Search

The operation envelope of distribution networks can obtain the independent p-q controllable range of each active node, providing an effective means to address the issues of different ownership and control objectives between distribution networks and distributed energy resources (DERs). Existing research mainly focuses on deterministic operation envelopes, neglecting the operational status of the system. To ensure the maximization of the envelope operation domain and the feasibility of decomposition, this paper proposes a modified hyperellipsoidal dynamic operation envelopes (MHDOEs) method for distribution networks based on adjustable "Degree of Squareness" hyperellipsoids. Firstly, an improved convex inner approximation method is applied to the non-convex and nonlinear model of traditional distribution networks to obtain a convex solution space strictly contained within the original feasible region of the system, ensuring the feasibility of flexible operation domain decomposition. Secondly, the embedding of the adjustable "Degree of Squareness" maximum hyperellipsoid is used to obtain the total p-q operation domain of the distribution network, facilitating the overall planning of the distribution network. Furthermore, the calculation of the maximum inscribed hyperrectangle of the hyperellipsoid is performed to achieve p-q decoupled operation among the active nodes of the distribution network. Subsequently, a correction coefficient is introduced to penalize "unknown states" during the operation domain calculation process, effectively enhancing the adaptability of the proposed method to complex stochastic scenarios. Finally, Monte Carlo methods are employed to construct various stochastic scenarios for the IEEE 33-node and IEEE 69-node systems, verifying the accuracy and decomposition feasibility of the obtained p-q operation domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an optimized preparation process for external ointment using the Definitive Screening Design (DSD) method. The ointment is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula developed by Professor WYH, a renowned TCM practitioner in Jiangsu Province, China, known for its proven clinical efficacy. In this study, a stepwise regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between key process factors (such as mixing speed and time) and rheological parameters. Machine learning techniques, including Monte Carlo simulation, decision tree analysis, and Gaussian process, were used for parameter optimization. Through rigorous experimentation and verification, we have successfully identified the optimal preparation process for WYH ointment. The optimized parameters included drug ratio of 24.5%, mixing time of 8 min, mixing speed of 1175 rpm, petroleum dosage of 79 g, liquid paraffin dosage of 6.7 g. The final ointment formulation was prepared using method B. This research not only contributes to the optimization of the WYH ointment preparation process but also provides valuable insights and practical guidance for designing the preparation processes of other TCM ointments. This advanced DSD method enhances the screening approach for identifying the best preparation process, thereby improving the scientific rigor and quality of TCM ointment preparation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with hydrochromic properties is of significant value because of the facile and rapid detection of water in diverse fields. In this report, we present a thiazole-linked COF (TZ-COF-6) sensor with a large surface area, ultrahigh stability, and excellent crystallinity. The sensor was synthesized through a simple three-component reaction involving amine, aldehyde, and sulfur. The thiazole and methoxy groups confer strong basicity to TZ-COF-6 at the nitrogen sites, making them easily protonated reversibly by water. Therefore, TZ-COF-6 displayed color change visible to the naked eye from yellow to red when protonated, along with a red shift in absorption in the ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS) when exposed to water. Importantly, the water-sensing process was not affected by polar organic solvents, demonstrating greater selectivity and sensitivity compared to other COF sensors. Therefore, TZ-COF-6 was used to detect trace amounts of water in organic solvents. In strong polar solvents, such as N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and ethanol (EtOH), the limit of detection (LOD) for water was as low as 0.06% and 0.53%, respectively. Even after 8 months of storage and 15 cycles, TZ-COF-6 retained its original crystallinity and detection efficiency, displaying high stability and excellent cycle performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isothermal evolution of free carbon structure and conductivity of polycarbosilane-derived SiC(O) ceramics pyrolyzed at 1100 °C, 1200 °C, and 1300 °C for 3–55 h was systematically investigated using different characterization methods, which include X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). At 1100 °C, increasing annealing time led to structural rearrangement of free carbon, anti-growth behavior, higher degree of order, and increasing and then decreasing number of defects. At 1200 °C, a complex structural evolution of free carbon was observed, which followed the sp3-to-sp2 transition and increased the ordering degree. At 1300 °C, increasing annealing time resulted in both lateral growth and increasing ordering of free carbon, which enhanced the carbon cluster size and decreased the number of defects. Enhanced sample conductivity with prolonged annealing time was observed and is discussed based on structural evolution of SiC(O) ceramics at different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mutations in the KEAP1-NFE2L2 signaling pathway were linked to increased tumorigenesis and aggressiveness. Interestingly, not all hotspot mutations on NFE2L2 were damaging; some even were activating. However, there was conflicting evidence about the association between NFE2L2 mutation and Nrf2-activating mutation and responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other multiple cancers. Methods: The study with the largest sample size (n = 49,533) explored the landscape of NFE2L2 mutations and their impact response/resistance to ICIs using public cohorts. In addition, the in-house WXPH cohort was used to validate the efficacy of immunotherapy in the NFE2L2 mutated patients with NSCLC. Results: In two pan-cancer cohorts, Nrf2-activating mutation was associated with higher TMB value compared to wild-type. We identified a significant association between Nrf2-activating mutation and shorter overall survival in pan-cancer patients and NSCLC patients but not in those undergoing ICIs treatment. Similar findings were obtained in cancer patients carrying the NFE2L2 mutation. Furthermore, in NSCLC and other cancer cohorts, patients with NFE2L2 mutation demonstrated more objective responses to ICIs than patients with wild type. Our in-house WXPH cohort further confirmed the efficacy of immunotherapy in the NFE2L2 mutated patients with NSCLC. Lastly, decreased inflammatory signaling pathways and immune-depleted immunological microenvironments were enriched in Nrf2-activating mutation patients with NSCLC. Conclusions: Our study found that patients with Nrf2-activating mutation had improved immunotherapy outcomes than patients with wild type in NSCLC and other tumor cohorts, implying that Nrf2-activating mutation defined a distinct subset of pan-cancers and might have implications as a biomarker for guiding ICI treatment, especially NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary aluminum ash (SAA) is a type of common solid waste which leads to pollution without treatment. Due to its chemical reactivity, the application of SAA to reactive powder concrete (RPC) may help solidify this solid waste while increasing its performance. However, RPC is usually in active service when used with steel bars. NaCl can corrode the steel bars when reinforced RPC is used in a coastal environment. In this study, the corrosion resistance of reinforced RPC