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Studies from high‐income populations have shown that stimulating, supportive communicative input from parents promote children's cognitive and language development. However, fewer studies have identified specific features of input supporting the healthy development of children growing up in low‐ or middle‐income countries. The current study proposes and tests a multi‐dimensional framework for understanding whether and how caregiver communicative input mediates the associations between socio‐economic conditions and early development. We also examine how caregiver conceptual scaffolding and autonomy support uniquely and synergistically explain variation in child outcomes. Participants were 71 Bangladeshi families with five‐year‐olds who were exposed to a range of biological and psychosocial hazards from birth. Caregiver‐child interactions during snack sharing and semi‐structured play were coded for caregiver conceptual scaffolding, autonomy support, and child engagement. Findings indicate that the two dimensions of input were correlated, suggesting that caregivers who provided richer conceptual scaffolds were simultaneously more supportive of children's autonomy. Notably, conceptual scaffolding and autonomy support each mediated associations between maternal education and child verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Further, caregivers who supported greater autonomy in their children had children who participated in conversations more actively, and these children in turn had higher performance IQ scores. When considered simultaneously, conceptual scaffolding was associated with verbal IQ over and above autonomy support, whereas autonomy support related to child engagement, controlling for conceptual scaffolding. These findings shed new light on how environmental factors may support early development, contributing to the design of family‐centered, culturally authentic interventions. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/9v%5f8sIv7ako Research Highlights: Studies from high‐income countries have identified factors mitigating the impacts of socio‐economic risks on development. Such research is scarce in low‐ and middle‐income countries.The present study conceptualized and evaluated caregiver communicative input in Bangladeshi families along two interrelated yet distinct dimensions: conceptual scaffolding and autonomy support.Conceptual scaffolding and autonomy support individually mediated associations between maternal education and child verbal IQ, shedding light on protective factors in families living in poverty.Parents providing richer conceptual scaffolds were simultaneously more supportive of children's autonomy. However, the two dimensions each related to cognition and language through unique pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The cryoprotective effect of xylooligosaccharide (XO) and kappa‐carrageenan (KC) mixture on silver carp proteins in fluctuated frozen storage from 4 to −18 °C was analyzed. Positive control as a conventional cryoprotectant mixture of sucrose (4%) and sorbitol (4%), KC (3%) and XO/KC (3%) treatments were incorporated in silver carp surimi and myofibrillar proteins to analyze the water mobility and its influence on structural attributes. RESULTS: The temperature fluctuation significantly increased the structural alteration in samples with no treatments due to oxidative changes, protein denaturation and recrystallization. Meanwhile, the mixture of XO and KC (XO/KC 3%) significantly reduced the tertiary and secondary structural alterations by preventing the oxidative changes in α‐helix and tryptophan (Trp) residues. Moreover, XO/KC (3%) inhibited water mobility, hindering the T22 relaxation time, as compared to the samples added with KC (3%) and the positive control. Interestingly, the XO/KC (3%) mixture significantly reduced the formation of extracellular spaces and recrystallization by restricting the partial dehydration of muscles and extracellular solution concentration. CONCLUSION: From the current results, it can be concluded that the XO/KC mixture could be efficient in protecting aquatic food proteins during fluctuating frozen storage by preventing the exposure of Trp residues and α‐helix contents. Moreover, XO/KC restricted the water mobility by establishing a bond and making water unavailable for crystallization and recrystallization. Therefore, XO/KC could be used as an effective mixture to prevent fluctuated and frozen storage changes in aquatic foods. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Intra-arterial therapies(IATs) are promising options for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Stratifying the prognostic risk before administering IAT is important for clinical decision-making and for designing future clinical trials. Objective: To develop and validate a machine learning(ML)-based decision support model(MLDSM) for recommending IAT modalities for unresectable HCC. Design, setting, and participants: Between October 2014 and October 2022, a total of 2,959 patients with HCC who underwent initial IATs were enroled retrospectively from 13 tertiary hospitals. These patients were divided into the training cohort (n = 1700), validation cohort (n = 428), and test cohort (n = 200). Main outcomes and measures: Thirty-two clinical variables were input, and five supervised ML algorithms, including eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Categorical Gradient Boosting (CatBoost), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM) and Random Forest (RF), were compared using the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with the DeLong test. Results: A total of 1856 patients were assigned to the IAT alone Group(I-A), and 1103 patients were assigned to the IAT combination Group(I-C). The 12-month death rates were 31.9% (352/1103) in the I-A group and 50.4% (936/1856) in the I-C group. For the test cohort, in the I-C group, the CatBoost model achieved the best discrimination when 30 variables were input, with an AUC of 0.776 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.833–0.868). In the I-A group, the LGBM model achieved the best discrimination when 24 variables were input, with an AUC of 0.776 (95% CI, 0.833–0.868). According to the decision trees, BCLC grade, local therapy, and diameter as top three variables were used to guide clinical decisions between IAT modalities. Conclusions and relevance: The MLDSM can accurately stratify prognostic risk for HCC patients who received IATs, thus helping physicians to make decisions about IAT and providing guidance for surveillance strategies in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe capacity loss of tin-based anodes restricts their use in lithium batteries (LIBs). To enhance tin anode cycle stability, tin-antimony double-discharge anodes were designed. Additionally, by ball milling, tin-antimony oxide, and flake graphite cycling-stable composites were created. The stacked flake graphite buffers tin volume rise and enhances electrical conductivity, cyclic specific capacity, and rate performance. After 400 cycles, the tin-antimony oxide-graphite anode shows good cycling specific capacity (480mAhg−1). Ball milling double-discharge anode material and graphite will inspire novel carbon composite anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian governments employed drastically different strategies—zero-infection versus living with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)—to balance control of the global pandemic and minimize disruption. This study examines inter-society differences in public responses to their government's anti-pandemic policies of zero-COVID strategy in China and neighboring societies. Three parallel telephone surveys were conducted in summer 2022 with a combined sample of 3,106 respondents in Beijing, Singapore, and Taipei. Findings provide a snapshot of public opinion toward zero-COVID policy in the late stage of the pandemic. Levels of strictness of pandemic-control measures across the 3 societies were found to be related to the public's attention to the policy, its perceived social impact, and the extent to which they would support the policy. Furthermore, whether public attention enhanced or diminished the perception of its impact or support, and how these relationships changed depended on local circumstances. Chinese respondents in Beijing perceived their government's unwavering zero-tolerance policy as having a low impact and tended to support the strict policy. Singaporeans living under the co-living policy viewed the zero-case strategy as disruptive and were less willing to support it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop and validate a risk scoring scale model (RSSM) for stratifying prognostic risk after intra-arterial therapies (IATs) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Between February 2014 and October 2022, 2338 patients with HCC who underwent initial IATs were consecutively enrolled. These patients were divided into training datasets (TD, n = 1700), internal validation datasets (ITD, n = 428), and external validation datasets (ETD, n = 200). Five-years death was used to predict outcome. Thirty-four clinical information were input and five supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms, including eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Categorical Gradient Boosting (CatBoost), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBT), and Random Forest (RF), were compared using the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) with DeLong test. The variables with top important ML scores were used to build the RSSM by stepwise Cox regression. Results: The CatBoost model achieved the best discrimination when 12 top variables were input, with the AUC of 0.851 (95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.833–0.868) for TD, 0.817 (95%CI, 0.759–0.857) for ITD, and 0.791 (95%CI, 0.748–0.834) for ETD. The RSSM was developed based on the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) (hazard ratios (HR), 0.678; 95%CI 0.549, 0.837), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) (HR, 0.702; 95%CI 0.605, 0.814), local therapy (HR, 0.104; 95%CI 0.014, 0.747), response to the first IAT (HR, 4.221; 95%CI 2.229, 7.994), tumor size (HR, 1.054; 95%CI 1.038, 1.070), and BCLC grade (HR, 2.375; 95%CI 1.950, 2.894). Kaplan–Meier analysis confirmed the role of RSSM in risk stratification (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The RSSM can stratify accurately prognostic risk for HCC patients received IAT. On the basis, an online calculator permits easy implementation of this model. Clinical relevance statement: The risk scoring scale model could be easily implemented for physicians to stratify risk and predict prognosis quickly and accurately, thereby serving as a more favorable tool to strengthen individualized intra-arterial therapies and management in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Key Points: • The Categorical Gradient Boosting (CatBoost) algorithm achieved the optimal and robust predictive ability (AUC, 0.851 (95%CI, 0.833–0.868) in training datasets, 0.817 (95%CI, 0.759–0.857) in internal validation datasets, and 0.791 (95%CI, 0.748–0.834) in external validation datasets) for prediction of 5-years death of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after intra-arterial therapies (IATs) among five machine learning models. • We used the SHapley Additive exPlanations algorithms to explain the CatBoost model so as to resolve the black boxes of machine learning principles. • A simpler restricted variable, risk scoring scale model (RSSM), derived by stepwise Cox regression for risk stratification after intra-arterial therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma, provides the potential forewarning to adopt combination strategies for high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of tumor-draining lymph nodes in the progression of malignant tumors, including stage III colorectal cancer (CRC), is critical. However, the prognostic and predictive value of the number of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) are not fully understood. Methods: This population-based study retrospectively analyzed data from 106,843 patients with stage III CRC who underwent surgical treatment and registered in three databases from 2004 to 2021. