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The non‐local imaging characteristics of computational ghost imaging (CGI) make it widely used in the field of information security. However, the information processing method based on traditional CGI has some problems in the process of multi‐image encryption, such as low efficiency and unsatisfactory reconstruction quality. Therefore, this article proposes to use wavelet transform and singular value decomposition technology to help computational ghost imaging to efficiently complete the coding and encryption of multiple images, and use alternating direction multiplier method (ADMM) in the process of image restoration to carry out high‐quality reconstruction of the original encrypted image. The results show that the scheme has good reconstruction effect, strong security and robustness even at a low sampling rate. It provides some reference for digital watermarking technology and cryptography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolyl-4-hydroxylase subunit alpha3 (P4HA3) is a triple helical procollagen synthesis protein. The role of P4HA3 in cancer development is not well known and lacks comprehensive analyses among human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between P4HA3 expression and anti-tumor immunity and its prognostic value in pan-cancer. P4HA3 expression was analyzed from TIMER2.0, GTEx, GEPIA2.0 and TCGA databases. Genetic and DNA methylation alterations, survival analysis and proteins co-expression analysis of P4HA3 in cBio Cancer Genomics Portal, TCGA, GSCA and TIMER2.0. The correlation between P4HA3 expression and immune infiltration was analyzed by TIDE, XCELL, MCPCOUNTER, and EPIC. We performed EdU and transwell experiments to evaluate the influence of P4HA3 on the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of different tumors. Patients derived xenograft (PDX) and subcutaneous transplantation models were utilized to explore the correlation between P4HA3 and immunotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Among 33 types of cancers, P4HA3 had generally different expression between different tumors, further analysis showed that the expression of P4HA3 was correlated with the cells infiltration of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The expression of P4HA3 was positively with the cell proliferation markers and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Moreover, P4HA3 deficiency inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of tumor cells, and promoted anti-tumor immunotherapy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor. This pan-cancer analysis of P4HA3 provides a comprehensive understanding of its oncogenic and prognosis role in different cancers, P4HA3 abnormal expression could be a useful biomarker for predicting the effectiveness of immunotherapy in cancer patients. Author summary: The results in this study presented the close correlation and the significant prognostic value of P4HA3 aberrant expression among diverse human tumors. Because the expression of P4HA3 was up-regulated in various of tumors and correlated with worse survival prognosis, we thought that P4HA3 possibly become a new therapeutic target for cancers. More importantly, our research provided a significant perspective in the important role of P4HA3 in anti-tumor immunotherapy and CAFs infiltration. The aberrant expression of P4HA3 might modulate tumor metabolic activity, immune cells and EMT processes in cancers. Future prospective research focusing on P4HA3 and TME could be useful for providing an immuno-based and metabolic-based anti-tumor therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a summary of a special issue of the journal Quality & Reliability Engineering International. The issue showcases original research presented at the 2023 International Conference on Quality, Reliability, Risk, Maintenance, and Safety Engineering. The research papers cover a diverse range of topics related to reliability and safety in modern engineering systems. The papers address areas such as reliability modeling and analysis, reliability-based design and optimization, failure/safety analysis and prevention, and maintainability. The authors express their appreciation to the journal and the reviewers for their support and hope that the research presented will be valuable to researchers, engineers, scientists, and students in the field. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: To investigate current practices, changes, and perceptions of rheumatologists regarding GC use in RA patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire between April and August 2023. Rheumatologists from 31 province-level regions of Mainland China were invited to participate. Chi-squared tests were adopted to investigate the differences by sociodemographic characteristics. Results: 1,717 rheumatologists from 598 hospitals completed the survey with a response rate of 92%. Up to 60% of participants expressed currently infrequent initiation of GC co-therapy with csDMARDs (hardly ever 7.0%; occasionally 24.6%; sometimes 29.1%), accompanied by a decline of frequency over time reported in 64.2%. Regarding attitudes towards bridging therapy with GC, 604 (35.2%) participants supported this approach, 468 (27.3%) opposed it, and 645 (37.6%) remained inconclusive. Time to GC discontinuation in context of csDMARDs was commonly reported within 6 months in current practice which has been narrowed over time. Reasons for chronic GC use were mostly reported due to suboptimal disease control, followed by the need of RA complications, and pre-existing comorbidities. After failure of GC cessation, majority of respondents (84.4%) would escalate RA therapy (commonly by addition of JAK inhibitors, TNF inhibitors), which usually or often facilitated the GC cessation. The most frequently reported advantages and weaknesses of GC were rapid and strong efficacy, adverse events, respectively. Regarding long-term low-dose GC use for RA, the percentage of respondents who supported, opposed, or depended on the situation were 15.9%, 17.2%, and 66.9%, respectively. Conclusions: The current data demonstrate that GC initiation for RA treatment is not as frequent as before and the awareness of GC discontinuation is growing in current practice. Attitudes towards GC co-therapy with csDMARDs vary considerably and long-term low-dose GC use remain situation dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embryonic development is a dynamic process orchestrated by a delicate interplay of biochemical and biophysical factors. While the role of genetics and biochemistry in embryogenesis has been extensively studied, recent research has highlighted the significance of mechanical regulation in shaping and guiding this intricate process. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the mechanical regulation of embryo development. We explore how mechanical forces generated by cells and tissues play a crucial role in driving the development of different stages. We examine key morphogenetic processes such as compaction, blastocyst formation, implantation, and egg cylinder formation, and discuss the mechanical mechanisms and cues involved. By synthesizing the current body of literature, we highlight the emerging concepts and open questions in the field of mechanical regulation. We aim to provide an overview of the field, inspiring future investigations and fostering a deeper understanding of the mechanical aspects of embryo development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing enables global access to tool-based IT services, accommodating a wide range of applications across consumer, scientific, and commercial sectors, operating on a pay-per-use model. However, the substantial energy consumption of data centers hosting cloud applications leads to significant operational costs and environmental impact due to carbon emissions. Each day, these centers handle numerous requests from diverse users, necessitating powerful servers that consume substantial energy and associated peripherals. Efficient resource utilization is essential for mitigating energy consumption in cloud centers. In our research, we adopted a novel hybrid approach to dynamically allocate resources in the cloud, focusing on energy reduction and load prediction. Specifically, we employed neural fuzzy systems for load prediction and the ant colony optimization algorithm for virtual machine migration. Comparative analysis against existing literature demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach. Across 810 time periods, our method exhibits an average resource loss reduction of 21.3% and