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Organisms on Earth are known to evolve by cooperating with their neighbors in external environments. These cooperating organisms are under the influence of circadian rhythms derived from Earth’s rotation and have various biological rhythms within them. However, little is known about the effects of these rhythms on the cooperation of organisms. In this study, we investigate the effects of the biological rhythms on the survival of cooperators in evolution using evolutionary game theory. We focused on the rhythm in reproduction among the various biological rhythms that organisms have. Our results are as follows. Rhythmic reproductions play a role in limiting the survival of cooperators; they reduce the survival limits of cooperators compared to when there is no rhythm. Their limiting force is sensitive to the number of interacting neighbors, however. When the number of interacting neighbors is relatively small, the effects of rhythm in reproduction on the survival limits of cooperators are not significant. As the number of interacting neighbors increases, the limiting force of rhythmic reproductions becomes more powerful, gradually decreasing the survival limits of cooperators. Variations of rhythm in reproduction do not alter the survival limits; they only cause fluctuations in the population of cooperators within the survival limits. Our findings suggest that the rhythmic reproductions in evolution determine the survival domain of cooperators, where the number of interacting neighbors is a major factor along with rhythmic reproductions. Organisms under the constant pressure imposed by rhythmic reproductions may need to find the optimal number of interacting neighbors to survive and evolve to a new level through cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid lateral closed-wedge high tibial osteotomy (HBHTO) carries certain advantages over medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO). We investigated the potential difference in the required correction angle between HBHTO and OWHTO to achieve an equal amount of whole lower-extremity alignment correction, retrospectively analyzing the preoperative plain radiographic images of 100 patients. The medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), joint line convergence angle (JLCA), mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), hip–knee–ankle axis (HKA), length of the tibia, width of the tibial plateau, length of the lower limb (leg length), and location of the center of deformity (CD) were measured. Differences in the required correction angle at the hinge point between the two techniques (CAD) were compared, and correlation analysis was performed to reveal the influential factors. The mean difference in CAD between HBHTO and OWHTO was 0.78 ± 0.22 (0.4~1.5)°, and mean WBL position change per correction angle was 3.9 ± 0.3 (3.0~4.6)% in HBHTO and 4.1 ± 0.3 (3.1~4.7)% in OWHTO. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between CAD and HKA. mLDFA, JLCA, MPTA, leg length, OWCD, HBCD, and HCD were also significantly correlated with CAD. HBHTO required a 5.6% larger correction angle at the hinge point to achieve the same amount of alignment correction as OWHTO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stress-based unsplit-field perfectly matched layer (PML) method with enhanced numerical stability is proposed to simulate elastic waves in heterogeneous unbounded domains. The proposed PML method attenuates the waves by forcing the satisfaction of mixed-field equations constructed using a complex coordinate stretching in the frequency domain. Unlike other unsplit-field PMLs, which introduce coordinate stretching before combining the constitutive and compatibility equations, the proposed method first combines the two equations and then stretches the resulting equation. The stretched equation is converted back to the time domain using the inverse Fourier transform to yield transient elastic wave equations in the PML-truncated domain. Semi-discrete equations of motion for displacement and stresses were obtained using standard Lagrange-family finite elements. In a series of numerical examples involving semi-infinite elastic media, the accuracy of the wave solutions calculated using the proposed PML method was evaluated using a displacement L 2 -norm, a normalized L 2 -error, and an energy norm. The examples further validated the wave absorption performance of the PML and evaluated the long-term stability of solutions utilizing the Ricker pulse excitation with various central frequencies. The numerical experiments indicate that the solutions obtained using the proposed PML are significantly more stable than those obtained using the existing strain-based unsplit-field PMLs. The proposed method is particularly useful for applications requiring explicit time integration of semi-discrete equations of motion because the mass matrix can be diagonalized. The PML method and its associated solution strategies can be applied to various engineering problems, such as soil-structure interaction analysis, monitoring of structures, and geophysical probing. • The stress-based unsplit-field perfectly matched layer has enhanced numerical stability. • Constitutive and compatibility equations are first combined and then stretched. • Solutions are more stable than those from existing strain-based unsplit-field PMLs. • The proposed perfectly matched layer has excellent wave-absorbing capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are used for targeted therapy for ovarian cancer with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). In this study, we aimed to develop a homologous recombination deficiency prediction model to predict the genomic integrity (GI) index of the SOPHiA DDM HRD Solution from the Oncomine Comprehensive Assay (OCA) Plus. We also tried to a find cut-off value of the genomic instability metric (GIM) of the OCA Plus that correlates with the GI index of the SOPHiA DDM HRD Solution. Methods: We included 87 cases with high-grade ovarian serous carcinoma from five tertiary referral hospitals in Republic of Korea. We developed an HRD prediction model to predict the GI index of the SOPHiA DDM HRD Solution. As predictor variables in the model, we used the HRD score, which included percent loss of heterozygosity (%LOH), percent telomeric allelic imbalance (%TAI), percent large-scale state transitions (%LST), and the genomic instability metric (GIM). To build the model, we employed a penalized logistic regression technique. Results: The final model equation is -21.77 + 0.200 × GIM + 0.102 × %LOH + 0.037 × %TAI + 0.261 × %LST. To improve the performance of the prediction model, we added a borderline result category to the GI results. The accuracy of our HRD status prediction model was 0.958 for the test set. The accuracy of HRD status using GIM with a cut-off value of 16 was 0.911. Conclusion: The Oncomine Comprehensive Assay Plus provides a reliable biomarker for homologous recombination deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnesium isotopic composition (δ26Mg) of river water is a promising indicator of continental chemical weathering. While many studies have investigated the factors that influence riverine δ26Mg, the impact of hydrology remains unclear. In this study, we collected eighty-four samples of stream water with nearly diurnal resolution in 2018 from a well-monitored, carbonate-rich catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Our results demonstrate that δ26Mg in stream water increases (0.14 ± 0.05 ‰) from dry to wet seasons, but decreases (0.21 ± 0.05 ‰) during rainfall events. These variations closely link to the dissolution and deposition of carbonates (i.e., source-related processes), and the adsorption and desorption of the exchangeable pool. Carbonate dissolution during rainfalls lowers the δ26Mg in stream water, while during rainfall-free periods in wet seasons carbonate deposition elevates the δ26Mg. Conversely, the exchangeable pool, reflecting carbonate weathering in the geological past, cannot be a source of Mg in stream waters, but act as a transfer Mg-pool. At an instantaneous picture, it releases the majority of Mg (>80 %) to stream water, and thereby has buffering effect on riverine Mg isotope. This highlights the significance of considering the buffering effects when studying riverine δ26Mg variations. Overall, our findings suggest that the response of δ26Mg to hydrology is typically associated with extreme hydrologic events and has important implications for tracing continental weathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor devices are often operated at elevated temperatures that are well above zero Kelvin, which is the temperature in most first-principles density functional calculations. Computational approaches to computing and understanding the properties of semiconductors at finite temperatures are thus in critical demand. In this review, we discuss the recent progress in computationally assessing the electronic and phononic band structures of semiconductors at finite temperatures. As an emerging semiconductor with particularly strong temperature-induced renormalization of the electronic and phononic band structures, halide perovskites are used as a representative example to demonstrate how computational advances may help to understand the band structures at elevated temperatures. Finally, we briefly illustrate the remaining computational challenges and outlook promising research directions that may help to guide future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burkholderia glumae causes bacterial panicle blight (BPB) and bacterial seedling rot (BSR) which are difficult