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By engineering chemically identical but structurally distinct materials into intricate and sophisticated polytypic nanostructures, which often surpass their pure phase objects and even produce novel physical and chemical properties, exciting applications in the fields of photovoltaics, electronics and photocatalysis can be achieved. In recent decades, various methods have been developed for synthesizing a library of polytypic nanocrystals encompassing IV, III–V and II–VI polytypic semiconductors. The exceptional performances of polytypic metal chalcogenide nanocrystals have been observed, making them highly promising candidates for applications in photonics and electronics. However, achieving high-precision control over the morphology, composition, crystal structure, size, homojunctions, and periodicity of polytypic metal chalcogenide nanostructures remains a significant synthetic challenge. This review article offers a comprehensive overview of recent progress in the synthesis and control of polytypic metal chalcogenide nanocrystals using colloidal synthetic strategies. Starting from a concise introduction on the crystal structures of metal chalcogenides, the subsequent discussion delves into the colloidal synthesis of polytypic metal chalcogenide nanocrystals, followed by an in-depth exploration of the key factors governing polytypic structure construction. Subsequently, we provide comprehensive insights into the physical properties of polytypic metal chalcogenide nanocrystals, which exhibit strong correlations with their applications. Thereafter, we emphasize the significance of polytypic nanostructures in various applications, such as photovoltaics, photocatalysis, transistors, thermoelectrics, stress sensors, and the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Finally, we present a summary of the recent advancements in this research field and provide insightful perspectives on the forthcoming challenges, opportunities, and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's networked society, various sources of competitive information vie for attention and strive to enhance their social influence. Agents with valuable information aim to select a strategic set of influential individuals for information dissemination. This study delves into the Competitive Influence Maximization problem based on the independent cascade model, where an agent selects a seed set to maximize their social influence while contending with uncertain sources of competition. When adopting information, individuals exhibit a bandwagon effect. We begin by demonstrating that the objective function in our problem is neither supermodular nor submodular. Subsequently, we introduce upper and lower bound problems using the Sandwich approach, showcasing their objective functions as submodular and monotone non-decreasing. We propose a greedy algorithm to solve these bounds effectively. A theoretical analysis of the Sandwich approach's performance is presented, followed by experimental evaluations to assess its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ U-Th-Pb geochronology of monazite is widely used to reveal geological histories. Well characterized matrix-matched reference materials are crucial for achieving accurate results in microbeam U-Th-Pb dating. In this paper, the internal structure, chemical composition and U-Th-Pb dates of M6 monazite are investigated using multiple analytical methods to evaluate its potential as a reference material for in situ monazite U-Th-Pb dating. The results show that M6 monazite has an average ThO2 content of 10.7 ± 1.1% (2SD; SD = standard deviation) and Th/U ratio of 28.4 ± 3.3 (2SD). In situ U-Th-Pb dates from laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) laboratories are reproducible and homogeneous at the spatial level of 30 μm. Seven 207Pb/235U dates from isotope dilution-thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) yield a mean date of 485.7 ± 2.3 Ma (2SD), which is our recommended date for M6 monazite. Furthermore, SIMS oxygen isotope determinations show good measurement reproducibility (7.70& ± 0.41&, 2SD) and the LA-MC-ICP-MS analyses yield homogeneous Sm-Nd isotopic composition (143Nd/144Nd = 0.511829 ± 0.000045, 2SD; 147Sm/144Nd = 0.2302 ± 0.0139, 2SD), demonstrating that M6 monazite has the potential to be a reference material for in situ O and Sm-Nd isotopic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive vehicle fires threatening suspension bridges in the last decade have aroused an emerging demand to estimate the fire safety of hanger systems. One of the paramount tasks for evaluating the fire resistance of hangers is to calculate their temperatures. However, as plans always lag behind events, no competent temperature calculation methods are available now for engineers, whether vehicle fire models, thermal boundaries on hanger surfaces, or cross-sectional heat transfer formulations. This paper addresses these three issues and then proposes an integrated framework for assessing the thermal response of hanger systems subjected to vehicle fires. Vehicular fires were classified into five grades, adapted to cars, buses, light goods trucks, medium goods trucks, and tanker trucks, respectively. This hierarchy was validated using 16 full-scale vehicle fire tests in opening or tunnel conditions. An empirical formulation of thermal radiation developed for pool fires was adopted to envelope the heat flux applied by passenger vehicle fires on the hanger surface and was validated using five tests. Radiation from truck fires was constructed using a cuboid solid radiative flame. The spatial heat fluxes surrounding Grade-5 vehicle fires typified by tanker fires were computed using the computational fluid dynamics method validated by two large-scale outdoor trench fires. With these quantitative thermal boundaries on hanger exteriors, the transient temperature across the hanger section was derived using the lumped capacitance method, validated by finite-element models in various scenarios. As a multigrade temperature estimation methodology proposed for hangers subjected to vehicle fires, this method is easy to implement. It can serve in future structural fire design of critical suspension bridges with high exposure risks to vehicle fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper presents a data set of a fire-induced collapse on an existing building with a truss roof. The data set contains the thermal and structural responses of the tested building, the mass loss of the fuel, the heat release rates, and the videos of the entire test. The test building and basic test scheme are introduced first. Then, the monitoring points and corresponding equipment are presented. All data obtained have been converted to a unified format and uploaded to a published data set. Detailed data formats and processing methods are introduced, and metadata are provided. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first open-access test data on fire-induced collapse of a real building, which is of great significance for further investigations on fire-induced building collapse and performance-based design for fire safety of buildings. This data set can be used to validate the existing temperature distribution models and develop deep-learning models in structural fire engineering. Moreover, the data set can validate and develop some cutting-edge theories and techniques in structural fire engineering, such as the approaches for the early-warning collapse of structures exposed to fire and the synchronous noncontact acquisition of structural deformation in fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coprime arrays (CPA) are extensively applied to estimate the direction of arrival (DOA). Yet, the effectiveness of existing DOA estimation algorithms for coprime arrays is predicated on the precise calibration of the array. Gain-phase errors in the sensors, when present, are magnified by the co-array, greatly impacting the performance of DOA estimation algorithms. To address the issue, this paper proposes a joint DOA estimation algorithm combining auxiliary arrays with atomic norm