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Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is a frequent cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. The incidence of childhood pneumonia caused by M. pneumoniae infection has been rapidly increasing worldwide. M. pneumoniae is naturally resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics due to its lack of a cell wall. Macrolides and related antibiotics are considered the optimal drugs for treating M. pneumoniae infection. However, clinical resistance to macrolides has become a global concern in recent years. Therefore, it is imperative to urgently identify new targets and develop new anti-M. pneumoniae drugs to treat MMP. Previous studies have shown that deficiencies in HPrK/P kinase or phosphorylase activity can seriously affect carbon metabolism, growth, morphology, and other cellular functions of M. pneumoniae. To identify potential drug development targets against M. pneumoniae, this study analyzed the sequence homology and 3D structure alignment of M. pneumoniae HPrK/P. Through sequence and structure analysis, we found that HPrK/P lacks homologous proteins in the human, while its functional motifs are highly conserved in bacteria. This renders it a promising candidate for drug development. Structure-based virtual screening was then used to discover potential inhibitors among 2614 FDA-approved drugs and 948 bioactive small molecules for M. pneumoniae HPrK/P. Finally, we identified three candidate drugs (Folic acid, Protokylol and Gluconolactone) as potential HPrK/P inhibitors through molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MDs) simulations, and ADMET predictions. These drugs offer new strategies for the treatment of MPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension and depressive symptoms often occur together in the older population, and each has been separately linked to elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). This study investigated the prospective association between comorbid hypertension and depressive symptoms and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) in a Chinese older population. This study used data from 4978 participants aged 50 and above, who took part in two waves (2011 and 2015) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Hypertension, depressive symptoms and hs-CRP were measured. Logistic regressions adjusted for confounding variables were used to examine the association between the baseline comorbidity of hypertension and depressive symptoms and the change in hs-CRP levels. Hypertension and depressive symptoms did not show independent associations with an elevated level of hs-CRP. Participants with comorbid hypertension and depressive symptoms were more likely to develop a higher level of hs-CRP at follow-up (OR = 1.39, 95 % CI: 1.12–1.74) even after adjusting for covariates. Sex- and age-stratified analyses indicated that the association between the comorbidity and higher levels of hs-CRP were prone to be observed in women (OR = 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.16–2.08) and older adults (OR = 1.74, 95 % CI: 1.20–2.52). Comorbid hypertension and depressive symptoms is related to a higher risk of elevated hs-CRP levels. This association appears to be more pronounced among women and older adults compared to their counterparts. Depression was self-reported by participants, which might be considered less unreliable than clinical diagnoses. • Hypertension or depressive symptoms alone did not link to an increase in hs-CRP. • Comorbid hypertension and depressive symptoms prospectively predicts elevated hs-CRP. • The association is more pronounced in women and older adults compared to men and younger adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission and prevalence of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) are affected by a variety of natural and socio-economic environmental factors. This study aims to quantitatively investigate the non-stationary and spatially varying associations between various environmental factors and HFMD risk. We collected HFMD surveillance cases and a series of relevant environmental data from 2013 to 2021 in Xi'an, Northwest China. By controlling the spatial and temporal mixture effects of HFMD, we constructed a Bayesian spatiotemporal mapping model and characterized the impacts of different driving factors into global linear, non-stationary and spatially varying effects. The results showed that the impact of meteorological conditions on HFMD risk varies in both type and magnitude above certain thresholds (temperature: 30 °C, precipitation: 70 mm, solar radiation: 13000 kJ/m2, pressure: 945 hPa, humidity: 69%). Air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2) showed an inverted U-shaped relationship with the risk of HFMD, while other air pollutants (O3, SO2) showed nonlinear fluctuations. Moreover, the driving effect of increasing temperature on HFMD was significant in the 3-year period, while the inhibitory effect of increasing precipitation appeared evident in the 5-year period. In addition, the proportion of urban/suburban/rural area had a strong influence on HFMD, indicating that the incidence of HFMD firstly increased and then decreased during the rapid urbanization process. The influence of population density on HFMD was not only limited by spatial location, but also varied between high and low intervals. Higher road density inhibited the risk of HFMD, but higher night light index promoted the occurrence of HFMD. Our findings further demonstrated that both ecological and socioeconomic environmental factors can pose multiple driving effects on increasing the spatiotemporal risk of HFMD, which is of great significance for effectively responding to the changes in HFMD epidemic outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is a leading global cause of death. Conventional cancer treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have associated side effects. Ferroptosis, a nonapoptotic and iron-dependent cell death, has been identified and differs from other cell death types. Research has shown that ferroptosis can promote and inhibit tumor growth, which may have prognostic value. Given the unclear role of ferroptosis in cancer biology, this meta-analysis aims to investigate its impact on cancer prognosis. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis conducted searches on PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. Eight retrospective studies were included to compare the impact of ferroptosis inhibition and promotion on cancer patient prognosis. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Studies lacking clear descriptions of hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for OS and PFS were excluded. Random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed on the included study data to assess prognosis differences between the experimental and control groups. Meta-analysis results included HR and 95% confidence intervals. This study has been registered with PROSPERO, CRD 42023463720 on September 27, 2023. Results: A total of 2,446 articles were screened, resulting in the inclusion of 5 articles with 938 eligible subjects. Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis after bias exclusion. The meta-analysis, after bias exclusion, demonstrated that promoting ferroptosis could increase cancer patients' overall survival (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.21–0.44) and progression-free survival (HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.16–0.44) compared to ferroptosis inhibition. The results showed moderate heterogeneity, suggesting that biological activities promoting cancer cell ferroptosis are beneficial for cancer patient's prognosis. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that the promotion of ferroptosis yields substantial benefits for cancer prognosis. These findings underscore the untapped potential of ferroptosis as an innovative anti-tumor therapeutic strategy, capable of addressing challenges related to drug resistance, limited therapeutic efficacy, and unfavorable prognosis in cancer treatment. Registration: CRD42023463720. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: It has been well accepted that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the main bacterial genera present during the brewing of Chinese rice wine (CRW). LAB plays a decisive role in the flavor quality of CRW; however, its application in CRW has previously been overlooked. Therefore, effects of different LAB as co‐fermenter on the flavor characteristics of CRW were investigated. RESULTS: Co‐fermentation of LAB increased the utilization rate of reducing sugar, concentration of lactic acid, amino acid nitrogen and total acidity, as well as the content of volatile flavor compounds. Different LAB doses had little effect on the flavor profiles of CRW, but the species of LAB greatly affected the flavor characteristic. The flavor of CRW co‐fermented with Lactococcus lactis was characterized by long‐chain fatty acid ethyl esters, while co‐fermentation with Weissella confusa highlighted the ethyl esters of low molecular weight and short carbon chains in the resultant CRW. Alcohol compounds were dominant in the CRW co‐fermented using Pediococcus pentosaceus. CONCLUSION: The co‐fermentation of LAB increased the number of volatile flavor compounds, especially esters. LAB exhibited great potential in the application of CRW industry to enrich the flavor characteristics and enhance the flavor diversity of the final product. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A be a finite dimensional hereditary algebra over an algebraically closed field k. In this paper, we study the tilting quiver of A from the viewpoint of τ -tilting theory. First, we prove that there exists an isomorphism between the support τ -tilting quiver Q(s τ -tilt A) of A and the tilting quiver Q(tilt A ¯ ) of the duplicated algebra A ¯ . Then, we give a new method to calculate the number of arrows in the tilting quiver Q(tilt A) when A is representation-finite. Finally, we study the conjecture given by Happel and Unger, which claims that each connected component of Q(tilt A) contains only finitely many non-saturated vertices. We provide an example to show that this conjecture does not hold for some algebras whose quivers are wild with at least four vertices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density functional theory (DFT) simulations were performed to study the effects of structure, interaction and mechanical properties of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane/benzotrifuroxan (CL-20/BTF) under a hydrostatic pressure in the range of 0–100 GPa. The calculated structure agrees well with the experimental data at ambient pressure and 293 K. The CL-20/BTF cocrystal exhibits an anisotropic compression behavior, as shown by the change in lattice constants with pressure, because it is more difficult to compress along the b-axis. In addition, the band gap values decrease rapidly from 0 GPa to 40 Gpa and then decrease slowly with pressure increasing from 50 GPa to 100 GPa. Furthermore, the analysis of the active bond reveals that two types of O–N bonds in the furoxan group and four types of N–N bonds in CL-20 have significant responses to pressure. The Hirshfeld surface gives an insight into intermolecular interaction, and combining the analysis of the Hirshfeld surface and two-dimensional fingerprint plots shows that intermolecular interaction mainly comes from hydrogen bonding interactions and NO2–π interaction in CL-20/BTF cocrystal. According to the stronger intermolecular interaction (sum of O⋯H/H⋯O, N⋯H/H⋯N, O⋯N/N⋯O and O⋯O) decreasing with increasing pressure, it can be speculated that the impact sensitivity of CL-20/BTF increases as the pressure increases. The mechanical properties reveal that this cocrystal shows an increase in ductility, deformation resistance and stiffness with increasing pressure. The elastic anisotropy indicates that the CL-20/BTF varies anisotropically under pressure in the range of 0–100 GPa but is near isotropy level under 20 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ketogenic diet (KD) has demonstrated benefits in numerous clinical studies and animal models of disease in modulating the immune response and promoting a systemic anti-inflammatory state. Here we investigate the effects of a KD on systemic toxicity in mice following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data indicate that under KD, SARS-CoV-2 reduces weight loss with overall improved animal survival. Muted multi-organ transcriptional reprogramming and metabolism rewiring suggest that a KD initiates and mitigates systemic changes induced by the virus. We observed reduced metalloproteases and increased inflammatory homeostatic protein transcription in the heart, with decreased serum pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., TNF-α, IL-15, IL-22, G-CSF, M-CSF, MCP-1), metabolic markers of inflammation (i.e., kynurenine/tryptophane ratio), and inflammatory prostaglandins, indicative of reduced systemic inflammation in animals infected under a KD. Taken together, these data suggest that a KD can alter the transcriptional and metabolic response in animals following SARS-CoV-2 infection with improved mice health, reduced inflammation, and restored amino acid, nucleotide, lipid, and energy currency metabolism. A systems-wide study of mice infected with SARS-CoV2 under ketogenic diet shows that this diet reprograms the transcriptional and metabolic response in animals following infection with improved health, reduced inflammation, and restored metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : Exposure to aggressive parenting is a well-established environmental risk factor for anxiety symptoms. Moreover, autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, including activity in both parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems (PNS and SNS), may moderate the effects of aggressive parenting on anxiety. This study aims to examine the interactive effects of aggressive parenting and ANS activity (both PNS and SNS) in accounting for trait anxiety among emerging adults. Methods: Participants (n = 190, mean age = 19.29, 56% females) reported retrospectively on childhood aggressive parenting and trait anxiety. In addition, we measured resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of PNS, and resting skin conductance level (SCL), an index of SNS. Results: Regression analyses revealed that the three-way interaction between resting SCL, RSA, and aggressive parenting significantly accounted for trait anxiety. Simple slope analyses suggest that the relation between aggressive parenting and trait anxiety is stronger at lower conditional values of resting RSA and lower conditional values of resting SCL. Conclusion: Coinhibition, or relatively low activity across both systems, may exacerbate the link between aggressive parenting and trait anxiety. This study highlights the importance of considering the interaction effects of multiple physiological systems and environmental context on later psychological functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: ruthenium catalysis; mandelic acids; alkynes; annulation; isocoumarins EN ruthenium catalysis mandelic acids alkynes annulation isocoumarins 2005 2010 6 10/09/23 20231024 NES 231024 Graph Isocoumarins are an important class of natural lactones, and their skeletal structure is an important part of many active pharmaceutical ingredients. At present, the major methods for synthesizing isocoumarins include (1) the cyclization reaction of I ortho i -halogen-substituted benzoic acids or their esters or amides with 1,3-diketones or internal alkynes; [10][11][12] and (2) the internal cyclization reaction of I ortho i -alkenyl- or alkynyl-substituted benzoic acids or their esters. The reactions of benzaldehydes B 5 b and benzoic acids B 6 b with B 2a b proceeded when the amount of Cu(OAc) SB 2 sb -H SB 2 sb O was increased to 1.5 equivalents and the reaction time was shortened to ten hours. Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed C-H Annulation of Mandelic Acids with Internal Alkynes to Construct Isocoumarins. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: We aimed to synthesize insights from systems science approaches applied to domestic and gender-based violence. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of systems science studies (systems thinking, group model-building, agent-based modeling [ABM], system dynamics [SD] modeling, social network analysis [SNA], and network analysis [NA]) applied to domestic or gender-based violence, including victimization, perpetration, prevention, and community responses. We used blinded review to identify papers meeting our inclusion criteria (i.e., peer-reviewed journal article or published book chapter that described a systems science approach to domestic or gender-based violence, broadly defined) and assessed the quality and transparency of each study. Results: Our search yielded 1,841 studies, and 74 studies met our inclusion criteria (45 SNA, 12 NA, 8 ABM, and 3 SD). Although research aims varied across study types, the included studies highlighted social network influences on risks for domestic violence, clustering of risk factors and violence experiences, and potential targets for intervention. We assessed the quality of the included studies as moderate, though only a minority adhered to best practices in model development and dissemination, including stakeholder engagement and sharing of model code. Conclusions: Systems science approaches for the study of domestic and gender-based violence have shed light on the complex processes that characterize domestic violence and its broader context. Future research in this area should include greater dialogue between different types of systems science approaches, consideration of peer and family influences in the same models, and expanded use of best practices, including continued engagement of community stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cancer immunotherapy is a compelling approach against cancer, its effectiveness is hindered by the challenge of generating a robust and durable immune response against metastatic cancer cells. Nanovaccines, specifically engineered to transport cancer antigens and immune-stimulating agents to the lymph nodes, hold promise in overcoming these limitations and eliciting a potent and sustained immune response against metastatic cancer cells. This manuscript provides an in-depth exploration of the lymphatic system's background, emphasizing its role in immune surveillance and tumor metastasis. Furthermore, it delves into the design principles of nanovaccines and their unique capability to target lymph node metastasis. The primary objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current advancements in nanovaccine design for targeting lymph node metastasis, while also discussing their potential to enhance cancer immunotherapy. By summarizing the state-of-the-art in nanovaccine development, this review aims to shed light on the promising prospects of harnessing nanotechnology to potentiate cancer immunotherapy and ultimately improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diminished sensory gating (SG) is a robust finding in psychotic disorders, but studies of early psychosis (EP) are rare. It is unknown whether SG deficit leads to poor neurocognitive, social, and/or real-world functioning. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationships between SG and these variables. Methods: Seventy-nine EP patients and 88 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited at baseline. Thirty-three and 20 EP patients completed 12-month and 24-month follow-up, respectively. SG was measured using the auditory dual-click (S1 & S2) paradigm and quantified as P50 ratio (S2/S1) and difference (S1-S2). Cognition, real-life functioning, and symptoms were assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery, Global Functioning: Social (GFS) and Role (GFR), Multnomah Community Ability Scale (MCAS), Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, mixed model, correlation and regression analyses were used for group comparisons and relationships among variables controlling for potential confounding variables. Results: In EP patients, P50 ratio (p < 0.05) and difference (p < 0.001) at 24-month showed significant differences compared with that at baseline. At baseline, P50 indices (ratio, S1-S2 difference, S1) were independently associated with GFR in HCs (all p < 0.05); in EP patients, S2 amplitude was independently associated with GFS (p = 0.037). At 12-month and 24-month, P50 indices (ratio, S1, S2) was independently associated with MCAS (all p < 0.05). S1-S2 difference was a trending predictor of future function (GFS or MCAS). Conclusions: SG showed progressive reduction in EP patients. P50 indices were related to real-life functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between childhood harsh parenting and later aggression is well established. However, harsh parenting may occur within the context of nonviolent discipline. Moreover, sympathetic nervous system activity may moderate the effects of harsh parenting on aggression. This study examined whether sympathetic nervous system activity, measured by skin conductance level (SCL), and childhood nonviolent discipline moderate the link between childhood harsh parenting and later aggression among emerging adults. Participants (N = 264, mean age = 19.37, 54% females) reported retrospectively on experiences of childhood harsh parenting and nonviolent discipline as well as current anger, hostility, verbal, and physical aggression. We also measured resting SCL. Regression analyses revealed a significant three-way interaction between childhood harsh parenting, nonviolent discipline, and resting SCL accounting for anger and a significant two-way interaction between childhood harsh parenting and resting SCL accounting for hostility. Results suggested that (1) at high levels of resting SCL and low levels of childhood nonviolent discipline and (2) at low levels of resting SCL and high levels of childhood nonviolent discipline, the link between childhood harsh parenting and anger was stronger. Moreover, the association between childhood harsh parenting and hostility was stronger among participants who exhibited high resting SCL. The findings are consistent with the biological sensitivity to context theory. Our study highlighted the importance to examine the influence of both environmental and biological variables underlying emerging adults' aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) has been established as being an effective treatment for advanced gastric cancer (GC), while the predictive biomarker of NACT efficacy remains under investigation. Aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) represents an attractive target which is a highly conserved transmembrane enzyme overexpressed in human GC, and participates in the malignant transformation by promoting tumor cell motility. Here, we evaluated the expression of ASPH by immunohistochemistry in 350 GC tissues (including samples for NACT) and found that ASPH expression was higher in patients undergoing NACT compared with patients without NACT pre-operation. The OS and PFS time of ASPH-intensely positive patients was significantly shorter than that of the negative patients in the NACT group, while the difference was not significant in patients without NACT. We showed that ASPH knockout enhanced the inhibitory effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and suppressed tumor progression in vivo. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that ASPH might interact with LAPTM4B to perform chemotherapeutic drug resistance. Our results suggested that ASPH might serve as a candidate biomarker to predict prognosis and a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Previous studies have reported that PID2, which encodes a B‐lectin receptor‐like kinase, is a key gene in the resistance of rice to Magnaporthe oryzae strain ZB15. However, the PID2‐mediated downstream signalling events remain largely unknown.The U‐box E3 ubiquitin ligase OsPIE3 (PID2‐interacting E3) was isolated and confirmed to play key roles in PID2‐mediated rice blast resistance. Yeast two‐hybrid analysis showed that the armadillo repeat region of OsPIE3 is required for its interaction with PID2. Further investigation demonstrated that OsPIE3 can modify the subcellular localisation of PID2, thus promoting its nuclear recruitment from the plasma membrane for protein degradation in the ubiquitin–proteasome system. Site‐directed mutagenesis of a conserved cysteine site (C230S) within the U‐box domain of OsPIE3 reduces PID2 translocation and ubiquitination.Genetic analysis suggested that OsPIE3 loss‐of‐function mutants exhibited enhanced resistance to M. oryzae isolate ZB15, whereas mutants with overexpressed OsPIE3 exhibited reduced resistance. Furthermore, the OsPIE3/PID2‐double mutant displayed a similar blast phenotype to that of the PID2 single mutant, suggesting that OsPIE3 is a negative regulator and functions along with PID2 in blast disease resistance.Our findings confirm that the E3 ubiquitin ligase OsPIE3 is necessary for PID2‐mediated rice blast disease resistance regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory gating P50 (SG-P50) may be involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of impaired cognition in schizophrenia (SCZ). Comorbid depressive symptoms are common in SCZ patients and are also found to be associated with their cognitive impairment. However, it is unclear whether SG-P50 is abnormal in first episode antipsychotics naïve (FEAN) SCZ patients with depressive symptoms. Our aimed to investigate the relationships between SG-P50, depressive symptoms and neurocognition in FEAN-SCZ patients. We recruited 103 FEAN-SCZ patients (depression: n = 63; non-depression: n = 40) and 55 healthy controls. SG-P50 was measured using the standard auditory dual-click (S1&S2) paradigm. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS-17). Cognitive performance was evaluated using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Compared with non-depressive patients, depressive patients had a significantly larger S2 amplitude (p = 0.005) and a higher S2/S1 ratio at trend level (p = 0.075) after corrected. There were significant differences in the scores of CPT-IP and Mazes (NAB) between depressive and non-depressive FEAN-SCZ patients (both p values < 0.05). For all patients, the SG-P50 S2/S1 ratio was significantly correlated with HDRS-17 score (r = 0.23, p = 0.020) and MCCB-Symbol coding (r = −0.16, p = 0.043). For depressive FEAN-SCZ patients, S2 amplitude was an independent predictor of the MCCB-Mazes (NAB) (β = −0.31, t = −2.52, p = 0.015). SG-P50 deficit may be an informational biomarker for depressive symptoms and neurocognitive impairments in FEAN-SCZ patients. • Depressive first episode antipsychotics naïve (FEAN) patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) showed larger P50 S2 amplitude. • Worse attention and problem-solving occurred in FEAN-SCZ patients with than without depression. • S2 amplitude was inversely associated with problem-solving in depressive FEAN-SCZ patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study linking the two economic and social phenomena of rural labor force migration and energy transition can help analyze the underlying causes of rural "Energy Poverty". However, how off-farm employment affects household low-carbon energy consumption and its potential mechanisms requires further research. Using 1351 sampled rural households from the "Rural Energy, Population Transfer and Well-being" survey in 2018 and 2021 to explore response mechanisms through which off-farm employment can influence low-carbon energy intensity. Utilizing the multivariate regression, Sobel test, and moderating effect test, the results demonstrate that off-farm employment, including short-term and long-term off-farm employment, significantly increases the intensity of low-carbon energy use among rural households. Specifically, long-term off-farm employment tends to have a greater positive contribution to the low-carbon energy intensity than short-term off-farm employment. Furthermore, off-farm employment can affect household low-carbon energy intensity through the total income, and effect of the surrounding people in the off-farm employment process also increases their consumption intensity. The research reveals that the rural energy revolution under the constraints of "Carbon Neutral" and "Carbon Peak" should relate to the off-farm development of rural households to achieve "Precise Energy Poverty Alleviation". