Search

Miniaturizing van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric materials to atomic scales is essential for modern devices like nonvolatile memory and sensors. To unlock their full potential, their growth mechanisms, interface effects, and stabilization are preferably investigated, particularly for ultrathin 2D nanosheets with single‐unit cell thickness. This study focuses on Bi2TeO5 (BTO) and utilizes precise control over growth kinetics at the nucleation temperature to create specific interfacial reconfiguration layers. Ultrathin BTO nanosheets with planar ferroelectricity at a single‐unit cell thickness are successfully grown. Atomic‐scale characterization reveals a disordered distribution of elements in the interfacial layer, which buffers strain from lattice mismatch. The theoretical calculations support these observations. Furthermore, this strategy also can be extended to the growth of a variety of 2D ternary oxide nanosheets. This work contributes to a better understanding of growth and stability mechanisms in 2D ultrathin nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, cobalt-based double perovskite oxide Sm 0.9 Bi 0.1 BaCo 2 O 5+δ (SBiBC) as intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathode material was successfully prepared by sol-gel method. The electrical conductivity, impedance, CO 2 tolerance and stability of Sm 0.9 Bi 0.1 BaCo 2 O 5+δ were systematically studied. The CO 2 adsorption energy (E ads) is -4.93 eV for the Sm site in SBC, -0.063 eV for the Sm site in SBiBC, and -0.058 eV for the Bi site in SBiBC, respectively. This indicates that SBiBC has better CO 2 tolerance than SBC. Doping Bi makes the energy level of the O 2p band closer to the Fermi level, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance. Bi doping SmBaCo 2 O 5+δ reduces the polarization impedance (Rp) and improves the electrochemical stability. At 700 °C, the Rp of SBiBC cathode on LSGM electrolyte is 0.079 Ω cm2. The impedance growth rate of SBiBC in air during 220 h is 0.00137 Ω cm-2/h %, which lower than that of SBC in 100 h is 0.00310 Ω cm-2/h %. At 800 °C, the maximum power density of fuel cell with SBiBC/LSGM/NiCu-SDC configuration achieves 636 mWcm-2 using dry H 2 as fuel, and sustains a stable current output for 140 h. Therefore, SBiBC is considered to be a promising intermediate temperature SOFC cathode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employed structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate changes in the function and structure of the cerebellum associated with gut-brain axis (GBA) regulation in patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD). The study comprised 20 CD patients, including 12 with active disease (CD-A) and 8 in remission (CD-R), as well as 21 healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was utilized for structural analysis of cerebellar gray matter volume, while independent component analysis (ICA) was applied for functional analysis of cerebellar functional connectivity (FC). The results showed significant GMV reduction in the left posterior cerebellar lobe across all CD patients compared to HCs, with more pronounced differences in the CD-A subgroup. Additionally, an increase in mean FC of the cerebellar network was observed in all CD patients, particularly in the CD-A subgroup, which demonstrated elevated FC in the vermis and bilateral posterior cerebellum. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between cerebellar FC and the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and a trend toward a negative association with the reciprocal of the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) score in CD patients. The study's findings suggest that the cerebellum may play a role in the abnormal regulation of the GBA in CD patients, contributing to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying CD and highlighting the cerebellum's potential role in modulating gut-brain interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urine leakage volume is an important indicator reflecting the severity of incontinence in patients. Currently, there are limited smart diapers capable of continuous dynamic monitoring of urine volume. This study developed two types of urine volume sensors, resistive and capacitive, which were integrated with traditional diapers to assess urine leakage levels: mild leakage (0–5 mL), moderate leakage (6–12 mL), and severe leakage (above 12 mL). Three patterns of resistive urine volume sensors were designed, and the results showed that the A pattern could accurately determine urine volume and frequency levels. Additionally, three electrode spacing designs were tested for the capacitive urine volume sensors. The results indicated that the sensor with a 1 cm electrode spacing could determine the urine volume range, with each 1 mL increase in urine causing a capacitance rise of approximately 1.5–1.8 pF, with an error of about ± 0.5 mL per increment. Both resistive and capacitive methods showed high accuracy in monitoring urine volume and frequency. This study validated the feasibility of smart flexible fabric sensors in detecting urine volume and frequency, providing a potential solution for better assessing and managing the condition of incontinence patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays) represents one of the most successful uses of heterosis among crops. Hybrid maize seeds can be produced by crossing a male-sterile female parent with a male parent as the pollen donor to achieve high seed purity at low cost. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has been widely used for maize hybrid seed production. Recently, several hybrid seed production technologies based on genic male sterility (GMS) genes have been developed. In addition, the identification of environment-sensitive genic male sterility (EGMS) genes provides opportunities for the two-line system to be applied in maize hybrid seed production. In this review, we systematically summarize the male-sterile genes and molecular mechanisms of male sterility in maize. Future prospects for the study of maize male sterility are highlighted. Future research will enhance our understanding of the molecular regulatory networks of male sterility and promote the process of maize hybrid seed production using male sterile lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City size is a primary determinant of the urban heat island (UHI) intensity, with its effects further nuanced by the urban form. But how to factor in the urban form into the UHI assessment remains unresolved. We propose an every‐pair‐interaction model that meaningfully incorporates urban size and fractal dimension to characterize the UHI intensity. Regression on the summertime surface UHI intensity of 5,000 European cities shows that the model outperforms the simple linear combination of logarithmic size and fractal dimension. Subject to the interplay between the range of the every‐pair interaction and the urban fractal shape, the model also represents a generalization as it includes power‐law, logarithmic, and saturating size dependence of UHI—all three possibilities have been reported empirically in the literature. Our theoretical framework indicates that the surface UHI intensity saturates with urban size, opening up new research perspectives around UHI intensity. Plain Language Summary: City size is an important determinant of the urban heat island (UHI) intensity. While most studies report a logarithmic dependence of UHI intensity on city size, other functions like power‐law and logistic functions have also been reported. In addition, the urban form plays an important role and, intuitively, increased UHI intensity is expected for compact cities. However, how to incorporate urban size and form for modeling UHI is less clear. Based on the perception that every urban site interacts with every other one, whereas the intensity of interaction decreases with the distance, we propose an every‐pair‐interaction model to characterize the UHI intensity. The model combines urban size and fractal dimension non‐linearly and outperforms the simple linear model. It also represents a generalization of the three functional possibilities reported in the literature. Our model indicates that the surface UHI intensity saturates with urban size. Whether the UHI saturates with the expansion of the urban area or follows a continuously increasing trend is relevant for sustainable urban development. Our approach paves the way for fresh research avenues into UHI intensity and urban climate as a whole. Key Points: We propose an every‐pair interaction model that unifies urban size and fractal dimension to model surface urban heat island (UHI) intensityThe model outperforms multi‐linear models and is a generalization of three functional shapes of the size dependence of surface UHI intensityThe empirical results in combination with our theoretical framework indicate that the surface UHI intensity saturates with urban size [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-line anchor achieves the "anchor sharing" goal by allowing multiple floating devices to be moored, such that the total number of anchors in a floating device array can be reduced significantly. This study proposes a dynamically installed anchor with the potential of resisting uplift loading from varied directions. The multi-line anchor is dynamically installed with the aid of a booster. The installation performance of the hybrid anchor (i.e., multi-line anchor + booster) is first examined by field tests. Then, finite-element analyses are performed to investigate the uplift capacity of the anchor under V-H-M-T combined loading conditions. Based on the numerical results, yield envelopes are established for assessing the ultimate bearing capacity of the anchor. Additionally, model tests are conducted to quantitatively study the installation and setup effects on the uplift capacity of the anchor, indicating that the vertical and torque capacities are sensitive to the installation effect. Finally, a design framework is proposed to assess the stability of the multi-line anchor under combined loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since common diagnostic tests for gonorrhea do not provide information about susceptibility to antibiotics, treatment of gonorrhea remains empiric. Antibiotics used for empiric therapy are usually changed once resistance prevalence exceeds a certain threshold (e.g., 5%). A low switch threshold is intended to increase the probability that an infection is successfully treated with the first-line antibiotic, but it could also increase the pace at which recommendations are switched to newer antibiotics. Little