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Semiconductor alloy materials are highly versatile due to their adjustable properties; however, exploring their structural space is a challenging task that affects the control of their properties. Traditional methods rely on ad hoc design based on the understanding of known chemistry and crystallography, which have limitations in computational efficiency and search space. In this work, we present ChecMatE (Chemical Material Explorer), a software package that automatically generates machine learning potentials (MLPs) and uses global search algorithms to screen semiconductor alloy materials. Taking advantage of MLPs, ChecMatE enables a more efficient and cost-effective exploration of the structural space of materials and predicts their energy and relative stability with ab initio accuracy. We demonstrate the efficacy of ChecMatE through a case study of the InxGa1−xN system, where it accelerates structural exploration at reduced costs. Our automatic framework offers a promising solution to the challenging task of exploring the structural space of semiconductor alloy materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The event‐triggered extended dissipativity control problem for semi‐Markov jump systems (SMJSs) on the basis of multiple types of deception attacks is discussed in this paper. The mode‐ and disturbance‐dependent event‐triggered mechanism (ETM), unlike the traditional ETM, is designed to identify the triggered moments which can prevent network resources from being wasted. Additionally, as the attack evolves into a more intelligent and complex strategy, It is hypothesized that there are multiple deception attacks that can be applied to the communication channels between the sensor and the controller, which are modeled by a more general semi‐Markov process (SMP). As a result, by using stochastic analysis techniques and system‐mode‐dependent and attack‐mode‐dependent Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional (LKF), a new sufficient condition is established to guarantee the stochastic stability and extended dissipativity of the closed‐loop SMJSs. Four numerical cases are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the issue of anti‐modal‐asynchrony sliding mode control (SMC) for discrete semi‐Markov jump systems with bi‐boundary sojourn time. Asynchronous mechanism refers to the mismatch phenomenon between the system mode and the controller mode, in which the modal lag is mode‐dependent to reduce some conservatism compared with traditional mode‐independent lag. In contrast to traditional semi‐Markov jump systems, the sojourn time of each mode in this article is considered to have upper‐and‐lower bounds, representing better characteristics than the upper bound. Based on the semi‐Markov kernel and the Lyapunov function related to the elapsed time of current mode, a sufficient condition is proposed to ensure that the mean‐square stability of the underlying system is achieved under an equivalent SMC mechanism. The conditions for the existence of the designed controller are obtained, which shows that the constructed SMC mechanism is effective against asynchronous mode jumps. An anti‐modal‐asynchrony SMC mechanism is constructed to achieve the reachability of discrete quasi‐sliding mode. Finally, the F‐404 aircraft engine model is given to validate the effectiveness of the control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reveals a charging mechanism at oxide–water interfaces, solving the puzzle that challenges the traditional electrical double layer (EDL) model. We found that the experimentally measured zeta potential is caused by physically adsorbed OH−, instead of acidic dissociation of surface OHs and the first-layer water. This mechanism should apply for a wide range of material interfaces and could find applications in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy (TP) presents a significant challenge due to the low bacterial load in pleural effusion (PE) samples. Cell-free Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (cf-TB) in PE samples is considered an optimal biomarker for diagnosing TP. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of cf-TB testing across diverse research sites with a relatively large sample size. Methods: Patients suspected of TP and presenting with clinical symptoms and radiological evidence of PE were consecutively enrolled by treating physicians from 11 research sites across 6 provinces in China between April 2020 and August 2022. Following centrifugation, sediments obtained from PE were used for Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and mycobacterial culture, while the supernatants were subjected to cf-TB testing. This study employed a composite reference standard to definite TP, which was characterized by any positive result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) through either PE culture, PE Xpert, or pleural biopsy. Results: A total of 1412 participants underwent screening, and 1344 (95.2%) were subsequently enrolled in this study. Data from 1241 (92.3%) participants were included, comprising 284 with definite TP, 677 with clinically diagnosed TP, and 280 without TP. The sensitivity of cf-TB testing in definite TP was 73.6% (95% CI 68.2–78.4), significantly higher than both Xpert (40.8%, 95% CI 35.3–46.7, P < 0.001) and mycobacterial culture (54.2%, 95% CI 48.4–59.9, P < 0.001). When clinically diagnosed TP was incorporated into the composite reference standard for sensitivity analysis, cf-TB testing showed a sensitivity of 46.8% (450/961, 95% CI 43.7–50.0), significantly higher than both Xpert (116/961, 12.1%, 95% CI 10.2–14.3, P < 0.001) and mycobacterial culture (154/961, 16.0%, 95% CI 13.8–18.5, P < 0.001). The specificities of cf-TB testing, Xpert, and mycobacterial culture were all 100.0%. Conclusions: The performance of cf-TB testing is significantly superior to that of Xpert and mycobacterial culture methods, indicating that it can be considered as the primary diagnostic approach for improving TP detection. Trial registration The trial was registered on Chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000031680, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=49316). