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Abstract.Conditional least squares estimation is often employed to infer an integer-valued AR(1) model and its convergence rate and asymptotic variance differ for the stable and nearly unstable cases. This article adopts a random weighted bootstrap method to provide a unified interval estimation and hypothesis test regardless of the underlying process being either stable or nearly unstable. A simulation study confirms the good finite sample performance of the proposed inference. We also apply it to test for a unit root test in a COVID-19 dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges in QLED research is improving the stability of the devices. In this study, we fabricated all inorganic quantum-dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) using hafnium oxide (HfOx) as the hole transport layer (HTL), a material commonly used for insulator. Oxygen vacancies in HfOx create defect states below the Fermi level, providing a pathway for hole injection. The concentration of these oxygen vacancies can be controlled by the annealing temperature. We optimized the all-inorganic QLEDs with HfOx as the HTL by changing the annealing temperature. The optimized QLEDs with HfOx as the HTL showed a maximum luminance and current efficiency of 66,258 cd/m2 and 9.7 cd/A, respectively. The fabricated all-inorganic QLEDs exhibited remarkable stability, particularly when compared to devices using organic materials for the HTL. Under extended storage in ambient conditions, the all-inorganic device demonstrated a significantly enhanced operating lifetime (T50) of 5.5 h, which is 11 times longer than that of QLEDs using an organic HTL. These results indicate that the all-inorganic QLEDs structure, with ITO/MoO3/HfOx/QDs/ZnMgO/Al, exhibits superior stability compared to organic-inorganic hybrid QLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The saccade is one of the eye movements that resulted in the creation of the saccadic model. This work is grounded in the basic principles of the saccadic system, which are burst neurons and a resettable integrator model. Considering the possibility of strengthening the saccadic model based on its fundamental model, we introduce a replacement function for use in the burster equation that explains the preservation of the on response's form and also considers the off response. The new model is a two-dimensional map containing slow and fast variables with a new burster function, which solves the lack of differentiability of the primary function at the equilibrium point. By applying time series approaches and phase portraits, the mechanisms underlying the generation of spikes and spike bursts in the behavior of the new model are revealed. The present research's other main focus is to determine the geometry of the slow manifold for the newly developed system. Specifically, we examine the dynamics around an equilibrium point and the geometry of a slow manifold by using Fenichel's theorem. In addition, we use the center manifold theory to describe some dynamical characteristics of the center manifold that the slow manifold matches. Finally, this study aims to figure out the effects of geometric singular perturbations on this fast-slow burster equation, which finds dynamical behaviors such as being uniformly asymptotically stable and locally attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable electricity shows immense potential as a driving force for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) in production of formate (HCOO−) at industrial current density, providing a promising path for value‐added chemicals and chemical manufacturing. However, achieving high selectivity and stable production of HCOO− at industrial current density remains a challenge. Here, we present a robust Bi0.6Cu0.4 NSs catalyst capable of regenerating necessary catalytic core (Bi−O) through cyclic voltammetry (CV) treatment. Notably, at 260 mA cm−2, faradaic efficiency of HCOO− reaches an exceptional selectivity to 99.23 %, maintaining above 90 % even after 400 h, which is longest reaction time reported at the industrial current density. Furthermore, in stability test, the catalyst was constructed by CV reconstruction to achieve stable and efficient production of HCOO−. In 20 h reaction test, the catalyst has a rate of HCOO− production of 13.24 mmol m−2 s−1, a HCOO− concentration of 1.91 mol L−1, and an energy consumption of 129.80 kWh kmol−1. In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals the formation of Bi−O structure during the gradual transformation of catalyst from Bi0.6Cu0.4 NBs to Bi0.6Cu0.4 NSs. Theoretical studies highlight the pivotal role of Bi−O structure in modifying the adsorption behavior of reaction intermediates, which further reduces energy barrier for *OCHO conversion in CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A celebrated result of Gromov ensures the existence of a contact structure on any connected, non-compact, odd-dimensional Lie group. In general, such structures are not invariant under left translation. The problem of finding which Lie groups admit a left-invariant contact structure resolves to the question of determining when a Lie algebra g is contact; that is, admits a one-form φ ∈ g ⁎ such that φ ∧ (d φ) k ≠ 0. In full generality, this remains an open question; however we settle it for the important category of the evocatively named seaweed algebras by showing that an index-one seaweed is contact precisely when it is quasi-reductive. Seaweeds were introduced by Dergachev and Kirillov who initiated the development of their index theory – since completed by Joseph, Panyushev, Yakimova, and Coll, among others. Recall that a contact Lie algebra has index one – but not characteristically so. Leveraging recent work of Panyushev, Baur, Moreau, Duflo, Khalgui, Torasso, Yakimova, and Ammari, who collectively classified quasi-reductive seaweeds, our equivalence yields a full classification of contact seaweeds. We remark that since type-A and type-C seaweeds are de facto quasi-reductive (by a result of Panyushev), in these types index one alone suffices to ensure the existence of a contact form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient, low-cost photocatalysts with mild synthesis conditions and stable photocatalytic behavior have always been the focus in the field of photocatalysis. This study proves that non-quantum-dot Cs2PbI2Cl2-based materials, created by a simple method, can be successfully employed as new high-efficient photocatalysts. The results demonstrate that two-dimensional Cs2PbI2Cl2 perovskite can achieve over three times higher photocatalytic performance compared to three-dimensional CsPbBr3 perovskite. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of Cs2PbI2Cl2 can be further improved by constructing a heterojunction structure, such as Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3. Cs2PbI2Cl2 can connect well with CsPbBr3 through a simple method, resulting in tight bonding at the interface and efficient carrier transfer. Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 exhibits notable 5-fold and 10-fold improvements in photocatalytic performance and rate compared to CsPbBr3. Additionally, Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 demonstrates superb stable catalytic performance, with nearly no decrease in photocatalytic performance after 7 months (RH = 20% ± 10, T = 25 °C ± 5). This study also reveals that the photocatalytic process based on Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 can directly oxidize organic matter using holes, without relying on the generation of intermediate reactive oxygen species from water or oxygen (such as ·OH or ·O2−), showcasing further potential for achieving high photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity in anhydrous/anaerobic catalytic reactions and treating recalcitrant pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' emotional exhaustion is related to various detrimental outcomes, such as work absenteeism, intention to quit, impaired instructional quality, and lower student motivation. Since emotional exhaustion becomes evident as early as teacher training at university, the question is whether it would be possible to identify an individual disposition to this burnout symptom in student teachers. Accordingly, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the genesis, stability, and trajectories of change of emotional exhaustion. In the present study, we have disentangled different components of longitudinal stability in emotional exhaustion by applying STable, AutoRegressive Trait, and State models to two longitudinal samples of German student teachers (Sample 1: N = 4,510; Sample 2: N = 2,034). Over the timespan of up to 6 years, we found that completely stable sources (Sample 1: 35%; Sample 2: 37%) and slowly changing factors (Sample 1: 46%; Sample 2: 36%) in student teachers' emotional exhaustion accounted for much of the total variance in interindividual differences; occasion-specific factors and measurement error accounted for the remaining variation (Sample 1: 23%; Sample 2: 30%). This variance composition applied equally to male and female students and indicated that student teachers' emotional exhaustion comprises a stable component but is predominantly characterized by malleable parts due to systematically changing and occasion-specific sources of variance. Our findings about the stability of emotional exhaustion contribute to the trait-state debate of psychological characteristics and point out that intervention measures should be employed at an early stage to mitigate the negative consequences of burnout in subsequent career steps. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Emotional exhaustion among teachers is a major educational concern because it is negatively associated with individuals' health, absenteeism, turnover, and teaching quality. Therefore, it is crucial to gain more knowledge about the development of teachers' emotional exhaustion, specifically about the extent to which this characteristic is stable or malleable and changing over time among student teachers. Results from two panel studies surveying German student teachers through their university studies for up to 6 years showed that emotional exhaustion is partly stable but also changes over time. These findings offer a broader theoretical understanding of the malleability of emotional exhaustion and can be utilized to design and implement tailored prevention and intervention measures early in teachers' careers during university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppose that B is a separable stable C^*-algebra with real rank zero, stable rank one and (\mathrm {K}_0(B), \mathrm {K}_0^+(B)) is weakly unperforated in the sense of Elliott [Internat. J. Math. 1 (1990), no. 4, pp. 361–380]. Let A be a unital simple separable nuclear \mathrm {C}^*-algebra. We show that B has the corona factorization property and any unital extension of A by B is absorbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Increasing mortality and morbidity of coronary artery disease (CAD) highlight the emerging need for novel noninvasive markers such as circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). Objective To evaluate the circulating levels of miR-126-3p, miR-210-3p, let-7g-5p, and miR-326, and their associations with known contributors to CAD, in CAD subgroups. Methods We divided the cohort into 4 groups: non-CAD controls (≤30% stenosis; n = 55), and patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP; n = 48), unstable AP (UAP; n = 46), and myocardial infarction (MI; n = 36). The circulating levels of miR-126-3p, miR-210-3p, let-7g-5p, and miR-326 were determined using TaqMan Advanced miRNA Assays in serum specimens. Results Circulating miR-126-3p levels were lower in the MI and UAP groups, compared with the non-CAD group, whereas miR-210-3p circulating levels were lower in the MI group than others. The levels of circulating let-7g-5p were shown to be useful for distinguishing UAP from MI, and there were substantial differences in circulating let-7g-5p levels between the UAP and MI groups. Moreover, lipid levels and ratios were lower in individuals with high circulating miR-126-3p and miR-210-3p levels. Conclusions The study results suggest that circulating miR-126-3p, miR-210-3p, and let-7g-5p are differentiated between different clinical presentations of CAD and associated with lipid levels, which are important risk factors and determinants of CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of the average treatment effect is one of the crucial problems in clinical trials for two or multiple treatments. The covariate‐adaptive randomization methods are often applied to balance treatment assignments across prognostic factors in clinical trials, such as the minimization and stratified permuted blocks method. We propose a model‐free estimator of average treatment effects under covariate‐adaptive randomization methods, which is least square adjustment for the estimator of outcome models. The proposed estimator is not only applicable to the case of binary treatment, but also can be extended to the case of multiple treatment. The proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimator and Ye's estimator are comparable, and it performs better than Bugni's estimator when the outcome model is linear. The proposed estimator has some advantages over targeted maximum likelihood estimator, Bugni's estimator and Ye's estimator in terms of the standard error and root mean squared error when the outcome model is nonlinear. The proposed estimator is stable for the from of outcome model. Finally, we apply the proposed methodology to a dataset that studies the causal effect promotional videos mode on the school‐age children's educational attainment in Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To construct the eukaryotic cell translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) lentiviral vector, and to establish the Neuro-2a-EIF4A3-shRNA stable transfection cell line. Methods: The EIF4A3 gene sequence was retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database; the PCR identification primers were designed and synthesized, and connected to the lentiviral GV493 vector digested with EcoR I and Age I enzymes to construct the GV493-EIF4A3-shRNA lentiviral plasmid; PCR method was used to screen the positive clones, which were sequenced for the identification; the GV493 empty plasmid and GV493-EIF4A3-shRNA recombinant plasmid were transfected into the HEK293T cells, regarded as GV493 control lentivirus and GV493- EIF4A3-shRNA lentivirus, respectively. After 48 h of transfection, the lentiviruses were collected for packaging and the viral titer was determined. The Neuro-2a cells were divided into blank group, GV493 control group, and GV493-EIF4A3 shRNA group. The Neuro-2a cells in blank group were untreated, and the Neuro-2a cells in GV493 control group and GV493-EIF4A3 shRNA group were infected with the respective lentiviruses at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100. The infected Neuro-2a cells were selected by 10 mg·L-1 puromycin, and the growth status and green fluorescence expression of the Neuro-2a cells in various groups were observed under fluorescence microscope; real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting methods were used to detect the expression levels of EIF4A3 mRNA and protein in the Neuro-2a cells in various groups. Results: The PCR sequencing results showed that the gene sequence of the GV493-EIF4A3-shRNA recombinant plasmid was consistent with the designed EIF4A3-shRNA sequence, indicating successful construction of the GV493-EIF4A3 lentiviral vector. The fluorescence microscope observation results showed that there was strong fluorescence expression and good growth status in the HEK293T cells, confirming successful lentiviral packaging. The viral titers for GV493 control lentivirus and GV493-EIF4A3-shRNA lentivirus both were 2×108 TU·mL-1. The growth status of the Neuro-2a cells in GV493 control group and GV493-EIF4A3 shRNA group was good, and they expressed green fluorescence, indicating successful construction of the stable transfection cell line. The RT-qPCR results showed that compared with blank group and GV493 control group, the expression level of EIF4A3 mRNA in the cells in GV493-EIF4A3 shRNA group was significantly decreased (P<0. 