is known about the impact of changing the switch threshold on the incidence of gonorrhea, the rate of treatment failure, and the overall cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with gonorrhea. Methods and findings: We developed a transmission model of gonococcal infection with multiple resistant strains to project gonorrhea-associated costs and loss in QALYs under different switch thresholds among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. We accounted for the costs and disutilities associated with symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and sequelae, and combined costs and QALYs in a measure of net health benefit (NHB). Our results suggest that under a scenario where 3 antibiotics are available over the next 50 years (2 suitable for the first-line therapy of gonorrhea and 1 suitable only for the retreatment of resistant infections), changing the switch threshold between 1% and 10% does not meaningfully impact the annual number of gonorrhea cases, total costs, or total QALY losses associated with gonorrhea. However, if a new antibiotic is to become available in the future, choosing a lower switch threshold could improve the population NHB. If in addition, drug-susceptibility testing (DST) is available to inform retreatment regimens after unsuccessful first-line therapy, setting the switch threshold at 1% to 2% is expected to maximize the population NHB. A limitation of our study is that our analysis only focuses on the MSM population and does not consider the influence of interventions such as vaccine and common use of rapid drugs susceptibility tests to inform first-line therapy. Conclusions: Changing the switch threshold for first-line antibiotics may not substantially change the health and financial outcomes associated with gonorrhea. However, the switch threshold could be reduced when newer antibiotics are expected to become available soon or when in addition to future novel antibiotics, DST is also available to inform retreatment regimens. Using a mathematical model of gonococcal infection, Xuecheng Yin and co-authors project the burden of gonorrhea in a population of men who have sex with men in the US and, the gonorrhea-associated costs and loss in quality adjusted life-years under various antibiotic switch thresholds and scenarios for antibiotic availability. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Antibiotics used for the empiric therapy of gonorrhea are usually changed once the prevalence of resistance to the antibiotic exceeds a certain threshold, currently set at 5%. A low switch threshold is often selected to ensure that the first-line antibiotic remains effective for most patients with gonorrhea. However, little is known about the impact of changing the switch threshold on the incidence of gonorrhea, the rate of treatment failure, and the overall cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with gonorrhea. What did the researchers do and find?: We developed a mathematical model of gonococcal infection among a population of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States to project the burden of gonorrhea and the overall associated cost and QALYs under various switch thresholds and scenarios for the future availability of antibiotics and drug-susceptibility testing (DST). We found that changing the switch threshold between 1% and 10% does not meaningfully impact the annual number of gonorrhea cases, and total cost and total QALY loss associated with gonorrhea. However, if a new antibiotic is expected to become available in the future choosing a lower threshold could improve the population net health benefit (NHB). What do these findings mean?: Changing the switch threshold may not substantially impact the health and financial outcomes associated with gonorrhea. However, the switch threshold could be reduced when newer antibiotics are expected to become available soon or when DSTs is available to inform retreatment regiments. Our study was limited to MSM in the US and future studies should evaluate the generalizability of our findings to other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since 2020, China has implemented an innovative payment method called Diagnosis-Intervention Packet (DIP) in 71 cities nationwide. This study aims to assess the impact of DIP on medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for inpatients covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and Urban and Rural Residents Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI). It seeks to explore whether there are differences in these effects among inpatients of the two insurance types, thereby further understanding its implications for health equity. Materials and methods: We conducted interrupted time series analyses on outcome variables reflecting medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for both UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients, based on a dataset comprising 621,125 inpatient reimbursement records spanning from June 2019 to June 2023 in City A. This dataset included 110,656 records for UEBMI inpatients and 510,469 records for URRBMI inpatients. Results: After the reform, the average expenditure per hospital admission for UEBMI inpatients did not significantly differ but continued to follow an upward pattern. In contrast, for URRBMI inpatients, the trend shifted from increasing before the reform to decreasing after the reform, with a decline of 0.5%. The average length of stay for UEBMI showed no significant changes after the reform, whereas there was a noticeable downward trend in the average length of stay for URRBMI. The out-of-pocket expenditure (OOP) per hospital admission, 7-day all-cause readmission rate and 30-day all-cause readmission rate for both UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients showed a downward trend after the reform. Conclusion: The DIP reform implemented different upper limits on budgets based on the type of medical insurance, leading to varying post-treatment prices for UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients within the same DIP group. After the DIP reform, the average expenditure per hospital admission and the average length of stay remained unchanged for UEBMI inpatients, whereas URRBMI inpatients experienced a decrease. This trend has sparked concerns about hospitals potentially favoring UEBMI inpatients. Encouragingly, both UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients have seen positive outcomes in terms of alleviating patient financial burdens and enhancing the quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are complex compounds closely associated with several chronic diseases, especially diabetes mellitus (DM). Current methods for detecting AGEs are not suitable for screening large populations, or for long-term monitoring. This paper introduces a portable autofluorescence detection system that measures the concentration of AGEs in the skin based on the fluorescence characteristics of AGEs in biological tissues. The system employs a 395 nm laser LED to excite the fluorescence of AGEs, and uses a photodetector to capture the fluorescence intensity. A model correlating fluorescence intensity with AGEs concentration facilitates the detection of AGEs levels. To account for the variation in optical properties of different individuals' skin, the system includes a 520 nm light source for calibration. The system features a compact design, measuring only 60 mm × 50 mm × 20 mm, and is equipped with a miniature STM32 module for control and a battery for extended operation, making it easy for subjects to wear. To validate the system's effectiveness, it was tested on 14 volunteers to examine the correlation between AGEs and glycated hemoglobin, revealing a correlation coefficient of 0.49. Additionally, long-term monitoring of AGEs' fluorescence and blood sugar levels showed a correlation trend exceeding 0.95, indicating that AGEs reflect changes in blood sugar levels to some extent. Further, by constructing a multivariate predictive model, the study also found that AGEs levels are correlated with age, BMI, gender, and a physical activity index, providing new insights for predicting AGEs content and blood sugar levels. This research supports the early diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, and offers a potentially useful tool for future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tozorakimab is a high‐affinity human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that neutralizes interleukin (IL)‐33, an IL‐1 family cytokine. This phase 1, single‐center, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, single ascending dose study (NCT05070312) evaluated tozorakimab in a healthy Chinese population. Outcomes included the characterization of the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and immunogenicity of tozorakimab. Safety outcomes included treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and clinical laboratory, electrocardiogram, and vital sign parameters. Healthy, non‐smoking, male, and female Chinese participants aged 18‐45 years with a body mass index 19‐24 kg/m2 were enrolled. In total, 36 participants across 2 cohorts of 18 participants were randomized 2:1 to receive a single subcutaneous dose of tozorakimab (300 mg [2 mL] or 600 mg [4 mL]) or matching placebo (2 or 4 mL). Tozorakimab showed dose‐dependent serum PK concentrations with an approximate monophasic distribution in serum over time and a maximum observed peak concentration of 20.1 and 33.7 μg/mL in the 300‐ and 600‐mg cohorts, respectively. No treatment‐emergent anti‐drug antibodies for tozorakimab were observed in any of the participants. There were no clinically relevant trends in the occurrence of TEAEs across the treatment groups. There were no clinically relevant trends over time in clinical laboratory (hematology, clinical chemistry, and urinalysis), electrocardiogram, or vital sign parameters in any treatment group. Overall, tozorakimab demonstrated dose‐dependent systemic exposure in healthy Chinese participants and was well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change. This time-series analysis of national registry data for 2011 to 2021 aimed to quantify trends in racial and ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born persons. Visual Abstract. Disparities in Tuberculosis Incidence by Race and Ethnicity Among the U.S.-Born Population in the United States, 2011 to 2021: Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change. This time-series analysis of national registry data for 2011 to 2021 aimed to quantify trends in racial and ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born persons. Background: Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change. Objective: To quantify trends in racial/ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born persons. Design: Time-series analysis of national TB registry data for 2011 to 2021. Setting: United States. Participants: U.S.