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐entropy oxides (HEOs) have been showing great promise in a wide range of applications. There remains a lack of clarity regarding the influence of nanostructure and composition on their Li storage performance. Herein, a dealloying technique to synthesize hierarchical nanoporous HEOs with tunable compositions is employed. Building upon the extensively studied quinary AlFeNiCrMnOx, an additional element (Co, V, Ti, or Cu) is introduced to create senary HEOs, allowing for investigation of the impact of the added component on Li storage performance. With higher specific surface areas and oxygen vacancy concentrations, all their HEOs exhibit high Li storage performances. Remarkably, the senary HEO with the addition of V (AlNiFeCrMnVOx) achieves an impressive capacity of 730.2 mAh g−1 at 2.0 A g−1, which surpasses all reported performance of HEOs. This result demonstrates the synergistic interaction of the six elements in one HEO nanostructure. Additionally, the battery cycling‐induced reconstruction and cation diffusion in the HEOs is uncovered, which results in an initial capacity decrease followed by a subsequent continuous capacity increase and enhanced Li ion diffusion. The results highlight the crucial roles played by both nanoporous structure design and composition optimization in enhancing Li storage of HEOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the texture formation mechanism of a TA15 titanium alloy under different plane strain compression conditions was investigated by analyzing the slipping, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and phase transformation behaviors. The results indicated that the basal texture component basically appears under all conditions, since the dominant basal slip makes the C-axis of the α grain rotate to the normal direction (ND, i.e., compression direction), but it has a different degree of deflection. With an increase in deformation amount, temperature or strain rate, {0001} poles first approach the ND and then deviate from it. Such deviation is mainly caused by a change in slip behaviors and phase transformation. At a smaller deformation amount and higher strain rate, inhomogeneous deformation easily causes a basal slip preferentially arising from the grain with a soft orientation, resulting in a weak basal texture component. A greater deformation amount can increase the principal strain ratio, thereby promoting other slip systems to be activated, and a lower temperature can increase the critical shear stress of the basal slip, further causing a dispersive orientation under these conditions. At a higher temperature and a lower strain rate, apparent phase transformation will induce the occurrence of lamellar α whose orientation obeys the Burgers orientation of the β phase, thereby disturbing and weakening the deformation texture. As for DRX, continuous-type (CDRX) is most common under most conditions, whereas CDRX grains have a similar orientation to deformed grains, so DRX has little effect on overall texture. Moreover, the microhardness of samples is basically inversely proportional to the grain size, and it can be significantly improved as lamellar α occurs. In addition, deformed samples with a weaker texture present a higher microhardness due to the smaller Schmidt factors of the activated prism slip at ambient loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Branch number is one of the most important agronomic traits of fruit trees such as peach. Little is known about how LncRNA and/or miRNA modules regulate branching through transcription factors.Here, we used molecular and genetic tools to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying brassinosteroid (BR) altering plant branching.We found that the number of sylleptic branch and BR content in pillar peach ('Zhaoshouhong') was lower than those of standard type ('Okubo'), and exogenous BR application could significantly promote branching. PpTCP4 expressed great differentially comparing 'Zhaoshouhong' with 'Okubo'. PpTCP4 could directly bind to DWARF2 (PpD2) and inhibited its expression. PpD2 was the only one differentially expressed key gene in the path of BR biosynthesis. At the same time, PpTCP4 was identified as a target of miR6288b‐3p. LncRNA1 could act as the endogenous target mimic of miR6288b‐3p and repress expression of miR6288b‐3p. Three deletions and five SNP sites of lncRNA1 promoter were found in 'Zhaoshouhong', which was an important cause of different mRNA level of PpTCP4 and BR content. Moreover, overexpressed PpTCP4 significantly inhibited branching.A novel mechanism in which the lncRNA1‐miR6288b‐3p‐PpTCP4‐PpD2 module regulates peach branching number was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Declining physical activity and increasing screen time (ST) among Chinese adolescents have become major concerns shared by scholars, while mental health issues are also on the rise. Previous studies have confirmed the association between physical activity and screen time and psychological symptoms, but it is unclear how their psychological symptoms, especially for Chinese university students who have a high proportion of psychological symptoms, and no research evidence has been found. Methods: This study investigated physical activity, screen time, and psychological symptoms in 11,173 university students aged 19–22 years in six regions of China. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time and psychological symptoms. And the generalize linear model (GLM) analysis was used to further analyze the association between MVPA and screen time and psychological symptoms. Results: The detection rate of psychological symptoms among Chinese university students was 16.3%, with a higher percentage of female students (17.5%) than male students (14.7%). The proportion of male students (8.2%) with MVPA > 60 min/d was higher than that of female students (2.3%), and the proportion of male students (33.8%) and female students (34.5%) with screen time > 2 h/d was basically the same. The generalize linear model (GLM) analysis showed that university students with MVPA < 30 min/d and screen time > 2 h/d (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.10–2.31) had the highest risk of psychological symptoms (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.10–2.31) compared to university students with MVPA > 60 min/d and screen time < 1 h/d as the reference group. The risk of psychological symptoms was the highest among those with MVPA < 30 min/d and screen time > 2 h/d (OR = 1.59,95% CI: 1.10–2.31). In addition, university students with MVPA > 60 min/d and a screen time of 1–2 h/d (OR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03–0.25) had the lowest risk of psychological symptoms (P < 0.001). The same trend was observed for both male and female students. Conclusion: Chinese university students have a certain proportion of psychological symptom problems, and there is a significant between MVPA and screen time and psychological symptoms, and the same trend exists for both male and female students. Chinese university students should perform MVPA for not less than 60 min a day, and at the same time control the duration of screen time, and screen time should be controlled between 1 and 2 h a day, which has a better promotion effect on psychological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the superior catalytic activity and efficient utilization of noble metals, nanocatalysts are extensively used in the modern industrial production of chemicals. The surface structures of these materials are significantly influenced by reactive adsorbates, leading to dynamic behavior under experimental conditions. The dynamic nature poses significant challenges in studying the