01). The Western blotting results showed that the specific bands was at a relative molecular mass of 49 000, indicating successful EIF4A3 protein expression in the Neuro-2a cells. Compared with blank group and GV493 control group, the expression level of EIF4A3 protein in the cells in GV493-EIF4A3 shRNA group was significantly decreased (P<0. 01). Conclusion: The GV493-EIF4A3-shRNA lentiviral vector is succfssfully constructed, and the Neuro-2a-EIF4A3-shRNA stable transfection cell line is established; the results provide the reference for the study of the effect of EIF4A3 on the intracranial atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic hybrid dielectric nanomaterials are vital for OTFT applications due to their unique combination of organic dielectric and inorganic properties. Despite the challenges in preparing stable titania (TiO2) nanoparticles, we successfully synthesized colloidally stable organic–inorganic (O-I) TiO2 hybrid nanoparticles using an amphiphilic polymer as a stabilizer through a low-temperature sol–gel process. The resulting O-I TiO2 hybrid sols exhibited long-term stability and formed a high-quality dielectric layer with a high dielectric constant (κ) and minimal leakage current density. We also addressed the effect of the ethylene oxide chain within the hydrophilic segment of the amphiphilic polymer on the dielectric properties of the coating film derived from O-I TiO2 hybrid sols. Using the O-I TiO2 hybrid dielectric layer with excellent insulating properties enhanced the electrical performance of the gate dielectrics, including superior field-effect mobility and stable operation in OTFT devices. We believe that this study provides a reliable method for the preparation of O-I hybrid TiO2 dielectric materials designed to enhance the operational stability and electrical performance of OTFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the interesting problems in arithmetic dynamics is to study the stability of polynomials over a field. A polynomial f (z) ∈ ℚ [ z ] is stable over ℚ if irreducibility of f (z) implies that all its iterates are also irreducible over ℚ , that is, f n (z) is irreducible over ℚ for all n ≥ 1 , where f n (z) denotes the n -fold composition of f (z). In this paper, we study the stability of f (z) = z d + 1 c for d ≥ 2 , c ∈ ℤ ∖ { 0 }. We show that for infinite families of d ≥ 3 , whenever f (z) is irreducible, all its iterates are irreducible, that is, f (z) is stable. Under the assumption of explicit a b c -conjecture, we further prove the stability of f (z) = z d + 1 c for the remaining values of d. Also for d = 3 , if f (z) is reducible, then the number of irreducible factors of each iterate of f (z) is exactly 2 for | c | ≤ 1 0 1 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various factors that lead to lake eutrophication. Taking Yanming Lake as the research object, this paper discusses the effect of five different sediment particle sizes (0. 08, 0. 15, 0. 30, 0. 425 and 1. 00 mm) on phosphorus nutrients through laboratory tests and the influence of sediment on the release of phosphorus nutrients. The test results show that the changes of the five forms of phosphorus increases with the increase of particle size of sediment. Under different sediment particle size, the time required for the same form of phosphorus to reach a stable release is the same. However, different forms of phosphorus show different release laws, and the time required to achieve a stable release is also different. The curve fitting shows that the optimal fitting functions of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP), dissolved active phosphorus (SRP) and particulate phosphorus (PP) content and sediment particle size are all logarithmic function. The best fit function of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) content and sediment particle size is a linear function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the low long‐term stability and high toxicity, high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells are yet to be commercialized. Therefore, it is imperative to find a reliable and environmentally benign alternative perovskite light harvester. Herein, the study presents a non‐toxic double perovskite light harvester based on Cs2AgSbX6 (where X = Cl, Br, and I) as a substitute, which can render both high efficiency and long‐term durability. The optoelectronic properties of the Cs2AgSbX6 double perovskite light harvesters are investigated with the Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package (CASTEP) software package that is committed to density functional theory (DFT). The bandgap (indirect) tunability of Cs2AgSbX6 double perovskite light harvesters and associated changes in the density of states (DOS) are explored. The obtained results are further loaded as input to the SCAPS‐1D software package to assess the potential of Cs2AgSbX6 double perovskite solar cells. With the FTO/AZnO/Cs2AgSbX6/MoO3/rear contact device structure, the thickness and bulk defect density of the Cs2AgSbX6 light harvester have superior control over the performance of the double perovskite solar cells. The highest theoretical efficiency of ≈29.9% is estimated for the Cs2AgSbI6 light harvester. Additionally, the effectiveness of several prospective back electrodes is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: As the third generation new battery, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has increased from 3.8% in 2009 to 25.8% currently certified, which fully shows that they have great research value and development prospect. As one of the main components of high‐efficiency PSCs, hole transport materials (HTMs) play an important role in extracting and transporting holes and inhibiting charge recombination. However, commonly used HTMs require doping, and the hygroscopicity and corrosiveness of the dopants will destroy the stability of PSCs and hinder their commercialization. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop dopant‐free HTMs. In this review, the dopant‐free HTMs in recent six years are reviewed and summarized systematically, including organic small molecules, polymers and cross‐linkable materials. We focus on the design of the molecular cores and discuss their structure–property correlation, conductivity, and photovoltaic performance. Finally, how to design an ideal HTM is summarized. We hope that this review can provide reference for the development of low‐cost and dopant‐free HTMs to prepare efficient and stable PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials continue to attract significant interest due to their optoelectronic application. However, the degradation phenomenon associated with hybrid structures remains a challenging aspect of commercialization. To overcome the stability issue, we have assembled the methylammonium lead bromide nano islands (MNIs) on the backbone of poly-3-dodecyl-thiophene (PDT) for the first time. The structural and morphological properties of the MNI-PDT composite were confirmed with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical properties, namely absorption studies, were carried out by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The fluorescent behavior is determined by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The emission peak for the MNI-PDT was observed at 536 nm. The morphology studies supported by FESEM indicated that the nano islands are completely covered on the surface of the polymer backbone, making the hybrid (MNI-PDT) stable under