suppression of MEIKIN degradation resulted in chromosome misalignment, cyclin B1 and Securin degradation failure, and MI arrest through a spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC)-independent mechanism. Exogenous expression of MEIKIN also inhibited metaphase II (MII) exit and early embryo development. These results indicate that proper MEIKIN expression level and its C-terminal phosphorylation by PLK1 are critical for regulating the metaphase–anaphase transition in meiotic oocyte. The findings of this study are important for understanding the regulation of chromosome segregation and the prevention meiotic abnormality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify candidate genes that play important roles in skeletal muscle development in ducks. Methods: In this study, we investigated the transcriptional sequencing of embryonic pectoral muscles from two specialized lines: Liancheng white ducks (female) and Cherry valley ducks (male) hybrid Line A (LCA) and Line C (LCC) ducks. In addition, prediction of target genes for the differentially expressed mRNAs was conducted and the enriched gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes signaling pathways were further analyzed. Finally, a protein-to-protein interaction network was analyzed by using the target genes to gain insights into their potential functional association. Results: A total of 1,428 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 762 being up-regulated genes and 666 being down-regulated genes in pectoral muscle of LCA and LCC ducks identified by RNA-seq (p<0.05). Meanwhile, 23 GO terms in the down-regulated genes and 75 GO terms in up-regulated genes were significantly enriched (p<0.05). Furthermore, the top 5 most enriched pathways were ECM-receptor interaction, fatty acid degradation, pyruvate degradation, PPAR signaling pathway, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Finally, the candidate genes including integrin b3 (Itgb3), pyruvate kinase M1/2 (Pkm), insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (Gpi), GABA type A receptor-associated protein-like 1 (Gabarapl1), and thyroid hormone receptor beta (Thrb) showed the most expression difference, and then were selected to verification by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The result of qRT-PCR was consistent with that of transcriptome sequencing. Conclusion: This study provided information of molecular mechanisms underlying the developmental differences in skeletal muscles between specialized duck lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ru-doped Co9S8 hollow porous polyhedrons (Ru–Co9S8 HPPs) derived from zeolitic-imidazolate-frameworks were synthesized through hydrothermal coprecipitation and thermal decomposition methods. The results indicate that Ru–Co9S8-500 HPPs possess a strong Ru–Co synergistic effect, large electrochemical surface area, and sufficient active sites, endowing them with excellent hydrogen evolution reaction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) presents a significant clinical challenge due to the lack of established diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. Emerging evidence underscores the crucial role of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks in non-cancerous female reproductive disorders, yet the intricacies and operational characteristics of these networks in RIF are not fully understood. This study aims to demystify the ceRNA regulatory network and identify potential biomarkers for its diagnosis. We analyzed expression profiles of three RNA types (long noncoding RNAs [lncRNAs], microRNAs [miRNAs], and mRNAs) sourced from the GEO database, leading to the identification of the H19-hsa-miR-301a-3p-GAS1 ceRNA network. This network demonstrates significant diagnostic relevance for RIF. Notably, the H19/GAS1 axis within this ceRNA network, identified through correlation analysis, emerged as a promising diagnostic marker, as evidenced by operating receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Further investigation into the binding potential of miR-301a-3p with H19 and GAS1 revealed a close association of these genes with endometrial disorders and embryo loss, as per the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. Additionally, our immune infiltration analysis revealed a lower proportion of T cells gamma delta (γδ) in RIF, along with distinct differences in the expression of immune cell type-specific markers between fertile patients and those with RIF. We also observed a correlation between aberrant expression of H19/GAS1 and these immune markers, suggesting that the H19/GAS1 axis might play a role in modifying the immune microenvironment, contributing to the pathogenesis of RIF. In conclusion, the ceRNA-based H19/GAS1 axis holds promise as a novel diagnostic biomarker for RIF, potentially enhancing our understanding of its underlying mechanisms and improving the success rates of implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive application of chlorine-based disinfectants driven by the COVID-19 pandemic was suspected to be detrimental to receiving water ecosystems, but with little field evidence. We characterized the occurrences of typical disinfectants and microeukaryotic communities in surface waters associated with three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)-river systems one year after the lockdown in Wuhan, China. Trihalomethanes (THMs) declined from summer 2020 (0.01-1.82 µg/L) to summer 2021 (0.01-0.95 µg/L), whereas quaternary ammonium salts (QAs) increased from summer 2020 (0.53-6.35 ng/L) to summer 2021 (8.49-191 ng/L). Biodiversity monitoring with environmental DNA (eDNA) revealed significant temporal variation in microeukaryotic community composition. The monitored disinfectants were correlated with some eukaryotic communities as demonstrated by redundancy analysis. For example, QAs were positively related to Cryptophyta relative abundance, but negatively related to Rotifera relative abundance. A microeukaryote-based multimetric index indicated ecological impairment near the Han River WWTP outlet in 2020. Our findings indicate the influence of heavily used disinfectants on river microeukaryotic communities, and the usefulness of assessing mid-term ecological risks from disinfectants in the post COVID-19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a study aimed at developing a rapid and nondestructive method for testing the quality of strawberries, spectral data from four strawberry varieties at different ripening stages were collected using a geophysical spectrometer, primarily focusing on the 350–1800 nm band. The spectra were preprocessed using Savitzky–Golay (SG) filtering, and characteristic bands were extracted using Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis. Models for predicting strawberry quality were built using random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), partial least squares (PLS), and Gaussian regression (GPR). The results indicated that the SVM model exhibited relatively high accuracy in predicting anthocyanin, hardness, and soluble solids content in strawberries. For the test set, the SVM model achieved R2 and RMSE values of 0.81, 0.87, and 0.89, and 0.04 mg/g, 0.33 kg/cm2, and 0.72%, respectively. Additionally, the PLS model demonstrated relatively high accuracy in predicting the titratable acid content of strawberries, achieving R2 and RMSE values of 0.85 