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cohort was divided using into training and test cohorts at a ratio of 3:2. We employed restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves to explore nonlinear relationships between overall survival (OS) and ELNs counts and performed Cox regression to evaluate hazard ratios across different ELNs count subtypes. Additional validation cohorts were utilized from the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) under the same criteria. Outcomes measured included OS, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Molecular analyses involved differential gene expression using the "limma" package and immune profiling through CIBERSORT. Tissue microarray slides and multiplex immunofluorescence (MIF) were used to assess protein expression and immune cell infiltration. Results: Patients with higher ELNs counts (≥ 17) demonstrated significantly better long-term survival outcomes across all cohorts. Enhanced OS, CSS, and PFS were notably evident in the LN-ELN group compared to those with fewer ELNs. Cox regression models underscored the prognostic value of higher ELNs counts across different patient subgroups by age, sex, tumor differentiation, and TNM stages. Subtype analysis based on ELNs count revealed a marked survival benefit in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy in the medium and large ELNs counts (≥ 12), whereas those with fewer ELNs showed negligible benefits. RNA sequencing and MIF indicated elevated immune activation in the LN-ELN group, characterized by increased CD3+, CD4+, and CD8 + T cells within the tumor microenvironment. Conclusions: The number of ELNs independently predicts survival and the immunological landscape at the tumor site in stage III CRC, underscoring its dual prognostic and predictive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to investigate α‐fetoprotein (AFP) trajectories for prediction of survival outcomes after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) treatment in large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: From May 2014 to June 2020, 889 eligible patients with large HCC underwent HAIC were retrospectively enrolled from five hospitals. A latent class growth mixed (LCGM) model was applied to distinguish potential AFP level dynamic changing trajectories. Inverse‐probability‐of‐treatment weighted (IPTW) analyses were performed to eliminate unmeasured confounders through marginal structural models. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to determine the overall survival (OS) in patients with large HCC. Performance of these serum markers for survival prediction was compared by areas under receiver operating characteristic analysis with the Delong test. Results: The median follow‐up time was 23.7 (interquartile range, 3.8–115.3). A total of 1009 patients with large HCC, who underwent HAIC with AFP repeatedly measured 3–10 times, were enrolled in the study. Three distinct trajectories of these serum AFP were identified using the LCGM model: high stable (37.0%; n = 373), low stable (15.7%; n = 159), and sharp‐falling (47.3%; n = 477). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses found that ALBI stage 2–3, BCLC‐C stage and high‐stable AFP trajectories were associated with OS. AFP trajectories yield the optimal predictive performance in all risk factors. Conclusions: The AFP trajectories based on longitudinal AFP change showed outstanding performance for predicting survival outcomes after HAIC treatment in large HCC, which provide a potential monitoring tool for improving clinical decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehending the phylogeography of invasive organisms enhances our insight into their distribution dynamics, which is instrumental for the development of effective prevention and management strategies. In China, Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea maculata are the two most widespread and damaging species of the non-native Pomacea spp.. Given this species’ rapid spread throughout country, it is urgent to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of its different geographic populations, a task undertaken in the current study using the COI and ITS1 mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA genes, respectively. The result of this study, based on a nationwide systematic survey, a collection of Pomacea spp., and the identification of cryptic species, showed that there is a degree of genetic diversity and differentiation in P. canaliculata, and that all of its variations are mainly due to differences between individuals within different geographical populations. Indeed, this species contains multiple haplotypes, but none of them form a systematic geographical population structure. Furthermore, the COI gene exhibits higher genetic diversity than the ITS1 gene. Our study further clarifies the invasive pathways and dispersal patterns of P. canaliculata in China to provide a theoretical basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant impact of Nb on ferrite transformation, both in terms of solute drag effect (SDE) and interphase precipitation, was investigated quantitatively. Ferrite transformation kinetics were characterized using thermal expansion experiments and theoretical calculations. The microstructures were characterized using high−temperature confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), a field−emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Under a higher driving force, interphase precipitations were observed in the sample with a higher Nb content. A three−dimensional (3D) reconstruction method was used to convert the two−dimensional (2D) image of interphase precipitation into a three−dimensional model for a more typical view. The SDE and interphase precipitation had opposite effects on the kinetics of ferrite transformation. A lower Nb content showed a strong contribution to the SDE, which delayed ferrite transformation. A higher concentration of Nb was expected to enhance the SDE, but the inhibition effect was eliminated by the interphase precipitation of NbC during interfacial migration. Both the experimental results and theoretical calculations confirmed this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In prostate radiotherapy, the intrafractional target motion negatively affects treatment accuracy. Generating internal target volume (ITV) using four‐dimensional (4D) images may resolve the issue of intrafractional target motion induced by bladder filling and bowel movement. However, no 4D imaging techniques suitable for the prostate are currently available in clinical practice. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the ITV based on cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence for intrafractional target motion management in prostate MRI‐guided radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: A reference ITV was generated in simulation process. Then, the reference ITV was adapted with cine MRI sequence before online planning in each fraction. Finally, the reference ITV was updated with the cine MRI sequence acquired during beam delivery after each fraction. Cine MRI sequences and positioning three‐dimensional (3D) MRI from 35 patients were retrospectively collected. Clinical target volume (CTV) coverage was computed according to the two‐dimensional contour of CTV and ITV on cine MRI images. Relative target size was calculated as the ratio of the volume of ITV and CTV. Isotropic planning target volume (PTV; 5 mm margin) and anisotropic PTV (3 mm margin in the posterior direction and 5 mm margin in other directions) were generated for comparison. Results: The CTV coverage rate of the proposed ITV had a mean value of 98.61% ± 0.51%, whereas the CTV coverage rates of the isotropic and anisotropic PTVs were 97.43% ± 0.41% and 96.58% ± 0.73%, respectively. The proposed ITV had a relative target size of 1.79 ± 0.17, whereas the anisotropic and isotropic PTVs had relative target sizes of 1.92 ± 0.12 and 2.21 ± 0.19, respectively. For both the CTV coverage rate and target relative size, significant differences were observed between the proposed ITV and the other two PTVs (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The ITV achieved higher CTV coverage with smaller size than conventional isotropic and anisotropic PTVs, indicating that it can effectively deal with the intrafractional movement of the prostate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We have developed a novel technique for osteotomy/discectomy during en bloc resection of spine tumors named two-step osteotomy/discectomy through cannulated screw (TOCS). This study aims at describing the procedure of TOCS technique and assessing its efficiency and safety. