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Iron-based Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst is widely used for syngas conversion, but its iron carbide active phase is easily oxidized into Fe3O4 by the water produced during reaction, leading to the deterioration of catalytic performance. Here, we show an efficient strategy for protecting the iron carbide active phase of FTS catalyst by surface hydrophobization. The hydrophobic surface can reduce the water concentration in the core vicinity of catalyst during syngas conversion, and thus inhibit the oxidation of iron species by water, which enhances the C − C coupling ability of catalyst and promotes the formation of long-chain olefins. More significantly, it is unraveled that appropriate shell thickness plays a crucial role in stabilizing the iron carbide active phase without Fe3O4 formation and achieving good catalytic performance. The iron carbide active phase is easily oxidized by the water produced during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, which leads to a deterioration in catalytic performance. Here, the authors present a strategy to protect iron carbide by applying surface hydrophobization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercial applications of lead halide perovskites are hindered by their negative environmental impact and inherent instability. Consequently, developing environmentally friendly copper-based perovskite materials is crucial for future solid-state lighting and display applications. In this study, an ultrafast high-power ultrasonic synthesis strategy was utilized to achieve uniform nucleation and growth of Cs3Cu2X5 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (NCs) that possess remarkable luminescence properties, hydroxyl protection, and ligand-free characteristics. These Cs3Cu2X5 NCs exhibited a tunable spectral range spanning from 446 to 525 nm, accompanied by photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) varying from 0.2% to 79.2%. The spectral attributes of the NCs were effectively controlled by modulating the halide type and composition. It is worth noting that density functional theory (DFT) calculations offer valuable insights into the synthesis of NCs and the selection of suitable alcohol solvents. Moreover, we successfully fabricated an efficient and stable white light-emitting diode (WLED) with a high luminous efficiency of 23 lm W−1 and CIE color coordinates of (0.3266, 0.3487). Our work provides a new strategy to synthesize Cs3Cu2X5 NCs and holds promise for their potential application in display and lighting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron-based Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst is widely used for syngas conversion, but its iron carbide active phase is easily oxidized into Fe3O4 by the water produced during reaction, leading to the deterioration of catalytic performance. Here, we show an efficient strategy for protecting the iron carbide active phase of FTS catalyst by surface hydrophobization. The hydrophobic surface can reduce the water concentration in the core vicinity of catalyst during syngas conversion, and thus inhibit the oxidation of iron species by water, which enhances the C − C coupling ability of catalyst and promotes the formation of long-chain olefins. More significantly, it is unraveled that appropriate shell thickness plays a crucial role in stabilizing the iron carbide active phase without Fe3O4 formation and achieving good catalytic performance. The iron carbide active phase is easily oxidized by the water produced during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, which leads to a deterioration in catalytic performance. Here, the authors present a strategy to protect iron carbide by applying surface hydrophobization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) is the neurotoxic component in senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. Previously we have reported that Aβ toxicity is mediated by the induction of sonic hedgehog (SHH) to trigger cell cycle re-entry (CCR) and apoptosis in post-mitotic neurons. Basella alba is a vegetable whose polysaccharides carry immunomodulatory and anti-cancer actions, but their protective effects against neurodegeneration have never been reported. Herein, we tested whether polysaccharides derived from Basella alba (PPV-6) may inhibit Aβ toxicity and explored its underlying mechanisms. In differentiated rat cortical neurons, Aβ25-35 reduced cell viability, damaged neuronal structure, and compromised mitochondrial bioenergetic functions, all of which were recovered by PPV-6. Immunocytochemistry and western blotting revealed that Aβ25-35-mediated induction of cell cycle markers including cyclin D1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and histone H3 phosphorylated at Ser-10 (p-Histone H3) in differentiated neurons was all suppressed by PPV-6, along with mitigation of caspase-3 cleavage. Further studies revealed that PPV-6 inhibited Aβ25-35 induction of SHH; indeed, PPV-6 was capable of suppressing neuronal CCR and apoptosis triggered by the exogenous N-terminal fragment of sonic hedgehog (SHH-N). Our findings demonstrated that, in the fully differentiated neurons, PPV-6 exerts protective actions against Aβ neurotoxicity via the downregulation of SHH to suppress neuronal CCR and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia is a multisystem progressive condition and is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy. Owing to its unclear pathogenesis, there are no precise and effective therapeutic targets for preeclampsia, and the only available treatment strategy is to terminate the pregnancy and eliminate the clinical symptoms. In recent years, non-coding RNAs have become a hotspot in preeclampsia research and have shown promise as effective biomarkers for the early diagnosis of preeclampsia over conventional biochemical markers. PIWI-interacting RNAs, novel small non-coding RNA that interact with PIWI proteins, are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia remain unclear. In this review, we discuss the findings of existing studies on PIWI-interacting RNA biogenesis, functions, and their possible roles in preeclampsia, providing novel insights into the potential application of PIWI-interacting RNAs in the early diagnosis and clinical treatment of preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has been rising in recent years. Despite its relatively low mortality, PTC frequently metastasizes to lymph nodes and often recurs, posing significant health and economic burdens. The role of iodine in the pathogenesis and advancement of thyroid cancer remains poorly understood. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recognized to function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) that modulate gene expression and play a role in various cancer stages. Consequently, this research aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which circRNA influences the impact of iodine on PTC. Our research indicates that high iodine levels can exacerbate the malignancy of PTC via the circ_0004851/miR-296-3p/FGF11 axis. These insights into iodine's biological role in PTC and the association of circRNA with the disease could pave the way for novel biomarkers and potentially effective therapeutic strategies to mitigate PTC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is potentially the largest source of renewable energy for providing electrical power for human society. However, significant advances are required to make photovoltaic technologies have a low-carbon footprint in manufacture, be environmentally friendly at the end of their lives through recyclability, and be biodegradable. Here we report dissolvable organic photovoltaic devices based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), which show equal power conversion efficiency to their glass substrate-based counterparts. We use a novel method of including smectic liquid crystal (7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2- b][1]benzothiophene, C8-BTBT) as a crystal phase regulator in the heterojunction donor:acceptor polymer system to maintain the disposable organic solar cell efficiency without pre- or post-thermal annealing. The results show strong promise not only for more sustainable solar-cell fabrication but also as disposable and biocompatible solar cells for self-powered (energy harvesting) wearable and biomedical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with Cushing's disease, the preoperative identification of pituitary adenomas is crucial to treatment. However, increasing diagnostic accuracy remains an unresolved issue. Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and the impact of readers' experience regarding high‐resolution contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (hrMRI) for identifying pituitary adenomas in comparison with conventional contrast‐enhanced MRI (cMRI) and dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI (dMRI). Study Type: Retrospective. Population: Sixty‐five patients (median age, 39 years; interquartile range [IQR], 28–53 years; 60% females) with treatment‐naïve Cushing's disease. Field Strength/Sequence: 3‐T, seven fast spin echo sequences. Assessment: The diagnostic accuracies of identifying pituitary adenomas on cMRI, dMRI, combined cMRI and dMRI (cdMRI), and hrMRI were independently evaluated by six readers with three experience levels (high: >20 years, modest: 10–20 years, low: <10 years; two readers for each experience level). Readers were asked to localize the lesion, and measure its diameter on the sequence where identified. The reference standard was postoperative histopathology. The impact of readers' experience and interobserver agreement were assessed. Image quality was assessed using a 5‐point Likert scale, including overall image quality, sharpness, and structural conspicuity. Statistical Tests: McNemar's test, Cochran's test, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, Mann–Whitney U test, and κ statistics for interobserver agreement. A P‐value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: For identifying pituitary adenomas (median diameter, 5 mm; IQR, 4–5 mm), hrMRI had significantly higher sensitivity (87.7%–93.8%) than cMRI, dMRI, and cdMRI (52.3%–75.4%) for readers with different experience levels. The interobserver agreement was moderate (κ = 0.461–0.523). The sensitivity for hrMRI was comparable between readers with different experience levels (P = 0.371). All image quality scores on hrMRI were significantly higher than cMRI and dMRI (5.0 vs. 4.0). Data Conclusion: For identifying pituitary adenomas in patients with treatment‐naïve Cushing's disease, hrMRI may show high diagnostic accuracy and seems not to be affected by readers' experience. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various methods to evaluate the forming limit of a sheet, and these criteria can be classified as position-dependent, time-dependent, and position-time dependent according to the basis of judgment. However, these criteria have a single function and can only find the forming limit of the sheet and cannot determine the strain distribution, strain change, or fracture location during the sheet forming process. This paper introduces a time–location-dependent method, i.e., the spatial strain rate method, which is used to detect the onset of necking of a sheet. The spatial strain rate is directly based on the strain and can not only find the forming limit of the sheet but also depict the strain distribution and strain variation during the two phases of the experimental process—distributed instability and concentrated instability—as well as predict the location of sheet fracture. The spatial strain rate of AA5083 aluminum alloy of different widths was analyzed and verified in detail via Nakazima experiments using digital image correlation techniques and compared with the guidelines published in the literature in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of the scale of wind power has led to a wave of efforts to decommission wind turbine blades. The pyrolysis of decommissioned wind turbine blades (DWTBs) is a promising technological solution. Microwave pyrolysis offers the benefits of fast heating rates and uniform heat transfer, making it a widely used method in various heating applications. However, there are few studies on the microwave pyrolysis of DWTBs, and pyrolysis characteristics under different boundary conditions remain unclear. In this paper, we investigate the pyrolysis characteristics of DWTBs by utilizing silicon carbide (SiC) particles as a microwave absorbent. The results demonstrated that, when the microwave heating power increased from 400 W to 600 W, the heating rate and pyrolysis final temperature of the material increased, resulting in a reduction in pyrolysis residual solid yield from 88.30% to 84.40%. At 600 W, pyrolysis gas components included C2H4, CH4, and CO, while the tar components included phenol and toluene. The highest degree of pyrolysis was achieved under the condition of an SiC particle size of 0.85 mm, with better heating performance, and the calorific value of the pyrolysis gas generated was 36.95 MJ/Nm3. The DWTBs did not undergo pyrolysis when SiC was not added. However, when the mass ratio of SiC to DWTBs was 4, the tar yield was 4.7% and the pyrolysis gas yield was 17.0%, resulting in a faster heating rate and the highest degree of pyrolysis. Based on this, an optimal process for the microwave pyrolysis of DWTBs was proposed, providing a reference for its industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a dual-loop discrete-time adaptive control (DDAC) method for three-phase PWM rectifiers, which considers inductance-parameter-mismatched and DC load disturbances. A discrete-time model of the three-phase PWM rectifier is established using the forward Euler discretization method, and a dual-loop discrete-time feedback linearization control (DDFLC) is given. Based on the DDFLC, the DDAC is designed. Firstly, an adaptive inductance disturbance observer (AIDO) based on the gradient descent method is proposed in the current control loop. The AIDO is used to estimate lump disturbances caused by mismatched inductance parameters and then compensate for these disturbances in the current controller, ensuring its strong robustness to inductance