and 0.03%, respectively, for the test set. These findings provided a solid foundation for strawberry quality modeling and a veritable guide for non-destructive assessment of strawberry quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method is presented to suppress the thermal effect for the accurate determination of multielements in sulfide minerals using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a cryogenic ablation cell (CLA-ICP-MS). The sulfide mineral samples were frozen (−30 °C) using a specifically designed Peltier-cooled ablation cell and analyzed directly using LA-ICP-MS. The ablation morphologies were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and microphotographs to compare the laser ablation behavior. A reduction in the melting, vapor redeposition, and heat-affected zone were observed at low temperature, which may be attributed to the effective suppression of the thermal effects caused by the laser ablation process. Ablated aerosol collection experiments indicated significant variations in particle size at low temperature (−30 °C) and room temperature (20 °C). The mean values of the ablated aerosol particle size of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena were 62 nm, 78 nm, and 146 nm at 20 °C and 51 nm, 35 nm, and 48 nm at −30 °C, respectively. The thermal effect on different sulfide minerals varied depending on the depth of thermal penetration, with the degree of impact being influenced by the sample's thermal diffusivity. A higher thermal diffusivity in sulfides resulted in a reduced magnitude of the thermal effect during ablation. Comparing the precision of the time-resolved signal during laser ablation between the two temperatures, the signal precision was significantly improved and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was improved from 28–39% to 11–24%. The signal intensity was enhanced by an additional 5–70% for different elements. The proposed method demonstrated lower deviation between the found values and the reference values, falling within 7% when analyzing natural sulfide minerals, including pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. The findings consistently demonstrated that CLA-ICP-MS can offer more dependable insights into the distribution of elements in sulfide minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems is an important element in the study of global and regional climate change and the impact of human activities. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area, as an important ecological environmental protection and restoration area in the Yangtze river basin, plays an extremely important role in global and regional carbon cycle under climate change. Therefore, based on the data of solar radiation, temperature, CO2 concentration and normalized vegetation index from 2000 to 2021, parameters were adjusted based on the C-FIX model, and a terrestrial ecosystem net primary productivity (NPP) estimation model were established in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (Chongqing section). Quantitative analysis of the e spatial and temporal characteristics of vegetation NPP from 2000 to 2021 was conducted using the barycenter model and trend analysis methods. The relative roles of climate change and human activities in influencing NPP were quantitatively distinguished using correlation analysis methods combined with the Miami model. The results showed that: (1) NPP in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area showed a fluctuating upward trend from 2000 to 2021, and the regional mean annual NPP increased from 666.02gC·m-2·y-1 to 809.04gC·m-2·y-1 from 2000 to 2021, with an increase of 17.68%. (2) The spatial distribution of NPP in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area gradually decreased from northeast to southwest, with an average annual NPP value of 762.3gC·m-2·y-1, among which the area with NPP >800gC·m-2·y-1 accounted for 46% of the total area of the study area, and was mainly distributed in the area of 400-900m altitude. (3) The NPP center of gravity in the study area showed a trend of moving from southwest to northeast, indicating that the NPP increment and growth rate of vegetation in the northeast part of the study area were higher than that in the central and western part of the study area during this period. (4) The changes of vegetation NPP in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area were more sensitive to the effect of temperature, and the partial correlation coefficients between vegetation NPP and annual temperature range from -0.68 to 0.94, with the proportion of positively correlated areas being as high as 95.6%, and the partial correlation coefficients between vegetation NPP and annual precipitation range from -0.83 to 0.82, with the proportion of positively correlated areas being 75.7%, which were located in the majority of the areas along the north side of the Yangtze River, and the majority of the areas in Wulong and Fuling. (5) There was significant spatial heterogeneity in the relative roles of climate change and human activities on the changes of vegetation NPP in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, and the areas in the state of vegetation recovery accounted for 93.63% of the total area, of which 45.24% were affected by climate change, and 46.72% of the areas in the state of vegetation recovery were affected by climate change and human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence reveals the metabolism and neurotransmitter systems are different in major depressive disorder (MDD) between adolescent and adult patients; however, much is still unknown from the gut microbiome perspective. To minimize confounding factors such as geographical location, ethnicity, diet, and drugs, we investigated the gut microbial differences between adolescent and adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. We exposed the adolescent rats to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 3 weeks and assessed their behavior using the sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), and forced swimming test (FST). We collected and sequenced fecal samples after the behavioral tests and compared them with our previous data on adult rats. Both adolescent and adult CUMS rats exhibited reduced sucrose preference in SPT, reduced total distance in OFT, and increased immobility time in FST. Moreover, compared to their respective controls, the adolescent CUMS rats had distinct amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) mainly in the Muribaculaceae family, Bacteroidetes phylum, while the adult CUMS rats had those in the Lachnospiraceae family, Firmicutes phylum. In the adolescent group, the Muribaculaceae negatively correlated with FST and positively correlated with SPT and OFT. In the adult group, the different genera in the Lachnospiraceae showed opposite correlations with FST. Furthermore, the adolescent CUMS rats showed disrupted microbial functions, such as "Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism" and "Immune system", while the adult CUMS rats did not. These results confirmed the gut microbiota differences between adolescent and adult rats after CUMS modeling and provided new insight into the age-related influence on depression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water splitting driven by green electricity from renewable energy input to produce H2 has been widely considered