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed fourteen patients who underwent en bloc resection for spine tumors using TOCS technique in our center between August 2018 and September 2022. The technique was based on a specially designed "slotted" cannulated screw which was a cannulated screw with a longitudinal slot to provide the accessibility of T-saw. During osteotomy/discectomy, the "slotted" cannulated screw was inserted obliquely along the plane between the dura and the posterior wall of spine in light of the planned osteotomy/discectomy plane under routine fluoroscopic imaging guidance. The T-saw was introduced through the screw, and the osteotomy/discectomy was performed sequentially in two steps under the guidance of the screw by turning the slot away and toward the dura. The intra-/perioperative complication, neurological function (determined by Frankel grading), surgical margin (determined by a pathologist using AJCC R system), follow-up details were documented. Results: The mean duration of surgery was 599.3 (360–890) min with a mean volume of intra-operative hemorrhage of 2021.4 (800–5000) mL. The intra-/perioperative complications were found in four patients (28.6%). R0 and R1 resections were achieved in nine and five patients, respectively. There was no R2 resection. After a mean follow-up period of 30.6 (10–67) months, all patients were alive except one patient died ten months after surgery due to unrelated cause. No recurrence and implant failure were found. Thirteen patients (92.9%) exhibited completely normal neurological function same as their preoperative neurological status. Conclusion: Using TOCS technique can facilitate a precise, complete and safe osteotomy/discectomy procedure during en bloc resection for spine tumor without the aid of intra-operative navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content: In this thesis, the role of N atom doping and biaxial strain in modulating the electronic structure and optical properties of antimonene has been deeply investigated using a first-principles approach based on density-functional theory. The results show that N doping significantly reduces the band gap of antimonene and introduces new electronic states, thus affecting its electronic structure. In terms of optical properties, N doping reduces the static permittivity of antimonene and alters its absorption, reflection, and energy loss properties. In addition, biaxial strain further enhanced the modulation effect of these properties. This study not only provides theoretical support for the application of antimonene in the field of high-performance two-dimensional electronic and optoelectronic devices, but also reveals strain and doping as an effective means to modulate the physical properties of two-dimensional materials. Methods: For the calculations, we used the DFT-based CASTEP software package for the simulation of the electronic structure. In order to more accurately characterize the weak interactions between two-dimensional materials, we specifically introduced the Van der Waals dispersion correction. We have chosen the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange-correlation generalization under the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and combined it with the Van der Waals correction term in order to fully consider the electronic structure of antimonene. For the calculation parameter settings, we set the truncation energy to 400 eV to ensure the accuracy of the calculation. Meanwhile, we adopt a 6 × 6 × 1 k-point grid for Brillouin zone sampling to obtain more accurate energy band structure and density of states information. For the convergence settings, the convergence criteria for both the system energy and the interaction force between atoms were set to 1 × 10−5 eV and 0.01 eV/Å, respectively. We selected a 3 × 3 × 1 supercell model with 18 Sb atoms. A vacuum thickness of 18 Å was established in the Z direction, which is sufficient to avoid interactions between the two atomic layers above and below the periodic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a psychosomatic disorder that affects reproductive health. The number of pregnancies is an important indicator of reproductive health. Multiple pregnancies and births may aggravate the risk of depression in females. However, the evidence of the connection between the number of pregnancies and depression is unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the number of pregnancies and depressive symptoms. We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data with a total of 17,216 women from 2005 to 2020. The number of pregnancies obtained from the self-report questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were measured by the nine-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the risk factors of depression. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) was applied to explore the nonlinear relationship. In addition, subgroup analysis was used to support the accuracy of our findings. We found that the number of pregnancies is positively associated with the prevalence of depression. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis, pregnant women was 1.52-fold higher than the normal group to experience depression in the fully-adjusted model. No interaction between number of pregnancies and covariates in subgroups. This study was cross-sectional, which limits its ability to draw conclusions about the causal relationship between the number of pregnancies and depression. In the United States, the number of pregnancies was positively associated with the prevalence of depression. It is critical to register the number of pregnancies for monitoring depressive symptoms. • Maternal psychopathology is associated with female reproductive health. • The number of pregnancies is positively associated with the occurrence of depressive symptoms. • It is critical to keep record and track the number of pregnancies in order to monitor the signs of maternal depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft clay is characterized by high compressibility, low permeability, low strength, and high water content, making it a poor substrate for construction. Hence, soil treatment is often required for soft clay. However, the traditional treatment methods, such as stacking and on-site mixing, involve large space, long time, and high cost. In contrast, lime is stable and cheap, but slow to set and harden. In this paper, the microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) and lime composite curing of soft clay was investigated. Tests were carried out on soft clay samples with different lime ratios. By comparing the changes of strength, composition, and microstructure before and after curing, the mechanism of MICP/lime composite solidification of soft clay was systematically studied. The results showed that (1) a reasonable proportion of lime can react with water and CO2 in clay to generate CaCO3 , and also promote the induction of more CaCO3 precipitation by microorganisms, contributing to the improved strength of solidified clay; (2) MICP/lime composite curing can effectively reduce water in soft clay and help to improve the strength of solidified soil; (3) MICP and lime were complementary in terms of curing time, leading to continuous improvement of curing effect; and (4) the MICP/lime composite has a good effect on the solidification of soft clay. Under the experimental conditions in this study, the best solidification effect was observed for soft clay with a water content of 30% and a lime ratio of 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-centered vs. collective-oriented perceptions and beliefs have bearings on an individual's behavior. In the context of the global coronavirus pandemic, this study attempts a cross-cultural analysis of public compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures in China and the United States. Using data collected from two parallel surveys, we explore how individualism and collectivism have affected respondents' efficacious beliefs, perception bias and compliance behaviors. Findings show that higher self-efficacy in individualistic cultures tends to produce a wider self-other perceptual gap. Further, we found that individual-referenced variables (i.e. self-efficacy and perceived media effects on threat perception on oneself) play a stronger role in predicting public compliance in America. In comparison, collective-oriented and other-referenced measures (i.e. collective efficacy and perceived media effects on threat perception on others) are a stronger predictor of compliance in China than in the United States. The theoretical implications of the culturally rooted locus of reference (self vs. others) for compliance behaviors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of key parameters on locked mode induced disruption (LMiD) are investigated in EAST experiments. The experimental data for locked mode are collected from 2015 to 2022 when the externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation is successfully employed in EAST. In this dataset, ∼42% of the total shots are LMiD, while the remaining 58% are LM without disruption. To better analyze the LMiD, an intuitive physical process is proposed. The LMiD process can be divided into two stages, the evolution of magnetic islands and the loss of plasma stored energy. The LMiD can also be related to the evolution of the other 8 physical quantities. On the basis of this physical process analysis, the time scale and the influencing factors for LMiD are investigated using statistical analysis. It is found that the density (ne), the distance from the magnetic island outer boundary to the plasma last closed surface (dedge), the loop-voltage (Vloop), and the plasma core electron temperature (Te), which are consistent with the intuitive physical model, are key parameters to LMiD. In addition, other potentially important parameters, the relevant reasons, and statistical analysis on the parameter intervals where rapid disruption with greater harmfulness occurred have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: This study explores, for the first time, using first principles, the impact of substitutional doping with boron (B), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) on the adsorption of chromium (Cr) on monolayer MoS2. The effects of doping on the Cr adsorption behavior of MoS2 were investigated using four MoS2 systems, namely, pure, boron (B)-doped, carbon (C)-doped, and nitrogen (N)-doped, in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of the effects of doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of Cr adsorbed by MoS2, to optimize the properties of MoS2, to explore new areas of application, and to promote the development of materials science. Four MoS2 adsorption systems of Cr adsorption on pure, B-doped, C-doped, and N-doped MoS2 were optimized, and the optimized results showed that the stable adsorption location of Cr on both pure and doped MoS2 was the hollow location at the top of the folded hexagon. The findings reveal that pure MoS2 has an adsorption effect on Cr, and doped elements B, C, and N can promote the adsorption of Cr on MoS2, and the strong and weak order of this promotion is B > C > N. Methods: In this paper, we use the CASTEP module in the simulation software Materials Studio to perform simulation calculations and analyses to optimize the simulation of Cr adsorption by MoS2 doped with B, C, and N atoms using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) plane-wave pseudo-potential method (Perdew et al. Phys Rev Lett 77(18):3865–3968, 1996), as well as Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized functionals (Segall et al. J Phys: Condens Matter 14(11):2717–2744, 2022). The convergence test reveals that it is more reasonable to set the K-point network to 3 × 3 × 1 and the truncation energy to 400 eV. In this paper, a 3 × 3 × 1 supercell structure with 18 S atoms