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties of shale reservoirs directly affect the form of shale gas and its preservation conditions, and an evaluation of these properties has great significance on the storage and exploitation of shale gas. In this study, the Longmaxi Formation shale in the Sichuan Basin was considered as the research object. The parameters of porosity, permeability, mineral composition, total organic carbon content, density, in-situ stress, brittleness index, and fluid saturation of the samples were obtained through a series of tests. The influence of each parameter on the porosity and permeability was analyzed, and a weight analysis was conducted using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results show that: clay mineral content in the mineral composition has a positive correlation with porosity, and the content of brittle minerals can affect the fracture development density and improve the permeability of samples; the total organic carbon content has a positive correlation with porosity and permeability; increases in density and in-situ stress will significantly reduce the porosity and permeability of samples; the brittleness index has a negative correlation with porosity and a positive correlation with permeability; water saturation has a positive correlation with porosity, gas saturation has a negative correlation with porosity, and the movable oil saturation has an obvious logarithmic relationship with porosity and a negative correlation with permeability. Furthermore, the AHP was used to analyze the specific effects of various parameters on porosity and permeability, with the weight of total organic carbon content > mineral composition > brittleness index > density > in-situ stress > fluid saturation. In this study, we evaluated the physical properties of shale reservoirs, which provides an important basis for shale reservoir evaluation and mining area selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural-tube defects (NTDs) are one type of the most serious birth defects. Studies have shown that inositol deficiency is closely related to the occurrence of NTDs. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-mediated Smad signaling pathways have been implicated in neurogenesis and neural-tube closure. However, the role of the BMP/Smad pathway in inositol-deficiency-induced NTDs remains unclear. Inositol-deficiency models in C57 mice and mouse neural stem cells (mNSCs) were induced with Li2CO3 treatment or inositol withdrawal. The role of the BMP/Smad pathway in the regulation of cell proliferation and the development of NTDs was determined utilizing qRT-PCR, HE staining, Western blot, immunostaining, MTT assay, EdU staining, and flow cytometry. The intraperitoneal injection of Li2CO3 at Embryonic Day 7.5 induced the occurrence of NTDs. The mRNA levels of Bmp2, Bmp4, Smad1, Smad5, Smad8 and Runx2, the phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, and the nuclear translocation of Runx2 were significantly increased in NTD embryonic brain tissues and mNSCs exposed to Li2CO3 or an inositol-free medium, which were suppressed by BMP receptor selective inhibitor LDN-193189. The Li2CO3-induced phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 was inhibited by inositol supplementation. Cell proliferation was significantly promoted by Li2CO3 exposure or the absence of inositol in mNSCs, which was reversed by LDN-193189. These results suggest that the activation of the BMP/Smad signaling pathway might play an important role in the development of NTDs induced by maternal Li2CO3 exposure via inositol deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection of the isolated heart is very important in heart transplantation surgery, meanwhile, the ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) of the isolated heart is the main cause of its damage. A timely supply of oxygen can significantly improve the prevention of myocardial ischaemia, however, the cardioprotective solution does not have an oxygen supply function. Haemoglobin Based on Oxygen Carriers (HBOCs) is a kind of nano-oxygen drug, which can effectively and timely supply oxygen to hypoxic organs and tissues. However, the oxygen-carrying and releasing capacity (P50) is different with different HBOCs. The aim of our study was to investigate whether STS (a kind of cardioprotective solution, St Thomas Solution) +different P50 HBOCs provide superior myocardial protection and decrease myocardial injury compared to only STS in rats Langendorff isolated heart perfusion model. The results showed that STS + HBOCs can improve cardiac function at 37 °C for 35 min and 120 min, and reduce myocardial infarctions, pathological changes, and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, and the STS + low P50 HBOCs is more effective than the other two higher P50 HBOCs. We further demonstrated the outstanding protective effect of STS + low P50 HBOCs on cardiac function, reducing myocardial infarctions and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in rat Langendorff isolated heart perfusion model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covering: 2013 to 2021 As the characteristic metabolites of Euphorbia plants, Euphorbia diterpenoids have always been a hot topic in related science communities due to their intriguing structures and broad bioactivities. In this review, we intent to provide an in-depth and extensive coverage of Euphorbia diterpenoids reported from 2013 to the end of 2021, including 997 new Euphorbia diterpenoids and 78 known ones with latest progress. Multiple aspects will be summarized, including their occurrences, chemical structures, bioactivities, and syntheses, in which the structure–activity relationship and biosynthesis of this class will be discussed for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Studies using oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) have shown that impaired glucose metabolism presents in the early stages of schizophrenia (SCZ). However, there is a lack of studies on changes in glucose metabolism with the stage of the disease. We first explored the features of glucose metabolic pattern at different phases of male SCZ. Methods: We recruited 83 male first episode drug‐naïve patients with SCZ (FEDN‐SCZ) and 64 male chronic patients with SCZ (CH‐SCZ), as well as 14 male healthy controls. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the psychopathology of patients. OGTT, fasting plasma glucose and lipid profiles of all participants were examined. Results: While the impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) rate of male SCZ patients was higher than that of HC (P <.05), there was no difference in IGT prevalence between FEDN‐SCZ and CH‐SCZ. In male FEDN‐SCZ, LDL (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.11–6.29, P =.028) and PANSS total score (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.00–1.06, P =.046) were positively correlated with IGT; in male CH‐SCZ, BMI (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.08–2.67, P =.023), PANSS total score (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.70–0.96, P =.015) and positive symptoms (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.20–0.99, P =.046) were significantly correlated with IGT. Conclusions: Our findings reflect different glucose metabolism patterns in different stages of SCZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are significant issues with commercial separators that must be resolved before they can be used in high-energy-density batteries. These problems include low porosity, poor electrolyte wetting, and low mechanical properties. This study presents a facile method for preparing composite crosslinked hydrogel nanofibers of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) for lithium-ion battery separators by utilizing methacrylated lignin (LMA) as a bio-based crosslinker. Initially, LMA was synthesized by grafting glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto lignin via esterification. Subsequently, a crosslinked hydrogel nanofiber membrane (PVA/AMPS-LMA) was electrospun with varying LMA fractions, which were polymerized by combining free radical copolymerization and esterification reactions. The