a 5.6% lower average request denial rate compared to alternative strategies. Using the PlanetLab workload and the created CloudSim simulator, the suggested methods have been assessed. Moreover, our methodology was validated through comprehensive experiments using the SPECpower benchmark, achieving over 98% accuracy in forecasting energy consumption for the proposed model. These results underscore the practicality and efficiency of our strategy in optimizing cloud resource management while addressing energy efficiency challenges in data center operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3), with an ultrawide bandgap corresponding to the deep ultraviolet (DUV) range, has attracted significant attention in optical filter‐free photodetectors. In practical terms, DUV photodetectors employed in extreme conditions, for example, flame detection and space exploration, face the challenges of performance degradation caused by high/low‐temperature transformation. Here, DUV photodetectors are tailored with high durability and stability by one‐step‐grown β‐Ga2O3 films via pulsed laser deposition. A high‐oxygen‐pressure scheme effectively addresses the issue of film‐free deposition at specifically high temperatures, facilitating the formation of polycrystalline high‐resistivity β‐Ga2O3 films. As a result, the devices exhibit outstanding performance, including a low dark current (4.4 pA @30 V), high photoresponsivity (147.36 A W−1), and fast response time (3.1/22.6 ms). Additionally, the photoresponse performance shows minimal degradation at high temperatures up to 300 °C and even improves at low temperatures down to −100 °C, ranking it among the most robust DUV photodetectors. The mechanism of photoresponse, involving the exciton formation, bandgap evolution, carrier‐phonon scatter, etc., is also elucidated in a wide temperature range. This work provides an efficient solution for developing robust Ga2O3 DUV photodetectors with excellent performance for extreme‐condition applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonyl compounds serve as essential raw materials in the production of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. An economical and environmentally-friendly route to generating carbonyl compounds involves the catalytic oxidation of alcohols and hydrocarbons using heterogeneous catalysts. In this work, we synthesize a series of vanadium-doped ordered mesoporous zirconium oxophosphate (V/M-ZrPO) nanocomposites via a modified one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly approach. Characterization results confirm the successful embedding of vanadium species into the framework of the M-ZrPO support. Dispersion of vanadium sites generates catalysts exhibiting enhanced performance for the selective oxidation of alcohols and hydrocarbons to carbonyl compounds. In particular, the 20 V/M-ZrPO catalyst demonstrates excellent reusability and broad substrate compatibility. Relative to established catalytic materials, the 20 V/M-ZrPO catalyst demonstrated superior performance across key metrics including product yield, reaction time, and recyclability. These findings highlight the promise of V/M-ZrPO nanocomposites as efficient and durable catalysts for sustainable carbonyl compound production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with the fiber ends debonding-induced elastic moduli degradation of a short fiber reinforced composite (SFRC). The strain fields of the matrix in a representative volume element (RVE) of the SFRC are determined from an imaginary fiber technique. By using the debonding boundary conditions, the debonded modulus of the composite is derived, which is affected by not only the far-field but also the transient solutions for the longitudinal strain of the matrix. Particularly, the imaginary fiber technique provides unbounded solution for a moderately large fiber aspect ratio. This is resolved by separating the RVE along the fiber direction into two domains. Combining the longitudinal strains in both domains, the longitudinal modulus is determined, and the longitudinal bridging tensor element in the micromechanics Bridging Model is amended. Five elastic moduli of an SFRC after the fiber end debonding are obtained on the amended Bridging Model. The effects of the fiber volume fraction, fiber aspect ratio, and fiber-to-matrix modulus ratio on the end-debonded longitudinal modulus, transverse modulus, and longitudinal Poisson's ratio are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and efficient method for functionalizing organosulfones has been established, utilizing a visible-light-driven intermolecular radical cascade cyclization of α-allyl-β-ketosulfones. This process employs fac-Ir(ppy)3 as the photoredox catalyst and α-carbonyl alkyl bromide as the oxidizing agent. Via this approach, the substrates experience intermolecular addition of α-carbonyl alkyl radicals to the alkene bonds, initiating a sequence of C-C bond formations that culminate in the production of organosulfone derivatives. Notably, this technique features gentle reaction conditions and an exceptional compatibility with a wide array of functional groups, making it a versatile and valuable addition to the field of organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the antihepatitis effects of Tectorigenin (TEC), and the same adenosine mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in both hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) models, exploring the role of TEC in IBD is contributive to develop a new treatment strategy against IBD. Methods: The IBD mouse model was constructed by feeding with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and injection of TEC. Afterward, the mouse body weight, colon length, and disease activity index (DAI) were tested to assess the enteritis level. Mouse intestine lesions were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Murine macrophages underwent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction to establish an inflammation model. Cell viability was determined by cell counting kit‐8 assay. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure interleukin 6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) levels. Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions were quantified via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Levels of MAPK pathway‐related proteins (p‐P38, P38, p‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), JNK, signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), p‐ERK), COX‐2 and iNOS were quantitated by Western blot. Results: TEC improved the inflammatory response through ameliorating weight loss, shortening colon, and increasing DAI score in IBD mouse. Expressions of intestinal inflammatory factors (IL‐6, TNF‐α, iNOS and COX‐2) and MAPK pathway‐related proteins (p‐P38, p‐JNK, and p‐ERK) were increased both in DSS‐induced mouse intestinal tissue, but TEC inhibited expressions of inflammatory factors. The same increased trend was identified in LPS‐induced macrophages, but TEC improved macrophage inflammation, as evidenced by downregulation of inflammatory factors. Conclusion: TEC mitigates IBD and LPS‐induced macrophage inflammation in mice via inhibiting MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, wide‐color gamut perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are commonly controlled through halide composition tuning. However, the formation of perovskite crystals involving different ion radii of halogens often results in structural fragility and ionic defects, leading to emission instability during operation. This study showcases a novel approach to achieving a homogeneous and low‐defect crystalline state by regulating the thermodynamic nucleation mechanism of sky‐blue perovskite, thereby enhancing emission stability. Utilizing oxygen‐plasma treatment, a highly uniform surface energy is ensured for the nickel oxide acting as a hole transport layer. This treatment not only induces homogeneous nucleation of the perovskite layer but also effectively suppresses crystal defects. Simultaneously, the uniform surface energy alleviates halide phase separation caused by Ostwald ripening. Upon optimizing the fabrication conditions for sky‐blue perovskite, the resulting PeLEDs, featuring an electroluminescent peak at 486 nm, attain a luminance of 1125.3 cd m−2 with exceptional electroluminescent stability and a T50 lifetime. Furthermore, gaining insights into the thermodynamic nucleation mechanism in mix‐halides and perovskites contributes to the advancement of research on sky‐blue PeLEDs and offers valuable perspectives for