structure–activity relations of catalysts. Herein, we unveil an anomalous entropic effect on catalysis via surface pre‐melting of nanoclusters through machine learning accelerated molecular dynamics and free energy calculation. We find that due to the pre‐melting of shell atoms, there exists a non‐linear variation in the catalytic activity of the nanoclusters with temperature. Consequently, two notable changes in catalyst activity occur at the respective temperatures of melting for the shell and core atoms. We further study the nanoclusters with surface point defects, i.e. vacancy and ad‐atom, and observe significant decrease in the surface melting temperatures of the nanoclusters, enabling the reaction to take place under more favorable and milder conditions. These findings not only provide novel insights into dynamic catalysis of nanoclusters but also offer new understanding of the role of point defects in catalytic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous Catalysis. In their Communication (e202405379), Jun Cheng et al. use machine learning molecular dynamics to demonstrate anomalous entropic effect on catalysis via surface pre‐melting of nanoclusters...By Fu‐Qiang Gong; Yun‐Pei Liu; Ye Wang; Weinan E; Zhong‐Qun Tian and Jun ChengReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

Due to the superior catalytic activity and efficient utilization of noble metals, nanocatalysts are extensively used in the modern industrial production of chemicals. The surface structures of these materials are significantly influenced by reactive adsorbates, leading to dynamic behavior under experimental conditions. The dynamic nature poses significant challenges in studying the structure–activity relations of catalysts. Herein, we unveil an anomalous entropic effect on catalysis via surface pre‐melting of nanoclusters through machine learning accelerated molecular dynamics and free energy calculation. We find that due to the pre‐melting of shell atoms, there exists a non‐linear variation in the catalytic activity of the nanoclusters with temperature. Consequently, two notable changes in catalyst activity occur at the respective temperatures of melting for the shell and core atoms. We further study the nanoclusters with surface point defects, i.e. vacancy and ad‐atom, and observe significant decrease in the surface melting temperatures of the nanoclusters, enabling the reaction to take place under more favorable and milder conditions. These findings not only provide novel insights into dynamic catalysis of nanoclusters but also offer new understanding of the role of point defects in catalytic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between types of disc displacement (DD) diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the risk (presence or absence) and severity of condylar erosion (CE) graded using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) in adult Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients. Methods: A total of 353 TMD patients (283 females, 70 males) underwent MRI scans to categorise DD as normal (NA), anterior displacement with reduction (ADDR), or anterior displacement without reduction (ADDNR). CE severity was graded on a scale of 0–3 (absence, mild, moderate or severe) using CBCT. To establish the plausibility and cut‐off points for CE diagnosis, the severity of CE was then further divided into three classifications: Grade 0 versus 1 + 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 versus 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 + 2 versus 3. Logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, gender and joint correlation. Results: ADDNR significantly increased the risk of CE compared with NA (OR = 10.04, 95% CI: [6.41, 15.73]) and showed a significant increase in CE severity across all classifications (ORs = 10.04–18.95). The effects of ADDNR were significant in both genders (p <.001) and had a greater impact in females. ADDR was predominantly associated with mild CE. Conclusions: ADDNR significantly increased the risk and severity of CE independent of gender when compared to NA, whereas ADDR was mainly associated with mild CE. Slight cortical discontinuity may represent a subclinical diagnosis requiring further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient transformation is extremely useful for rapid in vivo assessment of gene function, especially for fruit-related genes. Grape berry, while an important fruit crop, is recalcitrant to transient transformation, due to the high turgor pressure in its mesocarp cells that limits the ability of Agrobacterium to penetrate into the tissue. It is urgent to establish a simple transient transformation system for rapid analysis of gene function. In this study, different injection methods, grape genotypes, and developmental stages were tested in order to develop a rapid and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation methodology for grape berries. Two injection methods, namely punch injection and direct injection, were evaluated using the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and by x-gluc tissue staining and 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucuronide fluorescence analysis. The results indicated that there were no significant differences on transformation effects between the two methods, but the latter was more suitable because of its simplicity and convenience. Six grape cultivars ('Hanxiangmi', 'Moldova', 'Zijixin', 'Jumeigui', 'Shine-Muscat', and 'A17') were tested for transient transformation. 'Hanxiangmi', 'Moldova', and 'Zijixin' grape berries were not suitable for agroinfiltration due to frequently fruit cracking, browning, and formation of scar skin. The fruit integrity rates of 'Jumeigui', 'Shine-Muscat', and 'A17' berries were all above 80%, and GUS activity was detected in the berries of the three cultivars 3–14 days after injection with the Agrobacterium culture, while higher GUS activities were observed in the 'Jumeigui' berries. The levels of GUS activity in injected berries at 7–8 weeks after full blooming (WAFB) were more than twice at 6 WAFB. In subsequent assays, the over-expression of MYB transcription factor VvMYB44 via transient transformation accelerated the anthocyanin accumulation and fruit coloring through raising the expression levels of VvLAR1, VvUFGT, VvLDOX, VvANS, and VvDFR, which verified the effectiveness of this transformation system. These experiments finally identified the reliable grape cultivars and suitable operational approach for transient transformation and further indicated that this Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation system was efficient and suitable for the elucidation of gene function in grape berries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several characteristics distinguish lung cancer in female patients from that in male patients, with adenocarcinoma being more prevalent in female patients and occurring more frequently in female patients who do not smoke. Uncertainty