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As a critical metabolite, the standardization of lactate quantification is increasingly crucial. Therefore, we developed LaconicSF, a lactate-responsive biosensor exhibiting exceptional specificity in lactate detection. LaconicSF enables efficient lactate quantification in CHO cell culture medium and holds potential as a user-friendly detection tool for lactate quantification in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive works have been devoted to study the scale inhibition behavior, the performance of inhibitors is still not fully understood. In this paper, we present a laboratory study to elucidate the impact of water composition on the performance of some commonly used phosphonate and polymeric calcium carbonate scale inhibitors, in highly supersaturated brines at high temperature. Calcium tolerance inhibitor chemicals with various molecular structures are studied using dynamic scale loop test method at 150 °C. Brine composition is varied by changing the non-stoichiometry of scaling lattice ions, e.g., ( Ca 2 + ) / ( CO 3 2 − ) ratio, over a wide range. Test results indicate that the effectiveness of inhibitors can be significantly changed by the scaling ion ratio. In general, the efficacy of inhibitors decreases significantly with calcium concentration in the test brine even at constant supersaturation state and temperature, and also the performance ranking of the different inhibitor chemistries can be changed with brine composition. This could be caused by the alternations of interactions between inhibitor molecules and the surface of calcium carbonate scale crystals. Findings from this study suggest that the effect of scaling ion ratio must be considered in scaling risk assessment and for the optimization of inhibitor treatment programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variability of magmatic zircon geochemical signatures can reecord different tectonic settings and be used to accurately determine regional tectonic evolution. For example, Th/U values of magmatic zircons correlate with tectonic stress regimes (continental extension and compression) and the magmatic environment. Previously, the Karamaili Granite Belt (KGB) has been considered to be a product of siliceous magmatic activity in the late Palaeozoic post-collisional extensional environment of the Eastern Junggar, and consensus is that it is composed of A2-type granite. In this study, the U-Pb zircon geochronology of the KGB indicates it crystallized between 320 and 310 Ma. The Th/U ratios of the 494 magmatic zircons range from 0.22 to 1.22 but in the southeastern part of the KGB exhibit high Th/U ratios (maximum 1.22) and high coefficients of variation (maximum 45.2%), compared to the smooth Th/U variation (mostly <0.8) and low coefficients of variation (minimum 13.5%) in the northwestern part. The δEu values of zircons in the KGB range from 0.1 to 1.16, with less variability (mostly <0.2), but show an increasing trend in the extensional area (maximum 1.16). Zircon trace element signatures indicate that the most KGB granites exhibits highly differentiated I-type granite characteristics. In addition, tin mineralization in the KGB is primarily controlled by a tectonic environment of compression and is closely associated with highly differentiated I-type granites. This is distinctly different from granites with mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs), such as those in the Sabei and Huangyangshan plutons, which formed in an extensional environment with significant crustal growth. Hence, the Th/U and δEu indicators of zircons suggests the KGB was formed during a tectonic transformation of overall compression and local extension at the end of plate subduction, and a local extensional environment was formed at the Junggar Ocean end of the subduction in this area, which introduced large-scale mantle-derived material of mantle origin, and that crustal vertical growth was strong, forming a thicker juvenile crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrazoline and pyrazole compounds are important building blocks in the development of photofunctional compounds. Two new solution-processable platinum-containing polyynes functionalized with these chromophores in the main chain (P1 and P2) were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic, thermal and optical methods. By changing the spacer from 2-pyrazoline to the electron-rich pyrazole in the main chain, the photophysical properties including energy levels, absorption wavelength and bandgap of the polymers were finely tuned. The photovoltaic properties of P1 with better absorption features were also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new solution-processable platinum-containing polyynes functionalized with triphenylamine backbone and different acceptor fragment in the side chain were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic, thermal and optical methods. The main- and side-chains show different absorption features in the solar spectrum, resulting in broad absorption coverage of the whole visible region. By changing the acceptor group in the side chain, the photophysical properties including energy levels, absorption wavelength and bandgap of the polymers were finely tuned. As the strength of electron acceptor is increased, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic polymer solar cells fabricated with these polymers as electron donor and (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as electron acceptor was increased. PCE of 1.35% can be obtained from solar cell based on the polyplatinayne with the dicyanovinyl side group under illumination of an AM 1.5 solar cell simulator in a 1:4 (polymer:PCBM) blend ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) and malignant tumor (MT) have high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide, and several associations exist between them. This study aimed to determine the effect of MT on hospital mortality in patients with IS. Methods: Based on their MT status, participants with IS in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) were divided into two groups. The primary outcome was in-hospital all causes mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to evaluate the intergroup in-hospital mortality, and three Cox regression models were used to determine the association between MT and in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 1605 participants (749 males and 856 females) were included in the study. The mean age was 72.030 ± 15.463 years. Of these, 257 (16%) patients died in the hospital. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the MT group had a significantly lower possibility of in-hospital survival than the non-MT group. In the unadjusted model, in-hospital mortality among MT patients had a higher odds ratio (OR) of 1.905 (95% CI, 1.320–2.748; P < 0.001) than the non-MT group. After adjusting for basic information, vital signs, and laboratory data, MT was also associated with increased in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.844, 95% CI: 1.255–2.708; P = 0.002). Conclusions: Among the patients with IS, the risk of all causes in-hospital mortality was higher for MT than for patients non-MT. This finding can assist clinicians in more accurately assessing prognosis and making informed treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular categorization of colon cancer patients remains elusive. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), which investigates the dysregulated genes among tumor and normal samples, has revealed the pivotal role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in colon cancer pathogenesis. In this study, we employed multi-clustering method for grouping data, resulting in the identification of two clusters characterized by varying prognostic outcomes. These two subgroups not only displayed disparities in overall survival (OS) but also manifested variations in clinical variables, genetic mutation, and gene expression profiles. Using the nearest template prediction (NTP) method, we were able to replicate the molecular classification effectively within the original dataset and validated it across multiple independent datasets, underscoring its robust repeatability. Furthermore, we constructed two prognostic signatures tailored to each of these subgroups. Our molecular classification, centered on EMT, hold promise in offering fresh insights into the therapy strategies and prognosis assessment for colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of green and low‐carbon transformation of industrial high‐energy‐consuming parks, in order to realize the coordinated development planning of energy and transportation under different peaking capacity requirements, this paper proposes a collaborative optimization model of industrial high‐energy‐consuming parks under green and low‐carbon. Firstly, by studying the energy balance mechanism between industrial load and new energy, an energy topology prior model of energy interaction in the next generation of industrial new energy power grid is constructed. Then, based on the probability characteristics of the equilibrium state of different regions in the high‐energy‐consuming industrial zone, combined with the prior knowledge of industrial load and low‐carbon power system, a collaborative development planning model of high‐energy‐consuming industrial parks is constructed. Finally, the proposed model is simulated. From the simulation results the authors can see the dynamic division model and solution algorithm of energy balance region established in this paper can effectively improve the energy balance ability of power grid, reduce peak shaving demand and use more renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to explore the impacts of heightened CO2 concentrations on human health and wellness in an underground confined space. A total of 180 participants were subjected to CO2 concentrations ranging from 1000 to 10000 ppm within a confined underground environment. The study assessed not only subjective perceptions and physiological responses but also cognitive performance, integrating novel measures such as emotion, skin conductance (SC), and heart rate variability (HRV). The findings demonstrated a notable variation in thermal sensation votes (TSV) and perceived air quality acceptability with the change in CO2 concentration. A significant increase in total mood disturbance (TMD) of 1.5 units was observed at a CO2 concentration of 8500 ppm, compared to 1000 ppm. Cognitive performance remained consistent for concentrations below 8500 ppm; however, a substantial alteration was noted at 10000 ppm. In terms of task difficulty, numerical calculations were perceived to require 0.74 units more effort than letter searches. As CO2 concentration exceeded 7500 ppm, significant variances were noted in physiological parameters such as diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), LF/HF, MF/HF ratios, PNN 50, and frequency domains of HRV (LF, MF, and HF) in comparison to the parameters at 1000 ppm. At 8500 ppm, the LF and HF parameters were found to be 780 and 452.3 units, respectively, higher than at 7000 ppm. These findings suggest that high humidity, low temperature, and elevated CO2 concentrations collectively contribute to the significant human stress responses. This study is of interest as there are limited reported researches on the air quality in underground confined space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The surgical treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and severe thoracolumbar kyphosis combined with hip flexion contracture is very difficult for all the surgeons. The femoral neck osteotomy (FNO) is the first step to break the ice. The evaluation of a new modified FNO method is very important to improve the curative effect. Methods: Five male patients with nine bone‐fused hips who underwent the new femoral neck osteotomy were included from October 2021 to March 2022. The FNO was designed that the saw blade was manipulated from the lateral femoral neck base to the inferior part of the femoral head, keeping Pauwels' angle less than 30° on the coronal plane. On the transverse plane, the angle between the saw blade and the coronal plane was more than 15°. On the sagittal plane, the saw blade cut through the femoral neck. They accepted pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) after FNO according to the patient' recovery. Then, 2 weeks later, the patients underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). The visual analogue scale (VAS), Harris hip score (HHS) and passive hip flexion‐extension range of motion (ROM) were used to evaluate hip function. The data were analyzed by paired t‐test. Results: The average operation time and blood loss of FNO, the average interval between FNO and THA were collected. The average angle of the trunk and lower limb (ATL) was 36.33° ± 16.36° pre‐FNO, 82.89° ± 13.51° post‐FNO and 175.22° ± 3.42° post‐THA. The average VAS scores were 0 pre‐FNO, 5 ± 1.58 post‐FNO and 2.6 ± 0.55 post‐THA. The average HHS was 43.56 ± 1.59 preoperatively and 83.89 ± 2.21 postoperatively. The average hip extension ROM was 23.89° ± 12.69° pre‐FNO, −22.67° ± 14.18° post‐FNO and − 3.33° ± 2.50 post‐THA°. The average hip flexion ROM was 23.89° ± 12.69° pre‐FNO, 35.56° ± 12.11° post‐FNO and 104.44° ± 5.27° post‐THA. The differences among them were significant (p < 0.05). Only one hip (11.11%) displaced completely after FNO. Conclusion: A new modified FNO was developed, which can provide osteotomy with a certain degree of stability and greater ease for performing PSO and THA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Lithium titanate is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high-rate capability and long-cycle duration. However, gas swelling during electrochemical reactions has hindered its industrial application. Here, we synthesize self-assembled (4 0 0)-orientation lithium titanate (SA-LTONF) with ultrafine nanoparticles using a feasible thermal method. The SA-LTONF with an organic carbon coating exhibited superior electrochemical performance. To understand such high-rate capability, we perform density functional theory (DFT) calculations which elucidate the orientation-dependent electrochemical mechanism of hydrogen evolution and the atomically dynamic mechanism of lithium-ion migration in Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 and Li 7 Ti 5 O 12. Our findings provide a unique insight into the gas generation and ultrafast lithium-ion transportation in lithium titanate and offer guidance for nanoarchitecture construction and materials design of lithium titanate for commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology necessitates detection methods with high performance and low complexity; however, the detection problem becomes severe when high-order constellations are employed. Variational approximation-based algorithms prove to deal with this problem efficiently, especially for high-order MIMO systems. Two typical algorithms named Gaussian tree approximation (GTA) and expectation consistency (EC) attempt to approximate the true likelihood function under discrete finite-set constraints with a new distribution by minimizing the Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence. As the KL divergence is not a true distance measure, 'exclusive' and 'inclusive' KL divergences are utilized by GTA and EC, respctively, demonstrating different performances. In this paper, we further combine the two asymmetric KL divergences in a nested way by proposing a generic algorithm framework named nested variational chain. Acting as an initial application, a MIMO detection algorithm named Gaussian tree approximation expectation consistency (GTA-EC) can thus be presented along with its alternative version for better understanding. With less computational burden compared to its counterparts, GTA-EC is able to provide better detection performance and diversity gain, especially for large-scale high-order MIMO systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia (CLSD) is a rare dysmorphic syndrome characterized by skeletal dysmorphism, late-closing fontanels, and cataracts. CLSD is caused by mutations in the SEC23A gene (OMIM# 607812) and can be inherited in either an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive pattern. To date, only four mutations have been reported to cause CLSD. This study aims to identify the disease-causing variants in a large cohort of congenital cataract patients, to expand the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of CLSD, and to confirm the association between SEC23A and autosomal recessive CLSD (ARCLSD). Methods: We collected detailed medical records and performed comprehensive ocular examinations and whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 115 patients with congenital cataracts. After suspecting that a patient may have CLSD based on the sequencing results, we proceeded to conduct transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on the cultured skin fibroblasts. The clinical validity of the reported gene-disease relationships for the gene and the disease was evaluated using the