environmental conditions for three months. The interfacial interaction strategy developed in the present work will provide a new approach for the stabilization of hybrids for a longer time duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish a stability theorem for geometric separating flows on metric spaces, which may or may not be compact. Notably, this result extends Thomas' stability theorem (Proc London Math Soc. 45:479–505 1982). To prove our theorem, we employ set-valued analysis (Aubin and Frankowska, 1990). We give some applications of our result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify (i) the prevalence of meeting the endpoints of 'stable periodontitis' (probing pocket depth [PPD] ≤ 4 mm, bleeding on probing [BoP] < 10%, no BoP at 4 mm sites), 'endpoints of therapy' (no PPD > 4 mm with BoP, no PPD ≥ 6 mm), 'controlled periodontitis' (≤4 sites with PPD ≥ 5 mm), 'PPD < 5 mm' and 'PPD < 6 mm' at the start of supportive periodontal care [SPC]) and (ii) the incidence of tooth loss in relation to not meeting these endpoints within a minimum of 5 years of SPC. Materials and Methods: Systematic electronic and manual searches were conducted to identify studies where subjects, upon completion of active periodontal therapy, entered into SPC. Duplicate screening was performed to find relevant articles. Corresponding authors were contacted to confirm inclusion and retrieve required clinical data for further analyses to assess the prevalence of reaching endpoints and incidence of subsequent tooth loss, if available, within at least 5 years of SPC. Meta‐analyses were carried out to evaluate risk ratios for tooth loss in relation to not reaching the various endpoints. Results: Fifteen studies including 12,884 patients and 323,111 teeth were retrieved. Achievement of endpoints at baseline SPC was rare (1.35%, 11.00% and 34.62%, respectively, for 'stable periodontitis', 'endpoints of therapy' and 'controlled periodontitis'). Less than a third of the 1190 subjects with 5 years of SPC data lost teeth—a total of 3.14% of all teeth were lost. Statistically significant associations with tooth loss, at the subject‐level, were found for not achieving 'controlled periodontitis' (relative risk [RR] = 2.57), PPD < 5 mm (RR = 1.59) and PPD < 6 mm (RR = 1.98). Conclusions: An overwhelming majority of subjects and teeth do not achieve the proposed endpoints for periodontal stability, yet most periodontal patients preserve most of their teeth during an average of 10–13 years in SPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The portmanteau test has been popular for diagnostic checking in time series models. Asymptotic properties of portmanteau tests have been exhaustively studied for real-valued time series model though, similar results for integer-valued autoregressive (INAR) models are not well documented, nevertheless. In view of this, we investigate the asymptotic behaviour of the Box-Pierce and Ljung-Box portmanteau tests in an INAR model. It turns out that these tests are chi-squared distributed asymptotically under mild conditions regardless of the process being stable or nearly unstable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Roman dominating function (RDF) on a graph G is a function f:V(G)→{0,1,2} such that every vertex with label 0 has a neighbor with label 2. A vertex u with f(u)=0 is said to be undefended if it is not adjacent to a vertex with f(v)>0. The function f:V(G)→{0,1,2} is a weak Roman dominating function (WRDF) if each vertex u with f(u)=0 is adjacent to a vertex v with f(v)>0 such that the function f′:V(G)→{0,1,2} defined by f′(u)=1, f′(v)=f(v)-1 and f′(w)=f(w) if w∈V-{u,v}, has no undefended vertex. A graph G is said to be Roman domination stable upon edge addition, or just γR -EA-stable, if γR(G+e)=γR(G) for any edge e∉E(G). We extend this concept to a weak Roman dominating function as follows: A graph G is said to be weak Roman domination stable upon edge addition, or just γr -EA-stable, if γr(G+e)=γr(G) for any edge e∉E(G). In this paper, we study γr -EA-stable graphs, obtain bounds for γr -EA-stable graphs and characterize γr -EA-stable trees which attain the bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to investigate the multi-dimensional Black-Scholes partial differential equation with variable coefficients numerically. The problem is of practical importance due to option pricing at the presence of multi assets. Since by increasing the dimension, the curse of dimensionality restricts the computations, the proposed solver will be constructed based on sparse arrays. Toward this goal, fourth-order finite difference approximations on graded meshes are introduced and then employed through semi-discretization. Then a sixth-order Runge-Kutta solver is employed for finding the resolution of the derived set of ordinary differential equations. The stability of the proposed scheme is furnished in detail as well. Numerical testings are given to uphold the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose and analyse a mathematical model of the transmission dynamics of cholera incorporating awareness programs to study the impact of socio-media and education on cholera outbreaks. These programs induce behavioural changes in the population, which divide the susceptible class into two subclasses, aware individuals and unaware individuals. We first provide a basic study of the model. We compute the Disease-Free Equilibrium (DFE) and derive the basic reproduction number R 0 0 that determines the extinction and the persistence of the disease. We show that there exists a threshold parameter ξ such that when R 0 0 ≤ ξ < 1 , the DFE is globally asymptotically stable, but when ξ ≤ R 0 0 < 1 , the model exhibits the phenomenon of backward bifurcation on a feasible region. The model exhibits one endemic equilibrium locally stable when R 0 0 > 1 and in that condition the DFE is unstable. Various cases for awareness proportions are performed using the critical awareness rate in order to measure the effect of awareness programs on the infected individuals over time. The results we obtained show that the higher implementation of strategies combining awareness programs and therapeutic treatments increase the efficacy of control measures. The numerical simulations of the model are used to illustrate analytical results and give more precision on critical values on the controls actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoFe/Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 S@NS-CNTs/CC exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA•cm−2 and a stable operation for 300 h at a large current density of 500 mA•cm−2. DFT calculations reveal that bimetal components, the build-in interfacial potential and surface chemical reconstruction can adjust Fermi levels to optimize the thermodynamic formation of O* to OOH*, thus enhancing the intrinsic activity. [Display omitted] • CF/CFS@NS-CNTs/CC achieves with an ultralow overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA•cm−2. • Stable operation for 300 h at 500 mA•cm−2 and 788 h for Zn-air battery. • The stability is due to carbon layer and binding force between catalyst and matrix. • The property is due to interface electronic interaction and surface reconstruction. The realization of durable and efficient oxygen evolution reactions (OER) at large current densities and low overpotentials is of significant importance but remains a great challenge. In this study, a CoFe/Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 S@NS-CNTs/CC (CF/CFS@NS-CNTs/CC) heterogeneous structure was fabricated by isolating CoFe/Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 S (CF/CFS) particles locked in nitrogen/sulfur codoped carbon nanotubes (NS-CNTs). Appreciable oxygen evolution reaction activity and durability was achieved with an ultralow overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA•cm−2. The operation was stable for 300 h at a current density of 500 mA•cm−2. The structure was then assembled