surrounds the relationship between female-specific reproductive factors and lung cancer risk. Are sex-specific reproductive factors associated with risk of lung cancer in different genetic risk groups and histologic types? A Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the association between multiple reproductive factors and the risk of lung cancer developing in a prospective cohort study involving 273,190 female individuals from the UK Biobank. Subgroup analyses stratified by age, smoking status, BMI, genetic risk, and histologic subtype were conducted to emphasize the modification effects further. A total of 1,182 cases of lung cancer in female patients were recorded over a median follow-up period of 12.0 years in the cohort study. In multivariable-adjusted models, early menarche (age ≤ 11 years: hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03-1.46), early menopause (age ≤ 46 years: HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.19-1.86), a shorter reproductive span (≤ 32 years: HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18-1.71; and 33-35 years: HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.00-1.53), and early age at first birth (age ≤ 20 years: HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.33-2.01) were associated with a higher risk of lung cancer. Stratified analysis revealed that several reproductive factors, including early age at menopause, shortened reproductive span, and early age at first birth, showed a substantially stronger relationship with an elevated risk of lung cancer, particularly of lung adenocarcinoma, in populations with high genetic risk and more detrimental behaviors. Early age at menopause, a shortened reproductive life span, and early age at first birth were associated with higher risks of lung cancer, particularly of lung adenocarcinoma, in a subpopulation with higher genetic susceptibility and detrimental behaviors. The evidence provided by this study emphasizes the significance of screening for multiple reproductive factors to prevent lung cancer among female individuals. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the magnetic excitations of the two-dimensional (2D) S = 1/2 trimerized Heisenberg models with intratrimer interaction J1 and intertrimer interaction J2 on four different lattices using a combination of stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo (SSE QMC) and stochastic analytic continuation methods (SAC), complemented by cluster perturbation theory (CPT). These models exhibit quasi-particle-like excitations when g = J2/J1 is weak, characterized by low-energy magnons, intermediate-energy doublons, and high-energy quartons. The low-energy magnons are associated with the magnetic ground states. They can be described by the linear spin wave theory (LSWT) of the effective block spin model and the original spin model. Doublons and quartons emerge from the corresponding internal excitations of the trimers with distinct energy levels, which can be effectively analyzed using perturbative calculation when the ratio of exchange interactions g is weak. In this weak g regime, we observe a clear separation between the magnon and higher-energy spectra. As g increases, doublon and quarton gradually merge into the magnon modes or some continua. Notably, in the Collinear II and trimerized Hexagon lattice, a broad continuum emerges above the single-magnon spectrum, originating from the quasi-1D physics due to the dilute connections between chains. In addition, we also compare our numerical results to the experimental RIXS spectrum and analyze the difference. Our numerical analysis of these 2D trimers yields valuable theoretical predictions and explanations for the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectra of 2D magnetic materials featuring trimerized lattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Eucommia cortex is the core herb in traditional Chinese medicine preparations for the treatment of osteoporosis. Pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG), the quality control marker and the key pharmacodynamic component in Eucommia cortex, has attracted global attention because of its definite effects on osteoporosis. However, the in vivo metabolic characteristics of PDG and its anti‐osteoporotic mechanism are still unclear, restricting its development and application. Methods: Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze the metabolic characteristics of PDG in rats, and its anti‐osteoporosis targets and mechanism were predicted using network pharmacology. Results: A total of 51 metabolites were identified or tentatively characterized in rats after oral administration of PDG (10 mg/kg/day), including 9 in plasma, 28 in urine, 13 in feces, 10 in liver, 4 in heart, 3 in spleen, 11 in kidneys, and 5 in lungs. Furan‐ring opening, dimethoxylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation were the main metabolic characteristics of PDG in vivo. The potential mechanism of PDG against osteoporosis was predicted using network pharmacology. PDG and its metabolites could regulate BCL2, MARK3, ALB, and IL6, involving PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, and so on. Conclusions: This study was the first to demonstrate the metabolic characteristics of PDG in vivo and its potential anti‐osteoporosis mechanism, providing the data for further pharmacological validation of PDG in the treatment of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unraveling the origin of Helmholtz capacitance is of paramount importance for understanding the interfacial structure and electrostatic potential distribution of electric double layers (EDL). In this work, we combined the methods of ab initio molecular dynamics and classical molecular dynamics and modeled electrified Cu(100)/electrolyte and graphene/electrolyte interfaces for comparison. It was proposed that the Helmholtz capacitance is composed of three parts connected in series: the usual solvent capacitance, water chemisorption induced capacitance, and Pauling repulsion caused gap capacitance. We found the Helmholtz capacitance of graphene is significantly lower than that of Cu(100), which was attributed to two intrinsic factors. One is that graphene has a wider gap layer at interface, and the other is that graphene is less active for water chemisorption. Finally, based on our findings, we provide suggestions for how to increase the EDL capacitance of graphene-based materials in future work, and we also suggest that the new understanding of the potential distribution across the Helmholtz layer may help explain some experimental phenomena of electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C − H bond activation is a ubiquitous reaction that remains a major challenge in chemistry. Although semiconductor-based photocatalysis is promising, the C − H bond activation mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we report value-added coupling products from a wide variety of biomass and fossil-derived