effectiveness of LMA as a crosslinker was assessed against the N, N′-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA). The study showed that using LMA as a crosslinker significantly improved the membrane's properties. The PVA/AMPS-LMA separator displayed superior features such as mechanical strength, thermal stability, porosity, electrolyte uptake, ionic conductivity, and lithium-ion transference number, when compared with PVA/AMPS, PVA, and Celgard separators. Specifically, the PVA/AMPS-LMA separator demonstrated a high mechanical strength of 24.9 MPa, strong thermal stability at 170 °C with no shrinkage, high porosity (84.3 %), and electrolyte uptake (661.4 %). It also exhibited exceptional ionic conductivity (2.75 mS/cm) and a notable lithium-ion transference number (tLi+ = 0.717). In coin batteries, the PVA/AMPS-LMA separator retained over 96 % capacity (142.4 mAh/g) after 200 cycles at 1C. This performance exceeded that of PVA/AMPS, PVA, and Celgard separators, suggesting that PVA/AMPS-LMA separators have the potential to replace their commercial counterparts. [Display omitted] • The PVA/AMPS-LAM separators made by electrospinning-copolymerization process. • The effect of the LMA on the separator's structure and properties was studied. • PVA/AMPS-LAM showed high-porosity, thermal-stability, and mechanical properties. • PVA/AMPS-LAM had highly electrolyte uptake, ionic conductivity, and ion transfers. • PVA/AMPS-LAM separators displayed outstanding electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crafting spatially controllable charge transfer channels at the nanoscale level remains an enduring challenge in solar‐to‐chemical conversion technology. Despite the advancements, it still suffers from sluggish interfacial charge transport kinetics and scarcity of strategies to finely modulate charge transport pathways. Herein, this article demonstrates the unexpected charge modulation property of non‐conjugated insulating polymer assisted by a universal layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly tactic. Oppositely charged poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA) and Ti3C2 MXene quantum dots (MQDs) are periodically attached to the wide bandgap metal oxides (WMOs) to design multilayered heterostructured photoanodes. The intermediate PDDA layer acts as an efficacious charge relay medium to access directional electron flow from WMOs to Ti3C2 MQDs, while Ti3C2 MQDs serve as the electron extractor. Charge transfer cascade is thus stimulated on account of the simultaneous electron‐trapping capabilities of interim PDDA layer and Ti3C2 MQDs, which synergistically favors the conspicuously boosted charge separation over WMOs, affording the WMOs/(PDDA/MQDs)n photoanodes with considerably enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation performances. Moreover, PEC performances of such photoanodes can be tuned by interface configuration via assembly number and sequence. This work will provide an insightful perspective to craft a directional charge transfer pathway through insulating polymer for solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spintronic neural devices are attracting growing interest for its potential capability in processing massive data with extremely low power consumption. The devices based on magnetic domain walls (DWs) are considered as promising solutions for its nonvolatility, high density, and flexible design. Among the device mechanisms, strong chiral coupling of laterally adjacent nanomagnets through interfacial Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction (DMI) enables field-free correlated switching of neighboring nanomagnets and planar DW racetrack cascading. Here, we apply this lateral coupling mechanism to realize a current-driven magnetic neural device and network. With the spin-orbit-torque (SOT)-driven DW motion and chiral coupling between laterally neighboring out-of-plane (OOP) and in-plane (IP) nanomagnets, this device achieves nonvolatile binary neuromorphic computing. By racetrack cascading of this device, we further implement a three-layer binary neural network (BNN) capable of recognizing images. This device, which realizes all-electric nonvolatile in-memory computing, may inspire the development of ultralow-power spin artificial neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 25% of the patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are clinically node negative have occult lymph node metastases at radical cystectomy (RC) and pelvic lymph node dissection. The aim of this study was to evaluate preoperative CT-based radiomics to differentiate between pN+ and pN0 disease in patients with clinical stage cT2-T4aN0-N1M0 MIBC. Patients with cT2-T4aN0-N1M0 MIBC, of whom preoperative CT scans and pathology reports were available, were included from the prospective, multicenter CirGuidance trial. After manual segmentation of the lymph nodes, 564 radiomics features were extracted. A combination of different machine-learning methods was used to develop various decision models to differentiate between patients with pN+ and pN0 disease. A total of 209 patients (159 pN0; 50 pN+) were included, with a total of 3153 segmented lymph nodes. None of the individual radiomics features showed significant differences between pN+ and pN0 disease, and none of the radiomics models performed substantially better than random guessing. Hence, CT-based radiomics does not contribute to differentiation between pN+ and pN0 disease in patients with cT2-T4aN0-N1M0 MIBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their vital role in the homeostasis of the limbal stem cell niche, limbal melanocytes have emerged as promising candidates for tissue engineering applications. This study aimed to isolate and characterize a population of melanocyte precursors in the limbal stroma, compared with melanocytes originating from the limbal epithelium, using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) with positive (CD117/c-Kit microbeads) or negative (CD326/EpCAM or anti-fibroblast microbeads) selection approaches. Both approaches enabled fast and easy isolation and cultivation of pure limbal epithelial and stromal melanocyte populations, which differed in phenotype and gene expression, but exhibited similar functional properties regarding proliferative potential, pigmentation, and support of clonal growth of limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LEPCs). In both melanocyte populations, limbus-specific matrix (laminin 511-E8) and soluble factors (LEPC-derived conditioned medium) stimulated melanocyte adhesion, dendrite formation, melanogenesis, and expression of genes involved in UV protection and immune regulation. The findings provided not only a novel protocol for the enrichment of pure melanocyte populations from limbal tissue applying easy-to-use MACS technology, but also identified a population of stromal melanocyte precursors, which may serve as a reservoir for the replacement of damaged epithelial melanocytes and an alternative resource for tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of insecticides remains important in managing pest insects. Over the years, many insects manifested physiological and behavioral modifications resulting in reduced efficacy of insecticides targeted against them. Emerging evidence suggests that bacterial symbionts could modulate susceptibility of host insects against insecticides. Here, we explore the influence of host microbiota in affecting the susceptibility of insect host against different insecticides in the blood-sucking bed bug, Cimex hemipterus. Rifampicin antibiotic treatment resulted in increased susceptibility to fenitrothion and imidacloprid, but not against deltamethrin. Meanwhile, the host fitness parameters measured in the present study were not significantly affected by rifampicin treatment, suggesting the role of bacterial symbionts influencing susceptibility against the insecticides. 