into a zinc-air battery (ZAB), which delivered a high power density of 194 mW•cm−2, a specific capacity of 837.3 mAh•g Zn -1, and stable operation for 788 h without obvious voltage attenuation and altered morphology. The electronic interactions were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which revealed that both the bimetal components and the synergistic effect at the interface stimulated the transfer of Co and Fe sites to higher chemical valence states. Theoretical calculations indicated that the synergistic effect of the bimetal components, build-in interfacial potential, and surface chemical reconstruction adjusted the Fermi level to optimize the thermodynamic formation of O* to OOH*, thus enhancing the intrinsic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy demand generated by fossil fuels is increasing day by day, and it has drastically increased after the COVID-19 pandemic as industries and household utilities rejuvenate. Renewable sources are thus becoming more essential as easily available, alternative methods of low-cost energy generation. Among these renewables, solar energy, i.e., solar power, is a promising energy source and can be used for solar-based H2 evolution because H2 technology is a leading source of eco-friendly electricity generation, and most of the worldwide efforts to develop this method involve heterogeneous catalysis for H2 evolution via water splitting and its storage, i.e., using a fuel cell. In the current scenario, there is a need to develop a stable, recyclable, and reusable heterogeneous catalyst system, which is a great challenge. In the current study, we have focused on novel ferrite magnetic nanomaterials for recyclable and reusable robust photocatalysis. Moreover, discussions of the factors contributing to the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, low-cost synthesis techniques, and prospects for making them ideal photocatalysts are uncommon in the literature. The study will impart possible approaches for the design and development of novel ferrite nanomaterials and their nanocomposites for H2 generation in the forthcoming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common bean is one of the widely consumed food security crop in Africa, Asia and South America. It is a rich source of protein, minerals and micronutrients. High genotype by environment interaction is one of the main challenge in breeding for high grain micronutrient concentration. The objective of this study was to estimate SNP markers associated with grain Fe and Zn concentration using 289 common bean genotypes and 11,480 SNP markers. The study revealed that 43 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were associated with grain Fe and Zn concentration. Five quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs), that is, QTN Fe_1.1, QTN Fe_6.3, QTN Fe_6.5, QTN Fe_10.3 and QTN Fe_11.6 were detected both at Haramaya and Melkassa locations. Two of the markers, that is, QTN Fe_6.3 and QTN Fe_6.5, were located on chromosome 06 while QTN Fe_1.1, QTN Fe_10.3 and QTN Fe_ 11.6 were residing on chromosomes 01, 10 and 11, respectively. Among these, QTN Fe_11.6 had a large and positive consistent effect across locations. The five stable QTNs along with the potential candidate genes could be used for Fe biofortification through marker assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐detectivity and stable photodetectors (PDs) have been intensively concerned in the field of wireless optical communication, among which perovskite material has become a prospective candidate owing to its outstanding photoelectric properties. However, the defects and mismatched energy levels of perovskite material can significantly reduce the detectivity and stability of PDs. Herein, the CsPbBr2I quantum dots (CQDs) with the surface modulation via potassium trifluoroacetate (KTFA) are utilized to deserve high‐detectivity and stable PDs. The surface modulation for CQDs not only passivates defects by inhibiting vacancies, but also enhances hole transport capacity by modulating energy level mismatch. As a result, the assembled CsPbBr2I PDs show a responsivity of 0.375 A W−1, a detectivity of 1.12 × 1013 Jones and an on/off ratio of 104. More importantly, the CsPbBr2I PDs exhibit excellent long‐term stability for 12 weeks and can withstand 1000 bending cycles. This work provides a guideline for the development of perovskite in wireless optical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A standing X-ray is recommended for decision-making relative to the therapy for a traumatic thoracolumbar fracture (TLF). However, standing X-ray management can be demanding in elderly patients because of pain. The goal of this study was to determine whether supine radiograph is sufficient for proper therapeutic decision-making in patients older than 65 years with acute stable traumatic TLF. Methods Patients older than 65 years who came to the emergency department diagnosed with an acute and stable traumatic vertebral fracture between T10 and L3 (both included) were included in the study. Initially, all the patients were studied with a supine radiograph and computed tomography (CT) scan. If the TLF was stable, a standing radiograph was performed. Segmental kyphosis (SK) and visual analog scale (VAS) score were collected and compared in both the supine and standing X-ray projections. Results Twenty-seven patients with a mean age of 76.39 (range: 65–93) years were included; most were females. The mean supine SK was 10.14degrees (SD±7.22degrees). It increased to 12.97 (SD±8.61degrees) in the standing projection (p <0.001). In 37.1% of the patients, the SK increased from 13.22degrees (SD±7.21degrees) in supine X-ray to 19.96degrees (SD±5.34degrees) in the standing position in this group. When the initial supine projection showed an SK of ≥10degrees, the mean SK observed in the standing X-ray increased to 20.5degrees (SD±5.30, p =0.321). Conclusion Stable traumatic TLF in patients older than 65 years showing ≥10degrees of SK in supine radiography may benefit from a standing radiography to make a proper therapeutic decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains common in endemic regions, causing significant healthcare burden. Patients with CHB may need to be adherent to nucleoside analogue (NA) for a long period of time to prevent complications. This study aims to investigate the safety, efficacy and patient experience of a virtual monitoring clinic (VMC) in monitoring stable patients taking NA for CHB. Methods: Patients on NA and regular follow-up were randomised to either VMC alternating with doctors' clinic visit or to a control group in which they continued standard follow-up by doctors. Therapy adherence was measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) for NA therapy, incidence of virological breakthrough and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development at two years of follow-up. Patient acceptance was measured on a Likert scale of 1–10. Results: A total 192 patients completed follow-up: 94 and 98 patients in the VMC and control groups, respectively. Mean age was 60.6 ± 10.8 years, with 95.3% Chinese ethnicity and 64.1% males. Age, gender, race, educational, employment and financial status were similar in both groups. Upon study completion, the majority of patients – 76 (80.9%) in VMC group and 74 (75.5%) in control group – had MPR ≥0.8; 88.8% were satisfied and rated VMC better than a traditional follow-up clinic with doctors only. More than 85% of patients rated ≥8/10 on the Likert scale for VMC, and preferred VMC over traditional clinic visits. Clinical outcomes observed were HCC development in one (1.1%) in the VMC group and four (4.1%) in the control group (p = 0.369). Two (2.1%) and one (1.0%) virological breakthroughs were observed in the VMC and control groups, respectively (p = 0.615). No incidence of HCC or abnormal blood tests were missed in the VMC arm. Discussion: VMC is a viable and safe clinical model for monitoring stable