reagents, formed via C − H bond activation over zinc-indium-sulfides (Zn-In-S). Contrary to the commonly accepted stepwise electron-proton transfer pathway (PE-ET) for semiconductors, our experimental and theoretical studies evidence a concerted proton-coupled electron transfer (CPET) pathway. A pioneering microkinetic study, considering the relevant elementary steps of the surface chemistry, reveals a faster C − H activation with Zn-In-S because of circumventing formation of a charged radical, as it happens in PE-ET where it retards the catalysis due to strong site adsorption. For CPET over Zn-In-S, H abstraction, forming a neutral radical, is rate-limiting, but having lower energy barriers than that of PE-ET. The rate expressions derived from the microkinetics provide guidelines to rationally design semiconductor catalysis, e.g., for C − H activation, that is based on the CPET mechanism. The knowledge of semiconductor photocatalysis in C − H bond activation remains limited. Here, the authors report comprehensive mechanistic studies to unveil the semiconductor-rare concerted proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism for C − H bond activation over Zn-In-S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) ranks as the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The main contributors to the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer are the high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Studies have indicated a crucial role for hepatitis B virus X Ag-Transactivated Protein 8 (XTP8), a protein containing the DEP domain, in various cellular processes, including cell growth, movement, and differentiation, across several types of cancers. However, the role of XTP8 in ovarian cancer remains unclear. We observed elevated expression of XTP8 in ovarian cancer. Silencing XTP8 inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and yielded contrasting results in cells overexpressing XTP8. Furthermore, XTP8 facilitated ovarian cancer invasion and migration, triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, XTP8 silencing led to reduced phosphorylation levels of AKT, increased p-AMPK levels, and decreased p-mTOR levels, while XTP8 overexpression exerted the opposite effects. Additionally, the activation of p-AMPK rescued the promoting effect of XTP8 on EMT in ovarian cancer cell lines, indicating that XTP8 acts as an oncogene by modulating the AKT/AMPK/mTOR pathway. Through transcriptome sequencing to identify downstream targets of XTP8, we found that XTP8 influences the expression of Caldesmon (CALD1) at both transcriptional and translational levels. CALD1 can be considered a downstream target of XTP8. The collaborative action of XTP8 and CALD1 activates the AKT/AMPK/mTOR pathway, regulating EMT to promote ovarian cancer progression. Inhibiting this signaling axis might represent a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To investigate the effects of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) on hexokinase 2 (HK2)-nucleo-tide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)-gasdermin D (GSDMD) pathway and pyroptosis induced by lung ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups: control group, control+NaHS group, I/R group, low-dose NaHS+I/R (L+I/R) group, medium-dose NaHS+I/R (M+I/R) group, and high-dose NaHS+I/R (H+I/R) group, with 6 rats in each group. The NaHS was administered via intraperitoneal injection at 1.5 mL, 30 min before modeling. The left lung tissues were collected 30 min after ischemia and 1 h after reperfusion, and the wet/dry weight ratio and total lung water content were recorded. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to examine lung tissue morphological changes. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloper oxidase (MPO) and lactate in lung tissues were measured with test kits. ELISA was employed to determine the levels of interleukin-1p (IL-1p) and IL-18. The expression of glycolysis- and pyroptosis-related indicators was analyzed by Western blot, qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the rats in NaHS group showed no significant differences in all laboratory tests (P>0. 05). The rats in I/R group exhibited significant lung injury, oxidative stress, increased lactate level, and up-regulated glycolysis and pyroptosis (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). Compared with I/R group, the indicators in L+I/R group showed a downward trend (P<0. 01) or no difference (P>0. 05), while those in M+I/R group displayed a significant reduction (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). However, the indexes in H+I/R group exhibited no significant differences in these tests (all P>0. 05). CONCLUSION: A moderate dose (56 xmol"L-1-kg-1) of NaHS mitigated the occurrence of pyroptosis by inhibiting the HK2-NLRP3-GSDMD pathway, thus contributing to the attenuation of lung I/R injury in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-dimensional symmetric fluid model is established to study the influence of radio frequency (RF) wave driving frequency on the capacitively coupled plasma discharge. The relationship between the driving frequency and electron density is obtained by solving the electron energy balance equation. The calculation results show that the average electron density first increases rapidly with the increase in driving frequency and then gradually tends to saturation at a threshold frequency. A fluid simulation is also carried out, which provides similar results. Physical studies on this phenomenon are conducted, revealing that the essence of this phenomenon is due to the inability of electrons to quickly respond to potential changes within the boundary sheath when the driving frequency of RF exceeds the plasma frequency. In addition, it is also found that increasing gas pressure can enhance the electron density and the type of gas can also affect the electron density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peach fruit rapidly soften after harvest, a significant challenge for producers and marketers as it results in rotting fruit and significantly reduces shelf life. In this study, we identified two tandem genes, PpNAC1 and PpNAC5, within the sr (slow ripening) locus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NAC1 and NAC5 are highly conserved in dicots and that PpNAC1 is the orthologous gene of Non-ripening (NOR) in tomato. PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 were highly expressed in peach fruit, with their transcript levels up-regulated at the onset of ripening. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed PpNAC1 interacting with PpNAC5 and this interaction occurs with the tomato and apple orthologues. Transient gene silencing experiments showed that PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 positively regulate peach fruit softening. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase assays and LUC bioluminescence imaging proved that PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 directly bind to the PpPGF promoter and activate its transcription. Co-expression of PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 showed higher levels of PpPGF activation than expression of PpNAC1 or PpNAC5 alone. In summary, our findings demonstrate that the tandem transcription factors PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 synergistically activate the transcription of PpPGF to regulate fruit softening during peach fruit ripening.Key message: PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 directly bind to the PpPGF promoters, synergistically activate its transcription to regulate peach fruit softening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effects of waste heat (50–170°C) from steel plant flue gas on the column photobioreactor algal liquid temperature for microalgal production, a flue gas‐microalgal liquid heat transfer model was developed that simulated the microalgal growth environment for flue‐gas carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation. The simulation results showed that the influence of high‐temperature flue gas weakened with the increasing microalgal liquid temperature due to enhanced evaporation and heat dissipation. Increasing the flue gas temperature and aeration rate resulted in a higher microalgal liquid temperature up to a maximum increase of 4.16°C at an ambient temperature of 25°C, an aeration rate of 2 L/min, and a flue gas temperature of 170°C. In an experiment on the effect of incubation temperature on the growth rate of microalgae, at an optimal temperature of 35°C, the Chlorella sp. PY‐ZU1 growth rate exhibited a remarkable increase of 104.7% compared to that at 42.5°C. Therefore, modulating the flue gas conditions can significantly increase the microalgal growth rate for CO2 fixation, making it a promising approach to increase biomass production for efficient carbon utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblasts, among the most prevalent and widely distributed cell types in the human body, play a crucial role in defining tissue structure. They do this by depositing and remodeling extracellular matrixes and organizing functional tissue networks, which are essential for tissue homeostasis and various human diseases. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a devastating syndrome with high mortality, characterized by remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature and significant cellular and structural changes within the intima, media, and adventitia layers. Most research on PH has focused on alterations in the intima (endothelial cells) and media (smooth muscle cells). However, research over the past decade has provided strong evidence of the critical role played by pulmonary artery adventitial fibroblasts in PH. These fibroblasts exhibit the earliest, most dramatic, and most sustained proliferative, apoptosis-resistant, and inflammatory responses to vascular stress. This review examines the aberrant phenotypes of PH fibroblasts and their role in the pathogenesis of PH, discusses potential molecular signaling pathways underlying these activated phenotypes, and highlights areas of research that merit further study to identify promising targets for the prevention and treatment of PH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroencephalogram (EEG), as a tool capable of objectively recording brain electrical signals during emotional expression, has been extensively utilized. Current technology heavily relies on datasets, with its performance being limited by the size of the dataset and the accuracy of its annotations. At the same time, unsupervised learning and contrastive learning methods largely depend on the feature distribution within datasets, thus requiring training tailored to specific datasets for optimal results. However, the collection of EEG signals is influenced by factors such as equipment, settings, individuals, and experimental procedures, resulting in significant variability. Consequently, the effectiveness of models is heavily dependent on dataset collection efforts conducted under stringent objective conditions. To address these challenges, we introduce a novel approach: employing a self‐supervised pre‐training model, to process data across different datasets. This model is capable of operating effectively across multiple datasets. The model conducts self‐supervised pre‐training without the need for direct access to specific emotion category labels, enabling it to pre‐train and extract universally useful features without predefined downstream tasks. To tackle the issue of semantic expression confusion, we employed a masked prediction model that guides the model to generate richer semantic information through learning bidirectional feature combinations in sequence. Addressing challenges such as significant differences in data distribution, we introduced adaptive clustering techniques that manage by generating pseudo‐labels across multiple categories. The model is capable of enhancing the expression of hidden features in intermediate layers during the self‐supervised training process, enabling it to learn common hidden features across different datasets. This study, by constructing a hybrid dataset and conducting extensive experiments, demonstrated two key findings: (1) our model performs best on multiple evaluation metrics; (2) the model can effectively integrate critical features from different datasets, significantly enhancing the accuracy of emotion recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce notions of continuous orbit equivalence and its one-sided version for countable left Ore semigroup actions on compact spaces by surjective local homeomorphisms, and characterize them in terms of the corresponding transformation groupoids and their operator algebras. In particular, we show that two essentially free semigroup actions on totally disconnected compact spaces are continuously orbit equivalent if and only if there is a canonical abelian subalgebra preserving C*-isomorphism between the associated transformation groupoid C*-algebras. We also give some examples of orbit equivalence, consider the special case of semigroup actions by homeomorphisms and relate continuous orbit equivalence of semigroup actions to that of the associated group actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganoderma lucidum spore powder, valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties, contains polysaccharides crucial for its efficacy. However, the complex structural nature of these polysaccharides necessitates further investigation to fully realize their potential. This study aimed to investigate the effects of acid heat treatment on Ganoderma lucidum spore polysaccharides (GLSPs) to enhance their properties and application in antitumor activity. The GLSP was obtained via acid heat treatment, concentration, and centrifugal separation. This process led to a notable reduction in polysaccharide molecular weight, increasing water solubility