was investigated. The specimens were exposed to an environment of NaCl with freeze–thaw cycles (F-Cs) and dry–wet alternations (D-As). The corresponding mass loss rates (MRs), the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) curves and the dynamic modulus of elasticity (DME) were measured. The results show that the MR and the DME of reinforced RPC decrease with increasing values of F-C and D-A. F-C and D-A increases lead to increased electrical resistance (R). The real part value corresponding to the extreme point of the EIS curve is increased by 0~213.7% when the SAA is added. The relationship between the imaginary part and the real part of the EIS fits the quadratic function. The equivalent circuit of the reinforced RPC is obtained from the EIS curves. The R of the rust is calculated by using the equivalent circuit. The rust's R decreases in the quadratic function with the mass ratio of the SAA. After 200 NaCl F-Cs, the MR, the DME and the R vary within the ranges of 23.4~113.6%, −2.93~−4.76% and 4.92~13.55%. When 20 NaCl D-As are finished, the MR, the DME and the R vary within the ranges of 34.7~202.8%, −13.21~−14.93% and 120.48~486.39%. The corrosion area rates are 2.3~68.7% and 28.7~125.6% higher after exposure to 200 NaCl F-Cs and 20 NaCl D-As. When the SAA is mixed, the MR is decreased by 0~13.12%, the DME increases by 0~3.11%, the R of the reinforced RPC increases by 26.01~152.43% and the corrosion area rates are decreased by 21.39~58.62%. This study will provide a novel method for solidifying SAA while improving the chlorine salt resistance of RPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable cycling of Mg‐metal anodes is limited by several problems, including sluggish electrochemical kinetics and passivation at the Mg surface. In this study, we present a high‐entropy electrolyte composed of lithium triflate (LiOTf) and trimethyl phosphate (TMP) co‐added to magnesium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (Mg(TFSI)2/1,2‐dimethoxyethane (DME) to significantly improve the electrochemical performance of Mg‐metal anodes. The as‐formed high‐entropy Mg2+‐2DME‐OTf−‐Li+‐DME‐TMP solvation structure effectively reduced the Mg2+‐DME interaction in comparison with that observed in traditional Mg(TFSI)2/DME electrolytes, thereby preventing the formation of insulating components on the Mg‐metal anode and promoting its electrochemical kinetics and cycling stability. Comprehensive characterization revealed that the high‐entropy solvation structure brought OTf− and TMP to the surface of the Mg‐metal anode and promoted the formation of a Mg3(PO4)2‐rich interfacial layer, which is beneficial for enhancing Mg2+ conductivity. Consequently, the Mg‐metal anode achieved excellent reversibility with a high Coulombic efficiency of 98 % and low voltage hysteresis. This study provides new insights into the design of electrolytes for Mg‐metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable cycling of Mg‐metal anodes is limited by several problems, including sluggish electrochemical kinetics and passivation at the Mg surface. In this study, we present a high‐entropy electrolyte composed of lithium triflate (LiOTf) and trimethyl phosphate (TMP) co‐added to magnesium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (Mg(TFSI)2/1,2‐dimethoxyethane (DME) to significantly improve the electrochemical performance of Mg‐metal anodes. The as‐formed high‐entropy Mg2+‐2DME‐OTf−‐Li+‐DME‐TMP solvation structure effectively reduced the Mg2+‐DME interaction in comparison with that observed in traditional Mg(TFSI)2/DME electrolytes, thereby preventing the formation of insulating components on the Mg‐metal anode and promoting its electrochemical kinetics and cycling stability. Comprehensive characterization revealed that the high‐entropy solvation structure brought OTf− and TMP to the surface of the Mg‐metal anode and promoted the formation of a Mg3(PO4)2‐rich interfacial layer, which is beneficial for enhancing Mg2+ conductivity. Consequently, the Mg‐metal anode achieved excellent reversibility with a high Coulombic efficiency of 98 % and low voltage hysteresis. This study provides new insights into the design of electrolytes for Mg‐metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present the structural evolution of polymer-derived SiOC ceramics with the pyrolysis temperature and the corresponding change in their microwave dielectric properties. The structure of the SiOC ceramics pyrolyzed at a temperature lower than 1200 °C is amorphous, and the corresponding microwave complex permittivity is pretty low; thus, the ceramics exhibit wave transmission properties. The Structural arrangement of free carbon in the SiOC ceramics mainly happens in the temperature range of 1200 °C-1300 °C due to the separation from the Si–O–C network and graphitization, while the structural arrangement of the Si-based matrix mainly occurs in the range of 1300 °C-1400 °C owing to the separation of SiC 4 from the Si–O–C network to form nanocrystalline SiC. In pyrolysis temperature range of 1200 °C-1400 °C, the microwave permittivity of SiOC shows negligible change. At a pyrolysis temperature exceeding 1400 °C, the carbothermal reaction of free carbon and the Si–O backbone becomes significant, leading to the formation of crystalline SiC. The as-formed SiC and residual defective carbon improve the polarization loss of SiOC ceramics. In this case, the SiOC ceramics show significantly increased complex permittivity, exhibiting electromagnetic absorption characteristics. These characteristics promote the application of polymer-derived SiOC ceramics to high-temperature electromagnetic absorption materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycotoxin-caused myocardial injury has been demonstrated based on epidemiological and experimental studies. Citreoviridin (CIT) is a toxin from yellow-green Penicillium easily grown in wet and cold environment. The CIT-contaminated food intake could cause myocardial injury, which might be the etiology of endemic Keshan disease. The yellow mildewed rice could produce toxic CIT and induced beriberi-linked cardiac insufficiency. In view of the similarity between Keshan disease and cardiac beriberi (wet beriberi), it was considered that the two diseases might be the same illness with different names. Research data in recent years demonstrated that the CIT and other mycotoxins might be also associated with the vascular endothelial damage and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The mycotoxin could trigger oxidative stress, free radical production, and abnormal energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes, which resulted in cell death through necrotic and apoptotic mechanisms. The mitochondrial pathway in myocardium played a critical role in mycotoxin-caused cytotoxicity. Importantly, the mycotoxins caused cell damage in vascular endothelium, which was a direct risk factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Obviously, it is a new topic to elaborate the role of mycotoxins in the pathogenic mechanism of cardiovascular disease. There are a lot of questions needs to be answered in future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation as the meteorological data is closely related to human life. For this reason, we hope to propose new method to forecast it more accurately. In this article, we aim to forecast precipitation by reservoir computing with some additional processes. The concept of reservoir computing emerged from a specific machine learning paradigm, which is characterized by a three-layered architecture (input, reservoir and output layers). What is different from other machine learning algorithms is that only the output layer is trained and optimized for particular tasks. Since the precipitation data is non-smooth, its prediction is very difficult via the classical methods of prediction of the nonlinear time series. For the predicated precipitation data, we take its first-order moving average to make it smoother, then take the logarithm of smoothed nonzero data and the same negative constant for smoothed zero data to obtain a new