16S metagenomics sequencing revealed a drastic shift in the composition of several bacterial taxa following rifampicin treatment. The highly abundant Alphaproteobacteria (Wolbachia > 90%) and Gammaproteobacteria (Yersinia > 6%) in control bed bugs were significantly suppressed and replaced by Actinobacteria, Bacilli, and Betaproteobacteria in the rifampicin treated F1 bed bugs, suggesting possibilities of Wolbachia mediating insecticide susceptibility in C. hemipterus. However, no significant changes in the total esterase, GST, and P450 activities were observed following rifampicin treatment, indicating yet unknown bacterial mechanisms explaining the observed phenomena. Re-inoculation of microbial content from control individuals regained the tolerance of rifampicin treated bed bugs to imidacloprid and fenitrothion. This study provides a foundation for a symbiont-mediated mechanism in influencing insecticide susceptibility that was previously unknown to bed bugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prepare ecdysterone (ES)/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complex, thus improving the water solubility and bioavailability of ES. Phase-solubility study was performed to study the mass ratio of ES and HP-β-CD. Then, the ES/HP-β-CD inclusion complex was prepared by the solvent evaporation method, and its physicochemical properties were characterised using the SEM, DSC, XRD, 1HNMR and FT-IR. In addition, in vitro dissolution and bioavailability (oral and transdermal) experiments were also conducted. The inclusion complex was formed with ES and HP-β-CD at the mass ratio of 1:1. ES existed in an amorphous form in the inclusion complex. The equilibrium solubility of ES/HP-β-CD inclusion complex in SGF (simulated gastric fluid) and SIF (simulated intestinal fluid) was 50.6 ± 0.11 mg/mL and 75.9 ± 0.38 mg/mL in SGF and SIF, which was 5.93 and 9.96 times higher than that of free ES, respectively. The ES/HP-β-CD inclusion complex had better dissolution ability and transdermal permeability than the free ES. The oral bioavailability and the transdermal bioavailability were respectively increased by 2.97 times and 1.92 times compared with the free ES. These data suggest that the ES/HP-β-CD inclusion complex can be developed as potential pharmaceutical product for future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular data provide a promising way for congestion detection with low cost and high coverage, and the simulation study is a feasible solution to verify the detection method. This paper presents a simulation approach that uses cellular data to detect traffic congestion on urban arterials based on the relationship between cellular data and traffic status. The virtual testbed, which includes three main modules, is developed to perform the cellular activities generation, collection, and aggregation process between cell phones and cell stations. Then, the correlation between cellular data and traffic status data is studied. Finally, three scenarios using the data from testbed are demonstrated to measure the performance of the proposed method under different conditions. The results indicate that the proposed approach is a feasible and efficient way to simulate cellular data generation, collection, and aggregation process. Also, it can be the base for further analysis to detect traffic congestion on arterials using cellular data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voronoi constellations (VCs) are finite sets of vectors of a coding lattice enclosed by the translated Voronoi region of a shaping lattice, which is a sublattice of the coding lattice. In conventional VCs, the shaping lattice is a scaled-up version of the coding lattice. In this paper, we design low-complexity VCs with a cubic coding lattice of up to 32 dimensions, in which pseudo-Gray labeling is applied to minimize the bit error rate. The designed VCs have considerable shaping gains of up to 1.03 dB and finer choices of spectral efficiencies in practice compared with conventional VCs. A mutual information estimation method and a log-likelihood approximation method based on importance sampling for very large constellations are proposed and applied to the designed VCs. With error-control coding, the proposed VCs can have higher information rates than the conventional scaled VCs because of their inherently good pseudo-Gray labeling feature, with a lower decoding complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion cells experience significant internal thermal gradients during operation, with a direct impact on their safety, performance, cost and lifetime. The estimation of the internal temperature of cells is therefore particularly important. In this work, a 3D distributed electro-thermal model for internal temperature estimation is developed for a cylindrical cell (LG M50T, NMC811). The model is parameterized and comprehensively validated against experimental data for 21700 cells, including direct core temperature measurements. Multiple types of electrical load are considered, including constant current discharge, pulse discharge, drive cycle and instant discharge/charge switching. The developed model is used to estimate core temperature based on surface temperature measurement. The predictions are shown to have good accuracy at relatively low computational cost. We show that the widely adopted two-node lumped thermal estimation model is increasingly inaccurate for more aggressive discharges, when thermal gradients become higher. Compared to the standard two-node model, the distributed equivalent circuit network model predicts the effects of detailed internal cell structure (electrode, current collector, metal can and tab) and distributed internal heat generation. The results are of immediate interest to cell manufacturers and battery pack designers, while the modelling and parameterization framework is a useful tool for energy storage systems design. • Developed 3D distributed electro-thermal model for internal temperature estimation. • Model parameterized and validated experimentally for 21700 cylindrical cells LGM50T. • Direct core temperature is used for validation of internal cell temperature. • Estimation of core temperature based on surface temperature measurement succeeds. • Prior methods are inaccurate at high discharge due to high internal thermal gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The research on the performance of zirconium alloy samples before and after long-term cooling is quite rare. • This paper analyzes the effects caused by hydrogen and oxygen on the embrittlement of zirconium alloy, during the simulated LOCA post-accident long-term cooling process. • The oxide films of the samples remained monoclinic phase after long-term cooling, and the newly formed oxide film at the interface was also of monoclinic phase. • After long-term cooling, the oxygen-rich α(O) layer of zirconium alloy transformed into a new oxide film, which thickened the oxide layer and caused the outermost shedding phenomenon. Furthermore, the oxygen content in the prior-β layer increased, which exacerbated the embrittlement of zirconium alloy. During the standard operation of the reactor, the zirconium alloy cladding continues to absorb hydrogen due to water corrosion. The zirconium alloy cladding, which has been embrittled by the hydrogen absorption, will experience more severe embrittlement after experiencing a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The subsequent long-term cooling process will further corrode the cladding and make it unable to maintain a geometry suitable for cooling. To better simulate the actual operating conditions, pre hydrogen Zr-Sn-Nb zirconium alloy was selected and subjected to the high-temperature steam oxidation quenching test to replicate the LOCA accidents. Then, a long-term cooling environment was simulated through an overheated steam environment. The residual plasticity of the sample was measured post the test, alongside with analyzing the microstructure morphology and oxygen element distribution of the sample through various microscopic analysis methods. The results show that after long-term cooling, the oxidation of zirconium alloy cladding intensified. The oxide films on the samples remain monoclinic phase after the long-term cooling, even the newly formed oxide film at the interface is monoclinic as well; the oxygen-rich α (O) layer of zirconium alloy transforms into a new oxide film after long-term cooling, while the oxygen content in the prior- β layer increases The increase in oxygen content in the layer exacerbates the embrittlement of zirconium alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study introduces an innovative design for enhancing the energy-dissipating capacity and replaceability of eccentrically braced steel frames using a two-segment replaceable shear link. This design features a 10 mm gap in the mid-length, providing an installation tolerance for easy disassembly. The two segments are connected through channel splicing plates and side plates, emphasizing concentrated plastic deformation in the energy-dissipating region. Fully bolted connections involve non-energy-dissipating components, allowing efficient elastic design and focused plastic behavior. To evaluate seismic performance, two types of replaceable links were designed for cyclic loading tests: one with standard holes and the other with slotted holes in the side plate and channel splicing plate. Test results highlight localized plastic deformation in the energy-dissipating region, with failures such as broken welds, severe flange buckling, and web plate tearing. Stable hysteresis curves exhibit good ductility, energy dissipation, and plastic deformation. The ultimate plastic angle exceeds 0.13 rad, surpassing the AISC 341–16 limit of 0.08 rad. Ductility coefficients range from 6.10 to 7.99, and overstrength coefficients range from 1.82 to 2.09, exceeding the AISC 341–16 limit of 1.5. Furthermore, a two-stage design method for bolted connections, accounting for bolt slip, is proposed. This method enhances the overall understanding and utilization of these innovative replaceable shear links, providing a comprehensive solution for improving the seismic performance of eccentrically braced steel frames. • The seismic performance of two-segment replaceable link with channel splicing plate is evaluated by cycle loading test. • The hysteresis curves of the replaceable link are full and the specimens have a strong plastic deformation capacity. • The experimental study showed that the overstrength coefficient (Ω) for the replaceable link