parameters. Secondly, a load parameter adaptive law (LPAL) based on the discrete-time Lyapunov theory is proposed for the voltage control loop. The LPAL estimates the DC load parameter in real time and subsequently adjusts it in the voltage controller, achieving DC load adaptability. Finally, simulation and experimental results show that the DDAC exhibits better steady and dynamic performances, less current harmonic content than the DDFLC and the dual-loop discrete-time PI control (DDPIC), and a stronger robustness to inductance parameters and DC load disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymmetric calibration method is a very interesting technology for differential output probes. It has been proven that the asymmetric calibration method (ACM) can broaden the application scenarios of the electromagnetic field dual probe. However, ACM is not verified on a back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system. This paper calibrates a back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system by inserting a connector for creating an asymmetry using ACM. The calibration results show that ACM can be used to calibrate an asymmetric back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system. The calibration results are further verified by measuring the standing wave magnetic field, and the verification results show that the asymmetric calibration method is effective in eliminating the asymmetry of the back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system and the work frequency band reaches up to 12 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitin, the most abundant renewable polysaccharide in the marine environment, presents restricted applications due to its low solubility. Chitin quaternization can produce a water-soluble chitin derivative with a wide pH range due to the existence of a permanent positive charge on the polymer backbone. Quaternized chitin (QC) has received increasing attention owing to its superior water solubility and antibacterial action. This review aims to outline synthesis techniques, functional materials, and multiple applications of QC. The synthesis techniques of QC, such as heterogeneous reactions and homogeneous reactions, are introduced first. Then we discuss some developed QC-based functional materials, especially micelles, hydrogels, coatings, and sponges. The progress in the applications of QC, such as wound dressings and drug/gene delivery, is also reviewed. We hope that this review can provide new inspiration for expanding the application scope of QC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively eliminate the impacts of both matched and mismatched power disturbances in a three-phase PWM rectifier, this paper proposes a robust direct power control (RDPC) method with a single-loop control structure. Firstly, a nonlinear power model of the three-phase PWM rectifier is established. Then, using the exact feedback linearization method, a linearized power model including matched and mismatched power disturbances is derived and achieves the decoupling of active and reactive power. Secondly, to regulate the DC bus voltage, a sliding-mode controller (SMC) combined with a nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO) is proposed. The proposed SMC combined with an NDO (SMC + NDO) method features a single-loop control structure, which enables a faster response and simpler structure compared to the dual-loop DPC method. By incorporating estimated mismatched power disturbance into the sliding-mode surface, it overcomes the SMC's defect in incompletely suppressing mismatched disturbances and enables the simultaneous regulation of voltage and active power. Additionally, it effectively reduces sliding-mode chattering. To regulate reactive power, a sliding-mode controller based on the exponential convergence law is designed to suppress matched reactive power disturbances. Finally, the simulation and experimental comparative results demonstrate that the proposed controller exhibits stronger robustness against matched and mismatched power disturbances, as well as a better performance under the constant power load (CPL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of optoelectronic devices with biomimetic synaptic behavior holds significant potential for neuromorphic visual applications. However, considerable challenges remain including convenient device fabrication and low toxicity materials innovation. Here, a heterojunction phototransistor is constructed using low‐toxic CuZnInSSe (CIZS) colloidal quantum dots and amorphous InGaZnO (IGZO), which demonstrates high specific detectivity of 3.4 × 1015 Jones in visible light spectrum. Moreover, it is found that the photoresponse speed can be controlled via a ligand exchange treatment, through that the response speed can be adjusted from 0.3 to 11 s. This enables the device to operate in two distinct modes: a typical fast sensing mode and a neuromorphic visual mode. In the neuromorphic visual mode, the device's synaptic behavior can be tuned by manipulating light pulse intensity, frequency, wavelength, and gate voltage. As a demonstration, a phototransistor array effectively implements image pre‐processing functions, including color recognition, visual memorizing, and forgetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic exposure to excessive endogenous cortisol leads to brain changes in Cushing's disease (CD). However, it remains unclear how CD affects large-scale functional networks (FNs) and whether these effects are reversible after treatment. This study aimed to investigate functional network changes of CD patients and their reversibility in a longitudinal cohort. Methods: Active CD patients (N = 37) were treated by transsphenoidal pituitary surgery and reexamined 3 months later. FNs were computed from resting-state fMRI data of the CD patients and matched normal controls (NCs, N = 37). A pattern classifier was built on the FNs to distinguish active CD patients from controls and applied to FNs of the CD patients at the 3-month follow-up. Two subgroups of endocrine-remitted CD patients were identified according to their classification scores, referred to as image-based phenotypically (IBP) recovered and unrecovered CD patients, respectively. The informative FNs identified by the classification model were compared between NCs, active CD patients, and endocrine-remitted patients as well as between IBP recovered and unrecovered CD patients to explore their functional network reversibility. Results: All 37 CD patients reached endocrine remission after treatment. The classification model identified three informative FNs, including cerebellar network (CerebN), fronto-parietal network (FPN), and default mode network. Among them, CerebN and FPN partially recovered toward normal at 3 months after treatment. Moreover, the informative FNs were correlated with 24-h urinary-free cortisol and emotion scales in CD patients. Conclusion: These findings suggest that CD patients have aberrant FNs that are partially reversible toward normal after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsaicin is an active ingredient that characterizes the pungency of pepper, and is the key