minimization. Exploiting the sub-array decomposition feature of coprime array, gain-phase error estimation is accomplished with the addition of precisely calibrated auxiliary arrays. Besides, the estimated gain-phase errors are used to correct the covariance of the signals received by the array. By combining array interpolation, all virtual sensors are fully utilized, and the interpolated virtual received signals are reconstructed into a Toeplitz matrix. The covariance matrix of these signals is then refined using atomic norm minimization, preparing the data for the final DOA estimation performed by subspace algorithms. In addition, for comparative analysis, the Cramér–Rao bound has also been derived under the condition of gain-phase errors, providing a benchmark for the performance of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current literature analyzing the dynamic response of coupled pipelines neglects the crucial interplay between the pipelines themselves and these constraints. This overlooked interaction has substantial influence on the fluid–structure coupling response, particularly in scenarios involving continuous constraints. We focus on a piping system surrounded by compacted soil, which is regarded as unbounded homogeneous elastic soil that suffers from water hammer. This study established a one-dimensional model for water pipe-embedded compacted soil with fluid–structure–soil interaction. Taking fluid–structure–soil interaction into account, fluid–structure interactions (FSIs) include Poisson coupling, junction coupling emerging at the fluid–structure interface, and pipe–soil coupling (PSC) emerging at the pipe–soil interface. In this study, as soil is assumed to be a homogeneous, isotropic elastic material, the coupling responses are more complex than those of an exposed pipe, and the relevant mechanisms justify further exploration to obtain well-predicted results. To mathematically describe this system considering fluid–structure–soil interaction, the four-equation FSI model was modified to accommodate the piping system surrounded by unbounded homogeneous elastic soil, employing the finite volume method (FVM) as a means to tackle and solve the dynamic problems with FSI and PSC, which partitions the computational domain into a finite number of control volumes and discretizes governing equations within each volume. The results were validated by the experimental and numerical results. Then, dynamic FSI responses to water hammer were studied in a reservoir–pipe–reservoir physical system. The hydraulic pressure, pipe wall stress, and axial motion were discussed with respect to different parameters. With the PSC and FSI taken into account, fluid, soil, and pipe signals were obviously observed. The results revealed the structural and fluid modes. Dynamic responses have been proven to be difficult to understand and predict. Despite this, this study provides a tractable method to capture more accurate systematic characteristics of a water pipe embedded in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognosis of septic patients with cirrhosis is worse compared to septic patients without cirrhosis. Early and accurate prognosis determination in patients with cirrhosis and sepsis is pivotal for guiding treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) and clinical prognosis of patients with sepsis and cirrhosis. This study extracted data of patients with sepsis and cirrhosis from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. A total of 1340 patients (64.6% male) were enrolled. After confounders adjusting, elevated ACAG had a significant association with 28-day mortality (HR1.604; 95% CI 1.258–2.048; P < 0.001). Restricted cubic spline revealed that a linear relationship between ACAG and 28-day mortality (P-nonlinear = 0.089, P-overall = 0.001). According to the ROC curve analysis, the ACAG demonstrated a higher area under the curve (AUC) of 0.703 compared to AG (0.675). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed higher 28-day mortality in high ACAG group (log-rank test, χ^2 = 175.638, P < 0.001). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed a significant interaction between ACAG and etiology of cirrhosis (P for interaction = 0.014). Therefore, ACAG could provide clinicians with valuable insights for guiding interventions in this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cathode interlayer is crucial for the development of organic solar cells (OSCs), but the research on simple and efficient interlayer materials is lagging behind. Here, a donor‐acceptor (D–A) typed selenophene‐fused perylene diimide (PDI) derivative (SePDI3) is developed as cathode interlayer material (CIM) for OSCs, and a non‐fused PDI derivative (PDI3) is used as the control CIM for comparison. Compared to PDI3, SePDI3 shows a stronger self‐doping effect and better crystallinity, resulting in better charge transport ability. Furthermore, the interaction between SePDI3 and L8‐BO can form an efficient extraction channel, leading to superior charge extraction behavior. Finally, benefitting from significantly enhanced charge transport and extraction capacity, the SePDI3‐based device displays a champion PCE of 19.04 % with an ultrahigh fill factor of 81.65 % for binary OSCs based on PM6 : L8‐BO active layer, which is one of the top efficiencies reported to date in binary OSCs based novel CIMs. Our work prescribes a facile and effective fusion strategy to develop high‐efficiency CIMs for OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cathode interlayer is crucial for the development of organic solar cells (OSCs), but the research on simple and efficient interlayer materials is lagging behind. Here, a donor‐acceptor (D–A) typed selenophene‐fused perylene diimide (PDI) derivative (SePDI3) is developed as cathode interlayer material (CIM) for OSCs, and a non‐fused PDI derivative (PDI3) is used as the control CIM for comparison. Compared to PDI3, SePDI3 shows a stronger self‐doping effect and better crystallinity, resulting in better charge transport ability. Furthermore, the interaction between SePDI3 and L8‐BO can form an efficient extraction channel, leading to superior charge extraction behavior. Finally, benefitting from significantly enhanced charge transport and extraction capacity, the SePDI3‐based device displays a champion PCE of 19.04 % with an ultrahigh fill factor of 81.65 % for binary OSCs based on PM6 : L8‐BO active layer, which is one of the top efficiencies reported to date in binary OSCs based novel CIMs. Our work prescribes a facile and effective fusion strategy to develop high‐efficiency CIMs for OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problems of low accuracy in fault diagnosis of oil-immersed transformers, poor state perception ability and real-time collaboration during diagnosis feedback, a fault diagnosis method for transformers based on the integration of digital twins is proposed. Firstly, fault sample balance is achieved through Iterative Nearest Neighbor Oversampling (INNOS), Secondly, nine-dimensional ratio features are extracted, and the correlation between dissolved gases in oil and fault types is established. Then, sparse principal component analysis (SPCA) is used for feature fusion and dimensionality reduction. Finally, the Aquila Optimizer (AO) is introduced to optimize the parameters of the Kernel Extreme Learning Machine (KELM), establishing the optimal AO-KELM diagnosis model. The final fault diagnosis accuracy reaches 98.1013%. Combining transformer digital twin models, real-time interaction mapping between physical entities and virtual space is achieved, enabling online diagnosis of transformer faults. Experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper has high diagnostic accuracy and strong stability, providing reference for the intelligent operation and maintenance of transformers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy is widely used for high-speed, high-contrast, volumetric imaging. Application of this technique to in vivo brain imaging in non-transparent organisms has been limited by the geometric constraints of conventional light-sheet microscopes, which require orthogonal