CHB patients on NA therapy without compromising patients' adherence to medications and is preferred by patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this manuscript is to review recent trends in the management of acute type B aortic dissection. Due to its efficacy and low morbidity, thoracic endografting has rapidly been adopted as the treatment of choice for most patients with malperfusion or rupture as a consequence of acute aortic dissection. This technology is increasingly applied to patients without rupture or malperfusion, so-called "uncomplicated" dissections, to reduce the incidence of late aneurysmal degeneration in the ungrafted segments of the thoracoabdominal aorta. A variety of techniques have been proposed, including intentional rupture of the dissection membrane to obliterate the false lumen as well as the candy-plug technique to eliminate retrograde flow in the false lumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heston–Hull–White three-dimensional time-dependent partial differential equation (PDE) is one of the important models in mathematical finance, at which not only the volatility is modeled based on a stochastic process but also the rate of interest is assumed to follow a stochastic dynamic. Hence, an efficient method is derived in this paper based on the methodology of the localized radial basis function generated finite difference (RBF-FD) scheme. The proposed solver uses the RBF-FD approximations on graded meshes along all three spatial variables and a high order time-stepping scheme. Stability is also studied in detail to show under what conditions the proposed method is stable. Computational simulations are given to support the theoretical discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For open-loop stable processes, the internal model control (IMC) provides a simple and effective parameterisation of stabilising controllers. However, for unstable processes, it cannot be directly used for control system implementation. In this paper, a new unified approach for the IMC design is proposed for stable, unstable and integrating processes, using the modified IMC (m-IMC) structure in which an additional controller K (s) is introduced along with the basic IMC. Also, the partial IMC (PIMC) concept is utilised, wherein we write the plant as the summation of stable and unstable parts and consider only the stable part as the internal model. The combined approach is thereby referred to as modified partial IMC (m-PIMC). This paper presents a graphical method to obtain controller parameters for the proposed m-PIMC to satisfy the given gain margin ( A m ) and phase margin ( ϕ m ) specifications. Further, stability boundary and robust boundary for the controller parameters are obtained which respectively give a set of all controller parameters stabilising the close loop and a set of all controller parameters ensuring robust stability. Seven different well-known standard stable, unstable and integrating process models are considered for the proposed m-PIMC design, and simulation examples are given for four selected plant models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study an optimally accurate second-order time-stepping algorithm for nonstationary magneto-hydrodynamics equations. The algorithm deals with a linear treatment for the nonlinear terms in both momentum equations and magnetic equations, and adds some stabilization terms of the discrete solutions for the velocity, the pressure and the magnetic. We derive that this algorithm satisfies unconditionally stable and optimally accurate error estimate. Numerical tests are given to validate the predicted convergence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advection schemes with time step restrictions are widely used in weather and climate models. This can lead to instability in the presence of high flow speeds (relative to mesh spacing) such as occurs in convective updraughts, regions of mesh convergence, or where the winds are unusually high. An adaptively implicit advection scheme is proposed that treats advection implicitly only where the Courant number is high. Flux correction to ensure monotonicity is adapted to work with implicit time stepping. A version of the multidimensional positive‐definite advection transport algorithm MPDATA is derived with an anti‐diffusive flux compensating truncation errors of off‐centred implicit time stepping. The anti‐diffusive flux is gradually reduced as Courant numbers increase above 2 in order to maintain stability at the expense of second‐order accuracy at high Courant numbers. Results of two‐dimensional advection by deformational flow are presented on various meshes of the sphere. Stability and second‐order accuracy are maintained when the Courant number is over 100 in a small region, when strong wind crosses the poles of a rotated latitude–longitude mesh. Good solutions are also obtained on a skipped latitude–longitude mesh, a cubed sphere, and hexagonal meshes. Accuracy reverts to first order when Courant numbers are large over a large fraction of the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set S ⊆ V (G) of an undirected graph G is a locating-dominating set of G if for each v ∈ V (G) \ S, there exists w ∈ S such tha vw ∈ E(G) and NG(x) ∩ S ̸= NG(y) ∩ S for any two distinct vertices x and y in V (G) \ S. S is a stable locating-dominating set of G if it is a locating-dominating set of G and S \ {v} is a locating-dominating set of G for each v ∈ S. The minimum cardinality of a stable locating-dominating set of G, denoted by γSLD(G), is called the stable locating-domination number of G. In this paper, we investigate this concept and the corresponding parameter for edge corona and lexicographic product of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to reveal numerically the generalized Henon-Heiles system, that is, in the seventh-degree potential function where the smallest body mass varies. Utilizing the seventh degree potential function, we determine the equations of motion for the variable mass generalized Henon-Heiles system. Then we perform the graphical works such as locations of parking points, allowed regions of motion, and attracting domain basins. Lastly, using the Meshcherskii space transformations, we investigate stability states for these parking points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and macular ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer thinning are markers of neuroaxonal degeneration in multiple sclerosis. Objective: We aimed to investigate the value of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer thinning for prediction of long-term disability. Methods: This is a 6-year prospective longitudinal study on 93 multiple sclerosis patients. Optical coherence tomography scans were performed at baseline, after 1, 2 and 6 years. Primary endpoint was disability progression after 6 years, defined as expanded disability status scale worsening and/or cognitive deterioration. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to investigate the value of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer to predict the primary endpoint. Results: A total of 57 (61.3%) patients had disability worsening, 40 (43.0%) expanded disability status scale worsening and 34 (36.6%) cognitive deterioration. Mean peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer baseline thickness were 93.0 and 75.2 µm, and mean annualised peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer thinning rates over 6 years were 1.3 and 1.6 µm, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed lower peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer baseline thickness and higher annualised thinning rates in patients with disability progression after 6 years. Effects were more pronounced for ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer and expanded disability status scale worsening than for peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer models and cognitive deterioration. Conclusion: Ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer measurements depict neurodegeneration and predict disability progression in multiple sclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The essential design concern of a sensor network is to balance energy consumption of sensor nodes (SNs) to prolong the network lifetime. Many research works cited that clustering techniques efficiently utilize the network's energy resource by organizing SNS into groups of clusters and benefits in reduced data transmission. An extensively used category of cluster‐based protocols is the probabilistic clustering technique in which a preset optimum likelihood is used to facilitate the selection procedure of cluster head (CH). These clustering techniques suffer from non‐uniform dissemination of CH, which leads to uneven load balance and uneven energy consumption of SNs during network activities like data transmitting and data receiving. This causes an energy‐hole problem and reduces network lifetime. In order to solve these issues, we have focused on to design a balanced cluster‐based data aggregation and formulate a method that increases the energy efficiency of probabilistic clustering techniques by optimizing the number of clusters and the dissemination of CHs in the sensor network. The simulation analysis proves that the proposed technique accomplishes significantly enhanced than the existing works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient microplasma chemistry method to synthesize highly stable Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) that can be stored for 2 months is presented. The sucrose, maltose, lactose, and glucose are applied to stablize the produced AgNPs, respectively, and the pH value of the solution is controlled by using NaHCO3 with different concentrations. It can be concluded that AgNPs with different sizes can be achieved by selecting different stabilizers and adjusting the pH value of solution. Finally, by checking the UV absorbance of AgNPs solution within 2 months, the stability of the AgNPs is investigated. It is found that the stability of AgNPs in water solution can also be improved by changing the pH of the solution and the kind of colloidal stabilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the effect of Bufei Huoxue Capsule combined with ambroxol hydrochloride on pulmonary function, sleep quality and immune function in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 120 patients with stable COPD who were admitted to our hospital from March 2018 to March 2021 were selected, and the patients were randomly divided into control group (treated with ambroxol hydrochloride, 60 cases) and study group (treated with ambroxol hydrochloride, 60 cases) according to computer-generated random data. Treated with Bufei Huoxue Capsules combined with ambroxol hydrochloride, 60 cases), both groups were treated for 3 months. The changes of curative effect, lung function, sleep quality and immune function in the two groups were observed, and the occurrence of adverse reactions in the two groups was observed. RESULTS: Comparing the total clinical effective rate between the two groups, the research group was higher than the control group (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), maximum expiratory flow (PEF) and forced vital capacity (FVC) in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, CD8+ in the study group was lower than that in the control group, and CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the symptom and sign scores of the study group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Combined treatment of ambroxol hydrochloride and Bufei Huoxue capsule can improve lung function, immune function and sleep quality in patients with stable COPD, and the curative effect is reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound is a useful method to obtain the stable form for polymorph systems. The stable crystal form of glycine as a model compound in cooling crystallization using ultrasound is studied. The form of the crystal products is characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction. The influences of ultrasound process parameters, including the ultrasound treating timing, treating mode, power density and duration, on the γ‐glycine in cooling crystallization are conducted. The nucleation moment when a "critical size of cluster" is formed is the most effective moment for the ultrasound treatment, and at the same time produces more stable form. Pulse treating mode can effectively solve the ultrasound thermal effect problem. The total energy input and duration has a peak value in promoting the form transformation in practice. The mechanism of the ultrasound in promoting the stable form formation is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates have received more and more attention for their non‐invasive sample collection ability. However, majority of them have poor stability and reproducibility because noble metal is easily oxidized and led to lose SERS activity. Herein, SiO2‐TiO2‐Ag hybrids aerogel (STAHA) material is first applied as a flexible SERS substrate for explosives and dyes long‐term sensitive detection. The sensitive non‐invasive detection of 3‐nitro‐1, 2, 4‐triazol‐5‐one (NTO) residues can be achieved with a limit of 1 × 10−6 m by wiping sample collection method. Meanwhile, similar SERS sensitivity from long‐term (50 days) kept substrates is observed compared with fresh‐made substrates. This long‐term sensitivity is contributed to electronic transfer compensation from TiO2 aerogel. This proposed flexible STAHA enrich the type of SERS substrates, and their long‐term sensitivity can provide a prospective application for trace analyses of explosives and other hazardous residues in criminal forensic, military, and security check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the effect of dispersal and advection on the dynamics of a specialist predator–prey model. More precisely, we show that the linear stability of the semi-trivial steady state is determined by the dispersal rate, the mortality rate of the predator and the advection rate. We point out that compared to homogeneous intrinsic growth rate and carrying capacity, the case in this paper is more complicated. This work gives a investigation to an open problem proposed by Nie et al. in Nie et al. (2020) by considering a more general model, and then, can be seen as a further development of their work (Nie et al., 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The superior opto-electronic properties of metal halide perovskites have uncovered great potential as light harvesters for thin-film photovoltaics, capturing the dominant research trend for over a decade now. While Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) depict promising results of a successful photovoltaic technology, further replacement of conventional charge transporting layers (CTLs) with inorganic counterparts can impart sustainable device stability and cost-effectiveness. Here, we represent a theoretical study aimed to analyse the performance of Formamidinium Lead Iodide (FAPI) based PSCs using SCAPS-1D simulation tool (version 3.3.09). The solar cell is designed into a novel, and cost-effective inverted p-i-n architecture comprising of inorganic transporting layers. The introduction of a thin CuI buffer layer accompanied with the hole transporting layer (HTL) was found to boost the device performance greatly. Furthermore, a systematic analysis of the device parameters was carried out based on crucial factors like thickness of the absorber, CTLs, and buffer layer, interfacial defect densities (N it), series resistances (R S) and working temperature (T). In addition to this, we also conducted a study on the combined effect of absorber defect density (N t) and thickness on our simulated PSC. Our optimized device configuration ITO/CuI/Cu 2 O/FAPI/ZnO/Al, resulted in an ideal device efficiency of ≈ 26% and a reasonably high efficiency