series. We train the obtained series by reservoir computing and get the predicated result of its future. After taking its exponent function, the predicated data for original precipitation data are obtained. It indicates that reservoir computing combined with other processes can potentially bring about the accurate precipitation forecast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific biomarkers of intestinal injury associated with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are needed to diagnose and monitor intestinal mucosal injury and recovery. This study aims to develop and test a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol to detect the total keratin 8 (K8) in the stool of newborns with NEC and investigate the clinical value of fecal K8 as a marker of intestinal injury specifically associated with NEC. We collected fecal samples from five newborns with NEC and five gestational age-matched premature neonates without NEC at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and Washington University School of Medicine, respectively. Fecal K8 levels were measured using a modified ELISA protocol and Western blot, and fecal calprotectin was measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Clinical data, including gestational age, birth weight, Bell stage for NEC, feeding strategies, total white blood cell (WBC) count, and other pertinent clinical variables, were collected and analyzed. Fecal K8 levels were significantly higher in the pre-NEC group (1–2 days before diagnosis of NEC) and NEC group than those in the non-NEC group (p = 0.013 , p = 0.041). Moreover, fecal K8 was relatively higher at the onset of NEC and declined after the resolution of the disease (p = 0.019). Results with similar trends to fecal K8 were also seen in fecal calprotectin (p = 0.046), but not seen in total WBC count (p = 0.182). In conclusion, a modified ELISA protocol for the total K8 protein was successfully developed for the detection of fecal K8 in the clinical setting of premature newborns with NEC. Fecal K8 is noted to be significantly increased in premature newborns with NEC and may, therefore, serve as a noninvasive and specific marker for intestinal epithelial injury associated with NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is an endemic osteoarthropathy. Its distribution region covers a long and narrow belt on the Pacific side and belongs to continental climate with short summer, long frost period, and large temperature differences between day and night. In particular, KBD patients are typically scattered in the rural areas with seasonal features such as cold winters and rainy autumns. Etiological studies have demonstrated that the carrier of pathogenic factors is the grains produced in endemic areas. Risk factors for KBD include fungal contamination of grains due to poor storage conditions associated with cold weather. The epidemiological characteristics of KBD include agricultural area, early age of onset, gender equality, family aggregation, regional differences, and annual fluctuations. A series of preventive measures have been successfully taken in the past decades. National surveillance data indicate that the annual incidence of KBD is gradually declining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity recognition (HAR) has a wide application in daily life. With wearable sensors, people's activity can be monitored, recorded and analysed. However, most existing methods did not make full use of human activity data and their features. In this paper, a new method based on feature selection and clustering algorithm is proposed. We established two-layer classification models, respectively, in the ankle, the chest, the wrist and the mixed accelerometer data. K-means clustering algorithm was first used to obtain a broad classification of the activities and then we conducted two rounds of classification, among which feature selection was performed in each layer. A significance analysis was also carried out in the final experiment and we compared the performance of the final model from the mixed accelerometer data with other algorithms, the results showed that the recognition performance of our model was significantly better, and the average F 1 score was as high as 0.969 in publicly available PAMAP2 dataset. Compared with other methods, our model achieved the highest recognition rate. The method proposed in this paper can greatly improve the recognition rate of human activity and effectively evaluate daily activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopted density functional theory (DFT) and analyzed the interaction of the conventional cathinone (CA) drug with perfect and defected monolayer nanosheets of boron carbide (BC3). BC3 was found to have poor interactions with CA. Hence, the perfect nanosheets had poor CA sensitivity. The potential of single and double vacancy (SV and DV) defects in the nanosheet to strengthen the nanosheet-drug interaction were assessed. The energy of adsorption of CA adsorption onto SV-BC3 and DV-BC3 was nearly − 23.78 and − 15.32 kcal/mol, respectively. The adsorption substantially altered the work function and bandgap of the defected nanosheets. However, the perfect BC3 experienced a change merely in bandgap during the drug adsorption—the work function change was slight. Thus, the defected nanosheets could be Φ-type and electronic sensors of CA, whereas the perfect nanosheet has the potential to be solely an electronic detector of CA. A larger dielectric constant led to a significant change in the adsorption energy. Furthermore, DV-BC3 considerably changed in magnetic characteristics due to the drug adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This research evaluated the link between normal thyroid hormone levels and sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods. This cross-sectional study enrolled 312 euthyroid patients with T2DM from Qilu Hospital of the Shandong University, China. Body composition, grip strength, and physical performance were assessed as per the 2019 consensus guidelines of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the correlation between thyroid hormone levels and sarcopenia and its components. Results. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 26.9%. Following adjustments for potential confounders, a high-normal serum free triiodothyronine (FT3) level (odds ratio OR = 0.522 , 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.304–0.895, P = 0.018), a low-normal serum free thyroxine (FT4) level (OR = 1.126 , 95% CI: 1.009–1.258, P = 0.034), and a heightened FT3/FT4 ratio (OR = 0.923 , 95% CI: 0.879–0.969, P = 0.001) were linked to a low prevalence of sarcopenia. Considering the components of sarcopenia, FT3 concentration was positively associated with muscle strength (OR = 0.525 , 95% CI: 0.305–0.902, P = 0.020) and physical performance (OR = 0.443 , 95% CI: 0.259–0.758, P = 0.003), while FT4 concentration was negatively linked to muscle mass (OR = 1.114 , 95% CI: 1.009–1.232, P = 0.036). The FT3/FT4 ratio was positively linked to muscle mass (OR = 0.943 , 95% CI: 0.905–0.981, P = 0.006), muscle strength (OR = 0.945 , 95% CI: 0.901–0.992, P = 0.021), and physical performance (OR = 0.934 , 95% CI: 0.894–0.975, P = 0.002). Nevertheless, thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration was not associated with sarcopenia. Conclusion. A high FT3/FT4 ratio was significantly linked to a lowered risk of sarcopenia in euthyroid patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia-induced intratumoral heterogeneity poses a major challenge in tumor therapy due to the varying susceptibility to chemotherapy. Moreover, the spatial distribution patterns of hypoxic and normoxic tissues makes conventional combination therapy less effective. In this study, a tumor-acidity and bioorthogonal chemistry mediated in situ size transformable nanocarrier (NP@DOX DBCO plus iCPPA N3) was developed to spatially deliver two combinational chemotherapeutic drugs (doxorubicin (DOX) and PR104A) to combat hypoxia-induced intratumoral heterogeneity. DOX is highly toxic to tumor cells in