fluorescence excitation and collection objectives. We have recently demonstrated implantable photonic neural probes that emit addressable light sheets at depth in brain tissue, miniaturizing the excitation optics. Here, we propose a microendoscope consisting of a light-sheet neural probe packaged together with miniaturized fluorescence collection optics based on an image fiber bundle for lensless, light-field, computational fluorescence imaging. Aim: Foundry-fabricated, silicon-based, light-sheet neural probes can be packaged together with commercially available image fiber bundles to form microendoscopes for light-sheet light-field fluorescence imaging at depth in brain tissue. Approach: Prototype microendoscopes were developed using light-sheet neural probes with five addressable sheets and image fiber bundles. Fluorescence imaging with the microendoscopes was tested with fluorescent beads suspended in agarose and fixed mouse brain tissue. Results: Volumetric light-sheet light-field fluorescence imaging was demonstrated using the microendoscopes. Increased imaging depth and enhanced reconstruction accuracy were observed relative to epi-illumination light-field imaging using only a fiber bundle. Conclusions: Our work offers a solution toward volumetric fluorescence imaging of brain tissue with a compact size and high contrast. The proof-of-concept demonstrations herein illustrate the operating principles and methods of the imaging approach, providing a foundation for future investigations of photonic neural probe enabled microendoscopes for deep-brain fluorescence imaging in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have garnered plentiful attention as a result of their exceptional structural flexibility and multiple applications. In this study, we present a 2D HOIP (CHA)2PbBr4 (CHA = cyclohexylamine), for its potential applications in piezoelectricity, such as strain energy sensing and harvesting. Flexible composite films of (CHA)2PbBr4/PDMS (PDMS = polydimethylsiloxane) with a sequence of weight ratios (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 wt %) of (CHA)2PbBr4 were fabricated to analyze the energy harvesting properties. Experimental results demonstrated that a device with 15% composition exhibited the most optimized performance in energy harvesting, producing a peak magnitude of output voltage of 11.6 V, a short-circuit current of 0.38 µA, and a power density of 6.77 µW/cm2, along with notable stability exceeding 4000 cycles. Furthermore, this device exhibited high sensitivity in monitoring many varieties of human movements, such as finger bending and tapping, elbow bending, and gentle foot stamping. The findings of this study indicate that this 2D HOIP holds significant potential for use in flexible sensing and intelligent wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture behavior of welding material at elevated temperatures can significantly affect the performance of steel welded connections in fires. Therefore, this paper investigates the fracture behavior and fracture model of welding material in steel welded connections exposed to elevated temperatures up to 700°C. Firstly, using the standard tension test data and numerical analysis method, the true stress–strain model of E7018 welding materials at elevated temperatures was derived for fracture prediction of steel welded connections. The fracture parameters of the welding materials at elevated temperatures in tension and shear were calibrated from the results of the standard tension test and longitudinal fillet-welded connection tension test, respectively. The 2D fracture models of welds at elevated temperatures were developed considering the relationship between stress triaxiality and equivalent plastic strain at fracture. The 3D fracture models of welds at elevated temperatures were then established from the 2D fracture model by considering the effect of Lode angle parameters in tension and shear. The 3D fracture models of welds were validated against the tension tests on the fillet welded connections at elevated temperatures under different load angles including 0°, 45°, and 90°. Finally, the fracture model as the function of temperature, stress triaxiality, Lode angle parameter, and plastic strain at fracture was proposed for E7018 welding material. According to the results, the welding material demonstrates ductile fracture behavior at elevated temperatures. The developed 3D fracture model can reasonably predict the fracture behavior of the welding material in steel welded connections at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of conductive coatings has significant implications for microelectronics and electrochemistry. However, conductive coatings may exhibit different electrochemical properties when prepared on different substrate materials. This research explores the comparative performance of graphene, graphene oxide (GO), and silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) composites as conductive coatings on diverse substrate materials, including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and glass. The study employed various preparation methods, such as mixing conductive materials with substrate materials and preparing copolymer composite materials. The conductive coating approach was found to be the most straightforward and convenient, with broader development prospects and fewer restrictive conditions. The results indicate that the distinct surface characteristics of the substrate materials influence the conductive properties of coating materials. Consequently, results show that graphene exhibits the highest conductivity on all three substrates, while GO is more conductive than Ag NPs on PMMA and PDMS but less conductive than Ag NPs on glass. That offers valuable insights into the selection of substrate materials and coating materials for the preparation of conductive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avalanche susceptibility assessment is a core aspect of regional avalanche early warning and risk analysis and is of great significance for disaster prevention and mitigation on proposed highways. Using sky–ground integration investigation, 83 avalanche points within the G219 Wen Quan to Horgos transportation corridor were identified, and the avalanche hazard susceptibility of the transportation corridor was partitioned using the certainty factor (CF) model and the coupled coefficient of the certainty factor–Geodetector (CF-GD) model. The CF model analysis presented nine elements of natural conditions which influence avalanche development; then, by applying the Geodetector for each of the factors, a weighting coefficient was given depending on its importance for avalanche occurrence. The results demonstrate the following: (1) According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve used to verify the accuracy, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) value for the CF-GD coupled model is 0.889, which is better than the value of 0.836 of the CF model's evaluation accuracy, and the coupled model improves the accuracy by about 6.34% compared with the single model, indicating that the coupled model is more accurate. The results provide avalanche prevention and control recommendations for the G219 Wen Quan to Horgos transportation corridor. (2) The slope orientation, slope gradient, and mean winter temperature gradient are the main factors for avalanche development in the study area. (3) The results were validated based on the AUC values. The AUCs of the CF-GD coupled model and the CF model were 0.889 and 0.836, respectively. The accuracy of the coupled model was improved by about 6.34% compared to the single model, and the coupled CF-GD model was more accurate. The results provide avalanche control recommendations for the G219 Wen Quan to Horgos transportation corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the developmental trajectory of a Mandarin-English bilingual child's acquisition of wh-questions from China to Australia between the ages of 3;04 and 5;05. There is an assumption that age 3 is the dividing line between Bilingual First Language Acquisition (BFLA) and Early Second Language Acquisition (ESLA). Determining the similarities and differences between them is of great theoretical and methodological significance. While BFLA studies show consistent results under conditions of adequate input and meaningful interaction, ESLA studies indicate that these children develop their early English skills differently from BFLA children. Previous studies mainly focused on young children's English development in English-speaking countries without prior English input. However, an increasing number of children migrate to English-speaking countries after age 1 with limited English input. This study examines whether there is a qualitative difference between BFLA and ESLA children's bilingual wh-questions. Drawing upon the naturalistic data before and after the child's migration from China to Australia and CLAN analysis, our 25-month longitudinal case study indicates that the ESLA child's bilingual wh-question developmental trajectories are qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively different from the child's Mandarin-English BFLA peers. This study could be the first to investigate a bilingual child who acquires two languages and experiences a change of environmental language (Lε), contributing theoretically and practically to early childhood bilingualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering two hotels that sell substitutable rooms through the same online travel agency (OTA), we study the optimal supply chain structure for a fixed‐capacity hotel to introduce a livestreaming channel (LC). First, ideal pricing and room allocation are explored through four scenarios: (a) a single channel with no introduction, (b) a dual channel with a hotel‐operated LC, (c) a dual channel with an OTA‐operated LC, and (d) a dual channel involving an influencer retailer. Upon comparing each model's supply chain performance, we find that small and large hotels prefer influencer retailers, while medium‐sized hotels favor a self‐operated LC when influencers cannot demonstrably extend the market. An OTA‐operated livestreaming service is only appropriate for a declining economy because the platform's reputation and livestream presentation can inform consumers' travel intentions after recovery. Furthermore, OTAs may only suffer during the introductory period, whereas a supply chain system will benefit from celebrities' charisma and impulsive consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying long-term precipitation trends is crucial for sustainable development, as the proper utilization of water resources is essential for maintaining a sustainable water supply. The objective and novelty of this paper was to reveal the gradual mutation process of precipitation in China over a century. This study utilized monthly precipitation data from 1901 to 2022 (at a century scale) to analyze and explore the spatiotemporal variability in precipitation across different time scales and regions with a trend analysis, an abrupt change analysis, and gravity center models. The findings indicate that (1) from 1901 to 2022, the precipitation in China generally decreased from the southeast coastal areas toward the northwest inland regions. (2) There were significant differences in the migration of precipitation gravity centers among the different study regions, with the least dispersion being observed in the Liao River basin, while the Hai River basin, various river basins in the northwest, and the Pearl River basin exhibited certain regularities in gravity center movement, and other regions showed periodic variations. (3) Over the period from 1901 to 2022, there was a trend of transitioning from lower to higher precipitation levels. (4) According to continuous long-term abrupt change tests, the timing of precipitation shifts varied across different basins. Precipitation, as a crucial component of natural resources, directly impacts various aspects of socio-economic life. Research findings provide decision support for regional flood control and disaster reduction and offer scientific decisions for ecological security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to determine how the P53/microRNA‐34a (miR‐34a)/survivin pathway contributes to oxaliplatin‐induced (L‐OHP) cell inhibition in gastric cancer. Methods: The BGC‐823 gastric cancer cells were selected, and we examined their viability following treatment with L‐OHP at different concentrations and time periods. The expression levels of miR‐34a, P53, and survivin in the cells were determined. Results: In the 12‐ and 24‐h groups, drug concentration of 15 μg/cm² (p <.005 in both) significantly lowered cell viability. In comparison to the control group, miR‐34a mRNA expression, P53 mRNA expression, and protein expression were all significantly greater in the 24‐h group (p =.0324, p =.0069, p =.0260, respectively), but survivin mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower than those in the control group (p =.0338, p =.0032, respectively). There was a significant decrease in gastric cancer cells in the miR‐34a overexpression group (p =.0020), a significant increase in P53 mRNA and protein expression compared to the control group (p =.0080, p =.0121, respectively), and a significant decrease in survivin mRNA and protein expression compared to the control group. (p =.0213, p =.0069, respectively). Conclusion: Oxaliplatin inhibits tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis by upregulating miR‐34a, activating the expression of the upstream P53 gene, and driving the downregulation of survivin (P53/miR‐34a/survivin axis) in BGC‐823 gastric cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The incidence of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (R-NETs) has increased in recent years. However, the predictors of lymph node (LN) metastasis and clinical outcomes, particularly following endoscopic treatment, remain unclear. Our study aims to elucidate the potential risk factors for LN metastasis and the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing endoscopic resection in R-NETs. Methods: A total of 128 patients with R-NETs were retrospectively identified from a single center between June 2012 and December 2021. Risk factors for LN metastasis in R-NETs were analyzed using multivariate analysis. Additionally, the clinical outcomes of endoscopic resections in patients with R-NETs were assessed. Results: In our study, 128 patients with R-NETs were retrospectively analyzed. The risk factors for LN metastasis determined by multivariate analysis were tumor size and patient age at diagnosis. Among the 111 patients treated with endoscopic resection and with tumor margin records available, 92 underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and 19 underwent conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the positive rates of basal tumor margin and lateral tumor margin. Furthermore, 64 patients who underwent endoscopic resection for R-NETs were successfully followed up (range, 1.64–76.71 months), during which only one patient developed local recurrence. Conclusion: Tumor size and age at diagnosis were predictors for LN metastasis of R-NETs. Both ESD and EMR are alternative techniques with a favorable prognosis for R-NETs, even in cases with positive resection margins. However, due to the relatively small number of patients undergoing EMR and missing data in follow-up protocols, definitive conclusions require further large-scale studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The prognostic value of lymphocyte infiltration score (LIS) and its nearest neighbor distance to tumor cells (NNDTC) in giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is currently not well established. This study aims to characterize LIS and NNDTC and examine their correlation with denosumab treatment responsiveness, clinicopathologic features, and patient prognosis. METHODS: Using multiplexed quantitative immunofluorescence, LIS was evaluated in 253 tumor specimens, whereas NNDTC was computed using HALO software. Subsequently, we analyzed the association of these parameters with patient outcomes (progression-free survival [PFS] and overall survival [OS]), clinicopathologic features, and denosumab treatment responsiveness. RESULTS: Low LIS was indicative of both poor PFS and OS (both P <.001). In addition, LIS was significantly associated with sex (P =.046), Enneking staging (P <.001), Ki-67 expression (P =.007), and denosumab treatment responsiveness (P =.005). Lower CD8+ (tumor interior [TI]) NNDTC, and CD3+ (TI) NNDTC were associated with worse PFS (P =.003 and.038, respectively), whereas lower CD8+ (TI) NNDTC was associated with worse OS (P =.001), but CD8+ (tumor infiltrating margin) NNDTC had the opposite effect (P =.002). Moreover, NNDTC showed a correlation with several clinicopathologic features. Importantly, LIS outperformed Enneking and Campanacci staging systems in predicting the clinical outcomes of GCTB. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that LIS is a reliable predictive tool for clinically relevant outcomes and response to denosumab therapy in patients with GCTB. These parameters may prove to be useful in guiding prognostic risk stratification and therapeutic optimization for patients. Lymphocyte infiltration score is a reliable predictive tool for giant cell tumors of bone patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissipative Kerr soliton microcombs in microresonators have enabled fundamental advances in chip-scale precision metrology, communication, spectroscopy, and parallel signal processing. Here we demonstrate polarization-diverse soliton transitions and deterministic switching dynamics of a self-stabilized microcomb in a strongly-coupled dispersion-managed microresonator driven with a single pump laser. The switching dynamics are induced by the differential thermorefractivity between coupled transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric supermodes during the forward-backward pump detunings. The achieved large soliton existence range and deterministic transitions benefit from the switching dynamics, leading to the cross-polarized soliton microcomb formation when driven in the transverse-magnetic supermode of the single resonator. Secondly, we demonstrate two distinct polarization-diverse soliton formation routes – arising from chaotic or periodically-modulated waveforms via pump power selection. Thirdly, to observe the cross-polarized supermode transition dynamics, we develop a parametric temporal magnifier with picosecond resolution, MHz frame rate and sub-ns temporal windows. We construct picosecond temporal transition portraits in 100-ns recording length of the strongly-coupled solitons, mapping the transitions from multiple soliton molecular states to singlet solitons. This study underpins polarization-diverse soliton microcombs for chip-scale ultrashort pulse generation, supporting applications in frequency and precision metrology, communications, spectroscopy and information processing. Thermal Instability hinders reliable generation of dissipative Kerr solitons in Silicon Nitride microresonators. The authors investigate a regime where polarization-diverse soliton transitions and deterministic dynamics of a self-stabilized microcomb in a dispersion managed microresonator driven with a single pump laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Digit-tip amputation caused by crush injury is a common emergency scenario, and the management is full of challenges. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the application of the supermicrosurgery technique in replantation procedures for complex digit-tip amputations resulting from crush injuries, while also assessing functional and aesthetic outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the data from 12 patients who underwent replantation of 15 digits in our department between July 2022 and June 2023. The outcomes of replantation, functional recovery (including return to work, cold tolerance, bone union, DASH score, VAS score, and two-point discrimination test), aesthetic results (including digit appearance, nail deformity, and pulp atrophy), and patient satisfaction were assessed. Results: The amputation of 7 digits occurred within Tamai zone I level, 8 digits within Tamai zone II level, while 4 digits occurred within Ishikawa zone I level, 3 digits within Ishikawa zone II level, 7 digits within Ishikawa zone III level, and 1 digit within Ishikawa zone IV level. The replanted digits all survived (100%) without any indications of arterial insufficiency or venous congestion. The follow-up procedures were conducted on all 12 patients, with an average duration of 9.6 months (range, 6 to 18 months). The fracture successfully underwent healing at 9.2 weeks (range, 8 to 13 weeks). The mean VAS score was 1.75 points (range 0 to 4 points), the mean two-point discrimination test result was 5.72 mm (range 4.0 to 7.0 mm), and the mean DASH score was 9.78 points (range 3.33 to 22.5 points). All patients demonstrated cold tolerance and successfully resumed their pre-injury occupational activities. The nail deformity was observed in one digit following replantation within Tamai zone I, and in three digits following replantation within Tamai zone II; moreover, eight digits exhibited varying degrees of pulp atrophy. All patients expressed satisfaction with both functional and aesthetic outcomes. Conclusion: The successful replantation of digit-tip amputation caused by crush injury can be achieved through the application of supermicrosurgery technique, resulting in improved functional and aesthetic outcomes. Digit-tip replantation is a favorable and meaningful procedure with high patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extended surgery with multi-visceral resection is the standard treatment for retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS). Malnutrition tends to result in increased surgical complications and reduced survival. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic role of nutritional status in patients with RLPS. Patients and methods: Data from 189 consecutive patients with RLPS who underwent surgical treatment at the Peking University Cancer Hospital Sarcoma Center between April 2011 and August 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The following nutritional parameters were calculated: nutritional risk index, prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and Nutrition Risk Screening 2002. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (time-ROC) curve analysis was conducted to compare the prognostic utility of nutritional indicators. The associations between nutritional indicators and major complications, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated. Results: Based on the time-ROC curve analysis, the PNI was superior to other nutritional indices at predicting OS. The optimal cut-off value of PNI was 41.2. The PNI was significantly inversely associated with tumor size, tumor grade, and histological subtype. Patients in the low PNI group (< 41.2) had significantly shorter LRFS and OS than those in the high PNI (≥ 41.2) group, with higher major morbidity and mortality rates. The PNI was found to be a unique nutritional predictor that independently predicted LRFS and OS in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The PNI is an effective tool for nutritional assessment in patients with RLPS. A low PNI value in patients with RLPS predicts worse survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of thermal imaging data in RGB-T images has demonstrated its usefulness in cross-modal crowd counting by offering complementary information to RGB representations. Despite achieving satisfactory results in RGB-T crowd counting, many existing methods still face two significant limitations: (1) The oversight of the heterogeneous gap between modalities complicates the effective integration of multimodal features. (2) The absence of mining consistency hinders the full exploitation of the unique complementary strengths inherent in each modality. To this end, we present C4-MIM, a novel Consistency-constrained RGB-T Crowd Counting approach via Mutual Information Maximization. It effectively leverages multimodal information by learning the consistency between the RGB and thermal modalities, thereby enhancing the performance of cross-modal counting. Specifically, we