ranged from 1.82 to 2.09. • The bolts slip in the channel splicing plate dissipate more energy due to the slotted hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine structures are subjected to cyclic wave loads in ocean environments, leading to progressive forms of structural degradation such as fatigue cracks. To ensure fitness-for-service of these critical assets, there has been increasing interest in the application of digital twin-enabled virtual monitoring techniques. Whilst numerous studies have focused on computational algorithms dedicated to virtual monitoring, little effort has been devoted to establishing a practical digital-to-physical connection and decision-making based on virtually monitored data. This paper bridges this research gap by proposing an approach for implementing digital twin-enabled virtually monitored data in inspection planning for marine structures. The inspection of fatigue-prone structural components plays a crucial role in structural integrity management. Reliability-informed inspection, which employs a probabilistic approach that prioritises inspections based on probability of failure, offers a cost-effective approach by avoiding unnecessary inspections and reducing life-cycle costs. However, conducting a comprehensive structural reliability analysis requires thorough knowledge of the actual operational profile and current state of a structure (e.g. consumed fatigue life) in order to accurately predict its future performance (e.g. remaining fatigue life). Although design specifications and assumptions can serve as guidelines, a high degree of uncertainty may arise due to the discrepancy between the actual operational profile and the design assumptions. The approach developed in this paper consists of four main elements: virtual monitoring, data-driven forecasting, fatigue reliability, and inspection planning. This provides a practical means for establishing a connection between condition monitoring and assessment in the digital world and decision-making in the physical world. An illustrative numerical example is then presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed framework. Finally, avenues for future research and developments in this field are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A free-falling particle receiver is a promising technology to be used in concentrating solar power plants. In this study, an optical-thermal coupled model is established by combining a Monte Carlo ray-tracing method with a finite volume method to simulate the energy transfer processes in a solar power tower system employing a cavity receiver. Using the developed model, a novel particle release pattern, zigzag mass-flow controlled pattern, is proposed and compared with three other patterns, straight-line, zigzag, and mass-flow controlled patterns. First, the effects of the amplitude of the zigzag particle release slots on the receiver performance are analyzed. Then, the variations of the solar energy entering the receiver at different times on the vernal equinox is studied. Moreover, a new particle release pattern, zigzag mass-flow controlled pattern, is proposed and evaluated. The results demonstrated that the thermal performance of the zigzag mass-flow controlled particle release pattern was found to be superior to the other three patterns, allowing an increase in the thermal efficiency of 2.90 %. This allows for achieving effective thermal performance improvements while employing cost-effective designs in the free-falling particle receiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A free-falling particle receiver is a promising technology to be used in concentrating solar power plants. In this study, an optical-thermal coupled model is established by combining a Monte Carlo ray-tracing method with a finite volume method to simulate the energy transfer processes in a solar power tower system employing a cavity receiver. Using the developed model, a novel particle release pattern, zigzag mass-flow controlled pattern, is proposed and compared with three other patterns, straight-line, zigzag, and mass-flow controlled patterns. First, the effects of the amplitude of the zigzag particle release slots on the receiver performance are analyzed. Then, the variations of the solar energy entering the receiver at different times on the vernal equinox is studied. Moreover, a new particle release pattern, zigzag mass-flow controlled pattern, is proposed and evaluated. The results demonstrated that the thermal performance of the zigzag mass-flow controlled particle release pattern was found to be superior to the other three patterns, allowing an increase in the thermal efficiency of 2.90 %. This allows for achieving effective thermal performance improvements while employing cost-effective designs in the free-falling particle receiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional I-beam sections connected with end plates face challenges related to end bolts and excessive residual deformation. In response to these challenges, this study introduces an innovative concept: two-segment replaceable links with separated splicing plates. Two variations of replaceable links have been designed - one with separated splicing plates featuring standard bolt holes, and another with short slotted bolt holes. Cyclic loading tests has been conducted to study their seismic performance. The test results reveal that the failure modes of the links include flange buckling and tearing at the welds connecting the flange and end plate. The hysteresis curves of the specimens are complete and stable. The average overstrength coefficient of the links is 1.75, meeting the specified limit requirement for an overstrength coefficient greater than 1.5 for the link. The ultimate plastic rotation reaches up to 0.19 rad. Notably, specimens with short slotted bolt holes exhibit a relatively significant energy dissipation ratio due to bolts slip during test and they demonstrate optimal replaceability in terms of minimized replacement time and residual shear rotation. Furthermore, the two-stage design method for high-strength bolts in splicing plate is proposed considering bolts slip. • To evaluate the seismic performance of the two-segment replaceable link with separated splicing plates. • The hysteresis curves of the replaceable link are full and the specimens have a strong plastic deformation capacity. • The experimental study showed that the overstrength coefficient (Ω) for the replaceable link ranged from 1.52 to 2.00. • The bolts slip in the splicing plate dissipate more energy due to the long circle holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in the wind direction over time mean that it is essential to improve the directional adaptability of wind energy harvesters (WEHs) based on wind-induced vibration (WIV) to expand their application potential. Several multi-directional WIV WEHs have been reported in the literature but most of them are not omnidirectional. In particular, no mathematical model has been proposed for omnidirectional WIV WEHs to date. In this Letter, an in-plane omnidirectional piezoelectric WEH with a cylindrical shell, acting as a bluff body and supported by internal piezoelectric composite beams, is proposed. It is deduced that the omnidirectionality of wind energy harvesting can be enhanced by improving the isotropies of the aerodynamic force, stiffness, and electromechanical conversion. For a WEH with three semicircular-shaped supporting beams, a mathematical model suitable for arbitrary wind directions in the horizontal plane was derived. Simulations show that the WEH's stiffness and electromechanical conversion are approximately isotropic. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the wind direction's effect on the total power is small. The ratio of the experimental minimum to maximum total power is 0.88 at 9 m/s, verifying that the device is an in-plane omnidirectional harvester. An omnidirectionality index including contributions from all directions is proposed with the value of 0.86 at 9 m/s for the prototype. The proposed device configuration and design method may serve as a reference for the development of omnidirectional WIV WEHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adam is one of the most influential adaptive stochastic algorithms for training deep neural networks, which has been pointed out to be divergent even in the simple convex setting via a few simple counterexamples. Many attempts, such as decreasing an adaptive learning rate, adopting a big batch size, incorporating a temporal decorrelation technique, seeking an analogous surrogate, etc., have been tried to promote Adam-type algorithms to converge. In contrast with existing approaches, we introduce an alternative easy-to-check sufficient condition, which merely depends on the parameters of the base learning rate and combinations of historical second-order moments, to guarantee the global convergence of generic Adam for solving large-scale non-convex stochastic optimization. This observation, coupled with this sufficient condition, gives much deeper interpretations on the divergence of Adam. On the other hand, in practice, mini-Adam and distributed. Adam are widely used without any theoretical guarantee. We further give an analysis on how the batch size or the number of nodes in the distributed system affects the convergence of Adam, which theoretically shows that mini-batch and distributed Adam can be linearly accelerated by using a larger mini-batch size or a larger number of nodes. At last, we apply the generic Adam and mini-batch Adam with the sufficient condition for solving the counterexample and training several neural networks on various real-world datasets. Experimental results are exactly in accord with our theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic factors play a crucial role for the pathophysiology of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It has been established that Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and cyclic amp-response element-binding protein (CREB) are associated with antidepressant response. The aim of this study was to explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in COMT and CREB1 genes and TRD in a Chinese population. We recruited 181 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 80 healthy controls, including 81 TRD patients. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS). Genotyping was performed using mass spectrometry. Genetic analyses were conducted by PLINK Software. The distribution of COMT SNP rs4818 allele and genotypes were significantly different between TRD and controls. Statistical differences in allele frequencies were observed between TRD and non-TRD groups, including rs11904814 and rs6740584 in CREB1 gene, rs4680 and rs4818 in COMT gene. There were differences in the distribution of HDRS total scores among different phenotypes of CREB1 rs11904814, CREB1 rs6740584, COMT rs4680 and rs4818. Gene–gene interaction effect of COMT–CREB1 (rs4680 × rs6740584) revealed significant epistasis in TRD. There findings indicate that COMT and CREB1 polymorphisms influence the risk of TRD and affect the severity of depressive symptoms of MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) are effective in treating chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP), the homing of BMMSCs seems to require ultrasound induction. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is an important derivative of artemisinin (ART) and has been previously reported to alleviate inflammation and autoimmune diseases. But the effect of DHA on chronic prostatitis (CP) is still unclear. This study aims to clarify the efficacy and mechanism of DHA in the treatment of CBP and its effect on the accumulation of BMMSCs. The experimental CBP was produced in C57BL/6 male mice via intraurethrally administered E. coli solution. Results showed that DHA treatment concentration-dependently promoted the accumulation of BMMSCs in prostate tissue of CBP mice. In addition, DHA and BMMSCs cotreatment significantly alleviated inflammation and improved prostate damage by decreasing the expression of proinflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and chemokines CXCL2, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 in prostate tissue of CBP mice. Moreover, DHA and BMMSCs cotreatment displayed antioxidation property by increasing the production of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), SOD, and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) expression. Mechanically, DHA and BMMSCs cotreatment significantly inhibited the expression of TGFβ-RI, TGFβ-RII, phosphor (p)-Smad2/3, and Smad4 in a dose-dependent manner while stimulated Smad7 expression in the same manner. In conclusion, our findings provided evidence that DHA effectively eliminated inflammatory and oxidative stress against prostate injury, and this effect involved the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in CBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Transition metal chalcogenides/MXene heterostructures were judiciously designed by a ligand-triggered self-assembly strategy. • Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene) can serve as an efficient interfacial charge transfer mediator to prolong charge lifetime. • Multifarious photoreduction catalysis has been comprehensively probed. • The role of Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene) as charge mediator has been evidenced to be universal. Transition metal chalcogenides quantum dots (TMCs QDs) demonstrate emerging potential in solar energy conversion owing to marvelous physicochemical properties, such as quantum size effect, large extinction coefficient, and multiple excitons generation. Nevertheless, TMCs QDs as photosensitizers are unstable owing to high surface energy, and moreover, substantial trap states of TMCs QDs annihilate the photo-induced charge carriers, thus resulting in ultra-short charge lifetime and inferior photoactivities. Herein, 0D/2D TMCs QDs/MXene heterostructures were designed by a ligand-initiated electrostatic self-assembly strategy, wherein positively charged TMCs QDs were anchored on the negatively charged ultrathin Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets (NSs) framework, which promotes the anisotropic unidirectional electron transport from TMCs QDs to MXene NSs. MXene functions as an effective charge mediator to decrease the charge recombination and prolong the charge lifetime for photocatalytic hydrogen generation and anaerobic reduction of nitroaromatics to amino compounds under visible light irradiation. Our work would shed new insights on the role of MXene in tuning the directional charge transport for solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, intense efforts have been dedicated to the development of novel synthetic strategies to access aromatic amines due to their importance in the pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, materials, and natural product areas. Although numerous transition-metal-catalyzed C–N formation strategies have been described for the preparation of aromatic amines in the past few decades, complementary methods under transition-metal-free conditions are still required. We present the recent advances in the exploration of innovative amination approaches via C(sp2)–O/C(sp2)–S bond cleavage in this review. 1 Introduction 2 Stoichiometric Base-Promoted Amination 3 Base-Catalyzed Amination 4 Photoredox-Catalyzed Amination 5 Acid-Promoted Amination 6 Conclusion and Perspectives [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic anisotropy modulation is an effective method to simultaneously reduce the switching current and extend the data retention of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), which is promising to be used in the next-generation spin transfer torque (STT) magnetic random-access memory. However, to meet the requirements of high storage life and harsh environments, the improved perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of MTJ makes the conventional modulation methods suffer from high breakdown risk owing to the relatively low efficiency. In this paper, a method of phase-change controlled magnetic anisotropy (PCMA) is introduced to a physical model of VO2/CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB perpendicular MTJ with superior modulation capability proved by systematical simulation. The time sequence of phase change pulse and STT pulse is studied, proving that there exists a specific interval to achieve both rapid and low-power switching. With the joint effect of PCMA and STT, low-energy (68.2 fJ), low-error-rate (0.08), and fast (2 ns) write operation can be achieved in the MTJ accompanied by a high thermal stability factor (78). The results demonstrate that the PCMA-STT switching strategy is most suitable for MTJ with large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, paving a promising way to replace NOR flash memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen storage plays a fundamental role in the future hydrogen energy system, and carbon aerogel is one of the most potential hydrogen storage materials because of its high gravimetric and volumetric density on hydrogen adsorption. In this paper, the amorphous structure of carbon, obtained by a numerical simulation process by using the molecular dynamic and Monte Carlo methods, as well as the primary unit method, was intercepted as a sphere structure for numerical annealing to build a carbon nanosphere, which serves as the basic unit to reconstruct the carbon aerogel's skeleton by the Diffusion Limited Cluster Aggregation (DLCA) method. The hydrogen adsorption in carbon aerogel was simulated by using the self-coding parallel grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) method. The influences of particle diameter, density, temperature, pressure, and specific surface area on the hydrogen adsorbing capacity in carbon aerogel were analyzed in detail. The results showed that the carbon aerogel's hydrogen storage capacity with a specific surface area of 2680 m2/g could reach 4.52 wt % at 77 K and 3.0 MPa. • A 3-D network and nanosphere amorphous structure of carbon aerogel is rebuilt. • Hydrogen adsorption on carbon nanosphere and carbon aerogel is simulated by GCMC. • Multilayer adsorption occurs on the nanosphere's surface gradually layer by layer. • Hydrogen storage capacity is 4.52 wt % at P = 3.0 MPa, T = 77 K, and SSA = 2680 m2/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]