future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional air quality and major sources can be reflected by dust. 87 dust samples in Nanchang (four residential areas and three roadside points) were collected, with particle size and carbon components determined to discuss the distribution characteristics and the sources. The distribution of dust particle size in different sampling areas was similar, composed mainly of particles larger than 10 μm (over 69.8%). Dust particle size showed a decreasing trend with increasing horizontal distance from the main road and vertical height from the ground. EC in road dust was higher than that in residential dust. EC outdoors was higher than EC indoors in the same area. OC in indoor dust was higher than that in atmospheric dust when there were obvious indoor OC emission sources. The main carbon fractions in residential dust were OC3 and EC1, and in road dust were EC2 and OC3. The distribution of carbon fractions showed that OC3 and EC2 were mainly affected by human activities and motor vehicle emissions, respectively. The ratio of OC/EC and SOC in dust decreased from autumn to winter. SOC in the dust of Nanchang was at a medium level compared to other cities/regions around world. Clustering analysis and principal component analysis indicated that combustion sources (coal and biomass combustion, etc.), motor vehicle exhaust sources (gasoline and diesel vehicles), and human sources (cooking fumes, cigarette smoking, etc.) were the main contributors to the carbon components in dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fresh latex was preserved using the composite preservative HY/NH3 for 1 ~ 5 d, regular sampling and solidification to prepare raw rubber. A sample with a latex maturation time of 1 d was used as a control sample to investigate the effect of maturation time of fresh latex on the composition and prop-erties of natural rubber. The natural rubber was characterised using instruments such as infrared spectros-copy, nuclear magnetic resonance crosslink density and tensile testing machines, respectively. The results showed that the maturation of fresh latex could reduce the content of impurities, ash and volatiles in raw rubber sheets, and improve the plasticity retention index and cross-link density. The scorch time, positive vulcanization time, torque difference of compounded rubber and tensile strength, tear strength, constant tensile stress of vulcanized rubber were all improved. The natural rubber prepared from the fresh latex for 3 d of maturation had the best overall performance, and the tensile strength and tear strength of vulcanized rubber reached were up to 20.47 MPa and 30.38 kN/m, respectively, an increase of 3.5% and 7.0% compared to the control sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the central nervous system of modern information warfare, the command‐and‐control network becomes the brain of command and the strategic target of the enemy's primary attack during the operation. In this paper, a method based on edge extension diagram (EED) and binary decision diagram (BDD) is proposed to evaluate the reliability of connectivity within the basic command post of command‐and‐control network, which is solving the problem that the conventional methods failed to model failure probabilities of node links and with low calculation efficiency. First, graph simplification of network topology, extension of nodes under reliable state, construction of path functions, replacement of associated edges, variable sorting, construction of binary decision graphs, and recursive calculation to evaluate the reliability of the connection between the two ends of the command‐and‐control network. Then, further analyze and sort the variable importance of the command‐and‐control network and analyze the sensitivity of the network topology. This paper contributes to the reliability assessment of command‐and‐control network system, the identification and maintenance of key network nodes, and the design of network topology structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Both mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and intravenous cyclophosphamide (CYC) have been recommended in the induction therapy of lupus nephritis (LN) for years; nevertheless, their effectiveness and safety in a real-world setting are extremely lacking. Therefore, we decided to conduct this real-world study. Methods: A total of 195 Chinese patients with LN who were initially treated with MMF (n = 98), or intravenous CYC (n = 97) as induction therapy were enrolled. All of the patients were followed up to 12 months. Complete renal remission (CRR) was defined as 24-h urinary protein (24 h-UTP) < 0.5 g, and partial renal remission (PRR) was defined as ≥ 50% reduction in 24 h-UTP to the subnephrotic level, however > 0.5 g, both with a change of serum creatinine (SCr) within 10% from baseline. The proportions of CRR, PRR, and total renal remission (TRR), as well as adverse events, were compared by Chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier analysis (log-rank test). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used for propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. Results: The cumulative proportion of TRR in 6 months (79.4 vs. 63.8%, p = 0.026) and CRR in 12 months (72.8 vs. 57.6%, p = 0.049) in MMF group were significantly higher than CYC group, and the above conclusions were further confirmed by IPTW. The proportions of PRR, CRR, and TRR at other time points were equivalent between two groups. Further subgroup analysis in 111 patients with biopsy-proven III–V LN also showed a significantly higher proportion of TRR at 6 months in the MMF group than in the CYC group (78.3 vs. 56.9%, p = 0.026). In the Kaplan–Meier analysis and after IPTW, the MMF group showed better TRR and CRR responses than CYC group in 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that MMF use was the only predictor of CRR (HR 2.12, 95% CI 1.90–4.09, p = 0.026), while low complement level was also a predictor, albeit risk was reduced (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17–0.86, p = 0.019). Moreover, compared to the CYC group, MMF group patients were more likely to have significantly lower SCr (μmol/l) [72.5 (62.5, 86.5) vs. 79.0 (71.1, 97.5), p = 0.001] and daily dose of prednisone (mg/day) (15.7 ± 5.2 vs. 18.6 ± 11.3, p = 0.022) at 6 months; lower 24 h-UTP (g) [0.1 (0.1, 0.3) vs. 0.2 (0.1, 0.9), p = 0.005] and daily dose of prednisone (mg/day) (9.6 ± 3.3 vs. 11.2 ± 5.5, p = 0.023) at 12 months. Infection was the most common adverse event. Pneumonia and gastrointestinal discomfort were more frequently observed in the CYC group. Conclusions: Real-world data are a key component of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of drugs and are of interest to all stakeholders. Our comparative study demonstrated the effectiveness of MMF in LN induction therapy was at least equivalent to intravenous CYC, with superior tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thalamus plays a crucial role in ensuring the faithful transfer of sensory information, except olfactory signals, to corresponding cortical areas. However, thalamic function is not simply restricted to relaying information to and from the cerebral cortex. The ability to modulate the flow of sensory information is supported by a second abundant neuronal type in the prethalamus, the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) neurons, which project inhibitory GABAergic axons to dorsal thalamic glutamatergic neurons. Interestingly, during the trajectory of pioneer prethalamic axons, morphogen fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-3 is expressed in the ventral chick hypothalamus. Using in vitro analyses in chick explants, we identify a chemorepellent effect of FGF3 on nearby prethalamic GABAergic axons. Furthermore, inhibition of FGF3 guidance functions indicates that FGF3 signaling is necessary to navigate prethalamic axons correctly. Gene expression analyses and loss of function studies demonstrate that FGF3 mediates prethalamic axonal guidance through the downstream pathway of the FGF receptor (FGFR)-1. Together, these results suggest that FGF3 expressed in the hypothalamus functions as a chemorepellent molecule to direct the pathway selection of neighboring GABAergic axons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Design of efficient and durable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts still remains challenge in sustainable energy storage and conversion devices. To achieve sustainable development, it is of importance to prepare high-quality carbon-derived ORR catalysts from