to control in rice plants. Seed disinfection using microbes and eco-friendly materials is an efficient alternative practice for managing BPB and BSR. In this study, we applied Cytobacillus firmus JBRS159 (JBRS159) in combination with silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticle or potassium silicate (K2SiO3) solution to control BSR. JBRS159, SiO2 nanoparticle, and K2SiO3 independently suppressed the BSR disease and promoted growths of rice and Arabidopsis. Population of B. glumae in the treated rice seeds was suppressed by the application of JBRS159 via competitions for nutrients and niches. The mixture of JBRS159 and each Si compound (SiO2 nanoparticle or K2SiO3) was complementary for disease-suppressing and growth-promoting activities of individual treatment. The results of this study indicate that mixture of JBRS159 with each Si compound can be harnessed for disease control and growth promotion as efficient alternatives to chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The efficacy of JBRS159 and Si compounds in the control of BSR and BPB in the field remains to be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare single-port access (SPA) laparoscopy and SPA robot assisted laparoscopy (RAL) for endometriosis with respect to ovarian reserve preservation and surgical outcomes. Clinical factors affecting any reduction in ovarian function after surgery were also evaluated. Patients with endometriosis who underwent SPA laparoscopy (n = 87) or RAL (n = 78) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' baseline characteristics, including the severity of endometriosis and surgical outcomes including surgical complexity, were collected. To assess the preservation of ovarian reserve after surgery, serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels before surgery, at two weeks, and at three months after surgery were collected. Age, ovarian cyst size, location of cyst, complexity of surgery, and the severity of endometriosis were associated with the reduction in AMH levels after surgery. The severity of endometriosis was higher in the RAL group than in the SPA group. There were no significant differences in other clinical baseline characteristics, including preoperative AMH levels. For surgical outcomes, radical surgery was more frequently performed in the RAL group. In univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses, age, ovarian cyst size, location of cyst, complexity of surgery, and the severity of endometriosis were associated with the reduction in AMH levels after surgery. Incorporating surgical approaches and risk factors for postoperative ovarian function decrease, RAL was more beneficial than SPA laparoscopy for the preservation of ovarian reserve in patients with mild endometriosis (stage I/II) (postoperative 3 month AMH reduction rate (%), SPA laparoscopy vs. RAL, 33.51 ± 19.98 vs. 23.58 ± 14.98, p = 0.04) and in patients who underwent non-complex surgery (postoperative 3 month AMH reduction rate (%), SPA laparoscopy vs. RAL, 37.89 ± 22.37 vs. 22.37 ± 17.49, p = 0.022). SPA RAL may have advantages over SPA laparoscopy in ovarian function preservation, especially in patients with mild endometriosis and patients who have undergone a non-complex surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the defect chemistry of lead-halide perovskites and its effects on the hot-carrier lifetime is of significance for both fundamental understanding and applications as solar cell light absorbing materials. In this study, the mechanistic details of hot carrier decay in hybrid perovskites are investigated using a newly developed non-adiabatic molecular dynamics method. In this approach, the nuclear trajectory is based on Born–Oppenheimer ground state molecular dynamics, which is then followed by the evolution of carrier wave function including the detailed balance and decoherence effects. We found the longer decay time for hot electrons due to the incorporation of interstitial iodine in the hybrid lead-halide perovskites (MAPbI3), while the hot hole decay time is not affected significantly by the interstitial iodine. The underlying mechanism for such modulation of hot carrier dynamics is attributed to the changes of carrier density of states and the electron–phonon coupling strength. Hence, iodine interstitial is the necessary condition to create long-lived hot electrons in perovskites, which is further demonstrated by the comparative analysis with the pure MAPbI3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual burden of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) is enormous, and environmental factors may have a vital role in respiratory infections. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of the atmospheric environment on SARI. A time-series analysis was performed on the relationship between atmospheric environment and 136,989 SARI cases by distributed lag non-linear model. Wind speed, PM10, PM2.5, O3, and CO exhibited differential effects at a range of lag times or exposure ranges. Air pressure, temperature, and diurnal temperature range showed risk effects in the full range. The lag effect of high pollution was stronger, appeared earlier, and lasted longer than that of low pollution. Most environmental factors had a certain non-linear lag relationship with SARI. Low wind speed and high air pollution may be increasing risk factors for SARI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large dynamic and high-speed flight of aerospace vehicle will bring unpredictable conditions to its navigation system, resulting in that its system random noise probability distribution will no longer meet the preconditions of Gaussian distribution preset by the existing filter algorithm, thus reducing the accuracy of the navigation system. So, it is very important to propose an effective method to solve the filter problem of the navigation system in non-Gaussian distribution to improve the accuracy of the navigation system. Therefore, an integrated navigation method of aerospace vehicle based on rank statistics (LRF) has been proposed in this paper. Firstly, based on the flight characteristics of aerospace vehicles, an accurate gravity calculation model has been established to improve the accuracy of system modelling. Then, the state equation and measurement equation of integrated navigation system have been established. In combination with the rank filter algorithm as well as the determined weights, sampling points are calculated and nonlinearly propagated through the transition matrix to achieve an accurate estimation about the predicted values of the state quantities and measurement quantities and the covariance matrix. In turn, it simulates the probability distribution of the system state effectively. Therefore, when the system random noise probability distribution of the aerospace vehicle does not meet the Gaussian distribution due to various interference factors in the actual flight process, the algorithm can simulate the probability distribution of the actual system to the greatest extent, to improve the accuracy of the integrated navigation system and enhance the reliability of the navigation system ultimately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, especially for tumors larger than 5 cm. We compared the short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and open liver resection (OLR) for large HCC. Methods: Patients with large HCC after curative hepatectomy were enrolled. To compare the short-term outcomes, propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) were performed to reduce the effect of confounding factors, respectively. Subsequently, Cox-regression analyses were conducted to identify the independent risk factors associated with decreased recurrence-free survival (RFS) and poor overall survival (OS). Result: There were 265 patients enrolled in the final analysis: 146 who underwent OLR and 119 who underwent LLR. There was no significant difference between the OLR and LLR groups according to PSM and IPTW analysis (all P > 0.05). Multivariable analysis revealed that LLR was not independently associated with poorer OS (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.80–1.67, P = 0.448) or RFS (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.88–1.70, P = 0.238). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in perioperative complications or long-term prognosis between LLR and OLR for large HCC, which provides evidence for standard laparoscopic surgical practice with adequate surgeon experience and careful patient selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of grain refinement on the resistance to pitting corrosion and passive film properties of lean duplex stainless steel (Fe–18.28Cr–5.68Mn–2.38Mo–0.39W–0.30N–0.035C, wt%) are studied. For this purpose, the grain size of this alloy is adjusted to 3, 7, and 17 μm through an annealing process after cold rolling. The pitting corrosion resistance is evaluated through potentiodynamic polarization tests in aqueous solutions containing Cl−. The grain size reduction enhances the resistance to pitting corrosion of the alloy. Mott–Schottky analysis and X‐Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis on the passive films show that, as the grain size decreases, the density of point defects of the film decreases, the film thickness increases, and the cation fraction of Cr of the film increases. The improved resistance to pitting corrosion by grain refinement is attributed to the formation of the thick and dense passive film with a high Cr content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We aimed to establish an objective standard for optimal timing of preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The overall rate of positive chest CT scans before nephrectomy was 3.03% (27/890). Only one patient had lung metastasis before surgery for cT1a. cT stage (≥cT1b), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) ≥4, and low albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) were associated with a higher risk of positive chest CT scans. After 890-sample bootstrap validation, the concordance index was 0.80. The net benefit of the proposed strategy was superior to that of the select-all and select-none strategies according to decision curve analysis. Therefore, when chest CT was performed with a risk of a positive result ≥10%, 532 (59.8%) negative chest CT scans could be prevented. Only 24 (2.7%) potentially positive chest CT scans were misdiagnosed. Therefore, we recommend chest CT in patients with ≥cT1b disease, CCI ≥4, and low AGR. No definitive criteria regarding the performance of preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with cT1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) exists. We aimed to establish an objective standard for the optimal timing of preoperative chest CT in patients with RCC. Data from 890 patients who underwent surgical treatment for RCC between January 2011 and December 2020 were retrospectively collected. The primary endpoint was detection of lung metastasis on chest CT before nephrectomy. A multivariable logistic regression model predicting positive chest CT scans was used. Predictors included preoperative cTN stage, presence of systemic symptoms, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), platelet count/hemoglobin ratio, albumin/globulin ratio (AGR), and De Ritis ratio. The overall rate of positive chest CT scans before nephrectomy was 3.03% (27/890). Only one patient had lung metastasis before surgery for cT1a. cT stage (≥cT1b), CCI ≥4, and low AGR were associated with a higher risk of positive chest CT scans. The best cutoff value for AGR was 1.39. After 890-sample bootstrap validation, the concordance index was 0.80. The net benefit of the proposed strategy was superior to that of the select-all and select-none strategies according to decision curve analysis. Therefore, when chest CT scans were performed with a risk of a positive result ≥10%, 532 (59.8%) negative chest CT scans could be prevented. Only 24 (2.7%) potentially positive chest CT scans were misdiagnosed. Therefore, we recommend chest CT in patients with ≥cT1b disease, CCI ≥4, and low AGR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing worldwide energy needs call for developing novel materials for energy applications. Ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations allow the understanding and prediction of material properties at the atomic scale, thus, play an important role in energy materials design. Due to the fast progress of computer power and development of calculation methodologies, DFT-based calculations have greatly improved their predictive power, and are now leading to a paradigm shift towards theory-driven materials design. The aim of this perspective is to introduce the advances in DFT calculations which accelerate energy materials design. We first present state-of-the-art DFT methods for accurate simulation of various key properties of energy materials. Then we show examples of how these advances lead to the discovery of new energy materials for photovoltaic, photocatalytic, thermoelectric, and battery applications. The challenges and future research directions in computational design of energy materials are highlighted at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional simulation models are established to investigate the impact-induced mechanical behavior of the PTFE/Al/W reactive materials. Random distribution of the metal particles and mesh generation of the specimen are obtained by using ANSYS parametric design language. Moreover, based on the experimental results of the Hopkinson bar, the loading curve in the simulation is simplified. Influences of the tungsten particle size, the particle distribution, and the loading strain rate on the mechanical behavior are analyzed by ANSYS/LS-DYNA. The results show that local severe deformation of the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) matrix is generally caused by extrusion and slippage of the metal particles. The generation, growth, and interaction of the cracks are then induced gradually. Finally, many macrocracks form and the specimen dramatically fractures. Results also show that the local deformation of the PTFE matrix, deformation outline, and crack distribution are significantly influenced by the tungsten particle sizes and the particle distribution. In addition, with a decrease in the loading strain rate, the time for initial crack generation gradually delays and the deformation severity of the PTFE matrix shows a decrement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carlin-type Au deposits in Youjiang Basin, SW China, (referred to as Guizhou Carlin-type Au deposits) are the second largest Carlin-type Au province in the world after Nevada, USA. To date, the source of ore fluids that formed the Guizhou deposits remains controversial, hampering the formulation of a genetic model. Compared to Nevada Carlin-type Au deposits, a significant difference is that the Guizhou Carlin-type Au deposits contain abundant ore-stage dolomite in the ore. Herein, we present carbonate Mg isotopes combined with C-O isotopes from the giant Shuiyindong deposit to provide new insights into the source of ore fluids and to constrain the ore genesis of the Guizhou Carlin-type Au deposits. Petrographic observation shows that from least altered bioclastic limestone to high-grade ore, dolomite increased significantly, suggesting that dolomite formed as part of the Au mineralization process. Chemical analyses reflect a small amount of Mg in the ore fluids was variably added to ore during Au mineralization, and this added Mg was fixed in the dolomite. Although most ore-stage dolomite formed from the sulfidation of Fe in Fe-dolomite, some ore-stage dolomite formed by the combination of host rock calcite with Mg from ore fluids. The δ26Mg values of carbonate, primarily dolomite, range from −3.49‰ to −0.07‰, with a median value of −1.01‰. The δ18O values range from 21.7‰ to 27.6‰, with a median value of 23.2‰. The δ13C values vary from −14.6‰ to 1.2‰, with a median value of −0.7‰. The δ26Mg values exhibit a positive correlation trend with MgO, S, SiO 2 , and Carlin-suite elements (Au, As, Hg, Sb, Tl, and Cu), and a negative correlation trend with CaO. Comparison of Mg isotopes data from this study with the major Mg reservoirs indicates that the Shuiyindong samples contain heavier Mg isotopes that drifts towards the heavy Mg reservoirs (magmatic and metamorphic rocks) compared with normal carbonate rocks. Two mechanisms, namely heavy Mg addition from ore fluids and isotopic exchange reaction with heavy Mg-rich ore fluids, could have attributed to heavy Mg in carbonates in the Shuiyindong deposit. The Mg isotopes results, combined with other isotopes (e.g., S, Hg, and He-Ar) and geologic evidence, support a magmatic-hydrothermal origin for the ore fluids. The thick Devonian-Triassic sedimentary sequence and weak extension following sedimentation prevented igneous activity from reaching the surface. However, buoyant ore fluids released from the deep-seated intrusions are interpreted to have ascended along basement-penetrating faults and eventually produced the Guizhou Carlin-type Au deposits at shallow levels. This study implies that Mg isotopes are a novel proxy to infer ore fluids source and evolution, and that they can provide significant constraints on the genesis of hydrothermal deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses a nonlinear electrical impedance tomography (EIT) technique under different analysis conditions to propose its optimal implementation parameters. The forward problem for calculating electric potential is defined by the complete electrode model. The inverse problem for reconstructing the target electrical conductivity profile is presented based on a partial-differential-equation-constrained optimization approach. The electrical conductivity profile is iteratively updated by solving the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker optimality conditions and using the conjugate gradient method with an inexact line search. Various analysis conditions such as regularization scheme, number of electrodes, current input patterns, and electrode arrangement were set differently, and the corresponding results were compared. It was found from this study that the proposed EIT method yielded appropriate inversion results with various parameter settings, and the optimal implementation parameters of the EIT method are presented. This study is expected to expand the utility and applicability of EIT for the non-destructive evaluation of structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-gasification of petroleum coke (petcoke) with coal or biomass in fluidized bed is a promising way to avoid environmentally problems caused by its discharge. To give more accurately prediction in this process, feed-forward back propagation neural network (FFBPNN) with three optimization algorithms were conducted, including Levenberge Marquardt (LM), genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The input parameters in the ANN model were petcoke ratio (W), equivalence ratio (ER), steam flow rate (S), particle diameter (Dp), volatiles (V), and fixed carbon (FC). And the output data were carbon conversion (X), ratio of H 2 /CO, LHV of syngas and gas yield (Q). The predicted data showed a good agreement with the experimental results. The