to the 'door of spicy sensation', that is, the source of spicy sensation. Through the interaction with the oral cavity, capsaicin substances make TRPV1 activated by capsaicin, increase intracellular calcium ions, trigger nerve endings, release neuropeptides, and finally cause the formation of pain sensation in the cerebral cortex, thus generating a spicy sensation. It has been found that capsaicin has certain damage to taste. Capsaicin may directly or indirectly inhibit the transmission of taste nerve by reducing the number of taste buds and changing the excitability of taste transduction or taste receptor cells, thus causing damage to relevant taste cells and nerves. This paper summarizes the regulation and damage mechanism of capsaicin to taste and the research status of the new capsaicin taste interaction technology, discusses the shortcomings of its potential influence mechanism, and looks forward to the future research direction, in order to provide reference for the application of capsaicin in food and the prevention of damage caused by capsaicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate materials are widely applied in electronic components due to their excellent microwave dielectric properties. However, the absence of LTCC materials with a lower dielectric constant and higher mechanical strength restricts the creation of integrated and minified electronic devices. In this work, sol–gel-derived CaO-B2O3-SiO2 (CBS) glass/Al2O3 composites with high flexural strength and low dielectric constant were successfully prepared using the LTCC technique. Among the composites sintered at different temperatures, the composites sintered at 870 °C for 2 hours possess a dielectric constant of 6.3 (10 GHz), a dielectric loss of 0.2%, a flexural strength of 245 MPa, and a CTE of 5.3 × 10−6 K−1, demonstrating its great potential for applications in the electronic package field. By analyzing the CBS glass' physical characteristics, it was found that the sol–gel-derived glass has an extremely low dielectric constant of 3.6 and does not crystallize or react with Al2O3 at the sintering temperature, which is conducive to improving the flexural strength and reducing the dielectric constant of CBS glass/Al2O3 composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The de‐embedding calibration method has been proposed to achieve high‐precision calibration for a single port electric field or magnetic field probe, which can effectively eliminate the calibration ripple. However, the method's effectiveness for a four‐port calibration system has not been verified yet. In this paper, a four‐port de‐embedding calibration method with a differential magnetic field probe is proposed, and its effectiveness is proved. Two symmetric grounded coplanar waveguide transmission lines are applied in the proposed method to solve the ABCD‐matrix of the embedded part of the calibrator. The de‐embedded S‐parameter model of the four‐port calibration system for differential magnetic field probe can be obtained. The calibration results indicate that the proposed method can also reduce the calibration ripple and compensate for the attenuation caused by the calibrator. Compared with the traditional calibration method using a microstrip line calibrator, the ripples of the proposed method can be reduced by 34%. The analysis results of the frequency interval of the ripple (FIR) in different methods show that the de‐embedding method can reduce the FIRs (except around 1.2 GHz) caused by the reflection of the calibrator and retain the FIR (about 1.2 GHz) caused by the reflection of the probe itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic crystals as barocaloric materials exhibit the large entropy change rivalling freon, however, the limited pressure-sensitivity and large hysteresis of phase transition hinder the colossal barocaloric effect accomplished reversibly at low pressure. Here we report reversible colossal barocaloric effect at low pressure in two-dimensional van-der-Waals alkylammonium halides. Via introducing long carbon chains in ammonium halide plastic crystals, two-dimensional structure forms in (CH3–(CH2)n-1)2NH2X (X: halogen element) with weak interlayer van-der-Waals force, which dictates interlayer expansion as large as 13% and consequently volume change as much as 12% during phase transition. Such anisotropic expansion provides sufficient space for carbon chains to undergo dramatic conformation disordering, which induces colossal entropy change with large pressure-sensitivity and small hysteresis. The record reversible colossal barocaloric effect with entropy change ΔSr ~ 400 J kg−1 K−1 at 0.08 GPa and adiabatic temperature change ΔTr ~ 11 K at 0.1 GPa highlights the design of novel barocaloric materials by engineering the dimensionality of plastic crystals.The authors report the colossal barocaloric effect driven reversibly by low pressure in two dimensional van-der-Waals alkylammonium halides, underlyingly from the disordering of the organic alkyl chains within the two-dimensional structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to comply with ultra‐low emission requirements and further reduce the concentration of SO2 emissions from coal‐fired power plants, a novel distributor has been proposed to enhance the uniformity of fluid distribution in the desulfurization tower. The distributor ensures that the inlet flue gas comes into even contact with the slurry droplets ejected from the nozzle, thereby improving the removal efficiency of SO2. The research focuses on a circular desulfurization tower using ammonia‐based desulfurization. To study the enhancement of non‐empty tower desulfurization efficiency, a CFD‐DPM model based on the Euler–Lagrange method has been established. The accuracy of the model has been verified through comparison with experimental or validated data, ensuring its reliability in predicting the performance of the proposed distributor in enhancing desulfurization efficiency in the circular desulfurization tower. The simulation results demonstrate that the addition of the new inflow gas distributor leads to a significantly thinner flue gas escape zone in the circular desulfurization tower. The flue gas flow velocity at the wall side of the tower, above the distributor, increases by only about 1 m/s with the rise of the horizontal cross section, and there is hardly any flue gas escape zone observed. The addition of the distributor increases the pressure drop in the local area, while optimizing the flow field in other areas and reducing the turbulent dissipation energy, which in turn reduces the full tower pressure drop from 701 to 474 Pa. Additionally, the flue gas at the outlet of the distributor is uniformly dispersed, with gas velocity distribution unevenness values of 0.558, 0.587, and 0.601, respectively, which are 15.9%, 14.0%, and 14.0% lower than the unevenness value of the empty tower spraying, at a depth of 1 m below each spray layer. These improvements in gas flow distribution and pressure drop contribute to better control of ammonia escape and aerosol phenomenon, while also enhancing the desulfurization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrawideband de‐embedding