-born persons stratified by race/ethnicity. Measurements: TB incidence rates, incidence rate differences, and incidence rate ratios compared with non-Hispanic White persons; excess TB cases (calculated from incidence rate differences); and the index of disparity. Analyses were stratified by sex and by attribution of TB disease to recent transmission and were adjusted for age, year, and state of residence. Results: In analyses of TB incidence rates for each racial/ethnic population compared with non-Hispanic White persons, incidence rate ratios were as high as 14.2 (95% CI, 13.0 to 15.5) among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) females. Relative disparities were greater for females, younger persons, and TB attributed to recent transmission. Absolute disparities were greater for males. Excess TB cases in 2011 to 2021 represented 69% (CI, 66% to 71%) and 62% (CI, 60% to 64%) of total cases for females and males, respectively. No evidence was found to indicate that incidence rate ratios decreased over time, and most relative disparity measures showed small, statistically nonsignificant increases. Limitation: Analyses assumed complete TB case diagnosis and self-report of race/ethnicity and were not adjusted for medical comorbidities or social determinants of health. Conclusion: There are persistent disparities in TB incidence by race/ethnicity. Relative disparities were greater for AI/AN persons, females, and younger persons, and absolute disparities were greater for males. Eliminating these disparities could reduce overall TB incidence by more than 60% among the U.S.-born population. Primary Funding Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Promoting the synchronization of glucose and amino acid release in the digestive tract of pigs could effectively improve dietary nitrogen utilization. The rational allocation of dietary starch sources and the exploration of appropriate dietary glucose release kinetics may promote the dynamic balance of dietary glucose and amino acid supplies. However, research on the effects of diets with different glucose release kinetic profiles on amino acid absorption and portal amino acid appearance in piglets is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the kinetic pattern of dietary glucose release on nitrogen utilization, the portal amino acid profile, and nutrient transporter expression in intestinal enterocytes in piglets. Methods: Sixty-four barrows (15.00 ± 1.12 kg) were randomly allotted to 4 groups and fed diets formulated with starch from corn, corn/barley, corn/sorghum, or corn/cassava combinations (diets were coded A, B, C, or D respectively). Protein retention, the concentrations of portal amino acid and glucose, and the relative expression of amino acid and glucose transporter mRNAs were investigated. In vitro digestion was used to compare the dietary glucose release profiles. Results: Four piglet diets with different glucose release kinetics were constructed by adjusting starch sources. The in vivo appearance dynamics of portal glucose were consistent with those of in vitro dietary glucose release kinetics. Total nitrogen excretion was reduced in the piglets in group B, while apparent nitrogen digestibility and nitrogen retention increased (P < 0.05). Regardless of the time (2 h or 4 h after morning feeding), the portal total free amino acids content and contents of some individual amino acids (Thr, Glu, Gly, Ala, and Ile) of the piglets in group B were significantly higher than those in groups A, C, and D (P < 0.05). Cluster analysis showed that different glucose release kinetic patterns resulted in different portal amino acid patterns in piglets, which decreased gradually with the extension of feeding time. The portal His/Phe, Pro/Glu, Leu/Val, Lys/Met, Tyr/Ile and Ala/Gly appeared higher similarity among the diet treatments. In the anterior jejunum, the glucose transporter SGLT1 was significantly positively correlated with the amino acid transporters B0AT1, EAAC1, and CAT1. Conclusions: Rational allocation of starch resources could regulate dietary glucose release kinetics. In the present study, group B (corn/barley) diet exhibited a better glucose release kinetic pattern than the other groups, which could affect the portal amino acid contents and patterns by regulating the expression of amino acid transporters in the small intestine, thereby promoting nitrogen deposition in the body, and improving the utilization efficiency of dietary nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) is a first‐line drug for treating hepatitis B virus infection. This study aimed to establish the prodrug–metabolite population pharmacokinetic (PK) model for TAF and its metabolite tenofovir (TFV) in healthy Chinese volunteers and evaluate the factors affecting the PK. Using 1043 TAF and 1198 TFV plasma sample concentrations collected from 67 healthy volunteers, a population PK model was developed using the nonlinear mixed‐effects model. The 1‐compartment model containing 4 transit compartments and the 2‐compartment model accurately described the PK of TAF and TFV, respectively. Covariates such as meal state and sex were found to be statistically significant and potentially clinically relevant. Both internal and external validations demonstrated good stability and predictive performance of the connected model. This study elucidated the PK process by which TAF was absorbed, converted, and finally metabolized and eliminated as TFV, and explored the sources of interindividual variability between TAF and TFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disruption of endothelial heparan sulfate (HS) is an early event in tumor cell metastasis across vascular barriers, and the reinforcement of endothelial HS reduces tumor cell adhesion to endothelium. Our recent study showed that while vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) greatly reduces HS at an in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) formed by human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMECs), it significantly enhances HS on a breast cancer cell, MDA-MB-231 (MB231). Here, we tested that this differential effect of VEGF on the HS favors MB231 adhesion and transmigration. We also tested if agents that enhance endothelial HS may affect the HS of MB231 and reduce its adhesion and transmigration. To test these hypotheses, we generated an in vitro BBB by culturing hCMECs on either a glass-bottom dish or a Transwell filter. We first quantified the HS of the BBB and MB231 after treatment with VEGF and endothelial HS-enhancing agents and then quantified the adhesion and transmigration of MB231 across the BBB after pretreatment with these agents. Our results demonstrated that the reduced/enhanced BBB HS and enhanced/reduced MB231 HS increase/decrease MB231 adhesion to and transmigration across the BBB. Our findings suggest a therapeutic intervention by targeting the HS-mediated breast cancer brain metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a machine learning model to evaluate the activity stage of extraocular muscles in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Methods: This study retrospectively analysed data from patients with TAO who underwent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 2015 to 2022. Three independent machine learning models, namely, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and deep neural networks (DNNs), were constructed using common clinical features. The performance of these models was compared using evaluation metrics such as the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. The importance of features was explained using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP). Results: A total of 2561 eyes of 1479 TAO patients were included in this study. The original dataset was randomly divided into a training set (80%, n = 2048) and a test set (20%, n = 513). In the performance evaluation of the test set, the LightGBM model had the best diagnostic performance (AUC 0.9260). According to the SHAP results, features such as conjunctival congestion, swollen caruncles, oedema of the upper eyelid, course of TAO, and intraocular pressure had the most significant impact on the LightGBM model. Conclusion: This study used contrast-enhanced MRI as an objective evaluation criterion and constructed a LightGBM model based on readily accessible clinical data. The model had good classification performance, making it a promising artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted tool to help community hospitals evaluate the inflammatory activity of extraocular muscles in TAO patients in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antipyretic analgesics are used to manage and control symptoms occurring after vaccination, but may hamper immunogenicity or vaccine efficacy. We examined the association between prophylactic or therapeutic use of antipyretic analgesics and SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers for vaccine recipients. Data were obtained from 1,498 staff members of a medical and research institution in Tokyo, Japan, who had received the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. We quantitatively measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG titers in the participants three months after vaccination. The prophylactic and therapeutic use of antipyretic analgesics was ascertained via a questionnaire. A linear regression model was used to examine the association between antipyretic analgesic use and log-transformed anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG titers. Based on model parameters, we estimated geometric mean titers (GMT) and the corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The results showed that IgG titers in vaccine recipients who used antipyretic analgesics therapeutically was higher than the titers in those who did not (geometric mean ratio [GMR] = 1.26, 95 % CI = 1.17–1.34) with GMTs being 6,147 (95 % CI = 5,833–6,460) and 4,895 (95 % CI = 4,676–5,115) for those who used antipyretic analgesics therapeutically and those who did not, respectively. The association was attenuated, but remained statistically significant after adjusting for symptoms (GMR = 1.14, 95 % CI = 1.06–1.23). We did not find any evidence of significant association in relation to the prophylactic use of antipyretic analgesics (GMR = 0.96, 95 % CI = 0.84–1.10), with GMTs being 5,245 (95 % CI = 4,577–5,913) and 5,452 (95 % CI = 5,258–5,645) for those who used antipyretic analgesics prophylactically and those who did not, respectively. In conclusion, we did not find any evidence of suppression of the humoral response after the second dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination by prophylactic or therapeutic use of antipyretic analgesics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entity alignment is an essential process in knowledge graph (KG) fusion, which aims to link entities representing the same real-world object in different KGs, to achieve entity expansion and graph fusion. Recently, embedding-based entity pair similarity evaluation has become mainstream in entity alignment research. However, these methods heavily rely on labelled entity pairs, which are often unavailable. Some self-supervised methods exploit features of KGs regardless of noise when generating aligned entity pairs. To resolve this issue, we propose a generative adversarial entity alignment method, which is more robust to noise data. The proposed method then exploits both attribute and structure information in the KGs and applies a BERT-based contrastive loss function to embed entities in KGs. Experimental results on several benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of our framework compared with most existing state-of-the-art entity alignment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlamydia screening and partner notification as implemented in the United States for 2000 to 2015 has substantially improved population health and provided good value for money when considering associated health care services costs. Background: Chlamydia remains a significant public health problem that contributes to adverse reproductive health outcomes. In the United States, sexually active women 24 years and younger are recommended to receive annual screening for chlamydia. In this study, we evaluated the impact of estimated current levels of screening and partner notification (PN), and the impact of screening based on guidelines on chlamydia associated sequelae, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost and costs. Methods: We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of chlamydia screening, using a published calibrated pair formation transmission model that estimated trends in chlamydia screening coverage in the United States from 2000 to 2015 consistent with epidemiological data. We used probability trees to translate chlamydial infection outcomes into estimated numbers of chlamydia-associated sequelae, QALYs lost, and health care services costs (in 2020 US dollars). We evaluated the costs and population health benefits of screening and PN in the United States for 2000 to 2015, as compared with no screening and no PN. We also estimated the additional benefits that could be achieved by increasing screening coverage to the levels indicated by the policy recommendations for 2016 to 2019, compared with screening coverage achieved by 2015. Results: Screening and PN from 2000 to 2015 were estimated to have averted 1.3 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 490,000–2.3 million) cases of pelvic inflammatory disease, 430,000 (95% UI, 160,000–760,000) cases of chronic pelvic pain, 300,000 (95% UI, 104,000–570,000) cases of tubal factor infertility, and 140,000 (95% UI, 47,000–260,000) cases of ectopic pregnancy in women. We estimated that chlamydia screening and PN cost $9700 per QALY gained compared with no screening and no PN. We estimated the full realization of chlamydia screening guidelines for 2016 to 2019 to cost $30,000 per QALY gained, compared with a scenario in which chlamydia screening coverage was maintained at 2015 levels. Discussion: Chlamydia screening and PN as implemented in the United States from 2000 through 2015 has substantially improved population health and provided good value for money when considering associated health care services costs. Further population health gains are attainable by increasing screening further, at reasonable cost per QALY gained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A helicene‐containing arene and its linear analogue have been successfully synthesized and characterized, where the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis indicates that the former can arrange in an offset packing style with a π‐π overlap. The introduction of pentagon‐rings into the parent skeletons in the resulting compounds can boost the stability, and such helicene‐containing molecule possesses higher solubility in organic solvent than the linear analogue. The structural difference has significantly influenced the optical limiting performance. The former in solution and in doped gel glass presents higher optical limiting response towards 532 nm laser than the latter. This study can enrich the functionalization of helicene, which can possess a positive effect in terms of nonlinear optical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Comprehensive evaluation of the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) lost attributable to chlamydia, gonorrhea, andtrichomoniasis in the United States is lacking. Methods We adapted a previous probability-tree model to estimate the average number of lifetime QALYs lost due to genital chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, per incident infection and at the population level, by sex and age group. We conducted multivariate sensitivity analyses to address uncertainty around key parameter values. Results The estimated total discounted lifetime QALYs lost for men and women, respectively, due to infections acquired in 2018, were 1541 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 186–6358) and 111 872 (95% UI, 29 777–267 404) for chlamydia, 989 (95% UI, 127–3720) and 12 112 (95% UI, 2 410–33 895) for gonorrhea, and 386 (95% UI, 30–1851) and 4576 (95% UI, 13–30 355) for trichomoniasis. Total QALYs lost were highest among women aged 15–24 years with chlamydia. QALYs lost estimates were highly sensitive to disutilities (health losses) of infections and sequelae, and to duration of infections and chronic sequelae for chlamydia and gonorrhea in women. Conclusions The 3 sexually transmitted infections cause substantial health losses in the United States, particularly gonorrhea and chlamydia among women. The estimates of lifetime QALYs lost per infection help to prioritize prevention policies and inform cost-effectiveness analyses of sexually transmitted infection interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We successfully prepared Ca 7 Mg 1.5 Zn 0.5 (PO 4) 6 : Dy3+, Sm3+ single-matrix warm white phosphors. • Ca 7 Mg 1.5 Zn 0.5 (PO 4) 6 : Dy3+, Sm3+ phosphors have excellent luminescent properties. • Packaged LED has a lower CCT value (3346 K) and a higher CRI (89.2). Ca 7 Mg 1.5 Zn 0.5 (PO 4) 6 : Dy3+, Sm3+ single matrix warm white phosphor was prepared by high-temperature solid-phase method and cation substitution method. The phosphors' structure, optical properties, and energy transfer mechanisms were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer, a scanning electron microscope, and a fluorescence spectrometer. By adjusting the doping ratio of Dy3+ and Sm3+ ions, white light emission can be achieved under 365 nm light excitation. Furthermore, the emission spectra and decay lifetime of Ca 7 Mg 1.5 Zn 0.5 (PO 4) 6 : 0.07Dy3+, zSm3+ confirmed the energy transfer between Dy3+ and Sm3+, with an energy transfer efficiency of 69 %. The energy transfer mechanism is attributed to dipole-dipole interaction. The packaged LED displays a bright warm white light with a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 3346 K and a color rendering index (CRI) of 89.2 that is suitable for human eyes. Ca 7 Mg 1.5 Zn 0.5 (PO 4) 6 : Dy3+, Sm3+ phosphors have excellent luminescent properties and considerable application potential in the realm of white LEDs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, which are prevalent in bacteria and archaea, have significant potential applications in eukaryotic cells due to their characteristic ability to inhibit cell growth. In particular, type II TA systems, where both the toxin and antitoxin are proteins, can serve as lethal and rescue genes in genetic pest management. However, traditional methods of cloning these systems often encounter difficulties due to cryptic promoter driven expression of toxins during the cloning process. To address this issue, we have developed a novel cloning method that incorporates an additional prokaryotic promoter to express the antitoxin, thus preventing the deleterious effects of toxin expression in bacterial cells. This method allows for efficient and straightforward construction of toxin vectors and the rapid screening of effective TA systems in insect cells. Our study focused on evaluating the toxicity of various type II TA systems in Sf9 insect cells. We cloned and tested toxins and antitoxins from Escherichia coli , Streptococcus pneumoniae , and Rickettsia rickettsii. The toxicity of each system was assessed by the number of red fluorescent cells post-transfection. Our results demonstrated that toxins such as MazF (E. coli -2782), RelE (Spn -1223), and RelE (Spn -1104) exhibited high levels of toxicity in Sf9 cells, while other toxins showed varying degrees of effectiveness. The corresponding antitoxins were able to neutralize the toxins in a dose-dependent manner, although some antitoxins, like MnT (R. felis -0357) and MazE (E. coli -4224), were ineffective in insect cells. This study highlights the potential for applying type II TA systems in genetic pest management and other eukaryotic applications. Our novel cloning approach provides a robust platform for the rapid and efficient evaluation of TA systems, paving the way for future research and application in pest control and beyond. [Display omitted] • A cloning method that preventing the deleterious effects of toxin in bacterial cells. • MazF and two RelEs exhibits high level of toxicity in Sf9 and s2 cells. • Mutating specific amino acids could effectively reduce MazF (E. coli -2782) toxicity. • Type II TA systems can serve as lethal and rescue genes in genetic pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The intracellular trafficking of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) leading to endosomal escape is critical for delivery efficiency. How components of LNP affect its intracellular trafficking and delivery efficiency remains unknown. Here, we developed a highly sensitive LNP/nucleic acid tracking platform based on streptavidin–biotin-DNA complex and high throughput imaging. Naked nucleic acids were found to be retained in the endocytotic vesicles proportional to endocytosis