of 21.58% adopting a more realistic approach. This study therefore focuses on an economical architectural design strategy with an emphasis on device efficiency, and its long-term sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly active and robust transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains a challenge. Herein, we report an electron redistribution mechanism that involves the metal-sulfur (M-S) bond stabilization triggered by electron transfer from Ce to Ni and Co in CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 heterostructure, thereby effectively inhibiting the leaching of sulfur from CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 during the OER process. Moreover, the well-modulated heterogeneous interface enables optimal adsorption affinity for oxygen intermediates and reduces the energy barrier of OER. As a result, CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 exhibits superior OER activity with ultralow overpotentials of 146 and 271 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. More importantly, CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 possesses excellent durability for over 200 h at 500 mA cm−2, surpassing individual NiCo 2 S 4 and most of the reported TMCs-based electrocatalysts. This work provides new insights for achieving good compatibility of TMCs-based OER electrocatalysts in terms of high activity and stability. [Display omitted] A well-modulated CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 heterostructure was successfully constructed. The electron redistribution induced by CeO 2 not only enhanced the formation energy of S vacancies and hindered the reconstruction of NiCo 2 S 4 but also reduced the energy barrier of the OER, ultimately resulting in the CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 catalyst exhibiting excellent activity and stability during the OER process. • CeO 2 /NiCo 2 S 4 achieves with an ultralow overpotential of 146 mV at 10 mA cm−2. • NiCo 2 S 4 extracts electrons from CeO 2 and optimizes interfacial electronic structure. • The introduced CeO 2 reduces the rate-determining step barrier of OER. • The introduction of CeO 2 enhances the formation energy of S vacancy in NiCo 2 S 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, stable and non-defective multilayer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite pervaporation mixed matrix membranes incorporated with in-situ transformed metal organic frameworks was successfully synthesized via ligand vapor phase infiltration and spin-coating. Metal zinc sources were uniformly distributed in PDMS which were in-situ transformed into homogeneous zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles, effectively alleviating the aggregation of ZIF-8. Thermal cross-linking of PDMS and the formation of MOFs occurred simultaneously, omitting the complicated preparation and re-dispersion steps of MOF nanoparticles. MOF nanoparticles and PDMS formed a more stabilized composite structure by in-situ transformation, in which PDMS and metal of MOFs can interact with the - Si - O - of silane coupling groups on membrane surface to construct solid multilayer composite membrane, ensuring long-term stability. Moreover, with the aid of hydrophobic interlayer, polymer infiltration into channels of substrate was restricted and casting solution spread out smoothly, facilitating the formation of defect-free PDMS selective layer. Various techniques including Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscope and X-ray Diffraction were applied to explore the morphology, composition and structure of nanoparticles and membranes, and pervaporation tests were taken to investigate the behavior of hydrophobic polymer-based multilayer membranes. For the recovery of low concentration n-butanol, the prepared non-defective multilayer TAO/ZIF-8/K-PDMS composite membrane displayed excellently total permeate flux of 2890 g m−2 h−1 with competitive separation factor of 40.3. [Display omitted] • Non-defective multilayer PDMS/MOF composite membrane was successfully synthesized. • Aggregation of MOFs in PDMS layer was greatly alleviated by in-situ transformation. • Thermal cross-linking of PDMS and formation of MOFs occurred simultaneously. • MOFs and PDMS formed more stabilized composite structure to ensure long-term stability. • TAO/ZIF-8/K-PDMS membrane presented excellent performance for butanol recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural change of a spiropyran (1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-methoxybenzopyrylospiran (MBPS)) to ring-opened forms, such as merocyanine and protonated merocyanine, is spontaneously induced in the confined space of a nanoporous silicas. In general, the ring closing of MBPS occurs easily in liquid media under blue-light illumination or under basic conditions. However, the ring-opened forms are tightly fixed and stable in the nanopores of diameters similar of the molecules owing to the hydrogen-bonding with silanol groups and the strong steric-restriction. The color of the ring-opened forms in the confined space varies with the protonation; therefore, the MBPS trapped in the nanoporous silica with open pores is sensitive to the pH of the surrounding solution. [Display omitted] • 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8'-methoxybenzopyrylospiran (MBPS) is ring-opening in the confined space of nanoporous silicas. • The ring-opening MBPS is tightly fixed and stable in the nanopores of diameters similar of the molecules (around 1 nm). • The MBPS trapped in the nanoporous silica with open pores is sensitive to the pH of the surrounding solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As expected, this benefit in health status was a function of symptom burden at baseline, being primarily driven by patients who had more frequent symptoms at baseline. Following the lead of the ISCHEMIA investigators, incorporating routine collection of patient-reported outcomes as key end points for clinical trials will be a major step toward provision of patient-centered care. Heterogeneity of treatment effect analyses that identify the clinical characteristics of individual patients who gain large improvements in health status versus those who do poorly can further enhance the applicability of these results for shared decision making with our patients. [Extracted from the article]

Gel-based ionic conductors are promising candidates for flexible electronics, serving as stretchable sensors or electrodes. However, most of them suffer from a short operating life, low conductivity and rely on an external power supply, limiting their practical application. Herein, we report a stable organogel ionic conductor with high conductivity and self-powering ability. Briefly, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, as a conductive salt, provides high conductivity and the poly(1,1-difluoroethylene) layers, as a self-powering system, supply stable energy output under the influence of pressure. Moreover, the proposed conductors withstand long-term and multi-cycle durability tests. The prepared auxiliary training device can withstand the impact of a basketball and detect the impact force, showing potential in passive sensing during practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be an undirected graph with vertex and edge sets V (G) and E(G), respectively. A set S ⊆ V (G) is a hop independent set of G if any two distinct vertices in S are not at a distance two from each other, that is, dG(v, w) ≠ 2 for any distinct vertices v, w ∈ S. The maximum cardinality of a hop independent set of G, denoted by αh(G), is called the hop independence number of G. In this paper, we show that the absolute difference of the independence number and the hop independence number of a graph can be made arbitrarily large. Furthermore, we determine the hop independence numbers of some graphs including those resulting from some binary operations of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]