biomass. Herein, Fe 5 C 2 nanoparticles (NPs) were facilely entrapped in Mn, N, S-codoped carbon nanotubes (Fe 5 C 2 /Mn, N, S-CNTs) by a one-step pyrolysis of the mixed lignin, metal precursors and dicyandiamide. The resulting Fe 5 C 2 /Mn, N, S-CNTs had open and tubular structures, which exhibited positive shifts in the onset potential (E onset = 1.04 V) and high half-wave potential (E 1/2 = 0.85 V), showing excellent ORR characteristics. Further, the typical catalyst-assembled Zn-air battery showed a high power density (153.19 mW cm−2) and good cycling performance as well as obvious cost advantage. The research provides some valuable insights for rational construction of low-cost and environmentally sustainable ORR catalysts in clean energy field, coupled by offering some valuable insights for reusing biomass wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance in identifying an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and the reliability between two measuring protocols of anterior tibial subluxation (ATS). Materials and methods: A total of 165 patients with ACL injury and 157 ACL-intact patients were included in this study. Two different measuring protocols of ATS were performed on sagittal MR images, including the modified protocol using the longitudinal tibial axis (axis protocol) and the established protocol using a line perpendicular to the tibial plateau (plateau protocol). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance in identifying an ACL injury, and areas under the curves (AUCs) were compared between the two protocols. Intra- and interobserver reliability tests were performed to evaluate the reliability of the measurements. Results: Lateral ATS (P < 0.001) and medial ATS (P < 0.001) were increased in patients with ACL injury under both protocols. To identify an ACL injury, ATS measured under the axis protocol showed higher AUC values than the plateau protocol, including lateral ATS (AUC 0.828 vs. 0.688, P < 0.001), medial ATS (AUC 0.829 vs. 0.789, P = 0.013), and the combined indicator of lateral and medial ATS (AUC 0.885 vs. 0.810, P < 0.001). Reliability tests showed that both protocols were reliable. Conclusions: ATS measured under the modified protocol using the longitudinal tibial axis showed superior diagnostic performance in identifying an ACL injury compared to the established protocol, indicating that the modified protocol may better reflect the characteristics of an ACL-deficient knee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The van der Waals sandwich heterostructure CuInP 2 S 6 / MoSSe / CuInP 2 S 6 (CIPS/MoSSe/CIPS) has first been employed as a prototype to tune the Rashba effect. By nonvolatile controlling of the orientation of the polarization of the top ferroelectric CIPS monolayer, it is confirmed that the Rashba effect can be switched on or off at the top position of the valence band (VB) around the Γ point. More significantly, we find that the Rashba coefficient increases by almost one order of magnitude for the "on" state as compared with the freestanding MoSSe monolayer. Based on the results of first-principle calculations, it is obtained that the enhancement of the Rashba effect results from the charge transfer from the top CIPS layer to the MoSSe layer or the bottom CIPS layer, and the lifting of the d -orbit band of the light Cu atom leads to the disappearance of Rashba spin splitting at the top of the VB around the Γ point. Furthermore, the polarization orientation of the bottom CIPS layer can greatly alter the bandgap of the sandwich structure. We hope the above nonvolatile and large amplitude tuning of the Rashba effect should be useful in the design of spintronic nano-devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the challenges of weak model generalization and limited model capacity adaptation in traditional malware detection methods, this article presents a novel malware detection approach based on stacked depthwise separable convolutions and self-attention, termed CoAtNet. This method combines the strengths of the self-attention module's robust model adaptation and the convolutional networks' powerful generalization abilities. The initial step involves transforming the malicious code into grayscale images. These images are subsequently processed using a detection model that employs stacked depthwise separable convolutions and an attention mechanism. This model effectively recognizes and classifies the images, automatically extracting essential features from malicious software images. The effectiveness of the method was validated through comparative experiments using both the Malimg dataset and the augmented Blended+ dataset. The approach's performance was evaluated against popular models, including XceptionNet, EfficientNetB0, ResNet50, VGG16, DenseNet169, and InceptionResNetV2. The experimental results highlight that the model surpasses other malware detection models in terms of accuracy and generalization ability. In conclusion, the proposed method addresses the limitations of traditional malware detection approaches by leveraging stacked depthwise separable convolutions and self-attention. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate its superior performance compared to existing models. This research contributes to advancing the field of malware detection and provides a promising solution for enhanced accuracy and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers' participation in automobile recalls for environmental defects (ARED) can enhance the recall's completion rate, reduce vehicle exhaust emissions, and improve air quality. This study investigates consumers' intention to participate in ARED on the basis of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and extends it by adding the constructs of perceived environmental benefits, personal benefits, and personal costs. A total of 628 respondents participated in the online questionnaire survey, and a structural equation model was adopted to analyze the collected data. Results show that perceived behavioral control and positive attitude toward participating in ARED positively affect consumers' participation intention. Attitude is mainly explained by perceived environmental benefits, whereas subjective norm is mainly explained by perceived environmental and personal benefits. On the basis of these results, we provide some implications to motivate consumers to participate in ARED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Antineoplastic drugs (ADs) are widely used in clinical practice and have been demonstrated to be effective in treating malignant tumors. However, they carry a risk of cytogenotoxicity for healthcare workers. Studies have reported that genotoxic biomarkers can be applied to assess the occupational health status of healthcare workers at an early stage, but results of different studies are variable. The objectives of the review were examine the association between long-term exposure to ADs and cytogenetic damage to healthcare workers. Methods: We systematically reviewed studies between 2005 and 2021 using PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases that used cytogenetic biomarkers to assess occupational exposure to ADs in healthcare workers. We used RevMan5.4 to analyze the tail length parameters of the DNA, frequency of the chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei. A total of 16 studies were included in our study. The studies evaluate the quality of the literature through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Results: The results revealed that under the random-effects model, the estimated standard deviation was 2.37 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–3.81, P = 0.001) for the tail length parameters of the DNA, 1.48 (95% CI 0.71–2.25, P = 0.0002) for the frequency of chromosomal aberrations, 1.74 (95% CI 0.49–2.99, P = 0.006) for the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges and 1.64 (95% CI 0.83–2.45, P < 0.0001) for the frequency of micronuclei. Conclusions: The results indicate that there is a significant association between occupational exposure to ADs and cytogenetic damage, to which healthcare workers should be alerted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive and noninvasive cyclic peptide-based electrogenerated chemiluminescence biosensing method for the determination of sweat glucose was developed. Glucose can be quantified in sweat samples with a recovery of 93%–113% via one-step recognition, which is promising for the determination of sweat glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas turbine blades normally operate under high‐temperatures, extreme