calibration method (DCM) for a dual probe is proposed in this paper. Different from the conventional calibration method (CCM), in which a microstrip calibrator and the dual probe form a three‐port calibration network, the proposed calibration system is a four‐port network. By using two different lengths of grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) calibrators, namely line‐kit and through‐kit, the de‐embedded S $S$‐parameter model of the calibration network is obtained. Measured results show that the ripple of the DCM with GCPW reduced by 59% of the CCM with the microstrip calibrator, and the phase delay has been almost compensated. In addition, the proposed method reduces the attenuation by approximately 0.7 dB at 10 GHz and 1.15 dB at 20 GHz. The calibration results indicate that the working frequency of the DCM is up to 22 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Chinese patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) who were treated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) blockade therapies. We retrospectively analyzed patients who were admitted to our hospital between October 1, 2020, and October 1, 2022, diagnosed with PML and treated with PD1 blockade therapies. Four patients with PML who were treated with PD1 blockade therapies were identified. All patients were male, and their ages ranged from 19 to 54 years old. One patient (Case 2) exhibited mild pleocytosis, while three patients (Cases 2–4) had markedly reduced T lymphocyte cell counts prior to treatment. The time interval between symptom onset and treatment initiation ranged from six to 54 weeks. All patients received pembrolizumab treatment, with a total of two to four doses administered. Three patients who responded to pembrolizumab treatment showed clinical improvement starting around 8 weeks after the initiation of therapy. Although one patient did not show clinical improvement, they ultimately survived until the last follow-up. None of the patients in this study exhibited immune-related adverse events or immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. PD1 blockade appears to be a promising novel therapeutic option for PML; additional prospective studies are necessary to confirm its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the air temperature based on spatially accurate simulations is helpful to agricultural production, commercial activities, air transportation, water transportation, power supply, and national defense. Traditional prediction is not generally based on the time series obtained from multiple meteorological stations and from a spatial perspective. In this study, a deep convolution neural network with long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM) is constructed to extract the spatiotemporal features of temperature and the correlation between meteorological elements. The accuracies of the simulated and the predicted temperatures are spatially visualized by using the Kriging interpolation method. The accuracy of air temperature obtained from the CNN-LSTM was compared with those obtained from the CNN and the LSTM to verify its performance. The results show that there were prominent spatial variations in the temperature, with a latitudinal zonal structure in the southern Ningxia and a radial zonal structure in the northern Ningxia, China. The accuracies of the simulated and predicted temperature were high in areas with a small range of the annual temperature. The accuracies of the mean monthly temperature simulated by the CNN-LSTM in spring and autumn were higher than that in the summer. The predicted annual average temperature increased each year from 2020 to 2025. The CNN-LSTM had a higher accuracy of simulating and predicting the temperature as well as a better generalization ability than the CNN and LSTM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple leaf diseases typified by small disease spots are generally difficult to detect in images. This study proposes a deep learning model called the feature pyramid networks (FPNs) –inception squeeze-and-excitation ResNet (ISResNet)–Faster RCNN (region with convolutional neural network) model to improve the accuracy of detecting apple leaf diseases. Apple leaf diseases were identified, evaluated, and validated by using the FPN–ISResNet–Faster RCNN. The results were compared with those obtained by the single-shot multibox detector (SSD), Faster RCNN, and ISResNet–Faster RCNN. The detection accuracies obtained by using different feature extraction networks, positions and numbers of SE, inception modules, scales of FPN structures, and scales of anchor frames were also compared. The results showed that the values of average precision (AP), and APs with the thresholds of the intersection over union of 0.5 and 0.75 (AP50 and AP75), obtained from the FPN–ISResNet–Faster RCNN were 62.71%, 93.68%, and 70.94%, respectively, which are higher than those of the SSD, VGG–Faster RCNN, GoogleNet–Faster RCNN, ResNet50–Faster RCNN, ResNeXt–Faster RCNN, and ISResNet–Faster RCNN. FPN–ISResNet–Faster RCNN was shown to be able to detect diseases in apple leaves with high accuracy and generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disproportionate cortical atrophy is an established biomarker for the pathophysiological process of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the genetic basis underlying the cortical atrophy remains poorly defined. Herein, we aim to illustrate the effect of the Wnt target genes on the cortical volumes of AD patients. 82 sporadic AD patients were recruited. All the subjects had history survey, blood biochemical examination, cognitive assessment, MRI morphometry and whole exome sequencing. This report focused on 84 common variants (minor allele frequency > 0.01) of 32 Wnt target genes, including the APC, DAAM1, DACT1, DISC1, LATS2, TLR2, WDR61, and the AXIN, DVL, FZD, LRP, TCF/LEF, WNT family genes. The Wnt target genes showed asymmetric effects on the cortical volumes of AD patients. The right temporal/parietal/occipital cortices were more affected than left temporal/parietal/occipital cortices. Nevertheless, the reverse applied to the frontal cortex. The DACT1 affected the cortical thickness most, followed by the TCF3 and APC. The DACT1 rs698025-GG genotype displayed greater right temporal pole and left medial orbito-frontal gyrus than rs698025-GA genotype (2.4 ± 0.4 vs. 2.0 ± 0.6, P = 0.005; 5.2 ± 0.6 vs. 5.0 ± 0.6, P = 0.001). The brain region most influenced by the Wnt target genes was the right calcarine cortex. In conclusion, the common variants of the Wnt target genes exert asymmetric effects on the cortical volumes of AD patients. The Wnt signaling pathway may play a role in the cortical atrophy of AD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to describe the burden of health care utilisation and early education outcomes of children with and without rare diseases. Using the Born in Bradford birth cohort and its linked routine health care and education data, we looked at cumulative primary care episodes, hospital admissions and medication prescriptions. We assessed education outcomes using Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and the National