as a promising strategy to realize the goals for future clean energy. However, in conventional overall water electrolysis, the sluggish kinetics and high onset potential of anode OER limit the cathode HER rate, which lowers the overall energy conversion efficiency. Over the past decade, an innovative concept involving hybrid water electrolysis by replacing OER with thermodynamically more favorable oxidation reactions coupling with the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction has been devised to alleviate the limitations associated with the anodic OER. In this review, we summarize the recent progress concerning electrochemical hydrogen production by coupling the oxidation of molecules incorporating hydroxyl, aldehyde, and amino functional groups, with special emphasis on alternative reactions involving CO and sulfide. Finally, the remaining challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. We hope this review will accelerate the development of novel strategies for practicable H2 production from hybrid water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To explore the function of hep gene in Aeromonas hydrophila. [Methods] A pair of specific primers was designed referring to the hep gene sequence of A hydrophila. The hep gene was amplified by PCR, and performed bioinformatics analysis. [Results] The hep gene had a total length of 1 650 bp and encoded 549 amino acids. The theoretical molecular weight of the protein predicted was about 59 476.44 kDa. After predicting the N-terminal signal peptide structure of the amino acid sequence, neither obvious signal peptide cleavage site nor signal peptide was found, and the protein had no transmembrane region. The amino acid sequence had a N-glycosylation site, 4 protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, 7 casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, 9 N-myristoylation sites, 4 isoprene binding sites, 10 microbody C-terminal target signal sites, and an ATP/GTP binding site motif A (P-ring). The amino acid sequence of hep gene of A hydrophila was performed homology analysis with other Aeromonas strains, and it showed higher homology with A. veronii. In the secondary structure, the ct-he-lix, [3-sheet, random coil and extended strand accounted for 45.36%,6.01 %, 37.52% and 11. 11%, respectively. The tertiary structure model consisted of 18 a-helix and 22 [3-sheet. Analysis of protein-protein network interaction demonstrated that the proteins interacting with Hep protein were AHA_3407, nrfA, nirB-1, nirB-2 and AHA_1112. [Conclusions] Through the bioinformatics prediction results, the basic information of hep gene of A. hydrophila is preliminarily understood, and the possible function of this protein is predicted, in order to provide guidance for subsequent vaccine research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the safety and efficacy of metastatic osteosarcoma treatment with combined sintilimab injection and chemotherapy. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 32 patients with metastatic osteosarcoma admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University between January 2019 and June 2020. The sample was divided into an observation group, treated with sintilimab injection combined with chemotherapy (n= 16) and a control group, treated with chemotherapy (n = 16). Clinical efficacy and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: The overall response rates were 68.75% in the observation group and 31.25% in the control group (p < 0.05). The incidences of adverse reactions were 56.25% in the observation group and 81.25% in the control group. This was not a significant difference. In the observation group, the progression-free survival time was 8.13 ± 2.50 months, and the overall survival time was 22.75 ± 4.95 months. These were both significantly longer than the respective 6.44 ± 1.93 months and 19.69 ± 2.68 months in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The treatment of metastatic osteosarcoma with combined sintilimab injection and chemotherapy was found to prolong progression-free survival and overall survival time without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the impacts of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) therapy in survival and the occurrences of treatment-related infection of patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-related rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (MDA5-RPILD). Methods: Patients with MDA5-RPILD from June 2017 to August 2022 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. IVMP therapy was defined as intravenous methylprednisolone (mPSL) 0.5g/day for 3 consecutive days during hospitalization or 7 days prior to admission and patients were divided into IVMP group and non-IVMP group based on who had ever received IVMP therapy. All-cause mortality and the incidence of adverse events during treatment were compared between the two groups. Results: Sixty-four patients with MDA5-RPILD were enrolled. Among them, twenty-three (35.9%) patients had ever received IVMP therapy. The overall mortality was comparable between IVMP and non-IVMP group (IVMP group: 22/23, 95.7% vs. non-IVMP group: 38/41, 92.7%, p=0.11). And the incidence of treatment-related infections was also close (IVMP group: 21/23, 91.3% vs. non-IVMP group: 32/41, 78.0%, p=0.30). After adjustment for gender, age, smoking history, duration from symptom onset to diagnosis, and combination with steroid-sparing agent treatment, the Cox proportional hazards model showed that IVMP therapy was not associated with an improved survival (adjusted HR 1.10; 95% CI 0.57–2.13; p=0.77). Conclusion: Our study showed that the survival benefits and adverse events were comparable between IVMP-treated and untreated MDA5-RPILD patients. Future prospective trials are needed to investigate the optimal treatment regimen in MDA5-RPILD. Key Points • This observational study found that IVMP therapy may be not associated with an improved outcome in patients with MDA5-RPILD. • Treatment-related infections are common; however, the incidence of treatment-related infections had no difference between IVMP and non-IVMP group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore a seismic metasurface (SMS) design to control Rayleigh wave propagation for the earthquake resistance of critical buildings. An SMS is designed by assembling an array of soil mound units with different inclination angles to mold an accurate phase shift of the incoming seismic Rayleigh waves. We propose three SMSs to realize the three effects of forming Rayleigh wave fields: beam splitting, arbitrary convex trajectory bending, and wavefront focusing. The results demonstrate that the designed SMSs can remove more than 90% of the incident wave energy before it reaches the target buildings. Our compact SMSs, which feature low cost and are easy to implement, constitute an active earthquake-resistance method in civil engineering and are potentially useful in applications such as energy collection, nondestructive testing, and signal modulation for surface waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel in situ chemical upcycling strategy for plastic waste is proposed by the customized diphenylacetylene monomer with dual photo‐response. That is, diphenylacetylene reactive monomers are in situ inserted into the macromolecular chain of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics/fibers