first advocate extracting feature representations of different modalities in a shared encoder to moderate the heterogeneous gap since they obey the identical coding rules with shared parameters. Then, we intend to mine the consistent information of different modalities to better learn conducive information and improve the performance of feature representations. To this end, we formulate the complementarity of multimodality representations as a mutual information maximization regularizer to maximize the consistent information of different modalities, in which the consistency would be maximally attained before combining the multimodal information. Finally, we simply aggregate the feature representations of the different modalities and send them into a regressor to output the density maps. The proposed approach can be implemented by arbitrary backbone networks and is quite robust in the face of single modality unavailable or serious compromised. Extensively experiments have been conducted on the RGBT-CC and DroneRGBT benchmarks to evaluate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach, demonstrating its superior performance compared to the SOTA approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The urinary and sexual outcomes after urethroplasty may be a concern for patients, but there are still some controversies regarding the consequences of buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty (BMG) in terms of erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim This meta-analysis aimed to compare urinary and sexual outcomes of BMG and end-to-end urethroplasty (EE). Methods The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Embase databases were searched until February 31, 2023. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by 2 designated researchers. Dichotomous data were analyzed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity across studies was assessed by the I2 quantification, and publication bias using Begg's and Egger's tests. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software. Outcomes Outcomes included stricture recurrence, ED, penile complications, and voiding symptoms. Results Eighteen studies, including 1648 participants, were included in our meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in stricture recurrence (OR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.48–1.13; P  = .17) and voiding symptoms (OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 0.32–3.88; P  = .86) between the BMG group and the EE group. BMG was associated with lower risk of penile complications (OR = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.24–0.69; P  = .001) and ED (OR = 0.53, 95% CI, 0.32–0.90, P  = .02). Clinical Implications The study may help clinicians choose procedures that achieve better recovery of the urological and sexual function in the treatment of urethral stricture. Strengths and Limitations This meta-analysis is the first to evaluate the urinary and sexual outcomes of BMG vs EE. A limitation is that most of the included studies were retrospective cohort studies. Conclusion BMG is as effective as EE in the treatment of bulbar urethral stricture, but BMG has fewer complications and ED than EE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of a potential entrant's entry into the complementary goods market on the technology innovation of the basic product. We focus on an e-commerce platform supply chain comprising a manufacturer, an e-commerce platform, and a potential entrant. The manufacturer distributes a basic product and a complementary product through the e-commerce platform. The manufacturer has the option to improve the quality of the basic product through technology innovation. The determination of whether the potential entrant enters the market for complementary goods is contingent upon its observation of the manufacturer's technology innovation strategy. Upon the potential entrant's entry into this market, competition ensues between the potential entrant and the manufacturer in the realm of the complementary goods market. Our findings reveal a trade-off: on the one hand, the manufacturer's decision to forgo technology innovation results in reduced profit, while, on the other hand, technology innovation attracts the potential competitor to enter the complementary goods market, which also leads to decreased profit. Under certain circumstances, the loss incurred by the former is less than that incurred by the latter. Consequently, the manufacturer may choose to forego technology innovation to prevent the entry of the potential entrant in the complementary goods market. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that the entry of the potential entrant can yield a mutually beneficial outcome for the manufacturer, the platform, and the potential entrant, creating a win–win–win scenario. In addition, our results suggest that as the production cost of innovative products rises, the manufacturer may have a stronger incentive to intensify its innovation efforts in response to the potential entrant's exit from the market. Finally, we establish that our main results remain robust even when some of our initial assumptions are relaxed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Accessory renal artery (ARA) is a common variant of renal vessels. Currently, there are some controversies about reconstruction strategy and few cases reported in the literature. Individualized treatment should be carried out according to preoperative renal function evaluation and technical level. Methods: In this paper, a 50-year-old male patient was reported, who developed a dissecting aneurysm after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and needed further intervention. Imaging showed that the left kidney was supplied by bilateral renal artery (false lumens), and there were left renal malperfusion complicated with abnormal renal function. Results: Autologous blood vessels were used to successfully reconstruct ARA with during hybrid surgery. Renal perfusion and renal function recovered rapidly after operation. There was no abnormality in renal indexes after 3 months follow-up. Conclusion: It is beneficial and necessary to reconstruct ARA for patients with renal malperfusion or abnormal renal function before operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the predictive value of hepatitis B core‐related antigen (HBcrAg) on the occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to April 6, 2023. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for the occurrence and recurrence of HCC. Results: Of the 464 articles considered, 18 articles recruiting 10 320 patients were included. The pooled results showed that high serum HBcrAg level was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of HCC in CHB patients (adjusted HR = 3.12, 95% CI: 2.40–4.06, P < 0.001, I2 = 43.2%, P = 0.043; OR = 5.65, 95% CI: 3.44–5.82, P < 0.001, I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.42). Further subgroup analysis demonstrated that the predictive ability of HBcrAg for the occurrence of HCC is not influenced by the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status or the use of nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NAs). In addition, our meta‐analysis also suggests that HBcrAg is a predictor of HCC recurrence (adjusted HR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.26–2.32, P < 0.001, I2 = 7.89%, P = 0.031). Conclusions: For patients with CHB, serum HBcrAg may be a potential predictive factor for the occurrence of HCC, regardless of HBeAg status or NA treatment. It may also serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for the recurrence of HCC. More studies are needed to confirm our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-linearity (NL) correction is a critical procedure to guarantee that the calibration accuracy of a spaceborne sensor approaches a reasonable level (i.e., better than 0.5 K). Unfortunately, such an NL correction is still not used in spectrum calibration from the Geostationary Interferometric InfraRed Sounder (GIIRS) onboard the Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) satellite. Different from