Curriculum Tests-Key Stage 1 results. Among analytical sample of 13,858, 1711 or 12.3% children were identified with a rare disease by an average age of 14 years. Children with rare diseases were twice more likely to be admitted to hospital compared to children without. Average length of stay was around 5 days in those with rare diseases group compared to less than 1 day in those without. The average number of primary care episodes was 45.4 in children with rare diseases and 28.2 visits in those without. These children were over three times more likely to be on multiple medications. Children with rare diseases had 30% higher risk of being below academic expectations at Foundation Year and, depending on subject, between 50 and 60% higher risks at KS1 tests. Conclusions: Children with rare diseases are significantly more likely to have increased primary care episodes and to have more regular medications. They are likely to have more hospital admissions with a longer stay also. Educationally, they are at higher risk of failing to achieve expected standards in early-year settings. What is Known: • Existing studies of rare diseases have used cross sectional data to describe secondary care data. Previous research has not explored the impact of rare diseases on academic outcomes in children. What is New: • Using Born in Bradford birth cohort and its linked primary and secondary care data, this study provides the most comprehensive estimate of prevalence of rare diseases in any study to date. Children with rare diseases were not only significantly more likely to have contact with primary care and to be admitted to hospitals; they were also more like to be on more regular medications and had higher risk of not achieving expected standards in early-year education outcomes. • Our study is unusual in being able to access linked health and education data and reinforces the importance of adopting a whole system approach to children's health and wellbeing that recognises the close links between health and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multidelay arterial spin labeling (ASL) generates time‐resolved perfusion maps, which may provide sufficient and accurate hemodynamic information in carotid stenosis. Purpose: To use imaging markers derived from multidelay ASL magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine the optimal strategy for predicting cerebral hyperperfusion after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Study Type: Prospective observational cohort. Subjects: A total of 79 patients who underwent CEA for carotid stenosis. Field Strength/Sequence: A 3.0 T/pseudo‐continuous ASL with three postlabeling delays of 1.0, 1.57, and 2.46 seconds using fast‐spin echo readout. Assessment: Cerebral perfusion pressure, antegrade, and collateral flow were scored on a four‐grade ordinal scale based on preoperative multidelay ASL perfusion maps. Simultaneously, quantitative hemodynamic parameters including cerebral blood flow (CBF), arterial transit time (ATT), relative CBF (rCBF) and relative ATT (rATT; ipsilateral/contralateral values) were calculated. On the CBF ratio map obtained through dividing postoperative by preoperative CBF map, regions of interest were placed covering ipsilateral middle cerebral artery territory. Three neuroradiologists conducted this procedure. Cerebral hyperperfusion was defined as a CBF ratio >2. Statistical Tests: Weighted κ values, independent sample t test, chi‐square test, Mann–Whitney U‐test, multivariable logistic regression analysis, receiver‐operating characteristic curve analysis, and Delong test. Significance level was P < 0.05. Results: Cerebral hyperperfusion was observed in 15 (19%) patients. Higher blood pressure (odd ratio [OR] = 1.08) and carotid near‐occlusion (NO; OR = 7.31) were clinical risk factors for postoperative hyperperfusion. Poor ASL perfusion score (OR = 37.33), decreased CBF (OR = 0.74), prolonged ATT (OR = 1.02), lower rCBF (OR = 0.91), and higher rATT (OR = 1.12) were independent imaging predictors of hyperperfusion. ASL perfusion score exhibited the highest specificity (95.3%), while CBF exhibited the highest sensitivity (93.3%) for the prediction of hyperperfusion. When combined with ASL perfusion score, CBF and ATT, the predictive ability was significantly higher than using blood pressure and NO alone (AUC: 0.98 vs. 0.78). Data Conclusions: Multidelay ASL can accurately predict cerebral hyperperfusion after CEA with high sensitivity and specificity. Evidence Level: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review summarizes the self-assembly of block molecules forming unconventional two-dimensional (2D) periodic nanopatterns. Especially, we emphasize the structural evolution from simple columnar phases to complex 2D tiling morphologies in soft materials including block copolymers, liquid crystals, giant molecules, etc. Then, the state-of-the-art nanofabrication technologies for making sophisticated nanostructures with specific functions via combining both bottom-up assembly and top-down lithography-based methods are discussed, highlighting the use of directed self-assembly processes. Finally, we provide our perspective on this area. By further increasing the complexity of block molecules and the designability of lithography, low-dimensional ordered morphologies will be particularly promising for further application in nanotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operating temperatures considerably influence the energy storage mechanism of the anode of Li-ion batteries (LiBs). This effect must be comprehensively studied to facilitate the effective integration of LiBs in practical applications and battery management. In this study, we fabricated a novel anode material, i.e., copper–iron–tin–sulphide (Cu2FeSnS4, CFTS), and investigated the corresponding LiB performance at operating temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 55 °C. The CFTS anode exhibited a discharge capacity of 283.1 mA h g−1 at room temperature (25 °C), which stabilized to 174.0 mA h g−1 in repeated cycles tested at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. The discharge capacity at higher operating temperatures, such as 40 °C and 55 °C, is found to be 209.3 and 230.0 mA h g−1 respectively. In contrast, the discharge capacity decreased to 36.2 mA h g−1 when the temperature decreased to 10 °C. Electrothermal impedance spectroscopy was performed to determine the rate of chemical reactions, mobility of active species, and change in internal resistance at different operating temperatures. In terms of the cycle life, CFTS exhibited outstanding cycling stability for more than 500 charge/discharge cycles, with a 146% capacity retention and more than 80% coulombic efficiency. The electrochemical investigation revealed that the charge storage in the CFTS anode is attributable to capacitive-type and diffusion-controlled mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In condensed systems, Weyl quasiparticles have a massless nature and exhibit various relativistic chiral phenomena such as Klein tunneling, chiral anomaly, and Fermi arc surface states. However, in photonic systems, Weyl points (WPs) are protected by