through one‐pot transesterification of slight‐depolymerization and re‐polymerization. On the one hand, the diphenylacetylene group absorbs short‐wave high‐energy UV rays and then releases long‐wave low‐energy harmless fluorescence. On the other hand, the UV‐induced photo‐crosslinking reaction among diphenylacetylene groups produces extended π‐conjugated structure, resulting in a red‐shift (due to decreased HOMO–LUMO separation) in the UV absorption band and locked crosslink points between PET chains. Therefore, with increasing UV exposure time, the upcycled PET plastics exhibit reverse enhanced UV resistance and mechanical strength (superior to original performance), instead of serious UV‐photodegradation and damaged performance. This upcycling strategy at oligomer‐scale not only provides a new idea for traditional plastic recycling, but also solves the common problem of gradual degradation of polymer performance during use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel in situ chemical upcycling strategy for plastic waste is proposed by the customized diphenylacetylene monomer with dual photo‐response. That is, diphenylacetylene reactive monomers are in situ inserted into the macromolecular chain of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics/fibers through one‐pot transesterification of slight‐depolymerization and re‐polymerization. On the one hand, the diphenylacetylene group absorbs short‐wave high‐energy UV rays and then releases long‐wave low‐energy harmless fluorescence. On the other hand, the UV‐induced photo‐crosslinking reaction among diphenylacetylene groups produces extended π‐conjugated structure, resulting in a red‐shift (due to decreased HOMO–LUMO separation) in the UV absorption band and locked crosslink points between PET chains. Therefore, with increasing UV exposure time, the upcycled PET plastics exhibit reverse enhanced UV resistance and mechanical strength (superior to original performance), instead of serious UV‐photodegradation and damaged performance. This upcycling strategy at oligomer‐scale not only provides a new idea for traditional plastic recycling, but also solves the common problem of gradual degradation of polymer performance during use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: China employed a unique volunteerism system where health care providers outside of Hubei Province, the epicentre, travelled to reverse the devastation wrought by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at its global onset. The aim is to study the unique circumstances of Chinese volunteerism in the context of continuing pandemic threats, specifically exploring the experiences of 20 Chinese nurse and physician volunteers fighting COVID-19 during the outbreak. Methods: Interviews were done through video calling. Results: Using content analysis with a hermeneutic perspective, emerging patterns showed the ways in which China's particular manifestation of volunteerism teaches us how to engage global threats of this nature. The overarching lesson, For the Good of the People, was manifested in several dynamic and overlapping themes: 1) Reaching for Professional Standards Even in Crisis; 2) Constantly Caring Through Failures and Successes; and 3) Holding Fast to the Common Good. The devastation was met by the resilience of volunteers, who overcame profound challenges managing patient care. Conclusions: Volunteerism required sacrifice and tremendous support in the form of training and administrative direction, family support, and peer collaboration. Volunteers' physical and psychosocial wellbeing was a priority. Recognizing the representative themes can help societies plan for continuing and future events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motors driven by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) have been extensively investigated due to their potential applications in various environments. One of the problems we are confronted with is the lifetime of the substrate which supports SAWs since it becomes fragile when large-amplitude SAWs are excited on the substrate. In order to prolong the lifetime of the substrate, we propose to apply modulated driving voltage with a duty ratio to the interdigital transducers. With the implementation of such a proposal, we found an intriguing phenomenon which is out of expectation, i.e., when the driving voltage is high, the slider speed under modulated driving with a suitable duty ratio might be larger than that with the continuous driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the nondeterministic and nonlinear nature of gene expression, the steady-state intracellular protein abundance of a clonal population forms a distribution. The characteristics of this distribution, including expression strength and noise, are closely related to cellular behavior. However, quantitative description of these characteristics has so far relied on arrayed methods, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address this issue, we propose a deep-learning-assisted Sort-Seq approach (dSort-Seq) in this work, enabling high-throughput profiling of expression properties with high precision. We demonstrated the validity of dSort-Seq for largescale assaying of the dose-response relationships of biosensors. In addition, we comprehensively investigated the contribution of transcription and translation to noise production in Escherichia coli, from which we found that the expression noise is strongly coupled with the mean expression level. We also found that the transcriptional interference caused by overlapping RpoD-binding sites contributes to noise production, which suggested the existence of a simple and feasible noise control strategy in E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three groups of spherical WB-reinforced Co-based coatings (Co coating, Co + 15%WB coating, Co + 45%WB coating) were fabricated by laser-cladded technology. The microstructure and constituent phase of spherical WB-reinforced Co-based coatings were examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The low-temperature tribological properties were analyzed by coefficient of friction, 2D and 3D profiles across the wear track, and wear surface morphology, respectively. The results showed that the phases in the WB-reinforced Co-based coatings are mainly γ-Co, carbides Cr23C6 and Cr7C3, WB, and WO3. Under dry sliding friction at −20 °C, the more spherical WB, the lower the friction coefficient. The wear rate of Co + 45%WB coating was as low as 3.567 × 10−4 mm3/N·m−1, indicating the outstanding wear resistance. Abrasive wear was observed on the rough surface of the WB-added coatings. Compared with dry sliding, due to the plastic deformation of micro-convexes and lubrication function in the 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, the wear tracks on the surfaces of the three tested coatings were shallower, exhibiting distinct elongated plough grooves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmetry-deficient two-dimensional (2D) layered materials induce a highly anisotropic optical response due to the anisotropy in their crystal structure, facilitating their application in polarized nanodevices. Intercalation is a new way to tune the optoelectronic properties of materials by inserting guest atoms into layered host materials, and 2D layered structures stacked with van der Waals gaps are a prerequisite for this phase of the