activity. With the help of LNP, nucleic acids were transported along the endolysosomal pathway with N/P ratio as low as 2 amongst very weak nucleic acid and LNP interaction. As the N/P ratio increases (concomitant concentration increase of all lipids), the monophasic endocytosis of LNP-DNA demonstrated biphasic characteristics, as shown by accumulation of LNP-DNA trapped in early endosomes in the peripheral of cells. Through a series of specifically designed LNPs, we found increase in N/P ratio alone, i.e. increase of ionizable lipid content, had no effect on the formation of peripheral LNP-endosomes. Importantly, increase in cholesterol content, via dose or concentration increase, positively correlated with formation and aggregation of peripheral LNP-endosomes. Meanwhile, helper lipid such as DSPC alleviated the detrimental effect of cholesterol on aggregation of peripheral LNP-endosomes. The trapping of LNP-nucleic acids in peripheral early endosomes hindered their intracellular trafficking along the endolysosomal pathway, thus reducing their reach to releasing compartments and diminishing cargo delivery efficiency. Our results demonstrate that high cholesterol content hinders LNP intracellular trafficking, which is detrimental for intracellular delivery of cargo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The cascading effects are reduced and the lane-changing success rate is improved, especially in high-density scenarios. • No need to differentiate mandatory/discretionary lane changes. • Intention boundary is conducted to judge the interaction of vehicles. • The impacts of the lane-changing position are analyzed, using the traffic flow data of Beijing's Second Ring Road. The lane-changing behavior of Connected and Automated vehicles (CAVs) exemplifies a collective interoperability phenomenon in which the lane change of a target vehicle prompts collaborative responses from neighboring vehicles, resulting in traffic oscillations throughout the transportation network, commonly referred to as cascading effects. To accurately characterize and mitigate these cascading effects during the collaborative lane-changing process of CAVs, we propose an Intentional Hyperedge Game Model (IHGM) grounded in hypergraph theory. The model consists of three critical modes: gap sorting, the intention boundary, and the hyperedge game. First, gap sorting prioritizes the order of gap selection for the target vehicle by assessing the benefits. Second, the intention boundary delineates the safety constraints associated with lane changes, integrating the lane change intentions of the target vehicle with the driving statuses of neighboring vehicles. Finally, the hyperedge game effectively simulates the cascading effects generated by CAVs throughout the lane-changing process. The traffic flow data of Beijing's Second Ring Road, which were collected in 2019 for a period of seven days, were used as inputs in our case study. The results show that the IHGM significantly reduces the cascading effects and improves the lane-changing success rate by approximately 10 % in high-density scenarios, ensuring safety and comfort. The lane-changing success rate is related to the Lane-changing Position (LP), which is the distance between the target vehicle and the no lane-changing area. When the LP is 50 m, the probability of identifying a feasible path for the target vehicle exceeds 30 %, and the lane-changing success rate is 100 % when there is a feasible path. Furthermore, when the first three lane-changing target gaps are evaluated, the model effectively solves more than 92 % of the actual lane-changing scenarios and greatly reduces the impact of cascading effects. The model meets the lane-changing requirements in 98 % of the cases in which the first four gaps are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impact force identification is an important aspect of structural health monitoring for online assessment of the integrity of engineering structures. Increasing the number of monitoring positions is undoubtedly beneficial to accurate force localization, however, it may increase sharply the dimension of the transfer matrix and thus lead to a large-scale inverse problem. In this case, traditional methods, such as the Iterative Shrinkage Threshold algorithm (IST) and the Two-Step Iterative Shrinkage Thresholding algorithm (TwIST), suffer from low solving efficiency. In this paper, the dynamic reduced dictionary is firstly introduced according to the sparsity of impact force in both time and spatial domains so as to lower significantly the dimension of the transfer matrix. Then, a new reduced unconstrained optimization problem is established via the dynamic reduced dictionary for impact force identification. By integrating the reduced unconstrained optimization problem into each iteration step of IST/TwIST, two novel algorithms, which are the reduced Newton iteration shrinkage threshold algorithm (rNIST) and the reduced Newton two-step iteration shrinkage threshold algorithm (rNTwIST), are proposed to solve quickly the large-scale impact force identification problem using ℓ 1 -norm sparse regularization. Meanwhile, the adaptive setting of regularization parameters strategy is used to construct force more fast and accurately. The proposed algorithms are numerically and experimentally demonstrated through identifying impact forces at 16-point and 81-point distributions of a plate using one sensor response. The results show that rNIST/rNTwIST can more quickly and accurately identify impact forces under numerous monitoring points compared with other ℓ 1 -norm regularization methods and nonconvex sparse regularization methods. Moreover, the more the number of monitoring points, the more obvious the efficiency improvement of the impact force identification by rNIST/rNTwIST method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmetrical solid oxide cell (SSOC) that uses the same electrode material for both oxygen electrode and fuel electrode can simplify the preparation process and enhance the durability of the cell. In this study, the Pr and Ni doped SmBaFe 2 O 5+δ (SBF), Sm 0.9 Pr 0.1 BaFe 2 O 5+δ (SPBF91) and Sm 0.9 Pr 0.1 BaFe 1.6 Ni 0.4 O 5+δ (SPBFN) as symmetrical electrodes for SSOC are successfully prepared, and their properties are investigated. First principles calculation indicates that the oxygen vacancy formation energy of SPBF91 (2.24 eV), SPBFN (1.76 eV) is lower than that of SBF (2.49 eV). In addition, the doping of Pr and Ni significantly reduces the band center energy of Fe-3d and O-2p in SPBFN, which is conducive to oxygen ion and charge transfer. At 800 °C, the polarization resistance of SPBFN are 0.025 Ωcm2, and 0.11 Ωcm2 in air and H 2 , respectively. At 800 °C, using H 2 , CH 3 OH, and wet C 3 H 8 as fuel, the maximum power density (MPD) of fuel cell with SPBFN as a symmetrical electrode reaches 850, 651 and 648 mWcm−2, respectively. The FeNi alloy is observed on the SPBFN surface at fuel electrode side. The FeNi alloy on SPBFN surface significantly improves the output performance and stability of symmetrical electrode. Furthermore, the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) with PBSFN as a symmetrical electrode exhibits good stability during a 200 h test when electrolyzing H 2 -50%H 2 O and electrolysis CO 2. [Display omitted] • Pr, Ni doping SPBFN decreases E vac and enhances the conductivity of sample. • The MPD of SPBFN electrode reaches 648 mWcm−2 using wet C 3 H 8 fuel at 800 °C. • SPBFN electrode exhibits good 100 h stability using wet C 3 H 8 fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously established that the integrity of the induced blood–brain barrier (iBBB) formed by brain microvascular endothelial cells derived from the iPSC of 22q11.2 DS (22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, also called DiGeorge Syndrome) patients is compromised. We tested the possibility that the haploinsufficiency of CRKL, a gene within the 22q11.2 DS deletion region, contributes to the deficit. The CRKL is a major substrate of the Abl tyrosine kinase, and the Abl/CRKL signaling pathway is critical for endothelial barrier functions. Imatinib, an FDA-approved drug, inhibits Abl kinase and has been used to treat various disorders involving vascular leakages. To test if imatinib can restore the compromised iBBB, we treated the patient's iBBB with imatinib. After treatment, both trans-endothelial electrical resistance and solute permeability returned to comparable levels of the control iBBB. Correspondingly, changes in tight junctions and endothelial glycocalyx of the iBBB were also restored. Western blotting showed that imatinib increased the level of active forms of the CRKL protein. A transcriptome study revealed that imatinib up-regulated genes in the signaling pathways responsible for the protein modification process and down-regulated those for cell cycling. The KEGG pathway analysis further suggested that imatinib improved the gene expression of the CRKL signaling pathway and tight junctions, which agrees with our expectations and the observations at protein levels. Our results indicate that the 22q11.2DS iBBB is at least partially caused by the haploinsufficiency of CRKL, which can be rescued by imatinib via its effects on the Abl/CRKL signaling pathway. Our findings uncover a novel disease mechanism associated with 22q11.2DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hedgehog (Hh) family is a prototypical morphogen involved in embryonic patterning, multi-lineage differentiation, self-renewal, morphogenesis, and regeneration. There are studies that have demonstrated that the Hh signaling pathway differentiates developing T cells into MHC-restricted self-antigen tolerant T cells in a concentration-dependent manner in the thymus. Whereas Hh signaling pathway is not required in the differentiation of B cells but is indispensable in maintaining the regeneration of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the viability of germinal centers (GCs) B cells. The Hh signaling pathway exerts both positive and negative effects on immune responses, which involves activating human peripheral CD4+ T cells, regulating the accumulation of natural killer T (NKT) cells, recruiting and activating macrophages, increasing CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in the inflammation sites to sustain homeostasis. Hedgehog signaling is involved in the patterning of the embryo, as well as homeostasis of adult tissues. Therefore, this review aims to highlight evidence for Hh signaling in the differentiation, function of immune cells and autoimmune disease. Targeting Hh signaling promises to be a novel, alternative or adjunct approach to treating