pressure, and high‐speed conditions, which leads to complex failure mechanisms and difficulties in fatigue life assessment. Moreover, due to the randomness of manufacturing errors, working loads, and material properties, the low cycle fatigue (LCF) life normally presents unavoidable stochastic behavior. Therefore, accurate and efficient fatigue life prediction is critical for the design of gas turbine blades. Accordingly, this paper analyzes the effects of mean stress, anisotropy, and uncertainties on the LCF life of nickel‐based single‐crystal turbine blades. The modified Hill yield criterion is employed to deal with the anisotropic damage characteristics of nickel‐based single‐crystal superalloy (NSCS) under a multiaxial stress state. Meanwhile, the effects of the temperature and crystal orientation are introduced into the walker mean stress correction term. A multiaxial LCF life prediction model is developed based on the energy criterion‐based fatigue life estimation method. Moreover, multi‐source uncertainties originating from rotation speeds, material properties, and temperature are analyzed and quantified. Comparison between the predicted and tested life indicates that the proposed method produces good accuracy and robustness, which can provide a reference for the reliability design of NSCS turbine blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM2.5 was sampled in four seasons of 2021 in Nanchang. Organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble ions were the main chemical compositions in PM2.5. The annual average of OC/PM2.5 and EC/PM2.5 was 17.1% and 2.1%, respectively, while nine water-soluble ions were 56.7%. The order of each ion percentage in PM2.5 was NO3− > SO42− > K+ > Na+ > NH4+ > Cl− > NO2− > Ca2+ > Mg2+. The OC/EC (6.54, 13.17, 8.95, 7.99) and Char-EC/Soot-EC (0.88, 0.64, 1.32, 3.74) indicated that the carbon aerosols mainly originated from coal combustion, biomass combustion, and motor-vehicle emissions. High concentrations of Cl− and Ca2+ in spring were associated with dust sources. A good correlation between Na+, SO42−, and NO3− suggests the formation of Na2SO4 and NaNO3. The results of PM2.5 source apportionment by positive matrix factorisation (PMF) showed five main sources: motor-vehicle sources (18–33%), secondary sources (16–36%), coal combustion sources (16–30%), biomass-combustion sources (10–28%), and dust sources (5–7%). Backward trajectory clustering analysis showed PM2.5 in spring and autumn were more influenced by medium distance and local air but mainly influenced by local sources in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve laser transmission efficiency at 1053 nm and 527 nm, a potassium deuterium phosphate (DKDP) crystal (a key component of high-power laser systems) needs a bi-layer antireflection coating system on its incident surface. UV-curable polysiloxane coatings with a refractive index varying from 1.500 to 1.485 were prepared through the polycondensation of a methacryloxy propyl trimethoxylsilane (MPS) monomer with a controllable degree of hydrolysis. Additionally, the influence rule of the coating structure on the refractive index was intensively studied, and the primary factors that dominate the hydrolysis process were discussed. Further refractive index adjustment was achieved using only a small amount of dopant based on the polysiloxane coating with refractive index of 1.485, allowing for high antireflection of the bi-layer coating system at desired wavelengths to be achieved. In addition, high laser damage resistance and remarkable mechanical properties of the coating were simultaneously realized through the incorporation of a minor quantity of dopants, which benefited from the successful modulation of the intrinsic refractive index of the polysiloxane coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new pair of multifunctional Zn(II)–Dy(III) enantiomers based on the chiral Schiff-base ligands [R,R-ZnLDy(H2O)(NO3)3] (1R2R-ZnDy) and [S,S-ZnLDy(H2O)(NO3)3] (1S2S-ZnDy) (H2L = phenol, 2,2′-[[(1R,2R/1S,2S)-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanediyl]bis[(E)-nitrilomethylidyne]]bis[6-methoxy]) was synthesized and characterized. Magnetic studies indicate that 1R2R-ZnDy behaves as a single-molecule magnet. Enantiomers 1R2R-ZnDy and 1S2S-ZnDy show chiroptical activity and circularly polarized luminescence in the N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The chiral Zn(II)–Dy(III) complexes display magnetic circular dichroism signals at room temperature. Accordingly, these complexes will inspire intriguing research on single-molecule magnets with circular polarization of luminescence activity and magneto-optic effects, which will give new clues to design multifunctional molecular magnetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of microplastic occurrence in most ecosystems is raising health concerns globally, yet the fate of microplastics is poorly known, particularly in the terrestrial environment. Here, we review the effect of land applications of biosolids on microplastic contamination in agricultural soils. We focus on separation and identification methods, distribution in wastewater, and retention, migration and degradation in soils. We also discuss the uptake of microplastics by microorganisms. The number of microplastic particles in biosolids ranges from 506 to 15,385 per kg of biosolids. After biosolid application on land, microplastic number ranges from 18 to 6.9 × 105 particles per kg of soil, depending on the soil composition. Microplastic retention in soils increases with soil organic carbon concentration, Fe and Al oxide concentrations, and soil ionic strength. Biodegradation of microplastics causes mass loss, changes in chemical composition, reduction in molecular weight and mechanical strength, and gas production of carbon dioxide and methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the potential active components and therapeutic mechanisms of Shen-Kui-Tong-Mai granule (SKTMG) in the treatment of heart failure. Methods: Network pharmacology combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS), molecular docking, and in vivo validation was performed to identify the active components and the potential targets for SKTMG to improve chronic heart failure (CHF). Key findings: The network pharmacology identified 192 active compounds and 307 potential consensus targets for SKTMG. On the other hand, network analysis discovered 10 core target genes related to the MAPK signal pathway. These genes include AKT1, STAT3, MAPK1, P53, SRC, JUN, TNF, APP, MAPK8 and IL6. The molecular docking results revealed that the SKTMG components were luteolin, quercetin, astragaloside IV and kaempferol, which could bind AKT1, MAPK1, P53, JUN, TNF and MAPK8. Additionally, SKTMG inhibited phosphorylation of AKT, P38, P53 and c-JUN, and reduced TNF-α expression in CHF rats. Conclusions: The present results demonstrated that network pharmacology combined with UHPLC–MS/MS, molecular docking and in vivo validation can facilitate the identification of active components and the potential targets for SKTMG to improve CHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Glucocorticoids (GC) are currently recommended as a bridging therapy in combination with conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARD) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and should be tapered as rapidly as clinically feasible. We aimed to explore potential predictors for GC discontinuation in patients commencing GC with concomitant csDMARD. Methods: We used data from a longitudinal real-world cohort. RA patients who newly started GC concomitantly with csDMARD were included. All patients were divided into four groups, according to degree of change in disease activity at 3 months from baseline (group 1: worsening or no decrease; group 2: 0–24.9% decrease; group 3: 25.0–49.9% decrease; group 4: ≥ 50.0% decrease). Cox regression was used to estimate hazard risk (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: In total, 124 out of 207 RA patients discontinued GC at the rheumatologist's discretion and 79.1% (91/115) of them successfully stopping GC without flare within 6 months after GC withdrawal. Increasing age (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–1.00, p = 0.043) and concomitant nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use at GC initiation (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25–0.88, p = 0.018) were independently associated with GC withdrawal failure. Moreover, the degrees of disease activity improvement at 3 months significantly predicted the possibility of subsequent GC