technique. In this paper, 2D tellurium nanosheets were synthesized with a hydrothermal method, and copper atoms were inserted with a wet chemical method. The widening of the crystal plane spacing proves the introduction of copper atoms, and polarization−related second-harmonic-generation (SHG) studies reveal the intrinsic anisotropic modes of the two samples, and birefringent properties are found with polarizing light microscopy. We further investigated the electrical properties of the samples, and the embedding of the copper atoms caused the samples to exhibit higher currents, but their devices lost the gate control effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS) are three nervous system diseases that partially overlap clinically and genetically. However, bulk RNA-sequencing did not accurately detect the core pathogenic molecules in them. The availability of high-quality single cell RNA-sequencing data of post-mortem brain collections permits the generation of a large-scale gene expression in different cells in human brain, focusing on the molecular features and relationships between diseases and genes. We integrated single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) datasets of human brains with AD, PD, and MS to identify transcriptomic commonalities and distinctions among them. Methods: The snRNA-seq datasets were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The Seurat package was used for snRNA-seq data processing. The uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) were utilized for cluster identification. The FindMarker function in Seurat was used to identify the differently expressed genes. Functional enrichment analysis was carried out using the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene ontology (GO). The protein‐protein interaction (PPI) analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was analyzed using STRING database (http://string-db.org). SCENIC analysis was performed using utilizing pySCENIC (v0.10.0) based on the hg19-tss-centered-10 kb-10species databases. The analysis of potential therapeutic drugs was analyzed on Connectivity Map (https://clue.io). Results: The gene regulatory network analysis identified several hub genes regulated in AD, PD, and MS, in which HSPB1 and HSPA1A were key molecules. These upregulated HSP family genes interact with ribosome genes in AD and MS, and with immunomodulatory genes in PD. We further identified several transcriptional regulators (SPI1, CEBPA, TFE3, GRHPR, and TP53) of the hub genes, which has important implications for uncovering the molecular crosstalk among AD, PD, and MS. Arctigenin was identified as a potential therapeutic drug for AD, PD, and MS. Conclusions: Together, the integrated snRNA-seq data and findings have significant implications for unraveling the shared and unique molecular crosstalk among AD, PD, and MS. HSPB1 and HSPA1A as promising targets involved in the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, the identification of arctigenin as a potential therapeutic drug for AD, PD, and MS further highlights its potential in treating these neurological disorders. These discoveries lay the groundwork for future research and interventions to enhance our understanding and treatment of AD, PD, and MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform a combined analytical and numerical investigation to explore how an analytically designed pulse can precisely control the rotational motions of a single-molecular polariton formed by the strong coupling of two low-lying rotational states with a single-mode cavity. To this end, we derive a pulse-area theorem that gives amplitude and phase conditions of the pulses in the frequency domain for driving the polariton from a given initial state to an arbitrary coherent state. The pulse-area theorem is examined for generating the maximum degree of orientation using a pair of pulses. We show that the phase condition can be satisfied by setting the initial phases of the two identically overlapped pulses or by controlling the time delay between pulses for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the evolution law of surface characteristic of corroded cold-formed thin-walled steel in industrial environments. Design/methodology/approach: Five test specimens sourced from cold-formed thin-walled C-shaped steel that have been in service for three years in actual industrial environments were subjected to surface characteristic test. The surface characteristic of corroded hot-rolled steel and cold-formed steel were compared and analyzed. The relationship between the surface morphology parameters and the average corrosion depth was established. Findings: The evolution law of the surface morphology of corroded cold-formed thin-walled steel and corroded hot-rolled steel was similar. The frequency histogram of corrosion depth was mainly single peak with high values on the middle and low values on both sides. The corrosion depth conformed to the normal distribution. The roughness average height and the root mean square of surface height gradually increased linearly with increasing the average corrosion depth. Originality/value: The reduction in the standard deviation of corrosion depth, the maximum corrosion depth, the roughness average height and the root mean square of surface height of the cold-formed thin-walled steel was smaller than those of the hot-rolled steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contextual surface temperature-vegetation index (TVX) models have been widely used for the retrieval of soil moisture (SM) and evapotranspiration (ET). One of the key premises for their application is to determine quantitatively the theoretical boundaries of this contextual TVX space. Usually these theoretical boundaries are determined based on land surface energy balance principle. Although sound in physical mechanism, the complex parameterization involved has hampered its remote sensing (RS) applications. Our recent studies show that ground-based SM observations can be used for a quick and continuous retrieval of these theoretical boundaries. The main disadvantage lies in its reliance on in-situ SM observations. Fortunately the development of microwave RS technology has made it possible to monitor SM at both regional and global scale. Under this background, a practical framework based on the contextual TVX models was proposed in this paper for continuous ET estimation through the combination of microwave-based SM products and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) products. Daily actual ET over the Southern Great Plains of the United States of America was calculated as the product of net radiation and evaporative fraction (EF). The focus of this framework was to investigate how optical and microwave RS can be combined to achieve a quick and continuous retrieval of EF independently of ground observations. Specifically, EF was retrieved from the contextual TVX models, the theoretical boundaries of which were calibrated at the annual scale based on an optimization scheme. Assuming the seasonal variation of the theoretical dry edge follows a cosine function of solar zenith, the essence of this optimization scheme is to search for the optimal amplitude parameter that maximizes the correlation between microwave-based SM observations and soil moisture index retrieved from the contextual TVX models. Two microwave-based SM products including SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) and SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) were adopted to demonstrate this optimization scheme. The correlation coefficient, root mean square error and bias of EF estimates calibrated by SMAP were 0.700, 0.146 and 0.047, and those achieved by SMOS were 0.663, 0.174 and 0.168, respectively. The optimization scheme has not only made it possible to conduct a continuous monitoring of ET based entirely on RS observations but also achieved the downscaling of microwave satellite SM products. Thus the combination of optical and microwave RS holds great potential for coupled and continuous estimation of SM and ET over large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When effect modifiers influence the decision to participate in randomized trials, generalizing causal effect estimates to an external target population requires the knowledge of two scores - the propensity score for receiving treatment and the sampling score for trial participation. While the former score is known due to randomization, the latter score is usually unknown and estimated from data. Under unconfounded trial participation, we characterize the asymptotic efficiency bounds for estimating two causal estimands - the population average treatment effect and the average treatment effect among the non-participants - and examine the role of the scores. We also study semiparametric efficient estimators that directly balance the weighted trial sample toward the target population, and illustrate their operating characteristics via simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of organic wastewater is still a difficult problem to solve. In this paper, Cu-doped SnSe powder was synthesized by a convenient and efficient hydrothermal method. Meanwhile, the degradation effect of different doping concentrations of SnSe on methylene blue was investigated. It was found that at low doping concentrations, the degradation effect on methylene blue was not obvious because Cu was dissolved in the lattice of the SnSe matrix at low concentrations. As the doping concentration increased, SnSe changed from a layered structure to a nanocluster structure with reduced particle size, and a mixed phase of SnSe and Cu2SnSe4 appeared. In fact, the degradation effect on methylene blue was significantly enhanced, and we found that the catalytic degradation effect on methylene blue was best at a doping concentration of 10 wt.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development of metal-polyDNA nanoparticles to address osteoporosis by reconstructing the osteoporotic microenvironment, neutralizing osteoclast-secreted hydrogen ions, promoting remineralization, and inhibiting osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Topics include the synergistic role of various components and immune cells in osteoporosis, the potential of Ca-polyCpG in restoring the microenvironment and bone repair, and the role of PPi4 in enhancing bone targeting.

Summary: The RLCG parameters model and one‐port measurement model of the closed‐double ring electrodes have been established to obtain the dielectric properties of two‐layer medium in radio frequency. The accuracy of these models was verified by electromagnetic simulation experiments and the permittivity measurement experiments under 160 MHz. Results showed that (1) When the medium dielectric constant εr∈6.03,78.8, the calculation values based on the models and the real values, have a determination coefficient Rspc2=0.98 using the quadratic regression function fitting; (2) the effective sensing depth of the ring electrodes was about the structural wavelength of the ring electrodes; (3) the measuring permittivity of the intact mature corn ear were in good agreement with the results in the literatures. This study demonstrates a practical technique to extract the permittivity of two‐layer medium with the ring electrodes, and will provide a new way to in situ monitoring the physiological changes of two‐layer medium and environmental parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, low-dimensional nanodevices have shown great potential to extend Moore's Law. The n-type semiconductors already have several candidate materials for semiconductors with high carrier transport and device performance, but the development of their p-type counterparts remains a challenge. As a p-type narrow bandgap semiconductor, tellurium nanostructure has outstanding electrical properties, controllable bandgap, and good environmental stability. With the addition of methods for synthesizing various emerging tellurium nanostructures with controllable size, shape, and structure, tellurium nanomaterials show great application prospects in next-generation electronics and optoelectronic devices. For tellurium-based nanomaterials, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy are the main characterization methods for their morphology. In this paper, the controllable synthesis methods of different tellurium nanostructures are reviewed, and the latest progress in the application of tellurium nanostructures is summarized. The applications of tellurium nanostructures in electronics and optoelectronics, including field-effect transistors, photodetectors, and sensors, are highlighted. Finally, the future challenges, opportunities, and development directions of tellurium nanomaterials are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employment has historically provided a person with value and the ability to live a self-determined and independent life. Interagency collaborations have been found to play a key role in promoting employment for those with special needs. However, there is little research on identifying the needs of the field for collaborations between vocational rehabilitation and educational agencies. We conducted a series of eight focus groups in a large state in the United States and identified needs from educators and vocational rehabilitation counselors. Participants regularly noted that they needed increased collaboration and a need for additional training and education for all stakeholders. They also identified many barriers to this increased collaboration and training, including access to the community that they served, limitations on time for training, collaboration, and access, challenges in communication, including language limitations and trust, and limitations around the support that they received. On the other hand, they often felt supported by their administration, and, when collaboration was possible, their co-workers and external providers served as great resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We isolated a new orthonairovirus from Dermacentor silvarum ticks near the China--North Korea border. Phylogenetic analysis showed 71.9%-73.0% nucleic acid identity to the recently discovered Songling orthonairovirus, which causes febrile illness in humans. We recommend enhanced surveillance for infection by this new virus among humans and livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, brain diseases have seriously threatened human health due to their high morbidity and mortality. Achieving efficient drug delivery to provide satisfactory therapeutic outcomes is currently the greatest challenge in treating brain diseases. The main challenges are the structural peculiarities of the brain and the inability to transport drugs across the blood–brain barrier. Biomimetic