the D2d symmetry, often leading to multiple chiral WPs at the same energy level, which makes generating chirality-related effects challenging. To overcome this hinderance, a perturbation that breaks mirror symmetry in the metallic saddle structure was introduced. This perturbation effectively separates the energies of distinct chiral WPs, enabling the experimental measurement of the spectral intensity for each Weyl band and the assessment of chirality imbalance among the WPs. By maintaining time-reversal symmetry, the present study offers an approach for investigating the imbalance in the chirality of pseudo-fermionic fields in photonic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although considerable efforts towards directly converting syngas to liquid fuels through Fischer–Tropsch synthesis have been made, developing catalysts with low CO2 selectivity for the synthesis of high‐quality gasoline remains a big challenge. Herein, we designed a bifunctional catalyst composed of hydrophobic FeNa@Si‐c and HZSM‐5 zeolite, which exhibited a low CO2 selectivity of 14.3 % at 49.8 % CO conversion, with a high selectivity of 62.5 % for gasoline in total products. Molecular dynamic simulations and model experiments revealed that the diffusion of water molecules through hydrophilic catalyst was bidirectional, while the diffusion through hydrophobic catalyst was unidirectional, which were crucial to tune the water‐gas shift reaction and control CO2 formation. This work provides a new fundamental understanding about the function of hydrophobic modification of catalysts in syngas conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although considerable efforts towards directly converting syngas to liquid fuels through Fischer–Tropsch synthesis have been made, developing catalysts with low CO2 selectivity for the synthesis of high‐quality gasoline remains a big challenge. Herein, we designed a bifunctional catalyst composed of hydrophobic FeNa@Si‐c and HZSM‐5 zeolite, which exhibited a low CO2 selectivity of 14.3 % at 49.8 % CO conversion, with a high selectivity of 62.5 % for gasoline in total products. Molecular dynamic simulations and model experiments revealed that the diffusion of water molecules through hydrophilic catalyst was bidirectional, while the diffusion through hydrophobic catalyst was unidirectional, which were crucial to tune the water‐gas shift reaction and control CO2 formation. This work provides a new fundamental understanding about the function of hydrophobic modification of catalysts in syngas conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic performance of high-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI (hrMRI) with three-dimensional (3D) fast spin echo (FSE) sequence by comparison with conventional contrast-enhanced MRI (cMRI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (dMRI) with 2D FSE sequence for identifying pituitary microadenomas. Methods: This single-institutional retrospective study included 69 consecutive patients with Cushing's syndrome who underwent preoperative pituitary MRI, including cMRI, dMRI, and hrMRI, between January 2016 to December 2020. Reference standards were established by using all available imaging, clinical, surgical, and pathological resources. The diagnostic performance of cMRI, dMRI, and hrMRI for identifying pituitary microadenomas was independently evaluated by two experienced neuroradiologists. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUCs) were compared between protocols for each reader by using the DeLong test to assess the diagnostic performance for identifying pituitary microadenomas. The inter-observer agreement was assessed by using the κ analysis. Results: The diagnostic performance of hrMRI (AUC, 0.95–0.97) was higher than cMRI (AUC, 0.74–0.75; p ≤.002) and dMRI (AUC, 0.59–0.68; p ≤.001) for identifying pituitary microadenomas. The sensitivity and specificity of hrMRI were 90–93% and 100%, respectively. There were 78% (18/23) to 82% (14/17) of the patients, who were misdiagnosed on cMRI and dMRI and correctly diagnosed on hrMRI. The inter-observer agreement for identifying pituitary microadenomas was moderate on cMRI (κ = 0.50), moderate on dMRI (κ = 0.57), and almost perfect on hrMRI (κ = 0.91), respectively. Conclusions: The hrMRI showed higher diagnostic performance than cMRI and dMRI for identifying pituitary microadenomas in patients with Cushing's syndrome. Key Points: • The diagnostic performance of hrMRI was higher than cMRI and dMRI for identifying pituitary microadenomas in Cushing's syndrome. • About 80% of patients, who were misdiagnosed on cMRI and dMRI, were correctly diagnosed on hrMRI. • The inter-observer agreement for identifying pituitary microadenomas was almost perfect on hrMRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To validate the correlation between histopathological findings and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) fat fraction (FF) and water T2 mapping in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Methods: The study included 13 patients with histopathologically confirmed IIM who underwent dedicated thigh qMRI scanning within 1 month before open muscle biopsy. For the biopsied muscles, FF derived from the iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation quantitation (IDEAL-IQ) and T2 time from T2 mapping with chemical shift selective fat saturation were measured using a machine learning software. Individual histochemical and immunohistochemical slides were evaluated using a 5-point Likert score. Inter-reader agreement and the correlation between qMRI markers and histopathological scores were analyzed. Results: Readers showed good to perfect agreement in qMRI measurements and most histopathological scores. FF of the biopsied muscles was positively correlated with the amount of fat in histopathological slides (p = 0.031). Prolonged T2 time was associated with the degree of variation in myofiber size, inflammatory cell infiltration, and amount of connective tissues (p ≤ 0.008 for all). Conclusions: Using the machine learning-based muscle segmentation method, a positive correlation was confirmed between qMRI biomarkers and histopathological findings of patients with IIM. This finding provides a basis for using qMRI as a non-invasive tool in the diagnostic workflow of IIM. Relevance statement: By using ML-based muscle segmentation, a correlation between qMRI biomarkers and histopathology was found in patients with IIM: qMRI is a potential non-invasive tool in this clinical setting. Key points: • Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging measurements using machine learning-based muscle segmentation have good consistency and reproductivity. • Fat fraction of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) correlated with the amount of fat at histopathology. • Prolonged T2 time was associated with muscle inflammation in IIM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conventional plasmonic media and plasmonic metamaterials, such as metallic wire meshes, a longitudinal mode of an electromagnetic wave manifests itself in frequency overlapping transverse modes, which impedes clear observation of longitudinal-mode-specific