and 9 Mo atoms is selected. The convergence value of the iteration accuracy is 1.0e − 5eV/atom, and all the atomic forces are less than 0.02eV/Å. Additionally, to prevent MoS2 interlayer interaction, a vacuum layer with a thickness of 18 Å is set in the C direction. The geometrical optimization of the model is performed first, and then the corresponding adsorption energies of the model and the nature of the electronic structure are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the most abundant modification in eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs), N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays vital roles in many biological processes. Methods: Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and transcriptomic RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were used to screen for m6A targets in esophageal cancer cells and patients. The role of m6A RNA methylase in esophageal cancer was also analyzed using bioinformatics. In vitro and in vivo experiments were used to analyze gene expression and function. CCK-8, colony formation, cell apoptosis and immunofluorescence staining assays were performed to evaluate the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells, respectively. Western blot analysis, RNA stability, RIP and luciferase reporter assays were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism involved. Results: We found that the m6A demethylase FTO was significantly upregulated in esophageal cancer cell lines and patient tissues. In vivo and in vitro assays demonstrated that FTO was involved in the proliferation and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, we found that the m6A methyltransferase METTL14 negatively regulates FTO function in esophageal cancer progression. FTO alone is not related to the prognosis of esophageal cancer, and its function is antagonized by METTL14. By using transcriptome-wide m6A-seq and RNA-seq assays, we revealed that AKT3 is a downstream target of FTO and acts in concert to regulate the tumorigenesis and metastasis of esophageal cancer. Taken together, these findings provide insight into m6A-mediated tumorigenesis in esophageal cancer and could lead to the design of new therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More accurate prediction of distant metastases (DM) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) would optimize individualized treatment and follow‐up strategies. Multiple prediction models based on machine learning have been developed to assess the likelihood of developing DM. Methods: Clinicopathological features of patients with CRC were obtained from the National Cancer Center (NCC, China) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The algorithms used to create the prediction models included random forest (RF), logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting, deep neural networks, and the K‐Nearest Neighbor machine. The prediction models' performances were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: In total, 200,958 patients, 3241 from NCC and 197,717 CRC from SEER were identified, of whom 21,736 (10.8%) developed DM. The machine‐learning‐based prediction models for DM were constructed with 12 features remaining after iterative filtering. The RF model performed the best, with areas under the ROC curve of 0.843, 0.793, and 0.806, respectively, on the training, test, and external validation sets. For the risk stratification analysis, the patients were separated into high‐, middle‐, and low‐risk groups according to their risk scores. Patients in the high‐risk group had the highest incidence of DM and the worst prognosis. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy could significantly improve the prognosis of the high‐risk and middle‐risk groups, whereas the low‐risk group only benefited from surgery and chemotherapy. Conclusion: The RF‐based model accurately predicted the likelihood of DM and identified patients with CRC in the high‐risk group, providing guidance for personalized clinical decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical analog computation is garnering increasing attention due to its innate parallel processing capabilities, swift computational speeds, and minimal energy requirements. However, traditional optical components employed for such computations are usually bulky. Recently, there has been a substantial shift toward utilizing nanophotonic structures to downsize these bulky optical elements. Nevertheless, these nanophotonic structures are typically realized in planar subwavelength nanostructures, demanding intricate fabrication processes and presenting limitations in their numerical apertures. In this study, we present a three-layer thin-film optical coating different from the conventional Fabry–Pérot nanocavity. Our design functions as a real-time Laplacian operator for spatial differentiation, and it remarkably boasts an ultrahigh numerical aperture of up to 0.7, enabling the detected edges to be sharper and have closely matched intensities. We also experimentally demonstrate its capacity for effective edge detection. This ultracompact and facile-to-fabricate thin-film spatial differentiator holds promising prospects for applications in ultrafast optical processing and biomedical imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) is the second most common type of anaemia and lacks an effective treatment. Patients with anaemia are reported to have altered gut microbial profiles, which may affect erythropoiesis. Here, we investigated the gut microbial features of patients with ACD and determined whether regulating gut microbiota using washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) was effective in treating ACD. Methods: We compared the gut microbiota profile of patients with ACD and healthy controls, evaluated the efficacy of WMT on haematological parameters in the patients, and analysed the alterations in gut microbiota after WMT treatment. Results: Patients with ACD had lower gut microbial richness, and differences in microbial composition and function, relative to healthy controls. Additionally, the relative abundances of two butyrate‐producing genera Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group and Butyricicoccus, were positively correlated with the haemoglobin (HGB) level and lower in patients with ACD than controls. WMT significantly increased HGB levels in patients with ACD. After the first, second and third WMT rounds, normal HGB levels were restored in 27.02%, 27.78% and 36.37% (all p <.05) of patients with ACD, respectively. Moreover, WMT significantly increased the abundance of butyrate‐producing genera and downregulated gut microbial functions that were upregulated in patients with ACD. Conclusions: Patients with ACD exhibited differences in gut microbial composition and function relative to healthy controls. WMT is an effective treatment for ACD that reshapes gut microbial composition, restores butyrate‐producing bacteria and regulates the functions of gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The primary objective of this study was to develop an end-to-end model that can accurately identify corneal endothelial cells and diagnose keratoconus based on corneal endothelial images acquired from a non-contact specular microscope. Methods: This was a retrospective case–control study performed at the Refractive Surgery Center of West China Hospital. A total of 403 keratoconus eyes (221 patients) and 370 myopic eyes (185 normal controls) were consecutively recruited from January 2021 to September 2022. Specular microscopy was used to image and measure the morphometric parameters of the corneal endothelial cells. A Fully Convolutional Network model with a ResNet50 (FCN_ResNet50) was established to perform the endothelial segmentation. The images were then classified using an ensemble machine learning system consisting of four pre-trained deep learning networks: DenseNet121, ResNet50, Inception_v3, and MobileNet_v2. The performance of the models was evaluated based on different metrics, such as accuracy, intersection over union (IoU), and mean IoU. Results: We established a fully end-to-end deep-learning model for the segmentation of endothelial and diagnosis of keratoconus. For endothelial segmentation, the accuracy of the FCN_ResNet50 model achieved near 90% with mean IoU converging to about 80%. The ensemble machine learning system can achieve over 92% accuracy, and > 98% area under curve (AUC) values to diagnose keratoconus with endothelial cell images. In addition, we constructed a diagnostic model based on deep-learning features and developed an associated nomogram which manifested an excellent performance for diagnosis and monitoring the progression of keratoconus. Conclusions: Our research developed an end-to-end model to automatically identify and assess corneal endothelial morphological changes in keratoconus eyes. Moreover, we also constructed a novel nomogram, which can provide valuable information for the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In this paper, the electronic and optical properties of Cr-doped monolayer MoS2 under uniaxial tensile strain are investigated by first-principle calculations. It is shown that uniaxial tensile strain can significantly change the electronic and optical properties of Cr-doped monolayer MoS2, and the bandgap value of the intrinsic MoS2 system gradually decreases with the increase of tensile strain, while the bandgap value of the Cr-doped MoS2 system is relatively stable. However, when the stretching reaches a certain degree, both the intrinsic and doped systems become metallic. From the analysis of the density of states, it is found that new electronic states and energy levels appear in the intrinsic MoS2 system and all Cr-doped monolayer MoS2 systems with the increase of the tensile strain, but the changes in the density of states diagrams of the Cr-doped monolayer MoS2 system are relatively small, which is mainly attributed to the effect of the Cr-doped atoms. The analysis of optical properties displays that the stretched doped system differs from the intrinsic MoS2 system in terms of dielectric function, absorption and reflection, energy loss function, and refractive index. Our results suggest that uniaxial tensile strain can be used as an effective means to modulate the electronic structure and optical properties of Cr-doped monolayer MoS2. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the optoelectronic properties of MoS2 and its doped systems as well as their applications in optoelectronic devices. Methods: Based on the first principle of density functional theory framework and the CASTEP module in Materials Studio software (Perdew et al. in Phys Rev Lett 77(18):3865–3868, 1996). The structure of Cr atom-doped MoS2 systems and MoS2 systems were optimized using the generalized gradient approximation plane-wave pseudopotential method (GGA) and Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized functions under 3%, 6%, and 9% tensile deformation, and the corresponding formation energy, bond length, electronic structure, and optical properties of the models were analyzed. The Grimme (J Comput Chem 27(15):1787–1799, 2006) vdW correction with 400 eV cutoff was used in Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional to optimize the geometry until the forces and energy converged to 0.02 eV/Å and 1.0e-5eV/atom, respectively. For each model structure optimization, the K-point grid was assumed to be 4×4×1, using the Monkhorst-Pack special K-point sampling method. After the MoS2 supercell convergence test, the plane-wave truncation energy was chosen to be 400 eV. Following geometric optimization, the iterative accuracy converged to no less than 1.0×10−5 eV/atom for total atomic energy and less than 0.02 eV/Å for all atomic forces. We created a vacuum layer of 18 Å along the Z-axis to prevent the impact of periodic boundary conditions and weak van der Waals forces between layers on the monolayer MoS2. In this paper, a total of 27 atoms were used for the 3×3×1 supercell MoS2 system, which consists of 18 S atoms and 9 Mo atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary is an essential component of language learning. Despite the fact that form-focused instruction (hereinafter FFI) has been demonstrated to be effective in language learning, it remains unclear when and how FFI can contribute to vocabulary learning. To address this question, this study takes the timing of FFI into consideration and investigates the effects of integrated FFI, which incorporates form focus into meaning-oriented communicative activities in the instructional sequence, on vocabulary learning and Chinese English learners’ preferences for integrated FFI in vocabulary learning. One hundred and four first-year students from a senior high school were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group for an eight-week experiment. The experimental group received integrated FFI while the control group maintained their previous traditional PPP vocabulary teaching. A pretest and two posttests were employed to assess students’ vocabulary knowledge before and after instructional treatment. A questionnaire and an interview were administered to perceive students’ preferences for this teaching method. The results revealed that integrated FFI facilitated students’ vocabulary learning and its effect was long-lasting for at least two weeks. The students also expressed a strong preference for this innovative teaching method. These findings have significant implications for pedagogical practices in language teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: To assess the cost-effectiveness of utilizing IDegLira in comparison to other treatment regimens (liraglutide and degludec) in managing type 2 diabetes, taking into account the Chinese healthcare system's perspective. Methods: The clinical data were obtained from the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the DUAL I and DUAL II evidence studies that took place in China. To estimate the lifetime quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and direct medical costs of patients receiving different treatment strategies from a long-term perspective, the IQVIA CORE Diabetes Model version 9.0 (IQVIA, Basel, Switzerland) was utilized. The costs were evaluated from the perspective of the China National Health System. Future costs and clinical benefits were discounted annually at 5%, and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: IDegLira was projected to reduce the incidence of diabetes-related complications and improve quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) versus liraglutide and degludec. A survival benefit was observed with IDegLira over Liraglutide (0.073 years). Lifetime costs were lower by Chinese yuan (CNY) 27,945 on IDegLira than on Liraglutide therapy. A similar survival benefit was observed with IDegLira over degludec (0.068 years). Lifetime costs were lower by CNY 1196 on IDegLira than on degludec therapy. Therefore, IDegLira was found to be cost-effective versus liraglutide and degludec with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of Dominant per QALY gained, respectively, under the threshold of three times the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in China. Conclusion: IDegLira is a cost-effective hypoglycemic treatment option that delivers positive clinical outcomes while also reducing costs for Chinese patients living with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease with a high potency of metastasis or recurrence after radical resection. Effective predictors for metastasis and recurrence postoperatively were dominant for the development of systemic adjuvant treatment regimens. The ATP hydrolase correlated gene CD73 was described as a promoter in tumor growth and immune escape of PDAC. However, there lacked research focused on the role of CD73 in PDAC metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the expression of CD73 in PDAC patients with different outcomes as well as the prognostic effect of CD73 for disease-free survival (DFS). Methods: The expression level of CD73 in cancerous samples from 301 PDAC patients was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and translated into a histochemistry score (H-score) by the HALO analysis system. Then, the CD73 H-score was involved in multivariate Cox regression along with other clinicopathological characteristics to find independent prognostic factors for DFS. Finally, a nomogram was constructed based on those independent prognostic factors for DFS prediction. Results: Higher CD73 expression was found in PDAC patients with tumor metastasis postoperatively. Meanwhile, higher CD73 expressions were also investigated in PDAC patients diagnosed with advanced N stage and T stage. Furthermore, CD73 H-score along with tumor margin status, CA19-9, 8th N stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy was indicated as independent prognostic factors for DFS in PDAC patients. The nomogram based on these factors predicted DFS in a good manner. Conclusion: CD73 was associated with PDAC metastasis and served as an effective prognostic factor for DFS in PDAC patients after radical surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In radiation treatments for head and neck tumors, cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) is employed for patient positioning and dose calculation of adaptive radiotherapy. However, the quality of CBCT is degraded by the scatter and noise, majorly impacting the accuracy of patient positioning and dose calculation. Purpose: To improve the quality of CBCT for patients with head and neck cancer, a projection‐domain CBCT correction method was proposed using a cycle‐consistent generative adversarial network (cycle‐GAN) and a nonlocal means filter (NLMF) based on a reference digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR). Methods: A cycle‐GAN was initially trained to learn mapping from CBCT projections to a DRR using the data obtained from 30 patients. For each patient, 671 CBCT projections were measured for CBCT reconstruction. Moreover, 360 Digital Reconstructed Radiographs (DRR) were computed from each patient's planning computed tomography (CT), whose projection angles ranged from 0° to 359° with an interval of 1°. By applying the trained generator of the cycle‐GAN to the unseen CBCT projection, a synthetic DRR with considerably less scatter was obtained. However, annular artifacts were observed in the CBCT reconstructed with synthetic DRR. To address this issue, a NLMF based on reference DRR was used to further correct the synthetic DRR, which corrected the synthetic DRR using the calculated DRR as a reference image. Finally, the CBCT with no annular artifact and little noise was reconstructed with the corrected synthetic DRR. The proposed method was tested using the data of six patients. The corrected synthetic DRR and CBCT were compared with the corresponding real DRR and CT images. The structural preservation ability of the proposed method was evaluated using the Dice coefficients of the automatically extracted nasal cavity. Moreover, the image quality of CBCT corrected with the proposed method was objectively assessed with an five‐point human scoring system and compared with CT, original CBCT and CBCT corrected with other strategies. Results: The mean absolute value (MAE) of the relative error between the corrected synthetic and real DRR was <8%. The MAE between the corrected CBCT and corresponding CT was <30 HU. Moreover, the Dice coefficient of nasal cavity between the corrected CBCT image and the original image exceeded 98.8 for all the patients. Last but not least, the objective assessment of image quality showed the proposed method had an average score of 4.2 in overall image quality, which was higher than that of the original CBCT, CBCT reconstructed with synthetic DRR, and CBCT reconstructed with projections filtered with NLMF only. Conclusions: The proposed method can considerably improve the CBCT image quality with little anatomical distortion, improving the accuracy of radiotherapy for head and neck patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonoccupational post-exposure prophylaxis (NPEP) is a short course of medication taken to reduce the likelihood of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection upon exposure. A review of the literature demonstrates an urgent need for an empirically validated instrument that measures detailed knowledge of NPEP among the key population of men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 419 MSM was conducted in 2018 in China to develop and psychometrically evaluate the new instrument, the NPEP Knowledge Scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, differential item functioning analyses, and structural equation modeling were conducted using Mplus 7.4. Results: The NPEP Knowledge Scale demonstrated excellent reliability and validity. Cronbach's alpha was 0.903. The range of item R2 were 0.527–0.969, p's < 0.001. Model estimated inter-item correlations ranged between 0.534 and 0.968. In addition, HIV knowledge, NPEP use, and NPEP knowledge were all significantly correlated. Conclusions: The NPEP Knowledge Scale is suitable for research, program evaluation, and clinical and community services that require using NPEP to minimize the ever-present risk of new HIV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enamel hypoplasia is a tooth development defection due to the disruption of enamel matrix mineralization, manifesting as chalky white phenotype. Multiple genes may be involved in this tooth agenesis. It has been proved that ablation of coactivator Mediator1 (Med1) switches the cell fate of dental epithelia, resulting in abnormal tooth development via Notch1 signaling. Smad3 (−/−) mice displays the similar chalky white incisors. However, the expression of Smad3 in Med1 ablation mice and the impact of Med1 on functional integration between Smad3 and Notch1 remains unclear. Cre- loxP -based C57/BL6 mice with epithelial-specific