and bioavailability. Analytical techniques including NMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis revealed a polysaccharide composition comprising four distinct monosaccharides, with molecular weights of 3291 Da (Mw) and 3216 Da (Mn). Six different linkage modes were identified, with a molar ratio of 1:5:2:3:4:3. In vivo experiments demonstrated the GLSP's significant inhibitory effect on the growth of four tumor models (sarcoma S180, Lewis lung cancer, liver cancer H22, and colon cancer C26) in mice, with no observed toxicity. These findings suggest the GLSP's potential as an antitumor therapeutic agent for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social representation theory is a branch of social psychology that aims to identify the framework of concepts, ideas, opinions, beliefs, or feelings shared by the individuals within a social group, regarding a social object. Two main problems arise in this theory. The first concerns the identification of the content of the representation, which is the set of cognitive elements shared by the group; the second concerns its structure, which is the way these elements are organized and related among themselves. It is desirable that the methods to address these problems be simple, in regards to the feasibility of the data collection, and reliable, in the sense that they should provide a clear picture of the content and the structure of the representation. No single method proposed in the literature until now fully satisfies these features at the same time. Here we propose the use of HodgeRank, a global ranking method based on the Hodge combinatorial theory, as a new tool to explore the structure of a social representation. In this proposal, the input data is the same as those required for the hierarchical word associations, which is the main method in the field of social representations. However, the HodgeRank provides richer results when compared to the usual approach to analysing this kind of data, based on the Vergés' double-entry table. The main outcome of the HodgeRank is a graph, analogous to an electric circuit, from which some structural elements of the representation can already be identified. Moreover, the HodgeRank technique identifies the sources of inconsistencies between the global ranking and the aggregated answers within the social group. We interpret such inconsistencies in terms of the stability of the representation and use them to raise conjectures about the potential dynamics of the representation. We illustrate the application of this method in the study of a social representation of COVID-19 within a group of students and also within a group of faculty members from higher education institutions in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-sensor fusion is pivotal in augmenting the robustness and precision of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) systems. The LiDAR–visual–inertial approach has been empirically shown to adeptly amalgamate the benefits of these sensors for SLAM across various scenarios. Furthermore, methods of panoptic segmentation have been introduced to deliver pixel-level semantic and instance segmentation data in a single instance. This paper delves deeper into these methodologies, introducing PSMD-SLAM, a novel panoptic segmentation assisted multi-sensor fusion SLAM approach tailored for dynamic environments. Our approach employs both probability propagation-based and PCA-based clustering techniques, supplemented by panoptic segmentation. This is utilized for dynamic object detection and the removal of visual and LiDAR data, respectively. Furthermore, we introduce a module designed for the robust real-time estimation of the 6D pose of dynamic objects. We test our approach on a publicly available dataset and show that PSMD-SLAM outperforms other SLAM algorithms in terms of accuracy and robustness, especially in dynamic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Primary lung cancer is extremely rare in children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to clarify clinical features and outcomes of primary lung cancer in children and adolescents. Methods: Young patients (aged ≤ 20 years) diagnosed as primary lung cancer between 2012 and 2023 were retrospective reviewed. According to radiological appearance of the nodules, they were divided into solid nodule (SN) group and ground glass opacity (GGO) group. Results: A total of 74 patients were identified, with a median age at diagnosis of 18 years old (range: 11–20), including 7 patients in SN group and 67 patients in GGO group. In the GGO group, none of the nodules enlarged or changed during an average surveillance period of 10.8 months before surgery, except one. Wedge resection was the most common procedure (82.1%), followed by segmentectomy (16.4%) and lobectomy (1.5%). Histopathological analysis revealed that 64.2% of GGO nodules were adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinomas, while the remaining 35.8% were invasive adenocarcinomas. Mutational analysis was performed in nine patients, with mutations identified in all cases. After a mean follow-up period of 1.73 ± 1.62 years, two patients in the SN group died due to multiple distant metastases, while all patients in the GGO group survived without recurrence. The overall survival (100%) of the GGO group was significantly higher than SN group (66.7%). Conclusions: Primary lung cancer in children and adolescents are rare and histopathological heterogeneous. Persistent GGO nodules may indicate early-stage lung adenocarcinoma in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of food by microplastics has garnered widespread attention, particularly concerning the health risks associated with small-sized microplastics. However, detecting these smaller microplastics in food poses challenges attributed to the complexity of food matrices and instrumental and method limitations. Here, we employed Raman imaging for visualization and identification of polystyrene particles synthesized in polymerization reactions, ranging from 400 to 2600 nm. We successfully developed a quantitative model of particle size and concentration for polystyrene, exhibiting excellent fit (R2 of 0.9946). We established procedures for spiked flavored yogurt using synthesized polystyrene, providing fresh insights into microplastic extraction efficiency. Recovery rates calculated from models validated the method's feasibility. In practical applications, the assessment of the size, type, shape, and quantity of microplastics in unspiked flavored yogurt was conducted. The most common polymers found were polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene, with the smallest polystyrene sizes ranging from 1 to 10 μm. Additionally, we conducted exposure assessments of microplastics in branded flavored yogurt. This study established a foundation for developing a universal method to quantify microplastics in food, covering synthesis of standards, method