discontinuation (fully adjusted HR 1.35–1.47, p < 0.01), with 2.38–3.59 times higher in group 4 than group 1. Switching the outcome to successfully stopping GC without short-term flare yielded similar findings. Conclusions: The degrees of disease activity improvement at 3 months independently predicted the subsequent GC withdrawal. These findings suggest the importance of dynamic treatment strategies with a closer look at disease activity during GC tapering and discontinuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a total of six different ribbed and two nonribbed L‐shaped concrete‐filled steel tubular (CFST) short columns are designed; finite element modeling and calculations are carried out and verified with measured results. The optimal ribbing method among the ribbing methods applied is proposed. The mechanisms of the longitudinal stress of the concrete, longitudinal stress of the outer steel tube, and lateral compressive stress of the concrete for the L‐shaped CFST short column without ribs and with the optimal ribbing method are compared and analyzed. The results show that the optimal ribbing method involves setting half‐width longitudinal stiffening ribs in the middle of the two wide sides of the L‐shaped steel tube. The stiffening ribs can delay the occurrence of local buckling failure of the steel tube, thus strengthening the restraining effect of the steel tube on the concrete and improving the uniformity of the longitudinal stress of the core concrete. In addition, based on an analysis of a large number of parameters, four methods for calculating the bearing capacity of nonribbed L‐shaped CFST short columns are compared. A design formula for the bearing capacity of ribbed L‐shaped CFST columns is proposed by considering the improvement in the concrete performance. The calculation results agree well with the finite element and experimental results, and the error is <5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a multiphase voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) by using the subfeedback loop technique. The proposed N-stage ring oscillator with k-stage subfeedback loops (where N is not a multiple of k) has N output phases, and its operating frequency is as high as that of the k-stage subfeedback loops. Circuit analysis and simulation processes for design optimization are presented herein. The first-order linear inverter model of the proposed ring oscillator defines the relationship between its operating frequency and phase number. In the topology of the proposed oscillator, the operating frequency does not decrease as the number of stages of the ring oscillator increases. The proposed multiphase VCO is verified in a 5-GHz 12-phase phase-locked loop. The test chip is implemented in a 0.18-μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor process, and its core area is determined to be 260 × 355 μm2. The root mean square jitter and peak-to-peak jitter are 1.03 and 8.85 ps, respectively. The phase noise of the output signal is − 91.44 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterocyclic Quaternary Phosphonium Salts (HQPS) have emerged as promising chemicals for organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. However, the present synthetic methodology of this type of compound is still limited. Here, we report a deconstructive reorganization strategy based on Brønsted acid-mediated tandem 1,4 addition/intramolecular cyclization of triphenylphosphine derivatives and in situ generated o-AQMs for the first time. This protocol provides a novel approach to heterocyclic quaternary phosphonium salts. The method also features a non-metal catalyst, mild reaction conditions, high efficiency and wide substrate scope. Moreover, a series of obtained heterocyclic phosphonium salts can be converted to isotopically labelled 2-benzofuran compounds directly by simple deuteration reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hip joint capsular ligaments serve a fundamental role in balancing functional mobility and joint stability. However, few studies had focused on postoperative capsule changes in patients with borderline developmental dysplasia of the hip (BDDH). Purpose: To evaluate the integrity and thickness of anterior hip capsular thickness on pre and postoperative MRI in BDDH patients. Study design: Case series study; Level of evidence III. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using data from BDDH patients who had arthroscopy between 2016 and 2019. Two groups were created and propensity-score matched based on whether the capsule was sutured. The study group comprised patients who have undergone routine capsule repair between 2018 and 2019. The control group includes BDDH patients with unrepaired capsulotomy between 2016 and 2018. Capsular integrity and thickness were measured on MRI before surgery and at least one year postoperatively. Furthermore, analysis was performed on correlations between the presence of a capsular defect and related factors. Results: Propensity-score matching yielded 37 hips in the repair group and 37 hips in the non-repair group. There were no significant differences detected in age, sex, and BMI between the two groups. MRI detected capsular defects in 3 hips (8.1%) in the repair group and 10 hips (27.0%) in the non-repair group (p = 0.032). The defect was found to be along the interportal capsulotomy line in all capsular defect cases. Moreover, the postoperative anterior capsule thickness in the study group was significantly thinner compared with preoperative (2.9 ± 0.5 mm vs 3.7 ± 0.6 mm; p < 0.001), and no significant difference was detected in the control group. There were no statistically significant correlations between the presence of a defect capsule and demographic characteristics such as patient age, sex, BMI, preoperative alpha angle, or lateral center–edge angle (LCEA). Conclusion: The majority (91.9%) of the repaired hip capsules in BDDH patients remained closed compared with patients without repair (73.0%). The anterior capsule was significantly thinner in the zone of capsulotomy postoperative compared with preoperative in patients with unrepaired capsules. The presence of a defective capsule does not correlate with demographic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the recent increase in carbon-based gas diffusion layer (GDL) usage for high-rate electrochemical reactors, the study on mitigating anodic corrosion associated with the GDL is imperative. In this study, the anodic corrosion of a high-rate electrochemical flow cell was evaluated using an on-line universal gas chromatography protocol with iridium oxide supported GDL (IrO 2 /GDL) as a model electrode, and it could be evidently alleviated in the alkaline media (1 M KOH) with an inert gas (Ar or N 2) environment within current densities of 500 mA cm−2. In addition, the quantitative CO 2 /CO formation rate and Faradaic efficiencies results, along with the qualitative hydrophobicity maintenance ability of the anode, revealed that the anodic oxidation reaction could be efficiently suppressed in the carbon support samples with both high graphitization and good oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, such as the multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Therefore, further modification of the carbon-based GDL itself may help to prevent its corrosion above 500 mA cm−2. This work is important for tracing the origin of electrocatalysis deactivation and directing the design of carbon materials for the future electrodes that involving the GDL on a high-rate electrochemical reactor. The anodic carbon corrosion on gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a high-rate electrochemical flow cell was investigated for tracing the origin of electrocatalysis deactivation and directing the design of carbon materials for the future electrodes that involving the GDL. [Display omitted] • An on-line GC protocol is proposed to evaluate carbon corrosion in a flow cell. • The carbon corrosion can be alleviated by optimizing the electrolyte pH and gas environment. • High crystallinity and OER activity of electrode are favorable for suppressing the carbon corrosion. • The hydrophobicity maintenance ability is developed to qualitatively assess the carbon corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency debris flows are characterized by strong concealment, high potential danger, and difficulty achieving an early warning; hence early identification of low-frequency debris flow gullies is crucial to mitigation. Here, an identification system for low-frequency debris flow gullies along the traffic arteries in the Chuanxi Plateau is proposed