the classical NL correction method where the NL coefficient is estimated from out-band spectral artifacts in an empirical low-frequency region, originally with prelaunch results and updated under in-orbit conditions, a new NL correction method for a spaceborne Fourier transform spectrometer (including GIIRS) is proposed. In particular, the NL parameter μ , independent of different working conditions (namely the thermal fields from environmental components), can be determined from laboratory results before launch and directly utilized during in-orbit calibration. Moreover, to overcome the inaccurate linear coefficient from the two-point calibration that influences the NL correction, an iteration algorithm is established to make both the linear and the NL coefficients converge to their stable values, with relative errors less than 0.5 % and 1 %, respectively, which is universally suitable for NL correction of both infrared and microwave sensors. Using the onboard internal blackbody (BB), which is identical to the in-orbit calibration, the final calibration accuracy for all the detectors and all the channels with the proposed NL correction method is validated to be around 0.2–0.3 K at an ordinary reference temperature of 305 K. Significantly, the relative error in the classical method NL parameter immediately transmitting to that of the linear one in theory, which inevitably introduces some additional errors around 0.1–0.2 K for the interfering radiance no longer exists. Moreover, the adopted internal BB with higher emissivity produces better NL correction performance in practice. The proposed NL correction method is scheduled for GIIRS implementation on board the FY-4A satellite and its successor after modifying their possible spectral response function variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the frequent failure of hydraulic seals under high-pressure and high-flow continuous working conditions, optimizing the seal structure through intelligent optimization algorithms can improve performance. This paper proposes an improved intelligent optimization algorithm and finite element analysis to determine the optimal design parameters for the seal. Initially, a visual inspection and analysis of the failed Y-shaped seal revealed causes such as wear failure, damage failure, and leakage. Finite element analysis of the seal under actual working conditions confirmed the previous analysis. The study considered six control design parameters: lip base height, short-long lip length, short lip height, short lip angle, long lip angle, and lip base fillet radius. Using ANSYS, 50 parameter combinations were selected through Latin hypercube sampling for finite element simulation runs, with the maximum shear stress and maximum contact stress as optimization targets. A BP neural network was established and optimized using a genetic algorithm to design the unequal height Y-shaped seal structure based on NSGA-II, with optimization of the root chamfer to increase net pump backflow. The research results show a 7.29% reduction in maximum contact stress of the seal, a 21.4% decrease in maximum shear stress, and an increase of 0.066 mm3 in net pump backflow through chamfer optimization. The results indicate that this method effectively addresses design issues of seals in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core task of target detection is to accurately identify and localize the object of interest from a multitude of interfering factors. This task is particularly difficult in UAV aerial images, where targets are often small and the background can be extremely complex. In response to these challenges, this study introduces an enhanced target detection algorithm for UAV aerial images based on the YOLOv7-tiny network. In order to enhance the convolution module in the backbone of the network, the Receptive Field Coordinate Attention Convolution (RFCAConv) in place of traditional convolution enhances feature extraction within critical image regions. Furthermore, the tiny target detection capability is effectively enhanced by incorporating a tiny object detection layer. Moreover, the newly introduced BSAM attention mechanism dynamically adjusts attention distribution, enabling precise target–background differentiation, particularly in cases of target similarity. Finally, the innovative inner-MPDIoU loss function replaces the CIoU, which enhances the sensitivity of the model to changes in aspect ratio and greatly improves the detection accuracy. Experimental results on the VisDrone2019 dataset reveal that relative to the YOLOv7-tiny model, the improved YOLOv7-tiny model improves precision (P), recall (R), and mean average precision (mAP) by 4.1%, 5.5%, and 6.5%, respectively, thus confirming the algorithm's superiority over existing mainstream methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the neuroprotective effects and mechanism of Tanreqing Injection (TRQ) on treating ischemic stroke based on network pharmacology and in vivo experimental validation. Methods: The chemical compounds of TRQ were retrieved based on published data, with targets retrieved from PubChem, Therapeutic Target Database and DrugBank. Network visualization and analysis were performed using Cytoscape, with protein-protein interaction networks derived from the STRING database. Enrichment analysis was performed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes Genomes pathway and Gene Ontology analysis. In in vivo experiments, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used. Infarct volume was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium hydrochloride staining and protein expressions were analyzed by Western blot. Molecular docking was performed to predict ligand-receptor interactions. Results: We screened 81 chemical compounds in TRQ and retrieved their therapeutic targets. Of the targets, 116 were therapeutic targets for stroke. The enrichment analysis showed that the apelin signaling pathway was a key pathway for ischemic stroke. Furthermore, in in vivo experiment we found that administering with intraperitoneal injection of 2.5 mL/kg TRQ every 6 h could significantly reduce the infarct volume of MCAO rats (P<0.05). In addition, protein levels of the apelin receptor (APJ)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway were increased by TRQ (P<0.05). In addition, 41 chemical compounds in TRQ could bind to APJ. Conclusions: The neuroprotective effect of TRQ may be related to the APJ/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. However, further studies are needed to confirm the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract:In time series prediction tasks, the uncertainty of historical observations poses difficulties in forecasting. However, the forecasting methods based on fuzzy time series have unique advantages in dealing with data uncertainty. Probabilistic forecasting, on the other hand, can provide the distribution of the predicted target and quantify the uncertainty of the prediction results. Therefore, a fuzzy time series probabilistic forecasting method based on a probability weighting strategy is proposed to reduce the impact of uncertainty on the forecasting task. The proposed method builds a probability-weighted fuzzy time series prediction model using historical observations of the target variable, and refines the fuzzy rule base of the prediction model by introducing additional observations. Specifically, two operators with low computational cost are used to reconstruct the fuzzy logic relationships. The intersection operator is used to exclude the interfering information, while the union operator merges all information, resulting in two different sets of fuzzy logic relationship groups. The relationship group corresponding to the current observation value in two sets is the prediction for the fuzzy set in the next moment. Finally, the probability distribution of the next moment is output by defuzzification. Experimental results on publicly available time series data sets verify the accuracy and validity of this method, and the prediction accuracy is remarkably improved in comparison to the newly proposed PWFTS