Med1 knockout (Med1 KO) backgrounds were generated. Mandibles and dental epithelial stem cells (DE-SCs) from incisors cervical loop (CL) were isolated from wild-type (CON) mice and Med1 KO mice. Transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the differences of CL tissue between KO and CON mice. The results revealed the enrichment of TGF-β signaling pathway. qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to show the gene and protein expression of Smad3, pSmad3, Notch1 and NICD, the key regulators of TGF-β and Notch1 signaling pathway. Expression of Notch1 and Smad3 was confirmed to be down-regulated in Med1 KO cells. Using activators of Smad3 and Notch1 on Med1 KO cells, both pSmad3 and NICD were rescued. Moreover, adding inhibitors and activators of Smad3 and Notch1 to cells of CON groups respectively, the protein expressions of Smad3, pSmad3, Notch1 and NICD were synergistically affected. In summary, Med1 participates in the functional integration of Smad3 and Notch1, thus promoting enamel mineralization. • Ablation of Mediator1 (Med1) induces incisors hypomineralization in mice. • Ablation of Med1 inhibits expression of both Smad3 and Notch1 simultaneously. • Med1 participates in the functional integration of Smad3 and Notch1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Respiration has a major impact on the accuracy of radiation treatment for thorax and abdominal tumours. Instantaneous volumetric imaging could provide precise knowledge of tumour and normal organs' three‐dimensional (3D) movement, which is the key to reducing the negative effect of breathing motion. Therefore, this study proposed a real‐time 3D MRI reconstruction method from cine‐MRI using an unsupervised network. Methods and materials: Cine‐MRI and setup 3D‐MRI from eight patients with liver cancer were utilized to establish and validate the deep learning network for 3D‐MRI reconstruction. Unlike previous methods that required 4D‐MRI for network training, the proposed method utilized a reference 3D‐MRI and cine‐MRI to generate the training data. Then, a network was trained in an unsupervised manner to estimate the relationship between the cine‐MRI acquired on coronal plane and deformation vector field (DVF) that describes the patient's breathing motion. After the training process, the coronal cine‐MRI were inputted into the network, and the corresponding DVF was obtained. By wrapping the reference 3D‐MRI with the generated DVF, the 3D‐MRI could be reconstructed. Results: The reconstructed 3D‐MRI slices were compared with the corresponding phase‐sorted cine‐MRI using dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) of liver contours and blood vessel localization error. In all patients, the liver DSC had mean value >96.1% and standard deviation < 1.3%; the blood vessel localization error had mean value <2.6 mm, and standard deviation was <2.0 mm. Moreover, the time for 3D‐MRI reconstruction was approximately 100 ms. These results indicated that the proposed method could accurately reconstruct the 3D‐MRI in real time. Conclusions: The proposed method could accurately reconstruct the 3D‐MRI from cine‐MRI in real time. This method has great potential in improving the accuracy of radiotherapy for moving tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, most of the winding fault detections of transformers use offline methods, which require the entire line to be powered off or after the transformer has been shut down due to a serious fault, and they cannot detect the running status of the windings in real time and online. Since the transformer will be impacted by VFTO during operation, the VFTO is used as the excitation, and the basic principle of the frequency response method is used to propose an online detection method of transformer winding deformation based on VFTO characteristics. The finite element software is used to calculate the equivalent circuit parameters of normal and deformed windings, and the equivalent circuit model of the transformer windings before and after deformation is established. Due to the uncertainty of the VFTO waveform, combined with the frequency response method, the VFTO waveform is injected into the transformer winding health, and the frequency response curve is obtained from the deformed equivalent circuit, which is used to analyze the change of the resonance point in the case of radial deformation, axial deformation, and axial displacement of the winding. The simulation results show that with VFTO as the excitation, the obtained resonance point change can comprehensively reflect the deformation information of the winding. At the same time, the feasibility of the method is verified by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men who have casual sex with women (MCSW) have played an important role in HIV new infections in China. Research studies have shown that heavy alcohol consumption can increase the risk of HIV infection. The cross-sectional study was conducted in two cities in China from December 2018 to May 2019 to examine the association between alcohol consumption and utilization of HIV prevention services among MCSW. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants and 400 MCSW were recruited in this study. There were 238 (59.6%), 213 (53.4%) and 129 (32.4%) participants having utilized HIV prevention services, condom promotion and distribution or HIV counseling and testing (CPD/HCT) services, and peer education services in the past 12 months, respectively. MCSW who were identified as heavy drinkers were less likely to utilize HIV prevention services and CPD/HCT services compared with non-drinkers. For youngsters, those who are in the local household and those who are married/cohabitating, heavy drinkers was less likely to utilize HIV prevention services. This study highlights the significance of intensive education on heavy drinkers of MCSW, particularly for high-risk subgroups. Targeting resources for integrated HIV prevention efforts with alcohol-using MCSW should be considered by public health policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge of industrial phenol pollutants causes great harm to the natural environment and human health. In this study, phenol removal from water was studied via the adsorption of Na–montmorillonite (Na–Mt) modified by a series of Gemini quaternary ammonium surfactants with different counterions [(C11H23CONH(CH2)2N+ (CH3)2(CH2)2 N+(CH3)2 (CH2)2NHCOC11H23·2Y−, Y = CH3CO3−, C6H5COO− and Br−, 12–2–12·2Y−]. The results of the phenol adsorption indicated that MMt–12–2–12·2Br−, MMt–12–2–12·2CH3CO3− and MMt–12–2–12·2C6H5COO− reached the optimum adsorption capacity, which was 115.110 mg/g, 100.834 mg/g and 99.985 mg/g, respectively, under the conditions of the saturated intercalation concentration at 2.0 times that of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the original Na–Mt, 0.04 g of adsorbent and a pH = 10. The adsorption kinetics of all adsorption processes were in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetics model, and the adsorption isotherm was better modeled by Freundlich isotherm. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that the adsorption of phenol was a physical, spontaneous and exothermic process. The results also showed that the counterions of the surfactant had a certain influence on the adsorption performance of MMt for phenol, especially the rigid structure, hydrophobicity, and hydration of the counterions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn‐based anode has been widely studied because of its high theoretical specific capacity. However, the capacity of Sn‐based anode decreases sharply during the cycle, which hinders its application in commercial batteries. In this paper, Sn‐based glass was successfully obtained by melt quenching method. Sn‐based glass and graphite were combined by the ball milling method as anode materials. The Sn‐based glass–graphite‐composite anode can still maintain the capacity of 700 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 500 mA g−1, which is about 2.7 times that of the Sn glass anode (260 mA h g−1) under the same test conditions. The addition of graphite can effectively inhibit the accumulation of Sn particles in the discharge process of Sn‐based glass anode, which improves the capacity of Sn‐based glass anode, and the addition of graphite can effectively reduce the resistance of Sn‐based glass anode. Therefore, the Sn‐based glass–graphite‐composite anode has excellent Li+ ions storage properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the efficacy and safety of remimazolam for procedural sedation during ultrasound-guided nerve block administration in patients undergoing abdominal tumor surgery, in order to improve and optimize remimazolam use in procedural sedation and clinical anesthesia. Methods: The enrolled patients were randomly divided into three groups: 50 patients in the remimazolam group (R group), 50 patients in the dexmedetomidine group (D group), and 50 patients in the midazolam group (M group). Before administering an ultrasound-guided nerve block, all patients received sufentanil AND remimazolam or midazolam or dexmedetomidine. Remimazolam 5 mg was administered intravenously in group R, dexmedetomidine 0.6 µg/kg was administered intravenously in group D, and midazolam 0.025 mg/kg was administered intravenously in group M. Sedation was evaluated by the Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation scale.When the Modified Observer's Alertness/Sedation (MOAA/S) score was ≤ 2, block operation was started. If the target sedation level was not reached, rescue sedatives of remimazolam 2.5 mg may be intravenously given in group R, dexmedetomidine 0.4 µg/kg be intravenously given in group D, 0.01 mg/kg midazolam may be intravenously given in Group M. Hemodynamic indicators (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate), pulse oxygen saturation, depth of anesthesia (Narcotrend), MOAA/S,and the incidences of hypoxemia, injection pain, bradycardia and requirement for rescue sedatives were monitored and recorded. Results: Compared with the control groups (midazolam and dexmedetomidine groups), the Narcotrend index and MOAA/S decreased more in the remimazolam group (P < 0.01). Compared with the control groups, the incidence of hypoxemia and injection pain was slightly higher in the remimazolam group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Compared with the dexmedetomidine group, the incidence of bradycardia was significantly lower in the remimazolam group. Conclusion: Remimazolam can be used safely for procedural sedation during ultrasound-guided nerve block administration in patients undergoing abdominal tumor surgery. The sedation effect is better than that with either midazolam or dexmedetomidine, and sedation can be achieved quickly without obvious hemodynamic fluctuations. Remimazolam is associated with better heart rate stability, and slightly higher incidences of hypoxemia and injection pain than are midazolam and dexmedetomidine (no statistically significant