ClinGen gene curation framework. Results: Two novel compound heterozygous variants (c.710A > C p.Asp237Ala, c.1946T > C p.Leu649Pro) of the SEC23A gene, classified as variant of uncertain significance, were identified in the proband with skeletal, cardiac, ocular, and hearing defects. The observation of typical distended endoplasmic reticulum cisternae further supported the diagnosis of CLSD. Application of the ClinGen gene curation framework confirmed the association between SEC23A and ARCLSD. Conclusion: This study expands the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of CLSD, proposes TEM as a supplemental diagnostic method, and indicates that congenital cataracts are a typical sign of ARCLSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematologic malignancies (HMs) pose a serious threat to patients' health and life, and the five-year overall survival of HMs remains low. The lack of understanding of the pathogenesis and the complex clinical symptoms brings immense challenges to the diagnosis and treatment of HMs. Traditional therapeutic strategies for HMs include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Although immunotherapy and cell therapy have made considerable progress in the last decade, nearly half of patients still relapse or suffer from drug resistance. Recently, studies have emerged that nanomaterials, nanotechnology and nanomedicine show great promise in cancer therapy by enhancing drug targeting, reducing toxicity and side effects and boosting the immune response to promote durable immunological memory. In this review, we summarized the strategies of recently developed nanomaterials, nanotechnology and nanomedicines against HMs and then proposed emerging strategies for the future designment of nanomedicines to treat HMs based on urgent clinical needs and technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has impacted and changed consumer behavior because of a prolonged quarantine and lockdown. This study proposed a theoretical framework to explore and define the influencing factors of online consumer purchasing behavior (OCPB) based on electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) data mining and analysis. Data pertaining to e-WOM were crawled from smartphone product reviews from the two most popular online shopping platforms in China, Jingdong.com and Taobao.com. Data processing aimed to filter noise and translate unstructured data from complex text reviews into structured data. The machine learning based K-means clustering method was utilized to cluster the influencing factors of OCPB. Comparing the clustering results and Kotler's five products level, the influencing factors of OCPB were clustered around four categories: perceived emergency context, product, innovation, and function attributes. This study contributes to OCPB research by data mining and analysis that can adequately identify the influencing factors based on e-WOM. The definition and explanation of these categories may have important implications for both OCPB and e-commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spreading serves as a pivotal process in the flavor development of green tea. In this study, the effects of spreading under five light irradiation on the volatile and non-volatile metabolites of green tea were comprehensively investigated using intelligent sensory technologies integrated with targeted and non-targeted metabolomics analyses. The incorporation of yellow light irradiation into spreading process significantly improved the overall quality of green tea. A total of 71 volatile and 112 non-volatile metabolites were identified by GC–MS/MS and UHPLC-Q-Exactive/MS, respectively. Among them, 20 key odorants with OAVs exceeding 1 were screened out. Moreover, phenylethyl alcohol, β -damascenone, β -ionone, (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal, linalool, and phenylacetaldehyde with higher OAVs were pivotal contributors to the aroma quality under different light irradiation. Additionally, 13 non-volatile metabolites with VIP > 1.2 were recognized as key differential metabolites under different light irradiation. The results provide technical support and theoretical guidance for enhancing the processing technology of green tea. [Display omitted] • Yellow-light irradiation spreading significantly enhanced the flavor of green tea. • Metabolomics analysis identified 71 volatile and 112 non-volatile metabolites. • Twenty volatile compounds with OAVs ≥1 significantly contributed to aroma quality. • Thirteen non-volatile metabolites with VIP > 1.2 were deemed as key metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warburg Micro syndrome (WARBM) is an autosomal recessive neuro-ophthalmologic syndrome characterized by microcephaly, microphthalmia, congenital cataracts, cortical dysplasia, corpus callosum hypoplasia, spasticity, and hypogonadism. WARBM is divided into four subtypes according to the causative genes, of which RAB3GAP1 (OMIM# 602536) accounts for the highest proportion. We collected detailed medical records and performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) for a congenital cataract patient. A novel heterozygous frameshift RAB3GAP1 variant was detected in a boy with a rare ocular phenotype of bilateral membranous cataracts accompanied by a persistent papillary membrane. Further copy number variation (CNV) analysis identified a novel deletion on chromosome 2q21.3 that removed 4 of the 24 exons of RAB3GAP1. The patient was diagnosed with WARBM following genetic testing. The present study expands the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of WARBM. It suggests applying whole exome sequencing (WES) and CNV analysis for the early diagnosis of syndromic diseases in children with congenital cataracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, blur detection is a hot topic in computer vision. It can accurately segment the blurred areas from an image, which is conducive for the post-processing of the image. Although many hand-crafted features based approaches have been presented during the last decades, they were not robust to the complex scenarios. To solve this problem, we newly establish a boundary-aware multi-scale deep network in this paper. First, the VGG-16 network is used to extract the deep features from multi-scale layers. Contrast layers and deconvolutional layers are added to make the difference between the blurred areas and clear areas more prominent. At last, a new boundary-aware penalty is introduced, which makes the edges of our results much clearer. Our method spends about 0.2 s to evaluate an image. Experiments on the large dataset confirm that the proposed model performs better than other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the preventive effect of esketamine on postpartum depression (PPD) after cesarean section. Methods. A total of 138 puerperae who underwent cesarean section in our hospital from February 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the research subjects. The control group was given intravenous injection of 2 ml of normal saline after the fetus was delivered. Meanwhile, the observation group was given intravenous injection of a small dose of esketamine (esketamine 0.5 mg/kg+ 2 ml of normal saline) after the delivery of the fetus. The changes of blood pressure and heart rate, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaire scores and the incidence of postpartum depression were compared between the two groups. At the same time, the incidence of postoperative adverse events in the two groups was observed. Results. There was no significant difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) between the two groups at T1-T3 (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the SBP, DBP, and HR at T4 and T5 in the observation group were higher (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in SBP, DBP, and HR at T3, T4, and T5 in the observation group (P > 0.05). Compared with T3, SBP, DBP, and HR were lower in control group T4 and T5, respectively. There was no significant difference in the EPDS scores between the two groups on the 1st day before delivery (P > 0.05). The EPDS scores of the two groups were higher at 3d postpartum and 42d postpartum, respectively, than at 1d before delivery. The EPDS scores of the observation group at 3d and 42d after delivery were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the incidence of postpartum depression was higher in the observation group at 3 days postpartum and 1 month postpartum, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postpartum adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion. The