prediction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Submerged Floating Tunnel (SFT) relies on a tensioned mooring system for precise positioning. The sudden breakage of a single cable can trigger an immediate alteration in the constraint conditions of the tube, inducing a transient heave response within the structure along with a transient increase in cable tension experienced by adjacent cables. In more severe cases, this may even lead to a progressive failure culminating in the global destruction of the SFT. This study used ANSYS/AQWA to establish a numerical model of the entire length SFT for the hydrodynamic response analysis, and conducted a coupled calculation of the dynamic responses of the SFT-mooring line model based on OrcaFlex to study the global dynamic responses of the SFT at the moment of cable breakage and the redistribution of cable internal forces. The most unfavorable position for SFT cable breakage was identified, the influence mechanism of cable breakage at different positions on the global dynamic response was revealed, and the progressive chain failure pattern caused by localized cable breakage are also clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to investigate and quantify the patterns of local scour, researchers embarked on an in-depth study using a systematic experimental approach. The research focused on the effects of local scour around a set of four piles, each subjected to different hydromechanical conditions. In particular, this study aimed to determine how different attack angles—the angles at which the water flow impinges on the piles, and gap ratios—the ratios of the spacing between the piles to their diameters, influence the extent and nature of scour. A comprehensive series of 35 carefully designed experiments were orchestrated, each designed to dissect the nuances in how the gap ratio and attack angle might contribute to changes in the local scour observed at the base of pile groups. During these experimental trials, a wealth of local scour data were collected to support the analysis. These data included precise topographic profiles of the sediment bed around the pile groups, as well as detailed scour time histories showing the evolution of scour at strategic feature points throughout the test procedure. The analysis of the experimental data provided interesting insights. The study revealed that the interplay between the gap ratio and the attack angle had a pronounced influence on the scouring dynamics of the pile groups. One of the key observations was that the initial phases of scour, particularly within the first hour of water flow exposure, were characterized by a sharp increase in the scour depth occurring immediately in front of the piles. After this initial rapid development, the scour depth transitioned to a more gradual change rate. In contrast, the scour topography around the piles continuously evolved. This suggests that sediment displacement and the associated sculpting of the seabed around pile foundations are sustained and progressive processes, altering the underwater landscape over time. The results of this empirical investigation have significant implications for the design and construction of offshore multi-pile foundations, providing a critical reference for engineers and designers to estimate the expected scour depth around such structures, which is an integral part of decisions regarding foundation design, selection of structural materials, and implementation of scour protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Subcortical nuclei such as the thalamus and striatum have been shown to be related to seizure modulation and termination, especially in drug‐resistant epilepsy. Enhance diffusion‐weighted imaging (eDWI) technique and tri‐component model have been used in previous studies to calculate apparent diffusion coefficient from ultra high b‐values (ADCuh). This study aimed to explore the alterations of ADCuh in the bilateral thalamus and striatum in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy. Methods: Twenty‐nine patients with MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy and 18 healthy controls underwent eDWI scan with 15 b‐values (0–5000 s/mm2). The eDWI parameters including standard ADC (ADCst), pure water diffusion (D), and ADCuh were calculated from the 15 b‐values. Regions‐of‐interest (ROIs) analyses were conducted in the bilateral thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus. ADCst, D, and ADCuh values were compared between the MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy patients and controls using multivariate generalized linear models. Inter‐rater reliability was assessed using the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman (BA) analysis. False discovery rate (FDR) method was applied for multiple comparisons correction. Results: ADCuh values in the bilateral thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy were significantly higher than those in the healthy control subjects (all p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Significance: The alterations of the ADCuh values in the bilateral thalamus and striatum in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy might reflect abnormal membrane water permeability in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy. ADCuh might be a sensitive measurement for evaluating subcortical nuclei‐related brain damage in epilepsy patients. Plain Language Summary: This study aimed to explore the alterations of apparent diffusion coefficient calculated from ultra high b‐values (ADCuh) in the subcortical nuclei such as the bilateral thalamus and striatum in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy. The bilateral thalamus and striatum showed higher ADCuh in epilepsy patients than healthy controls. These findings may add new evidences of subcortical nuclei abnormalities related to water and ion hemostasis in epilepsy patients, which might help to elucidate the underlying epileptic neuropathophysiological mechanisms and facilitate the exploration of therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research explores the interplay of visual perspectives and psychological distance in consumer hotel evaluation. Across three studies, the results indicated that if consumers perceive a hotel to be psychologically distal, they process the hotel information more fluently and consequently evaluate the hotel more favorably when exterior pictures are provided than when interior pictures are available. On the contrary, if consumers perceive a hotel to be psychologically proximal, this effect would be reversed. The effect is driven by a "matching" between consumers' psychological distance from the hotel (i.e., proximal vs. distant) and the types of information available (i.e., interior vs. exterior pictures) that generates a high level of processing fluency. Our findings provide actionable suggestions for hotel marketing professionals concerning how to display a hotel product with different pictures depending on its specific distance attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As turbine operating conditions change, the blade height and tip clearance undergo continuous alterations due to the combined effects of thermal stress, aerodynamic forces and centrifugal forces, subsequently influencing the turbine performance. To take this effect into account in turbine performance prediction, this study considers the influence of fluid-heat-structure coupling on blade height and tip clearance and establishes a one-dimensional comprehensive prediction method for multi-stage axial turbine performance considering blade height. When compared with experimental results from a four-stage axial turbine, by considering the fluid-thermal-solid coupling effects, the average relative error in total pressure ratio prediction is reduced from 3.76 % to 1.99 % and the average relative error in total temperature ratio prediction is reduced from 2.03 % to 1.26 %. Compared with the traditional flow prediction method, the prediction results of turbine characteristics considering blade height and tip clearance changes in this paper are closer to the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]