difference). The higher incidence of hypoxemia with remimazolam may be related to enhanced sufentanil opioid analgesia, and the mechanism of injection pain with remimazolam must be studied further and clarified. Trial registration: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital (Ethical Review 2021, No. 23) and registered at https://www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000035388). The pre-registration time of this experiment is 09/08/2020, due to ethical committee of the hospital met irregularly,the ethical approval time is 21/06/2021. The recruitment of patients began after the ethical approval (21/06/2021) and registration update (06/07/2021).The study protocol followed the CONSORT guidelines. The study protocol was performed in the relevant guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Boraginales (Boraginaceae a.l.) comprise more than 2450 species worldwide. However, little knowledge exists of the characteristics of the complete plastid genome. In this study, three new sequences representing the first pt genome of Heliotropiaceae and Cordiaceae were assembled and compared with other Boraginales species. The pt genome sizes of Cordia dichotoma, Heliotropium arborescens, and Tournefortia montana were 151,990 bp, 156,243 bp, and 155,891 bp, respectively. Multiple optimal codons were identified, which may provide meaningful information for enhancing the gene expression of Boraginales species. Furthermore, codon usage bias analyses revealed that natural selection and other factors may dominate codon usage patterns in the Boraginales species. The boundaries of the IR/LSC and IR/SSC regions were significantly different, and we also found a signal of obvious IR region expansion in the pt genome of Nonea vesicaria and Arnebia euchroma. Genes with high nucleic acid diversity (pi) values were also calculated, which may be used as potential DNA barcodes to investigate the phylogenetic relationships in Boraginales. psaI, rpl33, rpl36, and rps19 were found to be under positive selection, and these genes play an important role in our understanding of the adaptive evolution of the Boraginales species. Phylogenetic analyses implied that Boraginales can be divided into two groups. The existence of two subfamilies (Lithospermeae and Boragineae) in Boraginaceae is also strongly supported. Our study provides valuable information on pt genome evolution and phylogenetic relationships in the Boraginales species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objectives were to assess the efficacy of active inference models for capturing driver takeovers from automated vehicles and to evaluate the links between model parameters and self-reported cognitive fatigue, trust, and situation awareness.Control transitions between human drivers and automation pose a substantial safety and performance risk. Models of driver behavior that predict these transitions from data are a critical tool for designing safer, human-centered, systems but current models do not sufficiently account for human factors. Active inference theory is a promising approach to integrate human factors because of its grounding in cognition and translation to a quantitative modeling framework.We used data from a driving simulation to develop an active inference model of takeover performance. After validating the model’s predictions, we used Bayesian regression with a spike and slab prior to assess substantial correlations between model parameters and self-reported trust, situation awareness, fatigue, and demographic factors.The model accurately captured driving takeover times. The regression results showed that increases in cognitive fatigue were associated with increased uncertainty about the need to takeover, attributable to mapping observations to environmental states. Higher situation awareness was correlated with a more precise understanding of the environment and state transitions. Higher trust was associated with increased variance in environmental conditions associated with environmental states.The results align with prior theory on trust and active inference and provide a critical connection between complex driver states and interpretable model parameters.The active inference framework can be used in the testing and validation of automated vehicle technology to calibrate design parameters to ensure safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how the iterative continuation task can be incorporated into a writing course in a setting for English as a foreign language (EFL). It investigated the effectiveness of the iterative continuation task in influencing senior high school students’ writing performance and their writing attitudes. Eighty-four year-one students from a China’s provincial senior high school participated in the study. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 42 students. The experimental group was subjected to six turns of reading–writing continuation tasks, whereas the control group continued with the previous practice of a single turn of reading–writing continuation tasks. Data were collected from writing tests and questionnaires. The results show that the iterative continuation task helped improve students’ writing performance in lexis and grammar rather than organization and content and it also had a positive impact on changing students’ writing attitude, especially on the dimensions of writing perception and writing process. The iterative continuation task has been proved to be a facilitative pedagogical approach for language development in EFL senior high school contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work uses a first-principles approach to thoroughly examine the impact of O, P, Se, and Cl doping of MoS 2 on Co adsorption characteristics. Through structure optimization, formation energy calculations, differential charge analysis, and calculations of energy band structure and density of states, we find that P and Cl doping significantly enhances the adsorption capacity of Co on monolayer MoS 2 , while O and Se doping has a comparatively minor impact. This result reveals that P and Cl doping can significantly improve the adsorption stability of Co through the formation of stronger chemical bonding, which provides a theoretical basis for the design of 2D materials in adsorption applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lethariella , a folk herbal tea originating from southwest China, has been consumed for centuries as a traditional beverage. However, the distinct chemical characteristics and sensory properties of Lethariella remain poorly understood. In this study, the two most commonly found Lethariella species, Lethariella zahlbruckneri (LZ) and Lethariella cladonioides (LC), were collected for detailed analysis. After brewing, the infusion of LZ exhibited a taste profile that was more astringent, bitter, and thicker, whereas LC liquor was characterized by a sweeter taste profile, coupled with a stronger lingering sweet aftertaste. This variation in taste between LZ and LC infusions can potentially be ascribed to the higher levels of phenolic compounds present in LZ in comparison to LC, along with the lower content of sugars in LZ. The aroma intensity of LC is more robust, with its relative contents of key volatile compounds being significantly higher compared to those in LZ. [Display omitted] • LC exhibits a richer sweetness and lingering sweet aftertaste than LZ. • The composition of LZ and LC is similar yet varies in proportions. • Flavonoids, phenolic acids and derivatives were abundantly present in LZ. • The relative content of key volatile compounds in LC was higher than that of LZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a cardiometabolic disease, hypertension has shown an obvious upward trend, becoming a global epidemic chronic disease. Lifestyle intervention is a fundamental method for lowering blood pressure. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) on blood pressure. Methods: Studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to evaluate the effects of TRE on blood pressure. The time frame of search was from the start of database construction until July 14, 2022.There were no language restrictions. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed using Stata version 16. The weighted mean difference with 95% CI was used to assess the effect of TRE on blood pressure, heart rate, weight, blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides. The main ending of this article were blood pressure and heart rate, while the secondary ending were weight, blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides. Results: Ten randomized controlled trials involving 694 patients were identified. TRE significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mean difference = −4.15; 95% CI: −6.73, −2.30; P < 0.0001), but had no significant effect on diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (mean difference = −2.06; 95% CI: −4.16, 0.02; P = 0.053) and no beneficial effect on heart rate (mean difference = 0.36; 95% CI: −2.83, 3.54; P = 0.0825). TRE promoted weight loss (mean difference = −1.63; 95% CI: −2.61, −0.64; P = 0.001) and decreased blood glucose levels (mean difference = −2.80; 95% CI: −4.64, −0.96; P = 0.003), but had no significant effect on total cholesterol (mean difference = 0.03, 95% CI: −10.01, 10.08; P = 0.995), HDL-C (mean difference = 0.85, 95% CI: −1.80, 3.49; P = 0.531), LDL-C (mean difference = −0.86, 95% CI: −6.47, 4.76; P = 0.764), or triglycerides (mean difference = −3.524, 95% CI: −9.49, 2.45; P = 0.248). In a separate meta-regression analysis, the degree of SBP change was related to weight loss (P = 0.044) but not to glucose improvement (P = 0.867). Conclusions: The present meta-analysis suggests that TRE significantly reduced SBP, while no effect of reducing DBP was seen. The observed lower blood pressure may be attributed to significant weight loss. The effects of TRE on heart rate and blood lipid levels were not apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is a major environmental factor, which limits rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) growth, development, and productivity. So far, the physiological and molecular mechanisms of rapeseed responses to cold stress are not fully understood. Here, we explored the transcriptome and metabolome profiles of two rapeseed genotypes with contrasting cold responses, i.e., XY15 (cold-sensitive) and GX74 (cold-tolerant). The global metabolome profiling detected 545 metabolites in siliques of both genotypes before (CK) and after cold-stress treatment (LW). The contents of several sugar metabolites were affected by cold stress with the most accumulated saccharides being 3-dehydro-L-threonic acid, D-xylonic acid, inositol, D-mannose, D-fructose, D-glucose, and L-glucose. A total of 1943 and 5239 differentially expressed genes were identified from the transcriptome sequencing in XY15CK_vs_XY15LW and GX74CK_vs_GX74LW, respectively. We observed that genes enriched in sugar metabolism and biosynthesis-related pathways, photosynthesis, reactive oxygen species scavenging, phytohormone, and MAPK signaling were highly expressed in GX74LW. In addition, several genes associated with cold-tolerance-related pathways, e.g., the CBF-COR pathway and MAPK signaling, were specifically expressed in GX74LW. Contrarily, genes in the above-mentioned pathways were mostly downregulated in XY15LW. Thus, our results indicate the involvement of these pathways in the differential cold-stress responses in XY15 and GX74. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Febuxostat is a novel inhibitor of xanthine oxidase that suppresses cell adhesion molecules-mediated (CAMs) inflammation by activating KLF6. In this study, we explored the therapeutic function and potential mechanisms of febuxostat against allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods. We investigated the role of febuxostat through in vitro cell and in vivo animal experiments. Human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) were cultured with histamine as an in vitro model. To establish the AR animal model, rats were exposed to ovalbumin. Rats were randomly grouped into control, model, 7.5 mg/kg febuxostat, and 15 mg/kg febuxostat groups. Results. In the in vitro study, we found significantly increased release of lactate dehydrogenase, elevated production of inflammatory factors and chemokines, and upregulated CAMs in histamine-treated hNECs. However, these results were significantly reversed for the 10 and 20 μM febuxostat treatments. The enhanced adhesion between hNECs and monocytes induced by histamine was dramatically repressed by febuxostat. In the vivo experiments, we observed that febuxostat ameliorated the increased sneezing times, the number of nose scratching episodes, and elevated HE pathological scores as well as alleviated the inflammation in nasal mucous tissues of AR mice. We found that KLF6, which was downregulated in histamine-treated hNECs, was significantly upregulated by febuxostat. The inhibitory effects of febuxostat on the expression levels of CAMs and adhesion between histamine-treated hNECs and monocytes were significantly abolished by the knockdown of KLF6. Conclusion. Febuxostat alleviates AR by inhibiting inflammation and monocyte adhesion in human nasal epithelial cells through the regulation of KLF6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst virtualization was once restricted to large-scale computing platforms, it is now widely deployed on modern embedded computing systems. This has been driven by the availability of hardware support which alleviates the performance penalties incurred by traditional software virtualization technologies. In the domain of hard real-time systems, specialist virtualization technology which respects restricted timing requirements and constraints can be deployed to allow sharing of processors. However, other aspects of the embedded system (I/O, memory, and communication) are harder to analyze. In this paper, we argue that in order to support real-time virtualization on modern embedded systems, additional system-wide hardware support is required. We propose BlueVisor, an analyzable and scalable hardware hypervisor for many-core embedded systems, which enables time-predictable CPU, memory, and I/O virtualization, as well as supporting a fast interrupt handler, and inter-VM communication. We describe the design and implementation of the real-time hypervisor, and demonstrate how a BlueVisor-based virtualization system can be leveraged to meet real-time requirements with significant improvement in system performance, and with a low-performance cost when executing different types of software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted special attention in the new energy field, while halide perovskites are potential materials in the field of energy. In this work, Cs 4 PbBr 6 quantum dots silicate glass-ceramic is synthesized by melt-quenching methods and examined as LIBs anode materials. The half-battery provides a high initial discharge specific capacity of about 1986.9 mAh g−1 and a remarkably high reversible capacity of 426.7 mAh g−1. Also, the present glass material shows good rate performance. Between the perovskite quantum dots and the silicate glass exists an interesting synergistic effect, and the observed prominent electrochemical performance proves that the quantum dots glass-ceramic materials are viable for lithium-ion batteries application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stemona parviflora is an endangered species, narrowly endemic to Hainan and Southwest Guangdong. The taxonomic classification of S. parviflora remains controversial. Moreover, studying endangered species is helpful for current management and conservation. In this study, the first complete chloroplast genome of S. parviflora was assembled and compared with other Stemona species. The chloroplast genome size of S. parviflora was 154,552 bp, consisting of 87 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and one pseudogene. The ψycf1 gene was lost in the cp genome of S. sessilifolia, but it was detected in four other species of Stemona. The inverted repeats (IR) regions have a relatively lower length variation compared with the large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) regions. Long repeat sequences and simple sequence repeat (SSR) were detected, and most SSR were distributed in the LSC region. Codon usage bias analyses revealed that the RSCU value of the genus Stemona has almost no difference. As with most angiosperm chloroplast genomes, protein-coding regions were more conservative than the inter-gene spacer. Seven genes (atpI, ccsA, cemA, matK, ndhA, petA, and rpoC1) were detected under positive selection in different Stemona species, which may result from adaptive evolution to different habitats. Phylogenetic analyses show the Stemona cluster in two main groups; S. parviflora were closest to S. tuberosa. A highly suitable region of S. parviflora was simulated by Maxent in this study; it is worth noting that the whole territory of Taiwan has changed to a low fitness area and below in the 2050 s, which may not be suitable for the introduction and cultivation of S. parviflora. In addition, limited by the dispersal capacity of S. parviflora, it is necessary to carry out artificial grafts to expand the survival areas of S. parviflora. Our results provide valuable information on characteristics of the chloroplast genome, phylogenetic relationships, and potential distribution range of the endangered species S. parviflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous studies have attempted to use vehicle motion data for real-time vehicle crash prediction, many driver behavior and road/environment factors (e.g., driving intention and pavement condition) have not been considered. In order to cope with increased complexity and extent crash risk assessment with the consideration of factors like driving intention and pavement condition, this paper (a) combines driver intention, vehicle motion, and dynamic traffic environment into the assessment of the conflict risk in real time, (b) establishes a hierarchical analysis model for quantitatively describing driving safety based on an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and (c) applies a Matter Element (ME) Model to take multiple factors, which are heterogeneous in terms of nature of analysis (quantitative or qualitative) and measure units, into account, and provide a comprehensive evaluation of vehicle crash risk. Finally, a set of simulation cases are used to compare the detection efficiency of the proposed method with ANN and SVM for vehicle collision. The example analysis shows that the proposed AHP-ME model can more accurately predict the collision risk of vehicles. Moreover, the proposed AHP-ME model provides an effective solution to unify multi-factors (driver intention, vehicle motion, and dynamic traffic environment) into an integrated decision-making framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing non-contact voltage measurement methods are advanced because of their high insulation, safety and reliability, but the distance between the sensor and the transmission line is difficult to measure. Therefore, a non-contact voltage estimation method based on power frequency electric field sensor is proposed. The two factors that lead to the estimation error, sensor consistency and sensor arrangement, are studied by finite element simulation and experiment based on this method. The development of the prototype has also been completed, and its feasibility has been verified through experiments. The experimental results show that the device can be applied to single transmission line voltage measurement. And the maximum estimation error is only 4.12 kV at 38 kV voltage, which proves that this method has high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat industry routinely utilizes commercial cryoprotectants to preserve silver carp myofibrillar proteins (MFP) quality. Unfortunately, current commercial additives have low cryoprotective abilities against freeze-induced crystallization, recrystallization, and structural changes. Therefore, we evaluated the cryoprotective role of tea polysaccharides (TPC) on secondary and tertiary structural attributes of MFP during multiple fluctuated frozen storage (FSF) conditions. The study used untreated (CG), treated with TPC (1 and 3%) and an industrial cryoprotective mixture (PCG) as a positive control. Throughout the multiple FSF conditions, all samples showed oxidative induced structural changes. The CG samples showed a major decline in total sulfhydryl contents (TSH) (from 50.63 to 25.06 mmol/kg) and an increase in surface hydrophobicity (S o) (from 14.48 to 32.51 μg) due to oxidative changes in MFP than TPC (1 and 3%) and PCG. Meanwhile, structural attributes were also reduced due to their association with TSH and S o, unfolding of MFP, oxidation of myosin and protein denaturation. The addition of PCG and TPC (1 and 3%) inhibited the freeze-induced modifications in MFP during 6-FSF. Overall, the addition of TPC (3%) in MFP substantially prevented the loss in secondary structure by stabilizing the α-helix degradation (from 57 to 46%) and tertiary structure by inhibiting the oxidation of tryptophan indole residues compared to PCG and TPC (1%). Meanwhile, TPC (3%) reduced the decline in band intensities of the CH bond, SH groups and amide II region. Therefore, it was concluded that TPC as an effective cryoprotectant and could be used for seafood on an industrial scale. [Display omitted] • Tea polysaccharides (TPC) was used a cryoprotectant in silver carp surimi protein. • TPC (3%) prevented the conversion of sulfhydryl contents into disulfides. • TPC (3%) inhibited the freeze-induced degradation of α-helix in myosin. • TPC (3%) constrained the decline in tryptophan and tyrosine residue. • Overall, the TPC (3%) could be used a potential substitute of commercial additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]