application of esketamine after cesarean section can effectively reduce depression-related scores and the risk of postpartum depression without increasing adverse reactions and has high safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deletion of chromosome 11p13 involving the WT1 and PAX6 genes has been shown to cause WAGR syndrome (OMIM #194072), a rare genetic disorder that features Wilms' tumor, aniridia, genitourinary anomalies, as well as mental retardation. In this study, we expand the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of WAGR syndrome by reporting on six patients from six unrelated families with different de novo deletions located on chromosome 11p13. Very rare phenotypes of lens automated absorption and lens thinning were detected in four of the six patients. We assessed the involvement of the ARL14EP gene in patients with and without severe lens abnormalities and found that its deletion may worsen the lens abnormalities in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exploring the safety motivation and safety cooperative behavior. • Understanding the role of safety motivation in the supply Chain. • Enhancing the overall safety level of the supply chain. • Reducing the incidence of safety risks. The safety of the supply chain is a major concern for scholars and entrepreneurs. This study primarily explores the safety motivation and safety cooperative behavior (SCB) of core enterprises participating in small and medium-sized manufacturing suppliers within the supply chain. This study aims to address the research gap in analyzing the role of safety motivation and SCB, with the goal of enhancing the overall safety level of the supply chain and reducing the incidence of safety risks. This study proposed a structural equation model and examined the relationships of safety motivation, safety management strength (SMS), safety coordination ability (SCA), and SCB. The questionnaire was collected from 299 core enterprises, excluding non-core enterprise samples. The findings from the study revealed a positive impact of safety motivation and SCA on SCB. Safety image motivation (SIM), safety supply motivation (SSM), and safety responsibility motivation (SRM) all have a positive impact on SMS, while SIM and SRM positively impact SCB. SCA acts as a significant mediator between SIM and SCB, SSM and SCB, as well as SRM and SCB. This study addresses the gap between safety motivation and SCB within the supply chain, providing a new research perspective on the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the existing offline inductance identification methods of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs), dq-axis voltage equations are generally adopted and the inverter nonlinearity compensation is necessary, which complicates the identification process and restricts the generality. In order to solve the problem, an offline inverter-nonlinearity-immune inductance identification method is proposed in this article based on the PMSM equivalent impedance model. The method can identify the dq-axis inductances by injecting both dc and high frequency signals, where the magnetic saturation and the cross saturation are considered. Besides, an inductance surface forming algorithm is introduced based on the bilinear interpolation. The continuous dq-axis inductance surfaces can be then obtained by only a few identified data, so that the time of data sampling and processing is greatly shorten compared with the existing methods. To enhance the accuracy of the identification method, the digital delay error and the sampling error in zero current zone are investigated and compensated. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated on three different test machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen plays a key role in tailoring the surface structures in WC–Co–Cubic graded cemented carbides. In this study, graded cemented carbides were sintered at 1450 °C for 2 h in a N-free atmosphere using TiN, ZrN, and HfN as multiple N sources. The elemental and compositional distributions of the resultant cemented carbides were measured to determine the microstructural evolution in the graded surface layer. For alloys incorporated with different N sources, two key characteristics, the residual cubic phase and thickness of the graded layer, were investigated. It was revealed that the thermodynamic formation energies of the cubic nitrides was the main factor to the microstructural evolution. In addition, the hardness distributions in the graded layers were measured using micro-indentation tests. Overall, a relationship between microstructure and hardness was established from the surface to the core of the investigated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, blur detection is a hot topic in computer vision. It can accurately segment the blurred areas from an image, which is conducive for the post-processing of the image. Although many hand-crafted features based approaches have been presented during the last decades, they were not robust to the complex scenarios. To solve this problem, we newly establish a boundary-aware multi-scale deep network in this paper. First, the VGG-16 network is used to extract the deep features from multi-scale layers. Contrast layers and deconvolutional layers are added to make the difference between the blurred areas and clear areas more prominent. At last, a new boundary-aware penalty is introduced, which makes the edges of our results much clearer. Our method spends about 0.2 s to evaluate an image. Experiments on the large dataset confirm that the proposed model performs better than other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the voltage source inverter applications, inverter nonlinearities would affect the parameter identification process in many ways. Hence, this article proposes an offline identification method for resistance and dq-axis inductance surface by considering the inverter nonlinearity characteristics. A variable amplitude square-wave injection (VASI) scheme is proposed for the dq-axis inductance identification. The VASI method achieves the inductance identification with a novel data sampling strategy. Meanwhile, it can also establish the inductance surfaces by only a few identified data points with a polynomial fitting algorithm, which greatly reduces the identification time compared with the existing methods. The resistance identification is realized by a slope signal injection method, in which the effect of IGBT voltage drop is analyzed. In order to improve the identification accuracy, the inverter nonlinearities are compensated by a self-learning method considering the zero-axis voltage at different rotor positions. At the same time, the sampling error in zero current zones of abc-phases is researched. In order to verify the effectiveness and generality, the proposed method is carried out on two different test machines and confirmed by finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, intact apoptotic cells release ATP as a signaling molecule to trigger prompt phagocytic clearance, even at the earliest stage of apoptosis. Inspired by this, here we introduce a straightforward strategy for real‐time monitoring ATP exocytosis and drug‐stimulated apoptosis in the cancer cell surroundings. Triplex‐boosted G‐quadruplexes (tb‐G4s) responding to cell environmental factors (H+ and K+) are engineered to construct a DNA logic‐gated nanoplatform for proximity ATP aptasensing on the cell surface. It enables the real‐time monitoring of cell apoptosis by capturing released endogenous ATP during chemotherapy drug stimulation, providing a sensitive approach for dynamically evaluating drug‐induced apoptosis and therapeutic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, intact apoptotic cells release ATP as a signaling molecule to trigger prompt phagocytic clearance, even at the earliest stage of apoptosis. Inspired by this, here we introduce a straightforward strategy for real‐time monitoring ATP exocytosis and drug‐stimulated apoptosis in the cancer cell surroundings. Triplex‐boosted G‐quadruplexes (tb‐G4s) responding to cell environmental factors (H+ and K+) are engineered to construct a DNA logic‐gated nanoplatform for proximity ATP aptasensing on the cell surface. It enables the real‐time monitoring of cell apoptosis by capturing released endogenous ATP during chemotherapy drug stimulation, providing a sensitive approach for dynamically evaluating drug‐induced apoptosis and therapeutic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• fNIRS evaluates the relationship between specific brain regions and the severity of LLD symptoms and helps to understand the vascular pathophysiological and hemodynamic mechanisms of LLD. • fNIRS can be used to evaluate cognitive function in cognitive tasks and to understand functional connectivity and differential diagnosis of LLD. • fNIRS can measure brain area activation to evaluate social functioning and its recovery in patients with LLD. • This is the first summary of fNIRS in LLD and guides subsequent studies. Late-life depression is one of the most damaging mental illnesses, disrupting the normal lives of older people by causing chronic illness and cognitive impairment. Patients with late-life depression, accompanied by changes in appetite, insomnia, fatigue and guilt, are more likely to experience irritability, anxiety and somatic symptoms. It increases the risk of suicide and dementia and is a major challenge for the public health systems. The current clinical assessment, identification and effectiveness assessment of late-life depression are primarily based on history taking, mental status examination and scale scoring, which lack subjectivity and precision. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a rapidly developing optical imaging technology that objectively reflects the oxygenation of hemoglobin in different cerebral regions during different tasks and assesses the functional status of the cerebral cortex. This article presents a comprehensive review of the assessment of functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology in assessing depressive symptoms, social functioning, and cognitive functioning in patients with late-life depression. The use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy provides greater insight into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying depression and helps to assess these three aspects of functionality in depressed patients. In addition, the study discusses the limitations of previous research and explores potential advances in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Volatiles in fresh scent green tea during processing were studied by volatolomics. • Significant changes in volatiles occurred during spreading and fixation stages. • A total of 10 key odorants were screened out in fresh scent green tea. • Lipid degradation and glycoside hydrolysis dominated aroma generation. Processing technology plays a crucial role in the formation of tea aroma. The dynamic variations in volatile metabolites across different processing stages of fresh scent green tea (FSGT) were meticulously tracked utilizing advanced analytical techniques such as GC-E-Nose, GC–MS, and GC × GC-TOFMS. A total of 244 volatile metabolites were identified by GC–MS and GC × GC-TOFMS, among which 37 volatile compounds were concurrently detected by both methods. Spreading and fixation stages were deemed as pivotal processes for shaping the volatile profiles in FSGT. Notably, linalool, heptanal, 2-pentylfuran, nonanal, β -myrcene, hexanal, 2-heptanone, pentanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 1-octanol were highlighted as primary contributors to the aroma profiles of FSGT by combining odor activity value assessment. Furthermore, lipid degradation and glycoside hydrolysis were the main pathways for aroma formation of FSGT. The results not only elucidate the intricate variations in volatile metabolites but also offer valuable insights into enhancing the processing techniques for improved aroma quality of green tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel back-building convective lines are often observed extending to the southwest of some mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) embedded in the mei-yu front in China. The convective lines with echo training behavior can quickly develop into a stronger convective group of echoes, resulting in locally heavy rainfall within the mei-yu front rainband. The initiation mechanism of the back-building convective lines is still unclear and is studied based on high-resolution numerical simulation of a case that occurred during 27–28 June 2013. In the present case, the new convection along the convective lines was found to be forced by nonuniform interaction between the cold outflow associated with the mei-yu front MCSs and the warm southerly airflow on the south side of the mei-yu front, which both are modified by local terrain. The mei-yu front MCSs evolved from the western to the eastern side of a basin surrounded by several mesoscale mountains and induced cold outflow centered over the eastern part of the basin. The strong southwest airflow ahead of the mei-yu front passed the Nanling Mountains and impacted the cold outflow within the basin. The nonuniform interaction led to the first stage of parallel convective line formation, in which the low mountains along the boundary of the two airflows enhanced the heterogeneity of their interaction. Subsequently, the convective group quickly developed from the first stage convective lines resulted in apparent precipitation cooling that enhanced the cold outflow and made the cold outflow a sharp southward windshift. The enhanced cold outflow pushed the warm southerly airflow southward and impacted the mountains on the southeast side of the basin, where the roughly parallel mountain valleys or gaps play a controlling role in a second stage formation of parallel convective lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen gas pressure and miscibility gap of Ti–Zr carbonitrides can control the rearrangement of the elements to form various types of graded layers in cemented carbides during sintering. In this study, WC–Co–Ti(C, N)–ZrC cemented carbides with Ti–Zr carbonitride miscibility gaps are investigated under denitriding and nitriding conditions. Based on thermodynamic calculations, various ZrC contents are added to the samples to control the phase composition. The evolution of graded layers is analyzed according to the measured element distributions and concentration profiles. The results demonstrated that two layers, namely, a fcc-free layer and a Ti-enriched layer, can be obtained in all the samples during the denitridation process. Both the first layer (the fcc-rich layer) and the second layer (the fcc-free layer) are observed in all the samples sintered under the nitridation process. However, a new third layer (a Zr-enriched layer) is observed in samples with high Zr content. Moreover, the thickness of each layer is reduced gradually with increasing ZrC addition. The diffusion behaviors of various elements and the mechanism of multilayer formation are clarified. This work can provide a new strategy for the development of novel graded cemented carbides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing online motor parameter identification methods mostly depend on the fundamental frequency voltage equations, which lead to the unsatisfactory identification effect at low current and low speed operation. This article proposes a parameter identification method based on the high frequency (HF) equivalent impedance model of permanent magnet synchronous motor with HF signal injection at both the dq-axes. This method identifies the resistance and the dq-axis inductances offline and online, along with the flux linkage online. In order to improve the identification accuracy, the parameter sensitivity analysis-based algorithm is proposed to detect the resistance and the flux linkage. Meanwhile, the inverter nonlinearities and the HF influence on parameter identification are compensated effectively. In order not to affect the normal operation of the motor drive, the selection of the amplitude, and the frequency of the injected signal is investigated. The proposed method is validated on a 2.2-kW motor and confirmed by finite element analysis. The experimental results show the good identification effect in different operation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to difficulties accessing areas where tidal creeks develop and the frequent morphological changes they undergo, there are very significant advantages in using remote sensing methods to effectively monitor conditions and the dynamics in these zones. The Yellow River Delta, which is the research area of this study, exhibits a very irregular tidal flat, with tidal creeks that vary in width and experience water current anisotropy. This study proposes a method for extracting tidal creeks based on a digital image processing technology that can carry out accurate characterization of tidal creeks against heterogeneous backgrounds. First, the normalized difference water index (NDWI) and Maximum Between-Class Variance (Otsu) classification are used to delineate the wide tidal creeks. Second, the modified fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm (MFCM) is used to suppress the difference between the target and background caused by spatial heterogeneity of the tidal flat environment. Next, the Gaussian matching filter (GMF) is used to enhance the narrow tidal creeks and suppress the influence of anisotropy. Then, adaptive threshold segmentation is conducted to delineate the narrow tidal creeks. Finally, the complete tidal creek networks are delineated by combining the wide and narrow tidal creeks. The overall performance was evaluated by visual interpretation and the result is excellent. In the four test areas, the kappa coefficient (κ) was greater than 0.79, the error of Commission was less than 22%, and the error of omission was less than 15%; the proposed method performed better than the Maximum Likelihood method, Support Vector Machine, and k-means algorithms. The results show that the proposed method can differentiate tidal creeks from different research areas, with good extraction accuracy and stability. The method can provide reference data for real-time dynamic monitoring of tidal creeks and has potential for application to other tidal zones in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive investigation has been carried out on a series of complexes of the type (N^N)Pt(–C≡C–Ar)2, where N^N represents diarylamino-substituted 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) ligands and –C≡C–Ar refers to the substituted arylacetylide ligands. The introduction of trifluoromethyl and methoxy substituents to the phenylacetylide unit results in color tuning of the phosphorescence energy in these complexes. The bulky diarylamino substituents on the bipyridine ligand showed distinctive electronic properties, resulting in improved hole-transporting characteristics. Solution-processed phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices (PHOLEDs) were fabricated using these PtII emissive dopants with poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) as the host. All the devices exhibit promising performances with the best luminance efficiency being up to 20 cd A−1 and the external quantum efficiency reaching 7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe and fatal acute respiratory disease in humans. High fatality rates and continued infectiousness remain a pressing concern for global health preparedness. Antibodies targeted at the receptor-binding domain (RBD) are major countermeasures against human viral infection. Here, we report four potent nanobodies against MERS-CoV, which are isolated from alpaca, and especially the potency of Nb14 is highest in the pseudotyped virus assay. Structural studies show that Nb14 framework regions (FRs) are mainly involved in interactions targeting a novel epitope, which is entirely distinct from all previously reported antibodies, and disrupt the protein-carbohydrate interaction between residue W535 of RBD and hDPP4 N229-linked carbohydrate moiety (hDPP4-N229-glycan). Different from Nb14, Nb9 targets the cryptic face of RBD, which is distinctive from the hDPP4 binding site and the Nb14 epitope, and it induces the β5-β6 loop to inflect towards a shallow groove of the RBD and dampens the accommodation of a short helix of hDPP4. The particularly striking epitopes endow the two Nbs administrate synergistically in the pseudotyped MERS-CoV assays. These results not only character unprecedented epitopes for antibody recognition but also provide promising agents for prophylaxis and therapy of MERS-CoV infection. Author summary: MERS-CoV is one of the most prevalent zoonotic virus that has spread through 27 countries and infected more than 2,605 people since its first outbreak in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The high fatality rate and its persistent wide spread infectiousness in animal reservoirs have generated tremendous global public health concern. However, no licensed therapeutic agents or vaccines against MERS-CoV are currently available. To address the risk of MERS-CoV and its variants re-emergence, we developed four highly effective Nbs from alpaca and solved two crystal complexes of Nb9 and Nb14 with RBD. Remarkably, the neutralizing activity of Nb14 represents the highest of MERS-CoV antibodies reported to date. The novel epitopes of Nb14 and Nb9 locate outside the RBD and hDPP4 interface, and the unique different epitopes and mechanisms of Nb14 and Nb9 provide a better neutralizing for synergistically against MERS-CoV infection. Our findings provide insights into the cryptic epitopes on RBD and the development of antibodies against MERS-CoV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines demographic differences in safety proactivity behaviors (i.e., safety whistleblowing, safety voice, and safety initiative) and safety procedure, safety management, and safety hazards identification. The data was collected from 503 employees in Chinese small–scale enterprises by using one–way ANOVA. The results showed that safety proactivity behaviors were significantly correlated with age groups, safety initiative with education level, and safety management with gender. Safety procedure, safety management and safety hazards identification were significantly correlated with age groups and safety hazards identification with education level. However, there were no gender–based differences in safety proactivity behaviors, safety procedures, and safety hazards identification, and none in safety whistleblowing and safety voice, safety management, and safety procedure based on the education level. There were also no differences in safety proactivity behaviors, safety procedure, safety management, and safety hazards identification based on tenure. This offers practical suggestions to owner–managers of small–scale enterprises to address the current situation and to improve the safety proactivity behaviors of employees as well as improve the safety procedure, safety management, and safety hazards identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offline parameter identification of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) is of great importance for general-purpose drives with sensorless control. This paper proposes an amplitude-auto-adjusting signal injection (ASI) method for the parameter self-learning of PMSMs at standstill considering inverter nonlinearities and the digital time-delay effect. The ASI method achieves the inductance identification process under various dq-axis currents and at the same time prevents the unexpected rotor rotation during the self-commissioning process. For the test PMSM, the spatial inductance maps of dq-axes and abc-phases concerning the magnetic saturation and cross-coupling effects are identified along with the stator resistance. To enhance the estimation accuracy, an error model of the inverter nonlinearities in dq-axes is established, and a compensation method independent of inverter parameters is proposed based on the Hermite interpolation. In addition, the influence of the digital time-delay effect is analyzed and compensated based on the transient model of the circuits. The effectiveness of the proposed parameter self-learning scheme is confirmed on a 2.2-kW PMSM drive. The accuracy of the experimental results is validated by finite element analysis on the test machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, AZ31 magnesium alloy is cast by applying the semi-continuous casting process with a low-frequency electromagnetic field. By studying the influence of electromagnetic field frequency, excitation current intensity and casting velocity on the microstructure and mechanical properties, the optimum process under oil-slip electromagnetic casting conditions was determined to improve the degree of grain refinement, yield strength, elongation and tensile strength of AZ31 alloy. An improved microstructure refining effect and higher hardness can be obtained with a current intensity af 60 A. The microstructures and mechanical properties obtained for different casting velocities of V = 200 mm/min and V = 230 mm/min at processing parameters of f = 30 Hz and I = 120 A were compared. Our results suggest that a higher casting speed does not lead to grain refinement or improved mechanical properties. Frequency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microscopic examination of peripheral blood plays an important role in the field of diagnosis and control of major diseases. Peripheral leukocyte recognition by manual requires medical technicians to observe blood smears through light