PSO showed much better performances than those of LM and GA. With ER increased, the predicted X increased and the ratio of H 2 /CO decreased. But they were almost no changed with Dp increased. The contributive ratio of W was the largest (0.37) at petcoke ratio of 20%. The contributive ratio of ER increased not the same ratio as ER increased. The contributive ratio of particle size (Dp) almost not changed with Dp increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We investigated the association between transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) expression in human urothelium tissue and lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled men who planned to undergo surgical treatment for benign prostatic obstruction to analyze TRPV1 and TRPV4 expression in the urothelium using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence staining. Patients were divided into two groups based on urodynamics: the detrusor underactivity (DU) group and the non-DU group. Levels of TRPV1 and TRPV4 were compared between the two groups. We also divided patients into two groups according to degree of subjective urinary urgency symptoms using a 5-point urinary sensation scale and compared the differences in TRPV1 and TRPV4 levels between the two groups. The correlations between urodynamic parameters with TRPV1 or TRPV 4 in all patients were also analyzed. Results: The levels of TRPV1 and TRPV 4 were not significantly different between the DU group (n=10) and the non-DU group (n=11). When we divided the patients according to degree of subjective urgency, the level of TRPV1 was not significantly different between the urgency group (n=10) and the non-urgency group (n =11), but the level of TRPV4 was significantly increased in the urgency group (p=0.029). There was no significant correlation between the level of TRPV1 or TRPV4 and urodynamic parameters in any patients. Conclusions: TRPV4 could be a useful diagnostic biomarker for patients with LUTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We investigated the patterns and timing of recurrence and death as well as prognostic factors based on clinicopathological and radiological factors in patients who underwent surgical treatment for invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA). Methods: We reviewed clinicopathological findings including spread through air spaces (STAS) and CT findings of IMA such as morphology, solidity, margin, well-defined heterogeneous ground-glass opacity, CT angiogram, and air bronchogram signs from 121 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection. Prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified. Hazard rate analyses were performed for the survival dynamics. Results: T stage (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.102, p = 0.03), N stage (N2 vs. N0, HR = 7.653, p < 0.001), and consolidative CT morphology (HR = 3.556, p = 0.008) remained independent predictors for DFS. Age (HR = 1.110, p = 0.002), smoking (HR = 12.893, p < 0.001), T stage (HR = 13.005, p = 0.006), N stage (N2 vs. N0, HR = 7.653, p = 0.004), STAS (HR = 7.463, p = 0.008), and consolidative CT morphology (HR = 6.779, p = 0.007) remained independent predictors for OS. Consolidative morphology, higher T and N stage, and presence of STAS revealed initial sharp peaks after steep decline of the hazard rate curves for recurrence or death in follow-up period. Conclusions: Consolidative morphology, higher T and N stage, smoking, and STAS were indicators of significantly greater risk of early recurrence or death in patients with IMA. Thus, these findings could be incorporated into future surveillance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A severe accident scenario involving SBLOCA with the availability of the moderator cooling system has been simulated by using CAISER code. • The hydrogen generation resulting from the oxidation reaction in the feeder pipes using an Fe-steam oxidation reaction model has been analyzed. • The consideration of steam starvation reduces the total hydrogen generation mass from feeder pipes to about 40% compared to the results without accounting for steam starvation. • The total anticipated hydrogen generation mass from feeder pipes is approximately 300 kg, which is about 54 % of the hydrogen mass produced from fuel rods. SBLOCA (Small Break Loss-of-Coolant Accident) severe accident scenario (RIH 2.5% break) with the moderator cooling system has been simulated. In addition to analyzing the thermal–hydraulic and core heat-up processes, we assessed the hydrogen generation from different parts within the core. Specifically, we evaluated the hydrogen generation resulting from the oxidation reaction in the feeder pipes using an Fe-steam oxidation reaction model. The high temperatures in the unbroken loop of the feeder pipes, caused by the convective heat transfer from hot steam within the fuel channels, facilitated the Fe-steam oxidation reaction. We analyzed the hydrogen generation rates and accumulated hydrogen mass for both the broken and unbroken loops. Furthermore, we observed that the Zr-steam oxidation reaction in the fuel channels and the Fe-steam oxidation reaction in the feeder pipes resulted in steam shortages within the feeder pipes. We accounted for this steam shortage by considering the partial pressure of steam, which influenced the oxidation reaction rate. The consideration of steam starvation reduces the total hydrogen generation mass from feeder pipes to about 40% compared to the results without accounting for steam starvation. Since the radiation view factor among the feeder pipes is uncertain due to their complex geometric configuration, we examined how changes in the radiation view factor affected hydrogen generation from the feeder pipes. An increase in the radiation view factor resulted in a more uniform temperature distribution among the feeder pipes, leading to an increased generation of hydrogen. Several crucial factors for future research were identified, including the consideration of end fittings and the potential for creep failure in the feeder pipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultraviolet (UV) treatment alters physicochmical properties of microplastics (MPs). • Photodegradation of MPs boosts biofilm formation by vibrio parahaemolyticus. • Biofilm forming V. parahaemolyticus on MPs is virulent and resistant. • UV-aged MPs can increase vector potential for pathogens and threaten human health. UV degradation of marine microplastics (MPs) could increase their vector potential for pathogenic bacteria and threaten human health. However, little is known about how the degree of UV aging affects interactions between MPs and pathogens and how various types of MPs differ in their impact on seafood safety. This study investigated five types of UV-aged MPs and their impact on Vibrio parahaemolyticus , a seafood pathogen. MPs exposed to UV for 60 days showed similar physicochemical changes such as surface cracking and hydrophobicity reduction. Regardless of the type, longer UV exposure of MPs resulted in more biofilm formation on the surface under the same conditions. V. parahaemolyticus types that formed biofilms on the MP surface showed 1.4- to 5.0-fold upregulation of virulence-related genes compared to those that did not form biofilms, independently of UV exposure. However, longer UV exposure increased resistance of V. parahaemolyticus on MPs to chlorine, heat, and human gastrointestinal environment. This study implies that the more UV degradation occurs on MPs, the more microbial biofilm formation is induced, which can significantly increase virulence and environmental resistance of bacteria regardless of the type of MP. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (Tf2 O) is utilized as a strong electrophilic activator in a wide range of applications in synthetic organic chemistry, leading to the transient generation of a triflate intermediate. This versatile triflate intermediate undergoes nucleophilic trapping with diverse nucleophiles to yield novel compounds. In this review, we describe the features and applications of triflic anhydride in organic synthesis reported in the past decade, especially in amide, sulfoxide, and phosphorus oxide chemistry through electrophilic activation. A plausible mechanistic pathway for each important reaction is also discussed. 1 Introduction 2 Amide Chemistry 2.1 Carbon Nucleophiles 2.2 Hydrogen Nucleophiles 2.3 Nitrogen Nucleophiles 2.4 Oxygen and Sulfur Nucleophiles 2.5 hosphorus Nucleophiles 2.6 A Vilsmeier-Type Reagent 2.7 Umpolung Reactivity in Amides 3 Sulfoxide Chemistry 3.1 Oxygen Nucleophiles 3.2 Carbon Nucleophiles 3.3 Nitrogen Nucleophiles 3.4 Thionium Reagents 4 Phosphorus Chemistry 4.1 Hendrickson's Reagent 4.2 Diaryl Phosphine Oxides 4.3 Phosphonates, Phosphates and Phosphinates 5 Conclusion and Outlook [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) is a simple self-reporting questionnaire initially developed in Uzbek language to help diagnose acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC). The purpose of this study was to translate the ACSS to Korean and validate the Korean version of ACSS using Korean-speaking women. Materials and Methods: The original version of ACSS in Uzbek was translated into the target (Korean) version according to internationally accepted guidelines for the translation and cultural adaptation. Cognitive interviews were then conducted for five women with symptoms of AUC and five women without AUC who were native speakers of the Korean language to investigate the clarity, understandability, and acceptability of the translation. The final Korean version of the ACSS was tested in 50 women (31 AUC patients and 19 controls) for clinical validation. Results: Reliability test for 9 questions (6 questions about typical symptoms of AUC, and 3 questions on quality of life) showed high values (Cronbach's alpha=0.853). The sum score of typical symptoms showed the highest balance for diagnostic sensitivity and specificity (area under the ROC curve=0.935). Sensitivity and specificity to predict AUC were 90.3% and 89.5% at cut-off score 6 of the typical domain. Conclusions: The Korean version of the ACSS showed high levels of reliability and validity, similar to other validated versions in different languages. It will play an important role in practice and/or clinical research for diagnosis and treatment efficacy monitoring of Korean-speaking women suffering from AUC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between nitric oxide (NO) and urodynamics in men with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) by analyzing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the urothelium. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 25 men who planned to undergo surgical treatment for benign prostatic obstruction and identified as BOO in the preoperative urodynamics. Bladder tissue was taken during surgical prostate resection. Expressions of endothelial NOS (eNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and neuronal NOS (nNOS) in the urothelium were analyzed, and their correlation with urodynamic parameters was also assessed in all patients. We also compared the expressions of eNOS, iNOS, and nNOS between BOO with detrusor underactivity (DU) group and BOO without DU group. Results: In all patients, the level of eNOS positively correlated with maximal flow rate and with maximum cystometric capacity (MCC). The level of iNOS positively correlated with MCC. nNOS levels were positively correlated with detrusor pressure at maximal flow and with bladder contractility index in all patients. The level of eNOS, iNOS, and nNOS did not significantly differ between BOO without DU group and BOO with DU group. Conclusions: This study suggests that NO was correlated with bladder dysfunction in men with BOO. Particularly, nNOS may reflect the change in detrusor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a sensitivity analysis was performed for an integrated SESMR process, and an optimization approach was formulated by developing an artificial neural network-based optimization (ANN-based optimization). The process comprised a cyclic fluidized bed (CFB), pressure swing adsorption (PSA), compressor, dehydrator, and other units. The PSA variables considerably affected product quality, while the CFB variables mainly contributed to other performance parameters. From the data analysis and domain knowledge, three main objectives and five main variables were selected for the process optimization. Thereafter, the ANN models were integrated with the economic model to formulate a SESMR-driven model for optimization. At the optimum conditions, the cost (1.7 $/kg) of the H 2 (+99.99% purity) with 90.3% CO 2 capture from the integrated SESMR process was 15% reduction compared to that of the SMR process, which agreed well with the US Department of Energy prediction (15–20%). These results suggest that the integrated SESMR process is valuable for the production of blue H 2 , and the ANN-based optimization is very effective for a complex integrated process. [Display omitted] • A detailed analysis for an integrated SESMR process was conducted to produce blue H 2. • An ANN-based optimization approach for an integrated SESMR process was developed. • PCC analysis performed five main variables and three main objectives for the process. • 1.7 $/kg-H 2 was achieved with CO 2 capture, 15% lower than that of the SMR process. • The ANN-based optimization shows great potential for complex integrated processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of asymmetry into a supramolecular system via external chiral stimuli can contribute to the understanding of the intriguing homochirality found in nature. Circularly polarized light (CPL) is regarded as a chiral physical force with right‐ or left‐handedness. It can induce and modulate supramolecular chirality due to preferential interaction with one enantiomer. Herein, this review focuses on the photon‐to‐matter chirality transfer mechanisms at the supramolecular level. Thus, asymmetric photochemical reactions are reviewed, and the creation of a chiral bias upon CPL irradiation is discussed. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms for the amplification and propagation of the bias into the supramolecular level are outlined based on the nature of the photochromic building block. Representative examples, including azobenzene derivatives, polydiacetylene, bicyclic ketone, polyfluorenes, Cn‐symmetric molecules, and inorganic nanomaterials, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult-onset ataxias are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of movement disorders. In addition to nuclear gene mutations, sequence changes have also been described in the mitochondrial genome. Here, we present findings of mutation analysis of the mitochondrial gene MT-ATP6. We analyzed 94 patients with adult-onset spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), including 34 sporadic cases. In all patients, common sequence changes found in SCAs such as repeat expansions and point mutations had been excluded previously. We found pathogenic MT-ATP variants in five of these patients (5.32%), two of whom were sporadic. Four of the five mutations have not previously been described in ataxias. All but one of these mutations affect transmembrane helices of subunit-α of ATP synthase. Two mutations (p.G16S, and p.P18S) disrupt transmembrane helix 1 (TMH1), one mutation (p.G167D) affects TMH5, and another one (p.L217P) TMH6. The fifth mutation (p.T96A) describes an amino acid change in close proximity to transmembrane helix 3 (TMH3). The level of heteroplasmy was either complete or very high ranging from 87 to 99%. The high prevalence of pathogenic MT-ATP6 variants suggests that analysis of this gene should be included in the routine workup of both hereditary and sporadic ataxias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs), a large group of cysteine proteases, are structurally related to papain. The members belonging to PLCPs family contribute to plant immunity, senescence, and defense responses in plants. The PLCP gene family has been identified in Arabidopsis, rice, soybean, and cotton. However, no systematic analysis of PLCP genes has been undertaken in grapevine. Since Plasmopara viticola as a destructive pathogen could affect immunity of grapes in the field, we considered that the members belonged to PLCPs family could play a crucial role in defensive mechanisms or programmed cell death. We aimed to evaluate the role of PLCPs in 2 different varieties of grapevines and compared the changes of their expressions with the transcriptional data in response to P. viticola. Results: In this study, 23 grapevine PLCP (VvPLCP) genes were identified by comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. Subsequently, the chromosomal localizations, gene structure, conserved domains, phylogenetic relationship, gene duplication, and cis-acting elements were analyzed. Numerous cis-acting elements related to plant development, hormone, and stress responses were identified in the promoter of the VvPLCP genes. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the VvPLCP genes into nine subgroups. The transcription of VvPLCP in different inoculation time points and varieties indicated that VvPLCP may have vital functions in grapevine defense against Plasmopara viticola. According to transcriptome data and qPCR analysis, we observed the increasing expression levels of VvRD21–1 at 72 h after inoculation in resistant variety, inferring that it was related to grape downy mildew resistance. Meanwhile, 3 genes including VvXBCP1, VvSAG12–1, and VvALP1 showed higher expression at 24 h after pathogen inoculation in the susceptible variety and might be related to the downy mildew phenotype. We nominated these four genes to function during hypersensitive response (HR) process, inferring that these genes could be associated with downy mildew resistance in grapes. Conclusions: Our results provide the reference for functional studies of PLCP gene family, and highlight its functions in grapevine defense against P. viticola. The results help us to better understand the complexity of the PLCP gene family in plant immunity and provide valuable information for future functional characterization of specific genes in grapevine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the Hall resistance of metallic multilayers Ta/Cr/CoTb/Ta/Si. In addition to the anomalous Hall effect originating from the ferrimagnetic CoTb layer, the unconventional Hall effect (UHE) is observed in our multilayer samples. The UHE depends not only on the current and magnetic fields but also on the device geometry and temperature in a unique way. Our results suggest that the UHE does not originate from the spin–orbit torque driven magnetization tilting but occurs possibly due to thermionic emission and Lorentz force at the metal/Si interface, where the Schottky barrier is formed. We also find that the space-charge effect causes geometric dependence of the Hall resistance. The magnitude of UHE is sizable and linearly proportional to the longitudinal magnetic field, suggesting that the observed UHE is attractive to the magnetic-field sensing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We investigated treatment satisfaction with flexible-dose fesoterodine in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) who