normoxia state but less toxic in hypoxia state due to the hypoxia-induced chemoresistance. Meanwhile, PR104A is a hypoxia-activated prodrug has less toxic in normoxia state. Two nanocarriers, NP@DOX DBCO and iCPPA N3 , can cross-link near the blood vessel extravasation sites through tumor acidity responsive bioorthogonal click chemistry to enhance the retention of DOX in tumor normoxia. Moreover, PR104A conjugated to the small-sized dendritic polyamidoamine (PAMAM) released under tumor acidity can penetrate deep tumor tissues for hypoxic tumor cell killing. Our study has demonstrated that this site-specific combination chemotherapy is better than the traditional combination chemotherapy. Therefore, spatial specific delivery of combinational therapeutics via in situ size transformable nanocarrier addresses the challenges of hypoxia induced intratumoral heterogeneity and provides insights into the combination therapy. [Display omitted] • A tumor-acidity and bioorthogonal chemistry mediated in situ size transformable nanocarrier was developed. • The nanocarrier exhibited the ability to enhance tumor accumulation and retention. • The nanocarrier can spatially deliver DOX and PR104A to normoxic and hypoxic tumor cells. • The site-specific combined chemotherapy can overcome hypoxia-induced intratumoral heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared small target detection plays an important role in target warning, ground monitoring, and flight guidance. Existing methods typically utilize local-contrast information of each pixel to detect infrared small targets, neglecting the interior relation between target pixels or background pixels. The mere use of the local information of one pixel, however, is not sufficient for accurate detection, which may lead to missing detection and false alarms. As a harmonious whole, information between pixels are necessary to determine if a pixel belongs to the target or the background. Motivated by the fact that pixels from targets or backgrounds are correlated with each other, we propose a coarse-to-fine interior attention-aware network (IAANet) for infrared small target detection. Specifically, a region proposal network (RPN) is first applied to obtain coarse target regions and filter out backgrounds. Then, we leverage a transformer encoder to model the attention between pixels in coarse target regions, outputting attention-aware features. Finally, predictions are obtained by feeding attention-aware features to a classification head. Extensive experiments show that our approach is capable of detecting targets precisely, of suppressing a variety of false alarm sources, and works effectively in various background environments and target appearances. We show that our IAANet outperforms the state-of-the-art methods by a large margin. Code will be made available at: https://github.com/kwwcv/iaanet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many psychological and obstetrical factors contribute to the development of postpartum depression. However, little is known about how postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) influences postpartum depressive symptoms. This study explored the relationship between PPH and postpartum depressive symptoms in the Chinese population. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shenzhen, China, from January 2016 to June 2020. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess postpartum depressive symptoms. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) between PPH and risk of postpartum depressive symptoms. Results: Of the 7734 respondents, 293 (3.8%) and 7441 were in the PPH and control groups, respectively. Puerperal women with PPH were more likely to screen positive for postpartum depressive symptoms than those without PPH (16.4% vs. 11.7%, p =.016). Adjusting for other covariates, women with PPH still had higher risk of postpartum depressive symptoms (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.16–2.42). Stratification analyses revealed no interaction between PPH and maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index, mode of delivery, and fetal sex in developing depressive symptoms (p for interaction >.05). Conclusions: PPH may increase the risk of postpartum depressive symptoms. Therefore, women with PPH should be actively screened for depressive symptoms in the immediate postpartum period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Aggressive fibromatosis of the abdominal wall is easily misdiagnosed prior to surgery as abdominal wall endometriosis or other tumors. The authors intend to evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of aggressive fibromatosis of the abdominal wall after surgical resection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 24 patients treated in the First Hospital of China Medical University from January 2011 to June 2019 and discussed the characteristic of this disease after a review of literature worldwide. Results: Most patients were female (91.7%) with a mean age of 33 years (range 26–56 years). The most common symptom was progressive abdominal wall discomfort (ie, abdominal pain) in 16 patients (66.7%). Twelve patients (50%) had a history of cesarean section. All 24 patients underwent surgical R0 resection due to progression of disease or pain, including 12 patients treated with simple tumor resection and 12 patients treated with tumor resection followed by abdominal wall tension‐free repair using synthetic mesh. Postoperative complications included incisional infection in three patients (12.5%), incisional hernia and postoperative bleeding in one patient each (4.2%). The local recurrence rate was 12.5%. Conclusions: Aggressive fibromatosis of the abdominal wall mainly occurs in young women after cesarean section or other surgeries, with a high recurrence rate. Radical resection is an optimal treatment for the patients with progressive cases, and the restoration of extensive defects of the abdominal wall can be achieved with synthetic mesh, which leads to a good restoration of abdominal wall integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WC-6Co cemented carbides were sintered using hot oscillating pressing (HOP) method. The interplay of sintering parameters between microstructure and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. Results revealed that HOP could enhance the densification, restrain grain growth, shorten Co matrix average free path, and accelerate Co distribution in WC-6Co cemented carbides, which improved the combined performance for hardness of 25.22 Gpa and fracture toughness of 12.89 MPa m1/2 after sintering at 1400 °C. It is worth emphasizing that these mechanical properties are better than similar cemented carbides prepared by conventional methods, indicating the promise of utilizing HOP for high-performance cemented carbides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone tumor with poor prognosis. We previously reviewed that CD146 is correlated with multiple cancer progression, while its impact on OS is currently not systematically studied. Methods: MG63 was transfected with lentivirus to express CD146 ectopically, and anti-CD146 neutralizing antibody ab75769 was used to inhibit 143B. Cyclic migration of MG63 and co-culture between MG63 and 143B were used to explore the role of OS malignancy in CD146 expression. The effect of OS cell medium (CM) on endothelium behaviors was assessed, and the expression changes of CD146 before and after co-culture of endothelium and OS were evaluated. Finally, the expression of CD146 in OS was detected under different culture conditions, including hyperoxia, low oxygen, high glucose and low glucose conditions. Results: CD146 promoted the colony formation, migration, invasion and homotypic adhesion of OS cells, and reducing the concentration of soluble CD146 in the OS medium inhibited the proliferation, migration and lumen formation of the cultured endothelium. However, CD146 did not affect the adhesion between OS and endothelium, nor did co-culture of both sides affect the CD146 expression. Similarly, the proliferation, migration and CD146 expression of MG63 remained unchanged after many cycles of migration itself, as did its co-culture with 143B for expressing CD146. In addition, we also showed that high glucose promoted the expression of CD146 in OS, while hypoxia had the opposite effect. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that CD146 promotes OS progression by mediating pro-tumoral and angiogenic effects. Thus, CD146 could be a potential therapeutic target for OS, especially for OS patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Hemangiopericytomas are rare tumors derived from pericytes surrounding the blood vessels. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of hemangiopericytoma patients remain mostly unknown. In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed the clinicopathological characteristics of hemangiopericytoma patients, as well as the clinical usefulness of different treatment modalities. Material and Methods. We collected the clinicopathological data (between 1975 and 2016) of hemangiopericytoma and hemangioendothelioma patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Incidence, treatment, and patient prognosis were assessed. Results. Data from 1474 patients were analyzed in our study cohort (hemangiopericytoma: n = 1243 ; hemangioendothelioma: n = 231). The incidence of hemangiopericytoma in 2016 was 0.060 per 100,000 individuals. The overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) did not differ between patients with hemangioendothelioma and those with hemangiopericytoma (P = 0.721 , P = 0.544). The tumor grade had no effect on the OS of hemangiopericytoma patients. Multivariate analysis revealed the clinical usefulness of surgery in hemangiopericytoma patients (HR = 0.15 , 95% confidence interval: 0.05-0.41, P < 0.001). In contrast, radiotherapy did not improve OS (P = 0.497) or CSS (P = 0.584), and chemotherapy worsened patient survival (P < 0.001). Additionally, the combination of surgery and radiotherapy had a similar effect with surgery alone on hemangiopericytoma patient survival (OS: P = 0.900 ; CSS: P = 0.156). Surgery plus chemotherapy provided a worse clinical benefit than surgery alone (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Our findings suggested that hemangiopericytoma had a similar prognosis with hemangioendothelioma. Surgery was the only effective treatment that provided survival benefits in hemangiopericytoma patients, while the clinical usefulness of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, powder mixtures at atomic ratios suitable for formation of Sr(Ti 0.2 Y 0.2 Zr 0.2 Sn 0.2 Hf 0.2)O 3-x were flash sintered at 1000 °C and 40 mA/mm2. X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analyses revealed the formation of single-phase oxides after sintering for 1 min. This rapid formation of single-phase oxide was attributed to flash sintering characteristics, which not only enhanced the diffusion rate, but also softened the lattice. Compared to conventional heat treatment sintering, the sintering time was shortened to 1 min from 10 h, while the sample temperature was reduced to 1314 from 1500 °C. Therefore, flash sintering is a promising technique for rapid synthesis of high-entropy oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the semiconductor‐conductor transition of pristine polymer‐derived ceramic silicon carbide (PDC SiC). A comprehensive study of microstructural evolution and conduction mechanism of PDC SiC pyrolyzed at the temperature range of 1200°C‐1800°C is presented. At relatively lower pyrolysis temperatures (1200°C‐1600°C), the carbon phase goes through a microstructural evolution from amorphous carbon to nanocrystalline carbon. The PDC SiC samples behave as a semiconductor and the electron transport is governed by the band tail hopping (BTH) mechanism in low pyrolysis temperature (1300°C); by a mixed mechanism driven by band tail hopping and tunneling at intermediate temperature (1500°C). At higher pyrolysis temperatures (1700°C‐1800°C), a percolative network of continuous turbostratic carbon is formed up along the grain boundary of the crystallized SiC. The samples demonstrate metal‐like conductive response and their resistivity increases monotonically with the increasing measuring temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most severe diseases of preterm neonates and has a high mortality rate. With the development of inspection techniques and new biomarkers, the diagnostic accuracy of NEC is constantly improving. The most recognized potential risk factors include prematurity, formula-feeding, infection, and microbial dysbiosis. With further understanding of the pathogenesis, more effective prevention and therapies will be applied to clinical or experimental NEC. At present, such new potential prevention and therapies for NEC are mainly focused on the Toll-like receptor 4 inflammatory signaling pathway, the repair of intestinal barrier function, probiotics, antioxidative stress, breast-feeding, and immunomodulatory agents. Many new studies have changed our understanding of the pathogenesis of NEC and improve our approaches for preventing and treating of NEC each year. This review provides an overview of the recent researches focused on clinical or experimental NEC and highlights the advances made within the past 5 years toward the development of new potential preventive approaches and therapies for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron transport behavior of polymer‐derived amorphous silicoboron carbonitride (a‐SiBCNs) ceramics was studied by measuring DC/AC conductivities and optical absorption as functions of the temperature. Structural information of materials was investigated by combining X‐ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. Conductive mechanisms and electronic structure of the materials (eg, hopping mechanism, conduction band, band‐tail, and defect energy) were deduced by fitting experimental results to theoretical models. Results revealed that DC/AC conduction of materials followed band‐tail hopping mechanism instead of previously assumed variable‐range hopping mechanism. Hopping mechanism, associated with overlapped band‐tail and defect levels, was likely originated by the presence of certain number of defects and highly disordered structure of materials. The content of donor defects in materials was considered to have great influence on the type of electronic mechanism. These results were discussed in line with microstructural evolution of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delay-coupled systems have recently made progress in the field of neuromorphic computing, which can effectively process unprecedented amount of data at high speed. It is owing to the nonlinear relationship between input and output to a certain extent. That is, more complicated dynamic system may bring higher performance. Research shows that the performance of delay-coupled reservoir computing system with two delays can surpass single delayed reservoir computing system. In this article, we mainly study Hopf–Hopf bifurcation and chaos of delay-coupled reservoir computing system. Then we analyze the performance difference caused by the different number of delays from the dynamics perspective. For the analysis of Hopf–Hopf bifurcation, we firstly draw the critical curves by DDE-BIFTOOL and obtain Hopf–Hopf bifurcation points. Subsequently, we unfold and classify aforesaid bifurcation points by amplitude equations of its normal form, which is obtained via method of multiple scales. Finally, we verify our theoretical analysis by numerical simulations. For the analysis of chaos, by plotting the bifurcation diagram, we prove the existence of chaos and determine how the system enters the chaotic state with a specific parameter changing. In conclusion, we find two different types of Hopf–Hopf bifurcation and the route to chaos through Period-Doubling bifurcation. From our analysis, we can determine which parameter has a greater impact on the system and guide us to set the parameters in practical applications. • To enhance performances, find complicated dynamics in delayed