nanodelivery systems (BNDSs) applied to the brain have been extensively developed in the preclinical phase to surmount these challenges. Considering the inherent properties of BNDSs, the substantially enhanced ability of BNDS to carry therapeutic agents and their higher selectivity toward lesions offer new opportunities for developing safe and effective therapies. This review summarizes brain-targeting nanotherapies, particularly advanced therapies with biomimetic nano-assistance. Prospects for developing BNDSs and the challenges of their clinical translation are discussed. Understanding and implementing biomimetic nanotherapies may facilitate the development of new targeted strategies for brain disorders. Using different bionanomaterials to treat brain disorders. Use of different bionanomaterials for the treatment of brain diseases, e.g., cell membranes, exosomes, viral vectors, and receptor-mediated biomimetic approaches [Display omitted] • Advanced biomimetic nano-delivery systems for the treatment of brain diseases have been illustrated. • Highlighted pathological mechanisms of BBB in different brain diseases and biomimetic strategies to cope with it. • The perspectives and challenges for accelerating the clinical translation of biomimetic nano-delivery systems are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death, which is closely related to the uncontrolled systemic inflammation. Dysregulation of M1 macrophage polarization is the primary contributor to serious inflammation. In this study, it is revealed that the murine homologue of circRNA SCAR (steatohepatitis‐associated circRNA ATP5B regulator), denoted as circRNA mSCAR hereafter, decreases in the macrophages of septic mice, which correlates with the excessive M1 polarization. To restore circRNA mSCAR in mitochondria, exosomes encapsulated with circRNA mSCAR are further electroporated with poly‐D‐lysine‐graft‐triphenylphosphine (TPP‐PDL), and thus TPP‐PDL facilitates the bound circRNA delivered into mitochondria when the exosomes engulf by the recipient cells. In in vivo septic mouse model and in vitro cell model, it is shown that the exosome‐based mitochondria delivery system delivers circRNA mSCAR into mitochondria preferentially in the macrophages, favoring macrophage polarization toward M2 subtype. Accordingly, the systemic inflammation is attenuated by exosome‐based mitochondrial delivery of circRNA mSCAR, together with alleviated mortality. Collectively, the results uncover the critical role of circRNA mSCAR in sepsis, and provide a promising approach to attenuate sepsis via exosome‐based mitochondrial delivery of circRNA mSCAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creativity is critical to economic growth and societal progress. However, assessing creativity using objective approaches remains a challenge. To address this, we employ three objective indicators based on semantic distance to quantify the originality and appropriateness of creativity by analyzing long texts in a story‐writing experiment. Global and local distances were generated separately by computing the mean distance of the whole text and the distance between adjacent sentences, and they were positively correlated with story originality in writing. Global cohesion was positively correlated with story rationality in writing, as generated by computing the semantic coherence between the text and story context. At the behavioral level, three semantic indicators were used to measure originality and appropriateness of creativity and reflected individual differences, including creative achievement and creative personality. At the neural level, global distance was best predicted by the features of the salience and default networks, whereas global cohesion corresponded to the control and salience networks. These findings point to a stable neural basis for semantic indicators and verify the idea of separating different dimensions of creativity. Taken together, our results demonstrate the significance of semantic indicators in assessing creativity and provide insights into analyzing long texts in natural paradigm. Our findings add a new perspective on semantic distance to assess creativity in story writing, by generating three semantic indicators to quantify originality and appropriateness at behavioral and neural levels. We also identify distinguishable functional connectivity patterns for objective assessments of creativity. This provides evidence that the default mode network and executive network contribute differently to creative idea generation and evaluate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the least element problem of a nonnegative solution set of a system of inequalities defined by a homogeneous polynomial mapping and a vector. In the set under consideration, the homogeneous polynomial mapping is defined by a tensor. When the tensor involved is square, the set under consideration is just the feasible region of the tensor complementarity problem (TCP). We first introduce the concept of the generalized Z-tensor, which is a natural generalization of the Z-tensor. Then, under the assumption that the considered set is nonempty and the tensor involved is a generalized Z-tensor, we propose an iterative method for finding the least element of the considered set. Specifically, by recognizing the position indices of positive components in the least element continuously, we solve a series of lower-dimensional system of tensor equations corresponding to these indices and prove that the least element of the set can be obtained within finite step iterations. When the tensor involved is square, the least element obtained is also a solution of the TCP. Compared with the existing methods for finding the least-element solution of the TCP with a Z-tensor, our method does not require any additional assumptions and has lower computational cost. Preliminary numerical experiments show that the proposed method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The copper‐catalyzed enantioselective radical difunctionalization of alkenes from readily available alkyl halides and organophosphorus reagents possessing a P−H bond provides an appealing approach for the synthesis of α‐chiral alkyl phosphorus compounds. The major challenge arises from the easy generation of a P‐centered radical from the P−H‐type reagent and its facile addition to the terminal side of alkenes, leading to reverse chemoselectivity. We herein disclose a radical 1,2‐carbophosphonylation of styrenes in a highly chemo‐ and enantioselective manner. The key to the success lies in not only the implementation of dialkyl phosphites with a strong bond dissociation energy to promote the desired chemoselectivity but also the utilization of an anionic chiral N,N,N‐ligand to forge the chiral C(sp3)−P bond. The developed Cu/N,N,N‐ligand catalyst has enriched our library of single‐electron transfer catalysts in the enantioselective radical transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The copper‐catalyzed enantioselective radical difunctionalization of alkenes from readily available alkyl halides and organophosphorus reagents possessing a P−H bond provides an appealing approach for the synthesis of α‐chiral alkyl phosphorus compounds. The major challenge arises from the easy generation of a P‐centered radical from the P−H‐type reagent and its facile addition to the terminal side of alkenes, leading to reverse