development, validation, and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research focus in the field of medical titanium alloys has recently shifted towards the development of low-modulus and high-strength titanium alloys. In this study, the influence of aging temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a β-type Ti-20Zr-40Ta alloy (TZT) was investigated. It was found that the recovery and the recrystallization occurred in the as-rolled alloy depended on the aging temperature. The periodically distributed Ta-lean phase (β1) and Ta-rich phase (β2) were produced by the spinodal decomposition in all the samples aged at different temperatures. The spinodal decomposition significantly influenced the mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms of the TZT alloy. Upon aging at 650 °C and 750 °C, the as-rolled alloy exhibited a double-yield phenomenon during tensile testing, indicating a stress-induced martensitic transformation; however, its ductility was limited due to the presence of ω phases. Conversely, aging at 850 °C resulted in an alloy with high strength and good ductility, which was potentially attributed to the enhanced strength resulting from modulated structures introduced with spinodal decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the problems of low slurry utilization and poor surface uniformity in conventional small tool polishing of curved surfaces, a small tool polishing method based on slurry dielectrophoresis (STP‐DEP) is proposed. The dielectrophoretic effect distributes the slurry evenly and increases its dwell time in the processing area, enabling more abrasives to participate in polishing, thereby improving the material removal efficiency and surface uniformity of the workpiece. The observation experiment indicates that dielectrophoresis can efficiently distribute the slurry evenly. Compared with the traditional small tool polishing, the results show that the polishing efficiency of the STP‐DEP is improved by 34% on the premise of achieving the same surface roughness Ra of the workpiece. The Taguchi experiments are carried out on K9 convex lens. Results show that the optimal surface roughness Ra 3.3 nm (initial Ra 2400 nm, processing time 120 min) is obtained when the tool speed is 400 rpm, the pressing amount is 1 mm, the infeed angle is 15°, and the abrasive size is 3 μm. The research proves that the STP‐DEP successfully solves the problem of slurry uneven distribution, and realizes efficient surface polishing with high surface uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callicarpa nudiflora can be used as a new green plant feed additive in animal production. The main chemical components of Callicarpa nudiflora are flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, volatile oils, etc. These components play different pharmacological roles in anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antibacterial, and immune enhancement, which can be used in animal production. In order to promote the further development and citation of Callicarpa nudiflora, the paper summarized the pharmacological activity and mechanism of Callicarpa nudiflora, and summarized its research progress in monogastric animal production, providing a reference for the subsequent development of Callicarpa nudiflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WAAM has emerged as a promising technique for manufacturing medium- and large-scale metal parts due to its high material deposition efficiency and automation level. However, its high heat accumulation and complex thermal evolution strongly affect the resulting microstructures and mechanical properties. The heterogeneous and unpredictable nature of these properties hinder the widespread application of WAAM in the steel construction industry. In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) hardness model is developed, based on a thermal–metallurgical model for mild steel. The objective is to establish non-linear relationships between the input process parameters and the desired output, i.e., hardness. The thermal–metallurgical model utilizes a well-distributed heat source model, a death-and-birth algorithm, and a metallurgical model to simulate the temperature field and to calculate the microstructure phase fraction. The temperature prediction errors at four thermocouple positions are mostly below 20%. Because of the limited experimental data, twenty-five simulation experiments are performed using the L25 orthogonal array based on the Taguchi method. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveals that the travel speed has the greatest impact on hardness. With the dataset from the thermal–metallurgical model, an ANN model to predict hardness is developed. A comparison to experimental data shows excellent performance and accuracy, with the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of ANN predictions within 10% of the targeted hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different estimated inequalities and augmented Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals (LKFs) play important role in assessing the stability of time-delay systems. In this technical note, three categories of estimated inequalities are introduced, in which either all matrices, some matrices or no matrices are free. Then, the internal relationship among the three categories of estimated inequalities is fully revealed. Next, an optimal method is provided for selecting the estimated inequalities and constructing the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals. That is, the inequalities and the functionals should tailor for each other (see Table 2), which is proved theoretically. Finally, a numerical example is presented to verify the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yttrium iron garnet, a material possessing ultralow magnetic damping and extraordinarily long magnon diffusion length, is the most widely studied magnetic insulator in spintronics and magnonics. Field-free electrical control of perpendicular yttrium iron garnet magnetization with considerable efficiency is highly desired for excellent device performance. Here, we demonstrate such an accomplishment with a collinear spin current, whose spin polarization and propagation direction are both perpendicular to the interface. Remarkably, the field-free magnetization switching is achieved not only with a heavy-metal-free material, Permalloy, but also with a higher efficiency as compared with a typical heavy metal, Pt. Combined with the direct and inverse effect measurements, we ascribe the collinear spin current to the anomalous spin Hall effect in Permalloy. Our findings provide a new insight into spin current generation in Permalloy and open an avenue in spintronic devices. Field-free switching of the perpendicular yttrium iron garnet magnetization with considerable efficiency is desired for device performance. Here, the authors demonstrate such an accomplishment with a collinear spin current in Py. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]