reservoir computing system by HHB; • We find two different types of Hopf–Hopf bifurcation and periodic, quasi-periodic solutions; • We find chaos and the route to chaos through Period-Doubling bifurcation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a rare but devastating gastrointestinal disease that predominately affects preterm neonates. Numerous studies have revealed that NEC is strongly associated with very low birth weight, degree of prematurity, formula feeding, infection, hypoxic/ischemic injury, and enteric dysbiosis. Given these clinical associations, the search for a deeper understanding of disease pathogenesis has led to an intense interest in the discovery and development of noninvasive biomarkers of NEC from stool, urine, and serum. Biomarkers for NEC may serve at least two general purposes of urgent unmet need: to improve diagnostic accuracy and disease prediction and to reveal the mechanism of the disease. This review will provide an overview of recent research focused on clinical NEC and highlight the advances that were made within the past five years towards the development of noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A very simple and facile methodology is used to prepare dithiocarbamate‐functionalized hollow microporous organic capsules (HMOCs‐DTC), which exhibit excellent stability, a high surface area, and appropriate microporous architecture. In this strategy, SiO2 particles are used as templates to construct PS‐DVB‐MAA microspheres, and then dithiocarbamate groups are grafted onto them. The dithiocarbamate‐functionalized hypercrosslinked microporous organic capsules (HMOCs‐DTC/GC) are then used as an electrode material for the detection of CuII ions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electron impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are exploited to study the electrochemical potential of the designed material. The placement of functional groups (dithiocarbamate) at the mesopore interface effectively enhances the mass transfer, which facilitates the more selective detection of CuII ions. The high sensitivity of the modified electrode is expressed in terms of current (Ip) enhancement at extremely low concentrations of CuII ions. Thus, a functional and robust porous material (HMOCs‐DTC) presents a sensitive sensing ability, displaying the calibration response over a wide linear range (2.50×10−11–3.50×10−10 m), with a lowest limit of detection of 1.02×10−11 m. Indeed, these HMOCs present a new class of porous polymers possessing extraordinarily high scalability but avoiding complex and expensive synthetic methodologies, promoting its practical utilization. Metal ion sensing: Dithiocarbamate‐functionalized hypercrosslinked microporous organic capsules (HMOCs‐DTC/GC) are used as an electrode material for the detection of CuII ions (see figure). The HMOCs show excellent sensing potential owing to their high stability and high surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent reflective surface (IRS) provides an effective solution for reconfiguring air‐to‐ground wireless channels, and intelligent agents based on reinforcement learning can dynamically adjust the reflection coefficient of IRS to adapt to changing channels. However, most exiting IRS configuration schemes based on reinforcement learning require long training time and are difficult to be industrially deployed. This paper, proposes a model‐free IRS control scheme based on reinforcement learning and adopts transfer learning to accelerate the training process. A knowledge base of the source tasks has been constructed for transfer learning, allowing accumulation of experience from different source tasks. To mitigate potential negative effects of transfer learning, quantitative analysis of task similarity through unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight path is conducted. After identifying the most similar source task to the target task, parameters of the source task model are used as the initial values for the target task model to accelerate the convergence process of reinforcement learning. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can increase the convergence speed of the traditional DDQN algorithm by up to 60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst with high catalytic performance is a huge challenge. In this work, we develop a MoP/Fe 2 P/RGO composite as a electrocatalyst for HER. The MoP/Fe 2 P/RGO exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance with a Tafel slope and an onset overpotential of 51 mV/dec and 105 mV, respectively. To drive 10 mA/cm 2 , it only requires a small over-potential of 156 mV. The high electrocatalytic HER activity is mainly due to the synergistic effect of MoP and Fe 2 P. In addition, the introduction of RGO not only prevents particle aggregation and coalescence during high temperature phosphating, but also improves the conductivity of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are normally synthesized by ionothermal methods. The harsh synthetic conditions and associated limited structural diversity do not benefit for further development and practical large-scale synthesis of CTFs. Herein we report a new strategy to construct CTFs (CTF-HUSTs) via a polycondensation approach, which allows the synthesis of CTFs under mild conditions from a wide array of building blocks. Interestingly, these CTFs display a layered structure. The CTFs synthesized were also readily scaled up to gram quantities. The CTFs are potential candidates for separations, photocatalysis and for energy storage applications. In particular, CTF-HUSTs are found to be promising photocatalysts for sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with a maximum rate of 2647 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light. We also applied a pyrolyzed form of CTF-HUST-4 as an anode material in a sodium-ion battery achieving an excellent discharge capacity of 467 mAh g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are normally synthesized by ionothermal methods. The harsh synthetic conditions and associated limited structural diversity do not benefit for further development and practical large-scale synthesis of CTFs. Herein we report a new strategy to construct CTFs (CTF-HUSTs) via a polycondensation approach, which allows the synthesis of CTFs under mild conditions from a wide array of building blocks. Interestingly, these CTFs display a layered structure. The CTFs synthesized were also readily scaled up to gram quantities. The CTFs are potential candidates for separations, photocatalysis and for energy storage applications. In particular, CTF-HUSTs are found to be promising photocatalysts for sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with a maximum rate of 2647 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light. We also applied a pyrolyzed form of CTF-HUST-4 as an anode material in a sodium-ion battery achieving an excellent discharge capacity of 467 mAh g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemically robust superhydrophobic nanocomposite thin film with enhanced wear resistance is prepared from a composite comprising polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and carbon nanotubes. The superhydrophobic thin films with hierarchical structure are fabricated by spraying an environmentally friendly aqueous dispersion containing carbon nanotubes and PTFE resin on silicon wafer. Thin films with a contact angle of 154.1°±2° and a sliding angle less than 2° remain superhydrophobic after abrading over 500 times under a pressure of 50 g/cm 2 . The thin film is also extremely stable even under much stress conditions. To further the understanding of the enhancement of wear resistance, we investigated the formation of microsized structure and their effects. The growth of microbumps is caused by attracting solution droplet to the hydrophilic islands on hydrophobic surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous microporous acid (sulfonic acid) and base (benzylamine) catalysts with high surface areas were synthesized using simple aromatic compounds through one-step