tumors and autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent small subcortical infarcts (RSSIs) could evolve into cavitation (lacunes) or non-cavitation (white matter hyperintensities or disappearance) during the chronic period, but the factors involved remain unclear. Purpose: To explore the association between total cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden and lesion cavitation. Material and Methods: We retrospectively selected 202 inpatients with an isolated RSSI who underwent baseline and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (median interval = 16.6 months; interquartile range [IQR]=8.2–30.1). Inpatients were divided into cavitation and non-cavitation groups depending on whether a fluid-filled cavity formed. Data including demographic, clinical, and radiological features were collected and analyzed. To determine total CSVD burden, four imaging markers, including lacunes, microbleeds, white matter hyperintensities, and enlarged perivascular spaces, were rated and summed as a final practical score between 0 and 4. Results: Overall, 137 (67.8%) patients progressed to cavitation and 65 (32.2%) to non-cavitation. Binary multivariable regression analysis showed that the baseline total CSVD burden (P = 0.005) and infarct diameter (P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for cavitation. A severe total burden (scores of 3–4) at baseline was independently related to cavitation (P = 0.001). Moreover, the total CSVD burden score varied from 2 (IQR=1–3) at baseline to 3 (IQR=2–4) at follow-up. The extent of the increase in total burden was correlated with cavitation (r = 0.201; P = 0.004). Conclusion: Total CSVD burden, both the baseline value and extent of increase, was positively associated with cavitation. RSSIs with severe total CSVD burden at baseline have a greater potential to become cavitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In order to improve the computation efficiency of the four-point rainflow algorithm, a one-stage extraction four-point rainflow algorithm is proposed based on a novel data preprocessing method. Design/methodology/approach: In this new algorithm, the procedure of cycle counting is simplified by introducing the data preprocessing method. The high efficiency of new algorithm makes it a preferable candidate in fatigue life online estimation of structural health monitoring systems. Findings: According to the data preprocessing method, in the process of cycle extraction, all equivalent cycles can be extracted at just one stage instead of two stages in the four-point rainflow algorithm, where the cycle extraction has to be performed from the doubled residue. Besides, there are no residues in the new algorithm. The extensive numerical simulation results demonstrate that the accuracy of new algorithm is the same as that of the four-point rainflow algorithm. Moreover, a comparative study based on a long input data sequence shows that the computation efficiency of the new algorithm is 42% higher than that of the four-point rainflow algorithm. Originality/value: This merit of new algorithm makes it preferable in some application scenarios where fatigue life estimation needs to be accomplished online based on massive measured data. And it may attribute to preprocessing of input data sequence before data processing, which provides beneficial guidance to improve the efficiency of existing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Faithful meiotic progression ensures the generation of viable gametes. Studies suggested the male meiosis of plants is sensitive to ambient temperature, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.Here, we characterized a maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) dominant male sterile mutant Mei025, in which the meiotic process of pollen mother cells (PMCs) was arrested after pachytene.An Asp‐to‐Asn replacement at position 276 of INVERTASE ALKALINE NEUTRAL 6 (INVAN6), a cytosolic invertase (CIN) that predominantly exists in PMCs and specifically hydrolyses sucrose, was revealed to cause meiotic defects in Mei025. INVAN6 interacts with itself as well as with four other CINs and seven 14‐3‐3 proteins. Although INVAN6Mei025, the variant of INVAN6 found in Mei025, lacks hydrolytic activity entirely, its presence is deleterious to male meiosis, possibly in a dominant negative repression manner through interacting with its partner proteins. Notably, heat stress aggravated meiotic defects in invan6 null mutant. Further transcriptome data suggest INVAN6 has a fundamental role for sugar homeostasis and stress tolerance of male meiocytes.In summary, this work uncovered the function of maize CIN in male meiosis and revealed the role of CIN‐mediated sugar metabolism and signalling in meiotic progression under heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foundation bearing capacity has been well studied in homogeneous soil under a condition of embedment depth within five times the foundation effective characteristic length. However, the penetration depth of deep-sea anchoring foundations can be far more than five times the effective characteristic length. This study aims to investigate the vertical bearing capacity of the strip, circular, and conical foundations within a large embedment depth range in normally consolidated clay. Parametric studies were conducted to analyze the effect of soil nonhomogeneity and foundation–soil interface roughness with the aid of the finite-element method combined with a developed subroutine. Results show that no critical value was found for the vertical bearing capacity even at a large embedment depth. The embedment depth also influences the relationship between the soil nonhomogeneity and the foundation bearing capacity factor, Nc. Friction coefficient has a great influence on Nc of the conical foundation. Comprehensive formulas for calculating Nc of the three common foundations are proposed based on parametric studies. The simple formulas will provide a reference for geotechnical engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desiccation tolerance is a remarkable feature of pollen, seeds, and resurrection-type plants. Exposure to desiccation stress can cause sporophytic defects, resulting in male sterility. Here, we report the novel maize sterility gene DRP1 (Desiccation-Related Protein 1), which was identified by bulked-segregant analysis sequencing and encodes a desiccation-related protein. Loss of function of DRP1 results in abnormal Ubisch bodies, defective tectum of the pollen exine, and complete male sterility. Our results suggest that DRP1 may facilitate anther dehydration to maintain appropriate water status. DRP1 is a secretory protein that is specifically expressed in the tapetum and microspore from the tetrad to the uninucleate microspore stage. Differentially expressed genes in drp1 are enriched in Gene Ontology terms for pollen exine formation, polysaccharide catabolic process, extracellular region, and response to heat. In addition, DRP1 is a target of selection that appears to have played an important role in the spread of maize from tropical/subtropical to temperate regions. Taken together, our results suggest that DRP1 encodes a desiccation-related protein whose loss of function causes male sterility. Our findings provide a potential genetic resource that may be used to design crops for heterosis utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milling of the low rigidity and large deformation thin-walled workpiece is a critical challenging task due to the obvious machining vibration, which greatly affects the machining accuracy and surface quality of the final part. Compared with the conventional vibration control methods, this paper mainly focuses on suppressing machining vibration by magnetorheological (MR) dampers in milling of the thin-walled workpiece. A novel dynamic characteristic reconstruction strategy of the fixture-workpiece system is proposed to improve the dynamic characteristics of the milling system considering the effect of material removal based on MR damping fixture. Then, the fixture-workpiece system dynamic characteristics reconstruction model is established, subsequently. The time-varying modal parameters in different conditions are iteratively identified, and the stable depth of cut is obtained at any moment. Based on this, the control currents of the MR damping fixture are calculated to offset the change of the damping and stiffness properties of the milling system, which is caused by material removal. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated by several experiments. Experimental results show that the dynamic properties of the fixture-workpiece system are reconstructed by the MR damping fixture compared with the initial machining state, the vibration response is reduced by 30 to approximately 70%, and the machined surface is improved effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive tool wear can shorten tool life and cause low machining surface quality and efficiency in the milling of Ti-6AI-4 V thin-walled workpieces. The influence mechanism between the tool flank wear and stability predication is of significant for its further development in milling Ti-6Al-4 V. However, the relationship between tool flank wear and stability predication needs to be further investigated as the effect of time-varying tool flank wear is ignored in conventional methods. In this work, a system stability prediction model considering time-varying tool flank wear effect in milling of Ti-6AI-4 V thin-walled workpiece is proposed. The tool flank wear region is discretized into differential elements, and then, the friction effect and process damping effect caused by extruding function between tool and workpiece are analyzed, and a time-varying milling force model is established. In this process, the relationship of cutting tool flank wear band width VB and section radius difference NB is determined, and the indentation volume between tool and workpiece is iteratively calculated, which is used to investigate process damping. After, the time-varying milling force coefficients are derived considering different tool flank wear status. Then, in modal space, the evolutionary process of stability lobe diagrams considering tool flank wear effect is determined. Subsequently, to effectively predict system stability, tool flank wear curves and dynamic cutting force coefficients are calibrated by slot milling, and the average errors between cutting force prediction values considering tool flank wear effect and experimental values in feed direction and normal direction are 7.3% and 12.1%, respectively. Finally, a series of machining tests are conducted to verify the