chemoselectivity. We herein disclose a radical 1,2‐carbophosphonylation of styrenes in a highly chemo‐ and enantioselective manner. The key to the success lies in not only the implementation of dialkyl phosphites with a strong bond dissociation energy to promote the desired chemoselectivity but also the utilization of an anionic chiral N,N,N‐ligand to forge the chiral C(sp3)−P bond. The developed Cu/N,N,N‐ligand catalyst has enriched our library of single‐electron transfer catalysts in the enantioselective radical transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate materials collaborated with reasonable structure can significantly increase the separator performance for lithium-ion batteries. In this work, taking the advantages of microfibrous and nanofibrous membranes and compensating for their defects, we developed a composited separator (GOPPH) with excellent overall performance by first wetting-modifying the polyethylene terephthalate microfibers and then laminating a polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene nanofiber layer. Such a combination not only offers the GOPPH separator, from the perspective of structure, with high porosity and hierarchical structure in terms of fiber diameter and pore size, but also provides satisfactory features including wettability, mechanical strength and thermal shutdown function that benefit from the selected materials. Meanwhile, as determined by experimental and theoretical approaches, the obtained GOPPH separator exhibits considerably enhanced lithium ion transport ability with a high lithium ion transference number and transport rate, which thereby endowing the cell with superior cycling stability with a capacity retention of 93% after 200 cycles at 1 C. Therefore, considering battery safety and performance, the GOPPH fibrous membrane could be a promising separator candidate for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum thermalization and thermal entanglement in the open quantum Rabi model (QRM), in which a two‐level system and a single‐mode bosonic field are coupled to either two individual heat baths or a common heat bath, are studied. By treating the QRM as an effective multilevel system and deriving global quantum master equations in the eigenstate representation of the QRM, the physical conditions for quantum thermalization of the QRM is studied. It is found that, in the individual heat‐bath case, the QRM can only be thermalized when either the two heat baths have the same temperature or the QRM is only coupled to one of the two baths. In the common heat‐bath case, differently, the QRM can always be thermalized. Thermal entanglement of the QRM in both the resonant‐ and non‐resonant coupling cases is also studied. The logarithmic negativity for the thermal state of the QRM is obtained in a wide parameter space, ranging from the low‐ to high‐temperature limits, and from the weak‐ to deep‐strong‐coupling regimes. This work paves the way toward the study of quantum effects in nonequilibrium ultrastrongly‐coupled light‐matter systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TBC1 domain family member 10B (EPI64B/TBC1D10B), a member of the RabGAP EPI64 subfamily, contains a TBC domain that confers GTPase-activating protein activity. Even though overexpression of TBC1D10B has been reported to promote tumor invasion and metastasis in gastric adenocarcinoma, the prognostic value of TBC1D10B and its correlation with DNA methylation and immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma are still not known. Transcriptional expression profiles of TBC1D10B between hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and normal tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus. The Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium and the Human Protein Atlas were used to assess the TBC1D10B protein expression. The biological functions of TBC1D10B were evaluated by the Metascape database and by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma from adjacent normal tissues. The effect of TBC1D10B on survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. DNA methylation in the TBC1D10B gene was assessed using the online MEXPRESS and MethSurv tools. The association between TBC1D10B mRNA expression and immune cell infiltration was investigated by the TIMER2 web server, tumor immune estimation resource and single-sample GSEA. This study found that TBC1D10B is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and that increased TBC1D10B mRNA expression is associated with female sex, lower Body Mass Index, high level of alpha fetal protein, and worse clinical stages. The mRNA and protein levels of TBC1D10B were verified in cells. Functional annotation indicated enrichment with negative regulation of the cell cycle, extracellular matrix, and corresponding pathways in the high-TBC1D10B phenotype. The ROC curve analysis showed that, with a cutoff level of 2.912, the accuracy, sensitive, and specificity in differentiate TBC1D10B hepatocellular carcinoma from adjacent controls were 0.931, 0.920, and 0.802, respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that hepatocellular carcinoma patients with high TBC1D10B had a worse prognosis than those with low TBC1D10B, especially in patients with a weight below 70 kg, height above 170 cm, and histological G2 and G3. We also found that the methylation of TBC1D10B was associated with the prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated that TBC1D10B mRNA expression was positively correlated with infiltration levels of most immune cells, but negatively correlated with Th17 and cytotoxic cells infiltration. Our study indicates that increased TBC1D10B expression in hepatocellular carcinoma may play a role in tumorigenesis by regulating the cell cycle and extracellular matrix. TBC1D10B may be a novel prognostic and predictive marker and immune therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is more common among young women in China than in developed countries. This study analyzes the clinicopathological features and prognosis of young women with breast cancer in southwest China. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 406 breast cancer patients = 35 years old from 2008 to 2017 in southwest China, investigating their biological characteristics and prognosis. Results: In southwest China, 8.77% of breast cancer patients were young women. Although the number of breast cancer cases increased over time, the proportion of young women declined. Patients in stages III and IV accounted for 32% of cases. Young women with breast cancer often experienced local and regional recurrence and had a poor prognosis (5-year disease-free survival rate of 54.9% and 5-year overall survival rate of 71.3%). T and N stages were significantly related to disease-free survival and overall survival. Hormone receptor status was associated with overall survival. Conclusions: In southwest China, young women with breast cancer tend to present with late-stage clinical features, and the prognosis remains poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which proposed the all-electrical detection and manipulation of spin chirality in insulating chiral antiferromagnetics. Topics discussed include concept of all-electrical reading and writing of spin chirality, electrical reading of the spin chirality in TbMnO3, and quantitative estimation of the contribution to the variation of the Seebeck effect (SSE).