were dissatisfied with previous anticholinergic therapy.Materials and Methods: The subjects were prescribed fesoterodine 4 mg for 4 weeks and fesoterodine 4 mg or 8 mg for another 8 weeks. The primary end point of this study was patients' satisfaction after 12 weeks of fesoterodine treatment on a five-point Likert scale. Secondary end points included a change in the number of daytime micturition, urgency incontinence episodes, urgency episodes, and nocturnal micturition in a 24-hour period from baseline to final assessment.Results: Overall, 84 patients were assigned to the treatment group in this study and 63 patients completed the 12-week treatment course. A final fesoterodine dose of 4 mg and 8 mg was used by 45 (71.4%) and 18 (28.6%) patients, respectively. The satisfaction and dissatisfaction rates at 12 weeks were 69.9% and 14.2%, respectively. Mean changes in the daytime micturitions (9.73 ± 4.72 vs. 7.76 ± 2.86), urgency episodes (7.73 ± 5.68 vs. 3.71 ± 4.09), and nocturnal micturitions (2.13 ± 1.36 vs. 1.68 ± 1.12) in 24 hours improved significantly with flexible-dose fesoterodine treatment (P < .05). Most adverse events were mild and none were severe.Conclusion: The flexible dose fesoterodine represents an alternative treatment modality in patients with OAB who are dissatisfied with previous anticholinergic therapy in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts coordination between the bladder and the external urinary sphincter (EUS), leading to transient or permanent voiding impairment, which is more severe in males. Male versus female differences in spinal circuits related to the EUS as well as post‐SCI rewiring are essential for understanding of sex‐/gender‐specific impairments and possible recovery mechanisms. To quantitatively assess differences between EUS circuits in males versus females and in spinal intact (SI) versus SCI animals, we retrogradely traced and counted EUS‐related neurons. In transgenic ChAT‐GFP mice, motoneurons (MNs), interneurons (INs), and propriospinal neurons (PPNs) were retrogradely trans‐synaptically traced with PRV614‐red fluorescent protein (RFP) injected into EUS. EUS‐MNs in dorsolateral nucleus (DLN) were separated from other GFP+ MNs by tracing them with FluoroGold (FG). We found two morphologically distinct cell types in DLN: FG+ spindle‐shaped bipolar (SB‐MNs) and FG− rounded multipolar (RM‐MNs) cholinergic cells. Number of MNs of both types in males was twice as large as in females. SCI caused a partial loss of MNs in all spinal nuclei. After SCI, males showed a fourfold rise in the number of RFP‐labeled cells in retro‐DLN (RDLN) innervating hind limbs. This suggests (a) an existence of direct synaptic interactions between spinal nuclei and (b) a post‐SCI increase of non‐specific inputs to EUS‐MNs from other motor nuclei. Number of INs and PPNs deferred between males and females: In SI males, the numbers of INs and PPNs were ∼10 times larger than in SI females. SCI caused a twofold decrease of INs and PPNs in males but not in females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present their response to a commentary on their study "Remnant Cholesterol Is an Independent Predictor of Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study." Topics covered include how the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were measured, the similarity between remnant-C and triglyceride (TG) and the use of remnant-C to predict incident diabetes versus the use of TG levels.

Lead halide perovskites (LHPs) have attracted considerable attention as promising materials for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. Intrinsic point defects play an important role in determining the performance of semiconductor devices. LHPs exhibit strong ionic character and unique electronic structure; thus, their defect properties are quite different from conventional covalent bond semiconductors. Understanding the defect science is crucial to the performance optimization of LHP-based devices. State-of-the-art first-principles calculation methods enable one to explore atomistic mechanisms of various defect-related processes, and tremendous efforts from theoretical simulations have provided invaluable insights to the defect physics and defect control of LHPs. In this review, we summarize recent progress, made with the help of theoretical modeling, on atomic-scale understanding about intrinsic point defects and related processes in LHPs. The fundamental properties of intrinsic point defects in LHPs are first introduced, including defect formation energy, charge transition level, and defect tolerance and its origin. A particular emphasis is given to the effects of band edge position on calculated defect properties. The impact of these defects on structural properties, carrier dynamics, and photoluminescence of LHPs is then presented. Advanced strategies to engineer the defects in LHPs are also reviewed, such as growth condition, defect passivation, and doping. Finally, we discuss open issues and outline directions toward a better understanding of defects of LHPs from a theoretical perspective. The goal of the review is to provide a comprehensive summary of atomic-scale understanding of intrinsic point defects in LHPs and to help further related research in the perovskite community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A full-waveform inversion method to reconstruct the heterogeneous permittivity profile of structures. • Unsplit-field perfectly matched layer (PML) for electromagnetic waves. • A PDE-constrained optimization approach for the optimal solution of permittivity profiles. This paper discusses a full-waveform inversion method for reconstructing the spatial distribution of permittivity in heterogeneous infinite domains, using measured electric field intensities at sparse sensor locations. In solving the electromagnetic wave problems numerically, perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundaries are used to truncate the originally infinite extent to a finite computational domain of interest without introducing significant reflections. The full-waveform inversion is based on an optimization scheme where Maxwell's equations endowed with the PML for plane electromagnetic waves are imposed as constraints. The approach seeks the optimal solution of permittivity profile to minimize the objective functional comprising the L 2 -norm of a misfit between calculated and measured electric fields. For casting the problem to an unconstrained optimization problem, a Lagrangian is constructed augmenting the objective functional with the PML-endowed Maxwell's equations via Lagrange multipliers. Enforcing the stationarity of the Lagrangian yields time-dependent state, adjoint, and time-invariant control problems, which constitute Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions for optimal solutions. The permittivity profile of the PML-truncated domain is iteratively updated by solving the KKT conditions in the reduced space of the control variable. A conjugate gradient method with inexact line search is used to update the permittivity profile in each inversion iteration. Tikhonov and total variation regularization schemes are explored to relieve the ill-posedness of the inverse problem. Through a set of numerical results, it is shown that both smooth and sharply-varying permittivity profiles can be recovered successfully using the proposed inversion method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Pattern analysis of big data can provide a superior direction for the clinical differentiation of diseases with similar endoscopic findings. This study aimed to develop a deep‐learning algorithm that performs differential diagnosis between intestinal Behçet's disease (BD), Crohn's disease (CD), and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) using colonoscopy images. Methods: The typical pattern for each disease was defined as a typical image. We implemented a convolutional neural network (CNN) using Pytorch and visualized a deep‐learning model through Gradient‐weighted Class Activation Mapping. The performance of the algorithm was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results: A total of 6617 colonoscopy images of 211 CD, 299 intestinal BD, and 217 ITB patients were used. The accuracy of the algorithm for discriminating the three diseases (all‐images: 65.15% vs typical images: 72.01%, P = 0.024) and discriminating between intestinal BD and CD (all‐images: 78.15% vs typical images: 85.62%, P = 0.010) was significantly different between all‐images and typical images. The CNN clearly differentiated colonoscopy images of the diseases (AUROC from 0.7846 to 0.8586). Algorithmic prediction AUROC for typical images ranged from 0.8211 to 0.9360. Conclusion: This study found that a deep‐learning model can discriminate between colonoscopy images of intestinal BD, CD, and ITB. In particular, the algorithm demonstrated superior discrimination ability for typical images. This approach presents a beneficial method for the differential diagnosis of the diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline or amorphous metal oxides are widely used in various optoelectronic devices as key components, such as transparent conductive electrodes, dielectrics or semiconducting active layers for thin‐film transistor (TFT) backplanes in large‐area displays, photovoltaics, and light‐emitting diodes. Although crystalline inorganic materials demonstrate outstanding optoelectronic performance, owing to their wide bandgaps, large conductivities, and high carrier mobilities, their inherent brittleness makes them vulnerable to mechanical stress, thereby limiting the use of metal‐oxide films in emerging