effectiveness of tool flank wear on the machining stability in the milling of Ti-6AI-4 V thin-walled workpieces to some extent, and the experimental results show that the system stability prediction accuracy of the proposed method is improved by 23.8% compared with that using conventional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generalization ability and robustness of data-driven models deteriorate when samples are scarce or input features are outside the training sample space. This research focuses on building a data assimilation (DA) framework that embeds the time sequence prediction model and improves the prediction results by constructing an enhanced system state vector that incorporates model bias parameters and new observation data to achieve the deviation correction and improve the robustness of the model. The DA framework proposed in this study includes three steps: prediction model inference, ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) online deployment, and model parameter update. Wind tunnel experiments of a supersonic cascade are performed to obtain the original data for training the prediction model and optimizing the DA framework. Long short-term memory network (LSTM) was chosen as the prediction model. The testing set is distributed outside the sample space of the training set to verify the effectiveness of the DA framework for enhancing the time sequence prediction model. The improvement effects of the EnKF-enhanced LSTM model on the time sequence prediction results of the wall pressure in the oscillating flow field and the non-oscillating flow field are studied. The optimization results indicate that the LSTM model embedded in the DA framework can significantly improve the wall pressure prediction results. Thus, the results of this study lay a solid foundation for the condition monitoring and margin determination of the supersonic cascade flow field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adjustable multi-functional MLLT: Dy3+, Tb3+, Eu3+ were synthesized by the solid-phase method. • An exceptionally efficient energy transfer is observed among the rare earth ions Dy3+, Tb3+, and Eu3+, reaching an efficiency of up to 90 %. • The LED encapsulated by the prepared phosphor and the 365 nm chip can achieve warm white light emission with a color temperature of 3556 K and a color rendering index of 91.3. • Phosphors were utilized in plant lighting and optical anti-counterfeiting applications. The single-phase phosphor has attracted significant attention due to its diverse merits and widespread applications. A series of spectrally tunable perovskites, MgLaLiTeO 6 (MLLT), coactivated with Dy3+, Tb3+, Eu3+ was synthesized by the solid-state method under ambient conditions. The phosphors' crystal structure, optical properties, and energy transfer processes were systematically investigated. Upon excitation at 363 nm, Dy3+, Tb3+and Eu3+ exhibit remarkable emission properties within their respective spectral regions. Phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-wLEDs) were designed to utilize energy transfer mechanisms from Dy3+ to Eu3+ and Tb3+ to address the challenges posed by low color rendering index and high color temperature. By integrating commercial n-UV LED chips with MLLT: Dy3+, Tb3+, Eu3+ phosphors, the pc-wLED exhibits outstanding electroluminescence performance. It has the CIE coordinates of (0.3868, 0.3694), with the CCT of 3556 K and the CRI (Ra) of 91.3. In conclusion, the above findings suggest that stable MLLT: Dy3+, Tb3+, Eu3+ serving as white and red phosphors, respectively, are promising options for high-quality indoor lighting, anti-counterfeiting, and indoor plant growth LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean wave energy is a highly promising renewable energy source that plays a significant role in advancing sustainable development. However, the ultra-low-frequency and random characteristics of ocean waves pose significant challenges to efficient and high-power energy harvesting. This paper introduces an innovative Mag-Boost mechanism that ingeniously leverages sudden magnetic-torque variation in orthogonal magnetic fields to convert ultra-low excitation below 1 Hz into high-frequency oscillations exceeding 50 Hz in the power-magnet without direct contact. The energy conversion efficiency can be as high as 89.3 %. By integrating four Mag-Boost units into a circular array, this study presents a high-power wave energy harvester with ultra-low-frequency response capabilities. At a frequency of 1 Hz and an inclination angle of 25°, the harvester achieved a high output performance with a power of 1.79 W and a power density of 1.88 kW/m³, which is an order of magnitude higher than previously reported results. During offshore tests in the Yellow Sea, the wave energy harvester reached a peak open-circuit voltage of 10 V, providing a stable power supply for wireless temperature and humidity sensors. Furthermore, the Mag-Boost mechanism also demonstrates considerable potential for harvesting other forms of low-frequency environmental energy, including wind, vibration, and human kinetic energy. [Display omitted] • The proposed Mag-Boost mechanism achieves efficient frequency up-conversion. • Wave excitations below 1 Hz can be converted into AC outputs over 50 Hz. • The wave energy harvester achieves an order-of-magnitude increase in power density. • The wave energy harvester was successfully tested offshore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sm and Nb co-doping Sm 1- x Ba x Fe 0.9 Nb 0.1 O 3-δ (x = 0.05,0.10,0.15, abbreviated as SBFN05, SBFN10 and SBFN15) oxide was prepared and investigated as an electrode for symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells (SSOFCs). XRD results demonstrate that Sm 1- x Ba x Fe 0.9 Nb 0.1 O 3-δ samples form a stable cubic perovskite structure both in air and in H 2 atmosphere. Among Sm 1- x Ba x Fe 0.9 Nb 0.1 O 3-δ samples, SBFN05 exhibits the lowest polarization resistance (Rp) at 600–800 °C. At 800 °C, the Rp of SBFN05 symmetrical electrode is 0.021 Ω cm2 in air and 0.2 Ω cm2 in H 2 , respectively. The Rp of SBFN05 electrode has good stability in air and in H 2 during 100 h short-term test. At 850 °C, The maximum power density of single cell with SBFN05 symmetrical electrode feed with H 2 fuel reaches 928.6 mWcm−2. Compared with BaFeO 3-δ , SBFN05 has lower binding energy and its O 2P center is closer to Fermi energy, suggesting good structural stability and oxygen catalytic activity. The primary result suggests that SBFN05 is a potential candidate symmetrical electrode for IT-SOFCs. • The Rp of SBFN is as low as 0.021 and 0.2 Ω cm2 in air and H 2 at 800 °C, respectively. • At 850 °C, the MPD of fuel cell using SBFN05 as symmetrical electrode reaches 657.2 mWcm−2 feed with C 3 H 8 fuel. • The SBFN05 electrode exhibits good Rp stability in air and in hydrogen at 700 °C during 100 h test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hesperidin shows promising results as a potential feed additive for enhancing gastrointestinal motility in animals. Gastrointestinal function plays a pivotal role in animal growth and the digestibility of dietary nutrients, with gastrointestinal motor function serving as a crucial component. However, limited research has been conducted on the application of hesperidin as a feed additive to promote gastrointestinal motility. The present study aims to assess the efficacy of Hesperidin as a feed additive in promoting gastrointestinal motility and elucidating its underlying mechanism. A total of 200 newly hatched (1-day-old) broilers with similar body weight were randomly allocated into 4 groups as follows: the control group receiving only the basal diet, and the other 3 groups supplemented with 50, 100, and 150 mg of hesperidin per kg of the basal diet, respectively. Each group consisted of 5 replicates with ten broilers per replicate, and the feeding trial lasted for a duration of 21 d. At 21 d of age, a 5% w/v Evans Blue solution in distilled water was utilized to measure intestinal transit rates (ITR). Gastric emptying (GE) was evaluated by administering a phenol red solution at a concentration of 0.05% w/v (1 mL/broiler). Fifteen broilers from each group were euthanized and immediately dissected to obtain gizzard, hypothalamus, duodenum, and jugular blood samples. Jugular blood samples were collected for brain-gut peptide content analysis, while gizzard, hypothalamus, and duodenum samples were used for immunohistochemical analysis. Real-time qPCR was performed on gizzard samples. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the GE and ITR of broilers in all treatment groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05), particularly in the 100mg/Kg and 150mg/Kg hesperidin group. Incorporation of hesperidin into the broilers' diet significantly enhances serum levels of ghrelin, encompassing serotonin (5-HT), motilin (MTL), cholecystokinin (CCK), and Stem Cell Factor (SCF) as well as substance P (SP) in the gizzard and duodenal tissues while reducing vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels (P < 0.05). The group administered a dosage of 150mg/Kg exhibited the most pronounced effect.Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that hesperidin supplementation up-regulated SP protein content and down-regulated VIP protein content in the hypothalamus, gizzard, and duodenum of broilers (P < 0.05), with the most pronounced effect illustrated in the 150mg/Kg hesperidin group. Furthermore, addition of hesperidin to broiler feed resulted in a significant up-regulation of protein expression and gene expression related to SCF and The protein expression of Receptor tyrosine kinase (C-Kit) was significantly upregulated in the 150mg/Kg group, while the gene expression of C-Kit was significantly upregulated in the 50 mg/Kg group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, hesperidin exhibits promising potential as a feed additive for broilers, as its dietary supplementation of hesperidin improves gastrointestinal motility through modulation of both "gut-brain axis" signaling pathways and "SCF/C-Kit signaling pathways" within broiler chicken's digestive system. Notably, basal diet supplemented with 150mg/Kg hesperidin demonstrates superior efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexpression of PTN (Pleiotrophin) in breast cancer cells stimulates breast cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis via the FAK/Src signaling pathway.1,2,4,5-Benzenetetramine tetrahydrochloride (C 6 H 14 Cl 4 N 4) known as Y15 is an inhibitor that specifically blocks phosphorylation of Y397-FAK and total FAK phosphorylation. The exogenous PTN protein was induced to be expressed by a prokaryotic expression strain. The addition of PTN protein decreased the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to Y15, as shown by both MTT and flow cytometry assays. Breast cancer cells transfected with sh-RNA knockdown PTN were analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR reaction (RT-PCR) and protein immunoblotting 24 h after transfection. MTT assay data showed a significant increase in the IC50 value of Y15 against breast cancer cells in the presence of PTN protein. Flow cytometry data confirmed the dose-dependent anti-apoptotic effect of PTN protein in Y15-treated breast cancer cells. After transfection with sh-RNA, Y15 further inhibited the FAK pathway, greatly reducing cell survival and promoting apoptosis. Western blotting analysis showed that knockdown of PTN protein with sh-RNA resulted in increased apoptosis and elevated levels of apoptotic proteins, such as cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3 in Y15-induced breast cancer cells. Finally, it was hypothesized that PTN and Y15 were associated with a significant increase in the IC50 value of PTN and Y15 in breast cancer cells by western blotting analysis. It was hypothesized that PTN and Y15 regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of breast cancer cells through the AKT/PI3K pathway. The results demonstrated that PTN affects the sensitivity of the kinase inhibitor Y15, and PTN silencing and Y15 may inhibit the survival of breast cancer cells through the AKT/PI3K pathway, which lays the foundation for subsequent in-depth research on the clinical treatment of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High quality of antimonene thin films. • Stretched lattice in-plane. Two-dimensional antimonene with a honeycomb structure has attracted significant attention in recent years due to its novel properties and tunable electronic structure as varying applied in-plane strain. Yet, applying epitaxially strained antimonene is greatly limited by the strong coupling with the metal substrates. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of the van der Waals stretched antimonene on graphene/Cu(111) substrate via remote epitaxy. It is found that, as corroborated by atomic force microscopy and reflection high-energy electron diffraction, the lattice of the antimonene can be remotely stretched by the underlying Cu(111). The graphene layer prevents antimonene from forming the surface alloy with Cu(111), which is also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy results. Our study not only provides a way to regulate the lattice of the epitaxial layers remotely but also provides a new idea for developing new potential topological materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 12 % large plastic deformation was achieved using small hammering force of 45 N. • The microstructure achieved 71 % grain refinement and 91 % anisotropy reduction. • The yield strength and tensile strength were improved by 41 % and 10 %. Synchronous-hammer-forging has been proved to be an effective method to control the microstructure and properties of metal components in additive manufacturing, but the influence of the intervention temperature is still unclear. 316L stainless steel samples with different hammer-forging intervention temperature were prepared by laser directed energy deposition (LDED) technology. The results show that due to dynamic recrystallization and dislocation accumulation effect, the grain size of the component decreases first and then increases with the increase of hammer-forging temperature, while the dislocation density and tensile strength increase first and then decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal quantum dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs) simultaneously exhibiting high external quantum efficiency (EQE) and operation stability are achieved via a simple solution processing. A silver bis(trifluoromethane‐sulfonyl)imide treatment that is used to chemically dope the poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4‐styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hole injection layer (HIL) is proposed. The ionic liquid salt acts as an effective p‐dopant for high charge concentrations; and it raises the work functions and surface potentials of the PEDOT:PSS HIL for an interface energy band alignment. Benefiting from a raised hole mobility and a better charge mobility balance, the processing‐simple colloidal red QLEDs yielded the highest EQE of up to 17.4%. In particular, a very broad plateau of EQE values over 16.5% in the brightness of 400–10 000 cd m−2 is obtained. Moreover, the packaged QLEDs exhibit an excellent operation stability in ambient air. The T95 (time for the device brightness to decrease to 95% of its initial brightness) at an initial brightness of 1000 cd m−2 is 4160 h. The work highlights a promising ionic liquid strategy to guide the development of high‐performance and cost‐effective QLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchy is a fundamental organizational principle of the human brain network. Whether and how the network hierarchy changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. To explore brain network hierarchy alterations in AD and their clinical relevance. Forty‐nine healthy controls (HCs), 49 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 49 patients with AD were included. The brain network hierarchy of each group was depicted by connectome gradient analyses. We assessed the network hierarchy changes by comparing the gradient values in each network across the AD, MCI, and HC groups. Whole‐brain voxel‐level gradient values were compared across the AD, MCI, and HC groups to identify abnormal brain regions. Finally, we examined the relationships between altered gradient values and clinical features. In the secondary gradient, the posterior default mode network (DMN) gradient values decreased significantly in patients with AD compared with HCs. Regionally, compared with HCs, both MCI and AD groups showed that most of the brain regions with increased gradient values were located in anterior DMN, while most of the brain regions with decreased gradient values were located in posterior DMN. The decrease of gradients in the left middle occipital gyrus was associated with better logical memory performance. The increase of gradients in the right middle frontal gyrus was associated with lower rates of dementia. The network hierarchy changed characteristically in patients with AD and was closely related to memory function and disease severity. These results provide a novel view for further understanding the underlying neuro‐mechanisms of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatio-temporal fusion is a feasible way to provide synthetic satellite images with high spatial and high temporal resolution simultaneously. Due to its practicability, spatio-temporal fusion has gotten increasing attention, for which many spatio-temporal fusion approaches have been developed. Most spatio-temporal fusion methods follow the “base fine image guided” (BFIG) fusion mode, resulting in the fact that their fusion results are similar to the base fine images. Therefore, these methods can perform well in areas with limited surface changes due to high similarity between the base and the predicted fine images. However, they might not be applicable in areas with intense surface changes. In this article, we develop a pansharpening-based spatio-temporal fusion model (PSTFM) by introducing the pansharpening fusion mode, which is “coarse image guided” (CIG), into spatio-temporal fusion. PSTFM first trains a pansharpening convolutional neural network (CNN), which then fuses the coarse images and reconstructed panchromatic (Pan) images of the predicted time to recover the missing fine images. The newly proposed PSTFM is compared with three representative BFIG spatio-temporal fusion methods on two Landsat–Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets, both of which contain intense surface changes. After that, the experimental results are analyzed and discussed in detail. The experiments and the analysis demonstrate that the newly proposed PSTFM has remarkably qualitative and quantitative performance in predicting the intense surface changes while it is mediocre in areas with low surface change intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of the ions from a medium-density plasma in an electric field created by the plate–grid–plate geometry was simulated with a two-dimensional one-fluid model in which electrons are assumed to be in thermal equilibrium, and the accuracy of the model was verified by comparing with other research results. The results show that the wire mesh parameters of the grid, including the wire mesh diameter and the spacing between the two wires of the grid, have an important influence on the ion extraction time and the ion collection ratio of the cathode plate. The blocking rate of the grid obtained by the theoretical simulation is almost equal to the geometrical blocking rate, and it is minimally affected by the initial ion density. These results can provide guidance for the optimization of wire mesh parameters of the grid, especially for the ion extraction and collection from a pulsed plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate whether income affects long-term health outcomes for older patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) provided by a universal health coverage system. Data were from the Latter Stage Elderly Healthcare Insurance database in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. A total of 5625 individuals aged ≥65 years who underwent PCI in 2014–2016 were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between income status and the incidence of health outcomes. With a median follow-up of 1095 days, 554 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) cases, 1075 stroke cases, 1690 repeat revascularization cases, and 1094 deaths were observed. Risk of all-cause mortality decreased significantly with increasing income level in both unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models. Patients in the low-income level had a significantly higher rate of AMI (log-rank P = 0.003), stroke (log-rank P = 0.039), and all-cause mortality (log-rank P = 0.001) compared with patients in the high-income level. Observed rates for repeat revascularization also were high in the first year after PCI. In the Japanese universal health setting, low-income patients had a comparatively higher mortality risk after PCI. Poor long-term outcomes might be attributed to patients' baseline characteristics rather than treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]