microscopy, using their experience and expertise to discriminate and analyze different cells, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive and subjective. The traditional systems based on feature engineering often need to ensure successful segmentation and then manually extract certain quantitative and qualitative features for recognition but still remaining a limitation of poor robustness. The classification pipeline based on convolutional neural network is of automatic feature extraction and free of segmentation but hard to deal with multiple object recognition. In this paper, we take leukocyte recognition as object detection task and apply two remarkable object detection approaches, Single Shot Multibox Detector and An Incremental Improvement Version of You Only Look Once. To improve recognition performance, some key factors involving these object detection approaches are explored and the detection models are generated using the train set of 14,700 annotated images. Finally, we evaluate these detection models on test sets consisting of 1,120 annotated images and 7,868 labeled single object images corresponding to 11 categories of peripheral leukocytes, respectively. A best mean average precision of 93.10% and mean accuracy of 90.09% are achieved while the inference time is 53 ms per image on a NVIDIA GTX1080Ti GPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aberrant expression of RBM6 has been implicated in the development of human malignancies. However, the bio-function of RBM6 in laryngocarcinoma is still almost blank. Here we identified that RBM6 was downregulated in laryngocarcinoma tissues, as well as laryngocarcinoma cell lines. Notably, the expression level of RBM6 was lower in laryngocarcinoma patients at stage3/4 than that in laryngocarcinoma patients at stage1/2. Upregulation of RBM6 suppressed the proliferation of TU212 and Hep-2 cells, as shown by decreased cell viability and Ki67 level. In parallel, overexpression of RBM6 inhibited invasion and promoted apoptosis of TU212 and Hep-2 cells, as evidenced by downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression and upregulation of cleaved caspase-3 protein expression. In vivo , RBM6 overexpression repressed the laryngocarcinoma tumor growth. EGFR mRNA level was higher in the laryngocarcinoma tissues than that in the adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, upregulation of RBM6 reduced the expression of EGFR, ERK and p-ERK in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that RBM6 as a tumor suppressor represses the growth and progression in laryngocarcinoma. Highlights • RBM6 is downregulated in laryngocarcinoma cells and tissues. • Upregulation of RBM6 suppresses proliferation in TU212 and Hep-2 cells. • Upregulation of RBM6 inhibits invasion and promotes apoptosis in TU212 and Hep-2 cells. • Upregulation of RBM6 inhibits laryngocarcinoma tumor growth. • Upregulation of RBM6 suppresses the EGFR-associated signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the safety production level at small scale enterprises is important for business success, critical safety interactions among the enterprises, its employees, the public, and the government have not been explained well in the literature. To address this gap, a bottom-up method of agent-based modeling is applied here that includes these key stakeholders. The study illustrates how employee protection-oriented safety proactivity behaviors, including whistleblowing and public exposure, can impact the safety production level at small scale enterprises, which are also watched by the public and regulated by the government. The results confirm that protection-oriented safety proactivity behaviors have a significant impact on the safety production levels at small enterprises through the interactions among multiple agents. The model results are validated using an employee questionnaire. The recommendation is for employees to encourage protection-oriented safety proactivity behaviors to improve safety production levels and for the public and the government to provide additional safety support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole (BT) and its derivatives are very important acceptor units used in the development of photofunctional compounds and are applicable for the molecular construction of organic optoelectronic devices. Due to their strong electron-withdrawing ability, construction of molecules with the unit core of BT and its derivatives can usually improve the electronic properties of the resulting organic materials. New organometallic acetylide polymers of platinum(II) bridged by bis(fluorenyl)-benzothiadiazole moiety P1 and P2 have been synthesized via the CuI-catalyzed dehydrohalogenation reaction of the platinum(II) chloride precursors and the corresponding diacetylene ligands. The photophysical, thermal and electrochemical properties of P1 and P2 were investigated. Entry for the Table of Contents: Two new soluble platinum(II)-acetylide polymers bridged by bis(fluorenyl)-benzothiadiazole moiety are synthesized and their photophysical properties are examined. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global society and economies, prompting a shift in online consumer purchasing behavior (OCPB). This study aims to explore the evolving typologies of OCPB in the context of post-pandemic retail transformations. Utilizing data from a leading Chinese e-commerce platform, this study employed data mining techniques and the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model to analyze OCPB typologies. The BERT model, known for its advanced multi-task capabilities, demonstrated high reliability in classifying OCPB into three distinct types, as evidenced by robust performance metrics including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. However, the BERT model alone did not fully capture the nuanced concept of OCPB typology. To address this, this study integrated grounded theory to further delineate OCPB typologies, identifying key dimensions such as social and economic adaptation, product attributes, and user experience. Our findings offer a comprehensive understanding of OCPB typologies and provide valuable insights for retailers navigating the post-COVID-19 landscape. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on consumer behavior but also offers practical guidance for enhancing retail strategies in a rapidly changing environment. Plain language summary: Online consumer purchasing behavior typology The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people shop online. This study looks at how online shopping habits have evolved since the pandemic started, focusing on different types of shopping behaviors. We used information from a big online shopping site in China and special computer programs to study these behaviors. Our research found three main types of online shopping behaviors. However, to get a deeper understanding, we also looked at why people shop the way they do, considering factors like how they adapt socially and economically, what they think about the products, and their shopping experience. Our findings help us better understand online shopping habits and offer advice to stores on how to improve their online selling strategies in the new normal after the pandemic. This study is useful for both researchers interested in consumer behavior and for businesses looking to adapt to changes in how people shop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six cationic iridium(III) complexes bearing different bulky N,N′-chelating ligands were successfully synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical, thermal and photophysical methods. Because the molecular quenching and self-aggregation within molecules would deteriorate the device efficiency, the bulky molecules can suppress these problems and improve the device performance. The best doped organic light-emitting diodes based on these charged Ir(III) complex E1 exhibited Lmax of 26,800 cd/m2, ηL, max of 35.0 cd/A and ηP, max of 18.5 lm/W, which also showed a small efficiency roll-off in the range of 100 to 1000 cd/m2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug development. Thus, generation of non-integration and feeder-free iPSCs is highly desirable for clinical applications. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are an attractive resource for cell reprogramming because of their properties of easy accessibility and the limited invasiveness of blood collection. However, derivation of iPSCs is technically demanding due to the low reprogramming efficiency and nonadherent features of PBMCs. Methods: iPSCs were generated from PBMCs using non-integrative Sendai viruses carrying the reprogramming factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc. The derived iPSCs were fully characterized at the levels of gene and protein, and then they were transplanted into immunocompromised mice for evaluation of in vivo differentiation potential. Three types of extracellular substrates (Geltrex, vitronectin, and rhLaminn-521) were tested for their influences on cell reprogramming under feeder-free conditions. We also sought to establish approaches to efficient cell recovery post-thaw and single cell passaging of iPSCs employing Rock inhibitors. Results: iPSCs were efficiently generated from PBMCs under feeder-free conditions. The derived iPSCs proved to be pluripotent and transgene-free. Furthermore, they demonstrated multi-lineage differentiation potentials when transplanted into immunocompromised mice. Among the three substrates, Geltrex and rhLaminin-521 could effectively support the initial cell reprogramming process, but vitronectin failed. However, the vitronectin, similar to Geltrex and rhLaminin-521, could effectively maintain cell growth and expansion of passaged iPSCs. In addition, RevitaCell supplement (RVC) was more potent on cell recovery post-thaw than Y-27632. And RVC and Y-27632 could significantly increase the cell survival when the cells were passaged in single cells, and they showed comparable effectiveness on cell recovery. Conclusion: We have successfully derived non-integration and feeder-free human iPSCs from peripheral blood cells, and established effective strategies for efficient cell recovery and single cell passaging. This study will pave the way to the derivation of clinical-grade human iPSCs for future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Previous literatures have investigated the change of miR-20a expression level in the progression of multiple cancers and its influence on patients’ survival outcome, but results of now-available evidence are inconsistent. Objective. To elucidate the prognostic value of circulating and tissue-based miR-20a for patients with various cancers. Methods. A systematic search and review of eligible publications were carried out in three electronic databases including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase, and the methodological quality of included studies was assessed according to Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and progressive-free survival (PFS) of each study were pooled using a random effect model. Results. In total, 24 studies involving 4186 samples of multiple cancers published in 20 articles were included in the statistical analysis. As for circulating miR-20a, five kinds of cancers containing gastric cancer, lymphoma, glioblastoma, prostate cancer, and non-small-cell lung cancer reported upregulated level in patients compared with normal healthy control, and overexpressed circulating miR-20a could confer an unfavorable factor for OS (HR = 1.71, 95% CIs: 1.43 -2.04, p < 0.01) and DFS (HR = 1.90, 95% CIs: 1.45-2.49, p < 0.01). As for tissue-based samples, 6 kinds of malignancies including colorectal cancer, salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma, colon cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma revealed upregulated miR-20a expression level compared with paired nontumorous tissue, of which high expression of miR-20a was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 2.74, 95% CIs: 1.38-5.42, p < 0.01) and DFS (HR = 2.68, 95% CIs: 1.32-5.45, p < 0.01); meanwhile, other 5 tumors containing breast cancer, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and epithelial ovarian cancer demonstrated downregulated miR-20a expression level compared with benign tissue, of which low miR-20a expression was significantly related to shorter OS (HR = 3.48, 95% CIs: 2.00-6.06, p < 0.01) and PFS/RFS (HR = 4.05, 95% CIs: 2.89-5.66, p < 0.01). Conclusion. Change of circulating and tissue-based miR-20a expression possesses vital prognostic implication for human cancers. Augmented expression of circulating miR-20a predicts poor survival outcome for patients with cancers. Tissue-based miR-20a level may be upregulated or downregulated depending on cancer types; in the former condition, high expression of tissue miR-20a is a risk factor for unfavorable prognosis and in the latter condition low expression of tissue miR-20a is associated with shorter survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Importance: Visual outcome after intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in long eyes is considerably affected by IOL power calculation. Various formulas have been designed to achieve an accurate IOL power prediction. However, controversy about the accuracy remains. Background: To evaluate the accuracy of IOL power calculation formulas in long eyes. Design: Meta‐analysis. Participants: Patients with ocular axial length (AL) over 24.5 mm. Methods: A comprehensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Data Base of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were conducted by September, 2017. The weighted mean differences of mean absolute errors (MAE) and the odds ratio of percentage of eyes within ±0.50D of prediction error among formulas were analysed. Main Outcomes Measures: Between‐group differences of MAE among formulas. Results: Eleven observational studies, involving 4047 eyes, were enrolled. Six formulas for IOL power calculation were compared: Barrett Universal II, Haigis, Holladay 2, SRK/T, Hoffer Q and Holladay 1. The MAE of Barrett Universal II was statistically lower than that of Holladay 2 (mean difference, MD = −0.04D, P = 0.0002), SRK/T (MD = −0.05D, P < 0.00001), Hoffer Q (MD = −0.07D, P < 0.00001) and Holladay 1 (MD = −0.07D, P < 0.00001). Barrett Universal II yielded significantly higher percentage of eyes within ±0.50D of the prediction error than the other formulas. The heterogeneity was minimized through dividing eyes into two groups by the AL of 26 mm. Conclusions and Relevance: This study demonstrates the superiority of Barrett Universal II over Holladay 2, SRK/T, Hoffer Q and Holladay 1 in predicting IOL power in long eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Cu alloy joints were fabricated with a Ni-foam reinforced Sn-based composite solder with the assistance of ultrasonic vibration. Effects of ultrasonic soldering time on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu/Ni-Sn/Cu joints were investigated. Results showed that exceptional metallurgic bonding could be acquired with the assistance of ultrasonic vibration using a self-developed Ni-foam/Sn composite solder. For joint soldered for 5 s, a (Cu,Ni) 6 Sn 5 intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was formed on the Cu substrate surface, Ni skeletons distributed randomly in the soldering seam and a serrated (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 IMC layer was formed on the Ni skeleton surface. Increasing the soldering time to 20 s, the (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 IMC layer grew significantly and exhibited a loose porous structure on the Ni skeleton surface. Further increase the soldering time to 30 s, Ni skeletons were largely dissolved in the Sn base solder, and micro-sized (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 particles were formed and dispersed homogeneously in the soldering seam. The formation of (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 particles was mainly ascribed to acoustic cavitations induced erosion and grain refining effects. The joint soldered for 30 s exhibited the highest shear strength of 64.9 ± 3.3 MPa, and the shearing failure mainly occurred at the soldering seam/Cu substrate interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problem of minimizing the damaging effect on the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum satellite is formulated using the two-player asymmetric zero-sum game framework. The payoff is modeled as the channel capacity of the defender under white additive Gaussian noise. The defender and the attacker are capable of spreading their signals over a prespecified frequency band. Two scenarios are considered: 1) both the attacker and defender know each other's strategies; and 2) the defender knows the attacker's strategy, but not vice versa. In each of these scenarios, we further consider whether the players have knowledge about the environments. We show how to analytically determine optimal strategies for the players in each scenario and provide simulation results to verify our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]