flexible electronic applications. In this study, stress‐diffusive organic–inorganic hybrid superlattice nanostructures are developed to overcome the mechanical limitation of crystalline oxides and to provide high mechanical stability to metal‐oxide semiconductors. In particular, hybrid transparent superlattice electrodes based on crystalline indium–tin oxide exhibit high electrical conductivities of up to 555 S cm–1 (resistance variation < 3%) and effectively reduce the mechanical stress on the inorganic layer (up to 10 000 bending cycles with a radius of 1 mm). Furthermore, to ensure the viability of the hybrid superlattice flexible electronics, all solution‐processed superlattice crystalline indium–gallium‐oxide TFTs are implemented on a thin (≈5 µm) polyimide substrate, providing highly robust and excellent electrical performance (average mobility of 7.6 cm2 V–1 s–1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to synthesize carbon quantum dot (CQD) exhibiting visible-light-driven (VLD) antimicrobial activity using spent coffee ground (SCG) as biomass. SCG was used to synthesize CQD through microwave treatment. It was confirmed that typical CQD was synthesized well based on morphology (high resolution transmission electron microscopy), size distribution (dynamic light scattering), and chemical structure (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analyses. VLD antimicrobial activities of CQD synthesized from SCG against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were found to be increased as pH decreased. Photodynamic properties of CQDs such as fluorescence quantum yield (FLQY), band gap energy (E g), and fluorescence lifetime as photodynamic properties of CQDs related to VLD antimicrobial activity did not show any significant changes according to pH change. However, as pH decreased, negative zeta potential (mV) values of CQD and pathogenic bacteria gradually decreased. As a result, it was confirmed that CQD uptake into pathogens was gradually increased due to a decrease in repulsive force between them. In addition, it was found that as pH decreased, activities of enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) known to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells decreased. In the presence of CQD, when visible light was applied, the amount of ROS generated inside cells increased as pH decreased. Based on these results, CQD synthesized from SCG was combined with organic acid (malic acid) for practical application in fresh produce (apple surface) washing. It was confirmed that such combination had an excellent control effect against pathogenic bacteria, suggesting that this strategy could be effectively utilized in the food industry. • As pH decreased, VLD antimicrobial activity of CQD synthesized from SCG increased. • As pH decreased, electrostatic repulsion between pathogens and CQD decreased. • As pH decreased, activity of ROS defense enzyme inside cells decreased. • Oxidative damage increased as electrostatic repulsion and enzyme activity decreased. • CQD and malic acid combination showed applicability as photocatalytic disinfection technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Desorbent swing adsorption using weak desorbent to produce propylene was proposed. • Breakthrough and desorption characteristics of ethylene on zeolite 13X were analyzed. • Adsorption behaviors of the desorbent were key factors for isobaric DSA. • A low-temperature change of DSA enhanced separation and inhibited side reactions. • Two-bed DSA achieved high propylene purity > 99.999 % with 99.39 % recovery. The separation of olefin and paraffin using adsorption technology remains a significant challenge. This study proposes a novel desorbent swing adsorption (DSA) process using an olefin desorbent with a weaker adsorption affinity (C2: ethylene) to separate a paraffin/olefin mixture with a higher adsorption affinity (C3s: propane and propylene) under isobaric conditions, which is the reverse concept of using a desorbent with a stronger affinity in conventional DSA systems. The proposed DSA process effectively separates the C3 mixture because the deteriorating effects caused by the desorbent is minimized. Based on sequential breakthrough experiments with zeolite 13X DSA using ethylene, the efficient separation of a propylene dehydrogenation product (propane:propylene = 60:40 vol%) to produce polymer-grade propylene is achieved. It is confirmed that ethylene desorbent stream pushes out the adsorbed propylene and regenerates the adsorption bed without changing the pressure. The desorption step plays a key role in the separation performance of the proposed DSA process because the regenerated bed offers favorable conditions when filled with the weaker desorbent after the desorption step. The flowrate of the desorbent strongly affects the efficiency of propylene desorption. After validating the dynamic mathematical model using the experimental results, a two-bed DSA process using a six-step sequence that includes rinse export/import and idle steps is shown to achieve a propylene purity above 99.999 % (desorbent-free basis) with a recovery of 99.39 %, a productivity of 4.21 mol∙kg−1∙hr−1, and an ethylene usage of 7.59 mol∙kg−1∙hr−1. This study offers important insights into the development of adsorptive separation designs for olefin/paraffin separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the visual outcomes and patient satisfaction after bilateral implantation of an extended range-of-vision intraocular lens (ERoV IOL) (Tecnis Symfony) vs 2 different mix-and-match approaches combining the ERoV IOL with bifocal IOLs. Setting: Glory Seoul Eye Clinic, Seoul, South Korea. Design: Prospective observational nonrandomized comparative study. Methods: Patients undergoing cataract surgery were distributed into 3 groups based on their lifestyle and near visual demands: bilateral Symfony IOL, mix-and-match Symfony IOL with bifocal +3.25 diopters (D) IOL, and Symfony IOL with bifocal +4.0 D IOL. Binocular uncorrected visual acuity for distance, intermediate, and near, manifest refraction, defocus curve, contrast sensitivity, and subjective visual perception and satisfaction (photic phenomena, spectacle independence, and patient satisfaction) were evaluated at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. Results: The study comprised 103 people (206 eyes). There were no significant differences for uncorrected visual acuity between groups for distance, intermediate, and near vision (P >.05). Contrast sensitivity under low and high luminance conditions was not different between groups (P >.05). Influence of glare on image perception was found to reduce contrast sensitivity more in the bilateral group for smaller target sizes (P <.05). Patients implanted bilaterally with Symfony IOLs reported photic phenomena more frequently than those implanted with the mix-and-match combinations. Conclusions: All combinations evaluated provided good visual outcomes for distance, intermediate, and near. The lower incidence of photic phenomena reported by patients, and the lower reduction on contrast sensitivity for low illumination levels with the presence of glare, suggest that mix-and-match approaches might be a better option compared with bilateral implantation of ERoV IOLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With technical development and evolution of endoscopic instruments, endoscopic spinal surgery has become one of the standard treatments for various lumbar spinal diseases ranging from a simple contained disc to complicated cases such as highly migrated disc herniation and other pathology combined with bony degeneration to produce foraminal and canal stenosis. Favorable clinical results of endoscopic decompression for lumbar stenotic disease were reported by several authors. However, studies have also reported limitations, such as steep learning curves and a relatively high complication rate compared with conventional techniques. The endoscopic lumbar decompression technique consists of many essential skills to manage different endoscopic anatomic structures of the spine. From the perspective of surgical completion and safety, this article discusses issues related to technical considerations in endoscopic lumbar decompression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancers with PIK3CA mutations can be treated with PIK3CA inhibitors in hormone receptor-positive HER2 negative subtypes. We applied a supervised elastic net penalized logistic regression model to predict PIK3CA mutations from gene expression data. This regression approach was applied to predict modeling using the TCGA pan-cancer dataset. Approximately 10,000 cases were available for PIK3CA mutation and mRNA expression data. In 10-fold cross-validation, the model with λ = 0.01 and α = 1.0 (ridge regression) showed the best performance, in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC). The final model was developed with selected hyper-parameters using the entire training set. The training set AUROC was 0.93, and the test set AUROC was 0.84. The area under the precision-recall (AUPR) of the training set was 0.66, and the test set AUPR was 0.39. Cancer types were the most important predictors. Both insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were the most significant genes in gene expression predictors. Our study suggests that predicting genomic alterations using gene expression data is possible, with good outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial bioenergetics is dynamically coupled with neuronal activities, which are altered by hypoxia‐induced respiratory neuroplasticity. Here we report structural features of postsynaptic mitochondria in the pre‐Bötzinger