external cross-linking reaction. The direct induction and control of catalytic sites were achieved by functionalized monomers using an appropriate amount of acid/base monomers. This strategy provides an easy approach to produce highly stable and acid/base functionalized microporous organic polymers. The structure and composition of the catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen sorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), solid-state 13 C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and element mapping analysis. The stable porous skeleton and the accurate manipulation of the catalyst structure allowed us to use the obtained polymers as compatible and efficient acid/base co-catalysts for one-pot cascade reactions. We demonstrated the use of these microporous heterogeneous catalysts for the cascade deacetalization/Henry and deacetalization/Knoevenagel reactions. The results demonstrated that preparing microporous materials from simple aromatic compounds through one-step external cross-linking reaction is indeed a cost-effective and easy-to-handle method to produce functionalized heterogeneous catalysts. The microporous heterogeneous catalysts produced by this method are highly stable and the amount of catalytically active sites can easily be controlled to form a catalytic system with two antagonistic centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hypercrosslinked polymer (HCP)-immobilized ruthenium catalyst (HCP-PPh3-Ru) was prepared from benzene and triphenylphosphine (PPh3) through a one-step external cross-linking reaction. The structure and composition of the catalyst were fully characterized by many physicochemical methods. HCP-PPh3-Ru was found to possess high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, large pore volume, and low skeletal density. Moreover, the Ru catalyst was also featured some advantages, such as low synthetic cost and good chemical and thermal stability. HCP-PPh3-Ru was then used as a recoverable and effective catalyst for the synthesis of 2,4-diaryl-substituted pyridines from acetophenones, ammonium acetate (NH4OAc) and dimethylformamide (DMF), and the cycloaddition reaction of diazodicarbonyl compounds with olefins to afford dihydrofurans. In addition, a combination of HCP-PPh3-Ru and Amberlyst-15 enabled us to establish a simple protocol for the direct synthesis of carbazole derivatives from diazodicarbonyl compound, alkyl vinyl ether and indole. In these selected reactions, the catalyst was easily recovered and reused several times without significant activity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Growth hormone (GH) not only supports hepatic metabolism but also protects against hepatocyte cell death. Hnf6 (or Oc1) belonging to the Onecut family of hepatocyte transcription factors known to regulate differentiated hepatic function, is a GH-responsive gene. We evaluate if GH mediates Hnf6 activity to attenuate hepatic apoptotic injury. Methods: We used an animal model of hepatic apoptosis by bile duct ligation (BDL) with Hnf6 -/- (KO) mice in which hepatic Hnf6 was conditionally inactivated. GH was administered to adult wild type WT and KO mice for the 7 days of BDL to enhance Hnf6 expression. In vitro, primary hepatocytes derived from KO and WT liver were treated with LPS and hepatocyte apoptosis was assessed with and without GH treatment. Results: In WT mice, GH treatment enhanced Hnf6 expression during BDL, inhibited Caspase -3, -8 and -9 responses and diminished hepatic apoptotic and fibrotic injury. GH-mediated upregulation of Hnf6 expression and parallel suppression of apoptosis and fibrosis in WT BDL liver were abrogated in KO mice. LPS activated apoptosis and suppressed Hnf6 expression in primary hepatocytes. GH/LPS co-treatment enhanced Hnf6 expression with corresponding attenuation of apoptosis in WT-derived hepatocytes, but not in KO hepatocytes. ChiP-on-ChiP and electromobility shift assays of KO and WT liver nuclear extracts identified Ciap1 (or Birc2) as an Hnf6-bound target gene. Ciap1 expression patterns closely follow Hnf6 expression in the liver and in hepatocytes. Conclusion: GH broad protective actions on hepatocytes during liver injury are effected through Hnf6, with Hnf6 transcriptional activation of Ciap1 as an underlying molecular mediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Star polymers with a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) core and eight partly fluorinated arms have been synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. A macroCTA having eight chain transfer agent (CTA) molecules attached to a POSS core is prepared and used for the synthesis of star polymers by the R-group approach. The arms are composed of statistical copolymers of 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate. The polymerization kinetics are studied, and yield of star polymer is optimized. Star polymers having different arm lengths are prepared and characterized. The star polymers exhibit a single 19F resonance in 19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectra in aqueous solution, and the T2 relaxation time increases with arm length. The relaxation properties and the fluorine content are consistent with these polymers being effective 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents. This work indicates that these POSS-star polymers have potential as theranostic agents for 19F MRI and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-activated prodrugs can potentially improve the selectivity of chemotherapeutics. However, the inability to release sufficient drugs at tumor sites due to the paucity of ROS, which is required for prodrug activation usually limits the antitumor potency. Herein, a delivery nanosystem with self-amplifiable drug release pattern is constructed by encapsulating a tumor specificity ROS inducer NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1)-responsive hemicyanine fluorescent dye (NCyNH 2) in a ROS-responsive self-immolative polyprodrug nanoparticle for orchestrated oxidation-chemotherapy. In response to ROS stimulation, the self-immolative polyprodrug can degrade and release doxorubicin (DOX) through a domino-like fragmentation, which can impart advanced attributes of this nanosystem such as minimum cleavage events required and maximum cleavage speed for disintegration. Thus, the NCyNH 2 -loaded self-immolative polyprodrug nanoparticle (SIPN) could be dissociated in response to endogenous ROS, triggering the release of DOX and NCyNH 2. Subsequently, the NCyNH 2 could be activated by intratumoral overexpressed NQO1 to generate additional ROS, which further induces the amplifiable degradation of self-immolative polyprodrug to release sufficient drugs. The in vitro and in vivo studies consistently demonstrate that SIPN amplifies the drug release efficiency of ROS-responsive polyprodrug by specifically upregulating intratumoral ROS levels, resulting in significant antitumor efficacy with minimal side effects. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high performance lubricants has been driven by increasingly growing industrial demands and environmental concerns. Herein, we demonstrate oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted inorganic nanoparticles (hairy NPs) as highly effective lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction. A series of oil-miscible poly(lauryl methacrylate) brush-grafted silica and titania NPs were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. These hairy NPs showed exceptional stability in poly(alphaolefin) (PAO) base oil; no change in transparency was observed after being kept at −20, 22, and 100 °C for ≥55 days. High-contact stress ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100 °C showed that addition of 1 wt % of hairy NPs into PAO led to significant reductions in coefficient of friction (up to ≈40 %) and wear volume (up to ≈90 %). The excellent lubricating properties of hairy NPs were further elucidated by the characterization of the tribofilm formed on the flat. These hairy NPs represent a new type of lubricating oil additives with high efficiency in friction and wear reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high performance lubricants has been driven by increasingly growing industrial demands and environmental concerns. Herein, we demonstrate oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted inorganic nanoparticles (hairy NPs) as highly effective lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction. A series of oil-miscible poly(lauryl methacrylate) brush-grafted silica and titania NPs were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. These hairy NPs showed exceptional stability in poly(alphaolefin) (PAO) base oil; no change in transparency was observed after being kept at −20, 22, and 100 °C for ≥55 days. High-contact stress ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100 °C showed that addition of 1 wt % of hairy NPs into PAO led to significant reductions in coefficient of friction (up to ≈40 %) and wear volume (up to ≈90 %). The excellent lubricating properties of hairy NPs were further elucidated by the characterization of the tribofilm formed on the flat. These hairy NPs represent a new type of lubricating oil additives with high efficiency in friction and wear reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new approach to understand the characteristics of local energy based small infrared targets detection methods. • Target edge diffusion occurs due to diffraction and quantification. • Proposed method outperforms state-of-the-arts in various evaluation metrics. Small Infrared (IR) target detection plays an important role in flight guidance and target early warning. Most existing solutions we call local contrast (LC) based methods utilize the local contrast between the targets and the background to detect small infrared targets. This paper designs a characteristic response curve (CRC) to demonstrate characteristics of LC-based methods and proposes a multi-scale target edge diffusion model (M-TED) for small infrared target detection. First, considering the edge diffusion phenomenon on small infrared targets, the transition region is integrated with the target and the background regions to measure local contrast. In addition, global information can be used to suppress the background. Next, a customized multi-scale strategy based on the CRC is applied to generate an appropriate response map. Finally, small targets are detected via segmentation of the response map. Experiments show that the CRC-customized multi-scale strategy can significantly improve LC-based methods' performance and our M-TED performs best on various evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common among patients with pancreatic carcinoma, but epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent results for vitamin D intake/circulation level and pancreatic cancer risk. The study aims were to investigate the effects of vitamin D on patient survival, and the proliferation or survival of pancreatic cancer cell lines. Methods and results The present study examined the local expression of vitamin D receptor ( VDR) in pancreatic normal and tumour tissues from a cohort of 61 patients, and analysed the potential correlation between VDR and pathological characteristics, including disease prognosis. Among 61 pairs of normal and tumour specimens, VDR was detected in all normal tissues, and was abundantly expressed in 62.5% (15/24) of tumour tissues with high differentiation, but had a significantly lower or undetectable expression level in 75.7% (28/37) of tissues with moderate or low differentiation ( P = 0.004). Moreover, high VDR expression was detected in 63.6% (14/22) of small tumours (≤25 mm) and in only 25.6% (10/39) of large tumours (>25 mm) ( P = 0.06). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that a low level of VDR expression in tumour tissues was associated with a poor prognosis ( P = 0.037). Conclusions VDR expression could be a potential prognostic factor for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and its effects should be examined in a prospective study. Vitamin D analogues may provide a therapeutic choice for patients with high VDR expression in tumours but a low vitamin D level in the circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the inversely correlated series resistance ( R s ) and parallel resistance ( R p ) remains a challenge. Here we report that the variation of R s and R p is inversely related through the morphology of the donor and acceptor interface in CuPc organic solar cells, when comparing the bilayer structure and bulk heterojunction structure. It was also found that the charge carrier concentration near the donor–acceptor interface plays an important role in the relationships of R s and R p under fixed interfacial morphology, which was verified by the change of V oc . The inversely correlated R s and R p contributes to the improvement of the fill factor, and in turn the power conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure of polymer-derived amorphous silicon carbide pyrolyzed at different temperatures was investigated by combining measurements of their temperature-dependent conductivity and optical absorption. By comparing the experimental results with theoretical models, the parameters such as conduction band, band-tail, defect energy, and Fermi energy were determined. The results revealed that band gap and band-tail width decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Furthermore, it was found that electrons transport followed a band-tail hopping mechanism, rather than variable range hopping. These results were discussed in accordance with the microstructural evolutions of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective coatings are critical to the successful application of the carbon/carbon (C/C) composites in the thermal protection systems of space vehicles. The damages of such coatings during installation and operation would threaten the safety of flight. In this contribution, an in-field technology based on a multilayer structure was developed to repair the damaged coatings of C/C composites. The multilayer structure contains a silicon buffer inner layer, a mullite heat-resistant middle layer and a borosilicate glass outer layer. The oxidation tests in air at 1300 °C and 1500 °C indicated that the weight loss of the repaired samples was greatly reduced compared with that of the damaged ones. The plasma wind tunnel tests for both repaired and damaged coatings further demonstrated that the multilayer structure could effectively protect the damaged composites from ablation in oxidation environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of acrylic acid additive on the electric conductivity of amorphous SiCN derived from polymeric precursor was studied. The conductivity showed to follow the Arrhenius dependence on pyrolysis temperature, but with much smaller activation energy, as compared to the unmodified SiCN. Structural analysis using Raman and XPS revealed that the size of the free-carbon clusters within the AC-modified SiCN changed with pyrolysis temperature, but the sp 2 -to- sp 3 ratio remained almost the same. The reason for the effect of AC on the carbon cluster was speculated. The mechanisms governing the conductivity behavior of the AC-modified SiCN were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor was fabricated based on N-doped TiO2 for the detection of Hg2+ through the quenching of photogenerated electrons. The N-doped TiO2 was synthesized by a sol–gel method with urea and tetrabutyl titanate as the N and Ti sources. Compared with the undoped TiO2, the N-doped TiO2 showed an enhanced photocurrent response under visible light (λ ＞ 420 nm). The sensing surface was functionalized with 5′-amino-modified T-rich oligonucleotides. The photoelectrochemical biosensor bound Hg2+ on the surface by a highly specific T–Hg2+–T recognition. Hg2+ on the surface of the N-doped TiO2 film withdrew the photogenerated electrons and decreased the recorded current signal. The dynamic linear range for Hg2+ has been determined to be as low as 2–6 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]