based on the identification and stability calculation of colluvium deposits in a hollow region (CDH) and the quantitative roundness analysis for the stones in a deposit fan. At first, for the watershed without a deposit fan, the CDH is identified and analyzed using the geomorphologic change point detection method combined with high-precision remote sensing images and field investigation. The watershed can be identified as a low-frequency debris flow gully with the safety factors (Fs) of all CDHs greater than 1. Then, the roundness of stones in the deposit fan is quantitatively analyzed. The watershed can also be identified as a low-frequency debris flow gully with the average roundness of the stones ranging from 0.30 to 0.41. Lastly, the identification system was tested and verified based on another ten watersheds along three traffic arteries. It shows that the method proposed in this paper has good applicability and high accuracy. Here we try to achieve the accurate early identification of low-frequency debris flow gullies by combining remote sensing interpretation and field investigation, which can provide theoretical support for predicting and mitigating debris flows in mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the discrepancy in metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) between patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Patients with PsA and RA were enrolled between 1 December 2018 and 31 December 2021. Data on their demographics, height, weight, waist circumference, clinical and laboratory data, and comorbidities were collected. Disease activities of patients with RA and PsA were assessed. Prevalence was estimated by dividing cases (such as MS and CVD) of PsA and RA individually. Propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting were used for further validation. Results: Consecutively, 197 patients with PsA and 279 patients with RA were enrolled in this study. Both MS [36.0% versus 23.3%, p = 0.002, OR 1.54 (1.16, 2.05)] and CVD [6.6% versus 1.1%, p = 0.001, OR 6.13 (1.77, 21.25)] were more frequently observed in patients with PsA compared with patients with RA. The frequency of abdominal obesity was also higher in patients with PsA [61.9% versus 33.0%, OR 1.87 (1.53, 2.29), p < 0.001]. After 1:1 propensity score matching for age, sex, smoking history, serum lipids, and disease activity, MS remained more common in 117 patients with PsA than in 117 patients with RA (37.6% versus 23.1%, p = 0.016) These findings remained after the inverse probability of treatment weighting in 196 patients with PsA and 288 patients with RA. A positive linear relationship between MS with disease activity was found in patients with PsA, but not in patients with RA. Conclusion: Considerable discrepancies in MS and CVD were observed between patients with PsA and those with RA. The greater odds of MS and CVD emphasize the need to pay more attention to metabolic and cardiovascular conditions in patients with PsA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ferrocene‐pyrene dyad Fc‐PYS for anion recognition was rationally designed and synthesized, in which the ferrocene and the pyrene groups were combined by the imidazolium and sulfonamide anion donors. The structure of the probe was characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The anion recognition performance of the probe was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. In acetonitrile solution, Fc‐PYS can fluorescently recognize F− and H2PO4− with different models. Upon the addition of H2PO4−, the fluorescence of Fc‐PYS was increased. However, the complexation with F− quenched its fluorescence. At the same time, Fc‐PYS showed electrochemical response toward basic anions F−, H2PO4−, and AcO− with the ferrocene‐based red/ox potential a negative shift with H2PO4− > F− > AcO−. Furthermore, the binding mechanism between Fc‐PYS and anion has been investigated in detail by 1H NMR titration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noble metal Pt is the acknowledged efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in commercial applications. However, due to its high price and limited reserves, its large-scale application is limited. In order to overcome this defect, the loaded Pt nanoparticles (NPs) should be small and dispersed efficiently through the design of electrode materials, so as to improve the utilization efficiency of Pt. In addition, the introduction of non-noble metal active sites can reduce the consumption of Pt efficiently. In this work, hollow graphene spheres are used as the carrier and the heteroatoms (N, Fe and Co) are introduced. The results show that the introduction of Fe and Co can form very effective heteroatom active sites (carbon encapsulated Fe/Co metals and FeCo alloy, and/or metal nitrides Fe/Co-N x -C) in the substrate material, which improve the catalytic activity of the electrode material effectively and the utilization efficiency of Pt. In addition, the generation of Fe/Co-N x -C active sites and the loading of Pt are also closely related to the doped N atoms. The onset potential, limiting current density (J L), half-wave potential (E 1/2) and Tafel slope of sample FeCo-N x HGSs/Pt (10 wt%) can exceed or comparable to those of commercial catalysts Pt/C (20 wt%) towards ORR both in acid and alkaline electrolyte. Moreover, the values of η 100 and the Tafel slope for FeCo-N x HGSs/Pt towards HER can also exceed the commercial catalysts Pt/C (20 wt%) in acid and alkaline electrolytes. The purpose of reducing the usage amount of precious metals without reducing the catalytic performance is realized. The relationship between the ORR and HER performance of the resultant electrode catalyst and the doped heteroatoms, such as nitrogen (N), iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) atoms, was studied and discussed in detail. [Display omitted] • Pyridine and pyrrole N are easy to the formation of metal nitrides (Fe(Co)-N x -C). • Pyridine N is closely related to the rivet of precious metal Pt. • The Fe/Co in HGSs exist in the form of Fe/Co metals, FeCo alloy, Fe/Co-N x -C. • The Fe/Co atoms play a positive role in improving the ORR and HER performance. • The FeCo-N x HGSs/Pt is a stable and efficient catalyst for ORR/HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of hyperspectral imaging techniques, hyperspectral video visual tracking comes to a breakthrough because its abundant material-based spectral information has strong discrimination ability in complex background. Most existing hyperspectral trackers use hand-craft features to represent the appearances of targets, but their performances are limited for the lack of semantic information in those low-level features. Despite the successes of deep networks on color video, the limited training samples bring difficulties to train a deep learning model-based hyperspectral tracker. To handle well with above problems, we present a novel deep hyperspectral tracker based on Siamese network (SiamHT). In our proposed method, heterogeneous encoder–decoder (HED) and spectral semantic representation (SSR) modules are designed to extract the spatial and spectral semantic features, respectively. After that parameters in HED and SSR modules are learned with a designed two-stage training strategy. Finally, the well-learned spatial and spectral semantic representations are fused to estimate the state of a target. Extensive comparison experiments on hyperspectral object tracking dataset are performed to prove the robustness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate potassium (K) availability is a common abiotic stress that limits the growth and quality of fruit trees. Few studies have investigated the physiological and molecular responses of grapes at different potassium levels. In this study, an integrated approach was developed for grapevines grown at four different potassium fertilization levels [0 (K0-CK), 150 (K150), 300 (K300), and 450 (K450) g/plant] in combination with metabolite measurements and transcript analysis. The results showed that different K levels affected the accumulation of sugars and anthocyanins in the fruit. At 78 days after bloom (DAB), the K150, K300, and K450 treatments increased soluble sugar content by 37.39%, 31.10% and 32.59%, respectively, and anthocyanin content by 49.78%, 24.10%, and 13.06%, respectively, compared to K0. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of DEGs identified a network of 11 grapevines involved. During fruit development, potassium application promoted the accumulation of anthocyanins and sugars in fruit by regulating the up-regulation of GST, AT, UFGT and SPS, HT, PK gene expressions. These results suggest that potassium deficiency inhibits anthocyanin and sugar metabolism. In addition, it promotes the up-regulation of KUP expression, which is the main cause of K accumulation in fruits. Together, our data revealed the molecular mechanism in response to different K levels during fruit quality formation and provides the scientific foundation for the improvement of fruit quality by adding K fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we firstly establish new numerical radius inequalities which refine a result of Kittaneh in [Studia Math. 168, 73–80 (2005)], then present some numerical radius inequalities involving non-negative increasing convex functions for n × n operator matrices, which generalize the related results of Shebrawi in [Linear Algebra Appl. 523(15), 1–12 (2017)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinomenine is a bioactive alkaloid isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils which exhibits significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and immunosuppressive effects. Sinomenine hydrochloride (SH) preparations, classified as natural disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, are currently available for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Our toxicity evaluation demonstrated that the median lethal dose of SH in female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was over 11 times greater than that in male SD rats, revealing striking sex-linked differences in the safety profile of SH. The present study was designed to investigate differences in the pharmacokinetics (PKs) and tissue distribution of SH between male and female SD rats after a single oral dose of 25 mg/kg. PK and tissue distribution studies were performed using a validated UPLC-MS/MS method. The results showed that SH-treated SD female rats displayed markedly greater drug exposure, and SH exhibited a longer half-life and slower clearance rate than comparable studies in male rats. Moreover, the tissue distribution study confirmed that the sinomenine concentration in female rats was considerably greater in the internal organs than in male rats. Our study demonstrates, for the first time, significant sex-related differences in the safety profile and PKs of SH, which may be associated with a distinct sex-dependent metabolic mechanism of sinomenine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Suicidal ideation (SI) is often overlooked as a risk factor for people with cancer. Because it is often a precursor for suicidal behavior, it is critical to identify and address SI in a timely manner. This study investigated SI incidence and risk factors in a cohort of Chinese patients with mixed cancer types. Methods: Data from this cross-sectional study were collected from 588 patients receiving medical therapy for tumors at Nanfang Hospital and the Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Southern Medical University. SI was measured using the Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale (SIOSS). Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The Chinese version of the Demoralization Scale II (DS-II-C) was used to assess demoralization. Univariate and correlation analyses were used to identify correlative factors of SI and multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was used to characterize potential risk factors. Results: SI was reported in 24.7% of participants and the SIOSS score was 14.00 (13.00, 15.00) in the SI group. Multiple linear regression results showed that demoralization, medical financial burden, cancer type, living condition, caretaker, working state, residence, gender, and marital status explained 32.1% of the SI in this cohort (F = 28.705, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Approximately one-quarter of cancer patients in this study reported SI influenced by both external and internal factors. Characterizing these factors can be informative for prevention and treatment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile method was developed for synthesis of deep-red emissive CDs. • The CDs with a narrow full width at half maximum of 19 nm showed a high fluorescence quantum yield of 24.7%. • Pdots encapsulated with the CDs exhibited low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, and ER-targeting ability. • Pdots encapsulated with the carbon nanodots can be used for sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+ in biosystems. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest organelle in eukaryotic cells and plays a variety of functions in living cells include protein folding, calcium homeostasis, and lipid biosynthesis. Normal function of ER is crucial for cell survival, while disequilibrium of ER can cause misfolding of proteins and ER stress, leading to many serious diseases. It has been documented that ER stress is closely related to the metabolism of Cu2+, as ER is the main intracellular accumulation space of Cu2+ and toxic reactive oxygen species can be generated by Cu2+ via Fenton and Haber-Weiss reactions. In this context, developing a powerful tool capable of selective and sensitive monitoring of Cu2+ in ER and investigating its role in physiological and pathological processes is of great importance. Herein, we report the first ER targeted near infrared (NIR) nanosensor, polymer dots encapsulated with NIR hydrophobic carbon nanodots, for detecting Cu2+ in biosystems. This nanosensor with stable fluorescence showed a fast response toward Cu2+ (120 s) and can be used for the quantification of Cu2+ in a linear range covering from 0.25 to 9.0 μM with a detection limit of 13 nM. In addition, the fluorescence variations of the nanosensor are remarkably specific to Cu2+ in comparison with the other metal ions and amino acids. Moreover, the developed nanosensor exhibited low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, and ER targeting ability. Because of these excellent spectroscopic features, the nanosensor was successfully utilized for visualizing Cu2+ fluctuations at the living cell, zebrafish and mouse levels, which further proved its potential application in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating ceramic waste into concrete aggregates and combining it with the steel tube to form recycled ceramic concrete-filled steel tube (RCCFST) is an innovative method that not only considers the concept of sustainable development but also effectively treats ceramic waste. In order to popularize the application of RCCFST in practical engineering, it is necessary to study its creep behavior. In this study, for the first time, the replacement rate of recycled ceramic coarse (fine) aggregates was systematically used as the main research parameter in a creep test. A novel, rigorous creep test was designed and implemented to thoroughly analyze its creep behavior in concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) short columns. The influence of the recycled ceramic coarse (fine) aggregate on the creep deformation, creep coefficient, and specific creep of the specimens was analysed using the 156-day creep curves obtained in the tests. Using a scanning electron microscope, the microstructural causes for the influence of recycled ceramic aggregates on creep were revealed. Research has shown that the creep deformation of recycled ceramic concrete-filled steel tube increased by 2.73 %–18.45 % compared with ordinary concrete-filled steel tubes after the 156 days of loading. The influence of coarse and fine aggregates of recycled ceramics on the creep coefficient and specific creep of the specimen showed different laws with the change in replacement rate. When the replacement rate of recycled ceramic coarse (fine) aggregates is 100 %, the creep coefficient and specific creep of the specimen are greater than that of the ordinary concrete-filled steel tube specimen. According to the test results, the applicability of the four recycled concrete creep models to recycled ceramic concrete was compared using a step-by-step integration method. The comparison results show that the creep calculation curve of the ACI-W model is closest to the test curve. 68 examples are compared and analyzed by using this model to explore the influence of various factors. • Creep test of RCCFST structure is carried out. • The influence of RCCA and RCFA on the creep of RCCFST structure is different. • Revealing the influence of RCA on creep from microstructure. • An improved creep model of RCCFST structure based on the existing model. • The effects of aggregate water absorption on creep coefficient are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]