complex (pre‐BötC) of rats treated with chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) simulating a severe condition of obstructive sleep apnea. The subcellular changes in dendritic mitochondria and histochemistry of cytochrome c oxidase (CO) activity were examined in pre‐BötC neurons localized by immunoreactivity of neurokinin 1 receptors. Assays of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex I, IV, V activities, and membrane potential were performed in the ventrolateral medulla containing the pre‐BötC region. We found significant decreases in the mean length and area of dendritic mitochondria in the pre‐BötC of CIH rats, when compared to the normoxic control and hypoxic group with daily acute intermittent hypoxia (dAIH) that evokes robust synaptic plasticity. Notably, these morphological alterations were mainly observed in the mitochondria in close proximity to the synapses. In addition, the proportion of mitochondria presented with enlarged compartments and filamentous cytoskeletal elements in the CIH group was less than the control and dAIH groups. Intriguingly, these distinct characteristics of structural adaptability were observed in the mitochondria within spatially restricted dendritic spines. Furthermore, the proportion of moderately to darkly CO‐reactive mitochondria was reduced in the CIH group, indicating reduced mitochondrial activity. Consistently, mitochondrial ETC enzyme activities and membrane potential were lowered in the CIH group. These findings suggest that hypoxia‐induced respiratory plasticity was characterized by spatially confined mitochondrial alterations within postsynaptic spines in the pre‐BötC neurons. In contrast to the robust plasticity evoked by dAIH preconditioning, a severe CIH challenge may weaken the local mitochondrial bioenergetics that the fuel postsynaptic activities of the respiratory motor drive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spread through air spaces (STAS) has recently been demonstrated to exhibit a negative impact on lung adenocarcinoma prognosis. However, most of these studies investigated STAS in nonmucinous adenocarcinoma. Here, we investigated the incidence of STAS in invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) of the lung and evaluated whether tumor STAS was a risk factor of disease recurrence in IMA. We also examined clinicoradiologic factors in patients with IMA harboring STAS. Methods: We reviewed pathologic specimens and imaging characteristics of primary tumors from 132 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for IMA to evaluate STAS. Patients with and without STAS were compared with respect to clinical characteristics as well as computed tomography (CT) imaging using logistic regression. The relationships between all variables including STAS and survival were analyzed. Results: Among a total of 132 patients, full pathologic specimens were available for 119 patients, and STAS was observed in 86 (72.3%). IMA patients with STAS were significantly associated with older age, presence of lobulated and spiculated margins on CT scan (P = 0.009, P = 0.006, and P = 0.027). In multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS), STAS was a borderline independent poor prognostic predictor (P = 0.028). Older age, history of smoking, higher T stage, presence of lymph node metastasis, and consolidative morphologic type remained independent predictors for OS. Conclusions: STAS was associated with reduced OS and was a borderline independent poor prognostic factor in IMA. IMA with STAS was associated with older age and presence of lobulated and spiculated margins on CT scan. Key points: Significant findings of the study: Compared with other subtypes, IMA shows a higher incidence of STAS, which is an independent poor prognostic predictor even in IMA. Lobulated and spiculated margins on CT are associated with STAS. What this study adds: Considering that STAS can carry the potential for aerogenous metastasis, predicting STAS using preoperative surrogate CT imaging is desirable to avoid limited resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability and band bowing effects of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide alloys MX2(1-x)X′2x (M = Mo, W, and X, X′ = S, Se, Te) are investigated by employing the cluster expansion method and the special quasi-random structure approach. It is shown that for (S, Se) alloys, there exist stable ordered alloy structures with concentration x equal to 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3, which can be explained by the small lattice mismatch between the constituents and a large additional charge exchange, while no ordered configuration exists for (Se, Te) and (S, Te) alloys at 0 K. The calculated phase diagrams indicate that complete miscibility in the alloys can be achieved at moderate temperatures. The bowing in lattice constant for the alloys is quite small, while the bowing in band gap, and more so in band edge positions, is much more significant. By decomposing the formation of alloy into multiple steps, it is found that the band bowing is the joint effect of volume deformation, chemical difference, and a low-dimensionality enhanced structure relaxation. The direct band gaps in these alloys continuously tunable from 1.8 eV to 1.0 eV, along with the moderate miscibility temperatures, make them good candidates for two-dimensional optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and transport properties of bowtie-shaped graphene nanoflake (BGNF) are investigated from first principles calculations. The eigen states of ferromagnetic (FM) BGNF near Fermi level are found to be delocalized over the whole flake, whereas those of antiferromagnetic (AFM) BGNF are localized in one side. The different characters result in different transport properties for FM and AFM BGNFs. FM BGNF exhibits perfect spin filtering effect and can serve as a spin filter. Moreover, the conductance of BGNF is much larger in FM state than in AFM state, thus BGNF can serve as a molecular switch. These results suggest that BGNF is a good candidate for future nanoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether specific time series patterns for blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and sympathetic tone are associated with metabolic factors and the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). A total of 989 patients who underwent simultaneous 24-hour ambulatory BP and Holter electrocardiogram monitoring were enrolled. The patients were categorized into sixteen groups according to their circadian patterns using the consensus clustering analysis method. Metabolic factors, including cholesterol profiles and apolipoprotein, were compared. The 10-year ASCVD risk was estimated based on the Framingham risk model. Overall, 16 significant associations were found between the clinical variables and cluster groups. Age was commonly associated with all clusters in systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), HR, and sympathetic tone. Metabolic indicators, including diabetes, body mass index, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein, were associated with the four sympathetic tone clusters. In the crude analysis, the ASCVD risk increased incrementally from clusters 1 to 4 across SBP, DBP, HR, and sympathetic tone. After adjustment for multiple variables, however, only sympathetic tone clusters 3 and 4 showed a significantly high proportion of patients at high risk (≥7.5%) of 10-year ASCVD (odds ratio OR = 5.90 , 95% confidential interval CI = 1.27 – 27.46 , and P value = 0.024 and OR = 15.28 , 95% CI = 3.59 – 65.11 , and P value < 0.001, respectively). Time series patterns of BP, HR, and sympathetic tone can serve as an indicator of aging. Circadian variations in sympathetic tone can provide prognostic information about patient metabolic profiles and indicate future ASCVD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether specific time series patterns for blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and sympathetic tone are associated with metabolic factors and the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). A total of 989 patients who underwent simultaneous 24-hour ambulatory BP and Holter electrocardiogram monitoring were enrolled. The patients were categorized into sixteen groups according to their circadian patterns using the consensus clustering analysis method. Metabolic factors, including cholesterol profiles and apolipoprotein, were compared. The 10-year ASCVD risk was estimated based on the Framingham risk model. Overall, 16 significant associations were found between the clinical variables and cluster groups. Age was commonly associated with all clusters in systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), HR, and sympathetic tone. Metabolic indicators, including diabetes, body mass index, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein, were associated with the four sympathetic tone clusters. In the crude analysis, the ASCVD risk increased incrementally from clusters 1 to 4 across SBP, DBP, HR, and sympathetic tone. After adjustment for multiple variables, however, only sympathetic tone clusters 3 and 4 showed a significantly high proportion of patients at high risk (≥7.5%) of 10-year ASCVD (odds ratio OR = 5.90 , 95% confidential interval CI = 1.27 – 27.46 , and P value = 0.024 and OR = 15.28 , 95% CI = 3.59 – 65.11 , and P value < 0.001, respectively). Time series patterns of BP, HR, and sympathetic tone can serve as an indicator of aging. Circadian variations in sympathetic tone can provide prognostic information about patient metabolic profiles and indicate future ASCVD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]