physical effects. Through interlacing two sets of wire meshes, an ideal band for the longitudinal mode is achieved ranging from zero frequency to plasma frequency, where transverse modes are completely forbidden. The unique spectral separation of modes facilitates the observation of pure longitudinal modes and related plasmonic effects in a bulk medium. We report the microwave experiment of anomalous optical transmission, induced solely by electromagnetic longitudinal mode resonance, below the plasma frequency in such a wire mesh medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite vaccine use, novel strains and variants of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) have emerged continuously, leading to economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. This study aimed to characterize the IBV isolate CK/CH/GX/202109 from three yellow broilers in Guangxi, China. Recombination was shown to have occurred in regions of the 1ab gene. Compared to the whole genome of ck/CH/LGX/130530, which is genotypically related to tl/CH/LDT3-03, the 202109 strain had 21 mutations. The pathological assessment showed that this variant caused 30% and 40% mortality in 1-day-old chicks infected with oral and ocular inoculum, respectively. Nephritis, enlarged proventriculus, inflammation of the gizzard, and atrophy of the bursa of Fabricius were also observed at both 7 and 14 days post-infection (dpi). Viral loads in the trachea, proventriculus, gizzard, kidney, bursa, and cloacal swabs were higher at 7 dpi than at 14 dpi. Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that this virus exhibited multiple organ tropisms capable of infecting the trachea, proventriculus, gizzard, kidney, bursa, ileum, jejunum, and rectum. Almost none of the 1-day-old infected chicks seroconverted until 14 dpi. While the virus was found in the ileum, jejunum, and rectum in the 28-day-old ocular group, the majority of 28-day-old infected chickens seroconverted at 10 dpi. These study findings demonstrate that recombination events and mutations during the evolution of IBV may greatly alter tissue tropism and emphasize the need for the continued surveillance of novel strains and variants in order to control this infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the deformation theory of associative conformal algebras and conformal bimodules. Using the O -operator on bimodules over associative conformal algebras, we introduce the notion of O N -structure on bimodules over associative conformal algebras and consider the relationship between it and the compatibility of O -operators, the PN-structure, the Ω N -structure and the P Ω -structure on associative conformal algebra. We show that a solution of the strong Maurer-Cartan equation of an associative conformal twilled algebra gives rise to an O N -structure, and an O N -structure satisfying certain conditions gives a solution of the strong Maurer-Cartan equation of an associative conformal twilled algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel variant IBDV (nVarIBDV, especially genotype A2dB1) mainly affects broilers in China. It causes an infection characterized by the atrophy of the bursa, a decrease in the level of lymphocytes, proliferation of fibrous tissue around the follicle, and severe atrophy of the follicle in the bursa. Poultry vaccinated with live IBDV vaccines do not have the challenge present with bursa atrophy, which is misdiagnosed for nVarIBDV because of the lack of other gross clinical symptoms. The present study sought to explore the potential and reliability of the real-time TaqMan analysis method for the detection and discrimination of the nVarIBDV genotype from that of the non-nVarIBDV, especially in live vaccine strains. This method will help monitor vaccinated poultry to control and manage infection with the nVarIBDV IBDVs. The nucleotide polymorphism in the 5′-UTR region and the vp5/vp2 overlapping region of the segment A sequences of IBDV were used to establish a one-step real-time TaqMan reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method in this study. The results showed that the method accurately distinguished the nVarIBDV and non-nVarIBDV strains (especially live vaccine strains), and there were no cross-reactions with the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), avian influenza virus (AIV), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), fowlpox virus (FPV), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (M. gallisepticum), Mycoplasma synoviae (M. synoviae), and IBDV-negative field samples. The method showed a linear dynamic range between 102 and 107 DNA copies/reaction, with an average R2 of 0.99 and an efficiency of 93% for nVarIBDV and an average R2 of 1.00 and an efficiency of 94% for non-nVarIBDV. The method was also used for the detection of 84 clinical bursae of chickens vaccinated with the live vaccine. The results showed that this method accurately distinguished the nVarIBDV and non-nVarIBDV strains (vaccine strains), compared with a strategy based on the sequence analysis of HVRs at the vp2 gene or the reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) for the vp5 gene. These findings showed that this one-step real-time TaqMan RT-PCR method provides a rapid, sensitive, specific, and simple approach for detection of infections caused by nVarIBDV and is a useful clinical diagnostic tool for identifying and distinguishing nVarIBDV from non-nVarIBDV, especially live vaccine strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporal evolution of ecological entropy (EE) reflects the differences and correlations among the different elements (roads, rivers, land, etc.) and regions in an ecosystem. In this study, an index system for evaluating the EE in an ecologically vulnerable area in China from 2005 to 2020 is constructed according to the pressure–state–response model. Models of the EE and its gradient are constructed, and they are evaluated using GIS and remote sensing. The results show that except for the utilization rate of solid waste, the index values of EE have increased dramatically in the past 16 years. Investment in waste pollution control, GDP per capita, vegetation index in July, and utilization rate of solid waste make large contributions to the EE. The EEs on the edge of the ecologically vulnerable area increased from 2005 to 2020, indicating that the ecological environment in these areas has deteriorated year by year. The regions with the largest outflow of EE indicate that the EEs of these regions had a large impact on those of their surrounding regions. The regions with the largest inflow of EE indicate that the ecological security of these regions is relatively stable to the surrounding regions. Large EE gradients existed between adjacent regions show large rate of change and inflow and outflow of EE. The results contribute to alleviating the high entropy, reversing the ecological imbalance, enhancing the ecological benefits, and improving the environmental quality in an ecological entropy system. The present results offer decision support for ecological evaluation, protection, restoration, compensation, and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]